Lameness prevention: it's all in the head

An understanding of how cows think, how they see the world and how they move is essential for lameness prevention.
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The FCA has refused to crack down on fees for financial advisers who tempt customers into ditching lucrative workplace pensions

The City watchdog has been blasted for failing to protect workers from rogue advisers seeking to pocket vast fees from their pension pots.

Bosses at the Financial Conduct Authority have refused to crack down on fees for financial advisers who tempt customers into ditching their lucrative workplace pensions.

The fast-growing transfer market allows staff to pull out of a defined benefit pension for a lump sum up front.

Critics fear the current system is encouraging savers to squander their nest eggs.

MP Frank Field, chairman of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, said: 'The FCA fails to take effective action.

Unscrupulous advisers are circling like vultures around consumers. It's time the FCA took decisive action to prevent another mis-selling scandal.'

It is estimated that 100,000 people are transferring as much a 30billion out of their pensions every year.

Steelworkers targeted Thousands of steelworkers were targeted in a mis-selling scandal last year. Rogue advisers flocked to the steel heartland of Port Talbot, Wales, to tempt workers to transfer their retirement funds into riskier investments. Chaos erupted after Tata Steel decided to close the British Steel Pension Scheme, with workers allowed to stay with the scheme as it went into the Pension Protection Fund, join a replacement set up by Tata, or transfer out. Parliaments Work and Pensions committee said contingent charging was a key driver of bad advice and should be banned.

Companies encourage it because it reduces the financial burden they face. In some cases workers have been offered 40 times their starting post-retirement income, meaning someone expecting a pension of 18,000 a year could get 720,000.

But taking the money is often a bad idea because workers are giving up a guaranteed income for life.

At present, advisers tend to only get paid if they convince someone to transfer out, in an arrangement called contingent charging.

Field and others claim this gives the advisers an incentive to persuade workers to transfer.

But after an investigation into transfers lasting almost two years, the FCA has decided not to make a change.

However, the watchdog will required advisers to have better qualifications and file more reports.

A spokesman said: 'The responses to the FCA's consultation confirm its initial analysis that the evidence does not show that contingent charging is the main driver of poor outcomes for customers.'
Billionaire property investor John Whittaker is planning a swoop on shopping centre owner Intu.

The 76-year-old tycoon, who is deputy chairman of Intu and has a stake of around 27 per cent through his firm Peel Group, has joined forces with Brookfield Property Group of Canada and Saudi Arabia's Olayan Group to plot a takeover.

The move comes as High Streets and shopping centres across Britain fight fierce online competition from the likes of Amazon.

Intu, which is valued at 2billion having seen its shares fall more than 40 per cent this year, owns 14 shopping centres including the Trafford Centre in Greater Manchester, Lakeside in Essex and Eldon Square in Newcastle.

Intu, which is valued at 2billion having seen its shares fall more than 40 per cent this year, owns 14 shopping centres including the Trafford Centre in Greater Manchester (pictured)

It bought the Trafford Centre from Peel in 2011 in a deal that was valued at 1.6billion and handed Peel a stake in the company and Whittaker a seat on the board.

The consortium of Peel, Brookfield and Olayan said it was 'in the preliminary stages of considering a possible cash offer' for the Intu shares it does not own.

Olayan has a 2.6 per cent stake, taking the total holding of the consortium to close to 30 per cent.

A formal bid would probably be a lifeline for Intu which fell to a 503million loss in the first half of 2018.

Hot property John Whittaker is the chairman of Peel Group. He grew up in Bury and owns about 27 per cent of Intu. The father-of-five, worth 2.25billion and based in the Isle of Man, has been behind some of the biggest infrastructure projects in north-west England for almost 50 years including Media City UK in Salford. He is also behind the 50billion Ocean Gateway project which includes the redevelopment of the Port of Liverpool and the Manchester Ship Canal.

Shareholders are still reeling from the collapse of a proposed takeover by rival Hammerson early this year.

The tie-up would have created a titan with 43 shopping centres and 37 retail parks and other outlets worth nearly 21billion.

But Hammerson walked away due to shareholder opposition. The disastrous attempt saw Intu boss David Fischel, 60, step down after 33 years at the company.

A City source said Intu's declining finances meant it is likely to accept a sensible offer.

'Whittaker has put a lot of money into Intu, but the share price has kept heading down. It wouldn't surprise me if he accepted a reasonable offer,' the source said.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'Investors have been worried that Intu's assets are not worth as much as the accountants say, because of the decline of bricks and mortar retail in the digital age.

'But others such as Next have made clear they still think these properties have value and can be a shop window for the brand. This move appears to show someone else is saying that as well.'

Brookfield, Olayan and Peel now have until 5pm on November 1 to make a bid. 'Consideration of the possible offer is at a preliminary and exploratory stage and no approach has been made to the board of Intu,' the consortium said.

'There can be no certainty any transaction will be forthcoming, nor can there be any certainty as to the terms.'
A new bank has launched in Britain that is known on the continent for current accounts that customers can open 'within eight minutes.'

N26, founded in 2013 by two Austrians, boasts more than 1.5million customers across Europe and is hoping to take a slice of the UK current account market.

It becomes the latest foreign lender to enter Britain's digital banking space in recent weeks, after Marcus from US-based Goldman Sachs launched a 1.5 per cent savings account.

Banking newbie: N26 is set to launch current accounts in Britain - it currently offers to different options elsewhere in Europe

The Berlin-headquartered mobile bank will initially be available to 'friends and family' of N26 staff before rolling out to a UK waiting list that the company says is 50,000-strong.

The full public launch is set for November, although it currently has an early-bird sign-up form on its website.

It will operate under its European banking licence, but could seek a British licence further down the line, depending on the outcome of Brexit.

A spokesman said: 'We have a German banking licence currently. If there comes a point at which that is not sufficient, we would do everything required of us to ensure we are still authorised to operate in the market.'

The bulk of its UK operations will be managed from continental Europe, where N26 employs around 500 staff - but it has 10 staff who will split their time between London and Berlin.

Its local team is expected to expand as UK services grow. It will be directly competing with relatively new fintechs already established in Britain: Monzo and Starling.

Bold claims: The UK website is accepting email address pre-registers - and it claims to be 'the first bank you'll love to use'

Valentin Stalf, 32, N26 chief executive and co-founder, said: 'The UK is one of the most digitally advanced countries in the world.

'At N26, we have redesigned banking for the digital age and as a result we're the fastest growing mobile bank in all European markets we operate in.

'Backed by our state-of-the-art technology stack and an intuitive, user-centric design, today's launch is the first step towards delivering the best digital banking experience possible for UK customers.'

N26 - backed by investors including Tencent, Allianz X and Earlybird Ventures - is now looking to launch in the US in the first half of 2019. It raised a total of $215million earlier in the year.

It is not clear what the current account offering will be in Britain, but it currently offers two accounts in Europe  a basic, free version, which offers free cash withdrawals in euros and free payments in any currency.

A paid-for version, N26 Black, costs 7.90 per month and also offers these two features alongside free withdrawals worldwide and an Allianz insurance package.

It says services and fees are for everyone who registers with an address in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia.

The current accounts come with a Mastercard debit card. There are no imminent plans to launch savings accounts.

N26 has been a 'fintech darling' in recent years

James Blower, independent expert at website The Savings Guru, said: 'N26 has been somewhat of a fintech darling for a few years and what they've achieved in Europe has been admired by the UK fintech sector.

'Its launch in the UK follows Monzo and Starling, who have already entered the current account market, with similar customer-centric focus and functionality looking to target a younger demographic and break the monopoly of the big four.

'Both Monzo and Starling have been successful at acquiring customers with Monzo going over the one million mark last week.

'While N26 will be looking to target the big four, they may find that Monzo has already stolen that ground and that they are actually in competition for those customers who have already moved to the new fintechs.

'I don't see anything sufficiently different in their offering to make them a more compelling choice than Monzo or Starling.

'It has also recruited very few people in the UK, which could also hinder their success.

'Other banks entering the market here have found there are cultural differences and recruiting the right people in the local market can have a significant impact on the likelihood of success.'
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Apple, Google and Amazon were today revealed as the three most valuable global brands in a top 100 list that also includes four British names.

Jaguar Land Rover took 78th place on the annual Interbrand Best Global Brands (BGB) list, followed by Mini at 90, Burberry at 94 and Johnnie Walker at 97.

Spotify and Subaru have made the list for the first time at 92 and 100 respectively, while Chanel re-enters at 23, Hennessy is back at 98 and Nintendo returned at 99.

The annual Interbrand Best Global Brands report provides a list of the world's top 100 brands

Interbrand calculates brand value by assessing its influence in driving customer choice and its strength in relation to the competition. It also looks at its current and forecast financial performance.

Facebook's brand value has declined 6 per cent, according to the list, which places it in ninth position.

Interbrand London chief executive Christian Purser said: 'Leading brands are more customer obsessed than ever, bringing the voice of the customer into every aspect of their business, making bold moves and taking calculated risks based on customer understanding.

The fastest growing brands across the last five years of the study are typically the most relevant to people's lives Christian Purser, Interbrand London

'The fastest growing brands across the last five years of the study are typically the most relevant to people's lives and the most responsive to their changing needs.'

Apple and Google hold the top positions for the sixth consecutive year, with Apple's brand value growing by 16 per cent to $214,480million (165million). Meanwhile Google's brand value increased by 10 per cent to $155,506million (120million).

Amazon achieved 56 per cent growth and is the third brand to achieve a $100billion (77billion) brand valuation.

Interbrand said there were 'many great' British brands that did not yet qualify for the BGB table, because they were not sufficiently global or did not publish their financial performance.
Paul Johnson, boss of the influential Institute for Fiscal Studies, warned today Mrs May would have to raise taxes or borrow money to meet the promise

Theresa May was warned today she will have to find at least 20billion to meet her conference speech promise of ending austerity.

The Prime Minister vowed the decade-long squeeze on public spending was finally over as she rallied the Tory party in Birmingham yesterday.

But Paul Johnson, boss of the influential Institute for Fiscal Studies, warned today Mrs May would have to raise taxes or borrow money to meet the promise.

Separately, shadow chancellor John McDonnell said it was 'not credible' to promise an end to austerity without cancelling already planned cuts.

Mrs May's promise to spend more comes after the Government already vowed to spend 20billion a year more on the NHS and raise public sector pay.

Chancellor Philip Hammond must start to make the sums add up at his Budget on October 29 - but is likely to postpone the hardest decisions until next year's spending review.

Mr Johnson said it remained unclear 'what she means by the end of austerity'.

But he told the Today programme: 'But if you look at the plans the Government has got, it is increasing spending a lot on the health service and it has got plans to increase spending on defence.

'If the rest of the public sector is to avoid austerity, at the very minimum if cuts stop from now on that is going to require the Government to find at least an extra 20billion or so by the end of this Parliament.

'Even that won't feel particularly generous but it will mean of course 20billion more on the deficit compared with what's currently being planned.'

Mr McDonnell - who outlined lavish Labour spending paid for by taxes at his own conference - said: 'If they were serious about ending austerity, Philip Hammond would get up today and immediately cancel the cuts that are coming to hit us in the next four years.

'Councils have predicted a 4billion hole in their budgets next year and we have a record number of children coming into care because of the withdrawal of services from families. None of that has been cancelled.

'We are also told that an ending of austerity is completely dependent on her securing her own Brexit deal which is clearly not going to happen.'

Theresa May (pictured after yesterday's conference speech) was warned today she will have to find at least 20billion to meet her conference speech promise of ending austerity

Austerity has allowed the deficit to fall for most of the last ten years (pictured). But the current year forecast (shown in the blue column, right) was already for a dramatic slowdown in how fast the deficit comes down. Ending austerity could see it rise again without tax rises

Chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured during May's speech yesterday) must start to make the sums add up at his Budget on October 29 - but is likely to postpone the hardest decisions until next year's spending review

Mrs May's speech to conference - which saw her dance onto stage in a stunning stunt to banish memories of her disastrous appearance a year earlier - was widely praised today.

She promised she would not betray the EUreferendum result, and said she was not afraid' to leave the EU with no deal if it refused to compromise

But she also appealed for activists and hardline MPs to accept they would not get everything they wanted - warning that failure to unify could mean ending up with 'no Brexit'.

The tough message - which Cabinet allies claimed had staved off threats to her job - came at the end of a fractious week in Birmingham dominated by rows about Brexit and Boris Johnson's leadership ambitions.

Mrs May took a series of swipes at her bitter rival, taking particular aim at his 'f*** business' response when being told about firms' anxieties at a private meeting.

Theresa May danced on to stage at Tory conference and was cheered to the rafters by activists as she made light of her own political woes

But in a sign that her position is still weak, Mrs May did not mention her 'Chequers' plan for Brexit once during the entire speech.

MailOnline revealed yesterday that Cabinet ministers have been urging her to 'rebrand' the plan as the term had become toxic with party members.

Instead, she tried to show she has a positive vision of the country's future to match that of her bitter rival.

The premier pointed to a new 'global' immigration system, crackdown on property investors from abroad, and fuel duty freeze as evidence that she can make the country work for ordinary people.

And she held out the prize of an end to austerity if she was able to push through Brexit and implement her policies.

One Cabinet Brexiteer said they believed Mrs May had won herself some time with the strong performance. 'I really liked it,' they said. Another told PoliticsHome: 'She won't be going out without a fight.'

Mrs May also demonstrated a rarely-seen sense of humour by boogying on stage to 'Dancing Queen' by Abba, emulating her famous moves from a trip to Africa over the summer.

In a reference to last year's conference debacle when letters fell off the set behind her, she then joked that she had been up late sticking the backdrop together with superglue.

As 'Dancing Queen' by Abba played, Mrs May emulated her famous dance moves from a trip to Africa last month and received rapturous applause from the party faithful.

But not everyone was pleased with her showing. Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, a long-standing critic, said: 'It's no good just dropping the word Chequers from the speech but continuing with the policy, this is why the public have such scant trust in politics and politicians.

'The PM announced the end of austerity, but unfortunately not the end of Chequers.'

The prime minister warned Tories there is no 'perfect Brexit' when she made a desperate appeal for the party to unite behind her Chequers plan.

After a gathering in Birmingham marred by civil war over her Brexit blueprint, the PM urged activists to put aside their differences - saying failure to do so risked hard-Left Labour seizing power and the process of leaving the EU being stopped altogether.

But she also delivered a stark warning to Brussels that the UK is 'not afraid' to leave without a deal if it does not compromise.

Trying to show she has a positive vision of the country's future to match that of her bitter rival, she pointed to a new 'global' immigration system, crackdown on property investors from abroad, and fuel duty freeze as evidence that she can make the country work for ordinary people - adding that it was time for austerity to end.

A Cabinet source told MailOnline the speech 'was a very strong statement of mainstream Conservative values', adding: 'Where others may seek to divide, she set out a vision to unite both party and country. She has done the job for now.'

Mrs May also demonstrated a rarely-seen sense of humour by boogying on stage to 'Dancing Queen' by Abba, emulating her famous moves from a trip to Africa over the summer.

In a reference to last year's conference debacle when letters fell off the set behind her, she then joked that she had been up late sticking the backdrop together with superglue.

In a reference to last year's conference debacle when letters fell of the set behind her, she then joked that she had been up late sticking the backdrop together with superglue

The hall in Birmingham was jam-packed for Mrs May's big moment, which had the theme of 'opportunity'

Without using the word 'Chequers' once, Mrs May pleaded with activists to get behind her on Brexit, insisting she would 'never betray' the referendum result and saying her proposals are the only way to keep the UK together and protect jobs.

What policies and announcements did Theresa May and the Tories make at their 2018 conference? Here are the main announcements made by Theresa May at her Conservative Party conference: Immigration: In the biggest overhaul of the system in decades, the Tories said they will end EU free movement after Brexit and bring in a new skills-based system. From January 2021, European immigrants will be treated the same as immigrants from elsewhere. European migrants will have to apply for work visas and meet a minimum salary threshold before they are allowed to move to the UK. There will be temporary exemptions for areas of the economy dependent on low-skilled migrants but businesses will be told to train up British workers. Freezing fuel duty: Theresa May announced a freeze on fuel duty for the ninth year in a row. Chancellor Philip Hammond is to scrap a scheduled 2p-a-litre rise at the pumps in his October 29 Budget. Housing: A new tax on foreign property buyers will be introduced to help tackle rough sleeping. They face a surcharge of 1 per cent or 3 per cent on top of stamp duty to stop them driving up UK prices. Health: A new cancer strategy which will unrease early detection rates from one in two to three in four by 2028. They will lower the age of bowel screening from 60 to 50 years-old and build more rapid diagnostic centres. On Jeremy Corbyn: Theresa May called for 'decent, moderate, patriotic' Britons to come together to keep 'appalling' Jeremy Corbyn out of power. She said: 'What has it come to when Jewish families are seriously discussing where to go if Jeremy Corbyn becomes Prime Minister... That is what Jeremy Corbyn has done to the Labour Party. It is our duty in this Conservative Party to make sure he can never do it to our country. On Brexit: The PM warned against chasing an impossible vision of a perfect Brexit - and urged her party to unite and back her plan. She said: Those of us who do respect the result  whichever side of the question we stood on two years ago  need to come together now. If we dont  if we all go off in different directions in pursuit of our own visions of the perfect Brexit  we risk ending up with no Brexit at all. Advertisement

Saying Tories had to 'face up to what is at risk', she told the crowd that many people wanted to reverse the result of the referendum and Labour were exploiting Brexit to seize power.

'We have had disagreements in this party about Britain's membership of the EU for a long time,' Mrs May admitted.

'So, it is no surprise that we have had a range of different views expressed this week.

'But my job as Prime Minister is to do what I believe is in the national interest.'

She added: 'Those of us who do respect the result  whichever side of the question we stood on two years ago  need to come together now.

'If we don't  if we all go off in different directions in pursuit of our own visions of the perfect Brexit  we risk ending up with no Brexit at all.'

But the premier also delivered a stark warning to Brussels that the UK will leave without a deal if it does not compromise.

'No one wants a good deal more than me. But that has never meant getting a deal at any cost,' she said.

'Britain isn't afraid to leave with no deal if we have to.'

She warned that crashing out without a deal would mean introducing tariffs and costly checks at the border.

MailOnline revealed earlier this week that Cabinet ministers have been urging her to 'rebrand' her plan, and stop using the term 'Chequers' as it is tainted in the minds of activists.

But No10 aides played down the signifance of the omission

'There are various terms that can be used and Chequers is one,' an aide said.

'She has used it many times in the past and she will do so again in future.'

The PM also announced that austerity will end after she has delivered Brexit as she insisted the Tories can spell out a positive domestic agenda and not just rein in spending.

Mrs May has been heavily criticised by her own MPs for failing to come up with new domestic policies or the money needed to properly find schools, hospitals and local councils.

But in a radical departure, she said the spending taps would be turned back on after Brexit as 'after a decade of austerity, people need to know that their hard work has paid off.

She said: 'We are not just a party to clean up a mess, we are a party to steer a course to a better future.

'Sound finances are essential, but they are not the limit of our ambition. Because you made sacrifices, there are better days ahead.

'So, when we've secured a good Brexit deal for Britain, at the spending review next year we will set out our approach to the future.

'Debt as a share of the economy will continue to go down, support for public services will go up.

'Because, a decade after the financial crash, people need to know that the austerity it led to is over and that their hard work has paid off.'

Mrs May's speech was a make-or-break moment as she faces a huge revolt from Eurosceptics over her Brexit plan

Corbyn has destroyed the Labour Party and must be stopped from hurting Britain, May warns Jeremy Corbyn has destroyed the Labour Party and replaced it with a new one in his own image, Theresa May warned today. The Prime Minister launched a furious attack on the Labour leader for seizing control of the party of Clement Attlee and Neil Kinnock. She said in the Commons moderate Labour MPs stared 'blankly' from the backbenches with the new party monopolising the front bench. She said: 'What has befallen Labour is a national tragedy. 'What has it come to when Jewish families today seriously discuss where they should go if Jeremy Corbyn becomes prime minister? 'When a leading Labour MP says his party is 'institutionally racist'? 'When the leader of the Labour Party is happy to appear on Iranian state TV but attacks our free media here in Britain? 'That is what Jeremy Corbyn has done to the Labour Party. It is our duty, in this Conservative Party, to make sure he can never do it to our country.' Later in the speech in a section on Russia and national security, Mrs May said Mr Corbyn 'poses as a humanitarian' but says action can only be taken if backed by Security Council. She warned: 'We cannot outsource our conscience to the Kremlin' Advertisement

In a pitch to younger voters, Mrs May renewed her determination to tackle the housing crisis.

She said councils would be given the green light to borrow more money to build affordable housing.

The PM said local authorities would no longer be capped on how much they can borrow against their Housing Revenue Account assets  effectively leveraging current council homes to free up cash to build more.

She told the conference: 'Solving the housing crisis is the biggest domestic policy challenge of our generation.

'It doesn't make sense to stop councils from playing their part in solving it.

'So today I can announce that we are scrapping that cap.

'We will help you get on the housing ladder and we will build the homes this country needs.'

The hotly-awaited conference speech was a make or break moment for Mrs May as she battles to win over restive grass roots to Brexit deal.

Her address will inevitably be compared to the barn-storming appearance by Boris Johnson yesterday.

Shortly before she was due to take to her feet, long-term critic James Duddridge MP announced that he had sent a letter to the powerful Tory 1922 committee asking for a vote of no confidence.

On Tuesday, former foreign secretary Boris Johnson was cheered to the rafters by around 1,500 Tory rank-and-file as he condemned the PM's Chequers plan for Brexit as an 'outrage'.

Mrs May showed off her rarely-seen sense of humour as she boogied, to the delight of Tory members in the hall

Mrs May had another cold for her speech - but battled on despite having occasional scares where she needed to clear her throat

The audience was on tenterhooks to hear how she would react to the unwelcome intervention from Mr Johnson at a conference fringe event on Tuesday

The speech was hailed by Eurosceptic MPs - but allies of Mrs May lashed back by accusing Mr Johnson of 'grotesque self-indulgence' and said he was putting 'ambition' over the national interest.

Aides to Mrs May claimed no-one - not even her husband Philip - knew she was planning to dance on to Abba.

In her speech, Mrs May called for 'decent, moderate, patriotic' Britons to come together to keep 'appalling' Jeremy Corbyn out of power.

She delivered a devastating assault on 'appalling' Jeremy Corbyn - hammering him for Labour's anti-Semitism crisis and jibing that he had preferred to take Russia's side over the Salisbury nerve agent outrage.

She said it was dreadful that the Jewish community was so concerned about the prospect of Mr Corbyn taking power that they were considering leaving the UK.

'What has it come to when Jewish families are seriously discussing where to go if Jeremy Corbyn becomes Prime Minister,' she said.

'When the leader of the Labour Party is happen to appear on Iranian state TV but attacks our free media here in Great Britain.

'That is what Jeremy Corbyn has done to the Labour Party.

'It is our duty in this Conservative Party to make sure he can never do it to our country.'

She adapted Labour's 'For the many, not the few' slogan as she declared that the Conservatives are 'a party not for the few, not even for the many, but for everyone who is willing to work hard and do their best'.

Mrs May insisted abuse in politics was a major and growing problem, speaking up for Labour's Diane Abbott who is the most targeted politician in the country.

'The first black woman ever to be elected to the House of Commons receives more racist and misogynist messages today than when she first stood over 30 years ago,' she said.

'You do not have to agree with a word Diane Abbott says to believe passionately in her right to say it, free from threats and abuse.

'Some people have lost sight of the fact that political differences are not everything.'

Mrs May warned that 'no party has a monopoly on good ideas'. 'Getting things done requires working together,' she added.

The PM called on politicians on all sides to 'rise above' the abuse and recalled the murdered MP Jo Cox to declare: 'There is more that unites us than divides us.'

But Ms Abbott responded that despite the 'kind words' the Tories had encouraged personal attacks on her during the election campaign.

The Prime Minister said: 'Millions of people who have never supported our party in the past are appalled by what Jeremy Corbyn has done to Labour.

'They want to support a party that is decent, moderate and patriotic. One that puts the national interest first. Delivers on the issues they care about. And is comfortable with modern Britain in all its diversity.

Cabinet ministers including (left to right) Dominic Raab, Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid, Philip Hammond and Brandon Lewis were on hand to hear the address from the Tory leader

Michael Gove (pictured right) looked highly amused by Mrs May's antics during her conference speech (left)

Theresa May and husband Philip appeared to have chosen matching outfits for her conference speech in Birmingham

Diane Abbott was less than impressed by the PM's defence of her from vile abuse, saying 'nice words' were undermined by 'personal attacks' during the election campaign

'We must show everyone in this country that we are that party.

'A party that conserves the best of our inheritance but is not afraid of change. A party of patriotism but not nationalism. A party that believes in business but is not afraid to hold businesses to account.

Dancing May laughs off her 2017 disaster with gags about the Bodyguard and her cough Theresa May danced onto stage for her Tory Party conference speech today as she consigned last year's disaster to history with jokes. Mocking the dance moves she made during a recent visit to Africa, which went viral, the Prime Minister arrived in the hall dancing to Abba's Dancing Queen. She also joked: 'Youll have to excuse me if I cough during this speech; Ive been up all night supergluing the backdrop.' 'It's not always glamorous. I have seen the trailers for Bodyguard - and let me tell you it was not like that in my day.' And to all businesses  large and small  you may have heard that there is a four-letter word to describe what we Conservatives want to do to you. It has a single syllable. It is of Anglo-Saxon derivation. It ends in the letter 'K'. Back business. Advertisement

'A party that believes in the good that government can do but knows that government will never have all the answers. A party that believes your success in life should not be defined by who you love, your faith, the colour of your skin, who your parents were, or where you were raised - but by your talent and hard work.

'Above all a party of Unionism, not just of four proud nations, but of all our people.

'A party not for the few, not even for the many, but for everyone who is willing to work hard and do their best.'

Mrs May took to the stage at the Conservative Conference in Birmingham less than 24 hours after 1,500 delegates gave a thunderous standing ovation to Boris Johnson as he branded her Brexit plans a 'constitutional outrage' that would humiliate Britain.

Mr Johnson's demand for the PM to 'chuck Chequers' has echoed around the corridors and fringe meetings at a gathering riven by profound differences over the best approach to Britain's EU withdrawal.

But he stopped short of a direct challenge to her leadership, urging Tories to encourage her to ditch the plan agreed at her country residence and return to a harder Brexit blueprint.

Mrs May said yesterday she was 'cross' with her former foreign secretary, accusing him of being ready to 'tear up' her guarantee to the people of Northern Ireland that there would be no customs border down the Irish Sea.

Conservative MP James Duddridge renewed hostilities between the warring factions today, saying he had 'no confidence in her leadership over delivering Brexit'.

Mrs May and husband Philip seemed in a jubilant mood after she managed to deliver her speech without any mishaps - unlike last year

Mrs May needed to deliver a powerful performance after Mr Johnson's speech upped the pressure on her over Brexit

Tory sources said Mrs May had 'set out her for the future of the country after Brexit'.

They said she gave her 'diagnosis for some of the appeal of Jeremy Corbyn' and set out why people were wrong about the Labour leader.

The address seemed to go down well with activists in the hall, despite the mounting unrest over her Brexit plan.

Ruth Hatton told Mail Online: 'I thought her speech was inspiring, she came on in a jubilant manner.

'I don't relish the Chequers plan  either we are going to be in or we are going to be out of the EYU.

'I think Theresa May might go for a no deal.

'I'm supportive of Theresa May  we should leave her in to do the job.. It would be a disaster to change leaders.'

Mrs May put on a passionate performance that appeared to go down well with the rank-and-file despite mounting unrest over the Brexit process

Wani Fernando, from Leicestershire, said: 'Jacob Rees-Mogg and John Redwood will speak to her. They will put some sense into her. Things can change. A week is a long time in politics.

'I am a supporter of Theresa May. Whatever happens she will not go.'

Neil Benny, 36, from Stirling, said he does not like the Common rulebook in the Chequers plan  which would keep the UK tied to EU rules on goods.

But he said there is no appetite for a leadership challenge. He said: 'It is essential that we unite behind the Prime Minister at his stage. If not, we are going to end up with a really bad Brexit deal.'

Asked if he would prefer Boris Johnson or Theresa May as leader, he said: 'At the moment, Theresa. I think a change at this stage would be chaotic.'

The PM's address will inevitably be compared to the barn-storming appearance by Boris Johnson (pictured at his Oxfordshire home today)

Phoebe McCulloch, 21, who goes to university in Stirling in Scotland, said she enjoyed Theresa May's speech because it was 'energetic' and said her dancing made her appear softer than she usually does.

She said: 'I would probably be on the chuck Chequers team. She said that no deal should be on the table  that gives us ore bargaining power.'

And she said that she prefers to see Mrs May as Tory leader rather than Boris Johnson.

She said: 'Boris Johnson has been unprofessional at time, and we don't need a new leader at the moment.'

Labour Party Chair Ian Lavery MP said: 'While the country is crying out for real change, all Theresa May and her party offer are pinched ideas and tinkering around at the edges, relying on petty attacks to cover up their lack of vision.

'Austerity is not an economic necessity. It is a political choice made by the Conservatives to hack away at our public services and communities, leaving workers worse off while gifting huge tax cuts to big business. And as long as Britain has a Conservative Prime Minister, we'll never see an end to austerity.

'Theresa May has shown her party offers no answers, no ideas, and no hope for communities held back for too long. Labour has put forward a radical and credible plan to transform our economy, public services and towns and cities. A plan to rebuild Britain for the many, not the few.'

Theresa May says Esther McVey, Sajid Javid and Ruth Davidson show the Tory party's diversity Esther McVey, the Work and Pensions Secretary, revealed this week that she was fostered when she was a child Esther McVey, Works and Pensions Secretary What did Theresa May say? 'That if you spent time in care, you can be in the Cabinet.' What is her backstory? Esther McVey revealed she was placed in a foster home shortly after she was born. The Cabinet minister, 50, revealed she was a 'Barnardo's child', spending her first two years in care with the charity. Speaking about her early childhood for the first time, she told the Daily Mail that she wanted to 'give the message that anyone can succeed given the opportunity'. She had hinted at her upbringing in her party conference speech this week, when she announced plans to work with Barnardo's to help people leaving care find jobs. In her keynote speech to the Tory conference in Birmingham yesterday, she praised the charity for how it has 'transformed the lives of millions of children and families across the UK'. She said: 'They provide unconditional support, without judgment, giving the space, time and help for people to get back on their feet. 'As one of those children, and standing proud, thank you.' Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, is the son of a Pakistani bus driver and grew up in a crime-ridden area of Bristol Sajid Javid, Home Secretary What did Theresa May say? 'To know that if your dad arrived on a plane from Pakistan, you can become Home Secretary.' What is his backstory? Sajid Javid, 48, is the son of a Pakistani immigrant who worked as a bus driver. He was born in Rochdale, the middle child of five sons. His father Abdul, who came to Britain from Pakistan, worked around the clock as a bus driver, earning him the nickname 'Mr Night And Day'. When Mr Javid was four, his father took over a ladieswear shop in a crime-laden area of Bristol, and the family moved into a two-bedroom flat above it. Three brothers shared on room while Mr Javid and another younger brother were in a room with their parents. He has said that his own experience means he has something in common iwth the Windrush generation. 'It immediately impacted me. I'm a second-generation migrant, my parents came to this country from Pakistan, just like the Windrush generation, obviously a different part of the world, from South Asia not the Caribbean, but other than that, similar in almost every way.' Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson is engaged to her female partner Jennifer Wilson and is pregnant with her first child Ruth Davidson, Scottish Tory leader What did Theresa May say? ' That if you are pregnant with your first child and engaged to your girlfriend, you could be the next First Minister of Scotland.' What is her backstory? The hugely popular leader of the Scottish Tories has managed to puncture a lot of assumptions about the kind of people who lead the Conservatives. The 39 year-old is gay and currently eight months with her first child with her partner Jennifer Wilson. She has also opened up about her struggles with mental health and self harming while a young woman. She told The Sunday Times that when she was 17 she was sent into a 'total tailspin' after a boy in her home village committed suicide. She said: 'I started hurting myself: punching walls, cutting my stomach and arms with blades or broken glass, drinking far, far too much and becoming belligerent and angry, pushing people away. I was punishing myself and hating myself for it at the same time.' She was later diagnosed with clinical depression and put on antidepressants. Advertisement

'She was hoping to see another Christmas, but didn't make it': May's voice cracks as she unveils new cancer strategy by recalling agony of goddaughter's death last summer

Theresa May has told how the death of her goddaughter from cancer made her determined to fund the battle against the disease.

The Prime Minister's voice broke with emotion as she told the hall at the party's conference in Birmingham how cancer had touched her life.

She said: 'Cancer can strike any of us at any time. A few years ago my goddaughter was diagnosed with cancer.

'She underwent treatment and it seemed to be working, but then the cancer came back.

'Last summer, she sent me a text to tell me she was hoping to see another Christmas, but she didn't make it.

Theresa May told how her goddaughter died from cancer after being diagnosed three years ago

She said her goddaughter told her she wanted to see one more Christmas but died too soon

She continued: 'Half of us will be diagnosed with cancer, all of us know someone who has been.

'Survival rates are increasing, but we're lagging behind other countries, so today I can announce a new cancer strategy.'

She said she wants to increase early detection rates and make sure doctors have the most up to date equipment to tackle the disease.

On the importance of early diagnosis, Mrs May added: 'Five-year survival rates for bowel cancer are over 90% if caught early, but less than 10% if diagnosed late.

'Through our cancer strategy, we will increase the early detection rate from one-in-two today, to-three-in-four by 2028.

'We will do it by lowering the age at which we screen for bowel cancer from 60 to 50, by investing in the very latest scanners, and by building more rapid diagnostic centres - one-stop shops that help people get treatment quicker.'

'When the cringe is TOO strong!': Twitter users grimace as Theresa May robot-dances at Tory conference to ABBA's Dancing Queen - then jokes BBC's Bodyguard 'wasn't like that in my day'

Theresa May sparked a flurry of memes on social media after she came out dancing to ABBA to deliver her keynote speech at the Tory party conference.

The Prime Minister walked on stage with her hands up by her side doing a jig to Dancing Queen.

The audience of members and MPs in the conference hall in Birmingham were left howling with laughter at her moves.

She also joked about the steamy BBC drama Bodyguard, saying: 'It wasn't like that in my day.'

The Prime Minister walked on stage with her hands up by her side doing a jig to Dancing Queen

Internet users flooded the web with hilarious memes after her dancing, many uploading pictures of robots to poke fun at her 'Maybot' persona

One harsh Twitter user compared Mrs May to bambi floundering in water after she danced on stage today

May has been filmed dancing on several occasions over the past few months, but has been repeatedly mocked for her 'cringeworthy' style.

During a trip to Kenya she was spotted dancing with schoolchildren in Nairobi.

She said of her moves: 'The children were so enthusiastic about the dancing and I thought it was important to join in.

'I was trying to copy their moves.

'I took the mickey-taking in good heart, which is why I tweeted that TV Strictly competitors should get in touch if they needed any tips.

'All tongue in cheek, of course.'

During her speech today she also made a joke about last year' disastrous performance when she coughed most of the way through her address.

She said: 'You do have to excuse me if I do cough during the speech. I've been up all night super-gluing the backdrop.'

May hails the selflessness of Britain's war generation as she reveals her father's cousin fought and died at Passchendaele

Theresa May spoke movingly for the first time about the death of a 19-year-old relative at Passchendaele as she marked the 100th anniversary of the First World War.

The Prime Minister revealed how her father's cousin Hubert Grant perished 'in the horror of the trenches' in 1917 - a year before the conflict with Germany ended.

Opening her conference speech in Birmingham she paid tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice - including Mr Grant - and thanked the 'extraordinary generation' of men and women who rebuilt Britain after the war ended.

Theresa May today spoke movingly of the death of a 19-year-old relative at Passchendaele at the beginning of her conference speech in Birmingham

Theresa May pictured with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Ypres where she looked for the name of her father's cousin Hubert Grant on the Menin Gate

She said: 'We remember the young men who left their homes to fight and died in the mud in the horror of the trenches. We remember the sailors who shovelled the coal into hellfire furnaces in the bowels of battleships. We remember the selflessness of a remarkable generation whose legacy is the freedom we enjoy today.

'I think of Hubert Grant - my father's cousin. Hubert fought and died at Passchendaele at the age of just 19. Last year at the service to mark the centenary of that battle I took a moment to find his name on the Menin Gate alongside thousands of his comrades. We will remember them'.

Mrs May represented Britain alongside leaders of Germany and Belgium in the Belgian town of Ypres to mark the Battle of Passchendaele in a show of solidarity last year.

Also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, it was one of the bloodiest battles of World War One, leading to the loss of more than 460,000 German and British-allied soldiers between July and December 1917.

The British and Belgium royal families  including King Philippe of Belgium and Britain's Prince William  helped lead the commemorations.
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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.
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Myanmar political standoff leaves economy in tatters

The military takeover in Myanmar has set its economy back years, if not decades, as political unrest and violence disrupt banking, trade and livelihoods and millions slide deeper into poverty. The Southeast Asian country was already in recession when the pandemic took hold in 2020, paralyzing its lucrative tourism sector.

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Just Group plc provides various financial services in the retirement income market in the United Kingdom. It offers de-risking solutions, guaranteed income for life, secure lifetime income, care plans, lifetime mortgages, and protection products. The company also provides professional services, including regulated financial advice and guidance services; and a range of business services, such as consultancy and software development, and outsourced customer service delivery and marketing services. In addition, it engages in writing of insurance products for distribution to the at- or in-retirement market, which is undertaken through the activities of the life company; and provision of licensed software to financial advisers, banks, building societies, life assurance companies, and pension trustees. Further, the company arranges guaranteed income for life contracts; and provides lifetime mortgages through advice and intermediary services. It offers its products and services to trustees and scheme sponsors, individuals, homeowners, and other corporate clients. The company was formerly known as JRP Group plc and changed its name to Just Group plc in May 2017. Just Group plc was founded in 2004 and is based in Reigate, the United Kingdom.

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HATFIELD TWP  The long-discussed realignment of Cowpath and Orvilla Roads in Hatfield Township is among a list of grant awards announced by Governor Tom Wolf.

Wolfs office announced on Oct. 2 $49 million in state grant money for a total of 42 highway, bridge, and other transportation projects from the state Multimodal Transportation Fund.

With these resources, we can improve transportation connections down to the local level and make a big difference for communities, Wolf said in a press release.

These investments reflect our commitment to all modes of transportation, both statewide and locally, he said.

Among the four projects in Montgomery County is realignment of the intersection of Cowpath and Orvilla Roads, which township Manager Aaron Bibro said has been on Hatfields to-do list for more than a decade.

This is a huge day for the Hatfield Community. The commissioners are going to fix an intersection which has had over 50 documented accidents and countless near-misses in the past five years, said Bibro.

The township used reserve funds to acquire a gas station on the north side of the intersection in 2014-15, received $280,000 in state grant money in 2016 to finalize the design, then applied for $3 million in state grant money in 2016 to finish the project, but were turned down. Developer contributions were then used to finalize the acquisition of the three houses in March, and two grant applications were approved over the summer seeking the funds awarded Oct. 2.

The commissioners made aggressive and smart moves to put the township in this position, Bibro said.

The manager added thanks for township traffic engineers McMahon and Associates, and said the Cowpath-Orvilla grant brings the township over $4 million in state grants awarded over the past five years for transportation projects, including synchronization of traffic signals along Cowpath Road and repairs to the Walnut Street bridge.

$3 million will be invested in improving Cowpath Road over the next 18 months. This intersection will be fixed, and all of the traffic signals will be synchronized by spring of 2019, he said.

Over the summer, local police, fire companies, and the Central Montgomery SWAT team were able to use the three houses on the north side of Orvilla for training. Demolition work on the three houses on the north side of the intersection was done at no cost to the township by a local union apprentice program, and Bibro said Tuesday that staff will give updates when the commissioners next meet on Oct. 10, and at their annual goal-setting meeting on Oct. 17.

Simply put: this is a dangerous and inefficient intersection, and this improvement will greatly benefit the over 26,000 vehicles who travel this corridor daily, and also the residents who live nearby, Bibro said.

Other projects included on the list of grant awards included $3 million for Horsham Township, to widen Horsham Road and Limekiln Pike for additional capacity, and to install two new traffic signals, five-foot sidewalks, ADA ramps and a new signalized pedestrian crossing.

Lower Gwynedd will receive $1,026,616 for road widening, pedestrian upgrades, and signal improvements to the intersection of Bethlehem Pike, Norristown Road and Sumneytown Pike.

I am very happy to report that the grants will fund the expansion of roads, make pedestrian upgrades and improve traffic signals, projects for which I have been fighting, said State Rep. Todd Stephens, R-153rd, in a press release Tuesday.

Wolf and PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards said, of the 42 total projects, 14 were to repair bridges across the state, and applications for the next round of Multimodal Transportation Fund grants will be accepted starting Oct. 5.

We simply must help our local partners address these critical links to ensure they remain open and in good repair, Richards said.

For more information about the program visit www.penndot.gov and select Multimodal Transportation under the Projects & Programs heading. Hatfields commissioners next meet at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 10 and will hold a special goal-setting meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 17, both at the township administration building, 1950 School Road. For more information visit www.Hatfield.org or follow @HatfieldPA on Twitter.
Special Olympics Montgomery County (SOMC) will host invitational Running and Walking Festival on October 21st at Heebner Park, 3115 Heebner Road, Collegeville. About 68 participants from Bucks, Monroe, Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties will be running  or walking  for the gold.

The day begins at 7:45 a .m. for volunteer and delegation registration, later followed by the opening ceremonies at 9:45 a.m.

Competition begins at 10 a.m. with the 5000 Meter run for both unified and traditional athletes; then the 3000 Meter walk for both unified and traditional athletes; and at noon the 3000 Meter run for unified and traditional athletes.

For more information about SOMC and or if youre interested in volunteer opportunities, please visit https://www.specialolympicsmontco.org/
NISKAYUNA  General Electric Co.'s Global Research Center in Niskayuna has been awarded $12.6 million in three separate grants from the U.S. Department of Energy designed to develop cybersecurity protections for critical energy assets.

The grants will focus on protecting wind farms and natural gas systems, and guard against more advanced cyberattacks on key infrastructure that would use quantum computers.
Editor's note: Remember Oct. 4, 1987? "Fall's snowy crippler" shut down the Capital Region with snapped trees, fallen power lines and an early October snowy, sleety mess. On the 31st anniversary, let's look back at Paul Grondahl's story from 2012.

ALBANY  Hardwood trees were the first to snap, towering maples and oaks laden with a canopy of big russet leaves acting as tarpaulins that caught gloppy, heavy snow as it fell freakishly before dawn on Oct. 4, 1987.

Crrrrrack!

The sickly sound, like rifle shots, awakened homeowners on a Sunday morning. A flora carnage was under way. It was a surreal scene.

After a run of Indian summer, forecasters were caught off guard when a cold front blasted through overnight and a steady rain turned to wet snow.

Across the Capital Region, snow-laden limbs yanked down utility lines and triggered a cascading event with widespread power outages and all manner of havoc.

It was an early nor'easter, with 6 inches in most local areas and a foot or more in the Catskills and the Hilltowns. What would have been a modest snow falling without drama through bare trees in January instead rendered the landscape a wintry cataclysm: four deaths, power knocked out to 270,000 homes, major roads impassable and millions of dollars in utility repairs, ruined crops and lost business.

Live wires crackled and sparked with a lethal force on the ground. A wayward dog was reported being "roasted alive" after it stepped on a hot wire.

The ordinary had turned epic.

Hospital emergency rooms were jammed. Gov. Mario M. Cuomo declared a state of emergency. Volunteers set up soup kitchens in church halls. Community centers became emergency shelters.

Schools closed. Businesses shut. The soundtrack was the incessant high-pitched whine of chain saws amid a mangled mess of sheared-off limbs and uprooted trunks.

Many people didn't have power restored for days, forcing those without electricity or hard-to-find generators to revert to a pioneering spirit: reading by candlelight, putting food from refrigerators into snowbanks, cooking in fireplaces.

Thursday marks the 31st anniversary of a memorably weird storm captured in a resonant Times Union headline, "Fall's Snowy Crippler."

"It doesn't seem possible that it was 25 years ago. It felt like we assembled an army to battle it," recalled Keith Goodheart, regional manager for Niagara Mohawk, who mobilized and coordinated hundreds of workers from as far away as Cape Cod and Canada. He had only slept a few hours following his daughter's wedding reception when he was awakened by a call at 5 a.m. to report to work.

"It was just total devastation," said Gary Schermerhorn, who worked for a tree-service company and wielded his trusty Husqvarna chain saw. "A year later, we were still cutting out broken stubs hung up in trees."

At Golden Harvest Farms in Valatie, it was peak apple season and migrant workers from Jamaica were discombobulated.

"They had never seen snow before and they thought it was some kind of voodoo thing," recalled Alan Grout, president of the Columbia County orchard. "We talked with them and finally coaxed them into picking. We had some damage, but apple trees are used to handling heavy loads."

Lyssa Craig was a first-grader at Altamont Elementary School. "It was like being back in olden times," she said, recounting runs with her parents in a plastic toboggan a half-mile down steep and unplowed Helderberg Avenue to buy food and batteries at Stewart's.

Craig loved everything about the storm's aftermath: a week off school, camping out in the house in sleeping bags; boiling snow for bath water because the electric water pump didn't work; making up games; and listening as a family to the radio. "I didn't want it to end because it was so much fun. I remember being sad when the power came back on," she said.

The storm injected drama into daily life and special occasions alike.

Phil and Maria Hanby of Grafton, Rensselaer County, went ahead with their wedding at Sacred Heart Church in Troy although it had no power and only 100 of their 250 invited guests were able to make it to the ceremony, illuminated by candles.

The horse-drawn carriage they rented canceled. Not one of the four videographers they hired showed, although the wedding photographer was there. The organist couldn't play without electricity.

"Everyone hummed 'Here Comes the Bride' at the church," Phil recalled. He was 24, she was 23 and they had spent months planning their perfect wedding. They weren't about to let a crippling snowstorm ruin it.

They found buddies with four-wheel-drive trucks to transport the bride and bridesmaids. Two limos arrived for the guys at Phil's West Sand Lake apartment. "The limos kept getting stuck and we had to get out in our tuxes to push," Phil recalled. The American Legion in Wynantskill had a generator. The reception went off without a hitch, including a refund for the 150 no-shows.

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"It was our first test as a couple, and we handled it well," Maria said. She works for the state and he's employed at a paper mill. They have no children of their own, but are foster parents to a 13-year-old boy they hope to adopt.

They've made plans to celebrate their 25th anniversary on Thursday, a camping trip to Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks. "It'll probably snow," Maria said.

It was no joke 25 years ago for 14-year-old Fred Beglia, who had spent the night before the storm camping out in the Mallett Pond State Forest with his older brother, Mike, near their home in Summit, Schoharie County.

"We had a campfire, went to sleep like a normal night and when I woke up in the morning the tent was really close to my nose and I didn't understand why," recalled Beglia, who is now executive director of the George Landis Arboretum in Esperance. He saw 18 inches of snow, bent-over trees and branches littering their campsite.

The brothers packed their gear and trudged a couple miles to their car. It was stuck, and the road was impassable. They returned a few days later to free the vehicle.

History is etched into the gnarled limbs of great, old trees that weathered the storm. Two mighty 80-year-old ash trees that tower 140 feet above the Normanskill Farm on the outskirts of Albany where Tom Gallagher lives are on borrowed time. "They've died a long, slow death," said Gallagher, who's worked 37 years for the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County. Three of the ashes were cut down 15 years ago and two more will probably be dropped before winter comes. Insect and rot set in as a result of damage from the 1987 disaster.

There's nothing like a big storm to quicken the pulse of journalists. The Times Union in Colonie had no power and no way to get out a paper. Would it be the first time, after publishing every day without exception since April 21, 1865, that the paper failed to publish?

Not on Editor Harry Rosenfeld's watch.

The rival Troy Record stepped in to help its stricken competitor thanks to a gentleman's agreement common to the industry. The Oct. 5, 1987 edition was printed on the Record's press and marked another first: the Hearst's morning Times Union and afternoon Knickerbocker News shared the same masthead in a never-repeated combined effort.

Only a few staffers are still on hand who worked on that historic edition.

Jack Palella, a printer foreman who's been at the Times Union for 41 years, was called in on his day off.

"I got there and the building was dead," Palella said. He and Bill Kelly fished around in the composing room with flashlights to rescue type they had already prepared. They grabbed the tools of their trade  pica poles, X-Acto knives, waxers  and worked alongside the Record printers.

During their late-night toil to paste up the pages of what became the iconic "Fall's Snowy Crippler," a collector's edition, Palella twice drove back from Troy to the Times Union's plant to fetch more type squirreled away.

Palella drove a Camaro, trunk loaded with sandbags, and he fishtailed around snowy curves as he raced to get out the first draft of history.

The snow melted in a few days. The storm became old news. The profound had returned to the profane.
COHOES  The Cohoes Common Council wants to appoint six new members to the city's Industrial Development Agency as part of an apparent effort to remove Mayor Shawn Morse as the organization's paid CEO, according to several people briefed on the decision.

Morse responded on Wednesday morning by firing the city's longtime corporation counsel, Brian S. Kremer, after the attorney  in a meeting with Morse and Common Council President Chris Briggs  began explaining that under state law the mayor could not veto any legislative action by the council to replace the IDA board members, the sources said.

The political unrest is unfolding as Morse faces allegations that he physically abused his wife and younger daughter last year, and abused the mother of his adult son.

On Sunday, the Times Union reported that Morse is also the target of an FBI investigation that is examining his use of campaign funds and his attendance at a part-time security job he obtained in February at the federally subsidized Glenmont Job Corps. Patrick Thomas, a friend of the mayor's, is head of the organization's security force.

Morse declined to comment on his decision to fire Kremer, and claimed that no city officials had discussed the IDA appointments with him. Reached Wednesday afternoon, Kremer, who has been an attorney for the city for nearly two decades, also declined to comment.

Some council members also have recently discussed whether to ask Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo if he has the authority to remove Morse from office. Briggs said the council has not made any formal overtures to the governor's office, but he is interested in whether Cuomo could intervene.

"I just was so shocked that you could just say, 'If you don't agree with me, you're fired,'" Briggs said of Kremer's dismissal. "Could he do that with the comptroller? With his secretary? With the head of (the Department of Public Works)?"

Under state law, the governor can take steps to remove an elected official from office for "misconduct or malversation in office," according to the governor's office. ("Malversation" is a term for official corruption.) That authority is outlined in the state Constitution and the removal process is detailed in state Public Officers Law, which indicates that it can only take place following an investigation led by a judge or a commissioner appointed by the governor.

The last time that authority was invoked was in 1932, when Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt presided over proceedings to remove New York City Mayor James Walker, who later resigned in the face of corruption allegations.

"I think that in light of (Kremer's firing), it would appear to me that a majority of the Common Council has had enough," said Councilman Randy Koniowka, a vocal Morse critic. "This is now becoming Nixonian in the way things are going down here. ... That would be my hope, that the (IDA) board would remove him as CEO."

Morse, a Democrat and former chairman of the Albany County Legislature, was confronted by FBI agents who interviewed him at his residence on Sept. 24. About an hour later, FBI agents delivered a federal grand jury subpoena to Ralph V. Signoracci, who is the city's director of operations and Morse's longtime campaign treasurer. The subpoena directed Signoracci to turn over digital copies of Morse's campaign records dating back years.

It's unclear whether the federal criminal investigation is also probing the activities of the Cohoes IDA.

Morse appointed himself as chief executive officer of the IDA after being sworn in for his first term as mayor in 2016. IDA funds are used to pay Morse $15,000 a year for that role, under a line in the budget listed as "professional services contracts."

Most of the IDA's $344,677 was spent in 2016 after Morse took office, according to agency records submitted to the state Authorities Budget Office. Morse said that roughly $330,000 was used to hire attorneys to straighten out the IDA's finances, and also for purchasing properties for future development.

Morse also took steps to fill the IDA's board of directors with his own picks  including Signoracci, who is an Albany County legislator and political confidant of the mayor's. Signoracci was named chairman of the IDA, and the Common Council voted to approve the other selections recommended by the mayor at the time.

But the IDA's membership has dwindled to just two active members: Signoracci and Rod Dion. The council discussed removing Signoracci from the IDA but keeping Dion on the board along with six new members.

On Sept. 22, Jennifer Spring, superintendent of the Cohoes City School District, submitted her resignation from the IDA due to the domestic violence allegations against Morse.

"Given the recent allegations against the mayor ... I can no longer serve as a member of this agency," Spring wrote in her resignation letter. " ... I believe to continue as a member of the IDA would diminish from my role in leading the children of Cohoes."

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On Wednesday, Morse lashed out at Spring, saying she had previously told him the school board was pressuring her to resign from the IDA. "It goes to show you can have a thousand degrees on your wall and you don't always make smart choices," he said of the superintendent.

A high school teacher from the district who has mentored Morse's 16-year-old daughter brought the girl to the Troy Police Department last year, and also accompanied the teenager when she was later interviewed by child protective services investigators. The teacher reported the allegations, as required by law, when the girl told her that Morse had choked and punched her last year.

Spring resigned from the IDA six days after Cuomo  citing a Times Union story detailing domestic abuse allegations against Morse  called for the mayor to step down. State Democratic party leaders and multiple state and local officials also called for his resignation.

At a news conference on Sept. 17  a day after Cuomo's call for his resignation  Morse fought back and accused his wife, Brenda, of concocting domestic abuse allegations against him due to what he said were her drug and emotional problems. He sidestepped questions about similar accusations made by his daughter, claiming that he had been "cleared" of those allegations by a CPS investigation.

During the news conference, Morse and his attorney, Joseph Ahearn of Troy, who grew up with Morse, said they would provide documentation confirming that CPS investigators determined the abuse allegations by his daughter were unfounded. But Morse and Ahearn have not provided the documents despite repeated requests from the Times Union.

At a city council meeting last month, several members said they supported the mayor and noted the physical abuse allegations had not been substantiated or resulted in any criminal charges. Multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating the allegations.

During Tuesday's closed-door meeting of the city council, their interest in replacing the IDA board signaled that Morse's standing with his fellow city lawmakers may be wavering.

"It's truly a mess for a community that deserves better," Briggs said, adding that the Common Council will likely call a special meeting to discuss how to handle Morse's firing of the city attorney.

"We need a functioning government for the people, and its like you have an untenable situation in City Hall," said Koniowka, who last month announced he would run for mayor in 2019. "People dont know what to do  they're terrified. Hes a tyrant. The council needs to step up, and I think were going to be stepping up."

Councilman Steve Napier characterized the council's decision to appoint new leadership to the IDA as an effort to "move Cohoes forward."

"It is more important now than ever that the Common Council and the IDA function as truly independent bodies working for the best interest of the city of Cohoes," Napier said. "These appointments will send a clear and strong message that is exactly what we are doing."
ALBANY  The county's Democratic elections commissioner refused to say whether he agrees with his Republican counterparts assertion that the South End is a bad, dangerous neighborhood that shouldn't serve as the new base of operations for the Albany County Board of Elections.

Commissioner Matthew Clyne said he had "no comment Thursday when asked by a Times Union reporter whether he agreed with GOP Elections Commissioner Rachel Bledi about her remarks that a potential South Pearl Street site for the office would be unsafe.

Clyne's fellow Democrats in Albany called on him to condemn those comments, and said Bledi should recant them. Some even called for both commissioners to resign.

This recent development validates my decision to not support Matt Clyne to be reappointed (in 2016), said Andrew Joyce, chair of the county Legislature and an Albany Democrat. As leaders of the Democratic Party, we need to hold each other accountable. He works for the people, and he needs to account for that comment and come out against it.

Elections officials reluctance to relocate comes as Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy considers using 224-260 S. Pearl St. for the Board of Elections to save the county more than $350,000 annually. The county currently pays $25,000 per month to rent space at 32 N. Russell Road for the Board of Elections.

The South End location is owned by the county and has been leased to the state Department of Motor Vehicles for several years. The DMV plans to move to a site on Central Avenue  not far from where the Albany elections board is currently located  providing an opportunity for the county to shift departments.

The county Legislatures Law Committee is arranging a special meeting that will bring both elections commissioners in to discuss the feasibility of moving to the South End.

Bledi, who lives in Albany, told the Times Union on Wednesday that both she and Clyne had concerns about safety should their offices be moved to the soon-to-be-vacated building on South Pearl Street. Bledi also claimed the building wasnt fit for the board's use.

Clyne, a Bethlehem resident, did not respond to repeated requests for comment  made over the phone and during a visit to the board's office  on Wednesday and Thursday.

Clyne was reappointed in 2016 to a four-year term with the board, but not without an internal fight within the Democratic Party  in which Clyne took the party to court for and won  and opposition from a group of progressive Democrats in the Legislature. He has held the job, which currently pays $93,734 a year, since 2007.

Local voting rights expert Aaron Mair, who has worked on civil rights lawsuits against the county Board of Elections in the past, said both commissioners should apologize and resign. He called Bledi's remarks insensitive and bigoted.

It really is just an ugly, unnecessary dig at the city of Albany, and its given rise to that irrational fear that Albany is becoming a larger minority city, said Mair, who is African-American. That attitude is exactly whats wrong with this county. Were at an age and point of diversity, equity and inclusivity, and divisive attitudes and irrational beliefs should not be harbored by public officials and elected representatives.

While Mair now lives in Schenectady County, he lived in Albany for decades. He urged the County Legislature to move forward with the relocation.

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McCoy called on Clyne to speak out against Bledis remarks, noting that the Democratic Party stands for inclusivity and equity.

This is an opportunity to increase voter enrollment in one of the lowest enrollment areas in the county, he said. The Democratic elections commissioner should be speaking out about the comments of his Republican colleague ... comments that are shameful. His silence speaks volumes.

Bledi stood by her statements, adding that theyre shared by many  including local residents.

There are plenty of public employees close by the DMV building: The South End site shares a parking lot with the county Health and Mental Health buildings, is across the street from Giffen Memorial Elementary School, diagonal from the Albany Fire Department and around the corner from Albany Police's South Station.

Bledi, however, emphasized that many senior retirees attend evening training to be poll inspectors, and the location doesnt have proper security measures. She also noted the South Pearl building doesnt meet the board's logistical needs.
ALBANY  A jury convicted former state Senate aide Robert Nickol of misdemeanor assault charges Thursday for whipping his ex-girlfriend with an electric cord and slapping her in the face, but acquitted him of a felony strangulation charge.

Nickol, the 32-year-old former counsel for state Sen. William Larkin, R-Orange County, faces the possibility of two years in Albany County jail for his convictions on two counts of third-degree assault. The misdemeanors each carry a maximum sentence of up to a year. While those sentences could run consecutively, the judge has the latitude to impose less time or simple probation.

The acquittal on the felony charge means that Nickol, an Albany Law School graduate admitted to the bar in 2013, will not automatically lose his law license.

Albany County Judge Peter Lynch, who presided over Nickol's four-day trial, will sentence him on Nov. 29.

The couple met in the early fall of 2013, and within a month were living together in Nickol's one-bedroom apartment on North Main Avenue in Albany.

The jury, which began deliberating the case late Wednesday afternoon, delivered its verdict early Thursday. The panel acquitted Nickol of his first alleged attack on the woman, which she said happened on June 29, 2015, in their apartment. She said after they argued, Nickol pushed her down, shoved a beer-soaked towel over her face, sat on her and choked her into brief unconsciousness.

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She testified when she awoke, Nickol said words to the effect of, "Why did you make me do that? I told you to be quiet."

While he was acquitted on that charge  a felony that could have brought a seven-year sentence  but jurors found he was guilty of a charge related to a March 2017 incident in which Nickol slapped the victim across her face, leading her to seek treatment at Albany Medical Center Hospital. The woman testified that her jaw was still in severe pain for a few weeks.

Jurors also concluded Nickol whipped the woman in the leg with a television cable cord during a late-night encounter in September 2017.

That incident led to his arrest. Nickol remained on Larkin's Senate payroll for months, resigning only after his indictment four months later.
TROY - The 43rd state Senate district has been solidly red for years.

But with Republican Kathy Marchione stepping down after three terms in office, Democratic challenger Aaron Gladd thinks 2018 might be the year the district turns blue.

Based on state Board of Election campaign finance filings, Gladd has come out stronger than his opponent, Republican Daphne Jordan. July filings show Gladd has garnered $132,123 in donations, more than twice the $48,300 collected by Jordan. Still, observers say Jordan appears to be the heir apparent, because she has served as Marchione's legislative director for six years in Albany.

Voters will choose between the two on Nov. 6 in the district that spans most of Columbia and Rensselaer counties and portions of Saratoga and Washington counties.

Jordan, 59, of Halfmoon says her life experience as a small business owner of retail stores and a medical billing business give her an edge. She also touts her volunteer service at Shatekon School, the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library and as an current member of Halfmoon's Town Board. She wants to address high property taxes and eliminate regulations that hurt businesses.

"Why are families not able to afford putting their kids through college or why, even though they're working hard, can't they make ends meet," Jordan asked. "Why are small businesses having trouble surviving? It's costing more and more. Families and businesses are overtaxed and government overspends."

Gladd, 32 of Brunswick, has spent his life in public service, working with Democratic Congressman Michael McNulty and Republican Senator Tom Libous. Most recently, he worked for Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the former deputy director of policy. But his motto, "nobody gets left behind," is something that became ingrained in him as an Army platoon leader in Afghanistan. With that in mind, he said he will push for affordable healthcare for all and more investment in education and protecting the environment.

"I think we can do better," Gladd said. "The more I talk to people, the more I hear that people are feeling left behind. I want to make sure nobody gets left behind. I would be an independent fighter for upstate."

As a native of Saranac Lake, he said he was raised in poverty in a troubled home. He pulled himself out his difficult childhood with hard work and a good education. He wants to see every child have a chance to succeed.

"I understand the problems in rural upstate New York and can deliver for constituents," he said.

Jordan, who is originally from Pennsylvania, says she can help residents by locking in the tax cap permanently and loosening regulations so that businesses do more than survive, but succeed. She also wants to strip voting rights from level three sex offenders.

"I'm talking about the worst of the worst," Jordan said. "It's a risk to everyone's children."

Both say they want to crush Albany corruption and improve the lives of veterans. Gladd wants to see that all former military personnel are guaranteed a job. Jordan said she would honor veterans, but was not specific as to what policy she would champion.

Jordan said if Gladd is elected, he will side with New York City politicians. Gladd said that is ridiculous and that those kinds of comments are "just politics." He also expects to be hammered with negative television ads from the Jordan campaign, adding that he does not plan to respond in kind.

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"I'm running a clean campaign," Gladd said. "Republicans are scared of me because I am getting the backing of Democrats, Republicans and Independents."

Jordan has also complained that Gladd has accepted campaign funds from Cuomo staffers, which she said ties him to the governor. Gladd said he accepts contributions from those he worked with, but has not taken anything from his former boss.

Jordan's boss, Marchione, has contributed $10,000 to her campaign. Jordan skirts questions on Marchione, who critics have said is too closely tied to Halfmoon developer Bruce Tanski, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to violating election law. Jordan said questioning the connection between herself, Marchione and Tanski is ludicrous, telling a Times Union reporter "You know, that's really off limits to be asking that now."

Jordan's spokesman Josh Fitzpatrick addressed this matter on her behalf and said Jordan is thrilled with Marchione's support.

"A growing army of grassroots supporters know Daphne will deliver a better New York, one with more affordability, opportunity and security for everyone," Fritzpatrick said. "Regarding Mr. Tanski, he and Sen. Marchione have been close, personal friends for over 30 years."

David Lombardo contributed to this report.

More for you Options emerge in race to replace Kathy Marchione
More than a thousand men ran amok on a cruise ship last month after bringing burlesque dancers aboard for a series of parties on pool decks, Newsweek reported.

The cruise out of Sydney was billed as a family-oriented adventure, but ended up more like bacchanalia on a boat  one enormous floating stag party.

The mostly Australian passengers on the Voyager of the Seas complained that the men  1,300 workers from an Indian tobacco company who came aboard for a conference  blocked off pool decks, bars and the main buffet area.

Some of the scantily clad dancers reportedly wore Playboy Bunny suits as they jiggled and gyrated to music. The raunchy displays chased families inside, but some passengers seemed more interested in the shows than in cruise-sanctioned activities.

For example, bingo  normally a favorite on cruises  was canceled due to lack of interest.

MORE: The sights of the 2018 Folsom St. Fair in San Francisco

Royal Caribbean International, which operates the ship, said passengers would receive full refunds, news.com.au reported. It was not clear if the partying workers would also be reimbursed.

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"It was almost like a huge bucks [bachelor] party, a bucks night for 1,200 people," Sydney passenger Cassandra Riini told the Australian Nine Network's "A Current Affair."

"Their doors would be open and you would walk past and be like what am I going to be looking at when I walk past this door? It is hard to forget after seeing all the flashbacks of these men around all the time, 24 hours a day, like we could not escape."

The young daughters of some passengers and their friends said they were harassed by the men, who filmed them on their cell phones.

The Indian company Kamla Pasand makes gutka, a mixture of crushed Areca nut, tobacco, catechu and other substances that when mixed with saliva can give the user a high more intense than tobacco chewing or smoking.
A Tipperary farming family have been announced as runners up in the NDC and Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards.

Tom Ryan, along with his wife Mary and their son Michael were nominated by Centenary Thurles Co-op for the award and were named as overall runners up behind Monaghan farmers Darran and Denise McKenna.

The Ryan family have farmed in Lisheen since the 1880s and Michael is the fifth generation farmer to farm this land. Tom and his wife Mary have three children; Angela, Michael and Padraig.

Michael holds a honours degree in Agricultural Science and began working full time, in partnership with his parents, in 2017.

Its a big day for dairy farming in Ireland  cows milked, bags packed, 9 finalists en route to Dublin for this years NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards #MadeForThis pic.twitter.com/bO33DNE7ZF October 3, 2018

The winners were announced in Dublin on Thursday, October 3, with presentations to nine of Irelands top dairy farms by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed.

Winners were accompanied by their family and received a prize of 5,000 and the coveted NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards perpetual cup. The judges for this years awards were Dr Jack Kennedy, Dairy Editor of the Irish Farmers Journal, Professor Pat Wall from UCD and, Dr David Gleeson from Teagasc. Chef and food writer Clodagh McKenna is once again Food Ambassador for the 2018 awards.

For each of the nine farms, the judges detail the combined fat and protein percent for each month of the year, the total volume sold from the farm, the weighted average somatic cell count (SCC) and the total bacteria count (TBC). These results certainly help in formulating the winning farms but a lot more detail and additional factors are of course considered.

Dr Jack Kennedy, Dairy Editor of Irish Farmers Journal spoke on behalf of the national judging panel and thanked the farmers and co-ops for participating in the national awards, he said

The Quality Milk Awards judging is one of the highlights of the year for the judging panel. We get to travel the length and breadth of Ireland and visit family farms that are delivering excellence every year. Nineteen farms were nominated this year and nine were short listed for a farm visit. These farms were located in 6 different counties from west Cork to Monaghan. The standard once again was exceptional and highlights the capacity of Irish family dairy farms to produce a high-quality product that is unique to Ireland. All farms are producing top quality milk solids and milk quality from facilities which are the ultimate in cleanliness and hygiene, which, is essential as the global consumer is raising the bar every year. There is no doubt Irish dairy farmers are also reaching new heights in a consistent and sustainable manner."

"We had a particularly strong level of entries this year and after careful consideration, the judges short-listed again, selecting nine national finalists who are represented in the room today, whose farms they have all physically visited and inspected," he added.
Its official! Shanahans Centra Borrisoleigh has won the National Q Mark title for Best Forecourt with Delicatessen in Ireland for Hygiene & Food Safety standards at The National Q Mark Awards. Their nomination put them in the top 6.75% of all audits completed by the Excellence Ireland Quality Association (EIQA) on the island of Ireland and this win means they are at the very top of the Q for highest standards of Quality and Excellence.

Shanahans Centra Borrisoleigh is a modern, vibrant, newly renovated, 3500 square foot forecourt Centra store immersed in the heartland of Borrisoleigh. Being nominated for the award gave us all here in Shanahans a great sense of achievement. A great sense of pride that we as a business are operating to the very highest standards within the most challenging of environments,  said Marie Shanahan, owner. Winning the Q Mark Award is recognition that all of our hard work is appreciated by our peers in the industry said Emma Mills, Deli staff member.

Known as The Oscars of Business Excellence, The Q Mark Award is the highest accolade an Irish business can achieve, given both the intense competition and the exacting standards required. Speaking at this years awards Irene Collins, Managing Director of EIQA said Collective responsibility for high operational standards has yielded a fantastic result for Marie and her teamincreased footfall and a much coveted Q Mark Trophy. A fantastic result.

The National Q Mark Awards 2018 were presented by EIQA and officiated by Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD. This is a very special year for The Q Mark Awards as EIQA celebrate their 50th anniversary and the Master of Ceremonies on the night was inimitable broadcaster Jonathan Healy. Almost 600 people representing 140 companies attended a formal black-tie ceremony in competition for one of only 27 awards presented. The evening was filled with celebration but also a heady anticipation as many familiar faces waited for the final results to be announced.

Headline sponsors this year were eTravel, Virgin Atlantic and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Award sponsors included Noel Recruitment, Skillsteam, Shelflife Magazine, JBM Merit Solutions, Solus, Asystec, Bluemoon Communications and The Irish Independent. Funds were raised on the night for CanTeen Ireland and were much appreciated and celebrations went on into the early hours.

EIQA (Excellence Ireland Quality Association) has been the Irish National Quality Association since 1968. They currently audit the standards of thousands of organisations and businesses both in Ireland and Internationally. EIQA is known as the Guardian of The Q Mark which identifies its various certifications, namely: The Q Mark for Hygiene & Food Safety, The Q Mark for Quality Management Systems, The Q Mark for Nursing Homes, The Q Mark for Leisure Centres, The Q Mark for Accessibility (ABLE)

Pictured below: Soraid McEntee from the EIQA pictured with Shanahans Centra, Cappanilly, Borrisoleigh David Shanahan, Geraldine Ryan at The National Q Mark Awards, Dublin
A number of events are taking place at University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL) to mark National Breastfeeding Week, the theme of which is Every Breastfeed Makes a Difference.

National Breastfeeding Week provides a great opportunity to promote the importance of breastfeeding, to provide information on breastfeeding supports and to promote breastfeeding as the normal and healthy way to feed babies and young children, said Margaret Hynes, lactation consultant, University Maternity Hospital Limerick. We are really excited that we have now reached a breastfeeding initiation rate of 60% at the hospital, which is a new high for us. We are seeing a lot more women breastfeeding and it really is something to celebrate.

The week will end on Sunday, 7th October following seven days of activity across the country  coffee mornings, support group events, and even a visit by breastfeeding mums and their babies to Aras an Uactarain  to promote the importance of breastfeeding.

Among the events taking place in UMHL are a meeting of the Cuidiu Support Group for new mothers from 11am to 1pm on Friday, October 6th. UMHL was delighted to endorse the launch last week by Limerick City and County Council of Were Breastfeeding Friendly  a campaign supported by Healthy Ireland that aims to help improve the health and wellbeing of breastfeeding mothers, babies and their families through by encouraging businesses, organisations and communities to become Breastfeeding Friendly."

The HSE would like to let mothers and mothers-to-be, and their families, know about the benefits of breastfeeding, how important it is for good health of baby and mother, and what supports that are available for breastfeeding mothers and their families. At the HSEs dedicated website - Breastfeeding.ie - there is a range of supports available for breastfeeding mums and their families, including the free Ask our Expert service and live Web Chat provided by Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). According to Laura Mc Hugh, HSE National Breastfeeding Coordinator, Breastfeeding is a natural process, however mothers may require support, knowledge and education. A recently published study tells us that when support is offered to breastfeeding mothers with healthy term babies, it increases the duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding."

Breastfeeding.ie provides answers to all your questions, and support and information is available to help you and your baby. The breastfeeding videos at the site provide guidance on positioning and attaching baby; expressing milk; what to expect in the early days; and tips from other mothers. We also have a HSE Breastfeeding Facebook page, which provides a community support for mothers and there are 290 breastfeeding support groups around the country, details of which are on Breastfeeding.ie. Some of these groups are organised by Public Health Nurses (PHNs), while others are organised by Lactation Consultants in the hospitals or trained breastfeeding support volunteers all who are, or have been, breastfeeding mothers. They are a great source of information, support and friendship."

The HSE also highlighted recently published research relating to the Social Return on Investment from PHN-facilitated breastfeeding groups in Ireland. The study, which was part funded by the Institute of Community Health Nursing (ICHN) was carried out by authors Sinead Hanafin, Kieran ODwyer, Mary Creedon and Catherine Clune Mulvaney. The paper shows that for very Euro spent on breastfeeding groups facilitated by public health nurses, there is a return of 15.85 which is considered as very substantial. Social Return On Investment is a type of cost-benefit analysis that allows the social, economic and environmental value of services provided to be measured in ways that are relevant to stakeholders. Essentially, it helps to reveal the economic value of social and environmental benefits and it balances this against the cost of the intervention provided.

According to Dr Sinead Hanafin, Visiting Research Fellow, at Trinity College Dublin, one of the co-authors of the report, The findings from this study clearly highlight a number of benefits for everyone involved and shows a very positive impact on the health of mothers and infants from attending groups facilitated by public health nurses . The study also shows that attendance at a breastfeeding group can result in improvements in the mental health of new mothers and can also help mothers to breastfeed for a longer period of time.

See Breastfeeding.ie or like us on Facebook/HSEBreastfeeding to find out all you need to know about breastfeeding supports in your area or online.
Author John Connell will be attending this years Dromineer and Nenagh Literary Festival (4th-7th October) to talk about his highly praised memoir, The Cow Book: A Story of Life on a Family Farm. As well as discussing his inspirations, John will do readings from his book, which has become something of a surprise success for the first-time writer. The Cow Book has been on the Irish bestseller lists for months, has just been released in Australia and New Zealand, and is due to be published in the US as The Farmers Son next year.

Connell will be discussing his book with journalist and broadcaster Sinead Gleeson alongside renowned British poet, Ruth Padel. The evening promises to be a lively and interesting one as, although both authors are passionate advocates for the natural world and its importance to human wellbeing, they couldnt come from more different backgrounds. As outlined in his memoir, Connell hails from a non-literary, rural background in Co. Longford whilst Padel is practically British literary royalty, coming from a long and impressive line of writers, artists and naturalists, amongst them her great, great grandfather, Charles Darwin. It should be an intriguing and enlightening discussion as they share their personal perspectives.

The story of The Cow Book is John Connells own story- about a returned emigrant returning home to the family farm in Longford and his struggles to get to grips with his new yet old life, his mental health, and his journey to becoming a writer. In some ways the story is already quite familiar to many in rural Ireland but the raw honesty with which the writer depicts his often very fractious relationship with his father, his struggles with his own psychological health and his frustration with trying to make a living from smallholding farming, is affecting and eloquent. As he says himself:

It (is) the honest account of a life that (is) both local and universal. The story of fathers and sons, rural communities pulling together in hard times and ultimately the story of a man falling in love with life again after dark times.

John has also recently been heard on BBC Radio 4 on Four Thought: Back to the Land, where he speaks about how the connection to land can heal the modern urban soul. There is a general perception here in Ireland also that we too may have lost our closeness to the land in modern society. However, Connell believes the link is still strong and that people are seeking out ways to reconnect. In a recent interview with the Irish Examiner he elaborates on this theme:

With Irish people you only have to scratch the surface, even people in an urban environment are probably only a generation away from a farming background. In that respect, the book has captured readers young and old, urban and rural. In the modern world people are disconnected from the earth, and theyre looking for that connection in books and films and other places, to regain what was lost.

Depression features in the book as it was a core part of the reason for John returning home to Longford. Life in Australia as an investigative journalist had been going well, until- as John puts it succinctly  it wasnt. Latterly he started experiencing panic attacks and suffering from mental health problems.

It emerged recently that his subsequent discussion of depression and mental health in a radio interview with Ryan Tubridy actually saved one mans life. As reported in the Irish Times by Pat Harrold, a man who was on his way to end his life heard John Connells interview with Tubridy on his car radio and turned back to seek help for his depression. In the same article, rural isolation and the inherent loneliness of farming was summed up in the heading: Sometimes the only voice a farmer hears is on the radio in the tractor cab.

So, this is a book that is indeed about Cows, about the physicality of calving, about our attitudes towards this domesticated animal in our country, about the wind, the rain, the smells and sounds and the familiar cadences of farming life but it is also about so much more. John Connells own words sum up his message best:

With farming, theres a rhythm, a sense of purpose in what youre doing. And in our lives we all need a sense of purpose, whether youre a journalist, a priest or an accountant. Thats the most important thing, and finding your purpose is hard.

John Connell will do readings from The Cow Book and be interviewed by Sinead Gleeson, journalist and broadcaster, alongside poet Ruth Padel, on Fri 5th October at 8pm in Nenagh Arts Centre. To book, contact: (067) 34400 or www.nenagharts.com
October 02, 2018





Data security has become a critical factor in protecting the technological environment of any company. In the past, many corporate IT teams did need to perform security functions beyond routine or annual maintenance. With current advances in technology, however, data security and server protection have become some of the most essential components of computer application lifecycle management (ALM).







Unfortunately, many organizations have not caught up with the necessity of using maintenance software. For example, a study published in 2017 found that only one-third of American businesses had acceptable security protection. This is a problem because outdated security measures and other vulnerabilities can expose your IT infrastructure to hackers, breaches, and other harmful infiltration.

Furthermore, the recent changes in cybersecurity mean that the traditional methods do not work anymore. For example, the standard practice of manually applying patches on a case-by-case basis creates a clumsy back-end environment and produces mixed results. This "bandage" approach can clear up problems in one operating system, but it overlook vulnerabilities in other sections of the company. Given the breakneck pace of technological development, security breaches can do irreparable damage if allowed to go unchecked.

Fortunately, patch management software can protect your property from intrusion and lapses in security. For example, programs like SysAid patch management software provide timely and competitive updates for your operating system. In addition to these safeguards, well-designed patch software integrates directly within your system to ensure better stability and enables your equipment to run at full capacity.

When choosing patch software, there are important traits to keep in mind. The most advanced asset-management software conducts multi-level scans, identifies security threats, and offers root-cause analysis and custom remediation solutions. For example, a competent patch management system provides quarterly scans to assess exploitability and details a custom correction strategy for immediate implementation. These management programs can also document all upgrades and provide progress reports as needed for your records.

In addition to these traits, the best patch software provides metrics to identify port or location of any security breach and other vulnerable hosts or routers within the company. Finally, the scalable nature of such management programs means that your company can keep up with accelerated pace of the new software apps constantly added to business in the current era.

Five Core Considerations for Evaluating Patch System Software

1. Solid track record that shows success in implementing patch software and provides custom integration options. An ideal management software program acts as an intermediary between your operating system and the OEM patch source. In this way, it can patch issues both on-premise and within the IT cloud environment. A competent management system also monitors the release of software patches from the vendor and efficiently dispatches the necessary upgrades for deployment within your company.

2. Post-scan assessment analyses (such as formal summary reports) that document the threats identified and the measures taken to remove the risks. Depending on the jurisdiction, some regulations require written data security reports (and issue punitive action if a company does not implement security recommendations). Either way, it is important to keep these patch catalogs for your records. The documentation should show the steps taken to remove the risk from individual operating systems as well as underlying corporate infrastructure.

3. Adaptable patch software that supports a broad range of applications and platforms. For example, SysAid software supports all Microsoft products, Apple iTunes, Adobe (News - Alert) Flash, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Skype, Java, RealPlayer, and a host of other third-party applications. The best patch software is also compatible with a range of company hardware such as network printers, switches, and routers in order to prevent any hidden vulnerabilities stored in these areas.

4. Automated, configurable, and scalable management system that you can customize to fit business needs. For example, the best management program can patch a variety of individual endpoints, service remote locations, and perform bug fixes in third-party apps that your company may need later. It should be able to quickly and systematically all of the operating systems in your company and their related applications.

5. Ability to perform inclusive tasks such as inventorying and queuing the network, applying patches to operating systems and machines, validating the patch installation, and providing performance reports. In addition, patch software should be able to identify and replace missing or faulty patches.

Characteristics of Best-Practice Patch System Software

Information and Data Security - Not only do you need to protect company data on the corporate level, but you also need to protect private client information. A solid and consistent patch system provides this oversight and helps shield data from unauthorized intruders.



- Not only do you need to protect company data on the corporate level, but you also need to protect private client information. A solid and consistent patch system provides this oversight and helps shield data from unauthorized intruders. Professional Scheduling - Sudden lapses in security often force businesses to undergo emergency patch setup. This downtime can cause a business to lose money and resources as clientele miss out on services. A professional patch system can evaluate the best downtime to keep your business running efficiently.



- Sudden lapses in security often force businesses to undergo emergency patch setup. This downtime can cause a business to lose money and resources as clientele miss out on services. A professional patch system can evaluate the best downtime to keep your business running efficiently. Consistent Testing - With the various demands of business, it is easy to allow security risks to go undetected. Dispatching expert patch software results in timely testing to ensure the best protection for your IT infrastructure. For example, expert patch software can assess the effectiveness of an existing authentication method and correct glitches on the spot.



- With the various demands of business, it is easy to allow security risks to go undetected. Dispatching expert patch software results in timely testing to ensure the best protection for your IT infrastructure. For example, expert patch software can assess the effectiveness of an existing authentication method and correct glitches on the spot. Skilled Deployment and Functionality - Well-crafted patch software updates your system on a mass scale to ensure consistent quality. For this reason, the most efficient patch systems are automated to test, run, and install code into the entire IT infrastructure.



- Well-crafted patch software updates your system on a mass scale to ensure consistent quality. For this reason, the most efficient patch systems are to test, run, and install code into the entire IT infrastructure. Assessment and Feedback - The best patch software not only detects and fixes security risks, but it also provides the opportunity to evaluate problems and issue feedback for improvement prior to the next deployment.



- The best patch software not only detects and fixes security risks, but it also provides the opportunity to evaluate problems and issue feedback for improvement prior to the next deployment. Industry Risk and Regulation Compliance - Some organizations may be in high-risk fields (such as national security) and require tightened security measures. Others may be in highly regulated industries (such as the medical field) and need greater security controls to protect sensitive information. Either way, top-grade patch systems provide the framework needed to help these businesses run smoothly.

In the age of rampant innovation, data breaches have become also commonplace in the IT world. Fortunately, the right patch software can protect your operating systems and servers from infiltration and exploitation. By choosing automated software that can patch and configure your IT systems on a mass scale, you can always stay one step ahead of the process and protect your business.

About the Author:

M Umair is a technology writer and author of site Chamberofcommerce.com
[October 04, 2018] Asia Mobile Network Operators and MVNOs Markets, 2018: Asia's Mobile Market Heads Further Towards Saturation as Developing Nations Grow Strongly - ResearchAndMarkets.com

The "Asia - Mobile Network Operators and MVNOs" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This market report provides a comprehensive overview of the mobile network operator and MVNO telecom market across the various economies of Asia. The list of operators ranges from the giant China Mobile (News - Alert) with more than 860 million subscribers right through to a number of much smaller operators with only a few thousand subscribers each. And of course there are the mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). The telecom market across Asia has grown strongly over the past few years. The overall mobile penetration rate on average across the entire Asian region reached over 102% going into 2018, up from 83% back in 2012. Whilst here are still developing markets continuing to grow their mobile subscriber base at moderate to high annual rates, there are in fact few countries left in Asia with significantly underdeveloped mobile markets and low mobile penetration rates.



The strong growth in the Asia market, is due to continued mobile subscriber growth in emerging markets including Bhutan, Laos, Indonesia, Nepal, North Korea, and in particular India. In contrast, developed and mature markets such as Japan, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore have seen very low growth. Total market growth will continue to ease off over the next five years as the remaining mobile markets now head toward saturation and their mobile subscriber growth rates decrease. This has occurred in the more mature markets such as Japan, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore.

While domestic mobile operators account for the vast majority of all mobile operators across Asia, international mobile operators are highly active across this vast region. There are 16 international mobile network operators operating within the Asian region across 21 of the 34 Asian countries. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/wwfxtj/asia_mobile?w=4 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005511/en/

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[October 04, 2018] Staymobile Opens Flagship Service Center in Royal Oak, Michigan

ROYAL OAK, Mich., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Located at 313 South Main Street, Royal Oak, MI 48067, Staymobile's opening of a Flagship Service Center in Michigan, enables Staymobile to support high volume transactions from Enterprise and Education customers in the Northeast and Midwest Regions. Staymobile, is an industry leading warranty, mobile repair, deployment services and accessories company providing value added services and solutions for businesses, schools and consumers, announces the grand opening of new Royal Oak location! Staymobile will offer increased services to electronic and wireless repair customers including: residents, educators, and business leaders. "With the Royal Oak Flagship Service Center, Staymobile provides expanded capabilities that allow us to provide world class turn-around time and great local service. We will have greater concentration of certified technicians at this location and have the absolute latest repair tecnologies. Royal Oak is positioned to handle large volumes for our Enterprise and Education customers," states Brian Hutto, CEO of Staymobile. "We're excited to create a presence in Royal Oak. With its proximity to downtown Detroit, it is convenient to our existing Enterprise customers as well as consumers throughout the region.



Second Bulk Volume Ship-to Location The Royal Oak Service Center will also serve as one of two bulk volume 'ship to' locations, receiving devices for repair from consumers, educators and businesses throughout the US. "Our 'ship-to' locations are part of our continued growth plan to provide critical support to our customers across the nation," explains Brian Hutto, CEO of Staymobile. "We get the repair done, and back out to our customers extremely quickly and this is why customer's like our depot-based services. And, as with all our repairs, it is backed by a Staymobile Lifetime Guarantee."

About Staymobile

Staymobile is a mobile device service company providing protection plans, electronic repair, deployment services and accessories for educational institutions, businesses and consumers with the goal of ensuring its customers' personal and corporate mobility. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company currently operates more than 45 locations, both corporate and franchise, across the nation, with plans to expand nationally over the next three years. For more information on Staymobile services or franchising, please visit www.staymobile.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/staymobile-opens-flagship-service-center-in-royal-oak-michigan-300723964.html SOURCE Staymobile

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CES Unveiled Paris Shines a Spotlight on Tech Innovation

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM hosted the sixth annual CES Unveiled Paris today, making several announcements and shining a spotlight on the latest tech innovation. Co-located for the first time with the Mondial Paris Motor Show, CES (News - Alert) Unveiled Paris gathered innovative exhibitors, media and industry professionals to experience the latest tech trends and products expected at CES 2019 that will change our world for the better. Owned and produced by CTA, CES 2019 will run January 8-11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

During the event, CTA Executive Vice President of CES Karen Chupka announced 55 French companies selected as CES 2019 Innovation Honorees. Selected Honorees included GEOFLEX in the vehicle intelligence and self-driving category and Pixminds honored in the gaming category.

"CES Unveiled Paris highlights the innovative spirit fueling Europe's dynamic tech market, and the French companies recognized as this year's CES Innovation Award honorees represent the future of technology," said Chupka. "The products and services honored today reflect the ingenuity driving our industry forward and improving the way we live, work and play."

The remaining Innovation honorees will be announced at CES Unveiled New York on November 8, 2018. The full list of Honorees will be posted online at CES.tech and showcased at CES 2019, January 8-11.

CTA President and CEO Gary Shapiro also announced today that Dr. Lisa Su, president and CEO of AMD, will deliver a keynote at CES 2019. Dr. Su joins IBM (News - Alert) CEO Ginni Rometty as confirmed CES 2019 keynote speakers, with additional speakers to be announced in the coming weeks.

Showcasing the latest technology products and celebrating European innovation, CES Unveiled Paris was the largest event since its inaugural debut in 2013. The event hosted 1,051 attendees from 44 countries and regions, and featured more than 76 exhibitors.

Now a full-day event, and in collaboration with the Connecting Leaders Club, CES Unveiled Paris debuted the Executive Forum on Innovation, with programming focused on emerging trends inclding mobility, energy and environment and artificial intelligence. More than 20 speakers were featured, including executives from Axa, Accenture (News - Alert) , Google, Salesforce and Valeo, as they discussed the future of innovation, including trends expected at CES this January.







CES 2019 is the world's most important and influential event. The 2019 event will showcase life-changing technology across every major industry, featuring 4,500 exhibitors across 2.75M net square feet (260K net square meters) of exhibit space. CES provides access to the very latest transformative tech such as 5G connectivity, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, smart home, smart cities, sports, machine intelligence and more.

CES is also one of the largest displays of vehicle technology in the world and was recently named as USA Today's 10 Best Auto Shows. The 2019 show will feature more than 150 vehicle tech companies, including eight automakers, featuring the latest concept cars and connected vehicles.

Areas new to CES 2019 include the Tourism Marketplace, as well as the recently announced Resilience area, focused on technologies that keep the world healthy, safe, warm, fed and secure in the face of adversity.

Registration for CES 2019 is now open. For the latest exhibitor news and show announcements, visit CES.tech.

High-definition video b-roll of CES is available for easy download on CESbroll.com. See exclusive photos from the CES show floor, keynotes, conference sessions, events and award ceremonies in the CES photo gallery.

About CES:

CES is the world's gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years-the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace. As the largest hands-on event of its kind, CES features all aspects of the industry. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM, it attracts the world's business leaders and pioneering thinkers. Check out CES video highlights. Follow CES online at CES.tech and on social.

About Consumer Technology Association:

Consumer Technology Association (CTA) is the trade association representing the $377 billion U.S. consumer technology industry, which supports more than 15 million U.S. jobs. More than 2,200 companies - 80 percent are small businesses and startups; others are among the world's best-known brands - enjoy the benefits of CTA membership including policy advocacy, market research, technical education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CTA also owns and produces CES - the world's gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Profits from CES are reinvested into CTA's industry services.

UPCOMING EVENTS

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181003005856/en/
[October 03, 2018] Russian Direct Investment Fund Statement on Accusations Made by Some US Media

With regards to a series of recent publications in several media the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) would like to make the following statement: 1. RDIF is of the opinion that it has become a target of an unfair smear campaign in some media based on erroneous and unverified information from anonymous sources, purposeful misinterpretation of the RDIF public statements as well as plain disinformation. 2. It is RDIF's view that publications by The Daily Beast represent a stark example of such campaign. For instance, The Daily Beast admitted to have falsely attributed direct quotes to a person who later publicly disavowed such attribution. In the opinion of RDIF, this misled readers about various matters relatig to RDIF and its CEO Mr. Kirill Dmitriev and tarnished their reputation. The three The Daily Beast reports relating to RDIF contained numerous mistakes, misrepresentations and false statements that were subsequently corrected or withdrawn by The Daily Beast at the behest of RDIF.



3. Defending its reputation against a flow of incorrect information, RDIF corrected more than 100 erroneous and defamatory reports, including through legal action outside Russia. RDIF will continue to protect its rights, including by commencing legal proceedings in any relevant jurisdiction. 4. RDIF believes that the ultimate goal of these reports is to attack and smear those persons who are making an effort to improve relations between Russia and the United States.

5. RDIF firmly believes that restoration of good relations is in the interests of both Russia and the US and calls upon media to use only correct information in their stories and otherwise adhere to the standards of responsible journalism in all of their publications. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181003005957/en/

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[October 03, 2018] Black Dragon Agrees Deal with RMB to Buy Back Royalty

Black Dragon Gold Corp. (ASX: BDG, TSX-V: BDG) ("Black Dragon" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with RMB Australia Holdings Limited ("RMB") to buy out a Royalty Deed, which previously entitled RMB to a 2% Net Smelter Royalty on the first 800,000 ounces of production from Black Dragon's 100% owned high-grade Salave Gold Project ("Salave"). Salave, in the Asturias region northern Spain, has a Measured and Indicated Resource of 944,000 ounces gold as well as a further 106,000 ounces in the Inferred category. The Royalty Deed, agreed by previous management in November 2016 as part of the RMB debt restructuring, was originally structured to allow for a buy-out by Black Dragon with a cash payment of US$3,000,000 (C$3,843,542) to RMB. Black Dragon is pleased to advise that the Company and RMB have now agreed to a significantly reduced buy-out fee of C$570,000 (US$447,621), which was settled today. Paul Cronin, CEO and Managing Director f Black Dragon commented:



"The buy-out of the Royalty Deed is another significant milestone in advancing the Salave project and clearly indicates our team's confidence in future gold production from Salave. "The buy-out of this royalty will have a significant positive impact on the economics of Salave, which will become clear to investors when we are able to release a Preliminary Economic Assessment later this year.

"The royalty buy-out continues the flow of positive news since Black Dragon listed on the ASX in August, and should continue with a pending Salave Mineral Resource update this quarter." ABOUT BLACK DRAGON GOLD Black Dragon Gold Corp. (ASX/TSXV: BDG) is the 100% owner of one of the largest undeveloped gold projects in Europe, the Salave project. Salave is situated in the north of Spain in the province of Asturias. The Salave project has measured and indicated resources totalling 6.52 million Tonnes grading 4.51 g/t Au containing 944,000 ounces of gold at a 2.0 g/t cut off grade and gold price of USD$1,100/ounce. For more information on the Salave project, please refer to the technical report "Amended Technical Report on the Salave Gold Project, Asturias Region, Spain" dated October 7, 2016, as amended January 31, 2017, located on the Company's website at www.blackdragongold.com and filed on SEDAR. In addition to the current Mineral Resource, historical exploration work suggests there is potential for further mineralisation within Black Dragon's landholdings. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181003005675/en/

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[October 03, 2018] Cybersecurity Market will be US$164 Billion opportunities by 2024

LONDON, Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cybersecurity Market Global Analysis By product (Network Security, Identity and Access Management (IAM), Security and Vulnerability Management (SVM), End Point Security, Messaging Security, Web Security and Others) Services (Managed Security Services, Integrated Solutions, Security Consulting, Educations and Training) Industry Verticals (Government, Banking, Financial services and Insurance, Manufacturing, Information and Communication Technology(ICT), Retail, Healthcare, Others) Regions (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Others)



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5576261



Cybersecurity Market will be US$164 Billion opportunities by 2024.

Cybersecurity helps an organization to check, identify, report, and counter cyber theft or damage to its electronic data. Globally spending on Cybersecurity is growing as there is increase in cybercrimes and malware attack on governments, Banking, Financial services and Insurance, Healthcare, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Retail companies.



The dangerous threats like Ransomware, malware, advanced cyber attacks launching at governments, businesses, educational institutions and consumers worldwide has increased the role of cybersecurity many folds. The acceptance of Cybersecurity resolution is predicted to rise with the growing access of internet globally. In addition to this increasing wireless network of mobile devices have given rise to data susceptibility thus making Cybersecurity an even more important piece for every company and government.



The future of cybersecurity market looks promising due to rising security requirements of Internet of Things (IoT) and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trends such as smartphones, pads etc, and growing use of cloud based application will help in driving the cybersecurity market. Another factor which will also help cybersecurity market to grow are government initiatives, rising threats like Malware, ransomware etc, SMEs spending on cyber securitiesas well as growing threat of global cyber terrorism.







Renub Research report titled "Cybersecurity Market Global Analysis By product (Network Security, Identity and Access Management (IAM), Security and Vulnerability Management (SVM), End Point Security, Messaging Security, Web Security and Others) Services (Managed Security Services, Integrated Solutions, Security Consulting, Educations and Training) Industry Verticals (Government, Banking, Financial services and Insurance, Manufacturing, Information and Communication Technology(ICT), Retail, Healthcare, Others) Regions ( North America , Europe , Asia Pacific and Others)" provides a detailed and comprehensive insight of the global Cyber Security market.



Network Security leads the Global Cyber Security Market in Product Segment

On the basis of product type, the market has been bifurcated into Network Security, Identity and Access Management (IAM), Security & Vulnerability Management (SVM), End Point Security, Messaging Security & Web Security

Managed Security Services accounts for largest Market Share among Services Segments

Based on services, report covers the market of Managed Security Services, Education & Training, Security Consulting and Integrated Solutions.





Information and Communication technology & Retails sector flourish controls the Industry Verticals Segment

On the basis of Industry Verticals, report provides market of Government, Banking, Financial services and Insurance, Manufacturing, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Retail, Healthcare and Others.



Asia-Pacific's dominates in the global cyber security market by regions



Based on geography report captures the market of North America , Europe , Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of World



This market research report provides a complete analysis of the Global Cyber Security Market, Growth Drivers, Challenges, and their projections for the upcoming years.



By product the Global Cyber Security Market is categorized into:

 Network Security

 Identity and Access Management (IAM)

 Security and Vulnerability Management (SVM)

 End Point Security

 Messaging Security

 Web Security

 Others



By Services the Global Cyber Security Market segmented into:

 Managed Security Services

 Integrated Solutions

 Security Consulting

 Educations and Training



By Industry verticals the Global Cyber Security Market segmented into:

 Government

 Banking, Financial services and Insurance

 Manufacturing

 Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

 Retail

 Healthcare

 Others



By Region Global Cyber Security Market segmented into:

 North America

 Europe

 Asia Pacific (APAC)

 Rest of World



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5576261



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: sarah@reportbuyer.com

Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904

Website: www.reportbuyer.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cybersecurity-market-will-be-us164-billion-opportunities-by-2024-300723936.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

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[October 03, 2018] Sumo Logic Brings Cloud-Native Machine Data Analytics to Japan

Company Establishes Japan as Independent Region, Hires Industry Veteran Robert Stevenson

and Launches New AWS Instance in Tokyo to Help Enterprises Gain Real-time Operational and

Security Insights into Modern Applications and Infrastructures; First Regional Partnership with Classmethod to Provide Local Deployment, Support and Storage of Data in AWS to Maximize Investment in Machine Data Analytics Platform REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sumo Logic , the leading cloud-native, machine data analytics platform that delivers continuous intelligence , today announced the establishment of its subsidiary, Sumo Logic Japan KK, to provide enterprises the real-time insights needed to manage and secure their modern applications and infrastructures. To further demonstrate its commitment to the region, the company has hired enterprise sales veteran Robert Stevenson who will lead the sales and go-to-market functions for the newly established Japan region. In addition, Sumo Logic launched a new Amazon Web Services (AWS) instance in the APAC region (Tokyo) to provide a holistic view of global data as well as its first regional partnership with Classmethod , to provide Japanese customers with local deployment, support and storage of mission critical data. As organizations across the globe continue to invest in cloud infrastructure strategies, machine data remains at the epicenter of these digital initiatives, said Steve Fitz, chief revenue officer, Sumo Logic. Japan is quickly moving towards broader adoption of the cloud with a need to effectively address security concerns, so the market opportunity for Sumo Logic is ripe as we are able to deliver scalable, real-time machine data analytics that provide critical operational and security insights. We are excited to extend our global presence in Japan as part of our overall global expansion strategy to help enterprises manage and secure their modern applications and infrastructures as they make the shift to the cloud. Sumo Logic has hired Robert Stevenson, an enterprise technology sales veteran in order to build and expand the company in Japan. With more than 20 years of experience in the Asia Pacific region, Stevenson comes to Sumo Logic from Lenovo where he was president of the Japan Data Center Division. He has also held similar positions at BEA Systems, Tanium, Documentum, Dell EMC, Avaya and OpenText. New Partnership with Classmethod

In conjunction with todays news, Sumo Logic announced its first regional partnership with AWS APN Premium Consulting Partner, Classmethod. The partnership will help Japanese customers maximize their investment in the Sumo Logic platform by providing ocal guided deployment, support and storage in AWS. In addition, Sumo Logic provides the backbone for Classmethods AWS infrastructure to provide the continuous intelligence needed to serve and expand their portfolio of customers.



Born in the Cloud, with a Mission to Democratize Analytics

Sumo Logic was founded in 2010 by experts who were deeply entrenched in the traditional business intelligence space. As key trends such as big data and cloud started to explode, the founders realized they needed a different approach to data and analytics in order to deliver intelligent information to make informed decisions. Sumo Logics goal is and has always been to help democratize analytics by providing a world-class, machine data analytics solution  delivered as a service  to make data accessible, simple and powerful. Today, the company is a recognized expert in building and operating massive multi-tenant, highly distributed cloud systems, and is the industrys first machine data analytics platform to natively ingest, index and analyze structured and unstructured data together in real time. As one of the most powerful cloud-native services in the world, the Sumo Logic platform ingests and analyzes vast amounts of data and runs millions of queries every day, which powers tens of millions of insights for customers who rely on this type of continuous intelligence to more effectively build, run and secure their modern applications.

Supporting Quotes OGIS-RI CO., LTD.

OGIS-RI welcomes the establishment of Sumo Logic Japan Co. sincerely. The collection, analysis and monitoring of mass log data in security measures and IoT business and system operations at companies is an urgent issue in terms of real-time property and cost, and one that will be solved by Sumo Logics SaaS-delivered machine data analytics platform. We hope that these issues will be solved and further utilization in the Japanese market will be promoted. We provide 'home delivery' service for file transfer service for general customers and use Sumo Logic to monitor illegal access to your important files and illegal operation of cloud usage, etc. We will continue to strengthen our cooperation, said Mr. Kosuke Nakatani, director and executive officer, platform service division, OGIS-RI CO., LTD. GREE INC.

We have utilized Sumo Logic's log analysis platform for domestic and overseas service provision over the past four years. Sumo Logic provides the necessary information to know that our service is operating optimally and supports accurate analysis, said Mr. Sho Okubo, senior manager, development operations group, infrastructure division, development department, GREE, Inc. Amazon Web Services Japan

AWS welcomes Sumo Logic, an advanced technology partner of the AWS Partner Network (APN), to launch its SaaS-based machine data analytics platform built on AWS in Japan. AWS utilizes Sumo Logic's native AWS integration function, which is highly compatible with a wide range of AWS services such as AWS CloudTrail and Amazon GuardDuty, by Classmethod and other partners, while integrating applications and services on AWS. We look forward to showcasing it to customers and recommending as a cloud solution to our customers, said Mr. Muneyuki Watanabe, general manager of partner alliance division, AWS Japan. CLASSMETHOD, INC.

Our goal at Classmethod is to deliver end-to-end solutions to companies that need 24/7 maintenance, data center migration, and support building out DevOps, artificial intelligence and mobile app strategies. We wouldnt be able to support our massive customer base without the help of Sumo Logics unified, cloud-native machine data analytics platform, which serves as the backbone of our cloud-based AWS infrastructure. The continuous intelligence we get from Sumo Logic enables us to constantly innovate our business and find new areas to expand our solution portfolio that better serve todays modern businesses, said Mr. Daisuke Sasaki, VP and general manager, AWS business unit, Classmethod. Additional Resources Sign up for Sumo Logic for free

for Sumo Logic for free Read the Sumo Logic blog

the Sumo Logic blog Visit the Sumo Logic Japan website 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 Kyosuke Wakairo

Powered Communications for Sumo Logic

mktg-jp@sumologic.com

+81-3-6902-2107 * Amazon Web Services, AWS, AWS CloudTrail, Amazon GuardDuty are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and other countries.

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[October 04, 2018] Over 400 VIPKid Teachers and Students Celebrate VIPKid's Five Year Anniversary in Orlando - at VIPKid's Third "Journey" Regional Conference of 2018

On September 29th, over 400 teachers gathered in Orlando to hear from VIPKid Founder and CEO Cindy Mi and Co-Founder Jessie Chen as the global education technology platform company celebrated its five year anniversary. The teachers were joined by dozens of their students from China who were invited to Walt Disney (News - Alert) World as the first stop on VIPKid's "World Classroom" project launched in partnership with Visit Orlando, an office that promotes tourism for the City of Orlando. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005228/en/ Over 400 North American teachers and their students from China gather together in Orlando, Florida to celebrate VIPKid's five year anniversary at the third regional Journey conference of 2018. (Photo: Business Wire) The day began with VIPKid's third regional conference, Journey, where teachers were welcomed by the Disney Institute, the professional business development and consulting division of the Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. In her keynote remarks, VIPKid co-founder Jessie Chen said, "From zero to over 60,000 teachers, many of you have been teaching on the VIPKid platform for years, and we are truly grateful for your dedication to teaching." Teachers attended sessions on education trends, Chinese culture and teaching methods before joining visiting students from China to celebrate cross-cultural connection and hear from VIPKid Founder and CEO, Cindy Mi. "There is no greater calling tan educating the future generation and that is why so many teachers are here today," said Mi.



Jessica Graeber and her mother, who both teach on the VIPKid platform from Florida, attended Journey together. She said, "VIPKid has brought dignity back to teachers. They have created a community of passionate educators who feel valued, seen and heard. Journey is a celebration of that community. It is especially meaningful to me because I can share this experience with my mom." VIPKid is excited to announce a partnership with Visit Orlando as part of its World Classroom project, an immersive online and offline educational experience. Working with Walt Disney World and Visit Orlando, VIPKid students can virtually tour Walt Disney World and landmarks in Orlando. In the offline portion, students can travel to those sites along with teachers, and many students were able to visit Walt Disney World this weekend as part of this project. VIPKid aims to turn the world into a classroom and cultivate a global perspective for children around the world. "Through our partnership with Visit Orlando and the access that Walt Disney World has given us, teachers will have even more opportunities to help students become future global citizens," said Mi.

To celebrate the partnership, the City of Orlando declared September 29th as Cindy Mi and VIPKid Day. Orlando District 6 Commissioner and Pro Tem Mayor Samuel B. Ings addressed the students and teachers. "On behalf of the citizens of this community, I extend our heartfelt welcome to the families from China and North American teachers and hereby proclaim Saturday, September 29th as Cindy Mi and VIPKid Day," said Commissioner Ings. VIPKid has recently announced several key partnerships, including a major expansion of curricula and product lines with partners such as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH). While VIPKid is currently available in China and 63 other countries serving over 500,000 students, the company announced plans to expand to 100 countries and open 10 international offices in the next three years. About VIPKid VIPKid is a global education technology platform company that connects children with the world's best teachers for real-time online English immersion learning. VIPKid's mission is to inspire and empower every child for the future. VIPKid envisions a global classroom that empowers students and teachers through personalized learning, connects cultures across the world and sparks a passion for lifelong learning. It believes that education is not one-size-fits-all, rather all students are unique and the world is within their reach when connected with great teachers capable of personalizing learning and sparking curiosity. Founded in 2013 and formally launched in 2014, VIPKid has become China's market-leading online education startup, attracting investment from Tencent, Coatue Management, Sequoia Capital (News - Alert) , Sinovation Ventures, Yunfeng Capital, Matrix Partners, Learn Capital, Northern Light VC and Bryant Stibel, among others. The VIPKid platform currently connects over 500,000 paying students with over 60,000 teachers in the US and Canada. For more information, please visit: www.vipkid.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005228/en/

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[October 04, 2018] Fleming's Hotels implements best-in-class hotel CRM platform, Cendyn's eInsight, across their hotel group

FRANKFURT, Germany, Oct. 4, 2018 /CNW/ -- Fleming's Hotels, a modern leader in the business & leisure hospitality marketplace in Germany, has selected Cendyn, the leading hotel sales and CRM provider, as the group's CRM technology partner. The Fleming's brand is a modern, innovative hotel brand in Germany. Each property within the group prides themselves on their perfect symbiosis between international standards and local charm. Guests at the Fleming's Hotels can look forward to a combination of experience, quality and passion. Both business travelers with high standards looking for an elegant venue for their meetings and leisure guests can benefit from the classic "Fleming's" atmosphere and the charming distinction. Cendyn will implement a state-of-the-art solution that will collect data from multiple property systems to provide real-time personalized communications and guest intelligence at 20 hotels across Germany, Austria and Switzerland within the Fleming's Hotel portfolio. Hartmut Schroder, CEO Fleming's said "By choosing Cendyn as our CRM platform, we plan to take our communication, personalization and data security efforts to the next level. Cendyn will provide us with a platform that enables us to drive loyalty and retention across our portfolio of hotels, whilst ensuring that our data is managed and utilized in a secure and compliant way." Cendyn's eInsight CRM provides a marketing automation and guest intelligence solution that can easily handl complex interfaces, drive loyalty and leverage real-time data to provide personalized one-to-one communications for every guest, no matter what channel they came through. Business rules-based automation combined with dynamic personalization and upsell opportunities drive revenue through multiple channels and will help Fleming's Hotels acquire new customers as well as drive loyalty with existing guests.



"We are thrilled to be partnering with Fleming's Hotels. Working with a group of hotels in Germany with such well-renowned heritage and stature is a true honor," said John Seaton, Managing Director, EMEA & APAC, of Cendyn. "Their decision to embrace CRM and the technology enhancements that Fleming's Hotels will see with this adoption is a testament to their commitment to their guests and their desire to stay ahead of the trends in technological advancements. We look forward to helping Fleming's Hotels continue to drive profitable revenue growth, guest satisfaction and loyalty." About Cendyn

Cendyn is a cloud-based software and services provider that develops integrated technology platforms for driving sales and marketing performance in the travel and hospitality industry. The Cendyn Hospitality Cloud offers the most complete set of innovative software and services in the industry, covering hotel marketing, guest engagement, group sales, and event management. With offices in Boca Raton, Atlanta, Boston, San Diego, Toronto, Whistler, London, Munich, and Singapore, Cendyn proudly serves more than 30,000 clients in 143 countries with enterprise spend levels in excess of $1 billion. For more information on Cendyn, visit www.cendyn.com

About Fleming's Hotels

Fleming's Hotel Management und Servicegesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, with its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, was founded in 1990. Altogether, the portfolio includes 20 accommodation establishments: Ten four- to five-star hotels of the Fleming's Hotels & Restaurants brand in Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna and Zurich, and soon a new hotel in Hamburg. Furthermore, Fleming's GmbH & Co. KG operates the Savigny Hotel Frankfurt City, franchise enterprises with Deutsche Hospitality and the IntercityHotel GmbH, as well as three boarding houses of the "LiV'iN Residence by Fleming's" brand. Fleming's GmbH operates in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and employs around 650 employees. Media Contact

Nicola Graham

Director of Marketing, International

ngraham@cendyn.com

+44 208 068 3195 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/flemings-hotels-implements-best-in-class-hotel-crm-platform-cendyns-einsight-across-their-hotel-group-300724404.html SOURCE Cendyn

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[October 04, 2018] Edupoint Enters Alaska with Matanuska-Susitna School District's Selection of Synergy Education Platform

PALMER, Alaska, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD) selected Edupoint Educational Systems to implement the district's industry-leading Synergy Education Platform. The district's Synergy solution will include the full suite of Synergy modules  Synergy Student Information System, Synergy Learning Management System with RTI/MTSS and Assessment, Synergy Special Education, and Synergy Analytics. MSBSD is the second-largest school district in Alaska, serving approximately 19,000 students across 47 schools near Anchorage. "Our vision was to acquire a new SIS that was modern and responsive, would evolve with technology changes and the changing needs of K-12 education, and would help us improve efficiency and optimize our costs while continuing to prepare all students for success," said Justin Michaud, Senior Program Manager, IT, at MSBSD. "Our other goal was finding a company that would partner with us strategically. When you take students, staff, and parents into account, our new system will touch over 30,000 people, so we needed a partner that would work with us over time to continue meeting our users' diverse and growing needs. We determined that Edupoint would be the best partner to ensure that we can do that." With Synergy Education Platform, MSBSD will be launching not just a powerful SIS, but a comprehensive ecosystem that will enable users to seamlessly manage everything from core student data to special education processes, with online registration, learning and assessment management RTI/MTSS management, in-depth, interactive analytics, and engaging web and mobile portals for parents and students. The role-based mobile apps included with Synergy  ParentVUE, StudentVUE, TeachverVUE, AdminVUE, HealthVUE, CounselVUE, and SE VUE  will enable the district to provide an innovative mode of access for end users and to better serve families who depend on mobile devices rather than computers.



The MSBSD Evaluation Team selected Synergy following a request for proposal (RFP) process that included a competitive two-day product evaluation and gathered input from a 30-person focus group of subject matter experts from across the district. "Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District needed a forward-thinking data management solution with broad functionality and found that in Synergy Education Platform," said Rob Wilson, President and Chief Innovation Officer at Edupoint. "We are pleased to be partnering with Mat-Su for the long term to support student success and look forward to welcoming additional Alaska districts to the Synergy family."

About Edupoint Educational Systems For over thirty years, the leadership of Edupoint Educational Systems has provided well-designed, technologically-advanced student data management systems that empower all K-12 stakeholders with the tools they need to improve student achievement. The fully-integrated Synergy Education Platform includes Synergy SIS, the most powerful K-12 student information system available today, Synergy LMS, an all-in-one learning and assessment platform, Synergy SE, a collaborative end-to-end special education data management system, and Synergy Analytics, a comprehensive data analysis solution for improving student performance and district administration. Thousands of schools nationwide choose the Synergy Education Platform to support more than four million students, including 16 of the 100 largest school districts. Learn more: http://www.edupoint.com/. *IMAGE for media: Send2Press.com/300dpi/18-1004s2p-edupoint-300dpi.jpg *Caption: Synergy Student Information System. This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/edupoint-enters-alaska-with-matanuska-susitna-school-districts-selection-of-synergy-education-platform-300724267.html SOURCE Edupoint Educational Systems

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[October 04, 2018] Dates Set for Moody's Earnings Release and Investor Teleconference

Moody's Corporation (NYSE:MCO) will release its third quarter 2018 results before the start of NYSE trading on Friday, October 26, 2018. A copy of the release will be posted on Moody's Investor Relations website, http://ir.moodys.com. Moody's Corporation invites you to participate in a teleconference on Friday, October 26, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its third quarter 2018 results. Raymond W. McDaniel, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, and Mark Kaye, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will jointly host the call. Their remarks will be followed by a question and answer period. Individuals within the United States and Canada can access the call by dialing +1-877-400-0505. Other callers should dial +1-720-452-9084. Please dial in to the call by 11:20 a.m. Eastern Time. The passcode for the call is 3746341. The teleconference will also be webcast with a accompanying slide presentation which can be accessed through Moody's Investor Relations website, http://ir.moodys.com under "Featured and Upcoming Events & Presentations". The webcast will be available until 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time on November 24, 2018.



A replay of the teleconference will be available from 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, October 26, 2018 until 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, November 24, 2018. The replay can be accessed from within the United States and Canada by dialing +1-888-203-1112. Other callers can access the replay at +1-719-457-0820. The replay confirmation code is 3746341. For further information, please contact Investor Relations at +1-212-553-4857.

ABOUT MOODY'S CORPORATION Moody's is an essential component of the global capital markets, providing credit ratings, research, tools and analysis that contribute to transparent and integrated financial markets. Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO) is the parent company of Moody's Investors Service, which provides credit ratings and research covering debt instruments and securities, and Moody's Analytics, which offers leading-edge software, advisory services and research for credit and economic analysis and financial risk management. The corporation, which reported revenue of $4.2 billion in 2017, employs approximately 12,300 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 42 countries. Further information is available at www.moodys.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005105/en/

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[October 04, 2018] Navegate Logistics Secures Investment to Fuel Future Growth; Names New CEO

Navegate Logistics, Inc., a tech-forward third-party logistics (3PL) provider, is announcing that it has been recapitalized by Chicago-based Saltspring Capital LLC. Nathan Dey, Saltspring's Managing Partner, will be joining the Navegate team as CEO and Chairman. "Navegate presents an amazing opportunity to grow and build on a rich 50 years of logistics history," said Dey. "This industry is going through a tremendous digitization, and the steps Navegate has proactively taken to position themselves to succeed in the future made the investment very compelling." The remainder of the company's existing leadership team, including Joe Pelletier, President, will continue with the company. Chad Bickett, formerly VP of Strategic Initiatives, will also become COO with the transition. The investment validates and supports Navegate's plans to build on its existing success as a leader in delivering clients unprecedented supply chain visibility, flexibility and vendor integration. Furthermore, it will continue to grow the company's business network on both the International and Domestic fronts. Already a leader in modernizing the logistics industry-consistently making Inbound Logistic's Top 100 List of IT Providers-Navegate's long-term vision is to become a one-stop, global trade portal where customers can quote, book and track shipments worldwide. As a strategic and operationally focused investor, Saltspring brings a strong foundational knowledge in global logistics and a deep bench of partners to accelerate Navegate's growth. Next Coast Ventures, Relay Investments and the Operand Group also participated in the financing round. "We are thrilled to be backing an innovative company in Minneapolis-freight forwarding is a massive industry that is ripe for disruption, and Navegate's product is a prime example of how a full-stack business model can fundamentally change the way a fragmented industry like freight logistics operates," said Michael Smerklo, co-founder and managing director of Next Coast Ventures. "We have no doubt that Nathan and Navegate leadership's deep domain expertise will be the team to scale this incredible platform, and we are so excited to be a part of the next phase of Navegate's ourney alongside a strong group of syndicate partners."



About Navegate Navegate offers traditional services such as freight forwarding, customs brokerage and domestic transportation along with innovative, cloud-based software and a best-in-class vendor portal platform.

As part of the investment, Navegate's asset-based trucking division has been spun off and will be operated as a separate business based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Navegate will keep its headquarters in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, and also maintain its offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Shanghai and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit www.navegate.com About Saltspring Capital Saltspring Capital was formed by Nathan Dey in 2016 with the objective of purchasing a single company. A unique twist on private equity, a search fund leverages a network of institutionalized funds, seasoned investment professionals and high net worth individuals to back an entrepreneur in their search for a Company to recapitalize and optimize for future growth. For more information on Saltspring Capital, visit www.saltspringcapital.com About Next Coast Ventures Next Coast Ventures is an Austin venture capital firm that partners with bold entrepreneurs building innovative companies in big markets. It provides early-stage capital to high-growth startups in 'Next Coast' markets, using macro trends and themes to guide their investment strategy. In partnering with Next Coast, the fund provides hands-on company building resources to its growing portfolio through its strong industry network, venture partner program and the founders' own experiences as entrepreneurs. Learn more at www.nextcoastventures.com. About Relay Investments Relay Investments is a Boston-based firm focused exclusively on investing in search funds and their operating company acquisitions. The firm takes a global approach to search fund investing, and its portfolio spans 19 countries and 22 U.S. states. As an institutional partner, Relay provides deep industry expertise and financial acumen gained from hundreds of successful search fund transactions. The firm was founded by Sandro Mina and Martin Steber in 2013, who launched their own search funds in 1991 after graduating from the Stanford GSB. They successfully acquired, operated, and exited three businesses, and have been investing in the search fund asset class ever since. Learn more at relayinvestments.com. About Operand Group The Operand Group is a private equity platform specializing in supporting entrepreneurs through the Search Fund Model. Operand's Partners actively work with lower middle market businesses to create successful transitions for owners, employees, and customers. Founded in 2016, Operand has backed over 50 Search Fund principals and has invested in the acquisition of over a dozen businesses in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005193/en/

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[October 04, 2018] Arrows Up Stands Strong for Open Competition, Seeks Relief from Texas Appeals Court

Arrows Up, LLC, the latest target of Sandbox's competition-stifling litigation, will secure a stay for yesterday's Texas State Court judgment pending a ruling from the Texas Court of Appeals. Arrows Up becomes yet another company to be party to Sandbox's demonstrated pattern of lawsuits against competitive innovation within the frac sand logistics industry. "From the beginning, this lawsuit has been an attempt by Sandbox to shut out competition and we are committed to fighting for open competition within our industry while protecting our superior intellectual property claims," said Kevin Shuba, CEO of managing affiliate OmniTRAX. Arrows Up business operations continue without interruption while the company resolves the outstanding contract dispute in the Texas Court of Appeals. "The lower court judgment is not enforceable until the appeals process is complete and it does not address the pivotal issue of contract enforceability," added Shuba. "We remain convinced that the contract as written is an unenforceable restraint of trade and will seek relief in the Texas Court of Appeals." In addition to the Texas StateCourt appeal, Arrows Up, LLC continues its federal suit against Sandbox to protect its first in time superior intellectual property rights.



About Arrows Up, LLC. Arrows Up, LLC began following a company's request to create better products to serve the bulk storage and transportation industry. The management and operations teams of Arrows Up have over 65 years of combined experience in the packaging and logistics industry. Our mission is to create innovative, efficient and safer solutions for the bulk storage and transportation industries. This will be accomplished by research, customer involvement and continued experimentation with materials, design and assemble concepts. More information is available at http://www.arrowsupllc.com/.

About OmniTRAX, Inc. As one of North America's largest private railroad and transportation management companies, OmniTRAX's core capabilities range from providing management services to railroad and port services and to intermodal and industrial switching operations. Through its affiliation with The Broe Group and its portfolio of managed companies, OmniTRAX also has the unique capability of offering specialized industrial development and real estate solutions, both on and off the rail network managed by OmniTRAX. More information is available at www.omnitrax.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005300/en/

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[October 04, 2018] Orange County-Based Catanzarite Law Corporation Files a Lawsuit against Cultivation Technologies, Inc. Contesting Stock Ownership, Breaches of Fiduciary Duty and Director and Officer Misconduct

On September 14, 2018, Catanzarite Law Corporation filed a lawsuit against Cultivation Technologies, Inc. (" CTI (News - Alert) "), its shareholders, directors, officers and others. The matter styled Denise Pinkerton, an individual as attorney in fact for Roger D. Root, et al. vs. Cultivation Technologies, Inc., et al. was filed in the Orange (News - Alert) County Superior Court as Case No. 30-2018 01018922. A copy of the complaint can be accessed at www.ctilitigation.com.



The complaint asserts claims on behalf of investor Roger Root, derivatively on behalf of Mobile Farming Systems, Inc. ("MFS"). Root, a resident of Florida, invested over $400,000 in MFS stock and was told by MFS representatives, including directors and officers Richard Probst, Richard O'Connor and Amy Cooper, that MFS owned CTI as a subsidiary. The lawsuit contends that MFS is the sole shareholder of CTI as of March 30, 2015 and that CTI directors and officers breached fiduciary duties to MFS as its shareholder including that CTI stock sales and other actions on and after June 30, 2015 are improper. Root also asserts individual claims for securities fraud. For further information, contact Catanzarite Law Corporation.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005149/en/

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[October 04, 2018] KKR and Tencent Lead Investment in the Philippines' Voyager Innovations

PLDT (News - Alert) Inc. (NYSE: PHI|PSE: TEL), the leading telecommunications and digital services provider in the Philippines, global investment firm KKR (NYSE: KKR), and Tencent Holdings (News - Alert) Ltd. (0700.HK), a leading provider of internet services in China, announced today the signing of agreements under which investors led by KKR and Tencent will separately subscribe to a total of up to US$175 million worth of newly-issued shares in Voyager Innovations, giving them a substantial minority stake in the Philippines' leading digital technology company. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005328/en/ Upon the closing of the transaction, which is expected within the fourth quarter of 2018, PLDT will remain as the majority shareholder of Voyager Innovations. The agreements also contain provisions for Voyager Innovations to issue additional shares to other investors which, if this were to occur, would reduce PLDT's ownership to less than 50% while still remaining as the largest shareholder. The new external funding in Voyager Innovations marks the largest investment to date in a Philippine technology company. With the global expertise and fresh capital from the new investors, Voyager Innovations will enable greater access to mobile payments and the internet as a whole for the country's population. Voyager Innovations' mission is to accelerate digital and financial inclusion in the Philippines and enable the broader Filipino population to participate in the digital economy. The company's award-winning technology platforms support the following digital services: PayMaya , the most recognized prepaid payment wallet service in the Philippines, enabling Filipinos to shop online, pay bills, buy airtime load, and send money;

, the most recognized prepaid payment wallet service in the Philippines, enabling Filipinos to shop online, pay bills, buy airtime load, and send money; PayMaya Business, the largest mobile acquiring service in the Philippines, enabling enterprises of all sizes to accept digital payments;

the largest mobile acquiring service in the Philippines, enabling enterprises of all sizes to accept digital payments; Smart Padala, the largest mobile-based remittance network in the Philippines;

the largest mobile-based remittance network in the Philippines; Lendr , the largest digital lending platform in the Philippines; and,

, the largest digital lending platform in the Philippines; and, freenet, the most popular rewards app for free access to the internet and apps in the Philippines. Manuel V. Pangilinan, Chairman, President and CEO of PLDT, said: "Having global powerhouses such as KKR and Tencent as investors in Voyager Innovations demonstrates not only their confidence in the company's ability to execute its vision, but also their confidence in the Philippine technology industry as a whole." Orlando B. Vea, President and CEO of Voyager Innovations, said: "This is a watershed moment not only for Voyager Innovations but also for the Philippines. With this investment by KKR and Tencent, we will trigger an inflection point in digtal adoption and financial inclusion in the country."



Terence Lee, Director on KKR's Southeast Asia team, said: "We are excited about Voyager Innovations and to further invest behind online payments leaders in emerging markets. Voyager Innovations provides critical digital and financial services to millions of Filipinos looking to join the digital economy for work and play. We look forward to leveraging our industry expertise and resources to help enhance the company's mission of financial inclusion and accelerate its growth at a time when the digital economy is more important than ever." KKR's investment in Voyager Innovations is being funded from KKR Asian Fund III. The investment is KKR's first private equity investment in the Philippines and is part of the firm's strategy to invest in high-growth markets that the firm believes can benefit from a rapid increase in technology adoption. Other investments KKR has made in the technology and fintech sectors include Go-Jek (Indonesia's leading on-demand mobile platform for ride hailing, food delivery, and mobile payments), Suishou Technology (one of China's largest personal finance management platforms) and First Data (global payment technology and services solutions provider with a presence in 118 countries).

James Mitchell, Chief Strategy Officer of Tencent, said: "Voyager Innovations connects the growing smartphone population in the Philippines to online payments and financial services. Tencent is glad to support Voyager Innovations and to advance financial inclusion." The foregoing investment in Voyager Innovations is not subject to the compulsory merger notification regime under the Philippine Competition Act and its Implementing Rules and Regulations. In addition, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Philippines' central bank, confirmed that it interposes no objection to the investment. Bank of America Merrill Lynch is acting as financial advisor to Voyager Innovations. Latham & Watkins and Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos are acting as legal counsel to PLDT and Voyager Innovations. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, and Sycip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan are acting as legal counsel to KKR and Tencent. ABOUT PLDT PLDT is the leading telecommunications provider in the Philippines. Through its principal business groups--fixed line and wireless--PLDT offers a wide range of telecommunications services across the Philippines' most extensive fiber optic backbone and fixed line, and mobile network. PLDT is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE: TEL) and its American Depositary Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:PHI). PLDT has one of the largest market capitalizations among Philippine listed companies. Further information can be obtained by visiting the web at www.pldt.com. ABOUT VOYAGER INNOVATIONS Voyager Innovations is the leading technology company in the Philippines focused on developing customer-centric emerging market platforms in the areas of digital payments, digital finance, and marketing technologies. For more information, visit www.voyagerinnovation.com. ABOUT KKR KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate and credit, with strategic manager partnerships that manage hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns for its fund investors by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR invests its own capital alongside the capital it manages for fund investors and provides financing solutions and investment opportunities through its capital markets business. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter (News - Alert) @KKR_Co. ABOUT TENCENT Tencent uses technology to enrich the lives of Internet users. Our social products WeChat and QQ link our users to a rich digital content catalogue including games, video, music and books. Our proprietary targeting technology helps advertisers reach out to hundreds of millions of consumers in China. Our infrastructure services including payment, security, cloud and artificial intelligence create differentiated offerings and support our partners' business growth. Tencent invests heavily in people and innovation, enabling us to evolve with the Internet. Tencent was founded in Shenzhen, China, in 1998. Shares of Tencent (0700.HK) are traded on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005328/en/

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[October 04, 2018] Zecotek Closes Divisional Equity Financing of $2,000,000 Based on $100 Million Valuation

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. Zecotek Photonics Inc. ("Zecotek" or the "Company") (TSX-V: W1I) (ZMS: W1I) (Frankfurt: W1I), a developer of leading-edge photonics technologies for healthcare, industrial and scientific markets, is pleased to announce its has now closed on the previously announced divisional equity financing of $2 million. The financing, announced on July 18, 2018, was completed by selling a 2% equity interest in the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Zecotek Imaging Systems Pte. Ltd. to an industrial business group based in China for net proceeds of $2 million. "The funds raised in this divisional equity financing will be used to continue the manufacturing of the new generation series of solid-state micro-pixel avalanche photo diodes and transistors (MAPD/T)," said Dr. A.F. Zerrouk, Chairman, President, and CEO of Zecotek Photonics Inc. "We have partnered with the Malaysian Institute of Microelectronics Systems and are moving to full production and commercialization. Medical imaging, high energy physics and other industrial applications, such as agriculture, genomics and LIDAR for autonomous cars, recognize the significant performance advantages of our MAPD/T. We are working with experts on a revised strategy to better reflect the values built at the subsidiaries level in our existing markets and industries. We will leverage the competitive advantages of our sensing and scanning technologies to establish new standards and benchmarks for product quality control essential to the industries associated to the newest Canadian market trends." The divisional financing was based on the appraised pre-commercialized value of Zecotek Imaging Systems of approximately $100 million. Recent M&A activity in the photo detector manufacturing marketplace is a clear indication of the increasing market interest and valuations of new generation solid-state micro-pixel avalanche photo diodes technologies. More and more organizations are adopting solid-state photo diodes and transistors and are increasingly oving away from photomultiplier tubes.



Zecotek's patented MAPD/T offers significant performance-cost advantages over competing photomultiplier tubes (PMT) and other solid-state, silicon-based photo detectors known as SiPM. The new generation MAPD/T have low manufacturing cost, excellent timing resolution and photon detection efficiency - key characteristics for the new configurations of high resolution PET medical scanners. Solid-state MAPD/T also offer superior recovery time, unique radiation hardness and display of the highest possible linearity making them prime components for the improved detector designs required in high energy experiments at the Chinese Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) and CERN. Zecotek's pioneering MAPD technology can also be used to manufacture two-dimensional arrays of solid-state photo detectors, which allows for the manufacture and implementation of both very large-area detectors and compact position-sensitive arrays. About Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems

MIMOS is Malaysia's premier Applied Research and Development Centre in Information and Communications Technology, Industrial Electronics Technology and Nano-Semiconductor Technology. As a strategic agency under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), MIMOS contributes to raising Malaysia's competitiveness by pioneering market creation for Malaysian technopreneurs through patentable technology platforms, products and solutions. Over the past 12 years, MIMOS has filed more than 2,000 Intellectual Properties in various technology domains and across key socio-economic areas. Serving a central role in Malaysia's transformation journey and ICT Vision, MIMOS endeavors to create a culture of innovation by nurturing relationships with internal and external stakeholders, in the spirit of smart partnerships and inclusive growth models and strategies. For more information visit: http://www.mimos.my . About Zecotek Zecotek Photonics Inc (TSX-V: ZMS; Frankfurt: W1I) is a photonics technology company developing high-performance scintillation crystals, photo detectors, positron emission tomography scanning technologies, 3D auto-stereoscopic displays, 3D metal printing, and lasers for applications in medical, high-tech and industrial sectors. Founded in 2004, Zecotek operates three divisions: Imaging Systems, Optronics Systems and 3D Display Systems with labs located in Canada, Korea, Russia, Singapore and U.S.A. The management team is focused on building shareholder value by commercializing over 50 patented and patent pending novel photonic technologies directly and through strategic alliances with Hamamatsu Photonics (Japan), the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Switzerland), Shanghai EBO Optoelectronics Technology Co. (China), NuCare Medical Systems (South Korea), the University of Washington (United States), and National NanoFab Center (South Korea). For more information visit http://www.zecotek.com and follow @zecotek on Twitter. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results and trends may differ materially from what may have been stated. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. If you would like to receive news from Zecotek in the future please visit the corporate website at http://www.zecotek.com For Additional Information Please Contact:

Zecotek Photonics Inc.

Michael Minder

T: +1(604)783-8291

ir@zecotek.com



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[October 04, 2018] Telco Systems Wins Telecom Lead Innovation Leaders 2018 Award

MANSFIELD, Massachusetts, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Telco Systems, the leading provider of innovative SDN/NFV, CE 2.0, MPLS and IP solutions, today announced that the company has won the Telecom Lead Innovation Leaders 2018 award. The Telecom Lead Innovation Leaders award recognizes technology companies and the impact of their new product developments and innovations on telecommunications service providers and their customers. This award program is organized by Telecom Lead, a prominent global online publication providing news and analysis of the telecoms industry. Telco Systems has received this award recognition for its NFVTime uCPE solution and the framework that it provides telcos, OTT managed service providers and enterprises for improving their business agility, enabling new revenue generating opportunities and optimizing the OPEX and CAPEX related to IT and network service deployments. NFVTime is a service-ready, plug-and-play uCPE solution that provides a complete service environment for rapidly launching virtual network services. The NFVTime suite includes all required components t shorten the time-to-market for NFV deployments and supports invest-as-you-grow deployment models. The NFVTime-OS allows any VNF to run on any whitebox hardware, whether on Intel x86 or Arm devices, while the NFVTime-Central provides a cost effective uCPE MANO solution that supports uCPE and services lifecycle management staring from zero-touch-provisioning through VNF launch and monitoring.



"We are committed to lead the market with NFV and Edge network innovations that support our customers' business requirements and this award is important recognition of our leading market position," said Raanan Tzemach, Vice President of Product Management at Telco Systems. "Our focus is to enable our customers to extract the most from NFV and provide complete freedom to choose any VNF, hardware or MANO solution for their rollouts of managed services and virtual network functions, while ensuring swift and cost effective deployments." Telco Systems will be demonstrating its NFVTime uCPE solution at the upcoming SDN World Congress in The Hague, Netherlands on October 8th to 12th at booth #C10.

About Telco Systems Telco Systems delivers an industry-leading portfolio of Carrier Ethernet and MPLS-based demarcation, aggregation, NFV and vCPE solutions, enabling service providers to create intelligent, service-assured, CE 2.0-compliant networks for mobile backhaul, business services and cloud networking. Telco Systems' end-to-end Ethernet, SDN/NFV-ready product portfolio delivers significant advantages to service providers, utilities and city carriers competing in a rapidly evolving telecommunications market. Telco Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of BATM Advanced Communications (LSE: BVC). To learn more, visit Telco Systems at http://www.telco.com or follow Telco Systems on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Press Contact Tony Miller

+1-617-418-3024

tony@noteya.com

SOURCE Telco Systems

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[October 04, 2018] Mitchell Congratulates 2018 mPower Award Winners

Mitchell International, a leading provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance and Collision Repair industries, held its annual Property and Casualty Conference October 1-3, 2018 near Palm Springs, CA (News - Alert) . During the gathering of experts in auto physical damage, auto casualty and workers' compensation insurance claims, Mitchell's president and CEO Alex Sun announced the winners of the second annual Mitchell mPower Awards. The program celebrates customers who are delivering better outcomes through innovative technology or business transformations. Congratulations to WCF Insurance and Property Damage Appraisers for their outstanding efforts this year. WCF Insurance Proves that Doing the Right Thing is Good for Business As Utah's premier workers' compensation insurance provider, WCF Insurance has been protecting both workers and employers for more than 100 years. Like many states across the U.S., addiction to prescription painkillers has reached epidemic proportions in Utah. With a commitment to finding an effective way to address the crisis affecting its community, WCF developed a program to get the right medication to the right people for the right situation, resulting in less opportunity for individuals to begin a path to tolerance, addiction, or abuse. To ensure a successful adoption, they conducted extensive outreach to the medical community. After implementing its Pharmacy Partnership Program, WCF saw a 51 percent decrease in the quantity of opioid pills dispensed-the implied equivalent of a more than 41,000 opioid pill reduction from the prior year. That is 41,000 fewer opportunities for individuals to begin an unintended path toward addiction. Moreover, because of their outreach, WCF's programs have significantly influenced a broader network of health partners who have followed WCF's lead by adopting its protocols. Read more about this project. Property Damage Appraisers Gets Customers Back to Their Lives Faster by Helping Clients Deliver on their Promises Clients turn to Property Damage Appraisers (PDA) and its national team of 650 appraisers to assist when they have more work than they can manage or need a local appraiser. Because these appraisers are often the only representative from the carrier that the customer will meet, PDA wants to ensure that it delivers a consistent experience across its entire network. Knowing that cycle time dramatically affects customer satisfaction as well as the cost of the claim, PDA set its sights on a cycle time of less than two days, outpacing the industry's five-day cycle time. To achieve this goal, PDA overhauled its existing workflow, implemented several new tools and methods such as a proprietary photo application, more robust file-tracking, and streamlined resource assignments. Implementing these technology and service advancements was a massive undertaking, as it required significant training and change management across 250 franchise offices. PDA reports that since implementation in 2016, cycle times have consistently declined each month. In September 2018, cycle times for auto-related claims were an industry-leading average of 1.54 business days. PDA continues strengthening the industry by improving the claims experience by offering same-day service for both the customer and the carrier.



Read more about this project. "It's our mission to empower our clients to deliver the best possible outcomes to restore their customers' lives after a challenging event," said Sun. "On behalf of the entire Mitchell team, I'm honored to be able to celebrate these leaders and the incredible work they are doing."

For further property casualty and collision repair industry updates and perspectives, follow Mitchell on Twitter (News - Alert) @Mitchell_Intl, @MitchellClaims, @MitchellRepair, @MitchellPBM and LinkedIn. About Mitchell International Headquartered in San Diego, California, Mitchell International, Inc. delivers smart technology solutions that simplify and accelerate claims handling, repair processes, and pharmacy transactions, driving more accurate, consistent and cost-effective resolutions. Mitchell integrates deep industry expertise into its workflow solutions, providing unparalleled access to data, advanced analytics, and decision support tools. Mitchell's comprehensive solution portfolio and robust SaaS (News - Alert) infrastructure connect its customers in ways that enable tens of millions of electronic transactions to be processed each month for more than 300 insurance providers, over 65,000 pharmacies and 30,000 collision repair facilities, as well as countless other Property & Casualty industry supply partners across the Americas and Europe. For more information, please visit www.mitchell.com. About Property Damage Appriasers Property Damage Appraisers (PDA) is the nation's premier independent appraisal firm. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, PDA completes nearly 450,000 damage estimates every year quickly, consistently and accurately through its national team of local appraisers. Its services include damage estimates for auto, specialty equipment, over-the-road truck, RV, boat, motorcycle and property claims. Wherever an estimate is needed, PDA responds swiftly with industry-leading cycle times. The company also offers Same-Day and Next-Day Service for standard auto claims. PDA appraisers are highly trained and adhere to proven processes. They use the latest technologies to deliver fast, accurate estimates the first time. Call 800.872.4732 or visit pdacorporation.com for more information. About WCF Insurance Salt Lake City-based WCF Insurance is Utah's premier workers' compensation insurance provider, promoting workplace safety to more than 22,000 Utah companies. WCF Insurance was established in 1917 and is owned by its policyholders and governed by a board of directors. WCF Insurance offers its customers a variety of services including safety and loss control, claims administration, medical case management, vocational rehabilitation, and fraud investigations. WCF Insurance is rated A (Excellent) by the A.M. Best Company. For more information, please visit www.wcf.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005133/en/

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[October 04, 2018] Identillect's Delivery Trust Implemented by Los Alamitos Orthopaedic Medical & Surgical Group for Secure Communications of Patient Data

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Identillect Technologies Corp. (the "Company" or "Identillect") (TSX-V: ID ) (OTCQB:IDTLF) (Frankfurt:8ID), a trusted leading provider of compliant email security, announced today Los Alamitos Orthopaedic Medical & Surgical Group, specializing in orthopaedic surgery, has selected Delivery Trust for email communication security across their entire network.

Los Alamitos Orthopaedic Medical & Surgical Group has a combined team of caring individuals. They begin with a comprehensive physical examination enabling them to provide you with an accurate diagnosis. Working with the patient, they will then develop an individualized treatment plan to help relieve the patients discomfort and restore function while minimizing any possible risks. Preserving the security of their patient data is also vital to the care of their patients, therefore, they are utilizing Delivery Trust to increase security levels for digital communication. Dr. Perry Secor M.D., FAAOS, FACS, lead surgeon at Los Alamitos Orthopaedic Surgical Group stated, We have always made sure our patients receive the most cutting edge and comprehensive care, and our dedication to protecting patient data is no different. We have always taken special care to protect client data, and now we have integrated Delivery Trust to ensure the ultimate protection for patient data in transit. Todd Sexton, CEO of Identillect Technologies comments, We are excited to be able to provide Delivery Trust email security for Los Alamitos Orthopaedic Medical & Surgical Group, a provider of top care orthopaedic medicine. Patients are often affected by cyber-attacks, Identillect focuses on the protection and prevention of these attacks and is proud to serve Los Alamitos Orthopaedic Medical & Surgical Group in their security efforts. The expansion of healthcare security requirements continues to necessitate enhance security measures throughout the medical field.



The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is legislation focused on data privacy and security for medical information. As a result of increasing cybersecurity threats, the rules surrounding internet security were enhanced to protect confidential patient information. North America still leads in data breaches investigated by Trustwave at 43%. Targeted attacks are becoming prevalent and much more sophisticated. Many breach incidents show signs of careful preplanning by cybercriminals probing for weak packages and tools to exploit. This extension now applies to any health care provider, as well as business associates, which utilize the electronic transmission of confidential patient data. All this is creating much of the growth in the need for cybersecurity products. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of:

IDENTILLECT TECHNOLOGIES CORP. Todd Sexton

Chief Executive Officer

Tel: (949) 468-7878

Email: todd.sexton@identillect.com About Identillect

Identillect Technologies is the leading provider of email encryption service Delivery Trust, empowering enterprises of all sizes to protect their business and their clients critical information against cyber security attacks. Delivery Trust is an award-winning, multi-platform plug-in, which gives users complete control of their emails, for one low price. One simple integration complies with all regulations and most importantly provides peace of mind. For more information, or your free trial, please visit www.identillect.com About Los Alamitos Orthopaedic Medical & Surgical Group

Los Alamitos Orthopaedic Medical & Surgical Group has a combined team of caring individuals. They begin with a comprehensive physical examination enabling them to provide you with an accurate diagnosis. Working with the patient, they will then develop an individualized treatment plan to help relieve the patients discomfort and restore function while minimizing any possible risks. For more information, please visit www.losalamitosortho.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. This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.

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[October 04, 2018] Renesas Electronics Unveils RZ/A2M Microprocessor for High-Speed Processing of e-AI Imaging in Smart Appliances, Service Robots, and Industrial Machinery

Renesas Electronics Corporation ("Renesas", TSE: 6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, is expanding its range of embedded artificial intelligence (e-AI) solutions for incorporating AI into embedded systems by bringing intelligence to endpoints. Approximately 150 companies in more than 10 countries worldwide are already conducting trials based on this technology, and there are more than 30 actual e-AI use cases underway. Renesas has now developed a new RZ/A2M microprocessor (MPU) to expand the use of e-AI solutions to high-end applications. The new MPU delivers 10 times the image processing performance (Note 1) of its predecessor, the RZ/A1, and incorporates Renesas' exclusive Dynamically Reconfigurable Processor (News - Alert) ("DRP", Note 2), which achieves real-time image processing at low power consumption. This allows applications incorporating embedded devices--such as smart appliances, service robots, and compact industrial machinery--to carry out image recognition employing cameras and other AI functions while maintaining low power consumption, and accelerating the realization of intelligent endpoints. Currently, there are several challenges to using AI in the operational technology (OT) field, such as difficulty transferring large amounts of sensor data to the cloud for processing, and delays waiting for AI judgments to be transferred back from the cloud. Renesas already offers AI unit solutions that can detect previously invisible faults in real time by minutely analyzing oscillation waveforms from motors or machines. To accelerate the adoption of AI in the OT field, Renesas has developed the RZ/A2M with DRP, which makes possible image-based AI functionality requiring larger volumes of data and more powerful processing performance than achievable with waveform measurement and analysis. Since real-time image processing can be accomplished while consuming very little power, battery-powered devices can perform tasks such as real-time image recognition based on camera input, biometric authentication using fingerprints or iris scans, and high-speed scanning by handheld scanners. This solves several issues associated with cloud-based approaches, such as the difficulty of achieving real-time performance, assuring privacy, and maintaining security. "The adoption of e-AI will bring incalculable advances in convenience, safety, and production efficiency," said Yoshikazu Yokota, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Industrial Solution Business Unit at Renesas. "We have successfully improved production yields at our own factories through the use of e-AI, proving the usefulness of AI for endpoints. We will continue expanding the scope of e-AI applications from simple attributes such as colors, shapes, and waveforms to complex image processing in real time. Renesas will also offer e-AI solutions that anyone can use, and lead the way in bringing intelligence to endpoints." Main Features of the New RZ/A2M with DRP The RZ/A2M with DRP is a new addition to the RZ/A Series lineup of MPUs equipped with large capacity on-chip RAM (News - Alert) , which eliminates the need for externl DRAM. The RZ/A Series MPUs address applications employing human-machine interface (HMI) functionality, and the RZ/A2M adds to this capability with features ideal for applications using cameras. It supports the MIPI camera interface, widely used in mobile devices, and is equipped with a DRP for high-speed image processing. Renesas has also boosted network functionality with the addition of two-channel Ethernet support, and enhanced secure functionality with an on-chip hardware encryption accelerator. These features enable safe and secure network connectivity, making the new RZ/A2M best suited for a wide range of systems employing image recognition, from home appliances to industrial machinery.



The main specifications of the new product can be viewed here. Renesas intends to continue advancing its range of e-AI solutions based on DRP technology. In the second half of 2019, Renesas will release an AI accelerator incorporating a DRP with AI processing performance 100 times faster than software processing, and the ability to perform real-time inference execution through embedded AI. In 2021, Renesas will release a next-generation AI accelerator 1,000 times as powerful as a conventional MPU. These Renesas AI innovations will add value to embedded devices and usher in the possibility of endpoints capable not only of inference execution but of learning as well.

Availability Samples of the RZ/A2M with DRP are available now. The RZ/A2M MPUs are offered with a development board, reference software, and DRP image-processing library, allowing customers to begin evaluating HMI function and image processing performance. Mass production is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2019, and monthly production volume for all RZ/A2M versions is anticipated to reach a combined 400,000 units by 2021. Learn more about Renesas' e-AI solutions Check out the new e-AI webpage: https://www.renesas.com/en/solutions/key-technology/e-ai.html. Watch the brand new e-AI concept video: https://www.renesas.com/en/support/videos/e-ai-overview-video.html. Notes 1. For example, when running the "canny edge detection" algorithm for detecting edges in images, the RZ/A2M requires 142 milliseconds (ms) per frame using software processing by the CPU, but only 10 ms per frame using hardware processing by the on-chip DRP. This represents a more than tenfold improvement in image processing performance. 2. The DRP is a hardware intellectual property (IP) module capable of dynamically changing the configuration of its processing circuit from one clock cycle to the next. DRPs have been in mass production use for more than a decade in applications such as broadcasting equipment and digital cameras. This exclusive Renesas technology combines the performance of hardware with the flexibility of software, adding value to a wide range of products. Moving forward, Renesas plans to extend the use of DRP to embedded AI, delivering excellent power performance and unmatched flexibility tracking the ongoing advances in neural networks. About Renesas Electronics Corporation Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) delivers trusted embedded design innovation with complete semiconductor solutions that enable billions of connected, intelligent devices to enhance the way people work and live-securely and safely. A global leader in microcontrollers, analog, power, SoC products and integrated platforms, Renesas provides the expertise, quality, and comprehensive solutions for a broad range of Automotive, Industrial, Home Electronics, Office Automation and Information Communication Technology applications to help shape a limitless future. Learn more at renesas.com. (Remarks) MIPI is a registered trademark owned by MIPI Alliance. All names of products or services mentioned in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005179/en/

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[October 04, 2018] D-Wave Launches Leap, the First Real-Time Quantum Application Environment

BURNABY, British Columbia, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- D-Wave Systems Inc., the leader in quantum computing systems and software, today announced the immediate availability of free, real-time access to the D-Wave Leap Quantum Application Environment (QAE). Leap is the first cloud-based QAE providing real-time access to a live quantum computer. In addition to access, Leap provides open-source development tools, interactive demos and coding examples, educational resources, and knowledge base articles. Designed for developers, researchers, and forward-thinking enterprises, Leap enables collaboration through its online community, helping Leap users write and run quantum applications to accelerate the development of real-world applications.

Leap QAE provides: Free access : free, real-time access to a D-Wave 2000Q quantum computer to submit and run applications, receiving solutions in seconds

: free, real-time access to a D-Wave 2000Q quantum computer to submit and run applications, receiving solutions in seconds Familiar software : the open-source Ocean software development kit (SDK), available on GitHub and in Leap, has built-in templates for algorithms, as well as the ability to develop new code with the familiar programming language Python

: the open-source Ocean software development kit (SDK), available on GitHub and in Leap, has built-in templates for algorithms, as well as the ability to develop new code with the familiar programming language Python Hands-on coding: interactive examples in the form of Jupyter notebooks with live code, equations, visualizations, and narrative text to jumpstart quantum application development

interactive examples in the form of Jupyter notebooks with live code, equations, visualizations, and narrative text to jumpstart quantum application development Learning resources : comprehensive live demos and educational resources to help developers get up to speed quickly on how to write applications for a quantum computer

: comprehensive live demos and educational resources to help developers get up to speed quickly on how to write applications for a quantum computer Community support: community and technical forums to enable easy developer collaboration Leap builds on D-Waves continuing work to drive real-world quantum application development. To-date, D-Wave customers have developed 100 early applications for problems spanning airline scheduling, election modeling, quantum chemistry simulation, automotive design, preventative healthcare, logistics, and more. Many have also developed software tools that make it easier to develop new applications. These existing applications and tools, along with access to a growing community, give developers a wealth of examples to learn from and build upon. Our job is to sift through the sands of data to find the goldinformation that will help our manufacturing customers increase equipment efficiency and reduce defects. With D-Wave Leap, we are showing we can solve computationally difficult problems today, while also learning and preparing for new approaches to AI and machine learning that quantum computing will allow, said Abhi Rampal, CEO of Solid State AI. We started with quantum computing on D-Wave because we knew we wanted to be where the market was going, and we continue because we want to be a leader in finding commercial applications for the technology. With Leap, D-Wave is making systems, software, and support available to help developers and innovators commercialize quantum applications. "We are developing innovative new materials to solve large-scale industrial problems using our proprietary Materials Discovery Platform. Part of our platform relies on first-principles materials simulations, requiring exceptional amunts of computational processing power. I firmly believe that advancements in quantum computing will accelerate our business growth, by accelerating our platform. By providing access to a live quantum computer, D-Wave Leap provides a robust environment for developers to learn, code, and teach, furthering the quantum ecosystem," said Michael Helander, CEO, OTI Lumionics. "Today, we are able to use the D-Wave 2000Q as a powerful optimizer to help calculate the electronic structure of industrially-relevant sized molecules, a first for a quantum computer. As the community grows, shares, and innovates, the possibilities for materials discovery are endless. I expect D-Wave to continue to innovate with us, enabling the discovery of countless new materials using quantum computing."



Entrepreneurs are recognizing that quantum computing will help them unlock new technologies, solutions, and business. At the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), we have more than 20 companies as part of our Quantum Machine Learning Incubator Stream, with growing interest from prospective ventures, said Khalid Kurji, Senior Venture Manager at the CDL. D-Waves Quantum Application Environment is central to developers helping developers, and will play an important role not just in the growth of ideas we have today, but in the fostering of innovations for tomorrow. Every technology ecosystem begins by giving smart developers access, tools, and training. Leap eliminates the barrier to entry for quantum application development and deployment by providing live developer access and extensive tools and resources, said Alan Baratz, D-Wave EVP R&D and chief product officer. Leap can enable hundreds of thousands of developers to write and run quantum applications, without having to learn the complex physics that underpins quantum computers. Any one of these developers could write the first killer quantum application, solving complex global problems with quantum computing.

The next frontier of quantum computing is quantum application development. While we continue to advance our industry-leading quantum technology, our goal with Leap is to ignite a new generation of developers who will explore, experiment, and ultimately build our quantum application future, said Vern Brownell, D-Wave CEO. Since day one, D-Wave has been focused on fueling real-world quantum application development. We believe that the Leap Quantum Application Environment is one of the most important steps toward realizing our vision of practical quantum computing to date. Leap offers both free and paid plans designed for individual developers, commercial enterprises, and for government, research, and education sectors. To find out more and get started using Leap, visit the D-Wave website at www.dwavesys.com. Leap Developer Feedback:

Leap is the only Quantum Application Environment that gives developers access to a real quantum computer. Today, you cant get that from any other provider of quantum hardware at the scale needed to solve real problems, said Thomas Phillips, CTO of Ridgeback Network Defense. It's incredibly exciting to be able to have access to something that before now most developers couldnt access, and see the quantum computer in action. Because the programming is intuitive, the D-Wave approach allows me to map familiar algorithms for very hard problems directly onto the system, which is nearly impossible to do on other quantum systems. And most importantly, I can now tackle exceptionally difficult cybersecurity problems Ive only imagined solving before now. As a long-time software developer, I leapt at the chance to be part of the beta program and get access to a real quantum computer for the first time, said Scott Davis, independent software consultant. The online demos, Jupyter notebooks, and documentation gave me a jump-start. Soon, I was writing Python programs using the Ocean software development kit and running experiments on D-Waves quantum computer with more than 2000 qubits. In just four weeks, I was able to implement a basic proof of a concept I had been thinking about for 17 years. QC Ware works with enterprises to build quantum software applications. QC Wares customers in aerospace, automotive, and financial services typically gravitate towards D-Wave because of the large problem sizes the D-Wave 2000Q can support, said Juan Adame, quantum software engineer, QC Ware. With Leap, the user experience and new Ocean software tools will help early developers. And for developers who have quantum experience, the Leap Quantum Application Environment expands the lower level embedding functionality for very finely grained control of how their problem gets mapped on specific physical qubits. About D-Wave Systems Inc.

D-Wave is the leader in the development and delivery of quantum computing systems and software, and the world's only commercial supplier of quantum computers. Our mission is to unlock the power of quantum computing for the world. We believe that quantum computing will enable solutions to the most challenging national defense, scientific, technical, and commercial problems. D-Wave's systems are being used by some of the world's most advanced organizations, including Lockheed Martin, Google, NASA Ames, USRA, USC, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. With headquarters near Vancouver, Canada, D-Wave's US operations are based in Palo Alto, CA and Hanover, MD. D-Wave has a blue-chip investor base including PSP Investments, Goldman Sachs, Bezos Expeditions, DFJ, In-Q-Tel, BDC Capital, Growthworks, 180 Degree Capital Corp., and Kensington Capital Partners Limited. For more information, visit: www.dwavesys.com. Contact

dwave@launchsquad.com A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on the image or link below:

Leap



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[October 04, 2018] Chemistree Announces Strategic Investment in Pasha Brands

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chemistree Technology Inc. (Canadian Securities Exchange: CHM) (US OTCQB: CHMJF) (the Company or Chemistree) is pleased to announce that the Company has made a strategic investment in Pasha Brands, via their current equity capital financing.

Pasha is a west coast company firmly established in B.Cs craft cannabis industry and all of the related brands that have given the region its international reputation as the center of the cannabis world. Pasha is a vertically integrated cannabis brand company with several internationally recognized brands, a proven history in cannabis retailing, and with its final stage LP applicant, BC Craft Supply Co., Pasha will own and operate a Health Canada approved Licensed Processing facility on Vancouver Island, where it will assist in licensing select craft growers and making world famous BC Bud available coast to coast. BC Craft Supply Co. will be Canadas most productive LP, without growing a single gram. Chemistree president Karl Kottmeier commented, We are excited to support Pasha and begin what we believe will be a successful relationship with the company. We see a future where Pasha represents the brands Chemistree develops in California and Washington, including our partner brand Sugarleaf. The investment in Pasha amounts to less than 10% of both Chemistrees working capital and the current Pasha financing. About Chemistree Technology Inc.

Chemistree Technology Inc. is an investment company dedicated to the U.S. and international cannabis sector, providing turn key solutions for the regulated cannabis industry. The Companys corporate strategy is to acquire and develop vertically integrated cannabis assets, leveraging managements decades of expertise in the cannabis industry and corporate finance to own and operate licensed cultivation, processing, distribution and retail facilities. The Company currently owns assets in Washington State used to operate the Sugarleaf brand, prospective cannabis cultivation lands in California, a first investment in the Canadian cannabis sector through Pasha Brands and has a robust pipeline of assets to grow its base of business. For more information, visit www.chemistree.ca. Advisory

The Company wishes to inform shareholders that there are significant legal restrictions and regulations that govern the cannabis ndustry in both Canada and the United States.



Cannabis-related Practices or Activities are Illegal Under U.S. Federal Laws The concepts of medical cannabis and recreational cannabis do not exist under U.S. federal law. The Federal Controlled Substances Act classifies marihuana as a Schedule I drug. Under U.S. federal law, a Schedule I drug or substance has a high potential for abuse, no accepted medical use in the United States, and a lack of safety for the use of the drug under medical supervision. As such, cannabis related practices or activities, including without limitation, the manufacture, importation, possession, use or distribution of cannabis are illegal under U.S. federal law. Strict compliance with state laws with respect to cannabis will neither absolve the Company of liability under U.S. federal law, nor will it provide a defense to any federal proceeding which may be brought against the Company. Enforcement of U.S. federal laws will be a significant risk to the business of the Company following the completion of the acquisitions, and any such proceedings brought against the Company may adversely affect the Companys operations and financial performance.

Further information regarding the legal status of cannabis related activities and associated risk factors, including, but not limited to, risk of enforcement actions, risks that third-party service providers, such as banking or financial institutions cease providing services to the Company, and the risk that Company may not be able to distribute profits, if any, from U.S. operations up to the Company, are included in the Form 2A listing statement filed with the CSE. Karl Kottmeier

President For further information please contact: Chemistree Technology Inc.

Karl Kottmeier, President

Phone: 604-678-8941

Email: info@chemistree.ca For investor relations please contact: Contact Financial Corp.

Frederick Chabot

Phone: 438-863-7071

Email: frederick@contactfinancial.com Adelaide Capital Markets Inc.

Jackie Kelly

Phone: 416-301-2949

Email: jackie@adelaidecapital.ca Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect, budget, scheduled and intend, statements that an action or event may, might, could, should, or will be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements about adding clients, building on the Companys initial product offerings, entry into of definitive agreements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the risks identified in the Companys reports and filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the respective companies undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by applicable law.

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[October 04, 2018] MoneyLion Selects Wilshire Associates as Consultant for Upgraded Asset Allocation Offering

Wilshire Associates ("Wilshire"), a leading global, independent investment consulting, investment management, and services firm, today announced its collaboration with MoneyLion, America's "most powerful financial membership," to launch a series of asset allocation portfolios specifically designed for MoneyLion members. MoneyLion was created to make money more approachable for all Americans, helping revolutionize the way they save, invest, and build their credit. This innovative offering in collaboration with Wilshire will provide an upgraded investment experience for MoneyLion members, enabling them to receive a portfolio that reflects their personal preferences and tolerance for risk. "Our financial membership makes millions of Americans' money work as hard as they do, and we're always looking for new partnerships that allow us to create smarter products to help people build positive and sustainable financial habits," said MoneyLion CEO and co-founder, Dee Choubey. "Hardworking Americans deserve access to financial tools that, until now, have only been available to the wealthiest individuals using traditional financial institutions. Our agreement with Wilshire is yet another step toward putting the power of financial stability and growth in the hands of the Americans who need it most." MoneyLion will leverage Wilshire's robust asset allocation and comprehensive fund monitoring capabilities to identify portfolios that meet the needs of MoneyLion members. For over 30 years, Wilshire has been advising some of the nation's largest institutional investors, and today it advises on more than $1 trillion in assets. Together, MoneyLion and Wilshire will level the playing field for individual investors, providing them access to the same world-class investment insights and unrivaled resources developed for Wilshire's institutional client base. "We are extremely pleased to partner with MoneyLion in the development of this unique offering, and to bring our deep institutional expertise in asset allocation to everyday investors," said Jason Schwarz, President of Wilshire Funds Management and Wilshire Analytics. "Wilshire has a long history of providing preeminent, customized investment solutions to sophisticated investors around the world, and we look forward to working together with MoneyLion to deliver the same high-quality products and services to MoneyLion members." In collaboration with MoneyLion, Wilshire has developed forecasts on asset class risk and return characteristics based on institutional data and trends, and it has used in-depth risk budgeting techniques to create a series of dynamic, forward-looking, risk-controlled portfolios. Wilshire routinely surveys and monitors a universe of over 2,000 exchange-traded funds (ETFs), selecting only those that are well priced, highly liquid, most efficiently traded, and well established and that have demonstrable track records of closely replicating the returns of their benchmarks. "This is an offering that is normally reserved for lients of larger wealth management firms or institutions and we are making the same offering more accessible for all investors. Where there are usually high minimums - we remove them, where concepts are confusing - we aim to simplify. We are removing the traditional barriers to investing to give our members solutions supported by a sophisticated partner that provides MoneyLion members with the ability to build their finances and pursue their financial goals," added Jon Stevenson, Head of Wealth Management and Banking at MoneyLion.



The new asset allocation and fund monitoring capabilities will be available to MoneyLion members starting in October 2018. For more information, please visit www.moneylion.com. About Wilshire Associates

Wilshire Associates, a leading global financial services firm, provides consulting services, analytics solutions and customized investment solutions to plan sponsors, investment managers and financial intermediaries. Its business units include, Wilshire Analytics, Wilshire Consulting, Wilshire Funds Management and Wilshire Private Markets. The firm was founded in 1972, providing revolutionary technology and acting as an early innovator in the application of investment analytics and research to investment managers in the institutional marketplace. Wilshire also is credited with helping to develop the field of quantitative investment analysis that uses mathematical tools to analyze market risks. All other business units evolved from Wilshire's strong analytics foundation. Wilshire developed the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index and became an early innovator in creating integrated asset/liability analysis/simulation models as well as practical models in risk budgeting through beta and active risk analysis. Wilshire has grown to a firm of approximately 270 employees serving the needs of investors around the world. Based in Santa Monica, California, Wilshire provides services to clients in more than 20 countries representing approximately 500 organizations with assets totaling US $9 trillion (Client assets are as represented by Pensions & Investments (P&I), detailed in P&I's "Largest Retirement Funds" and P&I's "Largest Money Managers (U.S. institutional tax-exempt assets)" as of 9/30/17 and 12/31/17, and published 2/5/18 and 5/28/18, respectively). With ten offices worldwide, Wilshire Associates and its affiliates are dedicated to providing clients with the highest quality products and services. Wilshire and Wilshire 5000 are registered service marks of Wilshire Associates Incorporated. Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index? is a service mark of Wilshire Associates Incorporated. Please visit www.wilshire.com

Twitter (News - Alert) : @WilshireAssoc About MoneyLion MoneyLion is America's most powerful financial membership, designed to give every hardworking American a sustainable path to their financial goals. Since its founding in 2013, MoneyLion has served over 3 million customers with hassle-free saving, managed investing, low-cost borrowing, and the only rewards program for building better financial habits. MoneyLion uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to supercharge its users' finances with personalized advice and alerts, all from a single beautiful mobile app. MoneyLion is headquartered in New York City, with offices in San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For more information, visit www.moneylion.com or download the app here. Disclosure MoneyLion's affiliate, ML Wealth LLC, is a Registered Investment Adviser with the SEC (News - Alert) . MoneyLion Plus members' investments are protected by the SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation) for up to $500,000. Brokerage services are provided to clients of ML Wealth by Drive Wealth LLC, a member of FINRA/SIPC. Other services are provided by affiliates, including ML Plus, LLC. This communication and all data are for informational purposes only and do not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell securities. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Keep in mind that investing involves risk. The value of your investment will fluctuate over time, and you may gain or lose money. Nothing in this communication should be construed as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or services. The statement that MoneyLion offers "America's Most Powerful Financial Membership" is based on MoneyLion's own evaluation of the overall range of services and features the MoneyLion Plus membership offers as compared to those offered by membership programs sponsored by other financial institutions. In reaching this conclusion, MoneyLion did not limit its assessment exclusively to investment advisory services. It considered the full scope of services and features offered, including investment advisory capabilities, cashback features, rewards points, overdraft fees, access to ATMs, cash advances, consumer loans, annual percentage rates (APR), and underwriting criteria, in relation to the amount of the monthly membership or user fee. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005220/en/

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[October 04, 2018] Randori Secures $9.75M to Build the First Nation-State Caliber Attack Platform

Randori today announced that it raised $9.75M in funding led by Accomplice, with participation from .406 Ventures and Legion Capital. The company will use the capital to fuel development of the industry's first nation-state caliber attack platform designed to emulate the behavior of today's most advanced threat actors. The Randori founding team includes CEO Brian Hazzard, former executive at Carbon Black, and CTO David Wolpoff, a respected hacker who has led red team engagements for many of the world's largest corporations. Mike Viscuso, Accomplice Venture Partner and co-founder of Carbon Black, and Greg Dracon, Partner at .406 Ventures, have joined the company's board of directors. "Cyber security is fundamentally broken. Despite massive investments of time and capital, organizations often don't know where they're vulnerable until after they're hit. Simulated environments can't account for the changing tactics of today's attacker," said Brian Hazzard, CEO, Randori. "The seed round allows us to rapidly scale the development of the world's most authentic attack platform and, for the first time, give organizations a real-time understanding of how attackers actually view their organization." Combining continuous reconnaissance with the execution of real attacks, Randori is building the industry's most authentic cloud-based attack platform. It will provide CISOs with visibility into where threat actors will strike next and the ability to easily validate and understand the impact specific attacks pose to their organizations. Randori is currently working with more than 20 customers and design partners, including some of the world's largest organizations. "Whether it's a nation-state or a criminal enterprise, today's threat actors don't launch attacks in a simulated environment or limit themselves to two-week engagements. They come after you hard and fast, targeting and exploiting real weaknesses," said Bill Brown, SVP & CISO at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. "When testing security, authenticity matters. What Randori is developing will allow us to scrimmage against the best by safely launching real attacks of all caliber against the same systems and people hackers wll go after, better preparing my team for the next attack."



By 2020, organizations will spend more than $12 billion globally on penetration testing1. However, legacy penetration tests are by their nature expensive and their insights limited to specific points in time. This approach can't keep pace with the dynamic nature of today's attacker. By automating the approach real attackers take and applying it continuously to an organization's defenses, Randori makes red teams stronger and better prepares security professionals to face the next cyber attack. "One of the biggest security challenges that CISOs have today is truly understanding where and how they will be attacked next," said Mike Viscuso, Venture Partner at Accomplice. "Randori's unique approach of emulating real attackers and giving CISOs a real-time and continuous assessment of where they're most likely to be hit will provide enterprises globally the ability to assess and secure their most critical weak points. I know first-hand the strength and expertise of the Randori leadership team, which is why I'm excited to make Randori my first investment with the Accomplice team."

Randori is headquartered in Boston, MA with offices in Denver, CO, and is focused on expanding its engineering and product teams and adding leading customers as design partners. For a free attacker's perspective on your business, request early access to the Randori Beta Program at www.randori.com. "Historically, organizations have thought about risk management purely as regulatory compliance checklists and audits. This approach leaves organizations vulnerable," said Doug Cahill, Senior Analyst and Group Director, ESG Global Research. "We are increasingly seeing CISOs seek out and demand testing technologies that enable them to assess risk based on the techniques, tactics, and procedures used by today's adversaries as part of a broader risk mitigation strategy." About Randori

Randori is the attack platform CISOs rely on to stay ahead of the next attack. Our nation-state caliber platform combines continuous reconnaissance, real-time target analysis, and the ability to safely execute attacks on-demand to provide an attacker's perspective of where and how threat actors will strike you next. Headquartered in Boston, MA with offices in Denver, CO, the company is backed by Accomplice, .406 Ventures and Legion Capital. Learn more at www.randori.com, and follow Randori on Twitter, LinkedIn (News - Alert) and Facebook. About .406 Ventures

.406 Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm investing in market-changing enterprise technology companies founded by visionary entrepreneurs. With over $650M under management, the .406 Ventures team comprises former entrepreneurs and operators who apply real-world experience and strong company-building skills to assist their entrepreneurs in creating value. .406Ventures' cybersecurity investments include AuthAir, Carbon Black, Edgewise Networks, GreatHorn, Onapsis, Terbium Labs, Threat Stack, Vaultive and Veracode, among others. For more information, please visit www.406ventures.com. About Accomplice

Accomplice is a seed-led venture capital firm that embraces risk. They have been part of the origination story of companies that matter, including AngelList, Carbon Black, DraftKings, Hopper, PillPack, Veracode, and Zoopla. Accomplice has pioneered a community approach through platforms like Spearhead, BOSS, Rev, and TUGG. Based in Boston and San Francisco. About Legion Capital

Legion Capital is a different type of early stage investor. Operators at heart, our partners take an active role in our investments and are focused on helping founders make smart technology and go-to-market decisions. Members of the Legion include Carbon Black, Red Canary, Randori, Appsulate, and OverWatchID. For more information visit www.legioncapitalllc.com. 1 Momentum (News - Alert) Cyber's Mid-Year Review 1H'18 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005374/en/

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[October 04, 2018] Smart Start Canada ULC Becomes Official Supplier of Quebec's Provincial Ignition Interlock Program

1A Smart Start LLC ("Smart Start"), the world leader of technology and services for alcohol Interlock programs, today announced that its subsidiary Smart Start Canada ULC has been awarded a five-year contract starting December 2018 for managing the Societe d'assurance automobile du Quebec's ("SAAQ") Alcohol Ignition Interlock Program. The Quebec crown corporation is responsible for enforcing the Highway Safety Code and the Automobile Insurance Act. With more than 20,000 active participants, Quebec's Ignition Interlock program is the largest of its kind in Canada. In addition to Quebec, Smart Start's Canadian operations include Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. "Smart Start is thrilled to continue increasing its footprint in Canada by helping the SAAQ improve road safety across the province with the Ignition Interlock program," said CEO Matt Strausz. "We are focused on customer service and superior products to change lives. We look forward to serving our first customers in Quebec at the end of 2018." Founded in 1992, Smart Start is one of the largest suppliers of technology and services for alcohol Interlock programs, implemented as a sanction or rehabilitative measure for those convicted of impaired driving. Smart Start also provides alcohol monitoring products to criminal justice authorities and persons convicted of a DUI/DWI. Products are designed and built in the U.S., serving clients in the U.S. and 18 other countries, includng Canada, with more than 700 employees. Smart Start's Canadian headquarters is situated in Sherwood Park, Alberta. The company hit its 1-million customer milestone in October 2017.



In addition to its success as a partner with U.S. states, Canadian provinces and other local monitoring agencies to prevent drunk driving vehicle starts, Smart Start works with national organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to improve Ignition Interlock laws. Currently, numerous governments have enacted all-offender Ignition Interlock regulations that require offenders to use an Interlock after their first DUI/DWI arrest. Studies show all-offender laws help drastically reduce the reoccurrence of a DUI/DWI by changing their behavior and choices. About Smart Start

Smart Start leads the way in the alcohol monitoring industry as a privately-owned U.S. manufacturer of advanced technology and custom-designed software. Built on convenience, Smart Start's SSI-20/30 and SSI-20/20 Ignition Interlock, and S.M.A.R.T. Mobile portable alcohol monitoring device provide the greatest benefit at the lowest cost to both users and monitoring authorities. Our dependable, user-friendly technology is supported by a 24/7/365 Customer Care Center. With an international footprint of nearly 2,000 service locations across the U.S. and in 18 countries, including Canada, Smart Start continues Setting the Standard in Alcohol Monitoring Technology. For more information, visit www.smartstartinc.com or https://www.smartstartinc.com/media-center/ for media materials. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005012/en/

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[October 04, 2018] Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Expands Relationship with FirstLight

ALBANY, N.Y., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstLight , a leading provider of fiber-optic data, Internet, data center, cloud and voice services to enterprise and carrier customers throughout the Northeast, announced today that Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences ("ACPHS") has selected FirstLight as its primary hosted voice services provider. As ACPHS' primary Internet Service Provider for many years, the educational institution has expanded its relationship and selected FirstLight to provide a cloud-based phone solution to support their Albany, NY and Colchester, VT campus locations. "FirstLight is a preferred vendor for ACPHS, having provided high quality Internet service for many years. Through this, we have developed a great working relationship with the team," commented Darb Fitzgerald, Director of Networking and Telecommunication for ACPHS. "FirstLight provides us with scalable broadband connectivity, and we've experienced high uptime all these years. Additionally, if there ever was an issue or question, the response from FirstLight hs been fantastic. Given our positive experience with FirstLight, it was an easy and logical choice for us to expand our relationship to include voice services."



FirstLight provides colleges like ACPHS with high quality, reliable solutions delivered over its exclusive fiber network. FirstLight offers a comprehensive portfolio of voice solutions including Unified Collaboration as a Service ("UCaaS"), cloud communications, hosted voice, bundled and usage-based PRI, SIP trunks, and traditional business lines. "We greatly value our ten-year plus working relationship with Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences," commented Kurt Van Wagenen , President and CEO of FirstLight. "Savvy institutions like ACPHS understand how high quality, fiber-based communications solutions can enhance the learning environment, and FirstLight is honored to be selected as its partner of choice and support its mission of educating the next generation of leaders to improve the health of our society."

About FirstLight FirstLight, headquartered in Albany, New York, provides fiber-optic data, Internet, data center, cloud and voice services to enterprise and carrier customers throughout the Northeast connecting nearly 8,000 locations in service with more than 30,000 locations serviceable by our 14,000-route mile network. FirstLight offers a robust suite of advanced telecommunications products featuring a comprehensive portfolio of high bandwidth connectivity solutions including Ethernet, wavelength and dark fiber services as well as dedicated Internet access solutions, data center, cloud and voice services. FirstLight's clientele includes national cellular providers and wireline carriers and many leading enterprises, spanning high tech manufacturing and research, hospitals and healthcare, banking and financial, secondary education, colleges and universities, and local and state governments. To learn more about FirstLight, visit www.firstlight.net , or follow the company on Twitter and LinkedIn . Media Contact:

Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA)

+1 866.695.3629 ext. 6

pr@jsa.net About Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) Founded in 1881, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is a private, independent institution with a long tradition of academic and research excellence. The College is committed to educating the next generation of leaders in the health care professions and translating scientific discoveries into therapies that benefit humankind. In separate reports by the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education and the Brookings Institution, ACPHS was named the #1 value-added college in the country. The College has campuses in Albany, NY, and Colchester, VT. For more information, please visit acphs.edu. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/albany-college-of-pharmacy-and-health-sciences-expands-relationship-with-firstlight-300724458.html SOURCE FirstLight

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[October 04, 2018] Manufacturers ERP Services to Sell and Support Aptean Intuitive and Made2Manage ERP Solutions

ALPHARETTA, Ga., Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aptean, a leading global provider of mission-critical, industry-specific enterprise software solutions, has formed a strategic partnership with Manufacturers ERP Services LLC, a provider of ERP consulting and implementation services based in Lynnwood, Washington.

The company will sell and support two of Apteans industry-leading enterprise resource planning solutions, Aptean Intuitive ERP and Aptean Made2Manage ERP. Intuitive and Made2Manage give discrete manufacturers greater visibility into all areas of their business. With end-to-end support for production, inventory, financial, quoting, and support processes, Intuitive streamlines operations and helps manufacturers identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency improvements. Made2Manage ERP is an end-to-end ERP solution for manufacturers in dynamic to-order and mixed-mode environments, where shop floor efficiency and flexibility are critical. We are proud to become an Aptean partner and look forward to expanding our role with the Aptean Intuitive and Aptean Made2Manage solutions in our portfolio. These solutions will prove to be very attractive to prospective customers, as they offer fast implementation without the need for heavy customzation like other solutions in this space, said Richard B. Whitaker, governing member of Manufacturers ERP Services.



Manufacturers ERP Services presence as an expert consultancy will help Aptean better serve its customers in North America. In turn, Aptean will rely on the companys expertise in addressing key discrete manufacturers industry challenges. We are delighted to welcome Manufacturers ERP Services as an Aptean partner, said Alan Somerville, general manager of Apteans ERP, SCM and Compliance Product Group and Global Operations. We are expanding Intuitive and Made2Manage, and this addition will greatly enhance our ability to do so in North America. Partnering with trusted names in the discrete manufacturer space gives Aptean, our customers and our prospects peace of mind.

ABOUT Manufacturers ERP Services LLC

Manufacturers ERP Services is based in Lynnwood, Washington, in North America. Manufacturers ERP Services LLC (MERPS) is dedicated to increasing the velocity and financial performance of your business. Our consultants offer the most experienced business and technical depth available for your ERP solution. About Aptean

Aptean provides very specific industries with very specific ERP, supply chain management and customer experience solutions. In todays fast-paced, highly competitive economy, organizations dont have time to waste forcing homegrown software, spreadsheets and one-size-fits-all solutions to do things they were never designed to do. Thats why over 5,000 highly specialized organizations in more than 20 industries and 74 countries rely on Aptean to streamline their everyday operations. To learn how Aptean can help your organization stay at the forefront of your industry, visit www.aptean.com . FOR MORE INFORMATION Media Relations

Stephanie Zercher, Aptean

stephanie.zercher@aptean.com

404.263.6762

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[October 04, 2018]

Milliman selected as MassHealth DSRIP Technical Assistance vendor for actuarial/financial and population health management services

SEATTLE, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm today announced that it has been selected as a vendor for MassHealth's Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) Technical Assistance (TA) program and the MA DSRIP TA Marketplace. The TA Marketplace serves to enable MassHealth Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and Community Partners (CPs) to easily navigate and tap into the array of resources and supports available to them through the MassHealth DSRIP TA Program.

Milliman was selected as a vendor for both its actuarial/financial and population health management expertise, including extensive work with MassHealth partners on alternative payment models, telehealth, and advanced population health analytics and data warehousing. TA Vendors were procured competitively for the program based on their demonstrated experience and expertise in individual TA domains.

"Milliman has already helped numerous MassHealh ACOs and MCOs navigate today's changing healthcare landscape," says Howard Kahn, a principal and consulting actuary at Milliman. "We're pleased MassHealth has recognized this expertise by naming Milliman a vendor in the DSRIP TA program."







To contact Milliman via the MassHealth DSRIP TA marketplace, visit https://www.ma-dsrip-ta.com/vendor/milliman/. For more on Milliman's work with ACOs and Community Partners nationally, visit http://us.milliman.com/solutions/healthcare/.

About Milliman

Milliman is among the world's largest providers of actuarial and related products and services. The firm has consulting practices in healthcare, property & casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services, and employee benefits. Founded in 1947, Milliman is an independent firm with offices in major cities around the globe. For further information, visit milliman.com.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/milliman-selected-as-masshealth-dsrip-technical-assistance-vendor-for-actuarialfinancial-and-population-health-management-services-300724627.html

SOURCE Milliman, Inc.
[October 04, 2018] Bank of America Unveils New Mobile Capabilities

Bank of America today announced that it is introducing a new feature that will allow clients to move seamlessly between the Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Merrill Edge and U.S. Trust mobile apps without having to re-authenticate. The new feature is part of a broader approach designed to make it easier for clients to manage their banking and investing activities in one place. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005454/en/ Bank of America apps (Photo: Business Wire) This enhancement is one of a series of updates to the award-winning mobile banking app from Bank of America and investing apps offered by Merrill Lynch and Merrill Edge, which deliver innovative solutions to clients based on their feedback. These enhancements provide clients new, interactive ways to use mobile apps, helping them to bank and invest on the go. "We're pleased to offer our nearly 26 million mobile users a new suite of innovative features," said Michelle Moore, head of digital banking at Bank of America. "As we expand our mobile banking app to give clients the digital solutions they need, we remain committed to investing in cutting-edge technology that will help them better pursue their financial goals on their terms." Industry research shows that many clients prefer all-encompassing, full-service wealth management; in fact, a majority of those with more than $1 million in assets want their banking and investment services accessible in one place. Some 70 percent of millennials in this category share this preference.1 "This latest update will allow our wealth management clients who use mobile apps instant, one-touch access to both banking and investment services," said Andy Sieg, head of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. "It provides a state-of-the-art mobile platform that allows clients to view their banking and financial assets and activities in one place and to manage the full range of day-to-day transactions with ease." "Our research continues to underscore the growing importance of mobile technologies and financial planning across generations," said Aron Levine, head of Merrill Edge. "This is especially true for today's millennials, as three-quarters believe that all financial decisions will be made with the help of technology in their lifetime, and approximately two in three are already turning to finance apps for guidance."2 The new app-linking feature will be available at Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, and Merrill Edge today and at U.S. Trust in November. Other new features on the Bank of America mobile app include: Personalized cash flow : Bank of America clients, as well as Merrill Lynch or Merrill Edge clients with Bank of America relationships, can now view a personalized cash flow analysis along with income and spending insights across their banking and brokerage accounts.

: Bank of America clients, as well as Merrill Lynch or Merrill Edge clients with Bank of America relationships, can now view a personalized cash flow analysis along with income and spending insights across their banking and brokerage accounts. New biometric authentication features: Using the latest in biometric security technology, Bank of America's mobile clients are now able to identify and authenticate themselves through other channels, including interactive voice response and call center platforms, with their mobile device. Biometric capabilities that clients use on a daily basis, such as fingerprint and Face ID, replace traditional forms of authentication.

Using the latest in biometric security technology, Bank of America's mobile clients are now able to identify and authenticate themselves through other channels, including interactive voice response and call center platforms, with their mobile device. Biometric capabilities that clients use on a daily basis, such as fingerprint and Face ID, replace traditional forms of authentication. Shopping cart experience: Clients can now easily and conveniently shop for all of the services Bank of America has to offer from the mobile banking app. They can also save their progress and return to it at a later point by saving products to their shopping cart.

Clients can now easily and conveniently shop for all of the services Bank of America has to offer from the mobile banking app. They can also save their progress and return to it at a later point by saving products to their shopping cart. Zelle enhancements: As clients increasingly shift to cashless solutions, Bank of America is making it easier to manage Zelle person-to-person (P2P) transactions within its mobile banking app. The newly introduced Zelle Activity Center gives clients a consolidated view of all their Zelle activity. Enhancements to the app help clients confirm the identity of the friends or family to whom they are sending funds for the first time. Bank of America recently announced total Zelle sent and received transactions for the year surpassed $25 billion across more than 4 million active Bank of America users.

As clients increasingly shift to cashless solutions, Bank of America is making it easier to manage person-to-person (P2P) transactions within its mobile banking app. The newly introduced Activity Center gives clients a consolidated view of all their activity. Enhancements to the app help clients confirm the identity of the friends or family to whom they are sending funds for the first time. Bank of America recently announced total sent and received transactions for the year surpassed $25 billion across more than 4 million active Bank of America users. Digital Mortgage Experience update: Bank of America is empowering its clients with a customized homebuying experience by allowing them to connect with their preferred professional lending specialist within the Digital Mortgage Experience.

Bank of America is empowering its clients with a customized homebuying experience by allowing them to connect with their preferred professional lending specialist within the Digital Mortgage Experience. More ways to manage alerts: Bank of America is providing its clients greater control over how they choose to stay on top of their finances with proactive alerts. Clients can manage all email, text and mobile account activity notifications from their mobile banking app; this capability was previously only available in online banking.

Bank of America is providing its clients greater control over how they choose to stay on top of their finances with proactive alerts. Clients can manage all email, text and mobile account activity notifications from their mobile banking app; this capability was previously only available in online banking. Statements and documents redesign: The statements and documents page has been updated to provide clients faster access to their recent statements across all accounts.

The statements and documents page has been updated to provide clients faster access to their recent statements across all accounts. My Rewards: Bank of America also recently announced its My Rewards dashboard - a single, convenient place available within online and mobile banking that allows clients to manage their Bank of America rewards across the bank's rewards programs, including Preferred Rewards, credit cards and BankAmeriDeals. Also coming soon to Bank of America's mobile app is an improved mobile Bill Pay experience, which will begin rolling out to clients later this month. One of the industry's first, Bank of America's mobile Bill Pay will offer additional features that were previously available via online banking, including the ability to add and maintain automatic payments, search history, and pay multiple bills at once - all from clients' mobile banking app. To learn more about these new updates, visit bankofamerica.com. 1 Source (News - Alert) : Phoenix Wealth Monitor, June 2017

2 Source: Spring 2018 Merrill Edge Report Merrill Lynch

Merrill Lynch is a leading provider of comprehensive wealth management and investment services for individuals and businesses globally. With 14,820 financial advisors and $2.3 trillion in client balances as of June 30, 2018, it is among the largest businesses of its kind in the world. Bank of America Corporation, through its subsidiaries, specializes in goals-based wealth management, including planning for retirement, education, legacy, and other life goals through investment, cash and credit management. Within Merrill Lynch, the Private Banking and Investment Group focuses on the unique and personalized needs of wealthy individuals, families and their businesses. These clients are served by approximately 200 highly specialized private wealth advisor teams, along with experts in areas such as investment management, concentrated stock management and intergenerational wealth transfer strategies. Merrill Lynch is part of Bank of America Corporation. Merrill Edge

Merrill Edge is a streamlined financial platform that offers access to online and advised investing, trading, brokerage and Bank of America banking services. Clients can be self-directed; work with a Financial Solutions Advisor to use managed portfolios; or access Merrill Edge Guided Investing, an online advisory program that offers Chief Investment Office-directed portfolio management strategies. Merrill Edge surpassed $200 billion in investment assets under management and more than 2.5 million accounts as of Sept. 11, 2018. Merrill Edge's growth represents a 54 percent increase over the past three years. Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 67 million client relationships with approximately 4,400 retail financial centers including more than 1,700 lending centers, more than 1,900 Merrill Edge investment centers and more than 1,300 business centers, approximately 16,100 ATMs, and award-winning digital banking with more than 36 million active users, including 25 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom. Click here to register for news email alerts. www.bankofamerica.com Zelle and the Zelle-related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license. Neither Merrill Lynch nor any of its affiliates or financial advisors provide legal, tax or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions. Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A., and affiliated banks, Members FDIC and wholly owned subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation. Merrill Edge is available through Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S), and consists of the Merrill Edge Advisory Center (investment guidance) and self-directed online investing. MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment advisor, Member SIPC and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation.







Investment products: Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC  2018 Bank of America Corporation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005454/en/

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[October 04, 2018] Five Electronic Health Records Companies Win Surescripts 2018 White Coat Award for Improving E-Prescription Accuracy

Surescripts named five electronic health records (EHR) companies as prestigious 2018 Surescripts White Coat Award winners. The White Coat Award celebrates the top achievements in improving electronic prescription accuracy across the Surescripts Network Alliance, which connects approximately 250 EHR vendors nationwide, as well as nearly all pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), pharmacies and clinicians-plus an increasing number of health plans, long-term and post-acute care organizations and specialty pharmacy organizations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005594/en/ The White Coat Award includes three categories: Highest Accuracy, Most Improved Accuracy and the Trailblazer Award. In each category, one winner was selected from each of two size-based tiers: EHRs with more than 20,000 active monthly prescribers and EHRs with 20,000 or fewer active monthly prescribers. The winners of the 2018 White Coat Award for Highest Accuracy are: NextGen (News - Alert) Healthcare

iSalus Healthcare The winners of the 2018 White Coat Award for Most Improved Accuracy are: The Value-Based Care Solutions group, formerly of GE Healthcare

MEDENT The winners of the 2018 White Coat Trailblazer Award for top achievements in addressing key issues impacting prescription accuracy are: Allscripts

iSalus Healthcare Winners of the 2018 White Coat Award will be recognized as industry leaders who are championing the importance of prescription accuracy to increasing patient safety and workflow efficiency. Allscripts is a leader in healthcare information technology solutions that advance clinical, financial and operational results. Allscripts' innovative solutions connect people, places and data across an Open, Connected Community of Health. Connectivity empowers caregivers to make better decisions and deliver better cre for healthier populations.



iSalus Healthcare is headquartered in Indianapolis and provides industry-leading EHR, practice management and medical billing services to thousands of physicians, hospitals and healthcare systems nationwide. iSalus was started in 2000 with the purpose of offering physicians a solution that lets them return to the mission-instead of the business-of healthcare. It is the goal of iSalus to partner with physicians across the U.S. to pioneer patient engagement so that healthcare becomes personal again. We do this by providing cutting-edge technology and exceptional service, go above and beyond to help our partners reach their goals. NextGen Healthcare provides a range of software, services and analytics solutions to medical and dental group practices. The company's portfolio delivers foundational capabilities to empower physician success, enrich the patient care experience and enable the transition to value-based healthcare.

The Value-Based Care Solutions group, formerly of GE Healthcare: Centricity Practice Solutions is a comprehensive electronic medical record (EMR), practice management, population health, and analytics solution designed to help enhance the clinical, operational and financial productivity of ambulatory practices. MEDENT is a software development and services company focused on automating medical practices. MEDENT offers an "All-In-One" EMR/EHR, patient portal and practice management system providing a high level of interoperability and automation. MEDENT is available in the cloud as a service, or a server-based system in the medical practice. The White Coat Award is part of the Surescripts Critical Performance Improvement (CPI) program, which was created in 2015 when Surescripts convened representatives from every facet of the Surescripts Network Alliance to identify and address e-prescribing's pain points. In 2017, Surescripts measured a 26 percent improvement in prescription accuracy by optimizing the e-prescribing process and eliminating 50 million potential instances each month where a pharmacist had to leave their workflow to clarify prescriber intent. About Surescripts Our purpose is to serve the nation with the single most trusted and capable health information network, built to increase patient safety, lower costs and ensure quality care. Since 2001, Surescripts has led the movement to turn data into actionable intelligence, and convened the Surescripts Network Alliance to enhance prescribing, inform care decisions and advance the healthcare industry. Visit us at surescripts.com and follow us at twitter.com/surescripts. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005594/en/

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Rapid Growth of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association Accelerates the Professionalization and Standardization of the Mindfulness Field

The International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA) today announced it has achieved a growth milestone, marked by more than 250 members, including over 100 IMTA-Certified Mindfulness Teachers (CMT-P) and six IMTA-Accredited Mindfulness Teacher Training Programs (AMTTP). The IMTA's rapid growth reinforces the organization's leadership in creating a standardized, professional path to enabling consistent, quality mindfulness teaching in classrooms, institutions, and organizations around the world.

"Mindfulness practice has long been associated with lower stress, higher self-steem and greater well-being for students and adults. With more than 100 IMTA-Certified Mindfulness Teachers, hiring organizations can visit the IMTA Teacher Directory to find qualified mindfulness teachers for their programs," said the IMTA President Dawa Tarchin Phillips. "In addition, aspiring teachers looking to complete their teacher training can take advantage of the IMTA Program Directory to find an IMTA-Accredited Mindfulness Teacher Training Program (AMTTP)."







Mindfulness teachers who have successfully completed an IMTA-accredited program are encouraged to gain recognition of their skills and expertise by applying to become a provisional Certified Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P). Organizations with programs listed in the IMTA-Accredited Program Directory include:

Engaged Mindfulness Institute, Mindfulness Teacher Training (MA)

Inbody Academy, Mindfulness Teacher Training (UT)

Instituto Esmindfulness, Formacion de Instructores de MBSR (Spain)

Instituto Mexicano de Mindfulness, Diplomado de Formacion en Mindfulness (Mexico)

Mindfulness Training Institute, Mindfulness Teacher Training ( CA (News - Alert) )

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Mindful Awareness Research Center, Training in Mindfulness Facilitation (CA)

IMTA Credentialing Tracks & Application Process

The IMTA offers an accreditation track for educational organizations and a professional certification track for individual teachers. Candidates interested in certification or accreditation may submit applications on the IMTA website. The IMTA's Credentialing Committee will review applications related to a core set of competency areas. Once credentialed, recipients will receive a seal illustrating their designation (CMT-P for individuals and AMTTP for programs), and a listing in the IMTA's online directory of accredited programs and certified teachers.

About the IMTA

The International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA), a registered non-profit 501(c)(3), is the leading independent organization dedicated to the professionalization and standardization of the mindfulness field. Founded by world-renowned mindfulness leaders, the IMTA develops and maintains program and teacher standards, fosters an international community of mindfulness teachers, and offers two credentialing tracks - one for mindfulness teacher training programs to become accredited, and the other for individual mindfulness teachers to become certified. Membership is available to mindfulness teachers and teacher training organizations actively working or aspiring to shape the future of their field. Visit www.imta.org.

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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005076/en/
[October 04, 2018] Russian-Speaking APTs Turla and Sofacy Share Malware Delivery Scheme, Select Targets in Asia

Kaspersky Lab researchers monitoring the various clusters of the long-standing Russian-speaking threat actor, Turla (also known as Snake or Uroburos), have discovered that the most recent evolution of its KopiLuwak malware is delivered to victims using code nearly identical to that used just a month earlier by the Zebrocy operation, a subset of Sofacy (also known as Fancy Bear and APT28), another long-standing Russia-speaking threat actor. The researchers also found target overlap between the two threat actors, centered on geopolitical hotspots in central Asia, as well as sensitive government and military entities. The findings are included in an overview of the latest evolution and activity of four active clusters attributed to the Turla threat actor, presented today at Virus Bulletin 2018 by members of the Kaspersky Lab (News - Alert) Global Research and Analysis Team. KopiLuwak (the name derives from a rare type of coffee) was first discovered in November 2016, delivering documents containing malware and with macros enabled that dropped new, heavily obfuscated Javascript malware designed for system and network reconnaissance. The most recent evolution of KopiLuwak was observed in mid-2018, when researchers noticed new targets in Syria and Afghanistan. Turla used a new spear-phishing delivery vector with Windows shortcut (.LNK) files. Analysis showed that the LNK file contained PowerShell to decode and drop the KopiLuwak payload. This PowerShell was almost identical to that used in Zebrocy activity a month earlier. The researchers also found some targeting overlap between the two threat actors, focused on sensitive political targets, including government research and security entities, diplomatic missions and military affairs, mainly in central Asia. Other Turla malware clusters tracked by the researchers during 2018 include those known as Carbon and Mosquito.



In their overview, the researchers provide further evidence to support the hypothesis that Wi-Fi networks were abused by Turla to deliver Mosquito malware to victims, a practice that may be tapering off. They also found further modification of the mature and powerful Carbon cyberespionage framework, which has traditionally been installed only very selectively on victims of particular interest, and the researchers expect to see further code modifications and selective deployment of this malware into 2019. The 2018 targets for the Turla malware clusters include the Middle East and Northern Africa, as well as parts of Western and Eastern Europe, Central and South Asia and the Americas. "Turla is one of the oldest, most enduring and capable known threat actors, renowned for constantly shedding its skin and trying out new innovations and approaches," said Kurt Baumgartner, principal security researcher, Kaspersky Lab GReAT. "Our research into its main malware clusters during 2018 shows that it continues to regrow and experiment. However, it is worth noting that while other Russia-speaking threat actors like CozyDuke (APT29) and Sofacy were targeting organizations in the west, such as allegedly hacking the Democratic National Committee in 2016, Turla was quietly deploying its operations towards the east, where their activity and, more recently, even their delivery techniques began to overlap with Sofacy's Zebrocy subset. Our research suggests Turla's code development and implementation is ongoing, and organizations that believe they could be a target should prepare for this."

To reduce the risk of falling victim to advanced targeted attack operations, Kaspersky Lab recommends organizations consider the following actions: Use a proven corporate grade security solution in combination with anti-targeted attack technologies and threat intelligence, like the Kaspersky Threat Management and Defense solution. These are capable of spotting and catching advanced targeted attacks by analyzing network anomalies, and give cybersecurity teams full visibility over the network and response automation.

Provide security staff with access to the latest threat intelligence data, which will arm them with helpful tools for targeted attack research and prevention, such as indicators of compromise (IOC), YARA and customized advanced threat reporting.

Ensure enterprise grade patch management processes are well established and double check all system configurations and implement best practices.

If you spot early indicators of a targeted attack, consider managed protection services that will allow you to proactively detect advanced threats, reduce dwell time and arrange timely incident response. For further details of 2018 Turla activity, read the blog on Securelist. Private reports on the latest activity of the various Turla clusters are available to customers of Kaspersky Intelligence Reporting. Contact intelreports@kaspersky.com for more information. About Kaspersky Lab

Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company, which has been operating in the market for over 20 years. Kaspersky Lab's deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into next generation security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company's comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky Lab technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005016/en/

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[October 04, 2018] Lifescan Announces Future Innovation at EASD: The OneTouch Verio Reflect Blood Glucose Meter featuring Blood Sugar Mentor

Diabetes Experts Affirm Importance of Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG) and Expanded Potential for Healthcare Professionals and their Patients Living with Diabetes BERLIN, Oct. 4, 2018 /CNW/ -- Lifescan, Inc., a world leader in blood glucose monitoring, revealed its latest innovationthe OneTouch Verio Reflect blood glucose meteras part of a symposium on the future of connected self-monitoring of blood glucose at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2018 annual meeting today. The OneTouch Verio Reflect system features the Blood Sugar Mentor1, which is designed to analyze patterns, inform patients of blood glucose trends, and provide them with personalized guidance which could help detect when blood sugar levels are rising above or falling below a desired range. It also features a ColorSure Dynamic Range Indicator (ColorSure PLUS) that is an expansion of ColorSure technology from the OneTouch brand. ColorSure PLUS technology is designed to help patients understand when glucose results are nearing highs or lows. The OneTouch Verio Reflect meter will also unlock user-inspired features in the OneTouch Reveal mobile app, which continues to be one of the top downloaded diabetes apps globally2. "The OneTouch Verio Reflect system delivers real-time, personalized guidance and encouragement based on a patient's blood glucose results. The new system can be customized to individual patients and their needs over time," says David DeJonghe, Head of Portfolio Strategy, Lifescan, Inc., who announced plans for the new product during the symposium. "Lifescan has a rich heritage of innovation in blood glucose monitoring. We will continue to innovate for patients and accelerate progress with solutions such as OneTouch Verio Reflect and our diabetes management app, OneTouch Reveal." The new system is the culmination of a Lifescan-sponsored symposium where top international experts in diabetes care declared the continuing importance of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) and the possibilities of connected SMBG systems which use smartphones as an enabler and acknowledged the still unmet need for consistent patient upport and interaction.



"Many people living with type 2 diabetes really don't want visibility of their diabetes, rather they want discretion and the ability to choose, so wearing a device full-time would not be their preferred solution. Blood glucose monitors remain the most accurate means of testing at the lowest cost," said Katharine Barnard, Ph.D., visiting professor of Health Psychology at both Bournemouth University and the University of Southampton and UK-based Chartered Health Psychologist who specializes in the psychosocial impact and management of diabetes. "The development of next-generation connected SMBG tools will minimize the time people have to think about their diabetes tasks while helping their self-management with reduced diabetes burden. That will be a real win." The symposium, chaired by Steven Edelman, M.D., clinical professor of medicine at the Center for Metabolic Research and founder of Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD), a nonprofit diabetes education organization, also announced the completion of a consensus statement entitled "Bridging to the Future: SMBG is Not Dead, it's Under-Appreciated." This statement is the conclusion of multiple sessions held with various diabetes leaders and stakeholders during the past year on the continued importance of SMBG and opportunities for expanded potential. The authors have plans to publish the statement in a peer-reviewed journal later this year.

The OneTouch Verio Reflect meter is awaiting CE marking certification with commercial launch in France anticipated for Q4 2018 with other EMEA markets following in 2019. The product has also been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 510(k) clearance, and to Health Canada for a Medical Device Licence. In addition, the OneTouch Ultra Plus Reflect meter  a blood glucose meter with the same features as the OneTouch Verio Reflect meter that utilizes OneTouch Ultra Plus test strips in place of the OneTouch Verio test strips  is also awaiting CE marking certification with commercial launch in Germany and Belgium anticipated for Q4 2018, and other EMEA markets following in 2019. The OneTouch Reveal mobile app is available as a free download for Apple devices on the App Store and Android devices on Google Play in 20 countries globally, including Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, France, Germany, India, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Portugal, Qatar, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. About Lifescan, Inc.

Lifescan, Inc. is a world leader in blood glucose monitoring  globally more than 20 million people depend on OneTouch brand products to help them manage their diabetes, and the OneTouch Verio platform has demonstrated seven years of proven accuracy across more than 70,000 clinical data points3. In the U.S. Lifescan, Inc. is the leading blood glucose monitoring company and OneTouch brand products are recommended by more endocrinologists, primary care physicians, and pharmacists than any other brand. The new OneTouch Verio Reflect System and the OneTouch Verio Flex meter feature ColorSure technology that instantly shows when patients' blood glucose results are in or out of range, and built-in Bluetoothi Smart Technology enables both meters to connect wirelessly and sync seamlessly with the OneTouch Reveal mobile app, which continues to be one of the top 10 most downloaded diabetes management apps globally4. Both the OneTouch Verio Reflect system and the OneTouch Verio Flex meter work with the OneTouch Reveal mobile app to help people with diabetes and their healthcare teams harness the power of information to take a step forward in managing their diabetes. For more information, visit: www.OneTouch.com. 1 Blood Sugar Mentor refers to the Pattern Messages, Mentor Messages or Awards Messages that may appear with Blood Glucose results

2 R2G Data, August 2018

3 Setford, et al. Seven-year surveillance of the clinical performance of a blood glucose test strip product. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology (2017) 1-85

4 R2G Data, August 2018 i The Bluetooth word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such marks by Lifescan Scotland Ltd. is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lifescan-announces-future-innovation-at-easd-the-onetouch-verio-reflect-blood-glucose-meter-featuring-blood-sugar-mentor-300721546.html SOURCE Lifescan, Inc.

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[October 04, 2018] Lifescan Announces Future Innovation at EASD: The OneTouch Verio Reflect(TM) Blood Glucose Meter featuring Blood Sugar Mentor(TM)

Diabetes Experts Affirm Importance of Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG) and Expanded Potential for Healthcare Professionals and their Patients Living with Diabetes BERLIN, Oct. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lifescan, Inc., a world leader in blood glucose monitoring, revealed its latest innovation -- the OneTouch Verio Reflect blood glucose meter -- as part of a symposium on the future of connected self-monitoring of blood glucose at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2018 annual meeting today. The OneTouch Verio Reflect system features the Blood Sugar Mentor1, which is designed to analyze patterns, inform patients of blood glucose trends, and provide them with personalized guidance which could help detect when blood sugar levels are rising above or falling below a desired range. It also features a ColorSure Dynamic Range Indicator (ColorSure PLUS) that is an expansion of ColorSure technology from the OneTouch brand. ColorSure PLUS technology is designed to help patients understand when glucose results are nearing highs or lows. The OneTouch Verio Reflect meter will also unlock user-inspired features in the OneTouch Reveal mobile app, which continues to be one of the top downloaded diabetes apps globally2. "The OneTouch Verio Reflect system delivers real-time, personalized guidance and encouragement based on a patient's blood glucose results. The new system can be customized to individual patients and their needs over time," says David DeJonghe, Head of Portfolio Strategy, Lifescan, Inc., who announced plans for the new product during the symposium. "Lifescan has a rich heritage of innovation in blood glucose monitoring. We will continue to innovate for patients and accelerate progress with solutions such as OneTouch Verio Reflect and our diabetes management app, OneTouch Reveal." The new system is the culmination of a Lifescan-sponsored symposium where top international experts in diabetes care declared the continuing importance of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) and the possibilities of connected SMBG systems wich use smartphones as an enabler and acknowledged the still unmet need for consistent patient support and interaction.



"Many people living with type 2 diabetes really don't want visibility of their diabetes, rather they want discretion and the ability to choose, so wearing a device full-time would not be their preferred solution. Blood glucose monitors remain the most accurate means of testing at the lowest cost," said Katharine Barnard, Ph.D., visiting professor of Health Psychology at both Bournemouth University and the University of Southampton and UK-based Chartered Health Psychologist who specializes in the psychosocial impact and management of diabetes. "The development of next-generation connected SMBG tools will minimize the time people have to think about their diabetes tasks while helping their self-management with reduced diabetes burden. That will be a real win." The symposium, chaired by Steven Edelman, M.D., clinical professor of medicine at the Center for Metabolic Research and founder of Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD), a nonprofit diabetes education organization, also announced the completion of a consensus statement entitled "Bridging to the Future: SMBG is Not Dead, it's Under-Appreciated." This statement is the conclusion of multiple sessions held with various diabetes leaders and stakeholders during the past year on the continued importance of SMBG and opportunities for expanded potential. The authors have plans to publish the statement in a peer-reviewed journal later this year.

The OneTouch Verio Reflect meter is awaiting CE marking certification with commercial launch in France anticipated for Q4 2018 with other EMEA markets following in 2019. The product has also been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 510(k) clearance, and to Health Canada for a Medical Device Licence. In addition, the OneTouch Ultra Plus Reflect meter  a blood glucose meter with the same features as the OneTouch Verio Reflect meter that utilizes OneTouch Ultra Plus test strips in place of the OneTouch Verio test strips -- is also awaiting CE marking certification with commercial launch in Germany and Belgium anticipated for Q4 2018, and other EMEA markets following in 2019. The OneTouch Reveal mobile app is available as a free download for Apple devices on the App Store and Android devices on Google Play in 20 countries globally, including Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, France, Germany, India, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Portugal, Qatar, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. About Lifescan, Inc.

Lifescan, Inc. is a world leader in blood glucose monitoring  globally more than 20 million people depend on OneTouch brand products to help them manage their diabetes, and the OneTouch Verio platform has demonstrated seven years of proven accuracy across more than 70,000 clinical data points3. In the U.S. Lifescan, Inc. is the leading blood glucose monitoring company and OneTouch brand products are recommended by more endocrinologists, primary care physicians, and pharmacists than any other brand. The new OneTouch Verio Reflect System and the OneTouch Verio Flex meter feature ColorSure technology that instantly shows when patients' blood glucose results are in or out of range, and built-in Bluetoothi Smart Technology enables both meters to connect wirelessly and sync seamlessly with the OneTouch Reveal mobile app, which continues to be one of the top 10 most downloaded diabetes management apps globally4. Both the OneTouch Verio Reflect system and the OneTouch Verio Flex meter work with the OneTouch Reveal mobile app to help people with diabetes and their healthcare teams harness the power of information to take a step forward in managing their diabetes. For more information, visit: www.OneTouch.com. 1 Blood Sugar Mentor refers to the Pattern Messages, Mentor Messages or Awards Messages that may appear with Blood Glucose results

2 R2G Data, August 2018

3 Setford, et al. Seven-year surveillance of the clinical performance of a blood glucose test strip product. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology (2017) 1-85

4 R2G Data, August 2018 i The Bluetooth word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such marks by Lifescan Scotland Ltd. is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/748307/Lifescan_Inc___OneTouch_Verio_Reflect.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/749088/Lifescan_Logo.jpg SOURCE Lifescan, Inc.

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[October 04, 2018] Sanctuary Wealth Partners Continues Growth Trajectory as Respected Industry Veterans Robert Walter and Jim Kelly Join the Firm in Key Business Development Roles

Sanctuary Wealth Partners ("Sanctuary") has announced that renowned industry leader Robert Walter will be joining the Sanctuary leadership team as Senior Managing Director. Jim Kelly and his team will be joining the firm to bolster its presence in the institutional and fixed-income space. "We are both pleased and fortunate to welcome Bob and Jim to Sanctuary Wealth Partners. Given long and outstanding tenures in the wealth management industry, they bring unique skill sets, an aggressive growth vision, and shared values to our firm," says Jim Dickson, President and Founder of Sanctuary. "With exceptional track records in holistic wealth management, business development, and particular expertise in the institutional space, Bob and Jim will escort our firm to the next level in key areas such as fixed income, insurance, and investment banking." As Senior Managing Director, Bob Walter will lead Sanctuary's growing institutional business and independent broker-dealer channel, and will also serve as a member of the Executive team. While he is charged with expanding the firm's independent division nationally, Bob will have particular focus on growing the Chicagoland market; he will be based out of the Lake Forest, Illinois office. Having spent more than two decades helping registered representatives, broker-dealers, and institutions grow their businesses, Bob is especially skilled in building and maintaining relationships with entrepreneurs and other independent finanial services partners, as well as running independent entities himself. "Sanctuary leadership has put forth a business model that's rich in creativity, collaboration, and intelligence," says Bob. " I'm eager to work with this exceptional team as it continues to serve elite Advisors and their high-net-worth clients with even greater capability, diversification, and performance."



Along with Bob Walter, industry renown Jim Kelly brings to Sanctuary more than a quarter century of experience in wealth management, financial planning, and investments. Most recently a trader in government securities, Jim will focus on expanding Sanctuary's fixed income business targeting among others, hedge funds, banks, and insurance companies. A multi-million-dollar producer, Jim brings a high level of proficiency to Sanctuary's growing institutional business, as well as a laser-sharp client focus. About joining Sanctuary, Kelly says: "The opportunity to join such an innovative, rapidly growing firm is certainly compelling in its own right. Add to that a differentiated holistic platform, and a network of accomplished Advisors who collaborate, share best practices, and learn from one another, and it's clear that Sanctuary's is an attractive business model for the future." About Sanctuary Wealth Partners

Sanctuary Wealth Partners brings together an elite group of wealth Advisors, selected for their experience, impressive compliance and performance records. These talented, highly experienced Advisors operate with their clients' best interests as their primary focus. Partnered IndependenceSM ensures them comprehensive support in all aspects of serving clients and growing their businesses through affiliation with Noyes Group, LLC, a full-service investment firm headquartered in the Midwest, with offices throughout the country. Through its subsidiaries, Sanctuary Securities and Sanctuary Advisors, this partner-owned firm offers a comprehensive menu of products and services to individual and institutional clients. Sanctuary Wealth Partners

250 West 96th Street, Suite 300

Indianapolis, IN 46260

(833) 608-5514

(317) 975-7729

breakaway@sanctuarywp.com

www.Sanctuarywp.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005606/en/

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[October 04, 2018] ExaGrid Reports Record Bookings and Revenue for Q3-2018

ExaGrid, a leading provider of hyper-converged secondary storage for backup, today announced record Q3 bookings and revenue for Q3 2018. ExaGrid grew at a rate of 30% over the same quarter of the prior year, continuing its trend of progressive growth at a faster rate than that of the overall market and resulting in progressive market share gain. The company also continued its up-market trajectory, attracting increasing numbers of enterprise customers with hundreds of terabytes to petabytes of data to be backed up. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005646/en/ An ExaGrid system comprised of 3 EX63000E appliances. (Photo: Business Wire) "This was our best bookings and revenue quarter in the history of the company," said Bill Andrews, CEO and President of ExaGrid. "We are continuing to replace old and expensive systems - including Dell EMC Data Domain (News - Alert) , HPE StoreOnce, and many other deduplication solutions - that are slow for backups due to inline deduplication and are slow for restores as they only store deduplicated data." In addition to record Q3 bookings and revenue, ExaGrid achieved the following: A Net Promoter Survey of ExaGrid's customers yielded a Net Promoter Score of +73, considered to be "excellent" by Net Promoter standards. This customer loyalty metric measures how likely existing customers are to recommend a vendor's product or service to a colleague.

ExaGrid is relocating its corporate offices at the end of 2018 in order to better accommodate the company's growing engineering, IT, customer support, inside sales, marketing, finance, and executive staff.

A sampling of the company's many key global customer wins in Q3 includes: Fast response to Hurricane Florence - A large US-based provider of medical practice management services and technology has a North Carolina-based client - a practice located in the path of Hurricane Florence, a monster storm that hit the Carolina coast in early September. ExaGrid's customer contacted ExaGrid, urgently requesting 400TB of capacity plus landing zone for its client practice. Shipped that day and installed the next in North Carolina, the system was used to back up the practice's data, was de-installed, and was shipped to its out-of-state data center that evening for disaster recovery. A global manufacturer of metal components for mining and construction, previously using Dell EMC (News - Alert) Data Domain and NetWorker, was facing a rip-and-replace of their existing system. Over the incumbents - as well as Cohesity - customer opted for a combined ExaGrid and Veeam dual-site solution for both onsite backups as well as offsite disaster recovery protection. Located in France, an association of private hospitals chose ExaGrid over HPE StoreOnce due to ExaGrid's integration with Veeam and its lower total cost of ownership (TCO). A Mexican telecommunications company was faced with a data center move and decided that ExaGrid - due o its unique landing zone - would provide them with the speed and flexibility they needed for this project as well as future backup and disaster recovery requirements. A Swiss social insurance company replaced HPE StoreOnce after an impressive head-to-head proof of concept (POC). A Middle Eastern insurer located in Oman was faced with more stringent backup retention requirements to maintain its compliance under the Islamic Shari'a framework. Customer chose ExaGrid over HPE StoreOnce for ExaGrid's seamless scalability to ensure continued retention compliance as data volumes increase. A Canadian managed services provider replaced HPE Data Protector and Avamar with Veeam, and replaced HPE StoreOnce and Dell (News - Alert) EMC Data Domain with ExaGrid. These selections were made over the incumbent solutions (as well as Commvault and Veritas) due to Veeam-ExaGrid's unmatched scalability and superior performance. The German subsidiary of an eminent global defense company is replacing HPE Data Protector with Veeam, and its tape library with ExaGrid due to ExaGrid's aggressive deduplication and its unsurpassed integration with Veeam. A European salt mine that produces five million tons of salt annually chose ExaGrid to replace its HPE disk. Among the many features and benefits, ExaGrid's unique landing zone was ultimately the deciding factor. Longer-term retention requirements prompted a South African high-grade manganese mining company to compare the cost of using ExaGrid for backup storage to standard primary disk storage. ExaGrid's data deduplication approach was a fraction of the cost of standard disk. The 2 nd largest coal producer in the eastern U.S. replaced HPE StoreOnce and Quantum (News - Alert) with ExaGrid. Customer's POC showed superior performance with ExaGrid and Veeam against the incumbent vendors as well as Rubrik.

The company continues its global expansion with the addition of field sales teams in EMEA, APAC, and Latin America.



Unlike first generation deduplication solutions that were either built into a backup application media server or into a scale-up storage appliance, ExaGrid delivers the backup industry's only true scale-out architecture with data deduplication. It is typically half the cost of the large brand solutions and also improves backup and restore performance by combining zone-level deduplication, adaptive deduplication, global deduplication, and a unique landing zone.

As the market matures, customers are understanding the performance degradation that data deduplication can have on backup unless a solution is intentionally architected to prevent any such impact. All deduplication solutions reduce storage and WAN bandwidth to a degree, but only ExaGrid solves the three inherent compute problems to achieve faster backups, restores, and VM boots by leveraging its unique landing zone, adaptive deduplication, and scale-out architecture. "First generation deduplication solutions can be cost prohibitive for backup storage and are also slow for backups, restores, and VM boots, which is why over 80% of ExaGrid's newly-acquired customers are replacing Dell EMC Data Domain, HP StoreOnce, Commvault Deduplication, and the Veritas 5200/5300 series of appliances with ExaGrid," Andrews said. All backup storage vendors reduce storage and bandwidth to varying degrees but provide slow ingest rates because they perform data deduplication 'inline.' In addition, because they only store deduplicated data, restore speeds and VM boots are also very slow. Because ExaGrid has eliminated the three compute challenges inherent to backup storage with data deduplication, ExaGrid's ingest rate is 6X faster - and restores/VM boots are up to 20X faster - than its closest competitor. Unlike the first generation vendors that only add capacity as data grows, ExaGrid appliances add compute with capacity, ensuring that the backup window remains fixed in length. Only ExaGrid uses a scale-out architecture with a unique loading zone, which holistically addresses all of the scalability and performance challenges of backup storage. ExaGrid's published customer success stories and enterprise stories number over 350, more than all other vendors in the space combined. These include a two-page narrative and customer quote, demonstrating how satisfied customers are with ExaGrid's unique architectural approach, differentiated product, and unrivalled customer support. Customers consistently state that not only is the product best-in-class, but 'it just works.' About ExaGrid

ExaGrid provides hyper-converged secondary storage for backup with data deduplication, a unique landing zone, and scale-out architecture. ExaGrid's landing zone provides for the fastest backups, restores, and instant VM recoveries. Its scale-out architecture includes full appliances in a scale-out system and ensures a fixed-length backup window as data grows, eliminating expensive forklift upgrades. Visit us at www.exagrid.com or on LinkedIn. See what ExaGrid customers have to say about their own ExaGrid experiences and why they now spend significantly less time on backup. ExaGrid is a registered trademark of ExaGrid Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005646/en/

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[October 04, 2018] Charles River Previews Future Vision with State Street to Clients

Charles River Development (Charles River), a State Street Company and provider of the Charles River Investment Management Solution (Charles River IMS), held its 2018 EMEA Client Conference this week in London. More than 170 attendees representing over 40 firms from 14 countries participated in the event, the first Charles River Client Conference since its acquisition by State Street Corporation (NYSE: STT) was completed on October 1, 2018. Charles River's newly appointed chief executive officer, John Plansky, addressed attendees and outlined the strategic rationale for the acquisition and his vision for the future. Plansky previewed plans to combine Charles River's front and middle office Software as a Service ( SaaS (News - Alert) ) capabilities with State Street's complementary services to deliver a comprehensive, interoperable front-to-back Buy-Side platform. "State Street and Charles River Development always shared a common focus on helping our clients grow, respond and adapt to industry trends," said Plansky. "Together, we are creating the industry's first-ever global interoperable platform from a single service provider that connects the front, middle and back office - something our clients have been asking for. We are excited at the opportunity this presents to help our clients manage their business, investments and data more effectively and efficiently. We are committed to working closely with Charles River's clients and increasing our investments to strategically enhance capabilities across the front office, middle office, data management and integration of liquidity providers, insights and the back office." The client conference covered a wide range of topics for business line executives, fixed income and equity portfolio managers and traders, compliance and risk personnel, operations, and technology managers. In more than 20 presentations and networkig sessions, Charles River managers, clients and industry partners discussed current trends impacting buy-side firms in EMEA and globally, as well as Charles River's product road map.



"The conference gives us critical insight into the challenges clients are facing as they launch more innovative revenue generation options, including digital channels, to optimize the fast-moving cross-asset trading environment whilst responding to ongoing margin pressure and keeping up with ongoing regulatory change," said Gavin Lavelle, managing director, EMEA, Charles River. "We are focused on providing our customers the necessary services to generate growth whilst optimizing and simplifying middle and back-office processes. Our cloud-based enterprise solution and data services further reduce cost and maximise results for their business users. Combining with State Street provides a unique and comprehensive solution to our clients' current and future needs." About Charles River, A State Street Company

Institutional, wealth, asset owner and alternative investment firms use the Charles River IMS to manage more than $25 Trillion (News - Alert) in assets. The major components of the Charles River IMS include portfolio decision support, order management, trading, compliance, post-trade settlement, IBOR, performance measurement/attribution, risk, collateral management, data provisioning, data management and others. Headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, Charles River supports over 300 clients in more than 40 countries with 750 employees in 11 regional offices. For more information, please visit www.crd.com. About State Street Corporation State Street Corporation (NYSE:STT) is the world's leading provider of financial services to institutional investors including investment servicing, investment management and investment research and trading. With $33.9 trillion in assets under custody and administration and $2.7 trillion* in assets under management as of June 30, 2018, State Street operates globally in more than 100 geographic markets and employs over 38,000 worldwide. For more information, visit State Street's website at http://www.statestreet.com/platformforgrowth. * Assets under management include the assets of the SPDR Gold ETF and the SPDR Long Dollar Gold Trust ETF (approximately $33 billion as of June 30, 2018), for which State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (SSGA FD) serves as marketing agent; SSGA FD and State Street Global Advisors are affiliated. The whole or any part of this report may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted, or any of its contents disclosed to third parties without State Street's express written consent. Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal. The material presented herein is for informational purposes only. The views expressed herein are subject to change based on market and other conditions and factors. The opinions expressed herein reflect general perspectives and information and are not tailored to specific requirements, circumstances and / or investment philosophies. Expiration Date: October 30, 2019

2018 State Street Corporation - All Rights Reserved

State Street Corporation, One Lincoln St, Boston MA 02111 2264037.1.1.GBL. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005663/en/

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[October 04, 2018] PIABA Report: Investors Face Major Uptick in Investment Scams If FINRA Unleashes "Rogue Brokers" by Gutting Supervision Rules

FINRA is proposing to undercut investor-protection rules requiring supervision of the conduct of stockbrokers, and the resulting "regulatory black hole" will leave investors significantly more at risk of abuses by eliminating supervision of the outside activities of "rogue brokers," according to a new Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA) report. Titled "FINRA's Attempt To Gut Investor Protections: Proposed Reforms To FINRA Supervision Rules" and available at www.piaba.org, the PIABA report contains the following warning: "FINRA is currently contemplating the evisceration of crucial protections that have been in place for decades to safeguard investors against investment schemes by brokerage firms' registered representatives, including 'selling away' schemes. If FINRA's proposed changes are approved, there will likely be more investment scams perpetrated by registered representatives. If these proposals are adopted, brokerage firms will no longer be held primarily responsible for identifying and stopping rogue brokers." PIABA President and report co-author Andrew Stoltmann, attorney, Stoltmann Law Offices, Chicago, IL, said: "Who decided that rogue brokers needed regulatory relief? This is undoubtedly one of the worst rule changes ever contemplated by FINRA. It would be a bonanza for rogue brokers and it would paint a huge target on the backs of investors. The effect will be that brokerage firms will be less likely to prevent 'selling away' and other related schemes and scams. These changes will create a regulatory black hole that will insulate brokerage firms now serving as the first line of defense against outside investment schemes at the direct expense of protecting investors. Rather than fixing the rogue broker problem, FINRA has chosen to focus on how to let its member brokerage firms wash their hands of any responsibility for these unscrupulous actors." PIABA Director and report coauthor Adam Gana, attorney, Gana Weinstein LLP, New York, NY, said: "FINRA's claimed mission is to 'safeguard the investing public against fraud and bad practices.' Fraudulent outside business activities pose a serious risk to investors as evidenced by the numerous examples of fraudulent private placements, Ponzi schemes, and investment frauds perpetrated through third-party investment advisors (IAs). If FINRA implements the changes it is proposing, it will significantly reduce brokerage firms' obligations with respect to supervising their registered representatives and pose a grave risk to investors."



FINRA is currently contemplating, under FINRA Regulatory Notice 18-08, eliminating almost all supervision requirements for registered representatives' outside business activities, including record keeping. FINRA proposes to exempt member firms from supervising: Investment related activities at third-party investment advisor firms;

Investment related activities at member affiliates including IAs, banks, and insurance companies;

Non-investment related work and outside business activities; and

Personal investments. These private securities transactions (often referred to as "selling away") and other forms of outside business activities manifest themselves in a variety of schemes and fraudulent activity every year, including but not limited to, fraudulent private placements, Ponzi schemes, and investment frauds perpetrated through third-party IAs established by the registered representative.

As the PIABA report notes: "A common modus operandi in these schemes is for a registered representative to establish a solo or small IA firm and perpetrate the fraud through outside business activities in an effort to avoid member supervision." FINRA proposed changes to Rule 3290 will narrow and reduce member firms' supervisory obligations and result in unacceptable adverse consequences, including: Dramatically weakening long-standing supervisory obligations;

Creating glaring supervisory deficiencies;

Encouraging de facto violations of federal securities laws;

Generating inconsistencies with other FINRA rules and regulatory guidance;

Producing perverse incentives for registered representatives and members; and

Leaving investors with inadequate protection. As the PIABA report points out: "Essentially, FINRA member firms would potentially be insulated from any liability related to the outside business activities of its registered representatives." ABOUT PIABA Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association is an international, not-for-profit, voluntary bar association of lawyers who represent claimants in securities and commodities arbitration proceedings and securities litigation. The mission of PIABA is to promote the interests of the public investor in securities and commodities arbitration, by seeking to protect such investors from abuses in the arbitration process, by seeking to make securities arbitration as just and fair as systemically possible and by educating investors concerning their rights. For more information, go to www.piaba.org. EDITOR'S NOTE: A streaming audio replay of the news event will be available on the web at www.piaba.org as of 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT on October 4, 2018. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005659/en/

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Banks Partner to Award $8K to Austin-Area Financial Literacy Program

Horizon Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) will award $8,240 in Partnership Grant Program ( PGP (News - Alert) ) funds to Financial Literacy Coalition of Texas (FLCCT) to help offset costs associated with organizational capacity building.

Local dignitaries and bank representatives will attend a check presentation at 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, October 10, 2018, at Horizon Bank's offices at 600 Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas. The media is encouraged to attend.

FLCCT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization dedicated to providing personal money and credit management education in Central Texas.

The structure of the PGP enables FHLB Dallas member institutions like Horizon Bank to make a contribution of $500 to $4,000 to a community-based organization (CBO), which FHLB Dallas will match at a 3:1 ratio.

For more information about the PGP, visit fhlb.com/pgp.







WHAT: Check Presentation WHEN: 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, October 10, 2018 WHO: Sandy Edwards, Central Texas Regional Director, Office of U.S. Senator John Cornyn, R-TX Greg Bennett, Chief Operating Officer, Horizon Bank Lourdes Zuniga, Executive Director, Financial Literacy Coalition of Central Texas Greg Hettrick, First Vice President, Director of Community Investment, FHLB Dallas WHERE: Horizon Bank 600 Congress Avenue Austin, Texas 78758

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005704/en/
Heuresis Selected by World Customs Organization and US Department of State to Deploy Handheld Imagers to Southeast Asia and Middle East

Heuresis Corporation, a pioneer of handheld x-ray imaging and analytical devices, today announced it has been awarded two contracts for deployment of the HBI-120 Handheld Backscatter Imager to multiple international locations.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005727/en/

US Currency and Weapons Seizure (Photo: Business Wire)

The World Customs Organiztion selected the HBI-120 for its customs security initiative in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. In addition, the U.S. Department of State selected Heuresis to supply non-intrusive detection systems used to detect weapons, organics and other anomalies in vehicles at border and security checkpoints in Egypt.







"Our HBI-120 is proving to be an essential tool for international border security," said Jim Ryan, President and CEO. "We have harnessed the powerful advantages of our backscatter technology into a compact, ergonomic and intuitive product."

About Heuresis

Heuresis provides enabling security imaging and material identification solutions that help law enforcement and safety inspection professionals keep the public safe from drug trafficking, terrorism and other hazardous threats. Our innovative handheld products, the HBI-120 and Pb200i (for lead-paint inspection), are the recognized leaders in their markets. Heuresis is headquartered just west of Boston, Massachusetts. For more information, visit heuresistech.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005727/en/
[October 04, 2018] Insgroup Inc. Acquires The Fred Brown Companies

Insgroup, Inc., a Houston-based insurance and employee benefits broker, acquires Fred Brown Insurance Brokerage ("FBIB") to enhance its Employee Benefits offering to large employer groups. Insgroup also acquires Fred Brown Property Casualty ("FBPC"). All Fred Brown Companies' employees will join Insgroup and bring their commitment to exceptional client services to the combined team. The expertise and resources that Fred Brown's team brings to Insgroup will create one of the largest independent, privately held employee benefits consulting and brokerage practices in the Region. The combination of the two teams will position Insgroup to deliver the Employee Benefits products, services, and resources that mid-size and large employers require, but with a more closely aligned, personalized approach to consulting and service that many smart HR and finance executives are seeking. In addition, Fred Brown's clients will benefit from Insgroup's current position as one of the leading privately held, independent Property and Casualty brokerage firms in the United States. Insgroup's Commercial Insurance practice concentrates on successful privately held businesses that desire a relationship with a broker who goes further to help control total cost of risk. Insgroup's areas of specialty include the real estate, construction, manufacturing/processing, transportation, and technology/professional services industries, as well as not-for-profits. Insgroup also offers best-in-class personal insurance products and services to successful individuals nd families through its regional Private Client practice.



"Insgroup's approach to providing exceptional services and relentless advocacy on behalf of its clients made them an attractive partner for our team," explained FBIB managing partner, Tommy Harris. "We are thrilled to tap into Insgroup's expertise in property and casualty insurance and risk management for our clients, while simultaneously adding value for their larger employer clients in the employee benefits arena." "Having been in the insurance business for nearly four decades, I have seen plenty of changes and shifts in the industry," FBIB founder, Fred Brown, said. "One thing that remains the same today as 40 years ago is the clients' expectation that service providers will go to bat for them. By joining forces with Insgroup, a firm that shares our client-first approach and commitment to independence, we are confident our clients will be able to expect this level of service in every area of their insurance needs."

"We are tremendously excited to welcome Fred, Tommy, Brad Stephenson, and Mason Howard and their respective service teams to the Insgroup family," president and CEO of Insgroup, Brian Kapiloff, said. "Fred and his team have a long track record of success in employee benefits and are recognized throughout Texas as leaders in their field. Our mutual clients will now be represented by what we believe is the leading "all lines" independent firm in Texas. We are now uniquely positioned to serve the insurance, risk management and employee benefits needs of the most successful privately-owned businesses, but with the personal touch only an independent firm can provide." For more information about Insgroup, media can contact Allie Danziger at allie@integrateagency.com. About Insgroup Insgroup, Inc., founded in 1978, has grown steadily to become one of the largest privately held insurance and employee benefits firms in the State of Texas, and has long been ranked as one of the 100 largest property/casualty insurance agencies in the United States. Insgroup provides commercial insurance brokerage, risk management services, and employee benefits consulting and brokerage to leading local, regional and national companies in a variety of industries, as well as not-for-profits. Insgroup also provides customized personal insurance products and services to affluent individuals and families. Headquartered in Houston, Insgroup serves clients throughout the U.S., providing personalized service, relentless client advocacy, industry specific knowledge and technical expertise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005829/en/

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[October 04, 2018] New Canadian Company to Address Talent Gap in Silicon Valley

MobSquad receives strong investor and government support to open first state-of-the-art office in Calgary CALGARY, Oct. 4, 2018 /CNW/ - MobSquad, a company providing Silicon Valley startups with software engineers and data scientists in Canada, today announced the company has launched its first office in Calgary. Incubated and launched by Relay Ventures, a leading venture capital firm with offices in Silicon Valley and Toronto, MobSquad forms teams of high-calibre software engineers in Canada that are paired with U.S.-based clients on an exclusive, long-term basis, effectively rendering the Canadian team a satellite office for the client. "At MobSquad, we recognize the large and increasing demand for highly skilled engineers in Silicon Valley and the challenges U.S. companies are facing with filling these roles," said Irfhan Rawji, founder & CEO of MobSquad. "We're excited to help fill this gap and provide opportunities for Canadians and highly skilled immigrants to work remotely for some of the world's leading technology startups." MobSquad can quickly fill open roles for startups and manage the ongoing administrative processes in legal, tax, human resources, and accounting. For engineers, the company provides opportunities to be based in Canada and work with some of today's fastest-growing technology innovators, in state-of-the-rt offices uniquely designed for remote work with all the perks of Silicon Valley. Currently, MobSquad is helping startups such as Mojio, Chime and Circle fill their open roles.



MobSquad also announced it has raised a total of CAD$11 million in funding from private investors including Relay Ventures, Panache Ventures, Mindset Venture Group, and others as well as municipal, provincial and federal orders of government. "As the most active Canadian VC in Silicon Valley we have a unique perspective on the talent shortage there," said Kevin Talbot, managing partner at Relay Ventures. "We see a tremendous opportunity to give Canadian engineers unique access to world class opportunities without leaving Canada and believe these opportunities will create the next generation of Canadian startup founders." The Honourable Ahmed D. Hussen, Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Honourable Joe Ceci, Alberta's Minister of Finance, and City of Calgary Mayor, His Worship Naheed Nenshi, all gathered in Calgary today to launch MobSquad's new office space.

MobSquad is the first company to qualify for a grant under the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF) which launched this year to spur investment in Calgary. MobSquad will receive CAD$1.5 million. "When City Council dedicated $100 million to OCIF it was initiatives like MobSquad we had in mind. This is the first of many projects that will create jobs and act as a catalyst for growth in Calgary's economy," said Mayor Nenshi. "The decision by MobSquad to locate its head office and create positions in Calgary is proof that we have the talent here and we are able to provide the highly skilled people that companies need." MobSquad is led and supported by a strong team of industry veterans, including Irfhan Rawji as founder & CEO. Advisors to MobSquad include Stephanie Hannon, Chief Technology Officer of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and current Chief Product Officer at Strava; Charles Mah, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Silicon Valley software giant Workday; Don Bell, co-founder of Calgary-based airline WestJet; and Prita Uppal, founder & CEO of Silicon Valley startup Ad Candy. MobSquad plans to expand with offices in cities across Canada in the near future. About MobSquad:

MobSquad forms teams of high-calibre software engineers in Canada that are paired with U.S.-based clients on an exclusive, long-term basis, effectively rendering the Canadian team a satellite office for the client. MobSquad's Canadian-based engineers obtain the opportunity to work with the most compelling startups in the world, backed by globally recognized venture capitalists and be mentored by leading serial entrepreneurs  all from Canada. MobSquad is backed by Relay Ventures, Panache Ventures, Mindset Venture Group and others. The company is based in Calgary, Alberta. For more information, visit https://www.mobsquad.io/. SOURCE MobSquad

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[October 04, 2018] First BanCorp. Announces Payment of Dividends on Preferred Stock

First BanCorp. (the "Corporation") (NYSE:FBP), the bank holding company for FirstBank Puerto Rico, announced today that its Board of Directors has declared the following monthly cash dividends on its outstanding shares of Series A through E Noncumulative Perpetual Monthly Income Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Stock"):







Series Monthly Dividend Per Share Outstanding Shares Record Date Payment Date (b) (c) A $0.14843750 197,386 October 29, 2018 October 31, 2018 B $0.17395800 296,146 October 15, 2018 October 31, 2018 C $0.15416670 249,852 October 15, 2018 October 31, 2018 D $0.15104167 285,522 October 15, 2018 October 31, 2018 E $0.14583330 415,240 October 15, 2018 October 31, 2018

The Corporation's ability to continue to declare and pay dividends on the Preferred Stock is dependent on certain Federal regulatory considerations, including the guidelines of the Federal Reserve Board regarding capital adequacy and dividends and on the Corporation's agreement with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (the "Federal Reserve") to obtain regulatory approval to pay dividends to stockholders. Although there is no assurance that any dividends will be declared on the Corporation's Preferred Stock in any future periods, the Corporation intends to continue to request the Federal Reserve's approval to enable it to continue to pay the monthly dividends on its Preferred Stock. About First BanCorp. First BanCorp. is the parent corporation of FirstBank Puerto Rico, a state-chartered commercial bank with operations in Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Florida, and of FirstBank Insurance Agency, LLC. Among the subsidiaries of FirstBank Puerto Rico are First Federal Finance Limited Liability Company and First Express, Inc., both small loan companies, and FirstBank Puerto Rico Securities Corp., a broker-dealer subsidiary. First BanCorp's shares of common stock trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FBP." Safe Harbor This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" concerning the Corporation. The words or phrases "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "look forward," "should," "would," "believes" and similar expressions are meant to identify "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are subject to the safe harbor created by such sections. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Corporation's ability to declare dividends on the Corporation's Preferred Stock in any future periods and the Corporation's intention to request the Federal Reserve's approval to enable it to continue to pay the monthly dividends on its Preferred Stock once regulatory approvals expire. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and contingencies that may cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations, intentions, beliefs, plans, estimates or predictions of the future expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and contingencies include, but are not limited to the factors described in the Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K, in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in other filings with the SEC (News - Alert) . The Corporation does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to update any "forward-looking statements" to reflect occurrences or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements, except as required by the federal securities laws. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005848/en/

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AMD, Xilinx data center system. (Image credit: Xilinx)

AMD and Xilinx partnered to create high-performance inference systems for data centers that Xilinx this week claimed breaks the world record for inference performance. The new systems include Xilinxs new machine learning accelerator cards, called Alveo, which promise real-time machine learning inference, as well as video processing, genomics and data analytics.

A New Inference World Record

AMD and Xilinx created a new system for data centers that includes a 32-core EPYC 7551 CPU and eight Alveo U250 accelerator cards. The cards will be powered by Xilinxs ML Suite, which also supports ML software frameworks, such as TensorFlow.

The two companies said that their system reached an inference throughput of 30,000 images per second on the GoogLeNet convolutional neural networks. Such high inference performance is seemingly being requested these days by companies that need to analyze massive amounts of data.

After joining Xilinx CEO Victor Peng onstage at a Xilinx event showcasing this, Mark Papermaster, AMD CTO and senior vice president of technology and engineering, said that new workloads can take advantage of the whole system and not just the CPU.

Xilinx Alveo Accelerator FPGA

Xilinx introduced two new FPGA cards (Alveo U200 and U250), which for the first time are optimized to accelerate real-time machine learning inference. The focus here seems to be real-time inference because the Alveo cards promise three times lower latency than GPUs with four times the throughput for low-latency applications.

Xilinx Alveo card. (Image credit: Xilinx)



The Alveo cards also promise 20x the performance of a CPU for inference tasks, reaching up to 90x the performance for database searches. They start at $8,995 each, and Xilinx said that its now working with OEMs, including Dell EMC, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and IBM, to qualify them for data centers.
New with the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, Microsoft's Your Phone app allows you to send and receive text messages from your phone or access all of its photos right from your desktop. A variety of third-party apps, from Samsung's Side Sync to Pushbullet, have offered this kind of functionality before, but having it built by the operating system vendor is a huge convenience.

Here's how to setup and use the Your Phone app.

Before you start, make sure that your phone is connected to Wi-Fi and your computer has an Internet connection. Based on our tests, we believe that they don't need to be connected to the same network.

1. Install the Your Phone Windows app from the Microsoft Store and launch it. Just type "Your Phone," into the Cortana search box and clicking on the result that appears. If it's not already installed, it will launch. If not, you'll be transported to the store where you click the download button.

2. Click "Get Started."



3. Click "Sign in with Microsoft" and enter your account credentials.

4. Click "Link Phone."



5. Enter your phone number and click Send.

Microsoft will send an SMS message to your phone with a link to download the Your Phone Companion app from Google Play.

6. Download and install Your Phone Companion on your handset, unless you already have it installed.

7. Check "My PC is ready" and click "Connect my PC"

8. Click Sign in with Microsoft and enter your credentials. Then click Continue after you sign in.



9. Click Continue and then click Allow at the various permission prompts (we got four prompts).

10. Click Done.

Using the Your Phone App in Windows

Make sure that your phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network (a 4G connection won't work) and that your desktop or laptop has some kind of Internet connection.

To view and send SMS messages, click Messages in the left pane. You can click "New Message" to initiate a new thread or click on one of your existing threads to keep the conversation going. During our testing, there was no way to delete messages from within the app.

To view the pictures on the phone, click the Photos tab. You can copy an individual picture to your clipboard by right clicking it and selecting copy or share it by selecting Share. In our tests, only the most recent week's worth of photos were visible.

At publication time, the app lacked some important features such as the ability to view more than week's worth of photos and the capability to delete messages or pictures. Hopefully, a future update will add more functionality.



MORE: How to Completely Disable Mouse Acceleration In Windows

MORE: How to Set Up RAID In Windows 10
Whoa! Star Chides Davids For Last Minute Duck of JOCO Debate - The Sentinel The opening sentence of the Wednesday Kansas City Star article is pretty damning: "Democrat Sharice Davids has pulled out of an appearance at a candidate forum in Johnson County hours before it was set to begin, citing Rep. Kevin Yoder's last-minute participation in the event."

Basic fairness to voters is at stake and once again the upstart politico lets a mundane campaign issue drag her down. Read more:
A Kansas City Man Gets 18 Years For Shooting, Killing A Lee's Summit Police Officer A Kansas City man pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder for shooting and killing off-duty Lee's Summit police officer Thomas Orr last year in Westport. Sean D. Steward, 23, now faces 18 years in prison, including three years for unlawful possession of a firearm.

Honestly, this doesn't seem very harsh for the murder of a law enforcement member. The shooting was in a crowd and sparked weeks of debate in the party district. Here's the aftermath:
A lawsuit has been filed against a former Kansas City police officer over use of force when a man was taken into custody in December 2013. The ACLU of Missouri filed a lawsuit on behalf of Joshua Bills, who was stopped for matching a vague description of a suspicious person in the area.
Super Dave: "The more this goes on, the more I vision a huge pile of trash at a landfill covered with numerous democrats all looking for that one piece of trash that isn't there while walking all over their own rubbish."

Judge Rolf???

In 1983 letter, Kavanaugh wrote he and friends were 'loud, obnoxious drunks' and 'prolific pukers' Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, in a 1983 letter to his friends ahead of a group beach vacation in Maryland, urged them to warn neighbors of their rented condo that they would be "loud, obnoxious drunks with prolific pukers among us," The New York Times reported.

Republicans Rally For Justice

Kansas City Star Decree

If truth mattered to senators, they'd vote no on Kavanaugh | The Kansas City Star The president had a big ol' time imitating Christine Blasey Ford on Tuesday night. Because what's funnier than the most powerful man in the world, who himself has been accused of sexual misconduct, skewering a woman whose entire life has been diminished by an attempted rape when she was in high school?

Bar Fighting Judge

Police questioned Brett Kavanaugh after 1985 bar altercation, according to report Elements of the incident were first described in a statement issued by Chad Ludington, one of Mr Kavanagh's classmates. "On one of the last occasions I purposely socialised with Brett, I witnessed him respond to a semi-hostile remark, not by defusing the situation, but by throwing his beer in the man's face," said Mr Ludington.

Social Justice Rage

Capitol Hill tensions flare over Kavanaugh, as protesters confront lawmakers The atmosphere on Capitol Hill turned increasingly tense Wednesday amid increasing protests from demonstrators in the halls of Congress, as lawmakers await the release of the FBI's report on its Brett Kavanaugh background investigation and prepare to vote on Kavanaugh's polarizing nomination to the Supreme Court.

Viewpoint From Another Judge

Analysis | Andrew Napolitano, the Fox News analyst who doesn't blindly defend Kavanaugh At a time of deep political division, Andrew Napolitano, also known as Judge Nap, has avoided catering to partisan and tribal outrage, even as he works for the most Trump-friendly media outlet, those who have known and watched him say.

Cable News ALWAYS Wins In The End

Kavanaugh Hearings Boost Fox News Weekly Ratings Last week's Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh helped propel Fox News to a primetime weekly ratings win, according to Nielsen. Fox News averaged 3.2 million viewers in primetime to top all cable networks during the week of Sept. 24 to Sept. 30, said Nielsen.

Our TKC blog favorite shares a quick hot take as compile some of the top notes on the sordid topic. Take a look:Check the links after the jump . . .You decide . . .
Demographic growth and regional integration can nurture Africas maritime trade if shipping, ports and hinterland access are boosted

Africas minimal integration in world trade is reflected in the contours of its maritime sector yet this portends an enormous opportunity for the worlds youngest and second-most populous continent, according to UNCTADs Review of Maritime Transport 2018.

Seaborne trade

Africa relies heavily on ships and ports to service its intercontinental trade. While it accounts for approximately 2.7% of global trade by value, the continent contributes higher shares to global seaborne trade  7% and 5% of maritime exports and imports by volume, respectively. While one-third of African countries are landlocked, maritime transport remains the main gateway to the global marketplace.

Maritime trade in Africa is shaped by the continents trade concentration and limited diversification. Accordingly, 40% of goods exported by sea in 2017 comprised of crude oil, while over two-thirds of imports were accounted for by dry cargoes (dry bulks and containerized goods) and close to 20% of imports were made up of petroleum products and gas.

The European Union remains Africas major trading partner although its share of trade has declined from about half in 1995 to one-third in 2017. In recent years, the share of trade with the United States of America has fallen while trade with China has increased: China, and Asia in general, have incrementally cut into the EU and US share of African trade. This is opening new opportunities for the continent both as a consumer market as well as a potential manufacturing region, for example, as shown by growing textile and garment manufacturing activity in Ethiopia.

Africas ports account for 4% of global containerized trade volume, much of which comprises imports of manufactured goods. Africas shipping and ports do not always match global trends and standards. Apart from four container terminals in Morocco, Egypt and South Africa, no other African port was featured in the 2016 list of Top 100 global container ports.

Demand and supply patterns

By diversifying their economies and enabling greater integration into regional and global value chains, Africa can improve its containerized trade and port traffic volumes and emerge as an exporter of containerized goods. For this to happen, however, trade policy and regional integration initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) will not be enough.

Africas container ports and hinterland transport networks need to support these efforts by upgrading infrastructure and services, and improving performance, to match international standards. This entails, among other things, enhancing productivity levels: on average, crane productivity is around 20 moves per crane per hour in West Africa, 25 to 30 in South Africa, and 35 to 40 in Asia.

Shipping connectivity, which significantly influences transport cost levels, is below the global average in Africa. African countries shipping connectivity is strongly influenced by their geography. The best-connected countries are those at the continents corners, where international shipping routes connect to hub ports, notably in Morocco, Egypt and South Africa. They are followed by sub-regional load centres, notably Djibouti, Togo and Mauritius. Combinations of public and private investments, port reforms, and improved transit to connect to neighbouring landlocked countries have helped these countries to become leaders in African container shipping connectivity.

Being a significant user and importer of maritime transport services, Africa has for many years sought to increase its participation in the supply of shipping services. This has yet to be achieved, however, as the continents ownership of the world fleet is limited, with no African country among the Top 35 ship-owning nations in 2017. This is also evident when considering nationally flagged fleets. Only Liberia makes the list of top flag States, ranking third globally after Panama and Marshall Islands regarding nationally flagged tonnage.

Africas maritime transport demand and supply patterns underscore the potential of African countries both as users and providers of maritime transport services. They can do this by leveraging growth prospects and building on comparative advantages like abundant low-cost labour and long coasts to house maritime business industries.

The way ahead

While many challenges constrain the continents ability to fully take its place in the global economic arena, several factors on the upside suggest that Africa is a dormant giant. Factors supporting Africa in this journey include robust economic growth, a demographic dividend, resources, growing investment and financing commitments relating to transport infrastructure, including by China.

UNCTAD supports Africa in these endeavours with several flagship programmes. These include port management, trade facilitation and sustainable freight transport technical assistance programmes, as well as close collaboration with the African Union towards achieving the AfCFTA. UNCTAD also actively supports customs reforms with its ASYCUDA programme, which is implemented in most African countries.

A portfolio of measures involving targeted interventions by national, regional and international players that align with the Sustainable Development Goals and mainstream the three dimensions of sustainable development as applied to transport and trade facilitation are required to help Africa fulfil its potential. These include:

Preparing African ports to accommodate larger vessels through dredging for water depth and ensuring adequate cargo handling equipment is in place.

Improving access to the hinterland and landlocked countries by multimodal transport and transport corridor approaches and building inland transport infrastructure.

Making use of relevant technologies and digital solutions to facilitate transport and trade, cutting inefficiencies, improving processes and enhancing transparency, and promoting security and resilience of transport systems.

Enhancing transport connectivity either on the sea or land side to reduce transport costs and improve African countries position in the global shipping networks. This also must encompass enabling soft infrastructure in support of transit transport and trade facilitation by harmonizing transport regulation, including road and rail transport.

Encouraging greater participation in maritime business by promoting maritime clusters where shipping and port activities can boost related services sectors, including in the context of the Blue Economy.

Trade war threatens outlook for global shipping

Seaborne trade expanded by a healthy 4% in 2017, the fastest growth in five years, while UNCTAD forecasts similar growth this year, according to its Review of Maritime Transport 2018. Volumes across all segments are set to grow in 2018, with containerized and dry bulk commodities expected to record the fastest growth at the expense of tanker volumes.

The 2018 edition of the UNCTAD Review of Maritime Transport, marking its 50th year of publication, was launched at the Global Maritime Forums Annual Summit taking place in Hong Kong on 3-4 October 2018.

While the prospects for seaborne trade are positive, these are threatened by the outbreak of trade wars and increased inward-looking policies, UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi said. Escalating protectionism and tit-for-tat tariff battles will potentially disrupt the global trading system which underpins demand for maritime transport.

The warning comes against a background of an improved balance between demand and supply that has lifted shipping rates to boost earnings and profits. Freight-rate levels improved significantly in 2017 (except in the tanker market), supported by stronger global demand, more manageable fleet capacity growth and overall healthier market conditions.

Supply-demand improvements, namely in the container and dry bulk shipping segments, are expected to continue in 2018. Freight rates may benefit accordingly, although supply-side capacity management and deployment remain key. UNCTAD projects an average annual growth rate in total volumes of 3.8% up to 2023.

On the supply side, after five years of decelerating growth, 2017 saw a small pick-up in world fleet expansion. During the year, a total of 42 million gross tons were added to global tonnage, equivalent to a modest 3.3% growth rate.

Looking at the shipping value chain, Germany remained the largest containership-owning country with a market share of 20% at the beginning of 2018, although it lost some ground in 2017. In contrast, owners from Greece, China and Canada expanded their containership-owning market shares.

Meanwhile, in 2018, the Marshall Islands emerged as the second largest registry, after Panama and ahead of Liberia. More than 90% of shipbuilding activity in 2017 occurred in China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan, while 79% of ship demolitions took place in South Asia, notably India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Key drivers of change

Liner shipping consolidation, technological advances, and climate change policy are key drivers of change in global shipping, the report says.

Consolidation activity in liner shipping continued unabated: the liner shipping industry witnessed further consolidation through mergers and acquisitions and global alliance restructuring.

As of January 2018, the Top 15 shipping lines accounted for 70.3% of all capacity. Their share has increased further with the completion of the operational integration of the new mergers in 2018, with the Top 10 shipping lines controlling almost 70% of fleet capacity as of June 2018.

Three global liner shipping alliances dominate capacity deployed on the three major East-West container routes, collectively accounting for 93% of deployed capacity. Alliance members continue to compete on price while operational efficiency and capacity utilization gains are helping to maintain low freight-rate levels. By joining forces and forming alliances, carriers have strengthened their bargaining power vis-a-vis the seaports when negotiating port calls and terminal operations.

Growing consolidation can reinforce market power, potentially leading to decreased supply and service quality, and higher prices. Some of these negative outcomes may already be in effect. For example, in 20172018, the number of operators decreased in several small island developing States and structurally weak developing countries.

There is a need to assess the implications of mergers and alliances and of vertical integration within the industry, and to address any potential negative effects. This will require the commitment of all relevant parties, notably national competition authorities, container lines, shippers and ports, Shamika N. Sirimanne, Director of UNCTADs Division on Technology and Logistics, said.

Port traffic volumes picked up speed: global port activity and cargo handling expanded rapidly in 2017, following two years of weak performance. UNCTAD estimates that 752 million twenty-foot equivalent units were moved at container ports worldwide in 2017. The outlook for global port handling activity remains positive supported by projected economic growth and port infrastructure development plans.

Port operations, performance and bargaining power continued to be defined by mega-ship deployment and alliance restructuring: Liner shipping alliances and vessel upsizing have made the relationship between container shipping lines and ports more complex and triggered new dynamics where shipping lines have a stronger bargaining power and influence.

Increases in the size of vessels and the rise of mega-alliances have heightened the requirements for ports to adapt. While liner shipping networks seem to have benefited from efficiency gains arising from consolidation and alliance restructuring, for ports, the benefits did not evolve at the same pace. This dynamic is further complicated by the shipping lines often being involved in port operations which in turn could redefine approaches to terminal concessions.

The report says that global ports and terminals need to track and measure performance as port performance metrics enable sound strategic port planning, investment and decision-making.

Technological advances in the shipping industry, such as blockchain applications, cargo and vessel tracking, autonomous ships, and the Internet of Things, hold opportunities for the global shipping industry. However, there is still uncertainty within the maritime transport industry regarding possible safety, security and cybersecurity incidents, as well as concern about negative effects on the jobs of seafarers, most of whom come from developing countries.

The climate change agenda remains a priority. The shipping industry must reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the report says, welcoming among international efforts the April 2018 adoption by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of an initial strategy aimed at reducing by at least half the total annual emissions from ships by 2050 compared to 2008.

The IMO strategy identifies potential short-, mid- and long-term further measures with possible timelines, and their impacts on States, highlighting the need to pay attention to the needs of developing countries, especially small island developing States and least developed countries.

Depending on the outcome of negotiations and the specific design of any future instrument, it will be important to assess the related potential implications for carriers, shippers, operating and transport costs as well as the cost of trade. It will also be important to assess the benefits associated with these measures, including market-based instruments in shipping and how these could be directed to address the maritime transport and logistics challenges facing developing countries, the report says.
Ambassador: Mr. Zhang HanhuiAddress: No. 6, UL. Druzhby, Moscow, 117330, RussiaTel: +7-499-9518433Fax: +7-499-9518369Email: china_emb_ru@mfa.gov.cn

Consular Office of Chinese Embassy in Russia

Consular Districts of the Consulates

Tel: +7-499-9518435 (Answering Service between 15:30-18:00)+7-9636201852 (consular protection)Fax: +7-499-9518436Office Hours: 09:00-12:00, Monday-Friday (except holidays)

Fees

Regular Fee per Person

Types Russian Citizens Citizens of Other Countries Single-Entry with 3-month Validity SUR 3,300 SUR 2,000 Double-Entry with 6-month Validity SUR 6,600 SUR 3,000 Multi-Entry with 6-month Validity SUR 9,900 SUR 4,000 Multi-Entry with 12-month Validity SUR 9,900 SUR 6,000

Expedited Service Fee per Person

The regular processing time is 5 working days. For urgent cases, the expedited service is available. Moreover, additional fees will be paid as following:

Pick-up Time Russian Citizens Citizens of Other Countries The 2nd working day SUR 4,600 SUR 2,500 The 3rd working day SUR 2,000 SUR 1,700

Note: The embassy does not accept Cash as means of payment, please pay by MasterCard, MasterCard Electronic, Maestro,Visa Card, 100 or UnionPay, then collect passport with Payment Receipt.





Notice about Requirements for Application:

General Requirements:1. A valid passport and a copy of its data page. The passport should be valid for at least 6 months with a blank page.2. Application Form.3. A recent-taken colored photo glued or stapled on the application form.4. For foreign passport holders, they should provide the original and a copy of their permanent residence or work permit with validity for at least half a year.

In addition, following documents are required according to purpose of visit:

a. For tourism, an invitation letter from a Chinese travel agency is required (original or copy). If invitation letter can not be provided, round-trip air ticket and hotel reservation are required.

b. For business, invitation letter issued by a Chinese company, institution or a Duly Authorized Unit is required.

c. If going for study, the Admission Notice and Form JW-201/JW-202 are required (originals and copies).

d. For work visa application, "Invitation Letter of Duly Authorized Unit" or "Confirmation Letter of Invitation"; the Work/Employment Permit are needed.

e. For transit, a valid visa and an onward air ticket to the destination country should be provided.



Please contact Embassy of Russia in China if Russians are in problems there.

China Tour from Moscow Russia

Related Chinese Embassies in Europe: Belgrade, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia
2XL Furniture & Home Decor organised a spectacular culinary experience for a select group of guests at the 2XL showroom at Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi last evening.



(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - October 4th, 2018 - 2XL Furniture & Home Decor organised a spectacular culinary experience for a select group of guests at the 2XL showroom at Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi last evening. On the menu was a unique dining experience with plenty of fun including an exciting treasure hunt in the magnificent setting of 2XL.

Amit Yadav, Marketing Manager at 2XL, said, We were delighted to host this wonderful event in the beautiful surroundings of our store in Dalma Mall. It gave people the opportunity to browse our latest collections while gathering some useful tips on dining decorum. Shoppers this season will find a wide repertoire of products at 2XL, from timeless pieces that blend classic and modern styles, to bold and unconventional creations. Inspired by French savoir-faire, each item is a piece of art.

Visit any of the brands nine showrooms across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah and Al Ain to discover what makes 2XLs offering so exceptional this season.

For media contact:

Hina Bakht

Managing Director

EVOPS Marketing & PR

Mob: 00971 50 6975146

Tel: 00971 4 566 7355

Hina.bakht@evops-pr.com

www.evops-pr.com

About 2XL Furniture & Home Decor

UAE based 2XL Furniture & Home Decor is a retailer of luxury home furnishings since 2000.

The retailer currently has 9 showrooms across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah and Al Ain. The 2XL product range includes exclusive bedroom, living and dining room furniture as well as exquisitely crafted decor items, unique gifting ideas, plush rugs and gorgeous wall art, divine bed and bath linen, eye-catching tableware, and a fun, functional kitchenware range. The 2XL range is very classic and French-inspired. Each retail item has been carefully chosen exclusively for 2XL and denotes a lifestyle that is regal, sophisticated and of a finer taste. We have something to suit every home setting  from ornate gold-plated bedroom settings to the more subdued Parisian hues of shabby chic, quirky contemporary inspirations to more ethnic Eastern-inspired decor ideas.

For more information or to shop online please visit www.2xlme.com

Connect and tag us on @2xlfurniture

#2XLfurniture

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Waugh Thistleton's Watts Grove project raises some questions and they deliver some answers.

TreeHugger loves wood construction. We have to reduce the embodied energy of our buildings and building with wood is a great way to do this, as it stores carbon during construction instead of emitting it. Thistleton Waugh has designed and built some of the most ground-breaking, interesting and biggest projects out of wood, using Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT).

Waugh Thistleton Architects

One of their latest projects is Watts Grove, an affordable housing project being built for Swan Housing, "one of the UK's leading regeneration housing associations." It is being built by NU Living, owned by Swan, "building homes that are environmentally, socially and economically sustainable." This is a concept foreign to North Americans, but providing a mix of market and subsidized housing "means that generated income produces gift aid to make a real difference to local communities in the provision of affordable homes, care and support."

Waugh Thistleton Architects

As in Dalston Lanes, Waugh Thistleton fits in with the surroundings: "Responding to the mixed contextual setting of residential blocks, warehouses and industrial buildings, the massing of the proposed building has been broken into a number of distinct elements, varying in height."

The homes will be made from sustainably forested CLT, assembled into modules at Swans factory in Basildon [which can be seen in this video]. They will then be fitted out with kitchens, bathrooms, finishes and fittings under factory conditions, offering a level of quality and consistency that is not normally achieved through traditional construction methods.

Here is where it gets interesting. There are many benefits to offsite modular construction, as noted by the architects here:

Expected to be constructed in 50% less time than a traditional build and at 10% less cost, Watts Grove unlocks a difficult site, and demonstrates what can be achieved with offsite construction. Drawing on the efficient production methods and the product quality developed by the manufacturing industry, this way of building uses less energy than traditional construction. Offsite production minimises the impact of the build on the neighbourhood, reducing deliveries, noise and disruption.

But here is the key point I want to discuss again.

These high quality modular homes are energy efficient and sustainable, and yet can be indistinguishable from traditionally built homes. However, unlike a traditionally built block there will be 2,350m3 of CLT making up the structure of Watts Grove, and this will lock away 1,857 tonnes of CO2, the building itself becoming a long term carbon store.

That's a lotta lumber.

Lloyd Alter / CC BY 2.0

Last year I had this debate with Anthony Thistleton, after I asked What's the best way to build in wood? I was questioning whether for it made sense to build in CLT when there were sophisticated methods of building in wood frame that resulted in thinner walls that used a lot less wood. Thistleton responded:

For most mid-rise the CLT is a structural necessity, certainly above six storeys. However the CLT also performs acoustically and thermally as well as providing fire resistance. All of these would require additional measures if we built in timber frame. We are happy that the CLT frame presents the most efficient use of material in the buildings we have completed.

And really, when you look at their portfolio, you can't argue with the facts on the ground, from their first flatpack that we covered a decade ago in Nine storey apartment built of wood in nine weeks by four workers to their Dalston Lanes. Both were built out of CLT panels assembled into 3D form on site.

Waugh Thistleton Architects

Watts Grove takes building technology to the next step, from flatpack to modular. The great benefit of modular is that you get to do all the interior work in the factory, which is much more efficient and results in much higher quality. When I was in the modular business with Royal Homes in Ontario, I used to say, "You wouldn't build your car in the driveway; why would you build your house in a field?" But there are a couple of downsides to modular, the main being that every module has its own sides, floors and ceilings, significantly increasing the amount of material used.

This is a problem with conventional stick-frame modular, but CLT is a lot more expensive. Does it make sense to double everything up with it? I would not have thought so, but Andrew Waugh says it does. For one thing, the panels are thinner (90mm) because the walls are carrying half the load. CLT also makes a very rigid box, so there is less damage during transport. Waugh tells TreeHugger that "because of the strength and stability of the modules when they arrive in site there is no need to repair and redecorate the interior as there is with other forms of modular housing."

It is also really easy to put together: "Volumetric CLT is incredibly efficient in terms of labour. A typical two-bed apartment in light gauge steel will take hundreds of components, whereas a CLT 2-bed apartment is made up of less than a dozen panels, all precisely CNC cut." (In fact, the firm confirms that a CLT two-bedroom apartment has 18 structural components, compared to 330 in light gauge steel, not including fasteners and brackets.)

Waugh Thistleton Architects

There is another major benefit of modular housing, however it is built; in conventional construction, as Paul Simon famously described it, "One man's ceiling is another man's floor." Because of the doubling up, they each have their own ceiling and floor, significantly reducing noise and vibration transfer between units. And because of the mass of CLT, it is going to be even better than stick-frame modular.

All pretty convincing arguments. Then we are back to my original point that I raised last year, whether it made sense to go with CLT when other wood tech uses a lot less material. When I asked Sandra Frank of Swedish builder Folkhem about this, she responded, "Look at all the CO2 it is storing!" Anthony Thistleton responded to my post with a similar point, that using lots of wood is a feature, not a bug.

In terms of tree performance over time, my information is that a spruce, which is the main component of CLT, is a very efficient carbon storage device, rapidly absorbing through its early growth and stabilising at the age of between 40-60 years. After this time it adds comparatively little to its mass annually. If the tree is then felled and the timber placed into long-term use, then new trees are planted and the cycle continues.

I am not entirely convinced, perhaps spending too much time listening to Mies saying, "Less is more," or Bucky asking, "How much does your building weigh?" But I absolutely concur with Andrew Waugh's final words:

Pretty much all types of factory-made housing are better than none! Bring on the construction revolution!
The best solution to sustainable fashion lies in using what we already have.

Online shopping, paired with free shipping and returns, has had a more profound effect on the fashion industry than you may realize. When you order a cute style in multiple sizes to get the right fit and send back the rest, a shocking 30 to 50 percent of those returned items never gets restocked. Instead, they are sent to warehouses, eventually shredded, and thrown in landfill or incinerated. An estimated 30 million units meet this fate each year in the United States, at a value of $1 billion.

Jeff Denby is on a mission to change this unsustainable model. He is the co-founder of The Renewal Workshop, an Oregon-based company that offers solutions to clothing brands to help develop a more circular approach to garment collection. Denby spoke at the World Ethical Apparel Roundtable in Toronto this week, which is where TreeHugger met him.

 The Renewal Workshop (used with permission)

The Renewal Workshop is a factory where brands can send their non-sellable merchandise for 'renewal.' Items are sorted and cleaned, problems are identified, and teams of seamstresses, a.k.a. sew techs, repair the products so they're as good as new. The brand can then advertise its renewed clothing at a discount (usually around 30% off) and it ships directly from the Renewal Workshop's warehouse to the buyer.

Before you assume there's any ickiness about buying second-hand goods (although in truth these are often still brand new), Denby described the workshop's state-of-the-art Tersus cleaning machine. It uses liquid CO2 pressured to 800 psi, along with a bit of detergent, to scour the clothing, inside and out. The CO2 pulls out everything from body oils to hair to mold, and because it is not a dye-transfer agent, white and red fabrics can be washed together without risk of staining. No heat and no water are used in the process, and 98 percent of the CO2 is recaptured after each cycle.

 The Renewal Workshop (used with permission)

Two-thirds of items received by the workshop can be renewed, and one-third of these has nothing wrong except missing tags. The renewal potential is higher for lifestyle and fashion brands, and a bit lower for technical outdoor brands, but the workshop does have the ability to reapply DWR coatings. From the website:

"All repairs respect the original design and quality standards of the garment. When we replace snaps, buttons and zippers, we often dont have exact matches but we choose replacements that easily blend in. We also make repairs to tears, holes or snags on the inside of garments or in linings. Renewed Apparel won't have external fabric repairs such as visible patches. "



 The Renewal Workshop (used with permission)

Brands may resist the idea of selling their own renewed apparel, but as Denby pointed out, it's enormously beneficial for them.

First, re-commerce of used merchandise is happening regardless, so it makes sense for companies to have a part in it. Instead of having a single profit margin on a product, the company gets two chances to make money off the same item. (The North Face is one example of a mainstream brand that has partnered with The Renewal Workshop to sell refurbished products.)

Second, it's a great way to attract new clients. Many brands are reluctant to break away from the traditional model of making money by making new things, but there's no reason why new and used products cannot co-exist. The car industry and Apple are both examples of thriving markets for refurbished goods.

"Brands erroneously assume that they can only access customers through existing product," Denby said. Outdoor brands, in particular, have struggled to connect with young women, but these are often the ones who scoop up renewed apparel at the fastest rate, leading brands to realize that they're growing their business by embracing this more sustainable model.

 The Renewal Workshop (used with permission) -- The factory is located in rural Oregon.

Everyone benefits by repairing, reusing, and reducing fashion consumption. It saves cities money. (New York City's annual cost for collecting, recycling, and disposing of textiles is $100 million, paid by taxpayers.) It keeps clothes out of landfill, methane out of the air, and fossil fuels in the ground. Denby's work is a glimmer of hope in an industry that's notoriously damaging to the environment. As long as he can continue finding sew techs -- an ongoing challenge, he admitted, as it's a dying art -- there is great potential for brands to embrace more sustainable business practices.

The next time you're in the market for new clothing, check out The Renewal Workshop's online store.
shalender@tribune.com

Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4

Poultry farmers have been hit by a double whammy - the demand has plummeted sharply by 50% due to the ongoing Shradh period while their operational costs have surged mainly because of a hike in minimum support price (MSP) of maize that is used for feeding the birds.

Farm owners are expecting a further 10% decline in the demand from next week because of the Navratras.

"Farmers of Punjab and Haryana have suffered a lot during this Shradh period. Sales are down by 50%. It will drop further by another 10% during Navratras. This year is particularly bad as traders were withholding prices even prior to the Shradh period," Poultry Federation of India president Ramesh Khatri said.

"Prices dropped from July this year because of oversupply. Recently, we were forced to sell birds even at Rs 54 per kg at the farmgate. We expect the demand to pick up after Dasehra, which may see firming up of rates," a senior executive working for a prominent poultry brand said requesting anonymity.

While Khatri expects the demand to pick up from the fourth week of this month, many farm owners say they will increase the price of poultry products to recover their losses after the demand firms up post festivities. According to the industry, religious minded people abstain from eating non-vegetarian food during Shradh and Navratras.

Farm owners have been selling live chicken for Rs 64-66 a kg (wholesale rate), while they claim that their production cost is around Rs 70 a kg. They say the production cost has gone up recently because of an increase in MSP of raw material such as maize. They also blame rising input costs such as wages and electricity bills for the higher operational cost.

The total availability of live birds (chicken) in the northern region comprising Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarkhand is around 9-10 crore birds per month. While, demand for eggs is around 6 crore per month.

According to the industry, the demand for poultry birds has been affected severely. However, the fall in demand for eggs is not that significant. The farmers' average cost of production is about Rs 3 per egg.

Small farmers are worst hit because of the falling realisation. More than 90% of chicken bought by consumers in India comprises live birds freshly culled and sold by small shops and roadside retailers. Only 10% of the business is cornered by organised retailers who sell frozen and processed chicken. Poultry farmers informed that many traders with deep pockets purchase birds in such lean periods and keep the semi-processed items frozen in the cold storage to command a premium later.

Demand for poultry products in North India

Chicken

10 crore birds per month in normal days

5 crore birds per month currently

4 crore birds per month from next week

Eggs

6 crore per month in normal days

4 crore per month from next week
shalender@tribune.com

Mumbai, October 4

In mid-February, a lobby group chose Chanda Kochhar, the then head of ICICI Bank, for an interactive session with the visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A little over a month later, the toast of the town was battling allegations of impropriety that led to a multi-agency probe and an eventual forced leave-of-absence.

The 56-year-old Kochhar, who rose to occupy the corner office at the largest private sector lender, was mired in allegations of conflict of interest, lack of disclosures and quid pro quo while extending loans to the now bankrupt Videocon Industries. She, in fact, was the first woman to head a large lender in the country.

Kochhar, a favourite of the then Group Chairman KV Kamath, joined ICICI, an infrastructure lender in its earlier avatar, as a management trainee in 1984 and rose to play an important part in its transformation into a retail-focused lender and when it turned into a commercial bank in the early 1990s.

After the exit of the larger-than-life KV Kamath, she was chosen in 2009 to succeed the illustrious leader as the MD and CEO despite a strong leadership bench. Her elevation also led to the exit of Shikha Sharma (Axis Bank chief), who was senior to her in ranking from the group. Before her elevation to the corner office, she was chief financial officer.

She consolidated activities at ICICI Bank, the only domestic lender to be impacted in the post-Lehman crisis, and ensured it speaks little and it is only her who does the talking all the time.

While Kamath faced many bank runs during his tenure, Kochhars brute control on the institution has led to a complete arrest of such negative press.  PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 4

Girl students at Punjabi University flung open the gates of their hostels this evening in protest against the Students Association of Punjab (SAP) whose workers allegedly abused them while protesting against the demand for opening of girls hostels round the clock.

Heated arguments took place between some hostel inmates and boys belonging to the SAP outside the girls hostels around 7 pm.

Later, inmates of Amrita Sher-Gil, Bibi Sahib Kaur, Mata Gujri, Ambedkar and Silver Jubilee hostels held a protest march. They protested outside the VCs office and raised the slogan, nari shakti sabki shakti.

Dr Jaspal Kaur Dhanju, Dean, Research, declined to comment on the issue, saying, The university authorities will comment later.

Registrar MS Nijjar was not available for comments.
editorial@tribune.com

Amit Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4

Four Model Burail Jail inmates, including a woman, who are undergoing imprisonment in different cases, will be released from on Friday to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The decision has been taken by the jail authorities as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and considering the good conduct of the inmates.

Among those to be released include Amandeep Singh, a Sector 34 resident who was convicted in an accident case under Sections 279 (rash driving) and 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC. Ram Lakhan of Sector 31, who was convicted in an accident case, will also be released. The third convict to be released is a woman, Shama, who was convicted in a case of abetment to suicide.

Mohammad Irfan, who was convicted under Sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 294 (obscene acts and songs) of the IPC, will also be released in this case. However, since he has been convicted in other cases as well, he will remain in the jail to serve the sentence in those cases.

OP Mishra, IG (Prisons), said to mark the 150th birthday anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, special remission was being granted to the four convicts. These convicts were eligible as per the conditions laid down by the MHA. This is part of nationwide special remissions granted to prisoners, the IG added.

The names of the inmates were approved by a committee and sent to the MHA for its nod. Special remission was allowed only to those convicted of certain offences.

The IG said since it was a special release of inmates, a programme was being organised in the jail on Friday.

3 walk free today

While three convicts will be released on Friday under special remission to mark Gandhi Jayanti, another will have to complete sentence in other cases
Rajesh Ramachandran

Rajesh Ramachandran

The Sabarimala verdict is being treated as a gender issue and a victory for womens rights. As a Sabarimala pilgrim since my childhood, I can vouch that this verdict allowing fertile women access to the hill shrine is neither. The petitioners are not devout women devotees who are dying to seek Ayyappas blessings, or demanding rights of temple entry for their comrades-in-faith. In fact, they remind one of the BJPs concern for Muslim women and triple talaq. The ban on menstruating women to the Sabarimala temple is a mix of a pre-modern sense of hygiene, tradition and superstition, which have all come to be packaged as faith. In Kerala, most Hindu households used to light a lamp in the evening, when the elderly and the children used to sit down to chant shlokas, recite spiritual Malayalam poetry or simply sing devotional movie songs (depending on the relative education of the household).

The woman of the house usually lit the lamp. And she didnt do it during her periods. In an era before sanitary pads, the womenfolk probably thought it better to keep away than soil the puja room with bodily fluids. This applies to boys and men too, who were debarred from anything pious without a bath. Obviously, the logical extension was to keep off temples, too, during menstruation. The Sabarimala trek used to be a long arduous one through dense forests. The difficulty, the longevity and the unpredictability of the trek, and the Buddhist origins and traditions around the temple could also have been a deterrent for women. So, only girls below 10 and menopausal women used to make the trip; though there have been exceptions galore.

Whatever was the reason that kept women out of the temple for so long, the verdict is welcome as a judicial intervention in faith. It is difficult for a society to reform itself without an outside agency. Here the Anglo-Saxon law, the Constitution and rationalism displayed by judges, who probably do not believe, have decided to force open the closed minds of the faithful. Women are doing everything that they should wearing sanitary napkins. Now, why should the menstrual cycle stop them from going to a temple? It is very difficult for a woman devotee to logically shake off centuries of habit and traditions, which have the force of superstition. A belief becomes an oppressive compulsion when it is accompanied by fear. The wrath of God has kept societies in darkness. Unfortunately, rationalism is often the privilege of the entitled class. A weak person, miserably poor, with nothing but blind faith to help her suffer the ignominies of life cannot obviously afford to take the risk of inviting Gods displeasure.

The Supreme Court has now asked the women of Kerala to do exactly that. And that is why this verdict is indeed path-breaking. Otherwise, not going to Sabarimala is not like being thrown out of the marital home without alimony or becoming the fourth wife of a wife-beating, marital rapist or being denied equal property rights or representation in elected bodies or raping a nun. Not going to Sabarimala was part of a ritual for a devotee, just like going to Sabarimala was. There are women who wait for their hysterectomy to make the trip. If faith becomes rational, can it be termed faith? For instance, there is a Devi temple in Kerala where the goddess is believed to menstruate and the idol wont be available for darshan those four or five days in the temples calendar.

Every religion has such quaint practices that seem abhorrent to someone from an alien culture. The verdict is an outsiders gaze into the temple practices of Kerala. Only an outsider can easily pick out what is outlandish in customs that are the norm for a society. Now, this gaze has to be consistent in two ways. We need to look at all religions from a gender perspective and only then will we see the repressive patriarchy that rules all religious institutions. Menstruating women going to Sabarimala is a very minor issue when compared to the misogynist tyranny of the temples, mutts, deras, churches and mosques. Kerala has been a progressive state for all reasons. The Kerala society, instead of hanging on to moth-eaten traditions of a pre-napkin era, should herald a revolution by appointing women head priests in all temples. The majority community should always take the lead in social reform measures, for only then will the minorities gain confidence in its motives in bringing in a positive change.

Kerala had the first Dalit vedic priest in a traditional temple. Why not women? There ought to be a 50 per cent reservation for women in all big temples of India. Women priests should worship God, just as they fly aircraft, send rockets and run this country. As a next step, the Supreme Court should take note of the anti-women activities that are going on within other religious denominations, particularly the Catholic Church. In the very same state, five nuns had to do a sit-in for a fortnight for a rapist bishop to get arrested. The alacrity shown by the petitioners in the Sabarimala case ought to have been repeated here, but was sadly missing. It took almost three months for the bishop to get jailed and no Marxist leader of Kerala found it amiss.

The Sangh Parivar has all along thrived building a Hinduism-under-siege bogey. This narrative has started playing out in Kerala, highlighting the differentiated approach by the law-enforcing authorities towards Sabarimala and the bishops rape case. The Sabarimala petitioners can restore the balance by seeking to intervene in two issues: the treatment of nuns by the ruling clergy, and misuse of confession, a holy sacrament, by some unscrupulous priests to blackmail and rape the faithful women. Here, too, the solution is pretty simple: allow women to become priests in all denominations. Let the petitioners demand women bishops for the Catholic Church in India.
MK Bhadrakumar

MK Bhadrakumar

Former ambassador

The annual India-Russia summit in New Delhi of Friday (today) is a watershed event. The Kremlin announced on Tuesday that "the key feature" of the summit between visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the signing of the $6-billion mega contract on the S-400 missile defence system. The cloud of uncertainty has lifted.

The S-400 deal is a big transaction and the missile system, which is rated as unique in its category, will be a "force multiplier". But then, it goes beyond that. What comes to mind is a Matryoshka ("mother"), the Russian nesting doll that splits in half at midsection and opens to reveal another smaller doll nested within and so forth. The fact of the matter is that there are geopolitical ramifications, too, in the S-400 deal, as is evident from the immense pressure from Washington to stop Delhi on its tracks.

India-Russia defence ties

India-Russia defence cooperation is poised to get a quantum jump. The two countries are expected to sign defence deals worth over $10 billion during the summit. These include, apart from five S-400 air defense missile systems worth over $5.5 billion, four 1135.6 Krivak-class frigates worth $2 billion, $1 billion worth of light utility KA-226 helicopters and a contract agreement for the manufacture of 200 Kamov helicopters at an Indian facility.

Besides, both countries are expected to sign a government contract for the licensed production of over 6,00,000 AK-103 assault rifles for the Indian Army in an Indian ordnance factory. Then, there is the hush-hush leasing of a third Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarine from Russia in a $2-billion deal.

The Achilles' heel in India-Russia relationship has been its paucity of economic content. But that is also changing. One sure sign is the confidence with which the two countries have set a revised target of $50 billion in two-way investment by 2025, having already surpassed the original $30 billion target with seven years to spare.

Crucial energy deals

Taking into account this spurt of interest in business and industry, a new forum has been constituted  Annual Business Summit  which is holding its first session on Friday in Delhi. Energy has emerged as a key sector. Indian investment in Russia's oil and gas sector has exceeded the $10-billion level, while a Russian-led consortium has committed investment of $13 billion in India's Essar Oil. Expectations are high that on the sidelines of the Modi-Putin summit, some crucial energy deals could be signed, especially ONGC Videsh making investment in a joint development project with Gazprom on the shelf of the Pechora and Okhotsk seas in the Russian Far East.

The upshot of all this can be summed up as a determined effort by the two countries to restructure the relationship and inject new dynamism into it. Both sides prioritise the relationship as a key template of their foreign policies. From the Indian side, it is an open secret that PM Modi took a personal interest in stopping the steady atrophy of the Indian-Russian relationship through the UPA rule and to rivet it once again from a historical perspective as an anchor sheet of India's foreign policy.

Headwinds blow from Washington

This must be counted as Modi's finest foreign policy legacy  alongside his Wuhan initiative with China. Modi's imprimatur is vital because there is also a complex backdrop of Russian-American tensions in which this is unfolding. For the first time in the history of the Indian-Russian relationship, it has run into strong headwinds blowing from Washington in the nature of a concerted US strategy to weaken and undermine it. This needs some explaining.

One of the bitter legacies of the UPA rule has been the manner in which the concept of "interoperability" was allowed to creep into India's defence ties with the US  although the platform of the so-called Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTI) operating since June, 2012 was only meant to be a focused effort to unlock US regulatory hurdles to the export of technologies to India. The US succeeded in inserting "interoperability" as a touchstone of India's defence transactions.

Plainly put, Washington's contention today is that the S-400 deal with Russia would "complicate" interoperability between the US and Indian militaries! Mac Thornberry, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee of the US Congress, was fairly blunt in underscoring this during his visit to Delhi in May: "There is a lot of concern in the US in both the administration and the Congress regarding the S-400 system. And there is concern that any country that acquires that system will complicate our ability to work out interoperability. So that is completely apart from any sanctions legislation (against Russia). I hope the (Indian) government will take its time and consider very carefully the acquiring of that system because of the difficulties it may pose for us."

Such an appalling erosion of India's prerogative to source weapons (with its own money) for its armed forces should never have happened, because fighting wars in league with NATO countries is not even India's policy. But, regrettably, it did. Therefore, Modi's decision to go ahead with the S-400 deal is in effect a restoration of India's sovereign prerogative to work on its defence-preparedness. Whether this is based on compromise between Washington and Delhi remains unclear. But at any rate, Modi has created space for the expansion of India's partnership with Russia. In the present international milieu, for India-Russian partnership to optimally galvanise India's rise as a great power, India-China normalisation also becomes crucial. The tidings seem hopeful since Modi's Wuhan initiative in April (which was followed by his meeting with Putin in Sochi). China reduced its deployment significantly since then on the border with India.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

BSP supremo Mayawati was in a take-no-prisoners mood on Wednesday. Her rejection of an alliance with the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh was premised on a lengthy six-page formulation. The entire purpose was two-fold: draw a clear distinction between the Congress and the BSP to keep the faithful in the fold as well as differentiate with the local Congress leaderships that had put a spoke in the alliance and the Rahul-Sonia high command which, she presumes, is in favour of a BSP-Congress pact. Her diatribe against Digvijay Singh aside, what went wrong in the alliance?

Mayawati claims the BSP was offered a mere 10 seats in Rajasthan (total 200), 15 to 20 seats in MP (230 seats) and five-six seats in Chhattisgarh (60 seats). A dispassionate appraisal would show that the Congress does not require the BSP in Rajasthan at all. In Madhya Pradesh, the BSP mustered 7 per cent of the vote and finished in the first two positions in 14 Assembly seats. This holds more or less true in Chhattisgarh as well. Seen in this light, the Congress offer appears on a par with the BSPs strength. Mayawati may not have taken up the Congress offer to bargain harder and offer herself as a PM candidate for the combined Opposition (BSP already has pacts with INLD in Haryana and JD(S) in Karnataka).

Unless the Damocles sword of a review petition in the apex court is not weighing on her, Mayawati appears to be treading on the razors edge. Mayawati will lose her bargaining power for 2019 if the BSP performs poorly in the three states and Dalit youth leader Chandrashekhar makes a splash in UP. She still has an option in UP  aligning with an incipient party led by Mulayam Singh Yadavs brother  and expanding it into a pan-India third front. But with time left for the grand prize in 2019, Mayawati at this stage perhaps wants to show she should not be taken for granted. The window left open by not attacking Sonia-Rahul is an indicator.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Hisar, October 4

More than eight years after Dalit villagers were beaten up by upper caste residents in Mirchpur, the police have not been able to arrest 12 convicts in the case even as a status report has to be filed in the Delhi High Court tomorrow.

Narnaund SHO Sadhu Ram said here today that 10 of the convicts had been sentenced to life imprisonment and the remaining two for two years and one year in jail. Hansi SP Vijender Vij said they had formed four teams to nab the convicts.

The Delhi HC had on August 24 reversed the acquittal of 20 accused and upheld the conviction of 13 others for their involvement in arson and assault on the residents of a Scheduled Caste locality in the village on April 21, 2010. A differently abled teenaged girl and her father had died in the violence.

Nine of the convicts had surrendered in the court while the police arrested 10 others who were awarded jail terms for different periods.  TNS
editorial@tribune.com

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4

The state governments decision to hold student body elections in colleges and universities after 22 years may run into rough weather with student organisations except the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Thursday resolving to boycott indirect elections scheduled to be held on October 12.

The National Students Organisation of India (NSUI), Indian National Students Organisation (INSO) and Students Federation of India (SFI) announced a protest against the governments undemocratic exercise which, according to them, amounted to favouring the ABVP.

Announcing a statewide agitation against indirect elections, their leaders asserted that student bodies would hold a protest across the state on October 8, followed by submission of memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Haryana visit the next day.

State NSUI president Divyanshu Budhiraja questioned the logic of holding indirect elections when direct elections were being held in Delhi, Chandigarh and Rajasthan.

While Manohar Lal Khattar government wants to hold direct elections for the post of Mayor, it wants to conduct indirect elections to students bodies, which defies logic, he stated.

President of INSO Digvijay Chautala feared that indirect elections would lead to large-scale horse-trading and law and order problems in university and college campuses.

State SFI president Shahnawaz alleged that through indirect elections, the government was trying to establish the ABVP in educational institutions across the state in the run-up to parliamentary and Assembly elections.

Efforts are being made to prop up the ABVP in educational institutions through indirect elections by the college and university authorities apparently under pressure from the BJP government, he alleged.

While a statewide strike will be observed on October 11, elections to students bodies should not be allowed to be held on October 12, he added.

Chief Ministers take

Asked to comment on the state government's decision to hold indirect student elections, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said the step of the state government should be appreciated as student elections were being conducted in the state after a gap of 22 years. When his attention was drawn to the demand for direct student elections, he said Lyngdoh Committee had said in its report that indirect elections should be conducted in the first year.
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Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, October 4

Resident doctors and house surgeons serving at the PGIMS here went on an indefinite strike on Wednesday evening over pay anomalies.

PGIMS Resident Doctors Association (RDA) president Dr Jangveer Grewal and vice president Dr Gaurav Nandal said the resident doctors had been denied the benefit of the Seventh Pay Commission for the past two years.

When our salaries were finally fixed in accordance with the Seventh Pay Commission, we started getting salaries lesser than what we used to get under the Sixth Pay Commission. We took the matter to the authorities, but to no avail. Hence, we have been forced to go on strike, they maintained.

Health care services at OPDs, indoor wards, operation theatres, labour rooms, ICUs, casualty wing, ICUs and Trauma Centre will be affected.

Terming the strike as illegal, planned and motivated, University of Health Sciences Vice Chancellor Prof OP Kalra has advised the doctors to join duty, failing which strict disciplinary action would be initiated against them.

We had heard the grievances of the resident doctors and promptly conveyed their concerns to the state authorities. Still, they went on a strike, and that, too, without any prior intimation. This will be taken seriously, he said, adding that patient care would not be allowed to suffer.
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Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, October 4

More than 20 Hindu outfits under the aegis of the Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti have approached the district administration, demanding closure of meat shops in the city during nine-day Navratras.

The samiti submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh. It said in view of the upcoming Navratras, the sentiments of Hindus should be respected.

The samiti also demanded a permanent closure of meat shops operating within a km of Sheetla Mata temple.

Last month, the Municipal Corporation had sealed a mosque in Sheetla Colony here as part of its sealing drive against illegal structures within a 300-metre radius of the Air Force ammunition depot.

Mahaveer Bhardwaj, the convener of the samiti, said: Over the years, several illegal meat shops have come up around Sheetla Mata temple. Carcasses are put up outside the shops, hurting sentiments of lakhs of devotees visiting the temple. These shops should be shut down.

He further said meat shops should be closed during Navratras. We want the administration to get this done or we will have to take things in our hands, he added.

Last year too, the city had witnessed a similar situation. The district unit of the Shiv Sena had forced 500 meat shops to be shut during the Navratras.

In March 2017, the Shiv Sena had targeted meat shops and several outlets selling non-vegetarian food, while the administration and police kept silent.

Vikram Singh of the Bharat Bachao Sangathan said, There is permission for only 298 meat shops, but Gurugram has more than 2,000 illegal outlets.

Meanwhile, meat sellers and restaurant owners refused to give in. They sought protection from the police and administration.

We have licences and have been operating for the past 40 years. They issued a diktat, asking people not to rent us (Muslims) homes and shops. And now, they want to snatch our livelihood. The administration should ensure we are not harassed like last year, said Hanif Ahmed, a meat seller in Sheetla Colony.
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Our Correspondent

Sonepat, October 3

The police have arrested Anita of Jatola village in the district and her paramour Amit of the same village for their alleged involvement in the murder of Anitas husband Rakesh.

According to the police, Rakesh (40) was serving as a security guard in a private firm at Buwana in Delhi. On September 27, he went to work on his motorcycle but did not return.

His body was found lying on the edge of the canal on the morning of September 28. His motorcycle was also found parked near the body.

The post-mortem report revealed that Rakesh was strangulated to death.

Rakeshs father Om Prakash lodged a complaint at Kharkhoda police station on October 2 alleging that Rakeshs wife Anita and Amit had conspired for Rakeshs murder.

The accused were produced in court here on Wednesday. Anita was sent to judicial custody and Amit was taken in three-day police custody. The police said that during preliminary interrogation, Amit confessed that as per plan, he and his friend Deepak reached Buwana on the evening of September 27.

They made Rakesh drink liquor with them after duty hours. Rakesh was offered liquor in excess at Buwana in Delhi as well as at Firozpur Bangar while returning to the village on Rakeshs motorcycle.

When they reached near Halalpur village, Rakesh was hit on the head with a rod. When he became unconscious, he was strangulated with a piece of cloth (parna). The cloth was thrown away at Haridwar where they went after committing the crime.
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Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 4

Following heavy snow at the Thumsar Pass, efforts will now be made to rescue shepherds trapped in the Bara Bhangal valley through the Jalsu Pass.

Jalsu is at 3,450 metres from the sea level. Though it is easier to rescue them through Jalsu than Thumsar, the trek is not safe for livestock.

SDM, Baijnath, Vikas Shukla, who is coordinating efforts to take out shepherds from the Bara Bhangal area, said there was about 8 feet snow at Thumsar. It was not safe to bring back shepherds from Thumsar. Jalsu had relatively less snow. So efforts would be made to take out shepherds along with their livestock from that pass. The Chamba administration had also been helping in operation, he said.

A team of the Kangra administration, including DC Sandeep Kumar, SP Santosh Patial, SDM, Baijnath, a doctor and DPRO, had boarded the Army helicopter and gone to Bara Bhangal with relief for the shepherds. The helicopter was supposed to make two sorties to Bara Bhangal but due to bad weather, the second sortie was cancelled.

The DC said about 3.5 quintal of foodgrain were taken to Bara Bhangal. Besides 550 ready-to-eat food packets were also supplied to the village. The panchayat had been directed to provide foodgrain to the shepherds.

He said an aerial survey of Thumsar, Kalahandi and Jalsu was conducted. Nobody was found to be trapped there. There were 22 flocks of shepherds in and around Bara Bhangal and all of them were safe, he said.

The team brought back Bhimo Devi (70) and Mangla Devi, two residents of the village, who were facing health problems. The DC also said teams were also being sent to help the shepherds. The body of shepherd Rakesh Kumar could not be retrieved as the helicopter could not land there. About 100 shepherds, along with their livestock have been trapped in the valley since September 22. The DC said the Bara Bhangal panchayat had been directed to take care of the horses of shepherds if they were not able to bring them back.
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Shimla, October 4

Vigilance sleuths today filed an application in the district courts for getting voice samples of former chief secretary Parthsarthi Mitra in connection with alleged irregularities in grant of permission to non-Himachalis under Section 118 of the Tenancy and Land Reforms Act.

The hearing on the plea of the vigilance department has been fixed on October 10, sources said. The sleuths had questioned him on September 17.

The case against the officer was registered on March 21, 2011, by the Vigilance Bureau under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act on the basis of the statements of two businessmen from Panchkula and Parwanoo, whose telephonic conversation was recorded.

The bureau had filed the closure report but the Special Judge rejected the report and asked it to re-investigate the case as there was enough evidence and Mitra was sent a questionnaire to answer followed by questioning. TNS
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Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 4

As the voting day for the first phase of the urban local bodies elections draws closer, political parties and Independents are making intense last-minute efforts to woo the electorate as 238 municipal wards of the Jammu division heads for a fierce electoral battle on October 8.

From road shows to small public meetings and from distributing pamphlets to door-to-door campaigns, political parties and Independents have embarked on different strategies to garner public support to register a win in the civic elections.

In contrast to the Kashmir Valley where the poll din is still missing, the Jammu division is abuzz with the noise of loudspeakers and door-to-door campaigning. Independents are relying mainly on person-to-person meetings to enhance their prospects.

Despite terror threats and poll boycott call by two mainstream political parties NC and PDP, at least 1,283 candidates are in the fray for 422 municipal wards in the first phase.

The campaigning for the first phase will come to an end on October 6. The state has a total of 1,145 municipal wards. Of 422 municipal wards going to the polls in the first phase, 149 are in Kashmir, 26 in Ladakh and 247 wards in Jammu.

There are 1,010 candidates contesting in the Jammu division whereas nine nominees have been declared elected uncontested. In Kashmir, there are 246 candidates contesting on 149 wards, while 69 have been declared winners uncontested. In Ladakh, 66 contestants are pitched for 26 municipal wards.

For the first phase, the electorate strength for Jammu division is 4,83,831. This includes 4,00,301 voters for 75 wards of Jammu Municipal Corporation. The voter count in Kashmir stands at 1, 07,188 and for Ladakh 20,225.

While the BJP is still banking on Modi magic to win the civic bodies elections, Congress candidates are mobilizing voters through personal rapport. The pictures of national leaders are missing from the posters and banners of Congress candidates while the BJP candidates are using pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and partys national president Amit Shah to reach out to voters.

State leaders of these parties, however, have jumped into the poll campaign by holding rallies and public interactions.

First phase on October 8

422 wards to go to polls - 247 in Jammu, 149 in Kashmir, 26 Ladakh.

1,010 candidates contesting in Jammu division, 9 declared elected uncontested

246 candidates in Kashmir, 69 elected uncontested

66 contestants in Ladakh

41,83,831 voters in Jammu division, 1, 07,188 in Kashmir and 20,225 in Ladakh
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nesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 4

After a special police officer (SPO) of the J&K Police deserted the force and decamped with eight weapons to join the Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit, intelligence agencies are mulling verifying credentials of SPOs recruited during the tenure of the previous PDP-BJP regime. The step is being taken as there are allegations that the recruitment was made on the recommendations of politicians belonging to the ruling parties.

On September 28, SPO Adil Bashir Sheikh from Shopian, who was posted at the residence of PDP MLA Aijaz Mir, fled with seven AK-series assault rifles and a pistol from Jawahar Nagar locality, Srinagar.

Belonging to Zainpora of Shopian, Adil was engaged as an SPO on March 11, 2017.

Sources said SPOs were recruited on the recommendations of ministers and legislators of the PDP-BJP regime in 2017.

SPOs were appointed without following the proper procedure as higher-ups in the police were under pressure to make these appointments on the directions of political bosses, a source said, adding that during the PDP-BJP regime over 10,000 SPOs were recruited, a majority in the Kashmir valley, without any advertisement and publicity.

Importantly, after approving the appointment of 10,000 SPOs in 2017, the Union Home Ministry had on April 28, 2017 asked the J&K Government to ensure that the process was free from political interference. The directions were given to the then coalition government following complaints that some PDP leaders were trying to push their candidates for the posts.

A veteran NC leader and former minister, who had vociferously raised the issue of political-oriented recruitment of SPOs in the last Budget session of the Legislative Assembly, said that no criteria was followed in the recruitment. On the directions of ministers and legislators of the previous regime, PDP workers were recruited as SPOs in the Valley, said Ali Mohammad Sagar while demanding a probe.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Lucknow, October 4

Two brothers were shot dead here around midnight by a few unidentified attackers, police said on Thursday.

Twenty four-year-old Imran Ghazi and brother Arman, 22, along with friend Nishant, were on their way home when they were attacked near Bamba road in Thakurganj.

Nishant said the two were dragged out of their car by the assailants and beaten up with rods and sticks before being shot dead from point blank range.

The friend somehow managed to escape and inform the Thakurganj police, which rushed to the spot only to find the two men dead. The attackers had also escaped.

The area remained tense after the killing. The crowd that gathered at the spot raised anti-police slogans and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.

The family of the deceased told SSP Kalanidhi Naithani that the brothers had a verbal spat with some men a few days back. IANS
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Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Amravati, October 4

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has offered to be an anchor in forging a third front for the formation of a non-BJP, non-Congress government at the Centre.

Ruling out his own possibility of taking a lead role for himself in Delhi, Naidu said he will fulfil his moral responsibility of bringing together a formidable Opposition  the people are very disappointed with the current government, so its natural that an alternative will emerge.

Naidu said, as of now he could not reveal the details of this alliance being forged as these efforts could be sabotaged.

He, however, pointed out that efforts in this direction were on and talks with likely stake holders have been held from time to time and gave no more details.

Naidu said the Prime Minister was morally bound to come out with an explanation of Rafael deal, especially after the former French President made a statement that points fingers at his government. Whether it is Bofors or Rafael, where there is a doubt in the mind of the people, it is the duty of the government to clarify, he said.

The BJP government has failed on all fronts and there is disappointment on all counts, he said. Like every citizen of the country even I had a lot of expectation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but now there is only disappointments ranging from demonetisation, bad implementation of GST, peoples loss in faith in the Indian economy and now distrust in the banks. When such a situation prevails, alternatives automatically emerge, he said.

Responding to a question from The Tribune about funding for the new state Capital Amravati, the Chief Minister said the central government had given only Rs 1,500 crore after making a promise to fund the new capital when Andhra Pradesh was split into two with the creation of Telangana.

We need Rs 48,000 crore and despite the centre going back on its promise in the bifurcation Act to build a new capital and giving Andhra a special status we are committed to build a new capital that will have livability in the next one year, he added.
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Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 4

India on Thursday deported seven Rohingya immigrants, who have been staying in Assam illegally, to their country of origin Myanmar, in a first such move.

The illegal immigrants were detained in 2012 and since then they had been lodged in Cachar Central Jail in Assam's Silchar.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court rejected the plea made by one of the Rohingya refugees seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting them to Myanmar.

The dismissal order came after Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi that the seven Rohingyas -- who entered India in 2012 -- were convicted under the Foreigners Act and detained at Silchar detention centre.

They were deported through the border point at Moreh in Imphal.

Mehta said Myanmar has accepted these Rohingyas as its citizens and agreed to take them back and that was why Indian Government was facilitating their repatriation.

On behalf of the petitioner, advocate Prashant Bhushan alleged that the seven Rohingyas were being sent back to Myanmar under coercion.

Bhushan said the Bench should ask UNHCR to talk to them to find out if they we're willing to go back to Myanmar, which forced them to flee to their own country.

As the top court dismissed the plea, Bhushan said the court must realise its responsibility to protect right to life of Rohingyas.

"We are fully aware of our reaponsibility towards right to life and no one needs to remind us about our responsibilities," said CJI Gogoi.

A fresh filed in the Supreme Court on Wednesday had sought to restrain the Centre from deporting to Myanmar seven Rohingyas lodged in a detention centre at Silchar in Assam.

"We will peruse the file and the decide," the CJI had said on Wednesday refusing to take it up immediately when Bhushan had sought urgent hearing.

The top court is already seized of a PIL filed earlier by two Rohingya immigrants -- Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir -- challenging the Centre's decision to deport over 40,000 Rohingyas who illegally entered India after escaping alleged state violence against them in Myanmar.

The Rohingyas, who fled to India after violence in the Western Rakhine State of Myanmar, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan and the Centre has raised security concerns regarding their links with Pakistan-based terror groups.

The now dismissed plea had said that the decision to deport was in "grave violation" of India's international obligation and moreover, the situation in Myanmar was extremely dangerous for the Rohingyas to return and they are likely to be subjected to torture and even killed.

"Pass an order restraining the Union of India from taking any steps towards the deportation of any Rohingya refugees lodged in jails or detention centres in Assam or other parts of the country in contravention of non-derogable principles of customary international law and during the pendency if the case," the plea said.

Issue direction to officials of prison at Silchar Central jail in Assam and Union Home Ministry to "allow and facilitate the detenues in question as a well as other detenues on other prisons in Assam to approach the UNHCR in New Delhi to determine/ascertain if they are in need of international protection as refugees within its mandate and for grant of refugee identification cards," it said.

The plea also referred to alarm raised by United Nations Human Rights expert over the proposed deportation of seven Rohingya to Myanmar, saying their forcible return could constitute "refoulement" which was violative of international law.

Earlier, the apex court had appointed area Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) as nodal officers who could be approached by the Rohingya immigrants living at Kalindi Kunj in Delhi and Mewat in Haryana with grievances relating to health care, water, sanitation and education.

Out of the two PILs, one challenged the Centre's decision to deport over 40,000 refugees who came to India, while the other has sought several human and civic rights for the immigrants here.
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Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 4

In what could bring further dynamism in India-Russia military relations, a unique mutual military logistics support agreement is being discussed between the two countries. In August, Russia had proposed such an agreement to New Delhi, sources told The Tribune.

The agreement is likely to come up for discussion at the high-level summit tomorrow when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin sit down for talks with their delegations.

If agreed upon, it will replicate what the Indo-US Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) facilitates. The LEMOA allows use of each other military facilities like ports to seek repairs, fuel, logistics etc.

With India and Russia operating so many common-origin platforms like warships, submarines, fighter jets and tanks, it makes more sense and it will help in servicing of equipment at various locations in Russia. And also in the reverse it will help Russians seek such facilities at Indian repair depots.

Besides, the Defence Ministry is busy giving touches to various projects that are pending with Russia. This could define Indias reliance, or some say, military balance between US and Russia. Moscow is the single largest supplier of weapons and military equipment to India.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), had on March 12 released its annual report Trends in international arms transfers. Making an assessment for a five-year block (2013-2017) it said, Russia accounted for 62 per cent of Indias arms imports.

India and Russia are set to ink the S-400 Triumph air defence missile systems, despite the US threat to impose sanctions under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). India has told the US that the Act is a US law and it does not apply to India. The CAATSA is designed to impose sanctions on countries that have military relations with Russia.

The impending purchase of state-of-the art S-400 Russian air defence missile system, costing Rs 39,000 crore, is at the heart of the present threat of sanctions.

The S-400 missile system can track some 300 targets and shoot down around three dozen targets simultaneously over a range of 400 km. Besides the S-400, the two countries are looking at inking deal for four warships, additional Mi-17V-5 helicopters and also the joint venture between Kamov and HAL to make 200 Ka-226T helicopters. The licensed production of AK 103 assault rifles could also come up with the Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) being the partner in India.
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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 4

Noting that the existing mechanism was not adequate to check sexual abuse of children in shelter homes, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Ministry of Women and Child Development to inform it about steps taken to formulate a child protection policy.

The existing mechanism is not adequate. If it was adequate then what had happened in Muzaffarpur would not have happened, said a Bench headed by Justice MB Lokur.

The Bench is seized of a PIL on 34 girls allegedly sexually abused in a shelter home run by an NGO at Muzaffarpur in Bihar. These 34 girls need counselling. There are many more other girls like this. Somebody has to do something, the Bench said.

It asked joint secretary of the ministry to appear before it on October 8 to explain what was proposed to deal with issues. It said not just investigation but counselling and rehabilitation of such victims are equally important. Such issues along with conditions prevailing at child care institutions should be taken into consideration while formulating the policy.

The Bench lamented that despite its earlier direction to frame a child protection policy, nothing had been done. The Government counsel said a national consultation was taking place with all the states for formulation of a child protection policy, as suggested by the apex court, on preventing offences against children.

The Centre said a series of actions which should be taken in such cases have been circulated among the states and the ministry would hold a meeting soon on the issue.

The counsel said that in the last meeting, three states had given information about the action being taken by them in such cases.
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Washington, October 4

Pakistan cabinet minister Noor-ul-Haq Qadri should have been more sensitive while sharing the dais with 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the countrys Foreign Minister has said as he promised that he would ask his ministerial colleague the reason behind his move.

Qadri, the Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, was seen seated near banned Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) founder Saeed as he addressed an All Parties Conference organised by the Difa-e-Pakistan Council, a coalition of over 40 political and religious parties, on Sunday in Islamabad.

A banner in the background said the conference was in defence of Pakistan, and mentioned Kashmir as well as threats from India.

I will go home and certainly ask him (Qadri) why he did that. But what I am told it was an event to highlight the situation in Kashmir, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told an audience when asked about his cabinet colleague sharing a dais with the LeT chief Saeed.

It had nothing to do with LeT. There were other political elements there. He happened to be one of them, Qureshi said.

I think he (Qadri) shouldve been more sensitive, but it wasnt that he subscribes to his (Saeeds) point of view, the visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister said.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terroris.  PTI
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Ananya Panda & Prateek Chauhan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 4

The Delhi Sentence Review Board today rejected pleas for the early release of convicts in the Jessica Lall, Priyadarshini Mattoo and tandoor murder cases.

The board, at a meeting chaired by state Health Minister Satyendra Jain, recommended the premature release of 22 life convicts, but rejected applications of 86, including Manu Sharma (serving a life sentence for murdering model Jessica Lall in 1999), Santosh Singh (convicted in the Mattoo murder case of 1996) and Sushil Sharma (convicted in tandoor murder case of 1995).

Manu Sharma is the son of former Congress leader and Haryana minister Venod Sharma. Santosh Singh is the son of a retired IPS officer, while Sushil Sharma is a former Congress MLA. Set up in 2004, the board takes up cases of prisoners who have spent at least 14 years in jail.

According to a jail official, Manu was quite hopeful that his name would also be cleared, but that was not to be. This morning, he woke up early and at 9 am left for work for an NGO in Delhi. For his good behaviour, work and conduct, he has been shifted to an open prison since October last year. In August 2015, Manu was sent to a semi-open jail after the completion of 12.5 years in closed prisons, as mandated under the rules.

The move came after a review of his conduct and work, which included running an NGO that has helped in education of 700 children of jail inmates and post-release rehabilitation of inmates. Perhaps, Jessicas sister Sabrina Lalls recent communication to the Tihar authorities had kindled a hope of premature release in Manus heart.

In March this year, she had said that she did not have any objection to Manus release as she had moved on.

It didnt matter to me anymore wherever he stayed. I had simply stated that I had no objection to his release as based on the reports of his good conduct and work. He has served his term. Im done and dusted with it, Sabrina told The Tribune.

It was a baggage that I carried for years and now it is almost two decades. Time is a great healer. The loss remains, but we need to move on, said Sabrina, who runs a travel agency in partnership.
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Washington, October 4

Pakistan wants the US to facilitate talks with India as the two nations are not engaging bilaterally, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said, warning that the absence of dialogue could lead to escalation of tension.

But the Pakistani request on the facilitation of the talks has been rejected by the US, the top Pakistani leader told a Washington audience on Wednesday, a day after he had meetings with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton, during which he raised the issue only to be pushed back by the Trump administration.

India is opposed to any third country mediation in its relations with Pakistan. Pakistan has continuously sought mediation to sort out the differences, including over Kashmir.

When we asked the US to play facilitating role...Why do we ask? Simply because we are not engaging bilaterally. And that bilateral disengagement isa distraction. We want to focus, we want to move on the western side of the border, which we are not being able to because we have to watch our back from eastern side (of the border with India). That is not a healthy situation to be in, Qureshi said in response to a question at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded top American think-tank.

Now can you (United States) facilitate? The answer from them is no. They wanted bilaterally. But there is no bilateral movement, Qureshi said, warning that this could lead to escalation of tension between the two South Asian countries.

If that lack of facilitation leads to escalation and some of the statements that have come out of late have not been very helpful, the Pakistani foreign minister said in an apparent reference to the remarks by Indian leaders.

The new government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he claimed, is not shy of engaging. Referring to the cancelling of his meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New York, he alleged that India backed off.

However, he quickly skipped Indias reasons for thisglorification of terrorists by issuing postal stamps and brutal killing of the Indian security personnel.

If the Indians have a better option, share it with us. If disengagement, if not talking to each other will resolve and stabilise the region, fine. If thats their analysis, fine, Qureshi said.

Qureshi, who left for Pakistan after his meetings with the Trump administration officials, said it is unfortunate that the two countries are not engaging.

Its unfortunate. Thats the way it is. Now, what does this government want? We want normalisation. We want co-existence. Youve got to recognise the reality. Pakistan is a reality. So is India. We have issues. How do we resolve them? he asked.

After coming to power, the first speech made by Prime Minister Khan was that every step you (India) take towards peace, we will take two. And he meant it. It wasnt just because it sounded good. It wasnt to please anyone. He is too blunt a person to please people. He can be very straight and he can be very blunt. But he said that because he feels that way, Qureshi said.

India has said that Pakistan created the conditions for cancellation of the talksdue to issuing of postage stamps glorifying terrorists and brutal killing of its three security personnel.

The Pakistan foreign minister did not mention that in his answer and only said that the stalled dialogue process is not good for the two countries and the region.

Responding to a question on Indias stand that talks and terrorism cannot go together, a view which is shared by Washington too, Qureshi referred to a statement by Khan while he was an opposition leader and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a trip to New Delhi that there would always be spoilers.

There will always be spoilers. There will always be elements that will scuttle the process of peace. But when they do that, re-engage to fight them. They will push us back. But we have to see what is in our interest, what is in the regional interest. Whats in Pakistans interest, Qureshi said quoting what Khan had told Modi.

Soon he raised the Kashmir issue.

They have to realise and I think they are being simplistic if they feel that everything thats wrong on the Indian side of Kashmir is all Pakistans making; that is an unrealistic approach, he said.

India, he said, should also revisit its policies and see why and how people had been alienated. PTI
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New Delhi, October 4

The Supreme Court Thursday dismissed a petition filed by the wife of arrested former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt challenging his arrest in a 22-year-old case of alleged planting of drugs to arrest an advocate.

A Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph said the petition can be moved before the Gujarat High Court.

The petition had also alleged that Bhatt was not being allowed to sign any document in custody to enable him approach the apex court.

Bhatt and seven others, including some former policemen attached with the Banaskantha Police, were initially detained for questioning in the case. Bhatt was the Banaskantha district superintendent of police in 1996.

As per the police, the Banaskantha Police under Bhatt had arrested one Sumersingh Rajpurohit, an advocate, in 1996 on charges of possessing around one kg of drugs.

At that time, the Banaskantha Police had claimed that drugs were found in a hotel room occupied by Rajpurohit in the district's Palanpur town.

However, a probe by the Rajasthan Police had concluded that Rajpurohit was allegedly falsely implicated by the Banaskantha Police to compel him to transfer a disputed property at Pali in Rajasthan. It had also claimed to have found that Rajpurohit was allegedly abducted by the Banaskantha Police from his residence at Pali in Rajasthan.

Following the Rajasthan Police's investigation, former police inspector of Banaskantha I B Vyas had moved the Gujarat High Court in 1999 demanding a thorough inquiry into the matter.

In June this year, the high court had handed over the probe in the case to the CID while hearing the petition and asked it to complete the probe in three months.

Bhatt, a Gujarat cadre IPS officer, was suspended in 2011 on charges of remaining absent from duty without permission and misuse of official vehicles and later sacked in August, 2015.

Bhatt's wife Shweta has unsuccessfully contested the assembly election as a Congress candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Maninagar constituency in Ahmedabad in 2012. PTI
rchopra@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, October 4

Describing environment protection as a pressing challenge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the need to spread public awareness about the issue and said it is vital to encourage research and innovation on subjects relating to the environment.

Modi, in a column published on Wednesday for some dailies, said people needed to talk, write, debate, discuss and deliberate as much as possible on questions relating to the environment.

At the same time, it is vital to encourage research and innovation on subjects relating to the environment. This is when more people will know about the pressing challenges of our times and ways to mitigate them, he said.

He said human beings and nature had a very special relationship and the first civilisations were established on the banks of rivers.

Societies that live in harmony with nature flourish and prosper. Today human society stands at an important crossroads. The path that we take hereon will not only determine our wellbeing but also that of the generations who will inhabit our planet after us.

The imbalances between our greed and necessities have led to grave ecological imbalances, he said.

The Prime Minister cautioned that people could accept this, go ahead with things as if it is business as usual or take corrective actions.

While the world is talking about climate change, the call for climate justice had also reverberated from India, he said.

Modi said climate justice is about safeguarding the rights and interests of the poor and marginalised sections of society who are often the biggest sufferers from the menace of climate change.

Referring to the United Nations Champions of the Earth Award presented to him, he said while he was extremely humbled at receiving the honour, he believed that this award is not for an individual.

Instead, it is recognition of the Indian culture and values, which had always placed emphasis on living in harmony with Mother Nature, he said.

It was a proud moment for every Indian to see Indias proactive role in mitigating climate change being acknowledged and appreciated, he wrote. PTI
gspannu7@gmail.com

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 4

Three decades after thousands of farmers led by BKU leader Mahendra Singh Tikait laid seize at the pristine lawns of Boat Club, forcing the then Rajiv Gandhi government into submission, the Kisan Kranti Yatra led by his son Naresh Tikait was supposed to create the same impact.

Our agitation will continue till our 21-point charter of demands is met, he had declared when the yatra was about to reach the Delhi border.

But on the night intervening Tuesday and Wednesday, after farmers were allowed to cross the border post-midnight, they quietly paid respects at the Kisan Ghat and left for their homes.

Many among the agitating farmers, who had started the 10-day yatra on September 23 from Haridwar, and also those following it closely, BKU leaders decision came as a surprise.

When on Tuesday, the police thwarted farmers attempts to enter the capital with barricades, water cannons, tear gas, and lathis, the action had received significant traction and support for them.

However, the protest was concluded even though the government refused to pay any immediate heed to their two core demandsMSP as per the C2+50 formula and complete loan waiver.

According to BKU spokesperson Dharmendra Malik, they managed to expose the anti-farmer face of the BJP-led government.

A struggle does not fructify in a day, we will surely make it bigger. Our point was to ensure that the government becomes aware of our demands and our collective strength. Our president (Naresh Tikait) has already said that PM Narendra Modi will realise our true strength in 2019, he said.



However, question marks are being raised to the almost anti-climatic end to the big build-up, especially when senior BKU leaders like Yudhvir Singh and Naresh Tikait conceded that two core demands had not been met.

The spectacular farmers show in 1988 had forced the Rajiv Gandhi government to concede to his charter of demands that included higher prices for sugarcane and waiving of electricity and water charge, observers point, adding that after they were subjected to lathis and cannon at the Delhi border, there is no way farmers would have been given the similar treatment inside Delhi.

So if saving Delhi from a similar seize was the concern, which BJP leaders  Union Minister Rajnath Singh and Gajendra Singh Shekhwat and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath  managed well, what led to the back-off.

Farmers can claim success, but the fact is the 6.1 per cent increase in MSP of wheat would have been given, with or without the protest, and likewise for other Rabi crops.

Some farmers leaders claim it was support to the protest from Opposition parties such as RLDs Ajit Singh and Congress and Rahul Gandhi that drew the curtains on it.

Speculations are rife that the BKU protest was also being supported by a section of BJP leaders from the western UP, who allowed it to carry on till the time it suited them and put an end it when it stopped suiting them.

Allowing it any further would have given Opposition leaders to take credit, which is way government representatives agreed to some demands to allow a graceful exit to the BKU.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, October 4

Sant Parkash Singh, 78, is running from pillar to post to get back his 34 acres of land (worth around Rs 5 crore) that has been transferred in the name of one Jaswant Singh.

The property mutation had taken place nine months ago on the orders of a Faridkot court, which was told that Sant Parkash Singh was an unmarried and issueless person who died in 2014 and that Jaswant Singh was the person who took care of the man before his death.

Proving himself alive is turning out to be an ordeal for Sant Parkash. Im passing through a legal nightmare to prove I am alive, married and have three children, he said.

Carrying photocopies of his and his childrens passports, PAN cards, ration card, voter cards, Aadhaar cards, bank passbooks, electricity and water bills, Sant Parkash is trying hard to prove his claim.

Owner of 272 kanals and 15 marlas of prime agriculture land at Mumara village in Faridkot, Sant Parkash said he came to know about the entire episode after he visited a revenue office to procure some documents relating to his land some days ago.

I was told my land has been transferred in the name of Jaswant Singh on the basis of an order of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, dated December 21, 2017, he said.

Stunned, I procured the court order and came to know that Jaswant Singh and Pala Singh  both of whom I had never heard of  filed cases on May 2, 2017, claiming themselves to be my legal heirs. Both these residents of Lohke Khurd village (Ferozepur) had claimed that I breathed my last on March 21, 2014. They had even produced my purported death certificate from the Ferozepur Nagar Council, he said.

They claimed I died unmarried and issueless and that they were the only persons entitled to inherit my property. While Jaswant Singh claimed I executed a will in his name on April 7, 2012, Pala Singh claimed he was my kin, he said.

On December 9, 2017, Jaswant Singh and Pala Singh purportedly reached a compromise, with Pala Singh forgoing his claim. After that, the CJM court declared Jaswant Singh the owner of the land on December 21, 2017, Sant Parkash Singh said.

On the request of Sant Parkash, a Faridkot court has already restrained Jaswant Singh from alienating the land to any person by way of mortgage, lease or sale and not raising any loan against it, but getting back the ownership of his land is still a long fight for Sant Parkash.
editorial@tribune.com

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 4

The SAD-BJP alliance seems to be divided on the move of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to merge the DSP cadre in Chandigarh with other union territories (UTs) by altering the Punjab Reorganisation Act that keeps a sharing ratio of 60:40 for Punjab and Haryana.

The SAD has rejected this notification and Union Minister Harsimrat Badal had on Wednesday approached the Home Minister to withdraw it.

However, BJP state president Shwait Malik has defended the MHA move, saying that it was aimed at providing good governance.

Malik, who is also Rajya Sabha MP, claimed that the issue was being blown out of proportion by the Congress as the move was prompted in view of altercations between local officers, resulting in insubordination.

As far as Chandigarhs claim on Punjab is concerned, the state BJP will stand by it. The recent notification issued by the MHA will bring better coordination in maintaining law and order. Capt Amarinder Singh has been giving it a political colour by projecting that it will hamper Punjabs right on Chandigarh, he said.

SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said the notification was nothing but an unjustifiable step oblivious of the history of Chandigarh, which was a contiguous and integral part of Punjab.
rajivbhatia82@gmail.com

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 4

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday met Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and protested that due to the Centres delay in taking decisions on pending issues, the state is facing financial constraints to fill the gap in food cash credit account.

During the meeting he raised apprehensions that due to the non-settlement of the issues, there would be delay in the sanctioning of cash credit limit (CCL) for the ongoing paddy season.

After the meeting, Capt Amarinder disclosed that the minister had assured of immediate release of the balance reimbursement of Rs 500 crore towards the ID Cess and purchase stock on wheat (RMS 2017-18).

The minister directed the department officials to forthwith clear Rs 400 of the pending Rs 857-crore subsidy under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) for the second and third quarter of this year, while acceding to his request for the expeditious release of Rs 435 crore of custody and maintenance charge for paddy.

Capt Amarinder also handed over a demi official (DO) letter to the minister during the meeting listing the states concern regarding the pending issues.

While we are making every effort to ensure smooth procurement of paddy, early release of pending payments by the Ministry and Food Corporation of India would help us to make timely payment to farmers and minimise, if not fully eliminate, avoidable stress on farmers, Capt Amarinder told Paswan.

Paswan was requested to direct the FCI to ensure smooth movement of stored grains, and to expedite creation of space for fresh arrivals.

Responding to a media query, he said procurement of 1 lakh quintal of grain had already been done in Punjab this season. He expressed optimism about the state controlling stubble-burning to some extent with the machines/equipment being provided to farmers on subsidised rates. He said there was law to check stubble-burning.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Vikramdeep Johal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4

Even as cross-border hostilities continue unabated, a UK-based doctor of Pakistani origin is reaching out to military families in north India. What links them all is their ancestral village, Dulmial, in Pakistans Punjab province.

I have recently established contact with the Bakshis and the Mehtas, who migrated to Dehradun after Partition. Due to our strong shared history, we are now like one family, regardless of our faith or nationality, says Dr Irfan Malik (49), a general practitioner whose parents moved from Pakistan to England in the 1960s.

Right at the main entrance to this battle-hardened village is a 202-year-old cannon, which was gifted by the British to the residents in 1925 in recognition of services rendered during World War I. Dulmial sent 460 men to the Great War, arguably a record for any village in South Asia. They included Dr Maliks great-grandfathers Subedar Mohammad Khan and Capt Ghulam Mohammad (both outlived the war and returned home).

Also among the survivors was Capt Narain Das Mehta of the Royal Army Medical Corps, grandfather of Panchkula-based realty developer Rahul Mehta (55).

There is a long list of Army officers from my extended family who have distinguished themselves over the decades, including Lt Generals Ashok Mehta and Randeep Mehta, Major Generals Deepak Mehta and Shiv K Sharma, and my father, Col Bhola Nath Mehta, says Rahul.

New Delhi resident Major Gen Shiv K Sharma (retd), now 86, has fading but fond memories of Dulmial. Other kids and I were fascinated by the cannon. We used to play around it after school, he recalls. Born in Peshawar in 1932, he regrets not being able to revisit Pakistan, largely due to the cumbersome process Indian ex-servicemen have to go through to get clearances.

Across the Radcliffe Line too, the tope wala gaon (village with the gun) has produced generation after generation of high-ranking officers in the defence services, the most prominent being World War II veteran Major Gen Nazir Ahmed Malik.

Dr Irfan Malik, who doubles as a war historian, observes that his village (and the entire Salt Range) not only has a glorious military tradition, but also a rich history of inter-faith harmony. Just a few miles away are the Katas Raj Hindu temples, besides gurdwaras and Buddhist shrines. Pilgrims from India visit every year. In 1947, Muslims helped Hindus and Sikhs leave Dulmial safely. These bonds were broken by Partition, but our love and memories cant be erased by a border, he says.

The Nottingham resident is also campaigning for a permanent national monument in the UK to remember the Muslim soldiers of both World Wars.

Prized possession
editorial@tribune.com

GS PAUL

Tribuene News Service

Amritsar, October 3

The 1984 genocide, identity crisis of Sikhs in foreign countries, visa-free access to Kartarpur Sahib corridor and racial attacks were the issues put forth by the SGPC to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres during his maiden visit to the Golden Temple on Wednesday.

The UN Secretary General paid obeisance and spent over 40 minutes inside the shrine complex. He was received by SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, Union Minister of State Hardeep Puri and Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal.

The dignitary said the visit had increased his admiration for the Sikh community. Sikhs are contributing to development in every part of the world. I want to express my deep respect for the religion and the wonderful Golden Temple, in which the spirit of peace, tolerance and ecumenism is present. I prayed here as a Catholic but all people, from all religions in the world, can pray here. Unfortunately, there are not many temples in the world where this is possible, he said.

He also visited the Akal Takht and listened to its significance told by SGPC member Kiranjot Kaur and information officer Amritpal Singh.

Later, the SGPC president presented him a replica of the Golden Temple, a shawl and a set of religious literature. Before leaving, Guterres wrote in the visitors book, I pay tributes to the Sikh community worldwide and I express my deep respect for this holy place where all religions are accepted.
editorial@tribune.com

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 3

To avert a possible split in theShiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with the Majha satraps voicing dissent and some others in the party questioning his decisions, SAD president Sukhbir Badal has begun to engage with the sons and political heirs of Akali leaders.

It is through these kakajis that he is trying to douse the political flames for it is their political future that is at stake as well. The ward of one of the rebels was reportedly given a dressing down and later an assurance that no other Akali leader would meddle in his area in Malwa. Another Akali scion was appeased with the help of his partners in sand business, sources said.

Kaka culture

In the past, the Akali Dal has often faced flak for promoting kaka culture, inducting the sons of Akali leaders into the partys youth wing.

Referred to as wade bootan wale kake (because the young Akalis just out of college were mostly seen in sneakers), many had forewarned that this practice would be the partys nemesis. During the previous term of the SAD-BJP government, when Sukhbir promoted his brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia as Youth Akali Dal (YAD) president, he simultaneously appeased senior leaders by appointing their sons as office-bearers of the partys youth wing.

Emulating his father Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir has now started visiting the homes of Akali leaders in a rebellious mood, sharing meals with them, apparently to win them back.

It is also seen as an attempt by Sukhbir to be seen as a leader who cares for all shades of opinion in his party. On Wednesday, he visited the houses of former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Avtar Singh Makkar.

In a TV debate last month, Makkar had claimed he had vehemently opposed the exoneration of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh by the Sikh high priests.

He had also said that Akali MLAs should have participated in the debate on Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on the floor of the Punjab Assembly.

Later in the day, Sukhbir reportedly visited the house of senior leader Charanjit Singh Atwal.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 4

The ruckus created during the Chief Khalsa Diwan (CKD) meeting, amidst the presence of Guru Granth Sahib has reached Akal Takht on Thursday.

A complaint has been submitted with Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh under the signatures of CKDs senior vice president Sarbjit Singh, Harminder Singh Freedom, additional secretary, and Santokh Singh Sethi.

On September 22 during the executive and general house meeting three former members, including Bhag Singh Ankhi, Avtar Singh and Dr Harbhajan Singh Soch were announced to be reinstated which had not gone down well with a group of members who reportedly created commotion.

The complainants alleged that some members not only used abusive language but also indulged in manhandling in presence of Guru Granth Sahib in the hall. Later, the police had to intervene to control the situation.

This unfortunate episode has tarnished the sanctity of Sikh principles and tenets. The guilty ones are liable to face punishment. We have appealed to Akal Takht Jathedar to desist them from taking part in the next general house meeting, they said.

The CKDs officiating president Dhanraj Singh had issued a statement on Wednesday that the persons who created uproar were neither members nor did they had any voting right yet.

Meanwhile, the next executive meeting of CKD has been fixed for October 8 to decide upon the elections scheduled in 2019.
laxmi@tribune.com

Washington, October 4

Confidence grew among President Donald Trumps fellow Republicans on Thursday that Brett Kavanaugh would win Senate confirmation to the US Supreme Court, after positive comments from two wavering lawmakers about an FBI report on accusations of sexual misconduct by the judge.

The report, sent by the White House to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the middle of the night, was denounced by Democrats as a whitewash that was too narrow in scope and ignored critical witnesses. But Republicans moved forward with plans for a key procedural vote on Friday and a final vote on Saturday on confirming the conservative federal appeals judge chosen by Trump for a lifetime job on the nations top court.

The FBI report represented the latest twist in a pitched political battle over Kavanaugh, and comments by two crucial Republican senators  Jeff Flake and Susan Collins  indicated it may have allayed concerns they had about the judge. Flake was instrumental in getting Trump to order the FBI investigation last Friday.

Republicans control the Senate by a razor-thin margin, meaning the votes of those two could be crucial in securing Kavanaughs confirmation. Collins said the investigation appeared to be thorough, while Flake said he saw no additional corroborating information against Kavanaugh, although he was still reading it.

A previously undecided Democratic Senator, Heidi Heitkamp, said she would vote against Kavanaugh, citing concerns about his past conduct and questions about his temperament, honesty and impartiality after his defiant testimony a week ago to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Heitkamps decision left Senator Joe Manchin as the only undecided Democrat. Most Democrats opposed Trumps nomination of Kavanaugh from the outset.  Reuters
laxmi@tribune.com

London/The Hague, October 4

Britain and the Netherlands accused Russia of running a global campaign of cyber attacks to undermine democracies, including a thwarted attempt to hack into the chemical weapons watchdog while it was analysing a Russian poison used to attack a spy. In some of the strongest language used by the West since the Cold War, Britain said Russia was acting like a pariah state.

The accusations were backed by other Western countries including the United States, which said Moscow must pay a price.

Russia denied what its Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called a diabolical perfume cocktail of allegations by someone with a rich imagination. But the accusations deepen Moscows isolation at a time when its diplomatic ties with the West have been downgraded over the poisoning of an ex-spy in England and it is under US and EU sanctions over its actions in Ukraine.

The British and Dutch accusations were unveiled as NATO defence ministers gathered in Brussels to present a united front to their Cold War-era foe. This is not the actions of a great power, these are the actions of a pariah state, British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson told reporters.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said he agreed with the British and Dutch assessments. Russia must pay a price and a number of response options were available, he said.

EU officials said in a statement that Russias aggressive act demonstrated contempt for the solemn purpose of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Dutch authorities said they had disrupted an attempt to hack into the Hague-based OPCW in April. At the time, the watchdog was investigating both the poison used to attack ex-spy Sergei Skripal in Britain and chemical weapons which the West says were used in Syria by Russias ally President Bashar al-Assad.

Four Russians arrived in the Netherlands on April 10 and were caught three days later with spying equipment at a hotel located next to the OPCW headquarters, the Dutch military intelligence agency said.

The men had planned to travel on to a laboratory in Spiez, Switzerland, used by the OPCW to analyse samples, Dutch Major-General Onno Eichelsheim said. They were expelled to Russia.

The Netherlands released copies of passports of the four men, which identified them as Alexey Minin, Oleg Sotnikov, Evgenii Serebriakov and Aleksei Morenets, all in their 30s or 40s. Reuters was not immediately able to contact them.

Russian military intelligence is active here in the Netherlands ... where a lot of international organisations are (based), Eichelsheim said.

In a separate case on Thursday, a Norwegian court extended for a second two-week period the detention of a Russian citizen suspected of spying on Norways parliament. Norway arrested Mikhail Bochkaryov on Sept. 21 as he was about to fly out of the country. Moscow says he is a Russian parliamentary staff member and has demanded Oslo lift the absurd charges.  Reuters

GRU is cyber aggressor: Britain
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 4

Days after being appointed as Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad is undertaking his first official visit to the region to find ways to reach a settlement with the Taliban in the war-torn country.

A former US Ambassador to Kabul and Baghdad, Khalilzad will lead an interagency delegation to Afghanistan, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia from October 4-14.

Khalilzad had accompanied Secretary of State Michael Pompeo during his flying visit to Islamabad enroute India for the inaugural 2+2 dialogue.

"Special Representative Khalilzad's mission is to coordinate and lead U.S. efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. He will do so in close coordination with the Afghan government and other stakeholders, exploring how best to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict," said a State Department statement.

Khalilzad, an American national, belongs to the Pashtun community with a deep understanding of Afghan sensitivities. He served four US administrations in the past and worked closely with Bush administration in formulating the Afghanistan invasion plan to defeat Al Qaeda after 9/11 attacks that also ousted the Taliban command. He has been a known critic of Pakistan and sought for it to be declared a terrorist state on several occasions. Pakistani Foreign Minister S M Qureshi who held official meetings in DC this week with Pompeo and US NSA Bolton among others, expressed his country's concerns at Khalilzad's vocal criticisms.

"He's been given a new role, and I hope, I would urge him to be more sensitive to opinion in Pakistan," Qureshi responded to a specific query during an interaction at the Washington based think tank U.S. Institute of Peace. "Obviously as individuals we can say what we want, but once you have an official position you have to be more restrained and you have to be more sensitive, because only (then) can you be an honest broker," he added.

"In particular, Secretary Pompeo emphasised the important role Pakistan could play in bringing about a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan. The Secretary agreed that there was momentum to advance the Afghan peace process, and that the Afghan Taliban should seize the opportunity for dialogue," State Department spokespeson Heather Nuaert said about the Qureshi-Pompeo meeting.

Khalilzad's first trip since his return to the State Department in a crucial portfolio 'reflects the Administration's intent to support, facilitate, and participate in a peace process in Afghanistan' added the formal release today.
The state of emergency (SoE) will come to an end almost two weeks earlier than expected, as Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has announced that the SoE will be lifted when Parliament meets on Wednesday.

The SoE was set to legally expire on November 29.

It was originally declared by President Paula-Mae Weekes on May 15.

On May 24, it was extended for three months.
Our country is in a state of heightened political consciousness arising out of the mess that was made of the attempt to appoint a new police commissioner.

This state of uncertainty will continue to arise periodically as long as we fail to recognise that it is in the interest of the political directorate of both parties to keep the population at loggerheads.
North of about Bundaberg, it's wet season, cyclone season and deadly stinger season. You cannot swim in the sea without wearing a stinger suit. The northern GBR is not ideal at that time of year but it is doable, you just need to be prepared.

The other problem is that you lose the best part of a day flying NZ to Aus, and the best part of a day flying Sydney to Cairns. Presumably you are flying home from Sydney, so that means a return flight from Cairns. That means you've lost 3 of your 6 days. Can you fly home from Cairns instead?

You might also like to consider the southern GBR. Look up Lady Elliott Island and Heron Island. No stingers that far south.

Sydney between Christmas and New Year is going to be hugely expensive and most hotels require 5 nights minimum at that time of year. Have a look for accommodation before you commit.

In my opinion, 6 days in Australia is not worth it. Spend your entire 3 weeks in one country or the other. NZ needs 2 weeks South Island and 1 week North Island. Australia is geographically 30 times larger than NZ. Food for thought.
We are a couple of 62 year olds, seasoned travelers, first time to Vietnam. We have sixteen nights in Vietnam starting with four nights in Hanoi. From there Im looking at a two-night stay on Halong Bay. They will pick us up in Hanoi and the boat leaves from Haiphong. After that a flight to Danang and a car directly to Hue for two nights.

Id originally planned a couple of nights in Ninh Binh but after more research have kind of lost interest. Also looked at Sapa but looks like more trekking than were up for.

After Hue we have four nights in Hoi An. Then a flight to HCMC for two nights. We fly home from HCMC. This plan leaves us with two nights extra. Should we do two nights on the Mekong Delta? Or is there another interesting destination in Northern Vietnam perhaps?

Any input would be welcome, thanks!
I have a trip to Japan next Spring, and my last full day will be April 10th in Toyama. I was originally planning to do the Tateyama Alpine trip up to Murodo, but it turns out that it is usually not open, or is only partially open on the 10th, and doesn't usually open until about the 15th. Unfortunately, I can't postpone the trip, but one apparent option seems to be going up to the Midagahara Wetlands, which is about 1900m and which tends to open right on or around the 10th, a week before the full route is open. Naturally, the best views seem to be further up than that, but as that probably isn't an option, I wanted to see if anyone else had done this trip, and if it was worth the time, or if I should just plan to do something else on that day.

Also, since I'm staying in Toyama for the last couple of days of my trip, something else that I was frustrated by is that all of the tutorials for the Tateyama/Kurobe Alpine route seem to be one way, and a lot of the transportation/passes to the top of the mountain seem to make it sound like you can't really get to the top and go back down the same way you came from if you plan to see both Murodo and the Kurobe Dam. If anyone knows how I could, theoretically, start in Toyama and end in Toyama while getting to see both Kurobe and Murodo, or at least Murodo, that would be super helpful.

Lastly, if people have first-hand price information on just getting to Midagahara and back. From what I'm seeing, it seems like it'll be roughly 6000yen to get there and back down, which is fairly steep considering that the full trip is about 9000yen.
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- President Uhuru dismissed claims by Western countries that China was exploiting Africa

- He said China was successfully and mutually developing Africa through taking advantage of valuable opportunities ignored by European countries

- He said China had seen value in African sectors and the local States were also benefiting from bilateral ties

- Kenya engaged China to build the multi-billion Standard Gauge Railway

- 72% of Kenya's foreign and bilateral debts amounting to KSh 5 trillion are owed to China

Despite massive outcry by Kenyans over domination of key sectors by the Chinese citizens, President Uhuru Kenyatta has defended the relationship between the Asian giant and Africa saying it is beneficial for both parties.

Uhuru's two tenures have seen intensified ties between Beijing and Nairobi through multi-billion projects like Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line construction and foreign borrowing which has contributed to an influx of Chinese citizens in the country.

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READ ALSO: Huyu ndiye jamaa ambaye huenda akawa gavana wa Migori Obado aking'olewa

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma during the UN General Assembly in New York, USA. Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta/Facebook.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: William Ruto dismisses Raila's referendum calls, claims was never part of handshake deal with Uhuru

Speaking during the UN General Assembly in New York USA on Thursday, September 27, Uhuru dismissed claims that China was exploiting Africa, saying the Asian giant was merely putting to good use investment opportunities in the continent.

He instead argued that Beijing had taken advantage of existing valuable opportunities which the West ignored when it dominated as Africa's traditional development partners.

"Africa is not just opening its doors to China. China has seen opportunities in Africa. They have seen returns from various sectors. This is what we have been telling our traditional friends, said Uhuru.

President Uhuru Kenyatta said China was not exploting Africa but utilising development opportunities ignored by the West. Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta/Facebook.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Uhurus secret as he sets out to meet three powerful world leaders in a week

The president who flew to Asia and held talks with Chinese President Xi Jingping between Saturday, September 1 and Wednesday, September 5, said ties between China and Africa went deeper than financial engagements.

As at March 2018, Kenya's public debt exceeded the KSh 5 trillion mark with 72% of the amount being owed to China.

Kenyans have in the recent past raised concern of a high number of Chinese in numerous economic sectors taking over their jobs and mistreating them as labourers in the construction of the SGR line.

The government was forced to deport one racist Chinese national who arrogantly called Uhuru and all Kenyans monkeys and arrested others who were engaging in prostitution in a brothel in South B, Nairobi.

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Kenya News Today: Ken Okoth Is Fighting For Marijuana Legalization | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko.co.ke
Celebrated Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana has burst the bubble of Kenyans who want him to put on gloves and get into the ring in the bout for the presidency in 2022.

The governor whose rare humility and development track record has wowed many, hinted for the first time his desire to retire from public service.

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READ ALSO: "Kwaheri"- Joey Muthengi aaga mtangazaji mwenzake wa Citizen TV

Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana seated on the rough pavement as he shares a light moment with unidentified women. Photo: Kivutha Kibwana/Facebook.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Kenyans endorse Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana for 2022 presidency

"Public life is a life of service; it is missionary work. In Makueni, we listen to one another so that we can build consensus on how we want to develop.

"I enjoy sitting, talking and walking with our people. When I leave public life, I will dearly miss this aspect of my public political life," he said in a post seen by TUKO.co.ke on Wednesday, October 3.

The announcement came as a surprise especially to a section of Kenyans who are apparently impressed by his work in changing lives of Makueni residents on many fronts.

For sometimes now, the governor's official Facebook page has played host, literally, to a number of Kenyans who have vowed to 'force' the former university law professor to run for the presidency in 2022.

READ ALSO: Hawkers surprise Makueni Governor Kibwana with a gift on his birthday

And this they have said in one loud voice, and not even the latest indication of his retirement will dampen their spirit as they urged Kibwana to roll up his sleeves and pick up from where President Uhuru Kenyatta will leave.

"Governor, I know you plan to retire from active politics at the end of this term but can we do this social experiment please, announce your candidature for presidency, make sure your name is on the ballot papers then go home and rest. Don't even campaign. I'm trying to see something," one Gikonyo Kelvin Bwana urged.

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Migori Residents Demand The Release of Okoth Obado - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko News
- The legislatures are expected to accompany the Speaker to the washrooms

- Kiambu Woman Rep will demonstrate how she heard her colleagues talk about receiving bribes

- The Powers and Privileges committee is set to visit the toilets on Tuesday, October 9

- MPs were accused of receiving bribes to shoot down contaminated sugar report

The National Assembly Speaker Justine Muturi has vowed not to leave any stone unturned in the ongoing probe of MPs bribery allegations to shoot down the report on contaminated sugar.

On Tuesday, October 9, the Powers and Privileges committee led by Muturi will visit the female MPs toilets to collect evidence following the allegations.

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READ ALSO: Mbunge wa Jubilee adaiwa kumpiga mkewe baada ya kumkashifu kwa kumuambukiza ugonjwa wa zinaa

Speaker Justine Muturi will visit the toilets on Tuesday, October 9, to collect evidence of bribery claims. Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Killer cop Hesy wa Dandora reveals 2 deadly Nairobi gangsters with connections to high offices

"Many of us were a bit unclear as to how somebody could be able to go to the loo and at the same time hear others discussing the story but based on the way she (Wamuchomba) said it, I think its fair that we go there to get the impression of how she heard them converse," said Muturi.

The Speaker is set to visit the female washrooms after Kiambu Woman Representative Gathoni Wamuchomba said she heard colleagues talking in the toilet about receiving bribes to reject the report.

While appearing before the committee, Wamchomba said she heard unidentified MPs say they received the money from her Wajir counterpart Fatuma Gedi.

READ ALSO: Arrest of Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu shocked Uhuru - Kalonzo Musyoka

The legislature said she could not identify the voices because they went mute as she received a phone call which scared them.

Wamchomba is expected to demonstrate to the panel how things transpired in the toilets.

The lawmakers were accused of receiving between KSh 10,000 to KSh 30,000 to reject the report which was implicating and recommending some government leaders take responsibility for the contaminated sugar.

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Sandwich With Bacon: The Great Chef Rachels Recipe On Tuko Bites | Tuko Lifestyle

Source: Breaking News
One of a parents worst nightmare as far as child upbringing is concerned is to raise a child who does not value religion and education.

But what happens when the child believes in religion to the extent it is interfering with the desire to get a decent education?

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READ ALSO: Mbunge wa Jubilee adaiwa kumpiga mkewe baada ya kumkashifu kwa kumuambukiza ugonjwa wa zinaa

There is a particular church in Mombasa where children have learnt that there is no need for school

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Dangerous side effects of constantly wearing weaves every lady who loves herself should know

This is the exact predicament facing a section of children from a Mombasa-based church, who have shunned school for religious reasons.

In a video seen by TUKO.co.ke that is fast going viral, the minors led by a pre-teen explain that they do not value education for the simple fact that the Bible does not encourage it.

READ ALSO: ODM says it will kick out two rebel Coast MPs backing Rutos 2022 presidential bid

The children who are being questioned by an astonished adult confidently denounces school, adding that their parents have no say in their decisions because they are religious.

READ ALSO: Kajiado Senator kicked out of Churchill live show for misconduct

"We don't go to school, we don't go to hospital because they are ways of the world," one confident child sensationally declared.

According to the little ones, education is not part of God's plans so they do not prioritise it.

The children claimed to belong to the Good News International (GNI), although TUKO.co.ke could not independently verify the claims.

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Kenya News Today: Ken Okoth Is Fighting For Marijuana Legalization | Tuko TV:

Source: Kenya Breaking News Today
-The bank was ranked position 44 globally based on profits on capital

- It was placed at position 799 globally with KSh 84.8 billion in Tier 1 capital

- The lender emerged top in Kenya based on the return on assets

Equity Bank Group has emerged in the top 50 most stable banks in the world in terms of Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), a measure of the bank's financial stability.

The lender was ranked 35th globally and first in Kenya according to The Banker Magazine's annual report of the top 1000 banks in the world.

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READ ALSO: Equity Bank nets KSh 5.9 billion in first 4 months of 2018

Equity Bank Group was ranked 35th most stable lender globally in terms of capital adequacy ratio top in Kenya based on the Return on Assets.

Source: Getty Images

READ ALSO: KCB, Equity, Cooperative and StanChart banks fined KSh 393 million for facilitating NYS season 2

The report seen by TUKO.co.ke on Thursday, October 4, indicated Equity Bank was number 799 in the world with KSh 84.8 billion in Tier 1 capital, the bank's core capital which comprises of equity and disclosed reserves.

According to the report, Equity Bank moved seven places up from 806th position in 2017 under the Tier 1 capital category.

READ ALSO: Equity bank contacts and branches in Kenya

The Kenyan lender, the report showed, was ranked position 44 globally based on profits on capital, a banks profitability on Tier 1 capital.

The bank emerged top in Kenya based on the return on assets, an indicator of how profitable a bank is in relation to its total assets.

READ ALSO: This Are The Faces Behind 791 Million NYS Scandal

The 2018 global ranking was an indication that Equity Bank remained robust despite the challenging operating environment.

The lender has already developed and adopted a sustainable business model to cushion the business as well as boost value creation for shareholders.

Innovation has proven to be a great enabler in driving growth for the bank which is already registering efficiency gains from digitisation.

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Small Business Ideas for Kenyans With Low Investment - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko.co.ke
Things are finally looking up for Ugandan beauty Zari Hassan as the mother of five has been named Uganda's tourism ambassador.

TUKO.co.ke understands Zari in conjunction with her country's Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife struck a deal to promote the country to the world.

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READ ALSO: Mbunge wa Jubilee adaiwa kumpiga mkewe baada ya kumkashifu kwa kumuambukiza ugonjwa wa zinaa

READ ALSO: Zari Hassan calls her kids monkeys in birthday message to ex-hubby Diamond Platinumz

Through a Twitter post shared by Sudhir Byaruhanga, TUKO.co.ke learnt Diamond Platinumz's ex-wife landed the lucrative deal during her brief visit to her motherland.

The beauty had actually hinted to her fans she was working on a sweet deal with the Tourism Ministry through a brief Instagram post.

READ ALSO: Zari's Uganda party attended by multitude days after only 8 people graced her London event

"Planning something big at the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife Uganda with Minister Godfrey Kiwanda. For the love of my beloved country," she wrote.

The mother of five recently traveled to Uganda to throw a birthday bash which was attended by her close friends and family members.

After years of throwing all white themed parties, she stated she was finally moving on to greater things.

Zari, who has appeared to be struggling with her public breakup with Diamond, is finally getting her groove back.

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Kenya News Today: Why Kenyans Love Avocados | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko
- Matiang'i has continued issuing warnings over Migingo row which emerged in 2009

- Several leaders have held talks over the disputed island but no peace has been forthcoming

- Uganda police stormed the island, terrorised residents and lowered Kenyan flag

- Kenya fishermen have severally complained of maltreatment by Uganda police

- Matiang'i said Uganda should not expect peace if it can't give the same to Kenyans

Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Fred Matiang'i has demanded that Ugandan authorities embrace mutual respect in a move to end the escalating war over ownership of Migingo Island.

Matiang'i made the remarks on Wednesday, October 3, in Kisii where he decried unending harassment of Kenyan fishermen on Lake Victoria by Uganda police.

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READ ALSO: Mbunge wa Jubilee adaiwa kumpiga mkewe baada ya kumkashifu kwa kumuambukiza ugonjwa wa zinaa

CS Matiang'i has continued issuing warnings to Uganda police over Migingo row which emerged in 2009. Photo: CS Matiang'i

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Kenyan police manning disputed Migingo island chased like stray dogs by Ugandan counterparts

Kenya, the CS said, was a good friend to Uganda but expressed concern that the tiff over ownership of the fish-rich rock had seen Kampala loose respect.

"Respect is two ways. You can not be fighting us and you want us to give you peace. we will protect our people by all means," warned Matiang'i.

READ ALSO: Raila to hold talks with Museveni over Migingo Island dispute between Kenya and Uganda

The CS has more than once given similar warnings to Ugandan authorities but his tough talk seem to be falling on deaf ears.

In September 2018, two Ugandan soldiers were arrested in Busia after they crossed into Kenya and opened fire.The, two were pursuing a vehicle carrying fish.

In September 2018, two Ugandan soldiers were arrested in Busia after they crossed into Kenya and opened fire. The, two were pursuing a vehicle (pictured) carrying fish. Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

Earlier, Uganda police stormed Migingo Island where they terrorised fishermen, fishmongers and also lowered the Kenyan flag on the rock.

The security chief, however, maintained that the government will resort to swift measures in protecting its citizens.

"A good neighbour does not disturb others and always embraces understanding. We will work day and night to ensure the safety of our people," added Matiang'i.

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Shosh Cecilia Story Continues: Shosh Cecilia Gets New Teeth | Tuko TV.

Source: Tuko
- Wa Iria threatened to divert water flowing to Nairobi from Ndakaini Dam in Murang'a

- Sonko said Nairobi owns Ndakaini Dam and has its title deed

- He claimed Murang'a leaders were using water to seek political mileage

- Governor Wa Iria, he said, has illegal buildings erected in Nairobi City

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko on Thursday, October 4, dared Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria to make good his threat to shutdown water supply to the capital city.

Sonko made the remarks during the opening of Nairobi Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) show where he charged that Nairobi county fully procured Ndakaini Dam hosted in Murang'a.

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READ ALSO: Murang'a Governor Wa Iria incites residents against paying water bills in bid to cripple water companies

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has dared Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria to make good his threat to shutdown water supply to the capital city. Photo: Governor Sonko

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Government reads riot act to Murang'a governor over battle to control water resources

The remarks come in the wake of a heated water war where Wa Iria has demanded the government to pay Murang'a KSh 2 billion annually for water it draws from the dam.

"Nairobi County has full ownership of Ndakaini Dam and we have a title deed to it. However, our main source of water is Chania river and also the Aberdare hills which are in Nyandarua county," said Sonko.

READ ALSO: Muranga governor demands KSh 2 billion from water flowing to Nairobi, dismisses water minister

Murang'a, the Nairobi governor added, was just a host of the Ndakaini Dam.

The only governors who can claim compensation for the water, Sonko said, were Nyeri and Nyandarua's since the water originated from their areas of jurisdiction.

He called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to rein in on the situation claiming leaders from Murang'a had politicised the issue which they were using to seek political mileage.

Sonko also alleged that he was aware of several buildings in Nairobi erected on road reserves by governor Wa Iria.

Sonko also alleged that he was aware of several buildings in Nairobi erected on road reserves by Governor Wa Iria (pictured). Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Government reads riot act to Murang'a governor over battle to control water resources

Wa Iria eyes taking control of water companies in Murang'a.

This attempt has seen him receiving a lashing from the national government which has asked him to act swiftly on the escalating issue as he is overstepping his mandate.

Water CS Simon Chelugui on Tuesday, October 2, described Wa Iria as hardheaded claiming he had snubbed all meetings aimed at resolving the water stand-off.

Chelugui also castigated the governor for what he termed as rallying citizens against the government by asking them not to pay their water bills.

Murang'a county leadership has, however, vowed not to relent on its quest to protect its resources even if it involves armed warfare.

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Mike Sonko Exposes Pumwani Hospital | Tuko TV.

Source: Tuko Breaking News
- First Lady Melania Trump is expected in Kenya on Thursday, October 4

- Kenya Airports Authority advised travellers to be at JKIA at least three hours before departure time

- This will allow enough time for airport security checks

Kenya Airports Authority has announced one of the terminals at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) will be closed during the arrival and departure of United States First Lady Melania Trump.

Terminal Two will be closed on Thursday, October 4, from 5:30pm to 9pm when the plane carrying the US First Lady will touch down.

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READ ALSO: Couple goals as Barrack Obama pens sweet message to wife on their 26th wedding anniversary

The First Lady arrived in Ghana on Tuesday, October 2.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: US First Lady Melania Trump set for October 2018 visit to Kenya

A statement released by KAA indicated the terminal will also be closed on Saturday, October 6, from midnight to 9am when Melania will be leaving the country.

During this time, all the domestic flight operations handled at T2 will be handled at JKIAs Terminal 1D," read the statement.

"Terminal 1E (T1E) will be used for international arrivals and Terminal 1B (T1B) for international departures, KAA said.

READ ALSO: US First Lady Melania Trump touches down on shithole Africa ahead of Kenya visit

Melania will watch a performance by Sarakasi dancers in the company of Margret Kenyatta.

Source: UGC

The authority also advised travellers to be at the airport at least three hours before departure time to allow enough time for airport security checks.

The First Lady who is on her maiden trip to Africa will be in the country for two days to highlight US support in early childhood education, wildlife conservation and HIV protection.

The 48-year-old Melania will also watch a performance by the Sarakasi dancers accompanied by her Kenyan counterpart, Margret Kenyatta.

READ ALSO: US First Lady scolded for lauding Margaret Kenyattas beyond zero campaign

During her African tour which kicked off on Tuesday, October 2, when she landed in Ghana, she will also visit two other countries, Egypt and Malawi.

Melania's first meeting with Margaret was met with heavy criticisms from Americans after she lauded Kenya's First Lady's Beyond Zero campaign aimed at mitigating health challenges.

Prior reports by TUKO.co.ke indicated the majority of American citizens accused the US First Lady of preaching water and drinking wine, citing the forceful separation of children from parents seeking asylum in America.

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Breaking News: Obado to spend more days behind bars | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko
- Kivutha Kibwana has a Bachelors degree in law and three Masters degrees

- He has two Masters Degree in Law from University of London and Harvard University and another one in theological studies

- The county chief pursued a Doctorate of Philosophy in law from George Washington University

- The alumni of Machakos Boys' High School served as Makueni MP

- Kibwana was also Minister of Lands and Settlements, Environment and Natural Resources and Defence

- The governor was also an advisor of former President Mwai Kibaki

Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana whose first term in 2013 was nearly terminated prematurely by rogue Members of County Assembly (MCAs) has proven he is the best county chief in the country.

Kibwana has overseen implementation of brilliant and otherwise herculean projects which have not only won hearts of his 46 counterparts who went to learn the ropes of prosperity there, but also Kenyans who have 'forcefully' endorsed him for the presidency in 2022.

READ ALSO: Makueni governor wins Kenyans' hearts with rare show of humility during book donation to ECD pupils

Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana interacts with women. He said he would miss public life when he quits politics as it enabled him interact and understand people. Photo: Kivutha Kibwana/Facebook.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: 11 non-Jubilee politician from Coast dancing to William Rutos political tune

In more than one heartwarming occasion, Kibwana, an exemplary scholar with the highest academic award of professorship has showed he cannot be drunk with power if rare shows of humility as captured in photos are anything to go by.

TUKO.co.ke dug into his Curriculum Vitae and unlike many Kenyan politicians who sound intelligent and affluent until their tattered academic backgrounds are exposed, Kibwana is a scholar par excellence.

He is an alumni of Machakos Boys' High School where he pursued his O and A level studies between 1969 and 1973.

Between 1973 and 1976, Kibwana did his Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Nairobi (UoN) which he followed up with a Masters of Law from the University of London from 1976 to -1977.

Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana mingles with pupils of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) during a book donation fair. Photo: Kivutha Kibwana/Facebook.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Ruto is jittery because I have him by the balls, hints at vying in 2022 - Raila Odinga

In his first Masters degree, he specialised in Comparative Constitutional Laws of the Commonwealth, Law of Natural Resources Africa South of the Sahara, Principles of Civil Litigation, Jurisprudence and Legal Theory

Showing an uncommon hunger for knowledge, the county chief did another Masters of Law degree at Harvard University (USA).

Here, he specialised in Anthropological Approaches to Law, International Business Transactions, Labour Law, U.S.A. Constitutional Law and Foreign Investment in Natural Resources

Between August 1985 and May 1988, Kibwana pursued a PhD at George Washington University, USA (SJD) specilaising in International Law, International Human Rights Law, Comparative Law, Jurisprudence and Legal Theory.

Many Kenyans have expressed their admiration of Kivutha Kibwana who is also Wiper Democratic Movement party chairman urging him to contest for presidency in 2022. Photo: UGC.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Terminal Two to be closed during US First Lady's arrival

Kibwana then did a Masters degree in Theological Studies at Africa International University which he completed in 2013.

The county chief served in various capacities in the School of Law of University of Nairobi where he taught.

In politics, Kibwana served as MP of Makueni constituency, Minister of Lands and Settlements, Environment and Natural Resources and Defence.

He was also the presidential advisor (Constitutional, Parliamentary and Youth affairs) in the office of the president during the tenure of former Head of State Mwai Kibaki before he was elected a governor in 2013 and reelected in 2017.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

When Uhuru, Ruto and Raila Met at State House - On Tuko TV

Source: Kenyan Breaking News
- Uhuru signed a peace pact with Raila to end politics and give room for unity and development

- Ruto's camp had reservations on the Uhuru-Raila pact, fearing it could be a political scheme

- The DP nevertheless kept his cool and even started supporting the Building Bridges initiative

- However, repeated announcements by ODM party that Raila would vie in 2022 irked the DP

- Coupled with demands for a fresh referendum to amend the Constitution, Ruto lost his cool

- He called Raila a conman scheming to eject him out of Jubilee party through the handshake

President Uhuru Kenyatta has chosen to steer clear of politics even as his deputy William Ruto and Opposition leader Raila Odinga went for each other's neck in a renewed political storm surrounding the March 9, 2018 peace deal.

Uhuru, who has on different occasions called on the local leaders to shelve politics until 2022 to give space for development and service delivery, opted to say nothing more about the persistent and premature politicking.

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READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday, October 4, addressed the public but kept off politics of the day spearheaded by his deputy William Ruto and Opposition leader Raila Odinga.Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Details of Uhuru, Raila's new agreement

Addressing the public on Thursday, October 4, during the Nairobi Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) Show at Jamhuri Grounds, Nairobi, Uhuru completely kept off the handshake politics and instead talked about the plight of poor farmers demanding their pay.

The money meant to pay maize farmers was in the budget last year. We know it is the people at the NCPB who, instead of paying farmers that toiled on their farms for maize to sell in order to educate their children, went and paid a few wealthy individuals and traders, he said.

READ ALSO: You've betrayed people who died fighting for you - Miguna blasts Raila after meeting Uhuru

The president's decision to distance himself from the politics of the day could be because he is trying to keep his cordial relationship with Raila, for the sake of the unity agreement, while at the same time standing with and supporting his deputy, Ruto.

TUKO.co.ke understands the president is caught in the middle as the ODM leader and the DP openly clash with each pushing for a different political agenda.

READ ALSO: Ambassador Robert Godec meets Raila days after Harambee House peace deal

One of the areas where Uhuru has found himself between a rock and a hard place was is on the reignited referendum debate.

Whereas Raila is pushing for a plebiscite to amend the Constitution, Ruto has made it clear he will not support any attempt to amend the law.

Whichever side Uhuru decides to take, there will be political ramifications.

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When Uhuru, Ruto and Raila Met at State House - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko News
- The political analyst said time was right for Kenyans to change the Constitution

- Referendum calls kicked off after Raila Odinga indicated it will be done before 2022 elections

- The ODM leader said Building Bridges Task Force was collecting views of Kenyans about it

- DP William Ruto dismissed Raila's calls saying it was not part of the handshake

- Kalonzo Musyoka, Moses Wetang'ula and Musalia Mudavadi have opposed the referendum calls

- Some leaders across the political divide have supported it to help reduce the national budget

Political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi has backed calls for a referendum saying Opposition leader Raila Odinga is right in his quest for constitutional change.

The political commentator said the time was right for Kenya to initiate a plebiscite saying the 2010 Constitution was half-baked.

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READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake

READ ALSO: Moses Wetang'ula leads western Kenya MPs in dismissing Railas push for referendum

"We ate half-baked Constitution. Now we are politically constipated. We must change the Constitution," said Ngunyi in his Twitter post.

The referendum calls kicked off after Raila asked Kenyans to prepare for another voting exercise ahead of the 2022 General Election.

The former premier said the Task Force on the Building Bridges Initiative had already started collecting views of Kenyans on the possibility of a referendum.

READ ALSO: The time is ripe for referendum to cut wastage of public funds - Moses Kuria

Deputy President William Ruto earlier dismissed Raila's claims saying Constitution amendment was not part of the handshake agreement between the ODM leader and President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Party leaders who have opposed Raila's plebiscite calls include Wiper's Kalonzo Musyoka, Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya's Moses Wetang'ula.

The referendum shall be a major political showdown between Ruto and Raila ahead of the 2022 elections. Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Kalonzo and Mudavadi strongly oppose Railas referendum push

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria said Kenyans needed a constitutional change to reduce the number of elected leaders as a means of cutting down on the high national budget.

Governors including Mombasa's Hassan Joho and his Busia counterpart Sospeter Ojaamong have supported the move to help counties receive a large allocation of the national budget.

Already, Thirdway Alliance party leader Ekuru Aukot has collected over 500,000 signatures from Kenyans, half of the one million required by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). to kick-start a plebiscite via popular initiative.

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Sandwich With Bacon: The Great Chef Rachels Recipe On Tuko Bites | Tuko Lifestyle

Source: Tuko
Companies across the world marked the annual Customer Service Week in different creative ways.

In Kenya, some companies treated people with free goodies in different towns and locations, just to make the week special.

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READ ALSO: Mombasa man surprises many by celebrating death of musician who allegedly conned him

READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake

READ ALSO: Kericho man hits son to death for refusing to go to school

Well, battery manufacturing and selling company Chloride Exide was not left behind in the whole thing.

Unlike most companies, the battery maker decided to mark the Customer Service Week by sparing a day to celebrate women in the best way possible.

The company's male employees stationed in Nairobi on Thursday, October 4, cracked ribs on social media after ditching their suits and ties and sliding in ladies' wear.

READ ALSO: 17 hottest Kenyan old school hit songs that will never fade

From the CEO to junior male employees, all donned dresses and other ladies' clothes as they checked in to work.

TUKO.co.ke learnt the company decided to honour women with the attires to support their health especially breast cancer.

Well, some of them killed the looks and clearly looked like women while others could barely manage to loose their masculinity despite the change of clothes.

READ ALSO: 7 powerful photos which best define governor Kivutha Kibwana's humility

The company dubbed the day Cross Dress Thursday.

Photos of the male employees in women clothes went viral online and excited countless Kenyans.

However, other picked issue with them claiming the move was very tasteless and inconsiderate.

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Migori Residents Demand The Release of Okoth Obado - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko.co.ke
- The US First Lady is scheduled to arrive in Kenya on the evening of Thursday, October 4

- She will arrive after making a stop over in Malawi after leaving Ghana

- Donald Trump expressed pride in how the First Lady was handling her maiden trip to Africa

The United States of America President, Donald Trump, is proud of his wife First Lady Melania after she embarked on her maiden tour of four African countries.

Trump noted Melania was receiving an amazing amount of love from Africa, something that made him happy.

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READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake

Melania first landed in Ghana where she was warmly received by Ghana's First Lady Rebbecca Akufo-Addo.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: 10 Stunning photos of Melania Trump and Margaret Kenyatta during US visit

In a tweet seen by TUKO.co.ke, the 45th president of US said his wife was handling her first trip to the continent exceptionally well.

As Kenya prepares to receive the US First Lady on Thursday, October 4, Trump noted it was beautiful to watch her while in Africa.

"Our countrys great First Lady, Melania, is doing really well in Africa. The people love her, and she loves them! It is a beautiful thing to see," wrote Trump.

READ ALSO: US First Lady Melania Trump set for October 2018 visit to Kenya

Melania first landed in Ghana where she was warmly received by Ghana's First Lady Rebbecca Akufo-Addo.

Source: Facebook

Melania embarked on her maiden trip to Africa on Tuesday, October 2, and first landed in Ghana where she was warmly received by the country's First Lady Rebbecca Akufo-Addo.

While in Ghana, she visited new mothers at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and gifted them with small teddy bears and blankets labeled with the logo for her Be Best children's welfare initiative.

Melani then made a stop over in Malawi on Thursday, October 4, where she visited a number of primary schools benefiting from US assistance and handed over another 1.4 million books through an American funded national reading program.

READ ALSO: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Terminal Two to be closed during US First Lady's arrival

She will then land in Kenya where she will spend two days in the country to highlight US support in early childhood education, wildlife conservation and HIV protection.

The 48-year-old US First Lady will also watch a performance by the Sarakasi dancers accompanied by her Kenyan counterpart, Margret Kenyatta.

She will finally wrap-up her four-nation tour in Egypt and Malawi.

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: Ken Okoth Is Fighting For Marijuana Legalization | Tuko TV

Source: Kenya Breaking News Today
- Governor Wa Iria had threatened to disconnect water connectivity to Nairobi

- He said the county does not benefit for water Nairobi county draws from it

- The governor vowed to use all means to protect water in Murang'a's Ndakaini Dam

- The water stand-off has since caused an acute water shortage in Murang'a

- Sonko said Murang'a is just a host of Ndakaini Dam and not a water source

- Nairobi County, he said, fully procured the dam and has its original title deed

- He vowed not pay Murang'a a cent, claiming that Nairobi does not trade in water

- The fee charged, he said, ensures water reaches Nairobi, Machakos and Kiambu counties

A showdown could be in the offing between Nairobi and Murang'a counties as the two devolved units continue to wade deeper in the heated politics of water.

TUKO.co.ke understands that a section of Murang'a leaders led by Governor Mwangi Wa Iria have pressed upon the government to pay KSh 2 billion yearly for water Nairobi draws from Ndakaini Dam in Gatanga Sub-county.

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READ ALSO: Government reads riot act to Murang'a governor over battle to control water resources

Sonko maintains Murang'a is just a host of Ndakaini dam and not a source of the water. Photo: Governor Sonko

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Pasta akamatwa akifanya maombi na wanawake 7 wakiwa uchi nyumbani kwake

In statement, Nairobi governor Mike Sonko told off Wa Iria for his demands stating he (Sonko) had no revenue to share with Murang'a.

"It should be understood that the Nairobi City County does not sell water but charges for the cost of making the water potable, therefore we are not taxing water hence no revenue for sharing with anybody," said the Nairobi governor.

READ ALSO: Muranga Water Company hits governor Wa Iria hard, disconnects water to his school

Leaders from the Wa Iria led county have been demanding for 25% of proceeds the government accrues for the supply of water it taps from Murang'a's Ndakaini Dam..

The governor has also lamented that counties like Turkana benefit from oil proceeds but wondered why Murang'a never accrues any benefits from its water.

In his response, Sonko told his Murang'a counterpart his county was just a host of the dam but the real source of the water was Nyandarua and Nyeri counties.

He further claimed Nairobi county had fully procured Ndakaini Dam and also compensated those who were affected by its construction.

"Nairobi county has full ownership of Ndakaini Dam and we have a title deed to it. However, our main source of water is Chania river and also the Aberdare hills which are in Nyandarua county," said Sonko as he accused the leaders of using the water to seek political mileage.

Wa Iria has also lamented that counties like Turkana benefited from 25% of oil proceeds but wondered why Murang'a never benefited from water it supplies Nairobi. Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Muranga governor demands KSh 2 billion from water flowing to Nairobi, dismisses water minister

Other dams Sonko claimed were owned by his administration and contributed in supplying Nairobi with water are:

1 Suasuma Dam

Sasumua dam is located in North of Njambini, South Kinangop, Nyandarua county, and also within Aberdare forest.

It was commissioned in 1956 and the downstream works of pipelines completed and commissioned in 1961.

2. Ruiru Dam

Ruiru Dam is located in Githunguri Sub-county, Kiambu County. The dam was commissioned in 1937 and has a storage capacity of 2.9 cubic million litres of water.

The dam sits on 147 acres of land that has a leasehold interest for the residue term of 72 years and five months, with effect from May 1963.

READ ALSO: Mike Sonko takes on Muranga governor after threats of closing Nairobis source of water

Wa Iria claims water from Ndakaini dam is used in Nairobi for lavish purposes while Murang'a residents are hit by an acute shortage in supply of the commodity. Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

3. Kikuyu Springs

Kikuyu springs are located, 2km East of Kikuyu Town Center, Kikuyu Sub-county, Kiambu county. The springs were commissioned in 1911 and comprise three parcels of land occupying 31 acres of land.

Apart from seeking political mileage, Sonko also accused Murang'a leaders of taking a tribal approach in the water standoff.

He warned that their actions to try take over the water services which were yet to be devolved were illegal and had capacity to snowball in ethnic animosity and economic sabotage.

"Acts of incitement being undertaken by various leaders against the drawing of water by Nairobi City County for distribution in Kiambu, Machakos and Nairobi can only be construed to be sabotage of the republic of Kenya's economic activities," stated Sonko.

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.

Mike Sonko Exposes Pumwani Hospital | Tuko TV.

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Despite warnings to the contrary, doctors in Trinidad and Tobago have been prescribing Iverm
Ukraine and the United Kingdom agreed to strengthen cooperation in countering the reconnaissance and subversive activities of the Russian special services and cyber threats.

This was discussed during the working meeting of Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Hrytsak with Minister of State for Security at the Home Office of the United Kingdom, Ben Wallace.

Mr Hrytsak told Mr Wallace about the large-scale operation launched by the Russian special services to destabilize the social and political situation in Ukraine on the eve of the elections as well as the attempts to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the international community. The parties reached an agreement on deepening bilateral cooperation in countering the reconnaissance and subversive activities of the Russian special services and cyber threats," the press service of Ukraines Security Service reports.

As noted, Hrytsak and Wallace took part in the opening ceremony of the second module of the educational course on conducting interrogation with the observance of fundamental human rights, held with the support of the British side. The purpose of the event was to acquaint Ukrainian security officers with the best practices of British law enforcement agencies in the field of interviewing eyewitnesses and interrogating witnesses within the framework of investigation of crime.

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At the end of September, the Ukrainian Navy under Ukraines Armed Forces General Staffs command has conducted a risky and successful naval operation. Two Ukrainian vessels, the Donbas search and rescue ship and the Korets sea tug departed from Odesa at the Black Sea, went around the occupied Crimea, passed the Kerch Strait under the newly-built bridge and entered the Sea of Azov. Their move has come out of the blue for Russians, who currently illegally occupy Crimea after annexing it in 2014 from Ukraine, and de-facto control waters around it, including the Kerch Strait. Russian commandments unpreparedness has been visible with panic reactions that accompanied the Ukrainian naval vessels move. The Donbas and the Korets have been followed by at least 13 Russian vessels, Russian aircraft flew dangerously low over them. We visited the Donbas, already docked in Mariupol, to talk to the commander of the operation - deputy head of the staff of the maritime commandment of the Ukrainian Navy, Captain 1st rank Dmytro Kovalenko.

Kovalenko had commanded Ukraines big landing craft Kostiantyn Olshansky up until March 2014, when it was taken over by Russians in the course of their illegal occupation of Crimea. During the annexation, Moscow has been persuading Ukrainian officers to defect to its side by promising them flats, payments etc. For Kovalenko though his officers oath valued more than any money and property. He refused to defect and fled to mainland Ukraine  having left behind all he had, including property.

Four and a half years later radio waves near Kerch were interrupted with a message: Good morning! I am a Ukrainian navy vessel A830. We plan to enter the 12-mile zone to pass the Kerch Strait into the Azov Sea  That was how the Korets sea tug notified Russians of Ukrainian Navy vessels approaching the Kerch bridge.

ONE DOES NOT ASK IN OWN WATERS

Why did you choose the word "plan" for the message?

We deliberately said "We plan." Why would we need to "request" or "ask" for it? Well, we are obliged to warn - whoever is on the other side - that we are approaching. They provided us with a maritime pilot. But they charged us nothing for it - they themselves told us: "No port fees are charged."

But the common way to address is "we are requesting your permission to pass," isnt it?

Well, yes, thats how it is written down in both our and their maritime rules. But we were "maneuvering" here. Its a kind of naval diplomacy.

WEAPONS WERE LOADED

I see you commenting it all so calmly, but wasn't the situation there nervous?

Well, was it? You can't run away from your fate. If theyd kill me - so would it be. They could do so back in Crimea in 2014.

Were you preparing for a combat that may have begun?

Of course. Combat groups, machineguns, everything has been loaded. Two fully equipped people stood there demonstratively. So that they would see. All the rest, fully equipped too, were ready to jump out any minute. We covered ourselves fully with masking nets to hide movements, we unfolded the fire hoses to water them away would they decide to climb the docks. Because, you know, they can climb without firing a shot. And we can only shoot in response. But would they try to climb - Id like to look at them. Eight kilograms of water stream pressure can wash anyone off the dock easily.

UKRAINIAN "INVISIBLE" BOATS

Some military experts say that naval forces are currently Ukraine's weakest defense component. Would you agree?

Well, I do. There are problems if we put it straight. Lack of vessels, I mean! On the other hand, - let me give you a simple example. Two SAABs [Ukraines modern small armored artillery boats Gyurza-M that were deployed in the Sea of Azov a few weeks ago] have been deployed to the Azov Sea. No one paid tactical attention to this event. They said - its just a show-off, to demonstrate that Ukraine boosts its presence, but nothing more. Now lets look at our yesterdays situation. Russians could not spot SAABs! I can tell you sincerely - I myself have identified SAABs, I marked them on the map because I had known their coordinates. But visually - I could only hardly see them. And Russians have missed them out completely. They just missed them out. When the dawn came, one could only guess how deep was Russian surprise and which scandal they later had there. What SAABs have been doing there since? They stopped short of running over Russian border guards' boats - you probably saw that famous video with the Russian Mangust. Thats it! It occurs that two SAABs solve many problems! When that Mangust started speeding near us yesterday, our two SAABs immediately went to intercept him, and he dropped his plans - his nerves are not made of steel at the end of the day.

Was it trying to intercept your course?

It was approaching us.

Well, on the other hand, they're just small artillery boats

Well, there are many opinions regarding these SAABs. We have our own views. At the end, its us who exploit them. There are some issues with them, but the cold fact is that there is a result. You can see this result yesterday, a very visible one. Had Russian boats just started speeding - one which jumped out from an ambush behind our rear, one that tried to cut off our course - our SAABs have immediately solved the problem. Would at least four more SAABs be deployed, it would have resulted in a totally different situation already.

And ideally?

Well, a few dozens.

RUSSIANS ARE NOT AS STRONG AS THEY BOAST

So what they call "a mosquito fleet" would work fine for Ukraine, you think?

In the Azov Sea? Surely, it would. The Neptun will also be deployed at some point [modern anti-vessel missile complex of Ukrainian own produce that has recently been successfully tested] and then the balance will shift in Azov.

It was already tested, right? And tests were successful?

Yes, we took part in those tests. The mere deployment of this missile complex will provide a significant deterrence against Russia.

Do I get it right, that a possible landing of Russians at the coast is currently the most dangerous scenario?

I can tell you as a former commander of a landing craft. It is very difficult. I doubt that Russians currently have enough forces in Azov sea to conduct a landing operation.

Why?

The geography of the sea makes it difficult, this seas physical and geographical parameters. If theyd decide to conduct a landing with big landing crafts, they would have to enter the zone of artillery targeting. And such craft during a landing becomes a target. Artillery force here is powerful. Calibers we have are significant. So it isnt all that easy for them. For half a year I have been the responsible commander for anti-landing defense here. Believe me, we have forces, we have reserves, we are capable.

THEY GET SCARED, THEY STEP BACK, THEY CHANGE THEIR COURSE

Experts say the Azov Sea is a tinderbox currently, with one shot being able to provoke a major escalation. Do you feel this tension?

Well, I doubt one shot could. Its a normal work here. We have the war ongoing for four years already. Its grinding on just right here, not far from where we speak. There is no need to be afraid! We should go for the kill! Then they get scared, they step back, they change their course.

What a Ukrainian Navy staff deputy commander would like to tell the Ukrainian society?

Everything will be alright. We do our jobs. With no loud slogans needed

Heorhii Tykhyi, Mariupol

Photo credit: Markiyan Lyseiko
Ukraine for the first time participates in the international high-tech exhibition Congress & Expo in The Hague (Netherlands) within the framework of the European Cyber Security Month.

The national exposition of Ukraine, which opened on October 4, presents new cyber security threat prevention solutions, Ukrinform learnt from the Kyiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"The Netherlands is today one of the leading countries of the European Union, which has made the cyber security its international priority. This week, The Hague will become the center of the cyber security community. On October 4, the Congress & Expo will open within the framework of the Cyber Security Week, where Ukraine will for the first time present its national panel, created by the efforts of the Kyiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Ukrainian participants will propose new techniques and solutions for preventing cyber threats and present the consolidated capabilities of our business in the European arena," the Kyiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry noted.

More than 3,500 visitors from 70 countries are expected to attend the event. The CSW will bring together cyber security experts, CISOs, start-ups, investors, scholars, students, diplomats, merchant attaches and civil servants.

The cyber security month has been launched in Ukraine and will continue throughout October. The action will take place within the framework of the European Cyber Security Month traditionally held in October. This year, Ukraine joined the European initiative for the first time.

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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has authorized First Deputy Finance Minister Oksana Markarova to sign the convention between Ukraine and Spain for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion.

The respective order, No. 167/2018-rp, was published on the website of the head of state.

"To authorize Ukrainian First Deputy Finance Minister Oksana Serhiyivna Markarova to sign the Convention between Ukraine and the Kingdom of Spain for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion with respect to taxes on income and the Protocol to it," the document says.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said during his visit to Spain in early June that Ukraine and Spain would soon sign a number of bilateral agreements, in particular on the avoidance of double taxation.

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Representatives of the Tarom Romanian airlines have presented in Odesa new Bucharest-Odesa direct flight, which will be launched on October 31.

"This is an important event for Romania and Ukraine, which contributes to strengthening of the cooperation between our countries, the development of many projects, communication and tourism. It takes 11 hours to travel from Odesa to Bucharest by car, while the duration of flight is just 2 hours, said Consul General of Romania in Odesa Emil Rapcea, the press service of the Odesa City Council reports.

In turn, Director of the Culture and Tourism Department of the Odesa City Council Tetiana Markova noted that the launch of direct flight would allow Romanian citizens to learn more about Odesa and its sights.

Tarom airlines will operate Bucharest-Odesa flight on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The aircraft will depart from the Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport at 01:35, while departures from Odesa are scheduled for 04:15. The tickets will cost from EUR 123.

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Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has adopted a resolution on the approval of proposals for the application of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions) against the 112 Ukraine and NewsOne television channels.

A total of 229 MPs voted for the approval of a respective draft resolution, No. 9157, as a basis and as a whole on Thursday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Just as we protect our state sovereignty, we must also protect our sovereign information space against pro-Russian lies and manipulation. There will be statements that this resolution is the suppression of freedom of speech, which is the right of every citizen to have impartial, true, balanced information. However, this is not indulgence for pro-Russian television channels regarding the destruction of our state. By this resolution, we protect the freedom of speech and return this concept to its very essence," said People's Front MP Serhiy Vysotsky, a co-author of the legislative initiative and deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information Policy.

Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security and Defense Ivan Vinnyk, in turn, noted that the proposals set forth in the resolution would be sent to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

"We must comply with the requirements of the petition, consider, approve and send to the National Security and Defense Council the proposals on the application of personal special economic and other restrictive sanctions in connection with the activities of the 112 Ukraine and NewsOne television channels," Vinnyk said.

The resolution proposes submitting for consideration by the NSDC the proposals on the application of sanctions against limited liability companies Ariadna TV, Novy Format TV, TV Vybir, Teleradiokompaniya 112-TV, Lider TV, and Partner TV, which are operating under the emblem of the 112 Ukraine TV channel, as well as Novyny 24 Hodyny LLC (the NewsOne TV channel).

The restrictions concern the blocking of assets, the revocation or suspension of licenses and other permits, a ban on the use of radio frequencies in Ukraine, the restriction or termination of provision of telecommunication services and the use of telecommunication networks of general use, etc.

Earlier reports said that the petition to terminate the anti-Ukrainian activities of the 112 Ukraine and NewsOne television channels, which was published on the website of the Verkhovna Rada on September 20, had received in nine days the necessary number of votes for further consideration.

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The armed conflict in eastern Ukraine is supported by Russia, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has said.

He said this at a press conference in Vienna on Wednesday before his visit to St. Petersburg for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Russia is one of the largest countries in the world, a 'superpower.' And this is a country with which there is an armed conflict, or rather, an armed conflict in eastern Ukraine supported by Russia. There is also an annexation of Crimea that is contrary to international law," he said.

The chancellor said that Austria condemns Russia's actions, which are contrary to international law, and this is why it supported the extension of EU sanctions against Russia in June.

"It is crucial what position is adopted, and our position is clear - the sanctions were prolonged in June. If Austria did not vote in favor of them, then there would be no sanctions. Russia's actions, which are contrary to international law, should not just be condemned, they are unacceptable," Kurz said.

At the same time, he said it was necessary to look for ways to "ease tensions" and resolve the conflict in Donbas.

"Our goal is to ease tensions between Europe and Russia. We call on the Russian side to stop the actions that violate international law. We want to improve the situation for people in eastern Ukraine. This conflict should eventually end. And we have a clear unchanged position in the European arena. At the same time, it is necessary to seek dialogue and contacts, because in the long run peace on our continent can only be with Russia, not against Russia," he added.

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Dublin shares Warsaws concerns about Russia's actions in Ukraine. Ireland plans to open its embassy in Kyiv to understand better the situation in Ukraine.

Tanaiste and Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland Simon Coveney stated this during a press conference with Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz in Warsaw, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"Poland is located on the eastern borders of the EU, and therefore it better understands the challenges in this part of the EU. We would like to understand these challenges, we stand in full solidarity with you and we are concerned about the increased influence of Russia in the issue of Ukraine," he stressed.

He added that next year Ireland plans to open its embassy in Kyiv in order to be "part of the solutions on the eastern borders of the EU."

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Consul of Hungary in the town of Berehove in Zakarpattia region, western Ukraine, has been declared persona non grata.

"Ambassador of Hungary to Ukraine Erno Keskeny has been handed a note saying that the Hungarian consul in the town of Berehove in Zakarpattia region was declared persona non grata pursuant to Article 23 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and in connection with the activities incompatible with the status of a consular officer and that he must leave Ukraine within 72 hours," the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine reports.

The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine expects the Hungarian side to refrain from any unfriendly steps towards Ukraine in the future and hopes its officials will not violate Ukrainian legislation.

We regard Ukrainian citizens of Hungarian descent as a unifying factor in the relations between the two states and call on our Hungarian partners to share this view, Ukraines Foreign Ministry underscores.

On September 19, Ukrinform published a video showing Ukrainian citizens receiving Hungarian passports at Hungary's consulate in Berehove and taking their oaths of Hungarian citizenship.

Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin said that the Hungarian Consul, who handed over Hungarian passports to Ukrainians, will not stay in Ukraine. In response, Budapest threatened to take further steps to slow down Ukraine's integration into the EU.

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Ukraine counts on Slovakia's active participation in projects on the management of the gas transmission system.

Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin stated this at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister of Slovakia Miroslav Lajcak, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We have discussed the issue of gas transit, since we now receive most of natural gas through Slovakia. We are very actively developing this cooperation, we hope that Slovakia will be actively involved in the future and in the management of our gas transmission system. We talked with Mr.Lajcak that it is important for us to extend the whole framework of European rules to our energy industry. This means that our energy industry should operate in line with the European rules, tariffs should be established in line with the European rules, and contracts should be concluded in line with the European rules, Klimkin said.

He also stressed that Ukraine consistently adheres to its position on the Nord Stream project.

We consistently work against the Nord Stream and understand that if we talk about such projects in general, then they also have to fall under the European rules, otherwise everything may be just the opposite," Klimkin added.

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The Verkhovna Rada has adopted at first reading the bill No. 5670-d on ensuring the functioning of Ukrainian as a state language.

The document proposes creating the national commission on state language standards and the institution of the envoy for the protection of the state language.

A total of 261 deputies supported this decision at a plenary meeting of parliament on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

While presenting the bill, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Culture and Spirituality Mykola Kniazhytsky said that the committee at a meeting on October 3 brought the document into line with the laws passed after its registration, in particular, the laws on education and on television and radio broadcasting. He read out a transcript of the amendments to the bill, which were supported by deputies during the vote for the bill.

On February 28, 2018, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine declared unconstitutional the July 3, 2012 law on the principles of the state language policy (the so-called law of Kolesnichenko-Kivalov) because of violations of the procedure of its adoption by people's deputies. The law, in particular, provided for the possibility of official bilingualism in regions where the number of national minorities exceeded 10%.

The bill 5670-d on ensuring the functioning of Ukrainian as a state language was registered on June 9, 2017. The bill was supported by Deputy Prime Ministers Pavlo Rozenko and Viacheslav Kyrylenko, Culture Minister Yevhen Nyshchuk, and Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy.

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Month's campaign Ukraine in Focus has started in Budapest.

The event was organized by the Embassy of Ukraine in cooperation with the diplomatic missions of Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, Ambassador of Ukraine to Hungary Liubov Nepop wrote on Facebook.

The Ukrainian month Ukraine in focus has started in Budapest. We organized this event together with the Embassies of Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States in Hungary, the ambassador wrote.

She said that the diplomats began the event with a round table discussion on various aspects of Russia's aggression against Ukraine in the context of Russia's hybrid war against the West, as well as the photo exhibition "Russian aggression against Ukraine."

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Stoltenberg also reiterated that the Alliance continues providing support to Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the Alliance is concerned over the situation in the Sea of Azov caused by Russia's activity there.

"We follow the situation in the Azov Sea very closely and we are concerned because what we see is that Russia is impeding normal civilian traffic, commercial vessels, and, of course, that's a problem for Ukraine, which has seen that normal traffic from some of its harbours  in Mariupol and other places - has been impeded or there have been problems with the normal traffic in and out," he said at a press conference in Brussels on October 3. "And I think just is one example of a pattern we have seen, that Russia illegally annexed Crimea, then continued to destabilise especially Donbass, but also through the activities in the Azov Sea they continue to try to destabilise Ukraine."

Stoltenberg also reiterated that the Alliance continues providing support to Ukraine.

"So, what NATO does is that we provide political support, practical support, partly within the different NATO programmes, trust funds and so on, but of course NATO Allies also provide support bilaterally to Ukraine, and again this is about partly political, helping to modernise the Ukrainian armed forces, the security institutions, different trust funds, but also about equipment and other kinds of direct support. This was something we discussed when we met [Ukrainian] President Poroshenko here in July [the NATO summit in Brussels]. It was also something I discussed briefly with him when I met him in New York recently, and NATO will continue to provide support to Ukraine, but of course we also strongly support the efforts to find a political solution to fully implement the Minsk Agreement, which is the only viable way to a peaceful settlement of the conflict and the problems we see in and around Ukraine, including the Azov Sea," he added.

Read alsoReuters: Ukraine needs Azov Sea base to counter new Russian threat, military chief says

As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian border guards in the second half of April began stopping and inspecting foreign vessels navigating to/from Ukrainian ports. The State Border Service notes that Ukraine has been a hostage to the situation since 2004, namely, under the Agreement on Cooperation between Ukraine and the Russian Federation in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, which defines the Azov Sea as a sea of internal use by the two states. Thus, both Russian and Ukrainian border guards are entitled to inspect vessels, which, in their opinion, cause suspicion.

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov stated that the military and political leadership of the Russian Federation regards the Azov-Black Sea region as an important springboard for further expansion.
Skripal referred disparagingly to Ukrainians as "simply sheep who needed a good shepherd."

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal who has survived an assassination attempt by Russia's special services had contacts with Ukraine's SBU Security Service.

Skripal himself has never mentioned about his contacts with the SBU, but the former colonel of Russia's GRU still met with Ukrainian counterintelligence officers, BBC journalist Mark Urban writes in his book, The Skripal Files.

Read alsoAvakov: One of Salisbury poisoning suspects identified as participant in Yanukovych's escape

The book is on sale from October 4.

Urban suggests Skripal may have advised the SBU on how exactly the Russian GRU could act in the east of Ukraine after part of the region was occupied by Russia.

Earlier, The Guardian wrote Urban had discovered that Skripal had spent much of his day watching Russia's Channel One, a pro-Kremlin state broadcaster. He adopted "the Kremlin line in many matters," the journalist writes, "even while sitting in his MI6-purchased house," especially over Moscow's fraught relations with Ukraine.

Skripal, a former paratrooper, supported Putin's 2014 annexation of Crimea and referred disparagingly to Ukrainians as "simply sheep who needed a good shepherd." Skripal reportedly refused to believe Russian troops had entered eastern Ukraine covertly, saying that if they had, they would have quickly reached the capital, Kyiv.
The two security chiefs held a working meeting in Kyiv Wednesday.

Ukrainian and British top security officials agreed to strengthen cooperation in countering intelligence-gathering and subversive efforts of the special services of the Russian Federation as well as cyber threats.

According to the press office of the Security Service of Ukraine, SBU head Vasyl Hrytsak reached the relevant agreement with the British Minister of State for Security Ben Wallace at a working meeting held in Kyiv Wednesday.

It is noted that the SBU chief briefed his British counterpart on the directions and nature of the Russian hybrid aggression against Ukraine.

Read alsoFormer Russian spy Skripal had contacts with Ukraine's security service  Urban's book

Hrytsak also informed Wallace of the large-scale operation launched by the Russian security to destabilize the social and political situation in Ukraine on the eve of next year's elections, as well as attempts to discredit the country in the face of the international community.

"The negotiations saw the parties reaching an agreement on deepening bilateral cooperation in the area of countering intelligence-gathering and subversive efforts of the Russian special services as well as cyber threats," the SBU press center wrote.

Hrytsak and Wallace also took part in the opening ceremony launching the second stage of interrogation training courses focused on human rights, which is supported by the British side. The course aims at familiarizing the SBU operatives with the best practices of British law enforcement agencies in interviews and interrogations.
In the event of critical deterioration of health, Sentsov will be force-fed, Dinze said.

The lawyer of Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who was illegally convicted in Russia, Dmitry Dinze, says his client's condition continues to deteriorate, resulting in hypoxia.

"During my latest visit [to Sentsov], I observed that he was suffering from the development of hypoxia associated with insufficient oxygen enrichment of internal organs and blood. And this is all on the background of the fact that he doesn't take any food," Dinze told the Krym-realii online media outlet on October 4.

According to the lawyer, Sentsov's state of health is "consistently poor" and continues to deteriorate.

Read alsoBargaing for Sentsov: Can film director be swapped for three Russians held in U.S.

The human rights activist added that in the event of a critical deterioration, Sentsov would be forcibly fed.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Sentsov was arrested in Russian-occupied Crimea in spring 2014 and in August 2015 he was sentenced to 20 years in prison following an unfair trial where he faced "terrorism" charges stemming from his opposition to Russia's occupation of Crimea. He has been serving his term in a penal colony in the town of Labytnangi, Russia's Yamal. He went on hunger strike on May 14, demanding that Russia free all Ukrainian political prisoners. Sentsov's cousin, Moscow-based journalist Natalya Kaplan says his condition is critical and things are "catastrophically bad."
The law enshrines the use of an official address "Pan" ("sir" in Ukrainian) instead of the Soviet-era "tovarysh" [comrade].

Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has passes the law "On amendments to the charters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" (No. 9036).

The relevant decision was backed by 271 MPs, an UNIAN correspondent reports.

The law establishes a new military greeting "Glory to Ukraine"  "Glory to heroes" in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Police.

The law amended the Charter of Internal Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Charter of the garrison and guard services of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Drill Regulations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the Law on the National Police of Ukraine regarding the establishment of a new military greeting and the procedure for the ritual of raising the national flag of Ukraine.

Read alsoFM Klimkin explains why Russia considers "Glory to Ukraine!" greeting hostile

The law enshrines the use of an official address "Pan" ("sir" in Ukrainian) instead of the Soviet-era "tovarysh" [comrade].

As reported earlier, it was proposed in the first reading to leave the use of "comrade" in the army.

The law comes into force from the day following the day of its publication.
The consul must leave the territory of Ukraine within the next 72 hours.

The Consul of Hungary in the town of Berehove, Ukraine's Zakarpattia region, has been declared persona non grata.

Hungarian Ambassador to Ukraine Erno Keskeny was informed about this today, an UNIAN correspondent was told in the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

The ambassador was handed a note stating that, in accordance with Article 23 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, in connection with activities incompatible with the status of a consular officer, the consul of the Hungarian consulate in the town of Berehove must leave the territory of Ukraine within the next 72 hours.

Read alsoRussia to use Hungarian passports case to destabilize Ukraine  Klimkin

The Foreign Ministry expects the Hungarian side will continue to refrain from any unfriendly steps toward Ukraine, and its officials - from violations of Ukrainian legislation.

The Foreign Ministry noted they consider Ukrainian citizens of Hungarian origin as a unifying factor in relations between the two states, and call on Hungarian partners to do the same.

Last week, a candid camera video of Ukrainian citizens taking their oaths of Hungarian citizenship at the Hungarian Consulate in Berehove (Beregszasz) was uploaded on YouTube. Later, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin threatened that Kyiv would expel the Hungarian Consul.
The Prosecutor General's Office indicted them under three articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, together with his son, received over UAH 140 million in 2010 for appointing deputy prime minister, the Prosecutor General's Office claims.

Read alsoUkrainian prosecutors put ex-PM Azarov, ex-head of NBU Arbuzov on wanted list

Due to the presence of sufficient evidence, the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) indicted them under three articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the PGO's press service said.

"Having established the presence of sufficient evidence for suspicion, on October 2, 2018, in accordance with the requirements of Article 278 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, the former prime minister of Ukraine and his son, a former Ukrainian MP, were served with notices charging them with receiving a UAH 140 million bribe in 2010, which is a particularly large amount, as well as assisting in obtaining it for performing an act in the interests of another person, using the authority provided for their appointment as First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, that is, committing criminal offenses under Part 3 Article 368, Part 5 Article 27 and Part 3 Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (that was in force as of the time of the commission of criminal offenses)," the report says.
The Ukrainian parliament and the government require more realism and responsibility for the implementation of the Association Agreement.

Ukraine's Representative in the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group for the Donbas settlement, First Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Iryna Gerashchenko says the First Forum of EU Networks 2018 was held on Wednesday.

It is a platform that brings together over 250 public organizations working in various regions of Ukraine, in various integration projects: educational, educational, media, she wrote on Facebook.

Read alsoPoroshenko signs decree on national programs under auspices of Ukraine-NATO Commission

She stressed the meeting was very interesting. She visited it together with head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Hugues Mingarelli and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.

"In my speech, I noted that 74% of Ukrainians support European integration - and this is wonderful. And I like the trend that MPs are competing for who is a greater supporter of European integration, while presidential candidates are convincing the public who will lead Ukraine to the EU and NATO, and plagiarize each other's ideas of billboards. Let everyone agitate for NATO and the EU. But at the same time, the key is to show commitment to the course by actions," she wrote.

Gerashchenko expressed the conviction that one of the key challenges of European integration is the possibility of revanchism and populism.

"Our parliament and the government need more realism and responsibility for the implementation of the Association Agreement. Now, out of 57 laws placed in the Roadmap for legislative support for the implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, seven have been passed as a whole, nine have been passed in first reading, four have been taken into account when considering other bills. They need to focus on the revision, improvement and adoption of bills," she added.
According to Szijjarto, Ukraine continues to aggravate the conflict.

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto has said Hungary decided to expel the Ukrainian consul in response to a similar move in Kyiv.

Speaking at a press conference, he said he had summoned the ambassador of Ukraine in Budapest and informed her that the consul has 72 hours to leave Hungary as a mirror response, Europeiska Pravda reports with reference to HVG.hu.

According to Szijjarto, Ukraine continues to aggravate the conflict.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the Consul of Hungary in the town of Berehove, Ukraine's Zakarpattia region, on Thursday was declared persona non grata.
At the same time, the Kremlin demands an unconditional release of Kirill Vyshinsky, editor-in-chief of RIA Novosti Ukraine, who was arrested in Ukraine on high treason charges.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has denied media reports about the pending exchange of Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov, who was illegally convicted in Russia, for Russian nationals arrested and convicted in the U.S.

"I would like to draw attention to the reports, which were published in a number of media outlets, about the allegedly pending exchange of Oleh Sentsov, who was convicted in Russia for preparing a terrorist act, for Russian citizens detained in the United States. I would like to emphasize that we were surprised to receive such reports, and I say that there is no such an agreement. This is disinformation," Spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova told journalists, as reported by an UNIAN correspondent in the Russian Federation.

According to Zakharova, Russia demands an unconditional release of Kirill Vyshinsky, editor-in-chief of RIA Novosti Ukraine, who was arrested in Ukraine on high treason charges.

Read alsoSentsov's condition further deteriorating  lawyer

As UNIAN reported earlier, on September 30, Russia's Novaya Gazeta wrote that the main condition for the illegally convicted Sentsov's return to Ukraine is the extradition of arms dealer Viktor Bout and drug dealer Konstantin Yaroshenko convicted in the U.S. as well as that of alleged spy Maria Butina, who is now under arrest there.

This publication allegedly said a source close to the negotiations on the exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

Butina was arrested in the United States on July 18, 2018, on suspicion of working as a foreign agent without the required registration, conspiracy to work in a foreign government, and attempts to develop ties with individuals in the United States and infiltrate organizations that have influence on American politics. Butina's lawyers rejected the charges.

Yaroshenko was detained in Liberia and extradited to the United States in 2010, where he was charged with drug smuggling and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Bout was detained in Thailand in 2008, at Washington's request. In 2012, he was sentenced in the United States to 25 years in prison for arms trafficking and support for terrorist groups.

In March 2016, Russian media, citing sources, reported that the Kremlin was ready to exchange MP Nadezhda Savchenko, who was then detained in the Russian Federation, for Bout and Yaroshenko, but the White House refused such a deal.

On October 1, 2018, the Kremlin did not confirm that it offered to swap Sentsov and other Ukrainian political prisoners for Russian nationals detained in the United States.
It is not clear whether MEPs will vote on a respective resolution.

The European Parliament plans to consider the situation in the Sea of Azov at its plenary meeting on October 23.

"The European Parliament plenary is set to debate the situation in the Sea of Azov on October 23," Brussels reporter for Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Rikard Jozwiak wrote on Twitter on October 4.

"Not clear at this stage whether there will be a resolution voted on as well," he said.

The Sea of Azov, a strategic arm of the Black Sea where Russia and Ukraine share the coastline, has become a flashpoint this year. Ukraine says Russia is preventing scores of vessels from reaching Ukrainian ports, namely Berdyansk and Mariupol, through spurious inspections and detentions.

Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan said that Ukraine was holding talks with EU countries and the United States over introducing sanctions against Russia in response to the blockade of the Sea of Azov.

Read alsoReuters: Ukraine needs Azov Sea base to counter new Russian threat, military chief says

Washington has called on Russia to stop "harassing" ships, and supplied Ukraine with U.S. patrol boats.

What is happening in the Sea of Azov today is described by experts as the creeping annexation of Azov.

On September 23, two Ukrainian ships  the Donbass search and rescue ship (A500) and the Korets tugboat (A830)  entered the Russian-controlled Kerch Strait and passed under the Crimean Bridge, being accompanied by two Ukrainian armored boats. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko welcomed the arrival of the ships at the Sea of Azov and noted that they would become part of the newly created naval base of the Ukrainian fleet in the Sea of Azov.
The NSDC on September 6 approved a set of measures aimed at protecting national interests in the country's southern regions, the waters of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksandr Turchynov has announced Ukraine will conduct a naval exercise in the Sea of Azov.

The Ukrainian military is ready to respond to any Russian provocation in the Sea of Azov, Turchynov said at a joint press conference with chief of Poland's National Security Bureau Pawe Soloch in Kyiv while answering a question whether Ukraine would react to military drills planned by Russia in the Sea of Azov soon, an UNIAN correspondent said.

Read alsoEuropean Parliament to address situation in Sea of Azov

"The Ukrainian military also plans to conduct serious drills in the waters of the Sea of Azov," Turchynov said.

He also recalled Ukraine had been "building up the military component" in the Sea of Azov in response to Russia's aggression under a NSDC decision. "We have been building up the Navy, significantly strengthening the front-line defense and aviation component. And, of course, we are ready to respond to any Russian provocations," Turchynov said.

The Sea of Azov, a strategic arm of the Black Sea where Russia and Ukraine share the coastline, has become a flashpoint this year. Ukraine says Russia is preventing scores of vessels from reaching Ukrainian ports, namely Berdyansk and Mariupol, through spurious inspections and detentions. Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan said that Ukraine was holding talks with EU countries and the United States over introducing sanctions against Russia in response to the blockade of the Sea of Azov.

Washington has called on Russia to stop "harassing" ships, and supplied Ukraine with U.S. patrol boats. What is happening in the Sea of Azov today is described by experts as the creeping annexation of Azov.

On September 6, the NSDC approved a set of measures aimed at protecting national interests in the country's southern regions, the waters of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. According to the decision, it is planned to strengthen the naval presence in the Sea of Azov, create a vessel grouping of the Ukrainian Navy there, develop needed infrastructure, provide coastal defense units with latest high-precision weapons, etc.
Investigators are probing into why the agency moved volumes of grain from a storage facility in Kharkiv region to Cherkasy region.

The Kyiv Prosecutor's Office has conducted searches in the apartment of Chairman of Ukraine's State Reserve Agency Vadym Mosiychuk and handed him a suspicion notice.

"Mr. Chairman in 2017 decided to move grain from [a storage facility in] Kharkiv region to Cherkasy region, allegedly, due to the danger of losses because of the proximity to the ATO [Anti-Terrorist Operation] zone. The investigation will show what really was behind the change of the storage location," Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko wrote on Facebook on October 4.

Read alsoECHR orders Ukraine to refrain from accessing RFE/RL journalist's cell-phone data

As was earlier reported, employees of the SBU Security Service of Ukraine and the Kyiv Prosecutor's Office in April raided the head office of the State Reserve Agency, Zlatodar enterprise in Cherkasy region, and Khlibna Baza No. 85 ("Grain storage") in Kharkiv region within investigation into the transfer of volumes of grain from Kharkiv to Cherkasy region.

"Inspectors are guided by a ruling of [Kyiv's] Pechersky district court on the seizure of documents related to the transfer of the state reserve grain from Kharkiv to Cherkasy region. The main reason for this is the destruction by the State Reserve Agency of the so-called 'wasp nest' of corruption schemes accumulated over the years at the state-owned enterprise Khlibna Baza No. 85," Mosiychuk then wrote on Facebook.
Crimea under the Russian occupation is going nowhere, Klimkin said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin says Russia is resettling tens of thousands of people to occupied Crimea to squeeze out the pro-Ukrainian population of the peninsula.

"Crimea under the Russian occupation is going nowhere. There is a situation where everyone can be arrested day or night. People are afraid to talk to each other in the streets," Klimkin said at a joint press conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic Miroslav Lajcak in Kyiv, an UNIAN correspondent reports.

Read alsoKlimkin: Reasonable suspicions Russia deployed nuclear weapons in occupied Crimea

"Russia has begun a massive resettlement from its regions to Crimea to squeeze out all those who dream of liberating Crimea. It is about the resettlement of tens of thousands of people," the minister said.

"The economy of Crimea has no chance under today's sanctions, and the sanctions will be maintained, and the latest Crimean declaration on the part of the United States clearly shows this," he added.

He also said Russia could not solve environmental problems in the occupied peninsula, instead creating an "environmental disaster" there.

"The path of Crimea under the Russian occupation is a path of permanent decline. And we see this, so Crimea will definitely return to Ukraine," Klimkin said.
Ukraine's Joint Forces have reported no casualties in the past day.

Russian-led forces mounted 21 attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas in the last 24 hours.

"No casualties among the Ukrainian troops have been reported over the past day. According to intelligence reports, two occupiers were killed and another two were wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on October 4, 2018.

Russian occupation forces opened aimed fire from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and small arms, attacking the Ukrainian troops defending the town of Krasnohorivka, and the villages of Krymske, Troyitske, Luhanske, Novoluhanske, Pisky, Pavlopil, Hnutove, Vodiane, and Lebedynske.

Read alsoAerial recon footage shows targeted strike at Donbas militants' truck with ammo

In addition, the enemy used 120mm mortars to shell the Ukrainian positions near Krymske, as well as 82mm mortars near Luhanske, Novoluhanske, Hnutove, and Lebedynske. Moreover, the defenders of Krymske came under fire from weapons installed on infantry fighting vehicles.

"Since Thursday midnight, Russian-led forces have mounted two attacks on the Ukrainian positions near Vodiane, using heavy machine guns and small arms," reads the report.
Kremlin "almost certainly" responsible for 2016 DNC hacking, according to the British cyber security officials.

Russias military intelligence service has led a campaign of indiscriminate and reckless cyber attacks targeting political institutions, businesses, media and sport, the UKs National Cyber Security Centre said in a statement.

Under names including Fancy Bear, Pawnstorm and Tsar Team, the agency known as the GRU was almost certainly responsible for a number of serious attacks on countries including the U.S., the UK and Russia itself, the NCSC said, according to Bloomberg.

Among them was the hacking of the Democratic National Committee in 2016.

The GRUs actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries; they are even prepared to damage Russian companies and Russian citizens, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement. Our message is clear: together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRUs attempts to undermine international stability.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne joined the UK in condemning malicious cyber activity by Russia.

Read alsoSky News: U.S. imposes fresh sanctions over Russian cyber attacks

The NCSC said the Kremlin was ultimately responsible for the attacks, which also included the 2017 hacking of the World Anti-Doping Agency, which led to the release of athletes medical records. In another incident that same year, BadRabbit ransomware disrupted the Kyiv metro, Odesa airport, Russias central bank and two Russian media outlets, according to the statement.

The statement came as Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced ex-spy Sergei Skripal as a scumbag and a traitor in response to accusations that Russia used a chemical weapon on the double agent in an attack in the UK in March. Putin reiterated his denial that Russia was responsible for the incident, which led to a mass expulsion of diplomats from Europe and the imposition of sanctions by the U.S.

The UK has accused two Russian military intelligence agents of carrying out the poisoning using a nerve-agent called Novichok smuggled in a fake Nina Ricci perfume bottle.
The crew are set to land in the steppe of Kazakhstan.

A cosmonaut and two NASA astronauts packed up their Soyuz ferry ship Wednesday and are returning to Earth after their mission at the International Space Station.

The crew are set to land in the steppe of Kazakhstan, according to CBS News.

The trip closes out a 197-day mission that included four spacewalks, a full slate of research and an emergency leak repair.

Read alsoOn Earth or in orbit? Russia says someone drilled a hole in ISS

Drew Feustel, outgoing commander of the Expedition 56 crew, turned over command of the station to European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst on Wednesday, thanking flight controllers and research teams at the Johnson Space Center in Houston as well as in Russia, Germany and Japan.
The defendants are all Russian nationals and residents.

A grand jury in the Western District of Pennsylvania has indicted seven defendants, all officers in the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), a military intelligence agency of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, for computer hacking, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.

"The defendants, all Russian nationals and residents, are Aleksei Sergeyevich Morenets, 41, Evgenii Mikhaylovich, Serebriakov, 37, Ivan Sergeyevich Yermakov, 32, Artem Andreyevich Malyshev, 30, and Dmitriy Sergeyevich Badin, 27, who were each assigned to Military Unit 26165, and Oleg Mikhaylovich Sotnikov, 46, and Alexey Valerevich Minin, 46, who were also GRU officers," the U.S. Department of Justice has said in a statement on October 4.

The indictment alleges that defendants Yermakov, Malyshev, Badin, and unidentified conspirators, often using fictitious personas and proxy servers, researched victims, sent spearphishing emails, and compiled, used, and monitored malware command and control servers.

According to the indictment, beginning in or around December 2014 and continuing until at least May 2018, the conspiracy conducted persistent and sophisticated computer intrusions affecting U.S. persons, corporate entities, international organizations, and their respective employees located around the world, based on their strategic interest to the Russian government.

Among the goals of the conspiracy was to publicize stolen information as part of an influence and disinformation campaign designed to undermine, retaliate against, and otherwise delegitimize the efforts of international anti-doping organizations and officials who had publicly exposed a Russian state-sponsored athlete doping program and to damage the reputations of athletes around the world by falsely claiming that such athletes were using banned or performance-enhancing drugs.

In particular, the GRU Russian officers are behind cyber attacks on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), FIFA, the International Court of Arbitration for Sport, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the leading electrical engineering company Westinghouse Electric Corp. The motive for the cyberattack on WADA, in particular, was an anti-doping investigation against Russia, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Read alsoRussia accused of hacking attempts into MH17 crash investigation

The Dutch government earlier accused Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, of targeting the world's chemical weapons watchdog, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), through a foiled cyber operation.

The head of Dutch counterintelligence, Maj. Gen. Onno Eichelsheim, named the four alleged Russian officers as Aleksei Morenets and Evgenii Serebriakov  who had consecutive passport numbers, he said  Oleg Sotnikov and Alexey Minin.

They are reportedly involved in preparations for a cyberattack on the OPCW and an attempt to interfere with the investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

The four were expelled from the Netherlands on April 13, 2018.
A Russian traffic police database lists their names with passport details and mobile phone numbers.

Russian investigative journalists have found data of 305 officers of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), a military intelligence agency of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation; among them are those who were expelled by the Dutch authorities in April 2018.

The investigative-journalism website Bellingcat and the Russian e-zine The Insider have discovered that cars of 305 GRU officers, including the one belonging to Aleksei Morenets, 41, who was expelled by the Netherlands and indicted by the U.S. authorities, were registered to the address of military unit No. 26165, a GRU unit reportedly involved in international hacking.

A relatively accessible database of Russia's traffic police lists their names with personal information from passports and mobile phone numbers. Many are listed with their respective military unit as a place of work.

"In fact, this means that anyone with access to the traffic police database  and this is one of the most accessible databases in Russia  can get the names, passport details and mobile phones of several hundred GRU employees. And not just employees, but employees of the military unit that has been accused of the most notorious hacker attacks in recent years," The Insider writes.

Read alsoU.S. charges seven Russian GRU officers with international hacking, disinformation

The Netherlands announced on October 4 that it expelled four GRU officers in April and disclosed their names: Aleksei Morenets, Evgenii Serebriakov, Oleg Sotnikov, and Alexey Minin. They are suspected of an attempt to hack the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). What is more, Serebriakov allegedly participated in a cyber attack on the police and prosecutors in Malaysia.

Later, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it had indicted seven Russian GRU officers, including those four expelled from the Netherlands and three more who are involved in meddling in the U.S. presidential election.

Minin mentioned his address as 50 Narodnogo Opolcheniya Street in Moscow, Russia. This is the location of the Military Academy of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (military unit No. 22177), also known as the GRU academy.
October 4 2018

Collective Arhitecture have seen off five other shortlisted challengers to win a design contest for Camphill School Aberdeen.

The competition was organized by the RIAS Consultancy to find a practice to deliver the 10m brief is to develop the chools Murtle and Camphill estates.

Collectives Mairi Laverty said: The project vision for Camphill School Aberdeen is inspiring and builds on their pioneering approach and legacy.

Our concept design sought to respond to both the tranquil site and the particular needs and aspirations of residents, volunteers and staff.

The other shortlisted practices were Anderson Bell + Christie; Hoskins Architects; James F Stephen Architects; JM Architects and Scott Brownrigg.
Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Shafqat Mahmood Thursday said that the government is ready to face the challenge of bringing out of school children to the educational institutions.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Oct, 2018 ) :Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Shafqat Mahmood Thursday said that the government is ready to face the challenge of bringing out of school children to the educational institutions.

He was addressing a ceremony organized here in honour of best teachers on the eve of World Teachers' Day by the Ministry of Federal Education and USAID, a U.S. Mission to Pakistan for the improvements the teachers have made inside their classrooms. As many as 28 educators from across Pakistan were honored with "Best Teacher Awards" during the ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister lauded the efforts of the thousands of early grade reading teachers who play an integral role in improving the overall quality of Primary education in the country. He commended the efforts of USAID in Pakistan for the teachers training and for promotion of education. He also underlined the need for the improvement of quality education and equity in education system.

Speaking for U.S. Mission Pakistan, US AID Mission Director Jerry Bisson noted that the program enhanced more than just the students' ability to read. "When we improve the quality of education and broaden access to it, we improve many other aspects of students' and the nation's well-being," he stated.

The teachers implemented new methodologies of teaching reading to students and gauging how well their students were progressing, with an aim toward improving literacy in Pakistan.

The Best Teacher Award recipients were nominated by their provincial education departments based on their participation in professional development workshops, the degree to which they improved their teaching methods in their classrooms, and, most importantly, on their students' ability to achieve.

The U.S. Government-funded Pakistan Reading Project has already trained over 23,600 public school teachers, who, in turn, have used the techniques learned to teach reading to over 1.3 million first and second grade students.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

A 12-day special campaign to protect children from measles will start in the division on October 15 to 27.

SARGODHA,(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Oct, 2018 ) :A 12-day special campaign to protect children from measles will start in the division on October 15 to 27.

Children from six months to seven years of age will be provided anti-measles vaccination at their doorsteps.

An official of the district administration told APP that the government would spend Rs60 million in the district under the drive.

He said the health department was providing training to 2,338 staffers and Rescue 1122 would also participate in the drive.

The chief executive officer added that 247 teams would participate in the campaign
WHO has announced its Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer with the aim at helping countries reach at least a 60% survival rate for children with cancer by 2030, thereby saving an additional one million lives.

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Oct, 2018 ) :WHO has announced its Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer with the aim at helping countries reach at least a 60% survival rate for children with cancer by 2030, thereby saving an additional one million lives.

According to a communication received here Thursday this new target represents a doubling of the global cure rate for children with cancer.

The objective to be achieved through increased prioritization of childhood cancer and an expanded capacity to deliver best practice in childhood cancer care.

Cancer was identified as a leading cause of death for children, with 300,000 new cases diagnosed every year among children aged from new born to 19 years.

Children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries are four times more likely to die of the disease than children in high-income countries.

This is because their illnesses are not diagnosed, they are often forced to abandon treatment due to high costs, and health professionals lack specialized training, said the WHO officials.

The latest estimates on the global burden of cancer (The GLOBOCAN 2018 database) released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) the disease burden rises to 18.1 million new cases and 9.6 million cancer deaths in 2018, WHO highlights that cancer no longer needs to be a death sentence, as the capacity exists to reduce its burden and improve the survival and quality of life of people living with the disease.

The world body, during its 70th World Health Assembly has already adopted a draft resolution recognizing cancer as a growing public health concern which requires increased attention, prioritization and funding.

In this context a guide to cancer early diagnosis has also been developed to help policy-makers and programme managers address barriers to and delays in cancer care ultimately easing and expediting access to timely cancer diagnosis and improved treatment for all.
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Mansha alias Bomb and his three sons- Faisal Mansha, Tariq Mansha and Asim Mansha in a case registered against them over attacking Lahore Development Authority (LDA) officials.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Oct, 2018 ) :An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Mansha alias Bomb and his three sons- Faisal Mansha, Tariq Mansha and Asim Mansha in a case registered against them over attacking Lahore Development Authority (LDA) officials.

The court issued the warrants after the accused failed to appear during the proceedings. The court directed the police to arrest the accused and produce them on October 10.

ATC-IV Judge Abdul Qayyum Khan conducted the hearing of the case.

Johar Town Police had registered FIR No 198/18 against the accused for attacking LDA officials.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Apex court had already ordered police to arrest 'land grabber' Mansha alias Bomb and his sons while hearing a petition of an overseas Pakistani against police `reluctance' to take action against suspect, Mansha, who had allegedly grabbed his property.

The police had earlier told the court that Mansha and his sons were involved in more than 70 land grabbing cases, which were registered against them in Lahore's Johar Town.
National Highway Authority (NHA) has planned to improve two incomplete portions of 42 km Taxila-Haripur Highway (N-125) in near future.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Oct, 2018 ) :National Highway Authority (NHA) has planned to improve two incomplete portions of 42 km Taxila-Haripur Highway (N-125) in near future.

Procurement process for the remaining 12.5 km road portion (N-125 from Taxila to Haripur via Khanpur) was under way, an official of NHA told APP here Thursday.

The official said about 30 km of the highway has already been improved and the remaining portion contract was awarded for construction as per NHA standards of the contract period, but the contractor was unable to start the work.

The contract was accordingly terminated and the contractor would be black listed, in due course.

In addition to the pavement, construction of three bridges on thecauseways between Khanpur-Haripur has been awarded and the soilinvestigation of the same is under process.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to different independent media groups on non payment of salaries to the journalists and media workers.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Oct, 2018 ) :The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to different independent media groups on non payment of salaries to the journalists and media workers.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar also issued notice to the federation on non implementation of service structure and Seventh Wage board Award.

The media groups whom notices were issued, included Nawa-i-Waqt, Khabrain, Bol, Geo, Capital tv, Channel 7, Star Asia, ARY news, Channel 5 and Pak TV.

The court also summoned complete record of journalists cases pending before the Labour Courts and Tribunals and adjourned further hearing till October 17.

The bench issued the directions while hearing a case about the outstanding salaries to Reports/Workers of Print and Electronic Media.
(@FahadShabbir)

Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights Thursday said that equal rights is the constitutional right of each Pakistani including minorities in the country.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Oct, 2018 ) :Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights Thursday said that equal rights is the constitutional right of each Pakistani including minorities in the country.

The committee met here at Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) under the chairmanship of Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokar.

The reports on the incidents of Gojra, Faisalabad, Joseph Colony, Lahore and burning of Ahmadis worship place in Sialkot submitted by the Home Secretary of Punjab to the committee.

The Secretary, Information and Culture Department, Government of Punjab submitted detailed report on the issue of objectionable advertisement aired by ptv on the occasion of Muharram.

Later, the committee was briefed on the reports submitted to the Senate committee.

The committee said our religion also stresses on fundamental rights to all citizens, adding that it is state responsibility to provide protections to religious minorities in the country.

The committee also proposed that schools curriculum should be based on promoting interfaith harmony at provincial level. The committee said that our minorities must be provided equal rights at all levels.

The committee also expressed displeasure on the airing of objectionable advertisement and directed the authorities to discourage and stop such incidents in future.

The committee directed the authorities to provide further detail regarding the incident of hiring objectionable advertisement.

The meeting was attended by Senator Raja Muhammd Zafar ul Haq, Senator Rana Mehmood ul Hassan, Muhammad Tahir Bizinjo, Syed Muzafar Hussaain Shah, Kesshoo Bai, Dr.Mehr Tajk Roghni, Hidaya Ullah, Muhammd Ali Khan Saif. Senator Sana Jamali , Dr Jehnzeb Jamaldini. Muhammd Usman Khan Kakar, and Mian Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh.
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The Centre for Global and Strategic Studies (CGSS) in collaboration with the embassies of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan organized a conference here on Thursday to discuss the future prospects of renewal of relations between the two central Asian states.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Oct, 2018 ) :The Centre for Global and Strategic Studies (CGSS) in collaboration with the embassies of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan organized a conference here on Thursday to discuss the future prospects of renewal of relations between the two central Asian states.

The conference "New Dimensions of Tajikistan-Uzbekistan Relations: Positive Impact on the Region" analyzed the thaw between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and noted that the growing relations between both the states would have a positive impact on the region.

Tajik Ambassador Sherali Jononov said the historical change in the bilateral relations with Uzbekistan started after the Summit in China 2018 and till then, projects including railway, tourist flights, transport and communication and energy sector had been launched.

He said a total of 27 bilateral cooperation agreements had been signed and trade between the two countries reached to half a billion.

He said the human resource from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan could also be helpful for Pakistan in the future. Uzbek Ambassador Furqat A Sidikov said Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were connected by common history and shared culture and added that the bilateral ties would be taken to new level for the sake of both nations.

He said mutual trade turnover was growing dynamically and trade agreements of worth more than $300 million were signed and implemented so far. Brigadier (retd) Akhtar Nawaz Janjua, Senior Member Advisory board CGSS said the current environment and example set by Tajikistan and Uzbekistan showed their strong desire to develop relations.

He said Pakistan was a huge market which could be tapped by the central Asian states. Senior Member Advisory Board CGSS Ashfaq Ahmed Gondal presented speech on "Significance of Regional Stability for the Prosperity of Central Asia" and stated that peace in Afghanistan was essential for peace, stability, prosperity and development in the region.

Center for Global and Strategic Studies President Major General (retd) Syed Khalid Amir Jaffery highlighted the efforts of CGSS to bring Pakistan and Central Asian Republics (car) especially Tajikistan and Uzbekistan together by series of meetings for mutual cooperation.
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The 2018 Southeast Asia Counter-Terrorism Symposium kicked off here Thursday, aimed at discussing ways towards greater concerted efforts against terrorism.

SINGAPORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Oct, 2018 ) :The 2018 Southeast Asia Counter-Terrorism Symposium kicked off here Thursday, aimed at discussing ways towards greater concerted efforts against terrorism.

Themed "A Collective Approach," the two-day seminar will examine four important threads to help the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states counter the evolving threat of terrorism.

They are building societal resilience against terrorism, applying appropriate counter-measures against the region's increasingly militarized terror networks, employing advanced technologies, and exploring areas of cooperation to enhance ASEAN's collective capacity against terrorism.

ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for Political and Security Community Hoang Anh Tuan said in his speech that terrorism remains one of the most dangerous threats to regional peace, stability and prosperity.

He called on strengthening capacity in combating terrorism, especially when cyber terrorism is gaining momentum in the region while not all ASEAN countries are adequately equipped to fight against it.

Organized by the S. Rajaratnam school of International Studies of the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, the symposium was part of Singapore's chairmanship of ASEAN this year and will run until Friday.
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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will attend the 17th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe to be held on October 11 to 12, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the announcement here on Thursday.

BEIJING, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Oct, 2018 ) :Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will attend the 17th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe to be held on October 11 to 12, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the announcement here on Thursday.

The SCO is an inter-governmental international organization comprising China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan as full members, and Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia as observers.

The SCO states cooperate on a number of issues, including the economy, security, culture and science.

While the Heads of State Council annual meetings are focused on adopting guidelines on the important areas of SCO cooperation, the heads of government discuss the cooperation strategy, resolve pressing issues and approve the annual budget during their annual meetings.
The Constitutional Committee for Syria is just buying some time and will not solve the crisis in the country because the problem is not the constitution, former Syrian diplomat Bassam Barabandi told Sputnik.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) The Constitutional Committee for Syria is just buying some time and will not solve the crisis in the country because the problem is not the constitution, former Syrian diplomat Bassam Barabandi told Sputnik.

"The Constitutional Committee is just wasting time and buying time. They will not change anything, even if we have best constitution ever," Barabandi said. "[T]he problem in Syria is not the constitution, the problem with Syria is the regime. The people ran away not because they didn't like their constitution, but because they were under the threat of being killed."

Last week, the Small Group on Syria set October 31 as deadline for UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura to report on the progress on convening a committee to draft a new Syrian constitution. De Mistura said that the Constitutional Committee for Syria could very possibly be launched in October.

Barabandi said if Syria's fundamental problems are not solved, even if President Bashar Assad loses power after holding elections in Syria, the constitution should not be an issue to spend time on.

"Who will take power from him? Who will take his [Assad's] inner circle out of the system? There is no mechanism.

If Assad stays in power, what will the refugees do? ... I think this is just buying time to do something in the future but it is not something to build on," Barabandi said.

Establishing the Constitutional Committee was agreed upon in January during the Sochi Congress on Syria. The committee is expected to consist of three groups representing the Syrian government; opposition and women; and experts and leaders of various tribes living in Syria.

According to UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, the concerned parties have been divided over the composition of the third group.

Barabandi said he believes the Constitutional Committee is violating the sequence of events enumerated in UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

"In Security Council [Resolution] 2254, they put a sequence of events that ends by forming the Constitution Committee, not starting with," he said.

The international community has taken a number of steps to settle the Syrian crisis, including organizing negotiations in Astana, Geneva and Sochi.
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A blast took place at the Vynova chemical facility in the Tessenderlo municipality in the southeastern Belgian province of Limburg on Thursday, media reported

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) A blast took place at the Vynova chemical facility in the Tessenderlo municipality in the southeastern Belgian province of Limburg on Thursday, media reported.

According to the RTBF broadcaster, no one has been reported hurt in the explosion.

The authorities have recommended residents of the neighboring area to keep doors and windows shut, the media said.

The Tessenderlo authorities told Sputnik that the gas leak, which was triggered by the blast, was neutralized. The incident was caused by two chemicals getting mixed.

There are no risks to the safety of people or environment, according to a representative of the municipality.
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MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz held a summit in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, marking almost 95 years of their nations' diplomatic ties.

Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the First Austrian Republic were established in 1924 but ended abruptly in 1938 after Austria was occupied by Nazi Germany. After the war ended, the ties were restored at the level of representatives and upgraded to embassies in 1953.

Austria's relationship with Russia has been growing steadily since the fall of the Soviet Union, with the countries maintaining their engagement at the highest levels.

Russian President Vladimir Putin went on a working trip to Austria in February 2001, followed by state visits in May 2007 and June 2014.

Austrian President Thomas Klestil returned the favor in June 2001 and came to Russia for a private visit in February 2004.

Austrian President Heinz Fischer took then part in celebrations in Moscow of the 60th anniversary of the Victory in World War Two on May 9, 2005, followed by an official visit in 2011.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met with Fischer in September 2009 in New York and in December 2010 on the margins of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

In January 2002 and December 2005, Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel was in Russia on working visits. In November 2009, Chancellor Werner Faymann travelled to Moscow and was received by Russian then-President Medvedev and held talks with then-Prime Minister Putin. Putin flied then to Vienna in April 2010.

In October 2014, President Putin held a working meeting with Fayman on the margins of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Milan, Italy. They discussed bilateral trade and economic cooperation, including joint energy projects.

Fischer paid an official visit to Russia in April 2016 to discuss cooperation on trade, economy, culture and humanitarian affairs, as well as international issues.

In June 2017, President Putin held talks with Chancellor Christian Kern on the margins of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

In February 2018, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz travelled to Russia on his first trip outside the European Union as the head of Austrian government. The talks covered the current state and outlooks for bilateral relations.

On June 5, 2018, President Putin met in Austria with his counterpart, Alexander Van der Bellen, and Chancellor Kurz. They discussed cooperation between the two nations and oversaw the signing of a slew of bilateral documents. Putin also attended a meeting of the Russian-Austrian business Council dedicated to the 50th anniversary of gas cooperation between the two states.

In August 2018, Putin made a brief stop in the Austrian city of Graz on his way to Berlin. The president attended the wedding of Austria's Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl and spoke with Kurz.

Foreign policy departments of the two countries are actively involved in the dialogue. In April 2018, Kneissl came to Moscow on her first visit as Austrian foreign minister.

On June 5, 2018, Russian and Austrian foreign ministers met in Vienna to discuss a range of issues, including Syria, Iran and North Korea.

On June 25, 2018, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko discussed with Austrian Foreign Ministry's Secretary General for Foreign Affairs Johannes Peterlik prospects for deeper relations between Russia and the European Union, during his trip to Vienna.

Austria is among the opponents of increasing sanctions pressure on Russia, a position shared by the country's main political parties, public figures and the vast majority of businesses.

At the end of 2017, the Russian-Austrian trade turnover increased by 40.5 percent compared with the previous year to $4.1 billion. At the same time, Russia's exports to Austria increased by 78.9 percent to $1.9 billion, and imports from Austria showed an increase of 18.5 percent to $2.2 billion. Investment cooperation between the two countries is also growing.

Trade between Russia and Austria amounted to $3.39 billion from January to July 2018. Russian exports amounted to $1.92 billion, while imports totaled $1.47 billion.

Russia exports to Austria mineral products (91.7 percent); metals (2.41 percent); wood (2.34 percent); chemical industry products (1.33 percent); machinery, equipment and transport vehicles (1.07 percent); food and agricultural products (0.46 percent).

Russia imports from Austria mostly machinery, equipment and transport vehicles (45.45 percent); chemical industry products (22.32 percent); metals and metal products (15.32 percent); food and agricultural products (6.65 percent); wood, pulp and paper products (4.74 percent); textiles and footwear (1.44 percent).

Russian investments in the Austrian economy reached $23 billion in2018, while Austrian investments in the Russian economy stood at $5 billion.

The Declaration on Partnership for Modernization, adopted in 2011, has already given rise to 28 joint initiatives worth nearly three billion Euros ($3.455 billion).

More than 1,200 Austrian companies operate in the Russian market, and there are about 500 companies with Austrian capital.

Austrian companies mainly invest in the construction and modernization of factories in Russia producing chipboard, as well as pulp and paper plants, metallurgic factories, mineral oil refineries, wood processing factories and those producing construction materials. The main targets of Russian investment in Austria are manufacturing, mining operations, electricity generation, finance and tourism.

The Mixed Russian-Austrian Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation deals with bilateral trade and economy. It last met in St. Petersburg on May 24, 2018. A Russian-Austrian Business Council was established in 2017 and last met in June 2018.

The countries' law enforcement agencies have been cooperating within the framework of Justice Ministries and the General Prosecutor's Offices.

Russian-Austrian relations have been traditionally close in the cultural sphere. The countries have been working together on several cultural and art programs under the 1998 intergovernmental deal on cultural cooperation. Fruitful contacts are maintained between theaters and music groups, museums, libraries and universities. Direct links between cities and regions are strengthening.

Tourism in both directions has increased and the geographical scope of touristic visits has expanded since 2017 when Russia and Austria held a year of cross-tourism in 2017. The Russian statistics bureau, Rosstat, estimates 248,000 Russian tourists went to Austria in 2017, while Russia was visited by 52,000 Austrian tourists.

A Cross-Year of Music and Cultural Routes was launched in 2018. Russia and Austria are also working on new large-scale cultural projects, such as the Russian-Austrian Year of Youth Exchanges in 2019 and the Year of Literature and Theater 2020.
The access of Finnish intelligence services to citizens' private communications will be eased after October 15 in cases related to national security threats, the country's Justice Ministry said on Thursday.

HELSINKI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) The access of Finnish intelligence services to citizens' private communications will be eased after October 15 in cases related to national security threats, the country's Justice Ministry said on Thursday.

"Under the Constitution, the secrecy of correspondence, telephony and other confidential communications is inviolable. Under a new subsection to be added to the Constitution, provisions concerning limitations to the secrecy of communications that are necessary in the investigation of crimes that jeopardize the security of the individual or society or the sanctity of the home, at trials and security checks, during deprivation of liberty, and for the purpose of gathering intelligence on military operations or other such activities that pose a serious threat to national security may be laid down by an act," the ministry said.

On Wednesday, the Finnish parliament adopted an amendment to the constitution related to access to citizens' private communications. These changes, approved by 178 lawmakers out of 191, are needed to adopt a bill on intelligence activity.

"Activities that pose a serious threat to national security refer to activities that threaten the law and order of democratic society, basic functions of society, life or health of a large number of people, or international peace and security. However, it is required that the activities are connected with Finland and specifically threaten the national security of Finland," the ministry added.

The Finnish president is to approve the amendment so that will enter into force on October 15.
The recent boom in bauxite mining in Guinea has led to systemic violations of human rights and deteriorating environmental conditions, a prominent watchdog said Thursday in a statement, urging the Guinean government to instantly improve situation.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) The recent boom in bauxite mining in Guinea has led to systemic violations of human rights and deteriorating environmental conditions, a prominent watchdog said Thursday in a statement, urging the Guinean government to instantly improve situation.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a 146-page report dubbed "What Do We Get Out of It?," which is focused on the activities of the two largest mining companies operating in Guinea: La Societe Miniere de Boke (SMB), linked to China's Hongqiao Group, and La Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinee (CBG), co-owned by Alcoa and Rio Tinto multinational giants.

"Bauxite mining, unless properly regulated, threatens to destroy the way of life and livelihoods of dozens of communities at the front line of mining operations ... The Guinean government's focus on growing the bauxite sector has too often taken precedence over the protection of the environment and human rights," Jim Wormington, the West Africa researcher at HRW, said in a statement.

The Guinean government has failed to protect rural land rights and secure sufficient compensation for the local community for the long-term value of the land, according to the watchdog.

"Scores of residents said that mining had reduced water levels and quality in local rivers, streams and wells, threatening the right to water of thousands of people ... Dozens of residents also said that the dust produced by the mining and transport of bauxite had blighted their lives, with red dust entering villages and homes and covering crops. And villagers, many of whom said they believe mining is already contributing to respiratory illnesses, worry about longer-term health impacts," the statement read.

The companies mentioned in the study responded to watchdog's criticism by saying that they were working on reducing the impacts of mining.

Guinea's government, in turn, has said that it only permits projects that comply with environmental and social standards to be implemented, but acknowledged that it lacked the resources to respond to violations.
Hungary is expelling one of the Ukrainian consuls who work in the country's embassy in Budapest after Kiev declared the Hungarian consul in the city of Berehove a persona non grata, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said Thursday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) Hungary is expelling one of the Ukrainian consuls who work in the country's embassy in Budapest after Kiev declared the Hungarian consul in the city of Berehove a persona non grata, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said Thursday.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry declared the Hungarian consul persona non grata earlier in the day, following the September reports that Hungarian passports had been issued by the country's consulate in Berehove to what Kiev estimates to be 100,000 Ukrainians.

"As a proportional response to Ukraine's measure, Hungary is expelling a Ukrainian consul ... Ukraine's Ambassador to Budapest was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Thursday and told that one of the consuls working at the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest must leave Hungary within 72 hours," Szijjarto said at a briefing, as quoted by the MTI news agency.

According to media reports, Hungarian diplomats instructed Ukrainians to conceal from the Ukrainian government the fact that they had obtained Hungarian citizenship.

Szijjarto stressed that the hidden camera video made at the building of the Hungarian mission in Berehove was obtained as a result of a secret service operation, thus it was a breach of rules of diplomacy.

In addition, the Hungarian foreign minister slammed Ukraine's Language Act, which, according to him, would curb the right of thousands of Hungarians living in Transcarpathia to use their native language.
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Hungary is expelling one of the Ukrainian consuls who work in the country's embassy in Budapest after Kiev declared the Hungarian consul in the city of Berehove a persona non grata, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said Thursday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) Hungary is expelling one of the Ukrainian consuls who work in the country's embassy in Budapest after Kiev declared the Hungarian consul in the city of Berehove a persona non grata, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said Thursday.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry declared the Hungarian consul persona non grata earlier in the day, following the September reports that Hungarian passports had been issued by the country's consulate in Berehove to what Kiev estimates to be 100,000 Ukrainians.

"As a proportional response to Ukraine's measure, Hungary is expelling a Ukrainian consul ... Ukraine's Ambassador to Budapest was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Thursday and told that one of the consuls working at the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest must leave Hungary within 72 hours," Szijjarto said at a briefing, as quoted by the MTI news agency.

According to media reports, Hungarian diplomats instructed Ukrainians to conceal from the Ukrainian government the fact that they had obtained Hungarian citizenship.

Szijjarto stressed that the hidden camera video made at the building of the Hungarian mission in Berehove was obtained as a result of a secret service operation, thus it was a breach of rules of diplomacy.

In addition, the Hungarian foreign minister slammed Ukraine's Language Act, which, according to him, would curb the right of thousands of Hungarians living in Transcarpathia to use their native language.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin called Hungary's reaction "fundamentally incommensurate."

"We are not breaching the international legal framework; we are acting as diplomats should. We will send our diplomat to the foreign ministry's mission in Uzhhorod they definitely need more people there," Klimkin said.

The city of Uzhhorod is the administrative center of Ukraine's Zakarpattia Region, also known as Transcarpathia. The region is located in the southwest of Ukraine, bordering Hungary.
Macedonia and Serbia are to construct a joint railway station on the border crossing Tabanovce with common border, customs and inspection services.

Skopje, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Oct, 2018 ) :Macedonia and Serbia are to construct a joint railway station on the border crossing Tabanovce with common border, customs and inspection services.

The EUR 4,5 million-project, presented Wednesday in Skopje-based EU Info Centre, is expected to reduce train travel time, boost the cooperation between the customs administrations, phytosanitary and veterinary inspection of the two countries.

The project foresees a construction of a building that will house the employees of border police, customs administration, inspection services and state railway companies of Macedonia and Serbia, Transport and Communications Minister Gjorgi Sugarevski said.

By the end of this year, Macedonia's government will apply for a grant under the EU Western Balkans Investment Framework..

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has already approved funds in support of this project, Sugarevski said. The construction is to start in 2020 and wrapped up by 2024, he added.

This pilot-project is yet another proof about the significance of the Western Balkan region for theEuropean Union, Ambassador Samuel Zbogar said.
Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstein will hold their first meeting next week in Kazakhstan, NASA announced in a statement on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd October, 2018) Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstein will hold their first meeting next week in Kazakhstan, NASA announced in a statement on Wednesday.

"On October 11, American Astronaut Nick Hague and Russian Cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin will launch to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan," the statement said. "Administrator Bridenstine is scheduled to attend the launch and plans to meet with Mr. Rogozin. This will be their first in-person meeting."

NASA said in the statement that Rogozin and Bridenstine on September 12 discussed over the telephone the leak at the International Space Station.

In September 2017, Roscosmos and NASA signed a Memorandum on Cooperation on the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway project.

The United States offered Russia to construct an airlock module for discharging cosmonauts on the platform.

However, a source told Sputnik in April that Russia was dissatisfied with its role in the project because it was suggested the unit should be built under US standards to ensure that solely US space suits can be used on the platform.

On September 22, Rogozin said Russia would not participate in the project in its current form and would instead create its own lunar orbital project or possibly an international one.

Bridenstein responded that the United States was looking forward to a partnership with Russia in developing a lunar orbital space station.
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WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) The newly appointed US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad is heading out across the middle East and South and Central Asia to begin a negotiations process with the Taliban, the State Department said in a press release.

"Khalilzad will lead an interagency delegation to Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia from October 4-14," the release said on Wednesday. "Khalilzad's mission is to coordinate and lead US efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table."

The special envoy, the release added, will coordinate closely with the Afghan government and other stakeholders in exploring ways to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict.

The trip represents Khalilzad's first visit in his new role as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's special envoy for Afghan reconciliation, according to the release.

In July, US media reported that American officials held first ever direct talks with representatives of the Taliban in Qatar. Talks never developed beyond that and, in August, the Taliban rejected Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's offer for a three-month ceasefire.
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The next meeting of the Russian-Hungarian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation will take place in Budapest on November 22, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd October, 2018) The next meeting of the Russian-Hungarian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation will take place in Budapest on November 22, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Lavrov met with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto in Moscow to discuss burgeoning bilateral relations in trade as well as cooperation on the construction of a new nuclear power units at the Paks nuclear power plant (NPP) in Hungary, among other issues.

"All these issues as well as other plans for the future, will be considered in detail at the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, which Mr.

Minister [Szijjarto] heads together with [Russian Healthcare Minister Veronika] Skvortsova. The meeting will take place on November 22 in Budapest," Lavrov said at a joint press conference with Szijjarto.

Russia and Hungary have also agreed to convene a founding meeting of a new bilateral commission on promotion of cooperation between the regions of the countries, the minister added.
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Pakistan has successfully dislodged terrorist sanctuaries from its territory, but now the principal threat is coming from beyond the country's borders, Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi has told a United Nations committee

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 4 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Oct, 2018 ) :Pakistan has successfully dislodged terrorist sanctuaries from its territory, but now the principal threat is coming from beyond the country's borders, Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi has told a United Nations committee.

Speaking in the General Assembly's Sixth (Legal) Committee on Wednesday, she said Pakistan was combating the challenge from abroad by implementing a comprehensive border management system along its western border.

"Terrorists and their evil acts have never shaken my country's resolve and determination to continue the fight to defeat it," Ambassador Lodhi, Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN, said in a debate on terrorism.

"The hard-earned stability that Pakistan enjoys today has been attained through a comprehensive approach against terrorism," she added.

Elaborating on the implementation of the border management system, Ambassador Lodhi said it would enable Pakistan to prevent the cross border movement of militants, stop the illegal smuggling of arms and check illicit drug trafficking while at the same time facilitate trade through improved border crossing facilities.

Also, she said no terrorist movement could be defeated by military means alone. On its part, Pakistan was following a "whole Society approach", engaging community leaders, developing strong counter-narratives, enhanced regional cooperation and following international obligations.

In her remarks, Ambassador Lodhi also underscored the need for addressing the root causes of terrorism, including well-acknowledged drivers of radicalization, which lie in political injustice, economic and social marginalization and exclusion and the breeding grounds spawned by long festering and protracted conflicts.

"Chronic instability due to conflicts and military interventions has provided fertile ground to terrorists to recruit followers and spread their ideology," she said, adding, "Terrorists and their supporters are obviously able to find save havens in ungoverned conflict areas," she said.

While the United Nations is focusing on improving technical measures, Pakistan firmly believes that the extremist ideology would never be defeated "unless we deal with the geopolitical dynamics which fuel terrorism." Pakistan, she said, backed the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) position on a consensus-based Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT). The proposed Convention must be consistent with International Humanitarian Law and clearly differentiate between acts of terrorism and the legitimate struggles for self-determination of people living under foreign occupation.

"The malicious attempts by those who seek to manipulate the international consensus against terrorism to justify the suppression of people struggling for their right to self-determination must never be permitted to succeed," Ambassador Lodhi told delegates from around the world.

"Without a holistic approach, we will be fighting only the symptoms and not the underlying causes of this deadly phenomenon." The United Nations, the Pakistani envoy said, enjoyed a unique position to build consensus among member states to deal with the diverse challenges posed by terrorism and extremism. However, the capacity-building structure of the United Nations was increasingly donor-driven and does not cater adequately to the needs of member states.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Shaker, speaking for the OIC, said that terrorism, a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, also contradicts the principles of islam. The scourge should not be associated with any religion, culture, theology or society.

Further, he said, sovereignty and political independence of all States must be respected.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa discussed on Wednesday establishing a middle East Strategic Alliance and cooperating on counterterrorism, Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a press release.

"The Secretary and the Foreign Minister continued discussions from the September 28 GCC+2 [Gulf Cooperation Council] Ministerial on establishing a Middle East Strategic Alliance, anchored by a united GCC, to advance prosperity, security, and stability in the region," Nauert said in the release on Wednesday.

Moreover, Nauert said both leaders also discussed at the State Department the US-Bahrain counterterrorism cooperation, countering the Iran's malign influence in the region and other bilateral and regional issues.

Pompeo praised Bahrain for reducing human trafficking and its upgrade to Tier 1 status in the 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report, Nauert said.

The Middle East Strategic Alliance, widely referred to as "Arab NATO," is expected to include the six Arab states of the Gulf Cooperation Council along with Egypt and Jordan.

On Friday, Pompeo and the foreign ministers of Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates discussed the creation of a Middle East Strategic Alliance on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.
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Russia and Morocco are almost finished preparing an agreement on bilateral cooperation on using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev, who is also the co-chair of the Russian-Moroccan Intergovernmental Commission, said on Thursday.

RABAT (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) Russia and Morocco are almost finished preparing an agreement on bilateral cooperation on using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev, who is also the co-chair of the Russian-Moroccan Intergovernmental Commission, said on Thursday.

"Preparations for the [Russian-Moroccan] agreement on cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy is being finalized," Patrushev told reporters.

The seventh meting of the commission was held in the Moroccan capital of Rabat earlier on Thursday. Patrushev chaired it along with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. Talks focused on regional and international issues, particularly regarding the promotion of peace and security in Africa.

In September, Russia and Morocco congratulated one another on the 60th anniversary of establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.
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Russia will continue to work on developing visa liberalization policies with the countries of Latin America, Russian Foreign Ministry's Director of the Latin American Department Alexander Schetinin said on Thursday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) Russia will continue to work on developing visa liberalization policies with the countries of Latin America, Russian Foreign Ministry's Director of the Latin American Department Alexander Schetinin said on Thursday.

The official said that last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had held a number of meetings with Latin American officials on the sidelines of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

"A large number of bilateral agreements have been signed. The growing zone of [Russian] citizens' visa free trips is maybe the most important issue.

For the moment, such agreements have been signed with 24 out of 33 [Latin American] countries. This work will continue. We have the visa free regime with the whole of South America, almost all countries of Central America, and now we are working with the Caribbean states," Schetinin said on the sidelines of the Valdai discussion forum.

Recent visa liberalization agreements were signed between Russia, and Dominica and Suriname on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
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Russia will respond to the expulsion of its citizens with diplomatic passports from the Netherlands in kind, first deputy head of the Russian upper house international committee Vladimir Dzhabarov told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) Russia will respond to the expulsion of its citizens with diplomatic passports from the Netherlands in kind, first deputy head of the Russian upper house international committee Vladimir Dzhabarov told Sputnik.

"The measures will be tit-for-tat, our reaction will be unambiguous," Dzhabarov said.
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The Russian Embassy in Bulgaria condemned on Thursday the recent desecration of the Monument to the Soviet Army in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) The Russian Embassy in Bulgaria condemned on Thursday the recent desecration of the Monument to the Soviet Army in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia.

Unknown individuals damaged the monument during the night into Thursday by painting insulting inscriptions in Bulgarian on it.

"The Russian Embassy in Bulgaria voices its outermost indignation over a new act of desecration of the Monument to the Soviet Army that happened on the night between October 3 and October 4. It is deplorable that the monument designed to showcase gratitude to the soldiers who liberated Europe, and Bulgaria in particular, from fascism, who sacrificed their lives for the sake of our peaceful future, turns into a platform for some dubious political beliefs," the embassy wrote on Facebook.

The embassy recalled that Bulgaria was always respectful of history, since its earth was "soaked with Russian blood.

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"The attempts to get it [Bulgaria] into a disgraceful war against monuments are very alarming. Such actions will not result in anything but tensions and lack of understanding between our countries, and we are sure that neither the Russian people nor the Bulgarian people are interested in this," the post read on.

This was not the first act of vandalism against military memorials in Bulgaria. For example, a monument commemorating Soviet soldiers who died in World War II was spray-painted with anti-Semitic, anti-Russian and anti-communist graffiti in the city of Plovdiv in November 2017. Monuments commemorating Soviet warriors have also been desecrated in Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania, among others.
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Russian Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces Col. Gen. Oleg Salyukov held a meeting with Indian Chief of Army Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat in Moscow on Thursday, where they discussed the upcoming joint Indra-2018 military drills, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) Russian Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces Col. Gen. Oleg Salyukov held a meeting with Indian Chief of Army Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat in Moscow on Thursday, where they discussed the upcoming joint Indra-2018 military drills, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"During the meeting, the issues of bilateral military cooperation of the land forces, the joint Indra-2018 drills and the participation of the Indian crews in the International Army Games were discussed," the ministry said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Russia's Eastern Military District said that the two sides had agreed to hold the Indra-2018 drills in India from November 18 to November 28. A total of 250 Russian troops are expected to participate in the military exercises.
Russia's Permanent Representation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) does not comment on the Dutch Defense Ministry's accusations against Russia of cyberattacks, the Russian embassy told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) Russia's Permanent Representation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) does not comment on the Dutch Defense Ministry's accusations against Russia of cyberattacks, the Russian embassy told Sputnik.

"No comment," an embassy spokesman said.
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Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev invited on Wednesday experts from Serbia to take part in its MBIR project, which involves building the world's most powerful multi-purpose research nuclear fast-neutron reactor.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd October, 2018) Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev invited on Wednesday experts from Serbia to take part in its MBIR project, which involves building the world's most powerful multi-purpose research nuclear fast-neutron reactor.

"Taking this opportunity, I want to say to Mr. [Serbian Innovation Minister Nenad] Popovic, that we invite him with great pleasure to our international project of the 'fast' research reactor, the MBIR project," Likhachev said at the Nuclear Energy - the Basis of Global Partnership and Current Development plenary session during the Russian Energy Week in Moscow.

The Rosatom head said he believed that Serbian scientists might well make a substantial contribution to this work.

Popovic, in turn, noted that although Serbia had a moratorium on the construction of nuclear power plants, there was no moratorium on research in the field of nuclear energy.

"I think we would return to this market together with Rosatom, especially with regard to research. We will develop nuclear medicine as well as the use of nuclear technologies in the agriculture industry," the minister said.

Construction for the MBIR started in the city of Dimitrovgrad in late 2015 on the site of the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors, which already houses eight research reactors. The sodium-cooled reactor's output is set to be 150 megawatts. The MBIR will replace the aging BOR-60, which is currently the world's only fast neutron research reactor in operation. It's schedule to begin operating after 2024.

The Russian Energy Week forum started earlier in the day in Moscow and will continue through Saturday. Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency is the official media partner of the event.
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The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are hopeful to revive a dialogue with Damascus, and are against any military solutions, the head of the US Mission of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the SDF's political wing, Sinam Mohamad told Sputnik.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are hopeful to revive a dialogue with Damascus, and are against any military solutions, the head of the US Mission of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the SDF's political wing, Sinam Mohamad told Sputnik.

"As the Syrian Democratic Council, we started the dialogue with Damascus when the Syrian government asked if we are ready to negotiate ... and we agreed to that. We went to Damascus twice, and we had a committee there... Now not any more, [the dialogue] stopped now. We hope that this dialogue will continue for the sake of all the Syrian people, to build a new Syria... It is up to the Syrian government. We are ready again to continue this dialogue and this negotiation with the government," Mohamad said.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has called off the state of alert for the country's quick reaction force that was introduced after the recent tensions with the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo over the Lake Gazivoda incident, the Serbian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has called off the state of alert for the country's quick reaction force that was introduced after the recent tensions with the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo over the Lake Gazivoda incident, the Serbian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

On Saturday, Vucic put the country's armed forces on alert after around 60 members of Kosovo's special forces were deployed near Lake Gazivoda, which is situated in the north of Kosovo, very close to its border with Serbia. Kosovo's special forces were reportedly accompanying the president of the self-proclaimed republic, Hashim Thachi, during his short boat trip on the lake.

"Early in the morning, President of the Republic of Serbia and the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Army Aleksandar Vucic, in accordance with his authority under the defense act, issued an order to Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin and Chief of the General Staff Lieut. Gen. Milan Mojsilovic to call off the state of alert for the quick reaction force," the ministry said in a statement.

Kosovo proclaimed its independence from Serbia in 2008 and was recognized by over a hundred UN member states. The move was not, however, recognized by a number of other countries, including Serbia itself and two permanent members of the UN Security Council  Russia and China.
Six soldiers were killed Thursday when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device (IED) in eastern Burkina Faso, and several others were seriously injured, security sources said.

Ouagadougou, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Oct, 2018 ) :Six soldiers were killed Thursday when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device (IED) in eastern Burkina Faso, and several others were seriously injured, security sources said.

"On Thursday morning, a military vehicle hit a homemade explosive device between Gayeri and Foutouri. Six soldiers were killed and several others were seriously injured," a source said. Another source said three others were in a "critical condition" and had been evacuated to Ouagadougou, the Burkina capital.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's pledges to grant Macedonia membership in the alliance in the beginning of 2019 are unacceptable as both Macedonian and Greek parliaments have not adopted yet any decisions related to the name dispute, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's pledges to grant Macedonia membership in the alliance in the beginning of 2019 are unacceptable as both Macedonian and Greek parliaments have not adopted yet any decisions related to the name dispute, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

"NATO Secretary General Mr. Stoltenberg pledged to accept Skopje into the bloc as early as at the beginning of 2019, leaving no doubt that the parliaments of Macedonia and Greece would take the required decisions ... If we are talking about non-interference in internal affairs, then we cannot campaign for or against when it comes to the issue of referendums. If we are talking about non-interference in internal affairs and respect for the law, including international law, then it is impossible to talk about the decisions that would be made on behalf of the parliaments of states, especially this should not be done by a head of the military bloc.

You absolutely cannot do this," Zakharova said at a briefing.

Greece and Macedonia, officially known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), have been entangled in a naming dispute for years, with Athens opposing the use of "Macedonia," which is also the name of a region in Greece. The agreement on the new name for Macedonia - Republic of Northern Macedonia - was signed by Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov and his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias on June 17. If ratified, the agreement will allow the renamed Macedonia to join the European Union and NATO, since Greece will no longer be blocking the process.
The Taliban movement is boosting its military activities in almost all regions of Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2018) The Taliban movement is boosting its military activities in almost all regions of Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"The Taliban movement is increasing its military activities in almost all parts of the country," Zakharova told a briefing.

According to the spokeswoman, the Afghan national security forces are facing an unprecedentedly high number of casualties this year.

"In particular, in September of this year, the national security forces had 513 people killed, 718 were injured and 43 people were captured," Zakharova said.
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US Ambassador to the Netherlands Peter Hoekstra said on Wednesday that the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague was not qualified to investigate Iran's lawsuit against the United States over the US sanctions reinstatement.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd October, 2018) US Ambassador to the Netherlands Peter Hoekstra said on Wednesday that the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague was not qualified to investigate Iran's lawsuit against the United States over the US sanctions reinstatement.

Iran claimed that the United States violated their joint Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights of 1955 by imposing sanctions. Earlier in the day, the ICJ made a preliminary ruling, partially upholding Iran's lawsuit, filed in July, and ordering the United States to lift sanctions related to the export of humanitarian goods and of civil aviation equipment and spare parts.

"Just saw the ICJ's 29-page decision issued October 3. This is a meritless case over which the court has no jurisdiction," Hoekstra said in a statement he posted on Twitter.

He specified that the ICJ had refused to grant the "sweeping measures" that Iran had requested, and had instead issued a "narrow decision on a very limited range of sectors.

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The ICJ urged the United States and Iran to "refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute," according to the ambassador.

Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States was terminating its Treat of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights with Iran.

In May, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, and reinstate sanctions against Tehran which had previously been lifted under the agreement. The first set of 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. The second sanctions package, targeting sales of oil and related products, is set to be reimposed on November 4.
The United States is concerned about the health of an activist who is on a hunger strike to protest his wrongful imprisonment in Cuba, the State Department said in a press release on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th October, 2018) The United States is concerned about the health of an activist who is on a hunger strike to protest his wrongful imprisonment in Cuba, the State Department said in a press release on Thursday.

"The United States is gravely concerned about the physical health of Cuban democratic activist Tomas Nunez Magdariaga, who has been on a hunger strike for more than 50 days in protest against his wrongful imprisonment," the release said.

Nunez's family, the release added, has not been allowed to see him even though his health is in a "critical state."

The release also said Cuban authorities arrested the activist on false charges and convicted him during a "sham" trial where Nunez was not allowed to have any witnesses speak on his behalf.

The State Department condemns the conviction and urges the Cuban government to release Nunez and all other political prisoners, according to the release.
In an interview, Fr. Banu Kurniatanto, Director of Caritas Indonesia, spoke about plans to reach the survivors of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the Central Sulawesi Province on September 28.

By Robin Gomes

Uncertainty was written large on the faces of people living in tents and shelters on Thursday, 6 days after a powerful earthquake and tsunami hit the Central Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. 1,424 have been confirmed dead and more than 70,000 people have been displaced from their homes since the September 28 disaster.

Relief efforts have been hampered by extensive damage to infrastructure cutting off many remote areas.

Caritas Indonesia, the social arm of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Indonesia (KWI), has swung into action since the disaster struck the region. Fr. Banu Kurnianto, the Director of Caritas Indonesia who has arrived in Makassar Archdiocese explained to Vatican News about the Catholic Churchs relief efforts.

He said that of the countrys 37 dioceses, Manado Diocese and Makassar Archdiocese, that are closest to the disaster region that includes Palu city, were among the first to respond. Even though Central Sulawesi and Palu come under the jurisdiction of Manado, they are closer to Makassar. Fr. Kurniantio said both the dioceses are coordinating the Caritas response.

Listen to Fr. Banu Kurnianto of Caritas Indonesia

Damaged infrastructure

With essential services such as roads, communication, power and fuel heavily damaged, Fr. Kurnianto said it is a great challenge to quickly reach the affected areas. For an effective emergency strategy and response, Caritas Indonesia needs to have a clear picture of the ground situation. In some places, he said, they are trying to make it on foot.

Fr. Kurnianto said the basic needs of the people are food, water, nutrition, shelter, tarpaulin, blankets and medicine, which Manado and Makassar dioceses are trying to coordinate.

Makassar-Manado partnership

The director of Caritas said that Makassar Archdiocese has assumed the responsibility of procuring relief materials and delivering them to Mamuju city, which is closest to Palu, some 15 hours by road. The Caritas field team in Mamuju will re-package the aid and deliver it to Palu, some 5-hour drive away.

In Palu, Manado Diocese will help in distributing the aid material to the affected areas in and around the city.

Caritas Internationalis

Fr. Kurniato expressed his appreciation to Caritas Internationalis for its solidarity, pledge and willingness to help Caritas Indonesia. However, he appealed to Caritas Internationalis members not to send their staff and teams as yet, as their safety and security could not be guaranteed until the ground situation improves.


Kids of all ages can rejoice as Kappa Toys welcomes locals and visitors to their second location inside the Fashion Show on the iconic Las Vegas Strip (Pictured: Crocodile Dentist).

Toy curator and founder, Lizzy Newsome got her start opening the original Kappa Toys inside Container Park in 2014 with husband Trevor Yopp. After four years and a successful pop-up shop, Kappa Toys is ready to share their toy collection with the masses.

This 3,000 square foot tactile-based toy store is beaming with never-before-seen international and national collectables combined with carefully curated selections of nostalgic classics. With more than 2,000 toys in stock, Kappa Toys has a toy for every child, even those who are kids at heart. Exclusive to the new location, Kappa Toys will debut their tokidoki Shop in Shop, a towering display featuring a lineup of items from this global design brand ranging from apparel, toys, keychains and limited edition bags. Also debuting is the dedicated San-X section, brimming with imported favorites from Japan including Rilakkuma, Summiko Gurashi and assorted Amuse Plush  kawaii fans of all ages will be transported!

Prices are inclusive of all budgets and include toy selections such as Green Toys, plenty of shokugan, or surprise boxes, Totoro items, Metal Earth building sets, science-based projects, fantasy and superhero novelties, puzzles, yo-yos, wind-up toys, action figures, pranks, plush toys, collectables, accessories, coloring books made in the U.S., international brands, new and classic board games and so much more.


The city council today approved a development agreement with The Molasky Group of Companies to develop the City of Las Vegas Municipal Courthouse in the civic corridor of downtown Las Vegas.

The four-story, 139,431 sq. ft. development will be located on approximately one acre at the SW corner of Clark Avenue and 1st Street. Sited to the southeast of the Las Vegas City Hall, the Municipal Courthouse is designed to complement City Hall while starting to create a complex of City facilities. The site is located near the City parking garage, the Detention Center, and the Regional Justice Center. The Courthouse is designed to meet LEED Silver level requirements and will be built for approximately $56.3M.

Joining The Molasky Group on the development team are: Martin Harris Construction as general contractor, PGAL as lead architect, X-9 Design Group as design architects, Walter P. Moore as structural engineer, MS Engineering for MEP and ITS, and GCW Engineering as civil engineers.

It is exciting that a new courthouse is coming to the government corridor in downtown Las Vegas, Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman said. The Molasky Group has been a longtime private-sector partner and we look forward to having a first-class Municipal Courthouse to serve the people of Las Vegas.

It is an honor for the Molasky Group and our development team to partner with the City of Las Vegas to build the new municipal courthouse, says Rich Worthington, president and chief operating officer. The City has longed for a courthouse and we plan on providing municipal judges, staff and city residents with a state of the art facility where justice can be served proudly.

The four-story facility will house the Citys Municipal Court functions including Traffic Court, six additional Courtrooms, City Attorneys office, customer service, court administration, classrooms and public space. Included in a sub-basement level will be secure parking and a sally port for prisoner transportation.

Construction is scheduled to commence around August 2019 and will bring more than 150 construction jobs to downtown Las Vegas. The project will be complete by January 2021.

The new Municipal Court project is just another example of the exciting things happening in the downtown, said City Manager Scott Adams. Its why many are calling this a time where downtown lights up!

This is opportunity to have a more efficiently designed facility that will allow our Municipal Court to better serve the current and future needs of the citizens of the city of Las Vegas, said Municipal Court Administrator Dana Hlavac. The close proximity to the Regional Justice Center and the Supreme Court building will allow for a continued strong level of cooperation and communication among all levels of the judiciary.

For Irwin Molasky, founder and chairman of the Molasky Group, the new municipal courthouse is a very special project that intertwines with a lifetime love and respect for the Rule of Law. He is a founder of Project REAL (Real Education About the Law), a non-profit organization that has educated nearly 40,000 schoolchildren on democracy and their rights; he served on the board of directors for the National Judicial College and has been honored by the Nevada Supreme Court for his knowledge and love of the law.


Theres not much better than a top-quality dinner filled with endless laughs and no one seems to know that better than Instagram model/comedian, Andrea Espada! Recently, she and her partner-in-comedy, Ali (@4KPAPI on Instagram) decided to dine at Andiamo Italian Steakhouse, located inside the D Casino Hotel (Pictured: Instagram comedy actress Andrea Espada at Andiamo Italian Steakhouse Las Vegas  Photo credit: the D Casino Hotel)

Photo credit: the D Casino Hotel

Many know her as the host of UFC Now, but she has also created a huge name for herself on social media by posting eye-catching modeling photos and hilarious skits that quickly rewarded her with a whopping 6 million IG followers. Her famous fiance, Ali, has an impressive 361,000 followers of his own on his 4K PAPI Instagram account. They have 257,000 subscribers on their family YouTube channel!

They were in town to meet with pop sensation, Jennifer Lopez, as they have some exciting plans for a future collaboration. Andrea then remembered that she loved Andiamo so much when she visited two years ago, she just had to come back for more! They were escorted to the Ds award-winning Italian steakhouse via the casinos extravagant D-branded stretch limo.

Once there, Andrea and Ali indulged in all kinds of deliciousness, including: calamari, lobster bisque, seafood pasta, steaks, and Andreas favorite desserts. As a matter of fact, Andrea was so impressed by the dessert selection, she even posed with the restaurants signature cheesecake and posted the picture to Instagram (where her millions of fans got to feel the envy of their idol)! The star couple snapped away all evening, taking endless photos of their dishes for Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and more.

Afterwards, the lovely pair got whisked away on a romantic helicopter tour of the city, looking over the Las Vegas Strip and Fremont Street, including their favorite downtown dining go-to  Andiamo!
Since its creation in 1973, the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade has become a vital part of the of the festival life of New York City. It was one of the largest and most famous ones in the world. In recent years it reports itself to have 50,000 costumed participants and 2 million spectators. 2018 marks the 45th anniversary of the Village Halloween Parade.It has been called New Yorks Carnival. The parade is largely a spontaneous event as individual marchers can just show up in costume at the starting point without registering or paying anything. The parades most signature features are its large puppets which are animated by hundreds of volunteers. The official parade theme each year is applied to the puppets. In addition to the puppets the website reports that more than 50 bands participates each year. In addition, there are some commercial Halloween floats.The official route on Sixth Avenue from Spring Street to 16th Street is 1.4 miles (the distance from the gathering spot at Canal and Sixth to Spring adds another 0.2 miles). The Parade usually starts at 7 pm and lasts for about two-three hours. These amazing photographs were taken by photographer Steven Siegel in 1987.(Photos  Steven Siegel
CapitaLand was named Best Developer in Vietnam

As one of Asias largest real estate developers, CapitaLand has been established in Vietnam for 24 years, ever since the country launched its doi moi policy to attract foreign investors.

In the words of the companys CEO Chen Lian Pang, the Vietnamese real estate market proves very up and coming, leveraging the countrys young population, swift urbanisation speed, and huge demand for housing.

Looking back on CapitaLands development journey in Vietnam as well as its contribution to society, he said, We are proud of our smart home designs, which ensure the best use of every space in the homes.

Optimising the use of natural sunlight and wind is also a top focus to mitigate the need for electrical use. Also, our projects are always environmentally friendly, with the designs bringing humanitarian values, such as being accessible for disabled persons, and paired with harmonious facade designs. Our projects, therefore, have contributed to beautifying the areas they are located in, he said.

This year is particularly successful for the Singaporean developer, as the company was honoured with a raft of prestigious awards. Most significantly, the company was named the Best Developer in Vietnam at the PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards 2018 for the second consecutive year. Among its award-wining projects is De La Sol, currently the only residential project to be developed by CapitaLand in Ho Chi Minh Citys District 4.

Uniquely designed around a musical theme, De La Sol offers over 50 facilities and features for residents. De La Sol also introduces the first Dual and Triple Key units to the Vietnamese market, fully finished with fittings such as smart locks for convenient living and renting.

D2eight is CapitaLands first landed development in Vietnam, an exclusive community with only 28 units in Ho Chi Minh Citys District 2. In line with its urban jungle theme, each unit contains seven floors of efficiently built-up space. True to its tagline, D2eight offers 28 Spaces, Infinite Possibilities.

DEdge Thao Dien is a wellness-themed luxury development with 273 apartment units in the heart of Thao Dien  the most established expatriate enclave in Ho Chi Minh City, offering a spectacular view of the Saigon River. With an unparalleled product and location in the market, DEdge Thao Dien stands as a prime investment of choice in Ho Chi Minh City.

The design of Faifo Lane is inspired by an urban interpretation of the ancient town of Hoi An, previously known as Faifo. Faifo Lane is the perfect place for families, friends, and couples to unwind by walking through the lantern lanes or relaxing on the artistic long chairs and enjoying a variety of food and beverages and other convenient services. This is a community mall where relationships are built by enjoying various activities together, like weekend markets or festive and community events.

Each year, CapitaLand sets aside 0.5 per cent of its profits to finance its independently operating charity fund, CapitaLand Hope Foundation. The fund has built three CapitaLand Hope schools in Vietnam, striving to bring quality education to 650 underprivileged children. When the schools construction neared completion, the fund even called on CapitaLand staff to act as volunteers in the finishing stage, engaging in painting walls, planting trees in school yards, and more. The companys management wants the staff to partake in bringing benefits to the local communities in the areas in which they are operating.
The streamlining of regulations and business conditions has helped the business community save millions of US dollars, Photo: Le Toan

Mai Tien Dung, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office, told VIR about these efforts and the governments future plans to create a more business-friendly climate in the country.

The government has taken decisive actions in reforming the Vietnamese business climate in order to boost economic growth and support people, enterprises, and investors. What results have been achieved so far?

The government, the prime minister, ministries, agencies, and localities have been actively making solutions to improve the domestic business climate in service of the business community. The number of newly established enterprises has been increasing strongly, showing that the efforts of the government, ministries, and localities have been highly appreciated by high-profile international organisations.

For example, Vietnam has moved up 23 notches in the World Banks latest Ease of Doing Business rankings, from the 91st to the 68th place out of 190 economies.

Also according to the World Bank, the logistics index of Vietnam was ranked 39th out of 160 nations in 2018 (up 25 places against 2016). In 2016 and 2017, Vietnam was among the four ASEAN economies showing the highest indexes on cross-border goods trading.

The time for direct customs clearance at Vietnams border gates has been reduced by three hours (from 58 to 55 hours) for exports and by six hours (from 62 to 56 hours) for imports. The cost for direct customs clearance at the border gates for a goods package has been reduced by $19.

It is estimated that with more than 11 million customs declarations in 2017, enterprises saved more than $200 million on customs clearance. Enterprises also saved more than 16 million hours of storage for exports with 5.36 million export declarations, and more than 34 million hours of storage for imports with 5.72 million import declarations.

The World Economic Forum also raised Vietnams national competitiveness index for 2017-2018 by five ranks compared to 2016, from 60th out of 138 nations and territories to 55th out of 137 nations and territories. Vietnams sustainable development index also ranked 57th among of 156 nations and territories (up 11 places, the third rank in the ASEAN).

In addition, Vietnams economic growth hit 6.81 per cent last year. According to the World Bank, the rate will be 6.8 per cent this year. Administrative procedures in Vietnam have become increasingly synchronous, simple, and transparent, as well as more in line with international practices.

Business conditions have been reduced. Since earlier this year, Vietnam has cut 1,700 lines of goods subject to specialised examination when being imported and 968 business conditions. It is expected that more than 3,000 lines of goods and over 2,800 business conditions will be cut or simplified in the near future.

Regarding the implementation of the one-stop shop mechanism, nearly 30 cities and provinces have established public administrative centres to solve administrative procedures for people and enterprises.

In the first nine months of this year, 96,611 enterprises were established with the total registered capital of VND963.4 trillion ($42.63 billion). The total capital

inserted into the economy was VND2.84 quadrillion ($125.9 billion). The total number of newly established enterprises and enterprises resuming operations hit nearly 108,400.

Besides, since early this year, there have been 2,182 newly established foreign-invested projects registered at $14.12 billion.

These figures have been made possible by decisive measures from the government, ministries, and localities in reforming Vietnams investment climate.

How have the improvements in the domestic investment environment benefit the business community?

As I have said, improvements in the business climate have facilitated enterprises joining the market and boosted business and investment. The biggest benefit for enterprises is the reduction of costs for business operation and production. For example, in the customs sector, enterprises had to sacrifice nearly 30 million days for specialised examinations in 2016, at a cost of VND14.3 trillion ($632.74 million). However, the cost for this procedure for one goods package has been reduced by $19 since then.

As for food safety, the government enacted Decree No.15/2018/ND-CP on February 2 to remove all procedures for specialised examination for five groups of products. Some 90 per cent of food goods packages are no longer subject to this type of examination before they get customs clearance. This has helped save nearly 2.9 million days of work, or VND2.5 trillion ($110.62 million).

Which lines of reforms do you find particularly important?

I would say that in all orientations, those touching on the institutional setup are the most important. The reformation of administrative procedures and reception of recommendations and feedback from organisations and individuals about mechanisms, policies, and regulations have helped government agencies to continue perfecting institutions in general and policies on the business climate in particular.

Besides, law enforcement agencies continue improving administrative procedures and simplifying dossiers in order to cut down compliance costs at both government agencies and enterprises.

In addition, it is necessary to maximise the use of the competitive advantages of localities and regions in order to lure in investment,

contributing to localities socioeconomic development. However, localities must reform themselves more so that they will not lag behind others.

What challenges will the government need to address so as to improve the business climate?

One of the biggest challenges is that ministries and relevant government agencies show varying levels of initiative in reforming the business environment. While there have been some ministries which have been actively removing and reducing business conditions, such as the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Construction, many other ministries have been less active.

The removal and reduction of lines of goods subject to specialised examination and the simplification of procedures for specialised examination have also been progressing rather slowly and ineffectively at ministries and government agencies. There are plenty of cases where ministries and relevant government agencies examine the same goods, which undermines enterprises performance.

To create significant changes in the business and investment climate, it is important that the most favourable conditions be offered to the business community. In the near future, long-term solutions such as the eradication and reduction of business conditions and reform of specialised examinations must receive special attention from ministries and relevant government agencies via concrete actions.

In addition, more solutions to reduce costs for enterprises must be applied, such as the provision of public online services in solving issues related to enterprises, the deployment of the national public service portal and the national one-stop shop, the ASEAN Single Window, as well as the reception and settlement of recommendations and feedback of people and enterprises.

Government agencies must also organise periodical dialogues with the business community. Besides, the role of the prime ministers Consultancy Council for Administrative Procedure Reform in proposing initiatives for reforming mechanisms, policies, and administrative procedures must be promoted.

Another solution of no less importance is the development of e-government services, with a roadmap towards a digital government and a digital society as part of Industry 4.0.

In addition, it is also necessary to increase the active participation of all people and enterprises to further the governments efforts to reform the domestic business and investment climate.
Dung Quat Bio-Ethanol will process 7,000 cu.m of ethanol until the end of the year

The information about resuming the factory was confirmed by Pham Van Vuong, director of BSR-BF.

Previously, in June BSR-BF and Tocontap Saigon signed an agreement to resume the operations of the facility.

According to the agreement, Tocontap will supply materials for BSR-BF to process ethanol. The contract will last for 10 years, and in the first year, Tocontap will be in charge of selling BSR-BFs ethanol products.

From mid-October to the end of the year, BSR-BF plans to process 7,000 cubic metres of ethanol for Tocontap, and the figure will increase to 35,000 cubic metres next year.

Dung Quat Bio-Ethanol Fuel Factory was built in 2009 with the total investment capital of VND2.02 trillion ($89.38 million) and a designed capacity of 100 million litres of ethanol per year to mix with petrol to form bio-fuel products.

From mid-October to the end of this year, BSR-BF plans to process 7,000 cubic metres (cu.m) of ethanol for Tocontap, and the figure will in crease to 35,000 cu.m next year.

The factory started commercial operations in 2012, and so far it had not gained a significant hold on the market, leading to heavy losses.

The resumption of Dung Quat Bio-Ethanol Fuel will create more E5 fuel for the market, meeting the increasing demand.

In the first six months of this year, total petrol sales across the country reached 4.43 million cu.m, 1.78 million cu.m or 40.18 per cent of which were E5 fuel.

In comparison with the first sixth months of last year, the sales of E5 fuel increased by 31.18 per cent on-year.

Statistics from the Ministry of Finance show that E5 demand in 2019 is 6.6 million cu.m, and 7.1 million cu.m in 2020.

Currently, the bio-fuel ethanol for E5 petrol production comes mainly from two plants owned by Tung Lam Joint Stock Company that have a total annual capacity of 200,000cu.m, which can be used to produce 3.9 million cu.m of E5 a year.

The Binh Phuoc ethanol factory has halted operations since the beginning of 2015 due to inefficiency. The factory opened in December 2012 with the capacity of 300,000 litres of E5 gasoline per day.

If the two ethanol production plants in Dung Quat and Binh Phuoc resume operations, the total ethanol supply of the four plants would be sufficient to cover the E5 petrol demand in 2018.
Nam Sang Eun, head of Corporation, ESMO Vina Corporation receiving the investment certificate at the national conference on 30 years of FDI attraction today

In the morning today, Chairman of the Ninh Binh People's Committee Dinh Van Dien has handed over the investment certificate to the project of ESMO's electrical cable factory worth $26.5 million in Ninh Binh.

Previously, ESMO (formerly NEXEN TECH) has just started construction of ESMO VINA - its first wiring harness factory in Vietnam. Covering an area of 63,500m 2 with total investment of VND700 billion, this facility (located in Gia Phu Industrial Zone  Ninh Binh) is expected to create about 2,000 jobs for local people.

The ceremony was attended by Kim Do Hyun, South Korean Ambassador to Vietnam, Kim Cheong Hoon, general director of ESMO Korea, and Lee Jong Wook, general director of Global Land (ESMO) in Vietnam.

The ESMO VINA facility is established to improve production capacity to meet new orders, while enhancing its competitiveness through the systematic production of specialised parts for hybrid and electric vehicles. Its key product line is wiring harnessthe company's flagship product with a production volume of about 450,000 products per yearused in large and small buses as well as battery module harness (battery module system), and electric vehicle charger cable, with a view to the explosion of hybrid electric vehicles from 2020.

In the context of international agreements on emissions reduction that are being implemented to fight against climate change and the greenhouse effect, reducing emissions from vehicles is also one of the important tasks for automobile manufacturing enterprises. Electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles are becoming more and more popular, leading to the development of the parts industry that ESMO pioneers.

Based on the long manufacturing experience as well as a team of high-quality local and international engineers, ESMO Group is expected to contribute to promote economic growth for Ninh Binh and Vietnam. At the same time, it is expected to create about 2,000 jobs for local people which will not only help upskill the local labor force, but also enhance regional competitiveness.

ESMO currently operates two manufacturing facilities (GoHyeon and RaeSeo) in Qingdao (China). In order to realise the goal of expanding business to Southeast Asia, ESMO has just established Global Land Vina Co., Ltd. in Vietnam in addition to building this third facility. The company also plans to increase its product volume for the rapidly growing automakers concentrated in Southeast Asia.

Early this March, NEXEN TECH (now ESMO) has partnered up with UK business Volex which is expanding its business network with wiring harness, including the exclusive supply of Tesla Model 3 rechargeable cables (used in electric vehicles developed by Tesla Motors or equipment of Dyson UK) which is expected to be launched by the end of this year.

NEXEN TECH has been renamed to ESMO earlier this May.
The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement will see a significant rise in foreign equity caps in the Vietnamese telecom industry, Photo: Le Toan

Denis Brunetti, co-chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham), which represents nearly 1,000 European businesses in the country, is happy that under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), Vietnam will further open up its telecommunications industry to European investors, allowing them to increase their presence in its telecom market.

European businesses see the adjustments [in the EVFTA] as a continuous and positive journey, which will further contribute to increased investment potential across the telecommunications industry, Brunetti told VIR.

Telecommunications is a pivotal industry that lays the foundations for socioeconomic development and inclusive prosperity, and European businesses are encouraged by the increased opportunities we have to strategically partner with the government and local businesses in a trusted and secure manner as we jointly embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its benefits, he said.

Opening the market

After seven years of negotiations, Vietnam and the EU are currently completing the final procedures to sign the EVFTA later this year. The deal is expected to take effect in 2019.

Notably, as part of the deal, in telecommunications, Vietnam will offer broad commitments in all subsectors subject to foreign equity caps and facilitate joint ventures with EU investors. Vietnam will increase the foreign equity cap in many subsectors of interest to the EU, subject to a transition period of five years.

In particular, Vietnam will raise the foreign equity cap in non-facilities-based virtual private network services from 70 to 75 per cent.

In non-facilities-based value-added services, the foreign equity cap will be abolished and for the first time in this sector, EU investors can acquire up to 100 per cent ownership without the obligation to form a joint venture.

In facilities-based value-added services, the current 50-per-cent foreign equity cap will be increased to 65 per cent. In addition, in non-facilities-based internet access, the foreign equity cap will be increased from 65 to 75 per cent, and in facilities-based internet access from 50 to 65 per cent.

Vietnams move up the value chain, its embrace of Industry 4.0, and the ongoing liberalisation of its telecommunications market will continue to attract investment from EU telecommunications companies, said Brunetti, who is also president of Ericsson Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.

European telecommunications companies have been investing in Vietnam for over two decades. Companies like Ericsson, Siemens, and Alcatel have helped to build the countrys telecommunications and mobile networks over the past 25 years.

For example, Ericsson has 25 years of experience co-operating with major Vietnamese telecommunications operators, such as MobiFone, Viettel, VNPT Group, and Vietnamobile.

By opening up its market, Vietnam has been able to attract not only foreign capital, but also international technical knowledge and expertise. This commitment to further liberalise its markets over and above World Trade Organization (WTO) terms through the EVFTA will help Vietnam go further and attract more foreign direct investment in the future, added Brunetti.

European companies remain optimistic about investing in Vietnam, as our latest Business Climate Index shows. In continuing to open its doors to foreign investment  not least through the EVFTA  the Vietnamese government is continuing to make the market more attractive to foreign telecommunications companies, he continued.

Wishing to invest

Recently, executives of 20 leading Slovakian companies operating in high-tech sectors came to explore investment and business opportunities in Vietnam. Some of them were looking to establish business and investment presence in the country. For example, MicroStep-MIS wants to work with partners in Vietnam, including representatives from airports, seaports, hydrometeorological stations, environmental agencies, and industrial and urban development agencies. MicroStep-MIS operates worldwide and is specialised in the development and manufacturing of monitoring and information systems, the processing of acquired data, as well as research and numerical modelling.

We see that Vietnam is in critical need of these products, and this is an opportunity for us to export products to Vietnam. First, we want to establish a firm network of distributors here, and then we may think about establishing a joint venture or even build a factory in Vietnam, said project and system development manager Martin Gazak.

In another case, Asseco Central Europe, one of the biggest software developers in Central and Eastern Europe, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Hanoi Peoples Committee to supply smart software sets, helping the city improve its planning in land, governance, and lighting.

It is said that Asseco Central Europe is also looking to establish a joint venture with a Vietnamese partner.

In addition, Sweden-based Comvik Group has for the third time expressed interest in becoming MobiFones strategic partner, as the Vietnamese telecom company is in the process of equitisation.

In May 2018, during his meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, chairman of Comvik International Vietnam AB M. A. Zaman said that with its strong technological foundations, facilitating 90 per cent of Swedens non-cash transactions and currently researching a 6G network programme and non-cash transaction applications, Comvik believes they could successfully support the Vietnamese government in equitising MobiFone.

Apart from Comvik, Norway-based Telenor Group has also expressed interest in purchasing MobiFones stakes.

Great potential

At present, the Vietnamese telecom industry is developing from strength to strength. Mobile coverage in the country has now reached 99 per cent of the population, with 3G and 4G coverage not far behind. According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, as of late June 2018, Vietnam had about 136 million mobile phone subscriptions  including 2G, 3G, and 4G services. Some 54.2 per cent of the countrys population use the internet.

Additionally, there is a high rate of fibre-optic cable coverage across the length and breadth of the nation.

Today, Vietnam ranks among the 17 countries with the highest number of internet users. The government aims to elevate Vietnam into the top 10 in terms of software and digital content outsourcing services, enabled by a thriving telecommunications industry.

Indeed, the governments vision and strategic focus on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, smart cities, startups, and the National Innovation Network Programme, enabled by state-of-the-art 4G and next-generation 5G Internet of Things mobile telecommunications networks, is clearly helping the ICT sector continue to record strong revenue growth, said Brunetti from EuroCham.

According to the US Commercial Service in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnams total telecom service revenue in 2017 was estimated to reach $6.9 billion. Mobile data services make up the largest share (36.8 per cent) of the sector. State-owned enterprises like Viettel, Mobifone, and VNPT-Vinaphone continue to dominate the Vietnamese telecom market, with over 90 per cent of the market share. Viettel is the largest player and is forecast to be the market leader through 2020.

A recent Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report also shows that spending on IT was estimated at $6.4 billion in 2017 and forecasted to grow to $6.5 billion in 2018, an increase of 2.5 per cent, a lower rate than the 8.1-per-cent growth in 2017 and 2016.

EIU also reported that last year, spending on IT hardware continued to represent the largest share (88.8 per cent) of total spending, with software and services taking up 4.6 and 6.6 per cent, respectively. Key players in the hardware market include suppliers from Taiwan, China, the US, and Japan. Major players in the software market include suppliers from the US, Germany, China, Russia, and Vietnam.
Local banks attractiveness to investors remains limited due to strict FOLs, Photo: Le Toan

FDI and its magic wand

Pham Hong Hai

Vietnam has been welcoming foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows since 1988, following the issuance of the Law on Foreign Investment by the National Assembly at the time  a time when foreign investment was a rather effective form of international economic co-operation for developing countries. The law created an improved legal framework and opened the doors to foreign funds. After some 30 years of rises and falls, the country has indeed succeeded in attracting FDI, despite the fact that there has been a time when foreign investments did not live up to their full potential.

Take a closer look at the backbone of the economy: in the finance and banking sector, we see an area that is growing more and more important and, with the potential of an economy consisting of over 96 million people, it has caught the attention of many foreign investors. Back in 2006-2007, foreign investors started to acquire stakes to become strategic investors at local banks. Nevertheless, the foreign ownership limit (FOL) at local banks is capped at 30 per cent, and the highest stakes that a foreign bank can acquire to become a local banks strategic investor is set at 20 per cent. These thresholds prevented foreign banks from transforming local banks as they do not have veto rights. Foreign capital getting to local banks, as a result, was on the light side.

With Vietnam joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2007, a foundation was laid for the entrance of international financial institutions into the local finance and banking sector, as regulations on foreign financial institutions were relaxed to allow them to open branches and transaction offices in the country. Removing the restrictions on VND-denominated deposits and increasing space for foreign players to expand banking services helped amplify the activities of those foreign credit institutions.

Since 2009, given the strong commitment of the Vietnamese government to the WTO and the recognition of the vital role of a strong financial sector, 100 per cent foreign-owned banks have been allowed to be incorporated in Vietnam, marking a crucial milestone. The foreign players can rely on their sound financial and professional capabilities to expand their network and compete in a healthy manner with domestic ones. By the end of 2017, there have been more than 50 credit institutions operating in the country, nine of which are wholly foreign-owned.

The involvement of foreign banks has more or less promoted competition, offering customers more benefits while contributing to the development of the sector. Be it a foreign or a local bank, success comes down to understanding customers, upgrading and diversifying products and services, and improving procedures to serve the customer segment of choice. FDI, in this case, has acted as a key to enhancing local banks financial capabilities, corporate governance, labour productivity, and, to a broader extent, enhancing the competitiveness of the local economy.

While domestic banks have the advantage in branch networks and long-established relationships with local communities, foreign banks have the lead in internationally proven, sophisticated products and services and global-scale networks and relations, which Vietnamese customers, both corporate and individual, need in the era of economic connectedness and rising incomes.

What is more, foreign capital flows into Vietnamese banks also help stimulate the management of bad debts, raise the capital adequacy ratio (CAR), and speed up the adoption of Basel II. Strengthening the local banking sector can therefore help the country raise its credit rating, which will in turn make it able to attract more funds into many other areas.

The beauty that pays

So, what makes Vietnam attractive in the eyes of foreign investors?

Vietnam has grown into a bright star of Asia over the past 30 years, thanks to its steady economic growth, stable political and social environment, young population, and an open government that has a supportive mind for development and opening up for economic integration through a series of trade agreements. By end of 2017, the country signed up 12 bilateral and multilateral free trade pacts with 56 economies around the world and in early this year, a new trade pact, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Foreign investors have chosen Vietnam to be their preferred investment destination as the country is now connected with many countries out there.

The great potential of the retail market is another magnet for foreign investment. In 2016, 35 per cent of the population lived in urban areas and this figure is projected to continue growing robustly, reaching some 40 per cent by 2020. The urban population has helped bolster demand for modern shopping experienced, thus attracting many international retail giants. According to the General Statistics Office, the total value of the local retail market was estimated at $130 billion in 2017 and forecast to increase to $179 billion by 2020. During 2007-2016, the figure averaged at 20 per cent, some seven-fold higher since Vietnam joined the WTO.

The local government has been actively improving the investment environment, removing or reducing many tariff lines within the ASEAN Economic Community as well as the free trade pacts. This has boosted exports into partner countries, which in turn drew in more foreign banks as the demand for financial and banking services among businesses is on the rise, particularly for those of foreign-invested ones.

Vietnam has also been playing a more central role in manufacturing after its production and manufacturing activities have grown stronger than its neighbours, which then attracted more funds into the area.

As Vietnam became more accessible to foreign investors, FDI has been soaring steadily in recent years. FDI in Vietnam registered in 2017 reached $35.88 billion, up 44 per cent against the previous year, hitting a record height since 2009.

Given these factors, the nation has been able to magnetise a great deal of foreign capital in many sectors over the years and more foreign banks are tapping into the local banking market. They focus either on serving corporate clients arriving from their home countries or on expanding the retail banking market.

More cash on banks

Following the restructuring progress, the health of the banking sector has improved over time on the back of a more competitive environment and better legal platform, and this promises to become another sector of foreign interest.

In my view, foreign investors are pretty optimistic about Vietnams economic prospects and they are looking to expand their business. The finance and banking sector will benefit from such movements, and the growth of the economy and businesses will lead to an increase in the demand for finance and banking services.

I think international financial institutions will not invest sporadically and will instead focus on their strengths as well as corporate governance and risk management. Enhancing customer experience with digitalised features will also be an area of focus for banks to invest in.

We now see a tendency where foreign banks are not spreading their investment on the horizon, but rather focusing on developing the markets in which they have the competitive advantage and scale and capability to generate growth in line with their groups strategy. They may also not focus on mergers and acquisitions or on becoming strategic partners of local banks, but will turn towards the organic growth of their local units.

Foreign investment funds, meanwhile, are more likely to actively seek to invest in local banks with room for growth and healthy corporate governance.
Hong Kong FTA to boost investment, photo: shutterstock

Paul Chan, financial secretary of the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said, Hong Kong and the 10 member states of the ASEAN  including Vietnam  signed a free trade agreement (AHKFTA) and a related investment agreement last November. The agreements, taking effect in January, will undoubtedly boost trade and investment ties between Hong Kong, Vietnam, and the other nations of the region.

Hong Kong and Vietnam enjoy good and long-standing economic relations and the ties have only grown stronger. In 2017, Vietnam was Hong Kongs 10th largest trading partner, while Hong Kong was Vietnams ninth largest trading partner. Bilateral trade in goods reached $18.1 billion during the year, making Vietnam Hong Kongs fourth largest trading partner among the ASEAN economies.

According to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the AHKFTA will bring about legal certainty and better market access for trade in goods and services for both parties. The agreement will improve mutual investment protection between Hong Kong and ASEAN member states. It will not only enhance trade and investment flows between Hong Kong and the ASEAN, but also facilitate business opportunities for service providers.

Concerning trade in goods, ASEAN member states have agreed to reduce the customs duties for goods originating from Hong Kong. Different economies may have different commitments, though. Vietnam, for example, will reduce its tariffs by 75 per cent over the next 10 years and another 10 per cent over the subsequent 14 years.

Except for a few types of goods, such as tobacco, petroleum, and certain food items (including dairy products, agricultural products, and fishery and aquaculture products), imports of Hong Kong-made products to Vietnam will be tariff-free upon full implementation of the agreement.

From January 2019, Hong Kong-produced merchandise is expected to have better access to ASEAN markets, including trade in goods and services. Hong Kong and ASEAN economies will be able to eradicate the barriers for service providers who enter the market, as well as encourage more trade exchange.

Speaking at the In Style Hong Kong Symposium organised two weeks ago in Ho Chi Minh City, Jonathan Choi, chairman of Sunwah Group, said that more investors from Hong Kong are exploring the possibility of coming to the ASEAN. Vietnam is emerging as a good place for investors from Hong Kong, as the country stands to gain from a wide range of FTAs, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the AHKFTA.

More importantly, Vietnam is one of the more politically stable countries in the region. The country has a large population, most of which is young and well educated. It has a large consumption market with a rising middle class and growing consumerism.

Choi stressed that there is a good chance for Hong Kongs companies to invest in Vietnam and tap into the domestic market. Hong Kong-based GR International, for example, used the Circle K brand to join the local market.

According to Wallace Lam, managing director and co-head of global banking at HSBC Hong Kong, Hong Kong is consistently listed as one of the markets and territories with the highest foreign direct investment in Vietnam. In 2017, investors from Hong Kong invested nearly $18 billion across 1,000 projects in Vietnam, and there will be more room for growth following the implementation of the AHKFTA.

Lam further noted that a number of entrepreneurs from Hong Kong with factories in China seem very alert to developments in the trade tensions between the US and China. They think of moving some of their manufacturing capability from China to other countries in the Southeast Asian region, including Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Hong Kong textile manufacturer Esquel Group came to Vietnam in 2001. John Cheh, vice chairman and CEO of Esquel Group, said that this timing was opportune for the group to profit from the meteoric rise of the Vietnamese textile and apparel industry. In 2005, Vietnamese-made products accounted for a mere 4 per cent of the US textile and apparel market. Currently, Vietnam is the second-largest supplier of textiles and apparel to the US market, trailing only China.

To stay ahead of the development curve, Esquel Group has developed four factories in Vietnam. It is also mulling over opening its own apparel stores in Vietnam to target the countrys growing purchasing power.

The wave of foreign capital inflows from Hong Kong is expected to increase in other fields as well, including professional services, fintech, urban infrastructure, and creative industries.

On September 20-21, over 130 companies from Hong Kong gathered at the In Style Hong Kong Expo trade event held by the HKTDC in Ho Chi Minh City. The expo showcased Hong Kongs leading branded and designer lifestyle products with a view to connecting with importers, distributors, retailers, department stores, and specialised shops in Vietnam and neighbouring ASEAN economies.
An investigation into the first of a string of terror attacks to hit Britain in 2017 faulted lax security for one of five deaths near the Houses of Parliament. (AFP/NIKLAS HALLE'N)

Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old British convert to Islam with no proven allegiance to a foreign terror group, drove a car at pedestrians on Westminster Bridge over the River Thames on March 22 last year.

He killed four people before stabbing police constable Keith Palmer to death with two knives outside the Houses of Parliament.

The attack injured around 50 and ended when police shot Masood dead.

A coroner's inquest - an official fact-finding hearing that can be the basis for further legal proceedings - found that the police constable's death could have been averted had better security been in place.

"Due to shortcomings in the security system at New Palace Yard, including the supervision of those engaged in such duties, the armed officers were not aware of a requirement to remain in close proximity to the gates," the coroner said.

"Had they been stationed there it is possible that they may have been able to prevent PC Palmer suffering fatal injuries."

London counterterrorism police chief Neil Basu, accepting the findings, said his force was "deeply sorry".

Security measures had since been reassessed and beefed up, he added.

"However, everything that we can possibly do to improve the position further - and we will await the chief coroner's detailed conclusions - will be done," Basu said.

The probe drew on the testimony of witnesses and survivors of the attack.

Palmer's widow Michelle told reporters that "the police haven't been very open about their investigation" into what had gone wrong.

"How could Keith have been left alone, unarmed, guarding an open gate at one of the most iconic buildings in the world and one of the country's top terrorist targets?" she asked.

"He was left at a vulnerable location with no protection to die."

The gates of the Houses of Parliament in the heart of London were being protected by unarmed officers at the time.

The coroner said the police constable tried to challenge Masood as he came charging at the gate.

Masood stabbed Palmer to death in what the corner described as a "ferocious" attack.

Britain endured a tumultuous period following the Mar 22 rampage. It witnessed four further terror attacks - including three in London.
A 26-year-old Liverpool supporter was injured after being attacked in the centre of Naples. AFP/Oli SCARFF

The 26-year-old was drinking with a group of friends outside a cafe on via Cesare Rosaroll in the city's historic centre just after midnight when they were accosted by a group of local men.

The young man was taken to hospital and treated for cuts and bruising notably to his face and knees, police said according to the AGI news agency.

He was given medication and later discharged with a full recovery expected in two weeks.

Police said video surveillance cameras in the city centre would be used to try and identify the assailants.

Napoli take on Liverpool in the second round of Champions League group matches with kickoff at the Stadio San Paolo at 1900 GMT.

The English club sit top of Group C after beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 in their opener while the Italians were held 0-0 at Red Star Belgrade.
M&A deals fuel investment from Asia, illustration photo

Time for financial investors

Since 2014, the Vietnamese market has witnessed a slew of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals in consumer goods, finance, retail, aviation, and real estate. Most of these transactions, which are worth billions of dollars, involve deep-pocketed buyers from nearby countries. The biggest names are KB, Lotte, Samsung, and KEB Hana from South Korea; Shinsei, Saison, ANA Holdings, and JX Nippon from Japan; Keppel Land and CapitaLand from Singapore; and Berli Jucker, Thai Beverage, Central Group, and SCG from Thailand.

Representatives of investment funds in Asia told VIR that as financial investors, they pay close attention to these M&A deals. For example, according to Jarasrak Watanasingha from Kasikorn Asset Management (Thailand), Thai investment funds would use major M&A deals by Thai Beverage or Berli Jucker to assess the appeal of Vietnams market in general and listed equities in particular.

A lot of Thai investors are already familiar with the Vietnam story. However, a lot of them only spring into action upon seeing Thai businesses shaking hands with Vietnamese partners in billion-dollar M&A deals. Were reassured that the Vietnamese market is worth investing in, said Watanasingha.

Vietnamese stocks now take up 8.6 per cent of K-AEC, Kasikorns $25 million fund, which invests in fast-growing equities in the ASEAN.

Vietnams Ministry of Finance recently revealed thaat Japanese investors take up 30 per cent of Vietnams 24,000 foreign investor accounts. Another 20 per cent, or approximately 5,000 accounts, is owned by South Korean investors. It is probably no coincidence that Japan and South Korea are both major M&A investors in Vietnam, in addition to holding the top positions in direct investment.

According to a Japanese fund manager who is currently based in Singapore, the Japanese tend to be very cautious with their investments. To lessen the risks, Japanese investors usually look at Japans direct investment and M&A deals in Vietnam when making decisions. Japan-Vietnam bilateral relations, the recent Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and sector prospects are other factors to consider.

South Korean investors, similarly, are prompted by the New Southern Policy of South Koreas President Moon Chae-in. This new policy encourages South Korean investors to seek new opportunities in Vietnam, in both M&A and financial investments.

Dominic Scriven, veteran investor and executive chairman of Dragon Capital Group, told VIR that foreign direct capital often precedes M&A and financial investments. The M&A capital, also called strategic investments, tends to stay in Vietnam long-term and helps improve the standards of corporate governance and business efficiency in Vietnam. As a result, M&A capital is considered an important sign of investors trust in Vietnams prospects.

We understand Vietnam

Fund managers from Asia told VIR that they can empathise with Vietnams growth story and even its market struggles. This is because the markets in their own countries have been through similar trajectories in recent decades, with the same problems regarding information transparency, corporate governance, and investor relations.

Pikun Phitya-isarakul, investment manager at Phillip Capital (Thailand), said that Vietnams stock market is similar to Thailands 20 years ago. According to the investor, conglomerates in Thailand have been growing for 60 years, much longer than their Vietnamese counterparts. Vietnams regulators and businesses can thus learn from these regional predecessors and adapt lessons to fit their own situation, said Phitya-isarakul.

For example, the Thai stock market has successfully carried out non-voting depository receipts or covered warrants for foreign investors. Vietnam can take a leaf out of our book, Phitya-isarakul noted.

She also praised the increasing openness of Vietnamese business leaders towards foreign capital, which includes frequent meetings with investors and information disclosure in English.

Asian investors say Vietnam can also take lessons about foreign ownership limits from nearby markets. Yeu Huan Lai, fund manager from Nikko Asset Management, gave the example of Singaporean banks. There is no cap for foreign investors at Singaporean financial institutions, but anyone wishing to buy more than 5 per cent is subject to government approval.

This is the invisible barrier that replaces the foreign ownership cap. I believe Vietnam can study the rules of nearby markets and adapt them to the domestic market, said Lai.
With a string of accessory production projects coming on stream, the sectors value chain will be one step closer to perfection

Particularly, global zipper manufacturer Velcro has inaugurated its zipper manufacturing facility in the southern province of Binh Duong, looking to serve the Vietnamese market and boost exports to the markets where Velcros major business partners are positioned.

According to a source from Velcro, the Vietnamese textile and apparel industry features enormous export potential which is expected to touch $35 billion this year. Meanwhile, there is still vacant space in the supply chain, particularly in accessory production, providing opportunities for global manufacturers like Velcro.

Velcros global strategic director Bryan Whitfield revealed that they had an array of choices of where to build the zipper factory, but they ultimately chose Vietnam.

The decision was based on diverse factors, such as Vietnams lucrative investment environment, its constantly growing export production sectors, the ability to tap into opportunities from Vietnams membership to diverse important free trade agreements (FTAs), such as the EU-Vietnam FTA, the Vietnam-South Korea FTA, and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Compared to other countries, Vietnam is full of potential for brand expansion and product development. Velcro will focus on operations, bringing products closer to local consumers, while simultaneously opening a website for brand promotion.

With Vietnams abundant workforce and dynamic economy, Velcros management believes in success in the Vietnamese market, said Whitfield.

Foreign-invested projects on textile and apparel accessories production has created $1.2 billion export value last year.

Less than one week before Velcros factory launch, South Korean group Kolon Industries Inc. inaugurated and put into operation its $220 million polyester tyre cord fabrics plant based in Bau Bang Industrial Park in Binh Duong.

Kolons executives said that the Binh Duong factory follows the smart factory model with a first-phase production capacity of 1,400 tonnes of polyester tyre cord fabrics per year.

According to the group, the projects first phase has an investment value of $220 million, which will increase to $600 million in the second phase slated from 2018 to 2026, and is expected to reach $1 billion in the third phase.

As planned, the textile and apparel sector will have an additional supply of accessories next year as the first phase of Germanys Amann groups embroidery thread production facility will be completed in June. The facility will have an annual production capacity of 2,300 tonnes, with the first phase contributing for 1,000 tonnes.

Foreign-invested projects on textile and apparel accessories production has created $1.2 billion export value last year. This figure is expected to increase in the forthcoming years with the recent launch of these two major factories.
More and more pharmaceutical companies are mulling over scrapping their FOL Photo: Dung Minh

After about one year of being a foreign partner of Vietnams biggest publicly traded drug maker Hau Giang Pharmaceutical JSC (DHG), Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdings, one of the largest pharmaceutical firms in Japan, is preparing to launch products in the Vietnamese market.

Holding around a 32-per-cent stake in DHG, Taisho will benefit from a nationwide network of 12 distribution affiliates and 24 branches to gain market share. Opportunities for the Japanese firm to extend its footprint in the lucrative local pharmaceutical market have been boosted by DHGs decision to scrap its foreign ownership limit (FOL), making it the latest FOL removal case.

According to State Capital Investment Corporations (SCIC) divestment plan, it will divest the states stake in DHG in 2018-2020. SCIC now holds a 43.31-per-cent stake in DHG.

Gains or losses

Although lifting the FOL is a new move for Vietnamese pharma firms, illustrating their ambitions to go international, the success of the future marriage between local firms and potential foreign partners remains a concern.

In removing the FOL, Vietnamese firms will need to eliminate a couple of their registered business lines, such as local distribution and retail, to comply with Vietnamese laws. Distribution provides profit and is a key element to local pharmaceutical companies, and letting the local discretionary essence fade away may dissuade local players from bringing in foreign investors, Vaibhav Saxena, lawyer at Vietnam International Law Firm, told VIR.

For DHG, the scrapping of the FOL will force the drug maker to give up some business lines, including sales of goods manufactured by other units and a packing business. Doan Dinh Duy Khuong, acting CEO of DHG, admitted that it targeted no revenue growth for 2018.

In 2017, when Taisho officially bought a 24.5-per-cent stake in DHG, doubts were raised over whether Taisho could support DHG in its future development, because the Japanese firm specialises in cosmetics rather than drug manufacturing.

Now the answer is clearer. With Taishos support, the upgrading of effervescent line Hapacol has been completed. As expected, the line will be granted EU PIC/S standards in Malaysia in December, thus enabling the Vietnamese firm to export Hapacol to the market.

Currently, DHG drugs are available in 13 countries, namely Moldova, Ukraine, Myanmar, Russia, Mongolia, Cambodia, Nigeria, Laos, Singapore, Jordan, Sri Lanka, Romania, and North Korea.

DHG also benefits from Taishos support in research and development (R&D) activities to upgrade the production lines of strategic products to Japanese PMDA standards and EU PIC/S standards. This is the prerequisite for DHG to reach an export revenue target of $5 million by 2020.

What is more, DHG also learns from its Japanese partners manufacturing governance and business co-operation.

Industry insiders said that lifting the FOL is a good way for leading Vietnamese drug makers to adapt to the new competitive era, in which the market share of over-the-counter (OTC) goods is being eaten up by the ethical drugs (ETC) sector, driven by new regulations on the implementation of the nationwide health insurance roadmap.

At present, DHGs main distribution business focuses on OTC, making up 86 per cent of its total ratio, while the threshold for ETC is just 14 per cent. Taishos strong OTC business could help DHG stand firm.

The scrapping of the FOL in the pharmaceutical industry several years ago caused headaches. Leading pharma firms hesitated to lift the limit due to fears of losing their profitable distribution rights. Under the current rules, if a firm lifts its foreign ownership cap to 100 per cent, it must divest from its distribution of products made by multinational corporations (MNCs).

Some fears were put to rest when the third-biggest listed drug-maker, Domesco (DMC), became a pioneer in 2016 by raising its FOL and taking on Abbott Laboratories as a foreign partner, opening a new chapter in local pharmaceutical development.

Abbott Laboratories, one of the worlds leading nutrition groups, has advanced factories and R&D centres globally. Despite losing the distribution rights, DMC still recorded good performance in 2017 and set high profit expectations for 2018.

Last year, DMC saw total net revenues climb 4 per cent year-on-year to VND1.33 trillion ($58.85 million), while its total net profit reached VND207.66 billion ($9.2 million), up 23.26 per cent year-on-year. It aims to obtain high business results this year.

Industry insiders said that DMC and DHG have bet on future gains rather than possible losses. The facts show that the distribution of MNCs products makes up a very small part of their operations, thus this would cause minor impacts on their business results.

Currently what Vietnamese firms should do is to work on effective measures to grow amid tough competition with foreign rivals.

Given the robust foreign appetite linked with the rapid growth of the pharmaceutical sector, further opening-up of prospects is expected. However, as a matter of fact, there are several financial incentives available to foreign investors in Vietnam. Local pharmaceutical firms are likely going to be rowing against the tide, neck-to-neck with their competition, said Saxena.

Foreign pharma groups see the FOL removal as a positive signal. A clear path in converting partnerships into majority ownership would provide companies with much stronger arguments to convince their global headquarters to invest in Vietnam.

What happened at DMC when it scrapped the FOL is evidence. Abbott Laboratories immediately increased its stake in DMC to 51.7 per cent.

Taisho and other MNCs would definitely seize the chance to raise ownership in DHG sooner or later, in order to expand in Vietnam.

Vietnams second-biggest publicly traded drug maker, Traphaco (TRA), is also interested in eliminating its FOL amid growing interest from MNCs. TRA now has SCIC (35.67 per cent), Magbi Fund Ltd. (24.99 per cent), and Super Delta Pte., Ltd. (15.12 per cent) as its biggest shareholders.

We will scrap the FOL if SCIC gives us the green light, Vu Thi Thuan, chairwoman of the Board of Directors at Traphaco, told VIR.

Imexpharm Pharmaceutical JSC, with its FOL currently set at 49 per cent, also announced that it will consider scrapping the limit if it becomes a common trend. Its three foreign shareholders are Balestrand Ltd. (6.09 per cent), Franklin Templeton Investment Funds - Templeton Frontier Markets Fund (8.49 per cent), and KWE Beteiligungen AG (8.23 per cent).

Distribution opportunities wide open for newcomers

At present, the pharmaceutical market has become further fragmented with the involvement of more domestic firms. Within just one year, several retailers have joined the race.

FPT Retail has set up FPT Long Chau to enter the pharmaceutical retail market. With the charter capital of VND100 billion ($4.42 million), the newcomer will focus on retailing drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics. It plans to develop a network of 400 Long Chau drugstores in the next four years, up from the current 10 based in Ho Chi Minh City.

Several months ago, Vingroup, the leading property developer in Vietnam, announced its entry into the pharmaceutical industry with its Vinfa brand. Along with pharmaceutical research, manufacturing, trading, and export-import tasks, Vinfa will focus on the preservation, research, and development of traditional oriental medicines with origins in Vietnamese herbs.

In a similar move, Digiworld JSC is expanding in the market to distribute healthcare products.

Last year, Mobile World Investment Corporation also entered this lucrative market by acquiring the Phuc An Khang chain of drugstores.

Looking at the newcomers, it is clear to see how attractive the local pharmaceutical industry is. London-based BMI Research forecasts that the industrys value will rise from $4.2 billion in 2015 to $7.2 billion by 2020, with double-digit annual growth being maintained through to 2025. Despite stiffening competition, there is still room for newcomers as other major drug makers move to lift the FOL in the future.
Policy must not leave out locals, photo: shutterstock

Policy must not leave out locals

As an expert with years of experience in FDI study, what is your view on the effect of FDI on the Vietnamese economy?

Weve indeed conducted lots of studies on this matter. The results show that Vietnam has benefited from FDI inflows, but the level of impact is still low.

Specifically, in a recent study, only 4.5 per cent of the 4,162 surveyed companies said that they have transferred their own technology to foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs)  which is very low. Only 5 per cent of domestic companies have received technology transfers from FIEs.

The ripple productivity effect of FDI means that FDI inflows have impacted the receiving countries in terms of interactions between domestic businesses and FIEs. This includes transfers of technology, know-how, and expertise, improving the productivity and efficiency of domestic companies.

It is notable that the ability to receive technology transfers also depends on the company size. Our research shows that only companies with more than 50 employees have the capacity to absorb new technologies. Mid- to large-sized companies are also more likely to receive long-term partnership deals with FIEs, thus it is easier for them to absorb such technologies.

For Vietnam, the ultimate goal of attracting FDI should be to improve the efficiency of Vietnamese companies, fostering major Vietnamese corporations that can compete on a global level and enhancing the productivity of the Vietnamese workforce. This is the reality in most developing countries.

After a long time of attracting all kinds of FDI, were now shifting to a new era of more selective FDI inflows. Priority is given to capital from developed markets such as the EU or the US and multinational groups. Id like to suggest that we prioritise FDI inflows that can integrate Vietnam into the global supply chain, starting by becoming suppliers of FIEs already based in Vietnam. The Vietnamese supply chain should also become stronger.

Of course, to achieve this goal, our FDI policy must go hand-in-hand with helping domestic businesses grow, creating a tightly knit system where both sides support each other.

Can you give us an example of this idea?

We already have support programmes for Vietnamese companies, but they remain scattered across different sectors, regions, and organisations. We need to combine these programmes with our national strategy to attract FDI inflows. If we want to lure in multinational companies from abroad, we should support small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) here, helping them become suppliers of these global giants. This means support programmes should focus on improving technical standards, business efficiency, and new technology for SMEs.

If we do it this way, we can easily see which SMEs need help and how we can help them get to where they need to be. SMEs that require technology can be assisted with credit access and partnerships with research institutions and universities. At the same time, research studies should focus on how Vietnamese SMEs can become suppliers of FIEs. We dont have a lot of resources, so prioritisation is needed.

So the national FDI policy should not just address FDI capital inflows, but also how to improve the efficiency of Vietnamese SMEs?

Exactly! From the SMEs point of view, this new policy could help them improve their business efficiency and become members of the global supply chain. The biggest question is how our SMEs can become suppliers of existing FIEs in Vietnam.

However, another question is how Vietnamese businesses can start their own supply chain, attracting both domestic companies and foreign partners as suppliers.

Some major conglomerates from Vietnam are already starting to manufacture their own products with supplies from foreign partners.

Of course, to do this, we need a clear strategy for major Vietnamese businesses, especially those with deep pockets. A lesson can be learned from China, as China has managed to foster its own conglomerates with their own technology and supply chains, years after the country opened up and attracted FDI.

In this case, the national policy on FDI inflows can be intertwined with growing our own companies. On the other hand, if such integration does not happen, Vietnam cannot improve its own business efficiency and the independence of its economy even if it continues to attract FDI.

This is a dangerous scenario, because it means FDI inflows will mostly come to Vietnam to take advantage of rewards programmes. When these programmes run out, without co-operation with domestic companies, existing FIEs will move out and new investors will not come in anymore.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to return to Pyongyang Sunday (Oct 7) for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un A US State Department spokeswomen said the U.S. has not changed its policy and will maintain a regime of international sanctions until the North denuclearizes. In contrast, North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho told the U.N. last week maintaining sanctions only deepens the North's mistrust of the U.S. and would not disarm unilaterally. He said Pyongyang had taken 'significant goodwill measures,' such as halting nuclear and missile testing and dismantling a nuclear test site with no response from Washington.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to return to Pyongyang Sunday (Oct 7) for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. deepens the North's mistrust of the U.S. and would not disarm unilaterally. He said Pyongyang had taken 'significant goodwill measures,' such as halting nuclear and missile testing and dismantling a nuclear test site with no response from Washington.
Cambodia imported about $15 billion worth of gold during five years from Singapore, according to government statistics compiled by nongovernmental organization Mother Nature Cambodia  a figure so large, corruption monitor groups say it raises alarms about potential financial crimes, particularly smuggling.

Cambodian officials dismiss the accusation, saying much of the gold is simply transiting the country on its way elsewhere.

For four years Singapore's exports of gold to Cambodia vastly eclipsed those to all other countries except China, available data shows, and reveals that 407 tons of gold in total were sent to the Kingdom between 2012 and 2017.

It is also $12 billion more than the value of all of Cambodia's other imports from Singapore during the same period, said the monitor group based on publicly available records from the Ministry of Commerce, which do not break down specific goods or commodities.

Mother Nature Cambodias co-founder, Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson, who revealed the export figures compiled from Singapores Statlink database in a video released Monday, told VOA the discrepancies demand answers.

"... In my interpretation of the documents, there's ample proof that these imports of gold are not being recorded. That in itself is wrongdoing if not an illegal act," he said Wednesday.

He added that in the past, when large export-import discrepancies had been found in cases connected to illegal logging and sand dredging, the Cambodian government had blamed accounting inaccuracies.

"Yes, there will be some discrepancies, but of course that's not going to explain how you have a discrepancy worth more than the budget of the entire state of Cambodia several times over," he said.

Cambodia's budget for 2018 allocates $6 billion in spending.

"This is why we all need an explanation from relevant Cambodian agencies, especially the General Department of Customs and Excise and the National Bank of Cambodia," he said in the video.

Neither of those institutions have replied to VOA's inquiries on the matter.

Cambodia's state gold reserves have not risen in at least 18 years, according to the World Gold Council. Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said he was not aware of an investigation by Cambodian authorities.

"That's an allegation only. It's baseless," he said.

Ministry of Commerce spokesman Seng Thai said some products were imported into Cambodia purely for the purposes of export and thus may not appear on import records.

"There are many products that are imported into Cambodia and we cannot judge that, we have to look at where it is going out to. It is not a correct evaluation," he said.

However, the export destination may be precisely the problem, corruption experts told VOA.

George McLeod, a Thailand-based political risk consultant who has investigated the gold trade in Cambodia, said trade exploiting Cambodia's lax regulations in the smuggling of gold sourced from Singapore to tightly controlled Vietnam had thrived for decades.

If one generously assumed half the amount of imported gold reported by Mother Nature was staying in Cambodia, it indicated a "potentially huge smuggling operation going on," he said.

"Singapore has a totally free market with gold. In fact, you can buy gold bullion there for pretty much the spot market price and then export it unlimited, you can export a billion dollars of gold from Singapore without even questions asked."

Gold has been imported into Cambodia essentially tax free other than small transaction fees required by the national bank, McLeod added.

From there, McLeod said, it was often smuggled over land to Vietnam where the importation of gold is restricted to a central authority and subject to tax, resulting in profit margins of at least 7 or 8 percent.

Businessmen in Vietnam's rapidly growing economy were desperately trying convert their revenues from Vietnamese Dong, which was not a respected international currency, McLeod added.

"If you look at it in that context, it makes sense that there would be a huge amount of illicit gold going into Vietnam," he said.

Compared to the other illegal activities taking place in Cambodia, he stressed, "this is probably one of the more benign ones."

Transparency International (TI) ranks Cambodia as the most corrupt country in Southeast Asia and within the 20 most corrupt countries in the world.

TI's Cambodia executive director, Preap Kol, told VOA via email that considering the size of the Cambodian economy, the figure should raise alarms with authorities in Singapore, Cambodia and other countries.

"With fundamental loopholes and scale of corruption in Cambodia, there are reasons for legitimate concerns. We urge the concerned authorities to investigate diligently," he wrote.

The offices of Vincent Leong, director of finance at Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan did not respond to VOA inquiries.

This is not the first time that Mother Nature Cambodia has used Singaporean trade statistics to raise questions about the financial practices of the Cambodian government.

It revealed in 2016 that Singapore had registered $700 million worth of sand imports from Cambodia between 2007 to 2015, while Cambodia's customs agency had recorded just $5 million.
Hundreds of vigils were held across the United States Wednesday with marchers hoping to persuade senators to vote against confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Reports say the FBI has completed its latest investigation into allegations Kavanaugh sexually assaulted Dr. Christine Blasey Ford at a party when they were in high school.

Two other women also accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. The judge denies all the allegations made against him.

Senators are expected to begin reviewing the FBI report Thursday in a secure room in the Capitol complex. They are not supposed to divulge the contents of the agency's background reports.

Late Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set a vote for Friday on limiting debate on on Kavanaughs nomination, moving the Senate toward a potential confirmation roll call over the weekend.

With Republicans holding a thin 51-49 majority and five senators, including three Republicans, not committed to approving Kavanaugh, the conservative jurists prospects of Senate confirmation remained murky.

In a statement Wednesday night, lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford say the additional FBI background investigation didnt include interviewing Ford or the witnesses they say corroborate her testimony.

Fords lawyers go on to say they are profoundly disappointed that those directing the probe were not interested in seeking the truth.

Also Wednesday, the National Council of Churches, a coalition of 38 denominations, released a statement saying Kavanaugh should withdraw his nomination. The group's statement said he showed "extreme partisan bias," showing that he lacks the temperament to serve on the nation's highest court, during his testimony last week before the Senate Judicial Committee.

More than 650 law professors from across the country also signed a letter, which will be sent to the Senate on Thursday in The New York Times, urging lawmakers to reject Kavanaugh's nomination. Their letter said, he "displayed a lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for any court, and certainly for election to the highest court of the land."

No Democrat has come out in favor of the judge and three key Republicans have yet to commit themselves on how they plan to vote.

Those three Republicans, along with a number of other senators, have criticized President Donald Trump over his remarks at a campaign rally mocking Ford.

"His comments were just plain wrong," Maine's Susan Collins said Wednesday.

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski called the remarks "wholly inappropriate and in my view unacceptable."

Arizona's Jeff Flake  who insisted on a weeklong delay in a confirmation vote so the FBI can have another investigation  called Trump's remarks "appalling."

Addressing thousands of supporters at a Mississippi rally, Trump gave his own re-enactment of Ford's responses to questions at last week's Senate hearing where she testified that Kavanaugh assaulted her.

"I had one beer!" he said, impersonating Ford. "How did you get home? I don't remember. How did you get there? I don't remember. Where is the place? I don't remember. How many years ago was it? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know!"

"Upstairs, downstairs where was it? I don't know," he said in front of laughing supporters.

Ford told Senate Judiciary Committee that, despite some memory lapses, she was "100 percent certain" it was a drunken Kavanaugh who pinned her to a bed, groped her, and put his hand over her mouth to muffle her screams for help. Kavanaugh testified he has never assaulted anyone and complained he is the victim of a "political hit" to destroy his reputation.

White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump was merely stating the facts of the case and remains confident in his nominee.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, blasted the president's mockery of Ford as "reprehensible, beneath the office of the presidency, and beneath common decency from one person to another."

If confirmed, Kavanaugh  an appellate judge and judicial conservative  would replace retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. The nine-member court is currently operating with eight justices.

Richard Green contributed to this report.
Juan Romero, the hotel busboy who was photographed holding the head of the mortally wounded Robert Kennedy, has died.

A family friend says Romero died of a heart attack earlier this week in Modesto, California. He was 68.

The Mexican-born Romero was an 18-year-old busboy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968.

New York Senator Robert Kennedy had just made a speech after claiming victory in the California Democratic presidential primary.

As he walked through the hotel kitchen, Kennedy stopped to shake hands with Romero, who had served the senator a room service meal a day earlier.

Seconds later, gunshots were fired and Kennedy dropped to the floor.

In one of the most haunting and poignant photographs of a violent era, Romero was seen kneeling next to the expressionless Kennedy, holding up his head with blood dripping from the back.

Romero pressed rosary beads into the gravely wounded senators hand. He asked Romero if everyone was OK and the stunned young man replied yes, before he was pushed away and questioned by police. Romero went to his high school the next morning with Kennedys blood still staining his hand.

The photo of Romero and Kennedy appeared on front pages of newspapers and television all over the world within hours. Kennedy died the next day. A Palestinian named Sirhan Sirhan is serving a life sentence for the assassination.

Romero said he carried the guilt of the shooting for much of his life, believing Kennedy would not have been shot if he did not stop for just those few seconds to shake hands with the young man who served him dinner.

Romero gradually overcame his anguish and was working in construction at the time of his death.
Cameroons ruling party officials have held several campaign rallies for the October 7 presidential poll in the countrys restive English-speaking regions, despite threats from separatists.

Authorities say rebels abducted at least eight party officials and attacked some campaigners. Nonetheless, the party says it will continue to spread its message in the regions and even mocked opposition parties for avoiding them.



President Paul Biya's Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM) is touting itself as the only political party worth voting for on Sunday in the Anglophone regions.

CPDM Secretary General Jean Nkwete told supporters in the northwest town of Bamenda Tuesday they are the only party to campaign there  showing the opposition does not care about the people.

"Where are those political parties today? They have abandoned you and fled the region. They are seen only on television," Nkwete said.

Anglophone separatists began a violent campaign in northwest and southwest Cameroon one year ago, citing alleged discrimination and oppression by the country's French-speaking majority.

Despite threats from separatists, Biya's party campaigned in the northwest over the weekend under heavy security.

All eight of his opposition challengers have avoided or were chased out of the two English-speaking regions.

Mefire Ousmanou of the Cameroon Democratic Union said that the CPDM has military protection, so it can more easily campaign in the regions.

He said under the present context of terrible conflicts in the English-speaking regions, the government should encourage reconciliation instead of using force to get angry people to vote.

But even under heavy security, the ruling party was not immune the regions unrest.

Authorities say separatists attacked several CPDM campaign caravans but the military killed an undisclosed number of the attackers.

Authorities also say eight CPDM supporters were abducted from a hotel in Bamenda.

Professor Willibroad Ze Ngwa says campaigning in the regions is not enough and the ruling party should engage in an all-inclusive dialogue to end the unrest.

"They want to provide the solution through their political lenses. It is only their political party that should be able to provide the solution to the problem. And we say - no. We are saying that Cameroonians from all walks of life should get to the field and talk to the people in a tone of appeasement, keeping their political jackets by the side," Ze Ngwa said.

Nearly 400 people have been killed since the separatist conflict broke out in in November 2017.

The Anglophone separatists want autonomous rule from the government in Yaounde and have vowed on social media to prevent Sundays election.

Cameroon's elections management body, ELECAM, has insisted that elections will take place in the troubled spots.

ELECAM created polling centers it says will accommodate hundreds of polling stations that will be guarded by the military.

Eight candidates are running against Biya. But the 85-year-old president, who has ruled the central African country since 1982, is favored to win another seven-year term that would end in 2025.
Senate Republicans Thursday proclaimed their bullishness and impatience to confirm President Donald Trumps embattled Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanaugh, asserting that an FBI report did not corroborate allegations the judge committed sexual assault.

The Senate is expected to hold procedural votes on the nomination Friday, with a possible final vote on whether to confirm Kavanaugh on Saturday. Last week, the Judiciary Committee sent the nomination to the full Senate on the condition that the FBI perform a supplemental background check on the nominee.

Hopefully, we are 48 hours away from having a new person on the Supreme Court, Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa said at a news conference Thursday.

We need to confirm him right away, Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch said, adding that the politics of baseless personal destruction have no place here.

Democrats, meanwhile, solidified their caucuss opposition to Kavanaugh, an appellate judge whose elevation to the Supreme Court could cement a decidedly conservative majority for decades.

WATCH: Protesters Gather Outside Supreme Court to Oppose Kavanaugh Nomination

North Dakota Democrat Heidi Heitkamp announced she would vote against Kavanaugh. She questioned the nominees temperament, honesty and impartiality, and said, Our actions right now are a poignant signal to young girls and women across our country. I will continue to stand up for them.

Heitkamp currently trails in polls as she runs for re-election in North Dakota, a state Trump won handily in 2016. Her announcement left only one Democrat undecided: West Virginias Joe Manchin.

Two of three Republicans who have not committed to vote to confirm Kavanaugh spoke with reporters after reviewing the FBI report.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins called the document thorough, while Arizonas Jeff Flake said, Weve seen no additional corroborating information.

Senators were duty-bound not to divulge details of the FBI report, which was made available for them to read behind closed doors in a secure room of the Capitol. But numerous Republicans emerged to tell reporters they saw nothing implicating Kavanaugh in sexual misconduct.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said the FBI was unable to locate any third parties who could attest to any of these allegations  no backup from any witnesses, including those specifically named as eyewitnesses by the people who brought the allegations in the first place.

But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, cryptically said he disagrees with Republican statements that the report showed no hint of misconduct by Kavanaugh, prompting reporters to ask Schumer what he meant before he walked away without another word.

Last week, Christine Blasey Ford told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a high school party in the early 1980s. Kavanaugh vehemently denied the charge.

Democrats did not describe specifics of the FBI report, but argued it had been hampered by limitations placed on investigators by the White House in conjunction with Judiciary Committee Republicans. News reports say neither Ford nor Kavanaugh was interviewed, and several people who claimed to have known the nominee as a student complained they were unable to secure an FBI interview.

The most notable part of this report is whats not in it, the Judiciary Committees top Democrat, Dianne Feinstein of California, said. It looks to be a product of an incomplete investigation.

Feinstein added, Democrats agreed that the investigations scope should be limited. We did not agree that the White House should tie the FBIs hands.

White House spokesman Raj Shah said that after the most comprehensive review of a Supreme Court nominee in history, the White House is fully confident Kavanaugh will be confirmed.

Republicans hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate. With Vice President Mike Pence being the tie-breaker if necessary, they would need a minimum of 50 votes to confirm Kavanaugh.

If confirmed, Kavanaugh would replace retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. The nine-member court is currently operating with eight justices.

One retired justice who spent 35 years on the bench said Thursday he does not believe Kavanaugh deserves to be on the Supreme Court.

Former justice John Paul Stevens, 98, had been a Kavanaugh supporter. But he told an audience of retirees in Boca Raton, Florida, he does not think Kavanaugh has the right temperament for the job.

I thought Kavanaugh had the qualifications for the Supreme Court should he be selected. Ive changed by views for reasons that have no relationship to his intellectual ability. I feel his performance in the hearings ultimately changed my mind.

Kavanaugh shouted at senators, insulted Democrats, cried and displayed what opponents say was blatant partisanship during his appearance before the judiciary committee.
Former Peruvian strongman Alberto Fujimori is pleading with the current president not to send him back to prison, saying it would be a "death sentence."

The Peruvian Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Fujimori was not entitled to be freed from jail last year because he was convicted of crimes against humanity. The court ruled he was not entitled to a pardon under Peruvian and international law.

"Please do not kill me," Fujimori begged from a hospital bed message to President Martin Vizcarra. "If I return to prison, my heart will not support it. It is too weak to go through the same thing again. Don't sentence me to death. I can give no more."

Peruvian Interior Minister Mauro Medina appeared unmoved by the ex-dictator's plea.

"He is already considered a prisoner. He is expected to leave the clinic to take him to the penitentiary," Medina told Peruvian radio.

Fujimori was serving a 25-year-long sentence for crimes against humanity when he got a medical pardon last year and moved into a rented mansion in Lima.

Fujimori is revered by some Peruvians and despised by others. He was elected in 1990 and in his 10 years in power, he put down a rebellion by the leftist Shining Path guerillas and saved Peru from economic ruin.

But Fujimori was an authoritarian leader whose far-right death squads massacred civilians as part of operations against the guerillas.

He was also accused of massive corruption and fled Peru for Japan in 2000, when he was mocked for handing in his resignation by fax.

Fujimori was arrested in Chile in 2006 and put on trial in Peru.

Former Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski pardoned Fujimori last Christmas and barely survived an impeachment vote with the help from Fujimori allies in Congress.

Kuczynski resigned in March and is under investigation for the pardon.
As Russian President Vladimir Putin visits India, the most high profile item on the agenda will be a deal for New Delhi to buy a multi-billion-dollar air defense system and other weaponry. If concluded, the deal will be in violation of American sanctions against Russia.



The potential agreement comes as an indication that India will continue its defense ties with Russia, even as it deepens a military and strategic alliance with Washington.



President Putin is scheduled to hold formal talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.



"The key feature of this visit will be the signing of the agreement to deliver S-400 air defense systems," Vladimir Putin's top foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov has said ahead of the visit.



Saying the deal is at a stage where it can be finalized, Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pointed out last week that, We have a big legacy of buying defense equipment from Russia.



India says it needs the missile system that provides high altitude protection from incoming missiles to bolster its defenses against China and Pakistan. The Russian-built S-400 is capable of intercepting and destroying airborne targets at a distance of up to 400 kilometers.



New Delhi is hoping for a waiver from the United States, which passed a law last year placing automatic sanctions on countries dealing with Russias defense and intelligence sectors. With an eye on China, New Delhi and Washington have been building a closer partnership.

However, U.S. officials have said there is no guarantee for such a waiver and have urged India not to enter into transactions with Russia.



Last month, Washington imposed sanctions on Chinas military for its purchase of the S-400 missile system from Russia.



The planned purchase of the S-400 missile system also demonstrates Indias continued reliance on Russian military hardware, once its primary supplier of weapons according to defense analysts. Although New Delhi has diversified in recent years and the U.S. has emerged as its second biggest source of arms, Moscow still remains an important source of weapons.



The sophisticated missile system will not be the only deal on the table. The two countries are also are expected to discuss the sale of frigates and helicopters  deals that could be worth $3 billion.



It is not practical to think India will be able to reduce its dependence on Russia or it can close its options of buying from other countries, says defense analyst Amit Cowshish at the Indian Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses in New Delhi. He also points out that Russia has always been easier about sharing sophisticated defense technology with India compared to Washington.



Analysts say the visit and the likely conclusion of some military deals will likely give a boost to India's ties with Moscow, which had become cooler in recent years as Russia developed closer ties with rival China.






Afghanistan's government has formally rejected and outlawed a plan, advocated by an American businessman, to privatize the 17-year-old war in the country, effectively ending a heated debate on the issue.

Erik Prince promoted his proposal on Kabul television as recently as last week for the government to allow foreign contractors to support Afghan forces in the fight against the Taliban, claiming it could end the war in six months.

Princes latest assertions triggered suspicions in local media that after of recent battlefield setbacks, President Ashraf Ghanis administration was tacitly backing the renewed debate.

But in an official statement, National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib said Thursday, In no manner does the government of Afghanistan condone this destructive and divisive debate.

Under no circumstances will the Afghan government and people allow the counterterrorism fight to become a private, for-profit business, said Mohib.

Earlier this week in a televised speech, Ghani also indirectly referred to Princes idea, saying foreign mercenaries will not be allowed to operate in Afghanistan.

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis rejected the proposal weeks ago.

Mohib said that Afghan security forces are determined to lead the anti-terrorism fight and defend the countrys territorial integrity under the framework of all applicable national laws and with the support of international allies.

This can not and will not be outsourced to private business. We will not allow our struggle to be cheapened by the prospect of profits, Mohib noted.

The advisor added that the addition of new foreign and unaccountable elements would violate the principle that Afghans want to determine their own future.

On Tuesday, U.S.-based Human Rights Watch warned outsourcing the war may exacerbate abuses and undermine what fragile justice systems exist. The monitor group noted all parties to the conflict have allegedly committed war crimes and grave human rights violations, and civilian casualties have reached new highs.

Princes company, Academi, formerly known as Blackwater, has been implicated in serious crimes in Iraq, said HRW. The private companys contractors do not report directly to the military, though they can be prosecuted for crimes in U.S. courts, it added.

Afghanistan already has a poor track record prosecuting members of its security forces implicated in serious human rights abuses, including killing civilians. Given the impunity already enjoyed by the security forces, placing them under the command of private security contractors could further undermine accountability.
U.S. first lady Melania Trump visited Malawi Thursday on the second leg of her four-nation tour of Africa.

Trump landed in the capital, Lilongwe, and went to a primary school where about 8,000 children are taught by just 75 teachers. She watched children taking part in an English lesson and later spoke with some of the teachers.

"Thank you for educating them to be best," she said, echoing the name of her child welfare program unveiled earlier this year.

The White House is donating school supplies to the children, including tote bags, chalk and soccer balls, and says the U.S. Agency for International Development is making a large donation of textbooks.

WATCH: What's on Melania's schedule in Malawi?



Most Malawians unaware of visit



Trump was greeted at the airport by her Malawian counterpart, Gertrude Maseko, who will later host Trump for a private tea at the state house.

The White House said Malawi was chosen as a destination because of the country's high poverty rate and the difficulties that children  especially girls  have in accessing education.

WATCH: Melania Trump Brings "Be Best" to Lilongwe, Malawi

Most Malawians who spoke with VOA were unaware of the U.S. first lady's visit, but those who were said they hope this visit will be a message of goodwill and friendship between Malawi and the United States.

Despite 50 years of peaceful independence, Malawi remains one of the poorest nations in the world, with more than half of its 17 million population living below the poverty line and roughly 40 percent unable to read.

US aid

American aid programs remain important for meeting crucial needs in countries like Malawi. During her stop, the first lady is expected to highlight the Trump administrations support for vulnerable groups through the USAID program.

USAID funds for Africa were slated for significant cuts in the Trump administrations proposed budget, although the cuts have not been approved by Congress.

Ghana visit



On Tuesday and Wednesday, Trump was in Ghana, where she visited a former slave holding facility, Cape Coast Castle.

Kenya and Egypt are the next stops on her African tour, which follows her husbands reported disparaging comments about Africa and immigrants from the region.
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US First lady Melania Trump arrived in Malawi Thursday, the second stop of her Goodwill Africa tour. VOA White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports from Lilongwe, that few details have been made public about Mrs. Trump's visit.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is accusing China of trying to undermine it by targeting the American political system.

"China wants a different American president," Vice President Mike Pence said in a speech Thursday. He accused Beijing of "meddling in America's democracy" by employing power in more proactive and coercive ways.

Pence accused the Chinese Communist Party of "rewarding or coercing American businesses, movie studios, universities, think tanks, scholars, journalists, and local, state and federal officials. Worst of all, China has initiated an unprecedented effort to influence American public opinion, the 2018 elections, and the environment leading into the 2020 presidential elections."

The vice president said a senior career member of the U.S. intelligence community recently told him, "What the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what the China is doing across this country."

China fired back Friday, rejecting Pence's assertions as "unwarranted" and "ridiculous." According to Agence France-Presse, a statement from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Pence "made unwarranted accusations against China's domestic and foreign policies and slandered China by claiming that China meddles in U.S. internal affairs." She said Pence was "creating something out of thin air."

The remarks came a week after Trump accused the Chinese government of attempting to interfere in the U.S. midterm elections, to be held next month, and said Pence would release details in his speech.

Pence, at the Hudson Institute in Washington, said some of the information he was citing had been gleaned from intelligence assessments and some was publicly available.

Speaking to reporters later Thursday at the White House, national security adviser John Bolton said Pence's remarks relied on "previously classified and unclassified information."

Bolton said "much of what we know remains classified" and due to ongoing intelligence operations, as well as protecting sources and methods, more cannot be revealed at this time.

"I've never seen anything like the scope of the Chinese activities," added Bolton. "It's a very serious problem."

Citing U.S. intelligence community reports, Pence claimed the Chinese are targeting state and local governments and officials in the United States in an attempt to exploit divisions between federal and local levels on policy.

According to Pence, the Chinese government circulated a sensitive "Propaganda and Censorship Notice" in June that stated Beijing must "strike accurately and carefully, splitting apart different domestic groups" in the United States.

To that end, Pence said "Beijing has mobilized covert actors, front groups, and propaganda outlets to shift Americans' perception of Chinese policy."

"The current administration is willing to call a spade a spade," said Yun Sun, co-director of the East Asia program at the Stimson Center.

She said Pence's speech contained a lot of facts and was comprehensive on issues where China seeks to challenge or undermine American national interests. But she added that the evidence put forward by the Trump administration, such as a Des Moines newspaper supplement published by the Chinese and the tariffs targeting Trump's voter base, "might be a little thin to substantiate China's interference in U.S. elections."



Since Trump took office early last year, his administration has escalated pressure on Beijing, most recently with more than $250 billion worth of tariffs on products for which the Chinese have retaliated in kind.

"And when it comes to influencing the midterms, you need only look at Beijing's tariffs in response to ours," said Pence in his speech. "They specifically targeted industries and states that would play an important role in the 2018 election. By one estimate, more than 80 percent of U.S. counties targeted by China voted for President Trump and I in 2016; now China wants to turn these voters against our administration."

Short on specifics



Other analysts also say they wish there had been more specifics in Pence's remarks.



"He was fairly cryptic," said Rebeccah Heinrichs, a Hudson Institute senior fellow. "He made the point that the [Chinese] government doesn't like what this administration is doing and he kind of left it there. I can deduce from that they're doing something specifically to affect elections to harm Republicans."



Trump signed an executive order last month authorizing sanctions against those found to be involved in election interference.



"I hope to see other efforts by the U.S. to deter China and to come up with real responses to try to actually stave off some of what the Chinese are doing," Heinrichs told VOA.



Pence also said in his speech the Chinese are trying to project their military power farther than ever before, noting Chinese ships routinely patrolling around disputed islands administered by Japan (known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese), and Beijing's deployment of advanced anti-ship and anti-air missiles atop an archipelago of military bases constructed on artificial islands.

"China's aggression was on display this week when a Chinese naval vessel came within 45 yards of the USS Decatur as it conducted freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, forcing our ship to quickly maneuver to avoid collision," said Pence. "We will not be intimidated, and we will not stand down."



Pence said Beijing is extending a lifeline "to the corrupt and incompetent Maduro regime in Venezuela," pledging billions of dollars in loans that can be repaid with oil.

The Chinese, according to the vice president, are "also impacting some nations' politics by providing direct support to parties and candidates who promise to accommodate China's strategic objectives."



Since last year, Pence noted, the Chinese Communist Party convinced three Latin American nations to sever ties with Taipei and recognize Beijing.



In remarks the government in Beijing likely will consider particularly provocative, Pence characterized these actions by China as threatening the stability of the Taiwan Strait and declared that Taiwan's embrace of democracy in contrast to the one-party system on the mainland "shows a better path for all the Chinese people."



VOA's William Gallo contributed to this report.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday that he might have cancer and added that "I don't know where I'm now physically'' as he awaited results of recent medical tests.

Duterte said in a speech in Manila that he underwent an endoscopy and colonoscopy about three weeks ago but his doctor was advised this week to repeat the tests. Both tests aim to diagnose any abnormality in the digestive tract and colon.

"I don't know where I'm now physically, but I have to wait for that. But I would tell you if it's cancer, it's cancer,'' Duterte, 73, said to a Philippine Military Academy alumni group and top security officials.

Duterte added that "if it's third stage, no more treatment. I will not prolong the agony in this office or anywhere.''

Rumors have swirled for some time that Duterte, known for his deadly crackdown on illegal drugs, might have a serious illness. Duterte and his aides, however, repeatedly said he was generally fit although he had grown tired of politics after serving for about 40 years in different government posts.

"I really don't want it because I'm tired and I know that time's up for me,'' Duterte said, adding that physical limitations usually come at around age 70.

"I can't say now if I really got hit or not,'' he said, noting that he has other illnesses such as Barrett's esophagus, a condition thought to be caused by stomach acid washing up into the esophagus.

He has said in the past that he sustained other ailments as a result of a motorcycle accident and drinking.

He'll 'conform' with law

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque told reporters earlier Thursday that Duterte was fine but would inform the public if he has a serious ailment, as required by the constitution. "The president is a lawyer. He will inform and conform with the constitution if there's a serious health ailment, but there is none,'' Roque said.

Roque posted on his Facebook account a video of Duterte arriving Thursday for a conference at the presidential palace with top military and police officials to show that the president was at work.

Roque and another key presidential aide, Christopher Go, made the assurance after rumors circulated that Duterte missed a ceremony Wednesday because he was hospitalized.

Go denied the rumors and said Duterte skipped the event because he was tired from a provincial trip the day before and opted to go to a private meeting and have some personal time.
An appeals court in Quebec ruled Wednesday that Islamic veils and other religious dress can be worn in the courtroom.

The three-judge panel in Montreal ruled unanimously that a lower court judge was wrong when she refused to hear a case in 2015 because a woman was wearing a hijab.

The judge told the woman she was not suitably dressed and said if hats and sunglasses are not allowed in court, then neither are headscarves.

The Quebec Appeals Court judges ruled Wednesday that citizens can wear any religious garb in a court as long as they have "sincere" religious beliefs and the clothes do not interfere with another citizen's rights.

The Quebec government is currently debating limits on where people can wear religious clothing in public.
The former No. 2 leader of Somalia-based militant group al-Shabab wants to become president of the country's South West regional state.

Mukhtar Robow, also known as Abu Mansour, made the announcement to hundreds of his supporters in a welcoming rally Thursday in the South Western town of Baidoa.

"After receiving requests from the people of this region and their intellectuals, I have decided to run for the president of this state in the coming election," Robow said at the rally. "I have accepted the requests and, if God wills, we will win and peace will prevail."

Robow, who once had a $5 million American bounty on his head, will face 10 other candidates in the election November 27. Other contenders include the current head of the South West state and the former Somali parliament speaker, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan.

Robow is an elusive, charismatic militant leader who received training from al-Qaida in Afghanistan and was once a senior commander in al-Shabab. In 2012, the Obama administration offered up to $33 million for information on the location of top members of the group, including him.

But that same year, Robow fell out with the group's emir  Ahmed Godane, killed by a U.S. drone strike in 2014. He retreated to his home region, protected by a personal guard.

With Shabab fighters still trying to kill him, he surrendered to the government last year after secret negotiations.

Robow appeared to be more moderate than many of his former comrades. In 2009, he freed five Somali parliament lawmakers after his militants took over Baidoa, which was then the headquarters of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government.

On other occasions, Robow condemned al-Shabab's attacks on civilian targets. However, Robow has never expressed remorse about his role in the group.

Ali Hasan, a regional parliament lawmaker, says they will elect the regional leader based on the will of the local population.

"We represent the people and in the upcoming election, we will elect whoever the people want us to elect regardless of his background and affiliations," he told VOA's Somali service.

Mohamed Farah Ali, a former militant commander who now works with the Somali government in deradicalizing youth, believes Robow's move could weaken al-Shabab.

"He is a man who knows about the group's secrets: their sources of money, the way they recruit fighters and the tricks they use. Therefore, I think being a leader would turn the tide against al-Shabab insurgents, specially the South West region," Ali said.

"As I am, he is one of the beneficiaries of the government amnesty program and he will help the end of the same group he helped establish."
Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province has begun to take its first steps toward recovery, nearly a week after parts of it were devastated by an earthquake and massive tsunami that killed more than 1,500 people.

Electricity has been restored to some parts of Palu, the city of just over 370,000 residents that endured the brunt of the disaster. Shops have reopened, a major phone network is back in operation, and a small number of commercial flights are expected to resume flying in and out of the city's wrecked airport.

WATCH: Flags Mark Sites of Trapped Bodies in Indonesia Quake

As emergency relief slowly arrives in Sulawesi, authorities have begun stepping up security to end the sporadic looting by residents desperate for food and clean water.

The official death toll inched up to 1,558 as of late Thursday, with 70,000 others displaced.

Indonesia's President Joko Wido visited affected areas for a second time Thursday to assess the damage.

The 7.5 magnitude quake last Friday triggered a huge tsunami that turned scores of houses and buildings in Palu into huge mounds of debris and washed away some of the island's roads and bridges, cutting off at least three districts near Palu with a combined population of over 1 million people.

Indonesia and its 18,000 islands are located along the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire" and are frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunami activity.

A 9.1-magnitude quake in 2004 off Sumatra and subsequent tsunami killed about 230,000 people in 14 Pacific countries, with about half of those deaths occurring in Indonesia.

VOAs Indonesian service contributed to this report.
South Koreas Unification Minister, Cho Myoung-gyon, led a delegation of about 160 others to Pyongyang Thursday along with Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan. The three-day trip is set to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the October 4 Declaration, signed in 2007 by then-South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and his counterpart North Korean leader Kim Jong-il during their inter-Korean summit. The festivities are scheduled to take place Oct. 5.

We make this trip to Pyongyang in the spirit of the October 4 Declaration, Cho told the traveling pool of reporters before departing Seoul. The government authorities, together with political parties, municipal government officials and civic groups, will return after creating a chance to solidify inter-Korean reconciliation, cooperation and peace.

The envoys will travel to Pyongyang along the direct western route, as South Korean President Moon Jae-in did last month for his third summit with Kim Jong Un.

South Korean delegation

The South Korean government is sending 30 individuals as part of the contingent visiting Pyongyang. In addition, the unification minister, the head of the Cultural Heritage Association, members of the national assembly, individuals from political parties, and local officials will make the trip. More than 80 people from various private organizations will join them.

Those from South Korea will visit several major facilities in the North and view an art performance; however, the unification ministry hasnt provided specifics. Its also unclear if the group will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their visit.

I plan to discuss ways to implement the Pyongyang Joint Declaration with North Korean authorities, Cho said at a meeting earlier this week.

Specifically, Cho mentioned the proposed visit to South Korea by Kim Jong Un, which would be the first of its kind since the end of the Korean War. If a North Korean leader visits Seoul for the first time since the division of the nation, said Cho, such a trip would boost mutual trust and facilitate the development of a peace regime on the peninsula.

Past is prologue

A chief criticism by experts of the declarations signed by President Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump with the North Korean leader, is that the language appears to recycle that used in the past and offers little in the way of specific details.

For example, the 2007 Pyongyang declaration being celebrated called for the Positive implementation of the June 15 Joint Declaration (2000), Developing Inter-Korean Relations into those of Mutual Respect and Trust, and Reducing Military Tension and Building Trust as its first three items.

Reviewing the September 2018 Pyongyang Joint Declaration, similar passages are found.

The two sides agreed to adopt the Agreement on the Implementation of the Historic Panmunjom Declaration in the Military Domain as an annex to the Pyongyang Declaration, and to thoroughly abide by and faithfully implement it appears in the first item covered in Septembers declaration, as its counterpart did in 2007.

Likewise, Moon and Kim agreed in September to consistently and continuously develop inter-Korean relations for national reconciliation and cooperation, and firm peace and co-prosperity, and to make efforts to realize through policy measures the aspiration and hope of all Koreans that the current developments in inter-Korean relations will lead to reunification.

Moon stated that the primary goal of his September trip to Pyongyang was to foster better inter-Korean relations. His efforts manifested not only in ways to reduce military tensions, but also the proposals to link railways and roads, in addition to re-opening of tourism and industrial sites, when conditions ripe. The development of Inter-Korean economic cooperation was also promised in 2007.

A rising Moon

Since returning from Pyongyang, President Moon has seen his popularity jump from a low of 50 percent to 65.3 percent, according to new data from Realmeter.

Moons increase in the polls was not a surprise to Hansun Foundation Chairman Cho Young-key.

Cho says that for multiple generations, the stalemate with North Korea was a foremost thought. He claims the summit and subsequent optimism for peace and prosperity exhibited by Moon, allowed the focus to be diverted away from military threats and economic issues.

The effect of the two leaders holding hands atop Mt. Paektu was a huge development that affected many, said Cho, leading some to begin evaluating the governments statements of moving toward peace and reconciliation.

Lee Ju-hyun contributed to this report.
Under pressure over his track record on the economy, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will convene a gathering of top officials and business leaders on Thursday to find solutions to the country's long-running unemployment crisis.

More than two decades after the end of white minority rule, South Africa still has one of the highest jobless rates among major global economies, with more than a quarter of its work force unemployed.

Ramaphosa, who took over from scandal-plagued Jacob Zuma in February, has made reviving the economy and boosting job creation a cornerstone of his reform drive.

Jobs Summit

At a state of the nation address to parliament shortly after becoming president, he said the Jobs Summit would come up with a set of initiatives to drive inclusive growth.

"The summit is about unblocking economic constraints," said Tanya Cohen, chief executive of Business Unity South Africa, one of the organisers of the two-day summit outside Johannesburg.

"Some of the proposals have the potential to create jobs and boost growth in the short term, others are about changing the long-term structure of our economy so that it is not too concentrated," Cohen added.

International organisations including the World Bank have been calling for decisive action to address South Africa's high levels of unemployment and inequality for many years.

Improved education needed

In its South Africa Economic Update earlier this year, the World Bank said improving the quality of basic education and improving spatial integration between economic hubs were two interventions that could reduce inequality and support job creation.

Ramaphosa's efforts to revive growth have been welcomed by investors but were dealt a blow last month when data showed the economy had fallen into recession for the first time in a decade.

Since then Ramaphosa has unveiled a "stimulus and recovery plan" to try to get the economy back on track.
The U.S. Justice Department said Thursday that it had charged seven Russian intelligence officers with hacking the computer networks of international anti-doping agencies, as well as organizations investigating Russia's use of chemical agents.

Announcing the charges in Washington, Assistant Attorney General John Demers said the Russians belonged to GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency, and that three of them had been previously charged by special counsel Robert Mueller in connection with the hacking of Democratic computers during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

But Demers, who heads the department's national security division, said the latest charges were not related to Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 vote.

"Nonetheless, these two indictments charge overlapping groups of conspirators," Demers said at a news conference at the Justice Department." And they evince some of the same methods of computer intrusion and the same overarching Russian strategic goal: to pursue its interests through illegal influence and disinformation operations aimed at muddying or altering perceptions of the truth."

The seven Russian operatives were charged with computer hacking, wire fraud, aggravated identify theft and money laundering.

The alleged Russian cyber operation spanned from December 2014 to May 2018, targeting U.S. and international anti-doping agencies, sporting federations such as FIFA, anti-doping officials, and nearly 250 athletes from about 30 countries.

The agencies were targeted for exposing Russia's state-sponsored athlete doping program and their support for a ban on Russian athletes in the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, while athletes' medical records were stolen for the purpose of publicizing them as part of an influence and disinformation campaign.

In addition, the Russians targeted Westinghouse Electric Corp., a U.S. nuclear energy company; the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, an international body investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria and the March 2018 poisoning of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia; and the Spiez Swiss Chemical Laboratory, an OPCW-accredited lab that analyzed the chemical agent connected to the poisonings of Skripal and others in Britain.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said the bureau worked closely with law enforcement agencies in other countries to identify the Russian operatives and disrupt their operation.

"The actions of these seven hackers, all working as officials for the Russian government, were criminal, retaliatory and damaging to innocent victims and the United States' economy, as well as to world organizations," Wray said in a statement.

In a joint statement, British Prime Minister Theresa May and her Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte, condemned what they called the GRU's "unacceptable cyber activities."

"This attempt to access the secure systems of an international organization working to rid the world of chemical weapons demonstrates the GRU's disregard for the global values and rules that keep us all safe," May and Rutte said in a statement.

Russia's Foreign Ministry called the allegations "fantasies."

The alleged operation was often carried out remotely from Russia, with operatives using common hacking techniques such as spear-phishing victims into disclosing their log-in credentials. But when these methods proved fruitless, "close access" teams of skilled cyber agents would be dispatched to targets around the world to conduct on-site computer penetrations via local Wi-Fi networks, according to the indictment.

In one instance, two GRU agents  Aleksei Sergeyevich Morenets and Yevgenny Serebiakov  allegedly deployed to Rio de Janeiro in the summer of 2016 to conduct hacking operations on visiting doping officials by penetrating local Wi-Fi networks.

In another case, the two agents allegedly traveled to Lausanne, Switzerland, later that year to hack the computer network of a hotel hosting an anti-doping conference.

"After a successful hacking operation, the close access team transferred such access to conspirators in Russia for exploitation," according to the indictment.

The Russians then used social media accounts maintained by a special GRU unit to publicly release the athletes' medical records and other information through a fake hacktivist group calling itself "The Fancy Bears' Hack Team."

To enhance public exposure, the defendants allegedly exchanged emails and private messages with about 186 reporters, according to the indictment.

The cyberattack on the computer networks of the chemical weapons watchdog occurred in May 2018 after the poisoning of Skripal. Prosecutors said the four agents involved in the operation planned to travel on to Spiez, Switzerland, before being caught by Dutch security forces and expelled from the country.

Joseph Campbell, a director at Navigant Consulting in Washington, said the FBI's ability to identify the GRU operatives "indicates it's a very in-depth investigation."

While it's highly unlikely that the Russians will ever stand trial in the U.S., Campbell, a former FBI assistant director, said the operatives can now be sanctioned by the United States, severely limiting their ability to travel abroad and engage in business.
U.S. and Georgian defense ministers met in Brussels Wednesday to reaffirm the long-standing defense relationship between the countries.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was in Brussels to reassure European allies of Americas iron-clad commitment to NATO, as the trans-Atlantic alliance prepares for its biggest military exercises since the Cold War.

Meeting with Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria, Mattis remarked on the South Caucasus nation's exemplary defense reforms and contributions to the NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, where Tbilisis 870 uniformed troops represent the worlds largest per capita contributor to the mission.

A Pentagon readout of the meeting said the ministers agreed to continue deterring Russian aggression through U.S. security assistance, and support defense initiatives to develop long-term readiness and NATO interoperability.

Mattis also reinforced long-term U.S. commitment to Georgias sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Calls for increased support

Outgoing Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili recently told VOAs Georgian Service that despite a quarter century of solid ties with the United States, hes pledging to make increased demands for U.S. military support and development aid, and that he hopes to see the current administration re-engage the world community as a guarantor of global security.

Touting what he called a decades-long dynamic and close bipartisan relationship with Washington, Margvelashvili pointed to the U.S. refusal to acknowledge Georgias Russian-occupied territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Even with the current administration, let me just register that our record has been pretty impressive, he added, citing budget procurements and expanded weapons sales.

In September 2017, the Senate Appropriations Committee spending bill increased Georgias foreign military aid to $35 million for FY 2018, up from $30 million in 2016.

He also said hed like to see Tbilisis NATO membership process expedited.

Im a very strong believer that we have to be more resilient and more equipped and more organized with a growing threat of the Russian Federation in the region, and maybe even globally, he said.

With U.S.-European ties at a low point, exacerbated by President Donald Trump's recent United Nations General Assembly screed against a globalist ideology in which he called an isolated U.S. a stronger, safer, and richer country, Margvelashvili argued that history tells a different story.

We saw Ronald Reagan bring down the Berlin Wall. We saw a strong U.S. stance on stability and global security. And those were the impulses that determined the (outcome and aftermath) of the Cold War, he said.

The result of a strong U.S. stance on global security, he added, was the creation of a more secure and more prosperous U.S. and Europe.

Like other countries ... we are waiting for a more resilient and organized and strong (U.S.) stand that will ... be accepted by Europe and will solve issues like Georgia and Ukraine, Margvelashvili said.

According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the Trident Juncture 18 exercise, which will be conducted in Norway in October and November, will draw in 45,000 troops and represent the biggest movement of NATO personnel and vehicles since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

While huge in scale, the Juncture 18 operation will be far smaller than the Vostok-18 exercise staged by Russia and China last month, which involved 300,000 troops and 1,000 aircraft.

NATOs effort will involve troops from Britain, North America and continental Europe, equipped with 150 aircraft, 70 vessels and around 10,000 land vehicles.

This story originated in VOA's Georgian Service.
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Thursday Russia's violation of a global arms control treaty is "untenable" and warned the U.S. would be forced to match Moscow's military capabilities if it continues to violate the pact.

The U.S. maintains Russia's Novator 9M729 cruise missile violates the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a Cold War-era agreement that bans medium-range missiles capable of striking Europe or Alaska. The treaty bans all nuclear and conventional ground-launched and cruise missiles of intermediate range.

Mattis told reporters Thursday after a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels the U.S. is reviewing its military and diplomatic options because of Russia's continued violation of the treaty.

"Russia must return to compliance with the INF Treaty or the U.S. will need to match its capabilities to protect U.S. and NATO interests. Make no mistake, the current situation with Russia in violation of this treaty, is "untenable," Mattis said.

WATCH: Allies Warn Russia Against Violation of International Laws

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchinson said if Russia does not comply with the treaty, the U.S. will explore ways to "take out" Russia's cruise missile system. She later said she did not mean the U.S. would strike Russia pre-emptively, but wanted to emphasize the importance of Moscow's adherence to the treaty.

Russia has consistently denied any such violation and has asserted that the U.S. has positioned missile defense systems in violation of the pact.

The U.S. initially accused Moscow early last year of deploying the cruise missile system.

Mattis' remarks may exacerbate U.S.-Russia relations, which have deteriorated to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War due to Russia's 2014 seizure of Crimea, its continuous bombing of Syria and it's meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Afghan military and police forces had higher numbers of battlefield casualties in a "difficult and bloody summer'' of fighting the Taliban insurgency, the American general overseeing the war said Thursday.

Army Gen. Joseph Votel, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters at the Pentagon that the Afghan losses were "an area of important focus'' for the newly installed U.S. commander in Kabul, Army Gen. Scott Miller. Votel did not say how many Afghan troops had been killed this year but noted that Afghan officials had said the casualties would not deter them.

Asked whether the number of Afghan casualties had increased this year over the figure for 2017, Votel said, "It's my understanding that it is increasing.''

At the request of the Afghan government, the U.S. military command in Kabul does not publicly reveal numbers of Afghan combat losses. But Votel's comments suggest the trend is worrisome, even if the Afghan government continues to insist that it can sustain this pace of casualties.

Advise and assist

At the end of 2014, U.S. forces stopped taking a direct role in ground combat against the Taliban and shifted to what they call an advise-and-assist role. Since then, Afghan forces have taken heavy losses even though they outnumber the Taliban and are supported by U.S. forces. The Taliban benefit from sanctuary in parts of neighboring Pakistan.

Votel said the U.S. was still trying to get Afghan forces to lessen their dependence on what he called "poorly defended,'' vulnerable checkpoints, which the Taliban regularly and successfully target. For at least six years, U.S. military officials have tried to convince the Afghan authorities that these checkpoints are too difficult to defend and should be abandoned. The Afghans have largely refused, saying these are needed to protect the population.

"When we do look at the casualties that the Afghans are absorbing, we do link them back largely to these more defensive, static positions that they have difficulty supporting,'' Votel said.

Shortly before Votel began speaking by telephone from his headquarters in Tampa, Florida, Miller's command announced that one American service member was killed in action in Afghanistan. The announcement provided no details, and Votel declined to say anything beyond calling it a combat loss.

Votel said more would be disclosed after the service member's family was notified of the loss. It was the seventh U.S. combat death in Afghanistan this year. The most recent had been Sept. 3 when Army Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy A. Bolyard, 42, of Thornton, West Virginia, was shot to death by a member of the Afghan national police in Logar province.

The announcement from Kabul said the American's death was under investigation. In line with standard practice, the name of the person will not be officially released until 24 hours after family members have been notified.

"Initial reports that I have seen are that this is as a result of combat action, and not a result of anything else that you have seen,'' Votel said.

"We'll have to find out more'' about the circumstances before saying whether the combat loss came during fighting with the Taliban or the Islamic State group's affiliate, Votel said.

The Pentagon says there are about 14,000 American troops in Afghanistan.

Role for Pakistan

A central element of the Trump administration's strategy for pushing the Taliban into peace talks with Kabul is to compel neighboring Pakistan to stop allowing sanctuary for Taliban leaders and to take military action against extremists on its side of the Afghan border. Pakistani officials say they are cooperating on this, but Votel insisted more be done, including a greater effort to force the Taliban to the negotiating table.

"We need them to help lower the violence in Afghanistan, and they need to do that by making absolutely sure that there are no instructions, directions or other things coming from Taliban leadership that remains in Pakistan to their fighters on the ground'' in Afghanistan, Votel said. "They need to continue to ensure that there can be no movement back and forth and that fighters can't come back into Pakistan to get aid or medical care or other things.''
The nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill an open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court is moving toward a final vote as early as Saturday.



First though, senators are on Thursday reviewing an FBI report on allegations Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a woman when both were teenagers and that he exposed himself to another woman during their first year of college.



Kavanaugh has denied the accusations.

What is usually a sharp partisan battle over the lifetime appointment to the nine-member court has polarized the U.S. Senate with the majority Republicans accusing Democrats of unnecessarily dragging out the process, while Democrats say Republicans are rushing to confirm Kavanaugh without properly considering the allegations against him.



Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley said early Thursday the panel had received the FBI probe materials, and that he and ranking Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein had agreed on a process of alternating, equal access for senators from both sides to review the information.

The FBI report is confidential and senators will be allowed to read it in a special secure room in the Capitol. It is not clear what, if any, of the material will be made public.

Polarized Senate

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised late Wednesday the lawmakers would have time to review the contents before a so-called cloture vote that would officially end debate about Kavanaugh's nomination.That procedural vote could happen as early as Friday morning and set up a final vote potentially on Saturday.

White House spokesman Raj Shah said that after the "most comprehensive review of a Supreme Court nominee in history," the White House is "fully confident" Kavanaugh will be confirmed.

Ford, witnesses not interviewed by FBI

Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, telling lawmakers she was "100 percent certain" it was a drunken Kavanaugh who pinned her down on a bed, groped her, tried to take off her clothes, and put his hand over her mouth to muffle her screams for help.Kavanaugh testified he has never assaulted anyone.



A lawyer for Ford criticized the FBI investigation in a statement late Wednesday, saying it did not include an interview with Ford or other who could back up her testimony.



"We are profoundly disappointed that after the tremendous sacrifice she made in coming forward, those directing the FBI investigation were not interested in seeking the truth," Ford's counsel said.

President Donald Trump defended his nominee and criticized the way the nomination has proceeded In a Thursday tweet.

Negative Polls

In a poll released Wednesday by NPR, Marist and PBS Newshour, 47 percent of respondents said they had a negative view of Kavanaugh versus 36 percent who said they view the judge positively.Another 18 percent were unsure or had not heard of Kavanaugh.



On another question, 45 percent of respondents said they believe Ford is telling the truth about what happened when the two were in high school, while 33 percent said they believe Kavanaugh.



Overall, 48 percent of respondents said they oppose Kavanaugh's nomination and 41 percent said they support him joining the Supreme Court.

Three key Republicans

Republicans hold a slight 51-49 majority in the Senate, and with Vice President Mike Pence playing the role of tie-breaker if necessary, they would need a minimum of 50 votes to confirm Kavanaugh.

No Democrat has come out in favor of the judge, and three key Republicans have yet to commit themselves on how they plan to vote

If confirmed, Kavanaugh  an appellate judge and judicial conservative  would replace retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. The nine-member court is currently operating with eight justices.
The U.S. service member killed Thursday in southern Afghanistan was conducting combat operations against Taliban forces, a defense official told VOA.

International forces in the country had announced earlier in the day, without providing details, that one American service member had been killed in action. A press release said the death was "under investigation."

Speaking to Pentagon reporters Thursday from U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida, Army Gen. Joseph Votel, who oversees military operations across the Middle East, would say only that the casualty was a result of "combat action" and would not specify the location or the enemy combatant.

He said more details would be given after the service member's family had been notified.

The news came as the Afghan Taliban claimed on their website that Taliban fighters had detonated an improvised explosive device on a tank in Garmsir district of Helmand province.

The Taliban added that all service members in the tank had been killed or wounded. The information came from the SITE Intelligence Group that monitors jihadist websites and translates their content into English.

The Pentagon said about 14,000 U.S. troops are deployed in Afghanistan. Thursday's death was the seventh U.S. combat fatality in the country this year.
The United States announced its withdrawal from a 1955 treaty with Iran in response to an International Court of Justice determination that some U.S. sanctions against Tehran violate the pact. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday the U.S. is terminating the Treaty of Amity after the United Nations' top court ordered the lifting of sanctions that affect humanitarian goods. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports the U.S also announced withdrawal from another international protocol Wednesday.
At an upcoming U.N. disarmament conference, the United States vows to push back against Russian and Chinese threats against the peaceful use of outer space. The U.N. General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security opens Monday in New York and is scheduled to run five weeks.

Ambassador Robert Wood, U.S. permanent representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, laid out some of Washingtons main priorities in advance of the U.N. disarmament and security meeting.

He said the U.S. delegation plans to actively push against issues that go against U.S. and allied security interests. Foremost among these, he said, was the U.S. determination to counter Russian and Chinese outer space and cyber threats.

He said the U.S. dismisses claims that activities by Moscow and Beijing are aimed at preventing the militarization of outer space.

What they want to do is to limit the United States ability to operate in space by in essence going forward with an initiative that allows them to be able to attack satellites and other peaceful space vehicles through the use of anti-satellite weapons, Wood said.

In 2014, the Russian and Chinese governments submitted a new version of a draft treaty on the prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space Treaty (PPWT). When they introduced the draft treaty, they said, We consider a legally binding ban on placement of weapons in outer space as one of the most important instruments of strengthening global stability and equal and indivisible security for all.

Ambassador Wood, during a press conference, said the proposed treaty was not verifiable" and does not deal with the fundamental issue, which is banning anti-satellite weapons - terrestrial based anti-satellite weapons. The treaty does not cover that subject. He said that was one of the major threats to the peaceful use of outer space.

"When we ask the Russians and Chinese why do you not take on this issue in full, they kind of fudge (obfuscate) and do not really address the issue, he said.

Wood said a second priority is to uphold the norm against chemical weapons use. Over the past year, he noted, Russia has worked to discredit the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The main function of the OPCW is to ensure the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

You have seen many public statements by Russian officials dismissing independent analyses, independent investigations, the work of the OPCW with regard to Syrias chemical weapons use. So, this, first and foremost, is a major challenge trying to counter this very, very strong Russian propaganda effort, he said.

Wood said the U.S. and its allies have to push back against Russian claims that Syria never used chemical weapons. He said both Syria and Russia must be held accountable for these crimes.
The U.S. government warned Wednesday that a hacking group widely known as cloudhopper, which Western cybersecurity firms have linked to the Chinese government, has launched attacks on technology service providers in a campaign to steal data from their clients.

The Department of Homeland issued a technical alert for cloudhopper, which it said was engaged in cyber espionage and theft of intellectual property, after experts with two prominent U.S. cybersecurity companies warned earlier this week that Chinese hacking activity has surged amid the escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing.

Chinese authorities have repeatedly denied claims by Western cybersecurity firms that it supports hacking.

Homeland Security

Homeland Security released the information to support U.S. companies in responding to attacks by the group, which is targeting information technology, energy, health care, communications and manufacturing firms.

These cyber threat actors are still active and we strongly encourage our partners in government and industry to work together to defend against this threat, DHS official Christopher Krebs said in a statement.

The reported increase in Chinese hacking follows what cybersecurity firms have described as a lull in such attacks prompted by a 2015 agreement between Chinese President Xi Jinping and former U.S. President Barrack Obama to curb cyber-enabled economic theft.

I can tell you now unfortunately the Chinese are back, Dmitri Alperovitch, chief technology officer of U.S. cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, said Tuesday at a security conference in Washington.

Weve seen a huge pickup in activity over the past year and a half. Nowadays they are the most predominant threat actors we see threatening institutions all over this country and Western Europe, he said.

Analysts with FireEye, another U.S. cybersecurity firm, said that some of the Chinese hacking groups it tracks have become more active in recent months.

Advice to US firms

Wednesdays alert provided advice on how U.S. firms can prevent, identify and remediate attacks by cloudhopper, which is also known as Red Leaves and APT10.

The hacking group has largely targeted firms known as managed service providers, which supply telecommunications, technology and other services to business around the globe.

Managed service providers, or MSPs, are attractive targets because their networks provide routes for hackers to access sensitive systems of their many clients, said Ben Read, a senior intelligence manager with FireEye.

Weve seen this group route malware through an MSP network to other targets, Read said.
The Voice of America announced Thursday it has fired or proposed to terminate more than half the members of its Hausa language service following an investigation that found the individuals had accepted improper payments from a foreign official in West Africa.

Amanda Bennett, director of the federally funded news organization, notified VOA staff of the move in an agency-wide email. "It is therefore with a very heavy heart that I must tell you that we have terminated or (in accordance with all applicable Federal laws and regulations) proposed to terminate 15 members of the Hausa Service," she wrote.

Bennett said the action was taken after simultaneous investigations by VOA staff and the Office of the Inspector General into "allegations of improper conduct by members of the service, which involved accepting improper payments from an official in the coverage area."

The service reaches some 20 million people weekly, principally in Nigeria but also in Niger, Ghana, Chad and Cameroon.

Remaining members of the Hausa staff said the 15 individuals, including the service chief (who is not suspected on personally accepting a payment) , were met at the front door of VOA headquarters on Thursday morning. They were stripped of their building passes and handed letters notifying them of the action.

Individuals within VOA's Africa Division said the investigation produced no evidence that any programming was affected by the alleged payments. However Bennett said in her email that "a separate investigation has been launched to determine if any coverage by VOA was improperly influenced. If any such influence is discovered, we will deal with it promptly and transparently."

A senior VOA official said all the alleged payments uncovered by the months-long investigation were made in or near the main VOA offices in Washington, and on a single occasion earlier this year.

The official would not comment on the amounts that were paid. However it is not uncommon in Nigeria for senior officials to distribute "brown envelopes" stuffed with cash during press briefings, a practice that has been documented by the British Broadcasting Corp. and others.

Africa Division director Negussie Mengesha said VOA staffers "clearly understand that that is not allowed."

An official at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington declined to comment on the firings and suspensions, saying it is an internal matter for VOA.

The action leaves the service with only 11 permanent government employees and contractors to produce 16 hours of radio and 30 minutes of television every week. Mengesha said the agency intends to maintain its current programming schedule with the help of an extensive network of part-time contributors in Africa. A former Hausa Service chief, Fred Cooper, will return to run the service until a permanent chief is selected.

Mengesha also said he will be moving quickly to replace the terminated employees and that the new hires will receive rigorous training in journalism ethics. Some of the employees cannot be replaced under federal regulations until a lengthy termination process is completed.

Bennett said in her email that she was acting to protect the integrity and reputation of VOA, a federal agency which delivers news content on radio, television, internet and social media in more than 40 languages to more than 230 million people weekly. "If any other instances of improper payments are discovered in any service anywhere in VOA, we are committed to investigating them thoroughly and dealing with them promptly as well," she wrote.

Asked in an interview how she will ensure that nothing similar happens again, she said, "Every person in this building knows the federal laws and the standards of ethical journalism. People will see [from Thursday's firings] that we take these things very very seriously. Everyone will see what we expect of them."

In her email to the staff, Bennett commended "the leadership of the Africa Division who immediately and wholeheartedly backed the investigations and cooperated fully with these painful decisions. They, like all of us, are committed to the highest standards of ethical behavior and will not tolerate any infractions."
Marion "Suge'' Knight was sentenced Thursday to 28 years in prison for mowing down and killing a Compton businessman in a case that completed the former rap music mogul's downfall from his heyday as one of the biggest and most feared names in the music industry.

Knight will now spend much of the rest of his life, if not all the rest, in a California prison. He showed no emotion in court Thursday as relatives of Terry Carter, the man he killed, described their loved one as a devoted family man and peacemaker.

Carter was killed after Knight and one of his longtime rivals, Cle "Bone'' Sloan, started fighting outside a Compton burger stand in January 2015. Knight was upset about his portrayal in an N.W.A. biopic, Straight Outta Compton, on which Sloan was serving as a consultant. Knight clipped Sloan with his pickup truck, seriously injuring him, before speeding through the parking lot and running over Carter and fleeing.

While Carter's relatives said they hoped Knight's lengthy sentence would bring them peace, many had no kind words for the Death Row Records co-founder, whom they criticized for showing a complete lack of remorse.



Carter's daughter Crystal called Knight a "low-life thug,'' "career criminal'' and "a disgusting, selfish disgrace to the human species."

"I ask that you sentence this unrepentant, remorseless, cold, callous menace to society to the maximum of 28 years,'' she told a judge.

Pleaded no contest

Before Thursday's hearing, Knight had already agreed to his lengthy prison term by pleading no contest to a voluntary manslaughter charge and avoiding a trial on murder and attempted murder charges that could have resulted in a life sentence if he was convicted. The sentencing ended a nearly four-year court saga that included frequent outbursts by Knight, 53, who also collapsed in court during one appearance and shuffled his defense team 16 times.

Between the restrictions of the three-strikes law and the time Knight has already served, he'll likely spend roughly 20 years in prison before he's eligible for parole.

Knight has been in decline for decades. At his pinnacle in the mid-1990s, he was putting out wildly popular records that are now considered classics from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur.

Shakur was in Knight's car when he was killed in a drive-by attack in Las Vegas in 1996.

Knight later lost his stake in Death Row Records in bankruptcy proceedings.

Nearly two dozen of Carter's relatives packed the courtroom Thursday. Carter's daughter, Nekaya Carter, said she hoped that the end of the courtroom saga could bring her some peace.

"I wanted justice for my dad and now we've finally got it, kind of,'' she said.

She then addressed Knight directly despite the judge's instructions not to: "My dad can finally rest in peace while you live out the rest of your life in prison.''

Carter's sister, Jessica Carter, told Los Angeles Superior Court Ronald Coen, "He was so much more than the person the defendant killed with his truck.''

'He helped people'

There have been disputed accounts of why Carter was at the scene, but his family said he often acted as a community mediator and peacemaker.

"This wasn't no cat who went after nobody,'' Carter's brother-in-law Damu Visha said in court. "He helped people.''

The death was captured on surveillance video, and family members described their anguish at having to see it repeatedly, and chastised the media for showing it so often.

Coen appeared moved by the family's words and offered his own condolences.

"If it hasn't been said by anyone else," Coen said, "let me tell you that my heart goes out to you.''

Most of the victim's family members spoke of the need to forgive Knight for their own peace of mind.

"I hope and I pray that we find forgiveness,'' Terry Carter's cousin, Patricia Hawkins, said. "But it won't be today.''
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To The Eagle:

I want to take this opportunity to address what I feel is misinformation being directed at Wahkiakum Sheriff's Office candidate Graham Phalen. That misinformation relates to allegations and inferences that Phalen, while employed as a lieutenant in the Professional Standards Unit of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office was somehow derelict in his duties in the tragic Jeff Grahn incident in Gresham, Ore., in 2010.

First, my name is Mark White and I am a retired Police Officer from the Portland Police Bureau. I have a total of over 33 years of law enforcement experience, including five years as a domestic violence specialist. I did not know Lt. Phalen at the time of the Grahn incident. I was however, familiar with Jeff and Charlotte Grahn. While not real close, I considered Jeff a friend. First off, among many of false rumors and misstatements of facts, the investigation into domestic violence in the Grahn household started nine months before the murders, and was conducted by the Domestic Violence Reduction Unit (DVRU) of the Portland Police Bureau (PBB). Immediately after allegations arose of domestic violence by Sgt. Grahn, the case was entirely handed over to Portland by Lt. Phalen's Professional Standards Unit for impartial investigation. CCSO had no involvement in that investigation. PPB concluded that there was no evidence of domestic violence because Charlotte Grahn steadfastly refused to cooperate.

Investigators did everything humanly possible to elicit crucial information from Charlotte, but tragically, and not uncommonly, she refused to disclose actionable information.

No one, not Graham Phalen, not the CCSO, not Portland Police investigators nor Jeff Grahn's friends, including myself,) could have realistically foreseen the horror that unfolded in Gresham in 2010.

Other false information being circulated about the Grahn incident is that Clackamas County paid out $8 million dollars in a civil suit against Phalen and Clackamas County. In actuality, a total of $1.5 million was paid to several different parties to settle the suit, and attempt to bring closure to grieving families.

After retiring from the PBB in 2009, I was hired by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office in 2010 as a detective in the Professional Standards Unit and met Phalen for the first time. During that employment, we were instrumental in the successful employment termination of several law enforcement officers. Phalen believes in holding police officers accountable, and it was an honor to be supervised by him. In fact, I don't think that in my 33 years as a cop, I've ever had a more principled, more honest or smarter boss. His ethics and moral compass is unsurpassed.

For those out there that would suggest that Phalen is, in any way, responsible for the Grahn incident, or in any way negligent in the incident, are at best disingenuous, at worst simply lying as part of a dirty-smear campaign. If they are cops, or if cops are behind this smear, they are unworthy to wear the badge.

It is also important to note that Phalen, as a current employee of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, can not, by state law and internal CCSO policy, defend himself in matters like this. He is not allowed to comment directly on past investigations. It is obvious that Phalen's opposition in this election is well aware that he can't easily defend himself from slanderous attacks. And Phalen, by his very nature, is incapable of running anything but an honest and polite campaign. The citizens of your county would be lucky to have this man as your sheriff.

Mark White

Bend, Ore.
There is no reason that the Trump administration, which boasts the wealthiest Cabinet in modern history, should be held to a different standard than the Obama administration when it comes to pay increases, Rep. Nita M. Lowey (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. If Republicans were really focused on fiscal responsibility for Americas kids and grandkids, they wouldnt be trying to increase pay for the vice president and senior Trump officials.
Hotel workers are walking out at seven Marriott hotels in Boston in what union organizers say is the city's first hotel strike. Local 26 of Unite Here said more than 1,500 unionized workers, including housekeepers, cooks, bartenders and bellhops, went on strike at 5 a.m. Wednesday after months of seeking better pay in contract negotiations. The Maryland-based company said its proposal matches the "economic terms" of the last contract and doesn't propose any benefit changes. The union said similar strikes are being considered in San Francisco, Detroit, Seattle, San Jose, San Diego, Oakland and Honolulu.
Gold Standard, Robert Rauschenbergs last Combine (a term coined for his theatrical hybrids of painting and sculpture), was made in front of a live television audience in 1964. Rauschenberg, who loved the performative aspect of artmaking, was in a Tokyo studio for the broadcast, titled 20 Questions to Bob Rauschenberg. The artist was inspired by Marcel Duchamps embrace of found objects and chance effects; by the free mingling of dance, music and art he had encountered as a student at Black Mountain College in North Carolina; and by Hans Namuths 1950 footage of Jackson Pollock making his drip paintings. In making Gold Standard, a folding screen to which Rauschenberg pinned Japanese packaging, leather boots, a Coke bottle and a list of the 20 questions put to him in the interview, he wanted to shift art away from being a souvenir of experience to something alive and disruptive.
Ursula, who wants to go back to school to study urban planning, said she also mentioned she was reading a book about the history of the subject. But for some reason, Rob did not mention his interest in design or, as he wrote in his application, that he likes to geek out on Frank Lloyd Wright. Instead, she said, he kept mentioning it was awkward that we were on the Date Lab and how people kept looking.
But Sanders countered reporters repeated questions about it by stating that the president was merely reciting the facts of the case. She ignored the reality that the supposed facts he gave (for example, that Kavanaughs accuser didnt know whether the alleged assault happened upstairs or downstairs) contradicted what Ford had said last week to a global audience under oath.
Ex being the operative prefix, there is no etiquette requirement to recognize the death of anyone with whom the woman no longer has any legal relationship. That there is no etiquette requirement does not, Miss Manners notes, mean that it is always best to ignore the death of a friends ex-husband; a private word of comfort may be in order if you know the event has meaning for your friend, despite the dissolution of her marriage.
What needs a converter? Generally, its certain hair dryers, electric razors or anything else that plugs directly into the wall without a brick between them. Even if you think your device might work, it makes sense to buy a converter for your trip just in case. The only way to be certain that your device will work is for it to be native. In other words, buy the electric razor in the country youre visiting, or use the hotels hair dryer.
The mimeographed and often misogynistic rag was co-founded by Mark Judge, the Georgetown Prep student who Christine Blasey Ford says witnessed Brett M. Kavanaugh allegedly try to rape her at a gathering at a house in Maryland in 1982. She said the two teens  close friends who graduated in the Class of 1983  pushed her into a bedroom, where Kavanaugh, now a Supreme Court nominee, pinned her to the bed, drunkenly groping her, attempting to remove her clothing, and covering her mouth when she tried to scream.
The council members who voted for repeal said they acted in the best interests of the city, which is what voters elected them to do. They said Initiative 77 was a bad law that threatened to harm the citys burgeoning dining industry by driving up labor costs. And they saw no contradiction in repealing a voter initiative while also pressing for statehood.
John F. Scalia, third of the couples nine children, had donned one of his fathers court robes and posed for Wyatt to help the sculptor get a feel for the shape of his subjects arms and fingers, cheeks and chin. The final result, John Scalia said, is a striking likeness that gave him chills when he saw it come together. It had all the right details, from his fathers favorite style of wingtip dress shoes to a necktie knotted just so. Trademark double Windsor, the son said, with a perfect dimple in the middle.
Federal officials say the government is properly vetting each applicant for citizenship and that delays can also happen because of scheduling conflicts or incomplete applications. They also have a higher workload than they used to: Applications soared from 783,000 in 2015 to more than 986,000 in 2017, a 25 percent jump that some analysts say was inspired in part by Trumps anti-immigrant rhetoric.
A student was in a school bathroom vaping with other students when he was confronted by Ryan C. Fortenbaugh, 35, of Purcellville, Va., officials said. Fortenbaugh is a dean at the school. Authorities said the victim told them he was restrained by Fortenbaugh before being assaulted, according to the sheriffs office.
Dr. Lederman made another major advance, in 1977, when he led a group that first observed another subatomic particle known as the bottom quark, or sometimes the beauty quark. It was the fifth quark to be discovered, leading to speculation that there must be a sixth because quarks always come in pairs. The corresponding top quark was discovered in 1995 by scientists at Fermilab, where Dr. Lederman previously worked.
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Data on three senators was posted shortly before 6 p.m. on Sept. 27 and on two others just before 6 p.m. on Oct. 1, police said. The court filing did not name any lawmakers, but online records show the senators included GOP Senate Judiciary Committee members Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Orrin G. Hatch (Utah).
Edits to the online encyclopedia were traced to IP addresses of computer devices assigned to the U.S. Capitol. Waters in her statement last week said Capitol Police and internal computer specialists determined that an IP address cited online did not belong to her office or anyone on her staff.
The two judges who raised the independent commission  James K. Bredar and Paul V. Niemeyer  emphasized that their suggestion was just an idea. The court, as part of a settlement, could order the legislature to draw a new map, Niemeyer said. If lawmakers were unwilling or unable to do that, he added, the court could then give the job to an independent commission.
Investigators took Rogers into custody about 6 p.m. Wednesday as he was leaving a residence on Gaither Road, in the King Farm development, within a mile of the scene. Police believe he had been staying there recently, police said. A photo taken of him while in custody showed a series of tattoos on his upper chest, including the image of a red heart. The word cold is written above the heart. On either side is an affirmation to hard work: No Struggle. No Success.
And the way parents talk about sex often varies depending on whether they are talking to a son or a daughter, said Charlie Kuhn, a co-founder of Cultures of Dignity, which provides training and curriculum on the physical and emotional well-being of young people. Parents are more likely to explain in detail to teenage girls the need to be careful at parties, to avoid walking on dark streets and to stay with close friends.
The race is now a tie, and Abigail is gaining strength, so to save his campaign, Rep. Brat is depending on help from outside Super PACs and D.C. Republicans  all the way up to the White House, it said. We may not have the sitting Vice President raising money for us  but we do have this community of supporters. Lets counter Rep. Brats coming haul with our biggest day of grassroots fundraising yet.
Before Van Dyke got to the scene on the citys Southwest Side that night, McDonald was slowly and erratically walking down a street, a small knife in hand, as Officer Joseph McElligott followed on foot and a second officer trailed in a cruiser. McElligott testified early in the trial that he felt safe and was waiting for the arrival of another cruiser with a stun gun that would be used to subdue the teen.
India to begin Rohingya deportations: India plans to send seven Rohingya Muslims back to Myanmar in the first deportation of members of the Myanmar minority group since the Home Ministry ordered state authorities last year to identify and deport them and other people who are in the country illegally. About 700,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh to escape a campaign of violence by Myanmar's military. An estimated 40,000 Rohingya have taken refuge in India, and the government says it has evidence that there are extremists among them.
But RealClear Investigations uncovered real estate records and other documents that contradict Fords sworn testimony. Those records reveal the door was installed years before as part of an addition, and has been used by renters and even a marriage counseling business. RealClear quotes an attorney familiar with the investigation who said, It appears the real plan for the second front door was to rent out a separate room. Additionally, building permits for Fords second home, in Santa Cruz, Calif.  which she applied for in July, the month that she wrote to Feinstein about the alleged attack  include a front porch and decks, but not a second front door. Taken together with questions about her claims about her ability to fly to Washington to testify, about her familiarity with polygraph tests and about the therapist notes whereabouts, this revelation further calls into question Fords credibility.
Part of the answer has to do with searing memories of the Lebanese civil war. None of the sectarian groups want to revisit that nightmare. Though Lebanons government is often paralyzed by political gridlock, it has continued to function  and, at least when it comes to the security services, to function effectively. The Lebanese Armed Forces, buttressed by U.S. aid, have coordinated with Hezbollah, buttressed by Iranian aid, in a campaign to clear Islamic State and al-Qaeda militants out of their strongholds along the Syrian border. But Lebanon could never have coped with the refugee influx were it not for the support of the United Nations  and in particular of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the world bodys refugee agency.
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Vanishing bone disease also known as Gorham-stout syndrome is a rare disease characterized by progressive bone loss (osteolysis) and the proliferation of lymphatic vessels which leads to the destruction and absorption of bone. The exact cause of the disease is unknown, but it is considered to be caused due to improper development of the lymphatic system. Additionally, the bones affected by the disease are prone to osteopenia and fracture. Moreover, Gorhams disease is extremely rare and can occur at any age, though it is most often recognized in children and young adults.

The increasing incidence of the disease is the key driver for the market growth. According to the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NIH), in 2016, the number of cases of vanishing bone disease reported ranged from 64 to 200 cases. Moreover, increase in research and development activities by prominent players and rising government fundings are likely to propel the market growth during the forecast period. Moreover, according to the U.S. FDA, rare diseases or disorder affects an approximate 200,000 people in the United States. Furthermore, ongoing research for the development of effective therapeutic intervention is expected to contribute to the market growth.

Despite the drivers, lack of awareness of the disease in developing economies, high treatment cost restrains the market growth. Furthermore, challenges in diagnosis of the disease in the patient pool may hamper the growth of the market.

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Key Players for Vanishing Bone Disease Market:

Varian Medical Systems, Inc., Elekta AB, C. R. Bard, Inc., Teleflex Incorporated, Vygon S.A. Medtronic plc., Cook Medical, Smiths Medical, ATMOS MedizinTechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Merck & Co., Sanofi-Aventis, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, and Novartis International AG are some prominent players in this market.

Segments for Global Vanishing Bone Disease Market:

The global vanishing bone disease market is segmented on the basis of the diagnosis, treatment, and end-user. On the basis of diagnosis, the market is classified as x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, and others. The global vanishing bone disease market on the basis of treatment is segmented as medical therapy and radiation therapy. The medicine therapy is segmented into bisphosphonates, vitamin D, interferon, a-2b interferon, calcium, adrenal extracts, androgen, bleomycin, and others. The radiation therapy is further segmented into chest drainage, thoracic duct ligation, pleurodesis, pleurectomy, and others. On the basis of end-user, the global vanishing bone disease market is segmented as Hospitals & clinics, diagnostic centers, ambulatory surgical centers and others.

Regional Analysis for Global Vanishing Bone Disease Market:

The global vanishing bone disease market consists of four regions: Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East & Africa. The North American region holds the major share of the global vanishing bone market, owing to the existing well-established healthcare system, increasing occurrences of rare diseases. For instance, according to the National Institute of Health, rare disorders that affect approximately 30 million people in the United States.

Europe holds the second position in the global vanishing bone disease market. It is expected that the government support towards research & development expenditure and rising incidences of rare diseases is likely to drive the European vanishing bone disease market. Additionally, according to the European Commission, rare diseases comprises 5000 to 8000 life-threatening or chronically debilitating diseases which together affect from 27 and 36 million people in the European Union.

The Asia Pacific, vanishing bone disease market, consists of countries namely China, Japan, Republic of Korea, India, Australia and Rest of Asia Pacific. The increasing healthcare expenditure, rising occurrences of rare diseases, and growing bone disorders, technological advancements in interventional radiology segment are factors that drive the market growth. For instance, in February 2018, Elekta AB received clearance from China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) for its Leksell Gamma Knife Icon radiosurgery system. With this approval, the company focuses on the expansion of its radiosurgery product portfolio.

The Middle East & Africa holds the lowest share of the global market due to low development, lack of technical knowledge, the low incidence rate of the disease and poor medical facilities.

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Some Brief Table of Contents of Report

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

Chapter 5. Market Factor Analysis

5.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis

5.1.1 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers

5.1.2 Bargaining Power Of Buyers

5.1.3 Threat Of New Entrants

TOC Continued

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The Times reports this avoided federal taxes that would have applied if the elder Mr. Trump had simply given the cash to his children as a gift. As such, it may have crossed the line between tax avoidance, which is legal, and tax evasion, which is not. As Donald Trumps fathers death neared, the family made use of a common form of trust to transfer ownership of his real estate to Mr. Trump and other heirs; however, the propertys values were systematically lowballed to reduce tax liability. When an Internal Revenue Service audit exposed the maneuver in 1995, the Trumps negotiated a settlement that still left them many millions of dollars richer than they would have been if their initial statements to the government had been valid, according to the Times.
But the success of these efforts hinges on technological innovation and the cooperation of phone companies, neither of which can be counted upon. Accurate authentication for calls is a technological conundrum that so far no one has managed to solve. And though companies are now authorized to preempt scammers under the FCCs rules, they are not required to. That is cause for concern: Companies are also authorized but not required to help Americans weather the unwanted ringing on their own with call-blocking programs and, on that front, they have fallen short. The services, which smartphone users can download from third parties, are less accessible to landline-only households, and even carriers that offer something similar often do so only for a fee.
The same cannot be said of the Supreme Court. Perhaps it began in 2000 with the highly political case of Bush v. Gore, in which conservatives on the court suddenly abandoned their long-standing principle of deference to states rights and voted in a nakedly partisan fashion. Some would date it further back to 1987, when the left mounted a fierce campaign against Robert H. Bork and derailed his Supreme Court nomination. Whatever the best starting date, the court has lost its reputation of impartiality and trustworthiness, so much that FiveThirtyEight says that its in a weaker position now than at nearly any point in modern history. Over the past several decades, Americans confidence in the court has gone from a peak of 56 percent in the 1980s to 37 percent today. It is likely to go even lower after the whole Kavanaugh mess.
He also turned to his always-reliable foil: The media. Twice, in tones both angry and contemptuous, he pointed to the television cameras, producers and reporters corralled behind ropes in the rear of the crowded auditorium and bellowed that they were the enemy of the people. His fired-up supporters nodded in agreement and chanted CNN Sucks and Lock Her Up. It was as though they were stuck in a romantic shell of the 2016 campaign, forgetting that Trump has been president for the past 20 months, and that they have been either beneficiaries or victims of his chaotic governance.
Kavanaugh and his allies have touted the recognition the judge received from Stevens regarding a decision on whether foreigners may contribute to U.S. political campaigns. Kavanaugh, who has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 2006, said in a speech that he was touched to have received a note from Stevens praising the decision.
The Kavanaugh episode is one of many crises in which McGahn has been thrust into the middle. Like other current and former Trump aides, McGahn has met on multiple occasions with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs team for dozens of hours. As McGahn has cooperated and waved Trump away from dramatic showdowns with the Justice Department, his relationship with Trump has eroded and they sometimes have gone weeks without speaking, according to two White House officials.
But Murkowski, one of the three closely watched GOP votes, said Thursday afternoon that she did not yet know whether the FBI had been thorough enough in its investigation or spoken to enough witnesses. What would be helpful for me is kind of a list of those interviewed, she said. We were not done, were not done in there.
In Ohio and Michigan, candidates for governor are being forced to answer for their anti-Obamacare moves as attorneys general. In other states, Republicans are trying to tailor new responses to voters questioning their intentions. President Trump, who has long pushed for the repeal of Obamacare, has begun defending coverage of preexisting conditions, although like most of the Republicans, he has not been specific about how he would make that happen.
The ministry said in a statement that Myanmars government had identified the men as residents of Myanmar and had provided Certificates of Identity to facilitate the travel of these individuals to their hometowns in Rakhine state. The statement said the men had asked to be repatriated in 2016 and that the ministry on Wednesday had confirmed their willingness to be repatriated.
Days after WADA released its report, the indictment alleges, the GRU officers prepared to hack the networks of WADA and the United States Anti-Doping Agency, among others, from Russia. Apparently unsuccessful in the effort from afar, two of the spies flew to Rio to hack the WiFi networks used by anti-doping officials in their hotels and elsewhere, officials said. They succeeded in stealing the log-in and password for one U.S. Anti-Doping Agency officials email account, obtaining summaries of test results and prescribed medications, they said.
The FBI, for example, interviewed Deborah Ramirez, who accused Kavanaugh of exposing his penis to her at a gathering when both were students at Yale, and Ramirezs team provided agents with the names of more than 20 people who might have information relevant to her allegations. But as of Wednesday, Ramirezs team had no indication that the bureau had interviewed any of them.
The bureau also interviewed three other people, whose names have not yet been made public, according to the White House. Notably, though, agents did not talk to Ford herself, nor did they interview the more than a dozen other people whose names Fords legal team provided to the bureau. The legal team said those people would have challenged the credibility of Kavanaughs Senate testimony or provided other information to support Fords account.
A: Yes, we were all just so amazed with the weather. It was so perfect and everybody was just feeling that this was a very special moment and everybody was very spontaneous wanting to take a photo with the president, with the chairman. And at some point we were all lined up and somebody said, Lets do this and say unification,  and so I said, Well, lets do that, but lets also say love, and he immediately said yes, so for him it was a new gesture, but he did it.
The world of big data moves so quickly that the debate has changed even in the year since the NAFTA negotiations began. Last spring, the passage of the U.S. Cloud Act smoothed the way for U.S. law enforcement authorities to obtain digital information stored in Canada and other countries  and for Canadian authorities to do the same in the United States. Canada has not said whether it plans to enter into such an agreement, but if it did, it would render one Canadian concern mostly moot.
Turkeys summoning of the ambassador came as the New York-based Human Rights Watch called on the Turkish authorities to intensify their investigation into Khashoggis whereabouts. The journalist, who writes for The Washington Posts Global Opinions section and has criticized the Saudi leadership over the past year, has not been heard from since he entered the Saudi Consulate on Tuesday afternoon to obtain documents for his upcoming wedding, according to his fiancee and friends.
Bank of Queensland says some rivals still have a "long way to go" in checking whether mortgage customers can afford their loans within their household budgets, suggesting the tightening in home lending by banks has further to run.

The change could result in home buyers being able to borrow up to 20 per cent less than they may have previously been offered, chief executive Jon Sutton said.

But in contrast to warnings of a credit crunch, Mr Sutton said the change would be good for the community in the long term, and he did not see a house price crash as a result, saying they would likely "moderate".

Bank of Queensland CEO Jon Sutton. Credit:Daniel Munoz

As the regional lender posted a 2 per cent slide in full-year profits on Thursday, Mr Sutton also flagged more investment in its digital assets, saying it hoped to turn its Virgin Money Australia brand into a "full-service digital bank".
The ABC's Jacinta Parsons and Sami Shah have clawed back audience share for the first time this year, according to Thursday's radio ratings.

The breakfast radio hosts leapt 1.5 points in the latest GfK survey, attracting a 10 per cent audience share compared to just 8.5 per cent in August. The last time the Red Symons replacements recorded an audience share of 10 percentage points in the timeslot was in April this year.

A closer look at the ratings reveals the pair grew their audience share by more than 1.5 points, but just fell short of reaching double digits. Between 5.30am and 7.45am, when Jacinta and Sami are actually on-air, the pair went from a 7 per cent audience share to 9.4 per cent. (GfK's traditional breakfast timeslot runs from 5.30am to 9am so that it can rank programs with slightly different run-times.)

Dina Rosendorff, station manager at ABC Radio Melbourne, said she was very pleased with Thursday's results.
A 40-year-old man has faced court over the alleged sexual assault of a 13-year-old boy he met through Grindr in the front yard of the teenager's western Sydney home.

The case has prompted the NSW Police Child Abuse Squad's commander to warn the public that police are seeing "incidents" almost daily involving adults pretending to be children online and tricking their young victims into meeting up.

Moud Ul Hasan Nuri leaves Penrith Local Court on Thursday. Credit:AAP

"There is an incident just about every day where a child is lured, or taken into a false sense of safety, because of the conversation they've had with someone online," Detective Superintendent John Kerlatec told reporters on Thursday afternoon.

"It's a danger, it's a growing danger. We need to be aware.
Overall, about $69.7 million was committed when the City opened tenders for construction works. Ertech was awarded the $28.3 million contract for design and construction of the airside infrastructure and earthworks began in February 2017. To ensure a smooth process, an Airline Engagement Working Group was established and both Tourism WA and the City of Busselton came on board to establish and implement an "airline engagement strategy". The strategy's main purpose was to attract airlines to sign up to routes to and from the airport, aiming to have the first airline committed by March 2017. Then Mark McGowan's Labor government was voted into power.

Concerns about funding being clawed back swirled around Busselton and the Capes  the commitment was there and the project was already well under way. The government had to push ahead, didn't they? In searching for answers, Member for Vasse and shadow tourism minister Libby Mettam applied for documents relating to the airport expansion to be released under freedom of information laws. WAtoday can now reveal a private briefing note for Tourism Minister Paul Papalia indicated the government was given an expected completion date should the project go ahead as planned. Premier Mark McGowan and Tourism Minister Paul Papalia. "Whilst flights could operate to BMRA from approximately April 2018 following airside completion, this would coincide with the low travel season," the note reads.

"Flights are more likely to commence, and be successful, coinciding with stronger travel periods and better weather  the September and October school holiday period is a more likely time period." But a growing reluctance to see the project move forward was made clear in another ministerial note dated two months after the first meeting on the airport. "Should the state wish to cease further activity on the redevelopment, it is important that a decision be made and communicated before May 30, 2017 to delay risks and further expenditure or commitments being made, with landside contracts due to go to tender in June," the note, also addressed to Transport Minister Rita Saffioti, reads. This date gave Mr Papalia and relevant ministers just weeks to make a decision about the $70 million expenditure, when earthworks at the 290,000 square metre site had already begun. "There remain substantial savings for the government should it not proceed, however, there will be political and social fallout if ceased, and significant losses on expended funds," the note reads.

"Additionally, Tourism WA has had contact from [redacted] ... and it is preferred to advise them should the project not proceed." Following the briefing, the state government conducted an 'independent value optimisation review' of the airport to find out where the previous government had left the project. The Busselton Margaret River Regional Airport expansion involved the construction of more than 290,000 square metres of new or upgraded pavements requiring more than 350,000 tonnes of sub-base and base-course and more than 44,000 tonnes of asphalt, according to Ertech. Credit:City of Busselton Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan told WAtoday the state of the government's finances when Labor took power spurred a review to ensure money for the airport was "being spent cost-effectively". That process identified $1.4 million in savings from the $55.9 million WA Government contribution to project  savings that could be made without affecting the overall project," she said.

It's understood this was when the City of Busselton stepped up to help out, offering to postpone $4 million in civil infrastructure works. "The city will be in a position to confirm this, plus any other identified savings from a competitive tender process by July 7, 2017," a proposal from the city to the government said. The city since confirmed it handed back $1.4 million to the state as savings. It was an attempt to address the cost overruns, and an apparent attempt to appease a state government locals felt were not sold on their vision for the South West. A quiet exit

Nevertheless, in 2017, the Busselton Margaret River Regional Airport was quietly dropped off the two-year tourism strategy and Tourism WA was pulled from the airline engagement group. Member for Forrest Nola Marino. Then, its funding was cut  by how much is currently unclear. When local media probed the state government for answers, they found it difficult to nail down the future of the airport expansion. It also didn't help the federal seat the airport lay in, Forrest, was firmly held by Liberal MP Nola Marino.

In July, the most concrete announcement about the expansion plans were made by Ms Marino, when almost $3 million in federal funding was committed to the airport for the first stage of an air-freight hub. I have enormous confidence in this project and I have from day one," Ms Marino said in July. I do not think everybody understands the transforming nature of this airport, what its freight and tourism capacity will do, not just for the South West but the whole state." Ms Marino was not alone in her belief not everyone was on board to help fund the project. As the Busselton-based local state MP, Ms Mettam has long been a campaigner for the expansion.

"Since coming to office the McGowan government has done all it can to undermine the Busselton

Margaret River Airport project, despite continued support from Tourism WA, industry and the federal government," she said in a media statement released this week. "Three airlines were keen to start flying to this extremely popular tourism destination and instead of developing and nurturing that interest, in October last year the McGowan government withdrew Tourism WA as airline engagement facilitator and funding for the terminal was removed until an airline committed to the route. "Those decisions defy belief and contradict all of the Tourism Ministers comments so far regarding the viability of the airport." Where to now? When asked to clarify the state government's position on the airport and whether it was correct to say it had lost both its position in the two-year tourism strategy and funding, Mr Papalia said the plan was not an itinerary of everything Tourism WA had on its plate.

"The two-year action plan was developed following extensive consultation with key industry stakeholders," he said. "It reflects some of the new major projects for Tourism WA over the next two years but is not an exhaustive list of everything the agency is currently working on." Mr Papalia said Tourism WA developed the airline engagement strategy in collaboration with stakeholders for the City of Busselton, and continued to support the project alongside the government, but conceded the project's future hinged on whether or not airlines would fly there. "We are yet to see a major airline commit to a passenger service," he said. The Margaret River and Busselton area are well known overseas for their gourmet offerings. Freedom of information documents have revealed three airlines expressed substantial interest in the project as late as March last year.

An email from Tourism WA's aviation development and policy director said it was "important to engage in a timely fashion with airlines to position and build momentum around the east coastBMRA opportunity". The airport will be able to service small passenger jets. "The most recent meetings that the city and Tourism WA undertook in Sydney and Melbourne in late March 2017 identified positive levels of interest by all three airlines met with," the director wrote. "The meetings were with the [redacted]. Unsurprisingly the greatest level of interest was shown by [redacted], which align well with the expected predominance of leisure traffic (inbound to the Margaret River region and outbound over east) on the route. "I would note that both airlines have expectations of new generation aircraft coming into their fleet over the next few years and will be seeking new opportunities and routes with which to deploy these on."

It is unclear whether or not interest from airlines wavered while the project was stalled. Facilitating improved regional aviation access across all parts of Western Australia is a key part of the two-year action plan, and we continue to work extensively in this space," Mr Papalia told WAtoday. Ms MacTiernan also said the government was "pushing hard" for the project to come to fruition, but conceded "we cannot force airlines to come". "The majority of the works on the project are complete, including the new runway, taxiway and other landside works," she said. "Funding of around $12 million for the new terminal component is pending until we have an agreement with an airline to provide a service to the airport.

WA Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan. Credit:AAP Image/Tony McDonough "Our government is working hard to secure an airline through the South West Development Commission and Tourism WA, however we will not apologise for holding off on spending taxpayer dollars on the new terminal without an airline secured." Ms MacTiernan said there was "no point building a new terminal that no one will use", but the government indicated it would give a green light if Qantas selected Busselton for its second pilot academy. "Libby Mettams build it and they will come approach is exactly how the previous government almost bankrupted the state," she said. "We want to see interstate flights to the South West and are putting enormous effort into this, but our state just cannot afford to spend first and ask questions later."
At Voyager Estate in Margaret River, things are always done a little differently.

And never more so than in 2018, a special one for the winery as it celebrates 40 years since its first vines were planted.

Voyager Estate in Margaret River celebrates 40 years.

Deep in the heart of wine country in the southern Margaret River sub-region of Wallcliffe lies the sprawling estate the late mining entrepreneur Michael Wright developed after buying Freycinet Estate in 1991 from Peter Gherardi and significantly expanding it in ensuing years.

It was Peter who 40 years ago made the bold and "terrifying" decision to plant a vineyard in Margaret River, driving from Perth each weekend to work on his plantings - originally 14ha of Bordeaux varieties, which these days surround the winery's cellar door.
London: Star Australian bartenders were mixing drinks at the newly crowned best bar in the world on Wednesday night, UK time, after an event that marked the rise of Asia and the continued dominance of London in the ranks of classy, oddball cocktails.

The Black Pearl was Australia's leading bar at the awards. Credit:Josh Robenstone

But it was not a great night for Australian venues, which seem to be losing their mojo in the mixology world. Sydney in particular had a bad night  bar owners have blamed lockout laws for strangling the citys nightlife.

London remains the cocktail capital of the world, according to The World's 50 Best Bars awards, which have been running for a decade. The city hosts six bars in this year's top 20, including the top two.
Brussels: Western nations accused Russia's secretive military intelligence unit of new cybercrimes on Thursday, with Dutch and British officials labelling the GRU "brazen" for allegedly targeting the international chemical weapons watchdog and the investigation into the 2014 downing of a Malaysian Airlines flight over eastern Ukraine.

Dutch Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld said that the GRU's alleged hacking attempts on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons took place in April and were disrupted by authorities. Four Russian intelligence officers were immediately expelled from the Netherlands, she said.

Four Russian officers are escorted to their flight after being expelled from the Netherlands on April 13, 2018, for allegedly trying to hack into the chemical watchdog OPCW's network. Credit:Dutch Defence Ministry via AP

Speaking about Russia's hacking attempts into the MH17 crash investigation, she said: "We have been aware of the interest of Russian intelligence services in this investigation and have taken appropriate measures."

According to a presentation by the head of the Netherlands' military intelligence agency, the four Russians arrived in the Netherlands on April 10 and were caught with spying equipment at a hotel located next to the OPCW headquarters.
WSU Awarded Two Grants to Enhance Physical Science Education

October 3, 2018

OGDEN, Utah  Two Weber State University departments have received a combined total of $970,000 in grants to improve graduation rates for underrepresented or low-income students studying physical science.

Funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will support efforts to increase recruitment, retention and graduation rates of students studying the physical sciences, which includes chemistry, geosciences, mathematics, physics, computer science and engineering.

Scholarships for Low-Income Students Studying Physical Science

With the support of the National Science Foundation, a new Weber State program will provide scholarships to 30 low-income, high-achieving students. Over five years of grant funding, the scholarships will benefit students with a demonstrated financial need studying the physical sciences, which spans departments in both WSUs College of Science and the College of Engineering, Applied Science & Technology.

Students taking the Geoscience Summer Bridge Course

collect water temperature data with Dr. Matyjasik at

Yellowstone National Park.

Photo Credit: Gary Davis

This program will differ from other scholarships in that it focuses on sustained support for the recipients. Students will complete their coursework in groups, attend a weekly science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) seminar course, meet regularly with faculty mentors and participate in leadership opportunities.

The academic support services were molded around evidence-based methods of enhancing student success. Participants will continually engage with their peers and professors, as well as participate in community engaged learning projects.

Students will also participate in focus groups, which will investigate student perceptions of STEM careers and give the university insights on how to better serve, attract and retain low-income students.

Our grant team is so excited to be able to offer need-based scholarships for students pursuing their degree in the physical sciences, said Tracy Covey, chemistry assistant professor. This will make a direct and immediate impact on 30 students over the next few years. However, an even larger impact will come from research and implementing support systems specific to our student population. This is something the grant team is passionate about, and the NSF grant gives us the financial support to actually do it.

WSUs four-year graduation rate for low-income students studying physical science is 12 percent, and this project is trying to boost that number to at least 50 percent. Additionally, the project will assess what methods of support are most effective in leading students to graduation. That information will help improve future recruitment and retention efforts, leaving an impact on future students.

GETUP Grant for Underrepresented Students in Geosciences

The American Geoscience Institute predicts a future workforce shortage of professional geoscientists, both nationally and locally. WSUs Department of Geosciences has a plan to ease that.

Project GETUP, short for Geoscience Education Targeting Underrepresented Populations, will focus on early outreach and access to collaborative research. Outreach efforts will include both young students who are still in high school and students who are already enrolled at the university. That way, the Department of Geosciences can test the effectiveness of the different pathways in engaging, recruiting and, eventually, awarding degrees to students.

We are incredibly excited about the opportunities that will be available for the department and the College of Science through this grant, said Elizabeth Balgord, geosciences assistant professor. We will work in the local community, travel to various classrooms and invite students from the surrounding area to visit us at Weber States Tracy Hall Science Center.

For high schoolers, concurrent enrollment classes taught by high school teachers will help promote interest in the field. Additionally, the development of a summer bridge program will allow newly admitted freshmen to familiarize themselves with university life and prepare for the transition to college. The program will even invite participants to get an early taste of geology through trips to Yellowstone and Bryce Canyon national parks.

GETUP will also help prepare university students for the geoscience workforce. The university will offer a course focused on community engaged learning, which provides a chance for students to connect with the local community. Additionally, a sophomore-level course will focus specifically on preparing students for upper-level geosciences courses.

Participating students will enjoy early research opportunities, including at the Great Salt Lake and the Great Salt Lake Observatory.

We are working with a large group of scientists and community members to build the Great Salt Lake Microbialite Observatory, Balgord said. The observatory will allow us to collect data and develop class material that can be accessed and used by students and teachers around the country to better understand the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.

In an effort to support racial, ethnic and gender diversity in the geosciences, the project will emphasize participation from females and Latin American students. While representation of minorities in geosciences has increased slightly over the years, its still lacking. The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics reported that women make up 23 percent and Hispanic male and females make up 17 percent of the geoscience workforce.

Similarly, the rate of Latin American students attending WSU has risen, but participation still lags in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Early outreach and recruitment efforts will introduce physical science career options to students who may not have family traditions in STEM.

For photos, visit these links.

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Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
WSU Lecture to Examine Constitutional Breach of Japanese-American Internment

October 3, 2018

OGDEN, Utah  The Weber Historical Society 2018 Fall Lecture Series will examine the experience of Ted Nagata, a Japanese-American interred with his family in Topaz during World War II

The public is invited to the free lecture Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. in Weber State Universitys Hurst Center Dumke Legacy Hall

Nagata will begin with two short videos: one highlighting the history of the Japanese-American internment and the other discussing life in the camps. He will then answer questions about his own experience in Topaz, near Delta, Utah. Nagata has devoted much of his life to raising awareness of the Japanese-American internment experience.

The incarceration was one of the largest breaches of our Constitution, Nagata said. Of all those who were incarcerated, 68 percent were U.S. citizens. We were suspected of being spies, but not one case of espionage ever went to trial.

Nagatas family was incarcerated when he was 7 years old. They were given six days to sell their possessions. They lost their home, car, furniture and bank account. Along with 120,000 other Japanese-Americans, they were relocated from the west coast to one of 10 camps in the interior of the United States, where they spent the next three and a half years of their lives.

As a youngster, I did not fully understand what was happening, Nagata said. We did not know what we had done to deserve this. There were no trials. We lost everything.

After being released from the camp, Nagatas family relocated to Salt Lake City. They were left so destitute, they relied on welfare. While his parents tried to recover, Nagata and his sister spent a year and a half in an orphanage.

Ultimately, Nagata graduated from the University of Utah and became an accomplished graphic designer.

Nagata feels the topic of Japanese-American incarceration is of special importance in todays political atmosphere where the topics of racism and immigration are prevalent.

Our freedom is fragile, Nagata said. Never take it for granted.

The presentation is sponsored by the WSU Alumni Association, the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, the Department of History, Stewart Library and the Weber Historical Society.

Visit weber.edu/history/historicalsociety for more information on the Weber Historical Society Fall Lecture Series.

For photos, visit the following links.

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Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
WESTPORT  The Board of Finance wrote its first check for the latest episode in Coleytown Middle Schools battle with mold.

The board voted unanimously to approve $400,000 from the general fund for mold remediation at Coleytown at its Oct. 3 meeting. Elio Longo, finance director for Westport Public Schools, said mold remediation costs have reached over $800,000 this year, while the district has received $562,367 in insurance claim proceeds for Coleytown.

The board did not put up a fight to hand over the money, rather finance Chairman Brian Stern told Superintendent Colleen Palmer he and the board were partners in the effort to fix Coleytown. The schools sixth and seventh graders were relocated to Bedford Middle School and eighth graders to Staples High School two weeks ago, after air quality and mold concerns prompted an evacuation.

Meanwhile, at a Monday night Board of Education meeting, parents were not as agreeable as the finance board, instead chiding the BOE for its lack of a more permanent solution.

Your timeline is incomprehensible. We thought you would be talking about how youre moving forward tonight. We didnt think this was going to be another discussion about how in four weeks youll start talking about it, Coleytown Parent Teacher Association Co-President Lee Goldstein said.

If you can call it, if you can determine no ones going back to Coleytown for the duration of the school year, then we can move on as a larger community, as a town, to the question of what to do about the building  fix it, rehab it, how to get to the real problem. ... But what were hearing is you're still unsure. Youre all still entrenched in this position that everything is fabulous, theres a little mold here and there, Goldstein said.

The BOE has enlisted the help of five outside consulting groups, including an industrial hygienist and air quality experts, to analyze Coleytown. It is waiting for the results in order to make further decisions, such as whether to rent portable classrooms for Bedford, should the relocation be longer than the four weeks currently authorized, BOE Chair Mark Mathias said.

I see three options. No. 1: at the end of the authorization for the four weeks, the school is deemed safe and the kids move back. No. 2: we extend authorization for the kids to stay at Bedford and Staples for some longer period of time. No. 3: we simply say the kids are going to stay where they are for the rest of the school year. All of these are based on the information we have at the time we make a decision, Mathias said, adding that decision will come at the boards next meeting on Oct. 15.

svaughan@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2638; @SophieCVaughan1
WESTPORT  A nearly yearlong effort on behalf of Superintendent Colleen Palmer to fund two police officers for Westports middle schools came to a close this week after the Representative Town Meeting voted to reject funding for the request.

I dont want us to all sit back and think we solve a very complex problem by putting armed guards in the doors of our schools, District 9 RTM member Kristin Schneeman said during the Tuesday meeting. Thats oversimplifying, and I dont think thats what were saying. Sometimes the conversation. Sometimes the conversation sounds like its being reduced to that, like weve created a sort of superhero image of this person whos going to prevent all bad things from happening in our schools.

Schneeman, who voted against the proposal, said in the 30 years school police officers, or school resource officers, have been in practice nationwide, there has been little data-driven evidence produced substantiating their effectiveness.

Several of Schneemans colleagues echoed her hesitation to scale up the SRO program at the middle schools. The final RTM vote was 19-13-1, which translated to 59.3 percent support for the proposal, short of the 70 percent needed to overturn the Board of Finances September decision not to fund the officers.

It certainly would have been much easier to abandon this effort far sooner in the process, because weve been at this a long time, but the Board of Education has the statutory responsibility to serve as the advocates for the best interest of its students, even when the process is difficult, the effort not appreciated by all, or politically not the easiest path taken, Palmer told the group.

Last October, Palmer recommended adding police officers to Westports schools, though she did not include it in the normal budget process and instead called on the Board of Education to request a special appropriation.

In March, the BOE approved the concept of school resource officers. Although the finance board voted to reappropriate money from the DARE program to fund an officer based at Staples High School, the board proved a bulwark to funding police in the middle schools. The finance board rejected funding for middle school SROs four times, despite being presented with several decreased prices for the program.

Speaking as a parent and as someone whos been actively involved in the budget process for the past year, Im highly concerned how the BOE will absorb the cost of SROs into their operating budget, Parent Teacher Association co-president Carolyn Caney said.

More Information How RTM members voted on whether to fund middle school police officers Final vote: 19 yea, 13 nea, 1 abstention. Needed 70 percent (supermajority) to pass, motion failed. Yea: Matthew Mandell, D1 Kristin Purcell, D1 Chris Tait, D1 Catherine Calise, D2 Louis Mall, D2 Jimmy Izzo, D3 Andrew Colabella, D4 Lisa Parrelli Gray, D4 Jeff Wieser, D4 Nicole Klein, D5 Greg Kraut, D5 Jessica Bram, D6 Brandi Briggs, D7 Lauren Karpf, D7 Ellen Lautenberg, D7 Lee Arthurs, D8 Wendy Batteau, D8 Carla Rea, D8 Velma Heller Nea: Jay Keenan, D2 Christine Meiers Schatz, D2 Arline Gertzoff, D3 Amy Kaplan, D3 Kristan Hamlin, D4 Karen Kramer, D5 Peter Gold, D5 Seth Braunstein, D6 Cathy Talmadge, D6 John Klinge, D7 Charles Carey, D9 Kristin Schneeman, D9 Lauren Soloff, D9 Abstain: Lois Schine, D8 Absent: Diane Cady, D1 Mark Friedman, D3 Monique Lions-Greenspan, D6 See More Collapse

Every year, Westport parents see a list of potential budget cuts to school programs, staff and equipment, Caney said, adding she would like to know where possible budget cuts will be to accomodate the program before supporting funding for SROs.

The case for SROs has been made pretty strongly by Dr. Palmer, but there are still a lot of concerns shared by many in the community. ... Opinions seem to me to be pretty evenly split, so for me thats a good argument to slow down, to gain this first year of experience with the high school SRO, and to seek funding in the normal budget cycle for full disclosure and a full discussion of the impact that it will have on our overall budgets, District 3 representative Amy Kaplan said.

The development of a full security plan is needed to determine whether SROs are the appropriate next step for Westport, District 2 representative Christine Meiers Schatz said, adding, A good public policy is driven by sound data and, not by collective trauma.

Its very hard to know, but I think Im going to vote for this because anything we can do to protect our kids is something thats important to do, District 8 representative Wendy Batteau said.

Both District 1 member Matthew Mandell and District 6 member Seth Braunstein said they were not completely in support of adding SROs, but thought it may be a good idea to support the program now if Palmer and the BOE will include funding for the officers in the next budget season. At the end of the night, Mandell voted for the appropriation while Braunstein voted against.

On-campus officers reduce response time, should a school shooting occur, and build relationships with students that can be helpful in flagging potential issues, District 7s Lauren Karpf and District 5s Nicole Klein said.

A guidance counselor only meets with select students, while an SRO sees everyone. We talk about problems in our schools. Heres an adult focused on spotting and stopping these exact things. Seeing a child eating alone every day, getting picked on, acting out. This is someone out there with all the students gaining a pulse of the community and observing what takes place Karpf said.

Staples High School senior Arthur Shapiro also spoke in favor of the proposal.

Knowing theres an active, on-duty defender officer that is around to protect the community just provides all of us with a sense of security. I simply do not see how it would not be worth it for whatever the amount of money to provide more Westport students with that same sense of security, he said.

svaughan@

hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2638; @SophieCVaughan1
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Its kind of like going from a nomadic existence to suddenly having two homes.

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This article was published 3/10/2018 (1137 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its kind of like going from a nomadic existence to suddenly having two homes.

Thats what its like for Kelly Thornton to shift from her 17-year tenure at Torontos Nightwood Theatre to come to Winnipeg to take the helm of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.

Kelly Thornton will take over as artistic director of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre in June 2019. (Photos by Mikaela MacKenzie)

When she takes over the role of artistic director from retiring A.D. Steven Schipper in June of next year, Thornton, 53, will program for two venues, the Royal MTCs John Hirsch Mainstage and the Tom Hendry Warehouse Theatre.

Keep in mind that, in her years at Nightwood, Thornton had no single theatre to call home.

"For the last 17-and-a-half years, with every season and every play, its all been a piece of that puzzle of programming," she says. "In Toronto, the venues that I produce at are Crows Theatre or Buddies in Bad Times, sometimes Canadian Stage, sometimes Tarragon.

"Youre kind of at the whim of what theyre giving you," she says. "They program their season and then say: Oh, you can have the March break slot or the slot where you have to rehearse over Christmas.

"So that (aspect) is amazing, and the huge amount of resources that Im privileged to have at RMTC. Its incredible."

The Free Press spoke with Thornton prior to her official announcement as the new artistic director. Here is a condensed version of that interview:

Free Press: Nightwood Theatre had a specific feminist mandate to showcase female playwrights and employ female directors. What was the rationale for that?

Kelly Thornton: When I took over Nightwood in 2001, I was interviewed by someone from the Toronto Star who asked: Whats the point of a feminist theatre company in the 21st century? Arent we beyond that now?

"I thought: Oh, sure, were equal in all sectors. But then I thought: I just inherited this mandate and I need to actually look into that. So I formed a committee from across the country and then partnered with the Playwright Guild of Canada and eventually the Canadian Association of Professional Theatres to look at the status of women. And even in 2002, there was still a lot of disparity.

"There was a report done in 1982 that showed 17 per cent (of female leadership in Canadian theatre) and we had only climbed to about 25 per cent in terms of female artistic directors. And a lot of female directors were not getting the opportunity to direct in the A-houses or the big stages. So I realized, yes, it still has relevance. But Ive always said, for me, as a theatre-maker  I coined this phrase for Nightwood  Theatre for everyone, made by women.

Thornton: Its not just bringing stuff in,its getting our stuff out.

FP: To what extent will you be bringing that mandate to Royal MTC?

KT: "Im a humanist in many ways. I think I use my position to propel womens voices, to develop female playwrights and to enhance a canon of plays written by women in Canadian theatre.

"But to be able to come to Royal MTC, all I want to do now is give equal voice and make sure theres representation. And thats equity, diversity and inclusion, the whole gamut of what all Canadian theatre is talking about right now.

"How can we do better to reflect the population that is Canada on our stages? Part of that piece is a gender piece, but theres a huge discussion of inclusion in terms of cultural diversity, in terms of developing audiences, having age diversity in your audience  its a grand conversation thats happening."

"For me, obviously I want to bring voice to women, but its a tough mandate actually, because my mandate at Nightwood is developing a playbill annually of new Canadian work by women, and having a diverse and balanced playbill. Thats a harder task in many ways than to go: I want to develop great new Manitoban stories. I want to bring those voices to the stage.

"This is a regional A-house stage, and of course a play like Matilda and Billy Elliot. Those plays still need to be able to go on our stages. So for me, an equal voice is what I feel will be the future."

Thornton: "I want to develop great new Manitoban stories."

FP: Whats been your personal experience of Winnipeg prior to this?

KT: "I havent worked in the city. Ive seen plays here. Id been with (ex-husband actor-playwright Alex Poch-Goldin) for 20 years so I came out to see his work, and I love the city. The city is fantastic. I kind of compare it to Quebec City in terms of the cultural identity that people feel with their relationship to the arts. Its a really dedicated base, and you dont find that everywhere.

"I really believe that the cultural institutions of Winnipeg and Manitoba in general have created a very strong cultural identity, and per capita, theres a lot of stuff happening, considering the size of the city. Thats super-inspiring.

"(Royal MTC co-founder) Tom Hendry said the arts give a great city an image its soul, and thats the truth. I think thats the nature of what RMTC has done. Being 60 years old, Manitobans have grown up with the pride of cultural institutions bringing them their cultural identity."

FP: How would you describe your audience like at Nightwood?

KT: I am happy to say my audience base is really diverse. Im cultivating a base that has the standard theatregoer thats 60-plus Caucasian, and then I have the 25-year-olds that are fresh into the theatre world and theyre happy to be there with them.

"I remember sitting in The Penelopiad when I did it in Toronto and being so happy to see such diversity in the room in terms of age and culture. Even for the audience members theyre having a live experience. Theyre breathing together.

"So if its not a homogeneous room thats breathing together, thats exciting."

Thornton: "The city is fantastic. I kind of compare it to Quebec City in terms of the cultural identity that people feel with their relationship to the arts. Its a really dedicated base, and you dont find that everywhere."

FP: How do you hope to bring that kind of audience diversity to Manitoba?

KT: "This is the great luxury that I have, I have a year to talk and talk and talk to artists and audience members and donors and say,  This is the conversation thats happening in Canadian theatre. You know your community and your base and what Steven has built and heres a little idea.

"What do you think? Where do we go from here? How do we represent our Canadian population?"

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FP: And Manitobas talent pool?

"Im really excited to get to know the artists, to really sit down with them and get to know their work. I want to develop more Canadian plays and put Manitoban stories on the stage more. Its what Ive been doing for the last 18 years at Nightwood.

"We could develop a Come From Away! Whats our Come From Away? Lets look at developing new Canadian musicals. Its not just bringing stuff in, its getting our stuff out. Come From Away showed it can be done."

randall.king@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @FreepKing
When Ryan Giovi pulled into his driveway one evening in September 2017, he noticed his front door had been kicked in.

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This article was published 3/10/2018 (1137 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When Ryan Giovi pulled into his driveway one evening in September 2017, he noticed his front door had been kicked in.

It was the second time in three months hed been the victim of a break-and-enter. Earlier that year, on Fathers Day, thieves broke into his garage overnight and cleared out an estimated $19,000 worth of his belongings.

"Everything I had been scrimping and saving for over the years was gone: bicycles, kayak, photo lenses, the list was huge," Giovi, 47, said.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Homeowner. Ryan Giovi, had his home broken into twice in 2017.

He was frustrated, and convinced that crime in the River Heights neighbourhood where hed grown up was getting out of hand.

"It doesnt seem like anyone is doing anything about it. The problem is not diminishing, its flourishing," he said.

Data obtained by the Free Press through a freedom of information request show Giovi is one of several thousand Winnipeggers who filed residential break-and-enter reports in 2017.

The Free Press analyzed a log of 275,670 police dispatches from Jan. 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018, which included details such as event type, priority level, date, time and approximate location.

Residential break and enters, 2017 Seven Oaks Inkster River East Point Douglas St James-Assiniboia Downtown St. Boniface Transcona River Heights Assiniboine South St. Vital Fort Garry Source: Winnipeg police call data. Locations are approximate. Calls do not include garage break-ins Residential break and enters, 2017 Seven Oaks Inkster River East Point Douglas St James-Assiniboia Downtown St. Boniface Transcona River Heights Assiniboine South St. Vital Fort Garry Source: Winnipeg police call data. Locations are approximate. Residential break and enters, 2017 Source: Winnipeg police call data. Locations are approximate Residential break and enters, 2017 Source: Winnipeg police call data. Locations are approximate.

While downtown was hit the hardest in terms of residential break-and-enters, other non-core neighbourhoods were also affected.

Police were dispatched to 3,918 residential break-and-enters in 2017, averaging out to roughly 10 per day. The peak day was May 17, when 30 residential break-and-enters were reported.

Police define a residential break-and-enter as having a home or attached garage broken into.

The amount of reports made to the Winnipeg Police Service call centre fluctuated month to month. The data show an increase in reports during April and May, suggesting warmer spring temperatures led to an increase in that crime.

"Every single day its more break-and-enters, more homes, more garages, more scammers coming to the front door, more bicycles being stolen, more people going down back lanes and stealing things, smashing into cars and stealing things," Giovi said.

The opinion expressed by Giovi isn't rare. It's a common theme on social media sites run by anti-crime and neighbourhood safety groups for Winnipeg communities such as River Heights.

Some of the groups have thousands of members who routinely post accounts of being the victims of property crime, as well as surveillance footage from home security systems.

It's also become a municipal election issue for at least one candidate, former River Heights city councillor Garth Steek, who's running to regain his former job. On Aug. 21, Steek held a public safety forum to discuss crime in the area, which he declared had "spiralled out of control" in recent years.

"Its kind of reaching a tipping point where it feels like a community that was previously safe isnt now."  Wolseley resident Adam Hanson

The 2017 data obtained by the Free Press suggest there wasn't a significant increase in break-and-enters in River Heights compared with other neighbourhoods such as St. Boniface, St. Vital, St. James and Assiniboia.

In the most recent WPS annual report, police reported 2,973 instances of property crime in River Heights in 2017, although it wasnt broken down into specific crime categories. That figure represented a 6.8 per cent increase over the five-year average for the neighbourhood.

411 on 911 Click to Expand This is the third of a four-part series based on a Free Press data analysis of 275,670 instances in which Winnipeg Police Service officers were dispatched between Jan. 1 2017 and March 31, 2018. Part 1: Officers are dispatched an average of 600 times a day; the Free Press finds out where they're headed and why Part 2: There were just nine days in 2017 without reports of firearms sightings in Winnipeg

There were 5,108 break-and-enters last year, including both residential and commercial hits. Thats a seven per cent increase over the citys five-year average.

Throughout the city, property crime rose nine per cent in 2017 over 2016, a spike police chief Danny Smyth has attributed to the rise in methamphetamine use in Winnipeg.

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Whats clear is that when it comes to property crime, and residential break-and-enters specifically, downtown neighbourhoods are harder hit than any other area of the city.

Adam Hanson, 37, who has lived in Wolseley since 2004, recently had his home broken into while he was working. He believes crime has risen to an unprecedented level in his neighbourhood.

"There seems to be a real increase in these types of incidents. Its kind of reaching a tipping point where it feels like a community that was previously safe isnt now. This is getting worse," Hanson said.

"Theres a bit of a community forming now with people saying, What do we do about this?"



ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe

graeme.bruce@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @grjbruce
OTTAWA  St. Boniface MP Dan Vandal has apologized for flashing his middle finger at Selkirk MP James Bezan in the House of Commons.

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This article was published 3/10/2018 (1137 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  St. Boniface MP Dan Vandal has apologized for flashing his middle finger at Selkirk MP James Bezan in the House of Commons.

"It was a heated debate; he was spouting all kinds of untruths about several of us, and I reacted emotionally and I shouldnt have," Vandal told the Free Press on Wednesday, moments after apologizing to the House.

Tory MPs claim their Liberal counterpart had also told Bezan to "f--- off," but Vandal denied that claim.

"No, no, I never said that," he said.

Parliament has sustained almost constant uproar this week about the transfer of convicted killer Terri-Lynne McClintic to an open-concept lodge from prison. McClintic is serving a life sentence for the abduction, sexual assault and the murder of eight-year-old Tori Stafford in 2009.

On Tuesday, Vandal chided his Conservative colleague for criticizing three Winnipeg MPs for defending the governments decision not to reverse the transfer, and then "feign their condolences and so-called sympathies for the family."

Vandal said it was "insulting" to accuse his party of feigning sympathy, and asked Bezan to apologize. Bezan instead doubled down, asking Vandal "to stop hugging the thug and stand up for the victims."

Bezan told the Free Press, at that moment, he could hear Vandal yelling at him, but couldnt make out the words. The video recording does not show the middle-finger incident, nor the sound of any off-camera commotion.

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Moments later, Tory MP Larry Miller told the assistant Speaker he saw Vandal give "a one-finger gesture" to Bezan. "I do not think that he was giving the thumbs-up or giving him directions," he said.

The assistant Speaker said she hadnt witnessed the event, but would have the recordings reviewed.

Bezan maintained "numerous" Tory colleagues heard Vandal use a vulgar term during his "temper tantrum." He said he accepts the apology.

"Im incredibly disappointed in Dan Vandal. The people of St. Boniface-St. Vital deserve better than the guy that loses his cool and starts flipping the bird and dropping the F-bomb in the House of Commons," Bezan said.

"I definitely think a lot lesser of him now."

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
OTTAWA  The federal Liberals say theyre pushing ahead with implementing a carbon tax in Manitoba in January, but they still wont reveal where the revenue is going.

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This article was published 4/10/2018 (1136 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  The federal Liberals say theyre pushing ahead with implementing a carbon tax in Manitoba in January, but they still wont reveal where the revenue is going.

"Were going to keep on doing what we were elected to do," federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna told reporters Thursday, "to tackle climate change and grow our economy."

The Liberals passed a budget bill in the spring which mandates a $20-per-tonne levy to start in January. It says Ottawa must remit all revenue to the province it came from  but the law doesnt say whether that means individual rebate cheques, transfers to provincial treasuries or some other measure. It also doesn't say when that cash is due.

"We will announce later this fall how the federal system will work," McKenna spokeswoman Caroline Theriault said in a statement.

Manitoba Tory MP Candice Bergen told the Free Press shes skeptical the Liberals will follow their own law, especially if they wont say how.

"It's sort of ridiculous to think the government's going to tax people and then they'll give it all back," she said in an interview. "Justin Trudeau wants to fill (federal) government coffers; there's no other reason for it except that it's a tax grab."

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna.

The Conservatives raised Manitobas pullout six times in question period, asking the Liberals to end the national policy.

Liberal insiders claimed Premier Brian Pallister never hinted that Manitoba would reverse its policy if Ottawa didnt change course.

Pallisters government had long asserted its flat $25-per-tonne tax would reduce more emissions than the federal one, which escalates from $20 to $50 over the coming four years. An independent legal opinion the province commissioned said Ottawa had a right to impose taxes on provinces, but would have to consider whether different policies achieved the same results.

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McKenna said her department was still reviewing Pallisters plan. "Were really disappointed and quite frankly perplexed by the flip-flop of Manitoba," she said.

But even if that review had been done, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc suggested Ottawa wouldn't let Manitoba keep its flat tax, even if it ended up cutting emissions faster than the federal plan. He told reporters Ottawa would collect a tax from any province that falls short of the escalating levy "and well refund the money, obviously, to the citizens of those provinces."

LeBlanc also disputed Pallisters argument that the Liberals were unfairly helping pipeline and liquefied natural gas projects in Alberta and British Columbia while ignoring that Manitoba has already spent "billions and billions of dollars" on cleaner hydro energy.

"They do not respect Manitoba's plan," Pallister said Wednesday.

"There's certainly no disrespect," LeBlanc responded Thursday. "We're happy to continue to work with the government of Manitoba and listen to the premier's suggestions  but we've also been clear that the time is running out to work collaboratively."

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
Manitoba's Progressive Conservatives have abandoned plans to impose a carbon tax this fall, citing a failure to obtain assurances that Ottawa won't hike the levy down the road.

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This article was published 3/10/2018 (1137 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba's Progressive Conservatives have abandoned plans to impose a carbon tax this fall, citing a failure to obtain assurances that Ottawa won't hike the levy down the road.

Reaction in Ottawa OTTAWA  Manitobas pullout from the national carbon tax had federal Tories jubilant, while distraught Liberals said theyre now forced to impose the levy on the province. Premier Pallister announced his decision in Winnipeg during Question Period in Ottawa. Moments later, Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Bergen broke the news to the Commons, and asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to do what Brian Pallister did today and say no to the carbon tax. click to read more OTTAWA  Manitobas pullout from the national carbon tax had federal Tories jubilant, while distraught Liberals said theyre now forced to impose the levy on the province. Premier Pallister announced his decision in Winnipeg during Question Period in Ottawa. Moments later, Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Bergen broke the news to the Commons, and asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to do what Brian Pallister did today and say no to the carbon tax. Trudeau replied that his government will continue with its plan to impose an escalating levy on provinces that dont implement one on their own. I continue to find it puzzling as to why Conservatives insist on making pollution free, he said. Bergen, who is a friend to Pallister, told reporters she didnt have advance notice, but wasnt surprised the really grassroots politician had changed course. I'm definitely proud of our premier, Bergen said. "I think he's recognized, by talking to Manitobans, that a carbon tax will do nothing to reduce greenhouse emissions. Neither federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna nor Intergovernmental Minister Dominic Leblanc were made available to reporters after Question Period. Jim Carr, the MP for Winnipeg South Centre and sole Manitoban in cabinet, wrote to the Free Press that his province was rejecting a system that would have led to remittances and cash for green-energy programs. The decision is disappointing because of whats at stake: billions in clean economy jobs and new investment, Carr wrote. Manitobans should be a big part of that future. LeBlanc quoted Pallisters pledge to make Manitoba the cleanest, greenest and most climate-resilient province in Canada, from remarks last fall. This flip-flop will not achieve that goal, LeBlanc wrote Wednesday, saying he was disappointed but would collect the tax and remit it to Canadians. The Liberals budget bill will have the tax collected starting in January. All revenue must be remitted to the province it came from, but the law doesnt specify whether that means rebate cheques for individuals, or transfers to provincial coffers. It is also unclear whether Ottawa will renege on the $67-million for carbon retrofits it gave the province in exchange for ratifying an agreement on climate change. The federal Tories have not revealed any aspects of their own plan, except that it wont involved a carbon levy. Manitoba should not be penalized and have this tax imposed on them, Bergen said. Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguid, who has a background in conservation, said he was surprised. It was my view that the Manitoba government was showing some leadership, he said. It looked like we had a co-operative relationship there, and that we would be one of the few governments that was working together in the west, and thats not the case. Dylan Robertson Close

Premier Brian Pallister made the bombshell announcement in the legislature Wednesday on the first day of the fall sitting.

Because of the decision, provincial income tax reductions set to take effect on Jan. 1 will be postponed, Pallister later told reporters. However, a promised cut to the provincial sales tax by 2020 is still on, the premier said.

Pallister said the government decided to cancel the $25-a-tonne carbon tax when it realized it would not be able to convince Ottawa to allow it to stay at that level in the future. The federal government had said provinces could initially impose a lower tax than Manitoba was prepared to levy, but it insisted that the tax rise to $50 a tonne within a few years.

The premier had insisted that Manitoba's flat tax was more effective than the federal alternative in reducing emissions while being less costly to individuals. He continued to debate the matter with the federal government  most recently when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Manitoba last month  to no avail.

"They do not respect Manitoba's plan," Pallister said of the federal government. "They do not respect our investments...billions and billions of dollars in green (hydro development) that we're doing."

The government had a choice, the premier said: "Either you're going to stand up for Manitobans in a year, when the feds come in, as they've threatened to do, with a higher carbon tax, or you do it now. And we're doing it now."

'They do not respect Manitoba's plan. They do not respect our investments...billions and billions of dollars in green (hydro development) that we're doing'  Premier Brian Pallister on the federal government

Asked about the likelihood of the feds now imposing its own carbon tax on Manitoba, as it has threatened to do with provinces that failed to implement their own levies, Pallister said, "that's entirely in their court."

Manitoba's two opposition parties were incredulous at the government's decision.

"We just saw the premier of Manitoba jump into bed with (Ontario Premier) Doug Ford and Jason Kenney (leader of the United Conservative Party of Alberta)," said NDP Leader Wab Kinew, referring to political leaders who staunchly oppose a carbon tax.

With its action, the government is creating uncertainty for individuals, industry and municipalities "just because he wants to pick another political fight with Trudeau," Kinew said.

Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said it is unclear why the PCs have flip-flopped on levying a carbon tax, speculating that it was unpopular with Tory supporters.

"Maybe Mr. Pallister is worried about the reaction from his base," said Lamont, who was marking his first day as a sitting member in the legislature on Wednesday.

Manitoba was to impose the $25 a tonne tax on Dec. 1. It would have raised an estimated $260 million a year. The premier said amendments will be introduced shortly to an enabling bill now before the legislature that would have imposed the tax.

'We just saw the premier of Manitoba jump into bed with (Ontario Premier) Doug Ford and Jason Kenney (leader of the United Conservative Party of Alberta)'  NDP Leader Wab Kinew

The premier said while Manitoba's carbon tax is dead, the province still plans to implement the bulk of its climate change and green plan, announced nearly a year ago.

Pallister didn't rule out joining a court battle initiated by Ontario and Saskatchewan to fight a federally imposed carbon tax.

"It's premature to say," he said. "There is a course of action other provinces have chosen to pursue and it is something we're going to have to look at."

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The Canadian Taxpayers Federation applauded the province for rejecting a carbon tax, declaring it "a major victory for taxpayers". The province had estimated it would have cost a couple with two children about $300 a year in extra gasoline and home heating costs.

Curt Hull, project manager of the Climate Change Connection program at Manitoba Eco-Network, approves of Ottawa's carbon pricing scheme, but noted putting a tax on carbon won't be the only way to stop climate change. So he's not opposed to Manitoba backing out of a carbon tax plan.

"The way to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions requires a slate of actions, and putting a price on carbon is one important aspect, but it wont work on its own," Hull said. "There needs to be a number of other actions taken in order to truly and effectively reduce emissions."

Hull said there are other good ideas contained in the province's green plan, such as allotting more money for public transit, but those ideas need to be fleshed out with funding.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca
Newspapers, and their readers, matter now more than ever.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 3/10/2018 (1137 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Newspapers, and their readers, matter now more than ever.

That was the message Wednesday night as the Winnipeg Free Press hosted a free screening at the Winnipeg Art Gallery of the movie Spotlight, as part of National Newspaper Week.

"Stories that newspapers do, stories that the Free Press does, are stories that you cant get anywhere else," Free Press editor Paul Samyn told a crowd of about 150.

"These stories also wouldnt be told without you. Were at the point now where the revenue from our subscribers is the one growing revenue line and pays for more of our news (to be covered) than we get from advertising. Thats why we want to thank you and thats why we want to celebrate you, our readers."

The movie chronicles the investigative journalism by a team of reporters and editors at the Boston Globe newspaper  known as the Spotlight team  who exposed widespread sexual abuse of children by numerous Roman Catholic priests in the Boston area; abuse that continued unchecked for years, despite the fact senior clergy members knew about it.

The Spotlight teams work earned the Boston Globe the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. The movie Spotlight won the 2015 Oscar for best picture.

(KERRY HAYES/OPEN ROAD FILMS VIA AP) The Winnipeg Free Press hosted a free screening at the Winnipeg Art Gallery of the movie Spotlight, above, as part of National Newspaper Week.

Joanne and Barry Craig said theyve subscribed to the Free Press for 25 years because, in the theme of the Spotlight movie, the newspaper continuously provides in-depth coverage of a wide range of issues.

"The only media in Winnipeg in my book an exhaustive credence is the Free Press because I can go deeper into subjects," said Barry, who said he was a journalist for 20 years with the Winnipeg Tribune and the Edmonton Journal. "Its the nature of newspaper journalism. TV cant because they want something thats visual."

Joanne said she still loves the paper product, as opposed to the online version.

"Its just so much more comfortable to sit down and read the paper, pick the sections you want to read and set some aside for later," she said.

Jan Weedon and Pat Thomson said they count on Free Press coverage.

"Its a valuable thing to have. Its good to be able to read, rather than just watch the news on TV," said Weedon, who subscribes online and takes the Saturday paper.

"A lot of the local stories, you wouldnt hear about them," Thomson said.

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipeg Free Press editor Paul Samyn speaks with attendees to the Free Press showing of Spotlight at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Wednesday evening.

Darryl and Mary Ann Preisentanz, subscribers for 43 years, said the work that newspaper journalists do needs to survive the tough times that the print product finds itself in.

"Youll still have a digital version. The paper may go the way of the do-do bird but hopefully, not for a while," Darryl said.

Two of the youngest readers in the crowd were Kristen Einarson, 23, and Matt Schaubroeck, 29, who said newspapers are a trusted news source and their journalists are accountable for their work.

"Journalism is very important to democratic society. If we dont have people criticizing what certain administrations are doing, what can we trust?" Einarson said, adding they take the Saturday paper and subscribe online. "Ive grown up trusting journalism and trusting journalists. I love the Free Press and I read it every day."

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Schaubroeck said the event was a great opportunity for readers to talk with Free Press staff members.

Samyn pointed to the recent investigative journalism project produced by the New York Times, stories which expose how U.S. President Donald Trump engaged in suspect tax schemes in the past to build his familys wealth, as an example of the important leadership role newspapers continue to take.

The NYT project involved three reporters and more than a year of research and writing  a project that broadcast media did not attempt but followed after the stories were published.

"Newspapers have long been the ones doing the heavy lifting on journalism," Samyn said. "The stories that arent going to be told unless you dig, the stories that arent going to be revealed unless you ask tough questions are generally the domain of newspapers."

Samyn and publisher Bob Cox answered questions from readers following the movie screening.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca
With the Ontario governments public consultations on a new sex-ed curriculum well underway, we should recognize that both the old and new versions of the document suffer from the same fatal flaw. Neither makes any effort to educate about marriage  in fact, the word is never mentioned  as a significant social institution.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/10/2018 (1137 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

With the Ontario governments public consultations on a new sex-ed curriculum well underway, we should recognize that both the old and new versions of the document suffer from the same fatal flaw. Neither makes any effort to educate about marriage  in fact, the word is never mentioned  as a significant social institution.

The next version needs to fill this gap.

Discussing healthy relationships without mentioning marriage is a bit like trying to teach about healthy eating without discussing what nutrients are in various foods.

Its an oversight that does a disservice to our children and youth as they grapple with issues of connection, sexuality, stability, attachment, love and family. And, of course, marriage.

Our youth do indeed grapple with the idea of marriage and many of them would like to get married one day.

Some have noted (and condemned) how Ontarios sex ed is low on talk of love. Where lifelong love is a goal, marriage is the gold standard.

Yes, its an ideal. No, its not for everyone. But teaching marriage is the logical continuation of any discussion of love and relationships, and we are cutting the conversation short.

Marriage is not merely a recognition of intimate, personal love. Marriage is an important social institution that fuses sex, intimacy and economic co-operation into a permanent relationship. In spite of high divorce rates, marriage breaks up less frequently than cohabitation.

This is not an attempt to promote any particular definition of marriage. Ironically, the federal government legalized same-sex marriage because it was a critical institution to which sex must not be a barrier  only to stop talking about marriage altogether.

In fact, we have every reason to keep talking about it. A significant body of research points to just how much good can come from healthy marriages.

Children raised by their married parents do better in school, are more likely to graduate and, following that, to get a good job. Theyre less likely to use drugs and more likely to delay sexual initiation. Married parents are more likely to share finances, making more resources available to children.

The success sequence of finishing school, getting married and only then having children is a near guarantee against poverty. And its routinely acknowledged on the left and the right.

Marriage is good for adult health, too. Medical research shows that in contrast with those who are single, cohabiting, divorced, separated or widowed, people in a good marriage have a 20 per cent increase in cancer survival rates, improved mental health and reduced chances of a heart attack.

When men marry, theyre more likely to care for their children and stay involved in family life.

Institutions, including marriage, are essentially bundles of rules that help us live ordered lives without government intervention or unwieldy legal contracts. Marriage understands shared existence, including the economic, spiritual, social and sexual aspects of our lives. Consider the thorny topic of consent. No one will dispute that consent is critical in sexual relationships. But who believes a "sexual contract" actually ensures safety? And what of intimacy, connection and attachment?

In our "limitless" world, honouring the ideal of marriage (always uncoerced) offers sanctuary from the tyranny of endless choice, at least in relationships. In an uncertain world, its also a gift to know that we can know and be known, and accept and be accepted, in spite of our flaws.

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A good marriage makes for greater meaning, success and health in life. A bad marriage can be a persons undoing. Why wouldnt we educate our young people on this, the most critical and  when done right  most lasting decision of their lives?

Marriage isnt for everyone. People can live fulfilled lives in other ways.

But where support, safe sexuality, poverty reduction, health and child outcomes are important, marriage is the most effective solution.

If a sex-ed curriculum cant mention the very best solution for safe and consensual lifelong love, its wise to ask: what is it actually teaching?

Andrea Mrozek is a family program director at the think tank Cardus.

 Troy Media
You would have to go way back to the years 1980-82 for the last time Canadas relationship with the United States had hit such a bilateral low. Right now, and even after cobbling together a new trade pact, the two long-standing friends seem to be barely speaking to one another.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/10/2018 (1137 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

You would have to go way back to the years 1980-82 for the last time Canadas relationship with the United States had hit such a bilateral low. Right now, and even after cobbling together a new trade pact, the two long-standing friends seem to be barely speaking to one another.

At the recent gathering of world leaders at the United Nations in New York City, beleaguered U.S. President Donald Trump could barely muster the energy to shake Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus outstretched hand. In the past, that would never happen at such an international gathering.

Justin Tang / The Canadian Press files Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland prepare for a news conference about the USMCA trade deal in Ottawa Monday.

Additionally, at a news conference last week, Trump made clear that he pointedly turned down a one-on-one meeting with the Canadian prime minister. Asked by a reporter why he did so, Trump explained bluntly: "Because his (Trudeaus) tariffs are too high and he doesnt seem to want to move and Ive told him forget about it."

The Prime Ministers Office, meanwhile, stated plainly that no bilateral meeting or "pull aside" was requested by Canada. If that is true, then Trump was obviously lying. And I cant recall another U.S. administration treating Canada in such a shabby manner  and with such disrespect.

Trump then went on to add insult to injury at that same presser. "We are very unhappy with the negotiations and the negotiating style of Canada. We dont like their representative very much. Theyve taken advantage" he said angrily.

Since May, Canadian negotiators had been steadfast in defending Chapter 19 on dispute settlement and agricultural supply management. They had also pushed hard on minimizing U.S. "Buy American" provisions, on keeping the allowable amount of imported online goods into Canada not subject to duties fairly low, and to retain a cultural exemption.

Without the advantage of reviewing the full text of the rebranded U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), it is hard to assess carefully Canadas gains and losses in these areas. But it does appear that Canada was able to resist tremendous U.S. pressure to make substantial concessions to Washington.

The critical point right now is not whether both sides have drafted a modernized NAFTA 2.0 in the form of the Trump-named USMCA. It is, more precisely, whether the Trudeau government can go into the next federal election in fall 2019 with such a revamped NAFTA in place.

To be sure, one is hard-pressed to believe that the electorate would take kindly to the Trudeau government if it signed off on a deal that heavily favoured the Americans. Put simply, its a political loser that will only engender a significant loss of seats for the federal Liberals  including in Central Canada. So this remains to be seen as the post-USMCA dust settles.

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In the meantime, Im relatively certain that the Trudeau Liberals could say to voters that they stood up to the bully boy Trump and said "enough already," that they stood up for vital Canadian interests at the NAFTA negotiating table and said "no more" and that they stood up for Canadian farmers against an overly aggressive American side. Now thats the type of federal campaign rhetoric that could be a real political winner, given Trumps enormous unpopularity in Canada.

Indeed, Trudeau will be able to say on the hustings that he was able to protect the Canadian economy from a potentially significant hit. He can also argue that he safeguarded the jobs of millions of Canadians (especially in the vote-rich and Ontario-based auto sector), provided a boost to Canadas overall economic performance and preserved the movement of good and professionals across the border.

On the foreign investment side of things, Trudeau can claim that he ended the costly uncertainty around NAFTA, stopped the bleeding and re-established the mantra that Canada is open for business. More important, he can take credit for preventing a bilateral U.S.-Mexico trade deal from happening and thus ensuring that valuable North American investment dollars are not siphoned off to either Mexico or the United States.

Of course, it remains to be seen how much of a political hit  particularly in Quebec, Ontario and Atlantic Canada  the Trudeau government will take from changes to Canadas supply management practices. The devil is obviously in the details, but Im sure it will seek to soften the blow by crafting a fairly generous subsidy package for any aggrieved farmers.

And if the federal Conservatives or the NDP want to campaign on the idea that Canada should not have cut such a deal with Trumps America, then let them  but their partisans and supporters will not be favourably disposed toward them. As Trump himself might say, "Not good."

Peter McKenna is professor and chair of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown.
Sand Mine Owner and GOP Donor Gets No Fine From DNR for Spill

A western Wisconsin sand mine whose owner is a generous Republican Party contributor will not be fined by the state for a 10-million-gallon spill in May.
A television station is reporting Gov. Scott Walker's administration told former prisons Secretary Ed Wall to cancel his request for an association to investigate abuse at Wisconsin's youth prisons.

WSAW-TV reports Wall wrote to the Association of State Correctional Administrators in November 2015 asking for a review.

The association's former executive director said shortly after he received the letter, Wall told him that Walker's staff had instructed Wall to cancel the review request. Wall says the letter proves Walker knew about problems at the prison long before admitting them publicly.

In early 2016, a judge said hed sent a letter to Walker in 2012, the year Wall was appointed prisons secretary, warning of possible criminal conduct at the Lincoln Hills School in Irma. At the time, Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said the governor never saw the note, which was referred to the Corrections Department.

Wall resigned as prisons secretary in 2016 after the FBI took over an investigation into allegations at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake, the states juvenile correction facility for girls. Allegations included physical and sexual abuse of youth, witness and victim intimidation, and evidence tampering.

In Unethical, a book released in August about his years as corrections secretary, Wall wrote that Walker and Attorney General Brad Schimel drove him to the brink of suicide with their refusal to act and their subsequent scapegoating of him.

He also slammed Walker for refusing to visit the prisons. Walker responded that he saw "no value" in visiting them.

Walker ultimately decided to close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake and replace them with regional facilities. The governor has long been a proponent of privatizing Wisconsins prisons.

The full title of Walls memoir is Unethical: Life in Scott Walkers Cabinet and the Dirty Side of Politics.
Non-governmental organization (NGO) movements to alleviate poverty, protect the environment, or advocate for human rights are widespread throughout the developing world, and, as of 2002, are estimated to account for over 30% of international development aid. While many of the smaller NGOs in this group are seen as providing positive, uplifting services to local communities, larger multi-national examples of social organizations are prone to the same types of endemic corruption as other corporate entities. As well, NGOs often promote ideologies such as equal rights for women that are in direct conflict with a local government's political aims.

Another specific limitation of many NGOs that gives them both a unique strength and weakness is their focus on one key aspect of an overarching problem within a society. For example, working to provide access to clean water for the poor while not being able to tackle regulation issues like industrial pollution that led to the contamination in the first place can lead to self-defeating efforts at long-term change. This leads to the conclusion in development aid circles that the success of NGOs over the last 50 years has had mixed results, often due to poor oversight and management of their stated goals.

By neglecting to examine the effects of humanitarian actions in a larger context, some NGOs have acquired a negative image in the eyes of governments in the nations in which they work. A prominent example of this is a food crisis that occurred in Niger in 2005. Niger's president, Mamadou Tandja, accused international food agencies of exaggerating his country's problems and painting them in a simplistic way that was not reflective of true conditions and needs. The international media portrayed Niger's crisis as a sudden, acute one to drum up support and funding for NGO services, when, in fact, Niger's population was experiencing chronic malnutrition that had resulted from years of scarcity and rising prices. Such mismatches in aid and the true needs that they attempt to fill often result in excessive short-term giving and little attention paid to the chronic conditions that created the crisis in the first place.

The image of not-for-profit aid agencies in the developing world is often one of the agencies overstating their effectiveness and underestimating the harm that they can do by causing disruptions in natural coping mechanisms within societies. Food aid to Zambia in 2002 to avert a perceived oncoming famine predicted by the United Nations was banned from the donor nation of the United States due to the fact that the donated corn came from genetically modified maize crops. US donor NGOs at the time thought that such a Zambian policy was absurd and would lead to the death of millions, but Zambia did not experience famine conditions in part because of non-genetically modified food aid that came from Europe.

Where NGOs are effective at alleviating a crisis or where they work in concert with government policies, their presence is often welcomed, but lasting effects can be minimal. More effort on dealing with the root causes of problems is seen as necessary. Independent organizations have been providing aid to the Sahel region of the southern Sahara desert in Africa covering the territory of six nations since 1972 for instance, yet the same famines and emergencies have continued to occur there into 2011.

Among the key advantages that NGOs offer are the fact that they engender more trust in local populations if they are small and intimately involved in day-to-day affairs than the intervention of foreign governments and multi-national corporations does. They also can have more of a grass roots focus that builds sustainability from the ground up if they are managed and administered properly. Key to their effectiveness is the ability to represent civil society organizations that can operate without larger racial or ethnic agendas. NGOs that have grand visions of change often set a meddling tone at the local level by promoting their religious and political agendas, but distinguishing which organizations are welcomed and which are frowned upon must be done on a unique case-by-case basis.
Scarborough Leader

The Oak Hill Players are performing the musical 'Honk!', their first live performance since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following companies are subsidiares of SAP: Abakus, Abakus Europe Limited, Abakus Ukraine Limited Liability Company, Adatfeldolgozasban Informatikai Kft., Altiscale, Ambin Properties Proprietary Limited, AppGyver, Ariba, Ariba Czech s.r.o., Ariba Inc. Palo Alto, Ariba India Private Limited, Ariba International, Ariba International Holdings, Ariba International Singapore Pte Ltd, Ariba Slovak Republic s.r.o., Ariba Software Technology Services (Shanghai) Co., Ariba Technologies India Private Limited, Ariba Technologies Netherlands B.V., Beijing Zhang Zhong Hu Dong Information Technology, Business Objects, Business Objects Holding B.V., Business Objects Option LLC, Business Objects Software Limited, CNQR Operations Mexico S. de. R.L. de. C.V., Callidus Software, CallidusCloud, Christie Partners Holding C.V., Clear Standards, ClearTrip Inc., ClearTrip Inc. (Mauritius), Cleartrip MEA FZ LLC, Cleartrip Private Limited, Coghead, ConTgo Consulting Limited, ConTgo Pty. Ltd., Concur (Austria) GmbH, Concur (Canada), Concur (France) SAS, Concur (Germany) GmbH, Concur (Japan) Ltd., Concur (New Zealand) Limited, Concur (Philippines) Inc., Concur (Switzerland) GmbH, Concur Czech (s.r.o.), Concur Holdings (France) SAS, Concur Holdings (Netherlands) B.V., Concur Technologies (Australia) Pty. Limited, Concur Technologies (Hong Kong) Limited, Concur Technologies (India) Private Limited, Concur Technologies (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Concur Technologies (UK) Limited, Concur Technologies Inc. Bellevue, Contextor, Coresystems, Crystal Decisions (Ireland) Limited, Crystal Decisions Holdings Limited, Crystal Decisions UK Limited, Emarsys, EssCubed Procurement Pty. Ltd., Extended Systems, Factory Logic, Fedem Technology AS, Fieldglass Europe Limited, Financial Fusion, FreeMarkets Ltda., Frictionless Commerce, Gigya, Gigya Australia Pty Ltd, Gigya Ltd., Gigya UK Ltd, GlobalExpense Limited, Highdeal, Hipmunk, Hybris (US) Corp., Hybris GmbH, Inxight Federal Systems Group, KXEN, Khimetrics, LLC "SAP Labs", LLC "SAP Ukraine", LLC SAP CIS, MaXware, Merlin Systems Oy, Multiposting Sp.z o.o., Nihon Ariba K.K., OpTier, OutlookSoft, OutlookSoft Deutschland GmbH, PLAT.ONE, PT SAP Indonesia, PT Sybase 365 Indonesia, Pilot Software Inc., Plat.One Inc., Plat.One Lab Srl, Plateau Systems LLC, Quadrem Africa Pty. Ltd., Quadrem Brazil Ltda., Quadrem Chile Ltda., Quadrem Colombia SAS, Quadrem International Ltd., Quadrem Netherlands B.V., Quadrem Overseas Cooperatief U.A., Quadrem Peru S.A.C., Qualtrics, Recast.AI, Right Hemisphere, Roambi, Ruan Lian Technologies (Beijing) Co., SAF, SAP (Beijing) Software System Co., SAP (Schweiz) AG, SAP (Schweiz) AG Biel, SAP (UK) Limited, SAP (UK) Limited Feltham, SAP AZ LLC, SAP America, SAP America Inc. Newtown Square, SAP Andina y del Caribe, SAP Argentina S.A., SAP Asia (Vietnam) Co., SAP Asia Pte Ltd, SAP Australia Pty Ltd, SAP Australia Pty Ltd. Sydney, SAP Belgium NV/SA, SAP Beteiligungs GmbH, SAP Brasil Ltda, SAP Brasil Ltda Sao Paulo, SAP Bulgaria EOOD, SAP Business Compliance Services GmbH, SAP Business Services Center Nederland B.V., SAP CR, SAP Canada, SAP Chile Limitada, SAP China Co., SAP China Co. Ltd. Shanghai, SAP China Holding Co., SAP Colombia S.A.S., SAP Commercial Services Ltd., SAP Concur, SAP Costa Rica, SAP Customer Experience, SAP Cyprus Limited, SAP Danmark A/S, SAP Deutschland SE & Co. KG, SAP Deutschland SE & Co. KG Walldorf, SAP Dritte Beteiligungs- und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, SAP EMEA Inside Sales S.L., SAP East Africa Limited, SAP Egypt LLC, SAP Erste Beteiligungs- und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, SAP Espana - Sistemas Informatica, SAP Estonia OU, SAP Fieldglass, SAP Financial, SAP Finland Oy, SAP Foreign Holdings GmbH, SAP France, SAP France Holding, SAP France Levallois Perret, SAP Global Marketing, SAP Hellas S.A., SAP Holdings (UK) Limited, SAP Hong Kong Co., SAP Hosting Beteiligungs GmbH, SAP Hungary Rendszerek, SAP India (Holding) Pte Ltd, SAP India Private Limited, SAP India Private Limited Bangalore, SAP Industries, SAP Industries Inc. Newtown Square, SAP International, SAP International Panama, SAP Investments, SAP Ireland Limited, SAP Ireland US - Financial Services Designated Activity Company, SAP Israel Ltd., SAP Italia Sistemi Applicazioni Prodotti in Data Processing S.p.A., SAP Italia Sistemi Applicazioni Prodotti in Data Processing S.p.A. Vimercate, SAP Japan Co., SAP Japan Co. Ltd. Tokyo, SAP Kazakhstan LLP, SAP Korea Ltd., SAP Labs, SAP Labs Bulgaria EOOD, SAP Labs Finland Oy, SAP Labs France SAS, SAP Labs India Private Limited, SAP Labs Israel Ltd., SAP Labs Korea, SAP Latvia SIA, SAP MENA FZ L.L.C., SAP Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., SAP Malta Investments Ltd., SAP Mxico S.A. de C.V., SAP National Security Services PA, SAP Nederland B.V., SAP Nederland B.V. s-Hertogenbosch, SAP Service and Support Centre (Ireland) Limited, SAP SuccessFactors, SAP d.o.o., SeeWhy, Signavio, SuccessFactors, SuccessFactors Inc. South San Francisco, Sybase, Syclo, TopTier Software, Triversity, Vimercate, Virsa Systems, Visiprise, Wicom Communications, and conTgo limited.
The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc.,      ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics.
CARBO Ceramics Inc., a technology company, provides products and services to the oil and gas, industrial, and environmental markets worldwide. It operates through two segments, Oilfield and Industrial Technologies and Services, and Environmental Technologies and Services. The Oilfield and Industrial Technologies and Services segment manufactures and sells oilfield ceramic technology products, base ceramic proppants, and frac sand proppants to pressure pumping companies, and oil and gas operators for use in the hydraulic fracturing of natural gas and oil wells. It also provides technology to design, build, and optimize the Frac; sells fracture stimulation software under the FracPro brand; and offers fracture design and consulting services to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies under the StrataGen brand name. The Environmental Technologies and Services segment provides spill prevention, containment, and countermeasure systems for the oil and gas industry. CARBO Ceramics Inc. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

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Cenovus Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas in Canada, the United States and the Asia Pacific region. The company operates through Oil Sands, Conventional, and Refining and Marketing segments. The Oil Sands segment develops and produces bitumen in northeast Alberta. Its bitumen assets include Foster Creek, Christina Lake, and Narrows Lake, as well as other projects in the early stages of development. The Conventional segment holds assets primarily located in Elmworth-Wapiti, Kaybob-Edson, and Clearwater operating areas of British Columbia and Alberta, as well as various interests in natural gas processing facilities. The Refining and Marketing segment transports and sells crude oil, natural gas, and NGLs. This segment owns a 50% ownership in Wood River and Borger refineries located in the United States; and owns and operates a crude-by-rail terminal in Alberta. Cenovus Energy Inc. was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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The following companies are subsidiares of General Dynamics: 42SIX LLC, ARMA Global Corporation, Advanced Technical Products, Aeromil (Australia) Pty Ltd, Aeromil Aircraft Engineering Pty Ltd, Aeromil Aviation Services Pty Ltd, Aeromil IT Services Pty Ltd, Aeromil Marine Pty Ltd, Aeromil Pacific Pty Ltd, American Overseas Marine Company LLC, Anteon International Corporation, Applied Physical Sciences, Applied Physical Sciences Corp., Ascend Intelligence, Australian Avionics Pty Ltd, Autonomic Resources LLC, Avion Logistics Limited, Avjet Corporation, AxleTech International, Axsys, BATH IRON WORKS CORPORATION, BP-HP Pte Limited, Bath Iron Works, Bath Iron Works Australia Corporation, Bath Iron Works Canada LLC, Bluefin Robotics Corporation, Blueprint Technologies Inc., Braintree I Maritime Corp., Braintree II Maritime Corp., Braintree III Maritime Corp., Braintree IV Maritime Corp., Braintree V Maritime Corp., Buccaneer Computer Systems & Service Inc., CSC Computer Sciences Venezuela S.A., CSRA, CSRA (Costa Rica) S.A., CSRA (Guyana) Inc., CSRA (Middle East) LLC, CSRA Argentina S.R.L., CSRA BH d.o.o., CSRA Bahamas Limited, CSRA Bahrain S.P.C., CSRA Belgium SPRL, CSRA Bolivia S.R.L., CSRA Brazil Servicos de Tecnologia Ltda., CSRA Canada Inc., CSRA Caribbean Inc., CSRA Chile SpA, CSRA Colombia SAS, CSRA Commerce 2010 LLC, CSRA Consular Services Holding Company LLC, CSRA Consular Services Inc., CSRA France SARL, CSRA Guatemala Solutions Sociedad Anonima, CSRA Honduras Sociedad Anonima, CSRA Inc., CSRA Information Systems LLC, CSRA Information Technology Spain SL, CSRA Ireland Limited, CSRA Italy S.R.L, CSRA Kosovo L.L.C., CSRA LATAM LLC, CSRA LLC, CSRA Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., CSRA Netherlands B.V., CSRA Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CSRA Panama Inc., CSRA Peru S.R.L., CSRA Senegal SARL, CSRA South Africa (Pty) Ltd, CSRA State and Local Solutions LLC, CSRA Systems & Solutions LLC, CSRA Trinidad & Tobago Limited, CSRA Turkey Bilisim Teknolojileri Limited Sirketi, CSRA Uruguay S.R.L, CSRA Visa Services Israel Ltd., CSRAIT - Information Services Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Centauri Solutions LLC, Command System, Computing Devices International, Concord I Maritime Corporation, Concord II Maritime Corporation, Concord III Maritime Corporation, Concord IV Maritime Corporation, Concord V Maritime Corporation, Convair Aircraft Corporation, Convair Corporation, Creative Technology, Customer Services Ecuador CSRA S.A., Devcor, Diamond Fortress Technologies, DynPort Vaccine Company LLC, EB Groton Engineering Inc., EBV Explosives Environmental, ELCS-CZ s.r.o., Eagle Enterprise Inc., Earl Industries - Ship Repair and Coatings Division, Ebv Explosives Environmental Company, Electric Boat - Australia LLC, Electric Boat - UK LLC, Electric Boat Canada LLC, Electric Boat Corporation, Electric Boat France LLC, Electrocom Inc., Engineering Technology, Expro Finance Inc., FBD Fahrzeug und Bremsendienst GmbH, FC Business Systems, Fidelis Cybersecurity, Force Protection, Force Protection Europe Limited, Force Protection Inc., ForeSight Technology Services LLC, Freeman United Coal Mining Company LLC, GD Brazil Holdings LLC, GD European Land Systems - Steyr GmbH, GD European Land Systems Holding GmbH, GDOTS Services Corporation, GM GDLS Defense Group L.L.C., GPS Source Inc., GTE Government Systems, GWA-Datatrac FAST LLC, Galaxy Aerospace Company, Gayston Corporation - Defense Operations, General Dynamics - OTS (Global) Inc., General Dynamics AIS Australia Pty Ltd, General Dynamics Canadian Finance Inc., General Dynamics Canadian Holdings Inc., General Dynamics Commercial Cyber Services LLC, General Dynamics European Finance Limited, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Austria GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Bridge Systems GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Czech s.r.o., General Dynamics European Land Systems - Denmark ApS, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Deutschland GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - FWW GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Mowag GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems Romania S.R.L., General Dynamics European Land Systems S.L., General Dynamics Global Force LLC, General Dynamics Global Holdings Limited, General Dynamics Global Imaging Technologies Inc., General Dynamics Government Satellite Services LLC, General Dynamics Government Systems Corporation, General Dynamics Government Systems Overseas Corporation, General Dynamics Information Technology Canada Limited, General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., General Dynamics Information Technology Limited, General Dynamics Installation Services LLC, General Dynamics International Corporation, General Dynamics Itronix LLC, General Dynamics Land Systems - Australia Pty. Ltd., General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada Corporation, General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada Services Inc., General Dynamics Land Systems - Canadian Services Limited, General Dynamics Land Systems - Force Protection Inc., General Dynamics Land Systems Customer Service & Support Company, General Dynamics Land Systems Inc., General Dynamics Limited, General Dynamics Marine Systems Inc., General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., General Dynamics Mission Systems International Limited, General Dynamics Mission Systems Overseas Company LLC, General Dynamics Motion Control LLC, General Dynamics OTS (Aerospace) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (California) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (DRI) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (Niceville) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (Pennsylvania) Inc., General Dynamics One Source LLC, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Canada Inc., General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Canada Valleyfield Inc., General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Simunition Operations Inc., General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Inc., General Dynamics Overseas Systems and Services Corporation, General Dynamics Properties Inc., General Dynamics Robotic Systems Inc., General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies Inc., General Dynamics Satcom Technologies Asia Private Limited, General Dynamics Satellite Communication Services LLC, General Dynamics Saudi Holdings S.L., General Dynamics Shared Resources LLC, General Dynamics Support Services Company, General Dynamics Swiss Financial Management Limited, General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited, General Dynamics Worldwide Holdings Inc., General Dynamics-OTS Inc., General Motors Defense, Gulfstream 100 Holdings LLC, Gulfstream Aerospace, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (CA), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (DE), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (GA), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (OK), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation of Texas, Gulfstream Aerospace Hong Kong Limited, Gulfstream Aerospace LLC, Gulfstream Aerospace LP, Gulfstream Aerospace Ltd., Gulfstream Aerospace Services Corporation, Gulfstream Aerospace Sociedad de Responssabilidad Limitada de CapitalVariable (S. de R.L. de C.V.), Gulfstream Do Brasil Servicos De Suporte E Manutencao A Aeronaves Ltda., Gulfstream International Corporation, Gulfstream Leasing LLC, Gulfstream Product Support Corporation, Gulfstream Services Corporation, Gulfstream Tennessee Corporation, Gulfstream-California Inc., Hawker Pacific (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Hawker Pacific Aircraft Management Pte Ltd, Hawker Pacific Airservices Limited, Hawker Pacific Airservices Pvt Ltd, Hawker Pacific Asia Holdings Pte Ltd, Hawker Pacific Asia Pte Ltd, Hawker Pacific Australia Pty Ltd, Hawker Pacific Aviation Services Pty Ltd, Hawker Pacific NZ Limited, Hawker Pacific Pty Ltd, IPWireless, IPWireless PTE. Limited, Information Services Consulting Limited, Interiores Aereos S.A. de C.V., International Manufacturing Technologies Inc., Itronix, Janteq Australia PTY Limited, Janteq Corp., Jet Aviation, Jet Aviation (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd., Jet Aviation (Bermuda) Ltd., Jet Aviation (Hong Kong) Ltd., Jet Aviation (Malaysia) SDN BHD, Jet Aviation 125 Services LLC, Jet Aviation AG, Jet Aviation Brazil Holdings Inc., Jet Aviation Business Jets (Hong Kong) Limited, Jet Aviation Business Jets AG, Jet Aviation Business Jets FZCO, Jet Aviation California LLC, Jet Aviation Dulles LLC, Jet Aviation Flight Services Inc., Jet Aviation France SAS, Jet Aviation Holding GmbH, Jet Aviation Holdings USA Inc., Jet Aviation Houston Inc., Jet Aviation International Inc., Jet Aviation Malaga SA, Jet Aviation Management AG, Jet Aviation Netherlands B.V., Jet Aviation Savannah Holding LLC, Jet Aviation Services GmbH, Jet Aviation St. Louis Inc., Jet Aviation Teterboro LP, Jet Aviation Texas Inc., Jet Aviation of America Inc., Jet Aviation/Palm Beach Inc., Jet Professionals LLC, Kylmar, Longreach Energy LLC, MAYA Viz, Maricom Systems Incorporated, Material Service Resources Company LLC, Matthews Land Company, Mediaware International, Mediaware International Pty Ltd, Metro Machine, Metro Machine co, Midwest Properties Sales LLC, NASSCO, NASSCO Holdings Incorporated, NES Associates LLC, National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, Network Connectivity Solutions Corp., Newberry Holdings LLC, OOO Jet Aviation Vnukovo, Open Kernel Labs, Page Europa Srl, Patriot I Shipping Corp., Patriot II Shipping Corp., Patriot IV Shipping Corp., Plane 79 LLC, Praxis Engineering Technologies LLC, PrimeX Technologies, Prodelin India Private Limited, Proyectos Prohumane Mexico S.A. de C.V., Quincy Maritime Corporation III, Raven Acquisitions LLC, SENTECH INC., SRA International Inc., Saco Defense, Santa Barbara Sistemas S.A., Savannah Air Center LLC, Signal Solutions LLC, Southern Illinois Recovery Inc., Spectrum Astro, St. Marks Powder Inc., Stabilo Pty Ltd, Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug AG & Co KG, Sydney Jet Charter Pty Ltd, Tadpole Computer, Tecnologias Internacionales de Manufactura S.A. de C.V., Tenacity Solutions Incorporated, The Depth of Ideas for General Trading LLC, TriPoint Global Communications, Vangent, Vangent Servicios de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Veridian, Vertex Antennentechnik GmbH, ViPS, Vulnerability Research Labs LLC, and Weco LLC.
Columbus Energy Resources plc engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas in Trinidad and Tobago, Spain, Cyprus, St Lucia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. It primarily holds a 100% interest in the Goudron Oilfield located in south-eastern Trinidad. The company was formerly known as LGO Energy plc and changed its name to Columbus Energy Resources plc in June 2017. Columbus Energy Resources plc was incorporated in 2006 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

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ConocoPhillips engages in the exploration, production, transportation and marketing of crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and liquefied natural gas on a worldwide basis. It operates through the following geographical segments: Alaska; Lower 48; Canada; Europe, Middle East and North Africa; Asia Pacific; and Other International. The Alaska segment primarily explores for produces, transports and markets crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The Lower 48 segment consists of operations in the U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment is comprised of oil sands development in the Athabasca Region of northeastern Alberta and a liquids-rich unconventional play in western Canada. The Europe, Middle East and North Africa segment consists of operations and exploration activities in Norway, the United Kingdom and Libya. The Asia Pacific segment has explorations and product operations in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. The Other International segment handles exploration activities in Columbia and Argentina. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF's stock was trading at $36.70 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, EWT stock has increased by 77.9% and is now trading at $65.28.

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Evonik Industries AG engages in the specialty chemicals business. It operates through Specialty Additives, Nutrition & Care, Smart Materials, Performance Materials, and Services segments. The Specialty Additives segment provides polyurethane additives, organically modified silicones, isophorones, epoxy curing agents, oil additives, fumed silicas, matting agents, TAA and TAA derivatives, and acetylenic diol-based surfactants for consumer goods and specialized industrial applications. The Nutrition & Care segment offers amphoteric surfactants, ceramides, phytosphingosines, oleochemicals, quaternary derivatives, amino acids and amino acid derivatives, synthesis products, pharmaceutical polymers, and DL-methionine for use in consumer goods, animal nutrition, and healthcare products. The Smart Materials segment provides hydrogen peroxide, activated nickel catalysts, precious metal powder catalysts, peracetic acid, oil and fat hydrogenation catalysts, amorphous polyalphaolefins, polybutadienes, polyester resins, thermoplastic and reactive methacrylate resins, PEEK, polyamide 12, organosilanes, chlorosilanes, fumed silicas, fumed metal oxides, and precipitated silicas for the automotive, paints, coatings, adhesives, construction, and various other sectors. The Performance Materials segment produces polymer materials and intermediates, including butene-1, DINP, isononanol, cyanuric chloride, alkoxides, and superabsorbent for rubber, plastics, and automotive industries. The Services segment provides site management, utilities and waste management, technical, process technology, engineering, and logistics services. It operates in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America, and North America. The company is headquartered in Essen, Germany. Evonik Industries AG is a subsidiary of RAG-Stiftung.

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KAZ Minerals PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing copper and other metals primarily in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It operates through Bozshakol, Aktogay, East Region and Bozymchak, and Mining Projects segments. The company operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the east region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan; three underground mines in the east region of Kazakhstan; and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also develops greenfield metal deposits; operates Koksay deposit in Kazakhstan, and the Baimskaya licence area in the Chukotka region of Russia; and produces and sells various by-products, such as gold, silver, molybdenum, and zinc. In addition, the company supplies and distributes heat, water, and electricity; and offers construction, project management, financing, management, sales and logistics, and repairs and maintenance services. The company was formerly known as Kazakhmys PLC and changed its name to KAZ Minerals PLC in October 2014. KAZ Minerals PLC was founded in 1930 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Eli Lilly and: 1096401 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, ARMO BioSciences Inc, ARMO Bioscience, Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Alnara Pharmaceuticals, Alnara Pharmaceuticals Inc., Andean Technical Operations Center, Applied Molecular Evolution Inc., AurKa Pharma, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc., ChemGen, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals Inc., Dermira, Devices for Vascular Intervention(DVI), Disarm Therapeutics, Dista Ilac Ticaret Ltd. Sti., Dista S.A., Dista-Produtos Quimicos & Farmaceuticos LDA, ELCO Dominicana SRL, ELCO Insurance Company Limited, ELCO Management Inc., ELCO for Trade and Marketing S.A.E., ELGO Insurance Company Limited, Elanco Animal Health Ireland Limited, Elanco Switzerland Holding Sarl, Eli Lilly (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Eli Lilly (Philippines) Incorporated, Eli Lilly (S.A.) (Proprietary) Limited, Eli Lilly (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Eli Lilly (Suisse) S.A., Eli Lilly Asia Inc., Eli Lilly Asia Pacific SSC Sdn Bhd, Eli Lilly Australia Pty. Limited, Eli Lilly B-H d.o.o., Eli Lilly Benelux S.A., Eli Lilly Bienes y Servicios S de RL de CV, Eli Lilly CR s.r.o., Eli Lilly Canada Inc., Eli Lilly Cork Limited, Eli Lilly Danmark A/S, Eli Lilly Egypt for Trading, Eli Lilly European Clinical Trial Services SA, Eli Lilly Export S.A., Eli Lilly Finance S.A., Eli Lilly Ges.m.b.H., Eli Lilly Group Limited, Eli Lilly Holdings Ltd., Eli Lilly Hrvatska d.o.o., Eli Lilly Interamerica Inc., Eli Lilly Interamerica Inc. y Compania Limitada, Eli Lilly International Corporation, Eli Lilly Ireland Holdings Limited, Eli Lilly Israel Ltd., Eli Lilly Italia S.p.A., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Eli Lilly Kinsale Limited, Eli Lilly Nederland B.V., Eli Lilly Nigeria Ltd., Eli Lilly Norge A.S., Eli Lilly Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd., Eli Lilly Polska Sp.z.o.o. (Ltd.), Eli Lilly Regional Operations GmbH, Eli Lilly Romania SRL, Eli Lilly S.A., Eli Lilly Saudi Arabia Limited, Eli Lilly Services Inc, Eli Lilly Services India Private Limited, Eli Lilly Slovakia s.r.o., Eli Lilly Sweden AB, Eli Lilly Vostok S.A. Geneva, Eli Lilly and Company, Eli Lilly and Company (India) Pvt. Ltd., Eli Lilly and Company (Ireland) Limited, Eli Lilly and Company (N.Z.) Limited, Eli Lilly and Company (Taiwan) Inc., Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Eli Lilly de Centro America S.A., Eli Lilly do Brasil Limitada, Eli Lilly farmacevtska druzba d.o.o., Eli Lilly y Compania de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Eli Lilly y Compania de Venezuela S.A., Glycostasis Inc, Greenfield-Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Heart Rhythm Technologies Inc, Hybritech, Hypnion, ICOS Corporation, ImClone GmbH, ImClone LLC, ImClone Systems Holdings Inc., ImClone Systems LLC, Imclone Systems, Irisfarma S.A., Ivy Animal Health, Kinsale Financial Services Unlimited Company, Lilly (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd, Lilly Asia Ventures Fund I L.P., Lilly Asia Ventures Fund II L.P., Lilly Asian Ventures Fund III L.P., Lilly Cayman Holdings, Lilly China Research and Development Co. Ltd., Lilly Deutschland GmbH, Lilly France S.A.S., Lilly Global Nederland Holdings B.V., Lilly Global Services Inc., Lilly Holding GmbH, Lilly Holdings B.V., Lilly Hungaria KFT, Lilly Japan Financing G.K., Lilly Korea Ltd., Lilly Nederland Finance B.V., Lilly Nederland Finance B.V. - GCC, Lilly Nederland Holding B.V., Lilly Pharma Ltd., Lilly Portugal - Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Lilly S.A., Lilly Suzhou Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Lilly Trading Co. LTD, Lilly USA LLC, Lilly Ventures Fund I LLC, Lilly del Caribe Inc., Lilly ilac ticaret limited sirketi, Lohmann Animal Health, Loxo Oncology, Lylly Centre for Clinical Pharmacology PTE. LTD., Novartis Animal Health, OY Eli Lilly Finland AB, Origin Medsystems, PT. Eli Lilly Indonesia, Pacific Biotech, Pharmaserve-Lilly S.A.C.I., Physio-Control, SGX Pharmaceuticals, SGX Pharmaceuticals Inc, Spaly Bioquimica S.A., UAB Eli Lilly Lietuva, Valquifarma S.A., and Vital Pharma Productos Farmaceuticos.
The following companies are subsidiares of EnerSys: ABSL Power Solutions Inc., ABSL Power Solutions Ltd., Acumuladores Industriales EnerSys SA, Alpha Alternative Energy Inc., Alpha Broadband Services Inc., Alpha Innovations Industria e Comercio de Produtos Eletronicos Ltda., Alpha Innovations Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Alpha Mexico Network Power S.A. de C.V., Alpha Tech Energy Solutions India Private Limited, Alpha Technical Services Ltd., Alpha Technologies Ltd., Alpha Technologies Pty. Ltd., Alpha Technologies Services Inc., Alphatec Technologies (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Argus Research Ltd., Batterias Hawker de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Battery Power International Pte Ltd., Coppervale Enterprises Inc., DCPM Engineering Sdn Bhd, EH Batterien AG, EH Europe GmbH, EH Global Holdings GmbH, EH Swiss Holdings GmbH, ENAS Industrial Batteries Morocco Sarl, EnerSys (Chaozhou) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (China) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (Chongqing) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (Jiangsu) Huada Batteries Company Limited (94.7%) *, EnerSys (Luxembourg) Finance Sarl, EnerSys (Yangzhou) Huada Batteries Co. Ltd., EnerSys A/S, EnerSys AB, EnerSys AD, EnerSys AE, EnerSys AS, EnerSys Advanced Systems Inc., EnerSys Argentina S.A., EnerSys Asia Limited, EnerSys Australia Pty Ltd., EnerSys BV, EnerSys BVBA, EnerSys Battery Private Limited, EnerSys Brasil Ltda., EnerSys Bulgaria EOOD, EnerSys Canada Inc., EnerSys Capital Inc., EnerSys Cayman Euro L.P., EnerSys Cayman Holdings L.P., EnerSys Cayman Inc., EnerSys Delaware Inc., EnerSys Delaware LLC I, EnerSys Delaware LLC II, EnerSys Delaware LLC III, EnerSys Delaware LLC IV, EnerSys Delaware LLC V, EnerSys Energy Products Inc., EnerSys Europe Oy, EnerSys European Holding Co., EnerSys GmbH, EnerSys Holdings (Luxembourg) Sarl, EnerSys Holdings UK Ltd., EnerSys Hungaria Kft., EnerSys India Batteries Private Ltd., EnerSys JSC, EnerSys LLC, EnerSys Ltd., EnerSys Malaysia Sdn Bhd, EnerSys Mexico Holdings LLC, EnerSys Mexico Management LLC, EnerSys Participacoes Ltda., EnerSys Reserve Power Pte. Ltd., EnerSys S.r.l., EnerSys SARL, EnerSys SNC, EnerSys South East Asia Pte. Ltd., EnerSys de Mexico II S de R.L. de CV, EnerSys de Mexico S de R.L. de CV, EnerSys s.r.o., EnerSys sp. z o.o., EnerSystem Chile Ltda., Enersys Aku Sanaya Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Esfinco LLC, Hawker GmbH, Hawker Power Systems Inc., Hawker Powersource Inc., Hawker Systems GmbH & Co. KG., ICS Industries Pty Ltd, ICS Industries Pty Ltd., ICS Sheet Metal Pty Ltd., Industrial Battery Holding Ltda., International Communication Shelters Australasia Pty Ltd., Lancord Pty Ltd., Lenmic Pty Ltd., MIB Energy Sdn Bhd, N Holding AB, National Infrastructure Pty Ltd., National Infrastructure Services Pty Ltd., NaviSemi Energy Pte Ltd., NaviSemi Inc., New Pacifico Realty Inc., NorthStar Battery Company LLC, NorthStar Battery Company LLC, NorthStar Battery DMCC, Outback Power Technologies Inc., Powercom (NSW) Pty Ltd., Powersonic S de R.L. de CV, Purcell Systems, Purcell Systems Inc., Purcell Systems International AB, Quallion LLC, Riverfront Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., Shenzhen Huada Power Supply Mechanical & Electrical Co. Ltd. , SiteTel Shanghai Co Ltd., SiteTel Sweden AB, Telecomponents & Supply (Hong Kong) Ltd., The Enser Corporation, UTS Holdings Sdn Bhd, UTS Technology (JB) Sdn Bhd, UTS Technology (PG) Sdn Bhd, YCI Inc., and Yecoltd S. de R.L. de CV.
Genworth Financial, Inc. is a financial services company, which engages in the provision of insurance, wealth management, investment and financial solutions. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Mortgage Insurance, Australia Mortgage Insurance, U.S. Life Insurance, and Runoff. The U.S. Mortgage Insurance segment offers mortgage insurance products predominantly insuring prime-based, individually underwritten residential mortgage loans. The Australia Mortgage Insurance segment offers flow mortgage insurance and selectively provides bulk mortgage insurance that aids in the sale of mortgages to the capital markets and helps lenders manage capital and risk. The U.S. Life Insurance segment offers long-term care insurance products as well as service traditional life insurance and fixed annuity products in the United States. The Runoff segment includes the results of non-strategic products which are no longer actively sold but continue to service its existing blocks of business. Its non-strategic products primarily include variable annuity, variable life insurance, institutional, corporate-owned life insurance and other accident and health insurance products. The company was fo

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The following companies are subsidiares of Banco Santander: 2 & 3 Triton Limited, A & L CF (Guernsey) Limited (f), A & L CF June (2) Limited, A & L CF June (3) Limited, A & L CF March (5) Limited, A & L CF September (4) Limited, AFB SAM Holdings S.L., ALIL Services Limited (b), AN (123) Limited, ANITCO Limited, Abbey Business Services (India) Private Limited, Abbey Covered Bonds (LM) Limited, Abbey National, Abbey National Beta Investments Limited, Abbey National Business Office Equipment Leasing Limited, Abbey National International Limited, Abbey National Nominees Limited, Abbey National PLP (UK) Limited, Abbey National Property Investments, Abbey National Treasury Services Investments Limited, Abbey National Treasury Services Overseas Holdings, Abbey National UK Investments, Abbey Stockbrokers (Nominees) Limited, Abbey Stockbrokers Limited, Ablasa Participaciones S.L., Administracion de Bancos Latinoamericanos Santander S.L., Aduro S.A., Aevis Europa S.L., Afisa S.A., Albert., Aljardi SGPS Lda., Alliance & Leicester, Alliance & Leicester Cash Solutions Limited, Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank Limited, Alliance & Leicester Investments (Derivatives) Limited, Alliance & Leicester Investments (No.2) Limited, Alliance & Leicester Investments Limited, Alliance & Leicester Limited, Alliance & Leicester Personal Finance Limited, Altamira Santander Real Estate S.A., Alternative Leasing FIL, Amazonia Trade Limited, Amherst Pierpont, Andaluza de Inversiones S.A., Aquanima Brasil Ltda., Aquanima Chile S.A., Aquanima Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Aquanima S.A., Arcaz - Sociedade Imobiliaria Portuguesa Lda., Argenline S.A. (b), Asto Digital Limited, Athena Corporation Limited, Atual - Fundo de Invest Multimercado Credito Privado Investimento no Exterior, Atual Servicos de Recuperacao de Creditos e Meios Digitais S.A., Autodescuento S.L., Autohaus24 GmbH, Auttar HUT Processamento de Dados Ltda., Aviacion Antares A.I.E., Aviacion Britanica A.I.E., Aviacion Centaurus A.I.E., Aviacion Comillas S.L. Unipersonal, Aviacion Intercontinental A.I.E., Aviacion Laredo S.L., Aviacion Oyambre S.L. Unipersonal, Aviacion Real A.I.E., Aviacion Santillana S.L., Aviacion Suances S.L., Aviacion Triton A.I.E., Aymore Credito Financiamento e Investimento S.A., BEN Beneficios e Servicos S.A., BRS Investments S.A., BZW Bank, Banca PSA Italia S.p.A., Banco Bandepe S.A., Banco Madesant - Sociedade Unipessoal S.A., Banco PSA Finance Brasil S.A., Banco Popular, Banco Santander (Brasil) S.A., Banco Santander (Mexico) S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico como Fiduciaria del Fideicomiso 100740, Banco Santander (Mexico) S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico como Fiduciaria del Fideicomiso 2002114, Banco Santander (Mexico) S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico como Fiduciaria del Fideicomiso GFSSLPT, Banco Santander - Chile, Banco Santander Consumer Portugal S.A., Banco Santander International, Banco Santander International SA, Banco Santander Mexico S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Banco Santander Peru S.A., Banco Santander Rio S.A., Banco Santander S.A., Banco Santander Totta S.A., Banco Santander de Negocios Colombia S.A., Banco de Albacete S.A., Bansa Santander S.A., CCAP Auto Lease Ltd., Canyon Multifamily Impact Fund IV LLC, Capital Street Delaware LP, Capital Street Holdings LLC, Capital Street REIT Holdings LLC, Capital Street S.A., Carfax (Guernsey) Limited (f), Carfinco Financial Group, Carfinco Financial Group Inc., Carfinco Inc., Casa de Bolsa Santander S.A. de C.V. Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Cater Allen Holdings Limited, Cater Allen International Limited, Cater Allen Limited, Cater Allen Lloyd's Holdings Limited, Cater Allen Syndicate Management Limited, Centro de Capacitacion Santander A.C., Certidesa S.L., Chrysler Capital Auto Funding I LLC, Chrysler Capital Auto Funding II LLC, Chrysler Capital Auto Receivables LLC, Chrysler Capital Master Auto Receivables Funding 2 LLC, Chrysler Capital Master Auto Receivables Funding 4 LLC, Chrysler Capital Master Auto Receivables Funding LLC, Cobranza Amigable S.A.P.I. de C.V., Community Development and Affordable Housing Fund LLC (g), Compagnie Generale de Credit Aux Particuliers - Credipar S.A., Compagnie Pour la Location de Vehicules - CLV, Comunidad Laboral Trabajando Argentina S.A., Comunidad Laboral Trabajando Iberica S.L. Unipersonal en liquidacion (b), Consulteam Consultores de Gestao Lda., Consumer Lending Receivables LLC, Crawfall S.A. (b), Cantabra de Inversiones S.A., Cantabro Catalana de Inversiones S.A., Darep Designated Activity Company, Decarome S.A.P.I. de C.V., Deva Capital Advisory Company S.L., Deva Capital Holding Company S.L., Deva Capital Investment Company S.L., Deva Capital Management Company S.L., Deva Capital Servicer Company S.L., Digital Procurement Holdings N.V., Diners Club Spain S.A., Direccion Estratega S.C., Dirgenfin S.L. en liquidacion (b), Ebury, El Corte Ingles, Elavon Mexico, Electrolyser S.A. de C.V., Entidad de Desarrollo a la Pequena y Micro Empresa Santander Consumo Peru S.A., Erestone S.A.S., Esfera Fidelidade S.A., Evidence Previdencia S.A., Financeira El Corte Ingles Portugal S.F.C. S.A., Financiera El Corte Ingles E.F.C. S.A., Finsantusa S.L. Unipersonal, First National Motor Business Limited, First National Motor Contracts Limited, First National Motor Facilities Limited, First National Motor Finance Limited, First National Motor Leasing Limited, First National Motor plc, First National Tricity Finance Limited, Fondos Santander S.A. Administradora de Fondos de Inversion (en liquidacion) (b), Fortensky Trading Ltd., Fosse Funding (No.1) Limited, Fosse Master Issuer plc, Fosse Trustee (UK) Limited, GTS El Centro Equity Holdings LLC, GTS El Centro Project Holdings LLC, Gamma Sociedade Financeira de Titularizacao de Creditos S.A., Gesban Mexico Servicios Administrativos Globales S.A. de C.V., Gesban Santander Servicios Profesionales Contables Limitada, Gesban Servicios Administrativos Globales S.L., Gesban UK Limited, Gestion de Instalaciones Fotovoltaicas S.L. Unipersonal, Gestion de Inversiones JILT S.A., Gestora de Procesos S.A. en liquidacion (b), Getnet Adquirencia e Servicos para Meios de Pagamento S.A., Global Vosgos S.L. Unipersonal, Grupo Empresarial Santander S.L., Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico S.A. de C.V., Grupo Financiero Santander SAB de CV, Guaranty Car S.A. Unipersonal, HQ Mobile Limited, Hispamer Renting S.A. Unipersonal, Holbah II Limited, Holbah Santander S.L. Unipersonal, Holmes Funding Limited, Holmes Master Issuer plc, Holmes Trustees Limited, Hyundai Capital Bank Europe GmbH, Iberica de Compras Corporativas S.L., Independence Community Bank Corp., Insurance Funding Solutions Limited, Interfinance Holanda B.V., Inversiones Capital Global S.A. Unipersonal, Inversiones Maritimas del Mediterraneo S.A., Isla de los Buques S.A., Klare Corredora de Seguros S.A., Landcompany 2020 S.L., Langton Funding (No.1) Limited, Langton Mortgages Trustee (UK) Limited, Langton Securities (2008-1) plc, Langton Securities (2010-1) PLC, Langton Securities (2010-2) PLC, Laparanza S.A., Liquidity Limited, Luri 1 S.A. en liquidacion (b) (e), Luri 6 S.A. Unipersonal, Master Red Europa S.L., Mata Alta S.L., Merciver S.L., Mercury TFS, Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.A. de C.V., Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.L., Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.p.A., Moneybit S.L., Mortgage Engine Limited, Motor 2016-1 PLC, Motor 2017-1 PLC, Mouro Capital I LP, Multiplica SpA, NW Services CO., Naviera Mirambel S.L., Naviera Trans Gas A.I.E., Naviera Trans Iron S.L., Naviera Trans Ore A.I.E., Naviera Trans Wind S.L. (b), Naviera Transcantabrica S.L., Naviera Transchem S.L. Unipersonal, NeoAuto S.A.C., Norbest AS, Novimovest  Fundo de Investimento Imobiliario, Open Bank Argentina S.A., Open Bank S.A., Open Digital Market S.L., Open Digital Services S.L., Operadora de Carteras Gamma S.A.P.I. de C.V., Optimal Investment Services SA, Optimal Multiadvisors Ireland Plc / Optimal Strategic US Equity Ireland Euro Fund, Optimal Multiadvisors Ireland Plc / Optimal Strategic US Equity Ireland US Dollar Fund, PBE Companies LLC, PECOH Limited, PI Distribuidora de Titulos e Valores Mobiliarios S.A., PSA Bank Deutschland GmbH, PSA Banque France, PSA Finance UK Limited, PSA Financial Services Nederland B.V., PSA Financial Services Spain E.F.C. S.A., PSA Renting Italia S.p.A., PagoFX Europe S.A., PagoFX HoldCo S.L., PagoFX UK Ltd, PagoNxt Merchant Solutions S.L., PagoNxt S.L., Parasant SA, Patagon.com, Pereda Gestion S.A., Pingham International S.A., Popular Spain Holding de Inversiones S.L.U., Portal Universia Argentina S.A., Portal Universia Portugal Prestacao de Servicos de Informatica S.A., Prime 16  Fundo de Investimentos Imobiliario, Punta Lima LLC, Punta Lima Wind Farm LLC, Retop S.A., Return Capital Servicos de Recuperacao de Creditos S.A., Return Gestao de Recursos S.A., Riobank International (Uruguay) SAIFE (b), Rojo Entretenimento S.A., SAM Asset Management S.A. de C.V. Sociedad Operadora de Fondos de Inversion, SAM Investment Holdings S.L., SAM UK Investment Holdings Limited (b), SANB Promotora de Vendas e Cobranca Ltda., SCF Eastside Locks GP Limited, SDMX Superdigital S.A. de C.V., SMPS Merchant Platform Solutions Mexico S.A de C.V, Sancap Investimentos e Participacoes S.A., Santander (CF Trustee Property Nominee) Limited, Santander (UK) Group Pension Schemes Trustees Limited, Santander Ahorro Inmobiliario 1 S.A., Santander Ahorro Inmobiliario 2 S.A., Santander Alternatives SICAV RAIF, Santander Asesorias Financieras Limitada, Santander Asset Finance (December) Limited, Santander Asset Finance plc, Santander Asset Management - S.G.O.I.C. S.A., Santander Asset Management Chile S.A., Santander Asset Management LLC, Santander Asset Management Luxembourg S.A., Santander Asset Management S.A. Administradora General de Fondos, Santander Asset Management S.A. S.G.I.I.C., Santander Asset Management UK Holdings Limited, Santander Asset Management UK Limited, Santander Back-Offices Globales Mayoristas S.A., Santander Banca de Inversion Colombia S.A.S., Santander Bank & Trust Ltd., Santander Bank National Association, Santander Bank Polska S.A., Santander Brasil Administradora de Consorcio Ltda., Santander Brasil Gestao de Recursos Ltda., Santander Brasil Tecnologia S.A., Santander Capital Desarrollo SGEIC S.A. Unipersonal, Santander Capital Structuring S.A. de C.V., Santander Capitalizacao S.A., Santander Cards Ireland Limited, Santander Cards Limited, Santander Cards UK Limited, Santander Chile Holding S.A., Santander Consulting (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Santander Consumer (UK) plc, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2013-B2 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2013-B3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L4 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L5 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-B1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-L2 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-L3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-B1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-L1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-L2 LLC, Santander Consumer Bank, Santander Consumer Bank AG, Santander Consumer Bank GmbH, Santander Consumer Bank S.A., Santander Consumer Bank S.p.A., Santander Consumer Banque S.A., Santander Consumer Credit Services Limited, Santander Consumer Finance Benelux B.V., Santander Consumer Finance Global Services S.L., Santander Consumer Finance Oy, Santander Consumer Finance S.A., Santander Consumer Finance Schweiz AG, Santander Consumer Financial Solutions Sp. z o.o., Santander Consumer Finanse Sp. z o.o. (b), Santander Consumer Holding Austria GmbH, Santander Consumer Holding GmbH, Santander Consumer International Puerto Rico LLC, Santander Consumer Leasing GmbH, Santander Consumer Mediacion Operador de Banca-Seguros Vinculado S.L., Santander Consumer Multirent Sp. z o.o., Santander Consumer Operations Services GmbH, Santander Consumer Receivables 10 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables 11 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables 3 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables 7 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables Funding LLC, Santander Consumer Renting S.L., Santander Consumer S.A., Santander Consumer S.A.S., Santander Consumer Services GmbH, Santander Consumer Services S.A., Santander Consumer Technology Services GmbH, Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc., Santander Consumer USA Inc., Santander Consumo S.A. de C.V. S.O.F.O.M. E.R. Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Santander Corredora de Seguros Limitada, Santander Corredores de Bolsa Limitada, Santander Corretora de Cambio e Valores Mobiliarios S.A., Santander Corretora de Seguros Investimentos e Servicos S.A., Santander Customer Voice S.A., Santander Digital Assets S.L., Santander Drive Auto Receivables LLC, Santander Equity Investments Limited, Santander Espana Merchant Services Entidad de Pago S.L. Unipersonal, Santander Espana Servicios Legales y de Cumplimiento S.L., Santander Estates Limited, Santander F24 S.A., Santander Facility Management Espana S.L., Santander Factoring S.A., Santander Factoring Sp. z o.o., Santander Factoring y Confirming S.A. E.F.C., Santander Finance 2012-1 LLC, Santander Financial Exchanges Limited, Santander Financial Services Inc., Santander Financial Services plc, Santander Finanse Sp. z o.o., Santander Fintech Holdings S.L., Santander Fintech Limited, Santander Fundo de Investimento SBAC Referenciado di Credito Privado, Santander Gestion de Recaudacion y Cobranzas Ltda., Santander Global Consumer Finance Limited, Santander Global Facilities S.A. de C.V., Santander Global Facilities S.L., Santander Global Operations S.A., Santander Global Services S.A. (b), Santander Global Sport S.A., Santander Global Technology Brasil Ltda., Santander Global Technology Chile Limitada, Santander Global Technology S.L., Santander Global Trade Platform Solutions S.L., Santander Guarantee Company, Santander Holding Imobiliaria S.A., Santander Holding Internacional S.A., Santander Holdings USA Inc., Santander ISA Managers Limited, Santander Inclusion Financiera S.A. de C.V. S.O.F.O.M. E.R. Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Santander Insurance Agency U.S. LLC, Santander Insurance Services UK Limited, Santander Intermediacion Correduria de Seguros S.A., Santander International Products Plc. (d), Santander Inversiones S.A., Santander Investment Bank Limited, Santander Investment Chile Limitada, Santander Investment I S.A., Santander Investment S.A., Santander Investment Securities Inc., Santander Investments GP 1 S.a.r.l., Santander Inwestycje Sp. z o.o., Santander Lease S.A. E.F.C., Santander Leasing LLC, Santander Leasing S.A., Santander Leasing S.A. Arrendamento Mercantil, Santander Lending Limited, Santander Mediacion Operador de Banca-Seguros Vinculado S.A., Santander Merchant Platform Operations S.A. de C.V., Santander Merchant Platform Services S.A. de C.V., Santander Merchant Platform Solutions Mexico S.A. de C.V., Santander Merchant Platform Solutions S.A., Santander Merchant Platform Solutions Uruguay S.A., Santander Merchant Platform SolucoesTecnologicas Brasil Ltda., Santander Merchant S.A., Santander Mortgage Holdings Limited, Santander Paraty Qif PLC, Santander Pensiones S.A. E.G.F.P., Santander Pensoes - Sociedade Gestora de Fundos de Pensoes S.A., Santander Private Banking Gestion S.A. S.G.I.I.C., Santander Private Banking UK Limited, Santander Private Banking s.p.a. in Liquidazione (b), Santander Private Real Estate Advisory & Management S.A., Santander Private Real Estate Advisory S.A., Santander Real Estate S.A., Santander Retail Auto Lease Funding LLC, Santander Rio Asset Management Gerente de Fondos Comunes de Inversion S.A., Santander Rio Trust S.A., Santander Rio Valores S.A., Santander S.A. Sociedad Securitizadora, Santander Secretariat Services Limited, Santander Securities LLC, Santander Seguros y Reaseguros Compania Aseguradora S.A., Santander Servicios Corporativos S.A. de C.V., Santander Servicios Especializados S.A. de C.V., Santander Technology USA LLC, Santander Tecnologia e Inovacao Ltda., Santander Tecnologia Argentina S.A., Santander Tecnologia Espana S.L.U., Santander Tecnologia Mexico S.A. de C.V., Santander Totta SGPS S.A., Santander Totta Seguros Companhia de Seguros de Vida S.A., Santander Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych S.A., Santander Trade Services Limited, Santander UK Group Holdings plc, Santander UK Investments, Santander UK Operations Limited, Santander UK Plc, Santander UK Technology Limited, Santander Wealth Management International SA, Santander de Titulizacion S.G.F.T. S.A., Santusa Holding S.L., Services and Promotions Delaware Corp., Services and Promotions Miami LLC, Servicio de Alarmas Controladas por Ordenador S.A., Servicios de Cobranza Recuperacion y Seguimiento S.A. De C.V., Sheppards Moneybrokers Limited, Shiloh III Wind Project LLC, Sociedad Integral de Valoraciones Automatizadas S.A., Sociedad Operadora de Tarjetas de Pago Santander Getnet Chile S.A., Socur S.A., Sol Orchard Imperial 1 LLC, Solarlaser Limited, Sovereign Community Development Company, Sovereign Delaware Investment Corporation, Sovereign Lease Holdings LLC, Sovereign REIT Holdings Inc., Sovereign Spirit Limited (f), Sterrebeeck B.V., Suleyado 2003 S.L. Unipersonal, Summer Empreendimentos Ltda., Super Pagamentos e Administracao de Meios Eletronicos S.A., Superdigital Argentina S.A.U., Superdigital Colombia S.A.S., Superdigital Holding Company S.L., Superdigital Peru S.A.C., Suzuki Servicios Financieros S.L., Swesant SA, TIMFin S.p.A., TOPSAM S.A de C.V., Taxagest Sociedade Gestora de Participacoes Sociais S.A., Teatinos Siglo XXI Inversiones S.A., The Alliance & Leicester Corporation Limited, The Best Specialty Coffee S.L. Unipersonal, Time Retail Finance Limited (b), Tonopah Solar I LLC, Toque Fale Servicos de Telemarketing Ltda., Tornquist Asesores de Seguros S.A. (b), Totta (Ireland) PLC, Totta Urbe - Empresa de Administracao e Construcoes S.A., Trabajando.com Mexico S.A. de C.V. en liquidacion (b), Trabajando.com Peru S.A.C., Trans Rotor Limited (b), Transolver Finance EFC S.A., Tresmares Growth Fund Santander SCR S.A., Tresmares Santander Direct Lending SICC S.A., Tuttle and Son Limited, Universia Brasil S.A., Universia Chile S.A., Universia Colombia S.A.S., Universia Espana Red de Universidades S.A., Universia Holding S.L., Universia Mexico S.A. de C.V., Universia Peru S.A., Universia Uruguay S.A., Uro Property Holdings SOCIMI S.A., WIM Servicios Corporativos S.A. de C.V., WTW Shipping Designated Activity Company, Wallcesa S.A., Wave Holdco S.L., Waypoint Insurance Group Inc., and Wirecard (Technological Assets).
Inmarsat plc provides mobile satellite communications services on land, at sea, and in the air worldwide. The company operates through five segments: Maritime, U.S. Government, Global Government, Aviation, and Enterprise. It offers voice and data broadband services; global maritime distress and safety system services; mobile and fixed voice services; a portfolio of machine-to-machine services that provide two-way data connectivity for messaging, tracking, and monitoring of fixed or mobile assets; maritime satellite services, including very small aperture terminals and television receive only antenna services; and Global Xpress, a high-speed broadband service that offer seamless connectivity for advanced data services on land, at sea, and in the air. The company also offers in-flight voice, data, safety, and cabin connectivity services for business and commercial air transport. It owns and operates 13 satellites. The company serves the aviation, government, enterprise, and maritime sectors. Inmarsat plc was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF's stock was trading at $37.30 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, VWO stock has increased by 39.6% and is now trading at $52.08.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
Imperial Brands PLC, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, imports, markets, and sells tobacco and tobacco-related products. It offers a range of cigarettes, fine cut and smokeless tobacco, papers, and cigars; and next generation product (NGP) portfolio, such as e-vapour products, as well as oral nicotine and heated tobacco products. The company sells its products under various brands, including Davidoff, Gauloises, JPS, West, L&B, Bastos, Fine, Winston, News, Parker & Simpson, blu, Kool, Horizon, Jade, Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo Y Julieta, Backwoods, Skruf, Golden Virginia, Rizla, and Knox in approximately 160 countries worldwide. It also provides logistics services that include the distribution of tobacco and NGP products for tobacco and NGP product manufacturers; and various non-tobacco and NGP products and services. In addition, the company is involved in the management of a golf course; marketing of papers; restaurant business; distribution of pharmaceuticals, POS software, and published materials and other products; printing and publishing activities; and provision of long haul transportation, industrial parcel and express delivery, advertising, and support management services. Further, it owns the trademarks; and retails its products. The company was formerly known as Imperial Tobacco Group PLC and changed its name to Imperial Brands PLC in February 2016. Imperial Brands PLC was founded in 1901 and is headquartered in Bristol, the United Kingdom.

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The following companies are subsidiares of NOV: AG Holding UK, APL France SAS, APL Management Pte Ltd, APL Norway AS, APL do Brasil Ltda., ASEP Group Holding B.V., ASEP Otomotiv Sanayi Ticaret Ltd., Ackerman Holdings C.V., Ackerman Holdings GP LLC, Ackerman International Holland B.V., Advanced Production and Loading, Advanced Wirecloth, Aggregate Plant Products Co., American Pipe and Construction International, Ameron B.V., Ameron Holdings Pte. Ltd., Ameron International, Ameron International Corporation, Ameron Pole Products LLC, Ameron Polyplaster Industria E Comercio de Tubos Ltda., Ameron Singapore Holding, Ameron Singapore Poly Holdings Pte. Ltd., Ameron Trading Holdings Pte. Ltd., Andergauge Limited, Andergauge Redback, Andergauge USA, Arabian Rig Manufacturing Company, Axiom Process Limited, Belco Manufacturing Company, Big Red Tubulars Limited, Bondstrand Ltd., Bowen Downhole Inc., Bowen Downhole LLC, Brandt Interests, Brandt Oilfield Services (M) Sdn. Bhd., C.M.A. Canavera S.R.L., CJSC Fidmash, CJSC Novmash, CSI Inspection, Camco Drilling Group Limited, Chemineer, Coil Services Middle East LLC, Containment Solutions, Containment Solutions Services, Couoperatie Intelliserv Holding U.A., Couoperatie NOV NL U.A., Danco AS, Denali Incorporated, Denali Management, Devin International, Dreco Canada L.P., Dreco DHT, Dreco Eastern Europe ULC, Dreco Energy Services ULC, Dreco International Holdings ULC, Dreco LLC, E.C. Motors, Elmar Far East Pty Ltd, Enerflow Industries, Enerpro de Mexico, Environmental Procedures LLC, Ershigs, Fabricated Plastics Acquisitions Limited, Fabricated Plastics Limited, Fiber Glass Systems, Fiber Glass Systems (Qingdao) Composite Piping Co., Fiber Glass Systems Holdings, Fiber Glass Systems Oman L.L.C., Fiber Glass Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fiberspar, Fiberspar Australia Pty. Ltd., Fiberspar Corporation, Fiberspar Linepipe Canada Ltd., Fibra Ingenieria y Construccion S.A., FidService, Fjords Processing (Shanghai) Co., Fjords Processing 1 AS, Fjords Processing AS, Fjords Processing Australia Pty Ltd, Fjords Processing France SAS, Fjords Processing Korea Co. Ltd., Fjords Processing Limited, Fjords Processing UK Ltd., Fryma S.a.r.l., GOT German Oil Tools GmbH, GP USA Holding LLC, GPEX, German Oil Tools (Middle East) FZE, Grant Prideco (Jiangsu) Drilling Products Co., Grant Prideco (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Grant Prideco AB TCA Holding LLC, Grant Prideco European Holding, Grant Prideco Holding, Grant Prideco III C. V., Grant Prideco Inc., Grant Prideco Jersey Limited, Grant Prideco L.P., Grant Prideco Mauritius Limited, Grant Prideco Netherlands B.V., Grant Prideco PC Composites Holdings, Grant Prideco S. de R.L. de C.V., Grant Prideco USA, Grant Prideco de Venezuela, Greystone Technologies Pty. Ltd., GustoMSC B.V., GustoMSC U.S., Hebei Huayouyiji Tuboscope Coating Co., Hitec AS, Hydralift AmClyde, Hydralift France SAS, Hydralift Holdings UK Limited, Inspecciones y Pruebas No Destructivas, IntelliServ Norway AS, Intelliserv, Intelliserv GP Holdings LLC, Intelliserv International Holding, Intelliserv LLC, Interval LLC, JiangYin Tuboscope Tubular Development Co., Merpro Group Limited, Merpro Products Limited, Merpro Tortek Limited, Midsund Bruk AS, Mono Group Pension Trustees Limited, Mono Pumps New Zealand Company, Monoflo NOV S.A.I.C., Moyno Inc., Moyno de Mexico S.A. de C.V., NKT Flexibles I/S, NOV (Asia), NOV (Barbados) Holding SRL, NOV (Barbados) SRL, NOV (Caymans), NOV (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., NOV - Oil Services Angola LDA., NOV APL Limited, NOV ASEP Elmar Mexico, NOV Africa Pty Ltd, NOV Australia Pty Ltd, NOV Azerbaijan LLC, NOV Brandt Europe France, NOV Brandt Oilfield Services Middle East LLC, NOV CV1 GP LLC, NOV CV2 GP LLC, NOV Completion Tools AS, NOV Completion Tools LLC, NOV Completion and Production Solutions Korea Ltd., NOV DH de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., NOV DHT Canada Holding ULC, NOV Denmark Cooperatief U.A., NOV Downhole Argentina, NOV Downhole Bolivia S.R.L., NOV Downhole Colombia, NOV Downhole Comercializacao de Equipamentos para Petroleo Ltda., NOV Downhole Congo, NOV Downhole Eurasia Limited, NOV Downhole Europe B.V., NOV Downhole Germany GmbH, NOV Downhole Italia S.R.L., NOV Downhole Kazakhstan, NOV Downhole Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., NOV Downhole Pty Ltd, NOV Downhole Thailand, NOV Dreco GP LLC, NOV EU Acquisition SNC, NOV Elmar (Middle East) Limited, NOV Elmar NL B.V., NOV Elmar Pte. Ltd., NOV Enerflow ULC, NOV Eurasia Holding LLC, NOV European Holding LLC, NOV Expatriate Services, NOV FGS Malaysia Sdn Bhd, NOV FGS Singapore (Pte.) Ltd, NOV Fiber Glass Systems Fabricacao De Tubos E Conexoes Ltda, NOV Flexibles Equipamentos E Servicos Ltda., NOV Flexibles Holding ApS, NOV Floating Production AS, NOV Fluid Control B.V., NOV GEO GP LLC, NOV GEO LP1 C.V., NOV GEO LP2 C.V., NOV GP Holding L.P., NOV GP1 Holding LLC, NOV Gabon SARL, NOV Germany Holding GmbH, NOV Ghana Limited, NOV Grant Prideco Drilling Equipment Manufacturing LLC, NOV Grant Prideco Drilling Products Middle East FZE, NOV Grant Prideco L.L.C., NOV Holding Danmark ApS, NOV Holding Germany GmbH & Co KG, NOV Holding Germany Management GmbH, NOV Holdings B.V., NOV Hydra Rig Pte. Ltd, NOV India Private Limited, NOV Intelliserv UK Limited, NOV International Holdings C.V., NOV International Holdings GP LLC, NOV Intervention & Stimulation Equipment US LLC, NOV Intervention and Stimulation Equipment  Aftermarket Comercio de Equipamentos e Servicos Ltda., NOV Kenya Limited, NOV Kostroma LLC, NOV Kuwait Light & Heavy Equipment Repairing & Maintenance Co., NOV LP (Trading), NOV MSI Pipe Protection Technologies Inc., NOV MSI Pipe Protection Technologies Mexico, NOV Mexico Holding LLC, NOV Middle East FZCO, NOV Mission Products UK Limited, NOV Mozambique Limitada, NOV NL Mexico Holding B.V., NOV Netherlands Finance Holding C.V., NOV Netherlands Finance Holding LLC, NOV North America I/P, NOV Oil & Gas Services Egypt (S.A.E), NOV Oil & Gas Services Uganda Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services Ghana Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services Nigeria Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services South Africa (Pty) Limited, NOV Oilfield Services Tanzania Limited, NOV Oilfield Services Vostok LLC, NOV Oilfield Solutions Ltd., NOV Park II B.V., NOV Process & Flow Technologies AS, NOV Process & Flow Technologies Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., NOV Process & Flow Technologies Pte. Ltd., NOV Process & Flow Technologies UK Limited, NOV Process & Flow Technologies US, NOV Rig Solutions Pte. Ltd., NOV Romania, NOV Saudi Arabia Co. Ltd., NOV Saudi Arabia Trading Co., NOV Services Ltd., NOV Servicios de Personal Mexico, NOV Subsea Products AS, NOV TV2 LLC, NOV TVI LLC, NOV Tanajib Kuwait for Services and Maintenance of Oil Rigs Refineries and Petrochemicals, NOV Tuboscope Italia S.R.L., NOV Tuboscope Middle East LLC, NOV Tuboscope NL B.V., NOV Tubulars and Connectors Ltd., NOV UK (Angola Acquisitions) Limited, NOV UK Finance Limited, NOV UK Holdings Limited, NOV UK Korea LP, NOV Wellbore Technologies Norway LLC, NOV Wellbore Technologies do Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Ltda., NOV Wellsite Services Germany GmbH, NOV Worldwide C.V., NOV-BLM SAS, NOVM Holding LLC, NOW Downhole Tools, NOW International LLC, NOW Nova Scotia Holdings LLC, NOW Oilfield Services, NQL Holland B.V., National Oilwell (U.K.) Limited, National Oilwell Algerie, National Oilwell DHT, National Oilwell Middle East Company, National Oilwell Services de Mexico, National Oilwell Varco (Beijing) Investment Management Co. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco (Thailand) Ltd., National Oilwell Varco Algeria, National Oilwell Varco Almansoori Services, National Oilwell Varco Bahrain WLL, National Oilwell Varco Belgium SA, National Oilwell Varco Denmark I/S, National Oilwell Varco Egypt LLC, National Oilwell Varco Eurasia, National Oilwell Varco Guatemala, National Oilwell Varco Guyana Inc., National Oilwell Varco Hungary Limited Liability Company, National Oilwell Varco Korea Co., National Oilwell Varco MSW S.A., National Oilwell Varco Mexico, National Oilwell Varco Muscat L.L.C., National Oilwell Varco Norway AS, National Oilwell Varco Peru S.R.L., National Oilwell Varco Petroleum Equipment (Shanghai) Co., National Oilwell Varco Poland Sp.z.o.o., National Oilwell Varco Pte. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco Rig Equipment Trading (Shanghai) Co., National Oilwell Varco Romania S.R.L., National Oilwell Varco Solutions, National Oilwell Varco UK Limited, National Oilwell Varco Ukraine LLC, National Oilwell Varco de Bolivia S.R.L., National Oilwell Varco de Chile - Servicios Limitada, National Oilwell Varco do Brasil Ltda., National Oilwell de Venezuela, National-Oilwell Pte. Ltd., National-Oilwell Pty. Ltd., PT Fjords Processing Indonesia, PT H-Tech Oilfield Equipment, PT NOV Oilfield Services, PT National Oilwell Varco, PT PROFAB INDONESIA, Pesaka Inspection Services SDN.BHD., Pipex Limited, Pipex PX Limited, Pipex Structural Composites Limited, Pridecomex Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., Pridecomex TA Industries, Procon Engineering Ltd., Profab Engineering Pte. Ltd., Profab Services Pte Ltd, Quality Tubing FSC, R&M C.V., R&M Canada Cooperatief U.A., R&M Energy Systems Australia Pty Ltd., R&M Energy Systems de Argentina S.A., R&M Energy Systems de Venezuela, R&M Environmental Strategies, R&M Singapore Holding LLC, R&M UK Holding LLC, RE.MAC.UT. S.r.l., RHI Holding LLC, ReedHycalog, ReedHycalog International Holding, ReedHycalog LLC, ReedHycalog UK Limited, Robannic Overseas Finance A.V.V., Robbins & Myers, Robbins & Myers (Suzhou) Process Equipment Company Limited, Robbins & Myers B.V., Robbins & Myers Foundation, Robbins & Myers GP LLC, Robbins & Myers Holdings, Robbins & Myers Holdings UK Limited, Robbins & Myers Inc, Robbins & Myers Italia S.R.L., Robbins & Myers N.V., Rodic S.A. de C.V., Romaco S.a.r.l., STAR Sudamtex Tubulares S.A., STBH2O TUNISIE, STSA, Screen Manufacturing Company Unlimited, Seabox AS, Slip Clutch Systems Limited, Smart Drilling GmbH, Soil Recovery A/S, South Seas Inspection, Subseaflex Holding ApS, T-3 Energy Preferred Industries Mexico, T-3 Energy Services, T-3 Energy Services Cayman, T-3 Energy Services Cayman Holdings, T-3 Energy Services India Private Limited, T-3 Energy Services Mexico, T-3 Investment Corporation IV, T-3 Mexican Holdings, TVI Holdings, Telluride Insurance Limited, Tianjin Grant TPCO Drilling Tools Company Limited, Tube-Kote, Tubo-FGS, Tuboscope & Co. LLC, Tuboscope (Holding U.S.) LLC, Tuboscope Brandt de Venezuela, Tuboscope Machining Services AS, Tuboscope Norge AS, Tuboscope Pipeline Services Inc., Tuboscope Services, Tuboscope Vetco (Deutschland) GmbH, Tuboscope Vetco (France) SAS, Tuboscope Vetco (Oesterreich) GmbH, Tuboscope Vetco Canada ULC, Tuboscope Vetco Capital Limited, Tuboscope Vetco Moscow CJSC, Tuboscope Vetco de Argentina S.A., Tubular Coatings Solutions Ltd., Tucom Composites Polyester Sanayi Ticaret Ltd., Varco BJ B.V., Varco CIS, Varco Canada ULC, Varco I/P, Varco International de Venezuela, Varco L.P., Varco US Holdings LLC, Vetco Coating GmbH, Vetco Enterprise GmbH, Vetco Saudi Arabia Ltd., Visible Assets, Wilson International, Woolley, XL Systems, XL Systems Antilles, XL Systems Europe B.V., XL Systems International, voestalpine Middle East Free Zone Establishment, voestalpine Tubulars Corporation, voestalpine Tubulars GmbH, and voestalpine Tubulars GmbH & Co KG.
OSRAM Licht AG provides various lighting products and solutions worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Opto Semiconductors, Automotive, and Digital. It manufactures light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that are used in general lighting, automotive, consumer, and industrial applications; and infrared, laser, and optical sensors for the automotive, smartphone, wearable, general lighting, industrial lighting, and projection sectors, as well as lightings for plants. The company also develops and produces lamps and lighting systems for stages, cinemas, and studios; LED-based plant cultivation systems; lighting solutions for industrial and medical applications, such as high-intensity UV lamps and LED illumination for clothing; and automotive systems based on LED and laser technology, and other customer-specific system solutions. In addition, it develops, produces, and markets LED light engines and light management systems, as well as electronic ballasts, LED drivers, and LED modules. Further, the company is involved in the provision of products in the areas of architectural interior and exterior lighting, as well as professional interior lighting solutions. It provides its products under the OSRAM, Vixar, SYLVANIA, Traxon, e:cue, Digital Lumens, Fluence, Clay Paky, ADB Stagelight, OSRAM CONTINENTAL, LED Engin, and b,a,g, brands. The company was formerly known as Kyros A AG and changed its name to OSRAM Licht AG in November 2012. The company was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in Munich, Germany. OSRAM Licht AG operates as a subsidiary of ams AG.

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PetroChina Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in a range of petroleum related products, services, and activities in Mainland China and internationally. It operates through Exploration and Production, Refining and Chemicals, Marketing, and Natural Gas and Pipeline segments. The Exploration and Production segment engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. The Refining and Chemicals segment refines crude oil and petroleum products; and produces and markets primary petrochemical products, derivative petrochemical products, and other chemical products. The Marketing segment is involved in marketing of refined products and trading business. The Natural Gas and Pipeline segment engages in the transmission of natural gas, crude oil, and refined products; and sale of natural gas. As of December 31, 2020, the company had a total length of 31,151 km, including 22,555 km of natural gas pipelines, 7,190 km of crude oil pipelines, and 1,406 km of refined product pipelines. The company is also involved in the exploration, development, and production of oil sands and coalbed methane; trading of crude oil and petrochemical products; storage, chemical engineering, storage facilities, service station, and transportation facilities and related businesses; and production and sales of basic and derivative chemical, and other chemical products. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. PetroChina Company Limited is a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation.

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Power Financial Corporation provides financial services in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Asia. It offers life, disability, critical illness, and health insurance products, as well as wealth savings and income products, and specialty products. The company also provides financial products, including employer-sponsored defined contribution plans, individual retirement accounts, enrollment services, communication materials, investment options and education services, fund management services, and investment and advisory services. In addition, it offers protection and wealth management products, such as payout annuity products; reinsurance products; and sub-advisory services. Further, the company provides mutual funds, pooled funds, segregated funds, separate accounts, and other investment vehicles; securities, mortgages, and other financial services; and investment management services. It offers its products primarily through distribution network of third-party financial advisors, consultants, and independent financial advisors. The company was founded in 1984 and is based in Montreal, Canada. Power Financial Corporation is a subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada.

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The greatest philosophers of our generation (AC/DC) once opined, "It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll." Starting out in the music business means a lot of crashing on couches, dining and dashing, and playing for "exposure" to crowds of 20 (including bar staff). Do things get easier when you make it big? Oh hell yes. But the disasters get a lot bigger too ...

5 Authorities Thought Joy Division Might Be Actual Serial Killers

Joy Division was one of the biggest rock bands of the 1970s and '80s. Even if you don't recognize the name, you probably recognize their most famous work: this T-shirt.

Peter Saville/Factory Records Its an image of radio waves from a pulsar. There, now you know more about this than 99 percent of people who own the shirt.

For a brief spell during 1979, the police were looking into members of the band for another crime wholly unrelated to fashion: the Yorkshire Ripper murders. Between 1975 and 1980, Peter Sutcliffe -- an ex-gravedigger, which seems like a clue in hindsight -- murdered 13 women in red light districts across Northwest England. Police of the time tragically didn't have access to Wikipedia, and thus did not know this information. In 1979, they turned their attention to a motley crew of musicians whose license plates were often recorded in those very same red light districts.
Tailored Brands, Inc. (NYSE:TLRD) posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March, 18th. The company reported ($0.46) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters' consensus estimate of ($0.54) by $0.08. The business had revenue of $690.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $708.46 million. Tailored Brands had a negative net margin of 14.39% and a negative trailing twelve-month return on equity of 138.49%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned ($0.28) EPS.

View Tailored Brands' earnings history.
The following companies are subsidiares of Stryker: ActiViews, Aimago SA, Alcott Indemnity Company, Arrinex Inc, Arrinex Inc., Ascent Healthcare Solutions, Berchtold, Berchtold + Fritz GmbH, Berchtold Consulting GmbH, Berchtold Corporation, Berchtold GmbH & Co. KG, Berchtold Holding Switzerland GmbH, CHG Hospital Beds, Cactus LLC, Cardan Robotics, Changzhou Orthomed Medical Instrument Company Limited, Concentric Medical, Concentric Medical Inc., Entellus Medical, Entellus Medical Europe Ltd, Entellus Medical Inc., GYS Tech LLC, Gaymar Industries, Gongping (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd., Groupe Bertec, HeartSine Technologies LLC, HeartSine Technologies Limited, Howmedica International S. de R.L., Howmedica Osteonics Corp., Hygia Health Services, Hygia Healthcare Services Inc., HyperBranch, HyperBranch Technology Inc., ITAPCo Limited, Image Guided Technologies, Imorphics Limited, Infinity MSD Corp., Infinity MSE Corp., Infinity MSF Corp., Infomedix Communications, Instratek, InstruMedics L.L.C, Invuity Inc., Ivy Sports Medicine, Ivy Sports Medicine LLC, Jiangsu Chuangyi Medical Instrument Company Limited, Jolife AB, K2M Germany GmbH, K2M Group, K2M Group Holdings Inc., K2M Holdings Inc., K2M Iberia Medcomtech S.L.U., K2M Inc., K2M Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, K2M Spine Solutions (Schweiz) GmbH, K2M UK Limited, Loon Intermediateco LLC, MAKO Surgical, MAKO Surgical Corp, Memometal Technologies, Mobius Imaging, Mobius Imaging LLC, Muka Metal, Muka Metal Ticaret ve Sanayi Anaonim Sirketi, NV Stryker SA, Nettrick Limited, Novadaq Corp, Novadaq Hong Kong Ltd, Novadaq Technologies, Novadaq Technologies ULC, OOO "Stryker", Orneo Ozel Saglk Hizmetleri Medikal Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, OrthoSpace, OrthoSpace Ltd., OrthoSpace US Inc., Orthomed (Hong Kong) Medical Instrument Company Limited, Orthovita, Orthovita Inc., OtisMed, P.C. Sweden Holding AB, Patient Safety Technologies, Patton Surgical, Pficonprod Pty. Ltd., Physio-Control, Physio-Control (Shanghai) Sales Co. Ltd., Physio-Control Brazil Vendas Ltda., Physio-Control Czech Sales s.r.o., Physio-Control Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Physio-Control Holdings Inc, Physio-Control Hungary Sales Kft, Physio-Control Inc., Physio-Control India Sales Pvt. Ltd, Physio-Control Investments LLC, Physio-Control Lebanon Sales Offshore s.a.l., Physio-Control Manufacturing Inc., Physio-Control Operations Netherlands B.V., Physio-Control Sales Limited Liability Company, Physio-Control Singapore Pte. Ltd., Physio-Control South Africa Sales Pty. Ltd., Physio-Control UK Sales Ltd., Pivot Medical, PlasmaSol, Porex Technologies, SSI Divestiture Inc., SYK Costa Rica Services Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, SafeAir AG, SafeWire, Sage Products, Sage Products Coperatief U.A., Sage Products Holdings II LLC, Sage Products Holdings III LLC, Sage Products LLC, Scopis GmbH, Sightline Technologies, Small Bone Innovations, SpineCore, Spirox Inc., Stanmore Implants Worldwide, Stanmore Implants Worldwide Limited, Stanmore Inc., Stryker (Barbados) Foreign Sales Corporation, Stryker (Beijing) Healthcare Products Co. Ltd., Stryker (Shanghai) Healthcare Products Co. Ltd., Stryker (Suzhou) Medical Technology Co Ltd, Stryker (Thailand) Limited, Stryker AB, Stryker Acquisitions BV, Stryker Asia Holdings CV, Stryker Australia LLC, Stryker Australia Pty. Ltd., Stryker Austria GmbH, Stryker B.V., Stryker Berchtold BV, Stryker Beteiligungs GmbH, Stryker Canada GP ULC, Stryker Canada Holding Company, Stryker Canada Manufacturing ULC, Stryker Canada ULC, Stryker Canadian Management ULC, Stryker Canadian Sales Holding Company ULC, Stryker Capital BV, Stryker China Limited, Stryker Colombia SAS, Stryker Communications Inc., Stryker Corporation (Chile) y Compania Limitada, Stryker Corporation (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Stryker Customs Brokers LLC, Stryker Czech Republic s.r.o., Stryker Delaware Inc., Stryker EMEA Supply Chain Services BV, Stryker Employment Company LLC, Stryker European Coordination Center BV, Stryker European Holdings Cooperatief U.A, Stryker European Holdings I LLC, Stryker European Holdings II LLC, Stryker European Holdings LLC, Stryker European Holdings V LLC, Stryker European Operations B.V., Stryker European Operations Holdings I BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings II BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings III BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings LLC, Stryker European Operations Limited, Stryker European Technologies C.V., Stryker Far East Inc., Stryker Foreign Acquisitions Inc., Stryker France Holding SNC, Stryker France MM Holdings SAS, Stryker France SAS, Stryker Funding B.V., Stryker GI Services CV, Stryker Global Technology Center Private Limited, Stryker GmbH, Stryker GmbH & Co. KG, Stryker Grundstucks GmbH & Co KG, Stryker Grundstucks Verwaltungs GmbH, Stryker Holdings BV, Stryker IFSC Designated Activity Company, Stryker Iberia SL Unipersonal, Stryker India Private Limited, Stryker International Acquisitions BV, Stryker International Holdings BV, Stryker Investment Holdings B.V., Stryker Ireland Holding Unlimited Company, Stryker Ireland Limited, Stryker Italia S.r.l. S.U., Stryker Japan Holdings BV, Stryker Japan K.K., Stryker Korea Ltd., Stryker Lebanon (Offshore) S.A.L., Stryker Leibinger GmbH & Co. KG, Stryker Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Stryker Luxembourg Sarl, Stryker Manufacturing S. de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Mauritius Holding Ltd., Stryker Medical London LP, Stryker Medtech K.K., Stryker Medtech Limited, Stryker Mexico Holdings B.V., Stryker Mexico SA de CV, Stryker NV Operations Limited, Stryker Nederland BV, Stryker New Zealand Limited, Stryker Osteonics AG, Stryker Pacific Limited, Stryker Performance Solutions LLC, Stryker Polska Sp.z.o.o., Stryker Portugal - Produtos Medicos Unipessoal Lda., Stryker Professional Latin America S. de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Puerto Rico Limited, Stryker Romania SRL, Stryker Sage Inc., Stryker Sales Corporation, Stryker Servicios Administrativos S.de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Singapore Private Limited, Stryker South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Stryker Spine SAS, Stryker Spine Sarl, Stryker Sustainability Solutions Inc., Stryker Tibbi Cihazlan Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Stryker Trauma GmbH, Stryker Turkish Holdings BV, Stryker UK Ltd, Stryker Verwaltungs GmbH, Stryker Vietnam Company Limited, Stryker do Brasil Ltda, Surpass Medical, Synergetics, TG SP Holdings Corp, TSO3 Corp, TSO3 Inc, Trauson, Trauson (China) Medical Instrument Company Limited, Trauson (Hong Kong) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings (BVI) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings (Hong Kong) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings Company Limited, VEXIM SA, Vexim, Waterloo Bedding Co., Wright Medical Group, ZipLine Medical Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ZipLine Medical Hong Kong Limited, ZipLine Medical Inc., and eTrauma.com.
SunTrust Banks, Inc. operates as the holding company for SunTrust Bank that provides various financial services for consumers, businesses, corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit entities in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer and Wholesale. The Consumer segment provides deposits and payments; home equity and personal credit lines; auto, student, and other lending products; credit cards; discount/online and full-service brokerage products; professional investment advisory products and services; and trust services, as well as family office solutions. This segment also offers residential mortgage products in the secondary market. The Wholesale segment provides capital markets solutions, including advisory, capital raising, and financial risk management; asset-based financing solutions, such as securitizations, asset-based lending, equipment financing, and structured real estate arrangements; cash management services and auto dealer financing solutions; investment banking solutions; and credit and deposit, fee-based product offering, multi-family agency lending, advisory, commercial mortgage brokerage, and tailored financing and equity investment solutions. This segment also offers treasury and payment solutions, such as operating various electronic and paper payment types, which comprise card, wire transfer, automated clearing house, check, and cash; and provides services clients to manage their accounts online. The company offers its products and services through a network of traditional and in-store branches, automated teller machines, Internet, mobile, and telephone banking channels. As of December 31, 2018, it operated 1,218 full-service banking offices located in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, South Carolina, and the District of Columbia. SunTrust Banks, Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Tele Columbus AG, together with its subsidiaries, operates fiber optic networks in Germany. The company operates in two segments, TV, and Internet and Telephony. The company offers analogue, digital TV, and radio broadcasting services. Its digital entertainment platform offers approximately 250 TV channels, and 60 digital radio stations. The company also provides internet and telephony, and mobile telephony services. In addition, it engages in the B2B business that comprises products to provide carrier companies with bandwidth and business client networking services, and business clients with internet and telephony services, as well as network monitoring and data center marketing services. Further, the company offers construction services to install fiber optic networks or connecting residential areas. It sells its end user products under the PYUR name. As of December 31, 2020, it served approximately 3.3 million residential units. The company was formerly known as Tele Columbus Holding GmbH and changed its name to Tele Columbus AG in September 2014. Tele Columbus AG was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany.

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The Boeing Co. is an aerospace company, which engages in the manufacture of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space and Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital. The Commercial Airplanes segment includes the development, production, and market of commercial jet aircraft and provides fleet support services, principally to the commercial airline industry worldwide. The Defense, Space and Security segment refers to the research, development, production and modification of manned and unmanned military aircraft and weapons systems for global strike, including fighter and combat rotorcraft aircraft and missile systems; global mobility, including tanker, rotorcraft and tilt-rotor aircraft; and airborne surveillance and reconnaissance, including command and control, battle management and airborne anti-submarine aircraft. The Global Services segment provides services to commercial and defense customers. The Boeing Capital segment seeks to ensure that Boeing customers have the financing they need to buy and take delivery of their Boeing product and manages overall financing exposure. T

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Varian Medical Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures, sells, and services medical devices and software products for treating cancer and other medical conditions worldwide. It operates through Oncology Systems and Proton Solutions segments. The Oncology Systems segment offers hardware and software products for treating cancer with radiotherapy, fixed field intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiotherapy, artificial intelligence based adaptive radiotherapy, and brachytherapy, as well as quality assurance equipment. Its products include linear accelerators, brachytherapy afterloaders, treatment accessories, and quality assurance software; and information management, treatment planning, image processing, clinical knowledge exchange, patient care management, decision-making support, and practice management software. This segment serves university research and community hospitals, private and governmental institutions, healthcare agencies, physicians' offices, medical oncology practices, radiotherapy centers, and cancer care clinics. The Proton Solutions segment designs, develops, manufactures, sells, and services products and systems for delivering proton therapy for the treatment of cancer. The company has a strategic agreement with McKesson Corp. to supply treatment delivery systems and planning, services, and radiotherapy information system solutions to its U.S. Oncology Network and Vantage Oncology affiliated sites of care; and a strategic partnership with Siemens AG to represent Siemens diagnostic imaging products to radiation oncology clinics in the United States and other select markets. Varian Medical Systems, Inc. was formerly known as Varian Associates, Inc. and changed its name to Varian Medical Systems, Inc. in April 1999. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.

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Wells Fargo & Co. is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance. It firm operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Wholesale Banking, Wealth & Investment Management, and Other. The Community Banking segment offers complete line of diversified financial products and services for consumers and small businesses including checking and savings accounts, credit and debit cards, and automobile, student, and small business lending. The Wholesale Banking segment provides financial solutions to businesses across the United States and globally. The Wealth and Investment Management segment includes personalized wealth management, investment and retirement products and services to clients across U.S. based businesses. The Other segment refers to the products of WIM customers served through community banking distribution channels. The company was founded by Henry Wells and William G. Fargo on March 18, 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

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William Lyon Homes (NYSE:WLH) issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November, 6th. The construction company reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters' consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.07. The construction company earned $466.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $487.15 million. William Lyon Homes had a net margin of 3.04% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 6.98%. The firm's revenue was down 12.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.68 earnings per share.

View William Lyon Homes' earnings history.
A leading expert in race and rights is to visit the University of Wolverhampton to present a lecture to mark Black History Month.

Dr Karen Salt from the Centre for Research in Race and Rights at the University of Nottingham will visit Wolverhampton on Thursday, 25 October 2018.

The free public lecture will take place in room MH002 in the Mary Seacole Building at City Campus Molineux from 12.30pm-2pm.

Her talk is titled The Unfinished Revolution: Haiti, Black Sovereignty and Power in the Nineteenth-Century Atlantic World.

The lecture will be chaired by Dr Shirin Housee, Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for Sociology at Wolverhampton, and author of Speaking Out against Racism in the University Space (2018).
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Israel's Holocaust memorial on Thursday and spoke of her country's "everlasting responsibility" to remember the tragedy and oppose anti-Semitism."Nearly 80 years ago, on the pogrom night of November 9, the Jewish people in Germany faced unprecedented hate and violence," she said after her visit, reading out the message she wrote in the memorial's guest book.

Merkel was referring to the Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht) pogroms on November 9, 1938.

"But what followed were the unprecedented crimes of the Shoah and its break with civilisation," Merkel added.

"From this comes the everlasting responsibility of Germany to remember this crime and to oppose anti-Semitism, xenophobia, hatred and violence."

The visit by Merkel and members of her cabinet comes as part of German-Israeli government consultations held regularly.

Fears of a resurgence in anti-Semitism in Germany are expected to be discussed in the joint government meeting on Thursday afternoon.

Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will set aside their list of differences for the talks to showcase cooperation between their two countries.

Netanyahu has harshly criticised European countries over Iran, Israel's main enemy, and their efforts to keep alive the nuclear deal with Tehran.

Germany and other European countries have repeatedly hit out at Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank and warned over threats to remaining prospects for a two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians.
Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned Saudi Arabias envoy to Ankara after the disappearance of a Saudi journalist on Wednesday, according to diplomatic sources.

Ambassador Walid Bin Abdul Karim El Khereiji was summoned to the ministry on Wednesday afternoon, said the diplomatic sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to media.

Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist, has been missing since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday.

The Saudi ambassador was asked about the issue, the sources said without providing further information.
Another mass grave has been uncovered in Sri Lanka, near Mannar, a town in the Northern province, where the almost 30-year war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) resulted in thousands of deaths.

According to reports last month, the skeletal remains of 136 individuals were unearthed from a site near the town after 74 days of excavation. It was the second mass grave discovered in the area since the war ended in 2009. The first, which contained 84 skeletons, was found in nearby Thiruketheeswaram in 2013. The graves point to some of the gruesome war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan military during the conflict.

Judicial Medical Officer Dr Saminda Rajapakse told the media on September 19 that forensic excavators at Mannar had found the bones of children among the skeletons. He said all the skeletons were being kept in a special room at the Mannar court complex and would be sent for carbon-dating in the US.

The human remains were accidentally found on March 27, as workers dug soil for a building construction. The official exhumation process was conducted in the presence of a magistrate. Once it was confirmed that the bones and teeth were human, the excavation continued under the supervision of the judicial medical officer and Professor Raj Somadeva of the Department of Archaeology.

Somadeva told the media that the excavation area had two sections. In one segment we have a proper cemetery. In the other part, you have a collection of human skeletons that have been deposited in an informal way.

The bodies in the second area, he said, were placed in the pit without clothes or other personal items that could lead to their identification. He revealed that there were at least 16 children among the dead. Dr Rajapakse told a press conference in July that some skeletons showed evidence of limbs being tied, suggesting execution-style killings.

According to local residents, the mass grave could date back to 1990, when the government re-escalated the war after a brief truce with the LTTE. There was a navy checkpoint at the time near the current excavation site.

In April, Vanni district parliamentarian Charles Nirmalanathan said: I do not think that human residues identified in the area were buried by ordinary people. The armys permanent camp and military intelligence surveillance was located only 50 metres from this mass grave. The region was directly controlled by the military after the war began.

Sothilingam, a resident of Manthai, near Mannar, told World Socialist Web Site reporters: The government and the military claim that both sites were cemeteries. If that is true, there should have been a cemetery in the middle of the street in Manthai or within the shopping complex in Mannar town. The mainstream media is also instrumental in this cover-up.

Ketheeswaran, another local resident, asked: Is it a cemetery when more than 100 people are buried in the same pit? There is no doubt, in my mind, that this is a grave established by the state forces.

We dont know how many graves are inside the jungle area but the governments actions are suspicious. The military has forcibly occupied over 20 acres, and a Buddhist temple, established after 1990, occupies 10 acres. The area from Mullipallam to Pappamottai has been declared a bird sanctuary.

A female resident told the WSWS that the navy and army burnt shops in Mannar and murdered civilians in the 1990s. Recalling one incident, she said the military shot and killed a teacher and his wife from Jaffna, and then tied their bodies onto a jeep in the street.

Like its predecessors, the government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is attempting to whitewash these crimes. Recent court orders have banned journalists from taking photographs at the mass grave site, and about three weeks ago, a Mannar magistrate limited all media briefings to just 30 minutes.

Mass graves have also been found in Chemmani, in the Jaffna area, and at Ambilipitiya, Sooriyakanda and Matale in Sri Lankas south. Over 200,000 people are estimated to have died in the war against the LTTE in the North and East, and in the civil insurgency by rural Sinhala youth in the South.

Five years ago, a mass grave was found at Matale district in the Central Province, a Sinhala majority area. Investigations have been stalled at this site, which may date back to 198790, when the military and pro-government death squads killed more than 60,000 rural youth.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), whose members were the main target in these killings, has provided tacit support to the government and its attempts to bury details about the Matale grave.

A similar burial ground from this period was discovered at Sooriyakanda by political supporters of former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, just before the 1994 parliamentary election. After being exploited for political advantage during the election, the issue was swept under the carpet. The JVP supported Kumaratunga and kept quiet about the mass grave.

The pseudo-left parties, such as the Nava Sama Samaja Party and Frontline Socialist Party, are maintaining a notable silence over the mass graves. The Tamil and Muslim communal parties, such as the Muslim Congress and the Tamil National Alliance, have responded to the mounting evidence of the militarys war crimes in the North and East with limited rhetoric.

All sections of the ruling class, conscious that similar atrocities will be used to suppress the emerging struggles of the workers, oppressed and students, are strengthening their efforts to hide these crimes.

After claiming that they would investigate all human rights violations, Sirisena and Wickremesinghe have declared that the military forces were war heroes, who committed no atrocities and would not be hauled before the courts. Sirisena recently appealed to the UN General Assembly to stop raising questions about the militarys war crimes.

This ongoing whitewash of terrible atrocities demonstrates that any authentic investigation into the crimes committed during the communal war and the civil insurgencies of 1971 and 198790, are only possible as part of the struggle for a workers and peasants government, based on socialist and internationalist principles.

The authors also recommend:

Eyewitness account from Sri Lanka: Tamil mass graves excavated in Chemmani

[26 June 1999]

Sri Lankan mass grave recalls rural massacres

[29 April 2013]
On Wednesday, the German state celebrated the 28th anniversary of the unification of East and West Germany on October 3, 1990. The event was met with honeyed phrases by politicians about a united, democratic Germany. But these words could not hide the fact that the danger of fascism is returning to Germany 85 years after Hitler was installed in power.

For the first time since the founding of the post-war Federal Republic of Germany, a far-right party is represented in the Bundestag (federal parliament) that maintains close relations with militant neo-Nazis. And on Monday, the federal prosecutors office ordered the arrest of seven members of a radical right-wing terrorist group called Revolution Chemnitz. In addition to attacks on foreigners and left-wingers, they are accused of having planned an armed action for the Day of German Unity and of seeking to foment a radical right-wing uprising.

According to the Federal Public Prosecutors Office, the defendants made intensive efforts to obtain firearms. A month ago, they were involved in the riots and protests in Chemnitz, where neo-Nazi thugs hunted down foreigners on the streets, made the Hitler salute and attacked a Jewish restaurant. A bloody attack on immigrants in a Chemnitz Park on September 14 was a test run for an action on German Unity Day, said the Attorney General.

In addition to Chemnitz, neo-Nazi marches took place in Kothen and Dortmund in recent weeks, reminiscent of the darkest period in German history. Unlike the 1930s, the Nazis today are not a mass movement, but a hated minority. But that does not make them any less dangerous.

Above all, they derive their strength from the support they receive from abovefirst and foremost from the state apparatus, the intelligence service and the police, but also from the government and the policies of the establishment parties. The aggressive and provocative actions of violent neo-Nazis are the result of a dangerous development that has been politically and ideologically prepared for several years.

Five years ago, in his speech on German Unity Day, German President Joachim Gauck announced on behalf of the entire ruling class the return to an aggressive German foreign and great power policy.

Germany must again play a role in Europe and in the world, which really corresponds to its size and its influence, demanded Gauck. Germany was populous, in the middle of the continent and the fourth-largest economic power in the world and should no longer indulge in the illusion that we could be spared political and economic and military conflicts, if we do not participate in their solution.

At the same time, the German political establishment began a comprehensive campaign to trivialize the crimes of German imperialism. In February 2014, 100 years after the outbreak of the First World War, 75 years after the outbreak of the Second World War and 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, newsweekly Der Spiegel argued that the question of German guilt should be reassessed.

The article World War I Guilt: Culpability Question Divides Historians Today was based on interviews with two professors at Berlins Humboldt University: Herfried Munkler described the claim that Germany was guilty of World War I as a legend, and Jorg Baberowski defended the Nazi apologist Ernst Nolte and claimed that Hitler was not vicious because he did not want to talk about the extermination of the Jews at his table.

The Socialist Equality Party (SGP) commented at the time: The propaganda of the post-war erathat Germany had learnt from the terrible crimes of the Nazis, had arrived at the West, had embraced a peaceful foreign policy, and had developed into a stable democracyis exposed as lies. German imperialism is once again showing its real colours as it emerged historically, with all of its aggressiveness at home and abroad.

This has since been confirmed. Gaucks speech and the attempts to revise German history heralded a systematic campaign for a return to militarism and great-power politics, preparing the ideological ground for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the neo-Nazis. In the 1930s, ruling circles had responded to the profound crisis of capitalism by bringing Hitler to power to smash the workers movement and expand Germanys military strength. They are moving in the same direction today.

The neo-Nazi march in Chemnitz was openly defended by the then head of the secret service Hans-Georg Maassen and federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer. While Maassen denied that foreigners had been hunted down on the streets, Seehofer said he would have marched in Chemnitz if he was not a minister. The immigration issue is the mother of all political problems in this country, he added, in words reminiscent of the AfDs demagogy.

The AfD is being courted in the Bundestag. With its decision to continue the discredited grand coalition with the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU), the Social Democrats (SPD) handed the AfD the role of leader of the official opposition, even though it received just 12.6 percent of the votes in the general election. In parliament, all parties work closely with the AfD, to whom they have granted chairmanship of important committees.

The reason is not difficult to understand. The SPD is one of those agitating for a more aggressive foreign policy. Former Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel and his successor Heiko Maas (both SPD) never tire of emphasizing that Germany must understand the conflict with the US as an opportunity to pursue great power politics once more.

The Greens and the Left Party are not to be outdone by the SPD. The Greens became a party of German militarism ever since they ensured that the first war effort of the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) went ahead in 1999 in Yugoslavia against fierce popular resistance. And the Left Party drops its pacifist phrases as soon as it comes to asserting Germanys interests against her economic rivals and, above all, the US.

Because militarism is hated and finds little support in the population, official politics are increasingly taking the form of a permanent conspiracy. To defend its wealth against the growing opposition of the working class, to build an authoritarian state and to rebuild Germany into a leading military force capable of defending its imperialist interests in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, the ruling class needs the far-right.

There is only one way to stop the revival of militarism and fascism in Germany: the mobilization of the international working class based on a revolutionary program and the building of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) and the Fourth International as a socialist mass party. Our demands are:

* Stop the conspiracy of the grand coalition, the state apparatus and right-wing extremists!

* For new elections and the mobilization of the working class on the basis of an international socialist program!

* No more war! Stop Germanys return to aggressive great power politics!

* Abolish the secret service and immediately cease monitoring the SGP and other left-wing organizations!

* Defend the right to asylum! No to increased state powers and surveillance!

* End poverty and exploitationfor social equality! The wealth of the financial oligarchy, the banks and major corporations must be expropriated and placed under democratic control!
Thousands of Palestinians converged on Khan al-Ahmar in the occupied West Bank Monday, in a bid to save the Bedouin village, home to 180 people of the Jahalin tribe, from demolition by the Israeli authorities.

The rally was part of a general strike and protest against Israels suppression of the Palestinians, including its apartheid-style nationality law that defines Israel as a Jewish state and grants nationality rights to its Jewish but not its Palestinian citizens.

Palestinian factories, shops, schools and offices in Israel, East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza closed, bringing thousands on to the streets and blocking traffic. It was one of the first strikes involving both the Palestinian-majority areas of Israel in the Galilee, Triangle and Negev regions as well as the Occupied Territories.

Last week, Israels Civil Administration served a notice on Khan al-Ahmars residents, who make a living out of raising sheep and goats, demanding they evacuate their village by October 1 or face demolition and forced displacement. On Friday, Israels security forces declared Khan al-Ahmar a closed military zone to prevent Palestinians, international activists and reporters from exiting or entering the village.

Khan al-Ahmar is located in the E1 bloc, the name given to the area between Jerusalem and the West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim. Its demolition is part of Israels broader strategy of separating East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed illegally after its seizure from Jordan in the June 1967 war, from the West Bank. The plan is to cleanse the area of its Palestinian residents, expand the settlements and bisect the West Bank in defiance of international law and countless UN resolutions.

The village is one of the small Palestinian Bedouin communities in the West Bank, scattered around the road between East Jerusalem and Jericho that the Israeli authorities have sought to drive out by making it impossible for them to maintain their pastoral lifestyle. They have been refused permission to connect to water, electricity or sanitation systems or to pave the roads, and their pastureland has been restricted. As a result, the villagers have little access to health, education and welfare services and lack the most basic utilities.

The villagers have fought a protracted battle since 2010 to maintain their homesconsisting of makeshift tin and wood shacks built on a desert hillsidein the face of Israeli threats to remove them. Originally from Tel Arad in the Negev desert, from where they were expelled by the Israeli army in the 1950s, they leased land for residential purposes and for herding on the site of what is now the settlement of Kfar Adumim, from which they were expelled before moving to Khan al-Ahmar.

Israel again justified the demolition of their homes with its well-worn refrain that the Bedouin village is illegal because the residents do not have a permit to build homesa catch-22 situation since Israel rarely if ever grants permits to Palestinians to build houses or extend their homes, forcing them to build without permits.

According to data obtained under freedom of information by Peace Now, Israel has allocated just 400 acres of public land for use by Palestinians, with more than 99 percent of the land approvals going to help Israeli settlements.

Over the last 12 years, the authorities have already demolished 26 homes in the community, making 132 people homeless, 77 of them children and teenagers, and seven non-residential structures.

In May, the Supreme Court rejected the residents petitions against the demolition of their homes and their transfer to West Jahalin, near the garbage dump in Abu Dis, empowering the state to remove them. Abu Dis, a Palestinian village near Jerusalem, is believed to be what the Trump administration is offering the Palestinians as the capital of some future Palestinian state.

In July, the authorities sent in heavy construction equipment with a police escort in readiness for the demolition of the Khan al-Ahmar homes and the expulsion of its residents. When protests broke out, the police made several arrests.

In further legal proceedings in August, it emerged that the authorities would consider moving the residents at some future date to a new site in the desert, south-west of Jericho, provided that the residents of three neighbouring communities also relocated with themdoubling the number of Bedouin villagers to be expelledand all agreed to sign affidavits that they would move.

The new site is just a few hundred metres from a sewage treatment plant and the construction of access roads to it would mean taking Palestinian land, highlighting the utter contempt Israel has for the Palestinians. Israels policies are ethnic cleansing in support of the governments Greater Israel project and the expansion of the settlements, a policy not dissimilar to Germanys policy of settler colonialism from the 1890s to the 1940s, known as lebensraum .

Nevertheless, on September 5, the High Courtpresided over by the same three judges that had earlier rejected the residents petitionsaccepted the governments proposals as good coin and nodded through the forced transfer of the villagers and the demolition of their homes. In so doing, it gave its imprimatur to a war crime.

The evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar and neighbouring communities will enable Greater Jerusalem to be surrounded by the Security Wall, split the West Bank in two, making it impossible to establish a Palestine statelet, and expand the number of settlers in Area C. Crucially, it is also key to the control over Areas A and B, as Area C is richly endowed with natural resources, including water and most of the West Banks agricultural and grazing land, and shares its border with Jordan.

Under the Oslo Accords, the West Bank was divided into three administrative areas, A, B and C, each with a different administrative status, pending a final negotiated agreement. Areas A and B were delineated in such a way as to contain only Palestinians, while Area C was defined as all the rest. Area A comprises approximately 18 percent of the West Bank and Area B about 22 percent, and together are home to some 2.8 million Palestinians. Area C, around 60 percent of the West Bank, includes the settlements, outposts, declared state land, the Palestinian part of the Dead Sea, and thus its mineral wealth.

In May 2014, Uri Ariel, Israels housing minister and resident of the West Bank settlement of Kfar Adumim, estimated the settler population as 400,000 in the West Bank and 350,000 in East Jerusalem, a number that has certainly increased since then. A settlement near Khan al-Ahmar has plans for expansion. The settler population exceeds the 300,000 Palestinians that live in Area C.

Thus, the expulsion of the villagers is about much more than Khan al-Ahmar. The ever-increasing settlements in Area C involves the impoverishment of the Palestinians in Areas A and B, to the extent that they too, like Gaza, become uninhabitable.

The Trump administration has remained silent on the issue, while the European Parliament formally condemned Israels plans for Khan al-Ahmar, warning that it would be committing a war crime. It called for monetary compensation for financial losses should the village be demolished, making clear it knew the protest would go unheeded. An EU spokesperson said it would end any chance of a two-state solution in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, which is of course the aim of the Netanyahu government.
The Socialist Equality Party (Australia) held a successful meeting in Sydney on Sunday, which reviewed the political issues underlying the party-room coup against former Liberal-National Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last month.

The Sydney event was attended by a cross-section of workers, including warehouse and factory employees, along with students, retirees and professionals. It was broadcast to gatherings in Brisbane and Melbourne and streamed live on Facebook, where it has been viewed several thousand times by an international audience.

Linda Tenenbaum

Linda Tenenbaum, a longstanding SEP leader who chaired the event, began by reviewing the series of political coups that have wracked Australian politics over the past decade. Scott Morrison, installed following the removal of Turnbull, was the seventh prime minister since 2007.

The extent of the political upheaval, Tenenbaum stated, could not be explained by reference to personality conflicts or electoral considerations. Such claims, advanced by the mainstream media, were aimed at covering up the real causes of the instability, and blinding workers and young people to the dangers they confront.

The first speaker, Nick Beams, a prominent writer for the World Socialist Web Site and SEP national committee member, outlined the deepening economic crisis, a decade after the financial crash of 2008.

Ten years later, none of the representatives of the ruling elite had been able to provide any explanation of the causes of the crisis, much less a solution.

Nick Beams

Beams contrasted the perplexity of bourgeois economists with the record of the WSWS and the ICFI, which had predicted and anticipated the crash in the midst of the hosannas to the wonders of the free market. This was, he said, a product of the scientific method of Marxism.

Beams noted that shortly after the crisis began, the ICFI had termed it a breakdown. The implication of this term was that a new period of wars and social upheavals had begun, analogous to that which spanned the years from 19141945. Events over the past ten years, including the rapid growth of social inequality, the breakdown of international relations, the eruption of trade war and advanced preparations for military conflict, had vindicated this assessment.

James Cogan, the SEPs national-secretary, delivered the main address. He began by noting that his report was a continuation of the analysis presented at an SEP meeting in June, on the passage of deeply anti-democratic foreign interference laws by the Turnbull government and the Labor Party.

Over the past months, the SEP has held a series of events opposing the governments escalating assault on democratic rights, including meetings and a rally protesting the persecution of Julian Assange, and the June meeting, which characterised the new foreign interference laws as the deepest attack on civil liberties in the post-World War Two period. Their purpose is to criminalise any opposition to Australias central role in the US-led plans for war with China.

James Cogan addressing Sydney meeting

Cogan stated that the coup against Turnbull flowed from the preparations of the Australian ruling class for 1) immense economic shocks 2) the development of mass struggles by the working class against social inequality, and 3) mass opposition among workers and youth in Australia to militarism and war.

The speaker presented a series of graphs, which made clear that the Australian economy stands on the precipice of a major crisis, triggered by unprecedented household debt, mortgage stress and declining or stagnant wages.

These processes meant that whichever party/parties formed government after the next federal election, which must be held by May 2019, would preside over what will most likely be the worst economic conditions since the 1930s Depression.

Under these conditions, the ruling elite was turning ever-more sharply to authoritarian forms of rule. Cogan reviewed indications that media moguls Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Stokes backed the ousting of Turnbull, with the former allegedly stating, We have got to get rid of Malcolm.

Cogan explained that the right-wing Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton faction of the Liberal-Party, which spearheaded the coup, was seeking to create an extreme-right movement to be mobilised against the working class. This paralleled the promotion of the alt-right in the United States, the elevation of Alternative for Germany to the position of official opposition in the Bundestag (German parliament) and the rise of far-right parties across Europe.

Cogan also detailed evidence of US involvement in the series of Australian political coups over the past eight years. The previous month, former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, ousted in 2010, publicly acknowledged that US embassy cables, published by WikiLeaks, had made clear that Washington was hostile to his calls for the American ruling elite to make some accommodation to Chinas rise to prevent all-out conflict. Rudd had been removed by factional power-brokers in his own Labor party, later revealed to be protected sources of the US embassy.

Turnbull, like Rudd, had, in the months prior to his ouster begun publicly expressing major concerns over the Trump administrations escalation of nationalist trade war measures against China, which could substantially impact on Australian exports and corporate profits. His replacement, Scott Morrison, had received a phone call from Trump days after the coup and then invited the US president to visit the country as soon as possible.

James Cogan

Cogan drew out that the actions of the Morrison government had made clear that its installation was aimed at shifting official politics even further to the right. These included intensified attacks on immigrants, and the promotion of the racist campaign over a supposed African gangs crisis in Melbourne.

The crucial question for the working class, Cogan insisted, was breaking with Labor and the unions, and building the SEP in the fight for a workers government that will implement the most far-reaching and radical socialist policies.

The reports were followed by a lively question and answer session. Questions were raised about various aspects of the financial crisis, the prospects of the SEP winning seats in forthcoming elections, and the deepening social crisis facing workers and young people.

One attendee asked whether there was a relationship between the coup against Turnbull and the recent turmoil at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which had seen the removal of senior executives over revelations of direct government interference at the state-broadcaster.

Cogan noted that there had been a protracted campaign to bring the entire media into complete subservience to the ruling elite and its agenda, and that the ABC had been dragged into ever greater subordination to government policy. This was expressed in the fact that it had been at the forefront of the campaign against Chinese interference and of other efforts at promoting militarism, specifically aimed against China.

Under conditions of an ever-greater threat of war and widespread opposition to the political establishment, the government could not tolerate even the most tepid criticisms of its pro-business policies. Cogan noted that the open support for the persecution of Julian Assange by some senior ABC journalists and producers, and the silence of others on Assanges plight, had cleared the way for attacks on other employees at the broadcaster.

Another worker asked about the prospects of the SEP winning seats in upcoming elections. In response, Cogan and Beams stressed that the SEP stands in elections to advance a socialist, internationalist and revolutionary perspective as broadly as possible. The speakers noted that nothing would be achieved through parliament, which functions as an open vehicle of the corporate elite, and that task facing the working class was to end the capitalist profit system, by establishing a workers government, based on socialist policies.

WSWS reporters spoke to attendees after the meeting.

Mark

Mark, a retired railway worker from Newcastle, said: Big businesses have never made bigger profits and wages have not increased in a long time. When I worked, we were on strike a lot, but now they cannot go on strike.

The unions are not doing their job. They are not much good if they are not improving things for the workers. If your union is no good, ditch the union. Spread this message around to different companies so that people can throw the unions out.

What is the ratio of the workers to the rich? If everyone could vote for the SEP, you would have a landslide victory if people knew they were going to gain from this and get a better life.

Michael, a 22-year-old warehouse worker attending his first SEP meeting, said: I have heard a lot about socialism, but it has mostly been about the USSR and China. I wanted to hear about socialism from a socialist standpoint, not from the position of people who are opposed to such an economic system.

Im concerned about inequality. I always knew there was a gap between the rich and the poor, but I never realised that it was as severe as what the reports today showed it to be. The media has an interest in keeping these sorts of things quiet. I also hadnt heard about the dangers of a US war against China, before coming to this meeting.

Yehia

Yehia, a 25-year-old university student, referred to the graphs presented by James Cogan on the suppression of wages and declining living standards.

Things are getting harder for each generation, he said. We are prevented from achieving even the basic things in life by the one percent. All they do is profit from us.

Both Liberal and Labor are capitalist parties. Theyre just two sides of the same coin. They have been responsible for the increase in social inequality, for the rich getting richer at the expense of the poor. Thats one thing that really frustrates me, when you have individuals who are worth $100 billion and then you have so many living on the streets.

We need to build a new movement of the working class. I agree that we need an international socialist party to unite the workers of the world.
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Kate Hudson and her boyfriend Danny Fujikawa just had their first baby together!

The actress, 39, welcomed her first daughter on Tuesday, Oct. 2. This is the couples first child together and Hudsons third. Their little girl is named Rani Rose Hudson Fujikawa after her grandfather.

We have decided to name our daughter Rani (pronounced Ronnie) after her grandfather, Ron Fujikawa. Ron was the most special man who we all miss dearly. To name her after him is an honor, Hudson wrote in her announcement post, which was captioned simply, Shes here.

She continued, Everyone is doing well and happy as can be. Our family thanks you for all the love and blessings that have been sent our way and we send ours right back.

To celebrate the happy news, heres a look back at the couples relationship.

Starting Out as Friends

While theyve only been together for over a year, Hudson and the musician have been friends for over a decade.

Weve known each other for 15 years; hes my best friends stepbrother, she said on The Talk. We kinda skipped through the part of knowing what the hiccups were. You kinda skip the part of going, Oh, youre like that?

RELATED: Pregnant Kate Hudson Is Crazy About Boyfriend Danny Fujikawa  as They Vacation in Greece

Hudson explained that while theyve always known each other, the timing was never right as he was younger than her and she was building a family and working very hard.

In terms of family, Ive known his family forever, she said. To have that connection is really powerful.

Waiting for the First Move

Story continues

Hudson shed some light of how she and Fujikawa started dating on the one year anniversary of their first outing together.

A year ago today Danny took me on a hike and what I thought was just a hike with a family friend turned very quickly into an unexpected first date, she wrote on Instagram. No moves were made on this first date. In fact, it took months for him to make the first move!

The star added, And as a kiss on this bridge would have been nice, the kiss a year later was so much sweeter. So in our 15th year of knowing each other, we were able to open our hearts to each other to feel so much pure love and its been truly incredible!

Rumors started to swirl publicly over the couples relationship after they were spotted kissing during an L.A. lunch date in March 2017. They made their red carpet debut in May while attending the premiere of Hudsons mothers movie Snatched in Westwood, California.

Danny Fujikawa and Kate Hudson.

World Travelers

Since then, theyve been spotted together around the globe.

The duo was seen cozying up together everywhere from Santa Monica, California, where last March they dined at the restaurant Giorgio Baldi, to New York City, where later that same month they locking lips before getting dinner at Tutto II Giorno.

They didnt see or care about anyone else around them. They only had eyes for each other, a source told PEOPLE of the latter outing.

Danny Fujikawa and Kate Hudson

Fujikawa was by Hudsons side last April for her 38th birthday party at the Picca Peruvian Cantina in Los Angeles, and later that summer, they took their romance overseas with a trip to Cambodia.

RELATED VIDEO: Baby Girl on the Way for Kate Hudson

Shortly before announcing her Hudsons pregnancy, the duo was seen walking arm in arm along the coast in Sydney, Australia.

And most recently, the happy couple vacationed in Greece with Hudsons family.

Kates a free spirit who has always been attracted to musicians, a source previously told PEOPLE. But Danny also appeals to her because he is talented, bright and cosmopolitan like she is.
Wisconsin police are saying a woman whod allegedly been beaten by her ex-boyfriend may owe her life to an unlikely source: an alert pizza delivery man.

Numerous reports citing a criminal complaint against 55-year-old Dean Hoffmann state that Joey Grundl, a delivery driver for Dominos Pizza, called 911 on Sept. 27 immediately after delivering a pizza to the Waldo home of Hoffmanns ex-girlfriend.

Grundl told Fox6Now that he knocked on the door and Hoffmann answered. As Hoffmann was paying Grundl for the pizza, the delivery driver glanced over the suspects shoulder, and locked eyes with the woman who was standing behind him.

That woman  whod apparently broken up with Hoffmann in August  silently mouthed the words Help me to Grundl, he said.

Its kind of scary, Grundl told the station. Gave him his pizza, and noticed behind him was his girlfriend. She pointed to a black eye that was quite visible. She mouthed the words Call the police.'

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

Once Grundl received money for the pizza, he returned to his car and called the Sheboygan County Sheriffs Department, the Sheboygan Press reports.

The paper reports that deputies responded and heard a woman scream, Help me, as well as, Please come in.

According to WHBL, Hoffmann allegedly blocked his ex-girlfriend from opening the door for police at first before finally letting the officers inside.

Hoffman has been charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, strangulation and suffocation, felony intimidation of a victim and burglary, according to online court records.

He is being held on an unspecified amount of bail.

Hoffmann has not pleaded to the charges and does not have an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

According to the Sheboygan Press, Hoffmann allegedly broke into his exs home at around 1 p.m. on Sept. 27, and began beating her when she tried to call 911.

Hoffmann allegedly tied the woman up with a power cord and tried to convince her to take him back. He allegedly untied her after 30 minutes, but prevented her from leaving her home.

The Press reports that the woman told investigators she truly believed (he) was going to kill her. She also told police Hoffmann mentioned he had a gun in his car, and had said he was planning to kill her and himself.
Suspect in shooting of multiple officers in South Carolina identified originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

The man who allegedly opened fire on law enforcement officers in a residential neighborhood in South Carolina on Wednesday, killing one and injuring several others, is a disbarred lawyer, records from the Supreme Court of South Carolina show.

A source with the Florence County Sheriff's Office told ABC News on Thursday that the detained suspect is Fred Hopkins, who was at the home where the shooting happened in Vintage Place, an upscale suburban neighborhood in the city of Florence, about 80 miles east of Columbia.

Hopkins allegedly began shooting at Florence County deputies when they showed up to serve a search warrant for another individual at the residence Wednesday. There were four foster children inside the home at the time of the incident, the source told ABC News.

(MORE: 7 officers shot, 1 killed, in South Carolina)

The sheriff's office had been called to the home several times before, the source said. Deputies were there to serve a warrant for sexual assault allegations against a minor in the house, according to the source.

PHOTO: Blood-soaked evidence lies on Saxon Drive in the Vintage Place neighborhood where several members of law enforcement were shot, one fatally, Oct. 3, 2018, in Florence, S.C. (Sean Rayford/AP)

As the situation escalated, officers from the Florence Police Department responded to the scene to assist the sheriff's office.

(MORE: 'I pray for our cops every day': Law enforcement deaths spiking, guns No. 1 cause)

A high-powered rifle was used in the attack, the source said. It is believed that the shots came from the second floor of the house.

"It's my understanding right now that they didn't know the fire power that was about to go under," Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler told reporters at a press conference Thursday.

Hopkins eventually gave up and came out of the house with his hands up, according to the source.

PHOTO: Fred Hopkins, 74, was arrested in connection with a shooting that killed one South Carolina law enforcement officer Wednesday and injured six others. (Fred Hopkins/Facebook)

A South Carolina Supreme Court order dated June 22, 1982, ordered that Hopkins be disbarred over his failure to comply with an order to pay $18,000 in attorney fees that were allegedly wrongfully collected. Hopkins' wife, Cheryl Turner Hopkins, is also an attorney, according to the order.

Story continues

In 2015 and 2017, the 74-year-old was charged with "running at large," which is related to the restraining of animals, The Associated Press reported, citing public court records.

Three deputies from the Florence County Sheriff's Office and four officers from the Florence Police Department were shot, authorities said.

(MORE: Why 2018 could be an especially deadly year for cops)

One of the officers was pronounced dead at a local hospital, the Florence County coroner told ABC News. That officer was identified as Florence Police Department veteran Terrence Carraway, 52, of Darlington.

PHOTO: A member of the sheriff's department exits the crime scene on Ashton Drive in the Vintage Place neighborhood where several members of law enforcement were shot, one fatally, Oct. 3, 2018, in Florence, S.C. (Sean Rayford/AP)

The police chief described Carraway, his longtime friend, as the "bravest officer" he's ever known.

"He was the epitome of a community police officer," Heidler told reporters Thursday.

Two of the wounded police officers have been released from the hospital. One officer remained hospitalized Thursday in serious but stable condition, according to Florence Mayor Stephan Wukela.

The suspect was ultimately taken into custody Wednesday.

ABC News' Victor Oquendo, Darren Reynolds and Scott Withers contributed to this report.
ABC News

The Justice Department has charged former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon with two counts of criminal contempt of Congress over his defiance of a subpoena from the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. The indictment sets off what will likely be a contentious legal battle with significant ramifications for the Jan. 6 committee as it seeks to compel other witnesses to testify about the events leading up to the attempted insurrection, including any communications they may have had with former President Donald Trump. The case also presents an extraordinary test for the Justice Department under Attorney General Merrick Garland, who has made restoring DOJ's independence from politicization one of the top priorities of his tenure.
Kavanaugh latest: Grassley says 'it's time to vote' after FBI report finds 'no hint of misconduct' Kavanaugh latest: Grassley says 'it's time to vote' after FBI report finds 'no hint of misconduct' (ABC News)

Kavanaugh defends himself in op-ed, says 'I might have been too emotional at times' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

As senators took turns behind closed doors on Thursday scrutinizing an additional FBI background investigation into allegations against President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, a key Republican said it appears to be a "very thorough investigation" while top Democrats called it "incomplete."

Ahead of a test vote Friday on moving toward a final vote Saturday, senators were going into a secure room on Capitol Hill, called the SCIF, where one copy of the FBI report on the additional interviews agents conducted was available for review.

PHOTO: A view of the closed doors where senators will review the FBI supplemental report on the Kavanaugh investigation, Oct. 4, 2018, in Washington, D.C. (ABC News)

As they emerged, some Republicans said they would be outright yes votes for Kavanaugh, while Democrats suggested the White House had tied the FBI's hands by not allowing more witnesses to be interviewed.

Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal claimed the White House had straightjacketed this investigation."

Two key GOP senators, while saying they are still undecided how to vote, made comments the White House would find encouraging.

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake and Maine Sen. Susan Collins indicated they were satisfied with the FBI's additional investigation.

Here's how the day is unfolding.

7:30 p.m.: 'I might have been too emotional at times': Kavanaugh op-ed

After going a week without making a public statement since his bombshell testimony last week, Brett Kavanaugh spoke out in an op-ed published Thursday evening in the Wall Street Journal.

On the eve of Friday's first full Senate vote on whether his nomination should go forward amid all the swirling controversy and claims, Kavanaugh, under the headline "I Am an Independent, Impartial Judge," concedes, "I was very emotional last Thursday, more so than I have ever been. I might have been too emotional at times.

"I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said. I hope everyone can understand that I was there as a son, husband and dad. I testified with five people foremost in my mind: my mom, my dad, my wife, and most of all my daughters," he continued.

Story continues

"Going forward, you can count on me to be the same kind of judge and person I have been for my entire 28-year legal career: hardworking, even-keeled, open-minded, independent and dedicated to the Constitution and the public good," the op-ed continues.

"As a judge, I have always treated colleagues and litigants with the utmost respect. I have been known for my courtesy on and off the bench. I have not changed. I will continue to be the same kind of judge I have been for the last 12 years," he said.

6:35 p.m.:Collins: no vote announcement Thursday

Sen. Susan Collins returned to the SCIF Thursday afternoon, and then, when she emerged about two hours later, said had read all the FBI "302s" -- or interview summaries -- and some of the FBI tipline transcripts.

PHOTO: Sen. Susan Collins arrives to view the FBI report on sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Oct. 4, 2018. (Alex Brandon/AP)

She said she would not make any kind of announcement Thursday night.

Also Thursday afternoon, C-SPAN video surfaced of former Justice John Paul Stevens, 98, criticizing Kavanaugh while speaking to retirees in Boca Raton, Florida.

"Hes a fine federal judge and he should have been confirmed when he was nominated. But I think that his performance during the hearings caused me to change my mind," Stevens said.

4:03 p.m.: Trump: Kavanaugh 'doing very well'

While the bitter debate over his Supreme Court nominee roiled Washington, President Trump has arrived in Minnesota, where he is set to participate in a couple of closed campaign fundraisers ahead of another "Make America Great Again" rally Thursday evening.

As he greeted supporters on the tarmac in Minneapolis, the president spoke about Brett Kavanaugh's chances as Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill said an additional FBI investigation had turned up nothing to corroborate claims against him and it's time to vote.

I think hes doing very well, the judge is doing well, President Trump said.

3:05 p.m.: GOP leaders: 'It's time to vote'

Senate Republican leaders held a news conference Thursday afternoon to make the case that, despite Democratic complaints, the additional FBI investigation turned up nothing to change their view that there's no evidence to corroborate the claims against Kavanaugh and that it's time to vote.

"What we know for sure is the FBI report did not corroborate any of the allegations against judge Kavanaugh," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters. "And the second thing we know for sure is that there's no way anything we did would satisfy the Democrats."

The Senate's second-ranking Republican, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said, "The Senate's on trial here."

"It's time to quit these antics," he said, calling the accusations against Kavanaugh "character assassination."

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah countered Democratic charges that Senate Republicans and the White House had schemed to limit the FBI investigation. Lee said Judiciary Committee Republicans did not give the FBI a "list" of people to interview -- that the decision on how to pursue "current credible allegations of sexual misconduct" was up to the FBI.

2:14 p.m. Democratic Sen. Heitkamp is a 'no' on Kavanaugh

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who was being closely watched for how she'd decide, told WDAY News that she will vote "no" on Kavanaugh.

Heitkamp is a red state Democrat up for re-election in a tough race against GOP Rep. Kevin Cramer, who Trump endorsed earlier on the trail. Trump won her home state by more than 35 points.

ABC's Mary Bruce reports that leaves four senators still officially undecided, with GOP leaders needing two of those undecided senators to vote "yes" in order to win the battle.

1:46 p.m.: Republican leaders to hold news conference

As the war of words heats up, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley and other committee Republicans announced they will hold a news conference at 2:15 p.m. on Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination.

McConnell and Grassley, who have already voiced their support for Kavanaugh, are hoping to push his nomination through with a final vote as early as Saturday.

Earlier, McConnell, speaking on the Senate floor, delivered a spirited defense of Kavanaugh. "We will not be hoodwinked by those who tried hard to smear this good man," he said.

A reminder on the math: If all Democrats stand against Kavanaugh, it would take only two Republican "no" votes to sink his nomination, but some key Republicans appeared to be coming closer to "yes."

Republican Sen. Bob Corker, emerging from the secure room, told reporters the FBI report was 46 pages long, that each of the interviews is on a separate piece of paper so senators can share them as they read, and that the FBI also sent a stack of pages of transcribed phone calls from its tip line.

(MORE: Ahead of Kavanaugh vote, hundreds of protesters rally outside of Supreme Court)

12:39 p.m.: Ford's lawyers pen letter to FBI Director Wray

The legal team for Kavanaugh's chief accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, has sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray questioning why his agents did not interview Ford, as well as other witnesses they said would have challenged Kavanaugh's testimony, including Ford's husband and her polygraph examiner. They also said Ford would have provided her medical and phone records.

"The FBI interviewed Dr. Ford, she would have provided her direct account of Judge Kavanaughs assault and answered any questions about it, including questions that Ms. Mitchell and the Judiciary Committee members were unwilling or unable to ask during the hearing," the letter reads, in part. "She would have also provided corroborating evidence, including her medical records and access to the phone from which she messaged The Washington Post about Judge Kavanaughs assault prior to his nomination to the Supreme Court."

(MORE: What we know and dont know about the FBI investigation in the Kavanaugh confirmation)

The investigation "also declined to interview witnesses whose names we provided to the FBI," the letter states. "None were contacted nor, to our knowledge, were more than a dozen other names we provided to the FBI whose interviews would have challenged the credibility of Judge Kavanaughs testimony as possessing information highly relevant to Dr. Fords allegations."

11:50 a.m.: Flake and Collins appear satisfied but are still undecided

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, while saying she remains undecided on confirming Kavanaugh, told reporters of the FBI report, "It appears to be a very thorough investigation, but I am going back later today to personally read the interviews. That's really all I have to say right now."

(MORE: Women from Alaska and Maine flock to Washington to pressure key GOP senators)

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., another key vote for Republicans to push Trump's pick over the finish line, echoed Collins' statement, telling awaiting reporters outside the secure room holding the FBI report, "Ive had the first briefing. Im going back for another briefing later."

He quoted Collins saying the investigation was "very thorough and no new corroborative information came out" and said, "Thats accurate."

Asked if he's leaning towards a 'yes' vote on Kavanaugh, Flake responded, "You cant say anything, but you can say that I was a yes before this. But I wanted this pause. Weve had this pause ... And now were in the process of reviewing it. But thus far, weve seen no new, credible corroboration - no new corroboration at all."

11:22 a.m.: Senators weigh in on report results

The partisan chorus has grown louder in the wake of the FBI's report with Republicans urging a vote and Democrats criticizing the FBI for not interviewing California professor Christine Blasey Ford who has accused Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assaulting her decades ago when they were in high school in suburban Maryland.

As he has before, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday urged lawmakers to vote and said he saw little corroborating information.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and ranking Judiciary Committee Democrat Dianne Feinstein emerged from briefings on the FBI investigation calling the probe very limited and incomplete.

"The most notable part of this report is what's not in it," said Feinstein.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the FBI report about sexual misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh: "It looks to be a product of an incomplete investigation that was limited, perhaps, by the White House. I don't know." https://t.co/0BPmB36LtY pic.twitter.com/Ls5Mn23SXx  ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 4, 2018

"Let me be clear: I cant talk about the detail, but this remains a confidential part about the background report," she said, but "it looks to be a product of an incomplete investigation that was limited, perhaps by the White House, I dont know."

Schumer called the week-long FBI probe the "very limited process" that Democrats had originally feared.

"I disagree, having received a briefing on all the documents, I disagree with Sen Grassley statement that there was no hint of misconduct," he said.

10:31 a.m.: What's happening in the Senate

The FBI report is being held behind closed doors.

Republican senators have gone into the secure room on Capitol Hill, called the SCIF, where the FBI's report is being held for senators and a select number of staffers to review.

More than 20 members, including Republican leader McConnell, Grassley, and Senate Judiciary Committee members Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; Lindsey Graham, R-S.C..; Mike Crapo, R-Idaho; plus Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is a key swing vote, are inside.

PHOTO: A view of the closed doors where senators will review the FBI supplemental report on the Kavanaugh investigation, Oct. 4, 2018, in Washington, D.C. (ABC News)

Ranking member Feinstein also went in at 9 a.m. and no one has been seen exiting.

Members are getting briefed on the report at this point, according to Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and they are expected to return later to read it.

The "backlog" of Democratic members waiting for their turn is "so long, theyre telling me I might have to go tomorrow," Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., told ABC News.

But shes still waiting to hear back and Democrats are currently looking at "doubling up" their members to get them all in, she added.

It is unclear exactly what time slots members have, though it is certain that members have them.

ABC News' Mary Bruce, Trish Turner, Ali Rogin and Ben Siegel report from Capitol Hill.

10:15 a.m.: Grassley: There's 'nothing' new in the report

Grassley released a statement Thursday morning after the FBI report was delivered to the Senate Committee he chairs, stating, "Theres nothing [in the report] that we didnt already know."

"This investigation found no hint of misconduct and the same is true of the six prior FBI background investigations conducted during Judge Kavanaughs 25 years of public service," he added.

He urged his colleagues to "wipe away the muck" from the ugly confirmation fight, and "look at this nomination with clear eyes."

Looking ahead to Kavanaugh's confirmation vote, Grassley said, "Its time to vote. Ill be voting to confirm Judge Kavanaugh."

10:13 a.m.: Trump says 'due process, fairness, and commons sense' on trial

Wading into the confirmation process Thursday morning, Trump called this moment a "very important time in our country. Due Process, Fairness and Common Sense are now on trial!"

This is a very important time in our country. Due Process, Fairness and Common Sense are now on trial!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 4, 2018

In another tweet Thursday morning, Trump seemed to express a mood of optimism from the White House and acknowledging the potential political ramifications of the Kavanaugh fight on the midterm elections.

He asserted that the "harsh and unfair" treatment of Kavanaugh is having an "incredible upward impact on voters." He also said that Kavanaugh's "great life" cannot be "ruined by mean & despicable Democrats and totally uncorroborated allegations."

The harsh and unfair treatment of Judge Brett Kavanaugh is having an incredible upward impact on voters. The PEOPLE get it far better than the politicians. Most importantly, this great life cannot be ruined by mean & despicable Democrats and totally uncorroborated allegations!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 4, 2018

"This is now the 7th. time the FBI has investigated Judge Kavanaugh. If we made it 100, it would still not be good enough for the Obstructionist Democrats," he added in a third tweet.

6:07 a.m. FBI report arrived on Capitol Hill

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced early Thursday that members of the committee had received the FBI's report.

"Supplemental FBI background file for Judge Kavanaugh has been received," he said in a tweet.

He added that he and ranking member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., "have agreed to alternating EQUAL access for senators to study content from additional background info gathered by non-partisan FBI agents."

Supplemental FBI background file for Judge Kavanaugh has been received by @senjudiciary Ranking Member Feinstein & I have agreed to alternating EQUAL access for senators to study content from additional background info gathered by non-partisan FBI agents 1/3  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) October 4, 2018

The report, according to a statement from the committee, was delivered to Capitol Hill at 2:30 a.m. Thursday.

An administration official familiar with the White Houses review of the FBI report told ABC News it should not sink Kavanaughs confirmation.

"We want to be careful not to fully characterize what is in the report, but we are going full steam ahead and have full confidence in his nomination," the official said. "Its fair to say if something were concerning in the report we wouldnt be."

The official added, "[The report] wont satisfy the critics."

What was the FBI investigating?

The FBI was directed to look into "credible" allegations of sexual misconduct made by Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez against Kavanaugh.

The White House specifically requested FBI interviews with four people: Kavanaugh's high school friends Mark Judge and P.J. Smyth; Leland Keyser, who Ford claimed was at the party where the alleged assault took place; and Ramirez, whose lawyers provided a list of more than 20 additional witnesses to interview.

Ford claims Judge was in the room when she said Kavanaugh assaulted her.

The FBI also interviewed Christopher "Squi" Garrett, another classmate of Kavanaugh's who appeared on the July 1 calendar entry.

Kavanaugh has categorically denied all charges.

(MORE: Kavanaugh latest: Senators anxiously await parts of FBI findings)

The White House received the FBI report Wednesday night, according to a statement by deputy White House press secretary Raj Shah.

"With Leader McConnells cloture filing, senators have been given ample time to review this seventh background investigation," he said. "This is the last addition to the most comprehensive review of a Supreme Court nominee in history."

The report has not been released to the public. Sen. Mitch McConnell has insisted that it remain private.

What comes next?

McConnell, speaking on the Senate floor late Wednesday, announced that senators will review the report and then he filed a procedural motion to advance Kavanaugh's nomination.

All 100 senators will be able to access the report Thursday morning in rotating time blocks, which began at 8 a.m.

Speaking on the Senate floor, McConnell said there will be "plenty of time" for senators to review the material before a Friday cloture vote.

If it passes, it's likely the Senate will hold a final vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation on Saturday. If Republicans dont have the votes to cut off debate on Friday, it cannot move forward to a final vote.

Standing in Kavanaugh's way are a handful of key swing votes. The group of moderate senators who could ultimately make or break his nomination includes Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.

Their votes will likely hinge on the FBI report.

(MORE: Senators to review FBI report on allegations against Brett Kavanaugh Thursday)

ABC News' Alexander Mallin and Justin Doom contributed to this report.
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On Tuesday, Meghan Markle stepped out with her husband, Prince Harry, for the couples first official joint visit to Sussex wearing a sophisticated dark green ensemble, with one accessory standing out from the rest: a tiny emerald satin handbag.

Designed by Gabriela Hearst and priced at $1,995, the bag is not easy on the wallet, but its gorgeous emerald shade and petite structure has made it one of the most desirable bags among Hollywoods elite, earning fans like Oprah Winfrey, Mandy Moore, Glenn Close, Diane Lane, Gabrielle Union, Lady Gaga, Brie Larson, and now Markle. But how exactly did Hearsts bag end up on the arm of the Duchess of Sussex?

In fall 2015, Hearst first established her eponymous label. She is currently based in New York but was born in Uruguay, where she grew up on her familys ranch, surrounded by cattle and sheep. This is where Hearst gained an appreciation for her familys heritage and learned to respect slow processes and, in turn, slow design. It is also the place that inspired Hearsts prominent use of organic merino wool, which her familys ranch produces, in her collections.

Hearst has been described as a womans designer by the CFDA. She has a remarkable sense of what women want to wear and how they want to feel in clothing. Hearsts designs are made with the highest craftsmanship using the finest material. Her tailored suits, graphic maxi dresses, midi skirts, and cozy knits make women feel confident, beautiful, and comfortable. Its no surprise, then, that some of Hearsts biggest fans include equally strong, confident women like Oprah Winfrey and Meghan Markle.

The designers first major breakout was when she launched her Nina bag in 2016, named after artist and activist Nina Simone. The bag was originally available only by email, rather than being sold online. I did a limited edition of 20 bags. I didnt do it for commerce; I just wanted to launch it, she told Vogue. And I gave them to friends of mine and to women I work with. The strategy turned out be a big success. The bag quickly accumulated a waitlist of 100 people that grew to more than 1,500 people in 2017.

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Compared with the smaller Demi bag that Meghan carried, the Nina bag is the full-sized original. Now, in 2018, Hearst has expanded her label to include 16 different bag styles, an entire ready-to-wear collection, and a full-fledged e-commerce website. Her rise to success was reaffirmed by the fashion industry when she won the 2016 International Woolmark Prize, and in 2018 she received a prestigious nomination from the CFDA for Womenswear Designer of the Year.

If you love Meghan Markles Gabriela Hearst Demi satin bag, youre in luck. For two weeks only, you can purchase the bag on net-a-porter.com. However, if you, like many of us, cant afford the extravagant $1,995 price, we rounded up 13 similar pint-sized ladylike bags to satisfy your fashion appetite. Click ahead to shop them now.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

 Chanel stole this look from every working woman

 How a purple backpack designed by Serena Williams will support domestic violence victims

 Cargo pants are making a big comeback thanks to Meghan Markles wedding dress designer

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - At least 13 people have been killed in Nigeria's restive central region in an escalating ethnic battle between farmers and herders, an army spokesman told AFP on Thursday.

The violence earlier this week between the Berom, indigenous farmers, and the Fulani, nomadic cattle herders, took place in Jol, a community part of the Riyom local government area of Plateau state, said military spokesman Major Adam Umar.

"On Tuesday some gunmen launched an attack on the Berom community... killing 13 people and razing several houses," Umar said.

"The attack was part of the tit-tat killings between the Fulani and Berom."

Umar said that a meeting between the sides had been brokered by authorities but that it had failed to stem the bloodshed.

"Despite the peace meeting, on September 29 a herder and five cows were ambushed and killed in the area while other cows were injured," Umar said.

Riyom local government chairman Emmanuel Danboyi Jugul gave a higher death toll, saying that 14 people died in the Tuesday attack.

"The gunmen opened fire on residents and fled before security personnel were deployed in the village," said Jugul, adding that he believes that the upcoming national elections may be the cause of the violence.

"Plateau has remained peaceful for three years but we are suddenly gripped by a new wave of killings now that elections are approaching," he said.

The outbreak of violence follows a gunfight last week on the outskirts of Jos, the Plateau state capital, that left 11 dead.

Plateau state lies in Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt that separates the predominantly Muslim north from the largely Christian south.

It has long been a hotbed of ethnic, sectarian and religious tensions that flare up during election season.

Nigerians are set to vote in hotly contested presidential polls in February 2019.
On Wednesday afternoon, nearly every smart phone in America blared and vibrated with an emergency alert  the first ever test of the national Presidential Alert system.

The Presidential Alert is similar to the state-level systems that let police and local authorities send out AMBER Alerts and weather warnings. The biggest difference is its scale. Wednesdays nationwide system was designed to blast a message to all 225 million smart phones in the United States  and reach about 75% of the population.

News of the Presidential Alert test drew immediate criticism on some corners of social media  with some people vowing to turn off their phones, believing wrongly that they will be a captive audience of President Donald Trump. Some even mused  incorrectly  that the system would allow him to tweet to every American.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and experts say the Presidential Alert will not be Trumps personal megaphone to America. Instead, they argue, its a necessary 21st-century update to the Emergency Alert System that has for decades allowed the president to authorize broadcasts on every television and radio in the country in the event of a national emergency.

Heres what you need to know about Wednesdays test of the Presidential Alert system.

When did the Presidential Alert test happen and what did it say?

At 2:18 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 3, FEMA sent out the first message testing the new nationwide presidential-level Wireless Emergency Alert. The alert went out to every smart phone in the United States that was turned on and within range of a cell tower and there was no opt-out. Originally scheduled for Sept. 20, the test was rescheduled for Oct. 3 due to Hurricane Florence.

The Presidential Alert said:

THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.

The message to smart phones was followed by an Emergency Alert System message broadcast on every TV and radio at 2:20 p.m. ET. That featured a voice that said:

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THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency, an official message would have followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this message. A similar Wireless Emergency Alert test message has been sent to all cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the message; others will not. No action is required.

In the event of an actual emergency, the Presidential Alert will include information about the emergency and instructions for how to respond and stay safe.

What is the Presidential Alert system and how does it work?

The Presidential Alert  also known as the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)  is a new take on the countrys existing emergency warning systems.

FEMA said Wednesdays test was meant to assess the readiness to distribute an emergency message nationwide and determine whether there are improvements to be made.

FEMA said every American who owns a smart phone  which is about 75% of the population  should have received the test alert. FEMA said the test was meant to allow officials to find a way to reach more people, including those who do not have access to smartphones. The alerts were similar to the ones for extreme weather or AMBER Alerts, which feature a loud alarm followed by vibration. Wednesdays alert lasted around one minute, and required no action.

Only Wireless Emergency Alert-compatible cellphones that were switched on and within range of an active cell tower were able to receive the test alert. 100 mobile carriers participated, including the largest providers.

The clear difference between a Wireless Emergency Alert and a text message is the special, loud tone and a vibration that are both repeated twice, according to FEMA. There was also a distinctive Wireless Emergency Alert message dialogue box that appeared on phones home screens.

In the future, the President of the United States will have sole responsibility for determining when the national-level Emergency Alert System will be activated, but FEMA will be responsible for tests and exercises of the system.

Will President Trump now be able to personally message every phone in America?

In short, no.

Because it has been dubbed a Presidential Alert, some have claimed that Trump himself will now be able to send all Americans personalized messages.

However, FEMA said the alert system is meant to be used in case of an emergency and Wednesdays Presidential Alert only featured a brief text pertaining directly to the test.

There is also a law prohibiting Trump or any president from abusing the system. The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Modernization Act of 2015 specifically states that the warning system must only be used to to alert the public of a potential disaster, so if Trump were to use the Presidential Alert for anything other than its intended use, he would be breaking the law.

Except to the extent necessary for testing the public alert and warning system, the public alert and warning system shall not be used to transmit a message that does not relate to a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster or threat to public safety. the act states.

The process is also a lot more complex than simply drafting a tweet and hitting send. There are very specific guidelines for what the message must contain and the President himself will not draft the message, he will simply authorize a staff member to send it out on his behalf, according to FEMA.

The message is not coming directly from the President, a FEMA spokesman tells TIME. The message is going to be sent on behalf of the President. The President or anyone that he designates will be advised by the staff to activate the warning and then issue it to the public, at that time the designee would contact FEMA at our operations center and tell us to activate the warning.

Why were people threatening to turn off their phones to avoid the test?

Trumps messages to his 54.8 million followers on Twitter are often brash and full of his own opinions. The misconception that the customized message will be similar to his tweets had some people online protesting the scheduled test, even going as far as turning their phones off to avoid receiving the Presidential Alert.

The #Godark103 was being used by Twitter users who protested the Presidential Alert by shutting off their phones.

Tim Groeling, a professor of communication studies at the University of California-Los Angeles, says that he believes the Presidential Alert system is an inevitable extension of the existing emergency alert systems. She says that the #Godark103 hashtag on Twitter has more to do with some peoples aversion to Trump than any reasonable fear of the alert being abused.

The amount of paranoia that people are engaged in on this is kind of shocking for something that is a natural extension of the national broadcast system in a situation where people arent consuming live media, Groeling tells TIME.

If Trump was going to abuse this system, he could of already been abusing the television one, which has been in force since he took office.

I think peoples telephones are very personal devices, they carry them with them all the time, so the level of concern is higher. But, on the flip side of that, if there is an earthquake or any other disaster, it is a good medium to let people know, because in those situations seconds do count.

Why is the Presidential Alert system important?

FEMA said Wednesdays nationwide test will provide FEMA with valuable information on the governments ability to distribute a national emergency message.

The IPAWS Modernization Act, made law in 2016, requires FEMA to conduct at least one nationwide test every three years. According to FEMA, the nationwide test are to help ensure under all conditions that the President, federal agencies and state, local and tribal governments can alert and warn the civilian population in areas endangered by natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters and threats to public safety.
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP)  At least eight members of Burkina Faso's security forces are dead after a pair of attacks in the turbulent east, the country's security minister said Thursday, while France's military said it carried out an airstrike against extremists fleeing one of the scenes.

The West African nation is the latest in the region to wrestle with the growing threat from extremist groups that in recent months have found refuge in the forested east near the border with Niger.

In the first attack, seven soldiers were killed and two others were seriously wounded when their vehicle struck an explosive device between Gayeri and Bartieboubou on Wednesday, the minister told public radio. The soldiers' convoy was deploying to the east as Burkina Faso steps up counterterror efforts there.

The second attack occurred Thursday when scores of heavily armed extremists invaded the Inata mining site in Soum province, killing one gendarme. Another gendarme was wounded and three others are missing.

The mining site is where three men, including an Indian and a South African, were kidnapped last month.

France's military said it directed a drone toward the site of the attack and, after a request from Burkinabe authorities, sent two Mirage jets from an air base in Niger's capital, Niamey.

The drone spotted "a column of several motorbikes leaving the area toward the north" and once there was no doubt about the group's extremist nature, the airstrike occurred, the French military said in a statement. Results were still being assessed.

France's West Africa-based Barkhane is the country's largest overseas military operation.

Burkina Faso's security situation has worsened this year with an attack on the army headquarters and the French embassy in March. The extremist threat at first was located in the country's northern Sahel region, home to radicalized local preacher Ibrahim Malam Dicko. It has recently pushed into the forested east near the border with Niger.

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Burkina Faso is part of a five-nation regional counterterror force, the G5 Sahel, that launched last year, and France has lobbied the international community to support it.

Still, the force "struggles to be fully operational" without appropriate financing, Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita told the U.N. annual gathering of world leaders last week. Keita called on countries who pledged millions of dollars during a meeting in Brussels in February to "honor their engagements."

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Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa
Bravo

Paris Hilton was the most beautiful bride! Kathy Hilton's daughter married Carter Reum at a Los Angeles estate on November 11, and her dresses (that's right  she wore multiple) were nothing short of jaw-dropping. For her walk down the aisle, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills daughter donned a breathtaking gown by Oscar de la Renta. With a high neck and long sleeves, the lacy couture was capped off with a dramatic veil. I love how [the dress] turned out," the bride told Vogue. "I wanted some
Sen. Lindsey Graham defended President Donald Trumps mocking of Christine Blasey Ford, arguing that it was less degrading than how some Democrats responded to accusations against Bill Clinton.

During an interview at The Atlantic Forum Wednesday, the South Carolina Republican said that everything Trump said while mocking Ford at a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday was factual.

Everything he said is factual, Graham said. Hes frustrated his nominee has been treated so badly.

Pressed by the interviewer, who called Trumps remarks a personal, degrading attack, Graham then quoted a line infamously used by Clinton adviser James Carville about Paula Jones, who accused Clinton of sexual harassment as governor of Arkansas: Drag a hundred dollars through a trailer park and theres no telling what youll find, Carville said in 1997.

You know whats personally degrading? Graham responded. This is what you get when you go through a trailer park with a $100 bill. This is not the first time this has happened.

Read More: Susan Collins Criticizes Trumps Mocking of Christine Blasey Ford

Graham said he did not approve of Trumps comments on Tuesday, but that it could have been worse.

Sometimes people are accused of something they didnt do, Graham said. So President Trump went through a factual rendition that I didnt particularly like and I would tell him to Knock it off, youre not helping but it can be worse  you can kill someones cat and puncture their tires to get them to shut up.

The interviewer asked if Graham was saying people should be thankful Trump didnt say something more offensive.

The point is weve come a long way since 1990, he said. Whether you like it or not, I really dont care. Ive seen what happened to these women in 1990 when they came forward. I dont like what the president said last night, Im the first person to say I want to hear it from Dr. Ford, I thought she was handled respectfully, I thought Kavanaugh was treated like crap.
All three Republican Senators who are undecided on Brett Kavanaughs confirmation to the Supreme Court strongly denounced on Wednesday President Donald Trumps comments mocking Dr. Christine Blasey Ford during a rally, although it is unclear what influence, if any, this will have on their ultimate decision.

Sen. Jeff Flake called the comments appalling; Maine Sen. Susan Collins called them just plain wrong; and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski called them wholly inappropriate

During a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday night, Trump mocked California psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford, parodying tearful testimony last week in which she alleged that Kavanaugh held her down, put his hand over her mouth and tried to remove her clothing when they were in high school. Kavanaugh denies the allegation.

How did you get home? I dont remember, Trump said, mocking Fords voice.

The Presidents comments were just plain wrong, Collins told reporters in brief remarks before heading into a hearing of the Senate aging committee, which she chairs.

Later that morning, Murkowski offered similar sentiments. I thought the Presidents comments yesterday mocking Dr. Ford were wholly inappropriate and in my view unacceptable, she told reporters as she headed to the Senate floor.

Collins, who was escorted by a police detail from her office to the Capitol, did not answer a question from reporters before the hearing about whether the comments would influence her vote, while Murkowski said she planned on taking everything into account. Flake initially stopped short of saying if or how it would influence his decision, but later said it would not.

Flake just told me Trumps comments last night on Ford would NOT affect his vote. He downplayed Kavanaugh comments about drinking in college as simply exaggerating - not lying to Congress. He said McGahn has been filling him in about probe.  Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 3, 2018

Trumps comments were the latest twist in the saga that has embroiled the Senate since Christine Blasey Ford publicly came forward alleging that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers over three decades ago. Since then, two other women, Debrah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick have come forward with additional allegations, although Swetnicks does not involve Kavanaugh directly. After both Ford and Kavanaugh testified before the Senate Judiciary committee last Thursday, Flake, backed by Collins and Murkowski, pushed to delay the vote by one week to allow the FBI to conduct a background check into these allegations. (Flake is the only one of the three to sit on the judiciary committe). Kavanaughs fate is essentially in the hands of these three lawmakers. With the Republicans holding a razor thin majority of 51-49, the conference can only afford one defection if they want to see Kavanaugh confirmed. This is assuming the Democrats remain uniformly opposed, although two Democratic Senators, West Virginias Joe Manchin and North Dakotas Heidi Heitkamp, have not weighed in on how they will vote.

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Heitkamp said in a comment issued through her spokesperson that the Presidents comments were disgusting.

But the three swing Senators were joined by other Republican Senators who are firmly supporting Kavanaugh in criticizing the remarks. Although some, like Sen. Thom Tillis, declined to comment and others, like Sen. Bill Cassidy, claimed they had not seen the footage, several seemed to insinuate Trumps rhetoric would not help their cause.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley appeared to be in relative damage control, tweeting that personal attacks on both Ford and Kavanaugh were inappropriate. I plead w all: stop personal attacks &destruction of Dr Ford &her family or Jdg Kavanaugh &family, Grassley tweeted.

I hve long history of respecting ppl w courage to step fwd. JudiciaryCmte gave Dr Ford serious consideration she deservd as soon as I learnd abt her-Ppl can decide who to believe But I plead w all: stop personal attacks &destruction of Dr Ford &her family or Jdg Kavanaugh &family  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) October 3, 2018

Its not what I would have said, said South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been one of Kavanaughs most vocal supporters, said he did not like what President Trump said and that it wasnt helpful, although he called it a factual rendition. But, he conceded, it could have been worse. He could actually kill somebodys cat, or puncture their tires to get them to shut up, Graham said at the Atlantic Festival.
President Trump added fuel to the fire in the controversy surrounding his Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh when he openly mocked accuser Christine Blasey Ford at a rally this week. Footage and coverage of the incident has sparked thousands of comments on Yahoo, with the majority condemning the president. Yahoo commenters often support the president, but that was not the case in the first few hours after this top-viewed Yahoo News post was published.



Questioning Fords credibility in front of a crowd of supporters in Mississippi, the president mocked her testimony from last weeks hearing: How did you get there? I dont remember. Where is the place? I dont remember. How many years ago was it? I dont know. I dont know. I dont know. I dont know. What neighborhood was it in? I dont know. Wheres the house? I dont know. Upstairs, downstairs, where was it? I dont know. But I had one beer, thats the only thing I remember.

President Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Landers Center Arena, Oct. 2, 2018, in Southaven, Miss. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

Yahoo users overwhelmingly found the display by the president inappropriate. One top commenter said, Another testament to his impetuous leadership. This dude literally just said the other day that she looked like a very fine woman and is a very credible witness.

Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me with this? What is the purpose of this? Was there no other vitriol you could spew to rile up your base and deepen this countrys divide? You used THIS?? Do you even understand the message youre sending? Where is your sense of human decency? https://t.co/SdEh7fFLtL  Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) October 3, 2018

One comment receiving thousands of up-votes came from user Steve: Remember when U.S. Presidents had class and dignity, and treated everyone with respect?

Another lamented, No morals, no ethics, no integrity, no honesty, no respect, no decency.

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Support for Ford is also prevalent: It is appalling that our President mocked a trauma survivor who had the courage to come forward, out of civic duty, to protect the integrity of our highest court. Our President has crossed the line repeatedly. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, you are a hero to many women who are survivors of sexual assault. I am so very sorry for what happened to you in 1982, and for the treatment you are receiving now. The arc of history leans toward justice, albeit very slowly, wrote user Linda.

.@PressSec just claimed that Trump didnt mock Dr. Ford, only stated facts. This, of course, is not the case. True to form, Trump lashed out & insulted someone he knows little about.@realdonaldtrump, stop mocking and demeaning women. And take Dr. Fords allegations seriously.  Rep. Ted Deutch (@RepTedDeutch) October 3, 2018

In the top several pages of comments (displaying those receiving the most up-votes from fellow users), support for the president was virtually impossible to find.

But one persistent message appeared that perhaps both sides can equally support:

VOTE IN NOVEMBER.

What do you think of Trumps comments? Tell us below.

Read more from Yahoo:
Halloween is about to get a whole lot spookier. NASA announced that an asteroid known as the death comet will fly by planet Earth just a few days after October 31st.

Why is it called a death comet, you might ask? Because its literally shaped like a skull.

As terrifying as that sounds, its not the first time this asteroid has come close to our planet. Scientists first spotted it when it flew by on Halloween 2015. The comets official name is 2015 TB145 (and NASA also calls it The Great Pumpkin).

The comet was first discovered by scientists at the University of Hawaii working on NASAs Near-Earth Object Observations (NEOO) Program. It was observed with NASAs Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, and the first images came via the National Science Foundations Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

Of course, thats not the actual cometthe real one appears in the image belowand it still definitely resembles a skull.

The asteroid that zoomed past Earth on Halloween bore a striking resemblance to a skull >> https://t.co/KDcuWxBosP pic.twitter.com/HfCxHuLzwO  Discovery (@Discovery) November 2, 2015

This year, 2015 TB145 is projected to fly by on November 11th, but at a much further distance than its 2015 appearance. And despite the spooky name, scientists say the asteroid will not pose any threat to life on Earth. It will pass by at a distance of around 24 million miles, which NASA says is about a quarter of the distance between Earth and the Sun. This is not considered a close encounter, and its nothing anyone needs to worry about.

The comets reappearance is also good for science. A researcher at Pablo Santos-Sanz of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia said, Although this approach shall not be so favorable, we will be able to obtain new data which could help improve our knowledge of this mass and other similar masses that come close to our planet.

So as creepy as this whole death comet thing sounds, it might actually be a good thing!
Former Real Madrid and Juventus striker Alvaro Morata ended a miserable spell of form with the only goal of the game on Thursday as Chelsea recorded its second straight 1-0 victory in the Europa League, against plucky Hungarian side Vidi.

Elsewhere, substitute Patrick Cutrone netted twice in nine minutes to lift AC Milan to a 3-1 comeback triumph at home to Olympiakos, while teenage forward Emile Smith Rowe scored his first senior goal as Arsenal made the most of its longest-ever trip for a European game by winning 3-0 at Qarabag.

Like Chelsea, Milan and Arsenal, last year's semifinalist Salzburg, Bayer Leverkusen, Zurich, Sporting, Frankfurt, Krasnodar and Dinamo Zagreb also made it two victories from two group games.

Arsenal's Armenia forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan was one of three players who didn't make the 4,000-kilometer (2,486-mile) trip to the Azerbaijan capital of Baku.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are in a territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Mkhitaryan also skipped a trip to Azerbaijan three years ago when he was playing for Borussia Dortmund, with the German club citing security concerns.

Arsenal manager Unai Emery said Mkhitaryan "cannot travel here." It's not clear what will happen if the team reaches the final in Baku.

Here's a look at Thursday's games:

MORATA ON TARGET

Spain forward Morata scored his first goal since August, and only his second of the season, when he swept the ball in from close range following a header from Brazil playmaker Willian, to earn Chelsea maximum points against Vidi.

Substitute Ross Barkley then almost made it 2-0 when his header hit the crossbar a few minutes later.

Chelsea dominated but Vidi defended stoutly and occasionally threatened on the counter attack, forcing two stunning saves from goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in front of the watching Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

"I'm really very happy for Morata," Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri said. "It's very important for him to play for the team like he did this evening. He has to take confidence from his performance."

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With three goals early on, PAOK Thessaloniki cruised to a 4-1 win at BATE Borisov.

BATE and PAOK trail Group L leader Chelsea by three points.

MILAN FIGHTS BACK

Boosted by a 4-1 victory at Sassuolo in Serie A on Sunday and with forward Gonzalo Higuain returning from injury, seven-time European Cup champion AC Milan looked strong in the opening stages against Olympiakos and had an offside goal disallowed early on.

Miguel Angel Guerrero gave the visitors the lead against the run of play in the 14th minute with a deflected header.

Milan then wasted some chances before Ricardo Rodriguez crossed for Cutrone to head the equalizer with 20 minutes to go. Higuain's low shot put the Italian club 2-1 up and Cutrone tapped in his second goal from close range in the 79th.

Milan leads Group F with six points, two ahead of Real Betis, which scored three goals in the second half to ease past Luxembourg newcomer Dudelange 3-0.

ARSENAL NINE RESTED

Emery followed the example of predecessor Arsene Wenger by resting nine front-line players in Baku.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who netted twice in the opening 4-2 victory over Vorskla, didn't travel due to illness, while Aaron Ramsey stayed at home for family reasons.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos scored the first goal after four minutes when Nacho Monreal headed the ball on from a corner. The 18-year-old Smith Rowe and Matteo Guendouzi then struck in the second half.

Sporting rallied to win 2-1 at Ukraine's Vorskla to join Arsenal atop Group E with six points.

LAZIO PAIR SENT OFF

Lazio's Dusan Basta and Joaquin Correa were sent off in their team's 4-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Basta received a second yellow card at the end of the first half, while Correa was dismissed for a challenge on Jonathan de Guzman in the 58th minute.

Danny da Costa (2), Luka Jovic and Filip Kostic were on target for Eintracht, with Marco Parolo replying for Lazio.

A late goal from Emilio Zelaya salvaged a 2-2 draw for Apollon Nicosia at home to Marseille after last year's runner-up had led 2-0.

Eintracht tops Group H with six points, three more than Lazio.

OTHER GROUPS

Sevilla lost 2-1 at Krasnodar in Group J. The most successful club in Europa League history went ahead after Charles Kabore's own goal but the Russian side rallied thanks to Mauricio Pereyra and Tornike Okriashvili.

Bayer Leverkusen came from a goal down to defeat AEK Larnaca 4-2 and is tied atop Group A on six points with Zurich, which edged Ludogorets 1-0.

In Group B, Salzburg came from a goal down against Celtic to win 3-1 and now leads the way on six points. The Scottish champion is tied in second place on three with Leipzig, which won 3-1 at Rosenborg.

Dinamo Zagreb upset host Anderlecht 2-0 to dominate Group D with six points.

Rennes had to travel even further than Arsenal, 5,000 kilometers (3,107 miles), to Kazakhstan's Astana and suffered a 2-0 defeat in Group K.

Rangers, managed by former England midfielder Steven Gerrard, won 3-1 at home to Rapid Vienna with two goals from Alfredo Morelos and a penalty by James Tavernier. Also in Group G, Spartak Moscow drew 3-3 with Villarreal.

Newcomer Sarpsborg beat Genk 3-1 in Group I to claim its first Europa League victory.

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Plus-size shoppers, take note: Walmart bought plus-size ELOQUII making the brand the latest acquisition in Walmart's pursuit to bring digital-native brands under the Walmart umbrella. Last year, Walmart bought both Modcloth, Bonobos, and several other digital-first startups, as part of a larger effort to differentiate its offerings from Amazon.

For those unfamiliar, ELOQUII is a four-year-old plus-size clothing startup that offers workwear, occasion-wear, denim, and casual pieces in sizes 14-28. ELOQUII Founder & CEO Mariah Chase (as well as all of the company's employees) will join the Walmart team as part of the acquisition.

"We are excited to be in the company of other brands in the Walmart eCommerce family," reads a blog post on the ELOQUII website. "Brands that are disrupting categories and innovating such as Bonobos (did you see they launched extended sizes?), Jet.com, ModCloth, Moosejaw and more. We think theyre pretty cool. Plus, Walmart eCommerce is looking to the future and even has its own tech incubator, Store No 8, thats launched new companies like Jetblack. We are excited to be a part of their innovation."

RELATED: This lingerie goes up to a size 46K  and it's actually sexy.

According to ELOQUII, joining the Walmart family will provide the brand with "operational leverage." As of now, there are no plans to sell ELOQUII at Walmart stores  in other words, it's business as usual for any plus-size shoppers on the hunt for affordable business casual pieces.
Manama (Bahrain) (AFP) - Bahrain on Thursday announced a fiscal overhaul aimed at balancing its budget by 2022, backed up by a $10-billion support package from key Gulf allies.

The plan aims to save 800 million Bahraini dinars ($2.1 billion, 1.84 billion euros) annually, the government said, as the kingdom looks to curb its debt after years of lower oil prices.

Neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have agreed a package worth $10 billion to "support the funding requirements", a Bahraini government statement said.

The reform programme includes cutting public expenditure and government waste, voluntary retirements for government workers and "redirecting" state subsidies.

The authorities said they are also looking to increase "non-oil revenues, to drive economic growth, diversify government income streams and align non-oil revenue with positive economic growth".

Khalid al-Rumaihi, executive director of Bahrain's Economic Development Board, said the country requires $20 billion to balance its books and that the government will provide half of that figure.

Bahrain's budget deficit is expected to reach $3.5 billion in 2018, after hitting about $5 billion in 2017.

Located between rival regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran, Bahrain has been ruled for more than two centuries by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty.

Saudi Arabia has been a major supporter and in 2011 sent in forces along with the UAE to help protect Bahrain's rulers against protests by the Shiite majority.
Teri Hatcher wants President Trump to understand what its like to be a victim of sexual assault.

The Desperate Housewives and Lois & Clark actress, 53, recounted the first time she was victimized  at age 5 by an uncle, Richard Hayes Stone, in a car  in an open letter to the president that she shared on social media. She explained what she remembered about the assault in great detail  what he said, what he did, what she saw, what position she was in, how she felt during it  and then went on to detail what she didnt remember as a clear message to the man who mocked Brett Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford at a Mississippi rally on Tuesday.

Teri Hatcher, a sexual assault survivor who helped convict her abuser decades later, has sent an open letter to President Trump for mocking Christine Blasey Ford. (Photo: AP)

Heres what I DO NOT remember, Hatcher wrote. The address of where it happened. How I got there. How I got home. What day or month it was. If anyone was drinking beer.

Hatcher wasnt assaulted only once  she was abused for several years in the 1960s and early 70s, seeing Stone, who was married to her mothers sister, for the last time when she was 8 or 9. Sadly, myself and then decades later, teenager Sarah Van Cleemput, were abused by the same man. She committed suicide. I battled demons.

Hatcher ended the post by writing: Mr. President, I am a survivor, who stands available to help you understand the way the memories of a trauma like that work. It might be hard for you to understand. I can readily explain in detail that I dont remember is often the most honest response surrounding questions of an assault. It does NOT mean it didnt happen. Please do not add Mocked by President to the injury list of a sexual survivor. Its just plain wrong.

What Hatcher didnt note in her post was that she bravely helped convict Stone, who died in prison in 2008 at the age of 70. When Cleemput died by suicide in 2002, she left a note incriminating Stone, who was a family friend. After seeing the story in a newspaper when she was visiting her parents, Hatcher contacted prosecutors to say that Stone had molested her too.

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Hatchers telling her story of abuse was key in getting the 2002 conviction. (Prosecutors had doubts before because Stones other alleged victims, three other girls, wouldnt speak to authorities. After being presented with a transcript of Hatchers account, he pleaded guilty in 2002, leaving no need for a trial or a court appearance for Hatcher.) She broke her silence to the media about it in an emotional interview with Vanity Fair in 2006. She openly discussed how complicated childhood assault can be. She said that she didnt tell anyone as a child, so it went on for years until Stone came to visit when she was 8 or 9 and she had an emotional outburst. While her mom sensed something wasnt right and removed Hatcher from the situation (she never saw her uncle or aunt again), the abuse wasnt discussed. My parents are really well intended, and I think their way of dealing with things is denial and guilt, she said. Nobody wanted to talk about it. But all I did was blame myself.

Hatcher talked about the added trauma of coming forward to prosecutors as someone who was in the limelight  she feared that tabloids would smear her name and paint her as a has-been actress. At the end of the day, there was no way I was not going to put this girl first, before whatever damage might be done to me, she told the magazine.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
As Paris women's fashion week ends Tuesday, AFP looks at some of the major trends from the spring-summer 2019 catwalk collections:

- Black is the new black -

Spring-summer is supposed to be about bright colours, prints and flouncy flowers.No longer if a deeply sombre Paris fashion week is any barometer.

The last nine days has been one long funereal procession of black, with a little bit of white and the odd dazzle of silver to lift the gloom.

Hedi Slimane went on a voyage to the heart of black in his highly controversial debut at Celine, as did his successor at Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello.

Blink at Valentino, Margiela, Guy Laroche, Givenchy and even Balenciaga and you might have thought yourself at a wake there was so much black, while Rick Owens summoned up the Salem witch-hunts, smoking pyre and all.

Dior -- where flowers are never far -- was utterly lovely but also determinedly unflashy with subtly subdued colours.

Even Balmain was uncharacteristically restrained, which is no bad thing.

It was left to Chanel, the king of prints Dries van Noten, Haider Ackermann, Paco Rabanne and India's jester genius Manish Arora to bring some fizz to the party, with the latter outdoing himself with a technicolour collection that burned into memory as well as the retina.

- Teeny tiny bags -

Bags are getting smaller, much smaller. We appear in fact to be entering the era of the micro-bag with young guns Ottolinger and Jacquemus introducing handbags you can hold with one finger.

Karl Lagerfeld may be more than half a century their senior, but he was bang on trend at Chanel. And we were spoilt for choice for them at Louis Vuitton, where they were also attached to belts.

Natacha Ramsay-Levi's new C bag at Chloe isn't teeny tiny, but the biggest thing about it is the golden C she has stamped on it, while Maria Grazia Chiuri's new Dior one is more of a shoulder purse.

Spherical bags were also big, with Chanel introducing its little beach ball bags and Marine Serre's playful little cartoon bombs.

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Arora too had a few before taking the biscuit -- or in his case the three-tiered cake -- with his wedding cake as well as leopard-head bags which came with light-up-in-the-dark laser eyes.

But for pure practical ingenuity, Issey Miyake's new bag hat is hard to beat. Made with shot fabric, it can be folded into a hat and worn in an almost infinite number of ways. Hats off!

- Tights with sandals -

For decades style gurus have preached that the very definition of icky was tights with sandals or open-toed shoes. No more.

No greater authority than the temple of aristocratic taste that is the house of Givenchy reckons it's OK. It paired thick black tights with sandals and even -- brace yourselves -- white shoes.

Miu Miu, a pioneer/repeat offender of knee-length tights, teamed them and black tights with pink, silver, brown and purple sandals, some with platform soles straight from the 1970s.

And revived Courreges dared to match skin-tone tights bearing its logo with miniskirts and flat sandals.

- Gigantic shades -

Summer is all about sunglasses, and next year they will be as big as picture windows.

Dior was first to burst the frame with big boxy skin-tone shades, followed by Gucci's jet black giants inspired by sleeping masks with Loewe's equally massive ones, just a little more modular.

Rick Owens and Paris newcomers Marques'Almeida continued the gigantism with almost identical fighter-pilot visor shades.

Like its collection, Guy Laroche's were two-tone while Saint Laurent and newbies Each x Other went all hippy dippy with heart- and diamond-shaped frames.

For those who think shades are an unnecessary extravagance, Slimane's Paris by night-themed debut at Celine hammered home the style rule that one should never go out after dark without them.

LVMH - MOET HENNESSY LOUIS VUITTON
On Oct. 1, the U.N.s International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled against forcing Chile to negotiate giving up a slice of its territory to provide neighboring Bolivia with a route to the sea. Gathered around giant screens in the capital, La Paz, Bolivians watched with dismay. To them, the countrys landlocked status is a historical injustice and an affront to national pride.

The dispute began in 1879, when Chile invaded the port city of Antofagasta on its northern border with Bolivia as part of a dispute over taxes. Within a few years, Chileans had redrawn the map of South America by taking almost 50,000 sq. mi. of Bolivian territory, including its 250-mile coastline on the southern Pacific Ocean. Bolivia formally accepted this loss in 1904, when it signed a peace treaty with Chile in return for a promise of the fullest and freest commercial access to port.

But the country never forgot its dream of returning to the waters of the Pacific Coast. Every year on March 23, Bolivians celebrate a national Day of the Sea. The dying words of Eduardo Abaroa, a Bolivian hero shot down by Chile in the 187984 war, have become an iconic phrase: Surrender? Your grandmother should surrender!

Bolivia even has a navy, established in 1963 as a river force using cast-off vessels from the U.S. and China. Without a sea to set sail on, its 5,000 members make do with drills in the Amazon basin and Lake Titicaca. They also patrol Bolivias river borders with Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.

In 2013, Bolivias President Evo Morales filed suit at the ICJ to force Chile to negotiate the handover of some of its land. The legal case framed it partly as an economic matter; Bolivia has the second lowest per capita GDP in South America, while sea-hugging Chile has the second highest. Bolivias former President Eduardo Rodriguez Veltze told judges at the Hague that the countrys annual GDP growth would be 20% higher if it still had a route to international waters. [It] would make a small difference to Chile, but it would transform the destiny of Bolivia, he said.

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Chile says it stuck to its 1904 promiseBolivia enjoys duty-free port access and its own customs station on the Chilean coast. But Bolivians say they still have to pay for transit to reach the port and that their goods are subjected to unwarranted Chilean checks.

The feud has created tensions between the neighbors, which have suspended full diplomatic relations since 1978. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera celebrated the Oct. 1 ruling among a cheering crowd in Antofagasta and criticized Morales for creating false expectations and great frustration among his own people. But Bolivias dream of restoring its access to the coast is not dead yet. Despite the unjust report from the ICJ, the Bolivian peoples fight continues, Morales said after the ruling. We will never give up on our sovereign route to the sea.

CIARA NUGENT
Law professors across the United States have signed an open letter urging the Senate to reject Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination ahead of the historic vote.

More than 1,700 law professors of various backgrounds and political ideologies co-signed the letter, published Wednesday in the New York Times, which read, "We regret that we feel compelled to write to you, our Senators, to provide our views that at the Senate hearings  Judge Brett Kavanaugh displayed a lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for any court, and certainly for elevation to the highest court of this land."

The Independent interviewed numerous law professors who signed onto the letter Thursday, at least seven of whom agreed to speak on-the-record about the embattled Supreme Court nominee.

Several professors provided support for Christine Blasey Ford, the first woman to accuse Mr Kavanaugh of sexual assault, while others cast doubt on her story and resulting allegations brought on by additional accusers, including Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick.

Still, the professors expressed deep concerns for Mr Kavanaughs "explicit adoption of a partisan political identity" and his apparent inability to remain neutral in the face of tough questioning during last weeks televised hearings.

The majority of professors pointed to a tense exchange between Mr Kavanaugh and Amy Kobluchar, a Minnesota Democrat who attempted to ask the federal judge about his drinking habits before he spun the line of questioning back onto her.

Cynthia Grant Bowman, a law professor at Cornell University, said the exchange displayed Mr Kavanaughs "obvious and deep anger at being challenged at all, especially by a woman."

She added, "If he cant treat members of a co-equal branch of government well, how must he treat litigants?"

Martin Guggenheim, law professor at New York University, said the exchange "displayed a shocking lack of decorum" on the part of Mr Kavanaugh, while describing the moment as "unacceptable".

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"Justices of the Supreme Court are the most important legal officers in the country," he added. "We ought to hold them to a standard of public behaviour that is consistent with that high office."

That sentiment was echoed by Joshua Mitts, an associate professor of law at Columbia University, who said the exchange between Mr Kavanaugh and Ms Kobluchar stood out as one of the most troubling moments from the hearings.

"Many of my colleagues have said that if he had responded with contrition and said he didn't remember anything but asked for forgiveness, we would have been in a different place," he said. "I was put off by his tone, which is when his true colours were revealed."

None of the professors whom The Independent interviewed said Mr Kavanaughs conservative track record on the bench was a cause for their signing the letter. In fact, at least two said that a judges supposed political agenda wouldn't necessarily be a disqualifying factor for a Supreme Court nominee.

Sylvia Law, a professor at New York University and co-director of the Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberties program, has studied Mr Kavanaughs opinions from his tenure as a federal judge. He "has an obvious agenda," Ms Law said, "which is not disqualifying in and of itself, but the thing thats disturbing in his opinions is the way he miscategorises facts when theyre not good for the gander."

"I do believe Dr Fords allegations, but I can understand someone saying, 'We dont know this happened beyond a reasonable doubt.' I understand someone saying they dont believe her," she continued. "But what I found most disturbing was the way Brett Kavanaugh lies. I wouldn't say that as confidently about the sexual assault accusations."

Protestors gather across Washington as the US Senate prepares to vote on Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme court nomination. (Getty)

While the law professors varied in their belief of Dr Fords sexual assault allegations, several said the claims should be adequately reviewed by the FBI.

David Garland, a law professor at NYU, said he believed Dr Fords "allegations are sufficiently credible to warrant a proper investigation." He added that Mr Kavanaughs "explicit adoption of a partisan political identity" was among the most worrying aspects of the judges testimony.

The open letter arrived just days before a vote on the Supreme Court nomination, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had promised to hold on Friday, after the FBI conducted a probe into Mr Kavanaugh and the sexual assault allegations against him.

Democratic lawmakers have slammed Donald Trump and the White House for allegedly limiting the scope of the background investigation, with Dianne Feinstein calling the probe "incomplete." Neither Dr Ford nor Mr Kavanaugh were reportedly interviewed by the federal agency as part of the latest investigation.

Whether or not its true that Mr Kavanaugh assaulted Dr Ford, the law professors seemed to be in unanimous agreement about the treatment the embattled nominee expressed towards the few women seated in front of him during his hearings.

"In his demeanour and his responses to specific questions from the senators, Judge Kavanaugh displayed contempt for the notion that due process should include a thorough and respectful investigation of Dr Blasey Fords allegations," said Anne Coughlin, professor at the University of Virginia School of Law. "It was horrifying to see him participate in a campaign to discredit women who come forward to complain about sexual assault."

For law professors like Sacha Coupet, an associate professor at Loyola University Chicago, the most disturbing aspect of Mr Kavanaughs hearings was his clear departure from the set of ideals many Americans hope a Supreme Court nominee will bestow on the bench.

Ive been long critical of assumptions that judges are not people  and while Im critical of that, I still see it as an aspirational model, that what we would like to believe is that judges are approaching judicial decision making with the kind of emotional and intellectual detachment that would allow them to exercise really the highest level of impartiality without being subjected to their own grievances or their own strongly held personal beliefs, she said.

She added, When you occupy that seat, particularly a seat on the highest court of the land, we ask that you have the ability to control your temper, that you do, in a sense, exercise all of the preconceived notions of what we think judging involves, the impartiality, neutrality, calm. There are aspects of demeanour and temperament that you must demonstrate an ability to keep those in check in order to carry out this incredibly important task."
By Guy Faulconbridge and Anthony Deutsch THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Britain accused Russian military intelligence on Thursday of directing a host of cyber attacks aimed at undermining Western democracies by sowing confusion in everything from the 2016 U.S. presidential election to the global chemical weapons watchdog. In a British assessment based on work by its National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Russian military intelligence (GRU) was cast as a pernicious cyber aggressor which used a network of hackers to spread discord across the world. GRU, Britain said, was almost certainly behind the BadRabbit and World Anti-Doping Agency attacks of 2017, the hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016 and the theft of emails from a UK-based TV station in 2015. The Netherlands said it had caught four GRU officers red handed as they tried to hack into the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons from a hotel next door in April. "The GRUs actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries," said British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. "Our message is clear - together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRUs attempts to undermine international stability," Hunt said. Britain believes the Russian government is responsible for the attacks. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a news briefing that the British accusations were the product of someone with a "rich imagination". "It's some kind of a diabolical perfume cocktail (of allegations)," TASS quoted Zakharova as telling reporters. Though less well known than the Soviet Union's once mighty KGB, Russia's military intelligence service played a major role in some of the biggest events of the past century, from the Cuban missile crisis to the annexation of Crimea. RUSSIAN CYBER POWER? Though commonly known by the acronym GRU, which stands for the Main Intelligence Directorate, its name was formally changed in 2010 to the Main Directorate of the General Staff (or just GU). Its old acronym - GRU - is still more widely used. It has agents across the globe and answers directly to the chief of the general staff and the Russian defense minister. The GRU does not comment publicly on its actions. Its structure, staff numbers and financing are Russian state secrets. The GRU traces its history back to the times of Ivan the Terrible, though it was founded as the Registration Directorate in 1918 after the Bolshevik Revolution. Vladimir Lenin insisted on its independence from other secret services. British Prime Minister Theresa May has said GRU officers used a nerve agent to try to kill former double agent Sergei Skripal, who was found unconscious in the English city of Salisbury in March. Russia has repeatedly denied the charges. After the Skripal poisoning, the West agreed with Britain's assessment that Russian military intelligence was to blame and launched the biggest expulsion of Russian spies working under diplomatic cover since the height of the Cold War. According to a presentation by the head of the Netherlands' military intelligence agency, four Russians arrived in the Netherlands on April 10 and were caught with spying equipment at a hotel located next to the OPCW headquarters. At the time, the OPCW was working to verify the identity of the substance used in the Salisbury attack. It was also seeking to verify the identity of a substance used in an attack in Douma, Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB spy, said on Wednesday that Skripal, a GRU officer who betrayed dozens of agents to Britain's MI6 foreign spy service, was a "scumbag" who had betrayed Russia. Britain said the GRU was associated with a host of hackers including APT 28, Fancy Bear, Sofacy, Pawnstorm, Sednit, CyberCaliphate, Cyber Berkut, Voodoo Bear and BlackEnergy Actors. "This pattern of behavior demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to international law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences," Foreign Secretary Hunt said. The United States sanctioned GRU officers including its chief, Igor Korobov, in 2016 and 2018 for attempted interference in the 2016 U.S. election and cyber attacks. Australia and New Zealand backed the United Kingdom's findings on the GRU. "Cyberspace is not the Wild West. The International Community  including Russia  has agreed that international law and norms of responsible state behavior apply in cyberspace," Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. "By embarking on a pattern of malicious cyber behavior, Russia has shown a total disregard for the agreements it helped to negotiate," Morrison said. (Additional reporting by Stephanie van den Berg and Colin Packham; Editing by Stephen Addison)
Brussels (AFP) - Britain's defence minister on Thursday condemned Russia as a "pariah state" after London accused Kremlin spies of mounting a campaign of cyber attacks on civilian bodies around the world.

Cyber experts from the UK have identified operatives from Russia's GRU military intelligence as being behind a string of high-profile incidents, including an attempted hack on the World Anti-Doping Agency in Switzerland last year.

As he arrived for talks in Brussels with his NATO counterparts, Gavin Williamson said Moscow's "reckless and indiscriminate" attacks had left it isolated in the international community.

"This is not the actions of a great power, this is the actions of a pariah state and we'll continue working with allies to isolate, make them understand they cannot continue to conduct themselves in such a way," Williamson told reporters.

Britain's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has "high confidence" that the GRU was "almost certainly" responsible for a number of attacks, including the infamous targeting of the US Democratic Party ahead of the 2016 presidential election, according to sources in London.

NATO is stepping up efforts to strengthen its resources to counter electronic warfare, with the US set to announce it is making offensive cyber capabilities available to the alliance.

Asked three times whether Britain would consider hitting back at Russia with cyber attacks of its own, Williamson said that being named and shamed was a deterrent in itself.

"We're going to make it clear where Russia acts that we are going to be exposing that action and we believe that by doing so this will act as a disincentive to act in such a way in the future," he said.

Ties between Britain and Russia are at rock bottom after a nerve agent attack targeting former Kremlin agent Sergei Skripal in the English city of Salisbury.

London has blamed Moscow for the attack, which left one person dead, and last month the British-based investigative group Bellingcat identified one of the suspects as a highly decorated GRU colonel.
Matt DeFouw was taken aback when his son, a high school student, texted him a picture of an assignment that had been given to his class. The 10th-grade students at Valleyview Secondary School in Kamloops, a city in British Columbia, Canada, were supposed to be learning about differing views in partisan politics  but instead, they seemed to be getting schooled on the biased political stance of the person who had prepared the lesson.
Rome (AFP) - A new migrant rescue ship was headed for the waters off Libya on Thursday, one of the aid groups running the boat said, after similar vessels were prevented from operating.

"The #MareJonio is on its way!" Sea-Watch tweeted.

"In cooperation with #Mediterranea we are back at sea, to keep a sharp lookout and to challenge the European policy of letting people drown."

The announcement came on the same day that the Aquarius rescue ship sailed into Marseille harbour and an uncertain fate after Panama pulled its flag, meaning it cannot leave port without a new flag.

The Mare Jonio is a tug flying the Italian flag that left Augusta in Sicily on Wednesday evening, headed south, maritime tracking websites said.

The 37-metre (121 foot) vessel -- around half the length of the Aquarius -- is not intended to rescue migrants and bring them to a safe port but to spot and secure migrant-carrying boats that are in distress.

It will also provide a civilian presence in an area where they say the Libyan coastguard and international military vessels are failing to rescue people, despite several shipwrecks in September.

Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms sent the Astral sailboat to the area on a similar mission a few days ago.

The Astral was off the coast of Lampedusa on Wednesday to commemorate the fifth anniversary of a shipwreck there in which 366 migrants died in 2013.

The disaster pushed Italy to launch its Mare Nostrum military operation to rescue migrants making the perilous journey from North Africa to Europe.

Since then European Union and NGO boats have joined in, although most of the aid group boats have now stopped work, some because of what they say are trumped-up administrative charges.

The International Organisation for Migration says that around 15,000 migrants have drowned in the central Mediterranean since the Lampedusa disaster.

During the same period Italy has received around 600,000 migrants on its coast, while other European nations have closed their borders.

Italy's former centre-left government tried to stem the flow of migrants by working with the Libyan authorities and limiting the NGO effort.

Anti-immigrant Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who came to power as part of a populist government in June, has since then closed Italian ports to civilian and military boats that have rescued migrants, saying Italy bears an unfair share of the migrant burden.
Rome (AFP) - A new migrant rescue ship was headed for the waters off Libya on Thursday after similar vessels were prevented from trying to rescue people seeking to make the perilous journey to Europe.

"The #MareJonio is on its way!" German NGO Sea-Watch tweeted.

"In cooperation with #Mediterranea we are back at sea, to keep a sharp lookout and to challenge the European policy of letting people drown."

The announcement came on the same day that the Aquarius rescue ship sailed into Marseille harbour and an uncertain fate after Panama pulled its flag, meaning it cannot leave port without a new flag.

The Mare Jonio is a tug flying the Italian flag that left Augusta in Sicily on Wednesday evening, headed for international waters to the south, maritime tracking websites said.

The 37-metre (121 foot) vessel -- around half the length of the Aquarius -- is not intended to rescue migrants and bring them to a safe port but to spot migrant-carrying boats that are in distress.

The Mediterranea collective of aid groups and associations bought and refitted the tug, they told journalists in Rome.

It will provide a civilian presence in an area where they say the Libyan coastguard and international military vessels are failing to rescue people, despite several shipwrecks in September.

Those operating the boat, which is also carrying Italian writers and politicians, want to "conquer fear and distrust with solidarity and humanity," said Ada Talarico of the Mediterranea collective.

"We want to save ourselves from a present and future of hatred and intolerance," she said.

- 'Moral disobedience' -

Mediterranea said that the boat's mission was motivated by "moral disobedience and civil obedience".

The Mare Jonio will be accompanied by a smaller boat carrying members of the associations and journalists, and will coordinate with Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms' Astral sailboat, which left Spain a few days ago on a similar mission.

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The collective borrowed money from the Banca Etica with the associations and left-wing politicians as guarantors. The collective has launched a crowdfunding appeal to repay the current budget of around 700,000 euros.

The Astral was off the coast of Lampedusa on Wednesday to commemorate the fifth anniversary of a shipwreck there in which 366 migrants died in 2013.

The disaster pushed Italy to launch its Mare Nostrum military operation to rescue migrants making the perilous journey from North Africa to Europe.

Since then European Union and NGO boats have joined in, although most of the aid group boats have now stopped work, some because of what they say are trumped-up administrative charges.

The International Organisation for Migration says that around 15,000 migrants have drowned in the central Mediterranean since the Lampedusa disaster.

During the same period Italy has received around 600,000 migrants on its coast, while other European nations have closed their borders.

Italy's former centre-left government tried to stem the flow of migrants by working with the Libyan authorities and limiting the NGO effort.

Anti-immigrant Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who came to power as part of a populist government in June, has since then closed Italian ports to civilian and military boats that have rescued migrants, saying Italy bears an unfair share of the migrant burden.
A 90-year-old man in California has been charged in the slaying of his 67-year-old stepdaughter after police alleged his alibi was untrue based on evidence from her fitness tracker.

On Sept. 13, a co-worker of pharmacy technician Karen Navarra went to the womans San Jose home to conduct a welfare check when she failed to show up for work. Inside the residence, the co-worker found Navarras bloodied body slumped over a chair in the kitchen.

When homicide investigators arrived on the scene, they observed multiple deep and intrusive wounds on Navarras head and a gaping laceration on her neck, according to a report by San Jose police. Navarras right hand was clasping a large kitchen knife, which authorities suspect was planted in an attempt to stage a suicide.

A subsequent autopsy determined Navarras injuries could not have been self-inflicted and are consistent with injuries caused by a hatchet or ax, police said.

Anthony Tony Aiello, who is married to Navarras 92-year-old mother, is believed to be the last person to see her alive. Questioned by police, Aiello allegedly said he brought Navarra pizza and biscotti on Sept. 8 and visited with her for about 15 minutes before leaving.

Aiello further claimed he saw Navarra drive by his house later that day, according to court documents. Aiello allegedly said hed seen someone with her, seated in the passenger side of the vehicle.

Authorities have identified Anthony Aiello as a suspect in the slaying of Karen Navarra. (Photo: San Jose Police Department)

But in piecing together the evidence, police began to suspect Aiellos version of events could not be true.

Cops say Aiellos alibi began to fall apart when they compared surveillance video to data collected from Navarras Fitbit, a wearable device that measures a persons fitness metrics and heart rate.

Navarras Fitbit, authorities said, recorded a significant spike in her heart rate at 3:20 p.m. local time on Sept. 8. The spike was allegedly followed by a rapid slowing of her heart rate, which the device stopped registering at 3:28 p.m., police said.

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Surveillance footage recorded outside Navarras residence on Sept. 8 allegedly shows Aiellos car was parked in her driveway from 3:12 p.m. to 3:33 p.m., indicating he was present at the time of her death, police said. The same video footage allegedly shows Navarra did not leave her residence after Aiellos visit  meaning she could not have driven by his house, police said.

After explaining the abilities of the Fitbit to record time, physical movement and heart rate data, he was informed that the victim was deceased prior to his leaving the house, court documents read. Aiello stated that could not be true because she had walked him to the door when he left the residence.

Aiello allegedly told investigators someone else might have been in the house, police said.

Fitbits on display in Los Angeles, California, on July 28, 2018. (Photo: Rich Fury via Getty Images)

Police are citing other evidence as well. When authorities conducted a search of Aiellos residence they allegedly found two shirts with blood spatter. Aiello, according to court documents, told investigators he might have cut his hand while wearing those shirts.

He was told that the deposits of blood were not localized in one area and were more consistent with splatter, court documents read. Aiello indicated that he might have cut his hand and shaken it while he was wearing those shirts.

Authorities have not commented on a possible motive in the slaying.

Aiello was arrested Sept. 25 and booked on suspicion of murder. He was remanded to the Santa Clara County Jail, where hes being held without bond, pending a Thursday court appearance.

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El Dorado Jane Doe

We know who killed her. But we still dont know her name. That is the enduring mystery that has left investigators stumped for more than two decades. Despite the passge in time, authorities beleive someone, somewhere, can still help solve the identity of the woman known as El Dorado Jane Doe.



READ: We Know Who Killed Her. But 24 Years Later, We Still Dont Know Her Name

Storyville Slayer

Three decades ago, the melting pot of culture and tradition that makes up New Orleans was overshadowed by a cloud of evil. The historic metropolis that Louis Armstrong once dubbed the Land of Dreams had become a nightmare for the families of more than two dozen people who turned up dead in outlying swamps and bayous.



READ: Detective Tries To Solve 25-Year-Old Serial Killer Cold Case. One Suspect Is A Cop.

Eugene Hicks

A womans quest to learn about her fathers 1983 murder uncovered mistakes that may have cost a retired Dallas Cowboys player his life.



READ: How Police Failures May Have Allowed A Cocaine Cowboys Suspected Killer To Strike Again

Deborah Lee Shelton And Victoria Lee Specials

For 65 days in 1969, Marcia Shelton watched, waited and hoped against all odds that her missing 12-year-old daughter, Deborah Lee Shelton, would turn up safe and sound. Then, in December 2001, there was another tragedy as equally disturbing as the first -- the disappearance of her second daughter, 44-year-old Victoria Lee Specials. Marcia Shelton found herself left with the memories of two daughters, taken under mysterious circumstances three decades apart.



Read More: Sisters Deborah Lee Shelton And Victoria Lee Specials Vanish 32 Years Apart

Tamala Wells

Tamala Wells, of Detroit, disappeared on Aug. 6, 2012. Her mother, Donna Wells-Davis, learned of her daughter's disappearance on Aug. 7, 2012, when she received a phone call from her granddaughter, who was then 6 years old. The little girl said that her mom, then 33, had gone out the previous night and never returned.



The mystery deepened when the Pontiac that Wells had supposedly been driving was found abandoned just a few blocks from her home.



In an interview with HuffPost, the father of Wells' daughter denied any involvement in Wells' disappearance, but he didn't deny how he feels about the mother of his child -- or about the child herself.



"She gives me a headache," Rickey Tennant said. "[Wells] used to give me a headache, but I dealt with it, and I'm looking at it right now as 'one headache is better than two headaches.'"



READ: Ex-Boyfriend Calls Missing Woman One Less 'Headache'

Joy Hibbs

On April 19, 1991, the body of 36-year-old Joy Hibbs was found inside her burned-out home in Bristol Township, Pennsylvania. According to retired Bristol Township Detective Lt. Richard Bilson, the scene inside the bedroom where Hibbs was found was horrific.



"She was lying face-up on a mattress that was nothing but springs," Bilson told HuffPost. "Her body was black -- completely burnt beyond recognition. She looked like a mummy and the entire room was charred."



Bilson said fire investigators initially thought Joy Hibbs was the tragic victim of a house fire. The following day, a coroner confirmed part of that theory -- her death was tragic, albeit no accident. "The coroner advised us she died before the fire started," Bilson said. "He located five stab wounds, to her neck and chest, and there was a computer cord wrapped around her neck. At that point, it became a homicide investigation."



Read More: Pennsylvania Mom's Brutal Murder An Enduring Mystery

Terry And Darleen Anderson

In October 2005, an unknown intruder brutally murdered Terry and Darleen Anderson. The crime -- LaGrange County, Indiana's first double homicide -- shocked their rural community and left many deep emotional scars.



Inside the couple's home, Darleen was found still dressed in her nightclothes, slumped over on the couch. A book was in her lap and a bowl of popcorn was sitting next to her. Someone had viciously attacked the 57-year-old woman while she sat relaxing inside her home.



Outside, in a nearby pole barn, lay Darleen's husband of 25 years. Like his wife, the 59-year-old had been brutally bludgeoned to death.



With few clues to follow, the case quickly went cold. Many questions still remain.



READ: Who Killed Terry And Darleen Anderson?

Neal King

Neal Forrest King came to California to make his fortune in the burgeoning illegal marijuana trade. In 2013, the 24-year-old former Texan disappeared like a puff of smoke. March 26 was the last time Jeanette Tully, King's girlfriend of six years, saw him.



"It's so painful, and I don't think the pain will ever go away," Tully told HuffPost at the time. "I'm 25, and I was ready to spend rest of my life with him. Our love was true, honest and pure."



King's mother, Gayle King, described her son's disappearance as inexplicable. "Neal was a kind person and an amazing son," she said. "That's just how he was. He had strong family values. Family for him was everything."



Read More: Marijuana Farmer Neal King Disappears Amid Strange Circumstances

Brian Barton

Punk rock musician Brian Barton was well on his way to success in 2005. The 25-year-old was in love, was a member of As Fate Would Have It -- a band quickly growing in popularity -- and was gearing up for his first music tour. To outsiders looking in, all the stars in Barton's universe appeared to be in alignment. However, appearances can be deceiving. When Barton disappeared prior to the start of the band's breakout music tour, the bizarre circumstances surrounding his disappearance pitted friends and bandmates against each other.



Read More: Did Seattle Punk Rocker Brian Barton Stage His Own Disappearance?

Judith Geurin

Relatives of Judith Geurin last spoke with the 45-year-old mom in January 1991. Geurin's disappearance is rooted in events that transpired in July 1988, when her husband of 18 years, 57-year-old Joseph Geurin, died of a heart attack. According to family members, Joseph's death devastated her and shattered the family. The grief, they said, was so severe that her mom turned to alcohol for solace.



By January 1989, Judith Geurin had collected more than $250,000 in life insurance and pension funds granted to her following her husband's death. She sold the family's four-bedroom, colonial-style house and took out a mortgage on a two-family duplex in nearby Troy. Geurin's children, then ages 21, 16, 13 and 11 -- moved into the duplex. However, unbeknownst to them until moving day, their mother had other plans.



Instead of following her children, Geurin moved in with 27-year-old Curtis Pucci. In 1990, Geurin and Pucci moved some 200 miles southwest of Albany to Sodus Point. Even though she had all but abandoned her children, Geurin kept in regular contact with her eldest daughter until January 1991, when Geurin vanished without a trace.



Read More: Daughter's Search For Mom Goes On, 23 Years After She Disappeared

Anita Knutson

In 2007, Anita Knutson was an 18-year-old Minot State University student majoring in elementary education. Knutson was, according to her family, exceptionally responsible for her age and juggled three part-time jobs while attending college.



Despite a busy life, she kept in regular contact with her family. So, when she went two days without returning phone calls, her father went to her off-campus apartment on June 4, 2007.



When repeated knocks to the door of her 4th Street apartment went unanswered, her father had the building manager open the door. When the concerned father stepped inside, his worst fears became a reality when he found his daughter's lifeless body on the floor of her bedroom.



Authorities determined the young woman had been stabbed multiple times, more than a day before her body was found. The murder weapon, a bloody knife, was found discarded in a sink. Detectives also determined someone had cut the screen to Knutson's bedroom window, presumable to gain entry into her apartment.



Despite an intensive investigation, authorities were unable to identify a suspect or person of interest in her murder and the case went cold.



READ: Family Of Murdered MSU Student Demands Answers

JonBenet Ramsey

On Dec. 26, 1996, 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was found bludgeoned and strangled to death in the basement of her family's Boulder, Colorado, home. A ransom note from an anonymous group of individuals "that represent a foreign faction" asking for $118,000 in exchange for the safe return of JonBenet was found just hours before, but no call ever came from a kidnapper and it was never linked to a murderer. The entire Ramsey family was cleared of any involvement in the murder of JonBenet back in 2008, thanks to then newly discovered DNA evidence, according to 9News.



Beginning in 2010, investigators reopened the case and launched a fresh round of interviews with witnesses that could provide more insight into the murder, according to ABC News, but nothing fruitful came of those interviews. The DNA evidence still points to an "unexplained third party" that serves as a vague lead for authorities still pursuing the case, Time magazine reported. Boulder police have tested more than 150 DNA samples and investigated nearly the same amount of potential suspects in their ongoing investigation, but none have ever been linked to the crime.



Read More: JonBenet Ramsey's Killer 'May Be Lost Forever'

Kathleen Kolodziej

Kathleen Kolodziej was reported missing to police in Duanesburg, New York, on Nov. 2, 1974. The 17-year-old college student was last seen early that morning at a local bar. Kolodziej's whereabouts remained a mystery until Nov. 28, 1974, Thanksgiving morning, when investigators located her partially clothed body.



Read More: Kathleen Kolodziej's Murder A 38-Year Mystery

John Spira

John Spira, a 45-year-old blues-rock musician from Chicago known as "Chicago Johnny," has been missing since Feb. 23, 2007. He was last seen at about 7 p.m. at Universal Cable Construction Inc. in DuPage County. Spira co-owned the company with David Stubben, his business partner of 17 years. Spira had plans to meet a friend for dinner in nearby Oak Brook at 8:30 p.m., but he never arrived. The following evening, John's band, The Rabble Rousers, was scheduled to play in Montgomery. However, "Chicago Johnny," well-respected and normally reliable, was a no-show.



Read More: John Spira Still Missing 5 Years Later

Bobbi Ann Campbell

It has been many years since anyone has seen Utah mom Bobbi Ann Campbell. She was last seen in Salt Lake City in December 1994, when she dropped her 5-year-old daughter off at a friend's house. The young mother said she would return after she picked up her paycheck from work and purchased groceries. She never came back. Campbell, then 24, was there one minute and gone the next. She left no immediate trace and no trail to follow.



Read More: Bobbi Ann Campbell Missing: Daughter Seeks Closure In 19-Year-Old Case

Colonial Parkway Murders

The victims, eight in all, came in pairs. Many were young lovers who apparently met their fates mid-assignation. Each of the homicides occurred along the scenic 23-mile route between Jamestown and Yorktown in Virginia, giving them a ready name: the Colonial Parkway murders. Due to the shared location and other similarities among the deaths, law enforcement officials viewed them as the work of a possible serial killer.



Read More: Unsolved Murders Of Young Lovers In Va.

Sarah Kinslow

Sarah Kinslow was last seen by her parents on May 1, 2001, when her dad dropped her off at Greenville Middle School in her hometown of Greenville, Texas, at approximately 7:20 a.m. It was not until after the school day ended that the Kinslows were notified their daughter had not attended any of her classes. When Louise Kinslow spoke to her daughter's friends, they said her daughter was supposed to skip school with them that day and meet up at nearby East Mount Cemetery. Concerned, Kinslow contacted police and reported the teen missing.



Authorities took an article of Sarah Kinslow's clothing from the family home and brought a tracking dog to the school. Investigators were able to pick up her scent where she had exited her father's car. The dog followed the scent around the school and to a location two blocks away, where...



Read More: Sarah Kinslow Missing: 11 Years, No Answers

Robert Levinson

Robert Levinson is a former FBI special agent who retired from the FBI in 1998 after 22 years of service. In March 2007, Levinson traveled to Kish Island, Iran, as a private investigator to reportedly look into a cigarette smuggling investigation. He disappeared on March 9 of that year. In 2010, a video purportedly showing Levinson in captivity was sent to his family by his alleged captors.



Read More: Retired FBI Agent Missing Since 2007

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Daily Digit is the story behind the numbers that make our world work. Today were looking at sexual harassment in hotels. About 18,000 hotels have signed on to use panic buttons to protect employees from harassment and assault. Over a dozen big hotel chains said they will provide devices to all employees by 2020. Hotels in New York have required panic buttons since 2012, but in the era of #MeToo, other hotel chains have decided to implement similar initiatives. In a 2016 survey of 500 housekeepers, nearly half said guests had flashed them, exposed themselves, or opened their door naked. Of those harassed, more than half felt unsafe returning to work afterwards.
By Teis Jensen

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danske Bank (DANSKE.CO) faces a U.S. criminal investigation into a 200 billion euro (176.5 billion pounds) money laundering scandal at its Estonian branch which has rocked investor faith in Denmark's biggest lender and forced its chief executive to quit.

Shares in Danske Bank have lost a third of their value this year on fears of a U.S. inquiry because of the potential for significant penalties such as fines or being frozen out of dollar funding.

Danske Bank said it had "received requests for information from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in connection with a criminal investigation relating to the bank's Estonian branch".

The bank, which this week appointed Jesper Nielsen as interim CEO to handle the crisis in the short term after Thomas Borgen resigned last month, said on Thursday it was cooperating with the U.S. authorities.

Danish business minister Rasmus Jarlov has said Denmark wants to avoid a repeat of the case of ABLV in Latvia, where the bank was accused by U.S. authorities of covering up money laundering. ABLV was denied dollar funding and collapsed.

Shares in Danske Bank fell by 4.6 percent to 158.70 Danish crowns, their lowest level since January 2015 as its investors and customers digested the U.S. inquiry and the bank's decision to halt share buybacks to bolster its capital.

The mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen, said the Danish capital was looking into ending its cooperation with Danske Bank as a result of the unfolding scandal.

Investors have fretted for months over the possibility of U.S. authorities investigating whether Danske Bank broke U.S. rules and at least one shareholder litigation company says it is looking closely to see whether it can bring a damages claim.

The DoJ, Denmark's state prosecutor for financial crime (SOIK), the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the central bank all declined to comment.

"We think a fine of $6 billion, unlikely in our view given no sanctions/terror violations have been uncovered as yet after investigating high-risk customers, is already reflected in the price," Jefferies analyst Kapilan Pillai said in a note.

Story continues

France's BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA) reached a record $8.9 billion settlement with U.S. authorities in 2015 to resolve claims that it violated sanctions against Sudan, Cuba and Iran.

Many of the non-resident accounts at Denmark's Estonian branch were held by entities or individuals in Russia, which is the subject of U.S. sanctions.

WIDENING NET

Danske Bank's troubles are having a ripple effect across the region and on Wednesday Estonia's central banks said banks there handled more than $1 trillion in cross-border flows between 2008 and 2017.

Sweden's Swedbank (SWEDa.ST) and Nordea (NDAFI.HE), the Nordic region's biggest bank, both said they were not under investigation over money laundering.

In a sign of the impact of criminal and regulatory investigations in Estonia, Denmark, Britain and now the United States, Danske Bank said it would end its plan to buy back shares worth 10 billion Danish crowns ($1.5 billion) by February. It said it had bought shares worth 6.8 billion Danish crowns by the end of last week.

This decision followed an assessment by Denmark's financial regulator which said Danske Bank's compliance and reputational risks had risen. The FSA did not mention the U.S. inquiry in a 12 page follow-up report published by Danske Bank.

The FSA said in May that Danske Bank's Pillar II capital requirements should rise by 5 billion Danish crowns but has now ordered it to double this to a minimum of 10 billion crowns.

The bank raised its CET1 capital ratio target to around 16 percent from 14-15 percent and its total capital ratio to above 20 percent from an earlier target of above 19 percent.

By end of the second quarter the bank's CET1 ratio stood at 15.9 percent and its total capital ratio stood at 21.6 percent.

"It is a signal from our side that we would rather be on the safe side, rather than being seen on the other side, when it comes to capital," Morten Mosegaard, Danske Bank's interim chief financial officer and chief of staff told Reuters.

Last month a Danske Bank report said that payments totalling 200 billion euros, many of which were "suspicious", had moved through its Estonian branch between 2007 and 2015.

Borgen took "ultimate responsibility" for the findings of the report, which prompted renewed action by regulators, although he said he was cleared from a legal point of view.

The Danish bank's board has asked Denmark's FSA to approve the appointment next week of its head of wealth management Jacob Aarup-Andersen as its new chief executive, Danish online media Finans reported, citing several unnamed sources.

The FSA and Danske Bank declined to comment.

Politicians in Europe are calling for stricter measures after Dutch financial group ING (INGA.AS) was fined 775 million euros last month after admitting criminals had been able to launder cash through its accounts.

($1 = 0.8714 euros)

($1 = 6.4903 Danish crowns)

(Reporting by Teis Jensen; Additional reporting by Danilo Masoni in Milan Writing by Alexander Smith; Editing by Jason Neely/Keith Weir)
Democrats slammed what they viewed as gaping holes in the latest FBI investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after the report was handed over to the Senate early Thursday.

The most notable part of this report is whats not in it, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said, noting that the FBI didnt interview Kavanaugh or Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing him of sexually assaulting her when they were in high school.

It looks to be the product of an incomplete investigation that was limited, perhaps by the White House, I dont know, she added, accusing the Trump administration of blocking the FBI from doing its job.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) echoed her disappointment in the scope of the investigation and lamented the decision to keep the report private.

Why shouldnt America see all the facts? he asked.

The White House produced just one copy of the FBIs findings, and Republicans and Democrats had to take turns looking at it in a secure room at the Capitol.

The fact that theres only one document in there for 100 senators is another example of constraining the ability of all senators and the American public to see the whole truth and nothing but, Schumer said.

A number of Democrats expressed their anger on Twitter, calling the investigation inadequate, stunted, and incomplete.

This FBI report is blatantly incomplete & inadequatestraitjacketed by the White House. In a word, a cover-up.  Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) October 4, 2018

Why not do a real investigation? Why limit Senate access to the report? Why limit public access to it?



There can only be one of two answers: the Republican majority doesnt care about allegations of sexual assault, or theyre worried of what a true investigation would uncover.  Tim Kaine (@timkaine) October 4, 2018

White House officials defended the probe as thorough, despite reportedly ordering restrictions on its scope and having agents interview a limited number of people. A number of former classmates and acquaintances who knew Kavanaugh at the time of the allegations have said that they contacted the FBI directly, but officials never followed up with them.

Story continues

The White House sent out a statement around 2:30 a.m. Eastern time, saying it had sent the FBIs report to the Senate, calling the process the most comprehensive review of a Supreme Court nominee in history.

The White House has received the Federal Bureau of Investigations supplemental background investigation into Judge Kavanaugh, and it is being transmitted to the Senate, deputy press secretary Raj Shah wrote on Twitter. With this additional information, the White House is fully confident the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

.@WhiteHouse statement on @FBI supplemental background investigation into Judge Brett Kavanaugh:



The White House has received the Federal Bureau of Investigations supplemental background investigation into Judge Kavanaugh, and it is being transmitted to the Senate. (1/3)  Raj Shah (@RajShah45) October 4, 2018

Asked about Republicans affirming that the FBI report provides no new evidence corroborating Kavanaughs accusers, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said firmly: I do not agree with that statement.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) scheduled a vote to move forward with Kavanaughs nomination Wednesday, before any senators had seen the report.

McConnell filed for cloture late Wednesday, a procedural step that, if passed by the Senate on Friday, will allow the full chamber to vote on Kavanaughs nomination the following day.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) lambasted the idea that there was enough time for all 100 senators to review the FBI report before a cloture vote.

Theyre letting senators come in one at a time and trying to force a vote by Saturday, said Kaine, Hillary Clintons 2016 running mate. Theres not 100 hours between now and Saturday.

McConnell said earlier this week that the full report would not be made public, despite assertions from both parties that he should do so.

There will be plenty of time for members to review and be briefed on the supplemental material before a Friday cloture vote, McConnell said late Wednesday after filing for cloture.

Kavanaugh has been accused by three women of sexual misconduct during his years in high school and college, and denied the allegations before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a fiery hearing last week. Ford also shared her own emotional testimony, which led to the FBIs probe.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) was the first lawmaker to note the timing of McConnells cloture filing in a message on Twitter, saying that the clock is now running on Kavanaughs confirmation. Senate rules mandate a brisk time frame once the chamber votes on cloture, and if it passes, senators will have just 30 hours to debate the nomination before it moves on to a final vote.

Mitch McConnell just filed cloture (which starts the clock on the confirmation vote) and we havent (as of now) even seen the FBI report yet.  Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) October 4, 2018

Five senators are still undecided on Kavanaughs nomination, and its unclear if a vote would pass due to Republicans slim 51-49 majority. GOP Sens. Jeff Flake (Ariz.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine) have all expressed misgivings about the nomination, and two Democrats up for re-election in red states, Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), have not yet said how they plan to vote.

McConnell has plowed forward regardless, saying he would not be intimidated in his effort to see Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court.

There is no chance in the world that theyre going to scare us out of doing our duty, the majority leader said during a floor speech Wednesday.

Marina Fang and Antonia Blumberg contributed reporting.

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Related Coverage

All The Lies Brett Kavanaugh Told

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Donald Trump with his mother and father in 1992 - REX/Shutterstock

Donald Trump has dismissed as a "boring hit piece" a damning New York Times report that claims he engaged in dubious tax dodges.

The paper's lengthy investigation claims that Mr Trump received at least $413 million (318 million) from his father, much of that through murky tax schemes, including some which were fraudulent.

On Wednesday Mr Trump accused the newspaper of "doing a very old, boring and often told hit piece on me." In a tweet, he said: "Added up, this means that 97 per cent of their stories on me are bad. Never recovered from bad election call!"

The 15,000-word report contradicts the US president's portrayal of himself as a self-made billionaire who started his venture with just a $1 million loan from his father Fred.

The report, which the paper says is based on more than 100,000 pages of financial documents, including confidential tax returns, provides one of the most detailed accounts of the Trump family fortune.

New York state's tax department announced it was reviewing the allegations and "is vigorously pursuing all appropriate avenues of investigation". The department typically refers findings to the state attorney general's office.

Donald Trump has dismissed the New York Times report as a "boring hit piece" Credit: AP

It is unlikely Mr Trump would face criminal prosecution in helping his parents evade taxes because the maneuvers occurred long ago and have passed the statute of limitation. However there is no time limit on civil fines for tax fraud.

The claims have also renewed calls for Mr Trump to release his income tax returns, something he has so far refused to do, breaking with a tradition set by his predecessors.

Democrats said they would push for Mr Trump to do so on Capitol Hill, including Senator Richard Durbin, the second most senior Democrat in the Senate.

"I knew there had to be a compelling reason why this president departed from previous presidents in not disclosing his income tax returns," Mr Durbin told the Washington Post.

Story continues

The Failing New York Times did something I have never seen done before. They used the concept of time value of money in doing a very old, boring and often told hit piece on me. Added up, this means that 97% of their stories on me are bad. Never recovered from bad election call!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 3, 2018

If the Democratic Party takes control of either the House of Representatives or the Senate in November, they could also push Congress to investigate the matter.

The White House dismissed the report on Tuesday as a "misleading attack against the Trump family by the failing New York Times."

It criticised the newspaper and other media outlets, saying their low credibility with the public is "because they are consumed with attacking the president and his family 24/7 instead of reporting the news."

Charles Harder, a lawyer for Mr Trump, also rejected the claims, calling them extremely inaccurate". There was no fraud or tax evasion by anyone," he said.

The president says he started his business empire with just a $1 million loan from his father Fred Credit: REX/Shutterstock

However the claims may compel the president to provide further details of his business empire, something he has hitherto been reluctant to do.

The New York Times reported that Mr Trump was receiving $200,000 from his fathers property businesses by the age of three and was a millionaire by the age of eight.

Mr Trump and his father avoided inheritance taxes by setting up a sham corporation called All County Building Supply & Maintenance to transfer money and undervaluing assets to tax authorities, according to the paper.

According to the paper's tally, Mr Trump's parents transferred over $1 billion in wealth to their children, on which they paid just $52.2 million in tax  the equivalent of a tax rate of around five per cent.

In all, Mr Trump received the equivalent of $413 million in today's dollars from his father's real estate empire the paper said.
Jakarta (AFP) - Indonesia's disaster agency spokesman is fighting a daily battle to update the world 24/7 on the latest developments in a deadly quake-tsunami, despite his own impending date with death from terminal cancer.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, known affectionately as Pak Topo (Mr Topo), is the face of the government's communication efforts to get word out on the devastating crisis on Sulawesi island that has killed over 1,400 people.

The 48-year-old refuses to pass the torch, dragging himself to daily press briefings, taking reporters' calls and communicating on social media at a frantic pace, even as he "feels weaker every day" from Stage IV lung cancer.

"I can't lie about my physical condition --- the cancer has spread to other parts of my body and it's weakened my body," he said in a heart-wrenching message to reporters on social media this week.

"I apologise if I cannot respond to every question from journalists, my friends. If I was healthy, I would surely do it no matter what."

Pale and visibly thinner, Nugroho got the grim news in January that he was dying and might have as little as a year to live.

Nugroho has reportedly promised his wife to slow down his work schedule but he is showing few signs of easing up in a job that has made him a household name in disaster-prone Indonesia.

He managed to get out a 200-word update on a deadly landslide back in February from his hospital bed, local media reported.

Then in August, he was sending out reports on a deadly quake disaster on Lombok island, next to Bali, minutes after finishing a chemotherapy session.

Nugroho, who has a doctorate in natural resources and the environment, took the job eight years ago in a bid to combine his education with a love of writing, he told the Jakarta Post earlier this year.

"Doctors told me that with chemotherapy and radiation, I probably have one to three years left," he was quoted as saying.

"Illness or death is in God's hands, but while I'm still alive I still want to do my best to serve others."
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian security forces have killed 15 suspected militants in a shootout during a raid on their hideout near al-Arish, the capital of North Sinai province, state news agency MENA and security sources said on Wednesday. The men were suspected of planning attacks on security checkpoints ahead of the 45th anniversary of Egypt's October 6 1973 war with Israel, the sources and MENA said, quoting an interior ministry statement. The news agency did not identify the suspects nor say whether there had been any casualties or injuries among the security forces. Police seized a number of automatic weapons in the raid on a farm West of al-Arish where the suspected militants were hiding, MENA said. The raid comes as the Egyptian army, backed by police, push ahead with a military operation to crush Islamist militants behind a wave of attacks on civilians and military personnel in Sinai. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the armed forces last November to defeat Islamist militants within three months after an attack on a mosque in Sinai killed more than 300 people. Defeating the militants and restoring security after years of unrest has been a key promise of Sisi, who was re-elected in March in a landslide victory against no real opposition. Sisi's critics accuse him of cracking down on all dissent, but supporters say tough measures are needed to stabilize Egypt, which was rocked by years of unrest after protests toppled veteran leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011. The media is not given direct access to cover high-security operations in Sinai. (Reporting by Ahmed Mohamed Hassan and Ali Abdelaty, Writing by Nadine Awadalla; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
Cairo (AFP) - The Islamic State group has announced the death of one of its leaders in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, where a security source said 15 jihadists were also killed separately.

The Egyptian army, which launched a major offensive against the jihadists in February, killed Abu Hamza al-Maqdisi in an air raid, IS said Tuesday in a message on Telegram.

Maqdisi, a Palestinian, had been in charge of planning and training for the jihadist group in the Sinai, IS said, without giving further details.

A security source told AFP that Maqdisi had been killed, but the army has yet a confirm the reports.

"Abu Hamza al-Maqdisi is one of the IS operatives who took part in their operations against the army," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The militant, who entered Egypt from the Gaza Strip, had been killed on Monday at Sheikh Zuweid, in North Sinai province, according to the source.

Elsewhere in North Sinai, a separate security source said police killed 15 jihadists during a raid in the provincial capital El-Arish.

The "terrorist elements" were killed in an exchange of fire at a farm, the source said on Wednesday without specifying whether the jihadists were IS members.

Jihadists have killed hundreds of police officers and soldiers in the Sinai since the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Around 300 jihadists and 30 soldiers have been killed since the launch of the military operation dubbed "Sinai 2018", according to official figures.

Journalists are not allowed to travel freely in the area although the military organised a rare visit to El-Arish for foreign media in July.
Zell am See (Austria) (AFP) - With its pristine waters, snow-covered mountains and breathtaking Alpine views, the Austrian lakeside town of Zell am See is one of the top European destinations for visitors from the Gulf region.

And it aims to remain so, even though Austria introduced a ban on face-covering burqa or niqab veils a year ago.

The picturesque little town south of Salzburg with a population of 10,000 is regularly described as "paradise" in Arabic-language reviews online. It draws tens of thousands of visitors from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates or Oman every year.

They make up more than a quarter of all annual visitors and holiday brochures are readily available in Arabic.

So when Austria banned the wearing of burqas or niqabs in all public spaces in October 2017 -- under pain of fines of up to 150 euros ($170) -- the town's authorities knew that enforcing the rule could be a delicate matter.

The aim of the ban, according to the government, is to further integration among Austrian Muslims at a time when fears about immigration and radical Islamists are sharply dividing society.

But in resorts such as Zell am See, police are having to enforce it against tourists, fuelling fears that the high-spending Arab guests, and the valuable revenue they represent, might be scared off.

- Penalties -

"I've heard some people say they don't want to come back now," said one restaurant worker who asked not to be named, even if he said hadn't particularly noticed a drop in business this year.

Local police chief Kurt Moeschl said more than 200 fines had been handed out between June and September alone. But his officers were always at pains to remain respectful.

"We have been trying to implement the law with as much tact and sense of proportion as possible," he said.

Austrian embassies and missions abroad had been working to raise awareness of the new law, Moeschl said. And the police chief himself had hosted the Saudi ambassador in Zell am See to discuss the issue.

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Moeschl estimated that in around 90 percent of cases, the women had agreed to remove their veil after police officers explained the new law to them.

Walking along the lakeside, one couple from Saudi Arabia -- who did not wish to be named -- said they had been approached by police during their stay.

"Yes, the police did talk to us about the niqab law. But we are leaving tomorrow," the husband said, as his wife, still wearing the veil, stood beside him.

- 'Do your job' -

A little farther along the shore, Barbara Scheicher, who operates a boat-rental business, said the law had not had a noticeable impact.

"I haven't noticed any difference, either in the number [of people] coming, or in how many of them are veiled," she told AFP.

"I asked one woman whether she knew it was illegal, but she reacted so badly that since then I haven't. I've seen the same reaction when the police have tried to tell people," Scheicher said.

Police chief Moeschl said his officers had also encountered locals and even other holidaymakers who insisted that women's veils be forcibly removed.

One Norwegian tourist, for example, went so far as to send the police photos of niqab-wearing women at various locations around the town, complete with the times they were taken, and the message: "Do your job".

Moeschl insisted that most interactions passed off without incident and that his officers followed interior ministry guidelines.

And he is optimistic that, over time, the situation will become easier.

"I expect that in a few years from now, this won't be an issue."
London (AFP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday that England and Wales would amend their marriage laws to allow opposite-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships.

The change comes in response to a Supreme Court decision in June that said allowing civil partnerships to same-sex couples but not heterosexual ones violated the European Convention on Human Rights.

The ruling required a change in the law for England and Wales to be compliant.

"There are all sorts of reasons why people may choose not to marry," May said in a statement released by her party.

"By giving couples this option we hope to give them and their families more certainty and security."

Same-sex civil partnerships became legal in England and Wales in 2004. Gay marriage was allowed 10 years later.

The Supreme Court ruling did not cover Scotland, whose government last week entered into consultations about whether to make the same change.

The British government says there are more than 3.3 million unmarried couples in the United Kingdom who live together and share their financial responsibilities.

Nearly half of them also have children.
European Council president Donald Tusk speaking in Brussels on Thursday (European Council)

EU Council chief Donald Tusk has delivered a tough riposte to Conservative rhetoric over Brexit and a fresh dismissal of the Chequers plan  but offered an alternative trade deal.

Tusk, who grew-up under communist rule in Poland and was jailed for his anti-Soviet activism, slammed foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt for comparing the EU with the USSR.

He also dismissed Theresa Mays complaints over her treatment at the Salzburg summit, vowing to continue telling her the unpleasant truth about her Chequers proposals.

But he held out the offer a Canada+++ trade deal, which has been welcomed by many Brexit-supporting politicians as the basis to strike a final deal later this month.

Hitting back at Hunt during a press conference in Brussels, Tusk said: Comparing the European Union to the Soviet Union is as unwise as it is insulting.

The Soviet Union was about prisons and gulags, borders and walls, violence against citizens and neighbours.

The European Union is about freedom and human rights, prosperity and peace, life without fear, it is about democracy and pluralism; a continent without internal borders or walls.

As the President of the European Council and someone who spent half of my life in the Soviet Bloc, I know what Im talking about 

 Unacceptable remarks that raise the temperature will achieve nothing except wasting more time.

European Council president Donald Tusk with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar (Reuters)

Tusk had himself been accused of disrespect after mocking Theresa May on social media and dismissing her Chequers plan in plain language during the Salzburg summit.

In her Conservative conference speech on Wednesday, the prime minister said: I have treated the EU with nothing but respect. The UK expects the same.

But Tusk showed no signs he would change his approach, saying: Telling the truth, even if difficult and unpleasant, is the best way of showing respect for partners.

Thats how it was in Salzburg, and thats also how we will work in the coming days.

He said the EU was demonstrating its respect for the UK by offering what he called a Canada +++ free trade agreement.

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From the very beginning, the EU offer has been a Canada+++ deal. Much further-reaching on trade, internal security and foreign policy cooperation. This is a true measure of respect. And this offer remains in place. #brexit  Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) October 4, 2018

That was his way of rejecting Mays fresh push for the Chequers plan in her conference speech.

She argued her proposals were the only way to maintain frictionless trade and avoid a hard border in Ireland.

But Tusk reiterated that the EUs opposition to proposal that they believe would weaken the single market.

We hope for the best relationship in future, but no one can expect that, because of Brexit, the EU will give up its fundamental values and key interests, he said.

While his message will have disappointed May, prominent Brexit supporters inside and outside of her party were pleased with Tusks proposal for a free trade deal.

UKIP MEP Nigel Farage said the prime minister should bite his hand off.

Senior members of the Conservatives European Research Group also celebrated Tusks remarks.

This is a good solution for everyone and the ERG's proposals for the Irish border mean it could work for the UK as a whole. https://t.co/Nb2ftyixd8  Jacob Rees-Mogg (@Jacob_Rees_Mogg) October 4, 2018

Hooray! Tusk/ERG agree on Canada+++! Prob with Chequers is it asks too much of EU: needs too many concessions/cherries. But EU must concede that Irish border issue is resolvable via checks away from border, not via backstop which threatens to divide UK. @BrexitCentral https://t.co/NZwuUzkgW2  Bernard Jenkin (@bernardjenkin) October 4, 2018

Those loyal to May hit back, suggesting Tusks speech was an attempt to divide the party after May called for them to rally around her Chequers plan.

Yep..they have fallen for @eucopresident tactic to stir them today after @theresa_may speech yesterday! Splitting UK is not an option. https://t.co/yKzeHwt9RV  Sajjad Karim MEP Conservative MEP (@SHKMEP) October 4, 2018

Tusk spoke out after a meeting with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar in Brussels in which they discussed a new UK proposal for avoiding a hard border in Ireland.

Under the new plans, which have not yet been formally tabled, the whole of the UK would agree to remain in the customs union permanently until a trade agreement which eliminated border checks was reached.

This is a step in the right direction, it makes finding a compromise possible, an EU source told Reuters.

MORE: Dancing Britain off a cliff  EU verdict on Mays speech




Yangon (Myanmar) (AFP) - A "mafia" of recruitment agents is trapping Myanmar migrants to Thailand in debt bondage despite a 2017 law meant to fight exploitation in the kingdom's notoriously shadowy job market, activists and workers say.

Migrant labour -- much of it from Myanmar -- has propped up Thailand's economy for years, with foreigners working everywhere from factories to fishing boats, part of a global chain to produce standard supermarket items such as frozen shrimps, ready meals and pet food.

After allegations of slave labour and trafficking prompted the European Union to threaten a ban on Thai products in 2015, the kingdom's ruling junta has scrambled to clean up industries reliant on a migrant workforce.

The new law that came into force in July last year was meant to crack down on a shady recruitment process, which left desperate migrants vulnerable to corrupt brokers and exploitative companies.

But more than a year later, foreign workers and labour experts say a lack of enforcement and government oversight means migrants are no safer, often shelling out hundreds of dollars in inflated fees to agents and ending up in debt even before they even secure a job.

Although the legislation says Myanmar migrants should pay no more than 150,000 kyat ($100) in fees to agents, many end up paying up to $800, a colossal sum for low-paid workers from one of the most impoverished countries in the world.

"The agents took advantage of us," said 40-year-old Ma Oo, who had to pay $400 for a job in an electronics factory near Bangkok and was visibly scared to speak out.

- 'Real mafia' -

Thai firms usually hire local agents to scout workers from neighbouring Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, although the latter is by far the largest source for labour, with more than two million migrants working in Thailand.

But in many cases, Thai agents then auction off the jobs to the highest bidder among their Myanmar peers clamouring for business in a highly-competitive market, activists say.

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The Myanmar brokers -- or their sub-agents -- scour rural villages for workers and transfer all the extra costs to them, leaving migrants trapped in "debt bondage" as they struggle to pay the exorbitant fees, says migrant labour specialist Andy Hall.

Thai and Myanmar agents collaborate as "a real mafia that makes a lot of money on the backs of migrant workers", explains Aung Kyaw, president of the Migrant Workers Rights Network in Thailand, which acts as a de facto union.

The situation is even worse, he says, for the several hundred thousand Myanmar migrants working unregistered, who are even more vulnerable.

In one ongoing case, a family -- including two children -- was trafficked into the kingdom and forced into slavery on a fishing boat, beaten, unpaid and their documents confiscated.

- Finger Pointing -

Thai authorities insist that they maintain strict oversight of the country's agents and threaten them with stiff penalties if they do not respect the law.

If there are problems, "they may be on the side of the Burmese recruiters", Anurak Tossarat from the Ministry of Labour told AFP.

But agents in Myanmar blame their Thai peers for stoking the illegal trade and demanding kickbacks in exchange for jobs.

"(We) have to fight to get job offers from Thai agencies. The more money you give them, the more offers your agency gets," an agent in Yangon told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"They are bullying us."

Campaigners urge tighter scrutiny by officials in both countries and up the supply chain to the multinational buyers of Thai produce to bring an end to the exploitative practices.

Britain's biggest retailer Tesco, food giant Nestle and chocolate maker Mars -- which all source products in Thailand -- told AFP they were working with local partners to improve practices, vowing to probe any allegations of wrongdoing.

Despite the extortionate fees and the threat of debt, each month around 15,000 people from Myanmar cross into Thailand to take up jobs.

In a Yangon teashop, Kyaw Naing, 24, said he had already handed over a thick wad of cash to an agent who had promised him work.

"I had to borrow money from my family with interest but I will pay it back if my job is good," he says, adding that the agent assured him Thailand's new law means he will now be "more secure".

burs-rs/joe/amu/qan/jta
When the FBI report on sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh made its way to the Senate Thursday morning, it looked increasingly likely that Kavanaugh would be confirmedbut as the day evolved, only one undecided Senator announced a position, and it became clear that Republicans efforts to secure the necessary votes would likely come down to the wire.

Early in the day, Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Sen. Susan Collins of Mainetwo of the most crucial Republican swing votes in the confirmation battleinitially appeared satisfied with the results of an FBI investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. Their comments came after Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said the investigation found no hint of misconduct while Senate Democrats called the investigation incomplete and suggested the White House may have restricted the FBIs ability to fully investigate.

It appears to be a very thorough investigation, Collins told CNN after being briefed on the report. She said she planned to read the full report later in the day.

Flake, for his part, said the report did not change his tentative support for Kavanaugh. Weve seen no additional corroborating information, he told CNN.

Collins had returned to read the report and Flake remained an evasive presence in the Capitol. When Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and five members of the judiciary committee on which Flake sits held a press conference expressing confidence that there would be a vote on Kavanaugh this Saturday, Flake was not present. During the press conference, Republicans claimed that the report did not corroborate any of the allegations, arguing that Kavanaugh had been tormented enough through the process and it was now time to vote. Judge Kavanaugh should be confirmed on Saturday, said Grassley.

But even as the Republicans were touting that schedulea procedural vote on Friday capped off by a confirmation vote on Saturdayno votes had officially been announced as of 5 p.m on Thursday.

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By Thursday afternoon, Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who had also been publicly undecided, said that she would vote against confirming Kavanaugh. As I said after Judge Kavanaugh was nominated, and as Ive continued to say throughout this process, I consider vetting nominees to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court as one of the most important jobs of any U.S. senator  and I take that job very seriously, Heitkamp said in a statement. Thats what North Dakotans expect of their senators, which is why I met with Judge Kavanaugh, closely watched his hearings, and reviewed his available record during this evaluation process  including the nonpartisan FBI investigation which I called for. After doing my due diligence and now that the record is apparently closed, I will vote against his confirmation.

After Heitkamps decision, four Senatorsthree Republicans and one Democratsremained publicly undecided about their votes on Thursday. In addition to Collins and Flake, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she had read the report but has not said which way she will vote, and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia said that he, too, had not made a decision after being briefed on the report. Republicans need 50 votes to confirm Kavanaugh, as Vice President Mike Pence can break a tie in the Senate.

After days of speculation and partisan infighting, the Senate Judiciary Committee rreceived the FBI report from the White House at 2:30 a.m. Thursday. The report, which is only available in hard copy, is being held in the Sensitive Compartment Information Facility in the Capitol. Only Senators and ten staff members who have the requisite security clearances can view it.

Heres what Grassley said about the report:

Ive now received a committee staff briefing on the FBIs supplement to Judge Kavanaughs background investigation file. Theres nothing in it that we didnt already know. These uncorroborated accusations have been unequivocally and repeatedly rejected by Judge Kavanaugh, and neither the Judiciary Committee nor the FBI could locate any third parties who can attest to any of the allegations. Theres also no contemporaneous evidence. This investigation found no hint of misconduct and the same is true of the six prior FBI background investigations conducted during Judge Kavanaughs 25 years of public service.

The White House delivered the report to the Senate just hours after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell officially kicked off the procedural process for Kavanaughs confirmation vote on the Senate floor.

With this additional information, the White House is fully confident the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, White House spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement.

Senate Democrats quickly challenged Grassleys interpretation of the report. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the judiciary committee, said that after reading part of the report, she believed it was the product of an incomplete investigation. She also suggested the White House may have restricted the FBIs ability to throughly investigate. And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who was briefed on the report, said he disagreed with Grassleys view that the investigation found no hint of misconduct and added that Democrats had many fears going into the process and now those fears have been realized.

The process of the supplemental background check, like Kavanaughs confirmation process itself, has been fraught with partisan tension. Republicans were coerced into a background check last week, when Flake, who sits on the judiciary committee, said his vote to move Kavanaughs confirmation to the Senate floor was conditional on a new FBI investigation. Flake was backed by Collins and Murkowski, and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat. McConnell, clearly lacking the necessary votes to confirm Kavanaugh, was forced to concede to their demands. But reports soon emerged that the White House was limiting the scope of the investigation, even after Trump said the FBI could interview anyone agents thought necessary.

Kavanaughs confirmation, which had appeared to be almost a sure thing, was thrust into doubt when Christine Blasey Ford, a California psychology professor, came forward publicly and alleged that Kavanaugh had assaulted her when they were teenagers over three decades ago. Two other women, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick, have since come forward with their own allegations. Ramirez alleged that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when they were at Yale University, and Swetnick has claimed she was gang raped at a party Kavanaugh attended when they were in high school, and she witnessed him at other parties spiking alcohol in an attempt to get women inebriated. Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied all the allegations.

Both Ford and Kavanaugh testified before the Senate judiciary committee last week. But the FBI investigation did not include interviews with either one of them. Republicans argued that their testimonies in front of the committee should be sufficient. Shah said Thursday that the investigation consisted of ten witness interviews. These include Mark Judge, who Ford alleges was the only other witness in the room when Kavanaugh assaulted her, and Ramirez.

The investigation did not encompass Swetnicks allegations, according to lawmakers and her attorney Michael Avenatti.

But both Ford and Ramirezs legal teams expressed dissatisfaction with the scope of the investigation. Fords lawyers protested the fact that she hadnt been interviewed, and Ramirezs lawyers said she had provided the FBI with 20 witnesses who could corroborate her account. They say the FBI interviewed none of them.

In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Ramirezs attorneys wrote they were deeply disappointed by the investigation.

We can only conclude that the FBI  or those controlling the investigation  did not want to learn the truth behind Ramirezs allegation, they wrote.

Despite these concerns, Grassley said he believed the FBI had done its job properly.

I trust that the career agents of the FBI have done their work independent of political or partisan considerations. Thats exactly what senators from both sides asked for. Now its up to senators to fulfill their constitutional duty and make a judgment, Grassley said.

He added that a presumption of innocence should prevail and called on other Senators to move past the investigation.

Fundamentally, we senators ought to wipe away the muck from all the mudslinging and politics and look at this nomination with clear eyes, Grassley said. Its time to vote. Ill be voting to confirm Judge Kavanaugh.

Some other Republicans who were briefed on the report on Thursday seemed to agree with Grassley that the FBI report did not change their minds.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, who sits on the judiciary committee, said he was more confident then everthat Kavanaugh would be confirmed following the FBI report. Ive learned nothing I didnt already know [about the allegations] he told reporters.

Graham also pushed back on the notion that the White House has constrained the FBI, arguing that they were given the necessary latitude, although he conceded it probably should have been done earlier.

Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee echoed these comments on Thursday. The supplemental background investigation found absolutely zero corroboration of the allegations that have been made. I plan to vote for Judge Kavanaugh and believe he will be confirmed very soon, Corker tweeted.

The supplemental background investigation found absolutely zero corroboration of the allegations that have been made. I plan to vote for Judge Kavanaugh and believe he will be confirmed very soon.  Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) October 4, 2018

Some Democrats, while careful not to provide specific information, implied that their Republican colleagues were purposely trying to comport the latest FBI report to fit with their need to see Kavanaugh confirmed. You cant find what you dont look for, said Coons, who is good friends with Flake and was instrumental in helping strike a deal for a weeklong FBI investigation.

Other Democratic Senators agreed they did not see new information in the report, but said that was due to the limits on the investigation rather than a lack of evidence. This so-called investigation leaves a lot more questions than answers, California Sen. Kamala Harris, who sits on the judiciary committee, said Thursday. When asked if she saw anything new in the report, she immediately replied Nope.
Washington (AFP) - As angry protesters swamped Capitol Hill on the eve of a crunch vote Friday to advance the nomination of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the judge made a highly unusual plea to defend his "impartiality."

The Wall Street Journal opinion piece by Judge Kavanaugh appeared as Republicans confidently declared that a week-long FBI investigation found nothing to corroborate sex assault allegations against President Donald Trump's court pick.

Opposition Democrats assailed the latest FBI probe as "incomplete" and constrained by a White House determined to push through the lifetime appointment of the conservative 53-year-old judge.

Furor over Kavanaugh's nomination has overshadowed next month's midterm elections in which control of Congress by Trump's Republican Party could be at stake.

Kavanaugh penned the defense of his performance during last week's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing at which he denied the allegations, made at the same hearing, of a California university professor.

Christine Blasey Ford said he drunkenly groped her and attempted to take her clothes off in what she believed was a rape attempt when they were teenagers decades ago.

In his testimony, Kavanaugh complained about "a calculated and orchestrated political hit fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election."

"My hearing testimony was forceful and passionate. That is because I forcefully and passionately denied the allegation against me," Kavanaugh wrote in the Journal piece headlined: "I am an independent, impartial judge."

"I do not decide cases based on personal or policy preferences," he wrote, adding that the country's top court "must never be viewed as a partisan institution."

A sea of women -- thousands of protesters -- marched on the Supreme Court Thursday and many infiltrated the Hart Senate Office Building to hold loud sit-in protests against the judge.

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Some held signs calling him a liar and "unfit" to serve. Police arrested 300 protesters.

"I believe Kavanaugh is part of a Big Old Boys club that is going to protect him no matter what," said Angela Trzepkowski, 55, from Delaware.

At a rally of supporters in Minnesota on Thursday night Trump called Kavanaugh "one of the most respected," as his supporters chanted: "We want Kavanaugh."

Two of the three Republican lawmakers undecided on the nominee boosted his confirmation chances by signaling they believed the bureau had done a thorough probe.

"This investigation found no hint of misconduct," Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley said in a statement. "There's nothing in it that we didn't already know."

Grassley said the full Senate should vote Saturday on Kavanaugh's nomination -- an appointment that could shift the nine-member bench to the right for decades to come.

"Hopefully we're 48 hours away from having a new person on the Supreme Court," he told reporters.

The Senate, where Republicans hold a slim 51-49 majority, is expected to first hold a vote to limit debate on the nominee Friday at 10:30 am (1430 GMT), one hour after the Senate convenes.

All eyes are on the key Republicans who could make or break the confirmation -- Jeff Flake of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

If all Democrats vote against, Kavanaugh can afford only one Republican defection.

Speaking to reporters after reviewing the FBI report, Collins said it "appears to be a very thorough investigation."

Flake, a vocal Trump critic who pushed the White House into giving the FBI an additional week to address the accusations against Kavanaugh, signaled his apparent satisfaction, saying the report contained "no additional corroborating information."

The top Senate Judiciary Democrat, Dianne Feinstein, said the report appeared insufficient to lay to rest concerns about Kavanaugh.

"It looks to be a product of an incomplete investigation that was limited perhaps by the White House, I don't know," Feinstein told reporters.

"We had many fears that this was a very limited process," added Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. "Those fears have been realized."

- 'Partisan histrionics' -

Republican Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, urged an end to what he called "partisan histrionics" and called for a vote on Kavanaugh's nomination.

"This process has been ruled by fear and anger and underhanded gamesmanship for too long," McConnell said on the Senate floor.

Trump said the FBI report exonerated Kavanaugh, and he expressed optimism about Republican chances in the November midterm elections.

Trump nominated Kavanaugh to replace justice Anthony Kennedy, who had been a swing vote on a panel now equally divided between four conservative and four liberal justices.

Republicans like Senator Lindsey Graham left the secure room, where they studied the FBI report, to declare they were even more confident now that "no corroboration" of the allegations was found.

But several Democrats lit into the process, with Senator Ron Wyden branding it a "whitewash" and Senator Mazie Hirono wincing at Republican claims of comprehensiveness.

"There are dozens of people out there that they could have questioned," Hirono told AFP.

Kavanaugh also denies further misconduct claims against him from two other women.

In the new background probe, the FBI interviewed nine people, Republicans said.

They include three people Blasey Ford says attended the house party. One is Mark Judge, who the professor says was in the room when Kavanaugh lay on top of her, ground his body against hers and covered her mouth to keep her from screaming.

As they mulled Kavanaugh, a Democrat up for re-election in a state which traditionally votes Republican came out against the nominee.

"After doing my due diligence and now that the record is apparently closed, I will vote against his confirmation," Senator Heidi Heitkamp said Thursday.

Eleventh-hour pressure campaigns occurred in the Capitol, including in Collins's office where two dozen women passionately laid out the case -- without Collins present -- for her to oppose Kavanaugh.
A man shot seven police officers in South Carolina, killing one, in a standoff so dangerous that police had to use a bullet-proof vehicle to rescue the wounded.

The man also held children hostage for two hours in his Florence home on Wednesday afternoon, but they were released safely as the suspect was taken into custody, Florence County Sheriff's Maj. Mike Nunn said.

It was a stunning shooting in an area already reeling from record flooding from Hurricane Florence. The sheriff and police chief both cried as they spoke to reporters just hours after the shooting.

"I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known," Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler said of Terrence Carraway.

Carraway, 52, of Darlington, had recently celebrated 30 years as a police officer. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Blood-soaked evidence lies on Saxon Drive in the Vintage Place neighborhood Credit: AP

The man shot three Florence County deputies from inside a home as they came to serve a warrant around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nunn said.

The suspect then shot four Florence city police officers, one fatally, as officers from all around the area swarmed in to help, Heidler said.

Officials refused to say why they were serving a warrant. They also did not name him or the wounded officers, nor did they give their conditions.

Condolences and outpourings of support rolled in at news of the shooting.

"This is simply devastating news from Florence," Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted. "The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real."

This is simply devastating news from Florence. The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real. (1/2)  Gov. Henry McMaster (@henrymcmaster) October 3, 2018

Thom Berry, spokesman for the State Law Enforcement Division, said the agency had sent crime scene technicians to assist officials in Florence but at this time had not been requested to help with any investigation.

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Boone said investigators from Richland County would help investigate the shooting. He did not say why he wasn't using state police like most law enforcement agencies do in officer shootings in South Carolina.

Authorities said the shootings happened in Vintage Place, an upmarket neighbourhood in the western part of the city.

A forensics team member exits the crime scene on Ashton Drive in the Vintage Place neighborhood where several members of law enforcement were shot Credit: AP

Bobby Goin stood outside waiting for police to let him back to his home where his wife and granddaughter heard gunshots from the home back further in the neighbourhood.

"Surprised is probably an understatement," Goin said of the shooting in the neighbourhood where he has lived for 20 years. "The worst thing that goes on around here is that someone runs a stop sign and it gets posted on Facebook."

This is the second shooting of multiple police officers in South Carolina this year. In January, a 47-year-old former banker shot four officers in York County, killing one, after his wife called 911 to report he beat her. Christian McCall pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life without parole.

Three Florence County deputies and two Florence city officers were shot in an incident in the Vintage Place subdivision off Hoffmeyer Road in Florence Credit: Telegraph

Florence, a city in South Carolina's northeastern corner home to roughly 37,000, sits at the convergence of Interstates 95 and 20. It's the largest city in the region known as the Pee Dee, where flooding from Hurricane Florence devastated areas to the east and south.
Washington (AFP) - Five US police officers were shot -- one fatally -- during an "active shooter" incident in South Carolina on Wednesday, US media reported.

CNN cited the coroner in Florence County, inland from the coastal resort of Myrtle Beach, as saying one officer had died from his wounds.

CNN said the officer was among five -- two city officers and three Florence County Sheriff's deputies, who were wounded.

There were no immediate details on the condition of the other officers, after the latest shooting involving police in the United States.

The Florence County Emergency Management office had reported on Twitter at about 5:00 pm that an "active shooter" situation was under way in Florence.

One hour later it said the incident had ended with a suspect in custody.

According to preliminary data from the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, 107 officers had been killed this year, prior to the latest case.

More than one-third of the deaths were linked to firearms.

They were among more than 30,000 deaths annually linked to guns throughout the country.
Sections of Indonesias Central Sulawesi province remained in shambles on October 2, about half a week after a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Palu and nearby districts of Donggala, Sigi and Parigi Moutong on September 28.

This chaotic footage is described as showing the moment waves of mud  the result from soil liquefaction that happened after the magnitude 7.5 quake  struck Jono Oge, a village in Sulawesis Sigi regency.

Soil liquefaction is a phenomenon during which loose or wet soil acts like a fluid due to intense pressure during an earthquake. Indonesian officials said soil liquefaction destroyed homes in Palu and Sigi regency.

Slamet Moeljono, a resident of Jono Oge, told Storyful that he ws buried in the mud for seven hours after taking the video, and he was rescued by residents from a neighbouring village.

On Wednesday, Indonesias disaster management agency raised the death toll to 1,374, with another 113 people missing. Credit: Slamet Moeljono via Storyful
By Fathin Ungku and Kanupriya Kapoor PALU, Indonesia (Reuters) - International efforts to help survivors of Indonesia's devastating earthquake and tsunami gathered pace on Thursday as concern grew for hundreds of thousands with little food and water, six days after disaster struck. Desperate residents on the west coast of Sulawesi island were scavenging for food in farms and orchards as the government struggled to overcome shortages of water, food, shelter and fuel in a disaster zone with no power and degraded communications. Chaos has loomed at times with angry people in the region's main city of Palu, 1,500 km (930 miles) northeast of Jakarta, looting shops and thronging its small airport, scrambling for any flight out. The official death toll from last Friday's 7.5 magnitude quake has risen to 1,407, many killed by tsunami waves it triggered. Officials say the toll will rise. Most of the confirmed dead have come from Palu and losses in remote areas remain unknown. Communications are down and bridges and roads have been destroyed or blocked by landslides. An international effort to help is gearing up, after the government overcame a traditional reluctance to take foreign help. "The government of Indonesia is experienced and well-equipped in managing natural disasters, but sometimes, as with all other countries, outside help is also needed," U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said in a statement. He announced an allocation of $15 million. "Given the scale and complexity of this emergency, U.N. agencies and humanitarian organizations are working closely with government counterparts to provide life-saving assistance," he said. Indonesia has long been known to be vulnerable to quakes and tsunamis. In 2004, a quake off Sumatra island triggered a tsunami across the Indian Ocean that killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia. Safety measures implemented after that disaster, including tsunami warning systems, failed on Friday for various reasons, including government neglect, a lack of funding and vandalism. A system of tsunami-detecting buoys has been out of action since 2012. President Joko Widodo said this week it had to be repaired and properly maintained. GROWING SENSE OF URGENCY The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Wednesday it was appealing for 22 million Swiss francs ($22 million) to help Indonesia. U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by telephone with Widodo and had "offered to provide immediate assistance", the White House said on Wednesday. The United States had provided initial funding, deployed government disaster experts and was working to determine what other help could be given, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters in Washington. About 20 countries have offered help, Indonesia has said. With a growing sense of urgency, especially over communities still largely cut off, Widodo made his second visit to the disaster zone on Wednesday and acknowledged that the aid effort had yet to reach maximum capacity. In particular, he cited inadequate logistics support and fuel supplies. Also problematic has been a lack of heavy equipment for rescue workers and food, water and shelter for some 70,000 displaced people. Rescue workers have begun to reach more remote areas in a disaster zone that includes 1.4 million people, but hundreds of thousands have received no aid. Johnny Lim, a restaurant owner reached by telephone in Donggala town, said he was surviving on coconuts. "It's a zombie town. Everything's destroyed. Nothings left," Lim said over a crackling line. "We're on our last legs. There's no food, no water." Sulawesi is one of the archipelago nation's five main islands. For a graphic on Catastrophe in Sulawesi, see - https://tmsnrt.rs/2OqQlUo (Additional reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa, Maikel Jefriando, Tabita Diela, Gayatri Suroyo, Fransiska Nangoy, Fanny Potkin, Ed Davies and Fergus Jensen in JAKARTA, Stephanie Ulmer-Nebehay in GENEVA, Matt Spetalnick in WASHINGTON; Editing by Robert Birsel)
WASHINGTON  The day before Christine Blasey Ford testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh tried to rape her in high school, three friends came forward to swear to senators that shed told them the story before his nomination was announced in July.

Their sworn affidavits were significant, since they indicated Ford had not made up her accusation just to smear President Donald Trumps pick for the Supreme Court. They were the first people aside from Fords husband  who also submitted an affidavit  to say shed told them about what allegedly happened.

But the declarations got relatively little attention, as they were almost immediately overshadowed by another allegation from a woman who said shed seen Kavanaugh at parties where rapes had occurred.

The evening after the three affidavits from Fords friends were submitted, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a key swing vote on the Kavanaugh nomination, said she thought they sounded important  like something I need to read and I am sure will come up at the hearing tomorrow, she said in a brief hallway interview.

The affidavits did not come up during the hearing, except for passing references by Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). And Ford mentioned shed told a few friends about what allegedly happened. But in the deluge of news that followed Ford and Kavanaughs testimonies, those affidavits from Fords friends have seemingly been forgotten.

Even with a crucial first vote scheduled for Friday  which is partly a referendum on Fords credibility  several senators seemed as though theyd never heard of the affidavits in interviews this week.

I have not seen an affidavit to that effect, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), another undecided senator, told HuffPost on Wednesday.

Im not sure which affidavits youre referring to, said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Another judiciary member, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), said he didnt remember if hed read the documents. This isnt a test, is it? Ive read so much stuff, he said. After a reporter described the documents, he said: That was her husband and some friends. I probably did. Ive read a lot. If its a test I hope its multiple choice.

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Even Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the senator in whom Ford first confided, didnt recall the affidavits. I cant think of it right now, she said.

In a followup email from her office, Feinstein said the fact that Ford had confided in these people long before the nomination meant the case was not a he-said, she-said as some have characterized it.

HuffPosts questions about the affidavits could fairly be described as having a pop quiz quality, since senators this week have been bombarded with questions about even more recent developments. But that doesnt mean the affidavits are irrelevant.

They are what we would call prior consistent statements  in other words, [Ford] was telling people about this before she had the alleged motive to fabricate, said Laurie Levenson, a former prosecutor and current criminal law and evidence professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. If this were a court of law, this would be significant, but its all gotten lost in the partisanship.

Its not a court of law, but Republicans hired prosecutor Rachel Mitchell to question Ford during last weeks hearing. Mitchell listed several problems she saw with Fords claims in a memo to Republicans after the hearing, saying she didnt think a reasonable prosecutor would bring a case based on the evidence in front of the committee.

One issue Mitchell raised was that Fords description of the incident had supposedly shifted. Ford told the committee shed confided in her husband, Russell, about a sexual assault shortly after they married in 2002. But, Mitchell noted, The Washington Post reported that Ford had told her husband about physical abuse.

When speaking with her husband, Dr. Ford changed her description of the incident to become less specific, Mitchell wrote.

The affidavits from Fords friends and husband bear directly on whether Ford has told her story consistently. But Mitchell omitted those from her memo.

Russell Ford said in his affidavit that in 2012 his wife told him about a sexual assault she experienced in high school  that shed been trapped in a room and physically restrained by one boy who was molesting her while another boy watched. Shed told him the attackers name was Brett Kavanaugh.

Another friend, Keith Koegler, said Ford told him her story during a conversation about an infamous sexual assault case at Stanford University. She told him she was particularly bothered by it because she was assaulted in high school by a man who was now a federal judge in Washington, D.C., Koegler said.

Rebecca White, one of Fords neighbors, said that one day in 2017, Ford struck up a conversation about a social media post White had written about sexual assault. She then told me that when she was a young teen, she had been sexually assaulted by an older teen, White said. I remember her saying that her assailant was now a federal judge.

And Adela Gildo-Mazzon said she still has the receipt from the day in 2013 when she met Ford for lunch at an Italian restaurant in Mountain View, California. Christine told me she had been having a hard day because she was thinking about an assault she experienced when she was much younger, Gildo-Mazzon said. She said that she had been almost raped by someone who was now a federal judge. She told me she had been trapped in a room with two drunken guys, and that she then escaped, ran away, and hid.

Its not clear that anything would be different if the memos had received more attention, since Republicans have consistently said they think Ford is mistaken about what happened. According to that theory, these people are just repeating her mistake.

Asked about the affidavits last week, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said the people didnt really have corroborating information. Those are not people who witnessed the alleged event, he said.

Levenson said Republicans have set a high bar for corroboration. Frankly, in these types of settings, you dont get eyewitnesses, she said.

Democrats included Fords friends on a list of people they thought the FBI should interview as part of its supplemental investigation into Kavanaughs background. On Thursday, though, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) complained that apparently none of them had been questioned.

It seemed to me it would be reasonable for those four individuals to be questioned by the FBI, Coons said.

Fords attorneys have also objected in a letter that the FBI didnt interview her friends.

This piece has been updated with an additional comment from Dianne Feinstein.

Jen Bendery contributed reporting.

Need help? Visit RAINNs National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Centers website.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Redoine Faid pictured in 2010 and the scene of his jail break in 2013 (Rex/AFP)

Frances most-wanted fugitive wore a burqa to evade police, say prosecutors.

Notorious criminal and gang master Redoine Faid , who said he took inspiration from Hollywood movies such as Al Pacinos Scarface, was tracked down by police through phone-taps.

Faid, 46, who was detained north of Paris on Wednesday, was using the traditional Islamic dress as a disguise.

The criminal has a long record including robbery and extortion in the 1990s, though reached celebrity status despite the violence of his offences.

He managed to break out of prison on 1 July, during a 25-year jail term for orchestrating a botched robbery in which a police officer was killed in 2010.

Three heavily armed men assisted in a dramatic helicopter escape. The aircraft was flown by a flying instructor who had been taken hostage.





Redoine Faid was on Interpols most wanted list after multiple jail breaks (AFP)

Faid was tracked down to a block of flats in Creil, a town north of Paris where he grew up, after three months on the run.

Three other people in the property were detained and three others have been arrested elsewhere.

French prosecutor Francois Molins said detectives had monitored phones used by Faids gang. They tracked down a young woman in Creil, who let into her car a person dressed in a burqa whose figure suggested he might be a man.

Late on Tuesday night, the burqa-clad person entered the young womans flat, quickly followed by another person also in a burqa.

Immediately, police suspected the pair were Redoine Faid and his brother Rachid.

A police raid on a fourth-floor apartment captured notorious French robber Redoine Faid, 46, along with a female driver

In the early hours of Wednesday, Frances BRI police stormed the property and arrested the two brothers and two others, including a nephew and the 28-year-old flat owner. Another nephew and two others were detained.

Images from the scene show the fugitive sitting dazed on a bed, surrounded by officers while wearing what looks to be a nightshirt. An Uzi sub-machine gun can be seen laying on the floor nearby.

DOCUMENT LE PARISIEN. La photo exclusive de larrestation de Redoine Faid https://t.co/QMGIsrEIXv  Le Parisien (@le_Parisien) October 3, 2018

In 2009, Faid penned a book about growing up on the streets of Paris and the early days of him becoming a career criminal. The book earned him the nickname of LErivain or the writer, to his law enforcement foes.

He previously spent six weeks on the run in 2013 in a Lille jail break during which four prison guards were seized and at least five jail doors were blown off with explosives.

His initial incarceration began in 1998, following arrests for armed robbery and bank theft.
By Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Head bowed, German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid homage in Jerusalem on Thursday to the six million Jews killed by the Nazis and said Germany had a responsibility to confront anti-Semitism and never to forget the Holocaust. Merkel's visit came against a backdrop of resurgent nationalism and far-right violence in Germany which has been fueled by anger at her decision to welcome more than a million mostly Muslim asylum seekers in 2015. Merkel also said she agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran, Israel's arch-enemy, should never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons but that they differed on how to achieve that objective. Merkel began a day of meetings between Israeli and German government officials with a visit to Yad Vashem, Israel's national Holocaust memorial, where she laid a wreath on a stone slab that contains ashes of death camp victims. "Almost 80 years ago, on the pogrom night of November 9, Jews in Germany faced unimaginable hate and violence. This was followed by unprecedented crimes against civilization in the form of the Shoah," Merkel, speaking German and using the Hebrew word for Holocaust, said at Yad Vashem. "Germany has a perpetual responsibility to remember those crimes and to confront anti-Semitism, xenophobia, hate and violence," she said, after arriving for a 24-hour visit as part of annual government-to-government talks between German and Israeli ministers. After discussions in Jerusalem with Netanyahu, Merkel addressed Middle East issues in a joint news conference with the right-wing Israeli leader, who praised what he described as her consistent stance against anti-Semitism. Germany remains party to a 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and world powers that Netanyahu opposed and from which U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out in May. "We are very convinced and strongly share Israel's position that everything must be done to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Where we are not always united is on the path to this goal," Merkel said. At the U.N. General Assembly last week, Netanyahu accused Europe of appeasing Iran and said he would prevent Tehran from entrenching in Syria and arming Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas. Merkel, at the news conference, described Iran's military presence in Syria and Lebanon as a threat to neighboring Israel. On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Merkel reaffirmed her support for a two-state solution and concern about Israeli settlement expansion in occupied territory where Palestinians seek for a country of their own. Such activity, she said, "makes the two-state solution difficult to achieve". Merkel said that Netanyahu urged Germany to encourage the Palestinians to return to negotiations that collapsed in 2014, adding: "I will do this". There were no plans for Merkel to see Palestinian leaders during her brief visit. (Additional reporting by Joseph Nasr in Berlin; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Ottawa (AFP) - Canadian airline passengers will soon be able to pack up to 30 grams of cannabis when they board a flight once recreational use of the mind-altering drug is legalized, the government said Thursday.

"After October 17, 2018, passengers will be permitted to have a legal amount of cannabis, which is 30 grams, in either their carry on or checked bag, if they are flying to a domestic destination (i.e. within Canada)," Delphine Denis, spokeswoman for Transport Minister Marc Garneau, told AFP.

However it is still illegal to take pot across international boundaries, such as on trans-border flights, Denis added.

This includes between two jurisdictions where cannabis is legal, for example, between Vancouver on Canada's Pacific coast and Seattle in the US state of Washington.

"Doing so can result in serious criminal penalties," Denis warned.

Smoking onboard airplanes also remains illegal.

Transport Canada is currently working on posting signage advising travelers of the rules at airports, ferry and cruise terminals, railway stations, and along highways to the United States.

On October 17 Canada will become the first Group of Seven (G7) member and second country in the world after Uruguay to allow the recreational consumption of cannabis.

The legislation limits personal possession to 30 grammes and four plants per household.
Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation vote will be a pivotal moment for both Republicans and Democrats - AFP

The US Senate is preparing for a crucial initial vote on Donald Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court on Friday, as one of the most significant moments in US politics this year comes to a head.

After a tough confirmation process involving multiple allegations of sexual assault, a showdown roll call over Judge Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation could come as early as Saturday.

A preliminary vote was delayed earlier to allow the first woman to accuse him of sexual misconduct, Christine Blasey Ford, to give her account to the Senate.

Millions of Americans tuned in to watch the testimonies of Mr Kavanaugh and Professor Ford. It was a moment, as Mr Trump put it, that was a "very important day in the history of our country".

Video: FBIs Report Submitted to Senate, Vote Set for Friday

For more news videos visit Yahoo View.

Republicans and Democrats are acutely aware that the upcoming vote on Mr Kavanaugh could shape America for decades to come.

The nine-member US Supreme Court will likely preside over cases that touch on issues ranging from abortion, gun rights, immigration, labour rights to campaign financing - and Mr Kavanaugh may be a key swing vote.

Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh gives his opening statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee Credit: AFP

What happens if they vote to confirm Kavanaugh?

If Mr Kavanaugh is confirmed by the Senate, the US Supreme Court will likely have its most conservative bench in several decades.

Given Mr Kavanaugh's testimony, during which he accused Democrats of an "orchestrated political hit", there are also questions over whether he would have to recuse himself from a vast number of cases that appear before the court.

A yes vote could also spark a backlash among female voters, who may punish Republican candidates standing in November's midterm elections.

Prof Ford's testimony was closely followed by Americans watching at home Credit: Reuters

A number of women's rights activists have been lobbying their senators to vote down Mr Kavanaugh's nomination in the days since the sexual assault allegations came to light.

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What is more, a yes vote for Mr Kavanaugh may not spell the end of his troubles.

If Democrats take control of the House of Representatives, which pollsters deem likely, they could call for investigations into Mr Kavanaugh's past conduct.

Democratic operatives are even reportedly pondering the possibility of impeaching Mr Kavanaugh - although that would be extremely unlikely to succeed.

Impeaching a judge follows the same process as impeaching a president, requiring the House of Representative to vote on the motion then move to the Senate for a trial.

However two-thirds of the Senate must vote in favour of removing an official from office.

What happens if they vote no?

If the nomination does not pass the Senate, the first question for Mr Trump is whether to pick another nominee or give Mr Kavanaugh a second shot.

Senator Lindsey Graham, an ally of the president, has suggested Mr Trump should renominate the judge if his nomination fails the first time around.

Mr Graham argued that this would make the Supreme Court nomination a key issue on the ballot in November's elections - and create a surge in conservative voters heading to the polls.

Many Republican voters feel that the claims against Mr Kavanaugh are Democratic smear tactics and they will mobilise their votes in November.

During his election campaign Mr Trump pledged to pick justices who oppose Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme court decision that legalised abortion in the US, a key issue among his base.

However the political makeup of the next Congress will have a huge impact on who Mr Trump puts forward for America's highest court.

The president will have to pick another nominee which has the support of his base but one that can get the bipartisan support needed to be confirmed by the Senate.

Republicans have been determined to rush through Mr Kavanaugh's nomination before the November elections because passing their preferred candidate will be a far greater task if they lose their majority.

The US Supreme Court is currently sitting without a ninth justice Credit: AFP

A 'no' vote will have implications for the rulings the Supreme Court makes in the near future too - it has been sitting since October 1 with just eight judges, four Republican appointees and four Democrat.

The biggest fallout from Mr Kavanaugh's nomination being voted down is the political fallout - and the start of the blame game.

It would be a massive failure for the president to fail to secure his nominee while enjoying a Republican-controlled Congress. Who would be held responsible for the blunder?

Mr Trump is reportedly furious with Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, for allowing Mr Kavanaugh's confirmation process to drag out.

However whether Mr Trump's supporters will blame the president's party or the Democrats remains to be seen - either way it will add pressure on him to produce results ahead of his re-election battle in 2020.
Philip Lane, governor at the Central Bank of Ireland. Photo: Getty

Ireland is processing over 100 Brexit-related applications from financial services firms, the governor of the countrys central bank told a parliamentary committee on Thursday.

Governor Philip Lane said that the list of applicants includes investment firms, trading venues, electronic money institutions, and commercial and retail insurance firms.

These are partly new legal entities and existing entities seeking to extend their current authorisation, Lane said.

These firms are among the many hoping to minimise Brexit-related disruption by moving some of their activities to European Union hubs.

But Lane noted that the bank, which serves as Irelands financial regulator, was much more focused on financial stability than on the relative attractiveness of Ireland compared to other EU countries.

He said that the Irish Central Bank was engaging with its EU counterparts and maintaining the blocs supervision standards to prevent regulatory arbitrage being a reason for firms to choose Ireland over other jurisdictions.

Despite the boost to Irelands economy from these moves, Brexit will clearly be a negative for the Irish economy and the Irish financial system, Lane said. Even before the UK leaves the EU in March, he said, Ireland could be affected by financial speculation and sterling currency swings as the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit increases.

While London is still expected to remain the largest financial centre in Europe, the industry has warned of a small exodus of firms looking to cement their post-Brexit futures.

By late June, more than a third of 222 large financial services firms tracked by accounting giant EY had said that they were either considering or had decided to move some operations or staff from the UK to elsewhere in Europe. More than 50 said they had already confirmed the post-Brexit location.

Lloyds of London and Bank of America are two banks that will move their EU headquarters to Dublin, while Barclays will soon transfer the ownership of its European assets to its Dublin base, where it will employ an extra 200 employees. JP Morgan will also double its headcount in Dublin to 1,000 employees, following the purchase of a landmark office building in Dublin.

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Meanwhile, HSBC, the largest bank in Britain, is due to move 1,000 employees to its new EU headquarters in Paris.

Among the concerns of UK-based banks is the post-Brexit ability of the UK to serve as a clearing house for euro assets. As much as 26tn worth of derivatives contracts could be negatively affected by Brexit, according to the UKs Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

The FCA has called for cooperation between UK and EU regulators to ensure there will be minimal disruption.
By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An Israeli official played down on Wednesday the Russian upgrading of Syria's air defenses, saying the newly supplied S-300 missile system could be defeated by Israel's stealth fighters and possibly destroyed on the ground. Moscow said on Tuesday that it had delivered the S-300, a decision it took after accusing Israel of indirect responsibility for the downing of a Russian spy plane by Syrian forces as they fired on attacking Israeli jets last month. Damascus and its big-power backer describe the advanced addition to Syria's arsenal as a major deterrent. Israel and Washington have both voiced misgivings about the S-300 handover. But asked in an interview if the Syrian acquisition of the S-300 would clip the Israeli military's wings, Tzachi Hanegbi, the country's regional cooperation minister and a non-voting member of its security cabinet, said: "Unequivocally, no." "The operational abilities of the air force are such that those (S-300) batteries really do not constrain the air force's abilities to act," he told Israel's Army Radio. Referring to F-35 Joint Strike Fighters that Israel began receiving from the United States over a year ago, Hanegbi said: "You know that we have stealth fighters, the best planes in the world. These batteries are not even able to detect them." Reuters reported in 2015 that Israel had trained against a Russian-supplied S-300 system in Greece. Israel says its air raids on Syria are needed to foil deployments and arms transfers by Iran or Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas, allies of Damascus. Hanegbi said that Russia had previously stationed its own S-300 in Syria, so the system's capabilities had long been factored into Israeli planning. Syria's military would require "a few months" to get its S-300 operational, he said. "We have clarified to the Syrians more than once that we will not step back from our commitment to prevent Iran's entrenchment in Syria," Hanegbi said, adding a veiled threat to take action against the S-300 on the ground: "We were already forced, a few months ago, to destroy Syrian missile batteries, and I hope they won't challenge us in the future." Israel said on Sept. 4 it had carried out more than 200 air strikes in Syria in the previous two years - an average rate of twice a week - with Russia largely turning a blind eye. There have been no reports of such missions since the Russian plane's downing on Sept. 17, however. Any such hiatus was a "tactical situation over a week or two" rather than a strategic reassessment by Israel, Hanegbi said. Asked if Iran and its allies had used the period to step up their activities in Syria, he said he had seen "no basis for that" in Israeli intelligence assessments. (Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Peter Graff)
Donald Trump's mockery of a woman who accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault was appalling, according to a Republican senator who will play a crucial role in deciding whether the Supreme Court nominee is confirmed.

Speaking to supporters in Southaven, Mississippi, the president poured scorn on the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford and sought to point out what he said was its inconsistencies.

How did you get home? I dont remember. Howd you get there? I don't remember. Where is the place? I don't remember. How many years ago was it? I dont know, Mr Trump said on Tuesday night, mimicking Ms Ford. His comments were in sharp contrast to those from just a few days earlier when he said: I thought her testimony was very compelling and she looks like a very fine woman to me, very fine woman.

On Wednesday, with the FBI still carrying out an additional background check into Mr Kavanaugh and speaking to some of his friends and former colleagues, Jeff Flake, a senator from Arizona, said Mr Trumps comments were wrong.

There's no time and no place for remarks like that. To discuss something this sensitive at a political rally is just not right. Its just not right. I wish he hadn't had done it, Mr Flake told NBC News. Its kind of appalling.

A second Republican senator, Susan Collins, echoed Mr Flakes view. The presidents comments were just plain wrong, he told reporters, according to Reuters. She did not respond when asked if his comments would affect her vote on whether or not to confirm Mr Kavanaugh.

A third swing voter, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, said: I thought the President's comments yesterday mocking Dr Ford were wholly inappropriate, and in my view unacceptable...I am taking everything into account."

The views of Mr Flake, Ms Collins and Ms Murkowski are expected to play a central  and perhaps deciding  role in determining whether Mr Trump is able to appoint his second justice to the Supreme Court in less than two years.

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Mr Flake last week stunned colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee, by saying his vote for the nominee was dependent on the FBI carrying out a fresh probe to answer the concerns raised by Democrats and others. This country is being ripped apart here, said Mr Flake. We ought to do what we can to make sure that we do all due diligence with a nomination this important.

Ms Collins has long been seen a swing voter on subjects such as a legal access to abortion, something critics of Mr Kavanaugh say he may be prepared to overturn if he was elected to the court. Other voters seen as essential to the 53-year-old appeals court judge confirmation are Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota.

Both Mr Manchin and Ms Heitkamp are fighting for re-election in states that Mr Trump won easily and they have tried to stress their independence from Democratic orthodoxy when they have needed to. Both voted to confirm Neil Gorsuchs appointment to the Supreme Court last year, with Ms Heitkamp saying he was highly qualified and appeared like a fairly standard conservative judge.

The delay in confirming Mr Kavanaugh, who has been widely praised by Mr Trump, came after several women stepped forward to accuse him of sexual assault or misconduct. He has denied all the accusations as a smear campaign.

Last week, Ms Ford testified before the committee in an appearance that many found moving. She told the senators she did not want to be there. I am terrified. I am here because I believe it is my civic duty to tell you what happened to me while Brett Kavanaugh and I were in high school, she said.

The same day, Mr Kavanaugh testified himself, in a hard-edged appearance in which he rebutted her claims. He said his life had been turned upside down by the allegations.

Two other women, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Smetnick, have made allegations against Mr Kavanaugh. Ms Ramirez said Mr Kavanaugh had exposed himself to her during a drunken dormitory party at Yale University, while Ms Smetnick claimed she was present at more than ten parties where Mr Kavanaugh and a friend, Mark Judge, drugged young women so they could be gang-raped.

If was initially claimed that the White House and Republican leadership were trying to limit who the federal agents could speak to. Michael Avenatti, a lawyer representing Ms Smetnick said she had sent a sworn testimony to the committee but that it had not responded.

Earlier this week, Mr Trump said he was not trying to control or limit the probe. I want them to do a very comprehensive investigation. Whatever that means, according to the senators and the Republicans and the Republican majority, I want them to do that, Mr Trump said. With that being said, I'd like it to go quickly.

He said the agents should speak to Ms Smetnick and and Mr Kavanaugh if they wanted to. Its up to them. I think the FBI should interview anybody they want, but within reason.
PHOENIX (AP)  The Latest on heavy rain in the U.S. Southwest from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rosa (all times local):

7 p.m.

Authorities still are concerned about the integrity of a 22-foot-high earthen dam in southern Arizona that was at risk of failing and flooding a small tribal village.

Tohono O'odham (TOH'-oh-no OH'-tum) Nation spokesman Matt Smith said Wednesday that the water level at Menagers Dam had fallen about 4 feet (1.2 meters).

Earlier in the day, runoff from rain dropped by the remnants of Hurricane Rosa had lifted the water level to just a foot (0.3 meters) below the top of the dam.

Isolated areas near the dam have seen 5 to 7 inches (13 to 18 centimeters) of rain over the past three days.

The tribe had been coordinating the evacuation of Ali Chuk, a Native American community with 162 people.

With more rain forecast for the end of this week, tribal officials say they are assembling an engineering team to inspect the dam.

____

4:15 p.m.

The water level at a southern Arizona lake is receding after officials said a dam had been at risk of failing and flooding a small tribal village.

Tohono O'odham (TOH'-oh-no OH'-tum) Nation spokesman Matt Smith said Wednesday that the water level at Menagers Dam had fallen about 4 feet (1.2 meters).

Earlier in the day, runoff from rain dropped by the remnants of Hurricane Rosa had lifted the water level to just a foot (0.3 meters) below the top of the earthen dam.

Isolated areas near the dam have seen 5 to 7 inches (13 to 18 centimeters) of rain over the past three days.

The tribe had been coordinating the evacuation of Ali Chuk, a Native American community with 162 people.

___

8:30 a.m.

Forecasters are warning of the possibility of more flooding in the Phoenix area and elsewhere in Arizona from runoff from remnants of a former tropical storm that dropped a record amount of rain in the city.

The National Weather Service on Wednesday said up to 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of rain had already fallen in the parts of the county that includes Phoenix and that flash flooding was expected.

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A separate flash flood warning was issued for Yavapai County north of Phoenix due to high water flow in a creek in the small community of Cornville and for a small part of the Tohono O'odham (TOH'-oh-no OH'-tum) Nation's reservation in Pima County in southern Arizona.

A flash flood watch issued for much of south-central Arizona was extended through Wednesday afternoon.

The weather service said 2.35 inches (6 centimeters) of rain had been recorded at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport as of Tuesday night.

___

8:15 a.m.

Authorities are warning that an earthen dam in Arizona's southern desert could fail because the lake behind it is swollen with storm runoff from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rosa and that residents of a small community nearby were being evacuated.

The National Weather Service on Wednesday said water levels were within 1 foot (0.3 meters) of overtopping Menagers Dam and that it could give way and flood the community of Ali Chuk on the Tohono O'odham (TOH'-oh-no OH'-tum) Nation's reservation west of Tucson.

The tribe's Department of Public Safety said Tuesday night in a statement that flooding from runoff made roads impassable in the area on Tuesday and tribal officials were working to evacuate residents.

The Arizona Daily Star reported that the community has a U.S. Census-reported population of 162 and that the area got between 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 centimeters) of rain on Monday.

The tribal department's statement said officials evacuated more than 30 people from a village elsewhere on the reservation because of flooding.

___

9:20 p.m.

Remnants of a tropical storm dropped a record amount of rain on Phoenix.

National Weather Service meteorologists say 2.35 inches (5.97 centimeters) of rain had been recorded at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport as of Tuesday night.

That made it the rainiest October day since records have been kept, topping the 2.32 inches (5.89 centimeters) recorded on Oct. 14, 1988.

It also marked the eighth-rainiest day in Phoenix's history for any date.

That surpassed the total amount of rainfall recorded at the Phoenix airport during the entire Arizona monsoon season this year that runs annually from mid-June to the end of September.

The storm was expected to move out of Arizona by Wednesday afternoon and bring rain to Utah and Colorado.
PALU, Indonesia (AP)  The Latest on the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia (all times local):

1:15 a.m.

Indonesia's disaster agency says the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami that struck central Sulawesi island a week ago has surged past 1,500.

The agency, which earlier Thursday says the death toll was 1,424, updated the number of dead to 1,558 on Twitter later the same day.

The disasters struck Palu and surrounding districts in Central Sulawesi province last Friday.

8.15 p.m.

A French rescue worker says his team, using high-tech scanners, has detected a person believed to be still alive under the rubble of a hotel in the Indonesian city of Palu, nearly a week after it was struck by a powerful earthquake and tsunami.

Philip Besson, a member of the French organization Pompiers de l'urgence, said the team "detected the presence of a victim" in the wreckage of the Mercure Hotel but wasn't able to say if the person is conscious.

Besson said the team was unable to reach the victim, who was trapped under thick concrete. The team only had a hand drill and stopped digging as night fell. Besson said it will bring heavy equipment early Friday to try and rescue the person.

More than 1,400 people were killed in last Friday's earthquake and tsunami.

____

7.45 p.m.

Indonesian national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says the body of a South Korean missing since last Friday's earthquake and tsunami in central Sulawesi has been found.

Local television reported that rescuers pulled out the bodies of the South Korean and an Indonesian from under the wreckage of the Roa Roa Hotel in the city of Palu, where most of the 1,424 deaths have been. The report said the two were paragliding athletes taking part in an event in the area.

Nugroho confirmed that rescuers found the body of the South Korean, making him the only foreigner known to have perished in the disaster. He earlier said that 120 foreigners were reported to be in the disaster-struck zone, but 119 have been rescued and evacuated.

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___

6.30 p.m.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi says military transport aircraft from India and Singapore have arrived to help in relief efforts in central Sulawesi, which was hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami.

Marsudi says 18 countries have offered help, and agreements have been reached with some of them. She told reporters that the government is still working out arrangements with other countries including Japan and the U.S.

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said 11 transport aircraft have been pledged, including two each from Singapore, South Korea, the U.K. and Malaysia, and one from India. He said Japan and Qatar are waiting for clearance to send planes.

He said the aircraft will be used to transport supplies and evacuate victims.

More than 1,400 people were killed in last Friday's earthquake and tsunami.

____

3 p.m.

Australia's first delivery of urgent supplies will arrive soon in Indonesia to help up to 10,000 people displaced by the earthquake and tsunami.

Royal Australian Air Force Capt. Bryan Parker says the military transport plane will reach central Sulawesi late Thursday from Darwin.

The plane was loaded with what he described as family kits  clothing, bedding, food-making equipment, tarpaulins and tools for building shelters.

Parker says Australian officials are ready to help the Indonesians transfer the aid further in the disaster zone. He says how many plane loads of aid fly from Darwin will depend on future Indonesian requests for help.

The aid is part of a $3.6 million relief commitment, including more than 50 medical professionals, that Australia made on Wednesday.

___

2:45 p.m.

Indonesia's disaster agency says the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami that struck a central island last week has increased slightly to 1,424.

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho provided the updated figure Thursday at a news conference in Jakarta.

The disasters struck Palu and surrounding districts in Central Sulawesi province last Friday.

Nugroho said other victims still are buried in the mud and debris and have not yet been recovered.

___

2 p.m.

Indonesian police say 92 people have been arrested for looting goods in areas devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in Central Sulawesi province.

National police Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo said Thursday security will be increased to ensure law and order in Palu, the largest city in the disaster zone.

Local television reported the 92 people detained were caught with goods including motor oil, tires, ceramic tiles, and farming equipment. They were from Palu and the surrounding districts struck by the disasters last Friday.

Aid has been slow to reach survivors, and desperate villagers have stormed into shops to grab food supplies. Authorities have said villagers should only take food and that shops can be compensated later.

Prasetyo noted that the president has encouraged economic activities to restart but that businesses can't do that without security.

___

1 p.m.

An airport damaged by the earthquake in central Indonesia is expected to re-open to civilian traffic later Thursday.

Indonesian officials expect Palu's airport to re-open later in the day as the Indonesian military is bringing in more troops to assist with security and the search effort.

Lt. Col. Agus Hariyanto said 100 marines landed Thursday at Palu airport and 200 more were on their way. The military planes are also being used to evacuate injured people and other survivors from Palu, the biggest city in the earthquake-hit region.

Several non-governmental groups were also arriving. Taiwan's Tzu Chi Foundation sent a 10-person team consisting of doctors and nurses from Jakarta with more to arrive later. They will help evacuate several injured patients waiting at the airport.

Among those leaving are a group of students attending an Islamic competition in the Sumatran city of Medan. Fitriani, a student from Palu who goes by one name, said his group survived the disaster but wasn't sure they could attend the competition until they were told they could board the military plane.

__

10 a.m.

Life is on hold for thousands living in tents and shelters in the Indonesian city hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami.

They are unsure when they'll be able to rebuild and spend hours each day often futilely trying to secure necessities such as fuel for generators.

Residents whose homes had been destroyed had little but uncertainty on the seventh day since the disasters. But they also had hope more aid would pour into the city of Palu and the surrounding Donggala district on the island of Sulawesi.

The official toll has surpassed 1,400 deaths with thousands injured and 70,000 residents displaced. The death toll was expected to increase, but officials said rescue crews had reached all affected areas.

The U.N. announced a $15 million allocation to bolster relief efforts.
Lockheed Martin has unveiled the designs for a reusable lander (Picture Lockheed)

When astronauts finally walk on the moon again, they could be in for a long stay  as Lockheed Martin has shown off a giant lunar lander built for two-week stints.

The 46-foot single-stage lander is twice as tall as the Lunar Module used on the Apollo missions  and can carry four astronauts (twice as many as Apollos Module).

Lockheed Martins lunar lander would be able to remain on the moon for up to fourteen days  ferrying astronauts back and forth from a space station.

The lander would work alongside NASAs planned Deep Space Gateway space station, allowing astronauts to visit the moon quickly and for long periods.

Its twice the size of the Apollo moon lander (Getty)

After each visit to the lunar surface, the lander would fire up its engines and fly back to Deep Space Gateway to return the astronauts, and refuel.

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Lisa Callahan, vice president and general manager of Commercial Civil Space at Lockheed Martin Space said, NASA asked industry for innovative and new approaches to advance Americas goal of returning humans to the Moon, and establishing a sustainable, enduring presence there.

This is a concept that takes full advantage of both the Gateway and existing technologies to create a versatile, powerful lander that can be built quickly and affordably.

This lander could be used to establish a surface base, deliver scientific or commercial cargo, and conduct extraordinary exploration of the Moon.
Manchester United are looking at installing gender neutral toilets at Old Trafford

Manchester United are considering installing gender neutral toilets at Old Trafford in a bid to make the matchday experience more welcoming and inclusive.

Should United implement the plan they would be the first Premier League club to introduce the facility.

The topic was brought up by a fan at the September meeting of the Fans Forum where club officials were asked if it would be possible for the toilets to be installed at the ground.

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Uniteds head of security Jim Liggett said, Its something we are looking at as we are keen to ensure that Old Trafford continues to be welcoming and inclusive to all supporters; I will keep you posted regarding progress.

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is important in everything that we do and were constantly working with key stakeholders, including Stonewall, on such topics.





Last November, Swansea City gave fans the option of being identified as gender neutral on tickets.

The club have also announced plans to install high-security hostile vehicle mitigation bollards to improve security at the stadium.

The anti-terror devices, designed to prevent attacks by vehicles used as weapons, will be installed before 2019.

The club will also continue to suspend matchday train services which, until December 2017, allowed fans to disembark at a platform behind the South Stand.
Melania Trump laid a wreath at a 17th-century slave fortress in Ghana on Wednesday, vowing never to forget where Africans were held before being shipped away into further hardship, most across the Atlantic.

Ghana is the jumping-off point for her first major solo international trip as first lady - a tour of Africa, a continent her husband reportedly referred to derisively.

She will also visit Malawi, Kenya and Egypt.

"It's very emotional... I will never forget (the) incredible experience and the stories that I heard," she said after seeing the dungeons and walking through the "door of no return," the castle's final exit towards the Atlantic Ocean.

Her husband, Donald Trump, the US president, has not visited Africa since taking office in 2017.

Cape Coast castle was visited by the Obamas in 2009, and is a deeply moving relic of the slave trade Credit: AP

Melania Trump is guided by Kwesi Essel-Blankson around Cape Coast castle, in Ghana Credit: AFP

In January, US media reported widely that he had described African states as "sh--hole countries" during a discussion with politicians about immigration. He has denied making the remark.

The Cape Coast castle, now a monument, has attracted world dignitaries including Mr Trump's predecessor, America's first black president Barack Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their two children.

Mr Obama likened the tour to his visit to the site of the former Nazi concentration camp at Buchenwald in Germany, saying it was reminiscent of the capacity of human beings to commit "great evil. A plaque at the Ghana fortress commemorates the Obamas' visit.

Melania Trump is shown the "door of no return" Credit: AP

During her tour on Wednesday, Mrs Trump walked slowly with a guide through various wings, asking questions. She passed a row of cannons and descended into a dungeon where male slaves were held in chains.

"It's really, really touching," she said. "The dungeons that I saw, it's really something that people should see and experience, and what happened so many years ago - it's really a tragedy."

After passing through the "door of no return", she placed a wreath nearby and stood solemnly while her guide sang.

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Before proceeding to the slave castle, she visited the palace of the head chief of the area and obtained royal approval to visit the fortress after US officials presented a gift of drinks to the chiefs.

Melania Trump greets a child during her visit Cape Coast castle Credit: Reuters

The ceremony took place in Obama Hall at the Emintsimadze Palace, which was renamed in Mr Obama's honour after his visit in 2009.

Mrs Trump has made advocating for children her signature issue since becoming first lady.

A US official said the chief had invited two disabled children from a nearby school to the ceremony with the first lady, a break from local tradition in which it had previously been considered taboo to have anyone with handicaps in the palace.
Cape Coast (Ghana) (AFP) - US First Lady Melania Trump visited a former slave trading fort in Ghana on Wednesday, the second day of her maiden solo tour of Africa promoting her children's welfare programme.

"Akwaaba (Welcome) to Cape Coast," read a sign hung from the whitewashed walls of the Cape Coast Castle, some 145 kilometres (90 miles) from the capital, Accra.

But there were signs that the soft diplomatic push was yet to take off locally, as comparisons were drawn to the visit of former US president Barack Obama and his family in 2009.

"The interest is very, very muted and subdued. There are a lot of people (in Ghana) who are extremely indifferent about this visit," political commentator Etse Sikanku told AFP.

A relaxed and smiling Melania Trump arrived in Accra from Washington on Tuesday to a red-carpet welcome of traditional dancing and flag-waving schoolchildren.

In a day of engagements as part of her "Be Best" campaign in education and healthcare, she handed out teddy bears to newborns and met her Ghanaian counterpart, Rebecca Akufo-Addo.

The highlight of Wednesday's itinerary was the tour of Cape Coast Castle, a major outpost on the Atlantic slave trading route, where she also met members of the local Fante tribe.

The imposing fort on the windswept coast, where untold numbers of people were kept in dark dungeons before being shipped overseas, is now on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

It has seen a steady increase in visitors since Obama and his family toured the site.

Obama -- whose photo now adorns the wall of a hall renamed in his honour -- said at the time that the cells were a reminder that "sometimes we can tolerate and stand by great evil even as we think that we are doing good".

- Carve her own path -

The first lady's visit to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt has been seen as an attempt to carve her own path and emerge from her husband's shadow and his divisive presidency.

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It also comes after another turbulent week for the Trump administration, with controversy about his pick for the US Supreme Court, who has been accused of sexual assault.

On Tuesday, President Trump openly mocked the university professor who made the allegations, drawing scorn from critics who said such taunts deterred survivors of assault.

In Africa, interest in Melania Trump's visit is being watched to see if she can mend fences after her husband's reported comment that the continent contained "shithole" countries.

Those who met her on Tuesday said they found the enigmatic former model "warm" and "gentle", although she made no speech and on Wednesday was heard largely thanking local dignitaries.

Overall, there were doubts the visit would radically alter existing ties.

The first lady wants to highlight the work of the US Agency for International Development, even as her husband looks to slash aid and restrict it to perceived friendly nations.

The president has shown little interest in Africa since coming to power but tweeted about his wife's meeting with new mothers: "Proud of our great First Lady - and she loves doing this!"

- Obama contrast -

Photographs of the two first ladies featured on the front pages of major newspapers in Ghana while the visit was talked about on morning radio shows.

But there were complaints about children being taken out of school to welcome her as well as the choice of visiting the newly built and well-equipped Greater Accra Regional Hospital.

Some presenters said it would have been more accurate to show a more under-resourced hospital.

Shared photos on Twitter showed just a handful of people at the side of the road as Trump's official convoy passed.

Sikanku said comparisons with Obama's visit were inevitable and contrasted the "pomp and pageantry" surrounding his arrival and the interest generated by his Kenyan heritage.

"It was like a big party, everybody was into it, people stood on rooftops, everybody wanted to see Barack Obama, the son of Africa," said Sikanku, author of "The Afrocentric Obama and Lessons on Political Campaigning".

But for Melania Trump, "you wouldn't know about it unless you were following the news", he said.

str-pool-phz/sf/txw
First Lady Melania Trump visited Ghana on Tuesday and Wednesday at the start of a five-day tour of Africa, which will also include stops in Malawi, Kenya and Egypt.

The tour  which is Mrs. Trumps first big solo international trip and is intended to promote childrens welfare on the continent  is also seen as an effort to ease tensions after her husband, President Donald Trump, reportedly referred to some African nations, along with Haiti and El Salvador, as shithole countries in January.

Ghanas president, Nana Akufo-Addo, criticized Trumps reported comments at the time, calling them extremely unfortunate.

We will not accept such insults, even from a leader of a friendly country, no matter how powerful, he wrote on Twitter.

The language of @realDonaldTrump that the African continent, Haiti and El Salvador are shithole countries is extremely unfortunate. We are certainly not a shithole country. We will not accept such insults, even from a leader of a friendly country, no matter how powerful.  Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) January 13, 2018

On Wednesday, the first lady paid a very emotional visit to Cape Coast Castle, a former slave holding fort on Ghanas coast. There, she spent 10 minutes inside a dungeon where male slaves were held and also visited the Door of No Return, where slaves were shipped to the New World.

Melania Trump tours Cape Coast Castle with museum educator Kwesi Essel-Blankson

Melania Trump tours Cape Coast Castle with museum educator Kwesi Essel-Blankson

Reflecting on the visit later, the first lady called it very emotional and really something that people should see and experience.

I will never forget (the) incredible experience and the stories I heard. The dungeons that I saw, its really something that people should see and experience, she said, according to a pool report.

RELATED VIDEO: United Nations Audience Laughs at President Trump After He Boasts About His Accomplishments

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Then-President Barack Obama also toured the castle in 2009, with his wife, Michelle, a descendant of African slaves, and their two daughters. He said it was a reminder of the capacity of human beings to commit great evil.

RELATED VIDEO: PEOPLE Writer Natasha Stoynoff Breaks Silence, Accuses Donald Trump of Sexual Attack

Melania Trump (right) and Ghana's first lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo

Mrs. Trump arrived in Ghana on Tuesday and has been staying in the capital city of Accra, where she met over tea with Ghanas first lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, at the presidential palace.

The first lady will continue on to Malawi, Kenya and Egypt before returning to Washington, D.C., on Sunday.

She will spend time with schoolchildren, visit hospitals and do some of the things that tourists do while they are in Africa, according to Katie Rogers of The New York Times. Why Africa? The White House says she has never been before and has long wanted this to be the destination for her first solo trip.
Lilongwe (Malawi) (AFP) - US First Lady Melania Trump toured a primary school in Malawi on Thursday on the second leg of her solo tour of Africa as her husband poured praise on her work from back home.

A small handful of protesters held signs along roads in the capital Lilongwe, with one criticising President Trump's reported use of offensive language to describe some African countries earlier this year.

Melania Trump, who is in Africa to promote her children's welfare programme, described her visit to the Chipala primary school as "an amazing experience".

"Meeting those children and understanding their different way of life is why I wanted to travel here," she said in a short speech afterwards at the US embassy.

"I also wanted to be sure to personally thank each of you for the work that you do here at the embassy in Malawi," she added.

Her husband tweeted: "Our country's great First Lady, Melania, is doing really well in Africa. The people love her, and she loves them! It is a beautiful thing to see."

Melania Trump's visit, which started in Ghana and will continue on to Kenya and Egypt, has so far attracted varied interest levels in Africa with few crowds lining streets to see her.

"I am very proud to see the first lady," high school student Sharon Sibo told AFP after being among a group of welcoming pupils at the airport.

"It was very exciting. I thought I wasn't going to have a chance to see her."

At the primary school, the first lady watched dozens of pupils sitting on the ground in the sun as a teacher taught on a blackboard on the side of a building.

Melania Trump's visit to Africa is seen by some as an effort to mend fences after her husband's reported comment that the continent contained "shithole" countries.

"She's shining a light on some of the great things the US is doing in Malawi and Africa. I know she's moved by what the United States is doing in Malawi," US Ambassador Virginia Palmer told reporters.

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Melania Trump met with Malawian First Lady Gertrude Maseko at the state house for tea before watching three traditional dance performances.

The event was to "highlight friendly US-Malawi relations" and the pair's "shared interest in helping children and, in particular, helping girls in school", according to the White House.

On Wednesday, she visited a former slave trading fort in Ghana after arriving in Africa from Washington on Tuesday.

The first lady later left Malawi for Kenya.
Jerusalem (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Israel late Wednesday for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite differences between them on a range of issues.

Merkel and members of her cabinet will on Thursday participate in the latest in a series of bilateral talks between Germany and Israel.

The visit comes after Netanyahu's harsh criticism of European countries over Iran, Israel's main enemy.

Netanyahu has been urging European countries to follow US President Donald Trump's lead and withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.

Germany, like other signatories to the hard-fought deal, has sought to keep it alive, saying it is preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons for now.

Merkel's government has also been among EU nations that have repeatedly criticised Israel over its settlement building in the occupied West Bank.

In return, Netanyahu has accused EU countries of "absolutely crazy" demands of Israel.

Germany has recently joined calls against Israel's planned destruction of a Bedouin village in the West Bank.

Ahead of Merkel's arrival, Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev warned the chancellor against bringing up the fate of Khan al-Ahmar village.

"I advise her to deal with internal problems of her own country," Regev said.

"We respect Mrs Merkel and we are pleased with the cooperation between our two countries, but with all due respect, regarding our internal problems, I expect that foreign leaders who come here don't interfere."

Berlin says Thursday's discussions will focus on economic ties, innovation and technology.

Merkel has previously highlighted the responsibility toward Israel that Germany bears as the perpetrator of the Holocaust.

Fears of a resurgence in anti-Semitism in Germany are expected to be discussed as part of Thursday afternoon's joint government meeting.

No public events were planned for after Merkel's Wednesday night arrival.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel began a visit to Israel on Wednesday, with Iran's nuclear ambitions and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict among issues on the agenda in talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Merkel and Netanyahu did not make any statements after her arrival in Jerusalem. They were due to hold talks after dinner at the prime minister's official residence but most of the business will take place on Thursday. Merkel and ministers accompanying her begin with a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and will hold other meetings during the day before returning to Germany in the evening. Germany has remained party to the Iran nuclear deal, which lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbing its atomic program, after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from it in May. But speaking in Amman, Jordan in June, Merkel said European countries shared concerns over Iran's ballistic missile program and called for solutions to its "aggressive tendencies" in the Middle East. Netanyahu has repeatedly warned against Iran's nuclear ambitions and has said he would prevent the Islamic Republic entrenching in Syria and arming Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas and supporting Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians have tried to get Merkel to persuade Israel not to raze a Bedouin encampment in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah met with a German diplomat on Wednesday to discuss the matter. Media reports said Merkel had threatened to cancel the visit if Israel were to raze Khan al-Ahmar, a ramshackle camp housing 180 residents. Earlier this month, Israel's Supreme Court gave the go-ahead for eviction after lengthy litigation. Children at the encampment held posters of Merkel on Tuesday and appealed to her to help block Israel's plans. (Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah, Writing by Ori Lewis)
Jerusalem (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Thursday to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons but disagreed on how as they met to showcase cooperation between their countries.

The one-day visit to Israel by Merkel and members of her cabinet was part of German-Israeli government consultations held regularly, but came after Netanyahu's harsh criticism of European countries over their efforts to keep alive the Iran nuclear deal.

Germany and other European countries have also repeatedly hit out at Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank and warned over threats to remaining prospects for a two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians.

The two leaders brushed aside their list of differences and talked up ties between their countries, while Merkel stressed Germany's "everlasting responsibility" to oppose anti-Semitism.

Merkel also sought to smooth over their disagreement on the nuclear deal that Netanyahu brands a "historic mistake".

"We are very firmly of one opinion with Israel .... that everything must be done to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear arms," Merkel said during a news conference with Netanyahu.

"Where we do not see eye-to-eye is the way there. That's why the discussions here will go on."

Netanyahu has urged European nations to follow the lead of US President Donald Trump and withdraw from the accord with Israel's major enemy.

He faults the deal's limited timeframe and the lifting of sanctions that, according to Netanyahu, provided Iran with cash to finance "a war machine".

Germany, like other signatories to the deal, says it is working as intended by preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons for now.

Netanyahu spoke of his speech at the United Nations last week when he accused Iran of harbouring a secret nuclear warehouse. Iran rejected his claims as a "show".

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"They're still trying to hide," Netanyahu said.

"I exposed some of that in the UN. They're trying to get there through the backdoor."

Merkel noted Iran's presence in neighbouring Syria and said it was exacerbating the threat from Israel's foe.

She said she had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about reducing Iran's presence in Syria as much as possible.

- 'Everlasting responsibility' -

Merkel began the day with a visit to Israel's Holocaust memorial in the hills above Jerusalem.

After laying a wreath in the Yad Vashem memorial's solemn Hall of Remembrance, where an eternal flame burns, she spoke of Germany's responsibility as the Holocaust's perpetrator.

"From this comes the everlasting responsibility of Germany to remember this crime and to oppose anti-Semitism, xenophobia, hatred and violence," she said, reading the message she wrote in the memorial's guest book.

The two leaders seemed determined to have the visit run smoothly, greeting each other warmly after Merkel's arrival Wednesday night and touring an innovation exhibit together Thursday.

Germany said the joint government meeting Thursday afternoon was focused on economic ties, innovation and technology, while noting the consultations have been in place for 10 years.

Felix Klein, who heads the German government's fight against anti-Semitism, was part of the delegation. Fears over a resurgence in anti-Semitism in Germany were also a topic for discussion.

There was however no shortage of controversy in the run up to the visit.

Netanyahu's criticism of Europe related to Iran has been especially strong, and last week at the UN General Assembly he accused EU nations of "appeasement".

At the same time, Germany has remained steadfast in its support for a two-state solution and in recent weeks joined calls against Israel's planned demolition of a Bedouin village located in a strategic area of the occupied West Bank.

A group of children from the village held signs that asked for help outside Israeli President Reuven Rivlin's office as the German chancellor left there.

Merkel had earlier denied a report that she threatened to cancel the trip if Israel moved ahead with demolition of the village beforehand.

At the news conference with Netanyahu, Merkel said she intended to call Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to discuss the state of the conflict with him.

The last joint Germany-Israel government consultations in 2017 were postponed, with scheduling conflicts cited as the official reason.

There were reports however that Merkel was unhappy with a law passed then related to Israeli settlement building in the West Bank.
Michael Jackson wanted to play 007 (Getty/Sony Pictures)

Michael Jackson wanted to play James Bond, and tried to convince movie bosses that he could pull it off, according to Hollywood super agent Michael Ovitz.

In new memoir Who Is Michael Ovitz?, he details a bizarre encounter with Jackson, which also involves a bowl of guacamole and Jacksons trademark black fedora.

Ovitz tells of the meeting between him, Ron Meyer, a former agent himself and now the vice president of NBC Universal.

During Jacksons pitch to become an action movie star, somehow his hat fell from his head into a large bowl of guacamole.

As he talked, his hat fell into the guacamole in front of him, and he picked it out and put it back on  unfortunately, with a blob of guacamole attached, which began to slide down the brim, Ovitz writes.

Michael Ovitz (Credit: Rex)

Ron Meyer tapped my leg to draw my attention to it, and we all watched in horrified fascination as it slid lower and lower while Michael was pitching us hard on how he was Americas next action hero.

Then the blob fell off, and Ron totally lost it. I cracked up, too, and Michael stalked out, Ovitz writes.

I found him and explained for 15 minutes that we hadnt been laughing at him. Finally, Michaels face cleared. OK, Ovitz. OK, he said. But I want to play James Bond. I am proud to report I didnt laugh, this time.

Ovitz continued to try and disaude Jackson, however, telling him [Youre] thinly built, youre too sensitive, you wont be credible as a brutal block of stone.

Michael Jackson (Credit: AP)

Youd be great at it, of course, but itd be bad for you, he went on.

The time period would likely put Timothy Dalton as become the Bond in question, taking over from Roger Moore.

And while the Welshman was perhaps not quite a brutal block of stone, they probably made the right choice in the end.

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(WASHINGTON)  The Senate braced for a crucial initial vote Friday on Brett Kavanaughs tottering Supreme Court nomination after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set his polarized chamber on a schedule to decide an election-season battle that has consumed the nation. A showdown roll call over confirmation seemed likely over the weekend.

McConnell, R-Ky., cemented the process late Wednesday, several hours before the FBI delivered to an anxious Senate the potentially fateful report on claims that Kavanaugh sexually abused women. With Republicans clinging to a razor-thin 51-49 majority and five senators  including three Republicans  still vacillating, the conservative jurists prospects of Senate confirmation remained murky and dependent, in part, on the files contents, which are supposed to be kept secret.

There will be plenty of time for members to review and be briefed on the supplemental material before Fridays vote, McConnell said to the nearly empty chamber.

In a rare moment of randomness in whats been a deadly serious process, the normally meticulous lawmakers cell phone emitted a ringtone during part of his remarks.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said early Thursday that he had the Kavanaugh FBI report: Supplemental FBI background file for Judge Kavanaugh has been received, he tweeted.

Supplemental FBI background file for Judge Kavanaugh has been received by @senjudiciary Ranking Member Feinstein & I have agreed to alternating EQUAL access for senators to study content from additional background info gathered by non-partisan FBI agents 1/3  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) October 4, 2018

FBI supplement requested Friday sept 28 by bipartisan group of senators w specific scope of current/credible allegations. Dr Ford & Judge Kavanaugh had opportunity to testify under oath b4 public/cmte to tell senators what they know 2/3  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) October 4, 2018

This FBI material will b handled per 2009 memorandum of understanding/MOU signed btwn Obama WHCounsel & then-SJC Chairman Leahy. Thats latest memorialization of this loan agreement of ExecBranch material. Feinstein, Durbin, Schumer, & others were on SJC in 09 & didnt object 3/3  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) October 4, 2018

Lawmakers were planning to begin reading the FBI report Thursday morning, with senators and a small number of top aides permitted to view it in a secure room in the Capitol complex. Senators are not supposed to divulge the contents of the agencys background reports.

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The report arrived at a Capitol palpably tense over the political stakes of the nomination fight and from aggressive anti-Kavanaugh protesters who have rattled and reportedly harassed senators. Feeding the anxiety was an unusually beefy presence of the U.S. Capitol Police, who were keeping demonstrators and frequently reporters at arms length by forming wedges around lawmakers walking through corridors.

Amid complaints that some lawmakers were being confronted outside their homes, McConnell claimed on the Senate floor that the protesters were part of the organized effort to derail Kavanaughs nomination.

There is no chance in the world that theyre going to scare us out of doing our duty, he said.

Adding to the uncertainty, the three undecided GOP senators who could decide Kavanaughs fate rebuked President Donald Trump for mocking one accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, by mimicking her responses to questions at last weeks dramatic Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

I would tell him, knock it off. Youre not helping, Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said of Trumps Tuesday night tirade.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Trumps insults marked a new low.

Barring leaks, it was unclear how much of the FBI report, if any, would be made public. While senators from both sides have expressed support for revealing at least parts of the findings, FBI background checks on nominees are supposed to remain confidential.

Underscoring rising tensions, Democrats suggested that previous FBI background checks of Kavanaugh may have unearthed misconduct by the nominee.

Democrats wrote to Grassley, R-Iowa, challenging a Tuesday tweet by GOP aides saying prior investigations never found a whiff of ANY issue  at all  related in any way to inappropriate sexual behavior or alcohol abuse. Democrats wrote that the GOP tweet contained information that is not accurate.

Committee Republicans tweeted in response that their prior tweet was completely truthful and accused Democrats of false smears.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told reporters that Trumps lampooning of Ford at a Tuesday night Mississippi campaign rally was just plain wrong. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, called it wholly inappropriate and in my view unacceptable, and Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said on NBCs Today show that the remarks were kind of appalling.

Those senators, along with Democrats Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, have yet to declare how they will vote.

All of us need to keep in mind theres a few people that are on the fence right now. And right now, thats sort of where our focus needs to be, said Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who has traded barbs with Trump and will retire at years end.

Trump drew laughs Tuesday with his rendition of how Ford answered questions at last weeks hearing. I had one beer  thats the only thing I remember, he stated inaccurately.

As he flew aboard Air Force One to the Mississippi rally, Trump was enraged by New York Times articles about Kavanaughs high school and college years and alleging tax avoidance efforts by the president and his family, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Wednesday echoed the presidents newly aggressive approach. She said Ford has been treated like a Faberge egg by all of us, beginning with me and the president, and said Trump was merely pointing out factual inconsistencies.

Trump himself didnt respond publicly to the criticism. On Twitter, he hailed Kavanaugh as a fine man and great intellect and insisted, The country is with him all the way!

The California psychology professor has testified that a drunken Kavanaugh sexually abused her in a locked room at a high school party in the 1980s and has said she believed he was trying to rape her. Kavanaugh has denied her assertions and those of two other women, who have accused him of other instances of sexual misconduct in the 1980s.

Democrats argued that the investigation has been insufficient, lacking interviews with her, with Kavanaugh and others who his accusers have said could know about the alleged incidents.

In a statement Wednesday night after McConnell set the vote in motion, Fords counsel wrote: An FBI supplemental background investigation that did not include an interview of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford  nor the witnesses who corroborate her testimony  cannot be called an investigation. We are profoundly disappointed that after the tremendous sacrifice she made in coming forward, those directing the FBI investigation were not interested in seeking the truth.

Corker and Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said senators were expecting the document to contain reports that FBI agents compile on their interviews with subjects, perhaps accompanied by a cover letter. Background checks do not traditionally contain investigators conclusions about who they believe is credible.

Washington has been awaiting completion of the investigation since last week, when Flake, Collins and Murkowski pressured a reluctant Trump and GOP leaders to order the FBI to renew its background check of the 53-year-old Kavanaugh.

The FBI interviewed several people, including three who Ford has said attended a 1982 high school gathering in suburban Maryland where she says Kavanaughs attack occurred, plus another Kavanaugh friend. The agency has also spoken to a second woman, Deborah Ramirez, who has claimed Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a Yale party when both were freshmen.

In an interview, No. 2 Senate Democratic leader Dick Durbin of Illinois said McConnell was hell-bent on getting this done this week.

Democrats also demanded that the FBI privately brief the Senate about the investigation before the chamber votes. McConnell rejected that request in a letter Wednesday to Schumer, saying Democrats would use it to delay Kavanaughs confirmation.

___

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Michael Balsamo, Catherine Lucey, Zeke Miller, Padmananda Rama, Matthew Daly, Mary Clare Jalonick and Kevin Freking contributed.
Murphy Brown stars Candice Bergen and Faith Ford sat down with Andy Cohen on Watch What Happen Live, where they discussed the recent season premiere and Hillary Clintons surprise cameo.

While Clinton got a lot of laughs on camera, both actresses said that things were different off camera. When she first came on the set, I, of course, started tearing up, and I saw another couple of women on the set tearing up, said Bergen. It was very emotional.

This Hillary Clinton cameo on #MurphyBrown is everything I didnt know I needed  Justin Cross (@iJustinCross) September 28, 2018

Ford shared her co-stars sentiments, saying of Clinton, I hugged her for a very long time, and I felt a lot of compassion for her. Bergen added, I think she gets that reaction from thousands and thousands of women. I think everybody just has carried around the grief of her losing, and I think when they see her its all released.

Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen airs Sundays through Thursdays at 11 p.m. on Bravo.

Watch as Hillary Clintons hilarious cameo on Murphy Brown draws massive praise:

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Nasa has cast doubt on claims International Space Station leak was deliberate (NASA)

Is a saboteur really running amok on the International Space Station  and using a drill to create tiny holes in the wall of the Russian section?

NASA issued a statement to limit speculation, after the Russian space agency Roscosmos ruled out a manufacturing defect.

Previously, wild and unsubstantiated rumours had circulated in Russian media that the hole had been drilled by a NASA astronaut  possibly because he was homesick and wished to return to Earth.

In a statement this week, Dimitri Rogosin, general director of Roscosmos, said, It concluded that a manufacturing defect had been ruled out which is important to establish the truth.

Where it was made will be established by a second commission, which is at work now.

NASA later deleted the images (NASA)

Roscosmos and NASA have now both opened their own investigations of the hole, which was 2mm wide and appeared in August on a Russian Soyuz capsule.

But NASA said today that Rogosins statement did not necessarily mean the hole was caused by sabotage.

The space agency said that the statement by Roscosmos indicates that this is an isolated issue which does not categorically affect future production.

NASA spokeswoman Megan Powers said on Wednesday that, while intentional damage remains one of the possibilities under review, were not expecting it was a bad actor  we dont think thats the most likely conclusion.

Powers added: We will find the reason and we will reveal the reason no matter what it is.

The hole has been repaired using tape and sealant.


The National Council of Churches said Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh should step aside. (Photo: National Council of Churches)

The National Council of Churches called for the withdrawal of Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination on Wednesday, citing his behavior during last weeks Senate hearing and his political record.

We believe he has disqualified himself from this lifetime appointment and must step aside immediately, the Washington-based council said in a statement.

According to its website, the organization represents over 40 million people and 38 Christian denominations.

During his Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, the council wrote, Judge Kavanaugh exhibited extreme partisan bias and disrespect towards certain members of the committee and thereby demonstrated that he possesses neither the temperament nor the character essential for a member of the highest court in our nation.

Unusually high traffic has shut our website down. Here is our statement calling for the withdrawal of Judge #Kavanaugh. pic.twitter.com/r1vsGmqMFK  NCCCUSA (@ncccusa) October 3, 2018

The council also accused Kavanaugh of lying under oath.

In addition, his testimony before the Judiciary Committee included several misstatements and some outright falsehoods, it said.

The council didnt list any specific lies, but several comments Kavanaugh made at the hearing dont add up.

The nominee claimed that he never attended a gathering like the one Dr. Ford describes in her allegation. However, the calendars he presented in his defense clearly showed that Kavanaugh had scheduled gatherings strikingly similar to the one that accuser Christine Blasey Ford described.

He also claimed he never drank beer to the point of blacking out. Others who knew him in high school and college have described Kavanaugh back then as a heavy and frequent drinker.

In its statement Wednesday, the National Council of Churches also pointed to Kavanaughs professional history as a matter of concern.

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Judge Kavanaughs extensive judicial and political record is troubling with regard to issues of voting rights, racial and gender justice, health care, the rights of people with disabilities, and environmental protections, the council said. This leads us to believe that he cannot be an impartial justice in cases that are sure to come before him at the [Supreme] Court.

Last week, America Magazine also called for Kavanaughs withdrawal, rescinding its previous endorsement of the nominee. The national magazine is published by Jesuits, a Catholic religious order for men also known as the Society of Jesus.

Related Coverage

All The Lies Brett Kavanaugh Told

The Other Things Brett Kavanaugh Stands Accused Of

Catholic Magazine Revokes Endorsement Of Brett Kavanaugh After Hearing

Brett Kavanaugh Opens Testimony With Tantrum

Here's What Yale Was Like For Women When Brett Kavanaugh Was There

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Washington (AFP) - Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday accused China of military aggression, commercial theft and rising human rights violations as he cast the Asian power as a villain bent on interfering in upcoming US elections.

In a blistering speech that expands on complaints aired by President Donald Trump at the United Nations last week, Pence accused China of waging an "unprecedented effort to influence American public opinion" ahead of critical congressional elections on November 6.

"To put it bluntly, President Trump's leadership is working; China wants a different American president," Pence said at the Hudson Institute, a conservative Washington think tank.

"There can be no doubt -- China is meddling in America's democracy."

China hit back furiously on Friday, branding Pence's accusation as "ridiculous," groundless and slanderous.

The administration's offensive on China comes as a cloud hangs over Trump with an investigation into whether his campaign colluded with Russia to swing the 2016 presidential election in the Republican real estate tycoon's favor.

Just hours before Pence spoke, the US Justice Department indicted seven Russian intelligence agents as part of a joint crackdown with Britain and The Netherlands on alleged hacking by Moscow, including against the Democratic Party, Trump's domestic rivals.

But Pence said: "As a senior career member of our intelligence community told me just this week, what the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what China is doing across this country."

- Rising disputes -

Pence's sharply worded address comes days before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to visit China on a trip focused on nuclear diplomacy with North Korea -- an area in which the United States still seeks Beijing's cooperation.

China has maintained a calm tone as US language escalates. China's ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai, in an interview with National Public Radio aired shortly before Pence's address, said there was a "much larger need for cooperation" than competition with Washington.

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Relations between the world's two largest economies have plummeted in recent weeks with Trump placing $250 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods, in part over charges that Beijing forces US companies to hand over technological know-how.

Larry Kudlow, the director of the White House's National Economic Council, separately said that the United States was speaking to the European Union and Japan about taking joint action against China.

Speaking before the Economic Club of Washington, Kudlow -- using language with echoes of the Iraq war -- spoke of a "trade coalition of the willing to confront China."

Pence lashed out at China for focusing its retaliatory tariffs on states vital to the Republicans' electoral chances.

He also slammed Beijing for placing a multi-page advertisement extolling the virtues of US-China trade in the Des Moines Register, the highest-circulation newspaper in Iowa, a swing state whose longtime governor Terry Branstad is Trump's ambassador to Beijing.

Such paid supplements by foreign governments are commonplace in US newspapers, but Pence complained that the United States was not allowed to print similar advertisements in China's state-controlled press.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the US charges were "nothing but speaking on hearsay evidence, confusing right and wrong and creating something out of thin air."

She said China was a "builder of world peace" with no interest in meddling in US elections.

"It is very ridiculous for the US side to stigmatize its normal exchanges and cooperation with China as China interfering in its internal affairs and elections," Hua said.

"The international community has already known fully well who wantonly infringes upon others' sovereignty, interferes in others' internal affairs and undermines others' interests."

- Hailing Taiwan as model -

Touching a particularly sensitive issue for China, Pence attacked Beijing for coaxing three more Latin American nations to switch recognition from Taiwan.

"These actions threaten the stability of the Taiwan Strait -- and the United States of America condemns them," Pence said.

The democratic, self-governing island is home to nationalists who fled in 1949 after losing China's civil war and has waged an increasingly lonely campaign for diplomatic recognition as the Republic of China.

Pence made clear that the United States still adhered to its four-decade policy of recognizing only Beijing but added to applause: "Let me also say that Taiwan's embrace of democracy shows a better path for all the Chinese people."

Pence also accused Beijing of showing its "aggression" when a Chinese navy vessel recently sailed in the dispute-ridden South China Sea near the USS Decatur destroyer, which according to US officials had to make a quick detour to avoid collision.

"Despite such reckless harassment, the United States Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and our national interests demand," Pence said.

"We will not be intimidated; we will not stand down."

The vice president, a favorite of conservative US Christians, also criticized China on human rights, voicing disappointment that rising prosperity has not led to reforms.

China "has taken a sharp U-turn toward control and oppression," Pence said, adding: "A new wave of persecution is crashing down on Chinese Christians, Buddhists and Muslims."
WASHINGTON (AP)  Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday plans to accuse China of trying to undermine President Donald Trump as the administration deploys tough new rhetoric over Chinese trade, economic, and foreign policies.

In a speech to the Hudson Institute, Pence will say China is using its power in "more proactive and coercive ways to interfere in the domestic policies and politics of the United States."

"China wants a different American president," Pence will say, according to excerpts of prepared remarks from his office.

Pence's speech comes a week after the Republican president accused China during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council of interfering in American elections to help his Democratic rivals.

"Regrettably, we found that China has been attempting to interfere in our upcoming 2018 election," Trump said. "They do not want me, or us, to win because I am the first president ever to challenge China on trade." As proof, Trump later referenced a paid advertising insert in The Des Moines Register by Chinese government-affiliated entities.

Pence is set to charge that China is targeting "industries and states that would play an important role in the 2018 election" as it responds to Trump's protectionist trade tariffs on China. "By one estimate, more than 80 percent of U.S. counties targeted by China voted for President Trump in 2016; now China wants to turn these voters against our administration," Pence will say.

U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to boost Trump over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton through hacking and releasing sensitive documents and social media manipulation.

Trump signed an executive order in September authorizing sanctions against those found to be involved in election interference, but U.S. officials have said repeatedly they have not seen nearly the same level of activity by Russia and others in the midterms as in 2016.

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Much of Pence's remarks are meant to inform the public of what the U.S. government terms as China's covert and overt influence campaign.

Since Trump took office last year, his administration has escalated pressure on China, most recently with several rounds of tit-for-tat economic trade tariffs on hundreds of billions in goods. And Trump's first national security strategy released last year labeled China a "revisionist power" alongside Russia.

In his remarks, Pence will quote an assessment from the U.S. intelligence community that "China is targeting U.S., state and local governments and officials to exploit any divisions between federal and local levels on policy. It's using wedge issues, like trade tariffs, to advance Beijing's political influence."

Sounding the alarm, Pence will also warn other nations to be wary of doing business with China, condemning the Asian country's "debt diplomacy" that allows it to draw developing nations into its orbit.

Pence will also warn American businesses to be vigilant against Chinese efforts to leverage access to their markets to modify corporate behavior to their liking.

He will accuse China of threatening "to deny a business license for a major U.S. corporation if it refused to speak out against our administration's policies."

Pence will assert that China's actions surpass those of Russia in trying to shape American opinion. He will say an intelligence official told him that what "the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what China is doing across this country."

Pence will also protest Beijing's construction of military fortresses in the South China Sea as well as Chinese efforts to intercept American ships carrying out naval exercises designed to contest China's territorial expansion. He will condemn a Chinese ship passing this week within about 40 meters of the USS Decatur, calling it "reckless harassment."

He will add: "The United States Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and our national interests demand. We will not be intimidated; we will not stand down."
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  The office of Poland's President Andrzej Duda says that a boy crossing a street was slightly hurt when he was hit by a police car escorting Duda in the southern city of Oswiecim.

The communique said Thursday the accident occurred at a pedestrian crossing and that the speed of the presidential convoy was slow. Duda came out of his limousine to be with the child until an ambulance took him to a hospital.

No major injuries were revealed during the examination and the boy was released to his home where Duda visited him and his parents.

Duda was traveling to a meeting with Oswiecim residents.

In 2017, also in Oswiecim, then-Prime Minister Beata Szydlo was hurt and hospitalized after her limousine collided with a passenger car and hit a tree.
Pakistan pledged Wednesday to support negotiations with the Taliban to end Afghanistan's 17-year war as it asked the United States to restore military aid and stop blaming Islamabad for the extremists' strengths.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi visited Washington to explain the Afghanistan strategy of new Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has long advocated talks over military action with the Taliban and other Islamist insurgents.

A month after Washington cut $300 million in military aid, Qureshi said he found Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "ready to listen" to Pakistan and said he was returning to Islamabad "slightly more hopeful" than before.

Pakistan had been the main supporter of the Taliban regime which imposed an austere brand of Islam on much of Afghanistan until a US military campaign launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The United States has pressed for years for Pakistan to crack down on militant groups involved in Afghanistan as well as virulently anti-Indian groups that operate virtually openly.

It says the insurgents have safe havens in Pakistan's border areas and links to its shadowy military establishment, accusations which Islamabad has repeatedly denied.

Trump has accused Pakistan, where US commandos killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, of duplicity.

Qureshi said Pakistan would act "in good faith" to jumpstart diplomacy with the Taliban, whose representatives held a breakthrough meeting in July in Qatar with US representatives in a tentative bid to try to end the longest-running US war.

"Pakistan is willing and Pakistan will use all its influence to do that. We feel that Afghanistan's stability and peace are linked to ours," Qureshi said at the US Institute of Peace a day after meeting Pompeo.

But he added: "Contrary to the largely held view here, our influence on the Taliban is diminished."

He said he believed that the Taliban's shift to negotiations, as well as an unprecedented if temporary ceasefire, was based on the militants' own calculations.

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"Even the Taliban recognize that things have changed in Afghanistan. They can at best maintain a stalemate but those days are gone when they will just go in and take over Kabul."

- Defending Pakistan role -

Qureshi said Pakistan "cannot and should not be held responsible for the failures in Afghanistan" as he pointed to disunity in the Kabul government as well as corruption.

"I have seen or read a lot of criticism and think it's unfair not to recognize the contributions Pakistan has made to the successes that you've had in Afghanistan -- and you've had successes despite the challenges," he said.

Calling for renewed cooperation with the United States, Qureshi said: "Cutting off training, not giving precision equipment that could have been used against terrorism -- I don't know to what extent that will help."

- 'Momentum' for negotiations -

Trump had called for years for a withdrawal from Afghanistan, questioning what more can be achieved from a war that has claimed about 2,400 US lives, but the real estate mogul turned politician decided to stay the course after advice from security officials.

Pompeo, who met Khan in Islamabad last month, told Qureshi that Pakistan has an "important role" to play in Afghanistan negotiations, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

Pompeo "agreed that there was momentum to advance the Afghan peace process, and that the Afghan Taliban should seize the opportunity for dialogue," Nauert said.

The State Department notably did not say whether Pompeo addressed Pakistan's position on extremism.

In August, Pompeo congratulated Khan in a telephone call when he took office as prime minister. The State Department said he asked Islamabad to "take decisive action against all terrorists operating in Pakistan."

Pakistan insisted that the issue never came up.
By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iran on Wednesday for threats to American missions in Iraq and said the United States was terminating a treaty of amity with Tehran, which is the target of increasing U.S. sanctions over its missile programs. "Iran is the origin of the current threat to Americans in Iraq," Pompeo told reporters at the State Department days after he announced the closing of the U.S. consulate in the Iraqi city of Basra. "Our intelligence in this regard is solid. We can see the hand of the ayatollah and his henchmen supporting these attacks on the United States." The United States announced on Friday it will effectively close the consulate in Basra and relocate diplomatic personnel assigned there following increasing threats from Iran and Iran-backed militia, including rocket fire. On Wednesday, the World Court ordered the United States to ensure that sanctions against Iran, due to be tightened next month, do not affect humanitarian aid or civil aviation safety. Judges at the International Court of Justice handed a victory to Tehran, which had argued that sanctions imposed since May by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump violate the terms of a 1955 Treaty of Amity between the two countries. Washington responded by pulling out of the treaty, a little- known agreement that was signed long before Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution that turned the two countries into archenemies. Pompeo said the United States should have pulled out of the treaty decades ago. "Today marked a useful point, with the decision that was made this morning from the ICJ, this marked a useful point for us to demonstrate the absolute absurdity of the treaty of amity between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran." He added: "We're disappointed that the court failed to recognize that it has no jurisdiction to issue any order relating to these sanctions measures with the United States, which is doing its work on Iran to protect its own essential security interests," Pompeo said. Iran's Foreign Ministry said the court's decisions "proved once again the Islamic Republic is right and the U.S. sanctions against people and citizens of our country are illegal and cruel." Pompeo said the United States would work to ensure it is providing humanitarian assistance to the Iranian people and accused Iran of squandering money it could use on its own people. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Franklin Paul and Jonathan Oatis)
Moscow (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday branded former double agent Sergei Skripal "a traitor" and a "scumbag", saying Moscow knew he had cooperated with foreign intelligence after his release in a spy swap.

"He is just a scumbag," a visibly angry Putin told an energy forum in Moscow, referring to the ex-spy who Britain says was poisoned with a Soviet-designed nerve agent by members of Russia's military intelligence in March.

"He is just a spy, a traitor to the homeland," Putin said in his toughest remarks about Skripal to date.

"He was caught, he was punished, he spent five years in prison, we let him go, he left and continued cooperating with, providing consultations to (foreign) security services," Putin said.

Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence colonel, was found guilty of passing state secrets to Britain and sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006. He was pardoned and released as part of a spy swap with the West in 2010.

However, Putin once again laughed off British charges that two members of Russia's GRU military intelligence service had sought to poison Skripal and his daughter Yulia with Novichok in the English city of Salisbury in March.

The Skripals survived but a British couple, Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley came into contact with the same nerve agent near Salisbury months later and Sturgess died.

Putin dismissed the crisis in relations with Britain that led to the largest expulsion of Russian diplomats from the West since the Cold War as a "row between security services".

"As we know, spying, like prostitution, is one of the world's most important professions," Putin said, drawing applause from the audience.

He again denied charges ussia was behind the poisoning, saying: "No one had to poison anyone there (in Britain)."

"Sometimes I look at what is happening around this case and am simply amazed."

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Last month, Putin called for the two men suspected by Britain of seeking to assassinate Skripal to appear on television, and he claimed that they were civilians.

In an eyebrow-raising interview with the Kremlin-funded RT channel, the two, who gave their names as Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, said they went to Salisbury as tourists, prompting ridicule in Russia and abroad.

Bellingcat, the British-based investigative group, said last week that "Boshirov" is in fact Anatoly Chepiga, a GRU colonel decorated with Russia's top award, the Hero of Russia.

Moscow dismissed the report, saying "there is no proof", and the Kremlin said it would no longer discuss the subject with journalists.
Moscow (AFP) - Thousands attended a rare protest Thursday in Russia's North Caucasus region of Ingushetia to decry a land-swap deal with neighbouring Chechnya, despite authorities reportedly setting up roadblocks to hinder demonstrators.

The protest came after the leaders of the majority-Muslim regions of Ingushetia and Chechnya last week agreed on the exact contours of the land boundary between them.

That sparked fury in Ingushetia, where protesters complained they were not consulted on a move they see as detrimental to their region and beneficial to Chechnya, led by strongman Ramzan Kadyrov.

A crowd which activists said numbered tens of thousands gathered near the parliament building in Ingushetia's main city of Magas, demanding lawmakers throw out the deal.

Local rights groups said the agreement was reached in secret and will rob the small impoverished region of huge tracts of land.

One Ingush activist at the rally, Daud Khuchiyev, put turnout at up to 40 thousand people, while police gave the figure of two thousand -- still unusually high.

"Police have blocked all the approaches to the city," Khuchiyev said. "People have to walk about 10 kilometres (6 miles) to get here after leaving their cars."

Videos livestreamed by protesters showed crowds of people walking to the parliament building with some men riding on horseback and waving Ingush flags.

In one video, gunfire can heard as security guards of Ingush regional leader Yunus-Bek Yevkurov try to hold back the crowd. Police later confirmed officers fired into the air and "nobody was harmed."

A statement on Yevkurov's official website said Ingushetia's parliament had approved the deal with a majority, but rally participants told AFP they did not believe that.

"People are against the deal with Kadyrov which was reached behind their backs," said Sarazhdin Sultygov, an activist who co-chairs rights organisation Mekhk Kkhel.

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"According to our estimates, Ingushetia is giving 58,000 hectares (145,000 acres) to Chechnya, and that land includes villages with people," he said.

Officials say the swap concerns an area of less than 2,000 hectares.

The roots of the conflict stem from the Soviet era, when Ingushetia and Chechnya were parts of the same region.

The demarcation between them was never officially confirmed as Chechnya went through years of separatist wars after the breakup of the Soviet Union while Ingushetia decided to stay loyal to Moscow.
(WASHINGTON)  Special counsel Robert Mueller is trimming more attorneys from his team, another sign that his team of prosecutors has begun winding down some parts of their investigation into potential ties between Russia and President Donald Trumps campaign.

Two prosecutors detailed to the Russia investigation for the past year are returning to their duties in other parts of the Justice Department. They join two other attorneys who left the team, assigned to investigate potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, over the summer.

The departures  confirmed by Muellers office Tuesday  are the latest indication that the special counsel is wrapping up at least some pieces of an investigation that has shadowed Trumps presidency from the outset. But its only a limited view into the tight-lipped Muellers timetable or possible endgame. Critical investigative strands still remain, such as an active grand jury probe of longtime Trump associate Roger Stone and ongoing negotiations over an interview with Trump.

Mueller spokesman Peter Carr said prosecutor Brandon Van Grack has already returned to the Justice Departments national security division but will continue to be involved in cases he was assigned to. That includes the investigation into former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn, who is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

Prosecutor Kyle Freeny will end her detail to the special counsel later this month and will return to her position in the Justice Departments money laundering section, Carr said.

Van Grack and Freeny were on the teams prosecuting Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

In addition to the grand jury inquiry into Stone, other elements of the Mueller investigation remain active, including inquiries into whether the president took action to obstruct the probe and the central unresolved question of whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia during the 2016 election.

But after a series of indictments and high-profile plea deals with Trump associates in recent months, Muellers shown signs of narrowing his focus, referring cases to other offices of the Justice Department, letting other U.S. attorneys largely take over cases he brought and allowing prosecutors to leave his team without replacement.

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Prosecutors in Manhattan, for instance, secured a guilty plea in August from Trumps former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, a case referred by Mueller. The U.S. attorneys office in Washington has been assigned to the special counsels case against 13 Russians charged in a hidden but powerful social media effort to sway American public opinion.

That same office also prosecuted W. Samuel Patten, who pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered foreign agent in a case also referred by Muellers office.

Other lawyers who left the Mueller team earlier this year include computer crimes prosecutor Ryan Dickey, who worked cases against a Russian social media troll farm and 12 Russian intelligence officers accused of hacking Democratic groups during the campaign, and Brian Richardson.

Richardson was part of a team that prosecuted former Skadden Arps attorney Alex van der Zwaan for lying to the FBI while they were investigating Manafort and others involved in his Ukrainian work. Van der Zwaan was sentenced to 30 days behind bars.

All told, Muellers team has obtained six guilty pleas  including those of four Trump campaign advisers and a jury conviction. He has pending indictments against 26 others and three Russian companies.
Riga (AFP) - Latvia's governing centre-right coalition faces a tough challenge from pro-Kremlin and populist parties when the Baltic state with a sizeable ethnic Russian minority heads to the polls Saturday.

"Nobody knows what Latvia will be like next month," political scientist Marcis Krastins said ahead of the election with a third of voters still undecided.

"But a cabinet of populists and pro-Kremlin politicians is a real possibility if they find some third party with which to form a coalition," he told AFP.

The prospect is frightening for many in a country that spent half a century under Soviet occupation before regaining independence in 1991.

"Pay attention to what (the Pro-Kremlin party) Harmony is saying out loud in their ads: they're promising to lower defence spending to one percent of GDP," political analyst Marcis Bendiks said.

"That is a breach of NATO mutual understanding. This is their principal promise to voters," he told the NRA daily.

Latvia joined NATO in 2004 and has been an enthusiastic partner in the western alliance facing Russia.

It is also rare among eastern NATO members in spending two percent of GDP on defence, as the pact wishes.

Formerly allied with Putin's United Russia party, Harmony is popular with Latvia's ethnic Russians who account for a quarter of the population.

It won the largest number of votes in the last three elections but was unable to attract any partners into a coalition to form a government.

Instead, the centre-right Greens and Farmers Union, the right-wing National Alliance and the centre-right Unity formed a three-party coalition government after the 2014 election.

- 'Nothing entertaining on offer' -

Under their watch, the economy, hit hard by the financial crisis 10 years ago, has resumed growth.

Wages, tax revenue and defence spending have gone up, unemployment has been falling steadily and the banking sector's money laundering problem is being addressed.

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But polls show that the ruling coalition is losing ground despite their economic successes.

"Voters are tired of hard work, which was necessary to pull Latvia out of the economic crisis," said political scientist Filips Rajevskis.

"Now, when the economic turmoil is finally over and the country is back on track economically, voters want new faces: the current ministers cannot offer anything entertaining," he told AFP.

"That's where the populism kicks in.

"The old parties are trying to shuffle in some fresh faces as well, but not that successfully. Therefore there's the possibility of a Russia-oriented coalition after the election."

Polls predict the Greens and Farmers Union to win only 10 seats, the National Alliance even fewer, while Unity might not even meet the five-percent threshold to make it into the 100-seat parliament.

Meanwhile Harmony is on track to win again, securing around 30 seats. And after a decade of trying, the party may finally manage to form a government in league with newcomer populists.

- More than a third undecided -

KPV LV is a potential coalition partner. The populist party led by former stage actor Artuss Kaimins is polling in second place, with up to 15 seats.

"KPV LV is a 'shadow branch' of Harmony, which is not alone in its power quest any more," said political analyst Bendiks.

Kaimins was briefly detained over alleged corruption in June, but voters do not appear to mind.

"I'm voting for KPV LV, because I like them. I don't care if they're called populists," said construction worker Peteris Kalnins.

"And I'm not turned off by the fact that they've been investigated over corruption," the 29-year-old told AFP.

The party's candidate for prime minister, lawyer Aldis Gobzems, recently implied they are not against joining forces with Harmony.

"KPV LV can work with anybody, we don't have any red lines regarding any other political force," Gobzems said during a TV24 debate.

Polls put the populist New Conservative Party in third place on a ballot that includes 16 parties.

With only a few days left, a whopping 38 percent of voters remain undecided, according to independent polling firms SKDS and Kantar TNS.

Polling stations are open Saturday from 0500 GMT to 1700 GMT.
South Carolina shooting spree leaves one officer dead, six wounded

By Harriet McLeod

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Seven law enforcement officers were shot, one fatally, when a gunman unleashed a hail of fire on police from inside a home on Wednesday near Florence, South Carolina, sparking a two-hour siege that ended with the suspect's arrest, authorities said.

Details of the shooting and how it ended remained sketchy. But Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said several of his deputies came under attack as they tried to serve an otherwise routine search warrant in the Vintage Place subdivision on the city's western edge.

Withering gunfire continued as scores of police converged on the area amid reports of an "active shooter" and deployed armored personnel carriers to provide cover for the wounded and move them from harm's way, officials said.

"Fire was being shot all over," Boone told reporters. "The way the suspect was positioned, his view of fire was several hundred yards, so he had an advantage."

An unspecified number of children who were inside the home with the gunman were all accounted for and safe after the suspect was taken into custody, ending a two-hour standoff, said Major Michael Nunn, a spokesman for the sheriff's office.

The outset of the confrontation was captured in a recording of emergency radio transmissions posted online by The State newspaper, in which a dispatcher is heard saying: "Have an officer down," before warning rescue units that access to the victim was limited.

"They advise the patient is going to be behind a residence, and the suspect was still firing. Units be advised, shots are still being fired at this time," the dispatcher said.

At a news conference hours later, Boone confirmed that three county sheriff's deputies and four Florence city police officers were struck by gunfire in the incident, and that one of the city officers had died.

The conditions of the six surviving wounded officers was not immediately known, though officials indicated some were badly injured.

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Florence, a city of about 38,000 people, is in the Pee Dee region of northeastern South Carolina that was drenched by heavy rains and flooding from Hurricane Florence last month.

"This is simply devastating news from Florence. The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real," Governor Henry McMaster said on Twitter.

President Donald Trump added in his own tweet: "My thoughts and prayers are with the Florence County Sheriffs Office and the Florence Police Department tonight, in South Carolina. We are forever grateful for what our Law Enforcement Officers do 24/7/365."

(Reporting by Harriet McLeod in Charleston, S.C.; Additional reporting by Frank McGurty in New York and Bill Tarrant in Los Angeles; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Peter Cooney and Darren Schuettler)
Seven US law enforcement officers have been shot, one of them fatally, in a confrontation with a gunman holding children hostage in a house.

A suspect was arrested following a two-hour standoff in Florence, South Carolina, in which officers used bullet-proof vehicles to rescue their wounded colleagues.

Florence police chief Allen Heidler confirmed the death of officer Terrence Carraway, 52, in an emotional press conference on Wednesday night.

"I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known, he said.

Three other police officers and three Florence County Sheriffs Department deputies were injured.

The sheriffs officers had been serving a search warrant on the house in Vintage Place, an upmarket neighbourhood in the western part of the city. They called for back-up from police after coming under fire inside the house.

The four police officers were then shot while responding to the gunfire.

Mr Carraway, of the nearby town of Darlington, was pronounced dead at a Florence hospital.

He had just celebrated 30 years as a police officer in the city.

US president Donald Trump tweeted: My thoughts and prayers are with the Florence County Sheriffs Office and the Florence Police Department tonight, in South Carolina.

We are forever grateful for what our Law Enforcement Officers do 24/7/365.

Authorities have not disclosed the name or condition of the suspect arrested, or why officers were serving a warrant.

The children taken hostage were unharmed, police said.

News of the shooting shocked a quiet neighbourhood in a city of 37,000 people that is still recovering from flooding after Hurricane Florence last month.

"Surprised is probably an understatement," said Bobby Goin, who has lived in the area for more than 20 years. "The worst thing that goes on around here is that someone runs a stop sign and it gets posted on Facebook."

Both Mr Heidler and Florence County sheriff Kenney Boone had tears in their eyes as they spoke to reporters about two hours after the stand-off ended.

"This is simply devastating news from Florence," South Carolina governor Henry McMaster tweeted. "The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real."
Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains speaks in Ottawa on Monday, March 19, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang)

Canadas Economic Development Minister says the government is making meaningful progress on discussions with the U.S. administration over steel and aluminum tariffs, and he is hopeful they will be lifted soon.

Weve made meaningful progress on the trade front, but we recognize that we can and must to do more when it comes to steel and aluminum, Minister Navdeep Bains told reporters gathered in Burlington, Ont. on Thursday.

Were feeling very optimistic and were going to continue to engage with our counterparts to find a resolution to that issue.

Bains made the comments following a tour alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at automotive parts manufacturer Metrican International Inc.s facility in Burlington, Ont. During the visit, Trudeau thanked employees while touting the new trade deal the government reached on Sunday with the United States and Mexico.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to employees at Metrican International Inc. in Burlington on Thursday, October 4. (Yahoo Canada Finance)

While the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) lifted the threat of automotive tariffs that would have devastated the Canadian automotive industry, steel and aluminum tariffs still remain in place. USW Canada, the union representing Canadian steelworkers, said in a statement that steel and aluminum workers were sacrificed in the concessions made by the government in negotiating the new trade deal.

Metrican, a Tier 2 manufacturer that supplies automotive parts for various original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as well as Magna International Inc., is among the many companies that have seen their bottom line hit by the tariffs, which were imposed in May. While the parts maker sources most of its steel locally, chief operating officer Joe Bosco said the tariffs have led to a 20 per cent increase on the price of steel and aluminum. That increase has been, in part, passed down to Metricans customers.

Wed like to see them removed so our cost structure for steel and aluminum returns to a sustainable level, Bosco said.

Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association, said while it was unfortunate that steel and aluminum tariffs werent part of the USMCA deal, he expects the U.S. to put exemption on those tariffs after it finishes trade negotiations with Japan.

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If the U.S. doesnt lift the steel and aluminum tariffs, Volpe said parts manufacturers are ready to take the U.S. administration to court.

As Ive said many times before, were prepared to fight the tariffs in court, whether thats in U.S. District Court or International Trade Court, Volpe said.

Bains said the government is still looking at safeguard measures to protect the Canadian steel industry from cheap imports, as well as a $2 billion support package for workers and businesses impacted by the tariffs. A decision on potential safeguards against steel dumping will be made in the coming weeks, Bains said.

He also reiterated that the tariffs are unjust and unfair, and said that the government will continue to build on the moment of reaching a new NAFTA deal.

(Steel and aluminum workers) are so essential to our economy. We definitely recognize how important they are to the automotive sector and more broadly the manufacturing sector, Bains said, pointing to the dispute resolution provisions that were secured in the USMCA as an example of the governments ability to make progress on complicated issues.

Were still continuing to discuss and talk with (the U.S.), but Im confident that well move forward in a positive way.

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Khartoum (AFP) - Sudanese security agents confiscated the entire print runs of two newspapers on Thursday, their owners said, days after the European Union and Washington pushed for press freedoms in the African country.

Agents of Sudan's powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) seized copies of Al-Tayar and Al-Jareeda after their editors attended a meeting held by the EU at its office in Khartoum on Tuesday that urged press freedoms in the country.

"They confiscated our newspaper copies without giving any reason," Al-Tayar's owner and editor-in-chief Osman Mirghani told AFP.

"But I had attended the EU meeting, so that could be the reason."

The owner of Al-Jareeda confirmed that security agents had seized about 10,000 copies of his newspaper on Thursday.

"No reason was given and they have called our editor to their office," Awad Mohamed Awad said.

At Tuesday's meeting, several Sudanese journalists had highlighted the challenges faced by the media industry in Sudan, including newspaper seizures by security agents.

A joint statement issued afterwards by European Union ambassadors and US Charge D'Affaires to Khartoum Steven Koutsis called for the strengthening of press freedoms in Sudan.

Sudanese authorities protested about the EU meeting and on Wednesday summoned the EU ambassador to Khartoum to register their complaint.

"The way the meeting was held is against diplomatic behaviour," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Media in Sudan are frequently targeted by NISS agents for their reporting, especially for publishing articles that criticise government polices.

Several journalists were arrested in January when authorities cracked down on anti-government protests triggered by surging food prices.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranked Sudan 174th out of 180 countries on its 2017 world press freedom index, saying that NISS "hounds journalists and censors the print media".
The Beach (Credit: 20th Century Fox)

The stretch of coast made famous in Danny Boyles movie The Beach is to be closed indefinitely, following years of environmental damage from tourists.

Maya Bay, on the island of Ko Phi Phi Leh in Thailand, had attracted more than 5,000 tourists every day, and as many as 200 boats.

Thai authorities closed the bay in June this year, with plans to keep it closed for four months, but that has now been extended to a minimum of a year, according to The Guardian.

We have evaluated each month and found out that the ecological system was seriously destroyed from tourism of up to 5,000 people daily, said Songtam Suksawang, the director of the national parks department.

Maya Bay (Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Its very difficult to remedy and rehabilitate because its beach was completely destroyed as well the plants which cover it.

According to reports, Thai authorities had been reluctant to close the area, as it brings in as much as 9 million in tourist revenue.

But its said that as much as 80 percent of the natural coral in the area has been destroyed by boats, tourist litter and the use of sun cream, which then washes into the sea.

After Danny Boyles adaptation of Alex Garlands cult novel was released in 2000, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, a fervent environmental activist, Maya Bay became one of the most-visited tourist attractions in Thailand.

The production itself was fraught with controversy in the following years, with allegations that the landscape was altered, with dunes moved, plants and bushes removed to widened the beach area, and alien palm trees not indigenous to the locality planted to make the shooting set more paradise-like.

20th Century Fox was named in lawsuits which were later brought by environmental groups.

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Theresa May has warned the Tories that Emmanuel Macron believes he can stop Brexit (Getty)

Theresa May has reportedly warned senior Tories that French president Emmanuel Macron believes he can stop Brexit altogether.

According to The Times, the Prime Minister told her Cabinet that Macron thinks a second referendum will call time on Britains upcoming departure from the EU.

Senior Government figures told the paper that the French leader has misread support for another referendum in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The Prime Minister told the Cabinet that the French President believes a second referendum will thwart Britains exit from the EU (Getty)

They say that because of this, the EU will offer a deal that Mrs May cannot accept  but that Brits would vote for no deal to punish European leaders.

The reports on President Macrons plans gained traction this week after France warned that it would prefer Britain to crash out of Europe without a deal than accept compromises that harmed the EU.

Nathalie Loiseau, Frances Europe minister, said: No deal would be better than a bad deal.

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She added that time is running out for the Prime Minister to strike a deal with Brussels.

Mrs May did not explicitly mention Chequers during her Conservative Party Conference speech on Wednesday and now a leading Tory Brexiteer has issued a new warning to her that she faces a Commons defeat if she presses ahead with her blueprint for Brexit.

Just hours after the Prime Minister appealed to the party to unite behind her plan, former Brexit minister Steve Baker, who quit over Chequers, urged her to avoid a political accident and rethink her approach to negotiations with Brussels.

Remainers are demanding a peoples vote on the terms of any deal struck with the EU (Getty)

Mr Baker, a leading member of the pro-Brexit Tory European Research Group, said even if only half the 80 Conservative MPs who had indicated their opposition to the plan actually voted against it would be enough to defeat the Government.

In her closing address to the Conservative conference on Wednesday, Mrs May sought to rally her warring party with an appeal to back her proposed deal in the national interest.



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She warned that if Tory MPs split in pursuing their perfect Brexit they risked ending up with no Brexit at all.

Mrs May has ruled out a second EU referendum (Getty)

There is not long left for a deal to be struck before Brexit day in 2019 (PA)

However Mr Baker  who backed former foreign secretary Boris Johnsons conference call to chuck Chequers  said she would face a substantial revolt unless she changed course.

He told ITVs Peston show: Voting against a Chequers-based deal would be quite a high bar, I am not going to deny that. But what I am saying is that even if the whips did fantastically well and got the numbers down to 40 it still seems to me that it will be voted down.

I am trying very hard to avoid that by being very plain with everybody on the record what I expect to happen if a Chequers-based deal comes back.
Demonstrators gather outside Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's courthouse in Washington on Oct. 4 to protest his possible confirmation. (Photo: Courtesy of Sierra Club / @SierraClubLive)

This is the last hurrah. The final fight. The desperate plea:

Cancel Kavanaugh.

Thousands of protesters  including sexual assault survivors and their allies marched on Washington from the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse, where Kavanaugh currently works, to the Hart Senate Office Building in a last-ditch effort to appeal to senators to vote no on his confirmation.

As crowds filled the Senate halls, police began making arrests for civil disobedience.

Capitol Police had arrested 302 people for unlawfully demonstrating at the Senate office buildings as of Thursday afternoon. At 3:30 p.m. ET, police detained 293 people at the Hart Senate Office Building. Nine more people were detained nearly two hours later at the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

In a statement to HuffPost, police said they were processing and releasing the individuals on site. Videos at the protest show long lines of demonstrators who were under arrest.

Comedian Amy Schumer, as well as actress Emily Ratajkowski were reportedly among those arrested there.

Busloads of women from other parts of the country  including survivors from West Virginia  made their way to D.C. in the morning for demonstrations that would take place throughout the day.

Caitlin Gaffin, 30, was one of them. She was among nine protesters arrested in West Virginia while occupying the campaign headquarters of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) for more than 10 hours on Monday. Today, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, she and several dozen other assault survivors and allies met with Manchin to tell their stories.

She said Manchin was teary eyed as he listened but made no indication of which way hed vote. The group had another meeting scheduled with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), but she never showed up, Gaffin said.

We will not go back.

We will not go back.

We will not go back.

We will not go back.

We will not go back.

We will not go back.

We will not go back.

We will not go back.

We will not go back.

We will not go back.

We will not go back.

We will not go back.#CancelKavanaugh pic.twitter.com/k4CqUJeaiw  The Leadership Conference (@civilrightsorg) October 4, 2018

It feels like one of our last shots. This is the most we can do right now  drop everything and try to talk face to face, Gaffin told HuffPost on Thursday morning. Were going to share our stories. Were hoping to be able to appeal to them in some way to show how personal this is for their constituents, for everyone.

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In D.C., speeches by celebrities like Alicia Keys and Whoopi Golberg are planned. Additional #CancelKavanaugh protests are slated across the country, from Portland, Oregon to New York City.

Protesters fill the Hart Senate Office Building, where arrests were being made for civil disobedience. (Photo: Courtesy of Caitlin Gaffin)

Activist groups across the country have been holding demonstrations all week, ever since Kavanaugh lied under oath during testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, ever since Christine Blasey Ford cried in front of millions of TV viewers when she publicly accused him of forcing himself on her in high school.

Since then, other women have come forward against the judge, and many of his former classmates have tried to distance themselves from him or backed up claims by his alleged victims.

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Trumps grab them by the pussy tape will air on loop for 12 hours in front of the Capitol today, courtesy of @UltraViolet, to remind senators that a serial sexual abuser is trying to elevate another sexual abuser  Brett Kavanaugh  into high office.https://t.co/Nlke08d6w0  Jenna Amatulli (@ohheyjenna) October 4, 2018

The vote was delayed last Friday by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who called for an FBI investigation into the accusations against Kavanaugh. With less than a week to look into them, the bureau focused on only a few allegations, which reportedly included an interview with another of Kavanaughs accusers, Deborah Ramirez. Not included in the investigation were Kavanaugh, Ford, classmates who had told the press that he was a sloppy drunk in school or allegations that he lied under oath about his excessive drinking.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) vowed that a full Senate vote will happen this week. Theres already talk that the short delay requested by Flake was a sham, meant to make it easier for Republicans to vote in Kavanaugh with an unscathed conscience or character.

This article has been updated with details on arrests.

Carla Herreria contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Donald Trump Jr. and Sen. Ted Cruz at a rally on Wednesday. (Photo: Larry W. Smith/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

WICHITA FALLS, Texas  Donald Trump Jr. bounded on stage here to wild cheers from the thousand or so Republican faithful who had taken their Wednesday afternoon off and dressed in their political finest, including their flaming red Make America Great Again hats and brand new Trump 2020 shirts. It felt like a rally for Trumps father  or maybe even Trump Jr. himself, a regular on the conservative speaking circuit who has floated the idea of running for office one day.

But the presidents son was there for Ted Cruz, the junior senator from Texas and tea party stalwart who has not always been on the friendliest of terms with the Trump family and who is now facing a tougher than expected reelection fight. And at the start of his remarks, Trump Jr. said, he had to address that elephant in the room, the bad blood between Cruz and his father after the bitterly contested 2016 Republican presidential primary.

The younger Trump didnt need to go into specifics. Few in Texas have forgotten the invective traded by Donald Trump and the man he called Lyin Ted Cruz during the 2016 campaign. Trump circulated tweets meant to insult the appearance of Cruzs wife and infamously implied that the senators father had been involved in the JFK assassination. The president has never publicly apologized or recanted. And Cruz, who slammed Trump as utterly amoral and a narcissist at a level I dont think this countrys ever seen, has repeatedly declined the opportunity to take his own words back, although he did write a fawning tribute to Trumps political skills in Time magazine.

Ted Cruzs rally with Donald Trump Jr. in Wichita Falls, Texas, felt like a rally for the president. (Photo: Holly Bailey/Yahoo News)

When Cruz  angered by the insults to his wife and father  refused to endorse Trump at the Republican National Convention, even his own supporters booed him. At a breakfast for the Texas delegation the next morning, people stood and angrily denounced Cruz as petty and unforgiving. Get over it, Ted! a man in a giant cowboy hat yelled at the senator, who looked pained and embarrassed.

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Evidently, Cruz did get over it. And thats what Trump Jr. wanted to talk about. A few months after that bitter primary, Trumps son recalled, he ran into Cruz at a political dinner in Washington where they were seated at the same table. It was a little bit awkward, but both of us were having good conversation, as we should, he told the crowd here.

Afterward, he had invited Cruz to join him and the others for post-dinner drinks at the Trump hotel in D.C., and the senator came, hanging with the group for three hours. We had a ball, formed a good relationship, and let me tell you this: That wasnt easy, Trump Jr. said. I mean, its the highest compliment. I dont know that if the shoes were reversed that I could have done that. Id like to believe that I could. But thats a testament to this mans character.

From that moment on, Trumps son said, Cruz has been an ally of his father. From that moment on, this man has fought for you. Hes fought for Texas, and hes fought for his constituents.

A few yards away, off to the side of the stage where he stood listening, Cruz nodded at the presidents son in appreciation. Trump Jr.s visit here was the beginning of what some have recently described as the Republican rescue operation for Cruz, who is facing a surprisingly robust challenge from Rep. Beto ORourke. A recent Quinnipiac poll had Cruz up by 9 points among likely Texas voters  a too-close-for-comfort margin in a ruby-red conservative state where no Democrat has won statewide office since 1994.

Donald Trump Jr. speaks at a rally for Sen. Ted Cruz. (Photo: Larry W. Smith/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The race is still Cruzs to lose. There are more Republicans than Democrats in Texas. But Cruz has been blunt about his prospects for months  warning supporters that he really could lose in what some have predicted could be a blue wave year. Others have been more candid in their assessment. Last month, Mick Mulvaney, Trumps budget director, told a private meeting of top donors to the Republican National Committee that Cruz could lose because he is not likeable enough, according to the New York Times.

Now Cruz finds himself in a position he likely never imagined two years ago  clinging to Trump in hopes of winning a second term in the Senate. According to Republicans familiar with the campaign, there will be more implicit messaging  arguing that while Cruz is on the ballot, the race is really a referendum about Trump. It is an argument that Cruz has made in passing, but one that Republicans want to emphasize in hopes of bolstering turnout among GOP voters, who polls suggest lag Democrats in enthusiasm.

Trump Jr. was the first of many top Republicans expected to campaign in the state for Cruz in coming weeks. Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to campaign for Cruz in Dallas on Monday. And Cruz will also soon appear with President Trump himself, who pledged in late August to rally for his former political rival in the biggest stadium in Texas we can find.

Speaking on Wednesday in Wichita Falls, a city located just south of the Oklahoma border in north Texas, Cruz presented himself as a strong ally of Trump. He spoke of their close working relationship in passing tax cuts and other legislation. He boasted of how hed spent 45 minutes with the president on Air Force One appealing to him to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, which he said could have hurt oil industry jobs in Texas. We are winning incredible victories for the American people, Cruz said.

Sen. Ted Cruz speaks at a rally on Wednesday. (Photo: Larry W. Smith/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

And he praised Trump Jr. and his father for their steadfastness in the face of hatred from Democrats. You endure a lot of grief, you endure a lot of attacks, you endure a lot of nastiness, and your father endures even more grief and attacks and nastiness, and let me thank you for your steadfastness and his steadfastness fighting for the country and ignoring the hatred on the other side, Cruz said.

The choice of Wichita Falls (there was also a second rally near Houston) was a sign of the concern Republicans have about Cruzs fate a month before Election Day. Wichita Falls is a solidly Republican city that Trump carried with more than 70 percent of the vote.

But ORourke has made a big play for rural Texas. He brags that hes made stops in all of the states 254 counties, and in some places has looped back again. That includes Wichita Falls, where at a rally in August he attracted a standing-room-only crowd of several hundred. Among those who have endorsed him: Wichita Falls Mayor Stephen Santellana, a Republican, who said he decided to back ORourke because he felt he genuinely cared about the residents and fate of rural Texas.

That charm offensive has forced Cruz to work harder than he did in his previous Senate campaign in 2012. Hes visited dozens of cities in rural Texas in the last three months. But some backers worry that just enough voters could be wooed by ORourkes outreach to make the difference in November.

A scene from Ted Cruzs rally with Donald Trump Jr. in Wichita Falls, Texas. (Photo: Holly Bailey/Yahoo News)

On Wednesday, state Rep. Pat Fallon, who is running for state Senate, spoke to the crowd while waiting for Cruz and Trump Jr. to arrive. He repeatedly reminded them of what Cruz had done for them. Dont forget all the times hes shown up for you, he said.

In a race where there are stark differences between the two candidates and almost no area of common ground, Cruz has said Republican complacency will be his biggest challenge in November. If we turn out, we win, he said.

But turnout continues to be a concern. Some have blamed lukewarm feelings about Cruz, reflecting in part resentment over his starting a presidential run a year into his first term in the Senate. But theres also a view that Republican voters are complacent about the midterms because, having been told over and over by Trump not to trust the media, they think alarms about a blue wave election are fake news.

It was a message that Trump Jr. hinted at on Wednesday. Theres a lot of people out there, Ive seen the numbers, they say, Ah, you know what, the same fake news media that said Trump could never win is telling me hes going to lose the midterms. Im not worried, Trump Jr. said Wednesday. Guess what?  Hate is a powerful motivator. Its all they got, because the rest of the policies are as stupid as hell, but they got a lot of hate. I need you guys to come out in droves. I need you to call your friends. I need you to volunteer. I need you to motivate.

As he spoke, a woman waved a giant Trump flag and others thrust their Ted Cruz signs in the air. Nearby, a woman and her daughter wore custom Cruz-Trump shirts they had designed themselves. Trump isnt on the ballot [by name], but he is, she said. He and Ted are together in this.

A scene from Ted Cruzs rally with Donald Trump Jr. in Wichita Falls, Texas. (Photo: Holly Bailey/Yahoo News)

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Read more from Yahoo News:




Paris (AFP) - After three scientists won the Nobel Physics Prize on Tuesday for groundbreaking discoveries harnessing the power of lasers, here are a few basic facts about their research.

- What is a laser? -

Lasers are a light source, just like torches, but with special properties, according to Ian Musgrave, the Vulcan Laser Group Leader at the UK's Central Laser Facility.

Normally when light leaves a torch it spreads out -- he compared it to children leaving school in different directions and wearing different coats.

But a laser concentrates the light, he said, as if all the children were forced to march in close step wearing the same uniform.

The difference comes from the cavity used to trap and condition the light before it is emitted, as well as how the light is generated, he added.

This why the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences hailed Tuesday's Nobel winners as crafting "tools made of light".

- What are optical tweezers? -

Arthur Ashkin of the United States was awarded the Nobel for inventing optical tweezers, which use the radiation pressure of a tiny focused beam of light to trap very small objects.

His tweezers let researchers catch, cut and move around things without anything touching them, which has resulted in innumerable applications across many fields of science and medicine.

For example, they've been used to trap a water droplet to study how they behave when they're in a cloud, or grab droplets from an asthma inhaler to find out how it can be better dispersed inside lungs, Musgrave said.

- What are optical pulses? -

Scientists have always pushed to create more powerful lasers, but by the mid-1980s they hit a wall: they couldn't increase the power without destroying what was amplifying the beam.

Then Donna Strickland of Canada and Frenchman Gerard Mourou, who also shared Tuesday's Nobel prize, invented a technique called chirped-pulse amplification, which let scientists continue to boost power while keeping the intensity safe.

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It works by stretching an ultra-short laser pulse in time, amplifying it, and squeezing it together again, creating the shortest and most intense laser pulses the world has ever seen.

The most common use that came from this breakthrough -- so far -- is corrective eye surgery.

But it also opened the way for scientists to continue pushing the boundaries of laser power, Musgrave said, allowing them to create extreme conditions to understand how magnetic fields are generated in space and what it's like inside a planet's core.

The pulses are also now so fast -- as quick as a hundred attoseconds, one billionth of a billionth of a second -- they have revealed the secrets of electrons.

- What's next? -

Nobel-winner Mourou isn't done amping up laser power. He has initiated and led the development of Extreme Light Infrastructure, which has three sites across Europe and is expected to be complete in a few years.

The peak power of its laser is planned to be 10 petawatts -- equivalent to an incredibly short flash from a hundred thousand billion light bulbs.

How powerful and how short can the pulses get? Some predict a future laser of 100 petawatts or more, or as quick as mere zeptoseconds -- a trillionth of a billionth of a second. 

It's difficult to predict just how such lasers could be used, but scientists hope that they will help destroy nuclear waste, zap cancer cells, unravel quantum physics, clear debris from space and even be a new clean energy source.
Porto-Novo (Benin) (AFP) - Benin tycoon and opposition politician Sebastien Ajavon is facing trial for alleged drug trafficking despite being cleared of any involvement in the same case two years ago, a court heard on Thursday.

The former presidential candidate was not in court in the administrative capital, Porto Novo, but was represented by 10 lawyers, who denounced the "blatant violation" of his rights.

Ajavon -- dubbed Benin's "Chicken King" after he made his fortune in livestock -- was called to attend court less than a week ago yet was not notified whether it was as a witness or a defendant, according to court documents seen by AFP.

His lawyers discovered on Thursday that their client and three others were accused of "high-risk international drug trafficking", which carries a prison term of 10-20 years.

"How can you summon the same people for the same events when they have already been tried and acquitted?" his Paris-based lawyer, Marc Bensimhon, asked after the hearing.

"I can only imagine that Beninese politics dictates Beninese justice," he told reporters.

Ajavon was arrested in October 2016 after the discovery of about 18 kilograms (40 pounds) of cocaine with an estimated street value of nine billion CFA francs ($15.7 million, 13.7 million euros) in a container heading to one of his businesses.

He was released several months later for lack of evidence and having been given "the benefit of the doubt".

He believed the decision to be final as there was no appeal but the proceedings were begun against him at a new court that hears cases of economic crime, drug trafficking and terrorism in late August.

It can hear cases at both first instance and as a last resort.

After 20 minutes of legal argument, the court president decided to adjourn the hearing until October 18, and asked all defendants to attend.

Ajavon came third in the 2016 presidential election behind the former prime minister Lionel Zinsou and the eventual winner, Patrice Talon.

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He also backed Talon -- who made his money in cotton and running Cotonou's port -- in the second round against Zinsou. But relations have soured between the two men since then.

In May this year, he took Talon's government to an African Union court in Arusha, Tanzania, to demand nearly $990 million in damages after a string of arrests and prosecutions.

They included the suspension for several months of two media organisations belonging to him and more recently a backdated tax bill of more than $300 million.

In March, Ajavon launched his own political party and has made known he wants to stand at the next election that is expected in 2020.
Porto-Novo (Benin) (AFP) - Benin tycoon and opposition politician Sebastien Ajavon is facing trial for alleged drug trafficking despite being cleared of any involvement in the same case two years ago, leading to claims of a political witchhunt.

The former presidential candidate was not in court in the administrative capital, Porto Novo, on Thursday but was represented by 10 lawyers, who called the case a "blatant violation" of his rights.

The man dubbed Benin's "Chicken King", because he made his fortune in livestock, only found out about the legal action last week.

But he was not notified whether he would have to appear as a witness or a defendant, according to court documents seen by AFP.

It was only on Thursday that his lawyers discovered their client and three others were accused of "high-risk international drug trafficking", which carries a prison term of 10-20 years.

"How can you summon the same people for the same events when they have already been tried and acquitted?" his Paris-based lawyer, Marc Bensimhon, asked after the hearing.

Double jeopardy -- which prevents an accused person from being tried twice for the same offence -- was "one of the foundations of law everywhere in the world", he added.

"I can only imagine that Beninese politics dictates Beninese justice," he told reporters.

- Political link? -

Ajavon was arrested in October 2016 after some 18kg (40 pounds) of cocaine with an estimated street value of nine billion CFA francs ($15.7 million, 13.7 million euros) was found in a container heading to one of his businesses.

He was released several months later for lack of evidence and having been given "the benefit of the doubt".

He believed the decision to be final as there was no appeal but the latest proceedings were begun at a new court that hears cases of economic crime, drug trafficking and terrorism in late August.

It can hear cases at both first instance and as a last resort.

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After 20 minutes of legal argument, the court president decided to adjourn the hearing until October 18, and asked all defendants to attend.

Ajavon came third in the 2016 presidential election behind the former prime minister Lionel Zinsou and the eventual winner, Patrice Talon.

He also backed Talon -- who made his money in cotton and running Cotonou's port -- in the second round against Zinsou. But relations have soured between the two men since then.

In May this year, he took Talon's government to an African Union court in Arusha, Tanzania, to demand nearly $990 million in damages after a string of arrests and prosecutions.

They included the suspension for several months of two media organisations belonging to him and more recently a backdated tax bill of more than $300 million.

In March, Ajavon launched his own political party and has made known he wants to stand at the next election that is expected in 2021.

"You'd have to mean spirited to imagine that these proceedings aim to prevent a credible political opponent from standing," another of his lawyers, Julien Bensimhon, said sarcastically.

- Government denial -

A source close to the government strongly denied "any harassment" of Ajavon and described any implication of a link to politics as "pure fabrication".

"Leading figures in the world of business and politics are used to having safe-conduct but they have to understand that the fight against impunity and corruption launched by President Talon in 2016 is unrelenting," they added.

Political scientist Expedit Bofouni Ologou said the creation of the new court and the speed with which it has tackled the case against Ajavon was surprising.

Benin's justice system is usually "slow and ponderous", he added.

Action targeting a mainstream business figure "isn't going to bring peace when many Beninese are going through hard times socially and economically", he added.

In recent months, there have been a number of protests against what have been seen as pro-rich and oppressive government measures, including a ban on strikes and tax hikes.
Federal review of child killers transfer a good start says Tori Staffords father

Rodney Stafford says he doesnt want vengeance against his daughters killer. He just wants to feel like the system intended to deliver justice to offenders like Terri-Lynne McClintic isnt failing their victims.

If this is something that can happen to an eight-year-old child and theres no justice for it, then thats a big issue, Stafford said in an interview with Yahoo Canada News.

McClintic was convicted in 2010 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison for her role in the kidnapping, rape and murder of eight-year-old Victoria Tori Stafford in Woodstock, Ont. in April 2009.

Just eight years into McClintics 25-year minimum sentence, Correctional Service Canada transferred her from Grand Valley Institution for Women, a womens prison in Kitchener, to a healing lodge in Saskatchewan.

Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge for Aboriginal Women has been convicted murderer Terri-Lynne McClintics home for months.

Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge for Aboriginal Women aims to rehabilitate incarcerated women using traditional Indigenous teachings, ceremonies and workshops.

Located 150 kilometres from the nearest large city, Medicine Hat, Alta., Okimaw Ohci is a minimum-medium security facility. Offenders live in single and family residential units. Some live there with their children. Each unit includes a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchenette with an eating area and a living room. There are 60 beds, and Terri-Lynne McClintic occupies one of them.

Stafford found out about the move in September this year, nine months after it took place. He said it was mentioned as an afterthought in a discussion with Correctional Service Canada about a parole board request by McClintic for additional day leaves.

Those two little girls, the dead one and the killer, have melded in my mind somehow. One cant be saved or helped or even made half-whole. Maybe the other can be.  Christie Blatchford, National Post

I would like for her to go back to her cell where she belongs. Victoria spent the last three hours of her life scared out of her tree, he said. Ultimately, she was tortured and raped and murdered. Where do Terri-Lynnes rightsoverride the victims?

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The news left him feeling angry, re-victimized and failed by Canadas justice system. So he quickly set to work to gain public support for a reversal of the transfer.

I would have been totally fine if Terri-Lynne had gone in, done her time, did the programs she needed to rehabilitate her life the way youre supposed to in an institution, he said. And if we had been able to have our say and just be a part of things.

When the transfer was reported by the London Free Press on Sept. 25, it sparked outrage across the country.

Can you rehabilitate a murderer?

National Post column by Christie Blatchford calls for rehabilitation of Tori Staffords killer

Amid cries to return the convicted child murderer back to a traditional detention centre, National Post writer Christie Blatchford advocated for tolerating the transfer in a divisive column.

Citing McClintics own ghastly childhood  raised by an alcohol-addicted exotic dancer and ferried from one institution to another  Blatchford argued that McClintic was a damaged creature whose entire childhood experience was to be hurt and ruined.

I understand the public outrage. I just cant share it completely, Blatchford wrote. Those two little girls, the dead one and the killer, have melded in my mind somehow. One cant be saved or helped or even made half-whole. Maybe the other can be.

Online reactions to the piece were mixed, but appeared to skew toward negative.

@blatchkiki I read your article and saw the video of the confession. The only reason why Mcclintic cried was because she didn't like seeing the assault and murder NOT BECAUSE SHE FELT EMPATHY FOR TORI!!! She needs to be behind bars. Real bars, not pretend bars.  Donald (@Donald80683935) October 2, 2018

Finally a @blatchkiki column that makes sense.       (@Garence_) October 2, 2018

Cecile Rousseau, a clinical psychologist who works at the Montreal Childrens Hospital, echoed some of Blatchfords sentiments.

Being able to heal and to recover is ultimately always a better solution for society, she said.

But on the other hand, society has the right to decide about punishments and consequences and that is not for us clinicians to decide, its for social consensus.

Shes entitled to her opinion

While it may seem an impossible feat for a father who has lost a child, Stafford said he does not entirely disagree with Blatchfords column.

Shes entitled to her opinion and she does make some very good points in the article, he said.

I agree with her that yes, there is the possibility for [McClintic] to work on her traumabut those are all things she should be working on inside the facility, and not assaulting other inmates.

Stafford was referencing an incident in 2012 in which McClintic admitted to beating up a fellow inmate at Grand Valley Institution for Women and said she regretted not injuring the woman more.

He also doesnt outright disagree with the notion that some offenders trauma and experiences should be weighed against their crimes. He said he believes Indigenous healing lodges have a place in Corrections, just not for someone convicted of kidnapping and murdering a child who hasnt completed even a fraction of a life sentence.

It should not even be an option until shes eligible for parole if that be the case, he said. Be that model inmate through the course of your sentence, to prove that you warrant [being in a healing lodge] to slowly work you way back onto the streets.

According to Chief Alvin Francis of Nekaneet First Nation, in whose community Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge is situated, if the decision were up to Nekaneet elders, the transfer may never have taken place.





We were surprised to learn from the public that Ms. McClintic was transferred to the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge, Francis said in the release.

In the past, Francis said, Nekaneet elders were involved in the admission process and had some influence over who was admitted to the healing lodge. But today, admission to the lodge is entirely up to the discretion of Correctional Service Canada.

We have no say on inmate selection, but I believe if our elders were still a part of the process, maybe Ms. McClintic wouldnt be at the healing lodge.

Political reaction

On Sept. 28, Stafford appealed in an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to have McClintic returned to the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener. By then, news of the transfer had reached the highest levels of government, where it became a new point of contention between the Liberals and the opposition Conservatives.

On Oct. 3, the federal Conservatives tabled a motion to reverse McClintics transfer and condemn the Correctional Service of Canada for approving it. The motion was defeated by a vote of 200 to 82, with New Democrats and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May siding with Liberals.

During question period that day, Trudeau accused the opposition of behaving like ambulance chasing politicians.

While the federal government does not have the power to reverse the decision, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale has instructed Correctional Service officials to review the transfer.

In the meantime, Stafford and a group of supporters are organizing a march on Parliament Hill on Nov. 2 in protest of the transfer.

With each call to action, he is reminded of Victoria and the agonizing final moments of her life. But the belief that he is doing the right thing propels Stafford forward.

I will relive this every day if I have to, he said. If it means to get full and complete justice for Victoria.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday attacked Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers, for not remembering certain details about the alleged incident.

How did you get home? I dont remember,' Trump said, imitating Ford. How did you get there? I dont remember.'

Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of groping her and pinning her down on a bed during a gathering in Maryland in the 1980s, a charge Kavanaugh has denied. During her testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, Blasey Ford testified that she couldnt remember some details of the alleged assault, including where the gathering was held and how she got home.

Trump, who called Blasey Ford very credible in the days after her testimony, turned around and used those memory gaps to attack her credibility. But experts on memory told TIME that trauma victims typically dont remember every single detail of a distressing event.

Were not saying that her memories of Brett Kavanaugh are correct. Can we be 100 percent sure of that? Maybe, maybe not, says Phillip Zoladz, an associate professor of psychology at Ohio Northern University who studies stress effect on the brain. What we can be sure of, the characteristics of her memories  what shes reporting  are consistent with what weve seen in science.

During a traumatic event like assault, chemicals like norepinephrine and cortisol cause the brain to focus on what it considers to be the most important and central details of the event.

But smaller details surrounding the trauma  often referred to as peripheral details by scientists  may not be stored by the hippocampus, which turns short-term memories into long-term memories, explains Jim Hopper, a teaching associate at Harvard Medical School who studies the impact of sexual assault on the brain.

When stress or fear or trauma kicks in, the brain shifts into a mode when the hippocampus goes into a super-encoding mode, in which those central details really get burned in and the peripheral details are lost, Hopper says.

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Blasey Ford  a professor of psychology at Palo Alto University and research psychologist at Stanford University  explained this science during her testimony when asked how she was sure it was Kavanaugh who assaulted her.

Just basic memory functions and also just the level of norepinephrine and the epinephrine in the brain that sort of, as you know, encodes  that neurotransmitter that codes memories into the hippocampus and so the trauma-related experience is locked there whereas other details kind of drift, Ford said.

Later in the testimony, she said her most vivid memory of the alleged incident was the uproarious laughter of Kavanaugh and friend Mark Judge, whom Blasey Ford says was in the room at the time. Judge has said he has no recollection of the event.

Memory is not like a tape recorder, Zoladz says. There are certain things during the event that her brain probably honed in on and appraised as important  a couple of boys, being pushed down, having a hand put over her mouth, the loud music  Her memories are very consistent with what youd expect someone to remember about a trauma.

A study published last month in Frontiers of Psychiatry found that women who were victims of sexual violence were more likely to form vivid memories  including sensory and contextual details  of their most stressful life event than women who did not experience sexual violence. Most sexual assaults happen between ages 12-34, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, or RAINN.

Women of that age have had very few if any sexual encounters before. So the novelty of being physically close to a man coupled with the fear creates a memorable experience. It comes as no surprise then that the memories are especially vivid, says Tracey Shors, a distinguished professor of neuroscience at Rutgers and the co-author of that study. Also, thinking and rehearsing the memory over and over again makes yet more memories in the brain, making it that much more difficult to forget.

Sexual assault allegations are incredibly difficult to adjudicate in criminal court, and many cases pit one persons recollection of an event against anothers. Memories are also fallible, often decaying and changing over time. But Hopper cautions against dismissing a sexual assault survivors credibility because they cant remember every single detail of an an alleged attack. Would you say this about a soldier who is having difficulty reporting what happened when his buddy got killed in that firefight?, he says.
Ankara (AFP) - Turkish parliament on Wednesday approved a motion to extend the deployment of troops in neighbouring Syria and Iraq for another year, the official Anadolu news agency reported.

The mandate, first approved by parliament in October 2014, has been renewed every year since then.

It allows military action in Turkey's two southern neighbours against Islamic State (IS) extremists and other groups deemed by Ankara to be terror organisations.

The approved motion said it was "essential for Turkey's national security to take all necessary measures ... in the face of any threats."

Ismet Yilmaz, head of parliament's defence committee, said there would be no let-off in Turkey's fight against terror.

"We will not allow terror groups to shelter or be trained in our country's southern borders, or stage attacks against our country utilising the instable political situation in Iraq and Syria," Yilmaz was quoted as saying by Anadolu.
Istanbul (AFP) - Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Turkey was summoned to the foreign ministry after a prominent journalist critical of Riyadh went missing, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Thursday.

Jamal Khashoggi, a contributor to the Washington Post, went to the Saudi consulate on Tuesday to receive an official document for his marriage and has not appeared since.

His Turkish fiancee reported him missing after Khashoggi, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since last year to avoid possible arrest, did not emerge from the consulate.

The Saudi ambassador was received by Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kiran on Wednesday, the diplomatic source and state-run news agency Anadolu said.

After an initial period of silence, Saudi Arabia said the consulate was working with Turkish authorities "to uncover the circumstances of the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi after he left the consulate building".

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin however told reporters on Wednesday the journalist was being held at the consulate, adding that Ankara was in touch with Saudi officials.

"According to information we have, this individual who is a Saudi national is still at the Istanbul consulate of Saudi Arabia," Kalin said.

The journalist, who writes opinion pieces for the Post, has been critical of some policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen.

US officials said they were looking into his case.

Khashoggi's fiancee Hatice, 36, told AFP on Thursday that there had been no news about him.

"We don't know where he is. If he had left the consulate as said by the Saudis, we would know where he is," she said.

Khashoggi, who turns 60 on October 13, had previously served as an adviser to the Saudi government.
By Sarah Dadouch, Orhan Coskun and Yara Bayoumy ISTANBUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Turkish and Saudi authorities gave conflicting accounts on Wednesday about the whereabouts of Saudi commentator Jamal Khashoggi, who moved to Washington last year fearing retribution for his views and has not been seen nearly 30 hours after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee as well as a close friend contacted by Reuters said he had disappeared after entering the diplomatic mission on Tuesday to secure documentation of his divorce so that he could remarry. The fiancee, who asked not to be named, said she had waited outside the consulate from 1 p.m local time (1000 GMT) and called the police when he had not reappeared. Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Khashoggi was still in the consulate and the government was monitoring the situation. "Our relevant authorities are in contact and engaged in negotiations with their (Saudi) counterparts. I hope this issue will be resolved with ease," he told reporters. Saudi Arabia's Consulate General in Istanbul said in a statement that Khashoggi had left the consulate building, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported. It said the consulate was working with Turkish authorities "to uncover the circumstances" of his disappearance. A Saudi official also denied that Khashoggi was in the consulate. "Mr. Khashoggi visited the consulate to request paperwork related to his marital status and exited shortly thereafter," the official said. "He is not in the consulate nor in Saudi custody." His fiancee, who returned to the consulate on Wednesday after waiting for 12 hours the day before, repudiated that claim. "If this was true, where is he? Where is he? If he went home, no, I went to the house and didn't find him. Where is Jamal?" she told Reuters. Turkey has had strained relations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states since June 2017, when Ankara stood by Qatar in a regional row. Arab states cut trade and diplomatic ties with Qatar over alleged links to terrorism, which Doha denies. Turkey has also worked with Iran, Saudi Arabia's arch-rival in the Middle East, to try to reduce fighting in northern Syria, and Iranian and Turkish military chiefs exchanged visits last year. The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday that it was monitoring and seeking information on Khashoggi's disappearance. "We are closely following reports of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance and continue to seek information," a State Department official said. FAMILIAR FACE Khashoggi, a familiar face on political talk shows on Arab satellite television networks for years, has lived in self-exile in Washington, D.C., for more than a year after he said the authorities had instructed him to stop tweeting. As a journalist, he interviewed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden several times in Afghanistan and Sudan, and served twice as editor of Al Watan newspaper. He advised Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to the United States and Britain, and has also been close to billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. Over the past year, Khashoggi has written regular columns in the Washington Post criticizing Saudi Arabia's policies toward Qatar and Canada, the war in Yemen, and a crackdown on dissent and the media and activists which has seen dozens of activists, intellectuals and clerics detained. "I have left my home, my family and my job, and I am raising my voice," he wrote in September 2017. "To do otherwise would betray those who languish in prison. I can speak when so many cannot." Ali Shihabi, head of the Arabia Foundation in Washington which regularly supports Saudi policy, expressed concern on Twitter about the reports. "Jamal and I have not seen eye to eye on many issues but having him go missing like this is awful," he said. Mohamad Soltan, an Egyptian-American activist who sees Khashoggi regularly in Washington, told Reuters that Khashoggi was in the United States on an O-visa, a temporary residency visa awarded to foreigners "who possess extraordinary ability" in the sciences, arts, education, and other fields and are recognized internationally, and had applied for permanent residency status. All public protests are banned in Saudi Arabia, as are political parties. Labor unions are illegal, the media are controlled and criticism of the royal family can lead to prison. Dozens of activists, clerics and intellectuals have been arrested in the past year in a crackdown on potential opponents of the kingdom's absolute rulers. Among them was economist Essam al-Zamil, a friend of Khashoggi's, who was charged this week with joining a terrorist organization, meeting with foreign diplomats and inciting protests. Scores of businessmen were detained last November in Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton hotel in a separate campaign against corruption, unnerving some foreign investors. Most were released after reaching financial settlements with the authorities. (Additional reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun and Ali Kucukgocmen in Istanbul, Aziz El Yaakoubi in Riyadh, Stephen Kalin in Dubai, Jonathan Landay, Lesley Wroughton in Washington, and Michelle Nichols in New York, Editing by Toni Reinhold and Darren Schuettler, Michael Georgy, William Maclean)
(GENEVA)  Alibaba founder Jack Ma said Tuesday that the trade dispute between the U.S. and China could last 20 years. But he expressed hope that a solution could be reached as a trade war would hurt everybody.

The Chinese e-commerce billionaire also questioned the focus among some on trade deficits, calling it a relic of the 20th century. U.S. President Donald Trump has long decried the U.S.s whopping deficit with China.

When trade stops, sometimes the war starts. So trade is the way to stop wars, Ma said at a World Trade Organization seminar. Trade is the way to build up trust. Its not the weapon to fight against each other.

He said trade conflict would not only hurt the U.S. and China but other countries small businesses. The standoff, he added, may last 20 years, unfortunately.

Overall, Ma expressed bullishness about trade, but said it needed to be protected from regulators.

Today we see Made in China, Made in America, Made in Switzerland or Made in Geneva: 2030 will see Made in Internet. More than 85% of business will be e-commerce, he said.

Alibaba Group is the worlds biggest e-commerce company by value of the goods that pass across its platforms.

A key part of its business is connecting American retailers with Chinese suppliers, many of them small producers of furniture, handbags, tools and household appliances. The United States is an important market for Chinese businesses and Washingtons tariff increases have been a hit.

The Trump administration has imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods, prompting retaliation from Beijing.

Ma, 54, is one of Chinas most prominent and outspoken business leaders. He announced last month he will step down as Alibabas chairman next September but will stay on as a member of the Alibaba Partnership, a group that retains control of the company through their right to nominate a majority of its board of directors.
By David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence intensified Washington's pressure campaign against Beijing on Thursday by accusing China of "malign" efforts to undermine President Donald Trump ahead of next month's congressional elections and reckless military actions in the South China Sea. In what was billed as a major policy address, Pence sought to build on Trump's speech at the United Nations last week in which he accused China of trying to interfere in the vote that will determine whether his Republican Party will keep control of Congress. Neither Trump nor Pence provided hard evidence of meddling by China, which last week rejected the president's allegation. Pence's speech at Washington's Hudson Institute marked a sharpened U.S. approach toward China going beyond the bitter trade war between the worlds two biggest economies. It highlighted disputes such as cyber attacks, Taiwan, freedom of the seas and human rights. Pence said China was waging a sophisticated effort to sway the elections against the Republicans in retaliation for Trump's trade policies. He vowed to continue to expose Beijing's "malign influence and interference." Pence said Beijing, with an eye not only to the congressional elections but also to Trump's 2020 re-election bid, had mobilized covert actors, front groups, and propaganda outlets to shift Americans perception of Chinese policies and was targeting its tariffs to hurt states where Trump has strong support. "China wants a different American president," Pence said. He said that in June, Beijing laid out its strategy in a sensitive "Propaganda and Censorship Notice" which stated that China must "strike accurately and carefully, splitting apart different domestic groups" in the United States. The allegations, however, have raised questions as to whether Trump and his aides are trying to deflect attention from an investigation of his campaigns possible ties to Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and also set up China for blame if Republicans do poorly in November's vote. China's embassy in Washington referred queries about Pences speech to an interview Chinese ambassador Cui Tiankai gave to National Public Radio on Wednesday. Cui said Beijing wanted to resolve the trade war through negotiations but that would required goodwill from both sides. U.S. goodwill was currently insufficient, Cui said. CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS Washington has long cited China as a major culprit in the hacking of U.S. government and corporate databases. But U.S. officials and independent analysts say they have not detected the kind of systematic manipulation of social media and email hacking Russia was accused of in 2016. Even so, Pence said: "As a senior career member of our intelligence community recently told me, what the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what China is doing across this country." Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told the Washington Post this week there was no indication of any foreign effort to disrupt election infrastructure, but added that "we know they (China) have the capability and the will." China expert Chris Johnson, a former CIA analyst now at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Pence's speech appeared aimed in part at building a narrative that a vote for the Democrats would be vote for China. "Another part of it is trying to distract attention from the real threat, which is Russia," he said. "There's nothing in that speech that rises to the level of 2016 Russian active measures." Trump has justified his trade policy by accusing China of stealing intellectual property and limiting access to its market. The two countries have imposed increasingly severe tariffs on each other. Pence said Chinese security agencies had masterminded the "wholesale theft of American technology," including military blueprints, and warned Washington would continue to take action. He urged Google to end development of its "Dragonfly" app that would make it easier to track Internet searches and strengthen Chinese censorship. Google declined comment, except to reiterate that its China search engine project was "exploratory" and not close to launch. Bloomberg Businessweek cited 17 unidentified intelligence and company sources as saying that Chinese spies had placed computer chips in equipment used by about 30 firms, as well as multiple U.S. government agencies, which would give Beijing secret access to internal networks. Apple Inc and Amazon denied the report. Pence also said China had deployed anti-ship and anti-air missiles on artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea, despite promises not to militarize them. He accused Beijing of "reckless harassment" in an incident on Sunday in which a Chinese naval vessel nearly collided with a U.S. destroyer near the Spratly islands. "We will not be intimidated," Pence said of the operation, the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijings efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters. China said a Chinese warship had been sent to warn the U.S. vessel to leave an area of irrefutable Chinese sovereignty. Pence accused China of using its economic power to bully smaller countries and said it had threatened the stability of the Taiwan Strait by pressuring three Latin American countries to sever ties with Taipei and recognize Beijing. Pence also denounced Beijing's crackdown on minority Muslims in the Xinjiang region. Last month, a U.N. rights panel said it had received credible reports that up to one million ethnic Uighurs may be held in extra-legal detention in Xinjiang, which China says faces a serious threat from Islamist militants and separatists. U.S. officials have said they are considering targeted sanctions for human rights abuses. Daniel Russel, Washington's top diplomat for East Asia until last year, said there was a lot to dislike about Chinas behavior. But he said the claim that China was working to defeat Trump at the ballot box "rings hollow" and the approach could be counterproductive. "Even if you accept all of Pences complaints at face value, its hard to make the case that the administrations Cold War-style vilification of China will be effective or beneficial to U.S. interests, since it's clearly pushing Beijing to intransigence, not compromise." (Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick; Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton, Christopher Bing, Paresh Dave and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Bill Trott and Grant McCool)
The U.S. warned that it could resort to strikes against a new class of Russian missile unless Moscow complies with its international commitments to arms reduction.

NATO defense ministers meeting at Alliance headquarters in Brussels from Wednesday will discuss their concerns that Russia is building a medium-range ballistic missile in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, U.S. Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison said.

Russia has over several years refused to accept U.S. evidence of breaches, so we need to look for other ways to bring Russia to the table on the issues, Hutchison told reporters on Tuesday. The countermeasures would be to take out the missiles that are in development by Russia in violation of the treaty.

The U.S. ambassador made an absolutely irresponsible statement, the Interfax news service cited an unidentified Russian Foreign Ministry official as saying. It shows that in the present administration there are people in very important positions who dont understand where they are and what is required of them.

Crucial Treaty

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization issued a statement in December underscoring the so-called INF Treatys crucial role in ensuring security for 30 years by removing an entire class of U.S. and Russian weapons  ground-launched intermediate-range missiles  and calling on Russia to address serious concerns about a missile system identified by NATO members.

Now this treaty is in danger because of Russian actions, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a parallel briefing in Brussels on Tuesday. He cited development of a new ground-launched cruise missile known as 9M729, whose existence Russia only recently acknowledged after years of denials.

Stoltenberg called on Russia to urgently address concerns that the new system may be in violation of the INF treaty in a substantial and transparent manner, saying that Russia has not provided any credible answers on this new missile.

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Hutchison said that numerous occasions had been recorded of Russian breaches, and called on Moscow to stop the violations. Russia is on notice, she said.

If Russia continues down the path to where they are capable of delivering, at that point we would then be looking at a capability to take out a missile that could hit any of our countries in Europe and hit America in Alaska, Hutchison said.

The U.S. is not moving in that direction right now, she said. Rather, the message to Russia is that we know they have violated the treaty and we are beginning the research capabilities that are allowed by the treaty to deter a medium-range ballistic missile.
The UNs highest court ruled in favor of Iran on Wednesday, ordering the U.S. to lift sanctions on humanitarian goods to the country.

The sanctions were re-imposed earlier this year when President Trump pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. But in July, Tehran filed a lawsuit against the U.S. at the International Court of Justice, claiming that the sanctions violated the 1955 Treaty of Amity between the two countries. While the ICJs ruling is binding, it has no enforcement mechanisms.

The court said that the U.S. must remove by means of its choosing any impediment to the free exportation to Iran of goods involving humanitarian concerns, citing humanitarian grounds in its ruling. It further stated that the assurances provided by the U.S. were not adequate to address fully the humanitarian and safety concerns raised by Iran, noting that the sanctions may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran.

The U.S. is ordered to lift sanctions on the export of the following items: medicines and medical devices; foodstuffs and agricultural commodities; spareparts, equipment, and repair services for civil aviation. The ruling also calls on the U.S. to ensure the granting of licenses and authorizations and not to restrict payment for these goods and services.

Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had claimed the sanctions amounted to psychological warfare, intended to bring about regime change. Following Wednesdays ruling, Zarif called on the international community to collectively counter malign U.S. unilateralism, and noted that it marked a failure for sanctions-addicted USG and victory for rule of law.

UN top court rules that US must comply with obligations violated by re-imposing sanctions on Iranian people when exiting #JCPOA. Another failure for sanctions-addicted USG and victory for rule of law. Imperative for intl community to collectively counter malign US unilateralism. pic.twitter.com/8AMGL0tqXU  Javad Zarif (@JZarif) October 3, 2018

Nevertheless, it is unclear if the ruling will drive the Trump administration to make any changes to its existing policy. The U.S. had argued in court that the ICJ had no jurisdiction as the case concerned national security.

Washington is due to impose a new series of sanctions on Tehran in early November.
Kay Bailey Hutchison seems to raise prospect of strike

Washington says cruise missile breaks 1987 INF treaty

Kay Bailey Hutchison said: We would then be looking at a capability to take out a missile that could his any of our countries in Europe and hit America in Alaska. Photograph: Francois Lenoir/Reuters

The US ambassador to Nato has warned Russia that if it does not halt the development of a new cruise missile in violation of a treaty between the countries, the US will take out the missile.

Kay Bailey Hutchison was speaking to reporters about a longstanding issue of contention, a Russian ground-launched cruise missile which Washington says breaks the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).

Moscow has denied the charge, and the Trump administration has announced plans to develop its own medium-range cruise missile in response, raising the spectre of a new nuclear arms race.

But Hutchison went further in her remarks and appeared to suggest the possibility of a pre-emptive strike when the Russian missiles became operational.

The counter-measures would be to take out the missiles that are in development by Russia in violation of the treaty, the envoy said, mistakenly referring to the missile in question as a ballistic missile, rather than a cruise missile. She also suggested the missile, known as 9M729, was still in development, but the US accused Russia of deploying it last year.

Getting them to withdraw would be our choice, of course. But I think the question was what would you do if this continues to a point where we know that they are capable of delivering. And at that point we would then be looking at a capability to take out a missile that could hit any of our countries in Europe and hit America in Alaska.

The Russian foreign ministry accused Hutchison of dangerous rhetoric.

It seems that people who make such statements do not realise the level of their responsibility and the danger of aggressive rhetoric, the ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said, according to Tass news agency.

A few hours later, Hutchison clarified her remarks on Twitter, insisting she was not talking about preemptively striking Russia, adding that Russia needs to return to INF Treaty compliance or we will need to match its capabilities to protect US and Nato interests.

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Hutchison did not specifically explain what she meant by her warning that the US would take out the Russian missile.

A US threat of a pre-emptive strike against Russia would be unprecedented since the end of the cold war, and a dangerous new departure in rhetoric and military posture towards Russia.

If she is saying that if the diplomatic route doesnt work we will destroy the missiles, thats obviously dangerous and risks triggering a war that could go nuclear, Daryl Kimball, the head of the Arms Control Association, said. I cannot recall anything like this in the post cold-war period.

Some nuclear experts speculated that Hutchison may have misspoken, and meant to say that the US would develop ways of destroying the Russian missile for use in the event of a conflict.

Hans Kristensen, the director of the nuclear information project at the Federation of American Scientists, said: I dont think the Nato ambassador is threatening pre-emptive attacks against Russian development of INF weapons. She did a poor job in trying to repeat what the US has been saying for several years; that it is contemplating measures in response to the Russian INF violation.

That can include tweaking existing strike capabilities to hold the new weapons at risk, developing new ones for potential deployment, and/or increasing economic and political pressure on Moscow to return to compliance.

Kristensen said: This is going to feed right into the paranoia of Russian planners. She will definitely have to make a follow-up statement to clarify what she intended to say.
The US has threatened to respond to what it believes is Russia's covert development of a new missile system capable of launching quick nuclear strikes against Nato countries.

Washington's ambassador to Nato said the US remained committed to a diplomatic solution, but would "match its capabilities" if the 9M729 system becomes operational.

America believes Russia is developing the ground-launched missiles in breach of a Cold War treaty that could allow Moscow to launch a nuclear attack on Europe at short notice, but the Kremlin has consistently denied any such violation.

The 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) bans an entire class of weapons - all land-based cruise missiles with a range between 500-5,500km. Nato says the Russian system fits into that category.

Kay Bailey Hutchison initially appeared to suggest the US might consider military action if Russia continued its development of the system.

"It is time now for Russia to come to the table and stop the violations," Kay Bailey Hutchison told reporters in Brussels, on the eve of a meeting between US defense secretary James Mattis and his Nato counterparts.

She said if the system "became capable of delivering", the US "would then be looking at the capability to take out a missile that could hit any of our countries in Europe and hit America".

US ambassador to Nato Kay Bailey Hutchison briefs media (Reuters)

"Countermeasures (by the US) would be to take out the missiles that are in development by Russia in violation of the treaty," she added. "They are on notice."

But Ms Hutchison later clarified in a tweet she was not talking about a preemptive strike against Russia.

"My point: Russia needs to return to INF Treaty compliance or we will need to match its capabilities to protect US and Nato interests. The current situation, with Russia in blatant violation, is untenable."

The INF bans medium-range missiles capable of hitting Europe or Alaska.

In Washington, state department spokesperson Heather Nauert said the US had for some time argued that Moscow was not in compliance with the treaty.

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"What Ambassador Hutchison was talking about was improving overall defence and deterrence posture," Ms Nauert told a news conference. "The United States is committed to upholding its arms control obligations and expects Russia to do the very same thing," she said, adding the US was discussing the issue with its allies.

The Russian foreign ministry said such statements were dangerous, and that it would provide detailed answers to Washington.

"It seems that people who make such statements do not realise the level of their responsibility and the danger of aggressive rhetoric," TASS news agency quoted spokesperson Maria Zakharova as saying.

In the past, the ministry has said it is ready for talks with the US to try to preserve the treaty and would comply with its obligations if the US did.

But that same year, the US state department report found Russia had violated obligations "not to possess, produce, or flight-test" a ground-launched cruise missile with a range capability of 500 km to 5,500km, "or to possess or produce launchers of such missiles".

The US accusations are likely to further strain relations between Moscow and the West that are at a low over Russia's 2014 seizure of Crimea, its bombing campaign in Syria and accusations of meddling in Western elections.

"We have been trying to send a message to Russia for several years that we know they are violating the treaty; we have shown Russia the evidence that we have that they are violating the treaty," Ms Hutchison said.

"We are laying down the markers so that our allies will help us bring Russia to the table," she added.

US secretary of defense Jim Mattis said he would discuss the issue with his Nato counterparts at a scheduled two-day meeting in Brussels from Wednesday.

"I cannot forecast where it will go, it is a decision for the president, but I can tell you that both on Capitol Hill and in state department, there is a lot of concern about this situation and I'll return with the advice of our allies and engage in that discussion to determine the way ahead," he told reporters in Paris.

Additional reporting by agencies
Russian president Vladimir Putin has described Sergei Skripal, the former spy poisoned with novichok, as a traitor and scum.

In an extraordinary address at the Russian Energy Week in Moscow, the president rejected British allegations of Russian involvement in the affair with a mix of scorn and sarcasm.

Youre saying some guys arrived in Britain to poison some tramps?" Mr Putin said, referring to the accidental secondary poisoning of Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley in Amesbury. "What is this nonsense about?"

Mr Putin said coverage of the Salisbury poisoning had distorted who Mr Skripal really was.

I see that there is this theory that Skripal was almost some kind of human rights activist, he said. Hes just a spy who betrayed his people. A national traitor, thats who he is. Hes just scum.

Using the derogatory term shpion (spy) rather than razvedchik used for Russian agents serving the motherland, the president went on to compare Mr Skripals actions with prostitution.

Jiggery-pokery between special services hasnt just appeared just now. Spying, like prostitution, is one of the most important professions in the world.

Hes just a spy who betrayed his people. A national traitor, thats who he is. Hes just scum.

Vladimir Putin on Sergei Skripal

Britain has accused Russia's military intelligence services GRU of ordering the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in March.

In September, British detectives named two suspects Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, who they claimed were Russian nationals and GRU officers. Independent investigations have since persuasively shown that Ruslan Boshirov is in fact a decorated GRU colonel called Anatoly Chepiga. Intelligence blunders revealed in the course of those investigations may also have inadvertently outed dozens of Russian agents.

In his 18 years as leader, Mr Putin has cultivated a hard-line rhetoric, and frequently employs informal, direct and coarse language. He has talked about drowning terrorists in the toilet, compared protest ribbons to condoms, and has offered circumcisions to journalists who asked about human rights in Chechnya.

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Todays statement was in that tradition  but it also went against the grain of recent attempts by the Kremlin to take an embarrassing story off the front pages.

We have nothing more to add on the subject, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday, as he had done the previous Friday.
Amid criticism from key Republican senators, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended President Donald Trump for mocking Christine Blasey Ford during a rally Tuesday.

Speaking at a press briefing at the White House, Sanders argued that Trump was not making fun of the California psychology professor, who alleged that as a teenager Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh held her down, put his hand over her mouth and tried to remove her clothing.

The president was stating the facts, Sanders said.

During a rally in Mississippi, Trump repeatedly mimicked Fords testimony, saying I dont remember! In one case, he claimed that she had given different answers on where in the house the alleged assault took place  Upstairs? Downstairs? Where was it  I dont know.  though Ford has consistently said that it was an upstairs bedroom.

Three Republican senators who are on the fence about the Kavanaugh confirmation criticized Trumps remarks. Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake called them appalling, Maine Sen. Susan Collins said they were just plain wrong, and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski called them wholly inappropriate.

But Sanders argued that Trump was simply pointing out gaps in Fords testimony that had also been noted by sex crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell, who was hired by Republican senators to question her during the hearing.

Trump initially was deferential to Ford, describing her late last week as a very fine woman and a credible witness. But Trump has since changed his tone, believing a vigorous defense of Kavanaugh could energize Republican voters in advance of the midterm elections.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway made a similar argument earlier in the day, saying that Ford had been treated like a Faberge egg by all of us, beginning with me and the president and that Trump was pointing out factual inconsistencies.

Sanders defended Trumps criticism of Fords accusations and blasted the Democrats for not finding a way to confidentially share Fords initial allegation to Republicans on the Judiciary Committee.

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Every single word Judge Kavanaugh has said has been picked apart, every single word, second by second of his testimony has been picked apart, yet if anybody says anything about the accusations that have been thrown against them thats totally off limits and outrageous, Sanders said, speaking at the first White House press briefing since Sept. 10. This entire process has been a disgrace and the only reason it has been that way was because Senate Democrats didnt do this the way that it should have been done.

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has said she didnt share Fords allegations in order to respect Fords desire to remain anonymous. But Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has said Fords account could have been examined confidentially by the committee, if Feinstein had brought it to him.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican who has been critical of Trump but also has the presidents ear, said Wednesday at the The Atlantic Festival in Washington that Trumps comments were not helping and he should knock it off, but he also argued that everything he said is factual.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The White House has given the FBI clearance to interview anyone it wants to by Friday in its investigation of sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The new guidance, described to The Associated Press by a person familiar with it, was issued to the FBI over the weekend in response to Democratic and news media pushback that the scope of the probe was too narrow.

It comes as the FBI presses ahead with its investigation, questioning in recent days at least four people about accusations of misconduct against Kavanaugh dating to when he was in high school and college. Among the witnesses interviewed were men who California college professor Christine Blasey Ford says were present at a party of teenagers in the early 1980s at which she says she was sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh.

President Donald Trump, addressing concerns about the probe's expansiveness at a news conference Monday, said he wants the FBI to do a "comprehensive" investigation and "it wouldn't bother me at all" if agents pursued accusations made by three women who have come forward. But he also said Senate Republicans are determining the parameters of the investigation and "ultimately, they're making the judgment."

"My White House will do whatever the senators want," Trump said. "The one thing I want is speed."

The White House instructed the FBI to interview anyone it deems relevant to the inquiry, but required the work to be done by Friday, according to the person familiar with the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

The revised guidance was aimed at promoting an investigation that could tamp down Democratic criticism and satisfy on-the-fence Republicans about its thoroughness and fairness while also ensuring a fixed deadline to prevent the probe from becoming open-ended and spanning weeks. Officials said it was possible, but not likely, the bureau could complete its work before Friday.

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Trump said a comprehensive investigation is "a good thing" for Kavanaugh and that while it was fine that the FBI wants to interview all three women who have made accusations, "we don't want to go on a witch hunt, do we?"

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine  one of three Republican senators who was instrumental last week in holding up Kavanaugh's confirmation vote  said she had extensive conversation with the White House counsel's office and is "confident that the FBI is doing a thorough investigation and that it will be helpful to us as we make our decisions."

As Republicans and Democrats quarreled over whether the FBI would have enough time and freedom to conduct a thorough investigation before a vote on the nomination, FBI agents have been interviewing multiple witnesses from Kavanaugh's high school and college years.

They include Mark Judge, a high school friend of Kavanaugh's who Ford has said was in the room when a drunken Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her. Judge has denied misconduct allegations. On Monday, his lawyer Barbara "Biz" Van Gelder said Judge had been interviewed "but his interview has not been completed." She declined to elaborate.

Another witness, Patrick "P.J." Smyth, answered "every question" he was asked and told agents he had "no knowledge" of the small gathering that Ford described, according to his attorney, Eric Bruce. Smyth also told the FBI he doesn't have "knowledge of Ford's allegations of improper conduct against Kavanaugh," Bruce said.

Ford has said Smyth, whom she remembered as "P.J.," was downstairs, not anywhere near the event.

The FBI has also interviewed Leland Keyser, who Ford said attended the same party. Keyser's attorney, Howard Walsh, said she was questioned by FBI agents Saturday, but he didn't provide any additional details about the interview.

Walsh has said his client doesn't know Kavanaugh and has no recollection of ever being at a party with him. He has said Keyser believes Ford's account but is "unable to corroborate it because she has no recollection of the incident in question."

Ford shared her allegation at an extraordinary congressional hearing last week that also included Kavanaugh's angry and emotional denial. As of Monday afternoon, she had not been contacted by the FBI to schedule an interview, according to a person close to her.

The FBI interviewed a separate accuser over the weekend  Deborah Ramirez, who has said Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when both were students at Yale University in the 1980s. Ramirez also provided investigators with the names of others who she said could corroborate her account, according to a person familiar with her questioning.

Kavanaugh has denied that allegation.

Since Trump, under pressure from three undecided Republicans, ordered the FBI to reopen Kavanaugh's background check Friday, the White House has scrambled to defend the process from Democratic complaints that certain witnesses were being kept off-limits.

Officials insisted that they were not "micromanaging" the new one-week review of Kavanaugh's background and insisted that Republican senators were dictating the inquiry's scope.

But questions about the investigation's expansiveness mounted as additional witnesses came forward with accounts they wanted to present to the FBI about Kavanaugh's behavior.

In a statement Sunday, a Yale classmate of Kavanaugh's said he is "deeply troubled by what has been a blatant mischaracterization by Brett himself of his drinking at Yale." Charles "Chad" Ludington, who now teaches at North Carolina State University, said he was a friend of Kavanaugh's at Yale and said Kavanaugh was "a frequent drinker, and a heavy drinker."

While saying that youthful drinking should not condemn a person for life, Ludington said he was concerned about Kavanaugh's statements under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

A third woman, Julie Swetnick, accused Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge of excessive drinking and inappropriate treatment of women in the early 1980s, among other accusations. Kavanaugh has called her accusations a "joke." Judge "categorically" denies the allegations.

Swetnick's attorney, Michael Avenatti, said Monday that his client was willing to cooperate with the FBI but has not been contacted.

As the fresh review unfolded, the prosecutor brought in by Republicans to question Ford at last week's hearing outlined in a memo why she did not believe criminal charges would be brought against Kavanaugh if it were a criminal case rather than a Supreme Court confirmation process.

Rachel Mitchell argued that that there were inconsistencies in Ford's narrative and said no one has corroborated Ford's account. Ford was not questioned as part of a criminal proceeding but in the confirmation process.

__

Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Catherine Lucey, Alan Fram and Darlene Superville in Washington and Alanna Durkin Richer in Boston contributed to this report.

___

For more coverage of Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination, visit https://apnews.com/tag/Kavanaughnomination
Karen Dresser and her 12-year-old daughter, Amelia. (Photo: Facebook)

Karen Dresser is white. Her 12-year-old daughter, Amelia, is black. When the two showed up at an emergency clinic in Maryland last month, Dresser said, her daughter was denied treatment because staff members assumed they werent related.

At first, I was just numb. I was in disbelief, actually, Dresser told WJLA News. We are a family in every sense of the word.

Dresser, a 51-year-old schoolteacher, said her daughter, whom she adopted in 2007, had previously been treated at the Patient First urgent-care clinic in Waldorf. But when she took her daughter there on Sept. 19 with what they suspected was a broken finger, she said she was met with skepticism.

A receptionist asked if I were her guardian and I interpreted that as parent, so I said yes, Dresser told Yahoo Lifestyle. But it became clear that she didnt believe me.

According to the mom, the receptionist remained unconvinced, even after she explained the clinic has a file on her daughter. The receptionist insisted that Dresser show proof of guardianship, she said.

Dresser said a nurse did eventually come out and suggest she purchase a splint for her daughter at Walgreens. Instead, Dresser said, she took Amelia to a nearby clinic, where she was treated without question.

Later, Dresser shared a Facebook post about the ordeal, saying she wasnt sure whether to be ticked or cry.

The mother also wrote a letter to Patient First, which she shared on Facebook:

As a Caucasian woman, I understand that there are places where people might feel obligated to ensure that we are related. However, one of those places is certainly not an urgent care facility where I am using my familys insurance to pay for medical treatment. My child has medical insurance with our surname listed on it. I had my license ... if I had a white daughter, would they expect me to carry a birth certificate on my person? No, they would not have discriminated against us.

Patient First sent KRON 4 News a statement with its side of the story:

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During registration, if a minor patient is accompanied by an adult who states that they are the patients parent, we take them at their word. If the adult states that they are the childs guardian, we require documentation to confirm that before the patient can be registered.

Patient First, a mid-Atlantic chain of urgent-care clinics, also apologized to Dresser, Atlanta Black Star reported.

Still, Dresser Told Yahoo Lifestyle she believes the incident was racist and discriminatory.

We live in a very diverse county with all types of families, she said. Weve never experienced anything like this.

Send David Lohr an email or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continued its blitz on e-cigarette use by surprising top manufacturer Juul Labs with an inspection of its San Francisco headquarters last week, resulting in the seizure of thousands of pages of documents, the agency said.

The investigation, which was aimed at learning more about Juuls sales and marketing practices, was the latest in a string of moves by the FDA to further understand and regulate e-cigarette use  a campaign that has been seemingly centered on Juul.

In April, the agency requested marketing documents from Juul and several other manufacturers, in an effort to better understand the youth appeal of these products. Then, in September, it gave Juul and four other companies 60 days to construct plans for curtailing the epidemic of youth use; failure to do so, the agency said, could result in some or all flavored products  which seem to be especially appealing to kids  being pulled from store shelves.

While all e-cigarettes fall under the FDAs purview, Juul has attracted special interest from the agency. Thats, in large part, for a simple reason: Juul is staggeringly popular, both with adult and youth users.

The companys sales skyrocketed by 641% between 2016 and 2017, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data published in JAMA Tuesday. Juul sold 16.2 million vapes in 2017, accounting for one in three e-cigarettes purchased by the end of that year, according to the CDC data.

But of special interest to the FDA is Juuls appeal to kids and teenagers. The sleek vapes, which are often said to resemble flash drives and can be paired with flavor pods like mint, fruit and creme, have popped up in schools across the country, sparking concern among parents, educators and regulators alike. Research has shown that kids who use e-cigarettes, which usually contain addictive nicotine, may be more likely to pick up cigarettes and other tobacco products later on.

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Youth use of e-cigarettes increased by 75% between 2017 and 2018, according to early reports of not-yet-published federal data, which would mean about 20% of U.S. high schoolers, or some 3 million teenagers, vape. The FDA does not have data about which brands are used by teenagers, but the agency plans to add a question specifically about Juuling to the 2019 version of the National Youth Tobacco Survey.

Juul CEO Kevin Burns emphasized in a statement provided to TIME after the recent FDA inspection that Juuls products are made only for adult smokers, and that the company does not condone youth vaping. E-cigarettes are not legally available to anyone under 18; they are typically meant to give adult smokers a healthier alternative to cigarettes.

We are committed to preventing underage use, and we want to engage with FDA, lawmakers, public health advocates and others to keep JUUL out of the hands of young people, Burns said in the statement. The meetings last week with FDA gave us the opportunity to provide information about our business from our marketing practices to our industry-leading online age-verification protocols to our youth prevention efforts. It was a constructive and transparent dialogue. Weve now released over 50,000 pages of documents to the FDA since April that support our public statements. We look forward to presenting our plan to address youth access in the 60-day time frame as outlined by FDA. We want to be part of the solution in preventing underage use, and we believe it will take industry and regulators working together to restrict youth access.
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Rosmah Mansor, the luxury-loving wife of Malaysia's former prime minister, was Thursday charged with money laundering linked to a multi-billion-dollar scandal that helped bring down his government.

The 66-year-old pleaded not guilty to 17 charges of money laundering at a court complex where her husband Najib Razak was also making a separate appearance in connection with the alleged plunder of state funds.

Rosmah was allowed to post bail of two million ringgit ($483,365) and ordered to surrender her passport. She was also barred from contacting any witness.

Prosecutors had sought 10 million ringgit in bail, citing the seriousness of the charges, which could result in Rosmah having to spend the rest of her life in prison.

Lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram told the court that Rosmah "had approached a witness with a request to give a statement in her favour".

In the first charge sheet, prosecutors said "you engaged directly in a transaction that involves proceeds of unlawful activity" in violation of laws against money laundering.

Prosecutor Gopal told court Rosmah's alleged offences were "very serious" as he justified the high bail amount sought.

Defence lawyers sought bail of 250,000 ringgit.

Rosmah, wearing an orange dress and scarf, arrived under heavy security at the court complex after being arrested Wednesday and held overnight at the headquarters of the country's anti-corruption agency, which had subjected her to three rounds of questioning.

At court on Thursday, she sat quietly in the dock and did not look at the gallery, where her family members were seated.

- Known for love of bling -

Rosmah's love of designer handbags, jewellery and other trappings of wealth became a target for critics ahead of last May's election, won by a disparate coalition led by former leader Mahathir Mohamad.

Rosmah became reviled for her profligate spending and imperious manner while her husband was prime minister for nine years.

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While she was being charged on Thursday, her husband -- also out on bail -- made a separate court appearance in connection with some of the more than two dozen charges lodged against him.

Najib, 65, has denied any wrongdoing despite revelations that hundreds of millions of dollars ended up in his personal bank accounts.

A central issue in the May election that ousted Najib was that his family and cronies looted billions of dollars from 1MDB in a fraud ring that stretched from Singapore to Switzerland.

After the election loss, a stash of cash, jewellery and hundreds of designer handbags worth as much as $273 million was seized from properties linked to the couple in raids around Kuala Lumpur.

Rosmah is often compared to Imelda Marcos, who left behind more than a thousand pairs of shoes after her husband, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, was ousted in a popular uprising in 1986.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, 93, who came back from retirement to challenge Najib, has launched a crackdown against corruption involving people in the previous government.
You probably dont think about lasers all that much. But theyve revolutionized our lives. They are used in everything from reading barcodes to directing intercontinental missiles. So great is their impact that there have already been four Nobel Prizes in physicsin 1964, 1981, 1997, and 2005awarded for fundamental work done in lasers.

This years Nobel Prize in physics recognizes two more significant pieces of work on lasers. Arthur Ashkin, a former employee of Bell Labs in the US, got the prize for developing optical tweezers and their application to biological systems. Gerard Mourou of Ecole Polytechnique in France and Donna Strickland of the University of Waterloo in Canada have been awarded for their method of generating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses. (Its worth noting that Strickland is the first woman in 55 years and the only the third woman to win a Nobel Prize in physics. Why do so few women win Nobel Prizes?)

Ashkin began playing with lasers soon after they were invented in the 1960s. Put simply, lasers are focused beams of light particles called photons. Ashkin understood that, if he were to put enough of these photons together, it would be possible to create radiative pressure on objects. More importantly, Ashkin understood that, although a laser is a focused beam of light, it has more photons in the middle of a beam than at its edges. The difference created a natural gradient, which could be exploited to hold objects in place with nothing but two such lasers. That became what we know today as optical tweezers.

The red laser is applying a force on the white particle, which pushes it out in a highly defined trajectory.

Ashkin went on to use optical tweezers to hold bacteria. Then, with even more precise lasers, he began to study the insides of microbes without destroying them. Others followed up on his work by using lasers to tweak the molecular machines inside living cells. In other words, Ashkin had created a real-life version of the tractor beam that Star Trek made famous in the 1960s.

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Strickland and Mourou, meanwhile, were inspired by a popular science article to come up with an idea for another use of lasers. Strickland, then at the University of Rochester, had begun a PhD in Mourous lab. Together their goal was to create very powerful but short-lived lasers. Until the 1980s, attempts to create such lasers inevitably broke the instruments used for amplification because of the amount of power needed to do the job.

What Strickland and Mourou found was that stretching a laser out reduced its peak power, which could then be greatly amplified using normal instruments. It could then be compressed to create the short-lived, highly powerful lasers they were after. The technique, which was described in Stricklands first scientific publication, came to be known as chirped pulse amplification (CPA). They probably didnt know it then, but the tools Strickland and Mourou created have made it possible to study natural phenomena in unprecedented ways.

CPA could be used to create a laser pulse that only lasts one attosecond, one-billionth of a billionth of a second. At those timescales, it became possible to not just study chemical reactions, but also study what happens inside individual atoms.

The lasers can also be used to make highly precise cuts into materials like semiconductor chips; to store data in solid-state hard drives; and to manufacture custom-made medical stents to widen and reinforce blood vessels.

There are innumerable areas of use, which have not yet been fully explored, writes the Nobel Prize committee. Every step forward allows researchers to gain insights into new worlds, changing both basic research and practical applications.

Beyond lasers, this years Nobel Prize recognizes an under-appreciated part of scientific work: the creation of tools. Ashkin, Mourou, and Strickland didnt set out to create something for all the applications mentioned above. They set out to create the tools that they knew would have lots of potential for different applications, even if they couldnt come up with the applications themselves. Its the kind of fundamental research that requires lots of investment without knowing that there will be a pay-off. Luckily, these scientists put their trust in the process.

You can read all of Quartzs coverage of the 2018 Nobel Prizes here.

Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news.
UKs Minister of State for Asia-Pacific at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Mark Field, ahead of a visit to Sri Lanka, said that it is unfortunate and unfair to represent the Geneva resolution as interference by the international community in Sri Lankas domestic affairs.

The UK Ministers visit follows President Maitripala Sirisenas speech last week at the UN General Assembly where he urged the international community to allow Sri Lankan people to solve their problems on their own and as an independent country it did not want any foreign power to exert influence on it.

UKs Minister Mark Field who will be arriving in the country this evening said in an op-ed article to the Daily Mirror: There are also those who like to represent the Geneva resolution in particular as interference by the international community in Sri Lankas domestic affairs. This is unfortunate and unfair. The UK, along with many other friends of Sri Lanka, continues to warmly endorse the governments principled decision to co-sponsor a resolution that provides a valuable framework for peacebuilding and reconciliation.

Next March the UNHRC will assess the progress Sri Lanka has made. In Colombo I will be urging the government to drive forward its reconciliation efforts with a clear plan for delivery, and offering the UKs steadfast support for their efforts, he said.

So what will I be focusing on specifically when in Colombo this week?

Finding the truth is fundamental. The experience of countries that have recovered  or are recovering  from conflict around the world is that this is essential to restoring real confidence among communities, between citizens and the armed forces, and between voters and governments. To this end, I would like to see much more progress on national accountability and truth-seeking mechanisms that Sri Lanka committed to in 2015.

"The Prevention of Terrorism Act is something I am regularly asked about by the diaspora and others here in the UK. We would like to see it replaced, as part of wider security sector reform, with a new Counter-Terrorism Act which meets international standards. I am glad that the UK has been able to share its experiences in this area.

"There is also an ongoing process to consider reform to important provisions of the Constitution, including devolution of political authority. I hope that a way forward can be found on this central issue."

Read full Op-ed article

Why does reconciliation in Sri Lanka matter to the UK?
A viral video shows a woman confronting another customer at a Colorado supermarket who had been harassing a pair of Spanish speakers.

Kamira Trent tried to stick up for her fellow patrons at the City Market in Rifle, Colorado, after she allegedly overheard the suspected harasser saying to Fabiola Velasquez and Isabel Marin: Youre in America. Youre in my country. You cant speak Spanish here. You need to speak English if youre going to be in America".

The video shows Ms Trent, who is also white, saying to the other woman identified by BuzzFeed News as Linda Dwire, get out of here, now! You leave these women alone! Get out! Go!," before threatening to call the police.

Ms Dwire can be seen pointing her finger at Ms Trent and approached her and one of the women who had been speaking in Spanish to say Ms Trent "come[s] from a generation thats destroying this country".

Ms Marin and Ms Velasquez are originally from Mexico and the latter has been in the US for eight years. She was accompanied that day by her three children.

She does not elaborate on that in the video and it is unclear what exactly she meant by that comment.

Ms Trent retorted she does not and said "I have respect, and it does not matter. You dont harass people like this.

The heated exchange was caught on camera by one of the Spanish speakers and posted to her Facebook account under the name Faby VelSa.

It has been viewed more than 650,000 times thus far.

Ms Dwire went on to say repeatedly Ms Trent "will lose this country".

Ms Trent then approached Ms Dwire, appearing to escort her away from the other customers and out of the store. She can be heard saying, as a store employee followed them down the store aisle, "You do not harass Hispanic women!"

According to interviews with Ms Marin and Ms Velasquez, BuzzFeed News reported "the conflict began when Dwire overheard Velasquez and Marin speaking in Spanish to each other, and interrupted to ask if the women lived in the US and whether they liked it. The two replied that they did, and Dwire told them to learn English, raising her voice as the confrontation went on."

Story continues

Ms Trent said she tried to peacefully de-escalate the confrontation at first but Ms Dwire "just got angrier and angrier. I was trying to get her away from the two women, but she wasn't going to leave them alone. What she said and the way she said it was wrong."

Ms Dwire later told police officers the women "didn't have the respect to speak English" and added to the news outlet that she is not racist, just a patriot. "It has nothing to do with race. Its a patriotic thing. When people come to my country, they need to love it enough to speak English," she said.

Eventually, Ms Dwire was arrested outside of the store and taken to the Garfield County jail on two counts of bias-motivated harassment according to police documents.

She has been released on bond and is set to appear in court next month.
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Police were called to the Pennsylvania compound of Fethullah Gulen, the US-based Muslim cleric accused by Turkey of instigating a failed 2016 coup , on Wednesday after a guard fired a shot at a suspected armed intruder, a Gulen spokesman said.

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The security guard fired a warning shot as the person tried to enter the compound's gates, and the intruder fled, the spokesman said. There are no known injuries or arrests, Alp Aslandogan, Gulen's media adviser, told Reuters.



"Just one shot was fired," Aslandogan said. "The person disappeared. The incident is over as far as we're concerned."

Fethullah Gulen(left) and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (right) (Photo: AP, Reuters)

Gulen was inside his residence on the compound at the time.

"His response was that the authorities should be informed and everybody should cooperate fully with the investigation to find out what happened," Aslandogan said.

Several Pennsylvania State Police cars were seen around the sprawling gated compound and retreat in Saylorsburg in the Pocono Mountains, according to photographs shared online by local news reporters.

Police, who left the scene a short time later, did not respond to requests for comment. A local television station, WNEP, reported that police were still searching for the suspected intruder.

The 2016 military coup against Turkish government (Photo: Reuters)

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish government accuse Gulen of orchestrating an attempted coup in July, 2016, in which rogue soldiers commandeered tanks and fighter jets, bombing parliament. More than 240 people were killed in the violence.

Gulen denies the accusations.

His compound is patrolled by a team of uniformed private security guards, some of them armed with handguns.

Fethullah Gulen (Photo: Reuters)

Erdogan has repeatedly demanded that the United States extradite Gulen to Turkey, straining relations between the two NATO allies. Washington has asked for more compelling evidence of Gulen's involvement in the attempted coup.

A US evangelical pastor, Andrew Brunson, has been held under house arrest in Turkey after authorities charged him with links to Kurdish militants and Gulen supporters, an accusation he has denied. That case has become a key issue in the worsening diplomatic conflict between the two countries, leading to US sanctions.
In response to a UN court order that the US lift sanctions on Iran, the Trump administration said Wednesday it was terminating a decades-old treaty affirming friendly relations between the two countries. The largely symbolic gesture highlights deteriorating relations between Washington and Tehran.

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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said withdrawing from the 1955 Treaty of Amity was long overdue and followed Iran "groundlessly" bringing a complaint with the International Court of Justice challenging US sanctions on the basis that they were a violation of the pact.

Meanwhile, National Security Adviser John Bolton said the administration also was pulling out of an amendment to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that Iran or others, notably the Palestinians, could use to sue the US at The Hague-based tribunal. Bolton told reporters at the White House that the provision violates US sovereignty.

US President Trump; Iran President Rouhani

"The United States will not sit idly by as baseless politicized claims are brought against us," Bolton said. He cited a case brought to the court by the "so-called state of Palestine" challenging the move of the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as the main reason for withdrawing.

Bolton, who last month unleashed a torrent of criticism against the International Criminal Court, noted that previous Republican administrations had pulled out of various international agreements and bodies over "politicized cases." He said the administration would review all accords that might subject the US to prosecution by international courts or panels.

Earlier, Pompeo denounced the Iranian case before the UN court as "meritless" and said the Treaty of Amity was meaningless and absurd.

"The Iranians have been ignoring it for an awfully long time, we ought to have pulled out of it decades ago," he told reporters at the State Department.

The little-known treaty with Iran was among numerous such ones signed in the wake of World War II as the Truman and Eisenhower administrations tried to assemble a coalition of nations to counter the Soviet Union. Like many of the treaties, this one was aimed at encouraging closer economic relations and regulating diplomatic and consular ties.

Its first article reads: "There shall be firm and enduring peace and sincere friendship between the United States of America and Iran."

The treaty survived the 1979 overthrow of the Shah in Iran's Islamic revolution and the subsequent hostage crisis that crippled American-Iranian relations for decades.

But amid a broader push to assert US sovereignty in the international arena and after pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal this year, the administration determined that the court case made the treaty irrelevant.

Mike Pompeo (Photo: AP)

Pompeo said the ruling was a "useful point for us to demonstrate the absolute absurdity" of the treaty.

The court case is legally binding, but Pompeo said the administration would proceed with sanctions enforcement with existing exceptions for humanitarian and flight safety transactions.

"The United States has been actively engaged on these issues without regard to any proceeding before the ICJ," he said.

At the same time, he criticized the ruling.

"We're disappointed that the court failed to recognize that it has no jurisdiction to issue any order relating to these sanctions measures with the United States."

The ruling said Washington must "remove, by means of its choosing, any impediments arising from" the re-imposition of sanctions to the export to Iran of medicine and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities and spare parts and equipment necessary to ensure the safety of civil aviation.

It said the exceptions mentioned by Pompeo "are not adequate to address fully the humanitarian and safety concerns" raised by Iran.

The first set of sanctions that had been eased under the terms of the nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration was reimposed in August. A second, more sweeping set of sanctions, is set to be reimposed in early November.

Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, praised the court ruling, saying on Twitter that it was "another failure for sanctions-addicted" US and a "victory for rule of law." He said it was imperative for other countries 'to collectively counter malign US unilateralism" and he accused the US of being an "outlaw regime."

The court said the case will continue and the US can still challenge its jurisdiction but no date has been set for further hearings.
I know that for the great majority of Israelis, Yahya Sinwar is an enemy. A man who spent 22 years in Israeli prison and released seven years ago in the Shalit deal, only to become the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip shortly afterwards. That is why this interview will not be easy to read. I also know I would never be able to truly feel what you feel. But one thing I can promise: I tried to do the most professional journalistic work, ask the hard questions, and not let Sinwar off easy.

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When I tell people I met Sinwar, the first question I'm asked is where did we meet: Inside a tunnel? In a secret bunker deep underground? No, I reply. Most of our meetings were in his office, in Gaza City. Sometimes we met in private, with only an interpreter, and at other times the interview was held in the presence of aides and advisors.

Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar (Photo: AP)

Why did you decide to give this interview now, to an Israeli newspaper no less?

"Because now I see a true opportunity for change."

An opportunity? Now?

"Yes, now."

It appears the most realistic thing right now in Gaza is another war.

"A new war is in no one's interest, certainly not our interest. Who really wants to confront a nuclear superpower with four slingshots? War doesn't achieve anything."

But you have been fighting all of your life.

"I'm not saying I won't fight anymore. I'm saying I don't want any more wars. What I want is an end to the siege. My first commitment is to act in the interest of my people; to protect them and to defend their right for freedom and independence."

Eighty percent of Gaza's population lives off humanitarian aid and 50 percent go hungry. Don't you think you have a responsibility in this situation?

"The responsibility lies with those who closed the borders, not those who tried to reopen them. My responsibility is to cooperate with anyone who could help us put an end to the siege. In the current situation, an explosion is inevitable."

The interview took place at the midst of negotiations over a ceasefireor a calmbetween Israel and Hamas. I asked Sinwar what did he mean when talking about a ceasefire, and he gave me a laconic response: "Complete quiet, and an end to the siege."

Quiet for quiet?

"No, quiet for quiet and for the end of the siege; the siege is not quiet."

Sinwar on the Gaza border with protesters

Hamas is holding captive two Israeli citizens (Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed) and the bodies of two IDF soldiers (Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul). How important are prisoner exchanges in a ceasefire agreement?

"It's more than important, it's absolutely vital. This isn't a political question, it's a moral question. I see it as a duty. I'll do whatever it takes to release anyone who is still in prison."

What happens if this ceasefire doesn't work? After all, so far any attempt to reach an agreement has been torpedoed by the extremists on both sides.

"The agreement doesn't exist yet. Hamas and almost all of the other Palestinian organizations are willing to sign it and honor it. But at the moment there's only the occupation. It's important to make it clear: If we're attacked, we'll defend ourselves. As always. And we will have another war. But then, in a year, you'll be here again; and I'll again tell you that with war you achieve nothing."

The full interview will be published in Yedioth Ahronoth's weekend supplement on Friday.
The people of Iran face a sensitive time because of the threat from America and economic problems, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech broadcast by state television on Thursday.

Tension between Iran and the United States has ramped up after US President Donald Trump withdrew from a multilateral nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic in May and reimposed sanctions.
Some 75 years after the extermination of Europe's Jews by the Nazis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum on Thursday morning.

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Merkel toured the Hall of Names, participated in a memorial ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance, visited the Children's Memorial and signed the Yad Vashem guest book.

Merkel at Yad Vashem (:  )

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"Eighty years ago, on Kristallnacht in November, the Jews in Germany suffered hatred and violence the likes of which they've never encountered before," Merkel wrote in the guest book. "What came later is a crime unlike any, a breaking point for civilization, the Holocaust. Since then, Germany has a responsibility to remember this crime and fight anti-Semitism, xenophobia and hatred in general."

(Photo: Oren Ben Hakun)

After her visit to Yad Vashem, Merkel received an honorary doctorate from Haifa University and met with students at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Merkel receives honorary doctorate degree from Haifa University (Photo: Reuters)

Merkel denied a report she had threatened to cancel her visit if the illegal Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar is evacuated. "This is an Israeli decision and our visit is not affected by it," she told students at the Israel Museum. "There could be different views on this, on the settlements, and I had critical comments on this because I believe in the two-state solution, but this is a different matter."

Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who met with Merkel at the Israel Museum, said he was "glad the chancellor made it acutely clear that the story about Khan al-Ahmar is complete fake news."

(Photo: Oren Ben Hakun)

Asked about her disagreements with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the Iranian nuclear deal, Merkel said that "on the basic statement that everything must be done to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, we are in agreement. The issue on which we have different views is whether the agreement reached with Iran is the way, for a limited time, to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons."

Later, she toured the museum's exhibit on innovation with Prime Minister Netanyahu and had a round table discussion with businesspeople.

The two examined different new developments, including a lab designed for zero-gravity experiments in space, a development to dealing with strokes, a development in agriculture, and more.

Merkel's message at the Yad Vashem guest book

"The German economy is one of the biggest in the world, and I believe those who initiate, get ahead," Netanyahu said during the round table discussion.

To Merkel, he added, "I was happy to host you at the innovation exhibition. This is the future and I'm very happy to host you in the future. We can build many things together."

Merkel and Netanyahu at the round table discussion (Photo: Eli Posner/Israel Museum)

The German chancellor then made her way to the President's Residence for a working lunch with President Reuven Rivlin.

Merkel and Rivlin at the President's Residence (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

At 2pm she will meet with Netanyahu, following which the two leaders will hold a joint press conference.

Merkel welcomed at the Prime Minister's Residence (: ")

X

At 3:45pm, the governments of Israel and Germany will hold their seventh inter-governmental (G2G) meeting in Jerusalem.

The inter-governmental consultations will focus on security, scientific, economic, cultural and cyber cooperation. There will also be a series of discussions and the signing of MOUs, the goal of which is to strengthen bilateral relations.

Merkel and Netanyahu meet at the Prime Minister's Residence (Photo: GPO)

Merkel is scheduled to return to Germany at 7pm.

The German chancellor landed in Israel for a quick 24-hour visit on Wednesday evening and headed straight to Jerusalem for dinner at the Prime Minister's Residence.
Some six months after the Palestinian "March of Return" campaign began in Gaza, the violent rioting near the fence, which took place only during the day so far, has in recent weeks began "stretching" into the night.

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Almost every evening, hundreds and at times thousands of Palestinians gather at different spots along the Gaza border fence and continue rioting until midnight.

The protests, which have become even more violent, include the hurling of firecrackers and explosive devices, grenades and stones at IDF forces, and the launching of incendiary balloons and kitesall of which cause damage to the border fence and the nearby area.

In some cases, the Palestinians succeed in infiltrating Israeli territory and causing damages to the heavy equipment being used by the defense establishment to construct the underground obstacle on the border.

The night protests have been gaining momentum after the rioters realized the IDF is having a harder time stopping the masses from reaching the fence in the dark.

The IDF soldiers on the border, meanwhile, strictly adhere to the rules of engagement, and at the same time avoid coming near the border for fear of sniper fire.

Air pollution from burning tires smoke

Israelis living near the Gaza border have been suffering from the rioting for months. Every night, they can hear the explosions of the firecrackers and other explosives being hurled at the IDF troops.

The Palestinians have also taken to playing recordings of the Code Red rocket-alert siren using megaphones to scare the residents, and at certain sections of the fence Palestinians can come close enough to shout abuse at the residents. In one town on the border, residents have been hearing shouting in Hebrew saying: "We're coming to kill you through the tunnels; we'll burn down your town."

The Israeli residents also have to deal with the daily incendiary balloon terrorism, which causes an average of 10 fires a day.

"For over six months, there has been a war of attrition here," said Amit, a resident of one of the communities on the Gaza border. "A proper daily war on the border."

The smoke from the daily and nightly protests, caused when Palestinians set fire to numerous tires, also poses a health risk to the Israeli residents of the border area.

Residents of Kerem Shalom, and particularly young children, have been suffering from breathing difficulties and vomiting caused by the burning tires smoke.

Representatives of the Environmental Protective Ministry arrived at the community several days ago to carry out several air quality monitoring tests, finding unusually high levels of air pollution both outside homes and inside them.

"Following the tests, we recommended to instruct residents to close themselves up in their homes," the ministry said Wednesday.

Kerem Shalom's residents had an emergency discussion, where they presented their complaints.

"Our community is covered in suffocating smoke," one said. "Last week, worshippers drove to the synagogues in their cars, as it was impossible to walk outside because of the pollution."

Some of the air pollution is also caused by the crowd dispersal measures the IDF uses against the Palestinian rioters.

"The IDF fires tear gas, and because of the westerly winds, everything flies back to us," the same resident said. "In recent days, there were grave incidents of children walking around outside when all of a sudden a wave of tear gas and black smoke came. They simply lied down on the floor and couldn't breathe."

The residents complained to the IDF, which told them it will find a solution. But until then, they are considering evacuating the town.

At this time, however, there has been no decision made to evacuate, mostly because the residents don't want to give Hamas a victory from the protests. But if the situation gets worse, they say they might not have a choice but to leave.
IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot decided Thursday to send reinforcements to the Southern Command amid the high tensions on the Gaza border.

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As the security situation on the Gaza border continues to deteriorate, Eisenkot held a situation assessment with the IDF's top generals as well as senior Shin Bet officials, at the end of which it was decided on a wide-scale deployment of additional troops in the south over the next few days.

The IDF said in a statement that the decision was made "to continue the determined policy to thwart terror attacks and prevent infiltrations into Israel in the border fence area of the Gaza Strip. The IDF is prepared and ready for a variety of scenarios and considers the Hamas terror organization responsible for everything that happens in and from the Gaza Strip."

Rioting in Gaza (Photo: AFP)

In excerpts from an interview Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar gave Yedioth Ahronoth, he asserted that "A new war is in no one's interest, certainly not our interest. Who really wants to confront a nuclear superpower with four slingshots? War doesn't achieve anything."

The interview with journalist Francesca Borri will be published in full on Friday in both Yedioth Ahronoth and Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

"I'm not saying I won't fight anymore. I'm saying I don't want any more wars," Sinwar told Borri. "What I want is an end to the siege. My first commitment is to act in the interest of my people; to protect them and to defend their right for freedom and independence."

A 15-year-old Palestinian teen was shot dead Wednesday evening during clashes between Palestinian rioters and IDF forces near the Erez border crossing in the northern Gaza Strip.

Over a 1,000 Palestinians protested in several different spots along the border fence, throwing stones at IDF forces and setting fire to tires.

The Israeli troops responded with crowd dispersal measures, with the IDF saying the soldiers "are acting in accordance with the rules of engagement."

Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation headed by the terror group's deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri returned Wednesday after four days of discussions in Cairo with top Egyptian intelligence officials.

The discussions revolved around both the reconciliation with Fataha rival Palestinian faction led by Mahmoud Abbasand an arrangement in Gaza, which would include a ceasefire agreement with Israel. It is unclear what the outcome of these discussions was.

In recent weeks, there has been a spike in Palestinian rioting in Gaza, as well as in the launch of incendiary balloons and kites.

On Monday, some 4,000 Palestinians rioted in northern Gaza, throwing stones and Molotov cocktails and launching fireworks at Israeli forces, who responded with crowd dispersal measures.

Over the last weekend, some 20,000 Palestinians rioted in several spots along the Gaza border. Seven Palestinians were reported killed from IDF fire during those clashes, including three teenagers aged 12, 14 and 18. The IDF said it had attacked a Hamas position.
Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, has conditioned a ceasefire deal with Israel on the lifting of the Gaza blockade and insisted a prisoner swap deal should be reached separately, according to a Thursday report in the British Telegraph newspaper.

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Two months ago, Sinwar held a five-hour long strategy presentation with a number of Palestinian journalists at his Gaza City headquarters, where he stressed that Hamas and other Palestinian factions in the strip would halt rocket attacks and violence along the border fence with Israel if the arrangement through indirect talks is reached by mid-October.

However, the 55 year old underlined that if the negotiations collapse, the violence and mass demonstrations along the security fence would escalate.

Yahya Sinwar

If there is no deal, he made it clear that Hamas will turn the table upside down on the heads of everyone. The Israelis, the Palestinian Authority, the Egyptians  Everyone is going to suffer, said Palestinian analyst Mkhaimar Abusada, who was at the meeting.

Since August, when Sinwars conference took place, the Egypt-mediated talks have indeed halted and the violence along the border, as well as the arson terrorism, have significantly intensified.

The Telegraph article is very flattering to the terror groups leader, describing him as a man of the people. According to the article, Sinwar speaks plainly and still has Friday afternoon dinners with his friends in Khan Youniswhere he reportedly lives in a small house, the exact location of which remains unknown due to security concerns.

When you talk to him, sometimes youre speaking with a statesman, sometimes youre speaking with a man from the street, Abusada told the Telegraph.

Despite being a ruthless leader, who reportedly killed suspected Israel collaborators with his bare hands, Sinwar is described by the Telegraph as a devoted father, who, according to Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem, is very involved in his childrens lives and even brings them to his workplace.

He plays with them in a way we dont do with our kids  I assume its because hes been waiting in prison for these kids for a long time. He also believes hes on the Israeli wanted list and so these kids may lose their father. So he increases the dose of love, the spokesman opined.

Sinwar said earlier this year that he knows he is endangering his childrens lives due to his involvement with Hamas military wing, and believes his life will end as a shahid (martyr).

The first word my son learned to say, after mama and dada, was drone. Because there are are drones hovering all over the place, he bemoaned.

Israeli security officials have confirmed Sinwar's fears, saying the IDF wants the controversial leader dead.

Sinwar is in the front row of terrorists who want Israel gone. But he is a very patient person and he understands that for the time being Israel is not going anywhere. He is willing to postpone his vision and deal with the reality, said one Israeli official.

The Telegraph quoted some reports that Sinwar was diagnosed with a brain tumor during his time in Israeli prison, which required an urgent operation. Israeli surgeons reportedly conducted the needed procedure and saved his life.

He said Israeli mothers came to visit him and they were so kind. That was the first time he had been that close to the Israeli civilian community. He told me: A mother is a mother, the Jews dont want to lose their children either,' said Abu Mostafa, Sinwars neighbor from Khan Younis.

While in jail, Sinwar also managed to learn Hebrew by consuming written Israeli media, especially Yedioth Ahronoth, which was a favorite of his, according to the Telegraph.

He wanted to know all the time what was happening in Israel. He followed all the military and political developments, said Helal Jaradat, Sinwars jailmate, who was convicted for stabbing to death an IDF soldier.

Although the Hamas leaders hatred for Israel did not change after he left prison, he became more tolerant of rival Palestinian factions, going as far as to hold question-and-answer sessions with members of other groups.

He stopped being an extremist fanatic ... Hes now a political leader in Gaza and he believes in political partnership, added Tholfikar Swairjo from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Hamas leaders along with Yahya Sinwar

One of the main reasons why the possible long-term ceasefire arrangement might not be achieved is the prisoner exchange issue, which Israel sees as an integral part of any agreement with the terror group.

Sinwar, on the other hand, believes the prisoner swap issue should be discussed in a separate deal between Hamas and the Israeli government, since this matter might take years to resolve and is certainly not achievable by mid-October.

Today we have 6,000 Palestinian prisoners (in Israeli jails) suffering from humiliation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They dont have any opportunity to be free unless there is a swap between us and the occupation, Sinwar stressed.

An Israeli official said the terror groups leader sympathizes with the prisoners since he spent 22 years in jail himself.

"He has a deep sense of obligation to the prisoners. He was a prisoner himself and he left some of his his friends behind in Israeli prison," he added.
Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that Germany believes a Palestinian state established alongside the Jewish state of Israel was "the right answer."

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Merkel, who is in Jerusalem for a quick 24-hour visit , also spoke of Germany's deep commitment to Israel ahead of a working lunch at the President's Residence.

Rivlin focused his remarks on the Iranian threat. "We can't not appeal the decision made by the European Union to bypass the sanctions imposed on Iran," he told Merkel.

(Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Responding to Rivlin, Merkel noted that "we want to prevent Iran from using nuclear weapons. The question is in what way: should we continue with the agreement or build on the sanctions? We're working towards the same goalto stop the Iranian nuclear program."

(Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

President Rivlin also expressed concern of a "new strain of anti-Semitism growing in Europe in the form of nationalistic right-wing political forces with Nazi roots, which are gaining traction."

"But we are not confused: There's no such thing as loving Israel and hating the Jew," he continued. "We must show zero tolerance to anti-Semitism and racism."

Earlier in the day, Merkel visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum. "We're committed to the memory and to ensure something like this would never happen again," she said at the President's Residence. "We'll fight against anti-Semitism, xenophobia and any type of discrimination. We have a commitment to ensure a better future."
Britain and the Netherlands have accused Russia of running a global campaign of cyber attacks to undermine Western democracies, including what the Dutch government described as an attempt to hack into the UN chemical weapons watchdog.

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Moscow denied what its Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called a "diabolical perfume cocktail" of allegations by someone with a "rich imagination." But the accusations will deepen Moscow's isolation at a time when its diplomatic ties with the West have been downgraded over the poisoning of a spy in England and it is under US and European sanctions over its actions in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: Reuters)

Dutch authorities said they had disrupted an attempt to hack into the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in April. At the time, the UN watchdog was investigating the poison used to attack an ex-spy in Britain and chemical weapons which the West says were used in Syria by Russia's ally President Bashar Assad.

Dutch Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld called on Russia to cease its cyber activities aimed at "undermining" Western democracies.

According to a presentation by the head of the Dutch military intelligence agency, four Russians arrived in the Netherlands on April 10 and were caught with spying equipment at a hotel located next to the OPCW headquarters.

The four Russians in the Netherlands were detained on April 13 and expelled to Russia, Dutch Major General Onno Eichelsheim said. They had planned to travel on to a laboratory in Spiez, Switzerland used by the OPCW to analyze samples, he said.

Illustration photo (Photo: shutterstock)

Russian military intelligence "is active here in the Netherlands ... where a lot of international organisations are (based)," Eichelsheim said.

Earlier on Thursday, Britain released an assessment based on work by its National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which cast Russia's GRU military intelligence agency as a cyber aggressor which used a network of hackers to sow worldwide discord.

The GRU, Britain said, was almost certainly behind the BadRabbit and World Anti-Doping Agency attacks of 2017, the hack of the US Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016 and the theft of emails from a UK-based TV station in 2015.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (Photo: gettyimages)

"The GRU's actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries," said British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

"Our message is cleartogether with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRU's attempts to undermine international stability," Hunt said.

The GRU, now officially known in Russia by a shorter acronym GU, is also the agency Britain has blamed in the past for sending two agents to England to poison former spy Sergei Skripal with a chemical weapon sprayed in his door.

Skripal, his daughter and a police officer fell seriously ill. A woman later died after her partner found the poison in a discarded perfume bottle. Russia says the two men Britain blames for the attack were tourists who twice visited Skripal's home town during a weekend trip to England, a story Britain says is so far-fetched as to prove Moscow's culpability.

After the Skripal poisoning, dozens of Western countries launched the biggest expulsion of Russian spies working under diplomatic cover since the height of the Cold War. Moscow replied with tit-for-tat expulsions of Westerners.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB spy, said on Wednesday that Skripal, a GRU officer who betrayed dozens of agents to Britain's MI6 foreign spy service, was a "scumbag" who had betrayed Russia.

Men who Britain blames for poisoning former spy Sergei Skripal (Video: Getty)

"This pattern of behaviour demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to international law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences," Hunt said.

The United States sanctioned GRU officers including its chief, Igor Korobov, in 2016 and 2018 for attempted interference in the 2016 US election and cyber attacks.

Australia and New Zealand backed the United Kingdom's findings on the GRU.

"Cyberspace is not the Wild West. The International Community, including Russia, has agreed that international law and norms of responsible state behaviour apply in cyberspace," Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

"By embarking on a pattern of malicious cyber behaviour, Russia has shown a total disregard for the agreements it helped to negotiate," Morrison said.
National Policies and Economic Affairs State Minister Dr. Harsha De Silva has been appointed as the acting Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs by President Maithripala Sirisena during the absence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Premier Wickremesinghe, is currently on an official visit to Norway and the UK until next Wednesday.
The US Justice Department on Thursday charged seven Russian intelligence officers with hacking anti-doping agencies and other organizations hours after Western officials leveled new accusations against Moscow's secretive GRU military spy agency.

Hours before the US indictment was announced, Western nations accused the GRU of new cybercrimes, with Dutch and British officials labeling the intelligence agency "brazen" for allegedly targeting the international chemical weapons watchdog and the investigation into the 2014 downing of a Malaysian Airlines flight over eastern Ukraine.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte raised questions about his health on Thursday when he said in a public address that he had gone to a hospital for tests, a day after he missed a cabinet meeting and another event.

Duterte has disappeared from public view before. He was not seen for a week last year, fuelling speculation he was ill. The government insisted then the speculation was baseless.

But this was the first time he seemed to confirm he might have health problems.
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions against a Turkish-based company and a North Korean diplomat based in Mongolia, accusing them of trading in weapons and luxury goods with Pyongyang in violation of international sanctions.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed Thursday Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for transferring funds to Hamas during a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in which the two displayed unity, despite gaping disagreements.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel was in Israel for two days of joint government consultations, the seventh such trip since Israel and Germany established the tradition a decade ago.

(Photos: Yonatan Sindel, AFP)

Merkel and Netanyahu appeared together at a press conference where the prime minister addressed the possibility that Hamas would attack Israel as a result of its people's financial distress.

"If Hamas thinks that as a result of this plight it can attack Israel it will be making a major mistake. Our response will be harsh, very harsh. I hope that it is possible to halt this strangulation but I also reiterate that Israel will act with all necessary strength to defend itself and its citizens," Netanyahu stressed.

"The situation in Gaza may be divided in two. First of all, the permanent effort by Hamas to arm itself and organize against Israel. Second, in the last year Abbas has made the situation in Gaza more difficult by choking off the flow of funds from the Palestinian Authority to Gaza," he explained.

"Abbas has interfered in all UN attempts to ease the plight in Gaza, including now. Many countries, today I can say that even the donor countries are condemning him for this, and rightly so," the prime minister continued.

Merkel and Netanyahu at the press conference (Photo: Amit Shabi)

Referring to the chances for peace in the Middle East, the prime minister said that the Iranian threat "brought Israel and the Arab states close as never before. I believe that this new relationship is a great hope for the future because it paves the way for peace between Israel and the Arab states, although it will take time and it normalizes gradually. I think ultimately it will help us reach peace with our Palestinian neighbors if they decide to embrace peace instead of trying to squeeze Israel into impossible conditions."

Netanyahu made his remarks on the backdrop of the IDF's decision to reinforce troops around the Gaza Strip on Thursday as a precaution against incursions by Palestinians during violent protests along the border.

Earlier at the press conference, Netanyahu addressed Merkel and thanked her for her unrelenting support for Israel's security, and Berlin's unreserved stance against anti-Semitism.

The prime minister also divulged some information concerning the meeting the two leaders held prior to the press conference. "We identified several areas to increase our cooperation. We signed agreements on trade, the environment, energy, transportation and housing. There are very, very few economies in the world today that have our capacity...but we also have to defeat the forces that want to drag us into the pastIslam, and primarily the forces of ISIS on the one side, and Iran and its proxies on the other side."

On the subject of Iran, Netanyahu says the nuclear deal, which curbed Iran's nuclear program, does not include enough safeguards to prevent the Islamic Republic from developing a nuclear weapons capability.

"It's not a secret, certainly not a state secret that I opposed the deal with Iran becauseit paved its way to a nuclear arsenaland put billions of dollars in the hands of the leading aggressor in the Middle EastIran, which had extended its aggressive activity to Europe as well," the prime minister said.

"I believe that all nations must join together to press the Iranian regime to fully dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Iran, ultimately, has to get out of Syria altogether. Israel will continue to do what we must do to defend ourselves, to defend our state and our people," he asserted.

Referring to the Holocaust and the strong ties between Germany and Israel, the prime minister said the Jewish people "overcome the horrors of the past and never forget", adding that the countries have "transformed its relationship into a warm and constructive friendship."

Merkel and Abbas (file photo) (Photo: AP)

Merkel, whose rapport with Netanyahu has been cool at times, maintains that Israel will be best served by keeping the Iranian nuclear deal intact, contradicting Netanyahu's demand that it be scrapped and stiff sanctions imposed instead.

At the press conference, however, the German chancellor downplayed the countries' dispute over Iran, saying the sides were "absolutely in agreement" on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear arms, specifying that the agreement itself was in dispute.

"The region in which you live is very different from ours. I know Israel must defend itself if attacked," she concurred. Merkel also referred to the dangers on the northern border, noting that "the Iranian military presence in Syria and Lebanon poses a threat to Israel."

Merkel began the second day of her trip with an emotional tour of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and museum.

(Photo: Oren Ben Hakoon)

Accompanied by Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev, Merkel took special notice of an exhibited letter that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler sent deployed German soldiers in which he tried to boost their morale by saying they were fighting "a war of existence, a war against communism and its perpetrators, the Jews." She then participated in a memorial ceremony for the 6 million victims of the Nazi-led Holocaust.

At the press conference, Merkel spoke about her visit to the memorial.

"We have a real responsibility for the crimes committed in the Holocaust and we will pass this responsibility from one generation to the next. Anti-Semitism still exists, and in some parts of Germany it is even on the rise."

Netanyahu also referred to anti-Semitism, saying that "once the Jews were accused of terrible things such as poisoning of wells. Today these charges are directed against the State of Israel."

Earlier on Thursday, Merkel met witrh President Reuven Rivlin.

At the meeting, Rivlin focused his remarks on the Iranian threat. "We cannot appeal the decision made by the European Union to bypass the sanctions imposed on Iran," Rivlin told Merkel.

"This is the time to join the sanctions on Iran, not go around them. The Iranian monster should be starved, not fed," the president stressed.

"This is the only condition to maintaining stability in the region. We ask Germany to stand beside us in the demand for supervision on Iran's nuclear program, and to not allow it to evade its commitments," he added.

(Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Responding to Rivlin, Merkel noted that "we want to prevent Iran from using nuclear weapons. The question is in what way: should we continue with the agreement or build on the sanctions? We're working towards the same goalto stop the Iranian nuclear program."

"We think that alongside a Jewish state, the establishment of a Palestinian state is the right answer, our commitment to Israel is deep, but Israel is the only democracy in the region and it is important to emphasize this face," she said.

During her short 24-hours visit, Merkel met Netanyahu for dinner Wednesday night and their ministers were set to sign a series of new agreements, including scientific exchanges and joint projects in cyber security, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology.

The chancellor also visited the Israel Museum, where she received an honorary doctorate by the University of Haifa, toured an innovation exhibit of Israeli and German companies, and headed a round table with the prime minister.

Merkel was accompanied by much of her Cabinet, a large business delegation and a new official in charge of combating anti-Semitism. At 7pm Thursday, the German leader was already on her way back to Berlin.
Russia's Defense Ministry said Thursday that the United States appeared to be running a clandestine biological weapons lab in the country of Georgia, allegedly flouting international conventions and posing a direct security threat to Russia -- allegations the Pentagon angrily rejected.

The exceptional accusations from Moscow came the same day US, British and Dutch officials accused Russian military intelligence of being behind multiple cyberattacks.

Maj. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian military's radiation, chemical and biological protection troops, alleged at a briefing that the lab in Georgia was part of a network of US labs near the borders of Russia and China.

The allegations were based largely on materials about the US-funded Richard G. Lugar Center for Public Health Research in Tbilisi, Georgia. Kirillov claimed the documents released by former Georgian State Security Minister Igor Giorgadze showed the facility was funded entirely by the US and the Georgian ownership it has on paper was a cover.
Jennifer Alpenbein, a Jewish women from Los Angeles attempting to immigrate to Israel, said she was detained for questioning and felt sexually harassed by two Population and Immigration Authority (PIA) agents, while waiting for the bus in north Tel Aviv on Wednesday.

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Alpenbein had come to Israel as part of the Birthright Israel project, after which she decided to make Aliyah. Over the past few months she has been residing in Israel on a tourist visa.

Alpenbein applied for an Israeli citizenship with the assistance of the Nefesh B'Nefesh organization, and she was supposed to receive her Israeli ID in two weeks.

Jennifer Alpenbein

According to Alpenbein, she left her friend's house in the Ramat HaHayal neighborhood on Wednesday and was waiting for the bus at a nearby station when two PIA agents stepped out of a vehicle that stopped next to her and asked her to identify herself.

The young woman, who had forgotten her passport at her friend's house, showed the agents her American driver's license.

Alpenbein told Ynet that the agents asked her to accompany them. "They took my phone and purse, tossed them into their car and told me to come with them."

The Jewish American claims that she was harassed by the agents while driving to the PIA's office in Jaffa. "As soon as we entered the car, they asked me what I think about (US President Donald) Trump and started smoking," she recalled.

Alpenbein added that the agents went through the photos on her phone and suggested to set her up with their friend. "I felt like I was being sexually harassed," she said.

When she arrived at the authority's office, one of the employees told her the agents were just joking with her, since they are "used to working with different populations."

Alpenbein, who is an actress, arrived in Israel at the beginning of July and began filing the required papers to make Aliyah.

Her three-month entry visa to Israel expired on Sunday.

After an inquiry with the Nefesh B'Nefesh organization conducted by the PIA, Alpenbein was told that her papers had expired and that she had not filed for an Israeli citizenship.

After several hours, she was released and taken to the Holon Junction, where she claims she was left.

"I didn't sleep all night, and I cried. I feel anxious, humiliated. I'm afraid to wait at a bus station," she told Ynet.

"I'm no longer excited to become an Israeli citizen. Now I'm not even sure whether I want to follow through with the process of receiving an Israeli citizenship," she vented.

The PIA issued a statement saying, "An examination of the incident's details indicates that Jennifer Alpenbein was detained in Tel Aviv after she had failed to present any identifying documents and after her residence permit had expired."

Population and Immigration Authority

"Alpenbein did not file a request to immigrate to Israel and is not in the midst of an ongoing immigration process. She was taken to the Authority's facility for further examination, and only then did she declare that she would like to apply for citizenship," the statement went on to say.

"During most of her stay at the facility, we attempted to assist her in applying for citizenship, and after she was taken to Holon at her request, she filed the papers to make Aliyah.

"Alpenbein was not asked at any point about her political preferences. We lament the blatant distortion of the incident's facts, which is apparently meant to portray a false picture of a simple case of a detained tourist due to an expired residence permit," the statement concluded.

Zev Gershinsky, vice president of Nefesh B'Nefesh, said, "Jennifer Alpenbein filed a request to the Ministry of Interior to receive a new immigrant status as part of the joint Nefesh B'Nefesh and the Population and Immigration Authority's Guided Aliyah program.

"Every year, the program enables hundreds of people eligible to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return to change their status (to citizens), while facilitating bureaucracy and assuring the success of the process.

"As Alpenbein turned to Nefesh B'Nefesh at the beginning of September, all of her papers were submitted to the Population and Immigration Authority and she is expected to complete the process of becoming an Israeli citizenship within the next two weeks."
Karu most distinct disadvantage for the next Presidential Elections is the number of years

Accepted by Sinhalese Buddhists and the Clergy

Minorities trust him as a friendly, patient, and amiable negotiator

His expertise as an able private sector executive played an indispensable part



A people who elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves and traitors are not victims...But accomplices

~George Orwell



Karu Jayasuriyas political career started in the mid-nineties. Karu Jayasuriya, born on September 29, 1940, came to limelight after he became the Mayor of Colombo from 1997 to 1999.

His expertise as an able private sector executive would have played an indispensable part during his tenure as Mayor of Colombo for him to be considered amongst the best of Colombos Mayors of all time.

It was during his time that the city of Colombo looked like a typically clean and utterly habitable city at all-comers.

The unassuming posture that he displayed when relating to the highest and lowest of society brought him a reputation that no present-day politician could boast about.

Yet, this same unassuming conduct on his part did, in fact, hinder his rise to the top of his political party, United National Party (UNP).

That unassertive, patient and modest approach to a profession, which at all times demanded a cavalier and aggressive demeanour from those who practised it, may have halted his rise in the short run, but when considering the long-term sustainability of an astute politician, such a demeanour is a concealed advantage.

The only indisputable disadvantage is that with a person who is already in his sixties trying to play the long-term game, the passage of years keeps piling up, making him look much older when the real time comes to assert himself.

By the year 2020, when the Presidential Elections are due, Karu will be 80 years old or young. J. R. Jayewardene climbed the proverbial greasy pole of politics when he was 71 years old

Karu Jayasuriyas most distinct disadvantage in being considered for the next Presidential Elections candidate is the number of years.

By the year 2020, when the Presidential Elections are due, Karu will be 80 years old or young. J. R. Jayewardene climbed the proverbial greasy pole of politics when he was 71 years old.

As a result, as was most aptly and illustratively penned in his biography by Professor K. M. de Silva, JR, when he assumed power in 1977, looked more like an old man in a rush rather than a calculating strategist for which he was reputed.

However, it is not fair by both JR and Karu Jayasuriya to be compared against each other.

Times have changed and have taken a nasty toll on a rapidly deteriorating political culture, which in its intrinsic core has come out as a mirror of the changes that our society has been painstakingly enduring during its meandering course.

In 2018, the UNP and its coalition Government are undergoing a serious yet an inscrutable course change.

The UNP, for all its pomp and boast over the last two-and-half-years, yet cannot accurately claim that it had really won any victory at the electorate, especially in the Sinhalese Buddhist voter base.

This is exactly where Karu Jayasuriyas claim to the highest job in the land matters.

His acceptance among the Sinhalese Buddhists and specifically among the Buddhist clergy coupled with the trust and faith reposed on him by the minorities as a friendly, patient, and amiable negotiator have contributed to him being considered for the job.

Given these divergent advantages, Karu J might appeal as the best candidate, provided Ranil Wickremesinghe opts to keep out of the Presidential Election as the UNP candidate this time as well.

Yet, one glaring and tangibly intense disadvantage that remains is his age and lack of enthusiasm and demand from the youth, at least as yet.

Nevertheless, Karu J seems to enjoy immense trust from the countrys civil organizations, whose prime platform is law and order, transparency and accountability.

His stringent allegiance to the process as against substance, taken in the context of sophisticated political calculation, might stand in good stead as it is the process by which a socio-political change could be attained and then administered as much as a substance that very process is supposed to be executing.

However, blind adherence to the process could, in the realm of politics, harm the politician, who tries to empower that process.

In an environment in which optics matters more than the process and substance, it is scrupulously hard to market a politician and his policies and principles to the large mob of voters.

Against such a confusing backdrop, let us examine once again the key elements that the next UNP or UNP-led Presidential Candidate need to have in his or her bag in order to run a legitimately aggressive and successful campaign:



1. The Maha Sanga 2. Unstinted support of the minorities 3. Intangibles including leadership, youth and charisma.



Does Karu Jayasuriya have the potential to garner the support of these key elements? Karu J certainly has the first two. And in both those categories, he enjoys the highest degree in the first. And in the second element, he is either better than or equal to Ranil Wickremesinghe.

It is in the intangibles that Karu J falls behind both Sajith Premadasa and Navin Dissanayake, the other two plausible contenders.

Some might argue the cases for Champika Ranawaka, Rajitha Senaratne and even Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka.

While Sarath Fonseka would disqualify himself as a loser as recent as in 2009, both Champika and Rajitha would have to climb a steep hill, in convincing the UNP voters, as authentic UNP members.

So, we are back to square one.

If Karu Jayasuriya is not the so-called Dark Horse, then who is it?

Is there any other who would wear that badge, Dark Horse? There doesnt seem to be any. However, what is not mentioned in the above formulation is a quality of the candidate as perceived to be a winner.

While acknowledging that this is no final pitch for a UNP candidate, it must also be borne in mind that time is not in favour of the United National Party.

It might be all too late for a brand new candidate to get his gear together and run an effective and winning campaign.

Who might be the opponent? There are a consistent hue and cry about one particular Rajapaksa whose country-loyalties might be belonging to continents far, far away from Mother Lanka.

As a matter of fact, that very element of the political formula may very well work against the grain of commonsensical politics.

Those who profess patriotism and thunder from atop lofty towers need to come down at least every now and then to listen to their own consciences.

What seems to baffle an ordinarily educated mind does not seem to astonish these Rajapaksas, who have over the last two decades and a half shown unlimited capacity for avarice and hunger for power.

Yet, the failure on the part of the present coalition Government to bring these violators of basic ethical norms and perpetrators of alleged financial crimes to justice has caused the public to lose faith in the Coalition Government.

This failure has further engendered a notion of suspicion and distrust among the curious public; it has heightened and aroused the stigmatic aura that some members of the governing party are colluding with the Rajapaksas in order to pave the way for a total exoneration of the alleged culprits.

Therefore, the options are limited and hard to discern.

If the election of Maithripala Sirisena was a watershed in our politics, in the event of a comeback of the Rajapaksas, the next Presidential Elections might well be a reversal of all the hopes and aspirations of a susceptible public.

Such vulnerabilities apart, any collusion or even a hint of collusion by any members of the current administration with the Rajapaksas will amount to a grotesque miscarriage of justice.

The writer can be contacted at vishwamithra1984@mail.com
News

Washington, DC - Senior Administration Officials On Visas for Same-Sex Domestic Partners of G-4 and Diplomatic Visa Holders:

MODERATOR: Thank you and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us today for this call relating to the eligibility for diplomatic visas for same-sex domestic partners of foreign government officials and international organization personnel traveling to and/or serving in foreign missions or at international organizations in the United States.

For your reference purposes only and not for reporting, as the call is on background, we welcome on the call today [Senior Administration Official One]. We also have [Senior Administration Official Two]. And then finally, we have [Senior Administration Official Three].

So again, this call is on background, and then were going to turn it over to our senior administration officials, who will open the call with some brief remarks, and then were going to move on to your questions. So with that, I turn it over to our Senior Administration Official Number One. Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Hi. I just would like to start by saying that the department introduced this policy in July of this year. The timing of that was such because the department  this policy was to match the departments own policy with respect to its family members who are serving abroad. And the policy  the purpose of the policy is to promote the equal treatment of all family members and couples, and this decision is in light of the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. So since 2015, the department announced that it would change its policies to accommodate that Supreme Court decision, and this is part of that policy.

And then roughly there are 105 families that would be impacted total in the U.S., and of those only about 55 are with international organizations. And then just marriage equality is since 2015 the law of the land in the U.S., so this policy is just in furtherance of that. And the  we understand that a lot of other countries dont necessarily view that the same way, so we are proud of the fact that were forward-leaning in this policy and are glad that we can implement a policy in furtherance of that. And the department has also been working with foreign governments where same-sex marriage isnt legal to  and like, for example, Israel, where our foreign diplomats  our diplomats serving abroad in Israel are treated the same as opposite-sex spouses. So in the U.S., we would then do the same for those spouses.

And then with respect to IOs, we expect that there  or sorry, international organizations, we expect that there will be lots of questions from that since our policy is slightly different, and we are happy to review any such cases specifically and certainly look forward to doing that and working with them to find a solution.

MODERATOR: Senior Administration Official Number Two.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Well, I agree with everything my colleague just said. Let me just note also that really the goal of these changes for us is to help codify the concept of derivative status for diplomatic community members in accordance with our own internal State Department policy changes now that Obergefell is the constitutional law of the land. In addition, its  for us, its also a matter of ensuring equal treatment for U.S. diplomats overseas, reciprocity in  in sort of visa regimes between the United States and other countries. And that said, we are, of course, happy to talk with any international organization, diplomatic mission that has any concerns about the policy on any individual cases as well.

MODERATOR: And now well go to Senior Administration Official Number Three.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: Yes, good afternoon. Just wanted to tell you a little bit about the timeline of our communications with the UN and the foreign missions up here in New York. Weve had a dialogue since July on this change to our policy. From the beginning, weve stressed that wed work closely with the UN and the foreign missions to help people meet these new requirements. I also communicated that if the requirements couldnt be met, that wed work with individuals on a case-by-case basis to help them to try to legally adjust their status to remain in the United States after the deadline. Id be happy to answer questions about the process of informing the UN and the foreign missions. Thank you.

MODERATOR: All right, and I think with that well now go to our first question.

OPERATOR: And again, if you have a question, please press *1. Going to the line of Matthew Lee, Associated Press. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: Hi, thanks. I think I get youre  what youre attempting to say here, but dont you think that this is an awfully odd way of promoting equal treatment of all family members and couples?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Well, U.S. diplomats as of yesterday have to be legally married in order to get the sort of derivative diplomatic status when they go overseas, so these changes are to mirror what U.S. policy now is.

QUESTION: Yeah, but thats not  but the thing is, is that other countries arent governed by U.S. law, and so Im not sure I get the reciprocity argument here when the foreign diplomats are subject to the laws of their own country, not of the United States.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Well, theres a tiered process. So if the foreign diplomat is coming to the United States to serve in a diplomatic mission here in Washington, they would  they would have  if same-sex marriage is legal in that host country, then they would have to be married to get the diplomatic visa derivative status for their partner. If theyre from a country that does not recognize same-sex marriage, then we will put processes in place to create a process so that they could still  the partner could still get derivative status in the United States. So the policy recognizes that not all countries have the same policy as we do, that they dont all recognize same-sex marriage legal as we do, as long as those countries act in a reciprocal fashion towards us and our diplomats.

MODERATOR: Next question, please.

OPERATOR: Going to the line of Barbara Usher, BBC. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: Thank you. Just a  sort of a question from the human rights side of it, following up on what Matt said. So fair enough, as long as the same-sex marriage is illegal in a country, but youll still make exceptions if there can be reciprocity. Even if that is the case, there are some countries where that wouldnt be and where same-sex marriage is not only illegal but could face punishments of jail and other punishments. And to register a marriage, lets say these diplomats go somewhere else to do so, then sort of outs them as well and makes them more public. So I know that this is a parity thing, but was there any discussion or consideration of the fact that there isnt parity with regards to the marriage choices of same-sex couples?

And then the second question is with regards to those with international organizations, are you saying that those who are in the country will also be able to get exceptions? Because according to the notes Ive seen, they are treated quite differently from the diplomats. Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: On the first question, yes, we are absolutely concerned about human rights implications, about safety of same-sex couples, given laws in their home countries. I would note though that in all of these cases under our current regulations the derivatives are receiving visas in their passport now. This does not change that. It just changes the definition. So somebody today is getting a visa in their passport as the derivative of a diplomat in their passport, and it says that they are the derivative of the principal applicant in their passport today.

With regard to G-4s, as I noted at the top, we are happy to talk to diplomatic missions, international organizations, about individual cases that they have concerns about and try to find a solution.

MODERATOR: All right, thank you. Next question, please.

OPERATOR: Going to the line of Carol Morello, Washington Post. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: Hi, thanks for doing that. Could you be a little clearer about whats in their passport today and what will be in? Is there anything where they have to identify, not just saying derivatives, but a spouse with the spouses name so that perhaps an immigration officer when they return home could notice it?

And also, former Secretary Kerry ordered embassies around the world to send back annual reports to pressure the host governments to accept same-sex spouses of U.S. diplomats and to report back annually to him on the progress. Is Secretary Pompeo maintaining that? Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Let me go ahead and take the first part regarding the actual visa. The visa is the same. The visa will say and says now the principal applicants name and that the holder is that  implying that the person whose passport it is with the visa in it with their own name, the annotation reads principle applicant and then the name. That is what is currently done and is what will be done. The change is what we accept at a mission abroad to define the familial relationship upon which the derivative status is based. So with Obergefell, the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States, this is what we ask of our own diplomats to get their spouses into the diplomatic visa process to go overseas, and thats what we will then ask from the foreign spouses as well.

MODERATOR: Carol, on the second question  I mean, [Senior Administration Official One] do you want to answer that or we can take that as well?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: I cannot. I wont answer that.

MODERATOR: Carol, well have an answer for you on that. I think it would give you a full answer. Well go to the next question now.

OPERATOR: Okay. Going to Hayes Brown, BuzzFeed News. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: Hi, guys. Thanks for doing this call. So my question is so this all  so Ive seen it reported that for diplomats currently in the country, they will just be able to go to their local city hall or whatever, and under the laws of the U.S., get married and be able to update their visa that way. But what about  (a) is that correct? And (b) for incoming diplomats who were hoping to be able to bring in their significant others, what about them, on the off chance that they  without this diplomatic visa attached to them, they wouldnt be able to get a visa to the United States?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: So for the first part of your question, the answer is yes. Foreign diplomats in the United States can get married in the United States and that is perfectly accessible. The second part of your question, we began informing foreign governments about this in July.

OPERATOR: Okay. Next were going to the line of Kylie Atwood, CBS News.

MODERATOR: Actually, hold on one second. Wait.

OPERATOR: Im sorry.

QUESTION: Are you coming to me, or --

MODERATOR: Yeah, well go ahead with Kylie. Well follow up with Hayes a little  okay. Go ahead, Kylie.

QUESTION: Okay. Just a quick question. Given that you know that 105 families are going to be impacted and 55 of them are with international organizations, do you have a guesstimate for the number of those families that do come from countries where same-sex marriage is illegal?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: I dont, but I will defer to my colleagues at the other organizations if they have specific information.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Specifically, it is  its not at all the majority. Its actually very few; the numbers small. But I wont guess specifics.

MODERATOR: Well take the next question.

OPERATOR: Okay. Next were going to the line of Jennifer Hansler, CNN. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: Hi, guys. Thanks for doing this. So a follow-up on Kylies question: Did you seek input from any of the diplomats who are going to be affected under this change before you announced it?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Well, as noted, we began discussions with the international organizations and diplomatic missions in July.

MODERATOR: Take the next question please.

OPERATOR: Going to the line of Michael Lavers, Washington Blade. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: Hi. Thank you so much for this call. I wanted to ask about the criticism that has been coming in from LGBTI groups regarding this policy taking effect. The Human Rights Campaign, for example, has described it as quote unconscionable end-quote and its a needless attack on some LGBTQ diplomats from around the world, noting that many countries dont recognize same-sex marriage. And former UN Ambassador Samantha Power is among others who have very strongly criticized this new policy. Does the  does anybody have any comment on that, and have LGBTI groups been consulted on this policy change? Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Well, this is certainly not an attack. It was not meant as an attack; it is not meant to be punitive. It is a recognition and a codification of the fact that same-sex marriage is legal in the United States. It is a codification of policies on derivative status for diplomatic missions to bring those policies in accordance with the long planned policy changes in the Department of State for our own diplomats.

MODERATOR: Go on to the next question please.

OPERATOR: Going to the line of Conor Finnegan, ABC News. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: Hey. Also just wanted to follow up on Kylies question. You said the majority of countries  Im sorry, the majority of incoming diplomats will not be affected, but the majority of countries do not have same-sex marriage. So Im just wondering how those two things can both be true. And then second, there has been no special envoy, special LGBT envoy. Has that office been shut down?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: I can speak to the first question. Specifically, I can say that those same-sex couples, same-sex domestic partners that are in the United States, according to our records, most are just from countries where same-sex marriage is legal.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Sure. Also let me just note that I think we say that most wont be affected, because most countries grant reciprocity to U.S. same-sex domestic couples. So in those countries where same-sex marriage is not legal but the host country affords our diplomatic community members privileges and immunities when they go to those countries, we will work with the members of their diplomatic staffs to bring their same-sex domestic partners to the United States.

MODERATOR: Go on to the next question, please.

OPERATOR: Okay. Going to the line of Leila Fadel, NPR. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: I just wanted to double check on diplomats who get married in the U.S. Thats only recognized if their home countries then recognize U.S. couples?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: No, if they can get married in the United States and then that would regularize their status as a derivative of the principal applicant, the diplomat stationed in the United States.

MODERATOR: Okay. Well go on to the next question, please.

OPERATOR: Going to the line of Mary Emily OHara, Conde Nast. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: Hi. Thank you for holding this call. Can everyone hear me?

MODERATOR: Yes, we can hear you.

QUESTION: Okay. Just making sure. Im having phone issues. Yes, I have two questions. The first is would this only apply to State Department and United Nations diplomats and officials, or could other officials from various agencies be impacted as well? Thats my first question. The second question is: When you say that you create a process for the partners to get diplomatic status if they cant get married for some reason, are you saying that the State Department is essentially giving jobs to the partners  to the same-sex partners of these officials? Like do they get some sort of official posting or title? And those are my two questions. Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Let me take your second question first. No, what Im describing is that if a diplomat in a foreign country where same-sex marriage is not legal has a domestic partner and that country recognizes the rights and privileges of our diplomatic same-sex partners in that country, then we have a process in place to ensure that we can still grant, in a reciprocal fashion, that visa to the domestic partner. So thats all it is. Its about the diplomatic derivative visa. And as far as the first part of your question, I mean were speaking specifically here about all various types of foreign government and designated international organization visas.

MODERATOR: Thank you. Well go on to the next question.

OPERATOR: Thank you. Going to the line of Tamsin McMahon, Globe and Mail. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: Hi. Thanks very much for organizing this call. I wanted to clarify what is considered to be legally married for foreign diplomats and employees of international organizations. For instance, I guess whether youre talking about same-sex or opposite-sex couples, are common law marriages recognized as well? And does the U.S. recognize common law marriages among its own Foreign Service? Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Okay. Well, the standard here that we use  again, going back to the concept of reciprocity  is what we would use for our own employees within the State Department. So were talking about legal marriage or a legal union thats equal to marriage in all respects would be the language that we use.

MODERATOR: Go on to the next question, please.

OPERATOR: Going to the line of Shaun Tandon, AFP. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: Yeah, hi. Thanks for doing this call. I wanted to just see if you could clarify what the policy was before this. Specifically, did you actually  were same-sex spouses  sorry, same-sex partners  were they allowed to have  to come to the United States, to have visas without proof of marriage? And if so what was the  what are the reasons for changing this now?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: So the reason for the change is the Obergefell decision in the Supreme Court in 2015 legalized same-sex marriage in the United States. The reason the change is happening at this moment is because our own internal State Department regulations for how we deal with State Department employees going overseas has now changed to codify the legality and constitutionality of same-sex marriage in the United States. So that is the reason for the change.

MODERATOR: Okay. And well go on to one last question.

OPERATOR: And this question is going to the line of Michelle Kosinski, CNN. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: Hi. You talk about the purpose of this being parity, because this is whats required of U.S. diplomats. But because this is a special case  gay marriage is illegal in some places, it can be a cause for discrimination and this could cause hardships for some as well as a whole other process for some people who want to be  who still want to come here  why is parity necessary? Why?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Well, we want to ensure equal treatment and reciprocity for our same-sex couple diplomats overseas, first of all. Second, we are concerned about human rights violations. We are concerned about peoples lives, which is why, as Ive described, we have a process in place for diplomatic members who are being posted to the United States who come from countries where same-sex marriage is not legal.

MODERATOR: All right. And I think with that, well wrap up the call today. We thank everyone for joining us. Again, this call was on background, and the officials are Administration Official One, Two, and Three. Thank you so much for joining us.
News

West Lafayette, Indiana - Purdue University's College of Agriculture welcomed 2,803 undergraduate students this fall, marking its largest undergraduate enrollment since 1980. Hoosier students make up 76 percent of those enrolled, and 60 percent are female students.

"That incoming students seek out our college speaks volumes about the work our faculty and staff have done to ensure our educational programs are real and relevant, both for students and for prospective employers," said Karen Plaut, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture at Purdue. "However, there is more work to be done. Agriculture is a high-tech industry, and we want to continue to attract the best and brightest in many different fields to agriculture."

"There have been tremendous changes in agriculture and ag-related fields," said Marcos Fernandez, an associate dean and director of the College of Agriculture's Office of Academic Programs. "The strong interest in our college among students validates that we continue to be a national and international leader in adapting to the challenges in agriculture and making sure our students are equipped to do the same."

Evolving student interests and changes in the world of agriculture have driven continued and growing interest in the college's wide range of programs, such as food science and agricultural economics, as well as biochemistry, which, this year, doubled its incoming student enrollment, Fernandez said. The college houses the nation's No. 1 agricultural and biological engineering program, according to U.S. News & World Report, and the QS world rankings lists the College of Agriculture as No. 9 in the world.

Amy Jo Jones, who recently was named to head the college's undergraduate recruitment efforts and is assistant director of the Office of Academic Programs, said the enrollment numbers only tell part of the story.

"This is about the quality of students, not just the quantity," she said. "We survey incoming students to ask why they selected Purdue and our College of Agriculture. One of the top answers is consistently because they want to make a difference in their careers and their lives. They are here for the right reason, and that is why we are here, too  to help them make a difference."

Jones said that students are supported with an aggressive scholarship pool, an internal support system to help and engage students, and a relationship with industry partners. On Tuesday (Oct. 2), the college held its annual career fair, with more than 150 companies attending. These factors combine to make the College of Agriculture students a sought-after commodity, with a 97 percent placement rate for graduates.

"There really is a legacy of success, and when you combine that with support and opportunity, students feel empowered to learn and to achieve," Jones said.

Among the college's undergraduates are 602 new freshmen, however, that number does not include two additional groups. The first is those planning to study agricultural and biological engineering who initially are enrolled in the university's First-Year Engineering program. The second is a group of 45 students in the Pathway to Purdue Agriculture program who do coursework both on Purdue's campus and at Ivy Tech-Lafayette.

Students in Purdue's College of Agriculture can choose from more than 30 majors that span the disciplines of science, engineering, technology, education, management and communication. The college is home to the only field phenotyping facility at a U.S. university. Its academic departments include agricultural and biological engineering, agricultural economics, agricultural sciences education and communication, agronomy, animal sciences, biochemistry, botany and plant pathology, entomology, food science, forestry and natural resources, horticulture and landscape architecture, and natural resources and environmental science.

Purdue is ranked the No. 4 Best Value institution in the U.S. in the latest Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education list, released in September. The ranking listed Purdue at the No. 6 nationally among public universities.
Living Section

Roll, Arizona - On Wednesday, October 17th, the Roll Library will host an Adult Painting Class at 3:30 p.m. Learn some basic painting tips and re-create a beautiful sugar skull painting with the materials provided.

There is no charge to attend; however, space is limited to the first 20 people. For more information, call Lucy Shaw at (928) 785-3701.



The Roll Library is located inside Mohawk Elementary School at 5151 S Avenue 39E in Roll, AZ.
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PATRIOTISM GOING TO BE THE TRUMP CARD AT THE FORTHCOMING ELECTIONS

Call to allow SL to look after its own affairs contradicts governments claim that SL is in good terms with intl community



There is no logical basis that Yahapalanaya Government saved MR from Electric Chair



No direct threat to implicate former President Mahinda Rajapaksa or Gotabaya by the UNHRC or any major country

On the eve of President Maithripala Sirisenas visit last month to New York to attend the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), it was reported that he was to make a special statement, at the world summit on the war crimes allegations against the Sri Lankan armed forces.

However, the statement he made on the matter was not in any way a special or new. Rather it was the same statement former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, his ministers and the Foreign Ministry officials have been making for several years.

The gist of President Sirisenas statement on the Human Rights violations/war crimes issue was a request made to the international community or in clear terms to the Western powers to allow Sri Lanka to solve its problems independently, without the interference of the outside forces.

The statement had been welcomed both by the United National Party (UNP) and the loyalists of the former President.

President Sirisena and the leaders of the UNP have always been telling the country that it was this government that saved the former President from the electric chair, meaning it was due to the governments positive engagements with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that the pressure by the international community on Sri Lanka over Human Rights issues has been eased.

Despite this being true, it also contradicts the Presidents call on the international community to allow Sri Lanka to look after its own affairs.

There was no logical basis for the argument that the so-called Yahapalana Government saved Rajapaksa from the electric chair, as there has never been any direct threat to implicate former President Mahinda Rajapaksa or his brother, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa by the UNHRC or any major country for alleged Human Rights violations or war crimes.

They have been travelling to so many countries even after these allegations were levelled against Sri Lanka, in spite of some senior military officers have met with diplomatic hurdles over the same allegations.

Yet, there were speculations that they would be implicated, as they were on the top of the chain of command in the State Military mechanism, during the war against the LTTE.

And Mahinda Rajapaksa and some of the top leaders of his group blow it up and without an iota of evidence, created a notion that Rajapaksa is going to be hauled up before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague to be penalized as Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia.

Milosevic was produced before the special court, International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia.

They created this fear among the Sinhalese in order to strengthen their support base among the majority community. And the electric chair was their version of punishment by the ICC.

There has never been any direct threat to implicate former President Mahinda Rajapaksa or his brother, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa by the UNHRC or any major country for alleged Human Rights violations or war crimes



In the wake of Maithripala Sirisena assuming office after the 2015 January 8 Presidential Election, the new Government followed a different approach towards the issues of Human Rights, reconciliation, ethnic problems and democracy.

The proscriptions on so many organizations - most of them were Tamil entities - and on several websites were lifted.

Roadblocks and checkpoints on many major highways were removed.

Threats of abductions, attacks on media personnel, institutions and demonstrators became things of the past. Most importantly, the new Government positively engaged with the UNHRC.

UNHRC had adopted three resolutions on Sri Lanka consecutively each year since 2012 and under one of them, an investigation into the alleged violations of Human Rights and humanitarian laws by both State Armed forces and the LTTE had been conducted.

The Rajapaksa Government, while rejecting those resolutions attempted to implement the recommendations of those resolutions.

For instance, the Government had submitted a national action plan in line with the 2012 resolution, in the UNHRC.

They have been travelling to so many countries even after these allegations were levelled against Sri Lanka, in spite of some senior military officers have met with diplomatic hurdles over the same allegations

It was amidst this conflict between the UNHRC and the Rajapaksa Government, that the Maithri-Ranil Government assumed office.

They chose to cooperate with the international community and the then Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera requested the world Human Rights body not to judge us by broken promises, experiences and U-turns of the past.

Thus the government co-sponsored the 2015 Resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC. The resolution recommended a local mechanism including the judges, lawyers and prosecutors from the Commonwealth countries to deal with the accountability process.

The UNP leaders said that this was the only way to protect the security forces from the allegation of war crimes.

This was highly praised by the leaders of the Western powers and this along with the governments new approach towards reconciliation and democracy eased the pressure on Sri Lanka by the international community, in respect of Human Rights.

Thus, no country wanted a resolution on Sri Lanka adopted in 2016. The electric chair story was forgotten even by its authors.

This was how the leaders of this Government saved Mahinda Rajapaksa from the electric chair.

President Sirisena exploited the situation in spite of him attempting to dissociate from the main recommendation of the 2015 resolution later.

He was well-recognized at the international fora and he said that it was due to his governments commitment to upholding the Human Rights in the country that the country was being recognized.

When he returned from the UNGA in 2015 his supporters had put up posters with slogans Welcome the President who protected the dignity of the armed forces, which conformed with the UNP leaders argument.

However, soon he felt the heat of the resolution within the country after a group of former commanders of the army, navy and air force and those who were field commanders during the war against the LTTE met him at the end of 2015.

He, while getting the credit from the international community for the 2015 resolution that was co-sponsored by his own government and telling the local audience that he rescued Mahinda Rajapaksa from the electric chair, told BBC in January 2016 that he would never agree to international involvement.

With Mahinda Rajapaksa increasingly playing the patriotic card and the cases against the former and serving military officers and personnel over various crimes and fraud progressing, President Sirisena further distanced himself from the resolution.

His outburst in October 2016 over the hauling-up of the former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and three former navy commanders before the courts resulted in the resignation of the Director General of Bribery Commission, Dilrukshi Wikramasinghe.

On the eve of his UNGA speech this year he hurriedly summoned a special Cabinet meeting and criticized the move to arrest high profile military officers such as Chief of Defence Staff Ravindra Wijegunaratne.

Yet, the 2015 resolution was a commitment by the government. Backing down from it would be another broken promise or a U-turn in Mangala Samaraweeras words and would invite conflicts with the international community, especially the UNHRC.

On the other hand, carrying out the commitment is dangerous in the face of the so-called patriotism going to be the trump card at the forthcoming elections

as well.

It is like getting caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.
The airing of the documentary Who Killed The Judges appears to have brought back different emotions from family members and relatives of those who were brutally murdered.

The said documentary was aired on Tuesday by Joy News to give all Ghanaians a fair idea of how things unfolded during the early 1980s.

Three judges and a retired military officer were abducted during curfew hours in 1982 and subsequently shot to death.

Justice Cecilia Koranteng Addow was one of the judges who was killed in 1982.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Bride whose husband died in tragic accident speaks after her coma

The murdered judges were Cecilia Koranteng Addow, Poku Sarkodie and Kwadwo Adjei Agyapong.

It has now emerged that mother of the late Justice Cecilia Koranteng Addow has been reeling in pain since her beloved daughter was taken away from her.

The murdered judges mother is currently 104 years old, but is still in pain over the abduction and killing of her daughter some 36 years ago.

Brother of the late Justice Cecilia Koranteng Addow told Accra-based Joy FM that the judges mother has simply refused to let go.

For me, judgment belongs to God so I have always told my mother to forgive but she will not, Robert Kofi Gaisie said.

According to him, sometimes when you try to do that she gets annoyed. I dont think she has forgiven the killers of my sister.

READ ALSO: 2019 US Visa Lottery opened from October 3 to November 6

Robert, who is now 80 years, said he doesnt believe justice was served for the cold murder of his sister back in 1982.

In his view, said no kind of justice would have been enough to atone for the loss of his sister.

When they kill your sister or a family member, what justice do you expect? he asked rhetorically.

Meanwhile, former Ghana Bar Association president and a Member of the Council of State, Sam Okudzeto, believes ex- president, Jerry John Rawlings has to accept responsibility for the happenings and has called on him to apologise to Ghanaians.

Yenkasa: Does it Matter if a Child is Named by the Mother? | Yen.com.gh

READ ALSO: Convert your church into factory to save economy - Duncan-Williams told

Share your views on this with us in the comments section below. Do you have a story to share with us? Inbox us on our Facebook/Instagram page and we could feature your story.

Source: Yen Newspaper
- Seasoned journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, has sent a word of caution to Former President John Mahama concerning the double-track system

- He said that any attempt by Mahama to review the policy when he becomes president in 2020 will result in chaos

Popular Ghanaian journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, has cautioned Former President Mahama against reviewing the double-track policy behind the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme.

According to him, it will be suicidal for Mahama to touch the policy if he becomes Ghanas president in 2020, because there will be total disorder under the heavens.

Speaking on Peace FMs morning programme, Kokrokoo, he explained that there will be total chaos in Ghanas educational system.

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His comments follow remarks by Mahama while campaigning in Central Regionals capital, Cape Coast.

Mahama is reported to have stated that the Akufo-Addo-led governments Free SHS policy is ill-timed.

"Our NPP friends, they don't listen to advice, they think they know everything . . . We just finished vacation. Children have been at home for nearly three months.

It is time to go to school you say they have to stay at home for nearly 41 days and let your friends go. After 41 days, they will come home and sit down; it doesnt make sense, Mahama said, adding that when elected president for a second time, he would hold a national stakeholders conference where he would panel educationists to revise the policy.

READ ALSO: Hanna Tetteh starts work as UN boss in Kenya

Ghana News Today: President Akufo-Addo Narrowly Escapes Jet Crash | Yen.com.gh

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- Melania Trump visited Ghana for two days

- She was welcome at the Accra airport by Ghana's first lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo

- Photos of her security detail have popped up online

The US first lady, Melania Trump, on Wednesday, October 3, completed a two-day tour of Ghana as part of her extended solo international mission to Africa.

Arriving at the Kotoka Airport on Tuesday, Mrs Trump was welcomed by Ghanas First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo.

As part of her tour, Mrs Trump visited the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, popularly known as Ridge Hospital where she donated a phototherapy machine.

Apart from the phototherapy machine, Mrs Trump also donated hampers and gifts to mothers and children at the Child Welfare Clinic of the Hospital.

READ ALSO: After announcing her impending wedding, Fella Makafui discloses she is pregnant

The second leg of her tour saw the US First Lady travelling to Cape Coast visit the Castle and also pay a courtesy call on the Oguaahene, Osaberima Kwesi Atta.

In Cape Coast, reports suggested, there was so much security that it led to a low turnout by the natives to see Melania.

The Oguahene's palace was quiet when Melania Trump visited (Source: Facebook/Rich Cann)

Source: Facebook

So who were the security people guarding Melania who could have struck such deadly fear in Ghanaians so not come out to cheer such a special visitor? Well, the answer lies in these photos sighted by YEN.com.gh.

READ ALSO: Wild bedroom video of popular UK-based Ghanaian lesbians goes viral

In the photos, it is obvious that US First Lady's security detail was armed to the teeth as they watched out for her.

Source: Facebook/Speaker Gborgbortor

Source: Facebook

Though it is usual for visiting American leaders to come with such high-level security, Melania's guards seem to have shaken a section of Ghanaians.

READ ALSO: Moesha Boduong breaks the internet with wild bedroom video of her in swimwear

On social media, photos of the well-armed guards elicited mixed reactions.

READ ALSO: Photos: Hannah Tetteh starts work as Director-General for UN office in Kenya

While some expressed fear, many others were full of admiration.

READ ALSO: Top pastor caught 'chopping' married church member in a bush (Video)

Meanwhile, Mrs Trump has since left Malawi from where she will go to Kenya and Egypt to also promote her Be Best child welfare initiative.

The Be Best initiative was launched earlier this year to focus on overall child well-being, with an emphasis on opioid addiction and online behaviour.

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the United States (US) Embassy in Ghana has announced the opening of this years Diversity Visa program for all interested applicants.

The Diversity Visa Lottery, also referred to as Green Card Lottery, is an annual program run by the US government to make Permanent Resident cards available to some persons.

Each year, over 55,000 persons from underrepresented countries who meet the basic eligibility requirements are issued with Permanent Resident cards in the US.

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Menzgold Ghana Limited has rubbished reports that they have outlined a payment plan for customers to cash out 50% of their principal investments.

A press statement went viral on Tuesday that the gold trading firm will be giving customers 50% of their principals  the statement was warmly welcomed as many were thrown into a celebration mood.

Many investors deemed it as good news and some were even happy if they dont receive anything again aside the 50% payment.

READ ALSO: Kweku Baako cautions Mahama to stay away from Free SHS

However, it turned out that said press release is fake as confirmed by the embattled firm.

The company took to their Facebook page to announce that the said release is not from them.

Customers are very worried about the future of Menzgold after the company was instructed by the Security and Exchange Commission to halt operations.

READ ALSO: Angry youth attack a police station and free a suspect

Background

MenzGold has filed a suit against the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for interfering with its Gold Vault Market operations.

In the suit filed at the High Court, Menzgold is seeking an order of perpetual injunction to restrain the Bank of Ghana and Securities and Exchange Commission, its officers, servants and agents from interfering with Menzgolds business activities or further acts of disobedience and non-compliance with the law by publishing any derogatory notices.

The gold-trading firm is also seeking a declaration that its business does not fall within the present legislated scope of the Banks and Specialised Deposit -Taking Institutions Act 2016 (Act 930).

READ ALSO: 41-year-old father goes back to school

Additionally, MenzGold wants a declaration its business activities does not fall within the present legislated scope of the Security Industry Act 2016 (Act 929).

The BoG recently threw its weight behind SEC for shutting down Menzgolds Gold Vault Market operations over certain regulatory infractions, a situation which the legal advisor to MenzGold, Kwame Akuffo, said smacked of unfairness.

In a recent press interaction, the central bank, which in the past issued several warnings to the public against dealing with MenzGold, said it endorses the SECs move.

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The First Lady of the United States of America, Melania Trump, has had her share of smiles ever since she touched down in Accra, Ghana.

She has so far been to the Ridge Hospital, where she donated a phototherapy machine, the Cape Coast castle and the palace of the chief of Cape Coast, Osabarima Amoako Atta II.

YEN.com.gh is in possession of photos which prove that Melania is having so much fun in Ghana, that she may want to make the country her second home.

READ ALSO: Stunning photos captured from Melania Trump's visit to the palace of the Cape Coast chief

A young girl enjoys a warm embrace from the First Lady of the USA.

Melania hugging a child Source: Supplied

Source: UGC

A baby gets a special ride as Melania holds it in her arms.

Melania holding a child Source: Supplied

Source: Facebook

Melania beaming with smiles as she poses for a photo with the chief and the people of Cape Coast.

Melania poses with the chief of Cape Coast and other royals Source: presidency.gov.gh

Source: UGC

Melania enjoys a lovely conversation with the chief of Cape Coast, Osabarima Amoako Atta II

Its all about smiles and rich culture as Melania interacts with royals in Cape Coast.

Source: Supplied

Source: UGC

Melania will also be in Malawi, Kenya and Egypt, in a bid to promote her Be Best child welfare initiative throughout Africa.

READ ALSO: Kwaw Kese 'disses' Shatta Wale in a new video

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The First Lady of the United States of America, Melania Trump, has ended her visit to Ghana in line with her first visit to Africa.

Melania Trump visited Ghana and is yet to visit some three other African countries to promote her Be Best child welfare initiative throughout Africa.

On her arrival, she was met by Ghana's First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and she was given a tour of some parts of the capital of Ghana.

Melania Trump with Rebecca Akufo-Addo. Credit: The White House

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Angel Obinim 'asked' me to sing secular music in his church - KK Fosu reveals

The American first lady, known affectionately as FLOTUS, made a heavy donation to the Ridge Hospital in Accra as part of her contribution to child welfare initiative.

She also visited the Cape Coast Castle, a former slave fort, on the second day of her solo trip to Ghana.

Former US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, in 2009, on a visit to Ghana, also visited the castle.

She also met with the traditional rulers of Ghana's former capital city

The Be Best initiative was launched earlier this year to focus on overall child well-being, with an emphasis on opioid addiction and online behaviour.

Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt have worked closely with the US Agency for International Development, which is helping organise the trip.

READ ALSO: 2019 US Visa Lottery opened from October 3 to November 6

YEN.com.gh however brings you some seven photos of Melania Trump's visit to Ghana that prove that she had the best time in the West African country.

1.

Melania Trump with Rebecca Akufo-Addo. Credit: The White House

Source: Facebook

2.

Melania Trump with Rebecca Akufo-Addo. Credit: The White House

Source: Facebook

3.

Melania Trump with exchanging pleasantries with traditional rulers in Ghana. Credit: The White House

Source: Facebook

4.

Melania Trump being given a tour of the Cape Coast Castle. Credit: The White House

Source: Facebook

5.

Melania Trump showing her soft side with a baby. Credit: Reuters

Source: Facebook

6.

Melania Trump with Rebecca Akufo-Addo waving some Ghanaian school children. Credit: The White House

Source: Facebook

7.

Melania Trump receiving a bouquet. Credit: The White House

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Wild photos of commandos guarding Melania Trump in Ghana shake Ghanaians

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- Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has called for a ban to prevent governors of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) from establishing banks

- Otumfuo believes it is clear case of conflict of interest for BoG governors to open banks when they are supposed to be regulators

- Otumfuo made the statement at the inauguration of BoG's data centre at Ahinsan in Kumasi

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called for the enactment of a new law that will prevent present and former governors of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) from establishing banks in the country.

According to a report sighted YEN.com.gh sighted in the Daily Guide, the Asantehene, is of the opinion that the current system whereby former and present governors of the BoG are allowed to establish their own financial institutions clearly amounts to a conflict of interest situations.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II (Source: Myjoyonline.com)

Source: UGC

"You cannot be a regulator and player at the same time, therefore there should be a fresh law that will strictly forbid present and former governors of the BoG from establishing their own banks in the country.

We have some examples to give when it comes to present and former governors of the Bank of Ghana establishing banking institutions in the country, and so I am calling for a law to prevent such thing from happening, the report quoted him as saying.

READ ALSO: Wild bedroom video of popular UK-based Ghanaian lesbians goes viral

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II made the statement in a speech read on his behalf by the Akomferehene Oheneba Akwasi Abayie during the inauguration of BoG's data Centre at Ahinsan in Kumasi on Friday.

The previous Asantehene gave the land to BoG in 1988, and the bank's management in 2016 contracted STL to construct a state-of-the-art three-storey data centre and disaster recovery site to help boost its operations.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said there is no country in the world where people who occupy sensitive positions similar to that of the governor of the BoG are allowed to establish their banks.

Governor of the BoG, Dr. Ernest Addison, who was the guest speaker, said the inauguration of the data cnter and disaster recovery site would significantly help to improve the operations of the central bank in the coming years.

READ ALSO: Wild photos of commandos guarding Melania Trump in Ghana shake Ghanaians

He announced that BoG, as part of its corporate social responsibility, would build a bridge over the Susan River and also rehabilitate the bad road that leads to the centre at Ahinsan soon.

The governor recounted the various initiatives that his outfit had instituted over the years, especially in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), adding that the data centre would help BoG to address the numerous problems.

Michael Anyamesem, the Ashanti Regional manager of BoG, commended the Asantehene for the vital role that he played in the eviction of squatters from the land at Ahinsan to pave way for the execution of the project.

The ultramodern facility, which is the first of its kind in the country, boasts security gadgets, CCTV and WIFI, among others, to enhance the operations of BoG.

READ ALSO: Top pastor caught 'chopping' married church member in a bush (Video)

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Budding actress Kisa Gbekle has always affirmed her status as one of the beautiful actresses in Ghana and Africa.

She broke into the movie industry after making an appearance in the award-winning TV series, The Miser.

Kisa is a product of the Ghallywood Academy of Film Making and her movie credit includes Accra Runs, Accra Hustlers, Stand By Me, 8PM and others.

READ ALSO: Yvonne Nelson's plane catches fire; calls on Delta Airlines to sit up

YEN.com.gh brings you top 5 gorgeous photos of Kisa:

In this photo, Kisa displayed her culture

Kisa rocks in her African prints.

READ ALSO: Rosemond Brown twerks in new video

Kisa displayed her shapely body

Kisa's pose for the camera really affirm her acting skills

READ ALSO: Afia Schwarzenegger, ex-husband court case take another twist

She looks beautiful in this photo

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President Maithripala Sirisena had to intervene when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe became annoyed with a leading businessman at the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting held on Tuesday at the Presidential Secretariat and reconvened it after the suspension of the meeting for a few minutes, SLFP dissident group front liner S.B.Dissanayaka said today.

He said Mr. Wickremesinghe had not been happy about the views expressed by DSI Group chairman Dr. Samson Rajapaksa when he said he was now importing leather products, mainly shoes from China.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has reportedly said that the government did not want advice on economics from Rajapaksas and blamed Dr. Rajapaksa which compelled President Sirisena to postpone the meeting for a few minutes, Mr. Dissanayaka said.

Addressing their weekly news briefing, Mr. Dissanayaka said the neo-liberal economic policies of the UNP prepared and operated by the threesome, Malik, Paskaralingam and Charitha did not suit todays needs of the country and the failure in the economy was brought about by them.

There is no doubt that the collapse of the national economy, uncontrolled depreciation of the rupee, continuous increase of fuel prices and related price hike of all essential commodities are the direct results of these policies, he said.

The unrestricted permission given to import anything and everything including non essential goods like kites, green gram, soy beans and various other food varieties and toys have drained billions of dollars out of the country. Almost all these imports can be easily produced in Sri Lanka. Result is the sharp depreciation of rupee and mounds of debts, Mr. Dissanayaka noted.

He pointed out that Mr. Wickremesinghe and his government did not have a strategy to restore the confidence among investors and develop tea and rubber industry, tourism and garment industry. (Sandun A Jayasekera)

Video by D Ruwandi
- Former President John Mahama has argued that only the NDC brings development to Ghana

- According to him, records show that Ghana experiences massive development only when the NDC is in power

Former President John Mahama has claimed that no political party has brought development to Ghana like the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Speaking at Savelugu in the Northern Region, he added that Ghana experienced the fastest pace of development only when the NDC is in charge.

According to a report by MyNewsGH.com, he argued that the NDC as a party is development-oriented.

READ ALSO: 8 wild photos that prove Melania will make Ghana her second home

He went on to say it is therefore not surprising from the records from 1992 to date, that Ghanaians witness massive development each time NDC is steering the affairs of the nation.

He therefore appealed to Ghanaians to kick out the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2020, not because it has failed but the fact they have confidence NDC can do the job.

If you look at NDC, NDC has always been the party that has brought development to Ghana. If you look at electricity extension, we have extended electricity to so many communities he stated.

Highlighting a number of interventions to back his claim he said we have provided water to many communities.

READ ALSO: How to be a part of the US Visa Lottery

At the time we came into the office, the number of Ghanaians who were enjoying clean drinking water was 58% by the time we left office in 2016 the number of Ghanaians enjoying clean drinking water was 76%.

We built hospitals, we built CHPS compounds, we built roads. We were working on this road all the way to Tampion and then all the way to Karaga and Gushiegu. Since we left office thing road has come to a standstill.

We were working on the Eastern Corridor road since we left office, the road has come to a standstill. We developed this country, if you look at the history from Ghana from 1992, you realize the fastest progress the country experiences is when NDC is in power

Mahama then called on branch executives to work assiduously towards the victory of the party in 2020 in order to allow the continuity of developmental projects started by the previous administration but abandoned by the current administration.

READ ALSO: 7 key things you must know before marrying a pastor

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The first lady of the United States of America, Melania Trump, has ended her visit to Ghan.

In a tweet later, Melania described the trip as "impactful".

Melania Trump visited Ghana and is yet to visit three other African countries to promote her Be Best child welfare initiative throughout Africa.

On her arrival, she was met by Ghana's first lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and she was given a tour of some parts of the capital of Ghana.

Melania Trump. Credit: Facebook/Melania Trump - First Lady

Source: Facebook

The American first lady, known affectionately as FLOTUS, made a heavy donation to the Ridge Hospital in Accra as part of her contribution to child welfare initiative.

She also visited the Cape Coast Castle, a former slave fort, on the second day of her solo trip to Ghana.

Former US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, in 2009 on a visit to Ghana also visited the castle.

Melania Trump also met with the traditional rulers of Ghana's former capital city.

The Be Best initiative was launched earlier this year to focus on overall child well-being, with an emphasis on opioid addiction and online behaviour.

Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt have worked closely with the US Agency for International Development USAID), which is helping organise the trip.

YEN.com.gh brings you some six photos of Melania Trump's visit to Ghana that prove her love for babies.

1. Melania Trump smiling while with a baby.

MelaniaTrump with a baby. Credit: Reuters

Source: Facebook

2.Melania Trump in a chat with some children.

Melania Trump in a chat with some children. Credit: The White House

Source: UGC

3. Melania Trump looking on while a baby is being weighed.

Melania Trump looking on while a baby is being weighed. Credit: Twitter/Melania Trump

Source: Twitter

4. Melania Trump handing out 'Be Best' teddy bears to lactating mothers at Ridge hospital.

Melania Trump handing out 'Be Best' teddy bears to lactating mothers at Ridge hospital. Credit: Twitter/Melania Trump

Source: Twitter

5. Melania Trump having fun with a baby.

Melania Trump having fun with a baby. Credit: Facebook/Melania Trump - First Lady

Source: Facebook

6. Melania Trump with Rebecca Akufo-Addo in the incubator room at Ridge Hospital

Melania Trump with Rebecca Akufo-Addo in the incubator room at Ridge Hospital. Credit: Twitter/Melania Trump

Source: Twitter

READ ALSO: Wild photos of commandos guarding Melania Trump in Ghana shake Ghanaians

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- Captain Quainoo has visited his alma mater, Koforidua Secondary Technical School

- While at the school, he addressed students of the school

- Captian Quainoo revealed his very poor background to encourage students to be determined in achieving their dreams

The Ghanaian pilot who flew the worlds biggest passenger plane, Emirates Airbus A380 to Accra last Tuesday, Captain Solomon Quainoo, has visited his alma mater, Koforidua Secondary Technical School.

Addressing students during his visit, Captain Quainoo used his humble beginnings to encourage the students to be determined and work hard to achieve their dreams.

According to the now famous pilot, he was only able to achieve his current feat through hard work and support from family and friends.

Captain Quainoo and Senior First Officer Faisal in the cockpit of the plane (Source: Facebook/Mabel Aku Banasseh)

Source: Facebook

Describing the difficulties he faced growing up, he said he purposed to be a pilot at the age of 6 when he saw a plane fly high above in the sky and remained focused to make the dream a reality.

READ ALSO: Wild photos of soldiers guarding Melania Trump strike fear into the hearts of Ghanaians

At 6 years old I saw a plane and I wanted to be a pilot. It was not an easy path coming from a poor family there were a lot of challenges, but I remained determined and kept pushing forward, working hard which was not easy but with hard work and support from family and friends I have been able to where I am now, YEN.com.gh sighted a report on Citinewsroom.com quoting him as saying.

Captain Solomon Quainoo said it was a great struggle for him to become a pilot since he grew up poor.

Captain Solomon Quainoo (Source: Citinewsroom.com)

Source: UGC

He revealed that he spent part of his life living in an unroofed uncompleted building with five other siblings.

READ ALSO: Handsome 19-year-old boy causes stir as he marries 39-year-old woman

It took a lot of hard work because I did not grow up from a rich family, I came from a very poor home and we used to be about 6 guys sleeping in one room and whenever it rains, there was no ceiling so we had to put bowls on the floor to make sure we do not get wet, but with determination amidst the challenges I made it Sometimes we are starved, we go hungry but you see your friends eating and progressing and I said to myself why dont I forget this and go do something else, but I challenged myself and never competed with anyone, Captain Quainoo stressed.

My challenges have been mainly financial because flying cost a lot of money. Currently, you have to pay close to 150,000 pounds just to get the basic flying air transport private license. You get air transport license that is not too expensive, but to be able to fly a passenger plane you need a lot of money so finances have been the main thing, he reportedly revealed.

READ ALSO: Beautiful UK-based Ghanaian lesbians caught 'chopping' love in their bedroom (Video)

As earlier reported by YEN.com.gh, after secondary school Captain Quainoo proceeded to the University of Ghana for Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, Physics and Geology.

Captian Quainoo proceeded to Kingston University in London for a Master of Engineering degree in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering.

After his Masters degree, he worked with British Airways as an engineer before enrolling at the Oxford Aviation Training for his pilot qualification course which he completed in 2003.

He has since worked as pilot for British Airways and he is currently with Emirates.

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SLIM, the national body for marketing in Sri Lanka, has made its mark in the fraternity by creating professional marketers through its internationally recognized educational product portfolio. Ranging from certificate courses and diplomas from various avenues of marketing to postgraduate diplomas offered in different languages, SLIM has played an indispensible role in imparting knowledge, skills and attitudesof the discipline and ultimately to be of service to the economic prosperity of the nation.SLIMs effort towards enhancing and continuously developing marketing education in Sri Lanka and its commitment towards the profession has always facilitated the empowerment of the youth and the marketing sector of the country.

Marketing Education is one of the main areas of emphasis promoted by SLIM, and consists of many educational products covering a vast sphere of marketing. Marketing in Sinhala (MIS) and Marketing in Tamil (MIT) are designed to bridge the language gap for those who are reluctant to study in English and take the Marketing in to grass root levels. More than 18 accredited study centres throughout the island deliver these two courses. PCM Online is the only recognised marketing qualification available online in Sri Lanka and is an advanced distance-learning platform that provides aspiring marketers the convenience of pursuing this excellent qualification at a time and place of their choice.Preliminary Certificate of Marketing (PCM) is considered one of the best short courses in marketing where students are getting the first step in to the world of Marketing.

Certificate in Pharmaceutical Marketing (Pharma) helps to elevate the career path of the medical delegates who are currently in the pharmaceutical industry.

While having our standard product portfolio, we periodically alter educational products to suit varying requirements of our corporate partners and the dynamic demands of the world. In this instance, recently we introduced two new Educational products, i.e Certification in Digital Marketing (CDM) is designed to discover the fundamentals of various aspects of digital marketing and the online communication eco system, while Certification in Services Marketing (CSM) is designed to introduce the changing nature of the services marketing environment, concepts and strategies unique to service businesses and provide skills to manage services efficiently and effectively.

The Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing (PG Dip  SL) is considered to be a qualification on par with other internationally recognized qualifications and the shorter route towards reading for an MBA. SLIM PGDIP is highly recognized by the corporate sector, thus paving the way for budding marketers to secure employment in the very competitive job market in the corporate sector.

SLIM is the longest serving accredited institute in Sri Lanka, which offers the Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing CIM-UK. The National Diploma in Strategic Brand management (NDSM) caters to sales career minded candidates seeking to acquire specific competencies to differentiate themselves from conventional sales personnel whereas the Diploma in Strategic Brand Management (DSBM) is the only avenue for a specialist in branding to obtain a qualification in Sri Lanka. Certified Professional Marketer (CPM  Asia) is the highest recognition given to a marketer on competencies of academic and practical understanding in the Asian Region.SLIM also offers tailor-made customized programmes ranging from Certificate level to Diploma level groomed to the needs of an organization.

A team of best academics in Sri Lanka represents and leads SLIM Education. The Board of Study consists of six top academics from the Sri Lankan universities led by Prof. Sampath Amarathunga  Vice Chancellor, University of Sri Jayawardenepura. The education reforms committee is headed by Prof.AroshaAdikaram from the University of Colombo

SLIM, as the national body for Marketing does not compromise on standards in marketing education and offer all courses at affordable prices. The cream of marketing practitioners in the island adds immense value to SLIMs educational programs and grooms budding marketers to become professionals. These resource personnel have a wealth of experience in the local and international marketing spheres and will bequeath you with knowledge that will add value to your studies.

SLIM always endeavours to achieve world education benchmark standards.In line with this objective SLIM has obtained both ISO 9001:2015 certification in recognition of SLIMs superior quality management system and ISO 2990:2010 for Learning Service Provider (LSP), proving non-formal education and training services, which enables SLIM to retain and ensure the high standard of quality education to all students.

Suranjith Swaris, Vice President of SLIM and the Business & Marketing consultant commented,.SLIM is committed towards working with the marketing fraternity in the country to provide them with the highest levels of support in enhancing their skills and performance. The corporate sector in Sri Lanka has kept confidence in SLIM educational programmes since our programmes effectively contribute towards enhancing the performance of their employees. We are pleased to assist the marketers in the country in meeting their professional qualifications and to operate at peak performance. Currently there is a considerable increase in the number of students interested in pursuing marketing studies. The educationalrange offered by SLIM programmes caters to the current demands of marketing education and allows students to explore different avenues in the marketing fraternity and steer their careers accordingly. The spectrum of educational programmes at SLIM also adheres to the needs of professional marketers in the corporate sector by gearing them to stand as equals with their global counterparts. SLIM will be launching another new product to its educational portfolio this year which will explore another untouched arena of marketing in Sri Lanka.
Mr. Udaya Seneviratne, Secretary to H.E. the President of Sri Lanka

Unilever Sri Lanka together with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Sri Lanka and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) convened the 2nd Annual Private-Public Partnership(PPP)Forum in Colombo, recently. The forum was held under the auspices of the Secretary to H.E. the President of Sri Lanka, Mr. Udaya Seneviratne.

As a direct result of last years forum, a policy paper for the promotion of PPP for sustainable development was produced and handed over to Mr. Udaya Seneviratne. Building on those achievements, this year the forum once again brought together C-suite executives from both the public and private sector, stakeholders from academia, media and non-government development agencies to encourage more collaborative and collective action towards the 2030 Development Agenda.

Mr. Carl Cruz, Chairman, Unilever Sri Lanka delivered the first keynote address of the evening. He provided the audience an update on Unilevers Sustainable Living Plan, the companys blueprint for sustainable equitable business which is in its seventh year, and stressed the need for collective action to foster sustainable development. He also spoke about how the company places sustainability at the core of its business model and works by following the simple philosophy of Doing Well by Doing Good.

Mr. Carl Cruz, Chairman, Unilever Sri Lanka

Mr. Jorn Sorensen, Country Director, UNDP Sri Lanka, addressed the importance of PPPs in achieving the SDGs for Sri Lanka. Whilst stressing UNDPs commitment towards sustainable development, he encouraged those gathered to partner with UNDP to support Sri Lanka in addressing a few areas of national development priority.

Mr. Udaya Seneviratne, Secretary to H.E. the President of Sri Lanka, delivered the final keynote address of the day And commended those in attendance for taking up this cause and reiterated the need for mutually beneficial partnerships to address key country needs.

The key notes were followed by a partnership discussion on four areas which were identified by the Presidential Secretariat and UNDP. These areas are namely the conservation of threatened species and sustainable tourism; water management; community empowerment; and chronic kidney disease prevention.

Projects in these specific areas are currently ongoing and the result of the discussions will help the UNDP and Presidential Secretariat identify suitable partners to help drive them further. Ultimately, this will help the projects scale for impact and widen the footprint of PPPs thereby steering the country towards a sustainable future.

Mr. Jorn Sorensen, Country Director, UNDP Sri Lanka
SC ruling left the GMOA and its allies in complete disarray

What would now be the fate of their two-year plus Anti-SAITM campaign?

The Supreme Court (SC) on September 21, 2018 upheld the Court of Appeal (CA) ruling of January 2017 that requires the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) to provisionally register the petitioner, a medical graduate of SAITM.

The SC ruling had left the GMOA and its protesting allies in complete disarray as to what would now be the fate of their two-year plus Anti-SAITM campaign.

The SC ruling also raises issues as to what the fate of the present SLMC should be.

Everything about the medical faculty of SAITM very plainly revolves around the SLMC -- its refusal to accept the SAITM medical faculty as good enough a medical education institute to teach and train medical practitioners.

The CA decided otherwise in January 2017. It was in line with the petitioners position that the SAITM medical faculty is far better equipped than even the Kotelawala Defence University(KDU) medical faculty.

This was said in plain language by Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne in Parliament on February 9, 2017.

Responding to JVP MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Minister Senaratne said, a hospital with 1,000 beds (referring to SAITM) was decided not enough for clinical practice. How was KDU given approval? KDU was approved in 45 minutes. That report had only two pages. You know the SLMC report, dont you? What was said?

If SLMC members have any self-respect left with them, they should all resign from the SLMC for such open and public condemnation of their conduct

Excellent training it said. But there was no hospital. Even without a hospital (SLMC) said excellent training.. (Sinhala/Column 1144 in Hansard)

The competency and bona fide of this same SLMC were very much questioned and left in serious doubt by the SC itself on September 21, when it delivered its ruling on the petition filed by the SLMC, requesting the SC to rescind the ruling given earlier by the CA.

In delivering its ruling the SC wrote:

The SLMC has claimed that it is the sole regulatory authority with regard to the medical profession and has professed that it is deeply concerned with the standards of medical education.

If that was the case and if the SLMC was bona fide of the view that SAITM was not entitled to be recognised as a degree awarding institute, the SLMC would have, undoubtedly, sought to challenge the validity of P4 and P5 when they were issued in 2011 and 2013.

However, the SLMC did not make any application to a court disputing the validity of P4 and P5.

The SLMC under Prof. Carlo Fonsekas presidency was also proved to have altered the 10-member committee report on the status and quality of medical education at SAITM medical faculty with all but three members opposing such indecency and incivility.

Now it is public knowledge, Professors Narada Warnasuriya, Nilantha de Silva and Colvin Goonaratna opposed any alterations to the committee report. Those who wanted it altered to suit their uncompromising Anti-SAITM stand, were all medical professionals representing trade unions (GMOA and FMTA) that publicly stood for the abolition of the SAITM medical faculty.

The alteration, therefore, was made to say the SAITM medical faculty degree cannot be accepted by the SLMC for registration.

The alterations in Page 18 of the said committee report was mentioned by the CA as well and had mentioned in the SC ruling too.

It says, In this connection, SAITM has annexed, as part of the documents annexed to P-20, an unsigned report said to have been prepared by the ten-member team appointed by the SLMC.

The body of this unsigned report is on similar lines to the detailed report P-19 (d).

However, the conclusion is a recommendation by the team that the SLMC recognizes graduates of the Faculty of Medicine SAITM as suitable for provisional registration, subject to following conditions:These conditions include the provision of access to a busy state hospital, so that students can be given intensive clinical exposure of one month each in Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.., (emphasis added)

We thus have an SLMC whose conduct and bona fide was twice condemned and deplored, once in Parliament by the Health Minister under, whose purview the SLMC is and now for the second time, by the apex body in our judicial system, the SC.

If SLMC members have any self-respect left with them, they should all resign now from the SLMC for such open and public condemnation of their conduct.

They dont seem to have such self-respect even the often ridiculed politicians have in this country. During the last three years, we saw three ministers resign, condemned by the public. Not so, the medical professionals in the SLMC, even after the SC questioned and doubted their bona fide very much.

All of it now demands a total revamp of the SLMC on public interest. The present SLMC loaded with medical professionals elected and nominated by two trade unions, with the rest also being medical professionals have proved, it decides solely on the interest of trade union representatives.

On the present Medical Ordinance, the GMOA has the muscle power to elect eight members to the SLMC.

Another nine deans of national university medical faculties sit, with their nominations endorsed by Faculty of Medicine Teachers Associations (FMTA), who have often given into pressures of the university students as well.

This, as Prof. Colvin Goonaratne publicly said, totals 17 TU representatives out of 23 members in the SLMC.

This was said to be the main reason for his resignation as SLMC President for a mere nine months.

These trade unionists it is claimed, dont even allow any serious discussion at SLMC meetings, forcing their pre-decided TU positions on the SLMC. The SLMC altering its 10-member committee report was none but that.

With the existing Medical Ordinance, this number will keep increasing further.

Two medical faculties have already been approved for Sabaragamuwa and Wayamba Universities. These would be functional in about four months from now. Thus in 2019, there will be not 9 but 11 deans sitting in the SLMC. These numbers are not restricted and depend on the number of State university medical faculties.

Therefore, there is no guarantee this number would remain as 11 deans in the SLMC, with two more medical faculties proposed for Moratuwa and Uva-Wellassa Universities by a private member motion in Parliament, mooted by JVP MP Dr. Jayatissa.

The SLMC should not be under medical professionals alone for reasons that are best known to the minister.

The conduct of this SLMC was exposed by Minister Rajitha Senaratne in Parliament on February 9, 2017, who said it had double standards. One for KDU and another for SAITM.

Taking registration for that (KDU), they now send students to the Sri Jayawardenepura General Hospital. Now thats how registration was taken. If Neville Fernando appointed Gotabaya as CEO then, it would have been approved then itself, he said.

Health Minister Senaratne, therefore, should not allow this to continue. It is his responsibility and duty to immediately intervene in revamping the SLMC, in the interest of public and national health. In public interest, the SLMC should not be the sole regulatory authority with regard to the medical profession. It is said, Prof. Colvin Goonaratne has provided Minister Senaratne with a proposal, outlining how the SLMC could and should be restructured anew with other professionals and civil society representatives included. Perhaps, he has a time frame too for this restructuring proposal.

I have written in these pages, how modern and democratic Medical Councils are constituted in countries like the UK, Australia and Canada.

Perhaps, Minister Senaratne has better and more access to such democratic models that can be adopted to suit our national health needs.

It would be best if the minister entrusts the responsibility of restructuring the SLMC to Prof. Goonaratne, a medical teacher, SLPC Chairman continuously for almost a decade, a member of the SLMC till his appointment as its President, apart from his other achievements the minister may know better, if, as we have heard, he has already made a proposal for restructuring of the SLMC.

It is also the responsibility of Minister Senaratne to have the proposal for restructuring in public domain. Restructuring SLMC should not be a closed door, politico-academic exercise. It is also the social responsibility of Prof. Goonaratne to now make it a public document if he had handed over such to the minister.

These restructurings need serious social discourse before they get into legal form. Now is the time for that with the SC further consolidating the CA ruling with an emphatic mention, ..if the SLMC was bona fide of the view that SAITM was not entitled to be recognised as a Degree Awarding Institute, then the SLMC should have challenged it without delay.

Yet, the SLMC did not make any application to a court disputing the validity of P4 and P5, that defines the validity of SAITM as a medical degree awarding institute. That, therefore, makes SLMC and GMOA irrelevant in deciding a total revamp of this discredited SLMC. The decision is with the Health Minister and wishes he would stand up to that responsibility.
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On Saturday, Oct. 13 the Modern Architecture+ Design Society (MA+DS) returns to San Diego for the 2018 Modern Home Tour, presented by D3Home.

The annual event gives regional architects, designers and home builders the opportunity to showcase their work to the community in which they work. In turn, the self-guided tour gives the community an opportunity to engage the minds behind the designs and ask questions as they explore some of San Diegos modern homes inside and out.

Inside the Encinitas home on the Modern Home Tour. Courtesy

The San Diego Modern Home Tour is one of our two California tours, and one we look forward to every year, said James Leasure, MA+DS founder and president. Southern Californias movement in modern architecture and design is quite special and unique. There is something new and exciting to see each year we come back, from modern renovations of older coastal homes, to brand new modern homes.

The seven homes on this years tour are located across San Diego in Mission Hills, University Heights, Bay Park, Pacific Beach, La Jolla and Encinitas, which features an L-shaped new modern home designed by Steven Lombardi Architects, sitting on top of a hill with 360 degree views of the mountains, Pacific Ocean and the Batiquitos Lagoon.
By Nicole Hasham

3 October 2018

(The Sydney Morning Herald)  A key architect of the landmark Paris climate deal has lambasted the Coalition governments inaction on greenhouse gas emissions, saying it goes against the science, squanders economic opportunity and risks Australias international standing.

Laurence Tubiana, a respected French diplomat and economist, also says Prime Minister Scott Morrisons claim that Australia will meet its Paris targets at a canter is contradicted by international scientific opinion.Her comments follow an official report on Friday showing Australias climate pollution rose by 1.3 per cent in the year to March  the highest quarterly rise in eight years. The troubling findings were released on the eve of the long weekend in some states and on the same day as the banking royal commission interim report  timing critics say was designed to bury the report.Since assuming the prime ministership last month Mr Morrison has dumped the National Energy Guarantee, which would have curbed emissions from the electricity sector, and declared Australia would not join other signatories to the Paris deal in ratcheting up emissions reduction targets by 2020 in line with climate science.Ms Tubiana is a former French ambassador for international climate negotiations who played a major role in brokering the 2015 Paris treaty. She is now chief executive of the European Climate Foundation.She described as concerning Mr Morrisons refusal in the next parliamentary term to revise the Paris targets beyond Australias current commitment  a 26 per cent cut by 2030, based on 2005 levels.She said most emission reduction commitments made at the Paris talks, including Australias, were insufficient to achieve the goals of the treaty  which aims to keep global warming to well below 2C  and the international community expected Australia to go further.[Mr Morrisons stance] goes against the science, spirit and letter of the Paris agreement. As we see other countries preparing to increase their levels of ambition, I strongly urge Australia not to fall behind, Ms Tubiana told Fairfax Media.The Australian government, along with all others, needs to listen to the science and the economics, and lead the country towards decarbonisation.Failure to do so will have profound consequences on the countrys standing in the international community and its future prospects in terms of innovation and economic opportunity. [more]
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Prologis has sold two industrial properties to Mapletree Investments of Singapore for a combined $185 million, according to King County records.

The sales were recorded late on Wednesday, and not all details could be verified by press time. All parties used LLCs.





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ZGF designs long-planned expansion for SCCA complex at 825 Eastlake



Journal Staff Reporter By BRIAN MILLER Journal Staff Reporter

Rendering by ZGF [enlarge] The nine-story addition will have 260,509 square feet, and complete the sweeping curved facade on the existing Seattle Cancer Care Alliance building.





Seattle Cancer Care Alliance's plans for gradually adding to its original building, at 825 Eastlake Ave. E., began well over a dozen years ago.

The first phase of the expansion was a 56,000-square-foot addition to the 2001 building. It was completed in 2006.

The second phase went into design review in 2016. It has its presumably final review at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28 at Queen Anne Community Center, 1901 First Ave. W.

ZGF is again the architect, as it was for the original building and the 2006 addition.

The main seven-story main building is on the southwest corner of Eastlake and Aloha Street. The addition will be on the west side of the building, on Aloha, and complete the sweeping curved facade that begins with the older building.

The project will add 31,640 square feet to the footprint of 825 Eastlake.

The entire 1.77-acre site is also bounded by Valley Street and Yale Avenue North. The land is on the campus owned by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. SCCA is a partnership of Fred Hutch, UW Medicine and Seattle Children's.

The nine-story addition will have 260,509 square feet. It will replace two old two-story buildings and surface parking. There will be 412 parking spaces on six levels below grade.

GLY Construction will be the general contractor. The team also includes Site Workshop, landscape architect; CPL, civil engineer; KPFF, structural engineer; and Affiliated Engineers, MEP.

Turner Construction built the original SCCA building and first addition.

SCCA says it hopes to start work in the spring of 2020 and finish by late 2022.

It has 10 facilities in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii, and treated abut 38,000 patients last year.





Brian Miller can be reached by email at brian.miller@djc.com or by phone at (206) 219-6517.




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SEATTLE  A small old commercial building at 2133 Second Ave. has sold for $3.25 million, according to King County records.

The seller was Belltown Real Properties LLC, which acquired the property in 2009 for a little over $1.1 million.





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Some of the Government Officials from member countries during the Validation Workshop on the MSG Labour Mobility and Melanesian Travel Card.
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MINERAL FERTILIZERS

Mineral fertilizers account for more than 90 percent of fertilizers used by all types of farming systems in Malaysia. The main fertilizers are urea, ammonium sulphate, calcium ammonium nitrate, phosphate rock, super phosphates, ammonium phosphate, potassium chloride, potassium sulphate and NPK, NP and PK compound fertilizers. Due to the rapid expansion in crop production, especially of plantation crops (rubber, oil-palm and cocoa) there has been a corresponding increase in fertilizer use. Potassium fertilizers have shown the largest increase. This large increase in the use of potassium fertilizer is due to the continued expansion of oil-palm cultivation, which requires significant amounts of this nutrient. The estimated nutrient removed by oil-palm (producing 25 t/ha fresh fruit bunches (FFB) per year) are 192, 11, 209, 36 and 71 kg/ha per year of N, P, K, Mg and Ca, respectively (Goh and Hardter, 2003).

Organic fertilizers

The government is promoting the use of organic fertilizers in Malaysia for two main reasons. Firstly, organic agriculture is seen as important for the sustainable use and management of natural resources. Secondly, in the NAP3, organic agriculture is identified as a niche market opportunity for fruits and vegetables. In the NAP3, the government is prepared to provide additional one-off assistance in infrastructural development to organic farmers, in addition to eligibility for existing credit schemes and special loans. Organic farmers will also be helped in the marketing of their produce in the domestic and international market.

In an effort to reduce the dependence on mineral fertilizers and to move towards more natural and healthier methods of food production, the government is promoting programmes that encourage the recycling and use of agricultural waste. This includes rice straw and husk, empty oil-palm fruit bunches (EFB), saw dust, animal droppings, palm oil mill effluent (POME) and other materials (Faridah, 2001). The use of EFB at 37.5 t/ha per year in oil-palm fields has been shown to increase the FFB yield significantly and to improve soil exchangeable K, Ca, Mg and the pH (Lim and Zaharah, 2000).

TABLE 4

Number and area of organic producers per State in 2001

State Number Area (ha) Selangor 4 10.8 Negri Sembilan 10 90 Melaka 2 1.1 Johor 2 3.5 Pahang 6 11.6 Sabah 2 12 Sarawak 1 2 Total 27 131

Source: Wai, 2001.

The Centre of Environment, Technology and Development, Malaysia (CETDEM) has been involved in many conversions of farms, especially vegetable producing farms, into organic farms. There are various forms of organic farming types in Malaysia, including nature farms, biodynamic farms, ecofarms, permaculture, Kyusu nature farms and Yoko farms (Hock, 1999). In 2001, there were 27 organic producers covering a total area of 131 ha (Table 4). This represents a fivefold increase in the number of organic enterprises compared with 1996. The government plans to increase the organic production area by 250 ha in the period 2001-2005 (Wai, 2001).

PRODUCTION AND MARKETING

Most of the fertilizer used in Malaysia is produced abroad. Urea, ammonium based and organic fertilizers are produced in large amounts but the urea used in Malaysia for agriculture is not locally produced material. This is because the prilled urea produced in Malaysia fetches a high price in the international market and is therefore exported. The parent fertilizer producing company, has two subsidiaries involved in the production of urea. These are:

one subsidiary was incorporated in 1980 and located in Bintulu, Sarawak. The plant has a capacity to produce 600 000 tonnes of granular urea and 420 000 tonnes of prilled urea per annum.

the other came into operation in 1999 and is located in Gurun, Kedah. It has an annual capacity of 650 000 tonnes granular urea. This second plant exports about 65 percent of its products to Australia, Thailand and other South East Asian agricultural countries. The remainder is sold to the National Farmers' Association, Malaysia's largest urea consumer, for distribution in Malaysia.

Most of the companies involved in fertilizer production engage in the mixing of straight fertilizers to produce compound fertilizers. The fertilizer industry in Malaysia is efficient and highly competitive. There are over 50 companies involved in the branded fertilizer trade with over 350 brands of various forms of fertilizers (Malaysian Agriculture Directory and Index, 2004).

The normal channels of distribution are shown in Figure 4. The Government, in its drive to help farmers, particularly smallholders, to procure fertilizers has:

stimulated fertilizer consumption through subsidy and credit schemes;

facilitated the supply and distribution of fertilizers through FELDA, RISDA, FELCRA and FOA;

stimulated the establishment of a large number of distribution points through farmers' cooperatives;

improved the cost-value ratio between fertilizers and agricultural produce by providing price support;

provided extension services, research on fertilizer use and quality control (FADINAP, 1984).

The government has also encouraged suppliers to market fertilizers in packages smaller than 50-kg bags, to allow farmers who cannot afford 50-kg bags to purchase lesser quantities.

FIGURE 4

Marketing and distribution channel of fertilizers in Malaysia

Source: FADINAP, 1984.

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS

The total value of fertilizer imported into Malaysia fell from RM1 434 million in 1998 to RM1 144 million in 2001 (Department of Statistics, 2001). The importation of some of the major fertilizers for 2000 and 2001 are compared with 1998 in Table 5 and the imports from 1998 to 2001 are illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.

There was an increase in total fertilizer imports from 1997 to 2000 but imports declined by about 26 percent between 2000 and 2001. Figures 5 and 6 show that the greatest increase in imports was that of potassic fertilizers, due to a rapid increase in area planted to oil-palm.

In 2001, nitrogenous fertilizers were imported from Indonesia (33 percent), the Russian Federation (14 percent), Saudi Arabia (17 percent) and other countries (37 percent), with a total value of RM83 million.

The importation of phosphatic fertilizers is mainly in the form of phosphate rock. In 2001, 30, 21, 12 and 26 percent were imported from Christmas Island, Tunisia, China and Australia respectively. The value of the imports totaled RM73 million.

TABLE 5

Fertilizer imports



1998 2000 2001 Quantity

('000 tonnes) Value

(million RM) Quantity

('000 tonnes) Value

(million RM) Quantity

('000 tonnes) Value

(million RM) Nitrogen











Urea 231 114 234 110 173 85 Ammonium sulphate 678 206 723 211 474 152 Calcium ammonium 12 6 6 3 1 0.3 nitrate











Other nitrogenous 9 6 29 14 29 11 fertilizers











Subtotal 930 332 992 338 677 248 Phosphate











Superphosphate 11 5 5 3 3 2 Ammonium phosphate 47 50 62 40 33 25 Phosphate rock (ground) 526 133 428 97 272 60 Phosphate rock 79 17 92 19 60 12 (unground)











Other phosphatic 93 25 131 29 153 36 fertilizers











Subtotal 756 230 718 188 521 135 Potash











KCl 871 421 1051 517 821 412 K 2 SO 4 6 6 9 7 36 19 Other potassic fertilizers 291 153 182 94 132 69 Subtotal 1 168 580 1 242 618 989 500 Others











NPK compounds 157 135 174 129 127 100 Others* 8 9 37 25 6 10 Subtotal 165 144 211 154 133 110 Organic











Guano 2 2 1 1 1 1 Other organic fertilizers 5 4 1 1 2 2 Subtotal 7 6 2 2 3 3 Total Malaysia 3 026 1 292 3 165 1 300 2 323 996

* Including tablets

FIGURE 5

Fertilizer imports: quantity

FIGURE 6

Fertilizer imports: value

As regards potassic fertilizers, in 2001 26, 24, 12, 15 and 25 percent were imported from the Russian Federation, Canada, the United States, Japan and other countries respectively, totaling RM493 million. Malaysia exports large quantities of urea and the export value and the quantity increased between 1997 and 2001 but declined slightly in 2002 (Figure 7). In 2001, RM446 million worth of urea was exported: to Australia (26 percent), Thailand (22 percent), Vietnam (6 percent), Japan (7 percent), Korea (4 percent) and other countries (40 percent).

FIGURE 7

Urea exports
Weather to finally dry out for harvest

With the weather drying out from now until Monday, we should be seeing average rainfall and a return to the dry summer we are used to for the rest of the year.
Obed (standing 3rd from right) with participants at the training in Japan. Photo:KO
A BIG jump in the number of teams competing across all classes made for a hotly-contested interbreed beef cattle group judging at this years IGA Perth Royal Show.

With the individual breed judging done and dusted for another year, attention turned to the main arena last Wednesday with the groups kicking off the interbreed judging.

And exhibitors didnt disappoint.

Not only did they deliver more cattle from last years show for the judges to preside over, a common comment heard from judges in all classes was the depth of quality through all breed teams.

Judges Greg Ball, Singleton, New South Wales, Brent Fisher, Silverstream Charolais and Hereford studs, Christchurch, New Zealand and Nicole Nicholls, Tookawhile Charolais stud, Kyogle, NSW, assessed the teams for trueness to breed, uniformity, structural soundness and handler presentation.

And while the first place gongs went to European breeds, the podium places in all classes were awarded to a spread of Euro and British Breed exhibitors, highlighting the standard of the cattle paraded before them.

The breeders group kicked off proceedings with 10 teams vying for the interbreed title.

But it was the Kitchen familys Bandeeka Simmental stud, Elgin, that got the judges tick of approval, finishing ahead of the Yost familys Liberty Charolais stud, Toodyay, in second place and the Trainor familys Gingin Speckle Park stud, Gingin, in third place.

Judge Greg Ball said all three top teams were tremendous representations of what each individual breed had to offer and was a tough call.

As interbreed judges we have to decide which is the most complete group and has the best opportunity to take that breed into the future, Mr Ball said.

The Simmental group has a beautiful heifer, very functional cow and calf that is doing a great job and the bull up front is showing a lot of meat and real sire appeal.

The Charolais group is another really strong group of three animals, lovely heifer and functional cow and calf and a real powerhouse of a bull a meat machine on four legs.

The Speckle Park group is a very even group, a lovely young bull and heifer and tidy functional cow and calf.

The biggest class of 11 teams entered the arena next for the interbreed group of three heifers less than two-years-old.

In an unanimous decision, judges awarded first place to the Terpstra familys Aldgate Limousin stud, Waroona.

Young breeder Jai Thomas, JT Country Life Shorthorn stud, Murdoch, took second place and the Gingin Speckle Park stud finished third.

Judge Brent Fisher said the quality of the cattle overall across all breeds had been outstanding.

I have only seen cattle in the Eastern States and a lot of cattle in New Zealand, Canada and USA and without doubt the top end across the board in this line-up of cattle is equally as good or better than you would find anywhere in the world, Mr Fisher said.

It takes a lot to get one good animal out and for studs to come out with three good animals is an exceptional achievement.

The Limousins are very even in type and a quality line-up.

To look back years ago and see where the Limousin cattle have come to is quite exceptional, they are the great improvers  carcase, softness and femininity is exceptional and a real credit.

Speckle Park is a breed that hasnt been around very long but has an outstanding quality line-up of heifers, lovely softness and very even and great types.

The Shorthorns are another breed that have come a long way, they have softened them up, put a bit of thickness in them, soundness and done a terrific job.

The group of three bulls concluded the interbreed group judging with six teams of bulls less than two-years-old.

The Liberty Charolais stud won the title for the fifth year in a row, followed by JT Country Life Shorthorn stud and the Kitchen familys Bandeeka Red Angus stud, Elgin.

Judge Nicole Nicholls said the animals she had seen in WA were a great credit to all breeders.

We take our judging job very seriously, we understand the effort, cost and time to bring the animals out in front of us, Ms Nicholls said.

The three top teams were the most even teams, and shows the quality of breeding at your properties.

The Charolais are a really even group, all very similar in type and are soft Charolais that have the ability to finish and are structurally sound.

The lead bull is an exceptional exhibit of the breed, I really like this calf, thick, long, deep and structurally sound.

The Shorthorn team is a really great exhibit of the breed, I really liked these type of animals.

They are thick, long and structurally sound and show good muscling characteristics.

The Red Angus are also a great exhibit of the breed, structural sound, depth and strength of spine, good in the testicular department and handle their feet and legs really well.
A DOUBLE for the Charolais breed, a double for the Yost family and wins for Simmental and Shorthorn were highlights of this years IGA Perth Royal Show beef cattle interbreed competition.

An outstanding line-up of cattle, the best of the best in their respective breeds, made for a colourful spectacle in the main arena and gave judges Nicole Nicholls, Kyogle, New South Wales, Greg Ball, Singleton, New South Wales and Brent Fisher, Christchurch, New Zealand, some tough decisions to make across the four categories.

First into the ring were the junior bulls with 12 stars in the making vying for the sought after purple sash and $1000 prize money sponsored by Primaries.

The result was a unanimous decision from the three judges, the only one on the day, which gave Kevin, Robin, Morgan and Jess Yost, Liberty Charolais stud, Toodyay, their second junior bull interbreed win at Perth in as many years and sixth win in the category since 1994.

This years showstopper was 18-month old Liberty National Treasure who tipped the scales at 870kg with 9 millimetres P8 fat and an EMA of 136cm2.

The son of Silverstream Geddes was out of a Liberty bred daughter of Rangan Park Redemption E42, sire of Libertys 2017 junior champion interbreed bull, which was also a unanimous winner.

Speaking on behalf of the judges Ms Nicholl, who had not been to the Perth Royal Show since placing second in the national beef cattle junior judging final in 1992, said they were looking for a youngster with sire appeal, breed character, good muscling, capacity and depth  qualities they found in spades in National Treasure.

Given the unanimous vote, it finished on three points ahead of the Murray Grey bull on seven points and the Limousin bull on nine points.

The aptly named Murray Grey, Mighty Next Best Thing, which weighed 856kg with 11mm fat and EMA of 135cm2 at 19 months, was exhibited by Andrew, Anne and Harris Thompson, Venturon Livestock, Boyup Brook.

The bull had just returned from the Adelaide Royal Show where it won senior champion Murray Grey bull and was also champion interbreed bull at last years Wagin Woolorama.

The third placed Limousin bull, 18-month old Morrisvale News Maker, an embryo calf by Morrisvale Lethal Weapon which measured 814kg, 9mm and 140cm2 EMA, was shown by James and Casey Morris, Morrisvale stud, Narrikup.

The Yost family featured again when they prevailed from a line-up of 12 females in the junior interbreed heifer class sponsored by John and Dale Jansen, Fernwood Angus stud, Gingin.

But this time it was not with Charolais, but rather the first interbreed win for their Liberty Shorthorn stud, started three years ago.

The 19-month old Liberty Nebraska, an embryo calf by Sprys Patents Ace out of Crathes Elenor, topped the table on four points ahead of the Angus heifer on six points and the Murray Grey heifer on eight points.

The Angus, Little Meadows Champagne N3 (AI, ET) by S Chisum 6175 and out of Coonamble Champagne G103, was exhibited by Tony and Karen Golding, Little Meadows Angus stud, Dardanup.

And taking a spot on the podium for the second time at this years interbreed was the Thompsons Venturon Livestock, whose Murray Grey heifer, Mighty Nova N3, by Bundaleer Koojan Hill K13 and out of Bundaleer Lolita G43, finished third.

Speaking on behalf of the judges Brent Fisher said it was an exceptional line-up of heifers.

I am very impressed with what you are doing here, you may not have the numbers (of cattle shown) but you certainly have the quality and the animals in this class would stack up anywhere in Australia, anywhere in the world for that matter, Mr Fisher said.

This decision could have gone any way.

In keeping with tradition, the senior bull class was the smallest of the day with many older bulls out of the show ring and in their working clothes in a paddock somewhere, but fewer numbers did not mean lesser quality.

Emerging victorious from the class of seven head in the Elders sponsored event was a Simmental bull bred by Tony and Loreen Kitchen, Bandeeka stud, Elgin, which gathered five points, one point ahead of the Droughtmaster bull on six points and three points ahead of the Angus bull on eight points.

Making its showing debut, the 25-month old Bandeeka Memory weighed in at 912kg with 8mm fat and 130cm2 EMA.

Its sire Bandeeka Fancypants, unbeaten in the show ring for two years, won interbreed champion junior and senior bull titles in consecutive years at Perth and its dam Bandeeka Lady Violet, was also a successful show champion.

Second by a point was a powerful full Kapalee blood Droughtmaster bull, Quicksilver Macca D5 (P) shown by Doug and Dani Giles, Quicksilver stud, Newdegate.

Best known for their Charolais, the couple started breeding Droughtmasters in 2015 and Macca was in utero when his dam, Kapalee Candy, was purchased as part of a foundation draft of females from Kapalee stud, Queensland.

Soft as butter, the 34-month-old Macca, which already has 15 calves on the ground at Quicksilver, recorded a weight of 886kg with 24mm fat and 124cm2 EMA.

Angus claimed third place through Gary and Julie Bullers 22-month-old Monterey Mighty M237, a son of Koojan Hills F237 and out of Monterey Hurrah F103, which had figures of 882kg, 16mm fat and 134cm2 EMA.

Speaking on behalf of the judges, Greg Ball said there were a range of types and varying maturity patterns in the sires before them, but they had been looking for animals with carcase quality and fertility traits and an ability to finish well on grass or grain.

The senior female class, sponsored by Landmark, was another tightly contested affair, so much so that three matrons finished on equal 10 points in second place in the 10-head race.

But there was only one winner (on seven points) and that was the 43-month-old Charolais female Elgin Park Californian Girl (AI), exhibited by Jim and Belynda Quilty, Elgin Park stud, Elgin, their first interbreed win in 10 years of showing.

Although they got close two years ago with Californian Girl when in its only other showing in Perth as a junior it won supreme Charolais exhibit and placed second in the junior heifer interbreed class.

The quality female, by Merit Roundup and out of Elgin Park Californian Girl 3, was shown with bull calf at foot.

The three-way tie for second included six-year-old Limousin female Aldgate Honey exhibited by Pat and Penny Terpstra, Aldgate Limousin stud, Waroona, 29-month-old Simmental female Bandeeka Miss Tamara, exhibited by multiple interbreed winners Tony and Loreen Kitchen, and 6.5yo Red Angus female Escholar Hope, exhibited by Esperance Farm Training Centre.

Speaking on behalf of the judges, Mr Ball said these were the elite of their breeds, the top end breeding units and it was great to see what they were producing in terms of what they were putting into their calves, with these calves also reflective of a studs breeding direction.

We have a Simmental here on her first calf and a 10-year old Angus cow showing longevity and doing a great job on her calf, Mr Ball said.

Then there is our champion, a beautiful big, soft female also doing a great job with her calf.

Apart from the purple sash, each class carried winners prize money of $1000.
Petrobrass $1.78 billion FCPA resolution last week included disgorgement of $933.5 million, the biggest ever ordered in an FCPA enforcement action.

The SEC allowed Petrobras to credit against the disgorgement the money it had already paid into a settlement fund for U.S. shareholder litigation.

If for some reason Petrobras hasnt disgorged that amount within a year through payments to the U.S. class action fund or otherwise, then Petrobras must pay the money directly to the SEC.

* * *

Disgorgement, according to Contributing Editor Marc Alain Bohn, is a remedy authorized by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 thats used to deprive wrong-doers of their ill-gotten gains and deter violations of federal securities law.

Disgorgement first appeared in an FCPA enforcement action in 2004 when ABB Ltd disgorged $5.9 million to resolve books and records and internal controls offenses.

Since then the SEC has used disgorgement in most of its FCPA-related enforcement actions.

* * *

Here are the current top ten FCPA-related corporate disgorgements. Amounts also include pre-judgment interest:

1. Petrobras $933.5 million in 2018

2. Telia $457 million in 2017

3. VimpelCom $375 million in 2016

4. Siemens $350 million in 2008

5. Teva $236 million in 2016

6. Och-Ziff $199 million in 2016

7. KBR $177 million in 2009

8. Alcoa $161 million in 2014

9. Total S.A. $153 million in 2013

10. JPMorgan Chase $130.5 million in 2016

Knocked off the top ten disgorgement list is Snamprogetti, which disgorged $125 million in 2010.

* * *

For comparison, heres our current list of the top ten FCPA enforcement actions.

________

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
After a summer of hard work, I am pleased to present Coalition for Integritys Index of States With Anti-Corruption Measures for Public officials (S.W.A.M.P.).

As the 2018 elections approach, we want voters to understand the state of ethics in their state so that they can better evaluate candidate platforms, demand improvements in their states legal framework and judge proposed reforms.

State officials can see how their states ethics framework compares to those in other states and these officials also have access to a description of best practices to draw from.

There is a link between a strong ethics regime and the publics trust in government and state laws are often the first line of defense against corruption. While we recognize that good laws are not enough to prevent corruption, and enforcement is key in curbing unethical practices, a strong legal framework can serve as a guidepost to ethical decision making and a brake on corrupt behavior.

The S.W.A.M.P. Index analyzes the laws of the 50 States and District of Columbia on eight questions relating to the jurisdiction and scope of ethics agencies, the powers of those agencies, acceptance and disclosure of gifts by public officials, transparency of funding independent campaign expenditures and client disclosure by legislators. These eight questions are:

1. Is there an ethics agency, with the authority to conduct its own investigations, including public hearings and subpoena power?

2. Does the ethics agency have the ability to sanction, including personnel actions, injunctions, and fines?

3. Are the members of the ethics agency protected from removal without cause?

4. Are elected and appointed executive branch officials and legislators prohibited from accepting gifts from high-risk sources (lobbyists, lobbyists principals, government contractors) in an aggregate of $250 or more?

5. Are elected and appointed executive branch officials and legislators prohibited from accepting gifts from persons other than high-risk sources in an aggregate of $250 or more?

6. Are elected and appointed executive branch officials and legislators required to publicly disclose gifts that they receive?

7. Does the state require reporting of contributors to independent spenders?

8. Do legislators have to disclose client names as part of their financial disclosure

reports?



To create the S.W.A.M.P. Index, the Coalition for Integrity team produced detailed reports for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each report contains answers to the eight questions and cites and links to relevant statutes and regulations. The 50 states and D.C. were assigned scores for each question using our scoring rubric. The index uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 100 is a perfect score.

Some of the key findings are:

No state has achieved a perfect score and in fact there is no state in the top 20th percentile.

36 states scored 60 or below and 21 states scored 50 or below. For example, New York scored only 56 and Virginias score was 35. (Comparatively, below 60 is a failing grade in most school systems).

Three states Washington (78), Rhode Island (75) and California (75) land at the top of the score chart.

Two states that scored very poorly, New Mexico (36) and North Dakota (0), are voting on ballot initiatives in the November 2018 election to create independent ethics agencies.

There is wide variation in state laws and regulations on ethics and transparency issues. Some of the research results on the individual questions surprised us too:

Five states (Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Wyoming) have no independent ethics agencies whatsoever.

Only two states receive full credit on both Questions 1 and 2 (Louisiana and Rhode Island) which deal with the jurisdiction and powers of ethics agencies.

With respect to prohibitions on gifts (Questions 4 and 5), only three states receive a perfect score for those questions, highlighting the wide variation that exists in gift laws at the state level.

There are 19 states that received a score of 0 for the question on gift disclosure which means they do not require public disclosure of gifts for the executive and legislative branch regardless of the source.

Client disclosure is an important way to determine whether a legislator has a conflict of interest in matters in which he or she acts or refrains from acting. However, on question 8 regarding client disclosure, 17 states received partial credit and only one state got a perfect score.

On campaign disclosure, only a few states address the issue of dark money contributed through anonymous limited liability companies and social welfare organizations.

Overall the rules for the executive branch are stronger than those for the legislative branch.

Based upon our research and with the help of our experts on the Project Advisory Committee, we have set forth the minimum legal framework for promoting ethical behavior and transparency:

All states should have an independent ethics agency with jurisdiction over the executive and legislative branches and that agency needs wide powers to investigate and sanction all government personnel.

Legislators should be subject to the same treatment as elected executive branch officials and employees. In states where legislatures have a separate ethics entity, it should be independent of the legislature, composed of members of the public and not legislators.

Gift rules should apply equally to all government officials and should prohibit all gifts above a reasonable threshold, regardless of the source and regardless of the intent of the recipient or the gift-giver.

Legislators should disclose the names of all clients for whom they work, whether the client directly hires the legislator or hires the entity which employs the legislator.

States should take the lead in mandating disclosure of the beneficial owners of LLCs and donors to 501(c) organizations which contribute to independent campaign spenders.

We have developed an interactive webpage for our readers to provide an easy way to access the report and individual state reports. Users can click on the various states and download the research findings for that particular state. In addition, users can easily access our research materials including the scoring rubric, index scoring chart and overall state rankings, the methodology note and the final report with our findings and analysis.

Access our overall report here (pdf).

____

Shruti Shah is a Contributing Editor of the FCPA Blog and the President and CEO of the Coalition for Integrity (formerly Transparency International-USA), where she leads the Coalitions development and promotion of approaches to combat corruption in business and government. She can be contacted here.
"Why shouldnt that stamp duty charge be at least at the same level as that which has to be paid by UK-based landlords?"

Whether we are any closer to a deal remains to be seen  the next few weeks will be crucial  but the fact the Chancellor will deliver his Budget this month rather than next, perhaps tells you that there seems little likelihood of us getting a deal before the end of the year. Indeed, no deal seems a safer bet than it has ever done  albeit from a betting sense rather than being any good for the UK.

There has however been a housing tinge to the conference season which again, might be expected, given that the parties probably feel this is somewhat safer ground for them. Housing has been relatively high on the agenda for many and there have been plenty of messages and proposed measures to excite the mortgage/housing market, and perhaps to also terrify them in equal measure.

Hammonds October 29th Budget will give us more detail but there seems to be a concerted effort to focus more on overseas owners of UK property, and there has been plenty of talk that stamp duty charges will be increased by between 1-3% for those foreign nationals buying homes here. Political capital is being made here by the Conservatives in that they say the money raised will be used to tackle rough sleeping and homelessness, which is clearly in need of resources and support however one cant help compare the stamp duty increases proposed to those that are paid for by landlords and second-home owners.

As everyone knows, they have to pay 3% more in stamp duty to purchase property and yet the suggestion from Conservative Party Chairman, Brandon Lewis, that the foreign national stamp duty charge might be just a 1% increase seems like a further kick in the teeth for private rental sector landlords who after all are, at least, contributing to the supply of housing in this country.

The Conservatives seem most concerned with those foreign purchasers who buy and leave their property empty, so why shouldnt that stamp duty charge be at least at the same level as that which has to be paid by UK-based landlords?

Landlords indeed will have felt even more put-upon by the outpourings of conference season, with the Labour Party also talking about further levies on second and holiday homes, plus talks of rental controls and an end to no-fault evictions. Quite rightly, it says that it will tackle rogue landlords if it gets into power but it seems to be willing to tar the entire landlord community with the same brush.

Party politics in this country is always likely to be tenant-centric  especially given the need for the Conservatives to pull back some voter support from Generation Rent  but we are in danger of throwing the landlord baby out with the private rental sector bath water here? Does the governing party not truly understand the importance of private landlords to the UK housing market? Is it willing to decimate it in order to pick up more 18-40 votes? Dont answer that.

There are many positive aspects to intervention  of course all PRS properties should be of a high standard, of course energy performance levels of homes should be at the top rankings, of course tenants should feel safe and secure in their properties, but should we not be allowing landlords to set a fair market rent, should we be making it financially impossible for landlords to keep a property, should we be making the rental sector the preserve of corporates and no-one else? I would suggest not.

You might say that landlords should be used to this by now and, indeed, many have already left and others will follow. The fact is that remaining in the sector requires more money than it has ever done; rents have risen to reflect this and they will continue to increase until there is a shift. Perhaps we might see stamp duty cuts for landlords or a u-turn on the mortgage interest relief changes, but I doubt it. The landlord with one or two properties is likely to be squeezed even further which will mean a growing housing gap in the UK. One that might be very difficult to bridge, whoever the Government of the day is.
Cottonwood Venture Partners, a Houston, TX-based venture capital firm, closed its inaugural fund, at $32m.

Led by Jeremy Arendt, Ryan Gurney, and Mark Mills, Cottonwood Venture Partners is an investment firm partnering with companies that provide digital technology solutions for the oil and gas industry.

The firm leverages the expertise and relationships of its principals, advisors, and limited partners to help drive growth at its portfolio companies.

To date, CVP has invested in four digital oilfield companies:

 Ambyint,

 MineralSoft,

 Novi Labs, and

 SitePro.

The firm plans to continue adding to its portfolio of companies and provide further capital and strategic support to its existing portfolio.

Vinson & Elkins LLP served as fund formation counsel to CVP.

FinSMEs

04/10/2018
CrowdRiff, a Toronto, Canada-based AI-powered visual content marketing platform for travel brands, raised a $9m Series A funding round.

The round was led by Leaders Fund, with participation from High Alpha Capital, Gibraltar & Company, and BDC Capital.

The company intends to use the funds to expand its customer base globally and develop new products.

Led by Dan Holowack, CEO and co-founder, CrowdRiff is an AI-powered visual content marketing platform purpose-built for travel and tourism brands. The solution combines content discovery, digital asset management, and content delivery tools that enable marketers to source and share top-performing visuals with their respective audiences, at scale.

The company currently works with over 500 leading travel and tourism brands in 24 countries and the platform has processed over 500 million images to date.

Customers include Destination BC, Colorado Tourism Office, CityPASS and Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions.

FinSMEs

04/10/2018
ZipRecruiter, a Los Angeles, CA-based online employment marketplace, raised $156m in Series B funding.

The round was co-led by Wellington Management Company and returning investor IVP, with participation from other existing investors.

The company, which has raised raised $219m to date, intends to use the funds to further accelerate its growth as well as its ongoing investment in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered matching technology and mobile apps.

Launched in 2010 by Ian Siegel, CEO, ZipRecruiter provides an online employment marketplace that leverages an AI-powered algorithm that learns what each employer is looking for and provides a personalized, curated set of relevant candidates. On the other side of the marketplace, the companys technology matches job seekers with jobs based on factors beyond job titles, which introduces them to more industries and types of opportunities that they might be interested in.

To date, ZipRecruiter has helped over 1.5 million businessesfrom SMBs to Fortune 500 companiesfind great talent, and has received over 430 million applications for jobs ranging from admin personnel and truck drivers to data scientists and autonomous car engineers.

The company has an employee base of nearly 1000 in offices in the U.S., U.K., and Israel.

FinSMEs

04/10/2018
.               47-  .              .    2  1   7.00 .     20.00 .        ,   20.00 .     ...
NZ Speaker of Parliament Mallard (r) and his delegation of parliamentarians went to see the benefits of the RSE scheme at Mele Village
From serene lakes, wild forests, jagged coastlines and sandy beaches, Canadas National Park system is one of the worlds most extensive and beautiful. Whether you are looking to go camping in the quiet wilderness or spend time admiring the natural views from the window of a gorgeous resort, there is something for everyone in Canadas National parks.

Must-See National Parks of Canada

Thousand Islands National Park

The Thousand Islands National Park is the home of the famous St. Lawrence River. In order to share the beauty of this area, the Thousand Islands National Park offers a variety of camping opportunities, including camping on the riverside or on an island. You can take advantage of the river by participating in a variety of watersports, as well as hiking the many trails in the area.

Banff National Park

Banff National Park is able to claim the title of Canadas first national park, giving it a rich history that not many national parks can claim. When you visit Banff National Park, you get the chance to experience all of the natural wonders that Canada has to offer, including mountains, hot springs, and glaciers.

Fundy National Park

Fundy National Park is a beautiful area located in New Brunswick, Canada. This national park has many things to do, including hiking and camping. It is also the home to the Bay of Fundy, a bay that is famous for its high tides. Due to the location of this bay within the national park, you can also take advantage of the many watersport opportunities, including kayaking.

Yoho National Park

If youre ready to experience everything Canada has to offer, then take a trip to Yoho National Park. This national park is the home of many points of interest, including the famous Spiral Tunnels and the beautiful Emerald Lake. When you visit, youll get the chance to see rock walls, waterfalls, and more natural attractions.

Bruce Peninsula National Park

This beautiful National Park is one of the largest protected areas in Southern Ontario. Featuring 1,000 year old cedar trees and rare orchids, the park boundaries on the breathtaking Niagara Escarpment. Visitors to the park will have the chance to enjoy the shores of Lake Huron and take in some wonderful beaches. Bruce Peninsula National Park also boasts and beautiful visitors center with a 65 foot observation tower, providing views that span the park. Dont miss the grotto, a gorgeous cave made from limestone located on the shore between Georgian bay hiking trails and Marr lake.

There are many beautiful national parks in Canada. With so many adventures to be had, Canadas National Parks are a must visit.
macrohistory.com (DYNASTIC RULE and the CHINESE  continued)

home | 1000 BCE to 500 CE DYNASTIC RULE and the CHINESE (13 of 13)

Genetic Diffusions and Religious Rivalry in the 5th Century

In 417, an army from the south, led by a former cobbler named Liu Yu, went north and conquered Luoyang, Chang'an and surrounding territory. Liu Yu returned to his base in the south. Subordinates he left behind in the north quarreled among themselves, and Xiongnu chieftains again overran the area. In the south, Liu Yu was able to force the Jin emperor to abdicate in his favor, and Liu Yu began what was to be known as the Liu-Song dynasty.

Liu Yu's successor, the emperor Wen (424-53) adopted Buddhism, believing that it would help his subjects become content, help them acquire good manners and discourage rebellion.

These were times of the greatest growth of Buddhism in China. In the northern half of China, Buddhist monasteries had become economically powerful landowning enterprises with hereditary serfs, and these monasteries were winning tax exemptions. This annoyed many in the north and caused some people to turn against Buddhism. A few remaining orthodox Confucianists were also finding fault with Buddhists for leaving their families for the monastery and for a lack of sense of duty to society.

Conflict also arose between Buddhism and traditional Chinese attitudes toward sexuality. The Chinese had accepted sexuality as a natural part of life and necessary in preserving the family, while Buddhism's attitude toward sexuality was more negative. Buddhist men and women were segregated at their meetings, and the Buddhists saw licentiousness in the Taoist meetings of men and women together, and Buddhists accused the Taoists of having orgies.

In 444, Taoists in the north inspired a movement against Buddhism on the grounds that Buddhism was an alien creed. In 445, in putting down a rebellion at Chang'an, ruling forces found a cache of arms at a Buddhist monastery. The ruler, Daiwu, decreed that all Buddhists monks were to be put to death and all Buddhist images and books destroyed. Some monasteries were attacked and destroyed, and a few monks were forced to return to family life. Then, in the early 450s, Daiwu again gave favor to Buddhism, followed by his assassination in 452.

In 453, in the south of China, the third successor in the Liu-Song dynasty was assassinated by his son, and the assassin was himself murdered by his brother in 455. This brother became emperor, and he guarded against his own assassination by massacring other princes in his extended family. He ruled until 465, when he was succeeded by a sixteen-year-old, who was assassinated six months later. The murdered boy was succeeded by his uncle, who ruled from 465 to 472 and became known as "the Pig" because of his weight. The "Pig" had all his brothers and nephews executed. He bequeathed his rule to his favorite son, who took power at the age of ten, and the boy, in the family tradition, began taking lives. And his murdering led to his own assassination, in 477, when he was fifteen. The royal Liu family was decimated and discredited, and in 479 a state official deposed the Liu family and founded a new dynasty, called Chi. Then the Chi family also began killing each other.

In the north, under the rule of Daiwu's grandson, Emperor Xiaowen  from 471 at age four and under Empress Wencheng (442-90) as regent  the economy improved. Court intrigues continued, and heads rolled. But taxes were light. Land was more equitably distributed and land disputes were mediated. Common people were punished for petty offenses, and mutilations as punishment for their crimes were replaced by imprisonment. The sick, orphaned and destitute were taken care of. In association with Buddhist compassion for all living things, animal sacrifices in religious rituals were prohibited.

Under Emperor Xiaowen, who reigned to 499, integration between those of Xiongnu heritage and the Chinese was encouraged, including Xiongnu men taking Chinese wives. Those of Xiongnu heritage were encouraged to dress Chinese. Chinese was made the official language, and it became mandatory that everyone under the age of thirty learn it. All were ordered to adopt a Chinese family name, and the emperor adopted a Chinese name: Yuan. And because Confucianism had been the philosophy of China's elite and had been used as a system of court ritual, the study of Confucius became a requirement for the educated.

The policy initiated under Emperor Xiaowen in the north was followed by those who ruled after him. Interracial marriages were common. The offspring of these marriages were inclined to identify themselves as Chinese. And after a few generations, those with nomadic forefathers would become indistinguishable from others.

Sources War and State Formation in Ancient China and Early Modern Europe, by Victoria Tin-bor Hui, 2005 "Eunuch power in imperial China" by Shih-shan Henry Tsai, Chapter 12 in Eunuchs in Antiquity & Beyond, ed. S Tougher, 2002 China and the Search for Happiness by Wolfgang Bauer, 1976 The Ageless Chinese by Dun J. Li, 1978 China, a Macro History by Ray Huang, 1990 The Rise and Splendor of the Chinese Empire by Rene Grousset, 1968 The Cambridge History of China. Volume 1: the Ch'in and Han Empires China, a Concise Cultural History, by Anton Cotterell, 1988 Additional Reading The Origins of Political Order: from Prehistoric Times to the French Revolution, by Francis Fukuyama, 2012

Copyright  1998-2018 by Frank E. Smitha. All rights reserved.
Discover Warframes Thrilling All-Out-War Action and Assemble the Prime Vanguard with the Prime Resurgence to Prepare for a New War with Old Enemies this December
State funding will create this new workforce development program with the affects of climate change in mind.
Gudenauer Weg in Ippendorf : Two youth attack 68-year-old man

BONN-IPPENDORF Police are searching for two young people who are accused of attacking a 68-year-old man as he was walking on Gudenauer Weg in Ippendorf. The incident happened on Wednesday evening.

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Two young men believe to be in their teens, are accused of attacking a 68-year-old man on Gudenauer Weg in Bonn-Ippendorf. The incident occurred at 8:20pm on Wednesday evening. Police report that the man was walking on the street when he was attacked from behind and thrown to the ground. He screamed loudly for help, and the two attackers ran away. The 68-year-old was slightly injured, and his eyeglasses were damaged.

Police conducted an immediate search of the area but could not find the unidentified perpetrators. The young attackers are believed to be between 16 and 20-years-old and 1.75 to 1.8 meters tall. They wore hooded jackets with the hoods pulled over their heads. At the time of the crime, they were both dressed overall in dark clothing.

Police are asking for the publics help in identifying and locating the suspects. Anyone who has information should call: (0228) 150.
Remember When  With Americas Veterans Day on Nov. 11, (Remembrance Day in other countries) we need to remember our U.S. military is...

Genesee County in the 1970s Hi, read your article and it was great, but maybe I could add more. I am 62, was born in...
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Tel. +45 45 14 56 95











04 October 2018





Danske Bank is in dialogue with the US authorities regarding the Estonia case



Danske Bank A/S is in dialogue with authorities regarding the terminated non-resident portfolio at the banks Estonian branch, which was active between 2007 and 2015. This includes criminal investigations in Estonia and Denmark.

Danske Bank has also now received requests for information from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in connection with a criminal investigation relating to the banks Estonian branch conducted by the DOJ.

Danske Bank is cooperating with these authorities.

The timing of completion of the investigations by, and subsequent discussions with, the authorities is uncertain, as is the outcome.

We are cooperating with the authorities investigating us as a result of the case. However, it is too early to speculate on any outcome of the investigations, says interim CEO of Danske Bank, Jesper Nielsen.

Danske Bank

Contact:

Kenni Leth, Group Press Officer, tel. +45 45 14 14 00

Attachment
TORONTO, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- If the Ontario government cancelled existing contracts with renewable energy generators such as wind and solar power, it could reduce electricity bills for Ontarians by 24 per cent, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.



Electricity costs in Ontario skyrocketed in recent years due to poor government policies, so its time for meaningful reforms to reduce the burden on Ontarians, said Ross McKitrick, economics professor at the University of Guelph, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Electricity Reform in Ontario: Getting Power Prices Down .

Ontarios Green Energy Act, enacted in 2009, grants wind and solar generators long-term guaranteed electricity prices above market rates. To help pay for these contracts, the government attaches an extra charge to electricity purchased by Ontarians. This extra charge, called the Global Adjustment (GA), grew from less than one cent per kilowatt-hour (a common billing unit for energy) to about 10 cents between 2008 and 2017, causing the dramatic spike in electricity bills.

The new provincial government plans to scrap the Green Energy Act, which will help prevent further price increases, but crucially, wont reduce current prices because it wont reduce the GA costs.

To reduce current prices, finds the study, the government must either cancel or renegotiate existing contracts with renewable generators. These contracts represent almost 40 per cent of GA costs despite renewable power providing only seven per cent of Ontarios total electricity generation.

Finally, the study notes that subsidies account for almost 90 per cent of the revenue earned by renewable generators, with only 10 per cent from market transactions.

If the new government wants to provide relief for Ontarians suffering with artificially high electricity bills, it should deal with these overly-generous subsidies and lower the GA charge, McKitrick said.

MEDIA CONTACT

Ross McKitrick, Senior Fellow

Fraser Institute

Elmira Aliakbari, Associate Director, Natural Resource Studies

Fraser Institute

To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:

Bryn Weese, Media Relations Specialist, Fraser Institute

(604) 688-0221 ext. 589

bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook
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The Trump administration is investigating whether a Georgia school districts policy allowing transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice led to the sexual assault of a 5-year-old girl.The investigation in Decatur, Ga., which opened last month, signals a major development in Education Secretary Betsy DeVos controversial policies on transgender bathroom access in schools and her handling of civil rights enforcement for transgender students.The complaint alleges the girl was assaulted in the girls bathroom at Oakhurst Elementary School by a student who identified as gender fluid. The complaint was filed in May with help from the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian group that has filed many lawsuits challenging school district transgender bathroom policies nationwide.The Education Departments Office for Civil Rights said in a Sept. 14 letter that it would investigate the complaint, which means it will consider whether a student was assaulted because Decatur City School District allows transgender students to use the bathrooms of their choice.
After arguing its case in a federal appeals court Wednesday, Texas will soon know whether its decision to spend $33.3 million less on students with disabilities in 2012 will cost it millions in future federal funding.The U.S. Department of Education is attempting to withhold that same amount from Texas in special education grants, saying a 1997 statute prohibits states from reducing their funding for kids with disabilities from year to year. Texas appealed that determination to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, claiming the federal statute is vague and the penalty should not be enforced.Lawyers for both the state and federal government took less than a half hour Wednesday morning to lay out their arguments before a trio of federal judges. Sitting at the front of the wood-paneled courtroom, the three judges barely interrupted the lawyers to ask questions or make statements on the case.Kyle Hawkins, the state's new solicitor general, argued the case on behalf of Texas in his first appearance at the 5th Circuit in his new role. He started by asking the court to "set aside" the U.S. Department of Education's determination to take away the $33.3 million, which equates to about 3 percent of Texas' annual federal special education grant.Hawkins said Texas' interpretation of the statute is "at least reasonable." Texas weights funding for kids with disabilities, paying schools more to educate kids who have more severe disabilities or need personalized attention to learn  meeting their "unique needs.""The state is a purely passive actor" in the funding system for kids with disabilities, Hawkins said. School districts reported students in need of less expensive services in 2011-12, and so the state allocated less money. Texas' funding system has been in place since 1995, two years before the federal statute in question was implemented.Any conditions the federal government attaches to a grant must be "unambiguous," according to U.S. Supreme Court precedent. Texas says the special education statute is ambiguous, in not specifically prohibiting its interpretation, and therefore unenforceable. But that argument was met with some skepticism from at least one judge."You have rewritten the statute in the process," said Judge Jerry Smith, who was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan.Stephanie Marcus, representing the federal government, argued that the statute is clear and Texas' interpretation violates it. Federal special education law prohibits states from decreasing their funding from year to year, to ensure states use the additional federal money to enhance services and not trim their budgets. A state that violates the provision will be forced to forfeit the same amount in a future federal grant.The feds provided guidance to states in 2009 on how to calculate their financial support.Marcus pointed out that Texas could have applied for a waiver through the U.S. Department of Education and produced "clear and convincing evidence" that it was appropriately decreasing its special education funding that year. Texas, under the governorship of Republican Rick Perry at the time, declined that opportunity.Judge James Graves, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, asked why Texas did not apply for an official waiver."We didn't have to," Hawkins said, referring to the waiver process as "burdensome" and "expensive." Texas views its interpretation of the statute as accurate and permissible, he argued, so it didnt ask for permission to spend less that year."Litigation is less expensive?" Graves asked."We didn't think this would need to come to litigation," Hawkins said, pointing out that the feds initiated the situation by threatening to withhold funding. He asked the judges to rule on the case before Dec. 15, to allow Texas to budget for the upcoming legislative session starting in January.For parents and advocates paying attention back in Texas, the three judges and lawyers failed to point out the elephant in the room: a federal investigation concluded earlier this year that found Texas had failed to adequately educate may students with disabilities, and in fact had effectively denied services to thousands of students with disabilities who needed extra educational support. Texas spent less on special education in 2011-12 in part because its rate of enrollment in special education dropped to 8.6 percent, lower than any other state.Texas is arguing its special education programs are so successful at getting students to "overcome their disabilities" that many of them don't need expensive, personalized services as they get older  despite the fact that months ago Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos demanded Texas completely overhaul those very programs. The investigation is legally entirely separate from the case argued Wednesday  which only asks judges to decide whether Texas violated federal law when it spent less on special education that year.As state education officials slog through a long list of federally mandated special education reforms, they estimate spending $3 billion more on kids with disabilities over the next three years, with more students likely to be eligible for services.
Americans learn about the 13th Amendment as the signature measure outlawing slavery throughout the country. But what most Americans likely don't know is that slavery is still legal in the U.S. Constitution as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted. In other words, slavery is legal in federal prisons.Similar language exists in a number of states' constitutions, including Nevada, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin. There have been attempts to change this -- most unsuccessful.But on Tuesday, Colorado voters opted to abolish this language from theirs. The vote comes two years after Colorado voters rejected a similar ballot measure.While the vote will not affect the state's prison labor programs -- corrections facilities pay inmates for their work, albeit less than minimum wage -- proponents of the measure say the change is necessary.Similarly to the Confederate monuments coming down across the country, this action to me is in the same vein, said Jumoke Emery from Abolish Slavery Colorado, one of the advocacy groups behind the push for change. Bringing down these monuments of our past  is incredibly important to moving forward and healing racial divides.Richard Collins, a constitutional law professor with the University of Colorado, Boulder, said most constitutional amendments have some sort of immediate legal change -- Amendment A in that sense is a very rare case. But, he adds, it could empower some inmates to take legal action.I dont doubt that ... some prisoners would invoke the change to try to challenge some conditions in prisons, he said. What the courts do with that is then another question.This year, prisoners in several states went on strike to protest work conditions and low pay. Some characterized it as a form of modern-day slavery.The Colorado Department of Corrections doesn't take official positions on ballot measures, but its public information officer, Mark Fairbairn, said, "The Correctional Industries programs will comply with the law. The offender population benefits from these opportunities to learn a trade. There is currently a long wait list for offenders requesting to participate in CCI jobs. We are committed to maintaining this valuable program."The U.S. Constitution's 13th Amendment, and state amendments like it, have been a target for criminal justice advocates who tie the loophole to the countrys billion-dollar prison labor system. The Oscar-nominated documentary "13th" analyzed the connection between the amendment and the prison-industrial complex.While Abolish Slavery Colorado said it has prison labor concerns, the group sees this vote as ultimately about Colorados values as a state.The vote is "an incredibly important message to send to the country, said Emery. Even with the state of politics being divided, there are some things we can still agree upon on both sides of the aisle.Abolish Slavery attributes the 2016 failure in part to the questions wording.The language that was written was extremely confusing, said Kamau Allen of Abolish Slavery. This time we wanted to make it absolutely clear that a yes vote was a vote to abolish the exception.The language on the 2016 measure read:Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning the removal of the exception to the prohibition of slavery and involuntary servitude when used as punishment for persons duly convicted of a crime?The wording for 2018 read:Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution that prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime and thereby prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude in all circumstances?
Billionaire Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker improperly received $330,000 in property tax breaks on one of his Gold Coast mansions as part of a "scheme to defraud" taxpayers, Cook County's top watchdog concluded.Inspector General Patrick Blanchard's finding came in a report issued after his office looked into whether Pritzker's relationship with Assessor Joe Berrios played a role in Pritzker's property taxes being lowered.During the investigation, Blanchard found that Pritzker's wife, M.K. Pritzker, asked a contractor in 2015 to remove the mansion's five toilets to make the home uninhabitable so it could be reassessed at a lower value. M.K. Pritzker's brother and her personal assistant later made "false representations" in sworn affidavits to the assessor about the mansion's condition and when the toilets were removed, Blanchard found."The evidence indicates that the use of these affidavits was part of a scheme for obtaining money by means of false representations," Blanchard wrote in his report, a copy of which the Tribune obtained Monday.Blanchard, who declined to comment about his findings, recommended in his report that the assessor's office try to recover the money. In describing the alleged scheme, the inspector general also included references to the state perjury law, and the federal conspiracy and mail fraud statutes. Blanchard, however, stopped short of saying whether he referred the matter to law enforcement.Blanchard's report comes just five weeks before Election Day, and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's political team immediately seized on it as a campaign issue.J.B. Pritzker, who had just finished a Monday afternoon campaign event with former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, told reporters that "we followed the rules" and suggested the release of Blanchard's report was a political hit."This is an internal, confidential document by the inspector general's office, which was looking into the assessor's office, that was leaked for political purposes in this last month of a campaign," Pritzker said.Pritzker, who owns side-by-side mansions on North Astor Street, had begun a $24 million renovation on the properties and a carriage house in 2006. Work halted in 2010 during a dispute with the general contractor that ended up in court."About halfway through that renovation project, we halted, not knowing which direction the home should go, whether we should rent it out or maybe put it up for sale," Pritzker said. "And we sought a property tax reassessment, we received that reassessment, and then subsequently we restarted the renovation project."Pritzker said Monday he no longer receives tax breaks on the mansion. The candidate did not directly respond to questions about the report's contention that his wife instructed that the toilets be removed to make the mansion unlivable to lower their taxes.M.K. Pritzker, her brother Thomas Muenster and her personal assistant, Christine Lovely, could not be reached for comment.Tom Shaer, spokesman for Berrios, said the office had not seen Blanchard's report and could not comment. A spokeswoman for Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx said the office had not seen the report and offered no further comment.Blanchard's report does not say whether he attempted to interview the Pritzkers or Muenster and Lovely. But Blanchard's office did interview the renovation project's manager, the project's structural engineer and the plumber, among others.Through a subpoena, Blanchard obtained a key email that forms the backbone of his report. The Oct. 5, 2015, email is between the project manager for contractor Bulley & Andrews and a vice president for F.J. Kerrigan Plumbing about the Pritzker mansion that was being renovated."MK (Pritzker) is now getting back into the task of cleaning up (the mansion). She is going to have the house re-assessed as an uninhabitable structure," according to the email from the project manager. "To do this, she would like to have us pull all toilets and cap all toilet lines in the house. Then after the assessment, she would like us to put the 1st Floor toilet back in and have this as the one functioning bathroom in the place (she will then be finishing out the front room for JB's hangout meeting area)."Days later, Muenster sought a retroactive property tax break from 2012 through 2014. Appraisals and affidavits were submitted as part of the Pritzker effort to get the tax breaks.The appraisal noted that "there were no functioning bathrooms in the house since all the toilets were removed," adding that there were appliances in the "cooks' kitchen" in the basement. It also noted that one stairway banister was braced and another one "sloped noticeably to the right side."Blanchard's report goes on to describe what he calls "false representation in affidavits" submitted to the assessor by Muenster and Lovely. Their affidavits state that "there are no functioning bathrooms or kitchen. The interior stairwells are unsound."Lovely's affidavit was notarized by Elizabeth "Beth" Stolberg, who is identified in the report as J.B. Pritzker's executive assistant.Blanchard said the thrust of the affidavits was that there were no working bathrooms from January 2012 to mid-October 2015. However, Blanchard noted, the toilets were removed "per the instructions of M.K. Pritzker" just 10 days before the affidavits were submitted as part of the property tax appeal. Berrios' office lowered the 6,378-square-foot mansion's assessed value from $6.3 million to about $1.1 million."The county ultimately fell victim to a scheme to defraud, executed in part through the use of the affidavits, and which resulted in the property owner ultimately receiving property tax refunds totaling $132,747.18 for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014, as well as additional tax savings of $198,684.85 for the years 2015 and 2016," Blanchard concluded in his 33-page report, which was dated Friday.Blanchard launched his investigation after a May 2017 Chicago Sun-Times story that detailed the property tax appeal.The inspector general's report comes amid Rauner's repeated attempts to portray Pritzker as "corrupt."The report, however, states that "no credible evidence" was found that Assessor Berrios' relationship with Pritzker led to the tax break. Berrios, as the former chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, played a key role in Pritzker's endorsement for governor in the Democratic primary.Rauner has used the issue of the toilets in past advertising that accused Pritzker of being a "tax cheat." One ad featured workers carrying toilets out of a mansion as a Pritzker lookalike wore a crown as an announcer dubbed him the "porcelain prince of tax avoidance." Another ad touted a faux "Pritzker Plumbing" company to "disconnect your toilets" and "dodge your taxes.""This inspector general report proves what we knew all along _ J.B. Pritzker is a fraud," Rauner campaign spokesman Will Allison said. "From the very beginning, Pritzker was devising a corrupt scheme to defraud Illinois taxpayers by ripping toilets out of his mansion."Blanchard identified a number of potential improvements in assessor's office operations, including a "veracity check" on claims made in affidavits _ given that the inspector sent out to look at the mansion said he could not get inside to verify the conditions outlined in the affidavits.Blanchard also suggested that in the interests of honest and fair assessments that the office, which has sustained a series of layoffs amid county budget cuts in recent years, have "adequate staff." He also suggested more formal, written guidelines for decisions made by office staff.And Blanchard recommended the office have "knowledgeable and experienced appraisers on staff" to review outside appraisals submitted to the office and establishing a requirement that interior inspections be required during field checks of expensive properties. "Better scrutiny is needed of high-value properties seeking multimillion-dollar assessment reductions, particularly those purporting to be 'vacant and uninhabitable,' " Blanchard wrote.
The union representing Immigrations and Customs Enforcement employees has asked state and federal officials to open a criminal investigation of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler over his direction of the police response to ICE protests this summer.The politically pointed gesture, designed to call attention to Wheeler's stance against immigration enforcement actions, goes as far as to suggest he should temporarily give up his duties as police commissioner.In letters sent Wednesday to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, the National ICE Council asks officials to probe whether Wheeler committed official misconduct or violated the Constitution by directing Portland police officers not to respond to some calls for service during a lengthy protest the ICE field office in Portland.Wheeler responded with outrage and faulted the lawyer who wrote the letters, Sean Riddell, for making what Wheeler said was serial misrepresentations of what occurred."Make no mistake. They are coming after me because I am a vocal opponent of the administration's policy of separating kids from their parents," Wheeler said in a statement. "Previous claims made by Sean Riddell have fallen apart upon further inspection and these claims, if investigated, will too."Kristina Edmunson, a spokeswoman for Rosenblum, said her office has received the union's letter and is reviewing it. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon referred questions to the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, D.C.In the letters on behalf of the union, Riddell cites Wheeler's public statements and messages sent by a mayoral aide and a Portland Police Bureau captain directing police to respond to the protest only if there were an immediate threat to lives or safety. Riddell served as a deputy Oregon attorney general during Democrat John Kroger's time as attorney general.Wheeler has said he detests the actions of ICE agents to separate some children and parents facing deportation; his statements drew a personal rebuke from President Trump.In his statement Wednesday, he added to those criticisms. "Now we know many of these kids will be permanently orphaned as a result," Wheeler said. "That is wrong. I'm outraged by it."The mayor had also previously responded to Riddell's critiques by saying the city did nothing wrong, arguing Portland's hands-off approach was necessary to protect protesters' free speech rights.Riddell wrote that Wheeler, as mayor and police commissioner, has a duty to enforce all laws of Portland and the state of Oregon. Riddell said Wheeler did not enforce laws that bar rioting, harassment, disorderly conduct and unlawful camping, according to the letters, first reported by the Portland Tribune and independently obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive.During the long protest, demonstrators blocked areas around the ICE field office, located off Southwest Macadam Boulevard. They set up makeshift camps and at times clashed with federal police officers, resulting in arrests. In all, federal police arrested 19 people, mostly for trying to block the entrance to the immigration agency's office or for tearing police tape demarcating the federal property line. Three of them were arrested for allegedly assaulting a federal officer.Wheeler said at the time that he wanted to allow federal police to enforce laws on the property of the federal immigration office rather than have city police do so.Riddell said the mayor directed city police not to respond to some calls for service "to advance his own personal political agenda, advance his political career and punish citizens he perceived to hold alternative political beliefs."According to a state law cited by Riddell, a public servant commits official misconduct if he or she knowingly fails to perform a duty of their office or commits an unauthorized excess of authority with the intent to benefit or harm another person. Prosecutions under the statute are exceedingly rare.Riddell said that should an investigation be launched, Wheeler ought to temporarily give up his duties as police commissioner.
Description

GIS  04 October, 2018: The Fisheries Protection Service (FPS) proceeded with the annual disposal of seized and forfeited articles related to illegal fishing activities in several regions around the island, yesterday at Mare Chicose Landfill. In this context, an official function was held at the Mahebourg Fisheries Post, in presence of the Minister of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, Mr Premdut Koonjoo, and Officers of the FPS, where the seized prohibited articles were stocked.

In a statement, Minister Koonjoo recalled that eliminating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is at the core of Government agenda. He outlined that an increase has been noted in the amount of seized items for the year 2018, which indicates that illicit fishing activities and the use of prohibited equipment are on the rise.

Illegal activities such as overfishing and catching juvenile species, he said, are directly affecting and depleting the marine ecosystem. The disposal exercise, he added, reflects the relentless efforts of the 15 Fisheries Protection Service Posts and the five Flying Squads to help free the countrys lagoon from unregulated fishing by ensuring efficient control, strict surveillance and enforcement of the provisions of the Fisheries and Marine Resources Act 2007.

For his part, the Acting Controller of the FPS, Mr Brambhanand Bundhoo, informed that the seized and forfeited articles comprise 11 073 metres of fishing net, 11 spear guns and 180 underwater equipment, valued at Rs 10 million. He also commended the work of the 200 officers of the FPS who are doing their best to combat illegal fishing activities.
Description

GIS 04 October, 2018: The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, announced yesterday the restructuration of the National Transport Authority and the setting up of a new unit to regulate rail functions in Mauritius. The appropriate bills will be presented in the National Assembly in March next year, he said. The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, announced yesterday the restructuration of the National Transport Authority and the setting up of a new unit to regulate rail functions in Mauritius. The appropriate bills will be presented in the National Assembly in March next year, he said.

In an address at the signature ceremony of a contract for Operation Readiness Services (ORS) with Metro Express Ltd at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis, the Prime Minister pointed out that the Attorney Generals Office, in consultation with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport and with the assistance of Singapore Corporation Enterprise (SCE) is working on a Rail legislation and subsidiary legislations within which Metro Express will operate.

The Singapore High Commissioner to Mauritius, Mr R. Jayachandran; the Minister of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport, Mr Nandcomar Bodha; the Chief Executive Officer of SCE; Mr Kong Wy Mun, and other eminent personalities were present at the signature ceremony.

With regard to the need for a local operations team that is well trained and ready to operate the Metro Express safely and efficiently, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction that the SCE/SMRT is being entrusted with the responsibility to set up the operations structure at Metro Express Ltd. SCE/SMRT will have to put together and capacitate the operations team, draft operating procedures including emergency response procedures, support the testing, commissioning as well as safety certification of the Light Rail Vehicles and accompany MEL in the operations phase until the local team is ready to take over.

The Prime Minister recalled that the bidding process for procuring the Operations Readiness Services was done under the G to G agreements between Mauritius and India and between Mauritius and Singapore. Evaluation of the bids, he pointed out, was carried out by a team of professionals from MEL and MPI and that process led to SCE/SMRT being selected, both on the technical and financial criteria. The team of SMRT mobilised under the contract will launch the recruitment exercise for train captains, engineers and technicians, train and station inspectors and supervisors, as well as security personnel.

Mr Jugnauth rejoiced at the numerous infrastructural projects being carried out in Mauritius adding that the whole transport landscape of Mauritius is in the process of being transformed.

The expected transformation will be the harbinger of another wave of socio-economic development that will propel Mauritius towards the league of inclusive high income economies, bringing significant improvement in the quality of life of the population, he said.

The Prime Minister reiterated Governments efforts to propel Mauritius in the Fourth Industrial Revolution where digitisation, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and other technologies will pervade all aspects of life, raising the nations productivity, and unfolding a modern and sophisticated Mauritius for the youth and future generations.

For his part, the Minister of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport, Mr Nandcoomar Bodha, underlined that the Metro Express project has reached a crucial stage in its implementation process adding that works are being undertaken at 30 different sites. He stated that, in the wake of the Metro Express project, t he need for modern, safe, secure and integrated urban terminals has become imperative. On that score Government has decided to embark on the redevelopment and modernisation of urban terminals along the Port Louis-Curepipe corridor namely the Victoria and Immigration Square terminals in Port Louis, Place Margeot in Rose-Hill, Quatre Bornes, Vacoas and Ian Palach in Curepipe.

The Singapore High Commissioner to Mauritius, Mr R. Jayachandran, outlined the close and longstanding relations with Mauritius recalling that the two countries have been collaborating on several projects under G to G agreement. These include: water management, renewable energy, sustainable development, training and capacity building, and public sector and parastatal reforms.

Operation Readiness Services

The contract for ORS has been awarded to SCE to the tune of Rs 241 million. The ORS team will ensure that MEL is ready to operate the Mauritius Light Rail System as from September 2019 along the corridor Rose Hill to Port Louis. It will assist MEL to set up the organisation structure for the operation and maintenance of the Light Rail System, and empower the team of MEL to operate the system and undertake the first level routine maintenance of the Light Rail Vehicles and Systems.

The Metro Express will be capable of transporting more than 8,000 passengers per hour. Commuters can expect a short waiting time of up to between 5 to 6 minutes for a train during peak hours. The Metro Express service is planned to start running before 5 a.m. and stop at 10 pm. Rail services will be able to run for longer hours at times of special events, allowing the public to commute safely and reliably to and from their leisure activities.
New York City these days is dotted with high-tech hot spots, kiosks that are part of a program called LinkNYC. Thousands upon thousands of visitors and residents of the city walk past these screens, using them for everything from public Wi-Fi access to charging devices to getting info about city services.This September, however, users of the more than 1,700 active LinkNYC kiosks throughout the city might have noticed something new on the screens: brightly colored blue and yellow features, almost like testimonials for open data. These testimonials are simple, featuring the faces of real people, their job titles or affiliations, and a quick list of what they accomplished with open data as well as the data sets they used.For example, one screen says: Rentlogic, Yale Fox I used NYC OpenData to bring transparency to the rental market. Data used: open HPD violations, DOB violations, DOB ECB Violations. Theres a picture of Fox, and a second note, reading: I am an entrepreneur.Thats it. Simple, clear, easy to read and understand.Other featured stories include civic technologists who used New York open data to bring more transparency to community projects, a data scientist who used it to predict the lifespan of New York street trees and an environmental planner who showed how the citys sewer system works among others.Craig Campbell, a special advisor to the Mayors Office of Data Analytics  which is the primary municipal agency behind the citys open data work  recently spoke withabout this storytelling campaign.Its to give people a sense of what is possible using open data, Campbell explained. Everyone need not use open data, but everyone should have the opportunity to use open data. This storytelling campaign is designed to get the word out about the resources that exist.To date, New York City has published more than 2,000 data sets, with an ongoing release of more. This has led to more than a million users accessing New York City open data, many of whom create projects like the ones described above.This storytelling effort in New York City dates back years, spanning more than just the vignettes on the kiosks. The local governments open data efforts, however, date back even further. In 2012, the city passed a law requiring an annual open data report available to the public that outlines information such as what data has been released, or which sets are running behind schedule. Essentially, the report details all aspects of what the city government is doing to comply with its open data law.In the past two years, part of the focus of that report, Campbell said, has become to make the data seem more real by telling real stories about the people behind the data. This effort has taken a wide range of forms, from videos to updates on the citys open data portal . Campbell also noted the work in its current form would not be possible without Reboot Inc. , a design firm with which the city has partnered, or the work of Al Webber, the citys director of open data.And New York City is far from alone in its use of such storytelling to share its municipal tech and innovation work. This discipline has become a priority for jurisdictions across the country, with many of the foremost experts in the field preaching the value of celebrating data wins Essentially, the public needs to understand what data is available, why it matters and how its being used  both within local government and by civic tech groups  to improve quality of life, if open data is to become a valued and important part of our society moving forward. Detroit has even gone so far as to create a position in its city hall for a chief storyteller. Meanwhile, many city halls across the country are turning to design philosophies to bolster efficiency and help create human-centered products that are easy to access and use for constituents.So, while these bright screens on New York City kiosks may be novel now, odds are good that this project  or others like it  will spread rapidly. Campbell described it as a way to open up the hood, pull back the curtain on not only the logistics but also the importance of open data work in municipal government.
(TNS)  Birmingham cybersecurity firm ThreatAdvice will be providing about 3,000 Hoover City Schools' employees with online threats training.Teachers and administrators will be getting lessons on scams, including phishing simulations, and sample cybersecurity-related policies that the school system can use.Bryan Phillips, chief technology officer for Hoover City Schools, called the need for the training "imperative.""ThreatAdvice provided a turnkey package with an online learning management system that was easy to implement and utilize and other awareness options that will keep cybersecurity preparedness on the forefront of Hoover City School employees' minds," Phillips said.A 2017 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report cited 455 cybersecurity incidents in the education sector last year. At the same time, the U.S. Department of Education issued a cyber advisory alert stating that K-12 school systems are facing new online threats involving student information.Officials say criminals are seeking to extort money from school districts and other educational institutions on the threat of releasing sensitive data from student records. In some cases, this has included threats of violence, shaming, or bullying children unless payment is received."It's not just big businesses that are targets of cyber-attacks," ThreatAdvice CEO David Brasfield said. "Any organization or business that is responsible for a large amount or personal data is a target. And the more employees an organization has, the more potential entry points the bad guy has. That is why cyber education is so important for everyone."
(TNS)  When it comes to self-driving cars in Ohio, all eyes are on Columbus.Cities across the state, including Athens and Youngstown, are keeping close watch on Columbus' experiment with self-driving shuttles that run along the Scioto Mile Downtown.May Mobility, a Michigan-based startup, launched the shuttles in September as part of an initiative announced in July by Smart Columbus and DriveOhio. Sign up for the latest tech news with the weekly Smart Tech newsletter"They're going to be the test case to go through the system," said Peter Voderberg, managing director of DriveOhio, the Ohio Department of Transportation agency devoted to autonomous-vehicle research.Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed an executive order in May designed to attract more autonomous-vehicle testing on Ohio's roads.A handful of cities across the state are interested in autonomous-vehicle technology, including Athens.Athens Public Works Director Andy Stone said he signed an agreement in early September between DriveOhio and the City of Athens, allowing the agency and the city to work to bring autonomous vehicles to the southeast Ohio town.While there is nothing concrete yet, the agreement could lead to an autonomous shuttle  like the one in Columbus  or information sharing between vehicles and infrastructure or collision avoidance technology. Athens is working with Ohio University on the initiative."A need we have, with OU in particular, is parking," Stone said.He said it would be helpful to have a vehicle to transport drivers, such as OU faculty, from their cars to their offices.Youngstown has also expressed interest in autonomous-vehicle technology, Voderberg said.Youngstown City Council President DeMaine Kitchen, who was unaware of any concrete self-driving plans in that city, said self-driving vehicles could benefit Youngstown by transporting the elderly to grocery stores and doctor appointments, for example.Kitchen, however, also expressed concern for what he called the "X-factor," such as a ball rolling in the street or a child running in front of a car."Computers don't have a human element," Kitchen said.Prixarc, a company based out of the Dayton suburb of Beavercreek, has also contacted DriveOhio about autonomous-vehicle technology. The company sells products used in autonomous vehicles and the aerospace, biomedical and smart infrastructure industries.Prixarc Vice President Vamsy Chodavarapu said states such as California and Arizona have taken aggressive steps to promote autonomous-vehicle technology."Ohio offers something that none of these states offer"  four seasons of driving conditions, Chodavarapu said.In the next couple of months, Voderberg said the registration process for companies interested in testing autonomous vehicles in Ohio will be finalized."We don't want to be a state-led initiative," Voderberg said. "We want it to be a collaborative effort between the state of Ohio and all these municipalities so that we have a system that works."
1. How has MROSD been working to improve connectivity?

2. How will a strong fiber backbone (valued at about $250,000) improve the workflow and operations for workers spread across MROSDs thousands of acres?

3. When will the project be completed?

4. Did MROSD look to other nature preserves or government agencies charged with managing natural lands as a template for how the Open Space District should structure connectivity?

The issue of connectivity and access to broadband remains persistent through many swaths of rural America. Groups overseeing natural lands also encounter connectivity struggles as they navigate the day-to-day difficulties of managing open space. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) manages and protects 63,000 acres down the middle of the San Francisco Peninsula into San Mateo and Santa Clara counties in California. The district was formed in 1972 and is charged with building and managing a regional greenbelt in perpetuity. The area includes two dozen nature preserves and is operated by a staff of about 180.Garrett Dunwoody, who has a background in public-sector data science, oversees the Information Systems and Technology Department at MROSD and has been leading efforts to improve connectivity among the organizations various offices.A lot of our field offices are in remote locations within our preserves. So were in the process right now of working with Comcast Solutions to implement what were calling a districtwide fiber-optic network. Were connecting all of our field offices with fiber-optic cabling.This project is twofold. One is the capital project to actually run the fiber-optic cable to those various locations. And then the second part of the project is more services-based. What were building is what Comcast calls Ethernet Network Service. Well basically be connecting our field offices all within a virtual private network [VPN].It will allow field staff to interface with the work-order system were implementing, our enterprise GIS, because our field locations are mesh networks, where somebody in a ranger truck, or somebody walking around in the courtyard with a tablet, will be connected to our network. Theyll be able to download their work orders for the day and take them offline to go to the field to get their work done. Our experience for our field staff, rather than having them need a VPN into the file server or the finance system, will be all within our network. Thats the big 800-pound gorilla that weve been trying to tackle.Were in contract right now. Weve had the various site walk-throughs. The construction components are in permitting. I think based upon some preliminary new numbers, it will probably be close to March 2019. Thats when the actual fiber line will be connected to our field offices.We didnt necessarily look at a particular organization to see how they did a similar project. As a special district, I think were different enough that a lot of the technical components are unique to us, meaning the location of our facilities, who might be our service providers, things like that. But we did do a pretty deep dive into the various solutions that were out there.
(TNS)  When the Trump administration decided last year to dump net neutrality rules designed to treat all data equally, the states revolted.Thirty legislatures introduced bills to prohibit internet service providers from hindering access to certain sites and charging fees for faster speeds.Four states, including California, passed laws, and six governors issued executive orders declaring they would not do business with Internet providers that violated net neutrality.People were upset across the country, said Ernesto Falcon, legislative counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which supports net neutrality.The Trump administration decided to fight back Sunday and challenge Californias law, the broadest in the nation. It would restore Obama-era rules governing Internet access, which barred blocking, throttling and paid prioritization and established a process for filing complaints.The broadband industry followed up with a suit of its own Wednesday to block Californias law.But the bigger legal fight is being waged before the U.S. District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals.Public interest groups, companies and 32 states, including California, have challenged the Federal Communications Commissions decision last year to end regulation of Internet providers. A ruling is expected sometime next year.The Trump administrations lawsuit asks that Californias new law, which is supposed to take effect in January, be put on hold until the D.C. Circuit court rules.It is a smart ask, Falcon said. And I dont think it is a bad idea.If the D.C. appeals court decides the FCC acted arbitrarily and capriciously, net neutrality could return nationally. The court will also decide whether states can issue regulations of their own.The Justice Department and industry groups representing broadband and wireless companies contend that Californias new law violates the Constitution by usurping federal law.Under the Constitution, states do not regulate interstate commerce  the federal government does, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions said when the Justice Department announced its suit Sunday. Jonathan Spalter , president and CEO of USTelecom, an industry trade group, said Congress, not multiple states, should set the rules for the Internet.The Internet is an interstate service, and states are expressly preempted from regulating broadbands, Spalter said.Supporters of Californias law counter that the federal government has exited the business of regulating Internet service providers. When there are no regulations, states may impose their own, they say.Under their police powers, states do have authority to adopt rules, even if related to interstate commerce, said Stanford Law professor Barbara van Schewick, who supports the California law.A 1978 law passed by Congress that deregulated the airline industry and prohibited states from passing their own regulations was upheld by the courts.But supporters of Californias law say the net neutrality case is different. At issue is an action of a federal agency, not a law passed by Congress.The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has scheduled a hearing in February on the states challenge.What is happening in California is mostly about whether California is allowed to enforce its law before the D.C. Circuit rules, Van Schewick said.Three other states passed more limited net neutrality rules after the FCC revoked the federal regulations, and none of them has been sued.Californias law is substantially broader, though.The California net neutrality law is the first law that actually brings back all the net neutrality protections that the FCC voted to eliminate, Van Schewick said.Santa Clara University Law professor Catherine Sandoval, who also favors the California law, said the 10th Amendment of the Constitution gives states police powers to protect and promote the safety of their people.Almost every sector of California is dependent on an open Internet, she said.She and others cited the case of a Santa Clara County fire protection district whose Internet access was hindered in July while fighting the massive Mendocino Complex fire.The fire department said its data connection had been throttled down to 1/200 or less of previous speeds, even though the agency believed it had paid for an unlimited data plan.A Verizon Wireless representative told the department it had exceeded its data limit and suggested it pay more than twice as much for a better plan.The fire department said the throttling impeded its ability to respond to a crisis and provide essential emergency service. Its complaint was submitted as an addendum to the states challenge before the D.C. Circuit.But Verizon said the situation had nothing to do with net neutrality and blamed a customer support mistake.A spokesperson said Santa Clara had purchased a government contract plan for a high-speed wireless data allotment at a set monthly cost.Users under that plan get an unlimited amount of data but speeds are reduced when they exceed their allotment until the next billing cycle, she said.She said Verizon should have removed the speed restriction when the fire department called because the department is an emergency responder.Falcon, however, said the Santa Clara situation provided a very powerful argument for net neutrality. Without regulation of the practices of these companies, states may have a serious public safety issue.The companies will have a difficult fight to explain why an economic burden outweighs public safety, Falcon said.UC Berkeley Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky said some courts have found that federal agency actions cannot be overridden by states but generally preemption is about what Congress intended, not agencies.The federal government is arguing that the absence of a law preempts state law, and that is an unusual argument, he said.In its lawsuit Wednesday, the Broadband Assn., an industry group, said California was trying to nullify federal law in violation of the Constitution.Californias attempts to revive  and indeed expand  a repealed federal regulatory regime are plainly preempted, the lawsuit said.The industry said it would be impossible to comply with a patchwork of inconsistent regulations.
(TNS)  Updated 12:58 p.m. on Wednesday to include a new statement from Secretary of State Rolando Pablos.AUSTIN  More than 2,000 Texans who registered to vote using an online tool provided by a California nonprofit could be in for a rude awakening on Election Day  they are not, in fact, officially registered.In September, vote.org , which uses technology to increase voter turnout and bring more people into the political process, rolled out the tool to help Texans register for the November election. It was available in Dallas, Bexar, Cameron and Travis counties ahead of Tuesday's registration deadline.Applications began rolling in, even from outside those four counties. But on Monday, the office of the secretary of state, the top elections administrator, told the nonprofit the applications submitted through it weren't valid because they didn't have original signatures.In a statement on Wednesday, Secretary of State Rolando Pablos said: "We remind all eligible Texas voters that online voter registration is not available in the State of Texas. Any web site that misleadingly claims to assist voters in registering to vote online by simply submitting a digital signature is not authorized to do so. All Texas voters should be extremely cautious when handing over personal and sensitive information to any unknown third party."He urged voters to check their registration status on the secretary of state's website , where they could also get more information on the elections.On vote.org, applicants would answer questions that would auto-populate into a paper voter registration application. They would sign their name on a piece of paper, snap a photo of it and upload it to the online application.The website would then fax and mail the application to elections administrators for processing. As long as the registrar received the mailed copy no later than the fourth day after the fax was received, the application should be valid, said Sarah Jackel, the nonprofit's general counsel.Jackel said her group has used the tool in Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, South Carolina and Washington, D.C., without any problems. The group did not consult with the Secretary of State before launching in Texas, which does not have online voter registration and has some of the strictest voter identification laws in the nation.Thirty-eight other states offer online voter registration or will soon, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law.Sam Taylor, a spokesman for the secretary of state's office, said registration applications require original signatures. The applications filed through the vote.org process contained only copies of signatures  in the appended photos  which made them invalid.Affixing digital signatures to applications is illegal in Texas, Taylor said, and creates a high risk for fraud and abuse. The secretary of state's office notified vote.org that it objected to the online registration tool, and the nonprofit shut it down Tuesday."We disagree with their interpretation, but we didn't want any further voters in this situation," Jackel said. "The secretary of state basically created this situation where voters are potentially being disenfranchised when they were following part of Texas election code to register."Taylor said the secretary of state is advising counties that received the applications to notify residents that they are incomplete. To finish registering, they will have to return applications with an original signature within 10 days of receiving the notice."Even if that 10th-day deadline falls after that Oct. 9 deadline, they would still have 10 days to sign an actionable form," Taylor said. "It's not going to affect whether or not these people are going to be registered."But that still leaves thousands of Texas voters, including some in Dallas, who mistakenly think they have completed their voter registration. The Dallas County elections administrator did not respond to a request for comment.Executives at vote.org said they are sending printed applications with stamped envelopes to people who registered using their tool so they can complete them for free. Counties will also have to send notices, at a cost to taxpayers."We have to," said Jacquelyn F. Callanen, elections administrator for Bexar County, which received more than 100 applications through the vote.org online tool.There is also concern that some voters simply won't return the notices."For every hundred of these that we send out, I dont know how many were going to get back," said Bruce Elfant, the Travis County voter registrar. "We're crafting a letter that is as simple as 'sign this and send it back.' Were going to do everything we can to make these people whole. But we can't guarantee that they'll respond 100 percent."Elfant, who estimates that Travis County received between 400 and 500 applications, said the snafu with vote.org's online tool was an "unfortunate misunderstanding."He added: "If we had online voter registration, this problem would be solved. And a lot of others."
(TNS)  Cyber has no boundaries: its one of the sentiments Gen. Les Eisner with the Cyber SC Foundation left with the audience at the North Augusta Chamber of Commerces Cyber Ecosystem talk Tuesday evening.The North Augusta Chamber brought local government, education and cyber industry leaders to speak on the state and importance of cyber activity.Cyber, the challenge with cyber is that it means so many things to so many people, it means nothing to anyone, Eisner said. You know whenever you pick up a smart device  its a cyber device. Its a software defined ecosystem, software defined society, and so in that society theres an element of efficiency, economic growth, but theres also an element of protection, so the purpose of this gathering today is to have that dialogue between our industry partners, our government partners and our academic partners on how do we leverage the goodness out of cyber and how do we protect ourselves from people who either want to steal our data, or breach our infrastructure, or undermine the world that we all live in.Cyber related news and activity continues to build around the CSRA. The U.S. Army is building its main cyberspace operations at Fort Gordon in Augusta, which is already home to a cyber training facility, the Cyber Center of Excellence.Charles Johnson, founder and CEO of EDTS Cyber echoed Eisners thought about the word cyber, saying it was an interesting word.For years it had a negative connotation: cyber bullying, cyber stalking, cyber warfare, and now it means a lot of things to a lot of people. It means protecting the network, protecting our nations networks and with the Cyber Command and the NSAs new presence here in Augusta, its like you cant be in a conversation at lunch or anything else without someone saying the word cyber, Johnson said.Eisner said during the event that in Websters, cyber is defined as a culture of computers, and that it permeates everything we do today because today is a software defined world.Fran Altringer, virtual learning coordinator for Aiken County Public School District, talked about some of the recent cyber-based initiatives, including partnerships with local businesses and Fort Gordon. University of South Carolina Aiken chancellor Dr. Sandra Jordan also talked about how cyber is being used at the university, and their recently created cyber curriculum.Robert Smith with EDTS talked about the importance of safety with cyber, as well as the increasing seriousness in cyber threats, saying someone going to rob a bank doesnt need to take a gun to the bank, they just need a computer, patience, time, effort and energy to get the same result.A contributing factor to this is that we as a society as its been said, have grown in the number of devices that were entrusting with our information, with our livelihood, with our kids' information, with our education systems. Smart dryers, television, phones, everything, watches. By 2025 we will have 80 billion devices connected to the internet, he said.Other speakers at Tuesdays event included North Augusta Mayor Bob Pettit, North Augusta City Administrator Todd Glover, Tom Scott with Cyber SC, Raymond Strawbridge with Circadence, Sean Fay with South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and Earl Johnson with AECOM.
Cyril Abiteboul says Red Bull blocked Renault's efforts to re-sign Carlos Sainz.

Sainz was merely 'on loan' from Red Bull this year, but the Spaniard will instead move to McLaren for 2019.

"It was strange," Russia's Championat quotes Renault boss Abiteboul as saying.

"In the end it was easier for us to sign Daniel (Ricciardo) than Carlos.

"Red Bull blocked our attempt to sign an agreement with Carlos. Around Paul Ricard we made a serious attempt to sign a full contract and Red Bull did not agree, as they were entitled.

"But in the end they still lost him as a driver, so it was strange to see," Abiteboul added.

The Frenchman says he is at least happy that Sainz is staying in F1.

"I have a slight feeling of regret, but we are glad he is at McLaren where there is a lot to do. And I don't have the feeling that any bridges are burned between him and us," said Abiteboul.

(GMM)
Actual photo of one of the drunk birds. Photo: Warner Bros.

Its avian anarchy. The local birds of Gilbert, Minnesota, have been getting so drunk that the towns police department had to release a statement about the spring-break-esque behavior. The warning was posted in response to reports of drunk birds flying into windows and cars, and just generally being wasted. In what will come as a surprise to no one, the young birds have been having the hardest time keeping their liquor down.

The reason: The birds have apparently found themselves with an unexpected excess of booze. A surprise frost led local berries to ferment earlier than is typical, and theres a corresponding increase in drunk birds in Gilbert. Residents sound concerned, with one responding, That explains all the birds bouncing off my window lately! and another claiming that seven birds had run into their car. The officials also expect the birds to sober up soon enough.
Photo: Roy Rochlin/WireImage

Events to check out this holiday weekend, October 4 to 8.

1. Hit up a festival.

Grab your dancing clogs, the Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival celebrates its tenth year through Saturday, with favorites like the French Disco-Don duo of Breakbot & Irfane at Output tonight, and Siberian dentist turned DJ Nina Kraviz alongside Mount Kimbie at Avant Gardner in East Williamsburg on Saturday. From Friday to Sunday, beef up your dinner party conversation at the New Yorker Festival, featuring talks with Ronan Farrow, Kacey Musgraves, Haruki Murakami, Sally Yates and much, much more. And film fanatics already know that, through October 14, theres the New York Film Festival, presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, with films like Alfonso Cuarons Roma, named after the neighborhood in Mexico City, and Julian Schnabels At Eternitys Gate, about the life of Vincent van Gogh.

2. Indulge your inner geek.

This weekend is the massive New York Comic Con in the Javits Center and other locations around the city, luring fans of comics, sci-fi, manga, anime, and popular culture. Have a sketch drawn in artist alley; say hi to Mark Ruffalo (a.k.a. the Hulk) tonight and get something signed; catch a special edition of Neil deGrasse Tysons Star Talk with co-host Chuck Nice and theoretical physicist Brian Greene; visit a Marvel Daredevil panel on Saturday and much, much more. Bonus points for costumes.

3. Dirty pop.

Apparently, BTS fans have already been trying to camp out before Saturdays historic show at the 42,000-person Citi Field, which sold out in under 20 minutes. The boy band  which became the first K-pop act to hit No. 1 on the Billboard album chart this year, and will be the first K-pop band to headline a stadium show in the States  does have its loyal stans, to say the least. Can you hang? If so, figure out a way to get tickets, as its the last date on this North American leg of their Love Yourself World Tour.

4. Celebrate indigenous people.

Some people have a three-day weekend, yay. But everyone should spend one of their days at the Indigenous Peoples Celebration (Re-Thinking Columbus Day), on Randalls Island, with music, performances, dances, and song on Sunday, and a sunrise ceremony, spoken word, dance, and guest speakers on Monday. Admission is free, and lawn chairs are recommended on Monday.

5. Start gettin spooked.

Its October, and that means its time for Halloween spine tingles. This year, the massive phantasmagoria that is the haunted house Blood Manor has moved its den of ultra-high-tech UV lights, animatronics, and gore-filled makeup to Broadway, with more killer clowns and ways to die than you can dream up (if youre counting, its 1,000, and theres a room dedicated to them). The Merchants House Museum just unveiled their new exhibition, A Good Death: 19th Century Lessons in Dying Well, and on Saturday Green-Wood Cemetery offers their twilight walking tour, which ends at the catacombs, usually closed to the public. Dont forget your flashlight.

6. Get jazzy.

Have you been checking out our monthly jazz calendar? Each installment, we pull out the ten best shows for jazz lovers, and this month is a good one, with trumpeter Tom Harrell at the Village Vanguard all weekend with his band Trip, Robert Glasper at the Blue Note through the month, and the multitalented Bria Skonberg at (le) Poisson Rouge on Saturday. Catch em all.

7. Party (and buy baked goods) for a cause.

This Friday is a Benefit Concert for Planned Parenthood, a title that is conveniently self-explanatory. Head out to Greenpoints Park Church Co-op for a night co-headlined by Sons of an Illustrious Father (with Justice League actor Ezra Miller) and Brooklyn punks Honduras, who recently opened for Interpol. Plus a bake sale, voter registration, and more, with all proceeds going toward the organization.

8. Pizza Pizza.

New Yorkers sure do have opinions about pizza, and theyll all be out on display at the New York Pizza Festival, held on Crescent avenue (near Arthur Avenue) in the Bronxs Little Italy this Saturday and Sunday. Come for booths with over 30 pizzerias from all over the country, plus a special guest from Naples, Italy. Tell them their pizzas not the best. Tickets are $25 for three slices, $35 for six.

9. Time for Tunde.

If you havent yet discovered the irresistible pop R&B of Tunde Olaniran, this is your lucky holiday weekend. On Friday, the Flint-based, Nigerian musician  who has opened for Sleigh Bells and was featured on the Detroit episode of Marcus Samuelssons PBS food show No Passport Required  releases his latest album, Stranger, and on Monday he plays Terminal 5 with CYN and Brit electropop headliners Years & Years.

10. Strap on your skates.

It may not feel like fall outside, but its still skating season. At least according to Rockefeller Center, whose rink opens on Monday. So pair those shorts with some ice skates and break out those triple Axels, or just watch with some hot chocolate. The first skate, hosted by five-time Finnish national champion figure skater Kiira Korpi, is on Monday morning at 9 a.m.
Culture

Veteran Pakistani actor Sohail Asghar passes away

Veteran Pakistani actor Sohail Asghar passed away in Lahore on Saturday after a prolonged illness. According to his family, Asghar was hospitalised during the past week due to deteriorating health condition.



His funeral prayers will be held in Lahore on Sunday, according to family sources. Asghar began his career in the showbiz industry as an RJ for Radio Pakistan and later joined TV.




Haiti - NOTICE : Denial of the Ministry of Public Health





Dr. Marie Greta Roy Clement, the Minister of Public Health denies the rumor circulating on social networks that "the Ministry urges the population not to consume the products of the Pastry Marie Beliard."



The Ministry denies this information and "deplores the fact that malicious people use its name for dishonest purposes and invites the public to exercise discernment, as to these false information broadcast on social networks."



The Ministry wishes to reassure the public about the measures taken to reinforce the surveillance of epidemics or abnormal phenomena through its Laboratory Epidemiology Department and also to inform it that its Public Health Service has been strengthened to better protect consumers.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Social : The mayor of Tabarre severely brutalized





Stephanie Auguste, the new Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister, in charge of Human Rights and the Fight against Extreme Poverty, condemns with the greatest firmness the serious incident which occurred during the night of October 1st to 2nd, during which the Mayor of Tabarre, the actress Nice Simon, was severely beaten by her husband, Yves Leonard.



"This heinous and disgusting act against a defenseless woman is unacceptable and a flagrant violation of human rights." Recalling that Prime Minister Ceaant in his General Policy emphasized that "gender-based violence must be addressed in all its dimensions." In this regard, the Minister Delegate asks the judicial authorities concerned to put public action in motion in order to deal with this matter expeditiously so that justice can be done.



Stephanie Auguste takes the opportunity to express her solidarity to the victim, as well as to all the women in our society who have been or are the object of all forms of gender violence.



For his part Jean-Marie Reynaldo Brunet Minister of the Interior and Local Authorities in a note said to have learned with "exhaustion" the corporal brutalities, which was victim the mayor of Tabarre. In such circumstances, Brunet says that as the Ministry of Supervision of local authorities it is seriously addressing this case of physical abuse and invites Haitian women, whatever their origin and position, not to be afraid to denounce, all individual posing as a predator of the female sex.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















In July I was the invited U.S. guest at the Festival y Concurso Internacional de Flauta, an international festival and flute competition in Colombia, South America. Hosted by the city of Tocancipa near the capital city of Bogota, the festival included concerts, masterclasses, and an international competition with a final round performance of Francois Bornes Carmen Fantasy for Solo Flute and Concert Band. The excitement of the audience filled the auditorium, and the band accompanied the three finalists with energy and refinement.

Musical Culture

The musical culture in Colombia includes marching and concert bands with participation by elementary and high school students, senior adults, and disabled persons. The common love of band music is evident in the participation by all ages and levels of society.

Patriotic Emotions

The high point of the festival occurred on the 20th of July, Colombian Independence Day, celebrating the Colombian Declaration of Independence from Spain in 1810. Like the 4th of July in the United States, the holiday featured an early parade, speeches by the mayor and other dignitaries, a concert in the town center featuring Colombias national anthem, and fireworks to end the day. Band music began and ended the day, and as I observed the crowd, the musics impact stirred the crowd in the same way as The Star-Spangled Banner or John Philip Sousas The Stars and Stripes Forever.

Unifying Language

Music is an international language, connecting cultures throughout the world, and my experience in the Colombian festival showed the power of music to unify and inspire all. With participants from Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Austria, Germany, Poland, and the United States, the festival was international in every way, with multiple languages used to communicate; however, when words are inadequate, music always brings us together.
From cell phone cases to backpacks, countless personal possessions can be used as a way to express ones personality; thanks to Jupiter MyCase, band instrument cases are no exception.

Jupiters MyCase band instrument cases for clarinet, flute, trumpet, alto saxophone, and tenor saxophone have recesses that allow students to stick on a set of decals. More than 100 different decal designsranging from retro and stormy clouds to parrots and math equationscan be purchased online on the companys website; the six most popular designs can only be ordered at local dealers. The decals can be removed to apply new ones.

When the student walks down the hall with that case in [his or her] hand, its a fashion accessory, its something cool, says Chris Hankes, Jupiter MyCase brand development manager.

Middle school band students from across the country voted on the designs. According to Hankes, the purpose of the designs is to create excitement and appeal for band among middle school students.
Members of the Parliament on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly  by a vote of 178 to 13  in favour of urgently amending section 10 of the Constitution of Finland, thus enabling the government to enact the new intelligence laws before the end of its term in office.

The Finnish Parliament has given its support for a proposal to declare urgent a series of constitutional amendments necessitated by the upcoming reform of intelligence laws in Finland.

As the proposal to declare the matter urgent was approved, also the constitutional amendments were thereby approved, a parliamentary spokesperson tweeted.

Section 10 of the Constitution of Finland contains provisions on the secrecy of communications, which will be amended to make it easier to obtain intelligence on military or other type of activity that is deemed to pose a threat to national security, according to Helsingin Sanomat. The Parliament approved the contents of the amendments on 26 September.

The lawmakers who opposed declaring the matter urgent were Eva Biaudet (SFP) and all 12 members of the Left Alliance Parliamentary Group.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Source: Uusi Suomi
Chinatown, San Francisco, California

Best Things To Do

SFs Chinatown is a unique cultural adventure you will never forget. See our #1 walking tour for a quick experience of some of the very best parts.

For more background read on or click a category of interest below:

map highlights attractions walks history

geography portsmouth food alleys tips

Dragon Gate at the southern entrance to Chinatown (near Union Square)

Highlights map top

San Francisco has the oldest and 2d largest Chinatown in North America. Historically it was the starting point for most new Chinese immigrants giving it a special place in the hearts of their families.

in North America. Historically it was the starting point for most new Chinese immigrants giving it a special place in the hearts of their families. Home to about 15,000 Chinese the majority of whom do not speak English well if at all. Most of these lower-income residents stay within a few blocks of their homes since they are often elderly or recent immigrants without cars.

well if at all. Most of these lower-income residents stay within a few blocks of their homes since they are often elderly or recent immigrants without cars. A concentrated center of commerce and culture for over 133,000 Chinese in San Francisco and 200,000 in the Bay area. It serves as a cultural Capital City where many Chinese continue to shop on weekends and to maintain bonds with such institutions as Buddhist temples and regional family associations.

and culture for over 133,000 Chinese in San Francisco and 200,000 in the Bay area. It serves as a cultural Capital City where many Chinese continue to shop on weekends and to maintain bonds with such institutions as Buddhist temples and regional family associations. A major tourist attraction . Over 75% of San Francisco tourists visit China town, a total of approximately 2,000,000/year. Since tourists are so commonplace they still feel safe and comfortable even when enveloped in this extremely different Chinese culture.

. Over 75% of San Francisco tourists visit China town, a total of approximately 2,000,000/year. Since tourists are so commonplace they still feel safe and comfortable even when enveloped in this extremely different Chinese culture. A protected historic district where Chinese-style architecture prevails (e.g., along Grant Ave) while still preserving the inexpensive housing and hundreds of small ethnic shops, restaurants & stores used by residents (e.g., along Stockton St).

where Chinese-style architecture prevails (e.g., along Grant Ave) while still preserving the inexpensive housing and hundreds of small ethnic shops, restaurants & stores used by residents (e.g., along Stockton St). The densest part of the densest city in California. With 15,000 residents living in a 20 block square area this is the most densely populated area west of Manhattan, NYC. Sidewalks are usually packed and buses (one line is jokingly called the Orient Express) often move even slower than do pedestrians.

in California. With 15,000 residents living in a 20 block square area this is the most densely populated area west of Manhattan, NYC. Sidewalks are usually packed and buses (one line is jokingly called the Orient Express) often move even slower than do pedestrians. Chinese New Year, in late February, is always the biggest event of the year. The Chinese New Year Parade is a historical tradition starting in the 1860s; now some 500,000 spectators watch it in person along with another 3 million TV viewers. Celebrating each new year is also a Miss Chinatown Pageant, a Community Street Fair and other related events.

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS map top

Here are more details on special attractions mentioned in our walking tours.

Golden Gate Bakery , 1029 Grant/Pacific  The best hot egg custard tarts ever! These keep me coming back especially since it is only a block away from North Beach.

, 1029 Grant/Pacific  The best hot egg custard tarts ever! These keep me coming back especially since it is only a block away from North Beach. Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory , 56 Ross Alley/Jackson  Since 1962 many different types (traditional, almond, chocolate, naughty, etc.) of fortune cookies have been made in this small labor-intensive factory. Approximately 20,000/month. The flat circular cookie dough is pulled off a hot press, after which a paper fortune is attached, and then the dough is reshaped over a steel rod into the final fortune cookie  all by hand. Taste a free hot sample, take a picture for $.50, or buy a bag of cookies for $3.50 from the friendly entrepreneurs here.

at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory Get your fortune cookies hand made hereat the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory

, 56 Ross Alley/Jackson  Since 1962 many different types (traditional, almond, chocolate, naughty, etc.) of fortune cookies have been made in this small labor-intensive factory. Approximately 20,000/month. The flat circular cookie dough is pulled off a hot press, after which a paper fortune is attached, and then the dough is reshaped over a steel rod into the final fortune cookie  all by hand. Taste a free hot sample, take a picture for $.50, or buy a bag of cookies for $3.50 from the friendly entrepreneurs here. Dragon Gate , Grant/Bush  The dragons, fish and big lions on this ornate pagoda-topped gate guard the southernmost entrance to Chinatown. Also known as Gateway Arch, this is the only authentic Chinatown Gate in North America (it uses old historic materials donated by The Republic of China in 1969). Like similar ceremonial gates in Chinese villages there are three passageways: two small side ones for common folks and a large center passageway for dignitaries.

, Grant/Bush  The dragons, fish and big lions on this ornate pagoda-topped gate guard the southernmost entrance to Chinatown. Also known as Gateway Arch, this is the only authentic Chinatown Gate in North America (it uses old historic materials donated by The Republic of China in 1969). Like similar ceremonial gates in Chinese villages there are three passageways: two small side ones for common folks and a large center passageway for dignitaries. Old Saint Marys Cathedral , 660 California St/Grant  Built in 1854 (rebuilt 1909 after the earthquake fire) this beautiful Catholic Cathedral (now parish) was the first Asian church in North America. Around the corner at 614 Grant Ave, find the Old Saint Marys Gift Shop . And, across California St in St Marys Square, find a 12 ft statue of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the first president (1912) and a founder of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

, 660 California St/Grant  Built in 1854 (rebuilt 1909 after the earthquake fire) this beautiful Catholic Cathedral (now parish) was the first Asian church in North America. Around the corner at 614 Grant Ave, find the . And, across California St in St Marys Square, find a 12 ft statue of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the first president (1912) and a founder of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Chinatown Alleys  Waverly Place (see Tin How Temple on map) and Ross Alley (see Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory on map) are the best known among the many you can find on your own.

 Waverly Place (see Tin How Temple on map) and Ross Alley (see Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory on map) are the best known among the many you can find on your own. Tin How (Tien Hau) Temple , 125 Waverly Place/Washington  The oldest Taoist/Buddhist temple in the United States (founded 1852 and now in a 1911 building) to honor the Goddess of Heaven and Sea, Tien Hau. If you want to see inside the place of worship (and now tourism) you will need to walk up four floors. From the balcony outside you also get a good view of Chinatown. A small $1 donation is suggested but not required when you visit the Temple.

four stories up from Waverly Place Alley Looking up at the balcony of Tin How Templefour stories up from Waverly Place Alley

, 125 Waverly Place/Washington  The oldest Taoist/Buddhist temple in the United States (founded 1852 and now in a 1911 building) to honor the Goddess of Heaven and Sea, Tien Hau. If you want to see inside the place of worship (and now tourism) you will need to walk up four floors. From the balcony outside you also get a good view of Chinatown. A small $1 donation is suggested but not required when you visit the Temple. Portsmouth Square The historical birthplace of San Francisco (1835). It is now an open plaza for residents and the biggest public parking garage in Chinatown.

BRIEF HISTORY OF SFS CHINATOWN map top

The first Chinese immigrants, 2 men and 1 woman, arrived in 1848 on a two-masted sailing ship, Eagle. They were soon followed by thousands more who worked for labor-hungry companies, such as the First Transcontinental Railroad and large mining operations, or who prospected for gold until a law passed making this pursuit illegal to Chinese.

During the late 1800s Chinatown was a dense, poverty-stricken ghetto populated by recent immigrants. It was also deeply involved with all the evils of the Barbary Coast. Criminal Chinese Tongs gained a hold that wasnt really loosened until the early 1900s when legitimate merchants and a much stronger police force eventually gained control.

The Chinese congregated in this particular locale because it was the only area where city government allowed them to inhabit and inherit housing. From the start prejudice against Asians was evident partially due to competition for jobs since they worked for such low wages. As a result the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed in 1882 preventing them from becoming naturalized U.S. citizens and banning further immigration of Chinese laborers. Many years later Supreme Court rulings reversed these laws which triggered substantial increases in SFs Chinese population in other parts of town and in the spread of Chinatown beyond its original boundaries.

The 1906 earthquake fires completely burned down all wooden structures in old Chinatown and most of Barbary Coast. After narrowly escaping being moved to Hunters Point, the Chinatown neighborhood was rebuilt by commercial interests. Part of their conception was to make it a friendly tourist attraction consisting of veritable fairy palaces filled with choicest treasures of the Orient.

Over the years SFs Chinatown has continued to be the starting point for most Chinese immigrants to the U.S. and their numbers greatly increased as restrictive immigration laws & quotas were removed. In the 1950s, after World War II and after the 1943 Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act passed, there was a major population boom. In the 1960s huge numbers of new immigrants continued to pour in, mainly from Hong Kong which explains the Cantonese dialect & food now prevalent. The population density in Chinatown is still over five times San Franciscos average making it the densest neighborhood in the densest city in California.

See Portsmouth Square, now a focal point of Chinatown, for historical details about the City of San Francisco. This old Mexican Square is where San Francisco was born before expanding far beyond todays Chinatown.

If you like history also see Early San Francisco & California History.

CHINATOWN GEOGRAPHY map top

In 1885 Chinatown was a ghetto covering the area roughly from

Broadway St south to California St.

Stockton St east to Kearny St.

See this 1885 map for details (note: Dupont St shown was renamed Grant Ave after the 1906 earthquake). Since then Chinatown has expanded in all directions, though still maintaining the same dense Chinese core, and its borders are much more porous.

The two major streets in Chinatown are Grant Ave and Stockton St. which run parallel to each other north and south between Broadway St. & California St.

Grant Ave is the more touristy section full of Chinese shops, restaurants and architecture for those seeking the mysterious historical Chinatown experience you have seen in the movies.

is the more touristy section full of Chinese shops, restaurants and architecture for those seeking the mysterious historical Chinatown experience you have seen in the movies. Stockton St., the next main street west of Grant, is more similar to Hong Kong and is considered the real modern-day Chinatown. Live turtles, chickens and stranger animals are readily available for sale. Markets are filled with people bargaining in Chinese for the freshest fish & vegetables in town. Many eateries have no English on the menu and whole roasted birds are hanging in the window. Upstairs on the windows and balconies youll see people hanging out underwear to dry. Sidewalks and markets here are almost always packed but Saturday afternoons are the busiest shopping day for those looking to see the densest crowds.

Around and between these main two streets are many interesting alleys and smaller side streets to explore. Portsmouth Square one block east of Grant Ave was the historical heart of San Francisco and continues to be a community living room for surrounding local residents since it is one of the few open spaces in China town.



CHINATOWN ALLEYWAYS map top

A random Chinatown alley

You should definitely check out the alleyways of Chinatown. E.g.,

Ross Alley , one block west of Grant Ave between Jackson St & Washington St  The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is on Ross Alley a couple of doors south of Jackson St. It was once infamous for its brothels and gambling.

, one block west of Grant Ave between Jackson St & Washington St  The is on Ross Alley a couple of doors south of Jackson St. It was once infamous for its brothels and gambling. Old Chinatown Lane , north off Washington St just west of Stockton and east of Ross Alley  This was once used by local gangs. Now it has a beauty salon and plenty of clothes hanging out the windows to dry; we even saw fish hanging from one window apparently also to dry. Just across Washington St from Old Chinatown Lane is Spofford St another street for local residents only.

, north off Washington St just west of Stockton and east of Ross Alley  This was once used by local gangs. Now it has a beauty salon and plenty of clothes hanging out the windows to dry; we even saw fish hanging from one window apparently also to dry. Just across Washington St from Old Chinatown Lane is Spofford St another street for local residents only. Waverley Place , one block west of Grant Ave between Washington St. & Sacramento St.  This popular alley is called the Street of Painted Balconies due to several picturesque buildings including Tin How Taoist Temple and various private family benevolent associations (originally set up to provide social & political support to new immigrants).

, one block west of Grant Ave between Washington St. & Sacramento St.  This popular alley is called the Street of Painted Balconies due to several picturesque buildings including and various private family benevolent associations (originally set up to provide social & political support to new immigrants). There are many other alleys to check out as well. Just walking around is the best way to locate them. Some are primarily personal areas of local residents while others contain businesses, temples, or family benevolent associations .

CHINATOWN WALKING TOURS map top

Tourists can get at a good feeling for Chinatown by taking the short walks described below. Before walking we suggest you look at the rest of this page, particularly our special attractions list and Chinatown map

Tour 1  Quick walk from North Beach (More such walks)

This short walk is our #1 recommendation. On it you will see much of the best of Chinatown in just a few minutes and end back where you started.

Grant St at Jackson. Typical tourist Chinatown.

Start at Broadway St/Columbus Ave/Grant Ave in North Beach.

Go south on Grant Ave two blocks to Jackson St. Grant Ave is the most famous street with its many red lanterns, pagodas and souvenir shops. On your way look inside the poultry markets with their live birds. Dont miss the egg custard tarts at Golden Gate Bakery , 1029 Grant/Pacific. They are the outstanding!

, 1029 Grant/Pacific. They are the outstanding! At Jackson St. turn right (west) and go one block. Check out the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory , in Ross Alley just south off Jackson St.

, in Ross Alley just south off Jackson St. At Stockton St. turn right (north) and go two blocks. This is the real Chinatown. It is the busiest commercial street in China Town and caters mainly to Chinese. It is also probably the best place in SF to purchase fresh produce. The hole-in-the-wall New Moon restaurant, 1247 Stockton, is just one of many places where you can buy a quick stand-up meal. Check out the whole roast chickens (including heads, etc) hanging in their window.

At Broadway turn right (east) and go two blocks back to where you started at Broadway/Grant. The shops and restaurants along Broadway cater primarily to local residents including those in North Beach.

Front window displaying food at New Moon Restaurant

Tour 2  Tourist walk through (or drive through)

Here is a good way to see the most famous part of Chinatown by either foot or automobile. It takes you from Grant/Broadway to Grant/Bush and on to Union Square.

From Broadway/Columbus go south on Grant Ave approximately eight blocks to the Chinese Gate at Grant/Bush. This crowded street caters to tourists with many souvenir shops and restaurants.

Along the way take trips on any side streets that look interesting. For example, check out Old St Marys Church , Grant/California St. Tin How Temple , the oldest in SF established 1852, is on Waverly Place a block west of Grant/Clay.

, Grant/California St. , the oldest in SF established 1852, is on Waverly Place a block west of Grant/Clay. From the Chinese Gate, Grant/Bush, you may prefer to walk back to where your started via a different route such as Stockton. We often walk on three blocks more to Union Square. The walk from North Beach to Union Square is not as far as it seems, about 11-12 blocks total.

Grant Ave is a one-way street running north. There are no buses on it and traffic flows fairly smoothly, though slowly, from the Dragon Gate, Grant/Bush, to Broadway/Columbus. Driving this route is the easiest way to see Chinatown by car.

Tour 3  DIY (do it yourself) Exploration

For serious explorers with more time on their hands try this. During the short tours above you will notice many other streets and alleyways to wander through.

Tour 4  Cable Car Museum

While this nifty FREE museum does not have anything to do with Chinatown it is only a couple of blocks away. From Stockton/Washington walk two blocks west on Washington Street to the northeast corner of Washington/Mason. See cable car museum map.

FOOD map top

It turns out that you can get just as good Chinese food at many locations other than Chinatown. However, while here at least try the food at one of the many bakeries or take-out restaurants. Pick an eating place which is busy, but not filled only with tourists, for an authentic experience. Here are some inexpensive low-end places where the locals eat. At most of these they speak only Chinese  so just point. See our map for exact locations.

Golden Gate Bakery , 1029 Grant/Pacific  The best hot egg custard tarts ever! Take out only and often long lines.

, 1029 Grant/Pacific  The best hot egg custard tarts ever! Take out only and often long lines. New Hollywood Bakery & Restaurant , 652 Pacific Ave/Columbus  Around the corner from Golden Gate Bakery. Not fancy at all and far less crowded but here you can get 3 egg custard tarts for $1.30 and even sit down to eat them.

, 652 Pacific Ave/Columbus  Around the corner from Golden Gate Bakery. Not fancy at all and far less crowded but here you can get 3 egg custard tarts for $1.30 and even sit down to eat them. Hong Kong Clay Pot Restaurant , Upstairs at 960 Grant Ave/Jackson  Plenty of good food at decent prices.

, Upstairs at 960 Grant Ave/Jackson  Plenty of good food at decent prices. Good Mong Kok Bakery , 1039 Stockton St/Jackson  Take-out dim sum with an excellent taste/price ratio.

, 1039 Stockton St/Jackson  Take-out dim sum with an excellent taste/price ratio. New Moon restaurant , 1247 Stockton/Pacific Ave  Get a quick stand-up meal at one of those places which have whole roasted ducks hanging in the window.

, 1247 Stockton/Pacific Ave  Get a quick stand-up meal at one of those places which have whole roasted ducks hanging in the window. Golden Flower Vietnamese Restaurant , 667 Jackson/Kearny  Basic sit-down Vietnamese restaurant with pho soup and iced coffee. We also hear positive things about Golden Star Vietnamese Restaurant, 11 Walter U Lum Place/Clay just west of Portsmouth Square.

, 667 Jackson/Kearny  Basic sit-down Vietnamese restaurant with pho soup and iced coffee. We also hear positive things about Golden Star Vietnamese Restaurant, 11 Walter U Lum Place/Clay just west of Portsmouth Square. House of Nanking, 919 Kearny St/Jackson St  A not-so-fancy restaurant with a big reputation on the far eastern edge of Chinatown. Good food but expect crowds, waits, and no atmosphere. Ask the waiter to make a suggestion. Chef Jias next door advertises that they are just as good but we have not tried it.

PORTSMOUTH SQUARE map top

This Chinatown landmark is not impressive looking at all  in fact Portsmouth Square is now just a 1-square-block park over a large municipal garage. But, it is was very significant historically in the genesis of San Francisco. Below is some of the history that happened near San Franciscos very first town plaza. History buffs should also see more Early San Francisco History.

1835  Yerba Buena was established as a port of entry and town site by Spanish Governor Figueroa. At the time the water in Yerba Buena Cove came all the way up to what is now called Montgomery St. (one block east of the town plaza, now Portsmouth Square). Later, in 1847, Yerba Buena would be renamed San Francisco.

as a port of entry and town site by Spanish Governor Figueroa. At the time the water in Yerba Buena Cove came all the way up to what is now called Montgomery St. (one block east of the town plaza, now Portsmouth Square). Later, in 1847, Yerba Buena would be renamed San Francisco. 1835, October  A nearby administrator residing at Mission Dolores marked out on the ground the first street in Yerba Buena. It was called Street of the Founding ( La Calle de la Fundacion ). This street started at the present corner of Kearny & Pine and ran north to Telegraph Hill. It eventually became Dupont Ave (about 1846) and then Grant Ave (about 1906).

in Yerba Buena. It was called ( ). This street started at the present corner of Kearny & Pine and ran north to Telegraph Hill. It eventually became Dupont Ave (about 1846) and then Grant Ave (about 1906). 1835  Capt Richardson, a naturalized citizen of Mexico, was made captain of this new Mexican port. He and his family moved from Sausalito to became the first residents of Yerba Buena. His house/tent was located one block west of now Portsmouth Square on what is now Grant St. Within a year Yerba Buena became a small village of 30-40 houses.

of Yerba Buena. His house/tent was located one block west of now Portsmouth Square on what is now Grant St. Within a year Yerba Buena became a small village of 30-40 houses. 1846, July 9  Early in the Mexican-American War, Capt John B. Montgomerys sloop-of-war U.S.S. Portsmouth landed at the southeast corner of Montgomery/Clay to seize Yerba Buena. His ship gave a 21-gun salute and sent a detachment to row ashore and raise the American flag on the flagpole at the Mexican Customs House located on the town plaza.

on the flagpole at the Mexican Customs House located on the town plaza. 1846  The town plaza was renamed Portsmouth Square in honor of Capt Montgomerys sloop-of-war, the U.S.S. Portsmouth.

in honor of Capt Montgomerys sloop-of-war, the U.S.S. Portsmouth. 1847, Jan 30  Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco .

. 1847  Californias first public school was erected at the southwest corner of the plaza.

1848  The first Chinese immigrants, 2 men and one women arrived on a two-masted American sailing ship, Eagle.

1848, May 12  Gold was discovered! Sam Brannan, a store owner from Sutters Fort, stepped off the ferry at Portsmouth Square waving a bottle of gold and shouting Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold from the American River! Within one month half the male population in SF had left find gold.

Sam Brannan, a store owner from Sutters Fort, stepped off the ferry at Portsmouth Square waving a bottle of gold and shouting Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold from the American River! Within one month half the male population in SF had left find gold. 1849  San Francisco dramatically grew! Within one year the population increased to 25,000 from about 400. More than 700 ships arrived many of which were abandoned by their gold-struck crews and sunk in the Yerba Buena Cove. These ship hulks eventually became part of the landfill that starts a block east of Portsmouth Sq and ends seven more blocks east at Embarcadero St.

Now, Portsmouth Square is the heart of Chinatown serving as a front room for many of the Chinese who live around it. The big city parking garage underneath is also one of the few places to park in this area.



TIPS & INTERESTING FACTS map top

Parking is very, very tight in Chinatown. The best place to go is the large city garage under Portsmouth Square. Note that the streets around the Square are all one way and that the main entrance is on Kearny St immediately north of Clay St. There is also a large parking lot under St Marys Park on California St 1/2 block west of Grant Ave.

Just a few of the movies filmed in Chinatown are The Maltese Falcon, Dirty Harry, Joy Luck Club, Flower Drum Song , and the Nash Bridges TV show.

, and the TV show. Clement St, in the Richmond District between Park Presidio Blvd and Arguello Blvd, is another popular Chinese shopping area. It is less dense than Chinatown but still has many inexpensive Chinese Bakeries, Dim Sum restaurants and shops. In addition there are several other ethnic businesses (Russian, Italian, Vietnamese, German, French, etc.) along Clement giving it a very San Francisco cosmopolitan feeling.

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For many of us, bumper crops of zucchinis and cucumbers conjure up the sweltering days of summer, while pumpkins and gourds decorate our holiday tables throughout the fall. However, these iconic fruits and vegetables - known collectively as cucurbits - can also help us understand the spread of plant diseases that pose a significant risk to crops.

I recently led a study that used crop species from two genera of closely related plants belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae - zucchini, pumpkin and squash, which are all in the same genus (Cucurbita) and are native to the Americas, as well as cucumber and muskmelon, which both belong to a genus (Cucumis) that is originally of Eurasian origin. I used these closely related, native and introduced Cucurbitaceae crop plants as a model system to understand how and why plant pathogens emerge.

For this study, I collected 88 samples of Erwinia tracheiphila from across these two host plant genera in the eastern United States and sequenced their entire genomes. E. tracheiphila is a pathogen that causes bacterial wilt in these species of cucurbits, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in crop losses and prevention costs to U.S. farmers each year. Yet, lack of basic knowledge about this pathogen means there are few control methods available for farmers.

E. tracheiphila's genome is like Frankenstein's monster - cobbling together lots of different pieces of genes and DNA from different sources, suggesting that it has recently undergone dramatic changes. There was also very little genetic difference between the genomes of the 88 different samples. From these genomic data, I determined that E. tracheiphila evolved as a pathogen only recently.

My colleagues and I also found three distinct bacterial lineages. Surprisingly, we also found that cucumbers are the only host plant susceptible to all three lineages, and the most susceptible host plant species overall. This is notable because, while pumpkin and zucchini are native to eastern North America and have been present throughout the Americas for millions of years, cucumbers and muskmelon were only introduced to North America after European colonialization in ~1500. This strongly suggests that the introduction of a foreign crop plant, followed by widespread cultivation in eastern North America, inadvertently caused the emergence of a new, very damaging plant pathogen.

Our findings strongly suggest that the way cucurbits - especially introduced cucumbers - are grown in intensive monocultures, combined with the local climate, all contributed to creating a new ecological niche into which this new bacterial pathogen emerged.

This set of circumstances gives us an exciting opportunity: Since the temperate eastern United States is the only place in the world this pathogen occurs, we can dissect - aided by information in the bacterial pathogen genome sequences - why the local climate and agricultural practices have driven the emergence, persistence and evolution of this agricultural pathogen.

This may give us important insights, since more modern North American monoculture practices seem to be an important contributor to this specific plant disease outbreak. Monoculture refers to the intense growing of large populations of the same host plant species, rather than growing multiple crops in the same field, such as is the case with ancient Mexican milpa polyculture cultivation systems.

To put this in historical terms that may be more familiar, E. tracheiphila has notable parallels with the Black Plague pathogen Yersinia pestis that killed up to half of Europe's population in the Middle Ages. Both E. tracheiphila and Y. pestis show similar dramatic changes in their genomes. These changes allowed both pathogens to emerge into large, dense, genetically similar host populations - humans in the case of Y. pestis, and cucurbits in the case of E. tracheiphila.

The recent emergence of E. tracheiphila is a landscape-level problem, and cannot be solved by individual farmers. Our research shows that our modern agricultural practices - while producing unimaginably high yields - also have unanticipated susceptibilities to microbial pathogens. This result should give us pause, and motivate us to think much harder about how to structurally protect our agricultural systems - at the landscape level - from pathogens like E. tracheiphila in the future.

Source: Press Release
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Cheshire Selectmen Warn School Renovation Tough Sell



The Selectmen suggested it could take a generation for Cheshire to support another school renovation project after losing its school. CHESHIRE, Mass.  Any renovation of Hoosac Valley Elementary School will be a hard sell in Cheshire.

That was the message on Tuesday from the Board of Selectmen to John Vosburgh, the new superintendent fo the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District.

Vosburgh informed the board that representatives from the Massachusetts School Building Authority will visit the Adams school this month for a senior study of the building.

"The purpose is to check out the facility to see what the issues are and talk to the folks involved," Vosburgh said. "They want to get the feel if there is an appetite for the project. It is very preliminary."

Earlier this year, the district submitted a statement of interest to the MSBA, which is done on a regular basis. Out of 70 applications, 28 districts were chosen for this preliminary survey.

Selectman Robert Ciskowski said a renovation of the former C.T. Plunkett may not go over well after the closing of Cheshire Elementary School in 2016. Cheshire residents would have to foot a portion of the bill.

"I think you are going to need a couple generations before Cheshire would support something like that. That would be shooting from the hip," he said. "There is still a lot of bad feelings ... we were told how good that building was and how bad ours was ... I think that would be a hard sell."

Vosburgh, who joined the district a year after the closure, agreed and said the optimal scenario would be a new building next to Hoosac Valley High School and creating a one-campus district.

"I understand it is going to take a long time to heal ... and this is just part of the process," he said.

He added that the MSBA requires the district to submit different options, so the application did include this new build as well as a renovation at Hoosac Valley Elementary. He said if they go further in the process, the MSBA will evaluate all the options and decide how much each will cost the communities.

The former Taconic High School principal said, either way, any decision is a long way off.

"It's years," he said. "I first started on the Taconic [School Building] Committee in 2007 and the school just opened. So that was 11 years."

Vosburgh also updated the Selectmen on the district's recently acquired Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System data and without going into a formal presentation said the district has improved.

"While we were previously a district that required assistance, we are no longer in that category at the elementary, middle and high school level," he said. "There is more work to do with some groups but for the most part, they have done well."

As for meeting goals set by the state, he said, the district is at 75 percent  making it the fourth highest in Berkshire County for reaching its set targets.

He said the district will continue following the turnaround plan for another year and will continue to strive to improve its status by increasing test scores, SAT scores, and graduation rates.

"When I was interviewed, people were asking about school choice and there is no magic bullet for school choice you really just have to produce a really good product  the kind students and families do not want to leave," Vosburgh said. "If we can get into a consistent pattern of performing well ... these things will start to improve our image."

The Selectmen granted Vosburgh's request to alter Edmund St. John IV's position on the Regional Agreement Amendment Committee from a selectmen representative to an at-large member.

"We really are almost done, and he has been at every meeting," Vosburgh said.

St. John, who also had previously served on the School Committee, left the select board to apply for the soon-to-be-vacated town administrator position. The Selectmen cannot add another Cheshire representative to the committee, formed to update the district's antiquated agreement, because it would throw off the committee's balance of Cheshire and Adams representatives.

The Selectmen agreed to remove the current at-large member who has only attended one meeting and allow St. John to remain.

"There is only one meeting left why wouldn't we let him not stay on," Selectwoman Carol Francesconi said. "It's all over with."
Secrets of a Lost Village of Ancient Israel Come to Light

The Fellowship | October 4, 2018

Writers at Israel21c explain that because of new technologies like underground LiDAR (light detection and ranging) scans and 360-degree cameras, Israeli researchers are discovering remains of an ancient village in the lowlands of Jerusalem. Watch now to hear Oren Gutfeld, director of the Salvage Excavation Program at Hebrew Universitys Institute of Archaeology, share more details.
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A new paper makes a number of proposals designed to address the extraterritorial effect of the US framework in the swaps industry
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When James Garrett became executive director of the Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males, he knew he wanted to make the annual conference more than a meeting to discuss todays problems ad nauseam. Garrett wanted people to leave ready for action.

We dont just regurgitate the statistics and the data, Garrett said. We look at what can be done to change the impact of the data. What can we take back to our respective communities and seek to make some movement on to generate progress?

This years conference, Healing and Inspiring Men of Color will be 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Oct. 16 at Indiana Government Center South. Usually the conference focuses on adult males. However, the 18th annual conference will address both youth and adults for the first time. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson is the keynote speaker. Dyson also will be a featured participant in the Steward Speakers panel discussion later that day.

While adults develop solutions to issues such as Black male homicides, employment, education and health, sessions for young Black males will focus on civic and community leadership, financial literacy, education and the legislative process. Garrett is especially excited about the financial component. Redefining Financial Freedom workshops will run all day during the conference and discuss the importance of banking, budgeting, paying bills on time and how mistakes with money can affect entrepreneurial opportunities as well as the ability to buy a home, rent a car or buy an airline ticket. Garrett expects youth and adult males will receive useful information.

The conference also will feature an education seminar to help young men not only understand the value of education, but how to have success in higher education. In addition, former Colts player Marlin Jackson will discuss the importance of relationship building.

We would like to think that this conference, Healing and Inspiring Men of Color, has something for everyone, Garrett said.

Contact Editor Oseye Boyd at 317-762-7850. Follow her on Twitter @oseye_boyd.

When: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Oct. 16

Where: Indiana Government Center South, 302 W. Washington St.

Cost: Advance, $10 youth; $15 adults at Eventbrite.com. Admission on the day of the event, $15, youth; $25 adults.

Highlights from the agenda:

9:30-10:15 a.m.  Insights of the 2018 Legislative Session: Policies that Impact Black Males

9:30-10:15 a.m.  The Building Blocks of Success are Built Upon the Foundation of Relationships, Marlin Jackson, former Colts player.

10:20-11:20 a.m.  Business, Sports, Entrepreneurship, Max Siegel, CEO of USA Track and Field

10:25 a.m.-3 p.m.  Redefining Financial Freedom (workshops are 55 minutes and run throughout the day)

11:25 a.m.-12:15 p.m.  Do Black Minds Matter in Indiana?

1-2 p.m.  Keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson

2:05-3 p.m.  Empower Your Mental Health by Overcoming Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome.

For the full agenda, visit in.gov./icssbm.

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson will be the keynote speaker during the 18th annual Black Male State Conference.
African-American history buffs, in particular those with a special interest in war history, will find good company during the 103rd annual meeting and conference of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) now through Oct. 7 at the downtown Marriott.

African-Americans in Times of War is the theme for this years conference, which will feature national speakers as well as a film festival, poetry slam and a banquet. A new Indianapolis branch will be chartered on Oct. 5. The conference will focus on African-American military and civilian life in wartime.

Bringing the conference to Indianapolis is a good fit since the city has a World War I Memorial, ASALH President Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham said. Higginbotham is chair of Harvards History Department, following in the footsteps of ASALH founder Carter G. Woodson. Woodson was the second Black person to receive a doctoral degree from Harvard; W.E.B. Du Bois was first.

Carter G. Woodson realized that history neglected African-Americans, Higginbotham said. This organization was founded during World War I. African-Americans fought in every war to the Korean War as segregated troops. We are segregated from whites even though were fighting on the same side.

Brig. Gen. Wayne Black, the first African-American brigadier general in the Indiana National Guard, is the honorary chairperson.

Contact Editor Oseye Boyd at 317-762-7850. Follow her on Twitter @oseye_boyd.

Attend ASALH

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) 103rd meeting and conference ends Oct. 7 at the downtown Marriott, 350 W. Maryland St. Visit asalh.org for a full list of events and costs.

The following events are free.

Oct.4

4-6 p.m.  Plenary Session I, Against U.S. Imperialism Pan-Africanism and Black Internationalism

6:30-8:30 p.m.  Authors Book Signing

Oct. 5

10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.  Poetry Open Mic Night, Elevation: Black Excellence Past and Present

Oct. 6

4-6 p.m.  Plenary Session II, African-Americans and the Great War

ASALH exhibit area will be open during the conference at the following times:

Noon-9 p.m. Oct. 4

8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Oct. 5

8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 6

Hours for the film festival are as follows:

2-10 p.m. Oct. 4

8 a.m.-10:15 p.m. Oct. 5

8 a.m.-9 p.m. Oct. 6

To join the local branch of ASALH, visit asalh.org.

Brig. Gen. Wayne Black
As the economy improves, more people are taking the leap to start their own businesses. The U.S. government reports nearly half a million small businesses are started each month, but only half of entrepreneurial start-ups survive to a five-year mark. One reason businesses fold is the inability to successfully navigate the maze of laws and regulations.

When starting a business, most entrepreneurs are confident they have good ideas for a product or service that will sell to a well-researched target customer. Most have a solid handle on the financials, including the cost to offer their products and an understanding of competitive pricing to earn a fair profit. But often, they fail to inform themselves about regulations that impose requirements on the business, and they dont take into account the cost of complying with those regulations.

Start-up costs to comply with regulations are projected to be in excess of $80,000. And such costs are ongoing. A 2017 study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found small businesses pay on average $11,700 per year per employee in regulatory costs.

When it comes to regulations, running a business is like driving a car. When an individual gets behind the wheel of a car, the law imposes on the driver a duty to follow all the rules of the road. If the driver fails to follow those rules, an officer can pull the driver over and issue a ticket. The same applies to running a business. The owner is expected to know all the rules for operating the business, and if he or she fails to comply, authorities can cite the business for violations.

A simple example is trash disposal, an area of law with rules that vary widely. For example, more than half of U.S. states regulate disposal of grass and yard waste. These regulations make sense from an environmental standpoint because grass often contains fertilizers, insecticides and weed killers. But for the entrepreneur who starts a small lawn care service, special disposal requirements can be an area of surprise costs.

As with driving, ignorance of the rules is not a justification for avoiding fines. The cost of non-compliance is estimated to be two to three times the cost of compliance. Fines can mount over time for each act that violates a regulation. While the costs are of concern, spending time resolving regulatory violations greatly distracts from the main focus of making sales and tending to customers. Depending on the severity of the issues, regulatory problems can result in temporary business suspension while problems get addressed. Citations by the government are matters of public record and often result in negative publicity. Competitors frequently fan the flames of such publicity and make sure customers hear about it.

Smart business owners learn the rules and take steps to build compliance into their business plans and processes. The Small Business Administration offers a wealth of knowledge to business owners through its website, publications, education programs and technical assistance initiatives.

Its also wise to spend some time with an attorney to make sure proper permits have been secured and other start-up essentials have been put in place. A small investment up front can help the entrepreneur avoid serious, unexpected problems down the road. Ask other business owners for a referral to find a knowledgeable attorney.

Trade associations, made up of member businesses in a given industry, also offer means to stay on top of changing regulations. Associations typically offer industry support through newsletters, education programs, webinars, market research and networking events.

Managing ongoing compliance can be a continuous concern. But building compliance steps into standard practices provides comfort that the business is regularly meeting requirements. When work is done right every time, the uncertainty of regulatory risk is greatly minimized.

Understanding the regulatory environment for an industry gives the entrepreneur confidence to invest in the business, add new hires and expand to meet customer needs.

Judith Wright, clinical assistant professor of business law, Indiana University Kelley School of Business at IUPUI.
ISTEP scores were just released and the results for African-American students in Indianapolis are distressingly low. So bad in fact, none of the school districts, with the exception of Speedway, have more than one-third of their African-American students passing both the math and English Language Arts exams. The combined math and ELA ISTEP+ state pass rate for Blacks in grades 3-8 is a dismal 24.8 percent  compared to 50.7 percent for all students and 58 percent for white students across the state.

Black children are struggling and the data prove that they are not being served equitably across the board  regardless of geographic location. The notion that Black children in suburban or township districts are performing exceedingly above standard is simply not true. It is one of the biggest myths present today. In Washington Township, for example, 25 percent of Black students passed both ISTEP+ exams, compared to 74 percent of white students. Thats a stunning gap of 49 percentage points.

Such alarming statistics should be a wake-up call for individuals who have become complacent about education. These data should force naysayers who oppose changes to our current education system to acknowledge the quality of education, or rather the lack thereof, that children in this city are receiving.

When I initially saw the latest ISTEP results, I literally became weak and tears began welling up in my eyes. I had to walk away from the data numerous times because of the emotions I felt. The data were a lot to process and it weighed heavily on my heart. I was baffled by the achievement gaps that exist between white and Black students as well as the vast gaps between students of all ethnicities who qualify for free or reduced lunch and those who pay. Our children are in crisis and it is up to adults to correct the education inequities students experience. They deserve us fighting for them.

The numbers speak for themselves and they are screaming help in a very clear and urgent manner. Obviously, the same old education approach hasnt been effective for years  really generations. We have to think differently about how we educate children, specifically Black children.

For example, mayor-sponsored charter schools in Indianapolis have among the highest percentages of pass rates in the city for African-American students while also serving a higher percentage of Black students than any Indianapolis district. A study from Stanford Universitys Center for Research on Education Outcomes notes Black students gain more days in reading and math at charter public schools which contributes to stronger academic results, particularly among poor students of color. These schools must continue to improve, but they show that its possible to change the status quo.

Its likely that Black students are achieving greater success in charter schools for many reasons. For one, the mayors office holds its charter schools accountable for serving all types of students, with an accountability framework that specifically analyzes racial achievement gaps. Additionally, in Indianapolis, many charter schools place an intentional focus on hiring a greater proportion of teachers and leaders who identify as Black and incorporating instructional strategies and curriculum materials that celebrate Black culture. As supported by research, I strongly believe having more school leaders of color developing curriculum and setting expectations for students who look like them also contributes to the success of Blacks in charter schools.

I recently left an extensive career in the media industry to join a local education nonprofit dedicated to providing all kids with access to quality education. Education doesnt have to be controversial, it doesnt have to be political and it doesnt have to be contrite. It just needs to be effective. Much of what has been done in the education landscape has not been effective, especially when it comes to Black students. That is why I am proud to be part of an organization that is setting standards that others around the country are replicating. Currently The Mind Trust is supporting a cohort of future school leaders that is predominately African-American and overwhelmingly female. However, beyond their race or gender, the cohort consists of talented and dedicated education professionals who want what is best for children, are dedicated to the cause of equity, and are committed to doing the hard work necessary to have students reach higher levels of success.

I am proud of our current group of education leaders and I am also proud of the relationship The Mind Trust has with Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), which serves many of the citys Black students.

Just like other districts in the city, IPS ISTEP pass rates are low, however, the citys largest district is making the dramatic changes necessary through its partnership with The Mind Trust and the Mayors Office to launch Innovation Network Schools which allows school leaders within the district greater flexibility to make decisions based on the needs of a schools student body.

There is a lot of work needed to improve test scores for local students and revamp education in general. Hopefully, the most recent data will be a call to action that not only mandates the acknowledgement of necessary and effective change, but also ignites a fire in all of us to be the change agents responsible for revamping the education landscape.

Our childrens tomorrow depends on the actions we take today.

Shannon Williams is senior vice president of community engagement at The Mind Trust.

Standardized test
October 03, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - The United Nations' highest court on Wednesday ordered the United States to lift sanctions on Iran that affect imports of humanitarian goods and products and services linked to civil aviation safety.

The ruling by the International Court of Justice is legally binding, but it remains to be seen if the administration of President Donald Trump will comply.

Trump moved to restore tough U.S. sanctions in May after withdrawing from Tehran's nuclear accord with world powers. Iran challenged the sanctions in a case filed in July at the International Court of Justice.

In a preliminary ruling, the court said that Washington must "remove, by means of its choosing, any impediments arising from" the re-imposition of sanctions to the export to Iran of medicine and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities and spare parts and equipment necessary to ensure the safety of civil aviation.

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By limiting the order to sanctions covering humanitarian goods and the civil aviation industry, the ruling did not go as far as Iran had requested.

The U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands, Peter Hoekstra, pointed that out in a tweet.

"This is a meritless case over which the court has no jurisdiction," the ambassador tweeted. "Even so, it is worth noting that the Court declined today to grant the sweeping measures requested by Iran. Instead, the Court issued a narrow decision on a very limited range of sectors."

While imposing the so-called "provisional measures," the court's president, Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, stressed that the case will continue and the United States could still challenge the court's jurisdiction.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif praised the court ruling on Twitter, calling it "another failure for sanctions-addicted" U.S. and a "victory for rule of law." He added that it is imperative for the international community "to collectively counter malign US unilateralism."

Iranian state television trumpeted the court's decision in a scrolling graphic at the bottom of TV screens: "The victory of Tehran over Washington by the Hague Court."

No date has been set for further hearings in the case.

At hearings in August, Tehran sought the suspension of sanctions while the case challenging their legality is being heard - a process that can take years. U.S. lawyers responded that the sanctions are a legal and justified national security measure that cannot be challenged by Tehran at the world court.

In its decision, the court said that the U.S. sanctions "have the potential to endanger civil aviation safety" in Iran and that sanctions limiting sales of goods required for humanitarian needs such as food, medicines and medical devices "may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran."

The court said that the Trump administration must "ensure that licenses and necessary authorizations are granted" and payments not restricted if they are linked to the humanitarian and aviation goods.

The court also told both the United States and Iran to "refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute."

U.S. lawyers had told the court that the administration would "use its best endeavors" to look at concerns about humanitarian and aviation related issues caused by the sanctions.

But in its written ruling the court said that the American assurances "are not adequate to address fully the humanitarian and safety concerns" raised by Iran.

Iran alleges that the sanctions breach a 1955 bilateral agreement known as the Treaty of Amity that regulates and promotes economic and consular ties between the two countries.

The treaty was signed when the U.S. and Iran were still allies following the 1953 revolution - fomented by Britain and the U.S. - that ultimately cemented the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Diplomatic relations were severed following the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran and takeover of the U.S. Embassy and ensuing hostage crisis. However, the treaty remains in force.

Wednesday's ruling could set up another clash between the Trump administration and a Hague-based court. Last month, Trump's national security advisor, John Bolton, denounced the International Criminal Court - a separate and unrelated institution based just a few kilometers (miles) away from the International Court of Justice.

The ICC prosecutes people accused of war atrocities while the ICJ settles disputes between nations.

Bolton said last month that "for all intents and purposes, the ICC is already dead to us."

Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed.

This article was originally published by " Associated Press " -

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U.S. terminates 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran: The impetus for the United States tearing up the treaty was a decision earlier Wednesday in the International Court of Justice, which ordered the Trump administration to lift some sanctions on Iran. The top U.N. court, is usually ignored by the United States anyway.

Madeline Albright: Is The Price Worth It?

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October 03, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - WITH almost the entire Western media in a constant state of mass hysteria about Russian interference in Western political systems, its worth considering some pertinent information largely missing from the debate.

First, it is likely the scale and effectiveness of Russian interventions has been greatly exaggerated.

The simplistic narrative that basically imagines that a bunch of subliterate-in-English trolls posting mostly static and sort of absurd advertising could have influenced American public opinion to such an extent that it fundamentally changed American politics is ridiculous on the face of it, argued Masha Gessen, a US-Russian journalist and outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin, when asked about Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election by National Public Radio.

I feel a lot of pressure  from interviewers and from people to kind of blow up the threat, said New Yorkers Adrian Chen, one of the first to write about Russian internet trolls, agreeing with Gessen.

People want to talk about how scary this is, how sophisticated it is. There's not a lot of room for, you know, just kind of dampening down the issue.

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Turning to the Brexit vote, research by the Oxford Internet Institute looked at 22.6 million tweets sent between March and July 2016, finding just 416 tweets from the Russian Internet Research Agency, the organisation the US Senate says is involved in interfering in Western elections.

A second report from the University of Edinburgh discovered 419 accounts operated by the agency attempting to influence UK politics. However, the studys lead researcher told the Guardian these 419 accounts tweeted about Brexit a total of just 3,468 times, mostly after the referendum had taken place.

Second, when asked about US claims of Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential race, US academic Noam Chomsky replied: My guess is that most of the world is just collapsing in laughter. Why? Because, when it comes to undermining democratic systems, Russia is an absolute beginner compared to the United States.

Here is the New York Times in February 2018: Loch K Johnson, the dean of American intelligence scholars, who began his career in the 1970s investigating the CIA as a staff member of the Senates Church Committee, says Russias 2016 operation was simply the cyber-age version of standard United States practice for decades.

According to a database compiled by political scientist Don Levin from Carnegie Mellon University, the US attempted to influence elections in other countries 81 times between 1946 and 2000. In contrast, he found the Soviet Union/Russia had attempted to sway 36 elections in the same period. Reporting on the database in December 2016, the Los Angeles Times notes the US figure doesnt include military coups and regime change efforts following the election of candidates the US didnt like, notably those in Iran, Guatemala and Chile.

On top of all this, the evidence clearly shows other nations have exerted a level of influence on Western governments and political systems that Russia could only dream of.

Chomsky again, this time speaking to Democracy Now! in August 2018: If youre interested in foreign interference in our elections, whatever the Russians may have done barely counts or weighs in the balance as compared with what another state does, openly, brazenly and with enormous support.

Chomsky is referring to Israel, whose intervention in US elections vastly overwhelms anything the Russians may have done.

He says: I mean, even to the point where the Prime Minister of Israel, [Benjamin] Netanyahu, goes directly to Congress, without even informing the president, and speaks to Congress, with overwhelming applause, to try to undermine the presidents policies, referring to Netanyahus attempt, in 2015, to destroy the US-led deal to stop Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.

Back in the UK, in January 2017, the Middle East Eye reported on undercover recordings that revealed how an Israeli diplomat sought to establish organisations and youth groups to promote Israeli influence inside the opposition Labour Party, in an effort to undermine Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.

Shai Masot, the Israeli diplomat, said he had helped set up other groups in the UK which, although they presented themselves as independent, received support from the Israeli embassy.

Israel is not the only Middle East nation that works to undercut Western democracies. In 2006 the Guardian reported that the British government, citing national security concerns, had halted a Serious Fraud Office investigation into alleged corruption by the arms company BAE Systems, connected to its dealings with Saudi Arabia. According to the article, In recent weeks, BAE and the Saudi embassy had frantically lobbied the government for the long-running investigation to be discontinued.

Like its regional ally in Riyadh, the United Arab Emirates has also been busy, carrying out an intense lobbying campaign  over the last few years in the UK, according to a new Spinwatch report. This campaign has helped shape UK government policy towards Muslims at home and UK and US foreign policy in the Middle East.

This massive PR effort by the corporate-friendly Gulf dictatorship appears to have had the desired effect, Spinwatch notes. With pressure building on Downing Street  the Emiratis pulled off a spectacular lobbying success  in March 2014, [British Prime Minister David] Cameron, out of almost nowhere, announced a review into the Muslim Brotherhood  a useful folk devil for the UAE government.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have also been trying to influence the heart of global power in Washington. For example, the Associated Press noted that the diplomatic crisis between Qatar and the UAE, which started in June 2017, ignited a multimillion-dollar battle for influence with the two rivals spending heavily over the last year on lawyers, lobbyists, public relations and advertising to seek better trade and security relationships with the United States.

In a March 2018 article the New York Times reported on an active effort to cultivate President Trump on behalf of the two oil-rich Arab monarchies UAE and Saudi Arabia. The aim? Pushing the White House to remove Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson and backing confrontational approaches to Iran and Qatar, which Tillerson was seen as a block on.

This lobbying seems to have achieved one of its goals, with the New York Timess Roger Cohen revealing that a European ambassador had told him about a December 2017 dinner party in Washington he attended along with Donald Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and UAE ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba.

After the ambassador had complained to Kushner that his nations foreign minister was having difficulty organising a meeting with Tillerson, apparently Otaiba said: Things will be much better when Mikes installed. Tillerson was sacked four months later, replaced by CIA director Mike Pompeo.

What all this confirms is that media reporting and commentary is largely framed by the concerns of the governing elite, which explains the difference in the size and tone of coverage. Russia has been designated an Official Enemy of the West, while Israel, Saudi Arabia and UAE are close allies. However, it is important to separate the interests of Western elites and those of the general population. So while it is obvious why the British elite would want a close ties with the authoritarian monarchies in the Gulf, it is difficult to see what the British public get out of these unholy associations.

The obsessive focus on Russian interference serves a couple of important functions. First, as highlighted above, it hides inconvenient but important truths  that many of our so-called allies are carrying out sophisticated and long-running campaigns to undermine the will of Western publics.

And second, it acts as a displacement activity. Instead of looking at the deep-seated domestic reasons behind Trumps victory and why the UK voted for Brexit, we continue to be fixated on the all-powerful evil Disney villain Putin.

As always, to see through the fog of propaganda and gain an accurate understanding of the world, citizens need to be careful and critical consumers of the mainstream corporate news, making sure to combine their intake with a healthy dose of alternative and independent media.

Ian Sinclair tweets at @IanJSinclair.

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By John W. Whitehead

If, as it seems, we are in the process of becoming a totalitarian society in which the state apparatus is all-powerful, the ethics most important for the survival of the true, free, human individual would be: cheat, lie, evade, fake it, be elsewhere, forge documents, build improved electronic gadgets in your garage thatll outwit the gadgets used by the authorities.Philip K. Dick

October 03, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Its a given that Big Brother is always watching us.

Unfortunately, thanks to the governments ongoing efforts to build massive databases using emerging surveillance, DNA and biometrics technologies, Big Brother (and his corporate partners in crime) is getting even creepier and more invasive, intrusive and stalker-like.

Indeed, every dystopian sci-fi film (and horror film, for that matter) weve ever seen is suddenly converging into this present moment in a dangerous trifecta between science and technology, Big Business, and a government that wants to be all-seeing, all-knowing and all-powerfulbut not without help from the citizenry.

On a daily basis, Americans are relinquishing (in many cases, voluntarily) the most intimate details of who we areour biological makeup, our genetic blueprints, and our biometrics (facial characteristics and structure, fingerprints, iris scans, etc.)in order to navigate an increasingly technologically-enabled world.

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As journalist Anna Myers notes, Fingerprint readers, eye scans, and voice recognition are no longer just the security methods of high-tech spy movies. Millions of mobile phone, bank, and investment customers now have these technologies at their fingertips. Schwab uses voice recognition, Apple uses fingerprints, Wells Fargo scans eyes, and other companies are developing heartbeat or grip technology to verify user identity. Whether biometric technology will thrive or meet its demise depends not only on the security of the technology, but also whether the U.S. legal system will adapt to provide the privacy protections necessary for consumers to use it and for companies to invest in its development. Currently there is no federal law and only one state with a law protecting biometric information.

Translation: thus far, the courts have done little to preserve our rights in the face of technologies and government programs that have little respect for privacy or freedom.

Consider all the ways we continue to be tracked, hunted, hounded, and stalked by the government and its dubious agents:

By tapping into your phone lines and cell phone communications, the government knows what you say.

By uploading all of your emails, opening your mail, and reading your Facebook posts and text messages, the government knows what you write.

By monitoring your movements with the use of license plate readers, surveillance cameras and other tracking devices, the government knows where you go.

By churning through all of the detritus of your lifewhat you read, where you go, what you saythe government can predict what you will do.

By mapping the synapses in your brain, scientistsand in turn, the governmentwill soon know what you remember.

By mapping your biometricsyour face-printand storing the information in a massive, shared government database available to bureaucratic agencies, police and the military, the governments goal is to use facial recognition software to identify you (and every other person in the country) and track your movements, wherever you go.

And by accessing your DNA, the government will soon know everything else about you that they dont already know: your family chart, your ancestry, what you look like, your health history, your inclination to follow orders or chart your own course, etc.

Of course, none of these technologies are foolproof.

Nor are they immune from tampering, hacking or user bias.

Nevertheless, they have become a convenient tool in the hands of government agents to render null and void the Constitutions requirements of privacy and its prohibitions against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Consequently, no longer are we innocent until proven guilty in the face of DNA evidence that places us at the scene of a crime, behavior sensing technology that interprets our body temperature and facial tics as suspicious, and government surveillance devices that cross-check our biometrics, license plates and DNA against a growing database of unsolved crimes and potential criminals.

Increasingly, we are all guilty until proven innocent as the governments questionable acquisition and use of biometrics and DNA to identify individuals and solve crimes makes clear.

Indeed, for years now, the FBI and Justice Department have conspired to acquire near-limitless power and control over biometric information collected on law-abiding individuals, millions of whom have never been accused of a crime.

Going far beyond the scope of those with criminal backgrounds, the FBIs Next Generation Identification database (NGID), a billion dollar boondoggle that is aimed at dramatically expanding the governments ID database from a fingerprint system to a vast data storehouse of iris scans, photos searchable with face recognition technology, palm prints, and measures of gait and voice recordings alongside records of fingerprints, scars, and tattoos.

Launched in 2008, the NGID is a massive biometric database that contains more than 100 million fingerprints and 45 million facial photos gathered from a variety of sources ranging from criminal suspects and convicts to daycare workers and visa applicants, including millions of people who have never committed or even been accused of a crime.

In other words, innocent American citizens are now automatically placed in a suspect database.

For a long time, the government was required to at least observe some basic restrictions on when, where and how it could access someones biometrics and DNA and use it against them.

That is no longer the case.

The information is being amassed through a variety of routine procedures, with the police leading the way as prime collectors of biometrics for something as non-threatening as a simple moving violation. The nations courts are also doing their part to build the database, requiring biometric information as a precursor to more lenient sentences. And of course Corporate America has made it so easy to use ones biometrics to access everything from bank accounts to cell phones.

Weve made it so easy for the government to target, identify and track usdead or alive.

Its like shooting fish in a barrel.

For instance, in March 2018, Florida police showed up at a funeral home, asked to see the corpse of 30-year-old Linus F. Phillip, and attempted to use the dead mans finger to unlock his cell phone using his biometric fingerprint. (It turns out, cops unlocking cell phones with dead peoples fingerprints is now relatively common.)

In 2016, the Department of Justice secured a warrant allowing police to enter a California residence and force anyone inside to use their biometric information to open their mobile devices.

Two years earlier, in 2014, a Virginia court declared it legal to use criminal suspects fingerprints to open up smartphones.

This doesnt even touch on the many ways in which the government is using our DNA against us, the Constitution be damned.

In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand the Maryland Court of Appeals ruling in Raynor v. Maryland, which essentially determined that individuals do not have a right to privacy when it comes to their DNA.

Although Glenn Raynor, a suspected rapist, willingly agreed to be questioned by police, he refused to provide them with a DNA sample.

No problem: Police simply swabbed the chair in which Raynor had been sitting and took what he refused to voluntarily provide. Raynors DNA was a match, and the suspect became a convict. In refusing to hear the case, the U.S. Supreme Court gave its tacit approval for government agents to collect shed DNA, likening it to a persons fingerprints or the color of their hair, eyes or skin.

Whereas fingerprint technology created a watershed moment for police in their ability to crack a case, DNA technology is now being hailed by law enforcement agencies as the magic bullet in crime solving.

Its what police like to refer to as a modern fingerprint.

However, unlike a fingerprint, a DNA print reveals everything about who we are, where we come from, and who we will be.

With such a powerful tool at their disposal, it was inevitable that the governments collection of DNA would become a slippery slope toward government intrusion.

Certainly, it was difficult enough trying to protect our privacy in the wake of a 2013 Supreme Court ruling in Maryland v. King that likened DNA collection to photographing and fingerprinting suspects when they are booked, thereby allowing the government to take DNA samples from people merely arrested in connection with serious crimes.

At that time, Justice Antonin Scalia warned that as a result of the Courts ruling, your DNA can be taken and entered into a national database if you are ever arrested, rightly or wrongly, and for whatever reason.

Now, Americans are vulnerable to the government accessing, analyzing and storing their DNA without their knowledge or permission.

As the dissenting opinion in Raynor for the Maryland Court of Appeals rightly warned, a person desiring to keep her DNA profile private, must conduct her public affairs in a hermetically sealed hazmat suit.... The Majoritys holding means that a person can no longer vote, participate in a jury, or obtain a driver's license, without opening up his genetic material for state collection and codification.

All 50 states now maintain their own DNA databases, although the protocols for collection differ from state to state. That DNA is also being collected in the FBIs massive national DNA database, code-named CODIS (Combined DNA Index System), which was established as a way to identify and track convicted felons and has since become a de facto way to identify and track the American people from birth to death.

Indeed, hospitals have gotten in on the game by taking and storing newborn babies DNA, often without their parents knowledge or consent. Its part of the governments mandatory genetic screening of newborns. However, in many states, the DNA is stored indefinitely.

What this means for those being born today is inclusion in a government database that contains intimate information about who they are, their ancestry, and what awaits them in the future, including their inclinations to be followers, leaders or troublemakers.

For the rest of us, its just a matter of time before the government gets hold of our DNA, either through mandatory programs carried out in connection with law enforcement and corporate America, or through the collection of our shed or touch DNA.

While much of the public debate, legislative efforts and legal challenges in recent years have focused on the protocols surrounding when police can legally collect a suspects DNA (with or without a search warrant and whether upon arrest or conviction), the question of how to handle shed or touch DNA has largely slipped through without much debate or opposition.

Yet as scientist Leslie A. Pray notes:

We all shed DNA, leaving traces of our identity practically everywhere we go. Forensic scientists use DNA left behind on cigarette butts, phones, handles, keyboards, cups, and numerous other objects, not to mention the genetic content found in drops of bodily fluid, like blood and semen. In fact, the garbage you leave for curbside pickup is a potential gold mine of this sort of material. All of this shed or so-called abandoned DNA is free for the taking by local police investigators hoping to crack unsolvable cases. Or, if the future scenario depicted at the beginning of this article is any indication, shed DNA is also free for inclusion in a secret universal DNA databank.

What this means is that if you have the misfortune to leave your DNA traces anywhere a crime has been committed, youve already got a file somewhere in some state or federal database, albeit it may be a file without a name.

In other words, youre a suspect to be watched.

As Forensic magazine reports, As officers have become more aware of touch DNAs potential, they are using it more and more. Unfortunately, some [police] have not been selective enough when they process crime scenes. Instead, they have processed anything and everything at the scene, submitting 150 or more samples for analysis.

Even old samples taken from crime scenes and cold cases are being unearthed and mined for their DNA profiles.

Today, helped along by robotics and automation, DNA processing, analysis and reporting takes far less time and can bring forth all manner of information, right down to a persons eye color and relatives. Incredibly, one company specializes in creating mug shots for police based on DNA samples from unknown suspects which are then compared to individuals with similar genetic profiles.

If you havent yet connected the dots, let me point the way.

Having already used surveillance technology to render the entire American populace potential suspects, DNA technology in the hands of government will complete our transition to a suspect society in which we are all merely waiting to be matched up with a crime.

No longer can we consider ourselves innocent until proven guilty. Now we are all suspects in a DNA lineup until circumstances and science say otherwise.

Of course, there will be those who point to DNAs positive uses in criminal justice, such as in those instances where it is used to absolve someone on death row of a crime he didnt commit, and there is no denying its beneficial purposes at times.

However, as is the case with body camera footage and every other so-called technology that is hailed as a check on government abuses, in order for the average personespecially one convicted of a crimeto request and get access to DNA testing, they first have to embark on a costly, uphill legal battle through red tape and, even then, they are opposed at every turn by a government bureaucracy run by prosecutors, legislatures and law enforcement.

What this amounts to is a scenario in which we have little to no defense of against charges of wrongdoing, especially when convicted by technology, and even less protection against the government sweeping up our DNA in much the same way it sweeps up our phone calls, emails and text messages.

Yet if there are no limits to government officials being able to access your DNA and all that it says about you, then where do you draw the line?

As technology makes it ever easier for the government to tap into our thoughts, our memories, our dreams, suddenly the landscape becomes that much more dystopian.

With the entire governmental system shifting into a pre-crime mode aimed at detecting and pursuing those who might commit a crime before they have an inkling, let alone an opportunity, to do so, its not so far-fetched to imagine a scenario in which government agents (FBI, local police, etc.) target potential criminals based on their genetic disposition to be a troublemaker or their relationship to past dissenters.

Equally disconcerting: if scientists can, using DNA, track salmon across hundreds of square miles of streams and rivers, how easy will it be for government agents to not only know everywhere weve been and how long we were at each place but collect our easily shed DNA and add it to the governments already burgeoning database?

Its not just yourself you have to worry about, either.

Its also anyone related to you who can be connected by DNA.

These genetic fingerprints, as theyre called, do more than just single out a person. They also show who youre related to and how. As the Associated Press reports, DNA samples that can help solve robberies and murders could also, in theory, be used to track down our relatives, scan us for susceptibility to disease, or monitor our movements.

Capitalizing on this, police in California, Colorado, Virginia and Texas use DNA found at crime scenes to identify and target family members for possible clues to a suspects whereabouts.

Who will protect your family from being singled out for special treatment simply because theyre related to you? As biomedical researcher Yaniv Erlich warns, If its not regulated and the police can do whatever they want ... they can use your DNA to infer things about your health, your ancestry, whether your kids are your kids.

For that matter, how do you protect yourself against having your DNA extracted, your biometrics scanned and the most intimate details of who you areyour biological footprintuploaded into a government database?

What recourse do you have when that information, taken against your will, is shared, stolen, sold or compromised, as it inevitably will be in this age of hackers? We know that databases can be compromised. Weve seen it happen to databases kept by health care companies, motor vehicle agencies, financial institutions, retailers and intelligence agencies such as the NSA.

And what about those cases in which the technology proved to be wrong, either through human error or tampering?

It happens more often than we are told.

For example, David Butler spent eight months in prison for a murder he didnt commit after his DNA was allegedly found on the murder victim and surveillance camera footage placed him in the general area the murder took place. Conveniently, Butlers DNA was on file after he had voluntarily submitted it during an investigation years earlier into a robbery at his mothers home.

The case seemed cut and dried to everyone but Butler who proclaimed his innocence.

Except that the DNA evidence and surveillance footage was wrong: Butler was innocent.

That Butlers DNA was supposedly found on the victims nails was attributed to three things: one, Butler was a taxi driver and so it was possible for his DNA to be transferred from his taxi via money or another person, onto the murder victim; two, Butler had a rare skin condition causing him to shed flakes of skini.e., more DNA to spread around, much more so than the average person; and three, police wanted him to be the killer, despite the fact that the DNA sample was only a partial match, of poor quality, and experts at the time said they could neither say that he was guilty nor rule him out.

Unfortunately, we now find ourselves in the unenviable position of being monitored, managed, convicted and controlled by our technology, which answers not to us but to our government and corporate rulers.

This is the fact-is-stranger-than-fiction lesson that is being pounded into us on a daily basis.

While the Fourth Amendment was created to prevent government officials from searching an individuals person or property without a warrant and probable causeevidence that some kind of criminal activity was afootthe founders could scarcely have imagined a world in which we needed protection against widespread government breaches of our privacy on a cellular level.

Yet thats exactly what we are lacking.

Once again, technology has outdistanced both our understanding of it and our ability to adequately manage the consequences of unleashing it on an unsuspecting populace.

In the end, as I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, what all of this amounts to is a carefully crafted campaign designed to give the government access to and control over what it really wants: you.

Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute . His new book Battlefield America: The War on the American People (SelectBooks, 2015) is available online at www.amazon.com. Whitehead can be contacted at johnw@rutherford.org.

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October 03, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The decision was of tremendous import and was not made quickly but it was made decisively. Judge Dana Christensen ruled against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisting of the Yellowstone Grizzly, and stopped the trophy hunt proposed by Wyoming and Idaho, those retro redneck havens of braindead racism, industrial serfdom, and furious, moron machismo.

In shutting down this corrupt, deeply cynical piece of ecological crime on the part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service targeting the Yellowstone grizzly population of 700 bears, the judge kept unerringly to existing law, and ruled narrowly to render his decision unassailable. The key point is that, by law, no delisting action may be taken on a subpopulation of a threatened or endangered species that does not consider the effects on the species as a whole. In other words, no action can be mandated on one population that does not include all others.

This ruling, while it does not prevent a hunt of the entire species should such a despicable act of depravity ever be mandated, does prevent the kind of fatal assault on bear viability that killing them piecemealas would have been the case had the Yellowstone hunt gone aheadrepresents.

Because those who back this sort of blind madness are both stupid and relentless in their twisted perversity, this decision may well be appealed, and when that appeal is lost, the same lunacy may be tested in the NCDE or Cabinet-Yaak, regardless of the dead certainty that it will fail in court. This is the kind of minds one confronts in the fight for ecological sanity.

Beyond the relief and satisfaction and, yes, sheer elation, this decision has evoked in those who care about the viability of the Griz, it is impossible to ignore the dark future that looms for this world iconic creature due directly to human inability to love and live in symbiosis with the natural world.

Far greater than the threat of human depredation on grizzlies, grim as it is, is the largely ignored imminent elimination of the habitat they must have to survive. Its not complicated: without vast, connected areas of truly wild country where all the fatally destructive apparatus of human organization is absent, the bear and all top predators will be swiftly driven to extinction.

This is not news. It has been common scientific knowledge for decades. And yet the combination of the utter corruption of our Capitalist politics with obscenely complicit sham enviro outfits known in the trade as Gang Green, has prevented passage of sane, adequate, and sufficient habitat legislation.

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Understand this: feeble gestures and token symbols, toxic nature preserves and high-traffic National Monuments in Delaware and Utah, wont cut it. There is one existing proposal that will provide both the wild area and the multiple connectivity that can, if implemented, save the Griz: NREPA, the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act. Painstakingly prepared by world-class biologists and grizzly experts such as John Craighead, it has been sponsored in Congress for decades but big corporate money and boundless industrial greed have blocked and defeated it time and again.

To date, the great question in regard to the Grizzly has been how to save it. Now, in light of ever more appalling estimates of the onrush of irreversible climate change with its catastrophic effects on our world, it is clear that the Grizzly is the canary in humanitys coal mine, and that preserving a world in which it can exist is the only way to preserve one in which we can, as well.

Muir pointed out what native Americans knew and warned us about even as we exterminated them: that in nature all is connected, and that the objectifying of any of it, the selective slicing and dicing for profit of life that is deemed alien, inanimate and other, leads inexorably to general disaster and the extinction of all. We ignored that warning and were nearly there.

So, celebrate this principled, courageous decision. Let yourselves feel the inner warmth and depth of gratitude that comes from knowing that some of the great Griz nosing tonight into the raw, wicked, snow-whipping winds of the Yellowstone high country will survive another winter in their magnificent power that would not have seen Spring again without it.

And hold hard to the truth that what the Griz must have is what we as a species must have, too, and fight for it while you can, because there is a war raging right now, and it will determine the fate of all life on earth.

Paul Edwards is a writer and film-maker in Montana. He can be reached at: hgmnude@bresnan.net

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Senator Ben Murray Bruce has urged politicians in Nigeria not to hold on to power as that isnt the only way to be influential.

According to the senator, who wont be returning to the senate in 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari isnt as influential as Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote.

The senator said this via his Twitter handle on Thursday. He advised politicians to hold on to honour rather than power.

In his words:
A homophobic letter from someone claiming to be Jesus has been found in Sydney Australia, as the author blame gays for the recent drought in the country.

The letter, found close to Oxford St, the hub of Sydneys gay night-life and venue for the citys iconic Mardi Gras parade, laments Australias recent legalisation of same-sex marriage and blames gay Australians for a variety of natural disasters, including the current drought that has been causing misery for Australias agriculture industry.

The author of the letter blamed politicians, who voted for same-sex marriage following a public referendum, for inciting such wickedness. The letter not only condemns same-sex marriage but also threatens the city and wider area with destruction and death.

See letter below;

Sydney,

Do you know why I have dried up your state? You chose the curse last year when your nation collectively decided to vote YES to that which I abhor. I have judged and removed that wicked Prime Minister, who gave you the evil desires of your heart, as I said I would through my servant, when writing to your City Council last year. Tell your mayor to humble herself, lest I unleash my fury on her, for inciting such wickedness.

I have a cup of judgment prepared for your city. The recent hailstorm was your warning to turn from wickedness. Plead with your government, reverse your shameful marriage laws glorifying sodomy and adultery, ban fornication, pornography and prostitution, stop killing your unborn children. Ban remarriage and unjustified divorce, or I will bring hail in a violent form of destruction and death and delight to brake your pride. Ask your sister Hobart, what I did to her in May, for rejecting my words.

I Yeshua/Jesus Christ am Eternal life. I bring life and blessing to those who walk upright and curses and death, to those who hate me. Choose who you will serve, but know that I have told you, through my servant.

-Jesus, The Messiah.
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday spoke with Rebecca Sharibu, Leah and assuring her that her daughter will be brought back safe and sound.

The president assured Leahs mother that his government was doing all it could to bring Leah back.

In a statement by Mr Buhari on Wednesday, he said the thoughts and prayers of Nigerians are with all those in captivity.

He wrote:

Today I spoke with Mrs Rebecca Sharibu, to reiterate our determination to bring her daughter Leah back home safely. The thoughts & prayers of all Nigerians are with the Sharibu family, & the families of all those still in captivity. We will do everything we can to bring them back.
The operatives of Lagos State Police Command, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Pen Cinema Division, SP Pius Edobor, have arrested Emmanuel Nwodu, 38, of Fagba, Iju, Lagos with fake alcoholic drinks.

The suspect was arrested by the team along Mosalashi market, Sango Agege, with two cartons of alcoholic drinks suspected to be adulterated.

On interrogation, the suspect confessed that he produces the drinks in his one-room shop at Mosalashi market, Agege.

He later led operatives to the said shop at Mosalashi market where he concoct the drinks.

A search warrant was executed and the following items were recovered therein: two 30 litres of chemical suspected to be ethanol, two cartons of Elders Aromatic Schnapps suspected to be fake, fifty one (51) small bottles of Chelsea dry gin suspected to be fake, thirty-five (35) pieces of Chelsea cork, five(5) labels of Lords, Chelsea and Elders alcoholic drinks.

The suspect was charged to court on Wednesday.

Recall that on April 3, 2018, at Ajuwon market, Mushin, the Command arrested and prosecuted a 55-year-old trader, Benjamin Ojukwu, involved in the production and distribution of fake wine and alcoholic drinks.

Also, on April 11, 2018, the Commissioner of a police, CP Edgal Imohimi, led operatives to arrest the owners of an illegal brewery, valued over one hundred and twenty million Naira (N120,000,000.00) where fake stout and malt drinks were produced at Igbogbo Bayeku area of Ikorodu. The factory was subsequently closed by the authorities.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State has directed all Area Commanders Divisional Police Officers and Heads of investigating outfits in the Command to take the issue of public safety and security seriously by looking out for those behind this type of trade and ensure their arrest and prosecution. He hinted that the preponderance of kidney diseases and other diseases of the vital organs, may not be unconnected with the intake of these adulterated products produced by these unscrupulous individuals.

Meanwhile, the Imohimi reminds Lagosians to always contact the the Command whenever they notice anything untoward in their environment for prompt action, on these telephone numbers:

1. CP Imohimi Edgal, Commissioner of Police Lagos State 08033040870

2. DCP Ayuba Elkanah Nabuni Deputy Commissiner of Police Administration 08033422152,,

3. DCP Muhammed Ali Ari, Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations 08073666669

4.ACP Mohammed Danladi, Area Commander A, Lagos Island 08034668470

5. ACP Sani Sabo, Area Commander B Apapa 08038452224

6. ACP Godwin Eze, Area Commander C Surulere 08023407772.

7. ACP Akinbayo Olasoji, Area Commander D Mushin 08037140083

8. ACP Yusuf Ajape, Area Commander E Festac 08037073372

9. ACP Ibrahim Zungura, Area Commander F, Ikeja 08052058001

10. ACP Arumse J.D, Area Commander G Ogba 08033464144

11. ACP Miller Dantawaye, Area Commander H, Ogudu 08036695572

12. ACP Felix Oben, Area Commander J Elemoro 08033320682

13. ACP Hope Okafor, Area Commander K Morogbo 08026279242

14. ACP Ishola Olarenwaju, Area Commander L Ilashe, 0810321160

15 ACP Agbaminoja Toyin, Area Commander M Idimu 08081776484

16. ACP Mohammed Ahmadu, Area Commander N Ijede 08055554664

17. ACP Abdulsalam Gazali Alade, Area Commander P Alagbado 08033539984

18. CSP Chike Oti, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), 07065246927.
Former Minister of Aviation, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode has revealed the gruesome murder of 19 people by Fulani herdsmen in a village in Plateau state.

The defenseless people were said to have been killed in their sleep. The former minister lamented the high rate of insecurity under the present administration.

According to Fani-Kayode, the only thing Nigerians have seen under president Mujammadu Buhari, is tragedy upon tragedy.

Speaking via his Twitter handle on Thursday, the former minister reiterated that Buhari must gone in 2019.

He wrote:

Fulani herdsmen butchered another 19 innocent and defenceless people in a village in Plateau state last night.

Under Buhari all we have seen is tragedy after tragedy, calamity after calamity, mass murder after mass murder and slaughter after slaughter.

IJN FLUSH HIM OUT!
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.
Clark Wolf, director of bioethics and professor of philosophy at Iowa State University, discusses the ethics of supreme court rulings that are influencing the upcoming election. He is also joined by his colleague, Dirk Deam, professor of political science, on September 26, 2016.


Maj. Earl Arnold runs a preflight check on a T-6 Texan using an electronic flight bag. A tablet-like flight bag is part of 12th Operations Groups move to enhancing training, efficiency, and accuracy in data recall. Photo: Sean Worrell/USAF

When Defense Department leaders talk about the need for military innovation, they commonly recognize the armed services should be more open to trying things even if they ?may not succeed.

Its time to take risks, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said during AFAs 2018 Air Warfare Symposium. Its time to productively fail.

During the same conference, however, an executive for Alphabetthe umbrella company owning Googlebluntly challenged that notion. The Air Force, argued Milo S. Medin, takes far more risk than any commercial entity ever would.

This is anything but a risk-averse culture, Medin said on stage as one of AWS18s keynote speakers. Being risk averse is not the problemairmen put their lives on the line in dangerous situations every day. The problem has been a lack of technological innovation. Theres a price to be paid for lagging behind on innovation, its just that the price is not usually paid by the same people who settle for the status quo. That price is going to be paid, nonetheless.



Milo Medin, vice president of Access Service at Alphabet, Inc., says USAF is not a risk-averse culture. To the contrarythe problem is a lack of innovation. Staff photo by Mike Tsukamoto

Medin has most recently been working for Alphabet as vice president of its access services. He has focused on increasing the speed at which networks are fielded and their infrastructural integrity and speeds. Medin is especially peeved with DODs requirements-driven strategy, saying its more than inefficient, its become dangerous.

To improve decision-making, USAF has to instill a culture of innovation in airmen from the very beginning. According to Air Education and Training Command boss Lt. Gen. Steven L. Kwast, that culture is essential to the success of any society or organization.

_Read this story in our digital issue:

Human nature, at large, is innovations biggest challenge, Kwast argued. Any systemic endeavor in that direction, therefore, is prone to bump up against risk aversion and bureaucracy, a reality of any organization.

Everything that prevents us from being creative is rooted in human nature, Kwast said. Bureaucracy is an extension of the human condition. The more people, the more bureaucracy.



Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast, AETC commander, speaks to the media at the Air Force Associatons Air Warfare Symposium in February. Staff photo by Mike Tsukamoto

By design, organizations will have a violent reaction to disruption since it could mean the end of what its leaders hold foundational. To deny or abuse innovation is a visceral survival mechanism. Such innovation threatens the values, the heritages, the hero system, the honor, and the dignity of its current stakeholders.

Kwast argued that the only way to really push this cultural shift is with a major disruption, one unhampered by the very processes it attempts to cut. Kwast laid out what he thinks is one way to work around the various obstaclespresent and inherentin the Air Forces current culture. Basically, he said the service has to throw some people outside of its current culture and let them come up with disruptive innovation.

You dont ask the pig to slaughter itself, Kwast put forth. You take a handful of innovators and hide them from the bureaucracy, giving them money, freedom, and authority. These are people who yearn to improve processes, who arent tied to old ones, who constantly want to figure out new ways to do old things. You give them top cover, knowing if current stakeholders sniff the initiative, theyll try to kill it. And you do this several times over, with different groups of people. Nine out of 10 such initiatives will fail, Kwast allowed.

But the one that brings you the idea thats transformational will pay for all the other failures, he said. After all, Kwast also recognized the Air Force doesnt teach its airmen any of this at present. But it should, he argued.



Maj. Barret Darnell (r), assists high school students with hacking challenges at a Hack the Air Force 2.0 event coordinated with the nonprofit organization Code.org. The program revealed 106 Air Force vulnerabilities reported by 27 hackers in Belgium, Canada, Latvia, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, and the US. Photo: Trevor Tiernan/USAF

Both SECAF Wilson and Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein have reiterated again and again their backing of an innovative spirit within the service. But thinking outside the box is harder closer to the ground, according to some.

This is especially true in an environment rife with high demand and scant resources.

Just ask Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright.

For him, one question from airmen stood out during his first year on the job: Chief, how can we do more with less? Speaking at the symposium, Wright said he thinks theres a better question: How can USAF do less, better, faster, and be more efficient and lethal?

The answer is innovation, he said, adding that culture must be unleashed. But innovation has to be unleashed with intention.

Up until now, the Air Force has been ingrained with a culture gyrating between adaptation and innovation, Wright argued. Affixing mirrors to cover a drivers blind spot is adaptation, he said. Replacing the driver with artificial intelligence, in contrast, is innovation. Ordering detergent from Amazon on a handheld device is adaptation. Walking into one of the companys new Amazon Go stores and walking out without ever speaking to a cashieror anyoneis innovation.



SSgt. Joshua Tobin uses a tablet to scan a barcode at Holloman AFB, N. M. The tablets are in the implementation stage. They enable airmen to input data in real time, significantly cutting down job times. Photo: SrA. Emily Kenney

Adaptation is about the current fight, he added. Innovation is about the future.

Wright said USAF has to train better than the adversary does, and that has to happen now because of advances near-peer adversaries are making. Todays airmen may have to take the service under construction today to war in 10 or 15 years. To get the most out of these airmen, the service must allow them to fail, he said.

Echoing the danger to be found in the status quo was another industry executive, Lani Kass of CACI, a Washington, D.C.,-based information systems and solutions outfit with particular focus on national security clients.

Speaking on a panel on transforming digital landscapes within the Pentagon, Kass said she became even more concerned by the things we dont know after the Russians mucked up the US election process. Kass currently works as CACIs senior vice president and corporate strategic advisor.



L-r: Chuck Louisell, strategic programs manager at Cisco, Lani Kass, senior vice president at CACI, Lance Spencer, director of global defense at AT&T, and Todd Stiefler, general manager of defense, at GE Aviation Digital, participate in a digital transformation panel discussion at AFAs symposium in Orlando, Fla. Staff photo by Mike Tsukamoto

In the information domain, Kass said shes unsure the perfectly clear picture USAF sees and acts upon is actually accurate. Does it reflect the truthor the whims and fancies of an operator who adjusted data to get others to modify their behavior? Despite USAFs drive to connect all of its nodes and sensors into one holistic pool of information, Kass argues its ultimately down to a human operator to act upon data. Even if the military is able to completely lift the fog of war, it comes down to what humans do with what the machines provide.

Alphabets Medinwho also serves on the Defense Innovation Boardsaid the pace of global technological innovation is increasing and more disruption is on the way.

To really prepare for that potential threat, he said, the Air Force should not be tolerating the status quo anymore. That, he concluded, would be a good start.
An explosive Bloomberg report claims that Chinese hackers were able to plant a tiny microchip in servers assembled by Supermicro Computers which were then used by tech giants like Apple and Amazon. This microchip provided the hacker with a secret doorway into any network the server was connected to.

The report claims the chips were inserted while the servers were being manufactured in factories in China. Hardware hacks like this are incredibly hard to pull off, though when done right, it provides the hackers with an invaluable amount of information.

The servers supplied by Microcenter were used by major tech companies including Amazon, a major bank, Apple, Microsoft, and Google. The report states that U.S. investigators found that the tiny microchip was inserted during the manufacturing process by the Peoples Liberation Army.

Apple was one of Supermicros major customers, with the Cupertino company at one point planning to order more than 30,000 servers from it for one of its data centers within a span of two years. However, citing senior insiders inside Apple, the report claims that once the company found these malicious chips on Supermicro motherboards, it severed all ties with it. The company first discovered the chips in Supermicro servers in May 2015 and informed the FBI about it. Apple planned on using these servers from Supermicro for its iCloud services.

Apple for its part has already issued a statement strongly refuting all the claims made by Bloomberg in their report.

On this we can be very clear: Apple has never found malicious chips, hardware manipulations or vulnerabilities purposely planted in any server. Apple never had any contact with the FBI or any other agency about such an incident. We are not aware of any investigation by the FBI, nor are our contacts in law enforcement. In response to Bloombergs latest version of the narrative, we present the following facts: Siri and Topsy never shared servers; Siri has never been deployed on servers sold to us by Super Micro; and Topsy data was limited to approximately 2,000 Super Micro servers, not 7,000. None of those servers has ever been found to hold malicious chips. As a matter of practice, before servers are put into production at Apple they are inspected for security vulnerabilities and we update all firmware and software with the latest protections. We did not uncover any unusual vulnerabilities in the servers we purchased from Super Micro when we updated the firmware and software according to our standard procedures. We are deeply disappointed that in their dealings with us, Bloombergs reporters have not been open to the possibility that they or their sources might be wrong or misinformed. Our best guess is that they are confusing their story with a previously-reported 2016 incident in which we discovered an infected driver on a single Super Micro server in one of our labs. That one-time event was determined to be accidental and not a targeted attack against Apple. While there has been no claim that customer data was involved, we take these allegations seriously and we want users to know that we do everything possible to safeguard the personal information they entrust to us. We also want them to know that what Bloomberg is reporting about Apple is inaccurate.

Supermicro for its part has also issued a statement refuting the claims in the report.

Bloomberg, however, states that six current and former national security officials have detailed discovering such chips and the investigation that followed. It even confirmed this information with three Apple insiders.

In addition to the three Apple insiders, four of the six U.S. officials confirmed that Apple was a victim. In all, 17 people confirmed the manipulation of Supermicros hardware and other elements of the attacks. The sources were granted anonymity because of the sensitive, and in some cases classified, nature of the information.

The main motive of the hack was to gain access to secret corporate data on a long-term basis and not steal any consumer data.

Our Take

At this point, it is difficult to ascertain whats the truth. However, it is rare to see Apple strongly refute such a rumor. I guess without any further evidence, it would be a bit too difficult to believe in the story from Bloomberg. What do you think?

[Via Bloomberg
Fuller Gallery celebrates fifth anniversary Visitors to Fuller Gallery might expect to see a painting of Marsh Meadows hanging in the storefront window, but in the five years since it opened, a Chinese sword, Olympic...

LEARNING TO SAVE LIVES Volunteer firefighters Lew Kitts, left, and Dave Prior talk to kindergarten and preschool students Friday about the equipment used to extinguish flames during emergencies. The annual showcase at Melrose School...

Film explores body and clothing An 8-minute film shot at Beavertail State Park to explore connections between clothing and the body will be screened at the Jamestown Arts Center. The screening of Waves and Shadows...
WEED, Ore.  Two people are in police custody after a tense incident Wednesday morning that culminated with one suspect reportedly exchanging shots with witnesses, according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office (SCSO).

Dispatch first received the report just after 7:30 a.m., with the caller claiming that a man armed with a rifle was pointing at people near Carnes Road and Shasta Vista Drive in the Mt. Shasta Vista subdivision near Weed, California.

Further callers reported that the man had actually fired the rifle, hitting the ground. Callers also claimed that the man had fired at them from about 20 feet away, although the shot missed.

Eventually, the callers said, there were multiple people armed with guns  trading shots with the original gunman, later identified as 41-year-old Rick Calvin Case of Fort Jones.

"Shots were allegedly exchanged between the assailant and those reporting the incident," said SCSO in a statement.

When SCSO deputies began to arrive about 15 minutes after the first report, the callers would claim that Case had stashed his rifle as the approaching sirens became audible.

SCSO said that the deputies waited to develop a "tactical plan" before approaching Case and a woman who was with him, later identified as 35-year-old Terra Stanley of Yreka  both of whom were still said to be in the area.

A short time later, deputies found Case and Stanley in a private driveway near Chipmunk and Carnes Road, taking them both into custody without incident. After a search, a deputy discovered a rifle believed to be the one that Case had hidden.

"We are grateful the prompt and decisive actions of deputies involved in the response to this dangerous situation led to a peaceful resolution," said Sheriff Jon Lopey.

Case has been charged with Attempted Murder, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Criminal Conspiracy, Violating Terms of Probation, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Felon in Possession of Ammunition.

Stanley has been charged with being an Accessory to a Felony Crime, Criminal Conspiracy, and Trespassing.

"I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the alert and skilled SCSO public safety dispatcher who teamed-up with the citizens reporting this incident," said Lopey.

"Together, very accurate and timely information was exchanged and relayed to the involved units, which ultimately helped lead to the safe resolution of this tense, rapidly evolving, and uncertain situation. It is always helpful when citizens get involved and report accurate and timely information to law enforcement authorities about crimes in progress. Again, we thank those involved for their reports and assistance with this case.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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Kasino Roulette adalah salah satu permainan paling populer di situs perjudian kasino. Jadi dalam permainan ini kamu harus menebak angka berapa yang akan keluar. Ada 36 nomor berbeda dalam permainan populer ini di mana sebuah bola kecil diputar dan dilemparkan ke dalam mesin roulette. Anda harus menebak dari mana bola kecil itu masuk dan di nomor berapa ia berhenti. Ada banyak jenis pilihan angka dari 0-36, dan mereka dihitung secara berbeda. Sebagai agen casino terpercaya, panduan permainan roulette ini juga memberikan informasi tentang jenis pilihan dan nama permainan roulette casino online sebagai berikut:

1. Straight Up: Penempatan angka tunggal dari 0 hingga 36. Contoh perhitungan straight up adalah mengalikan taruhan dengan 35. Ini adalah jenis taruhan tertinggi dalam permainan roulette kasino, jadi 50 dikalikan dengan 35 memberi Anda 1750, mengapa jenis taruhan ini menghasilkan pengembalian yang begitu tinggi? Hal ini karena tidak mudah untuk memenangkan pilihan nomor dengan memilih hanya satu nomor dari banyak.

2. Taruhan split: Jenis taruhan yang ditempatkan pada dua angka atau di antara dua angka yang berbeda. Misalnya, menempatkan di sela-sela angka 9 dan 12 atau 13d dan 14 dihitung sebagai jenis taruhan split. Setiap nomor dapat ditempatkan dalam jenis ini selama nomor tersebut berdekatan dan persis seperti Gambar A dan B. Untuk taruhan ini, jika Anda memenangkan contoh dan mengalikannya dengan 850, Anda akan menerima jumlah taruhan yang dikalikan dengan 17. .

3. Taruhan jalanan: bertaruh dengan 3 angka ke bawah, misalnya 1,2,3 atau 10,11,12. Semua taruhan jalan akan menerima kemenangan dikalikan dengan 11. Misalnya, 50 dikalikan 550.

4. Taruhan sudut: Jenis taruhan di mana empat angka ditempatkan saling berhadapan, seperti 13,14,16,17 atau 19,20,22,23. Semua angka valid karena terdiri dari 4 angka yang diisi seperti kotak dan taruhan dikalikan 8 (misalnya 50 kali 800).

5. Taruhan baris: Atau, Anda dapat mengatakan bahwa ada 6 jenis taruhan yang terdiri dari 2 baris, tetapi 6 poin dengan 2 peregangan, seperti taruhan jalanan. Misalnya, jika Anda memilih angka 7 hingga 12 dan 13 hingga 18, taruhan 50 adalah 5 kali dan kemudian dikalikan dengan 250 kemenangan.

6. Kolom Inner Bet: Jenis taruhan vertikal dengan 12 poin berturut-turut, seperti kolom numerik 1,4,7,10,13,19,22,25,25,28,22,24,34 atau kolom lainnya. Dan jika dia memenangkan kolom, 50 taruhan digandakan dan 100 taruhan.

7. Lusin : Jenis taruhan menempatkan 12 angka tetapi menempatkannya pada kotak berbentuk seperti contoh Kolom A dengan angka 1 sampai 12 dan odds dengan kolom lain untuk dipilih dengan memilih 1 kotak pertama untuk Kolom A. Kalikan dengan 2, 50 taruhan 100.

8. Zero part : Cara bertaruh 0.1,2,3 sama persis seperti di gambar, karena berdekatan dengan angka 0, anda hanya bisa bertaruh 0.1,2,3. Menempatkan taruhan ini mengalikannya dengan 50. hingga 8.

9. Zero Corner: Bertaruh pada angka 0.1,2 atau 0.2,3 adalah dua pilihan karena Anda hanya bertaruh mendekati angka nol. Jenis taruhan ini dikalikan 11 jika taruhan menang.

10. Two Dozen: Jenis taruhan dengan hanya dua pilihan: 1-18 atau 19-36. Jika taruhan Anda adalah 50, itu dikalikan dengan 1 hingga 50 jika Anda menang.

11. Merah atau Hitam: Masukkan taruhan Anda dengan memilih Merah atau Hitam sebagai warna angka yang muncul saat taruhan 50.

12. Genap/Ganjil: Pilih angka yang menghasilkan jumlah jenis taruhan ganjil.
SPRINGFIELD, Ore.  A suspected drug dealer who police think is connected to the recent heroin overdose crisis in Lane County was released from jail Monday, and his former neighbors had mixed reactions.

Jaycee Johnson was arrested on Friday in an apartment building on 17th street in Springfield.

READ MORE: Suspected drug dealer with possible ties to overdose crisis released from jail

A KEZI 9 News crew spotted who they believed to be Johnson outside of the apartment building Wednesday evening. Neighbors confirmed it was him.

A reporter went to the door to speak with him and he did not come to the door.

Some of his former neighbors described him as a good guy. Others said hes always been bad news.

Springfield police believe Johnson is connected to more than 30 heroin overdoses in Lane County in less than two weeks involving the drug that could be tainted with fentanyl.

Cathy Murray, Johnsons former neighbor, said shes not surprised.

"I knew he was into a lot of illegal stuff and we just didn't do any dealings with him whatsoever, Murray said. He was trouble and everything.

Others disagree.

He was a good person, said Davida Olsen, another former neighbor. He was a good dad. He was with his daughter. I mean, people do their drugs, they have their addictions and stuff but still through all that, he still was being a good dad. So, this was just like a shocker."

Investigators served a search warrant on his home on Friday. Officials said they found "china white," a fentanyl-based drug believed to be involved in some of the overdoses.

Murray's son Jimmie said he used to do drugs with Johnson. She said she tried to keep Jimmie away from him after she said Jonson gave her son crystal meth mixed with heroin and rat poison.

I thought I was going to lose my son. They wanted us to pull the plug and I said no my son is going to come out of this," she said. You're going to do the crime, do the time, Murray said.

Those neighbors said they haven't seen or heard from Johnson since he moved out of their neighborhood about two years ago.

Prosecutors said it's too early to press charges because they're awaiting results from the crime lab.
LANE COUNTY, Ore. -- A new group is hoping to hand out hundreds of bikes to kids in the community, but first they need donations.

Free Bikes 4 Kidz Eugene Springfield will collect gently used bikes this weekend, and over the next two months, theyll clean and refurbish them with new chains, cables and tubes. A certified bike mechanic will also check out the bikes.

Organizers said bikes arent just toys. They give kids a sense of freedom so they can get to neighborhood and school activities. It also teaches them responsibility and gets them moving.

You know a lot of times when a kid outgrows a bike, it just sits in the garage collecting dust, Board President Allison Straub said. So, this is a good chance to recycle it. It will be new to a kid in our community and theyll get to use it for years.

They will be collecting bikes Saturday, Oct. 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at all Bi-Mart stores in Eugene and Springfield.

The group will work with nonprofits, faith-based organizations, schools and community organizations to find children who need bikes.

Children will get to pick out their new bikes and helmets on giveaway day Dec. 8.
AUSTIN, Minn.- The Austin Police Department want to clear up some confusion, after receiving complaints of political signs on public property.

Captain David Mckichan tells KIMT that they want remind residents that the boulevard is city property.

The boulevard is the section between the street and sidewalk.

Authorities will confiscate signs on public property.

They tell KIMT if its in front of the home they will try to contact the owners.

For residents who may not listen, theyll confiscate the signs and keep them at the law enforcement center.
MASON CITY, Iowa - Schools, businesses and organizations across Iowa hit the pavement to walk at least 30 minutes as part of the 7th annual Healthiest State Walk.

Step by step, Kelli Gerdes participated in a walk that started in Downtown Mason City.

"I've probably done most of them since we started it years ago."

Her stroll had a historic twist to it.

"The Active Living and Transportation Commission took us around downtown. They talked about all the storefronts that used to be in place in the 60s and 70s, back when Mason City was a very vibrant Downtown."

2018 marks the fourth consecutive year where all 99 counties in Iowa took part in the walk, with over 800 organized walks altogether. It's something TJ Hirv, organizer of the walk at NIACC, says is a great way to unite Iowans towards a common goal.

"We've had several people say 'I don't know why I don't walk every day over my lunch hour.' So hopefully they can incorporate some of the walk during their day."

For those who haven't started yet, Gerdes encourages people to join in.

"Just get out and enjoy your community, and there's lots to learn. Obviously just by looking around, you walk and stumble upon something you didn't know."

The walk started in 2011 as part of former Governor Terry Branstad's mission to make Iowa the healthiest state in the country.
JOHNSTON, Iowa  An Iowan buried as an unknown soldier for over 70 years is coming home.

Army Private Donald E. Brown will be buried with full military honors at the Thompson Cemetery.

The Iowa National Guard says Brown joined the Army on April 4, 1942, and left for overseas duty in March of 1944. He was assigned to Company A, 745th Tank Battalion, in support of the 1st Infantry Division in Euope. Brown was killed when his M-4 Sherman tank was destroyed by enemy fire on July 28, 1944 near Cambernon, France.

Browns body could not be immediately recovered and when investigators began searching for the remains of U.S. servicemen after the end of World War II, they located a tank belonging to Browns battalion in July of 1947 but could not identify the remains inside as belonging to Brown.

He was initially buried in a temporary U.S. military cemetery and then interred at the Normandy American Cemetery in Collerville-sur-Mer, France.

After a request from Browns family, a DNA test was performed and Browns remains were finally identified. He will now be buried in Thompson at 3 pm on Saturday. The public is invited to attend and show their respects.

Browns military honors include the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Easter Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.
WAUKON, Iowa  A multi-agency drug investigation ends with a high speed chase and an arrest.

Mason Edwin Lee Frick, 20 of Waukon, was taken into custody Wednesday night after an attempted traffic stop turned into a pursuit that started in Waukon, went through Luana, and ended in Postville. Hes been charged with a felony controlled substance violation, felony eluding, serious misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, and serious misdemeanor driving while revoked. Frick is also accused of numerous traffic offences.

Hes been booked into the Allamakee County Jail.

The traffic stop was the product of an investigation by the North East Iowa Drug Task Force, the Clayton County Sheriffs Office, the Allamakee County Sheriffs Office, the Waukon Police Department, the Iowa State Patrol, the Monona Police Department, and the Postville Police Department.
ROCHESTER, Minn.  President Donald Trumps visit to the city will bring major transportation changes, such as road closures, on Thursday.

Some tell KIMT they will be avoiding downtown completely, and others dont think it will affect them at all.

I think tomorrow it would be wise to allow yourself a lot of extra time to get where you're going, Tracy McCray, of Rochester, said, both in the morning and in the afternoon and all the way around.

McCray tells KIMT she walks to work. The presidents trip doesnt inconvenience her, but she said it is a cause for concern.

I know that the president goes and does a lot of these rallies all around the country, and it's been fine every night, McCray said, but I know that there's a lot of emotions and I am concerned about public safety.

Regenia Smalley doesnt plan to protest, but others are getting ready with signs in hand.

Im kind of staying away because I don't really like our current president, Smalley, of Rochester, said. I'd prefer not to have to listen to him.

Sue Hommerding, of Rochester, is planning to protest.

He's welcome, you know, Hommerding said, but I just wish he displayed different characteristics.

Whether you work downtown or even go to school, many people in the city are anxiously awaiting the presidents visit.

I am kinda excited to see him in person, Jack Vang, a student at the University of Minnesota Rochester, said. Some things that he actually does I don't support, but he's our president so I feel the need that i have to support him.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  President Donald Trump's appearance Thursday at a rally in Rochester, Minnesota, marks his second stop to friendly territory in the otherwise traditionally blue state, where other Republicans in competitive congressional races aren't as anxious to receive him.

Trump's Minnesota visits aim to bolster GOP efforts in two of their top targeted Democratic districts, critical seats in their quest to maintain control of the House in a midterm election that could be bruising for the president's party.

In June, Trump headlined a rally in northeastern Minnesota for the candidate Republicans hope can win back a once-reliable Democratic stronghold after it swung for Trump in 2016.

But the president's popularity is less certain to help carry Republicans in the state's suburban pockets. Two GOP incumbents there are among Democrats' top targets nationwide as they try to net the 23 seats needed to regain control of the House.

The Rochester visit brings Trump to Minnesota's 1st Congressional District, a Republican-leaning area Democrats have controlled for 12 years. Third-time GOP candidate Jim Hagedorn is hoping to finally break through after nearly unseating Rep. Tim Walz in 2016, despite the race generating little attention or outside help.

Walz's decision to run for Minnesota governor this year made Hagedorn's race a top priority for Republicans. Outside political groups from both parties have already spent $4 million, more than every previous election combined since at least 2010. Hagedorn, a businessman and the son of the area's former congressman, hopes newfound publicity stemming in part from Trump's visit will carry him to victory.

"We're pretty much the best pickup opportunity in the nation for the Republican Party," Hagedorn said. "It's a place where the president and the Republicans can be on offense."

Hagedorn has been an unabashed supporter of Trump since his 2016 campaign, telling southern Minnesota voters he'd go to Congress as "conservative reinforcement" for the president. That message helped him easily win a Republican primary in August over a more moderate state senator and advance to face Democratic candidate Dan Feehan, a veteran and former acting Assistant Secretary of Defense in President Barack Obama's administration.

It's a similar story in northeastern Minnesota, where Republican County Commissioner Pete Stauber is running against former state Rep. Joe Radinovich in an open race for the 8th Congressional District. Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan is retiring from his second stint in Congress after winning three nail-biter races, including eking out a 2016 victory even as Trump won the district by more than 15 percentage points.

It's potentially ripe territory for Trump and Republicans, borne out by his June 20 rally for Stauber in Duluth. His administration's tariffs on steel imports played well in the district, which is home to the state's famed Iron Range mines.

Former state House Republican Minority Leader Marty Seifert said it's unclear whether Trump has retained the popularity in Minnesota that brought him less than 2 percentage points shy of being the first GOP presidential candidate to win the state since 1972. But he guessed the steel tariffs would help him boost Stauber, while the resolution of a trade agreement with Canada and Mexico this week could allay the concerns of farmers in southern Minnesota.

"There's little doubt in my mind that Trump is more popular in the rural areas than he is in the suburbs," Seifert said. "There's no doubt the White House sees the opportunity."

That opening is less clear for Republicans running in Minnesota's suburbs, where first-term Rep. Jason Lewis and fifth-term Rep. Erik Paulsen are locked in close re-election bids. The president's sinking support in the suburbs has put both lawmakers in a tricky position against well-financed Democrats.

Paulsen began his campaign against Democratic businessman Dean Phillips with an ad highlighting breaking with Trump in a vote to block mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Campaign manager John-Paul Yates said Paulsen would not attend Thursday's rally.

Lewis was set to join Trump and fellow Republicans in Rochester, campaign manager Becky Alery said. The former conservative talk radio host faces a rematch from Angie Craig, whom he beat by less than 2 percentage points in 2016.
L.A. Times this morning: "Republicans are at risk of a wipeout in Californias six most hotly contested congressional races, a new poll shows-- a result that could radically reshape the states political map, with major consequences nationally... The Democratic tide threatens to swamp congressional districts in Southern Californias suburbs that Republicans have controlled for decades. That would significantly boost Democrats chances of gaining the additional 23 seats they need to win a majority in the House."





The story behind the story, a story beyond the ken of the mass media. After years of abject DCCC failure, the members of the Democratic caucus in the House demanded reforms from Pelosi before agreeing to give her another term as leader. That was in 2016. Reluctantly, Pelosi agreed to giving up the right to pick the DCCC chair and she agreed to allow the election of six DCCC regional vice chairs.





Big victory for reformers, right? Bullshit! When it came time to vote, the only candidate running for DCCC chair was Pelosi's handpicked, bumbling incompetent, Ben Ray Lujan. So he was elected. There were no contested battles for the DCCC vice chairmen jobs either. And that has turned out to be a complete disaster. More than half the candidates outside of the West Coast have told me they didn't know their region even had a regional vice chair. One vice chair told me he didn't know why he ran or what the job was and asked me to help him figure out what he was supposed to do. Two years on and he hasn't done a thing. Another resigned a couple of months after being elected and, despite promises from Lujan and Pelosi that he would be replaced, there is still no regional vice chair for the Rocky Mountain states and Texas (one of the crucial battlegrounds of 2018, where the unsupervised DCCC staff has fucked up race after race). In the end, two regional vice chairs get a passing grade, Joe Kennedy (B) and Ted Lieu (A+). The rest have been abject, embarrassing failures.





And that brings us back to this morning's L.A. Times story. "With the Nov. 6 midterm election less than five weeks away," wrote David Lauter, "none of the Republicans in the states six most competitive races have a lead. The Democrats lead strongly in one race and narrowly in three others, and two are dead heats, the Berkeley IGS Poll shows. Reaction to President Trump appears to drive the results more than any specific issue and, in most cases, more than the individual candidates. 'Trump appears to be the main motivator for voters in these districts,' said Mark DiCamillo, the veteran pollster who directs the Berkeley IGS Poll. 'Hes the central figure.'" Yes, he has that right. Recall, Ted Lieu's comments here at DWT yesterday: "The 2018 midterm elections are primarily about one thing: Donald Trump. November will be a referendum on the job the President and his party are doing. Americans express their support or displeasure with the governing party. During a time of relatively low unemployment it is unheard of for the party in power to be so despised. But this is where we are-- Trumps numbers are under water in purple districts across the country. This tells me that Americans are anxious about other things besides the economy. They are concerned about Trumps temperament and lack of basic decency, the instability he creates around the globe, and his assault on our democratic norms and institutions. Voters are smart. They know that Trump inherited a pretty darn good economy from Barack Obama; and yet what did he do with it? Did he increase workers wages with a big infrastructure package? Did he tackle the student debt crisis? Make healthcare more affordable? Pay down the national debt? Nope. He and his Republican enablers in Congress passed a hugely unpopular tax cut for the wealthiest Americans and continue to undermine the Affordable Care Act. So on top of issues with Trumps character and temperament, these policies are also very unpopular (and dont even get me started on Russia)."





Even if he was hampered by the usual DC-directed DCCC staffer-clowns stepping clumsily and ineptly all over recruitment efforts, Lieu has demonstrated how the DCCC could turn into an organization that actually helps elect Democrats-- instead of existing as a pocket-lining disaster that benefits only the Republican Party. Unlike his co-vice chairs, he has raised millions of dollars for his region's candidates, helped the West Coast candidates find their footings for their races and helped create the environment that journalists and pundits marvel over as they write about the West Coast races.

Trump is unpopular across most of the targeted districts-- four covering parts of Orange and San Diego counties, one in Los Angeles County and one centered on Modesto in the Central Valley. Thats especially true among college-educated white voters, whose alienation from the president has turned suburban districts across the country into risky territory for the GOP, and among Latinos and women.



The share of voters who approve of Trump serves as a ceiling for Republican candidates, with none able to surpass Trumps level by more than a few percentage points. Thats a significant problem for Republicans; in five of the six districts, a majority of likely voters disapprove of the presidents performance in office.



In several districts, the presidents opponents appear more motivated to vote than his supporters, with self-identified liberals and registered Democrats more likely to say that they view this years election as more important than previous contests.



Strategies that the Republicans had hoped would bolster their campaigns and make up for the undertow from the president appear to have had limited effect, at best.



A ballot measure to repeal the recent increase in the states gas tax, which Republican operatives had hoped would spur turnout on their side, trails in each of the six highly competitive districts. Money for the repeal campaign has largely dried up as Republicans have diverted funds elsewhere.



A national effort by Republicans to portray untested Democratic candidates as unacceptably liberal appears also to have come up short in these California districts. Several Democratic newcomers have maintained favorable images with voters, the poll showed.



As a result of those factors, Republicans lag behind in two of the four congressional districts that cover most of Orange County, long the heartland of California conservatism. The other two contests are dead heats.



A longtime Republican incumbent, Rep. Steve Knight of Palmdale, is narrowly trailing in the only remaining L.A.-centered district the GOP holds.



Farther north, Republican Rep. Jeff Denham of Turlock, who has survived previous attempts by Democrats to oust him, is behind by a slim margin in his Central Valley race.



The polls findings in those districts are generally similar to other recent nonpartisan, publicly released surveys.



In addition to those six districts, the poll also surveyed the races in two Republican-held seats that have not been top Democratic targets but have attracted considerable attention.



Rep. Devin Nunes of Tulare, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has a 53%-45% lead in his race against Andrew Janz, a county prosecutor. Nunes role as a defender of Trump has opened a gusher of money for Janz, despite the districts heavily Republican tilt.



But in another heavily Republican district, Rep. Duncan Hunter of Alpine has only a 49%-47% lead over Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar, a result well within the polls margin of error.

any of the DCCC-favored candidates. And Lieu includes him in all his joint candidate events and fund-raising efforts. The DCCC has also ignored-- Let me butt in here for a moment. According to Janz, the DCCC has been unhelpful and even hostile to his efforts to replace Nunes. Lieu has gone out of his way to help Janz even though Lujan and Pelosi have refused to even add him to their Red to Blue list. With Lieu's help he has raised more money thanof the DCCC-favored candidates. And Lieu includes him in all his joint candidate events and fund-raising efforts. The DCCC has also ignored-- and viciously undermined -- Ammar Campa-Najjar. Lieu? He's helping him raise money and, in fact, is hosting a major fundraising event for him (and Randy Bryce) in two weeks.

49th District









Democrats have their strongest shot in the 49th District, covering northern San Diego County and the southern Orange County coast up through Dana Point. Mike Levin, the Democrat, has a 55%-41% lead over Republican Diane Harkey, the poll shows. Republican Rep. Darrell Issa decided not to run for reelection in a district that Hillary Clinton carried by just more than 7 points in the 2016 presidential election.



White voters with college degrees make up 45% of the likely voters in this mostly affluent, suburban district, and they back Levin 60% to 35%. Latinos, who make up about 1 in 8 likely voters here, back him by about a 3-1 majority. While men are divided almost evenly between the two, women favor Levin 60% to 34%.



Perhaps most important, likely voters disapprove of how Trump is doing as president 61% to 39%, with more than half, 55%, saying they strongly disapprove. Democrats and liberals were significantly more likely than Republicans and conservatives to say that it was very important for them to cast a vote to show their position on Trump.



48th District









Next door to the north, the 48th District, which spans the rest of the Orange County coast from Laguna Niguel to Seal Beach and inland to Westminster and Fountain Valley, is a couple of clicks more conservative. Clinton carried the district by less than 2 percentage points.



There, longtime Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and his Democratic challenger, Harley Rouda, are in a dead heat, each with 48%. Voters also split almost evenly on whether they approve of Trump.





As in the 49th District, college-educated white voters and Latinos back the Democrat, but they make up a slightly smaller share of the electorate: 39% of likely voters in the 48th District are whites with college degrees, and about 1 in 10 are Latino, the poll found.



Rohrabacher also benefits from significant support among Asian Americans, who make up about 1 in 8 of the likely voters. Elsewhere in California, Asian Americans lean heavily toward the Democrats, but this district includes a large, conservative Vietnamese population. Asian American voters overall divide almost equally between Rohrabacher and Rouda, the poll found.



Among whites without a college degree-- the heart of Trumps voting base-- Rohrabacher leads by nearly 20 points, 58% to 39%, almost twice the size of the Republicans margin with that group in the 49th District. Women support the Democrat, but men back the Republican by an almost equal margin.



The more Trump-oriented conservatism of the 48th District also surfaces when voters said what issues they care about most. Among Republicans in the 49th District, taxes were the top issue; in the 48th, it was securing the nations borders.



As the two sides vie to break the Rohrabacher-Rouda tie, the poll found a couple of weak spots.



Latino voters in the district were slightly less likely than others to say they viewed this election as more important than usual. That could hold down the Democratic vote.



Rohrabacher, however, has been dogged by controversy over his friendliness to people connected with Russias government. Unsurprisingly, an overwhelming share of Democrats said his contacts with Russian officials made them less likely to vote for Rohrabacher. So did 10% of registered Republicans. Among the small number of undecided voters, 45% said the Russia issue made them less likely to vote for him.



45th District









The 45th District, which covers a swath of Orange County from Irvine east through most of the foothill communities, resembles the 49th in its affluent, college-educated demographics. Clinton carried the district by 5 percentage points.



The Republican incumbent, Rep. Mimi Walters of Laguna Beach, had confidently predicted she could ride out the national tide flowing against her party, but the poll shows her Democratic challenger, UC Irvine law professor Katie Porter, leading 52% to 45%.



This race illustrates the failure so far of GOP strategies. Walters put money into helping get the gas tax repeal measure on the ballot, hoping it would spur GOP turnout. But the poll shows the measure getting only about a third of the vote in the district.





Republicans have also put millions into ads attacking Porter as too far to the left. That effort has had limited impact. By 50% to 38%, likely voters have a favorable opinion of Porter; self-identified moderates view her favorably 52% to 37%. By contrast, 50% of the districts voters have a negative view of Walters, compared with 45% who see her positively.



39th District





Only a very, very strong wave could drag Cisneros into Congress



The GOP may have had more success with negative ads in the 39th District, which covers much of northern Orange County as well as parts of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Gil Cisneros has battled accusations that he sexually harassed a former Democratic state Assembly candidate, Melissa Fazli. A Republican super PAC allied with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-WI) has run advertisements in the district about the charge.



Fazli withdrew the accusation this week after a meeting with Cisneros, saying it was based on a misunderstanding. The super PAC said it would stop running the ads.



The poll cant directly measure the impact of that issue, but 45% of likely voters have a negative view of Cisneros. That includes 10% of registered Democrats. Just 41% of likely voters view him positively.



Cisneros and Republican Young Kim are locked in a dead heat, the poll showed, with the Democrat holding a nominal 49%-48% edge.



25th District









The demographic picture looks somewhat different in northern Los Angeles County, where Republican Rep. Steve Knight hopes to hold off a challenge from Katie Hill, the 31-year-old former executive director of PATH, a nonprofit organization that provides services to homeless people.



Hill has a slight edge, 50% to 46%, within the polls margin of error.



The district, which covers Simi Valley, Santa Clarita and the Palmdale area, has fewer college-educated white voters than the wealthy Orange County suburbs. But it has a higher share of minority voters.



Latinos make up a bit more than 1 in 5 of the districts likely voters and support Hill by nearly 2 to 1, the poll found. Hill also benefits from a significant gender gap, with women backing her 53% to 44% over Knight, while men split almost evenly. Just over half of the voters have a strongly negative view of Trump



10th District









Similar factors have put Republican Rep. Jeff Denhams career at risk as he seeks a fifth term in a district centered on Modesto in the Central Valley, where Latinos make up more than 40% of the district's population, but about a quarter of the likely voters.



Denhams Democratic opponent, Josh Harder, has the support of roughly two-thirds of Latinos, the poll found.



White voters split 52% for Denham, 43% for Harder. Together, thats enough to give the Democrat a 50%-45% edge in a district that Clinton narrowly carried in 2016 and where 57% of voters say they disapprove of Trump.
(Kitco News) - Holdings in global gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and similar products fell by 23.7 tonnes in September, equivalent to $932 million in outflows, the World Gold Council (WGC) said Thursday.

This was the fourth straight monthly decline, leaving total holdings at 2,329 tonnes. When combined with a 1.1% drop in the gold prices during September, gold ETF assets under management in U.S. dollars fell by 2.3%.

The ETFs trade like a stock but track the price of the commodity, with metal put into storage to back the shares. They give investors exposure to the price of gold without taking on certain costs, such as assaying and storage.

ETFs posted net outflows of gold in all regions of the world during September, the Gold Council said. Holdings in European-based ETFs fell by 10.2 tonnes, while those based in Asia decreased by 6.5 tonnes. North American ETFs recorded outflows of 6.1 tonnes, while the rest of the world posted outflows amounting to a tonne.

Flows in North American gold-backed ETFs were mixed, but ultimately negative; funds with lower management fees had robust inflows that were offset by outflows in SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), the WGC said. In our view, this highlights appetite for buy-and-hold investing versus selling pressure from short-term tactical positions.

Gold Council data showed that SPDR Gold Shares posted outflows of 12.9 tonnes of gold. Meanwhile, iShares Gold Trust added 4.1 tonnes, U.K. Source Physical Gold added 3.6 tonnes and SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust added 3 tonnes.

For the year to date, the Gold Council reported outflows of 42.3 tonnes.
LONDON (Reuters) - Sterling gained on Thursday after a European Union source said new British proposals for avoiding extensive border checks in Ireland after Brexit were a step in the right direction and make finding a compromise possible.

Britain is trying to overcome one of the thorniest issues in the Brexit negotiations: a backstop deal to protect an open border between Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, and EU member Ireland, should the UK leave the EU without an overall exit agreement.

An EU source close to the negotiations told Reuters that Britains new proposals were positive. That followed other signs this week that London is making progress towards a Brexit agreement before the UK quits the EU in March.

The Financial Times reported that Ireland backed one of UK Prime Minister Theresa Mays proposals - for the whole of the UK to operate within a customs union with the EU - if no other solution to the Irish border issue was found.

MUFG analysts said that rather than weaken as feared during this weeks conference of Mays ruling Conservative Party, sterling had been given a boost by the Irish reports.

The EU would have to provide some encouragement as well that it is warming to the idea for the pound to stage a rally in the coming weeks, they said.

Mays conference speech on Wednesday lacked anything new to shift market sentiment and the pound was little changed.

After falling as low as $1.2922 overnight - its weakest since Sept. 10 - sterling rallied to as high as $1.2993, up 0.4 percent on the day, with most of the gains following a Reuters report on the possible Irish border solution.

Britains currency also gained versus the euro, and was up 0.3 percent at 88.54 pence.

In her speech, May appealed to her party to unite behind her plan to leave the EU, warning critics their disputes could put Brexit in jeopardy.

Mays officials plan to rush her Brexit deal through Parliament to stave off a rebellion from her own party, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

Somehow, everything seems to be rather deadlocked at the moment, and as a result the downside risks for sterling remain in place, Commerzbank analysts said in a note to clients.

The pound is likely to be stronger by the time Britain leaves the EU, according to currency strategists polled by Reuters, but in a year it still wont have recouped its losses since the 2016 Brexit vote.
strongly disapproving). Trump has an historically low approval ranking among likely voters, particularly likely voters in battleground districts. (Who cares what people think of him in New York City or L.A. or in Alabama or Wyoming?) Last week's Quinnipiac poll shows him a heavy albatross around the necks of Republican candidates in swing districts. Voters disapprove of the job he's doing 53-41%, a couple of points word than in early September. And what matters most is that independent voters disapprove 53-37% (46%disapproving).





NY Times' Maggie Haberman reported that the White House political director, Bill Stepien, wrote a memo stating that Republican candidates who are looking for a path to victory Though Trump is absolutely toxic in purple districts,' Maggie Haberman reported that the White House political director, Bill Stepien, wrote a memo stating that Republican candidates who are looking for a path to victory need to 'boldly align' themselves with Trump , who is popular with Republican voters.

Democrats are hopeful they will. Ted Lieu (D-CA), one of the sharpest political minds in the country-- and the DCCC regional vice chair for the west coast-- told us "the 2018 midterm elections are primarily about one thing: Donald Trump. November will be a referendum on the job the President and his party are doing. Americans express their support or displeasure with the governing party. During a time of relatively low unemployment it is unheard of for the party in power to be so despised. But this is where we are-- Trumps numbers are under water in purple districts across the country. This tells me that Americans are anxious about other things besides the economy. They are concerned about Trumps temperament and lack of basic decency, the instability he creates around the globe, and his assault on our democratic norms and institutions. Voters are smart. They know that Trump inherited a pretty darn good economy from Barack Obama; and yet what did he do with it? Did he increase workers wages with a big infrastructure package? Did he tackle the student debt crisis? Make healthcare more affordable? Pay down the national debt? Nope. He and his Republican enablers in Congress passed a hugely unpopular tax cut for the wealthiest Americans and continue to undermine the Affordable Care Act. So on top of issues with Trumps character and temperament, these policies are also very unpopular (and dont even get me started on Russia).



I sincerely hope that Republicans in purple districts take the advice of the White House political director and embrace Donald Trump. Nothing could be better for us here in California as we try to lead the blue wave this November. Southern CA in particular will be the epicenter of this blue tsunami coming to take back control of the House. I wouldnt bet on seeing Trump show his face at a rally in CA-25 or CA-39 any time soon. But heck, if Trump wants to come out to Orange County to do one of his toxic rallies, I will pay for the permit fees.





Randy Bryce wouldn't mind seeing Trump come to southeast Wisconsin-- if only to remind voters of all the broken promises and the rubber-stamp Republicans who support him in Congress. "Donald Trump," he told us, "gave Bryan Steil his complete endorsement as soon as he won the Republican primary. Im hopeful he comes to campaign for him with great frequency. People who voted for him based on his promise to 'drain the swamp' have seen that what hes replaced the swamp water with is more toxic. He really showed us what hes all about in his recent mocking of a woman that he deemed 'credible' while telling her story of being sexually assaulted. The man has no decency."





David Keith, Bryce's campaign manager told me today that he would be thrilled if Trump does a rally in Racine or Kenosha or Janesville. "We want him to come," he said. "Voters in this district went heavily for Bernie Sanders in 2016 and Bernie has come here to campaign with Randy and endorse him. People want Change, but have seen the devastation Trump's interpretation of Change means for working families here. Where are the lower prices for prescription drugs he promised? Where's "the best healthcare in the world" he promised during the campaign? Where are the jobs he promised? The ones he and Scott Walker have 'created' are low-paying and can't support a family."





Trump will hold his election rallies to help rally his supporters in contested congressional districts in Nevada, Minnesota, Kansas, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky.

Stepien acknowledged that a recent study by the veteran pollster Neil Newhouse, commissioned by the Republican National Committee, showed a troublesome climate for Republicans, with a clear enthusiasm edge for Democrats.



Republicans are not currently enthusiastic about casting a ballot for their partys candidates this November, he wrote. Needless to say, thats a significant problem for the Republican Party. He also referred to the losses that parties in power have historically faced.



But in the memo, Mr. Stepien suggested that candidates distancing themselves from the president are not capitalizing on one of the factors in the Republicans favor in the fall  the historically optimistic mood of the American people as measured in a historical context, a reference to polling data showing how many people believe the country is on the right track versus the wrong track.



He put the benchmark number that has been a harbinger for how midterm elections will turn out at 40 percent of people believing the country is going in the right direction. Right now, according to polling averages, that is what the number is, he wrote.



He added, With Americans supporting the direction of the country at historically high levels-- but with Republican voters clearly lagging in enthusiasm-- the path forward is clear; Republican candidates need to closely, clearly and boldly align themselves with the policies that have provided Americans with this historic level of directional optimism.



Minnesota, where the president will travel on Thursday for a campaign rally in Rochester, is an example of two congressional races where the candidates are taking decidedly different approaches.



Representative Jason Lewis, a Republican from the Second Congressional District in Minnesota, has asked to join the president at the event, aides to Mr. Trump said. By contrast, Representative Erik Paulsen, a five-term incumbent from the Third Congressional District has put distance between himself and the president.



In an early campaign ad over the summer, Mr. Paulsen highlighted his break with Mr. Trump on certain issues, a fact that Mr. Trumps advisers see as hurting him, though New York Times Upshot/Siena College polls have shown both Mr. Lewis and Mr. Paulsen trailing their Democratic challengers. But one Republican strategist involved in congressional races, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to be candid, noted that Mr. Trump was struggling for support in Mr. Paulsens district.



Progressive Democrat Katie Porter : "My opponent Mimi Walters has welcomed Donald Trump to campaign in Orange County. This would be a great reminder to voters in the 45th district that she votes 99% of the time with Trump, not with them."

Watch closely where the president has and will campaign; you will see the president aggressively campaigning in districts with candidates who enthusiastically embrace the policies that have put America on the pathway to prosperity, Mr. Stepien wrote. These are candidates who understand what it takes to win-- and the president is eager to play his part in helping them.




By Dong Sun-hwa







Actor Kwon Hyuk-soo will host a 60-episode show on YouTube, beginning Oct. 8, to discover new stars in collaboration with aroundus, a talent market platform for freelancers and students.







Those aspiring to become stars and their agencies may apply to be cast members of "Kwon Hyuk-soo's #WhoAreYou," via aroundus. Star wannabes have to prove their talent by submitting online profiles.







Producers and writers will review them to choose participants. This is opposite to the usual system, in which producers and writers contact the agencies for casting.







"This is an unprecedented attempt that links online profiles and broadcasting content," said aroundus founder and CEO Kim Sung-jin. "It has been demanding for writers to spend hours to interview aspiring stars and rookies to create stories for the show, but with our new approach, time and energy can be conserved."







In addition, online profiles are open to the public so those interested in the aspiring stars can offer opportunities.





Apply for the show:









Kwon debuted on the tvN show "Saturday Night Live Korea Season 2" in 2012 and has featured in several works including MBC TV series "Come and Hug Me" this year.


A scene from the musical "1446" / Courtesy of HJ Culture



By Kwon Mee-yoo



King Sejong, the fourth king of 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom, is best known for his creation of "hangeul" (Korean alphabet) and also one of the most frequently revisited historical figures in Korean culture. Numerous television dramas and films such as "The Great King, Sejong" (2008) and "Deep Rooted Tree" (2011) have featured King Sejong as the main character.



The new musical "1446," which raises the curtain at Theater Yong at the National Museum of Korea, Thursday, aims to breathe a new interpretation into the great king with music. The show's title "1446" comes from the year King Sejong introduced hangeul.



HJ Culture, a theatrical production company known for shows based on historical characters such as van Gogh, Salieri and Rachmaninoff, turns its eye to a Korean figure this time. Producer Han Seung-won said the life of King Sejong meets the qualifications for a good musical full of impactful events and inner conflicts.





Actors take part in a workshop of "1446" in London in February. / Courtesy of HJ Culture



To portray the inner life of the king and compress his 53 years into a two-and-a-half hour show, HJ Culture devoted much time and effort.



Last year, HJ Culture staged a tryout version of "1446" at Sejong Gugakdang in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. Yeoju is the home of Yeongneung, the tomb of King Sejong and his wife Queen Soheon and the city promotes the king's humanistic spirit through various events including the upcoming King Sejong Cultural Festival from Oct. 6 to 9.



It was natural for the city to organize and sponsor the King Sejong musical, which centers on the humane side of the great king as well as his achievements including the invention of hangeul.



Then they went to London for a workshop to better dramatize and clean up the show in February. In the workshop held in collaboration with Goldsmiths University, Kevin Shen took the lead role of King Sejong. Composer-director Kim Eun-young's music, blending characteristics of the East and the West, received acclaim from Londoners.





Park Yoo-deok as King Sejong in "1446" / Courtesy of HJ Culture
President Moon Jae-in, center, talks with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won on the sidelines of his participation of the opening of SK hynix's M15-dubbed NAND flash-type memory chip fabrication facility in Cheongju, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. / Yonhap





President attends opening ceremony for SK Hynix plant



By Kim Yoo-chul



CHEONGJU, North Jeolla Province  President Moon Jae-in said Thursday the government will put greater emphasis on creating more jobs by relaxing regulations and helping private companies explore business opportunities in areas that were previously untouched.

"We have to admit the government has yet to find proper answers to address structural economic problems mostly due to industrial automation and stagnant incomes for small business owners," Moon said during a meeting with the Presidential Commission on Job Creation.

According to his observation, the country's export growth is looking solid thanks to semiconductor companies' significant contributions to the local economy.

"The semiconductor industry is the economy's key growth engine. It posted record sales by exporting $61.2 billion in the first half alone. But the issue is that there are no viable contributors other than semiconductors for job creation," Moon said.

Korea is home to the world's top two semiconductor manufacturers, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

The presidential committee identified web-enabled appliances, future vehicles, semiconductors and displays, bio and health and energy as the country's "future growth engines."

"The government will invest 125 trillion won (some $110 billion) in 140 business projects, all of them relating to those designated industries to create up to 92,000 new jobs," Moon said.

He reaffirmed the government will continue relaxing regulations to invite more investment from the private sector and unveiled programs to help the sector grow new businesses.

"Once the government receives requests from private companies to discard old-fashioned hurdles, then we will do it. I want government agencies to work together to remain very responsive in a timely manner," he told participants.

It remains to be seen whether his remarks represent Seoul's shift toward private sector initiatives as Moon once pledged to create hundreds of thousands of public-sector jobs to subsidize hiring at small busi ness and to provide direct assistance to jobseekers.

But there is no doubt the Moon administration is facing numerous challenges over the failure of his signature income-driven growth policies aimed at creating well-paid jobs and cooling down local property speculation.

Moon congratulated the opening of SK hynix's new NAND flash memory chip facility here south of Seoul.

"I am impressed to see the developments of chip wafers during a guided tour of the new complex. If big companies share their valued patents with small companies, then big companies will cut their costs and small companies will find new business opportunities," Moon said.

Attending the opening ceremony at the SK Group's chip unit were SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, senior SK executives and high-profile officials of the regional government.




Shinhan Bank CEO Wi Sung-ho, fourth from left, holds an agreement for strategic partnership with FPT Corp. Chairman Truong Gia Binh at the FPT-Shinhan Bank MOU signing ceremony at the bank's head office in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Shinhan Bank
This is the first part in a three-part series about travel in North Korea.



By Jon Dunbar



As the shaky Antonov An-148 aircraft descended, it was nothing but North Korea below us, or so I thought.



With the plane trundling up to the terminal at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, I glanced out of the window to see the Taegukgi _ South Korea's national flag. It was painted on the side of a massive 747 awaiting its VIP passenger, President Moon Jae-in, who was there for a three-day summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.



On Sept. 18, I flew to Shenyang, China, to travel to the North on Sept. 19. I went strictly as a tourist, not an undercover journalist. I chose the dates right and ended up overlapping my visit with the latest inter-Korean summit.





From an airport bus at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, the South Korean presidential airplane can be seen ahead. Photos by Jon Dunbar



I visited North Korea during a moment in history unlike any other in the past. Sure, previous Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun also visited, but that was Kim Jong-il's North Korea. The North Korea of today is more globally minded, having had significantly more contact with foreign visitors, and it has a bit more swagger, knowing its nuclear arsenal frightens the Americans.



As our bus drove through Pyongyang, I was once again struck by how colorful the architecture was, especially in comparison to drab Seoul, where gray and brown are the color palette of apartment complexes. And newer buildings, some which were construction sites on my last visit, looked like they were straight out of Las Vegas. Of course, one can't judge the nationwide progress by Pyongyang alone, just like how one couldn't look at Seoul and draw conclusions about the residents of North Gyeongsang Province.



Before my visit, one of my colleagues put the idea in my head that perhaps the sanctions against North Korea have had unintended effects: now that North Korean goods and resources are embargoed, they are consumed domestically. That means more coal for electricity and industry. Certainly I never experienced a blackout and I saw more smoke-producing factories than last time. A few Koreans I mentioned this to agreed.



We had to pull over once as a "traffic safety" car with flashing red-and-blue lights shot by, followed by a black car with tinted windows and two mini-buses. South Koreans.





Two mini-buses carrying South Korean delegates speed down a colorful street in Pyongyang on Sept. 19.





Unfortunately, due to President' Moon's entourage, I was told we wouldn't be staying at the Koryo Hotel, instead downgraded to the Yanggakdo Hotel sequestered on an island in the Taedong River. That convoy was our last South Korean sighting; even on a visit to the Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjeom we didn't see a single living soul on the other side. On my previous visit in 2010, we met South Korean priest Han Sang-ryeol staying at the Yanggakdo, just a day before he returned to the South dramatically by stepping over the military demarcation line (MDL) at the JSA. This time, all the South Koreans here in Pyongyang would go home peacefully and freely.





South Korean priest Han Sang-ryeol poses in front of Yanggakdo Hotel on Aug. 19, 2010. A day later, he crossed back into South Korea at the Joint Security Area, where he was arrested and imprisoned. It is illegal for South Koreans to visit the North without Ministry of Unification permission.



Throughout my four-day stay we were kept in the loop on the ongoing summit mainly by images on muted TVs. My hotel room TV carried Al Jazeera, which had regular coverage in its rotation, amid Chinese and North Korean channels. But I didn't know what conversations were happening in the outside world. One travel companion with a smartphone could pull up internet coverage, even checking Twitter, which is how we first heard about Moon and Kim's visit to Mount Paektu.



We had also heard that President Moon had made an appearance at the Mass Games the night of our arrival, giving an impassioned speech before tens of thousands of North Korean performers and foreign tourists. But when we attended two days later on Friday, little did we know he had left a lasting impression on the record-breaking performance.



Toward the end of the program, the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium _ the world's largest _ went completely dark. Opposite us, over 30,000 schoolchildren held up blank placards, and on that was broadcast footage of Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in meeting at the JSA in April, shaking hands over the MDL. Following this were images from later summits.





In the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, footage of North and South Korean leaders Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in meeting is shown on blank placards held by 30,000 schoolchildren as part of the "Glorious Country" Mass Games on Sept. 21.



The message was clear. After this, the orchestra performed foreign tunes, including "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" from Verdi's opera "La Traviata" and the Cuban song "Guantanamera," to which the Venezuelan tourist next to me sang along. Meanwhile, those masses of schoolchildren held up placards reading "For Global Independence," "Multilateral Foreign Relations," "Solidarity, Cooperation, Good Neighborliness, Friendship," "Independence, Peace, Friendship."





In the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, 30,000 schoolchildren hold up a massive sign calling for "Multilateral Foreign Relations" as part of the "Glorious Country" Mass Games on Sept. 21.
U.S. secretary of state to meet Kim, Moon, China, Japan officials



By Yi Whan-woo

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to North Korea, Sunday, fueling optimism for progress in the stalled nuclear talks between the two countries.



The U.S. Department of State announced Tuesday that on his fourth visit to Pyongyang, Pompeo will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He is expected to discuss a planned second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump following the previous one in Singapore, June 12.



The department said Pompeo, after wrapping up his North Korea visit, will come to Seoul, also on Sunday, and brief President Moon Jae-in and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha about his talks in Pyongyang.



He is also scheduled to visit Japan (Saturday) and China (Monday) and meet his counterparts there.



Pompeo's return to Pyongyang comes in line with his meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly last week.



Washington and Pyongyang have made little progress in their nuclear talks since the first Trump-Kim summit, which drew a backlash for being short on specifics, especially on steps toward denuclearization.



On Pompeo's third visit in July, Kim stood him up and his regime issued a sharply critical statement. Trump then called off Pompeo's plan to travel to Pyongyang in August.



"It shows forward progress and momentum that the secretary is making his fourth trip back in less than a year," a State Department spokeswoman said.



"Of course, we have quite a ways to go but we look forward to the next steps in this conversation."



Cheong Wa Dae was optimistic about the visit amid speculation that a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War and other corresponding measures for denuclearization can be discussed.



President Moon Jae-in is committed to declaring an end to the war by December and the U.S.-North Korea consensus on denuclearization is critical in meeting this commitment.



"It will be the U.S. and North Korea who will deal with denuclearization firsthand. And we'll keep track of Pompeo's dialogue with the North," a Cheong Wa Dae official said.



Analysts speculated the U.S. and North Korea may already have reached a consensus to some extent over denuclearization methods and a declaration ending the war.



"I don't think Pompeo's trip, Saturday, would have been possible unless the two countries had a coordinated agenda regarding denuclearization," said Cho Sung-ryul, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy.



Cho said North Korea may have accepted the U.S. proposal to shut down a nuclear weapons plant in addition to the Yongbyon complex that Kim promised to close during his third summit with Moon from Sept. 18 to 20.



"In return, the U.S. may ease economic sanctions on North Korea. These are possible agreements that I think were made between the two countries prior to Pompeo's visit," he said.



Some analysts remained cautious over progress in the nuclear talks, pointing out that Pompeo's third visit only resulted in Washington and Pyongyang accusing each other of dragging their feet on denuclearization.


Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, right, and ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Lee Hae-chan shake hands at a parking lot in Seoul, Thursday, before leaving for North Korea to join the anniversary commemoration for the 2007 inter-Korean summit between then-President Roh Moo-hyun and then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. / Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo, Joint Press Corps



South Korea sent a delegation to the North, Thursday, to jointly celebrate the anniversary of the second inter-Korean summit between then-President Roh Moo-hyun and then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.



This is the first time the two Koreas will join hands to mark the Roh-Kim summit that took place in Pyongyang from Oct. 2 to 4, 2007.



The two sides often commemorated the first inter-Korean summit in June 2000 between Roh's predecessor Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-il. But the anniversaries of the 2007 summit were kept out of the spotlight under the conservative governments of Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye from February 2008 to March 2017.



A delegation of 160 people led by Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon and ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Lee Hae-chan left for Pyongyang via the western direct air route across the border. They will return on Saturday.



The delegation is comprised of government officials, politicians and civic and religious leaders. They include Roh Geon-ho, son of Roh Moo-hyun. Former President Roh committed suicide in 2008 amid a corruption investigation.



On Friday, the delegates will take part in the 11th anniversary of the second inter-Korean summit as well as the Oct. 4 Declaration adopted by the two leaders.



The declaration inherits the spirit of the first inter-Korean summit to end military hostility, foster economic cooperation and work toward permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.



"We make this trip to Pyongyang in the spirit of the October 4 Declaration," Minister Cho said before leaving for the North. "The government authorities together with political parties, municipal government officials and civic groups will return after creating a chance to solidify inter-Korean reconciliation, cooperation and peace."



The minister met his North Korean counterpart, Ri Son-gwon, to discuss follow-up measures to the agreement reached between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in September.



It has not yet been determined, however, whether Cho and other chief delegates will have a chance to meet Kim Jong-un.



"It would be very emotional if Roh Geon-ho meets with Kim Jong-un, considering they are both sons of the leaders who met in 2007," a DPK official said.



Lee Hae-chan, who also serves as the head of a private foundation honoring Roh, said the trip could set the stage for vibrant civilian inter-Korean exchanges.



"I'll make efforts to pave the way for the two Koreas to fully communicate so that South-North relations could move away from confrontation toward peaceful coexistence," Lee said.



The three-day visit adds to the inter-Korean reconciliatory mood facilitated by the September summit between Moon and Kim.


Zum-lye Incontrera and her daughter Gea Di Lorenzo in Seoul last week / Korea Times photo by Jung Min-ho







By Jung Min-ho





The scars on Zum-lye Incontrera's right forearm and right foot

Zum-lye Incontrera was two years old when she was adopted from Korea to Italy. More than 40 years later, she has returned to the land of her birth for the first time.
Jung Bun-sun wipes her face during an interview at a special nursing facility for Korean atomic bomb survivors in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province. Korea Times photos and videos by Choi Won-suk



Korean gov't to conduct first nationwide survey of victims this year



By Jung Min-ho



HAPCHEON, South Gyeongsang Province  More than 220,000 people were killed by the atomic bombs the United States dropped on Japan during World War II. However, what is little-known is that up to 50,000 of those who died were Koreans.



During Japan's 35-year colonial period, many Koreans were forced to settle in Hiroshima and Nagasaki as laborers. Some had no choice but to flee their homeland after they had been stripped of everything they had.



Lee Su-yong, 90, was seven years old when she went to Hiroshima with her family in search of food and a better life. She attended schools there and eventually got a job at a state bank. Everything seemed fine until Aug. 6, 1945  the day that changed her life forever.





Lee Su-yong shows her injured foot.





A U.S. B-29 bomber dropped a 15-kiloton atomic bomb on the city in the morning when she was about to start the day at her office  only 1.5 kilometers from ground zero.



"After an ear-shattering bang, I hid under my table. The next thing I knew, my left foot was badly injured by a big splinter of glass and I was covered with blood. Everything I could see was destroyed," Lee told The Korea Times.



"When I walked out of the building, I could see a dark sky filled with smoke. Children were crying for their mothers. Charred bodies were strewn all over the city. Many people lost their arms or legs. One person I saw had his eye popped out of its socket. It was horrendous."



She was fortunate to receive medical treatment at a military facility on a neighboring island, where she saw burnt people and dead bodies every day. But her foot was damaged permanently.



Radiation exposure may have continued to affect her health. Later, Lee also suffered from uterine cancer and lung disease. After a few years, her mother and two brothers died. They all suffered lung disease, she said.



Jung Bun-sun, 90, also settled in Hiroshima as a child. To earn money, she sold side dishes on the streets and worked at various factories. When she was 17, her father told her to get married early. So she did. Jung said her father was worried that Japanese soldiers would take her to a wartime brothel as a sex slave.



"The same year, I got pregnant, and soon after, the bomb exploded," she said.



"It was the loudest bang I had ever heard. There was so much smoke in the air. I had no idea what had just happened."



The point of explosion was not close enough to kill her instantly. But Jung has suffered from unexplained illnesses throughout her life.





Jung shows a photo of her mother.




Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama meets Korean survivors of the U.S. atomic bombings of two Japanese cities during the World War II, in Hapcheon, Wednesday. Yonhap



Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama paid tribute Wednesday to the Koreans killed by the U.S. atomic bombings of two Japanese cities in 1945 and apologized for his country's failure to compensate surviving victims and their families.

The center-left leader from 2009-2010 became the first Japanese statesman to visit a memorial house in Hapcheon, 350 kilometers south of Seoul, for the Korean victims of the atomic explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which ended World War II.

Historians say about 40,000 Koreans died in the inferno and some 30,000 survivors suffered from aftereffects.

"As a man who served as Japan's prime minister, I believe the Japanese government should provide proper compensation and assistance," Hatoyama said during a meeting with about 30 victims. "I deeply apologize for that."

He knelt and held the hands of each of the elderly victims as he vowed his best efforts to ensure they receive due compensation. He bowed in prayer before a memorial tower inside the facility.












By Kim Hyun-bin



Smuggling of illegal firearms and drugs by United States Forces Korea (USFK) soldiers into Korea is reaching a critical level, a ruling party lawmaker said Thursday.



In the past three years, there were 269 cases in which illegal firearms and ammunition were confiscated after American troops attempted to covertly bring them into the country, according to data released by the Korea Customs Service (KCS).



"The smuggling of drugs and firearms via the U.S. military postal service is in a critical state," said Rep. Kim Kyung-hyup of the Democratic Party of Korea.



According to Kim, from 2016 to July this year, the KCS detected seven firearms, 201 bullets, 132 knives, and 25 archery sets from USFK personnel.



There have been cases of illegal drugs entering the country through USFK mail.



Just last year alone, there were three instances where 8.4 kilograms of methamphetamine and marijuana were smuggled via military mail. Kim said the amount is enough to simultaneously get 270,000 people high.



Over the last decade, 32.8 kilograms worth of illegal drugs have come through the USFK postal service.



"The drugs and weapons smuggled in by U.S. forces has become a critical problem, not only affecting them but also threatening the safety of our citizens," Kim said. "There needs to be a revision to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) so that the Korea Customs Service will have the standalone authority to inspect suspicious packages coming through the U.S. military mail."



Local drug smuggling sharply rising



The problem is not only with the USFK, but also locals bringing in illegal drugs after traveling abroad.



According to KSA documents received by Rep. Park Myung-jae of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LPK), there were 26 cases in the first half of this year amounting to over 47,000 grams of drugs worth 140 billion won ($123 million).

The number is triple that of the same period last year.



According to Park, if the smuggling continues throughout the year the number will exceed six times the illegal drugs confiscated last year.



The KCS says 99 percent or over 46,000 grams of illegal drugs were smuggled via air in the first half of this year, while only 1 percent came by sea travelers.



The KCS inspects suspicious foreign mail and packages to detect drug transfers.



In May, a thorough search of a Taiwanese traveler at Gimpo International Airport discovered 2,000 grams of methamphetamine attached to his thigh.



In March, a Brazilian traveler was caught at Incheon International Airport possessing 1,300 grams of cocaine.




By Kim Jae-heun



The government is seeking to revise the national health insurance system to prevent foreigners from exploiting loopholes of the system and enjoying medical benefits.



Korean residents living abroad are also subject to the revised regulation, which may take effect as early as December.



According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Thursday, it announced plans to have foreigners stay at least six months in the country to be eligible for health insurance, double the current period of three months. Foreign employees whose companies cover their insurance are not subject to the regulation.



The measure has come as a number of foreigners have been traveling to Korea to take advantage of the national health insurance to get expensive medical treatments with small premiums.



After review by the Ministry of Government Legislation and approval at the Cabinet meeting, the revised rule may take effect in December, according to the ministry.



The government also plans to increase premiums for expats who have been paying comparatively smaller premiums because they had no registered income or property here: Foreign subscribers will have to pay more than the previous year's average premium paid by both locals and foreigners.



Also, those with F-1 or F-2 visas with a stay permit will also have to pay the same amount of premiums as other expats living in Korea.



As there has been no effective way to collect premiums if foreigners fail to pay, the government will give disadvantages in approval for visa extension or re-entry to the country to those who fail to pay their premiums.



The number of foreign residents who voluntarily join the national health insurance system _ excluding those whose companies cover them _ keeps growing, from some 162,200 in 2013 to 290,800 as of this June.


Yeoju Mayor Lee Hang-jin poses for a photo with Yeoju's specialty rice at Yeoju City Hall in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



By Kwon Mee-yoo



Lee Hang-jin, the new mayor of Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, has had the busiest three months of his life after taking office on July 2. Lee is the youngest mayor and the first from the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to govern Yeoju.



Lee, 52, is still occupied in understanding his assignment as mayor.



"A local government's head oversees over 13,000 tasks. I am still on my way to comprehend what I have to do make Yeoju a better place to live," Lee said at an interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday.



Lee stepped into politics in 2014 when he was elected as a member of Yeoju City Council. Before that, he was an environmental activist who fought against the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project of the 2008-13 Lee Myung-bak administration. Yeoju was greatly influenced by the project as the city is on the Namhan River, an upstream branch of the Han River.



The new mayor aims to take a leaf from King Sejong's book, the fourth king of Joseon Kingdom who created hangeul and is praised as one of the greatest rulers in Korea's history.



Yeoju is also inextricably linked to King Sejong as Yeongneung, the double tomb of King Sejong and his wife Queen Soheon, is located in the city. "This year marks the 600th anniversary of King Sejong's accession to the throne and we are happy to organize Sejong-themed events such as the musical 1446 and the King Sejong Cultural Festival from Oct. 6 to 9," Lee said.



According to Lee, King Sejong was skilled at reinforcing and managing political authority. "Though the throne was inherited, a king had to retain his power. Back then, there was no such concept of citizen sovereignty, but King Sejong recognized the importance of the people very early," Lee said.





Yeoju Mayor Lee Hang-jin speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at Yeoju City Hall in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



Lee speculates the environment King Sejong grew up in provided differentiation. "King Sejong was the third son of King Taejong and Queen consort Min. He was not designated as the crown prince until he was 21, just two months before he succeeded to the throne. King Taejong was a strict and powerful king and Sejong grew up rather freely compared to other heir-apparents. Such freedom gave him different perspectives and led to the invention of hangeul," Lee said. "I think King Sejong must have understood the importance of communication and language. So he put much effort into inventing an original alphabet matching with spoken Korean language."



King Sejong proclaimed hangeul in 1446, a few years before he passed away. "The creation of hangeul was the last piece of the jigsaw for King Sejong, who explored the origin of humanistic spirit. People have to understand themselves, and communication through oral and written language was essential in the process. Since commoners could not understand difficult Chinese characters, King Sejong knew they needed a written language of their own and invented hangeul, a scientific fruit of linguistics and phonetics," Lee said.



The mayor pointed out that King Sejong's thoughts are still relevant in modern politics.



"In democracy, power originates with the citizens and King Sejong understood the importance of empowering the people. So I think we can find a future vision by revisiting King Sejong's legacy."



The economy of Yeoju, located 60 kilometers southeast of Seoul, has been sluggish for years despite the city's rich cultural and natural resources. Lee hopes to enhance the level of happiness during his term.



"I am not the type of person who points out errors, but sets a goal and moves toward it. My goal is the happiness of all people who live, work and visit Yeoju," he said.





A bird's-eye view of Yeoju and the Namhan River, an upstream branch of the Han River / Courtesy of Yeoju City





Yeongneung Royal Tomb, the joint tomb of Joseon's fourth King Sejong and his wife Queen Soheon / Courtesy of Yeoju City





Silleuk Temple in Yeoju / Courtesy of Yeoju City






Lee Su-ji on the Annapurna Circuit Trek / Courtesy of Lee Su-ji
Humane Society International (HIS) campaign manager Kim Na-ra poses with a Tosa dog at a dog farm in Korea. / Courtesy of HSI



This is the first in a two-part series on the nation's dog meat culture and people involved in it. -- ED.



HSI manager believes dog meat debate entering final phase



By Kang Seung-woo



Max, a Tosa dog rescued from a dog meat facility in Namyangju, just east of Seoul, ahead of last year's "boknal," or "dog days," may have lived its entire life with its legs bowed, if not slaughtered for human consumption.



The Japanese-originated breed is most commonly used here for "bosintang," or dog meat stew, due to its massive size.



Instead, the dog, which underwent a series of surgeries to straighten its deformed legs, is now living the same life as other well-loved pets in Canada.



"A large number of canines on dog farms have bowlegs because they are confined in elevated wire cages with no room to roam for their entire life before being brutally killed, cooked and eaten," Kim Na-ra, a campaign manager of the Humane Society International (HSI) Korea, told The Korea Times.



According to Kim, Korea is the only country that allows intensive farming of dogs for human consumption. There are 17,000 dog farms across the country, with an estimated 2.5 million dogs raised for food.



"Max's new owner recently sent me some pictures of the dog swimming for the first time, adding the owner is really happy that it is well on its way to becoming a normal pet," Kim said.



"As many acts of cruelty are perpetrated against dogs on dog farms, I hope other dogs crammed in tiny cages will be as happy as Max through our campaign."



HSI is the international division of the Humane Society of the United States based in Washington, D.C. and it works in more than 40 countries to support animal welfare legislation and fight animal cruelty.



In Korea, the organization has made its mark thanks to its campaign to shut down dog farms nationwide since 2015 after finding many dogs, locked in crammed cages, lived in horrid conditions.



Since then, the animal welfare organization has closed 12 farms and rescued 1,400 canines, almost all of which were adopted overseas, including to the United States, Britain and Canada.



Entering this year _ especially around the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February _ the issue of banning the human consumption of dog meat has risen to the fore in Korea, pitting the HSI and other animal rights groups against dog farm owners, who are protesting to protect their livelihoods.



The farmers' argument is: "If pigs, cows and chickens are all raised for their meat, why not dogs?"



Kim admitted it was also the biggest dilemma she faced in the past.



"At the time, I also ate meat, so I agreed with their assertion before joining the HSI. Even after starting to work for this organization, I still struggled to find a clear-cut answer," she said. Now, Kim no longer eats meat.



However, U.S. Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy finally gave her the long-awaited answer.



"Earlier this year, when we were working to close the 12th facility, he joined our rescue and said that even though there were 10 problems we faced, we cannot leave all of them unsettled," Kim said.



"He advised that we try our best to solve even one problem."



After the rescue, Kenworthy also adopted a puppy from the farm.



She added: "We cannot urge all people to live on vegetables, but we need to come out to end the animal abuse committed on dog farms. That is significant."



When the HSI and owners of dog farms agree to permanently close the facility, the body financially helps them to transition to more humane work.



The HSI is now working to close the 13th farm in Namyangju, which is expected to be completed within this year.



"After seeing our campaigns, more owners themselves or their family members are expressing an interest in getting out," she said.





HSI campaign manager Kim Na-ra, left, and another staffer rescue a dog from a dog meat facility. / Courtesy of HSI
By Kim Ae-ran





"Ever onward!" was one of catchphrases of our founder, Fr. James Alberione and co-founder Sr. Tecla Merlo. Always keeping going forward with the most effective and rapid means of social communications is a never-ending task to those who follow the footsteps of St. Paul.



So the Pauline Family has come into being since 1914 throughout the world. Like our history of the Congregation of the Daughters of St. Paul, our countries [North and South Korea] have made much effort, sacrifice, prayers, and initiatives with an urgent and constant dream to realize the unification through 70 years of struggles and suffering due to separation.



Day in and day out, how have we prayed desperately for the reconciliation and the unity of two divided parts of one peninsula!



Truly, dreams come true. As a person whose parents escaped from the North Korea during the Korean War in 1950, our President Moon Jae-in had a life-long dream to climb Mount Paektu. As a mountain trekker who visited the Himalayas twice, he longed to go to Mount Paektu. At last, one of the things on his bucket list came true on September 20, 2018.



By the help of this celebration, I am happy to dream to climb Mount Paektu someday. I do believe my dream will come true in the near future. Going beyond the limits is always challenging but worth trying.



"Arise and go on a journey" is an evangelical call to every Christian. In fact, this urgent call has been realized throughout the whole history of human beings. Reading and facing the signs of the times, not only nations but also the whole Church keep going on a journey to create a better world, living with an integral conscience.



In the Bible, God always invites his beloved people to arise and go forward. In the New Testament, Mary Magdalen is a symbolic figure who was transformed drastically after rising from the prodigal person to go forward as a repentant apostle. She once seriously suffered from seven devils but fortunately met Jesus who changed her life entirely.



According to "Apostolorum Apostola" meaning the apostle of the Apostles, the Decree published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in the Holy See on June 10, 2016, the celebration of Mary Magdalen was ascended from the obligatory memorial day to the universal feast day on July 22.



In "Mulieris Dignitatem," the apostolic letter on the dignity and vocation of women published in 1988, St. John Paul II mentioned that Mary Magdalen was "the first witness of the risen Jesus and the first communicator who proclaimed the resurrection of the Lord to the Apostles."



St. Gregorius I mentioned in his homily that Mary Magdalen was "the first witness of God's mercy," but some people argued and protested against the authenticity of Mary Magdalen as the apostle.



In fact, Mary Magdalen accompanied Jesus during his public life; she received his teachings and witnessed his activities; she was also present on the very spot of the passion and the glorification of Jesus. She truly witnessed the cross and first discovered the resurrection of Christ.



In the end, with the advice of Jesus, saying "Don't hold on to me Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father'" (Jn 20:17), she was assigned with the mission to proclaim what she had seen and experienced. Thus, she became an evangelist announcing the central joyful message of Easter. "I have seen the Lord!" (Jn 20:18) What a joyful and consoling witness it is! "Ever onward to witness the presence of God among us!"



The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (Figlie di San Paolo) living and giving the Good News to the world by means of social communication. Learn more about the congregation at fsp.pauline.or.kr.




Heeding requests from American bishops, including Dallas Bishop Edward J. Burns, the Vatican recently announced that Pope Francis will convene a summit of bishops from around the world to address the global sexual-abuse scandal that has roiled the Catholic Church and led to a crisis of faith for many believers.



We, like many Americans  Catholic and non-Catholic alike  welcome this announcement and see it as the first of many steps that must be taken by church leaders to restore the world's faith in an institution that has done great good in the world, even as it has, in the pope's own words, committed "atrocities" against society's most vulnerable.



The "worldwide synod" of the leaders of bishops' councils, to be held Feb. 21-24, is unprecedented in that it is the first time a meeting of this kind has been called by the Vatican to address a specific issue  in this case the "prevention of abuse of minors and vulnerable adults."



In an interview with the Dallas Morning News following the Vatican's announcement of the synod, Burns said, "It is my hope that out of all the ugliness that has taken place due to the scandals ... that the church purifies herself of members who have embraced a sin of the worst kind and who also present themselves as church leaders."



While we certainly hope such a purification takes place, and agree with Burns that calling for the worldwide synod means Francis "has taken this issue to an international level," we also believe it is time for the pope to end his silence on accusations that he personally disregarded reports of decades of sexual abuse of minors and adult seminarians by Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, D.C.



Those accusations, first made public in late August by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a former Vatican ambassador to the U.S., have tainted the pope and weakened his moral authority during a time of great crisis in the church and among believers.



As we wrote at the time, Vigano is a deeply conservative cleric from a wealthy Italian family who has clashed with Francis, a Jesuit from Argentina who is viewed by many as a liberal reformer. Yet by refusing to publicly address Vigano's accusations or refute claims that he knew but failed to act on credible reports of McCarrick's abuse of minors, the pope is providing ammunition for those waging war against him.



Indeed, since Vigano made his accusations public on Aug. 25, the calls from liberal and conservative Catholics alike for Francis to address his accuser in an open and transparent manner have increased in number and volume.



Vigano himself recently released another statement saying, "I declare with a clear conscience before God that my testimony is true." He went on to say that, "The pope's unwillingness to respond to my charges and his deafness to the appeals by the faithful for accountability are hardly consistent with his calls for transparency and bridge building."



Meanwhile, Francis makes only veiled, vague responses. During a recent homily, he preached "silence and prayer" when confronted "with people lacking good will, with people who only seek scandal, who seek only division, who seek only destruction, even within the family."



Silence and prayer may be good for the soul. But what the Catholic Church  and the hundreds of thousands if not millions of children who suffered at the hands of priests in the most unholy of ways  needs now is truth, transparency and penance.



It's time for Francis to address his accusers, and speak the truth clearly and loudly. Anything less would be an insult to McCarrick's victims, and render the church's "worldwide synod" on child sex abuse meaningless.





The above editorial appeared in the Dallas Morning News. It was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


By Gwynne Dyer





There was bound to be a backlash to the #MeToo movement, and the struggle over the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court is clearly part of that culture war.



#MeToo is going to lose this battle unless there is some new and horrendous revelation of Kavanaugh's past behavior in the next few days, and lots of people in the U.S. and elsewhere see this as evidence that the war itself is being lost.



That is not necessarily so even in the United States. It is certainly not so in the wider world, where the Supreme Court of the world's biggest democracy, India, has just followed up its landmark decision in early September to decriminalize homosexuality with another judgment decriminalizing adultery.



Many people deplore adultery, but as Pierre Elliott Trudeau famously said half a century ago, "There's no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation ... What's done in private between adults doesn't concern the Criminal Code." But adultery was still a criminal offense in India until last week _ and a very peculiar offense, because only men could be convicted of it.



The law dated from the time when Britain ruled India, and reflected the Victorian belief that a married woman was her husband's property.



For another man to have sex with a man's wife was therefore a violation of the husband's property rights, and the violator should be punished by the law _ whereas the woman was presumed to be unable to make her own decisions, and was therefore not legally culpable.



The (male) adulterer was liable to a prison sentence of up to five years. The law was rarely enforced, but it was frequently invoked by husbands in divorce proceedings to smear the reputations of their soon-to-be-ex-wives.



The case was brought before the courts by Joseph Shine, an Italy-based Indian businessman who was distressed by the suicide of a close friend who had fallen victim to the anti-adultery law. Shine just wanted the law to be enforced equally against men and women, but the Supreme Court went a good deal farther than that.



The Indian court's judgment went straight to the heart of the matter. "It is time to say that the husband is not the master," said Chief Justice Dipak Misra. "Legal subordination of one sex over another is wrong in itself." Adultery, he ruled, will no longer be a criminal offense.



On Friday the same court declared that Indian temples have no right to exclude women "of menstruating age" on the specious grounds that they are unclean. "Religion cannot be the cover to deny women the right to worship. To treat women as children of a lesser God is to blink at constitutional morality," said Chief Justice Misra.



Now, it's true that Misra was in a rush to get these cases settled before he reached 65, the legally mandated retirement age for judges. (He turned 65 on Tuesday.)



It's also true that there are those on the Supreme Court who do not agree with his liberalization of India's laws on sexual matters and gender equality. But there seems to be popular support among the educated public for his reforms, and the cases continue.



Next up is the existing exception in India's law on sexual assault for cases in which the perpetrator and the victim are married. The lawyer leading the case to make marital rape illegal put it clearly: A woman's "sexual autonomy is not forfeited at the marital door."



There are places where these legal principles are still not accepted: Many Muslim countries reject them (including Indonesia, where they are drafting laws to prohibit all sex outside the institution of marriage), and many countries in Africa. But nevertheless the example is spreading.



In Kenya, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments for legalizing gay sex later this month on the grounds that the existing law banning homosexual acts in Kenya is identical to the one struck down by the Indian Supreme Court. Adultery has already been decriminalized in more than 60 countries, and abortion is now legal in most.



There really is a culture war, raging simultaneously across all the continents. It is rarely fought with as much tribal ferocity as it is in the United States, but important issues are at stake everywhere. If Judge Kavanaugh joins the U.S. Supreme Court, for example, abortion could once again become illegal in the United States.



But in cultural matters progress often takes the form of two steps forward, one step back. It may feel more like one step forward, two steps back in the United States at the moment, but that is just a snapshot of a moment in time.



Trudeau once told me that his reason for entering politics was "to civilize the law," and in most parts of the world that project is still making progress. It is very unlikely that the United States will turn out to be a permanent defector from that enterprise either.



Gwynne Dyer (gwynne763121476@aol.com) has worked as a freelance journalist, columnist, broadcaster and lecturer on international affairs for more than 20 years. He is the author of "Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy (and Work)."








Fourth visit to Pyongyang raises hopes for big deal



The U.S. Department of State has confirmed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Pyongyang this weekend. This time the visit to North Korea is part of a four-nation Asian trip that also includes Japan, South Korea and China.



In a news briefing at the State Department, Pompeo said that he was very happy with "another chance to continue to advance the commitment that Chairman Kim and President Trump made back in Singapore in the second week of June."



According to the State Department, the top U.S. diplomat will begin a tour of Asia with a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Oct. 6. He will be in North Korea the following day for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He will be in Seoul later that day to share the outcome of his all-important meeting with Kim with the South Korean side in meetings with President Moon Jae-in and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha. On Oct. 8, Pompeo will be in Beijing to meet with his Chinese counterparts to discuss regional issues.



Pompeo's latest visit to Pyongyang in July was fruitless as he returned home without meeting Kim. In August, his planned visit to Pyongyang, which would have been his fourth, was canceled by U.S. President Donald Trump amid a deadlock in denuclearization talks. So it is a good sign that this time, the North Korean leader will be meeting with Pompeo. The meeting could not have been arranged if there had not been some significant headway in bilateral negotiations on North Korea's denuclearization process and corresponding measures from the U.S.



During his fourth visit to Pyongyang, Pompeo has to carry out a grave mission for a breakthrough in bilateral nuclear negotiations. In a speech at the United Nations last month, North Korean Foreign Minsiter Ri Yong-ho complained about the continued sanctions and declared his country would never comply with unilateral demands for nuclear dismantlement under these circumstances. Pyongyang has also complained about the U.S. reluctance to agree to an end-of-war declaration.



It is rare for the U.S. secretary of state to make a tour of the four countries in such a short period. This raises speculation that the U.S. may be moving toward the end-of-war declaration with the relevant parties as part of a big deal with North Korea.



Kim has declared he would dismantle the Dongchanri and Yongbyon nuclear sites if the U.S. responds with corresponding measure. Pompeo should tell Kim the U.S. is ready to move toward declaration if Pyongyang delivers on more specific measures for denuclearization.




By Park Moo-jong





One of the best ways to grasp what is going on our society is listen to what taxi drivers say. They are often dubbed "street opinion leaders." As a good gauge of public opinion, their words mirror the people's mind.



Many of them have no "deep" knowledge of politics, the economy and so on, but have a good deal of common sense as an unearned asset from their frank and free talks with passengers from various walks of life during rides.



Of late, to listen to them to find topics about which I'd like to write for this column, I often use company-owned taxis, not owner-driven cabs, if possible. Such cabbies made headlines Tuesday due to their increasing age.



Data that an opposition lawmaker obtained from the government for the National Assembly audit of the executive branch showed that cabbies over the age of 65 numbered 72,800 across the country, accounting for 27 percent or slightly more than a quarter of the total.



Of them, 237 were 90 years old or more, and 110 of them work in Seoul with the oldest one being 92. It is nothing new that taxi drivers are increasingly getting old in this aging society.



Statistics (from the government) show that the number of drivers over the age of 65 was 2,797,000, up 1.7 times over the past five years, and traffic accidents they caused rose about 50 percent. But it is not right to take issue only with cabbies' age.



Some complain they feel uneasy when they meet an elderly driver, citing the increase in accidents. On the contrary, some others say they feel relaxed with such cabbies as they are more cautious than "younger" ones.



A leading Korean daily reported an episode about a 70-year-old cabbie in the Philippines: "The driver, while driving a young lady passenger, asked her to take another taxi because he was too tired to drive. Instead, she changed seats and took over the wheel, and the driver snored in a deep sleep in the back seat until she got to her destination."



Frankly speaking, the age of 65 is not "old" at all these days when the average life span is getting longer. Rather, senior citizens over 65 can still work thanks to medical care and good nutrition. A simple fact is that continued work helps them maintain their health.



What's necessary is to strictly check the health and ability (to drive) of the elderly drivers and strengthen the screening of their qualification for the safety of passengers, not to speak of their own.



The reason why the number of aged cabbies is rising is simple. Young jobseekers are reluctant to take the wheel of a taxi due to low income, leading to many company cabs being "grounded" in garages due to a shortage of drivers



Age does not matter in this era. The problem is the shrinking income and increasing burden of labor (about 10 to 12 hours a day). Nine to five work is uncommon for cabbies in this country.



Many of the drivers lament that South Korea has the lowest taxi fare among 36 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The fare here is around one third of that in Japan.



A 67-year-year cabbie argued, "Nothing has changed for the better over the past 10 years. Rather everything is changing for the worse. Can you imagine that an ordinary driver earns less than 2 million won ($1,800) a month for their 12 hours of stressful labor at the wheel each day?"



Certainly, it is hard for cabbies, especially those in the 30 to 60 years age range, to make ends meet with such a low monthly pay. Another cabbie said that the situation is getting worse and he has no idea how to support his four-member family, including two children attending middle and high schools, on such a meager income.



He confessed, "I've never experienced the kind of hard times as I am now." He told me what he heard from his hundreds of passengers over the past month. "Almost all the passengers, regardless of their age, occupation and gender, were of the opinion that the economy is failing."



Even government officials express a similar pessimistic view, according to him. "Only those in Cheong Wa Dae do not seem to know what's going on outside the presidential office. What's important is not South-North relations. What's important is how to make a living, how to revive the sagging economy." I agreed.



The passengers' topics, according to the drivers, mostly centered around the minimum wage, the 52-hour workweek and heavy taxes," not inter-Korean ties. In particular, they absolutely agreed that Kim Jong-un will never give up his nuclear weapons, which are his sole lifeline.



I wonder if those in charge of handling state affairs, especially the economy, have ever listened to people's voices: "What's more serious at the moment is that there is no sign of things getting better in the near future."



A society where an honest taxi driver working for 12 hours a day for a public service earns less than 2 million won a month is not healthy, whatever the situation in other professions.



Still, politicians are only concerned about their own political or personal interests and engaging in fruitless partisan feuds, ahead of the important Assembly process of inspecting government ministries and agencies.



Fortunately, however, the related authorities and the Seoul city government announced a tentative plan Tuesday to raise the base taxi fare, which has been frozen for the last five years, by about 33 percent possibly from next January.



When taxi drivers are happy, our society can be happy, too.



Park Moo-jong (emjei29@gmail.com) is a standing adviser of The Korea Times. He served as the president-publisher of the nation's first English daily newspaper from 2004 to 2014 after working as a reporter since 1974.








By Donald Kirk





WASHINGTON  Foreign observers may be wondering why the case of a teen-aged boy molesting a teen-aged girl 36 years ago should sweep other news off American front pages. Koreans in particular might want to know why this transgression reaches the same proportions as did their Candlelight Revolution of two years ago when a million or so turned out nightly to protest a regime seen as corrupt and abusive.



Surely, those reading the American papers and watching American TV news must be thinking, this ancient fracas on a bed in a Washington DC suburb cannot have been all that important. Oh, but it is, and was. Just ask some talking head whom I saw and heard on TV saying the sins of a kid named Brett Kavanaugh back in the 1980s will echo through the American psyche for generations. Yes, it might, but not necessarily for the reasons that yakker suggested. The importance of the case lies not in the sin itself but why it merited such a hullaballoo.



The answer reflects the torment of a political elite divided down the middle by those who hate Donald Trump and those who revere him. Not too many of these sagacious politicos are concerned about right or wrong. The Democrats want to "get" Trump, to embarrass him, to take away the slim majority held by the Republicans in both houses of the U.S. Congress in the mid-term elections coming up in early November. Then they would like dearly to impeach him or at least render him a total lame duck for the remainder of his four-year term.



At the moment Trump's foes in Congress and the media think there's no better way to undermine Trump's presidency than to dig up whatever whiff of scandal or gossip they can find, going back to Kavanaugh's years at an elite prep school and then at super-elite Yale University. Never mind his editorship on the Yale Law Journal or his 12 years as a federal judge. In the feverish rush of "breaking" news, that record is largely ignored, forgotten or unknown.



The desire to "get" Kavanaugh, and therefore Trump, has sublimated news of attempts at reconciliation on the Korean peninsula. For a few minutes on TV this week, we did hear and see Trump coming out with such honeyed words for Kim Jong-un as to suggest he's either fallen completely for his wiles or is trying to fool him into thinking he's really his best friend.



At a political rally, Trump said he and Kim "fell in love"  words commonly used to describe a romantic relationship, not a friendship with the leader of the country that invaded South Korea in June 1950. Trump in his protestation of "love" was referring not only to his summit with Kim in Singapore nearly four months ago but also to what he said were "beautiful letters.great letters" that Kim has written him.



The Trumpster did not reveal the contents of these letters, but some analysts believe that Trump, by engaging in flattery, thinks he can tear down the barriers between the U.S. and North Korea. Conversely, it's safe to assume the Kimster is equally convinced of his skills at playing on Trump's gargantuan ego. So which of these two crazed leaders is likely to come out ahead in their campaign of mutual flattery?



Trump has said he will meet again with Kim in the near future but has given no sign of going beyond the concession already made, the cancellation of U.S.-North Korea military exercises. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to visit Pyongyang, laying the groundwork for a second Trump-Kim summit. On his fourth trip to the North Korean capital, he hopes to see Kim, who snubbed him during his third trip.



For the benefit of foreign readers who think these events are portentous, let us intrude with a reality check. For more than a few minutes now and then on cable TV, nobody here was paying all that much attention. It was the travail of Brett Kavanaugh that counted, from front page headlines to analyses, to columns and editorials. Did he or didn't he? One Yale classmate said she could "nearly guarantee" that he wouldn't remember a thing about drinking himself into a stupor at an initiation party.



"Nearly guarantee"? Should the senators be asking him what he remembered and who were the witnesses? Oh why not? They were asking about everything else. Besides, the line-ups of yakkers on CNN, Fox and MSNBC were much more fun than boring stories about nukes and bang-bangs in countries that most people would never find on a map.





Donald Kirk, www.donaldkirk.com, follows the ups and downs of the North Korean nuclear issue from Seoul and Washington.


SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won speaks during an opening ceremony of SK hynix's M15 plant in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, Thursday. / Courtesy of SK hynix



By Baek Byung-yeul



CHEONGJU -- SK hynix has officially opened a new semiconductor fabrication plant called M15 in the North Chungcheong Province city, Thursday.



The new chip plant is built on a 60,000-square-meter space and the cleanroom space in the plant will produce NAND flash memory chips.



SK hynix invested around 2.2 trillion won ($1.95 billion) to construct the plant and will invest up to 20 trillion won in equipment costs. The firm has produced NAND flash memory chips at its M11 and M12 plants in Cheongju and the M14 plant in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province.



To ramp up its NAND flash memory production capacity, SK hynix announced a construction plan for the M15 plant in December 2016. It took about a year and a half to complete the construction since the firm dug up the first shovel of dirt in April of last year.



With the M15 plant, SK hynix can accelerate its NAND flash production capacity. Though the company is the world's second-largest DRAM maker with a market share of 27.4 percent, it remained fifth in NAND flash memory chips with about 10 percent market share.



Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, said "the firm has owed a lot to the country and local communities to help the country transform itself. It had been on the verge of selling out to one of the world's leading memory chip firms."



The M15 plant is a part of Chey's future vision set in 2015 to invest 46 trillion won in semiconductors. Chey added that SK Group will exert efforts to become not only an enterprise that generates profit but also a business group with more social responsibility.



President Moon Jae-in, who also joined the opening ceremony, promised the government will continue to invest in the semiconductor industry.



"Semiconductor is an essential component for future technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), big data and self-driving vehicles. I am rooting for SK hynix's continuous investment plan and the government will keep supporting the firm by investing more in research and development to make technological innovations," President Moon said during an opening ceremony.



Moon expressed his wish that SK hynix can lead the world's NAND flash memory chip industry. "NAND flash memory is a core for big data. With the completion of the Cheongju plant, SK hynix could enhance its capacity of NAND flash memory chips," Moon said.



Moon also said the M15 plant can help the local economy. "The Cheongju plant is expected to hire 1,000 people by the end of this year and 2,100 more people by 2020. It is also expected that its partner companies would also create about 3,000 new jobs. This could be a great opportunity for the local economy," Moon said.



SK hynix expects the new plant will help the firm meet the growing demand for memory chips.



"With the expansion of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there has been growing demand for memory chips for big data, AI, the fifth-generation (5G) network and self-driving vehicles," said Kim Jeong-ki, vice president of the firm's PR office. "We will be prepared to meet our customers' demands."



A local institute predicted the firm's new plant can bring a positive ripple effect on the economy. According to the Institute of Economic Research at Seoul National University, the M15 plant is forecasted to create 218,000 additional jobs and generate production inducement and value-added effects worth 70.9 trillion won and 25.8 trillion won by 2023. SK hynix said it needed work from 160 partners to construct the plant.



The opening ceremony also featured local residents and partner firms with the expectation that the new plant can boost the local economy.



Yoon Ki-soon, a leader of small businesses nearby the plant and an owner of a restaurant, said "we are expecting to have more customers thanks to the operation of the M15 plant."



Yu Won-yang, president of Cheongju-based firm TEMC, a partner firm of SK hynix, said he hopes the new plant will become "an opportunity for mutual growth." TEMC is known for its competitiveness in laser gas. Recognizing the firm's high potential for technical innovation, SK hynix chose TEMC as one of the innovation startups this year.


Kim Young-ki, head of Samsung Electronics' network business division, shows the firm's 5G network gear in a press conference at the tech firm's headquarters in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, July 13. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics



By Jun Ji-hye



Samsung Electronics has captured fourth place in the global long-term evolution (LTE) networks equipment market, beating Chinese tech company ZTE.



The improved performance is meant to be a good signal for the Korean tech giant that is moving aggressively to establish a strong presence in the fifth-generation (5G) network equipment market.



According to a U.S.-based market researcher, Dell'Oro, Thursday, Samsung took an 11 percent market share in the global LTE equipment market in the second quarter this year.



Huawei took the No.1 spot with a 28.9 percent market share, while Ericsson and Nokia were ranked second and third with 27.6 percent and 25.8 percent market shares, respectively.



ZTE had been in fourth place but yielded its position to Samsung.



It marked the first time that the Korean firm's market share exceeded 10 percent.



The firm has consistently raised its market share in the LTE equipment market from 5 percent in 2017 to 6.8 percent in the first quarter this year.



The company's market share in the market for all networks including 3G has jumped as well to 9 percent from 3.9 percent last year.



Samsung Electronics has shown its confidence in continuing to expand its market share in the 5G equipment market.



"We are aiming to secure a 20 percent market share in the global network equipment market by the end of 2020," said an official from Samsung Electronics.



On Sept. 14, SK Telecom, the nation's top mobile carrier, picked Samsung Electronics as one of the preferred bidders for its 5G network equipment along with Nokia and Ericsson ahead of the launch of the world's first commercial 5G service in March next year.



KT, the second largest mobile carrier, and LG Uplus, the smallest player, have yet to announce their 5G partners.



Samsung Electronics has also clinched a series of supply deals with U.S. mobile carriers, paving the way to expand its presence in the American market.



On Sept. 10, AT&T said Samsung Electronics, Ericsson and Nokia will supply its 5G network equipment, without disclosing the financial details or how much equipment each of the three suppliers will supply.



Samsung Electronics also signed a deal with Verizon in January to supply equipment for LTE and 5G networks. And in May, the Korean firm inked a supply deal with Sprint.


GAC Motor presents its new GS5 SUV during the press day of the Paris Motor Show, Tuesday. / AFP-Yonhap



By Nam Hyun-woo



PARIS -- Not only global auto titans but also fresh names were available at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, with China's GAC Motor and Vietnam's VinFast preparing to enter the Europe market.



During a media preview of the event on Tuesday, GAC Motor had its Paris Motor Show debut, introducing eight cars highlighted by the new GS5 SUV and the Enverge crossover concept.



The young Chinese automaker was established in 2008 as the first large state-owned automotive group in China. Having a market share of approximately 7 percent, GAC is regarded as a premium brand in China for its quality and design, maintaining the title of the highest-ranking Chinese brand in J.D. Power Asia Pacific China Initial Quality Study for the sixth consecutive year.



From the company's early days of establishment, GAC Motor has been seeking a foothold in the European market, and had its name recognized by Europeans in 2014 as the previous generation of GS5s traveling from Guangzhou to Paris to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and France.



Upon the brand's return to Paris, GAC President Yu Jun said "this is GAC Motor's first trip to the Paris Motor Show, and we hope to communicate and learn from fellow world-leading car brands on this incredible platform and introduce the GAC Motor brand to more people."



At the show, the Chinese manufacturer unveiled the GS5 as a world premiere. GAC Vice President Zhang Fan said it is the latest and strongest product of the company and is designed to meet demands for practical mobility, premium performance and reasonable prices at the same time.



"We hope to resonate the bond between GAC and customers with the GS5," he said.



According to the vice president, the GS5 is designed to give an impression of "taking off," with its headlamps symbolizing wings. It is powered by a 1.5T GDI high-performance engine coupled with a six-speed transmission.



The vehicle interior is highlighted by a 2-millimeter-thin touchscreen in the center console, as well as a smartphone-controlled air conditioning system, though several car experts at the show said the user interface system of the car still has a lot of room to improve.



The company did not specify its plans for European sales, but Yu said the company is "eagerly looking forward to seeing GAC Motor vehicles on the streets in Europe."





Vietnamese carmaker VinFast presents the LUX SA 2.0 SUV during the press day of the Paris Motor Show, Tuesday. / EPA-Yonhap
Kia Motors Europe Chief Operating Officer Emilio Herrera speaks during an interview at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Kia Motors



By Nam Hyun-woo



PARIS -- While carmakers are striving to meet the toughening environmental regulations in Europe, the heads of Hyundai Motor's and Kia Motors' European bodies expressed their confidence, saying the stronger rules are an opportunity for their brands.



Hyundai Motor Europe Chief Operating Officer (COO) Thomas Schmid and Kia Motors Europe COO Emilio Herrera sat down for separate interviews during the 2018 Paris Motor Show, but they echoed they are ready for the wave of eco-friendly cars and the companies will have stronger presences in the European market.



According to the two brands, they sold 65,518 eco-friendly cars -- hybrids, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) -- increasing more than 10 times from 6,089 in 2015.



The COOs agreed that such a strong presence will further increase amid the European market's stronger environmental regulations.



"In Europe we have very strict CO2 regulations and we have to cut carbon emissions under 95 grams by 2020, which will be very difficult. However, there are two trends which are going against that -- less diesel and Europeans' love for SUV -- which all mean more CO2," Herrera said.



"The lucky situation is that Kia has a complete range of electrified vehicles that can easily face these strict regulations. This is a comfortable situation compared to other manufacturers."



Kia Europe has hybrids and PHEVs and will add EVs in its product lineup, by releasing the Niro EV at the end of this year. It is also planning to launch fuel-cell EVs (FCEVs) in Europe in 2020.



Kia has already developed fuel-cell concepts based on its Sportage and Mohave SUVs, but is yet to mass produce FCEVs for the retail market. It is not known which model the FCEV will be based on.



Kia's green car models are showing rapid growth so far this year, selling 29,750 of the Niro hybrid and the Niro PHEV from January to August, up 41 percent from a year earlier.



"As said earlier, by 2025, the company plans to have 16 electrified vehicles of five hybrids, five PHEVs, five EVs and one FCEV in total," he said. "So we are very lucky because we have all the power in-house and we can adapt to market needs."



In Europe, each country has a different market situation and green car requirements. For example, in Norway 36 percent of its vehicles are already fully electrified, such as EVs and FCEVs. Adding PHEVs, more than 50 percent of the country's cars are powered by electricity, according to Herrera.



"On the other hand, Italy has 0.2 percent," he said. "This is a big difference, but we are prepared," Herrera said.





Hyundai Motor Europe Chief Operating Officer Thomas Schmid speaks during an interview at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor




By Park Jae-hyuk







KT&G and other companies have begun making donations for the recovery of the large Indonesian island of Sulawesi, which was hit by a 7.5-magnitutde earthquake and resulting tsunami on Sept. 28, they said Thursday.







The death toll from the disaster reportedly surpassed 1,400. What is worse, damage restoration is making slow progress as access to the underdeveloped area is not easy. For the survivors who are desperate for food and shelter, Hyundai Motor, KT&G, Lotte and SK joined the international society's efforts to help them.







Hyundai Motor Group said its subsidiaries will collectively donate $500,000 and vehicles to the Southeast Asian country. Hyundai Motor will donate $200,000, while each of Kia Motors, Hyundai E&C and Hyundai Engineering will make $100,000 donations.







The automotive group will discuss the use of the money with the Indonesian government.







"First of all, we root for Indonesians who suffer from the sudden earthquake and tsunami. We hope our donation helps hasten damage restoration," a Hyundai Motor Group official said. "We will continue to continue to join the international society's humanitarian aid efforts."







KT&G said it donated 100 million won ($88,482) to the country via the Korean Red Cross. The money came from a social contribution fund raised by the tobacco maker's employees.







"We want Indonesians in deep sorrow to have hope for a better future," a KT&G official managing the fund said. "Through the support from Korean companies, we want Korea and Indonesia to have better relations beyond economic ties."







Lotte said the Indonesian subsidiaries of Lotte Chemical and Lotte Mart donated 3 billion Indonesian rupiah ($198,088). The conglomerate will also discuss the use of the money with the Indonesian government.







SK said it will donate $300,000, adding its subsidiaries are mulling over various ways to support the survivors.







The Korean companies have made donations around the world, whenever a mass natural disaster occurs.


Rohingya refugees walk along an embankment next to paddy fields after fleeing from Myanmar into Palang Khali, near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, November 2, 2017. REUTERS-Yonhap



By Ko Dong-hwan



Ongoing media coverage of the plight of Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar (also known as Burma) has been heavy in condemning Myanmar military forces for allegedly attempting ethnic cleansing and forcing hundreds of thousands of them to flee across the border into Bangladesh.



This resulted in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) forming an international body to investigate the country's Rakhine State to collect evidence of the military's atrocities and possibly prosecute responsible Myanmar generals.



But what Myanmar scholars fighting for democracy shared with The Korea Times about the issue was unlike the tone taken by various international media outlets, which focus on how military officials are close to being subpoenaed to the International Criminal Court, and why the country's ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party leader Aung San Suu Kyi hasn't criticized her country's military force severely enough.



The scholars, advocating human rights and political justice in a country governed for decades by a military junta, argued that the crisis cannot be simply wrapped up by prosecuting the culprits. Rather, the crisis resulted from an ethnically diverse country seeing conflict between the central military and minority groups in several regions, and the fledgling ruling party struggling to steer the country toward democracy.



"What I learned from the Rohingya issue is that we have our own issues as well," said Seng Hkum Hpauna, a political activist and one of the co-founders of the Naushawng Development Institute, a democracy-promoting, nonprofit organization in Kachin State. "In Burma, what's also important is the majority of people's perception. They see the Rohingya community very differently (from how the international media have portrayed it). The NLD government cannot ignore these public opinions."



Many Myanmar citizens, according to the activist, support the military authorities. This is reflected by local media outlets  they "don't tend to" openly write about Rohingya issues while some even "tend to" support the government or military because they don't want to differ from the majority. "That's why the Burmese majority's perception about the Rohingyas is very different from international communities," Hpauna said.





Fifteen Myanmar scholars who graduated from the George W. Bush Institute's Liberty and Leadership Program visited the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, during their South Korean tour from Sept. 16 to 21. Accompanying them are Dr. Victor Cha, a Fellow at the Bush Center and a former candidate for U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, and Chris Walsh and Jieun Pyun, managers at the Bush Center. Courtesy of the Bush Center.





The activist, with the other scholars, graduated from the Liberty and Leadership Program at the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas, Texas, and visited Seoul in September to learn about the country's transition from militarism to democracy. Victor Cha, a Fellow at the institute and a former candidate for U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, told The Korea Times he was "impressed by the dedication, earnestness and commitment of these young men and women to building transparent and accountable institutions in their country."



"The NLD government led by Suu Kyi must care about the majority's perspective, especially now close to the 2020 general elections," Hpauna said. "She doesn't want to upset the majority. That's why she cannot deny opinions."



Hpauna's remarks shed light on the Southeast Asian country, where local media coverage of the crisis isn't as critical of the military as that of international outlets. In contrast, the activist said the military has enjoyed wide support  mostly from older people  since the country's independence from Britain.



"That's what I see very dangerous for the country's democratization process and media coverage of the Rohingya issue," Hpauna said. "Extreme nationalism is growing bigger and bigger. It might stop the democratization process."



Min Aung Ye Htut Tin, a senior program specialist at the United States Institute of Peace Myanmar program, offered a holistic view. The historically complex country  with multiple layers of politics, the military, the ruling party, Rakhine State (where over 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh are from) and other state bodies  suffers from not having a government agency spearheading action to ease the crisis, he said.



"In Rakhine, there are lots of different narratives regarding the issue," Htut Tin said. "Whenever rumors happen, it is very easy for communities to break up and fight each other. And there is no resilient mechanism to maintain cohesive community levels. We need common ground of infrastructure to mitigate this conflict."





Aung San Suu Kyi, the State Counselor of Myanmar, gestures during a one-on-one discussion with Berge Brende at the World Economic Forum's meeting at the National Convention Center Thursday, Sept. 13, in Hanoi, Vietnam. Suu Kyi said the country's handling of its Rohingya Muslim minority crisis could have been better. Korea Times file



Democratization process



Myanmar's response to the Rohingya crisis has been short of meeting global expectations of acknowledging the refugees, displaced since August 2017, as victims of genocide. There are further allegations that militants burnt down the Rohingya people's villages, murdered many and raped women.



When 1991 Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi on Sept. 13 defended the Myanmar judiciary that on Sept. 3 jailed two Reuters reporters who investigated the killing of 10 Rohingya villagers by Myanmar security forces, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley described the remark as "unbelievable." The democracy pioneer also drew Western criticism for failing to speak out against the military's treatment of the Rohingyas.









Such "reluctance" of the Myanmar leader, from the international community's perspective, likely derives from the country's unique political state striving to strike a balance between the ruling NLD party and military authorities. Experts said Suu Kyi's democracy-geared government had tried to make a clean cut from the previous military regimes that ruled the country from the early 1960s, but this faced many problems.



Local news outlet The Myanmar Times said the revolutionary two-year-old administration "should handle very carefully" the Rohingya and other military conflict issues in Rakhine State as strong international criticism is escalating. The report said business leaders are worried about how the government could prevent possible economic sanctions this year, adding "a blind denial from the capital Naypyidaw of international accusations will not work."



There are other precursors to the country's internal jaundice: signs of the increasing role of the military, proven by escalating conflicts in Rakhine State; a fragile public morality unable to accept diversity and social change; and press freedom under pressure.



"Burmese politics is like following the captain of a ship rather than the compass," the newspaper report said.





A security officer attempts to control Rohingya refugees waiting to receive aid in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, September 21, 2017. REUTERS-Yonhap



Resolving the Rohingya issue



The scholars suggested one of the keys to solving the Rohingya issue is existing laws and how they are implemented, especially the citizenship law enacted in 1982. Despite the law, the Rohingyas have been denied Myanmar citizenship, even though some families have been in the country for three generations.



"I think it's a matter of implementing the current law impartially and neutrally," said Aung Kyaw Moe, director of the Center for Social Integrity, an NGO promoting diversity and pluralism. "That would resolve a major root of the problem, being able to grant citizenship to about 60-70 percent of the Rohingya people. Just because they pray differently, they cannot be protected by the government from social dangers and cannot go to normal universities. These are not solutions. The government needs to ensure the rule of law exists at every level."



For the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to return, the scholars pointed out the need to repair damaged Myanmar-Bangladesh ties.



At the U.N. General Assembly in September, Bangladesh President Sheikh Hasina accused Myanmar of not meeting its commitment to take back Rohingya refugees. Calling the military's crackdown on the minority group "tantamount to genocide" and "crimes against humanity," Hasina referred to U.N. reports that detailed the atrocities and appealed for international support for the 1.1 million refugees sheltering in her country.



"In resolving the crisis, the Burmese government signed agreements with the Bangladesh government as well as the U.N. Refugee Agency and the U.N. Development Program," said Htet Htet Oo, a public information and communications expert in the humanitarian and development sectors at the U.N. "But the two governments blame each other and I don't know which side is telling the truth. Regardless, they must realize that the Rohingyas are human. The first step for their repatriation is that the Burmese government, holding the primary responsibility, makes sure these people have enough protection and help they need."



"Bangladesh is a poor country with its own problems and resources are limited, so I don't know how long they can cope (with the refugees)," said Kyaw Moe, a Rohingya. He was concerned that there might be a clash between the host communities in Bangladesh and the Rohingyas because of differences in language and tradition.



"There is a risk promoting the tolerance in Bangladesh, and supporting Bangladesh is not a universal solution," he said. "The problem is in Burma. The Burmese government, if repatriation is to be taken, must create conditions that everyone is safe there to live. "





Rohingya refugee children fly improvised kites at the Kutupalong refugee camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, December 10, 2017. REUTERS-Yonhap
In this Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, file photo, people move in to take a closer look at the "comfort women" monument after it was unveiled in San Francisco. The mayor of Osaka, Japan says he is withdrawing his city from a six-decade "sister-city" relationship with San Francisco to protest a statue honoring women forced into working in brothels servicing Japanese soldiers during World War II. The San Francisco Examiner reports Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura sent a letter to San Francisco announcing his desire to withdraw from the largely ceremonial relationship. AP



The mayor of Osaka, Japan, says he's ending a six-decade ''sister city'' relationship with San Francisco to protest a statue honoring women forced to have sex with Japanese soldiers during World War II.

Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura this week sent a letter to San Francisco announcing he's withdrawing from the largely ceremonial relationship, the San Francisco Examiner reported Wednesday.

The statue was erected on city property last year by California's Korean, Chinese and Filipino communities.

Jeff Cretan, a spokesman for San Francisco Mayor London Breed, called Yoshimura's decision ''unfortunate'' and says the cities will remain connected through ''people-to-people ties.''

The Japanese consulate in San Francisco declined to comment.

''Breaking the relationship over a memorial is outrageous and absurd,'' said Lillian Sing, co-chair of the Comfort Women Justice Coalition. ''It shows how afraid the Osaka mayor and Japanese prime minister are of truth and are trying to deny history.''

Historians say tens of thousands of women around Asia were sent to work in Japanese military brothels, often through coercion and deception. Japan apologized in 1993 but the issue has remained an open rift with its neighbors, particularly South Korea which has strong memories of Japan's colonization from 1910 to 1945.

After a gradual pullback from the apology, Japan's government now denies that the women, called ''comfort women'' in Japanese, were forced into sexual slavery, citing a lack of official documentary proof, and says the statue in San Francisco and similar statues built in various countries wrongfully blame Japan. (AP)
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Free screenings of the hit documentary RBG about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg were announced Wednesday. Yay! But we aren't getting it here in Los Angeles. Boo!

The closest option of the "select cities" where it's being presented is Irvine -- sorry, Angelenos who haven't taken the opportunity to learn about a Supreme Court justice yet.

But never fear -- RBG is already available on DVD and online, including streaming on Hulu for subscribers. You'll also have the chance to learn about her and her work at the Skirball Cultural Center later this month. They're even screening the movie themselves on Nov. 4, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers -- though they'll be charging admission.

Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg opens Oct. 19, the first-ever retrospective about the justice, according to the Skirball. It's based on the Notorious RBG Tumblr and book, which granted her the nickname and spawned an Internet phenom.

Images from the Notorious RBG exhibition at the Skirball. (Courtesy of the Skirball Center)

"With so much at stake on the Supreme Court, we encourage visitors to explore the American judicial system through the lens of one of its sharpest legal minds," Skirball curator Cate Thurston said in a press release.

They're also playing with that Notorious RBG nickname. As Ginsburg herself points out, both she and the Notorious B.I.G. were born and raised in Brooklyn. The name of each section of the exhibition will reference Biggie songs and lyrics. But don't be fooled -- playfulness aside, this is a real look at the real woman.

The exhibition focuses on her work protecting civil rights and expanding equal opportunity in her 25 years on the bench, a lady in the place with style and grace. Thurston put together the exhibition along with the book's authors, Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik.

The exhibition includes:

One of Ginsburg's actual robes

Home videos with her husband on their honeymoon, along with the early years of their marriage

Ginsburg's yearbooks

An eighth grade paper on historical legal documents from the Ten Commandments to the United Nations Charter

Listening stations to hear her oral arguments before the Court when she was still a lawyer

3D reimaginings of key places from her life, from her childhood apartment to the desk in her chambers

And way more, including archival photographs, documents, artifacts, contemporary art and interactives.

Special programming around Ginsburg is already underway at the Skirball. A class on her Supreme Court wins and losses starts tonight, with three sessions running into next month. They also have a coffee talk with the authors, a late night chance to tour the exhibition, and more events planned.

Notorious RBG runs at the Skirball through March 10, 2019, then has a three-year touring schedule planned. And if you don't know, now you know.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the date of the screening of RBG. LAist regrets the error.

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In the middle of a tense contract fight that could end in the first teachers' strike in Los Angeles since 1989, the district's teachers union went on the offensive this week with L.A. Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner.

The union, United Teachers Los Angeles, obtained a copy of Beutner's official schedule and on Wednesday released an analysis highlighting the number of meetings Beutner took at exclusive restaurants or in private clubs. The union also raised the question of whether he used an LAUSD credit card to pay for his pricey meals.

But UTLA's 30,000-plus members may be more interested in whom Beutner was meeting.

KPCC/LAist got a copy of the superintendent's calendar Wednesday. You can peruse it below.

A union analysis showed the LAUSD superintendent held at least 11 meetings with top charter school supporters, advocates and operatives during his first four months on the job -- including meeting billionaire philanthropist and political donor Eli Broad.

That's potentially an alarm bell for LAUSD teachers. That's because some teachers fear Beutner might be willing to increase the number of students enrolled in charter schools.

Why do they care? Because more students enrolled in charter schools could mean less money for traditional campuses, which could undermine district finances and, in turn, the power of the teachers union.

WHY DOES IT MATTER THAT WE KNOW BEUTNER TOOK THESE MEETINGS?

For the general public, the revelation of these meetings might not be of high interest -- but the news will certainly resonate with UTLA's rank-and-file.

Many of the union's 30,000 teachers, nurses, school psychologists and others share union leaders concerns about charter schools. A critical worry is centered on the impact growth in charter school enrollment would have on the school district's precarious finances.

Many UTLA members distrusted Beutner even before word of these meetings trickled out -- or before they voted in August to authorize a possible strike in the near future.

Now, the question is whether knowledge of who Buetner has been meeting with will make the union's rank-and-file less willing to cut a deal with him to head off a strike.

WHY ARE TEACHERS SO WORRIED ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS?

For starters: a charter school is a public school that's run by a non-profit organization, not a school district like L.A. Unified. That means when a child enrolls in a charter school, the state funding for teaching that child gets sent to the non-profit organization running that charter. The school district that might've otherwise enrolled that child doesn't get any of that funding.

Many LAUSD teachers see charter schools as an existential threat to the school district. Enrollment in Los Angeles charter schools has grown by more than 40 percent since 2011; charters now enroll more than 116,000 students. During the same period, enrollment in LAUSD-run schools has fallen by 93,000 students.

Charter school advocates attribute the growth to parental choice; that charters give parents an alternative place to enroll their child. Charter advocates frequently dismiss claims that they're set on "privatizing" education, as UTLA puts it.

However, teachers union leaders believe there are much bigger forces behind the growth of charters -- and as evidence for this claim, they still point to a document leaked to the press in 2015. "The Broad Plan" -- so-called because philanthropist and charter supporter Eli Broad had been shopping it around -- was the draft outline of a strategy to double the number of charter school seats in L.A.

Many pro-charter organizations have since backed away from the plan, saying "the Broad Plan" existed only as a draft and was never actually implemented. Their disavowals have done little to quell charges from UTLA that charter advocates are out to "privatize" the nation's public education system -- that is, undermine school districts and, in turn, weaken public sector unions.

Beutner has previously told audiences that he views the debate over charter schools and their role in the district as a "distraction" from bigger issues, like the district's looming budget deficits. Beutner contends the growth of charters cannot fully explain the growing gap between the district's revenues and expenditures. (UTLA leaders would debate him on both points.)

FILE - Alex Caputo-Pearl, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, which represents L.A. Unified teachers, speaks during a rally in Feb. 2016. (Photo by Kyle Stokes/KPCC)

WITH WHOM DID BEUTNER MEET?

Beutner met with Broad and Gerun Riley, president of the Broad Foundation, on July 13, 2018.

The hourlong encounter in Brentwood was one of 11 meetings UTLA officials highlighted in an analysis of the calendar, which the union also released Wednesday:

The union also highlighted a phone call between Beutner and Jed Wallace, the CEO of the California Charter Schools Association, among the calendar entries it thought showed too close of ties with the pro-charter sector.

Among the other calendar items UTLA noted as problematic:

A phone call with Arnold Steinberg, formerly a strategist for the Prop. 209 anti-affirmative action campaign.

A breakfast with Frank Baxter, a member of the Alliance College-Ready Public Schools charter board and prominent Republican philanthropist

Two meetings with Parent Revolution head Seth Litt. Parent Revolution has in the past helped organize parents to file "parent trigger" petitions to wrest control of a neighborhood school away from LAUSD.

Two separate meetings with leaders of organizations that run charter schools. On June 13, he met with the leaders of three networks -- STEM Prep, KIPP L.A. and Green Dot Public Schools. On June 26, he met with the leader of a fourth: Citizens of the World charter schools.

Overall, the meetings the union highlighted represent only a fraction Beutner's schedule. District spokeswoman Shannon Haber said in an email that Beutner "has had more meetings with labor leaders ... and met with principals, teachers, students and community organizations."

In fact, the superintendent met with UTLA president Alex Caputo-Pearl at a Chinatown cafe on Beutner's third day on the job.

UTLA officials obtained Beutner's schedules through a public records request -- though union leaders criticized the district for failing to hand over the records until the union filed a lawsuit. District officials said Wednesday the delay in releasing the records was an honest mistake.

HOW UNUSUAL IS IT FOR AN LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT TO MEET WITH THESE GROUPS?

Beutner's predecessor, ex-LAUSD Superintendent Michelle King, met with some similarly high-profile supporters of charter schools and with leaders of charter organizations during her first several weeks in office, according to copies of her schedules obtained by KPCC.

Like Beutner, King also held a handful of meetings with the leaders of individual charter schools.

On January 23, 2016, King met with Myrna Castrejon and William Siart, leaders of the organization Great Public Schools Now -- the group that sprouted out of the initial "Broad Plan," although the group says their mission differs greatly from the one outlined in that document.

UTLA cited Beutner's attendance at a forum with Castrejon as one of the meetings it found problematic.

However, King's schedule does not reflect a call with the head of the California Charter Schools Association during her first weeks on the job.

And unlike King, Beutner's schedule shows calls and meetings with several high-level leaders in the business world, like Greg Maffei, the head of Liberty Media, or NBC Universal executive Jeff Schell.

And then there's the meeting with Broad -- though his longstanding relationship with Beutner makes their meeting a special case. The two men once attempted to purchase the L.A. Times together. L.A. Magazine reported Broad's connections were instrumental in helping Beutner secure his first job as deputy mayor.

WHAT'S NEXT IN THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS?

UTLA released the calendars at a news conference Wednesday while negotiating teams for the union and the district met with state mediators. It was their second meeting with the mediator.

The release of the calendar documents is not the type of story that's likely to cool temperatures around the mediation table.

Beutner has said he doesn't expect the two sides to come to agreement in mediation. If his prediction comes true, a formal "fact-finding" process would begin, during which a panel of experts would assess the truth of the two sides' competing claims.

That still means a possible strike is likely some time away -- UTLA cannot legally call a strike until after fact-finding.

On Wednesday, UTLA and LAUSD representatives agreed to meet with the mediators again on Oct. 12.

Read Beutner's full schedule here:

UPDATES:

5:11 p.m.: This article was updated with a tweet summarizing the response of California Charter Schools Assn.

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On the evening of Sept. 20, it seemed that nearly everyone downtown was making their way to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) for the opening of Being Here with You/Estando Aqui Contigo, a 42-artist, trans-border exhibition.

The official visitor count was actually 876, and included a wide variety of ages and backgrounds, all seemingly engrossed in the art and happy to be part of this months free third Thursday Downtown at Sundown event.

Organized by curator Jill Dawsey and assistant curator Anthony Graham, the show is political, experimental, and visually engaging. It features paintings, photography, video, multimedia pieces and installations. There was a bilingual candle-lighting ceremony at the opening, with visitors invited to light prayer candles for immigrants being held at Otay Mesa Detention Center.

The exhibition will run through Feb. 3, and is well worth a visit. If youre there anytime between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Thursday-Monday, stop in at SDSU Downtown Gallery to see the woodworks of Tom Loeser, who does interesting things with shovel-handle furniture and burnt-wood prints. Its only a stones throw away at 725 West Broadway and usually partners with MCASD for Downtown at Sundown.

 Lectures in La Jolla : And if youre missing MCASD-La Jolla events since the museum on Prospect Street closed for renovations, heres good news: There will be different hour-long Sessions in Contemporary Art with some of the Being Here with You artists in the coming weeks. Theyll take place at The Lot, 7611 Fay Ave., La Jolla. 6-7 p.m. Oct. 9, and 6:30-7:30 p.m. Nov. 29.

 IF YOU GO: Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is at 1100 Kettner Blvd., downtown San Diego. Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; closed Wednesday. Admission: $5-$10. (858) 454-3541. mcasd.org

Filmmaker Ash Eliza Smith and actor Jesse Uribe watch themselves onscreen in one of the three videos by Hysterical Accuracy, Candy Ego. Smith is associate director of Art & Technology at UCSD and co-founder of Hysterical Accuracy, which uses comedy in powerful ways. (Maurice Hewitt)

Maura Walters, assistant to the director of La Jolla Athenaeum, with baby James in front of Matt Richs Yellow Ribbon. Rich, born in Boston, lives and works in San Diego and Los Angeles. (Maurice Hewitt)

Kim Dawsey-Richardson and her 5-year-old daughter, Avila, and 3-year old niece, Willa (daughter of curator Jill Dawsey), at Brianna Riggs installation, Blues in the Blender. Born in Oregon, Riggs is based in San Diego. (Maurice Hewitt)

As part of a bilingual ceremony, visitors light prayer candles in sympathy with detained immigrants. (Maurice Hewitt)
The Gillispie School parking lot at 7380 Girard Ave. was buzzing with energetic volunteers Sept. 27 during its Fight Against Hunger food packaging event, benefiting Friends and Family Community Connection. Over the course of the afternoon, volunteers assembled 51,840 meals, one-third of which will be distributed locally, and the rest sent to Haiti.

In rotating shifts, students from schools across La Jolla, parents and school employees put together bags of dehydrated meals containing one scoop of rice, one scoop of soy-based protein, a spoonful of dried vegetables and a package of seasonings. Each bag contains more than 1,300 calories worth of nutrient-dense food.

Once filled with their contents, the unsealed bags were lined up in containers and carried over by volunteers to the sealing station. Once sealed, they were stacked two-by-two until 20 are compiled, and those 20 went into a box to be sent overseas.

Those too little to join the assembly line decorated the boxes.

The food items and bags were purchased by the school from the San Diego-based Friends & Family Community Connection, and Gillipie students orchestrated fundraising to offset the costs.

Gillispie School student, Kate Watkins, 8, described the day as a little nerve-wracking but really exciting.

She said, It makes me feel like Im helping everyone in Haiti, which makes me feel like Im helping the world. It makes me feel great.

Since its inception in 1996, Friends & Family Community Connection has provided food distribution assistance to San Diego homeless people and seniors; rebuilt homes following Hurricanes Katrina, Irene and Sandy; and launched its Fight Against Hunger program. To date, 17 million meals have been packaged and distributed through this initiative. For more details, visit ffccsd.org
Mr. Wayne David presents a gift to Mr. Vinh. (Photo: PANO)

Talking about the good bilateral defence cooperation between Vietnam and the UK, Mr. Vinh stressed that the Vietnamese Government and Ministry of National Defence are satisfied with the cooperation.

He expressed his thanks to the UK for its support to Vietnams level 2 field hospital in South Sudan, asking for increased defence cooperation in the future, especially in training for peacekeeping activities, maritime security, cooperation at multilateral forums, contributing to peace and stability in the region, as well as benefiting each country.

For his part, Mr. Wayne David stressed that the UK had been promoting defence cooperation with countries, including Vietnam.

Appreciating Vietnams prestige in the international arena, he expressed his pleasure with the good defence relationship between the two countries, adding that the level 2 field hospital in South Sudan was only the initial step, and that Vietnam would continue to make positive contribution to UN peacekeeping activities./.
On Sept. 20, I had the pleasure of interviewing Native American writer Tommy Orange on the stage for ALOUD, a lecture series at the Los Angeles Public Library, and I hope that the audience in attendance benefited from our exchange. Our banter was friendly, and there were a few chuckles during the evening so I know that we were, at the very least, entertaining. The book-signing line was lengthy and the brief interactions we had with the book buyers were generous and appreciative. After the last book was signed, Tommy and I embraced and said our goodbyes, promising to remain in touch. But despite how smoothly the entire evening went, something was not quite right. Perhaps it was the guns.

I felt an odd sensation as soon as Tommy and I met up with representatives from the library for a meal at Cafe Pinot. Since the restaurant is adjacent to the site, the staff was familiar with our hosts and asked us, the special guests, about our books. Library Foundation President Ken Brecher was particularly charming, but he spoke incessantly about the librarys programming and its important components, a kind of sales pitch that came across as an anxious tic rather than pre-event small talk.

When Mr. Brecher asked if we had any questions, Tommy seized on the opportunity to address the elephant in the room. He asked about Louise Steinman and Maureen Moore, the curators of ALOUD. What was all this about?

This was the unexpected departure of Steinman and Moore, whose positions had been recently eliminated. The ALOUD series, which had been a mainstay of L.A.s literary life, has been running for 25 years. Without Steinman, its founder, does that mean it now faces an uncertain future? I first met Steinman and Moore during an event at the Broad this spring. I was ecstatic to be part of a stellar lineup of authors in conversation with the paintings of Jasper Johns. So when they invited me back, I accepted without hesitation. I was particularly looking forward to visiting the Visualizing Language exhibit at the library because the muralists were from Oaxaca, a Mexican state I visit twice a year.

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The LA Central Library, home of ALOUD. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

I first heard about the departures over social media, but everything I read offered no acceptable explanation. On Sept. 9, I received word of a petition, which eventually surpassed 800 signatures, mine included. On Sept. 13, I was told via email that the petition had been delivered to the Chair of the Board of the Library Foundation, to the Mayor and his staff. There was no talk of a boycott or any other action by those of us who were already scheduled to appear in the series. I had asked Steinman directly if the event was going to be affected by this and she referred me to the current directors who assured me everything was going to proceed as planned.

Mr. Brechers response to Tommys question was a diplomatic press release, offering little substance, but since there was a mention of litigation, we accepted it at face value and understood that not much more could be shared. On our way to the library, Tommy and I expressed reservations about having shown up at all, but we were there now. Might as well go through with it, I said.

Over dinner, Mr. Brecher did reveal that the previous event had been disrupted, but that it was directed at him, not at the program that followed. He warned us that there might be another such protest that night. As we waited in the greenroom, we signed releases, and when Tommy asked if the event was streaming live we were surprised to be told that it would be audio only. I found out later that the livestream had been canceled, and I texted Tommy to say that I suspected this was a deliberate decision, to keep any footage off the internet that might embarrass the organization. I found a snippet of the previous event, and it showed two masked protesters standing next to the stage holding up signs as Mr. Brecher spoke. A few voices in the crowd demanded answers. A woman handed out fliers. All protesters were summarily escorted out by security.

Tommy and I entered the stage to fulfill the expectations of the program, but not before I mentioned Louise Steinman and Maureen Moore by name. I felt it was the correct thing to do since we had agreed to come at their invitation and the entire evening was taking place thanks to their vision as curators of ALOUD. The shoutout was met with applause. At the Q&A, I was told the format had been changed, that audience members would be invited to write their question down. I later reflected on the rationale behind it (to control an outburst?) but the Q&A proceeded as usual because the audience had been caught off guard with the request. One of the people I called on was Maureen Moore. She identified herself and asked a simple question. I wasnt sure why she had come at all and it saddened me to see her pushed out to the periphery.

But what unsettled me the most (apart from the fact that there were way too many empty seats for a sold out event) was the presence of armed security patrolling the room. It seemed so out of sync in a place that purported to foster freedom of expression and conversation. I noted to Tommy that I turned away from the audience to avoid looking at the guns. I found it ironic that a shooting played a key role in Tommy Oranges novel There There and that weapons were no longer a plot point but a reality, so I withheld my question to Tommy about that topic.

It struck me then how unfortunate that whatever conflict was taking place between the library and its recently terminated employees had afflicted the safe space of a literary event. I drafted a note to Mr. Brecher, to let him know that an armed presence didnt mean the same to people of color as it does to white people, and that I was not made comfortable that evening, I did not feel safe. As the child and grandchild of union members who were no strangers to labor strikes, I had seen firsthand what guns were enlisted to do: to silence, to intimidate. I did not send the note as planned because I sobbed in my hotel room later that night, triggered by the imagery, angry that I had not been warned about the presence of armed guards. I didnt want another diplomatic response or bland apology. I wanted answers I knew I would never get.

All this to say, something is still not right. And its clear that a wound is festering not healing. And it is such a shame to see this incredible community space be marred by behind-the-scene politics and a dearth of information. Whatever clarity of communication that should be taking place with the public is not happening. Even the series name, ALOUD, appears to be drenched in irony. It should be retitled HUSHED to better reflect its silencing of dissent and the lack of transparency.

Gonzalez, a professor at Rutgers-Newark, is the author, most recently, of the memoir What Drowns the Flowers in Your Mouth.
As Tesla Inc.s stock price slides, Chief Executive Elon Musk is continuing to play the bad boy, publicly insulting the Securities and Exchange Commission days after agreeing to settle fraud charges with the agency.

On Thursday, Musk tweeted that he just wanted to say the Shortseller Enrichment Commission is doing incredible work. And the name change is so on point!

Over the weekend, Musk and the commission agreed to settle fraud charges that stemmed from the executives loose use of Twitter. Musk agreed to personally pay a $20-million fine, give up his chairmans seat at Tesla and bring two new independent directors onto the electric-car makers board. In addition, Musk agreed to have his public comments about Tesla monitored by the company before putting them out on Twitter or elsewhere.

Just want to that the Shortseller Enrichment Commission is doing incredible work. And the name change is so on point!  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 4, 2018

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The SEC charged Musk with fraud last week over a slew of Aug. 7 tweets, including one in which Musk claimed he had funding secured for a deal to take Tesla private at $420 a share.

One reason for Musks take-private plan was his intense dislike of short sellers, or investors who profit when a stock drops in price and who therefore thrive on negative news for that company. Ultimately, though, he announced that he would not take the company private, and there was no public evidence that hed had a committed financial backer for the plan.

Early on Monday, Musk revived his rakish persona on Twitter, posting the words Naughty by Nature with a smiley face and link to a YouTube video of the hip-hop group Naughty by Natures song O.P.P.

Teslas stock price closed at $310.98 that day, lifted by investors relief about the proposed settlement of the SEC suit. The shares have fallen since then. They closed Thursday at $281.83, down 4.4% for the day.

Also on Thursday, a federal judge ordered the SEC and Tesla to write a joint statement justifying their settlement before she decides whether to approve it.

russ.mitchell@latimes.com

Twitter: @russ1mitchell

UPDATES:

3:55 p.m.: This article was updated with background information about Elon Musks plan to take Tesla private, another of Musks recent tweets, and Teslas stock movement.

This article was originally published at 2:10 p.m.
The U.S. labor market has come a long way in recent years, but one key measure has barely budged  a reflection of lukewarm wage gains as well as broader shifts in the economy.

Multiple-job holders made up 5.1% of the total employed in August, and the share has been hovering around 5% since the expansion began in mid-2009.

Thats despite unemployment having plunged to 3.9%, an almost five-decade low and less than half the level seen in the immediate aftermath of the recession. Monthly hiring gains averaging 207,000 this year are well ahead of the 2017 pace, and the September payrolls report due Friday is projected to reinforce the strong demand for labor amid a shortage of qualified people.

Yet pay gains have been disappointingly moderate and employers have been slow to increase hours and benefits  the primary reason that workers continue to rely on a patchwork of jobs. Economists point out that the data also reflect crosscurrents including the gig economy, educated people opting for the challenge of doing more, or younger workers seeking variety and a work-life balance.

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The labor market is not as equally tight across the country, and the pickup in worker pay hasnt been strong enough, said Ryan Sweet, head of monetary policy research at Moodys Analytics Inc. At the same time, Sweet said, by almost every metric the labor market is really strong, which means theres a lot more opportunity for people.

Typically, a declining share of multiple-job holders would be considered a good sign that more people are transitioning to regular positions with more benefits and better schedules. But the data are probably also capturing something more structural linked to the changing nature of the economy and demographics, said Sweet, who reckons this may help keep the trend fairly stable.

Besides, there are plenty of indications the labor market is tightening. Job openings exceeded the number of unemployed people by the most on record in July. More recently, the tally of part-timers whod prefer a full-time position has fallen to a post-recession low of 4.4 million.

The number of multiple-job holders fell to 7.9 million people in August, following a spike the prior month to a decade-high 8.1 million. Economists point out that the series is typically volatile and hard to parse.

One of them is Komi Assogba, who has been working two jobs for nearly 10 years. Hes a bellhop at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Arlington, Va., and a barista at a Starbucks in Washington. The 58-year-old former chemistry teacher said he quickly needed a way to support his family after moving to the United States from France in 2009 but lacked U.S. certification for education.

I was looking for an opportunity for my kids, Assogba said. They were growing so fast, and I said, why not make the sacrifice for them?

Dylan Williams, 22, a full-time student pursuing a masters degree in public health at George Washington University, earns about $475 a week before taxes from two minimum-wage jobs at a coffee shop and co-working space in the nations capital. That helps him cope with the outrageous cost of living in Washington and save toward his student loan payments, he said.

Sweet said that as labor-market slack dissipates and wages accelerate, there will be less incentive for people to work more than one job. On the other hand, demand for talent may encourage skilled people to take on additional work tailored to their interests and schedules.

The Moodys analyst speaks from personal experience: Sweet, 37, has taught macroeconomics to undergraduates at nearby West Chester University in Pennsylvania one night a week for eight years.

Millennials, who typically prefer to have greater control over their time, may find multiple jobs more appealing, Sweet said. Also in the mix is the gig economy, with more options such as being a driver for a ride-hailing company along with a regular day job.

The picture remains complex, though in recent years there has been evidence that certain groups, such as women, are more likely to take on additional work in a tight labor market, according to Martha Gimbel, director of economic research at jobs-website Indeeds Hiring Lab.

Also, the higher a persons education level, the greater their likelihood of holding more than one job, including in professional and business services, finance, insurance or real estate, Gimbel said.

That goes against stereotypes, she said.

Indeeds data on job searches in the past year still show a desire for full-time, 9-to-5 jobs, Gimbel said. And in a tight labor market, workers are going to have more bargaining power.

Assogba, the bellhop and Starbucks worker, said his children are now grown and pursuing graduate degrees, but he still isnt sure whether hed give up the jobs. He likes staying busy and, more important, the benefits. Starbucks helps pay for employees tuition, and he has submitted his applications for a masters degree in education so he can teach again.

If it works out, he plans to attend classes on Saturdays  his one day off.

Chandra and Foster write for Bloomberg.
It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover
When President Trump imposed tariffs on steel imports in June, Richard Lattanzi thought of dozens of his fellow steelworkers who have for years put off badly needed repairs of their cars and homes.

There was a lot of excitement here; there were a lot of us saying, Its about time someone is looking out for us,  said Lattanzi, the mayor of this town of 7,000 and a safety inspector at the U.S. Steel plant in nearby West Mifflin. A lot of people around here were saying, Were going to be OK. 

Four months later, Lattanzi is less optimistic. Production at U.S. Steels facilities has ramped up, and the company announced this summer that, thanks in part to the tariffs, its profit will surge. But in interviews in recent weeks, Lattanzi and other steelworkers said theyre no longer confident theyll take part in the tariff bounty.

Its been a little like watching the air going out of a balloon, Lattanzi said.

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As he has pressed his steel tariffs, Trump has declared that the industry is being rebuilt overnight. But the question facing the rank-and-file is whether the controversial policy  which has raised the price of inputs for many American companies and alienated allies  will translate into higher wages and better benefits.

While the effect of recent pacts  such as an agreement struck with Canada and Mexico last week to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement  may take years to be fully understood, the steel industry provides a more immediate testing ground.

The initial anticipation of the tariffs, followed by their actual imposition, led the price of the metal to soar. Now, facing less foreign competition, domestic steel companies profits are ballooning. And, crediting Trump, the companies are making plans to open up new steel plants and hire more workers.

The commitment that he has to steel is unprecedented, U.S. Steel Chief Executive David Burritt said in August, after Trump visited a U.S. Steel plant reopening in Granite City, Ill. Hes with us and were going to do everything we can to support him because this is not just good for U.S. Steel. This is great for the United States of America.

Yet the trickle-down effects are far harder to predict. Steel companies, while supportive of the tariffs, have experienced wild gyrations in their business in recent years and cant be certain the lucrative new protections will stick around. So even in this time of sudden prosperity, some analysts say, they must be disciplined with worker pay and benefits.

In southwest Pennsylvania, 15 miles from Pittsburgh, the question is coming to a head because labor contracts governing 31,000 steelworkers at U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal, the largest steel company in the world, expired last month. Workers say the new contracts represent the perfect opportunity for the companies to be more generous with their workers  who had given up raises just a few years ago when times were tough.

Frustrated by the lack of progress in negotiations, about 31,000 steelworkers at the companies voted last month to authorize a strike. Though there were signs Wednesday that they could reach an agreement, if the negotiations break down, it could bring about the industrys first major work stoppage in four decades.

The steel industry was already in a period of renewal when Trump slapped 25% tariffs on steel imports. Trump acted in the name of national security, though he later justified the move as a way to help the steel industry rebuild.

The industry was enjoying gains driven by a strong economy, high demand to fix bridges and infrastructure after several major natural disasters, and an effort by President Obama to limit steel imports from China.

The tariffs sent the price of steel surging more than 33%.

We have a strong U.S. exposure; clearly we are a net beneficiary of the trade actions, Aditya Mittal, chief financial officer of ArcelorMittal, said in August, according to Bloomberg News. Its great to see the two things come together, the improvements we have made as a company as well as the improvements in the market.

Trump has repeatedly cited the gains as one of the biggest upsides of his trade policy. After he visited the Granite City plant, video circulated of a steelworker being brought to tears by news of the plants expansion.

The hot-strip mill at the U.S. Steel Granite City Works facility. (Jeff Roberson / AP)

Trump has supercharged [the sector] with broad-based tariffs, said Phil Gibbs, a steel industry analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

But while the tariff boon might provide new opportunities for jobs and boost corporate bottom lines, whether it can overcome longer-term factors affecting the livelihoods of steelworkers remains to be seen.

Any reasonable observer who just goes on the economic facts will say: This will not last forever,  said Steven Kyle, an economics professor at Cornell University. The tariff will temporarily make them more profitable. But we all know it could end at any time.

Those longer-term trends help explain why, even during one of the best periods for the steel industry in recent memory, the negotiations between organized labor and steel companies here grew tense.

In its latest offer, U.S. Steel said it would give workers an immediate raise of 4%, followed by 3% annual raises later on. By the usual standards, that would be a good deal.

But at the same time, the company said it is wrestling with soaring healthcare costs in the long run. The company said that its healthcare costs are projected to rise to $20,000 per employee by 2019 and that it needs to start asking workers to absorb some of those  namely by paying $145 per month for healthcare. Workers havent paid premiums in the past.

The proposal represents an incredible value under the companys current proposal, said Meghan Cox, a company spokeswoman.

But to the union, it was an upsetting plan. It would reduce the overall wage increase to just about 1.7% over nine years.

We have done so much for this company, and now they have the audacity to bring before us all these concessions when they are projected to profit $2 billion this year alone, said Michael P. Young, a maintenance technician at a U.S. Steel plant in Portage, Ind., and a survivor of colon cancer. I want the company to leave my healthcare alone.

Young and others were particularly furious because the work they do can be perilous to their health. Young ticked through the toxic substances he is exposed to while manning the production line, such as hydrochloric, sulfuric and chromic acids, as well as tin, zinc and kinds of chromium used to plate metal objects.

The bargain has always been that we work in very dirty, very dangerous, very unhealthy places, and in exchange we get good, quality health insurance at affordable prices, said Cliff Tobey, who helps mine for iron ore at U.S. Steels facility in Hibbing, Minn.

Its not clear how much leverage the workers will have. While at least temporarily protected from foreign competition, U.S. Steel is facing increased domestic competition from steel shops without unions.

The percentage of steelworkers who are in a union fell from 36% in 2000 to 24% in 2017, according to the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. Union steel jobs pay more than 10% more than nonunion jobs, according to the institute.

Gibbs, of KeyBanc Capital Markets, says U.S. Steel also needs to invest in upgrading its plants and facilities  adding new technologies that require fewer workers.

But many workers dont see why they shouldnt share more in an economic upswing. In 2015, when prices were sloping steadily downward, U.S. Steel executives declared extreme economic times and urged the union to freeze worker pay. Members agreed.

Jim Borkowski, a father of two, frequently works 16-hour double shifts in very high temperatures at the U.S. Steel plant in Clairton, overseeing oven batteries that screech and wheeze so loudly he wears both earplugs and earmuffs.

Ownership got a huge tax cut, and the tariffs are lining their pockets, said Borkowski, 33, still gleaming with sweat in his orange flame-retardant pants. We are ready to get our fair share.

The coming months could provide a strong indication of whether workers like Borkowski will be satisfied. The steelworkers union said Wednesday that it had seen significant progress in negotiations with U.S. Steel.

Were still negotiating for a fair contract, said Lattanzi, the Clairton mayor and steelworker.

Stein writes for the Washington Post.
If your Vizio television spied on you over the last several years, you could receive a payout of $1.12  or perhaps as much as $31  under the terms of a proposed settlement of a consumer lawsuit against the Irvine TV manufacturer.

The case stems from a 2015 report by ProPublica that found the companys smart TVs tracked customers viewing habits and shared that data with advertisers. Since then, Vizio has faced several lawsuits, including one that the company settled for $2.2 million with the Federal Trade Commission in February 2017.

The $1.12 payout under the latest litigation is based on the assumption that all 16 million affected consumers will apply for a claim from a $10-million settlement fund, a conservative estimate of the amount that would be left over after fees and expenses.

The lawyers representing Vizio customers said in court documents, however, that a more realistic assumption is that 5% of the class files a claim. That would mean each person receives $13, while court documents pegged the payout as high as $31.

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The attorneys are seeking a total monetary settlement of $17 million, with the named plaintiffs receiving $5,000. The two California law firms that handled the case can seek up to 25% of the total settlement value  the $17 million, as well as an additional, still-undetermined sum.

The settlement would resolve a federal lawsuit seeking class-action status that was filed against Vizio in December 2016 in Santa Ana. It alleged that the company collected and shared viewing data from Vizio smart TVs without consumers consent or knowledge.

As part of the settlement, Vizio said it has stopped tracking viewer data unless the customer opts in and will delete any of the remaining data it collected.

The proposed settlement must still be approved by the court along with the cases class-action status. Vizio said in a statement that it has agreed to resolve claims relating to its pre-2017 data practices, with the goal of resolving all outstanding lawsuits. The company said that it enacted clear, prominent and explicit viewing data disclosures early last year.

The settlement values the data collected about each Vizio customer at 62 cents in the unlikely case that all of them apply for compensation. The lawyers described the per-person settlement figures as highly favorable based on estimates from a hired expert that average damages for actual harm from gathering and sharing viewing data is 78 cents to $4.76.

Court documents also listed other, similar consumer privacy cases in which the number of claimants was so high that the courts determined that the tiny amount of compensation could not feasibly be distributed to class members.

Affected individuals do not need to submit a receipt as part of a claim, and can choose to receive payment via check or through an electronic payment system such as PayPal.

A 45-second notice of the settlement will be broadcast to 6 million Vizio smart TVs purchased by affected consumers. The notice, which will include the settlement website in the center of the screen and in large font, will appear on the screen three times, most likely when the TV is turned on, according to the proposed settlement. Nine million potential class members will also receive an email about the settlement.

The February 2017 FTC lawsuit similarly alleged that the company was gathering and selling data on consumers locations, demographics and viewing habits.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

Twitter: @smasunaga

UPDATES:

2:40 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from Vizio.

This article was originally published at 1:45 p.m.
Wine exporters in California and other states will get equal treatment for their bottles on the grocery shelves of Canadas westernmost province under the terms of the renegotiated United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

The California-dominated wine industry has spent four years fighting a policy allowing grocery stores in British Columbia to favor domestically produced wine over imports.

In a side letter that was part of the new trade agreement announced last weekend, the Canadian government agreed to end that policy by next year, and the U.S. said it would halt its complaint before the World Trade Organization.

The U.S. exported $1.5 billion in wine last year, 97% of it from California. Canada was the biggest single-country destination, buying $444 million worth last year, second only to the 28-member European Union, which purchased $553 million in U.S. wine, according to the Wine Institute, a San Francisco-based association representing California winemakers.

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MORE: Trump calls revamped NAFTA a new model for U.S. trade relations, but others see it as just an update 

Canada has gradually been relaxing its policies on alcohol sales, allowing wine to move onto grocery shelves. But as in the U.S., Canadian provinces can set their own sales policies.

British Columbia opted for a local-only approach, effectively segregating U.S. bottles to a store within a store at 29 grocery outlets licensed to sell alcoholic beverages.

Grocery sales are by far the biggest market drivers in retail wine, so the move has been welcomed in Californias wine region, said Charles Jefferson, vice president of federal and international public policy for the Wine Institute.

Still, the new pact does not alter discriminatory sales practices in Ontario, a market four times the size of British Columbias. Those practices predate the original North American Free Trade Agreement and were left intact both in that accord and the new agreement.

In addition, the new agreement allows Quebec to limit sales to wines bottled in the province, according to the draft of the accord released Monday.

Ottawas concession on British Columbia policy could be a wedge to pry open markets in larger provinces, particularly Ontario, which is set to expand wine sales to convenience stores, Jefferson said.

We think it sends a clear message to other provinces that discriminatory policies are not the way to go, Jefferson said.

Reaction from Canada was less enthusiastic. Miles Prodan, head of British Columbias Wine Institute, told the Vancouver Sun that the majority of the 29 retail licenses at grocery stores are grandfathered and wont have to comply with the new regulations.

The new trilateral deal among the U.S., Canada and Mexico rejiggers NAFTA to include more protection for the U.S. auto industry, additional protections for intellectual property rights and wider access to the highly controlled Canadian dairy sector. It will have to be ratified by all three countries. Congress probably wont act until next year, after midterm elections that could shift one or more branches toward Democrats.

geoffrey.mohan@latimes.com

Follow me: @LATgeoffmohan
In a speech highly critical of Chinas behavior around the world, Vice President Mike Pence laid out an increasingly confrontational approach to Beijing, signaling tougher actions to come to combat what President Trump sees as a threat to the American economy and his political authority.

Pence ripped into China for what he described as military aggression in the region, debt diplomacy abroad and religious oppression at home. Speaking at the conservative think tank Hudson Institute, he repeated the presidents recent accusation that Beijing is attempting to influence the U.S. midterm election to undermine Trumps leadership and American democracy.

China has initiated an unprecedented effort to influence American public opinion, the 2018 elections and the environment leading into the 2020 presidential elections, Pence asserted.

The vice president suggested the Chinese election-meddling campaign was worse than Russian activities, even though theres been no evidence that China has undertaken anything like the Russian hacking and propagating of stolen information to disrupt the 2016 presidential election.

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Pences speech comes amid an escalating trade conflict between the worlds two largest economies and just days after a U.S. naval ship nearly collided with a Chinese military vessel in the waters around the disputed islands in the South China Sea.

Relations between the United States and China are already at the lowest level in years, and the vice presidents remarks could stiffen Beijings resolve and reinforce the long-held thinking on the part of Chinese leaders that the United States is intent on containing Chinas rise.

Trump, without providing specifics, said last week at the United Nations that China was trying to interfere with the U.S. election. They do not want me or us to win because I am the first president ever to challenge China on trade, he said.

Pence on Thursday cited as evidence Beijings counter-tariffs targeted at American farmers and states that Trump had won, as well as a four-page ad by the state-run China Daily in the Des Moines Register. He pointed to a recent Chinese government notice to exploit potential divisions in U.S. domestic affairs. And Pence said a senior intelligence official had told him last week that what the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what China is doing across this country.

But directing tariffs at farmers and politically sensitive parts of America is a time-worn practice in trade conflicts; the European Union and Canada also have slapped retaliatory duties on U.S. farm goods and products like bourbon and Harley Davidson motorcycles that are produced in the home states of senior lawmakers. Buying ads in American newspapers to air political opinions is commonplace, although an arm of the U.S. could hardly do the same in Chinas tightly controlled media.

Many of these things are China trying to get its points across. And for some, its interference in the U.S. politics. But for others its simply China stating its views, said David Bachman, a China scholar at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Pence described the Chinese actions as a comprehensive and coordinated campaign, saying that Beijing is employing a whole-of-government approach, using political, economic and military tools, as well as propaganda, to advance its influence and benefit its interests in the United States.

Bachman said it appeared that Pences speech was foreshadowing a whole-of-government response from the United States, so it looks like the relationship is going to continue to deteriorate.

Chinese officials have denied that the government interferes in the domestic politics of other nations. At the same time, their lobbying and financial dealings abroad also have raised concerns about Chinas power and influence in Australia and some other countries.

In many ways, Pences 40-minute speech encapsulated the administrations hard-line stance on China following reports from various agencies  economic, military and intelligence  that collectively have identified China as an adversary like Russia.

Many in Congress and the broader U.S. policy and business communities also have become more wary of China in recent years as Chinese President Xi Jinping has clamped down on dissent and pursued more muscular nationalistic policies at home and abroad. And while many also agree that tougher American action is needed, Trumps oft-stated praise for Xi and Trumps haphazard and unpredictable moves have left many questioning his administrations strategy.

Derek Scissors, a China scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said he heard nothing new in Pences speech but nonetheless regarded it as an important signal: I take this as a warning of more actions to come, he said, adding that they are likely to be both economic and non-economic.

Up to now, much of Trumps focus on China has been on trade. He has slapped tariffs on about $250 billion of Chinese imports and is threatening to double that amount, to force Beijing to open up markets and halt unfair policies such as requiring foreign firms to hand over technologies to have access to Chinese markets.

Pences speech hinted that there could be further restrictions not only on Chinese trade and investments, but possibly Chinese individuals and groups.

Look no further than the Chinese Students and Scholars Assns., of which there are more than 150 branches across American campuses, he said. These groups help organize social events for some of the more than 430,000 Chinese nationals studying in the United States; they also alert Chinese consulates and embassies when Chinese students, and American schools, stray from the Communist Party line.

There have been recent reports that the administration may be looking at Chinese groups and scholars to register as foreign agents, and has even considered banning Chinese foreign students.

Asked about such measures, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, told National Public Radio: I think if this is true, I think that this is a very dangerous situation because so many Chinese students are studying here and a growing number of American students are studying in China.

Of the increasingly fraught relations between the two countries generally, Cui said: I think between any two countries, maybe especially between China and the United States, there is a certain degree of competition.

This is only natural, he added. But theres also a much larger need for cooperation. We have to cooperate whether we like it or not. This is a growing mutual need and a common interest.

Pence, in his speech, said the United States wanted a constructive relationship with Beijing, and urged Chinese leaders to change course toward reform and opening.

But in closing, he said, reciting Trumps credo, that we will not relent unless our relationship with China is founded on fairness, reciprocity and respect for our sovereignty.

The latest from Washington 

More stories from Don Lee 

don.lee@latimes.com

Follow me at @dleelatimes
China secretly inserted surveillance microchips into servers used by major technology companies, including Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., in an audacious military operation likely to further inflame trade tensions between the United States and its leading source of electronics components and products, Bloomberg Businessweek reported Thursday morning.

The article detailed a sweeping, years-long effort to install the surveillance chips in servers whose motherboards  the brains of the powerful computers  were assembled in China. The servers of one affected company were used by U.S. government clients, including Department of Defense data centers, Navy warships and CIA drone operations.

The extent of the data China collected from the surveillance chips was not clear from the report, and no consumer information was known to have been stolen, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. But it said a top-secret U.S. government investigation, dating from 2015 and involving the FBI, remains open.

The story cited 17 unnamed sources, including industry insiders and current and former U.S. officials. The Chinese government, Apple, Amazon and other involved companies disputed the report to Bloomberg Businessweek, and the FBI and U.S. intelligence officials declined to comment.

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One U.S. official told the Washington Post Thursday morning that the thrust of Bloomberg Businessweeks reporting was accurate. This person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss matters not approved for public release.

The revelations came just hours before Vice President Mike Pence was to deliver a stinging rebuke of China in a speech at the Hudson Institute in Washington. Pence was expected to criticize what the Trump administrations sees as Chinas increasingly aggressive behavior, including allegations by President Trump last week that the country is meddling in the U.S. midterm election.

The United States and China are locked in a bitter trade war, with tariffs on huge amounts of each others products.

The reported manipulation of electronics supply chains to U.S. companies are certain to sharpen long-standing questions about the crucial but uneasy relationship between the worlds two leading economies. American companies design and sell leading technology products, such as servers, laptop computers and smartphones, which are built and assembled largely in China.

U.S. officials long have worried about the potential for altered microchips or other components to be secretly inserted into products and shipped to the United States and elsewhere, opening doors to long-term spying on computer users and their information networks.

Surveillance through altered hardware is more difficult to execute than more familiar hacks to software, but the results can be harder to remedy because the components must be detected and physically removed, or use of the hardware must be stopped. The surveillance microchips reportedly could have connected to outside computers and secretly downloaded software to bypass security protections  such as passwords or encryption keys  stored elsewhere on the affected servers, enabling remote computerized spying.

The operation, which Bloomberg Businessweek attributed to a Chinese military unit that specializes in hacking hardware, worked by inserting a tiny, innocuous-looking microchip onto motherboards in servers produced by Super Micro Computer Inc., a leading supplier of such equipment, based in San Jose. The company is American but the motherboards were assembled mainly in China.

Apple and Amazon both discovered the surveillance chips in 2015 and took steps to replace the affected servers, according to the report, which described close cooperation between U.S. investigators and affected companies. The report said dozens of companies may have used sabotaged servers in their data centers before the Chinese operation was detected.

On Thursday morning, Apple referred the Washington Post to its statement in the Bloomberg Businessweek story alleging that the reporting was inaccurate. Apple has never found malicious chips, hardware manipulations or vulnerabilities purposely planted in any server, the statement said. Apple never had any contact with the FBI or any other agency about such an incident. We are not aware of any investigation by the FBI, nor are our contacts in law enforcement.

The report also quoted denial of the reporting by Amazon Web Services, a cloud-services subsidiary of Amazon, which in 2015 acquired a company, Elemental, whose servers reportedly were affected by the Chinese operation. (The Washington Post is owned by Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos.)

Its untrue that AWS knew about a supply chain compromise, an issue with malicious chips, or hardware modifications when acquiring Elemental, the Amazon statement said. Its also untrue that AWS knew about servers containing malicious chips or modifications in data centers based in China, or that AWS worked with the FBI to investigate or provide data about malicious hardware.

Super Micro said in its statement, We are not aware of any investigation regarding this topic nor have we been contacted by any government agency in this regard.

Timberg, Nakashima and Shaban write for the Washington Post.

UPDATES:

11:25 a.m.: This article has been updated with a link to the denials by Apple, Amazon, other companies and the Chinese government.

This article was originally published at 7:25 a.m.
The MacArthur Foundation announced its 2018 fellows on Thursday, and this years class of 25 awardees is a particularly diverse group, with a strong representation of female scientists and social justice thinkers as well as arts and culture innovators with California connections.

Theres the Pasadena-based neuroscientist Doris Tsao, whos using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)s, mathematical modeling and cell tracking to explore new scientific insights into how humans recognize faces. Theres the composer-conductor-pianist Matthew Aucoin, whose instrumental piece, Finery Forge (2017), brings the process of refining metal to life on two grand pianos. And theres the Echo Park-based violinist and social justice advocate Vijay Gupta, whose Street Symphony performs live concerts for L.A.s homeless community in downtowns skid row.

In some ways this is a more eclectic class than in past years, said Cecilia Conrad, a managing director at the MacArthur Foundation, because theyre operating from so many different fields of endeavor and so many different topics and coming at issues from different angles.

Diversity, Conrad said, helps to magnify the inspirational effects of the fellows program.

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This years crop of fellows includes 14 women, 10 men and a transgender filmmaker whose ages range from 28-60. Two of them are Native American, five are African American, two are Latinx, five are of Asian descent. They come from all over the U.S., with four born outside the country.

I think I shouted expletives at the committee for the first minute of the phone call because I was in utter disbelief. Vijay Gupta

The highly respected, five-year MacArthur grants  often referred to as genius grants  are given to individuals whom the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation feel show exceptional creativity in their work and the prospect for still more in the future. Recipients  who come from fields spanning science, law, education, the arts and other areas  are awarded $625,000 each, a no-strings-attached stipend meant to free them up to pursue new creative and intellectual endeavors.

Arts innovators

Gupta, a violinist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, said he was in total shock when the call came on his cellphone as he was pulling into the parking structure at Disney Hall for a rehearsal. I think I shouted expletives at the committee for the first minute of the phone call, he says, because I was in utter disbelief. It was the wildest, possible dream.

Gupta joined the L.A. Phil in 2007 when he was just 19 years old. Shortly after, he began giving violin lessons to homeless cello prodigy Nathaniel Ayers, who had been the subject of a Los Angeles Times piece  and subsequent book-turned-movie, The Soloist  by Times columnist Steve Lopez. The experience inspired Gupta not only to play music for the skid row community but to co-found, in 2011, the nonprofit Street Symphony, which offers music workshops and performs concerts at homeless shelters, county jails, treatment centers and other facilities helping incarcerated and homeless communities.

Were not only in these places to perform, but to build community, Gupta says. The role of the artist in todays world is not only to heal and inspire, but to disrupt and provoke. One of the patterns that Street Symphony is disrupting and asking questions around is why should great art only happen at the concert hall?

The MacArthur Foundation chose Gupta, 31, for providing musical enrichment and valuable human connection to the homeless, incarcerated, and other under-resourced communities in Los Angeles.

Time is the most precious resource for a composer  music is literally made of time and this will allow me to write the music I need to write. Matthew Aucoin

Aucoin, 28, is the Los Angeles Operas very first artist-in-residence  a three year position in which hes both composing and conducting  and hes also the co-artistic director of the roving American Modern Opera Company. He describes his music as explosively tonal and says his operas illustrate multiple layers of consciousness. His 2015 opera Crossing was based on Walt Whitmans Civil War-era diary entries; his 2015 futuristic chamber opera, Second Nature, is a dystopian fairy tale aimed at young audiences and explores the effects of pollution and climate change.

During its 2019-20 season, the L.A. Opera will stage the world premiere of Aucoins Eurydice, a co-commission with New Yorks Metropolitan Opera. Its based on a play of the same name by Sarah Ruhl and is a retelling of the myth of Orpheus.

That the foundation named Aucoin a fellow for expanding the potential of vocal and orchestral music to convey emotional, dramatic, and literary meaning, is a gift of time, he said. Time is the most precious resource for a composer  music is literally made of time and this will allow me to write the music I need to write, he said. Aucoin is the second member of L.A.'s opera world to win a Macarthur recently. Unconventional opera creator Yuval Sharon received a grant in 2017.

Aucoin said he plans to give some of the grant money away. Im a big fan of the Against Malaria Foundation, he said. I tend to think for as long as there are people starving anywhere, then we non-starving artists should be low on the totem pole.

The visionary

Tsao, 42, was born in the Chinese city of Changzhou and grew up in College Park, Maryland. Since 2009, shes been a biology professor at the California Institute of Technology, where her research has focused on uncovering the fundamental neural principles that underlie one of the primate brains most astonishing capabilities: perception of the visual world, according to the MacArthur Foundation.

Were trying to understand how electrical activity in the brain creates our perception of the visual world, Tsao said. Because the brain is who we are. I feel like its the biggest question in science  how does the brain actually work?  and so much of our brain is dedicated to vision.

The end goal of her research could lead to advances in the way we see.

I think it could lead to new technology for artificial vision, she said, and with a better understanding of the principals that the brain uses, it could lead to cure diseases.

Tsao said the MacArthur grant, is less a recognition of me, personally, and more of the field of neuroscience and its huge potential -- and I want more people to be aware of it.

Social justice fighters

The MacArthur Foundation doesnt seek out fellows from particular professions or creative disciplines  awardees are nominated by outside individuals invited to participate in the selection process  but sometimes a class of fellows reflects the culture of the country at the time. This years group includes several individuals working on challenges facing marginalized communities.

I think creativity tends to be drawn to things that seem to be important at any moment in time, said the foundations Conrad. And so if our nominators are telling us heres where some really exciting creative things are happening, it may not be surprising that there ends up being spaces where thats more true.

In the social justice realm, in addition to Gupta, San Jose-based community organizer Raj Jayadev, who graduated from UCLA, is blending community organizing principles and criminal justice reform toward developing a new model of participatory defense in indigent defense cases.

Accomplished female scientists are also well represented. In addition to Tsao, Sarah Stewart, a Davis, Cal., planetary scientist who received her PhD from the California Institute of Technology, has come up with a new explanation for how the moon was formed.

Several other fellows have SoCal connections. New York Playwright Dominique Morisseau wrote the book for the musical Aint Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations, which recently ended a run at the Ahmanson Theatre, and shes written for the Showtime series Shameless. New York computer scientist Deborah Estrin is an L.A. native who taught for many years at USC and UCLA. New York filmmaker and performance artist Wu Tsang received an MFA from UCLA. And Cambridge, Mass., media scholar Lisa Parks was a professor in the Film and Media Studies department at UC Santa Barbara from 1998 and 2016 and has been a visiting professor at USC.

Diversity, in all its myriad forms, has long been important to the MacArthur Foundation, Conrad said. The award is meant to reflect the breadth and depth of American creativity.

Heres the full list of the MacArthur Foundations 2018 fellows:

Matthew Aucoin Composer and conductor, New York, expanding the potential of vocal and orchestral music to convey emotional, dramatic and literary meaning.

Julie Ault Artist and curator, New York, redefining the role of the artwork and the artist by melding artistic, curatorial, archival, editorial and activist practices into a new form of cultural production.

William J. Barber II Pastor and social justice advocate, Goldsboro, N.C., building broad-based fusion coalitions as part of a moral movement to confront racial and economic inequality.

Clifford Brangwynne Biophysical engineer, Princeton, N.J., using the principles of soft matter physics and cell biology to illuminate novel mechanisms of cellular compartmentalization that drive biological development.

Natalie Diaz Poet, Tempe, Ariz., drawing on her experience as a Mojave American and Latina to challenge the mythological and cultural touchstones underlying American society.

Livia S. Eberlin Analytical chemist, Austin, developing mass spectrometry-based methods to differentiate more quickly and accurately diseased from healthy tissues during surgery.

Deborah Estrin Computer scientist, New York, designing open-source platforms that leverage mobile devices and data to address socio-technological challenges such as personal health management.

Amy Finkelstein Health economist, Cambridge, Mass., formulating robust empirical methods to illuminate the hidden complexities of healthcare policy and provide data-driven guidance for future innovations in theory and practice.

Gregg Gonsalves Epidemiologist and global health advocate, New Haven, Conn., working at the intersection of human rights and public health research and practice to address inequities in global health.

Vijay Gupta Violinist and social justice advocate, Los Angeles, providing musical enrichment and valuable human connection to the homeless, incarcerated and other under-resourced communities in Los Angeles.

Becca Heller Human rights lawyer, New York, mobilizing the resources of law schools and law firms to defend the rights of refugees and improve protection outcomes for many of the worlds most at-risk populations.

Raj Jayadev Community organizer, San Jose, creating a model of grassroots collective action that enables individuals facing incarceration, their families and their communities to play an active role in their defense.

Titus Kaphar Painter, New Haven, Conn., highlighting the lack of representation of people of color in the canon of Western art with works that deconstruct the literal and visual structure of the artwork.

John Keene Writer, Newark, N.J., exploring the impact of historical narratives on contemporary lives and re-imagining the history of the Americas from the perspective of suppressed voices.

Kelly Link Fiction writer, Northampton, Mass., pushing the boundaries of literary fiction in works that combine the surreal and fantastical with the concerns and emotional realism of contemporary life.

Dominique Morisseau Playwright, New York, examining the intersection of choice and circumstance in works that portray individuals and communities grappling with economic and social changes.

Okwui Okpokwasili Choreographer and performer, New York, making visible the interior lives of women whose stories of resistance and resilience have been left out of dominant cultural narratives.

Kristina Olson Psychologist, Seattle, advancing the scientific understanding of gender and shedding light on the social and cognitive development of transgender and gender-nonconforming youth.

Lisa Parks Media scholar, Cambridge, Mass., exploring the global reach of information technology infrastructures and the cultural, political and humanitarian implications of the flow of information.

Rebecca Sandefur Sociologist and legal scholar, Urbana, Ill., promoting a new, evidence-based approach to increasing access to civil justice for low-income communities.

Allan Sly Mathematician, Princeton, N.J., applying probability theory to resolve long-standing problems in statistical physics and computer science.

Sarah T. Stewart Planetary scientist, Davis, Calif., advancing new theories of how celestial collisions give birth to planets and their natural satellites, such as the Earth and moon.

Wu Tsang Filmmaker and performance artist, New York, creating new conceptual and visual vocabularies for exploring hidden histories and marginalized narratives in works that collapse the boundaries between documentary and fiction.

Doris Tsao Neuroscientist, Pasadena, uncovering the fundamental neural principles that underlie one of the primate brains most astonishing capabilities: perception of the visual world.

Ken Ward Jr. Investigative journalist, Charleston, W.Va., revealing the human and environmental toll of natural resource extraction in West Virginia and spurring greater accountability among public and private stakeholders.

deborah.vankin@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @debvankin

UPDATES:

9:25 a.m.: This article has been updated with the full list of winners and background information about them.

This article was originally published at 9:05 a.m.
Theres not enough loving in the broad and glossy Pablo Escobar biopic Loving Pablo to justify that title, even though it is based on the memoir Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar by the notorious Medellin Cartel boss onetime mistress, Colombian journalist Virginia Vallejo.

Tolerating Pablo might have better suited this unremarkable picture in which the wealthiest criminal of all times reported charisma takes a back seat to his badness in Javier Bardems rapacious, at times erratic portrayal, one thats not helped by a funky (if perhaps accurate) hairdo, showy prosthetic paunch and unconvincing stabs at warmth.

The film, directed and scripted by Fernando Leon de Aranoa, is set apart from such other Escobar projects as Netflixs Narcos in that its largely told, with the help of clunky voice-over narrative, from the viewpoint of Vallejo (a decked-out Mrs. Bardem, Penelope Cruz) and her romance-gone-wrong with Escobar.

The action, set between 1981 and the drug lords 1993 death at the hands of Colombian National Police, hits key points in Escobars reign of terror, including the cash-and-cocaine-crazy heyday of his omnipotent cartel, a fraught stint in politics, threats of extradition to the U.S. and his messy downfall, all punctuated with its share of look-away violence (that attack dog scene  yikes!).

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Peter Sarsgaard is ill-used as a Drug Enforcement Administration agent trailing Escobar.

-------------

Loving Pablo

MPAA Rating: R, for strong violent content, some sexuality, language and drug use.

Running time: 2 hours, 3 minutes.

In English and Spanish with English subtitles.

Playing: AMC Sunset 5, West Hollywood. Also on VOD
The first thing you see in Private Life, Tamara Jenkins brittle, tender and superbly acted new movie, is a husband jabbing a syringe into his wifes rear end, administering a hormone to stimulate egg production. Rachel and Richard Grimes (a beautifully matched Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti) are trying to conceive a child through in vitro fertilization, and the recurring image of a needle piercing flesh serves as both a comic motif and a poignant metaphor. But its also no big deal, just one more small, stinging reminder of the steadfast devotion that love, marriage and family require.

For Rachel and Richard, it requires not just a lot of poking and prodding, but also the indignity of having their emotions, their neuroses and their bodily functions held up for a movie audiences intimate scrutiny. Intimacy, of course, is one of the reasons we go to the movies, and Hahn and Giamatti allow nary a hint of self-consciousness to cloud their pitch-perfect, vanity-flouting performances. They take their cues from Jenkins, who based the story on her own experiences starting a family with her husband (the screenwriter Jim Taylor), and who probes her characters and her own personal experience with ruthless dexterity and limitless compassion.

The humor and heartache of sticking with family through tough periods of transition has long been Jenkins sweet spot as a writer and director, as seen in her earlier comedies, Slums of Beverly Hills (1998) and the Oscar-nominated The Savages (2007). Given the decade-long gaps between features, which speaks to everyday industry sexism but also to the unusual care with which Jenkins finds her stories and subjects, its fitting that her new movie  a Netflix production and a highlight of this years Sundance, Toronto and New York film festivals  is very much about the agony of waiting.

Richard and Rachel, writers who live in a rent-stabilized East Village apartment crowded with books, paintings and two large dogs, have been trying to have a child for a while. Their experiences can be summed up in a log line  theyre desperate, theyre in their 40s, theyve tried everything  but Jenkins constructs an entire narrative from little exchanges, reveries, complications and setbacks. With a mix of concentration and expansiveness that can take your breath away, she unpacks exactly what theyve tried everything means.

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Five female directors, many stories: A conversation on filmmaking, Netflix and more 

Kathryn Hahn, left, Kayli Carter and Paul Giamatti in a scene from Private Life. (Netflix)

It means discussing the logistics of sperm counts and egg retrievals with their doctor (a good-humored Denis OHare, who tends to pop up with a speculum in hand). It also means venturing down a different avenue at a meeting with an adoption agency, during which the Grimeses smilingly position themselves as ideal parents and pray that the agency rep (Siobhan Fallon Hogan) isnt judging them by the erotica hanging in their living room. A particularly painful flashback, in which Rachel and Richard are briefly matched with a birth mother, goes from joyous to wrenching in a heartbeat.

Conception and family planning typically occupy a weird zone between the personal and the universal, but Rachel and Richards long-term struggles have yanked away any semblance of privacy. It isnt just adoption agencies and fertility specialists putting their bodies and minds under a microscope. Even when talking to their friends and relatives  including Richards brother, Charlie (John Carroll Lynch), who lends them money for their IVF procedures, and his less supportive wife, Cynthia (Molly Shannon)  they register the emotional cost of every strained smile, the exhaustion of having to explain, with sheepish regret, that theyre giving the fertility stuff yet another try.

But Private Life advances to another level of empathy, enriching its emotions and deepening its family ties, when Rachel and Richard decide to ask a loved one for help. They have an especially close relationship with Charlie and Cynthias daughter Sadie (a flat-out terrific Kayli Carter), a smart, vivacious 25-year-old whos struggling through school and trying to figure out her own steps toward a writing career. She crashes with her aunt and uncle for a spell that stretches on for weeks when they ask her  and she agrees  to be their egg donor. (One key detail the movie takes pains to emphasize: Sadie and Richard are not related by blood.)

The challenge of preparing for another IVF procedure, now as a trio rather than a duo, brings Rachel, Richard and their niece together as little else could  before long, Sadie is getting those hormone injections too  even as it throws their generation gap into startling relief. The impulsiveness with which Sadie agrees to give her loved ones the gift of life, as she notes with heartwarming sincerity, turns out to be a mixed blessing. Giving her aunt and uncle an early taste of parenthood, Sadie can be both thoughtful and thoughtless, hard-working and irresponsible, and prone to saying the first thing that pops into her head  as she does, disastrously, at a Thanksgiving dinner where everything is yanked out into the open.

Its become a cliche to praise a filmmaker for loving their characters, but [Tamara] Jenkins affection is overpowering.

Molly Shannon in a scene from Private Life. (Jojo Whilden / Netflix)

Like her contemporary Nicole Holofcener, Jenkins has an unusually perceptive ear for the language of resentment and pettiness that often powers even the closest relationships. A separate and equally compelling movie could be made entirely about the tetchy dynamic between Sadie and Cynthia, whom Shannon shapes into a richly sympathetic study in maternal ferocity and midlife disappointment; at one point she distills what feels like a lifetimes worth of regrets and compromises into one quivering, wordless closeup.

But Private Life never lets itself bog down in tears. Whats wonderful about that Thanksgiving dinner is that even as Jenkins brings out the angst, her inner comic strategist remains hard at work, building sly jokes into the edge of the frame; she has a talent for rendering comedy and tragedy virtually indistinguishable. Its become a cliche to praise a filmmaker for loving their characters, but Jenkins affection is overpowering  evident in the care with which she phrases their dialogue and also in the warm, caressing light with which she floods the Grimeses domestic disarray.

Her script understands the familiar grooves into which longtime spouses can lapse, the new ways in which life manages to deal out the same disappointments. If human biology is cyclical, then so, too, is human failure. Richard and Rachel pick at each others wounds with practiced skill, and also with the eloquence of people who love words as much as they do each other. But while Rachel is more apt to explode in anger, its Richard, ostensibly the more patient one, who is more apt to assign blame, whether hes dinging Rachel for prioritizing career over motherhood or complaining about their (unsurprisingly) nonexistent sex life.

With Private Life, Tamara Jenkins takes on marriage, female biology and movie manspreading 

Director Tamara Jenkins and actor Paul Giamatti on the set of Private Life. (Seacia Pavao / Netflix)

It can be startling when Giamatti gives his characters over to their long pent-up rage; theres a moment here, in a clinic waiting room crowded with other aspiring parents, that rivals the actors spit-bucket meltdown in Sideways. But its no surprise that hes been called on, not for the first time, to embody a stabilizing force. Hes the weathered rock, the shlubby cushion, the one who holds and steadies Rachels hand through an ordeal that is, the movie rightly notes, hardest of all on her.

In some ways, the endless stream of medical procedures is the least of Rachels worries. Whether shes furiously scrubbing the bathtub or railing at the sexist cover treatment for her latest manuscript, she can barely contain her rage at the social and biological imperatives that have made work, marriage and family a uniquely tricky proposition for women.

But while Hahn expertly navigates her characters wildly fluctuating moods and rattles off expletives with glee, her strongest moments are her quietest  the ones where you see her retreat into silence and register her anger, her anxiety or, in the piercing final scene, her tremulous hopefulness. The gift of life may elude Richard and Rachel and countless other couples like them, but it courses through every moment of this movie.

------------

Private Life

Rating: R, for strong sexual content, some graphic nudity and language

Running time: 2 hours, 3 minutes

Playing: Landmarks Regent Theatre, West Los Angeles, and streaming on Netflix

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

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justin.chang@latimes.com

@JustinCChang
What a pleasure it is to watch a pair of acting pros like Angelica Huston and Bill Pullman, both in tip-top form, duke it out as embattled siblings in the pithily titled Trouble. Its a film that begins as a raucous rural comedy and deftly evolves into a poignant and reflective, yet still wryly amusing, story of what becomes of a family.

Writer-director Teresa Rebeck, a longtime film and TV writer and much-produced playwright (Seminar, Spike Heels), enjoyably showcases her distinctive bent for authentic characters, clever dialogue and bold emotion. She spins out an involving tale as Ben (Pullman) decides hes entitled to the Vermont family farm that sister Maggie (Huston) has occupied ever since he sold his share to her and her now-late husband many years ago.

That Ben, a rash, unmade bed of a guy whos holed up in a dumpy trailer, has no real legal leg to stand on doesnt stop him from showing up with a backhoe one morning to noisily stake his claim. Although he has a plan to sell out to real estate developers, Ben has long wanted to build his own house on this woodsy land where he and Maggie grew up.

A rowdy battle ensues involving an unapologetic gunshot, dubious documents, unpaid taxes, legal wrangling, logging rights, a crisscross of small-town scheming and several pairs of dug-in heels, as brother and sister attempt to best one another. Ben is assisted on his impulsive mission by a merry band of buddies including childhood pal Gerry (David Morse), family man Ray (Victor Williams) and the younger, swaggering Curt (Jim Parrack).

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But theres more to these weed-fueled enablers than meets the eye as we learn that Gerry still carries a torch for his old friend Maggie and that Curt has an unexpected alliance to Ben. Rebeck slowly moves things into a more sensitive, wistful gear that serves the picture extremely well, as Bens health takes a hit, Gerry makes a romantic play for Maggie, and Maggie yields just a bit to the world around her.

A series of brief but lovely flashbacks to Ben and Maggies idyllic days growing up on the farm with their loving dad also have accumulatively powerful effect. The excellent cast, which includes an especially nimble Julia Stiles as Curts not-quite-girlfriend and Brian dArcy James as the town sheriff, works together like a well-oiled machine. But its team captains Huston and Pullman (with a fine assist from Morse) who offer a master class in acting.

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Trouble

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Playing: Starts Oct. 5; Laemmle Monica Film Center, Santa Monica
In Jukebox and a Bar  a gorgeously beat-up vintage-style soul tune from his new album, Desperate Man  Eric Church runs down a partial list of the solutions humankind has devised to solve its problems.

And given the year or so this country star has had, you can understand why hes got trouble on his mind: In June 2017, Church underwent emergency surgery to address a blood clot that he told Rolling Stone almost killed him. A few months later, he was on the bill at the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas where 58 people were shot to death. Then, this past summer, his younger brother died.

But if weve figured out how to avoid getting lost and how to correct erectile dysfunction, as he sings in Jukebox and a Bar, weve had considerably less luck mending the type of heartache Church has been grappling with.

For that, he concludes, theres still nothing more effective than  well, you can figure it out.

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Churchs follow-up to 2015s Mr. Misunderstood (named that years best album by the Country Music Assn. Awards), Desperate Man plays like the proof of his concept: Its a warm, appealingly ragged collection suffused with wisdom and reassurance.

Pour yourself a stiff one and spin a tune like the slow-grooving Solid  in which he tells us that rust and funny sounds only make his truck run better  and youll know just what he means.

Which isnt to say that Desperate Man steers clear of tough topics or that Church, whos long prided himself as one of Nashvilles most forthright truth-tellers, has become some kind of motivational speaker.

The album opens with The Snake, an animal-kingdom allegory about our broken political system. Here, over an appropriately slithering acoustic-blues arrangement, Church depicts Democrats and Republicans as a rattlesnake and a copperhead, both flapping their forked tongues while the whole worlds burning down.

Ten songs later, Drowning Man closes the record with a bitter lament for what Church views as Americas forgotten working class: those who put the smoke in a stack and the seed in the ground but have increasingly little to show for it.

But for much of Desperate Man, Church dispenses the kind of time-tested succor for which people have been coming to country music for decades.

Sometimes hes describing the power of music itself, as in Jukebox and a Bar and the strummy Hippie Radio, where he remembers being a kid watching his dad from the back seat: He couldnt carry a tune in a bucket / But hed sing at the top of his lungs.

Other times hes waxing more philosophical about understanding the human condition, and if his lyrics can come close to feeling like platitudes, they always stop just short.

Some of it you learn the hard way / Some of it you read on a page, he sings in the rousing Some of It. Some of it comes from heartbreak / Most of it comes with age.

To deliver these messages of comfort, Church has dialed down the arena-rock intensity hes cranked up for his past few records (and will no doubt crank up again on tour next year). Higher Wire, for instance, doesnt even have much of a beat; its all organ, guitar reverb and gospel-fied backing vocals.

The song isnt missing a thing.

Eric Church

Desperate Man

(EMI Nashville)

Release date: Oct. 5

mikael.wood@latimes.com

Twitter: @mikaelwood
As another example of the French-Southern California style connection, Paris-based luxury brand Louis Vuittons revamped and expanded space at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa combines a sense of California cool (courtesy of the stores bright art and airiness) with joie de vivre.

The 14,000-square-foot boutique includes 8,000 square feet of retail space  its Vuittons largest single-level retail floor in the Americas  and features an open-floor plan, which allows shoppers to quickly float from one room to the next.

Its very apropos for California, said Michael Burke, Louis Vuittons chairman and chief executive. He flew in from Paris to host a dinner and an in-store celebration, which was held late last month and attracted social media personalities such as Devon Lee Carlson and Rachel Nguyen. About the store, Burke said, Its a very special place in the world.

A look at the outside of the Louis Vuitton store at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. (Louis Vuitton)

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Louis Vuitton has had a presence at the Orange County shopping center for 32 years. Brand executives decided to redesign the space to accommodate the labels many categories, such as ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, textiles, watches, fine jewelry, fragrance, publishing and home.

As a nod to the design houses craftsmanship, architect Peter Marino used delicate materials such as handcrafted woven leather for the modern space. Additionally, Marino commissioned one-of-a-kind pieces from renowned artists including Damien Hirst, Peter Dayton, Anselm Reyle, Aaron Curry, Richard Misrach, Serge Alain Nitegeka, Polly Apfelbaum, Gerard Kuijpers and Farhad Moshiri.

The revamped and expanded Louis Vuitton store in Costa Mesa carries items from the brands categories, such as ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, textiles, watches, fine jewelry, fragrance, publishing and home. (Louis Vuitton)

The cultural context is very important in how we design stores, Burke said of the renovation, which took eight months to complete. We really wanted to have a sense of space, a sense of lightness, a sense of epicness. With that in mind, the first floor of the store features three skylights, which required structural re-framing of the shopping centers roof. Of course, South Coast Plaza told us it was impossible. And we dont accept impossible, so we designed the store five times, Burke said. Its our only store in the world that has blue sky inside the store.

A look at the second-floor atelier at the Louis Vuitton store at South Coast Plaza where artisans can repair handbags as well as add personalized touches to brand items. (Louis Vuitton)

Most notably, a second floor features the brands first-ever in-store atelier, where three artisans craft and repair handbags and personalize items. It speaks to the senses, Burke said of the atelier. Its not an intellectual approach. Its very basic. It speaks to all of our senses  including the sense of smell.  You smell the wax of the thread. You smell the leather. You smell the glue. You smell the parts of a handbag, which you dont typically [get to] do. You have to go to a factory to smell it.

Michael Burke, Louis Vuittons chairman and chief executive. (Louis Vuitton)

The store also has a full-time artist on hand for personalizing services such as hand-painting, hot stamping and engraving. Additionally, the store has a number of exclusive pieces created especially for South Coast Plaza shoppers. Among them are a metallic leopard-print Capucines handbag as well as the womens Star Trail Monogram ankle boot with patches. Limited-edition items from the brands Objets Nomades collection are also on display and available, including Humberto and Fernando Campanas cocoon chair and Bomboca Sofa as well as Raw Edges Concertina folding chairs and tables, Atelier Ois tabouret stools and Barber & Osgerbys bell lamp.

Louis Vuittons womens Star Trail Monogram ankle boot with patches is an exclusive item available at South Coast Plaza. (Louis Vuitton)

Louis Vuittons more-accessible home goods line, Les Petits Nomades, will be available at the South Coast Plaza store starting Oct. 19. The collection of decorative objects  think vases, bowls and mirrors  was created with popular contemporary designers Patricia Urquiola, Marcel Wanders and the Campana brothers.

There is no monopoly of design at Louis Vuitton, Burke said of the brands many offerings. There are different design influences. And if its done properly, they are reinforcing each other. ... Its easier to have one pencil, one notepad, one sketch, and everybody follows that. Thats a somewhat fascist approach. At Louis Vuitton, we dont think that should be applied to design.

The design of the Louis Vuitton boutique at South Coast Plaza includes one-of-a-kind artwork as well as skylights. (Louis Vuitton)

Following a cocktail party inside the store, some of Louis Vuittons clients ventured to Newport Beachs Pelican Hill, where they sipped Dom Perignon while viewing the resorts immaculate greens. That was before a three-course seated dinner of kale salads, Alaskan halibut and chocolate mousse and an after-party.

Burke said he was thrilled with the turnout. I love seeing the store full of clients, he said. Its validation of what we do. It takes a lot of work. When you see people push the door and smile and stop and admire and touch and feel, its a good return on the time we invest.

Louis Vuitton, South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, www.louisvuitton.com

image@latimes.com

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In the national cacophony that arose after Christine Blasey Ford testified that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school, one refrain from his supporters has begun to drown out all others: Our country has abandoned its cherished ideal that a person is innocent until proven guilty.

We just cant assume that every nut job who makes accusatory proclamations is right, wrote a reader in one of the many angry emails I have received in the past week. You must get that through your thick head!

Thank you for sharing, sir, but the people who need to get something through their thick heads are the ones who believe, as you do, that Judge Kavanaugh is on trial.

He is not.

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He is interviewing for a job.

Senators will not determine guilt or innocence; they will determine his fitness for a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court.

MORE: Senate sets preliminary vote Friday on Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh after reviewing FBI report 

Most have already made up their minds, but what the three undecided Republican senators must determine, finally, is whether they believe that Ford is telling the truth about Kavanaugh, and whether he, in turn, has told the truth about himself under oath, and whether his partisan outburst in the hearing room befits a justice on the high court.

The question for a lot of Americans is how, exactly, are they going to make up their minds? Its not clear whether the new, limited FBI investigation is going to turn up much in the way of fresh evidence. We know the FBI doesnt render judgments based on its background checks.

But theres a group of professional investigators who are trained to do just that. They are impartial seekers of truth, and their job is to determine to the best of their ability who is more likely to be telling the truth.

I called four of them to ask what they thought about last weeks hearing. Two got back to me by deadline.

::

Amy Oppenheimer is a Berkeley attorney whose firm specializes in workplace and school investigations. She is past president of the Assn. of Workplace Investigators and is a contributor to the groups training handbook.

Obviously, she said, no prosecutor would bring criminal charges against Kavanaugh for an alleged assault that happened so long ago. But, she added, if an employer found out that an employee had engaged in this sort of conduct at work, even though its an old complaint, they might investigate because its so serious.

In any case, she said, the standard of guilt, she said, would not be beyond a reasonable doubt.

It would be, as it is in civil court, a preponderance of the evidence, which some people describe as 50% plus a feather.

In Oppenheimers estimation, Kavanaugh is likely to have assaulted Ford when they were in high school.

Kavanaugh undercut his credibility in many ways, Oppenheimer said. He obfuscated on his drinking, and on what he said about the meaning of phrases in his yearbook. (Devils Triangle. Boofing. Renate Alumnius.)

Also, his anger and evasiveness with Democratic senators who questioned him  for example, demanding of Sen. Amy Klobuchar whether she had ever drunk to the point of blacking out  are the kind of red flags that investigators watch for when they are determining credibility.

Kavanaughs performance, Oppenheimer said, was a textbook case of how to undermine your own credibility: The fact that he argued rather than answered questions directly. When people lie or obfuscate, one of the things they do is get angry. His repetition of certain facts, and not answering questions, his putting it back on the questioner, undermined his credibility. He made all these assumptions, like I would not have been partying on a weekday, when his own calendar shows he was.

To give Kavanaugh the benefit of the doubt about the alleged assault, she said, He may not be out-and-out lying. But given his own dramatically professed love of beer, and what so many of his high school and college friends have said about his sloppy behavior while drunk, Its entirely plausible that this happened and he doesnt remember it.

In conclusion, Oppenheimer said, I would say that a preponderance of the evidence supports the finding that the assault occurred essentially how she reported it, based on her certainty about the perpetrator. There was corroboration in his own calendar, making it entirely plausible.

::

Like Oppenheimer, Keith Rohman is a veteran workplace investigator. He is president and founder of the Los Angeles firm Public Interest Investigations, and is also president of the Assn. of Workplace Investigators.

He said he hadnt seen the entire hearing and did not have a firm opinion about Kavanaughs credibility, but he dismisses the idea that the truth cannot be sussed out, especially in he said/she said situations.

There is something inherently biased ... about that term, Rohman said. We dont apply it to any other kind of wrongdoing. If I walk into an alley and a guy puts a gun in my face and robs me, and I go to the police station to report it and there are no witnesses and the guy with the gun said it didnt happen, we dont call that a he said/he said. We figure out what happened. We do this in no-witness cases all the time.

This one may be challenging, but it is possible to determine whether an assault is likely to have occurred.

Anytime you are looking at an older allegation of assault or misconduct, Rohman said, you are always going to be peeling back layers of an onion, but it doesnt mean its impossible to do fact finding.

So, for instance, reports of Kavanaughs excessive drinking at Yale and the allegation that he exposed his penis to fellow student Deborah Ramirez may not prove that he drunkenly assaulted Ford. But such behavior is consistent with Fords story that he drunkenly assaulted her in a bedroom during a party in the summer of 1982 when she was 15 and he was 17.

Likewise, the party notation on his calendar around the time Ford said she was assaulted is not a smoking gun, but it does impeach his credibility.

You put together a stack of those and say, if hes lying about all these small things, Rohman said, is it possible he is lying about more significant things?

The point is, as Rohman put it, If you cant decide about this, then you cant decide about the guy who mugged me in the alley.

Like any American, Kavanaugh is innocent until proven guilty.

But this is not court, there are no charges and no one is putting him on trial.

This was a job interview. He does not deserve to be hired.

robin.abcarian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AbcarianLAT
A U.S. district judge in San Francisco has dealt a blow to the Trump administrations decision to rescind temporary protected status for hundreds of thousands of immigrants.

The ruling late Wednesday afternoon will relieve immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan from the threat of deportation.

It came in response to a class-action lawsuit alleging that government officials approached their decisions about TPS with a political agenda, ignored facts and were motivated by racism.

Administration officials deny those allegations, saying the program was never intended to provide a long-term reprieve.

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Judge Edward Chen wrote that without court intervention, TPS beneficiaries, many of whom have built lives of more than a decade in this country, would be subject to removal.

Absent injunctive relief, TPS beneficiaries and their children indisputably will suffer irreparable harm and great hardship, Chen wrote. Many have U.S.-born children; those may be faced with the Hobsons choice of bringing their children with them (and tearing them away from the only country and community they have known) or splitting their families apart.

Chen said the government had failed to prove that any harm would come from maintaining the status quo.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP filed the lawsuit in March. It sought to stop the termination of TPS protections for immigrants from El Salvador, Sudan, Nicaragua and Haiti, who make up the majority of the more than 300,000 total beneficiaries. Nearly 200,000 recipients are from El Salvador.

Ramos v. Nielsen was filed in the Northern District of California.

At a Sept. 25 hearing, lawyers asked the judge to temporarily block the terminations so that residents of the affected countries wont be deported while the case plays out in court. More than 1,000 Sudanese immigrants would have been at risk of deportation if the first scheduled TPS termination took place Nov. 2.

TPS is a form of humanitarian relief granted to countries devastated by natural disasters or war that allows beneficiaries to work legally while they remain in the U.S. Created in 1990, the program applies to people from 10 countries.

But the Trump administration has announced the termination of TPS for 98% of those who have it. After the lawsuit was filed, Trump also cancelled TPS for Honduras and Nepal.

Chen acknowledged that three previous administrations had repeatedly extended TPS designations based on dangerous conditions in the countries. He said the plaintiffs showed substantial evidence that acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke illegally changed the criteria without any justification.

Lawyers for the federal government have said they are merely emphasizing different factors in weighing whether to extend protections.

Chen said the plaintiffs also raised serious questions about whether the decision was influenced by the White House and based on animus against non-white, non-European immigrants, in violation of the Constitution.

Justice Department spokesman Devin OMalley said the courts decision usurps the role of the executive branch.

The Justice Department completely rejects the notion that the White House or the Department of Homeland Security did anything improper, he said. We will continue to fight for the integrity of our immigration laws and our national security.

Ahilan Arulanantham, senior counsel at the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, called the ruling a victory against the unlawful and cruel dismantling of a humanitarian program that prevented the separation of hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizen children from their immigrant parents.

If these childrens parents were not from countries the administration considers unworthy of humanity, we would not have to wage this fight, Arulanantham said. But we do, and we will not relent.

andrea.castillo@latimes.com

Twitter: @andreamcastillo

UPDATES:

8:45 p.m.: This article was updated with more details from the ruling and reactions from the Justice Department and the ACLU.

This article was originally published at 6:45 p.m.
Juan Romero struggled for decades with a memory he could not escape.

He left Los Angeles and moved to Wyoming, later came back west and settled in San Jose, raised a family and devoted himself to construction work.

But still he was haunted by what happened just after midnight June 5, 1968, when he was on duty as a busboy at the Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard near Koreatown. That was the night an assassin took aim at Robert F. Kennedy, a candidate for president of the United States. Romero, just 17 at the time, squatted next to the fallen U.S. senator, cradled Kennedys head, and tried to help him up before realizing how gravely wounded Kennedy was.

Juan Romero in June. (Los Angeles Times)

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The photos of that moment, with confusion and despair in Romeros young, dark eyes, made for searing portraits of 1960s upheaval and followed by two months the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and by five years the assassination of RFKs brother, President John F. Kennedy.

It was only in recent years that Romero began to let go, and in my visits with him three years ago and again this past June, he seemed to have been revived. Finally, he said, he was able to mark his birthday after years of refusing to celebrate because it was in the same month as RFKs assassination.

That only made the news of Romeros death this week in Modesto, at age 68, seem all the more tragic.

He had a heart attack several days ago and his brain went too long without oxygen, said his longtime friend, TV newsman Rigo Chacon of San Jose. He passed away on Monday morning.

A niece and a brother confirmed Romeros death, but family members were unavailable for comment.

Romero had not been ill, Chacon said. When I met with Romero in June, on the 50th anniversary of Kennedys death, he told me he loved the hard, sweaty work of paving driveways and roads, and he had no intention of retiring. His marriage had failed many years earlier, but he said he was in regular contact with his children from that marriage, and he was giddy about a new romance with a Modesto woman.

That day, we met at a downtown San Jose park, near a monument to Kennedy. The candidate had spoken there not long before his death and told throngs of supporters that poverty and illiteracy were indecent, and he warned of an erosion of a sense of national decency.

Romero was in the habit of leaving flowers at that monument each year to mark RFKs death. In our many conversations over the years, he said he often felt we were moving further politically from what he saw as a Kennedy legacy of tolerance and compassion.

When I met Romero in 1998, just before the 30th anniversary of the assassination, he fell apart in recalling the fateful night and how he happened to be in the hotel pantry area where Kennedy was shot. Romero told me he had met Kennedy the night before when the candidate ordered room service, and he felt honored by the way Kennedy shook his hand firmly and looked him in the eye with respect.

I remember walking out of that room  feeling 10 feet tall, feeling like an American, said Romero, who had moved to Los Angeles from Mexico seven years earlier. He became an Ambassador busboy on the advice of his strict stepfather, who worked at the hotel and wanted Romero to be sure to stay out of trouble on the streets of East Los Angeles.

The next night, after Kennedy won Californias Democratic primary and made a victory speech, he retreated through the kitchen pantry area and Romero pushed through the crowd to congratulate him. He said that just as he shook Kennedys hand, the shots were fired. Romero thought that the pops were from firecrackers and that Kennedy had fallen in fright, but Romero then saw blood spilling onto his own hand and realized what had happened as Sirhan Sirhan, the man with the gun, was apprehended. Romero said he was carrying rosary beads in his pocket and stuffed them into Kennedys hands.

MORE: The assassination of Robert Kennedy, as told 50 years later 

Romero was taken to the Rampart police station for questioning, then took a bus to Roosevelt High the next morning. He still had Kennedys blood on his hand and said he chose not to wash it off.

As if the experience wasnt traumatic enough, Romero said he got letters from people congratulating him for what he did. That made him uncomfortable, and so did letters from people asking him why he didnt do something to prevent the assassination. He got tired of being asked by Ambassador guests to pose for photographs, found work in Wyoming, then made his home in San Jose.

In 2010, I met up with Romero in Washington and went with him to Arlington National Cemetery, where RFK is buried. He said he wanted to pay his respects, tell Kennedy he had tried to live a life of tolerance and humility, and to apologize. His buddy Chacon and I told him he had nothing to apologize for, but Romero knelt at the grave, spoke softly and wept.

Five years later, Romero emailed me to say he was finally feeling better with the help of a friend he had met on Facebook. She told him that when she looked at the photos from the Ambassador, she saw a brave young man who tried to help someone whod been hurt, even as others retreated.

I heard from former California First Lady Maria Shriver, a niece of Bobby Kennedy, after I wrote that column. She said she wanted an address to send a thank-you note to Romero.

I always felt a great deal of empathy for him  because of how difficult it was for him to move past that, Shriver told me Wednesday evening when I called her with the news of Romeros death.

Shriver said she never met Romero but hoped he came to realize he did the humane thing in a tragic moment, and she hoped he had found peace in the end.

God bless him, Shriver said. Its kind of hard to know why someone gets put into a situation that theyre locked in forever. But as I see it, he was locked into an image of helping someone.

Get more of Steve Lopezs work and follow him on Twitter @LATstevelopez
California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White said Wednesday that he has asked academic leaders to study whether the SAT and ACT are valid predictors of student success, raising hopes that the nations largest public university system will ultimately drop standardized test scores as admission requirements.

Several studies have found that the tests do not accurately predict whether students can do well in college. Critics also argue that they place low-income students who cant afford expensive test prep at a competitive disadvantage. Those concerns have prompted a growing list of more than 1,000 colleges and universities  including the University of Chicago  that have made the tests optional.

White said he shared concerns about the tests limitations and wanted to make sure that Cal State applicants are subject to meaningful evaluations.

We do focus on being inclusive rather than exclusive, White said after an appearance Wednesday at Cal State Northridge. There is a lot of evidence that [standardized testing] has a bias against students based on their demographics. Theres no doubt about that. What I want to make certain of is that there isnt an unintended consequence of any sort of changes that create other problems.

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White said he expected to make an announcement on the issue pretty soon.

Last week, the University of Californias faculty leaders announced that President Janet Napolitano had asked them to study how the standardized tests are used in the admissions process and whether changes are needed.

White said the news from UC prompted him to ask a Cal State Academic Senate committee and a systemwide admissions advisory task force to launch a similar study.

Cal State leaders plan to discuss the issue with their counterparts in the UC Office of the President in the very near future, said Cal State spokeswoman Toni Molle.

A decision by UC and Cal State to drop the tests would upend the nations education landscape. The two systems educate more than 720,000 students from every state in the nation and exert outsize influence on national educational trends.

When UC changed its testing requirements in 2003 to include demonstration of students writing ability, the College Board  which administers the SAT  and ACT Inc. added writing components to their tests to fit the bill.

UC Regent Eloy Ortiz Oakley, chancellor of the California Community Colleges, has called for an end to the testing requirements. On Twitter, he has urged students to post their test experiences and ask their universities to #DroptheSAT.

Oakley told The Times last week that the tests are a better measure of wealth than preparedness.

UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland, whose campus has the UC systems highest proportion of students who are first-generation, low-income or living in the U.S. illegally, also told The Times last week that she believes the standardized tests are biased and that alternative, better methods are available to predict whether students can thrive in college.

In April, a major study of more than 950,000 applicants to 28 colleges and universities found the tests failed to fully identify talented students capable of college success. Campuses that dropped the test requirements, the study found, saw an increase in applicants, including more black and Latino students.

teresa.watanabe@latimes.com

Twitter: @teresawatanabe
A Burbank man was sentenced Thursday to 221 years to life in state prison for trying to kill six Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies in 2016, the district attorneys office said.

It took two hours for a jury in June to find Juan Martinez guilty of six counts of attempted murder, five counts of assault on a peace officer with a semiautomatic firearm, as well as one count each of false imprisonment of a hostage, dissuading a witness by threat of force and possession of a firearm by a felon.

The rampage began on June 23, 2016, after Martinez shot and wounded a motorcycle deputy who pulled him over during a DUI checkpoint in Bellflower, prosecutors said. He wounded another deputy as he fled.

Martinez opened fire on other deputies before hiding in a small structure for nearly eight hours, authorities said. He was arrested after a SWAT team fired tear gas into the structure.

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brittny.mejia@latimes.com

Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia
When firefighters arrived Thursday morning at the abandoned church near downtown Los Angeles, they quickly determined they could not enter the frail building, and within minutes, it began crumbling.

The fire broke out about 6:20 a.m. at 720 W. Washington Blvd. Firefighters were driven back by the blaze, said Erik Scott, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman, and instead had to take a defensive approach, hosing down the flames from all possible angles.

As 133 firefighters joined in the battle, the roof and other pieces of the building fell into the chapels main congregation space, like a log into a fireplace, LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey said. Thick, gray smoke drifted over the 10 and 110 freeways, causing a backup because of poor visibility.

After a quick inspection, officials slapped a red piece of paper onto the buildings graffiti-tagged entrance: Unsafe: Do not enter or occupy. Flames were still coming from the church, prompting officials to close the street between Figueroa Street and Union Avenue, Scott said.

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Fire officials were heartbroken as they learned more about the old, Mission-style building, its face engraved with detailed markings and scarred with deep cracks.

Our heart sank, Humphrey said. We had been hoping beyond hope that this building could be resurrected.

The church, built in 1924, had once housed the first full-service mortuary in Los Angeles, owned and operated by the influential Pierce brothers. The building was designed by the Milwaukee Building Co., which also designed Graumans Chinese Theatre and Egyptian Theatre, according to documents by architecture firm Jag Architects, which was aiming to redevelop the building into apartments in 2015.

Urbanize LA reported in February that Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo introduced a motion to convert the building into an affordable-housing complex. A spokesman for his office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

For decades, the building was one of more than 20 mortuaries on Washington Boulevard between Figueroa and Union, leading to the areas nickname Mortuary Row in the 1930s and 40s. The structure, which later housed a number of houses of worship, was added to the citys list of historic-cultural monuments in the 1990s.

The Pierce brothers, who were livery stable owners, providing horse-drawn drays for cargo and passengers, became business owners who changed Los Angeles at a time when the citys population spiked from 11,000 to 50,000.

Clarence Pierce, who joined Fred and William Pierce in running the mortuary, attended USC in 1889 and became a physician, at one point delivering half of Los Angeles babies. Then in 1947, he helped found the Clarence W. Pierce School of Agriculture in Woodland Hills, now Pierce College.

The fires cause is still being investigated, Humphrey said. Theres no indication that anyone was inside the building when the fire broke out, and firefighters were able to protect surrounding structures.

The cause may be nothing nefarious, Humphrey said, but investigators hope to interview passersby, surrounding business owners and the churchs former occupants to determine what might have sparked the blaze.

LAFD notified the House of Worship Task Force, a group of law enforcement officials from the LAFD, LAPD, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI, about the fire. The organization formed in the 1990s and is called whenever a place of worship is targeted in suspected arsons.

Its an iconic building, and a central part of Los Angeles history, Humphrey said of the church. To have this last remnant  its really a heartache for us to see it this severely damaged.

Your @LAFD battling defensive firefight on 2-story church. Making good progress. No injury. pic.twitter.com/UNsdlBnbn6  Erik Scott (@PIOErikScott) October 4, 2018

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandra

UPDATES:

2:14 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with additional details about the historic building.

11:05 a.m.: This article was updated with additional firefighting efforts.

This article was originally published at 8:15 a.m.
For all the tech wealth that has flown into this city in recent years, its also an unnerving time for city builders.

First, a centerpiece of San Franciscos new downtown, the 58-story Millennium Tower, started sinking and tilting. Then last week, the citys new $2.26-billion transbay bus station was abruptly shut after cracks were found in two steel beams. Both events have fueled anxiety about how San Franciscos growing skyline would hold up in the kind of major quake that destroyed much of the city in 1906.

Sources: Applied Technology Council, Nextzen, OpenStreetMap (Kyle Kim / Los Angeles Times Graphics)

So on Thursday, the city opened up a new front on Californias seismic safety, releasing an unprecedented list of more than 150 of its tallest buildings, including many constructed before modern seismic codes.

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The inventory is the first step in an assessment of the citys skyline with an eye toward making costly fixes to towers that could collapse amid major shaking. Officials are also calling for rules for new construction, aimed at preventing unanticipated sinking of buildings as well as making tall buildings even stronger to resist wobbling in an earthquake.

While San Francisco, Los Angeles and other communities have stepped up retrofitting efforts in recent years, no other city in California has gone as far in creating an inventory of identifying landmark skyscrapers downtown that probably need seismic reviews.

Out of San Franciscos 156 tallest buildings  those taller than 240 feet  roughly 100 were built before the era of modern seismic codes for their building type, according to the study by the nonprofit Applied Technology Council.

Sources: Applied Technology Council, Google Earth (Kyle Kim / Los Angeles Times)

That doesnt mean all of them are at risk of collapse. Further study would be needed to determine if they are vulnerable and need a retrofit.

The list is a starting point. And the experts who compiled the list for City Hall say officials should take action to get more of these buildings structurally evaluated, and have the ones most prone to collapse retrofitted.

We must act before the next earthquake strikes to ensure the safety of residents, workers and visitors, said San Francisco City Administrator Naomi Kelly.

The tech boom has brought major development to a relatively small section downtown, which is now being crowded with new skyscrapers, including San Franciscos tallest, the Salesforce Tower. Missed in all the focus on new construction is how older buildings in the densely packed downtown area  built before modern seismic codes  will fare.

Even the collapse of just one or two could paralyze the city for many blocks for years.

The city has not been tested by a truly cataclysmic earthquake for 112 years. And there remain many buildings built before todays modern seismic codes. Downtown largely survived the 1989 Loma Prieta quake.

But left untested were many of San Franciscos brittle concrete and steel-frame buildings. Los Angeles discovered just how vulnerable they could be in its earthquakes in 1971 and 1994.

In the 1971 Sylmar earthquake, 52 people died in the collapse of concrete buildings at hospitals in the San Fernando Valley. And after the Northridge temblor, engineers were stunned to find the skeleton of so-called steel moment frame buildings fractured, leaving about 25 significantly damaged. One  the Automobile Club of Southern California building in Santa Clarita, open for just 21 months  came very close to collapse.

Engineers later discovered that some concrete buildings built through the 1970s failed to have enough reinforcing steel in the frame, allowing concrete to explode out of its columns when shaken. Many steel buildings built from the 1970s through the 1990s were found to have been designed in a flawed way, and there were problems in the way the structures were welded and inspected.

There is no doubt that those older steel frame buildings are far more likely to collapse than their designers anticipated, said Keith Porter, a professor of structural engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder. A collapse of one of these buildings could not only potentially kill many of its own occupants, but also people in nearby buildings.

This is a problem we have known about for decades, Porter said.

Elected officials in California have long been reluctant to confront the issue of ordering retrofits of buildings, fearful of angering property owners about the costs of a retrofit.

But after a Times analysis in 2013 detailed how hundreds may be at risk from collapse of concrete buildings in a major quake, Los Angeles officials approved mandatory retrofits of an estimated 1,500 brittle concrete structures. The Times reported that, depending on where an earthquake strikes, as many as 50 of these buildings in the city alone could be destroyed in a single temblor, exposing thousands to injury or death.

Los Angeles has yet to take action on steel buildings, while the smaller neighboring cities of Santa Monica and West Hollywood recently passed laws requiring vulnerable steel buildings in their cities be retrofitted. Earlier this year, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said the city should consider mandatory retrofits to steel-frame buildings.

The collapse of five high-rise steel buildings in Southern California was seen as possible during a hypothetical magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the San Andreas fault, according to the U.S. Geological Surveys simulation of such a disaster. If the earthquake hit during working hours, about 5,000 people could be inside those five buildings.

In 1995, when a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit Kobe, Japan, one-third of 630 modern steel buildings in a heavily shaken area were severely damaged, according to a USGS report. One photograph showed how one story of a steel building collapsed.

San Franciscos effort at publicizing a list of its buildings marks a new front in seismic safety  making it easier for residents and workers to easily understand the age of the citys tallest buildings, its structural system, and if theres a record of retrofit.

The recommendations aiming to get more buildings evaluated in depth, and perhaps requiring retrofits, will probably be controversial.

It can be costly even to just evaluate a tall building, and millions of dollars to retrofit it. While San Francisco is requiring owners of many wood-frame apartments to be retrofit, those costs are small compared with fixing an office tower or high-rise residential building. Kelly, the city administrator, signaled that she backed more than a dozen suggestions she received from the experts to improve the safety of tall buildings.

The rhetoric coming out of San Francisco City Hall represents a shift from just a few months ago, when officials emphasized the difficulty in identifying the citys largest vulnerable buildings.

Other cities are now renewing talk of seismic safety. After years of delay, Oakland has resumed talking about a mandatory retrofit law for nearly 2,000 possibly vulnerable wood-frame apartment buildings at risk of collapse in a seismic event.

The moves follow a landmark U.S. Geological Survey report released in April about the threat of the Hayward fault to the Bay Area. The report said 800 people could be killed and 18,000 injured in a hypothetical magnitude 7 earthquake centered below Oakland. Oct. 21 will mark the 150th anniversary of the last big earthquake on the Hayward fault.

As part of preparations for that anniversary, some seismic experts urged the public to ask about the earthquake safety of their homes, workplaces, schools and churches.

Those questions should be more in-depth than just, Will this building survive? And will it be damaged to the extent its going to injure me? said Keith Knudsen, deputy director of the USGS Earthquake Science Center in Menlo Park, Calif. They should follow up with questions [like] Will this building be usable following an earthquake?

The city ordered the study of tall buildings amid concerns about the safety of Millennium Tower, the skyscraper that has become famous for its sinking and leaning problem. Engineering experts hired by the city say that Millenniums earthquake-resisting system has not been compromised by the leaning of the building.

Presentations accompanying San Franciscos inventory said that approximately 10 tall buildings could possibly be brittle concrete, and more than 80 others are believed to be steel-framed buildings constructed before the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

(Shaffer Grubb / Los Angeles Times)

In general, concrete buildings built before 1980, and steel buildings constructed prior to 1997, are thought to deserve scrutiny to assess for seismic deficiencies and determine if an earthquake retrofit is needed.

Just six buildings on the list were found to have undergone modern seismic retrofits, including San Francisco City Hall and the Ferry Building.

The San Francisco study authors said its possible the database is incomplete, and asked those with knowledge of retrofits not mentioned in the database to come forward with their information.

Existing San Francisco laws have generally proved ineffective in forcing the owners of tall buildings to seismically evaluate or retrofit them. Current law does require a seismic retrofit when two-thirds of a buildings floors are renovated, but that almost never happens to tall buildings, when only a small fraction of the building undergoes construction at any given time.

The report suggests triggering mandatory seismic evaluations more often during major renovations, but to do so in a way that wont discourage developers from modernizing buildings. One possible solution is to not require retrofits except for buildings most likely to collapse.

Other possibilities include triggering seismic evaluations when buildings are purchased or leases are renewed, according to the report. Such changes in city law would require support from the Board of Supervisors and Mayor London Breed.

There are other recommendations in the report. One is to order inspections and, if needed, repairs of steel buildings shaken in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Among others:

Create rules for new buildings to guard against unexpected sinking.

Aim to make new buildings stronger so they can resume operations sooner after an earthquake instead of being shut down for two to six months.

Recommend minimum levels of insurance to ensure buildings and surrounding neighborhoods can recover.

Study whether automatic fire suppression and evacuation systems in tall buildings can function after shaking.

Expand the database to include any building taller than 75 feet.

Create protocols to determine how large a cordon must be around a building at risk of collapse after an earthquake.

Greg Deierlein, a professor of structural and earthquake engineering at Stanford and coauthor of the report, said he was glad to see city officials were enthusiastic about his recommendations. But now comes the hard part.

The city needs to take these recommendations  and see if its politically viable, Deierlein said.

ron.lin@latimes.com

@ronlin
The mother of two boys killed in Boyle Heights last year after a Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy crashed into a group of pedestrians has filed a lawsuit against the Sheriffs Department.

The deputy driving the vehicle acted recklessly and carelessly when she accelerated through a red light without activating her sirens, the suit says, ultimately injuring seven people and killing Maria Veronica Solis Munozs two young sons in the Eastside neighborhood.

On Nov. 16, 2017, Deputy Vincent Moran was training Deputy Carrie Esmeralda Robles-Placencia when a call came in about shots fired, prompting the training deputy to accelerate to the scene.

Jose Luis Hernandez, 7, and Marcos Hernandez, 9, were walking home from school with their mother near Indiana Street and Whittier Boulevard when the deputys vehicle caused a collision that set off a chain of events leading to the collision of her vehicle with the bodies of Ms. Solis and her decedent children, the lawsuit says.

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After running a red light, the deputys SUV crashed into a Honda Accord that was stopped at the intersection, causing the Accord to strike a van carrying two women and five children, according to Officer Drake Madison, a spokesman with the Los Angeles Police Department, which investigated the crash. The sheriffs SUV then drove over a curb, careened off the wall of a bank building and struck pedestrians on the sidewalk, including Solis and her two boys.

Months after the crash, the LAPD reported that the deputys lights were on but the sirens were not and that the vehicle was traveling at less than 25 mph when it crossed the intersection.

The lawsuit alleges the deputys vehicle was seen speeding without flashing lights or an activated siren for several blocks before reaching the intersection. Julie Valle, who was standing in the front parking lot of Stevenson Middle School shortly before the crash, said she saw a sheriffs patrol vehicle speeding south on Indiana Street with no sirens and no lights.

According to the lawsuit, Robles-Placencia failed to follow emergency procedures and Moran failed to properly train the woman.

Given the neighborhood, traffic and road conditions existing at the time, an accident was almost surely to happen, the lawsuit says, adding that Moran had time to correct Robles-Placencias actions and minimize the risk of a crash.

The Sheriffs Department said earlier this week that it had not received the lawsuit and could not comment. Elizabeth Miller, the lead attorney for the county, also would not comment.

Solis attorney, Marc Bloomenfeld, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but another attorney announced Thursday that he is filing a similar suit.

Colin Jones, an attorney for Adolfo Robles, who also was injured in the crash, blamed the collision on poor training policies.

This tragedy that took the lives of two young boys and injured many more innocent people was the result of failed sheriffs procedures, said Jones, who filed a claim against the agency in May. When entities fail to accept responsibility, we must use the tools of the law to hold them accountable.

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandra
A storm that was predicted to cause moderate rainfall in Southern California didnt generate much moisture this week, but scattered showers led to minor street flooding in Corona overnight as a low-pressure system began heading out of the region.

About three-quarters of an inch of rain fell on the San Gabriel Mountains during a 15-minute span late Wednesday, marking the most significant rainfall in Los Angeles County. Portions of south Orange and San Diego counties saw scattered showers that dropped between a quarter-inch and a half-inch of rain, according to the National Weather Service.

No significant damage was reported from the rain.

The eastern part of the region, including San Bernardino, could see some lingering showers through Thursday as the storm continues to move out, making way for warmer temperatures Friday and Saturday.

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Late Saturday, another small storm is expected to roll in, bringing about a 20% chance of rain on Sunday. Temperatures are predicted to linger in the high 60s and low 70s throughout much of Los Angeles and Orange counties next week, the weather service said.

Next week will start to feel a lot more like fall, said Kathy Hoxsie, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

The lackluster rainfall provided residents near the Holy fire and Cranston fire burn areas in Orange and Riverside counties with some relief. Authorities in those areas had begun warning residents of the possibility of mudslides several days before the storm hit.

Damage from wildfires creates a situation that prevents soil in recently burned areas from absorbing rainwater. Enough rain can lead to fast-moving flows that contain mud, debris, trees and boulders that can be several feet deep and deadly for those in their path. The devastation often comes without warning.

Hoxsie said if the rain that fell over the San Gabriel Mountains had been centered over a burn area, it could have caused damage. Heavy rain early in the fall isnt ideal because rain gutters that havent yet been cleared can back up and cause flooding, she said.

Officials had predicted about half an inch of rain in much of the region and up to an inch in others.

Were not disappointed that we didnt get heavy rainfall, but we are disappointed we didnt get the amounts right, Hoxsie said.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @Hannahnfry
A national flag raising ceremony is held at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, on Oct. 1, 2018, the National Day, to celebrate the 69th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Festive mood is in the air as the Chinese people celebrate the 69th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

On Monday, a huge crowd of people -- numbering over 145,000 -- turned up at Tian'anmen Square in the heart of Beijing to watch the raising of the national flag at daybreak.

It was 69 years ago when the founding of the PRC sent the message that "the Chinese people have stood up." Today, the nation has grown rich -- thanks to the reform and opening up which began four decades ago -- and is on the track to becoming strong under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

The world is changing, with seemingly more uncertainties and challenges. But China is determined to keep striding ahead. And it is capable of doing so.

The Chinese economy, the second largest in the world, is stable with good growth momentum. In 2017, China's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 6.9 percent to 82.7 trillion yuan (12.8 trillion U.S. dollars), around 15 percent of the world total. In the first eight months this year, profits of major Chinese industrial firms grew 16.2 percent, manufacturing investment went up 3 percentage points and the consumer market kept expanding.

New growth drivers and business models have emerged. Farmers have good harvests and employees receive bigger paychecks.

According to an income tax overhaul going into effect in October, people will see the minimum threshold for personal income tax exemption raised from 3,500 yuan (about 513 U.S. dollars) to 5,000 yuan per month.

Retirees can be assured that their pension payments will be on time and in full, partly thanks to a reform to balance pension distribution across different regions.

Parents can breathe a sigh of relief as authorities have moved to regulate extracurricular classes that put too much stress on children.

Key infrastructure projects are on schedule.

The country's massive high-speed rail network was extended to Hong Kong in September, cutting land travel between Hong Kong and Beijing to around nine hours.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the longest bridge-and-tunnel sea crossing in the world, is ready to open.

Planes coming to Beijing's crowded skies will be able to land at a new international airport next year. The airport, located in Beijing's southern suburbs, is set to become the Chinese capital's next architectural icon.

Of course, tough challenges lie ahead. These include issues of environmental protection, unbalanced development and poverty alleviation, to name just a few.

China will take on these challenges with deeper and broader reforms and is confident of surmounting them one after another.

Between 1978 and 2014, over 700 million people in China, with a population of 1.3 billion, were lifted out of poverty, known as "Poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics." From 2012 to 2017, China lifted nearly 70 million rural people out of poverty, and the poverty rate fell from 10.2 percent to 3.1 percent.

The nation is r than ever to reaching national rejuvenation -- the Chinese Dream.

This can be achieved as China marches on under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core.

Three landmark years are in sight. In 2019, the PRC will celebrate its 70th anniversary. In 2020, a moderately prosperous society in all respects will be established. In 2021, the CPC will celebrate its centenary.

To translate the blueprint into a reality, the Chinese people have to avoid any distraction, take one step at a time and approach their work with a firm footing.

5

1

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

The team of Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies cruises the 5 Freeway, stopping motorists on the Grapevine in search of cars carrying drugs.

Theyve worked the mountain pass in Southern California since 2012 and boast a large haul: more than a ton of methamphetamine, 2 tons of marijuana, 600 pounds of cocaine, millions of dollars in suspected drug money and more than 1,000 arrests.

But behind those impressive numbers are some troubling ones.

More than two-thirds of the drivers pulled over by the Domestic Highway Enforcement Team were Latino, according to a Times analysis of Sheriffs Department data. And sheriffs deputies searched the vehicles of more than 3,500 drivers who turned out to have no drugs or other illegal items, the analysis found. The overwhelming majority of those were Latino.

Several of the teams big drug busts have been dismissed in federal court as the credibility of some deputies came under fire and judges ruled that deputies violated the rights of motorists by conducting unconstitutional searches.

The Times analyzed data from every traffic stop recorded by the team from 2012 through the end of last year  more than 9,000 stops in all  and reviewed records from hundreds of court cases. Among its findings:

Latino drivers accounted for 69% of the deputies stops. Officers from the California Highway Patrol, mainly policing traffic violations on the same section of freeway, pulled over nearly 378,000 motorists during the same period; 40% of them were Latino.

Two-thirds of Latinos who were pulled over by the Sheriffs Department team had their vehicles searched, while cars belonging to all other drivers were searched less than half the time.

Three-quarters of the teams searches came after deputies asked motorists for consent rather than having evidence of criminal behavior. Several legal scholars said such a high rate of requests for consent is concerning because people typically feel pressured to allow a search or are unaware they can refuse.

Though Latinos were much more likely to be searched, deputies found drugs or other illegal items in their vehicles at a rate that was not significantly higher than that of black or white drivers.

How a team of L.A. County sheriffs deputies stops Latino drivers at a disproportionate rate

The L.A. County Sheriffs Department said that racial profiling plays no role in the deputies work and that they base their stops only on a persons driving and other impartial factors.

The [team] has removed tens of millions of dollars worth of illegal narcotics from circulation, including heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl, the department said in a statement responding to The Times analysis. A recent arrest involved the seizure of approximately 10,000 Oxycodone tablets, a small dent in the opioid addiction crisis that has enveloped our nation.

A Sheriffs Department spokeswoman declined interview requests to discuss The Times specific findings. The department would not say whether it has conducted its own analysis of the deputies stops.

Sheriffs Department officials said the team was launched as a response to a spate of drug overdoses in the Santa Clarita area. Similar units operate around the country as part of a federal program designed to use local and federal law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking.

In December, Sheriff Jim McDonnell heaped praise on the team, ticking off its accomplishments in a lengthy statement. The importance of this mission cannot be overstated, the sheriff said.

But several legal and law enforcement experts said the departments own records strongly suggest the deputies are violating the civil rights of Latinos by racially profiling, whether intentionally or not.

When they say, Were getting all these drugs out of here, they are not taking into account the cost, said David Harris, a law professor at the University of Pittsburgh who studies racial profiling by police. They are sacrificing their own legitimacy in the community as a whole and the Latino community in particular.

Kimberly Fuentes, research director for the California League of United Latin American Citizens, described The Times findings as extremely disturbing and troubling and said the advocacy organization would demand a meeting with Sheriffs Department officials.

These findings risk tarnishing any trust between the Sheriffs Department and the Latino community, Fuentes said.

On Thursday, after The Times published its findings, McDonnell released a statement saying he was proud of the teams work but also concerned about any allegation of racial and ethnic profiling. He said he takes very seriously questions about race and police procedures and would work with the countys inspector general to examine any issues of concern.

Looking for a defeated expression

On a recent morning, Deputy John Leitelt wound his way up the Grapevine.

The shift had been uneventful. Leitelt had stopped several vehicles, but he quickly cut the drivers loose after exchanging a few words and seeing nothing suspicious.

He had spent an extra few minutes with a Latina motorist he stopped for an expired registration. When Leitelt learned she was traveling to Fresno to visit a friend, he asked where she would be staying. When she said she hadnt yet made a reservation, he would say afterward, he was suspicious.

He asked whether he could squeeze a large stuffed toy dog sitting in the passenger seat. She agreed, and Leitelt then asked whether he could look in the trunk. Inside was a small suitcase, and Leitelt decided she was telling the truth. He thanked the woman and let her go.

Later, Leitelt explained that he carefully studies a motorists reaction when he asks for permission to search their car. Im looking for a defeated expression, he said.

Leitelt, a deputy for 18 years, joined the highway team at its start. He and the teams three other deputies  all white men  typically work alone in marked SUVs. Their terrain spans the roughly 40 miles of freeway from the border with Kern County to just south of Santa Clarita.

L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy John Leitelt patrols a stretch of the 5 Freeway near Castaic. Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

If we search everyone just because as cops we think we have carte blanche and have authority over people, then weve lost our way. L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy John Leitelt

Though the deputies are looking for any criminal, nearly all of the arrests are for drug-related crimes. The 5 Freeway, they say, is a pipeline for cartels to move drugs up the West Coast and return to Mexico with cash from drug sales as well as weapons purchased in the U.S.

Although The Times review of department data shows that 74% of the drivers he pulls over are Latino, Leitelt said race or ethnicity does not influence whom he chooses to stop.

Im not looking for people from Mexico  not at all, he said. Im looking for people who are driving a certain way. If we search everyone just because as cops we think we have carte blanche and have authority over people, then weve lost our way.

He later declined to comment on The Times analysis of the teams stops.

In deciding whom to stop, Leitelt said, he looks for certain behavior, such as drivers traveling at or below the speed limit and then hitting the brakes when they see his cruiser. He also tirelessly kills plates  cop jargon for running license plate numbers through a state law enforcement database on his in-car computer. Cars with expired registrations, a man driving alone in a car registered to a woman, or an older car with a recent registration will get closer attention, he said.

Once he sees a car he believes is worth checking out, Leitelt needs a valid reason to make a stop. That can include any minor traffic violation, such as speeding or crossing a lane line without signaling.

To prolong a stop and continue questioning a driver, Leitelt and other law enforcement officers need reasonable suspicion that a crime is being committed, a legal bar that the U.S. Supreme Court defined as something more than a hunch.

They can search a vehicle if the driver gives permission. Otherwise, an officer needs probable cause  where the facts and circumstances indicate a crime is being committed. The smell of an illegal drug, a weapon lying on a seat or a police dog outside the car signaling the scent of drugs inside can be enough.

As he was on his way back to the station at the end of his shift, Leitelt noticed an old Volkswagen Beetle struggling up a hill in the middle lane. The deputy drove up alongside the car and saw a young Latino-looking man behind the wheel.

The deputy dropped back and slid in behind the car. Tapping the California plate into his laptop, he saw the vehicle had new license plates and was recently registered to someone who lived several hours north. Leitelt noticed the windshield was cracked  a violation of the states vehicle code and legal justification to stop the car.

The man, who said he spoke no English, explained in Spanish he was driving slowly because the cars engine was old and didnt have any heart. He said he worked in California and was making his way to Mexico to visit his young daughters.

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies take a driver to wait in a patrol car so they can search his car. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Deputies Michael Vann, left, and John Leitelt of the department's Domestic Highway Enforcement Team search a vehicle. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Left: Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies take a driver to wait in a patrol car so they can search his car. Right: Deputies Michael Vann, left, and John Leitelt search the man's vehicle. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

The man seemed fidgety and nervous to Leitelt. With traffic zooming by, the deputy instructed him to get out and walked him to the back of the Volkswagen. Leitelt asked in Spanish whether he was carrying methamphetamine. Heroin? Cocaine? Marijuana? A large amount of cash?

The man repeatedly said no, and his voice and expression remained unchanged  usually a sign, the deputy said later, that someone is being truthful. But Leitelt also thought the man was avoiding eye contact, which he interpreted as an indication of possible deception.

Leitelt and another member of the highway team did a quick pat-down of the mans clothes for weapons and then put him in the back of a patrol SUV.

Hes super nervous, Leitelt said.

Leitelt wondered aloud if the driver feared the deputies would ask him about his immigration status. Nonetheless, he pressed ahead, opening the cars hatch with the mans key and unzipping his suitcase. Inside were neatly folded clothes, including new dresses for young girls, and some greeting cards.

Thinking the suitcase could be a prop, Leitelt kept going. Using an assortment of prying tools, he and the other deputy popped off a section of the dashboard in search of a hidden compartment traffickers sometimes build.

L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy John Leitelt searches a motorist's suitcase. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Deputy Michael Vann uses a device for measuring density to search for hidden drugs. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Deputy John Leitelt clutches some tools he uses to perform vehicle searches. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Deputy John Leitelt looks down a window gap searching for hidden drugs, after getting consent from the driver for a search. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Clockwise from top left: L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy John Leitelt searches a motorist's suitcase. Deputy Michael Vann uses a device for measuring density to search for hidden drugs. Leitelt looks down a window gap searching for hidden drugs. Leitelt clutches some tools he uses to perform vehicle searches. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

When a density meter dubbed the Buster gave an irregular reading on the passenger-side door, Leitelt knocked, peered down into the window well and swung the door open and shut several times before deciding there were no drugs hidden inside. The stop lasted about 15 minutes.

The deputies walked back to the SUV and opened the door.

OK, adios, the other deputy told the man, making a shooing gesture with his hand. Without saying a word, the man walked back to his car and drove off.

Psychological babble

Allegations of racial profiling by police are common, but researchers using data on traffic stops say it is difficult to show definitively that officers selectively target one race or ethnicity. In the case of the Sheriffs Departments highway team, experts said using the population of L.A. County, which is 48% Latino, as a benchmark would be misleading. Ideally, they said, they would want to know the racial breakdown of all drivers on the particular section of the 5 Freeway.

But the fact that Latinos made up such a smaller percentage of stops by CHP officers along the same stretch strongly indicates that the Sheriffs Department team was targeting the group, said several racial profiling experts who reviewed The Times findings.

No matter how justified the stops are, this is what we call selective enforcement, said Jeffrey Fagan, a Columbia Law School professor who was an expert witness for plaintiffs in a federal civil rights lawsuit against the New York Police Department over its now-defunct stop-and-frisk policy.

Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties sheriffs departments have similar highway enforcement teams. In response to public records requests, officials in Orange County said the Sheriffs Department does not collect racial data on traffic stops. The other two agencies refused to release data.

The federal Domestic Highway Enforcement program drew criticism in recent years over concerns that teams were using stops to improperly seize cash and other property from motorists. In California and elsewhere, defense attorneys have challenged stops, arguing that the highway teams overstep constitutional lines.

In 1999, drug searches by a group of CHP officers during traffic stops led to a lawsuit alleging racial profiling of Latino drivers. To settle the claims, the department banned all officers from asking drivers for consent to search vehicles for several years and retrained them on racial biases.

Douglas Wright, executive director of the National Criminal Enforcement Assn., a nonprofit group that provides training to highway teams, described such units as an effective tool for finding drug traffickers. He said they also help deter unsafe driving whether or not they search vehicles and find anything illegal.

His organization, he said, teaches officers to avoid any profiling.

All races, all genders and all people are capable of committing these crimes  smuggling these drugs, guns, humans, he said.

Have you been stopped by L.A. County sheriffs deputies on the Grapevine? Get in touch with the reporters at joel.rubin@latimes.com and ben.poston@latimes.com.

Asking drivers for permission to search a vehicle is a commonly used method for police to check for contraband when officers lack the type of evidence that would legally justify a search without a warrant. The U.S. Supreme Court has sanctioned such searches, viewing consent as a straightforward green light from drivers or passengers to proceed unless there is evidence of coercion.

The Times reviewed data from nearly 4,500 searches conducted by the L.A. County Sheriffs Departments highway team and found that about 75% were based on consent from drivers or passengers.

A Sheriffs Department spokeswoman said the agency was confident that the DHE team appropriately uses consent searches as a recognized investigative tool, in compliance with all applicable legal standards.

Some legal scholars have raised concerns about police routinely seeking permission to search.

Consent searches are based on this fiction that people who say yes  are gleefully saying, Yes, officer, I am happy to help, and that anyone who doesnt want to be searched will simply say no, said Hofstra University law professor Alafair S. Burke. But, in reality, the average person hears an officers request as a command.

In Rhode Island and New Jersey, police are prohibited from asking for consent to search a car unless they have reasonable suspicion of a crime.

Data for all types of searches by the L.A. County team show that deputies found contraband in 20% of vehicles driven by Latinos. For black drivers, contraband was found 18% of the time; for whites, 16%. Those differences were not significant, according to a regression analysis conducted by The Times.

The Sheriffs Departments highway team has run into trouble in federal court, but not because of racial profiling allegations. In nearly two dozen cases filed by U.S. prosecutors, no judge has ruled whether the team is selectively targeting Latinos. Instead, the deputies tactics and credibility have come under fire, resulting in 11 cases being dismissed.

In one, attorneys for a man caught with 38 pounds of cocaine and 8 pounds of heroin argued that Deputy Adam Halloran illegally prolonged the stop to grill the driver about whether he was carrying drugs.

Deputy John Leitelt pulls a piece of a dashboard panel modified to hide drugs in an impounded vehicle. Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

U.S. District Judge Robert H. Whaley agreed and warned that the highway teams practice of frequently seeking consent to search vehicles imposes an enormous burden on the privacy interests of drivers. Most drivers would be anxious to move on and would fear that a denial of permission to search would indicate something to hide. Voluntariness of such consent, if given, does not justify the tactic.

In his ruling, Whaley said the teams mission seemed certain to lead to more illegal arrests.

A policy of the police to create a department to make traffic stops only to seek consent or probable cause [for a search] is troubling, he wrote.

Seven more federal cases were dismissed amid questions over the credibility of one deputy, James Peterson. Defense attorneys questioned the cases against their clients by pointing out that Peterson had been disciplined in the past for misconduct that involved dishonesty and that a federal prosecutor had once raised doubts about Peterson after the deputy changed his account of an arrest.

Peterson was reassigned from the highway team last year.

Defense attorneys have also challenged claims that deputies can tell whether a motorist is concealing drugs by their responses to simple questions.

In an arrest report detailing the seizure of 48 pounds of methamphetamine from a car he stopped, Deputy Michael Vann said the driver handed over his license so quickly it seemed abnormal, as if he wanted to speed up the traffic stop  as if he were trying to distance himself from me. The mans rocking slightly back and forth in his seat, Vann wrote, was possibly a way for him to release built up nervous energy.

How we reported this story on the L.A. County Sheriff's Department highway enforcement team 

When the driver, Mario Manjarrez, told Vann he had been visiting family in Los Angeles and pointed toward the city, the deputy saw the gesture as an anchor point movement, which he said criminals use to distract officers. In this case, Vann concluded, Manjarrez had been struggling to recall a made-up story about visiting family and pointed toward the city in an attempt to seem more confident.

When the motorist took a step away from the car, the deputy wrote, it was an unconscious attempt at distancing himself from what was inside. And the fact that he switched from saying no to silently shaking his head when asked if he had methamphetamine or cocaine was reason for Vann to suspect he was carrying the two drugs.

Manjarrezs lawyer questioned how handing a license over too quickly could be a telltale sign of deception. She noted that Vann claimed in other stops that it was suspicious when drivers were slow and clumsy in handing over their licenses.

And she pointed out that although Vann maintained that Manjarrezs finger pointing was a sign of a forgotten cover story, the deputy also had said that in other stops he based his suspicions on people who recited their stories too smoothly.

I have doubts about the magical psychological powers of Deputy Vann. U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez

Vann argued that each stop was unique and that he had based his suspicion of Manjarrez on all he said and did.

U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez concluded that Vanns justifications could make any word or movement grounds for suspicion.

I have doubts about the magical psychological powers of Deputy Vann, Gutierrez said at a hearing in November. To me, its psychological babble.

Prosecutors dismissed the case before the judge issued a ruling on whether Vanns search of the car was illegal, and Manjarrez went free.

Another man caught with 10 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in a tire was let go after a different judge ruled that Vann violated the mans constitutional rights when he kept him detained without a valid reason. In a third case, a judge upheld the legality of a drug seizure but found that Vann had violated the drivers Miranda rights.

Vann, Peterson and Halloran did not respond to a request for comment made through the Sheriffs Department. The U.S. attorneys office declined to comment.

Only a small proportion of the arrests made by the highway team result in federal prosecutions, which generally carry stiffer sentences than state charges. In state court, more than 450 people pulled over by the deputies have been convicted of drug transportation and other crimes, according to a Times analysis of court data. About the same number of people arrested were not charged with a crime.

Sheriffs Department officials who oversee the highway team said in interviews they were unaware that any of the deputies arrests had fallen apart in federal court. Sgt. Daniel Peacock, the teams direct supervisor, said the department no longer sends the teams cases to the U.S. attorneys office for review.

Times staff writers Ryan Menezes and Ruben Vives contributed to this report.

Additional credits: Graphics by Swetha Kannan. Produced by Agnus Dei Farrant and Sean Greene. Video edited by Robert Meeks.

Support our journalism Please consider subscribing today to support stories like this one. Get full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. Already a subscriber? Your support makes our work possible. Thank you.

joel.rubin@latimes.com

Twitter: @joelrubin

ben.poston@latimes.com

Twitter: @bposton

UPDATES:

6:50 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from a statement released by the sheriff.

This article was originally published at 3 a.m.
The Trump administration has transferred hundreds of children who entered the U.S. illegally to a temporary tent shelter on the border in Texas that immigrant advocates have condemned as substandard.

The camp, which is operated by a private contractor, has been quietly expanding on a barren desert tract in the border town of Tornillo, southeast of El Paso, and now houses 1,600 immigrant children.

It is considered temporary and therefore is not required to be licensed as a childcare facility or to provide the same medical, mental health and educational services as roughly 100 other facilities for children across the U.S.

Immigrant rights advocates, who say lawyers have been restricted from visiting the shelter, called on Congress this week to demand better oversight.

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The vast majority of the children housed there arrived at the border by themselves or with adults who were not their parents, according to Kenneth Wolfe, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for placing them.

Jennifer Podkul, policy director at the legal advocacy group Kids in Need of Defense, said none were targets of the controversial zero tolerance policy that separated parents and children detained while crossing the border together in May and June, before Trump succumbed to political pressure to end the practice.

But children at the shelter are indirect victims of that policy, she said.

Efforts to find them homes and remove them from government custody have stalled because federal officials have been so consumed by trying to reunite families separated under zero tolerance, Podkul and other advocates said in a telephone briefing with reporters Wednesday.

Podkul said that background checks on relatives and other potential sponsors who could take in children have been delayed by up to two months.

The background checks are conducted by the Department of Homeland Security under an expanded protocol that took effect this spring. Federal officials say the new policy protects children, but critics argue that it is meant to help immigration authorities identify other people in the U.S. illegally.

In any case, children are staying in shelters longer before being placed with relatives or other sponsors. Wolfe said the average shelter stay is now 60 days, double the 2017 average.

In the first 11 months of fiscal year 2018, 45,704 children were apprehended on the southern border, a 19% increase from the previous year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Thats far lower than the 77% increase between 2013 to 2014  when the Department of Health and Human Services opened temporary shelters on military bases in California and Texas.

The number of youth caught monthly has actually dropped since zero tolerance took effect in May.

Currently, more than 13,000 immigrant children  the largest number in recent memory  are living in government-contracted shelters, according to Wolfe.

The Tornillo shelter, which opened in June with several hundred beds and has expanded to 3,800 beds, has been run under short-term contracts by BCFS, a Texas-based nonprofit.

Until recently, only one lawyer was allowed to visit. Ten were allowed in this week, but Podkul said thats still not enough.

There are obvious concerns about keeping kids in such a facility for long periods of time, she said. Were worried that this is a trend to hold children in lower standards than whats required by current law.

Dr. Alan Shapiro, who serves in the American Academy of Pediatrics Immigrant Health Special Interest Group, urged Congress to create an independent medical and mental health monitoring team for children in government custody.

We dont want them relying on substandard programs to house children needlessly, said Shapiro, who has treated migrant children separated from their parents and has visited federal immigration detention centers.

He said he was troubled by a New York Times report this week that children have been transferred to the Tornillo facility from other shelters nationwide late at night, a practice he called terrifying.

Theres this constant disruption happening in their lives which really creates anxiety in children, Shapiro said.

Families Belong Together, a national coalition of advocacy groups, plans to protest at Tornillo and other federal immigration facilities next week, according to Jess Morales, the groups political director.

We will not stand by while our government abuses children, she said.

In the meantime, federal officials are still trying to clean up the mess caused by the zero-tolerance policy. A total of 254 children remain in limbo in the U.S. because their parents were deported.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

@mollyhf
Missouri was down to one clinic providing abortions Wednesday, after the only other facility in the state that performs the procedure failed to adhere to new state requirements and its license expired.

The Columbia clinics abortion license expired Tuesday, Planned Parenthood Great Plains spokeswoman Emily Miller said.

Federal appeals court judges ruled last month that Missouri can enforce a requirement that doctors must have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals before they can perform abortions. The judges issued a mandate Monday for that rule to officially take effect.

The Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic has been unable to secure physician privileges or find a doctor with those privileges after a panel of medical staff at University of Missouri Health Care voted to stop offering those privileges altogether in 2015 amid a Republican-led legislative investigation on abortion in the state.

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Miller said the clinic canceled abortions scheduled for Wednesday in Columbia, which would have been the first since the mandate was issued. The clinic continues to provide other healthcare services.

We are unable to provide abortion services now, so weve been working with patients who were on the schedule for today for abortion appointments to let them know what their alternatives are, Miller said.

Women seeking abortions can go to Planned Parenthoods St. Louis clinic  which is now the only facility in Missouri where abortions can be performed  or travel to neighboring states, she said. Planned Parenthood has argued in court filings that the additional distance women will need to travel to the clinic on the far eastern border of the state to receive abortions will be burdensome and could make the procedure inaccessible to some.

Miller said she was hoping the state would issue another abortion license soon.

Planned Parenthood attorneys also had asked U.S. Western District Court Judge Brian Wimes to temporarily exempt the Columbia clinic from the hospital privileges requirement before Wednesday. Wimes hasnt ruled on that request.

If Wimes does decide to grant a temporary restraining order on the law, abortions could resume at the clinic if it also receives another license.

Planned Parenthood affiliates with Missouri health centers filed the underlying lawsuit to block state requirements on admitting privileges and mandates that clinics meet hospital-like standards for outpatient surgery. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2016 struck down similar rules in Texas.

The Missouri Attorney Generals Office, which is defending the regulations, in court documents argued that the admitting privileges requirement provides substantial benefits, such as ensuring that women have access to a treating physician, ensuring continuity of care, reducing the likelihood of unnecessary treatment, and providing women and the state with greater, more accurate information.
As the nation grapples with the drama surrounding the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to a lifetime seat on the U.S. Supreme Court  the contentious testimony, the FBI investigation, the rancorous party politics and the fraught confirmation vote  California is preparing to quietly confirm not one but two state Supreme Court justices and dozens of justices of the Court of Appeal.

But perhaps confirm is not quite the right word. Carol Corrigan, Leondra Kruger and those Court of Appeal justices were each already confirmed by three-member panels following their appointments, and all are now serving on their respective courts. State voters have the final say, though, and must retain or reject each justice in the first gubernatorial election after their appointment, and then again every 12 years. Thats why Corrigan, Kruger and their appellate court colleagues will be on the ballot next month.

At the moment, that process looks more thoughtful and civilized than its federal counterpart. But it hasnt always been that way. In two bitterly partisan campaigns more than three decades ago, voters rebelled against Gov. Jerry Browns appointments to the state Supreme Court, narrowly retaining three justices in 1982 and then famously removing Chief Justice Rose Bird and two other justices in 1986. Those ousters swept away Browns early stamp on the court (he had appointed seven justices over the course of his first two terms in office), as liberal justices were replaced by conservative appointees. The ramifications are discussed even today, as court watchers debate the proper balance not just between liberals and conservatives, but also between judicial independence and judicial accountability.

The same arguments play out in trial court elections, like the one this year in which Santa Clara County voters ousted Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky for sentencing a Stanford student to a relatively brief six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. Challenges to judges for unpopular decisions almost certainly cause other judges to consider the political ramifications of their decisions, and they make some observers yearn for something more like the election-free federal system  the one that produced the Kavanaugh drama. As we have seen, each system has its own benefits and shortcomings.

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Retention votes support independent courts that make decisions based on the law and not on popular sentiment or political partisanship.

Unlike in the case of Persky and other incumbent trial court judges, who end up on the ballot only when they are challenged by other candidates, California Supreme Court and Court of Appeal justices face simple up-or-down votes, with no challengers. For Corrigan, Kruger and the Court of Appeal justices, voters should just say yes. None face any organized opposition campaign, and each has demonstrated proficiency on the bench.

Corrigan is a former prosecutor who was appointed to the trial court and appellate positions by Republican governors. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger put her on the state Supreme Court in 2005. Voters retained her the following year and now, 12 years later, should do so again.

Kruger has taken a different path to the same place. She was a clerk for a federal Court of Appeals justice and then for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. She was a law professor. She was an assistant to the U.S. solicitor general and argued numerous cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Brown named her to the seven-member state Supreme Court in 2014. She sits with two other Brown appointees  both of whom already have been retained by voters  and three appointees of Republican governors, including Corrigan.

But generalizations fail. Their different backgrounds notwithstanding, Corrigans and Krugers votes and opinions peg neither justice as an obvious liberal or conservative, ideologue or pragmatist. Both are considered deft thinkers and writers. Both would serve the state well should they be retained and serve another 12 years.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

The Court of Appeal, which hears appeals from the states trial courts, is divided into geographic districts and divisions, with the Second District Court of Appeal serving Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Seventeen justices of that district  more than half of whom were appointed by Brown in his most recent tenure  come to voters this year for retention.

Again, voters should say yes  as they should for judges and justices generally, absent any serious concerns about their fitness for office. Retention votes support independent courts that make decisions based on the law and not on popular sentiment or political partisanship.

The justices up for confirmation in the Second District are Anne H. Egerton, Carl H. Moor, Dorothy C. Kim, Gail R. Feuer, Halim Dhanidina, Helen Bendix, John L. Segal, Lamar W. Baker, Luis A. Lavin, Martin J. Tangemen, Thomas Willhite, Victoria G. Chaney, Victoria M. Chavez, Arthur Gilbert, Elwood Lui, Nora M. Manella and Patricia A. Bigelow. Like Corrigan and Kruger, they are known less for their ideology than for their competence.

Brown has dragged his feet on filling one more Supreme Court court vacancy, so that appointee  whoever it may be  wont come before voters until the next gubernatorial election, in 2022. In any event, the court majority will once again be made up of Brown appointees, just as it was  briefly  more than 30 years ago.

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For anyone who has more than a passing familiarity with Californias history on matters of race and ethnicity, the arrests of four white supremacists Tuesday  three of them from the Los Angeles area  on riot charges stemming from last years violent neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Va., will sound neither unprecedented nor utterly shocking. Racism has been part of Californias history since the arrival of the Spanish and Father Junipero Serras creation of the Catholic mission system that in effect enslaved Native Americans. Ancient history? No. More of a harbinger.

But someone needs to tell that to Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine), who told supporters last week that the kind of historical racism that in many ways defined the South had no connection with California, or present times. Weve done a lot of bad things in this country. So what? Hunter said. We didnt do it. My generation sure as heck didnt do it. I was born in San Diego. Sorry, Southerners. You guys had some issues back in the day. Didnt happen out here on the West Coast.

Unfortunately, it did. California might not have been a member of the Confederacy during the Civil War, but it allowed slavery before statehood, tolerated it into the Civil War, and since then has been home and host to its share of deplorable acts of racism. These did not just target African Americans and Latinos; anti-Chinese and anti-Japanese laws and practices were the norm for the state for generations, including mob attacks on Asian homes and businesses. A two-day riot in 1877 in San Francisco killed at least four Asian men and burned to the ground scores of buildings, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

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The Ku Klux Klan became a force in Southern California in the 1920s, taking political control of the city of Anaheim with Klansmen patrolling the streets in their robes. In the 1940s, Wesley A. Swift and William Gale helped popularize the modern Christian Identity church in Los Angeles, preaching a racist theology invoked later by the Aryan Nations and other white supremacist organizations. For decades the Western Division of the American Nazi Party was based in Glendale and El Monte.

In fact, Hunter need look no further than Fallbrook, in his own district, which for years was home to former Klan leader Tom Metzger and his White Aryan Resistance, a white supremacist group whose incitements led to the beating death of a black man in Oregon in 1988. Or the white supremacist skinhead movement in Orange County beginning in the 1990s. Or the story of Wade Michael Page, the Midwestern kid who moved to Orange County to be part of the hatecore music scene and returned to Wisconsin, where he massacred six Sikhs as they were leaving a religious service in Oak Creek six years ago. And remember, the 1969 murder spree by Charles Mansons family of acolytes was intended to launch a race war. Nothing says West Coast like that horrific episode.

Hunter is one of the Houses most conservative members. In the same speech last week, he suggested that his challenger in the November election, Ammar Campa-Najjar, was a radical Muslim trying to infiltrate the U.S. government. Campa-Najjar, of Palestinian and Latino heritage, is an American-born Christian who worked in the Obama White House. Hunter went on to complain that schoolchildren in San Diego were being encouraged to honor Islam.

So intolerance lives on in California. For proof of that all Hunter needs to do is look in the mirror.

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Americans were confronted Tuesday with a profound problem, one that challenges our commitment to accountable democratic government and justice. It is an awful truth that we must face now that the New York Times has published a richly documented, 14,000-word expose alleging decades of deeply corrupt Trump family finances.

After 18 months of interviewing people who worked for or with the Trump family and scrutinizing more than 100,000 documents, the newspaper painted a portrait unprecedented in scope and precision of Trump family money, including outright fraud that enriched the man who is now the sitting president. Those extraordinary words require us to pay close attention.

Leaked financial records reveal decades of calculated tax cheating, according to the New York Times. Father Fred Trump created 295 revenue streams to transfer money to his children, many of which appear to have broken laws. A lawyer for the president claims the published allegations are false and the reporting extremely inaccurate, but the reporters cite bank statements, canceled checks, invoices and tax filings that reveal the apparent evasion of close to half a billion dollars of taxes in todays money.

In one scheme the value of properties transferred from Fred Trump to his children was discounted by 94%. Prices paid for refrigerators and stoves were inflated 46%, which enabled dishonest tax deductions while cheating people in rent-stabilized Trump apartments by justifying higher rents.

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Not a scintilla of verifiable evidence shows that Donald is anything like as rich as he claims.

As that papers former tax reporter and a journalist who has covered Donald Trump for more than 30 years, this was no surprise. In 1990 I broke the story that Trump was no billionaire. He called me a liar for months, until he had to put documents in the public record showing he was worth negative-$295 million.

Not a scintilla of verifiable evidence shows that Donald is anything like as rich as he claims. Candidate Trump said he was worth more than $10 billion, but his 2017 presidential disclosure statement shows just $1.4 billion.

Yet millions of Americans believe Trump is a modern Midas. They believe the president will lift them out of hard times, after a half-century during which the super-rich flourished and their incomes were mostly flat. The awful truth is that the man in the Oval Office is not a wealth-building entrepreneur, but a financial vampire who extracts cash from enterprises, leaving behind unpaid workers, vendors and governments.

The presidents father got his start profiteering, to the tune of millions of dollars, from programs to help returning GIs get housing, which prompted President Eisenhower to throw a fit. Donald Trump is already a proven tax cheat. He admitted to sales tax fraud in 1983. He lost two income tax civil fraud trials. His own tax lawyer, Jack Mitnick, testified that Trumps 1984 tax return was fraudulent.

Court records show how Trump and his children misled investors in failed condo projects in Baja California and Florida. Trump promised strivers who paid tens of thousands of dollars to attend Trump University that he would hand-pick a faculty and give them a better education than the best business schools. Thats not what happened. In the end, Trump gave back $25 million after insisting he had done nothing wrong.

A Trump project in New York employed hundreds of workers who were in America without permission, paid them laughably low wages and worked them beyond legal limits. He denied knowledge of the situation, but a judge said Trumps testimony was not credible. Trump promised to show voters that his immigrant third wife, Melania, always worked legally. Business records show she worked illegally as a model.

Trumps longtime fixer, Michael Cohen, is talking to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. So is his former campaign manager, who along with Trumps first son and son-in-law eagerly embraced the Kremlins offer of campaign help. Trumps first national security advisor has pleaded guilty to being an unregistered agent for Russian interests in Turkey. Son-in-law Jared Kushner sought to use Russian diplomatic channels to communicate secretly with Moscow.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

For many Americans the truth too horrible to consider is that Donald Trump could be a criminal, a wildly successful con artist. He may well be disloyal. For those who grasp what Trump is, the corollary truth is that our Constitutions checks and balances are failing us.

The Republican majority in Congress refuses to properly investigate Trump. Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, is rushing a vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, whose legal writings indicate he might protect Trump from law enforcement.

Prosecutors, tax authorities, casino regulators and other government officials appear to have let the Trump family get away with dishonest conduct again and again. Trump has bragged that in return for campaign donations politicians always obeyed his wishes, and it seems many did.

The latest expose focuses mainly on the 1950s through the 1990s. We need to see Trumps tax returns, and the books and records behind them, from this century. And if they show cheating, we need to enforce the laws Trump violated.

David Cay Johnston, a former Los Angeles Times and New York Times reporter, is the author of The Making of Donald Trump and Its Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America.

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At President Trumps shameful Tuesday rally in Southaven, Miss., the state was once again portrayed as representing the worst of us. Within hours, video clips went viral of the crowd laughing and applauding as the president mocked Christine Blasey Ford, a woman whose claim of sexual assault by Trumps Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, even most Republicans found credible.

And why wouldnt we expect Mississippi to embody the worst of what the Republican Party has become? It consistently ranks in the top three most conservative states in the country. It has voted for Republican presidents for nearly four decades and elected only Republican senators since 1988. Only one Democrat, the attorney general, has been elected to statewide office since 2011. Its no wonder the Democratic Party pays the state no mind.

But we are in an era when we should expect the politically unexpected. And the numbers suggest that change is within reach  even in Mississippi.

Come November, Mississippi could send not one, but two Democrats to the U.S. Senate. Think thats impossible? Then you should ask why Trump was stumping in this deep red state in the first place.

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Democratic strategists and donors have ignored the Bible Belt for too long.

Thank Trump for this much: Voters are paying attention today. Republicans have nothing to show for their years in power in the state. Mississippi continues to rank at the bottom in nearly every indicator of success, including health, education, economy and infrastructure. It has the highest poverty rates, the lowest median income and the highest rate of uninsured. So the electorate has a lot to gain from Democratic policies.

As with many things in the South, the vote traditionally splits along racial lines, so the Democratic voter base in Mississippi (38% African American) is actually larger than in Alabama (26% African American), where Democrat Doug Jones won the special election to fill Jeff Sessions Senate seat last December.

An NBC poll shows the overall party gap closing in Mississippi, too. Only 51% indicated they would vote Republican in this midterm, after more than 58% voted for Trump in 2016. Add in Trumps performance Tuesday, which will resonate with his most committed base, but likely put off some white female voters. If Democrats make inroads with white women, theyre within spitting distance of a double win.

In a rare occurrence, both Mississippi Senate seats are on the ballot this November because Sen. Thad Cochran stepped down April 1.

Mike Espy, a conservative Democrat, is running for Cochrans vacant seat. Espy, who served in Congress from 1987 to 1993 and as secretary of Agriculture under President Clinton from 1993 to 1994, would be the first African American senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction. He is running in a nonpartisan special election against two Republicans who are competing for the GOP vote. The top two candidates will go to a runoff later in November.

David Baria, a progressive Democrat, is trying to unseat Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, so he is considered more of a long shot. Wicker, however, only pulled 43% in the NBC poll  a poor showing for such a long-time incumbent. Baria was a trial lawyer who has been active in statehouse politics for a decade and has consistently won in a primarily Republican area. He already had 15% of the white vote statewide in an internal poll conducted in August, and his name recognition and donations have only increased since then. Meanwhile, Wicker has ignored invitations to debate and made little effort to campaign.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

Both Democratic campaigns believe that if they get high voter turnout from the African American community  meeting or exceeding their percentage of the population as a whole  they only need 20% to 22% of the white vote to win.

Espy and Baria are very different candidates, and their natural constituencies dont necessarily align. As an African American, Espy will energize the African American community, but in todays Mississippi, his race will still be a barrier to peeling away white votes. Barias progressive positions could be off-putting to independents who dislike Trump but are socially conservative. But if each candidate convinces their constituencies that its vital this year to vote for Democrats in both races, the amplifying effect could push both over the finish line. Jointly campaigning on the cause  two Democratic seats are better than one  could be a powerful strategy in an election where so many races are competing for national attention and resources.

Democratic strategists and donors have ignored the Bible Belt for too long. These campaigns are still largely overlooked and underfunded, but upsets happen. Sen. Jones win in that hotly contested Alabama special election should be a wakeup call to Democrats: Dont cede the South to Trump.

Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Lucien Smith scoffed at the idea of an Alabama-style upset, stating: Im about as likely to grow wings and fly as Democrats are to win a Senate seat in Mississippi.

What better rebuke of the sham the Republican Party has become than to prove him wrong. Twice over.

Elizabeth Shackelford, born and raised in Mississippi, was a U.S. diplomat who served in Somalia, South Sudan, Poland and Washington, D.C. until she resigned in protest of the Trump administration last year.

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To the editor: We are, at last, a Third World nation. As the FBIs work on Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh shows, we pick and choose how justice will be served; we investigate selectively; we make decisions based on what will help the plutocrats and oligarchs; were blind to injustice.

Congress passes laws that harm the public while asserting that the little guy will benefit. Lawmakers cherry-pick facts and pretend that theyre telling the truth and then blame the opposition for omissions.

We are Turkey, we are Egypt, and the White House and the congressional majority find that acceptable.

We are a country in desperate need of a 21st century Joseph Welch  someone who will face off against abusive officials and ask them, in front of the nation, Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?

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In the 1950s, the country applauded. Now, the answer to Welch would be, No, but thats OK.

Peter Altschuler, Santa Monica

..

To the editor: Democrats believe the FBI should have questioned Kavanaugh and his sexual assault accuser Christine Blasey Ford, but that would not have presented any additional facts on the case. Their respective views are already known.

The obvious question now is whether senators will be influenced by the FBIs report or whether their minds have already been made up. With a handful of senators believed to be sitting on the fence, the FBIs investigation may be the decisive factor.

The few senators who will decide Kavanaughs fate are torn by party loyalty, their own conscience and the wishes of their electorate. These people are between a rock and a hard place.

Americans relish a close contest. Certainly in this instance, and with substantial consequences, their wish will be fulfilled.

Nelson Marans, New York

..

To the editor: It is interesting how primarily conservatives have questioned Fords account by asking why she didnt report the alleged assault shortly after it happened 36 years ago.

We are all aware of the now-adult men who were sexually assaulted by priests and didnt report their abuse for decades. Its interesting how the men werent mocked, vilified or dismissed as they recounted their abuse.

Furthermore, there is a major difference between stupid adolescent behavior and someone turning up the volume on the radio and putting his hands over the victims mouth to prevent anyone from hearing her screams for help.

I am appalled and disgusted that anyone could dismiss Fords account and confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Judith A. Beay, Ventura

..

To the editor: If only Kavanaugh had decided not to give dissembling responses to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 27.

It seems clear, based on the statements of his contemporaries, that Kavanaugh vastly understated his propensity for drinking to excess. I find it credible that he truly believes any incident with Ford never happened. What with her compelling and wholly believable sworn testimony, Kavanaugh should have considered the seemingly obvious fact that shes telling the truth, and hes really not certain that he can recall his own actions.

He should have said: Though I have no recollection of Dr. Fords allegations, I also see no reason to disbelieve her. If I did do what she claims, I am extremely sorry and sincerely apologize to Dr. Ford and to everyone else who has been hurt by this story coming to light. That teenager is clearly not the man who stands before you now.

If only.

R.F. Roswell, Burbank

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: Poor Vinod Khosla. He spent $37 million on a piece of property by the ocean, and he thought he could own the beach too. He even retained a slew of high-priced attorneys he thought would intimidate the California Coastal Commission (the representatives of the people) into allowing him to close off access through his San Mateo County property to Martins Beach.

In the end, multiple courts saw Khoslas case as the very expensive smoke and mirrors it was. If I had that kind of money to spend on frivolity, Id build the coolest, most realistic model railroad ever with my own hands, and maybe restore a Douglas DC-6B and a Lockheed L-188 Electra.

All you filthy rich, megalomaniacal one-percenters out there should know that We the People are bigger, smarter and stronger, and we always will be.

Lincoln Gable Riley, Los Angeles

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..

To the editor: Reading about Khoslas failed lawsuit against the California Coastal Commission brought to mind the famous and expensive Kahala Hotel and Resort on a semi-secluded section of the Honolulu coast.

Hawaiis beach access laws are similar to Californias, so in that state, the coast and, therefore, the beachfront sands are enjoyed by all, whether guests of an adjacent hotel or not. The Kahala Hotel and Resort has seemed to prosper in spite of all the local riff-raff, who incidentally support the hotels concessions.

Its called a win-win.

Arthur A. Fleisher II, Northridge

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (R) meets with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C., the United States, on Oct. 2, 2018. Mike Pompeo has met with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi to discuss bilateral ties, the State Department said here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has met with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi to discuss bilateral ties, the State Department said here on Wednesday.

According to a statement of State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, Pompeo met on Tuesday with the Pakistani official, following up on their Sept. 5 discussions in Islamabad on a range of bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.

During the meeting, Pompeo said the United States looked forward to working with Pakistan's new government, and discussed the importance of the United States and Pakistan working together to advance joint priorities, recognizing that bilateral cooperation was mutually beneficial and a factor for stability in South Asia.

Pompeo also underscored a common goal to advance peace and security in the broader region. In particular, he emphasized the important role Pakistan could play in bringing about a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan.

The top U.S. diplomat said that there was momentum to advance the Afghan peace process, and that the Afghan Taliban should seize the opportunity for dialogue.

The two officials also agreed to remain engaged on these and other issues, and reiterated their desire to maintain constructive dialogue to advance shared interests.

4

1

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
Republicans are at risk of a wipeout in Californias six most hotly contested congressional races, a new poll shows  a result that could radically reshape the states political map, with major consequences nationally.

But the poll, conducted for the Los Angeles Times by UC Berkeleys Institute for Governmental Studies, also underscores how close many of the contests remain.

The Democratic tide threatens to swamp congressional districts in Southern Californias suburbs that Republicans have controlled for decades. That would significantly boost Democrats chances of gaining the additional 23 seats they need to win a majority in the House.

But if the tide ebbs only slightly, the GOP could emerge with much of its control intact.

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With the Nov. 6 midterm election less than five weeks away, none of the Republicans in the states six most competitive races have a lead. The Democrats lead strongly in one race and narrowly in three others, and two are dead heats, the Berkeley IGS Poll shows.

Reaction to President Trump appears to drive the results more than any specific issue and, in most cases, more than the individual candidates.

Trump appears to be the main motivator for voters in these districts, said Mark DiCamillo, the veteran pollster who directs the Berkeley IGS Poll. Hes the central figure.

The overall picture could change between now and election day, but voting by mail begins statewide Monday, and at least four major factors appear set:

Trump is unpopular across most of the targeted districts  four covering parts of Orange and San Diego counties, one in Los Angeles County and one centered on Modesto in the Central Valley. Thats especially true among college-educated white voters, whose alienation from the president has turned suburban districts across the country into risky territory for the GOP, and among Latinos and women.

The share of voters who approve of Trump serves as a ceiling for Republican candidates, with none able to surpass Trumps level by more than a few percentage points. Thats a significant problem for Republicans; in five of the six districts, a majority of likely voters disapprove of the presidents performance in office.

In several districts, the presidents opponents appear more motivated to vote than his supporters, with self-identified liberals and registered Democrats more likely to say that they view this years election as more important than previous contests.

Strategies that the Republicans had hoped would bolster their campaigns and make up for the undertow from the president appear to have had limited effect, at best.

A ballot measure to repeal the recent increase in the states gas tax, which Republican operatives had hoped would spur turnout on their side, trails in each of the six highly competitive districts. Money for the repeal campaign has largely dried up as Republicans have diverted funds elsewhere.

A national effort by Republicans to portray untested Democratic candidates as unacceptably liberal appears also to have come up short in these California districts. Several Democratic newcomers have maintained favorable images with voters, the poll showed.

As a result of those factors, Republicans lag behind in two of the four congressional districts that cover most of Orange County, long the heartland of California conservatism. The other two contests are dead heats.

A longtime Republican incumbent, Rep. Steve Knight of Palmdale, is narrowly trailing in the only remaining L.A.-centered district the GOP holds.

Farther north, Republican Rep. Jeff Denham of Turlock, who has survived previous attempts by Democrats to oust him, is behind by a slim margin in his Central Valley race.

(Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times)

The polls findings in those districts are generally similar to other recent nonpartisan, publicly released surveys.

In addition to those six districts, the poll also surveyed the races in two Republican-held seats that have not been top Democratic targets but have attracted considerable attention.

Rep. Devin Nunes of Tulare, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has a 53%-45% lead in his race against Andrew Janz, a county prosecutor. Nunes role as a defender of Trump has opened a gusher of money for Janz, despite the districts heavily Republican tilt.

But in another heavily Republican district, Rep. Duncan Hunter of Alpine has only a 49%-47% lead over Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar, a result well within the polls margin of error.

(Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times)

Hunter was recently indicted on federal fraud charges, turning a usually safe Republican district in inland San Diego and Riverside counties into a competitive one. He recently released a sharply negative ad that tries to link Campa-Najjar, who is of Mexican and Palestinian ancestry, to terrorism.

The poll findings in the six most contested districts illustrate the forces that have put the GOPs majority at risk.

49th District

Democrats have their strongest shot in the 49th District, covering northern San Diego County and the southern Orange County coast up through Dana Point. Mike Levin, the Democrat, has a 55%-41% lead over Republican Diane Harkey, the poll shows. Republican Rep. Darrell Issa decided not to run for reelection in a district that Hillary Clinton carried by just more than 7 points in the 2016 presidential election.

(Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times)

White voters with college degrees make up 45% of the likely voters in this mostly affluent, suburban district, and they back Levin 60% to 35%. Latinos, who make up about 1 in 8 likely voters here, back him by about a 3-1 majority. While men are divided almost evenly between the two, women favor Levin 60% to 34%.

Perhaps most important, likely voters disapprove of how Trump is doing as president 61% to 39%, with more than half, 55%, saying they strongly disapprove. Democrats and liberals were significantly more likely than Republicans and conservatives to say that it was very important for them to cast a vote to show their position on Trump.

48th District

Next door to the north, the 48th District, which spans the rest of the Orange County coast from Laguna Niguel to Seal Beach and inland to Westminster and Fountain Valley, is a couple of clicks more conservative. Clinton carried the district by less than 2 percentage points.

(Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times)

There, longtime Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and his Democratic challenger, Harley Rouda, are in a dead heat, each with 48%. Voters also split almost evenly on whether they approve of Trump.

As in the 49th District, college-educated white voters and Latinos back the Democrat, but they make up a slightly smaller share of the electorate: 39% of likely voters in the 48th District are whites with college degrees, and about 1 in 10 are Latino, the poll found.

Rohrabacher also benefits from significant support among Asian Americans, who make up about 1 in 8 of the likely voters. Elsewhere in California, Asian Americans lean heavily toward the Democrats, but this district includes a large, conservative Vietnamese population. Asian American voters overall divide almost equally between Rohrabacher and Rouda, the poll found.

Among whites without a college degree  the heart of Trumps voting base  Rohrabacher leads by nearly 20 points, 58% to 39%, almost twice the size of the Republicans margin with that group in the 49th District. Women support the Democrat, but men back the Republican by an almost equal margin.

The more Trump-oriented conservatism of the 48th District also surfaces when voters said what issues they care about most. Among Republicans in the 49th District, taxes were the top issue; in the 48th, it was securing the nations borders.

As the two sides vie to break the Rohrabacher-Rouda tie, the poll found a couple of weak spots.

Latino voters in the district were slightly less likely than others to say they viewed this election as more important than usual. That could hold down the Democratic vote.

Rohrabacher, however, has been dogged by controversy over his friendliness to people connected with Russias government. Unsurprisingly, an overwhelming share of Democrats said his contacts with Russian officials made them less likely to vote for Rohrabacher. So did 10% of registered Republicans. Among the small number of undecided voters, 45% said the Russia issue made them less likely to vote for him.

45th District

The 45th District, which covers a swath of Orange County from Irvine east through most of the foothill communities, resembles the 49th in its affluent, college-educated demographics. Clinton carried the district by 5 percentage points.

(Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times)

The Republican incumbent, Rep. Mimi Walters of Laguna Beach, had confidently predicted she could ride out the national tide flowing against her party, but the poll shows her Democratic challenger, UC Irvine law professor Katie Porter, leading 52% to 45%.

This race illustrates the failure so far of GOP strategies. Walters put money into helping get the gas tax repeal measure on the ballot, hoping it would spur GOP turnout. But the poll shows the measure getting only about a third of the vote in the district.

Republicans have also put millions into ads attacking Porter as too far to the left. That effort has had limited impact. By 50% to 38%, likely voters have a favorable opinion of Porter; self-identified moderates view her favorably 52% to 37%. By contrast, 50% of the districts voters have a negative view of Walters, compared with 45% who see her positively.

39th District

The GOP may have had more success with negative ads in the 39th District, which covers much of northern Orange County as well as parts of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Gil Cisneros has battled accusations that he sexually harassed a former Democratic state Assembly candidate, Melissa Fazli. A Republican super PAC allied with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) has run advertisements in the district about the charge.

(Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times)

Fazli withdrew the accusation this week after a meeting with Cisneros, saying it was based on a misunderstanding. The super PAC said it would stop running the ads.

The poll cant directly measure the impact of that issue, but 45% of likely voters have a negative view of Cisneros. That includes 10% of registered Democrats. Just 41% of likely voters view him positively.

Cisneros and Republican Young Kim are locked in a dead heat, the poll showed, with the Democrat holding a nominal 49%-48% edge.

25th District

The demographic picture looks somewhat different in northern Los Angeles County, where Republican Rep. Steve Knight hopes to hold off a challenge from Katie Hill, the 31-year-old former executive director of PATH, a nonprofit organization that provides services to homeless people.

(Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times)

Hill has a slight edge, 50% to 46%, within the polls margin of error.

The district, which covers Simi Valley, Santa Clarita and the Palmdale area, has fewer college-educated white voters than the wealthy Orange County suburbs. But it has a higher share of minority voters.

Latinos make up a bit more than 1 in 5 of the districts likely voters and support Hill by nearly 2 to 1, the poll found. Hill also benefits from a significant gender gap, with women backing her 53% to 44% over Knight, while men split almost evenly. Just over half of the voters have a strongly negative view of Trump.

10th District

(Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times)

Similar factors have put Republican Rep. Jeff Denhams career at risk as he seeks a fifth term in a district centered on Modesto in the Central Valley, where Latinos make up more than 40% of the districts population, but about a quarter of the likely voters.

Denhams Democratic opponent, Josh Harder, has the support of roughly two-thirds of Latinos, the poll found.

White voters split 52% for Denham, 43% for Harder. Together, thats enough to give the Democrat a 50%-45% edge in a district that Clinton narrowly carried in 2016 and where 57% of voters say they disapprove of Trump.

::

The Berkeley IGS Poll, which was done for the Los Angeles Times, surveyed 5,090 likely voters online in eight congressional districts  the 10th, 22nd, 25th, 39th, 45th, 48th, 49th and 50th  from Sept. 16 to 23, using a random sample solicited by email from the state voter file. The number of likely voters in each district varies from 912 in the 22nd district to 519 in the 45th. The margin of error for the likely voter samples ranges from roughly 4 to 6 percentage points in either direction. For a detailed description of the polls methodology, go to latimes.com/poll.

Get the latest news from the nations capital on Essential Washington >> 

david.lauter@latimes.com

Twitter: @DavidLauter
Republicans said they were confident they had the votes to place Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the U.S. Supreme Court  if only by the narrowest margin in the last century  after senators spent a tense day on Capitol Hill reviewing an FBI report into allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against President Trumps nominee.

Two key Republicans, Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine, praised the FBIs work, brushing aside concerns from Democrats that the allegations werent adequately scrutinized.

Neither of the two announced how they would vote, nor did Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a third Republican who had said she was undecided.

But the tone of the comments from Collins (It appears to be a very thorough investigation) and Flake (Weve seen no additional corroborating information to back up the charges against Kavanaugh), encouraged Republicans.

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If two of the three undeclared Republicans vote for the nomination, it would have 50 votes  enough to put Kavanaugh on the high court, since Vice President Mike Pence could cast a deciding vote in the case of a tie.

Amid protests and dueling news conferences, the uncertainty about the outcome left Capitol Hill charged with suspense before a key procedural vote on the nomination, scheduled for Friday morning.

The result of that vote will all but decide whether Trumps choice will reach the court and, his supporters hope, push it in a more conservative direction. Lawmakers typically  although not always  go the same way on both preliminary votes and final passage, especially on an issue as high-profile as the Kavanaugh confirmation.

If the nomination clears that hurdle, a final vote is to take place on Saturday, providing the conclusion to one of the most bitter partisan battles of the #MeToo era, which has brought concerns about gender equality and sexual assault to the forefront of the countrys political and cultural stages.

A possible hitch arose Thursday night when Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who supports Kavanaugh, revealed his daughter is getting married in his home state Saturday evening and that he will not be in D.C. to vote. If the count on Kavanaugh ends up being tight, that might force GOP leaders to postpone again, perhaps until Monday.

The White House last week ordered the FBI to conduct a limited, supplemental investigation of Kavanaugh after pressure from the three undecided Republican senators, who had threatened to withhold their votes.

The probe focused on two allegations from Kavanaughs youth: that he assaulted Christine Blasey Ford, now a Palo Alto University professor, who testified publicly in an explosive Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Sept. 27; and that he exposed himself to Deborah Ramirez at a dorm room party when they were classmates at Yale University.

Kavanaugh has denied the allegations.

Democrats and Republicans took turns on Thursday visiting a secure room on Capitol Hill that held a single copy of the FBIs confidential report, which included roughly 46 pages summarizing interviews with nine people.

Senators could read the report or discuss it with a handful of staff members authorized to review the sensitive document. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) refused to make the report public despite urging from both sides of the aisle.

The report did nothing to heal the partisan divide over the nomination. Republicans said there continued to be no corroboration for the allegations against Kavanaugh, who is a judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, and they blamed the Democrats for trying to stall.

This is a search-and-destroy mission, said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). This is not a search for the truth.

Democrats, already inclined to believe the women who have accused Kavanaugh, said the investigation was incomplete and pointed to potential witnesses who were not contacted.

The most notable part of this report is whats not in it, said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. It looks to be a product of an incomplete investigation that was limited.

Outside the quiet, secure room, Capitol Hill was awash in protests. Hundreds gathered in one of the Senate office buildings on Thursday afternoon, filling the atrium and lining the railings on floors above, to denounce Kavanaugh and Republicans.

More showed up outside the Supreme Court building, where Kavanaugh would serve as the second justice nominated by Trump.

Unlike Trumps other nominee, Neil M. Gorsuch, whose confirmation process was highly partisan but never in doubt, Kavanaugh, if he wins, would likely set a rancorous record.

Until now, the narrowest confirmation in the modern era came in 1991, when Justice Clarence Thomas won despite allegations of sexual misconduct levied by professor Anita Hill.

At this point, the best Kavanaugh could do would be to match Thomas 52-48 tally, but the margin will likely be closer.

On Thursday, one of the remaining two Democratic senators who had not yet declared a position, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, joined the rest of her party in saying she would vote no.

Both sides horribly handled the process around this nomination, she said in a statement. We must learn from these mistakes.

But, she added, when Ford testified, I heard the voices of women I have known throughout my life who have similar stories of sexual assault and abuse.

And she criticized Kavanaughs demeanor at the hearing last week in which he denied Fords accusation, saying that his statements called into question Judge Kavanaughs current temperament, honesty and impartiality.

Kavanaughs angry tone at the hearing also drew criticism from retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, now 98, who said at an appearance in Florida that he had supported the nomination until last weeks hearing.

His performance in the hearings ultimately changed my mind, Stevens said, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Heitkamps announcement left only one Democrat undeclared: Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, who is seeking reelection in a state where Trump is very popular. He refused Thursday to indicate which way he was leaning after visiting the secure room with the report.

Im going through it, and I have more that I have to go through tomorrow morning, so theyll have it all ready so I can see it when I get in, he said.

Democratic Senate sources said Manchin was not expected to cast the deciding vote, which means Republicans would need to find enough votes in their own ranks to get to 50.

Trump said Thursday that appeasing Democrats would be impossible.

This is now the 7th time the FBI has investigated Judge Kavanaugh, he tweeted. If we made it 100, it would still not be good enough for the Obstructionist Democrats.

FBI background checks usually do not examine events before a nominee turns 18, the period in which Ford alleges she was assaulted by Kavanaugh. She said that in the summer of 1982, when she was 15 and Kavanaugh was 17, he and a friend drunkenly pushed her into a room at a party. Kavanaugh climbed on top of her and tried to remove her clothes, Ford said, covering her mouth when she tried to shout for help.

FBI agents did not interview Ford or Kavanaugh for their supplemental investigation. Both provided extensive testimony under oath at last weeks hearing, but Fords lawyers objected to the lack of an FBI interview.

We are profoundly disappointed that after the tremendous sacrifice she made in coming forward, those directing the FBI investigation were not interested in seeking the truth, they said in a statement.

Ten people were contacted by the FBI for the investigation, and nine were interviewed.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, said we didnt learn anything new from the FBI report.

She told reporters that the White House was pleased with the way the FBI conducted its latest investigation, and dismissed criticism that the FBI did not interview all the potential witnesses.

We allowed the FBI to do exactly what they do best, she said. We havent micromanaged this process.

The most notable part of this report is whats not in it, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-San Francisco), with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), said at a Capitol Hill news conference Thursday. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP/Getty Images)

The latest from Washington 

chris.megerian@latimes.com | @chrismegerian

jennifer.haberkorn@latimes.com | @jenhab

sarah.wire@latimes.com | @sarahdwire

UPDATES:

5 p.m.: This article was updated with additional comments, reaction and details.

11:59 a.m.: This story was updated with comments from the White House press secretary, Sen. Heitkamp and other details.

9:02 a.m.: This story was updated to reflect statements from Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Jeff Flake of Arizona.

This story was originally posted at 8:15 a.m.
Allies balk at Trump administration bid to block Chinese firm from cutting-edge telecom markets By David S. Cloud Britain and Germany are balking at the Trump administrations call for a ban on equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, threatening a global U.S. campaign to thwart Chinas involvement in future mobile networks. Both countries are expected to limit Huawei and other Chinese companies from providing core components including routers. But other types of Chinese equipment for next-generation, high-speed communications could still be installed on British and German networks, officials and analysts say. The U.S. push to ban Huawei has provoked a global dispute in recent weeks, with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, publicly urging NATO allies in Europe to exclude the company and warning that the United States might limit its military presence in countries that did not do so. Read More Facebook

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Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings  one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook

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U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook

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Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook

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He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect  despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook

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Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram  which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal  claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook

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It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook

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New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook

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Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause.  #Georgia  Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook

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Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook

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Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook

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Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook

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Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution  something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm  U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush.



The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T  Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY  LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook

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Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook

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Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook

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Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook

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Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook

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James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump  as recently as Tuesday  continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along  that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right  to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook

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Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook

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Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook

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Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops  You really are our heroes, he said  as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water  we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook

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Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook

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Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see.  James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook

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Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes  he last won reelection by a 14-point margin  suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook

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Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook

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Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January  eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook

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Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook

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Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook

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Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook

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Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election  again, in blowout fashion  but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook

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Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook

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Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes  which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook

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Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook

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Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook

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GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10.  Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook

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Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook

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Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook

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Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook

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Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook

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CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook

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Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks  Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank  when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while  including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook

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Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook

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ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook

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Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters...  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook

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Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press  President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook

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Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there  the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day  and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event  a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook

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Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children  the older ones are 5 and 2  about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals  her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican  she the race felt m
The FBI background check of Brett Kavanaugh appeared to remain curtailed in its scope Wednesday even as agents neared the end of their work, opening up the possibility that the bureau would again face criticism over what some will view as a lackluster investigation.

Though complete details of the FBIs findings had yet to be released Wednesday evening, the bureaus inquiry seems to have focused mostly on an allegation by a California professor who claims Kavanaugh assaulted her decades ago at a party in Maryland, when both were high school students.

The Washington Post has been able to confirm interviews with only six witnesses, five of whom have a connection to the professor or her allegation.

The investigation was always unlikely to answer definitively whether Kavanaugh was guilty of sexual misconduct decades ago. But the probes limited scope -- which was dictated by the White House, along with a Friday deadline -- is likely to exacerbate the partisan tensions surrounding Kavanaughs nomination.

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Even before the probe had concluded, several people who claimed to have information that could be useful said they ended up mired in bureaucracy when they tried to get in touch with the FBI. Democrats also cried foul over what they saw as inappropriate parameters the White House seemed to be imposing on the bureau.

The White House and the FBI have treated each other warily throughout the process, people familiar with the matter said. Both sides were mindful that their written communications might one day be subject to subpoena, particularly if Democrats take control of the House of Representatives in next months midterm elections, the people said.

President Trump has insisted publicly he was not curtailing the FBI probe. But privately, the White House restricted the FBI from delving deeply into Kavanaughs youthful drinking and exploring whether he had lied to Congress about his alcohol use, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.

Some of those involved in the case complained that the bureau did not follow leads that were offered to it.

The FBI, for example, interviewed Deborah Ramirez, who accused Kavanaugh of exposing his penis to her at a gathering when both were college students at Yale, and Ramirezs team provided agents with more than 20 people who might have information relevant to her claims. But as of Wednesday, Ramirezs team had no indication that the bureau had interviewed any of them.

The FBI also did not interview Christine Blasey Ford, her legal team said. Ford is the California professor whose public testimony about a high school gathering at which she said Kavanaugh forced her onto a bed and groped her helped spark the background check in the first place. The legal team said Ford was willing to turn over to the bureau notes from therapy sessions in which she described the assault.

Instead, the bureau interviewed three people who Ford said attended the party: Mark Judge, Patrick Smyth and Leland Kyser. The FBI also talked to two other friends of Kavanaughs who were listed as attending a gathering during the same summer that Ford alleged she was assaulted: Chris Garrett, who went out with Ford for a time, and Tim Gaudette.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said that agents also had apparently not talked to Kavanaugh himself.

The White House confirmation that it will not allow the FBI to interview Dr. Blasey Ford, Judge Kavanaugh or witnesses identified by Deborah Ramirez raises serious concerns that this is not a credible investigation, she said in a statement.

The FBI similarly had not -- at least as of Wednesday -- interviewed Julie Swetnick, who said in a declaration that Kavanaugh was physically abusive toward girls in high school and was present at a house party in 1982 where she says she was the victim of a gang rape. But the bureau did ask Judge, who was named in the affidavit, about her claims.

It is not abnormal in background checks for the White House to tell the bureau what to do. Background checks, unlike criminal investigations, are done for the benefit of the White House so that officials might have more information on people it wants to nominate for crucial government jobs.

The background check for Kavanaugh, though, was anything but ordinary. Witness interviews were disclosed in near real time, along with complaints that the bureau was not doing enough. The high-profile nature of the matter spurred many who felt they had information to offer the FBI to reach out proactively.

Richard Oh, an emergency room physician who lived in Kavanaughs first-year residence hall, said he contacted the FBI office in Denver to describe overhearing someone tearfully telling another student about an incident when Kavanaugh was a student at Yale. The incident, which Oh described to the New Yorker, involved a fake penis and a male student exposing himself.

Oh said he was put on hold and waited so long that he eventually submitted information through the FBI website.

So far I havent heard back, Oh said Tuesday. Wednesday night, he said that was still the case.

Lawyer Alan Abramson said he represented a friend of Ramirezs who was hoping to share an account of a conversation the two had in the early 1990s about an incident in her freshman year. The friend, Abramson said, was among those whose names Ramirezs lawyer had passed to the FBI.

Abramson said that when the friend, whom he declined to identify, did not hear from the bureau, he called a supervisor, who referred him to a field office, which said it would pass his information on.

I have not heard from them yet, but I am hopeful that they will still contact me, Abramson said in an email to the Washington Post.

Kerry Berchem, who attended Yale a year after Kavanaugh, said she contacted the FBI about text messages she received from a close friend of Kavanaughs -- messages that she believes suggest Kavanaugh or his friends might have been trying to preemptively rebut negative stories that could surface during his confirmation process. She said she was never interviewed, and she vented her frustrations in an email to an agent.

Im simply trying to have relevant investigators ask the right questions, Berchem said in an interview with the Washington Post. If there was an anticipatory narrative to discredit or conceal the Ramirez allegations in July or September, then the Senate should know about it and take that into account.

The Washington Posts Carol D. Leonnig contributed to this report.
How does the brain turn millions of electrical impulses into objects we recognize?

That question is at the heart of Doris Tsaos research.

The Caltech visual neuroscientist uses brain imaging technology, electrical recording techniques and mathematical modeling in her search for answers. That quest got a boost Thursday as Tsao was named to the 2018 class of MacArthur fellows.

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I study how we see  how the brain sees  and this is important because its a way of understanding how the brain works, said Tsao, who was born in China and raised in College Park, Md. And the brain, of course, is who we are.

Tsao, 42, has explored several aspects of visual processing, including the perception of depth and color. But her most notable line of research seeks to uncover the fundamental neural principles that underlie one of the brains most highly specialized and socially important tasks: recognizing a face.

The so-called genius award provides fellows with $625,000 to spend over five years, with no strings attached. Tsao spoke with the Los Angeles Times about the work that caught the MacArthur Foundations attention.

What inspired you to study the way we recognize faces?

I first became interested in vision in sixth grade, when I woke up one morning and wondered whether space is infinite or not. This is a problem thats been tackled by philosophers, physicists and vision scientists.

The way vision scientists think about this problem is: How does the electrical activity of neurons in the brain construct our subjective perception of space?

From space, I became interested in how 3-D objects are perceived, and this led to my current interest in object recognition.

And faces in particular?

Yes, indeed. This ability to recognize faces is remarkable.

Is this something everyone is good at?

There are certain people called prosopagnosics who are actually extremely bad at recognizing faces. One guy with this condition commented that he didnt understand why, in the movies, the robbers always cover their faces. To him, it was as incomprehensible as covering the arm.

Whats it like to be prosopagnosic?

Theres a wonderful illusion that you can try on yourself.

Look at these faces. They look pretty similar, right?

To most people, these images look similar upside down, but not right side up. (Photo courtesy of Doris Tsao)

Now flip the images upside down and look at them again. They look extremely different, even though the pixels are exactly the same.

Whats going on?

The part of your brain that codes facial identity is specialized for upright faces. So looking at faces upside down mimics what happens when you have a lesion to the face area in your brain. And this area is what makes us so good at recognizing faces.

When it comes to recognizing faces, how do humans stack up against other primates?

The jury is still out. Even among humans, theres a lot of variation due to experience.

How can you tell whats going on inside the brain?

There was evidence from humans for the existence of an area dedicated to processing faces. This area was discovered using a technique called fMRI [or functional magnetic resonance imaging] that measures blood flow in the brain.

I decided to try to find a similar area in monkeys so that I could then study it with electrophysiology, a much more sensitive technique that lets us pick up electrical signals from single neurons.

Doris Tsao works in her lab at Caltech. (John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation)

If you figure out how the brain recognize faces, what else will it tell you?

We can learn a lot about how any object is represented from understanding how the brain represents faces.

Faces are like a Rosetta stone. The brain uses a certain set of rules to convert different face images into patterns of electrical activity. It turns out that these rules look very similar to those that govern how we recognize other objects.

How do you know?

Weve found that, in macaque monkeys, a region called the inferior temporal cortex  part of the visual cortex  has six distinct but densely interconnected patches of cells that become highly active when those monkeys are assessing the faces of other macaques. We call those face patches.

Individual cells in these regions act like rulers, measuring faces along different axes of a large face space.

Whats that?

Face space is similar to our familiar 3-D space, but each point represents a face rather than a spatial location, and it has much more than just three dimensions  probably at least 100.

For our familiar 3-D space, any point can be described by 3 coordinates (x,y,z). For a 100-dimensional face space, any point can be described by 100 coordinates. Each cell in a face patch is essentially measuring one of these 100 coordinates. Together, they can determine the exact face being seen.

How do you test something like this?

We learned, for each cell, what coordinate of face space it was in charge of measuring. Then we showed an animal a mystery face (that we werent allowed to peek at).

Just using the electrical responses of the face cells, we could reconstruct the face the animal was seeing. It turned out to match exactly the face it was actually seeing.

Neuroscientist Doris Tsao, shown in her Caltech office, is working to uncover the fundamental neural principles that underlie the brains ability to recognize a face. (John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation)

Do we store memories of faces using the same kinds of templates that we use to recognize them?

We are studying this process. Whats very cool is that the brain does face recognition in two separate steps. First it computes a code for every face, including unfamiliar ones. Then it compares these codes to memories.

One of the joys of studying the brain is that I get to actually peek inside the carpenter shop and see each step that the brain is using to construct our perception of reality.

Theres a difference between recognizing a face and being able to conjure a face from the past. Whats that about?

I wish I knew.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

melissa.healy@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATMelissaHealy
Once again, the Feet to the Fire political talk show was eyeopening, providing insights into the viewpoints and personalities of those running for office in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.

On Sept. 17, eight Costa Mesa City Council candidates took the stage for the first hour. Two mayoral candidates filled out the second hour.

I, along with my partners  John Canalis, executive editor of Los Angeles Times Community News, and Norberto Santana Jr., publisher of Voice of OC  asked some tough questions  and the conversations turned lively.

Of the District 3 candidates, I felt Brett Eckles proved knowledgeable, but was not as articulate in expressing his views as his opponent, Andrea Marr. He actually agreed with her several times.

Though they were cordial, which was refreshing, Marr came across as more self-assured.

District 4 is a three-way race among Manuel Chavez, Steve Chan and Michelle Figueredo-Wilson.

Chavez, the youngest candidate ever on F2F, was enthusiastically delightful, but his lack of political seasoning showed. Nevertheless, he may have a great political future.

Chan held his own, as did Figueredo-Wilson. They have very different styles, and both were knowledgeable. But Figueredo-Wilson showed far more passion and personality and seemed to outperform Chan and Chavez at the forum.

District 5 featured Rebecca Trahan, Arlis Reynolds and Councilman Allan Mansoor.

Prior to the event Trahan asked not to be seated next to Mansoor. Part of serving on the council sometimes means sitting next to someone with whom you differ. Nevertheless, on stage, her performance was less than memorable.

Reynolds, on the other hand, exuded self-confidence, challenging Mansoor on several issues, and neither seemed intimidated. I feel this race boils down to the two of them.

The next hour, the mayoral candidates  Councilwoman Katrina Foley and Mayor Sandy Genis  took the stage. Both women knew theyd be asked about the bad blood between them.

Genis has never given a substantive answer as to why she turned against her former political ally, voting to remove Foley as mayor and then promptly taking her place.

F2F couldve been Genis shining moment to explain herself. But she again danced around the topic, which didnt impress me.

When we did get to discussing issues, both women seemed close in expressed ideology  same as when they ran together for council in 2014. Listening to all of this convinced me the ill will between them is personality-driven  on Genis part.

But the most telling moment came when I asked them whom they supported for council.

Foley quickly named her picks, but Genis declined. I felt that was a slap in the face to council candidates  who in the previous hour gave their mayoral picks without hesitation.

All things considered, I think Foley won this round.

On Sept. 21 we held Newports Feet to the Fire, and it was the show Id always imagined this forum could be. Four candidates  Tim Stoaks, Joy Brenner, Roy Englebrecht and Mike Glenn  discussed myriad issues openly and honestly, offering solutions with intelligent, measured thought.

Glenns opponent, Councilwoman Diane Dixon, declined our invitation, offering to send her husband in her place. F2F is for candidates only.

Stoaks opponent, Mayor Marshall Duffy Duffield, Englbrechts opponent, Councilman Kevin Muldoon, and Brenners opponent, Councilman Scott Peotter, also declined, which wasnt surprising since they didnt attend in 2014 either.

Ours wasnt the only forum they ditched, as theyve cherrypicked which ones to attend. I imagine this tactic isnt sitting well with some community groups, who put great effort into organizing the debates.

When I see candidates who wont show, Im reminded of Robot B9 from Lost in Space, uttering his iconic warning, Danger, Danger Will Robinson!

In this case, the danger is in not sitting for questions when youre running for office and gambling on the fact that voters will accept that.

Watch both forums on feet2thefireforum.com

Barbara Venezia is an opinion columnist writing political and social commentary since 2007. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com
Glendale officials argued Tuesday that a recent state high-court opinion vindicates the citys 2013 energy rate hike and the transfer of electric revenues to its General Fund, appealing a 2017 court ruling that ordered the city to repay residents roughly $57 million for what it deemed illegal activity.

According to Michael G. Colantuono, attorney for the city, the California Supreme Court in August ruled that the city of Redding did not unlawfully tax residents without voter approval when it transferred money from its utility enterprise fund to its General Fund  which he said is analogous to the Glendale case currently pending at the Second District Court of Appeal.

The Supreme Court made it clear that the trial court got it wrong, Colantuono said after oral argument.

In a tentative ruling in January of last year, L.A. Superior Court Judge James Chalfant said Glendale had violated its charter when it transferred $85 million from the electric revenue fund to its General Fund during fiscal years 2010-14.

As a result, a 2013 electric rate increase  which included the General Fund transfers as an operating cost  was ruled in violation of Proposition 26 because the transfer was not related to the cost of providing electric service and required a two-third majority approval by voters.

The city was also ordered to return $1.7 million in illegally transferred monies from Glendale Water & Powers waterworks fund to the citys coffers, which the city did not appeal.

The Glendale Coalition for a Better Government, a watchdog group that filed the initial suit in 2013, contends that the city still violated Prop 26 despite the Redding ruling.

They raised the rate because they felt the utility needed funds, but, at the same time, they were draining this constant transfer out of the utility, said coalition board member Roland Kedikian, adding that the citys charter states that only surplus funds should be transferred and there were none.

The alleged surplus funds were used for general city services at the cost of running the DWP to the ground, he said.

In a brief filed in support of the city in the initial case, Glendale finance director Robert Elliott said that without the transfers, the city will need to cut essential services.

Without being able to enforce 2013 electric rates, the General Fund will experience an annual budget deficit, Elliott also said in the 2016 brief.

While the appeal pends, the city does not have to repay the $57 million ordered to be refunded by the trial court as utility credits on customers bills.

The city adopted new energy rates in June, Colantuono said.

The Glendale Coalition for a Better Government prevailed in a different case against the city in February 2017, when Judge Chalfant judge ruled the city of Glendale violated Proposition 218 in creating its current water rate-pricing structure first adopted in 2014.

Those rate increases were made in violation of Proposition 218 and also required voter approval, the judge said.

That case is also up on appeal before the 2nd District court.

The appeals court has 90 days to issue decisions on both cases.

lila.seidman@latimes.com

Twitter: @lila_seidman
A Mexican-themed dinner on the terrace at Oakmont Country Club was held Sept. 16, during which members of Las Candelas celebrated the end of summer and welcomed the beginning of its new club year.

President Nancy Stone stepped to the microphone to thank the group for their many hours of philanthropic service during the past year and gave special recognition to Page Whyte, husband of the late Karen Whyte, for providing seed money for the organizations newly established endowment fund. He was presented the Las Candelas Torch Bearers Award for his generosity.

Cathy Keen, from left, Diane Russell, Nancy Stone and Rosina Maize gather for a Las Candelas party. Stone is president of the group. (Courtesy of Chip Stone)

Las Candelas is a group of about 40 women whose purpose is to give volunteer service and financial assistance to help improve the lives of children and youth in vulnerable situations and to support awareness of their mental health needs.

There are many projects planned for the new club year  some of them include taking the residential students of Hathaway-Sycamores of Altadena to JPL and the Los Angeles Zoo.

Glady Kabatek, from left, Pauline Beebe and JC Byer join the fun at the Las Candeles party. (Courtesy of Chip Stone)

Monthly enrichment programs for the students are also planned. At Hillsides in Pasadena, Las Candelas will provide a monthly shopping experience on campus where a student can purchase items with points earned for hard work and good behavior.

In October the organization will host an assembly at Hillsides featuring Chinese dancers. Other philanthropies Las Candelas supports include Ascencia, the YMCA and Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services.

Next March 4, the club will hold its major fundraising fashion show luncheon and boutique at the Los Angeles Marriott Hotel in Burbank.

***

At last, Im getting into the mood for autumn, my favorite time of the year. It is time to get out the colorful leaf swags to adorn my wrought iron gate. Ill also pull out the equally colorful wreath to put on my front door and perhaps sprinkle a few pumpkins here and there.

I have been fortunate enough to make several trips to the East Coast over the years to do some leaf peeping, so I have hundreds of photos of trees in beautiful color. I always take down those photo albums to see how glorious autumn is in colder climes. Such colorful memories.

Well, here in sunny California we just have to wait for a little while longer until the liquidambar trees lining Princess Anne Road begin to show off their colorful finery.

JANE NAPIER NEELY covers the La Canada Flintridge social scene. Email her at jnvalleysun@aol.com with news of your special event.
Within 60 days, the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization will decide whether the 380-acre Sagebrush area of La Canada Flintridge will remain part of the Glendale Unified School District or be transferred to La Canada Unified.

That information was announced during a review of a California Environmental Quality Act study Wednesday morning at the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE).

We will let you know when were going to have a meeting to take a final vote on this, committee member AJ Willmer said. I suspect its going to be 60 days from now.

The CEQA study was commissioned after the county committee gave preliminary approval to a transfer petition in May of 2017. The studys purpose was to evaluate potential impacts resulting from the proposed transfer.

Wednesdays meeting was the continuation of a process that began June 2016, when LACOE received a transfer petition from Tom Smith and Nalini Lasiewicz, backed by the unification group UniteLCF!

One blow to UniteLCF!s efforts came when committee member Keith Crafton, the LACOE director of business advisory services, clarified that the committee never endorsed the transfer.

At the May 2017 meeting, a number of preliminary or straw votes were taken  all non-binding as the committee discussed each of the conditions used to analyze the petition, Crafton said. The request to let the petition move forward and have a CEQA conducted is in no way an approval.

The 66-page CEQA study noted that if the transfer is approved, a number of students may move from Glendale Unifieds Mountain Avenue Elementary School, Rosemont Middle School and Crescenta Valley High School to La Canada Unifieds Palm Crest Elementary and La Canada High.

How many students exactly are in the Sagebrush community was a point of contention. The CEQA study used Glendale Unified figures, which listed 356 students from 2016-17 school year attended GUSD schools.

That student estimate was admittedly a worse-case scenario approach, said Terry A. Hayes Associates Inc.s Kevin Ferrier, whose firm conducted the study.

La Canada countered that the number of GUSD Sagebrush students was around 151.

In total, 36 people spoke during public comment with the majority advocating the transfer. The transfer contingent was also backed by La Canada Unified Supt. Wendy Sinnette and Mayor Terry Walker.

I wanted to reinforce the citys support and make sure the panel knew that it was not just verbal [backing] or words, Walker said. We actually put budget dollars in our current citys budget for this.

andrew.campa@latimes.com

Twitter: @campadresports
Tourists visit the Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 2, 2018. Scenic spots across the country witnessed a peak of tourists on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Chen Xiaogen)

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[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
Even as La Canada Unified schools work to expand their definition of success beyond how well kids do on standardized tests, the shift in focus isnt hurting their actual performance on such tests, according to state results released Tuesday.

LCUSD students tested this spring once again far exceeded state averages and pulled ahead of similar high-performing school districts in several areas, managing to also improve upon last years stellar scores.

California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) results released Tuesday by the state Department of Education show 87.75% of LCUSD met or exceeded English standards, while 85.12% of students met or exceeded benchmarks for math.

Those figures show a slight increase from 2017 results  up 2% in both subjects  and place La Canada Unified students overall performance, when measured against high-achieving districts like Arcadia, South Pasadena and Manhattan Beach unified school districts, in the top spot for English and second in math, just below San Marino Unified.

LCUSD should be proud of these excellent scores that tell the tale of the hard work, academic rigor and high performance of our students, Jim Cartnal, executive director of student services, said in a statement issued by the district Tuesday.

During the spring 2018 assessment period, more than 2,250 La Canada Unified students in grades 3 through 8, and high school juniors, were tested in English Language Arts/Literacy and mathematics. The computer-adapted online tests adjusted their level of difficulty based on test takers responses to ascertain their apparent knowledge of a subject.

In addition to indicating what percentage of students met or exceeded proficiency standards, Tuesdays results, viewable by district and individual campuses at caasp.cde.ca.gov, also show how well respondents performed in a number of achievement areas associated with each subject.

For example, about 69% of all La Canada students were above standard in demonstrating their ability to communicate in writing on the English Language Arts/Literacy test, while 64% of the students who took the math test were found to be above standard in showing and applying their problem-solving skills.

Our students performed brilliantly, Supt. Wendy Sinnette said in the statement. However, what impresses me even more is the exceptional learning that I see happening across our elementary schools, junior high and high school on a daily basis.

Our teachers are delivering world-class instruction, and our students partner with them daily to deepen their understanding and mastery of the rigorous grade-level content standards, she continued.

CAASPP performance is one of many state measures used to determine school district success and will be incorporated into the California Dashboard school accountability system, which also considers absenteeism, suspensions and college readiness, among other indicators.

The 2018-19 California Dashboard will be released later in the school year.

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine
Survivors were leaving the disaster-hit region of Central Sulawesi on Thursday out of frustration with what they said was the slow provision of assistance from the Indonesian government and aid agencies in the aftermath of a magnitude 7.5 earthquake and tsunami.

Widely reported shortages of food, water, gasoline and other necessities have led to looting of damaged shops and supermarkets in Palu, the provincial capital of 380,000 residents near the quakes epicenter.

Though a few positive signs were emerging in the shattered city  with access to water restored for some residents  relief remained slow to arrive on damaged roads and ground that had churned into mud. Residents said there isnt enough food and water for the thousands of injured and 70,000 left homeless.

The last I heard, my brother was picking up my mother and father in Palu to evacuate to another district, said Imade Boby, a Jakarta resident whose parents and relatives live in Palu. He said the family hoped to travel by boat or by road to an area of Parigi Moutong, north of Palu, that was less affected by the disaster.

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The communications are bad. It is hard to keep up to date, Boby said, expressing relief that his family survived the disaster.

Officials said Thursday that 1,424 people had died in the quake and an ensuing tsunami that reached as high as 20 feet and crashed over coastal parts of Central Sulawesi, a region almost 1,000 miles east of the Indonsian capital, Jakarta.

Hundreds have been buried this week in mass funerals to reduce the risk of disease spreading. Thousands have been evacuated by sea, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the national disaster agency spokesman, told reporters in Jakarta.

Despite promises of relief and the Indonesian governments acceptance of international assistance, emergency crews were still struggling to reach areas outside Palu that were cut off by debris and damaged roads.

The aid effort so far has been concentrated in Palu, which has an airport where military flights have been able to deliver some relief. By midweek, heavy-lifting equipment was helping to clear rubble and assist in the increasingly desperate search for survivors buried under toppled buildings.

1 / 35 A man looks over lines of containers as people queue up Friday at a gas station in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. (Dita Alangkara / AP) 2 / 35 A survivor cries as he offers Friday prayers at a makeshift camp outside the damaged Agung Darussalam mosque in Palu. (Mohd Rasfan / AFP/Getty Images) 3 / 35 Survivors offer Friday prayers at a makeshift camp outside a damaged mosque in Palu. (Mohd Rasfan / AFP/Getty Images) 4 / 35 Indonesian rescuers try to free 15-year-old earthquake survivor Nurul Istikhomah from the flooded ruins of a collapsed house in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Istikhamah has been trapped in the water for two days. (Aimacs Wilander / EPA-EFE/REX) 5 / 35 This aerial picture shows the remains of a 10-story hotel in Palu, Indonesias Central Sulawesi after it collapsed following a strong earthquake in the area. (Azwar / AFP / Getty Images) 6 / 35 A woman cries as people assess the damage after an earthquake and a tsunami hit Palu, on Sulawesi island. (Muhammad Rifki / AFP/Getty Images) 7 / 35 Family members carry the body of a relative to a police hospital in Palu, Indonesia following a strong earthquake in the area. (Bay Ismoyo / AFP/Getty Images) 8 / 35 Medical team members help patients outside a hospital after an earthquake and a tsunami hit Palu, on Sulawesi island on Sept. 29, 2018. (Muhammad Rifki / AFP/Getty Images) 9 / 35 A doctor examines an injured child outside at an army hospital following earthquakes and a tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. (Tatan Syuflana / AP) 10 / 35 Indonesian men check the body of earthquake and tsunami victims as they look for their relatives at a police hospital in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. (Mast Irham / EPA-EFE/REX ) 11 / 35 Residents look for their belongings amid the debris of destroyed houses in Palu, Indonesia. (Bay Ismoyo / AFP/Getty Images) 12 / 35 People walk along an Indonesian beach that was hit by a tsunami in Palu in Central Sulawesi after a strong earthquake and tsunami struck the area. (Bay Ismoyo / AFP/Getty Images) 13 / 35 A man collects valuable materials from a beach that was hit by a tsunami in Palu in Central Sulawesi after a strong earthquake and tsunami struck the area. (Bay Ismoyo / AFP/Getty Images) 14 / 35 Rescue personnel evacuate earthquake survivor Ida, a food vendor, from the rubble of a collapsed restaurant in Palu, Indonesias Central Sulawesi. (Bay Ismoyo / AFP/Getty Images) 15 / 35 People attempt to identify the bodies of their relatives at a police hospital in Palu, Indonesias Central Sulawesi on Sept. 30, 2018, following a strong earthquake in the area. (Bay Ismoyo / AFP/Getty Images) 16 / 35 The hand of an earthquake victim is seen inside a body bag at a police hospital in Palu, Indonesias Central Sulawesi. (Bay Ismoyo / AFP/Getty Images) 17 / 35 People survey the damage following a massive earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia on Sunday. (Rifki / AP) 18 / 35 People survey damage outside a shopping mall following earthquakes and tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. (Tatan Syuflana / AP) 19 / 35 People survey the damage in Palu, Central Sulawesi. (Rifki / AP) 20 / 35 Rescuers remove bodies Sunday in Palu, Central Sulawesi. (Basarnas Handout / EPA-EFE/REX ) 21 / 35 People try to identify the bodies of relatives at the compound of a police hospital in Palu on Sunday. (Bay Ismoyo / AFP/Getty Images) 22 / 35 Two Indonesians make off with a big-screen TV looted from a ruined shopping mall Sunday in Palu, Central Sulawesi. (Mast Irham / EPA-EFE/REX ) 23 / 35 Men make off with goods looted from a damaged shopping mall in Palu, Central Sulawesi. (Mast Irham / EPA-EFE/REX ) 24 / 35 People queue up for gasoline Sunday in Palu, Central Sulawesi. (Tatan Syuflana / AP) 25 / 35 People survey damage outside a shopping mall Sunday in Palu, Central Sulawesi. (Tatan Syuflana / AP) 26 / 35 An army doctor examines an injured child outside at army hospital following earthquakes and a tsunami in Palu, Indonesia. (Tatan Syuflana / AP) 27 / 35 Indonesian survivors check the body of earthquake and tsunami victims as they look for their relatives at a police hospital in Palu, Indonesia. (Olagondronk/EPA-EFE/REX) 28 / 35 A photo made available by the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) shows the coastal area of Palu city, Indonesia, on Saturday after an earthquake and tsunami hit the region. (BNPB/Handout/EPA-EFE/REX) 29 / 35 Cars are stacked and destroyed following a tsunami in Palu, Indonesia. (Wilander/EPA-EFE/REX ) 30 / 35 An Indonesian man hugs his daughter who survived the earthquakes and tsunami as they reunite at an open air camp in Palu, Indonesia. (Mast Irham/EPA-EFE/REX) 31 / 35 A tsunami destroyed the Jembatan Empat bridge in Palu, Indonesia. (Wilander/EPA-EFE/REX ) 32 / 35 Indonesian earthquake and tsunami survivors receive medical treatment outside a military hospital in Palu, Indonesia. (Mast Irham/EPA-EFE/REX) 33 / 35 Indonesian men check the bodies of earthquake and tsunami victims as they look for their relatives at a police hospital in Palu, Indonesia. (Mast Irham/EPA-EFE/REX) 34 / 35 A man looks for his belongings amid the debris of his destroyed house in Palu, Indonesia. (Bay Ismoyo / AFP/Getty Images) 35 / 35 People walk along a beach that was hit by a tsunami in Palu, Indonesia. (Bay Ismoyo / AFP/Getty Images)

A French rescue team said Thursday that its sensors had detected the presence of a victim in the rubble of a five-story hotel, but wasnt able to determine whether the person was conscious, the Associated Press reported.

Getting supplies to outlying areas, or bringing in excavators and other heavy equipment to assist in digging through debris, has proved more difficult and contributed to survivors frustration.

The road access is not easy at all. Many are cracked or blocked by trees, power lines, parts of buildings, said Husni, community engagement coordinator for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Like a number of Indonesians, Husni goes by one name.

Irwan Firdaus, advocacy manager with the aid agency Oxfam, said by phone from Palu that more heavy equipment was needed on the roads outside the town.

There are problems to deliver assistance: water, food, water purification, Firdaus said.

The challenges for aid workers are compounded by Indonesias geography: Its 17,000 islands stretch across a distance about as great as that from Alaska to New York and sit on an area of heavy tectonic activity known as the Ring of Fire, which sees frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

On Wednesday, the volcano Mt. Soputan spewed ash 13,000 feet into the skies above Central Sulawesi. Although the eruption was not deemed a threat to the disaster-hit Palu region or to aircraft attempting to deliver aid, it highlighted the challenges of getting urgent help to remote regions of the archipelago.

With Palus damaged airport only able to handle a limited number of flights, an aid ship was dispatched Sunday from Jakarta and took until Thursday to reach Makassar, the biggest city on the island of Sulawesi. The cargo, including much-needed food and medical equipment, would take probably another 24 hours to be brought by road to Palu, nearly 600 miles north, Husni said.

In recent days, Red Cross teams have fanned out to areas outside Palu, where grim accounts of the devastation underlined officials warnings that the death toll would continue to rise as damage in those areas was fully assessed.

Balaroa, a village of about 2,000, was really flattened, Husni said. Satellite maps and aerial images captured since the quake show little more than bare earth where hundreds of houses stood before the quake and tsunami last Friday.

It was one of several locations that suffered a quake-related phenomenon known as liquefaction, which turns solid ground into a churning mire that swallows up buildings and anything else on the surface, or spins structures hundreds of yards from their original location.

Community leaders I spoke to dont know how many people were buried in Balaroa, Husni said. Some say maybe 50% of the people.

Husni described meeting survivors who said a funeral had been taking place at the bottom of a hill as the earthquake hit. In the ensuing landslide, an unknown number of mourners were buried, he said.

The quake sent soil from the top down, Husni said. They are not sure how many are buried.

Special correspondent Roughneen reported from Jakarta and Times staff writer Bengali from Mumbai, India.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Shashank Bengali is South Asia correspondent for The Times. Follow him on Twitter at @SBengali

UPDATES:

12 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with additional quotes and details.

This article was originally published at 7 a.m.
Politicians herald it as transformative. Residents offer resounding support in the polls. Investors see billions of dollars on the horizon.

When Canada legalizes marijuana on Oct. 17, it will join Uruguay as the only countries to allow recreational cannabis nationwide. The South American country became the first in 2013.

The effort, years in the making, is unlike the piecemeal approaches to marijuana legalization that have been passed in the United States and the Netherlands. For pot proponents around the world, Canadas implementation of legal marijuana is being closely watched.

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Heres a glimpse at how the country has arrived on the cusp of legalization.

OK, when did this pro-legalization push begin?

It started nearly five years ago as Justin Trudeau campaigned for leadership of his Liberal Party.

Im in favor of legalizing it, Trudeau told supporters in British Columbia in early 2013 when asked about marijuana prohibition. Tax it, regulate. Its one of the only ways to keep it out of the hands of our kids, because the current war on drugs, the current model is not working.

Trudeaus pro-legalization message continued as he assumed leadership of the Liberal Party and then into Canadas 2015 federal election. He urged Canadians to look south at how legalization was working in Colorado and Washington state, where, in 2012, voters were the first in the United States to pass legalization measures.

The fact of the matter is our current approach on marijuana  is failing in two primary ways. The first one is it is not protecting our kids from the negative impacts of marijuana on the developing brain, Trudeau said as he campaigned in January 2014. Secondly, we are funneling millions upon millions of dollars each year into organized crime and criminal gangs. We do not need to be funding those organizations.

What happened when Trudeau became prime minister ?

A committee, with Trudeaus support, was created in Parliament to explore the issue of legalization. The panel, known as the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation, explored, among other things, whether legalizing by province would be better than nationwide legalization. Ultimately they decided on the latter.

In April 2017, the Cannabis Act was introduced in Parliament. It allowed for the sale and possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for anyone over the age of 18. Each of Canadas 10 provinces and three territories, however, are responsible for setting up a system to regulate legal sales. (Medical marijuana has been allowed in Canada since 2001.)

The Cannabis Act passed Parliament this June. At the time, Trudeau announced it would take effect Oct. 17.

How is the legal recreational system going to work in Canada?

Itll be different based on province. While the Cannabis Act makes marijuana legal nationwide, provinces have set up different regulatory systems.

Some provinces will have only government-run dispensaries, while others will have a mix of government and private dispensaries. A majority of the provinces will allow online sales  yes, Canadians will be able to order cannabis on the internet and have it delivered through the mail.

Alberta, for example, will allow privately run dispensaries  like the ones you might see in Denver or Los Angeles  while the government will oversee online sales. Meanwhile, in Nova Scotia, marijuana will be sold alongside alcohol at stores now run by the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. And in Ontario, the most populated province, the government has created the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corp., which will be a wholesaler to private retail stores.

Public support in each province is high. To the south, the Pew Research Center places support in the United States for nationwide legalization at about 60%.

Marijuana is smoked openly at a 4/20 celebration in Vancouver, Canada. (Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images)

Are big sales expected?

Yes. The financial firm Deloitte projects that in the first year, recreational sales could bring in nearly $4 billion in sales. Legal marijuana in the country will have an excise tax of 10% on the product price, or $1 per gram, whichever is higher. Each province will also apply its own sales taxes.

How does this differ from the United States?

Although members of Congress, mostly Democrats, have floated the idea of federal legalization, it has not gained traction. Last year, Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey introduced legislation aimed at ending federal prohibition on marijuana. To date, its stalled in the Senate.

However, movement on legalization remains active at the state level.

So far, nine states  Colorado, California and Massachusetts among them  have legalized marijuana, mainly through ballot measures. (Vermont is the only state to do so through its Legislature.) This fall, two more states  Michigan and North Dakota  will have ballot measures calling for the legalization of recreational marijuana.

What have U.S. government officials said about Canada legalizing?

Not much. Marijuana in the United States is still listed as a Schedule I drug  the same classification as heroin.

Trump administration officials have not weighed in on Canadas effort; some, however, such as Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, continue to voice opposition to legal sales in the United States. Last year, Sessions expressed his disapproval of legal pot.

I am definitely not a fan of expanded use of marijuana, Sessions said. (In 2016, he characterized marijuana as a very real danger.)

Cannabis proponents, meanwhile, have lauded Canadas legalization as a seismic shift.

Steve Hawkins, executive director of Marijuana Policy Project, a group dedicated to ending marijuana prohibitions, said, Canada is demonstrating how marijuana prohibition can be ended at the federal level and replaced with a system of regulated production and sales.

It sets a strong example for the U.S. and other countries around the world, which will have the opportunity to learn from its experience, Hawkins said.
A Saudi journalist who has written Washington Post columns critical of the kingdoms assertive crown prince has gone missing while on a visit to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, the newspaper and his supporters said Wednesday, raising concerns over his safety.

Jamal Khashoggis personal website bore a banner saying Jamal has been arrested at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul! without elaborating. A statement from Saudi Arabia denied that and said Khashoggi left immediately after visiting the consulate, though Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans spokesman told reporters that authorities believed the journalist was still there.

The mystery continued into Wednesday night, as his supporters linked his disappearance to the arrest of other businessmen, politicians and activists amid 33-year-old Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans rise to power.

He went in, and as far as I know, he didnt come out. And if he did exit, we have no news of him. His phones are with me. I have the keys to his house here, his fiancee told the Associated Press. Something has happened to him and we dont know what and how it has happened.

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Khashoggi, 59, is a longtime Saudi journalist, foreign correspondent, editor and columnist whose work has been controversial in the past in the ultraconservative Sunni kingdom. He went into a self-imposed exile in the United States following the ascension of Prince Mohammed, now next in line to the throne to his father, the 82-year-old King Salman.

As a contributor to the Post, Khashoggi has written extensively about Saudi Arabia, including criticizing its war in Yemen, its recent diplomatic spat with Canada and its arrest of womens rights activists after the lifting of a ban on women driving.

The arrests illuminate the predicament confronting all Saudis. We are being asked to abandon any hope of political freedom, and to keep quiet about arrests and travel bans that impact not only the critics but also their families, Khashoggi wrote in a May 21 column for the Post. We are expected to vigorously applaud social reforms and heap praise on the crown prince while avoiding any reference to the pioneering Saudis who dared to address these issues decades ago.

On Tuesday, Khashoggi entered the consulate to get paperwork he needed to be married next week, said his fiancee, Hatice, who gave only her first name for fear of retribution. He gave her his cellphones for safekeeping, something common as embassies throughout the Middle East routinely require phones to be left outside as a security precaution.

I dont know what has happened to him. I cant even guess how such a thing can happen to him, his fiancee said. There is no law or lawsuit against him. He is not a suspect, he has not been convicted. There is nothing against him. He is just a man whose country doesnt like his writings or his opinions.

The Post said it remained very concerned about Khashoggi.

It would be unfair and outrageous if he has been detained for his work as a journalist and commentator, the Posts international opinion editor, Eli Lopez, said in a statement. We hope that he is safe and that we can hear from him soon.

The U.S. State Department said it was aware of Khashoggis disappearance and said it was seeking more information at this time.

A statement Wednesday from Saudi Arabia sent to the AP said that Mr. Khashoggi visited the consulate to request paperwork related to his marital status and exited shortly thereafter.

The government of Saudi Arabia follows up diligently on any reports related to the safety of any of its citizens and will continue to follow up on these reports, the statement said. It did not elaborate.

That was quickly contradicted by Erdogans spokesman Ibrahim Kalin.

According to the information we have, this person who is a Saudi citizen is still at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, he said. We dont have information to the contrary.

Khashoggi was known for his interviews and travels with Osama bin Laden between 1987 and 1995, including in Afghanistan, where he wrote about the battle against the Soviet occupation. In the early 1990s, he tried to persuade Bin Laden to reconcile with the Saudi royal family and return home from his base in Sudan, but the Al Qaeda leader refused.

Khashoggi maintained ties with Saudi elite and launched a satellite news channel, Al-Arab, from Bahrain in 2015 with the backing of Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal. The channel stayed on the air for less than 11 hours before being shut down. Its billionaire backer was detained in the Ritz Carlton roundup overseen by Prince Mohammed in 2017.

The Vienna-based International Press Institute wrote a letter to King Salman calling on the monarch to ensure Khashoggis immediate release.

If, as it claims, Saudi Arabia truly wishes to transition to a more open society, it will have to accept the fundamental rights of freedom of expression and freedom of the press, wrote Ravi R. Prasad, the institutes head of advocacy.

New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists also expressed concern, saying given the Saudi authorities pattern of quietly detaining critical journalists, Khashoggis failure to emerge from the Saudi Consulate on the day he entered is a cause for alarm.

Khashoggi himself advocated for more social freedoms in the kingdom in his columns at the Post.

Presently, Saudi citizens no longer understand the rationale behind the relentless wave of arrests, Khashoggi wrote in an Aug. 7 column. These arbitrary arrests are forcing many into silence, and a few others have even quietly left the country.

He offered this advice to the kingdom: There is a better way for the kingdom to avoid Western criticism: Simply free human rights activists, and stop the unnecessary arrests that have diminished the Saudi image.
The disappearance of a prominent Saudi journalist last seen entering his countrys consulate in Istanbul is being cast by human rights advocates as an attempt by Saudi Arabian leaders to repress dissent.

Jamal Khashoggi, a 59-year-old veteran reporter and commentator who has been critical of the Saudi monarchy, went to the consulate Tuesday to obtain a document certifying his divorce ahead of his pending marriage to his Turkish fiancee.

He never came out, said his fiancee, who had waited outside the consulate, keeping his mobile phone for safekeeping.

Khadija Jankeez, a friend of the Khashoggi, went to the consulate later that day after hearing he had disappeared and waited for hours with the fiancee.

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Consulate workers told us he had left, she said.

That was the official line of the Saudi government. The consulate said Wednesday it was working with Turkish authorities to investigate the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi after he left the consulate building.

But a spokesman for Turkeys president said that Khashoggi was still at the consulate and that the government had no information revealing the contrary, according to the Turkish media outlet Hurriyet Daily News.

And Turan Kislakci, head of the Turk-Arab Media Assn., said in a phone interview Thursday that police told him they had photographic evidence of Khashoggi entering the consulate but not leaving it.

He also said that Khashoggi, whom he described as a close friend, had visited the consulate last Friday and was instructed to return on Tuesday.

On Thursday, Turkeys government summoned the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry to discuss the situation. The outcome of that meeting was unclear.

We dont have any information about him. We are probing it, the ambassador, Walid bin Abdulkarim al-Khuraiji, told the Hurriyet Daily News after leaving the ministry.

Khashoggi had once been close to the monarchy, even serving as an advisor to onetime Saudi intelligence chief Turki bin Faisal.

But he later turned critical of King Salman and his son Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman for their intolerance of dissent. Last September, Khashoggi went into self-imposed exile in the United States after a government crackdown netted dozens of people, some of them his friends, as the crown prince moved to consolidate his power.

It was painful for me several years ago when several friends were arrested, he wrote in a Washington Post opinion article explaining his decision. I said nothing. I didnt want to lose my job or my freedom. I worried about my family.

I have made a different choice now. I have left my home, my family and my job, and I am raising my voice. To do otherwise would betray those who languish in prison.

He wrote that the government now saw him as an enemy and did not hesitate to use fear, intimidation, arrests and public shaming against those who dare speak their minds.

Mohammad bin Salman has led a PR-friendly drive aimed at weaning the country off its reliance on oil and diversifying its economy. In the last year, the crown prince has won praise by granting freedoms long absent in Saudi Arabia, including reestablishing cinemas and allowing women to drive.

But there has been no such opening politically, as activists, clerics and civil society leaders have been imprisoned even for mild criticism of the government.

Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement Thursday that if in fact Saudi authorities detained Khashoggi, it would be yet another escalation of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salmans reign of repression against peaceful dissidents and critics.

The burden of proof is on Saudi Arabia to produce evidence for its claim that Khashoggi left the consulate alone, and that Saudi agents have not detained him, she said.

Galip Dalay, research director at the Istanbul-based Al Sharq Forum and a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institute in Doha, Qatar, said kidnapping Khashoggi on foreign soil would constitute a breach of sovereignty.

He said it would also add friction to the relationship between Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

If this is the case, any Arab nationals living in Turkey  and there are a significant number, including intellectuals, dissidents and businessmen  they are not safe here, he said.

Relations between the two countries have been strained over Turkeys support of Qatar, which has been the target of an isolation campaign by its Persian Gulf neighbors, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Special Correspondent Farooq reported from Istanbul. Staff writer Bulos reported from Amman.

Twitter: @nabihbulos
>>> 30-year FDI attraction: ripple effect on domestic businesses

The statement was made by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during a conference reviewing three decades of attracting FDI, held in Hanoi, on October 4.

The government leader expressed his sincere gratitude to foreign investors who have trusted and selected Vietnam to make investments, as well as accompanying the nation in overcoming difficulties and making practical contributions to its development.

However, it is necessary to look directly at the shortcomings in attracting FDI in Vietnam, PM Phuc stated, pointing to the lack of multinational corporations making investment in Vietnam in the fields of high technology, while there are limited links between the FDI and domestic sectors, technology transfer has yet to meet the requirements, and the value added is not as high as expectations. In addition, several FDI projects consume a lot of energy and resources, not to mention the pollution caused to the environment.

In order to improve the quality of FDI flows in the future, the PM asked the ministries, sectors and local authorities concerned to focus on what investors always need, that is to maintain socio- macroeconomic stability and improve the legal framework related to investment, including the facilitation of preferential investment policies for foreign investors, with the aim of improving the capacity of the economy and building a self-governing economy.

It is also necessary to encourage and support domestic enterprises to establish joint ventures, purchase shares and contribute capital with FDI enterprises in projects using high technologies, new technologies or support industries, while perfecting the preferential policies and investment incentives on the principle of linking the inspection and supervision mechanisms to ensure that FDI enterprises strictly comply with their investment commitments and are in line with the criteria and conditions for preferential treatment.

The PM also asked the Ministry of Planning and Investment to finalise a 30-year review report on FDI attraction and submit it to the Government and the Politburo for promulgation of a new Resolution on the orientations for perfecting the institutions and policies to improve the quality and efficiency of FDI cooperation by 2030. On that basis, the Government will promulgate a specific action plan to better implement FDI attraction, PM Phuc added.

At the conference, representatives from the top localities in FDI attraction, such as Hanoi and Binh Duong, presented their experiences and proposed measures to improve the quality and efficiency of FDI attraction in the new context. Foreign investors exchanged ideas to identify challenges and investment opportunities in Vietnam, while expressing their confidence in the countrys investment environment and reaffirming their commitment to continue investing in Vietnam.

As of August 2018, there were over 26,500 FDI projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of more than US$ 34 billion. The FDI sector contributes nearly 20% of the GDP and accounts for 23.7% of the total social investment.

Meanwhile, 58% of the total FDI is concentrated in the processing and manufacturing sector, creating more than 50% of the country's industrial production value. Export turnover of the FDI sector accounts for an increasing share of the country's total exports, reaching 72.6% in 2017 and 71.4% in the first nine months of 2018.

The FDI sector has contributed a steadily increasing proportion of the budget revenue over the years, reaching over US$8 billion in 2017, and accounting for 17.1% of the total State budget collection. So far, the FDI sector has created jobs for nearly 4 million direct labourers and roughly 5 million indirect labourers.
Directed by Meritorious artist Nguyen Phuong Nhi and artist Bach Quoc Khanh, the puppetry performance is performed by artists of the Thang Long Puppet Theatre.

The 45-minute performance combines many types of puppetry.

According to Meritorious artist Nguyen Phuong Nhi, with the topic of climate change, the performance is expected to send the message of calling on the public to join hands against climate change, while raising awareness of environmental protection and energy saving.

This years international puppetry festival will attract the participation of puppeteers from many countries, such as Thailand, France, Philippines, Brazil, Cambodia, China, and the host, Vietnam.

Four art troupes representing Vietnam will attend the festival, including the Thang Long Puppet Theatre, the Vietnam Puppet Theatre, the Ho Chi Minh City Puppetry Arts Troupe, and the Hai Phong Puppetry Troupe.
New Delhi : Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive here Thursday on a two-day visit during which India and Russia are likely to sign a deal to procure S-400 air defence systems and deliberate on key regional and global issues, including US sanctions on import of Iranian crude oil.

Putin, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will hold the 19th India-Russia annual bilateral summit during which the two leaders are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation in the wake of the US sanctions against Russian defence majors. The focus during the visit will be on the S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems agreement with a top Kremlin aide saying Tuesday that Russian President Putin will oversee the signing of the USD 5 billion deal.

The key feature of this visit will be the signing of the agreement to deliver S-400 air defence systems, Putins top foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov was quoted in media reports as saying in Moscow. The value of the contract will be more than USD 5 billion, he said. The purchase will violate sanctions under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) instituted by the US Congress on arms purchases from Russia, but American lawmakers have allowed the possibility of a presidential waiver.

There have been indications by New Delhi that it will go ahead with the deal notwithstanding the US sanctions. PTI
The Makati City government has allocated P12.5 million to implement its new program dubbed Project MILES (Mathematics Intensive Learning Enhancement for Students). Launched last Sept. 8, Project MILES consists of programs designed to improve the math competency of students in Makati public elementary and junior high schools. Mayor Abigail Binay said the project aims to develop and improve the mathematical proficiency of public schoolchildren in the city, especially those who are having difficulty with the subject. The city, in partnership with DepEd-Makati, continually strives to help the students develop and improve their mathematical proficiency. Project MILES will help them in this area at no cost to their parents or guardians, she said. The city chief executive said the city will provide for the worksheets and online subscription of students. Honoraria will also be granted to teachers who opt to take part in the project, she added. Binay also said We want to help struggling students gain competence in Mathematics. But as the city advocates inclusivity, the project is open to all students in Grades 1 to 10. Even if a student already excels in Math but would still like to advance his or her proficiency in the subject, he or she is welcome to join Project MILES. According to Makatis Department of Education, the P12-million budget for the project will be used for the production of worksheets, installation of pure fiber internet connection for the first 11 pilot elementary schools, and individual subscriptions to KooBits. It also covers honoraria for teachers who will handle the sessions and teacher-writers of worksheets, and the project management and monitoring team. DepEd-Makati schools division superintendent Rita Riddle said the project has two programs suited to the specific academic needs of students, the 180 MILES and 360 MILES programs. Each program consists of 10 sessions (four hours per session), to be held on scheduled time and days as announced by schools, and to be finished within the school year.Students who are classified as struggling academically in Mathematics and have received a failing grade will undergo the 180 MILES program which offers regular and actual lessons within the scope of each quarter. On the other hand, students who have demonstrated a good scholastic record during the quarter will undergo the 360 MILES program which offers advanced lessons in Mathematics, Riddle said. Some schools have both 180 MILES and 360 MILES programs, others only have either of the two, depending on the needs of the students. For example, in Makati Science High School, there is only 360 MILES, she added. Meanwhile, two kinds of teaching methodology will be used for Project MILES. The worksheet-based approach is where students will be given worksheets to answer during their study sessions, while the e-learning approach uses KooBits, a highly personalized full-curriculum mathematics software that provides Mathematics instructions through a series of computer-based interactive lessons. A number of public elementary and high schools started implementing the project last month by holding worksheet-based sessions. The remaining public schools are also set to commence and finish Math interventions for students within the school year. On Sept. 18, DepEd-Makati started holding a 30-minute workshop on the use of KooBits for students in the 11 elementary public schools that will pilot the e-learning math intervention program. The said workshop will be held until Oct. 4 in Bangkal Elem. School (Main), Comembo Elem. School, Fort Bonifacio Elem. School, Guadalupe Viejo Elem. School, Nemesio Yabut Elem. School, South Cembo Elem. School, Hen. Pio del Pilar Elem. School (Main), Hen. Pio del Pilar Elem. School I, Francisco Benitez Elem. School III, Makati ES, and Pitogo Elem. School. KooBits is a Singaporean Mathematics software considered as one of the top Math learning platforms in Singapore for being widely adopted. It is now being adopted in numerous countries such as Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. In KooBits, besides the students themselves, their teachers, parents or guardians also have their respective accounts linked to the account of the students. Thus, parents and guardians can easily monitor the progress of their child.
Prominent among them is the Hanoi cuisine cultural festival, which will open to visitors for free at Thong Nhat Park on October 5. The two-day event will feature 26 booths showcasing the signature dishes and unique culinary culture of the capital city.

Signature dishes of Hanoi will be introduced to visitors at the event, including pho, com (green sticky rice), xoi (steamed sticky rice), and gio cha (steamed ground meat).

The eighth Hanoi Stage Arts Festival is being held until October 9, providing performances by 10 art troupes at Cong Nhan and Dai Nam theatres. The plays are assorted in traditional art forms such as cai luong (reformed theatre) and cheo (traditional opera).

Marking the occasion, the final round of the Hanoi singing contest will be held on the evening of October 10 with the competition of the top 10 outstanding contestants.
How A Global Trade War Would Derail Economic Recovery Worldwide

As the international community is becoming more aware of the threat the U.S.-Sino trade war poses to global growth, what was originally a bilateral tariff conflict is spreading across regions.



During a press conference on September 26, President Donald Trump disclosed why he believes China, despite the U.S. tariff wars, respects him  because of his very, very large brain.





Whether it is the net effect of the presidents extraordinary brain or the result of more conventional economic and geopolitical forces, the U.S. tariff wars are set to derail global recovery that has taken a decade to materialize.

Escalation Through Three Scenarios



Where will the current tensions lead? The progression of Trumps tariff war can be illustrated through three scenarios, showing the development of the dispute from a mere bilateral trade conflict to a potential global trade war. Following a series of tariff threats from the Trump administration in spring, the economic stakes have been increased from $50 billion to $200 billion, and now to a threatened $500 billion of Chinese imports in America (Figure 1).

Figure 1



Three Tariff Scenarios: From Bilateral Trade Conflict to Global Trade War





Source: Data from International Trade Administration, Standard & Poors, Difference Group.

Scenario 1: Unilateral Muddling Through. In July, this stage began when the two countries imposed 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion of the other's imports and levies on another $16 billion. With just $50 billion of goods impacted, the tariffs economic impact would have been limited to 0.1 percent of Chinese GDP and 0.2 percent of American GDP, respectively. Thats when some of Trumps key constituencies, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Farmers Association, began a campaign against the tariffs; they were soon joined by American retailers and a host of other industry associations.



Scenario 2: America First Escalation. Every U.S. president has exploited China-bashing in the post-Cold War presidential campaigns. However, Trump is the first to walk the talk in the White House. With escalation, the stakes quadrupled to $200 billion, and the potential collateral damage quadrupled relative to the first scenario. In China, it could shave off 0.4 percent of GDP; in the U.S., 0.8 percent of GDP.



Scenario 3: Global Trade War. It is the third scenario that has hovered as a threat above the global economy ever since the 2000s, as China has been increasingly used as a scapegoat for Americas trade deficit. When the stakes of the White Houses tariff war escalate to $500 billion, the potential collateral damage will increase tenfold from the first scenario. While Chinas GDP could take a hit of 1 percent, the U.S. GDP is likely to suffer a net impact of 2 percent (see Figure 1 sources).

Derailing Global Economic Integration



Following a surprisingly sharp upswing in 2017, both exports and imports in Asia have held up very well year-to-date, with continued double-digit growth in many economies. However, now there is heightened uncertainty about the external environment. The three pillars of global economic integration  world trade, investment and migration flows  are now positioned to take severe hits, only a decade after the global financial crisis.



Falling Trade. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), merchandise trade volume growth was expected to reach 4.4 percent in 2018; thats only a few percentage points below the 2017 level. But as Trumps tariffs are escalating trade tensions, a fall in business confidence and changing investment decisions are likely to compromise the 4.4 percent outlook. A full trade war could derail trade recovery for years.



Stagnating Investment. Before the global financial crisis, world investment soared to almost $2 trillion. According to the UN, global FDI flows were projected to resume growth in 2017 and surpass $1.8 trillion in 2018. In reality, they fell to $1.5 trillion last year; thats 15 percent below the pre-crisis peak. In the near term, Trumps trade war and the Feds interest rate hikes seem set to undermine world investment prospects.



Migration Crises. After the terrorist attacks in 2001, the subsequent U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and conflicts elsewhere in the Middle East and Africa, more than 68 million people have been driven from their homes. That translates to the greatest global forced displacement since 1945. In the Trump era, a tariff war and the historical reversal of American immigration policy are likely to aggravate geopolitical friction new migration crises, and terrorism.

Global Economic Prospects No Longer Immune



In 2017-18, the U.S. had major trade deficits with China, Mexico, Japan and Germany, as well as more minor deficits with a number of other countries. In addition to the European Union, these economies represent Americas NAFTA partners, U.S. geopolitical allies in East Asia (Japan and South Korea) and low-cost emerging Asia (Figure 2). If President Trump keeps his pledge to challenge these major deficit offenders along with China, trade wars will spread multilaterally.

Figure 2 U.S. Trade Deficit, 2017- July 2018 ($ Billions)





Source: Data from U.S. Census Bureau, Difference Group.

Yet, the progress of Trumps trade hawks may already have stalled. The Trump White House has greatly benefited from the Republican Congress, but now both the Democrats and U.S. trade partners are positioned to wait to negotiate until after the mid-term elections. The outcome of the midterms could constrain Trump's leverage significantly (if Democrats win the House) or very significantly (if Democrats win both the House and the Senate). When talks between the U.S. and China begin anew, we can expect one of these four scenarios:



Scenario 1: Pragmatism Prevails. Both parties formulate a mutually acceptable retreat from their initial positions. Since both economies are not hugely dependent on external demand, and effective tariff schedules could be delayed or diluted, a joint retreat with mutual face-saving measures is still possible, though not probable. In this case, global supply chains would remain largely in place. Investor and business confidence would return. Economic outlook would be upgraded.



Scenario 2: Agreeing to Disagree. Both sides reaffirm the existing venues of economic and strategic dialogue and begin vital talks about bilateral schisms, such as intellectual property rights, technology transfer, investment review and market access, and strategic M&As. In this and the following scenario, regional supply chains would be reconfigured. Economic certainty would be restored, except for periodic market volatility. Global prospects would suffer a dip, but improve over time.



Scenario 3: Balancing Trade, Kind Of. In this opportunistic scenario, China pledges to absorb substantial amounts of U.S. imports by slowing deleveraging, defers its economic rebalancing and supports importers in a big way. The trade balance would look better and the bilateral deficit would shrink, but a sustained trade balance would take longer to achieve.



Scenario 4: Warring for Global Trade. Both sides dig in for the long term. The bilateral battle spreads to other regions and global supply chains are disrupted. A U.S.-Sino trade war would trigger a slowdown in Asia, which would precipitate severely impaired prospects across several regions. The outlook for global growth would be significantly downgraded.

Not All Scenarios Are Equal



In the absence of policy changes, scenarios 1-2 seem currently unlikely (though more probable after the midterm elections.) Scenario 3 has suffered a premature death, thanks to Trump's inclination to kill the prospect of daytime talks with nighttime tweets. If scenario 4 triumphs, protectionist trade policies will dramatically aggravate conditions internationally.



Even as the recent rate hike is boosting the U.S. dollar and causing broad distress in emerging economies that fuel global growth prospects, the White House is navigating toward pitfalls that represent everything but a safe haven.



The international community should not follow in Trumps footprints. If it does, that will encourage new attacks against global trade, lead to new protectionist offensives against the major EU and Asian trading economies and thus virtually ensure that some kind of scenario 4 will materialize.

Instead, what is needed is international support for trade trajectories that will support scenarios 1-2. In the long-run, only those scenarios are in the interest of both the U.S. and Chinese economies, as well as the global economy.

Dr Steinbock is the founder of the Difference Group and has served as the research director at the India, China, and America Institute (USA) and a visiting fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). For more information, see http://www.differencegroup.net/

 2018 Copyright Dan Steinbock - All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




It is common for companies to organize various informal events where workers can come with their partners. One of those...
The exhibition, Hanoi: Moments of October 1954, was launched on October 3 to celebrate the 64th anniversary of the capital citys liberation.

Its photos and stories tell visitors about the triumphant Vietnamese army arriving to take over the capital city from colonial French rulers; the flag salute ceremony at Cot Co stadium to celebrate Hanois victory on October 10, 1954; the withdrawal of the French troops from Hanoi; the thousands of Hanoians that shared a cheerful moment over the victory; and memories of people on the historic day.

Visitors can read stories told by Capital Regiment fighters and Hanois residents who witnessed the victorious moment. They include Colonel Nguyen Trong Ham and soldier Phung De who served in the Capital Regiment, songwriter Nguyen Van Quy, as well as well-known historians Le Van Lan and Duong Trung Quoc.

Historian Duong Trung Quoc recalled the exciting atmosphere in every corner of the capital on October 10 more than six decades ago. Many local families made flags themselves to greet the Vietnamese troops.

The exhibition will run through until October 31.
By shutting down their broadband in the middle of an emergency, Verizon may have unwittingly proved that California needs to regulate Big ISPs.

By Mark Sullivan

https://www.fastcompany.com/90245717/how-a-group-of-firefighters-in-california-helped-save-net-neutrality?utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Fast%20Company%20Daily&position=5&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=10042018
>>> Former Party General Secretary Do Muoi passes away

>>> Special notice on former Party chief Do Muois passing away

Comrade Do Muoi's revolutionary career was a brilliant one. Strengthened by activities in the working class with his revolutionary enthusiasm, he always showed the quality of a strong communist soldier and a talented leader while holding a range of key positions.

He was entrusted by the Party and State with many tasks in a very difficult revolutionary period, but with strong determination, self-reliance and capabilities honed during revolutionary struggle, comrade Do Muoi and the collectives of Party leaders led the country to overcome challenges and difficulties in many periods that seemed difficult to overcome.

Over 80 years of revolutionary activities, comrade Do Muoi made great contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and people. He was awarded the Gold Star Order by the Party and the State, the 80-year Party membership insignia by the Party, as well as many other noble medals of Vietnam and other countries.

Comrade Do Muoi joined the revolution in 1936 and was admitted to the Communist Party in 1939. In 1941, he was arrested by French colonialists and sentenced to 10 years in Ha Dong and Hoa Lo prisons. In 1945, when Japan staged a coup detat to overtake France, he escaped from Hoa Lo, contacted with the Party and continued his operations. He was entrusted with many important positions in the past two resistant wars. As the country launched Doi Moi (renovation) policy, comrade Do Muoi made important contributions, as Chairman of the Council of Ministers (now Prime Minister), in making and designing many innovative policies of the Party and State.

He, together with the leaders of the Party and the State, directed the study and submission to the 7th National Party Congress to adopt two historical documents, namely, the Platform on construction in the transitional period to socialism and the Strategy for socio-economic stabilisation and development by 2000. These documents have identified a system of perspectives, guidelines and solutions that further promote the country's comprehensive reform towards the socialist orientation and opening to integrate with the world.

In his years serving as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (from June 1991 to December 1997), with practical experience, comrade Do Muoi joined the Party Central Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat to unite, unify, lead and direct the entire Party, the people and the army to continue implementing the Doi Moi policy, building and defending the Fatherland, and fulfilling the tasks entrusted by the Party, the State and the people.

He made many contributions, while setting up and directing the implementation of many strategic solutions, thus steadfastly pursuing the goal of national independence combined with socialism, continuing to enhance the strength for the Party, gradually bringing the above-mentioned Platform and Strategy to life, bringing the country out of socio-economic crisis, and creating new momentum for the innovation and international integration.

Comrade Do Muoi is a person of action, as he always took actions in parallel with his sayings. With his profound knowledge in many fields and active thinking, comrade Do Muoi made impression and great contribution to many important policy making stages, including the planning of a socialist-oriented market economy in Vietnam; the international economic integration with self-reliance; the national industrialisation cause and the upward trend of agriculture, rural areas and farmers; as well as the active and effective implementation of an external policy of independence, self-reliance and multilateralisation of external relations, stating that Vietnam is willing to be friends with all countries for peace, cooperation and development.

As a Party chief, comrade Do Muoi promoted democracy in the Party and among the people. He always kept a leadership style that was close to reality and close to the people. He proposed to develop and implement the grassroots democracy regulation to promote the people's right as the nations owners and to make social relations healthier, thus actively contributing to building a clean and strong government. At the same time, he always paid attention to direct the building and perfecting the law system, strengthening the socialist legal system, and building the State truly of the people, by the people and for the people.

Remembering comrade Do Muoi - an outstanding student of President Ho Chi Minh, we remember the image of a consistent leader with revolutionary principle and realistic working style, who was always passionate in self-study and self-research for creativity against the new evolution of reality. As a General Secretary with great quality and morality of a communist "always loyal to the country and wholehearted with the people," a sincere heart of a leader who always attached to the reality of the country, with sincere and simple living that brought him close and harmonious with the people, he will live forever among us.

With great compassion for comrade Do Muois passing way, we will firmly step on the revolutionary path that the Party, Uncle Ho and Vietnamese people have chosen, insisting on Marxist-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought and the ideal of national independence and socialism, to promote comprehensive reform, for the purpose of building a Vietnam with "prosperous people, a strong nation, democracy, justice and civilisation."
The deputy PM made the remarks while hosting a reception for French Ambassador to Vietnam, Bertrand Lortholary, and Philippe Christodoulou, Vice President of Large Industries International Development, at Paris-based Air Liquide, in Hanoi, on October 4.

He stated that the strategic partnership between Vietnam and France has been growing finely, manifested through the regular exchange of high-level delegations, including the visit to Vietnam by the French President in September 2016 and the visit to France made by Party General Secretary, Nguyen Phu Trong, in March 2018.

Cooperation across the fields of culture, education, economics, trade and investment has seen positive developments and has become a pillar in the bilateral ties, Deputy PM Dung said, noting that France is currently a leading economic partner of Vietnam in Europe.

French Ambassador Bertrand Lortholary affirmed that many French firms are eyeing investment in Vietnam, especially in the areas of Frances strength and Vietnams demand, such as infrastructure, energy, and high-tech industry. He expressed his belief that both sides would further accelerate their multi-faceted cooperation in the future, particularly the cooperation between their enterprises.

Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung (right) and Philippe Christodoulou, Vice President of Large Industries International Development at Paris-based Air Liquide. (Photo: VGP)

Philippe Christodoulou briefed the deputy PM on Air Liquides investment activities in Vietnam since 1996, stressing his companys wish to get involved in the Dung Quat oil refinery expansion project and certain other energy projects in Vietnam.

With its experience and superior technology, Air Liquide will successfully cooperate with Vietnamese businesses in the fields of energy and refining/petrochemical, he affirmed.

Concerning Christodoulous proposal, Deputy PM Dung asked Air Liquide to work with the Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Company, the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group, and the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade to discuss specific cooperation plans. He also underscored the top goal of ensuring the post-upgrade efficiency and quality of products of the Dung Quat oil refinery and meeting the standards on safety and environmental protection.
* Special notice on former Party chief Do Muois passing away

* Goodbye comrade Do Muoi, a consistent communist with wholehearted devotion

In a message to Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President Xi Jinping hailed former Party General Secretary Do Muoi as an outstanding leader of the Vietnamese Party and State, a close comrade and friend of the Chinese Party and people, who dedicated his life to the cause of renovation and socialism building in Vietnam and made important contributions to the ties between the two Parties and States.

He expressed his belief that under the firm leadership of the General Secretary, the CPV, Government and people of Vietnam will turn sorrow into power, continuing to reap new achievements in the cause of socialism building.

China pledges to unceasingly foster the China-Vietnam traditional friendship, deepen mutually-beneficial cooperation and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, he said.

Expressing profound condolences to the CPV Central Committee, the National Assembly, the Government and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, the Central Committee of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party, National Assembly, Government and Central Committee of the Lao Front for National Construction spoke highly of comrade Do Muois huge contributions to national liberation and development over his 80 years of revolutionary career.

The deceased was lauded for reinforcing great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples.

For its part, the Central Committee of the Cambodian Peoples Party expressed wish that former Party General Secretary Do Muoi will rest in peace in a message to the CPV General Secretary.
In order to further develop the Russian-Vietnamese relations, the Russian Year will be held in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the year of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Russia in 2019, Sputniknews of Russia quoted the decree posted on the governments legal information portal as saying.

The Russian President also approved members of the organisation committee for the event held in Vietnam, which is headed by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Maxim Akimov.

Under the decree, the Russian government is responsible for providing necessary assistance to the organising committee. Financial support for the events in Russia and Vietnam is sourced from the federal budget of Russia.
Accordingly, the VITM will be held in April each year, in either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, starting from 2020.

The fairs themes will be announced by the MoCST, which are in line with market trends and requirements for tourism development.

The event will feature a minimum number of around 300 pavilions, including at least 25% from foreign partners.

The VITM is expected to offer an opportunity for localities, organisations and enterprises to promote their products and brands as well as develop their business relations.

Through the fair, Vietnams destinations will be introduced to both domestic and foreign tourists, contributing to developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector.
The programme is part of a series of events promoting tourism in Vietnam in 2018 to Western European countries, with the participation of dozens of tourism agencies and travel companies.

The event is considered as an opportunity for the Vietnamese tourism industry to introduce tourism products and policies to develop tourism as well as to promote tourist attractions such as Ha Long Bay, Hue ancient city, Hoi An ancient town, Phong Nha - Ke Bang cave systems, or the unique tourism products of culture and cuisine of Vietnam, to Italy's potential customers.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy, Cao Chinh Thien, emphasised that the rational and effective tourism development not only brings benefits to businesses and people, but also contributes to the sustainable economic development of each country.

In 2017, Vietnam welcomed more than 58,000 Italian travellers, an increase of 13.2% compared to the previous year.
* Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 3 signed into law a bill on raising the retirement age following months of debates and concessions. The new legislation will gradually extend the retirement age to 65 from 60 for men and to 60 from 55 for women starting 2019.

* French President Emmanuel Macron on October 3 dismissed criticism of "political crisis" after accepting resignation of Interior Minister Gerard Collomb.

* The Moroccan Royal Navy rescued 37 Moroccans suspected of illegal immigration off the northern city of Tangier, the Moroccan army announced in a statement on October 3.

* Yemeni security forces intensified security measures near several government institutions in the southern port city of Aden following calls from pro-secession southern leaders to stage a public uprising.

* German Chancellor Angela Merkel landed at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on October 3 night, starting a two-day visit to the country.

* US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in Washing ton on October 3 that he is optimistic that the upcoming talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will have better understandings and deeper progress.

* The US private sector added 230,000 jobs in September, suggesting that the labor market continued to grow at a healthy pace, according to data released by the ADP Research Institute on October 3.

* The Israeli Space Agency (ISA) announced Wednesday that it had signed an agreement with NASA to engage the American space agency in the first Israeli moon mission.

* A US aircraft on October 3 brought Marine forces to the battle against the last pocket of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

* Macedonia and Serbia will construct a joint railway station with common border customs and inspection services on the border crossing Tabanovce, a project worth 4.5 million (around US$ 5. 1 million), local media reported on October 3.

* The energy chief of the Arab League (AL) said on October 3 that the rate of access to electricity in the Arab world has exceeded 86 percent. The Arab Common Electricity Market project will enter the new phase next year, with annual economic revenues estimated at US$127 billion by 2038.

* The Moroccan energy minister said on October 3 that his country will invest more than US$40 billion in the energy sector by 2030.

* The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) revealed on October 3 that 22.4 million people in the Horn of Africa region need food aid.

* The World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Trade Centre (ITC), and two international tourism organizations and issued a joint message Wednesday encouraging greater participation of tourism in global trade policy.

* The annual expenditure of Israeli government ministries jumped by 23 billion new shekels (about US$6.34 billion) in 2017, and by 50 percent since the beginning of the decade, according to financial reports released Wednesday by the State's Accountant General at the Ministry of Finance.
October 04, 2018

Saudi Embassy Video Claims Al-Qaeda Likes Iran But Proves The Opposite

The embassy of Saudi Arabia in the United States posted a video which claims that Iran "tacitly supported al-Qaeda".

However, the video, posted on October 3 at 19:44 UTC, provides only one thing. Al-Qaeda shunned contacts with Iran because al-Qaeda receives its support from Arab states.

The Saudi embassy video includes an interview segment with "Abu Hafs, the mufti of al-Qaeda". It has Arabic and English captions. In the Saudi video Abu Hafs says:

Iran has tried for several times to establish relations with Al-Qaeda

But Al-Qaeda was refusing because of the sensitivity of forging a relationship with Iran in the Arab Peninsula

which is the most important source of support to Al-Qaeda members

a fact that Osama was taking into account

And I have discussed this matter in my own memos

Here are screenshots of the interview segment:

A recent study by New America, based on more than 300 original al-Qaeda documents, again provided that there is no evidence for any cooperation between Iran and al-Qaeda. The top key findings are:

Al-Qaida views Iran as a hostile entity , a hostility that is evident throughout the documents examined for this study.

, a hostility that is evident throughout the documents examined for this study. The examined documents provide no evidence of cooperation between Al-Qaida and Iran on planning or carrying out terrorist attacks.

on planning or carrying out terrorist attacks. The presence of jihadis in Iran was out of necessity, not a result of strategic planning. Jihadis, including Al-Qaida members, and their families as well as members of bin Ladins family fled Afghanistan to Iran following the 9/11 attacks and the resultant fall of the Taliban regime.

Al-Qaeda perceived the Iranian policy as "as one of detention/imprisonment". Its members and their families were in effect taken hostage by the Iranian government to prevent al-Qaeda attacks on its country.

The Saudi embassy video goes on to claim that neither al-Qaeda nor the Islamic State ever attacked Iran. But in fact the Islamic State (ISIS), attacked the Iranian parliament building and the mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini on June 7 2017. At least 17 civilians died and 43 were wounded. On September 22 2018 and ISIS attack killed 25 participants and bystanders of a memorial day parade in Ahvaz, Iran. ISIS claimed responsibility for both attacks.

---

h/t Derek Davison

Posted by b on October 4, 2018 at 9:15 UTC | Permalink

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Seiko Watch Corporation announces the establishment of a new company that will market the Grand Seiko brand in the United States of America. Grand Seiko Corporation of America was incorporated under the law of New York State and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seiko Watch Corporation.

Since its international launch in 2010, Grand Seikos reputation as a leading luxury watch brand has grown, thanks to its award-winning mechanical watch series and its unique Spring Drive and exclusive quartz collections. The Grand Seiko collection is offered at prices between $2,200 and $60,000. In 2017, a new chapter in the Grand Seiko story opened with the launch of a wider collection and with establishment of Grand Seiko as a fully independent brand.

Grand Seiko Corporation of America is the first independent Grand Seiko company in the world. It will market Grand Seiko through its existing network of retail partners, through the Grand Seiko Boutique in Beverley Hills and through the Seiko Boutiques in New York and Miami. Further plans for an increased retail presence and other marketing initiatives will be unveiled in New York in November.

The creation of this new company is an important part of our global strategy to raise further the profile of Grand Seiko, said Shinji Hattori, Chairman and CEO of Seiko Watch Corporation. Grand Seiko has been making progress in the USA in the past two years. The new company will be able to build on that momentum, focussing uniquely on developing Grand Seiko as a luxury watch brand and serving the needs of retail partners and our customers. Exciting times lie ahead.
Regional

India deports 7 Rohingya to Myanmar

Correspondent/IANS IMPHAL, Oct 4 | Publish Date: 10/4/2018 11:29:38 AM IST

Seven Rohingya Muslims, who were brought from Assam for deportation, were handed over to the authorities of Myanmar government at the Indo-Myanmar gate no. 2 on Thursday.

Assam police handed over the seven Myanmar national to the immigration officers of the Myanmar government at the border gate in the presence of Indian immigration official and officials of the state police department in the afternoon, official source here said.

Immigration officer-cum-SDPO Moreh of Tengnoupal district police, Sandip Gopal, ICP (Integrated Check Post) in-charge Md Tajudin and OC of Moreh police station were among others who present at the handing over of the Rohingyas from India side.

The seven men were arrested in Assam in 2012 for illegally entering India and have since served their six-year prison terms in Silchar district. They were among around 32 Rohingya refugees currently in vairous detention camps in Assam.

They were received by deputy director of Tamu (Myanmar) immigration office Aung Myo and immigration officer Tamu Maung Maung.

As informed by Myanmar officials, the deported Rohingyas would be dropped at Monou Northeastern Vally of the country from where they would move to their respective native places on their own responsibility.

Officials sources said that the deportation of the seven individuals were the first ever deportation of Myanmar national by India at the Indo-Myanmar international border at Moreh in Manipur.

Following Union Home Minister Rajnath Singhs directive, northeastern states sharing international borders with different countries in the region had tightened security to ensure that displaced Rohingya Muslims do not enter India.

Police sources said that several Rohingya immigrants were arrested at Moreh as well as Jiribam district bordering Assam, including Rohingya girls suspected to be victims of human trafficking.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea for a stay on the deportation of the seven Rohingya immigrants.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Sanjay Krishan Kaul and Justice K.M. Joseph dismissed the plea as the Centre said that Myanmar had accepted them as their citizens.

The Rohingya people are a minority Muslim community from the Rakhine state in Myanmar.
Carroll County Independent Denny Miller joins Wakefield Board of Selectmen

by Thomas Beeler WAKEFIELD  Newly-appointed selectman Denny Miller attended his first Board of Selectmen meeting last Wednesday, Sept. 26. It turned out to be a two-hour-and-twenty-minute introduction.



Miller was appointed to serve until next March's elections. He replaced Lino Avellani, who resigned on Aug. 22 for health reasons.



The new board took action on the first two items on the agenda, both discussed for months. The first was the purchase of Global Positioning System (GPS) units for highway department trucks and police cruisers; the units would track mileage, speed, location and, in the case of trucks, the amount of sand or salt distributed. The second was a facility use policy to deal with serving alcohol at functions in town facilities.



Miller's only question about the GPS units concerned data retention, to protect the town if someone sues later about a road or police incident. Town Administrator Kelley Collins said the information could be printed out and kept in a file. Miller felt there should be a data handling policy for both departments.



The GPS purchase was passed unanimously.



On the facility use policy, the board agreed that they did not want to allow an open bar in town facilities. Collins agreed to write that into the draft policy.



Bonnyman Road



Resident Neil Rowe repeated his request that selectmen walk the section of Bonnyman Road close of Province Lake where erosion has caused undercutting of the pavement. Selectmen Chair Connie Twombley said that the new Public Works Director Brock Mitchell should go out an assess the road. She reminded Rowe that selectmen walked the road 1.5 years ago with representatives from the Department of Environmental Services (DES), Acton Wakefield Watershed Alliance and UNH and DES said what road modifications they would approve at that time.



Miller agreed that Mitchell should assess the road first, calling it "an unresolved issue."



Rowe said there is a confusion here, that DES only looked at Mr. Thomas' drainage issue and that there is "much more involved." He cited 153 Bonnyman Rd., at the junction with Towle Farm Rd.



Miller said he knew the road but felt Mitchell would look at the problem with "fresh eyes."



Larry Moody of 207 Bonnyman asked if Selectman Wallace had been on site, as he requested. Wallace said he has no expertise with roads.



Shirley McCormack of 165 Bonnyman said that the issue can only be seen from the water. She said erosion puts boulders from under the road into the lake. She says she has 36 such rocks and the town needs to look at the embankment.



Miller said the town would need permission to go on Province Lake docks.



Twombley said she had faith in new DPW Director Mitchell and will ask him now to look at the problem.



Collins reminded Rowe about the Moody drainage problem that the DES had come up with a plan that required an easement from Moody and a neighbor who refused to grant it.



Other business



Collins announced that the project to renovate/replace half of the remaining Town Hall windows funded by a Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) will begin Oct. 1 and that the town needs to come up with a "stewardship"/maintenance plan for the windows. She suggested the town adopt a plan developed by the Land Trust Alliance.



Wallace said he'd like to review the plan first. Collins said plan approval would not hold up the work, only the LCHIP reimbursement. The grant expires on Dec. 31, 2018. Miller moved to adopt the Land Trust standards, Twombley read the required resolution to adopt, and the board voted unanimously to adopt it.



The board also approved applying for state bridge aid for the Marsh Riad and North Old Farm Road bridges, bringing the number of bridges to be funded in part with state aid to four out of seven, as well as a Hazard Mitigation plan for the Maple Street bridge in Union.



Miller announced that he and Howie Knight from the budget committee will go to HEB Engineers in Conway to review how to use the bridge cash flow spreadsheet on the bridges the firm has created.



Also approved was allowing the Town Clerk to process OHRV and snowmobile registrations as a convenience to residents.



Selectmen agreed to abate interest on overdue property taxes on Map 34, Lot 4, as the owner has been complying with a back taxes payment plan.



Collins reminded residents who owe back taxes that the Deadline Date for tax deeding on un paid taxes is Oct. 22.



Selectmen read a letter from Robert Baxter of Union complaining that he had filled out an application to be appointed to the Heritage Commission six months ago as an alternate and was just turned down. Twombley said the selectmen have "nothing to say" about appointments to committees until they receive recommendations.



Baxter had also written about choosing the engineer to work on the Bridge Street bridge. So far there is only one engineer, the one who built the bridge. Wallace asked Baxter to type his letters as they were difficult to read. No action was taken.



The board accepted the resignation of Rebecca Merrill with regret.



A letter from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation notified the town of an illegal driveway accessing Route 153. Miller said he knew of that situation and considered it unfair of the state since neighbors did have driveways.



During public comment Relf Fogg brought up replacing the culvert on Pond Road, saying that the Conservation Commission discussed it and begging the board to take action. After a lengthy discussion Collins said she would ask DPW Director Mitchell to ask DES to make an emergency replacement.



Collins informed selectmen that the Water Precinct has shut off 23 customers, saying it may create a health and welfare situation. Someone said some tried to pay but no one was at the precinct to accept payment.



The state is now saying that the town needs to pay "fair market value" for Turntable Park if it wants to take it over. Collins agree to ask Executive Councilor Joe Kenney to have state do the appraisal rather than the town for possible placement on the March 2019 warrant. The town's current lease on the park auto extends, Collins said.



ISO is rating the fire department, Collins said. The result affects insurance rates.



Selectmen approved writing off $1,977.30 in ambulance bills due to hardship and sending reports on $1,249.48 in bills to Experian for credit rating.



Collins asked selectmen to plan work sessions on vehicle policy and the 2019 budget. The board agreed to start on Oct. 5.



A survey on the Canal Road bridge going back to 1737 found that the MAine-NH state line falls in the middle of the canal. Copies will be sent to Acton, Maine, selectmen and town counsel. Miller felt it should also be sent to the Maine Attorney General.



The board signed form MS-535, used to set the tax rate. She said the town has picked up $190 million in value, which will help lower the rate. Miller asked if Howie Knight could sit in on the rate setting.



The board agreed to hold a public hearing on raising building permit fees to bring them in line with other towns on Oct, 26.



Denny Miller was appointed board representative to the budget committee and Vin Wallace was elected Vice Chair of the Board of Selectmen.



The next regular meeting will be held in the conference room at Town Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.



All selectmen meetings are broadcast live by ClearView Community TV and may also be viewed online at clearview3tv.com and governmentoversite.com. WAKEFIELD  Newly-appointed selectman Denny Miller attended his first Board of Selectmen meeting last Wednesday, Sept. 26. It turned out to be a two-hour-and-twenty-minute introduction.Miller was appointed to serve until next March's elections. He replaced Lino Avellani, who resigned on Aug. 22 for health reasons.The new board took action on the first two items on the agenda, both discussed for months. The first was the purchase of Global Positioning System (GPS) units for highway department trucks and police cruisers; the units would track mileage, speed, location and, in the case of trucks, the amount of sand or salt distributed. The second was a facility use policy to deal with serving alcohol at functions in town facilities.Miller's only question about the GPS units concerned data retention, to protect the town if someone sues later about a road or police incident. Town Administrator Kelley Collins said the information could be printed out and kept in a file. Miller felt there should be a data handling policy for both departments.The GPS purchase was passed unanimously.On the facility use policy, the board agreed that they did not want to allow an open bar in town facilities. Collins agreed to write that into the draft policy.Bonnyman RoadResident Neil Rowe repeated his request that selectmen walk the section of Bonnyman Road close of Province Lake where erosion has caused undercutting of the pavement. Selectmen Chair Connie Twombley said that the new Public Works Director Brock Mitchell should go out an assess the road. She reminded Rowe that selectmen walked the road 1.5 years ago with representatives from the Department of Environmental Services (DES), Acton Wakefield Watershed Alliance and UNH and DES said what road modifications they would approve at that time.Miller agreed that Mitchell should assess the road first, calling it "an unresolved issue."Rowe said there is a confusion here, that DES only looked at Mr. Thomas' drainage issue and that there is "much more involved." He cited 153 Bonnyman Rd., at the junction with Towle Farm Rd.Miller said he knew the road but felt Mitchell would look at the problem with "fresh eyes."Larry Moody of 207 Bonnyman asked if Selectman Wallace had been on site, as he requested. Wallace said he has no expertise with roads.Shirley McCormack of 165 Bonnyman said that the issue can only be seen from the water. She said erosion puts boulders from under the road into the lake. She says she has 36 such rocks and the town needs to look at the embankment.Miller said the town would need permission to go on Province Lake docks.Twombley said she had faith in new DPW Director Mitchell and will ask him now to look at the problem.Collins reminded Rowe about the Moody drainage problem that the DES had come up with a plan that required an easement from Moody and a neighbor who refused to grant it.Other businessCollins announced that the project to renovate/replace half of the remaining Town Hall windows funded by a Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) will begin Oct. 1 and that the town needs to come up with a "stewardship"/maintenance plan for the windows. She suggested the town adopt a plan developed by the Land Trust Alliance.Wallace said he'd like to review the plan first. Collins said plan approval would not hold up the work, only the LCHIP reimbursement. The grant expires on Dec. 31, 2018. Miller moved to adopt the Land Trust standards, Twombley read the required resolution to adopt, and the board voted unanimously to adopt it.The board also approved applying for state bridge aid for the Marsh Riad and North Old Farm Road bridges, bringing the number of bridges to be funded in part with state aid to four out of seven, as well as a Hazard Mitigation plan for the Maple Street bridge in Union.Miller announced that he and Howie Knight from the budget committee will go to HEB Engineers in Conway to review how to use the bridge cash flow spreadsheet on the bridges the firm has created.Also approved was allowing the Town Clerk to process OHRV and snowmobile registrations as a convenience to residents.Selectmen agreed to abate interest on overdue property taxes on Map 34, Lot 4, as the owner has been complying with a back taxes payment plan.Collins reminded residents who owe back taxes that the Deadline Date for tax deeding on un paid taxes is Oct. 22.Selectmen read a letter from Robert Baxter of Union complaining that he had filled out an application to be appointed to the Heritage Commission six months ago as an alternate and was just turned down. Twombley said the selectmen have "nothing to say" about appointments to committees until they receive recommendations.Baxter had also written about choosing the engineer to work on the Bridge Street bridge. So far there is only one engineer, the one who built the bridge. Wallace asked Baxter to type his letters as they were difficult to read. No action was taken.The board accepted the resignation of Rebecca Merrill with regret.A letter from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation notified the town of an illegal driveway accessing Route 153. Miller said he knew of that situation and considered it unfair of the state since neighbors did have driveways.During public comment Relf Fogg brought up replacing the culvert on Pond Road, saying that the Conservation Commission discussed it and begging the board to take action. After a lengthy discussion Collins said she would ask DPW Director Mitchell to ask DES to make an emergency replacement.Collins informed selectmen that the Water Precinct has shut off 23 customers, saying it may create a health and welfare situation. Someone said some tried to pay but no one was at the precinct to accept payment.The state is now saying that the town needs to pay "fair market value" for Turntable Park if it wants to take it over. Collins agree to ask Executive Councilor Joe Kenney to have state do the appraisal rather than the town for possible placement on the March 2019 warrant. The town's current lease on the park auto extends, Collins said.ISO is rating the fire department, Collins said. The result affects insurance rates.Selectmen approved writing off $1,977.30 in ambulance bills due to hardship and sending reports on $1,249.48 in bills to Experian for credit rating.Collins asked selectmen to plan work sessions on vehicle policy and the 2019 budget. The board agreed to start on Oct. 5.A survey on the Canal Road bridge going back to 1737 found that the MAine-NH state line falls in the middle of the canal. Copies will be sent to Acton, Maine, selectmen and town counsel. Miller felt it should also be sent to the Maine Attorney General.The board signed form MS-535, used to set the tax rate. She said the town has picked up $190 million in value, which will help lower the rate. Miller asked if Howie Knight could sit in on the rate setting.The board agreed to hold a public hearing on raising building permit fees to bring them in line with other towns on Oct, 26.Denny Miller was appointed board representative to the budget committee and Vin Wallace was elected Vice Chair of the Board of Selectmen.The next regular meeting will be held in the conference room at Town Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.All selectmen meetings are broadcast live by ClearView Community TV and may also be viewed online at clearview3tv.com and governmentoversite.com.

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Coos County Democrat Lancaster's Hazel Wood celebrates 100th birthday

by Tara Giles

Sports reporter - Coos County Democrat and Berlin Reporter Sports reporter - Coos County Democrat and Berlin Reporter write the author

Hazel Wood of Lancaster recently celebrated her 100th birthday. (Photo by Tara Giles) (click for larger version) LANCASTER  Hazel Wood of Lancaster, recently celebrated her 100th birthday. The Democrat was able to sit down and enjoy a nice conversation with Hazel last week.



This interview with Hazel was only supposed to last roughly twenty minutes, however Hazel's life has been so interesting that the conversation lasted well over an hour. Hazel does not appear to be 100 years old. She is quick on her feet, and her mind is sharp. Her piercing blue eyes are kind and knowledgeable.



Hazel was born in 1918, to Fred and Lila Whitehead in Lunenburg, Vt. She explained how her parents would use a horse and carriage for transportation. Even when cars were a choice, only a few in the area had one.



In 1918, the year Hazel was born, Woodrow Wilson was the President, the U.S. Congress established time zones and approved daylight savings time, the Spanish Flu was discovered in Kansas, the Boston Red Sox won their last World Series for decades against the Chicago Cubs, and groups were formed to oppose prohibition.



Hazel mentioned that her grandparents Elwin and Sarah Nichols lived on a farm on Baptist Hill in Lunenburg, a fair distance away from Hazel's home. The two houses were too far apart to talk, however close enough to see the other. Hazel's grandmother thought that playing cards was the work of the devil. She mentioned how her grandmother had to have everything done her way or no way. One Saturday night Hazel's parents had relatives over for dinner and some card playing. When Hazel's grandmother noticed the light still on after midnight from across the way she marched over and flicked the cards from the table then marched back outside where she fell from the porch and broke her leg.



Hazel's earliest memory happened in 1920, when she wandered off into a field of hay. At just two years old, she was too small to see over the hay, and so of course could not see where she was going.



"Apparently, nobody was watching me because I wandered into the long hay that was on the edge of the lawn," she recalled. "There was this dog in front of me, that wouldn't let me go where I wanted to go, so I decided to put my hand on the dog's back and grabbed a hand full of fur and we walked a little ways. Pretty quickly we were out in the back yard again."



Hazel continued, "As we came out of the hay, there were my mother, my grandmother and my aunts in the yard. They were all hollering and screaming and crying because they couldn't find me. I didn't know what the fuss was about but they began hugging and praising the dog."



Hazel's family moved from Baptist Hill to the Cozy Nook farm on the River Road, where Moore Dam is now located. Hazel's family hosted a kitchen junket at the farm where neighbors would come and bring food around supper time. After dinner Hazel recalls that a woman would play the piano and that 'Pegleg Higgins' would play violin. The men would move the furniture around so that there was plenty of room for dancing.



"The people living in the area got word from the company that was planning to build the dam, that the land was theirs now and that everyone had to leave. From there, we went to Concord, Vt.," she said



While attending a one room school house in Gilman, Vt., Hazel said she rode to school via horse and wagon, recalling that "In the winter, they rolled the roads with a big heavy roller that took four to six teams of horses to pull."



Hazel recalls the older boys at school fetching water from the brook in a pail.



"If you wanted a drink, you took the dipper and drank out of the dipper and put it back into the pail of water," she remembered. "People now throw a fit if they even have to drink out of the tap."



When Hazel's family moved to Boston, she recalled being able to ride the street cars all over the city for a nickel. She attended a Catholic school because the city of Boston did not want to pay to transport her to the public school across town.



While in Boston, Hazel, who was a self proclaimed tomboy, would travel with a pack of kids who would wait for a fish wagon to be done deliveries for the day; any leftover fish he would throw to the kids. Hazel was thrown a huge fish and had to sprint back to her home without getting tackled by the other kids.



She also recalls one way she made spending money, commenting that "We would go to the shore with a pail and catch crabs. We would go to the back door of this restaurant and a man would give us a nickel for two crabs."



Hazel continued, "We would go to this store where they had a barrel filled with dill pickles, you would roll your sleeve up and dig around for the biggest pickle you could find. We also bought 'cat pies' which was a pie crust filled with raisin filling."



For much of her childhood, Hazel helped do chores on the various farms she lived on. She told a story about a hard freeze that came early causing the apples and cherries to become fermented. She found her cow under one of the trees drunk.



She recalls her mother making clothes for the family from grain bags, explaining that "Grain came in a nice cotton bag with colorful designs on them. Every family who had a mother who could sew was wearing grain bags, "When kids got mad, they would say, 'your grain bags are showing.'"



Hazel added, "Mama did make some cute outfits."



Hazel would ride a horse three miles into town to bring milk to the creamery.



"One of the horses I had to ride to town was not a trotter; he was kind of pokey, but he was a horse that I learned to ride bareback on," she said.



Hazel's family hit hard times when her father had to seek medical help in Montreal, leaving the family for nine months. During that time food was scarce on the farm. Whooping cough also ripped through the area, and eventually caused the death of Hazel's youngest sister Charlotte, who was just three months old.



When Hazel was 14 years old, she attended Lancaster High School here in town.



"Robert Phelps had a real car that ran," Hazel said. "I had to walk a mile and a quarter to meet him, he had five other riders as well."



Hazel told an interesting story, funny now, possibly not so funny back then.



"During one of our rides back to Lunenburg, a girl named Caroline told the whole parcel of kids 'Hazel is a pauper,'" she recalled. "I didn't say anything then. When everyone was on their way, I grabbed Caroline and brought her down to the sidewalk; I didn't throw her or anything, I just put her down there, and told her that yes, I am a pauper, and if she ever made the comment to my face again, I would mash her face in. So she began crying, and I helped her up and walked her to her house."



Hazel was unable to attend Lancaster High School anymore the following years due to transportation issues. She was still living in Lunenburg, and the closest High School was a one room school house in Dalton. Hazel had to cross the railroad bridge over the Connecticut River to get to school. She never knew if a train was coming and there were no railings to hold on too. She last two weeks before she decided to go back to work and end her schooling."



Hazel was married at the age of 17 to Kenneth Wood. They met at a dance in town while Hazel was dating a boy for whom her feelings didn't really go beyond friendship. Her mother gave her strict orders to only dance when asked. Together Kenneth and Hazel had three children.



"Back then, we worked hard, we were careful about our finances, we concentrated on what we really wanted and saved up for it," she said. "We bought a home, a house on a lake, and a car."



Hazel said she has enjoyed her entire life; however, her favorite time was when her children were small in the 1940's. For fun in those days her friends would go to town dances, went swimming in the river and had corn roasts.



Kenneth was drafted and went off to war, leaving Hazel with a young son and no income. There hadn't been enough time to gather wood for the winter. The resourceful woman that she is, Hazel gathered coal along the railroad beds, however found that was too dangerous. Instead she had scrap wood delivered to her home that fell along Bobbin Mill Road. Times were so tough that Hazel had her sister Helen and her children move in with her because Helen's husband was also drafted. This allowed Hazel to begin working at the mill while her sister stayed home with the children.



"How times have changed for women. A lot of women go out of the homes to work, which seemed unusual at the time. Whether they want to or have to is another question," she said.



As for technology, Hazel said, "It's amazing the knowledge and the ability to make these things and it gets more and more unusual every year."



Showing pictures on a phone is one example Hazel gave.



When asked how Hazel has remained so healthy, she said, "Keep breathing, once you give up breathing, then you're in trouble. Don't drink, don't smoke and eat real food."



Hazel says she uses moisturizer every day and uses Dove soap.



"Thinking back, I would have like to have finished school and had a profession such as a school teacher," she muses. "I don't say poor me; I still had a good life." LANCASTER  Hazel Wood of Lancaster, recently celebrated her 100th birthday. The Democrat was able to sit down and enjoy a nice conversation with Hazel last week.This interview with Hazel was only supposed to last roughly twenty minutes, however Hazel's life has been so interesting that the conversation lasted well over an hour. Hazel does not appear to be 100 years old. She is quick on her feet, and her mind is sharp. Her piercing blue eyes are kind and knowledgeable.Hazel was born in 1918, to Fred and Lila Whitehead in Lunenburg, Vt. She explained how her parents would use a horse and carriage for transportation. Even when cars were a choice, only a few in the area had one.In 1918, the year Hazel was born, Woodrow Wilson was the President, the U.S. Congress established time zones and approved daylight savings time, the Spanish Flu was discovered in Kansas, the Boston Red Sox won their last World Series for decades against the Chicago Cubs, and groups were formed to oppose prohibition.Hazel mentioned that her grandparents Elwin and Sarah Nichols lived on a farm on Baptist Hill in Lunenburg, a fair distance away from Hazel's home. The two houses were too far apart to talk, however close enough to see the other. Hazel's grandmother thought that playing cards was the work of the devil. She mentioned how her grandmother had to have everything done her way or no way. One Saturday night Hazel's parents had relatives over for dinner and some card playing. When Hazel's grandmother noticed the light still on after midnight from across the way she marched over and flicked the cards from the table then marched back outside where she fell from the porch and broke her leg.Hazel's earliest memory happened in 1920, when she wandered off into a field of hay. At just two years old, she was too small to see over the hay, and so of course could not see where she was going."Apparently, nobody was watching me because I wandered into the long hay that was on the edge of the lawn," she recalled. "There was this dog in front of me, that wouldn't let me go where I wanted to go, so I decided to put my hand on the dog's back and grabbed a hand full of fur and we walked a little ways. Pretty quickly we were out in the back yard again."Hazel continued, "As we came out of the hay, there were my mother, my grandmother and my aunts in the yard. They were all hollering and screaming and crying because they couldn't find me. I didn't know what the fuss was about but they began hugging and praising the dog."Hazel's family moved from Baptist Hill to the Cozy Nook farm on the River Road, where Moore Dam is now located. Hazel's family hosted a kitchen junket at the farm where neighbors would come and bring food around supper time. After dinner Hazel recalls that a woman would play the piano and that 'Pegleg Higgins' would play violin. The men would move the furniture around so that there was plenty of room for dancing."The people living in the area got word from the company that was planning to build the dam, that the land was theirs now and that everyone had to leave. From there, we went to Concord, Vt.," she saidWhile attending a one room school house in Gilman, Vt., Hazel said she rode to school via horse and wagon, recalling that "In the winter, they rolled the roads with a big heavy roller that took four to six teams of horses to pull."Hazel recalls the older boys at school fetching water from the brook in a pail."If you wanted a drink, you took the dipper and drank out of the dipper and put it back into the pail of water," she remembered. "People now throw a fit if they even have to drink out of the tap."When Hazel's family moved to Boston, she recalled being able to ride the street cars all over the city for a nickel. She attended a Catholic school because the city of Boston did not want to pay to transport her to the public school across town.While in Boston, Hazel, who was a self proclaimed tomboy, would travel with a pack of kids who would wait for a fish wagon to be done deliveries for the day; any leftover fish he would throw to the kids. Hazel was thrown a huge fish and had to sprint back to her home without getting tackled by the other kids.She also recalls one way she made spending money, commenting that "We would go to the shore with a pail and catch crabs. We would go to the back door of this restaurant and a man would give us a nickel for two crabs."Hazel continued, "We would go to this store where they had a barrel filled with dill pickles, you would roll your sleeve up and dig around for the biggest pickle you could find. We also bought 'cat pies' which was a pie crust filled with raisin filling."For much of her childhood, Hazel helped do chores on the various farms she lived on. She told a story about a hard freeze that came early causing the apples and cherries to become fermented. She found her cow under one of the trees drunk.She recalls her mother making clothes for the family from grain bags, explaining that "Grain came in a nice cotton bag with colorful designs on them. Every family who had a mother who could sew was wearing grain bags, "When kids got mad, they would say, 'your grain bags are showing.'"Hazel added, "Mama did make some cute outfits."Hazel would ride a horse three miles into town to bring milk to the creamery."One of the horses I had to ride to town was not a trotter; he was kind of pokey, but he was a horse that I learned to ride bareback on," she said.Hazel's family hit hard times when her father had to seek medical help in Montreal, leaving the family for nine months. During that time food was scarce on the farm. Whooping cough also ripped through the area, and eventually caused the death of Hazel's youngest sister Charlotte, who was just three months old.When Hazel was 14 years old, she attended Lancaster High School here in town."Robert Phelps had a real car that ran," Hazel said. "I had to walk a mile and a quarter to meet him, he had five other riders as well."Hazel told an interesting story, funny now, possibly not so funny back then."During one of our rides back to Lunenburg, a girl named Caroline told the whole parcel of kids 'Hazel is a pauper,'" she recalled. "I didn't say anything then. When everyone was on their way, I grabbed Caroline and brought her down to the sidewalk; I didn't throw her or anything, I just put her down there, and told her that yes, I am a pauper, and if she ever made the comment to my face again, I would mash her face in. So she began crying, and I helped her up and walked her to her house."Hazel was unable to attend Lancaster High School anymore the following years due to transportation issues. She was still living in Lunenburg, and the closest High School was a one room school house in Dalton. Hazel had to cross the railroad bridge over the Connecticut River to get to school. She never knew if a train was coming and there were no railings to hold on too. She last two weeks before she decided to go back to work and end her schooling."Hazel was married at the age of 17 to Kenneth Wood. They met at a dance in town while Hazel was dating a boy for whom her feelings didn't really go beyond friendship. Her mother gave her strict orders to only dance when asked. Together Kenneth and Hazel had three children."Back then, we worked hard, we were careful about our finances, we concentrated on what we really wanted and saved up for it," she said. "We bought a home, a house on a lake, and a car."Hazel said she has enjoyed her entire life; however, her favorite time was when her children were small in the 1940's. For fun in those days her friends would go to town dances, went swimming in the river and had corn roasts.Kenneth was drafted and went off to war, leaving Hazel with a young son and no income. There hadn't been enough time to gather wood for the winter. The resourceful woman that she is, Hazel gathered coal along the railroad beds, however found that was too dangerous. Instead she had scrap wood delivered to her home that fell along Bobbin Mill Road. Times were so tough that Hazel had her sister Helen and her children move in with her because Helen's husband was also drafted. This allowed Hazel to begin working at the mill while her sister stayed home with the children."How times have changed for women. A lot of women go out of the homes to work, which seemed unusual at the time. Whether they want to or have to is another question," she said.As for technology, Hazel said, "It's amazing the knowledge and the ability to make these things and it gets more and more unusual every year."Showing pictures on a phone is one example Hazel gave.When asked how Hazel has remained so healthy, she said, "Keep breathing, once you give up breathing, then you're in trouble. Don't drink, don't smoke and eat real food."Hazel says she uses moisturizer every day and uses Dove soap."Thinking back, I would have like to have finished school and had a profession such as a school teacher," she muses. "I don't say poor me; I still had a good life."

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Littleton Courier Schilling lays in alternative, heritage brewing projects

by Justin Roshak

John Lenzini, Schilling's Head Brewer, explains the new spontaneous fermentation process to Phil Emerson of Almanac Brewing. (Photo by Justin Roshak) (click for larger version) LITTLETONFresh off Octoberfest, Schilling Brewing will lay the foundations for a new slate of brewing projects, which draw on historical methods and modern science to produce unique results.



So-called "spontaneous fermentation" will take place in an open-top stainless steel vessel which allows brewers to harness the natural, productive yeasts in the air. It used to be, all beer was made this way, but commercial development has evolved toward single-type yeasts brewed in large, controlled batches.



In Belgium, where spontaneous brewing continues to this day, beer is made in the cool autumn and early winter months, when the healthiest and most desirable yeasts are prevalent in the air. Summertime yeasts produce much less desirable flavors, and the cold weather is a form of natural climate-control. The project will produce beers in similar style to Belgium's famous "lambics," and will begin brewing in the next few weeks.



Spontaneous fermentation is less controlled, but isn't entirely random. For instance, aged hops have natural anti-microbial properties.



Another new project involves the deliberate use of "wild" yeast, an ancestor of the domesticated, highly-controlled variety, which is expected to produce an extremely banana-forward, sour beer not unlike a hefeweizen. The reaction will also produce a greater than average amount of gycerol, which gives beer a creamy feel. The beer will age in the new brewing facility on Mill Street.



Schilling has partnered with California-based Almanac Brewing, which has sent staff to Littleton to share expertise and cross-pollinate ideas.



John Lenzini, Head of Brewery Operations, explained that depending on the chemistry and conditions, the same strain of yeast can produce, for instance, strong clove flavors, or strong banana flavors. He said he, and his team, were excited to pursue the new experiments, which he described as passion projects.



"We can set ourselves apart as a brewery that has a focus area," Lenzini predicted.



Schilling already has a strong focus on Belgian, German, and Central European styles in its main line of beers.



"It's not so much experimental as traditional brewing," observed Chris Deapo, a new addition to the Schilling team and specialist in mixed cultures, who explained that prior to modern methods of pure culture and temperature control, all brewing relied on local yeast, whether spontaneously produced or a "house strain," and were served fresh and locally due to the lack of refrigeration.



Because the old-fashioned methods rely on natural processes, they tale longer than a typical, commercial brew, where a large dose of monoculture yeast is added to the hot beer juice and brewed for weeks or days. Schilling customers can expect their first tastes of spontaneous and mixed-culture brews in a year or so. LITTLETONFresh off Octoberfest, Schilling Brewing will lay the foundations for a new slate of brewing projects, which draw on historical methods and modern science to produce unique results.So-called "spontaneous fermentation" will take place in an open-top stainless steel vessel which allows brewers to harness the natural, productive yeasts in the air. It used to be, all beer was made this way, but commercial development has evolved toward single-type yeasts brewed in large, controlled batches.In Belgium, where spontaneous brewing continues to this day, beer is made in the cool autumn and early winter months, when the healthiest and most desirable yeasts are prevalent in the air. Summertime yeasts produce much less desirable flavors, and the cold weather is a form of natural climate-control. The project will produce beers in similar style to Belgium's famous "lambics," and will begin brewing in the next few weeks.Spontaneous fermentation is less controlled, but isn't entirely random. For instance, aged hops have natural anti-microbial properties.Another new project involves the deliberate use of "wild" yeast, an ancestor of the domesticated, highly-controlled variety, which is expected to produce an extremely banana-forward, sour beer not unlike a hefeweizen. The reaction will also produce a greater than average amount of gycerol, which gives beer a creamy feel. The beer will age in the new brewing facility on Mill Street.Schilling has partnered with California-based Almanac Brewing, which has sent staff to Littleton to share expertise and cross-pollinate ideas.John Lenzini, Head of Brewery Operations, explained that depending on the chemistry and conditions, the same strain of yeast can produce, for instance, strong clove flavors, or strong banana flavors. He said he, and his team, were excited to pursue the new experiments, which he described as passion projects."We can set ourselves apart as a brewery that has a focus area," Lenzini predicted.Schilling already has a strong focus on Belgian, German, and Central European styles in its main line of beers."It's not so much experimental as traditional brewing," observed Chris Deapo, a new addition to the Schilling team and specialist in mixed cultures, who explained that prior to modern methods of pure culture and temperature control, all brewing relied on local yeast, whether spontaneously produced or a "house strain," and were served fresh and locally due to the lack of refrigeration.Because the old-fashioned methods rely on natural processes, they tale longer than a typical, commercial brew, where a large dose of monoculture yeast is added to the hot beer juice and brewed for weeks or days. Schilling customers can expect their first tastes of spontaneous and mixed-culture brews in a year or so.

Littleton Courier Norton Pike Field renamed to honor David Stoddard Pinewood Motel tenants face eviction, renovations underway Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
By PTI

NEW DELHI: IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has sacked an employee who was allegedly sending rape and death threats to women on social media platforms.

According to sources, TCS started an investigation in the matter after screenshots of abusive messages went viral.

They added that the employee had admitted to having sent the threatening messages.

"At TCS we have zero tolerance towards any act which goes against our core values. The employee has been relieved with immediate effect," TCS said in an emailed response.

It did not offer any details on the matter. The messages that went viral did not reveal the identity of the woman. The sacked employee also seems to have deleted his social media account.

The sources added that the company is unlikely to take legal recourse against the sacked employee, as the messages were sent in the personal capacity by the accused.
By PTI

MUMBAI: Two days after Tata Sky removed 32 channels of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and three of TV Today Network on pricing issues, the direct-to-home (DTH) operator and the broadcaster have said they are open to negotiations to offer customers the channels.

SPN's three-year contract with Tata Sky had expired on July 31, and the two since then have been negotiating on a new pricing deal.

SPN president - distribution Rajesh Kaul said after the contract got over on July 31, Tata Sky had asked for an extension, so that the negotiations on the deal could come through.

However, he claimed that Tata Sky has gone ahead and switched off SPN's 22 channels unilaterally, without even discussing with the company.

"In that sense, talks have failed, that is why they have switched off (our channels)," Kaul told PTI.

"We are completely open to that (negotiations). This is our business so we are open to any kind of dialogue, any kind of discussion which can lead to a settlement," he added.

Tata Sky chief executive officer and managing director Harit Nagpal also told PTI, "We hope to positively close negotiations and get all our subscribers their desired channels as soon as possible."

"The commercial negotiations with the broadcasters broke down as what they were seeking would have forced us to hike our prices," said Nagpal.

However, Kaul said, the biggest bone of contention is that in the last two to three years, Tata Sky has increased its subscriber base from 10 million to 16 million today and SPN has increased its bouquet of channels from 14 to 32.

"We are asking for an increase because of these two factors," he added.

The DTH players or multi-system operators pay the broadcasters on the number of subscribers they have and as per regulator Trai, the broadcasters cannot increase their rates.

Nagpal said despite Sony losing marquee properties like the IPL and Kapil Sharma show, it was expecting a much higher increase compared to what Tata Sky was willing to offer, in line with the channels' viewership ratings.

"About three weeks ago, during the negotiations, Sony published a disconnection notice applicable from September 30 midnight," he said.

According to Kaul, the notice was published in accordance with Trai guidelines.

He further said that the current impasse is likely to have an impact on the company's viewership and revenues.

Tata Sky said it has retained the channels with good viewership numbers, at a la carte rates and are paying a huge premium (almost three times) to Sony as per their rate card versus contracted rates, in the interest of its subscribers.

The DTH player has retained 10 channels including Set, Sony Sab, Set HD, and Aaj Tak.

Kaul, however, claimed that Tata Sky had signed a RIO (reference inter-connect offer) for the 10 channels and it could have done the same for the other 22 channels as well.
SV Krishna Chaitanya By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Citys Pallikaranai marsh is among the 11 wetlands in Tamil Nadu chosen under a five-year National Action Plan for Conservation of Migratory Birds and their Habitats along Central Asia Flyway (2018-2023).

Of the wetlands of ornithological importance identified on the basis of existing monitoring information, 29 sites, including 20 major wetlands and nine wetland clusters, have been identified as significant bottleneck sites for migratory waterbirds in India.

In Tamil Nadu, Point Calimere (Nagapattinam), Great Vedaranyam Swamp (Nagapattinam), Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park and Adams Bridge (Ramanathapuram & Thoothukudi districts), Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary (Ariyalur), Pallikaranai (Chennai) are the wetlands prioritised for the conservation of migratory waterbirds. The wetland clusters in Kanniyakumari, including Suchindram, Theroor, Vembanoor and Manakudi Estuary figure in the list, besides salt pans of Puthalam and Kovalam. This is highest for any State in the country.

In neighbouring Puducherry, Ousteri lake, Bahour lake and Kaliveli tank have been identified. The ministry has identified sites in only 14 States and for the rest, the exercise is still underway.

Asad R Rehmani, member of Governing Body of Wetlands International South Asia and a former director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), told Express that Tamil Nadu plays a strategic role in entire Central Asian Flyway, which encompasses overlapping migration routes over 30 countries for different waterbirds linking their northernmost breeding grounds in Russia (Siberia) to southernmost non-breeding (wintering) grounds in west and south Asia, Maldives and the British Indian Ocean territory.

Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka are gifted as not much land area is left past them. The birds that come here have no choice but to stay back. So, the wetlands here are crucial and need to be protected, he said.

Globally, nine migratory flyways have been identified under the Convention on Migratory Species. The Central Asian Flyway is one among the identified flyways. Flyways are areas used by groups of birds during their annual cycle which includes breeding areas, stop-over area and wintering areas.

After due deliberations and stakeholder consultations, the ministry has developed the national action plan along the central Asian Flyway. The plan is structured in six inter-related components i.e. species conservation, habitat conservation and sustainable management, capacity development, communication and outreach, research and knowledge base development and international cooperation, said R Gopinath, Joint Director (Wildlife), Environment Ministry.

At least 370 species of migratory birds are reported to visit Indian subcontinent, of which 310 predominantly use wetlands as habitats, the rest being landbirds, inhabit dispersed terrestrial areas.

The long-term data sets show that Central Asian Flyway migratory landbirds are declining rapidly. However, the ministry is proposing to formulate and implement Single Species Action Plan (SSAP) for coordinated conservation measures for select important migratory species to a favourable conservation status within India. Twenty such species have been identified as high priority for developing SSAP.

For instance, the number of Spoon-billed Sandpiper, which breed in Russia and fly to India via Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam, declined rapidly. The species used to come to migrate all the way to Point Calimere in Tamil Nadu. But last year, only one bird was sighted and it is believed that hardly 1,000 birds are left globally.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A couple of days after an attempt to break open a private bank at Ramapuram, police arrested two migrant workers from Nepal in connection with the incident. A search is on for four others. Police said that based on CCTV footage they nabbed two men, who were working as security guards in Chennai.

The duo were staying near the bank. They allegedly planned to break it open since there was no guard. They were identified as Ganesh Pogath and his cousin Narath Pogath.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: After the Supreme Court ruled that women should also be allowed to enter the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala, Chennaiites share their thoughts on the verdict and if the law can impose itself on the workings of religion.

Kavitha Vishnu Vardhini, 27

The verdict has hit hard on the religious sentiment of the majority but they have to accept the fact that the SC has given us a choice which was denied to us all these years. I dont understand all those impurities discussions of women by women; you have been given a choice and you are 100 per cent free to go for it or to stay back, you are not compelled here.

Arjun C, 23

I think the 21st century is about freedom and if a woman wishes then she must have the right to prayer at a particular place, even though I personally wont encourage them to go there, as I am an atheist. Its up to them and no one else should have a say in it. On the other side, this ruling is giving mileage to right-wing elements in Kerala.

John Lavanya, 22

In the past, women did not have any hygienic sanitary disposal, and the scent of a womans menstrual blood would attract tigers as they walked through the forest. It was a valid reason to ban women. However, now we have better sanitary care to take care of such problems. Religion and law are all man-made, at the end of the day.

Padmapriya Baskaran, 48

We are looking at two different aspects here. The law states that no one can be restricted from entering a temple on the basis of gender or caste, or in this case reproductive status. Beliefs, on the other hand, are personal. Even today there are several women, who restrict themselves from entering pooja rooms or temples during their menstrual cycle. This is their individual belief and the religion or law does not govern it. The same applies here, too. If someone is not comfortable going, they dont. And if someone is happy to go, they do. Religion or belief in the higher power is personal. God is far beyond getting polluted by biological processes.

Abhirami S Anand, 21

Sabarimala is a part of Hindu beliefs and traditions. It may or may not be taken as just a fable but it has been being followed for centuries by natives. This is not the right platform to showcase feminism. The Supreme Court has no doubt struck a heavy blow in the fight for womens rights and liberation, but I believe that this is a disrespect to the beliefs. I would wait till Im 50, follow the old custom rather than accepting the verdict. Is the Supreme Court looking in the right direction?

Anjali Ajith Shirly, 27

Are men fighting to be part of Atukkal Pongala where the female believers of the goddess prepare the divine food and offer it to the goddess of the temple? Sabrimala is just a belief and has nothing to do with gender bias. Instead of focussing on breaking the traditions we must give more importance to safety concerns of women.

Inputs: KV Navya, Rochana Mohan, Roshne Balasubramanian and Vaishali Vijaykumar
C Shivakumar By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: It is learnt that the state government is taking precautionary measures in Chennai and has asked the mobile service providers to shift ground-based towers (GBT) and generators to an elevated area so that mobile connectivity will not be affected during the North-East monsoon.

In 2015, when Chennai was affected badly by the flood, the mobile connectivity loss added to the misery. The connectivity was lost as the mobile telephone towers were incapacitated after the diesel that was kept there, got mixed with water.

It is learnt that Commissioner of Revenue Administration K Satyagopal held a meeting with mobile service providers last month and has urged them to shift the generators and ground-based towers to elevated areas.

India Meteorological Department has warned that Tamil Nadu might receive heavy to very heavy rainfall in most places and extremely heavy rainfall in some areas on October 7.

Chennai Telephones chief general manager Kalavathy told Express that they are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the connectivity doesn't get disrupted during the monsoon.

"All our towers are elevated ones and we have ensured that we have diesel, required for at least two days, in store, so that connectivity doesn't get lost," said Kalavathy.

During the 2015 floods, nearly 600 towers of BSNL have been hit as diesel got mixed with water after many parts of the city blacked out due to rains. But Kalavathy is confident this time. We have taken adequate measures and are prepared for the monsoon, she said

It is learnt that the state government has asked the telecom service providers to re-route facilities through neighbouring states in case of any natural calamity.

It has also asked the service providers to offer 'push message' facilities for emergency alerts. Similarly, the state government has asked the oil companies to stock 30-45 days of fuel requirement at the terminals.
Kakoli Mukherjee By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: On a day when a peaceful rally of farmers were denied entry into the national capital and assaulted with water cannons and tear gas shells, a pertinent series of talks in Lamakaan named Guftan examined the changing landscape of protests in India.

State, universities and dissent

In the first series of talks that dwelt on the Culture of Protest, the chair Dr Hariprasad Athanickal, a professor from English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), observed that it was interesting that the event was held on the birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who had mobilised people from all walks of life to hold protests. Reflecting on the changing times, the professor said that data manipulation was the way power was being wielded today, and this should determine the way we should voice dissent.

Taking up the issue of student protests, Dr Aniket Alam, historian and a professor at IIIT, Hyderabad, said that protests in universities have failed to engage the society at large. How can the universities stop being islands and become seamless with the society? he wondered. Alam felt that the State was dictating how we voice dissent nowadays. We have become prisoners of the state. Our protests are in conversation with the state. It is rarely a dialogue with society at large.

Taking the thought forward, Dr Sowmya Dechamma, assistant professor at Centre for Comparative Literature in University of Hyderabad, said: This culture of protest has built hope. It is built on justice and rights for all. It is built on the sweat and aspirations of the oppressed, but it is not easy to conceptualise and implement. Pointing out that moving towards an anti-caste society would be collaborative work, she said, If we move towards an anti-caste society, we have to have a manifesto for the privileged castes too.

Everyday protests and nationalism

Steering away the discussion from campus politics, Dr. Jayashree Subramanian, associate professor of Mathematics at TISS (Hyderabad), spoke about the protests that are part of everyday life. Girls protesting against matches brought by parents, an upper caste woman marrying a person from lower caste, students protesting against hostel timings, the #Meetoo movement  all are very potent examples of protests.

Talking about the political changes that took place in the last five years, Dr Mohit Chandna, assistant professor in Department of French and Francophone Studies (EFLU), said: Universities have become a site where nationalism has to be displayed. Even in our college, we had to hold a rock concert mandated by the central government. Funds given by MHRD are being used to study pseudo-science like the uses of panchagavya. These are unacceptable to common sense.

Speaking more about the changes in education, he further added, When the Modi government came to power, the education sector was restructured. Books on Dinanath Batra, an RSS ideologue, were distributed for free to schools.

Dr. Sowjanya Tamalapakula from School of Gender Studies in TISS (Hyderabad) chose to bring forth the changing caste equations between teachers and students on campuses. Students come with notions about who should teach. Some upper-caste students not only refuse to sit in classes taken by lower-caste teachers, but refuse to be graded by them too. How do Dalit teachers deal with this predicament? This shows that all kinds of protests might not lead to a democratic set-up.

Raat ke guzar te hi, ek aur raat aayi Aap to kehte the ki niklega din

In the second part of the talks which was centred around Art as Resistance, the panel talked about how different art forms have been used as the lingua franca of dissent.

Poet and professor Harjinder Singh (Laltu) opened the discussion with his poem Entropy. Explaining that entropy meant chaos, he quoted from his poem:

As entropy increases, the rulers go into frenzy

And shout: Naxalbari, Naxalbari

Pictures and stand-up comedy

Taking the discussion forward, Dr Shilpaa Anand from Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) demonstrated how a few powerful images used by protestors in recent times to shame perpetrators of violence. She started out by showing the picture of disfigured hand which was used for the Rohith Vemula protests in University of Hyderabad. The picture was used to invoke remnant strength and also people responsible for the amputation, she said. The next picture she showed was of Insha, who was blinded by pellets in Kashmir. These posters are reclaiming the metaphor of active defiance, she added.

Dr Rahul Kamble from EFLU then talked about how stand-up comedy has emerged as the new mode of resistance in the recent times. Stand-up comedy is a good medium to protest. Politics and media took over comedy, he said. Pointing out that the layman does not have the time for intellectual discourse and rational activity is being increasingly viewed as suspicious, he said: How do you convince a layman that they should follow your reasoning? Why should not I throw a stone and get a reward?

Author Huma Kidwai then talked about how literature has played a pivotal role in voicing dissent all over the world. Intellectual activity has great effect. The power of the written word is immense. Indian freedom struggle is an example of that, she said.

Speaking about great literary movements like the Indian Progressive Writers Movement, and books like The Earth of Mankind and The Blinding Absence of Life, she said: Literature has always been used to subvert social dogma. In days when respectable women were not supposed to have sexual desires, writers like Ishmat Chughtai completely changed course of the narrative.

 Kakoli Mukherjee

kakoli_mukherjee@newindianexpress.com

@KakoliMukherje2
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Fuelling SmartCity Kochi's expansion spree, Singapore-headquartered MariApps Marine Solutions has initiated a milestone plan to build its corporate office in the city. The piling work for the project began at the IT Park on Thursday. When completed in 2020 on the 1.45-acre plot, the eight-storey building with a working space of 1.8 lakh sq ft will enable 1,500 employees of the modern technology solutions company to function under a single roof, MariApps CEO Sankar Raghavan said after the ground-breaking ceremony at Kakkanad.

The 2010-registered company, which provides IT solutions for ship owners and managers, was the first tenant at the initial building of SmartCity Kochi. MariApps has now become a co-developer. This shows the confidence the company has reposed in SmartCity. Supported by modern transportation and connectivity solutions, Kochi will attract more IT solutions in the future, said Manoj Nair, CEO, SmartCity Kochi.

MariApps began its India tryst with 40 employees eight years ago and has now a staff strength of 250 across its four offices in Kochi, Raghavan said. With its proven potential to grow annually at a rate of over 25 per cent, the companys India chapter sensed the need for operations that integrate its four Kochi offices in the same building, he said.

We have always enjoyed great support from SmartCity Kochi, the MariApps CEO said.

The proposed extension of Kochi Metro Rail to Kakkanad and the upcoming Water Metro will further boost our operations.

MariApps, with offices in Germany, Dubai, Greece and Cyprus besides India, is a Microsoft Gold Certified Development Partner. SmartCity Kochi aims to offer 61 lakh sq ft built-up commercial-purpose space in phases from 2020, envisioning world class infrastructure for knowledge-based businesses.

Soon to be home to Asias tallest IT tower, SmartCity Kochi recently announced its impetus in promoting residential projects as envisaged in its masterplan for an IT-integrated township.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Balabhaskar was a violinist who had magic in his hands. So when the state bid final farewell to its favourite violinist on Wednesday he had a violin placed close to his heart. Balabhaskars body was taken to Santhi Kavadam with his dearest musical instrument placed on it.

After rituals at his house in Tirumala, the mortal remains of Balabhaskar were brought to Santhi Kavadam at Thycaud at 10.30 am where he was cremated with state honours. His cousin performed the last rites.

A huge crowd, including music afficionados, friends and people from all walks of life were present at the crematorium to bid a tearful goodbye to their Balu. Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendaran, Ports Minister Kadannappalli Ramachandran, actors Suresh Gopi, Maniyanpilla Raju and many of citys music fraternity were present at Thycaud.

Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, musician Stephen Devassy and drummer Sivamani were among the umpteen well-wishers who paid their respects at the musicians home. On Tuesday the body was kept at University College and later at Kalabhavan for the public to pay homage.

Music ran in his blood. He is a musician who could handle both classical and fusion music simultaneously. We have lost a great performer who enthralled music lovers, said Kadakampally Subramaniam, a violinist who had known Balabhaskar from childhood.

Balabhaskar along with his wife Lekshmi, daughter Tejaswini and friend Arjun had met with a car accident on September 25 at Pallipuram in which his two-year-old daughter Tejaswani was killed. Balabhaskar, who suffered critical injuries, was under treatment at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He passed away on Tuesday early morning.

Friends remember an incomparable talent

TPuram: Friends and fans came together to pay tribute to musician Balabhaskar on Wednesday at a commemorative event at University College. Musicians Stephen Devassy, Shivamani, singers Rojo, Prasanth, Raja Lakshmi, Sayanora and politicians Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, CPM state secretary V S Sivakumar and Mayor V K Prasanth were present. I was a lost soul, confused about what has to be done to enter the music industry, said Devassy. We met at a reality show and he was one of the judges. Immediately after my performance, he offered me a job. Singer Madhu Balakrishnan said winning a Grammy was Balabhaskars ultimate dream. Sivamani said Balabhaskars violin strokes came straight from his heart.
By Online Desk

On Wednesday, a couple of women on Twitter accused All India Bakchod comedian Utsav Chakraborty of sexual harassment. These allegations came up when Chakraborty commented on a Tweet about a recent incident, in which 1300 employees from the Gutka company Kamla Pasand were misbehaving in an Australian cruise.

To this Tweet, a Twitter user alleged that Chakraborty had sent sexually explicit pictures to a young girl and threatened that he would wreck her career if she complains.

The accuser said: Saw this on my timeline, interesting for you to comment on how Indian men harass women. Irony is still alive and thriving. Did they send unsolicited d***k picks (sic) or thats safely only your territory? Or like cry after saying youll ruin their career if you tell others? Or will they also blame that on the girls? The harassment they got that is. Hey Utsav. How many girls have you harassed you vile man. These messages are for a young girl I know.

After this accusation, many other women joined in the conversation and narrated their uncomfortable encounters with the comedian.

The snowballing of the incident led to All India Bakchod to issue a statement condemning the issue, promising to cooperate for investigations if any, and informing that all videos with Utsav would be removed.

A statement ; We're sorry pic.twitter.com/Lpa9HKyORb  All India Bakchod (@AllIndiaBakchod) October 5, 2018

The Mumbai Police responded to the thread of tweets saying that they will look into the matter on priority.



Utsav Chakraborty responded to the accusations on a separate tweet, saying that everyone he knows has turned against him and that he would give further explanations later.

It's a little too late now but I am sorry. I really am. The past 24 hours were a crucible. I faced a very scary personal truth. I can't think of myself as a victim anymore. Please tell me what to do now. How to make things right? I don't want anyone to be hurt anymore.  Utsav (@Wootsaw) October 5, 2018

Utsav then put out a thread of tweets trying to explain himself but was called out by many for playing the 'victim card'.

To be honest, from all accounts, I've been a piece of shit. And I will try to do everything I can work past that. There was no excuse. I know inconsiderate and entitled. Even in this narrative, when this whole thing started, I kept looking at myself as the victim.  Utsav (@Wootsaw) October 4, 2018

Several comedians including Sumukhi Suresh, Kaneez Surka and Abish Mathew tweeted out appreciating the accuser for coming out and condemning Utsav's behaviour.
By PTI

MUMBAI: A defamation case has been filed against Bollywood actor Tanushree Dutta for her comments about Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, police said on Thursday.

The case was filed by the Kaij police in Maharashtra's Beed district on Wednesday evening after MNS district unit president Sumant Dhas lodged a complaint, alleging that Dutta had defamed his party chief, a police officer said.

"We have registered a non-cognisable offence against Dutta under Section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and are investigating the complaint. We have also asked the complainant to approach court," the officer said.

Dutta, 34, who has accused actor Nana Patekar of harassing her on the sets of a film in 2008, recently said Raj Thackeray wanted to succeed late Bal Thackeray as the Shiv Sena chief, but could not do so.

She had also alleged that the MNS was involved in vandalising her vehicle when she opted out of the 2008 film, 'Horn Ok Pleassss'.

Dutta also alleged that she had been getting threats from the MNS, adding that two persons recently tried to barge into her home.

The MNS youth wing, meanwhile, handed over a letter to the makers of the 'Bigg Boss' on Wednesday, following reports of Dutta participating in the ongoing season of the TV reality show, a party functionary told PTI.

The party workers threatened violence on the set in Lonavla if she was let in.

Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar had backed Patekar on Wednesday, saying he was an "illustrious personality" who has done tremendous work for the state and questioned the veracity of Dutta's claims.
A Sharadhaa By

Express News Service

Yash, along with team of KGF, were spotted in Mumbai on October 1 which has given rise to much speculation. The actor along with producer Vijay Kiragandur, director Prashant Neel and executive producer Karthik Gowda were seen with well-known Bollywood distributor, Anil Thadani.

On Twitter, Karthiks said: At Mumbai Yesterday. Something brewing. (sic), Sharing photographs captured by photojournalist Viral Bhayani, he adds, Kannada superstarKannada superstar #yash snapped with distributor and producer #anilthadani @viralbhayani.(sic)

Though little is known about the meeting with distributor Anil Thadani, City Express has learnt was that actor-producer, Farhan Akhtar met the KGF team.

But what is yet to be ascertained is whether Farhan watched the film, and his thoughts on them. Our sources tell us that the team is waiting for a confirmation before breaking the news.

On October 14, the teaser of KGF will be released, while the film will be out on November 16.

The period drama set in the early 80s will release in five languages, which is the first time a Kannada film is seeing a five-language release. In KGF, Bhuvan Gowda will be handling the cinematography, while Ravi Basrur will compose the music. While model-turned-actor Srinidhi Shetty will make her debut, Yash will play the role of Rocky in the film.
By Online Desk

Ahead of the release of political thriller 'NOTA', hero Vijay Devarakonda collaborated with popular Tamil YouTube channel Put Chutney for a quirky video, which was released on Wednesday. The video is titled 'How to Become a Politician in Tamilnadu' and it depicts 'NOTA' actor Vijay Devarakonda learning the tricks of the trade of politics from YouTuber Rajmohan.

Vijay Devarakonda, Rahul Raj and Maari in the Put Chutney video (Photo | YouTube)

As Put Chutney videos are usually known for making fun of politicians and current issues, this video also mocks AIADMK's two leaves symbol case, Kamal Haasan's and Rajnikanth's political entries, self-proclaimed godman Nityananda's science-defying viral videos, and even Devarakonda's acting in Arjun Reddy.

The video begins with a prayer directed to Harbhajan Singh, taking a subtle dig at the CSK players Tamil Tweets. Rajmohan goes on to teach Vijay how to get away with wrongdoings by saying, "This is not me (in the video)."

Devarakonda touches another controversial issue when he asks a doubt: "What is Simtaangaaran?" Rajmohan gives a reply similar to the one that AR Rahman, the composer of the song from Vijay's 'Sarkar', gave to clarify the controversy.

Vijay Devarakonda learning to talk like a Tamil politician (Photo | YouTube)

Launched in 2015, Put Chutney is famous for its satirical content usually based on political issues. Rajmohan Arumugam, who was previously a radio jockey, is the face of the channel and produces content which imparts awareness about current issues in Tamil Nadu.

This video is a promotion to the upcoming bilingual film 'NOTA', which also stars Mehreen Pirzada, Nassar, Sathyaraj, Yashika Aannand and Sanchana Natarajan. The film will release on Friday.
Anand ST Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: A journalist working with an English daily was threatened to be shot dead for his reporting about RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his family and party, according to a complaint lodged with police on Thursday.

Amit Bhelari, who works with The Telegraph newspaper in Patna, said he received a phone call from a number not known to him on Thursday evening, and the caller abused him with unprintable foul language and threatened to shoot him dead.

What rubbish have you been writing about Lalus family?... I will enter into your house and shoot you dead, the caller is heard saying in the audio clip of the conversation that Bhelari submitted to police.

Bhelari, who has been working as a journalist for over ten years, said this is the first time he received such a threatening call. He lodged a written complaint at Kotwali police station and also gave police the number from which the call had come.

We have started a probe into the incident. It is a serious matter, said Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaaj.

Bihar Working Journalists Union (BWJU) condemned the threat call and appealed to police to immediately arrest the culprit after a probe. Such incidents certainly are an attack on the freedom of the press in Bihar. keeping in view the growing number of attacks on journalists in the state in recent months, police should take this case seriously and arrest the culprit immediately, said BWJU president Nivedita Jha.

Several journalists in Bihar have been attacked in recent years for their reporting. In March, a journalist of a Hindi daily newspaper and his friend were allegedly murdered by a former mukhiyas husband in Bihars Bhojpur district after a dispute originating from news coverage by the journalist.

Two other journalists working with Hindi dailies were attacked in separate incidents in Bihars Arwal and Muzaffarpur districts in September 2017. While one of them was shot at two bike-borne men allegedly linked to a local MLA of the ruling JD(U) in Arwal, the other was beaten up by a group of liquor smugglers in Muzaffarpur district.

Rajdeo Ranjan, the bureau chief of Hindi daily Hindustan, was shot dead in Siwan in May 2016 allegedly at the behest of don-turned-politician and former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin.
By Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Hours after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati ruled out a tie-up with the Congress for the upcoming Assembly polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday urged the grand old party to take the initiative to bring anti-BJP parties on one platform in poll bound states.

He added that any delay in this regard might prompt other parties to declare their candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in both states.

It is the responsibility of the Congress to take other parties along and fight elections, he said while speaking to the media, adding that the Congress should decide on tie-ups before other parties declare their candidates.

Akhilesh Yadav

Yadav said, I am saying even today that the Congress should show its large-heartedness, and it should contest elections by taking along all the political parties who have similar thoughts and ideology. If there is any delay, then there is a possibility that other parties may declare their candidates. After this, they (Congress) will be levelling allegations that they colluded with the BJP, Yadav said.

But one thing I know for sure that BSP is one party which is afraid of no one, Akhilesh added while speaking to the media.

It is unfair to cast such aspersions. Tomorrow, if I dont enter into an alliance with some party, then even I can be accused of taking the decision because I am afraid. This is not fair, he said.In her comments earlier in the evening, Mayawati had lashed out at the Congress saying that the party had always backstabbed the BSP despite her constant support to them.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) to complain against the Oppositions bid to fan misinformation in the state.

Chouhan, who led a delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for the meeting, complained that the opposition is creating an environment of confusion through false propaganda, complaints and baseless allegations related to the elections, said commission officials.

The delegation consisted of the BJPs Madhya Pradesh in-charge and party vice president Vinay Sahashrabuddhe and minister Viswas Sarang.
Ramananda Sengupta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Putin, who was received at the airport by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and senior Indian and Russian officials, went to the PMs residence for an informal dinner, where he was greeted with a hug by Modi before they went in to exchange views on various bilateral and international issues.

New Delhi has pulled out all stops to allay Russian concerns over Indias growing strategic relationship with the US.

The Russian President is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov among others during his two-day visit.

Ahead of his meeting, Modi tweeted, "Welcome to India, President Putin. Looking forward to our deliberations, which will further enhance India-Russia friendship."

The tweet was also posted in the Russian language.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to External Affairs Minister Sushma

Swaraj who received him upon his arrival at Palam Air Force Station | Shekhar Yadav

On Friday, after a ceremonial reception, the two leaders will meet at Hyderabad House for one-on-one and expanded talks and sign a number of bilateral contracts, including a $5 billion contract to deliver four S-400 air defense missile systems to India in defiance of US sanctions.

While most of the pacts would be defence related, including licensed production of the latest AK Series assault rifles and Kamov light utility helicopters in India, sources said the focus would be on broadening and deepening the relationship through more economic and cultural exchanges, as well as cooperation in space and nuclear energy.

#WATCH: Russian President #VladimirPutin meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. He is on a two-day visit to India. pic.twitter.com/HlvfOGsEcQ  ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2018

The Russian leader will also be gifted three MiG 21s built in India in a flyaway condition, symbolising the long, time tested friendship between the two nations.

They will then participate in a Russian-Indian business forum and meet students of Russias Sirius educational centre and a group of talented Indian children. He will also call on President Ram Nath Kovind before leaving for Moscow.

ALSO READ | US, Chinese unease as Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks India arms deals

Ahead of the visit, the Russian President's aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted by media as saying that Russia and India are planning to sign more than 20 documents at the end of the Putin-Modi talks and that Putin will oversee the signing of the USD 5 billion deal.

The agreements to be signed are likely to boost cooperation in keys sectors such as defence, space, trade, energy and tourism, among others.

The spotlight will be on the S-400 missile defence system deal as, if signed, it could violate US sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) instituted by the US Congress on arms purchases from Russia.

Welcome to India, President Putin.



Looking forward to our deliberations, which will further enhance India-Russia friendship. @KremlinRussia_E pic.twitter.com/IlGwRrXgAK  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 4, 2018

The US has urged its allies to forgo transactions with Russia, warning that the S-400 missile defence system that India intends to buy would be a "focus area" for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking "significant" business deals with the Russians.

American lawmakers, however, have allowed the possibility of a presidential waiver.

India has already given indications that it will go ahead with the deal notwithstanding the US sanctions.

"India has maintained its sovereignty as regards to its relationship with countries. We shall maintain it in all earnestness," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told PTI recently when asked whether the US sanctions will hit India's defence ties with Russia, especially after the signing of the S-400 missile deal.

India wants to procure the long-range missile systems to tighten its air defence mechanism, particularly along the nearly 4,000-km-long Sino-India border.

S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.

China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 to procure the lethal missile system and Moscow has already started delivery of an undisclosed number of the S-400 missile systems to Beijing.

The S-400 is an upgraded version of the S-300 systems. The missile system, manufactured by Almaz-Antey, has been in service in Russia since 2007.

Russia has been one of India's key suppliers of arms and ammunition.

Sources had earlier said Modi and Putin would also deliberate on impact of US sanctions on import of crude oil from Iran.

Besides holding talks with Modi, the Russian leader will also have a meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday.

He will also interact with a group of talented children and address an India-Russia business meet.

The last annual summit was held on June 1, 2017, during the visit of the prime minister to Russia.

In May, Modi had travelled to Russian coastal city of Sochi for an informal summit with Putin during which they discussed a range of crucial issues.

(With PTI inputs)
By ANI

NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in New Delhi on Thursday to attend the 19th India-Russia bilateral annual summit, scheduled to begin the following day. The signing of a deal for Russia's S-400 Triumf air defence system is the key feature of the visit.

Putin will arrive at the national capital at around 6:30 PM and will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in an hour, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed.

On October 05, the Russian President will hold delegation level talks with Prime Minister Modi at the Hyderabad House at around 11:30 AM. The two are slated to discuss a number of key regional and global topics, including the US sanctions on Iranian oil.

Following an exchange of agreements and press statements, Putin will arrive at the ITC Maurya Hotel, where the India-Russia Business Summit is scheduled to take place at around 3:30 PM. He is also scheduled to interact with a group of talented children.

S-400 long-range surface missile. ( Photo| PTI)

Putin will then meet his Indian counterpart - President Ram Nath Kovind, at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The Russian President will emplane for his return to Russia at around 6:00 PM in the evening.

A number of crucial energy deals are slated to be signed by the two countries during the bilateral summit. India's state-owned ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) may sign a pact with Gazprom, industry sources told Sputnik. OVL already has stakes in three operational projects in Russia.

Also, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov had earlier confirmed that a contract for the supply of five regiments of Russia's S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems to India worth USD 5 billion will be signed during the Russian President's visit.

The last India-Russia bilateral summit was held in Russia on June 1, 2017.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: The BJP has fielded at least 297 candidates including a former JKLF militant, who also acted as polling agent of Hizbul Mujahideen chief commander Syed Salah-ud-Din in 1987 polls and was lodged with Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood-ul-Azhar in Tihar jail, are contesting the 4-phase Urban Local Bodies (ULB) polls in strife-torn Kashmir.

"Our party has fielded 297 candidates in Valley including in volatile areas of militancy-infested south Kashmir and other parts," State BJP general secretary (Org) Ashok Koul told New Indian Express. Among the 297 candidates is 48-year-old Farooq Ahmad Khan, a former JKLF Pakistan-trained militant. He had also acted as polling agent of Hizbul Mujahideen chief commander Syed Salah-ud-Din in 1987 assembly polls, which were rigged and which led to eruption of militancy in the State.

Farooq, who hails from Barbarshah area of uptown Srinagar, is contesting elections from ward no 33 of Tankipora area of Habba Kadal for Srinagar Municipal Committee (SMC). "I am very happy to participate in the ULB polls. I have gone through struggle and difficulties in my life and now I want to work for the welfare of my people," he said.

A JKLF militant, Farooq was arrested by security forces during a cordon and search operation (CASO) from Srinagar's Munawarabad area in September 1991. Farooq, who has his own welding shop, had crossed the Line of Control (LoC) in 1989 to receive arms training and returned after couple of months of training in handling of weapons.

Farooq remained in jail for about seven years and was also lodged in Tihar jail, New Delhi.

"I was lodged in Tihar with top Pakistani militant commanders including Masood Azhar, Sajad Afghani and Nasrullah Langriyal. They taught me how to read the Holy Quran. Once I was also beaten up Masood Azhar, who is now Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, for making mistakes while reading the verses of Holy Quran," Farooq said.

The 4-phase polls for 79 ULBs in the State would be held on October 8, 10, 13 and 16.The BJP is hopeful of doing well in ULB polls in Kashmir in view of poll boycott by National Conference and PDP and boycott call by separatists and militants. Only BJP, its ally Sajjad Gani Lone's Peoples Conference, Congress and some independent candidates are contesting the ULB polls in the Valley.

The BJP general secretary said 20-25 candidates of the party have been elected uncontested from the Valley. However, BJP sources said the number of party candidates who have been elected uncontested is about 70.

They said the BJP candidates have won uncontested in volatile areas of south Kashmir, wherein dozens of wards none filed nomination papers except "our candidates".

About 190 candidates have been elected unopposed for first three phases of ULB polls in Valley. Koul was hopeful that BJP would sweep the ULB polls in the State including in Kashmir."Our candidates are contesting in 71 out of 74 wards in SMC and if we manage to win the control of SMC, it will be a big victory," he said.

The BJP released manifesto for the ULB polls and said the party would focus on the establishment of smart city, beautification of city, ensuring street lights, proper sanitation and other basic facilities of the people.

Meanwhile, petrol bomb was hurled towards BJP candidate's house in downtown Srinagar while standing crops of another candidate of saffron party were set on fire by unknown persons in south Kashmir's Anantnag district.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: In the aftermath of a Special Police Officer Adil Bashir (SPO) stealing eight weapons from the residence of a PDP MLA in Srinagar, the Jammu and Kashmir police has ordered that SPOs should not be deployed as Personal Security Officers (PSOs) of protected persons and also questioned the PDP legislator Aijaz Ahmad Mir.

"It has been observed that some SPOs are performing PSO duties for protected persons. It is not in accordance with the security norms as SPOs are not trained to perform PSO duties," reads an order issued by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Security and Law and Order, Muneer Ahmad Khan.

The order has directed all district senior superintendents of police and SSP security Kashmir and Jammu that no police unit/district SSP should deploy any SPO for PSO duties. "All the SPOs (except drivers) presently attached with protected persons be immediately withdrawn".

The order has asked Range DIGs to furnish list of all SPOs to the headquarters by October 5 positively.

"In case any SPO does not report back, honorarium may not be released and nominal roll of such SPOs be furnished to this headquarters so that their disengagement orders are issued," reads the order.

Over 30,000 SPOs are working with J&K Police in the State.

The order came after an SPO, Adil Bashir, decamped with seven AK-rifles and a pistol from the PDP MLA, Aijaz Ahmad Mir's residence at Jawahar Nagar area of uptown Srinagar on Friday last. The PDP MLA was out of State when the loot took place.

The J&K police has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the loot of weapons by the SPO.

Sources said the SIT questioned the PDP MLA from Wachi constituency in Shopian, Aijaz Mir on how he had recommended SPO Adil as his PSO and why his PSOs had not deposited weapons with local police units after he went out of station.

Confirming the police questioning, Aijaz in a Facebook post alleged that a policeman abused him while levelling serious allegations and accusations against his family.

"Is this policing? How can a Munshi (policeman) abuse a legislator in front of dozens of other policemen? Is this how Police probes things here by humiliating even legislators and start levelling baseless allegations," the PDP MLA alleged.

SPO Adil Bashir, who decamped with eight weapons has since joined militant ranks

His pictures with four Hizbul Mujahideen militants and the arms has gone viral on social media.
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: After filing an application requesting examination of former chief secretary Sumit Mullick before the Bhima Koregaon inquiry commission, Bharip Bahujan Maha Sangh (BBMS) leader, Adv Prakash Ambedkar now wants to questions chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and two of his ministers of state for home, before the judicial commission.

Ambedkar who appeared before the Bhima Koregaon inquiry commission last week had blamed the state government for several lapses and failure in handling the violence at Bhima Koregaon on January 1 and demanded that the then chief secretary Summit Mullick be examined before the commission. Ambedkar filed an application in this regard before the commission in Pune on Tuesday, where the hearing is taking place.

Mullick is part of the two-member Bhima Koregaon inquiry commission headed by retired judge JN Patel. Mullick, had said that he is ready to be examined before the commission.

On Thursday, while talking to media Ambedkar said that he also wants to examine chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and two ministers of state for home (Urban and Rural) Ranjeet Patil and Deepak Kesarkar.

"I will submit my application before the commission during the hearing in Mumbai to allow examine the chief minister and other two ministers of state for home regarding the Bhima Koregaon violence case," Ambedkar said.

Ambedkar had submitted two letters before the inquiry commission on Tuesday about examining Mullick and to get documents about reporting of the incident from rural police station to superintendent of police, inspector of general up to chief secretary.

"I want all records of the incident and wanted to examine administrative wing, right from the local police station to CS and the travel of the reporting," added Adv Ambedkar.

"Sumit Mullick was the chief secretary when the violence took place. Even though riots of such massive scale broke out in the state but the government agency was not aware about it," Ambedkar had claimed.
By Express News Service

LUCKNOW: While support for constable Prashant Choudhary, accused of killing Apple executive Vivek Tiwari in state capital Lucknow on September 29, is growing on the social media at the instance of outfits being run by terminated cops, the police authorities have suspended constable Sarvesh Choudhary and disciplinary action has been initiated against him for allegedly posting messages on Facebook to incite disaffection among the constables here on Thursday. Choudhary is attached to PAC 25 battalion in Rae Bareli.

The police department will also initiate penal action against forces behind this propaganda who are planning protests on Friday and Saturday in support of the accused cop.

On the other, the lone eye-witness in Vivek murder case and the ex-colleague of the deceased Sana Khan recorded her statement before the magistrate on Thursday.

Sana appeared before a city court and got her statements recorded under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). Though the proceedings were held in-camera, Sana is believed to have stuck to her statement that the accused constable fired at Vivek unprovoked.

Refusing to talk to media persons after coming out of court, Sana said that she had full faith in judiciary and the state police.
Michel Danino By

Harmonising the individual and the collective has been one of the most challenging problems human societies have had to tackle. From the most individualistic, libertarian, capitalist ideals to the steamrolling statism of Communism, the tension is palpable throughout history. The Supreme Court recently had to deal with several issues that were rooted in this conflict between personal rights and the societys collective demands. Contrary to what one might think, there is nothing new there, except for the current garb of the problem.

Let us trace some of Indias ancient perspectives on this conflict. Indic thought very early on attempted to order human life by setting well-defined objectives to it: among other codifications, the purushartha or four goals of human existence  kama, artha, dharma and moksha. Enjoyment and wealth, both regulated by dharma, and the ultimate aim of moksha, whatever meaning we may give this word. Since moksha is not supposed to be within everyones reach, dharma remains in practice the overarching guideline. All of the words translations  law, rule, truth, duty  are crude and incomplete. But does it imply a single template for everyone? Far from it: there is indeed a collective dharma, that of the family or the community, the land or indeed the whole cosmos. But equally is there a concept of svadharma, which recognizes that we are all different from one another, each with a nature of his or her own: svabhava is the joint concept of svadharma, and both together constitute one of the key master ideas of Indian civilization.

Were the concept to merely note our differences, it would be of little use. It translated into reality by recognizing that if there is indeed one truth (tat satyam in the Rig-Veda), it is many-sided and there cannot be a single path to it. There should be, in principle at least, as many paths as there are human beings, or at least svabhavas. In other words, a dogmatic definition of the truth together with a single creed and code of conduct for all is an impossibility in the Indic perspective. In this, it distinguishes itself radically from Judaism, Christianity and Islam, which posit a single god, a single book, a founder, a set of dogmas to be accepted on faith, consequent guidelines in daily life, and, with the last two religions, ecclesiastical institutions that will claim a sanctified authority with a power to impose these dogmas on large populations, and ultimately the whole planet.

None of these uniformizing concepts had currency in India: at the cultural level, plurality was built in. Even as the caste system increasingly imposed rigid divisions and discriminations within the society, it unwittingly promoted cultural diversity among the thousands of jatis and sub-jatis, each with its distinct pantheon, modes of worship, rituals, social customs, etc. Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, which were far more cohesive than Hinduism, followed the same ethos of pluralism; all three had many sub-sects, with occasional doctrinal disputes but rarely any violent attempt to crush one another, and certainly nothing ever on the scale of the Crusades or Christianitys internal wars of religion (holy or not). Jainism, for instance, promoted the concept of anekantavada, which may be roughly translated as non-uniqueness or many-sidedness; this was in tune with Vedantic thought too.

There are several ways to view this phenomenon. One, prevalent in the colonial era, was to note the lack of cohesion and central structure in Hinduism and its amorphous character averse to any rigorous definition; this aspect was both condemned and put to political use by the colonial authorities, since they realized soon enough that Hindus could hardly ever act unitedly. Another, common in Indological studies, has been to praise the tolerance of Asian non-proselytising religions, not realizing that this is not about tolerance (the I-barely-tolerate-you of Christianity) but about acceptance of otherness. A third, common in current South Asian studies, is to point out that the caste system creates otherness by excluding its lowest layers; there is obvious truth in this, but the social and the cultural levels should not be confused. Hinduism (although caste often extends to non-Hindu segments of Indian society) did give immense cultural freedoms while curtailing social ones. A look at the spiritual history of India throws up many low-caste spiritual figures, for example, from mythological ones such as Valmiki or Vyasa to poets of the Tamil Sangam literature or some of the Bhakti saints in several regions of India.

Does it mean that the only fulfilment for the individual was spiritual? Matters are not so simple. True, ancient India did not have a concept of human rights in the modern European sense of the term, although it did highly value justice and the common mans welfare, as we can see in Ashokas edicts, texts like the Arthashastra or the Thirukural and numerous inscriptions where the ruler boasts of being as righteous and benevolent as Rama himself! What was foregrounded was not individual rights but dharma, and that applied to the ruler too, who, according to some texts, should be fined a thousand times more than the common man for the same offence. The ideal, never fully expressed perhaps, seems to have been that if everyone follows his or her svadharma sincerely, as parent, spouse, teacher, student, worker, trader, priest or ruler, the society will function harmoniously.

Expectedly, the scanty historical data we have is enough to show us that the ideal was not often the rule. Be that as it may, in an age when our species has in a brief span of time sawn nine-tenths of the branch we sit on, we may find that an unbridled cult of individualism is not sustainable; an urgent and growing sense of our responsibilities at the individual as well as collective levels seems to be the dharma humanity will have to adopt if it is to survive.

Michel Danino is a French-born Indian author, scholar of ancient India, and visiting professor at IIT Gandhinagar. Email: micheldanino@gmail.com.

This is the fifth part in a series on Master Ideas of Indian Civilisation; earlier articles in this series:
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamys wife and former MLA Anitha Kumaraswamy is likely to contest the assembly bypoll from Ramanagara constituency as a JD(S) candidate. The bypoll dates are yet to be announced. Sources said that during the party workers meeting in Ramanagara on Wednesday, local leaders urged Kumaraswamy to field Anitha and assured him of working for her victory.

The party workers have also decided to approach JD (S) supremo HD Deve Gowda in this regard. According to sources, the party has almost taken a decision to field her from the constituency, and a formal decision will be announced soon. In 2008, Anitha Kumaraswamy had won assembly election from Madhugiri in Tumakuru, and in 2012 elections, she lost to CP Yogeshwara in Channapatna.

Sources said Anitha was keen to contest from Channapatna in the last assembly elections. However, the party decided to field Kumaraswamy from both Ramanagara and Channapatna constituencies. He won both the seats, and hence vacated Ramanagara, necessitating bypoll. In Ramanagara, Kumaraswamy had won with a margin of over 22,000 votes, and it would not be difficult for the party to retain the seat. This time, Congress too will support the JD (S) candidate in Ramanagara. In Jamakandi in North Karnataka, the JD (S) will support Congress candidate in the bypoll. Bypoll was necessitated in Jamakandi after Congress MLA Siddu Nyamagouda died in an accident.

The BJP too has started preparations. On Wednesday, BJP leaders from Ramanagara met the party state president BS Yeddyurappa to discuss party strategy to defeat the JD (S) candidate.Sources said the party is likely to give the ticket to former minister CP Yogeshwar and Ramanagara district BJP president M Rudresh. Yogeshwar had contested recent assembly polls from Channapatna constituency as the BJP candidate.
By Express News Service

MYSURU: In a startling revelation, it has come to light that a dreaded terrorist who had joined ranks with slain Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had studied at a college in Mysuru. Zainalabideen Mahammed Hussein Abu Zubaida is currently in the custody of United States (US) armed forces ever since his arrest in 2002.

According to the admission records of Sarada Vilas College at Krishnamurthypuram here, a copy of which is available with TNIE, Zubaida and four of his friends had been admitted to BSc in computer science in 1989. However, they did not complete the course as they failed to clear the first year exams. They were staying in a rented place near MG road at Udaygiri and vacated the house soon. They did not return later, sources said.

Zubaida

According to the admission records, Zubaida hailing from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia is the son of a teacher. It is believed that he went to Delhi from Mysuru from where he moved to Afghanistan. However, he suffered wounds in the conflicts and was out of action for sometime, during which he worked as a manager at a hostel where Jihadi fighters were accommodated.

Zubaida rose to become Ladens senior lieutenant and counter-intelligence officer, considered as the third highest ranking member in Al-Qaeda. He was also part of several terror plots, including the 9/11 attacks on World Trade Centre in New York. However, he was captured in March 2002 in Pakistan. He is currently kept in Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp in Cuba.

Interestingly, Zubaida was maintaining diaries where he had also mentioned his maid in Mysuru, named Philomena. Police Commissioner Dr A Subramanyeshwar Rao said, I also learnt about such reports in a section of media. But I am not aware of the source. Even if the sleuths attached to high-level investigation agencies are probing the same, there is no compulsion that they have to inform local police.
Express News Service

MANGALURU: When a Tulu film comedian got a friend request on Facebook from a pretty girl calling herself Ashwini, he readily accepted and soon fell victim to blackmail and extortion. A police complaint followed. The Mangaluru police traced the girl to Bengaluru. But, when they caught her after a chase and took her to the jurisdictional Bengaluru police station on Tuesday, they and the comedian who was present got the shock of their lives. Though the accused was dressed as a girl, the Bengaluru police who recognised Ashwini told them it was a boy.

Ashwini alias Adithya (19), a first PU student, is a resident of Subedar Palya, Yeshwantpur. The police also nabbed his accomplice, Arun H S (27), who hails from Kanakapura, and a supervisor with a cab aggregator. Both were charged with blackmail and extortion.

Ashwini alias Adithya

Uday M Nayak, ACP, Central Mangaluru, said they were told by Bengaluru police that the accused duo had cheated many people in a similar fashion. But no one had lodged a complaint. The story began when Adithya sent a friend request on Facebook to the 25-year-old comedian posing as a girl. Soon friendship blossomed, they exchanged phone numbers, began chatting, which progressed to sexting.

Adithya asked the victim to send his nude pictures and the unsuspecting man simply forwarded them. Using the pictures, Adithya started blackmailing him and extorted Rs 65,000 from him. When he demanded more, the victim lodged a complaint.

It was then the second accused Arun came into the picture. He threatened the victim against pursuing the case by posing himself as a senior police official and then as a personal assistant to Home Minister G Parameshwara. The accused were nabbed from Columbia Asia hospital in Yeshwantpur by using the victim as bait. The police team from Mangaluru was shocked to realise that Ashwini was in fact a male. When a woman constable caught him, he managed to shake himself off and started running. Then the male cops nabbed him after a chase. It was only after he was taken to the jurisdictional police station in Benglauru that we came to know that it was a boy and not a girl, said an officer who was part of the team.

Adithya had posted several pictures in his FB account in which he had dressed like a girl. His girlish voice came handy to cheat men, according to sources. Though he was enrolled for first PUC, Adithya was not regular to the college, sources said.

Her FB profile

Adithya identified himself on Facebook as Ashwini Venkatesh, Advisory Committee Member (CARA), Ministry of Women and Child. His profile also says he (she) is president of Lions Clubs International District 317F (sic)
By Express News Service

KOCHI: The High Court on Wednesday dismissed the bail plea of former Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, the accused in the nun rape case.

Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan, who cancelled Francos plea, observed, Having considered the nature and gravity of the allegations against the Bishop based on the materials made available, the severity of the punishment in the event of conviction, the position and standing of the accused viz-a-viz the survivor, the reasonable apprehension of the witness being influenced and the stage of investigation, the petitioner is not entitled to be released on bail at this stage.

The court noted the survivor was a nun who took a solemn vow of poverty, chastity and obedience. She alleged the Bishop, being in a position of dominance and occupying the ultimate position in her Diocese, subjected her to sexual abuse and rape. She had her own reasons for not coming out in the open initially.

The petitioners counsel argued her version of sexual abuse for the extended period of over two years lacked credibility. The court said it was a matter of evidence to be considered later.

There is clearly imbalance of power in the relationship between a nun and the Bishop of the congregation and her assertion the petitioner used his authority and dominance to subject her to sexual abuse need not be looked through a veil of suspicion, the court said.

The judgment said, After going through the case diary and meticulously analysing the sequence of events and narration of events by the survivor there was no reason to conclude that at this stage... the allegations levelled by her were false and frivolous. As rightly submitted by Director General of Prosecution Manjeri Sreedharan Nair, factors which weighed in the survivors mind to keep the incident under the wraps prima facie appeared convincing, it said.

Dismissing the contention of the Bishops counsel that he was targeted because he initiated action against the nun for her indiscretion, the court said the argument could not be accepted at this stage.

The investigation is still in the early stages and the prosecutions apprehension the accused bishop and his men would try to subvert the investigation by influencing witnesses and tampering with evidence cannot be brushed aside, it said.

Bishops counsel Senior Advocate P Vijayabhanu argued the survivor initially had no case the petitioner subjected to her rape. The medical examination report would not favour the prosecution case. It was much later that she made the rape allegation, it said.

The court said the argument the medical report would destroy the edifice of the prosecution case did not appeal to it. The material produced before the court showed attempts were being made to influence witnesses through threat and bribe offers.

The DGP submitted the statements of the witnesses, including five nuns, would have to be recorded under CrPC Section 164. Besides, the bishop had to be taken to his diocese head office at Jalandhar to ascertain his statement and collect some more evidence. The allegations are grave and the investigation being in the early stages, his release on bail would adversely affect the case, the DGP submitted.

What it said on Bishop Francos bail petition

Having considered the nature and gravity of the allegations against the Bishop based on the materials made available, the severity of the punishment in the event of conviction, the position and standing of the accused viz-a-viz the survivor, the reasonable apprehension of the witness being influenced and the stage of investigation, the petitioner is not entitled to be released on bail at this stage

Influencing witnesses

The investigation is still in the early stages and the prosecutions apprehension the accused bishop and his men would try to subvert the investigation by influencing witnesses and tampering with evidence cannot be brushed aside

Prosecution questioning credibility of allegations

There is clearly imbalance of power in the relationship between a nun and the Bishop of the congregation and her assertion the petitioner used his authority and dominance to subject her to sexual abuse need not be looked through a veil of suspicion.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Kerala Catholic Bishop's Council (KCBC) Temperance Commission former Vice-Chairman Bishop Joseph Karikkassery has termed the state government's move to open new distilleries and breweries as anti-people. He accused the government of violating the norms while addressing activists who were staging a protest held by KCBC at Town Hall in Kochi on Thursday.

"This government came to power by promising to reduce availability and consumption of liquor in the state. However, the steps initiated by the government after coming to power were against those promises. The people of Kerala were betrayed by the government. The non-transparent liquor policy of the government indicates severe corruption," he said.

When Kerala could not attain self-sufficiency in the production of foodgrains, vegetables and other essential commodities, the government is planning to turn this state self-sufficient in the availability of liquor, said the Bishop.

"The government should withdraw its decision as it will have a severe impact on the society. There will be protests from all over Kerala including Palakkad where a majority of breweries are operational," he added.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state is on high alert following an IMD warning that the low-pressure formation that is expected to take shape in the Arabian Sea by Friday could intensify into a cyclone.

The formation is likely to concentrate into a depression and move northwestwards during the subsequent 48 hours and develop into a cyclonic storm, IMD said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, private agency Skymet Weather also has warned of torrential rain in the week ahead, with Kerala "bearing the maximum brunt." There is a good chance that the (low-pressure) system would intensify into a cyclonic storm over Central Arabian Sea. If this happens, this tropical storm would be named as Cyclone Luban, Skymet Weather said.

District administrations and security agencies have been alerted in view of the cyclone warning, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. Strong winds, heavy rainfall and rough seas are expected later this week, said Pinarayi.

The IMD has also issued red alerts for three districts  Idukki, Palakkad and Thrissur  for October 7, due to a heavy rainfall warning, the CM said. Modifying its earlier warning that the low-pressure formation was expected on Saturday, the IMD stated on Wednesday that the low-pressure formation would develop on Friday.

Skymet predicts bad time for the state

Skymet Weather stated: The weather system would be moving in NE direction, shifting slightly away from the Indian coast. Spiral bands of this potential storm would be extending beyond 500 km, putting West Coast on alert for some torrential rains with Kerala bearing the maximum brunt.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said: The government has asked the State Disaster Management Authority to meet urgently and take precautions.

Central agencies have been asked to stand by and five additional teams of the NDRF have been requested for the state in view of the IMD warning, he said. Fishermen whore out in the sea have been instructed to make for the nearest coast by October 5, said Pinarayi.

Along the coasts, the weather alert will be publicised via loudspeakers.

Once the low-pressure formation strengthens, strong winds are expected along the coast, the CM said. The government has also alerted the district collectors as high ranges face the threat of landslides and landslips. Collectors have been asked to arrange relief camps by October 5.

If there is a possibility of flooding, people residing on the banks of rivers and canals should immediately move to the relief camps. The government has also advised the public to avoid night travel as far as possible in the high ranges. In the regions that were affected by the mid-August floods, the police would issue public alerts through loudspeakers. Instructions have also been issued to reopen the camps that were used during the floods. A state executive meeting of the SDMA will also examine the water levels of the dams in view of the weather warning and take adequate precautions.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The orders dated July 23, 2014, and 2017 of the State government imposing certain restrictions on extraction of groundwater for commercial purposes by establishments were upheld by the Madras High Court on Wednesday.

Justice S M Subramanian passed the order while disposing of a batch of writ petitions from Santhi Aqua Farms at Anakaputhur and 74 others challenging the 2014 and 2017 orders. Petitioners contended that the entire GO had no statutory backing and could not run contrary to the guidelines issued by the Central Ground Water Authority.

Holding that water and other natural resources are national assets and the State was the custodian and in possession of all such assets, including water, the judge directed the State authorities concerned not to grant licence, no objection certificate (NOC) or permission for commercial establishments/persons to extract groundwater for commercial usage in the absence of fixation of water flow meter on the board outlet, which is to be inspected.

The authorities should inspect the functional quality and other established standards of the flow meters. At the time of granting permission/NOC, the flow meter should be sealed properly by PWD officials to prevent any tampering. The quantum of water to be extracted is to be fixed periodically as per the assessment to be made by PWD authorities as per regulations. The authorities should measure the quantum of water extracted by the establishments/persons by taking meter reading every month. They should follow all other terms and conditions fixed for grant of licence/permission for extraction of groundwater for commercial usage as per the guidelines issued in the 2014 GO.

The judge also directed the authorities to file police complaints in the event of identifying any excess extraction of groundwater by tampering the flow meters sealed or by any other means. Cases must be registered under Section 379 (Punishment for theft) IPC.

In addition, if the water is wasted, for causing wrongful loss, Section 425 (Mischief) IPC should also be included. The licences should be suspended after issuing show cause notices and by providing an opportunity to the persons, who had involved in theft or violation of all other conditions stipulated in the government regulations, or if a criminal case is registered.

The district Collectors should issue suitable directions/orders to Revenue Divisional Officer, Tahsildars and all other officials to inspect and monitor the extraction of groundwater by the persons for commercial usage, the judge said.
By Express News Service

COIMBATORE: For over 48 hours, two men lay trapped with the bodies of their five friends in the mangled remains of a car that slipped into a gorge on Kalhatti-Masinagudi Ghat Road in Nilgiris, until they were rescued on Wednesday.

The deceased were identified as N Ravi Varma (38), Ibrahim (36), J Jayakumar (37) of Chennai, Amarnath (36) and J Judes Anto Kevin (33) of Thoothukudi. The survivors were B Rama Rajesh (37) and Arun (37). Rajesh was admitted to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital while Arun was being treated at a Masinagudi hospital.

While the accident is believed to have taken place on Monday, police launched a manhunt for the seven tourists only Wednesday when the staff of the hotel at which they were staying reported them missing.

A special team comprising the police and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) officials tried to trace the location of the tourists using mobile signal triangulation. However, they could only ascertain that the last call was registered near Ulhatty on the way to MTR. After zeroing in on a tentative location, a massive search was launched. Forest officials noticed signs of a mishap near a deep gorge adjacent to the 35th hairpin bend on the Kallatty-Masinagudi road. The team moved downhill and found the mangled remains of the car. A rescue operation was mounted, but five of the occupants were found dead. However, two had survived the crash  and the elements  for over two days.

Stretch closed for outstation vehicles

According to the police, the group had arrived in the Nilgiris on September 30. They were staying at a private hotel at Fern Hill in Udhagamandalam. The next day, they set out on a trip to MTR at around 8 am. However, they failed to return till late in the evening.

As there was no word from the group, the hotel management contacted the police. Sources said the accident occurred on the morning of October 1. Preliminary inquiry suggested the driver had lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a steep slope. The car veered off the road and fell nearly 70 metres.

Heavy rain in the area delayed the rescue operations and emergency response. Meanwhile, Pudumandhu police registered a case. The Nilgiris Superintendent of Police, D Shanmuga Priya, said that the Kalhatti Ghat Road was closed for outstation vehicles because of the gradient, which requires careful manoeuvring for almost 15 km. The car used by the tourists was Thoothukudi registered. Investigations are on to find who allowed the outstation vehicle despite officials manning a check post, she said.
By PTI

CHENNAI: A Tamil Nadu-based university has told the state government that DUSU President Ankiv Baisoya, at the centre of a row over producing a fake certificate in the varsity's name for securing admission in Delhi University, was not its student.

A senior government official said the Vellore-based Thiruvalluvar University has written to the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department that the Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP) leader was neither enrolled in the varsity nor in any of its constituent or affiliated colleges.

"Yes, they have given in writing," he said when asked if the university has informed the Higher Education Department that the student leader had produced a fake certificate and that it was not from the university.

The communication reportedly said the Controller of Examinations has issued a letter stating the certificate was not genuine.

Earlier, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), had alleged Baisoya had produced fake certificate from the Thiruvalluvar University for getting admission to Delhi University, a charge dismissed by the ABVP.

Baisoya was recently elected president of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU), but a row erupted over his degree certificates after NSUI released a letter, purportedly from the varsity, saying the certificate submitted by him was fake.
MVK Sastry By

Express News Service

NIZAMABAD: Back in his elements after a brief lull, TRS supremo and caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday launched a stinging attack on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, calling him a thief and traitor of Telangana. Also in the line of fire were cheap Congress fellows who have betrayed Telangana through and through and the grand old partys Grand Alliance.

I may have a foul mouth, but I am the Chief Minister and therefore cannot stoop to the level of these cheap fellows. Do you want to give the reins (of Telangana) to a thief like Chandrababu Naidu who was caught red-handed in the cash-for-vote scam? He is a traitor who has consistently worked against the interests of Telangana. Do you want to be the slaves of Amaravati or New Delhi? It is appalling how the Congress, which killed nearly 400 Telugu youth (in 1968), and Naidu, who wrote 36 letters to stop irrigation projects in Telangana, formed an alliance. How can they have the audacity to even face the State? Rao fumed during his second public meeting in Nizamabad.

The pink party chiefs verbal diatribe against the Congress and the TDP is bound to intensify in the face of nearing elections. Naidu is responsible for 100 Telanganites dying in encounters... He is a traitor who snatched away seven mandals of our State. He is responsible for TS not getting a share in the Sileru Power Plant located in Andhra Pradesh. How can the Congress sail with such a durmargudu (wicked person)? Naidu plans to spend Rs 500 crore in campaigning ahead of the elections. He will provide three helicopters for Congress ahead of the polls, Rao alleged during his one-hour-long power-packed speech.

Pooh-poohing the TDP-Congress dalliance, Rao wondered how the grand old party could ally with a demon like Naidu.

Had they (opposition parties) asked me, the TRS would have given five or more seats to them. Thoo mee batukulu Cheda, he said in disgust.

Taking on N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Rao said the public could judge the TPCC presidents character themselves.

Uttam Kumar Reddy called me battebaaz (deciever). Am I a battebaaz ? Rao wondered aloud, evoking a chorus of nays from the teeming crowd. You can assess my character and that of Uttam Kumar Reddys. Let your answer be your vote, he said.

The TRS supremo was equally unsparing of the BJP. Referring to the saffron partys manifesto which promises the payment of house rents up to Rs 5,000 for weaker sections, Rao said: Narendra Modi promised that he would bring back black money stashed abroad. Let him first deposit `15 lakh into the bank accounts of each citizen as assured. I will pay the house rent for BJP leaders, Rao said, making light of the promise which he said was unheard of anywhere in the world.

The Congress and the BJP are coming up with impractical poll assurances, he alleged. Think wisely and let us reshape our lives along with our own leaders. We should not be the slaves of Amaravati or New Delhi, Rao asserted.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The Taiwan External Trade Development Council is likely to soon open a Hyderabad office. The Council chairman James Huang met KT Rama Rao on Wednesday in the city and the latter requested for TAITRA office to be opened in Hyderabad. James is understood to have agreed to the proposal.

Had a fruitful meeting with Taiwanese delegation led by James Huang, Chairman of Taiwan External Trade Development Council(TAITRA). Thanks to Mr. Huang for agreeing to open up TAITRA office in Hyderabad. Also working to create a 200-acre park for Taiwanese companies in Telangana, tweeted KTR after the meeting.

KTR also assured the delegation that the State government would set up an exclusive cluster for Taiwanese companies and provide all basic amenities for industries. Meanwhile, a delegation representing smart phone maker OPPO also called on KTR Wednesday. Earlier the phone maker had announced it had plans to open a research and development centre in Hyderabad.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: China wants a "different American President" and is using more "proactive and coercive" methods to interfere in America's domestic policies and politics, US Vice President Mike Pence alleged Thursday, in another sign of rising tensions between the two countries.

Pence accused the Chinese government of orchestrating an aggressive military, economic and political campaign to expand its influence inside the US and across the world.

In an unusual and aggressive speech against China, the Vice President alleged that the ruling Chinese Communist Party was rewarding or coercing American businesses, movie studios, universities, think tanks, scholars, journalists and local, state and federal officials.

"Beijing is employing a whole-of-government approach to advance its influence and benefit its interests.

It's employing this power in more proactive and coercive ways to interfere in the domestic policies and politics of the United States," Pence said in a major policy speech on China.

"Worst of all, China has initiated an unprecedented effort to influence American public opinion, the 2018 elections, and the environment leading into the 2020 presidential elections. To put it bluntly, President Trump's leadership is working; and China wants a different American President," he alleged.

Pence's remarks came a week after Trump accused China of interfering in mid-term elections.

He alleged China was meddling in America's democracy.

"As President Trump said just last week, we have 'found that China has been attempting to interfere in our upcoming 2018 [midterm] election[s]," he said.

US intelligence community says that China is targeting the US state and local governments and officials to exploit any divisions between federal and local levels on policy.

"It's using wedge issues, like trade tariffs, to advance Beijing's political influence," it said.

Pence said that Beijing had mobilised covert actors, front groups, and propaganda outlets to shift Americans' perception of Chinese policies.

"As a senior career member of our intelligence community recently told me, what the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what China is doing across this country," he said.

"Senior Chinese officials have also tried to influence business leaders to condemn our trade actions, leveraging their desire to maintain their operations in China.

In one recent example, they threatened to deny a business license for a major US corporation if it refused to speak out against our administration's policies," he alleged.

And when it comes to influencing the midterms, one needs only to look at Beijing's tariffs in response to US's.

They specifically targeted industries and states that would play an important role in the 2018 election.

By one estimate, more than 80 per cent of US counties targeted by China voted for President Trump in 2016; now China wants to turn these voters against our administration, he alleged.

"China is also directly appealing to the American voter.

Last week, the Chinese government paid to have a multipage supplement inserted into the Des Moines Register -- the paper of record in the home state of our Ambassador to China, and a pivotal state in 2018.

The supplement, designed to look like news articles, cast our trade policies as reckless and harmful to Iowans," he said.

Fortunately, Americans aren't buying it, he claimed.

Pence said China's actions were not focused solely on influencing US' policies and politics, but also taking steps to exploit its economic leverage, and the allure of China's large domestic market, to advance its influence over American corporations.

"Beijing now requires American joint ventures that operate in China to establish 'party organisations' within their company, giving the Communist Party a voice -- and perhaps a veto -- in hiring and investment decisions," he said.

Chinese authorities have also threatened US companies that depict Taiwan as a distinct geographic entity, or that stray from Chinese policy on Tibet.

China compelled Delta Airlines to publicly apologise for not calling Taiwan a "province of China" on its website and also pressured Marriott to fire a US employee who liked a tweet about Tibet, the Vice President said.

In a strong message to China's rulers, Pence said Trump will not back down  and the American people will not be swayed.

"We will continue to stand strong for our security and our economy, even as we hope for improved relations with Beijing," he said.

"Our administration will continue to act decisively to protect American interests, American jobs, and American security," Pence said.

The US and China are locked in a trade spat which began in April with Trump imposing tariffs on steel and aluminium imports into the US.

China retaliated by imposing additional tariffs worth about USD three billion on 128 US products.

Trump, while demanding China to reduce the USD 375 billion by USD 100 billion retaliated with USD 50 billion tariffs on Chinese products.

In retaliation, China announced plans to impose new tariffs of 25 per cent worth USD 50 billion on 106 American products including items like soybeans which could hurt American farmers.
By PTI

BRUSSELS: NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday warned Russia to halt its "reckless" behaviour, after the Netherlands announced it had foiled a Kremlin cyber attack on the global chemical weapons watchdog.

Dutch officials publicly identified four men suspected of being Russian military intelligence agents behind a bid to hack the Organisation for the Prohibition for Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Hague.

ALSO READ | US to offer cyberwar capabilities to NATO allies to counter Russia's cyberattacks

The news came as Britain, which helped in the Dutch investigation, and Australia said Moscow was to blame for a string of recent high-profile cyber attacks on civilian bodies around the world.

"NATO allies stand in solidarity with the decision by the Dutch and British governments to call out Russia on its blatant attempts to undermine international law and institutions," Stoltenberg said in a statement.

"Russia must stop its reckless pattern of behaviour, including the use of force against its neighbours, attempted interference in election processes, and widespread disinformation campaigns," he said.

At a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels on Thursday, Dutch officials briefed their counterparts on the latest probe.

ALSO READ | NATO's Trident Juncture 18 exercise to be biggest since Cold War

NATO is stepping up efforts to strengthen its resources to counter electronic warfare, with the United States set to announce it is making its own offensive cyber capabilities available to the alliance.
By AFP

JAKARTA: Indonesia's disaster agency spokesman is fighting a daily battle to update the world 24/7 on the latest developments in a deadly quake-tsunami, despite his own impending date with death from terminal cancer.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, known affectionately as Pak Topo (Mr Topo), is the face of the government's communication efforts to get word out on the devastating crisis on Sulawesi island that has killed over 1,400 people.

The 48-year-old refuses to pass the torch, dragging himself to daily press briefings, taking reporters' calls and communicating on social media at a frantic pace, even as he "feels weaker every day" from Stage IV lung cancer.

ALSO READ: Indonesian soldiers ordered to fire on looters in disaster zone

"I can't lie about my physical condition --- the cancer has spread to other parts of my body and it's weakened my body," he said in a heart-wrenching message to reporters on social media this week.

"I apologise if I cannot respond to every question from journalists, my friends. If I was healthy, I would surely do it no matter what."

Pale and visibly thinner, Nugroho got the grim news in January that he was dying and might have as little as a year to live.

Nugroho has reportedly promised his wife to slow down his work schedule but he is showing few signs of easing up in a job that has made him a household name in disaster-prone Indonesia.

He managed to get out a 200-word update on a deadly landslide back in February from his hospital bed, local media reported.

Then in August, he was sending out reports on a deadly quake disaster on Lombok island, next to Bali, minutes after finishing a chemotherapy session.

Nugroho, who has a doctorate in natural resources and the environment, took the job eight years ago in a bid to combine his education with a love of writing, he told the Jakarta Post earlier this year.

"Doctors told me that with chemotherapy and radiation, I probably have one to three years left," he was quoted as saying.

"Illness or death is in God's hands, but while I'm still alive I still want to do my best to serve others."
By AFP

JERUSALEM: German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday as they seek to publicly brush past their list of differences and promote cooperation between their countries.

The visit by Merkel and members of her cabinet comes as part of German-Israeli government consultations held regularly, though the last one in 2017 was postponed, with scheduling conflicts cited as the official reason.

There were reports however that Merkel was unhappy with a law passed then related to Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank.

There has been no shortage of controversy ahead of this week's visit.

Last week at the UN General Assembly, Netanyahu accused Europe of "appeasement" of Iran, a word evoking European capitals' reluctance to stand up to Adolf Hitler in the run-up to World War II.

Netanyahu has been seeking to convince European countries to follow US President Donald Trump's lead and withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.

Germany, like the other signatories to the hard-fought deal, has sought to keep it alive, saying it is preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons for now.

Netanyahu has also hit out at what he calls the EU's "absolutely crazy" demands of Israel, such as those related to his country's occupation of Palestinian territory.

As a counterweight, he has sought sympathetic ears within the EU among countries whose leaders' nationalist stances have been a thorn in Brussels' side, including Hungary.

Despite those issues and others, both sides seem determined to have the visit run smoothly.

Germany says the discussions will focus on economic ties, innovation and technology, while noting that the government-to-government consultations have been in place for 10 years.

It mentions Merkel's previous comments on the responsibility toward Israel that Germany bears as the perpetrator of the Holocaust.

Felix Klein, who heads the German government's fight against anti-Semitism, will be part of the delegation. Fears of a resurgence in anti-Semitism in Germany are expected to be discussed.

"Germany and Israel are linked by a unique relationship," Merkel said in her weekly podcast.

"And we are grateful that we are now close partners and friends."

There will be no meetings with Palestinian officials during the one-day visit.

'She's lost hope'

EU nations have repeatedly criticised Israeli settlement building and warned over threats to remaining prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Germany has remained steadfast on the issue.

In recent weeks, it has joined calls against Israel's planned demolition of a Bedouin village located in a strategic area of the occupied West Bank.

On Tuesday, residents of the village, Khan al-Ahmar, displayed signs with Merkel's picture calling for help.

Yoram Ben-Zeev, a former Israeli ambassador to Germany, said Merkel would likely only "go through the motions" during the visit on issues related to the conflict with the Palestinians.

"I think that for the time being she's lost hope that things can move," Ben-Zeev told AFP, noting Trump's confusing statements on the conflict, Netanyahu's right-wing stance and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's unpopularity.

"Why should she put her hands in the fire?"

Netanyahu will likely want to speak about his country's main enemy Iran while possibly requesting Merkel's assistance in dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Ben-Zeev.

Russia has been angered by the recent accidental downing of one of its planes by Syrian air defences during an Israeli raid in Syria.

It has delivered the advanced S-300 air defence system to Syria as part of its response, which could limit Israel's strikes against Iranian and Hezbollah targets there.

A visit to Israel by Germany's then-foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel in 2017 ended in acrimony when Netanyahu cancelled their meeting.

Netanyahu made the decision after Gabriel refused to call off meetings with rights groups critical of Israel's government.

When Gabriel visited again in January, the two met but Netanyahu publicly corrected him over his stance on a two-state solution.

Gabriel had said he was "very thankful to hear that, of course, also the government of Israel wants to have two states" with secure Israeli borders.

Netanyahu interjected to reiterate his position that Israel must maintain security control in the Palestinian territories under any peace arrangement.

He declined to say whether that would mean Palestinian statehood or some lesser form of autonomy.
By AFP

JERUSALEM: German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Israel's Holocaust memorial on Thursday and spoke of her country's "everlasting responsibility" to remember the tragedy and oppose anti-Semitism.

Merkel visited the Yad Vashem memorial in Jerusalem after arriving on Wednesday night along with members of her cabinet for a one-day visit.

"Nearly 80 years ago, on the pogrom night of November 9, the Jewish people in Germany faced unprecedented hate and violence," she said after her visit, reading out the message she wrote in the memorial's guest book.

Merkel was referring to the Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht) pogroms on November 9, 1938.

"But what followed were the unprecedented crimes of the Shoah and its break with civilisation," Merkel added.

"From this comes the everlasting responsibility of Germany to remember this crime and to oppose anti-Semitism, xenophobia, hatred and violence."

The visit by Merkel and members of her cabinet comes as part of German-Israeli government consultations held regularly.

Fears of a resurgence in anti-Semitism in Germany are expected to be discussed in the joint government meeting on Thursday afternoon.

Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will set aside their list of differences for the talks to showcase cooperation between their two countries.

Netanyahu has harshly criticised European countries over Iran, Israel's main enemy, and their efforts to keep alive the nuclear deal with Tehran.

Germany and other European countries have repeatedly hit out at Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank and warned over threats to remaining prospects for a two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: The US has decided to withdraw from the optional protocol on disputes of the Vienna Convention, National Security Adviser John Bolton said Wednesday, citing a Palestinian lawsuit challenging America's move to shift its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as the reason.

The announcement by the White House came soon after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced to terminate the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran.

Iran made a mockery of the treaty with its support for terrorism, provocative ballistic missile proliferation and malign behaviour throughout the Middle East, Bolton told reporters at a White House news conference.

"In addition to the Treaty of Amity, I am announcing that the president has decided that the United States will withdraw from the Optional Protocol and Dispute Resolution to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," Bolton said.

US National security adviser John Bolton. (File Photo | AP)

"This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called state of Palestine naming the United States as a defendant, challenging our move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," he said.

Bolton, simultaneously underscored that the US remained a party to the underlying Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and it expects all other parties to abide by their international obligations under the convention.

The top Trump administration official insisted that the two actions were consistent with the decisions former US President Ronald Reagan made in the 1980s in the wake of the politicised suits against the US by Nicaragua to terminate its acceptance of the Optional Compulsory Jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice under Article 36-2 of the ICJ statute, and his decision to withdraw from a bilateral treaty with Nicaragua.

"It is also consistent with the decision President Bush made in 2005 to withdraw from the Optional Protocol to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations following the ICJ's interference in our domestic criminal justice system," he said.

Bolton also said the administration was reviewing all international agreements that could expose it to binding decisions by the International Court of Justice saying it was politicised and ineffective.

The US in May opened its embassy in Jerusalem under a controversial move by President Donald Trump, amid a bloodbath right on the border with Gaza where Israeli soldiers shot dead at least 52 Palestinians in clashes, in the deadliest escalation of violence since 2014.

President Donald Trump announced the decision to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in December, when he formally recognised the holy city as the capital of Israel, breaking away from decades of US neutrality on the sensitive issue.
By AFP

WASHINGTON: US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, responding to NASA's plans to renew the exploration of the moon and Mars in the next decade, unveiled Wednesday a concept spacecraft able to land on the lunar surface.

The US space agency said it plans to send astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972 as the initial stage for a future trip to Mars -- part of an official US policy set by President Donald Trump.

To achieve this goal, NASA has called on aerospace industry producers to present plans to build a space station that orbits around the moon, dubbed the "Lunar Gateway," as well as spacecraft that land on the moon.

The craft can accommodate four people, carry one metric ton of equipment,

and stay on the moon for up to two weeks without refueling before

returning to the orbiting the station.



The orbiting station is supposed to be assembled, with the help of other countries, in the 2020s and be able to accommodate four people by 2026, according to a NASA calendar presented in August.

Lockheed Martin's concept lunar landing craft, designed to shuttle between the moon's surface and the orbiting "Lunar Gateway," was unveiled at the World Astronautical Congress in Bremen, Germany.

The craft can accommodate four people, carry one metric ton of equipment, and stay on the moon for up to two weeks without refueling before returning to the orbiting the station.

At a glance, the four-legged craft looks like a taller version of the one used by the first US astronauts to walk on the moon in 1969.

Ahead of this however NASA wants to send astronauts in 2023 on an eight-day trip around the Moon aboard the Orion, a Lockheed Martin spaceship. That craft will be sent into space aboard NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), still under development and designed to be the most powerful rocket ever built.

Separately, the privately-owned SpaceX is also aiming to launch its first tourist trip around the moon in 2023 aboard its own Big Falcon Rocket (BFR). Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa will be the first passenger, and he promised to invite six to eight artists to accompany him.
By AFP

ISTANBUL: Mystery surrounded the whereabouts of a prominent Saudi critic on Thursday after Riyadh announced he had left their consulate in Istanbul -- but Turkey and his fiancee said he had not been heard from since entering the building.

Jamal Khashoggi, a contributor to the Washington Post, went to the Saudi consulate on Tuesday to receive an official document for his marriage.

His fiancee reported him missing after the journalist, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the US since last year to avoid possible arrest, was not seen to emerge.

The former government adviser, has been critical of some policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen.

READ | Supporters of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi rally for his 'release'

After an initial period of silence Saudi Arabia said the consulate was working with Turkish authorities "to uncover the circumstances of the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi after he left the consulate building" in a statement published Thursday by the state-run SPA news agency.

A senior Turkish official however said on Wednesday the journalist was being held at the consulate.

"According to information we have, this individual who is a Saudi national is still at the Istanbul consulate of Saudi Arabia," presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters in Ankara.

He said the Turkish foreign ministry and police were closely monitoring the case, adding that Ankara was in touch with Saudi officials.

Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee has been waiting outside the consulate since Wednesday morning.

"I haven't received any news from him since 1 pm (1000 GMT) on Tuesday," 36-year-old Hatice, who would not give her family name, told AFP as she stood near barricades.

She said Khashoggi had left his mobile phone with her.

"We want to know his whereabouts. Where is Jamal?" she said. "We want him to come out of the consulate safe and sound."

Very concerned

The US State Department said it was investigating the matter.

"We... are very concerned about where he may be," the Washington Post's international opinions editor, Eli Lopez, said in a statement late Tuesday.

"It would be unfair and outrageous if he has been detained for his work as a journalist and commentator," Lopez said.

Turan Kislakci, a friend of Khashoggi and head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association, told AFP: "We are certain that Jamal is being held inside unless the consulate has a tunnel."

Hatice said Khashoggi had gone to the consulate to obtain documents for their own marriage to prove he was not married.

Reporters Without Borders said Khashoggi's disappearance was "extremely worrying," calling on Saudi and Turkish authorities "to do everything to ensure that this journalist reappears  free - as soon as possible."

The Committee to Protect Journalists said the Saudi's disappearance was a cause for alarm "given the Saudi authorities' pattern of quietly detaining critical journalists".

In an article written for the Post in September 2017, Khashoggi wrote: "When I speak of the fear, intimidation, arrests and public shaming of intellectuals and religious leaders who dare to speak their minds, and then I tell you that I'm from Saudi Arabia, are you surprised?"

At about the same time, Khashoggi said he had been banned from contributing to the Al-Hayat daily, owned by Saudi Prince Khaled bin Sultan al-Saud.

The writer admitted to defending the Muslim Brotherhood, which did not appear to please the newspaper.

While Riyadh classifies the Brotherhood as a "terrorist organisation", Turkey is one of the group's main supporters.

The hashtag "#kidnappingofJamalKhashoggi" was one of the most shared in Arabic on Twitter since Tuesday evening.

Saudi Arabia, which ranks 169th out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index issued by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), has launched a modernisation campaign since the 2017 appointment of Prince Mohammed as heir to the throne.

But the ultra-conservative kingdom, which won plaudits in June for lifting a ban on women driving, has drawn heavy criticism for its handling of dissent.

Khashoggi once said that before he left the kingdom, the Saudi government banned him from Twitter for warning "against an overly enthusiastic embrace of then-president-elect Donald Trump".

He is one of the rare Saudi journalists to condemn repression in the country. In one of his last tweets, he criticised the lawsuit filed against a Saudi economist, Essam al-Zamel, after his arrest by Saudi authorities.
By Associated Press

FLORENCE: A man shot seven police officers in South Carolina, killing one, in a standoff so dangerous that police had to use a bullet-proof vehicle to rescue the wounded, authorities said.

The man also held children hostage for two hours in his Florence home Wednesday afternoon, but they were released safely as the suspect was taken into custody, Florence County Sheriff's Maj. Mike Nunn said.

It was a stunning shooting in an area already reeling from record flooding from Hurricane Florence. The sheriff and police chief both cried as they spoke to reporters just hours after the shooting.

"I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known," Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler said of Terrence Carraway. City of Florence spokesman John Wukela confirmed Carraway's death to The Associated Press late Wednesday. Carraway, 52, of Darlington, had recently celebrated 30 years as a police officer. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. An autopsy will be performed at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, according to the coroner's office.

The man shot three Florence County deputies from inside a home as they came to serve a warrant around 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nunn said.

The suspect then shot four Florence city police officers, one fatally, as officers from all around the area swarmed in to help, Heidler said.

Officials refused to say why they were serving a warrant. They also did not name him or the wounded officers, nor did they give their conditions.

Both Heidler and Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone had tears in their eyes as they spoke to reporters about two hours after the standoff ended.

Condolences and outpourings of support rolled in at news of the shooting.

"This is simply devastating news from Florence," Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted. "The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real."

Thom Berry, spokesman for the State Law Enforcement Division, said the agency had sent crime scene technicians to assist officials in Florence but at this time had not been requested to help with any investigation.

Boone said investigators from Richland County would help investigate the shooting. He did not say why he wasn't using state police like most law enforcement agencies do in officer shootings in South Carolina.

Authorities said the shootings happened in Vintage Place, an upscale neighborhood in the western part of the city.

Bobby Goin stood outside waiting for police to let him back to his home where his wife and granddaughter heard gunshots from the home back further in the neighborhood.

"Surprised is probably an understatement," Goin said of the shooting in the neighborhood where he has lived for 20 years. "The worst thing that goes on around here is that someone runs a stop sign and it gets posted on Facebook."

This is the second shooting of multiple police officers in South Carolina this year. In January, a 47-year-old former banker shot four officers in York County, killing one, after his wife called 911 to report he beat her. Christian McCall pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life without parole.

Florence, a city in South Carolina's northeastern corner home to roughly 37,000, sits at the convergence of Interstates 95 and 20. It's the largest city in the region known as the Pee Dee, where flooding from Hurricane Florence devastated areas to the east and south.
By PTI

LONDON: The UK on Thursday accused Russian cyber intelligence officers of trying to hack into its Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) network, as the European Union revealed that Dutch military intelligence had foiled a Kremlin cyber attack on the global chemical weapons watchdog.

As part of the joint set of revelations in the Netherlands, Peter Wilson, the UK ambassador at The Hague, said intelligence officers from Russia's GRU tried to compromise Foreign Office systems with an attack in March.

He revealed that the online phishing attack took place soon after the deadly Novichok nerve agent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English town of Salisbury.

"In March, straight after the Salisbury attack, the GRU attempted to compromise UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office computer systems via a spear phishing attack," Wilson said in a statement.

"The GRU can only succeed in the shadows.

We are all agreed that where we see their malign activities, we must expose it to the light together," he added.

In a statement alongside Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, British Prime Minister Theresa May said the "joint operations" had shone "further light on the unacceptable cyber activities of the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU".

May said the attempted hack of the global chemicals watchdog Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) demonstrated the GRU's "disregard for the global values".

"Our action today reinforces the clear message from the international community.

We will uphold the rules-based international system, and defend international institutions from those that seek to do them harm," the joint statement noted.

Dutch security services caught four GRU operatives and immediately deported them to Russia but retained their technical equipment, according to UK media reports.

The team of four GRU officers travelling on official Russian passports entered the Netherlands on April 10.

On April 13, they parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague.

At that poin,t the Dutch counter-terrorism officers intervened to disrupt the operation and the four GRU officers were ordered to leave the country.

The Dutch authorities released pictures of the Russian agents as they arrived at Schiphol airport.

The UK government has also accused the GRU of being behind four high-profile cyber-attacks whose targets included firms in Russia and Ukraine; the US Democratic Party; and a small TV network in the UK.

"The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has identified that a number of cyber actors widely known to have been conducting cyber attacks around the world are, in fact, the GRU.

These attacks have been conducted in flagrant violation of international law, have affected citizens in a large number of countries, including Russia, and have cost national economies millions of pounds," an FCO statement said on Thursday.

UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt attacked the GRU's actions as "reckless and indiscriminate".

"They try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries; they are even prepared to damage Russian companies and Russian citizens.

This pattern of behaviour demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to international law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences," he said.

Russia has called the latest set of accusations a "diabolical cocktail" of allegations as well as a "rich fantasy of our colleagues from Britain".

In a sign of a growing Western alliance over the issue, a statement from North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) called on Russia to halt its "reckless pattern of behaviour, including the use of force against its neighbours".
By AFP

NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin headed for India on Thursday looking to tie up billions of dollars in arms deals with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, likely irking the US, China and Pakistan in one fell swoop.

The Kremlin said before the two-day visit by Putin and top Russian ministers that the "key feature" would be the signing of a $5-billion deal for the S-400 air defence system, despite the risk of US sanctions against countries buying Russian defence kit.

On the eve of Putin's arrival later Thursday, the United States poured cold water on India's efforts to obtain a waiver to avoid sanctions under legislation called Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

Upgrades in arms systems "including the S-400 air and missile defense system" would be a particular focus for CAATSA, a US State Department spokesperson was quoted as saying by India's PTI news agency.

Last month Washington slapped financial sanctions on the Chinese military for buying Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets -- and the S-400.

However, the US is in a difficult position when it comes to India. It wants to bolster ties with New Delhi to counter China's growing assertiveness, something that has also rattled India.

Washington and New Delhi announced plans last month for joint military drills in 2019, and agreed on the exchange of sensitive military information. The US is now India's second biggest arms supplier.

But Russia remains number one, and a string of new deals with the Asian giant would be a major win for Moscow -- and a big snub to the US.

Putin and Modi, who appear to enjoy a personal rapport, are also likely to discuss a deal for four Krivak-class frigates worth $2 billion and 200 light utility Ka-226 helicopters pegged at $1 billion.

"It's about time we showed that we are not going to be pushed around by Washington," R.R. Subramanian, a Delhi-based strategic affairs analyst, told AFP.

Experts say India needs the sophisticated S-400 to fill critical gaps in its defence capabilities, in view of China's rise and perceived threats from Pakistan, against whom India has fought three wars.

Indian Air Force Chief Birender Singh Dhanoa said Wednesday that the S-400, and the 36 Rafale fighter jets purchased from France -- a 2016 deal mired in political controversy -- represent a "booster dose" for the country.

Last year India and China had a military standoff over a Himalayan plateau claimed by Beijing and Bhutan, a close ally of India. China has also perturbed India by loaning vast amounts of money to countries such as Sri Lanka where it has long held sway.

Boldly go

Putin, 65, and Modi, 68, are also set to discuss a possible second Russian-built nuclear power plant. Moscow is currently expanding India's biggest nuclear power plant in Kudankulam.

Also on the agenda is Russian training for Indian astronauts as New Delhi aims to launch its first crewed space mission in 2022.

Rakesh Sharma, the only Indian to travel in space, did so on a Soviet spacecraft in 1984.

But military kit is the main focus.

India is the world's biggest arms importer and is undergoing a $100-billion upgrade of its ageing hardware, much of it of Soviet vintage including MiG jets that have frequently crashed in the Indian countryside.

Russia and India have had warm ties since Stalin died in 1953.

But annual Russia-India trade has slipped below $10 billion since 2014, as Modi cultivated closer diplomatic and economic ties with Washington, while Russia has courted Pakistan and China.

Ties received a boost last year when Modi and Putin held a fruitful annual bilateral summit, followed by meetings in Astana and at the G20 in Germany. They also met in Sochi this year.

On the strategic front, Russia helped India become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation this year and has backed New Delhi's long-held demand for a permanent UN Security Council seat.

Moscow is also pushing for India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group of countries controlling access to nuclear technology.

Afghanistan though has been a sticking point, experts say, where Moscow wants to engage Taliban in the peace process -- a prospect unacceptable to India.
By PTI

BEIJING: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit China on October 8 to hold talks with top Chinese leaders amid escalating tension between the world's two largest economies over trade and Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Announcing Pompeo's visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement on Wednesday that China and the US will exchange views on bilateral ties and regional and international issues of common concern.

ALSO READ | US-China ties sour as Xi Jinping, Donald Trump friendship fades

The visit comes amid reports that China has cancelled talks with US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis after the US' allegations that Chinese naval ship conducted unsafe manoeuvres near its destroyer Decatur when passed through the islands off the disputed South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation.

Hua, however, said it was Washington which proposed the postponement of the second round of their Diplomatic and Security Dialogue and refuted recent US media reports that China had proposed putting off the dialogue.

"Such an argument completely distorts the fact with ulterior motives and is extremely irresponsible," she said.

"The Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction. The fact is the United States recently made a proposal to China that it hoped to postpone the dialogue," Hua said.

"We demand the parties concerned stop fabricating and spreading rumours," she said.

On Tuesday, Hua said China and the US had previously agreed in principle to hold the dialogue in mid-October, while the US recently proposed putting it off.

China claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea and has built islands on reefs and equipped them with military facilities such as airstrips, radar domes and missile systems.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over some of the areas claimed by China.

ALSO READ | Donald Trump admits friendship with China's Xi Jinping could be over

Pompeo's visit is aimed at lowering tensions between the two world's largest economies.

Both the countries are currently locked in a trade war slapping billions of dollars of tariffs on each other's export products.

Ties have also worsened in recent weeks with a US decision to impose sanctions on a Chinese military unit over the purchase of Russian fighter jets and surface-to-air missile equipment.

During a meeting of the UN Security Council, President Donald Trump has accused China of interfering in American elections to help his Democratic rivals.
By PTI

LONDON: Britain's Communities Secretary James Brokenshire began a three-day visit to India on Thursday to boost business and technology ties between the two countries.

The UK Cabinet minister, who is also the British government's "Midlands Engine Champion", is set to bring together senior British and Indian officials and businesses to re-affirm a post-Brexit commitment to the Midlands-Maharashtra Technology Partnership.

"The Midlands and Maharashtra are thriving tech hubs in their own right, and by bringing these two great regions together we are strengthening our technological and economic ties to the benefit of our people and businesses," Brokenshire said.

"Whether it's manufacturing the latest car model or sharing ground-breaking research, there is a lot to be gained and I'm determined we make the most of the opportunities, particularly as we prepare to leave the European Union," he said in a statement.

The Midlands-Maharashtra Technology Partnership has been described by the UK government as the regional element of the UK-India Technology Partnership announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Theresa May during his visit to the UK in April.

The Indian and British governments had committed to increasing partnerships in technology through the industry, government, science and research, and by fostering trade and investment opportunities in both directions.

Brokenshire will begin his engagements in New Delhi to hold talks with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Anant G Geete, Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Sector Enterprises, as well as Sir Dominic Asquith, British High Commissioner to India.

In Maharashtra, the minister will hold talks with Indian advanced manufacturing giant Bharat Forge.

He is joined on the Indian trade mission this week by the Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street and Chair of the Midlands Engine partnership Sir John Peace.

The UK government is also using the opportunity to encourage British companies to participate in the India-UK Future Tech Festival in New Delhi in December.

The festival is being pitched as a thought-leadership summit which will bring together business, policymakers, venture capital, scientists and entrepreneurs.

It will drive trade, investment and partnerships across key sectors, and promote and celebrate the UK and India as major technology innovators and trading partners, the UK government said.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: To advance its vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Trump Administration is building new and stronger bonds with countries in the region, including India, that shares its values, US Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday.

The US recently renamed its oldest and largest military command - the Pacific Command - to Indo-Pacific Command, in a largely symbolic move to signal India's importance.

"To advance our vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, we're building new and stronger bonds with nations that share our values, across the region -- from India to Samoa.

Our relationships will flow from a spirit of respect, built on partnership, not domination," Pence said in a major foreign policy speech at the Hudson Institute, a top American think-tank.

"We're forging new trade deals, on a bilateral basis, just as last week, President (Donald) Trump signed an improved trade deal with South Korea, and we will soon begin negotiating a historic bilateral free-trade deal with Japan," he said.

The US, he said, is streamlining international development and finance programs, giving foreign nations a just and transparent alternative to China's debt-trap diplomacy.

To that end, President Trump will sign the BUILD Act into law in the days ahead, he added.

In July, the US had announced USD 113 million in new regional investments focused on digital connectivity, infrastructure and energy, amidst China flexing its military muscles in the Indo-Pacific region.

Next month, Pence will represent the US in Singapore and Papua New Guinea, at ASEAN and APEC.

"There, we will unveil new measures and programs to support a free and open Indo-Pacific -- and on behalf of the President, I will deliver the message that America's commitment to the Indo-Pacific has never been stronger," he said.

To protect US interests here at home, the administration has strengthened CFIUS -- the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States -- heightening our scrutiny of Chinese investment in America, to protect national security from Beijing's predatory actions.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea.

Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the area.

China has deployed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-surface missile systems in the disputed South China Sea amid frequent forays by US naval and surveillance aircraft over the region to assert the freedom of navigation especially around the artificial islands built by China, where it has also established garrisons.

"When it comes to Beijing's malign influence and interference in American politics and policy, we will continue to expose it, no matter the form it takes.

And we will work with leaders at every level of society to defend our national interests and most cherished ideals.

The American people will play the decisive role, and in fact, they already are," Pence added.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Cloudy and windy. High 39F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds from time to time. Low 24F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.
Columnist

Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich).
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).
Caldera Brewing is introducingLets Bee Friends IPA, a beer brewed to unite supporters of agriculture, clean energ,y and pollinator health. This beer features honey harvested from a solar farm with flowering plants under and around the panels that conserve topsoil and benefit pollinators. Let's Bee Friends IPA will debut at the 2018 Talent Harvest Festival on October 6th as Oregon's first solar farm beer.

More from a press release:

Caldera Brewing is delighted to introduce a new collaboration, Lets Bee Friends IPA, that uses honey harvested from a pollinator-friendly solar farm near Medford. Unlike many solar sites, this one features perennial flowering native plants under and around the panels which meaningfully benefit honey bees and other pollinators, as well as holding the soil on site and improving it over time. Lets Bee Friends IPA will be first available at the Talent Harvest Festival and then in the Caldera Brewery & Restaurant in Ashland.

The Talent Harvest Festival is on Oct. 6 and Caldera Brewing is a presenting sponsor. Jars of honey, in addition to pints of Lets Bee Friends IPA, will be available for purchase during the event. Find more event details at cityoftalent.org/ harvestfestival

Having a beer is a great way to discuss win-win-win solutions, said Jim Mills of Caldera Brewing. For this collaboration, we brought together an accomplished local beekeeper, an ecologically innovative solar developer, and a mission-driven clean energy nonprofitthe result is as delicious in the glass as it is on the landscape."

Lets Bee Friends IPA uses honey harvested from the hives of Old Sol Apiaries, which are located on a solar project owned and operated by Pine Gate Renewables. Fresh Energy, a nonprofit advocate for realizing numerous benefits from the transition togreater use of clean energy, introduced Old Sol Apiaries to Pine Gate Renewables.

Oregons pollinator populations are in crisis and urgently need more places that both provide a diversity of nectar and pollen sources and are not directly sprayed with insecticides, said John Jacob, founder of Old Sol Apiaries. Pollinator-friendly solar farms are a great place to keep managed honey bees, provide habitat for our native bees and wildlife, and support renewable energy and a sustainable food supply.

While the upfront cost to revegetate with pollinator-friendly natives is more than the turf commonly seen on solar farms, we expect to see long-term savings over the life of the project based on reduced maintenance costs realized through the efficiencies of native species, said Julianne Wooten, environmental manager for Pine Gate Renewables.

It is encouraging that more and more people are recognizing the agricultural, ecological, and economic benefits of establishing flowering and low-growing meadows under and around solar arrays. Caldera Brewings new beer provides another opportunity for local interests to find common ground, said Rob Davis, director of the Center for Pollinators in Energy at Fresh Energy.

Soil HealthStatewide Oregon has more than 15 million acres of agricultural land and uses more than 300,000 acres to grow turfgrass seed. The United States Department of Agriculture National Conservation Resources Service (NRCS) reports that erosion rates on Oregon cropland have fallen from an average of 5.3 tons per acre per year in 1982 to 3.8 tons of topsoil loss per acre per year in 2007. Perennial native vegetation, like that beingestablished by Pine Gate Renewables on its Oregon solar farms, holds topsoil on site and has deep root structures that break up compaction and add soil organic matter over the life of the project. Climate and soil scientists expect that the increasing intensity of storms and rainfall events will result in significantly higher topsoil losses on cropland without perennial vegetation.

Pollinator HealthDespite a national goal of stabilizing annual honey bee losses at 15 percent of hives, Bee Informed Partnership reports that Oregon beekeepers lost 35 percent of hives from April 2017 through March 2018. According to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Oregon had more than 110,000 hives during this time and thus more than 38,000 honey bee hives died statewide. Creating acres of healthy habitat on solar sites,roadsides, and other managed landscapes has been identified as one of the leading strategies to improve overall pollinator health.

Diversified Revenue for More Resilient FarmsMindful of the instability of on-farm revenue over the last decade, a growing number of farmers are choosing to sign a long-term lease for a portion of their land to host ground-mountedsolar panels. In addition to directly generating lease revenue for the farm, solar sites designed with low-growing flowering plants under and around the panels can benefit pollinators needed for nearby crops. Most of Oregons specialty crop producers(e.g. pears, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, and apples) depend on honey bees and native bees to produce a marketable crop and maximize yields. Nationally, Oregon is the #1 leading producer of blackberries and #2 producer of pears and blueberries. A recent peer-reviewed study, Examining the Potential for Agricultural Benefits from Pollinator Habitat at Solar Facilities in the United States, published in EnvironmentalScience & Technology, identified more than 16,300 acres of pollinator-dependent crops close to 204 megawatts of solar arrays throughout Oregon.

Learn more about the organizations involved in this work: CalderaBrewing.com OldSolBees.com PineGateRenewables.com Fresh-Energy.org
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(Newser)  The Sharks and the Jets will not be rumbling at Kent State this fall. The university canceled an upcoming production of West Side Story because too many leading roles went to white and non-Latino actors, Fox reports. The decision was made after a campuswide town hall meeting last month that was prompted by complaints about the casting. "The cancellation  was in response to our community members' voices and the national dialogue regarding the desire for authenticity on our stages," Eric van Baars, the university's theater director, tells Fox. A different musical, Children of Eden, will replace West Side Story as the fall production. Debuting in 1957, West Side Story is a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, centering on the rivalry between the Sharks, a gang comprised of Puerto Ricans, and the Jets, a white gang.

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Some students at Kent State were angered when they saw that three leading roles portraying Puerto Rican characters, along with many supporting roles, were given to white and other non-Latino students, Kentwired reports. "It's more than just getting a role," Viviana Cardenas says. She was in the running for a Puerto Rican character, Anita, but an African-American student ultimately got the role. "When there is this story that is about people of cultures like me, about people of color like me, and that gets taken away from me  that was the most heartbreaking." However, another theater student tells the Kansas City Star that the university was "bowing to racists." The Star notes that casting issues have dogged West Side Story for decades, ever since Natalie Wood, a white actress, was cast as the Puerto Rican female lead, Maria, in the 1961 film. (Read more Kent State stories.)
(Newser)  "They robbed me of a career, a life." Those are the words of Larry McKee, a New York man who was released from prison earlier this year after spending two decades behind bars for a murder he maintained he didn't commit. The New York Times takes a deep dive into the case and McKee's difficult transition back into society. "Technology's changed," he says. His iPhone8 is a mystery. "I've still got problems with it, with emails and texts." McKee was convicted of murder in 1997. He had been in a brawl that left Theodore Vance with a fatal gunshot wound. In January, a judge overturned the conviction after it was determined that prosecutors had withheld crucial evidence from the defensenamely, per PIX11, that Vance's dying words were that a Hispanic man shot him.

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"I can say now that I am satisfied, but I'm not happy at all," McKee, who is black, said in January. "They knew it wasn't me." Now a free man, McKee lives in a one-bedroom apartment near Yankee Stadium, getting help from relatives as he seeks work. "I like to be alone a lot these days," he tells the Times. He takes pleasure in things most people take for granted, such as going out for a cup of coffee. "I wake up, go for a walk. I can do a lot of things I couldn't do before. I couldn't go and just look at Yankee Stadium. So I appreciate little things like that. My old life is over." (Another wrongfully convicted New York man was recently released from prison.)
(Newser)  When Ben Bradlee Jr. refers to "Mrs. Trump," he's not talking about Melania. Rather, it's a nickname that was bestowed upon Lynette Villano, 72, a die-hard Trump supporter living in Luzerne County, Pa. In a lengthy excerpt of The Forgotten published by Politico, Bradlee explains that in his new book he seeks to uncover "why this traditionally Democratic area, a pivotal county in a crucial swing state, surged for Trump in 2016." He ended up profiling 12 Trump voters living there, and of them, Villano stands out. She's actually a longtime Republican, but one so enamored by Donald Trump she ran to be a Trump delegate to the Republican National Convention. He found her "total, unconditional, and unshakeable" in her support for the president.

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"These are the people Trump was talking about when he said he could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot someone without losing any voters," Bradlee writes. But it's come at a great personal cost. Her relationship with her daughter has been damaged; her grandson, Connor, returned the Christmas gifts she sent and declined to invite her to his college graduation over her support of the president. (Bradlee reprints a lengthy exchange of fiery texts the two sent each other the day after the election; Villano found her grandson's approach disrespectful.) Bradlee asks Villano about a slew of "Trump brush fires": the Access Hollywood tape, the female accusers, his comments on John McCain. Read her answers, and more about her dogged support, here. (Read more Longform stories.)
(Newser)  The impassioned fight over whether to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court has led to heightened security at the Capitol, the AP reports, with some senators using police escorts to shield them from protesters eager to confront them. Capitol police have arrested dozens of people in recent days for unlawfully demonstrating in Senate office buildings. Police have stepped up their presence in Capitol hallways, in some cases blocking news reporters and the public from approaching lawmakers. Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican who is a key undecided vote on Kavanaugh, was escorted out of a hearing Wednesday by three police officers. She ignored questions from reporters. Police later threatened to clear a public hallway outside her office in the Dirksen Senate Office Building and physically blocked reporters from approaching Collins as she left the office to return to the Capitol for a vote.

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A spokeswoman for Collins declined to comment on her security detail. The stepped-up police presence comes as senatorsespecially Republicanshave expressed unease over protesters who have confronted them at their Senate offices, restaurants, airports, and even their homes. Personal information about some lawmakers also has been released online. Capitol police said late Wednesday they had charged a former Senate staffer with posting private, identifying information about one or more senators on the internet. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a floor speech Wednesday that senators will not be intimidated out of doing their jobs. "There is no chance in the world they're going to scare us out of doing our duty," McConnell said. He said the Senate will be voting this week on Kavanaugh's nomination.

(Read more Brett Kavanaugh stories.)
(Newser)  "Bravo, Christine, for telling the truth," concludes Connie Chung in an op-ed for the Washington Post. In the piece, the longtime journalist says she is "terrified" to do so, but shares her truth: that she was assaulted by her unnamed family doctor nearly five decades ago, a "dirty little secret" she has not shared until this year, at age 72. "What made this monster even more reprehensible was that he was the very doctor who delivered me on Aug. 20, 1946," she writes. The assault occurred later, when she was in college. She can't recall the exact date, but says the circumstances are burned into her memory. Then a virgin, she went to the "trusted" professional seeking birth control. She visited him at his home office and complied when he told her to undress below the waist for a gynecological exam, which she had never had before.

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She writes the doctor then assaulted her with his fingers, telling her to "just breathe," until she climaxed for the first time in her life. "Then he leaned over, kissed me, a peck on my lips, and slipped behind the curtain to his office area." The aftermath isn't as crystal clear. She thinks she may have told her sister. She did not tell her parents, other than to tell her mother the drive to the doctor was too far, and they needed to find a new one. She told her husband at some point years later. The doctor has been dead for decades. "I wish I could forget this truthful event," she writes, "but I cannot because it is the truth. I am writing to you because I know that exact dates, exact years are insignificant. We remember exactly what happened to us and who did it to us. We remember the truth forever." Read the full piece here. (Read more Connie Chung stories.)
(Newser)  A suspect in South Carolina is in custody after a standoff that left one law enforcement officer dead and six others injured. Authorities in Florence say three sheriff's deputies and four police officers were shot in the incident, which started around 5pm when the suspect opened fire on deputies attempting to serve a search warrant, the State reports. The suspect then shot at other officers called to the scene, killing one. Authorities say the situation was so dangerous that a bulletproof vehicle was called in to rescue the wounded, the AP reports. The man barricaded himself in the home with children during the two-hour standoff, which ended with the suspect being taken into custody.

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Authorities haven't named the suspect or said why they were serving the warrant at an address in the upscale Vintage Place neighborhood, CNN reports. The slain officer has been identified as Terrence Carraway, 52, who had recently celebrated 30 years as a police officer. "Today, we lost a good friend of mine, an officer that I've known for 30 years," Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler said. "I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known." President Trump and Gov. Henry McMaster called for prayers for the victims. "This is simply devastating news from Florence," tweeted McMaster. "The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real." (Read more South Carolina stories.)
(Newser)  Though President Trump insists he did nothing wrong on his taxes, experts say he could be on the hook for tens of millions of dollars in civil fines if state and federal authorities substantiate a New York Times report that found he and his family cheated the IRS for decades. The statute of limitations for bringing criminal charges has long run out, but civil cases have no such limits, and the financial penalties could be staggering, the AP reports. Civil fraud charges for intentionally underpaying taxes, as the Times alleged the Trump family did, could include a penalty of up to 75% of the unpaid federal taxes and double the unpaid state amount, experts say.

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The penalties "could be substantial, and if the allegations are proven in court, they should be levied," says Norman Eisen, chairman of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The Times said Trump received at least $413 million from his father over the decades, much of that through dubious tax maneuvers, including outright fraud. The New York tax department said it is studying the report and "vigorously pursuing all appropriate avenues of investigation." New York City also said it would investigate. A spokesman for the Internal Revenue Service declined to comment, while the White House dismissed the report as a "misleading attack against the Trump family by the failing New York Times."

(Read more President Trump stories.)
(Newser)  After years of delays, Tokyo's 80-year-old Tsukiji fish market is closing on Saturday to move to a more modern facility on reclaimed industrial land in Tokyo Bay. The new $5 billion facility at Toyosu will open on Oct. 11, over the objections of many working in Tsukiji who contend the new site is contaminated, inconvenient, and unsafe, the AP reports. "What's wrong with Tsukiji? Tsukiji for another hundred years!" hundreds of workers chanted during a recent protest. Much of the angst over the move has to do with closing down a beloved local institution. A labyrinth of quaint sushi stalls and shops selling everything from knives to ice cream encircle the huge wholesale market famous for its predawn haggling over deep-frozen tuna and other harvests from the sea.

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Tsukiji has been supplying Tokyo's fancy restaurants and everyday supermarkets since 1935. Its origins date back nearly a century. Around 40,000 people visit the market each day, and opponents of the move fear tourists will be less likely to visit out-of-the-way Toyosu, which resembles a huge, modern factory. Makoto Nakazawa, 54, who has worked in Tsukiji for more than 30 years, said he dislikes the new space and is angry over the closure of a market that has "fed Tokyo for years." Tsukiji is special, a place of unusual diversity in conformist Japan where misfits like avant-garde theater actors and convicts are accepted, Nakazawa says. "People who want us out want to redevelop this place. I can't imagine any other reason," he says. "There's obviously money to be made."

(Read more Japan stories.)
(Newser)  A former member of Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan's staff was caught inside Hassan's Capitol Hill office Tuesday night and ultimately arrested Wednesday on charges that he "doxxed" GOP senators. Jackson A. Cosko, 27, is accused of posting "private, identifying information," including addresses, online, Politico reports. A current Hassan staffer allegedly caught him in the office and called police; he had allegedly made an unauthorized entry. Cosko, a George Washington University graduate who also worked for Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, had most recently been working as an intern for Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee; he has since been fired.

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A US official tells the Washington Post the arrest relates to information posted on Wikipedia during Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing; during that hearing, the Wikipedia pages of Republican Sens. Mike Lee, Orrin Hatch, and Lindsey Graham were edited to include addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, and the changes were found to be made from a Capitol Hill computer. All three are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Fox News reports. Cosko is charged with making public restricted personal information, witness tampering, making threats in interstate communications, unauthorized access of a government computer, identity theft, second-degree burglary, and unlawful entry. (Read more doxxing stories.)
(Newser)  A stunning allegation out of the Netherlands: The defense minister said Thursday the country had previously kicked out four Russians, believed to be GRU military intelligence officers, who were planning a cyber attack on the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Hague. The global chemical weapons watchdog has been testing the nerve agent used to poison the Skripals in the UK. CBS News reports the four suspects, which included an IT expert, were caught "in flagrante" on April 13 and immediately removed from the country. The men were allegedly trying to hack into the OPCW via its WiFi network, reports the Guardian, supposedly after a spear-phishing attack launched from Russia failed. The trunk of their rental car, which was parked outside the OPCW's HQ, reportedly contained computer equipment designed to intercept log-ins.

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One of the men allegedly tried to trash his cell phone upon being confronted by authorities, reports the BBC, but officials say plenty of damning evidence was recovered, including an antenna concealed under a coat and a taxi receipt for a trip from a street near the GRU's Moscow location to the airport. British ambassador to the Netherlands Peter Wilson, who was present for the announcement, said a seized laptop's history indicated it was part of previous hacks: in Malaysia in association with the investigation into the downing of flight MH-17 over the Ukraine in 2014, and in Lausanne, Switzerland, in connection with the World Anti-Doping Agency, which has investigated doping by Russian athletes. Wilson's take: that the GRU was trying to "clean up Russia's own mess." Russia's take, per a foreign ministry rep quoted by the Guardian: "big fantasies." (Read more Russia stories.)
(Newser)  The oldest son of Sarah Palin will spend a year in custody after a judge ruled Wednesday that allegations of hitting a woman on the head disqualified him from a therapeutic program for veterans tied to a separate assault case. Track Palin, 29, has been accused of three attacks on people close to him in the past few years, reports the AP, the most recent coming last week against a female acquaintance. Palin, an Army veteran who served a year in Iraq, entered a program intended to rehabilitate veterans after he was arrested in an assault on his father less than a year ago. Anchorage District Court Judge David Wallace told Palin that he violated conditions of a plea deal in the earlier case and must report to a halfway house at month's end. The Department of Corrections will determine if he serves time at the halfway house or behind bars.

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Anchorage DA Richard Allen, however, said jail time is unlikely. The judge could have chosen to let Palin remain in Alaska Veterans Court, which gives eligible former service members the option of enrolling in mental health treatment instead of a traditional sentence. Before Wallace issued his decision, Palin said he appreciated the opportunity to participate in the program in Anchorage. Palin attended the hearing with his father, Todd Palin, who also spoke briefly in court, saying he wished his son would be allowed to remain in veterans court. Asked if they wanted to comment before the hearing, Todd Palin declined. Track Palin said, "Pay me, I will." Track Palin was arrested Friday night after a female acquaintance said he told her that she could not leave his house in Wasilla, took away her phone, and then hit her in the head, according to court documents.

(Read more Track Palin stories.)
(Newser)  San Francisco has nearly 20 "sister cities" worldwide, fostering goodwill through cultural, educational, and economic exchanges. Osaka was its first, but after more than 60 yearsand months of the Japanese city threatening to cut tiesit looks like the split is happening. "I have arrived at the conclusion that the continuation of the sister city relations is no longer possible," Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura wrote in a letter to San Francisco Mayor London Breed, per the San Francisco Chronicle. At the heart of the rift: the "Women's Column of Strength" statue in San Francisco's St. Mary's Square, which pays tribute to "comfort women," the hundreds of thousands of women from China, Korea, and other nations who provided sexual services to Japanese service members in WWII.

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Since the statuewhich shows three young girls standing in a circle, holding handswent up last year, it's been vandalized a few times, reports the San Francisco Examiner. Yoshimura had made moves in November to start the termination, but then-San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee died in December, throwing things off. Yoshimura had asked Lee, as well as Breed, to remove the statue; both said no. Lillian Sing, co-chair of the Comfort Women Justice Coalition, tells the Examiner that the cities' breakup is "outrageous" and that "it shows how afraid the Osaka mayor and Japanese prime minister are of truth and are trying to deny history." Yoshimura says he'll consider sister-city status again if the statue is excised, per Al Jazeera. (Read more comfort women stories.)
(Newser)  A violinist who organizes concerts for the homeless, a professor whose research is being used to increase access to civil justice by poor communities, and an activist pastor are among this year's MacArthur fellows and recipients of so-called genius grants, the AP reports. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation on Thursday named 25 people , including academics, activists, artists, scholars and scientists, who will receive $625,000 over five years to use as they please. The Chicago-based foundation has awarded the fellowships each year since 1981 to people who have shown outstanding talent to help further their creative, professional or intellectual pursuits. Potential fellows are brought to the foundation's attention by an anonymous pool of nominators. Those selected are sworn to secrecy until their names are announced. Details on some winners:

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Los Angeles Philharmonic first violinist Vijay Gupta said he was "pretty overwhelmed" when he told he was named a MacArthur fellow. The 31-year-old received the honor for being the co-founder and artistic director of Street Symphony, which has performed at homeless shelters, jails and halfway houses for about eight years. "They have reminded me why I became a musician," Gupta said of the homeless. "Artists have a role in telling the truth about what is happening in our world today."

"It was an extraordinary experience and a complete shock," said Rebecca Sandefur, an associate professor of sociology and law at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, of learning she won. "It was not something you would expect." Sandefur's research is promoting a new approach to increasing access to the justice system by poor communities. The 47-year-old created the first national mapping of civil legal aid providers, revealing which states had the resources to provide such aid and which didn't.

Fellow Gregg Gonsalves, 54, is a global health advocate and assistant professor of epidemiology at Yale University. A longtime HIV/AIDS activist, his work focuses on the use of quantitative analysis and operations research to improve responses to global public health challenges. He co-founded the Global Health Justice Partnership at Yale to advance human rights and social justice perspectives in public health and legal research and teaching.

Matthew Aucoin, a 28-year-old composer, conductor and artist-in-residence at the Los Angeles Opera, composes instrumental works, ranging from pieces for solo performers to compositions for chorus and orchestra. His operatic work "Crossing," which drew from Walt Whitman's diary entries during his Civil War work tending to wounded soldiers, premiered in 2015.

Also named a fellow was William J. Barber II, pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, NC, and founder of Repairers of the Breach, a leadership development organization. In 2017, Barber began a series of "Moral Monday" rallies outside the North Carolina state Capitol to protest laws that suppress voter turnout.

The New York Times has a complete list of winners. (Read more Genius Grant stories.)
(Newser)  A judge on Thursday sentenced former rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight to 28 years in prison for running down and killing a man whose loved ones in court described him as a deeply devoted family man and peacemaker in his community, the AP reports. The courtroom was filled by nearly two dozen relatives of 55-year-old Terry Carter, including a 96-year-old aunt who like many of them cried and consoled one another. "He was so much more than the person the defendant killed with his truck," said Carter's sister Jessica Carter, one of eight family members who spoke in court. Knight pleaded no contest two weeks ago to voluntary manslaughter on the eve of a trial on murder and attempted murder charges that could have resulted in a life sentence if convicted. He wore a large cross and orange jail attire during Thursday's sentencing, which drew to a close a nearly four year court saga over the fatal 2015 confrontation.

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Knight did not look at the family as they spoke of their sorrow and anger. The victim's daughter Crystal Carter called him a "low-life thug," ''career criminal" and "a disgusting, selfish disgrace to the human species." "I ask that you sentence this unrepentant, remorseless, cold, callous menace to society to the maximum of 28 years," she said. Another daughter, Nekaya Carter, said she hopes that the end of the courtroom saga can bring her some peace. "I wanted justice for my dad and now we've finally got it, kind of," she said. She then addressed Knight directly despite the judge's instructions not to. "My dad can finally rest in peace while you live out the rest of your life in prison." The prison sentence represents the low point of a long decline for Knight, one of the most important figures in the history of hip-hop. His previous felony convictions including robbery and assault trigger California's three strikes law, increasing his prison sentence.

(Read more Suge Knight stories.)
(Newser)  The attorney for a woman who, as a teen, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for encouraging her boyfriend to commit suicide told the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Thursday that his client was "trying to help another troubled teen with a very difficult mental-health situation" the Boston Herald reports. The actions of Michelle Carter, now 22, may have been "misguided," Daniel Marx argued during oral arguments at Carter's appeal hearing, but "she certainly didn't kill" Conrad Roy III, who committed suicide in 2014 by filling the cab of his pickup truck with carbon monoxide in a Kmart parking lot. During Carter's initial trial, prosecutors said that she had persuaded Roy to kill himself in text message exchanges and later told him via phone to "get back in" to the pickup as it was filling with toxic fumes.

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Assistant District Attorney Shosana Stern on Thursday told the court that Carter knew she had "significant" leverage over Roy and steered him toward suicide, the AP reports. As justices consider the case, they will be weighing two main questions, a New England Law professor tells Boston.com. First, was there enough evidence for the judge to find Carter guilty? Second, does a conviction based on her words, "rather than anything she did directly," violate the First Amendment? "Legally, it always struck me as a reach, a stretch by the prosecution to charge this manslaughter," Daniel Medwed, another law professor, tells the website. Carter was sentenced to 15 months in prison, but the sentence has been on hold pending appeal. It may be months before the court makes a ruling, WBZ4 reports. (Read more Michelle Carter stories.)
Experts have warned of an environmental crisis at a natural reserve, located on the southern borders of the Capital Governorate.

This was first reported after a number of Maameer residents were shocked to see bulldozers at work to block the southern parts of Tubli Bay, also known as Maameer canal.

With approximate width of 20 meters and length of 635 meters, the canal is considered the only passage for seawater into Tubli Bay from the southern side.

Tribune spoke to Capital Secretariat Council Deputy Chairman Mazin Al Umran about the matter. He confirmed that the closure of the channel comes as part of implementing a private project of Bahrain Petroleum Company, Bapco.

Mr Al Umran denied the claims of the areas former municipal council member Radhi Aman, who had alleged that the project was being carried out without informing the public and the Capital Secretariat Council, earlier known as municipal council, wasnt aware of the project.
The Central Bank of Bahrain is in its efforts to bring new regulatory initiatives to promote a more competitive and open banking environment, according to the CBB governor.

To help Bahrain build on its progress towards becoming a modern financial hub, the Central Bank will introduce new regulatory initiatives, said Rasheed Mohammed Al Maraj, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain.

He made the comments as he delivered a speech at the opening of the BBK EmTech Summit and Expo held yesterday.

Organised by the BBK, in collaboration with Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF), the summit sheds light on the importance of Emerging Technologies (EmTech) and how they will impact the Bahrains economy.

The event is being held under the theme Technology that Changes the Paradigm.
An Iranian man recruited a Bahraini to collect his money obtained through selling shabu, the court heard.

The Iranian was allegedly sending stocks of shabu to Bahrain in boats and the accused Bahraini was in charge of selling the drugs and collecting money.

The Bahraini was arrested at the Bahrain International Airport while attempting to smuggle shabu weighing a kilogram into Bahrain by hiding it in an electric chair, according to Public Prosecution.

I was working for an Iran man, who was sending me shabu stocks through sea. He has so many distributors and I was one among them. I was collecting money after selling drugs for the Iranian. Once I received more than BD15,000 after selling one kg shabu to a Pakistani man, the accused told prosecutors.

I received the electric chair from someone in the UAE as I was tasked to deliver it to someone in Bahrain. But I was arrested at the Bahrain International Airport.

The defendant was handed down five years behind bars for attempting to smuggle shabu into Bahrain.
Three Asian men, aged 39, 43 and 45, have been sentenced to 10 years in prison each along with fines of BD100,000 each for collecting money illegally.

The trio are said to have raised a total amount of around BD300,000 from 22 different people in the period between 2013 and 2016, but they eventually cheated them.

According to court files, each victim paid an amount between BD2000 and BD35,000. The trio were reported to the Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security by the fraud victims. They were put on trial after it was found that they werent holding any licence from any authority to be eligible to raise funds for investment purposes.

It was found that the defendants were working at an electric shop. The High Criminal Court said that the defendants agreed between themselves to pocket the money collected from 22 victims without obtaining the required licence from the Industry, Commerce and Tourism Ministry as well as the Bahrain Central Bank.

The accused are at large and is believed to have fled the Kingdom. They were found guilty in absentia.
The High Criminal Court yesterday began its hearing in the case of Bahraini Hizbollah terrorist group, in which 169 men remain accused.

The organisation was formed after Iranian leaders issued orders to members of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to merge several Bahrain-based terrorist groups under one umbrella, namely the Bahraini Hizbollah, according to court details.

The groups that joined to form Bahraini Hizollah include Saraya Al Ashtar (Al Ashtar Brigades), Saraya Al Mukhtar (The Chosen Brigades) and Saraya Al Muqawama Al Shaabya (Popular Resistance Brigades).

An investigation into the terrorist network was completed by the Public Prosecution, which announced that 169 people have been identified as members of the organization.
Several top international speakers will converge on Kingdom for the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum & IT Expo 2018 which will be held on 7th & 8th this month at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Bahrain, announced organising committee. The forum, in its 9th edition, will cover a set of specialised sessions which will address Cloud Computing, Cyber-security, Blockchain technology, Data Analytics and Digital Transformation.

The event is held under the patronage of Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa - Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Information & Communication Technology. The first day will address the topic Cybersecurity & Privacy which will gather Larry D.Johnson, CyberSponse Chief Executive Officer, from the US. The session also includes the participation of IronNet Cybersecurity Vice President for Strategy & Partnerships Jamil N. Jaffer, Huawei Technologies Company Chief Security Officer Donald Purdy along with UKs ITC Secure Cybersecurity Director Arno Robbertse. The first day will also discuss the second track Digital Transformation Experience which covers regional and international experiences in this field.

On a local level, Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa - Minister of Justice & Islamic Affairs and Awqaf together with Zayed bin Rashed AlZayani - Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism  will discuss during a Ministerial Panel the digital transformation in the public sector Bahrain within the judicial and commercial sectors. The second day will focus on Operating on Cloud Computing which will uncover the true potentials of cloud computing, managing organizational change and culture impact during cloud transformation as well as highlight the role of the private sector in supporting the cloud.

Other topics for discussion include: Data Analytics: Opportunities & Trends and Blockchain: Emerging Trends. The final topic will cover aspects of the national framework to put Blockchain in action, public sector digital transformation using Blockchain and how Blockchain is revolutionizing business processes. Registration is closed for the forum sessions.
Part of a theme park based on the Moomin series of children's books is to open near Tokyo next month.

The park is under construction in a 240,000-square-meter forest by a lake in Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture.

The park is to fully open next March as the first facility of its kind outside Finland, the home country of the books' author Tove Jansson.

On Wednesday, local and Finnish officials gathered for a ceremony to mark the completion of the section opening on November 9th. It includes restaurants where visitors can enjoy Scandinavian cuisine with a view of the lake and forest. Shops selling Scandinavian souvenirs and food are also set to open at that time.

Hanno Mayor Masaru Okubo said the city will fully support the park, as he expects it will draw tourists from around the world.

A Finnish government official said Moomin characters have long connected Japan and Finland. The official expressed hope that the park will further strengthen their ties.
Police in Tokyo are looking for two men who injured three people with pepper spray in Ueno on Sept 29.

According to police, there were two incidents. In the first incident, a man in his 30s and a female acquaintance were sprayed at around 7:15 p.m., Fuji TV reported. The men accused the woman of being a prostitute before spraying the couple.

Four hours later, the two men were spotted again near the same area, this time spraying and injuring a man in his 20s who was walking with a woman.

Police are examining street surveillance camera footage to try and identify the men.
A 30-year-old man, who was at large for nearly seven weeks after escaping from a police station in Osaka Prefecture in mid-August, masqueraded as a cycle tourist, spun a web of lies and stole basic goods including clothes and a bicycle, investigative sources said Wednesday.

Junya Hida, from Osaka Prefecture, had told a 44-year-old Wakayama man with whom he was traveling by bicycle that he was also from Wakayama, they said.

Osaka police suspect Hida tried to befriend the man by saying they have the same hometown, and traveled along with him to avoid appearing like a lone fugitive.

The sources said Hida made his way to Shikoku Island after fleeing a police facility on Aug. 12, and met the Wakayama man in early September at a roadside station near the border of Ehime and Kagawa prefectures.

The two then likely traveled on their bicycles to Hiroshima Prefecture via an expressway connecting Ehime and Hiroshima prefectures, and moved west to Yamaguchi Prefecture, where they camped out at a roadside station in the town of Suo-Oshima for about a week starting Sept. 18.

When recaptured Saturday in Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Hida was not in possession of the clothes he was wearing when he escaped. He is believed to have gotten rid of them and stolen outfits and daily goods for use thereafter.

He was riding a bicycle that was stolen from Habikino, Osaka Prefecture, shortly after he fled, and had with him a tent, fishing gear, clothes, a cooking pot and seasoning.

At the roadside station in Suo-Oshima, Hida left a letter he had written to the manager saying that he will adefinitely accomplish the trip around Japana on his bicycle. The letter was signed with a name in kanji characters that can be read as aJunya Sakurai,a but using characters that differ from those of his real given name.

The manager said Hida arrived on his bike and slept in a tent while he stayed in the area around Sept. 18 to 26. He had attached a piece of paper that said acurrently traveling around Japana on his bag and posed for a photo taken by the manager.

On Friday, the day before he was recaptured at a roadside station in Shunan, a suntanned man wearing shades and a black hat who looks like Hida, was caught on surveillance camera stealing bread and other merchandise at another roadside station in a nearby town some 50 kilometers away.
As well as tending to other enslaved people, Kwasi treated Europeans for medical problems and earned a considerable amount of money from his medicines and cures.

He also used his influence to help the Dutch capture escaped Maroons  Africans who had escaped from slavery in the Americas and mixed with the indigenous people in new settlements there.

John Gabriel Stedman was a Scottish-Dutch mercenary who helped the Dutch hunt down freedom fighters in Suriname. After meeting Kwasi in 1777 he wrote:

'This African, by his insinuating temper and industry not only obtained his freedom from a state of slavery, but by his wonderful ingenuity and artful conduct found the means of procuring a very competent subsistence.

'Having got the name of a lockoman, or sorcerer, among the lower slaves, no crime of any consequence was committed, especially at the plantations, but Gramman Quacy, which signifies Great-man Quacy, was instantly sent for to discover the perpetrators, which he very seldom missed, owing, in fact to their faith in his sorceries [] and for these services, occasionally received capital rewards.'

For his services to the Dutch in helping to defeat Maroon rebellions, Kwasi was given a golden breastplate engraved with 'Quassie, faithful to the whites'.

He was also assigned the position of personal slave to the governor and later given his own freedom (in an act called manumission).

Knowledge and betrayal

Between the 1960s and 1990s anthropologists Richard and Sally Price worked with the Saramaka, one of several distinct Maroon communities in Suriname.

The Saramaka recall Kwasi in their oral histories as Kwasimukamba of Tjedu, which may have been his father's clan in Africa. He is remembered primarily as a traitor who gained medical knowledge from them, then led European soldiers into the forests.

According to their story, their then-chief cut off Kwasi's right ear.

Quassia Amara

Quassia amara - also known as amargo, bitter-ash, bitter-wood, or hombre grande (Spanish for big man) - is a small tree with elongated, bright red flowers. Quassin, a chemical derived from the plant, is one of nature's most bitter substances.

Kwasi was the first botanist to scientifically describe the medicinal plant, which was named after him by taxonomist Carl Linnaeus.
AS Governor Samuel Ortom gears up for the 2019 election following his victory at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship primary in Benue State, a coalition of civil society group has asked electorate in his state to reject him at the poll.This was even as it bemoaned the PDP for handing him the ticket,describing the decision as the worst one ever made by the party.The organization under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Society for Peace and Good Governance, insisted that the partys settlement for Governor Ortom as its candidate was not only laughable but also retrogressive.President of the group ,Barr Asongo Vincent,who stated this during a press conference in Makurdi, yesterday, insisted that the nomination of the Benue State governor by the PDP as it flag-bearer was the worst political decision of the century, saying the party would pay dearly for it.Reading a prepared text before newsmen, he asked: How can a party the people have come to trust so much as the hope for the common man in Benue descend so low to nominate such a liability with so much political, moral and spiritual baggages?Who did this to Benue State? He is governor who does not really care about the killing of his people but had to decamped to PDP just to weep political sentiments having failed to deliver dividends of democracy. If Governor Ortom truly cares, why is our roads this bad? If he cares, where are the schools? If he cares, why has he not paid the backlog of salaries? If Ortom truly cares, where are the hospitals? He added: When Benue people were being killed by herdsmen, the governor did not visit some of the communities until after two months?For us in the coalition,we are already collating signatures from concerning groups and in matters of days, we shall shot down all the headquarter of the three senatorial districts to remind Benue people of the many sins of Governor Ortom, who has consistently used the name of Most high God to short-change our people. we shall be reminding the Benue that Ortom is the real Miyetti Allah and the one who have been killing our people with poverty and hunger.
Senator Magnus Abe yesterday firmly rebuffed claims that he had crawled back to the minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi for political rehabilitation saying that he would never kneel down before him for political gain.Abe, who emerged governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC faction led by him spoke as the mainstream candidate of the party, Tonye Cole vowed to reconcile with all aggrieved members of the party ahead of the governorship election.Abes assertion followed claims on social media that he had sought rapprochement with Amaechi towards getting his return ticket to the Senate.Responding to the claims on his twitter handle yesterday, Senator Abe said, As a Christian, my knees are exclusively for the Almighty God. Those who fear God cannot kneel before man. Our struggle is based on our faith in God and His promise of freedom for the oppressed.I bought the form for Governor, and I am running for the office of Governor.and gentlemen, keep the faith and work hard. Our struggle has just begun and our day of Glory shall surely come.His assertion was reiterated by his spokesman, Parry Benson where he said that his focus was on the governorship of Rivers State and that insinuations of his plea for the Senate seat were meant to distract.Let it be on record that Senator Magnus Abe remains the governorship candidate of the APC in Rivers State following the mandate freely given to him by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during last Sundays gubernatorial primary election in the state.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused the President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Samson Ayokunle, of defending Ber...





The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused the President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Samson Ayokunle, of defending Berom Christians over the Dura-Du pond incident.





The body spoke in reaction to Ayokunles comment after the car of a missing retired general, Idris Alkali, was found at the bottom of the pond by the army.





In a press statement signed by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, MURIC on Wednesday, said CAN president failed to condemn Berom Christian terrorists, who it alleged knew about how the car submerged.





It reads: Why cant CAN condemn Berom terrorists the same way that Muslims condemned Boko Haram? Nigerian Muslims washed their hands off Boko Haram terrorists even when they attacked Christians. We did not wait until they attacked Muslims before condemning them.





But CAN president wants to pamper Berom Christian terrorists even when it is evident that they have been responsible for the killing of hundreds of their Muslim neighbours and other Muslims and Fulanis who were mere travelers passing through the axis.





Nigerian security agencies were able to encircle Boko Haram terrorists and they were able to restrict their activities to a small area within Borno because Nigerian Muslims wasted no time in denouncing and disowning them. For failing to condemn Berom terrorists, CAN president may be nurturing a killing machine. Berom terrorists are capable of growing into a more vicious terrorist group whose deadly tentacles will spread to all nooks and cranies of Nigeria.









CAN president is joining forces with Berom women who protested that soldiers should not come near the pond. The women lied that it was their only source of drinking water when there are more than thirty similar ponds around the vicinity. When that failed to stop the soldiers, they tried the superstition angle claiming that strange deaths would start to occur in the community if the pond was drained but this is a community of Christians, not one filled with idol worshippers.





What has CAN president said about the missing general? What has he to say about the generals car that was found right at the bottom of the same pond where the wives of terrorists protested deceptively? What of the other four cars that were found inside the same pond? What do the findings mean to him?





Furthermore, Ayodele was quick to condemn the action of security agents but found it difficult to condemn the Berom Christian terrorists who perpetrated the atrocity. It is double standard of the highest order. We are stupefied.





To add salt to injury, CAN president referred to the missing general as a missing ex-soldier. That is an unforgivable understatement. Ayokunle should know that General Alkali (rtd) is more than an ordinary ex-soldier. This is a whole army general for crying out loud and he dismisses him as a missing ex-soldier. General Alkali was the Chief of Administration in the Nigerian Army up till the time of his retirement. We take exception to this attempt to trivialize the issue.





Afterall, we know how CAN regularly mobilizes retired Christian army officers to intimidate the entire nation. While we find no need to do the same thing with retired Muslim officers, we are worried that the CAN president attempted to equate the general with an ordinary recruit.




Ahead of Saturdays national convention, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has concluded plans to commit all its presidential aspirants in the 2019 general elections to a bond, in what appears a move to stem possible post-convention crisis.The bond, expected to be signed this week, was arrived at, following the resolution at the partys 82nd National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting last week that all aspirants should unite behind the presidential flag bearer after Saturdays convention in Port Harcourt.In a chat with National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, the party stated that despite the plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to infiltrate its ranks during the convention, it would emerge from the exercise a more united platform determined to win power at the centre in 2019.He added that more than anything else, the aspirants were heading to the convention in confident mood, stressing, however, that they were aware that only one of them will emerge the candidate at the end of the day.He said: Our resolve to conduct a free, fair, credible and acceptable convention is total and the party is fully committed to this.This week, all the presidential aspirants will sign a bond not only to accept the outcome of the process but also to support whoever emerges winner of the ticket.The PDP has the experience, the capacity and focus to restore our peoples confidence in this nation, having witnessed more than three and a half years of unfulfilled promises by the APC-led government.
Shortly after Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, addressed a press conference, where he conceded defeat and congratulated Jide San...

So Governor Ambode has finally accepted defeat. Congratulated Sanwo-olu and says APC is a great party.



Issorite. So How will he now convince Lagosians to vote and support a man he said was mental patient and was spending fake dollars?  fy (@nnekei) October 3, 2018

Im just curious as to how Governor Ambode is going to Campaign with Sanwo-Olu and Convince us to Vote for someone that was Spending Fake Dollars and isnt mentally stable  Damilare.E.Lawal (@DamilareELawal) October 3, 2018

What this Governor Ambode congratulatory speech to Babajide Sanwo-Olu means is; At the end of the day, godfatherism will always prevail over everything.  WunderKid (@Wunderkid__) October 3, 2018

Many are concerned how Governor Ambode will campaign for the same Babajide Sanwo-olu he attacked during a press conference.



The life we live is transient and the spoils of war aren't worth keeping.

He'll work and wholeheartedly support the APC.  #WeWillBeOkOneDay (@adahfact) October 3, 2018

So Governor Ambode finally concedes defeat, congratulates the winner of the APC primaries, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and is also ready to work with him,ok so he's now going to campaign for the fake dollar spender and someone that he said isnt 'mentally fit' to govern us,i seeeee  TOLUWALASE (FCA) (@firstclassjerry) October 3, 2018

I pray and wish God did a miracle and make Ambode the Governor of Lagos State come 2019, I will like to see where Dr Idiat Adebule, Governor Ambode's Deputy who badly betrayed him will hide her face. "Eyele ba onile je, ba onile mu" but left him in his days of troubles.  OONI OF ABUJA  (@Deji_OoniAbj) October 3, 2018





Governor Ambode lost the APC primaries to BabaJide Sanwo-OLU in what may be seen as a controversial primaries.



The real Question is what does Lagos state hv against Ambode? How a sitting Governor lost a party primary with an Underwhelming minority vote remains rather puzzling.Governor Ambode lost the APC primaries to BabaJide Sanwo-OLU in what may be seen as a controversial primaries.The real Question is what does Lagos state hv against Ambode? pic.twitter.com/xBtCbtylcs October 3, 2018

Shortly after Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, addressed a press conference, where he conceded defeat and congratulated Jide Sanwo-Olu, his opponent in the states All Progressives Congress governorship primary election that held on Tuesday, some Nigerians on social media have been reacting.While some Twitter users commended the governor for his calm approach, some wondered how the matter degenerated thus far and others wondered how he would sell the APC governorship candidate to Lagosians, considering the things he had said about it.On Sunday, during another conference, Ambode had alleged that Sanwo-Olu was once arrested in the US for spending fake dollars in a nightclub. He also claimed Sanwo-Olu had been rehabilitated at the Gbagada General Hospital. He said that these allegations made him unfit to govern the state.Some reactions below...
Kabir Marafa, senator representing Zamfara central, has accused Abdulaziz Yari, governor of the state, of being responsible for the vi...





Kabir Marafa, senator representing Zamfara central, has accused Abdulaziz Yari, governor of the state, of being responsible for the violence in the governorship primary.





Many were reportedly injured during the exercise while election materials were allegedly snatched by the state government officials.





Thereafter, Abubakar Faki, chairman of the election committee, cancelled the exercise.





In a statement on Thursday, Yekini Nabena, acting spokesman of the APC, said a new date will soon be announced.





The Prof. Abubakar Faki-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Zamfara state governorship primary committee has announced the cancellation of the primaries held in the state due to election malpractices including snatching of election materials and result sheets by the states government officials which were taken to the government house, Gusau, the statement read.





The process was also marred by violence. Subsequently, the partys national working committee (NWC) has approved the cancellation of the governorship primaries. A new date will be announced soonest.





Reacting, Marafa said Yari set the state on fire in a bid to subvert the peoples will.





The senator said shortly after the distribution of election materials, agents of aspirants raised the alarm that the available ballot papers were not up to 10 percent of the registered party members in their wards.





He said it was agreed that option A4 would be adopted after Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of APC, spoke with all the aspirants.





Yari set the state on fire just to perfect his plot to upturn the peoples will and impose on them stooges with the sole aim of continuing with his misrule through proxies after May 29, 2019, the senator said in a statement.





The chairman called, chief Adams Oshiomhole spoke individually with all the aspirants, in the end all the aspirants agreed that the ballot papers should be set aside and direct method of people queuing behind the candidate of their choice be adopted.





It is pertinent to mention here that governors candidate lost in all the wards where elections held. I was leading in all the wards.





Hours after the cancellation desperate governor Yari went on air to announce that election will continue today (Thursday) without even condoling and sympathizing with the families of the deceased and the injured persons.




President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The meeting, holding a...





President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC).





The meeting, holding at the presidential villa, Abuja, is believed to be regarding the partys controversial primary elections.





The party had conducted governorship and senatorial elections across the states but the exercise was riddled with controversies, leading to its cancellation in states like Imo and Zamfara.





The decision to offer automatic ticket to some lawmakers did not go down well with some governors.





The president had on Wednesday night met with Rotimi Akeredolu and Nasir el-Rufai, governors of Ondo and Kaduna states respectively, over the same matter.





Uba Sani, el-Rufai preferred candidate for Kaduna central senatorial district, was disqualified by the national working committee (NWC) of the party while Shehu Sani, who has a running battle with the governor, was given automatic ticket.





In Ondo, Tunji Abayomi, an associate of Akeredolu was screened out while Ajayi Borrofice, who is not on the same page with the governor, was given an automatic ticket to return to the senate.





Akeredolu had described the NWC action as unconstitutional, saying the committee declared war on the APC.





Among the governors at the ongoing meeting are Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun).





In Zamfara, the NWC panel cancelled the primary following violence involving aspirants and some state government officials.





Kabi Marafa, a senator who is among the aspirants, had accused the governor of setting the state on fire.





In Imo, Okorocha suffered setback in his bid to make Uche Nwosu, his son-in-law clinch the APC ticket for the 2019 election.




A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in Ogun State and a close associate of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Fe...

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in Ogun State and a close associate of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Femi Majekodunmi, on Thursday resigned his membership from the party with immediate effect.





Majekodunmi in a release he personally signed, said he was leaving ADC to return back to his former political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).





He also disclosed that he has withdrawn from the Ogun Central senatorial race under the platform of the ADC.





Majekodunmi added that as a mark of respect to Governor Ibikunle Amosun, he is fully back to the APC from his ward in Abeokuta South Local Government.





He said, My loyalty is now fully with APC. I hereby confirm that there is no more divided loyalty and will henceforth fully resume my activities in APC, starting from my Ward 1, Abeokuta South. 





According to him, he took the decision to return back to the APC after due consultations with his family members, relations and political associates within Ogun State and all over the country, stating that he has no regrets serving as a member of the ADC.





Majekodunmi who served as Caretaker Chairman of ADC in Oyo State, maintained that his return back to the APC was the best decision he could take at the present time and not for selfish interest, noting that the party is more poised to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Ogun State.





He said, After due consultations with my immediate family, political leaders and teeming supporters across the length and breadth of Ogun State and all over the country, I have decided to resign my membership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and return back to the All Progressives Congress (APC).





This decision is the best I could take at the moment given the political situation in our dear state, Ogun State. Indeed, it was in the best interest of the people of the state as I believe that for now it is the APC that is in better position to continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.




The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said all presidential aspirants on its platform will sign a bond, ahead of Saturdays National ...





The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said all presidential aspirants on its platform will sign a bond, ahead of Saturdays National Convention in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.





PDP explained that the move was aimed at ensuring that all aspirants accept the outcome of the poll.





Speaking with Vanguard, the spokesperson of the opposition party, Kola Ologbondiyan said the signing of the bond would stem a possible post-convention crisis.





Ologbondiyan also alleged that despite the plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to infiltrate its ranks during the convention, it would emerge from the exercise a more united platform determined to win power at the center in 2019.





He said: Our resolve to conduct a free, fair, credible and acceptable convention is total and the party is fully committed to this.





This week, all the presidential aspirants will sign a bond not only to accept the outcome of the process but also to support whoever emerges winner of the ticket.




Senator from Delta Central Senatorial District, Ovie Omo-Agege, has rubbished his alleged suspension by the state chapter of the All P...





Senator from Delta Central Senatorial District, Ovie Omo-Agege, has rubbished his alleged suspension by the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC.





Omo-Agege described as senseless and laughable his suspension over alleged anti-party activities.





In a statement by his aide, Efe Duku, the lawmaker said the action appears to be an irredeemable descent to extreme irresponsibility.





The statement reads, It is senseless, laughable and speaks to what appears to be an irredeemable descent to extreme irresponsibility.





A man just woke up and printed what he called APC ballot materials for himself.





Our party the APC could never and indeed did not authorize this act of impunity and obvious criminality.





Also, without approval, this same man included the photograph of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege on these his private ballot materials.





Not done, he then proceeded to conduct what he called a senatorial primary election for himself and declared himself a winner.





Meanwhile, whilst he was engrossed in this lawlessness of a so-called senatorial primary election, he did not know that the National Working Committee, NWC, of the APC had actually postponed its senatorial primaries nationwide to the next day.





That is to say, this mans voyage of impunity and extreme irresponsibility was just a waste of time, though a serious offense.





We are aware that the State Working Committee, SWC, of the Delta APC viewed these acts as a gross violation of the partys constitution and accordingly acted to punish this man by expelling him.





Very sadly, this man is our dear brother, Olorogun Otega Emerhor who had been enjoying singing his own political death song for some time now.





Clearly, the SWC acted entirely on its own. But from nowhere, one strange gang that gleefully calls itself Ogodo faction sprang up to declare that it has expelled the Most Distinguished Senator Ovie Omo-Agege from APC.





Now, tell me if the whole matter is not laughable? What is the business of Senator Omo-Agege with an adults decision to act below kindergarten level?





We advise Emerhor to leave our Senator alone. We are celebrating his todays overwhelming election victory as APCs senatorial candidate in the forthcoming general elections.




The Election Petition Tribunal constituted to hear the petitions arising from the Osun State governorship election has granted an ex parte order to Senator Ademola Adeleke, restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from altering election results as well as information contained in the card reader machines and other documents used for the poll.The tribunal, headed by Justice T.A. Igoche, which also has Justice P. A. Obayi as member, granted this order in Osogbo on Thursday during its sitting before the commencement of pre-hearing session.Adeleke, who was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party had, through his counsel, Mr. Nathaniel Oke (SAN), filed an ex parte application seeking leave of the tribunal to file the application before the pre-hearing session.The applicant also sought leave of the tribunal to inspect and obtain certified true copies of electoral documents and materials in the custody of INEC; an order to conduct physical inspection and verification of electoral materials and machines, as well as used and unused ballots, among others.Adeleke also applied for an order to compel the INEC to produce and print out list of permanent voter card distribution statistics per polling units and an order restraining INEC from altering extracted information from card readers, election results from polling unit level to state level, as well as ballot papers used for the conduct of the governorship election in Osun State.Adeleke predicated his application on the grounds that he was the candidate that contested the election held on September 22, 2018 and the re-run election held on September 27, 2018 on the platform of PDP.Other grounds of the application are:  That the total votes won by the 1st applicant on the 22nd day of September, 2018 was 245,698 while the 1st respondent scored 245,345.That the 1st applicant was the winner of the election and ought to have been so declared by the 3rd respondent ( INEC). That the 3rd respondent declared the election inconclusive hence a rerun was conducted on the 27th day of September 2018. That the rerun election was marred by electoral violence, vote-buying, stuffing of ballot papers, multiple thumb-printing and voting and allocation of votes by the 3rd respondent. That by the total actual and valid votes cast on the 22nd and 27th days of September 2018 respectively, the elections were won by the applicants.That an examination of the electoral documents and election materials in the custody of the 3rd respondent is required to determine the actual facts and records of the elections to maintain this petition.That the 3rd respondent wrongfully declared and returned the 1st respondent as being duly elected and winner of the governorship election, Osun State held on 22nd day of September 2018 and the rerun election held on 27th day of September 2018 respectively.The 1st and 2nd applicants are dissatisfied with the said result of the election as announced by the returning officer of the governorship election, Osun State. That instant allocation is required for the purpose of instituting and maintaining the petition.The panel, having listening to the application moved by Adelekes counsel held in their ruling that the allocation had merit and granted the all,I cation as prayed.Igoche, who read the ruling said, We are of the view that the application has merit.mwe ahead by grant the application as prayed.Addressing the fear raised by the applicant that INEC might not respect the tribunals order except they were armed with a certified true copy of the order, Igoche said there was nothing stopping the panel from issuing the order to the applicant on the same day.There was heavy presence of armed policemen and operatives of the Department of State Service on the court presides and outside the court as security operatives were deployed to prevent destruction of the proceedings at the tribunal.Those going into the court premises were frisked by policemen from the police anti-bomb unit while vehicles were also thoroughly searched to prevent hoodlums from smuggling weapons into the place.
A meeting of President Muhammadu Buhari with nine Governors who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) just ended at the V...





A meeting of President Muhammadu Buhari with nine Governors who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) just ended at the Villa with the governors insisting that the right thing must be done.

The governors namely Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Rochas Okorocha (imo), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Sani Bello (Niger), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), and Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa) met for about two hours over the ongoing primaries of the APC.





The meeting which started around 12noon ended by 1.30pm. The Governors have since left the Villa.

Speaking to state House Correspondent, chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Rochas Okorocha said the meeting was held over the hiccups trailing the primaries of their party.





He said the meeting was to find solutions to the crisis trailing the primaries in states.





 We came to review the various crises characterizing our primaries especially the APC with a view to finding solution.





 So, we are looking for a way out in this regard. We are going to find solution, our party believes in justice, equity and fairness.




04/10/2018 - An innovative international co-operation initiative that deploys qualified experts in developing countries to strengthen their ability to effectively tax multinational enterprises has achieved significant milestones over the past year, according to a new annual report.

Tax Inspectors Without Borders, a joint initiative of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is boosting domestic revenue mobilisation by improving tax auditing and tightening compliance efforts across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Increased tax revenues directly attributable to TIWB programmes and TIWB-style support as of April 2018 are estimated at USD 414 million, according to the report, which documents activities over the second full year of operations under the OECD/UNDP partnership arrangements.

Revenues raised have been about 100 times programme costs, meaning every US dollar spent on TIWB brings in USD 100 in additional tax revenues.

TIWB has fully completed 10 programmes, while 34 programmes are ongoing and a further 20 are in the pipeline. TIWB is on track to meet its goal of delivering 100 deployments of tax auditor experts to developing countries by 2020.

Eleven countries have deployed their serving tax officials to provide hands-on, learning-by-doing assistance to auditors in developing countries. New South-South opportunites are being identified, with India, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa among those now offering expertise.

TIWB programmes are driven by the needs of host administrations and cover a range of technical issues and industry sectors.Current programmes specialise in risk-based audit case selection, audit processes and negotiation of advance pricing arrangements. Audits under TIWB programmes mainly deal with different issues of transfer pricing and international taxation, including permanent establishment, validation of management and service fees and the valuation of intellectual property.

Audits cover a cross-section of industry sectors including agriculture, construction, financial services, information technology and communications, hospitality, manufacturing and mining.

"Tax Inspectors Without Borders is delivering excellent value for money, and while the immediate impact on revenues is important, we are even more excited about the long-term positive outcomes," said TIWB Head of Secretariat James Karanja. "The transfer of skills now underway is driving organisational change in tax authorities worldwide, which will prompt much great taxpayer compliance in the future. We are developing a model for systemic change that puts developing countries in the driver's seat for better using taxation to raise the revenues so badly needed for economic and social development."

The TIWB annual report is available in English, French and Spanish.

For further information, please contact the TIWB Secretariat, Lawrence Speer in the OECD Media Office (+33 1 45 24 79 70), or Sangita Khadka at UNDP (+1 212 906 5043).

Register for a live webinar at 17:00 CEST (4 October) where the TIWB Secretariat will present the Annual Report 2017/18 and answer questions from participants.

Follow TIWB on Twitter: @TIWB_News
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A file photo of Chinese sniper Chen Jiawei. [Photo/VCG]

BEIJING, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- China will hold an international sniping competition on the outskirts of Beijing from Oct. 18 to 22, according to the Ministry of National Defense.

The competition will be hosted by Chinese armed police forces and contestants from member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and countries along the Belt and Road will be invited, according to ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang.

Ren said the competition consists of 12 major events including close-range sniping, hostage rescue and comprehensive combat.

This is the second such competition hosted by Chinese armed police forces. The first was held in 2016 and attracted snipers from 15 countries.
Bloomberg Businessweek has published an explosive report about "The Big Hack," how China used a tiny chip to infiltrate America's top companies. It goes on newsstands on October 8.

Bloomberg Businessweek: "In 2015, Amazon.com Inc. began quietly evaluating a startup called Elemental Technologies, a potential acquisition to help with a major expansion of its streaming video service, known today as Amazon Prime Video. Based in Portland, Ore., Elemental made software for compressing massive video files and formatting them for different devices. Its technology had helped stream the Olympic Games online, communicate with the International Space Station, and funnel drone footage to the Central Intelligence Agency. Elemental's national security contracts weren't the main reason for the proposed acquisition, but they fit nicely with Amazon's government businesses, such as the highly secure cloud that Amazon Web Services (AWS) was building for the CIA.

To help with due diligence, AWS, which was overseeing the prospective acquisition, hired a third-party company to scrutinize Elemental's security, according to one person familiar with the process. The first pass uncovered troubling issues, prompting AWS to take a closer look at Elemental's main product: the expensive servers that customers installed in their networks to handle the video compression. These servers were assembled for Elemental by Super Micro Computer Inc., a San Jose-based company (commonly known as Supermicro) that's also one of the world's biggest suppliers of server motherboards, the fiberglass-mounted clusters of chips and capacitors that act as the neurons of data centers large and small. In late spring of 2015, Elemental's staff boxed up several servers and sent them to Ontario, Canada, for the third-party security company to test, the person says.

Nested on the servers' motherboards, the testers found a tiny microchip, not much bigger than a grain of rice, that wasn't part of the boards' original design. Amazon reported the discovery to U.S. authorities, sending a shudder through the intelligence community. Elemental's servers could be found in Department of Defense data centers, the CIA's drone operations, and the onboard networks of Navy warships. And Elemental was just one of hundreds of Supermicro customers.

During the ensuing top-secret probe, which remains open more than three years later, investigators determined that the chips allowed the attackers to create a stealth doorway into any network that included the altered machines. Multiple people familiar with the matter say investigators found that the chips had been inserted at factories run by manufacturing subcontractors in China.

This attack was something graver than the software-based incidents the world has grown accustomed to seeing. Hardware hacks are more difficult to pull off and potentially more devastating, promising the kind of long-term, stealth access that spy agencies are willing to invest millions of dollars and many years to get."





(CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

In Respect to Apple

Bloomberg Businessweek: "One country in particular that has an advantage executing this kind of sophisticated attack is China, which by some estimates makes 75 percent of the world's mobile phones and 90 percent of its PCs.

Still, to actually accomplish a seeding attack would mean developing a deep understanding of a product's design, manipulating components at the factory, and ensuring that the doctored devices made it through the global logistics chain to the desired locationa feat akin to throwing a stick in the Yangtze River upstream from Shanghai and ensuring that it washes ashore in Seattle.

Joe Grand, a hardware hacker and the founder of Grand Idea Studio Inc: 'Having a well-done, nation-state-level hardware implant surface would be like witnessing a unicorn jumping over a rainbow. Hardware is just so far off the radar, it's almost treated like black magic.'

But that's just what U.S. investigators found: The chips had been inserted during the manufacturing process, two officials say, by operatives from a unit of the People's Liberation Army. In Supermicro, China's spies appear to have found a perfect conduit for what U.S. officials now describe as the most significant supply chain attack known to have been carried out against American companies.

One official says investigators found that it eventually affected almost 30 companies, including a major bank, government contractors, and the world's most valuable company, Apple Inc. Apple was an important Supermicro customer and had planned to order more than 30,000 of its servers in two years for a new global network of data centers.

Three senior insiders at Apple say that in the summer of 2015, it, too, found malicious chips on Supermicro motherboards. Apple severed ties with Supermicro the following year, for what it described as unrelated reasons.

An email statement from Apple denies the report by stating "On this we can be very clear: Apple has never found malicious chips, 'hardware manipulations' or vulnerabilities purposely planted in any server.'

Yet the Bloomberg report added that "In addition to the three Apple insiders, four of the six U.S. officials confirmed that Apple was a victim. In all, 17 people confirmed the manipulation of Supermicro's hardware and other elements of the attacks. The sources were granted anonymity because of the sensitive, and in some cases classified, nature of the information.

Further, Bloomberg noted that "Apple made its discovery of suspicious chips inside Supermicro servers around May 2015, after detecting odd network activity and firmware problems, according to a person familiar with the timeline. Two of the senior Apple insiders say the company reported the incident to the FBI but kept details about what it had detected tightly held, even internally."

In addition, Bloomberg's report stated that "Apple, for its part, has used Supermicro hardware in its data centers sporadically for years, but the relationship intensified after 2013, when Apple acquired a startup called Topsy Labs, which created superfast technology for indexing and searching vast troves of internet content. By 2014, the startup was put to work building small data centers in or near major global cities. This project, known internally as Ledbelly, was designed to make the search function for Apple's voice assistant, Siri, faster, according to the three senior Apple insiders.

Documents seen by Businessweek show that in 2014, Apple planned to order more than 6,000 Supermicro servers for installation in 17 locations, including Amsterdam, Chicago, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York, San Jose, Singapore, and Tokyo, plus 4,000 servers for its existing North Carolina and Oregon data centers. Those orders were supposed to double, to 20,000, by 2015. Ledbelly made Apple an important Supermicro customer at the exact same time the PLA was found to be manipulating the vendor's hardware."

Explosive stories like this don't come around often so be sure to read the full Bloomberg Businessweek report here when you have the time.

Although Apple has denied the story, the facts as presented by Bloomberg Businessweek would make it that Apple is in denial. Apple prides itself on privacy issues and protecting their customer data, so admitting to the events as laid out in Businessweek report would be damaging to their image.

Yet Apple is standing fast telling CNBC: "We are deeply disappointed that in their dealings with us, Bloomberg's reporters have not been open to the possibility that they or their sources might be wrong or misinformed. Our best guess is that they are confusing their story with a previously reported 2016 incident in which we discovered an infected driver on a single Super Micro server in one of our labs. That one-time event was determined to be accidental and not a targeted attack against Apple."

UPDATE: See our new report posted at 5:35 pm 10/4/2018 titled "Apple Fires out an Official Press Release to Debunk "The Big Hack" Story Posted today by Bloomberg-Businessweek" http://bit.ly/2Pc2kT2




Religious fervor erupted in Spain in 1492 when the Spanish Kingdoms were united under the Catholics monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, the last Muslim caliphate of Granada was defeated leading to the expulsion of the Moors after 800 years of conquest, and Christopher Columbus claimed a whole new continent for the crown. Fifteenth-century Spaniards undoubtedly saw the hand of God at work in these significant events. As the reconquest of Spain concluded and reestablished Christianity in the whole peninsula after centuries, they firmly believed God had provided new lands to conquer and new peoples to evangelize.

This religious fervor prompted countless men and women to willing leave everything behind to spread the Gospel in distant lands. For centuries, Spain provided missionaries to serve throughout the globe, including all the priests at my local childhood parish in Peru. Among the fifteenth-century missionaries was Friar Pedro de Corpa, ordained in 1584 in Castille, Spain, he volunteered in 1587 along with eleven friars to evangelize the New World in the Province of La Florida. The friars first traveled to La Havana, Cuba, and then continued on a six day journey to Saint Augustine, Florida. Friar Pedro worked at a mission near Saint Augustine until twelve more friars arrived, freeing him and others to evangelize farther north. It is unknown when exactly he arrived to the Mission of Tolomato (located north of present day Darien, Georgia), but his assignment there was significant since it was the main city of the Guale people, and its chief was considered the principal leader of the Guale.

Historians recount that the friars sent to the approximately 3,000 Guale came in peace and willing to accommodate. The friars respected traditional power hierarchies and made cultural allowances in the practice of the faith. The barefoot missionaries to the Guale were sent without soldiers, and were welcomed by the natives.

A poem written by Friar Alonso Escobedo in the early 1600s described Friar Pedro emphasizing his life of poverty, chastity and obedience. Escobedo wrote: I and the people who accompanied him to the land where we lived together are witnesses of his sanctity. Poverty was his favorite virtue. He admired the chaste and holy angelic choir and he was submissive to his bishop or superior, always demonstrating his obedience by quickly obeying all orders. Being a wise and holy man, the love of God burned in his heart, and by means of prayer, abstinence and self-discipline he gave good example to the Indians of the West (New World) whom he strove to convert.

This last September 14th marked the 421st anniversary of the martyrdom of Friar Pedro de Corpa and his four companion friars Blas, Miguel, Antonio, and Francisco. These men died during their mission to the Guale of Coastal Georgia as martyrs for defending the Churchs teaching on marriage when a baptized native chief wished to take a second wife. As the Diocese of Savannah advances the cause for their beatification, we remember their heroic virtue and courage in defending the faith. We remember and hope to imitate their zeal for souls. We admire the detachment they demonstrated by leaving behind everything that was familiar in the Old World for the sake of the Gospel. We pray that the sacrifice of self these Servants of God offered may be officially recognized by the Church and we may called them blessed among the saints.

Visit: www.thegeorgiamartyrs.org
Hyundai and its affiliate Kia's combined sales are expected to surpass 1 million cars in Europe, the carmakers said on Wednesday.

They sold some 715,050 units in the first eight months of this year, an 8 percent on-year increase from the same period last year. At this rate, they are likely to hit the 10-million milestone in annual sales for the first time in Europe, making it the third market in which they will have achieved the feat, after the U.S. and China.

Hyundai made an inroad into the European market by exporting the first-ever Korean sedan, the Pony, to Greece in 1977.

Hyundai and Kia have shown steady growth in Europe, with a market share of 6.4 percent this year, up from 3.4 percent some 10 years ago. They ranked fifth there in overall sales, and took the top spot among non-European carmakers like Ford, Nissan and Toyota.
President Akufo-Addo has stated that the rationalisation of the banking sector by his government, has ensured that deposits of 1,147,366 Ghanaians were saved.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the new Standard Chartered Head Office on Wednesday, 3rd October, 2018, President Akufo-Addo added that his administration assumed the reins of office in January 2017, with the countrys banking sector in deep trouble.



According to him, some banks were saddled with high non-performing loans, $2.4 billion energy sector legacy debts, and were also thinly capitalised, and as such, were unable to underwrite big ticket transactions.



With time, even more toxic problems emerged, such as systemic widespread abuse, poor, irresponsible governance practices, liquidity challenges, circumvention of banking laws, all with the apparent complicity of some high-ranking officials of the Bank of Ghana, the President said.



He continued, There were situations where directors of banks took depositors monies, lent those monies to themselves or to their own businesses, and failed to pay back. This led to liquidity challenges and the inability of these banks to pay back when the depositors came calling.



The President noted that the banks, caught up in these malpractices, became insolvent and relied on liquidity support from the Bank of Ghana.



What this meant was that, President Akufo-Addo explained, without injection of liquidity from the Bank of Ghana, these were bound to fail and collapse, with depositors losing their entire savings, and all their workers losing their jobs.





The intervention of his government and the Bank of Ghana, the President said, prevented a banking crisis, with GH12.7 billion of public funds, made up of an GH8 billion bond issued by the Ministry of Finance, and GH4.7 billion of liquidity support from the Bank of Ghana, being injected into the seven banks that failed.



These measures saved not only the deposits of one million, one hundred and forty-seven thousand, three hundred and sixty-six (1,147,366) Ghanaians and their businesses and the people they employed, but also minimised job losses in the banking sector, he added.



President Akufo-Addo reiterated that the rationalisation and clean-up of the financial sector were necessary to safeguard the health and strength of the economy.



I have said it before, and let me reiterate, that those responsible for the sequence of activities that led to the crisis will face the full brunt of the law, if they are found to have broken the law, and suffer all the consequences prescribed by law, the President stressed.



Speaking on the role of the banking sector to the progress and prosperity of the country, the President noted that when banks do not become mere profit-making enterprises, but see themselves as partners with Government actively to build a healthy and stronger economy, then we would be making significant progress.



He indicated that the perennial problems of the slowdown in credit to the private sector, high bank lending rates, and financial exclusion continue to be matters of great concern to Government and are being addressed.



Firstly, the President noted that the introduction of the National Financial Inclusion and Development Strategy (NFIDS), which is currently before Cabinet, should help increase the penetration of financial services from 58% in 2013 to some 85% by 2023.



Secondly, government, he added, is working with financial institutions and regulators to promote digital finance, mobile money usage, and formalise the Ghanaian economy.



With mobile money penetration in Ghana being the second in Africa, and, with reforms to payment systems, the President was hopeful that Ghana would have a strong competitive edge in the region for financial innovation and access to credit.



The introduction of the mobile money interoperability platform, launched in May this year, resulted in GH12.5 million worth of transactions within the first month alone. Currently, mobile money transactions are worth GH155.8 billion, up from GH78.5 billion in December 2016, representing an increase of 98.5%. We are moving our countrys payment systems from being a pre-dominantly cash-based one to an electronic one, he added.

Source: Daily Graphic









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The Asantehene has called for the enactment of a new law that will prevent present and former governors of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) from establishing their banks in the country.



Otumfuo Osei Tutu II explained that the current system whereby former and present governors of the BOG are allowed to establish their own financial institutions clearly amounts to a conflict of interest situation.



You cannot be a regulator and player at the same time, therefore there should be a fresh law that will strictly forbid present and former governors of the BoG from establishing their own banks in the country.



We have some examples to give when it comes to present and former governors of the Bank of Ghana establishing banking institutions in the country, and so I am calling for a law to prevent such thing from happening.



Otumfuo Osei Tutu II disclosed this in a speech read on his behalf by the Akomferehene Oheneba Akwasi Abayie during the inauguration of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) Data Centre at Ahinsan in Kumasi on Friday.



The previous Asantehene gave the land to BoG in 1988, and management in 2016 contracted STL to construct a state-of-the-art three-storey Data Centre and Disaster Recovery Site to help boost its operations.



Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said there is no country in the world where people who occupy sensitive positions similar to that of the governor of the BoG are allowed to establish their banks.



Governor of the BoG, Dr. Ernest Addison, who was the guest speaker, said the inauguration of the Data Center and Disaster Recovery Site would significantly help to improve the operations of the Central Bank in the coming years.



He announced that BoG, as part of its corporate social responsibility, would build a bridge over the Susan River and also rehabilitate the bad road that leads to the centre at Ahinsan soon.



The Governor of the BoG recounted the various initiatives that his outfit has instituted over the years, especially in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), adding that the Data Centre would help BoG to address the numerous problems.



Michael Anyamesem, Ashanti Regional Manager, BoG, commended the Asantehene for the vital role that he played in the eviction of squatters from the land at Ahinsan to pave way for the execution of the project.



The ultramodern facility, which is the first of its kind in the country, boasts of security gadgets, CCTV and WIFI, among others, to enhance the operations of BoG.

Source: Daily Guide









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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) minority in parliament has warned the inspector-general of police and for that matter the Ghana Police Service that they will resist any attempt by the police to intimidate NDC MPs on some frivolous issues.



The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, gave the warning yesterday in parliament after the police were said to have gone to the house of the NDC MP for Asutifi South, Collins Dauda, on Tuesday in Accra to effect his arrest for allegedly sending macho men to his constituency in the Brong-Ahafo Region to intimidate and prevent new voters from being registered under the electoral commissions limited registration exercise in the constituency.



The minority leader fumed at the Rambo-style of arrest of the NDC MP who ought to have been accorded his parliamentary immunity and privileges as captured under the 1992 Constitution.



We know we are all not above the law but the constitution gives some form of privileges and immunity to MPs and therefore those privileges ought to be respected by the law enforcement agencies, Haruna Iddrisu said, adding that the minority members of parliament will not allow themselves to be intimidated by the police.



We are not cowards and that should be made clear, the minority leader stated. He therefore asked the police to stop any planned harassment of the minority members because such attempt would be fiercely resisted.



He wondered why members of the vigilante groups of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) who went to scandalize the court by attacking judges are still walking as free people.



On the floor of the House, the Speaker Prof. Mike Oquaye also condemned the police action and said that if the police wanted to interrogate any member of parliament there were processes to follow.



He said the speaker needs to be informed formally through a correspondence and then the leadership would also be informed about the intention of the police to invite an MP for interrogation before the MP could be released for such interrogation.



We dont want any Rambo-style of arrest of MPs by the police, the speaker added.

Source: Daily Guide









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Solomon Quainoo, a Ghanaian Captain who flies Airbus A380 on a historic journey from Dubai to Accra made his flight announcement in Twi.



With a recent trending video of him speaking Twi during his broadcast, Captain Quainoo assured passengers on board their comfortability and security.



Captain Quainoo, a holder of a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Physics and Geology from the University of Ghana, proceeded to Kingston University in London for a Master of Engineering degree in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering.



He got a job with British Airways as a Material Agent/Design Engineer from where he enrolled at the Oxford Aviation Training for his pilot qualification course which he completed in 2003.



After obtaining his license, he got his first pilot role with British Midland International before joining British Airways (IAG) where he flew the Boeing 737 and 300 400 and 500 series, among others in his six-year stay.



He has spent the last seven years with Emirates serving as a first officer for his first five years before being promoted to captain. Captain Quainoo is an inspiration and he is definitely worth celebrating.





<iframe src="http://content.jwplatform.com/players/2scKNZcp-GtVgZhNx.html" width="470" height="375" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto"></iframe>

Source: Ghanaweb.com









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The First Lady of the United States of America [U.S.A.], Melania Trump has expressed her gratitude to the people of Ghana for the warm reception she received during her two-day solo visit.



She took to twitter to say Thank you #Ghana! The arrival ceremony, visit to Ridge Hospital, tea at the Jubilee House & meeting the hard workers at the U.S. Embassy made for an amazing first day. Thank you to @RAkufoAddo & the people of #Ghana for such a memorable visit.



Mrs Trump was welcomed with a traditional dance at the Kotoka International Airport and ushered into the country officially by Ghanas First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo.



The two first ladies visited the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, where Mrs Trump donated hampers and teddy bears to the sick children on admission.



She also donated a phototherapy machine used for treating complications of jaundice in newborn babies, to the hospital.



Later in the afternoon, she had tea at the Jubilee House and met with staff of the American Embassy in Ghana.



Mrs Trump also visited Cape Coast, the Central regional capital, where she met and interacted briefly with the chief, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II and his elders, before taking a private tour of the former slave fort called Cape Coast Castle.



The American First Lady described her visit to Cape Coast as impactful and said it was a solemn reminder of a time in our history that should never be forgotten, after she was told the horror story of how slaves were kept at the fort before they were shipped to the Caribbean.



The trip to Ghana, organised by USAID, is part of Mrs Trumps Be Best campaign, which aims to improve child welfare, especially when it comes to online behaviour and addiction to opioids.



She will also visit Malawi, Kenya and Egypt to complete her week-long visit to Africa.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) has noted with grave concern video

recordings doing the rounds on various media platforms depicting verbal attacks including

falsehoods by Rev. Owusu Bempah on its 1st Vice President, the Apostle General Sam Korankye

Ankrah over what the former considers an attack against him in recent teachings by the Apostle

General in his Church on Prophecies, Projections, Predictions, Manipulations and Magic.



Rev. Owusu Bempah in the said video clip used some unprintable words and total falsehoods on

the Most Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah.



As Rev. Owusu Bempah himself admitted in his reaction, the Apostle General did not mention his

name in his teachings. We are therefore, at a loss in understanding why Rev. Owusu Bempah

thinks the Apostle General was referring to him.



We wish to bring to the attention of the general public that from our own investigations as a

Council, all the allegations of bleaching and lewdness leveled against the Apostle General are

blatant falsehoods.



The Apostle General has not resided in or attended any of the places and schools Rev. Owusu Bempah mentioned in his reaction. Those who know the Apostle Generalsfamily know that three out of his four children are fair. Does it mean that, he injects and gives tablets to his children also to give them their fair colour? As for the accusation of sexual impropriety, that must be a figment of Rev. Owusu Bempahs imagination.



While admitting that the Apostle General is human, we of the leadership of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council can vouch for his sexual and moral integrity and therefore challenge Rev. Owusu Bempah to name and/or produce the many girlfriends he claims the Apostle General is keeping.



As Rev. Owusu Bempah himself said in his reaction, he should rather be picking issues with the

journalists and media houses who decided to post his picture alongside the Apostle Generals

teaching videos.



The Apostle General has no hands at all in those posts and publications.



We wish to point out that the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) and its

honourable National Executive Council (NEC) members have no personal grudges against Rev.

Owusu Bempah but will not sit by and allow anybody to unjustifiably sling mud against any of its

members.



In view of the foregoing, the Council in the Spirit of good Christian conduct, advises Rev. Owusu

Bempah to retract and apologize.



SIGNED BY



Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso Apostle Dr. Stephen K. Amoani

General Superintendent Chairman, Christ Apostolic Church

Assemblies of God, Ghana 2nd Vice-President

President



Apostle Eric Kwabena Nyamekye Apostle Peter Okoe Mankralo

Chairman, Church of Pentecost President, The Apostolic Church, Ghana



Rev. Clement Anchebah Most Rev.Dr. Charles Agyinasare

Chairman, Fountain Gate Chapel Presiding Bishop, Perez chapel

National Treasurer



Rt. Rev. Dr. Setorwu K. Ofori Rt. Rev. Samuel Noi Mensah

Moderator General Overseer

Global Evangelical Church Full Gospel Church International



Rev. Dr. Seth Mensah Ablorh Apostle Dr. Nana Anyani Boadum

Manna Mission Jesus Generation Church



Bishop Dr. Prince Baah Rev. C.A. Marfo Ahenkorah

Calvary Crusaders Ministry Foursquare Gospel church



Rev. Dr. Gordon Kisseih

Life International Church



Rev. Emmanuel Teimah Barrigah

General Secretary





For Further Clarification Please Call the Following Telephone Numbers: 0208232694, 0242703772

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The First Lady of the United States of America (USA), Melania Trump has expressed her gratitude to the people of Ghana for the warm welcome she received during her two-day solo visit to the West African country.



On the first day, Mrs Trump was welcomed with a traditional dance at the airport and ushered into the country officially by Ghanas First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo.



The two First Ladies visited the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, where Mrs Trump donated hampers and teddy bears to the sick children on admission.



She also donated a phototherapy machine used for treating complications of jaundice in newborn babies, to the hospital.



Later in the afternoon, she had tea at the Jubilee House and met with staff of the American Embassy in Ghana.



On the second day, Mrs Trump visited Cape Coast, the Central Regional capital, where she met and interacted briefly with the chief, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II and his elders, before taking a private tour at the former slave fort called Cape Coast Castle.



The American First Lady described her visit to Cape Coast as impactful and said it was a solemn reminder of a time in our history that should never be forgotten, after she was told the horror story of how slaves were kept at the fort before they were shipped to the Caribbean.









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Eighty per cent of Nigerian women entering Italy are trafficked for sexual exploitation, an official of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.



According to Mrs. Florence Kim, a Communication Expert at the IOM, the situation was also not different in Ghana.



Human trafficking, she added remained the worst form of crime against humanity, and called for concerted effort and decisive action to arrest the situation especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

Speaking at a media workshop on migration at Abesim, near Sunyani, Mrs. Kim said the Nigerian traffickers entered into agreement with the victims and pay their travelling expenses abroad.



On reaching abroad, the trafficked women had to go into commercial sex work to enable them to pay back their debt to their masters, she said.



The workshop, which was jointly organised by the IOM and European Union (EU) and attended by about 30 selected Journalists was aimed at empowering the participants to report accurately and vividly on migration.



It forms part of the EU-IOM joint initiative for migrant protection and reintegration in Ghana.

Mrs. Kim said human trafficking and irregular migration remained a global challenge and lauded the Government of Ghana for her collaboration with the IOM to help reintegrate migrants into the society.



Mr. Collins Yeboah, a Community Outreach Assistant at the IOM, advised the media to intensify public advocacy and campaign against irregular migration.



Irregular migrants, he said went through serious human rights abuses and advised potential migrants to pass through approved routes by ensuring the acquisition of genuine travelling documents.

Source: GNA









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There are a total of 15,063 prisoners at the end of September 2018 against authorised capacity of 9,875 of all prisons in the country, with a corresponding general overcrowding rate of 52.5 per cent, Ghana Prisons Service revealed in Accra.



According to the Ghana Prison Service, isolated rates in walled prisons holding medium to high risk prisoners, range from 100 to 400 per cent, which is affecting quality of service delivery in terms of food, healthcare, bedding, sanitation, education and life skills.



Mr Patrick Darko Missah, Director-General, Ghana Prisons Service stated in a speech read on his behalf at a workshop to sensitize senior Police and Prison Officers on the guidelines on the Conditions of Arrest, Police Custody and Pre-Trail Detention in Africa (Luanda Guidelines).



The workshop organised by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in partnership with the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) and the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF).



Mr Missah noted that, though the service over the years had strived to ensure that the rights of prisoners, including pre-trial detainees are observed, it had been hindered by factors such as overcrowding, budgetary and logistical constraints as well as the slow pace of investigations and prosecution, leading to prolong stay in pre-trail detention.



He noted however that, relevant stakeholders within the criminal justice system have initiated interventions to mitigate the challenges affecting the rights of pre-trail detainees.

He identified some of the interventions as Justice For All, which has drastically reduced the pre-trail (remand) population from 30 per cent at its inception in 2007 to 13 per cent in 2018, thereby ensuring the expeditious disposal of prolonged pre-trail cases.



Mr Missah also recounted the landmark ruling by the Supreme Court in 2016, which made non-bailable offences like, murder, rape, defilement, and possession of narcotics now bailable offences, which has contributed to further reduction in remand population.



He said the setting up of paralegal unites in all prisons to aid access to the courts by the prisoners, and the case tracking system, all aimed at reducing and eradicating the incidence of pre-trail detainees with expired warrants in prisons.



The Director General of Prisons said the service will hasten to incorporate the relevant topics of the workshop into the human rights training curriculum to augment training on national human rights laws and international instruments relating to the treatment of prisoners.



Mr Richard Quayson, Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ explained that Ghana as a member of the comity of nations and signatory to various international laws and treaties, has to ensure that its practices relating to crime fighting and law enforcement conform to, not only its own domestic standards, but also to universally accepted standards.



He noted however that, law enforcement institutions continue to face difficulties complying with both domestic and international standards, it is against this background that a baseline study was conducted in 2014 in relation to arrest and pre-custody.



He said the study established a number of challenges that bedevil the criminal justice system in the country, which included arbitrary arrest, overcrowding in prisons, and other practices and conditions that affect the dignity of persons in custody.



Mr Quayson said Ghana has started the process of promoting the implementation of the Luanda Guidelines.

Source: GNA









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U.S. rights groups have accused South Korea of deliberately turning a blind eye to North Korea's egregious rights abuses.

Alex Gladstein at the Human Rights Foundation, told Radio Free Asia in an interview that the South Korean government showed it is more interested in improving relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un than it is in improving the North's human rights.

Gladstein added it is "tragic and shocking" to see the South suppressing the human rights campaigns of North Korean defectors in the South. Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, also told RFA that it was "very regretful" to see activists in South Korea face "censorship and restrictions" and their budgets shaved. He added he expected some persecution but did not expect it to be this harsh.

Some human rights groups here are saying that their funding from the government and private sector has dried up and they are even being targeted for investigation by prosecutors.

North Korean defector Kang Chol-hwan, who founded the North Korea Strategy Center, said Tuesday, "The Unification Ministry provided funding aid until last year, but we got nothing this year. Rights groups that used to receive budget support from the previous administration are now targets of investigation."

Scarlatoiu wrote a column in the Wall Street Journal accusing the South Korean government of "tacitly endorsing" North Korea's abuses. He said the Moon Jae-in administration cut subsidies by more than 90 percent and "stopped balloon launches and loudspeaker broadcasting across the demilitarized zone and has been censoring the content of USB thumb drives smuggled by activists into North Korea."

The Human Rights Foundation was established in 2005 by filmmaker Thor Halvorssen and is headquartered in New York. It has hosted the annual Olso Freedom Forum in Norway since 2009, raising awareness of rights violations not only in North Korea, but also in China and other countries.

The foundation contacted the South Korean and Taiwanese governments this year seeking to hold the forum in Asia but was disappointed by the lack of interest from Seoul.

Gladstein said the Taiwanese government, by contrast, promised to fund the forum, so it will be held there next month.

Civic groups in South Korea said the claims are "mostly true." The Beautiful Dream Concert, which has been held each year in South Korea to help teenage defectors, has not been held since Moon took office.

Kim So-hee, the activist who organized the concert, said, "Businesses that used to provided millions of dollars in funding suddenly told us they were no longer able to do that. There were even rumors that businesses that supported us were investigated by prosecutors."


Mr Kojo Bonsu, who is hoping to lead the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) as its flagbearer for Election 2020 has disagreed with suggestions that he was incompetent.



According to Mr Bonsu, he was rather surprised that some NDC party members are questioning his competence to lead the party, saying that should be left to the delegates to decide.



Mr Bonsu said he has performed well in all his endeavours in both private and public service, and that qualifies him for the top job.



Mr. Bonsu last week expressed interest in the NDCs flagbearership race and subsequently submitted his letter of intent to the leadership of the party on Monday October 1.



He has however been criticized by the NDC Greater Accra Regional Chairman, Mr Ade Coker, who thinks hes not competent for the position.



In response, Mr. Bonsu insisted he has all it takes to contest the position.



Im not going to argue against anyone, I want the voters and the public to judge me, he added.



I didnt squander Rattray Park cash - Kojo Bonsu



Kojo Bonsu also rejected allegations he bloated the contract sum used for the construction of the now poorly maintained Kumasi Rattray Park when he served as the Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.



The budget for the Rattary Park was $4.4 million. That was the budget. But the actual expenditure as I was leaving the office was about GHc5.4million, which if you do the equivalent translation it;s about $1.2million. That was the actual money spent. I want to clear this [misconception]. KMA never had the $4.4 million everybody think I squandered.



It was a budget and funding from funding sources like UDF, IDF and a lot of funding sources. So we took money from there. So the difference of actual spent money and budget is totally a different thing. KMA is public office and everybody can go there and check. We have made so much money and paid off the debt. At the moment KMA has collected a lot of inflows so you cannot say I squandered the money, the former KMA boss argued.



The NDC has planned to elect its flagbearer in December this year for the 2020 presidential election.



Twelve people have shown interest in the vacant position including former President John Mahama, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies (UPSA), Prof. Joshua Alabi, former NHIS boss, Sylvester Mensah, Goosie Tanoh, Alban Bagbin, Spio Garbrah among others.

Source: Graphic.com









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PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP) TO SET THE RECORDS STRAIGHT ON THE MISINFORMATION PEDDLED BY THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (NDC) ABOUT FORENSIC AUDITS OF SELECTED INSTITUTIONS





NPP COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORATE- 3/10/2018



INTRODUCTION



Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, friends of the media fraternity.



We are grateful for your response to the short notice asking you to be with us this afternoon. We are compelled to invite you to correct the deliberate falsehoods put out by the NDC General Secretary Mr. Asiedu Nketiah yesterday 2/10/2018 about the forensic audit of some institutions.



It appears Mr. Asiedu Nketiah was on a mission to make noise and hopefully boost his reportedly flagging campaign for re-election. Otherwise no logical explanation comes easily to mind for his antics exhibited in a full blown press conference, followed up with numerous media appearances.



DELIBERATE LIES



This is because the speculative half-truths and outright lies concocted in the pot of his febrile imagination could easily have been verified from the relevant sources. One of the biggest lies told by the NDC General Secretary was that His Excellency the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, in visiting flood victims to distribute relief items, used a helicopter from the Ghana National Gas Company. Lie, big lie.



On the contrary, the Vice President used a Ghana Air Force Helicopter with identity mark GHF 696. That craft is totally different in make and model from the Z-9EH model craft that the Ghana National Gas Company is purported to have purchased and which acquisition is the subject of a forensic audit.



But perhaps, there is a real reason the NDC is attempting to misinform the public. Is the NDC seeking to pre-empt the results of ongoing forensic audits with shameless cries of witch-hunting in order to protect itself from accountability?



Short of seeking to circumvent and prevent the law from taking its course, it beats the imagination why the NDC is rushing to discredit investigations which are yet to feed into potential prosecutions. This is the same party which barely recently boasted and challenged the whole world to prosecute them if they were found to be corrupt. What has changed now that there is a realisation of serious ongoing investigations to ensure successful prosecutions?



FACTS



The facts of the forensic audit is as has been put out already by the Ministry of Information. For emphasis, permit me to re-state them here.



1. In 2017, the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), in pursuit of its mandate under section 3 (a) of the EOCO Act of 2010, (Act 804), and in accordance with section 14 (3) of Act 804, engaged experts to conduct preliminary audits and advice EOCO on reports of corruption and malpractices in some state organizations. The reports had been channelled through the cabinet ad-hoc committee on investigations.



2. The Government did not spend $6.8 Million USD on the audits as has been deliberately and falsely put out. The UNDP only provided technical assistance to the office coordinating the audits. This is in line with section 3(f) of the EOCO Act. The technical support from the UNDP is part of their anti-corruption support and governance project and costs less than a $100,000.00. The mention of $6.8M USD is a total red herring aimed at diverting attention from the substantive findings of the forensic audit and the genuine questions that persons found culpable have to answer as part of investigative processes.



Please note that the institutions involved are paying for the forensic audits. It would serve the public well if Mr Asiedu Nketiah could be humble enough to apologise for bringing the UNDP and the Government into disrepute on the basis of a wild reckless guess, or at least reveal his source. Otherwise, we humbly plead with him to hold his horses and rein in the reckless and misguided pronouncements. Rumour mongering cannot be a substitute for information and facts.



3. EOCO, having been advised, has completed reports of some of the investigations whilst others are ongoing. We hope the blanket call to appointees of the former administration not to cooperate with investigations will not be followed literally because a pre-emptive attempt to escape accountability under a screaming smokescreen of witch-hunting will not convince the Ghanaian public. The public deserves to see the constitutional standard of probity and accountability upheld by appointees of the former administration. Those who conducted themselves well ought not to be afraid of accountability measures.



4. The Akufo-Addo Administration will continue to strengthen anti-corruption agencies as part of concrete efforts to rid the Ghanaian system off corruption.



5. Respondents should be eager to provide answers to the substantive findings in the audit reports in order to clear their names and reputations rather than seek to hide behind a public relations exercise designed to obfuscate issues and avoid accountability.



Please note moreover, that the institutions involved



NPP VIEW



The NPP applauds the Government. As a party in Government, we hold the view that having come this far on the path of constitutional governance, it is not enough to shout corruption. Hard evidence must be found and adduced through dueprocess if we are to tackle the menace of corruption with sincerity.



In the same vein, we do not expect self-respecting servants of any Government, to resort to polemic stunts aimed at diligent interrogation of their tenures of office since such actions will not and cannot stop appropriate accountability measures.



We hope Mr. Asiedu Nketiah is not allergic to facts. In any case, who is he trying to shield from the flames of accountability? Is it the entire Mahama Administration or characters thick in the purported plots to create, loot and share? Schemes to create, loot and share have been allegedly so well executed that many contracts inherited by the current administration appear lawful but in effect are bloated well beyond value for money limits.



In conclusion, we wish to state our revulsion at the personal attacks on the person of Professor Edward Dua Agyeman. Nearly half of the NDCs press conference was devoted to casting aspersions on Dua Agyemang. Further appearances on various media by Asiedu Nketiah followed the same trend. We can only hope that the gentleman resorts to the appropriate quarters in defence of his name but we are also constrained to urge him fervently not to relent in his service to the nation.



We do not intend to go down the path of contestation about the role of the Auditor General, an invitation unnecessarily flagged. It is unnecessary because neither the constitution nor the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584) is a barrier to the conduct of forensic investigations by agencies clothed with investigatory and or prosecutorial powers.



As to the assertion recognising the existence of cognate institutions of state with investigative powers, we say thanks but no thanks. You had your chance and you chose to misgovern in supreme and blissful incompetence. Please allow us to fulfil our compact with the Ghanaian people with serious diligence, using the best means at our disposal to serve the interests of Ghanaians in ensuring accountability and responsiveness to the duty of upholding the public trust.



Thank you for your attention and support.





Yaw Buaben Asamoa, Esq. MP

Director of Communications, NPP









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Former President John Dramani Mahama appears to be dazed by the impact of the free Senior High School (SHS), which is the flagship policy of the Akufo-Addo government.



He has been blowing hot and cold since the Free SHS policy commenced last year, having doubted its successful implementation.



The former presidents resolve to review the whole programme through what he termed stakeholders consultation sparked heated debate after his critics said he was out to scrap the special initiative aimed at giving access to every child to further his or her education for future development.



The policy has assisted over 270,000 students who could have dropped out after JHS to continue their secondary eduaction.





President Alarmed



President Akufo-Addo has already said that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) cannot stop the successful implementation of the policy.



I am alarmed by this concept of the review. This is because anytime our political opponents try anything of this sort; it leads the policy in question into a coma. We all remember the NHIS one-term premium payment review pledge. Not only did the review not materialise, but they also succeeded in degrading the policy, the president lamented, adding I honestly suspect reviewing the Free SHS policy means collapsing it. But, I doubt the Ghanaian people will allow this brilliant policy to be collapsed by anyone.



Campaign Statement



Mr. Mahamas campaign spokesperson, James Agyenim Boateng, issued a statement denying flatly that his boss would collapse Free SHS policy if he gets a second chance.



The John Mahama 2020 Campaign Team has become aware of a deliberate campaign of disinformation led by President Nana Akufo-Addo following comments by former President John Dramani Mahama that he will convene a stakeholders forum to address the challenges facing the implementation of the Free Senior High School programme. I believe that if Ghanaians come together, we can come out with a workable timetable and schedule for implementing Free SHS, he said.



It is important to point out that at no point during former President Mahamas address to the delegates did he mention that he would collapse the Free SHS programme. That President Akufo-Addo could only come to that conclusion is regrettable, to say the least. Its important to point out that collapse is not a synonym for review, and it is therefore mind-boggling that President Akufo-Addo could come to that conclusion, the statement added.



Mr. Mahama has not hidden his hatred for the entire Free SHS policy, and when he was in office he spent huge amounts of money to discredit then opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo for proposing the policy.



His contradictory statements regarding the Free SHS has continuously been played against him.



Tarkwa Sermon



Last November during an NDC Unity Walk in Tarkwa in the Western Region, Mr. Mahama said it was not by force for President Akufo-Addo to implement the Free SHS policy.



Why should the government introduce free education now when the Constitution says it should be done progressively? In fact, its not by force to introduce Free SHS now, he quizzed.



The NDC has always maintained that it will take the next 20 years for Free SHS policy to be implemented.



After realizing the political implications of his statement in Tarkwa, Mr. Mahama posted on Facebook that there are no naysayers when it comes to free SHS. After all it was recognized and enshrined in our constitution by the ordinary people of this nation who gathered at the Consultative Assembly and drew up the 1992 Constitution.





Double Track



Even the double-track system, which has been introduced as a result of the large number of students in SHSs through the Free SHS policy, has not been spared by Mr. Mahama.



He said the policy, which many educationists have described as game-changer in the educational sector, does not make sense.



He, therefore, vowed to scrap the entire double-track system when the NDC comes back to power in 2020.



Free SHS For 500,000



Information Minister-designate, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, took a swipe at Mr. Mahama for repeatedly questioning the sense in the double-track system under the Free SHS policy.



He said the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not overwhelmed by the comments of the former President on the policy due to his constant opposition even during the campaign periods in the build up to the 2016 general elections.



Others may be shocked that a former president who in his days was noted for calling on Ghanaians to be optimistic and not cynical about national programmes, will be the one to make such a comment to undermine a national programme. The Akufo-Addo government is not the least surprised. Mr. Mahama has never been in support of the Free SHS programme. You recall that he campaigned heavily against it even as a sitting president, he added.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Claims by opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has been using Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) helicopters for his trips has turned out to be false.



At an NDC news conference in Accra on Tuesday, Asiedu Nketia made a spurious allegation that when Dr. Bawumia visited flood victims in the northern regions last month following the Bagre Dam spillage in neighbouring Burkina Faso, the Vice President used one of Ghana Gas helicopters which is a subject under investigation.



DAILY GUIDE checks revealed that the Vice President actually used GHF 696 belonging to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) which is different from the four Ghana Gas Z-9EH helicopters believed to be in the custody of the military.



Later yesterday, NPP Director of Communications, Yaw Buaben Asamoa (MP) confirmed in a news release that the NDC scribe peddled speculative half-truths and outright lies concocted in the pot of his febrile imagination.



One of the biggest lies told by the NDC General Secretary was that His Excellency the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, in visiting flood victims to distribute relief items, used a helicopter from the Ghana National Gas Company. Lie, big lie.



On the contrary, the Vice President used a Ghana Air Force helicopter with identity mark GHF 696. That craft is totally different in make and model from the Z-9EH model craft that the Ghana National Gas Company is purported to have purchased and which acquisition is the subject of a forensic audit.



The four Z-9EH helicopters, brought in from China for surveillance by Ghana Gas during the previous Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration at the total cost of $100 million ($25m each) was commissioned by then President John Mahama in September 2015.



Financial Loss



According to a forensic audit report, the helicopters purchased from China National Aero Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC), have never been used for the purpose of their purchase, causing $54,800,000 financial loss to the state.



It also said a loss of $5,958,366.76 was incurred because equipment for the helicopters were not delivered even though it was part of the contract price while another loss of $300,000 being ab initio training cost not fully utilized for its intended purpose, was caused bringing the total to $61,058,366.76.



The report then mentioned former Ghana Gas Board Chairman, Prof. Kwesi Botchwey and other members like Dr. George Sipa-Adja Yankey who was the CEO of the state-owned company, Eric Yankah, Thomas Manu and Dr. Valerie Sawyerr, a former deputy Chief of Staff as those to be held responsible.



At the news conference, the NDC scribe said it is on record that those helicopters are stationed at the Ghana Airforce base being actively used by the Ghana Air Force and that it was one of these helicopters that was used recently to convey the Vice President Dr. Bawumia to Wa when he went to distribute relief items to flood victims which have turned out to have been expired relief items for which his brother-in-law, the Deputy National Coordinator have been suspended.



He added this so-called forensic audit report alleges that the Ghana National Gas Company under the previous NDC government caused financial loss to the state by purchasing helicopters which cannot be found, that there was some loan to Ghana Gas Company, a component of which was for the procurement of helicopters. Then these fake auditors go there then produce a report that those helicopters cannot be found and then it is widely publicised as if the previous management of the Ghana Gas Company has taken money meant for the purchase of helicopters and these helicopters cannot be found anywhere.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Sir Bota and Sante, children of celebrated Ghanaian rapper Okyeame Kwame have released their much-awaited song about reading.



The song titled Read is part of a huge project that will see the kids engage in reading sessions which will be shared across various social media platforms.



The objective of this is to inculcate the spirit of reading among children and the general public.



The song and its video were launched on September 25, 2018 at the British Council in Accra.



This project is part of celebrating the National Reading Day, a project by Worldreader, an NGO, in collaboration with Amazon and Ministry of Education.



The objective of this is to inculcate the spirit of reading among children and the general public.



The song and its video were launched on September 25, 2018 at the British Council in Accra.



This project is part of celebrating the National Reading Day, a project by Worldreader, an NGO, in collaboration with Amazon and Ministry of Education.









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
Some are calling on Canada's self-proclaimed feminist prime minister and his cabinet to take a public stand against Trump's comments in support of women who have been victims of sexual violence. Minister of Status of Women Maryam Monsef speaks during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, June 14, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Kawai
The government is under suspicion of pressuring banks to provide loans to finance solar farms in support of President Moon Jae-in's nuclear-free policy. The state-run Korea Credit Guarantee Fund backs 90 percent of the loans, but the remaining 10 percent has apparently been given to recipients who do not meet credit standards.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance instructed NH Nonghyup and Shinhan banks to extend the loans without screening, and the land to set up the solar panels is apparently being provided by the Korea Rural Community Corporation. The government is effectively offering perks to any Tom, Dick and Harry who is willing to build solar energy farms, and the costs will inevitably be shouldered by the taxpayer.

Rumors are rampant that the solar farm projects are being led by environmental activists with strong ties to the government. There are even rumors that the government tried to make it possible for a cooperative of former environmental activists to take part in a solar project to be set up on the rooftops of public schools. The schools favored solar panels manufactured by state power monopoly KEPCO, but the government apparently intervened and tried to push them into buying panels from the cooperative instead.

Many members of the cooperative are the very former environmental activists who pushed for the nuclear fadeout. Some have received millions of dollars in government subsidies since taking part in a government project to build mini power stations. The government has vowed to scrap plans for new nuclear power plants and instead spend W100 trillion on solar and wind power by 2030 (US$1=W1,122). This has led to a feeding frenzy.

There has been an explosive growth in the number of solar farms being built on lakes, school rooftops and mountainsides. But in Korean weather, the utilization of solar panels stands at only 14 percent, so they are an extremely limited source of energy. They are also an eyesore until the technology improves. Yet the government gave up supporting Korea's nuclear industry, which boasts world-leading technology and was a fantastic source of revenue, to back solar energy with no holds barred. At this rate the potential for corruption is practically unlimited.


China says U.S. proposes postponing diplomatic, security dialogue

From:Xinhua | 2018-10-04 01:15

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BEIJING, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- China reiterated Wednesday that it is the United States that had proposed the postponement of the second round of their Diplomatic and Security Dialogue instead of the other way around.

Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for China's Foreign Ministry, refuted recent U.S. media reports that a U.S. official claimed China had proposed putting off the dialogue.

"Such an argument completely distorts the fact with ulterior motives and is extremely irresponsible," she said. "The Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction."

The fact is the United States recently made a proposal to China that it hoped to postpone the dialogue, Hua said.

"We demand the parties concerned stop fabricating and spreading rumors," she said.

On Tuesday, Hua said China and the United States had previously agreed in principle to hold the dialogue in mid-October, while the United States recently proposed putting it off.
Different issues, ideas and events have been highlighted on the front pages of major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Thursday. Many newspapers have given the top priority to the hours-long traffic jam along the Prthivi Highway in Kathmandu and Dhading districts due to maintenance works. The issue has been more crucial as a patient an ambulance was ferrying to Kathmandu died on the way during the traffic congestion yesterday.

Meanwhile, parliamentary committees have expedited their activities though the Federal Parliament meeting has currently been prorogued. Newspapers have highlighted meetings of State Affairs Committee with officials of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority and the Election Commission in particular.

Some other issues from political, sociocultural and economic spheres have been featured on the broadsheet front pages today.

Important

CIAA launches probe into NAC wide body purchase

New chief at the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Navin Kumar Ghimire, has informed the State Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives that the anti-corruption constitutional watchdog has launched an investigation into suspected irregularities in the purchase of two wide body aircraft by the Nepal Airlines Corporation, according to a brief story in Annapurna Post.

Meanwhile, members of the parliamentary panel have demanded that the Commission prepare a plan of action to improve its performance, Rajdhani reports in a three column story.

Patient dies as ambulance gets stuck

A patient who was being ferried to Kathmandu for treatment has died on an ambulance as a nine-hour traffic jam obstructed the vehicles way along the Prithvi Highway in Dhading district on Wednesday, according to reports in Rajdhani, Nagarik, Annapurna Post and Republica.

Rajani Chaudhary, a 55-year-old woman from Sauraha of Chitwan district, was being taken to Kathmandu, as the maintenance works along Naubise-Nagdhunga road obstructed the way, according to reports.

Registration of two-wheelers halted in Kathmandu

Karobar, Abhiyan and The Himalayan Times report that the Department of Transport Management has halted the registration of two-wheelers (motorcycles and scooters) in the Bagmati zone, which also includes Kathmandu Valley) as existing laws do not have the provision of issuing registration number in three-digit lot, but the two-digit lot (up to 99) has already been exhausted.

Meanwhile, prospective buyers are losing on festive discounts offered by the sellers whereas the traders are also losing their customers due to the decision, according to The Himalayan Times.

Ignored

Chinese firm bags Tamor contract

Karobar reports in its lead story that the government has decided to assign a Chinese company for the construction of 762-megawatt Tamor Chisang Hydropower Project without calling applications for the free competition.

The Ministry of Energy has launched procedures to award the licence to Sichuan NHE Hydraulic and Hydroelectric Engineering Company Limited as the firm filed an application some months ago, according to the report.

New rule promotes pork barrel spending

The government has introduced a regulation that allows members of the Federal Parliament to select and make expenses on maximum 20 development projects in their constituencies, Kantipur reports in its lead story for the day.

The regulation contradicts the a provision of this years annual budget statement that mentions the lawmakers can make expenses for five projects only, upto Rs 40 million.

Interesting

Nepalis buy Chinese passport for better job in Egypt

A snippet in Annapurna Post reports that five Nepali nationals have been found to have bought Chinese passports in order to land lucrative jobs in Egypt.

The suspects were arrested by police in Turkey after finding that they were made to buy Chinese passports by a Chinese agent. The agent had assured them that he would find attractive jobs for them.
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Following a series of chaotic and violent protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Portland (OR), National ICE Councilthe union that represents ICE officerssent letters to the mayor of that city as well as U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum expressing displeasure of the mayor's actions.

The union is unhappy with Mayor Ted Wheeler's words expressing support for the protesters and his insistence that police "stand down" and allow the protests to continue unabatedeven at times ignoring 911 calls from agency employees being menaced by the protests.

"Our hope is that Mr. Wheeler relinquishes his supervisory authority of the Portland Police Bureau pending the outcome of your investigation," Sean Riddell, the union's attorney, said in the letter to the state attorney general.

According to the Washington Times, the union told Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a letter that Mayor Wheeler's directives violated those employees civil rights, leaving them without protections he is required to provide.

Wheeler responded on Twitter that he was being targeted over his political stance on immigration issues.

"Make no mistake. They are coming after me because I am a vocal opponent of the administrations policy of separating kids from their parents," he said in a Tweet.
Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac told the City Council that the department must hire more police officers or current officers will be forced to work overtime to keep the streets safe, according to Cincinnati.com.

"Operating below our authorized strength places an undue burden on our patrol forces," Isaac wrote in a memo to City Manager Patrick Duhaney on Tuesday. "...officers may be required to take on additional shifts to ensure the coverage necessary to maintain the level of service that Cincinnati residents have come to expect."

Fraternal Order of Police President Dan Hils said that there are times when entire districts are being patrolled with fewer than six patrol officers.

With a population of 298,800, the Cincinnati Police Department currently has 1,017 active-duty officers.
Aldi adds new stores to Hungarian network

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Discount retail chain Aldi is expanding its network in Hungary further. It is adding five new stores and thus creating 100 new jobs, the company said in a statement on Thursday.
Home  Just In  Nepali Congress student leader convicted of rape in Parbat

Parbat, October 4

The Parbat District Court has ordered 10 years in jail to President of Free Students Union of Kushma-based Gupteshwor Multiple Campus, Shishir Chhetri, for raping a girl.

Chhetri is a leader of the Nepali Congress affiliate Nepal Students Union.

The single bench of District Judge Surya Bahadur Thapa announced the verdict convicting Chhetri, 23, a permanent resident of Kushma Municipality-1.

Chhetri and other youth had assaulted a 16-year-old girl who was returning home from Baglung after attending the Chaite Dashain fair some 18 months ago.

Chhetri was sentenced five years behind the bars for his crime against civil code and equal term in jail on the charge of the organised crime.

Likewise, the court ordered that two minor offenders arrested along with Chhetri would be kept in a juvenile detention centre for five years and one year each.

However, the court has given the clean chit to hotelier Sher Bahadur Hamal.

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International Curry Week will celebrate the rich history, evolution and diversity of curry and how it has become a true product of global culinary currents. Highlighting curry as an all-inclusive cultural movement, Bira 91 will partner with a variety of restaurants across multiple markets to bring to the forefront curries from around the world: Indian, Caribbean, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian and Vietnamese. Participating restaurants include New York City's famed Miss Lily's, Baar Baar, Kiin Thai, and Amarachi; Singapore's Tandoor, Lagnaa, Long Chim and Nara Thai; New Delhi's, Lavaash By Saby, Jamun, AnnaMaya and many more.

"We're thrilled to kick-off the first annual International Curry Week," said Ankur Jain, Founder and CEO, Bira 91. "Curry is the world's comfort food, but it's enjoying a new embrace as something different: a hip symbol of how the world is growing more colorful and more diverse. We're excited to complement a wide range of curries with our own distinctive beers and look forward to bringing something new for consumers to experience for years to come."

Select restaurants will offer diners a custom menu with curry-centric entrees specially developed by the chefs, along with a specific Bira 91 pairing. Others will offer fixed pricing on specific dishes paired with Bira 91. Along with the culinary offerings, Bira 91 will provide free giveaways and redeemable vouchers with the order of certain curry dishes.

For more information on International Curry Week, as well as the list of participating restaurants in each city, please visit: www.internationalcurryweek.com .

For restaurant reservations please visit: www.internationalcurryweek.com/en-us/restaurant-listing

About International Curry Week

For full information on International Curry Week please visit the website: www.internationalcurryweek.com

Dates: October 12th-28th 2018

For restaurant reservations please visit: www.internationalcurryweek.com/en-us/restaurant-listing

Social Media handles (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter):

NYC: @Bira91US / #CurryWeekNYC / #InternationalCurryWeek



New Delhi : @Bira91Beer (Twitter: @Bira91) / #CurryWeekDEL / #InternationalCurryWeek

: @Bira91Beer (Twitter: @Bira91) / #CurryWeekDEL / #InternationalCurryWeek

Singapore : @Bira91SG / #CurryWeekSG / #InternationalCurryWeek

About Bira 91

A refreshingly modern beer brand, Imagined in India, Bira 91 aspires to bring flavorful beers to the new world. As one of the fastest growing beers in the world, Bira 91 has built a strong portfolio of essential beers and aims to drive the global shift in beer towards more color and flavor. Established in the summer of 2015 by B9 Beverages and headquartered in New Delhi, Bira 91 has quickly become a rage amongst urban millennials owing to its delicious beers, bold identity and a strong draft network. Driven by a dynamic and energetic team of over 300 passionate beer lovers, the company now operates two breweries in India, and has offices in 9 cities including New York City. Bira 91 is backed by Silicon Valley's legendary venture capital firm Sequoia. Crafted with the creative urban drinker in mind  someone who likes to have fun and doesn't take life (or beer) too seriously, the brand aims to disrupt the global beer world with 21st century technology and its playful monkey mascot.

For more information visit www.bira91.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/754576/Bira_91_International_Curry_Week_photo_credit_Tom_Graney.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/754575/Bira_91_Curry_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Bira 91
AHMEDABAD, India, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

ElegantJ BI announces its participation in The Vibrant Gujarat StartUp & Technology Summit 2018, October 11 through October 13 at the Helipad Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India. Clients, partners and technology innovators are invited to visit Stall No 36, in Hall #1 to experience the Smarten approach to advanced analytics.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/696205/Smarten_Powered_by_ElegantJBI_Logo.jpg )

Kartik Patel, CEO of ElegantJ BI says, "The Smarten advanced analytics tools allow business users to leverage augmented analytics that provide machine learning-based guides and suggestions to help the business user more quickly and effectively produce clear advanced analytics. Smarten requires little to no training, thereby transforming the average business user into a Citizen Data Scientist."

The Vibrant Gujarat Technology Summit will offer theme-based pavilions and innovative zones with exhibitions and demonstrations to highlight disruptive technologies and explore the exciting transformations in technology today. This summit provides the perfect backdrop to showcase and demonstrate Smarten Predictive Analytics Tools, Self-Serve Data Preparation for Business Users, Smart Data Visualization and its Natural Language Processing (NLP) Search Analytics features.

"The Smarten roadmap to advanced analytics includes Clickless Analytics," says Patel. "Smarten features Natural Language Processing, and the product roadmap also includes Auto Insights, to free business users and reduce the time and skills required to produce accurate, clear results, quickly and dependably, using machine learning to collect and analyze data with the guided assistance of a 'smart' solution."

Join the ElegantJ BI Team at the Vibrant Gujarat StartUp & Technology Summit, October 11 through October 13 at the Helipad Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, Stall #36, Hall #1 and experience the exciting evolution of business user-friendly, self-serve advanced data discovery, suitable for every member of the organization.

About Smarten

The Smarten approach to business intelligence and business analytics focuses on the business user and provides Advanced Data Discovery so users can perform early prototyping and test hypotheses without the skills of a data scientist. Smarten Augmented Analytics includes assisted predictive modeling, smart data visualization, self-serve data preparation and clickless analytics with natural language processing (NLP) for search analytics. All of these tools are designed for business users with average skills and require no special skills or knowledge of statistical analysis or support from IT or data scientists.

The Smarten approach to advanced data discovery is powered by ElegantJ BI Business Intelligence Solutions, a representative vendor in multiple Gartner reports including the Gartner Research Market Guide to Self-Service Data Preparation, as a Niche BI and Analytics Vendor in the Gartner Report, Competitive Landscape in the BI Platforms and Analytics Software, Asia/Pacific, as a Representative Vendor in the Gartner Market Guide for Enterprise-Reporting-Based Platforms, and a Listed Vendor in the Other Vendors to Consider for Modern BI and Analytics, Gartner Report.

Media Contact:

Pathik Shah

[email protected]

+91-7930009991

Manager Marketing, BI Practice, Elegant MicroWeb



SOURCE Elegant Microweb Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
The blue-ribbon panel of jurors gathered at the International Academy's headquarters in New York on September 27 to select the winners from the 24 finalists. Programs entered this year span 39 countries. The jurors were: Michal Grayevsky, President, JCS International; First Lady of Panama Lorena Castillo Garcia De Varela; Patrick Connolly, SVP of Programming for AMC/SundanceTV Global; Amy Hargreaves, Actress & Producer; Mozhan Marno, Actress & Producer; Ben Pyne, Independent Consultant, Pyne Media; Stephen Segaller, VP Programming, WNET Channel 13 and Daniel Wiedemann, Bureau Chief, Americas Office, TV Globo.

The three winners will be flown to New York and receive their award on Saturday, November 17, at the International Emmy World Television Festival, in front of the 2018 International Emmy Awards Nominees. They will also be invited to attend the International Emmy Awards Gala on Monday, November 19th.

"JCS International is proud to support and honor young artists who stand up for peace through creativity," said Michal Grayevsky, President of JCS International and a Board Member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. "We are so thankful to the International Academy for taking the Young Creatives competition to new heights."

2018 JCSI YOUNG CREATIVES AWARD WINNERS:

TeaShirt

By: Raj Dutta

Raj Dutta Country: India

Summary: When two men are fighting over a small conflict, a young boy steps in and reminds them about being peaceful. This film can teach everyone that no matter how horrible a situation gets, we always have the choice for peace.

Peace is Action

By: Puti Puar

Puti Puar Country: Indonesia

Summary: It's common for us to associate peace with tranquility or calmness. However, peace is a kind of energy that needs to show and spread with action, although it is not always welcomed. This is a 1-minute animation about how we can stand up for peace through action, including resisting online bullying or joining a strike for peace.

Mr. Peace

By: Shubham Upreti

Country: India

Summary: This story revolves around peace, a real life character living in the modern world is trying to find his value in a fast moving world in which everyone has forgotten him.

About JCSI

JCS International is a global media company headquartered in New York City. JCSI provides a wide range of services, from strategic communications and public relations to content creation and policy research. JCSa privately held Ronald S. Lauder companyis committed to delivering measurable results and has a proven track-record working with high-profile, prestigious clients and organizations.

For further inquiries, please contact: JCS International, [email protected].

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/754148/Jurors.jpg

SOURCE JCS International
- The latest round of innovation challenges from the Lloyd's Register Safety Accelerator, 'Innovation in Detecting Safety Risks in Critical Infrastructure Industries', offers startups trial funding and partnerships with leading commercial partners: Scorpio, Pacific International Lines, Infratek and Odfjell Drilling.

- The Round 2 Innovation Challenges seek digital entrepreneurs with innovative solutions to improve the detection of complex safety hazards and risks in marine, offshore and energy industries.

- Winners will receive additional support from Lloyd's Register and Plug and Play.

LONDON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lloyd's Register Safety Accelerator has opened a call to find innovative solutions to improve how complex safety risks are detected and managed in challenging industrial environments. This latest round of innovation challenges from the Safety Accelerator is designed to improve safety of life and assets in heavy industries.

Marine, offshore and energy jobs are some of the most dangerous in the world, where the consequences of errors are high, potentially deadly. Developments in technologies such as computer vision, artificial intelligence, and wearables are opening up the opportunity to radically improve how safety risks are identified and managed, from human factors to operational issues.

Up to four startup winners will receive trial funding for their solution as well as the opportunity to collaborate with commercial partners to accelerate the development of their technologies. Partners for this challenge round include: Scorpio, Pacific International Lines, Infratek and Odfjell Drilling.

The winning entrepreneurs will retain 100 percent of their IP, as well as receive access to domain expertise and entrepreneurial support to help bring their solution to market though support from Lloyd's Register and Plug and Play respectively.

The four challenge areas and partners are:

Marine Incident Insights with Scorpio , a leading global shipping company. This challenge seeks to help ship operators gather and analyse data about crew behaviour and the onboard work environment, whilst safeguarding user privacy, to develop a deeper understanding of why wrong decisions happen and ultimately to improve processes, training and staffing to reduce risk of human error incidents.

, a leading global shipping company. This challenge seeks to help ship operators gather and analyse data about crew behaviour and the onboard work environment, whilst safeguarding user privacy, to develop a deeper understanding of why wrong decisions happen and ultimately to improve processes, training and staffing to reduce risk of human error incidents. Determining Master's and Crew's Psychological and Emotional Health with Pacific International Lines (PIL) , the 9 th largest containership operator in the world. This challenge seeks innovative methods to assess the psychological and emotional wellbeing of individual crew members in real-time whilst they are onboard and before they are about to go on duty, whilst protecting user privacy, to ensure the safety and health of the concerned seafarer as well as the safety of others onboard, the vessels and the marine environment.

, the 9 largest containership operator in the world. This challenge seeks innovative methods to assess the psychological and emotional wellbeing of individual crew members in real-time whilst they are onboard and before they are about to go on duty, whilst protecting user privacy, to ensure the safety and health of the concerned seafarer as well as the safety of others onboard, the vessels and the marine environment. AI-Driven Real-Time Error Detection with Infratek , a leading total supplier in the Nordic region in the fields of electrical grids, lighting and railway systems. This challenge seeks innovative proposals for solutions to offer real-time feedback to infrastructure workers to ensure a job is done completely and correctly before leaving a site, to improve safety for the worker and third parties.

, a leading total supplier in the Nordic region in the fields of electrical grids, lighting and railway systems. This challenge seeks innovative proposals for solutions to offer real-time feedback to infrastructure workers to ensure a job is done completely and correctly before leaving a site, to improve safety for the worker and third parties. Video Detection of Physical Asset Changes to Prevent Falling Objects with Odfjell Drilling, an international drilling, well service and engineering company. This challenge seeks to enable oil and gas drilling operators to use drilling sites' existing closed-circuit camera network to detect significant changes to a rig's infrastructure that could result in falling objects injuring workers and damaging the asset.

Richard Clegg, Chief Executive, Lloyd's Register Foundation, said:

"We are delighted to launch the Innovation in Detecting Safety Risks in Critical Infrastructure Industries' Challenge Round which is focussed on harnessing new and emerging technologies to identify safety risks, from human factors such as mental health which could affect a seafarers' ability to perform their job safely, to operational factors, such as the potential for falling objects from assets.

We are excited to support startups developing solutions to these challenges, which could not only solve these use cases, but also have potential to significantly improve safety across a wide range of commercial industries."

Maurizio Pilu, Vice President of Digital Innovation, Lloyd's Register, said:

"Digital technology is transforming the world in which we and our industry partners operate, providing the opportunity for develop radical, life-saving tools and approaches. The Safety Accelerator brings together startups and the industry to work together to explore these opportunities and test innovative digital solutions to some of the toughest safety and risk challenges, and accelerate the adoption of cutting edge safetytech to create safer working environments, and a safer world."

The deadline for applications is 19 October 2018. Shortlisted entries will be invited to a live pitch and Q&A with a panel of judges taking place in London on 28 November 2018. The launch of trials for successful applicants is scheduled to take place in February 2019.

The Safety Accelerator is a joint initiative between Lloyd's Register, one of the world's leading providers of professional services for engineering and technology and Lloyd's Register Foundation, a charitable foundation helping to protect life and property by supporting engineering-related education, public engagement and the application of research, which is funding the programme.

The Safety Accelerator is run in partnership with Plug and Play, the largest global innovation platform and most active venture capital fund in Silicon Valley.

For more information about the Lloyd's Register Safety Accelerator, including how to become an industry challenge partner, or applying to solve a challenge, please visit: https://www.lr.org/en/safety-accelerator/

About Lloyd's Register Foundation

Lloyd's Register Foundation: Connecting science, safety and society

Lloyd's Register Foundation is a UK charity, established in 2012, which funds the advancement of engineering-related education and research and supports work that enhances safety of life and property. It is funded partly by the profits of its trading arm, Lloyd's Register Group Limited, a global engineering, technical and business services organisation.

Its vision is to be known worldwide as a leading supporter of engineering-related research, training and education that makes a real difference in improving the safety of the critical infrastructure on which modern society relies. In support of this, it promotes scientific excellence and acts as a catalyst working with others to achieve maximum impact.

Lloyd's Register Foundation's strategy for 2014-2020 focuses funding on four strategic themes: promoting safety and public understanding of risk; advancing skills and education; supporting excellent scientific research; and accelerating the application of research. Four research themes have been prioritised: structural integrity and systems performance; resilience engineering; human and social factors; and emergent technologies.

www.lrfoundation.org.uk

About Lloyd's Register (LR)

We started out in 1760 as a marine classification society. Today, we're one of the world's leading providers of professional services for engineering and technology  improving safety and increasing the performance of critical infrastructures for clients in over 75 countries worldwide. The profits we generate fund the Lloyd's Register Foundation, a charity which supports science and engineering-related research, education and public engagement around everything we do. All of this helps us stand by the purpose that drives us every single day: Working together for a safer world.

In a world of increasing complexity  overloaded with data and opinion  we know that our clients need more than technology to succeed. They need an experienced hand. A partner to listen, cut through the noise and focus on what really matters to them and their customers. Our engineers and technical experts are dedicated to assurance. That means a commitment to embracing new technology, and a deep rooted desire to drive better performance. So we consider our customers' needs with diligence and empathy, then use our expertise and over 250 years' experience to deliver the smart solution for everyone.

After all, there are some things technology can't replace.

www.lr.org

About Plug and Play

Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 20 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 6,000 startups and 280 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 700 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $7 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club, and PayPal.

www.plugandplaytechcenter.com

For media enquiries contact:

Steve Price

Lloyd's Register Safety Accelerator

[email protected]

0044 7791 617963

Related Links

http://plugandplaytechcenter.com



SOURCE Plug and Play
BANGALORE, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The students of Canadian International School (CIS) Bangalore celebrate 'Joy of Giving' to focus on activities and fundraisers that give back to society. The celebration provides students with the opportunity to contribute time, money, materials, and skills to benefit numerous individuals, organizations, and causes.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/638328/CIS_Logo.jpg )

"The Joy of Giving is a 'festival of philanthropy' that aims at giving and spreading joy with the underprivileged of the society. The week is celebrated every year at CIS by engaging people through the 'acts of giving' - money, time, resources, and skills," said Ms. Asha Samuel, CAS Coordinator, Canadian International School. "Our IB students organized the event and were involved in helping with fundraising, advertising the event, and helping the community understand the importance of giving. This event showcases the implementation of various aspects of the IB Learner profile like being caring, a communicator, thinker, and gain knowledge about different charities to become a more principled person," added Ms. Asha.

Canadian International School has been involved in the 'Joy of Giving' celebrations for the past 12 years. The event, held annually from Gandhi Jayanthi onwards, is marked by a week of activities aimed at encouraging students to participate in community service. This is one facet of the students' and the school's efforts to contribute to the greater community.

This year the students of Canadian International School will be donating the proceeds from the celebration to charities such as Sparsha Shelter for the Homeless, The Little Sisters of the Poor, Habitat for Humanity, Home of Hope, and several more.

About Canadian International School

Canadian International School is a culturally-rich mosaic serving each student by providing a world-class international education, nurturing potential, developing life-long skills, and preparing students for an ever-changing global community. As India's 1st Apple Distinguished School, Canadian International School has continued to deliver a very high standard of education with an array of subject choices and activities tailored to students' interests, aligned with a very high level of care in a warm, friendly and non-threatening environment. It follows internationally recognized curricula - IB (Grades 11 & 12), IGCSE (Grades 9 -10), Cambridge Secondary 1 (Grades 6 - 8) Cambridge Primary, and Montessori (Pre K to Grade 5), and employs a majority of foreign-trained, experienced teachers.

Media Contact:

Amala Warrick

[email protected]

+91-9902929403

Canadian International School



SOURCE Canadian International School (CIS)
The gAsia Pass embodies Taiwan's "Southbound Policy" to co-develop the APAC region with other Asian markets. Linkou's Startup Terrace, an initiative by the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA) of the "Ministry of Economic Affairs" (MOEA) to transform the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade Athlete's Village into an international startup campus, will serve as the "living lab" for Asian entrepreneurs.

The managing directors of the six GEN Asia members signed the gAsia Pass initiative cooperation framework, which was witnessed by authoritative organization representatives. In addition, Taiwan and India, represented by NAYE and the GEN Asia Executive Committee, signed the first agreement for sharing resource for startups, indicating the first international entrepreneurial platform for APEC entrepreneurs was formally established in Taiwan.

Jonathan Ortmans, President of GEN; Eugene Cornelius Jr., Senior Advisor to the Office of International Trade, US Small Business Administration (SBA); Anna Roy, NITI Aayog Consultant; Ming-Hsin Kung, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs; Dr. Ming-Ji Wu, Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA), and MOEA; H.C.Hsu, Chairman of Board of NAYE, were also on hand to express their support.

Jonathan Ortmans, Chairman of GEN, believes that the development of a new, international ecosystem will play a very important role in the future of Taiwan, and will become the most innovative and influential platform in the Asia-Pacific region. Its purpose is to integrate and exchange talent, resources and funds among cooperating nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

The MOEA has affirmed that Taiwan authorities are fully committed to fostering startups and small and medium-sized enterprises. The MOEA hopes to use the gAsia Pass's cross-border cooperation mechanism to create new R&D energy and excitement to develop new industries, including the AI + IoT digital economy.

The positive cycle of entrepreneurial resources, talent and opportunities is designed to lead Taiwanese SMEs to escalate their innovation and transformation, raising foreign and domestic investment of NT$30 billion, with a goal of 1,500 international startups.

H.C.Hsu, Chaiman of the Board of NAYE -- the organization that won the sponsorship rights to GEC+ Taipei 2018 -- noted that his association will play the role of gAsia Pass Executive Secretary in the future, which should help smooth the flow of visas, funds, resources and talent among entrepreneurs in participating markets.

Taiwan has always been known for its ICT value chain and its strength in integrating hardware and software. The Linkou Startup Terrace, combines office space, accommodations, rental incentives, and other subsidies to select domestic and international accelerators and startups, and provides one-stop service to assist new entrepreneurs in handling administrative procedures such as visas and company registration. It will be home to the first startup living lab in Asia.

The gAsia Pass initiative is a successful model of public and private partnership. Specifically, the initiative originates from the civil sector, and receives support from the local authorities and the industry. The initiative will not only create multilateral cross-border cooperation with a pioneering spirit of co-creating the Asia-Pacific entrepreneurial ecosystem, but will also strengthen the entire regional economy.

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20181004/2257563-1

SOURCE Small and Medium Enterprise Administration of MOEA, Taiwan
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Integrated Cannabis Company, Inc. (CSE: ICAN) (OTCQB: ICNAF) ("Integrated Cannabis "), is pleased to announce the successful completion and positive results of a controlled trial of its proprietary Sleep product.

The controlled 60 patient trial was completed with a renowned pain clinic in Southern California and the results were highly favorable; resulting in improvement in patients' sleep patterns combined with the unexpected, but highly desirable, decrease in the level of pain. The study results have been published in the peer reviewed journal: International Journal of Pharmacy and Life Sciences (Int. J. of Pharm. Life Sci., Vol. 9:5722-5729).

"The unique formulation of ingredients in the X-SPRAYS sleep supplement contributed to a significant improvement in sleep quality together with a reduction in daytime sleepiness, pain, and depression, when compared to the control group. The study was conducted in a controlled and regulated clinical environment, which prohibits the test of cannabis products. Therefore the study was on our non-cannabinoid product. However, our experience with the infusion of CBD into the tested formulation has rendered profound increased benefits. Furthermore, we are actively seeking clinical study relationships in legal jurisdictions outside of North America for our cannabinoid-based products and expect to replicate the aforementioned study in the near term. The spray has the added benefit of being easy to use, is fast acting, promotes a superb night's rest and does not leave you feeling groggy in the morning," said Dr. Clive Spray, CSO of Integrated Cannabis.

About Integrated Cannabis Company, Inc.

Integrated Cannabis Company, Inc. is comprised of dedicated scientists and product engineers who are passionate about health and creating health and lifestyle products utilizing advanced delivery systems and formulations. For more information, please visit the company's website at: http://www.x-sprays.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"John Knapp"

Chief Executive Officer

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.

For further information, please contact:

Telephone: +778-403-3358





Website: http://www.x-sprays.com

SOURCE Integrated Cannabis Company, Inc.
CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Pembina Pipeline Corporation ("Pembina" or the "Company") (TSX: PPL; NYSE: PBA) announced today that its Board of Directors declared a common share cash dividend for October 2018 of $0.19 per share to be paid, subject to applicable law, on November 15, 2018 to shareholders of record on October 25, 2018. This dividend is designated an "eligible dividend" for Canadian income tax purposes. For non-resident shareholders, Pembina's common share dividends should be considered "qualified dividends" and may be subject to Canadian withholding tax.

For shareholders receiving their common share dividends in U.S. funds, the October 2018 cash dividend is expected to be approximately U.S. $0.1481 per share (before deduction of any applicable Canadian withholding tax) based on a currency exchange rate of 0.7793. The actual U.S. dollar dividend will depend on the Canadian/U.S. dollar exchange rate on the payment date and will be subject to applicable withholding taxes.

Pembina pays cash dividends on its common shares in Canadian dollars on a monthly basis to shareholders of record on the 25th calendar day of each month (except for the December record date, which is December 31st), if, as and when determined by the Board of Directors. Should the record date fall on a weekend or a statutory holiday, the effective record date will be the previous business day. The dividend payment date is the 15th of the month following the record date. Should the payment date fall on a weekend or on a holiday the business day prior to the weekend or holiday becomes the payment date.

Pembina's Board of Directors also declared quarterly dividends for the Company's preferred shares, Series 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 and 21. Series 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 21 preferred share dividends are payable on December 3, 2018 to shareholders of record on November 1, 2018. Series 15, 17 and 19 preferred share dividends are payable on December 31, 2018 to shareholders of record on December 17, 2018.

Series







Dividend Amount Preferred Shares, Series 1 (PPL.PR.A)







$0.265625 Preferred Shares, Series 3 (PPL.PR.C)







$0.293750 Preferred Shares, Series 5 (PPL.PR.E)







$0.312500 Preferred Shares, Series 7 (PPL.PR.G)







$0.281250 Preferred Shares, Series 9 (PPL.PR.I)







$0.296875 Preferred Shares, Series 11 (PPL.PR.K)







$0.359375 Preferred Shares, Series 13 (PPL.PR.M)







$0.359375 Preferred Shares, Series 15 (PPL.PR.O)







$0.279000 Preferred Shares, Series 17 (PPL.PR.Q)







$0.312500 Preferred Shares, Series 19 (PPL.PR.S)







$0.312500 Preferred Shares, Series 21 (PPL.PF.A)







$0.306250

These dividends are designated "eligible dividends" for Canadian income tax purposes. For non-resident shareholders, Pembina's common share dividends should be considered "qualified dividends" and may be subject to Canadian withholding tax.

Dividends on the preferred shares Series 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 21 are payable on the first day of March, June, September and December in each year, if, as and when declared by the Board of Directors to shareholders of record on the first day of the preceding month, or, if such payment or record date is not a business day, the next succeeding business day after the weekend or holiday. Dividends on the preferred shares Series 15, 17 and 19 are payable on the last day of March, June, September and December in each year, if, as and when declared by the Board of Directors to shareholders of record on the fifteenth day of the same month, or, if such payment or record date is not a business day, the next succeeding business day after the weekend or holiday.

Conference Call and Webcast Details for Third Quarter 2018 Results

Pembina will release its third quarter 2018 results on Thursday, November 1, 2018 after markets close. A conference call and webcast have been scheduled for Friday, November 2, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. MT (10:00 a.m. ET) for interested investors, analysts, brokers and media representatives.

The conference call dial-in numbers for Canada and the U.S. are 647-427-7450 or 888-231-8191. A recording of the conference call will be available for replay until November 9, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. ET. To access the replay, please dial either 416-849-0833 or 855-859-2056 and enter the password 7697531.

A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed on Pembina's website at www.pembina.com under Investor Centre, Presentation & Events, or by entering: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1652776/3F954F3630A028629E570FDCB6625739 in your web browser. Shortly after the call, an audio archive will be posted on the website for a minimum of 90 days.

About Pembina

Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Corporation is a leading transportation and midstream service provider that has been serving North America's energy industry for over 60 years. Pembina owns an integrated system of pipelines that transport various hydrocarbon liquids and natural gas products produced primarily in western Canada. The Company also owns gas gathering and processing facilities and an oil and natural gas liquids infrastructure and logistics business. Pembina's integrated assets and commercial operations along the majority of the hydrocarbon value chain allow it to offer a full spectrum of midstream and marketing services to the energy sector. Pembina is committed to identifying additional opportunities to connect hydrocarbon production to new demand locations through the development of infrastructure that would extend Pembina's service offering even further along the hydrocarbon value chain. These new developments will contribute to ensuring that hydrocarbons produced in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin and the other basins where Pembina operates can reach the highest value markets throughout the world.

Pembina strives to provide sustainable, industry-leading total returns for our investors; reliable and value-added services for our customers; a net positive impact to communities; and a safe, respectful, collaborative and fair work culture for our employees.

Pembina's strategy is to:

Preserve value by providing safe, environmentally conscious, cost-effective and reliable services;





by providing safe, environmentally conscious, cost-effective and reliable services; Diversify by providing integrated solutions which enhance profitability and customer service;





by providing integrated solutions which enhance profitability and customer service; Implement Growth by pursuing projects or assets that are expected to generate cash flow per share accretion and capture long-life, economic hydrocarbon reserves; and





by pursuing projects or assets that are expected to generate cash flow per share accretion and capture long-life, economic hydrocarbon reserves; and Secure Global Markets by understanding what the world needs, where they need it, and delivering it.

Pembina is structured into three Divisions: Pipelines Division, Facilities Division and Marketing & New Ventures Division.

Pembina's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under PPL and PBA, respectively. For more information, visit www.pembina.com.

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements") that are based on Pembina's current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends. In this news release, such forward-looking information and statements can be identified by terminology such as "should", "may", "will", "continue", "if", "to be", "expects", and similar expressions.

In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements, relating to future dividends which may be declared on Pembina's common and preferred shares, the dividend payments and the tax treatment thereof. These forward-looking statements are being made by Pembina based on certain assumptions that Pembina has made in respect thereof as at the date of this news release, regarding, among other things: the ability of Pembina and any required third parties to effectively engage with stakeholders; oil and gas industry exploration and development activity levels; the success of Pembina's operations and growth projects; prevailing commodity prices, margins, volumes and exchange rates; that Pembina's future results of operations will be consistent with past performance and management expectations in relation thereto; the continued availability of capital at attractive prices to fund future capital requirements relating to existing assets and projects, including but not limited to future capital expenditures relating to expansion, upgrades and maintenance shutdowns; that any third party projects relating to Pembina's growth projects will be sanctioned and completed as expected; that any required commercial agreements can be reached; that all required regulatory and environmental approvals can be obtained on the necessary terms in a timely manner; that counterparties to material agreements will continue to perform in a timely manner; that there are no unforeseen events preventing the performance of contracts; that there are no unforeseen material construction, integrity or other costs related to current growth projects or current operations; and prevailing interest and tax rates.

Although Pembina believes the expectations and material factors and assumptions reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date hereof, there can be no assurance that these expectations, factors and assumptions will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned that events or circumstances could cause results to differ materially from those predicted, forecasted or projected. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information. These known and unknown risks and uncertainties, include, but are not limited to: the regulatory environment and decisions; the ability of Pembina to raise sufficient capital (or to raise sufficient capital on favourable terms) to fund future expansions and growth projects and satisfy future commitments; failure to negotiate and conclude any required commercial agreements or failure to obtain project sanctioning; increased construction costs, or construction delays, on Pembina's expansion and growth projects; labour and material shortages; non-performance of agreements in accordance with their terms; the impact of competitive entities and pricing; reliance on key industry partners, alliances and agreements; the strength and operations of the oil and natural gas production industry and related commodity prices; the continuation or completion of third-party projects; actions by governmental or regulatory authorities including changes in tax laws and treatment, changes in royalty rates or increased environmental regulation; adverse general economic and market conditions in Canada, North America and elsewhere; construction delays; labour and material shortages; and certain other risks detailed from time to time in Pembina's public disclosure documents including, among other things, those detailed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Pembina's management's discussion and analysis and annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2017, which can be found at www.sedar.com.

The forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by the above statements and speak only as of the date of this document. Pembina does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information contained herein, except as required by applicable laws.

For further information: Investor Relations, Scott Arnold, (403) 231-3156, 1-855-880-7404, e-mail: investor-relations@pembina.com, www.pembina.com

Related Links

http://www.pembina.com



SOURCE Pembina Pipeline Corporation
Kathmandu, October 4

Nepals constitutional anti-corruption body, Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, has demanded that laws governing it be amended so that the Commission gets more right to control corruption.

The Commission says it has been unable to intervene into many complaints that it receives due to lack of rights to investigate some issues. Therefore, the constitution as well as other related laws should be amended, the Commission demands.

During a meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, the Commission submitted a report, which also requests the parliamentary body to take initiatives for the amendments.

The Commissions Secretary Maheshwar Neupane says the constitutional body is not allowed to investigate into irregularities of local governments involving staff recruitment, and handling of contracts of infrastructure development projects.

These issues are not covered in our jurisdiction. But, we have received complaints galore, he says.

The Commission claims legal complexity has been the biggest challenge in combating corruption in the country. Our principal challenge is controlling corruption by strengthening the responsibility, rights and roles of the Commission, the report reads, Effective provisions should be implemented to control corruption in the private and nongovernment sectors as well.

In another context, the Commission has demanded that the government formulate laws in order to implement the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
Kathmandu, October 4

Student unions close to ruling Nepal Communist Party have demanded that the government sack Inspector General of Nepal Police, Sarbendra Khanal, as he has turned inefficient to perform his duty.

Leaders of All Nepal National Free Students Union and All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary led a delegation to the Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and demanded that he sack the police chief.

The student leaders have claimed the police organisation under Khanals leadership has been unable to control increasing incidents of violence against women and children, such as rape and acid attack.

Meanwhile, the unions also demanded that the government make the report about investigation into the rape and murder of Nirmala Pant at the earliest.

Also today, a group of youth has demanded the resignation of Home Minister Thapa.
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Serebrennikov to remain under house arrest until October 19

 RAPSI

15:30 04/10/2018

MOSCOW, October 4 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court has upheld extension of house arrest for the Gogol Center theater director Kirill Serebrennikov charged with embezzlement, RAPSI has learnt in the courts press service.

A similar ruling has been passed concerning ex-head of Seventh Studio stage company Yury Itin. They will remain under house arrest until October 19.

On October 2, Russias Prosecutor Generals Office announced that indictment was approved, and the embezzlement case involving Serebrennikov was forwarded to court for hearing.

Serebrennikov was arrested in late August 2017 and then placed under house arrest. In early November, Moscows Basmanny District Court seized assets belonging to Serebrennikov including apartment, car, and money in the amount of more than 360,000 rubles ($5,300), over 60,000, and $4,000.

Investigators believe that he was an organizer of the budget money embezzlement. He allegedly created Seventh Studio stage company to actualize the Platforma project for promotion of art and called alleged accomplices into the organization. He pleaded not guilty.

Other defendants in the case are ex-head of Seventh Studio stage company Yury Itin, ex-general producer Alexey Malobrodsky, and former Seventh Studio chief accountant Nina Maslyayeva, ex-official of Russias Culture Ministry and current director of the Russian Academic Youth Theater Sophia Apfelbaum. Producer Yekaterina Voronova, has been put on the international wanted list and arrested in absentia as part of the case.

According to investigation, the defendants have embezzled 133 million rubles ($2 million) of 214 million rubles ($3.2 million) allocated from the budget to Seventh Studio for promotion of Russian contemporary art.

Investigators claim that Itin, Malobrodsky, and Maslyayeva were falsifying data for the Platforma projects plans in 2011-2014 on the theater directors request. This data was provided to the Ministry of Culture as the rationale for financing from the state budget.

Maslyayeva has testified against Serebrennikov. She said that Serebrennikov, Malobrodsky and Itin organized embezzlement of money allocated for a cultural event. Serebrennikov and Malobrodsky cashed the money with the assistance of Maslyayeva. The woman also said that she entered falsified data in financial reports.

Apfelbaum, according to investigators, signed contracts on state grants in the amount of more than 214 million rubles with Serebrennikovs stage company on behalf of the Russian Culture Ministry, and provided further agreement of received reporting documents, which contained overstated information on quantity and cost of the held events, thus abetting the embezzlement.

Apfelbaum admitted that she controlled the movement of cash but denied involvement in the crime.
Former head of Russias Mari El Republic complains of detention conditions

 Official website of the head of Mari El

11:38 04/10/2018

MOSCOW, October 4 (RAPSI)  Ex-head of Russias Mari El Republic Leonid Markelov, who stands charged with taking bribes, abuse of office and unlawful possession of weapons, has complained to the Presidential Council of Human Rights about his detention conditions, attorney Igor Trunov has told RAPSI.

Moreover, Markelov has filed a complaint against torture custodial circumstances, health problems and impossibility to communicate with family members with the Prosecutor Generals Office. He has also reported moral pressure put by investigators to extract a confession, according to the lawyer.

The defendant is also going to lodge an application with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Trunov has added.

Earlier, the Moscow City Court upheld a ruling to extend detention of Markelov and his alleged accomplice, CEO of Telecompany 12 Region Natalya Kozhanova, who stands charged with mediation in bribery, until October 13.

Investigators believe that Markelov has received a 235-million-ruble bribe (about $4 million) from the founder of Akashevskaya factory Nikolay Krivash for patronage and assistance in the property payment of funds provided by the state support for development of the agricultural complex.

Markelov pleads not guilty to all charges.
First extremism case dropped in Russia after resolution of Supreme Courts Plenum

 RIA Novosti, Alexei Kudenko

13:00 04/10/2018

MOSCOW, October 4 (RAPSI)  A first criminal case on extremism was closed after the Russian Supreme Courts Plenum passed a resolution on these case types, lawyer Vladimir Vasin told RAPSI on Thursday.

The Investigative Committee closed in Krasnoyarsk a case on inciting hatred and enmity against Andrey Bezborodov, 35, for lack of criminal evidence, the attorney said. According to Vasin, the man earlier published several posts containing texts and images on VKontakte social network.

The case was dropped because of the acts insignificance. No one of Bezborodovs 166 social network friends liked his post, therefore the images triggered no reaction and did not assert influence on peoples behavior, investigators said in their decision.

On September 20, the Supreme Court of Russia in its Plenum resolution explained that courts considering extremism cases should proceed from a level of public danger and hazard mode.

The Criminal Code of Russia attracts a criminal sentence for incitement of enmity but not for reposts on social networks. If a publication is extremist, malice of the repost must be proven, the Supreme Courts Judge Vladimir Davydov said during the Plenums session.

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova in turn stated that criminal sentence including imprisonment is disproportionately tough punishment for unintentional likes and reposts.
Sterlite in a statement said the judge observed there was a difference between public perception and ground reality.

The Madurai Bench of the Madras high court has issued an interim stay on the governments order halting Sterlites expansion plan.

The court on Wednesday heard the writ petition filed by Sterlite Copper, challenging the cancellation of land allotment by the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu for its copper-smelter expansion.

The company was planning to double its capacity with an additional investment of ~25 billion. It was during civil works at this phase that the residents of the area staged protests against the factory expansion.

The case was heard by Justice V Parthiban. senior advocate P S Raman appeared for on behalf of Sterlite Copper and Additional Advocate-General Chella Pandian appeared for the state.

While order copy was not available immediately, Sterlite in a statement said the judge observed there was a difference between public perception and ground reality.

The judge noted that only because some people were expressing concerns, the state cannot make decisions solely to appease them.

The judge said the court cannot be swayed by public perception and had to judge the case on facts alone.

The judge was also of the opinion that the balance of convenience lay in favour of Sterlite Copper and stated that this order to cancel the land allotment was a political one.

P Ramnath, chief executive officer, Stellite Copper, said, We are happy that the court has only considered the facts in the case and granted a stay to the states order, which was purely made considering the peoples emotions.

Earlier, the protest against Sterlite factory in Thoothukudi and the expansion plans has resulted in death of over 11 people, who participated in a demonstration in Thoothukudi.

In connection to the public protest, the SIPCOT had cancelled the land allotment for the expansion plan.

The government also issued an order directing the facility to be permanently shut down.

The company challenged this with the National Green Tribunal, New Delhi. An expert committee appointed by the tribunal has conducted public hearings in Thoothukudi and in Chennai last month.

Photograph: Reuters
'As far as acquisition of Russian equipment is concerned, with about 70% of Indian military equipment being of Russian origin, a sudden decision to abandon imports from Russia is not feasible,' points out Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd).

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi flanked by US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo, left, and US Secretary of Defence General James Mattis, right, in New Delhi after the 2+2 dialogue, September 6, 2018. Photograph: Press Information Bureau

The run-up to the first 2 Plus 2 dialogue between the Americans and the Indians in New Delhi was preceded by substantial scepticism based on issues concerning India's dealings with the Russians and Iranians.

These included the Indian insistence on buying the S 400 Triumf Russian air defence system, continuing with imports of limited quantities of Iranian crude and construction of the Chabahar port.

The dialogue participants aside, there were two powerful national leaders at opposite ends trying to tailor the trajectory of Indo-American relationship.

Both President Donald J Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi are known for digging their heels-in.

Modi had remained firm during the 79-day stand-off at Doklam between the Chinese and Indian armies. Trump has launched his relentless trade war against China.

The Delhi meeting with Michael Pompeo and Jim Mattis on one side and Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitharaman on the other, was handicapped, as we thought, with both leaders likely to take unyielding positions.

What happened was an anti-climax perhaps. The meeting proved to be a substantial step forward in Indo-American relations.

The boost that Strobe Talbott and Jaswant Singh had given to Indo-American relationship post the 1998 Indian nuclear tests, now stands cemented on a more equal footing that could cause a lot of concern to the Chinese, Russians, Pakistanis and a few more countries.

The most important agreement signed was the Communication Compatibility and Security Agreement, COMCASA.

In the modern battlefield communications are extremely important for responding in an extremely constricted time span that characterises combat situations.

Equally important is communications not being compromised or interfered with. All this is possible only if the equipment and encryption used are compatible and secure.

Post COMCASA, India and American forces will be able to achieve greater inter-operability.

The signing of the COMCASA agreement has been preceded by a long run of almost 10 years.

COMCASA will allow Indian forces to access encrypted US data links that inter-phase communications of US land, sea, air and subsurface platforms.

Indian forces will be able to hook on to the US Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange System or CENTRIXS communications grid.

In the past, such linkages were provided only for the duration of joint or multi-lateral exercises.

The signing of COMCASA has other implications too. It eases the acquiring of drones that India has been keen about. The contract for $2 billion worth of 22 Sea Guardians is important for both countries.

For the Americans it is more than just a business opportunity, while for the Indians it's a huge boost to the Indian Navy's surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean region.

IMAGE: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Secretary of Defence James Mattis before the India-US 2 + 2 Dialogue commenced. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo

The other communication related issue addressed is provisioning of hot lines between the Indian foreign and defence ministers and the US secretaries of state and defence.

Keeping in view the increasing Chinese presence in the Indo-Pacific region, closer liaison between the two navies is of greater import.

An Indian Navy officer will be posted at the US Navy Central Command (NAVCENT)'s Manama-based HQ. A linkage with the US Central Command has its own advantages.

Currently, India is in the jurisdiction of the Hawai-based recently re-named INDO-PACOM while Pakistan is in CENTCOM's precincts. Positioning an Indian officer at the US Central Command would facilitate better understanding of Pakistan centric issues.

A tri-service exercise is also being planned along the Indian east coast. Apparently, the exercise will involve an amphibious landing.

The US will surely field its Marines for the landing phase. They are the best experienced soldiers in amphibious operations. Personnel of the Indian amphibious brigade would be keen to inter-act with them.

Our large number of islands in the Indian Ocean region call for a high state of readiness for undertaking amphibious operations.

Such an eventuality may also be required in support of the littoral States of the Indian Ocean region as was the case in the Maldives after a coup attempt in 1988.

The two sides also discussed the issue of Indian membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Chinese resistance was quoted by both sides as the sole impediment. However, the Americans have committed to progressing the case.

With India having now joined the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Chinese would find it more difficult to attract support for its stance.

US policies in the region have not been fully sensitive to Indian concerns in the past.

The USA-Pakistan relationship is a case in point. The Americans have always pressurised Pakistan to address terrorist groups based along its western borders that cause havoc in Afghanistan. However, the US was not insistent on Pakistan similarly addressing the issue to its east, where terror groups operating from Pakistan administered Kashmir strike across the Line of Control, in India.

Pompeo halted in Pakistan and met Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan before landing in New Delhi. There were no promises of the American tap being kept open to finance Pakistan.

Both Pompeo and Mattis have stated that they would find a way to keep India out of the scope of Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) with the Indian side not ready to give up on either the Russian surface to air S 400 Triumf acquisition or Iranian crude and the Chabahar port.

If the Iranian issue is viewed in a larger framework, the port India is constructing at Chabahar could be utilised for movement of logistics to Afghanistan, via Iran.

It may be a long shot, but with US-Pakistan relations uneasy and the crossings across the Durand Line not assured, Chabahar provides an alternative for the movement of logistics.

If the Iranian nuclear deal was in place, the possibility could have become a reality more easily.

As far as acquisition of Russian equipment is concerned, with about 70% of Indian military equipment being of Russian origin, a sudden decision to abandon imports from Russia is not feasible.

The Americans realising that India needs to maintain relations with Iran and Russia would make it much easier to build the Indo-American relationship. India's national security advisor has already visited the US, post the 2 plus 2 dialogue, to pursue the issue.
China wants a 'different American President' and is using more 'proactive and coercive' methods to interfere in America's domestic policies and politics, United States Vice President Mike Pence alleged on Thursday, in another sign of rising tensions between the two countries.

Pence accused the Chinese government of orchestrating an aggressive military, economic and political campaign to expand its influence inside the US and across the world.

In an unusual and aggressive speech against China, the Vice President alleged that the ruling Chinese Communist Party was rewarding or coercing American businesses, movie studios, universities, think tanks, scholars, journalists and local, state and federal officials.

"Beijing is employing a whole-of-government approach to advance its influence and benefit its interests. It's employing this power in more proactive and coercive ways to interfere in the domestic policies and politics of the United States," Pence said in a major policy speech on China.

"Worst of all, China has initiated an unprecedented effort to influence American public opinion, the 2018 elections, and the environment leading into the 2020 presidential elections...To put it bluntly, President Trump's leadership is working; and China wants a different American President," he alleged.

Pence's remarks came a week after Trump accused China of interfering in mid-term elections. He alleged China was meddling in America's democracy.

"As President Trump said just last week, we have 'found that China has been attempting to interfere in our upcoming 2018 [midterm] election[s]," he said.

US intelligence community says that China is targeting US state and local governments and officials to exploit any divisions between federal and local levels on policy.

"It's using wedge issues, like trade tariffs, to advance Beijing's political influence," it said.

Pence said that Beijing had mobilised covert actors, front groups, and propaganda outlets to shift Americans' perception of Chinese policies.

"As a senior career member of our intelligence community recently told me, what the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what China is doing across this country," he said.

"Senior Chinese officials have also tried to influence business leaders to condemn our trade actions, leveraging their desire to maintain their operations in China. In one recent example, they threatened to deny a business license for a major US corporation if it refused to speak out against our administration's policies," he alleged.

And when it comes to influencing the midterms, one needs only to look at Beijing's tariffs in response to US's.

They specifically targeted industries and states that would play an important role in the 2018 election.

By one estimate, more than 80 per cent of US counties targeted by China voted for President Trump in 2016; now China wants to turn these voters against our administration, he alleged.

"China is also directly appealing to the American voter. Last week, the Chinese government paid to have a multipage supplement inserted into the Des Moines Register  the paper of record in the home state of our Ambassador to China, and a pivotal state in 2018. The supplement, designed to look like news articles, cast our trade policies as reckless and harmful to Iowans," he said.

Fortunately, Americans aren't buying it, he claimed.

Pence said China's actions were not focused solely on influencing US' policies and politics, but also taking steps to exploit its economic leverage, and the allure of China's large domestic market, to advance its influence over American corporations.

"Beijing now requires American joint ventures that operate in China to establish 'party organisations' within their company, giving the Communist Party a voice -- and perhaps a veto -- in hiring and investment decisions," he said.

Chinese authorities have also threatened US companies that depict Taiwan as a distinct geographic entity, or that stray from Chinese policy on Tibet.

China compelled Delta Airlines to publicly apologise for not calling Taiwan a 'province of China' on its website and also pressured Marriott to fire a US employee who liked a tweet about Tibet, the Vice President said.

In a strong message to China's rulers, Pence said Trump will not back down  and the American people will not be swayed.

"We will continue to stand strong for our security and our economy, even as we hope for improved relations with Beijing," he said.

"Our administration will continue to act decisively to protect American interests, American jobs, and American security," Pence said.

The US and China are locked in a trade spat which began in April with Trump imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports into US.

China retaliated by imposing additional tariffs worth about $3 billion on 128 US products. Trump, while demanding China to reduce the $375 billion by $100 billion retaliated with $50 billion tariffs on Chinese products.

In retaliation, China announced plans to impose new tariffs of 25 per cent worth $50 billion on 106 American products including items like soybeans which could hurt American farmers.
IMAGE: Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday. Photograph: Kind courtesy @narendramodi/Twitter

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after which Russia and India are expected to sign the S-400 air defence system deal and a number of other pacts in key sectors such as space and energy.

Putin, who was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on his arrival, went straight to Modi's official Lok Kalyan Marg residence where the two leaders had a one-on-one meeting.

Later, Modi hosted a private dinner for the visiting dignitary.

IMAGE: Ahead of his meeting, Modi tweeted, 'Welcome to India, President Putin. Looking forward to our deliberations, which will further enhance India-Russia friendship.' Photograph: Kind courtesy @narendramodi/Twitter



The dinner meeting comes a day ahead of the 19th India-Russia annual summit during which the two leaders will hold comprehensive discussions on wide-ranging bilateral, regional and international issues, including US sanctions against Moscow and counter-terrorism cooperation.

The Russian President is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov among others during his two-day visit.

Ahead of his meeting, Modi tweeted, 'Welcome to India, President Putin. Looking forward to our deliberations, which will further enhance India-Russia friendship.' The tweet was also posted in the Russian language.

IMAGE: A number of bilateral agreements will be signed, including the $5 billion contract to deliver the S-400 air defence missile systems to India. Photograph: Kind courtesy @narendramodi/Twitter



As Putin landed in New Delhi, the Russian news agency TASS reported that on Friday, a number of bilateral agreements will be signed, including the $5 billion contract to deliver the S-400 air defence missile systems to India.

Ahead of the visit, the Russian President's aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted by media as saying that Russia and India are planning to sign more than 20 documents at the end of the Putin-Modi talks and that Putin will oversee the signing of the $5 billion deal.

IMAGE: Sources had earlier said Modi and Putin would also deliberate on impact of US sanctions on import of crude oil from Iran. Photograph: Kind courtesy @narendramodi/Twitter



The agreements to be signed are likely to boost cooperation in keys sectors such as defence, space, trade, energy and tourism, among others.

The spotlight will be on the S-400 missile defence system deal as, if signed, it could violate United States sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) instituted by the US Congress on arms purchases from Russia.

IMAGE: Putin upon his arrival at the AFS Palam in New Delhi on Thursday. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo



The US has urged its allies to forgo transactions with Russia, warning that the S-400 missile defence system that India intends to buy would be a 'focus area' for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking 'significant' business deals with the Russians.

American lawmakers, however, have allowed the possibility of a presidential waiver.

India has already given indications that it will go ahead with the deal notwithstanding the US sanctions.

"India has maintained its sovereignty as regards to its relationship with countries. We shall maintain it in all earnestness," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told PTI recently when asked whether the US sanctions will hit India's defence ties with Russia, especially after the signing of the S-400 missile deal.

IMAGE: Putin was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on his arrival. Photograph: @MEAIndia/Twitter

India wants to procure the long-range missile systems to tighten its air defence mechanism, particularly along the nearly 4,000-km-long Sino-India border.

S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.

China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 to procure the lethal missile system and Moscow has already started delivery of an undisclosed number of the S-400 missile systems to Beijing.

The S-400 is an upgraded version of the S-300 systems. The missile system, manufactured by Almaz-Antey, has been in service in Russia since 2007.

Russia has been one of India's key suppliers of arms and ammunition.

Sources had earlier said Modi and Putin would also deliberate on impact of US sanctions on import of crude oil from Iran.

Besides holding talks with Modi, the Russian leader will also have a meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday.

He will also interact with a group of talented children and address an India-Russia business meet.

The last annual summit was held on June 1, 2017, during the visit of the prime minister to Russia.

In May, Modi had travelled to Russian coastal city of Sochi for an informal summit with Putin during which they discussed a range of crucial issues.
In a setback to arrested former Indian Police Service officer Sanjiv Bhatt, the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed his wife's plea challenging the police probe and his judicial custody in a 22-year-old case of alleged planting of drugs to arrest an advocate, and said that he could approach an 'appropriate forum' for relief.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph held that it was not appropriate for the apex court to interfere in the ongoing investigation.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Gujarat government, said that Sanjiv Bhatt was arrested on September 5, in accordance with law and produced before the jurisdictional magistrate at Palanpur of Gujarat within 24 hours seeking his police custody.

He said that the assertions of the petitioner, Shweta Bhatt, that the accused was not allowed to sign the 'vakalatnama' are factually wrong, incorrect and contrary to the contemporaneous record and appear to have been made to create prejudice against the investigation.

Rohatgi said that Sanjiv Bhatt's counsel had appeared before the magistrate to oppose the plea for police remand filed by the probe agency and it was recorded in the order of September 6.

He said that everything was done in compliance with orders of the court.

On the Vakalatnama issue, Rohatgi said that during the days of judicial custody between September 6 to September 12, two lawyers Shirishbhai Modi and S B Thakore had met the accused-petitioner's husband.

The state government said that Thakore met Bhatt twice and Shirishbhai Modi met him once during his judicial custody.

The government in its affidavit said besides the lawyers even relatives of Bhatt have met him in jail and he was represented by a lawyer of his choice in the high court.

"The facts clearly show and indicate that the accused -- petitioner's husband, at no point of time was prevented in any manner from either meeting his lawyers or signing Vakalatnama and/or any other documents or from meeting anyone," the affidavit said.

After perusing the affidavit, the bench dismissed the petitions filed by Shweta Bhatt.

"We do not think appropriate to interfere in the ongoing investigation. Liberty to approach the appropriate forum in accordance with law," the bench said.

On September 24, the apex court had termed as 'serious' the allegations made by Shweta Bhatt that he was not being allowed to sign any document in custody to enable him approach the apex court.

The top court then asked the Gujarat government to file a reply on the allegations on or before October 4.

Bhatt and seven others, including some former policemen attached with the Banaskantha Police, were initially detained for questioning in the case. Bhatt was the Banaskantha district superintendent of police in 1996.

As per the police, the Banaskantha Police under Bhatt had arrested one Sumersingh Rajpurohit, an advocate, in 1996 on charges of possessing around one kg of drugs.

At that time, the Banaskantha Police had claimed that drugs were found in a hotel room occupied by Rajpurohit in the district's Palanpur town.

However, a probe by the Rajasthan Police had concluded that Rajpurohit was allegedly falsely implicated by the Banaskantha Police to compel him to transfer a disputed property at Pali in Rajasthan.

It had also claimed to have found that Rajpurohit was allegedly abducted by the Banaskantha Police from his residence at Pali in Rajasthan.

Following the Rajasthan Police investigation, former police inspector of Banaskantha I B Vyas had moved the Gujarat high court in 1999 demanding a thorough inquiry into the matter.

In June this year, the high court had handed over the probe in the case to the CID while hearing the petition and asked it to complete the probe in three months.

The Gujarat cadre IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt was suspended in 2011 on charges of remaining absent from duty without permission and misuse of official vehicles and later sacked in August, 2015.

Bhatt's wife Shweta had unsuccessfully contested assembly election as a Congress party candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Maninagar constituency in Ahmedabad in 2012.
The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the deportation of seven Rohingyas to Myanmar, saying they were found by the competent court as illegal immigrants and have been accepted by their country of origin as citizens.

"Having considered the prayer, we would not like to interfere with the decision taken. The petition is dismissed," a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph said.

"Even the country of their origin has accepted them as its citizens," it said.

The bench rejected the plea made by one of the Rohingyas, who had filed an application seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting to Myanmar the seven Rohingyas lodged in a detention centre at Silchar in Assam.

The Centre told the apex court that the seven Rohingyas illegally migrated to India in 2012 and were convicted under the Foreigners Act.

The Centre also informed the court that Myanmar has issued a certificate of identity to the seven Rohingyas along with one month visa to facilitate their deportation.

"Myanmar government gave them certificate of identity and one month visa to facilitate their deportation," Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench.

The application was filed by one Jaffarullah, who said Rohingyas should not be deported under any kind of duress as they have migrated due to "genocide" in Myanmar.

Later, Rohingya immigrants handed over to Myanmar authorities at Moreh border post in Manipur.

The interim plea, seeking urgent measures to stop the proposed deportation of seven Rohingyas, was filed on a pending PIL.

The PIL was filed earlier by two Rohingya immigrants -- Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir -- challenging the Centre's decision to deport over 40,000 refugees who came to India after escaping from Myanmar due to alleged widespread discrimination and violence against the community.

In the fresh plea, advocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for the applicant, said Myanmar government had earlier refused to accept these Rohingyas as their citizens.

He alleged that a worst kind of genocide has taken place in Myanmar in which over 10,000 people were killed.

Bhushan further argued that due to the "genocide", people were killed and their properties destroyed and several lakhs of Rohingyas migrated to Bangladesh and India.

"They are not illegal migrants, but refugees. The court should direct sending UN High Commissioner or his representative to talk to the seven Rohingyas so that they are not deported under any kind of duress," he said.

The bench said it would not like to interfere with the decision and dismissed the petition.

Bhushan said it is a matter of life and it is the court's responsibility to see that the lives of Rohingyas are protected.

However, the bench was not in agreement with his submission and said, "You don't need to remind us of our responsibilities. We very well understand our responsibilities".
The United States has rejected Pakistan's plea to facilitate talks with India and pressed for the bilateral engagement between the two South Asian neighbours, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said.

Pakistan wants the US to facilitate talks with India as the two nations are not engaging bilaterally, the top Pakistani diplomat told a Washington audience on Wednesday.

"When we asked the US, to play facilitating role...Why do we ask? Simply because we are not engaging bilaterally. And that bilateral disengagement isa distraction," Qureshi said in response to a question at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded top American think-tank.

"We want to focus, we want to move on the western side of the border, which we are not being able to because we have to watch our back from eastern side (of the border with India). That is not a healthy situation to be in," he said.

"Now can you (United States) facilitate (the talks)? The answer from them is no. They wanted bilaterally. But there is no bilateral movement," Qureshi said, a day after he had meetings with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, during which he raised the issue only to be pushed back by the Trump administration.

India is opposed to any third country mediation in its relations with Pakistan. Pakistan has continuously sought mediation to sort out the differences, including over Kashmir.

Qureshi warned that the absence of bilateral talks with India could lead to escalation of tension between the two countries.

"If that lack of facilitation leads to escalation and some of the statements that have come out of late have not been very helpful," the Pakistani foreign minister said in an apparent reference to the remarks by Indian leaders.

The new government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he claimed, is not shy of engaging.

Referring to the cancelling of his meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New York last month, he alleged that India backed off.

However, he quickly skipped India's reasons for this  glorification of terrorists by issuing postal stamps and brutal killing of the Indian security personnel.

"If the Indians have a better option, share it with us. If disengagement, if not talking to each other will resolve and stabilise the region, fine. If that's their analysis fine," Qureshi said.

Qureshi, who left for Pakistan after his meetings with the Trump administration officials, said it is unfortunate that the two countries are not engaging.

"It's unfortunate. That's the way it is. Now. What does this government want? We want normalisation. We want co-existence. You've got to recognise the reality. Pakistan is a reality. So is India. We have issues. How do we resolve them?" he asked.

After coming to power, the first speech made by the Prime Minister Khan was "that every step you (India) take towards peace, we will take two. And he meant it. It wasn't just because it sounded good. It wasn't to please anyone. He is too blunt a person to please people. He can be very straight and he can be very blunt. But he said that because he feels that way," Qureshi said.

India has said that Pakistan created the conditions for cancellation of the talks  due to issuing of postage stamps glorifying terrorists and brutal killing of its three security personnel.

The Pakistan foreign minister did not mention that in his answer and only said that the stalled dialogue process is not good for the two countries and the region.

Responding to a question on India's stand that talks and terrorism cannot go together, a view which is shared by Washington too, Qureshi referred to a statement by Khan while he was an opposition leader and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a trip to New Delhi that there would always be spoilers.

"There will always be spoilers. There will always be elements that will scuttle the process of peace. But when they do that, let re-engage to fight them. They will push us back. But we have to see what is in our interest, what is in the regional interest. What's in Pakistan's interest," Qureshi said quoting what Khan had told Modi.

Soon, he raised the Kashmir issue.

"They have to realise, and I think they were being simplistic, if they feel that everything that's wrong on the Indian side of Kashmir is all of Pakistan's making, that is an unrealistic approach," he said.

India, he said, should also revisit its policies and see why and how people have been alienated.

'Pak minister should have been more sensitive in sharing dais with Hafiz Saeed'

Pakistan Cabinet minister Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri 'should have been more sensitive' while sharing the dais with 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, Qureshi said as he promised to ask his ministerial colleague for an explanation.

Qadri, the Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, was seen seated near banned Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT) founder Saeed as he addressed an All Parties Conference organised by the Difa-e-Pakistan Council -- a coalition of over 40 political and religious parties -- on Sunday in Islamabad.

A banner in the background said the conference was in 'defence of Pakistan', and mentioned 'Kashmir' as well as 'threats from India'.

"I will go home and certainly ask him (Qadri) why he did that. But what I am told it was an event to highlight the situation in Kashmir," Qureshi said.

"It had nothing to do with Lashkar-e-Tayiba. There were other political elements there. He happened to be one of them," Qureshi said in an attempt to defend his cabinet colleague.

"I think he (Qadri) should've been more sensitive, but it wasn't that he subscribes to his (Saeed's) point of view," the visiting Pakistani foreign minister said.

"Please explain why earlier this week on Monday, your government's federal minister of religious affairs appeared side by side at a public conference with the head of Lashkar-e-Tayiba, a terrorist organisation banned by Pakistan?" Qureshi was asked by a member in the audience.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a $10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.

Saeed's Jamat-ud Dawah is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

Qadri's presence at the event with Saeed vindicated India's stand that there is no change in Pakistan's attitude towards terrorism after Prime Minister Imran Khan assumed office in August.

Qureshi asserted that Pakistan is serious in the fight against terrorism.

"We cannot surrender to terrorism. We will have to take them on and we will have to clear areas. We have successfully done that. Well it's a work in progress, we would have to continue to build on what you've achieved, but to a large extent, things have changed," he said, adding that this shift is not being recognised enough in the US.

"Cutting off training, not giving precision equipment that could've been used against terrorism, I don't know to what extent that'll help. In my view it will not help collectively," he said.

"Collectively we can achieve our shared objective. A blame game will not be productive," he said.
IMAGE: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi meets Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his visit to the US. Photograph: Kind courtesy @statedeptspox/Twitter/span>

Islamabad is seeking an American role in facilitating talks between India and Pakistan because the two South Asian neighbours are not engaging bilaterally, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said, warning that absence of such a facilitation could lead to escalation of tension.

But the latest Pakistani request in this regard has again been rejected by the US, the top Pakistani diplomat told a Washington audience on Wednesday, a day after he had meetings with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, during which he raised the issue only to be pushed back by the Trump administration.

"When we asked the US, to play facilitating role...Why do we ask? Simply because we are not engaging bilaterally. And that bilateral disengagement isa distraction. We want to focus, we want to move on the western side of the border, which we are not being able to because we have to watch our back from eastern side (of the border with India). That is not a healthy situation to be in," Qureshi said in response to a question at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded top American think-tank.

"Now can you (United States) facilitate? The answer from them is no. They wanted bilaterally. But there is no bilateral movement," Qureshi said while warning that this could lead to escalation of tension between the two South Asian countries.

"If that lack of facilitation leads to escalation and some of the statements that have come out of late have not been very helpful," the Pakistani foreign minister said in an apparent reference to the remarks by Indian leaders. "The so-called surgical strikes and stuff like that doesn't make sense. It does not, that's politics.. there are elections around the corner," he said in response to a question.

The new government of Prime Minister Imran Khan in Pakistan, he claimed, is not shy of engaging. Referring to the cancelling of his meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New York, he alleged that India backed off.

However, he quickly skipped India's reasons for this -- glorification of terrorists by issuing postal stamps and brutal killing of India security personnel.

"If the Indians have a better option, share it with us. If disengagement, if not talking to each other will resolve and stabilise the region, fine. If that's their analysis fine,Qureshi said.

Qureshi who left for Pakistan after his meetings with Trump administration officials said it is unfortunate that the two countries are not engaging.

"It's unfortunate. That's the way it is. Now. What does this government want? We want normalisation. We want co-existence. You've got to recognise the reality. Pakistan is a reality. So is India. We have issues. How do we resolve them?" he asked.

After coming to power, the first speech made by the Prime Minister Khan was "that every step you (India) take towards peace, we will take two. And he meant it. It wasn't just because it sounded good. It wasn't to please anyone. He is too blunt a person to please people. He can be very straight and he can be very blunt. But he said that because he feels that way," Qureshi said.

India has said that Pakistan created the conditions for cancellation of the talks -- due to issuing of postage stamps glorifying terrorists and brutal killing of its three security personnel.

The Pakistan foreign minister did not mention that in his answer and only said that the stalled dialogue process is not good for the two countries and the region.

Responding to a question on India's stand that talks and terrorism cannot go together, a view which is shared by Washington too, Qureshi referred to a statement by Khan while he was an opposition leader and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a trip to New Delhi that there would always be spoilers.

"There will always be spoilers. There will always be elements that will scuttle the process of peace. But when they do that, let re-engage to fight them. They will push us back. But we have to see what is in our interest, what is in the regional interest. What's in Pakistan's interest," Qureshi said quoting what Khan had told Modi.

Soon, he raised the Kashmir issue.

"They have to realise, and I think they were being simplistic, if they feel that everything that's wrong on the Indian side of Kashmir is all of Pakistan's making, that is an unrealistic approach," he said.

India, he said, should also revisit its policies and see why and how people have been alienated.
'If it is not possible for the Indian Railways to have separate non-vegetarian and vegetarian compartments, then what is the harm in railways serving only vegetarian food?'

Offended at non-vegetarian food served to fellow passengers in his compartment while he was traveling on the Rajdhani Express, a vegetarian, Syed Eqbal Ehsan Ayoob Ali, 67, has filed a public interest litigation in the Gujarat high court.

Ali, an advocate from Ahmedabad, recounts his "horrible" experience on board the Rajdhani Express to Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf.

"I feel it is not right for vegetarian people to suffer the stench of non-veg food in trains," Ali says.

On September 10, I was travelling from Ahmedabad to New Delhi by the Rajdhani Express and the family sitting next to my seat were eating non-vegetarian food.

I am a vegetarian by choice, I don't eat non-vegetarian food at all.

I gave up eating non-vegetarian food more than 15 years ago when I saw animals being slaughtered.

I just could not eat non-vegetarian food post that incident.

After such a long period of time, I cannot even stand the smell of non-vegetarian food.

That night on September 10, when dinner was being served on the Rajdhani Express, I saw my co-passengers sitting next to me had ordered non-vegetarian food.

In that stuffed air-conditioned compartment, the smell of non-vegetarian food was too much of a problem for me.

I could not take the smell of non-vegetarian food.

After a point of time, I started vomiting because of the smell.

Though my co-passengers disposed of the plates soon after they came to know about my condition, the lingering smell of non-vegetarian food made it difficult for me to breathe.

I spent a horrible nine hours in that compartment till the Rajdhani reached New Delhi.

When I reached New Delhi, I realised that I need to do something about this issue.

I then called my friend, advocate Rajesh Goswami. We decided to file a PIL in the Gujarat high court.

My PIL is simple.

All I am asking is that the railways must compartmentalise vegetarian and non-vegetarian food lovers at the time of the booking of tickets.

If there are non-vegetarian people sitting in a different compartment, then there will be no problem for vegetarians like me.

Let the non-vegetarian foodies eat chicken and throw the bones wherever they want in their own compartment.

If it is not possible for the Indian Railways to have separate non-vegetarian and vegetarian compartments, then what is the harm in railways serving only vegetarian food?

It is a matter of only one night's journey and people can do without non-veg food. Am I right or not?

I am not doing this for some publicity stunt.

I am not getting support from anyone or running someone's agenda.

This is my Mann ki Baat.

Now it is up to the court to decide.

Nobody thought about this issue earlier.

Many people tell me that this is a unique thought that came to my mind.

Now everybody is saying that I am doing all this at someone's behest.

People ask me whether it is not forcing vegetarian food habits on non-vegetarian eaters.

But my Allah is my witness.

I am not doing this at anyone's behest or running some vegetarian agenda.

I just feel it is not right for vegetarian people to suffer the stench of non-veg food in trains.

I don't want other vegetarian food eaters to suffer like I did on that night in the Rajdhani.

Many people ask me that being a Muslim, how come I am doing all this.

I tell them that my religion has got nothing to do with vegetarian or non-vegetarian food.

I am a vegetarian by choice.

Others have also asked me that Gujarat being a state where Muslims live in a ghetto, how come I don't get the smell of food in my house.

I tell them that I have my own bungalow.

I don't get into other people's problems.

I have made my own masjid too in my bungalow complex.

I pay money to the maulana of this mosque too.

I go to the Gujarat high court and come back and do my work.

I don't get involved in other people's problems.
Mayawati has accused 'Ravan' of being a BJP agent who is dividing the scheduled castes.

Ritwik Sharma reports from Saharanpur.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

The home of Chandrashekhar Azad 'Ravan' at Chhutmalpur village in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district is always buzzing with visitors.

For the past weeks, it has been busier still. Supporters and members of Azad's Bhim Army, a Bahujan-rights organisation that seeks to protect the interests of marginalised and backward castes, routinely meet at this house that is awash in blue, the colour associated with Dalit movements.

Since the Dalit activist was released from the district jail on September 14, over 15 months after he was arrested in a case of caste violence, the mood has been festive.

This, despite the fact that he has taken ill and left for hospital just before we were to meet him on the evening three days after his release.

Visitors, seated on the ground in front of the row of rooms on the right, are being served tahri, a yellow rice dish made with peas and potatoes.

In one of the rooms on the roof, a group of men that includes those batting for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) is discussing how to crystallise its ideas to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party and the cultural agenda of its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

This is the ultimate goal, which Azad spelt out immediately after his release.

When I meet him the next morning -- he's back home after treatment the night before -- he is categorical that for the BJP "2014 (general election) was all about religion".

"People from the Bahujan movement, whether OBCs or Dalits, are very simple. Everyone fell for religion-based politics," Azad says.

The April 2, 2018 stir by Dalits, who feared dilution of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and the restlessness over the BJP's failed promises on employment, corruption and price rise are signs of people feeling cheated, he adds.

Dressed in jeans and a light blue kurta, with the trademark blue scarf around his neck, Azad looks pale and haggard -- not like the man with a challenging personality, as a picture of his in one of the rooms depicts him.

In that picture, he is wearing black shades and staring into the camera, his tilted face resting on his right fist.

The prison hospital lacked facilities, he explains. He initially had tooth infection, and the strong dose of medicines they gave him for it affected his kidneys.

Rather than jail officials, he blames the system for the lack of treatment.

He was confined in a prison cell "meant for those facing security threats or those viewed as threats" and was allowed to meet his family only once every two to three weeks.

"The prison law is from the British era. There is no value for humans, who are treated like animals."

The 31 year old emerged as a star in the political firmament last year after he gave a clarion call to Dalits at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar to unite with OBCs and Muslims in the fight against 'saffron terror'.

A lawyer who practised in Dehradun, Azad became a figurehead of scheduled castes in western UP. In April 2017, in the Shabbirpur village of Saharanpur, the upper caste Thakurs had thwarted an attempt to install a statue of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar.

In retaliation, the Dalits, led by Azad, protested against a Thakur procession on the birth anniversary of Rajput king Maharana Pratap, triggering clashes that left one person dead.

Azad, who was charged with murder, inciting violence and spreading hatred, was arrested from Dalhousie in June 2017.

The state government booked him under the draconian National Security Act in November 2017, a day after he was granted bail by the Allahabad high court.

Its decision to free him, less than two months before the NSA was to lapse, was in response to a plea by his mother, Kamlesh Devi. His father, Govardhan Das, a retired school principal, died in 2013.

Azad's rise hasn't gone down well with the state's most powerful Dalit leader, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati who has snubbed his overtures and accused him of being a BJP agent who is dividing the scheduled castes.

Azad, who idolises Ambedkar, BSP founder Kanshi Ram, anti-caste social reformer Jyotiba Phule, Tamil rationalist icon E V Ramasamy Periyar, tribal hero Birsa Munda, social reformer Narayana Guru and freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, is unfazed.

His younger brother Kamal Kishore claims that before the Bhim Army was formed, the scheduled castes in Chhutmalpur -- a village of over 14,000 with a predominantly Muslim and Dalit population -- would stand humbly by the roadside when upper caste communities took out religious processions on Janmashtami or Shivratri.

"Now, our people are more aware of the historical oppression we faced, and we only celebrate Ravidas and Ambedkar Jayantis, or Guru Purnima."

The suffix 'Ravan' to Azads name is a result of the time he compared himself to Ravan, the mythological character from the Ramayana who had abducted Sita to extract revenge on Rama and Lakshman for wounding his sister, Surpanakha.

A willingness to provoke and the ability to embrace the positives in what may be seen as egregious may explain Azad's open-armed support for various political parties even as he is avowedly anti-BJP.

Sanjeev Mathur, the Bhim Army's defence committee convener, reveals that during undergraduate studies in Dehradun, Azad had joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the RSS-affiliated student body. But he quit after a fight when upper caste students tried to stop him from using a hand pump on campus, Mathur adds.

Azad feels that the media has carved a militant image of the Bhim Army, which came into being in 2014.

"The reform started by Azad was not radical but humanitarian such as pushing for Ambedkarite pedagogy in schools and carrying out blood donation camps," says Mathur.

The group runs 300-odd informal pathsalas where volunteers teach children after school in parts of western UP, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

Mathur adds that from talking about Chamars -- the Dalit sub-caste Azad belongs to -- the Bhim Army advocating "dignity of the Constitution and dignity of women" has expanded its scope to include all sections of the oppressed in the last 15 months.

"Upper castes aren't restricted from our schools. We have no caste hatred," he says.

"We will give representation and leadership to the OBCs too," says Azad. "Muslims are also a part of the Bahujan movement, and we will ensure they have an honest representation and voice."

Dalit politics today is viewed as largely fragmented.

According to Sudha Pai, former professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University and author of Dalit Assertion and the Unfinished Revolution: The BSP in Uttar Pradesh, there are broadly two sections of Dalit voters -- pro-BSP and pro-BJP -- as was reflected in the Saharanpur violence last year.

"In Saharanpur, there is Hindutva ideology on one side and social justice, or Ambedkarite thought, on the other," she says. "People like Azad, who are younger, feel electoral politics is not helping as they realise a section might vote for the BJP."

She views leaders like Azad and Gujarat legislator Jignesh Mevani, also a lawyer, as more educated than the older leadership.

"The rapid social changes and a desire for economic betterment rather than identity are giving support to them," she says, adding that although parties like the BSP and Samajwadi Party were prominent in the 1990s, they lacked economic vision and have been eclipsed by the BJP.

As a result, outfits like the Bhim Army have sprung up in a place where the impact of an organisation like the Republican Party of India (founded by Ambedkar) has dwindled.

But, she adds, the Ambedkarite tenets of 'educate, organise, agitate' continue to thrive. Azad and his Bhim Army represent precisely these tenets.
Timothy Matlack (May 28, 1736 to April 14, 1829) was a brewer and beer bottler who emerged as a popular revolutionary leader and powerful official in the War of Independence. Secretary of Pennsylvania during the war, and a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in 1780, he became one of Pennsylvanias most provocative and influential political figures. Removed from office by his political enemies at the end of the war, he returned to power in the Jeffersonian era.

==Biography==

Timothy Matlack was born in Haddonfield, New Jersey on May 28, 1736, to Martha Burr Haines and Timothy Matlack: a couple that had both lost their first spouses. His grandparents were William Matlack and Mary Hancock; and Henry Burr and Elizabeth Hudson. His siblings were Sybil, Elizabeth, Titus, Seth, Josiah and White Matlack. His half siblings were Reuben and Mary Haines. His first cousin was the Quaker abolitionist John Woolman. In 1738, the family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where Timothy attended Friends School. He likely studied under Anthony Benezet. In 1749 he was apprenticed to the prosperous Quaker merchant John Reynell. During his period of service Timothy was considered a strong candidate for the Quaker ministry. At the end of his term he married Ellen Yarnall, the daughter of the Quaker minister Mordecai Yarnall. The couple had five children: William, Mordecai, Sibyl, Catharine and Martha.

In 1760 Matlack opened a mercantile he called the Case Knife. Two years later he and Owen Biddle purchased the Pettys Run steel furnace in Trenton, New Jersey. In 1764, following the failure of his shop, Timothy was disowned by the Quaker. The Quakers complained that he had been frequenting company in such a manner as to spend too much of his time from home. In 1768, and again in 1769, he was confined to debtors prison. By this time Timothy Matlack had set up a new business selling bottled beer. In 1769 he opened his own brewery, located near the State House, or Independence Hall. A horse racing enthusiast,in 1770 he pitted his gamecocks against those owned by the New York aristocrat James Delancey in an infamous main.

In 1774 Matlack was hired by Charles Thomson, Secretary of the First Continental Congress, to engross the bodys formal address to the King of England. In May, 1775, he became clerk to the Second Continental Congress and in June he composed George Washingtons commission as General and Commander-in-Chief of the army of the United Colonies. In October Congress elevated Matlack to Storekeeper of Military Supplies. By this time he was also a member of Philadelphias Committee of Inspection and Secretary of the Committee of Officers of the citys three militia battalions. By December he was serving as Secretary to Congresss Marine Committee, chaired by John Hancock. By January, 1776, he was Commissary and Clerk-in-Chief of the Committee of Claims. That month Philadelphia added two more battalions to its militia brigade and Timothy Matlack was elected Colonel of the Fifth Battalion of Rifle Rangers. In February he was made an officer of the citys Committee of Inspection and added to a key policy-making subcommittee. On May 20, 1776, Matlack was a principal speaker at a massive town meeting in the State House yard. He was a delegate to the Conference of Committees which met in June to plan for the Convention which would write a new constitution for Pennsylvania. These laws were to form the basis of a new government. On July 4, 1776, Matlack read Congresss declaration of independence to the crowd gathered at the State House. That night he likely attended Dunlaps print shop and printed copies of the declaration were ready by morning. Later that month Matlack engrossed the Declaration of Independence on parchment. Members of Congress began signing that historic document on August 2nd.

As a leader of the Pennsylvania Convention he was instrumental in drafting the ultra-democratic Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776. In the years that followed he was an ardent defender of this frame against such critics as Benjamin Rush, James Wilson and John Dickinson. Newspapers were his primary medium and he signed a number of articles with the pseudonym Tiberius Gracchus. Critics responded with the sobriquet Tim Gaff. As Secretary to the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, Matlack was one of the most powerful men in the new state during the war years. In 1780 his government passed an Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery, the first law of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

On December 27, 1776, following Washingtons victory at Trenton, the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania militia crossed the Delaware river and camped at Burlington. Colonel Timothy Matlack and his 5th Rifle Battalion were part of this expedition. On January 2nd, they were involved in the Battle of Assumpink Creek, the second battle of Trenton. On January 3rd the militia fought bravely at the Battle of Princeton. Matlacks force continued to serve in this winter campaign until it dissolved at the end of the month. General Washington credited the Pennsylvania militia for their timely service in this campaign. Other officers commended the Philadelphia force for its manliness and spirit.

Following the British occupation of Philadelphia General Washington assigned Major General Benedict Arnold to the post of Commandant of Philadelphia. Secretary Matlack learned to despise the mans presence. Matlack led an investigation of his wrongdoing which triggered a court martial. The court sentenced Arnold to be severely reprimanded by the Commander-in-Chief. Washington said his officers behavior had been reprehensible. Five months later Arnolds treason at West Point was discovered.

In this period, at the height of his power, Matlack was named a trustee (17791785) of the new University of the State of Pennsylvania (now the University of Pennsylvania). He was also a Secretary of the American Philosophical Society. In 1780, Matlack delivered an address before the Society in which he advocated the institutionalization of agricultural in the interest of national development. In our endeavors to promote the interest and happiness of our country, Matlack declared, let us apply to intelligent husbandmen in every part of the state and collect the real knowledge among us and arrange it into science. Matlack called upon the University of the State of Pennsylvania, as well as other colleges, to foster the development of modern agricultural research and education in America. The Star-bespangled Genius of America he proclaimed, points to Agriculture as the stable Foundation of the rising mighty Empire.

In 1781, Matlack was among the founders of the Religious Society of Free Quakers, which consisted mostly of Quakers disowned for their support of or participation in the armed conflict with Great Britain during the American war for independence. One of the earliest opponents of slavery in British colonies in America, Matlack felt the Quakers were not moving quickly enough on abolition. Along with Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris and others, Matlack helped raise a substantial sum of money to construct the Free Quaker Meeting House at the corner of Fifth and Arch streets in downtown Philadelphia, where he and other members of the society, including his brothers Josiah and White, openly worshiped. Matlack has been attributed with the architectural design of the Free Quaker Meeting House and its masonry vaults. He was also hired in 1794 by Philadelphia merchant and politician Anthony Morris to design a late Georgian style mansion in the countryside just outside of Philadelphia. The estate is known today as the Highlands.

In 1790, Matlack was commissioned along with Samuel Maclay and John Adlum by the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania to survey the headwaters of the Susquehanna River and the streams of the New Purchase, the northwestern portion of the state purchased from the American Indians. They were also charged with exploring a route for a passageway to connect the West Branch with the Allegheny River.

After his death in Holmesburg, Pennsylvania on April 14, 1829, Matlack was interred in the Free Quaker Burial Ground on South Fifth Street, Philadelphia. His remains were removed from the Burial Ground in 1905 and reinterred in Matsons Ford, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania, in the Flatlands of the Schuylkill River opposite Valley Forge.

==Popular culture==

Matlacks penmanship in the Declaration and other historical documents of the time has inspired a number of modern typefaces, or fonts, such as American Scribe, Declaration Script, and National Archive. Handwriting in the colonial period was heavily influenced by Europe, in particular by 18th century English writing masters. By the mid-18th century, there were special schools established to teach handwriting techniques, or penmanship. Master penmen like Timothy Matlack were employed to copy official documents such as land deeds, birth and marriage certificates, military commissions, and other legal documents. The development of copperplate engraving allowed for the use of very delicate type faces with many flourishes and curlicues in the script-like letters, which greatly influenced handwriting. Elegant handwriting became a sign of social status. One can readily see these influences in Matlacks penmanship in the Declaration of Independence. In particular, his use of English Roundhand script stands out. This form of script was executed with a feather quill pen and was actually a form of handwriting. The script is known today as Copperplate.

Source(s): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Matlack
Avicii recorded 'at least 10' songs with Nile Rodgers before his sudden passing in April.

Rodgers revealed in an interview with The Sun that they held a series of sessions in which they recorded an album's-worth of content shortly before Avicii's death.

Avicii, whose real name is Tim Bergling, worked with Rodgers for the 2013 song "Lay Me Down." Avicii had retired from touring in 2016 due to problems and suffered from severe stress and poor mental health for several years. On April 20, 2018, he was found dead in Muscat, Oman from an apparent suicide.

"Between Avicii and me, there's at least ten, at least," Rodgers said. "We laughed all the time. I used to say, 'You put Tim and I in a room and we can do the entire Top 20 in, like, two or three weeks.'

"I've just been contacted about putting out my stuff, but I've got to see how it is because I was very close to Tim and the music we didn't put out was extraordinary. He was blown away, as was I."

"But, because of what I know, which I will not talk about, I want to make sure that whatever work I do would be to the benefit of the people Tim would want that project to benefit."

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Entertainment News
Nile Rodgers recorded about 10 unreleased songs with the late DJ Avicii shortly before the Swedish artist's death in April.

Rodgers revealed in an interview with The Sun that they held a series of sessions in which they recorded an album's-worth of content shortly before Avicii's death.

Avicii, whose real name is Tim Bergling, worked with Rodgers for the 2013 song "Lay Me Down." Avicii had retired from touring in 2016 due to problems and suffered from severe stress and poor mental health for several years. On 20 April 2018, he was found dead in Muscat, Oman from an apparent suicide.

"Between Avicii and me, there's at least ten, at least," Rodgers said. "We laughed all the time. I used to say, 'You put Tim and I in a room and we can do the entire Top 20 in, like, two or three weeks.'

"I've just been contacted about putting out my stuff, but I've got to see how it is because I was very close to Tim and the music we didn't put out was extraordinary. He was blown away, as was I."

"But, because of what I know, which I will not talk about, I want to make sure that whatever work I do would be to the benefit of the people Tim would want that project to benefit."

Rodgers last week released a new album in collaboration with his band Chic titled It's About Time, the group's first album since 1992's Chic-ism. For the new album, Chic have collaborated with Elton John, Craig David, Lady Gaga, Hailee Steinfeld, Stefflon Don, Emeli Sande, Anderson .Paak, Vic Mensa, and more.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Entertainment News
Construction Purchasing Managers' survey from Germany is due on Thursday, headlining a light day for the European economic news.

At 3.00 am ET, Swiss real estate index is due for the third quarter.

At 3.30 am ET, IHS Markit is set to publish Germany's construction PMI for September. In August, the headline construction PMI had ticked up to 51.5 from 50.0 'no-change' mark in July.

At 4.00 am ET, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders releases UK car registrations for September. Sales had advanced 23.1 percent on year in August.

At 5.30 am ET, European Central Bank board memb Daniele Nouy will give a keynote speech in Vienna, Austria. Another ECB board member Benoit Cure is set to speak in France later today.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
French stocks fell sharply on Thursday as investors watched currency movements and kept an eye on Italy, where the coalition government set budget deficit target of 2.1 percent of GDP for 2020 and 1.8 percent of GDP for the following year.

The government needs to obtain European authorities' approval to keep the 2019 deficit level at 2.4 percent.

The benchmark CAC 40 was down 44 points or 0.80 percent at 5,448 in opening deals after closing 0.4 percent higher in the previous session.

Publicis Groupe was little changed after announcing the acquisition of Kindred Group, the largest, independent digital communications group in Czech Republic.

Banks followed their U.S. peers higher after upbeat U.S. economic data drove 10-year U.S. Treasury yields to their highest level since 2011.

BNP Paribas rose half a percent, Credit Agricole advanced 1.5 percent and Societe Generale added 1.4 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
European stocks fell on Thursday after upbeat U.S. data lifted U.S. Treasury yields to levels not seen since 2011, increasing the likelihood of further rate hikes from the Federal Reserve.

Markets expect an 80 percent probability of a Fed rate rise in December and three more rate hikes in 2019, with risks to the upside.

Investors also kept an eye on Italy, where the coalition government set budget deficit target of 2.1 percent of GDP for 2020 and 1.8 percent of GDP for the following year.

The government needs to obtain European authorities' approval to keep the 2019 deficit level at 2.4 percent.

The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index was down 0.7 percent at 381.27 in late opening deals after rising half a percent the previous day.

The German DAX was down 0.3 percent, France's CAC 40 index was losing 0.9 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was down 1.1 percent.

Swedish home appliance manufacturer Electrolux edged up slightly after it announced a partnership with Drop, a smart kitchen company, to further develop the smart kitchen ecosystem.

Danske Bank fell more than 3 percent. The Danish bank is facing a U.S. criminal inquiry over a money laundering scandal involving its Estonian branch.

Ted Baker slumped more than 10 percent in London. The luxury clothing retail company has warned of challenges ahead after reporting a 3.2 percent fall in pre-tax profits for the 28 weeks ended 11 August 2018.

BTG soared 5 percent. The healthcare company upgraded its sales forecast after delivering good product sales growth in the first half, with positive momentum across all areas of the .

Banks followed their U.S. peers higher after upbeat U.S. economic data drove 10-year U.S. Treasury yields to their highest level in seven years.

Commerzbank jumped 3 percent, Deutsche Bank rallied nearly 2 percent, Credit Agricole advanced 1.7 percent and Societe Generale rose over 1 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Constellation Brands Inc (STZ) released a profit for its second quarter that climbed from the same period last year.

The company's earnings came in at $1.15 billion, or $5.87 per share. This compares with $0.50 billion, or $2.49 per share, in last year's second quarter.

Excluding items, Constellation Brands Inc reported adjusted earnings of $562.2 million or $2.87 per share for the period.

Analysts had expected the company to earn $2.60 per share, according to figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

The company's revenue for the quarter rose 10.0% to $2.30 billion from $2.09 billion last year.

Constellation Brands Inc earnings at a glance:

-Earnings (Q2): $562.2 Mln. vs. $499.2 Mln. last year.

-EPS (Q2): $2.87 vs. $2.48 last year.

-Analysts Estimate: $2.60

-Revenue (Q2): $2.30 Bln vs. $2.09 Bln last year.

-Guidance:

Full year EPS guidance: $9.60 - $9.75



For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Cryptocurrencies, led by Bitcoin, are trading higher Thursday morning, as some positive news of more institutional investment and mainstream adoption boosted sentiment.

Among altcoins, XRP or Ripple got a boost as Japan's SBI Holdings blockchain-based money transfer app Money Tap went live.

In other news, the cryptocurrency bull and former hedge fund manager Mike Novogratz again corrected his Bitcoin price forecast, saying the top crypto will not top $9,000 by the end of this year.

Overall cryptocurrency market capitalization was $219.06 billion and the Bitcoin dominance rate was 51.9 percent as of 10.18 am ET on CoinMarketCap.

Here is a wrap of the main news from the cryptocurrency and blockchain space over the past 24 hours.

Federal Court Says Cryptos Are Commodities, CFTC Can Prosecute Fraud

A federal judge has upheld the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's view that cryptocurrencies are commodities and ruled that the regulator can prosecute fraud involving virtual currencies. The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts Senior Judge Rya W. Zobel held that the CFTC had sufficiently alleged that the particular virtual currency at issue, My Big Coin, was a commodity under the Commodity Exchange Act because the CFTC alleged that MBC "is a virtual currency and it is undisputed that there is futures trading in virtual currencies (specifically involving Bitcoin)."

TD Ameritrade Invests In Crypto Exchange ErisX

US brokerage TD Ameritrade made a strategic investment in a regulated derivatives exchange and clearing organization ErisX in a bid to provide its retail clients access to trading in digital currency products. The firm was also one of the first brokerages last year to offer access to Bitcoin futures contracts for approved clients.

Gemini Secures Insurance Coverage For Crypto Assets

Gemini, a cryptocurrency exchange and custodian owned by internet entrepreneur twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, has secured insurance coverage for digital assets held on behalf of clients in their online hot wallet. The insurance coverage is provided by a global consortium of industry-leading insurers and arranged by professional services firm Aon, which provides risk, retirement and solutions.

US Legislators' Bill To Establish Common Definition Of Blockchain

U.S. Representatives Doris Matsui and Brett Guthrie have introduced a bill aiming to establish a common definition of blockchain . According to an announcement on Matsui's website, the bill titled "Blockchain Promotion Act of 2018" has been proposed for the establishment of a working group of stakeholders across the federal government and private industry to find the digital technology's definition.

Current Prices

As of 10.19 am ET, Bitcoin was up 1.21 percent at $6,543.43 and Ethereum was higher by 1.70 percent at $223.03 on Coinbase.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
The European ended Thursday's session in negative territory. A jump in U.S. treasury yields sapped buying interest in riskier investments, like equities. The ten-year yield spiked to its highest level in over seven years following the release of upbeat employment data.

Bank stocks were among the top performers Thursday, as the jump in bond yields has investors betting on an increased likelihood of further rate hikes from the Federal Reserve.

The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index weakened by 1.08 percent. The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone blue chip stocks decreased 0.88 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, lost 0.88 percent.

The DAX of Germany dropped 0.35 percent and the CAC of France fell 1.47 percent. The FTSE 100 of the U.K. declined 1.22 percent and the SMI of Switzerland finished lower by 0.85 percent.

In Frankfurt, Commerzbank jumped 3.40 percent and Deutsche Bank rallied 1.54 percent,

In Paris, Credit Agricole advanced 2.19 percent and Societe Generale rose 0.67 percent.

In London, Ted Baker sank 10.05 percent. The luxury clothing retail company has warned of challenges ahead after reporting a 3.2 percent fall in pre-tax profits for the 28 weeks ended 11 August 2018.

BTG jumped 5.18 percent. The healthcare company upgraded its sales forecast after delivering good product sales growth in the first half, with positive momentum across all areas of the .

EasyJet lost 1.85 percent after unveiling passenger traffic figures for September.

Home appliance manufacturer Electrolux slid 0.53 percent in Stockholm after it announced a partnership with Drop, a smart kitchen company, to further develop the smart kitchen ecosystem.

Danske Bank dropped 4.60 percent in Copenhagen. The bank is facing a U.S. criminal inquiry over a money laundering scandal involving its Estonian branch.

The German construction sector saw a loss of growth momentum in September, data from IHS Markit revealed Thursday. The construction Purchasing Managers' Index came in at 50.2 in September, down from 51.5 in August. A score above 50 indicates expansion.

With the release of the closely watched monthly jobs report looming, the Labor Department released a report on Thursday showing a bigger than expected drop in first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits in the week ended September 29th.

The Labor Department said initial jobless claims fell to 207,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised level of 215,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to edge down to 213,000 from the 214,000 originally reported for the previous week.

After reporting a pullback in new orders for U.S. manufactured goods in the previous month, the Commerce Department released a report on Thursday showing a substantial rebound in factory orders in the month of August.

The Commerce Department said factory orders surged up by 2.3 percent in August after falling by a revised 0.5 percent in July. Economists had expected factory orders to jump by 2.1 percent compared to the 0.8 percent drop originally reported for the previous month.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Following the sell-off seen in the previous session, treasuries saw some further downside during the trading day on Thursday.

Bond prices moved lower early in the session and remained in negative territory throughout the day. As a result, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, rose by 3.6 basis points to 3.197 percent.

With the increase on the day, the ten-year yield added to the 10.5 basis point jump on Wednesday, reaching its highest closing level in over seven years.

The continued weakness among treasuries came following the release of more upbeat U.S. economic data, including a report from the Labor Department showing a bigger than expected drop in first-time claims for unemployment benefits in the week ended September 29th.

The Labor Department said initial jobless claims fell to 207,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised level of 215,000.

Economists had expected jobless claims to edge down to 213,000 from the 214,000 originally reported for the previous week.

A separate report from the Commerce Department showed a bigger than expected rebound in factory orders in the month of August.

The Commerce Department said factory orders surged up by 2.3 percent in August after falling by a revised 0.5 percent in July, while economists had expected factory orders to jump by 2.1 percent

Trading activity was somewhat subdued, however, as traders looked ahead to the release of the Labor Department's more closely watched monthly jobs report on Friday.

The report is expected to show employment climbed by about 185,000 jobs in September after jumping by 201,000 jobs in August. The unemployment rate is expected to dip to 3.8 percent from 3.9 percent.

The jobs data is likely to overshadow a separate report on the U.S. trade deficit as well as remarks by Federal Reserve officials.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Army's military media releases vedio showing Saudi-led military vehicles destroyed in Jawf [04/October/2018] JAWF, Oct.4 (Saba) The military media of the army on Wednesday released a footage showing two military vehicles belonging of the Saui-paid mercenaries destroying in Ajasher desert in Yemens Jawf province.



This video showed the moment when the two military mechanisms were destroyed with improvised explosive devices planted by the armys engineering unit, which led to killing all their crew members.







Ahmed Al-Mutawakel

Saba
Dear Editor,

Re: Remembering the tsunami of 2009: The Blue Horizon!

When a Samoan pours out their heart it comes from their very soul, with the very best of humanity in this world.

Humble, but with such a natural meaningful choice of words that one is left weeping.

We feel that only a Samoan lady and mother could write so eloquently; you explained it to a tee.

We were in Samoa at the time and witnessed firsthand the torture of that day

May you be blessed by your god and blessed be your baby daughter.

Never feel alone, you have many that are with you in their hearts Lumepa.

Your strength, reflection and resolve are next to none.

May happy remembrance of the time before that horrid day be with you and joy and happiness always in the future.

Larry & Amanda Murphy
The future is here with Samoas first full Electric Vehicle (E.V.) sample expected to arrive as early as next year.

Ford Hyundai Country Manager, Simon Fruean, confirmed the plan, saying it is the part of the companys vision to create a smart future with more innovative technology.

E.V's, he added, is something that have always been on the agenda for their Samoa based brand.

Now its going to be a reality as they move in the general direction of the international automotive industry who are getting serious about their corporate environmental responsibility in helping to decrease carbon emissions.

Its coming, theres no doubt about it, said Mr. Fruean. Right now every automotives are moving towards making E.V's which they are making already. Thats what we looking at because they have zero petro consumption and zero emissions.

The company aims to bring in their own sample next year, starting with a sedan model to test in Samoa.

Mr. Fruean says the benefits of such vehicles in Samoa are worth the expensive price tag.

They wont be cheap, youre looking at a proper Electric Vehicle in the hundreds thousands, he said.

But there are huge benefits and savings because there are no expenses on gas and almost zero maintenance on the car. You have to replace things like brakes but then basically you come to pick up your car and we wont see you for a couple of years."

These cars can run 200 km on full battery, thats quite long."

Charging wouldnt be more frequent than normal. But there definitely still needs to be sufficient spots, itll be quite a set up but youre not setting up a big gas station."

A very impressive feature of these cars is that every time you press on the brake, through kinetic energy, it re-charges the battery. You might have very long intervals before you might recharge them.

The Country Manager says that hes aware the Government are interested in Electric vehicles and may do their own testing.

He hopes that they will work to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to encourage the transition to more carbon emission free vehicles in Samoa.

I dont know what the government plans are and I hope we can keep up with their plans, we dont want to miss out on the opportunity, he said.

We are constantly monitoring that and asking government about it and one thing thats pending is approval from them on installing these charging stations."

Our two brands (Ford and Hyundai) have very strong resources for E.V's and we are confident that we can cater for whatever the government needs on the E.V's, even installation of the charging stations.
Samoa and Tasmania are celebrating their longstanding connection of nearly a decade under a Parliamentary twinning partnership.

On Monday, the Australian High Commissioner, Sara Moriarty welcomed visiting Tasmanian Parliamentary delegation, Rene Hidding MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier, Kerry Finch MLC, Craig Maxwell Farrell and Catherine Vickers, Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Council.

It was a great opportunity to welcome the Tasmanian Parliamentary delegation to Samoa and to acknowledge the longstanding association Tasmania has with Samoa, said Ms. Moriarty.

It is evident that Australia is committed to supporting capacity building and development by having delegations such as the Tasmanian Parliamentary delegation visit Samoa.

We have also seen other areas of support given, for example in September, 10 Samoan Parliamentary staff were capped with a Graduate Diploma in Public Policy from the University of Tasmania,

Through these qualifications, we can appreciate the University of Tasmanias continual contribution to both the twinning arrangement and to the parliamentary institutional strengthening in Samoa, Ms Moriarty concluded.

The twinned Parliaments scheme has served as a platform for mutual cooperation on the professional development of Australian and Pacific Island parliaments.

The Tasmanian Parliament has twinned with Samoa, an endeavour that dates back to the 1980s and 1990s. With the support of Australian Aid, a number of Samoans studied law at the University of Tasmania, many of whom now hold important senior positions in Samoa.
The owners of MENA, Agnes, Jackie, Gina and Charlene Loheni, have been hard at work.

They have been preparing their next collection Talaleomalie which they will launch at Pacific Runway on 26 October in Sydney.

Talaleomalie is our mother Menas taupou name, Gina Loheni said, explaining the name of the collection.

It loosely translates to teller of good stories. As young girls we grew up listening to mum tell captivating and enchanting stories of childhood in Samoa. Stories about strife and hardship. Stories about resilience and the strength of family. Stories about strong, wives, mothers and daughters. This collection is our tribute to all these stories.

Jackie Loheni says taking this collection to Australia is timely.

Our online sales to Australia have really taken off over the past few of years and I believe were only just scratching the surface of opportunities. It makes sense to part of Pacific Runway so we can better connect face to face with our customers and introduce our brand to new Australian customers, Jackie said.

This will be the first time that MENA will showcase at Pacific Runway which was established in 2012 by founder Jannike Seiuli.

Agnes Loheni is proud of MENAs journey.

Weve had a busy year couple of years with some changes and the big one was consolidating our retail and wholesale operation. After 16 years in this industry weve seen a steady progression of Pacific fashion designers enter the market. Some have lasted, and some havent  its a tough business that really requires grit and determination in those early years. Platforms like Pacific Fusion Fashion Show in Auckland and Pacific Runway in Sydney are really needed to help these designers get some exposure which is vital in the fashion game.

MENA will be selling their Talaleomalie collection at a pop-up stand on the night along with other designers and exhibitors. Pacific Runway 2018 is on the 26th October at Carriageworks, Sydney. Tickets available at pacificrunway.com.au.
Small and medium size businesses are some of the core pillars of development occurring across Samoa.

Deputy Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa, said this at the official opening of the Mynas new Supermarket at Vailima on Wednesday night.

As a regular customer herself, Fiame said the new location of the supermarket is significant in the development of the community, especially for the community of Vailima.

I know the presence of the members of the diplomatic corps and this area, of course, is the area where most of our diplomatic communities are also based.

And I know that you also value the services provided by Mynas Supermarket, she said.

The Deputy P.M. said the project demonstrated growth in the business sector, especially services needed by the community.

We see and witness the growth of Mynas Supermarket in the early days at Matautu Uta and then to Vailima from a supermarket to a petrol station, and now to this larger premise and it shows growth and we must celebrate.

It is not only growth in terms of the family themselves and their hard work, but it also demonstrates the growth around the businesses especially the needed services by our respective community. So congratulations for this significant occasion, she added.

Papalii Niko Lee Hangs youngest daughter, Myna Vaitupu, spoke of the early days of the company.

In 2002 our little mini mart opened on a quarter acre land at Vailima and it was just a little grocery store. Eventually we had our own bakery and then along the way we opened up butchery and then we walk in freezers. We just kept expanding bit by bit and we made use of that quarter acre.

In early 2012 the gas station next to the supermarket opened. But after 16 years of operation in the old building, customer feedback suggested the need for a bigger retail outlet.

This project kick started last year in September. There were some challenges such as the weather and also the carpenters and also resources were not always available at the time we need it  a year later and finally we can open.

This new supermarket is on a half-acre land and its definitely bigger and better along with more car parks and also a well set up produce market outside.

This produce market outside is to assist with our customers needs of local fruits and vegetables and also the families who have their stall here we dont charge them rent. It is our way of helping the people of our community, she added.

Mrs. Vaitupu said Mynas Supermarket has 30 staff members with the majority of them youngsters, which will ensure they keep out of trouble and assist their own families.

One part we like to have in this community is to give the young people a chance in a way to help their families by offering them jobs and also keep them out of trouble and hanging out in the street too much. This is a family shop and we really think about families and that is why we have that logo family on the invitation.
LONDON (AP)  Ireland's data regulator has launched an investigation of Facebook over a recent data breach that allowed hackers access to 50 million accounts. The probe could potentially cost Facebook more than $1.6 billion in fines.

The Irish Data Protection Commission said Wednesday that it will look into whether the U.S. social media company complied with European regulations that went into effect earlier this year covering data protection.

It's the latest headache for Facebook in Europe, where authorities are turning up the heat on dominant tech firms over data protection. Last month, European Union consumer protection chief Vera Jourova said that she was growing impatient with Facebook for being too slow in clarifying the fine print in its terms of service covering what happens to user data and warned that the company could face sanctions.

The commission said in a statement that it would examine whether Facebook put in place "appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure the security and safeguarding of the personal data it processes."

The commission said earlier this week the number of EU accounts potentially affected numbered less than 5 million.

Ireland, which is Facebook's lead privacy regulator for Europe, has moved swiftly to investigate the U.S. tech company since the breach became public on Friday.

Facebook said Friday attackers gained the ability to "seize control" of user accounts by stealing digital keys the company uses to keep users logged in. They could do so by exploiting three distinct bugs in Facebook's code.

Facebook also said the hackers could also have used those stolen digital keys to access outside services or apps that let people to log in with their Facebook usernames and passwords. The company said it hasn't found any evidence of this happening.

The company said it has fixed the bugs and logged out the 50 million breached users  plus another 40 million who were vulnerable to the attack  in order to reset those digital keys. Facebook said it doesn't know who was behind the attacks or where they're based. Neither passwords nor credit card data was stolen. At the time, the company said it alerted the FBI and regulators in the U.S. and Europe.

Facebook said in a statement Wednesday that it has been in close contact with the Irish agency since it became aware of the breach and will continue to cooperate with the investigation.

Facebook has faced a tumultuous year of security problems and privacy issues . News broke early this year that a data analytics firm once employed by the Trump campaign, Cambridge Analytica, had improperly gained access to personal data from millions of user profiles. Then a congressional investigation found that agents from Russia and other countries have been posting fake political ads since at least 2016. In April, Zuckerberg appeared at a congressional hearing focused on Facebook's privacy practices.

The European Union implemented stronger data and privacy rules, known as the General Data Protection Regulation, in May.

The case could prove to be the first major test of GDPR. Under the new rules, companies could be hit with fines equal to 4 percent of annual global turnover for the most serious violations. In Facebook's case, that could amount to more than $1.6 billion based on its 2017 revenues.

The new rules also require companies to disclose any breaches within 72 hours. The commission said Facebook informed it that its internal investigation is continuing and that it is taking actions to "mitigate the potential risk to users."
Dear Editor

The Gambling Control Authority postulating that parents should make sure their children under the age of 21 are not allowed to gamble is ironic especially in light of the same Authority allowing TV 1 to bring gambling into the homes of Samoa through TV Bingo.

The whole idea of the latest revision and enforcement of the Gambling Act was to create an environment that would discourage gambling and allow the Authority to better control all forms of gambling by especially minors and those who can the least afford to gamble.

Allowing bingo into the homes is the Gambling Control Authority at odds with what should be one of its core responsibilities  the protection of the vulnerable from the negative impacts of gambling.

As for the perpetrators of TV bingo, its not about parents staying home and gambling from their living rooms.

Its not about all the banners and whatever you put on show asking the underage not to gamble.

Its all about your Trust making money and creating a culture of gambling within the most economically susceptible sector of society.

To put it bluntly, you are taking money from the poor and the vulnerable.

You should be ashamed of yourselves for doing that.

Tuatagaloa Alfred Schwalger
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi says Ministers and Associate Ministers should not be involved in their family business once they are elected into public office.

Tuilaepa was responding to questions relating to his Associate Minister Peseta Vaifou Tevaga, whose company Aldan Civil Engineering Company Ltd, has been awarded a multimillion tala contract to build the runway of a new airport at Tiavea.

They have been elected by their respective districts as their representative, and so the businesses should be handed over to the children and families, while they serve their constituencies, he said.

Using the American President Donald Trump as an example, he said: Look at Americas President, Donald Trump he has relieved all his businesses to his family while he submits to serving his country 100 per cent. There is no other classic example other than this.

The Prime Minister also emphasised that there is a bidding process for all Government projects which is overseen by the Tenders Board.

There is a Board that oversees the bidding process  they look at the scope of work, the appropriate cost and every aspect of the proposed project. This is one of the most transparent avenue the Government takes for projects is to tender and as a result, we review and find interested bidders who are qualified and those who arent also considered by the Board are past projects (if any).

Tuilaepa defended the Tenders Board decision to award a $3.57 million tala contract to Aldan Civil Engineering Company Ltd, of which Peseta is the major shareholder.

This project is the clearing of the runway in Tiavea and considering past projects; the said company worked on the resurfacing of Salelologa where the market is now located.

Up until now, this company has trucks that were damaged as a result of that project in Savaii due to the complexity of leveling the area as it is very rocky, he said.

The Prime Minister said Aldan Civil Engineering Company Ltd is the right company to take on the job.

They have the expertise and the equipment to get the job done. Also their bid was the lowest and so these are the issues considered by the Cabinet and also their ability to see through the contract, he added.
An 18-member delegation from Japans Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (K.N.C.F.) yesterday visited the environmental awareness site they are funding through Conservation International in Manono uta.

K.N.C.F. was set up by the Keidanren Committee on Nature Conservation (K.C.N.C.), which is Japans largest business federation, to support conservation work done by non-government and civil society organisations mainly in the Asia Pacific region.

The organisation rolled out its funding programme in six countries, which included Bhutan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and New Caledonia, with Samoa being the only country the delegation is visiting this year.

Keidanren works in partnership with Conservation International (C.I.) Samoa and it is going onto its second year now.

Country Director Conservation International Japan, Yasu Hibi, told the Samoa Observer that they were in Samoa to get an update on the project and see how Samoans live in harmony with nature.

The delegation is here to see the progress of the project they are funding, and also in general to learn more about Samoa, the life and culture, especially how people are living with nature, he said.

This is the first time for a delegation from the Keidanren to visit Samoa, according to Mr. Hibi.

We are interested in learning how Samoans are coping and living in harmony with nature, which is a concept that really resonates with traditional Japanese way of living, not really anymore, but we still have that in our hearts, and I think Japanese people, including the Keidanren, really want to see where we can share with the Samoan people on how we can live in harmony with nature.

The delegation also wishes to learn more about some of the emerging environmental issues like plastic waste issues, which is a global problem, in Samoa as well, and also how Samoa is coping with emerging environmental issues including climate change, seeing first-hand the impact of climate change here and how Samoa is coping with it, he added.

Mr. Hibi said their project involves both terrestrial and marine, but in Samoa it focuses more on conserving marine resources.

Samoa has a lot more impact on the marine environment than terrestrial, although terrestrial is still important. But it is small compared to the vast size of the marine you have under Samoas control, so its important to take care of the marine environment.

Theres also a growing recognition, interest from the international society on how to manage the marine environment, resources sustainably and again Samoa and the entire Pacific region has a great potential to take global leadership in managing the marine resources, which not just helps Samoa and the Pacific. But really helps the entire planet, climate change wise, food security, he said.

Mr. Hibi said Samoa needs to maintain its lush green landscape because it benefits the people, community, marine environment and the economy, especially the next generation.

It has a lot of benefits that we dont normally recognise, like absorbing water, keeping the soil strong, and controlling climate.

Mr. Hibi indicated that the partnership between Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund and C.I. Samoa would be extended.
More Pacific Island destinations should take advantage of free online tools such as Googles new global programme for Destination Marketing Organisations to enhance their digital presence.

Miles Partnership (South Pacific) New Zealand general manager, Chris Adams, gave an overview of how learning to upload fresh content, flag errors and destination updates is now easier and more effective at making information more accessible to prospective customers.

Google has reached out to destinations regarding free online tools. Its not about how big your marketing budget is  its about how innovative you are in a flexible and powerful way, he said.

Most people search for information on their mobile phones, which Mr Adams said justifies the need for people to change how they can make accurate data more accessible. An increasing number of people are using the voice search feature to search for information online.

Mr. Adams said Google Business is also a free online resource that is under-utilised by the tourism industry in the Pacific Islands, especially the use of Google Street view (with the exception of Tonga) which is available to anyone

Google Street view covers many countries in the world but its not widely used in the Pacific, in a place like Samoa that doesnt have street names or site signage, picture recognition to find a place may be a good way for tourists to find their destination.

Train locals on how to capture pictures on an ongoing basis. Its got great value beyond tourism such as disaster management and cataloguing climate change, he added.

Google also has a new platform to allow destinations to upload a set of updates in photos, videos, gallery of videos and unlike social media platform such as Facebook  and there are no constraints on its organic reach.

Mr. Adams said the technology is available for local tourism operators to get views at no cost.

Hundreds of destinations are using it. Hotels are posting about their conservation initiatives in videos and images. People promote their events and its completely free. They get hundreds of thousands of views and you can do it all from your mobile straight on to Google, he added.
In March this year the Australian state of Tasmania made history when 13 women and 12 men were elected to Parliament, making it the first in Australia to have a female majority.

But that change did not happen overnight and the journey and its challenges  in the lead-up to the March 2018 state elections and its subsequent result  was part of the story that some members of Tasmanias Parliament where sharing in their tour of Samoa this week.

Members of Parliament, Rene Hidding, Kerry Finch and Craig Farrell, accompanied by the Deputy Clerk Catherine Vickers, have been meeting organisations across the country. They are not travelling as delegates of the nation, but instead as peers of the Commonwealth, sharing with and learning from Samoa.

Mr. Hidding, the member for Lyons in Tasmania, said the small Australian States success rests to some extent on the affirmative action policies passed in 1986.

Its a matter of universal suffrage, which means no barriers for anyone  if you can vote, you can stand, he said.

Mr. Hidding said important first steps were taken when in 2013, when a quota of five women parliamentarians was introduced by Samoa, which bore fruit in electing female representatives.

I am confident it will bear fruit at the next election in 2021, if there is strong leadership and action now to get candidates up, he said.

Mr. Hidding said for Samoa to improve the number of women in the House by the 2021 election, talent need to be identified now as potential candidates.

In conversations with male parliamentarians here in Samoa, he said hes found them to be unrelentingly positive about increasing women representation in the House.

Were not hearing any pushback, so it would be a tragedy if the opportunity were not used between now and 2021 to increase women in Parliament.

The parliamentarians said education is a means to breaking down barriers for women, who may want to stand for Parliament, but do not necessarily know how.

Mr. Finch suggested there could be more public awareness about the work required of a parliament member.

Maybe if Parliament held an open day to show people around and explain a bit about the place, and what life looks like after the election, he said.

The most important thing to know is that parliamentarians are servants, not rulers, added Mr. Hidding.

Your speaker, Leaupepe Toleafoa Faafisi has been serving in Parliament a long time. He is a gracious man, a humble man, and he could look these women in the eye and tell them - you can do this.

Women add a great deal to the governing of a nation, said Mr. Hidding.

When it comes to understanding the cost of living, and the impact of big budget projects on the everyday person, who understands that best? Mamma knows best, because she runs the home, he said.

It has taken several decades and milestones to reach the majority female parliament in Tasmania, said Mr. Finch.

1948 saw our first female parliamentarian in Tasmania, weve had our first female prime minister, our first female Leader of the Opposition, our first female premier, first president of the legislative council recently is a female.

Those exemplars of leadership set the tone and they inspire other women to say I can do that, he said.

Craig Farrell said Samoas challenge is in replicating that.

Pioneering women inspire others, leading to an organic process of increasing the number of women in Parliament, but practical matters need to be tended to as well.

In Tasmania, the rules were that one could only stand in the Parliament if they were elected  such as the babies of elected women, who were unable to care for their child while at work.

That is nonsense  you have to knock that out. In Australian parliaments, that has all been fixed, said Mr. Hidding.

Its a problem if women think having a family means they cant stand for Parliament.

Samoa and Tasmania also share the unique relationship of having a twinned parliament programme that is close to a decade old. The relationship can add value to Samoas Legislative Assembly as it brings benefits like knowledge sharing trips between researchers, policy experts, and community relations experts, which will be happening later this year.
One caregivers challenge: Caregiving is like a delicate puzzle that we piece together to get care for our loved ones  all the support never comes from one place. Veterans Affairs (VA) has become a crucial puzzle piece for my 93-year-old dad, Robert, a World War II and Korean War veteran who has Alzheimers disease. VA offers many benefits and services for veterans and their caregivers. Sure, its a complicated system to navigate sometimes, but its absolutely worth the effort.

Where she started: Dad had never used any of the benefits or health care he was eligible for until he began needing 24-hour care, several years ago. I started with the VAs Aid and Attendance benefits and have gradually obtained additional services and supports for him. Its a huge help with his budget. Just know the application can take at least several months to process. (It took a full year to finally receive benefits, but they were retroactive from the date dads application was submitted.)

Key resource: Veterans Affairs Caregiver Support, www.caregiver.va.gov or (855) 260-3274 (toll free). Ive called VA Caregiver Support about how to get started with benefits and services (and now whenever I get lost in the VA maze). The representatives were helpful and connected me with a local caregiver support coordinator, who assisted me in locating the medical center and services in our area. Your support coordinator is a good person to call when you hit roadblocks.

Keep in mind: Some businesses will offer to help you apply for Aid and Attendance and/or Housebound benefits but charge a fee for their services. Instead, ask the VA about their recognized experts that help veterans with the application for free, or ask your estate planning or elder care attorney for assistance. (Ours gave it for no fee.)

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One (now) experts best advice: Ive learned so much about how to work with the VA to maximize available support for my dad. Here are a few of my hard-earned tips:

1. Stay positive, and be patient. Yes, the VA system can be complicated, and sometimes you dont get help right away. But Ive found that everyone Ive interacted with, from the call center reps to the doctors, really wants to help. They all have heavy workloads, since there are so many veterans to help. Give them patience and understanding and youre more likely to get the same in return.

2. Document everything. I have learned to take detailed notes about every conversation and appointment because multiple calls are usually needed, and sometimes one department isnt aware of what another has done or can do. I need to be able to connect the dots. I then follow up to make sure all steps are taken and no balls are dropped.

3. Always ask if there are other services available. I keep finding out about additional benefits or services for Dad. For example, the social worker, not the doctor, informed me that we could be provided with certain incontinence supplies. And the pharmacist told me about other available assistance that the social worker wasnt aware of. Just keep asking questions.

4. Never give up. Someone at the VA told me recently that the squeaky wheel does get the grease, and I have definitely found this to be true. There was a lot of red tape with Dads Aid and Attendance benefits application, but I persisted, and now he gets a monthly stipend to help pay for his care.

Amy Goyer is AARPs family and caregiving expert and author of AARPs Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving.

michele.parente@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @sdeditgirl
Choosing the right home care agency from the start can save a lot of time, frustration and possible disappointment later.

Start here: First, realize that home care agencies are not all the same. As with any business, some companies are better managed and operated than others. So focus your immediate attention on learning as much about an agency as possible, including their reputation in the community and qualifications of the owners/managers. Check on accreditations and collect knowledgeable referrals and personal recommendations from credible sources whenever possible.

Key resource: In 2016, California law established the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act. It requires home care agencies to be licensed in the state. The Home Care Services Bureau (HCSB) is responsible for this licensing and also maintains a public online registry for home care aides who have undergone background checks. HCSB also receives and responds to complaints and performs unannounced visits to ensure compliance, according to its website. Contact the HCSB at (877) 424-5778 and cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/Community-Care/Home-Care-Services.

Things to consider:

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Who owns the agency and who runs day-to-day-operations? Have there been any recent changes? Is the owner/manager a health professional and what is their background? Will they provide references?

The San Diego Elder Law Center has compiled the following checklist of conditions and services to look for when choosing a home care agency:

The agency provides the type of services and caregivers that are needed now, and offers other services that might be needed later

An initial assessment is performed by a health professional, such as a nurse or social worker, at a time and location convenient to patient and family.

The agency can help with arrangements for necessary supplies and equipment in the home, home modifications, and other community resources such as Meals on Wheels, transportation and adult day care.

Families are encouraged to participate with developing the plan of care and needed ongoing changes.

The written plan of care clearly states services to be provided.

Verbal and written information about costs for services and billing procedures are provided.

The caregivers work directly for the agency.

The agency takes care of proper employment tax withholding and workers compensation for caregivers.

Staff is licensed and bonded and caregivers are subject to background checks and routine drug testing.

Families have a say in the caregivers sent to their home, and if they are unsatisfied with caregiver selection they are able to request changes.

The same caregiver will be returning each time.

There is a 24-hour on-call system in place for emergencies.

You have been provided with a copy of the Patients Rights and Responsibilities.

San Diego Elder Law Center is a privately-run law firm that offers a variety of information and services for seniors and their families.

Union-Tribune reporter Michele Parente contributed to this report.

michele.parente@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @sdeditgirl
El Cajon City Councilman Ben Kalasho has been warned he may face a court injunction if he continues to use the city of El Cajons official seal or logo for campaign purposes or other matters that do not pertain to city business.

In an Oct. 3 letter to Kalasho, El Cajon City Manager Graham Mitchell wrote that the city had received multiple inquiries or complaints about a campaign letter Kalasho wrote that was dated Oct. 1. That letter was emailed to voters from Kalashos official city email address, using the citys official logo for its letterhead, with Councilman Ben Kalasho next to the logo.

Mitchells letter to Kalasho said a city policy prohibits the use of the city seal or logo for non-official city business. Mitchell also wrote that Kalashos use of a city email address constitutes a Fair Political Practices Commissions ethics violation.

Mitchell also said that Kalasho may be in violation of a government code that speaks to using public resources for unauthorized purposes and attached the mailer that is in question.

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Kalasho, who is seeking re-election to a second term, did not respond to a request to comment on the matter.

In the mailer that uses the city logo and letterhead, Kalasho takes aim against his opponent in the coming election, Gary Kendrick, as well as El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells. Kalasho criticizes the city for not doing enough about homelessness and uses a photograph of several homeless people and their belongings with pigeons at the curb. The photo is ostensibly of people in El Cajon, but has been making the rounds on the internet for several months.

A rectangular blue button at the bottom of the mailer labeled Who is really fighting for El Cajon? links readers to Kalashos campaign website.

In his letter to the councilman, Mitchell reminded Kalasho that the two had spoken regarding a similar issue in August of this year. He attached a letter dated Sept. 5 that references FPPC violations related to Kalashos campaign website and previous unauthorized use of city emblems in letters.

Mitchell told Kalasho in the latest letter that he would have to immediately stop using El Cajons official seal or logo in your campaigns, advocacy against other candidates or for any other non-authorized, or non-official business and said that he would have to stop using the citys email account for personal reasons.

The city manager warned Kalasho that further use of the citys logo or seal may require the city to seek a court injunction or to take other measures.

Kalasho has been under fire since being elected in 2016. Among charges against him are claims against him and his wife, Jessica, by contestants of a beauty pageant run by a for-profit chamber of commerce that Kalasho runs out of his Fletcher Hills home.

One contestant accused Kalasho of offering her the crown if she slept with him; the other said Kalasho or his wife posted her face on photos of naked women on the internet following a dispute over the prize money.

A San Diego lawyer and a group of restaurant owners have also accused the couple of creating fake social-media profiles to disparage their businesses.

karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com
For nearly 50 years, the Soto family has been riding on the success of its tasty carne asada known as Kennedys Karne. On Saturday, they celebrated both a new location and a new addition to the ownership family.

On Saturday, Cardiff resident Mark M. Soto, 34, and his new business partner John Mayberry, 32, of Carlsbad celebrated the grand opening of their new Kennedys Meat Company on East Valley Parkway in Escondido.

The partners 5,000-square-foot market, meat counter and restaurant at 1766 East Valley Parkway replaces the Soto familys much-smaller shop in the same shopping center.

Business partners Mark M. Soto, 34, and John Mayberry, 32, in their newly opened Kennedys Meat Co. market in Escondido. (Katherine Grace/Katherine by the Sea)

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The new Kennedys Meat Company features a large meat counter, where meat manager Dave Burr sells and cuts a variety of fresh and marinated raw meats and chicken. Theres also a refrigerator section where at least 10 of the familys 50 varieties of fresh salsa are sold.

Theres a Mexican food market selling, among other items, the Sotos name-brand chips and signature hybrid corn/flour tortillas. And theres a restaurant section, run by chef Alfred Medina, where diners can eat fresh-grilled carne asada and pollo asada in tacos, burritos and more.

Soto has run the old Escondido location since 2009, but when his family decided it wanted to consolidate its business in Imperial Valley a few years ago, he reached out to his friend, Mayberry, to launch a new extension of the business.

The company and its famed carne asada has its roots in Mexico, where Sotos grandfather, Jesus Soto, drove a water truck. In 1960, he emigrated to the U.S. with his wife, Rosa, and they settled in the small Imperial Valley town of Heber, where he first managed and then co-owned a market.

In 1972, Jesus Soto opened his own store with the help of a U.S. Small Business Administration loan. He named the store Kennedys in honor of President John F. Kennedy, who welcomed immigrants like himself to the U.S. in the early 1960s to pursue their American dreams.

From the very beginning, the store became known for its award-winning carne asada, skirt steak marinated in a secret family recipe made with fresh-squeezed lemon juice and garlic.

Carne asada on the grill at newly opened Kennedys Meat Company, which hosted its grand opening on Saturday in Escondido. The company is famous for its carne asada. (Katherine Grace/Katherine by the Sea)

Today, there are a half-dozen varieties of carne asada that range in price from $9.99 a pound for the original recipe skirt steak to $16 a pound for premium cuts of corn-fed Brandt Beef. There are now chipotle, habanero, burgundy pepper and other varieties, but the original recipe remains the top-seller. Marinated chicken breast and thigh meat sells for $3.99 to $5.99 a pound.

Soto passed away in 1993 at the age of 59, but his family has carried on the business. All five of the Sotos children worked in the Kennedys stores, which would grow to include a second location in Imperial Valley and stores in El Centro, Imperial Beach and Escondido.

Eldest daughter Sylvia ran the Heber store with her daughter Marla. And in 2009, Sylvias son Mark moved to North County to manage the Escondido store.

At the time, the 2-year-old Escondido store was struggling because the Kennedys Karne name was not well known in this area. To spread the word, Soto bought a taco cart and took it to churches, street fairs and other community events every weekend to get people to taste the product. The strategy worked and the store began to thrive.

About two years ago, Soto told his friend Mayberry that he wanted to take over and expand the Escondido business, and Mayberry agreed to come on board as a partner.

Mayberry, a real estate agent and property manager, has a long history with Kennedys. Before Mayberry was born, his father worked on a geothermal energy plant near Heber and hed take his lunch break every day at Kennedys.

Mayberry said he remembers stopping at the Heber store on a road trip with his dad when he was 7 years old to buy a large amount of marinated raw meat. He also remembers how much he enjoyed eating it as a kid.

Rather than keep the old 2,000-square-foot store, the partners built a new, much larger operation in a former quick-service loan store.

The retail operation takes up about half the space. The rest in back is reserved for future growth for the fast-rising catering operation that now makes up about 30 percent of sales.

We want to grow and want to be successful, Soto said. The skys the limit.

Kennedys Meat Company

Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

Where: 1766 E. Valley Parkway, Escondido

Phone: (760) 746-4622

Online: kennedysmeatcompany.com

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com
Lola 55

Is there room in this town for another taco shop? Not if its the same-old same-old taqueria, thank you very much.

Thats also what Lola 55s owner Frank Vizcarra thought. So the Tijuana native set out to break the mold of the San Diego taco shop by introducing a so-called fine casual (think Tender Greens) restaurant with forward-thinking recipes, high-quality ingredients and a chefs creative skill at putting it all together.

The result is a menu lineup of nine innovative tacos, each with its own sauce, and a well-curated list of side dishes.

So far, Ive tried six of the tacos and the standouts are the charred rainbow cauliflower, the baby carrot adobada and the ribeye carne asada. Each had a balance of flavor, heat and texture and they all tasted like the future of taco shops.

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The rainbow cauliflower, for example, has a caramelized char from the grilled vegetables, the smoke from the (vegan) eggplant bacon, the airy creaminess of avocado mousse, crunch from almonds, sweetness from golden raisins and a spicy kick from morita dulce chile salsa.

The so-so masa fritas wont get me to give up tortilla chips but the posole verde is the bowl of chicken soup you wish every mother could serve. And once you taste the super-sophisticated Oaxacan quesadilla, adorned with black pasilla pepper salt and lime zest, youll never want to slather sour cream and guac on one again.

Finish your meal with a homemade horchata or Mexican chocolate ice cream sandwich, on pizzelle-like waffles, and maybe move over to the stylish bar for a cocktail. So not the same-old.

1290 F St., East Village. (619) 542-9155. lola55.com

The homemade goodness at Lola 55 extends to desserts like the housemade horchata ice cream sandwich on made-to-order mini waffles. (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Gourmet burgers are the focus of the menu at Royale restaurant in Ocean Beach. (Jim Sullivan)

Royale!

Nearly everything about Royale! will put a smile on your face.

Its branding and signage has a fun, hip energy to it, as does its clientele. The restaurants retro-chic space is delightful and unpretentious. The menus main mission of cocktails and hamburgers is rightly focused on two essential food groups. Only one thing is priced above $11. Jordan and Mariah Brownwood, the young couple that owns Royale!, arent just committed to using local fruits, vegetables and herbs, they grow them themselves on their organic Nopalito farm in Valley Center. Most importantly, the food is really good.

My pals and I started with the basil gin and mezcal passionfruit cocktails; one sip and I knew we were in for a fun night. The roasted carrots and farmers market salad tasted picked-this-morning fresh, while the chewy, homemade hot pretzel is a campy throwback, thanks to the accompanying dipping sauce thats like a glorious, grown-up version of Cheez Whiz.

My burger, the Royale with Cheese on a buttermilk bun, had a lot of stuff  bacon, gruyere, caramelized onion, special sauce and pickles, hold the mustard. Properly medium rare (why is that so hard San Diego?) and diner-worthy, its as close to perfect as a burger can get. Seeking simplicity? Try the Diner Burger with good old American cheese.

My friend loved her fresh-caught tuna melt, and we devoured the gooey ice cream sundae with the abandon of kids. The only thing that didnt put a smile on my face were the somewhat soggy onion rings. Swap out that bland breading for some panko and Royale! would earn every ounce of enthusiasm implied by that exclamation mark.

4204 Voltaire St., Ocean Beach (619) 431-5653. royalesd.com

This way to Adorableville: Even Royales sign has a hip energy to it. (Heartwork Hill photo)

Chef Amy DiBiases take on avocado toast has super-fresh citrus-cured steelhead slices on malted brown toast. Crispy masa fries make a nice alternative to French fries. (Michele Parente photo)

Vistal

Sometimes, you never know how much you miss someone until they come back into your life.

Thats how I feel about chef Amy DiBiases return to San Diego. After a stint in Hawaii, shes co-headlining Vistal, the signature restaurant at the brand-new InterContinental San Diego on the downtown waterfront. Collaborating with respected local culinary veteran Paul McCabe (Kitchen 1540) in the hotels food and beverage program, DiBiase is already putting the soul in the kitchen.

Honing her Cali-Med creativity at such restaurants as Laurel, Roseville and Tidal, DiBiases flair can be tasted in the citrus-cured steelhead lunch tartine (that malted brown toast is everything) and the pickled black cod appetizer at dinner (little Persian cucumber bites with the precision and balance of a tight-rope walker).

Dishes you think youve had before pop in new, unexpected ways, like the black kale lunch salad that gets a lift from turmeric ginger dressing and the rich pork cheeks brightened by a coriander, cider glaze and smoked apple.

There are plenty of reasons to linger at Vistal: the expansive bay views from the dining room and pretty patio; the special touches like Frette napkins and pashmina shawls to borrow on a chilly night; the good selection of Valle de Guadalupe wines to try; and sumptuous desserts like sweet corn pound cake and chocolate-peanut butter stout cake.

Mostly, though, its nice to just be back in the capable hands of a talented chef.

901 Bayfront Court, downtown San Diego. vistalsd.com

The patio outside Vistal offers one-of-a-kind bay views. (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune)

michele.parente@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @sdeditgirl
Trolley Dances is a lot like the opening scene in the musical La La Land, when dancers pop out of cars stalled in traffic and spontaneously twirl, spin and backflip on the freeway.

The gutsy, annual production  a collaboration between the Metropolitan Transit System and Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theater  stages choreographic vignettes at stops along the trolley line, in places where real life happens.

Now known as one of San Diegos must-see tourist attractions, Trolley Dances celebrates its 20th anniversary this weekend by restaging six past works chosen by public poll.

The two-hour tours start in Mission Valley, where one can buy a ticket and then travel along the Sycuan Green and Orange trolley lines to view a half dozen of the most popular dances accompanied by a trained guide.

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At different stops, riders will see works by choreographers Jean Isaacs (founder of Trolley Dances), Monica Bill Barnes, Bradley Lundberg, Terry Wilson, Kim Epifano and Debi Toth-Ward.

Each dance  whether presented in a fountain, in front of an outdoor cafe or in a parking structure  has a different theme.

Isaacs O Magnum Mysterium, for instance, is accompanied by choir music by the same title, and in 2013, when dancers performed it at a school that serves homeless children, many in the audience were brought to tears.

Toth-Wards Undergrounding reflects the immigration experience, and eight sexy dancers get soaked in Lundbergs work, Taking the Plunge.

In total, there have been 114 Trolley Dances staged over the past two decades by notable choreographers from all over the country.

But if San Diego Dance Theater executive director Sara K. Blodgett had to pick a favorite, it would be the performance she saw at the 2009 Trolley Dances, an experience that prompted an epiphany.

At the time, Blodgett was a college dance student and her teacher encouraged her to take the tour.

New York-based choreographer Peter Chu had staged Grounded Steps near the border, and his team of muscled dancers utilizing U-shaped bike racks as props was a scene that Blodgett found remarkable and inspiring.

I had never been on the Trolley before, Blodget explained.

I wasnt accustomed to seeing professionals or going to shows or supporting the dance community. I met all of these great people and just to see dance in places I had never been before  I was taken aback and I thought, there is something so interesting here. That trolley tour changed the direction of my life. It paved the way for what turned into my career.

The following year, during a drought, Blodgett auditioned for Trolley Dances and was cast in a work by Isaacs titled Guardians of Water.

Isaacs, who has a reputation for moving audiences to unexpected places physically and emotionally, chose for her site a bone-dry fountain with the statue of a pioneer woman holding a water jug in its center, situated in front of the San Diego County Administration Building.

Bittersweet violin music played and Blodgett, in a white satin wedding dress, was lifted up by the rest of the dancers, dressed in long, flowing skirts. They moved together toward the harbor, away from the arid, empty fountain toward the promise of sailing ships and the blue Pacific.

Blodgett look down and noticed that the crowd was completely engrossed in the performance.

Seeing people moved by something I was doing made me realize the impact watching dance can have on people, she said.

I think what Jean Isaacs is doing is amazing, and Im a big supporter.

Last year, in her newly appointed role as San Diego Dance Theaters executive director, Blodgett made development and fundraising her focus.

She returned to the San Diego County Administration Building, the site of her first performance, to encourage county supervisors to continue the support of programs such as Trolley Dances.

I felt like a giant ball of nerves, Blodgett confessed.

I stood in front of the podium to give my speech. When I exited the building, I walked right past that same fountain but this time, there was water in it. I took that as a sign that San Diego Dance Theater and Trolley Dances would have a long and fertile future and continue to inspire the public for years to come.

Trolley Dances 2018

When: Noon, 1 and 2 p.m. Oct. 5; 10 a.m., 11a.m., noon, 1 and 2 p.m. Oct. 6-7

Where: Tours begin at Hazard Center Trolley Station. 7611 Hazard Center Drive, San Diego.

Tickets: $40, discounts for students, seniors, military and working artists

Phone: (619) 225-1803

Online: sandiegodancetheater.org

Parking is free, and all sites are handicap accessible.

Manna is a freelance writer.
October 4, 1962 The San Diego Union

The San Diego Union-Tribune will mark its 150th anniversary in 2018 by presenting a significant front page from the archives each day throughout the year.

Thursday, October 4, 1962

In 1962, astronaut Wally Schirra, Jr. became the fifth American to fly in space  behind Alan Shepard, Virgil "Gus" Grissom, John Glenn and Scott Carpenter  after he blasted off from Cape Canaveral on the Sigma 7 Mercury capsule.

Schirra's flight was closely tracked by the astronaut's parents, Walter Sr. and Florence Leach Schirra, from their Point Loma home.

But that wasn't the only local connection: a San Diego-built Atlas booster rocket carried Schirra's space capsule into orbit, and a team of San Diego-based Navy divers helped retrieve the capsule when it splashed down in the Pacific near the carrier Kearsarge.

Here are the first few paragraphs of the story:

Schirra Scores A Bullseye Landing After 6-Orbit Flight; Feels Fine

1 Tense Moment For Family Here

By MICHAEL OCONNOR

Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Schirra Sr., the thoroughly pleased parents of Americas newest astronaut, said yesterday his feat was afar cry from their early barnstorming days.

We only went 65 miles an hour then, Mrs. Schirra said in a news conference at her home minutes after Walter M. Schirra Jr. was hoisted aboard the aircraft carrier Kearsarge (CV33) after a 9-hour, 13-minute flight around the earth. Young Schirra traveled 17,560 miles an hour.

The Schirras day began earlyat 2 a.m. San Diego timebut the couple said they had only one tense moment in the entire six-orbit mission which began about three hours later.

That was at liftoff.

Everyone knows thats the critical time and we were relieved when everything came off well, Schirra said.

The couple held hands as the Atlas booster eased their sons Sigma 7 capsule of Launch Pad 14 at Cape Canaveral at 5:15 a.m.

Mrs. Schirras only comment at the time was: Wow.

Were they concerned about a temperature problem in the early stages of the first orbit?

No, Mrs Schirra said. Its the astronauts job to take care of that suit and we knew he would work it out.

Both parents admitted they were relieved on completion of the mission.

Im not thinking about the next one, but I sure feel sorry for Mrs. Cooper, the astronauts mother said . The reference was to the wife of Leroy Cooper, the astronaut who probably will make a day-long mission which is the next target in the Mercury program.

A dozen newsmen who kept the day-long vigil with the parents at their 3601 Lotus Dr. home did not see much of the family during the long flight. But the Schirras did not forget the press.

At 4:20 a.m. Mrs. Schirra appeared on the front porch and waved.

View anniversary front pages online at sandiegouniontribune.com/150-years. For more from the Union-Tribune digital archives, go to newslibrary.com/sites/sdub. Searching is free, with registration. A fee is required to view full stories.
A 70-year-old retired Los Angeles police detective was charged this week with assault with a semiautomatic handgun after a parking lot confrontation in South L.A.

The charge against Charles Tizano for the alleged incident last month also includes an allegation of personally using a firearm, the L.A. County district attorneys office announced Wednesday.

Tizano got into a dispute with the driver of a vehicle blocking the exit of a parking lot at West Adams Boulevard and South Broadway on Sept. 6, prosecutors said. When a bystander tried to intervene, Tizano is accused of pointing the handgun at the person.

The former detective faces a possible maximum sentence of 19 years in state prison if convicted as charged. Prosecutors are requesting bail of $125,000.

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The case remains under investigation by the LAPD.

Tizano is not the only former LAPD officer who has found himself in trouble with the law recently.

Stacey Koon, a former Los Angeles police sergeant who served a prison sentence for his role in the beating of Rodney King, was sentenced to three years of probation Wednesday after he pleaded no contest to driving under the influence of alcohol.

Koon was arrested May 1 after he crashed his vehicle into a parked car in Castaic, authorities said.

brittny.mejia@latimes.com

Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia
A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles landed safely in Sydney on Thursday after the pilot warned the plane was running low on fuel, officials said.

The U.S. airline said in a statement that Flight 839 landed safely at Sydney International Airport following a mechanical issue.

The aircraft taxied to the gate and all customers disembarked normally, the statement said.

Sydney emergency services radioed that the airliner, which United said was a Boeing 787 containing 180 passengers and 14 crew, has fuel issues and has issued a mayday.

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Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman Peter Gibson said the airliner was given priority to land, but had not been in danger.

Theres an international standard that requires that once you get down to your fuel reserve in a flight that you have to declare what is called a fuel mayday, Gibson said.

What that tells air traffic control and aircraft in the area is that you need priority to come in. It doesnt mean youre running out of fuel, youve still got plenty of fuel left, but its a precaution to say: Im down to my reserve and I need to come in as quickly as can be arranged, Gibson added.

Gibson said stronger headwinds than were forecast for the 7,500-mile flight across the Pacific could burn more fuel than planned.

Police said a full emergency response was activated at the airport after a pilot reported a problem.

Some major roads surrounding the airport were closed as a precaution, a police statement said.

Nine Network television reported that one of its journalists, Liz Hayes, was aboard the plane and had been unaware that there had been any problem.
An Irvine woman was charged with murder Thursday in connection with the death of her 92-year-old mother, whose body was found in her Huntington Beach home last month.

Cynthia Roberta Strange, 64, also faces a sentencing enhancement of murder for financial gain, according to Orange County Superior Court records.

Huntington Beach detectives launched an investigation after they found Ruth Strange dead at her home in the 6800 block of Vista Del Sol Drive on Sept. 4.

Officers had responded to the home shortly before 11 a.m. for a welfare check after Ruth Strange didnt answer the door for someone who was scheduled to take her to a doctors appointment, police said.

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When officers arrived at the elderly womans home, they found her in the backyard pool. She had been drowned and had superficial cuts to her head, according to prosecutors.

Detectives identified her daughter as a suspect during a month-long investigation. Cynthia Strange was arrested Tuesday and is being held in Orange County Jail without bail. Prosecutors recommend in charging documents that her bail be set at $2 million.

If convicted, Strange could face life in prison. She is expected to be arraigned later Thursday.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @Hannahnfry

UPDATES:

2 p.m.: This article was updated with the cause of death.

This article was originally published at 1:15 p.m.
Nearly 20 people suffered from chlorine poisoning Wednesday evening after an equipment malfunction at a swim school in Thousand Oaks, authorities said.

Firefighters were dispatched shortly after 6 p.m. when swimmers started having difficulty breathing at the Daland Swim School at 135 E. Wilbur Rd., said Ventura County Fire Capt. Brian McGrath. Authorities said an equipment malfunction began pumping extra chlorine into a pool.

A dozen people were were taken to hospitals, while seven others were evaluated or treated at the scene, according to the Fire Department. McGrath did not know their ages or whether there was a swimming class in session.

Seven ambulances and four fire engines responded to the school.

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The Fire Department urged drivers to avoid the area.

#WilburInc: tonight there was an accidental release of pool chemicals at a swim club in @CityofTO . Update from video: 19 pts. total. 12 xported to local hospitals. Some uninjured patients have been released to parents or family members. Cause still under investigation. @VCFD pic.twitter.com/zdVLlALR5f  VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) October 4, 2018

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek

UPDATES:

10:20 p.m.: This article was revised with updated patient numbers.

This article was originally published at 7:30 p.m.
Los Angeles could soon roll back an unusual set of city rules that have prevented some streets from being repaved since the Great Depression.

Some streets were officially withdrawn from public use in 1936, when the city said it was too strapped to fix dangerous streets. Others were pulled in the decades since because they were not up to city standards, were too expensive to maintain or were crime magnets, according to city reports. All in all, engineering officials say that 374 streets were formally yanked from public use.

The obscure phenomenon has flabbergasted and angered L.A. residents. The Times reported earlier this year that in Woodland Hills, residents near San Miguel Street said they had no idea about its unusual status until they tried to get it fixed. Nothing about it looked different  no barricades, no warning signs  except for its crumbling pavement. Cars regularly cruise over it like any other street in the rolling hills.

Yet the Bureau of Street Services said that because of the old ordinance, it would not be repaved. City crews would fill potholes and do other minor repairs, they said, but not resurfacing.

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City Councilman Bob Blumenfield, who represents Woodland Hills and other neighborhoods in the western San Fernando Valley, said it was absurd that some streets had not been repaved in eight decades. In many cases, he said, you have no clue that youre driving or walking on a street that is technically not in public use.

At a meeting Wednesday, a City Council committee headed by Blumenfield recommended drafting an ordinance that would roll back the old rules and officially bring the streets back into public use. The decision will now go to the full council for a vote.

The problem has bedeviled some neighborhoods for years. Blumenfield said that when he first asked to reinstate all of the withdrawn streets in his district, he was warned by city staff that it would take enormous resources to even begin that process. So instead, he said, he and his staffers worked to reinstate streets one by one in recent years, a painstaking process that involved combing through old records.

Under city rules, streets could typically be reinstated if they were found to be safe and passable. L.A. officials had interpreted that to mean they needed to be up to city standards  a bar that could be difficult to reach for streets that were narrow or lacked a curb or gutter, they said.

Yet residents pointed out there were other streets with the same shortcomings that had never been pulled from public use.

City staffers said in a report that they had also found that, like San Miguel Street, many such streets are now being used by the public even though they are technically withdrawn. In light of that, they said, it made sense to repeal the old rules, then come up with new ways to address any streets that should truly not be in public use.

Its hard to say theyre not safe and passable if were letting the public drive on them, deputy city engineer Ted Allen said.

The unusual decision to withdraw streets, spurred by a state statute that has since been repealed, was intended in part to prevent possible claims against the city for damage from defective roadways, according to archival records. But Councilman David Ryu said Wednesday that the city still bore liability for such streets.

Reinstating them is such a no-brainer, Ryu said at the committee meeting.

Blumenfield cautioned that when the law is ultimately repealed, residents will not see instant change. But reinstatement means the streetswill at least be eligible for repaving, he said, and people living along those streets will no longer be treated as second-class taxpayers.

Now there will be a glimmer of hope, he said.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter: @AlpertReyes
Annette Bening has been making the late night talk show rounds to promote her newest movie, Life Itself.

So why was the actor here raising money for the San Diego Community College District on the night before her films national release?

You got on my calendar a long time ago, she laughingly explained to district spokesman Jack Beresford. Bening clearly keeps her commitments. Her parents, Shirley and Grant Bening, who were in the audience, surely wouldnt have it any other way. They still live in the San Carlos home in which they raised their children.

Im here because I care and I want to give back, and I want to say thank you and pass it on to other people who want the same opportunity that I had to go to a good community college, Bening said.

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The four-time Academy Award nominee reminisced about her drama study days at Mesa College, and before that at Patrick Henry High School and Pershing Middle School. She noted that she stays in touch with some of her childhood friends.

Annette Bening was given a keepsake photo from The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wilde during her Mesa College acting days. She attended there for two years in the late 1970s before transferring to San Francisco State University where she earned a degree in theater arts. (Courtesy photo)

The Evening with Annette Bening was reported to be the districts first fundraising gala. Its goal was to support financially struggling first-time, full-time students enrolled in the San Diego Promise aid program by covering tuition and enrollment fees and awarding textbook grants.

When I went to San Diego Mesa College, it was basically free, Bening recalled. That is no longer the case, and there are a lot of people who want to go to college who cant afford it. She is serving as honorary co-chair of San Diego Promise with Mayor Kevin Faulconer.

While on stage, she gamely pulled on a San Diego Promise T-shirt and was surprised to learn from district Chancellor Constance Carroll that an Annette Bening Promise Scholarship will be given annually in her honor to a deserving student from each of the districts three colleges and its continuing education program.

Cake creator Cristin Thornhill, center, and her daughter, Bailey, of San Diego, are told by celebrity chef Buddy Valastro, in the background, that they have won his Bake It Like Buddy animal cake TV episode. (Courtesy of Bake It Like Buddy)

Sweet deal: When cake baker Cristin Thornhill made desserts for her TV viewing party when her Bake It Like Buddy competition aired on national TV, she said it was the first time she had actually customized a cake for herself. She and daughter Bailey, 11, even dyed candy sprinkles to match her Cakes by Cristin company logo.

The viewers gathered at Rock Bottom Restaurant the other evening to watch celebrity chef Buddy Valastros contest pitting Cristin and Bailey against a father-son duo who own a bakery in New Jersey. Their assignment? To bake an animal-shaped cake.

The San Diego teams edible killer whale won over the judges. When it came to taste, we absolutely loved your chocolate and peanut butter cake, Valastro said. Afterward, Cristin confessed that, as a huge, longtime fan of the Cake Boss chef, she knew his favorite candy was Reeses Peanut Butter Cups  so she opted for that flavor combo.

Since the episode aired Sept. 22 on Discovery Family, cake inquiries have spiked, now averaging 105 per day, says Cristin, and she is anxious to hire some helpers. But her biggest dream? As a stay-at-home working mom with an autistic son, age 15, she plans some day to open a bakery that will give jobs to kids with special needs.

Id like to pay it forward, she says.

Former Gov. Pete Wilson and his wife, Gayle, are returning to Sacramento for a special birthday celebration Oct. 5 with friends and former staffers and members of the Pete Wilson Alumni group. (Courtesy photo)

Re-Pete: Former California Gov. Pete and Gayle Wilson will be back in Sacramento on Friday for a 5 p.m. birthday reunion of former staff and supporters at The Citizen Hotel.

Wilsons former Chief of Staff Bob White, along with Marty Wilson, Jeff Randle, Julie Justus McGinity, Dee McCafferty and Mitch Zak are spearheading the event. Karolyn Dorsee, who has planned numerous Wilson birthday bashes over his many years in politics, is also lending a hand.

I still recall fondly celebrating the governors 60th birthday in the Capitol courtyard (with that huge card), recalls White. Loyal Wilson fans and former staffers still maintain a Facebook page and a Pete Wilson Alumni website online (info@PeteWilsonAlumni.org) where birthday party RSVPs were directed.

Lulu is the daughter of a disenchanted waitress in the touring Broadway musical, Waitress, that opens at the San Diego Civic Theatre on Nov. 27. (Joan Marcus photo)

At your service: Nows the chance for an aspiring child actress to share the spotlight with the pros. Broadway San Diego is auditioning girls, 4 to 5 years old, for a role in Waitress, a hit musical coming to town Nov. 27-Dec. 2. Tryouts for the sweet, carefree Lulu role will be held Oct. 8 at the Lawrence Family JCC in La Jolla.

Two girls, chosen at each stop of the tour, will share the role. No experience is necessary, but producers say those taller than 4 feet 2 inches or older than 5 years, 3 months need not apply to: bit.ly/LuLuaudition.

diane.bell@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1518

Twitter: @dianebellSD

Facebook: dianebell.news
It could be a bit easier for judges in San Diego County to order people with mental issues into conservatorship next year under a new pilot program created by a recently signed bill.

Whether it will be implemented, however, is unclear. Even the state legislator who included San Diego in the pilot program has her doubts.

San Diego is so far off from having the services necessary for this, state Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, D-San Diego, said about provisions in Senate Bill 1045, which was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Sept. 27.

The bill makes a subtle but possibly significant change in what a judge may consider when ordering a person into a conservatorship, meaning a guardian or protector is appointed to make decisions for someone deemed incapable of making responsible decisions.

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Specifically, it would affect people with serious mental illnesses and substance abuse problems who have refused treatment and have been detained at least eight times in 12 months for psychiatric evaluation under Section 5150 of the California Welfare and Institutions code.

Under the bill, which becomes state law next year, a judge can consider a persons past medical history in making the decision, including past 5150 holds, which could lead to more people ordered into conservatorship. Its unclear whether judges can consider that history under existing law.

Advocates for the change have said it could help get treatment for more people with mental health problems, and it would be especially helpful for homeless people who refuse treatment for their mental issues.

The pilot program created by the bill has many provisions, including requirements for adequate housing and support services for people placed in conservatorship. The program could begin next year in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco, but county leaders in each must agree to opt in.

State Senators Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Harry Stern (D-Canoga Park) were co-authors of the bill, which originally would have affected only Los Angeles and San Francisco. Gonzalez Fletcher included San Diego when the bill was before the Appropriations Committee, which she chairs.

I think this adds to the discussion as we start getting serious about these issues, Gonzalez Fletcher said. If they dont use it, they dont use it. But Im so desperate to find anything we could do to nudge the county toward long-term strategies. We can only do so much at the state level.

Gonzalez Fletcher said she has met with San Francisco Mayor London Breed about the program and believes that the Bay Area is ready for it.

We dont have that kind of leadership in San Diego County, Gonzalez Fletcher said.

Gonzalez Fletchers husband, Nathan Fletcher, is running for for San Diego County Board of Supervisors, but she said she has not talked with him much about the bill.

Supervisor Ron Roberts, chair of the San Diego Regional Task Force on the Homeless, acknowledged that he was still trying to get up to speed on the pilot program, but disagreed that the county couldnt meet the demands the bill requires for housing and support services.

From what I know, it looks like something we could use as part of our tool box, he said. Weve got a pretty aggressive mental health plan were doing right now.

Roberts said the county has shown leadership in the area and has a proven track record of success. Project One for All, he noted, is a county program that has helped connect 800 homeless people who have mental problems with services and housing.

I dont know if shes aware of the things were doing, he said about Gonzalez Fletcher. Roberts acknowledged that it could be hard to find the additional housing for people in the new program, but he thought it could be done.

Some people who have followed the bill, however, are not confident it will do much good. San Diego mental health advocate Linda Mimms was troubled that a person must have had at least eight 5150 detainments in a year before a judge considers conservatorship.

If you had to have a heart attack eight times before youd get treatment, most likely youd be dead, she said.

Mimms shared her criticism of the bill on a Facebook page focused on mental health laws, where she wrote that the program should not be limited to people with addictions.

We need a much better law that doesnt make us jump through all these hoops to get severely mentally ill (people), both with and without addiction, into rapid treatment before extended psychosis makes their condition worse and their recovery longer and harder, she said.

D.J. Jaffe, author of the book Insane Consequences: How the Mental Health Industry Fails the Mentally Ill, also posted on the page.

What a way to pretend you are doing something when doing nothing, he wrote about the bill.

The pilot program goes into effect Jan. 1 in San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

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gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
For 3.7 billion years, nature has used the power of evolution to shape every living thing on Earth, creating a vast diversity of molecules with an ever-increasing array of abilities.

Three scientists who harnessed that power  and sped it up in the lab  were honored Wednesday with the Nobel Prize in chemistry. Their research has led to brand new chemical reactions that are used to make alternative fuels, agricultural chemicals, cancer medicines and more.

Frances Arnold, a biochemical engineer at Caltech, was awarded half of the $1.01-million prize for her pioneering experiments in the field known as directed evolution.

The other half of the prize was split between George P. Smith of the University of Missouri in Columbia and Gregory P. Winter of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England, who paved the way for directed evolution to become an important tool in drug development.

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Claes Gustafsson, chairman of the Nobel committee that selected the winners, said the three sparked a revolution in evolution.

Our laureates have applied the principles of Darwin in the test tube and used this approach to develop new types of chemicals for the great benefit of humankind, he said.

Arnold said the phone call from Stockholm had her bouncing off the walls. But it came with a measure of annoyance because she was traveling in Texas and couldnt rouse her family in California to share the news.

They never answer the phone when Mom calls, she said.

Arnold is the fifth woman to win a Nobel Prize in chemistry and the first since 2009, when Ada Yonath of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel was honored for her work in mapping the structure of ribosomes.

Marie Curie became the first woman to win the chemistry prize in 1911, for her discovery of the radioactive elements radium and polonium. She had already won the Nobel Prize in physics eight years earlier.

Arnold is the first woman at Caltech to receive a Nobel Prize. But she does not expect to be the last.

There are a lot of brilliant women in chemistry, she said. I predict we are going to see a steady stream of Nobel Prizes in chemistry given to women in the future.

Frances Arnold receives a standing ovation during a celebration at Caltech for her Nobel Prize. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Initially trained as a mechanical and aerospace engineer, Arnold would discover that she could improve the world through chemistry. She hoped to replace traditional chemical reactions that used heavy metals, solvents and destructive acids with new reactions inspired by the inner workings of living beings.

The key to her plan was enzymes, the proteins that direct biochemical reactions inside organisms. To get a desired reaction, she needed to customize an enzyme. But she came to realize that engineering an enzyme was way too big a job for humans, even with their state-of-the-art computers.

But the job wasnt too big for nature.

I think of what I do as copying natures design process, she said.

In directed evolution experiments, scientists start with an enzyme that has some of the properties they are looking for. Next, they introduce a few mutations into its genetic code  perhaps by inserting a sequence from another enzyme with different desirable properties. Then they allow the enzyme to replicate, usually inside bacteria.

At this point, nature takes its course, and new, random mutations develop through the same process that drives evolution.

Scientists then screen all the resulting enzymes, selecting the ones that do the best job of carrying out the hoped-for reaction. The other enzymes are discarded, and the process is repeated over and over until the desired result is reached.

By relying on random genetic mutations to create many different versions of a single enzyme, a scientist doesnt have to know ahead of time which specific mutation will create the desired result.

It was an important conceptual approach, said Harvey Blanch, a professor of biochemical engineering at UC Berkeley who was Arnolds thesis advisor there. By doing what nature does, you can get the job done much more quickly.

Arnolds colleague Dave Tirrell, a professor of chemistry and chemical engineering at Caltech, put it this way: She taught enzymes to do things no self-respecting enzyme would do.

Arnold was not the first person to ever conceive of directed evolution, but she was the first to show that it works and has developed the idea more fully than anyone else, Tirrell said.

Her work has been used to create biofuels, make more effective pharmaceuticals and even create more environmentally friendly detergents.

In 2016, her lab created enzymes that can form silicon-carbon bonds, a chemical reaction that doesnt exist in nature.

The work could open the door to new kinds of organic chemistry and drug development. Scientists are also hopeful that it can help them investigate essential mysteries, such as whether extraterrestrial life could be based on silicon instead of carbon.

I think we are just at the start of whats possible with directed evolution, said Sara Snogerup Linse, a member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.

Smith and Winter used a different approach that was geared to other kinds of proteins.

Smiths idea was to get bacteriophages to do some of the work for him. Bacteriophages, or simply phages, are viruses that infect bacteria. Their DNA is on the inside, and the proteins it codes for appear on the outside.

Smith took advantage of this situation by inserting gene fragments into a phage, then checking to see which proteins appeared. In essence, he got the phage to identify useful pieces of DNA.

Winter embraced this technique  which came to be known as phage display  and used it to create antibodies that could function as drugs.

Antibodies are proteins that attach themselves to viruses, bacteria and other foreign substances so that the bodys immune system can target them for destruction. Winter set out to engineer antibodies that could attach to other targets the body should destroy, like cancer cells.

With directed evolution, Winter created many generations of antibodies, each time introducing new mutations and then selecting the ones that did the best job of attaching to its intended target.

This is how Winter and his colleagues created the antibody adalimumab, better known as the rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira. It binds to a protein that normally causes inflammation, neutralizing it in the process.

Other antibody drugs developed through this technique have been approved as treatments for lupus, cancer and the toxin that causes anthrax. An antibody designed to fight Alzheimers disease is now being tested in clinical trials.

This is second year in a row Caltech faculty have won a Nobel Prize. Kip Thorne and Barry Barish shared the physics prize in 2017 for making it possible to detect gravitational waves, confirming key aspects of Einsteins general theory of relativity.

Altogether, 39 Caltech faculty and alumni have received Nobels, according to the university.

Read more:

Inspired by evolution: Caltech bioengineer is first woman to win $1.1-million tech prize

Scientists design living organisms that make chemical bonds not found in nature

MORE IN SCIENCE

UPDATES:

5:10 p.m.: This story has been updated throughout with additional detail and comments from Dave Tirrell of Caltech.

10:50 a.m.: This story has been updated with comments from Harvey Blanch of UC Berkeley.

10:10 a.m.: This story has been updated throughout with staff reporting.

This story was originally published at 3:25 a.m.
A top Senate Republican said Thursday the confidential FBI report on allegations that Brett Kavanaugh sexually abused women three decades ago found no hint of misconduct by the Supreme Court nominee.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) made his remarks  and urged his colleagues to confirm the conservative judge  in a written statement hours after the post-midnight delivery of the FBI document to Congress. With Kavanaughs uncertain prospects for approval depending in part on the decisions of five wavering senators, lawmakers began viewing the document in a secure room in the Capitol complex.

Theres nothing in it that we didnt already know, Grassley said, basing his comment on a briefing he said hed received from committee aides. He added, This investigation found no hint of misconduct.

Democrats have complained that the FBIs reopening of its Kavanaugh background check has been far too limited, leaving out contact with crucial potential witnesses.

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Grassley said the FBI could not locate any third parties who can attest to any of the allegations, and he said there is no contemporaneous evidence. He provided no specific detail.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has already started a process that will produce a crucial test vote in his polarized chamber Friday on Kavanaughs fate. Should Republicans get the majority of votes they need  and Vice President Mike Pence is available to cast the tie-breaker, if necessary  that would set up a decisive roll call on his confirmation, likely over the weekend.

Senators ought to wipe away the muck from all the mudslinging and politics and look at this nomination with clear eyes, Grassley said, echoing accusations against Democrats that McConnell has been making. He added, Its time to vote. Ill be voting to confirm Judge Kavanaugh.

Three women have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in separate incidents in the 1980s. Kavanaugh, 53, now a judge on the powerful District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, has denied the claims.

The FBI interviews were to focus on sexual assault allegations, although Democrats have also called into question his drinking habits during high school and college and dishonest comments they say hes made about his background. Kavanaugh has said stories of bad behavior while drinking are exaggerated.

The White House says it received the FBIs supplemental background investigation and senators have enough time to review it and vote. White House spokesman Raj Shah says the White House is confident the Senate will vote to confirm Kavanaugh.

UPDATES:

7:40 a.m.: This article was updated with comments by Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley and the White House.

This article was originally published at 2:35 a.m.
A grieving family spent almost $11,000 on a flag ripped apart in Hurricane Florence.

The American flag, nicknamed Kevin, flew from Frying Pan Tower 30 miles off the coast of North Carolina and became a viral symbol when it was caught on livestream as it was almost destroyed by the storms nearly 100 mph winds.

Richard Neal, who owns the Frying Pan Tower bed and breakfast, auctioned the flag off on eBay to raise money for the American Red Cross.

Now, the flag is in the hands of Mike Caruso, whose brother Kevin died of prostate cancer Sunday morning.

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My brother lived his life like that flag in the storm, being courageous with chaos all around, never giving up, Caruso told the Charlotte Observer. He and that flag were at the center of a great storm, staying calm, standing firm. People kept asking through the storm: Is Kevin still there? And it was always still there, still standing.

Kevin Caruso, who was 64 when he died, was from Cincinnati but moved to the Carolinas about 20 years ago, most recently in Charlotte for work.

Mike Caruso said he plans to bring the flag home to Ohio.

Were thrilled to have it and our plans are to put it in a real nice box, framed and mounted with respect and honor, he told the Observer. And well have a plaque that will reflect exactly what the flag stands for and honor Kevin for all the same reasons.
The South Carolina man accused of killing a police officer and wounding six other cops in a barrage of bullets is a disbarred lawyer who bragged about his shooting skills and once said he loves the smell of gunpowder.

Fred Hopkins, 74, posted on Facebook in 2014 that he took his 12-year-old son to the rifle range in Lexington County for the monthly service rifle match. Hopkins, who was celebrating his birthday, wrote that his rifle was set up exactly like the one he used when he served in Vietnam.

I have been shooting competitively since 1984 and lovin it, he said in the post. I just love the smell of gunpowder in the mornins. The guys at the range sang Happy Birthday to me  gosh, it doesnt get any better.

Cops say Hopkins shot seven officers and deputies who tried to serve a warrant at his Florence home on Wednesday.

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Terrence Carraway, a 30-year veteran of the Florence Police Department, was killed.

South Carolina state troopers at the scene of Wednesdays shooting in Florence. (Sean Rayford/AP)

Investigators have not said what kind of weapons were involved in the shooting, but it is believed Hopkins owns multiple guns.

It took about 30 minutes for the officers and deputies who were shot to be rescued.

Officers went there unknowing the firepower the suspect had, Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said. Fire was being shot all over. The way this suspect was positioned, his view of fire was several hundred yards. So he had an advantage. The officers couldnt get to the ones who were down.

The disabled Vietnam veteran, who was barricaded in the home with children, was taken into custody later Wednesday. He has been hospitalized with a head injury and is unable to speak with officers, according to WPDE.

The warrant that brought cops to the home was related to an accusation that Hopkins 27-year-old son sexually assaulted a foster child, according to WIS. Son Seth Hopkins was also shot during the confrontation, according to reports.

Fred Hopkins has been arrested multiple times, including for disorderly conduct. He was also charged on two occasions with running at large, which relates to not restraining ones animals. He is the husband of divorce lawyer Cheryl Turner-Hopkins.

He lost his law license in the 1980s over $18,000 in wrongfully collected fees. He was jailed for several weeks before a court allowed for his wife to be held jointly liable for paying back the money.

Florence has a population of about 38,000, and is the largest city in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina.

With News Wire Services
LOS ANGELES  Juan Romero, a hotel busboy who came to the aid of Robert F. Kennedy after the New York senator was shot in Los Angeles, has died. He was 68.

Longtime family friend Rigo Chacon said Thursday that Romero had died at a Modesto, California, hospital on Monday, following a heart attack.

Romero was a teenager in June 1968 when Kennedy was shot in the head while walking through the Ambassador Hotel kitchen after his victory in the California presidential primary.

Romero held the mortally wounded Kennedy, struggling to keep the senators head from hitting the floor. He placed Rosary beads in Kennedys hand and reassured the senator everything would be all right.

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The moment, captured on film, became an iconic image that haunted Romero for most of his life because Kennedy had stopped to shake his hand moments before he was shot.

For many years, Romero blamed himself for Kennedys death  wondering if he could have done something to prevent the shooting or if Kennedy might have survived if he had not stopped to shake his hand.

Juan Romero holds a Los Angeles Times photograph that shows Romero with Sen. Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador hotel in Los Angeles moments after Kennedy was shot. (Jud Esty-Kendall. / AP)

Eventually Romero overcame his guilt, thanks in part to the support of Kennedy fans who told him that he was an example of the type of people Kennedy sought to help in making racial equality and civil rights a cornerstone of his lifes work.

Earlier this year, Romero told The Associated Press in a rare interview that Kennedy inspired his lifelong commitment to racial equality.

I still have the fire burning inside of me, Romero said while publicizing the NetFlix documentary Bobby Kennedy for President.

Born in the small town of Mazatan in the Mexican state of Sonora, Romero moved to Baja California until his family received permission to bring him to the U.S. as a 10-year-old.

The family lived in blue-collar East Los Angeles and he attended Roosevelt High School the year that Chicano students started organizing walkouts to protest discrimination against Mexican-American students.

Romero feared he would face trouble at home if he took part in the protests.

He got a job at the Ambassador Hotel as a dishwasher and later a busboy. He met Kennedy the day before the California primary, when the senator and his aides ordered room service.

Romero was on duty and came into the room with a group of other busboys. He saw Kennedy toward the back  one hand holding a curtain and the other gripping a phone. Kennedy put down the phone and waved Romero to come forward.

In this June 5, 1968 file photo, Hotel busboy Juan Romero, right, comes to the aid of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, as he lies on the floor of the Ambassador hotel in Los Angeles moments after he was shot. (Boris Yaro / AP)

All I remember was that I kept staring at him with my mouth open, Romero said. Kennedy grabbed Romeros hand with both hands and said, thank you. For a moment, there was silence.

I will never forget the handshake and the look ... looking right at you with those piercing eyes that said, Im one of you. Were good, Romero said. He wasnt looking at my skin, he wasnt looking at my age ... he was looking at me as an American.

Voters went to the polls the next day, and that night Kennedy thanked supporters in the hotels Embassy Room before leaving through the kitchen, where the gunman opened fire.

News photographers captured images that would be seen all over the world.

Is everybody OK? Kennedy asked.

Yes, Romero said.

Everything will be OK, Kennedy said before losing consciousness.

Kennedys wife Ethel  at the time pregnant with their 11th child  ran to her injured husband and pushed Romero away.

Romero turned and saw a group of men punching the gunman.

I felt my hand making a fist to join in, Romero said. Then I thought, whats the point?

Kennedy was pronounced dead at a hospital hours later at age 42.
BARTOW, Fla.  Authorities say a Florida man threatened to shoot senators who dont support Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the U.S. Supreme Court.

A Polk County Sheriffs Office news release says 53-year-old James Royal Patrick Jr. was arrested Wednesday and charged with making written threats to kill or injure.

Investigators say they received an email tip Wednesday morning about threatening posts Patrick made on this Facebook page last month. Besides threatening Democrats and weak Republicans who might oppose Kavanaugh, Patrick also encouraged conservatives to break into liberals homes and kill them in their sleep.

Deputies say they found a rifle and handgun during a search of Patricks Winter Haven home. Investigators say Patrick admitted to making the Facebook posts but denied plans to carry out the threats.

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Patrick was being held on $500,000 bail. Jail records didnt list an attorney who could comment.
The police officer killed in South Carolina on Wednesday by a gunman who also wounded six other cops had recently been honored for 30 years of service.

Terrence Carraway, 52, of the Florence Police Department lost his life in the line of duty after officers tried to serve a search warrant at the home of Fred Hopkins, 74.

The warrant involved an accusation that Hopkins adult son sexually assaulted a foster child living at the home. Seth Hopkins, 27, was also shot, according to reports.

I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known, Police Chief Allen Heidler said.

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Authorities used a bullet-proof vehicle to recover the wounded officers as Hopkins fired at them for hours while barricaded inside the Florence home with children. He released the kids when he was taken into custody.

Officers went there unknowing the firepower the suspect had, Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said. Fire was being shot all over. The way this suspect was positioned, his view of fire was several hundred yards. So he had an advantage. The officers couldnt get to the ones who were down.

The suspect initially opened fire on three deputies who came to serve the warrant at around 4 p.m. He then shot four Florence police officers who arrived on the scene, including Carraway.

Two of the three deputies are in critical condition, according to NBC News.

His view of fire was several hundred yards, so he had an advantage, the sheriff said.

Two of the police officers who were shot were released from the hospital on Thursday, but one remains in serious condition.

The shootings took place in an upscale neighborhood in the western part of the city.

Surprised is probably an understatement, local resident Bobby Goin said. The worst thing that goes on around here is that someone runs a stop sign and it gets posted on Facebook.

Hopkins was hospitalized with a head injury, according to WMBF.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, who is overseeing the investigation, said Thursday that the focus right now is on taking care of those who have been shot and their families.

President Trump tweeted his thoughts and prayers, adding, we are forever grateful for what our Law Enforcement Officers do 24/7/365.

This is simply devastating news from Florence, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted. The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real.

The governor ordered the flags lowered to half-staff.

With News Wire Services
A Texas high school teacher has been accused of having a sexual relationship with a 10th grade student, but insisted I am not a predator when confronted by the victims mother.

Scott Riley Hall, 40, allegedly engaged in sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old student at her home in August, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Texas said in a statement Wednesday.

Hall, who is now on administration leave after his Monday arrest, taught art at Coronado High School in Lubbock, Texas.

A non-sexual relationship with the victim began in the summer of 2018 and court documents say Hall and his wife had been given a key to her home, according to KCBD.

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The victim told police she had been on two trips with Hall, as well as attended church with him and his wife.

It wasnt until this past September that the victims mother found sexually charged emails between her daughter and Hall.

I love touching you, Hall wrote. One of these days, we are going to spend hours watching movies and rolling around in bed.

Seeing you (even briefly), dreaming of the next time, and reminiscing about the last time. These things make me sad, too, but they help me cope until we are just together. Always, he wrote in another email.

Once the teen confirmed to her mother she had sex with Hall, her mother addressed the teacher.

Hall texted her mother explaining, I am not sure of what you believe has happened, but my fault was caring too much in the wrong way.

I truly wanted to be that Art Dad, but I let my care for her cross a line. It was a huge mistake, the texts read. It was misguided affection. I am very sorry. I will do anything you ask to keep this from being a legal or professional situation.

Soon after, he admitted to police hed developed feelings toward the victim and his actions were inappropriate.

Hall was charged Wednesday with enticement, attempted enticement and one state charge of improper relationship between an educator and a student.

He is being held in the Lubbock County Detention Center and faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum announced Tuesday that hes relaunching an investigation into whether there are mass graves in his city left from the 1921 race massacre.

On May 31, 1921, a white mob made its way into the area of town known as Black Wall Street after a black shoeshiner was accused of assaulting a white elevator operator. They set fire to businesses and houses, leaving more than 10,000 people homeless.

More than 300 black residents were rumored to have been murdered, but official death tolls were as low as 30 on some days.

About 800 people were hospitalized after the riots.

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We owe it to the community to know if there are mass graves in our city, Bynum told the Washington Post. We owe it to the victims and their family members. We will do everything we can to find out what happened in 1921.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing bodies being thrown into mass graves at the time, but a previous investigation was inconclusive.

Rev. Robert R.A. Turner, a senior pastor at Vernon AME Church, one of the few structures that survived the 1921 fire, said the 2021 centennial commemoration should include justice for the victims.

We cannot go forward without an investigation, he told Tulsa World. How can we go forward celebrating the centennial in 2021? What are we really celebrating?
Ordinarily, geysers spout water, but one steamed shooter erupted decades-old garbage instead!

Dormant Ear Spring, located on Yellowstone National Parks Geyser Hill, spewed steam on Sept. 15 in its biggest blow since 1957, park spokesman Neal Herbert told The Associated Press. And among the more intriguing artifacts it belched out is a babys pacifier that could date back as far as the 1930s.

More mundane objects collected by park staffers included a large cement block, rusted metal cans, dozens of coins, a bear-designed cloth that could be part of either a shirt or a bag and a black metal, plastic container.

Foreign objects can damage hot springs and geysers. The next time Ear Springs erupts we hope its nothing but natural rocks and water, a rep posted on the official Facebook park page. You can help by never throwing anything into Yellowstones thermal features!

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The items are expected to be inventoried by curators and could possibly end up in Yellowstones archives.

Geyser Hill has been experiencing more eruptive activity in recent weeks, which includes new surface fractures and vents. A boardwalk that leads tourists to the Upper Geyser Basin has been cordoned off due to the threat of boiling-hot water. The liquid from Ear Spring traveled between 20 and 30 feet high.

Shifts in hydrothermal systems occur only in the upper few hundred feet of the Earths crust and are not directly related to movement of magma several kilometers deep, noted the U.S. Geological Survey. There are no signs of impending volcanic activity.
Australia is rolling back its controversial tampon tax.

Officials announced the deal Wednesday, ending a nearly two-decade battle over the 10% tax placed on tampons, pads and more than a dozen other products used in connection with menstruation.

We won!! After 18 years campaigning finally this bloody tampon tax is going to be axed! Greens Sen. Janet Rice said in a series of celebratory tweets.

We won!! After 18 years campaigning finally this bloody tampon tax is going to be axed! Greens leading the way once again. Thanks everyone for all your amazing campaigning over all the years- especially @sharingdignity. #greens https://t.co/VrM0okHYrx  Janet Rice (@janet_rice) October 3, 2018

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We put it on the treasurers meeting agenda, we got the agreement & now, within 3 months, the (tampon tax) will be removed, Australias Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, said in his own Twitter post.

A public petition calling for an end to the tax garnered more than 104,000 signatures.

It pointed out that condoms, lubricants, sunscreen and nicotine patches already are tax-free in Australia because theyre classified as important health aids.

The federal sales tax was first introduced by conservative leaders in 2000 and added the extra levy to all items not considered essential in some way.

At the time, Federal Health Minister Michael Wooldridge rejected the notion tampons are a biological necessity for women and even compared them to shaving cream in an interview with ABC Australia.

As a bloke, Id like shaving cream exempt, but Im not expecting it to be, he said. Condoms prevent illness. I wasnt aware that menstruation was an illness.

The tampon tax is hardly exclusive to Australia. More than 30 states in the U.S. still tax feminine hygiene products.

It was only in 2016 that New York passed legislation exempting the products.

Repealing this regressive and unfair tax on women is a matter of social and economic justice, Gov. Cuomo said in a statement at the time. I look forward to signing it into law.

Connecticut, Florida, Illinois and the District of Columbia also repealed taxation on feminine hygiene products in recent years.

Despite arguments the levies should remain for fiscal reasons, Pace University Law Professor Bridget J. Crawford said no state is in jeopardy of collapse over the loss of tampon taxation.

There is no state that depends on womens menstruation to keep going, Crawford said.

She echoed estimates that a woman could easily pay more than $700 on tampon taxes alone over her lifetime.

Australias decision to remove the tax follows just months after India ruled to remove its tampon tax in July.

Crawford said Australias move to abolish the tax is a small change that could make a huge practical and symbolic difference.
Missouri is down to one clinic providing abortions Wednesday, after the only other clinic in the state that performs the procedure failed to adhere to new state requirements and its license expired.

The Columbia clinics abortion license expired Tuesday, Planned Parenthood Great Plains spokeswoman Emily Miller said.

Federal appeals court judges also ruled last month that Missouri can enforce a requirement that doctors must have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals before they can perform abortions. The judges issued a mandate Monday for that rule to officially take effect.

The Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic has been unable to secure physician privileges or find a doctor with those privileges after a panel of medical staff at University of Missouri Health Care voted to stop offering those privileges altogether in 2015 amid a Republican-led legislative investigation on abortion in the state.

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Miller said the clinic cancelled abortions scheduled for Wednesday in Columbia, which would have been the first since the mandate was issued. The clinic continues to provide other health care services.

We are unable to provide abortion services now, so weve been working with patients who were on the schedule for today for abortion appointments to let them know what their alternatives are, Miller said.

Women seeking abortions can go to Planned Parenthoods St. Louis clinic  which is now the only facility in Missouri where abortions can be performed  or travel to neighboring states, she said. Planned Parenthood has argued in court filings that the additional distance women will need to travel to the clinic on the far eastern border of the state to receive abortions will be burdensome and could make the procedure inaccessible to some.

Miller said theyre hoping the state will issue another abortion license soon.

Planned Parenthood attorneys also had asked U.S. Western District Court Judge Brian Wimes to temporarily exempt the Columbia clinic from the hospital privileges requirement before Wednesday. Wimes hasnt yet ruled on that request.

If Wimes does decide to grant a temporary restraining order on the law, abortions could resume at the clinic if it also receives another license.

Planned Parenthood affiliates with Missouri health centers filed the underlying lawsuit to block state requirements on admitting privileges and mandates that clinics meet hospital-like standards for outpatient surgery. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2016 struck down similar rules in Texas.

The Missouri Attorney Generals Office, which is defending the regulations, in court documents argued that the admitting privileges requirement provides substantial benefits, such as ensuring that women have access to a treating physician, ensuring continuity of care, reducing the likelihood of unnecessary treatment, and providing women and the State with greater, more accurate information.

Attorneys with the attorney general also wrote that the requirement is strongly justified by Missouri-specific circumstances, such as the deeply troubling health-and-safety record of Missouri abortion facilities and their long, flagrant violation of statutory reporting requirements.

The office cited a Sept. 26 health inspection that found the clinic was using equipment with tubing that contained black mold and bodily fluid.

Miller said Planned Parenthood takes issue with that description, and said the tubing has been replaced and other concerns raised in the Sept. 26 inspection have been addressed.

U.S District Judge Howard Sachs in May 2017 issued a temporary restraining order to block the admitting privileges rule. But his action was undone in September by judges on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, who argued Sachs didnt do enough to weigh the cost benefits of Missouris rules and sent the case back to the lower court.

The underlying challenge to the Missouri abortion regulations is still pending.
A 30-year-old man was shot in the hand Wednesday night on a residential street in the Jamacha-Lomita area of San Diego after he approached a car that drove up, police said.

The shooting was reported about 10:10 p.m. on Billow Drive between San Felipe and San Vicente streets, San Diego police Sgt. Michael Tansey said.

The victim was loitering in the street with a companion when a dark sedan drove up and the victim, thinking he knew the person in the car, approached the vehicle on the passengers side.

The driver  the lone occupant of the car  rolled down the window, pulled out a gun and shot the victim once, striking him on his left hand, Tansey said.

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The shooter was last seen driving north on Billow Drive. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of a non-life-threatening wound.

No description of the shooter was released.

Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com

UPDATES:

6:40 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details.

This article was originally published at 11:25 p.m.
A man stabbed by an acquaintance Wednesday night at an Oceanside park was expected to survive the attack, police said.

The assault was reported a little before 9 p.m. at John Landes Park, which sits at the corner of Lewis Street and Cedar Road in inland Oceansides Tri-City area, Sgt. Michael Provence said.

Medics took the victim to a hospital by ambulance, and from there he was airlifted to a trauma center, Provence said. The mans injuries were not considered life-threatening.

The victim and suspect were known to each other before the stabbing, Provence said. The sergeant declined to comment on whether police knew the identity of the suspect.

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Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

(619) 293-1710

alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com
The UC Berkeley Institute for Governmental Studies poll that the Los Angeles Times is releasing Thursday uses a method that differs from our past surveys. Heres an explanation of how it works, and why were doing it this way.

Like many surveys, the Berkeley IGS Poll, directed by veteran pollster Mark DiCamillo, starts with whats known as the voter file. Thats the information the state makes public about each registered voter.

The voter file doesnt show how a person voted, but it does show who voted in each election and some basic information, including a voters party registration and where the voter lives. In most states, the voter file includes a telephone number, which is where pollsters most often get the numbers they use for surveys.

In California and some other states, the voter file can include an email address. About one-third of voters in the state have supplied an email.

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The Berkeley IGS poll uses those publicly available e-mail addresses to send a sample of voters a message asking if they would be willing to take a survey about the election. Those who respond to that query or to follow-up emails get a survey they can complete online.

This approach has several advantages

Doing the poll this way provides a random sample of voters, unlike many online surveys that use a non-random sample and then must adjust it to match a voter model.

Using email and an online survey lowers costs considerably compared with telephone surveys, which need live interviewers.

And because the sample is drawn from official state and county records, we know that everyone surveyed is registered to vote and which district theyre registered in. We also know the voters party registration, age, gender and in many cases, race and ethnicity. All that information can be used when the pollsters adjust the sample to match the demographics of the voting population.

The file also provides accurate information about how often each voter has participated in past elections. Thats helpful in identifying which registered voters are most likely to vote this time.

Finally, this method allows the poll to easily query people in languages other than English and to show respondents visual displays, such as the text of the ballot language for an initiative.

For this poll, respondents were allowed to take the survey in English or Spanish and, in the 48th Congressional District, in Vietnamese. The languages made available were based on the number of voters in each district who have requested a non-English ballot in past elections.

What are the drawbacks?

The biggest potential problem is that only about one-third of voters include an email address in their voter file, and that one-third isnt randomly distributed.

Certain groups, Latino voters, for example, are less likely to have an email in the voter file. (This is also a challenge faced by telephone surveys that use the voter file, since not everyone has a working number on file, but the problem is bigger with emails.)

To deal with potential underrepresentation of some groups, the survey uses a technique that pollsters call stratification. That means Berkeley sends emails to a larger share of people who are part of underrepresented groups. Stratification adds some complication to the polling, but it results in a more representative sample. Telephone surveys also often stratify their samples to ensure they get adequate representation of hard-to-reach groups.

Once the survey results come in, the poll takes an additional step to ensure that the sample accurately represents the population at large, weighting the data to reflect known demographics, including age, race and ethnicity, gender and party registration.

Finally, the poll selects those voters deemed likely to actually cast ballots. Thats based on their voting history and their answers to questions about their certainty of voting and the degree of interest they have in the current election.

Why do this rather than a traditional phone survey?

As most people who follow politics know, polling has gotten harder in recent years.

People have more telephone numbers and answer fewer of them. The share of voters willing to talk with a pollster  whats known as the response rate  has dropped dramatically. This year, many telephone surveys of congressional districts have found that only 1% to 2% of calls yield a completed interview.

Response rates as low as that create serious challenges for pollsters, who need to have a random sample of the population for their surveys to accurately represent peoples views. The huge number of calls needed to get a reasonably sized sample also drives up the cost.

Despite those challenges, polls have continued to accurately forecast elections in the vast majority of cases. Even in the 2016 presidential election, most national and state polls were accurate, although commentators made a lot of bad predictions based on the polls.

But declining response rates and rising costs have led pollsters and media organizations to hunt for new ways to accurately measure public opinion. This is one.

This Berkeley IGS poll, which was done for the Los Angeles Times, surveyed 5,090 likely voters in eight congressional districts  the 10th, 22nd, 25th, 39th, 45th, 48th, 49th and 50th  from Sept. 16 to 23. The number of likely voters in each district varies from 912 in the 22nd district to 519 in the 45th. The margin of error ranges from roughly 4 to 6 percentage points in either direction.

Get the latest news from the nations capital on Essential Washington >> 

david.lauter@latimes.com

Twitter: @DavidLauter
Gov. Jerry Brown may have had more fun and been more entertaining while acting on bills than any California governor in history.

He almost certainly has decided the fates of more measures than any governor  19,680, according to his office. He signed 17,851 and vetoed 1,829, or 9.3%.

The huge volume is because the Democrat has been governor far longer than anyone else  16 years by the time he walks out the door at years end. He is the only California governor to be elected four times  twice in his relative youth and twice as an old guy.

Because of a two-term limit, Browns longevity record can never be broken unless voters repeal the law. Browns first two terms from 1975 to 1983 didnt count because the limit wasnt imposed until 1990.

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At 80, Brown is a poster boy for the folly of term limits. He has gotten steadily better with calming age and invaluable experience.

Well, not entirely. As Ive written before, Browns legacy could be tarnished by his stumbling over some bullet-train tracks or being flushed down a monstrous water tunnel.

His $77-billion high-speed rail project is grossly underfunded and way behind schedule. The $17-billion twin-tunnel proposal for the California Delta  a supposed fix for his father Gov. Pat Browns state water project  is embroiled in a bitter brawl.

So when Brown tweeted the other day that 16 years  and nearly 20,000 bills later  the desk is clear. #Eureka, it wasnt quite correct. The bills are off his desk, but not all the clutter.

More from George Skelton 

Back to the bills: This year Brown signed 1,016 and vetoed 201 (16.5%), both records for his second tenure as governor.

Brown, as usual, relished attaching to his signings and vetoes brief explanations, often with dry wit and a mini-lecture, some sprinkled with Latin.

He had some overriding policy themes: Resist President Trump. Fight climate change. Bolster local control in California. Be a tightwad on spending increases after the June budget enactment. And reaffirm his oft-stated belief that not every human problem deserves a law.

Heres an example of the type of Brown signing or veto message well miss:

In killing a bill that would have allowed bars to stay open until 4 a.m. in nine cities, including Los Angeles, West Hollywood and Long Beach, the governor penned: I believe we have enough mischief from midnight to 2 without adding two more hours of mayhem.

Sober thinking.

Coverage of California politics 

In vetoing legislation that would have banned smoking in state parks and on beaches, Brown observed: I have vetoed similar measures in each of the last two years. Third time is not always a charm.... We have many rules telling us what we cant do and these are wide open spaces.

Last year, the nonsmoker asserted in his veto: There must be some limit to the coercive power of government.

Agreed. But government coercion clearly does have its place in Browns philosophy. He signed a bill requiring publicly traded corporations headquartered in California to put women on their boards. Were the first state to do that.

Brown acknowledged that the legislation could be tossed out by federal courts. Serious legal questions have been raised, he wrote. I dont minimize the potential flaws.

Nevertheless, recent events in Washington D.C.  and beyond  make it crystal clear that many are not getting the message. Its high time corporate boards include the people who constitute more than half the [population] in America.

Brown sent a copy of his signing message to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, which had been hearing testimony regarding sexual assault accusations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who emphatically denies them. The committee is controlled by 11 Republicans, all white men.

Come again? This is a non sequitur. What has requiring female membership of private boards to do with the genders of a Senate committee? The makeup of congressional panels is way out of the jurisdiction of any chief executive, in Sacramento or Washington.

Brown stuck to his local-control theme by vetoing a bill that would have required public middle and high schools to wait until 8:30 a.m. to begin classes.

This is a one-size-fits-all approach that is opposed by teachers and school boards, he wrote. These are the types of decisions best handled in the local community.

Too bad. Some kids will have to keep walking to school right after sunup and snoozing in their first class.

Brown took a slap at the president by signing a measure restoring net neutrality rules that were repealed by the Trump administration. The feds immediately sued, contending that states dont have the power to stop companies from blocking access to the internet.

Good for the governor.

With Brown cruising out of Sacramento, maybe we can finally mothball his canoe  or better yet, scuttle it. Thats the old vessel that, as the governor long ago told us, he paddles on the left and then on the right to keep going down the middle. It has hauled way too much trite verbiage.

In the governors final bill signing message, in which he opined on Moses and Exodus, Brown attached a P.S.: And now onto the Promised Land  Colusa County.

Brown is building a retirement home on his familys isolated ancestral spread in the Sacramento Valley foothills. Thats not a place for canoes. Well see how lasting a place it is for a career politician.

Hell at least have plenty of time to write pithy messages.

george.skelton@latimes.com

Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter
Despite Democratic concern over his partisanship, drinking habits and alleged predatory behavior, Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court is set to be voted on by the full Senate as early as Saturday.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) filed a motion late Wednesday for a cloture vote, a formal procedure by which senators vote to advance Kavanaughs nomination to a full floor vote.

Since all 100 senators are spending Thursday scouring over the FBI report on the sexual assault accusations against Kavanaugh, the cloture vote will likely take place at some point Friday.

Once cloture passes, senators will be given 30 hours to debate Kavanaughs nomination on the floor. Democrats will likely spend most of their allotted time chastising Republicans for limiting the scope of the FBI probe into the accusations against Kavanaugh. Its also likely Democrats will try to filibuster the session for as long as possible.

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Following the debate, McConnell has made clear he intends to put up Kavanaughs nomination for a full vote as soon as possible.

Barring extraordinary developments from the FBI report review, that vote will therefore likely take place Saturday.
Rep. Keith Ellison says he isnt sure hell stay on as deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, days after an attorney for the Democratic Party cleared him in an investigation into abuse claims, but his decision has nothing to do with the allegations made against him.

I need to put 100% of my time, energy and resources into the race and into my office, Ellison (D-Minn.) told local Minneapolis radio station WCCO. And so thats something I am taking consideration on. Ill put it like this, though: I will be 110 percent for Minnesota all the time, every time, without fail. And so, that is something that we are beginning to evaluate right now.

In August, the son of his ex-girlfriend, Karen Monahan, accused the politician of physical abuse, including dragging his mother off their bed while yelling at her in August 2016.

Monahan claims the abuse was recorded and that she had the tape, which son Austin said he had seen, but she has never shared it publicly.

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Ellison said such a video could not exist because he never behaved in this way, and any characterization otherwise is false.

Susan Ellingstad, the attorney hired by the state Democratic Party in Minnesota to investigate the allegations, said in a 15-page report released Monday that there was not sufficient evidence to substantiate a claim of physical abuse, partly because the supposed tape was never seen.

In the report, Ellison admitted to calling Monahan a b---h once in 2013  she said he routinely called her a f--king b---h, including when he allegedly dragged her off the bed  and denied cheating on her, claiming that she frequently accused him of infidelity.

I shared different medical records from 2017 (more than one), my therapy notes and a summary from my therapist, my son saw the video and shared his pain publicly, I shared mine as well, several text messages where Keith and I are discussing the video, lies, abuse, threatening statement, if I were to go public, and I shared much more, Monahan tweeted Monday. This is #whyididnttell and I said it from the beginning, I didnt expect to be heard, believed or validated.

Ellison, who won the Democratic primary for attorney general days after Austin Monahan went public, already announced that he is not running for re-election for Congress to focus on his AG campaign.
As President Trump belittled an alleged sex assault victim at a campaign rally, his supporters roared with approval  including some grinning ladies waving hot pink Women for Trump signs.

The juxtaposition of women gleefully applauding the President amid his sexist rhetoric is emblematic of Trumps female base. Some women continue to support him, no matter what he says.

Trump drew cheers and laughter Tuesday in Mississippi with his mocking reenactment of Dr. Christine Blasey Fords testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. Ford, a California-based psychologist, alleges that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh forced her onto a bed and tried to remove her clothes during a summer party in 1982, when they were both teens.

Ford has been open about the haziness of her memory since coming forward with her allegations, which the President seized on during his remarks at the Landers Arena in deeply conservative DeSoto County.

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How did you get home? I dont remember. How did you get there? I dont remember. Where is the place? I dont remember. How many years ago was it? I dont know, the President said to applause. I dont know. I dont know.

While Trumps critics were shocked by his remarks  and even more so by the enthusiastic response it drew from women seated behind him  many came to his defense.

Senior adviser Kellyanne Conway  who claims shes a victim of sexually assault  defended Trump Wednesday, saying Ford has been treated like a Faberge egg.

When did he say shes not credible? He said there were factual inconsistencies. He laid them out for you. Dont put words in the presidents mouth, please, she told reporters outside the White House.

Other women took to social media to defend Trumps comments.

Never mocked her! Listen to HIS words! He was pointing out ALL OF HER INCONSISTENCIES. The media is lying to thr American people. Yes the media is the enemy of the American people. We are being lied to snd every single American show be angry.  wanda (@SoutherngalDec) October 3, 2018

Following the conflicting testimonies presented by both Kavanaugh and his accuser, 37% of American women still supported Kavanaughs confirmation to the Supreme Court, with 29% saying they did not believe Fords version of events, according to a recent poll by Quinnipiac University.

And while women mostly voted for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race, 42% cast their ballots for Trump, including 62% of non-college educated white women and 45% of white women who have received a higher education degree.

Women across the country have formed female pro-Trump groups, remaining undeterred by Trumps now-infamous Access Hollywood tape, which captured the President bragging about grabbing and touching women without their consent, along with his facing sexual misconduct accusations by more than a dozen women.

One of the most notable pro-Trump womens groups, the PAC Women Vote Trump, formally referred to as Women Vote Smart, was co-founded by Kathryn Serkes, Ann Stone and Tea Party activist Amy Kremer in 2016 to rally females behind their Republican candidate.

The PAC  which has collected more than $80,000 for the midterms, according to FEC records  highlights several reasons on its website why women should support Trump, including his ability to think outside the box and provide a breath of fresh air.

Yeah, we know he sometimes says things that get him in trouble Thats because hes not working off a TelePrompTer or a script fine tuned by a consultant and focus groups, the website claims. And we know that when it comes to women  he walks the walk instead of just paying lip service to us.

We look at his actions, not his words.

Its unclear if the woman holding up the Women for Trump sign at Tuesdays rally is connected to Women Vote Trump or another group  officials did not respond to requests for comment and the woman has not been publicly identified.

Supporters hold up Women for Trump signs as they listen to President Donald Trump speak at a campaign rally at WesBanco Arena, Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018, in Wheeling, WV. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP)

Currently, the group is gearing up for a Women for America First Summit in Washington D.C. at the Trump International Hotel. The event  which runs from Thursday to Sunday  is set to feature conservative women and speakers including Lara Trump, Judge Jeanine Pirro and Katrina Pierson.

The festivities kick off Thursday with a Deep State Cocktail Reception and a book signing with Gregg Jarrett before two days full of panels speeches and additional cocktail receptions. Its slated to end Sunday with a prayer service.

There is an intense focus on women this election cycle, but unfortunately the main stream media focuses almost exclusively on progressive women who support a far-left agenda, Kremer said in a press release.

Conservative women are not going to sit back and let the left and the media define what women stand for in 2018. We will not be ignored.
Re Senate moving ahead on nomination (Oct. 4): It appears as though Donald Trump stifled the FBI investigation.

Since Kavanaugh went on FOX to state his case, I think it would be appropriate for material witnesses not interviewed by the FBI to appear on TV.

This includes Christine Blasey Ford and Julie Swetnick. I would certainly like to hear what they have to say about Kavanaugh.

Ronald Harris

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Scripps Ranch

The investigation into Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court, according to Senator Jeff Berkley, of Oregon, and the lawyer for Denise Ramirez, William Prittard, is a sham. Prittard said, We can only conclude that the FBI...did not want to learn the truth about Ramirezs allegations Senator Berkley, on CNN said essentially the same thing.

Yesterday, Kavanaughs college roommate at Yale, James Roach, told CNN that Kavanaugh was a belligerent, dead drunk at least several times a week, but he was never contacted by the FBI, even though he tried to call in to tell his story.

What a sham! What does the White House think, that were all morons? This is democracy? Weve become a dictatorship, banana republic, some Third World country.

I have been one to stand up for the FBI, given the attack of Trump, however, it looks like he may have a point, although it was probably he who decided to limit the scope of the investigation.

If this nomination goes through, I for one, will forever have serious doubts about democracy in this country.

G.D. Morrill

Escondido

Democrats got the FBI Investigation that they asked for and now they say, Its not enough.

Wow, did anyone see that coming?

Mike Funtas

Alpine

The American people are being massively betrayed in plain sight by an elected Congress, principally by the Republican members of the Congress. All have solemnly given sworn oath to protect us, under the rule of law, to the best of their abilities, a promise that many have not taken seriously, to the peril of the people.

What we are witnessing is not the prized tenets of a Democracy, but rather a deceptive sham that more resembles a coup, very possibly the demise of Democracy, and the beginning of a dictatorship which could lead to generations of misery.We feel for the millions of children who will grow up never tasting the sweetness of a truly free society.

Stan and Stelle Levin

San Diego

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Sydney, Australia -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/04/2018 -- Australia's leading Japan Rail Pass retailer Japan Rail Pass Now has expanded into the US market.



JapanRailPassNow.com was officially launched in Sydney last night at a private function in Manly which attracted over 100 people in attendance.



With more than 1.3 million American visitors to Japan each year, Managing Director Adam McKnight and team have launched the new website www.japanrailpassnow.com in a bid to help improve the Japan Experience for travelers from the United States.



"We first launched our website in Australia in 2010 because we wanted to help enrich the travel experience of people going to Japan and using the JR Pass. Entering into the US has always been a dream of ours and we are thrilled to be expanding on a global scale," said Mr McKnight.



"There are more than twice as many American tourists entering Japan each year compared with Australians (1.3 million compared to 495,054). We believe that we can be the go-to site for Americans who are trying to understand if the Japan Rail Pass is cost effective for their trip and want to get enough information to make an informed purchase decision."



With the 2019 Rugby World Cup & Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Japan is set to continue its increase in tourism visitors to Japan. In 2017 there were 28.5 million visitors to Japan, compared with 24 million in 2016 - an increase of 17% YOY.



"Japan has always had a fantastic history in hosting international events and there is no doubt in the coming years they are going to put on a show for the world. We're anticipating further growth in the Japan Rail Pass product as more people visit Japan around these upcoming events and see why Japan has become the world's hottest travel destination" concluded Mr McKnight.



You can find extended information on the Japan Rail Pass on their recently updated information page: https://www.japanrailpassnow.com/information/.



Japan Rail Pass Now USA will be operating out of Las Vegas, Nevada.



About Japan Rail Pass Now

Japan Rail Pass Now is a Sydney-based travel agency specializing in the Japan Rail Pass. Founded in 2010 to provide customers with simple and knowledgeable information on the Japan Rail Pass, they have recently expanded into the US Market.
Rockville Pike, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/04/2018 -- A candy melting pot is used for melting candies and chocolates at high temperature in minimum time. A candy melting pot consists of removable silicon or stainless steel pot and a heat-resistant handle to carry the container. Candy melting pot offers multiplicity of uses, and candy melting pot also has temperature setting regulator to adjust heat setting from warm to melt. Candy melting pot are generally power operated, but the battery operated candy melting pot is trending nowadays. The rising demand from the mix flavor candies and fresh sweets and chocolates is expected to boost the growth of the candy melting pot market over the forecast period.



Request Brochure of this Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=B&rep_id=1061



The candy melting pot market in the bakery industry is majorly driven by the space crunch factor and easy utility. The candy melting pot market consists of small players with a high number of Chinese players dominating its sales; very few brands are focused on candy melting pot. Majority of the candy melting pot market operates through e-commerce websites like Walmart, Target, E-Bay and other online sales channel.



Global Candy Melting Pot Market Dynamics



Growth Drivers



Low cost of cable free candy melting pot with the small built-in features is expected to create growth opportunities for the candy melting pot market. Besides, the candy melting pot can be utilized for a variety of tasks such as chocolate melting, fondue preparation, and others. Alternate factors driving the global candy melting pot market is the growing preference for chocolate fondue and candy melts by the consumers. Thus, manufacturers of candy melting pot are concerned about the aesthetics and design of candy melting pot so that it can be served directly on tables from which candy and the chocolate melt can be consumed. Manufacturers' focus on resilience and durability of product (candy melting pot) drives the stronger consumer base for the candy melting pot market.



Restraints



Market players for candy melting pot market are also facing some limitations, such as shipping and transportation costs remaining a prime concern for candy melting pot manufacturers. Also, the price of the product varies highly in international candy melting pot market, the difference is mainly due to the growing penetration of Chinese players. Thus, candy melting pot manufacturers face problems of forward as well as reverse logistics. Further, increasing preference for online sales has invited buy-back approach without taking transportation cost from consumers.



Global Candy Melting Pot Market Segmentation



Global candy melting pot market includes the segments such as material type, sales channel, and region.



Global candy melting pot market can be segmented on the basis of pot material type as:





- Silicon Pots



- Stainless Steel Pots



- Other Material Types (Ceramic, etc.)





Global candy melting pot market can be segmented on the basis of sales channel as:





- Modern Trade



- Departmental Stores



- Specialty Stores



- Online Stores



- Other Sales Channel





The global candy melting pot market can be segmented on the basis of the geographical region as:





- North America



- Latin America



- Europe



- CIS and Russia



- Japan



- Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ)



- Middle East & Africa (MEA)





Global Candy Melting Pot Market Regional Overview



Candy melting pot market can be segmented by geography into six regions, namely North America, Europe, CIS and Russia, Latin America, Japan, Asia Pacific excluding Japan and the Middle East & Africa.



North America is expected to account significant share in the global candy melting pot market. North America consists of market leaders operating in the candy melting pot market and have the highest share in the region and across the globe. It is followed by Asia Pacific and Europe due to the popularity of homemade chocolate. The candy melting pot market in North America and Europe is increasing owing to the adoption of innovation in kitchen and bakery equipment and growing consumer demand for small and compact candy melting devices. The majority of the candy melting pot demand in Asia Pacific region is served by a large number of small candy melting pot manufacturers constituting sizeable unorganized manufacturing sector of Asia Pacific. In MEA, the briskly growing economies in Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain present lucrative opportunities for candy melting pot market during the forecast period. Latin America is also expected to register significant growth during the forecast period.



To know more about Candy Melting Pot Market Trends, check the link - https://www.factmr.com/report/1061/candy-melting-pot-market



Global Candy Melting Pot Market Key Players



A large number of manufacturers of candy melting pot are present in China due to growing consumer goods market and high penetration of small SKUs in the region. Wilton is one of the leading manufacturers of the candy melting pot. The company has high penetration in the market due to high quality and low cost of the product. The company also has a wide distribution networks, and its candy melting pot is readily available on online consumer retailers' website for international customers.



Some of the key players in the Candy Melting Pot market are,





- Wilton



- PME



- Farberware



- Koolatron



- Royston



- Chocolatiere





This analytical research study imparts an all-inclusive assessment on the market, while propounding historical intelligence, actionable insights, and industry-validated & statistically-upheld market forecast. Verified and suitable set of assumptions and methodology has been leveraged for developing this comprehensive study. Information and analysis on key market segments incorporated in the report has been delivered in weighted chapters. A thorough analysis has been offered by the report on





- Market Dynamics



- Market Size



- Market Segments



- Demand & Supply Trends



- Current Issues and Challenges



- Companies and Competitor Landscape



- Value Chain



- Technology





Regional Segments Analyzed Include





- North America (U.S., Canada)



- Latin America (Mexico. Brazil)



- Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain)



- Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)



- Asia Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand)



- Japan



- Middle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, N. Africa)





Compilation of authentic and first-hand intelligence, insights offered in the report are based on quantitative and qualitative assessment by leading industry experts, and inputs from opinion leaders & industry participants around the value chain. Growth determinants, macroeconomic indicators, and parent market trends have been scrutinized and delivered, coupled with the market attractiveness for each market segment encompassed. Qualitative impact of growth influencers on the market segments across regions has also been mapped by the report.



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SMIT Salvage will provide the US Navy with marine salvage, salvage-related towing, ocean engineering and towage services in the event of an emergency or incident in two of the the geographic zones in the world as defined by the US Navy.

SMIT Salvage held a contract for one zone covering the area between the Suez Canal and the dateline - the imaginary line down the Pacific Ocean on which the calendar day begins and ends - for a number of periods totaling more than 30 years, which it was able to renew. In addition, the contract for a second zone between the dateline and the US West Coast was successfully awarded.

With the award of the third and final contract to its US partner Donjon Marine, the companies are able to provide worldwide marine salvage support to the US Navy.

SMIT Salvage and Donjon Marine established the joint venture Donjon-SMIT to provide salvage services to vessels trading in US waters under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA-90) and related US state regulations.
It was also the first LNG ship-to-ship bunkering operation to be performed in the Port of Rotterdam, the fuel was delivered to the world's first LNG-powered aframax tanker, and it was the first bunkering operation under and agreement signed between Shell and Sovcomflot.

Segery Frank president and ceo of Sovcomflot said the bunkering operation on the company's first LNG-powered aframax, heralds a new age of more sustainable and environmentally responsible shipping  especially in the high traffic areas of the Baltic and North Seas, where this new class of Green Aframaxes will operate.

Read more: Global bunkering infrastructure still needed to make LNG viable as a marine fuel

Grahaeme Henderson, vice president, Shell Shipping and Maritime, said: This exciting first for the Cardissa is a tangible example of Shell driving LNG as a cleaner burning and viable fuel for the shipping industry. It is highly appropriate that we celebrate this first with Sovcomflot and their first LNG powered tanker, which we also happen to charter.

The 114,000 dwt Gagarin Prospect started a multi-year charter to Shell in July this year.

Allard Castelein, ceo Port of Rotterdam, said: We welcome the Gagarin Prospect and her sister vessels to our port and look forward to many more secure and efficient LNG bunker operations.
Addressing the 4th annual Naftemporiki shipping conference, 3 October, Veniamis said regarding the looming 2020 global emissions cap and the need for the industry to use low-sulphur bunkering fuel, an "unfair position, as well as hypocrisy at the international level, has been adopted by legislators against the shipping industry".

He stressed shipping is being forced to quickly find ways to comply with the new regulation regarding the use of 0.5% sulphur fuel. "This is a truly dramatic technological change in shipping's operation, with economic and trade repercussions, especially ones affecting safety and environmental protection," said the UGS president.

Veniamis said the global maritime shipping community faces a deadline in 15 months of implementing a new regulation, the overall consequences of which have not been properly examined, and with no security safeguards in place.

At the same time, he praised a recent IMO decision, "even if delayed", of recognising the gaps in the regulation and calling for its re-examination, while sharply criticising the EU Commission for ignoring the safety issue entailed with ships switching over to the new low-sulphur fuel.

"Thousands of ships face problems with existing fuels, but no one is condemning the oil companies for the poor quality of fuel they're supplying to the shipping industry. There's a double standard here: excessive strictness for ships, tolerance for oil companies," he said.

Read: ExxonMobil seeks to reassure shipowners on 2020 compliant low sulphur fuels

Greek Shipping and Island Policy Minister, Fotis Kouvelis told the conference his government considers older vessels on the Greek-flagged registry should be replaced, underlining the need for emphasis on safety and environmental protection.

Kouvelis told the conference his government considers older vessels on the Greek-flagged registry should be replaced, underlining the need for emphasis on safety and environmental protection.

A number of speakers referred to the ability of shipping being able to adjust and cope with changes. Indeed, with reference to the US / China trade war, it was pointed out that bulk shipping may benefit, at least in the short term, because of the increase in trade tonne miles caused and the lack of efficiency in trade generally as it comes to grips with changing trade patterns emerging as a result of the trade war.
Diane Templeton has seen some changes in retail trends in the 13 years she has worked at Lakeside Mall. The department store worker says she has witnessed first-hand the decline in shoppers and the closing of several stores at the Sterling Heights retail hub, the most recent being Sears.

Diane Templeton has seen some changes at Lakeside Mall over the years.



When I first started it was busy, busy, busy," Templeton says. "Now, we do get some traffic but it's not like it used to be."



Templeton was one of the city's residents who attended last week's unveiling of new plans to redevelop the mall, where the public was invited to comment on design proposals. She is glad the city is being proactive when faced with the competition from online shopping. "I think something needs to be done."



Sterling Heights Senior Economic Development Advisor Luke Bonner says its a matter of survival with the rise of online shopping threatening stores. Last year was the worst year on record for brick-and-mortar retail with over 6,700 stores closing across the country. Between 2010 and 2016, Amazons sales in North America rose from $16 billion to $80 billion, while Sears is closing 46 stores this fall alone. The last thing Sterling Heights wants to face is the slow decline of a city asset, Bonner says.



Luke Bonner has been advising the City of Sterling heights on how to stay ahead of retail trends.

With Lakeside, even though its an incredible market, it is not immune to whats been happening to retail real estate, Bonner says. He and his team have spent the last two years studying retail trends to pinpoint what redevelopment could look like.

Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor agrees that change is necessary. We all know that that sort of [traditional] retail is dying, but I dont think retail is also dying - there are strong indications that people still want to get out an shop in-person, at stores, they just need a different experience.

Residents like Templeton agree that people do still enjoy shopping in-person. "I see a lot of people 'walking the mall', she says, adding that many shoppers are uncomfortable ordering online. Shoppers Myron and Susan Jakey miss the Panera bread that closed at Lakeside recently but said they still enjoy coming to the mall because for a lot of seniors its about socialising and getting out.

Lakeside Mall, as it stands, is a fully-enclosed, 1.5-million-square-foot site on Hall Road and is historically the citys biggest retail hub. It was first opened in 1976, developed by A. Alfred Taubman, expanded in 1990 and received a $3 million renovation in 2007. Former owners General Growth Properties defaulted on a $144 million loan in 2016, and the deed was picked up by C-III Asset Management.



Sterling Heights officials point out that to stay ahead of the retail curve they have to be prepared to adapt, so stakeholders have traveled as far as Colorado to visit former brick-and-mortar mall locations to contribute to the plans. Two new design concepts have been created by civil engineering firm Wade Trim Associates and Archive DS and public opinion will contribute to a full Urban Design Plan. Plans will then go before the City of Sterling Heights Planning Commission and City Council before the end of the year, says Bonner.



The first proposal, Concept A, incorporates the existing mall in its present form, without Sears but with additional public space, offices, and residences. The second scenario, Concept B, depicts redevelopment without the existing mall, redesigning the property from scratch and expanding man-made lakes. Both display how Lakeside could transform into a mixed-use center and are recommended as viable alternatives.





These possibilities were what the city council members, planning commission personnel, and developers were looking for when they visited a mixed-use urban development in Lakewood, Colorado, in June. Their tour of the successful Belmar Shopping and Dining District redevelopment project there focused on key design elements, including street conditions, grand entrances, parking options, mixed-use structures, integration of residential use, building material options, pedestrian experience, and green space.



Taylor says the trip affirmed for many in the planning process that they are on the right track. We had a vision of what we wanted and to see that its possible and to see that it has been done before and learn how they did it first hand, I think, was invaluable.

Lakeside, however, wont be a direct replica of Belmar, partly because Colorado development laws differ from Michigan regulations. So there are a few things we would have to do differently, Taylor says But it was a good experience to see how they did it and learn about what we could do.



The city is primarily keen to avoid is a prolonged dying-out or simply stagnant phase, says Bonner. We want to analyze all the opportunities to make that shopping center area - which is a huge asset to the region - the best it can be.

Taylor says because Lakeside Mall is such a large area its important for the city to be proactive in taking care of it before it become blighted. We can turn it into a downtown-type area, with offices, condos, parks, shopping, maybe theatres, he says. So Im excited about it.





Bonner says a redevelopment project of this size could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, but would still be worth the boost to Sterling Heights economy. He holds up the example of Lakewood, Colorado, where the tax revenue increased 400 times from what it was at its peak decline before it was redeveloped. So we can expect that its going to return significantly, I dont know if its going to be 400x.
This feature is courtesy of Driven , the story of how the Detroit region is leading the world in next-generation mobility.

The second week of October has been branded Mobility Week Detroit.

From Oct. 7 through Oct. 12, a series of events will take place throughout the city, demonstrating all the ways in which Detroit is an international hub for all things mobility.

Groups as varied as a hospital and an automotive accelerator will host events throughout the week to prove just that.

Lets take a look at events so far scheduled:

The Eye, The Brain & The Auto: The 8th World Research Congress on Vision and Driving is being presented by Henry Ford Health System to examine the impact disruptive autonomous vehicle technology has on healthcare. Analysis will include how autonomous vehicles will affect health care but also how health care can affect the development of autonomous vehicles.

Sunday, Oct. 7  Tuesday, Oct. 9 at Motor City Casino

Techstars Demo Day: In whats being dubbed the largest single-day startup and innovation event in Michigan, Techstars Mobility Accelerator presents its Demo Day. The startup accelerator will have its 2018 class of startups exhibit its work to a room full of more than one thousand people, including investors and automotive and transportation industry professionals, allowing them the opportunity for exposure and investor dollars.

Tuesday, Oct. 9 at Detroit Film Theater

Detroit Moves: While some events may be of more interest to members of the automotive and mobility industries themselves, this outdoor festival is designed with the general public in mind. Free to all, this Quicken Loans event brings next generation mobility technology to the people. Learn more about autonomous vehicles, shared mobility, last mile forms of transportation, and, yes, a flying car.

Wednesday, Oct. 10  Thursday, Oct. 11 at Spirit Plaza

MICHauto Summit: Michigans Automotive Accelerator MICHauto is hosting this summit as a networking opportunity for students and interns to interact with leaders of the automotive industry. Topics discussed include career opportunities and the future of the automotive, mobility, and technology industries.

Wednesday, Oct. 10 at the Beacon at One Woodward

Visit Mobility Week Detroit for more information on the planned events.



Visit Driven and learn how the Detroit region is leading the world in next-generation mobility.
Press Release

October 4, 2018 Dispatch from Crame No. 395:

Sen. Leila M. de Lima's statement on the AFP-Malacanang conflict relative to the Amnesty application issue 10/4/18 After AFP Chief of Staff Carlito Galvez, Jr. admitted that Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV indeed filed an application for amnesty, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque continues to obfuscate the issue, telling the public to believe Judge Elmo Alameda, instead of the highest official of the AFP, the institution that processed Trillanes's amnesty. That we are even talking about this absurd subject on the application form as the best evidence of the grant of amnesty is already a victory for Malacanang. Ordinarily, no serious lawyer would dare propose such an outrageous and absurd legal proposition, simply because of its sheer stupidity. Malacanang has now made it appear to be a legitimate topic of legal discussion. But rather than be minded about disappointing lawyers for trivializing the law, Malacanang should be more worried about putting into ridicule the AFP's position on the matter. It cannot go on alienating the AFP with flippant rejoinders directed at no less than its Chief of Staff. In the first place, Roque is not only arguing from a position of weakness. He is also arguing from a position of absurdity. This amnesty application form issue has been argued for far too long, and not even the ruling of an obviously coopted judge can give any semblance of legitimacy to a patently outrageous legal proposition. The AFP Chief of Staff has already come out to stake his position on the matter. Roque should not take this with his usual dismissive and annoying style of trivializing serious challenges to Duterte's illegal acts. Gen. Galvez, unlike Roque, is no gadfly. He plainly speaks from a position of authority and credibility. Roque, on the other hand, speaks from a position of zero credibility.
Press Release

October 4, 2018 De Lima questions Ombudsman's order not to appeal lost cases Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has questioned Ombudsman Samuel Martires' directive not to appeal lost cases in the Sandiganbayan and the lower courts as a move that would only promote impunity and abuse of power in public office. De Lima, the first prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, said the Ombudsman's recent directive contradicts its mandate to be an active and effective agent of the people in ensuring accountability in public office. "[Ombudman Martires] is now preventing our prosecutors to exhaust all remedies against lost cases regardless of the merits of the case," she said in her recent Dispatch from Crame No. 389. "It appears that there is a systematic attempt on the part of the new Ombudsman to reduce the efforts of his office to half-measures. Such trend will not only end up frustrating the ends of justice but also will operate to embolden those who seek to abuse the public office for personal gains," she added. De Lima cited recent reports stating that Ombudsman Martires has issued a directive not to anymore appeal lost cases in the Sandiganbayan and the lower courts, including cases at the Court of Appeals. She stressed out that in the 2001 case of Uy v. Sandiganbayan, the SC noted that: "The prosecution of offenses committed by public officers and employees is one of the most important functions of the Ombudsman." As such, she underscored that the Ombudsman's mandate as the protector of the people impresses upon him and his office the obligation to be an active and effective agent of the people in ensuring accountability in public office. Under the rule of an authoritarian leader like Mr. Duterte, De Lima said the country needs a strong and independent ombudsman - like former Ombudman Conchita-Carpio Morales - who can and will resist any attempt to abuse public office. "Unfortunately, the President replaced her with Ombudsman Martires, whose independence from Duterte is suspect at best. In his short stint in the Supreme Court, he has always voted in favor of Duterte's positions no matter how tenuous they were," she said. "This administration's lack of interest to hold those guilty of abuse of power responsible is so telling; that there cannot be any clearer manifestation of the erosion of the independence and zeal of the Office of the Ombudsman than this," she added. The Senator from Bicol, who is currently detained on trumped-up drug charges fabricated by the present administration, said the Filipino people should continue standing up against unjust policies by Mr. Duterte and his allies to win the fight against graft and corruption.
Press Release

October 4, 2018 Gatchalian fights for higher AFP Reserve Force budget Recognizing the role of military reservists in disaster response and nation-building, Senator Win Gatchalian has vowed to fight for an increase in the budget of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Reserve Force (AFPRF). Gatchalian commented during the Senate hearing on the budget of the Department of National Defense (DND) that the full potential of the country's reserve force remains untapped due to budgetary constraints. The senator said that the 14.1 million budget allocated to the AFPRF under the DND budget is not enough to provide training for the more than 700,000-strong reserve corps. "Hopefully, we can allocate a sizable and respectable budget for our military reservists in 2019. 14 million is not sufficient to provide our reservists with adequate training and, I understand, that lots of our reservists spend their own money just to get trained," said Gatchalian, who was conferred with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Philippine Army Reserve Force last month. Data provided by the DND show that there are a total of 741,937 AFP reservists. 93,062 of these comprise the Ready Reserve Force Unit, which is made up of able-bodied personnel between 18 and 35 years of age who have undergone military training, while another 20,451 are part of the Affiliated Reserve Unit. Both units may be activated at any time to augment the manpower strength of the full-time AFP units, not only in times of war or national emergency but also to meet local emergencies arising from calamities, disasters, and threats to peace, order, security, and stability in any locality. The remaining 628,424 reservists belong to the Standby Reserve Unit, which is mobilized only in times of national emergency or war. The lawmaker pointed out that the government may always activate the country's reserve forces in times of calamity, citing the recent onslaught of Typhoon Ompong. Ompong, which was the strongest storm to hit the Philippines so far this year, affected 800,000 people across 7 regions and resulted in 74 fatalities. With this in mind, Gatchalian quizzed Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana about his vision for the country's reserve force. Thus, the senator requested the DND to submit to the Senate Committee on Finance its long-term vision for the reserve force, as well as the budget required to achieve this goal starting next year. "I believe that we should maintain and develop the AFP Reserve Force to help our country respond to the disastrous effects of natural calamities caused by climate change. We need more boots on the ground," the senator said.
By Christine Lyons

Vancouver broadcasting veteran and innovator Don Shafer had a busy year in 2015. Not only did he begin an SFU masters program in Graduate Liberal Studies (GLS), he also co-founded city-centric talk/music radio station, Roundhouse Radio.

Shafer wrote his MA thesis, Climate Change and the Many Faces of Denial, while working as Roundhouse Radios CEO, program director and host of the daily program and podcast, Impact.

His motivation to earn an MA stemmed from a desire, he says, to get as far away as possible from media and journalism and to fill in some of the academic holes in his education.

I found that liberal arts provided an overarching study of humanity and our history, the physical world we live in and, ironically, how we communicate with each other through our art, dance, sculpture, music, literature, poetry, weaving, mosaics and story-telling, he says. We learned how to ask important questions about our world, our differences, where we come from, our history, traditions and beliefs.

He found that the approach suited both the programming philosophy of Roundhouse Radio and his own approach to creating meaningful dialogue.

Shafer built his thesis around the question, Why does human inaction against climate change persist despite the growing evidence that our activities are the cause and that the situation is serious?

It became a narrative-based inquiry that used field texts, stories, journals and interviews from more than 70 global experts. It investigated the varying degrees of denial about climate change, and how climate change relates to social, political and economic issues.

It was a big project, with enough material to comprise a book. Shafers not considering publication quite yet, though. This fall, he will be completing a Faber Residency in New Journalism II: an Arts, Sciences and Humanities Residency of Catalonia in Olot, Spain. Expanding upon the ideas in his thesis, Shafers new project, Asking Beautiful Questions, will examine what it takes to move beyond a public discourse of certainty or absolutism and understand why achieving a common ground does not have to be a goal.

Now 71 years old, Shafer says it is somewhat ironic to be involved in communications and journalism again after beginning grad school with the intention of distancing himself from the field. But hes excited to approach issues from a different angle and engage in international conversations about journalism, climate change and creating space for meaningful dialogue. He is also considering a PhD in human geography.
In a 43-page order, San Francisco-based U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen concluded the TPS recipients from those countries, along with their children, will "indisputably" suffer irreparable harm and hardship as a result of the decision to sunset their enrollment.



Chen, an appointee of President Barack Obama, wrote that TPS recipients with U.S.-born children could face a difficult choice: Bring their children with them  "tearing them away from the only country and community they have known"  or leave them behind in the U.S.



"The balance of hardships thus tips sharply in favor of TPS beneficiaries and their families," Chen continued.



...In his order Wednesday, Chen added that the plaintiffs  TPS enrollees and their children  "raised serious questions" about whether the administration's decision to terminate the status was based on racial animus against non-white immigrants. The plaintiffs cited numerous actions and statements from [Donald] Trump as evidence of bias against Latino and Haitian immigrants.



In addition, Chen said plaintiffs "established without dispute that local and national economies will be hurt if hundreds of thousands of TPS beneficiaries are uprooted and removed."

[Content Note: Nativism.] In January , the Trump Regime announced that it was ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of people from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan, effectively ordering more three hundred thousand U.S. residents to get the fuck out of the country, with no regard for their families, for their communities, for their safety  and with no concern for what it says about this nation that we are willing to expel a quarter of a million peopleLate yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen blocked the move to end TPS Obviously, the Trump Regime is not going to give up, just because some judge appointed by Obama told them they were out of line. Justice Department spokesman Devin O'Malley issued a statement saying the decision "usurps the role of the executive branch"  i.e. reiterated that this authoritarian regime views itself as above the law  and will continue to fight the courts to win this battle in their war on immigrants.So this is good newsand the fight continues.
Submitters on the governments Carbon Zero Bill favour an all gases target but many were split on what that should look like.

About 58 percent of roughly 3,000 unique submitters  excluding templates from groups including Greenpeace, Generation Zero and Forest & Bird  backed a target that would potentially include all greenhouse gases, including methane and nitrous oxide.

About 22 percent favoured a target that was net-zero by 2050 for long-lived gases - like carbon dioxide  but aimed to stabilise shorter-lived gases like methane.

But about 8 percent of submitters suggested alternative options. And some firms, including Z Energy and Air New Zealand, backed an all-gases target but suggested a more granular approach within that.

The fuel retailer said it recognises the complexity of including short-lived gases in the target straight away.

We would suggest a cap on short-lived gases with a re-concerted effort on innovative solutions - such as biological methane inhibitors - that would not only address these highly destructive gases, but offer an innovative commercial opportunity for the New Zealand agricultural sector, the firm said in its submission.

The discussion paper does not identify these possible solutions, however, and far more clarity would be needed on what constitutes first-principle considerations as how these gases might be dealt with effectively.

Air NZ said the all-gases target was needed to ensure fairness and meaningful reductions. It cited modelling by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research suggesting the cost to the economy was little different from a target that also aimed to stabilise short-lived gases by 2050.

A target that includes all greenhouse gases still enables short and long-lived gases and specific sector challenges - including relative cost abatement and technology considerations - to be considered when emissions budgets are set.

The treatment of methane is critical for the effectiveness of the countrys emissions trading scheme, given that agriculture accounts for about half our emissions. Heavy industry  generally large carbon emitters  also want to ensure the burden is carried across the economy, but there are real doubts as to how effectively methane and nitrous oxide can be mitigated.

While the Ministry for the Environments consultation process in June and July was exhaustive, the 36-page summary shows the limits of tick-box surveys when it comes to more complex issues. The ministry also convened public meetings, workshops and hui.

The results will be combined with advice the government has already received from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment and the Productivity Commission. There will be further talks with other political parties before the bill is introduced next year, Climate Change Minister James Shaw said.

The vast majority of respondents want New Zealand to do everything we can to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible, and offset the remainder, to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

At the same time, there was a strong representation from people and businesses who, whilst supporting the overall direction, expressed caution about the speed and scale of the transition and the pressure it will put their sectors under," he said.

We have to ensure that those concerns are heard and included as we put together the final shape of the Zero Carbon Bill. We need to take everyone with us and leave no one behind.

More than 15,000 submissions were received in total, including templates and three-question forms filled in online and at public meetings.

Among the other survey results, there was strong backing for an independent Climate Change Commission.

Most unique submitters  67 percent  also favoured a legislated target now. More than half of businesses and research institutes also preferred that over the flexibility of leaving the target to the yet-to-be appointed Climate Change Commission.

About 60 percent also said emitters should not have the option of using recognised emission credits from overseas. That was more split, with 60 percent of the councils submitting wanting the international option. Businesses were more evenly split, and more than 30 percent of research bodies also said there should be access to international credits.

Fonterra was among firms favouring access to international credits. It also backed a target that set a firm ceiling on carbon but aimed to stabilise methane emissions by 2050.

It said a net zero target for all gases would likely have significant negative impacts on the livestock sector and rural communities.

Whilst the discussion paper suggests that the transition will be planned, gradual and carefully phased in, the requirements for agriculture could create a significant shock to the sector  a sector which through our high-quality, adaptive and productive systems makes it a significant portion of New Zealands economy.

Seeking to reduce then stabilise methane would still activate change on-farm to seek low emissions farming opportunities, but provide important flexibility and time for the development of breakthrough technologies in methane mitigation which will be needed over the long term.

Trustpower, which operates 19 hydro schemes and buys the output from Tilt Renewables New Zealand wind farms, supported the call for long-term climate goals.

But it said it was important that the core elements of such a scheme have bipartisan support, that it be internationally linked, and that the government recognise the potential risk of carbon leakage if emissions are effectively exported abroad to less efficient producers and countries.

It said there needs to be an early cost-benefit study undertaken before the government commits to its proposed target for 100 percent renewable power generation by 2035.

Trustpower said such a target risks over-building of renewable plants that would sit idle during wet years and may discourage further investment.

Access to flexible, gas-fired generation  with relatively low emissions  would also be important in ensuring security of supply at least possible cost to consumers during the transition.

Trustpower said the Interim Climate Change Committee needs to consider whether the marginal investment in renewable generation is more effective in reducing emissions than the marginal investment in reducing transport, agriculture or industrial emissions.

A target of 95 percent renewable electricity target might be better than a target of 100 percent if New Zealand has avoided creating greater emissions in other countries, most likely by indirectly encouraging the burning of coal.

(BusinessDesk)

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A potential share sale by Napier Port should attract good investor interest and may prove a catalyst for a wider shake-up in the sector, fund managers say.

Hawkes Bay Regional Councils proposal to sell and list up to 45 percent of the port on NZX was an an interesting and surprising development, said James Lindsay, senior portfolio manager at Nikko Asset Management.

Listing the firm would help ensure it worked to achieve decent returns by looking after its New Zealand customers and suppliers. Subject to the pricing wed be fully supportive of them having something listed on market, he said.

The council is embarking on a six-week consultation process with its ratepayers and favours selling up to $181 million of shares in the business. That would leave it with a controlling stake in a growing business, sufficient cash to fund environmental projects it plans, and a more diversified investment base.

Other options the council is seeking feedback on include the sale of a minority stake to a partner  which it thinks would raise less money  the sale of a long-term lease to an operator  which could raise the most money - or retaining the current structure and raising rates by 45 percent to fund the ports expansion.

Craig Stent, head of equities at Harbour Asset Management, believes there would be good interest if the listing goes ahead.

Port of Tauranga has delivered strong returns over many years and Napier would give investors an exposure to Hawkes Bays agriculture and horticulture industries.

They are fairly safe, defensive investments with a reasonable amount of growth  although that growth is somewhat linked to local GDP growth.

New Zealands ports, previously run by elected harbour boards, were corporatised in 1988. The history of those that listed is mixed.

In 2010 the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research found the major ports had delivered substantial returns since corporatisation. But it also said they had considerable scope to improve their performance and that council ownership had been an obstacle to rationalisation within the sector.

Of the listed companies, Bluff-based Southport remains 66 percent-owned by Southland Regional Council. Port of Tauranga, 54 percent-owned by Bay of Plenty Regional Council, has expanded massively and now owns half of Northport and PrimePort Timaru and has inland container depots in Rolleston and Auckland.

But Ports of Auckland was delisted in 2005. The regional council, having extracted any surplus capital from the firm during the preceding 12 years, bought out the minority holders citing diminishing returns and the need to rationalise the citys waterfront.

Talks on a possible merger with Tauranga ended in early 2007.

The port, which has a stake in Northports parent company, also built inland freight hubs at Wiri, Mt Maunganui, Longburn and now Horotiu. Longburn is operated in partnership with Napier Port.

In August, the government named a five-member panel to review the freight and logistics system in the upper North Island. Its brief includes assessing the feasibility of relocating the Auckland port business to Northland long-term.

Lyttelton Port Company was delisted in 2014, eight years after Christchurch City Holdings had proposed such a move as part of a plan to appoint Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings  the worlds biggest operator  to run the business.

That transaction withered after Port Otago bought a 10 percent blocking stake. Otago and Lyttelton investigated a merger in 2008 but that has not proceeded.

Stent said it would be encouraging if other councils  such as Christchurch and Auckland  relooked at a sell-down for their ports. Both cities have needs for capital elsewhere and could still retain a majority interest.

Mark Lister, head of private wealth research at Craigs Investment Partners, said the whole sector would benefit if more ports were subject to the investor scrutiny that comes with listing.

If you get that across the country you get a much, much more efficient port system everywhere rather than some of them being poorly run because councils arent insisting on those commercial drivers.

While he welcomed Napier Ports potential listing, Nikkos Lindsay believed there was still too much duplication in the sector. Running them each as separate businesses, each spending time and money investigating and new technologies like automation, was not efficient for the country.

I think a consolidation of some of them to optimise the freight network for New Zealand would be a really good thing.

An option that would encourage that was the operating lease model that Lyttelton and Napier had investigated and which has proven successful in Australia and other parts of the world.

Lindsay said that would leave councils full ownership of the port land and assets, and the operating company could get on and drive efficiencies. Having a single operating company for multiple ports would encourage greater optimisation across the country and further reduce costs.

Hawkes Bay regional councillors initially favoured a 50-year lease of the Napier Port operation, which it estimates could raise $466 million  leaving the council $366 million to reinvest. Listing is expected to raise $181 million and leave the council with $83 million for reinvestment.

But the council was conscious that most of the interest in an operating lease would be from overseas players. Nor was it confident about committing the region to a 50-year partnership and what it would take to maintain that relationship.

The council said it was concerned around values alignment and the importance of ensuring a clear and direct connection between the port, its staff, the local community and management.

The option remains among four the council is consulting on.

Theres huge value being lost in New Zealand Inc. for that model not being instigated, Lindsay said.

(BusinessDesk)

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Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway is considering ways to improve rights for contract workers that may extend to some form of collective bargaining.

The Film Industry Working Group was tasked with reporting back to the minister by the end of June on ways to restore the right for film workers to bargain as a collective without stepping on the toes of people wanting to remain independent contractors. That work was specific to the film sector, but Lees-Galloway said it helped inform him more broadly on extending rights for workers in contracting roles.

"I'm particularly interested in ensuring working people, no matter what type of relationship they're in, have access to being able to be union members and potential access to the rights to collective bargaining," he said.

The government has legislation before the house to unwind industrial law changes restricting collective bargaining and has a separate working group tasked with investigating sector-wide collective agreements. The Fair Pay Agreements working group, chaired by former Prime Minister Jim Bolger, is due to report back next month.

The film sector's use of contractors has been a focal point for industrial law since a 2005 Supreme Court ruling against Peter Jackson's Three Foot Six unit. The judges ruled that a model maker for Weta Workshops employed as an independent contractor was effectively an employee. The previous administration rewrote the law in 2010 after Hollywood studio Warner Bros threatened to pull filming of The Hobbit movie out of New Zealand.

Lees-Galloway was part of a panel of ministers speaking to a Council of Trade Unions-hosted event on transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

He said collective bargaining enhances the rights for working people and puts them in a stronger position to push for conditions that are appropriate to their industry and occupation.

Unions have been wrestling with their relevance as more workers take on contract roles, which prevents them from collective bargaining due to anti-trust rules in the Commerce Act. There were 355,511 union members as at March 31, 2017, accounting for about 14 percent of the labour force at the time, Registrar of Unions figures show. That is down from 17 percent in 2012.

Lees-Galloway said he wants to make sure the employment relations framework is appropriate for everybody and that flexible arrangements don't undermine job security.

The Westpac McDermott Miller employee confidence survey last week showed workers were less optimistic about the jobs market, with dwindling expectations for a pay hike and fewer people feeling secure in their jobs.

Lees-Galloway said the government will work with regions where a key industry - such as Taranaki energy sector - is facing an existential change. He wants to have a regime where people can stay in the regions rather than gravitate to Auckland.

(BusinessDesk)

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Sharp Corporation will take part in CEATEC Japan 2018 at the Makuhari Messe convention center (Mihama-ku, Chiba City). To be held from October 16 to 19 (Tuesday to Friday), this years CEATEC aims to facilitate the realization of Society 5.0, the ultra-smart society.

Sharp will display 8K products in response to the start of 4K/8K satellite broadcasting, scheduled to begin in Japan on December 1, 2018. It will also offer eight solutions through 8K and AIoT under its business vision of Changing the world with 8K and AIoT. Visitors can experience what this vision means in the various examples of revolutionary styles of living and business on display in the Sharp booth.

I. 8K World, Sharp 8K product lineup compatible with the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts

II. Eight solutions through 8K and AIoT

III. New initiatives

IV. Conferences

* AIoT: A word coined by Sharp, combining the words AI (artificial intelligence) and IoT (Internet of things). AIoT is a vision of how all kinds of products will connect to artificial intelligence via the cloud and become a people-oriented existence. AIoT is a registered trademark of Sharp Corporation.

Location of Sharp Booth

Booth A003, Hall 1, Total Solutions area

Sharps CEATEC Booth (image)

Exhibit Highlights

I. 8K World, Sharp 8K product lineup compatible with the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts

 8K World encompasses Sharps 8K lineup, compatible with the new 4K/8K satellite broadcasts and capable of bringing ultra-detailed images and sound. Visitors can experience the second-generation AQUOS 8K, on display for the first time in Japan, and a new world of sight and sound via Sharps 8K peripherals.

II. Eight solutions through 8K and AIoT

1. 8K image distribution solutions  Sharp will demonstrate a system, comprising an 8K video camera and an editing system, for easy shooting and editing of 8K content.  8K video transmission technology utilizing 5G (the next generation of mobile communications) and the cloud will be used to display images on a 70-inch 8K monitor.

2. 8K medical solutions  See how 8K images can be utilized in the field of medicine.

3. 8K and AIoT solutions for education and research  The Interactive 8K Museum uses an ultra-high-definition 8K monitor to show how to offer students and museum patrons a richer learning experience. Visitors can also see firsthand realistic 8K 3D and easy-to-create 8K content.  The booth will feature an English learning program for children using the RoBoHoN robotic mobile phone, browser-type programming tools for learning programming, and results of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) measurements performed by an AGEs sensor, explained by RoBoHoN.

4. AIoT retail solutions  Sharp will introduce new solutions for restaurants using AI, and products and services that help offset the labor shortage at restaurants and shops, such as a self-ordering system using an alert bell.  A sales information analysis system by customer gender, combining an image sensor and POS data.  Dialogue signage automatically responds to questions in Japanese, English, and Chinese.

5. AIoT platform solutions  Sharp will show its AIoT platform, which includes IoT-compatible products, AIoT modules capable of speech recognition, and a hardware application programming interface (API) that links with other companies cloud services.  Visitors will see how Sharp is working with companies in other industries on initiatives such as on validity verification of lifestyle data and data linking that realizes smart lifestyles.

6. AIoT smart home solutions  Visitors can experience how AI makes possible a smart home life by linking AIoT products and services across a wide range of categories.  The AIoT Smart Home will offer optimal appliance operation and services through TVs, smartphones, and other products, using AI to analyze data from AIoT devices to learn home occupants living patterns and preferences.

7. AIoT home energy solutions  A cloud-based energy controller links with a solar storage battery for smart home energy management. The smart home will link the energy controller to products like automatic shutters and air conditioners for comfortable, environmentally friendly living.  A solar charging stand charges smartphones using the power from solar panels.

8. AIoT pet solutions  Working with Tottori University, Sharp has developed a cat litter tray equipped with the Pet Care Monitor, which automatically measures, records, and analyzes the pets urine volume and frequency, the pets weight, amount of time spent in the litter tray, and other factors, and sends these reports to the owners smartphone.  Also on display will be a vital statistics system for dogs, developed jointly with Osaka Prefecture University. It not only measures pulse rate and respiratory rate, but also measures the autonomic nerve balance of dogs, a world first.



III. New initiatives

 Sharp recently acquired Toshiba Client Solutions Co., Ltd. and will show how it is maximizing this acquisition through a number of solutions using Toshibas dynabook notebook PC.

 The booth will feature an 8K-equivalent monitor made up of four 45-inch 4K monitors.

 Proprietary special devices on display create added value for 8K products. These include the 8K TV system on chip (SoC) and the 8K camera CMOS image sensor (CIS).

 Visitors can see the product features and technologies of Sharps first smartphone with an organic EL display.

 Sharp is supporting tech startups through its SHARP IoT.make Bootcamp, an open incubator that makes available to new business ventures the companys manufacturing technology and other knowhow.

IV. Conferences

Sharp will hold seminar-style conferences in the booths event space that showcase key themes that the company and its various partners are pursuing in areas such as 8K and AIoT. Visitors are welcome to attend these interactive discussion events.

See the website below for more information.

Note: dynabook is a registered trademark of Toshiba Client Solutions Co., Ltd.
His 13 month tenure beginning on 28 August of last year wasnt devoid of controversy. In January of this year, an unprecedented event took place. A press conference was called by four colleagues of his taking their concerns public with regard to the independence in the judiciary and allotment of cases. At that press conference, Justice Chelameswar said in part, The administration of the Supreme Court is not in order. Another justice in attendance at the press conference, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, is now the new Chief Justice of India, on the recommendation of Misra himself. In making that recommendation, he honored tradition in naming the next senior most judge.

The outgoing Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra has had a busy past few weeks. Delivering key and historic judgments on LGBTQ rights, Aadhaar constitutionality and the right for women to enter into the Sabarimalai temple, Dipak Misra has certainly earned himself a spot in legal and judicial history.

His tenure began with what many believed was on a good note. He made the recommendations of the Collegium public. Following a resolution of the five most senior judges, this would ensure more transparency in judicial appointments. So all the more remarkable was the press conference in January. He maintained his silence on the concerns of his fellow justices following their public criticism; perhaps thinking of the institution than himself.

Over the past few weeks, Justice Misra and indeed the apex court have been lauded in delivering historic judgments, in particular regarding matters to constitutional and human rights -

I am what I am. So take me as I am. No one can escape from their individuality, he said as he delivered the judgment that struck down Section 377 which criminalised homosexuality.

It is an essential part of the Hindu religion to allow Hindu women to enter into a temple as devotees and followers of Hindu religion and offer their prayers to the deity, he said in a judgment that threw open the doors of the Sabarimala temple to all woman of all age groups.

In striking down the 158 year old Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code which criminalises adultery, he said in part, Thinking of adultery from the point of view of criminality would be a retrograde step. Noting that the court has travelled on the path of transformative constitutionalism he said in his judgment, it is absolutely inappropriate to sit in a time machine to a different era where the machine moves on the path of regression.

He even modified his own 2016 interim order on the national anthem being mandatory in movie theatres. Summing up the last few weeks, Narasimhan Vijayraghavan, practicing advocate, Madras High Court, in a column for the Deccan Chronicle writes 

A week, they say is a long time politics: it seems longer in judiciary toohe has written himself into the annals of judicial history as being part of a series of epocal pronouncements.

The press conference aside, he also faced an impeachment effort. After months of controversy surrounding Justice Misra following the press conference, several opposition parties including the Congress took the unprecedented first step towards in impeachment. His legacy will be studies in the years ahead. Lawyer and author Gautam Bhatia, in a column forthe Wire, writes on Justice Misras legacy 

My argument is that CJI Misras judicial tenure represents the high-water mark of a tradition in the Supreme Court that can be described as outcome-oriented. If earlier we had ends at the cost of means and outcomes privileged over reasons, in CJI Misras judgments, we find ends without means and outcomes without reasons.

It is fair to a certain extent to look at his judgments, irrespective of whether one agrees with them or not, and examine the manner in which he came to his conclusions. His jurisprudence can and will be analysed by legal scholars and judicial experts for decades. His words will be parsed and cited in future hearings and his judgments be used as precedent for future judgments. Bhatia notes the roadmap taken by Justice Misra in his judgments and points out this 

In Chief Justice Misras judgments, text does not matter. Precedent does not matter. Legal consistency does not matter. Jurisdiction does not matter. Maintainability does not matter. Separation of powers does not matter. Judicial propriety does not matter. Reasons do not matter.

From his time practicing law at the Orissa High Court, to him being elevated as the chief justice of the Patna and Delhi High Courts, he then became the Chief Justice of India. However, in a comprehensive profile in Caravan Magazine, his rise isnt without controversy relating to him being indicted for fraud in an old case where the reason given for an acquisition of land was false.

Retired Air force officer turned broker for land deals Jayanta Kumar Das came upon a 30 year old order by the additional district magistrate of Cuttack in State v Sri Deepak Mishra. At the time the spelling he used was different. Using RTI, Das felt compelled to expose corruption he said he witnessed. With regards to Misra, he sent petitions to both CJI TS Thakur and his successor JS Khehar explaining his concerns on Misras transgression. With little to no response, the following year in 2017, Misra takes oath as the new Chief Justice. With regards to this, Atul Dev writes in the Caravan profile 

The optics of this is devastating. In effect, the workings of all the benches of the Supreme Court during Misras time at the top can no longer be absolutely above suspicion. Even where justice is done, it may not be seen to be done.

He called the Indian judiciary the most robust institution in the world in his farewell speech. He began his speech by saying, history can be sometimes kind, and unkind. I dont judge people by their history but by their activities, perspective. This is certainly true as his legacy will be judged in the years ahead.

More columns by Varun Sukumar


Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived here on Thursday on a two-day visit to hold the annual bilateral summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Putin, who is accompanied by a high-level delegation, was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

The 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit will take place here on Friday during which Modi and Putin are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation in the wake of the US sanctions against Russian defence majors.
Catalonia eyes mediation, with nod to China, Russia



Barcelona, Oct 4 (AFP) Oct 04, 2018



Catalonia's separatist leader urged Madrid to consider foreign mediation in the conflict over his region's demand for independence, in a letter made public Thursday and also sent to Russia, China and others.

Media published the leaked letter addressed by Quim Torra to the Spanish government. Copies were also sent to the presidents of several countries that have faced violent separatist crises.

Torra formally asked the Spanish government "to enter mediated dialogue as quickly as possible" over the independence dispute.

"You may also wish to suggest one or more institutional mediators and observers to facilitate the substantive dialogue process," Torra wrote in the letter, written in English and dated September 26.

Catalonia's drive for independence sparked a political crisis in Spain a year ago.

Torra is pushing for the right to stage a legally-binding independence referendum for the northeastern region.

His letter was published in Catalan media and confirmed as authentic to AFP by a regional government spokeswoman.

It was addressed to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez with copies sent to 43 other international and regional leaders.

They included Xi Jinping, president of China. His country has regional issues of its own in Tibet and the far-west Xinjiang region, where Beijing is cracking down on what it calls separatist elements.

Torra also sent the letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who led a war against separatists in Chechnya.

A Catalan regional government source said Torra had sent the letter to Putin, Xi and US President Donald Trump because their countries were permanent members of the UN's Security Council.

But he did not send it to Emmanuel Macron, president of France which is also one such member.

Catalan separatist leaders declared unilateral independence on October 27 last year.

Spain's conservative government responded by sacking the region's government and dissolving its parliament.

Torra called on Sanchez in the letter to ask prosecutors to drop the charges against Catalan leaders detained during that crisis.
US forming 'trade coalition' to confront China: Trump adviser



Washington, Oct 4 (AFP) Oct 04, 2018



The United States is uniting with other major economies to take on China's unfair trade practices, a senior White House economic adviser said Thursday.

National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow also said there was a possibility US President Donald Trump could meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 summit in Argentina at the end of November.

"We're moving to what I characterize as a trade coalition of the willing to confront China," Kudlow told the Economic Club of Washington. "We are talking to the European Union again. We are talking to Japan again."

The United States, Japan and the European Union last month announced they were jointly considering "possible measures" against the kind of unfair industrial practices widely attributed to Beijing, such as overcapacity, cyber-theft and forced technology transfers.

Trump has slapped duties on more than $250 billion in imports from China, demanding an end to such actions, which US officials say underpin Beijing's efforts to achieve industrial dominance by 2025.

Kudlow also told reporters on Thursday that channels of communication with Beijing remained open but there were currently no plans for more shuttle diplomacy between Washington and Beijing.

"There's some thinking about maybe Presidents Xi and Trump might get together at the G20 in Buenos Aires but that's not a lock. I'm just saying there's some thinking about that," Kudlow said.

"Our position is, (if) they want to talk, serious talks, significant talks, we're ready any time."
Page Content

Junior Minister of Tourism Ms Kiara Meyers is presently representing St. Maarten at the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Youth Tourism Congress in the Bahamas.





The event is part of this years State of Industry Conference, which is being held from October 1st  5th. According to a release issued by Interim Director of the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB) May-Ling Chun, This segment is structured to mirror the CTO Board of Directors Meeting. The CTOs Youth Congress is an annually held tourism conference involving students from within the Caribbean region between ages 14 and 17, geared towards creating awareness about tourism amongst the Caribbean youths.





The Youth Congress gives them opportunities to contribute by bringing forward their ideas and vision for the future of Caribbean tourism. Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic & Telecommunication (TEATT) Stuart Johnson extended congratulations to Kiara and wished her success during her participation at the Youth Congress this week. As part of her tasks as Junior Minister of Tourism Kiara will be participating in various TEATT/STB activities together with Minister Johnson and STB Director Chun.





Chun said, Students must come prepared to share their knowledge and views with their fellow Junior Ministers/Commissioners of Tourism on one prepared topic. She said it is not a debating competition but a discussion among the Junior Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism, which generates practical ideas that can be implemented at the national/regional levels.





During this years congress, participants will also be asked to address a mystery topic. The students performances will be judged by experts in the field of tourism and hospitality.





The St. Maarten Tourist Bureau would like to extend congratulations to Kiara on becoming Junior Minister of Tourism, and we wish her much success at the CTOs Youth Tourism Congress, said Chun.




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ISS astronauts return to Earth amid US-Russia tensions



Astana, Kazakhstan, Oct 4 (AFP) Oct 04, 2018



Two American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut returned to Earth on Thursday wrapping up a six-month mission at the International Space Station as tensions between Washington and Moscow threaten a rare area of cooperation.

NASA astronauts Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold and Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos touched down on steppe land southeast of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan at the expected time of 1145 GMT.

The landing came with Russian and US officials investigating the appearance of a mysterious hole in a Russian space craft docked at the orbiting station.

Detected in August, the hole caused an air leak on the ISS but was quickly sealed up.

This week the outspoken chief of the Russian space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, said investigators believed the small hole had been made deliberately and was not a manufacturing defect.

The official, who was placed under US sanctions over the Ukraine crisis in 2014, also bemoaned "problems" in the Russian space agency's cooperation with NASA that he attributed to interference from unnamed American officials.

Last month the Russian daily Kommersant reported that an investigation had probed the possibility that US astronauts deliberately drilled the hole in order to get a sick colleague sent back home -- something Russian officials later denied.

ISS commander Feustel has called the suggestion that the crew was somehow involved "embarrassing" and NASA on Wednesday expressed doubts over the theory that the hole was the result of sabotage.

The US space agency said that ruling out defects "does not necessarily mean the hole was created intentionally or with mal-intent."

ISS astronauts are planning a spacewalk in November to gather more information on the hole.

The ISS is one of the few areas of tight Russia-US cooperation that had until now remained unaffected by the slump in ties, including after Washington's sanctions against Russia over Ukraine and other crises.

Earlier the ISS hosted the usual emotional goodbyes as the returning trio left Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Roscosmos' Sergey Prokopyev waiting for the next three-person crew's arrival.

The next launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan is scheduled for next Thursday.

- 'Glory days in hot sun' -



The crew was all smiles on return to Earth, with Artemyev first out of the descent module and shown tucking into a fruit and vegetable feast that included a giant cantaloupe melon in footage broadcast by Roscosmos.

He also wrote "spasibo" (thank you) and signed his name on the craft in chalk.

Feustel, 53, invoked Hollywood comedy actor Jack Black's character Nacho Libre as he tweeted farewell to life on the space station.

"I have had my 'glory days in the hot sun' and now it's time to come home," he wrote late Wednesday in a tweet that included a photo of the sun taken from the ISS.

While he was on his third mission in space, 47-year-old Artemyev and 54-year-old Arnold had previously only served on one mission each.

Their journey that began with a blastoff from Baikonur in March was particularly poignant for Arnold, who during his debut mission in 2009 helped build the space station he has now spent 197 days living in.

While aboard the ISS, Arnold, who has a teaching background, gave lessons on space that Sharon Christa McAuliffe -- one of seven crew members killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger accident in 1986 -- had originally been supposed to teach.

In a NASA video, Arnold revealed that fellow educator McAuliffe's death in an explosion just over a minute after the challenger crew blasted off was one of the things that prompted him to take up teaching.

"To me and for our nation it was really important (those lessons) weren't lost," he said.

dr-cr/as/bp
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Arrest after suspicious packages sent to Pentagon: media



Washington, Oct 3 (AFP) Oct 03, 2018



US police on Wednesday arrested a suspect after suspicious packages containing castor seeds -- from which deadly ricin can be derived -- were sent to the Pentagon this week, US media reported.

William Clyde Allen, of Logan, Utah, was in custody and would likely face charges by Friday, KSL TV reported on its website, citing the Justice Department.

The Pentagon's mail screening facility on Monday had intercepted at least two packages -- addressed to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Navy chief Admiral John Richardson -- that authorities suspected to have contained ricin.

"According to our preliminary analysis, the substance was castor seeds, from which ricin is derived," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said, noting that the matter was being investigated by the FBI.

All mail at the Pentagon was briefly quarantined when the packages were uncovered. No one was hurt.

The US Secret Service had also reported that it obtained a "suspicious envelope" addressed to President Donald Trump on Monday.

"The envelope was not received at the White House, nor did it ever enter the White House," the Secret Service said.

Produced by processing castor beans, ricin is lethal in minute doses if swallowed, inhaled or injected. It is 6,000 times more potent than cyanide, with no known antidote.
British minister slams 'pariah state' Russia



Brussels, Oct 4 (AFP) Oct 04, 2018



Britain's defence minister on Thursday condemned Russia as a "pariah state" after London accused Kremlin spies of mounting a campaign of cyber attacks on civilian bodies around the world.

Cyber experts from the UK have identified operatives from Russia's GRU military intelligence as being behind a string of high-profile incidents, including an attempted hack on the World Anti-Doping Agency in Switzerland last year.

As he arrived for talks in Brussels with his NATO counterparts, Gavin Williamson said Moscow's "reckless and indiscriminate" attacks had left it isolated in the international community.

"This is not the actions of a great power, this is the actions of a pariah state and we'll continue working with allies to isolate, make them understand they cannot continue to conduct themselves in such a way," Williamson told reporters.

Britain's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has "high confidence" that the GRU was "almost certainly" responsible for a number of attacks, including the infamous targeting of the US Democratic Party ahead of the 2016 presidential election, according to sources in London.

NATO is stepping up efforts to strengthen its resources to counter electronic warfare, with the US set to announce it is making offensive cyber capabilities available to the alliance.

Asked three times whether Britain would consider hitting back at Russia with cyber attacks of its own, Williamson said that being named and shamed was a deterrent in itself.

"We're going to make it clear where Russia acts that we are going to be exposing that action and we believe that by doing so this will act as a disincentive to act in such a way in the future," he said.

Ties between Britain and Russia are at rock bottom after a nerve agent attack targeting former Kremlin agent Sergei Skripal in the English city of Salisbury.

London has blamed Moscow for the attack, which left one person dead, and last month the British-based investigative group Bellingcat identified one of the suspects as a highly decorated GRU colonel.
Cyber attacks: NATO warns Russia to halt 'reckless' behaviour



Brussels, Oct 4 (AFP) Oct 04, 2018



NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday warned Russia to halt its "reckless" behaviour, after the Netherlands announced it had foiled a Kremlin cyber attack on the global chemical weapons watchdog.

Dutch officials publicly identified four men suspected of being Russian military intelligence agents behind a bid to hack the Organisation for the Prohibition for Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Hague.

The news came as Britain, which helped in the Dutch investigation, and Australia said Moscow was to blame for a string of recent high-profile cyber attacks on civilian bodies around the world.

"NATO allies stand in solidarity with the decision by the Dutch and British governments to call out Russia on its blatant attempts to undermine international law and institutions," Stoltenberg said in a statement.

"Russia must stop its reckless pattern of behaviour, including the use of force against its neighbours, attempted interference in election processes, and widespread disinformation campaigns," he said.

At a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels on Thursday, Dutch officials briefed their counterparts on the latest probe.

NATO is stepping up efforts to strengthen its resources to counter electronic warfare, with the United States set to announce it is making its own offensive cyber capabilities available to the alliance.
US to make cyber capabilities available to NATO: Mattis



Brussels, Oct 4 (AFP) Oct 04, 2018



The United States will make its cyber warfare capabilities available to NATO, Defense Secretary James Mattis said Thursday, as allies denounced an alleged Russian bid to hack the international chemical weapons watchdog.

Mattis said the attempted attack on the Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) showed how cyber attacks were becoming "more frequent, more complex and... more destructive".

"This is why the United States, like the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Estonia will provide national cyber contributions to help NATO fight in this important domain," Mattis told reporters at a meeting of NATO defence ministers.

The Netherlands revealed extraordinary details of the plot by Russia's GRU military intelligence agency against the OPCW in The Hague, including photos of the alleged agents and their equipment.

Mattis refused to be drawn on what kind of response the OPCW plot should be met with, saying "tit for tat on cyber" was not necessarily appropriate, but he insisted the Kremlin must face consequences.

"Basically the Russians got caught with their equipment, with their people who were doing it and they have got to pay the piper. They are are going to have to be held to account," Mattis said.

"We have a wide variety among our nations of responses available to us."

At the time of the attack, the OPCW was investigating the nerve agent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England. Dutch officials said it was not clear if the cyber operation was linked to that.

Mattis said the US would offer cyber support to NATO allies immediately, but refused to go into detail about the kind of capabilities it would make available.

NATO says its forces have successfully used offensive cyber techniques to disrupt Islamic State and Al-Qaeda operations in Iraq.

The alliance has recognised cyber as a full conflict domain alongside air, land, sea and space and said that a cyber attack could trigger its Article 5 mutual defence pact.

NATO's Baltic members -- Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia -- say they come under near-daily cyber assault, with government departments, banking systems and the power grid coming in for attack, and point the finger at former Soviet ruler Russia.
CORRECTED: Foreign drugs rare commodity in sanctions-hit Iran



Tehran, Oct 4 (AFP) Oct 04, 2018



"Talk of sanctions on Iran reemerged, and my essential medicine was no longer available," said Masoud Mir who suffers from thalassaemia, a genetic blood disease common in Iran.

Mir, 36, is one of many patients in the Islamic Republic who not only have to deal with their disability, but also the consequences of trade sanctions reimposed in August by the US, as well as a battered economy with a free-falling currency, a foreign drug shortage and price hikes.

His essential medicine, a Swiss-made anti-iron overload drug, is now rationed by the government and can only be freely purchased at exorbitant prices on the black market.

The same is true for other crucial drugs for treating multiple sclerosis, cancer and cardiac problems and even simple anaesthetics required for surgery.

On Wednesday, the UN's top court stepped in, and ruled in favour of Iran which had called for the US sanctions to be suspended.

Judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague unanimously ruled Washington should remove barriers to "the free exportation to Iran of medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities" as well as airplane parts.

Official Iranian statements acknowledge the shortage of medicines and say imports of certain drugs are no longer subsidised.

"We are currently short of 80 pharmaceutical items," Mohammad-Naeem Aminifard, a member of parliament's health commission, told semi-official news agency ISNA.

"The government and insurers have removed the support for foreign drugs that have a domestic equivalent which intensifies the pressure on patients."

Iran produces 96 percent of the drugs it uses, according to the Syndicate of Iranian Pharmaceutical Industries, but imports more than half the raw materials to make them.

The double-whammy of banking sanctions and a collapse in the value of its currency make total self-sufficiency difficult if not outright impossible.



- Battered economy hits patients -



For others with family health concerns, sanctions are adding to their burden.

Ali, an electrical technician in his mid-30s, was fired from one job for spending too much time on hospital visits for his son.

His next company went bankrupt, and his current employer, a Dutch-Iranian firm, is stalled because they cannot import equipment and has stopped paying staff.

He spoke to AFP outside the busy 13 Aban pharmacy in central Tehran, where he had been hoping to buy a medicine for fungal infections caused by his son's cancer treatment.

"They're not giving me any because of insurance problems," he said.

"They said even if they could it's less than I need due to rationing. My son could die if his medicine is delayed for even a day."

Managers at the pharmacy, a state-owned outlet focusing on rarer diseases, declined to comment.

But others in central Tehran said there was "a notable shortage" in some anticoagulants, beta-blockers or drugs to treat blood pressure problems.

"The local versions are cheaper, but not as effective," one pharmacist told AFP. "Things will get worse if sanctions continue."

Many patients cannot afford black market prices and risk side effects from locally-made equivalents, the head of Iran's thalassaemia society, Meysam Ramezani, told the conservative Tasnim news agency recently.

Seven thalassaemia patients died in March alone, he said, blaming "either a lack of injections or low-quality drugs."



- Who's to blame? -



Iranians on social media are blaming many people: the US for its crippling sanctions, government economic mismanagement, and pharma firms for skyrocketing prices.

Surgeon Hamidreza Vafayi said the refusal of international banks to work with Iran was the biggest challenge.

The United States pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions targeting key parts of Iran's economy including international banking ties and transactions in US dollars.

"As far as I know, there is no official statement on sanctioning medicine trade with Iran," Vafayi told AFP.

"Yet when we cannot have banking ties (with the world) we are in fact under an undeclared medicine sanction regime. The truth is that no company would sell us drugs now."

Thalassaemia patient Masoud Mir also angrily recalled that when sanctions were imposed between 2010 and 2016, pharmaceutical firms exploited the situation by hoarding goods and manipulating prices. The same thing is happening today, he claimed.

Medicine importers get subsidised currency rates from the government, but their names are not publicly available, making it difficult to hold them to account if drugs do not appear in state-owned pharmacies.

"In 2011, they kept saying that there was none (of his drug) in the market because of sanctions. But I could just walk out of the pharmacy and buy some from a street dealer at crazy prices," he said.

"Not everyone can pay that, so they may face a slow death."

amh/er/mj/jkb
Merkel in Israel says Iran must not obtain nuclear arms



Jerusalem, Oct 4 (AFP) Oct 04, 2018



German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Thursday to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons but disagreed on how as they met to showcase cooperation between their countries.

The one-day visit to Israel by Merkel and members of her cabinet was part of German-Israeli government consultations held regularly, but came after Netanyahu's harsh criticism of European countries over their efforts to keep alive the Iran nuclear deal.

Germany and other European countries have also repeatedly hit out at Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank and warned over threats to remaining prospects for a two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians.

The two leaders brushed aside their list of differences and talked up ties between their countries, while Merkel stressed Germany's "everlasting responsibility" to oppose anti-Semitism.

Merkel also sought to smooth over their disagreement on the nuclear deal that Netanyahu brands a "historic mistake".

"We are very firmly of one opinion with Israel .... that everything must be done to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear arms," Merkel said during a news conference with Netanyahu.

"Where we do not see eye-to-eye is the way there. That's why the discussions here will go on."

Netanyahu has urged European nations to follow the lead of US President Donald Trump and withdraw from the accord with Israel's major enemy.

He faults the deal's limited timeframe and the lifting of sanctions that, according to Netanyahu, provided Iran with cash to finance "a war machine".

Germany, like other signatories to the deal, says it is working as intended by preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons for now.

Netanyahu spoke of his speech at the United Nations last week when he accused Iran of harbouring a secret nuclear warehouse. Iran rejected his claims as a "show".

"They're still trying to hide," Netanyahu said.

"I exposed some of that in the UN. They're trying to get there through the backdoor."

Merkel noted Iran's presence in neighbouring Syria and said it was exacerbating the threat from Israel's foe.

She said she had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about reducing Iran's presence in Syria as much as possible.



- 'Everlasting responsibility' -



Merkel began the day with a visit to Israel's Holocaust memorial in the hills above Jerusalem.

After laying a wreath in the Yad Vashem memorial's solemn Hall of Remembrance, where an eternal flame burns, she spoke of Germany's responsibility as the Holocaust's perpetrator.

"From this comes the everlasting responsibility of Germany to remember this crime and to oppose anti-Semitism, xenophobia, hatred and violence," she said, reading the message she wrote in the memorial's guest book.

The two leaders seemed determined to have the visit run smoothly, greeting each other warmly after Merkel's arrival Wednesday night and touring an innovation exhibit together Thursday.

Germany said the joint government meeting Thursday afternoon was focused on economic ties, innovation and technology, while noting the consultations have been in place for 10 years.

Felix Klein, who heads the German government's fight against anti-Semitism, was part of the delegation. Fears over a resurgence in anti-Semitism in Germany were also a topic for discussion.

There was however no shortage of controversy in the run up to the visit.

Netanyahu's criticism of Europe related to Iran has been especially strong, and last week at the UN General Assembly he accused EU nations of "appeasement".

At the same time, Germany has remained steadfast in its support for a two-state solution and in recent weeks joined calls against Israel's planned demolition of a Bedouin village located in a strategic area of the occupied West Bank.

A group of children from the village held signs that asked for help outside Israeli President Reuven Rivlin's office as the German chancellor left there.

Merkel had earlier denied a report that she threatened to cancel the trip if Israel moved ahead with demolition of the village beforehand.

At the news conference with Netanyahu, Merkel said she intended to call Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to discuss the state of the conflict with him.

The last joint Germany-Israel government consultations in 2017 were postponed, with scheduling conflicts cited as the official reason.

There were reports however that Merkel was unhappy with a law passed then related to Israeli settlement building in the West Bank.
Russia accuses US of running bio arms lab in Georgia



Moscow, Oct 4 (AFP) Oct 04, 2018



Russia on Thursday accused the United States of secretly producing and testing biological weapons including anthrax and plague in ex-Soviet Georgia in violation of international legislation.

The Russian defence ministry's claims came as Western powers accused Moscow of orchestrating a string of global cyber attacks, including an audacious plot to hack the world's chemical weapons watchdog in The Netherlands.

Igor Kirillov, commander of Russia's radiation, chemical and biological protection troops, said the clandestine US laboratory was run out of the Lugar Center near the Georgian capital Tbilisi.

"It is highly likely that the United States is conducting its activities in contravention of international agreements and continuing to ramp up its biological warfare potential," he told a briefing attended by foreign attaches.

The US-funded centre was established in 2011 but this year a new eight-storey building was erected nearby, he said.

Two floors in the new building are occupied by US ground troops and the laboratory deals with patients "infected by agents of especially dangerous diseases," Kirillov claimed.

Georgian employees have no access to the laboratory, while US military biologists enjoy diplomatic immunity, he said.

Kirillov's statement was based on materials provided by Igor Giorgadze, a former state security minister in Georgia.

"Among the priorities of US research are potential biological warfare agents: tularaemia, anthrax, Mediterranean fever, dengue, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever and other diseases that are spread by bloodsucking insects," said the senior military official.

He added that the United States is especially interested in atypical forms of plague and is guided by the principle "the more atypical, the better."

Washington said it was not developing biological weapons in the Lugar Center.

"These are also not US facilities," said Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon.

The centre, he added, worked to protect people from biological threats and promoted public and animal health "through infectious disease detection, epidemiological surveillance, and research."

"These attacks are obvious attempts to divert attention from Russia's bad behaviour on many fronts," Pahon added, referring to Russia's support of Bashar al-Assad in Syria as well as a crisis in Ukraine and elsewhere.

The Georgian health ministry also denied Moscow's claims as "absurd."

"We have repeatedly said that nothing of this kind happens in this centre," a representative said.

Moscow has long accused the United States of running a network of labs close to Russia's borders.
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SpaceX Chief Engineer Hans Konigsmann 'I Am Too Old for Mars'

The problems are piling up for Elon Musk, the eccentric billionaire behind SpaceX. Could the space exploration company one day jettison its embattled founder? We asked Chief Engineer for Launches Hans Konigsmann to weigh in.
What Comes Next? Chinks in Merkel's Power Becoming Visible

In a recent act of rebellion, German conservatives chose to oust one of Angela Merkel's closest confidants. It is just the latest sign that the chancellor's power is eroding. And the scuffle within her party to succeed her has begun. By DER SPIEGEL Staff
On a sun-dappled evening last Thursday (Sept. 27), the Jewish Federation of St. Louis held its 117th Annual Meeting, celebrating the completion of major renovations to its building, which has been renamed the Kaplan Feldman Complex.

More than 350 people attended the event, which featured remarks by community leaders and donors, an awards presentation, election of new members to the Federation board and a festive meal in the atrium of the building. But the real star of the night was the Kaplan Feldman Complex itself. The newly renovated building drew high praise from many attendees, who noted its open and welcoming design.

It pulls you into such a nice, wide-open space that is beautiful, said Shaare Emeth congregant Betty Kagan, who attended the meeting. Before it felt like you were walking through a guarded gate  the entrance felt tight. Now, its so welcoming and attractive, with lots of natural light. Its a place the whole community can be so proud of and use.

The evening began with an outdoor ceremony that thanked key donors who were instrumental in making the remodeled building possible. The renovations cost $3.5 million and took roughly 18 months to complete. Andrew Rehfeld, president and CEO of Federation, took note of the dedication coinciding with the holiday of Sukkot.

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We are here tonight during these middle days of Sukkot to rededicate our community services building, he said. Sukkot commemorates that time when we lived away from our home. The sukkah was a shelter, a place of temporary refuge, literally, a house outside our home.

A sukkah had been erected on the parking lot of the building, and provided a shady place to sit and eat. The rededication program took place on the space just outside the buildings main entrance; the annual meeting was held inside the new boardroom.

For 36 years, the Kopolow Building served as our communitys house outside of its home,  Rehfeld said before a mezuzah was placed on the right side of the door leading to the complex. Named in honor of Louis and Rose Kopolow, the Jewish Federation moved to the location in 1982. Today it also houses several Jewish organizations, including the Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library, the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Holocaust Museum and Learning Center.

The Kopolow Building was the place where we addressed our communitys most pressing needs, Rehfeld added.

Explaining why Federation decided to renovate its building, he said, Buildings dont last forever. After almost four decades, the Kopolow Building was showing its age.

He listed a number of reasons for the upgrades, including:

 The elevator, which had served only two of the three levels, had started to leak hydraulic fluid.

 Second floor windows had become porous.

 The bathroom and chair areas were not fully accessible.

 The roof also needed a replacement and the mortar surrounding bricks on the building was crumbling.

 Building security needed improvement.







Rehfeld stressed that while the original design was innovative and evoked the Israeli Knesset, over time, design standards changed and our technology lacked. We needed to create a more open and light-filled space for the community, a welcoming place for all.

It appears the renovated building has met that goal. The main entrance foyer has a new white stone floor that connects various sections of the entry level, including a wide-open, circular atrium. Other elements include large windows that let more light in; improved security; and a new elevator, now toward the back of the building, which services all three floors. The offices of agencies on the second floor were not renovated, but Federation replaced their windows to make them more energy efficient.

In his opening remarks, Rehfeld offered thanks to the philanthropic leadership of three families: the Staenbergs, the Kranzbergs and the Kaplan-Feldman family. Their investments covered the bulk of the costs of this building and allowed our community resources to remain focused on the pressing needs of others, he said. The Staenberg Family Atrium, the central focus of our facility, now represents Michael and Carols own work to bring so much of our disparate community together. The Kranzberg Family Welcome Desk appropriately honors the warmth and humility of a family who has done so much for our community and our entire region.

Rehfeld also praised Gloria Feldman for her philanthropy and that of her late husband, Rubin, given in honor of the Kaplan and Feldman families of St. Louis and in honor of their loved ones who died in the Shoah.

Your philanthropy enabled us to expand our building and plan for a future reconstruction of our Holocaust Museum, Rehfeld said, explaining that Federation plans to expand the museum significantly, including adding a separate entrance.

Gloria Feldman said she and her family were eager to provide for the future of the Holocaust Museum. Her family lost many members in the Shoah, and we must assure that the loss of six million of our fellow Jews is never forgotten, she told the attendees.

{{tncms-inline alignment=left content=<p><strong>Erin Kessler Schneider</strong> and <strong>Eli Abeles</strong>, were recognized with the 2018 David N. and Roselin Grosberg Young Leadership Award. The award recognizes volunteer leaders in the Jewish community who demonstrate commitment to the Jewish Federation of St. Louis mission through volunteer leadership and participation in the Annual Campaign. </p> <p>Sadly, Abeles died last month at the age of 40 after a yearlong battle with renal cancer; his wife, Stacy, accepted the award on his behalf.</p> <p><strong>Cheryl Maayan</strong> was selected for the 2018 Fred A. Goldstein Professional Excellence Award. This award recognizes outstanding professionals in a St. Louis Jewish organization who excel in their field, have a significant track record over time, have introduced important innovations, and are perceived as role models by other professionals and volunteers.</p> <p><strong>Diane Katzman Custom Jewelry &amp; Accessories</strong> was selected as the RubinBrown Corporate Leadership Award Recipient. This award is given to a company that exemplifies philanthropic leadership in the local Jewish community. The recipient of this award demonstrates a commitment and dedication to philanthropy that enhances the community in a meaningful way.</p> id=9f672981-40b1-4bf8-a5d8-64997629cad4 style-type=info title=Jewish Federation Annual Meeting honorees type=relcontent}}

Sheryl Feldman, Glorias daughter, came in from Minneapolis to attend the ceremony. My parents were wonderful examples and role models, who inspired all of us to emulate their generosity, she said.

Rehfeld also noted the generosity of the Kopolow family who significantly funded the Federation building decades ago, adding, The Kopolow family is now prominently memorialized on the wall in the entry hall, and this will remain the Kopolow Entrance to the Kaplan Feldman Complex, said Rehfeld.

In his remarks, Michael Staenberg compared the effect of giving to throwing small stones or big rocks into a pond, causing a ripple effect.

Dont get me wrong, we need and love the big stones, he said. I dont know where our community would be without big stones being tossed into our pond by generous and caring people like Tom Green, I. E. Millstone, Gloria Feldman, and the Kaplan, Wohl, Kopolow, Siteman, Edison, Fox, Kranzberg, Gershman and May families and many other generous individuals and families.

My dad taught me that even small gifts matter, Staenberg added, encouraging all those in attendance to give what they can to Federation.

The meeting also included the formal election of new trustees and board members and the presenting of several awards for community service. Gerry Greiman, board chair of the Federation, said, Annual meetings of an organization like ours have a number of purposes. There is some formal business to be conducted. But more importantly, its a chance to come together to celebrate our community, and to hear about whats been happening and whats going to be happening at Federation.

Editor Ellen Futterman contributed information to this story.
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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.
STAGE, the First Streaming Network Devoted to the Entire World of Theatre, Celebrates its Opening Night

STAGE, the first streaming network for premium content devoted to the entire world of theatre, is celebrating Opening Night, officially launching its premium subscription-based based offering premium content.

New York, New York( )

STAGE, the first streaming network for premium content devoted to the entire world of theatre, is celebrating Opening Night, officially launching its premium subscription-based based offering premium content. The network can be viewed online (www.watchstage.com), or by downloading the app to view on AppleTV, iOS, Android and ROKU.

We are ecstatic to be celebrating our opening night, adding more titles to our catalog for subscription-based users, said Rich Affannato, chairman, CEO and co-founder of STAGE. This premium content includes the pilot episodes of three STAGE original programs  Studio Sessions, Thursday in the Park and We Can Cook Too, as well as part two of Crossovers with Leslie Uggams, as well as an array of feature films, documentaries, episodic shorts, live theatre and more! We will continue to offer our preview platform for non-subscription users, which will host trailers, sneak-peaks, behind-the-scenes and limited full-length titles. Between both platforms, we will be spreading the love of theatre to those who are already fans, a bit curious, or lean more to being theatre-shy.

A selection of titles that have been released to subscription-based users include:

The pilot episode of Studio Sessions, STAGEs original series celebrating the best of musical theatre composition. Shot in front of a live audience, this episode celebrates the work of Kander and Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago) through acoustic performances by celebrated Broadway stars.

The pilot episode of STAGEs original reality series Thursday in the Park, following the 60-year-old tradition of the Broadway Show League.

The pilot episode of We Can Cook Too!, a half-hour original STAGE series featuring a musical theatre artist cooking a dish connected to his/her past and performing a musical number with host Jeff Blumenkrantz.

Part two of the pilot episode of STAGE original Crossovers, a half-hour talk show, taped in front of a live studio audience, featuring a one-on-one interview with a performer who has crossed over from theatre to another media (or vice versa). In this episode, host Taye Diggs sits down with actress Leslie Uggams, and discusses her stage, television and film career.

Documentaries including Conduct! Every Move Counts, Only When I Dance, Married & Counting,

Feature films including False Confessions, OJ: The Musical, Antigone and Sherlock Holmes.

Live theatre performances of The Primary Instinct, Bilshoi Ballets performance of The Nutcracker, Mabou Mines Dollhouse and the Russian Ballets performance of Spartacus.

Web series including Waaay Off Broadway and Outside the Box, Submissions Only: Special Edition.

Trailers and sneak-peek previews of scripted series, documentary, feature film and live theater content that will be available in the upcoming weeks.

Subscriptions are available for $4.99/month, or $49.99/year paid in full. The platform is currently only available to US users, with an international platform expected in 2019.

About STAGE

STAGE (www.watchstage.com) is the first streaming network for premium content devoted to the entire world of theatre. Launched in October 2018, the network features original scripted, variety and reality series, live theatre, documentaries, talk shows, concerts and Broadway shows, films, international theatre and more. Offering free and subscription-based premium content, STAGE is dedicated to providing accessibility to this world for both theatre lovers and those just getting to know the magic of the stage. For more information, visit www.watchstage.com. STAGE can also be found on Facebook (@watchstage), Twitter (@watchstage) and Instagram (@watchstage).
Step forward De Watere, a brand whose raison d'etre is to offer consumers an alternative kind of champagne. We caught up with Martin Konorza, president of De Watere, at the recent Monaco Yacht Show to learn more about how his brand is doing just that.

It all started with why I founded the company in 2011, he told us, because I was always frustrated and disappointed with all of the other big brands that were out there. I never really saw the value for money, and so I thought that should be done better. Thats why I started Champagne De Watere, out of a frustration that I share with quite a few people out there.

What can you tell us about De Wateres eco-friendly credentials, were they always part of your thinking?

Actually the first reason for me to adopt these eco-friendly and sustainable methods was because it improves the quality, because we plough the grounds with horses instead of tractors, and we avoid any emissions what so ever in the entire process and we use as many recycled materials as possible.

And that gives us a higher quality in the champagne, because the grapes develop freely and they develop for taste and aroma in the bottle themselves. So, the quality aspect came in first and then later we thought, oh wow, its good for the environment also, so we must do it that way!

Mr Konorza brought with him to Monaco one of the brands most recently developed products. What can he tell us about that?

We call them Petites and theyre the cutest bottles ever I think, he said. They actually originated from me thinking that Im not always wanting to open up an entire big bottle of champagne, but sometimes just want to enjoy one or two glasses, and so I thought why not make a small bottle?

And it actually took one year to develop the glass itself, a clear glass thats easy to photograph, and to share as well, and to be more approachable to every customer, because this can fit into any purse.

We wanted to make the entire company more modern, younger, because thats how I feel. For example, I never wear a suit, we dont really have a hierarchy in the company. Were kind of a Silicon Valley champagne.
Industry training body Creative Skillset has changed its name to ScreenSkills in a bid to more clearly reflect its work in delivering a skilled workforce for the UKs screen industries  film, television, animation, VFX (visual effects) and games.

The new identity is launched with an initiative, Giving Back, which calls for greater industry collaboration in finding new talent and growing existing talent in the face of unprecedented demand and the massive growth in production.



Richard Johnston, Chief Executive of Endemol Shine UK and Chair of ScreenSkills, said: I know from experience the challenges facing the screen industries in attracting and retaining a skilled and inclusive workforce. I also know that there is no silver bullet. But I do know that we in the industry have to play our part in all the ways we can.



There needs to be greater investment in skills and training if the UK is to maintain its global reputation in screen. Other countries are investing in training and upskilling their workforces in the creative industries and we cannot afford to rest on our historic reputation.



Seetha Kumar, Chief Executive of ScreenSkills, said: We are asking our colleagues in the industry to help us move skills up the agenda and secure the talent pipeline. We need to invest more, in time and in money, if we are going to seize the huge opportunities for growth.



We have a strong infrastructure of studios and production facilities with more coming on tap. As capacity is ramped up, we must make sure we have the skilled workforce to keep UK production buoyant. We also want everyone of talent, whatever their background, to have the opportunity to join the industry, progress in it and help further current success.



ScreenSkills Giving Back menu includes reminders to pay the industry levies  now re-named skills funds  that support training as well as gifts of time for mentoring, industry quality-checking of further and higher education and short courses with ScreenSkills Tick programme and supplying information to the new Skills Forecasting Survey which aims to inform planning and investment in training.

Various industry figures have backed the new initiative.



Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chair of ITV, said: Harnessing creative talents in all the nations and regions is important if we are to enable television and film, along with other parts of the creative industries, to reach their full potential. We should all back the work being done by ScreenSkills to build capacity outside London and the South East and to create opportunities for a more diverse range of young people to enter and progress in the industry.



Josh Berger, President and Managing Director, Warner Bros. UK, Ireland and Spain, said: The UKs position as a global production powerhouse depends on our ability to attract, support and train the best talent from all backgrounds. ScreenSkills is a key partner to us and many across the film, games and TV industries, as we all work together to ensure a diverse pipeline of highly-skilled professionals working at every level.



Barbara Broccoli, producer, EON Productions, said: One of the greatest strengths of the British film industry is the talent of our workforce. I encourage everyone in the industry to continue to work with ScreenSkills in developing new recruits from diverse backgrounds.



Paul W M Golding, Chairman and interim CEO, Pinewood Group, said: Pinewood is expanding and investing heavily in infrastructure. Such investment must go hand-in-hand with the development and training of crews if the UK is to maintain its reputation as a great place to make both films and high-end television. We fully support ScreenSkills plans and welcome the start of an important conversation about what we all need to do to boost recruitment into the industry and to ensure we have the skills needed to respond to the growing demand."



Daisy Goodwin, writer, television producer and new ScreenSkills patron, said: The thing I love about working on TV is that you are surrounded by a phalanx of highly trained people who all know exactly what they are doing. Its a really democratic business and I am supporting ScreenSkills because I want young people to realise how many opportunities there are and what a great business it is to be in.



Lord Hall, Director-General of the BBC, said: The BBC has always been a key supporter of Creative Skillset, now ScreenSkills. Ive seen first-hand the great work they do to bring the industry together and champion training and skills. We will continue to work closely together to open up opportunities for all.



Alex Hope, Managing Director, Double Negative, said: Over the last decade, the UK has become a global centre for VFX (visual effects). Everybody in the industry recognises that it needs to ensure we have enough people available, with the right skills, to build on that success. ScreenSkills is taking the lead in getting to grips with this, but it is critical that all of us in the VFX industry, both as companies and individuals, play our part in these efforts. ScreenSkills needs industry support if it is to deliver the talent pipeline we need.



Alex Mahon, Chief Executive of Channel 4 said: Channel 4 has inclusion and diversity at its heart and shares these principles with ScreenSkills. Making sure the industry is open to all and that talent is developed across all the UK is essential for a vibrant and dynamic industry so we are proud to support the important work that ScreenSkills does.



Julie Parmenter, CEO, Molinare, said: The UK is recognised as a centre of excellence for the creative industries including film and TV. More productions than ever are choosing London for their post. In order to ensure we meet the increasing demand whilst retaining the exceptional quality, we need to invest in the next generation of talent. ScreenSkills is a vital partner is helping us to achieve our goals. It is important that our industry is accessible to everyone and we need the training and support in place to do this and ensure we find the most talented people regardless of background.

ScreenSkills is backed by the BFI with National Lottery funds awarded as part of the Future Film Skills programme as well as with funds from broadcasters, Arts Council England and industry contributions to the skills funds (commonly known as the levies).

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International aid effort for Indonesia quake-tsunami swings into gear



Palu, Indonesia, Oct 4 (AFP) Oct 04, 2018



An international aid effort to help tens of thousands of victims of Indonesia's quake-tsunami disaster swung into gear Thursday after days of delays, with planes flying in vital supplies for shattered communities.

A total of 1,424 people have been confirmed dead and over 2,500 injured after the monster earthquake struck Friday, sending destructive waves barrelling into Sulawesi island.

The double disaster reduced buildings in the seaside city of Palu to rubble -- but aid has been slow to arrive and looting has broken out.

On Thursday, police armed with guns stood guard outside petrol stations to ensure order in long, winding queues. Trucks carrying supplies have reportedly been ransacked en route to Palu.

Authorities initially turned a blind eye but now police have been rounding up dozens of suspected looters and the military warned that soldiers will fire on anyone caught stealing.

While rescuers continue to comb through destroyed buildings, hope is fading that anyone will be found alive under the rubble. Authorities say over 100 people are still unaccounted for.

Hundreds have been buried in mass graves as overwhelmed authorities race to avert a disease outbreak from corpses rotting in the tropical heat.

The Indonesian government initially refused to accept international help, insisting its own military could handle the response, but as the scale of the disaster became clear President Joko Widodo reluctantly agreed to allow in overseas aid.

Efforts to get desperately needed aid to hungry and thirsty victims, many now homeless and sleeping in evacuation camps, were slow to get off the ground due to severed transport links.

Palu airport, badly damaged in the twin disaster, finally re-opened to all flights Thursday, allowing the international aid effort to ramp up.

"The government of Indonesia is experienced and well-equipped in managing natural disasters, but sometimes, as with all other countries, outside help is also needed," said United Nations aid chief Mark Lowcock, announcing the UN was pledging $15 million towards the recovery effort.



- 'There is always hope' -



Air force chief Yuyu Sutisna said foreign governments, including Singapore, South Korea and Britain, were sending 20 planes to help in the relief effort.

Australia and New Zealand are sending air force transport planes to Indonesia carrying tarpaulins, generators and water containers. A team of French rescuers were in Palu and helping search teams on Thursday, while NGO Oxfam said it expects to be on the ground by Saturday.

An Indonesian navy ship docked in the city carrying water and food, which was loaded by soldiers onto trucks.

"We have to get to places where people need aid really quickly," said first admiral Dwi Sulaksono.

Desperate survivors, some crying, waited to get a spot on the vessel which was set to return to the city of Makassar in southern Sulawesi, and brief scuffles broke out with soldiers.

A missing South Korean has been confirmed dead, Seoul's foreign ministry said, in the first recorded foreigner fatality.

A Belgian remains missing while over 100 other foreigners in the ravaged area have been evacuated, the disaster agency said.

Indonesia, which has a longstanding problem with "fake news", vowed to clamp down after false reports related to the disaster circulated online, including one saying another quake had hit Sulawesi.

Police said Thursday they arrested nine suspected online hoaxers, fearing fake online reports could sow panic among suffering survivors.

"If you spread this kind of information, you're just going to create more suffering and confusion for people," said Daryono, head of the geophysics agency's quake and tsunami information centre, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

Rescuers seeking survivors are focusing on half a dozen key sites around Palu, including a shopping mall and the Balaroa area where the sheer force of the quake turned the earth temporarily to mush.

At the badly damaged Mercure hotel, a team of Indonesian rescuers working with French NGO International Emergency Firefighters used sniffer dogs and high-tech equipment to search for survivors.



- 'No response, just silence' -



Martinus Hamaele was among those keeping a vigil outside the shattered hotel, desperate for news about his missing daughter, Meiren.

"We keep shouting 'Meiren, Meiren, it's me -- your dad and your brother," he said.

"But there's no response, just silence."

Authorities have set a tentative deadline of Friday to find anyone still trapped under rubble, at which point the chances of finding anyone alive will dwindle to almost zero.

Meanwhile Save the Children raised concerns that many kids had been separated from their families in the chaos and were "in shock and traumatised". The group said it was working with the government to try to reunite youngsters with their relatives.

Indonesia sits along the Pacific "Ring of Fire", the world's most tectonically active region, and its 260 million people are vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.

bur-sr/pb/rox
Despite major advances in modern medicine, universal access to healthcare remains the largest unmet medical need

Building on the inaugural Sandoz HACk, this year's competition expands to seek broader digital solutions to local healthcare access challenges

Three shortlisted entrants will attend South by Southwest (SXSW), where Sandoz will work with them to create scalable solutions that could improve people's lives

The digital press release with multimedia content can be accessed here:

Holzkirchen, October 4, 2018 - Sandoz, the Novartis generics and biosimilars division, today announces the launch of the second Sandoz Healthcare Access Challenge (HACk).

The Sandoz HACk is a global competition that invites entrepreneurs and innovators in the field of digital technology to submit inspirational ideas with the potential to complement - or even positively disrupt - established approaches to driving access to healthcare. Sandoz HACk opens for entries today (October 4), closing on November 30, 2018.

Universal access to healthcare is still arguably the largest unmet medical need and, while great strides continue to be made globally, access challenges vary hugely across geographies and communities. Therefore, a major step towards improving healthcare access globally is to identify and understand the specific needs of local communities.

"There are still two billion people in this world not getting the medicines they need. This is why we are launching Sandoz HACk as we aim to inspire and embrace the brave and innovative thinking of entrepreneurs and visionaries to improve access to healthcare around the world", said Richard Francis, Division Head and CEO of Sandoz.

Francis added: "Building on the inaugural Sandoz HACk, this year we are broadening the competition to anyone, anywhere, with an idea that uses digital technology to help address a local healthcare access challenge. By collaborating, we hope to create ambitious-yet-practical digital solutions that, with scale, could have a significant impact on people's lives."

Digital innovation promises cost-effective and practical solutions with the power to transform access. Last year, Sandoz HACk focused on m-health (mobile health). This year's theme is 'Leveraging Digital Technologies to Solve Healthcare Access Challenges': encouraging ideas that can drive patient access or help healthcare providers to reach more people.

Three shortlisted entrants, to be announced in January 2019, will receive support from Sandoz experts to develop their ideas and transform potential into real impact. Our three finalists will travel to the world's leading forward-focused gathering of creative minds, South by Southwest (SXSW; Austin, Texas) in March 2019, to explore, network and discover the latest innovative trends. Following in-person selection, one winner will be chosen and awarded seed funding and support from Sandoz, to help bring their idea to life.

For more details on how to enter the competition and terms and conditions, see here.

To view this year's video, see here.

Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook using #SandozHACk.

About Sandoz HACk

As the global leader in biosimilars, generic antibiotics and generic oncology medicines, Sandoz aims to play a leading role in making access happen for people around the world. Through Sandoz HACk we will use our expertise to bring access ideas in these areas, and beyond, to life. We believe that small ideas can spark big change and that, together, we can co-create ambitious-yet-practical solutions that break down access barriers around the world.

About Sandoz

Sandoz is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars. As a division of the Novartis Group, our purpose is to discover new ways to improve and extend people's lives. We contribute to society's ability to support growing healthcare needs by pioneering novel approaches to help people around the world access high-quality medicine. Our portfolio of approximately 1000 molecules, covering all major therapeutic areas, accounted for 2017 sales of USD 10.1 billion. In 2017, our products reached well over 500 million patients. Sandoz is headquartered in Holzkirchen, in Germany's Greater Munich area.

Sandoz is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Sandoz_global at http://twitter.com/Sandoz_Global.

Follow our blog at www.sandoz.com/makingaccesshappen

For further details visit www.sandoz.com/makingaccesshappen





###

Novartis Media Relations

Central media line: +41 61 324 2200

E-mail: media.relations@novartis.com
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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cameo Cobalt Corp. (TSX Venture: CRU) (OTC: CRUUF) (FWB: SY7N) (the Company or Cameo Cobalt) is pleased to provide the following corporate updates to its valued shareholders:



Acquisition of Chilean Cobalt Opportunity Corp. ( CCOC ) and the Montreal Cobalt Project

) and the Montreal Cobalt Project Additions to Cameo Cobalts board of directors and management

Formation of Cameo Cobalts Exploration Advisory Committee (the  Committee )

) Completed rebranding initiative and corporate website launch

Carrizal Cobalt Project update

Montreal and Carrizal Cobalt Project October site visits

CCOC and Montreal Cobalt Project Acquisition

On September 25, 2018, Cameo Cobalt announced that it has entered into a share exchange agreement (Share Exchange Agreement) with Chilean Cobalt Opportunity Corp. (CCOC) to acquire 100% of CCOCs issued and outstanding share capital. The acquisition of CCOC increases Cameo Cobalts Chilean land package by 987%.

CCOC holds an option to acquire a 100% undivided, unencumbered legal and beneficial interest in the Montreal Cobalt Project, located 15 km southwest of Santiago in the past producing Metropolitan Region of Chile. CCOC has approximately $650,000 in cash, which the Company will also subsequently acquire. This capital infusion will ensure that the Company can adequately financing its initial Chilean exploration initiatives.

Cameo Cobalt has filed this transaction with the TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange) and expects to receive final approval this week. The completed transaction will be announced by way of Exchange bulletin.

The Vendor reports that the Montreal Cobalt Project consists of 16 mineral claims and comprises a total of 4,500 hectares. The Companys Montreal Cobalt Project is less than 2 kilometres away from the past producing Merceditas mine. The acquisition of the Montreal Cobalt Project has entrenched Cameo Cobalt in two of the three historic cobalt-producing regions of Chile.

The Montreal Cobalt Project claims map can be found by following the below URL link:

https://cameocobalt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CRU-Montreal-Map-.pdf

Board of Directors and Management Additions

Cameo Cobalt is pleased to report the following additions to the Companys board of directors and management team:

Chris Paul, Director

Mr. Paul holds a B.Sc. in Geology from Simon Fraser University and a Diploma of Technology in Mining from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Mr. Paul has worked on all scales of exploration throughout British Columbia and the Yukon Territories and is also a co-founder of Ridgeline Exploration Services Ltd. Mr. Paul also serves as Vice President of Exploration for Golden Ridge Resources Ltd. (Golden Ridge) (TSXV: GLDN). He has overseen all aspects of Golden Ridges exploration on the Hank Property since 2016 and continues to manage and oversee the ongoing diamond drilling programs on the Hank. Mr. Paul was fundamental in Golden Ridges recent drill discovery of the Williams Cu-Au Porphyry, which intersected 327m of 0.31% Cu, 0.35 g/t Au and 1.94 g/t Ag in HNK-18-001.

Robert Meister, Director

Mr. Robert Meister is an experienced capital markets executive that holds a diploma in marketing management from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Mr. Meister is a partner of M3 Markets Inc., a corporate development and communications company, and serves as a director of Moovly Media Inc. Prior to this; Mr. Meister was a director and capital markets manager for NetCents Technology Inc., an electronic on-line payment service provider that is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange. Mr. Meister was also instrumental to the success of Alpha Minerals Inc., where he spearheaded Alphas capital markets strategy. Mr. Meister joined Alphas predecessor, ESO Uranium Corp. in 2005 and captained Alphas capital markets team from $0.20 a share until its subsequent acquisition by Fission Uranium for $7.67 a share. Mr. Meister has held numerous director and/or management positions for various publicly traded companies, where he was primarily responsible for business development and investor relations.

Patrick OFlaherty, CFO & Director

Mr. OFlaherty is a Chartered Accountant and a CFA Charterholder, with over 15 years of experience in financial services, including public accounting and wealth management. Previously, he has worked for a Big Four accounting firm and two Big Five banking institutions. He also has operational management experience from one of the largest telecommunications companies in Canada. Mr. OFlaherty holds a degree in Economics from Union College in Schenectady, New York.

Cameo Cobalts Exploration Advisory Committee

Cameo Cobalts Management is currently finalizing the formation of the Companys Exploration Advisory Committee. The Committee will be comprised of independent mining experts and international financiers. The Committee will be tasked with providing actionable; industry guidance relating to the advancement of the Cameo Cobalts mining assets. The Company plans to begin announcing Committee members in the coming weeks. The Committees roster will eventually include advisors who boast extensive battery metals experience, as well as Golden Triangle exploration expertise.

Completed Rebranding Initiative and Corporate Website

The Company recently announced that it has completed its rebranding and redesign initiatives; including the launch of its new corporate website. The Companys redesigned website can be viewed on-line at https://cameocobalt.com/ . Cameo Cobalt encourages all current and potential shareholders to visit the website and explore the Companys rebranding and redesign initiatives.

Carrizal Cobalt Project Update

Cameo Cobalt is also pleased to provide a regional update on its Carrizal Cobalt Project. The Companys Carrizal Cobalt Project is situated adjacent to Genlith Inc.'s Carrizal Alto Project (see Genlith's news release dated April 11th). Genlith Inc. is a Pennsylvania-based holding company focused on energy storage and critical battery materials.

Genlith has reported that cobalt production occurred on its Carrizal Alto projects from 1844 through 1944, mostly for military applications ceasing at the end of the Second World War. Genliths Carrizal Alto development plans include expedited drilling and dimensioning programs on high-grade past producing mines with the objective of providing a clear path to full-scale production.

The Companys Carrizal Cobalt claims map can be found by following the below URL link:

https://cameocobalt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CRU-Carrizal-Map.pdf

Genlith Inc. also recently announced the appointment of John Mitchell as the Companys new President. Mr. Mitchell will also assume the role of Chief Executive Officer of Chilean Cobalt Corp. (C3), a subsidiary of Genlith. Mr. Mitchell joins Genlith after serving as President of Lithium for Albemarle Corporation. Mr. Mitchell guided Albemarles lithium division to a global market leading position (see Genliths news release dated July 25th, 2018).

Montreal and Carrizal Cobalt Project Site Visits

Cameo is pleased to report that Company representatives will be visiting both the Carrizal and Montreal projects in early October. The site visits will assist with expediting exploration efforts and advancing regional relationships.

CAMEO COBALT CORP.

Akash Patel

For more information contact:

(778) 549-6714

Or Email: lucasbirdsall@gmail.com

www.cameocobalt.com

Reader Advisory

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, statements with respect to the Companys proposed acquisition, exploration program and the expectations for the cobalt industry. 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: general economic conditions in Canada and globally; industry conditions, including governmental regulation and environmental regulation; failure to obtain industry partner and other third party consents and approvals, if and when required; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; stock market volatility; liabilities inherent in water disposal facility operations; competition for, among other things, skilled personnel and supplies; incorrect assessments of the value of acquisitions; geological, technical, processing and transportation problems; changes in tax laws and incentive programs; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions and dispositions; and the other factors. 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 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.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bankers Cobalt Corp. (TSXV: BANC) FSE: BC2; OTCQB: NDENF) (the Corporation or Bankers) is pleased to announce high grade copper and silver assay results from grab samples on the Kamanjab Project, Republic of Namibia. The entering into a 70% option agreement on the Kamanjab Project was announced in a news release dated July 26, 2018.



Highlights:

5.5% copper and 3 g/t silver

24.60% copper and 98 g/t silver



16.60% copper and 239 g/t silver



Grant Dempsey, President and COO of Bankers stated: We are extremely excited about the high-grade results obtained from this preliminary assessment of the Kamanjab Project. The project has visible copper over a large area at surface. The significant size of the license at 135 km gives the project the necessary area to have the potential for a major discovery. The mineralization at the Kamanjab Project is a supergene style of high-grade copper oxide mineralization at surface and suggests the potential for high grade oxide or sulphide mineralization at depth. The widths and strike extent will be further defined with surface work programs planned for 2018. Namibia is a politically stable country with excellent infrastructure for mining and the Kamanjab Project is in a semi-arid region of Namibia and is readily accessible for year-round exploration and development activity. Bankers primary focus will remain on the DRC portfolio of projects.

Table 1 Kamanjab Project Grab Samples ( click here to see attached maps and pictures )

Sample ID North UTM East UTM Description Group Silver g/t Copper % 21061 7847856 422840 Hematite C 0 g/t 0% 21062 7846997 413715 Dolomite A 2 g/t 2.1% 21063 7846998 413716 Dolomite A 3 g/t 1.2% 21064 7846985 413776 Dolomite A 4 g/t 1.4% 21065 7846986 413777 Dolomite A 3 g/t 5.5% 21066 7842569 421304 Quartzite B 98 g/ton 24.6% 21067 7842570 421305 Quartzite B 239 g/ton 16.6%



Grab samples are selective in nature and are not necessarily representative of mineralization hosted on the property.

About Kamanjab Project Namibia

The Kamanjab Project is a 135km2 Exclusive Prospecting License located approximately 500km north of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia and 90km from the town of Kamanjab. The project is prospective for copper, silver and other base metals. During a site visit in early August 2018, a total of 7 grab samples were taken and sent to ALS Laboratories in Johannesburg South Africa for ICPMS multi-element analysis.

The results show potential for a large high-grade supergene copper zone to be present in the Dolomite sequence at Kamanjab. The Malachite-Chrysocolla mineralization in the samples varies in intensity, however the visible copper mineralization in Zone A is approximately 40m in width. The Dolomite sequence that hosts the copper-silver mineralization extends continuously to zone B for about 7km of strike making the area very prospective for copper and silver. Further work is planned in 2018 to determine the possible widths and strike length.

Qualified and Competent Person -- National Instrument 43-101 and JORC code

The geological information in this announcement has been reviewed by Mr. Adam Anderson, Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG), a competent person (as defined in the JORC code, 2012 edition) and (being a recognized professional organization for the purposes of the Australian Securities Exchange listing rules). Mr. Anderson is also the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 who has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

Mr. Anderson is the Exploration Manager for Bankers. He has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralization, the type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a competent person as defined in the JORC code and under National Instrument 43-101.

About Bankers

Bankers is a natural resource company with a primary focus on the acquisition, exploration and development of cobalt and copper mineral properties in the DRC to world-class Canadian standards. Bankers has acquired an option on a 135 km license in Namibia with the potential for copper, cobalt and other metals. As battery production for EVs surges, demand for cobalt will probably exceed supply for many years. According to a recent report by Transparency Market Research, global sales of lithium-ion batteries are expected to reach US$70B by 2024, for a compound growth rate of 11.6% over the years beginning in 2016. Bankers holds rights to 26 separate mineral concessions strategically located in the southern DRC Copperbelt and having a total area of more than 391 km. Bankers has the intention to acquire interests in additional concessions or relinquish concessions in the normal course of business. All concessions were obtained as either new grants or through reputable DRC partners and have clean title with no government involvement, making Bankers one of the few, and perhaps only, junior public mining company in the DRC to have 26 concessions capable of being currently explored. Bankers has an experienced operations team operating in the southern CopperBelt of the DRC. Bankers believes it is the front runner in advancing cobalt and copper exploration by a junior mining company in the DRC.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF BANKERS COBALT CORP.

Stephen Barley



Chairman & CEO



For further information:

Phone: 604.684.6730

Email: info@bankerscobalt.com

Website: www.bankerscobalt.com

Reader Advisory

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.

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws including statements relating to the outlook of the business of the Corporation, including statements relating to results obtained from the preliminary assessment of the Kamanjab Project, drilling and soil sampling programs, timing, execution and results of such programs, the Corporations intention to acquire additional concession, the Corporations ability to explore and develop the concessions, the results of any development and exploration, the ability of the Corporation to meet standards for verifiable supply chain custody, and the Corporations status as a leader in the junior mining sector for cobalt and copper in the DRC. Although the Corporation believes considering the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate, that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them as the Corporation can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of the Corporation its securities, or its financial or operating results.




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Linkedin Aboeprijadi Santoso (The Jakarta Post) Amsterdam  Thu, October 4, 2018

My wife was burnt alive in Kutaradja [now Banda Aceh] in the mid-1960s along with 11 members of Gerwani [Indonesian Womens Movement affiliated with the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party, or PKI], Tjut Husin Fatly told me.



The late Fatly, or Pak Tjut as he was known among Indonesian exiles in the Netherlands, was one of the three founding members of the PKI Aceh branch ( 1956 ). He left for China in 1964 so never knew exactly what happened.



Thats all he could tell me when I met him at the residence of the Indonesian Ambassador in Wassenaar, the Netherlands, amid, ironically, the celebration of Indonesias 60th independence day in 2015.



The truth is, the home of Fatlys wife was ransacked and burnt. She was later killed, leaving her preschool-aged daughter in a camp. It was one of at least 1,941 cases of massacre, which Jess Melvins study has found in Aceh as part of the operasi penumpasan (planned annihilation) of communists.



The tragedy was among the earliest killings that occurred in the aftermath of the September 30 Movement (G30S) bloody actions at the early hours of Oct. 1, 1965, in Jakarta.



At least half a million people were killed and hundreds of thousands incarcerated throughout the archipelago in what is now known as the 1965 massacre. Studies have found that the killings were organized and carried out by the Army and its local allies.



Academic research has in the last decade made considerable progress on this subject. Chief among them: John Roosas Pretext for Mass Murder ( 2006 ) has unraveled what happened in October 1965 and concluded that no single party was responsible for the G30S actions.



And Geoffrey Robinsons The Killing Season ( 2018 ) provides the most comprehensive account of the killings  when, where, how, why and what impact  throughout Indonesia.



Now Melvins The Army and the Indonesian Genocide, Mechanic of Mass Murder ( 2018 ), focusing on Aceh, has been marked as a game-changer.



She uses newly found archival sources to demonstrate that military was deeply engaged in planning and carrying out the mass murder of communist suspects.



The idea of the Armys planning may not be a bombshell. It must have been assumed by many, but Melvin has for the first time been able to exactly pinpoint in detail the killings as part of a centralized, nationwide campaign, explain how the authorities used the regional and local security structures to mobilize civil and military units down to the village level and who along the chain of command in Jakarta and Aceh  Soeharto, J. Mokoginta, Ishak Djuarsa  were responsible for the killings.



This game-changing role is significant both for further study and in terms of its future implications. Most research generally assumed that the Army had cooperated with local Muslim leaders or manipulated them, whereas the Army suggested that it responded to their spontaneous uprising to contain anger and help them crush the communists.



Melvin, however, argues on the basis of evidence that the tragedy was truly a genocide since the military leadership both possessed and acted upon an intent to destroy Indonesias communist group.



The latter should be defined as an ideologically constituted [sub]national group because the target was not only PKI members, but much larger groups that include religious (Red Muslims) and ethnic Chinese groups (p.289-290).



None of the 2019 presidential hopefuls spoke at length about the tragedy.



Why pursue a genocide? The military, after all, had been preparing to launch its own bid for state power on the back of just such a pretext event, referring to the G30S murder of the generals.



Now, rather than just blaming whoever was to blame, Indonesias present generations need to see the narrative as a challenge to face and prepare to solve the nations political and moral burden by seeking the truth and fighting for justice.



Buru Island in Maluku and other camps and their documents are still there, many women and other victims are still alive, forgotten exiles are ready to testify and foreign intelligence documents have been published. Yet 53 years on, the powers-that-be remain unwilling to seek the truth.



None of the 2019 presidential hopefuls spoke at length about the tragedy  although its a golden chance, indeed, to settle the issue once and for all, which President Joko Jokowi Widodo has promised.



For Melvins book, like Robinsons, ensures us that the victims of the massacres and incarceration are not statistics.



They represent citizens; our compatriots, fellow Indonesians, whose civil rights were destroyed because of simple suspicion, the great majority of whom were innocent, legally OK, but happened to be politically on the wrong side  something that seriously disturbs so many of today millennials.



For those born in the 1990s and after, its a serious matter to be resolved for the sake of the moral standing and future of the nation. Therefore, no reconciliation would be worth it without revealing and acknowledging the full truth.



Memory is power. In Spain, 70 years after the bloody civil war (1936-1939), children and grandchildren of the kidnapped babies and exiled families were among the pioneers in search of mass graves, truth and reconciliation.



One intriguing question: Why is it that the Army, being a state apparatus who likes to portray itself as the savior of the nation, was ready to formally and explicitly acknowledge its responsibility for the atrocities in East Timor (Indonesia-Timor Leste Truth and Friendship treaty 2008), but not for the mid-1960s killings?



Both Melvins and Robinsons works thus deserve to be closely studied by everyone interested in the political history of the nation  indeed by both supporters of the Armys false thesis, albeit with an open mind, and those who wish to advance the study of genocide.



***

The writer is a journalist.

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Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4, 2018 08:43 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308775f0598 1 Editorial #Editorial,World-Tourism-Day,tourism,Tourist,hospitality,#tourism,#hospitality Free

World Tourism Day was observed globally on Sept. 27 with a great sense of optimism, as governments increasingly come to understand the important role tourism can play as a contributor to socioeconomic development by creating jobs, driving exports, generating prosperity through its multiplier effect and promoting international understanding.



The Madrid-based United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) projects that international tourist arrivals will continue to grow within the next decade by 5 to 6 percent from 1.32 billion last year, with total spending expected to reach US$1.6 trillion as the middle class expands and people seek to spend more on gaining memorable experiences and not just on material items.



Southeast Asia welcomed 121 million tourists last year, with total spending reaching $130.7 billion. Indonesia, however, despite being the largest country in the region, endowed with a rich variety of natural beauty such as mountains and beaches, as well as ancient traditions, cultures and amazing historic structures like Borobudur temple near Yogyakarta, received only around 12 million tourists, who spent a total of $14 billion. Thailand, which has a population of only 70 million, welcomed 35 million tourists who spent $57 billion.



Why?



True Indonesia is rich in natural, cultural and historical attractions, but these resources are only one of the three key pillars of tourism. Indonesia is utterly lacking in the other two pillars, namely infrastructure  notably transportation  and public services. Borobudur temple is no less magnificent than Cambodias huge temple complex Angkor Wat, but the latter contributed $2.4 billion to that countrys economy in 2016, according to the UNWTO, mainly because of better infrastructure.



The government only recently realized the important value tourism has for creating jobs and earning foreign exchange, which is particularly important as the country is facing a current account deficit that has pressured the rupiah to drop as low as Rp 14,900 against the US dollar. The government has now realized that bureaucratic coordination and cooperation are keys to developing tourism, as this industry is influenced directly by many other sectors of the economy and public services.



Over the last few weeks, working conferences on tourism development have been attended by senior officials of government ministries and agencies directly or indirectly related to the multi-faceted industry, which covers transportation, immigration, health, lending, hospitality and financing.



Indeed, as an environment and culture-based industry, tourism is one of the best sectors Indonesia could develop because of its multiplier effects and the labor-intensive nature of its operations. Travel-related businesses such as hotels, restaurants, transportation, handicrafts and cultural shows are all labor intensive, the very kind of businesses needed to absorb the huge pool of job seekers.



More importantly, unlike the manufacturing sector that depends heavily on imported inputs and components, tourism requires very low imports, and is quite friendly to the environment and enhances international understanding.
English Lithuanian

Vilnius, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On 25 September 2018, the Board of the Bank of Lithuania discussed the results of the inspection of Medicinos Bankas UAB for the period from 31 March 2017 to 31 March 2018 carried out by the Supervision Service. It was found that the results of the first quarter of 2018 of Medicinos Bankas UAB failed to represent the true financial situation of the bank. However, Medicinos Bankas UAB eliminated the defects in its financial statements for the first six months of 2018. Therefore, the Bank of Lithuania decided that no sanctions are to be imposed for the deficiencies found during the inspection. Other operational deficiencies of the bank are to be eliminated by 31 December 2018.

On 25 September 2018, the Board of the Bank of Lithuania also discussed the results of the supervisory review and evaluation process (SREP) of Medicinos Bankas UAB. Having examined the SREP report, the Board of the Bank of Lithuania decided that Medicinos Bankas should meet the following minimum own funds requirements: total first-level capital adequacy ratio of 9.2 percent and total capital adequacy ratio of 12.7 percent.
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Linkedin Rebecca Lynne Tan (The Straits Times/Asia News Network) Singapore  Thu, October 4, 2018 09:00 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308775f0c04 2 Food food,restaurant,awards,Worlds-50-Best-Restaurants-awards Free

Next year, Singapore will host the annual and much-watched World's 50 Best Restaurants awards, deemed the Oscars of the global restaurant industry.

It is the first time an Asian country has been selected to host the global restaurant rankings' award ceremony, which started in 2002. Past host cities include London, Bilbao, Melbourne and New York.

The World's 50 Best Bars awards, now into the 10th year, will also take place here in 2021, making Singapore the first city, other than the bar awards' home city of London, to be confirmed as a host destination.

These events, as well as a stand-alone #50BestTalks food forum in 2020 and two more installments of the Asian edition of the bar awards, are part of a three-year partnership between London-based 50 Best awards and events program organizer William Reed Business Media and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

The announcement was made last night, prior to a six-hands celebratory cocktail dinner at Avenue restaurant in London, created by chefs of three of Singapore's top restaurants - French restaurant Odette, contemporary European restaurant Corner House and progressive Peranakan restaurant Candlenut; and the bartenders of three Singapore cocktail bars - Native in Amoy Street, Manhattan at Regent Singapore and Operation Dagger in Ann Siang Hill.

Odette is currently the only Singapore restaurant on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. It debuted at No. 28 this year.

A date for the restaurant awards ceremony has not been released yet.

Read also: Indonesia wins accolades at World Gourmet Summits Awards of Excellence

Ms Melissa Ow, STB's acting chief executive, said the selection of Singapore to host the line-up of 50 Best events "bears testament to Singapore's standing and clout as a destination at the forefront of the international dining and cocktail scene".

The STB also said that the 50 Best events will engage not just the industry, but also the public.

For example, there will be collaborative dinners by top international and local chefs in conjunction with the restaurant awards, while the #50BestTalks, which center on trends in gastronomy, will be open to the public.

The partnership is expected to have a knock-on effect, and spur growth and raise levels in the food and beverage industry, as well as drive global awareness of Singapore as a vibrant lifestyle destination and leading culinary capital.

Topics :

This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4, 2018 08:01 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308775eebc7 1 City Tanah-Abang,Fire-and-Rescue-Agency,fire-engine,jakarta,traffic-congestion Free

Severe traffic congestion in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, often stalls fire trucks that need to rush to the scene of a fire.

"As soon as we receive news of a fire, well immediately go to the scene, Karni from the Tanah Abang Fire Station told kompas.com on Tuesday. But well get stuck in the traffic and we never know when we can finally move forward.

The fire station is located at the center of Tanah Abang, next to Blok F of Tanah Abang Market.

For example, it can take up to one hour to get to Jl. Jatibaru Raya, which is less than 1 kilometer away from the station, Karni said.

Ideally, firefighters from the nearest station should arrive at a fire within eight minutes after receiving the news, he explained.

"Even on holidays like Sunday, the road is still crowded, Karni said. It takes half an hour on average for us to get to a fire.

The firefighters from Tanah Abang Fire Station often receive help from Pak ogah (voluntary parking attendants), who stop vehicles at U-turns to make way for the fire truck. (stu)
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Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4 2018

Indonesia has seen a growing halal industry in the past few years thank to its huge population of around 260 million, of which about 80 percent are Muslim.

In the global halal industry, however, the countrys industry players are still struggling to find a place.

National Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said it was crucial for Indonesia to utilize its huge potential and develop a strategy that would allow the domestic halal lifestyle industry to penetrate the global market.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4, 2018 17:51 1136 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087760c8f3 4 Business earthquake,tsunami,central-sulawesi,foreign-aid Free

The Finance Ministry is preparing a mechanism for foreign assistance in the redevelopment and reconstruction of earthquake and tsunami-hit areas in Palu, Donggala and surrounding cities in Central Sulawesi.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said many countries had offered assistance to carry out the reconstruction of residential areas and infrastructure in the areas hit by the disasters that led to more than 1,200 deaths.

There are countries that have stated the amounts of the assistance. So we need to draft a mechanism on how to receive the assistance in the form of cash, said Sri Mulyani at the State Palace in Jakarta on Thursday as reported by kontan.co.id.

Such assistance would be used to recover and reconstruct Central Sulawesis cities hit by the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that was followed by a tsunami, she said, adding that the government was focusing on emergency work to help the survivors of the disaster.

Previously, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto said at least 17 countries and the European Union had offered assistance to Indonesia.

The countries are the United States, France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Norway, Hungary, Turkey, Australia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, New Zealand, Thailand, Japan, India and China.

Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said, for example, India had offered US$1 million to reconstruct houses. We are calculating how many houses can be constructed with the money, he added. (bbn)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4 2018

The Jakarta Police have arrested four people who allegedly stole from houses in an affluent neighborhood by pretending to be officers of state-owned electricity company PLN.

Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said on Tuesday that the police only managed to apprehend four members of a six-person team.

We are still looking for the remaining two members of this team, he said as quoted by tempo.co.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4, 2018 16:28 1136 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087760b280 1 City students,Asian-Para-Games2018,free-of-charge,disabled-people,ticket Free

The Indonesia Asian Para Games Organizing Committee (INAPGOC) will provide 15,000 free tickets for school students in Jakarta.

The tickets will be given to students with hearing and speech impairments and mild disabilities, acting head of the Jakarta Education Agency Bowo Irianto said Thursday as quoted by tempo.co.

The tickets will only be given to them because the transportation agency can't provide disabled-friendly buses, Bowo said.

He added the education agency is now checking the capacity of each venue to accommodate the students.

The transportation agency will support the program by providing buses for the students, Bowo said.

He added that INAPGOC planned to provide more free tickets for students with disabilities.

The Asian Para Games will take place from Oct. 8 to 16 in Jakarta. Around 3,000 disabled athletes from 41 countries in Asia will take part in the event. (cal)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4, 2018 08:08 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308775ef434 1 Business perry-warjiyo,rupiah-against-dollar,rupiah-depreciation,comments Free

Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo called on the public on Wednesday not to worry about the rupiah depreciation, saying that the rupiah exchange rate against the US dollar was better than that of other currencies in emerging countries.

The rupiah stood at above Rp 15,000 per US dollar on Tuesday. Since January, the currency has depreciated 9.82 percent, BI data shows.

We have to compare the rupiah exchange rate with other currencies. Dont think it is doomsday if the rupiah hits Rp 15,000 per US dollar, Perry said during a seminar at the House of Representatives building in Jakarta.

He explained that the depreciation of the rupiah and other currencies was a result of the United States aggressive monetary policy, particularly the increase of the Fed Fund Rate and the US trade war against China and other countries.

However, Perry conceded that the currency of certain countries like Thailand were not affected by external pressures because they had a foreign exchange surplus worth billions of US dollars.

Meanwhile, Indonesias current account deficit has exceeded US$8 billion, or about 3 percent of the countrys gross domestic product (GDP).

But we are still doing better than Turkey, Brazil, South Africa and India, he added as quoted by kompas.com.

Perry assured that the central bank would continue its efforts to maintain the countrys monetary stability. BI increased its seven-day reserve repo rate (7DRRR) by 25 basis points to 5.75 percent soon after the Fed Fund Rate increase. (bbn)
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Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4, 2018 12:30 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308775fb244 1 National KPK,tax-office,graft Free

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has apprehended six individuals in Ambon, Maluku, for alleged graft in connection with a plot to evade tax.

KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah confirmed on Wednesday evening in Jakarta that the commission's investigators had arrested and interrogated at least six individuals.]

He said the arrests were made on suspicions that the six were involved in illicit transactions in relation to a local tax evasion case, following anonymous tips. The six suspects comprised tax investigators from the Ambon and Papua tax offices, as well as taxpayers.

The KPK has not released the suspects' names at this time.

"Investigators seized Rp 100 million [US$6,587] in cash during the operation, Febri said.

Four of the apprehended individuals were transported to Jakarta on Thursday morning after questioning.

The arrest in Ambon is the latest tax evasion case that allegedly involves tax officials, and comes after the trial of senior tax official Handang Soekarno on accepting bribes from a businessman in exchange for Handang's help in evading tax. The court found Handang guilty of bribery and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
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Linkedin Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4, 2018 15:44 1136 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877607c0a 1 Business crude-oil-sale,oil-companies,pertamina Free

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry is considering three options to resolve tax issues for private oil and gas companies.

Under Ministerial Regulation No. 42/2018 issued on Sept. 6, private oil and gas companies are required to prioritize selling crude to Pertamina. The policy was introduced to reduce the import of oil products from other countries.

The ministrys oil and gas director general, Djoko Siswanto, said in Jakarta on Wednesday that the first option was to exempt oil companies from paying taxes for selling crude to Pertamina as the government did not impose taxes when the companies exported their crude to trading partners abroad.

The second option proposed by the private companies suggested that Pertamina buy crude based on the Indonesian Crude Price (ICP) plus US$1 to $6 plus 44 percent tax.

The third option was that Pertamina buy crude based on ICP plus an addition tax that private companies had to pay for sending their crude to foreign trading partners.

For Singapore, the tax is 17 percent. Under the third option, private oil firms and Pertamina will save on transportation costs, he added.

Djoko said the three options were being discussed at the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas) before being approved by Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4, 2018 15:50 1136 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877608109 1 Business Mitsubishi,Xpander,expansion,factory,Bekasi,West-Java Free

Mitsubishi Motors has announced plans to increase production capacity at its factory in Bekasi, West Java in response to high demand, particularly for its Xpander MPV, both in domestic and international markets.

A press statement issued by the company in Tokyo on Wednesday said Mitsubishis total production capacity in Indonesia would be increased to 220,000 vehicles in 2020 from its current production capacity of 160,000.

For that, the company will invest 4 billion yen (US$34.99 million), which is expected to employ more than 800 new workers to add to the 4,100 current employees of the company.

The statement said production capacity for the Xpander alone would be increased from 115,000 to 160,000 vehicles annually in the 2020 fiscal year.

For exports, production would be increased from 30,000 to 50,000 vehicles to meet demand outside ASEAN.

Xpander engines would be produced at Nissan Motor Indonesia (NMI), increasing the Xpanders local content to 80 percent.

The Xpander recorded the largest sales in Indonesia in March and July. It was declared Car of the Year 2018 by Otomotifin March and by the Automotive Journalists Forum in September. (bbn)
NEW YORK, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to George J. Ramos, Jr., CEO of Compliance Training Group (CTG), a national workplace compliance training firm and a division of Employers Choice Screening (ECS), as of October 9, 2018 all New York state employers must provide an annual sexual harassment prevention training to employees. The training is mandated by Section 201-G of the New York Labor Law , passed by the NY legislature in April 2018, and contains stringent guidelines as set forth by the NYS Department of Labor. Employees must complete the sexual harassment prevention training by January 1, 2019, and any subsequent new hires have 30 days for completion. The new workplace compliance mandate is in response to the growing number of sexual harassment cases that have come to light with the #MeToo movement.



 Sexual harassment reporting has dramatically spiked in 2018, says Ramos, whose firm is on the front lines in workplace compliance training. With this mandate by the New York legislature, we fully expect to see other states follow in an effort to decrease employers liability and improve employee morale and safety. With the October 9th start date just days away, CTG has opened a new, east coast training office at: 347 5th Avenue, Suite 1402-386, New York, NY 10016, and launched a new, fully-compliant "New York Sexual Harassment Prevention Training. Our course is available for both supervisors and employees via e-learning modules; live, on-site instructor-led trainings; live webinars, Train-the-Trainer; and SCORM files for employers of all sizes. The New York training will help organizations increase their knowledge and meet the requirements of the Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act , and other mandatory regulations for NY employers.

To help NY employers meet the new mandatory requirements for sexual harassment prevention training, the Department of Labor, in consultation with the Division of Human Rights, has created a model sexual harassment prevention program that employers can use or adapt to their needs. For the training, itself, NY employers must hire qualified trainers or training firms that meet best practices criteria, such as: an HR professional or Harassment Prevention Consultant with a minimum of two years practical experience designing harassment prevention training, responding to harassment complaints, and conducting investigations of sexual harassment complaints; a law school or college professor or instructor with two or more years of experience teaching Employment Law; or an attorney with a minimum of two years experience, whose practice includes Employment Law.

Ramos explains, Its not uncommon for a trainer to be deposed or required to testify in an arbitration of legal proceeding in litigation matters involving the employer. Therefore, its important that the trainer has the appropriate experience and credentials to conduct the training. The trainers presentation and training materials must also be fully-compliant and be able to withstand scrutiny because the materials may be requested by defense counsel as part of their legal defense strategy for the employer. With our New York Sexual Harassment Prevention e-learning course, certified by SHRM, and Compliance Training Group recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRMCP or SHRMSCP, HR professionals can utilize it right now and help New York employers meet this imposing deadline.

Patricia Kotze, CTGs VP and Senior Executive Trainer adds, Our Sexual Harassment Prevention e-learning course provides employers, supervisors and managers with practical tools to identify and then intervene in potentially disruptive workplace conduct. It also guides NY supervisors through important federal and state discrimination and sexual harassment laws and applies the laws to real-life workplace scenarios while presenting legal definitions for discrimination and sexual harassment. Supervisors and managers are held responsible and accountable for the actions of their employees, including workplace behavior that constitutes sexual harassment. Further, the Supervisor Edition of our training educates supervisors on how they can become more aware of sexual harassment as well as ways to correct such occurrences.

For media inquiries, please contact:



Patricia Kotze

Compliance Training Group

Phone: (800) 591-9741

Email: pkotze@ComplianceTrainingGroup.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4aa65001-dc64-45c7-b86e-057bdf10b116
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4, 2018 15:01 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087760519e 1 City education-agency,ratoh-jaroe,Dancer,Asian-Games-2018,INASGOC,Dispute Free

The Jakarta administration has stressed that the Indonesian Asian Games Organizing Committee (INASGOC) had never offered individual honorariums to the thousands of Ratoh Jaroe dancers who performed in the spectacular opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games.

Acting Jakarta Education Agency head Bowo Irianto was responding to an outcry from senior high school students, who demanded that "their honorariums" be paid for performing in the mass Ratoh Jaroe dance during the Asian Games opening ceremony, held on Aug. 18 in Jakarta.

Bowo said that the INASGOC had only agreed to cover the operational costs of the dance performance.

"The MoU [memorandum of understanding] states that the organizing committee and the schools agreed on an operational fund, not individual honorariums for the dancers," he said on Thursday at City Hall, as quoted by kompas.com.

He added that the operational fund was intended to cover transportation costs and the dancers' meals during rehearsals, as the participating schools did not have a budget for the Asian Games performance.

So [the schools] received the operational fund and used it for the transportation and the meals of the [participating students]. If they did not use up the money, it depends on the schools [individual] policies on whether the remaining money would be distributed to the students or would be reallocated for another purpose, he said, adding that the uproar stemmed from a misunderstanding between the students and their schools.

Earlier, students from South Jakarta's SMA 46 senior high school staged a protest, demanding that the school pay their "fees" for their Ratoh Jaroe performance. Students from SMA 6 senior high school also demanded their fees, but SMA 6 claimed that it had already paid honorariums to the 168 students that had performed the dance. (ris)
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Linkedin Carlos Mandujano (Agence France-Presse) Lima, Peru  Thu, October 4, 2018 11:22 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308775f8b50 2 World #Peru,#Fujimori,Peru,pardon-offer,revocation,Fujimori,arrest Free

A Peruvian court on Wednesday annulled ex-president Alberto Fujimori's pardon for crimes against humanity and ordered the 80-year-old's immediate arrest, officials said.

The South American country's justice department said in a statement that the Supreme Court had "issued the arrest and detention orders against former president Fujimori so that he may be re-integrated into the prison establishment."

He was pardoned last December on humanitarian grounds, but critics said the move was in exchange for Fujimori's son helping then-president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski avoid impeachment.

Fujimori was 12 years into a 25-year jail sentence handed down for ordering two massacres by death squads between 1991 and 1992.

"This decision is inhuman, it's unjust," said his daughter Keiko, leader of the main opposition Popular Force party and seen by many as the heir to Fujimori's political dynasty.

"Today is the saddest day of our lives, it's painful," a tearful Keiko told reporters, adding that she had yet to speak to her father since the court decision.

One of Fujimori's lawyers, Miguel Perez, said on Chile's RPP radio the decision was subject to appeal.

The pardon, issued by Kuczynski before he was himself brought down by a corruption scandal, triggered a wave of protests by human rights organizations and by victims of Fujimori's crackdown.

Fujimori, a Peruvian of Japanese descent, has been living in Lima but has been hospitalized four times since his release last December.

After his arrest Wednesday, he was admitted to a clinic for tests after experiencing a drop in blood pressure and an accelerated heart beat, his doctor, Alejandro Aguinaga, told reporters.

- Health problems -

Victims of Fujimori's crackdown had petitioned the Inter-American Court to demand a judicial review of the process that led to the pardon.

Carlos Rivera, a lawyer for the victims, said the decision to annul the pardon was justified.

"Kuczynski's pardon to Alberto Fujimori has no legal value and therefore he has to return to prison for irregularities in the process," he said.

Kuczynski had justified the pardon on humanitarian grounds, given Fujimori's well-documented ill-health. But the scandal-tainted president had only days earlier survived an impeachment vote thanks to the abstention of a group of lawmakers led by Fujimori's son Kenji.

This lead critics to say the pardon was obviously a quid-pro-quo, the price Kuczynski paid for what proved to be a temporary political survival.

"International standards in the humanitarian pardon were not met," Rivera said.

Alejandro Aguinaga, Fujimori's doctor, expressed shock at the news. "We see that in Peru nothing is respected. The pardon of president Fujimori was a constitutional action," Aguinaga told Radio RPP.

Fujimori has had a number of operations as part of a long-running battle with tongue cancer. His most recent hospitalization was in August, for an irregular heartbeat.

- Family feud -

He has been working on a memoir about his decade in power (1990-2000), a period marked by corruption but also by a fight against guerrillas and terrorism.

"I have reached 80 bearing the marks of the years, with all the shocks of political life, the enormous satisfactions and the profound regrets," he wrote in a message to AFP around his birthday in July.

"In the few years I have left," Fujimori explained in his handwritten text, "I will dedicate myself to three objectives: bringing my family together, improving my health to the extent possible, and striking a serene and balanced equilibrium in my life."

However, Fujimori has been unable to reconcile his daughter Keiko, 43, with her younger brother Kenji, who leads a rival faction of her party, to end a political schism which could see the two face off in the 2021 presidential elections.

The charge of crimes against humanity stemmed in part from the killings or disappearances of scores of civilians -- allegedly by a shadowy squad of military officers -- during Peru's bloody struggle against Maoist rebels.

The ex-ruler is revered and despised in equal measure in Peru. Admirers laud him for dragging the country's economy into the modern era and defeating the Shining Path guerrilla movement.
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4, 2018 10:01 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308775f482d 1 Politics Ratna-Sarumpaet,Prabowo-Subianto,Prabowo-Subianto-Sandiaga-Uno,assault,scandal Free

Presidential contender Prabowo Subianto has apologized for amplifying a false claim made by his campaign team member, Ratna Sarumpaet, that she had been a victim of assault.

Ratna claimed on Tuesday that she had been assaulted by three men in Bandung, West Java, last month, after a photo showing her with a swollen face circulated on social media. A day later, Ratna admitted to having lied, saying that her face was swollen as a result of liposuction.

Personally, and in my capacity as the leader of the [campaign] team, I apologize to the public for saying something that had not been confirmed yet, Prabowo told reporters after Ratnas confession.

I apologize for being too hasty. We are a new team and are still learning. But there is no excuse. If we are wrong then we admit that we are, and we apologize for it, he said.

The former general said Ratna had resigned from the team and he would not interfere with any legal action taken against her.

We wont tolerate hoaxes. If one of our team members spreads hoaxes or lies, well firmly take actions against them. And well even report it to law enforcers, Prabowo said.

Ratnas claims turned political after presidential contender Prabowo Subianto met her and denounced the assault against her, saying that he would speak to National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian about the human rights abuse.

Ratna has apologized to Prabowo and the public for her deception, particularly to National Mandate Party (PAN) patron Amien Rais, "who had been patient listening to me lying yesterday.

The police had indicated that Ratna could be charged with spreading lies and hate speech as stipulated under the Electronic Information and Transactions Law, but it remained unclear if she would be prosecuted.
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Miami, United States  Thu, October 4, 2018 11:11 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308775f8271 2 World #Puertorico,#MurderCase,beauty,Queen,murder,husband Free

A Puerto Rican ex-beauty queen was found guilty Wednesday of hiring a hitman to kill her wealthy Canadian husband.

Aurea Vazquez Rijos -- who spent several years in Europe as a fugitive -- was convicted of hiring Alex Pabon Colon to kill Adam Anhang in September 2005.

The victim's father, an emotional Abraham Anhang, told reporters at the courthouse doors: "I'm very happy, this has been almost 14 years of agony. And I believe justice has been done."

Sentencing was set for January 31, 2019.

Prosecutors said the former Miss Puerto Rico Petite paid $3 million for the hit.

She had signed a prenuptial agreement six months before ordering the murder of Anhang, a Canadian real estate developer with properties in Puerto Rico, the indictment added.

According to court documents, at the time of his death he had a net worth of $24 million.

Shortly after getting married, Anhang began mentioning the possibility of divorce, court records showed, but under the terms of their agreement, Vazquez Rijos would receive much more as a widow.

The ex-beauty queen allegedly summoned her husband to Old San Juan for dinner to make it easier for the hit man to do his job.

The hitman later confessed to killing Anhang when the couple left the restaurant.

He also hit Vazquez Rijos so that the attack would look like a robbery. She fled to Italy before the prosecution issued the first indictment in 2008.

She was finally arrested in Spain in 2013 and then extradited.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Thu, October 4 2018

The death penalty has been handed down in Jakarta to two individuals found guilty in a drug-related case, the latest convicts to receive capital punishment this year.

On Tuesday, the West Jakarta District Court sentenced Rizky Albar, 29, and Rocky Siahaan, 37, to death for their roles in smuggling 1.3 tons of cannabis  which has been legalized in many countries  to Jakarta from Aceh in December last year.

Presiding judge Agus Setiawan said while the crime had contravened the governments efforts to curb the circulation of drug in the country, the court cold not find any mitigating factors to lessen Rizkys sentence.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4, 2018 11:30 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308775f9455 4 Business rupiah-against-dollar,2019,BI,prediction,perry-warjiyo Free

Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo has expressed his optimism that the weakening of the rupiah against the US dollar will not continue into 2019, arguing that the external pressures against the countrys currency would slow down.

Perry revealed three factors that would stabilize the rupiah exchange rate next year. First, the United States Federal Reserve would slow down its monetary policy. This year, the US central bank is expected to increase the Fed Fund Rate four times.

The Fed will likely increase its reference rate only twice next year, or only 0.5 percent, said Perry in Jakarta on Wednesday as reported by kontan.co.id.

Second, he estimated that global investors would not continue to put their funds in the United States dollar as a result of the declining yields.

Therefore, they would seek alternative investment schemes in emerging countries, including Indonesia, Perry said, adding that next year more capital inflow would recover this year's foreign exchange shortage.

Last year, the rupiah appreciated because the foreign exchange outflow of US$17.3 billion as a result of goods and services transactions could be covered by the capital inflow of $29.2 billion. Therefore, we still had a surplus of $11.9 billion [by the end of 2017], Perry added.

In the first half of 2018, capital outflow for goods and services transactions reached $13.7 billion, while capital inflow from investment only reached $5.4 billion, he explained.

Third, he added, the current account deficit would be narrowed next year due to various efforts by the government to curb imports. (bbn)
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Linkedin Joe Bavier (Reuters) Johannesburg, South Africa  Thu, October 4, 2018 20:08 1136 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087760fc11 2 World #SaudiArabia,#SouthAfrica,Saudi-Arabia,military,weapon-procurement,SouthAfrica Free

Saudi Arabia is in talks with South Africa's major arms manufacturers and is considering taking an equity stake in the struggling state-owned defence firm Denel, the head of the Saudi state defence company told Reuters.

Saudi Arabian Military Industries' (SAMI) chief executive Andreas Schwer said he expected to conclude the first partnership deals with South African companies by the end of the year, though he would not identify those initial partners.

South Africa's Department of Public Enterprises, which oversees Denel, acknowledged the talks with SAMI but said it was too early to give details of any potential partnership arrangement.

The Paramount Group, a privately held South African company, has already said it is in talks with SAMI.

"To make it clear, we are in discussions with all major South African companies, not only Paramount, not only Denel," Schwer said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.South Africa's defence industry once played a major role in the country's economy, but more recently it has suffered from the impact of a squeeze on defence spending globally and a weak home market.

Saudi Arabia is the world's third largest defence spender behind the United States and China with an estimated military budget last year of nearly $70 billion.

Since 2015, the Gulf state has been fighting a war against the armed Houthi movement in Yemen in support of the internationally recognised government there.

With little local manufacturing capacity, however, it has long been forced to import the bulk of its military hardware.

The Saudi government is now seeking to develop its own domestic defence industry with the goal of localising half of its military spending by 2030. Schwer said SAMI aimed to have all its foreign partnerships in place by the end of next year.

"We are in discussions with the South African government in order to identify opportunities to set up strategic partnerships which could include an equity investment from our side into Denel. It's not decided yet, but it's one option," Schwer said.

STRUGGLING INDUSTRY

Over 60 percent of Denel's revenues come from exports. But the company has been grappling with a liquidity crunch after becoming embroiled in corruption scandals during the presidency of Jacob Zuma.

"We hope to get access to their technology. They have to commit to transfer their technology to Saudi Arabia and to build up together with us local capabilities, not only manufacturing but also engineering," Schwer said.

He said those same conditions would apply to all of SAMI's partners, and in return Saudi Arabia would offer preferred or exclusive market access to companies.

Denel did not pay senior staff their salaries in full this month. Labour unions say it is critical that Denel receives financial support - either via additional government guarantees or a capital injection.

A Denel spokeswoman said she was not aware of the discussions with SAMI and the Saudi government.

"Denel would welcome any country that looks at South Africa for procurement of defence material," the spokeswoman Vuyelwa Qinga, wrote in an emailed response to Reuters' questions.

President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Saudi Arabia in July and subsequently announced that the Saudi government pledged to invest at least $10 billion in South Africa.

Department of Public Enterprises spokesman Adrian Lackay said there had been discussions between SAMI and various state bodies about Saudi Arabia's interest in defence technology.

"But at this stage it would be premature and speculative for the DPE to attempt to provide details of any specific transactions," he said.

A United Nations arms embargo imposed on South Africa's apartheid government in 1977 forced the country to produce all its own military hardware.

By 1994 when Nelson Mandela was elected president, the industry employed over 100,000 people. But defence spending has steadily declined and just 15,000 work in the sector today, a trade association official said earlier this year.

"In the beginning, we will pump in lots of additional capacity into South Africa to expand the capabilities and capacities in order to serve our needs and, yes, progressively we will build up capabilities here in the kingdom," Schwer said.

He said even though the Saudis were pursuing the partnership to build their own domestic industry, the end result for South Africa would be a much bigger defence industry.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4, 2018 10:22 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308775f668b 4 Business tax-collection,September,robert-pakpahan,tax-office Free

The Finance Ministrys director general of taxation Robert Pakpahan has said his office booked Rp 900.82 trillion (US$59.41 billion) up to September, or 63.26 percent of the total target of Rp 1.42 quadrillion as set in the 2018 state budget.

He said in Jakarta on Wednesday that tax collection had seen a positive trend over the last two months  16.52 percent growth in August and 16.87 percent in September.

He explained that income tax (PPh) from the non-oil and gas sector grew 16.71 percent, added value tax (PPN) from the non-oil and gas sector grew 14.35 percent, land and property tax (PBB) grew 104 percent and income tax from the oil and gas sector grew 23.31 percent.

Progress in the collection of income tax from the non-oil and gas sector had reached 59.27 percent, or nominally 8.53 trillion, up to Sept. 30, he said at a press conference in his office as reported by kompas.com.

Meanwhile the progress of PBB collection had reached 50.9 percent or Rp 13.77 percent, he said.

The collection of added value tax and added value tax for luxury goods had already reached 64.88 percent, or Rp 351 trillion, of the yearly target, he said, adding that the collection of income tax from the oil and gas sector had reached 124.6 percent of this year's target.

However, he admitted that his office was estimated to have only collected some 95 percent of the yearly tax revenue target up to December. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, October 4, 2018 14:08 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877604d05 1 City truck,traffic-accident,jakarta,Jakarta-accidents,police Free

An overloaded freight truck carrying rolls of steel cable and 30 people toppled over on Wednesday on Jl. Pusdiklat Depnaker in Makasar, East Jakarta..

The Jakarta Police traffic units law enforcement head, Sr. Adj. Comr. Budiyanto, said four people were injured in the accident, one of whom suffered a broken leg.

It was initially reported that five people were injured, but there were only four [injured], Budiyanto said as quoted by kompas.com.

He said that the accident occurred as the truck was heading north on Jl. Pusdiklat Depnaker. The driver apparently lost control of the vehicle, which then tilted to its left and fell over.

The passengers fell out of the truck and were hit by the cable [it was carrying], Budiyanto added.

The 30 people were riding in the open bed of the truck, which was also loaded with the steel cable.

The injured were rushed to Budi Asih Hospital in Cawang, East Jakarta. The police have detained the truck driver for questioning. (vla)
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Linkedin Maria Panina and Abhaya Srivastava (Agence France-Presse) New Delhi, India  Thu, October 4, 2018 09:09 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308775f1f8d 2 World #India,#Russia,Putin,India,military,deal,USA,China Free

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in India on Thursday looking to tie up billions of dollars in arms deals with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, likely irking the US, China and Pakistan in one fell swoop.

The Kremlin said before the two-day visit that the "key feature" would be the signing of a $5-billion deal for the advanced S-400 air defence system, despite US sanctions against countries buying Russian defence hardware.

India will ask the United States for a special waiver for the purchase -- as discussed by their defence and foreign ministers in New Delhi last month -- but Washington has signalled there is no guarantee it will accede.

The US is in a difficult position as it seeks to contain China through better ties with India, which like Washington has been unnerved by Beijing's growing assertiveness.

Washington and New Delhi announced plans last month for joint military drills in 2019, and agreed on the exchange of sensitive military information.

But Russia remains India's main arms supplier, and a string of new deals with the Asian giant would be a major win for Moscow -- and a big snub to the US.

Putin and Modi, who appear to enjoy a personal rapport, are also likely to discuss a deal for four Krivak-class frigates worth $2 billion and 200 light utility Ka-226 helicopters pegged at $1 billion.

India and Russia have already concluded an Inter-Governmental Agreement for the choppers, 60 of which would be built in Russia and the rest in India.

"Russia is a time-tested friend. I am really glad some spine has finally been shown by India," R.R. Subramanian, a Delhi-based strategic affairs analyst, told AFP.

"It's about time we... showed that we are not going to be pushed around by Washington."

Experts say India needs the sophisticated S-400 system to fill critical gaps in its defence capabilities, in view of China's rise and perceived threats from Pakistan, against whom India has fought three wars.

Indian Air Force Chief Birender Singh Dhanoa said on Wednesday that the S-400 and the 36 Rafale fighter jets purchased from France -- a 2016 deal mired in political controversy -- represent a "booster dose" for the country.

- Boldly go -

Putin, 65, and Modi, 68, are also set to discuss a possible second Russian-built nuclear power plant in India. Moscow is currently expanding India's biggest nuclear power plant in Kudankulam.

Also on the agenda is Russian training for Indian astronauts as New Delhi aims to launch its first crewed space mission in 2022.

Rakesh Sharma, the only Indian to travel in space, did so on a Soviet spacecraft in 1984.

But military kit is the main focus.

India is the world's biggest arms importer and is undergoing a $100-billion upgrade of its ageing hardware, much of it of Soviet vintage like MiG jets that regularly crash in the Indian countryside.

Russia is still India's biggest arms supplier, and the two have had warm ties since Stalin died in 1953.

The US is now number two, though, supplying the Indian military with advanced hardware like Apache attack helicopters and negotiating the sale of armed drones.

Russia-India trade has slipped below $10 billion since 2014, as Modi has cultivated closer diplomatic and economic ties with Washington, while Russia has courted Pakistan and China.

But ties received a boost last year when Modi and Putin held a fruitful annual bilateral summit, followed by meetings in Astana and at the G20 in Germany. They also met in Sochi this year.

On the strategic front, Russia helped India become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation this year and has backed New Delhi's long-held demand for a permanent UN Security Council seat.

Moscow is also pushing for India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group of countries controling access to nuclear technology despite atomic-armed India not signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
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Bombardier's supply share is around one third of Deutsche Bahns order of 18 7-car trains and 50 rail cars

BERLIN, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Note to editors: To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0c88f5f2-a439-4132-8e1e-27264acf1f73

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Global mobility solution provider Bombardier Transportation will continue to make an important contribution to the expansion of Deutsche Bahn's ICE 4 fleet as a Siemens partner and supplier. At the end of September, Bombardier signed a contract with Siemens for further cooperation as a supplier for Deutsche Bahn's new order for 18 7-car ICE 4 trains and 50 powered cars. The contract is valued at approximately 198 million euro ($229 million US). Bombardiers scope represents around one third of the overall project.

The new order is part of a framework agreement for the development and supply of key components for up to 300 ICE 4 high-speed trains for Deutsche Bahn, which was signed with Siemens in 2011. Bombardier is responsible for the exterior design, the production and design of the steel car bodies, the delivery of the trailer bogies and around 30 percent of the final assembly of the entire ICE 4 fleet.

"The ICE 4 is the flagship of Deutsche Bahn and a perfect example of modern rail transport. We are proud to be part of this prestigious project," said Laurent Troger, President of Bombardier Transportation. "The aim is to jointly provide the right mobility solutions for safe, comfortable and efficient long-distance transport in Germany. Our innovative high-technology components and our manufacturing expertise make an important contribution to the success of this project.

About Bombardier Transportation

Bombardier Transportation is a global mobility solution provider leading the way with the rail industrys broadest portfolio. It covers the full spectrum of solutions, ranging from trains to sub-systems and signalling to complete turnkey transport systems, e-mobility technology and data-driven maintenance services. Combining technology and performance with empathy, Bombardier Transportation continuously breaks new ground in sustainable mobility by providing integrated solutions that create substantial benefits for operators, passengers and the environment. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Bombardier Transportation employs around 39,850 people and its products and services operate in over 60 countries.

About Bombardier

With over 69,500 employees across four business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety.



Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in 28 countries across the segments of Transportation, Business Aircraft, Commercial Aircraft and Aerostructures and Engineering Services. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, Bombardier posted revenues of $16.2 billion US. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier .

Notes to editors

For news, related material and photos, visit our newsroom at www.rail.bombardier.com/en/newsroom.html . Please subscribe to our RSS Feed to receive press releases or follow Bombardier Transportation on Twitter @BombardierRail .



Bombardier is a trademark of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.



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Media relations, Germany

Andreas Dienemann

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Linkedin Jastinder Khera (Agence France-Presse) Zell am See, Austria  Thu, October 4, 2018 14:00 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308776025bb 2 News Alpine,burqa,Austria,tourism,travel,ban Free

With its pristine waters, snow-covered mountains and breathtaking Alpine views, the Austrian lakeside town of Zell am See is one of the top European destinations for visitors from the Gulf region.

And it aims to remain so, even though Austria introduced a ban on face-covering burqa or niqab veils a year ago.

The picturesque little town south of Salzburg with a population of 10,000 is regularly described as "paradise" in Arabic-language reviews online. It draws tens of thousands of visitors from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates or Oman every year.

They make up more than a quarter of all annual visitors and holiday brochures are readily available in Arabic.

So when Austria banned the wearing of burqas or niqabs in all public spaces in October 2017 -- under pain of fines of up to 150 euros ($170) -- the town's authorities knew that enforcing the rule could be a delicate matter.

The aim of the ban, according to the government, is to further integration among Austrian Muslims at a time when fears about immigration and radical Islamists are sharply dividing society.

But in resorts such as Zell am See, police are having to enforce it against tourists, fuelling fears that the high-spending Arab guests, and the valuable revenue they represent, might be scared off.

Penalties

"I've heard some people say they don't want to come back now," said one restaurant worker who asked not to be named, even if he said hadn't particularly noticed a drop in business this year.

Local police chief Kurt Moeschl said more than 200 fines had been handed out between June and September alone. But his officers were always at pains to remain respectful.

"We have been trying to implement the law with as much tact and sense of proportion as possible," he said.

Austrian embassies and missions abroad had been working to raise awareness of the new law, Moeschl said. And the police chief himself had hosted the Saudi ambassador in Zell am See to discuss the issue.

Moeschl estimated that in around 90 percent of cases, the women had agreed to remove their veil after police officers explained the new law to them.

Read also: Danish ban on Islamic full-face veil takes effect

Walking along the lakeside, one couple from Saudi Arabia -- who did not wish to be named -- said they had been approached by police during their stay.

"Yes, the police did talk to us about the niqab law. But we are leaving tomorrow," the husband said, as his wife, still wearing the veil, stood beside him.

'Do your job'

A little farther along the shore, Barbara Scheicher, who operates a boat-rental business, said the law had not had a noticeable impact.

"I haven't noticed any difference, either in the number [of people] coming, or in how many of them are veiled," she told AFP.

"I asked one woman whether she knew it was illegal, but she reacted so badly that since then I haven't. I've seen the same reaction when the police have tried to tell people," Scheicher said.

Police chief Moeschl said his officers had also encountered locals and even other holidaymakers who insisted that women's veils be forcibly removed.

One Norwegian tourist, for example, went so far as to send the police photos of niqab-wearing women at various locations around the town, complete with the times they were taken, and the message: "Do your job".

Moeschl insisted that most interactions passed off without incident and that his officers followed interior ministry guidelines.

And he is optimistic that, over time, the situation will become easier.

"I expect that in a few years from now, this won't be an issue."
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Linkedin Sara Hussein (Agence France-Presse) Tokyo, Japan  Thu, October 4, 2018 10:10 1137 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308775f5795 2 News Japan,food,tsukiji,Toyosu,tsukiji-fish-market,fishing,travel Free

For decades, Tokyo's Tsukiji market has been the beating heart of a world-class culinary capital, supplying Michelin-starred chefs and drawing tourists who queue for hours to glimpse pre-dawn tuna auctions.

But this week it will finally shut its doors and relocate from its dilapidated but central location to a new site in eastern Tokyo, after a lengthy and controversial process, hindered by pollution rows and construction delays.

Traders will sell their last wares at Tsukiji's inner market on October 6, shutting up shop after one final tuna auction.

The mammoth move will begin the following day, with vendors expected to file out of the market in a mass exodus to the new site, where operations start on October 11.

The relocation has been in the works for decades, driven in part by the rundown quarters where vendors sell 480 different types of seafood worth $14 million each day.

This summer, a heatwave virtually overwhelmed the market's outdated air conditioning, forcing wholesalers to keep pricey produce in cool trucks until moments before auction.

The market's new location in Toyosu promises state-of-the-art facilities. Special doors will help keep halls cool and sterile, while gawping tourists will be confined to a viewing gallery behind glass.

For some vendors, the changes will be a welcome improvement from conditions at Tsukiji, where throngs of visitors interfering with the actual business of the market have irked wholesalers.

But the move also has its detractors, with concerns about everything from Toyosu's location, far from clients, to pollution at the new site.

Read also: 'Save Tsukiji': Protests as Tokyo fish market nears closure

- Protests against move -

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, who has championed the move, has been forced to repeatedly defend Toyosu after the discovery of soil contamination on the site, formerly home to a gas plant.

Officials say the pollution has been remedied but not everyone is convinced.

In the weeks before the move, hundreds of protestors demonstrated against the relocation, and legal challenges have been filed.

"The new site at Toyosu is not suitable for wholesalers. There are going to be a lot of problems," said lawyer Kenji Utsunomiya.

Asunaro Suetake, another protestor, said it was "strange to move the world's biggest fish market to a polluted site, especially when the majority of fishmongers are opposed".

Opened in 1935, Tsukiji is walking distance from the swanky Ginza district where some of Tokyo's most famed restaurants are located.

The proximity has created a close relationship between vendors and fiercely exacting chefs seeking top quality products for restaurants sometimes boasting multiple Michelin stars.

Fishmongers fear they may lose clients with the move to the less accessible new site.

The relocation will also be something of a blow to tourists, who often lined up for hours to secure one of just 120 spots to view Tsukiji's pre-dawn tuna auction.

Read also: Tsukiji fish market hosts last tuna auction viewing before move

- 'End of an era' -

Each New Year's Day, high-profile buyers vied to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the top tuna at the first auction of the year.

At Tsukiji's last New Year's sale, one buyer put down $320,000, still far short of the record $1.8 million paid for a bluefin in 2013.

The so-called outer market at Tsukiji -- brick-and-mortar shops selling everything from seaweed to coffee -- will remain after the move.

But the warehouses that housed vendors and additional shops and restaurants are expected to be levelled to make way, initially, for a transport depot for the 2020 Olympic Games.

Beyond that, the site's future is more uncertain, though Koike has suggested it could be transformed into a kind of culinary theme park, commemorating the market's colourful history.

Yukari Sakamoto, author of Food Sake Tokyo, who has run tours of Tsukiji for over 10 years, said problems with the new site had left vendors frustrated.

"They all agree that the current site needs to be upgraded. But... they should have rebuilt on the current location," she told AFP.

With the move just days away, "you do feel that sadness" in the market, she said.

"You're thinking 'oh wow, this is the end of an era'. It's just so disappointing that it's not ending on a positive note."
TORONTO, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LSC Lithium Corporation (LSC or together with its subsidiaries, the Company) (TSXV:LSC) is pleased to announce progress on key infrastructure for the Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes (PPG) Project. The Company has engaged with regulators and Salta based service providers to advance permitting, data acquisition and construction of key project infrastructure.



HIGHLIGHTS

Allocation of gas capacity to support electricity and steam generation for 20ktpa lithium carbonate operation.

Fresh water sources identified with quality confirmed for future operations.

Commencement of geotechnical investigations for ponds and plant infrastructure covering approximately 800 ha in the Pozuelos salar.

Completion of exploration camp which will be converted and expanded to a future operations camp.

Application submitted for permit for brine pipeline corridor connecting Pastos Grandes and Pozuelos with approval expected in Q1 2019. This will secure the planned production mix of approximately 35% of brine from Pastos Grandes and 65% from Pozuelos, providing an efficient blend.

LSCs President and CEO Ian Stalker, noted, The PPG Project is well located in direct vicinity to existing road and gas infrastructure. I am pleased with the progress made by the in-country team in advancing the various workstreams to confirm access to this infrastructure. The identification of sites well suited to pond and plant construction confirm our belief that Pozuelos can serve as host for a standalone lithium production system with brine supplied from Pozuelos and the adjacent Pastos Grandes salar.

We are particularly pleased by the presence of several sources of fresh water proximate to our PPG Project. Equally, the allocation of gas capacity is an important development milestone and places the PPG Project ahead of other junior developers in the region.

Allocation of Gas Capacity

LSC has received written confirmation from the gas distribution company allocating capacity on the existing Puna and Fenix gas pipelines. The quantities are expected to be sufficient to produce electricity and steam generation for a production facility of 20,000 tpa of lithium carbonate.

The intention to tie into the existing Fenix pipeline approximately 40km south of Pocitos and connect directly to the Pozuelos salar is supported by the distributor. LSC will continue this engagement to finalise technical specifications, price assumptions, and understand infrastructure requirements.

Completion of Exploration Camp

The construction of a 40-person exploration camp at the Pozuelos salar has been completed and was occupied in September. The camp will simplify future exploration logistics, support the construction and operation of future pilot ponds and has been designed to be expanded for future mine operations.

Once the PPG Project is moved to construction and production, this camp will be expanded and utilized for mine administration offices and as an operational camp.

Fresh Water Supply

Three separate sources of fresh water have so far been identified across the Pozuelos salar. Fresh water at site WWF1, which is located approximately 1km from the accommodation camp, will be used to support the camp operations and future pilot plant test work.

Sites PZMW01 and PZMW02 were drilled to test the brine-fresh water interface in the extreme north and south of the Pozuelos salar. The testing confirmed a conventional interface, with fresh water recharging the salar above a layer of brackish water and brine lower in the stratigraphy.

The quality of water at all three sites supports water requirements for a future process plant with minimal treatment. Testing is ongoing to ascertain the long term yield potential from these wells. An application for a water abstraction permit has been lodged with the Ministry of Environment in August 2018 with approval expected before the end of the year.

Commencement of Geotechnical Investigations

A first field investigation was undertaken by a geotechnical engineer to ascertain and confirm that conditions within the salar support the construction of the primary evaporation ponds which are expected to be approximately 800ha in size. Furthermore, sufficient area is available adjacent to the salar for placing the secondary and tertiary ponds, salt stockpiles and the lithium plant. A program is now being developed to confirm detail design criteria for building foundations and pond construction.

Pipeline Connection Corridor

LSC plans to deliver approximately 35% of raw feed brine to the evaporation ponds from the Pastos Grandes salar. A pipeline of approximately 15km in length is required to transport this brine. As 11km of this pipeline is located outside of LSC tenements, an application for an easement for the pipeline corridor has been submitted to the Salta mining authorities. This application was supported by an environmental impact assessment and baseline studies over the extent of this pipeline corridor. Approval is expected in Q1, 2019.

This approach ensures that all major project infrastructure can be located in the mature Pozuelos salar, where geotechnical, environmental, physical and social conditions are better suited to the construction of infrastructure.

Qualified Person

This press release is based upon information prepared and approved by Donald H. Hains, P.Geo. Mr. Hains is a qualified person, as defined in NI 43-101 and is independent of LSC.

ABOUT LSC LITHIUM CORPORATION:

LSC Lithium has amassed a large portfolio of prospective lithium rich salars and is focused on developing its material projects: Pozuelos and Pastos Grandes Project, Rio Grande Project and Salinas Grandes Project. All LSC tenements are located in the Lithium Triangle, an area at the intersection of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile where the worlds most abundant lithium brine deposits are found. LSC Lithium has a land package portfolio totaling approximately 300,000 hectares, which represents extensive lithium prospective salar holdings in Argentina.

For further information please contact:

LSC Lithium Corporation

Ian Stalker

President & Chief Executive Officer

40 University Avenue,

Suite 605, Toronto

ON Canada M5J 1T1

+416 306 8380

Email: info@lsclithium.com

Web: lsclithium.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance, including statements as to the ability to progress and advance infrastructure, ability to extract and utilize fresh water sources, ability to identify sites for construction, ability and likelihood of tying into the Fenix pipeline, timing and completion of testing fresh water, likelihood of standalone lithium production system from PPG, ability to produce and implement design program, results of camp, timing and likelihood of delivering raw feed to ponds, LSCs overall contained lithium inventory, and ability to produce more results on the Companys properties. The use of any of the words could, anticipate, 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 LSC's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Whether actual results and developments will conform with LSC's expectations is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties including factors underlying management's assumptions, such as risks related to: title, permitting and regulatory risks; exploration and the establishment of any resources or reserves on the LSC properties; volatility in lithium prices and the market for lithium; exchange rate fluctuations; volatility in LSCs share price; the requirement for significant additional funds for development that may not be available; changes in national and local government legislation, including permitting and licensing regimes and taxation policies and the enforcement thereof; regulatory, political or economic developments in Argentina or elsewhere; litigation; title, permit or license disputes related to interests on any of the properties in which the Company holds an interest; excessive cost escalation as well as development, permitting, infrastructure, operating or technical difficulties on any of the Company's properties; risks and hazards associated with the business of development and mining on any of the Company's properties. Actual future results may differ materially. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and LSC is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. For more information, see the Company's filing statement on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. 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 TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.
Nasi goreng, an Indonesian rice dish, is ideal for an easy-to-prepare meal after a long day of lectures. This recipe is from Fergal Connolly's Fakeaway Manual, a cookbook which helps you to make all of your favourite takeaway dishes at home.



Nasi goreng from Fergal Connolly's 'Fakeaway Manual', Haynes Publishing

Difficulty rating: *

Special equipment: Wok or large, heavy frying pan

Serves: 2

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Indonesia was once at the epicentre of the global spice trade, with spices, tea and coffee being traded from Jakarta to many European countries. Little wonder, then, that spices are such a feature of the countrys cuisine, and where better to showcase them than Indonesias national rice dish. Meaning fried rice, nasi goreng is eaten at any time of the day and there are as many versions of it as there are cooks in Indonesia. Its the perfect way to use up any leftover rice. The only hard-and-fast rules are that the rice should be cool and the grains separated before it is fried, and that it is served with an egg on top, though how this is cooked is down to personal preference  I like it to have a crispy white skirt and a runny yolk, but its entirely up to you.  Fergal Connolly, Fakeaway Manual

Ingredients



200g/7oz/1 cup basmati rice

30ml/2 tbsp oil, for frying

5 Asian shallots, peeled and finely sliced

4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

15ml/1 tbsp shrimp paste

15ml/1 tbsp grated fresh root ginger

2 fresh birds-eye chillies, thinly sliced

2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks

15ml/1 tbsp tomato paste

30ml/2 tbsp kecap manis

2 eggs

salt and ground black pepper

To serve:

2 spring onions (scallions), sliced thinly

Hot Sauce

sliced cucumber

chilli threads

Method

1. Cook the basmati according to packet instructions, then leave to cool completely.

2. Heat 5ml/1 tsp of the oil in a wok or large, heavy frying pan. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt and cook for 56 minutes, until wilted and starting crisp up. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

3. Heat 15ml/1 tbsp of the oil in the pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, shrimp paste, ginger and chillies. Cook for 23 minutes, moving it around.

4. Add the carrots and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and kecap manis and cook for 23 minutes.

5. Add the rice, making sure that all the grains are nicely separated. Cook, stirring, for 56 minutes, until heated through and the grains are well coated.

6. Meanwhile, put the remaining oil in a small frying pan and place over a high heat. When the oil is super hot, carefully crack in an egg and allow it to cook until a little frilly crispy edge has formed. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the other egg.

7. Mound the rice on to warm plates and lay an egg on each portion. Top with spring onions, hot sauce, sliced cucumber, crispy shallots and chilli threads.

Variation

If you cant find kecap manis  Indonesian sweet soy sauce  then you can just mix a little regular dark soy sauce with some honey.

Fergal Connolly's Fakeaway Manual is priced at 22.99 and is available to buy from www.haynes.com.

For the chance to win a copy of Fakeaway Manual, head over to The National Student's Twitter now to enter our giveaway.
Carolyn Jackson, Lancaster University and Vanita Sundaram, University of York

Sexual harassment is widespread and affects the lives of women and girls, in particular, every day. In the face of calls to tackle sexual harassment and violence, the UK government committed to carry out a review to see if misogyny should be treated as a hate crime. This review is a welcome and important step, but studies we conducted at UK universities indicate that the law alone wont be enough to tackle sexual harassment.

A pervasive problem

We dont notice it, so I think its quite accepted. Because when I was first thinking about lad culture at this university I thought oh well there isnt really and then I realised actually there is and theres quite a lot of it.

Ive definitely been touched when Ive said dont touch me, Ive definitely had my skirt pulled up, Ive definitely had people like kiss me when Ive said get away from me, and theyll just take your face and theyll just kiss you. Theres not a lot you can do about it but Id never ever think to report it  its like what would you say to report, cos I could give you 20 reports from one night out.

As researchers looking into higher education, we know that sexual harassment and violence are widespread in universities  theyre a core part of whats known as lad culture. The National Union of Students (NUS) has conducted several studies about students experiences, and found that two-thirds of women students have experienced verbal or non-verbal harassment; one in seven women students has experienced serious physical or sexual assault; and 37% of women and 12% of men students have experienced unwanted sexual advances. This trend is not specific to the UK: a recent survey of all 39 universities in Australia, for example, revealed that 51% of university students were sexually harassed on at least one occasion in 2016, with higher rates among some groups including women students, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse students and disabled students.Our research , published in 2018, suggests that despite evidence of pervasive sexism, harassment and sexual violence in universities, the extent of these behaviours is not usually recognised by staff. We interviewed 72 staff across six universities in England, including senior managers such as pro-vice chancellors, student union officers, lecturers, welfare tutors and security staff. Our analyses showed that most staff underestimate the pervasiveness of lad culture. This is illustrated by Alex, a student union officer, who said:Staff who had become conscious of the widespread nature of lad culture, often student union staff, conveyed the ways in which sexism, harassment and sexual violence are so common in university contexts that they are normalised and unremarkable  part of the wallpaper of sexism. And because it is so normal, students rarely report it  as Abby, a student union officer, told us:Ways of tackling sexual harassment that rely on reporting - like the hate crime legislation  are unlikely to be effective if sexual harassment is so frequent that reporting it seems unimaginable.

In our study, only some of the more extreme instances were noticed by staff. This meant they only saw the tip of the iceberg, and so underestimated its prevalence. Ella, a lecturer and programme leader, said:

By the time the issues come to me, then Id say [laddism] is fairly infrequent but I can imagine that if I investigate it Id probably find that its a lot more frequent than it appears  Normally by the time it comes to my door it can be pretty serious.

The law is not enough

When institutions underestimate the pervasiveness of sexual harassment and violence, it has an impact on how its understood, explained and addressed. If only extreme cases are recognised, it can mean that its seen as a personal problem  the perpetrators are cast as a few bad apples, while institutional cultures are left unexamined, and unchallenged. It also means that institutions respond using disciplinary processes that focus on individual punishment, and rely on individuals to report their experiences  much like the proposed hate crime legislation. Such mechanisms are important, but theyre not enough. For example, we know that there are many cultural barriers , such as shame and fear of not being believed, that prevent survivors from reporting. Until we move beyond seeing sexual harassment and violence as being committed by a few bad apples we will fail to understand the causes, and address them properly. These acts are not typically committed by sex pests or monsters. These behaviours reflect a wider culture in which sexual harassment and violence become normal, and are trivialised to such a point that they become unremarkable. We need to challenge this culture and address the structural and systemic gender inequality that underpins it, rather than respond only to individual incidents as they occur, as the proposed hate crime law would do. Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of respondents. Carolyn Jackson , Professor of Gender and Education, Lancaster University and Vanita Sundaram , Professor of Education, University of York This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article
A wedding ceremony holds a significant weight for everyone involved. In different countries, the happy occasion is celebrated with some weird and wonderful traditions, some of which are vastly different from the traditional British wedding.

QUIZ, a retailer of maxi dresses, has revealed some of the most intriguing bridal traditions from around the world, ranging from traditions such as plate smashing to intense crying rituals.

Image courtesy of QUIZ

1. Plate smashing and veil tearing in Germany

Germany holds a unique tradition where wedding invitations are hand-delivered by a Hochzeitslader, a man dressed in costume with ribbons and flowers. To accept the invitation to a wedding ceremony, the receiver must pin a flower from the gentlemans costume onto his hat.

Two or three days after the wedding ceremony, a tradition called Polterabend sees a gathering of the bridegroom and his friends and family, who join together to smash plates in an effort to scare away bad spirits, an action which is also thought to reinforce the stability of their own marriage which will not shatter in the same way.

Additionally, at many wedding receptions, a veil is held above the bride and groom whilst music plays. When the music ends, single ladies tear a piece from the veil until the lady left with the biggest piece is declared next to be married... slightly different from the English tradition of throwing a bouquet!

In Spain, the mother of the bride plays a more significant role than in Britain. Here, she is expected to accompany her daughter down the aisle. There are also no positions for bridesmaids, best man, or maid of honour.

It also common for Spanish brides to wear a special veil called a mantilla, embroidered by her mother. The dress and mantilla are made from black lace. However, the tradition has been largely lost to the modern world where white is the colour of choice for most Spanish brides.

Flowers are important in Spanish wedding ceremonies where orange blossom is popular, chosen since its white colour represents purity, a reflection on the bride.

3. Ritual crying and bow and arrows in China

China is steeped in impressive and memorable wedding traditions. Here, the symbol of the bridal bed is extremely important to both parties' families and is traditionally prepared by the groom and his family the day before. It is scattered with fruits and nuts, representational of the fertility to come in the marriage.

One bizarre tradition in China is for the bride to cry for one hour each day in the month leading up to the wedding. After one week, her mother will join her in this ritual. After two weeks, the grandmother and the sisters of the future bride will also accompany them. The custom celebrates the happiness due after the wedding takes place.

Furthermore, in contrast to English nuptial traditions where the colour red holds tradition as a colour of impurity and scandal, red is seen by Chinese people as a symbol of elation. Resultingly, it is common for the bridal dress or accessories to be coloured red.

Another unusual tradition manifests when Chinese brides are shot three times by the groom with a bow and arrow (after the removal of arrowheads, of course). The arrows are then broken into two by the groom to symbolise that their love will last forever.

4. Henna and fire in India

Image courtesy of QUIZ

Like China, India is a large country, so traditions differ from region to region. However, there are some strong traditions which stretch throughout the whole country, some of which extend over a few days.

In India, Henna is extremely important, entitled Mehendi. The application of the henna is undertaken by friends and family, significant since it is said that the stronger the colour, the stronger the bond will be between the soon-to-be husband and wife. The names of the happy couple are interwoven through the art, symbolising their connection with each other.

The day before the ceremony, it is a tradition for the bride and groom to be smothered in a mix of turmeric, oil, and water by friends and family. This is called the Haldi ceremony and is supposed to calm and revitalise skin ready for the ceremony.

Similarly to China, bright colours are symbolic of celebration and feature in the brides wedding clothes. In some areas of India, the bride wears a saree. Elsewhere, she might wear a lehenga.

Fire plays a big role in the ceremony, as the bride and groom must walk around it four times and be tied together before the ceremony is recognised as complete.

In a world full of mass movement, it is becoming more and more common for couples to unite from different countries and cultures. As a result, more and more people are looking for different ways to celebrate their special day while still respecting the beliefs of their partner and families. Perhaps you may witness some of these wonderful wedding traditions at the next ceremony you attend, or maybe even at your own wedding.
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MELVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Park Electrochemical Corp. (NYSE-PKE) reported results for the 2019 fiscal years second quarter ended August 26, 2018. As previously reported, Park has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Electronics Business to AGC, Inc. Therefore, the results of operations for the Electronics Business are reported as discontinued operations. Continuing operations discussed below refer to Parks Aerospace Business unless otherwise indicated, and prior periods in such discussion have been restated to reflect results excluding the Electronics Business.



Continuing Operations:

Park reported net sales from continuing operations of $11,211,000 for the 2019 fiscal year second quarter ended August 26, 2018 compared to net sales from continuing operations of $11,355,000 for the 2018 fiscal year second quarter ended August 27, 2017 and net sales from continuing operations of $10,393,000 for the 2019 fiscal year first quarter ended May 27, 2018. Parks net sales from continuing operations for the six months ended August 26, 2018 were $21,604,000 compared to net sales from continuing operations of $20,081,000 for the six months ended August 27, 2017. Net earnings from continuing operations for the 2019 fiscal year second quarter were $1,824,000 compared to $859,000 for the 2018 fiscal year second quarter and $816,000 for the 2019 fiscal year first quarter. Net earnings from continuing operations were $2,640,000 for the current years first six months compared to $931,000 for last years first six months.

Pre-tax earnings from continuing operations were $1,386,000 for the 2019 fiscal year second quarter compared to pre-tax earnings from continuing operations of $1,116,000 for the 2018 fiscal year second quarter and $1,091,000 for the 2019 fiscal year first quarter. Pre-tax earnings from continuing operations were $2,477,000 for the six months ended August 26, 2018 compared to pre-tax earnings from continuing operations of $1,212,000 for last fiscal years first six months.

Park reported net earnings from continuing operations before special items of $1,036,000 for the 2019 fiscal year second quarter compared to net earnings from continuing operations of $859,000 for the 2018 fiscal year second quarter and net earnings from continuing operations of $816,000 for the 2019 fiscal year first quarter. In the 2019 fiscal year second quarter, the Company recorded a one-time tax benefit of $788,000 related to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted in December 2017.

For the six months ended August 26, 2018, Park reported net earnings from continuing operations before special items of $1,852,000 compared to net earnings from continuing operations of $931,000 for last fiscal years first six months. The current years first six months included the one-time tax benefit of $788,000 mentioned above.

Park reported basic and diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $0.09 for the 2019 fiscal year second quarter compared to $0.04 for the 2018 fiscal year second quarter and $0.04 for the 2019 fiscal year first quarter. Basic and diluted earnings per share from continuing operations before special items were $0.05 for the 2019 fiscal year second quarter compared to $0.04 for the 2018 fiscal year second quarter and $0.04 for the 2019 fiscal year first quarter.

Park reported basic and diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $0.13 for the 2019 fiscal years first six months compared to $0.04 for the 2018 fiscal years first six months. Basic and diluted earnings per share from continuing operations before special items were $0.09 for the 2019 fiscal years first six months compared to $0.04 for 2018 fiscal years first six months.

Discontinued Operations:

Net sales included in the calculation of net earnings from discontinued operations were $17,843,000 for the 2019 fiscal year second quarter ended August 26, 2018 compared to $18,481,000 for the 2018 fiscal year second quarter ended August 27, 2017 and $20,709,000 for the 2019 fiscal year first quarter ended May 27, 2018. Net sales included in the calculation of net earnings from discontinued operations for the six months ended August 26, 2018 were $38,552,000 compared to $37,172,000 for last years first six months.

Net earnings from discontinued operations were $876,000 for the 2019 fiscal year second quarter ended August 26, 2018 compared to negative $339,000 for the 2018 fiscal year second quarter ended August 27, 2017 and $2,352,000 for the 2019 fiscal year first quarter ended May 27, 2018. For the six months ended August 26, 2018, net earnings from discontinued operations were $3,228,000 compared to net earnings from discontinued operations of $983,000 for last fiscal years first six months.

Net earnings from discontinued operations for the 2019 fiscal year second quarter included pre-tax restructuring charges of $242,000 related to the Companys consolidation of its Nelco Products, Inc. electronics Business Unit located in Fullerton, California and its Neltec, Inc. electronics Business Unit located in Tempe, Arizona and the closure in fiscal year 2009 of its New England Laminates Co., Inc. facility located in Newburgh, New York and pre-tax advisory fees of $212,000. Net earnings from discontinued operations for the 2018 fiscal year second quarter included pre-tax restructuring charges of $2,902,000 related to the Companys consolidation of its electronics Business Units and the facility closure mentioned above. Net earnings from discontinued operations for the 2019 fiscal year first quarter included pre-tax restructuring charges of $183,000 related to the Companys consolidation of its electronics Business Units and the facility closure mentioned above and pre-tax advisory fees of $120,000.

Net earnings from discontinued operations for the 2019 fiscal years first six months included pre-tax restructuring charges of $425,000 related to the Companys consolidation of its electronics Business Units and the facility closure mentioned above and pre-tax advisory fees of $332,000. Net earnings from discontinued operations for the 2018 fiscal years first six months included pre-tax restructuring charges of $4,638,000 related to the Companys consolidation of its electronics Business Units and the facility closure mentioned above and a one-time pre-tax litigation expense of $375,000.

The Company will conduct a conference call to discuss its financial results at 11:00 a.m. EDT today. Forward-looking and other material information may be discussed in this conference call. The conference call dial-in number is (844) 466-4114 in the United States and Canada and (765) 507-2654 in other countries and the required passcode is 7593528.

For those unable to listen to the call live, a conference call replay will be available from approximately 2:00 p.m. EDT today through 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, October 10, 2018. The conference call replay can be accessed by dialing (855) 859-2056 in the United States and Canada and (404) 537-3406 in other countries and entering passcode 7593528 or on the Company's web site at www.parkelectro.com/investor/investor.html .

Any additional material financial or statistical data disclosed in the conference call will also be available at the time of the conference call on the Company's web site at www.parkelectro.com/investor/investor.html .

Park believes that an evaluation of its ongoing operations would be difficult if the disclosure of its operating results were limited to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) financial measures, which include special items, such as one-time tax benefits, restructuring charges, and strategic evaluation advisory fees. Accordingly, in addition to disclosing its operating results determined in accordance with GAAP, Park discloses non-GAAP operating results that exclude special items in order to assist its shareholders and other readers in assessing the Companys operating performance, since the Companys on-going, normal business operations do not include such special items. The detailed operating information presented below reconciles the non-GAAP operating results before special items to earnings determined in accordance with GAAP. Such non-GAAP financial measures are provided to supplement the results provided in accordance with GAAP.

Park Electrochemical Corp. is a global advanced materials company which develops and manufactures advanced composite materials, primary and secondary structures and assemblies and low-volume tooling for the aerospace markets and high-technology digital and RF/microwave printed circuit materials principally for the telecommunications and internet infrastructure, enterprise and military/aerospace markets. The Companys manufacturing facilities are located in Kansas, Singapore, France, Arizona and California. The Company also maintains R&D facilities in Arizona, Kansas and Singapore.

Additional corporate information is available on the Companys web site at www.parkelectro.com

Performance table, including non-GAAP information (in thousands, except per share amounts  unaudited):

13 Weeks Ended 26 Weeks Ended August 26, 2018 August 27, 2017 May 27, 2018 August 26, 2018 August 27, 2017 Sales $ 11,211 $ 11,355 $ 10,393 $ 21,604 $ 20,081 Net Earnings before Special Items1 $ 1,036 $ 859 $ 816 $ 1,852 $ 931 Special Items, net of Tax: Tax Cut and Jobs Act 788 - - 788 - Net Earnings from Continuing Operations $ 1,824 $ 859 $ 816 $ 2,640 $ 931 Earnings/(Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax $ 876 $ (339 ) $ 2,352 $ 3,228 $ 983 Net Earnings $ 2,700 $ 520 $ 3,168 $ 5,868 $ 1,914 Basic Earnings per Share: Basic Earnings before Special Items1 $ 0.05 $ 0.04 $ 0.04 $ 0.09 $ 0.04 Special Items: Tax Cut and Jobs Act 0.04 - - 0.04 - Basic Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations $ 0.09 $ 0.04 $ 0.04 $ 0.13 $ 0.04 Basic Earnings/(Loss) per Share from Discontinued Operations 0.04 (0.01 ) 0.12 0.16 0.05 Basic Earnings per Share $ 0.13 $ 0.03 $ 0.16 $ 0.29 $ 0.09 Diluted Earnings before Special Items1 $ 0.05 $ 0.04 $ 0.04 $ 0.09 $ 0.04 Special Items: Tax Cut and Jobs Act 0.04 - - 0.04 - Diluted Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations $ 0.09 $ 0.04 $ 0.04 $ 0.13 $ 0.04 Diluted Earnings/(Loss) per Share from Discontinued Operations 0.04 (0.01 ) 0.12 0.16 0.05 Diluted Earnings per Share $ 0.13 $ 0.03 $ 0.16 $ 0.29 $ 0.09 Weighted Average Shares Outstanding: Basic 20,253 20,236 20,242 20,248 20,236 Diluted 20,382 20,250 20,296 20,339 20,247





1 Refer to "Reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures" below for information regarding Special Items.

Comparative balance sheets (in thousands):

August 26, 2018 February 25, 2018 Assets (unaudited) (Note 1) Current Assets Cash and Marketable Securities $ 108,310 $ 108,231 Accounts Receivable, Net 5,878 6,961 Inventories 3,994 3,955 Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets 1,578 1,473 Current Assets - Discontinued Operations 22,624 20,648 Total Current Assets 142,384 141,268 Fixed Assets, Net 9,111 9,805 Other Assets 10,195 10,188 Non Current Assets - Discontinued Operations 11,406 11,799 Total Assets $ 173,096 $ 173,060 Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity Current Liabilities Accounts Payable $ 1,091 $ 1,825 Accrued Liabilities 1,108 1,022 Income Taxes Payable 1,467 1,456 Current Liabilities - Discontinued Operations 8,170 7,924 Total Current Liabilities 11,836 12,227 Noncurrent Income Taxes Payable 18,594 20,364 Deferred Income Taxes 3,309 4,047 Other Liabilities 314 314 Noncurrent Liabilities - Discontinued Operations 846 847 Total Liabilities 34,899 37,799 Shareholders Equity 138,197 135,261 Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity $ 173,096 $ 173,060 Additional information Equity per Share $ 6.82 $ 6.68

(Note 1) - These amounts have not been audited, are based on the audited financial statements

Comparative statements of operations (in thousands  unaudited):

13 Weeks Ended 26 Weeks Ended August 26, 2018 August 27, 2017 May 27, 2018 August 26, 2018 August 27, 2017 Net Sales $ 11,211 $ 11,355 $ 10,393 $ 21,604 $ 20,081 Cost of Sales 8,066 8,147 7,541 15,607 14,576 Gross Profit 3,145 3,208 2,852 5,997 5,505 % of net sales 28.1 % 28.3 % 27.4 % 27.8 % 27.4 % Selling, General & Administrative Expenses 2,116 2,240 2,101 4,217 4,680 % of net sales 18.9 % 19.7 % 20.2 % 19.5 % 23.3 % Earnings from Operations 1,029 968 751 1,780 825 Interest: Interest Income 357 751 340 697 1,500 Interest Expense - 603 - - 1,113 Net Interest and Other Income 357 148 340 697 387 Earnings before Income Taxes 1,386 1,116 1,091 2,477 1,212 Income Tax Provision/(Benefit) (438 ) 257 275 (163 ) 281 Net Earnings from continuing operations 1,824 859 816 2,640 931 % of net sales 16.3 % 7.6 % 7.9 % 12.2 % 4.6 % Earnings/(Loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax 876 (339 ) 2,352 3,228 983 Net Earnings $ 2,700 $ 520 $ 3,168 $ 5,868 $ 1,914 % of net sales 24.1 % 4.6 % 30.5 % 27.2 % 9.5 %

Reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures (in thousands  unaudited):

13 Weeks Ended

August 26, 2018 13 Weeks Ended

August 27, 2017 13 Weeks Ended

May 27, 2018 GAAP Specials Items Before Special Items GAAP Specials Items Before Special Items GAAP Specials Items Before Special Items Earnings from Operations 1,029 - 1,029 968 - 968 751 - 751 % of net sales 9.2 % 9.2 % 8.5 % 8.5 % 7.2 % 7.2 % Interest Income 357 - 357 751 - 751 340 - 340 % of net sales 3.2 % 3.2 % 6.6 % 6.6 % 3.3 % 3.3 % Interest Expense - - - 603 - 603 - - - % of net sales 0.0 % 0.0 % 5.3 % 5.3 % 0.0 % 0.0 % Net Interest and Other Income 357 - 357 148 - 148 340 - 340 % of net sales 3.2 % 3.2 % 1.3 % 1.3 % 3.3 % 3.3 % Earnings before Income Taxes 1,386 - 1,386 1,116 - 1,116 1,091 - 1,091 % of net sales 12.4 % 12.4 % 9.8 % 9.8 % 10.5 % 10.5 % Income Tax Provision/(Benefit) (438 ) 788 350 257 - 257 275 - 275 Effective Tax Rate -31.6 % 25.3 % 23.0 % 23.0 % 25.2 % 25.2 % Net Earnings from continuing operations 1,824 (788 ) 1,036 859 - 859 816 - 816 % of net sales 16.3 % 9.2 % 7.6 % 7.6 % 7.9 % 7.9 % Earnings/(Loss) from discontinued operations 876 336 1,212 (339 ) 1,823 1,484 2,352 205 2,557 % of net sales 7.8 % 10.8 % -3.0 % 13.1 % 22.6 % 24.6 % Net Earnings 2,700 (452 ) 2,248 520 1,823 2,343 3,168 205 3,373 % of net sales 24.1 % 20.1 % 4.6 % 20.6 % 30.5 % 32.5 %





26 Weeks Ended

August 26, 2018 26 Weeks Ended

August 27, 2017 GAAP Specials Items Before Special Items GAAP Specials Items Before Special Items Earnings from Operations 1,780 - 1,780 825 - 825 % of net sales 8.2 % 8.2 % 4.1 % 4.1 % Interest Income 697 697 1,500 - 1,500 % of net sales 3.2 % 3.2 % 7.5 % 7.5 % Interest Expense - - - 1,113 - 1,113 % of net sales 0.0 % 0.0 % 5.5 % 5.5 % Net Interest and Other Income 697 - 697 387 - 387 % of net sales 3.2 % 3.2 % 1.9 % 1.9 % Earnings before Income Taxes 2,477 - 2,477 1,212 - 1,212 % of net sales 11.5 % 11.5 % 6.0 % 6.0 % Income Tax (Benefit)/Provision (163 ) 788 625 281 - 281 Effective Tax Rate -6.6 % 25.2 % 23.2 % 23.2 % Net Earnings from continuing operations 2,640 (788 ) 1,852 931 - 931 % of net sales 12.2 % 8.6 % 4.6 % 4.6 % Earnings/(Loss) from discontinued operations 3,228 541 3,769 983 2,913 3,896 % of net sales 14.9 % 17.4 % 4.9 % 19.4 % Net Earnings 5,868 (247 ) 5,621 1,914 2,913 4,827 % of net sales 27.2 % 26.0 % 9.5 % 24.0 %




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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Legend Power Systems Inc. (TSX-V: LPS), a global leader in voltage management technology, today announced recently completed sales of 5 Harmonizer systems totaling C$475,039, to three different K-12 Ontario school boards.



One of the systems was the fourth follow-on purchase by a school board which has now outfitted 7 of its schools with Legends Harmonizer. The other two school boards are both first time buyers, purchasing 1 and 3 Harmonizers respectively.

With this latest sale of 5 units, 26 Ontario school boards have now purchased 127 Legend Harmonizers. There are 66 K-12 school boards in Ontario which, collectively, administer 3,975 elementary schools and 902 secondary schools.

Given the size of the Ontario K-12 schools segment, we are delighted with the continued strong level of activity and the confidence it shows in both our company and our product, said Randy Buchamer, CEO of Legend Power Systems. We look forward to continued growth in the Ontario education vertical as a whole.

About Legend Power Systems Inc.

Legend Power Systems Inc. ( www.legendpower.com ) is a global leader in voltage management technology. We help buildings use less energy by eliminating overvoltage; an inherent challenge associated with power grids around the world. Legends industry-proven Harmonizer enables dynamic power-management of an entire building. The proprietary and patented system reduces total energy consumption and power costs, while also maximizing the life of electrical equipment. Legends unique solution is also a key contributor to both corporate sustainability efforts, and the meeting of utility energy efficiency targets.

For further information, please contact:

Steve Vanry, CFO

+ 1 604 671 9522

svanry@legendpower.com

Sean Peasgood, Investor Relations

+ 1 647 503 1054

sean@sophiccapital.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Press Release may contain statements which constitute forward-looking information, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words may, would, could, will, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities or performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Companys future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such risks, uncertainties and factors are described in the periodic filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including the Companys quarterly and annual Managements Discussion & Analysis, which may be viewed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements other than as may be required by applicable law.




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Newport Beach, CA, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DPW Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: DPW) (DPW), a diversified holding company, today announced that its subsidiary Super Crypto Mining entered into a Revolving Loan Agreement for up to $2.5 million and in connection with a Security Agreement granting interest in certain collateral, including bitcoin.



It is important for each subsidiary to develop its own capital structure to create flexibility and provide opportunity for expansion, stated DPWs CEO and Chairman Milton Todd Ault, III. As Super Crypto continues its plan to increase miners, this line of credit enables Super Crypto to deploy its assets  bitcoin  to fund growth.

Terms and more information can be found in the Form 8-K filed yesterday on October 3, 2018 with the SEC.

About DPW Holdings, Inc.

DPW Holdings, Inc. is a diversified holding company pursuing growth by acquiring undervalued businesses and disruptive technologies with a global impact. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries and strategic investments, the company provides mission-critical products that support a diverse range of industries, including defense/aerospace, industrial, telecommunications, medical, crypto-mining, and textiles. In addition, the company owns a select portfolio of commercial hospitality properties and extends credit to select entrepreneurial businesses through a licensed lending subsidiary. DPW Holdings, Inc.s headquarters is located at 201 Shipyard Way, Suite E, Newport Beach, CA 92663; www.DPWHoldings.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The foregoing release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as believes, plans, anticipates, projects, estimates, expects, intends, strategy, future, opportunity, may, will, should, could, potential, or similar expressions. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of them publicly in light of new information or future events. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors. More information, including potential risk factors, that could affect the Companys business and financial results are included in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, the Companys Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. All filings are available at www.sec.com and on the Companys website at www.DPWHoldings.com.




NEW YORK, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a release issued under the same topic on October 1, 2018 by P&S Intelligence, please note that in the headline and the first paragraph, the U.S. electric bus charging station market size for 2025 will be $221.5 million, which was mistakenly mentioned as $221.5 billion.



The corrected release follows:

According to the market research report published by P&S Intelligence, U.S. electric bus charging station market is projected to reach $221.5 million by 2025, the growth of the market is majorly driven by the increasing demand of electric buses by local transit agencies coupled with government favourable funding schemes to develop charging infrastructure in the country. Local governments with the help of federal and state governments, are integrating electric buses into their municipal or public transit fleets. Such procurement initiatives are expected to drive the U.S. electric bus market which in turn will benefit the electric bus charging station market in the country.

Request to get the sample pages of the report: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/us-electric-bus-charging-station-market/report-sample

On the basis of product, the U.S. electric bus charging station market is categorized into plug-in charging, pantograph charging, and inductive charging. Inductive charging station is expected to be the fastest growing category in the market during the forecast period. Manufacturers are collaborating with the bus makers and public transit authorities to increase adoption of electric bus charging station in the states. For instance, in March 2018, Momentum Dynamics and BYD Auto Co. Ltd. delivered a 50 kW wireless charging bus station in Maryland. These moves by major manufacturers are expected to benefit the market during the forecast period.

Browse report overview with 30 tables and 20 figures spread through 100 pages and detailed TOC on "U.S. Electric Bus Charging Station Market by Product (Plug-In Charging, Pantograph Charging, Inductive Charging), by Connector (J1772, CCS), by Charger (Off-Board, On-Board), by Charging (Fast Charging, Slow Charging)  Market Size, Share, Development, Growth, and Demand Forecast, 20162025" at: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/us-electric-bus-charging-station-market

On the basis of charging, fast charging category is expected to remain the faster growing category during the forecast period. It charges electric buses in approximately 30 minutes with a high-voltage direct current (DC) as compared to a slow charging category which takes more than 5 hours. This benefit makes the fast charging category a better choice supporting its rapid implementation in the U.S. electric bus charging station market.

Make enquiry before buying the report: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/send-enquiry?enquiry-url=us-electric-bus-charging-station-market

The U.S. electric bus charging station market is still in its nascent phase, with a few players operating within the country. Some of the major players in the market are ABB Ltd., Siemens Mobility GmbH, Proterra Inc., Advanced Vehicle Manufacturing (AVM) Inc., and APT Controls Ltd.

More Reports by P&S Intelligence

Electric Vehicle Charging Station Market - https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/electric-vehicle-charging-station-market

Intelligent Transportation System Market - https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/intelligent-transportation-system-market

About P&S Intelligence

P&S Intelligence, a brand of P&S Market Research, is a provider of market research and consulting services catering to the market information needs of burgeoning industries across the world. Providing the plinth of market intelligence, P&S as an enterprising research and consulting company, believes in providing thorough landscape analyses on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness.

Contact:

P&S Intelligence

Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)

International: +1-347-960-6455

Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.com

Web: https://www.psmarketresearch.com
LOZITHA  Former Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini will be buried next week Saturday at his home at Ndzingeni.



He will be given a state funeral.

A State funeral is a public funeral, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honour people of national significance.

State funerals usually include much pomp as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition.

This was announced by the acting Prime Minister, Dr Vincent Mhlanga, during a press briefing held at Lozitha, Ministry of Defence, last night.



Present during the press briefing, which took less than 10 minutes, were former cabinet ministers, Winnie Magagula, Phineas Magagula and Clement Dlamini, who have been tasked with the late former PMs funeral arrangements, together with Reverends Nicholas Nyawo and Muntu Dlamini.



Also present was the former PMs two children, Fikile and Muzi, who were both in a sombre mood during the brief press conference.

Only the venue and date of funeral service was announced last night and the acting PM revealed that preparations for the state funeral were at an advanced stage.



Mhlanga also informed the media that it had to get in touch with the task committee for more details as the days progressed.

Details on whether a memorial service for the former PM would be held or not, were also not revealed during the press briefing.

You will have to get more details on the State funeral of the later former PM from tomorrow until the day of the service from the committee tasked with such duties, Mhlanga said briefly.



Generally, state funerals are held in order to involve the general public in a national day of mourning, after the family of the deceased gives consent. A State funeral would often generate mass publicity from both national and global media outlets.



The late former PM was minister of Finance from 1984 to 1993. He was also an executive director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 1996 to 2003 when he was appointed prime minister.



Following the September 2008 parliamentary elections, Dlamini was reappointed as Prime Minister by the King on October 16, 2008.

In 2013, he was appointed for the third time in the Ninth parliament. The late former PM was married thrice. His first wife was Jane Gezephi Matsebula, whom he married on June 26, 1970.



She sadly passed away in December 14, 2012 from kidney failure.

He later married Pastor Joy Nonjabulo Gladness Maziya; however, the former PM filed for divorce just over two years later.

He then met and married Primrose Simelane last year.

In 2017, Dlamini went to Taiwan and South Africa for medical check-ups.



He was admitted to an ICU in April 2018 in Mbabane. The former PM died on September 28, 2018, less than a month after stepping down as prime minister,

at age 76, while admitted to Mkhiwa Private Clinic in Manzini.
MBABANE  From being one of the much celebrated churches in the country, Metropolitan Evangelical Church has become a regular feature at the High Court.



A company which allegedly supplied building materials during the construction of the church is demanding over E300 000.

Metropolitan Evangelical is one of the biggest churches in the country which was founded by the late popular Evangelist Kaiser Fakudze.

The exact amount which Zimpa Investment (PTY) Limited is demanding from the church is E334 716.42.



Through its attorney Mbhekwa Mthethwa of CJ Littler, the company has instituted legal proceedings against Metropolitan Evangelical Church.

In its particulars of claim, the plaintiff, (Zimpa Investment (PTY) Limited) stated that between the period of October 2016 to August 2018, it rendered services to the defendant (Metropolitan Evangelical). According to the plaintiff it supplied and installed aluminium sliding door, fixed windows, doors, aluminium facade, aluminium flush glancing and aluminium skylights at the defendants church in Fairview, Manzini.



The parties, according to the plaintiff, entered into an oral agreement for the aforementioned services. When the parties entered into the oral agreement, the company was reportedly represented by Myeni and appearing for the church was Sifiso Dlamini. It was allegedly agreed that the church would pay upon being invoiced by the plaintiff as the project continued.



The plaintiff duly invoiced the defendant for the services rendered but the defendant has failed and/or neglected to pay. Currently the defendant is indebted to the plaintiff in the sum of E334 616.42, reads part of the companys particulars of claim.



It is alleged that notwithstanding being invoiced for services rendered and even after a demand being made, the church had failed to pay the company.

Interestingly, the church also recently instituted legal proceedings against the Eswatini Government where it is demanding E139 206.38. This after a motor vehicle owned by the State collided with a car belonging to the church.



When the accident happened there were six passengers on board the vehicle belonging to the church.

According to a police report annexed to the court papers, all the passengers were injured and they were rushed to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital where they were treated and discharged. The church has since instituted legal proceedings against the Eswatini Government where it is demanding payment of the aforementioned amount.



Respondents in the matter are, the governments driver, Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy and the Attorney General.

In its claim the plaintiff (Metropolitan Evangelical Church International) stated that on or about April 11,2017 near Phonjwane along Siphofaneni/Hhelehhele MR 8 Public Road, a Toyota Legend registered JSD 199 CM collided with a Toyota Double cab registered GSD 077GE. The government motor vehicle was allegedly driven by one Walter Hlatshwayo.
MBABANE  Could there be second thoughts to remove security officers in the countrys schools?



This is a question that comes to mind following deliberations between the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) and the Ministry of Education and Training.



The meeting was held yesterday by both parties behind closed doors, where SNAT was given conditions to address, prior to the security personnel being removed from the countrys schools.



Police officers were first found in schools premises on Monday, the first day of external examinations.

SNAT had alleged that the police officers had taken over invigilation.



Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training Dr Sibongile Mtshali, said there were conditions that SNAT had to fulfill before security officers could be removed from the schools.



However, according to Dr Mtshali, the leadership of the union refused to commit, adding that they were yet to engage them further.

We are hoping the union will get back to us after meeting with the leadership because we made it clear what we wanted to happen, Mtshali said.

To this, SNAT Secretary General Sikelela Dlamini said they were hoping the ministry would finally remove the security officers when they realised that there was no threat.



Dlamini said the presence of police officers created an environment which was not conducive for teaching and learning, including the writing of the examinations at the schools.



He said the proposed conditions by the ministry were among other things that SNAT called a press conference. During this press conference, Dlamini said they were expected to denounce the ongoing activities and inform teachers that they should return to class in full force.

We refused this as we have members whom we have to report to and let them consult our broader membership so that we can then take a decision on behalf of the union.



The unionist noted that the engagements with the ministry gave them an insight, as they realised there was a great misconception that there was an ongoing strike action by teachers, yet there was none.



Further, he said the ministry was of the view that teachers were engaging in a strike and would not conduct the examinations following media reports. They said they then decided to engage plan B, which included the presence of security officers to ensure that examinations continued and there were no disturbances.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, HONG KONG OR SOUTH AFRICA, OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN.

Oslo, Norway, 04 October 2018. Reference is made to the previous announcements by PCI Biotech Holding ASA ("PCI Biotech" or the "Company") in respect of the fully underwritten rights issue of 12,000,000 new shares (Offer Shares) in the Company (the "Rights Issue"). The subscription period in the Rights Issue expired at 16:30 CET, 03 October 2018.



At the expiry of the subscription period the Company had received subscriptions for a total of 10,424,108 new shares. In total 12,000,000 new shares were offered, thus the Rights Issue was subscribed with approximately 87 per cent of the shares offered. Approximately 77 per cent of the new shares on offer (approximately 9.2 million shares) were subscribed through the exercise of subscription rights. Approximately 10% per cent of the new shares on offer (approximately 1.2 million shares) were subscribed for through oversubscription and subscription without shares.

In a board meeting today, the Board of Directors of PCI Biotech approved the final allocation of the shares offered in the Rights Issue based on the allocation criteria set out in the prospectus dated 17 September 2018. A total of 12,000,000 new shares have been allocated. Approximately 9.2 million new shares have been allocated to subscribers on the basis of exercised subscription rights. Approximately 0.9 million new shares have been allocated to holders of subscription rights as a result of oversubscription. Approximately 0.3 million new shares have been allocated to subscribers without subscription rights. Approximately 1.6 million new shares have been allocated to the underwriters in accordance with the underwriting commitments of the respective underwriters to the extent the underwriters have not fulfilled such commitments by subscribing for offer shares in the subscription period.

Notifications of allocated new shares and the corresponding subscription amount to be paid by each subscriber are expected to be distributed today. Payment for the allocated shares falls due on 08 October 2018 in accordance with the payment procedures described in the prospectus.

The new shares may not be transferred or traded before they have been fully paid and the share capital increase pertaining to the Rights Issue has been registered with the Norwegian register of Business Enterprises. It is expected that the share capital increase will be registered in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises on or about 09 October 2018 and that the new shares will be admitted to trading on the Oslo Stock Exchange on or about 10 October 2018.

Timeline

Allocation of new shares and distribution of allocation letters 04 October 2018

Payment for new shares 08 October 2018

Capital increase registered on or about 09 October 2018

Listing of new shares on or about 10 October 2018

Through the Rights Issue, PCI Biotech will receive gross proceeds in the amount of NOK 360 million. The Company's extraordinary general meeting held on 14 September 2018, resolved to increase the share capital of the company with NOK 36,000,000 through the issue of 12,000,000 new shares as a result of the rights issue. Following registration of the share capital increase pertaining to the Rights Issue in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises, the Company's share capital will be NOK 110,984,670 divided by 36,994,890 shares, each with a nominal value of NOK 3.00.

"We are pleased with the continued support of our shareholders and the interest from external investors in the Rights Issue. The capital increase of NOK 360 million enables us to perform the fimaChem pivotal study, as well as further develop our pipeline and PCI Biotech as a company", says Per Walday, CEO, PCI Biotech.

Contact information:

Ronny Skuggedal, CFO, rs@pcibiotech.no, Mobile: +47 9400 5757

For more information visit: www.pcibiotech.com

Contact information: PCI Biotech Holding ASA, Ullernchausseen 64, Oslo, NO-0379 Norway

Important Notice

The contents of this announcement have been prepared by, and are the sole responsibility of, the Company. The Company's financial advisors are acting exclusively for the Company and no one else, and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients, or for advice in relation to the Rights Issue, the contents of this announcement or any of the matters referred to herein.

The information in this announcement is for information purposes only and does not purport to be accurate or complete. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy or completeness.

Matters discussed in this announcement may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "strategy", "intends", "estimate", "will", "may", "continue", "should" and similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its control. 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. The information, opinions and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement speak only as at its date, and are subject to change without notice. Neither the publication and/or delivery of this announcement shall under any circumstances imply that there has been no change in the affairs of the Company or that the information contained herein is correct as of any date subsequent to the earlier of the date hereof and any earlier specified date with respect to such information.

A prospectus approved by the competent authority in Norway has been published by the Company and can be obtained on the Company's website, subject to regulatory restrictions. Investors should not subscribe for any securities referred to in this announcement except on the basis of information contained in the prospectus.

Restrictions

Neither this announcement nor any copy of it may be made or transmitted directly or indirectly into the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong or South Africa or any other jurisdiction where to do so would be unlawful. The Rights Issue (if made) and the distribution of this announcement and other information in connection with the Rights Issue may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Any failure to comply with such restrictions may constitute a violation of applicable securities laws. Persons into whose possession this announcement or other information should come are required to inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. The Company assumes no responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions.

This announcement does not in itself constitute, and should not be construed as, an offer for sale or subscription of or solicitation or invitation of any offer to subscribe for or purchase any securities of the Company or its affiliates in any jurisdiction. The Rights Issue will not be made in any jurisdiction or in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation would be unlawful. No steps have been taken or will be taken relating to the Rights Issue in any jurisdiction outside of Norway in which such steps would be required.

The securities referred to in this announcement have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or any securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with applicable state law. There will be no public offer of the securities in the United States.

This announcement is only being distributed to and is only directed at persons in the United Kingdom that are (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order") or (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom this announcement may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This announcement must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Persons distributing this announcement must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so.

Further information regarding restrictions applicable for the Rights Issue will be set out in the prospectus prepared for the Rights Issue.

About PCI Biotech

PCI Biotech is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on development and commercialisation of novel therapies for the treatment of cancer through its innovative photochemical internalisation (PCI) technology platform. PCI is applied to three distinct anticancer paradigms: fimaCHEM (enhancement of chemotherapeutics for localised treatment of cancer), fimaVACC (T-cell induction technology for therapeutic vaccination), and fimaNAc (nucleic acid therapeutics delivery).

Photochemical internalisation induces triggered endosomal release that is used to unlock the true potential of a wide array of therapeutic modalities. The Company's lead fimaCHEM programme consists of a clinical Phase I/II clinical study in bile duct cancer, an orphan indication with a high unmet need and without approved products. fimaVACC applies a unique mode of action to enhance the essential cytotoxic effect of therapeutic cancer vaccines, which works in synergy with several other state-of-the-art vaccination technologies. fimaNAc utilises the endosomal release to provide intracellular delivery of nucleic acids, such as mRNA and RNAi therapeutics, thereby addressing one of the major bottlenecks facing this emerging and promising field.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

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. PCI Biotech disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Tree structures like this one are a key piece of evidence for the existence of Bigfoot, according to Cryptovanias Crypto 101 Episode 1 Bigfoot. While their meaning is unknown, they are prominent throughout the woods worldwide and are thought to be created by Sasquatch.
The long list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites can trace its origins back to November 1972 when UNESCO signed a convention to protect the common cultural heritage of Mankind. Since then, the program has grown to become one of the worlds most widely recognised international agreements and it has been ratified by 193 state parties. Out of the 1,092 UNESCO World Heritage Sites across the world, 845 are cultural, 209 are natural and 38 are a mixture.

Out of all countries, Italy boasts the most World Heritage Sites with 54 in total. Most of them are cultural and some of the best known are Pisas Piazza dei Miracoli (home to the famous leaning tower), and the archaeological remains of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata. China ranks in second place with 53 while Spain comes third with 47.

The U.S. kicked off its own list in 1978 when the Meda Verde National Park and Yellowstone National Park were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In October of last year, both the U.S. and Israel announced that they would be withdrawing from UNESCO, claiming continuing anti-Israel bias. The withdrawal will come into effect on the 31st of December.

Greece has the following 18 properties inscribed on the World Heritage List:

Cultural (16)

Acropolis, Athens (1987)

Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina) (1996)

Archaeological Site of Delphi (1987)

Archaeological Site of Mystras (1989)

Archaeological Site of Olympia (1989)

Archaeological Site of Philippi (2016)

Archaeological Sites of Mycenae and Tiryns (1999)

Delos (1990)

Medieval City of Rhodes (1988)

Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios (1990)

Old Town of Corfu (2007)

Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessalonika (1988)

Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos (1992)

Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus (1988)

Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae (1986)

The Historic Centre (Chora) with the Monastery of Saint-John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Patmos (1999)

Mixed (2)

Meteora (1988)

Mount Athos (1988)

Source: statista.com

Read more at statista.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
The number of overnight stays increased by 33,000 during the first eight months of 2018 reaching 1,596,426 from 1,563,841 last year

The Hellenic Hoteliers Federation (HHF) noted in an announcement that it invests in the Greek tourisms extroversion and supports the major international fairs, protects the environment, the cyclical economy and the sustainable growth.

HHF takes part in the International conference ECOCITY FORUM 2018 on cyclical economy in the smart cities that started on Wednesday and will end on Friday at the Concert Hall of Thessaloniki.

The conference is held by ECOCITY under the scientific support of Aristotelion University of Thessaloniki under the auspices of the President of Republic Prokopios Pavlopoulos.

Top representatives of agencies play a pivotal role in the formation of the European policy as the European Environmental Agency (EEA), the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), will participate in the agency.

The president of HHF board Grigoris Tasios will represent the federation and will be one of the coordinators of the debate Tourism sector and Cyclical economy on Friday at 14:30.

Eighteen universities and scientific institutes, five environmental networks, five professionals unions and more than seventy speakers will participate in the FORUM.

During the forum there will be 16 parallel sessions, 4 round table debates and 8 workshops. The ECOCITY Circular Economy Guidebook, a manual on the implementation of the cyclical economy strategies will also be prepared.

In another related development, a report carried out by GBR Consulting for the Thessaloniki Hotels Association indicated that the number of overnight stays increased by 33,000 during the first eight months of 2018 reaching 1,596,426 from 1,563,841 last year.

Read more at greekcitytimes.com

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Salonica84 License: CC-BY-SA
The exhibition, divided into 17 thematic sections, will present visitors with the opportunity to discover the life and work of the ultimate Homo Universalis

Three exhibitions that portray Leonardo da Vincis life and work, unite in a major event honoring the greatest mind of all time, 500 years after his death.

Leonardo Da Vinci  500 Years of Genius, organized by the events production company Lavris who brought the interactive exhibition Van Gogh Alive  The Experience, in cooperation with Grande Exhibitions at the OSY Old Bus Depot from November 30, 2018 until March 30, 2019.

The first exhibition is devoted to Da Vincis mechanical inventions and features 75 models, reproductions, interactive machines and over 200 exhibits designed in collaboration with the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Rome.

The exhibition, divided into 17 thematic sections, will present visitors with the opportunity to discover the life and work of the ultimate Homo Universalis, the man who laid the foundations for some of the most important inventions of mankind such as airplane, car, submarine, parachute and bicycle.

The second part titled Da Vinci Alive  The Experience is an audio-visual, experience that presents the life and work of the charismatic artist and inventor.

The Secrets of Mona Lisa are revealed for the first time by Pascal Cotte of the Lumiere Technology Institute, who will present a detailed scientific analysis of this enigmatic painting.

INFO

Where: Old OSY bus depot (Piraeus and Ermou streets, Gazi, 211 4270638).

When: Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 13:00 to 22:00, weekends from 10:00 to 22:00

Ticket prices: 8 to 70 euros.

Read more at int.ert.gr

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: Alison restrepo quiroga License: CC-BY-SA
The Corinth Canal is one of the most significant achievements of engineering in Greece, given it was constructed during the period of 1880 to 1893.

It is the work of the Greek engineer Petros Protopapadakis and its length is nearly 6.5km and 25 metres wide.

The Corinth Canal joins the Corinth Gulf to the Saronic Gulf and is an important navigational route which once permitted ships to enter the Aegean Sea, although it is now impossible for modern ships to go through.

The canal was built in the late 19th century, although it was a 2000-year-old dream in the making. Before its construction, ships in the Aegean Sea that wanted to cross to the Adriatic or anchor in Corinth, a rich shipping city at the time, had to circle the Peloponnese, which would add an extra 185 nautical miles to their journey.

Technically, the Corinth Canal makes the Peloponnese an island, but since its so narrow, most people still conisder it as a peninsula.

The Corinth Canal is named after the city of Corinth, which is the closest city to the isthmus. The Canal has steep limestone walls that are about 300 feet from the water level to the top of the Canal and only 70 feet wide at sea level.

Ships must be narrower than 58 feet wide to pass through the Canal. This small size was appropriate when the Canal was built in the late 19th century, but it is way too small for todays ships. The Corinth Canal is now used by small cruise ships and tour boats.

Even though construction was not completed until 1893, political leaders and sea captains had dreamed about building a canal in this location for over 2,000 years.

History of the Canal

According to history, the first ruler to propose a canal was Periander in the 7th century B.C., nevertheless, it didnt eventuate. In the first century A.D., philosopher Apollonius of Tyana predicted that anyone who planned to build a canal across the Corinthian isthmus would become ill. This prophecy didnt deter three famous Roman emperors, but all died prematurely, making Apollonius look like a prophet. First, Julius Caesar planned to build a canal but was assassinated before it started. Next, Emperor Caligula hired some Egyptian experts to assemble a plan for a canal. The third Roman emperor was Nero, who made it past the planning stage and attempted to construct the canal. However, like the others, Nero died before the Canal was completed.

During the second century A.D., the Greek philosopher and Roman senator Herodes Atticus tried unsuccessfully to get a canal project re-started.

Greece then gained formal independence from the Ottoman empire in 1830 and the notion of building a canal across the isthmus near Corinth came about again. The Greek statesman Ioannis Kapodistrias hired a French engineer to assess the feasibility of the canal project. However, when the engineer estimated the cost to be 40 million gold francs, Greece couldnt afford to proceed.

When the Suez Canal was opened in 1869, the Greek government reconsidered its own canal. Prime Minister Thrasyvoulos Zaimis at the time, passed a law in 1870 authorising the construction of a Corinth Canal and a French company was hired to oversee the project. It was not long before funds became an issue again and the project ended.

Then in 1881, the Societe Internationale du Canal Maritime de Corinthe was commissioned to construct the canal and operate it for the next 99 years. King George I of Greece was present when construction begun in April 1882. After eight years of work, it ran out of money and in 1890, construction resumed when the canal project was transferred to a Greek company.

The canal was finally concluded in July 1893, eleven years after construction had begun.

Even though the canal saves ships about 400 miles, problems continued after the Corinth Canal was completed. The canal is very narrow, which makes navigation difficult and there is also strong currents in the canal, so many ship operators avoided the canal.

Nowadays, the Corinth Canal is used primarily by small cruise ships and tourist boats. About 11,000 ships per year travel through the waterway.

There are now three ways of touring the Corinth Canal. First, cruise lines with small ships transit the canal, secondly, several private companies depart from Piraeus port of Athens, and offer a cruise through the canal. Finally, cruise ships with a day in Athens often offer a half-day excursions. These tours offer plenty of chances to see the canal from the top edge to the water level.

Read more at greekcitytimes.com

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Gertjan R. License: CC-BY-SA
Immediate need for the implementation of the linkup of Greeces largest island with the mainland

Greeces energy regulator has chosen to sidestep the European Commission and appointed a subsidiary of state grid operator ADMIE to fund and construct the power interconnection between Attica and Crete.

This is a high-risk decision that may have legal consequences for the project, and lead to more delays than those it is attempting to avoid.

The Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) has ignored the European Commissions decision that considers the Greek watchdogs decision of September 10, conceding the interconnection to the Independent Power Transmission Regulator (ADMIE), as inconsistent with the European framework. EU has demanded its retraction. Instead RAE has gone a step further and issued a new decision that appoints ADMIE subsidiary Ariadne Interconnection as the entity to finance and realize the power project.

The decision was published late on Monday and RAE claims that it was based on the immediate need for the implementation of the linkup of Greeces largest island with the mainland after a huge and unjustified delay to the realization of the project.

Ariadne will replace EuroAsia Interconnector, which had previously been elected to implement this particular leg of the broader Greece-Cyprus-Israel interconnection.

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: ISS Expedition 28 crew License: CC-BY-SA
BOSTON, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Massachusetts largest technology trade association announced the winners of the regions most prestigious technology awards at their 21st annual Mass Technology Leadership Awards Gala at Bostons Seaport World Trade Center. Hundreds gathered to celebrate the people and companies shaping the Massachusetts technology economy in 15 categoriesincluding Massachusetts Company of the Year, CarGurus; Emerging Massachusetts Company of the Year, Flywire; and CEO of the Year, Carbonites Mohamad Ali.



In addition to the 15 industry-nominated awards, MassTLC highlighted the stories of three special leaders whove made significant contributions to the technology community. Technology pioneer, entrepreneur, investor and mentor, John Landry, received the Commonwealth Award, the Councils highest honor, for a lifetime of contributions to tech. First-generation immigrant and former Global Chief Diversity officer for EMC, Jackie Glenn was honored with the Mosaic Award for inclusion. And, Technical Fellow and Director of Microsoft Research New England, New York and Montreal, Jennifer Chayes received the Councils Distinguished Leadership Award for her contributions to the field of machine learning.

The Mass Technology Leadership Awards celebrate the extraordinary leaders and innovators whose work is at the heart of our innovation economy, said Tom Hopcroft, CEO, MassTLC. Each year, I am honored to recognize the hardworking visionaries that are leading this state and the world, towards a better future.

Selected from hundreds of nominations, and evaluated by peer-review panels that together totaled close to 60 executives, investors, analysts, and thought leaders, the full list of 2018 Mass Technology Leadership Award winners are:

CEO of the Year  Mohamad Ali, Carbonite CMO of the Year  Monique Bonner, Akamai CTO of the Year  David Lakatos, Formlabs Emerging Executive of the Year  Sunanda Parthasarathy, Wayfair Massachusetts Company of the Year  CarGurus Emerging Massachusetts Company of the Year  Flywire Building a Better Workforce  Mimecast Cutting Edge Technology of the Year  iZotope Tech for a Better Tomorrow  The Learning Corp Connected Product of the Year  Vesper Machine Learning in Action  Spotify Influential Consumer Tech of the Year  Root Robotics Innovative Tech of the Year: Robotics  Ori Innovative Tech of the Year: Sales & Marketing  WEVO Innovative Tech of the Year: Security  Edgewise

The Mass Technology Leadership Award sponsors include: Platinum Sponsors Marsh & McLennan Agency , Microsoft , Morgan Lewis , PwC , and Salesforce Commerce Cloud . Gold Sponsors Cisco and WeWork . And, Wine Bar Sponsor Coravin .

For more on the Mass Technology Leadership Awards, visit www.masstlc.org .

About the Mass Technology Leadership Council, Inc.

With 500+ member companies, the Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) is the region's leading technology association and the premier network for tech executives, entrepreneurs, investors and policy leaders. MassTLC's mission is to accelerate innovation, growth, and an inclusive tech ecosystem in Massachusetts. We do this by connecting people from across the technology landscape, providing access to industry-leading content and ideas and offering a platform for our members to advance their collective interests. More at www.masstlc.org .

For more information, contact:

Sara Fraim, MassTLC

617-869-5425

sara@masstlc.org
Eagle Hills Muscat, a private real estate investment and development company, has signed up foundation engineering specialist HSSG, to provide a range of services including excavation, shoring and piling works for its Mandarin Oriental, Muscat.



The project is being developed by Eagle Hills Muscat, a joint venture between UAE-based Eagle Hills Abu Dhabi and Izz International, and will be managed by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.



Set to open in 2021, the Mandarin Oriental, Muscat will feature 150 guestrooms and suites, five restaurants and bars, the Spa at Mandarin Oriental, and an outdoor swimming pool, said a statement from Eagle Hills.



The project will also boast 156 residences that are being introduced for the first time in the region and feature some of the most select private apartments in the capital ranging from 75 to 260 sq m in size.



A variety of banqueting and meeting spaces will also be available to accommodate social and business events, in addition to a one-of-a-kind ballroom offering spectacular views of the Oman Sea.



Eagle Hills CEO Low Ping said: "The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Muscat will provide the first high-end branded residence in Oman. Located in a prime city location on the beach, the development will offer the height of living and feature a beautiful low-rise architectural design inspired by Omans cultural legacy."



"In order to deliver upon our quality promise, we will be working with the experienced team at HSSG, which shares our dedication to delivering the very best in the market," noted Ping.



With foundation engineering capabilities spanning civil infrastructure, commercial and housing projects, and engineering and management consulting, HSSG offers a comprehensive range of services for large-scale foundation projects throughout the region, she added.



Since its inception in 2014, Eagle Hills has realised an impressive growth plan that has seen it enter into agreements to support the redevelopment and reinvigoration of a number of cities in Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The company is currently developing projects in Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Serbia and the UAE.-TradeArabia News Service
Oman's Sandan Industrial Park recently signed agreements with three new tenants that will set up operations at the first-of-its-kind light industries park in the sultanate, said a report.



The agreements were signed with Durat Al-Sahel Services and Trade, Al Jadeed Exchange and Trade Links and Services Co, added the Oman Daily Observer report.



The three companies are engaged in a variety of business activities, including exchange services, building materials, electrical equipment, pipe lines, security systems, lighting, manufacturing of steel and aluminium, internal design, maintenance services, marble, tiles, and sanitation, it said.



These agreements come within the lease plan drafted and adopted by Sandan in partnership with Remax.



Furthermore, there are many similar lease agreements to be signed with different companies in the upcoming months, added the report.
Toronto, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TORONTO, Thursday, October 4, 2018 - Canadas most prestigious early-stage neurotechnology entrepreneur awards were announced today by the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI). The ONtrepreneurs program, the single largest funder of early-stage neurotech entrepreneurs in Canada, is investing in six early-stage ventures this year to help accelerate their path to commercialization through access to funding, resources, and mentorship.



Now in its seventh year, the ONtrepreneurs program awards $50,000 to new and emerging technology-driven ventures and assists them through tailored training and industry mentorship. The program, which has successfully supported 51 entrepreneurs since its inception in 2012, has helped generate more than $36 million in follow-on investment for the programs alumni.



The ONtrepreneurs program is at the heart of OBIs mandate to unlock the huge commercial and medical potential from one of the largest communities of brain scientists in the world, right here in Ontario, said Dr. Tom Mikkelsen, OBI's President and Scientific Director. This years winners are offering groundbreaking technologies to tackle some of the most pressing challenges for patients, families and caregivers living with brain disorders.



As part of the ONtrepreneurs program, OBI provides award winners with mentorship from experts, training opportunities to hone their business skills, and access to OBI's community of research and industry partners.



Please click here to learn more about the OBIs ONtrepreneurs program.



Entrepreneur: Morgan Rosenberg

Venture: Supports Health

About: Supports Health is an app that empowers family caregivers with psychoeducation, digital therapeutics, and peer support. The app will be available in 2019 through a monthly subscription, and institutionally to hospitals, care centres, family health practitioners, universities and insurers.



Entrepreneur: Elizabeth Audette-Bourdeau

Venture: Welbi

About: Welbis software helps retirement communities reduce social isolation by providing a rich and personalized experience to their residents and families. Welbi acts as a personal assistant automating administrative tasks, providing alerts and making recommendations so the staff can focus on building a unique community and meaningful relationships.



Entrepreneur: Mohammad Ali Amini

Venture: Nanology Labs

About: Nanology Labs has developed a revolutionary non-toxic MRI contrast agent which circumvents efficacy limitations of other agents currently available. The agent, Manganescan, uses the element manganese to illuminate early stage tumors, specifically in the brain. Early stage detection provides clinicians advance knowledge for diagnosis, better treatment options and patient outcome.



Entrepreneur: Shea Balish

Venture: Curv

About: Using monocular video, Curv transforms the camera on any mobile device into a diagnostic tool, using machine learning analysis of body movements to predict, diagnose, and monitor brain disorders.



Entrepreneur: Kareem Ayyad

Venture: Cerebian

About: Cerebian has developed a BrainOS, a Brain-Computer Interface based operating system that enables incapacitated patients to fully control electronic devices with their brainwaves.



Entrepreneur: Jeff Perron

Venture: TruReach

About: TruReach is a self-help app for people with mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety. It allows users to complete step-by-step exercises and track symptoms to monitor their condition until they can meet with a psychologist. The app is available in the app store and has 25,000 downloads.

All award recipients are available for interviews.

About the Ontario Brain Institute:

The Ontario Brain Institute is a provincially funded, not-for-profit research centre seeking to maximize the impact of neuroscience and establish Ontario as a world leader in brain research, commercialization and care. OBI creates convergent partnerships between researchers, clinicians, industry, patients, and their advocates to foster discovery and deliver innovative products and services that improve the lives of those living with brain disorders. For more information please visit www.braininstitute.ca



The Ontario Neurotech Entrepreneurs program (ONtrepreneurs) catalyzes early stage entrepreneurs to commercialize brain-related technologies by accessing funding and support to launch or grow their neurotechnology ventures. The program provides $50,000 to help with their start-ups. Each ONtrepreneur also receives mentorship from experts in the sector, training opportunities to hone their business skills, and access to OBI's community of research and industry partners.
As part of his working visit to New York, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The sides discussed issues related to development of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the UN, noting Turkmenistans active role in addressing the key problems of our time.

A lot of the discussion focused on neutral Turkmenistans contribution to the settlement of the situation in Afghanistan, socio-economic revival of this neighboring country and aspiration to resolve the Afghan problem by peaceful, politico-diplomatic means.

The sides also discussed issues related to saving the Aral Sea and improving the environmental situation in the Aral Sea zone.

 TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evrim Resources Corp. (TSX.V:EVM) (Evrim or the Company) is pleased to announce that a drilling program has commenced at the Cerro Cascaron gold and silver project in southwestern Chihuahua, Mexico. Evrim and exploration partner, Harvest Gold Corporation (TSX.V:HVG) (Harvest Gold), have planned up to 3,000 metres of diamond drilling.

Cerro Cascaron is a large underexplored and undrilled project with two known areas of veining with outcropping gold and silver mineralization, including bonanza grab samples of up to 1,670 g/t gold and 1,490 g/t silver, commented Stewart Harris, Vice President of Technical Services. This maiden drill program will initially test a zone of sub-parallel veins at the Cascarita silver target followed by drilling within four vein targets in the Cascaron vein field.

In addition to the drill program, Evrim and Harvest Gold will contribute to various community initiatives including the improvement of road access to local farms following the recent wet season, clearing a local airstrip to allow for scheduled flight services, and continuing to support the legal organization of nearby Ejido groups.

Cascarita Silver Target

The drill program will commence at the Cascarita silver target where three drill holes are planned to test over 350 metres of strike length, along a 900 metre polymetallic silver-lead-zinc sheeted vein/breccia system. The initial drill targets are defined by underground channel and surface grab samples undertaken by Evrim in 2017 that returned five channel sample cuts with widths between 1.4 metres to 3.3 metres grading between 231 g/t silver equivalent* and 542 g/t silver equivalent*.

Cascaron Vein Field Targets

Four drill holes from one site are planned to test the San Pedro vein, where high grade gold and silver veins are defined by channel sampling, and by gold, silver, and pathfinder soil geochemistry approximately 800 metres to the north. Channel sample results collected from the San Pedro vein returned sample grades of 19 g/t gold and 72.6 g/t silver over 0.8 metres within 2.6 metres grading 6.05 g/t gold and 28.3 g/t silver. Approximately 45 metres further north, channel sampling returned grades of 10.5 g/t gold and 46.4 g/t silver over 0.9 metres within 4.3 metres grading 2.22 g/t gold and 10.9 g/t silver.

Figure 1  Map of Cascarita silver target

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f4771f07-218a-4bdf-a942-f1d2f3c1e619

Figure 2  Schematic drill section for Cascarita with photos of Cascarita hill (top right) and mineralization sample from Oeste Vein (bottom right)

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/49a0c782-35ad-4b78-b6c2-225e2aabaae9

Three drill holes are planned to test 900 metres of strike along the Serpiente Dorada and Julieta structures, an area within a 1.8 kilometre long gold-silver soil anomaly that averages above 50 ppb gold with the peak being 1.38 g/t gold. The drill holes will test an area of high-grade gold-silver mineralization defined by channel and grab samples at Serpiente Dorada, and strong geochemical anomalies defined by the Julieta structure and the Julieta-Serpiente structural intersection.

Previous selected hand grab sampling of Serpiente Dorada returned gold grades from trace to 1,670 g/t gold and 1,490 g/t silver, while channel samples collected with a rock saw on the Julieta vein returned sample grades of 5.04 g/t gold and 14.4 g/t silver over 2.0 metres within 6.3 metres grading 2.16 g/t gold and 28.8 g/t silver. Epithermal veins commonly transition from multiple narrow veinlets in the brittle rhyolite and rhyolite tuffs into a single broader vein in more component andesite units beneath. The drilling at Serpiente Dorada will test this concept at Cerro Cascaron.

The Carabina vein area will see diamond drill testing with one drill hole planned beneath an area of high grade gold-silver surface samples. In 2016, channel sampling across the Carabina vein returned sample grades of 5.73 g/t gold and 29.3 g/t silver over 1.4 metres within 5.4 metres that graded 2.12 g/t gold and 14.5 g/t silver.

About the Cerro Cascaron Project

The Cerro Cascaron property hosts a low to intermediate sulphidation epithermal gold bearing system and includes a high-grade gold vein field measuring 18 square kilometers in area on the eastern third of the property. Veining has been mapped over 900 vertical metres, with classic textural evidence of hydrothermal boiling accompanying the highest gold grades. This boiling zone has been established in the upper 380 metres of the vein field. Beneath the boiling zones, silver and base metal rich veins and breccias provide additional exploration targets.

Cerro Cascaron's setting and mineralization are similar to many epithermal deposits in the Sierra Madre Occidental, including Minera Frisco SAB's Ocampo Mine to the northwest, Coeur Mining Inc.s Palmarejo mine 115 kilometres northwest, and First Majestic Silver's San Martin de Bolanos silver mine in Jalisco State. The property is one of the few unexplored and undrilled opportunities in the region.

Harvest Gold has the right to earn up to an 80% interest in Cerro Cascaron by incurring up to $16 million in exploration expenditures, making up to $1.1 million in cash payments, issuing 2,000,000 shares and delivering a 43-101 compliant feasibility study, over a nine year period. If Evrim's interest in Cerro Cascaron is diluted to 10% or less, its interest will convert into a 2% net smelter royalty ("NSR").

Figure 3  Map of Cascaron vein field gold target

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/360ad752-050b-4faf-bedc-0b8c1b4c63a8

Figure 4  Schematic drill section for San Pedro with photos of the San Pedro vein (top right), Chalcedonic Quartz texture indicating a shallow level of erosion (middle right) and the adit entrance at San Pedro (bottom right)

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a4a870c4-4641-4503-8cce-5ce7ddc72aff

Figure 5  Schematic drill section for Serpiente Dorada with photos of the green colloform banded quartz texture (top right) and the Serpiente Dorada vein (bottom right)

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/71d5ff6a-3ce5-4c34-90ff-618f2a3e0108

Qualified Person Statement

Evrim's disclosure of technical or scientific information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Stewart Harris, P.Geo. Vice President, Technical Services for the Company. Mr. Harris serves as a Qualified Person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101.

*Previously announced November 27, 2017. Silver-Equivalent is calculated as Ag-Eq = Ag + (Pb%*22.046*Pb price*31.103/Ag price) + (Zn%*22.046*Zn price*31.103/Ag price). Metal prices used for this formula: Ag = $US 16.25/oz, Pb = $US 1.00/lb, Zn = $US 1.25/lb. Recoveries of 100% are assumed for the silver-equivalent values.

Readers are cautioned that rock chip, grab and channel samples are selected samples and are not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted on the property.

About Evrim Resources

Evrim Resources is a mineral exploration company whose goal is to participate in significant exploration discoveries supported by a sustainable business model. The Company is well financed, has a diverse range of quality projects and a database covering substantial areas of Mexico and portions of southwestern United States. The Companys projects are advanced through option and joint venture agreements with industry partners to create shareholder value. Evrims business plan also includes royalty creation utilizing the Companys exploration expertise and existing projects.

On Behalf of the Board

EVRIM RESOURCES CORP.

Paddy Nicol

President & CEO

To find out more about Evrim Resources Corp., please contact Paddy Nicol, President, or Charles Funk, VP New Opportunities and Exploration at 604-248-8648, or Donna Yoshimatsu at 416-722-2456.

Visit our website at www.evrimresources.com.

Forward Looking Information

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward looking statements". All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Evrim Resources Corp. (the "Company) expects to occur, are forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur.

Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Companys management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
As part of his working visit to New York, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov delivered a speech at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. The head of state outlined Ashgabats vision of the key problems of our time and ways of their resolution.

In particular, the Turkmen leader touched on the issues related to the settlement of the situation in Afghanistan, development of a special UN program for the Aral Sea, development of cooperation in the Caspian Sea, water and energy problems of Central Asia and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Turkmenistan.

The President of Turkmenistan noted that the current session of the UN General Assembly is taking place against the background of complex trends in international politics.

He stressed that despite the efforts of the international community, above all the UN, the situation in many regions of the globe remains complicated, the number of conflict prone areas grows and, at the same time, the general level of trust and mutual understanding of the ways and prospects for global development diminishes.

In these circumstances, the need for ensuring universal, lasting and long-term security becomes all the more evident and urgent, imposing on each state the responsibility for the fate of the world, the President of Turkmenistan said.

According to the Turkmen leader, the UN is called upon to play the main and decisive role in preserving the foundations of the international order based on the principles of mutual respect, equality, peaceful and political dialogue, and the validity of this mission cannot be doubted. The UN is the only universal international organization designed to ensure multilateral cooperation to strengthen international security and sustainable development, the head of state said.

The President of Turkmenistan also stressed that the current session of the UN General Assembly should help overcome the crisis of confidence and strengthen mutual understanding among member states. In this regard, the President of Turkmenistan put forward an initiative to proclaim the year of 2019 the year of peace and trust.

Our initiative provides for development of specific measures aimed at reducing tensions, peaceful, political and diplomatic resolution of disputes and conflicts and adoption of responsible and reasonable decisions, Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov said.

 TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021
The XII international exhibition of printed products and the scientific conference The Book is the Way to Cooperation and Progress opened in Ashgabat. The book forum has been organized by the State Publishing Service and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan.

About 150 representatives of the printing industry, business and literary circles from 22 countries participate in the international exhibition. They represent about 100 publishing houses and printing companies from Russia, the U.S., Belarus, Ukraine, Great Britain, Poland, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other countries.

The delegations consist of well-known writers, translators, painters and journalists, as well as representatives of major scientific and educational institutions of printing art.

The exhibition presents fiction, scientific works, textbooks, dictionaries, historical books, children's publications, etc.

The largest book pavilion at the exhibition belongs to Turkmenistan. Other than state-owned publishing enterprises, about 50 private Turkmen companies operate in this area. The books by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov occupy a central place at the Turkmen pavilion.

The Russian book pavilion is very much popular among visitors of the exhibition. About 40 Russian publishing companies, mainly from the regions, take part in the book forum. Some 3.5 thousand books brought to Ashgabat by Russian publishing houses will be donated to the Turkmen State Publishing Service at the end of the exhibition.

The scientific conference The Book is the Way to Cooperation and Progress started in the second half of the day as part of the international book exhibition. The conference participants discussed aspects of development of the publishing business and issues related to the enhancement of international cooperation in this field.

 TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021
An international conference titled Heavy Caspian: Turkmenistan has started in the Turkmen national tourist zone Avaza. The transport and logistics forum has been organized by Heavy World company, one of the world leaders in the field of heavy and oversized cargo transportation, jointly with the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan and the Turkmen Logistics Association (TLA).

Another Turkmen freight forwarding company, Yuk Ulag Merkezi (Center for Freight Transport), acts as a general sponsor of the forum.

More than 100 delegates from Turkmenistan, Russia, Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Estonia, Saudi Arabia and other countries participate in the transport forum.

The conference aims to discuss the development of cooperation in the field of aviation, rail, sea, road and multimodal freight services.

As part of the forum, the participants visited the international sea port of Turkmenbashi to get acquainted with the equipment, loading, unloading and warehousing operations, as well as freight forwarding services.

 TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021
Education is a fundamental human right and a public good. It transforms lives by driving economic and social development. It promotes peace, tolerance and social inclusion. It is key to eradicating poverty. And it enables children and young people to fulfil their potential.

In many places, however, children are deprived of the right to education because of a global shortage of qualified and experienced teachers  particularly female teachers in low-income countries. Despite an overall increase in access to education, more than 263 million children and youth worldwide are not in school. A staggering 617 million children and adolescents  nearly 60 per cent globally  have not mastered basic literacy or numeracy. The poorest, most marginalised children, including those living in areas affected by conflict, are most at risk of either being out of school or attending school, but learning very little.

The 2030 Agenda to which the international Community has committed itself calls for universal early childhood, primary and secondary education for all. To achieve this goal, we must expand access to quality education for every child and youth, end discrimination at all levels in the education system and dramatically improve the quality of education and learning outcomes. These objectives, in turn, will require an increased global supply of qualified teachers  an estimated 69 million more.

The theme of World Teachers Day 2018  The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher  reflects this reality. It also echoes the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted 70 years ago, which recognized education as a fundamental right. Today, we remind governments and the international community of the importance of safeguarding that right by investing in a strong teaching workforce, including in conflict-affected countries. To ensure that all children are prepared to learn and take their place in society, teachers must receive effective training and support that equip them to respond to the needs of all students, including the most marginalised.

But teacher shortages are hampering efforts to achieve equitable, inclusive, quality education for all  particularly in countries beset by widespread poverty and protracted crises, and in regions where the youth population is growing rapidly. To meet the demand for new teachers, education authorities often employ individuals with little or no training or by lowering qualification requirements. Some teachers are asked to teach subjects for which they have no pedagogical training. In low income countries, addressing the teacher shortage has meant drastically increasing class sizes, with a devastating impact on the quality of education and teacher workload.

As a result, the most marginalised and excluded children tend to be taught by the least experienced teachers, who may be on temporary contracts and receive no pre-service or in-service training. Teachers available to work in emergency or crisis contexts may not be trained to respond to the complex needs of vulnerable children, particularly girls, who have been forced to flee their homes because of armed conflict, violence or natural disaster.

Despite widespread recognition that teachers are key to achieving quality education for all, teaching is still not widely regarded as a valued profession. Its low prestige impedes efforts to recruit and retain teachers in rich and poor countries alike. In response, governments and education partners must take bold action to improve the quality of training for new and practising teachers. Teachers must receive quality initial teacher education, effective induction into the profession, and have opportunities for high-quality professional development to hone their skills throughout their careers. And they must demonstrate to the public that teaching is a valued profession by providing decent salaries and improving working conditions for educators at all levels of education.

On this World Teachers Day, as we celebrate teachers important contributions to improving the lives of children and youth around the world, we reaffirm our commitment to increasing the global supply of qualified teachers. We urge all governments and the international community to join us in this endeavour, so that all children and young people, no matter their circumstances, can secure their right to quality education and a better future.
A UNHCR staff member holds a young refugee boy in a blanket, after his boat landed on the Greek island of Lesvos in January 2016.  UNHCR/Hereward Holland

GENEVA  UNHCRs international protection chief called today for a return to a more empathic and humane dialogue focusing on human dignity, to counter fraught debates about refugees.

In a key address to the UN Refugee Agencys annual Executive Committee meeting in Geneva, Volker Turk, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, described the polarization of public discourse around refugees.

On the one hand, he said, there was a constructive multilateral approach that led 193 UN member states to develop the global compact on refugees this year, showing what can be achieved when we choose to rise above short-term interests to find a common way forward.

On the other hand, he spoke of the consequences of states succumbing to populist pressures and shirking their responsibilities. He cited the examples of children banging their heads against the wall, in despair, as they were separated from parents or languished in detention, and the suicides of young asylum-seekers held and mistreated in processing centres.

We are facing a watershed moment where two sets of values have emerged in two distinct modes of discourse, Turk, the UNs leading expert on international protection, told the forum.

We are facing a watershed moment where two sets of values have emerged."

It is difficult to reconcile how the positive developments of the past year have occurred alongside the seemingly endless volley of assaults on refugees. In different ways, they speak to what is at the heart of our protection work: respecting human dignity.

Renewed attention to the debate comes at a time when war and persecution have uprooted a record 68.5 million children, women and men worldwide, among them 25.4 million refugees.

Amid the noise, chatter, shrillness, lack of civility, and harsh language surrounding the discussion, Turk called for the creation of a space where we can make such a conversation possible  for human dignity to re-enter the picture in our thinking and engagement.

He set out five areas where we need to focus:

First, respect for dignity must be central to the development and implementation of law and standards for refugee protection. This means especially preventing attempts to narrow the concept of who is a refugee. It means remembering that the refugee protection regime was intended to be full and inclusive.

It also means respecting the law. We need to recognize that when we allow the denigration of just one person through the breach of these laws, we set the precedent for the denigration of us all.

Second, the protection chief stressed that respect for dignity must be the antidote to dehumanization. He underlined how hatred and violence had their origins in reducing individuals and groups to one or two characteristics, which denigrates, and dehumanizes, challenging the inherent dignity of all.

He continued: We need to confront the xenophobia, racism, nativism, and bigotry, often driven by fear, anger, and anxieties within communities. These are often used to deflect responsibility and as a pretext for demolishing institutions of liberal democracy. This ultimately has a corrosive effect on everyone.

Third, respect for dignity must be at the centre of the right to a nationality, which recognized that individuals are not objects to be governed by the powerful, but are subjects of law, endowed with dignity and entitled to a legal identity.

Stateless people have told me how they feel invisible, as if they have fallen through the cracks."

Stateless people have told me how they feel invisible, as if they have fallen through the cracks and do not matter, said Turk.

Fourth, respect for the dignity of all illustrates the necessity of multilateralism in an interdependent world. Turk said it was our collective responsibility to address the root causes of displacement and help countries shoulder their responsibilities for hosting refugees.

He added: It is surprising that some of the countries that have benefited the most from international cooperation and trade are amongst those least willing to be part of international or regional frameworks on population movements, including refugees.

He observed how it has become fashionable in some academic circles to play with the idea of containment, externalization, and literally shipping people out of sight, out of mind, and effectively out of rights.

Finally, the dignity and safety of future generations must be safeguarded by tackling the issues that led to forced displacement, with armed conflict top of the list.

Factors fuelling conflict and violence must be addressed as a priority, including the arms trade, extraction industries, the acquisition of land for mining and other purposes, inequality, authoritarianism and environmental change and degradation.

He concluded: Protection is often seen in the negative, as violations and abuses of rights dominate the narrative, but it must also be seen as a vision for the future. Preserving human dignity calls upon us to draw upon our diversity and richness to imagine larger freedoms that can be secured through vigilance and common action.

You can read the full speech here.
Stateless activist Maha Mamo today realized a lifelong quest to belong.

I dont know if Im dreaming, or if this is happening, she said, moments after receiving Brazilian citizenship at an emotional ceremony in Geneva.

I never imagined this day would come  this is my lifes dream coming true, she added.

It has been a long journey for Maha, 30, who was  until today  among millions of stateless people around the world who are denied a nationality, and face a lifetime of exclusions.

I never imagined this day would come  this is my lifes dream coming true.

Born in Lebanon in 1988 to Syrian parents, Maha never gained citizenship due to a web of restrictive laws and practices on civil registration and nationality in the two countries she had ties to.

At the ceremony at the United Nations Office at Geneva, she wore a Brazilian flag as a scarf, and a t-shirt with the words: Everyone has the right to belong.

She detailed how being stateless had impacted every aspect of her life, beginning with her schooldays, when access to education was gained only as a favour. Being able to obtain medical treatment, pass through a police checkpoint, seek a job or even buy a SIM card for a mobile phone were among daily battles.

Everything that people take for granted, I had to fight to get it, she said. Education, work, health care and travel. My life even was in danger, I could go to jail.

Maha's quest for citizenship was strewn with obstacles in Syria and Lebanon.

She should have been recognized as a Syrian national as her father, who is Christian, is Syrian. But because her mother is Muslim, it was not possible to register either their marriage or her birth, preventing her from gaining citizenship.

Maha was also not considered Lebanese, as the law there does not allow for acquisition of nationality by birth in the territory, and naturalizations there are extremely rare.

See also: The Syrians starting over in Brazil

Her quest to belong  shared by her two siblings  finally gained traction five years ago when Brazilian consulates in the Middle East began issuing special visas to Syrians under simplified procedures to allow survivors of the countrys civil war to travel to Latin Americas largest country, where they can then present an asylum claim.

The only country that accepted me as a human being was Brazil. Not because I was stateless, but because they opened the door to Syrian refugees because of the war," she said.

Maha started out for a new life in Sao Paulo in September 2014, subsequently gaining refugee status in May 2016, with help from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

Last year, the prospect of gaining citizenship finally came into view when Brazil passed its New Immigration Law. With the passage of the law, for the first time Brazil has a Statelessness Determination Procedure. As a first step towards gaining citizenship, she was recently formally recognized as stateless. In her final step, Maha took a Portuguese proficiency exam on October 1.

"Like Brazil is changing my life today, any other country can do it."

After she received the document annoucing her citizenship on Thursday at the Palais des Nations, Brazils Ambassador to the United Nations, Maria Nazareth Farani Azevedo, hugged Maha and dabbed tears from her eyes.

Moments like this make it meaningful, the work that we do every day, she told Maha. We are here every day reading papers and speaking of situations without living those situations. And this moment makes me live a bit your situation, so thank you very much.

At first, Maha appeared a little dazed. But as the gift of citizenship sank in, she kissed the Brazilian flag she had draped around her neck and said: I cant wait to tell my mum and my sister.

Thanking UNHCR, and then her home country, Brazil, she looked to the future and the work to be done to help the millions of other stateless people who continue to live a life shoved to the margins.

Just "like Brazil is changing my life today, any other country can do it, she said, in an appeal to UN member states. And imagine how many lives you can change.

If you want to know more about how you can make a difference to the lives of people like Maha, join our #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness in 10 years.
Rathbone Brothers Plc



Appointment of Group Finance Director

Rathbone Brothers Plc (Rathbones) today announces that Jennifer Mathias has been appointed Group Finance Director, subject to regulatory approval. Jennifer will join Rathbones on 1 April 2019 and will also be appointed as an Executive Director to the Rathbones board and a member of the Group Executive Committee. This role will sit alongside the roles of the CEO and Managing Director of Rathbone Investment Management, increasing the total number of Executive Directors on the board from two to three.

Jennifer joins Rathbones from EFG Private Bank (UK), where she has been Chief Finance Officer (CFO) and Deputy Chief Executive Officer since 2015. Prior to this position, Jennifer was Global CFO at Coutts and has held various senior finance positions at Lloyds Banking Group over a 16 year period.

Paul Stockton, current Group Finance Director, has been operating a dual role as Managing Director of Rathbone Investment Management since 1 May 2018. Following Jennifers appointment, Paul will resume the latter Executive Director role on a full time basis but will work closely with Jennifer to ensure a smooth transition.

Philip Howell, Chief Executive of Rathbones, said:

I am delighted that Jennifer will be joining our board and executive team and look forward to working alongside her. With extensive experience in the wealth management and private banking sectors, she will make a significant contribution to the delivery of our strategic plans and brings qualities that will be complementary to the management team at Rathbones.

Jennifer Mathias, said:

Im really pleased to be joining Rathbones at such an exciting time and look forward to working with both the board and the executive team.

4 October 2018

Notes to editors:

Save as disclosed above, there are no disclosures to be made pursuant to LR 9.6.13 in relation to Jennifer Mathias. Jennifers remuneration package will be in accordance with Rathbones approved Remuneration Policy and broadly in line with that received by our existing Group Finance Director. The details will be fully disclosed in our 2019 Annual Report. This announcement contains inside information as defined in Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation No. 596/2014 ("MAR"). Jennifer Mathias does not hold any shares in Rathbones.

For further information contact:

Rathbone Brothers Plc

Tel: 020 7399 0000

Email: shelly.patel@rathbones.com

Philip Howell, Chief Executive

Paul Stockton, Group Finance Director/Managing Director, Rathbone Investment Management

Ali Johnson, Company Secretary

Shelly Patel, Head of Investor Relations

Camarco (Communications adviser to Rathbones)

Tel: 020 3757 4984

Email: ed.gascoigne-pees@camarco.co.uk

Ed Gascoigne-Pees

Hazel Stevenson

Rathbone Brothers Plc

Rathbone Brothers Plc (Rathbones), through its subsidiaries, is a leading provider of high-quality, personalised investment and wealth management services for private clients, charities and trustees. Our services include discretionary investment management, unit trusts, banking and loan services, financial planning, unitised portfolio services, and UK trust, legal, estate and tax advice.

Rathbones has over 1,100 staff in 15 UK locations and Jersey; its headquarters is 8 Finsbury Circus, London.
Bolivia sea dispute: UN rules in Chile's favour

United Nations, Oct 2 (UNI) The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled against Bolivia in its dispute with neighbouring Chile over access to the Pacific Ocean - a feud dating back to the late 19th Century.

Landlocked Bolivia lost access to the sea in 1884 after a war with Chile and has tried to regain it ever since.

The court said Chile was not obliged to negotiate granting Bolivia access.
Congress not only covered up Bitcoin scam, but also freed accused: K'taka CM 14 Nov 2021 | 2:08 PM Bengaluru, Nov 14 (UNI) A day after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi termed it as the biggest coverup operation of BJP, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said the Congress government not only covered up the Bitcoin scam, but also let free Srikrishna Ramesh. see more..

Vested interest group attempts to tarnish Tripura's image: Deputy CM 14 Nov 2021 | 2:04 PM Agartala, Nov 14 (UNI) Tripura Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma took strong exception to the incidents of violence in a few places of Maharashtra and opined that a vested interest group became active to tarnish the image of Tripura before the global community in a calculative manner. see more..

MP capital readies for Modis visit on Tribal Pride Day 14 Nov 2021 | 1:17 PM Bhopal, Nov 14 (UNI) Preparations are in the final stage for Mondays Tribal Pride Day Mahasammelan to be graced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Madhya Pradesh capitals historic Jamboree ground.

The mega convention, marking the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Birsa Munda, is expected to be attended by about two-and-a-half lakh people. see more..

Class-12 student suicide case : School Principal arrested in Bengaluru 14 Nov 2021 | 1:13 PM Coimbatore, Nov 14 (UNI) The principal of a private school, who was booked

under POCSO Act, was arrested in Bengaluru in connection with the suicide

of a Class-12 girl student following sexual harassment by her teacher. see more..
Huge consignments of foreign liquor seized from house and field

Patna, Oct 04 (UNI) Stepping up their drive against smuggling of liquor into 'dry' Bihar, police seized huge consignments of foreign liquor from house and agriculture field in Vaishali and Begusarai districts during the last 12 hours.

According to a report from Hajipur, police seized huge consignment of foreign liquor from Rasoolpur Fatah village under Kathara police outpost area in Vaishali district late last night.

Police said here today that 90 cartons of foreign liquor were seized from the house of one Ajay Rai on the basis of specific intelligence input. Sources said that Ajay managed to escape from the spot by taking the advantage of darkness. The seized liquor was manufactured in Haryana.
Search for missing Saudi journalist underway

Dubai, Oct 3 (UNI) Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent journalist went missing after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

A citizen of Saudi and a columnist for The Washington Post, Mr Khashoggi accompanied by his fiancee approached the diplomatic mission for some paperwork.

However, Mr Khashoggi left his fiancee outside and entered the consulate alone. After waiting for several hours, when Mr Khashoggi did not turn up, his worried fiancee raised an alarm with the police.
UN Security Council renews measures against migrant from Libya

United Nations, Oct 4 (UNI) The Security Council on Wednesday renewed the authorisation of vessel inspection and seizure off the coast of Libya to curb migrant smuggling and human trafficking.

Resolution 2437, which was adopted unanimously by the 15-member council, renewed the authorisation for 12 months from the date of adoption of the resolution, Chinese news agency, Xinhua stated.

The resolution allows member states, acting nationally or through regional organisations, to inspect vessels that are suspected of being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking from Libya. It also allows seizure of vessels that are confirmed as being used for such activities.
WHO supports Zimbabwe with 1.4-mn vaccinations

United Nations, Oct 4 (UNI) The World Health Organisation (WHO) is supporting Zimbabwes efforts to begin vaccinating 1.4 million people against a new deadly outbreak of cholera after the water-borne disease first surfaced in a suburb of the capital Harare early last month.

Glen View, a dense suburb vulnerable to cholera because of a lack of clean piped water, is at the epicentre of the outbreak.

The UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA), which is monitoring the situation, reported over 6.600 suspected cases in the three weeks since the disease first emerged, which has spread to at least five additional provinces.
3D-printed, patient-specific heart marks the companys move into interventional cardiology



BOSTON, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BIOMODEX, an innovative medical technology company using proprietary 3D printing technology to develop organ twins for advanced training of physicians, is expanding into the interventional cardiology space with the launch of a new training product. The Left Atrial Appendage Closure Solution (LAACS), which was unveiled at TCT 2018 in San Diego, allows physicians to train on an ultra-realistic, multi-material, 3D-printed heart.

BIOMODEXs patented INVIVOTECH technology enables 3D printing of organs based on medical imaging, such as CT Scans. The biomechanics of the organ and surrounding tissue can also be reproduced, mimicking organ behavior with a quick turnaround time. In addition, BIOMODEXs newly patented ECHOTECH enables the 3D-printed organ to be observed using any TEE ultra sound system as well as fluoroscopy. As a result, physicians can train implementing the same techniques used in the actual procedure.

Our mission is to provide as realistic an experience as possible for physician training. Our advancements in patient specific 3D printing using INVIVOTECH and ECHOTECH allow physicians to train in a clinical setting using the same techniques they use in an actual procedure. Ultimately, we want to provide the physicians an opportunity to test drive any procedure on our solution to improve safety and clinical outcomes, said Carolyn DeVasto, Vice President of Global Commercialization at BIOMODEX.

To date, BIOMODEX has been focused on 3D solutions for interventional neuroradiology applications, but the companys technology is now being applied to provide advanced clinical training in the structural heart space with the ultimate goal to help reduce risk and improve patient outcomes.

About BIOMODEX

BIOMODEX, an innovative medical technology company based in Paris and Boston, uses 3D printing technology to produce synthetic organ twins from patient-specific images for advanced training of physicians. The companys 3D-printed organ twins paired with their simulation stations offer a unique training experience with the goal of reducing risk and improving patient outcomes.

Media Contact:

Andrea LePain

eMedia Junction

617-275-8112

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ec62b4b5-8f21-41ef-bab5-9b9af34c36a0



http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3741aa03-8bb8-4742-bec1-0ed610c8381b
It takes a network to defeat a network: GLO.ACT continues to support prosecutorial network in Morocco

Casablanca, Morocco 4 October 2018 - Following the first training session in Tangier in July 2018, and the establishment of a network of prosecutors representing each court of appeal in Morocco, the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants ( GLO.ACT) organized a second training for the prosecutor network against Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in Casablanca from 24 to 26 September 2018.

As under Law 27-14, human trafficking offenses constitute a serious crime directly handled by the courts of appeal, the Moroccan public prosecution decided to establish a network of prosecutors representing each court of appeal. The aim of this network is to have prosecutors that have developed in-depth knowledge on the complexities related to TIP cases. Thus, to build a common understanding, practice and network of professionals working on the same topic, two prosecutors per court are being trained by UNODC under the framework of GLO.ACT.

During her opening session, Ms. Euridice Marquez, UNODC Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer opened her session by asking: "Why we are here? She answered saying: "Because we care; because we care about the life and the suffering trafficking victims have endured. "

During the first two days of the workshop, international and national legal frameworks were outlined by a range of experts to support the better identification of victims, help with investigations and prosecution techniques. Through an approach of combining theory with practical exercises, 21 prosecutors were able to gain relevant knowledge on how to approach, investigate and potentially prosecute complex human trafficking cases.

Speaking during the workshop, Ms. Oufroukhi, the head of the judicial cooperation department at the specialized public prosecution office, responsible for women's and children's issues, vulnerable populations, and trafficking in persons and the Department of Justice representative for GLO.ACT said, "TIP has a very serious impact on human beings and their rights. It takes away their humanity, especially that of women and children."

Evidential issues and victim protection principles were the focus of the third day. Rights and protection of victims and witnesses are at the core of any judicial investigation under the UNTOC and the protocols thereto, as well as an integral part of GLO.ACT's mandate.

During the workshop, prosecutors were very engaged in debates on how to correctly apply the law to practical cases, thus confirming the momentum created by Law 27-14 in Morocco. These debates were expertly facilitated by UNODC experts, Dr. Mohanad Dweikat and Mr. Ahmed Abu El Einen. In addition, Mr. Mohamed Chabib, a national expert, worked with the participants on real TIP cases to build a better understanding of the role of the prosecution in the identification of victims, prosecution techniques and on victim protection principles.

During the workshop there was a focus on better and more efficient international cooperation based on the exchange of information and law-enforcement cooperation drawing from best practices across GLO.ACT's 13 target countries. The workshop was also attended by Mrs. Caroline Frieh-Chevalier and Ms. Anne Simone from the European Union Delegation to Morocco.

The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) is a four-year (2015-2019), 11 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). GLO.ACT provides assistance to governmental authorities and civil society organizations across 13 strategically selected countries: Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine. It supports the development of more effective responses to trafficking and smuggling, including providing assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and direct support mechanisms.

For more information, please contact

Sara Bentefrit

National Programme Officer

Email: sara.bentefrit@un.org

www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/

Twitter: @glo_act
West Palm Beach, FL, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- West Palm Beach, FL  October 4, 2018  In honor of Halloween, TOKU, the only 24/7 live and on-demand television network dedicated to eye-catching anime, popular live-action titles and cult classics from Asia dubbed into English, will feature a whole month brimming with terrifying horror films, including the much-anticipated U.S. premiere of Death on Live Streaming and Death Blog on All Hallows' Eve.

Year after year, Halloween has proven to be one of the most popular celebrations among our viewers, which is why this year we have put together six horrifying Japanese films, including three films from the popular Battle of Demons franchise and two spine-chilling premieres on October 31st, stated Jesus Pinango, Director of TV Content Strategy at Olympusat. Japanese horror films have become a cultural phenomenon around the world and are considered to be some of the most terrifying films ever created, serving as an inspiration to a great number of filmmakers in the western hemisphere.

The blood-curdling films premiering this month on TOKU are:

Sukima Omna

10/6/2018 at 10 p.m. EST

Director: Jiro Nagae

Cast: Ayaka Kikuchi, Yua Ashihara

Synopsis: Troubled by the feeling of constantly being watched, a woman searches all over her room only to find nothing. However, the next day she realizes a creepy and mysterious woman has been staring at her from the gap between the wall and the drawer.

Battle of Demons

10/13/2018 at 10 p.m. EST

Director: Kotaro Terauchi

Cast: Hirofumi Araki, Rina Aizawa

Synopsis: Far from human town, lies the remote village of Kigasato, a town reserved only for demons. Most demons patiently wait for their next bride, schoolgirls who are kidnapped from the village and forced to marry their beautiful but cruel 100-year old companions.

Battle of Demons 2

10/20/2018 at 10 p.m. EST

Director: Kotaro Terauchi

Cast: Hirofumi Araki, Rina Aizawa

Synopsis: Twenty years before the events of Battle of Demons, a human girl destined to become "the bride of a demon finds that the Onis village is seriously in danger. A fierce monster is coming back after a 500-year hibernation.

Battle of Demons 3

10/28/2018 at 10 p.m. EST

Director: Kotaro Terauchi

Cast: Hirofumi Araki, Rina Aizawa

Synopsis: Another human girl, Momoko, who was brought into Onis village to become "the bride of a demon" is turned down by her fiance. Heartbroken, she swears revenge and plots with another demon to assassinate the chief of the village.

Death Blog

10/31/2018 at 8 p.m. EST

Director: Masaaki Jindo

Cast: Mika Akizuki, Rino Aoki

Synopsis: Theres an urban legend about the blog that brings tragedy and fear. Shy and inner-minded high school girl, Hitomi, writes and jokes about her school and friends on her blog. But everyone she has ever written about on the blog encounters terrifying tragedy, even death.

Death on Live Streaming

10/31/2018 at 9:30 p.m. EST

Director: Masaaki Nido

Cast: Aimi Nojo, Misato Kawauchi

Synopsis: Ayumi is a college student who is filming a horror movie about a live-streaming website that brings death to everyone who logs in. One day, she receives a strange link from her old friend Yoriko and clicks on it -- a fateful decision she will live to regret.

TOKU is owned and operated by Olympusat, Inc., and its currently available on Armstrong, AT&T U-verse, Cablevision Optimum, Claro TV, Comcast Xfinity, Hotwire Communications and MCTV.

For more information on TOKUs programming, please visit tokuhd.com.

Attachments
UW Researcher, Colleagues Use Poetry to Promote Science

Bethann Garramon Merkle, an associate research scientist with the Wyoming Migration Initiative on the UW campus, co-wrote Poetry as a Creative Practice to Enhance Engagement and Learning in Conservation Science, which was published in the Oct. 4 edition of BioScience. (Bethann Garramon Merkle Photo)

Creativity is crucial in successful scientific inquiry, to communicate science in compelling ways and to enhance learning. Poetry is one creative approach that can assist with scientists engagement and learning, say researchers, including one from the University of Wyoming.

Bethann Garramon Merkle, an associate research scientist with the Wyoming Migration Initiative on the UW campus, co-wrote Poetry as a Creative Practice to Enhance Engagement and Learning in Conservation Science, which was published in the Oct. 4 edition of BioScience. To read the paper, click here.

BioScience is a monthly, peer-reviewed, scientific journal that is published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Institute of Biological Sciences.

According to the authors research, science creativity can be both practiced and enhanced to strengthen conservation science professionals efforts to address global environmental challenges. In the study, the researchers explore how poetry is one creative approach that can further conservation scientists engagement and learning.

We draw on evidence from peer-reviewed literature to illustrate benefits of integrating science and poetry, and to ground our argument for the growth of a science-poetry community to help conservation scientists develop skills in creative practices as a component of professional development, Garramon Merkle and her colleagues say.

She adds that Wyoming has a significant heritage of well-respected poets, as well as a recognized role in national and international poetry spheres.

We also have world-class science research -- conducted at UW and throughout the state -- that helps answer citizens' questions and makes discoveries that are important to people and the planet, Garramon Merkle notes. Data indicate that connecting the two -- science and poetry -- can lead to more creative science research and innovative solutions to pressing problems.

Garramon Merkle came to UW as a creative writing student from Choteau, Mont.

Her co-authors on the paper were: Christina Lux, Center for the Humanities at the University of California-Merced; Patrick Goff, Beaumont Middle School, Kentucky; Stephanie Januchowski-Hartley, Department of Biosciences at Swansea University, United Kingdom; Samantha Oester, Environmental Science and Policy Department at George Mason University, Fairfax County, Va.; Natalie Sopinka, Canadian Science Publishing, Ontario; and Anna Zivian, Ocean Conservancy, Santa Cruz, Calif.

In the paper, they present examples from literature as well as two short poetry exercises for scientists to draw upon when considering writing poetry or deciding on forms of poetry to include in their practice.

They say current interdisciplinary dialogue generally perpetuates the ideology that scientists conduct science and artists create art. However, research and experience show that scientists -- and society more broadly -- benefit from scientists creating works beyond their discipline, the researchers conclude.

Our paper highlights research and classroom-based case studies that indicate poetry is a powerful tool for learning science and learning how to think and talk about science topics, Garramon Merkle says. With the advent of elementary science standards in Wyoming schools, strategies for integrating the arts and sciences are going to be more necessary and productive than ever. And, at the college level, poetry and science can work together to make science education more engaging and memorable, and even contribute to communication skills such as writing.

Madi Crawford, a Newcastle botany and honors student, collected samples to estimate whether insects are attracted to the color of wind turbines. A recently published UW research paper says poetry is one creative approach that can assist with scientists engagement and learning. (UW Photo)

She notes that fairly recent collaborations at UW and beyond have demonstrated how compelling poetry can be as a mechanism for sharing science.

And, as our paper points out, poetry isn't there just to make science pretty, she adds. Thinking creatively and, in novel ways, about your own science research can result in new approaches to explaining science results, and even new ways of doing science.

UWs Learning Actively Mentoring Program (LAMP) Director Rachel Watson agrees with the approach. LAMP is part of UWs Science Initiative.

This research encapsulates the many reasons that purposeful, mindful integration of creativity into science creates space for the reflective attention that the scientific process so desperately needs, but sometimes so demonstrably lacks, Watson says. I am inspired by the exercise in the research that was provided for poetry writing because I feel that it can be mindfully integrated into any science research-based class, but also into pedagogical training.

Garramon Merkle says incorporating poetry in UW scientific research can be helpful for:

-- UW faculty members looking for ideas for broader impact proposals within science-related grant applications.

-- Initiatives to enhance creativity and innovation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) students and professionals, at UW and beyond.

-- UW faculty in departments including -- but not limited to -- English, Visual and Literary Arts, Haub School, College of Education, Science and Math Teaching Center, entrepreneurships through the College of Business, Native American Indian Studies and the Honors College, as well as the STEM disciplines, could benefit from this shared practice.

-- UW faculty members working to improve students' writing skills.

-- K-12 and university instructors looking for multidisciplinary curriculum ideas, which Garramon Merkle and her colleagues note is a scientifically documented-as-successful approach to teaching and learning.

-- Organizing activities in art museums, and literary and writing festivals throughout the state and nation.

The researchers say there is considerable evidence that using creativity through poetry writing, reading or speaking can develop, maintain and enhance empathic and innovation skills.

Considering the challenges humanity faces right now -- and Wyoming is not immune -- synthesizing disciplines to stimulate innovation, like we are resuggesting in this paper, is not only a good idea. It's an urgent one, Garramon Merkle says.
BOCA RATON, Fla., Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cleartronic, Inc., (OTCMKTS: CLRI) discusses its plans to spin-off its subsidiary into a new public company concentrating on the hemp based CBD business. The broadcast can be listened to worldwide at noon today, Thursday, October 4, 2018, with longtime broadcaster Mick Bazsuly who hosts the show. Listen live on 740 AM, 103.9 FM, and 95.9 FM in South Florida, and streamed live on www.AMP2.tv, as well as www.wsbrradio.com worldwide; submit questions in advance at www.mickbazsuly.com.



Larry Reid, President of VoiceInterop, stated, We recently announced our exploration of entry into the red-hot cannabis market. The Cleartronic board of directors has approved the spin-off of VoiceInterop into a separate public company which is the first step in the process.

We believe that the spin-off will bring significant value to our Cleartronic shareholders, said Reid. The Cleartronic shareholders will receive a dividend in the form of shares of VoiceInterop.

Reid continued, VoiceInterop has signed a 'Memorandum of Understanding' with Bioprocessing Corp., a Florida based distributor of CBD products and extraction equipment used to extract CBD oils from the cannabis plants. This strategic partnership will allow VoiceInterop to enter the retail and wholesale CBD market.

Reid closed by stating, We will have additional announcements in the coming weeks outlining our new strategic partnerships and business plan. I look forward to providing all of this exciting news to our current and future shareholders.

Found throughout the seeds, stalk, and flowers of cannabis plants, including hemp and marijuana, Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, provides numerous positive medical benefits and uses. Continuously, people seek the use of CBD products, which creates a high growth market in cannabidiol consumption.

About Cleartronic, Inc.

Cleartronic, Inc., a diversified holding Company, creates and acquires operating subsidiaries with the goal of manufacturing and selling products, services, and integrated systems to government agencies, business enterprises, and the general public. In addition to its ongoing research and development projects, Cleartronic currently has two operating subsidiaries, ReadyOp Communications, Inc. and VoiceInterop, Inc.- www.cleartronic.com, www.voiceinterop.com and www.readyop.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains statements that involve expectations, plans or intentions (such as those relating to future business or financial results) and other factors discussed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These statements are forward-looking and are subject to risks and uncertainties so that actual results may vary materially. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words such as "may," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and other similar expressions. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements because of certain factors not within the control of the company. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company disclaims any obligation subsequently to revise 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.

Contact and Inquiries for Investor Relations:

Larry Reid

561-939-3300 Ext 143

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2c6c13bd-9b14-4a68-9495-0a079582278a








BOSTON, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ariel Litvin, chief information security officer (CISO) at First Quality Enterprises (FQE) and a client of CyberX , the IIoT and industrial control system (ICS) security company, is a finalist for the 2018 Northeast Information Security Executive (ISE) of the Year Award . Litvin is being recognized for his outstanding leadership and exemplary achievements in information security, risk management, privacy and network security.



The First Quality group of companies , headquartered in Great Neck, New York, are leading manufacturers of non-discretionary consumer products and market leaders that offer a diversified and complete product offering of high-quality private-label and branded products. The company employs almost 5,000 team members.

Recognized as the industrys most prestigious IT security award, the ISE Awards Program , under the auspices of the Tech Execs Network (T.E.N.), has become the most anticipated award program for security executives and their project teams across the U.S. and Canada.

Litvin, previously a security director at PwC, is being acknowledged for implementing a cohesive IT/OT security monitoring and governance strategy at FQE. By centralizing digital risk management in a single function, FQE can more effectively address advanced threats across both IT and OT, as well leverage existing investments in IT security personnel, SOC workflows, and security technologies such as SIEM and orchestration systems.

Litvin is also being recognized for fostering closer collaboration between the firms IT and OT organizations, and for helping remove silos that have traditionally existed between IT and OT in other companies.

Reducing risk to our production operations is smart business, said Litvin, CISO of First Quality Enterprises. CyberX gives us deep visibility into our OT environment and continuous OT risk management, while enabling unified security monitoring and governance across both IT and OT.

At First Quality, smart manufacturing and IIoT are essential to achieving greater quality and efficiency in the companys innovative manufacturing processes. In order to support the needs of the business while reducing risk, Litvin has implemented CyberXs continuous OT threat monitoring and asset management platform in multiple plants, along with centralized management providing a global view of OT risk across all of its facilities.

CyberX is also integrated with the firms security stack including IBM QRadar (SIEM); Siemplify (security automation and orchestration); and its next-generation firewall infrastructure from Palo Alto Networks, enabling immediate blocking of malicious traffic identified by CyberXs ICS-aware behavioral analytics and self-learning.

The ISE Northeast Executive Forum and Awards 2018 event was held on Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the Westin Times Square in New York City.

Litvin and CyberX to Present at Palo Alto Networks Ignite 18 Europe Conference

Ariel Litvin and Nir Krumer, head of Product Management at CyberX, will be delivering a session titled  Effectively Detecting & Preventing Threats to Your ICS/SCADA Network ,  at the Palo Alto Networks Ignite 18 Europe Conference on Wednesday, Oct. 10 from 10:20  11:30 a.m. at the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition Center.

Litvin and Krumers presentation will describe:

The organizational and technological challenges of integrating IT and OT security in the corporate SOC.

How First Quality trained its SOC analysts to address crucial differences between IT and OT.

How First Quality is using the seamless integration between CyberX and Palo Alto Networks to both detect and prevent attacks against their critical industrial infrastructure.

About CyberX

Founded by military cyber-experts with nation-state expertise defending critical infrastructure, CyberX provides the most widely-deployed platform for continuously reducing ICS and IIoT risk. CyberX is a member of the Palo Alto Networks Application Framework developer community and the IBM Security App Exchange Community and has partnered with premier solution providers worldwide including Optiv Security, DXC Technologies, and Deutsche-Telekom/T-Systems. For more information, visit CyberX-Labs.com .

Media Contact for CyberX Deb Montner, Principal Montner Tech PR 203-984-7861 dmontner@montner.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d8b89a6-7a01-419b-8614-856e101bfdd0
A 61-year-old man was killed and a 24-year-old man was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash on the morning of Oct. 3 in Armada Township, police said.

Michigan State Police troopers responding to a 911 call at 6:05 a.m. determined the younger man, who is a resident of Lake Orion, was driving a 1997 Ford F-150 pickup south on Miller Road when he disregarded a stop sign at Bordman Road. The pickup struck a 2016 Jeep Patriot traveling east on Bordman Road, police said.

Eastbound Bordman Road does not have a stop sign at Miller Road.

The driver of the Jeep, identified as the 61-year-old man from Berlin Township, died at the scene, authorities said. Police officials did not reveal his name.

The driver of the pickup was reported to be in stable condition hours after the crash at an unspecified hospital. His name was not divulged by police officials.

Investigators said alcohol or drug use may have been a factor in the collision.

Bordman Road is Macomb Countys northern border with St. Clair County.

 Norb Franz, Digital First Media
The Iranian government intervened on the side of the Government of France in the Zahra Centre affair [1]. Teheran thinks that the accusation that this organization prepared an attack against the meeting of the Mujahideens of the People held on 30 June 2018, stems from a third state plot.

Bahram Ghasemi, spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, denied that his country was in any way responsible in this matter and called France to come to the table so that the two countries could thrash out the issues.

Paris immediately released Yahia Gouasmi, representative of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the leader of the Shiites in France. Paris had detained him for several hours.

The French Minister of Home Affairs no longer speaks of arrests but rather 12 home visits (searches). As of 3 October, only one person is still in custody.

The Minister for Home Affairs, Gerard Collomb had announced that he wanted to quit his position at the end of 2019 so that he could stand as a candidate in the Lyon municipal elections in 2020. But then he suddenly handed in his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron: the first time was just before the police operation at the Zhara Centre which resulted in the detention of Yahia Gousami and the second time was during the Iranian intervention. The second time round his resignation was accepted.

Responding to questions from journalists, Mr Gousami accused Israel of organizing this false terrorist trail to blacken Irans name.
Yahia Gouasmi is a French-Algerian disciple of Imam Rouhollah Khomeini. He became Ayatollah Ali Khameneis representative in France. On 2 October 2018, he was arrested with 10 of his companions during a massive operation conducted by about 200 policemen, in the City of Grande-Synthe, Northern France.

During this operation, the French police searched and then closed the Zhara Centre which brings together Shiites in France.

At the same time, several bank accounts linked to Iran were frozen temporarily (for 6 months) by a government decree [1].

The French police are seeking to establish a link between the Islamic Republic of Iran, this religious man and the planned attack against the meeting of the Mujahideens of the People that took place in Paris on 30 June 2018. Amir S. and his spouse Nasimeh N. have already been arrested in Belgium as part of this investigation. An Iranian diplomat, Assadollah Assadi, was also arrested, this time in Germany.

The Mujahideens of the People is a Marxist organization supported by  Saudi Arabia and the United States. They have claimed responsibility for thousands of assassinations in Iran and Iraq. The European Union has once again classified them a terrorist organization.

The activities of Yahia Gouasmi as Ayatollah Ali Khameneis representative in France were legally funded by Iran, occasionally by diplomatic channels. Gousami also produced regular accounts of his activities to the General Directorate of Internal Security.

While not a politician himself, Yahia Gouasmi had established a political organization, the Anti-Zionist Party, which presented candidates for the European elections in 2009 and the French legislative elections in 2012. The candidates presented included the humourist Dieudonne and the sociologist Alain Soral. When he was French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls (today a candidate for the Spanish municipality of Barcelona), labelled the three men, Gouasmi, Dieudonne and Soral as dangerous for democracy. He took personal responsibility for marginalizing all three .

To link the Zaha Centre to a terrorist affair seems rather strange. Yahia Gouasmi is a well respected religious figure in the Middle East. This leads us to think of a possible manipulation by the French government, which it appears, suspects Mr Gouasmi of being involved in managing Iranian funding for the Anti-Zionist Party for the European elections of 26 May 2019.

Paris and Teheran have already waged a secret war in the eighties. At this time, the French army was bombing Iran without giving a priori notice to the French electorate.

On the Iranian political scene, President Macron maintains good relations with his Iranian partner, the Iranian President, Hassan Rohani and relationships that need some work on with the Guide of the Revolution Ali Khamenei.

The French Minister for Home Affairs, Gerard Collomb, handed in his resignation to President Macron two days before Yahia Gouasmi was arrested. His resignation was not accepted. He has just submitted it again.
On 17 September, a joint British  French  Israeli attack took place which cost the lives of 15 Russian soldiers. Following this, Moscow and Washington agreed to do the following:

 take occupational forces (of France, Turkey, USA) out of Syria;

 eliminate the jihadists; and

 put an end to the war.

James Jeffrey, the US ambassador for Syria, has indicated that the decision of President Trump to maintain a military presence in Syria is not compatible with the withdrawal of the US occupational forces requested by Syria [1].

Explanation: additional Arab or Kurdish troops and the US Air Force could continue the work currently being carried out by the US.

The US would stop acting in Syria when:

 Iran and the forces associated with it such as the Hezbollah have left Syria;

 All germs of Daesh have been totally wiped out;

 The United Nations has launched the process for political regularization.

Currently the Hezbollah has complex relations with Iran. Some experts think that the US sanctions against the Lebanese resistance are actually targetted at pushing the Hezbollah into the hands of Teheran. However, the trend of the Hezbollah has been to distance itself from Iran.

Today, the US intervention in Syria appears to be solely motivated by Washingtons desire to be associated with the future of the country, rather than leaving the field free to Russia alone.
On 30 September 2018, the people of Macedonia were invited to respond by referendum to the following question: Are you in favour of membership of Nato and the EU, accepting by this, the terms of the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Greek Republic ?.

The agreement with the Greek Republic had been negotiated by the US ambassador to Athens, Geoffrey R. Pyatt, known for organizing the Kiev putsch, with the help of the Nazi party, Right Sector. Their thinking is to change the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to North Macedonia and to abandon all historical reference to Alexander the Great.

This conflict over nomenclature goes back to the independence of Greece in 1822, when Athens was set on liberating the whole of Macedonia from Ottoman occupation. Today, what historically was Macedonia, is divided into two parts: a Greek part and an independent part. The memory of Alexander the Great is claimed both by Athens and Skopje which has raised a statue of him riding a horse right in the heart of the capital (see photo). Alexander the Great was taught by Aristotle, and was born in the Greek part of Macedonia. He founded an empire blending the East with the West. However for a long time, the Greek imagination cast him as barbarian and did not recognize his authority other than that achieved by the use of force.

Alexander the Greats vision was an empire that respected the different cultures of his subjects (including the Greeks) and allowed the sovereigns who had been conquered to remain in power. In contrast, Nato and the EU are, in the tradition of Julius Caesar, presented as superstructures integrating each of its members in common mandatory values. These two historical models are irreconcilable.

The US Secretary for Defense, General James Mattis, had come to Skopje to ensure the referendum works well. However, no member of government came to welcome him as he got off the plane; only the US ambassador was there to welcome him.

The question posed during the referendum, should Macedonia join Nato and the EU membership, is perfectly logical since the US sees the two structures (one civil and one military) as being two different parts of one elephant.

The Macedonian authorities are deeply divided. The Socialists and the Muslims of the government of Zoran Zaev appealed for a Yes vote. In contrast, the nationalists and the orthodox majority, which includes the President of the Republic, Gjorge Ivanov, appealed to boycott the ballots.

Only 33.75 % of the electorate has responded Yes.

The Atlantic and Western European Press do not play fair and have swept under the carpet the failure of those supporting NATO and EU membership [1]. Deceitfully, they hail the victory of the Yes vote. They emphasize that 91.46 % of voters have voted Yes and fail to mention that 63.09 % of voters had not voted. Under the Constitution, a referendum must meet a quorum to be valid. It therefore follows that the Electoral Commission must the cancel the result of the referendum.
American Horror Story Could It Be  Satan? Season 8 Episode 4 Editors Rating 2 stars * *  Previous Next  Photo: FX Networks.

We start the episode as last weeks ended: with Mallory, Coco, and Dinah revived from their poisonous-apple-induced death. Apparently, the ladies have been under an identity spell that erased their memory. This spell was to protect them  FROM EVIL. Langdon confronts the coven of witches in the foyer, and its clear that these people (demons?) have met before. Referring to Langdon, Myrtle Snow lands the dig, The world is almost as bad as his dinner jacket, but at least the world can be saved. This is such a sick burn; Im glad to see that people are still being petty in the throes of the apocalypse. Anyway, the end of the world has come down to a battle of witches and warlocks, and we just have to accept that every character weve been introduced to in the pilot is gone  FOR NOW.

Now its time for some backstory. We flashback to three years before the bomb at an all-boys school for warlocks called Hawthorne, not to be confused with Hogwarts. A bunch of boys chant in a circle and transform shards of glass into a ball. Big whoop! Ive been to Colorado. I know what glassblowing is, and I am unimpressed. (Turn some water into wine and then well talk, boys.) These unremarkable warlocks are led by a remarkably cast council of rude men: Billy Porter, B.D. Wong, and Cheyenne Jackson with a goatee. When they arent training wizards, they surf the web on their MacBooks waiting for the prophesied alpha. It amazes me that with literally the entire supernatural world at their fingertips, these warlocks are using the same personal computer as me. Perhaps Apple is on the cutting edge of technology, or it has a great product-placement deal. Either way, Im more impressed by this than the abysmal wizards and their stupid glassblowing. But I digress.

The council of warlocks comes across surveillance footage of a young Michael Langdon combusting a detectives head in an interrogation room. The men are inspired by his power, believing Langdon could be the Supreme warlock to finally usurp the witches (read: women) and their monopoly on power. The grand Chancellor Ariel breaks Langdon out of jail as Ms. Meade joyfully watches and screams, Hail the new world! Why Meade was loitering outside of the county jail is a mystery to me. She could have at least posted bail for Langdon, but I guess this is more dramatic. The warlocks acceptance of Langdon and his powers is all to goatee Cheyenne Jacksons chagrin, as he warns that dark magic should not be tangled with. (This will undoubtedly be a case of I warned yall fools because Langdons evil will inevitably get them all killed.) But again, the council asserts that Langdon is their chance to stop being second-class citizens. Its clear they are playing with devil fire.

We learn that the reason the boys school is underground is because Cordelia outed them as a bunch of sorcery-loving weirdos to their community, and people started vandalizing their school. Id like to take this opportunity to point out that this is why we should not discriminate against any religions, as mediocre as they may seem. We dont want an uprising of emotionally stunted mages wreaking havoc on us, do we? Warlocks deserve to be a protected class under the 14th Amendment. Lets start with Salem the cat.

After Langdon has been at the school for a month, the council of warlocks decides to administer a test to see where his power lands on the scale of one to four. No warlock has ever reached level four, and if anyone did, they would be the alpha. Calling it the alpha is a little heavy-handed for me with these men, and clearly goatee Cheyenne Jackson is in a wand-swinging contest with this 17-year-old. Langdon approaches the different tasks with ease  he teleports, he defies the laws of matter, its all fun and games until Langdon makes a blizzard and nearly freezes national treasure B.D. Wong to death. Clearly, Langdon is a talented witch. This excites the council of impotent warlocks because, again, this is their opportunity to finally overtake the witches. They talk a lot about the witches, but maybe they should look inside themselves because self-improvement starts at home. But of course, the council of warlocks is too blinded by their sheer lust for power, which, again, will be their own demise.

Now its time for more backstory. On a classier side of town, Cordelia and her sisters meet at their witch school, Miss Robichauxs Academy. A bunch of aspiring teenage witches who are not Sabrina hold flowers and prove their strength by turning the flowers into different colors. Mallory doesnt just change the color of her flower; she turns the petals into butterflies  proving that she is strong and has a flair for dramatics. (Note: These witches are starting off miles ahead of the circle-jerk of warlocks making paperweights.)

The coven of warlocks calls an emergency meeting at Not Hogwarts, where the warlocks tell Cordelia that they finally got their hands on a male Supreme, and its not the clothing brand. This seems impossible to Cordelia, as men are just not equal in magical ability to women. Its biological, people! And while this gender binary is regressive, we do learn that testosterone is a known inhibitor that impedes access to the ethereal realm. The discussion turns aggressive when the men demand Cordelia administer the test of the seven wonders. When she refuses for fear of sentencing Langdon to death, as she did with her promising student Madison, the warlocks call her a bigot for abandoning Queenie to a lifetime in Hotel Cortez purgatory. This is Cordelias greatest failure and shame, as she tried to rescue Queenie but couldnt because the hotel is under the control of the devil, making her powers useless. Cue Michael Langdon! He goes to Hotel Cortez and helps Queenie escape from purgatory, where youre forced to play an endless game of cards with Evan Peters in Charlie Chaplin cosplay. Langdon then hits up Madison Montgomerys personal hell and frees her from an eternity of working as a sales associate that handles returns, where she is routinely recognized as the (alleged!) child kidnapper Lindsay Lohan. I like this game! My personal hell would be listening to a group of people trying to pronounce my two-syllable name and getting it wrong every time. (This is also known as the first day of school for the first 18 years of my life!)

Michael Langdon brings Queenie and Madison backs to Not Hogwarts, and the very sight of them makes Cordelia faint. The episode title asks Could It Be  Satan? and while we have yet to get the definitive answers on Michael Langdon, its clear that hes maybe, probably, definitely Satan. Until next week!
RENO, Nev., Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via OTC PR WIRE -- China Food and Beverage Company (OTC: CHIF), announced today that its healthcare division in cooperation with Shanghai based, American Medical Care and Insurance (AMC Shanghai) has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) software program based on a Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinical Decision Support System (TCM CDSS). The system is an AI assisted diagnosis and treatment cloud platform. In addition, the system integrates various functions such as centralized medical research, analysis and statistics, quantitative calculation, chart analysis, intelligent auxiliary diagnosis, medical record interpretation, and prescription matching.



The TCM CDSS Cloud Platform is part of the Companys continued commitment to transform healthcare in China and around the globe. Among the goals of the platform are to keep patients out of hospitals, early detection of life threatening diseases and major clinical research studies of diseases such as diabetes and cardio vascular disease, both of which have reached the epidemic stage in the worlds largest country. In July 2017, China implemented its AI Healthcare Strategy, an integral part of its overall Artificial Intelligence Strategic Plan.

TCM CDSS will incorporate The World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 11th Edition (ICD-11), which included for the first time, detailed disease classification information on the use of Chinese medicine. ICD-11 will be finalized in 2018 and implemented by more than 100 WHO member countries in 2022. The WHO has taken a huge step in by including Chinese medicine and medical techniques of mainstream medicine and helping it become recognized and covered by insurance companies worldwide.

James Tilton, president of CHIF stated, Our revolutionary TCM CDSS system will play a leading role in bringing Chinese medicine to hospitals across the globe.

CHIFs vision is the establishment of a fully integrated technology and software company that provides turnkey technological and software solutions to the medical industry.

For further information, please contact CHIF at +44 20 7355 3525

The CHIF corporate email address is jamestilton@chinafoodandbeveragecompany.com

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, the ability of China Food and Beverage Company to accomplish its stated plan of business. China Food and Beverage Company believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by China Food and Beverage Company or any other person.
Photo: Vulture

The true-crime podcast universe is ever expanding. Were here to make it a bit smaller, a bit more manageable. There are a lot of great shows and each has a lot of great episodes, so we want to highlight the exceptional, the noteworthy. Each week for the month of October, our crack team of podcast enthusiasts and specialists will pick their favorites.

Serial: Miss Demeanor, Meet Mr. Lawsuit

If theres one thing Ive never loved about Sarahs Koenigs narrative style, its that occasional sense of naivete that sometimes sneaks its way in to her interviews. Think of her incredulity in Serials first season, for instance, when Innocence Project lawyer Deirdre Enright suggests there were racial overtones tainting the investigation of Adnan Syed. When I started listening to Miss Demeanor, Meet Mr. Lawsuit, I feared Id be infuriated by that same huh, really? sensibility when I heard her ask a civil-rights lawyer whether his client  a black man brutally beaten by an off-duty cop  would have a better chance getting justice using official department channels rather than suing the city. I shouldnt have feared, however, because the queen of narrative journalism is back in top form this season. Listening to her awkward interaction with Detective Steve Loomis, a bald-headed, meaty-fisted and openly racist defender of bad shootings, reminds me why I fell in in love with this podcast. The scenes are immersive, the journalism is solid. And that same wide-eyed quality of Koenigs works here, making the most difficult material not just an easy listen, but, dare I say, a fun one. Rebecca Lavoie

Listen: Apple | Website

Last Seen: Not a Bunch of Jamokes

The case files read like a rejected Ben Affleck screenplay: In the early morning hours of March 18, 1990  the day after St. Patricks Day, no less!  two men posing as Boston police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. After tying up the two guards on duty, they made off with 13 pieces of artwork  including five Degas, three Rembrandts, and a Vermeer  in many cases, savagely slicing the canvases straight out of their frames. Today, the haul is valued at some $500 million and is considered the worlds largest unsolved art theft. Yet theories abound  everything from inside jobs to mob directives  spurring endless speculation and more than one investigative podcast. In February, documentarians Tim Pilleri and Lance Reenstierna (of Missing Maura Murray fame) launched their podcast Empty Frames, and just last month, WBUR and the Boston Globe partnered for the slickly produced Last Seen. Hosted by WBURs Kelly Horan and Jack Rodolico (with frequent assists from the Globes Pulitzer Prizewinning reporter Stephen Kurkjian, whos been on the Gardner beat for 20 years), Last Seen is the result of a yearlong investigation, featuring never-before-heard testimony from key players and what producers are touting as unprecedented access to case files. Episode three, Not a Bunch of Jamokes, (a direct quote from a local defense attorney sizing up the perpetrators acumen) is where the case begins to widen beyond the walls of the museum. Horan and Rodolico introduce us to TRC Auto Electric, an auto body shop in Dorchester run by a man named Carmello Merlino as a front for his cocaine-trafficking business. TRC is the hub for much of the criminal activity in the area, but could it have been where the plan to rob the museum was hatched? Like most things involving the Gardner heist, the answer is, its complicated. And infinitely interesting. Amy Wilkinson

Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website

Happy Face: Childhood

True-crime fans are often accused  and rightfully so  of being more interested in gruesome details about crimes and the people who commit them than in their victims or survivors. On the other hand, there are plenty of people related to murderers who would prefer to be left out of the headlines, which is absolutely their right. (Can we please leave the Golden State Killers ex-fiancee alone?) What makes Happy Face especially interesting in the current wave of true-crime media is that its co-hosted by Melissa Moore, who revealed in a 2009 memoir that shes the daughter of serial killer Keith Jesperson. Moore seems to be genuinely interested in interrogating and destigmatizing what it means to be related to a murderer; she also hosts the Lifetime series Monster in My Family. In this first episode, TV producer and co-host Lauren Bright Pacheco interviews Moore about her life, starting with the more mundane details of Moores childhood  if mundane includes your father nearly strangling a kitten to death and oversharing details about his sex life. These anecdotes are woven together with details about Jespersons crimes, as well as an interview with her mom, Rose Hucke, about life with her ex-husband. Many listeners will already be familiar with the Happy Face murders, but the format of the podcast and Moores POV makes this more than just another crime podcast. Jenni Miller

Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website

Fatal Voyage: The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood: Justice for Natalie

The entire 12-part mini-series follows the infamous death of actress Natalie Wood. Its dripping in Hollywood scandal, and not just because of Woods fame. If youre not familiar with the case, heres a quick rundown: Wood died on November 29, 1981, in Santa Catalina Island, California. She was on a boat with her husband, actor Robert Wagner, and their friend, actor Christopher Walken, when under mysterious and indeterminate circumstances she entered the water and drowned. The moments that led up to her death are the focus of the podcast, and this episode focuses not only on the cases legacy but also specifically on Wagners (almost) unbelievable answer to the simple question, Did you kill Natalie? If you think you knew everything about the case you are completely wrong. Hillary Nelson

Listen: Apple | Website

They Walk Among Us: Season 3, Episode 14

When I first subscribed to They Walk Among Us (a podcast dedicated to U.K. true crime), I assumed the bulk of the cases would center in and around London. (After all, what nefarious deeds couple possibly transpire in a place called Upton Snodsbury?) But as I quickly learned, the suburbs of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland can be just as dark-hearted as those in the U.S. Case in point: the murder of Georgia Williams, a teenager living in the small English town of Wellington. To be clear, the episode is hardly a whodunnit: The minute you hear that 17-year-old Williams was invited for a photoshoot at 23-year-old friend Jamie Reynoldss home  a photo shoot in which a faux hanging would be staged  you can probably guess what transpires. But what also emerges is a chilling (and timely) portrait of a man obsessed with violence against women and whose earlier attempts at assault had been merely shrugged off by the authorities. Further evidence of his perverse fantasies: Upon Reynoldss eventual arrest for Williamss murder, scores of sadistic images were found on his hard drive, including several in which he had Photoshopped nooses around the necks of female acquaintances. Its just one more (somehow still necessary!) reminder that we not only need to believe survivors, but do something about what they tell us. Amy Wilkinson

Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website

Casefile: True Crime: The Toy Box (Part 2)

This weeks episode of Casefile is the second in a three-part series about David Parker Rays crimes, which involve the sort of sexual brutality that would make de Sade himself grow faint. There arent enough trigger warnings in the world for the Toy Box Killer and his cohorts  thats not a dare, thats a fact. In contrast to its ghoulish subject, Casefile is somber and thorough, almost clinical, and its anonymous narrator has a soothing demeanor and gentle Australian accent. Theres even a warning at the beginning of every episode that encourages listeners in distress to contact their local crisis center. Im not going to pretend that my interest in true crime is anything but sheer morbidity mixed with a sort of existential terror, but sometimes folks can get a little too flippant about gruesome matters. (I have such a love-hate relationship with The Last Podcast on the Left, dont @ me.) But Casefile is well-written and has an interesting narrative structure, which starts with the discovery of an escaped victim and then goes back to unravel the crimes and ensuing investigations. Even though Im familiar with the story, Im on tenterhooks waiting for the last installment. Be be warned: With each episode clocking in at over an hour each, you might need a Silkwood shower if you listen to them all at once. Jenni Miller

Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website

Uncover: Escaping NXIVM: The Reckoning

The CBCs latest serialized true-crime project dropped in the form of a mini-series looking at NXIVM, the creepy, MLM/sex cult mash-up whose principal figures (including Smallville actress Allison Mack) are now facing serious charges. The seven-episode series is solid, if a bit narratively uneven, mostly relying on recorded conversations between Very Likable Canadian Reporter Josh Bloch and his childhood friend, actress Sarah Edmondson, a recent NXIVM escapee. While the series builds its story around Sarahs tearful recollections of being branded (literally) and blackmail-indoctrinated into a faux-feminist web of what essentially sounds like a super lazy rip-off of Scientology, The Reckoning delivers a delightfully twisty ending. Josh turns the tables on Sarah, challenging her to weigh her own culpability in recruiting others into NXIVM and making a lot of money off the very thing shes now known for taking down. I was left unsettled by that encounter, not just because of what Sarah did or didnt say, but because Josh, our affable guide WHO IS ALSO SARAHS FRIEND, was so willing to go there. Despite one questionable piece of nose-blowing audio, I pretty much loved every minute. (And can we please give a nod to that amazing Battlestar Galactica-esque podcast theme music?) Rebecca Lavoie

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Pretend Radio: The Prophet

So Im from the South, where megachurches buy neighborhoods and grocery stores and movie theaters just to create larger parking lots. The megachurch near me was casually referred to as 6 Flags Over Jesus. (Also, I should go ahead and state that I do not believe my hometown church is a cult in any way, but being an outsider, I was always fascinated by what happened inside.) So I was immediately intrigued by Pretend Radios new series about the Word of Faith Fellowship in Spindale, North Carolina, and its story of a church turned cult. The new episode focuses on the pastor and cult leader, Jane Whaley. Those who managed to leave the cult have labeled her a ruthless leader. So who is she, and what led her here? The audio of John Coopers  a former member who is at the center of the original investigation  experience of what the church calls blasting prayer is up there as one of the scariest things Ive ever heard. This is at the top of my list for most exciting new true-crime series for this fall. Hillary Nelson

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Youre Wrong About: Multiple Personality Disorder

Hindsight is 20/20 in this podcast hosted by journalists Michael Hobbes and Sarah Marshall as they revisit trends, events, and straight-up conspiracies from the past few decades. This weeks episode covers multiple-personality disorder, which became a full-blown pop-psychology phenomenon with the release of the book Sybil in 1973. Together, Hobbes and Marshall delve into how and why the 80s and early 90s saw a surge in the diagnosis of MPD, specifically in relation to a growing awareness in society of child sexual abuse and a growing fascination among psychologists with retrieving so-called repressed memories in patients via experimental treatments and drugs. Although this episode might not slake the thirst of every true-crime devotee, its a fascinating and thoroughly researched examination of how memory works. It also touches on one of my favorite conspiracy theories, Satanic Panic. (Youre Wrong About more than occasionally covers true crime, and Satanic ritual abuse was the topic of their first episode.) In addition to the McMartin trials in California, they discuss Patricia Burgus, whose recovered memories included being served a meatloaf made with human flesh by her parents and assorted Satanic events, and Eileen Franklin, who accused her father of raping and murdering her childhood friend. Plus, Hobbes and Marshall are truly charming hosts whose journalism backgrounds serves their subjects very well indeed.  Jenni Miller

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This weeks reviewers: Rebecca Lavoie, Jenni Miller, Hillary Nelson, and Amy Wilkinson.
Billy McFarland. Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Prosecutors are pushing back against Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarlands request for leniency because of untreated mental illness  arguing he deserves up to two decades in prison for duping investors out of some $26 million. The Manhattan U.S. Attorneys Office argued Wednesday that McFarland, who will be sentenced on October 11, is a consummate con artist whose actions reveal a profoundly greedy, self-absorbed man focused exclusively on himself. They highlighted how McFarland pleaded guilty in July to carrying out yet another scam  a sham ticket-selling business that falsely promised access to events such as the Met Gala  while free on bail.

Prosecutors have asked the judge to sentence McFarland from 15 to 20 years in prison, maintaining his actions demonstrate a lack of remorse and acceptance of responsibility.

They also argue that in the unique circumstances of this case, there is a heightened need for specific deterrence for this defendant, whose propensity to commit crimes is extraordinary, and to protect the public from his scams.

McFarlands lawyers, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment on prosecutors filings, recently argued that his crimes stemmed from his frayed mental state rather than maliciousness  calling him a young man who is redeemable.

The evidence suggests that Billy has a good heart that has been led astray by poor judgment and by untreated mental illness, they argued. The evidence suggests that this is a case where the Court can fashion a sentence that will appropriately punish the defendant without effectively throwing his life away.

Prosecutors shot back in their filings that the first time McFarlands lawyers asked for leniency, there was no explanation of the defendants mental illness.

His lawyers also made no mention of the manic episodes that allegedly occurred during the defendants formative years, the years he defrauded Fyre investors, and the time period after his guilty plea; these manic episodes are now described in detail in his second sentencing submission and cited as the reason for his criminal conduct, prosecutors also said.
Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for DC UNIVERSE

Hours after its Wednesday night premiere at New York Comic Con, which was already full of surprises, DC Universe announced it has already renewed Titans for a second season. Even though it wont debut until October 12th, the new streaming service clearly has a ton of confidence in their first live-action series. This is just the beginning of our journey to open up the world of DC for our fans, president of Warner Bros. Digital Networks Craig Hunegs said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The show follows Dick Grayson, better known as Robin, as he leads a new group of heroes now that hes no longer under Batmans wing. Eh? Ehh?? The series stars Brenton Thwaites at Grayson, who is known for his roles in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Oculus. DC Universe has also struck a deal with Netflix to distribute the series internationally, so now everyone in the world can learn to enjoy our exhausting Titans puns! Super!
How is it possible that Franz Stangl, a kindly, unassuming, mild-mannered family man and policeman from the small Austrian city of Linz became the commandant of the Nazi death camp Treblinka, where he wore white riding breaches to oversee mass murders of Jews? Gitta Sereny conducts her months of interviews of him in prison  as well as interviews with his wife and acquaintances  with her customary decorum, intelligence, and respect. One of her many outstanding strengths as a journalist is that she is entirely committed to understanding her subjects rather than demonstrating that she and her readers are unassailably superior.
John Wray. Photo: Stefan Ruiz

When I ring the novelist John Wrays doorbell on a blindingly hot September morning, the sound of howling wolves fills the air. Its permanently on the Halloween setting, Wray explains. Slender, with the slight stoop of a tall person who spends a lot of time bent over a writing table, he is wearing an inside-out Violent Femmes T-shirt and looks more like the indie-rock musician he started out as than the 46-year-old owner of a Park Slope townhouse. He bought the place in 2011 as a wreck and a ruin with neither plumbing nor electricity and spent the next few years painstakingly renovating it. The downstairs bathroom, with bright geometric wallpaper and a round mirror like a portal, is an homage to the David Bowie movie The Man Who Fell to Earth. The tiles in the foyer are based on watercolors by an artist friend.

These days, however, Wrays home is no longer entirely his own; its a cross between an artists colony, a co-working space, and a frat house. A few years ago, realizing that he had far more room than he needed, Wray started renting out bedrooms as offices for writer friends  all of whom are a fair bit better known than the average guy tinkering with his novel at a WeWork. Camp Cedar Pines, as Wray calls the place (he found a pennant bearing the name on the street and tacked it above the door), currently hosts fiction writer and translator Nathan Englander, novelist Akhil Sharma (who came to stay for a few weeks two years ago and has yet to move out), Booker Prizewinning author Marlon James, and science-fiction writer Alice Sola Kim, who works upstairs and lives with her fiance, writer and BuzzFeed TV host Isaac Fitzgerald, in the ground-floor apartment.

Were the token freak house of the block, Wray says proudly. He serves as landlord, den mother, and emcee, hosting dinner parties for 20 or so guests at a long oblong table in the kitchen, sometimes followed by drunken foosball. (The table, smack in the middle of the living room, was an impromptu gift from the Chilean writer Alejandro Zambra.) A profanity-laden sign outside the bathroom reminds campers to turn off the lights  James, Wray complains, is the worst offender. So many writers never had to fully grow up, Wray says with a sigh.

Wray writes at a decades-old Brother electric typewriter perched on a tiny table, entering the previous days text into his laptop before he begins each morning. Theres a slightly annoying electric hum that starts when I turn it on, he says. Its the ugliest, least aesthetically attractive machine you can imagine, but that weird noise is very motivating. I dont want to sit around staring off into space when this thing is on and its little eye of Sauron is watching me. His preferred place to work, he says, is the basement, which hes converted into a hipster man cave complete with Ping-Pong table  he plays with Englander  and drum kit. James chortles at the idea: John may say he works in the basement. I think he means he plays drums in the basement. (Wray admits to taking frequent drumming breaks while writing.) He actually works in the cafe across the street, James tells me. Sometimes your own house gets on your nerves. You have to get out in order to work.

That was clearly the case for Godsend, Wrays fifth and latest novel (out October 9), which grew out of a trip he took to Afghanistan and Pakistan in winter 2016. He was there tracing the path of John Walker Lindh, the so-called American Taliban  a teenage convert to Islam from California who was captured by American troops in November 2001 while fighting alongside hard-line Islamists in Afghanistan  and thinking of writing a nonfiction book about him. Then someone he met mentioned offhandedly that another outsider had also fought with the Taliban: the American girl. Wray dug for more details about her but came up empty-handed. I could never get any more concrete information, he says. And at some point I realized that I had the great good fortune of being a novelist and not a nonfiction writer. So he set about writing the story as fiction instead.

The plot, which unfolds around September 11, takes the outline of Lindhs story and adds shades of Yentl: Eighteen-year-old Aden Grace Sawyer travels from her comfortable suburban upbringing in Santa Rosa, California, to a remote madrassa in northwestern Pakistan. She disguises herself as a boy, buzzing her hair and binding her breasts with an Ace bandage, and eventually falls in love with her mullahs charismatic son, who has rejected his fathers life of study to become a mujahid. But Adens emotional life  the tension between her joy in pursuing her spiritual quest and her guilt at constantly committing the sin of lying, not to mention her growing desire to take up armed jihad  feels uniquely hers.

Right after September 11, terrorism seemed briefly as if it could be a new subject for novelists looking for a purpose. Most of them stumbled, including no less than John Updike, whose portrait of a radicalized American Muslim teenager in Terrorist (2006) was a huge flop. (Reviewing the book for The New Republic, the critic James Wood wrote that Updikes protagonist sounds like a septuagenarian Indian aristocrat.) Today, with the attack on the World Trade Center receding into an earlier, panicked era of American history, the choice of a would-be terrorist as a sympathetic protagonist no longer feels as politically fraught. But what does seem bold, at a time when writers who venture beyond their personal experience run the risk of being called out, is entering the mind space of a character different in just about every way  age, sex, religion, attraction to jihad  from the author himself. Over tea in his kitchen, I ask Wray how he managed it. Im inhibited when I have to write about myself. That inhibition falls away if the person Im writing about is a step or two or three removed from me, he replies. Punctuating his sentences with long pauses, he goes out of his way to avoid cliches, even in speech. Its less a matter of getting into the characters head than gradually extracting the aspects of yourself that might apply and then trying to shape those ideas  putting them in some sort of petri dish and allowing mitosis to continue until theyve formed some sort of animal that only bears the most distant relationship to you, he continues. The seeds are all coming out of your own understanding of the world and the things youre afraid of and the things that you covet and your own prejudices.

Its obvious from Godsend that Wray set foot in the places he writes about, where, eager to blend in as much as possible, he dressed as a Talib, with a full beard and kameez. At one point early on, he and his guide pulled over on the Khyber Pass so he could take a leak by the side of the road. As he got out on the side of the road and assumed the usual stance, his guide leaped frantically from the car: Wray was about to blow his cover. Everybody in Afghanistan squats when they piss, Wray explains. You drop your pants, you raise your kameez, and then you squat on the ground the way a woman might  And Im standing up like this, he continues, gesturing at his fly. It brought home to me that I should make no assumptions about things being universal.

Wrays personality, so evident in his house, is more difficult to spot in his books. With each novel, he reinvents himself anew as a writer and then disappears, chameleon-like, into the background. I would go insane if I had to do what I think of as variations on a theme, he says. Its a very bad business model  You create a readership and then with the next book theyre like, What the fuck is this? His previous novel, The Lost Time Accidents (2016), was a 500-page mock epic about time travel, steeped in theoretical physics and written in a rollicking, almost Rabelaisian style. Much of it takes place in Austria, where Wray spent his summers while growing up (his mothers family is Austrian) and still visits frequently.

Godsend shares its stripped-down tone and single-minded protagonist with Lowboy (2009), Wrays third book, which follows a schizophrenic teenager over the course of a single day spent on the lam in the New York City subway system. Wray, who didnt have an office at the time, wrote the first draft while riding the trains. If you have good headphones and you pick the right subway lines and the right times of day, he says, you can almost feel like youre alone in a little room.

The Spare-Bedroom Fiction Factory

Isaac Fitzgerald of BuzzFeed (first floor): I shovel the walkway a lot. Im a good shoveler. This space was a lifeline when Alice and I were first moving to New York. We couldnt believe our luck, the fact that John opened it up to us and let us stay. Ive just written my first kids book, which would never have happened in a million years if I hadnt been living here. It was literally life-changing. Photo: Stefan Ruiz

Akhil Sharma, author of (third floor): Being in the house makes you feel more ambitious, because you have all these talented, hardworking people working around you. So if you decide to go take a nap and everyone else is working, youre like, Oh man, I should be working! Photo: Stefan Ruiz Family Life (third floor): Being in the house makes you feel more ambitious, because you have all these talented, hardworking people working around you. So if you decide to go take a nap and everyone else is working, youre like, Oh man, I should be working!

Science-fiction writer Alice Sola Kim (fourth floor): Its both ridiculous and fabulous to have an office in the same building where you live. Just having a door you can close behind you means everything  I love not having to put shoes on to go to work. I basically just scamper like a dirty-butt urchin from my apartment up all the stairs to my office on the top floor. Photo: Stefan Ruiz

Marlon James, author of (fourth floor): Im not one of those people whos big on quiet, on solitude. I think its a myth that writers create in solitude. Well, the not-good ones do. I think writers need community. Were all there in the house, but we stay out of each others way. That in itself provides a kind of energy. Photo: Stefan Ruiz A Brief History of Seven Killings (fourth floor): Im not one of those people whos big on quiet, on solitude. I think its a myth that writers create in solitude. Well, the not-good ones do. I think writers need community. Were all there in the house, but we stay out of each others way. That in itself provides a kind of energy.

Nathan Englander, author of (fourth floor): Its a really isolating thing that we do, and its so lovely to be able to have [company]. We all respect each others privacy. Except for Akhil [laughing]  If John wants to play Ping-Pong, he never knocks on the door and interrupts. Hell text me a pong emoji. Photo: Stefan Ruiz The Ministry of Special Cases (fourth floor): Its a really isolating thing that we do, and its so lovely to be able to have [company]. We all respect each others privacy. Except for Akhil [laughing]  If John wants to play Ping-Pong, he never knocks on the door and interrupts. Hell text me a pong emoji.

*A version of this article appears in the October 15, 2018, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now!
Photo: Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images

Shonda Rhimes has that Netflix money now and she is ready to spend it. The streaming giant announced today that Rhimes and Betsy Beerss Shondaland production company will work with Matt Reeves (who signed a first-look movie deal with Netflix earlier this year) to adapt the novel Recursion by Blake Crouch. But it wont just be a movie or a show. Rhimes is planning on a feature film as well as a television universe for the story Netflix describes as at once a relentless save-the-world sci-fi thriller, an epic romance, and an intricate police procedural. The focus of the story is a scientist who pioneers a new technology that lets people reactivate and even reinvent their memories, allowing them to basically rewrite their personal histories. But it must be kept out of the wrong hands, and there we find the conflict. A strong female lead, romance, crime-solving  Recursion sounds like a real Shonda special, but add science fiction.
The Real Housewives of Dallas Off the Leash Season 3 Episode 9 Editors Rating 2 stars * *  Previous Next Photo: Bravo

Steel yourselves, because this week well be spending a lot of time with the Real Housekids of Dallas. Too much time, you ask? There is no such thing. Children are precious, the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon, etc. etc. Kamerons kids are learning Spanish cooking vocabulary  cien gramas de mantequilla, por favor, and put them directly in my boca, gracias. Hilton and Cruise begin chanting Cupcake! Cupcake! in an effort to make Mom eat one of their fresh-from-the-oven baked goods in one bite. She tries, and fails spectacularly, spitting goo onto the kitchen floor as the family tutor slash chef looks on forlornly. Let the record reflect that this is the most I have ever liked Kameron.

Stephanie is eager to foster her son Cruzs (yes, lest you forget, there are two /kruz/ children on this television program) newfound interest in hip-hop dance. (Dedicated students of the Real Housewives Institute will recall that Noel de Lesseps, too, exhibited an interest in break-dancing, truly the sport of young kings.) Instructor Cambry, who has a non-name so close to being a name that its easy not to realize that it is not in fact a name, takes Stephanie, Cruz, and his older brother Chance through a basic, very cute stepping-kicking-knocking (didnt you know that Im a professional choreographer?) routine. But when the boys end up squabbling, Stephanie worries about trying and failing to discipline them on her own while Travis is away at Harvard Business School (what, like its hard?).

Increasingly exhausted Brandi finally caves and hires a nanny to watch baby Bruin, leaving her free to chauffeur her daughters around. Brooklyn (modeling a rainbow glitter-poop emoji headband that I, an adult woman, covet) sobs because shes too hot, which turns into Brinkley sobbing because Brooklyn accused her of eating a booger (this, after she tried to lick the back-seat camera lens), which turns into me reflecting on how deeply unprepared I am to raise children. Cary, meanwhile, shows Zuri photos of their relatives in Copenhagen and wonders if getting to know them would be a good way to reconnect with her dad, so look forward to the Housewives having the best Danish vacation since Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

In DAndras case, she hasnt spoken to her mother for four weeks when Dee arrives at her home serving high-collar vampire Lucille Bluth glamour. Shes come to make peace. Im 77 years old. I go to bed and I think, Do I really want to continue this battle? Youre all I have, she says, tearfully. Just go ahead and keep building the company. I dont need it. If youre thinking, gee, didnt Dee literally give the family business to DAndra at the end of last season but then entirely fail to follow through on it, you are not alone: DAndra also recalls this! Wearing the pinkest garment I have ever seen in my entire life in a confessional, Dee explains that, before, she knew DAndra wasnt ready. (She doesnt exactly say that she thinks DAndras ready now only that she doesnt want to risk losing their relationship.) DAndra cries and holds her mothers hand. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, provided that lawyers and contracts and signatures are involved as soon as possible, for DAndras sake.

That battle may be resolved  sort of, allegedly, maybe resolved  but DAndra remains in the middle of a cold war with LeeAnne, who is herself in the middle of wedding planning. Shes said she wants to invite 500 to 1,000 people (although that number is already, thankfully, getting scaled down), with a reasonable budget of $250,000. Weddings are insanely expensive, but unless youre one of the more interesting members of one of the worlds more interesting royal families, I dont think you spend a quarter million dollars without trying to spend a quarter million dollars. Something is being unnecessarily gold-plated, whether its the invitations or napkins or toilet paper. Please mail me a check (gold-plating optional) if you disagree.

Do you walk down the aisle or do you stand and wait? she asks Rich. Her beloved  thrice divorced  responds, Usually when I get married, Im already down there. Haters wont appreciate this joke, but whatever, this is legitimately funny and also Rich is hot. She wants DAndra to help with the planning  she was her maid of honor, after all  but the weirdness between them lingers, and DAndra isnt returning her texts or calls.

That is decidedly not the case for Kameron, who phones LeeAnne to invite her to a little paint-your-dog party, as if anyone would have any idea what that means. They are not, as I had feared, applying paint directly onto anyones fur, but instead paying homage to their beloved pets on canvas. Everyones dogs are invited, as are their kids. There will also be a string quartet that, to Kamerons consternation, actually proves to be a string trio.

The party is a Whos Who of Dallass canine luminaries, including DAndras Brussels Griffons Dixie and Gypsy, LeeAnnes beagle Carly, and of course Kamerons Yorkie Louis Vuitton, who takes a hot, wet dump a few feet to the right of the oblivious cello player. The paintings come out to be exactly the serviceable if blobby likenesses youre imagining, although Stephanies pup, notably, looks like hes smoking a huge blunt. LeeAnne accidentally eats an appealingly frosted dog biscuit, as was probably inevitable. Even this is not enough to convince DAndra to stop ignoring her.

Time to shake the information tree and see what kind of overripe fruit falls down! It takes zero effort for LeeAnne to get Cary running through her gossip checklist like a spy checking in with her handler: Stephanie says youre sweet, Kameron hasnt said anything, Brandi says that maybe you were in Kamerons ear a little a bit. A righteous retribution is surely coming Brandis way, but LeeAnne has more important relationships to attend to first.

The next day, DAndra and LeeAnne finally get together. With enormous sunglasses on LeeAnne and a giant hat on DAndra, this looks like a confidential Deep Throat meeting going down over iced coffee. DAndra, again, wastes no time in making this all about LeeAnnes upcoming wedding, drilling into her friend with questions. When will it be? (November  or maybe spring, LeeAnne answers noncommittally). Do you feel like hes going to stay married to you? Do you feel like hes faithful? What about these whispers of the two of them spending nights out separately; what about these whispers of other women?

LeeAnne is, understandably, pissed off and defensive, maintaining that her relationship is great, wonderful, thank you for asking. I have been firmly on Team This Is None of Your Business DAndra What Are You Even Thinking so far this season, but I dont know: Theres something about DAndras absolutely mind-boggling insistence on pushing these buttons thats beginning to give me doubts. I just dont think DAndra is the type to fabricate wackadoodle rumors  how much is there that she knows that we dont? Sure, the one person in the continental United States who did not know that Tom was a dog was Luann, but what if Ive been blinded by Richs silver-foxiness? I certainly hope not.
Irwin on Beckett, in On Beckett. Photo: Carol Rosegg

It always seems a touch sentimental to call a show a gift (not to mention dubious  most theater is far from free), but in the case of On Beckett, the oversize shoe simply fits. The brilliant clown Bill Irwin has brought his utterly delightful almost-solo show to the Irish Rep, and his astute, inquisitive engagement with the work of the existentialist titan feels like an act of professional generosity. Im not a Beckett scholar, he assures us early on, Nor am I a Beckett biographer. Mine is an actors relationship with this language. With candor and poignancy, Irwin pulls back the curtain on the process of performing Becketts famously difficult texts. Infinitely expressive body, bowler hat, and baggy pants are his primary tools. With them, he cracks Beckett open and invites us to step inside. Performing passages from Becketts writings and interspersing them with thoughtful commentary on what it is about this particular language that has long obsessed him, Irwin is like a magician revealing how the trick is done  and somehow rendering it all the more magical in the process.

While not a play per se, On Beckett is a delicious piece of theater. Picture a top-notch TED Talk (if TED Talks were less cheesy) crossed with a clown show: a playful, intimate experiment conducted by a master practitioner who wouldnt dream of professing anything as absurd as mastery. I would never claim a comprehensive knowledge, nor reading, of Mr. Becketts vast body of work, Irwin tells us, continuing with just a hint of deadpan mischief: Im not sure Id want one. Nevertheless, Becketts language haunts [him]. Its gone viral inside him, infiltrating his head, heart, brain, mind, psyche, body  all the words we use to speak of self. In sharing selections of this language and ruminations on it, Irwin isnt leading a seminar so much as hes continuing his own exploration. Why cant he get Beckett out of his head?

Perhaps its heritage. The American Irwin comes from Irish stock, and despite the mind-boggling irony that Beckett originally wrote the majority of his work in French (later translating it into English himself), his writers voice is an undeniably Irish one. Or perhaps its what Irwin calls the character energy of Becketts writing  how, it all its elliptical knottiness, it still sounds like people Ive known all my life. Or is it the way the language dramatizes the polyphony inside our own heads, its evocation of a shifting, boundless portrait of consciousness? Becketts pronouns, Irwin notes, are charged and slippery. As he slides between persons and tenses, is he recording an argument between people or within one head? Ah yes, says the speaker of No. 1 of the Texts for Nothing, a series of 13 short prose pieces written in 1950 that Irwin draws from throughout his show: We seem to be more than one, gathered together for life.

Irwin tosses questions out into the air like juggling scarves, and we watch their colors flash as he keeps them delicately suspended. Answering them isnt the point. Theyre simply tiny keys into different rooms of an infinite house. The master key is play  experimenting with a bowler hat or a bit of slapstick or a broad American accent might open something up. Donning baggier pants and bigger shoes might make something come alive. Dancing to Run-D.M.C. with a twirling cane, like an out-of-time Buster Keaton, might tap into some essential Beckettian energy  and does. As a virtuosically physical performerRingling-trained and steeped in vaudeville traditionIrwin can sniff out the silliness in Beckett, as well as the showman. He was a writer acutely attuned to silhouette, Irwin argues. [He] was born in 1906  first generation to come of age with the motion picture. Silent movies [His] family often went to the variety theater, to vaudeville. Heres a stage direction from his most famous play: They remain motionless, arms dangling, heads sunk, sagging at the knees. Irwin transforms as he speaks, dropping into a pose of heavy, hilarious haplessness. Working from the body, the performer finds the clown inside the writer. Game recognize game.

Of course, Irwin is also sharp, sensitive actor. He won a Tony in 2005 for his performance as George in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, a play that he amusingly recalls the director Mike Nichols comparing to Waiting for Godot. (Youve got two people, another two people come in and everything blows up, then those second two people leave  theyre essentially the same play.) In 1988, Nichols directed Irwin as Lucky, Godots silent, whip-driven drudge who explodes into a wild, three-page-long speech near the end of the first act. That speechwhich Irwin describes delivering while Steve Martin and and Robin Williams attempted to wrestle him to the groundcomes back to form the climax of On Beckett. It follows other excerpts from Godot, from Texts for Nothing, and from two of Becketts novels, and for it, Irwin dons his most extreme silhouette. In huge, flapping shoes, pants so baggy that his bent knees disappear inside them, and of course, one of his collection of bowlers, Irwin reveals Lucky as simultaneously the goofiest and the most terrifyingly tragic of Godots quartet. In Irwins mouth and in his elastic face and form, Luckys famous speech resonates not as nonsense but as the scattershot, increasingly ferocious attempts of an oppressed soul to assert itself when the body is pushed past humanity. Irwin feelingly argues for interpreting the speech as a scene rather than as a monologue  a violent interaction in which the listening characters descend into fear, disgust, and cruelty. Even as he rockets through the dense, spectacular text, he grabs the rope around his own neck, struggles with himself, tries to force himself to put the lid back on the boiling pot. Its a stark, exhausting performance  equal parts incisive textual analysis and pure sweat.

And like all of On Beckett, its also deeply funny. Even as Irwin is charting the connections between Beckett and Danteand from there to Milton and to William Styron, who wrote about the experience of severe depression in Darkness Visiblehes finding gasps of laughter in the abyss. There seem to be some shared touchstones for all who have descended to a hell, and returned, he meditates just before putting on his first pair of baggy trousers and a professors mortarboard and performing perhaps the worlds most perfect rendition of the old dad routine of elevator-ing up and down behind a piece of furniture. Irish Rep installed this great automated podium, he jokes, straight-faced, before seeming to lose control of the button hes been pressing and almost disappearing on his journey downwards. Irwin is a master of the old joke (in 2013 he and fellow clown David Shiner performed an original variety show called Old Hats) and the joy of his gags is their combination of familiarity and breathtaking physical skill. Its the paradox of a great clown: The material is ancient, the virtuosity forever young.

Whether bringing to life Becketts prose, or offering, at the same time, dazzling performances and shrewd readings of pieces of Becketts plays, Irwin creates a joyful doorway into this sometimes impenetrable work. As he sat in a spotlight, murmuring a passage from the novel The Unnamable into a microphone, I closed my eyes: Even this supposedly un-dramatic text, I thought, is meant to be spoken, to be heard  to pass through one body into another body, the way good stories always have. What if, I thought, all the students being given Beckett to read in high school could experience his language in Irwins voice, or better still, in his body? It seems to me that theyd find a maze suddenly turned into a playground. They might find much easier, much more exhilarating, that great, intimidating Beckettian task: to begin.

On Beckett is at the Irish Rep through November 4.
"I put together a letter, and I asked parents to sign it. Just to make sure the court was aware of what had happened and asked if now would be a good time to revisit that order," said Blossomwood Elementary parent, Michelle Levin.

Local eyes turned to Blossomwood Elementary School after a 2nd grade student brought a gun to school. That student's step-father is now facing federal charges from the incident and Huntsville City Schools has increased safety precautions, but some parents say that's not enough.

Michelle Levin says she sent a letter to an Alabama district judge with what she believes will make school safer for students here in Huntsville City Schools. The letter asks the court to add some requirements for that would, she believes, encourage parents to be more "accountable" and "reinforce positive school climate at home." She also says parents should read the code of conduct, volunteer at the school and attend an informal session.

"That way that can keep the students safe, and also help accomplish the goals of the consent order and also build a sense of community," said Levin.

We reached out to the Huntsville City School District for a statement on the letter:

"Consistent with the superintendents recent communications at board meetings and in her letter to parents, HCS welcomes stakeholder feedback on the issue of school safety. In fact, tonight, HCS is holding its third school safety forum, and welcomes all parents and stakeholders to attend. The forum will start at 5:30 and take place at Jemison High School. In addition to the school safety forums, comments may be submitted to the DAC on their website and in the DAC's drop boxes at school. Parents can also send feedback directly to HCS. Parents are welcome to write the court or the department of justice as they see fit. HCS is committed to desegregation and school safety, and does not see these two goals as being in conflict. HCS and its legal team have been and will continue to work with the court and department of justice to see that both goals are met. As we work toward these goals, please continue to provide your feedback as it is important to us. "

The next safety forum will start at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Jemison High School. According to Huntsville City School's website, the consent order is designed to provide benefits to the district's students, such as magnet programs and majority-to-minority transfers.

WAAY31 spoke with a local attorney earlier this week. He said the order is an agreement between the school district and the district court with the goal being to reach, "unitary status." That means the district would, "eliminate the effects of past segregation." He said most districts take 10 years to get to that point, but Huntsville is aiming for 5.
WAAY 31 spoke with the family of a Limestone County man who was killed in a car accident Tuesday night. That man has been identified as 37-year-old Jason Reed.

The crash happened on Zehner Road, about six miles northwest of Athens. The driver and passenger in the other vehicle were not injured.

WAAY 31 got the chance to sit down and talk with the victims brother.

Its ripping my heart out to know that Ill never see him again," said Bob Reed. "And the last time I saw my brother, he was in a body bag.

Reed is the older brother to Jason Reedthe man who was killed in a car crash in Limestone County Tuesday night.

The most kind-hearted boy. He worked every day for his family, he worked hard for his family," Reed said. "Hed give you the shirt off his back. Thats the type of person he was. He would help you with anything. If you were sick, whatever, he would help you.

Reed says Jasons 16-year-old stepdaughter was also in the car and had to be airlifted to Huntsville Hospital.

They were inseparable. If he was off work, she was with him. Daylight to dark, she was with him, working on cars, the house, just going to town, she was with him," Reed said.

In fact, Reed says the two were on their way home from picking up supplies for a home project they were working on together when the crash happened.

Took a man from his familyfrom a lot of brothers and sistersand his wife and his two kids. And that cant be replaced," he said.
Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (the "Company" or "EMGS") releases information on vessel activity and utilisation 4-5 working days after the close of each quarter. The Company defines vessel utilisation as the percentage of the vessel charter period spent on proprietary or multi-client data acquisition. Downtime (technical or maritime), mobilisation, steaming, and some standby activities are not included in the utilisation rate.



Vessel utilisation for the third quarter 2018 was 29% compared with 77% for the third quarter in 2017.



In the third quarter of 2018, the Company's vessels were allocated 29% to multi-client projects and no time was spent on proprietary work. In the comparable quarter of 2017, the vessel was allocated 72% to multi-client projects and 5% to a funded research and development project.



EMGS had two vessels in operation and recorded 6.0 vessel months in the quarter. In the third quarter 2017, the Company recorded 3.0 vessel months.



Vessel activity

The Atlantic Guardian acquired data on multi-client surveys in the North Sea in the beginning of the quarter, after which she acquired data on a multi-client survey in the Norwegian Sea until 16 September 2018.



The Atlantic Guardian's utilisation for the third quarter was 59%.



The BOA Thalassa has been idle this quarter.



Multi-client revenues in the third quarter

The new revenue recognition standard, IFRS 15, was effective from 1 January 2018. The new standard's impact on recognition of multi-client pre-funding revenues has still not been concluded. The interpretation of the new standard is the same as last quarter. The multi-client prefunding revenues are recognised at the point in time final data is delivered to the customer, and not based on the so-called Percentage of Completion (POC) principle.



The Company expects to record approximately USD 5 million in multi-client revenues for the third quarter 2018.



If the Company had used the same revenue recognition principles as in 2017 (i.e. the POC principle), the multi-client revenues for the third quarter 2018 would have totaled approximately USD 2 million.



The difference in revenues are timing differences only and does not have any effect on cashflow.



EMGS will publish its third quarter 2018 financial results on Thursday 1 November 2018 at 07:30 CET. A presentation will be broadcasted live over the Internet, starting at 10:00 CET. To access the presentation, please go to the Company's homepage (www.emgs.com) and follow the link.



Contact

Hege Veiseth, EMGS Chief Financial Officer, +47 992 16 743



About EMGS

EMGS, the marine EM market leader, uses its proprietary electromagnetic (EM) technology to support oil and gas companies in their search for offshore hydrocarbons. EMGS supports each stage in the workflow, from survey design and data acquisition to processing and interpretation. The Company's services enable the integration of EM data with seismic and other geophysical and geological information to give exploration experts a clearer and more complete understanding of the subsurface. This improves exploration efficiency and reduces risks and the finding costs per barrel.



EMGS operates on a worldwide basis with offices in Trondheim, Oslo, Houston, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Kuala Lumpur.



For more information, visit www.emgs.com

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
UPDATE: The victim has been released from the hospital. Law enforcement officials have a person of interest, but no arrests have been made.

The shooting happened at a residence on Turnpike Road, and someone drove the victim to the store, where they asked for help. The store owner hit a panic button, calling 911. According to law enforcement, they have a person of interest, but this person is not in custody.

---

According to Albertville Fire and Rescue Chief Brad Hix, they assisted Albertville police on a call of a shooting at the intersection of Highpoint Road and Oneonta Cut-Off Road.

Hix said the victim was a male in his mid-20's and was airlifted to Huntsville Hospital with a gunshot wound to the hip. He said the man was found in a truck parked at a convenience store called High Point Grocery. He said it was not clear if that is where the man was shot or not.

WAAY 31 will update as more information is known.
A young girl was hit while crossing the road to her school bus Thursday morning in Madison.

Alabama State Troopers told us it happened on Capshaw Road just after 7 a.m. The girl suffered minor injuries when she was hit by the mirror of a passing car. State Troopers told us the stop sign on the school bus was not deployed when it happened.

Troopers said neither the driver of the bus or car is considered at fault in the crash. WAAY 31 is working to gather more information and will update this story when we get it.
Las Vegas, NV, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RocketFuel Blockchain Inc. (OTC-RKFL) has selected fabulous Las Vegas to kickoff its operations. While having been incorporated in Nevada since inception, we are soon to set up primary operations and testbed in Las Vegas, CEO Gert Funk stated. Las Vegas has remarkable advantage in that it is quite near to the computer talent pool that we need, while being far less expensive than Silicon Valley, thus improving our efficient use of launch resources.

RocketFuel Blockchain will immediately advance its planned development of the worlds first blockchain based instant checkout platform. This initial software development effort is expected to conclude with a full working platform ready for durability testing with real blockchain eCommerce transactions. It is expected that the initial release product will exceed MVP standards and is planned to be used to demonstrate full viability to standards required by active eCommerce merchants.

We are proud to join the Las Vegas Tech Community and we look forward to the very good resources that have developed over recent years. For several years, Las Vegas has not only been an eCommerce and startup community, but additionally has been at the heart of early blockchain activity in the U.S., Funk continued.

Since 2013, Tony Hsieh and the Las Vegas tech community have put forth great efforts and capital to incubate a tech scene in downtown Las Vegas and the broader metropolis in general. While the downtown project did not take off precisely as originally envisaged, it did nevertheless leave Las Vegas with some foundation for start-ups in ecommerce and the city remains amenable for start-ups wanting to call it home. As RocketFuel Blockchains primary operations relate to efficiency in ecommerce, Las Vegas is a natural home. Las Vegas Startup Weekend is scheduled for November 16-18 this year and RocketFuel plans to be there to participate. More details can be found at vegastech.com .

Lisa Morgan of Information Week reports why IT professionals move to Las Vegas and the advantages of great living there. RocketFuel Blockchain agrees that attracting great IT talent for considerably less cost is a primary advantage for locating operations in Las Vegas. Indeed, if you are an ecommerce and IT professional, RocketFuel Blockchain invites you to contact us now regarding career opportunities. Please send inquiries to jobs@rocketfuelblockchain.com



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5957a79d-3954-4486-a307-27e620d36438

About RocketFuel Blockchain

RocketFuel Blockchain Inc. (the Company) is developing technology to bring highly efficient check-out systems to eCommerce. These new check-out systems are based on blockchain technology and are designed to increase speed, security, and ease of use. RocketFuel believes that users of its technology will be able to enjoy seamless check-out and forget about the clunky cart paradigm of the past. Merchants will be able to implement new impulse buying schemes that may be unavailable in present day eCommerce sites. More information about RocketFuel is available at: rocketfuelblockchain.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

The Company believes that this press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Terms such as may, might, would, should, could, project, estimate, pro-forma, predict, potential, strategy, anticipate, attempt, develop, plan, help, believe, continue, intend, expect, future, and terms of similar import (including the negative of any of these terms) may identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements regarding the plans and objectives of management for future operations, are based on managements current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Actual results and the timing of certain events and circumstances may differ materially from those described by the forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties. Factors that may influence or contribute to the accuracy of the forward-looking statements or cause actual results to differ materially from expected or desired results may include, without limitation, market acceptance of the companys products and services; competition from existing products or new products that may emerge; the implementation of the companys business model and strategic plans for its business and our products; estimates of the companys future revenue, expenses, capital requirements and need for financing; current and future government regulations; and developments relating to the companys competitors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because of the risks and uncertainties related to them. For further information on such risks and uncertainties, you are encouraged to review the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments, except as required by law.

Attachment
The World Customs Organization (WCO) hosted a Global Security Conference from 2 to 4 October 2018 at WCO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The Conference, bringing together over 150 delegates representing more than 75 Member administrations and international organizations, was made possible with the generous support of the Government of Japan.

The Conference was held as part of the WCO Security Programme to mark the three-year anniversary of the adoption of the Punta Cana Resolution, highlighting Customs role and contribution to border security and counter-terrorism efforts and reviewing progress made by Customs administrations in enhancing global security.

In his keynote address, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, WCO Secretary General, highlighted the various security-related activities initiated by the WCO and stressed the need for interagency cooperation in border security management. He also reflected on how Customs administrations unique role as facilitators of global trade at borders places them in an ideal position to disrupt terrorist activities targeting international supply chains and travel.

The Conference agenda focused on the WCO Security Programme and Member Administrations activities in key areas and initiatives, including Strategic Trade Control Enforcement (STCE), Programme Global Shield (PGS), Passenger Controls and Use of Advanced Passenger Information/Passenger Name Record (API/PNR) Systems, Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), and Financing of Terrorism. The need for Customs-Police cooperation was one of the key outcomes of the many discussions held.

In closing the Conference, the need for Customs administrations to incorporate security strategies in their respective annual strategic plans was underscored. Customs administrations were also encouraged to involve other partners in their security activities. In addition, emphasis was placed on the need to include security issues on Customs priority agenda as a matter of course, on the same basis as traditional revenue collection activities.
SAVANNAH, GA, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smoke Cartel, Inc. (Ticker: SMKC), a leading online retailer and wholesaler of glass water pipes , vaporizers , and other related accessories for the cannabis industry, today announced it is attending Smoke Shop Events (SSE) in Tampa, Florida on October 7-9 to sell its premier in-house product lines through its wholesale division.

SSE is a popular and exclusive trade show for buyers, manufacturers and distributors in the cannabis accessory industry. Attendees, both buyers and manufacturers, must meet high qualifications to receive an invitation to the event. Smoke Cartel will be attending as a vendor to sell products through its wholesale division, Glassheads Distribution. The event provides one-on-one meetings with pre-selected buyers and puts Smoke Cartel products in front of some of the most influential buyers in the industry. The Company will also be unveiling its newest B2B services, including the whitelabeling torch program, which allows smoke shops to have their own logo on torches.

We are excited to attend SSE for the second year in a row to showcase our newest products and to strengthen industry connections, said CEO and Chairman Darby Cox. This event is also an excellent opportunity for us to launch our whitelabeling program as the first of many pillars of Smoke Cartel services we plan to make available to sell to B2B customers, continued Ms. Cox.

Smoke Cartel will be showcasing its exclusive branded product lines including Sesh Supply, China Glass, UPC, Kraken Grinders , Cinderwitch , and HeadyPet , as well as the newly acquired Roll Uh Bowl brand and the Company's Leafly product line.

About Smoke Cartel, Inc.

Smoke Cartel, Inc. (Ticker: SMKC) is one of the leading online retailers of glass water pipes, vaporizers, bubblers, spoons, oil and dab rigs, smoking accessories, and cannabis accoutrements. The Company provides a wide variety of high quality products, reliable customer service, and rapid dependable shipping. Smoke Cartel offers 24-hour support and online chat services to ensure the customer experience is timely and professional. Smoke Cartel operates a transparent business model which is important in an industry with varying state regulations and significant scrutiny. The Companys website at www.smokecartel.com offers fast load times and optimizations, making the product search process quick and seamless.

(Certain matters discussed in this press release may contain statements, estimates and projections that involve risks and uncertainties in Smoke Cartel, Inc.s (the Company) business that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the statements made herein. Such statements, estimates and projections constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Smoke Cartel undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise. The recipient of this information is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. No representations or warranties are made as to the accuracy of such forward-looking statements or whether any of the projections included herein will be realized.)
By Oct. 04, 2018



The Graves County Public library has two special programs throughout the school year. Its Lego Program will be the first Monday of every month at 5 pm and daughter date night will be the first Tuesday of each month at 5 pm. For Lego night, children can come and create anything from their imagination and during daughter date night you can come with you child and make a craft to take home together. If you have any questions, call the library at 270-247-2911.



The Graves County Public Library will have a hand lettering class on Thursday, Oct. 4th at 6 pm. Mary Kate Imhoff will teach a class on how to make creative designs step by step. This beginners class will cost $10 and you must sign up to join. Come by the library or call to sign up. If you have any additional questions, call 270-247-2911.



The Graves County public librarys teen advisory board will have its anime night on Friday, Oct. 5th from 4-7 pm. They will watch anime, play games and have pizza. Prizes will be given and if you want you can come dressed as your favorite character. If you have additional questions, call the library at 270-247-2911.



The Graves County Public library will host Kentucky author Brian Bowen for a book signing on Saturday, Oct. 6th at 11 am. His fictional books follow a group of survivalists as they fight to regain freedoms which have been taken away by the American government. If you have questions, call the library at 270-247-2911.



On Tuesday, Oct. 9th at 5 pm, the Graves County Public Library will host a book discussion on the classic Pulitzer Prize winning novel All the Kings Men by Kentucky native Robert Penn Warren. Constance Alexander from Murray State University will lead the discussion. If you have questions, call the library at 270-247-2911.



The Graves County public library will have Bright star theatres production of the legend of sleepy hollow on Saturday, Oct. 13th at 2 pm. As the days get shorter, the air gets colder, and the nights turn long and dark you will love this delightful re-telling that is just spooky enough to delight any audience. You wont want to miss this perfect introduction to the literary classic Legend of sleepy hollow on October 13th at 2 pm. If you have questions, call 270-247-2911.



The Graves County public library will host Duncans pharmacy for a Flu shot clinic on Monday, Oct. 15th from 11 am to 1 pm. With insurance you should be able to get your shot for free and without it will only be $30. If you have any questions, call the library at 270-247-2911.



The Graves County Public Library will host family movie night on Tuesday, Oct. 16th at 5 pm. Watch the king of Halloween Town and his attempts to bring Christmas to his home which causes confusion. Free drinks and popcorn will be served. Children under the age of 10 should be with an adult. If you have questions, call 270-247-2911.



Come by the Graves County Public library on Saturday, Oct. 20th at 10:30 am for a pumpkin painting class. You will be able to paint your very own pumpkin to take home with you. All supplies will be provided. If you have any questions, call 270-247-2911.



Western Kentucky author Justine Riley will be at the Graves County Public Library on Saturday, Oct. 27th from noon to 1 pm for a book signing. Her book Horse Smeller is a playfully serious story about how to say hi to a horse, what horses like to eat, the work involved in having a horse and much more. All the illustrations were originally handmade using book cloth, scissors and an old singer sewing machine. If you have questions, call 270-247-2911.



The Graves County public library will have Bingo night on Monday, Oct. 29th at 5 pm. All supplies will be provided and it is free for all ages!! Prizes will be available for winners. They will play for a couple of hours. If you have questions, call 270-247-2911.



MAYFIELD - In conjunction with the Mayfield Animal Shelter, the Graves County Public Library will host a special program called Paws to Read. It will be every first Thursday of each month at 4 pm and will allow children to read aloud to a therapy dog or cat for 15 minutes. Patient, nonjudgmental pets help reluctant readers gain confidence and comfort with reading. Parents will need to fill out and sign a waiver before their child can participate. This program is open to children in grades K-6. If you have any questions, call the library at 270-247-2911.
By WestKyStar Staff & Baptist Health Paducah Oct. 03, 2018 | 10:22 PM | PADUCAH

Nationally-known experts on addiction and compulsive behaviors will speak at a symposium for healthcare professionals and educators Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Carson-Myre Heart Center Barnes Auditorium at Baptist Health Paducah.





The event will be from 8 am to 12:30 pm, with registration at 7:30 am. The fee is $40 in advance; $50 at the door. Space is limited, so register by October 17 by calling 270-575-2723 or email sjones@bhsi.com.





Invited are healthcare professionals and educators, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, licensed professional counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, psychologists, substance abuse counselors, licensed social workers, pharmacists and clergy. Teachers and school counselors also are encouraged to attend.





Continuing Medical Education credit hours are available for several professions. The symposium will be moderated by Patrick Withrow, M.D., retired cardiologist and current director of outreach at Baptist Health Paducah.





Topics and presenters include:

 Understanding Teens (Or at Least Try) by Hatim A. Omar, MD, FFAP, chief of adolescent medicine at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Dr. Omar is founder and chairman of the Stop Youth Suicide Campaign.



 Basic Principles and Advanced Concepts in Pain Management by Daniel M. Doleys, Ph.D., director of The Doleys Clinic/Pain and Rehabilitation Institute in Birmingham, Alabama.



 Kentuckys Evolving Response to the Opioid Epidemic by Van L. Ingram, executive director for the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy.



 The Disparities in the Addiction Crisis by Odell Moreno Owens, MD, MPH, who established the first reproductive endocrinology division at the University of Cincinnati Medical Centers OB/GYN department. He also has served as Hamilton County (Ohio) Coroner and president of Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.



 Marijuana  Fact vs. Fiction by Dr. Withrow, who helped successfully advocate for a state law to mandate CPR training in Kentucky high schools, and continues to drive forward needed public policy changes that will protect Kentuckians and prevent needless deaths due to smoking and drug use. Dr. Withrow has spoken to countless students in the region about the dangers of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.



Baptist Health Paducah is offering an addiction symposium to healthcare professionals and educators.
By WestKyStar & Mercy Health Staff Oct. 03, 2018 | 10:11 PM | PADUCAH

National Depression Screening Day (NDSD) raises awareness and screens people for depression and anxiety disorders. NDSD is an education and screening event conducted by hospitals, clinics, colleges, and community groups nationwide. Its the nations oldest voluntary, community-based screening program that gives access to a validated screening questionnaire.





For more information about the depression screenings, contact Debbie Willoughby, Director of Nursing Services at 270-444-2670 or Ashley Walters, Quality and Operations Manager at 270-415-3959.



Mercy Health Behavioral Health Services will conduct free depression screenings on Thursday, October 11 in honor of National Depression Screening Day and Mental Health Awareness Week. The free screenings are open to the public from 10 am to 3 pm in the Mercy Health - Marshall Nemer Medical Office Building on the second floor mezzanine. No appointments are needed.
Man who went to space with Shatner dies in plane crash
By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 04, 2018 | 12:29 PM | PADUCAH

Candidates for Kentucky State Senate and Legislature weighed in on the troubled Keeton Corrections facility in Paducah Thursday morning at a candidate forum hosted by the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce.The event took place at the Chamber's monthly Power in Partnership breakfast at the Julian Carroll Convention Center. Incumbent Republican 2nd District State Representative Randy Bridges and his Democratic challenger Martha Emmons attended the forum, as did incumbent Republican State Senator Danny Carroll and his opponent Democrat Julie Tennyson.The Keeton facility has been a hot topic of discussion among Paducah residents, after several escapes and other incidents at the facility located at 621 Clarence Gaines Street have prompted passionate debate regarding its future.Carroll said there are several options on the table regarding what to do with the troubled facility."There are options that we have looked at. The possibility of closing them down, the possibility of moving them to a different location. There's been a change in leadership at the Keeton center. It is something that I feel our local government needs to make a decision on, and I will support that decision." He said.Tennyson said a lack of oversight has led to many of the problems at Keeton."I think there's a move under the Republican majority to privatize more things, like schools and prisons. I think this shows what the problem really is. There's not enough oversight by the state. There's not enough oversight and ability to make changes within the system." She said.Bridges advocated tighter monitoring of inmates, while still giving them an opportunity for rehabilitation."We need to work with our state senators, our legislators and pass some reform that gives closer monitoring to these individuals there, but still allow them the freedom to get out and be rehabilitated. I think we need to protect our citizens more too, and we need to be more informed about what's going on." He said.Emmons said more public control over the facility is needed to make sure people in the neighborhood are kept informed and safe."This is a privately run institution, even though our taxes are paying for it. We need much more input into how it's run, because the people in that neighborhood and all of us deserve better." She said.Candidates also discussed a range of other issues, including how to handle the state's ailing pension system, the opioid epidemic, and new taxes passed on non-profit corporations and services. Click the link below to listen to the entire forum.

On the Net:
By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 03, 2018 | 04:18 PM | PADUCAH

The City of Paducah released data from another facet of its National Citizen Survey on Wednesday. The latest release focuses on mobility, and people's opinions about the various ways to travel through the city including the transit system, walking and bicycle paths, sidewalks, and streets.The question that saw the greatest positive change asks citizens to rate the availability of paths and walking trails in Paducah. In 2013, the results showed that 43% rated the availability of paths and walking trails as either excellent or good. That number increased to 54% in 2016 and to 55% this year. Paducah's rating of paths and walking trails was similar to the national benchmark of other cities surveyed.One question that has seen a downward rating is the perception of how well Paducah's sidewalks have been maintained. That question saw a drop of 13 points since 2013. This year, 33% of participants rated sidewalk maintenance as excellent or good. Paducah's opinion of sidewalks was below the national average rating given by residents in other cities.Many other questions pertaining to mobility saw little to no statistical change over the three iterations of the survey. For example, the question asking citizens to rate the quality of street repair in the city varied by only one percentage point over five years. Paducah's rating of 31% saying street repair was excellent or good was below the national benchmark for surveyed cities.Paducah's third National Citizen Survey was mailed earlier this year to 1500 randomly-selected households within the Paducah city limits. It studies trends of residents' opinions about livability in the city, including categories about mobility, safety, natural environment, built environment, economy, recreation & wellness, education & enrichment, and community engagement.The 2018 survey is linked below.In a press release, city officials and departments had the following comments about various aspects of the mobility section of the survey:Parks & Recreation Department Director Mark Thompson said, Since the first segment of the Greenway Trail opened in 2008, the City has diligently worked to secure grant funding to increase the trail opportunities for Paducahs citizens. We now have more than 4.5 miles of Greenway Trail with additional sections planned for construction over the next two years along the riverfront. We also have a new walking path and fitness equipment stations that opened last year at the Pat & Jim Brockenborough Rotary Health Park. Paducahs parks are turning into outdoor health centers for the young and old.The Engineering-Public Works Department is working toward a goal of seeing an upward trend in the street repair question by implementing a Pavement Management Program. Currently crews are collecting data on the condition of every Paducah street and assigning each street a Pavement Condition Index value between 0 and 100. The Index and the data collected on each street will be put into a software program called PAVER, which pinpoints streets in need of repair and identifies problems that lead to the demise of a street.City Engineer-Public Works Director Rick Murphy said, With a limited amount of annual funding for street rehabilitation, every dollar counts. This PAVER software will allow us save significant money over time by identifying pavement problems when they are small-scale and before they lead to expensive rehabilitation projects. By using the volume of imported data, the software also provides solution options customized to each street. Murphy said the PAVER software will be used for the Fiscal Year 2019 street rehabilitation plan. Once the initial street inventory is completed, each street in the city will be updated in the database every three years.City Manager Jim Arndt sees an opportunity for improvement relating to the quality of sidewalk maintenance in Paducah. Arndt said, We have identified pedestrian connectivity as one of the many priorities in the City of Paducah Strategic Plan. Increasing the walkability of Paducah through the addition and rehabilitation of sidewalks to ADA standards will take time but will add immense value to a neighborhood and to a citizens quality of life.

On the Net:
By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 03, 2018 | 07:03 PM | PADUCAH

If you haven't been to the Vietnam Veteran's War Memorial in Washington, D.C., you may want to visit an upcoming exhibit in Paducah."The Wall That Heals," a three-quarter sized traveling replica of the memorial, will be in Paducah's Carson Park on October 25-28. It typically visits about 40 towns each year.The wall honors more than 3 million Americans who served during the Vietnam War and bears the names of over 58,000 men and women who gave their lives. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund has taken the replica to over 400 communities since 1996, but the one that will visit our area has only been touring the country since earlier this year and hasn't yet been anywhere in Kentucky.Mary Beth Orr of Milner and Orr Funeral Home told West Kentucky Star they submitted three different requests before the VVMF agreed to come to Paducah. Orr said they wanted to bring, "The Wall That Heals," to the area because its purpose is similar to that of their business."We feel that part of our daily mission here at Milner and Orr is to honor lives, and what better way to honor the lives of those who served our country in the Vietnam War?" Orr said.The wall is almost 400 feet long and almost 8 feet tall. Orr describes one feature of the exhibit that she expects to be well-received by visitors.Orr said, "You can actually put a piece of paper up and do a rubbing of a particular name. So, it's not a flat wall, all of the names are engraved into the surface."Similar rubbings are often made at the permanent memorial in the nation's capitol.There is no admission cost, and the wall will be available for viewing anytime day or night while in Paducah. The truck that hauls the wall also opens up to become an educational kiosk, listing names of area veterans and where their names are engraved on the wall. There are also video displays teaching about the impact of the wall and showing some of the numerous items that have been left at the permanent monument. There are also educational exhibits about the country of Vietnam and a chronological overview of the war.Orr said 43 people from our region are engraved on the wall. The funeral home is requesting that any Gold Star Families contact them at 270-442-5100 so they may receive a special invitation to see the wall. Orr said they have also connected with local veterans groups so as many people as possible can be informed about the three-day exhibition.Special events include:Tuesday, October 24 at 2:30 pm - Escorted arrival at Carson ParkThursday, October 25 at 12:01 am - "The Wall That Heals" opens to the publicThursday, October 25 at 6 pm - Opening ceremony. Welcome to anyone, including veterans and Gold Star Families.Friday, October 26 at 6 pm - Wreath Laying CeremonySunday, October 28 at 2:30 pm - Closing CeremonyFor more information about the event, or about the possibility of volunteering during the exhibition, call Milner and Orr Funeral Home at 270-442-5100 or visit the event Facebook page at the link below.

On the Net:
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Oct. 03, 2018 | PADUCAH

By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 03, 2018 | 07:21 PM | PADUCAH

An unreadable temporary registration led to the arrests of two people Tuesday evening on Cairo Road.



According to Paducah Police, officers stopped a vehicle after noticing that the temporary registration was curled, faded, and illegible. A computer check revealed the driver, 27-year-old Travis Jones, has a suspended operators license.



An officer said he smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, and Jones admitted there was a marijuana in the car. A search of the vehicle produced a marijuana cigarette, and a .40-caliber handgun in the glove compartment. A computer check of the gun showed it was reported stolen.



A passenger, and the registered owner of the car, Nausicaa Williams, said she knew the gun was in the glove compartment and initially said that it belonged to her brother. She later said the gun belonged to Jones. Jones, who is a convicted felon, admitted the gun was his, but said he did not know it was stolen.



In the trunk of the car, officers found items consistent with trafficking large amounts of marijuana. They learned Williams and Jones had been staying at a local motel, and obtained a search warrant for their room. In the room, officers found about 20 grams of suspected marijuana in separate plastic bags and a set of digital scales.



Williams and Jones were arrested on numerous drug charges. Williams was also charged with receiving stolen property (firearm), and tampering with physical evidence. Jones was also charged with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, receiving stolen property (firearm), tampering with physical evidence, and operating a vehicle on a suspended or revoked operator's license.



They were both taken to the McCracken County Regional Jail. When she was booked into the jail, Williams admitted she had drugs in her possession. She said Jones had handed them to her when police initially stopped their vehicle, and told her to hide them. Jail staff found about 1.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine and about six grams of suspected marijuana in Williams pants.
CHICAGO, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) announced today that the company was awarded the 19th Annual ITA (Illinois Technology Association) CityLIGHTS Award for Outstanding Company Culture. The 19th Annual ITA CityLIGHTS Awards is the premier annual event in the region that elevates and honors achievements from the local technology community.



The Outstanding Company Culture Award goes to companies that have instilled a high-performance culture in their workplace by encouraging employees to take their career to the next level, fostering diversity and inclusion, and are committed to positively contributing to the community.

TransUnion is honored to be recognized by the Illinois Technology Association for our commitment to our people and culture, said Mohit Kapoor, Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Technology Officer at TransUnion. Our team is passionate about using information to make a positive impact on the world, and TransUnion is committed to providing meaningful career opportunities and an inclusive work environment to help our people succeed.

The global technology group at TransUnion creates and supports innovative information solutions that empower people and organizations around the world to make informed decisions. The technology group has experienced immense growth in the last year. The Chicago office has seen a 27% increase in technology associates during the past year. In total, TransUnions technology team now has more than 2,000 full-time employees across the globe.

To learn more about the company culture at TransUnion, please visit: https://www.transunion.com/careers/technology-careers

About TransUnion (NYSE:TRU)

Information is a powerful thing. At TransUnion, we realize that. We are dedicated to finding innovative ways information can be used to help individuals make better and smarter decisions. We help uncover unique stories, trends and insights behind each data point, using historical information as well as alternative data sources. This allows a variety of markets and businesses to better manage risk and consumers to better manage their credit, personal information and identity. Today, TransUnion has a global presence in more than 30 countries and a leading presence in several international markets across North America, Africa, Latin America and Asia. Through the power of information, TransUnion is working to build stronger economies and families and safer communities worldwide.

We call this Information for GoodSM.

http://www.transunion.com/business

Contact Dave Blumberg

TransUnion

E-mail david.blumberg@transunion.com

Telephone 312-972-6646
By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 04, 2018 | 03:25 PM | MARSHALL COUNTY

A Benton man faces multiple charges following his arrest on Wednesday.

According to the Marshall County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a business on US 68 East on a report of a man shooting a handgun in front of the business. The caller told deputies the man left in a vehicle and was traveling west on US 68.

Deputies reportedly clocked the vehicle going 79 miles per hour in the Jonathan School area and conducted a traffic stop. The driver, Christopher Dalton Wilson of Benton, was arrested and charged with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, receiving stolen property (handgun), wanton endangerment, speeding, DUI 2nd offense, operating a motor vehicle on a suspended or revoked operator's license and no registration plates.

He was lodged in the Marshall County Detention Center.
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Niagara-on-the-Lake, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The first batch of students in Canadas first ArDistilling (Graduate Certificate) program were officially welcomed into their new home, a unique state of the art Teaching Distillery at Niagara Colleges Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus.

The 2,500 square-foot Teaching Distillery is directly adjacent to the colleges unique Wine Visitor + Education Centre, and is based on the colleges successful teaching winery and teaching brewery  also Canadian firsts. The fully operational distillery houses five stills, four mash tuns and ten fermenters that allow for on-site production of a wide variety of distilled products, including vodka, gin, whisky, brandy, rum and more.

Spirits will be crafted by faculty and students in the Artisan Distilling program, and will be sold on campus alongside NCs award-winning student-made wines, beers and ciders.

Our Canadian Food and Wine Institute is at the forefront of food and fermentation sciences in our country; it is a centre for excellence in education and training, a resource for industry and a catalyst for innovation in the sector, said Niagara College president Dan Patterson. Our Artisan Distilling program and the Niagara College Teaching Distillery significantly enhance our position as a national leader in this important sector.

The Artisan Distilling program provides an in-depth understanding of the scientific, technological and business aspects of distilling and fermentation. Students gain relevant skills, knowledge and experiences in the production cycle of distilled spirits, including production, testing/analysis, and packaging/merchandising. The first-ever class of 16 students began their studies in September, and over the past several weeks have been acclimatizing themselves to the new facility, equipment, and their classmates.

Weve already learned a lot in the program so far  the faculty and our distiller David Dickson have been excellent, said Artisan Distilling student Kirin Tsang. And were not only learning how to make spirits; were also learning about each other. Everyone in the class brings with them a diverse set of skills and life experiences, and were looking forward to experimenting and succeeding together in this exciting industry.

Graduates from the program will go on to pursue careers working with both small- and large-volume distilleries as distillation technicians, product development and quality control experts, export licensees, sales and operations professionals and more. They will learn their craft under the guidance of David Dickson, former head distiller at Dillons Small Batch Distillers, who joined Niagara College as distiller in August 2018.

Dr. Don Livermore, master blender at Hiram Walker and Sons Limited, was present at a grand opening Oct. 4. "As a local leader in premium spirits production, Hiram Walker & Sons is a strong supporter of this state-of-the-art program and facility. In addition, I am personally very proud to see the continued growth in education under the disciplines of distilling and fermentation in Ontario, said Dr. Livermore. Niagara College graduates will be the next generation of leaders and innovators in this industry, and we are excited about the potential for future collaborations with students, and also the possibility of providing fulfilling careers for some of them. This program will fill a growing need for skilled, experienced workers in this expanding industry.



Niagara College offers more than 130 diploma, bachelor degree and advanced level programs as well as more than 600 credit, vocational and general interest Part-Time Studies courses. Areas of specialization include food and wine sciences, advanced technology, media, applied health and community safety, supported by unique learning enterprises in food, wine, beer, horticulture and esthetics. For more information visit niagaracollege.ca.



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Note: additional photos available upon request.

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Worlds first intentional HIV+ liver transplant

Wits doctors transplanted the liver from a mother living with HIV to her critically ill HIV negative child, who had end-stage liver disease.

Would you rather die of liver failure or live with HIV?

This was the ethical dilemma faced by doctors at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre to save a childs life.

In 2017, doctors from the Transplant Unit at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre performed what is believed to be the worlds first intentional liver transplant from a mother living with HIV to her critically ill HIV negative child, who had end-stage liver disease.

Now, more than a year later, the mother and child have fully recovered, however, doctors are unsure the HIV-status of the child.

In South Africa, a country with the largest anti-retroviral therapy (ART) programme in the world, people with HIV live long and healthy lives.

The success of this world-first operation thus presents a potential new pool of living donors that could save additional lives.

Leveraging living positive to save more lives

In a paper published in prestigious, peer-reviewed journal AIDS on October 4, 2018, scientists in surgery, ethics, and HIV from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits) explain how a chronic shortage of organs compromise their efforts to save lives, and how the decision they made to perform a world-first operation could advance transplantation.

Jean Botha, principal investigator and transplant surgeon is Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgery in the School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits University.

Two aspects of this case are unique. Firstly, it involved intentional donation of an organ from a living HIV positive individual. Secondly, pre-exposure prophylaxis [medication to protect at-risk individuals from contracting the HI virus] in the child who received the organ may have prevented the transmission of HIV. However, we will only know this conclusively over time, says Botha, who is also Director of Transplantation at the Transplant Unit at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre.

Currently, the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre is the only Transplant Programme doing living donor liver transplantation in southern Africa. It is also the first privately administered teaching hospital in Johannesburg and, as a Wits hospital, advances specialist training and research.

Stringent adherence to ethical guidelines

In this case of transplanting a liver from an HIV positive donor to a non-infected recipient, the transplant team had to unpack the potential risks and benefits to both. The Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical) at Wits University approved the liver transplantation from the mother living with HIV to her HIV negative child. Their personal details remain confidential.

The child  on the waiting list for a deceased donor for 180 days (the average is 45 days)  was frequently admitted for life-threatening complications of end-stage liver disease. Without transplant, the child would certainly have died. However, saving the childs life needed to be balanced against harm to the donor and the risk of almost certainly transmitting HIV if the mother was the donor.

Dr Harriet Etheredge is a medical bioethicist who holds an honorary position in the Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine at Wits, and oversees Ethics and Regulatory Issues at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre.

Extensive efforts were made to identify either a deceased liver donor or an HIV negative living donor for the child before considering an HIV positive parent donor. Transplanting HIV positive organs is not illegal in South Africa; however, it is not considered best practice internationally because of the risk of HIV transmission to the recipient. To minimise risk to donors and recipients, this operation is offered only under exceptional circumstances. Full consent is required from the parents who must be able to care for a child infected with HIV, says Etheredge, whose PhD is in the field of medical ethics and organ transplantation.

In this transplantation case, the mother asked a number of times for the opportunity to save her childs life by donating a segment of her liver. For this mother, quantifying the risk was simpler for the transplant team. Dr Francesca Conradie, HIV clinician, notes, When considering an HIV positive parent, it is important that they have an undetectable viral load. This means that they know they are HIV positive and that they have been taking their antiretroviral medication properly for at least six months.

This made the risk of donation equivalent to that of an HIV negative living donor. However, living liver donation is never a risk-free procedure, and the team took care to ensure that the mother understood the full ambit of the risk she was undertaking.

Our Independent Donor Advocate helps the parents understand the risks, makes representations to the transplant team on behalf of the donor if necessary, and provides emotional support throughout the process, says Etheredge.

Intentional transmission of HIV to save a life

The transplant team faced the dilemma of saving the childs life whilst at the same time knowing that the child might end up HIV positive because of this decision. However, because this intentional HIV positive living donor liver transplant is likely a world first, the actual chance of transmitting HIV was unknown.

The team decided to work on the basis that the child would contract HIV, and provide management accordingly. But in the time since the transplant, there have been some surprises when it comes to the childs HIV status.

In the weeks after the transplant, we thought that the child was HIV positive, because we detected HIV antibodies, says Botha.

The transplant team then accessed specialised testing by HIV experts at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) who subsequently could not find any active HIV infection in the blood stream of the child, meaning there is a chance that the child is HIV negative.

Caroline Tiemessen is Research Professor in the School of Pathology at Wits and head of Cell Biology within the Centre for HIV and STIs.

At the moment, we are developing new methods for testing the child, and we hope to be able to have a definitive answer to the question of seroconversion in future. For now the child will remain on ART until we have a more comprehensive picture, says Tiemessen who, in 2017, led the laboratory investigations in the case where of a South African child living with HIV had remained in remission without ART since 2008.

Seroconversion is the period of time during which a specific antibody develops and becomes detectable in the blood. After seroconversion has occurred, HIV can be detected in blood tests for the antibody.

Expanded organ donor pool to advance transplantation in Africa

More than a year since the intentional liver transplantation from a mother living with HIV to her HIV negative child, both donor and recipient have recovered and are well.

Dr June Fabian, a nephrologist and Research Director at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre says, We have formalised this procedure as a research programme. As we offer this type of transplantation to more children, we hope to be able to draw more definitive conclusions.

Organ transplantation at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre is offered to any person irrespective of income or demographic according to sickest first criterion. This is possible through an existing partnership between the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre and the Gauteng Department of Health.

We hope that this ground-breaking operation will be the first of many like it and will contribute towards promoting justice and equity in liver transplantation in South Africa, says Fabian.

ABOUT THE DOCTORS

Professor Jean Botha is Director of Transplantation at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre. After completing his general surgical training at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, he completed a two-year fellowship in transplantation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska where he stayed on as Associate Professor of surgery before returning to South Africa to take up his current position. His main interest is living donor liver transplantation.

Dr Francesca Conradie is a Clinical Research Specialist. She earned her MBBCh in 1989 when the prevalence of HIV infection was around 1%. In addition, HIV infection was a progressive illness that almost invariably resulted in death. In the course of her career, Conradie has seen HIV infection rise to over 30% in Gauteng province where she works and has been part of the research agenda that brought effective antiretroviral therapy to over 3.2 million South Africans. Conradie has participated in drug trials, operational research  including the Comprehensive International Programme of Research on AIDSSouth Africa (CIPRA) project 1  and the pivotal prevention research as part of HPTN 052. This was a randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of ART plus HIV primary care versus HIV primary care alone to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV-1 in serodiscordant couples. Her research focus now is on multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). She is involved in the registrational clinical trials of the new drug, bedaquiline, and the implementation of its rollout. In 2015, Conradie was appointed Technical Specialist  Clinical Research Advisor at the Union Against TB and Lung Disease, North America.

Dr Harriet Etheredge is a medical bioethicist with a particular interest in ethical challenges across highly specialised medical settings. She joined Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre in 2015. Etheredge is a Co-Chair of the Wits Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical) and she holds an honorary position in the Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine at Wits University. At a national level, she is a member of the South African Medical Research Council Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical). Etheredge holds a doctorate in the field of medical ethics and organ transplantation and she is a widely published academic author and a public speaker. She was named as one of the Mail & Guardians Top 200 Young South Africans in 2016.

Dr June Fabian is a specialist physicianand nephrologist and Director of the Clinical Research Office at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre. She is a joint staff member in the Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand and is actively involved in under- and postgraduate supervision of various research projects. She is passionate about doing research that is relevant and sensitive to the health requirements of South Africans.

Professor Caroline T. Tiemessen heads the Cell Biology Research Laboratory within the Centre for HIV and STIs at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), and holds a joint appointment as Research Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand. In 2013, she was awarded the DST/NRF Research Chair of HIV Vaccine Translational Research in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits University and was appointed a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. In 2017, Tiemessen received the prestigious Vice- Chancellors Research Award from Wits University. Her research interests include the study of HIV vaccines and HIV cure (paediatric and adult).

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How long until we know for sure if the child has contracted HIV or not?

Because this has never been done before, we do not have any prior experience. At the moment, the short answer is that we do not know. It is possible that the only way we could find out for sure whether our child has HIV is if antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication was stopped in the child. We are aware that this would be risky, and hope to explore all other avenues of HIV testing first. If we did make such a decision, it would be in full consultation with the parents, HIV experts and the ethics committee. For now, we have agreed to keep the child on ART indefinitely until we have further information. Longer term, to answer these questions, we have obtained approval from Wits Human Research Ethics Committee to conduct a study that will include in depth studies of similar cases that we hope to transplant in the future.

What was done to mitigate risks to the surgeon and theatre staff in terms of transplanting an HIV+ organ?

Conducting surgery on HIV positive people is commonplace, and provided the surgical team wear gloves and masks (which they are required to do for all procedures, regardless of the HIV status of the patient) the risk of transmission is considered very low. We call this adherence to universal precautions, which is standard practice. There are no additional precautions required if someone is HIV positive. In the case of this HIV positive mother, risk of transmission was even lower, because the mother had an undetectable HIV viral load. This means that there was very little active virus in the mothers body and the chance of the surgeons being infected was very small.

HIV is a sexually transmitted infection. Does HIV live differently in the liver as opposed to other organs? How?

Not much is known about how HIV lives in the liver of humans. The liver itself is an amazing organ; it regenerates, which means that it can grow back. Scientists have looked at the way that HIV lives in the liver of monkeys. The scientists found that in 42 monkeys infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)  the monkey-version of HIV  there was productive SIV infection in the liver of only one animal, whereas in contrast other tissues (jejunum, colon, lymph nodes) of all animals had high numbers of infected cells. Although we cannot always say that things will be the same in humans as they are in animals, this research does suggest that HIV might not live in the liver as much as it does in other organs and tissues. We will be investigating this in a much more in-depth way as we continue our research with future cases.

Is HIV+ and liver failure a co-infection in the same way that HIV and TB is? OR Are more people HIV+ than those in need of transplants?

In our liver transplant programme at Wits, HIV itself has not caused more children to develop liver failure. For most children who require a liver transplant, the cause of their liver failure is a condition called biliary atresia, which has nothing to do with HIV. Biliary atresia is a condition that children are born with and many die without it being diagnosed or, if it is diagnosed, the children are not referred for transplantation.

In our adult liver transplant programme, we have performed some transplants due to acute liver failure from efavirenz (an antiretroviral medication), which occurs in a minority of people taking ART.

What is the incidence of HIV+ in those requiring transplants?

In our liver transplant programme, the incidence is very small. HIV status does not exclude one from transplantation, provided the HIV is well controlled, i.e., HIV viral load is suppressed, CD4 count is above 200 and there is no active TB infection.

There is potential of a new living liver donor pool. Is this specifically a pool of HIV positive donors or all donors?

Because the liver has the capacity to regenerate, living donation using a portion of the liver is a well-established procedure worldwide. The inclusion of HIV infected people as living donors created the new living donor pool. This is particularly relevant in South Africa, where we have a high prevalence of HIV infection and a very good ART treatment programme  which means donors living with well-controlled HIV, can potentially be donors.

Before this case, we would not have usually considered HIV positive people as living donors, because there are some risks of the surgery. However, in this single case we have shown that when the donor has well-controlled HIV, is taking their medicine properly, and does not have any other illness, then it is safe for an HIV positive person to be a living donor.

HIV positive persons can often be deceased donors, especially in the donation of kidneys from HIV positive people to other HIV positive people. However, this is not the new donor pool that is referred to in our research.

If the recipient remains HIV negative, are you able to say why?

In the long run, we might be able to work out why this could be the case. It will involve further study of the drugs used to prevent HIV, the way HIV lives in the liver and the way the HIV is transmitted.

What are the mortality implications of living both with a transplanted liver and with HIV? And of living with a transplant of a HIV negative liver?

Patients with HIV are no longer excluded from getting transplants and research suggests that the outcomes are the same regardless of whether the recipient has HIV or not.

Will a transplanted liver react differently to ARVs than an original liver?

No, it works exactly the same.

Intentional transplant of organs from HIV+ living donors is not universally accepted as best clinical practice. Is it more the HIV+ that is the problem or the fact that the donor is living?

The donation of a portion of liver from a living donor to a recipient is well established, with very good results internationally and it is accepted as good clinical practice. It is the HIV+ factor that has made some transplant centres wary of the potential risks involved.

Your transplant programme usually excludes HIV+ donors because it puts the donor at risk. How? Surely the recipient is more vulnerable?

There might be more complications related to the surgery if a donor has uncontrolled HIV. By this, we mean a high viral load, and potentially low CD4 count and this places the donor at risk, for example, of getting wound infections. Research has shown that if HIV is well controlled, i.e., The CD4 count is above 200 and the viral load is undetectable, then the risk for the donor is the same as someone who does not have HIV infection.

FACT SHEET

Paediatric liver transplantation at the Transplant Unit of Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre:

In 2017, 14 children who were on the waiting list for a liver transplant in Johannesburg died before they could be transplanted

The Transplant Unit at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre is the largest volume paediatric liver transplant unit in South Africa and the only unit in sub-Saharan Africa that offers living donor liver transplantation for children

Most of the children who need a transplant suffer from a condition called Biliary Atresia, which is a condition present from birth. The only cure is through liver transplant

Eighty percent of all the children who receive a liver transplant are alive one year after the transplant operation took place. This is in line with the survival seen at international transplant centres

The Wits Transplant Unit offers care to any child in South Africa who is in need of a liver transplant, regardless of whether they are referred from a state or a private facility

Over the last five years, Wits has performed over 130 liver transplants for children with liver failure

A BRIEF HISTORY OF HIV ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

Organs for all

Since 2013, the transplant programme at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre has seen a dramatic increase in the number of children on the waiting list for organs. This may be due in part to increased awareness and better referral patterns, but also because liver transplantation has been made accessible to all children who need this form of therapy, regardless of payer-status. This is made possible through a partnership developed over many years between the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre and the Department of Health.

But not enough organ donors

However, the availability of organ donors has not kept pace with the growing demand for transplants. This means children die while waiting for organs. For children in South Africa with end-stage liver failure, the only treatment option is a liver transplant. For this to happen, a liver can be sourced from deceased donors, but the shortage of deceased donors in this country makes it very difficult to find enough donor livers for the children who need them.

Alternative organ sources

This critical organ shortage necessitates exploration of alternatives for patients. Thus, the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre established its living donor liver transplant programme in 2013 with the assistance of colleagues from Omaha, Nebraska. This is the only programme of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa. This programme opens up an additional source of liver donors  living people. Living people can donate a portion of their liver because the liver regenerates. Anyone who is in the position to be a living liver donor needs to meet strict medical criteria, undergo extensive education and consent to the surgical procedure. This means that not all people can be living liver donors, even if they want to.

How to transplant a liver from a living donor to a child recipient

A portion of the liver is taken from the donor - usually a parent

This portion is given to the child

As the child grows, the liver also grows, which ensures that they are healthy

The donors liver regenerates to its normal size within about six weeks, so ultimately the donor is not compromised. However, the surgery to remove the liver segment from the donor does come with some risks, as do all surgical procedures.

Whilst patients undergoing a liver transplant will experience an excellent quality of life, this does not means that they will then be free of health complications. For this reason, people who have had organ transplants are followed-up very carefully by the medical team.

When the living donor liver transplant programme began at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, colleagues at the University of Cape Town  motivated by similar organ shortages and lack of access to dialysis for kidney failure patients  started performing kidney transplants from HIV positive deceased donors into HIV positive recipients, with good results. Based on the success of the Cape Town programme, the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act was signed into law in the USA in 2013. The HOPE Act permits the transplantation of organs from HIV positive individuals.

A plea from parents

Whilst South Africa has the highest global prevalence of HIV, we also have the largest treatment programme in the world, thanks to the efforts and commitment of the SA government. The success of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV has resulted in a population of healthy young adults living with well-controlled HIV who have HIV negative children. It is these parents, presenting at the transplant unit of the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre with children in liver failure, who have challenged why their HIV positive status excludes them from being living donors and saving the lives of their children.

For this reason, and subject to rigorous ethical regulations, this operation was performed in 2017, making the transplantation of a liver from an HIV positive mother to her HIV negative child a life-saving world first.

The need for organs for transplantation is high and presently unmatched by the availability of donor organs. People die waiting. This growing demand, coupled with the knowledge that people with HIV can live long and normal lives on antiretroviral therapy ART, and the lessons learnt from the transplant may open up another potential therapeutic option for those in need of life-saving organ transplants.

About Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre

Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre is a privately administered teaching hospital in Johannesburg. The primary function of Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre is to provide specialist and sub-specialist training to doctors, hence supplementing the training available in the state health sector. The type of training provided includes super-specialised surgery, pediatrics, hepatology, oncology and a number of other fields. The financial model of Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre is structured such that all profits made through the daily running of the hospital are channeled back into training, teaching and supporting programmes like transplantation. This allows Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre to subsidise the provision of specalised health services, like transplantation, to state sector patients. This goes some way towards promoting the principles of equal access in within the South African health system.
Memphis, TN, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they dont know each other; they dont know each other because they cannot communicate; they cannot communicate because they are separated.  Martin Luther King, Jr.





Three organizations are partnering to foster unity, understanding and empathy in the face of the ideological divide in America. The National Civil Rights Museum, Facing History and Ourselves, and BRIDGES have launched Open Up. Spark A Connection., a digital campaign that prompts viewers to consider the proverbial saying, Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes. Using social media and public service announcements to provoke empathetic conversations, the goal of the campaign is to encourage people to move out of their comfort zones, get to know one another, and initiate rational, compassionate conversations around topics including race, gender, equity and justice.

The idea arose out of our coming together to talk about the state of this country and the cultural and the social tensions that were simmering, and because all of our organizations are charged with the notion of trying to bring people together of all walks of life. I think we all felt a responsibility to do something, said Cynthia Ham, President and CEO of BRIDGES, a nonprofit that reaches across racial and socio-economic divides to provide students an opportunity to find their voice through unique experiential learning activities that are adventurous, relational and transformative.

The organizations embarked on a creative journey with award-winning filmmaker Matteo Servente to develop a short film to inspire conversations in understanding. Servente has won Indie Memphis Best MLK50 Short Film for An Accidental Drowning, and the Best Hometowner Narrative Short Film Award for We Go On.

Open communication doesnt allow us to hide behind our biases, because it exposes them. Differences in the way we think and look should be a resource, but are too often perceived as a threat. The goal of the campaign is to show that the closer we get to each other, the less we have to fear, said Servente.

Terri Lee Freeman, President of the National Civil Rights Museum, agrees, As we were talking about empathy, we wanted to make sure that what we were presenting was something that didnt push people away, but actually drew people in. Matteos vision was one that was very positive, but also made you really think. It was just a wonderful way for us to focus on thinking about the person next to you. Open up as you move forward, and talk to people, really get to know them.

The campaign includes unscripted video of a diverse circle of adults appearing to participate in lively, amicable conversations using stringed tin cans when suddenly the strings turn into fire-sparked dynamite fuses. The dialogue stops cold, and the participants stand isolated. Then a child steps in their circle, whispers to them, and causes a chain reaction that gets them to open up and talk again, but with closer, deeper conversations.

One of the things I really love about the piece, is theres this moment of crisis, and people dont know what to do. Theyre kind of paralyzed, and I think we all can relate to that feeling. Then you have this leadership of this little girl who is the one who is willing to be vulnerable and step out to get a conversation going. Thats what happens Take a step. Start a conversation, said Marti Tippens Murphy, Executive Director of the Memphis location of Facing History and Ourselves.

On October 4, 2018, the yearlong campaign will also include resources on each of the organizations websites and social media platforms with the hashtags #SparkAConnection and #OpenUp. Viewers are encouraged to share their stories on how theyve engaged in difficult conversations and their experiences in opening up to overcome differences. For more information, visit sparkaconnection.org .

ABOUT THE PARTNERS

BRIDGES unites and inspires diverse young people to become confident and courageous leaders committed to community transformation. Bridge Builders youth are empowered to reach across racial and socio-economic divides, are prepared for secondary educational opportunities and careers, and are engaged in civic affairs in their communities.

FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES is an international educational organization that reaches millions of students worldwide every year. Using the lessons of history  and history in the making  Facing History equips teachers to provide students with the skills to think critically and wrestle with difficult issues. Teachers work closely with students to make personal connections between the past and their present. Our rigorous curriculum sparks their desire to look beyond themselves and participate in the broader world. We are creating future generations of engaged, informed, and responsible decision makers who when faced with injustice, misinformation, and bigotry, will stand up for justice, truth, and equality. Facing History transforms required lessons in history into inspired lessons in humanity to empower youth who will change the world for the better.

The NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM, located at the historic Lorraine Motel where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, gives a comprehensive overview of the American Civil Rights Movement from 1619 to the present. Since the Museum opened in 1991, millions of visitors from around the world have come, including more than 90,000 students annually. Serving as the new public square, the Museum is steadfast in its mission to chronicle the American civil rights movement, examine todays global civil and human rights issues, provoke thoughtful debate and serve as a catalyst for positive social change.

A Smithsonian Affiliate and an internationally acclaimed cultural institution, the Museum was recognized as TripAdvisor Travelers Choice Top 5% U.S. Museum, USA Today's Top 10 Best American Iconic Attractions; Top 10 Best Historical Spots in the U.S. by TLC's Family Travel; Must See by the Age of 15 by Budget Travel and Kids; Top 10, American Treasures by USA Today; and Best Memphis Attraction by The Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Business Journal.
Book launch: John Dugard's "Confronting Apartheid"

CALS is partnering with Jacana Media to host the launch of Prof John Dugards memoirs "Confronting Apartheid" in conversation with Justice Edwin Cameron.

CALS is partnering with Jacana Media to host the launch of Prof John Dugards memoirs, Confronting Apartheid: A Personal History of South Africa, Namibia and Palestine. The launch will take the form of a conversation with Justice Edwin Cameron on the evening of 30 October 2018 from 18:00.
At the Victorian Women's Trust offices in bustling Melbourne, Australia, the small staff of about 15 employees -- all women except for one -- talk openly about everything, even their menstrual cycles.

The women's advocacy organization in Australia has been offering paid days off for painful periods, called "period leave" or "menstrual leave," to its employees for the past 18 months.

Australia Continents and regions Oceania Compensation and benefits Demographic groups Employee leave Females (demographic group) Labor and employment Population and demographics Society Women workers and professionals Workers and professionals Asia Indonesia Southeast Asia

These days do not count as "sick leave," but they are specifically provided for those monthly occasions when a woman might request to stay home due to having uncomfortable symptoms related to her menstrual cycle.

Now, the organization is encouraging other employers to introduce similar menstrual policies, and it even provides a "menstrual policy template" for employers to download online to integrate into their own organizations.

"The interesting thing, over 18 months, I think the number of days of leave that my staff has claimed is probably about seven or eight across the whole office," said Mary Crooks, executive director of the Victorian Women's Trust.

The menstrual leave policy was introduced after the organization launched a large research project called The Waratah Project, exploring how women collectively think about menstruation and menopause, Crooks said.

That research, which involved an online survey of more than 3,000 women and 22 in-person discussion groups, could be released within the next six months, Crooks said.

"In that context of doing that work, we realized as a women's organization, that we had no menstrual policy," she said. "So the development of the menstrual policy was just an automatic response of, if we want to shift attitudes and behaviors, we have to start right here in our own office."

The policy that was adopted, she said, provides women the option of working from home when they experience discomfort during their periods, or they may access up to 12 days of paid leave a year.

"If you are experiencing discomfort with a period but you are at work and you want to stay at work, then you can certainly feel free to move to somewhere in the office -- maybe stretch out on a couch -- but keep your laptop and keep doing your work," Crooks said.

Yet period leave policies come with controversy.

Some groups, such as the Victorian Women's Trust, argue that providing women paid days off for painful periods can be beneficial to women's health care. But some other people view such policies as a hindrance that might exclude women from the workplace.

"The conversation usually goes in one of two directions. On one side, often a journalist or a colleague will say something like, 'Well, I don't think it's very feminist to medicalize women's bodies,' assuming that symptoms around the onset of menses are somehow completely culturally constructed," said Tory Eisenlohr-Moul, a clinical psychologist, assistant professor of psychiatry and associate director of translational research in the Women's Mental Health Research Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

On the other side, everyday women who have severe menstrual cycle changes in their physical or emotional symptoms might argue that there is a need for leave and that there should be more awareness around severe cyclical symptoms, said Eisenlohr-Moul, who is also a member of the clinical advisory board for the International Association for Premenstrual Disorders.

"Sometimes, I feel like the synthesis of those two positions gets lost," she said.

"Most women do not suffer from important changes in emotional and physical health across the cycle, but there is a minority that do and deserve diagnosis, treatment and potentially accommodations at work," she said. "So it's a matter of acknowledging individual differences."

The places where period leave exists

Victorian Women's Trust isn't the first organization to introduce a workplace policy allowing allocated paid leave for women's menstrual cycles.

Across several Asian countries, menstrual leave is offered to working women, said Danielle Keiser, founder of a global women's health organization called the Menstrual Health Hub.

Records from the MH Hub indicate that there are menstrual leave policies in Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan and China.

Since 1947, women in Japan have been granted menstrual leave.

In South Korea, female workers have been entitled to a day off each month since 2001, but few employees in male-dominated workplaces are eager to exercise that right, according to the Korea Times.

In 2014, Taiwan moved to grant women menstrual leave. In 2016, China's Anhui province introduced a new rule allowing women who suffer severe menstrual pain to take one to two days off every month, after presenting a doctor's note.

In others parts of the world, menstrual leave policies have emerged more on a company-by-company basis.

For instance, Coexist, a group based in the United Kingdom that hosts community spaces, introduced a period policy last year. The policy allows employees who opt into it to take time off, work from home or consider other options, such as altering their working hours during their periods.

The Victorian Women's Trust in Australia hopes to make a "call to action" in its forthcoming research paper for the country to adopt some type of nationwide menstrual leave policy -- "and to find ways for companies to be incentivized to do that, to be encouraged to do it," Crooks said.

'They weren't reporting their periods because they wanted to fly'

"On the face of it, the option of 'menstrual leave' seems like a great idea. No one who faces cramps and pain should be expected to work and should be able to take the day off," said Inga Winkler, a lecturer in human rights and director of the Working Group on Menstrual Health and Gender Justice at Columbia University in New York.

"The reason the concept of 'menstrual leave' is controversial is the broader context of the society we live in -- a society characterized by huge gender inequalities, where women earn less, are perceived as less capable and, in particular when menstruating, are seen as 'hysterical,' not trustworthy and unfit for decision-making," Winkler said.

"So while these policies may be well-intentioned, they risk playing right into stereotypes of labeling women as needing extra protection and extra time off, which in turn might reinforce biases in hiring, promotion and compensation," she said. "What we really need to work on is challenging these prejudices, but we shouldn't expect the women who are confident enough to take menstrual leave to challenge these perceptions on their own."

Over the years, there has been a shift in thinking around women's menstrual cycles and the work force, said Sharra Vostral, an associate professor of history at Purdue University in Indiana and author of the book "Under Wraps: A History of Menstrual Hygiene Technology."

Women who operated planes during World War II as part of the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, or WAFS, were forbidden from working during their menstrual cycles, Vostral said, specifically "from one day before the beginning of the menstrual period until two days after it."

In 1943, the WAFS and Women's Flying Training Detachment merged into the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP. After that happened, women still had to report their periods, even though a document called the " 'Medical Considerations of WASPS' determined that menstruation was 'not a handicap to flying and there was no relationship to accidents,' " Vostral said.

"Some of the reports from the physician came back, tongue-in-cheek, saying this was the most interesting group of women he'd ever encountered because they weren't having their periods," she said. "They weren't reporting their periods because they wanted to fly."

Crooks said she sees modern-day menstrual leave policies as a step forward and not a step back.

"In an era of competitiveness and trying to hold and retain skilled and talented people, most employers are going to want to create workplaces that work for people," she said.

"The bottom line is that productivity and loyalty and respect in a workplace is going to come from both employees and employers trying to do the right thing by one another," she said. "I don't accept the premise that this is a backwards step for women. I don't accept the premise that it will mitigate negatively against women."

Dysmenorrhea, or pain associated with menstruation, is the most commonly reported menstrual disorder, and more than half of women who menstruate have some pain for one or two days each month, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

'You can't categorize all women as the same'

Women in Indonesia are given a monthly two-day menstruation leave by law, but workers rarely take up this offer, according to research.

A study published in the Indonesian Journals of Obstetrics and Gynecology in January found that among 150 working women, menstrual disorders were reported to have a mild impact on work and did not interfere with activity for 49% of them.

However, 47% of the women reported feeling a moderate impact but continued to work despite being disturbed, and 4% reported a severe work disturbance, according to the study.

The study, conducted last year at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital in Jakarta, was based on questionnaires and diary forms completed by the women.

That small percentage of women in the study who reported severe disturbances might represent a group affected by what's called premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD.

"On the one hand, most women have no important changes in their mood or functioning across the cycle. That's been shown again and again," Eisenlohr-Moul said.

On the other hand, about 5% of women of childbearing age experience recurring emotional and physical symptoms severe enough to meet criteria for PMDD, she said.

The condition, which follows a similar pattern to premenstrual syndrome or PMS, has been found to cause more severe emotional symptoms, including severe irritability, depression and anxiety.

"PMDD is characterized by the cyclical recurrence of emotional and physical symptoms in the 14 days before the onset of menstrual flow, and in these individuals, the symptoms are severe enough to cause impairment at work, at home, in relationships, and they really require treatment," said Eisenlohr-Moul, who led the development of a standardized protocol for diagnosing PMDD, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2016.

"The main point is that that's only about 5% of women that have this disorder that's severe enough to really warrant diagnosis, treatment, and, I would say, potentially even time off work," she said.

In general, it's important to focus on individual differences and not paint all women as having uniform experiences, Vostral said.

"The thing is, women experience their periods very differently. Some women do have debilitating cramps and are laid out for days, and other people barely even know they have their period," she said. "So you can't categorize all women as the same."

Additionally, conversations about such differences and menstrual leave policies can open the door for discussions around menstruation stigmas and societal change, Winkler said.

"I think having the debate might be more important than having the actual policies. Proposals on menstrual leave garner attention, and they force us to have a broader discussion about menstruation, to speak more openly about our periods," she said.

"I also hope that the discussion on menstrual leave can lead to broader change around social norms and gender stereotypes in the workplace -- that affect everyone, not only menstruating women."
Richard Ojeda is not a typical Democratic congressional candidate.

The heavily tattooed former Army paratrooper stomps around southwestern West Virginia in tight Grunt Style t-shirts, tactical pants and combat boots. He included his own cell phone number -- and a promise to answer it -- in his campaign kick-off video. In place of "hello" or "goodbye," his go-to greeting is "Airborne."

And he voted for Donald Trump in 2016.

Ojeda -- pronounced Oh-jed-uh -- is now running for Congress in a district Trump won by 49 percentage points on the message that the President has largely failed to deliver on his economic promises. Perhaps that's why at a recent rally in West Virginia, Trump singled out Ojeda, calling him "a total whacko."

"Right now it seems that it's a circus. It's all about Twitter," Ojeda said of Trump in a recent interview in Lewisburg, where he spent several days at the state fair. "Dude, you're the President. Don't worry about that. Focus on elevating this country."

Ojeda's campaign has at times been a one-man mission to call attention to one of the most economically desolate regions of the country -- a reality that explains some of his populist positions. Ojeda loves coal jobs but loathes energy industry executives. He favors marijuana legalization because, he says, it's a way to combat "Big Pharma" and loosen opioid addiction's grip on southwestern West Virginia. He likes the generals surrounding Trump, but sees wealthy appointees like education secretary Betsy DeVos as anathema to Trump's campaign promises.

He rocketed to stardom in West Virginia by leading the teachers' revolt over years of Republican budget austerity -- a backlash that quickly spread to other states. Now, educators have turbocharged his campaign, giving Ojeda an issue that appeals to voters of all political stripes.

His campaign has emerged as an important test for Democrats, who have watched rural, white areas like West Virginia's 3rd District vote overwhelmingly Republican, and feared that -- even with the right candidate and the right message -- those voters were lost to the party forever.

Polls in recent weeks have shown Ojeda in a single-digit race behind Republican Carol Miller. And national Democrats see Ojeda's previous support for Trump -- and the reasons he turned on the President -- as part of what makes him an appealing candidate.

"It's pretty simple the role that he fills: He is the return of the Democratic Party to really being the champion of the people. Not Wall Street, not Silicon Valley, not any corporate interest -- but really fighting for working people in every community," said Krystal Ball, a Democratic strategist who has worked closely with Ojeda through her political action committee, The People's House Project.

If he wins, Ball said, Ojeda would be an "instant national voice in the Democratic Party, just because the odds are so long for him to be able to win the district."

Teachers fuel Ojeda's run

Ojeda grew up in Logan County, West Virginia -- a mountainous part of the state's southwestern region where he says growing up, his options were to "dig coal, sell dope or join the Army."

He chose the Army. Ojeda served for 24 years, rising to the rank of major, earning two Bronze Stars serving as a paratrooper during two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan and, he says, nearly being killed five times. Of his 34 tattoos, 13 are the names of fellow service members who didn't return from combat.

Ojeda returned home to teach high school ROTC. Railing against corruption within the party, he lost a Democratic congressional primary in 2014 -- but won admirers, and was elected to the state Senate two years later.

During his 2016 state Senate campaign, Ojeda was attacked after an event by a man with brass knuckles, who then tried to run him over with a truck. It left Ojeda with 58 plates in his face.

The near-death experiences -- overseas and at home -- gave Ojeda a fatalistic way of looking at politics.

"I've been told by people, 'Ojeda, they are going to kill you.' They've already tried once,'" he said during a Facebook Live video. "You know, when I was almost murdered last year, I did not cower down. It fueled me to continue my fight. ... If God means -- if He means for me to be murdered up some holler someplace to open the eyes of every one of you all out there, then make no mistakes about it: I'll drive up that holler. I'm not going to be scared."

In the video, Ojeda says: "There's a purpose for me. And my purpose is to wake people up."

At the Statehouse, Ojeda became known for his fiery speeches. And this winter, he delivered a major one -- becoming the first lawmaker to say aloud what teachers had been thinking: If teachers didn't get raises, they'd go on strike.

"This is not something that we are going to be able to just look away and it not come back on us," he said on the Senate floor in January. "There are a lot of angry people across our state."

A month later, 20,000 teachers and public school employees walked out, shutting down schools for nearly two weeks. They returned only after securing 5% pay raises.

Ojeda became a champion for educators. And West Virginia's strike inspired similar actions in other states like Oklahoma, Arizona and Kentucky, where Democratic candidates have benefited from a backlash against years of state budget austerity by Republicans.

Ojeda again ran for Congress, this time winning the Democratic primary to replace retiring Republican Rep. Evan Jenkins. And teachers are the most powerful force behind his campaign -- putting at the center of his House race an issue and core group of supporters that defies national partisan dynamics.

"Sometimes we felt like we didn't have a spokesperson, and then Ojeda came along," said Tega Toney, a high school teacher and union leader in the 3rd District. "And I think what's so captivating about Ojeda is that he's authentic and he's real and he's one of us."

Populist politics

The other issue where Ojeda made his name at the Capitol was his successful push to make West Virginia the 29th state to legalize medical marijuana.

He'd go further, he says, and support the decriminalization of recreational marijuana. West Virginia is among the best places on earth to grow it, he said. And, he said he believes it would help a region that's at the heart of America's opioid crisis escape the grips of the pharmaceutical industry.

"If we de-schedule it, we take it out of the hands of Big Pharma. They don't get a say in it. So let's de-schedule it, and let it go from there," Ojeda said.

"Big Pharma" is one of Ojeda's go-to targets. He frequently highlights that his opponent, Miller, and her husband own pharmaceutical stock.

"It's everywhere. Our towns, in some areas, look like episodes of The Walking Dead," he said. "This is a crisis. Yet we do nothing. We do nothing to Big Pharma."

Another frequent Ojeda target is "Big Energy." It's not that he objects to coal mining, he said. It's that the wealth created by the energy industry is concentrated at the top. It means, he said, "10 people driving Lamborghinis and the rest of us are starving to death."

His populist approach to politics also explains his opposition to Trump's calls for a wall along the US-Mexico border.

"That border wall's not going to put one single West Virginian to work," he said. "Do you want know the real wall that needs to be built? Our levy walls."

It's all part of Ojeda's sense that West Virginia has given much to the country -- powering its growth and providing troops to fight its wars -- and, now that the state is struggling and young people are fleeing to find work elsewhere, is owed something by Washington.

"We did build this country, OK? The infrastructure that was used to build this country comes from us. When the rich wage war, it's the poor who fight and die," he said. "I don't want to have to buy a plane ticket to see a grandchild. And right now that's the reality for West Virginia, and we deserve so much better."

The Trump factor

Ojeda's populist campaign doesn't neatly fit into the moderate or progressive boxes of many Democratic candidates this year.

He says he backed Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary -- and then was alienated by Clinton's tour of Appalachia.

"Hillary Clinton came down here and said, 'Hey guys, we're gonna give you all job training.' But the jobs don't exist in West Virginia, or they're minimum wage jobs," Ojeda said. "You can't take a person that's a coal miner making $100,000 feeding their family, and tell them now you can go get a job making $20,000 or you can move to Colorado. Because that's not acceptable. And that's what she was pushing."

That led him to back Trump over Clinton -- the same choice many voters made in a district that, like the western Pennsylvania region where Rep. Conor Lamb won a special election earlier this year, has many long-time, registered Democrats who have been voting for Republicans in presidential contests for decades.

"I looked out my window, and I saw my neighbors, and I saw my family and friends, and they were struggling," he said. "So when you have somebody who comes and says, 'Hey guys, I'm not asking you to ... move away. I'm going to get coal going again.' Everybody said, you know what, let's give him a chance."

Ojeda says he gives Trump "a thumbs up" for rejuvenating the coal industry. But, he said, Trump's promises to bring businesses back from overseas have fallen short. He also complained that Trump surrounded himself with the kinds of people Ojeda believes he campaigned against -- citing education secretary DeVos in particular. He also said he doesn't think Trump is listening enough to cabinet members like Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Otherwise, he said, Trump never would have shared a stage and praised Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"They're absolute brilliant military minds. Listen to them," Ojeda said. "It bothers me that that's not happening."

Miller, a Republican state representative, declined CNN's interview requests.

Her campaign is attempting to seize on Ojeda's appearance in a new project by left wing filmmaker Michael Moore. In a trailer, Ojeda says he is "sick and tired of people telling me America's the greatest country. Because we can whip your ass?"

GOP officials backing Miller have sought to tie her closely to Trump.

"Carol Miller is going to be a strong supporter of the Trump jobs agenda in a district that President Trump carried overwhelmingly," West Virginia attorney general Patrick Morrisey, the Republican challenging Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin this year, said in an interview at the state fair.

"We need someone who's going to work with this President to put people back to work," Morrisey said. "I think Carol Miller understands that in a way Ojeda can't possibly. So this is really a critical race, because as the 3rd District goes, you have to win that seat to make sure you keep the GOP majority and you prevent the obstruction that Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and others have in mind."

Ojeda has said he will not vote for Pelosi for House Speaker if the Democrats take control of Congress in the midterms.

Asked, though, if he would vote for a Republican instead if Pelosi is the choice of the Democratic caucus, he said: "Well, I'll tell you, I pray that it doesn't get to that. I pray it doesn't get to that."
If you want to sip (or gulp) a drink at the London watering hole just recognized as the world's best bar, you'd better hurry. It's closing soon -- for good.

Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. (You can also get "5 Things You Need to Know Today" delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)

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1. Brett Kavanaugh

Senators who will decide the fate of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will start reading the report from the FBI's investigation of him this morning. It comes as Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set up a procedural vote on Kavanaugh's nomination for tomorrow. If that's successful, a final vote could come Saturday. Democrats and others are still grumbling about the FBI inquiry, saying many witnesses who could have possibly corroborated the sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh weren't interviewed.

2. South Carolina shooting

One police officer was killed and six other law enforcement officers were injured after a man opened fire on them in Florence, South Carolina. County deputies were executing a search warrant when the man started shooting. "These officers went there unknowing the firepower this suspect had," Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said. The officer who was killed, Florence Police Officer Terrence Carraway, had just recently been given a pin recognizing 30 years of public service. After a two-hour standoff, the shooting suspect was arrested.

3. Immigration

A federal judge in California has put up a roadblock to one of the Trump administration's immigration initiatives. A preliminary injunction was granted that, for now, stops the government from terminating temporary protected status, known as TPS, for immigrants from Sudan, El Salvador, Haiti and Nicaragua. TPS protects people in the US from having to return to countries hit by war, epidemics and other natural disasters. Trump's administration has worked to end the protections for most immigrants, saying conditions in their home countries had improved. The judge's ruling means the protections continue -- and the immigrants can stay -- while a lawsuit challenging the government's decision works its way through the courts.

4. Saudi Arabia

What happened to Jamal Khashoggi? He's a prominent Saudi journalist and critic of the country's leadership. He went Tuesday to Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, to get paperwork so he could get married. He hasn't been seen since. Saudi officials said he left the consulate soon after getting the paperwork, but Turkish police, after examining surveillance footage, said there's no sign he ever left. His fiancee, who has been outside the building since he went in, fears the worst. With the rise of young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has taken a hard line against dissenters.

5. US Navy

The Navy may be prepping a major show of force as a warning to China. A draft proposal has been drawn up recommending the US Pacific Fleet conduct a weeklong series of operations in November, US defense officials say. The point of the exercises -- which would involve warships, combat aircraft and troops -- would be to show China and others that the US can counter its enemies quickly on several fronts. Part of the operations would be conducted near China's territorial waters in the South China Sea, putting US ships and planes near Chinese forces.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Good neighbors

Meet the neighbors who've helped a woman who uses a wheelchair get into bed every night -- for 10 years.

Back in business?

Maybe we don't have to grow up after all. The owner of the assets of Toys "R" Us might be bringing the beloved toy company back.

Dancing queen

Nothing says awkward like watching British Prime Minister Theresa May groove to an ABBA song before making a speech.

Aircopter or heliplane?

Check out the new aircraft that flies like a plane but lands like a helicopter.

Hug it out

Science has confirmed what our hearts already know: Hugs really do make us feel better.

A little bit country

Sylvester Stallone movie characters never die. They just keep popping up in sequels. And Sly just gave us a peek at what the new "Rambo" looks like.

TODAY'S NUMBERS

259

The number of people worldwide who've died since 2011 while taking selfies

$100 million

The value of cash reportedly missing from the vaults of Liberia's central bank. But Liberia denies any money is missing.

TODAY'S QUOTE

"Not a hint, not a mention of any impending doom or mayday situation. I did think, 'Gee that's a lot of flashing lights out there,' when we landed."

Liz Hayes, recounting her reaction as a passenger on a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles that issued a mayday call due to low fuel reserves as it approached Australia's busiest airport

AND FINALLY

Meerkat manor

Cuteness alert! A group of baby meerkats gets out to explore the world for the first time. (Click to view.)
It was a quick moment in the first debate of the 2018 Florida Senate race and if you weren't listening closely you might've missed it: Sen. Bill Nelson, the incumbent Democrat locked in a tight race with Governor Rick Scott, revealed that he was barred from entry into Cuba.

It came after Scott accused Nelson of appeasing the Castro regime for supporting President Obama's efforts to normalize relations with the Communist-run Island Nation just 90 miles of the coast of the United States.

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"Indeed, we've got a problem in this hemisphere, not only with Maduro and Chavez before him, but also with Cuba and Nicaragua. And indeed, they have seen my position of the anti-Castro for so many years that one time, when I requested to go to Cuba to see the imprisoned fellow American that was there for four years, they will not let me in the country, because I've been so harsh," Nelson said.

Later on, he emphasized the point by saying, "The Cuban government will not let me come to Cuba because I have been so vigorously anti-Castro for years and years."

This was the first instance CNN could find of Nelson talking about being barred from travel to the island.

According to Nelson spokesman Ryan Brown, the Senator was denied a visa in 2014 when he was asked by the wife of Alan Gross to visit her husband, who was imprisoned by the Castro regime. Gross, a State Department subcontractor imprisoned by the Cuban government for smuggling banned telecommunications equipment to the island, confirmed to CNN Nelson's account of what happened during his imprisonment.

"Yes, it does ring a bell. My understanding was that the Cuban government refused to give Senator Nelson a visa," said Gross. "He seems to have come a long way concerning Cuba and I believe he does represent the majority of his constituent's interests regarding Cuba."

Nelson has been critical of former Cuban presidents Fidel and Raul Castro, but his rancor had not been enough to lead to a public rebuke from the Cuban government, at least any CNN could find. Cuban officials have regularly attacked other American politicians critical of the regime, like Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio and New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez among others. Recently they even directed criticism toward Scott, but there is no record of Nelson drawing the ire of the Cuban government during his 40 plus years in public service.

While demographics are shifting in the Sunshine State, winning the support of the resolutely anti-Castro Cuban-American vote has decided the fate of many political campaigns there over the years.

The Cuban government's apparent denial of Nelson is striking since during his years in Cuban jail, Gross received multiple visits from US officials. When he left Cuba as part of a prisoner exchange in 2014, Gross was accompanied home by Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Jeff Flake and Rep. Chris Van Hollen.

CNN could find no record of Nelson ever traveling to Cuba, personally or professionally, but he has attempted to make trips there in the past. In 2001 he had made plans to travel there and even won approval from exiles in Florida to make it happen, but the trip apparently never came to fruition. In 2016 he was asked if he was willing to travel to Cuba as part of a delegation of Senators who were involved in the Obama administration's normalization efforts, but said he wasn't interested in going.

"They invited me to go along, and I cannot go," Nelson told Voice of America. "I don't want any attendance by me as Florida's senior senator that would in any way be interpreted that you overlook the human rights abuses of [the] Castro [regime] in Cuba. It's not time for me to go." He made no mention of being denied a visa in 2014, or that the regime had blacklisted him from entering the country.

The Cuban government in Havana and their embassy in Washington, did not respond to repeated requests for comment by CNN. It is likely that if any American politicians being denied entry into the country, they would not confirm that fact. In the past the government has said that they welcome all American officials to the island to show them the "Cuban reality" and advocate for the lifting of US economic sanctions on the island.

In September, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, traveled to the island and met with Cuban officials including Miguel Diaz-Canel, who replaced Raul Castro as president of Cuba in April.

During the debate, Nelson indicated the ban against him may still be in effect.

Meanwhile, Gross said he did not know the specific reasons behind why Nelson's visa may have been denied. "I actually spoke to his senate office in Washington while I was being held prisoner. I would not want to guess why he was denied a visa, but I sure as heck appreciated his effort to visit me," he said. "I am not a one issue voter, but if I lived in Florida Bill Nelson would have my vote. The alternative would be a disaster."
UTICA  State Sen. Joseph Griffo of Rome was presented with the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs Presidential Achievement Award on Thursday, at a ceremony held at the Maynard Fire Department.

The association says that Griffo has stood behind the New York State Volunteer Firefighter Gap Coverage Cancer Disabilities Benefits Act and other state initiatives for firefighters.

Griffo was also thanked for securing $15,000 in state funding for the association to purchase Nomex hoods, which are worn under firefighters helmets to provide a head resistant area to protect their face and neck area. He also helped secure additional grant funding to help with fire prevention efforts in Oneida County.

Hes always looking ahead to the future, said David Glenn, president of the Oneida County Volunteer Firemens Association. And he turned around and got the Firemen's Association a grant for $15,000 so we can help these individuals implement the second hood grant. So not only does he help us legislatively, personally, but also in the future and the past.

It is an honor to be recognized by the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs and the Oneida County Volunteer Firemen's Association, Griffo said in a news release. I will continue to advocate for and fight to ensure that these brave men and women get the equipment, gear and other protections that they need. They keep our families, our neighbors and our loved ones safe while risking their own lives. For that, they deserve our gratitude. The least we can do is make sure that they are safe from harm.

October is Fire Awareness and Prevention Month.
Its National Coffee With a Cop Day!

Local law enforcement took that as an opportunity to have candid conversations with the community that they service.

The Oneida County Sheriffs Office had representatives at Panera Bread in New Hartford on Wednesday. They host their Community Coffee events often, and the sheriff says it helps eliminate any walls between the protector and the protected.

We found it was one of the most effective community tools, said Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol. It gives an opportunity for us to interact with the public, with no agenda. Its not like we're at your door, knocking with a complaint. Or we're not pulling you over, or you're not having to report something."

In Utica, members of the Utica Police Department sat down for a cup of joe at the Marr-Logg Restaurant on Culver Avenue, with the goal of bridging the communication gap between the community and the police department.

Its a relaxed environment, said Officer Jim Dongsavanh of the Utica Police Department. I think people feel more comfortable when we're not responding to a serious situation and they have to talk to us in that sense.

Police say they even spoke with someone Wednesday morning who is interested in a career in criminal justice and they were able to answer the questions they had.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Police say a teenager has been killed in a late-night shooting in upstate New York.

Authorities say callers reported the shooting around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday in Syracuse.

Officers arrived and found the injured teen and transported him to a hospital for treatment. He later died of his injuries.

Police have identified the teen as 15-year-old Loindale Johnson, of Syracuse. His death marks the city's 15th homicide of the year.

An investigation is ongoing, and no information about a suspect has been released.

Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler is scheduled to discuss the shooting Thursday morning.
UTICA  On Tuesday we reported that Assistant Chief Scott Ingersoll has been appointed the provisional fire chief of the Utica Fire Department, and today the city announced that retired Assistant Chief George Clark has been reinstated to the position.

Clark retired back in April after 33 years of service with the Utica Fire Department, including six years in the role of assistant chief. He was reinstated by the Civil Service Commission on Wednesday, and his positon becomes effective Oct. 4.

City officials say that Clark will serve in the position until a new civil service eligibility list becomes available, and a new appointment may be made from that list. The civil service exam for assistant fire chief will be given in January, along with the exam for fire chief.

The fire chiefs position became vacant due to the mandatory retirement of Chief Russell Brooks. Brooks was placed on medical leave in May 2017 until his retirement, and Temporary Chief James Barefoots term expired at the end of September.

Ingersoll, who has been a member of UFD for 19 years, remains the provisional chief until a permanent chief is appointed. Ingersoll would have to take the exam to be considered for the permanent position.
(CNN) -- Senators Thursday morning are reviewing the supplemental FBI background file for Brett Kavanaugh, which could determine the fate of embattled Supreme Court nominee.

The review comes amid pressure from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump to confirm Kavanaugh in the face of sexual assault allegations, which he has denied.

The White House and Republican lawmakers said the additional interviews from the FBI show no corroboration of the allegations against Kavanaugh and plan to go ahead with a key procedural vote Friday.

The FBI, however, is not tasked with drawing conclusions, and only provided the White House with summaries of the interviews it conducted.

The most consequential conclusions will be made by four key swing votes on Kavanaugh's nomination: Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

Collins Thursday morning did not say how she would vote but said of the report that, "it appears to be a very thorough investigation."

Flake, who worked last week to force the FBI probe, told CNN that "we've seen no additional corroborating information" regarding the allegations.

Democrats claim otherwise, saying that the FBI failed to interview potential witnesses willing to come forward or who could corroborate charges against Kavanaugh.

"It looks to be a product of an incomplete investigation that was limited, perhaps by the White House," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, told reporters.

The week since Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Judiciary Committee has heightened tensions and mistrust between Democrats and Republicans over the nomination, which can cement a decades-long conservative majority on the Supreme Court. The FBI did not interview Ford.

Trump believes that confirming Kavanaugh under such circumstances could also boost Republican turnout in the midterm elections, but it also seems certain to further alienate women voters in the #MeToo era in a way that could help Democrats.

"The harsh and unfair treatment of Judge Brett Kavanaugh is having an incredible upward impact on voters. The PEOPLE get it far better than the politicians," Trump tweeted Thursday morning. "Most importantly, this great life cannot be ruined by mean & despicable Democrats and totally uncorroborated allegations!"

"We feel very confident that when the senators have an opportunity to review this material, as they're just beginning to right now, that they're going to be comfortable voting for Judge Kavanaugh," White House spokesman Raj Shah said on CNN's "New Day."

Grassley said he will vote for Kavanaugh.

"I trust that the career agents of the FBI have done their work independent of political or partisan considerations. That's exactly what senators from both sides asked for. Now it's up to senators to fulfill their constitutional duty and make a judgment," he said in a statement. "No one is on trial and the Senate is not a courtroom. But our nation's tradition of fairness still applies. A presumption of innocence is how the American justice system works, and it should remain our guidepost in the Senate. Abandoning that principle would cut a sad path for the Senate as an institution."

The file was delivered to the committee in a sealed box at 2:30 a.m. ET, according to a committee source, who also told CNN that it was placed in a vault that already holds Kavanaugh's six other background investigation reports.

Senators and nine staff members will be the only people who can review the full report. There is one copy in a secure room on Capitol Hill. Phones are not allowed and any notes taken must be left in the room. Democrats and Republicans will alternate control of the room and document every hour.

A further FBI investigation into Kavanaugh's background was put into motion last week when Flake voted to move Kavanaugh's nomination out of the committee but called for the FBI to further investigate Ford's claims.
Marshalltown, Iowa, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mechdyne is proud to sponsor of The Higher Education Campus Alliance for Advanced Visualization (THE CAAV), who is hosting their third annual conference this year at Villanova University, November 5th through the 7th. The conference will hold discussions and presentations on technical, strategic, and scientific topics related to visualization technology, with the theme being sources of visualization.





Mechdyne is proud to have been the founding sponsor of THE CAAV, says James Gruening, Senior Vice President of Mechdyne. Its always enlightening to see how their members are finding new ways to leverage virtual reality, augmented reality, and visualization systems to advance research and education opportunities at their annual conference.

The keynote address at THE CAAV third annual conference will be delivered by Carolina Cruz-Neira, executive director of the Emerging Analytics Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Mr. Luca Della Giovampaola, chief of the technology office at the Vatican Museums, will also give a presentation on how the Vatican Museums are exploring augmented reality and VR.

Anyone who works in advanced visualization, in higher education, or a government laboratory is encouraged to attend. Learn more about THE CAAV third annual conference and sign up to attend by visiting: https://thecaav.wordpress.com/conferences/

About THE CAAV: The Higher Education Campus Alliance for Advanced Visualization (THE CAAV) is a nonprofit group set up to promote the use of VR/AR on campuses for both education and research. It has approximately 170 members from visualization facilities worldwide. The organization helps facilitate contacts between institutions with a significant education mission and campuses where visualization techniques are being actively explored and researched. Our organization also helps foster best practices for AR/VR.

About Mechdyne Corporation: Mechdyne Corporation is a broad-based technology partner specializing in audiovisual and information technologies (AV/IT), visualization and software solutions, immersive virtual and augmented reality technologies, and technical support services. We address complex projects where an in-depth understanding of user requirements leads to the development of customized solutions involving elements of display, graphics computing, software, and professional services. Headquartered in Marshalltown, Iowa, Mechdyne serves a global client base that includes leading government laboratories, university and research centers, energy, aerospace, manufacturing, and medical organizations, as well as any other user of advanced technology.

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LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)  A Lafayette man is sharing his experiences with a Catholic priest from when he was an elementary student at St. Boniface in the 1980s.

Following the release of the lawsuit filed against the Lafayette Catholic Diocese in regards to allegations against Father James Grear, Travis Kearney reached out to News 18 over Facebook wanting to share his own experiences.

The priest in question will be referred to as Father R.

"It's really weird the secrecy around all of it, said Kearney. I don't understand the reason behind it.

Secrecy surrounding events that took place nearly 30 years ago and now, Kearney is looking for answers.

Kearney said it started when Father R followed him and his younger sister home from school one day.

He came to my house unannounced. He asked my mother if he could take me, who was in fifth grade at the time, and my sister, who was in 1st grade at the time, on a "run", he said.

He said his mother was savvy enough to say no and that she sensed something was amiss. He said when he came home one day and asked his mother what he was supposed to do if a girl stop, she replied to him that you stop. He then recalled saying, Well, thats not what Father R did.

He also said he remembers seeing Father R put young girls on his shoulders during recess and take them off church property. After his mother learned more of what Father R was doing in the schools, she reported it to the church.

Kearney said his mother was not raised Catholic.

"She didn't for once have any kind of blind obedience to, oh this is a priest, there can't be anything wrong, he said. She immediately thought, why is my son asking me what to do when a girl says stop? Why is this priest coming to my house?"

He said seeing how his mother reacted to the situation with Father R caused him to have emotional and psychological damages such as paranoia and trust issues that still plague him today.

He said when his mom brought the information she had to the church, she was told to keep quiet and was shunned.

"She should have been received as a hero coming to help these people but instead it was just deny, deny, deny," he said.

Kearney has had multiple classmates reach out to him saying they had similar encounters with Father R.

One person, who wishes to remain anonymous, said "I was called over to the Rectory three times during recess and he had me take my shirt off. But he never touched me...I remember him holding my legs as I did sit ups"

Others reached out and said they remember their parents letting them go on the run with Father R and that stuff happened.

Another said they remembered being saved from the rectory with Father R by a custodian at the time who has since passed away.

Kearney said he is still a practicing Catholic and that his faith hasnt been shaken by this. He knows that priests like Father R are not an accurate representation of the churchs values.

He is not looking to sue the church, nor wreak havoc on Father Rs life.

I pretty much just want an apology to my mom and say our mission statement is to protect souls and we didn't do that, he said. You entrusted us with your children and the protection of your children and we failed in that.

Now he just wanted to know where Father R ended up and to know that he was not working with the public any longer.

He emailed the Lafayette Diocese asking for more information about Father R, listing a potential date as 1989.

The response said We have not been able to positively identify this priest with just the first name...and the years you mentioned dont match with an assigned priest with that name...Assuming we get an I.D. about this priest, we would report his name to the police, as is our policy when we get a name and no one has called the police yet - even in cases that are years old.

And after waiting weeks to learn about Father Rs current whereabouts, he decided to take matters into his own hands and did some research for himself.

"I found his age, I found where he's located, I found that he's no longer a priest, he said. I found a newspaper clipping dated November 21st 1989 stating that he was moved (from Lafayette) to a retreat in Michigan.

He said this newspaper clipping proves that the church did have knowledge of his whereabouts in 1989.

They publish pictures from bake sales and clothing drives that took place 50 years ago and yet they tell me that dont have any knowledge of this one priest in the 1980s? he asked.

Kearney said he gave the Diocese all the information he had gathered on Friday. Lafayette Police Department confirmed that no report has been filed with them.

The Lafayette Diocese released a statement about Kearneys claims:

The Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana did receive information from Travis Kearney about this priest. The Diocese and our Conduct in Ministry Officer investigated these reports and were not able to substantiate the claims.

Father R is not on the list released by the Diocese of with substantiated allegations.

Kearney hopes that by sharing his story, others affected by Father R will find the courage to share their story.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inspector generals office released a report this week detailing the inhumane conditions prevailing at the Adelanto Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center in Californias Mojave Desert. The report was the product of an unannounced visit by inspectors this past May, nearly one year after three deaths occurred within a three-month period at the facility.

The report outlined numerous horrors, including denial of medical and dental care, the use of punishing confinement prior to conclusive rulings on allegations of inmate infractions and the terrible revelation that nooses fashioned out of bed sheets hung in at least 15 of the 20 inspected cells.

Inspectors were met with lackadaisical responses from guards, When we [DHS] asked two contract guards who oversaw the housing units why they did not remove the bed sheets, they echoed it was not a high priority, the report states.

The report noted that the guard escorting the inspectors through the facility had initially attempted to remove the nooses, but eventually stopped upon realizing how many there were.

At least seven suicide attempts were reported at the Adelanto Center from December 2016 to October 2017, but the number is believed to be far higher. Guards told investigators the nooses are a daily issue and very widespread.

In March 2017, Osmar Epifanio Gonzalez-Gadba, 32, a Nicaraguan, was found hanging from bed sheets in his cell and later died on life support. Gonzalez-Gadba was facing his second deportation and had previously been deported in April 2016 to Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America.

Just days before Gonzalez-Gadbas suicide, he reported having been sexually assaulted, but medical staff ignored his claim and never bothered examining him. At the ICE facility, inmates are subjected to daily physical, mental and sexual violence.

As of August 2017, there had been at least five attempted suicides at the facility in less than one year, according to 911 calls. One detainee told inspectors he witnessed a few attempted suicides using the braided sheets by the vents. ... The guards laugh at them and call them suicide failures once they are back from medical. The callousness exhibited by ICEs contract employees mimics that of Border Patrol agents, who tend to treat immigrants with ruthless inhumanity.

Earlier this year, a report issued by humanitarian aid organizations found that border patrol agents had routinely destroyed at least 3,586 gallons of water and lifesaving aid along the border. Border patrol unofficially depends on the scorching heat of the Sonoran desert, which routinely exceeds 40C (104F), and often reaches 48C (118F), to whittle away groups of migrants whose survival often depends upon finding aid over the week-long journey.

Adelanto is owned and operated by the GEO Group, which runs close to 50 private prisons and detention centers around the country. Adelanto was a state prison for adult males for nearly two decades, before it was purchased by GEO Group in 2010.

Since then, tens of thousands of immigrant detainees have passed through the Adelanto facility. Some of them have been detained crossing the border, while others have lived in the US for years and decades before being swept up in ICE raids across the country.

The report also indicated that there were numerous deaths that could have been prevented with proper medical care. Inmates are often denied medical and dental treatment, waiting on lists for months and sometimes years with reports of tooth rot and loss due to lack of care.

One detainee reported multiple teeth falling out while waiting more than two years for cavities to be filled.

A November 2011 review found that medical officials were not conducting detainee health appraisals within 14 days of arrival and included revelations that nurses without proper certification and training were performing health assessments.

Many deaths, including that of detainee Fernando Dominguez Valdivia in March 2012, could have been prevented had it not been for egregious errors by medical staff according to ICEs own Office of Detention Oversight. The Mexican national died of pneumonia, and was one of 141 people to die in ICE custody between 2003 and 2013, according to ICE.

A 2015 report by the same body concluded that the death of Raul Ernesto Morales-Ramos was due to a lack of timely and comprehensive medical care when the 44-year-old Salvadoran man died from intestinal cancer that went untreated.

Investigators also noted that detainees were improperly and prematurely placed in disciplinary segregation for alleged misbehavior, prior to any attempt to determine whether they had committed the alleged infractions. During our visit to the Adelanto Center, there were 14 detainees in disciplinary segregation. Through our file review, we found that the Adelanto Center inappropriately placed all 14 detainees in disciplinary segregation before they were found guilty of a prohibited act or rule violation.

In addition, efforts were rarely made for translation or communication services for inmates to assist non-English speakers with an explanation of what was happening to them.

Investigators reported encountering a blind, limited English proficient detainee in disciplinary segregation but found the center had no auxiliary aids or translated materials for the detainee to read or understand documents he was given. In addition, file reviews of the 14 detainees in disciplinary segregation...revealed that none of the segregation orders or information provided to detainees while in segregation was translated or otherwise communicated to ensure the detainees understanding.

Daily atrocities against immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers are the status quo of Washington, DHS, the Border Patrol and ICE. The appalling revelations at Adelanto further underscore the reactionary Democratic Party-led political charade being conducted over the Kavanaugh hearings. The country is littered with private, for-profit prisons, supported by both parties. Where are the public hearings on the physical, sexual and mental abuses committed against immigrants, refugees and inmates alike across Americas vast prison system? No such abuses will ever make media headlines, as it does not serve the interests of the ruling elite as it carries out its reactionary in-fighting in the run-up to the November midterm elections.
On Wednesday, the US finance magazine Forbes released its annual Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans, revealing an immense increase in wealth among the top social stratum in the United States.

The total net worth of the 400 people included on the list hit a record $2.9 trillion this year, up from $2.7 trillion last year. The most heavily represented sector was finance, from which 88 people on the list, including bank executives, hedge fund managers and investors, drew their wealth.

The next highest proportion comes from technology giants such as Google and Facebook. The CEO of Twitter and payments firm Square, Jack Dorsey, registered the greatest percentage growth in wealth from the previous year, an increase of 186 percent to $6.3 billion. This was due in large part to a jump in Squares stock price.

The threshold necessary for inclusion on the list rose to $2.2 billion in 2018, up $100 billion from last years threshold. Fully one-third of billionaires in the United States, a record 204 individuals, failed to make this years Forbes 400 list.

The average net worth of billionaires on the list rose to $7.2 billion, an increase of a half-billion over last years average of $6.7 billion.

As Forbes notes, the vast increase in wealth among the very richest Americans is largely thanks to a continuing surge in US stock indexes. They have reached new record highs in part due to unprecedented levels of stock buybacks and dividend increases, which are parasitic diversions of wealth away from productive investment in areas that produce decent-paying jobs and to the detriment of pursuits such as research and development. The billionaires on the Forbes 400 list have also benefited immensely from the Trump tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy signed into law in December 2017.

Topping the list is Amazon CEO and worlds richest person Jeff Bezos, whose $160 billion is $63 billion more than the second-wealthiest person on the list, Bill Gates, and a full $78.5 billion more than last year. Bezos has made his fortune through the super-exploitation of warehouse workers around the world, enabling Amazon to move its products faster and at cheaper prices than its retail competitors.

The staggering increase in Bezoss wealth over the past year has been due to the more than 100 percent increase in Amazons stock price. The $2,950 Jeff Bezos has earned per second in 2018 is more than the $2,796 a fulfillment center worker in India makes in an entire year.

Ironically, the Forbes report was published the same day that the press was full of praise for Bezoss supposed generosity and humanitarian concern for his workers, occasioned by the announcement that he was raising the minimum wage of his US-based employees to the poverty-level wage of $15 an hour.

If the $160 billion fortune Bezos holds were divided among Amazons global workforce of 500,000, each worker would receive $320,000.

Coming in second on the list with a net worth of $97 billion is Microsoft co-founder and former CEO Bill Gates, who had topped the Forbes list since 1994. The top 10 wealthiest people on the list alone have a total net worth of $730 billion, up from $610 billion in 2018.

However, just the top 45 individuals out of the 400 on the list accounted for fully half of the total wealth, or $1.45 trillion. That amounts to an average fortune of more than $32 billion each, which is more than the estimated $30 billion required to end world hunger, according to a United Nations estimate.

The Forbes report illustrates that the barrier to resolving societal ills, such as poverty, hunger and disease, is the siphoning off and hoarding of a growing proportion of societys resources by the wealthiest segment of society.

The $2.9 trillion in the hands of these 400 richest people in the United States is roughly three-quarters of the total federal budget. It represents nearly three times the 2018 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services, which was slashed from over $1.126 trillion in 2017 to $1.112 trillion this year, and 176 times the $16.4 billion budget for the Department of Education in 2018.

Rather than addressing these issues, the Democratic Partys midterm election campaign has instead been centered on a right-wing effort to channel opposition to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Donald Trump behind a #MeToo-style hysteria over alleged sexual abuse. This is accompanied by the ongoing campaign to demonize Russia and Vladimir Putin and brand Trump as a stooge of the Kremlin.

The timing of the release of the Forbes list is significant, coming as it does on the 10-year anniversary of the passage of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)the $700 billion bank bailout that set the stage for the trillions that were essentially stolen from the working class to rescue the financial oligarchy and make it richer than ever. The result of the decade-long plundering of society since the crash, carried out by both Republican and Democratic administrations, is the ever-increasing concentration of wealth at the very top reflected in the new Forbes 400 list.
More than 1,500 hotel workers in Boston began a strike against multinational hotel chain Marriott International on Wednesday at seven hotels. The Boston workers join thousands of Chicago hotel workers who have been on strike for four weeks to demand substantial wage increases, year-round medical insurance and improved working conditions.

From the start of the strike in Chicago on September 7 the UNITE HERE union has sought to isolate workers by signing piecemeal deals with one hotel chain after another. Last weekend, the union settled with another four hotels, leaving pickets up at only 8 of the original 26 strikebound hotels. If the union called out the workers in Boston it is only because there is immense sentiment among hotel workers for a nationwide strike.

Contracts for Marriott hotel workers across the country expired on August 31 and the union has kept them on the job. In the meantime, workers voted overwhelmingly for strike action at hotels in Boston, San Francisco, Detroit, San Jose, San Diego, Honolulu, Seattle and other cities. Everywhere hotel workers confront low wages, part-time work and ruthless efforts by hotel chains to slash their healthcare and retirement benefits. Many workers are forced to work two or more jobs just to survive in cities with high costs of living, including soaring housing costs.

Despite widespread sentiment for strikes across the US by hotel workers and other sections of workersincluding steelworkers, teachers, UPS workers, Fiat Chrysler autoworkers in Indiana, who have all approved strike actionUNITE HERE and the other unions have worked systematically to block a concerted struggle by the working class. Instead the unions have sought to channel worker opposition down the dead-end road of electing Democrats on November 6.

The anti-working class alliance of the unions and the Democratic Party is revealed in Chicago where one of the most ruthless employers they face is Hyatt, which is owned by the Chicago-based billionaire Pritzker family. One of the heirs of the Hyatt fortune, JB Pritzker, is currently running as the Democratic candidate for governor of Illinois with the backing of the unions.

Since the beginning of the strike, the union has sought to wear down the hotel workers by having workers march daily in noisy pickets while keeping them in the dark about the details of the contract negotiations. In addition to demanding a higher wage, many of these workers face layoffs in the winter months with the slowing down of the tourist season, and lose access to health care coverage. Without access to year-round healthcare, hotel workers with serious health issues pay hundreds, if not thousands, for medications and treatment.

The union and Democratic Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel have claimed victory at chains such as Marriott and Hilton where UNITE HERE has signed deals, claiming that it has won year-round healthcare and pay raises. The union has not released any of the details of any of the five-year contracts, most of which have been negotiated separately with the different hotels. The unions pitch such minor wage and benefits improvements to management as means of stabilizing their workforce and reducing costs associated with a high turnover rate. Meanwhile, the union is guaranteed a secure flow of dues income, no matter how miserable the conditions workers face.

In addition to the accolades from the deeply hated mayor, these sellout deals have also been hailed by the Democratic Socialists of America, the International Socialist Organization and other supposedly left organizations with close ties to the Democratic Party.

One worker who labors on 15-hour shifts at the Palmer House Hilton hotel, where the union rammed through a contract, spoke to the World Socialist Web Site about what she had been told. She said the workers had not won the wage demands they had sought, and their year-round healthcare was only guaranteed if they worked one hour a week every month. Given that many hotel workers are frequently laid off for months at a time this would mean the unions claim to have won year-round coverage could prove false.

Gurdip, a hotel worker at Hyatt Regency for more than seven years, spoke about the exploitation and threats workers face. We are fighting for healthcare, more sick days, but also for higher raises. We only get 4 sick days. We work very hard and some days we work 1012 hours. One person often works four to five jobs in my department. Management demands that we work overtime without any notice and tell us we will lose our jobs if we dont.

The average hotel worker in this city, if you look at rent in Chicago, you need at least $50,000 to survive. Even that is not enough if you have a family. Most workers here make less than $25,000 a year. Nobody can survive on that. All the bottom guys were only working six months. Some are only given one or two days a month. How can they survive? They have to work other part-time jobs. This system is not working for us. For us to win against these powerful corporations, we really do need to stay on strike together and unite across the world. We need one fight.

Elena, a banquet waitress at the Hyatt, compared hotel working conditions to slavery. I work here and another job and just barely make enough to survive. I pay almost $1,200 a month in rent. We need $30 an hour or more to survive in Chicago. I was watching this movie about slavery and I told my friend, Nothings changed! They tell us we are free, but its not real. Youre still paying mortgage, rent and everything. We cant afford anything. We are just new slaves.

While the hotel workers in Chicago have been strung along during the strike on $300$400 in strike pay, the union bureaucrats have been rewarded handsomely for their services to the hotel corporations. The top executives of UNITE make more than six figures in salary and compensation. Donald Taylor, the president of UNITE, took home over $370,000 in 2017, more than ten times the average wage of many of the hospitality workers. Most workers also pay almost $700 in annual dues.

A genuine struggle by workers can only be waged if hotel workers form their own democratic rank-and-file strike committees, independent of the union, to fight for their own demands and prevent another sellout. Workers should demand 40 percent or more in wage hikes; fully-funded annual health care without any stipulations; an end to part-time work and more.

At the same time, rank-and-file workers should elect representatives, made up of the most trusted workers, to monitor all negotiations and report back to the whole membership. Workers must uphold the principle of No contract, no work and not return until there is a ratification vote. Workers must have a full week to study and discuss all the details of any agreement before a vote.

With the expansion of strike by the thousands of hotel workers in Boston, rank-and-file workers must do everything to break the isolation of hotel workers from the broader working class. Hotel and hospitality workers have allies among thousands of other workers who are also ready to strike, including UPS workers, teachers, autoworkers and more. All workers must unite in an industrial and political counter-offensive against the giant corporations and the two big business parties that defend them.
Rebuking US moves to scrap the 2015 Iranian nuclear accord, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague unanimously ruled yesterday that Washington must let Iran use international financial payments systems to buy humanitarian supplies.

When the Obama administration imposed sanctions on Iran in 2012-2015, it tried to strangle Irans economy by freezing it out of all financial transactions denominated in US dollars. At its request, the Brussels-based Society for Worldwide Inter-bank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) network expelled Iranian banks, ending Irans ability to use US dollars for international purchases. Since unilaterally repudiating the 2015 accord this May, the Trump administration has made clear it plans to re-impose sanctions as part of its preparations for war with Iran.

The ICJ ruling demands that Washington not block trade in critical goods, and makes clear that the US war drive against Iranincluding calls by US officials such as White House national security adviser John Bolton to re-impose SWIFT sanctions on Iranviolates international law.

Pending final adjudication of US claims against Iran, the ICJ has ordered Washington to remove, by means of its choosing, any impediments ... to the free exportation to the territory of Iran of goods required for humanitarian needs, such as (i) medicines and medical devices; and (ii) foodstuffs and agricultural commodities; as well as goods and services required for the safety of civil aviation, such as (iii) spare parts, equipment and associated services  necessary for civil aircraft.

The ICJ adds: To this end, the United States must ensure that licences and necessary authorizations are granted, and that payments and other transfers of funds are not subject to any restriction insofar as they relate to the goods and services referred to above.

The Iranian foreign ministry applauded the ICJ decision, stating that it vindicates the Islamic Republic of Iran and confirms the illegitimacy and oppressiveness of US sanctions.

The ICJ has no mechanism or power to enforce its decision, however, and US officials immediately made clear they will defy the ICJ ruling. Calling Iranian requests baseless, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the termination of the 1955 Treaty of Amity between the United States and Iran, on which the ICJ ruling relied. That is a decision that is, frankly, 39 years overdue, Pompeo said, referring to the 39 years since the 1979 Revolution toppled the bloodstained CIA-backed regime of the Shah of Iran.

Pompeo then cynically tried to imply that the ICJ ruling is irrelevant, as Washington already makes exceptions for humanitarian goods in its sanctions. He said, With regard to the aspects of the courts order focusing on potential humanitarian issues, we have been clear.  Existing exceptions, authorisations and licensing policies for humanitarian-related transactions and safety of flight will remain in effect. The United States has been actively engaged on these issues without regard to any proceeding before the ICJ.

US sanctions on Iran have had devastating humanitarian consequences, and Pompeos argument is a repugnant political lie. Over a span of decades, economic sanctions have been a key foreign policy tool allowing US imperialism to inflict untold suffering on innocent people in an attempt to bully and bludgeon various countries it targeted for regime change into line.

US officials have applauded sanctions against Iraq, Cuba and the former Yugoslavia even as they caused horrific losses. The UN embargo Washington imposed on Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War cut off Iraqs access to health supplies, leading to an estimated 500,000 deaths of Iraqi children. Asked about this number on television in 1996, then-US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright infamously defended the sanctions: A hard choice, but the price, we think the price is worth it.

The relentless campaign by Washington to isolate Iran since the 1979 Revolution, and in particular the 2012-2015 sanctions, have taken a terrible toll.

Between 2012 and 2016, Irans critical oil and gas exports fell from over $9 billion to under $3 billion, shattering its economy and its access to critical food, pharmaceutical and industrial supplies.

A 2014 article on the US National Institutes of Healths (NIH) National Center for Biotechnology Information website, titled Sanctions against Iran: The Impact on Health Services, explains: Although medicine is not included in the list of the sanctions, the difficulties in holding license for export of medicine, financial transaction, and shipment as well as fear of possible US sanction by pharmaceutical companies and international banks, led to the shortage of specific drugs and medical facilities in last months. A sudden fifty percent rise in the price of drugs is another contributing factor ... The impact is being felt by more than six million patients suffering from complex diseases such as hemophilia, multiple sclerosis, thalassemia, epilepsy, and various immunological disorders, as well as transplant and kidney dialysis patients and those being treated for cancer.

And after Aseman flight 3705 crashed in Iran in February, killing all 65 aboard, the Guardian noted that at least 1,985 people have died in Iranian plane crashes since 1979: There have been scores of plane crashes in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, mainly because western sanctions for decades limited its ability to purchase spare parts or buy new planes.

Washingtons new sanctions have already resulted in a cut-off of vital medicines to Iran. According to Mohammad-Naeem Aminifard, a member of the Iranian parliaments health commission, 80 important drugs are no longer available under the Iranian states drug insurance scheme.

An Iranian doctor working with low-income Iranians recently told the British-based Guardian, Its no more only about shortages in drugs for cancer or special diseases such as haemophilia or thalassemia. [N]ormal drugs ... like Warfarin, which stops blood clotting, (are) becoming difficult to find, which means patients lives are at risk.

The ICJ ruling undoubtedly reflects growing opposition in ruling circles internationally to US policyincluding its war drive against Iran, and threats of trade war and military attack against nuclear-armed Russia and China. It came a day after US ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison issued an unprecedented threat to bomb Russia in order to destroy cruise missiles Washington says violate the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Such an attack would set the stage for global nuclear war that could annihilate humanity.

Significantly, opposition to US policy increasingly comes from Americas imperialist allies in Europe and Asia. Germany, Britain and France have consistently defended the 2015 Iranian accord and, last month, signed an agreement with China, Russia and Iran to set up a so-called Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) funding scheme, to circumvent the use of the US dollar in the Iranian oil trade. Pompeo condemned the SPV scheme, saying he was disturbed and deeply disappointed by the counterproductive measure.

On Tuesday, moreover, reports emerged of high-level talks on Iran between Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and US State Department officials in Tokyo. The MOFA stated that both sides actively discussed the US re-imposition of sanctions against Iran, and that it had reiterated its basic principle that Japanese corporations should not be affected by the US sanctions.

Nonetheless, the only progressive opposition to the US-led war drive comes from the millions of working people around the globe who are opposed to war, not Washingtons imperialist rivals. After a quarter century of spreading imperialist war from Iraq to Afghanistan, Libya and Syria, there can be no doubt that this growing inter-imperialist rivalry for access to oil and strategic advantage will only accelerate the drive toward all-out war across the Middle East.

Even those imperialist governments critical of US sanctions are, for their own reasons, stoking a confrontation with Iran. As France participates in the US-led proxy war for regime change in its former colony, Syria, it has already targeted Iran, a key military backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Paris has postponed sending a new ambassador to Tehran and has advised its diplomats to postpone visits to Iran.

Yesterday, the French government charged Irans ministry of intelligence for preparing a foiled bombing plot against a June meeting between the exiled Iranian Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) and top US officials including Donald Trumps attorney, Rudy Giuliani, in Villepinte, near Paris. In a joint statement, the French interior, economic and foreign affairs ministries said: A planned bomb attack was foiled at Villepinte on June 30. This extremely serious attack that was to take place on our territory cannot go without a response.

It remains unclear what evidence Paris has connecting Iranian intelligence to those it is charging: Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi, who was arrested in July in Germany on terror charges, a Belgian couple of Iranian origin, and three others.

It came after French police launched a major antiterrorist operation to shut down the Shiite Islamic Zahra-France association, which works near the Grande Synthe refugee camp. Media reported that Paris wanted to send a message to Iran with the crackdown.

Tehran rejected accusations they were planning a terror bombing in Villepinte and demanded the Iranian diplomats release. An Iranian government spokesman warned of the evil hands of ill-wishers who seek to ruin deep-rooted ties between Iran and France as well as other influential European countries.
English Lithuanian

The Company concluded the transaction with the related party.

The transaction date - 25 September 2018

The related party - The Companys Board member Konstantin Kovalchuk, the address for correspondence: Pramones str. 6, Alytus, Lithuania.

The transaction value - EUR 10683378,62 (ten million six hundred eighty three thousand three hundred seventy eight euro and 62 euro cents) (The Claim Right).



The agreement is concluded for the assignment claim right towards HYMANA HOLDINGS LIMITED, arising from the Agreement for the Assignment (Cession) dated 24 November 2015 concluded between the Company and HYMANA HOLDINGS LIMITED, assigned to the Companys Board member K. Kovalchuk (Assignee).



The Claim Right shall be assigned by installments and when the Assignee makes a payment and funds are credited to the Companys bank account, respective part of the Claim Right in amount corresponding to the amount of funds received shall be considered to be assigned to the Assignee by the Company. The Assignee shall not in any case be considered as acquired the whole Claim Right if the amount paid by the Assignee and credited in the Companys bank account is lower than an amount of the Claim Right. The Company shall have a right to terminate the Agreement unilaterally if the Assignee fails to pay any installment. The last installment has to be made by the Assignee to the Company not later than on 1st October 2020.



If these conditions are fulfilled, this transaction is considered as beneficial to the Company, because:

- it is expected that funds which have not been paid by Hymana Holdings Limited shall be returned to the Company and can be used by the Company invest into new products and projects.

- the Company does not experience any additional expenses;

- if this transfer of claim right is cancelled at any time or is not executed at all, the Company remains at least in the same position.





The Audit Committee of the Company has considered execution of the agreement with Konstantin Kovalchuk and the Management Board of the Company approved the agreement with Konstantin Kovalchuk on 24 September 2018.





For the additional information please contact the Company.







Managing director

Gediminas Ceika

+370 315 56206
In Toronto I spoke to Daniel Sawka, the director of Icebox, and actor Matthew Moreno in one conversation, followed by a separate discussion with actors Omar Leyva and Anthony Gonzalez.

David Walsh: The treatment of immigrants by US authorities is an explosive issue, but its obviously become far more explosive since you began preparing this film several years ago. Why were you drawn to make a film about this subject?

Daniel Sawka: Migration is an issue Ive been very, very interested in exploring in film for a long time. My family has, for generations, been forced to leave their homes and relocate. My fathers side of the family is from Poland and Eastern Europe. I was born in Sweden.

So I grew up on a lot of stories about migration. Ive never had to experience it myself, but its always been something I wanted to understand more.

Daniel Sawka and Matthew Moreno of Icebox

DW: Whats your attitude toward some of the atrocities that have taken place recently, including the separation of children from their parents?

DS: I think its a very scary thing for any society in general when you can no longer see children as children, and they become pawns in a political game. Theres a dehumanization thats going on toward certain groups of people, and certainly the Hispanic community. When we cant even agree that children should be safe, I dont know how we solve any other issues.

DW: What was it like to work on this film?

Matthew Moreno: It was really enjoyable, despite the serious and gloomy character of the film. Its sad, and it has tense moments. But working on the film was really fun, because we had a great cast, we had a great production, and everyone was so nice. When we got to the actual point of recording, filming, we were happy with ourselves because we knew we were doing something amazing. This is going to be noticed by so many people.

DW: How does it feel to be seen by millions of people?

MM: Its a scary thought. Its not every day that you get to be part of a something that has a message for people. Its really nice to know that youre helping to open peoples eyes about something so important, such an important topic, about life and morals.

DW: You can feel, at your age, that youre doing something important?

MM: I feel like this is an important topic to discuss, because some people still dont know about how immigrant children are treated and they need to know about this, so they understand things need to change. Because the things the government is doing are not human, are not humane.

DW: What do you think is driving this anti-immigrant campaign, not only in the US, but worldwide?

DS: Its important to remember that its happening everywhere. We just had a very depressing election result in Sweden yesterday. I dont know whats driving it, thats whats so tough about it. I dont think anyone really knows how to change this narrative. At least not so far. Its been going down a slippery slope for years and years. I think we have to fight this very actively, because I think the society is heading toward a dangerous place that we havent seen in generations.

DW: Part of it is an attempt to divert attention from the social crisis by blaming immigrants.

DS: As inequality grows, theres always scapegoating of immigrants, and I think were seeing that across the world. Were seeing bigger gaps, bigger divides in income and a popular explanation for that is to blame immigrants, who have very little to do with that condition. Its a very difficult state right now.

DW: I dont think the majority of the people, by any means, support this. Even people who voted for Trump didnt vote for this. I think the vast majority are horrified, but they dont know what to do about it.

DS: Its important to remember that the loudest voices are not always the majority voices. Its easy when you read the news to get the impression that there are so many, and I think they thrive on that sensation.

DW: Was the central character a composite? Were there particular stories the writers had heard of?

DS: We did a copious number of interviews, with a lot of child migrants, border patrol officers, social workers, NGOs. The characters are compiled from different pieces, different stories. It was very important for James L. Brooks, the producer, and me to incorporate as many stories as possible, and as accurately as possible.

This is something Jim feels strongly about. He has a social conscience. We discussed every day what was happening in the news, hes very politically involved. He brought a great deal of dedication and passion to this issue.

DW: Would you like to do more movies?

MM: Oh, yes! Im just starting my life.

* * * * *

David Walsh: The subject of Icebox an enormously important issue, and not only in the US. There are attacks on immigrants in Germany, in Italy, in France, everywhere. Why did you participate in this film?

Omar Leyva: I am an immigrant. Im what people nowadays in the US call a Dreamer. I was 8 years old, in the 1980s, when I was brought to the US. My father had left me with my grandmother in a village in Mexico, separating me from him. So I didnt meet my father until I was 8. I didnt meet my mother until I was in my 30s because of immigration.

There was already, even before the new measures, a lot of separation with immigration.

It affects your entire life to be separated from your parents, whether its by choice or forcefully. Obviously, the way its taking place recently, where its done in what I consider a very brutal way 

DW: It is brutal, period.

Omar Leyva and Anthony Gonzalez of Icebox

OL: Its already hard enough for people who choose to emigrate to separate themselves from their own family. I look back at the fact that my father and mother separated, it took so long to be reunited with my mother. They were probably each the love of each others life, and they ended up having to go different ways because of immigration. They each had children later on with different families.

Such conditions affect children in a way that sometimes can be overcome, sometimes not. Children are exposed to a lot of things. Im a father now of a two-year-old, and I feel so protective of her futureI cant imagine what parents go through. I hate being separated from her for two days, let alone not knowing when we might be reunited.

As an immigrant, I had to be involved in this movie because I love being able to play a character that represents people like me. Im a native American, from Mexico. People sometimes forget that people from Central America, South America, end up here. Were all Americans. Were neighbors, were on this land. How we come here, how we help each other, how we look after people who are most vulnerable, really determines who we are.

DW: Whats your own attitude toward the immigration issue? Did you have a chance to speak to kids who had been through this?

Anthony Gonzalez: Unfortunately not. Daniel explained a lot of the process he went through, he talked to many people who went through this. He used many of their stories and connected it to Oscars story.

It was very special for me to be doing the role of Oscar because, first of all, I love the movie and I think it will spread awareness to other people who didnt know that this was going on, who didnt know that kids were getting separated from their families, being locked in a cell, a cage, treated like criminals. I feel like this message is very important. I hope Icebox will open their eyes.

DW: I think it will. I dont think the vast majority of the population supports this policy, even with all the propaganda. Its important to remember as well that this didnt just start with Donald Trump. Barack Obama deported 400,000 people. Its the status quo in America thats the problem.

OL: They say, we are worried about criminal elements. But then, they say, we dont even want the victims of crime to come here. Thats a whole different level. Next, we dont even want people who are here legally but who took some sort of assistance, we dont want them. Theres something else behind that, its an escalation.

DW: Its an endless spiral.

OL: Im proud that a lot of people stood up and pushed back and the government had to stop that nonsense, that policy of separating kids, at least temporarily. We still dont know where some of these kids are. It may be a long time before some of them are reunited with their parents.

AG: My parents risked everything to come to the US to give us a better life. They came from Guatemala in their teens. Were thankful because we have opportunities they didnt have. Thats why it was important for me to do the role of Oscar. To understand what they risked.

DW: In my view people should have the right to work and live in any country they choose. Illegal alien is a filthy concept. Capital flows across borders, rich people go wherever they like, production goes anywhere there is cheap labor. Only the workers cant move around. So we think they should have the right to live and work in any country they chose.

OL: I agree with you.
Reports that entire villages have been buried in mud, possibly killing thousands of people, point to the true scale of the devastation triggered by last Fridays earthquake and tsunami on Indonesias Sulawesi island. They also highlight the indifference and inadequacy of the response of the Indonesian government and the global capitalist powers.

The disasters total official death toll has risen above 1,400, but it is obvious that the real figure is much higher. Most of the confirmed dead have come from the regions main city, Palu. Losses in remote areas remain unknown. Communications have been cut and bridges and roads have been destroyed or blocked by landslides.

Even by official estimates, about 1.6 million people have been affected, on top of those killed and injured. Hundreds of thousands of people have gone without food or water for days. Because of the lack of government and international assistance, desperate residents have been reduced to scavenging for food in wrecked houses, shops, farms and orchards.

Six days after the 7.5 magnitude earthquake first struck, it has been revealed that at least two villages near Palu have virtually disappeared into liquefied sinkholes, even though they were not directly affected by the tsunami that swept through Palu, population 380,000 and Donggala, a coastal town of 300,000.

Many of the 1,747 houses in Balaroa, a few kilometres outside Palu, have sunk into the ground, with little more remaining than rooftops sticking out of the mud. Residents fear that up to 70 percent of its 2,000 people have been killed. According to media reports, the village is destined to become an unmarked grave, with earthmovers to be used to bury the entire location.

In the smaller nearby village of Petobo, many of the 744 houses are buried in mud sludge, resembling quicksand. The houses just got sucked into the earth and then the mud came over and sealed them over, a survivor, Joshua Michael, 24, told the Guardian. I saw my neighbours get buried alive. Densely populated, Petobo was home to 11,000 people.

Even according to the limited coverage provided by the worlds corporate media, anger is rising over the lack of official help amid worsening conditions. Reporters described scenes of hospitals being overwhelmed, people queueing for petrol for 24 hours and devastated rural areas remaining without any help.

A Guardian report noted: On Tuesday evening half a dozen police officers with automatic rifles were guarding long queues of frustrated residents and their gerry cans at a Palu petrol station. Hengki, a local resident, said he had been waiting for almost eight hours in the searing heat. I survived a disaster and now I have to survive this? he asked, visibly agitated.

Others in the queue chimed in with shared anger and disgust. The government doesnt care about us, said another resident, Yuli, repeating a refrain seen spray-painted on at least one Palu city wall.

In one devastated Palu warehouse, survivors clamoured over a reeking pile of rubbish or staked out a patch of territory before pulling out small cartons of milk, soft drinks, rice, sweets and painkillers. We came here because we heard there was food, Rehanna, a 23-year-old student from Balaroa village, told the Associated Press (AP). We need clean water, rice.

In an apparent effort to assuage the outrage, President Joko Jokowi Widodo visited Palu for a second time yesterday, surveying the collapsed Roa Roa hotel where search and rescue workers were trying to get to 30 people still buried.

However, the focus on the hotel angered residents who asked why poorer areas were being neglected, and why food, water, fuel and medicine had yet to reach areas outside Palu.

We feel like we are stepchildren here because all the help is going to Palu, commented Mohamad Taufik, 38, from Donggala, where five of his relatives are still missing. There are many young children here who are hungry and sick, but there is no milk or medicine, he told AP.

Aid being distributed in Palu features red and white bagsthe colours of the Indonesian flagmarked as being supplied by the presidents office. But the governments real focus is not aid but suppressing unrest.

Indonesian military chief Hadi Tjahyanto said an armed soldier and an armed police officer would be placed on every aid truck, and soldiers would be sent to secure markets, the airport and fuel depots to maintain order where there had been reports of looting. Police said they had begun making arrests of those allegedly caught stealing.

Indonesia is the worlds fourth most populous nation, with about 260 million people. The World Bank rates it a poverty-reduction success story because the pro-market regime established since the downfall of the US-backed Suharto military dictatorship in 1998 has supposedly halved the poverty rate to around 10 percent.

In reality, by Oxfams calculations, Indonesia has become, like the rest of the planet, extremely unequal. Its four richest men now hold more wealth than 100 million of the countrys poorest people, whose incomes hover marginally above the official national poverty line. As of last year, 93 million Indonesians lived on less than $US3.10 a day, which is defined by the World Bank as the moderate poverty line.

The economic and political gulf between the ruling elite and the impoverished is epitomised by the governments insistence that it lacked the funds to maintain the tsunami warning systems put in place after the 2004 tsunami that killed more than 167,000 people, most of them in Indonesia.

National Disaster Management Board (NDMB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told AP that Indonesia had 4,500 to 6,000 earthquakes a year but, due to a limited budget, had just 60 tsunami siren units. We need thousands of them, he said. Twenty-five to 35 buoys designed to warn about a tsunami approaching Palu had been out of order since 2012, he said.

A more sophisticated early warning system that might have prevented many of the deaths in the tsunami has been stalled in the testing phase for years. A high-tech system of sea-floor sensors, data-laden sound waves and fibre-optic cable was meant to replace a system set up after the 2004 tsunami but had not moved beyond a prototype.

The shocking lack of assistance from the global powers also seems bound up with political calculations by the Indonesian government. It is evidently anxious to wrap itself in nationalist imagery while balancing between the conflicting interests of the rival powers, notably the US and China, that are vying for influence over the strategic archipelago and the Indo-Pacific region as a whole.

After three days of delay, the government agreed to accept international aid on Sunday night, but then later reportedly told foreign rescue teams to stand down, insisting it had the disaster under control. Palus airport remained closed to foreign airlines wishing to transport aid into the area and Vice President Jusuf Kalla said the government had rejected the offer of a hospital ship from the US government.

The BNPBs Sutopo said the international assistance would be selective. He told a news conference: We need to select the countries based on their capacity to help us.

Every aspect of the official response is an indictment of the private profit system, in which a super-rich elite monopolises societys wealth, and the divisive nation-state system itself, through which the capitalist classes maintain their rule.

Adding to the crisis, a volcano erupted yesterday in North Sulawesi province, about 940 kilometres northeast of the earthquake zone, spitting ash more than 6,000 metres into the sky. Planes were warned of the cloud billowing from Mount Soputan but no evacuations were ordered in the area.
Amazons decision to raise minimum pay has been hailed by the corporate media and the political establishment as a show of generosity that proves the corporate aristocracy and working class can live in harmony.

In reality, the paltry wage hike is part of a staged publicity operation to boost Amazons image and pacify a growing movement among workers demanding higher wages and an end to sweatshop working conditions.

This is how democracy and capitalism are supposed to work, proclaimed the New York Times in an article titled Amazons Surrender is Inspiring. The Washington Post, which Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos owns, posted an article by Jared Bernstein, a former economic advisor to Joe Biden, praising the company for delivering unequivocally good news.

Leaders of both parties hailed Amazon, with Trump White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow calling Bezos a good businessman and a smart guy for the move, which brings wages to $15 an hour in the US and to between 9.50 ($12.39) and 10.50 ($13.69) in the United Kingdom. Ex-Hillary Clinton advisor John Podesta tweeted, Thank you Senator Sanders, praising Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders role in orchestrating the wage increase.

The fact that the New York Times, Washington Post, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and Jeff Bezos are united in enthusiasm should give workers cause for concern. Keep your eyes on your purses and wallets!

Financial analysts and investors understand that Amazons raise is actually a cost-saving measure directed ultimately against the workers themselves. The Wall Street Journal noted that Amazon will make up for the cost of the raises by driving-up productivityi.e., enforcing speedup and demanding higher production rates.

Amazon will not end up spending more in wages, they will end up hiring less people, one industry analyst, David Bahnsen, acknowledged on CNBC. Thats because the slightly higher wage will pressure more workers to work through injuries and accept long hours and unsafe conditions, decreasing turnover and training costs. Amazon has also begun introducing massive cost-saving measures to increase exploitation and reduce its workforce, including at its recently acquired Whole Foods markets.

Anthony Chukumba of Loop Capital Markets praised the move as a public relations victory that will reduce widespread demands to tax the company or enforce strenuous workplace safety regulations against it. The Wall Street Journal admitted, for Amazon, paying up now may lessen the chance of regulations that pose a bigger cost down the road.

There is, moreover, a calculated political dimension to the action, which takes place only a month before the midterm elections. Bezos, owner of the Washington Post and prominent backer of the Democratic Party, has donated millions toward electing Democratic candidates, particularly those with military backgrounds. The company is currently bidding for a $10 billion contract to provide the Pentagon with cloud services.

Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders, who has been calling for higher taxes on Amazon, immediately dropped his token criticism of the company: I want to give credit where credit is due and that is that Mr. Bezos and Amazon have done the right thing, he said in a gushing statement.

Jeff Bezos himself tweeted thanks to Sanders. Were excited about this, Bezos wrote. Vox said Sanders and Bezos had joined a weird mutual admiration society.

Sanders role in the confrontation with Amazon was heavily staged from the outset. By first presenting himself as a critic of Amazon, Sanders has served as a political lightning rod, attracting social opposition, harnessing it within the framework of the political establishment, and dissipating it so that it would not impact corporate profits or derail the rising stock market.

Bezos bought the smiles of Sanders and the praise of the entire political establishment on the cheap. The raise will cost him a paltry $1-2 billion in the short term, roughly equal to what he brings home each week. Workers outside the US and UK will not receive pay increases. Bloomberg Business said the cost represents 0.001 percent of Amazons market capitalization.

Most of cost of the raise is paid for by the estimated $789 million Amazon received as a result of this years tax cuts. Amazon paid $0 in taxes in 2017.

On top of this, Amazon workers reported to the World Socialist Web Site that the company is telling them to expect cuts to the Variable Compensation Plan and MyReward bonus program, as well as the Restricted Stock Units plan. What is being billed as a raise may actually result in a pay cut.

Democrats and Republicans are pleased because the move will also save the government money by reducing workers reliance on social services. This was the explicit purpose of Bernie Sanders Stop BEZOS Act, which would have taxed Amazon for the cost of public services used by the companys employees.

But studies show that when wages are raised from the $1013 range to $15 per hour, workers end up with incomes that are too high to qualify for social programs.

Curtis Skinner of the National Center for Children in Poverty estimates that a raise to $15 an hour could end up costing a parent over $10,000 a year. According to the Center for Community Solutions, an Ohio worker who receives a raise from $11.50 to $15 actually makes $29 less each month as a result of losing eligibility for food stamps, housing subsidies and Medicaid. Such is the absurdity of American capitalism.

Amazons action is above all a political exposure of the role of Sanders and the many pseudo-left organizations and trade unions that operate in and around the Democratic Party. Bezos has realized their central economic demand, Fight for $15. The fact that the worlds richest man has done so as part of a calculated business strategy that will do nothing to alleviate the poverty-level conditions of Amazon workers says all that needs to be said about the real content of this supposed major reform.

Workers find themselves in the middle of a tug of war.

On the one hand, Bezos, Sanders and the entire political and media establishment are desperately fighting to pull them back, to harness their anger and prevent an explosion of the class struggle. The financial aristocracy fears demands for massive wage increases will spill across all industries and lead in the direction of a mass general strike.

On the other hand, Amazon workers are being propelled forward by incredible levels of exploitation and inequality that they confront every day.

To break free of the forces pulling them back, workers need independent organization and a political program.

Many workers at Amazon and across different industries are responding to the Socialist Equality Partys call for the formation of workplace committees. These new organizations must be independent of the companies, the capitalist parties and the trade unions, and run democratically by the workers themselves. Their purpose is to inform workers, connect them with one another, and unleash the tremendous social power of the unified working class in the fight for social equality.

The interests of workers will not be secured through the supposed benevolence of billionaires like Bezos, whose entire fortune depends on the continued brutal exploitation of the working class. The rights of the working class will be won only through organized class struggle. What is required is a fight to abolish the for-profit capitalist system and replace it with socialism, which entails the expropriation of the wealth of the corporate aristocracy and the transformation of companies like Amazon into social utilities, under workers' control, to meet the needs of the population.
In response to the conflict within the political establishment over the nomination to the Supreme Court of Brett Kavanaugh, the US pseudo-left is marshaling its forces behind the Democratic Party.

The Democratic Socialists of America, the International Socialist Organization, Socialist Alternative and other organizations have thrown their support behind the Stop Kavanaugh and Rally Against Patriarchy protests today, organized by International Womens Strike USA. The DSA published a special notice about the protests on its website under the headline, Unleash your fury.

The DSA, ISO, et al. (along with the Democratic Party) have shown no similar concern or energy in response to the internment of immigrant children in concentration camps, tax cuts for corporations, attacks on healthcare and food stamps, Trumps fascistic diatribe at the United Nations or his administrations threats to escalate the war in Syria and carry out missile strikes against Russia.

Nor, for that matter, did they seek to organize protests against Kavanaugh when all that was involved was the appointment of an arch-reactionary and enemy of the working class to the Supreme Court.

Alleged sexual abuse and misconduct is the issue around which the pseudo-left chooses to mobilize for definite political reasons. By focusing on the allegations of sexual violence against Kavanaugh, the Democrats and their affiliated organizations can bury and divert attention from fundamental class issues, while rallying support among layers of the upper-middle class animated by the politics of race and gender.

An editorial (She Speaks For Us and Well Stand With Her) published by the ISO on its website SocialistWorker.org on September 24, several days before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings involving Kavanaugh and his accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, makes clear the outlook and politics of this layer.

It displays, first of all, a disinterest in and contempt for basic democratic rights, including due process. The ISO in its editorial simply asserts as though it were a proven fact that Dr. Ford was sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh when she was 15 and he was 17, though these are as yet unproven allegations. A central slogan in the demonstrations today is We believe Christine Blasey Ford.

Dr. Ford, a psychology professor, appeared sincere during her testimony. But from a legal standpoint, she has thus far presented little corroborating evidence to back up her charges. There is no way to know on the basis of publicly available evidence what happened or did not happen on a summer night in 1982 in the Maryland suburbs of Washington D.C.

The position taken by the #MeToo campaign and its promoters in the Democratic Party and media that accusation is tantamount to proof and the accused must be assumed to be guilty runs counter to basic democratic principles that were established after centuries of struggle against feudal absolutism. This repudiation of the presumption of innocence is the tradition of the right, not the left.

Genuine socialists firmly uphold democratic principles, even when the accused is a political reactionary. As history has shown time and again, the destruction of due process rights will be turned sooner rather than later and with far greater savagery against the working class and left-wing political opponents of the government.

The right-wing politics of the #MeToo campaign is in line with the factions of the ruling class backing the Democratic Party. The ISO editorial is unashamed in its enthusiasm for a Democratic Party victory in the midterm elections. According to just every indicator, it writes, the Democrats will make major gains in the midterm elections. They will likely regain a majority in the House, and they even have a shot in the Senate

However, the ISO declares regretfully, even with a Democratic victory, the next Congress wont take office until four long months from now. Moreover, a Democratic Congressif the partys lawmakers dont appease and concedemight be able to obstruct further Republican proposals, but it would face major obstacles to undoing the damage that the administration and its Republican allies have done legislatively.

The line could not be clearer. Political reaction is equated entirely with the Republicans. The Democrats are a legitimate and desirable alternative. The worst one can say of them is that they tend to appease and concede to the Republicans. Opponents of Trump must, according to the ISO, focus their efforts on stiffening the Democrats spines.

The editorial likewise hails the decision of the Democratic Party to base its campaign against Kavanaughs confirmation entirely on allegations of sexual abuse. It states: And with a right-wing fanatic in the White House and Republican majorities in both houses of Congress, it had seemed to most people like it was an uphill battle to stop Kavanaugh.

But Blaseys courage in confronting her attacker these many years later has exposed the truth, not only about him, but those who stoop to new lows to defend him This is a golden opportunity to not only stop a reactionary judge, but galvanize opposition to the whole Trump regime.

What is golden about the opportunity provided by the allegations of sexual violence is that it allows the Democrats to divert attention from and cover up fundamental class issues. The Democrats do not want to speak about Kavanaughs role in the attempted right-wing political coup against Bill Clinton, in drafting the torture policy of the Bush administration, in supporting mass surveillance and virtually unlimited presidential powers, or even in attacking the right to abortion.

Neither are these issues taken up by the ISO.

Along with the promotion of the Democrats, the ISO encourages the crudest reformist illusions in the efficacy of protest to the ruling class and its political system. Genuine socialists seek to broaden the outlook animating popular opposition to reactionaries such as Kavanaugh and Trump, revealing the underlying class relations of capitalism that give rise to political reaction and militarism. They seek to imbue the indignation of workers and youth against such figures with socialist consciousness, explaining the need for an independent political struggle by the working class against the entire system and all its parties and political representatives and institutions.

The ISO does precisely the opposite. Thus, its October 1 article published in response to the Ford-Kavanaugh Senate hearing (The time to act is now: Stop Kavanaugh!) hails the wretched display of phony moralizing and mud-slinging and the subsequent decision to reopen the FBI background check into Kavanaugh as a victory for the working class.

The Senate hearings on Brett Kavanaugh have transformed US politics, gush the authors, Elizabeth Schulte and Alan Maass. This time, our world [the ISO never speaks in terms of classes] stopped them from getting their way, at least temporarily.

There is, in fact, nothing remotely progressive about the Democrats (and the ISOs) opposition to the Trump regime. The Democrats are in fundamental agreement with the Republicans on the issues most critical to the ruling class. Their differences center on questions of US imperialist foreign policy, with the Democrats lined up behind the dominant factions of the military/intelligence apparatus in demanding a more aggressive policy toward Russia and Syria. This goes hand in hand with the Democratic-led campaign for internet censorship in the name of stopping Russian-inspired fake news.

The ISO and the other organizations that comprise the pseudo-left support the Democrats in this conflict within the ruling class. The ISO has been among the most fervent promoters of US imperialist operations in the Middle East, openly aligning itself with neoconservatives and other advocates of war.

By mobilizing opposition around the sexual violence allegations against Kavanaugh, the ISO can assist the Democrats in covering up the real, right-wing basis of their opposition to Trump.

They are terrified of the growth of social opposition and anti-capitalist sentiment in the working class, which has begun to break free of the corporatist trade unions. They see the Kavanaugh hearing as an opportunity to pollute public consciousness; conceal the fact that the basic division in society is class, not gender or race; and advance the interests of privileged sections of the upper-middle class, which seek to use identity politics to secure a greater share of the wealth of the top 10 percent.
Prime Minister Theresa May ended the Conservative Party conference with a speech that reeked of desperation, appealing for unity with her hard-Brexit opponents to avert the danger of a Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn.

With the UK scheduled to formally exit the European Union (EU) in less than six months, divisions have reached breaking point in the Tory party with speculation that a leadership contest may be imminent.

Boris Johnson, the leading representative of the Torys hard-Brexit wing, gave an interview as the conference began to the Sunday Times in which he described Mays Chequers plan for a soft Brexit maintaining access to the Single European Market as deranged. Regarding Mays key proposals to have customs officials collect different tariffs on products depending on whether their final destination is the EU or Britain, he declared nobody thinks it can work It surrenders control.

On Tuesday, Johnson spoke at a well-attended fringe meeting. His audience included most of the leading Brexiteers including David Davis, Iain Duncan Smith, Steve Baker, John Redwood, Priti Patel, Zac Goldsmith and Conor Burns.

The EUs lead negotiator Michel Barnier has offered no lifeline to May, echoing statements that her proposals are unworkable.

Such are the divisions that May took 27 minutes to even mention the word Brexit and then only in the context of a warning that If we go off in different directions in pursuit of our own visions of the perfect Brexit, we risk ending up with no Brexit at all.

Despite their continual undermining of May, it is unclear as to whether the hard-Brexit faction, though having a sizable faction in parliament, have the numbers to begin, let alone win, a leadership challenge. The latest to declare no confidence in May was James Duddridge, who waited until the day of her speech to cause maximum embarrassment. However, to unseat her would need 48 MPs to submit letters of no confidence and then more than half of the partys 315 MPs to oppose her in a subsequent ballot.

To appeal to the MPs being wooed by her critics, May declared, Britain isnt afraid to leave without a deal, if we have to. This was met with the most sustained applause.

In his intentionally provocative speech to the conference, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who could yet emerge as a leadership contender, warned that Brexit could accelerate the break-up of the EU. It was the Soviet Union that stopped people leaving, he said. The lesson from history is clear: if you turn the EU club into a prison, the desire to get out wont diminish it will grow, and we wont be the only prisoner that will want to escape.

He later told the Telegraph, We are one of the great countries of Europe and there comes a point where we say, Were not prepared to be pushed around, if youre not serious about a deal then he won't be either and that would be profoundly damaging.

With further critical talks with the EU just two weeks away, May could lose her majority due to the opposition to her Brexit plan by the Democratic Unionist Party, whose 10 MPs are required to give the government a working majority.

On Tuesday, DUP leader Arlene Foster, in a reference to Johnson, told the hard-Brexit-supporting Daily Telegraph, Whoever leads the Conservative Party we will work with as its in the national interest. The reason we signed the agreement [to govern with the Tories] was to ensure Brexit.

She added, again in tacit support of Johnson, Our confidence arrangement is with the Conservative Party It is a party-to-party agreement.

Speaking to BBCs Radio 4, Foster said the DUP had drawn a blood red line and would not accept a border arrangement that separates Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK in any deal reached with the EU. Foster refused to rule out voting down May if her plan was brought to parliament, adding, We dont want to be in that position.

Among the main concerns of both wings of the Tories is that Mays downfall would pave the way for a Labour government led by Corbyn that would be unable to keep a restless working class in check.

May played to these fears in much of her speech, describing Labour pre-Corbyn in the most flattering and politically revealing terms while reiterating every slander dredged up by the Blairites to demonise Corbyn.

May declared, What has befallen Labour is a national tragedy. Labour once had some basic qualities that everyone could respect. They were proud of our institutions. They were proud of our armed forces. They were proud of Britain. Today, when I look across at the opposition benches, I can still see that Labour Party. The heirs of [Labour right-wingers] Hugh Gaitskell and Barbara Castle, Dennis Healy and John Smith. But not on the front bench.

Instead their faces stare blankly out from the rows behind, while another party occupies prime position: the Jeremy Corbyn Party.

Praising previous Labour leaders, she asked, Would Neil Kinnock, who stood up to the hard-left, have stood by while his own MPs faced deselection, and needed police protection at their Party conference?

Would Jim Callaghan, who served in the Royal Navy, have asked the Russian government to confirm the findings of our own intelligence agencies?

Would Clement Attlee, Churchills trusted deputy during the Second World War, have told British Jews they didnt know the meaning of antisemitism?

Corbyn is a stooge of Russia and Iran who opposed war, and the main role of the Tories was to ensure that never comes to power, said May.

While attacking Corbyn for his own minimal reform proposals, the Tories are acutely aware of the need to recalibrate their agenda in the face of the growing opposition to austerity that has led to his popular support. Speaking to the Financial Times, Tory MP Robert Halfon said, If we dont answer the growing unfairness and struggle in peoples everyday lives, Corbyn is going to sweep the board.

Recognising these dangers, May concluded her speech with the pledge that When weve secured a good Brexit deal for Britain a decade after the financial crash, people need to know that the austerity it led to is over and that their hard work has paid off.

With austerity ripping apart the livelihoods of workers, however, there wasnt a single concrete proposal May could make to back up her ludicrous pledge. Indeed the only populist largesse offered during conference was a proposal allowing waiters to keep all of their tips and maintaining a freeze on fuel duty for another year. In contrast, the support offered to the major corporations is never ending. May promised the lowest corporation tax in the G20, stating that Britain, under my Conservative government, is open for business.
The catastrophic recent weather events in the United States, Asia and elsewhere have once again shown that the world is in the midst of a climate crisis of our own making. While countries like ours are on the front lines of the worst impacts to come, these events remind us that no country is immune.

Simply put, the commitments the world has made so far under the Paris Agreement to reduce the emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are woefully inadequate. And we are out of time. If we do not increase these commitments by 2020 as the agreement requires us to do, the potential impacts will be devastating, and they threaten the lives, homes and livelihoods of people in countries like ours.

Air pollution Business and industry sectors Business, economy and trade Climate change Continents and regions Emissions Energy and environment Energy and utilities Environment and natural resources Greenhouse gases Marshall Islands Micronesia (Region) Oceania Pollution

We must act, and we must make the world understand its responsibility to act.

That is why, together, Fiji and the Marshall Islands, as members of the High Ambition Coalition, which came together in the Paris negotiations, are committed to continuing to lead the world by example. At this year's UN General Assembly, we were among the first to announce that we will deliver stronger new targets to reduce emissions, and have, or are in the process of developing, long-term decarbonization plans.

Last Monday, the Marshall Islands published one of the most ambitious plans to decarbonize an economy, pledging to reach net-zero emissions by midcentury, and to implement short-term plans consistent with that long-term vision. This makes sense for our economy and our environment, as well as for our people and our planet. We will do this by transforming our electricity, waste and transportation sectors, and putting a big new focus on adaptation, for which we will be heavily reliant on securing additional international public finance.

Similarly, Fiji is committing to delivering an enhanced emissions-reduction target by next year. To achieve this, we are engaging all sectors of the economy to prepare a comprehensive long-term 2050 decarbonization strategy to achieve net-zero emissions. This process will inform the preparation of our new national target. We are examining extra reductions from our transport, maritime, agriculture and forestry sectors. This is in addition to our existing commitment to produce 100% of our electricity from renewables by 2030.

But governments alone cannot combat climate change. The enormity of the challenge defies simple government solutions. It will take conscious effort at every level -- in every community, every business, every institution and every home. It will, indeed, require all of us, working toward one noble, and ultimately self-interested, objective to preserve the quality of life as we know it on planet Earth.

We are pleased to see that many sub-national governments -- the world's cities, counties, states, and regions -- are taking up the mantle of leadership, and in some cases are ahead of their national governments in their efforts and their stated commitments. Climate action and leadership, wherever it arises, needs to be embraced. That is why we are encouraged that the vast majority of the private sector and civil society is energetically embracing the need to reduce carbon emissions and waste of all kinds. This kind of commitment should serve to strengthen the resolve and the ability of governments to raise their own targets.

There is a robust process in place to do so -- through the UN Convention on Climate Change. This year's meeting in Poland in December will be marked by the Talanoa Dialogue, based on the concept of an open, honest and respectful process of dialogue used in the Pacific. The idea of Talanoa is to bring the best ideas for how to tackle this threat to the surface and share them.

We need this process of collective effort now more than ever. The nations of the world will need to bring solutions -- in the form of strengthened targets and long-term decarbonization plans by 2020. That is the deadline agreed to in Paris to increase our short-term actions in order to keep temperatures within the safe limits established by that very agreement.

To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, we need to chart a clear path forward. This path goes from the groundswell of climate action we witnessed at California Gov. Jerry Brown's Global Climate Action Summit last month, through Climate Week and the One Planet Summit in New York last week, through to the Virtual Summit of the Climate Vulnerable Forum in November, to the Talanoa Dialogue at COP24, and from there into 2019 and the UN Secretary-General's Climate Summit. This is the path forward, and if we all walk it together, we can reach our destination.

Fiji and the Marshall Islands are leading by example. We are moving forward and we call on all other countries to follow our lead. We believe that if two developing countries can develop robust emissions-reduction targets that truly drive us toward the goals we agreed to in Paris, then other nations can, too -- including the almost 30 countries that signed a Declaration for Ambition in June, and which we call on other countries to now join.

When we talk about combating climate change, we always talk about the need to raise ambition. That is what we have done. Every country must now join us.
While Donald Trump is blowing smoke on climate change, we here in the West have been choking on it this summer. And if we don't start electing people -- from city council to governor -- who are willing to confront climate change, we're all going to pay dearly.

In Washington state we know this from our own gasping experience. For two weeks in August, the skies were shrouded in the darkest smoke in recent memory, as record-breaking fires tore through the Western states -- destroying communities and forcing widespread evacuations. A thick, acrid and dangerous pall from hundreds of fires filled the lungs of citizens trying to go about their lives.

Accidents, disasters and safety Air pollution Business and industry sectors Business, economy and trade Climate change Continents and regions Donald Trump Energy and environment Energy and utilities Environment and natural resources Environmental regulation and policy Environmentalism Government and public administration Government bodies and offices Governors Heads of government Hurricanes Natural disasters North America Northwestern United States Political Figures - US Pollution Renewable energy Severe weather The Americas Tropical storms United States Washington (State) Weather

And this month climate change has brought more tragedy and destruction to our country. Hurricane Florence hit North and South Carolina with a combination of wind strength, rainfall and storm surge that is unprecedented  but increasingly expected -- for the region.

For millions of Americans, climate change is no longer just a chart or a graph. It's wildfires. It's floodwater invading our homes and drought destroying our crops. It's hurricanes and record-breaking heat waves. It's an emerging new normal, one that we don't need to accept as inevitable.

Americans, we must start voting on climate change. We can in just a few weeks, in voter initiatives and in elections for governors and state legislatures throughout the country. That is because states can lead the fight against the serious dangers posed by global warming, building a safer future full of new and greater economic opportunities, powered by fast-growing clean energy solutions like wind and solar energy, and electric vehicles. It's happening everywhere already.

So, why is the Trump administration doing everything it can to dismantle climate progress?

In August Trump's EPA announced plans to repeal the Clean Power Plan and allow power plants to dump unlimited carbon pollution into our atmosphere, even though their own analysis shows this could lead to as many as 1,400 more premature deaths each year.

This follows the administration's plan to repeal the Clean Car Standards, which would essentially force Americans to use more oil, increase pollution from cars and trucks, and deliver a damaging blow to our nation's auto industry in the global marketplace. And now Trump's EPA wants to unravel rules that limit methane and even mercury and toxic air pollution. Taken together these actions would undo the most important steps America has ever taken to confront climate change.

Columnist Thomas Friedman recently argued that climate change should be on the ballot in 2020 -- that our Democratic presidential nominee should make fighting climate change and creating the jobs that flow from investing in a clean energy economy front and center in our national dialogue. He's right. But we cannot wait until 2020. Make no mistake: Climate change is on the ballot in 2018.

This year Americans can elect governors and state legislatures who will push back, who will work to transform our nation's energy and transportation systems and reduce the carbon pollution that is harming our communities. They can vote for initiatives like I-1631 in my state that will finally hold polluters accountable.

Americans don't have to wait for Washington, D.C. Donald Trump cannot stop us in the states.

Wealthy special interests have predictably argued that Washington state's climate leadership would hurt our economy, but they've been proven fantastically wrong; our state economy has been No. 1 in the nation for the last two years, according to CNBC and Business Insider.

Clean energy is part of our growth story, as it is in other states. Jobs in renewable energy are among the fastest growing in America.

We in Washington state are not alone. Many constituencies are joining forces across America to fight for climate action. The Peoples Climate Movement is bringing together environmentalists, labor unions, frontline communities, faith groups and others to mobilize voters who will demand climate action rooted in racial and economic justice. Governors across the country have joined to commit their states to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. are moving forward, despite Donald Trump. Soon more will join us.

This November, I hope you will get out and vote for an American clean energy future. Our children and grandchildren are counting on us to act -- now.
The Central Bank of Liberia has denied losing about $100 million worth of cash printed overseas after a claim of the money's disappearance sparked public protests and prompted an international federal investigation.

An internal audit of new notes brought into the country between 2016 and 2018 by its Swedish printers found that the monies had been placed in the bank's vaults, the executive governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), Nathaniel Patray, said Tuesday in a statement.

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"The CBL has no records that monies printed under its authority have not been yet been delivered into its reserve vaults," the statement said.

Patray also requested that the Liberian government lift a travel ban on certain central bank staff, according to the statement. The movement of more than 30 central bank officials had been restricted pending the probe, according to local news reports.

'Bring back our money,' protesters demand

Demonstrators have taken to the streets of the capital, Monrovia, demanding an investigation into the purported disappearance of the cash, which the country's information minister reportedly alleged last month on local radio. The sum is about 4.75% of the nation's GDP.

Faced with public anger and a "bring back our money" social media campaign, President George Weah ordered an investigation, saying he would "not rest until the facts are established."

The Liberian government had requested the US Treasury, the FBI and the International Monetary Fund help with the probe, the president's spokesman told CNN.

Former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who was in power during the period in question and whose son is the CBL's deputy governor for operations, has not responded through a spokesperson to CNN's request for comment.

The central bank will make available all records regarding the case for another investigation by a "reputable International Forensic Audit Firm" chosen by the Liberian government and its partners, Patray's statement says.
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Authorities are searching for a Mississippi man accused of abandoning his 5-year-old son in the woods.

Wayne County Sheriff Jody Ashley said they're searching for 32-year-old Richard Dearman. The sheriff says Dearman told his son they had to hide last Wednesday because "the law was behind him," and told him to stand by a tree until he returned.

Authorities say the child woke up cold and alone 24 hours later, and eventually walked out of the woods, following the sound of a barking dog at a house where he found help. The sheriff said Monday that the boy had minor cuts, but is OK.

Once found, Dearman faces charges including child endangerment. It's unclear if he has a lawyer.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - Middle School students from throughout North Mississippi gathered at the BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo for the Imagine the Possibilities career expo.

Representatives from businesses and organizations came together to show the children about different types of jobs.

Students used the expo to take a peek at what they might want to do after high school and to plan ahead.

"It's a great experience. I wish my children would have had this experience, kind of give them an idea of what's out there. There is so much more potential, so many more job opportunities then they could ever imagine. So I think this a great opportunity for these eighth graders," said Bessy Roberts of McCarty Architects.

The event began on Tuesday and ends on Thursday.
TORONTO, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Matachewan Consolidated Mines, Limited (Matachewan or the Company) (TSX-V:MCM.A) is pleased to announce that Douglas Bolton has been appointed a Director of the Company. In his role as Director Mr. Bolton will also serve as member and Chairman of the Audit Committee.

Mr. Bolton is a practicing Chartered Professional Accountant with over 40 years of public accounting experience. During his career he served as the auditor for the company plus the auditor of several reporting issuers listed on the TSX Venture Exchange primarily focused on the junior resource sector.

Mr. Bolton provides management consulting services to small and medium sized private companies and is currently a director and CFO for Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc. and has, until recently, served as CFO for Adex Mining Inc. and Alabama Graphite Corp.

About Matachewan

Matachewan celebrates eighty four years of continual business operations in 2018. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and has 12,445,025 common shares issued and outstanding.

For further information contact:

Edward G. Dumond

Corporate Secretary

Matachewan Consolidated Mines, Limited

416 364-2173

Neither the TSX Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Certain statements in this news release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information contained in forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as are expected, is forecast, is targeted, approximately, plans, anticipates, projects, continue, estimate, believe or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. This news release contains forward-looking information regarding: (i) the expectations relating to whether a transaction will be consummated, including, without limitation, whether conditions to the consummation of the transaction will be satisfied, or the timing for completing the transaction; and (ii) expectations for the effects of the transaction or the ability of the Company to successfully achieve business objectives, including the effects of unexpected costs, liabilities or delays, and if the transaction is completed, the ability of the Company to allocate the net proceeds as stated above. Forward-looking information involves a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which, if incorrect, may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company, including, without limitation, the risks that the transaction as described in the Agreement may not be completed and the parties may be unable to realize on the anticipated benefits of the transaction. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking information made in this news release, see the Companys most recent management's discussion and analysis, as well as other public disclosure documents that can be accessed under the issuer profile of McChip Resources Inc. on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information set forth herein reflects the Companys reasonable expectations as at the date of this news release and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
ABERDEEN, Miss. (WTVA) - A local man will spend time behind bars in connection to a large-scale drug trafficking operation in North Mississippi.

Jackie Lee Brooks, 54, of Ashland, the leader of this multi-defendant conspiracy, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison resulting from his role in the meth distribution conspiracy. He was sentenced in federal court Wednesday in Aberdeen.

MGN Online MGN Online

This trans-national drug trafficking organization was responsible for the distribution of hundreds of pounds of meth from Mexico through Southern California to North Mississippi.

The investigation was conducted by several agencies including the Alcorn County Sheriffs Department, Tippah County Sheriffs Department and the North Mississippi Narcotics Unit.
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - North Mississippi Medical Centers pediatric unit will soon see upgrades thanks to a generous donation.

The NMMC Auxiliary recently donated more than $102,000 to enhance the hospitals new pediatric unit.

In February, the unit moved from the Womens Hospital to the hospitals main facility to accommodate the increased number of children who can stay in Tupelo for critical care.

We want to create a different experience for children, said Ellen Friloux, administrator for Women and Childrens Services at NMMC. We want to brighten up the unit and make it more welcoming.

Upgrade plans include fresh paint, new floor tile, LED lighting and updated signage.

The Auxiliary is a nonprofit charity that was organized in 1937 when NMMC opened.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WTXL) - Police are asking for the public's help finding a 28-year-old mother and her 1-year-old son after their car was found abandoned in a park.

The St. Petersburg Police Department is searching for 28-year-old Sydney Wyatt and her one-year-old son, Future Johnson.

Police say Wyatt was staying with a friend in St. Petersburg when she borrowed her car and left with the child at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. The mother hasnt been seen since.

The car was discovered abandoned in Pinellas Park at 4 a.m. with the baby car seat still inside and all the baby items.

Wyatt is 5-foot-3 feel tall and weighs about 160 pounds. She has long dark brown hair and her head is shaved on the left side.

She has a tattoo of the letter S on her left ring finger. She has the word rusty tattooed on her left chest by her collar bone. The word Future is tattooed on her right chest by the collar bone.

Her son, Future Johnson, is described as having short blond hair and blue eyes. He was last seen with his mother.

If anyone has information on their whereabouts, you are asked to call police at 727-893-7780 or text your tip to TIP411
CUTHBERT, Ga. (WTXL) - October is National Fire Prevention Month, and one local fire department is reminding citizens to think about what their family would do in case a fire happened.

Captain Marlon Coleman with the Cuthbert Fire Department says every household should have a fire escape plan.

He says you should have a meeting place outside the house - like a mailbox or a tree - if a fire were to happen.

Coleman also recommends never leaving a stove unattended when you're cooking.

He has a good tip for anyone who has to step away from the stove while fixing food.

"When you start cooking, we ask that you take a spatula or spoon or something you're cooking with, with you if you're going into the living room to watch T.V. so it will remind you that you have something on the stove," he said.

Coleman says unattended stoves is the number one cause of fires in Cuthbert and in Randolph County.

He also recommends cleaning out drier vents regularly since they can become clogged and cause a fire.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Tallahassee Police Department arrested two men who broke into two businesses early Tuesday morning.

Officers got a call around 4:00 a.m. about an alarm going off at a business off Capital Circle NorthEast, called SAM, LLC.

When they arrived, officers noticed two people inside the building, looking around with flashlights.

Once asked to step outside, the two suspects tried to run from the officers but were arrested after a short pursuit on foot.

"It's always good when you can catch someone in the act on doing something. It actually helps with our probable cause as well because they're actually inside the business and we know they have no business being in there at the time," said TPD Officer Damon Miller. "A lot of citizens are helpful to us when they just call to say 'hey, we see something going on' so again it goes back to if you see something, say something."

Miller says, after catching the suspects, TPD connected them with a break-in at Peoples South Bank earlier that day.

Both are charged with two counts of burglary, possession of burglary tools, and resisting an officer.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Two males, one a juvenile, were arrested by Tallahassee Police investigating two commercial burglaries early Tuesday morning.

Officers responded to People South Bank, 2721 Capital Circle Northeast, and SAM, 2844 Pablo Avenue, within a similar time frame.

Officers responding to the burglary at SAM found the two suspects inside the business. The suspects tried to flee from the officers but were arrested after a short foot pursuit.

Probable cause was developed to charge Reginald Wilson, 18, and the juvenile with two counts of burglary, possession of burglary tools and resisting an officer without violence.

Reginald Wilson was transported to the Leon County Detention Facility. The 17-year-old male was transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC) for processing.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about this case to please call them at (850) 891-4200 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 574-TIPS.
HAMILTON, Bermuda, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Managing Director of the Bermuda office of spirits giant Bacardi will be the keynote speaker at this months Bermuda Executive Forum in Miami, organised by the Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA).



Douglas Mello, a Bermudian, who also serves as Vice President & Corporate Secretary of Shareholder Relations for Bacardi, will give a lunchtime address detailing the longstanding relationship between Bermuda and Bacardi, one of the worlds best-known, privately-held companies. Titled, Bacardi: The Road to Bermuda, the keynote will highlight the companys more than 156-year heritage and its strong connection to the island since establishing its global headquarters in Pembroke more than a half-century ago.

The October 18 event at the InterContinental Miami aims to promote the breadth and expertise of industry sectors in Bermuda and celebrate mutual synergies the islands international business market shares with Florida. Bacardi is also partnering with the BDA on the networking reception that concludes the event.

Bacardi adopted Bermuda as its home in 1965 after the assets of the business were seized in the early 1960s during the Cuban revolution, said Mello, who has spent more than 12 years with the company and currently has corporate governance responsibility for Bacardi and its global network of subsidiaries, including oversight of the shareholder relations function. It was largely for the feeling of security, safety and well-being the island provides that we set up in Bermuda. Bacardi has been a vibrant member of the Bermuda community ever since.

I look forward to this opportunity to share my pride about how my country engages and supports businesses locating in Bermuda, Mello added. Its a two-way partnership. Bermuda supports international businesses, and international businesses support the Bermuda community.

In 2015, Bacardi celebrated its 50th anniversary in Bermuda, where its iconic glass building, designed by Mies van der Rohe, stands on Pitts Bay Road. The company employs 80 full-time staff in Bermuda, and over five decades has contributed millions of dollars to the islands economy as well as scholarships, sponsorships, relief efforts and charitable giving.

We are thrilled to have the participation of Douglas and Bacardi at this event, said BDA Interim CEO Sean Moran. This is our first multi-industry forum in Miami, and we feel its an excellent opportunity to showcase Bacardis mutually beneficial relationship with our island and ways in which other companies can find similar success. Bacardis Bermuda connection runs deep, and its story is intriguing, relevant, and one leaders from any industry can appreciate.

The complimentary, full-day forum is the third cross-sector conference produced by the BDA, following successful events in London and New York City that drew turnouts of up to 300 executives. City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez will participate in a seaside chat with Bermuda Premier David Burt at the forum in Floridaa corporate gateway to the Latin America region. More than 50 industry experts will participate on 13 panels to discuss trends and opportunities in re/insurance, asset management, high-net-worth services, family offices, cyber risk and healthcare liability, captive insurance, plus fintech and digital assets industries.

For agenda details or to register for the October 18 Bermuda Executive Forum in Miami, contact the BDA at info@bda.bm or go to http://bda.bm/bermuda-executive-forum-miami/

MEDIA CONTACT:

Rosemary Jones

Head of Communications & Marketing

rosemary@bda.bm

441 278-6558

441 337-4696

CONNECTING BUSINESS

The BDA encourages direct investment and helps companies start up, re-locate or expand their operations in our premier jurisdiction. An independent, public-private partnership, we connect you to industry professionals, regulatory officials, and key contacts in the Bermuda government to assist domicile decisions. Our goal? To make doing business in Bermuda smooth and beneficial.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/99fd78b9-a058-478b-ae1a-567a4341781d
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 22:43:39|Editor: Liu

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JERUSALEM, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday during a visit to Jerusalem that Germany and Israel agree that Iran should never be allowed to achieve nuclear weapons.

Speaking at a news conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Merkel also called for Iranian forces to leave Syria.

"We are very convinced and strongly share Israel's position that everything must be done to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Where we are not always united is on the path to this goal," she said.

On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Merkel reaffirmed her support for a two-state solution.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu emphasized the "danger" posed by Iran.

According to Netanyahu, Iran's alleged aggression also had one benefit: bringing Israel and Arab countries "close as never before."

He said these new ties are a "great hope for the future."

Still, Netanyahu slammed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, saying he "complicated the situation in Gaza by strangling the transfer of funds from the Palestinian authority to the Strip."

Merkel began her two-day trip in Israel on Wednesday, during which she met Netanyahu and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

She also attended inter-governmental talks with Israeli and German ministers, and signed agreements to promote economic and cultural ties between the two allies.
File Photo: A Palestinian holds a placard against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during a protest in the West Bank city of Nablus, on Jan. 19, 2017. Thousands of Palestinians demonstrated in the West Bank against the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's intention to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. (Xinhua/Ayman Nobani)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said here on Wednesday that the United States will review all international agreements it believes work against the country.

Speaking at a White House press briefing, Bolton said that "the president has decided that the United States will withdraw from the Optional Protocol on Dispute Resolution to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."

"This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called State of Palestine naming the United States as a defendant, challenging our move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," he said.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Malki said on Saturday that Palestine has filed a legal complaint against the United States to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over moving its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Malki said in a statement that the case was based on Palestine's membership in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations which defines a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries.

The foreign minister asked the ICJ to declare that the relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem as a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future independent state, while Israel wants all of Jerusalem to be its eternal capital. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in the 1967 war and declared the whole city as its eternal indivisible capital in 1980, but the move has not been recognized by the international community.

The Palestinians have been boycotting the United States since it recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moved its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Bolton said that Palestine will not become a state.

"It's not a state now," he said. "It could become a state, as the president said; but that requires the diplomatic negotiations with Israel and others."

Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran, citing a verdict issued by the Hague-based ICJ that Washington sees as being manipulated by Iran.

The verdict, issued following U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, said that the restoration of sanctions against Iran by Trump violate the terms of the treaty between the two countries.

It ordered the United States to ensure that its sanctions against Iran will not affect the humanitarian condition or threaten civil aviation safety.

Although Bolton said that "the United States remains a party to the underlying Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," he noted that "given this history and Iran's abuse of the ICJ, we will commence a review of all international agreements that may still expose the United States to purported binding jurisdiction, dispute resolution in the International Court of Justice, the United States will not sit idly by as baseless, politicized claims are brought against us."

After Pompeo's announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that "US abrogated JCPOA -- a multilateral accord enshrined in UNSC Resolution 2231 -- arguing that it seeks a bilateral treaty with #Iran."

"Today US withdrew from an actual US-Iran treaty after the ICJ ordered it to stop violating that treaty in sanctioning Iranian people. Outlaw regime," he noted.

In May, 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 in November.
| 2018-10-04 22:48:34|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KIEV, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine and Hungary announced Thursday that they would expel each other's consuls as their passport dispute deepens.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry declared a Hungarian consul in Berehove town as a "persona non grata" in a statement and ordered him to leave the country within 72 hours due to "activities incompatible with diplomatic status."

"We hope that the Hungarian side will refrain from unfriendly steps towards Ukraine in the future and that its officials will refrain from violating Ukrainian legislation," the ministry said.

In retaliation, Hungary is expelling a Ukrainian consul, according to Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto. "The Hungarian consul expelled from Ukraine's territory did not contravene any law," Szijjarto said at a press conference in Budapest.

"Hungary has an interest in maintaining good relations with neighboring Ukraine, but in recent months Ukraine has been continuously aggravating the conflict with Hungary," Szijjarto said.

Ukrainian media published footage last month showing that the Hungarian consulate in Berehove near the border with Hungary issues Hungarian passports to ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine.

At the end of the video, someone can be heard saying that they should not use their Hungarian passports in Ukraine.

Budapest has granted Hungarian citizenship to about 100,000 ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine, according to local media.

Ukrainian law does not allow dual citizenship.

Diplomatic tensions have been rising between Ukraine and Hungary since September 2017 when Ukraine adopted a education law which makes Ukrainian the first language in secondary and high schools.

Some countries, which have large ethnic groups in Ukraine, have voiced concern that the legislation would deprive minorities in Ukraine of the right to learn in their mother tongue.
| 2018-10-04 23:13:47|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BAKU, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- From Thursday, foreigners can stay in Azerbaijan for up to 15 days without reporting their temporary residence to the authorities, the country's State Migration Service said.

In the past, foreigners and stateless persons in Azerbaijan had to report their temporary residence to the authorities after staying in the country for 10 days.

Under the new rules endorsed by Prime Minister Novruz Mammadov, foreign citizens or stateless persons are no longer required to submit an official note from an international organization or a country they represent or an invitation letter from relevant authorities in Azerbaijan for getting a visa.

However, they are required to submit an invitation letter from the inviting party. This requirement does not apply to transit and tourist visas.

If the inviting party is a non-governmental organization, it is required to submit a copy of its state registration certificate and a document confirming the purpose of the invitation.
| 2018-10-04 23:12:22|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ABUJA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria and Pakistan on Thursday agreed to strengthen military cooperation, especially in such areas as training and intelligence, radio communication, and logistics support.

The two sides reached the agreement during a meeting in Abuja between Pakistani high commissioner in Nigeria Wagar Kingravi and Nigerian army chief Tukur Buratai.

Kingravi noted that Pakistan and Nigeria face similar security challenges, saying efforts made by the two countries in strengthening military cooperation would go a long way in helping to tackle their challenges.

According to the envoy, the Pakistani army has expressed its readiness to train a battalion of special forces of the Nigerian Army.

On his own part, Buratai described the strengthening of military collaboration between the two countries as a welcome development, particularly as the Nigerian army wants such collaboration that would enhance its counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency capacity.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 23:45:19|Editor: Liu

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SINGAPORE, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The 2018 Southeast Asia Counter-Terrorism Symposium kicked off here Thursday, aimed at discussing ways towards greater concerted efforts against terrorism.

Themed "A Collective Approach," the two-day seminar will examine four important threads to help the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states counter the evolving threat of terrorism.

They are building societal resilience against terrorism, applying appropriate counter-measures against the region's increasingly militarized terror networks, employing advanced technologies, and exploring areas of cooperation to enhance ASEAN's collective capacity against terrorism.

ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for Political and Security Community Hoang Anh Tuan said in his speech that terrorism remains one of the most dangerous threats to regional peace, stability and prosperity.

He called on strengthening capacity in combating terrorism, especially when cyber terrorism is gaining momentum in the region while not all ASEAN countries are adequately equipped to fight against it.

Organized by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies of the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, the symposium was part of Singapore's chairmanship of ASEAN this year and will run until Friday.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 23:44:30|Editor: mmm

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Child soldiers sit on chairs during a press conference held to hand over 22 children to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Sanaa, Yemen, on Oct. 4, 2018. Yemen's Houthi rebels on Thursday handed over 22 would-be child soldiers to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency reported. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)

SANAA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi rebels on Thursday handed over 22 would-be child soldiers to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency reported.

According to Saba, the 22 children "were arrested in security checkpoints out of the capital Sanaa."

The Houthi group claimed that those children "have intended to join other rival forces," in reference to the internationally-recognized government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition.

The handover took place at Sheba hotel in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa. Representatives of the ICRC and UNICEF, as well as families of those children, attended the handover, according to the report.

There were no comments available from the Yemeni government, which is based in the southern port city of Aden.

The handover on Thursday was the second similar move by Houthi rebels in fewer than two months.

On Aug. 19, the Houthis handed over to the ICRC and UNICEF 31 child soldiers whom the Houthis claimed to have been arrested during the battles.

Yemen has been locked in a civil war since the Houthi rebels overran much of the country and seized all northern provinces in late 2014.

Saudi Arabia is leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in the Yemeni war in 2015 to support the government of exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

More than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, have been killed in the war, with about 3 million others displaced.

The Yemeni warring forces, which have frequently exchanged prisoners, have failed to negotiate an end to the civil war after the collapse of UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva last month.
| 2018-10-04 23:46:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BERLIN, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- German scientists are developing virtual reality (VR) games as a treatment for people with neurological diseases, dementia in particular, with government funds of 1.9 million euros (2.19 million U.S. dollars) over three years, the University of Hamburg announced on Thursday.

Scientists from the university's department of informatics planned to develop three VR exercise games for neurological disease treatments in a joint project called EXGAVINE.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the project.

Under this project, scientists plan to develop racing games that stress patients' motor and cognitive abilities, for example, games where players can steer a motorcycle by shifting his or her body gravity. The aim is to improve the quality of life of those affected and to reduce the progression of the disease.

Apart from VR goggles that represent a computer-generated environment, EXGAVINE's scientists also want to equip the patients with wearables such as bracelets, belts or rings, which contain additional sensors to record the movement and the course of therapy.

Studies have already shown that computer-based brain training improves cognitive performance, and computer games can boost people's multitasking abilities, according to the University of Hamburg statement.
A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to hurl stones at Israeli soldiers at Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip near the border with Israel, on Oct. 3, 2018. (Xinhua photo)

RAMALLAH, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian observers expect further complication in the efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the light of the U.S. stances that they view as biased toward Israel.

Simultaneously, observers ruled out that the Palestinian leadership would make dramatic decisions to face the U.S. administration and the impasse in the peace talks with Israel which halted in 2014.

During his speech at the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he will not accept sole American mediation in the peace process "because the U.S. administration has lost its eligibility due to its recent decisions," referring to U.S. decisions to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and slash funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

"We have concluded agreements with Israel and they have abrogated all of them. Either Israel abides by these agreements, or we will renege on them. Israel will bear the responsibility and consequences of this," Abbas warned.

Palestinian women hold flags as they clash with Israeli troops near the border with Israel, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Oct. 1, 2018. (Xinhua/Stringer)

Abbas' speech came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on the sidelines of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York that his administration would be able to present a peace plan within "two to four months," expecting the Palestinians to return to the negotiation table by 100 percent.

Trump declared for the first time his support for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of a two-state solution, believing it was the best option, but without announcing any practical measures to push for the implementation of this internationally-backed solution.

On the other hand, Netanyahu said he was not surprised by Trump's support for a two-state solution, stressing his insistence on keeping Israeli security control over the West Bank in any future peace deal with Palestine, which the Palestinians strongly rejected.

Ghazan al-Khatib, a political science professor at Birzeit University in Ramallah, said all the indicators point to more complications to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, especially in view of the American and Israeli positions.

Al-Khatib said it is highly unlikely that there will be any serious progress in the peace process, considering the Palestinian rejection to the positions of the Trump administration, which is working to impose a de-facto by applying its ideas rather than discussing them with the parties involved.

"Trump's policies and actions on the ground are a recipe for complicating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rather than resolving it, which puts the entire region in the face of difficult choices and instability," Khatib told Xinhua.

At the same time, Khatib said it is unlikely that the Palestinians would take remarkable decisions to face the approach of Washington and Israel, expecting that the Palestinian maneuvers will be limited.

"The Palestinians will practice some political and legal pressure at the international level ... They would also escalate the protests against the Israeli occupation," he pointed out.

Khatib explained that implementing Abbas' threats means the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, "an option that is unacceptable by the Palestinians as well as the international community."

An Israeli soldier clashes with Palestinian protesters in Kufr Qadoom village near the West Bank city of Nablus, on Oct. 1, 2018. (Xinhua/Nidal Eshtayeh)

The Palestinians have been boycotting the United States since Dec. 6, 2017, when Trump declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, especially after May 14, the day the U.S. embassy in Israel was moved to the disputed holy city.

The Palestinians seek to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as their capital, while Israel insists that the entire Jerusalem is its eternal capital.

"Trump is actually implementing his plans which serve Israel's interest and exclude the Palestinian right ... He is imposing conditions, not solving a conflict," Hani al-Masri, a Ramallah-based political observer, told Xinhua.

He added that Trump is carrying out his plan to implement the so-called "Deal of the Century" on the ground.

"Among the steps are his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, cutting aid for UNRWA, legalizing the Israeli settlement as well as adopting the Zionist narrative of the conflict," al-Masri noted.

The expert added that the Palestinians will not bet on Washington, stressing that they will form a new vision and strategy, including not only rejecting Trump' plan, but also working to frustrate it.

Trump's senior advisor Jared Kushner told Palestinian Al-Quds newspaper in June that the United States will announce its peace plan soon.

While Kushner refused to reveal details of the plan, Israeli reports said the U.S. initiative suggests that Abu Dis village in East Jerusalem will be the capital of the future "unarmed" Palestinian state.

The reports also said the U.S. government will ask Israel to withdraw from three quarters of Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, adding that Israel will maintain control of major settlements in West Jerusalem as well as the Jordan Valley.
| 2018-10-04 06:39:52|Editor: yan

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of U.S. law professors are signing an online letter addressed to the U.S. Senate claiming that President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is disqualified from sitting on the nation's highest court.

So far more than 500 law professors from nearly 100 law schools across the country have signed the letter, according to a Huffington Post report, noting that eight of the signatures in the letter were from professors at Yale, where Kavanaugh obtained his law degree.

"We regret that we feel compelled to write to you to provide our views that at the Senate hearings on Thursday, September 27, 2018, the Honorable Brett Kavanaugh displayed a lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for any court, and certainly for elevation to the highest court of this land," the letter reads.

Judicial temperament is one of the most important qualities of a judge. As the Congressional Research Service explains, to be a judge requires that an individual has a personality that is evenhanded, unbiased, impartial, courteous yet firm, and dedicated to a process, not a result, the letter says.

"Instead of trying to sort out with reason and care the allegations that were raised, Judge Kavanaugh responded in an intemperate, inflammatory, and partial manner, as he interrupted and, at times, was discourteous to questioners," the letter goes on.

The letter will be available for more signatures through Thursday, when it will be presented to the Senate.

Earlier this week, the Harvard Law School informed the students that Kavanaugh will not teach his course as scheduled next semester. The judge has taught "The Supreme Court Since 2005" course at Harvard Law School since 2009.

Three women came forward last month to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual harassment or assault during his high school and college years. Trump on Friday ordered a one-week probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into the allegations. Enditem
Palm Coast, FL, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE  HempHUB is a mobile platform targeting the fast-growing hemp/CBD/medical marijuana industry. HempHUB will allow consumers to readily access producers directly for their hemp product needs, access to education, product reviews, and a question and answer forum with industry experts. The technology, including through the use of its augmented reality feature, an illustrative link to the video which will be provided next week. HempHUB will also allow producers and hemp product companies, and even those peripheral to the industry, to enter the world of mobile applications without the time commitment, significant costs, and the potential isolation of a specialized mobile application. Producers will be able to easily communicate with new and existing customers. The Executive Summary will be available next week.



David Atkins, one of the co-inventors of HempHUB and of CoffeeHUB, and the president and co-founder of HempHUB Inc., now a wholly-owned subsidiary of RushNet Inc., is quoted as saying: HempHUB will be the go to app for consumers seeking to compare brands, locate products, and find the latest sources of information on hemp, CBD, and everything in-between.

Mr. Atkins went on to say: HempHUB is a comprehensive industry-wide business utilizing the HUB business model that has the capability of linking together all of the hemp-based businesses in the United States on a single mobile application. HempHUB is a combination of Facebook and Amazon but focused only on the hemp industry. Perhaps most importantly of all, the IPO, WCFI, XYZ Hemp and the other IPO companies can be featured on HempHUB. We are literally creating our own hemp industry-based advertising platform. RushNet Inc., Western Sierra Resource Corporation (WSRA) and Gold River Productions, Inc. (GRPS) will be featured on HempHUB, while implementing our own hemp industry-based advertising platform.

RushNets Chairman of the Board, Richard Goulding, points out that: Both Western Sierra Resource Corporation (WSRA) and Gold River Productions, Inc. (GRPS) have an option to acquire a 10% interest in HempHUB. As the initial harvest on the first 15-acre tract of land is underway, in partnership with Western Sierra Resource Corporation (WSRA) and Gold River Productions, Inc. (GRPS), with HempHUB, we are poised and well-equipped to maximize profits on all of our hemp-related beverages and other products, which we will ensure are the highest quality, soil-to-shelf CBD and broad-spectrum cannabinoid products available.

Below is a link to a video of the Palisade, Colorado hemp operation produced by, and recently released by, Western Sierra Resource Corporation:

https://vimeo.com/wsresource/wsra-hemp-operation

Further updates to follow, including the release of the illustrative HempHUB augmented reality illustration, the executive summary, the logistics delivery system acquisition closing and more.

See www.RushNets.com and www.XYZHemp.com

Stay tuned!

Safe Harbor Statement:

This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements include any that may predict, forecast, indicate, or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain the words estimate, project, intend, forecast, anticipate, plan, planning, expect, believe, likely, should, could, would, may or similar words or expressions. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the companys actual results and financial position to differ materially from those in such statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the Companys ability to grow. Actual results may differ materially from those predicted and any reported should not be considered an indication of future performance. Potential risks and uncertainties include the Companys operating history and resources, economic, competitive, and equity market conditions.




Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 07:59:47|Editor: ZX

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LIMA, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Peru's Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the humanitarian pardon of ex-president, Alberto Fujimori, and ordered the former head of state be captured and returned to prison to serve the rest of his sentence for human rights abuses.

Judge Hugo Nunez Julca, president of the Supreme Investigation Court of the Supreme Court, declared that the pardon, granted in December 2017 by former president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, was unlawful.

The pardon was heavily criticized by opposition and human rights groups, who claimed it was Kuczynski's attempt to avoid impeachment by allies of the former president.

Kuczynski resigned in March following the release of a video showing his allies trying to buy votes from opposition lawmakers ahead of a second impeachment vote in the corruption scandal.

Judge Julca ordered Fujimori, 80, be captured and returned to prison to see out the remaining 14 years of his 25 year sentence, the Supreme Court said through Twitter.

Fujimori, in power from 1990 to 2000, was sentenced in April 2009 for human rights abuses, including being responsible for the killings of 25 people, including an 8-year-old boy, in the Barrios Altos and La Cantuta neighborhoods of Lima.

The massacres were carried out by the paramilitary group Colina in 1991 and 1992 respectively.

Fujimori's lawyer, Miguel Perez, said he would appeal the ruling, and added that the judge's decision "is not an immediate order."

Perez stated that he had not yet been able to speak to Fujimori because the former president had just learned of the decision.

Wednesday's ruling surprised politicians and Peruvians alike.

Despite the country's government, headed by President Martin Vizcarra, making good headway with anti-corruption reforms, the nation's Congress is controlled by opposition parties.

The largest opposition party is the Popular Force (FP) party, led by Alberto Fujimori's daughter, Keiko Fujimori.

The visibly upset Keiko Fujimori declared the ruling to be "persecution."

"Without doubt this is a persecution and not just against my family. Enough. I feel the hate and cruelty from of all our political enemies," she said.

"This decision is unjust, inhumane, and will be appealed," added the FP leader.

However, Salvador Heresi, leader of the Peruvians for Change (PPK) party which was founded by former President Kuczynski, requested that politicians accept the court's decision.

"The Supreme Court must be respected by Congress," he said.

Heresi stressed that Peruvian politics already faces many challenges and that further questions over the ruling may be unhelpful.

The Supreme Court's decision came following a recommendation from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which declared the pardon to be illegal.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 07:56:59|Editor: ZX

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SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Representatives from diverse communities in San Francisco on Wednesday gathered in front of a "comfort women" memorial, criticizing Japanese Osaka mayor's decision to sever the 61-year-old sister city relationship with the city.

The memorial statue has sparked protest from the Japanese right-wing groups even before it was installed at St. Mary Square in San Francisco last September.

The most pronounced opposition came from Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura, who had written numerous letters to San Francisco mayor, requesting to have the memorial removed.

In August, he threatened to cut the ties if San Francisco's new Mayor London Breed didn't respond by the end of September.

The Japanese city on Tuesday announced that it had terminated the sister city relationship with San Francisco in protest of the statue in honor of "comfort women."

"It is unfortunate that Mayor Yoshimura no longer wishes to maintain ties between the governments of San Francisco and Osaka," said Mason Lee, a communications officer of Breed's office.

"We will remain sister cities via the people-to-people ties maintained by our San Francisco-Osaka Sister City Committee and their counterparts in Osaka," he said.

The statue, called "Column of strength," depicts a grandmother looking up at three Asian girls standing on a pedestal and holding hands together. They represent hundreds of thousands of girls and women who were kidnapped and forced into prostitution by the Japanese imperial military during World War II.

Judith Mirkinson, president of Comfort Women Justice Coalition (CWJC), a San Francisco-based grass-roots organization, said the Osaka mayor's action was "outrageous." Her organization, composed of more than 30 groups, is responsible for the installment of the statue.

"What is the basis of this? The basis is that he doesn't like the statue," said Mirkinson. "He is re-victimizing these women by saying their experiences don't count. We want to tell the mayor of Osaka that we will never stop fighting for justice."

Since the Osaka City announced the severance of the sister city relationship, the CWJC has received a great deal of responses from their international friends, especially citizen friends from Osaka, said Lillian Sing, co-chair the CWJC and a retired judge of San Francisco Superior Court.

The Forum of Osaka, which consists of 19 separate organizations in Osaka, wrote in an email sent to the CWJC, "The mayor who engages internationally in such a shameful manner lacks the required baseline qualification to host the world expo," an international event to be held in 2025, and Osaka is among three candidate cities hoping to host the grand gathering.

The action of Osaka mayor was exactly the opposite to the concept of the World Expo which is supposed to generate support and cooperation as well as mending problems and challenges, said Julie Tang, co-chair of the CWJC and also a retired judge of the San Francisco Superior Court.

"This capricious act by 42-year-old Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura will not hurt nation brand Korea or nation brand America, but he is hurting city brand Osaka," said an article on The Japan Times, a well-read newspaper in Japan, in November last year.
Confiscated weapon components are seen during a news conference about a gun bust at New York City Police (NYPD) Headquarters in New York,U.S., May 24, 2018. (REUTERS photo)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- A suspect has been taken in custody after one police was killed while four others injured in a shooting on Wednesday in the city of Florence, U.S. state South Carolina, the authorities said.

One of the five police officers shot has died, Florence County Coroner Keith von Lutcken told CNN affiliate WBTW.

"Active shooting situation is over and the suspect is in custody," the Florence County Emergency Management Department tweeted.

Three Florence County Sheriff's Office deputies and two city officers were shot, chief deputy Glenn Kirby said, according to CNN affiliates.

Florence, located in the northeastern corner of South Carolina, hosts a population of roughly 37,000. Local reports said the shooting took place in an upscale neighborhood in the city.

Further details were not immediately available.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 10:08:16|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Bolivian Ambassador to the United Nations Sacha Llorenti (C, Rear), whose country holds the Security Council presidency for the month of October, briefs journalists on the Council's programme of work for the month, at the UN headquarters in New York, Oct. 3, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 09:47:12|Editor: ZX

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SYDNEY, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- A United Airlines flight traveling from Los Angeles issued a mayday call upon its approach to Sydney International Airport on Thursday, triggering a full-scale emergency response from authorities on the ground.

"We have a full emergency level three for United 787, the sign is UA839, it has low fuel issues and has issued a mayday," New South Wales State Emergency Services announced around 6:00 (AEST).

As a result, state police were forced to close a number of major roads surrounding the airport in case the plane did not make the runway.

But with a number of firetrucks and emergency staff on standby at the tarmac, the Dreamliner did land safely with all 239 passengers on board unharmed.

Despite the initial panic, an Airservices Australia spokesperson explained to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that instances like this were "not unusual."

Roads around the airport reopened just before 07:00 (AEST).
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 09:37:46|Editor: ZX

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SYDNEY, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The iconic trams of Australia's Victoria state capital Melbourne turned into mobile canvases covered in local artists' best works on Thursday, as part of an international arts festival hosted by the cultural hub.

Melbourne's trams "have become canvases for some truly amazing works by our city's artistic legends ... as well as new and emerging artists," Victoria's Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley said in a statement.

"By inviting artists to turn our iconic trams into giant mobile artworks, we're giving people right across the community access to some of the best contemporary art Victoria has to offer," Foley said.

The mobile canvas activity, into its sixth year, is a main feature of the city's global arts festival, which boasts displays and performances ranging from dance and theatre to music and visual arts in October.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 10:03:57|Editor: ZX

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by Xinhua writer Luan Xiang

BEIJING, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- China has been making crucial progress in educating the public about rabies prevention, as the country becomes more aware of pet owner responsibilities and works to create a harmonious coexistence between humans and their furry companions.

To mark the 12th World Rabies Day on Sept. 28, various institutions, charitable organizations, scholars and activists came together to promote a civil code of conduct among the growing number of pet owners across the country, while acknowledging societal efforts made to care for stray animals.

China has established goals to complete a nationwide dog vaccination registration program and to raise the percentage of vaccinated to at least 70 percent of the total dog population by 2020, according to a national action plan issued by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2017.

With proper tools, China is hopeful about achieving the rabies-free goal within our lifetime, said Qin Xiaona, president of the Beijing-based Capital Animal Welfare Association and a senior advisor to the China Medical Foundation.

ELIMINATING MYTHS AND FEARS

The most efficient way to wipe out rabies risks is to properly immunize China's canines on a large scale, which would require their guardians to assume their responsibilities and to not abandon or neglect any animal family members, said Sun Quanhui, a vet and science officer with World Animal Protection's Beijing Office.

Studies published by the World Health Organization (WHO) show that, if 70 percent or above of a certain location's dog population is vaccinated, an immunological barrier is formed that impedes the virus from spreading, meaning the disease is easily contained.

According to research conducted by WHO in collaboration with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Organization for Animal Health, nationwide dog vaccination campaigns are the most cost-effective strategy for preventing rabies, while the social-cultural context influences perceptions of the disease, of dog keeping practices and of at-risk canine populations, areas where the general public plays a key part.

This means that as long as people assume their responsibilities, take their dogs to be immunized and make sure that the vaccine stays active, it will be far less possible for house pets or rural working dogs to be infected with the virus, Qin said. "Under proper management, rabies is 100 percent preventable."

On his part, Sun emphasized that to efficiently manage dog populations from the very source means to stringently restrict and supervise the commercial breeding and sales of companion animals, as well as to widen stray control programs such as TNR (a 3-step method of trap, neuter and return) or to encourage the public to adopt stray animals rescued from negligence, abandonment or abuse instead of letting them continue wandering the streets.

Members of the public who are pet owners should play a crucial role in rabies prevention alongside the functional departments of the government including those related to human public health, animal health, urban management, public security and others, he told Xinhua.

There is no need to panic over a scratch from a vaccinated, risk-free pet during play time, and through campaigns and education, people have been gradually overcoming the exaggerated fear that all dogs are potentially infected with the disease, which became "a myth or a horror story", said Caitlin Cecil, an American animal behaviorist who has been saving distressed, abandoned animals and finding them new homes in China.

Pet owners are being urged not to abandon their unvaccinated animal pals that are at risk of contracting and carrying the lethal virus.

While abandonment, abuse and negligence of a domestic animal are punishable by law in many parts of the world, China's lawmakers are said to still be deliberating over enacting regulations against cruelty to companion animals.

"Abandonment and abuse of animals are unethical acts that ought to be condemned by the whole society," stressed Wang Chaoying, deputy director of the legal affairs office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Assembly -- China's highest legislature -- at a press conference earlier this year.

He said it is better to take time to establish legal codes in a comprehensive, prudent manner.

CHANGING THE MENTALITY

China has been making heavy investment in preventing and treating rabies, and the reason for heavy investment is simple -- vaccines for dogs are much cheaper than the medical costs of trying to save an infected human patient, and such an attempt ends in vain most of the time, according to Zhang Yue, a talk show hostess specialized in social issues.

Taking a dog to the vet for a rabies vaccine costs less than 100 yuan (14.50 U.S. dollars), while treatment for humans costs a few hundred yuan depending on medical quality and origin, Zhang said.

And when a person is confirmed infected with the virus after showing symptoms, the treatment skyrockets to tens of thousands of yuan with the vast majority of patients ending up dead, she told Xinhua in an interview.

Zhang is also the co-founder of non-profit organization, the AITA Foundation, which aids animal rescues, promotes respect for animal life, compassion and civility, and provides medical treatment to animals.

It is more efficient to prevent a disease from happening than treating it after it has spread. When it comes to rabies, a crucial line is drawn between life and death, and there should be more advocating for the adoption of the rescued instead of the purchasing of commercially bred pets.

"It was never dogs' problem. It has always been a human issue," Zhang said.

"Preventing rabies in humans through the control of rabies in domestic dogs is a realistic goal for large parts of Africa and Asia, where rabies is a significant public health issue and is justified financially by the future savings of discontinuing post-exposure prophylaxis for people," according to the WHO rabies program.

ADOPT LOVE AND ERADICATE RISKS

In Beijing and 43 other major Chinese cities with a combined population of 348 million, "Adoption Day", an animal event promoting pet adoption as trendy, joyous and loving, is held on a monthly basis.

During the years since it was established in 2011, Adoption Day has helped re-home thousands of rescued stray animals.

The occasion also aims to provide up-to-date knowledge and advice on how to treat companion animals the right way, as well as to encourage society to give a helping hand to animals in distress, especially by raising money for TNR funds in cooperation with qualified vets.

Adoption Day attendee Chen Jia, a young IT professional, co-founded a non-profit, volunteer-based platform for rescued animals to help them find new families and a "happy ever after". The platform also signed an agreement that stipulates it is the pet owner's obligation to immunize and neuter adopted pets.

"Our ultimate goal is to make events like Adoption Day obsolete when adoption of rescued strays becomes a norm and common sense in the country," said Yang Yang, another non-profit organization co-founder, at the celebration.

Besides these sumptuous urban scenes, in Weixian County, a rural township in northern China's Hebei Province, a rule has been approved by the local legislature to prevent animal cruelty and organized dog meat trade, together with a declaration of civility in pet keeping promoted by the local government in 2012.

The "Weixian Model", a comprehensive plan named after the county due to its animal welfare efforts and being hailed as China's first-ever rabies-free zone, details the registration and immunization of 110,000 household dogs and a ban on the consumption and slaughter of dogs for the purpose of meat trade.

The county was celebrated by FAO's animal welfare program and Humane Society International (HSI) for having fully implemented "China's first humane animal control program", namely the "Dog Ownership Management and Scientific Rabies Prevention Project."

"It is amazing to see the drastic change for animals happening in China," said Kelly O'Meara, director of HSI's "Companion Animals and Engagement Program" at the time.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 10:52:26|Editor: ZX

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PODGORICA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Montenegro needs to build a strategic highway to further open up and modernize the country, Veselin Vukotic, a former Montenegrin minister and currently rector of Montenegro's youngest private university, told Xinhua in an interview.

"Without dispute, the highway is a fundamental infrastructure facility that creates conditions for the opening and modernization of Montenegro," said Vukotic, who was also an economist before co-establishing the private University of Donja Gorica.

Better infrastructure could also boost the number of visitors to the country, Vukotic said, adding "now Montenegro has about one million tourists a year. That number can be much larger."

Montenegro is building a 41-km long section of highway, the first phase of a planned 180-km one, the country's biggest infrastructure project designed to link the southern port of Bar to its northern, landlocked neighbor Serbia.

"The idea of the highway was not created under any external pressure. It is an expression of a strategic vision of the development of Montenegro," said Vukotic.

"The highway connects two endpoints in Montenegro -- one in the north, which leads to Central and Eastern Europe through Serbia; and other in the south -- connection with the Adriatic-Ionian highway and with Europe and Asia through the Croatian highway," Vukotic said.

"There is also a connection with the maritime routes of the Mediterranean, because Montenegro is a Mediterranean country with about 300 km sea coast," he said.

Montenegro is a small country with around 620,000 people. The construction of the first phase of the highway, at a cost of 809 million euros (about 937 million U.S. dollars) for the first phase, rattled some European politicians and media, who criticized the project.

The country voted for independence from Serbia in 2006 and is in the process of joining the European Union (EU).

Vukotic acknowledged that such a project carries challenges. "The highway will certainly produce additional pressures to public finances," he said, but "I only think that Montenegro has the potential to generate revenues that can reduce this danger to a minimum."

He warned against exaggerating risks associated with a vital transportation route, saying "there should be no great expert to prove that even crossing the street can be a danger. It is similar to the statement that borrowing money for the highway is a potential threat to public finances."

China is now giving financial support to Montenegro for the highway and this is not something to be feared, Vukotic said. China is "a sincere friend of Montenegro and as a country with which Montenegro, regardless of whether it is in the EU or not, should cooperate freely, without ideological limitations," he said.

He has some sharp words about European suspicion of Chinese involvement in building the highway, noting "that fear of Europe that China will take Montenegro, or Eastern Europe, is based on the complete ignorance of the history and the shallowness of education of people who spread this fear."

Vukotic believes that the highway under construction is just one of many promising fields of cooperation between Montenegro and China.
| 2018-10-04 11:23:51|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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GENEVA, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Increased inward-looking policies and the rise of trade protectionism are weighing on the outlook of global seaborne trade, a United Nations report said Wednesday.

Even though the prospects for seaborne trade are positive, the emergence of inward-looking policies and protectionism could "reverse the trade liberalization" and cause risks for the sustained recovery of seaborne trade, the 2018 Review of Maritime Transport released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reported.

Referring to the withdraw of the United States from a series of transnational trade agreements, the report said such policies could "produce significant setbacks for global economic and trade recovery and undermine the growth prospects of seaborne trade."

The report also said escalating trade frictions between China and the United States, the world's two largest economies, as well as those between Canada, Mexico, the United States and the European Union may lead to a trade war that "could derail the recovery, reshape global maritime trade patterns, and dampen the outlook."

According to the report, China remains the trading nation best connected to others by sea in 2018, and various projects under China's Belt and Road Initiative have the potential to generate growth and boost seaborne trade volumes.

Maritime transport is the backbone of international trade and the global economy. Around 80 percent of global trade by volume and over 70 percent of global trade by value are carried by sea and handled by ports worldwide.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 11:36:01|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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NEW DELHI, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- At least three hardcore left-wing Naxalite rebels have been killed in an encounter by security forces in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, police said Thursday.

The exchange of fire took place in a dense forest in the state's Sukma district.

"Acting on a tip-off, security forces launched an operation in the forest of Muler area to track down the rebels late Wednesday evening. Seeing the forces, the Naxalites opened fire and three of them were killed in retaliatory firing," a police official said.

"The bodies of the three hardcore rebels have been recovered, along with a large cache of arms and ammunition," he added.

Chhattisgarh is often hit by Naxalite violence.

The left-wing insurgency began in the eastern state of West Bengal in late 1960s, spreading to more than one-third of India's administrative districts.

Though major offensives by security forces in recent years have pushed the rebels back to their forest strongholds, but hit-and-run attacks are still common, killing hundreds of people, mostly security personnel, every year.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced today the closing of the sale of HIIs Avondale facility to Avondale Marine, a joint venture between T.P. Host and Hilco Redevelopment Partners.



The Avondale facility, part of HIIs Ingalls Shipbuilding division, ceased its Navy shipbuilding operations in December 2014. Avondales UNO Maritime Center of Excellence has remained open and continues to do engineering and design work in support of Ingalls shipbuilding programs.

We are very proud of our legacy at Avondale and the many contributions that generations of its shipbuilders made to our national security, said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. Ingalls will continue to maintain a presence in Louisiana, not only at the UNO Center, but also through the many Louisiana residents who commute to Pascagoula each day to help us build the ships we produce for our nations defense. We are pleased that Avondale Marine plans to put the facility back into commerce and look forward to its success.

T.P. Host is one of the nations largest terminal operators and a leader in the maritime industry, specializing in agency, terminal operations and marine assets. In business for over 90 years, the company has developed a strong reputation in the maritime community for its expertise, transparency and high standards of service.

For generations, Avondale Shipyards has been a source of pride for the community that generated jobs and economic development, said Adam Anderson, president and CEO of T.P. Host and principal of Avondale Marine. Our team will unleash its potential by transforming the shipyard into a global logistics hub for intermodal commerce. As we usher in a new era for this facility, we will benefit from the strength and skill of the workforce in Jefferson Parish and Louisiana. We are grateful for the steadfast support and leadership of the governor, parish president and council, as well as our partners in this project, including the Port of New Orleans, Public Belt, JEDCO, GNO, Inc., Business Council and Chamber of Commerce.

Hilco Redevelopment Partners, a real estate firm based in Chicago, remediates and redevelops large-scale industrial facilities across North America, such as Tradepoint Atlantic and the Avondale Shipyard.

Were thrilled to leverage our extensive experience in redeveloping and transforming facilities that are at the end of their current useful life into modern productive businesses for the future, said Roberto Perez, CEO of Hilco Redevelopment Partners. We look forward to supporting our managing partners at T.P. Host in the Avondale Marine project as we build this important logistics hub in New Orleans.



In the coming months, Avondale Marine will begin its planning process for the approximately 254-acre site in partnership with stakeholders.

Huntington Ingalls Industries is Americas largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HIIs Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HIIs Technical Solutions division provides a wide range of professional services through its Fleet Support, Integrated Missions Solutions, Nuclear & Environmental, and Oil & Gas groups. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs more than 40,000 people operating both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit:

HII on the web: www.huntingtoningalls.com

HII on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HuntingtonIngallsIndustries

HII on Twitter: twitter.com/hiindustries

Contact:



Beci Brenton

Beci.brenton@hii-co.com

(202) 264-7143
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 12:00:33|Editor: ZX

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MANILA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed in a suspected ambush before dawn on Thursday in the central Philippine Cebu City, local police said.

Police said the incident happened shortly before 4 a.m. local time in Malubog, one of the villages in the city.

The two bodies of the five victims were found inside a bullet-riddled van while the three others were found a few meters away from the van, police said, adding that there were multiple gunshot wounds in the bodies.

Police recovered some 30 empty bullet shells from the crime scene.

An investigation is underway to find out the perpetrators of the attack and the identities of the victims are still being ascertained.

However, initial police investigation showed the ambush may be related to illicit drug trafficking as the white crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine hydrochloride and handguns were found in the van.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 11:57:22|Editor: ZX

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LONDON, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump "is wrong" over the trade row with China, and "seeking surplus with every trading partner is not 'winning'," "it is absurd," chief economics commentator at the Financial Times (FT) said Wednesday.

Martin Wolf, a British economics journalist, said in a signed article carried by the FT that "it is incredible that such primitive ideas rule the most sophisticated country on earth."

Wolf, also an associate editor and chief economics commentator at the FT, said that "the U.S. president believes if a country sells more goods to a trade partner than it buys, it has 'won.' He also thinks that if it buys more goods from a trading partner than it sells, it can "'win' a protectionist war, because the other side has more to lose."

"Serious economists, back to Adam Smith, would insist that seeking a surplus with every trading partner is not 'winning'," he said. "It is absurd. This is not even intelligent mercantilism, which would focus on the overall balance."

In the trade dispute with China, Wolf said, "Mr. Trump has made two characteristic mistakes. First, he has over-reached. China cannot deliver bilaterally balanced trade because it is unable to force Chinese people to buy goods they do not want," and "second, he has exaggerated U.S. power."

"If the U.S. president persists with pure bilateralism, it will not win. But it will do damage to itself, trade, the world economy and international relations," Wolf said. "Trade wars are not good. With great powers, they are not easy to win either."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 12:07:01|Editor: ZX

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BRASILIA, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian presidential candidate Fernando Haddad said Wednesday he would strengthen ties with countries that make up the BRICS and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) should he win in the country's upcoming election.

"Brazil is timid, closed in foreign policy. The first thing we have to consider is the BRICS countries, which are very important markets for Brazil, and we need to strengthen bilateral and multilateral agreements with those partners in order to create jobs," Haddad of the Workers' Party said.

Brazil is a founding member of the BRICS, which is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, as well as a member of Mercosur, which also comprises Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay.

Haddad added that he would seek closer ties with Mexico and make progress in the relationship with the European Union.

In terms of Mercosur integration, Haddad said, "it cannot maintain its current pace" and that he has already been in contact with the Argentine government officials.

"We are going to have to deepen (the integration). I have stayed in contact with Argentine officials to look for an approach, because Brazil can be a solution for Argentina and Argentina can be a solution for Brazil with more integration and trade," he added.

According to analysts, if Haddad wins the election, he will seek to revisit the foreign policy approaches of ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, his political mentor.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 12:13:28|Editor: ZX

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SANTIAGO, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chilean service exports grew 14 percent during the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2017, reaching 559 billion U.S. dollars, the country's ministry of foreign affairs reported Wednesday.

Exports of information technology and communication made up 27 percent of the total with 150 billion dollars, a 9 percent increase over the same period last year, according to the study of the ministry's General Directorate of International Economic Relations (Direcon) and ProChile using data from the National Customs Service.

Direcon director Rodrigo Yanez said the leap in service exports is in part the result of collaboration between the public and private sectors that are "committed to consolidating opportunities in international markets."

The biggest increase belonged to the financial service sector which grew 44 percent, reaching 66 billion dollars, according to the ministry's report.

The ministry said that the service and creative industry sectors have become areas "that each day have become more relevant to Chile's export."

According to official statistics, in the past 15 years, shipments of non-traditional services have grown at an average of 13 percent per year in Chile.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 12:47:26|Editor: ZX

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SANTIAGO, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Latin American and Caribbean region must improve its use of statistics, said Alicia Barcena, secretary general of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) on Wednesday.

The secretary general said the region must integrate the benefits of "big data" into official statistics and obtain better statistics on gender.

Barcena opened the 17th meeting of the Statistical Conference of the Americas (CEA) Executive Committee in Santiago, Chile.

Barcena underlined the importance of statistics for the region's governments ahead of next year's evaluation of the first five years of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

She said that it would be a "critical year" for the region's statistics institutions as governments seek evidence of their progress toward the agenda's 17 sustainable development goals.

Guillermo Pattillo, director of Chile's National Institute of Statistics and president of the CEA Executive Committee, said that CEA Executive Committee is tasked with reviewing progress and looking at future challenges.

"One of those is the real generation of open data. These days, open data are the standard that our institutes must attain," he said.

He added that national statistics offices must pursue the goal of "producing data that have true meaning for society, are important for decision-making, and are socially useful."

Pascual Gerstenfeld, director of the ECLAC Division of Statistics echoed the importance of statistics, and said that "we are at a historic and privileged moment in time," where the "production of indicators for accountability ... allow us to better design evidence-based policies."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 12:52:44|Editor: ZX

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- The FBI has taken a former U.S. Navy veteran into custody after pieces of mail with a suspicious substance addressed to the Pentagon, the White House and a senator's office were detected, raising poisonous ricin attack alerts, local reports said Wednesday.

Federal prosecutors authorized a probable cause arrest of the veteran William Clyde Allen in Utah, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Salt Lake City told ABC News. It's expected that a complaint will be filed on Friday in federal court in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Allen served in the Navy from 1998 to 2002 as a damage control fireman apprentice, Navy officials told Military Times.

Fox News on Wednesday quoted unnamed U.S. officials that a return address was the potential link to the former sailor.

Also on the day, Pentagon spokesperson Dana White said that the content in the packages that triggered the alert "appears to be castor seeds, from which ricin is derived."

"The FBI is still investigating," White said.

As least four pieces of mail were detected with a suspicious substance on Monday. Two received by the Pentagon mail facility were addressed to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson. The third was addressed to President Donald Trump in White House and the last one was to Republican Senator Ted Cruz's office in Texas.

Ricin, a poison found in castor beans, can be used in powder, pellet, mist or acid form. If ingested, it causes nausea, vomiting, internal bleeding of the stomach and intestines and can be deadly.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 13:25:45|Editor: Lu Hui

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming tour of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to four Asian nations is aimed at building on the momentum of the denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang and "put meat on the bare bones of the Singapore communique," experts said on Wednesday.

According to a statement released by State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert on Tuesday, Pompeo will travel to the capital cities of Japan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), South Korea and China from Oct. 6-8. In Pyongyang on Oct. 7, he will meet with top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.

"Throughout the Secretary's trip he will reiterate the Administration's continued focus on the final, fully verifiable, denuclearization of the DPRK, and longstanding commitment to our alliances and partnerships in the region," the statement said.

Earlier during a press briefing on Tuesday, Nauert said, "among the things that the secretary discussed were security assurances," noting "the secretary and the president said we're not going to set arbitrary deadlines in the interim. We're hopeful."

Dan Mahaffee, senior vice president and director of policy at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, told Xinhua that Pompeo's trip "is to continue momentum surrounding nuclear disarmament and to determine what the gaps are between North Korea and the United States when it comes to understanding just what the desired end state is."

"It is interesting to see what security guarantees, economic inducements, and diplomatic offers they (the DPRK) seek from the U.S. and South Korean governments to keep this process moving," he said. "I think there is momentum towards a treaty to end the war, yet differing visions for what the peace treaty would mean in terms of the close cooperation and alliance structure between the United States and South Korea."

However, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Michael O'Hanlon told Xinhua that "the core challenge being to agree at least in broad terms on at least the first part of a nuclear deal that would halt production of more bombs promptly. Without that, everything else is hard, maybe too hard."

Douglas Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said, "indications are the U.S. wants measurable progress toward denuclearization and the North wants an end to the state of war, but the North's media rejects these as trade-offs, and wants its demand for an end to the armistice first."

"Pompeo's credibility is very much on the line if he cannot show progress on something directly related to the North nuclear and missile capabilities. Presumably his meeting with Foreign Minister Ri (Yong Ho) gave him some indication this trip would not be a waste of time," the expert pointed out. "A peace treaty is a long way away, and would require other actors, such as Seoul and Beijing."

A senior research fellow for Northeast Asia at the Heritage Foundation Bruce Klingner said, "Pompeo is hoping to put meat on the bare bones of the Singapore communique by getting Pyongyang to accept the UN-mandated denuclearization of its arsenal."

"There does not seem to have been any behind-the-scenes progress or success, so the situation has not actually changed from when Pompeo's August trip was cancelled," he said.

"Pompeo should condition a second U.S.-North Korean summit on viable progress on a denuclearization accord far stronger than the Singapore communique. The concern is that his visit is simply to deal with logistics for another ill-prepared summit based more on theatrics than substance," he added.

Saying that there are significant reasons arguing against the United States signing a peace declaration, Klingner said Trump may be tempted by the seeming historic aspect of doing so.

Overall, the "Trump administration now faces the dilemma of enforcing principles and risking strained relations with Seoul, or boarding the euphoric peace train," he said.

"Trump seems pulled in both directions. He has expressed both unrealistic claims of what the Singapore summit accomplished, as well as subsequent disappointment in the lack of tangible progress. It would be premature to again rush into another summit meeting without sufficient planning," said the expert.

Last month, the State Department said Pompeo will travel to Pyongyang to discuss a second summit meeting between the leaders of two sides. Analysts said Pompeo is also tasked to lay the groundwork for Trump's second meeting with Kim.

Pompeo said on Wednesday that he is optimistic that the upcoming talks with the DPRK will have better understandings and deeper progress.

Speaking at a press briefing, Pompeo aid "I'm very happy to be going back to get another chance to continue to advance the commitment that Chairman Kim and President Trump made back in Singapore."

The DPRK on Saturday demanded the United States take steps to secure Pyongyang's trust before its denuclearization.

"Without any trust in the U.S. there will be no confidence in our national security and under such circumstances there is no way we will unilaterally disarm ourselves first," DPRK's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the UN General Assembly.

The key to consolidating peace and security on the Korean Peninsula is to thoroughly implement the joint statement adopted at the historic summit between Kim and Trump in Singapore in June, said Ri.

Speaking of Pompeo's stay in Tokyo, Mahaffee said "Tokyo is the most concerned about how the rapprochement between the United States and North Korea affects the trilateral security relationship between the U.S., South Korea, and Japan -- and the threat posed by North Korea."

"Japan had been a strong advocate of increased pressure on North Korea, but may feel a little 'left out of the loop' as Trump and (South Korean President) Moon (Jae-in) suddenly changed course," he explained. "Japan does not see the threat from North Korea diminishing, and therefore may be feeling the need to improve its own security capabilities, as well as coordination with the U.S. government on these issues."

Paal, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said, "Japan still harbors concerns that Trump may lower the bar too far for Pyongyang at the expense of Japanese security. Seoul is less concerned."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 13:22:11|Editor: Lu Hui

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SHANGHAI, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Accounting services including audits and tax preparation, which have long relied on human workers, are embracing artificial intelligence (AI).

Ernst & Young (EY), one of the Big Four accounting companies, said "yes" to the advancements brought by the cutting-edge technology, according to EY Global Chief Innovation Officer Jeff Wong.

A technology enthusiast himself, Wong shared his views on AI development and its impact on business with Xinhua during his business trip to Shanghai recently.

For him, AI is not a single technology but a set of methods and tools that can be applied to countless situations in enterprise systems.

Wong expects that in the next three to five years, AI will have a huge impact on a variety of areas such as healthcare, the financial sector and professional services involving traditional accounting companies like EY.

"AI could be a game changer for business generally, and professional services in particular. But actually, we are not disrupted by the new technology. However, we are moving forward and constantly evolving," Wong said.

"AI can alleviate mundane tasks performed by the human workforce so that we can focus more on complex work that ultimately provides a greater level of professional fulfillment, which is absolutely positive," he said.

EY is also making large investments into AI, according to Wong, without giving details.

During his business trip to Shanghai, Wong was impressed by China's AI development, calling it an explosion in creativity and innovation fueled by education improvements, intensified R&D, government policy and the availability of capital.

"In China, everybody seems to be moving in the same direction for the development of AI, on university levels, research levels, the corporate levels and investment levels, which is incredible," Wong added.

Benson Ng, partner of advisory services with EY, also mentioned in the interview with Xinhua that the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology published a document on how to foster AI development from 2018 to 2020 on a national level.

"China is a data-rich country, which is a very good starting point. Meanwhile, there are a lot of very encouraging progressions in different provincial governments," Ng said, adding that the municipal government of Shanghai unveiled plans to open up more space for the autonomous driving pilot program.

According to a newly released report from UBS in September, Chinese innovation is helping cast off the doubts over investment and credit toward new growth engineers. Based on government targets and the rate of change on a number of the innovation metrics, China is highly likely to emerge as a major innovating and high value-added economy in the coming decade.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 14:22:25|Editor: ZX

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KUNMING, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Police have detained four suspects from Myanmar for cross-border drug trafficking in the city of Tengchong, southwest China's Yunnan Province, and seized over 17 kg of opium, local authorities said Thursday.

In mid-August, police received information that a group of drug dealers from Myanmar were planning to transport drugs into China. Police immediately set up an investigation team and dispatched officers to border areas.

On Tuesday, police caught four Burmese suspects in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture and seized 17.583 kg of opium from their motorcycles.

Yunnan is a major front in China's battle against drug crime as it borders the Golden Triangle known for drug production and trafficking.

A further investigation is underway.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 14:42:03|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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LONDON, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The world's most expensive bottle of whisky has been sold for a record price of 848,000 British pounds (about 1.1 million U.S. dollars) at an auction in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

The 60-year-old bottle of The Macallan Valerio Adami, distilled in 1926 and bottled in 1986, set a new world record at the Bonhams' whisky sale, fetching 700,000 pounds plus a sales premium of 148,000 pounds, the BBC reported.

It has been described by experts as the "holy grail of whisky" because of its rarity, vintage and unique artwork, the BBC said.

The previous record was set by another bottle of The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 sold in May at Bonhams Hong Kong for a then record price of 814,081 pounds.

The Scotch whisky distillery Macallan commissioned pop artists Valerio Adami and Peter Blake to design labels for a limited edition of 24 bottles, with each artist contributing to 12 bottles.

The lately auctioned whisky is among the 12 bottles designed by the 83-year-old Italian painter Adami, who is best known for his bold and colorful imagery bordered by black lines.

Interestingly enough, the Blake bottles haven't done quite as well at auctions, according to luxury lifestyle magazine The Robb Report. The English pop artist is best known for creating the cover of the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

It remains unclear how many of the Adami bottles still exist. One is said to have been destroyed in an earthquake in Japan in 2011, and it is believed at least one of them has been opened and consumed, the BBC said.
WEST JORDAN, Utah, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mountain America Credit Union is one of the first financial institutions to introduce eClose on commercial loans. Kristy Farnsworth, Ph.D. PC and The Mortgage Partner Inc. were the first business members to use Commercial Quick CloseSM for commercial real estate and SBA loan closings. The closing was executed using a digital closing platform provided by Pavaso, the creator of the mortgage industrys only end-to-end digital closing solution.



Implementing Commercial Quick Close allows Mountain America Credit Union to continue to provide members with the most secure and convenient product offerings. In addition to shorter loan cycles and added security and convenience, Commercial Quick Close enables business partners to conveniently review documents on their own prior to the closing meeting, and to sign the documents at different times and locations. At Mountain America Credit Union, we continually strive to deliver the best member experience possible, says Mike Turner, chief lending officer at Mountain America Credit Union. Shorter loan process time provides faster funding, allowing members to focus on growing their businesses.

Mountain America Credit Union participated in the CFPB eClose pilot, making them the first company to conduct digital closings with the Pavaso Platform. Pavaso is currently revolutionizing the mortgage industry with their platform that connects all stakeholders in an all-in-one eClose solution. The Pavaso Platform contains a complete suite of products within a secure platform that enables all parties to collaborate throughout the life of the transaction. Efficient digital closings have become standard, while consumers are citing more positive closing experiences.

It has long been a goal of Mountain America Credit Union and Pavaso to eClose commercial loans, which has now been achieved, says Nancy G Pratt, VP of Partner Relations and Government Affairs at Pavaso. Mountain America Credit Union has a rich history of embracing technology, resulting in significantly improving the members experience.

Commercial Quick Close is now available to all Mountain America Credit Union business members. For more information, or to apply for a loan, visit www.macu.com/business/loans .

About Mountain America Credit Union

With more than 770,000 members and $8 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 .
Source:Xinhua| 2018-10-04 15:19:57|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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SEOUL, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- A group of South Korean delegates, composed of officials and civilians, left Thursday for Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), to jointly celebrate the 11th anniversary of the 2007 inter-Korean summit.

The delegation, comprised of about 160 public and civilian delegates led by Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon and Lee Hae-chan, chief of the ruling Democratic Party, boarded three transport airplanes at an airport outside of Seoul earlier in the day, according to a pool report from South Korean media.

Before getting on board, the unification minister told reporters that he will take this opportunity to further cement inter-Korean cooperation and reconciliation and build peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The Democratic Party chief said the delegation's visit would become a starting point for private exchanges between the two Koreas, noting that it would become an important opportunity to increase private exchange and help build peace and co-existence on the peninsula.

The delegation, including government officials, politicians and 90 civilians from civic groups, religious groups and labor unions, is scheduled to stay in the DPRK for three days through Saturday.

During the visit, the delegation will participate in the celebration marking the 11th anniversary of the summit in 2007 in Pyongyang between then South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and then DPRK leader Kim Jong Il, the father of the current leader.

It would mark the first time that the two Koreas jointly celebrate the 2007 summit, the second of its kind since the first-ever inter-Korean summit was held in 2000.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un agreed to hold a meaningful event to mark the 2007 summit during their third summit in Pyongyang last month.

Also included in the delegation was Roh Geon-ho, a son of the late South Korean president, as well as figures from art and culture fields.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 14:57:44|Editor: ZX

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NEW DELHI, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- India's top court on Thursday refused to stop the deportation of seven Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, officials said.

"We are not inclined to interfere on the decision taken," the Supreme Court said.

The court's decision came after federal government stated Myanmar has accepted the Rohingyas as their citizens and has agreed to take them back.

On Wednesday a plea was filed in the apex court for an urgent hearing seeking restraint on government's order from deporting the seven Rohingyas to Myanmar.

The seven men were lodged in the Silchar detention centre in Assam state after they were found to be staying illegally in 2012.

Rohingya refugees are fleeing Myanmar in wake of the deadly violence in the Rakhine region.

Indian government's move has drawn criticism from the United Nations, which said their forcible return could mean a violation of international law.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 14:59:24|Editor: xuxin

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Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (C) leaves a court in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 4, 2018. Rosmah Mansor, wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, was charged on Thursday with money laundering and tax evasions as the country continues its probe into state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). (Xinhua/Chong Voon Chung)

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Rosmah Mansor, wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, was charged on Thursday with money laundering and tax evasions as the country continues its probe into state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Rosmah faces a total of 17 counts of charges under Malaysia's anti-money laundering law, including money laundering by engaging directly in transaction that involves proceeds of unlawful activities, totaling approximately 7.1 million ringgit (1.7 million U.S. dollars).

She was also charged for failing to declare income tax.

The 66-year old Rosmah, who was presented at a Kuala Lumpur court, confidently pleaded not guilty to each charge as it was read out to her.

The money laundering charges carry a penalty of up to 15 years in jail and a fine.

The charges came after her several rounds of questioning by Malaysia's anti-corruption body related to 1MDB, where hundred of millions of funds were allegedly went missing.

She was arrested on Wednesday before being brought before the court. She was later granted bail at 2 million ringgit (480,000 U.S. dollars).

Both Rosmah and her husband Najib are barred from leaving the country along with other individuals connected to the former administration.

Najib was also in court on Thursday for a pre-trial hearing. He is currently facing 32 charges including criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering of funds linked to 1MDB and its former subsidiary, SRC International.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 15:01:07|Editor: xuxin

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PHNOM PENH, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian economy is expected to marginally accelerate to 7 percent in 2018, compared to 6.9 percent in 2017, underpinned by external demand and upbeat investor sentiment, a new World Bank report said on Thursday.

The bank's latest Cambodia Economic Update said garment, travel goods, and footwear exports increased 16.1 percent year-on-year during the first half of 2018 -- a two year high -- up from 8.3 percent at the end of 2017.

It said tourist arrivals reached 3 million during the first six months of 2018, which represented a 13.6 percent increase year-on-year, compared with 11.8 percent in 2017, and is driven by a surge in tourist arrivals by air from China.

The report said capital inflows continued to increase, and large foreign direct investment inflows continued to underpin construction activity.

"Foreign direct investment is estimated to have increased by 14.3 percent year-on-year during the first six months of 2018. More than half of the inflows originated from China, and are directed towards commercial and residential real estate, as well as, to a lesser extent, manufacturing and agriculture," it said.

Newly emerging hot spots of the current construction boom included the seaside provincial town of Preah Sihanouk, whose FDI approvals amounted 126 million U.S. dollars in June 2018 alone, it added.

Speaking at a press conference here during the report release, World Bank-Cambodia's senior economist Miguel Eduardo Sanchez Martin said the strong growth in garment, travel goods, and footwear exports was partly thanks to a 2016 agreement between Cambodia and the United States on travel goods. Under the deal, Cambodia can export travel goods to the United States with duty-free.

For the sharp increase in Chinese investment in the Southeast Asian nation, he said that "relatively close" ties between the two countries had encouraged more Chinese investors to Cambodia.

"Chinese investors are coming here, probably, because they're looking for opportunities in the real estate sector and in manufacturing since Cambodia has cheap labor force," Miguel said.

The report also highlighted main risks to Cambodia's economy. Those included rising protectionism and potential revision of Cambodia's preferential access to advanced economies.

To sustain strong growth in the medium term, the report said that Cambodia needs to mobilize domestic savings to boost investment and that Cambodia lags behind other countries in East Asia Pacific in terms of the quality of infrastructure, and it is heavily dependent on aid and foreign funding to build its network.

"To sustain rapid growth and to reduce excessive dependency on external capital, Cambodia would need to boost domestic savings and investment, including through the diversification of financial products, the development of domestic debt market, and the strengthening of public investment management practices," it said.

Cambodia's growth is projected to ease modestly to 6.8 percent in 2019 and 2020 due to the peak of global demand, the report said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 15:00:19|Editor: xuxin

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QALA-E-NAW, Afghanistan, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- About nine Taliban militants were killed after Afghan security forces repelled an attack by the Taliban militants on a key district in the country's western province of Badghis overnight, police said Thursday.

The attack occurred late Wednesday night when dozens of Taliban militants stormed Ab Kamari district with guns and rocket launchers but security forces pushed back the attackers, killing nine militants, the provincial police department said in a statement.

The attackers tried to overrun the district.

A Taliban shadow governor for Ab Kamari was among the killed and no security force member was hurt following the clash in the district, west of provincial capital Qala-e-Naw, the statement added.

The remote province has been the scene of heavy fightings and clashes since early this year.

The violence has been on the rise as Afghan security forces struggle against a surge in attacks by militants at the time when the country is preparing for parliamentary and district council elections slated for later this month.

During the Oct. 20 elections, nearly 9 million registered voters, including 3 million women, will cast their ballots to elect members of the 249-seat lower house of parliament for a five-year term while they will also vote to elect members of the district councils.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 15:45:33|Editor: xuxin

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L, front) meets with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin (R, front) in Jerusalem, on Oct. 4, 2018. (Xinhua/JINI)

JERUSALEM, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem on Thursday morning, kick-starting her two-day visit.

"Germany has a responsibility to remember the crimes of the Holocaust and to fight anti-Semitism, xenophobia, violence and hatred," Merkel wrote in Yad Vashem's guest book.

Later, she visited the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, where she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Haifa.

"Today we are giving an honorary degree to one of the most outstanding leaders of the free world," said Prof. Ron Rubin, President of the University of Haifa, at the ceremony.

Merkel arrived in Israel on Wednesday night. Later on Thursday, she is scheduled to attend a "roundtable" with businessmen and meet Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

She will also hold a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attend inter-governmental talks with Netanyahu and Israeli and German ministers.

The talks will focus on "security, scientific, economic, cultural and cyber cooperation," the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

The ministers are expected to sign several bilateral agreements to strengthen economic and cultural ties between the two countries.

Merkel's talks with Netanyahu are expected to focus on the Iran nuclear deal, restarting the talks with the Palestinians, and the West Bank village of Khan al-Ahmar, which Israel plans to demolish shortly after Merkel's visit.

European countries and human rights organization have urged Israel to cancel the demolition.

Merkel's last official visit to Israel took place in 2014.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 15:51:22|Editor: xuxin

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TEHRAN, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Thursday that Iran will defeat the United States in its economic sanctions against the country.

"Iran's national economy is stronger than U.S. sanctions," Khamenei said in an address to Basij (volunteer) forces in Tehran.

"National economy will defeat the economic sanctions," he said, adding that this will be another "slap on the face of the United States."

He called for the unity among all the Iranians in the face of the "enemy's plots," saying that "if the enemy witnesses the unity, power and determination, it will retreat."

Khamenei said over the past 40 years, when the Islamic republic was established in Iran, the United States have sought to overthrow the Islamic establishment, stressing that Washington will also be disappointed in its recent plots against Tehran.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that the United States was terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran, after the UN's top court ruled that Washington lift sanctions on Tehran.

The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a verdict against the U.S. unilateral sanctions, following U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The treaty once helped establish economic relations and consular rights between the United States and Iran.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 16:17:52|Editor: xuxin

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KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's economic growth is expected to moderate in the near term, growing at 4.9 percent this year, with lower public spending to impinge on growth, said the World Bank in its latest report released on Thursday.

The international financial institution also projected Malaysia's economy to expand at 4.7 percent in 2019 and 4.6 percent in 2020.

It expected Malaysia to achieve high-income country status at some point between 2020 and 2024.

In its latest East Asia and Pacific Update 2018, the World Bank said Malaysia's growth this year will be underpinned by continued strong growth in private consumption.

The stronger outlook for household spending primarily reflects the three-month tax holiday following the zero-rating of the goods and services tax (GST), and one-off pay-outs to civil servants and pensioners, it said.

However, it expected gross fixed capital formation to expand modestly, with lower public capital expenditure than previously projected, to dampen Malaysia's growth prospects.

Meanwhile, the bank believed Malaysia's exports will continue to benefit from the rebound in global investment and manufacturing activity, though this cycle is beginning to mature.

Malaysia will continue to face substantial risks relating to uncertainty in the external environment as a highly open economy, it said.

It also warned that the escalation in protectionist tendencies and trade tensions could have an adverse impact on Malaysia, given its high level of integration with global markets and its dependence on global value chains as a source of growth.

Malaysia's economy expanded at a slower than expected rate of 4.5 percent in the second quarter this year. Amid internal and external headwinds, Malaysian government earlier downgraded its full year growth forecast to 5 percent, from 5.5 percent to 6 percent.

Last year, Malaysian economy recorded a robust growth of 5.9 percent, supported by faster expansion in both private and public sector spending.

The bank also opined that the implementation of several election pledges will require careful management of potential risks.

The change from GST back to sales and services tax (SST) and the adjustment to the fuel pricing mechanism -in the absence of adequate compensatory measures - would constrain the fiscal policy space, and place greater reliance on less stable direct taxation and oil-related revenue, it said.

The bank anticipated Malaysia's poverty rate continues to fall, with its poverty headcount ratio to decline to 1.2 percent by 2020.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 16:45:26|Editor: ZX

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BEIJING, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- "It is safe to say we can secure a bumpy grain harvest this year," Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Changfu told Xinhua in an interview.

China is expected to reap at least 600 billion kg of autumn grain this year, Han said, adding that the output and inventory of wheat and rice will basically stay stable and adequate.

It is the sixth consecutive year that China's autumn grain output has exceeded 600 billion kg, making China a high-level grain producer, Han said.

The per capita grain output, which is about 445 kg, also ranks at a top level in the world, he added.

The minister reaffirmed China's commitment to opening up the country's agriculture sector to the outside world, as it had pledged to the World Trade Organization (WTO). China joined the WTO in 2001.

From 2001-2017, China's farm produce trade rose from 27.9 billion U.S. dollars to 201.39 billion dollars, ranking second largest in the world.

In 2017, China recorded a deficit of 50.33 billion dollars in farm produce trade, with 75.53 billion dollars of exports and 125.86 billion dollars of imports.

China will continue to loosen market entry access and improve the business environment for foreign investors. It will also help build technology promotion centers and send training experts to less-developed nations.

When answering questions on the Sino-U.S. trade frictions, Han said China does not want to be engaged in a trade war but has no choice, and that it must face up to it without fear, he said.

With solid basis accumulated from 40 years of reform and opening-up, innovative Chinese farmers and a huge market with right rural policy-making and implementation, China will certainly face up to the reality with composure, he said.

Only cooperation brings about win-win. It is a time-honored trend and a conclusion drawn by history, he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 16:47:49|Editor: xuxin

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- For several hours, subscribers of several cell networks were unable to access their network after receiving the first ever presidential alert on Wednesday, local reports said.

The unexpected outage began at around 11:21 a.m. Pacific Time (1821 GMT), about two minutes after the inaugural test of the National Wireless Emergency Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, which is run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"The presidential alert went out and after that I lost all Internet, Gmail, apps. Everything stopped working," Sarah Mendivel, a medical researcher at Seattle Children's Hospital, told the Seattle Times Wednesday afternoon.

Soon after the outage, an AT&T spokesperson told the Seattle Times that the problem had been addressed and that it had not been related to the presidential text.

It is the first nationwide test of the system built by the federal government and cell phone carriers to warn Americans of an emergency, like a terror attack or a widespread disaster.

"The test will assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and determine whether improvements are needed," read a statement from FEMA ahead of the alert test.

The alert went out to nearly every smart phone in the United States that was turned on and there was no opt-out. Originally scheduled for Sept. 20, the test was postponed due to ongoing response efforts to Hurricane Florence.
English French

Paris, October 4, 2018

In furtherance of the Group's strategic ambitions, the Groupe BPCE Supervisory Board, meeting under the Chairmanship of Michel Grass, approved today, on a proposal by Laurent Mignon, the appointment of the new Management Board for a four-year term. Furthermore, Groupe BPCE announces the appointments of several new members of the General Management Committee. These appointments will take effect in the coming weeks.

The Groupe BPCE General Management Committee will henceforth comprise:

Laurent Mignon , Chairman of Groupe BPCE Management Board and Chief Executive Officer;



Laurent Benatar , Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Information Systems and business efficiency;



Jacques Beyssade , Corporate Secretary in charge of legal affairs, group governance, compliance, permanent control and public affairs.



Christine Fabresse , member of the Management Board, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of retail banking and insurance. She currently chairs the Caisse d'Epargne Languedoc-Roussillon Management Board;



Jean Yves Forel , Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of retail banking in Europe and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games project;



Dominique Garnier , Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of the integration project for the factoring, sureties and guarantees, leasing, consumer finance and securities services activities. He will assume responsibility for these business lines on completion of the acquisition. He is currently Chief Executive Officer of Banque Populaire Aquitaine Centre Atlantique;



Catherine Halberstadt , member of the Management Board, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of human resources;



Nicolas Namias, member of the Management Board, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer;



Francois Riahi , member of the Management Board, Chief Executive Officer of Natixis;



Yves Tyrode, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of digital.

In addition,

Stephanie Paix, who currently chairs the Caisse d'Epargne Rhone-Alpes Management Board, is to join BPCE in the coming weeks as Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Groupe BPCE's General Inspection. She will report to Laurent Mignon.

Geraud Brac de La Perriere, currently general inspector, will become head of risks for Groupe BPCE starting from January, 2019. Due to his position, he will report to Laurent Mignon and will participate in the General Management Committee meetings depending on the committee agenda.

Profiles:

Christine Fabresse, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of retail banking and insurance, and member of the Management Board

After graduating from Montpellier Business School, Christine Fabresse joined Credit Lyonnais in 1987 where she held various commercial management positions, including business center manager, international cash management specialist, and head of retail and professional markets. Then, she held several positions in human resources from 2001, notably as head of HR development at Credit Lyonnais, before joining in 2003, Credit Agricole SA as head of HR policies and mobility. In 2006, she re-joined the general management committee of LCL as head of business development for retail banking. In 2008, she was appointed to the executive committee of the Caisse Nationale des Caisses d'Epargne (CNCE) with responsibility for sales management. Then, within Groupe BPCE, she became in 2011 head of business development for the Caisses d'Epargne and executive committee member. Christine Fabresse has chaired the Caisse d'Epargne Languedoc Roussillon Management Board since 2013.

Dominique Garnier, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of steering and coordinating the integration project for the factoring, sureties and guarantees, leasing, consumer finance and securities services activities

Dominique Garnier joined Banque Populaire Anjou Vendee after graduating from ESSCA management school in 1983. After a period of secondment within Groupe Banque Populaire General Inspection between 1992 and 1994, he joined the Banque Populaire Anjou Vendee Management Committee. He took part in the creation of Banque Populaire Atlantique in 2001 and was later appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the bank in 2002. In 2008, he became deputy head of strategy for Banque Federale des Banques Populaires. On the creation of Groupe BPCE in 2009, he was appointed head of coordination for Commercial Banking and became a member of the BPCE Executive Committee. After becoming Chief Executive Officer of Banque Populaire du Sud-Ouest in Bordeaux in 2010, he led the bank's merger project with Banque Populaire Centre Atlantique. Since November 2011, Dominique Garnier has been Chief Executive Officer of Banque Populaire Aquitaine Centre Atlantique.

Stephanie Paix, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Groupe BPCE's General Inspection

A graduate of Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris, Stephanie Paix worked in the Banques Populaires inspection team from 1988 to 1994. Then, she became regional manager for Banque Populaire Rives de Paris, then manager of back office and organization between 1994 and 2002. She subsequently joined Natexis Banque Populaire as back-office manager for corporate banking. In 2006, she became Chief Executive Officer of Natixis Factor and a member of Coface's executive committee. In 2008, she was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Banque Populaire Atlantique. Since 2012, Stephanie Paix has chaired the Caisse d'Epargne Rhone Alpes Management Board.

About Groupe BPCE

Groupe BPCE, the 2nd-largest banking group in France, includes two independent and complementary cooperative commercial banking networks: the network of 14 Banque Populaire banks and the network of 15 Caisses d'Epargne. It also works through Credit Foncier in the area of real estate financing. It is a major player in Asset and Wealth management, Insurance, Corporate & Investment Banking and Specialized Financial Services with Natixis. Groupe BPCE, with its 106,500 employees, serves a total of 31 million customers and enjoys a strong local presence in France with 7,800 branches and 9 million cooperative shareholders. The senior prefered debt long term is rated by four financial rating agencies, Moody's (A1, stable outlook), S&P (A, positive outlook), Fitch (A, positive outlook) and R&I (A, stable outlook).
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 16:45:57|Editor: xuxin

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PHNOM PENH, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen will pay a working visit to Japan from Oct. 6-10, according to a foreign ministry statement on Thursday.

In Tokyo, he will attend the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit and deliver a speech focusing on the future direction of the Mekong-Japan cooperation, the statement said.

It added that on the sideline of the summit, the Cambodian prime minister will hold official talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe to discuss various bilateral, regional and international issues of common interests.

Both prime ministers will hold a press conference after their talks, the statement said.

Hun Sen's entourage will include Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, several senior governmental officials and business leaders from the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, it said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 16:49:20|Editor: xuxin

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Confiscated elephant tusks are burnt during the destruction ceremony of confiscated elephant ivory and wildlife parts in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Oct. 4, 2018. Myanmar's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation on Thursday burnt confiscated elephant ivory and wildlife parts in capital city Nay Pyi Taw to combat illegal wildlife trade. (Xinhua/U Aung)

NAY PYI TAW, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation on Thursday burnt confiscated elephant ivory and wildlife parts in capital city Nay Pyi Taw to combat illegal wildlife trade.

The authorities ceremonially destroyed 1.3 million U.S. dollars worth of seized wildlife parts, including 277 ivory, 227 elephant and other wildlife's bones, 45 pieces of different wildlife skins, 1,544 different horns, 45.5 kilograms of pangolin scales and 128 varieties of other wildlife parts.

"It is crucial to sustainably conserve our country's natural resources including land, water, forest, mountain and wildlife for the sake of our future generation. We designate and establish protected areas for biodiversity conservation," Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation U Ohn Win said at the ceremony.

Meanwhile, 42 protected areas which account for 5.79 percent of total country area had been designated so far in Myanmar, the minister added.

In accordance with the section 19 of conservation of biodiversity and protected areas law established in May this year, wildlife protection have been distinguished in three levels -- totally protected, normally protected and seasonally protected species.

Species including elephant, tiger, leopard, gaur, bear, golden deer, pangolin are included in the list of totally protected species.

In accordance with the law, one can be sentenced to at least three to 10 years of imprisonment and fine if one kills or injures the animals in the lists of totally protected species and collects or trade their parts.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 17:00:46|Editor: ZX

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Tourists visit a spice trade museum in "City of Flower", a flower-themed complex, in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 4, 2018. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 17:19:33|Editor: xuxin

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UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called for international efforts to tackle imbalanced development through multilateralism and inclusive social development.

"Development is vital in today's world. We must, on the one hand, solve the problem of under-development and the problem of imbalanced development on the other," Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), told the Third Committee of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

All countries should be committed to the goal of cooperation for win-win results, and based on the rules and order, jointly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, and promote economic globalization toward openness, inclusiveness, shared benefits and balanced development, said Wu.

"We should respect the development path chosen by each country and the right of all countries to pursue a better life and development space," he said.

The Chinese envoy also urged the international community to enhance inclusive social development.

All countries should pursue people-centered development by building a universal and sustainable social security system, promoting full employment and decent work to foster socially inclusive development, he said.

Public financial input should be increased to protect the legitimate rights and interests of vulnerable groups to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor, so that these groups can share in the development results, he said.

Wu also called for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in a balanced way.

Countries should integrate the 2030 Agenda into their national development strategies taking their individual conditions into consideration, so that together they can embark on the path toward an innovative, coordinated, green and open development that benefits all, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 17:17:57|Editor: xuxin

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NEW DELHI, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The high-profile woman CEO of India's second largest bank ICICI Bank on Thursday resigned from her position amid allegations of conflict of interest.

In a submission to the Bombay Stock Exchange, the country's equity benchmark, the board of directors of the private sector ICICI Bank said that it had accepted CEO Chanda Kochhar's request to seek early retirement.

The development triggered a surge in the bank's stock price by 5.23 percent.

The bank has also appointed Sandeep Bakhshi in place of Kochhar who had been on long leave, pending a probe into allegations of nepotism and conflict of interest involving her and her businessman husband.

Kochhar shot to fame by becoming the first management trainee to rise to the position of ICICI Bank's CEO, breaking glass ceilings.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 17:53:25|Editor: xuxin

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ANKARA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Seven Turkish soldiers were killed, two others injured in a terror attack in the southeastern province of Batman on Thursday.

A road bomb, installed by the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) members, blasted when an armored military vehicle passed by in the rural area of Gercus district, the Batman Governor's Office said in a statement.

Local security forces launched a raid to nab the PKK militia following the attack.

The PKK is seen as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 18:23:52|Editor: xuxin

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CAPE TOWN, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The South African government on Thursday welcomed the decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which orders the United States to ensure that sanctions against Iran do not affect humanitarian aid and civil aviation safety.

The ICJ, which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, ordered the United States on Wednesday to remove any impediments to the free exportation to Iran of goods required for humanitarian assistance, as well as goods and services required for the safety of civil aviation.

Following its decision in May this year to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the United States reimposed sanctions against Iran which had been lifted as a result of the JCPOA.

"South Africa continues to maintain that the JCPOA, unanimously endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, was a major achievement for multilateral diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of conflict," the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said in a statement.

South Africa reiterates that the unravelling of the JCPOA could have unintended consequences for all parties involved and the broader international community, said the statement.

South Africa once again calls on all parties of the JCPOA to continue to honor their commitments under the agreement, DIRCO said.

South Africa has previously expressed its concern on the decision by the United States to withdraw from the JCPOA.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 18:57:59|Editor: Lu Hui

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LONDON, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Two pest controllers were found dead early Thursday in a factory after a suspected chemical spill in southeast England, local police said.

Emergency services were called to Banham Poultry in Attleborough near Norfolk at about 1:10 a.m. (BST) on Thursday after the sub contractors' bodies were discovered.

The men, one in his 30s and another in his 40s, were found close to the building and nobody else was injured, Norfolk Constabulary said.

The factory is currently in lock-down and local train services have been halted following reports of the suspected chemical spill at the site.

Three hazardous area response teams were sent to the factory, as well as an air ambulance.

"Despite the best efforts of all involved, two men died at the scene," a spokesman for the Eastern Ambulance Service said.

The factory is the largest employer in the area, employing around 1,000 workers directly and responsible for a further 2,000 in the supply chain.

The firm is a long-established Norfolk family business which can trace its history back more than 40 years.

The company produces its own chicks, hatches chicks and then rears chickens all the way through to slaughter. It supplies chickens to major supermarkets and other stores and wholesalers through Britain.
Source:Xinhua| 2018-10-04 19:36:42|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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ULAN BATOR, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's economy will grow 5.9 percent in 2018, supported by a revived coal sector and strong private investment mainly in the mineral and trade sectors, the World Bank (WB) said Thursday in its latest report.

Mongolia's economy in 2019 is predicted to expand by 6.6 percent, according to "Navigating Uncertainty," the October 2018 edition of the WB East Asia and Pacific Economic Update.

Private investment supported by foreign direct investment and private sector credit will remain a key driver for growth in the medium term, especially in the mining, manufacturing and transport services, Jean-Pascal N. Nganou, WB Senior Economist for Mongolia, said at a press conference.

"The Mongolian economy has shown good performance in the first quarter of 2018. Particularly, growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) increased from 5.1 percent in 2017 to 6.1 percent in the first quarter of this year," Nganou said, adding that Mongolia's economic growth is expected to continue.

Meanwhile, there are some domestic and external risks to Mongolia's economic growth, including the 2020 election which could delay the implementation of mega projects in the mining sector, trade tensions between major economies, and commodity market volatility, the bank warned.

The country's economy is heavily dependent on the mining industry, which contributes to about a quarter of the country's GDP and more than 90 percent of its exports.
Source: xinhua| 2018-10-04 18:59:28|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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BEIRUT, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Israeli warplanes violated Lebanon's airspace Thursday above Shebaa farms, while conducting surveillance above Hasbaya, Rashaya Al Wadi and West Bekaa, in south of the country, local media reported.

Another Israeli warplane also acted against Lebanon's airspace in the same areas on Wednesday, said a report by Elnashra, an online independent newspaper.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said earlier this week that Israel has violated Lebanon's airspace, land and sea over 1,500 times in the past eight months.

Israel reiterated its threats against Lebanon a few days ago, claiming that Hezbollah is keeping missiles in three different sites near Lebanon's Rafic Hariri International Airport.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. (the Company or Abattis) ( CSE: ATT ) ( OTC: ATTBF ) is pleased to announce that the research being done in conjunction with the University of British Columbia and Mitacs is close to completing their phase of testing. In Q1 2018, Abattis announced a research study in partnership with Mitacs to explore the development of nanoemulsified and liposomal platforms for transmucosal delivery of cannabinoid-rich hemp oil. The research and development work has been led by scientists from Abattis and the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia ("UBC").



Phase 1 of the study was a comparison of studies of transmucosal (stomach lining) vs sublingual (under the tongue) absorption of cannabinoids. The focus of this study is to confirm that sublingual absorption is indeed superior in terms of providing a higher percentage of successful cannabinoid reception into the bloodstream, providing much faster medical benefits through increasingly efficient absorption. Abattis is currently in the running to be one of the first bioceuticals companies to publish public research on sublingual and transmucosal absorption of cannabinoids.

Additional testing has also been done in regard to the measurement of the absorption of cannabinoids and omega3 and omega6 into the bloodstream. Current research has demonstrated that cold pressed hemp oil and added antioxidants (omega3 and omega6) have proved to be effectively paired, adding substantial stability to the cannabinoids. Samples were also subject to extensive heat testing to speed up degradation, concluding that stabilized cannabis oil with omega3 and omega6 additives lasted longer over time and provided increased potency.

"Abattis is very pleased with Phase 1 results so far and is on track to begin Phase 2 of 4 in the near future. Im excited to be working with premiere scientists from UBC, and in the Universitys first-class cell-culture research facility, said Rob Abenante, President and CEO of Abattis.

"Our research will help develop stable, encapsulated hemp-oil formulations for delivering the medicinal ingredients of cannabis orally, without the harmful effects of smoking. Stable hemp extracts, with tailored profiles of cannabinoids and terpenes, could be used for targeted treatment of patients and help them lead a healthier lifestyle," said Dr. Anubhav Pratap Singh, Assistant Professor, Food Nutrition and Health Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, UBC.

Abattis is confident that its Research and Development strategy is an integral part of the companys planned future line of white-label use and in-house products, adding to our vision of becoming a fully-integrated, downstream Cannabis solution provider.

About Abattis Bioceuticals Corp.

Abattis is a leading diversified cannabis company, with interests in operations engaged in growing, extraction, testing, propagation and retail distribution. Over the past year, Abattis has made key acquisitions to leverage synergies and vertically integrate its business. Through its partnership with Northern Vine Labs and its investment in XLABS Therapeutics (ONT) Inc., Abattis has access to a fully licenced laboratory facility and an industrial size laboratory currently in the process of obtaining a Health Canada dealers license and, through its wholly owned subsidiary Gabriola Green Farms, it has applied for a Health Canada license to produce and sell Cannabis flower and oils. Abattis also operates a retail vaporizers business through its wholly owned subsidiary, Green Tree Therapeutics, which offers 10 unique branded SKUs online and across the country and owns a series of marketing, licensing and technology rights. Abattis has also partnered with a number of organizations, including the University of British Columbia Faculty of Land and Food Systems, with which it is developing delivery platforms with increased stability and bioavailability for cannabinoid rich THC-free hemp extracts. For more information, visit the Company's website at: www.abattis.com

For inquiries please contact (808) 650-3007 or at investors@abattis.com.

Abattis IR is managed by Canada One Communications Inc.

About Canada One Communications Inc.

Canada One is a full-service Investor Relations and Marketing company that focuses on both private and public sectors within the Canadian markets. Canada One offers timely responses to all investor inquiries over several mediums and effective, thorough market awareness programs that are specifically designed to maximize exposure and bring value to shareholders. Canada Ones dedicated and experienced team strives to promote client information to the public and educate potential investors on the various developments of its clients. From basic phone-call and email investor correspondence, to full-scale comprehensive marketing packages which includes industry analysis, website development, corporate videos and other marketing programs, Canada One provides a full suite of services that are fully compliant with Canadian securities regulations. Canada One is driven by an uncompromising dedication to provide publicly listed and private companies with across-the-board investor relations and marketing solutions, directly translating these services into organic growth and increased market value of its valued clients.

"Rob Abenante"

Robert Abenante, President & CEO

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAS REVIEWED OR ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", intends, "should", "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties, that the Company will not be able to execute its proposed business plan in the time required or at all due to regulatory, financial or other issues; that the Companys competitors may develop competing technologies; changes in regulatory requirements; and other factors beyond the Companys control. Additional risk factors are included in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis, available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements are made as at the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, where because of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 19:10:22|Editor: ZX

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KABUL, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- More than 54,000 Afghan security force members will be deployed to ensure security of upcoming parliamentary and district councils elections scheduled to be held later this month, an official said Thursday.

"Afghan National Security and Defense Forces are directed to take security of the parliamentary and district councils elections. Some 54,000 security force members will be deployed to provide security for 5,100 polling centers across the country and will provide security for election candidates and their campaign rallies," Nasrat Rahimi, an interior ministry spokesperson, told reporters.

Rahimi asked the election candidates to share information with the security forces, prior to holding their campaign meetings all over the country.

On Tuesday, 14 people were killed and 42 others wounded when a suicide bombing struck an election rally in the country's eastern Nangarhar province, where Rahimi said security forces would foil it if were informed prior to the meeting.

The first parliamentary election in the post-Taliban Afghanistan was held in 2005 while the second parliamentary polls took place in 2010.

However, the 2015 parliamentary polls, originally set to be held in early 2015 following presidential elections, were repeatedly delayed.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 19:28:35|Editor: xuxin

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KABUL, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Zalmay Khalilzad, the newly appointed United States advisor to Afghanistan and U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan peace and reconciliation, would make his first visit to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and three countries of the Middle East, reported a local media Thursday.

In a latest effort to bring about peace and accelerate Afghan reconciliation process, leading a delegation, Khalilzad would take 10 days to visit Afghanistan, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to private Pajhwok Afghan News.

"Khalilzad's mission is to coordinate and lead U.S. efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. He will do so in close coordination with the Afghan government and other stakeholders, exploring how best to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict," the report said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 19:26:24|Editor: xuxin

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OSLO, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- About 1.4 billion passwords, some of which belong to prominent Norwegians, were leaked in searchable database by an international group of online activists, newspaper Aftenposten reported Thursday.

Some of the passwords belong to Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, President and CEO of Telenor Group Sigve Brekke, Norwegian biggest bank DNB Group's chief executive Rune Bjerke and a number of other Norwegian political and business leaders.

Many of them were shocked that their personal passwords are now exposed online, the report said.

Aftenposten reached out to the activist group that leaked the info. Their spokesman said that the motivation to post the data online has been to "make people aware that their information may be hacked".

At the same time, the group asked for donations to the project in crypto currency, Aftenposten wrote.

"We are five people aged 17 to 37 years old. We found the data through several dumps with compromised e-mail addresses and passwords on an underground forum online," the anonymous spokesman wrote in an email.

"We are now considering hiding the passwords. That way, we can avoid the whole process of people asking to delete the data, " the spokesman added.

He emphasizes, however, that the passwords will still be available a lot of other places online through hacks' leakages.

In addition to the prime minister, passwords from four Norwegian ministers and three party leaders have been compromised by the hackers. At least seven of the hacked email addresses belonged to the domain of the Norwegian parliament.

State Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister Rune Alstadsaeter said that Solberg's email account from the parliament was deactivated when she became prime minister in 2013.

Although much indicates that many of the passwords contained in the database could be up to 10 to 15 years old, Roar Thon, senior advisor of the Norwegian National Security Authority, warned that leakage can pose significant security hazards.

"I do not disregard that many of the passwords can still be used to log in to different services. The big problem also lies in the fact that many people seem to repeat the same password phrases in a number of different places," Thon said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 19:51:32|Editor: xuxin

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KIEV, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Ukrainian parliament on Thursday approved a bill on extending the term of validity of the "special status" law for the conflict-hit eastern region of Donbas to Dec. 31, 2019.

According to a statement on the parliament's website, the bill, which was submitted by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, was passed with 245 votes in favor.

The armed confrontation between the Ukrainian government troops and pro-independence armed groups in the Donbas region has been underway since April 2014, and has so far claimed about 10,000 lives.

In September 2014, the Ukrainian parliament approved the law on the "special status" of some areas in Donbas, increasing the economic, financial and administrative powers of local communities.

The legislation with a validity term of three years was due to expire in October 2017, but it was extended for another 12 months.

Earlier, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Kurt Volker, U.S. envoy on Ukraine's crisis, urged Kiev to extend the term of validity of the "special status" law to contribute to the peaceful settlement of the conflict.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 19:55:12|Editor: xuxin

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BEIRUT, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- British Ambassador to Lebanon Chris Rampling said Thursday that the United Kingdom is committed to its support of the Lebanese army to preserve security and stability in the country, local media reported.

"We strongly believe in the capacity of the Lebanese army as the only protector of Lebanon and we support its efforts in providing security to all its citizens from the borders to the Mediterranean Sea," he was quoted by Lebanese National News Agency as saying.

The ambassador's remarks came during his visit to the school of Special Forces of the Lebanese army to congratulate the last soldier in the batch of the 10,000 members that were trained by the school.

"I am proud to give a training certificate to the last soldier trained by this school which reflects our commitment to the training of one third of the combat force in the Lebanese army," he said.

Rampling noted that UK's investment in the support of the Lebanese army has reached 63 million British pounds (82 U.S. million dollars) since 2010.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 19:56:39|Editor: xuxin

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JUBA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's national security service has freed at least 20 detainees following a presidential amnesty to persons detained during the five-year-old conflict, state radio reported on Thursday.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir last week ordered the release of all prisoners of war and political detainees as part of a recently signed peace deal.

Kiir asked the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to supervise the release of the prisoners.

An official of the country's internal security service told South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) that the freed detainees were arrested in connection with rebellious activities against the state, without giving details of the released individuals.

The ICRC has not commented about the reported release of the prisoners.

Kiir, his former deputy and arch rival Riek Machar and several opposition groups early last month signed a new power-sharing deal aimed at ending the conflict that has devastated the world's youngest nation.

However, the latest deal is being threatened by a fresh wave of clashes that erupted shortly after it was signed in Addis Ababa, 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 the east African country.

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 in July 2016, following renewed violence in the capital, Juba.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 20:16:21|Editor: xuxin

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ABUJA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- At least 18 people were feared killed and six others wounded following a night attack by gunmen in Bassa, a town in Plateau State, in central Nigeria, according to local sources on Thursday.

Police authorities also confirmed the incident, which occurred late Wednesday.

Police spokesman Tyopev Terna told Xinhua by telephone that an investigation into the attack is underway.

Local sources, however, said suspected herdsmen stormed the community at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday to carry out the attack.

One survivor and community leader told Xinhua that neighbors gathered at least 18 bodies after the attack, saying the victims included toddlers, teenagers, women, and local farmers.

"Most of them (the attackers) wore black robes," said the community leader who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Bassa is one of the frequently attacked towns in Nigeria's Plateau State, which is situated in Nigeria's middle belt where the Muslim-dominated north and the Christian-majority south meet.

On Sept. 8, 2017, at least 19 persons were confirmed killed and five others wounded in Bassa town.

Earlier this year, 25 people were killed and 11 houses razed when suspected herdsmen attacked the same town.

Last Friday, the government of Plateau imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in parts of the state after some gunmen attacked north of Jos, the state capital, killing at least nine. The government relaxed the curfew two days later.

Plateau has witnessed almost constant rifts between locals and Fulani herdsmen. Many, including women and children, have been killed in previous attacks.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 20:15:26|Editor: xuxin

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JERUSALEM, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military said on Thursday it was boosting forces along the separating fence with the Gaza Strip amid rising tensions in the region.

A "wide-scale Israel Defense Forces reinforcements in the southern command" were started, said a military statement, citing the policy to "thwart terror activity and prevent infiltrations into Israel from the Gaza Strip."

The decision was taken following a situation assessment held earlier Thursday morning by Chief of the General Staff Gadi Eisenkot and senior military and security officials.

The new deployment will span over the next few days, the statement said.

The spokesperson warned that the military is "prepared for a wide range of scenarios" and held Hamas "accountable for all that happens in the Gaza Strip and from it."

The move came after Yahya Sinwar, leader of Islamic Hamas movement in Gaza, gave an interview to an Israeli newspaper, which was published on Thursday and in which he called on for a cease-fire with Israel.

In what appeared to be the first interview to an Israeli newspaper, Sinwar told the Yedioth Aharonot daily that "I'm not saying I won't fight anymore. I'm saying I don't want any more wars. What I want is an end to the siege," said the 55-year-old leader, referring to the crippling blockade Israel has imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007.

"My first commitment is to act in the interest of my people, to protect them and to defend their right for freedom and independence," he added.

He warned that if Israel does not lift the blockade, which inflicted a humanitarian crisis on Gaza, another round of war would be impossible to prevent.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 20:46:16|Editor: xuxin

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BUDAPEST, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian state-owned electric giant MVM signed a 100 million euros (115 million U.S. dollars) international long-term credit agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) here on Thursday.

"The 15-year loan will be used to invest in the network of transmission system operator (TSO) MAVIR for the period between 2018 and 2020," MVM said in a statement. "The expansion of the interconnection between the electricity networks of Hungary and Slovakia is also among the projects to be financed with the credit line."

"The developments will not only improve the security of Hungary's transmission system, but will also have a positive impact on the regional network of Central and Eastern Europe," according to MVM leader Gyorgy Kobor.

MVM and the EIB had signed credit agreements earlier, in 2010 and in 2014, to finance upgrades of the transmission system and gas storage facilities with a value of almost 250 millions euros (287 million U.S. dollars).
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 20:56:13|Editor: xuxin

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THE HAGUE, Oct. 4 (Xinhua)-- The Netherlands Defence Intelligence and Security Service (DISS, or MIVD in Dutch) has prevented a cyberattack by the Russians secret service on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced during a press conference in The Hague on Thursday.

The operation, according to the Dutch statement, was the work of the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU.

It says that the four Russian intelligence officers allegedly involved were sent out on a plane to Moscow the same day. They had to leave their belongings and therein, according to the DISS, equipment that was used to hack.

"By making it public we make clear that we do not tolerate this," said Dutch Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld at the press conference. "We give a clear signal. Russia has to stop with this. The Russian ambassador has been summoned so we can give him this message too."

"The Netherlands is responsible for protecting international organizations within its borders, and that is what we have done," Bijleveld added. "I am incredibly proud of the people who made this counter-intelligence operation successful."

DISS director major general Onno Eichelsheim was also present at the press conference.

Eichelsheim called the press conference "uncomfortable" as he and his service are accustomed to operating in secrecy. "But sometimes it is also important to get out of the shadow, because it is necessary," he added.

Eichelsheim added that the United States department of justice came out with an indictment later on Thursday against several Russian intelligence officers and will also give further details.

On Aug. 6, 2018 the United Stated department of justice submitted a request for legal assistance to the Dutch public prosecutor's office in connection with a criminal investigation into unauthorized Russian cyber operations.

In response to this request, the Dutch supplied information and launched their own investigation.

The OPCW is now investigating into alleged chemical attacks in Syria and the case of Russian agent Sergei Skripal, who was poisoned by nerve agent in Britain. The OPCW did not mention anything on the source of this poison attack, with the British accusing Russia of involvement. Russia denies these accusations.

The DISS was unable to confirm whether the hack attempt on the OPCW had to do with the Skripal case. "We have not been able to establish that," said Eichelsheim.
Washington, DC, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As ICMA-RCs second RealizeRetirement Tour begins its conclusion, results from the 2017-2018 Tour have demonstrated extremely positive outcomes. Over the course of more than 12 months, the Realize Retirement Adventure, which features a fully immersive public sector escape game with a mix of financial retirement education, has reached over 20,000 public sector employees. Based on a sample of tour participation activity, the RealizeRetirement Adventure drove a 22% increase in contributions to 457 savings plans for tour participants. Survey results also showed that 65% of those that participated in the tour were more likely to increase their contribution, review their asset allocation or set up a meeting with an ICMA-RC representative to learn more about their retirement savings options.





"We are extremely pleased by the results of the ICMA-RC RealizeRetirement Adventure," said ICMA-RC President and CEO, Bob Schultze. "Using interactive and innovative technology to help create a positive and engaging experience is leading public sector employees to think about their futures and act to build their retirement security. Thats a win-win for everyone."

ICMA-RC plans to launch a third installment of its RealizeRetirement Tour Series in November. Featuring a new financial retirement education escape experience, the tour will also incorporate augmented reality and highlight ICMA-RCs products, technology and services which are designed to help public sector employees achieve their retirement goals.

"Immersive storytelling that incorporates educational components and best practices in experiential marketing is a powerful way to bring retirement planning to life," said Alex Hannah, Managing Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer. "We look forward to deepening our engagement with public sector employees during our third RealizeRetirement Tour, which will allow participants to look at their futures in an entertaining and compelling way."

For more information and a closer look at the RealizeRetirement Adventure survey results, please click on the following link: RealizeRetirement Adventure Case Study.



About ICMA-RC
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 20:58:24|Editor: xuxin

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TOKYO, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- New Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki whose four-year term officially began Thursday reiterated his stance on blocking the central government's plan to relocate a controversial U.S. military base within Japan's southernmost prefecture.

Tamaki won Sunday's gubernatorial election based on a campaign to block the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a crowded residential area of Ginowan to the coastal region of Henoko in Okinawa. He said he will do his utmost to fulfill his predecessor's efforts.

"With my whole mind and body, I will do my best to achieve the return of the land occupied by the Futenma base as early as possible and halt the construction of a new base in Henoko," Tamaki was quoted by local media as telling a press briefing Thursday.

The 58-year-old governor has said that he was tasked by former governor Takeshi Onaga, a staunch opponent of the base relocation plan, prior to his death in August, to continue with his efforts to block the central government's base transfer plans.

Tamaki during the press briefing also implored the central government to take a "democratic approach to seek a solution to the base issue through dialogue."

The construction of the new base has been suspended following the prefectural government retracting a landfill permit approved by Onaga's predecessor, Hirokazu Nakaima, in 2013.

The retraction, according to prefectural officials, was as per Onaga's wish prior to his death.

Okinawans wanted to see the base moved off the island and out of Japan altogether.

Legal action against the central government's base relocation plans has been taken on numerous occasions by both the local government and civic groups in Okinawa who are becoming increasingly vexed by their base-hosting burdens and the environmental destruction caused by the U.S. bases and their activities.

Their latest legal case questions the legality of the landfill work and is partly based on the premise that the current construction work in Nago will irrecoverably damage the region's delicate ecosystem by crushing rocks as part of the land reclamation work.

The return of the land to Okinawa used for the Futenma base was agreed in 1996 between the United States and Japan and in 2006 both sides inked a deal, part of which included transferring the airfield to the Henoko region on the island.

Amid staunch opposition from local officials and residents of Okinawa, and as anti-U.S. sentiment rises on the tiny island in the wake of a number of heinous crimes committed by U.S. base-linked personnel, the central government maintains that shifting the base to Henoko remains "the only solution."

Tamaki, a radio presenter-turned-politician and former opposition lawmaker, comfortably won the Okinawa gubernatorial election on Sunday, beating former Ginowan mayor Atsushi Sakima who had the backing of the ruling coalition.

Tamaki said he will "convey the Okinawa people's will to oppose the base transfer to the central government."

"Mr. Onaga staked his life on achieving the mission of building no more bases in Okinawa. His wish was shared by people in the prefecture and led to my victory," Tamaki said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 21:18:11|Editor: xuxin

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BERLIN, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- German municipal authorities urged the country's federal government on Thursday to act fast in implementing a new "dieselgate" policy package which was recently unveiled.

"The implementation must now occur swiftly and unbureaucratically", Gerd Landsberg, executive director of the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) on Thursday.

The measures were agreed by the ruling "grand coalition" following lengthy cabinet consultations and aim at reducing nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx) in urban centers without necessitating outright diesel driving bans.

Landsberg emphasized that the success of the measures would hereby also hinge on the willingness of German carmakers to "assume their responsibility, including financially" with regards to technical retrofitting of affected vehicles.

The first-ever inclusion of technical retrofitting, or so-called "hardware upgrades", in which the government has dubbed the "concept for clean air and the protection of individual mobility in our cities", marks a major shift of tone in Berlin's response to the ongoing "dieselgate" crisis.

Hardware upgrades have been described as essential to achieve a significant reduction in NOx emissions without requiring driving bans by German minister for the environment Svenja Schulze and several national environmental groups. However, these upgrades had been previously resisted by transport minister Andreas Scheuer as well as the affected carmakers.

Volkswagen and Daimler have now surrendered their opposition to hardware upgrades on the premise that a certified procedure is created for car garages to facilitate the process. BMW, Opel as well as several international car manufacturers are still refusing to back the German government on the issue.

Additionally, Volkswagen has made its support for the most contentious part of the policy package conditional on the ability of Chancellor Angela Merkel to ensure the participation of all carmakers in the retrofitting programs.

Helmut Dedy, secretry general of the German Association of Cities, sharply criticized the lasting hesitancy of the automotive industry to cooperate with policymakers in lowering NOx pollution on Thursday.

"It is incomprehensible that a producer announces a few hours after the compromise that they will not participate in retrofitting", Dedy told the newspaper Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung.

Although he was generally confident that "grand coalition" concept would improve air quality, Dedy noted that it was unclear how quickly the new measures would produce concrete results and whether they would suffice to avert looming driving bans.

Germany's Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) has estimated that diesel cars are responsible for more than 50 percent of NOx emissions in the country. NOx levels currently exceed binding limits set in EU clean air legislation in several major German cities, prompting the European Commission to file an ongoing lawsuit against the federal government in Berlin at the European Court of Justice.
File photo provided by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 10, 2018 shows Kim Jong Un (R), top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), shaking hands with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on May 9, 2018. (Xinhua/KCNA)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming tour of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to four Asian nations is aimed at building on the momentum of the denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang and "put meat on the bare bones of the Singapore communique," experts said on Wednesday.

According to a statement released by State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert on Tuesday, Pompeo will travel to the capital cities of Japan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), South Korea and China from Oct. 6-8. In Pyongyang on Oct. 7, he will meet with top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.

"Throughout the Secretary's trip he will reiterate the Administration's continued focus on the final, fully verifiable, denuclearization of the DPRK, and longstanding commitment to our alliances and partnerships in the region," the statement said.

Earlier during a press briefing on Tuesday, Nauert said, "among the things that the secretary discussed were security assurances," noting "the secretary and the president said we're not going to set arbitrary deadlines in the interim. We're hopeful."

Dan Mahaffee, senior vice president and director of policy at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, told Xinhua that Pompeo's trip "is to continue momentum surrounding nuclear disarmament and to determine what the gaps are between North Korea and the United States when it comes to understanding just what the desired end state is."

"It is interesting to see what security guarantees, economic inducements, and diplomatic offers they (the DPRK) seek from the U.S. and South Korean governments to keep this process moving," he said. "I think there is momentum towards a treaty to end the war, yet differing visions for what the peace treaty would mean in terms of the close cooperation and alliance structure between the United States and South Korea."

However, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Michael O'Hanlon told Xinhua that "the core challenge being to agree at least in broad terms on at least the first part of a nuclear deal that would halt production of more bombs promptly. Without that, everything else is hard, maybe too hard."

Douglas Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said, "indications are the U.S. wants measurable progress toward denuclearization and the North wants an end to the state of war, but the North's media rejects these as trade-offs, and wants its demand for an end to the armistice first."

"Pompeo's credibility is very much on the line if he cannot show progress on something directly related to the North nuclear and missile capabilities. Presumably his meeting with Foreign Minister Ri (Yong Ho) gave him some indication this trip would not be a waste of time," the expert pointed out. "A peace treaty is a long way away, and would require other actors, such as Seoul and Beijing."

A senior research fellow for Northeast Asia at the Heritage Foundation Bruce Klingner said, "Pompeo is hoping to put meat on the bare bones of the Singapore communique by getting Pyongyang to accept the UN-mandated denuclearization of its arsenal."

"There does not seem to have been any behind-the-scenes progress or success, so the situation has not actually changed from when Pompeo's August trip was cancelled," he said.

"Pompeo should condition a second U.S.-North Korean summit on viable progress on a denuclearization accord far stronger than the Singapore communique. The concern is that his visit is simply to deal with logistics for another ill-prepared summit based more on theatrics than substance," he added.

Saying that there are significant reasons arguing against the United States signing a peace declaration, Klingner said Trump may be tempted by the seeming historic aspect of doing so.

Overall, the "Trump administration now faces the dilemma of enforcing principles and risking strained relations with Seoul, or boarding the euphoric peace train," he said.

"Trump seems pulled in both directions. He has expressed both unrealistic claims of what the Singapore summit accomplished, as well as subsequent disappointment in the lack of tangible progress. It would be premature to again rush into another summit meeting without sufficient planning," said the expert.

Last month, the State Department said Pompeo will travel to Pyongyang to discuss a second summit meeting between the leaders of two sides. Analysts said Pompeo is also tasked to lay the groundwork for Trump's second meeting with Kim.

Pompeo said on Wednesday that he is optimistic that the upcoming talks with the DPRK will have better understandings and deeper progress.

Speaking at a press briefing, Pompeo aid "I'm very happy to be going back to get another chance to continue to advance the commitment that Chairman Kim and President Trump made back in Singapore."

The DPRK on Saturday demanded the United States take steps to secure Pyongyang's trust before its denuclearization.

"Without any trust in the U.S. there will be no confidence in our national security and under such circumstances there is no way we will unilaterally disarm ourselves first," DPRK's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the UN General Assembly.

The key to consolidating peace and security on the Korean Peninsula is to thoroughly implement the joint statement adopted at the historic summit between Kim and Trump in Singapore in June, said Ri.

Speaking of Pompeo's stay in Tokyo, Mahaffee said "Tokyo is the most concerned about how the rapprochement between the United States and North Korea affects the trilateral security relationship between the U.S., South Korea, and Japan -- and the threat posed by North Korea."

"Japan had been a strong advocate of increased pressure on North Korea, but may feel a little 'left out of the loop' as Trump and (South Korean President) Moon (Jae-in) suddenly changed course," he explained. "Japan does not see the threat from North Korea diminishing, and therefore may be feeling the need to improve its own security capabilities, as well as coordination with the U.S. government on these issues."

Paal, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said, "Japan still harbors concerns that Trump may lower the bar too far for Pyongyang at the expense of Japanese security. Seoul is less concerned."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 21:36:20|Editor: xuxin

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MOSCOW, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- A de-dollarization plan for Russia's economy has been prepared and submitted to the government, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Thursday.

"We will be creating a preferential treatment, encouraging our participants in foreign economic activities to use our national currency," Siluanov, also first deputy prime minister, told reporters.

The plan encourages exporters to gradually transition settlements in the U.S. dollar to the Russian ruble by 2024, and businesses resorting to settlements in rubles will have an accelerated return of the value added tax, Siluanov said.

The plan will not affect foreign currencies in deposits held by Russian citizens in Russian banks, Siluanov said.

Russian officials have repeatedly proposed moving away from the U.S. dollar to the ruble due to the U.S. sanctions on Russia.

The Russian government said Wednesday in a press release that it is mulling a reduction in the economy's dependence on the U.S. dollar, including through encouraging trade in the national currency, but there are no plans to fully abandon transactions in the greenback.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that the process of de-dollarization will be difficult.

"This is a process that cannot be short-term. It is stretched out in time. So this is very, very long and scrupulous work," Peskov said.

Relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated over the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain earlier this year. London accused Moscow of being involved in the attack while Moscow denied it.

U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order in September to further sanction Russia and blacklist another 33 Russian entities and individuals allegedly linked to the defense sector and secret services.

On the day of updating the sanctions, U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that the sanctions are "in response to Russia's aggression in Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, cyber intrusions and attacks, interference in the 2016 elections, and other malign activities."

Russia has long denied the allegations of interference in the U.S. presidential elections and hacker attacks.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 21:44:00|Editor: ZX

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BEIJING, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The fourth day of the current National Day holiday will see a dip in railway passenger trips while railway operator keeps dispatching additional trains to smooth the way for millions of passengers.

Thursday is estimated to register some 12.8 million railway passenger trips, down from the 13.1 million trips seen on Wednesday, according to the China Railway Corporation (CRC).

Some 467 additional trains will be added to the schedule on Thursday, less than the 525 mobilized a day earlier, according to the state-run railway operator.

The holiday, which runs from Oct. 1 to 7, is expected to create a 10-day travel rush beginning Sept. 28 with some 129 million railway trips made mostly for travel and family reunion, CRC said.

The figure marks a 9.5-percent year on year increase from the holiday last year and a gain of 11.2 million trips.

According to Ctrip, China's leading online provider of travel services, the number of people traveling by high-speed rail during the seven-day holiday is expected to more than double year-on-year.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 21:49:43|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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YAOUNDE, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Cameroonian army told observer missions on Thursday that it has taken necessary security measures to ensure the presidential poll on Sunday unfolds without hitches in the restive English-speaking regions of Southwest and Northwest.

"The army will provide security for accredited election observers. We will accompany them to the regions to ensure their security," Col. Ze Onguene told a briefing for national and international election observers three days before the balloting.

However, he warned that armed separatist forces are determined to disrupt voting in the regions.

"After the failure of 'Ambazonia' independence, they are now determined to stop election from taking place in the regions, Onguene said.

According to the Cameroonian electoral body, Elections Cameroon (Elecam), six diplomatic missions and 11 international organisations have been accredited to observe the presidential poll in the country.

Over 6,500,000 registered voters are expected to vote on Sunday, Elecam officials said.

Since November last year, government forces have been clashing with armed separatist forces who want the two regions to secede from the majority French-speaking nation and form a new country called "Ambazonia."

Over 180,000 people have been displaced by the conflict internally and at least 30,000 others are seeking refuge in Nigeria, according to the United Nations.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 22:20:12|Editor: xuxin

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ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) has expressed concern regarding aflatoxins' threats to Africa's food safety.

Aflatoxins are one of the most pervasive manifestations on the continent's challenges with regard to food safety, the AU said in a statement on Thursday.

The pan-African bloc hosted a continental Partnership Platform Meeting for Aflatoxin Control in Africa, according to the statement.

AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and Senegalese Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne attended the meeting on Tuesday.

Faki stressed the dangers posed by these toxins, which affect multiple staple and cash crops, such as maize, groundnuts, sorghum and many others.

"Aflatoxin has serious health implications. It is a hindrance to intra-African trade, and threatens the competitiveness of African agricultural products on the world market," Faki was quoted as saying.

According to the AU, aflatoxin also causes significant post-harvest losses across the continent, reducing the availability of food as a major challenge to Africa's food safety endeavors.

Fakil stressed "the need for greater mobilization at the continental level to combat this scourge, building on the work already done within the framework of the Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA), established within the AU Commission since 2012."

East African Community (EAC) member states in August announced plans to develop a policy framework to address the human and animal health threat of aflatoxin contamination and boost food security.

Aflatoxins from fungi are widespread in the region and cause contamination of staple foods such as maize, milk and groundnuts in the field and during storage, according to the EAC.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-04 22:23:58|Editor: xuxin

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BUDAPEST, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Hungary expelled a Ukrainian diplomat following a similar move from Kiev, Peter Szijjarto, the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade declared here on Thursday.

"Following the Ukrainian measure, Hungary also expels a Ukrainian diplomat," Szijjarto declared at an extraordinary press conference.

"Hungary is interested in having good relations with each of its neighbors," Szijjarto announced. "But Ukraine has done nothing but increased the tensions between the two countries in the last few months," he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Ukraine declared that a Hungarian consul had 72 hours to leave the country after accusing the diplomat of distributing Hungarian passports to ethnic Hungarians in the western part of the country, where a large Hungarian ethnic minority is living.

"In the future we expect Hungary to refrain from any unfriendly steps towards Ukraine and its officials from violating Ukrainian legislation," the ministry announced in a statement.

The Hungarian consul in the town of Beregove has been declared persona non grata due to "the activity incompatible with the consular status."

The background of the diplomatic clashes is a history of diplomatic discord between Ukraine and Hungary which has threatened to veto Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integrations with the European Union and NATO.

The main subject of the dispute is the recent adoption by the Ukrainian parliament of a language law that puts the ethnic Hungarian children in a disadvantaged position in the Ukrainian school system, according to Budapest.

However, Ukraine affirms that the law is not directed against ethnic Hungarians, but rather serves at enhancing the education of Ukrainian, the official language.

The immediate reason for the expulsion of the Hungarian consul was a video published in September allegedly showing a Hungarian person issuing Hungarian passports to ethnic Hungarians at a ceremony in the consulate in Beregove.

In the video, a woman -- seemingly a Hungarian consul -- asked those receiving Hungarian passports not to report this to the Ukrainian authorities.

"It is a fact, that a video has been made in the framework of a mission by secret services, this is unacceptable by any standards in diplomacy," Szijjarto underlined.

Beregove is practically on the Hungarian border and is the one of the centers of the ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine.

Ukraine does not recognize the concept of dual citizenship.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-05 00:42:15|Editor: Liu

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RAMALLAH, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian foreign minister on Thursday slammed the United States for withdrawing from two international accords.

"Pulling out from the international accords is an escape that will not absolve it (the United States) of legal accountability," Riyad al-Malki, Palestinian minister of foreign affairs, said in a press statement.

"The U.S. decision reaffirms again the disrespect of the administration of President Donald Trump for international law and the international law-based order," al-Malki added.

Al-Malki affirmed that the Palestinian leadership will continue defending the rights of its people against the ongoing Israeli aggression and those who back it in accordance to the international law.

He called on the international community to confront "these reckless attitudes, which threaten the world order and international peace and security."

On Wednesday, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said Trump "has decided that the United States will withdraw from the Optional Protocol on Dispute Resolution to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."

On the same day, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran.

The U.S. move came after a Palestinian complaint last month to the International Court of Justice against the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and transferring its embassy to the disputed holy city on May 14.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-05 00:41:41|Editor: Liu

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ROME, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Italy and the European Union (EU) are headed for a collision over debt and deficit levels, and analysts said there is no clear sign which side will blink first.

Relations between Rome and Brussels continue to deteriorate as the four-month-old Italian government flouts the EU target for Italy's budget deficit to remain within 0.8 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019. Instead, the government last week unveiled a budget outline that predicted the deficit would be 2.4 percent of GDP next year.

The EU is calling for Italy to keep its budget deficit in check so that it can pay down public debt, which totals more than 130-percent of the country's GDP. That is the second highest level in the EU in terms of GDP, and the highest in absolute terms.

Last week's budget outline rattled financial markets, sending the yield on Italian government bonds to a nearly five-year high, though they retreated slightly this week. Shares in Italian banks also suffered, pushing stock market indexes lower.

Giovanni Tria, the minister of finance who days ago promised EU officials the 2019 deficit would stay within 1.6 percent of GDP, is working to calm fears that Italy could be inching closer to a debt default.

On Sunday, Tria said that the higher spending would spark new economic growth, increase tax revenue and make it easier to pay down debt. He also said the government's deficit targets would be reduced in 2020 and 2021, to 2.1 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively.

Italy says it must run a higher deficit in order to establish a basic income for all Italian citizens, reduce the retirement age, invest in updating the country's infrastructure, and establish a flat tax for corporations. The country is set to present its detailed 2019 budget on Oct. 20.

"The next two or three months are going to be very difficult," Lorenzo Codogno, founder and chief economist of LC Macro Advisors, a financial consultancy, and a professor at the London School of Economics, told Xinhua. "Italy is headed for an institutional clash [with the EU] and I don't see Italy changing its course."

Codogno said that if European officials allow Italy to go forward with the high deficit levels, it would send ripples through financial markets. "Stay tuned," he said. "There's going to be a lot of noise going forward."

According to Giandomenico Piluso, a professor of economic history at the University of Siena, investors have probably already taken the latest news into account, saying the actual budget presented on Oct. 20 was unlikely to have another major impact on markets "unless there is some kind of surprise one way or the other."

Piluso, in an interview, said there are two separate aspects to the situation with the 2019 budget.

"There's the side of public finance, which can be negotiated one way or another," he said. "The other side is the political, regarding the disagreement with the European Union. That is more of a problem because it is easy to think the government wants to test the European Union's resolve."

There is also some level of disagreement on budget priorities between anti-establishment Five-Star Movement and the rightwing, anti-migrant League, the two parties supporting the government of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. But Codogno and Piluso both said it was the standoff with the EU that is the biggest risk to the government's medium-term stability.

"The best bet is that the government manages to stay on its feet until May 2019," Codogno said, referring to the date of the next round of voting for the European Parliament. "After that I think everything will depend on the results of that vote."
HONOLULU, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spectrum Pension Consultants, Inc. (Spectrum), an independently owned licensee of Alliance Benefit Group (ABG), is pleased to announce the expansion of our Hawaii Office Team with the addition of Aaron Knecht and Brian Lamb to the staff of Peter Inoue and Lila Vasconcellos.



Aaron graduated from University of Hawaii Manoa with a degree in Political Science and has worked for two local Third Party Administration (TPA) firms and a large Professional Employer Organization (PEO) for a total of 10 years in the pension consulting field. Aaron will be overseeing client consulting and relationship management in the Hawaii Office. Brian Lamb is former owner of Incentive Benefits, Inc. where he successfully led the firm for over 20 years. After a business executive career, he returns to his passion of sales focus with a large territory including Washington, Hawaii, Central and Southern California. Brian brings a total of 30 years of pension consulting and administration and will work directly with Aaron and Peter in the Hawaii office.

"We could not be more excited of our team in Hawaii," comments Managing Director, CFO Yannis Koumantaros who leads the TPA vertical. "Spectrum has put together a team of professionals who have local roots, and integrated them into a successful merger and acquisition strategy in Hawaii." Spectrum celebrated 40 years in business this year, and is currently offering clients and prospects 40% discounts on the purchases of TPA Plan Services on both Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit plans.

About Alliance Benefit Group (ABG)

Alliance Benefit Group (ABG) is a national network of independently owned retirement plan consulting; investment advisory; health and welfare consulting; and benefits administration firms. ABG has over 50 offices nationally, 400 Credentialed experts, 20,000 Plans, 1.3M Plan Participants, and $70B Plan Assets. Learn more here: www.abgnational.com .
| 2018-10-05 00:41:09|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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AMMAN, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait on Thursday signed with Jordan a series of deals worth more than 2.3 billion U.S. dollars to support Jordan's economy, according to a statement by the Ministry of Finance obtained by Xinhua.

About 1.16 billion U.S. dollars had been deposited in the Central Bank of Jordan, while about 550 million dollars had been offered as soft loans to support development projects in Jordan, the statement said.

In addition, 200 million dollars were given as guarantees for the World Bank to enable Jordan to get loans at low rates, it added.

The Gulf states also signed a deal to provide 500 million dollars as budget support to Jordan over the next five years.

Meanwhile, Kuwait said it agrees to reschedule around 300 million dollars of Jordan's debts.

Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister Rajai Muasher voiced appreciation for the financial aid from the Gulf states, saying it will help Jordan through the challenges caused by regional instability and difficult fiscal and economic conditions.

In June, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE pledged to provide 2.5 billion dollars in support of Jordan's economy during a summit held in Mecca.
| 2018-10-05 01:13:27|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RABAT, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and Russia held on Thursday in Rabat the 7th session of the Joint Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation Committee.

Co-chaired by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev, the meeting explored means to further develop the economic relations, promote mutual investment and diversify areas of cooperation.

According to a statement from the Moroccan Foreign Ministry, the committee was held in a positive context marked by a new momentum and an important development of cooperation in all fields.

The momentum was started by the visit of Morocco's King Mohammed VI to Russia in October 2017, which led to the setting up of a Deep Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
| 2018-10-05 01:15:25|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NAIROBI, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's horticulture sector planned to participate in the upcoming China International Import Expo (CIIE) to boost its revenue, the industry association said on Thursday.

Okisegere Ojepat, CEO of Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya (FPCK), told Xinhua in Nairobi that the event will provide an opportunity for Kenyan exporters to meet potential Chinese buyers for horticultural products.

"We want to use our participation at the China International Import Expo to make a major entry in the lucrative Chinese market," Ojepat said.

He said the FPCK will be part of the Kenyan delegation at the expo.

He said currently the majority of fresh produce exports are sold in the European Union, United States and Middle East markets.

He added that about one percent of horticulture exports is sold to China and mostly through re-exports from other countries, stressing the sector will use the CIIE to boost direct sales into the vast Chinese market.

He observed that currently Kenya Airways and China Southern Airlines operate direct flights between Nairobi and Guangzhou.

"We want to leverage on this connectivity to boost sales of perishable goods into the Chinese market," the CEO said.

According to the FPCK, Kenya has a huge potential to increase exports given that 95 percent of fresh produce is consumed locally.

He said that in 2017, the east African nation exported some 159,000 tonnes of cut flowers.

The CEO added that the most common horticulture exports include cut-flowers, broccoli, spices and sugar snaps.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-05 03:17:26|Editor: Liu

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DAMASCUS, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Family members of the hostages taken by the Islamic State (IS) staged a sit-in on Thursday in the southern city of Sweida, calling for international help to secure their release.

The crowd, who gathered in front of the municipal building, staged the sit-in in a bid to attract international attention to the hostages snatched from the town of Shebki during a surprise IS attack on July 25.

Over 30 people, mostly women and children, were hustled to an unknown destination during the attack, in which over 260 others were killed. This is the deadliest IS attack in Sweida during the country's seven-year war.

The sit-in came as the killing of a 19-year-old young man by IS and the death of a 25-year-old woman, amid faltering negotiations between the Syrian government and IS.

The demonstrators carried photos of the kidnapped to deliver a message to the international organizations, calling for their help to secure the release of their kidnapped relatives.

On protester identified as Sami said the group hoped to "make our voice heard that our relatives should be set free."

He lamented the lack of international concern about the lives of the hostages in the hands of IS.

Shaima, a 25-year-old protester, held a photo of a kidnapped child. "What is the guilt of those kids to remain in the hands of Daesh," Shaima said, using the Arabic acronym of the IS.

The participants said their sit-in was an open one that would last for days until they see a result.

Their move came after the killing of Thuraya Abu Ammar, a 25-year-old single woman, who was among the hostages.

The IS militants first executed a 19-year-old man, and later a woman was said to have died due to her worsening medical condition while in IS captivity.

The execution of the woman was held at a very sensitive time as reports emerged that there was progress in the negotiations between the IS and the Syrian government through mediators.

Druze local fighters also released 27 people who are relatives to IS fighters as a goodwill gesture to seek the release of the Sweida hostages.

Those relatives were taken after the IS kidnapped the hostages from the town of Shebki in the eastern countryside of Sweida.

Meanwhile, the Syrian army has advanced in the battles against IS in the Tulol al-Safa hills, where the IS has been surrounded.

Sweida, which is predominantly inhabited by the Druze minority, has been largely safe during the country's seven-year civil war, except for the countryside of Sweida, as IS controlled parts of it near the desert.

The Syrian army has recently captured the provinces of Quneitra and Daraa in southern Syria, and the recapture of the al-Safa hilltops will mark the liberation of the entire southwestern region.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said Thursday that at least 311 IS militants and 166 Syrian soldiers have been killed since July 25 in the battles in Sweida amid an ongoing military showdown in the Tulol al-Safa hills.
| 2018-10-05 05:25:59|Editor: Liangyu

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ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is scheduled to inaugurate the Chinese-built Adama Industrial Park Sunday, an Ethiopian official said on Thursday.

Adama Industrial Park, located about 99 km southeast of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, was constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.

Speaking to Xinhua, Mekonen Hailu, Communications Director of the Ethiopia Investment Commission, said the industrial park was built with input from modern construction technology and is expected to create job opportunities for thousands of residents.

"Adama Industrial Park will be one more important addition in the government's strategy to boost Ethiopia's manufacturing prospects, through labor intensive sectors such as textile and garments," said Hailu.

He also said the Ethiopian government hoped that with the commissioning of industrial parks, knowledge transfer would be effected from companies investing inside the industrial park to their Ethiopian labor force.

The commissioning of Adama Industrial Park is expected to increase the number of operational industrial parks in Ethiopia to five, thereby helping the Ethiopian government's strategy of increasing the GDP share of the manufacturing sector in the east African country from the current five percent to around 22 percent by 2020.

Ethiopia plans to increase the number of operational industrial parks from the current four to around 30 by 2025, as part of its efforts to make the country a light manufacturing hub and lower-middle-income economy in the same period.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-05 05:34:00|Editor: Liu

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting in Jerusalem, on Oct. 4, 2018. German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Jerusalem this week for a quick visit. (Xinhua/JINI)

by Keren Setton

JERUSALEM, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Jerusalem this week for a quick visit.

Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu do not see eye-to-eye on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and differ on how to deal with the Iranian nuclear program.

But relations between Israel and Germany, with all the historical baggage attached, remain largely unharmed.

"The relations transcend the differences," said Gisela Dachs, a senior lecturer at DAAD Center for German Studies at the Hebrew University.

"It's a strong and close relationship that can withstand differences of opinion that definitely exist," Dachs told Xinhua.

Israel and Germany have maintained diplomatic ties since 1965. The Holocaust, which happened in Germany, is still haunting the relations between the two countries.

In recent years, differences between Netanyahu and Merkel have become more visible.

As Israelis and Palestinians fail to meet at the negotiating table and Netanyahu has become increasingly critical of the European handling of the Iranian nuclear issue, the two leaders have fewer points of agreement.

Under the Netanyahu government, Israel has increased construction in the Jewish settlements in the West Bank. This policy has caused backlash among the international community and was criticized by Merkel on several occasions.

The German chancellor is a staunch supporter of a two-state solution.

Merkel is not scheduled to visit the Palestinian territories during this short visit which is focused on the bilateral relations between Israel and Germany.

"Outside the Palestinian topic, there are very few disagreements between the two," said Shlomo Shpiro, director of the Europa Institute at the Bar-Ilan University.

At a joint press conference held after their meeting, Netanyahu referred to the differences.

"We have transformed our relationship into a warm and constructive friendship. It doesn't mean that we don't have disagreements, but there is an underlined commitment that I respect," he said.

"We may disagree on how ... but there is no question that we are working toward the same goal, and that is preventing Iranian armament," Merkel said after meeting Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

Ties of the two countries are indeed extensive. Germany is one of Israel's largest trading partners, with exports into Germany steadily increasing.

In addition, reports say German and Israeli intelligence agencies cooperate frequently and Germany has supplied the Israeli military with six submarines.

"German commitment to Israel has been put to the test and Germany has provided very important systems for its defense," Shpiro said.

"Security of Israel is really the raison d'etre of Germany," Dachs told Xinhua.

This sentiment has been expressed by the German leader many times and the warm relations displayed in Jerusalem are proof of a bond that is almost unbreakable, she concluded.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-05 05:35:11|Editor: Liu

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UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Syria Ali Al-Za'tari said Thursday that humanitarian operation in the country so far only received about 45 percent of what it asked for the year of 2018.

The UN official told a press conference that the UN humanitarian team asked for 3.4 billion U.S. dollars for Syria for 2018 but have until now only received about 45 percent, or 1.5 billion dollars.

"The humanitarian crisis in Syria is not going to phase out in 2019 and could probably cross into 2020 or future years," he noted.

Moreover, the UN humanitarian team is worried about the lack of clarity "as to the numbers of those who are in need in Syria for 2019," he said, explaining "our system is need-based, therefore we need to target those who are in need of humanitarian assistance."

To clarify that, he said, some factual assessments need to be carried about "across the entire sectors that we have," including health, water sanitation and protection.

The UN humanitarian team and their partners operate throughout Syria with the only exception of Idlib, where they operate across the border from Turkey.

According to the UN Refugee Agency, over 5.6 million people have fled Syria since 2011 when the civil war broke out, seeking safety in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and beyond.

Moreover, more than six million Syrians are internally displaced and some three million live in hard-to-reach and besieged areas.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-05 05:32:47|Editor: Liu

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DAMASCUS, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has demanded a list of the rebels' names and weapons as a deal concerning the demilitarized zone in northwestern Syria is expected to enter into force on Oct. 15, a war monitor reported Thursday.

Turkey, which has a clout over the rebel groups in Idlib Province in northwestern Syria, demanded a list of names and numbers as well as the types of weapons the rebels possess in the areas that would be demilitarized by mid-October, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The demilitarized zone between the Syrian army and the rebels was agreed upon between Turkey and Russia on Sept. 30.

Since the announcement of the agreement, which helped avert military operations in nearby countryside of Aleppo province and northeastern Latakia, Turkey has increased military presence to push the rebels in the planned demilitarized zone to withdraw.

However, it remains unclear how the deal would take effect as some of the al-Qaida-linked groups have declared their rejection.

Only the Turkey-backed Failaq al-Sham rebel group withdrew some of its heavy military gears from areas in the southern countryside of Aleppo adjacent to the northern countryside of Idlib.

The London-based watchdog, which claims to rely on a network of activists on the ground, said Turkish forces entered 30 truckloads of cement blocks into northern Idlib to fortify its positions.

It's worth noting that the planned demilitarized zone will be policed by the Turkish and Russian forces.

The main rebel group in Idlib, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, otherwise known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, has yet to give a decision about the Turkish-Russian deal, but its militants targeted a tank of the Syrian forces in the planned demilitarized zone, according to the Observatory.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said in a recent interview that the liberation of Idlib, as well as rebel-held areas in the countryside of Aleppo Province and Hama Province, will be part of the last chapter of fighting terrorism in Syria.

The first step of liberating Idlib is for the rebels to hand over their heavy and medium weapons by December, while allowing rebels originally from Idlib to remain in the province if they sign a reconciliation deal with the government, he noted.

The rebels from outside Idlib, including the foreign ones, will be returned to their cities and countries, al-Moallem added.

Idlib has emerged as the main destination and stronghold for the rebels fleeing other parts of Syria after deals or surrender.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-05 05:39:09|Editor: mmm

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MAPUTO, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi announced on Thursday in Maputo that demilitarization and integration of armed men of the former rebel movement, presently the main opposition party Renamo, will begin Saturday.

"We will commence the process for demilitarization, demobilization and integration from the coming Saturday," said the president, adding by Saturday, all the experts invited to witness this process will be in Maputo.

According to Nyusi, the experts are from Tanzania, Zimbabwe, the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Norway and India, a group to be led by a general from Argentina.

The president appealed all internal entities to join in the process and do their best to contribute to the country's long lasting peace.

The announcement came on the day when Mozambique celebrated the anniversary since the rival parties signed the Rome General Peace Accords in Rome in 1992, which put an end to a bloody civil war lasting for more than a decade.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-05 05:50:29|Editor: Liu

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CAIRO, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit urged newly-elected Iraqi President Barham Salih to play a major role in uniting Iraqis after years of division, the Cairo-based pan-Arab organization said in a statement on Thursday.

The AL chief made the remarks during his phone conversation with the new Iraqi president, where he congratulated him on assuming the country's top post, Aboul-Gheit's spokesman Mahmoud Afifi said in the statement.

"Aboul-Gheit stressed that Salih's nationalism and belief in the high status of Iraq qualify him to play a major role in uniting Iraqis and meet their hopes and aspirations for the future," said the AL statement.

On Tuesday evening, the Iraqi parliament elected Salih, a veteran Kurdish politician nominated by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, as president of Iraq.

Meanwhile, Salih's appointment of a compromise figure, veteran politician Adel Abdul-Mahdi, as Iraqi prime minister, gives the country a hope for achieving stability after years of chaos and bloodshed.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE: MTH), a leading U.S. homebuilder, plans to release the Company's second quarter 2018 results on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 after the market closes. Management will host a conference call to discuss the results at 8:00 a.m. Arizona Time (11:00 a.m. Eastern Time) on Thursday, October 25. The call will be webcast with an accompanying slideshow available on the "Investor Relations" page of the Company's web site at http://investors.meritagehomes.com. Telephone participants can avoid delays by pre-registering for the call using the following link to receive a special dial-in number and PIN.

Conference Call registration link: http://dpregister.com/10124467

Telephone participants who are unable to pre-register may dial in to 866-226-4948 on the day of the call. International dial-in number is 1-412-902-4125 or 1-855-669-9657 for Canada.

A replay of the call will be available beginning at approximately 1:00 p.m. ET on October 25 and extending through August 9, 2018, on the website noted above or by dialing 877-344-7529, 1-412-317-0088 for international or 1-855-669-9658 for Canada, and referencing conference number 10124467.

About Meritage

Meritage Homes is the seventh-largest public homebuilder in the United States, based on homes closed in 2017. Meritage Homes builds and sells single-family homes for first- time, move-up, and active adult buyers in markets including California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. Meritage Homes has designed and built over 100,000 homes in its 32-year history, and has a reputation for its distinctive style, quality construction, and positive customer experience. Meritage Homes is the industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award every year since 2013 for innovation and industry leadership in energy efficient homebuilding.

For more information, visit www.meritagehomes.com



Contact: Brent Anderson, VP Investor Relations (972) 580-6360 investors@meritagehomes.com




Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-05 05:46:24|Editor: Liu

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DUBLIN, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The number of suicides in Ireland has showed a downward trend over the last few years, a report released here on Thursday showed.

In 2017, there were 392 suicide deaths in Ireland compared with 399 suicide deaths in 2016, 425 deaths in 2015 and 486 deaths in 2014, said the report.

The report compiled by the country's National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) also revealed that the majority of the people who died from suicide in the country in 2015 were men, accounting for 335 of the death toll or 79 percent.

The high male to female ratio has been a consistent feature of suicides over the years, said the report, adding that the highest rates of suicide were observed among men aged 45 to 54 and women aged 55 to 64.

Ireland's suicide rate in 2015 was the 10th lowest among 33 European countries, but in terms of its suicide rate among young people aged 15-19, Ireland was the 7th highest of the 33 European countries, said the report.

Commenting on the report, John Meehan, head of NOSP, an office within Health Service Executive which is responsible for public health service in Ireland, said the end of the recession and the increase in measures to reduce suicide has contributed to the decline in deaths.

He said that the implementation of Ireland's 2015-2020 national strategy to reduce suicide, had played a positive role.

According to Meehan, in 2017, over 12,000 people across Ireland completed free suicide and self-harm intervention training programs such as safeTalk and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, and ten additional local action plans were launched to support the capacity of local communities to prevent and respond to suicidal behavior.

There will be 17 such local action plans in place across the country by the end of this year, Meehan said.

Last year, his office allocated over 11.9 million euros (13.7 million U.S. dollars) to suicide prevention and nearly 60 percent of it was invested in agencies and front-line services.
File Photo: Illegal migrants, who were found by Libyan security forces while waiting in a depot in Tripoli's eastern suburb of Tajoura prior to being smuggled to Europe, gather at the new Tajoura detention centre in the Libyan capital on May 9, 2017. (Xinhua/AFP)

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Wednesday renewed the authorization of vessel inspection and seizure off the coast of Libya to curb migrant smuggling and human trafficking.

Resolution 2437, which was adopted unanimously by the 15-member council, renewed the authorization for 12 months from the date of adoption of the resolution.

The resolution allows member states, acting nationally or through regional organizations, to inspect vessels that are suspected of being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking from Libya. It also allows seizure of vessels that are confirmed as being used for such activities.

Since Libya's longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011, the country's coast has became a hub for human trafficking and migrant smuggling. Most of the migrants in Libya are fleeing sub-Saharan Africa on their way to Europe. Some of the migrants ended up in slave markets in Libya.

Resolution 2437 condemns all acts of migrant smuggling and human trafficking into, through and from Libya and off the coast of Libya. Such activities undermine the process of stabilization of Libya and endanger the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, says the resolution.

The Security Council has expressed its intention to continue to review the situation and consider further renewal of the measures.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-05 06:11:56|Editor: Liangyu

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Yemeni people dressed in traditional clothing dance during the 2nd heritage festival in Aden, Yemen, on Oct. 4, 2018. Hundreds of Yemeni people thronged a public square on Thursday to celebrate the 2nd heritage festival in the southern city of Aden. (Xinhua/Murad Abdu)

ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Yemeni people thronged Thursday a public square to celebrate the 2nd heritage festival in the southern city of Aden.

The festival was held for the second year under the auspices of the Culture Ministry and other cultural organizations representing different provinces of the war-torn Arab country.

Sarah Rasheed, head of the media committee of the festival, told Xinhua that teams from different provinces, including those controlled by the Shiite Houthi group, participated in this year's festival.

"We try to keep our country unified in culture because politics has divided our regions and created hatred among the citizens. We want peace," Sarah said.

The teams representing several areas exhibited their traditional clothing and performed distinguished dances during the festival.

Aden, where Yemen's government in exile is temporarily based, has been suffering from lack of basic services, leading to public anger against the local authorities which have suspended most cultural activities since 2015.

The impoverished Arab country has been locked in a civil war since the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including capital Sanaa, in 2014.

Saudi Arabia leads an Arab coalition that has intervened militarily in the Yemeni war in March 2015 to help the government to defeat the Houthi rebels.

The military conflict between the Houthi rebels and the government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition has aggravated the suffering of the citizens in Yemen, which is regarded as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-05 07:22:45|Editor: Liu

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UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday asked Cameroonians to vote in Sunday's presidential elections.

"As Cameroon prepares for presidential elections on Oct. 7, the secretary-general encourages all Cameroonians to exercise their democratic right and calls for a peaceful, credible and inclusive process," said Farhan Haq, UN deputy spokesman, in a statement.

Guterres called on all stakeholders to exercise restraint before, during and after the election. He also urged all candidates to address any complaints related to the electoral process through established legal and constitutional channels, said the statement.

The UN chief condemned all threats of violence or acts of intimidation by any group, and reiterated that all grievances should be addressed through an inclusive dialogue, it said. "The United Nations stands ready to provide support in this regard."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-05 07:21:02|Editor: Liu

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BRASILIA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Ministry of Public Safety on Thursday began security operations with more than 280,000 public safety officers in advance of Sunday's general election.

"A total of 280,000 men and women will be participating in this national operation to guarantee calm, peace and respect for the will of the voters in choosing those who will lead the country for the next four years," Minister of Public Safety Raul Jungmann said.

The Integrated Command and Control Center (CICC) will operate with a focus on general security and surveillance that includes transit, he said. The center opened earlier in the week by the federal police will focus on the investigation of crimes.

When asked about the possibility of confrontations caused by polarization in the election, Jungmann said that up to the moment the ministry's intelligence area has not received any information on that.

"Our intelligence area has not given us any information about any (violence). Apparently the election is a huge democratic party, at times there are problems that arise, that's normal," he said.

Jungmann hopes that voters will respect the democratic spirit of the elections, while also saying security forces will be ready to quell any attempts of fraud at the voting sites.

"All elections are disputed and have their level of trouble, this one won't be any different. The people expect that every person will choose their candidate and respect the right of others to also choose; that is called democracy," Jungmann said.

CICC will operate 24 hours a day until Oct. 8 and again from Oct. 22 to 29.

The operation will also oversee the distribution and custody of all the ballot boxes at the polling sites and transport of the ballot boxes will be done by the military.
Design Terminal, in collaboration with Czech, Slovak and Polish partners, has launched "V4 Startup Force," a scholarship program for the V4 region to support collaboration between regional startups and corporations, reinforcing business relations between countries, according to a press release.

The programs implementation is supported by the International Visegrad Fund, an organization founded by the governments of the Visegrad Group (V4) - Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Design Terminals international partners in the project are the 0100 Campus international co-working office from Slovakia, the Foundation for Technology Entrepreneurship from Poland, and the UP21 incubator from the Czech Republic.

Apart from supporting talent development and cooperation, the organizers are putting emphasis on facilitating entry onto the global market and enhancing the role of socially useful startups.

The four chosen startups take part in a 10-day, intensive mentoring program in Budapest, which features courses, mentoring sessions, and business meetings.

The program will be followed by a 10-day Visegrad regional study tour, where startups will have an opportunity to expand their business contacts, get to know local relevant corporate partners, local representatives of the countries and important government figures at opening events and tailored business meetings in each of the countries.

Hungary is represented by Aeriu in the program, which makes logistics processes at large storage depots easier with drone software. The teams corporate partners include IKEA, Nestle and Audi, with the company already possessing its first paying clients.

The Czech Republic is represented by Aibrace, which makes bracelets that can save lives in emergency situations related to the heart, nervous system and problems with the pulmonary system.

Freya represents Slovakia, offering a personalized application for couples intending to have children, making suggestions based on analyses of health, lifestyle, and individual priorities.

Supplying the latest AR technology, Runvido from Poland aims at easing enterprises communications with their customers via a platform that offers a solution to the problem of limited information transfer, offering more effective presentations.
New Castle, DE, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Food52 -- a leading innovator in the food, cooking and home space -- traveled to France to discover the secret behind Emile Henry's high-quality and stunning ceramic ovenware. Since 1850, Emile Henry has been manufacturing products for kitchens and tables from a factory tucked into the countryside of Burgundy, home to prized Burgundy wines, fine rustic French cooking and the excellent properties of clay that Emile Henry uses to make its famous cook and ovenware

Food52 has opened the doors of this nearly 170-year-old French factory and takes the viewer through a family story of a business that has been passed from father to son for generations, an artisanal business that is bound to the land of its ancestors and, literally, to the ground where it resides, the earthen clay of Burgundy.

Meet the Makers of Emile Henry with Food52:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=o2XOdlVIH64&feature=youtu.be

All Emile Henry products are made of all natural materials and are backed by a ten-year warranty, which is not offered by any other ceramic manufacturers. Carefully shaped, each piece is signed by the artisan who makes it. The ovenware is then meticulously checked by the person who packs it, adding a label with his or her name for traceability and as a guarantee of quality. Emile Henry is located in the Burgundy town of Marcigny, France. To find out more about Emile Henry, call 302-326-4800 or visit Emile Henry USA at www.emilehenryusa.com.

Attachments
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...
Valul patru al pandemiei nu s-a incheiat

Valul patru al pandemiei nu s-a incheiat Realizator: Cristian Bacain - Valul patru al pandemiei nu s-a incheiat, desi numarul cazurilor depistate zilnic este acum cu 50% mai mic fata de acum o saptamana. Ieri au fost raportate aproximativ 4.000, iar sase judete sunt acum in [citeste mai departe]
SMITHFIELD, Va., Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Smithfield Foods, Inc., and Isle of Wight County Schools unveiled a new Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) fieldhouse for Smithfield High Schools award-winning JROTC program.



The campus addition provides JROTC participants and instructors with needed classroom space and equipment storage for drill and competition practice.

The new JROTC fieldhouse is a tremendous addition to Smithfield High School and we are grateful to Smithfield Foods for making it a reality for our students, said Dr. Jim Thornton, superintendent of Isle of Wight County Schools. Im confident that great things will happen here as our JROTC participants sharpen their skills and prepare for successful careers in the military and beyond.

The new JROTC fieldhouse is supported by the Smithfield Foods Legacy Project, a $3 million donation to Isle of Wight County Schools to fund an innovative and multifaceted educational program. Announced in 2017, the gift fulfills a capital campaign benefiting both Smithfield High School and Windsor High School.

We are honored to provide Smithfield High School students with resources to help them excel in their college and professional careers, and serve as active members of their communities, said Kenneth M. Sullivan, president and chief executive officer for Smithfield Foods. This new JROTC fieldhouse is just one way that Smithfield Foods is investing in our countrys next generation of leaders, and we look forward to celebrating their future achievements.

In addition to the JROTC fieldhouse at Smithfield High School, the Smithfield Foods Legacy Project will fund several other on-campus facilities with resources to prepare students for their college and professional careers, and to serve as active members in their community.

The JROTC fieldhouse and future facilities made possible by the Smithfield Foods Legacy Project provides students with outstanding opportunities to help them prepare for their careers, said Zachary Haney, principal of Smithfield High School. Our school is truly thankful to Smithfield Foods for their generous, longtime support.

Understanding that supporting education dramatically strengthens communities, the Smithfield Foods Legacy Project aligns with the companys commitment to contribute to the vitality of the communities where its employees work, live, and raise their families. Founded in Smithfield, Virginia, in 1936, the company remains headquartered there and employs more than 3,000 local employees.

For more information about Smithfields charitable efforts, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com/key-outreach-efforts/smithfield-foundation .

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 Isle of Wight County Schools

Isle of Wight County Schools dedicates its efforts to create a learning environment that will enable every child to discover his or her unique gifts and talents. Through this vision, Isle of Wight County Schools is committed to preparing approximately 5,500 students in all nine of its schools to be college, career, and life ready. For more information, visit www.iwcs.k12.va.us and follow us on Facebook and Twitter .

Media Contacts:

Lisa Martin

Smithfield Foods, Inc.

(757) 365-1980

lmartin@smithfield.com Lynn Briggs

Isle of Wight County Schools

(757) 365-1611

lbriggs@iwcs.k12.va.us

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/08520e29-76b5-44af-9f4d-be8d900df30e


In this Feb. 27, 2013, file photo, a car drives past the Philadelphia Police Department's headquarters building, which opened in 1963 and is known as the Roundhouse, at Seventh and Race Streets. Read more

A Philadelphia police captain who is suing the department for alleged racial discrimination has accused a supervisor named in the suit, Chief Inspector Anthony Boyle, of physically attacking her Wednesday night while she made an arrest.

Capt. Laverne Vann, in a complaint filed Thursday, said that Boyle confronted her as she was handcuffing a suspect on drug charges.

Vann, who is black, said Boyle, who is white, grabbed her arm, twisted it behind her back, and attempted to push her to the ground, Vann said.

Other people at the scene inside a North Philadelphia police facility pulled Boyle off of Vann, the criminal complaint said. Vann was taken to the hospital, where she made an injury report. She later was released. A police spokesperson, Capt. Sekou N. Kinebrew, said the Internal Affairs Division was "actively investigating the incident."

Boyle could not be immediately reached for comment.

Vann is among four African American current and former officers who filed suit in federal court last year, charging they had been the target of racial discrimination. In addition to Boyle and the city, the suit named Inspector Raymond Evers as a defendant. Boyle and Evers are accused of engaging in racial discrimination and of encouraging narcotics officers to falsify arrest reports in drug cases.

Vann's criminal complaint states that Boyle's "attack was also to intimidate" her because of her lawsuit. Vann's attorney, Brian Mildenberg, said that it was "absolutely outrageous that a chief inspector would ever lay hands on a subordinate female police officer."

He said Vann was "requesting that Chief Inspector Boyle is removed from his position and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

"My client will take all actions needed to bring these matters before the appropriate state and federal authorities," Mildenberg said.

At a news conference Thursday afternoon, spokesperson Kinebrew, described what happened Wednesday night.

He said that at about 10 p.m. while inside a confidential police facility used for narcotics investigations, a disagreement erupted between Boyle, 65, a 42-year department veteran, and Vann, 53, a 29-year veteran.

"While engaged in this long-term and intensive narcotics operation that was going on last night, the two engaged in a disagreement over the propriety of arresting someone. During that disagreement, the allegation is that Chief Inspector Boyle physically assaulted Capt. Vann," he said.

"At some point Chief Boyle grabbed Capt. Vann by the arm and twisted the arm and caused Capt. Vann to fall to the ground. Again, that's the best I can summarize it. This was witnessed by several other people, some of whom have been interviewed, others who have not been," he said, noting that there were both police and civilian witnesses.

He said Boyle and Vann have not been interviewed.

Boyle has been moved to desk duty while the incident is investigated, Kinebrew said. Vann remains on full duty.

"We take allegations of any type of misconduct very seriously," Kinebrew said. "We have strong policies on harassment or any type of unsafe conditions in the workplace. Everyone should be entitled to and have the feeling that when you come to work you'll go home in the same condition you left in without harassment, certainly without anything physically happening to you particularly at the hands of a coworker, or in this case a supervisor."

He noted the while Boyle is Vann's superior, he is not her direct supervisor.

There is no department policy forbidding an employee and a supervisor from working together if the employee has filed a lawsuit against the supervisor, Kinebrew said.

"The mere initiation of a lawsuit doesn't necessarily trigger someone being moved," he said.

He said the investigation will look into whether Boyle's actions were the result of retaliation for Vann's lawsuit.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaks during a student town hall at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Read more

Members of a national teachers union on Wednesday sued Navient, a Wilmington student loan servicer, for allegedly misleading borrowers in public service professions in ways that prevented them from accessing a federal loan forgiveness program.

Instead, publicly traded Navient put profits ahead of borrowers, according to the complaint filed in the Southern District in New York. The lawsuit lists nine teachers as plaintiffs and seeks class-action status, the American Federation of Teachers union and its law firm, Selendy & Gay, said during a news conference.

Navient said it had no comment.

Rather than promoting the availability of the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which eliminates remaining debt for teachers, nurses, first responders, social workers, and others after 10 years if conditions are met, Navient recommended forbearance and other less-effective remedies to those seeking debt relief, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said in a statement.

Forbearance offers temporary reductions in monthly payments or short-term breaks from payments.

"Navient ignored borrowers' best interests  in violation of its government contract  to prevent borrowers from moving to FedLoan," a Navient competitor that administers the loan-forgiveness program, "so it could continue to earn millions in fees," Weingarten said.

As a result, she said, "people who have dedicated their lives to helping others are paying millions more than they otherwise should in student-loan payments," she said.

The nine teachers listed as plaintiffs are members of the teachers union, which is paying for the litigation. They live in four states, Florida, Maryland, California, and New York.

Recent data released by the Department of Education showed that 98 percent of borrowers who submitted applications for public-service loan forgiveness since October 2017 have been rejected.

Of 32 million Americans eligible to apply for public-service loan forgiveness, 28,000 applied since the statute was passed by Congress in 2007. Fewer than 100 people have received loan forgiveness under the program, Seth Frotman, formerly the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's top student-loan officer, said during Wednesday's conference call.

Megan Nocerino, a teacher in Broward County, Fla., said she called Navient during family medical leave to care for her son and asked to be enrolled in public-service loan forgiveness.

"I was on the phone with them for less than 10 minutes. I asked for help refinancing [by] doing income-based repayment, but instead I was steered toward deferment or forbearance," Nocerino said during the news conference.

The suit also alleged Navient steered her and others who were eligible for loan forgiveness into nonqualifying plans, and then wrongly told borrowers they were on track for debt forgiveness.

Another plaintiff, Michelle Means, a first-grade public school teacher in Maryland, alleged she was misled by Navient when the student-loan servicer told her "a single missed or late payment would be enough to completely disqualify her for loan forgiveness."

The lawsuit said that's not true: "A borrower's qualifying payments need not be consecutive, and borrowers may continue making qualifying payments even if they have missed payments in the past."

Means did not pursue debt forgiveness further, believing she would be unable to make 120 consecutive payments, and instead went into forbearance. As a result, the suit alleged, Means paid thousands of dollars in principal and interest that would have otherwise been forgiven.

"The student-loan industry has not been held accountable to its failures," said Frotman, who resigned from Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this year in protest against the Department of Education student-loan policies promoted by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

"We all know that Betsy DeVos and D.C. special interests will do everything they can to fight this case so they may continue to operate in the shadows. But, student loan borrowers deserve better. Dedicated public servants deserve better," he said.

The CFPB published a 2017 report documenting borrowers' complaints about student loan servicers, including Navient, PHEAA, NelNet, and others.
Dr. Thomas Farley, Health Commissioner of City of Phila. (left) looks on as Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announces the filing of a lawsuit, against 10 pharmaceutical companies for their role in creating the city's opiod epidemic, during a press conference at the D.A's office in Phila., Pa. on February 15, 2018. Read more

Philadelphia is evolving into a safe haven for cannabis consumers even as arrests increase across Pennsylvania. Newly-elected District Attorney Larry Krasner announced Thursday that he would drop any marijuana possession cases brought to the court by police.

A 2014 decriminalization ordinance allowing tickets caused common weed arrests to decline by more than 85 percent. Still, I reported last year that hundreds of racially disparate cases were still being brought to Philly courts each year for less than 30 grams of buds.

Krasner isn't the only DA to make such a move: Brooklyn's Kenneth Thompson dismissed thousands of possession cases, and Kim Ogg in Houston, TX recently stopped charging weed possession as a crime.

Outside of Philly, the police and prosecutors of Pennsylvania are turning a little bit of green into a lifetime of problems for a big group of young adults. There were 27,133 arrests for cannabis last year, and fewer than 20 percent were for the more serious charges of growing and selling.

The commonwealth saw 20,392 adults and 2,269 juveniles charged during 2017 for low-level marijuana possession, according to the Pa. Uniform Crime Reporting System (UCRS).

That means police were arresting 55 adults every day, simply for the act of having cannabis in the Keystone State. The number nearly equals all other drug possession arrests, combined.

The cost? A RAND Corporation study commissioned by Vermont put the cost of one weed arrest at $1,266. In Philadelphia, each misdemeanor case was estimated to cost $1,000 to process.

That means about $46 million taxpayer dollars were spent just last year to prosecute average consumers for having less than an ounce of cannabis.

People under age 30 comprised a huge portion  71 percent  of all Pa.'s low-level marijuana arrests. Millennials alone  those between the ages of 21 and 29  made up nearly half (43 percent) of those caught. Our young adults who should be getting their lives, degrees and careers underway bear the brunt of this harsh policy.

Each number in the total is a person; someone whose entire life was upended.

Fines and probation are almost always assigned. Judges often use Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) for first time charges, but the out-of-pocket expense to an offender is often more than $2,000. Factor in hiring a lawyer, possibly losing a driver's license or even a job, and that marijuana arrest can turn into a financial tragedy.

Once in the system, cannabis abstinence is enforced through urine tests. Failing for THC while on probation can force the offender into mandatory drug treatment or even jail. During 2016 there were 3,507 free treatment admissions in Philadelphia paid for by Single County Authority funding. And 640  about 20 percent  were administered for "marijuana." These resources are desperately needed for the opiate crisis.

Males were also more commonly caught: Women were 9 times less likely to get arrested for marijuana. Parents can often face custody or family court issues over a few grams of cannabis.

After all the court requirements are satisfied, each offender is saddled with a permanent record that can lead to a lifetime of job discrimination.

The arrests are in stark contrast to Gov. Tom Wolf heralding a limited number of medical marijuana dispensaries that are opening across the state. It also goes against much of the bipartisan sentiment to clear criminal records.

Erie recently joined York, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, State College and other cities by enacting a local ordinance to downgrade these charges to a summary, but still count them as a crime. Only Philadelphia's 2014 decriminalization ordinance punishes possession with a civil fine, keeping offenders out of the courts and never starting a record.

Some politicians in Harrisburg are looking for answers. Rep. Jordan Harris (D., Phila.), Rep. Ed Gainey (D., Allegheny), and Rep. Barry Jozwiak (R., Berks) have active legislation to downgrade or decriminalize marijuana possession statewide. Full legalization is also coming into clearer view on the political horizon.

Today, New Jersey and Delaware are both poised to cross the threshold to regulated sales, yet the Keystone State is still plowing forward with the bulldozer of prohibition. Until legislators in Harrisburg stop marijuana arrests I hope that District Attorneys in every Pa. county consider taking Krasner's approach.
An aerial photograph of a house destroyed by a UGI gas leak in 2017. The photograph, originally from Lancaster.online, was included in a report by the National Transportation Safety Board. Read more

State utility investigators on Thursday asked to impose a $2.1 million fine on UGI Utilities Inc. for alleged violations relating to a 2017 gas explosion in Lancaster County that leveled a house and killed a utility worker.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission's Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement filed a formal complaint against the utility, saying it had failed to properly react to a hazardous condition when its workers responded to a reported gas leak at a house in Millersville on July 2, 2017.

Rather than shut off the gas main feeding the entire neighborhood, which would have required a laborious process of reinstating service to numerous customers, UGI instead sought to "squeeze off" the gas main feeding the residence with the leak, the PUC's investigators said.

While workers were digging up the gas leak, the house exploded, killing Richard A. Bouder, 54, and injuring three other utility workers. The explosion damaged four other houses on the cul-de-sac, two of which were later condemned. UGI estimated that the accident caused $1.3 million in damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the accident and traced the gas leak to a mechanical tap used for 19 years to connect the house to a two-inch diameter plastic gas main.

UGI Utilities, a subsidiary of UGI Corp. of Valley Forge, is one of the state's largest gas utilities.

The new complaint, which will be heard by the PUC, is the second time in recent years the regulatory agency has cited UGI Utilities for failures related to a fatal gas explosion.

The PUC in 2013 fined the company $500,000  the maximum at the time  for a fatal 2011 Allentown blast that killed five people and destroyed eight homes. After the Allentown accident, the state legislature increased the maximum fine for a gas pipeline accident to $2 million. It has since been raised to $2.1 million.

The company is reviewing the new complaint and will respond within 20 days, Joseph Swope, UGI Utilities spokesperson, said in an email response.

"UGI Utilities has cooperated fully with the PUC throughout its investigation of this incident and will continue to do so as we review the complaint and respond to the PUC within the specified time frame," he said.

"UGI Utilities remains fully committed to the safety of our customers, employees, and residents of the many communities we serve," Swope said.
The Philadelphia skyline is visible in the background as a woman walks near the riverfront at Ulysses Wiggins Waterfront Park in Camden on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018. TIM TAI / Staff Photographer Read more

Philadelphia is one of the best cities in the nation in which to launch a company, according to venture capitalist Steve Case.

In a ranking titled "The Top 10 Rising Cities for Startups" published by Forbes, Case gave Philadelphia high marks for "convenient access to the East Coast hubs of Boston, New York and Washington, plus more affordable business costs." Case, the billionaire co-founder of AOL, started the VC firm Revolution in 2005. His Rise of the Rest seed fund fuels startups in underserved cities. Philadelphia, which placed eighth in the rankings, also was credited for being "home to more than 100 degree-granting institutions and has the second largest university population in the U.S."

"It is our hope that one day lists like this won't be necessary," Case said in a blog post. "That there won't be anything exceptional about a tech startup putting down roots outside of Silicon Valley or New York." The rankings did not include those giants, but focused on cities with the greatest potential for growth.

Topping the list was Columbus, Ohio, with the highest number of funds per capita of any city. Baltimore placed fifth, boosted by it's proximity to Washington D.C. and fueled by the success of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures. Philadelphia, which had 548 deals completed in the past three years (more by far than any other city on the Rising Cities list), was also noted for major VC deals with Tmunity, Harmony Biosciences, and Recovery Centers of America. Minneapolis-St. Paul and Charlotte, N.C. rounded out the rankings.
1375 Mount Laurel Rd., once a general store and a post office, is for sale for $519,000. Read more

Marsha Batts didn't buy her six-bedroom Mount Laurel home with plans to live there.

"I initially purchased the home as an investment but loved it so much I rented my other house in Moorestown, New Jersey, and moved into this one for a complete rehab," she said.

Batts said the history of the Haines-Lippincott house appealed to her. The property was built in 1768 and served as Mount Laurel's first general store in 1830 and post office in 1849.

"What drew me to the home was the historic aspect of it," she said.

Batts said she undertook a full renovation after purchasing the home.

"We started with the kitchen as it was the worst and removed all the walls, floors, doors, cabinets, et cetera," she said.

She repaired the home's horsehair plaster, its heart pine floors and the shake roof. Batts said she added a bathroom and updated electrical systems and plumbing throughout the home.

Outside, Batts said, she also took on significant updates.

"We cut down 17 ailing trees and replaced them with 21 others," she said. "It took a backhoe almost a week to clear the grounds and plant shrubbery."

Batts said she and her husband have recently decided to list the 250-year-old home for sale because they are ready to downsize.

She expects prospective buyers to appreciate the property's historic elements and the size of the rooms, as well as the neighborhood.

"The neighborhood has many amentiies, such as a highly rated elementary and middle school," she said.

The property is listed with Richard Jordan at BHHS Fox and Roach for $519,900.
Development site at current location of Anistasi Seafood, as seen looking south from across Washington Avenue. Read more

Midwood Investment & Development of New York is scaling up its proposal for an apartment building on Ninth Street in South Philadelphia's Italian Market, with plans for more than twice as many dwellings in the project as previously anticipated.

Midwood's latest plan for the site on the southeast corner of Ninth and Washington Avenue calls for an eight-story building with 182 apartments, up from the five-story, 70-unit building proposed in 2015, according to documents filed with the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections last month.

It would occupy the current location of the Anastasi Seafood fish market and restaurant, which is moving elsewhere within the Italian Market, and surrounding vacant land.

As in Midwood's previous proposal, most of the building's ground floor is to consist of street-facing shops or restaurants, with the building's two stories of parking being built below ground, according to the plans. Those features will help the building fit into the lively shopping corridor, which spans to its north and south along Ninth Street, Midwood's lawyer on the project, Peter Kelsen, said in an interview this week.

The project's architect, the studio of New York-based Morris Adjmi, also has revised its approach to the building, jettisoning its previous plan for a facade of undulating brick with a design that emulates some of the multistory, broad-windowed industrial buildings on nearby streets, Kelson said.

The project is permitted under the commercial and mixed-use zoning designation that the parcel was granted by City Council in 2015, but it still must be presented to neighborhood residents and to Philadelphia's Civic Design Review board for nonbinding suggestions as part of the city's building-approval process.

Midwood also owns the nearby building at Ninth and Christian Street that's currently home to the restaurant Monsu and is a large owner of property on South Street's eastern end. Its Center City holdings include the glass structure at 15th and Walnut Streets that accommodates a Cheesecake Factory restaurant.

A Midwood spokeswoman declined to share any additional details of its plan for the Italian Market site.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- United Way of the Lower Mainland has committed $100,000 to Abbotsford gang-prevention program In It Together, helping keep the program open for local youth.



The investment was shared at a joint announcement Thursday October 4, organized by United Way of the Lower Mainland and Abbotsford Community Services, operator of the In It Together program.

United Ways commitment means we did not have to close our doors this weekend, said Alison Gutrath, Community Coordinator for the In It Together program. This investment will ensure youth at risk of gang involvement  and their families  get the support they need, while we continue to seek additional supports to keep our program operating during our funding gap.

Child vulnerability and gang violence are unignorable issues in Abbotsford, added Jeff Calbick, Chief Operating Officer with United Way of the Lower Mainland. In It Together has generated great results from its collaborative, community-led approach  which is why were committing $100,000 to help keep the program open and ensure youth maintain life-saving connections in their community.

How the program prevents gang violence

In It Together, formally known as the Abbotsford Comprehensive Youth Gang Reduction Program, is a collaborative initiative of the Youth Resource Centre and South Asian Community Resource Office at Abbotsford Community Services, and has Abbotsford Police Department, John Howard Society and Abbotsford School District as project partners.

The program provides individual case management, youth outreach, parent and youth groups, recreation, essential skills and counselling for youth and their families who are at high risk of being involved in organized crime and gangs.

Funding expiry, community response

Funding for In It Together, granted October 2013 from the federal Ministry of Public Safety, ended on September 30, 2018. As part of its commitment to support community-led initiatives tackling unignorable issues in the Fraser Valley, United Way stepped forward with a $100,000 investment. The announcement exemplifies United Ways responsive way of working alongside established community agencies like Abbotsford Community Services.

United Ways commitment comes alongside support from Abbotsford residents, including members of the South Asian community, who raised over $15,000 at a community fundraiser on September 30. Staff at Abbotsford Community Services will continue to seek the approximate $300,000 in funding still required to keep the In It Together program running for an additional six months before government funding is available again.

Facts and Figures

Gang activity has a profound impact on the lives of youth and their families in Abbotsford.

In 2017, Abbotsford-Mission had the 2 nd highest homicide rate in Canada, per capita

highest homicide rate in Canada, per capita In 2017, there were ten homicides in Abbotsford, seven of which were gang-related

In It Together is breaking the cycle of gang involvement for Abbotsford Youth. Successes include:

427 youth participants (ages 12  30) supported since April 1, 2014

Over 1,100 parents, grandparents, and guardians of youth at-risk of gangs supported

Over 95% engagement rate (participants become involved and stay involved long term)

54% decrease in total risk scores after 20 months

32% decrease in education, training and employment related risk factors

31% decrease in negative attitudes towards offending

The profile of current program participants includes:

77% South Asian youth, 20% Indigenous youth, and 3% other ethnic minorities

62 (45%) youth currently involved in gang activity (including associated with gang members, close family of a gang member, has lost a sibling to gang shooting/violence, dealing drugs and using hard drugs (heroine, fentanyl, cocaine, etc.)

53 (38%) youth at high risk of involvement

24 (17%) youth at moderate risk of involvement

In 2017 United Way of the Lower Mainland joined with United Way Fraser Valley.

United Way now serves the Lower Mainland, Sea to Sky corridor, Sunshine Coast and the Fraser Valley from Abbotsford to Boston Bar.

Based on its 2017 fundraising campaign, United Way of the Lower Mainland committed over $780,000 to the Fraser Valley in 2018/19. All funds raised from the Fraser Valley region have been reinvested back into the Fraser Valley.

This $100,000 announcement to In It Together is in addition to the $780,000 already committed to the Fraser Valley in 2018/19.

Across all local communities served, including the Fraser Valley and Abbotsford, United Way of the Lower Mainland is investing $32.4 million in 2018/19.

About United Way of the Lower Mainland

United Way serves the needs of our local community and ignites the desire in everyone to improve this community we call home. With United Way you can mobilize people to address a local issue, collaborate with a network of partners to solve a problem, or donate to support our programs that create life-saving connections for local kids and seniors.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Vanessa Woznow

United Way of the Lower Mainland

Office: 604.294.8929 x 2230

Cell: 604 518 8771

vanessaw@uwlm.ca

About Abbotsford Community Services

Registered in 1969, Abbotsford Community Services (ACS) is a non-profit, multi-service, multi-funded community based social service agency. ACS fosters community well-being and social justice through positive action and leadership. Every year thousands of local residents access ACSs 90 programs, including the In It Together anti-gang program for youth.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Alison Gutrath

Abbotsford Community Services

Office: 604.853.1582, local 627

Cell: 1.604.309.8643

alison.gutrath@abbotsfordcommunityservices.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/71b7b433-04ac-427c-9ba2-307daf6f11f4
Philadelphia's glittery, and ever-expanding skyline, is a thing of beauty  at least to the human eye. If you're a bird, though, it's a death trap.

In late August, I went for a stroll along the Schuylkill waterfront, which has filled in over the last decade with an impressive lineup of sleek glass towers. The river is a major flyway for birds migrating between Canada and South America, and as I looped around the Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, next to the South Street Bridge, I spotted a clear casualty of all that development: a dead, female American redstart warbler. It had slammed into the glass facade and died instantly.

A few weeks later, I took the same walk. Another dead warbler lay in the same spot.

No one knows precisely how many birds are killing themselves in Center City, but ornithologists believe that between 350 million and a billion birds in the United States die every year from flying into buildings. They mistake the reflections in the windows for real trees and shrubs, and then dart into the glass at top speed. Yet, despite the disturbing avian death toll, the same kind of shimmery skyline that has emerged along the Schuylkill is rising in cities all over America. Some species of songbirds, already vulnerable to disease and habitat loss, may not survive the current building boom.

Somehow, builders and architects remain largely in denial about their contribution to the crisis. Both know that people love being inside glass towers because they offer astounding views. From a distance, their reflective skins seem to melt into the sky. But it's developers who are the ones really committed to building with glass. Cheaper and easier to install than many of the alternatives, glass cladding is unlikely to go away anytime soon.

The thing is, it wouldn't take much to significantly reduce the carnage. Just a short distance upstream from Center City's soaring glass towers is a modest new structure that bills itself as Philadelphia's first totally bird-safe building. Called the Discovery Center, it demonstrates that we can enjoy both birds and buildings.

The little pavilion is the new home of Audubon Pennsylvania and Outward Bound, two nonprofits that joined forces to rescue a forgotten reservoir deep inside Fairmount Park. Once the city's main source of drinking water, the reservoir was shut down in the 1970s and barricaded behind a high fence. Over time, the 37-acre basin evolved into Philadelphia's largest bird sanctuary, a way station for 170 species. The man-made lake was the perfect base for the two groups, so they made a deal with the city to manage the property and reopen it to the public.

Since the work of Audubon and Outward Bound revolves around nature, they wanted their new headquarters to have expansive views of the birds and the water. But because they also see themselves as environmental champions, they knew it wouldn't do to have birds crashing into the picture windows.

Birds generally migrate at night, when the winds are lighter. Every few days, they stop to rest and feed. Because of the way their vision works, they are drawn to points of light in the midst of darkness, says Christine Sheppard, a bird collisions expert at the American Bird Conservancy.

Nearly half the crashes actually occur in the suburbs, where large picture windows reflect nearby trees. But urban buildings account for the other half. Things are so bad at the Minnesota Vikings' new glass-enclosed U.S. Bank Arena that crews must come out every morning to sweep up the dead birds. Ironically, recent improvements in glassmaking technology that make such buildings possible, also have made it more difficult for birds to recognize the hard surface. Unlike the wavy glass of the 19th century, today's panels are flawless.

Enter Digsau, the Philadelphia architects who gave us the jaunty pavilion at Logan Square's Sister Cities Park and are known for creating buildings out of recycled materials. While they had never designed a bird-safe building before, others had.

Many of the techniques they used at the Discovery Center were developed by Daniel Klem, a professor of ornithology at Muhlenberg College in Allentown. He found that glass etched with translucent lines or dots could help birds recognize the presence of a solid wall. In 2014, his ideas were put to the test when the Javits Convention Center  once known as New York's deadliest bird-killer  was reclad with dotted glass by FXCollaborative. Now it's the most bird-friendly building in town.

That kind of glass is expensive, so Digsau's Jules Dingle limited its use to the Discovery's Center's signature feature, a 30-foot, rock-climbing tower, which looks out over the reservoir. The rest of the building, which includes offices and conference rooms, hugs the ground along the park's Reservoir Drive, in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood across the road from Smith Playground.

Like many Digsau buildings, the design is deeply textured and hinges in interesting ways. You enter the site through an angled portal that has been shaped to reveal the lush expanse of the old reservoir in one powerful frame.

Although the building is clad in cedar wood, it boasts a wall of windows overlooking the water. Dingle screened some with wood slats. For the rest, he came up with an ingenious solution that cost all of $275: He strung a curtain of plastic cord over the windows. In another location, he pasted plastic decals on the glass.

By using a variety of strategies, Dingle believes the Discovery Center can serve as a showroom of bird-friendly hacks. The building is considered so safe that Dingle even embedded nesting boxes into the cedar facade, which was given a charred black, waterproof coating using the Japanese shou sugi ban method.

Obviously, not all these tricks will work on a glass skyscraper. But etched and dotted glass are frequently employed by architects to reduce sun glare and heat. You can see the material on the Erdy McHenry's Evo, which may be the most bird-friendly tower on the Schuylkill.

The reason the etched, or fritted, glass isn't used more often is that it interferes with the fantasy that there is nothing between the viewer and the great outdoors. But once the eye adapts, the views are still magnificent. The momentary adjustment is a small price to pay for saving millions of birds.

Several states, including California and Minnesota, have adopted laws requiring bird-friendly designs. Why not Philadelphia? It's a lot better option than sweeping up the dead birds in the morning.
When Children's Hospital of Philadelphia began laying the groundwork a few years back for a high-rise research campus on the Schuylkill waterfront, some wondered whether the plan might be too big and urban for the diminutive rowhouse neighborhoods clustered nearby. Now that the first of four planned towers has been completed  the Roberts Center for Pediatric Research  the problem turns out to be the opposite: The hospital's vision is far too suburban for its Center City location.

At 22 stories, the blue-glass building by Pelli Clarke Pelli certainly looks urban enough, especially viewed from a distance. Because the stout, cylindrical tower sits beside the South Street Bridge, the form suggests a medieval gatehouse, guarding the entrance to the city. Its curves are in all the right places, concave ones to greet the street, convex along the river.

It's only when you reach the drawbridge, so to speak, on South Street that it becomes clear height and density don't automatically translate into urbanity. Though the outdoor areas are all accessible to the public, and there are some truly enjoyable moments, you are always aware of being in a sterile, hypermanaged hospital complex. The castle motif isn't just a clever design idea; it's embedded in the DNA of the entire project.

You see it in the moatlike array of plazas, planters, and landscaped berms that buffer the building from the surrounding neighborhood, rather than connect it. You see it in the gargantuan maw of the garage that interrupts the flow of pedestrians, bikes, and cars on the South Street Bridge. The brick-colored panels on the tower's lower floors are meant to connect the glass facade to the redbrick neighborhood but end up pandering instead. Maybe the fullest expression of the office-park aesthetic is a street sign that reads, "Office Drive."

Hospitals have always been hardwired to control their environment, probably because they must be constantly on guard against unsanitary conditions. Unfortunately, their heightened vigilance often extends into the realm beyond the hospital walls. Rather than fight this tendency, Philadelphia agreed a decade ago to create a dedicated hospital district on the west side of the Schuylkill. Dominated by a street loop that links all the driveways, garages, and lobbies, it isn't a place you would ever want to spend your free time.

Even though Children's Hospital has a big footprint in the district, it decided it would be better able to compete for talent if it could have research offices in a real neighborhood, a place where going for a walk didn't mean hopscotching among driveways. It acquired a group of handsome industrial buildings on the Schuylkill's Center City side, leveled the structures, and hired the New York firm Cooper Robertson to produce a master plan for the 8.5-acre site.

To make the massive redevelopment palatable to the low-rise neighborhood, the plan deliberately included a substantial amount of open space. The hospital even donated a crucial riverfront parcel that was needed to extend the Schuylkill River Trail south to Christian Street. It also agreed to build a pedestrian bridge to the new trail section, which opens in December.

With all that, the plan was still met with enormous neighborhood resistance when it was presented in 2013. Residents argued  correctly  that the hospital buildings needed to come to the sidewalk, especially along Schuylkill Avenue, with ground-floor spaces that could accommodate retail and restaurants. They won a few concessions, but not enough.

Children's Hospital was stung by the criticism, and officials refused to speak to me for this column. They seem to believe that by building lavish outdoor spaces, they had done right by the neighborhood.

The hospital certainly spared no expense on the landscaped plazas, executed by Philadelphia's Ground Reconsidered. It's the sensibility that's off.

The worst offender is the entry plaza at the South Street Bridge. The wedge-shaped space leads to a promenade overlooking the Schuylkill, but its surface is overwhelmed by enormous planters that seem to exist purely to control your path to the tower's front door. The lobby has a pretty good lunch place, the Waterfront Gourmet, but strangely no outdoor tables on the promenade. With its white walls, generic seating, and harsh lighting, the cafe screams corporate cafeteria. Meanwhile, the garage, a temporary structure faced in plasticky brown stucco, resembles the back end of a Costco.

A similar blandness exists at Bainbridge Place, the plaza below the South Street Bridge on Schuylkill Avenue. Originally conceived as an enormous curving driveway, Bainbridge Place was reconfigured to do double duty as flexible open space. No curb separates the driveway and the central plaza, which is shaded by lacy honey locust trees. The corner of the garage facing the plaza was outfitted with retail space that can house a restaurant (and, presumably, include outdoor seating). The hospital has promised to hold health fairs and a farmers' market in the plaza.

Unfortunately, when nothing is going on, it's just a beautiful space to walk through. There aren't many places to sit. For that, you need to continue toward the staircase that Cooper Robertson dubbed the "Spanish Steps," after the popular hangout in Rome.

Once again, the design quality is unusually high. The staircase is embedded within an elaborate, interlocking geometric composition that includes a zigzagging ramp. Benches made from rot-resistant ipe wood are notched into the planters. The ramp would make a perfect racecourse for a 3-year-old, as well as a nice spot to take in views of the sun setting over Center City.

But as in the main plaza, your movement is determined by the enormous planters that dominate the space. You get the sense these walkways were established to give hospital employees something to do on their lunch break, like the circular walking tracks you see around some office parks.

The antiurban urbanism at Children's Hospital is something we're likely to see repeated as the east bank of the Schuylkill explodes with high-rise development. Carl Dranoff's new condo tower, One Riverside, at 25th and Locust, is a study in wasted waterfront property. The skinny tower is served by a massively overscale driveway, paved, of course, in expensive stone blocks.

And next week, the Civic Design board will consider PMC Property Group's twin towers, 60 N. 23rd St. Though the design by Gensler extends a street through the site to the river, it is essentially a long driveway that leads to an automobile turnaround and a garage entrance.

Of course, it is buffered by large planters.
Never mind what you've heard about the backlash against globalization. We live in a world that still prizes that great symbol of global culture: the city skyline.

Newly minted skylines have been rising at a furious rate in places where none ever existed before. One of the most famous, Shanghai's Pudong, went from a swampy island to a dense, Manhattan-style agglomeration of towers in a mere 25 years and has become the template for other cities aspiring to make their mark in the global economy. With the completion of the 730-foot FMC tower later this month, that will now include Philadelphia.

It's hard to think of Philadelphia playing in the same league as upstart megacities like Shanghai, Jakarta, or Dubai. Center City's skyline evolved over many decades and is the product of a 20th-century sensibility. And yet, in just 15 years, we have produced our own mini-Pudong on the west bank of the Schuylkill with an assertive trio of glass skyscrapers, FMC, Evo, and Cira.

Developed by Brandywine Realty Trust and designed (mostly) by Pelli Clarke Pelli, none of the three can claim to be the tallest in Philadelphia, a title that will go to Norman Foster's 1,121-foot Comcast tower when it opens sometime next year. None are particularly groundbreaking as architecture, either, although the designs are all skillful. But collectively, the trio is powerfully transformative. Together, they shift Philadelphia's business district from Center City to the university area. Their presence is the clearest evidence yet that the city has cast its future with the new research-driven economy of meds, eds, and tech.

Creating a new skyline from scratch was not Brandywine's original intention. Its CEO, Jerry Sweeney, didn't acquire the land for the Cira tower until 2000. At the time, Brandywine was a suburban office-park developer whose main interest was in establishing a toehold in the city. Then in 2007, two years after Cira opened, the company made a deal with the University of Pennsylvania for two blocks of waterfront property between 30th Street Station and Walnut Street.

In the ensuing decade, Brandywine had produced a mini-neighborhood that includes offices, apartments, a hotel, restaurants, a small grocery, and the elevated Cira Green park. Later this year, it plans to insert a scaled-down version of the Reading Terminal Market on the ground floor of its underused Cira parking garage on 30th Street. Close to a thousand people now live in the district, and several thousand more commute in each day to work.

Still, the Cira district isn't a neighborhood in the way that, say, Fishtown is. The forest of skyscrapers materialized out of nothing, on land once occupied by slaughterhouses and stone yards, and long cut off from the city by a tangle of highways, railroads, and off ramps.

The reason the development holds together as well as it does is because the designs adhere to a single idea. All the towers are treated as gigantic faceted crystals, sheathed in taut blue glass. Though the original Cira juts its faceted prow out toward Center City, FMC's facet cleaves inward, as though the facade were split by lightning. At the 28th floor, where the building shifts from offices to apartments, the tower narrows significantly, following its faceted incline.

Evo, an 850-bed student dorm, was designed by Erdy McHenry, but the tower plays along with Pelli's themes. Though its blue glass skin is more animated, with metal panels thrown into the mix, its sloping roofline riffs on Cira's. Evo dips down to the east while Cira angles up to the west. You almost forget the three towers are scattered across four city blocks, with the old post office (now the IRS) and a parking garage separating them like the dashes of Morse code.

If those blue glass forms seem familiar, it's because you've seen variations elsewhere. Pelli has designed dozens of faceted towers in cities around the world. Everything about its Cira designs, from their slick bluish facades, to their curated amenities, is part of the uniform of global capitalism.

Like other skylines created out of whole cloth, the Cira towers look dazzling when viewed from afar (try the Schuylkill Boardwalk), but the development is more problematic when you have to interact with the buildings as a pedestrian at street level. After 12 years, the original Cira tower remains a moated island whose only pedestrian connection to the surrounding city is a skybridge to the train station. Neither Brandywine nor the city has made any attempt to improve the crossing at Arch Street, and, consequently, there has been zero economic spin-off.

Brandywine and its architects have done better with FMC and Evo. Their sites, perched above Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and the I-76 Expressway, have always felt like a no-man's-land between downtown and the universities. The towers' frontages on Walnut and Chestnut Streets help pull the area back into Center City's orbit.

The FMC's ground floor, in particular, promises to suture the two sides of the river back together. Pelli's lead designer, Mark Shoemaker, sliced off the tower's corners, showcasing its elegant glass lobby and a restaurant space. The gesture, which Shoemaker likens to lifting the hem of a skirt, creates two intimate plazas that offer surprisingly serene refuges from Walnut Street's speeding traffic.

The streetscape also includes an elaborately faceted arcade that runs under the building's hem. Its underside is paneled with wooden wainscoting that unfolds like origami from inside the lobby and warms up the ground floor. The lobby and passageway are the fanciest piece of architectural footwork in the whole Cira complex. The arcade is such an interesting space that it should actually make people enjoy walking down this part of Walnut Street.

Most people will probably head to the cafe-restaurant on the west corner, which is being run by New York's Michelin-starred Rebelle and will be open all day. But the east corner's plaza is an equally pleasant place to sit and offers a mesmerizing overlook of Center City and the passing trains.

Where Cira falls down on the job, oddly enough, is along 30th Street. Despite a continuous series of ground-floor uses, Brandywine has done nothing to unify or soften the streetscape  no trees, no common design elements. "It's not enough to put shops in the storefronts," observed Janice Woodcock, who was city planner when the Cira district was conceived.

More of concern is that lack of public improvements around the Cira district. Given what it took to build this new neighborhood from scratch, there has been surprisingly little investment in infrastructure that would calm traffic and make the area more welcoming to pedestrians.

If money were no object, extending a cap over the Amtrak opening would dramatically transform this side of the Schuylkill into a real waterfront promenade. But even if that expensive project is beyond reach, the hostile Schuylkill Avenue speedway could be greatly improved by narrowing the roadway and widening the sidewalks. Walnut and Arch Streets need the same treatment.

At night, when colored lights dance across the facades of the city's new, 21st-century skyline, Philadelphia really does appear to be a world city. The Cira district is an enormous accomplishment. But there is much more work to be done to make sure this emerging skyline really belongs in Philadelphia.
In May 2016, the Republica-controlled Pa. Senate was under pressure from the Catholic Church to kill a measure that would open it to vast litigation from clergy abuse victims. The sme is happening again now with Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman,left, and President Joseph . Scarnati, again at the helm. Read more

Gerad Argeros would like to be heard.

I would like Gerad Argeros to be heard.

Because Gerad Argeros nearly blew his top last weekend over Catholic Church efforts in Pennsylvania to evade, yet again, the full consequences for its systemic, criminal cover-ups of child sexual abuse.

This column is for the men in charge of the Pennsylvania Senate. They are duty-bound to hear more than insurance lobbyists and bishops who wave a cudgel in one hand while clutching a rosary in the other.

Attention must be paid to the little guy screaming in the corner.

Gerad is 47 years old. He was abused by one of the most brutal pedophile priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Rev. James Brzyski. So were 100 or more other kids. Brzyski devastated a generation of altar boys at St. Cecilia's Church in Fox Chase.

>> READ MORE: Decades later, the damage from one predator Philadelphia priest still torments a generation of victims

Gerad has no lobbyists on staff. He has no staff. He has never met Senate President Joe Scarnati of Jefferson County (population 45,000), or Majority Leader Jake Corman (dynastic political son from the Penn State region).

He's just a guy who was raped by a priest who got away with it.

Over the past weekend, a text message popped up on Gerad's smartphone in Brooklyn, where he lives with his wife and children. A relative had just gone to Mass at St. Cecilia's, the Northeast Philadelphia church where Gerad and so many others had been abused in the early 1980s.

The text showed a letter from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's current leader, Archbishop Charles Chaput  a letter stuffed into the church bulletin.

Chaput is the prelate who has fought for years against changing the civil statute of limitations so that child sex-abuse victims can sue for what happened to them years ago. He has spared the church treasury the cost of justice and has been trying, in the wake of August's grand jury report into clergy abuse across Pennsylvania, for a repeat win.

"The bishops of Pennsylvania deeply regret the suffering of survivors and have committed to voluntarily helping abuse victims whose claims are time-barred," Chaput wrote. He warned that a proposed civil statute-of-limitations change, approved by the House and now before the Senate, would bankrupt the church. He noted that bishops are instead proposing a compensation fund, the details of which no one has publicly shared.

" This course of action will require extraordinary Church resources," Chaput wrote, "but it can avoid the bitter litigations and diocesan bankruptcies that will follow any destructive changes in the statute of limitations."

This is the very definition of audacity: issuing a plea for mercy in the very church where altar boys were raped, and bishops covered it up. Gerad had the same reaction when we talked Wednesday.

"I wanted to get in a car and get there for the next Mass and stand up in the middle of Mass and disrupt the party line and say: 'Wait a second. Let's all take a walk through the sanctuary and into the changing room where the altar boys used to change. I want to show you the spot. I want to show you the ing spot,' he said, his voice cracking, 'and then we'll talk more about what would be the right thing to do for me.' "

I wrote about the horrors of St. Cecilia's last year. How Cardinal John Krol learned of the pedophilia by Brzyski, but the archdiocese ordered it concealed from parishioners. How no one told police. How Brzyski skipped town, the criminal and civil statutes of limitations ran out, the church could no longer be sued, and the archdiocese for years refused to say if it knew where this monster had gone.

I found Brzyski in Dallas. He opened his door, and I told him that the boys from St. Cecilia's still remembered him. I told him how one boy, Jim Cunningham, a respected counselor and public figure in Bucks County, had just hanged himself a few months earlier, blaming Brzyski before taking his life.

"Oh no," Brzyski said, and slammed the door shut.

The church slammed shut the door to justice for decades. It would be criminal if lawmakers helped them do the same one more time in Pennsylvania.
When I was a kid, I sold lemonade to raise money to buy myself movie tickets. If the sale went well, I'd score not only admission to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Keswick Theatre but also popcorn, Raisinets, and a Coke chaser.

I was so not Alivia Whitaker.

Alivia, who lives in Fishtown and is all of 7, sold lemonade last year to raise money to buy back-to-school stuff for needy kids. The $100 she earned paid for 10 backpacks fully loaded with school supplies.

This Saturday (Oct. 6), the mission of Alivia's latest lemonade sale is to pay for bus fare for Philly kids who live too close to their public schools to qualify for the free SEPTA passes given by the School District to students who live farther away.

The district helps tons of Philly public-, charter-, and private-school students get to and from school at no personal cost to families. About 40,000 first to sixth graders ride actual school buses each day, says district spokesperson Lee Whack. An additional 63,000 or so seventh to 12th graders receive district-issued SEPTA TransPasses, which are good for free transit on weekdays between 5:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. The passes cost about $35 million, most of which is reimbursed by the state through a process that is (trust me) too complicated to break down in this column.

To be eligible for the passes, students must live farther than 1.5 miles from school, because the district has to draw a line somewhere. Currently, about 34,000 students are ineligible for the passes.

"We're a large school district with a lot of competing costs," says Whack, pointing out that the district is also on the hook for transporting Philly kids to charter and private schools. "We have to prioritize transportation for students who have longer commutes."

For kids who live a few blocks from school, the policy is no problem, obviously. For kids who live closer to that 1.5-mile mark, the trek can be an ordeal on a cold, snowy, or rainy day.

So, no biggie, right? Just hop on SEPTA for a day. Unless, of course, the cost of the fare is unaffordable, which it can be for low-income students, which the city has a lot of. Even in nice weather, a kid would still need to leave home pretty early to arrive at school in time for the free breakfast he or she may rely upon.

For some, says Robert Serrano, the walk takes them through sketchy neighborhoods and opioid encampments they'd rather ride through, if only they could. So their parents drop them off on their own way to work, but that means kids can arrive at 6:30 a.m., before school doors even open.

"Some kids wind up just staying home," says Serrano, a Spanish teacher at Penn Treaty School in Fishtown, whose sixth- to 12th-grade students hail from neighborhoods as diverse as Fishtown, Kensington, North Philly, and Old Richmond. "It's a real issue."

(If it's a real issue at Penn Treaty, I'm betting it's an issue at other schools, too. If you have a tale to share, hit me up at polaner@phillynews.com.)

Serrano described the situation to Alivia's mom, Venise Whitaker, a constituent-services rep for City Council President Darrell Clarke. She wound up discussing it later with Alivia.

Her daughter's solution: Use a lemonade sale to help kids at Penn Treaty buy SEPTA Key cards (which can be loaded with credit for $2 rides, a discount from the usual $2.50 fare).

"What can I say? She's a great kid," says Whitaker, who will donate the funds to the nonprofit Friends of Penn Treaty School, which will oversee the purchase of SEPTA cards.

Alivia and friends (and their moms) will be manning their colorful booth from noon to 2 p.m. at this Saturday's "Breakin' the Ballot" nonpartisan, voter registration and arts fair, sponsored by the 18th Ward Democrats at Fishtown Rec Center.

There'll be break-dance performers, music and DJ, face painting, crafts, and guest speakers. If you're in the area and feeling thirsty, stop by for a refreshing cup of lemonade, poured by Alivia.

Whose cause is almost as sweet as she is.

Breakin' the Ballot is Saturday, Oct. 6, noon to 2 p.m., Fishtown Rec Center, 1202 Montgomery Ave.
Senator Mazie Hirono listens as the Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing for Dr. Christine Blasey Ford to testify about sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill last month. Read more

Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono had been in the upper house of Congress for only a few months in 2013 when her Senate colleagues began debating an immigration-reform bill  and whatever Hirono lacked in seniority, she more than made up for with a lived experience nothing like any of her 99 colleagues.

With the same level of ferocity that's become familiar to the entire nation in recent weeks during the Supreme Court nomination fight over Brett Kavanaugh, Hirono battled, albeit unsuccessfully, for an amendment that would create an immigration preference for close relatives of citizens who had suffered through extreme hardships.

For Hirono  a Democrat who will turn 71 three days before this November's election  the amendment wasn't solely based on abstract ideology but also on what really happened to her, her mom, her grandparents, and two siblings when they sought to flee her native Japan in the early 1950s, to get away from an abusive dad who was gambling away the family's money.

The future U.S. senator, her mother, and two of her siblings ultimately escaped Japan in the cramped steerage compartment of a Hawaii-bound ship, a journey made easier by the good fortune that Hirono's mother had been born in Hawaii, then a U.S. territory, and was thus determined to be a U.S. citizen. Without her 2013 proposal, Hirono told the Washington Post at the time, women fleeing hardships and abuse wouldn't be welcome to take refuge in America  meaning someone in the same situation as her own mom "never would have been able to come here."

Hirono  who became a naturalized citizen when Hawaii became a state in 1959  was then, and still is, the only foreign-born immigrant serving in the Senate, but that's not the primary reason the first-term senator has become the unlikely breakout political star of 2018.

The blunt-speaking Hawaiian who cut her political teeth protesting the Vietnam War and reading Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique in the 1960s is now a septuagenarian channeling the simmering rage of the #MeToo movement onto Capitol Hill. She is delighting her new followers with her no-more-(bleeps)-to-give attitude  like the stunning moment when she told a national TV audience that "I just want to say to the men in this country: Just shut up and step up. Do the right thing for a change."

But keener political watchers had already noticed Hirono as someone who not only rarely holds her tongue (she has openly referred to President Trump as "a liar") but who also brings a passion and a first-person perspective to issues like immigration or sexual abuse that many of the members of the mostly male, mostly white millionaires' club that is the U.S. Senate simply can't share.

When Obamacare was under attack from the GOP majority in 2017, Hirono spoke of both losing a sister to pneumonia at age 2 and her own recent battle with Stage 4 kidney cancer. "It's very hard for me to talk about this," Hirono told her Senate colleagues as her voice cracked. Ultimately, the health-care program was saved by one vote.

And yet despite the recent flood of accolades, her newfound political fan club, and a spike in appearances on cable TV, there is one thing you never hear about Hirono that you hear constantly about a dozen or so of her Democratic Senate colleagues  that she is a presidential contender. Sure, you could quibble about a half-dozen factors  her age and health, her small-state background, the fact that America has never elected a woman, let alone an Asian American  but the conversation can never even get to that point.

Mazie Hirono could never be president because the U.S. Constitution, as drafted here in Philadelphia in 1787, bars anyone who is not a "natural born citizen" from even running. That means not just Hirono but a raft of other immigrants who became naturalized citizens and then successful politicians  former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, or Democratic members of Congress like New York's Adriano Espaillat or Washington state's Pramila Jayapal  are denied a basic right shared by all other citizens: the right to dream of someday becoming president.

That begs a one-word response. Why?

Despite the near-biblical reverence that we grant the original Constitution, scholars say that 18th-century founders were mainly worried about a scenario  a foreign general like the Revolutionary fighters Lafayette of France or Baron de Steuben of Prussia being named commander-in-chief of the nascent nation's army  that's beyond implausible in 2018. What's more, the phrase natural-born citizen is so vague that we've had endless and somewhat pointless debates about whether citizens born to American parents on foreign soil, including John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Ted Cruz, are eligible to run. (And let's not even bring up the Barack Obama "birther" theory.)

But more important, the "natural born citizen" restriction no longer makes sense  not just because it creates two separate classes of citizen, but also because it overlooks the reality that naturalized citizens like Hirono are some of the best examples and most ferocious advocates for universal American values, from inclusion and equal rights to the value of hard work.

On the surface, University of Richmond law professor Kevin Walsh  former law clerk to the late archconservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia  couldn't be any more different from the liberal Hirono. But in recent months, Walsh has been advocating for and even drafted a proposed constitutional amendment that would change Article 2, Section 1 to read that any "Citizen of the United States" is eligible to run for the White House if he or she is at least 35 years old and has lived here for 14 years (both current requirements).

"I think some of it goes to the issue of what it means to be an American," Walsh told me. He noted that  as is often the case with a religion  "converts" to U.S. citizenship are often the most enthusiastic advocates for its virtues, because for them becoming an American was a conscious choice. The law professor also sees the difficult act of enacting any constitutional amendment as a valuable political exercise in these otherwise divided times, writing that citizens and political leaders could "exercise self-government muscles that have atrophied from civic sloth."

The timing would certainly be impeccable. In 2018, dozens of foreign-born candidates  believed to be a record  are seeking elective offices ranging from Congress to local school boards. Many have been aided by groups such as New American Leaders that offer training for immigrant-leaders-turned-would-be-elected-officials on how to mobilize their communities and best tell their stories  with the goal of infusing America's political debate with the perspectives of its 41 million foreign-born citizens.

This November, Catalina Cruz  who came to America, undocumented, from Colombia at age 9 and became a U.S. citizen less than a decade ago  is poised to make history as the first "Dreamer" to win election to the New York State Assembly, representing a Queens neighborhood where she fights for the rights of immigrant labor. Just 35, Cruz is beginning her political odyssey in the nation that grants her any opportunity  except the opportunity to be president.

This week, it's hard to imagine a nation that seems practically on the brink of a civil war over one would-be Supreme Court pick somehow holding hands and singing "Kumbaya" to get a constitutional amendment over the huge hurdle of approval by three-quarters of the states, red and blue. Especially in a nation where about a third of the public is obsessed with building a huge wall on the southern border to keep different-looking people out, not with erecting a ladder for different-looking people to climb into the White House.

But that picture will change if more and more Mazie Hironos and Catalina Cruzes get elected to office. And when that finally happens, the 28th Amendment  call it the Mazie Hirono Amendment  should sail through the process. It's one more chance for America to step up and do the right thing.
Since he was unleashed on the world a little more than a week ago, the Flyers' new mascot, Gritty, has been meme-ified, mocked, and made into an anti-Trump protest icon. But no one has gotten to know the "real" Gritty. Until now.

Late night, Conan O'Brien focused on the Flyers mascot on Wednesday's episode of Conan, in which the comedian brought out Gritty for an interview with the "man"  if you can call it that  behind the mask. As O'Brien said Wednesday, the interview would be Gritty's first.

"Gritty has made some appearances on local and national TV, but one thing no one has done yet is interview the person inside the Gritty costume to find out more about Gritty," O'Brien said. "We wanted to be the first. That's why we flew him in from Philadelphia to be here tonight."

What was under Gritty's mask, however, was arguably more disturbing than his initial big reveal. As it turns out, according to Conan, Gritty is an actual monster, even without the suit  complete with crab claw hand, bulging eyes, and a Hellboy-like visage. But despite his appearance, the guy inside the Gritty costume is pretty normal, and had a series of regular jobs before becoming a mascot.

"[I did] mostly over-the-phone stuff. A little Uber, a little Postmates," Gritty said. "I'm a part-time paramedic. But now, with this, I finally feel like I've found my true calling."

Funny, but eagle-eyed Flyers fans will notice that Conan's Gritty isn't the real Gritty  just like the one that appeared on Last Week Tonight on Sunday. Instead, it's a cheap imitation, but you have to give the show props for creating a full-body mascot suit from a newly debuted character in a little over a week.

The real Gritty, the one we have come to know and fear, for the record, has made only one official appearance on late night TV. Last week, he stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he got into a fight with comedian Ricky Gervais.

Elsewhere, Gritty has been a target for nightly roasts on shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Saturday Night Live, and The Daily Show. But despite the histrionic responses to the Flyers' new mascot, Gritty is likely here to stay  at least according to Tom Burgoyne, who has played the Phillie Phanatic for the last 30 years.

"I honestly can't remember a mascot introduced in the age of social media that didn't get some kind of backlash," Burgoyne told the Inquirer last week. "I actually think it's really cool-looking, and kids are going to think he's really cool."
Seventh-grader Matthew Mattliocco regularly attends the Read to a Dog! program. His dad notes that the presence of the dog helps to ease Mattliocco's anxiety. Read more

"Hi, Orchid  this is Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook," says 12-year-old Matthew Mattliocco, showing off the cover of his book to Orchid, the black Labrador retriever sitting quietly at his feet.

Mattliocco gives the 4-year-old pooch a pat on the head before diving into his first sentence of the day.

"Chapter 1: No Good Reason. My name is Junie B. Jones. The B stands for Beatrice. Except I don't like Beatrice. I just like B and that's all," a smiling Mattliocco reads from Barbara Park's book.

Mattliocco, whose curly locks match the auburn hair of the blue-eyed Junie on his book, is a regular participant of the Free Library of Philadelphia's Read With a Dog! program, unfolding every Monday at the Falls of the Schuylkill branch and on select dates at other library branches. The program invites those of all ages to come out and practice their reading skills in front of a friendly dog.

"The goal is to give anyone that wants to read a place to do so without judgment, in a comfortable area," says Meredith McGovern, children's librarian at the Falls of the Schuylkill branch. "The dog doesn't care if you mess up some words, or if it takes you awhile to complete a sentence, or if you have to skip over a word. A lot of times, the only person around besides the reader is the dog's owner, who also isn't there to judge."

For Mattliocco, a cheery seventh grader with a zest for humorous books, it's an activity he looks forward to every week, traveling all the way from South Philadelphia with his dad to the East Falls library branch. Orchid not only makes reading more fun for Mattliocco, but also helps to put him at ease.

"Matthew has autism, which causes him to get anxious, but the dogs always really calm him," says his dad, John Mattliocco. "He's extremely smart, so for him, the dogs are really just therapeutic  they give him a break from the uneasiness he experiences."

While the program primarily attracts school-age kids from 6 to 11 years old, the program is open to anyone. Those who wish to participate need simply to sign up upon arrival at the library and pick out a book. Each reader is given about 15 minutes to read.

"Sometimes kids will say they don't want to read, but when the dogs show up, they instantly want to pick out a book," says McGovern. "It gets them excited and gives them time to build their confidence so that when they go back to the classroom, they eventually feel more comfortable reading in a social setting."

Tyler Hollingsworth, a fourth grader at the Thomas Mifflin School, located just across the street from the Falls of the Schuylkill, likes Orchid because she's far more attentive than her own dog at home.

"My dog would've just jumped off my bed and ran away by now," says Hollingsworth of her 7-year-old Chihuahua, King. "Orchid's gentle  it's more comfortable than reading out loud at school."

Before turning each page from Mo Willems' Let's Go for a Drive, Hollingsworth makes sure to let Orchid first see the colorful illustrations paired with each sentence.

"Piggie! I have a great idea! Let's go for a drive!" she reads, as Orchid slowly turns onto her back.

Orchid is one of the quietest "kids" in the library, a patient listener, adding distraction only when affectionately rolling over to receive another belly rub midsentence from the reader beside her.

She and another furry friend, a little brown rescue mutt named Wally, alternate appearances every Monday at the library. Both are certified therapy dogs, with owners who say their pets naturally love kids.

"I really wanted her to be able to do something that she liked and in the community to help people," says Orchid's owner, Zoe Murphy, who is still a student herself, currently a 10th grade homeschooler living in Philadelphia's Wissahickon neighborhood. "She's my best friend, and I'm so happy to be able to share her with the world."

Orchid has been a part of the program for a year, so she knows the drill. Upon walking into the library, she'll often immediately go straight to her reading rug and flop down on her back, awaiting the first kid to give her a belly rub. During reading time, sometimes she'll appear so interested in a story that she'll actually rest her chin on the book's pages, intently watching the child in front of her.

"Many kids in our overcrowded classrooms don't have the experience of reading aloud to an eager listener or of being the one doing the reading rather than being a passive listener," says Wally's owner, Elaine Frank, a lover of libraries who got involved with the program because of the value she saw in the service. "It also gives the children the opportunity to be the one in charge, choosing what book to read and wondering if Wally will like it."
After making his feature film bows in the harrowing police brutality dramas Detroit and The Hate U Give, Algee Smith could be forgiven for wanting to change it up a bit.

"Sometimes I do think it's time for something different. Like maybe a comedy," said the young star, in town to talk about The Hate U Give, in which he plays the victim of a police shooting.

"But in a way, this movie is different. Detroit, I found, was really hard for people take, and in this case, there's more hope in the story," Smith said. "There is a really hopeful message, a strong message of black pride that you get. And personally, I really liked the portrayal in the movie of a strong black man at the head of the household. That moved me," Smith said.

The Hate U Give (the title is taken from a Tupac Shakur lyric) is based on the Angie Thomas book, and tells of a teen girl (Amandla Stenberg) who witnesses a police shooting (Smith plays the victim), a situation she endures and survives with the help of a protective father (Russell Hornsby).

Smith earned an audition based in part on his work in Kathryn Bigelow's Detroit as a man who survives the city's 1967 riots. He was called upon to improvise crucial scenes with director George Tillman Jr. He hadn't read Thomas' book, and decided not to before he arrived on set.

"I didn't want to give myself too much information about Khalil. I didn't want to be thinking of all that, instead of being in the moment," he said. "But Amandla, she was just so into that book, like every day reading it again, so I said, 'Let my see just a little of that book,' and after that, I was hooked."

Smith has another personal connection to the movie  he started out as a musician (he once toured Philadelphia with an Atlanta gospel group as a young teen) and was a big fan of Shakur's, whose music is an important theme in the movie.

"He had a real strong positive message, and we pick up on that in the film. That the hate you put on little children has negative repercussions. His words shifted the culture, and I think had he lived, he would have shifted it even more," Smith said.

It falls to movies like The Hate U Give to carry on that work, he said.

"When it comes to things like police brutality, which we look at in the movie, it doesn't bother me that people don't completely understand the issue. What bothers me is when people have no interest in understanding. And that's why movies like this are important, because they can make it easier for people to make that leap," he said.
Snake news?

Certainly the maligned fourth estate could use a guy like that at the moment, and print people should be favorably disposed toward a character who vows at the end of the film to "return to the written word."

But Venom and the movie he's in are tough for anyone to warm up to. The first third of Venom is almost shockingly dull. As a superhero movies go, it's generic in a way that recalls the pre-Avengers bad old days (Green Lantern, Green Hornet, Jonah Hex)  without any personal style, unique tone, or interesting atmosphere.

Tom Hardy seems initially unsure of what to do with his character, Eddie Brock, a San Francisco TV reporter intent on exposing the unsavory secret operations of an Elon Musk-y tech overlord named Drake (Riz Ahmed), who's using his space fleet to retrieve space material that he purports will be useful to mankind.

In fact, Drake's experimenting ruthlessly on homeless people, prompting a conscious-stricken employee (Jenny Slate) to contact Brock, who, long story short, ends up infused with alien matter that makes him a "symbiote," capable of turning into a muscular black monster when threatened, and also possessed of an interior alien intelligence that provides sarcastic running dialogue.

As a symbiote, Brock/Venom is sometimes funny, and for a while the movie finds a rhythm that seems to suit director Ruben Fleischer, best known for Zombieland.

Hardy manages to make a kind of buddy comedy out of the CGI back-and-forth with his usurping alien alter-ego, zigzagging between the two modes while trying to patch things up with his ex (Michelle Williams) and save the world.

I'd like to say that all of this is groundbreaking, but it's not. The movie is suspiciously similar to Leigh Whannell's cheeky sci-fi movie Upgrade, released earlier this year, in which AI operates the cybernetic systems inside an injured man's retrofitted body, and the two consciousnesses wrestle for control.

Did somebody copy off of somebody else's paper?

Ironically, Venom represents Sony's attempt to do something original with the character, who appeared as a villain played by Topher Grace in Spider-Man 3.

Here, he getsupgraded, the hero in his own story, with vetted leading man Hardy in the title role.

You hold out hope that Hardy's inevitable showdown with Ahmed would yield some third-act sparks, but both actors are ultimately subsumed by CGI forms, and the ending is one of those dreary, pulverizing displays of animation that have spoiled many a superhero movie.

Including this one.

Venom. Directed by Ruben Fleischer. With Tom Hardy, Riz Ahmed, Michelle Williams, Jenny Slate and Reid Scott. Distributed by Sony.

Running time: 112 minutes

Parents guide: PG-13

Playing at: area theaters
VANCOUVER, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Search Minerals Inc. (Search or the Company) (TSXV: SMY), is pleased to announce that InCoR Holdings PLC (InCoR) has agreed to lend the Company an additional CDN $150,000, which will be used for general working capital purposes. The loan is a non-interest bearing demand loan and will be secured by the existing security package given by the Company and its subsidiary in favor of InCoR in connection with the secured convertible debentures issued to InCoR on September 28, 2017 (the September Debenture) and October 27, 2017 (the October Debenture), in the amounts of $150,000 and $350,000, respectively.

The September Debenture was not converted and matured on September 28, 2018, at which time it became repayable in cash. As the Company pursues a refinancing of both the September Debenture and the October Debenture, InCoR has agreed to forbear taking any action under the September Debenture or the related security agreements for duration of the period beginning September 29, 2018, and ending on October 27, 2018. As consideration for this forbearance the Company has agreed to pay InCoR a forbearance fee in the amount of CDN $30,000 which is payable at the end of the forbearance period.

The foregoing constitute related party transactions within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101) because InCoR is a Control Person of the Company. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements in Sections 5.5.(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, on the basis that the fair market value of the transactions does not exceed 25% of the Companys Market Capitalization.

About Search Minerals Inc.

Led by a proven management team and board of directors, Search is focused on finding and developing resources within the emerging Port Hope Simpson Critical Rare Earth Element (CREE) District of South East Labrador (the District). The Company controls a belt 70 km long and 8 km wide including its 100% interest in the FOXTROT Project which is road accessible and at tidewater. Exploration efforts have advanced Deep Fox and Fox Meadow as significant new CREE prospects very similar and in close proximity to the original FOXTROT discovery. While the Company has identified more than 20 other prospects in the District, its primary objective remains development of FOXTROT with the clearly demonstrated success of the proprietary processing technology at the pilot plant level and delineation of prospects that will ensure competitive-low cost production beyond the 14-year mine life contemplated in the preliminary economic assessment of FOXTROT completed in April 2016. The FOXTROT Project has a low capital cost to bring the initial project into production ($152 M), a short payback period and is scalable due to Searchs proprietary processing technology. The preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. The preliminary economic assessment includes the results of an economic analysis of mineral resources. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.

All material information on the Company may be found on its website at www.searchminerals.ca and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com

About neo-CREOs (Adamas Intelligence  November 2017)

We consider neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium to be neo-CREOs and they are vital to NdFeB magnets used widely in renewable power generation, electric mobility, and energy-efficient technologies. We consider terbium to be a neo-CREO because upon experiencing shortages of dysprosium, consumers in the magnet industry will rapidly consume available terbium supplies in its place for applications involving renewable power generation, electric mobility and energy efficient technologies. Lanthanum is considered a neo-CREO because it is widely used in catalytic converters and rechargeable batteries, and will be increasingly used as a thermal stabilizer by producers of poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) to minimize lead consumption and improve the energy efficiency of PVC and other processing equipment.

For further information, please contact:

Greg Andrews

President and CEO

Tel: 604-998-3432

E-mail: info@searchminerals.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. securities laws.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information.

This news release includes certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operating or financial performance of the Company, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as expects, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, potential, possible, and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results will, may, could, or should occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, advancement of the Companys Foxtrot Project, environmental assessment results, results from public consultations, provincial studies and the completion of environmental studies. Actual future results may differ materially. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, public consultations drastically change the Guidelines, the refusal of the provincial and federal government to cooperate during the assessment process and the results of the environmental assessment are not favourable to the Company. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change.
Detail from "Assassination," part of Yael Bartana's trilogy "And Europe Will be Stunned" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Read more

Yael Bartana creates spectacles and videos that make the incredible feel like the truth. She calls what she does "historical pre-enactment."

Her most famous work, a trilogy of videos,  And Europe Will Be Stunned, is having is first local showing at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Jan. 1.

With a small army of technical assistants, and much larger armies of citizens that she enlists to take part in the demonstrations, activities, and rituals she instigates, Bartana makes compelling simulations of political movements that have not happened.

Perhaps the more than three million Jews will return to the Polish homeland they were forced to leave during the 20th century. Perhaps Philadelphians will gather up all the guns in the city, from colonial muskets to AK-47s, and give them a ritual burial. Or perhaps not.

Either way, Bartana's art is to engage large groups of people in activities that imply such things might be happening, and to make videos that make such unlikely possibilities feel very real.

Philadelphians were able to see and participate in her work two weekends ago when she staged Bury Our Weapons, Not Our Bodies, which consisted of a march from Washington Square to Independence Mall, where there were speeches by a well-curated and varied group of speakers, including a representative from the National Rifle Association.

Later, behind the Art Museum, the artist presided over a sort of funeral for the firearms, which were later buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery. She documented the event, and it is likely to become a new video work.

This event, only part of which I attended, unquestionably evoked heartfelt response from many who viewed or participated. Nevertheless, it existed in an odd realm, somewhere between a real political protest and a work of art. Were the marchers really seeking change or just taking advantage of the chance to be part of a Bartana performance? Perhaps both?

It's difficult to tell what's real nowadays, and she doesn't make it any easier.

 And Europe Will Be Stunned, which was acquired by the Philadelphia Museum of Art jointly with the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, conjures up a fictional political movement, the Jewish Renaissance Movement in Poland, and plunges us into its history.

The video, which was made in three parts between 2007 and 2011, was the official entry from Poland at the 2011 Venice Biennale  a fact that seems almost as unlikely as any Bartana has made up. By most accounts, it was a sensation, a seriously hot ticket. And Bartana, who was born in Israel in 1970, and who now lives in Amsterdam and Berlin, emerged as an art world star.

The work's three parts, which add up to about an hour in length, are shown in adjacent spaces, and you are unlikely to see any of them simply from beginning to end. The experience of walking into each one in the middle subtly increases the illusion that you are viewing an ongoing phenomenon, not a fiction.

The first part, Nightmares (2007) is set in a vast abandoned stadium where trees are growing out of the seats. A serious young man in glasses, Slawomir Sierakowski, a Polish political activist who collaborated with Bartana on the idea for the work, delivers a speech arguing that both Poland and the Jews who were expelled or fled need each other.

"With one religion we cannot listen," he tells a stadium that is empty except for some kerchief-wearing youth group members busily stenciling words and numbers. "With one color, we cannot see. With one culture, we cannot feel. Without you, we can't even remember. Join us and Europe will be stunned." These slogans are repeated throughout the other two films.

In the second, Wall and Tower (2009) a movement is under way. Young people are building a kibbutz in Warsaw, in the area of the old Jewish ghetto. We see them working together harmoniously, sweating and struggling as they haul the large beams of a watchtower into place. But once it is completed, it looks more like a prison than a refuge.

The leader played by Sierakowski has been murdered before the third and longest part, Assassination (2011) begins. His body lies in state in a great domed hall as crowds pass by.

People hold banners of the movement, a Polish eagle superimposed with a Star of David. At an outdoor gathering, next to a huge portrait bust of the leader  you've never seen such monumental stone eyeglasses  real political and cultural figures from Poland and Israel offer testimonials and reflections on the man and his movement.

Visually, the videos simulate the imagery of heroism from early 20th-century films. We see people from below. Their faces seem to glow. Even the sky seems to promise a new dawn. Nightmares is a sort of parody of Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will, the 1935 Nazi propaganda film that showed Adolf Hitler addressing a vast, electrified crowd at a rally in Nuremberg.

Wall and Tower has echoes of Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein with his laboring masses, and of the American D.W. Griffith and his Klansmen. In Assassination, the choreographed crowd moving through impressive architecture had a hint of the megalomaniacal 1930s Gold Diggers musicals of Busby Berkeley, and some of the speeches had the elegiac tone of Henry Fonda's final speech in John Ford's The Grapes of Wrath (1940).

Bartana's videos seem utterly sincere, and, at times, beautiful. But one cannot watch them without realizing that the heroic revolutionary change they advocate has come, as often as not, to very bad ends. Surely that is part of their point, though it may not have been evident to the Philadelphians who marched up Sixth Street with her last month.

I suspect that if I had seen  And Europe Will Be Stunned in 2011, I would have been seduced and excited by Bartana's sly remake of the 20th century. But a lot has changed in seven years. Many countries, Poland among them, have lurched toward authoritarian politics. One reason many Britons wanted to exit the European Union was the perception of an influx of Poles taking their jobs.

You could argue that Bartana is making a stand against the triumph of nationalism, and even tribalism, throughout the Western world. But she is doing it with techniques that come right out of the demagogue's handbook.

Bartana plays powerfully with our sentiments and passions. But I worry whether this is the best moment to create fake political movements and mobilize the populace in movements that turn out to be nothing more than works of art.
Neighbors watch as police begin to evict people living at the Kensington Avenue encampment, one of two of Kensington's heroin camps, in Philadelphia, PA on May 30, 2018. Read more

In Kensington, the epicenter of Philadelphia's opioid crisis, one thing is clear, city officials said Wednesday: What they're doing to fix this devastated community isn't nearly enough.

So on Wednesday, Mayor Kenney declared a disaster in the neighborhood and ordered up a new approach: an emergency operations center, away from City Hall, where staffers from relevant agencies will huddle together and figure out new solutions. The concept is to lower traditional bureaucratic walls in hopes of spurring innovative action, not just reaction.

Unprecedented resources have gone into opening drug treatment and shelter space, clearing heroin encampments from sidewalks, and distributing Narcan. Yet the death rate has skyrocketed, homelessness has doubled, and people are still living on the streets and under bridges.

"The human suffering of people who are going through addiction, what the neighbors are going through, the children who walk to school, is something I can't fathom," said Brian Abernathy, the city's first deputy managing director. "We can't sit there and say this is all we can do, this is all the resources we have. We have to do better. We have to do something different."

At the center, seven city departments, including the city's homeless services and health departments, can coordinate efforts to improve conditions in the neighborhood, setting weekly goals for improvement, and releasing the results to the public.

Broad goals include reducing homelessness and overdose deaths; reducing trash and litter, including discarded hypodermic needles; increasing the number of people in drug treatment; reducing open-air drug use and sales; and engaging long-term residents and supporting community agencies that already exist in Kensington.

Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, whose district includes Kensington, said Wednesday's move was a positive step, and would send a message to permanent residents that the city is, at long last, looking out for them. Objectives include cracking down on soliciting prostitution and other crimes, addressing abandoned buildings, reducing property crimes, and creating safe walking routes to schools and subway stops in the neighborhood.

"We've been pretty vocal about the level of frustration," she said. "We're trying to figure out a more proactive way of coming to grips with all the different moving parts [of the crisis]. It's about accountability  every single department who can contribute to this process has to come to the table, so that it's more sustainable."

Wednesday's announcement came the day after advocates announced they'd formed a nonprofit corporation to open a safe injection site, part of harm-reduction efforts to keep drug users alive and urge them into treatment. Though a location wasn't announced, Kensington long has been thought to be the likeliest spot. City officials, however, were careful to emphasize Wednesday that the site is a private entity.

The participating departments will spend the next two weeks laying out the specific metrics they will use to measure success, then they will meet daily to work on the crisis. The center will operate for at least three months, and then other city officials will evaluate its progress. The emergency operations efforts are expected to last at least nine months.

The order won't mean additional dollars for Kensington  at least not at first. Rather, Abernathy said, the aim is to reassess how resources are used now so that agency leaders can try concepts that either will succeed or will "fail, and fail fast" so that they can learn from mistakes and correct them. That's in contrast to the usual bureaucratic model of spending months outlining plans and obtaining approval from various city departments, he said.

Eva Gladstein, the city's deputy managing director of health and human services, said city outreach workers ran into bureaucratic barriers earlier this year while working to clear two of the drug encampments along Lehigh Avenue. Their task was to get people in the camps into treatment  but outreach workers weren't trained in how to navigate the city's treatment system.

"They, on their own, had to figure out who they needed to talk to to get policies waived or adjusted," she said. "They were all doing it themselves on the ground as situations were developing. This communications structure would enable that to happen without outreach teams themselves having to spend the intellectual energy and time to figure that out."

Abernathy said the city's aim is to approach Kensington just as a government would help a community recover from a natural disaster  which means paying attention to all aspects of the crisis.

"There's nothing like face-to-face coordination between departments," said Noelle Foizen, acting director of the city Office of Emergency Management. "During a snowstorm, for example, the Streets Department might be plowing somewhere that's not helpful for the hospitals. Being in the same room [with those departments], you can fix it right away."

Abernathy said the city can use the emergency center also to help other areas of the city plagued by drug problems, which can be found throughout Philadelphia. But nowhere is the situation more dire than in Kensington.

Plagued by successive waves of drug crises and long allowed to crumble along with the industry that once employed its residents, Kensington saw homelessness rates double to more than 700 people in August, largely driven by the opioid crisis. Some 150 people are living in large-scale encampments along Lehigh Avenue. HIV infection rates among drug users increased 48 percent over the last year in Kensington.

There's another reason the city is characterizing the new approach to Kensington as a recovery mission, said James Engler, Mayor Kenney's chief of staff.

"A disaster is not meant to be a permanent state," he said. "A disaster happens, and you have to recover back to normalcy. And one of the things we are trying to acknowledge here as an administration is that the current situation in Kensington, for everyone involved, is not an acceptable continuing state. We are creating a new normal for everyone that's there."
Stephanie M. Fosbenner, M.D., is a resident in psychiatry in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Read more

"What does the drug do for you?" I asked the woman sitting across from me in the psychiatric emergency room.

She was struggling with an addiction to heroin, hoping for a treatment referral. She repeated the question softly several times as she thought.

"I guess it makes the world feel a little less harsh, you know, even if just for a bit."

This question has become an important and illuminating part of my addictions assessment. As a resident psychiatrist in Philadelphia, I've met and treated hundreds of people struggling with addiction, chiefly to heroin and cocaine.

"What does the drug do for you?" Very rarely do people talk about the high. Most tell me about childhood trauma, poverty, regret, and loneliness, often overlaid by intense feelings of worthlessness and self-contempt.

Hearing the life stories of people struggling with addiction has changed how I relate to them  less as "addicts," and more as fellow human beings who are trying the best they can. Research has shown a consistent link between early life trauma and later addiction, a connection I see every day in the clinic. Yet most of my patients are remarkably resilient and desperately want to get better.

We know how to help them. We have medications, including methadone, suboxone, and Vivitrol, that are well proven to lead to far more lasting recovery than abstinence alone. Yet fewer than one in five Americans with opioid use disorders are being treated with them.

One problem is stigma; many people refuse to accept that drug therapy is the most direct way out of drug addiction. Sometimes I get so frustrated I wish I could force a patient into drug treatment.

But that's an emotional response; data show that forced treatment doesn't work. Nor does it respect the inherent dignity of those in addiction, which includes their right to make decisions for themselves that might be different from what I desire.

That isn't just a nice thought; I've seen over and over that behavior change and recovery are most likely in a respectful and caring relationship that affirms the patient's dignity.

I've seen this dynamic play out in the hospital, where it often takes multiple admissions for patients to trust the medical team enough to accept longer-term treatment. Some never get there. One of my patients, in addiction for several years, was admitted multiple times for relapses and overdoses. Then the treatment team took a different approach. They spent extra time with this patient, giving him space to begin to process his past traumas and their enduring impact on his life. After he left the hospital, he went to a clinic for medication-assisted treatment and psychiatric therapy. He's been able to maintain sobriety.

His story demonstrates that we need to meet people where they are, not where we wish they were.

Canada and several European countries have accomplished this by establishing safe injection sites, sanitary and nonjudgmental places where people in addiction can use drugs they have obtained elsewhere. A group in Philadelphia has just announced plans to open one here.

Professionals trained to respond to overdoses and provide education about staying safe and accessing treatment resources are always present. There are about 100 such sites operating legally in 10 countries. Studies conducted at multiple sites clearly show that they improve the health of people struggling with addiction as well as community health by reducing public injecting and unsanitary needle disposal. They serve as a place where some of the most difficult to reach and severely addicted members of our society can receive medical care and get connected to social services. Studies show a link between the opening of a safe injection site and an increase in referrals to detox and rehab programs, plus more engagement in long-term drug treatment among people who use safe injection sites.

I understand that providing a safe and clean space for people suffering from addiction to inject drugs elicits feelings of discomfort and anxiety.

It took me a while to accept that the greater danger is not opening safe injection sites.

We shouldn't allow our collective discomfort to stand in the way of evidence-based health policy and practice.

Philadelphia has one of the highest drug overdose rates of any major U.S. city. One study estimates that a safe injection site in Philadelphia could prevent 48 overdose deaths and up to 18 HIV infections annually.

Safe injection sites provide a place where the most marginalized and stigmatized members of our community can feel accepted and valued. They are a place where people struggling with addiction can form mutually respectful relationships with health and social service providers, until they are fully prepared for change and recovery.

Stephanie M. Fosbenner, M.D., is a resident in psychiatry in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The opinions expressed in this article do not represent those of the University of Pennsylvania Health System or the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Steven Brigham (left) at his license revocation hearing in October 2014. His medical director, Vikram Kaji, 82, (right) attending last week's hearings to determine whether he is competent to practice medicine. Read more

It has been four years since abortion doctor Steven Brigham, whose record of botched procedures goes back decades, lost his New Jersey medical license and was ordered to sell his seven clinics in the state.

The clinics, advertised as American Women's Services, are still open today. They are owned by Brigham's 82-year-old medical director, Vikram Kaji, who was disciplined in the mid-1990s for sexually abusing patients.

Brigham transferred ownership, for no money, to the Bombay-trained obstetrician-gynecologist in what the state attorney general called a sham deal designed to keep Brigham, 62, in control and profiting. Hearings were ordered more than two years ago to sort out whether Kaji is in effect Brigham's puppet.

Last week, two days of hearings were finally held  but not on the ownership issue. Rather, the question was whether Kaji, who has a history of stroke, is competent to practice medicine. In the latest twist, Kaji's wife warned state officials that the octogenarian's dementia has gotten so bad, he often calls from the road crying because he can't find his way home.

Asked about the latest development, a spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office emailed: "Because of the pressing concern for public safety, the matter of Dr. Kaji's competency has taken precedence over the matter of his alleged sham ownership of American Women's Services. The state will address the matter of ownership once the matter of Dr. Kaji's competency has been concluded."

Activists on both sides of the abortion divide say Brigham's exploitation of loopholes, and the fact that regulators so often give him the benefit of a doubt, show that states such as New Jersey do a poor job of disciplining physicians.

"Brigham is a rogue doctor," said the Rev. Katherine H. Ragsdale, interim president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation. "We have reported Brigham to multiple attorneys general. We are disappointed that the judicial and regulatory systems in New Jersey have failed to follow through on their decision to shut him down."

Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life, said, "It's time New Jersey officials fulfill their responsibility to enforce the law and protect the health and safety of women by shutting down the seven abortion clinics."

>> READ MORE: Why is the discipline of doctors in this country so lax?

Brigham, a graduate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, is not an ob-gyn. Public records and media coverage going back to the early 1990s have documented his multistate history of defying regulators, tax collectors, landlords, creditors, and criminal prosecutors in Maryland.

Consider Pennsylvania, where Brigham launched his abortion practice in Wyomissing in 1990. He agreed to give up his license just two years later amid an investigation  but his growing chain of clinics stayed open. Regulators spent decades sanctioning him for flouting health and safety laws, particularly by employing unqualified or unlicensed workers. Finally, in 2010, he was barred from owning any clinics in the state  although it took two more years to shut him down because he transferred ownership to his mother in Ohio. (In 2013, Pennsylvania quickly squelched a Northeast Philadelphia clinic he tried to open by hiding his connection.)

The size of his current network is unclear. American Women's Services' website lists nine clinics in New Jersey, including two that are closed; three in Maryland, one of them closed; and two in Virginia. Corporate records and media reports also tie Brigham to a clinic in Florida and another in Washington, D.C.

Brigham has testified that he is in financial straits. He owed the IRS more than $500,000 for not paying employee taxes. Then the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners piled on $561,000 in penalties and prosecution costs related to the 2014 revocation of his license, the last of four he once held.

The board  which declared, "The breadth and brazenness of his misconduct is staggering"  concluded Brigham had endangered and deceived patients with a cash-only, late-term abortion scheme that straddled states. He initiated the operations by inducing fetal death in New Jersey, usually in his Voorhees headquarters, then he or another doctor surgically removed the dead fetuses a day or so later in a clandestine clinic in Elkton, Md.

Never licensed in Maryland, Brigham contended his high-risk medical procedures were allowed under that state's law because he was merely acting as a "consultant" to his medical director  another octogenarian ob-gyn, who, like Kaji, was partially disabled by a stroke.

New Jersey prosecutors said Brigham used the elaborate ploy because his clinics in that state and his training fell far short of meeting the state's safety requirements.

Brigham's defense: New Jersey had prosecuted and then exonerated him for doing virtually the same thing in the mid-1990s, when he did the fetal extractions in New York. After several patients were seriously injured, his license was stripped in New York, but New Jersey restored his privileges after three years of appeals.

The newer iteration of the scheme came to light in 2010 when an 18-year-old patient who suffered critical injuries during an abortion went to Elkton police. A raid found freezers containing parts or bodies of 35 fetuses, several just a few weeks shy of full-term gestation.

Last month, a New Jersey appeals court rejected Brigham's bid to regain his license.

Kaji has had his own troubles. He went to work for Brigham in the mid-1990s while his license was restricted in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Kaji admitted to having sex with a patient in his Yardley office, improperly prescribing controlled substances for her, and giving two other patients improper rectal or breast exams.

In 2013, Kaji admitted to regulators that his memory and vision had been affected by a stroke. Ordered to undergo testing, he was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and agreed to "refrain from complicated medical procedures."

About a year ago, Kaji's wife warned officials about his worsening memory. A neuropsychologist who tested Kaji concluded he had progressed to dementia. Kaji agreed to stop practicing medicine pending the competency hearings, held last week in Newark before administrative law judge Thomas Betancourt.

Kaji, dressed in a dark suit, closed his eyes and appeared to doze before Wednesday's hearing began. He did not testify.

Several of Kaji's coworkers testified that they saw no problems with his job performance, which included surgical abortions. An office manager, identified as H.F., also said Kaji's wife "drinks a lot" and was "always mean to him."

Jasdeep Hundal, a Rutgers Cancer Institute neuropsychologist enlisted by Kaji's attorney to retest him, testified that Kaji had mild cognitive impairment, not dementia.

Hundal also said the dexterity of Kaji's right hand was slightly impaired.

Deputy Attorney General Bindi Merchant presented charts that detailed the maneuvers involved in a first trimester surgical abortion, then pressed Hundal to say whether Kaji could safely perform one.

"My answer would be, I don't know," Hundal said.

Betancourt has 45 days to rule on suspending or revoking Kaji's license.

It is not clear how quickly the question of ownership of the clinics will be addressed. The New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners ordered hearings in February 2016, noting "there is a compelling public interest in accelerating. . . the adjudication of this matter."
Lisa Mothee of Olney said her five kids were removed by order of a judge who would not even let her present her case. Read more

Lisa Mothee came to Philadelphia Family Court last September confident she'd get the chance to tell her story, and hopeful that the Department of Human Services' case on the youngest of her five kids would be closed.

Yet, in the courtroom of Judge Lyris Younge, that's not what happened. After she answered questions about the birth of her daughter, the topic of her four older kids was raised  and Mothee wasn't permitted to speak. When she tried, according to a transcript, the judge cut her off: "Do not blurt out in court."

Then, Younge ordered Mothee, 31, and her fiance, Brian Colon, 30, of Olney, to be handcuffed and held until the kids could be claimed from school and from the babysitter, to be taken into protective custody.

"I didn't understand how something like this could happen," Mothee said. "I had all my documents ready, thinking I was going to get a fair hearing. And they tore us apart."

On Monday, another judge, Joseph Fernandes, who this week and last has been assigned to Younge's courtroom, took a total of 15 minutes to reverse the removal, allowing Mothee to reunite with her five children. By the afternoon, they were back home.

It's just the latest overturning of a ruling by Younge, who has faced blistering criticism and reversals from state appellate judges for violating due process and who, the Legal Intelligencer reported last week, is the subject of a probe by the state Judicial Conduct Board.

A spokesman for the courts would not comment on her status or whether she would return. The general counsel for the conduct board did not return messages.

"She took over a very difficult caseload," said Samuel Stretton, speaking as Younge's attorney. "The judge always looks out for the children. That's her priority."

He said that she is not suspended but rather took two weeks in chambers to catch up on an administrative backlog. Next week, she'll be on vacation. The week after that, she might return to the courtroom  or she might be reassigned, he said.

Lawyers and clients described a culture of fear and intimidation in her courtroom, where in January she held a lawyer, Brian McLaughlin, in contempt for being late to represent a mother in a contested hearing. Karen Deanna Williams, McLaughlin's lawyer, said he wasn't late: He'd waited in Younge's courtroom for an hour and a half before being called to another courtroom on a separate matter. She called Younge's court order in the case fraudulent and possibly criminal. And, she alleged, Younge held the contempt hearing without any notice to McLaughlin. A Superior Court judge removed Younge from the case.

"She's done any number of things in specific cases, all of which go to denial of litigants' due process," she said. "That's the overarching theme. Each case has a denial of due process or several denials, in separating families or not allowing children to go with their grandparents."

Everybody has been dealing with the same issue

Mothee said she has connected with 25 families who shared similar claims  that Younge would not allow them to present evidence or testimony before she moved quickly to remove their children, in some cases going even further than the city Department of Human Services' recommendation.

Mothee had feared retaliation, but hoped that if all the families spoke up together they could prevail. They've been holding protests outside TV stations and the courthouse.

"Everyone has been dealing with the same issue," she said.

In interviews, the families all said the same thing: "She wouldn't let me speak." "My lawyer wasn't allowed to talk." "I never got to testify."

For instance, one issue in Mothee's case was her son's truancy the previous school year. According to Mothee, Younge wouldn't allow her son's teacher to testify about bullying that led to the absences, or about the provisions the school and parents had made for the boy, who finished the year with A's and B's. Nor was Mothee allowed to present a letter from the principal describing her as an "involved" and "valued" parent.

Family Court hearings and filings are not public, but the records in appellate cases describe similar concerns.

One Superior Court judge excoriated Younge in an opinion vacating her termination of a couple's parental rights. The case began when the parents took their 2-month-old to the doctor and learned she had two broken ribs. Abuse allegations were lodged.

According to the opinion, Younge said in court that she would place the child in foster care until a cause of the injury was determined  but refused to allow the couple's medical experts to testify as to the likely cause.

"The elephant in the room," Judge Anne Lazarus wrote, "is that the trial judge was and remains the cause of the deteriorated bond between the parents and [child]."

In another reversed case, the Superior Court found that Younge refused to let a mother testify or even reenter the courtroom after she ran out, apparently sick to her stomach.

"The trial court violated mother's constitutional guarantee to due process when it precluded her from the opportunity to be heard," Judge Jacqueline Shogan wrote.

Stretton said Younge had not violated due process in any cases, and any of her missteps were early in her time on the bench and could be blamed on inexperience. For instance, she didn't properly document that the woman who'd been sick in her courtroom had been disruptive, and had refused offers to return.

The Superior Court opinion in that case "was written in a very mean-spirited way," he said.

But, one attorney, who didn't want to be named because of ongoing cases, said there are many more examples.

"The cases you're seeing are just the tip of the iceberg," the lawyer said, "because many attorneys don't have the time and resources to write appeals."

Younge, 52, was elected in 2015 despite a "not recommended" rating by the Philadelphia Bar Association. She worked for a decade in the city Law Department, according to her since-removed campaign website. There, she worked on child-welfare cases and collaborated with DHS to reduce placements in group homes, according to the site.

The Bar Association doesn't publish the rationale for its recommendations, though lawyers said "not recommended" ratings may reflect a judicial candidate's knowledge of the law or temperament for the bench.

Richard Bost, a lawyer who practices in Family Court, said the situation is a reflection of Pennsylvania's system of electing judges, given that most voters don't know much about the candidates they're selecting.

"All the recent data suggests that judges' position on the primary ballot in Philadelphia is a better indicator than anything else of whether they'll be elected," he noted.

Why cant I be part of your family anymore?

Mothee said her case started with a single Percocet. She was in excruciating pain in the last days of her pregnancy and took a pill from a family member's prescription, she said.

After she gave birth a couple days later, she and the baby tested positive for opiates. The hospital wanted to hold her daughter five days to monitor for withdrawal. Mothee refused. "I took one Percocet," she said she told them. "That's not going to happen."

The hospital discharged her daughter, but also called DHS.

DHS petitioned for dependency for Mothee's infant daughter  that is, for court supervision over her. Although DHS said there was no present danger  and had not petitioned for the four older children's removal  Younge ordered them all removed on the spot, allowing only supervised visits.

DHS spokeswoman Heather Keafer said that the agency cannot comment on individual cases, but that the agency seeks to keep as many children in their homes as possible.

Mothee said that, since her son was removed, his grades have worsened to C's and D's.

"He's acting out," she said. "I can understand. He's grieving."

Recently, she got her 3-year-old daughter a Peppa Pig house as a present. "And I said, you have to keep them together. They're a family. She said, 'But why can't I be part of your family anymore?' "

More calls for action

The other parents and grandparents who joined Mothee at protests described similar frustrations.

Lawyer Jimmy Binns said he's been trying to adopt his three grandkids for more than a year and a half. They were removed from his ex-wife's home for reasons he said he doesn't fully understand because he's not permitted in court.

"You can't get in  they won't let anybody in," he said. "That's how she gets away with what she does. There's no oversight."

Andrew Walsh said he and his wife were in town from California with their five kids when they brought their son to the hospital for issues related to his epilepsy. The hospital called DHS. Their kids were removed for medical negligence. But Walsh said the full picture of their medical records from back home was never introduced in court: "The judge didn't allow us to present evidence."

Lawyer William Calandra, who regularly appears in Family Court, said everyone's wondering what's next for those on Younge's docket.

Some lawyers have been in limbo, unable to file appeals: They first need Younge to write her opinion, and they're not sure whether she'll return to do so.

Calandra said the situation is chilling  particularly McLaughlin's contempt case, since dashing between courtrooms is a daily necessity.

"Scheduling a hearing without notice and making a finding of contempt, which is terribly damaging, it affects your malpractice, it affects your public perception. To do that when they're in front of another judge in a room one floor up, it's unheard of," he said.

Somebody actually gave us a fair trial

Last week, Miltreda Kress  yet another mother whose three youngest daughters had been removed on Younge's order  got some unexpected news: A different judge was handling her last Tuesday court date. It felt like a miracle.

Kress' case started with an allegation of abuse by her partner that was later deemed unfounded by DHS itself. Yet Kress was still prohibited unsupervised visits, she said, and her partner was allowed no visits at all. Instead, a stay-away order was lodged against him. Kress claims Younge told her, "As long as I stayed with him, my kids would never be able to come home."

Like others, Kress said she was never heard: "We never got to talk in her courtroom. Once, I got the word I out of my mouth. She cut me off there."

Last Tuesday, though, Fernandes allowed her to submit the evidence she'd never been permitted to bring forward in court. Her lawyer was at last able to call her as a witness. The judge also met with her daughters privately in a back room.

That day, he lifted the stay-away order, Kress said, and restored her partner's visitation. "Now I get unsupervised visits with my kids, something I was told I could never get," she said. "He told my girls in the back they're halfway home. 'All your mom has to do is finish a few objectives, and when you come back in August I don't see a problem with you going home.'"

Kress was shocked and jubilant.

"Somebody actually gave us a fair trial," she said, "and I didn't think I was ever going to get that."
An extensive Kensington-based drug trafficking organization has been dismantled with the arrests of 57 people, District Attorney Larry Krasner said Thursday.

The arrests, targeting what is widely considered the geographic epicenter of Philadelphia's drug crisis, were for the sale of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack, and other drugs, Krasner said at a news conference at his Penn Square office. The arrests include street-level dealers and leaders of the enterprise, called the Alameda Drug Trafficking Organization.

Sixteen Alameda properties were targeted, Krasner said, and authorities confiscated about 4.5 pounds of cocaine, nearly 2.5 pounds of crack cocaine, and more than 8 pounds of heroin. In addition, investigators seized more than $285,600 in cash, 15 vehicles, and eight firearms, Krasner said.

The Alameda organization's daily take was about $15,000, making its annual take about $5.5 million, said Ben Waxman, Krasner's spokesperson.

The three key leaders of the organization  identified as German "June" Alameda, 46; Jeremiah "Chino" Figueroa, 42; and Orlando "Oskie" Moran, 28  will face nearly 689 criminal charges, including running a corrupt organization, possession with intent to deliver heroin/fentanyl, and possession of an illegal firearm.

Krasner said the probe was led by detectives and staff from his office's Dangerous Drug Offenders Unit, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program, the Chester County District Attorney's Office, Delaware County detectives, and the Pennsylvania State Police.

"This multi-month criminal investigation centered on the intersection of Kip and Cambria Streets in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, the hub of this criminal enterprise that was not only a threat to public safety, but an entity that created revenue to the tune of more than $5 million a year from the pain and misery that comes from drug and opioid addiction," he said.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said the bust assures that "many dangerous individuals will no longer be able to inflict harm upon the residents of our great city."

Between July 1, 2017, and July 1, 2018, within a four-block radius of Kip and Cambria, Krasner said, Philadelphia police made more than 700 arrests, 100 of which resulted in felony charges, and received over 300 hospital cases, about 75 percent relating to drug overdoses. Census data show the majority of residents in that neighborhood fall below the poverty line, he said in a news release.

Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, whose Seventh District includes Kensington, said she was "so grateful to our law enforcement partners for the stunning success of this multi-agency effort. We work constantly to relieve our residents and neighborhoods of the stress, fear, and violence brought on and worsened by the opioid crisis."

>>READ MORE: Krasner dismisses 31 from Philly DA's Office in dramatic first-week shakeup

The city's top law enforcement officer, in his first year in office, pointed to the results of this investigation as an indication that his new system is working.

"We came in, and our DA directed our detectives as well as our ADAs who are in our Dangerous Drug Offenders Unit, essentially saying, 'Hey, I want to go after the big fish,' " Waxman said.

In 2005, Alameda was convicted of receiving stolen property; the other two alleged leaders of the organization have no prior convictions.

Staff writer Mark Fazlollah contributed to this article.
Philadelphia Police Dectectives stand over a pool of blood on the sidewalk on Germantown Avenue, near Wister Street, where five people were shot on Wednesday, October 3, 2018, when an assailant jumped out of car, opened fire and left the scene. Read more

A quintuple drive-by shooting Wednesday afternoon in the city's Germantown section has left one man in critical condition, police said.

Gunfire erupted just before 2:40 p.m. outside a Dollar General store near the intersection of Germantown Avenue and Manheim Street. A 20-year-old man was rushed by police to Einstein Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head.

The four other male victims, ages 19 to 23, were all reported in stable condition at Einstein with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. The injuries included: a 23-year-old shot in the left hand, a 19-year-old shot in the right foot, a 19-year-old shot in the right hand, and a 20-year-old shot in the right arm.

Police reported no motive or arrests.
Over the summer, Northern Liberties residents were posting frequently on a neighborhood Facebook page about a young man allegedly trying to open doors, peering into windows, and harassing women.

On Sunday, police arrested Lakim Wilson, 21, on suspicion of following a woman and trying to rape her a week earlier, authorities said. Wilson, of the 1000 block of Girard Avenue in North Philadelphia, is being held on $100,000 bail.

Neighbors say Wilson shouldn't have been out on the street in the first place.

"His name and identity was known, he was arrested [before], and for a variety of reasons he was able to end up back on the street, which gave him the opportunity to commit this much more serious crime, and it's only by sheer luck that it wasn't worse than it was," Matt Ruben, president of the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association, said Wednesday.

Of Wilson's prior arrests, Ben Waxman, a spokesperson for the District Attorney's Office, said in an email that Wilson had been charged by his office with "multiple offenses in the summer of 2018. There were a total of 10 charges brought by the DA's Office during that period, including two felonies."

Waxman noted one incident in which Wilson was arrested and the DA's Office declined to charge Wilson "due to insignificant evidence." Wilson remains under investigation in that case, Waxman said.

Police Capt. Sekou Kinebrew said by email Tuesday that in that incident, Wilson was arrested July 21 after trying to enter a business on the 1000 block of North Third Street while it was closed, but that no charges were filed by the DA's Office due to lack of evidence.

Wilson was being represented by the Defender Association of Philadelphia, which generally does not comment on open cases. A voice-mail message left for the association Wednesday was not returned.

It was early in the summer when neighbors started posting on the Northern Liberties Neighbors Facebook page about a prowler. One 34-year-old woman said that about 7:30 p.m. on June 22, after she heard her dog barking, she ran downstairs and saw a man jumping out of the bushes in front of her first-floor window. She then posted to the Facebook page surveillance video of the man, which showed his face, and called police.

Within an hour of her posting, she said, seven neighbors either posted on the page or contacted her to say that they also had spotted him either testing door handles, peering into or trying to enter people's windows, or harassing women in the street. A police officer arrived but was unable to locate him, she said.

Wilson was arrested June 30 in four other cases that month and charged with crimes including criminal trespass and burglary. He remained in custody until July 16, when Municipal Court Judge Thomas Gehret changed his bail to unsecured  meaning he did not have to post any money  and Wilson was released.

After his June 30 arrest, neighbors learned his name. One neighbor found a photo of him from a website for aspiring actors and models, and posted it.

Wilson allegedly was back in the neighborhood July 20 and was caught on a married couple's surveillance video walking up to their front steps at night with a hand in his pants, then leaving. The wife put the video on the neighborhood Facebook page.

The husband, 33, said that about 11 a.m. the next morning, he again saw the man on the block and told him to leave.

"I had a large pit bull and I said I was going to call the cops," the husband said in a phone interview. "He went away."

A neighbor then informed him that Wilson had just tried to open the neighbor's front door, the husband said.

The wife, 36, said that police had wanted to arrest Wilson for allegedly trying to open people's doors, but that the DA's Office declined to charge him.Wilson "was literally lurking around our neighborhood for weeks and we were posting it" on Facebook, she said. "Police said he was getting brazen. They were concerned he was going to sexually assault somebody."

"It was a ticking time bomb," the woman said.

On Aug. 23, Wilson was arrested in connection with two theft cases from June. The DA's Office argued unsuccessfully for high bail, Waxman said. Wilson posted bail two days later.

Then, about 1:50 a.m. Sept. 23, Wilson, reportedly on a bike, allegedly followed a 29-year-old woman back to her apartment on Randolph Street. In the hallway, he allegedly pushed her against a wall and began unfastening her belt. The woman screamed and ran to her second-floor apartment. Minutes later, she heard knocking on her door and thought it was her landlord, a police officer who lives on the first floor, according to court documents.

But after she opened her door, the man forced his way in and she began screaming again until her landlord entered the hallway, the documents say. The man then left. Later, police showed photo arrays to the woman and her landlord, who each identified Wilson, the documents say. He was then arrested.
Michael Seymour will have to move from his apartment at 1302 W. Cumberland St. Read more

UPDATE: Judge grants 30-day reprieve to tenants on brink of eviction

Earlier this year, Judge Lyris Younge was shifted out of Philadelphia Family Court after an ethics probe was reportedly opened into claims she violated parents' rights by removing their kids without ever hearing their testimony.

Now, she's causing a stir in her new role at the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Civil Division  where she ordered a building full of tenants in North Philadelphia evicted with just one week's notice.

"We've never seen anything like this before," said Rasheedah Phillips, a lawyer for Community Legal Services of Philadelphia who filed an emergency petition late Wednesday for an injunction to give the residents more time to move.

The city and the landlord, Cumberland Equities Holdings, had been in court for more than a year over numerous code violations  mostly related to work done without proper permits or inspections  and had put in place temporary accommodations, including a 24-hour fire watch. But on Sept. 27, when the case came before Younge, she issued an order for the building to be cleared by Oct. 5. It's unclear why, as there were no new filings by the city indicating imminent danger or the need for removals.

That has left residents in a bind. It is common for judges to order the landlord to pay moving expenses in such a situation, Phillips said, but that didn't happen here. "They don't have anyplace else to go, and the judge did not order the landlord to return security deposits earlier, to give money for a hotel, anything like that, that would be typical in a situation like this."

Ari Miller, who residents say is the owner and who is listed in the legal action, did not respond immediately to phone calls Thursday. Younge said, through a staffer, that she could not comment on the matter.

Karen Guss, a spokesperson for the Department of Licenses & Inspections, said that the property, an industrial building, had been converted to 16 or 17 apartments without any permits. L&I had sought to push the owner to bring the building up to code without displacing people unnecessarily.

At the Sept. 27 hearing, "the city said to the judge that the situation was coming to a critical point and if the violations weren't complied by the next hearing, the city would be asking for a cease," Guss said. "At that point, the judge said, 'I'm going to issue a cease now.' "

Wednesday night, more than a dozen residents who still remained in the building crowded into what was, for two more days, Nicole Conway's beautiful loft apartment, now piled with moving boxes  all her possessions stacked and labeled. Conway, 49, had received notice of the eviction via text message Friday, Sept. 29, while out of town for a wedding over the weekend, and had not slept since she'd returned to Philadelphia on Tuesday. She said she had already spent more than $1,300 on a moving truck, supplies, and storage.

"We never received any warning," Conway said.

She displayed an email she received from Miller, offering to return her security deposit and last month's rent only if she would sign a contract agreeing to waive her right to sue him. To her and other residents, that feels like extortion.

James Scarborough, 35, who shares a loft with his partner, Jason Chandler, 38, said the couple plan to stay with Chandler's family in Texas. But without his security deposit, he's not even sure how he'd get down there. He said the relocation services he was referred to didn't have much to offer the residents, who include graphic designers, lab technicians, and one funeral director. The staffer he spoke with did say shelter space was a possibility.

Scarborough, a hairdresser, isn't having that: "I just came from a nice loft, and now you want me to live in a shelter?"

On Younge's order, a boilerplate requirement that the court order be posted at the building was scratched out with pen. That meant some tenants weren't even aware of the eviction until the weekend.

>>READ MORE: Philly Family Court judge who wouldn't let parents speak gets reassigned

Lucille Womack, 58, found out about it when she heard other tenants talking in the hallway.

"I'm kind of in shock," she said. "I have no plan."

She said the landlord suggested she could rent one of his other properties  but they were much smaller and more expensive. She asked if she could just rent it for a month  until the end of her lease. "He said, 'We don't want to do anything temporary.' "

Some residents are looking for Airbnbs. One, a nanny, is staying with the family she works for temporarily. Others are on emergency apartment-hunting missions.

Adriana Jenkins, 24, can't help noticing that the white residents in the building have all moved out already  whether they had more notice, or just more resources, she's not sure. "Everyone who's left is a minority," she said.

Anne Maisonable, a social worker, just uprooted her life in North Jersey a few months ago to move in with her girlfriend, Jen Schleuter. Now, they'll have to move somewhere else, Schleuter said. With two days to go, they'll have to take what they can get.

But as of now, she said, "we don't know where we're sleeping Friday night."
Lubbock, TX, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Christmas Decor , North Americas leading professional holiday and event decorating company, is now accepting nominations for their Decorated Family Program , an annual initiative that brings the spirit of the holidays to the homes of military families whose loved ones will be deployed outside of the country for the holiday season. Under the program, participating Christmas Decor franchisees donate their products, resources, time, and expertise to create heartwarming displays to brighten the holidays for deserving service members and their families throughout the U.S.

 More than 170,000 active-duty men and women will be deployed outside the United States and its territories this holiday season, said Brandon Stephens, president of Christmas Decor, Inc. For the families of these brave men and women, preparing for a holiday season without their loved one at home can be a challenge. Its a privilege to be part of this program that helps to literally light up the holidays for these families. Its our way of thanking them and their service member for their dedication and service.

Stephens urges friends and family of deployed service men and women to nominate a family by clicking on the Decorated Family Program link on Christmas Decors Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ChristmasDecor and completing a nomination form. The form asks people to share the story of a deserving military family and explain why they believe that family should become a "Christmas Decor Decorated Family" for the 2018 holiday season. Christmas Decor corporate will select military families from the nominated families in each community based on the familys location (to ensure there is a local franchise to provide the award) and the impact of their story on the judges.

The company is seeking to attract hundreds of nominations that result in decorating at least 200 homes for the 2018 holiday season. The deadline for nominations for the 2018 holiday season is Veterans Day, November 11, 2018.

More information about the Christmas Decor Decorated Family program is available at https://www.christmasdecor.net/about/ . For more information on having Christmas Decor decorate your home or business, or to schedule an appointment for a consultation or installation, please visit www.christmasdecor.net .

About Christmas Decor

Since its inception in 1986, Christmas Decor has risen to become the premier holiday lighting and decorating company in North America. The Texas-based company was founded by Blake Smith as an off-season supplement to his landscape business and as a method to provide year-round work for employees. Christmas Decor quickly emerged as a viable business opportunity and today, operates in more than 350 markets in 48 states and Canada. Plans are underway to open locations in more than 100 new markets through franchise expansion in select communities around the country. Christmas Decor is highly revered in its field and has received consistent recognition for its efforts; some highlights include having been named one of the Top Ten Home Improvement Franchises for 2008 by Entrepreneur Magazine and AOL Small Business.
Altaif Hassan, a Rowan University senior, was being handcuffed while an officer pointed a rifle at his passenger, Gianna Roberson, a freshman during the controversial car stop on Monday. Read more

Two days after video of a controversial police stop on the Rowan University campus went viral, Glassboro Police Chief Franklin S. Brown Jr. broke his silence Wednesday and released a body-cam video to show why officers had pulled over two college students and aimed their weapons at them before searching their car for a gun.

No gun was found and the African American couple said they feared for their lives as police ordered them to get out of their car around 4:45 p.m. Monday and walk backward toward the armed officers with their hands raised and then kneel down to be handcuffed.

About 15 minutes before the police stop, officers who were investigating a shoplifting at the nearby Collegetown Shopping Center had received a report that someone with a gun had just left the parking lot in a black Dodge Charger, the chief said in a Facebook post Wednesday. The students were riding in a car that matched the description of that vehicle.

The body-cam video was attached to the Facebook post to show that the students had not been targeted.

In the video, an unidentified man told police that he saw a man come "out of a store with a gun in his hand and walked into the car with a gun. I don't know if it's fake or it's a joke." The chief did not respond to calls for further comment.

Altaif Hassan, a pre-med senior from Trenton, was the driver of the Charger that police stopped. He has a medium build. After he watched the body-cam video, he said the police should not have acted as aggressively as they did after receiving a report from someone who said he wasn't sure if it was a real gun.

"The police went overboard," Hassan said Wednesday. A psychiatrist has told him that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from the police stop, he said. Hassan also said he believes he was racially targeted and said that Glassboro police have stopped him numerous times since he came to Rowan and have not charged him with wrongdoing.

The officers were pointing their guns at the students during the police stop, as seen in videos taken by students who witnessed the incident and posted it on Facebook. One officer aimed an assault rifle at him, Hassan said, and he said he was ignored when he repeatedly asked why he was being detained.

In the car with Hassan was Giavanna Roberson, a freshman from Cherry Hill who is a nursing major. She said in an interview Tuesday that she prayed that Hassan wouldn't be shot by police as other young black men across the country have been during police encounters.

Rowan has 19,500 students, and 30 percent are minorities.

A Facebook video taken by students who witnessed the stop got more than 160,000 views and hundreds of comments.

On Wednesday, the police chief, who is African American, said police acted properly.

"Officers have an obligation to investigate when this type of information is provided regarding a serious threat of an alleged armed subject in our community for the safety of all involved, including the people that are subject of the investigation."

Before the chief released the information, Loretta Winters, the president of the Gloucester County NAACP, demanded that police answer questions about the police stop and the video posted on Facebook. "I want them to investigate, starting with why the police showed up and where they got that information from and was it legitimate?  And do they always come and draw guns and rifles when other kids are around and walking on campus and to class?" she said.

Rowan is holding a meeting 11 a.m. Friday in the student center for people to air any concerns. The school released a statement saying: "The incident also has sparked a broader conversation about race relations, specifically in the area of law enforcement. Our administration, including our Public Safety leadership, welcomes this dialogue as we continue to work to ensure all of our students, employees, and guests not only are safe but also receive equitable treatment. Rowan's leadership has been working with the Student Government Association to address not only what happened on our campus but also facilitate a dialogue about the ongoing national conversation concerning race and law enforcement."
Democratic Sen. Heidi Heidkamp of North Dakota, seen here with Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, announce she will vote "no" on Judge Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination. Read more

Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, who is facing a difficult re-election in a state President Trump won by 36 percentage points, told a local ABC news affiliate she would be voting "no" on Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination.

"This isn't a political decision. If this were a political decision for me, I certainly would be deciding this the other way," Heitkamp told WDAY News. "I can't get up in the morning and look at the life experience that I've had and say 'yes' to Judge Kavanaugh."

Heitkamp expanded on her reasoning in a lengthy statement shared on social media, in which she cited concerns with Kavanaugh's "current temperament, honesty, and impartiality." She also credited the "heartfelt, credible and persuasive testimony" given by Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party during high school.

"She had nothing to gain and everything to lose," Heitkamp said. "When I listened to Dr. Ford testify, I heard the voices of women I have known throughout my life who have similar stories of sexual assault and abuse."

Kavanaugh has vehemently denied the allegations of Ford and two other women  Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick.

Heitkamp, who voted in favor of Trump's previous Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, was just one of two Democratic senators considered possible swing votes on Kavanaugh's nomination. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, also facing a difficult re-election fight, remains publicly undecided.

Republicans, who control the Senate with a slim 51-49 majority, can only afford to lose one Republican vote if they hope to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and no Democrats support him.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has scheduled a procedural vote for Friday morning that will enable the full Senate to vote on Kavanaugh's nomination as early as Saturday morning.

Here are the latest developments:

Two key Republicans signal satisfaction with FBIs inquiry

Two of the three Republican senators considered swing votes on Kavanaugh's nomination signaled they were satisfied with the FBI's additional investigation of sexual assault claims against President Trump's Supreme Court nominee.

Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, who made his vote for advancing Kavanaugh's nomination contingent on the FBI's additional investigation, told reporters after being briefed on the report, "Thus far, we've seen no new, credible corroboration  no new corroboration at all."

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who also called for the additional FBI background check, told reporters, "It appears to be a very thorough investigation, but I am going back later today to personally read the interviews. That's really all I have to say right now."

As of Thursday afternoon, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has not commented to reporters.

Accusers lawyer criticizes FBI investigation

While Republicans have touted the finding of the FBI inquiry, Democrats have complained that bureau's investigation appears to have been curtailed by the White House. In an interview on CNN on Wednesday, White House spokesman Raj Shah said the FBI contacted 10 individuals over the past week, and interviewed nine of them. The FBI didn't interview either Kavanaugh or Ford,

Shah's comments drew criticism from William Pittard, the attorney for Ramirez, a Yale classmate of Kavanaugh's who claims he exposed himself to her during a college party. On Thursday morning, Pittard wrote a letter to the FBI director Chris Wray claiming the bureau failed to investigate more than twenty witnesses who likely had relevant information about her allegations.

"We can only conclude that the FBI  or those controlling its investigation  did not want to learn the truth behind Ms. Ramirez's allegations," Pittard wrote.

Top Democrat: I disagree  that there was no hint of misconduct

After reviewing the FBI's documents, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called the investigation "constrained" and suggested it contained information about Kavanaugh's past.

"Having received a briefing on all of the documents, I disagree with Sen. Grassley's statement that there was no hint of misconduct," Schumer told reporters.

Schumer also criticized the process involving in reviewing the report itself.

"The fact that there's only one document in there for 100 senators is another example of constraining the ability of all senators and the American public to see the whole truth and nothing but," Schumer said.

Scope of FBI investigation appears limited

As senators read the FBI's new report, the New York Times, the Washington Post, NBC News and the New Yorker are all reporting that the bureau's investigation appears to have been limited, despite Trump's instance he ordered the bureau to do a "very comprehensive investigation."

In an interview on CNN on Thursday, White House spokesman Raj Shah said the FBI contacted 10 individuals over the past week, and interviewed nine of them. Among those are Yale classmate accuser Deborah Ramirez, who claimed Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a college party, and Mark Judge, Kavanaugh's friend whom Ford identified as being in the room when she was sexually assaulted.

From the Washington Post:

"Even before the investigation ended, several people who said they had information that could be useful said they ended up mired in bureaucracy when they tried to get in touch with the FBI. Democrats also cried foul about what they considered inappropriate parameters that the White House seemed to be imposing on the bureau."

The FBI also doesn't appear to have contacted Kenneth Appold, a Yale classmate of both Ramirez and Kavanaugh, who told the New Yorker he first heard about the incident either the night it occurred or a day or two later, and that he was "one-hundred-percent certain" he was told it was Kavanaugh who was the male student who exposed himself to Ramirez.

On Thursday morning, Ramirez's attorney's wrote a letter to the FBI director Chris Wray claiming the bureau failed to investigate more than twenty witnesses who likely had relevant information about her allegations.

"We can only conclude that the FBI  or those controlling its investigation  did not want to learn the truth behind Ms. Ramirez's allegations, William Pittard, Ramirez's attorney, wrote.

Pittard attached sworn statements from individuals he feels the FBI should have interviewed, including Dr. Richard Oh, another Yale classmate of both Ramirez and Kavanaugh who claimed he overheard a female student talking about the incident to another student.

Republican committee chairman: FBI report shows no corroboration of sexual assault allegations

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R, Iowa) said Thursday the FBI's new investigation into allegations of sexual assault did not uncover any new information that would corroborate the claims made by three woman against Kavanaugh.

"I've now received a committee staff briefing on the FBI's supplement to Judge Kavanaugh's background investigation file. There's nothing in it that we didn't already know," Grassley said in a statement, adding the FBI did not locate any individuals or contemporaneous evidence that would back claims of sexual assault against Kavanaugh.

"Now it's up to senators to fulfill their constitutional duty and make a judgment," Grassley said.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the Judiciary Committee's ranking Democrat, declined to comment to reporters after reviewing the document.

Republican Ben Sasse questions Kavanaugh nomination in emotional speech

Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska gave an emotional speech Wednesday night on the floor of the Senate where he questioned the decision to pick Judge Brett Kavanaugh, praised the #MeToo movement, and claimed he had urged President Trump to nominate a woman to the Supreme Court.

"Although I've said many complimentary things about Judge Kavanaugh and his 12 years of record on the D.C. Circuit court, I will say that I urged the president back in June and early July to make a different choice before he announced this nomination," Sasse said. "I urged him to nominate a different individual. I urged the president to nominate a woman."

Sasse, a member of the Judiciary Committee who voted in favor of moving Kavanaugh's nomination to the full Senate for a vote, decried the circus surrounding the confirmation process and the "politicized culture" that's being fueled by breathless cable news coverage and biased social media posts. He also spoke about the epidemic of sexual assault, choking up while telling the story of two "dear friends" who told him they were victims of rape.

"There is some academic literature that suggests that very few allegations of sexual assault in the broader culture are fabricated, or stated conversely, the hefty majority of sexual assault in our broader culture are probably true," Sasse said, adding, "Far too often many girls and women have been told that they're meat, they've been told this in word and in deed that they are parts to be consumed rather than God's children to be cherished and respected and partnered with."

Sasse also used his speech to blast Trump for mocking Christine Blasey Ford, who testified before the Judiciary Committee that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a house party while the two were still in high school. Kavanaugh has vehemently denied her allegations and the claims made by two other women  Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick.

>> READ MORE: Philadelphia-area experts react to Kavanaugh's defiant defense

"We all know that the president cannot lead us through this time. We know that he's dispositionally unable to restrain his impulse to divide us," Sasse said. "His mockery of Dr. Ford in Mississippi was wrong, but it doesn't really surprise anyone. It's who he is."

Sasse, who didn't indicate he would oppose Kavanaugh's nomination, echoed comments made by Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, who made his Judiciary vote on Kavanaugh contingent on allowing the FBI to investigate the claims of sexual assault and report their findings back to the Senate.

>> READ MORE: Kavanaugh creates #MeToo moment for accused men | Christine Flowers

>> READ MORE: Here's how Brett Kavanaugh could have redeemed himself | Ronnie Polaneczky
U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, a Republican form Hazleton, (left) portrays U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (right) as ineffective. Casey, a Democrat from Scranton, touts his record of passing bipartisan legislation. Read more

Turn on the television and there is U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) of Scranton campaigning for a third term with a commercial touting his bipartisan record of working on legislation.

Change the channel and there is U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, Casey's Republican challenger from Hazleton, with a campaign commercial knocking Casey as "Sleepin' Bob" and "one of the least effective senators."

One of the metrics Barletta, who has served four terms in the House, uses is how many times has Casey served as the primary sponsor of legislation signed into law.

The answer is four  all signed into law when President Barack Obama was in office.

How does Barletta measure up as the primary sponsor of legislation signed into law?

The answer is four  all also signed by Obama.

Casey has been in the Senate since 2007. Barletta joined the House in 2011. So Casey has had four more years in office to get things done, right?

That depends on how you factor in party control of Congress.

Casey and the Democrats had control of both the House and Senate for the first two years of his first six-year term. The Republicans took control of the House in 2011, as Barletta came into office. And Republicans took control of the Senate in 2015, leaving Casey in the minority party for the last three years.

Barletta, by comparison, has been in the majority for his four two-year terms in the House and his party has held majorities in both chambers for the last three years. In short, both men have had chances to pass legislation when their party was in full control of Congress.

And that's where they disagree on how to measure their records.

Casey says serving as a co-sponsor on meaningful legislation, even if a Republican is the primary sponsor, is the proper metric.

He cites as chief accomplishments legislation he pushed in 2013 to require uniform reporting of sexual assaults on college campuses and in 2016 to create tax-free savings accounts to help families pay for the care of relatives with long term disabilities.

"I think it's pretty clear that, when it comes to substantial legislation that I have led or worked on with a Republican as the second person, it's had a lot more impact on people's lives in Pennsylvania and nationwide than anything I can see that the congressman has enacted into law," Casey said, before aiming this zinger at Barletta: "I'm not sure we should be counting post offices as a great achievement."

That's a reference to one of the four pieces of legislation Barletta has had signed into law, a 2012 act renaming the post office in Pittston, a town of about 7,700 people in Luzerne County, for State Trooper Joshua D. Miller, who was killed in the line of service.

Casey has been co-sponsor of 59 bills signed into law  nine by President Trump, 41 by Obama and nine by President George W. Bush.

Barletta has been co-sponsor for 50 bills signed into law  11 by Trump and 39 by Obama.

Barletta cites his support for funding for a three-county after-school program that focuses on a curriculum of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics along with his 2013 intervention in a medical case involving the denial of a lung transplant for a cystic fibrosis patient who, at 10 years of age, was too young to qualify.

He rejects Casey's emphasis on co-sponsoring legislation and claims the Senate, with 100 members, is an easier place to find legislative success than the House, where there are 435 members.

Its nothing to co-sponsor a bill, Barletta said. You could sleep all day and still co-sponsor all day. I think Ive accomplished more legislatively.
Vera Dugan, 18 months, right, holds on tight to Bridget Huffman, center, as she holds her son Drew Huffman, 20 months, left, as they all go into the voting booth together, on the stage of the auditorium of South Philadelphia High School on May 15, 2018. Nazim Karacaa, right, holds open the blue curtain so Huffman and her brood can enter to vote in the primary election in the 39th District in South Philadelphia. Read more

Are you ready to vote in the upcoming midterm election? The important day is coming up next month but you might have a few questions before you get to the polls.

Here's information about the important dates you'll want to mark down in your calendar and what to expect when you get to your polling place.

What are the midterm elections? When are they?

Where do I vote? What are my polling places hours?

Polling places can change, so be sure to check where you're going ahead of time.

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What do I do if Im having problems at the polls?

Campaign materials being handed out a little too close for comfort? A broken voting machine? You can report that. Voter intimidation, coercion, threats, and anything else that hinders a person from voting fairly is considered a civil rights violation of federal election law, according to the U.S. government's explanation of voting and election laws.

You can report problems through the Department of Justice's election complaint report site or by contacting your state or local election office.

In Pennsylvania, you can report election complaints to the Department of State through an online form or by phone at 1-877-VOTESPA. The Philadelphia City Commissioners has a list of go-to numbers to contact if you're experiencing things like voter machine or polling place issues. Contact information for other election offices throughout Pennsylvania can be found through the Votes PA website.

New Jersey's Division of Elections' voting information and assistance number is 1-877-NJ-VOTER. Contact information for each county's election office can be found on the Department of State's website.

Delaware's Office of the State Election Commissioner explains how to submit a formal complaint on its website, which includes getting the complaint notarized before it is sent to the commissioner's office or a county election office.

Contact information for Delaware's Department of Elections, State Election Commissioner and county-by-county elections offices can be found on the state's website.

Do I need an ID to vote?

In Pennsylvania, you only have to show your ID if it's your first time voting in that precinct.

The New Jersey Department of State says you may be asked to show ID if you didn't provide it while registering to vote or if there was information that couldn't be verified. That ID could range from a driver's license to a utility bill.

Delaware voters do not need to show ID, but will be asked to show a form of identity that could range from a driver's license to signed Social Security card, according to the state's website. Those who don't show ID will have to fill out a form before being able to cast a ballot.

A state-by-state breakdown of voter identification laws can be found on the National Conference of State Legislatures' website.

Does it matter whether Im affiliated with a party?

No. That only matters for primary elections. Pennsylvania and Delaware are both closed primary states, which means you can vote under the party you affiliated with when you registered to vote. New Jersey is also considered a closed primary state, but unaffiliated voters can declare a party and vote for that party's nominees in a primary election.

Contrary to the primary, all voters can cast ballots in a general election like the upcoming Nov. 6 midterm.

Who will be on my ballot?

The Inquirer and Daily News have an interactive midterm guide for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware voters. Just enter your address to find the list of candidates who will appear on your ballot.

Can I vote absentee?

If you're voting absentee or through mail in Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware, you'll first want to make sure you're registered to vote by your state's deadline. From there, Pennsylvania voters have until Oct. 30 to apply for an absentee ballot, while New Jersey voters will need to make sure their county clerk gets their "application for vote by mail ballot" seven days ahead of election day. Delaware voters have until Nov. 2 to request an absentee ballot.

>> READ MORE: How to vote absentee or by mail in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware

Some Pennsylvania voters who live outside the country, however, have been blocked from accessing absentee ballots on the state's website. Overseas voters who can't access the site can contact the Pennsylvania Department of State's Help Desk by calling 1-866-472-7873 or emailing STSVCSURE_Helpdesk@pa.gov.

How do I cast a write-in vote?

If you have a candidate in mind whose name doesn't appear on your official ballot, choosing to write in the candidate's name could be an option. But not all states are created equally in the write-in voting process.

Eight states don't allow write-in votes at all, while more than three dozen require candidates to fill out some paperwork to be considered an "official write-in," according to a report from the Washington Post published ahead of the 2016 presidential election. On its website, the state of Delaware outlines that potential candidates must fill out a "write-in candidate declaration."

Luckily, Pennsylvania and New Jersey are two states that allow voters to name anyone as a write-in candidate  in fact, that's pretty much how Phillip Garcia of Manayunk became an election overseer with a single write-in vote in November 2017.

Former deputy city commissioner Tracey Gordon demonstrates how to cast a write-in vote in Philadelphia in the video below.

Sample ballots for Camden County show that those who wish to cast a write-in vote are instructed to use a keyboard to type out the candidate's name.

What are my voting rights?

As a registered voter, you have rights protected under federal and state laws. When you walk into your polling place  or if you're mailing that ballot in  you are entitled to be able to make your decision free from harassment and intimidation, no matter your race, color, or creed. If you have a disability, you're entitled to fair access.

Pennsylvania has a guide on its Votes PA website outlining all your rights as a voter, from language to disability rights. Pennsylvania polling places need at least one accessible voting system, according to Votes PA but if that's not the case, you are able to choose someone to come with you into the booth.

New Jersey's "Voters' Bill of Rights," available in multiple languages, outlines everything from ID requirements to what you might see in polling places as a first-time voter. Further voting rights, from accessibility rights for those with disabilities to rights for ex-felons, can be found on the Department of State's website.

Delaware's state election laws can be found on the Office of the State Election Commissioner's website. Delaware also requires handicap-accessible polling places and will provide additional assistance by request.

What is the deadline to register to vote?

None of this will matter if you're not already registered to vote. Oct. 9, Oct. 16 and Oct. 13 are the deadlines to register in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, respectively.

>> READ MORE: How to register to vote in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware

>> VOTERS GUIDE: View candidates in the 2018 midterm election based on your address, or browse all the action in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware
Starbucks won't call it another stop on the apology tour.

Even before a Rittenhouse Square barista caused a national uproar when she called the police in April about two black men who hadn't ordered anything, Starbucks says it had planned to come to Philadelphia to convene local corporations for a career fair. It had already held similar events in five other cities, including Atlanta and Los Angeles. But the "unfortunate event," as Starbucks chief operating officer Rosalind Brewer called it on Thursday, got the company to Philadelphia a little more quickly.

About 1,700 people registered for the free fair at the Pennsylvania Convention Center hosted by the Hire! Philly coalition  a group of major Philly employers organized by Starbucks including Aramark, PNC Bank, Peco, Thomas Jefferson University, and Jefferson Health. The event comes a little more than four months after Starbucks settled with the two men who were arrested for an undisclosed sum, and Starbucks shut down all of its stores to host a training session on dealing with racial bias.

Representatives from Wawa, Target, Harrah's, Comcast, and even U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey's office were on site, chatting with job seekers about potential opportunities. Students from YouthBuild Charter School and Ben Franklin High School, college grads, and newly arrived immigrants explored the cavernous convention hall. They could get a fresh cut from a barber, schedule a mock interview, and create a resume and take it with them on a USB. Rows of tables set up with laptops, called the "Application Center," were full all morning. Rapper and de facto Philly hero Meek Mill even made a guest appearance.

The fair was targeted to people seeking their first jobs, and many of the attendees were young and black, but others were there, too, such as Lynne Archie, 55, from Southwest Philly, who hoped to find a job in the medical field. Holding the cream blazer she had just picked up from the Career Wardrobe corner, Archie said she was starting to feel demoralized by her job search. She has been out of work since losing her job as a cleaner at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia two years ago and is now completing an online associate's degree in health information management. She is eager to work, but it is even hard to find a place for her to complete the internship required for her to get her degree.

"They say unemployment is down," she said, "but to the everyday people like me, we don't see that."

Brewer spoke to the Inquirer and Daily News about the goals of the event, the connection to the April arrests at 18th and Spruce Street, the subsequent fallout, the job fair, and the prospect of an increased Starbucks minimum wage.

Why did Starbucks organize this event and coalition?

This is our fifth event like this. A couple years ago, we decided to partner with other companies to hire 100,000 youths between the ages of 18 and 24 that wouldn't normally have opportunities to be employed. We had it in our plans to already come to Philadelphia for an event like this. The April 12 [arrests] and the learnings we've had since then made us feel like this is absolutely the right place to host one of our job fairs.

Can you elaborate on the connection between this job fair and the arrests in April?

It was a further commitment  yes, this is the right location to do it, and yes, let's do it sooner than later because we were really clear on the need. This also combines with our plans to put new real estate here, so we know we're going to be hiring to fill the new buildings, so it just made sense to make sure we got it on the calendar right away.

Why isn't Hire! Philly branded as a Starbucks initiative?

We want to create partnerships. Our real goal is people will do this on their own, whether Starbucks is involved or not. It's less about Starbucks and more about creating broader opportunities.

Why is it important for this to be an employer-led coalition?

Greater opportunity. When you think about a Starbucks store, we have 25 to 30 employees in a store. When you have so few opportunities within one store, you really need that partnership. This is about creating jobs for the masses.

Amazon recently announced it would raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour, which speaks to the fact that there's a big range in the quality of jobs that are out there. Do you have a sense of what kinds of jobs are being offered here?

I'm not aware of what the starting rates are across all of the companies that are here. In a city like Philadelphia, I think first-time employment is what's so important because it just teaches you the discipline of having a job, setting a clock in the morning, and then beginning to regain your self pride because I can only imagine what it's like to be possibly approaching 25 years old and not having your first job yet. This is more about first-time employment.

Does Starbucks have any plans for raising its minimum wage nationwide?

In cities and states where they've mandated $15 [an hour], we are at $15. And we look at ourselves as an employer of choice for the broad package we offer. If you work 20 hours with us, you have the same full-time health-care benefit package. And you have access to a free tuition, online, through Arizona State University. And the ability to grow a career at Starbucks.

What's the difference between this job fair and the others you've helped organize around the country?

This is one of the areas that needs it more than some others. This one is deeply personal for us because we feel like we're filling a need. As we've worked our way through the April 12 situation, we have really spent some time with local officials here and they've helped up understand the plight of the folks of Philadelphia.
Geolle Vincent expresses concern to immigration lawyers at Premiere Eglise de Dieu de la Prophetie Hatienne in Germantown last year, as the Trump administation weighed whether to end TPS for Haitian people in the United States. Read more

The Trump administration's plan to kick out thousands of immigrants who had fled to America from ravaged homelands had been proceeding on schedule  until late Wednesday, when a federal judge in California essentially said, "Not so fast."

For thousands of migrants in the Philadelphia region, who have built full lives and vibrant immigrant communities, who are raising their American-born children, the decision offers an important reprieve.

Federal Judge Edward Chen granted a preliminary injunction that prevents the administration from ending what is called Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Sudan, El Salvador, Haiti, and Nicaragua. CNN provided a solid overview of the judge's decision, including his finding that the administration may have violated the Constitution.

TPS, as it is known, is a special immigration status that allows about 320,000 people from 10 countries to live and work in the United States because of war, floods, droughts, epidemics or armed conflict in their home nations. Some dread a forced return because violence still persists in their homelands.

"I prefer hiding from la migra"  immigration authorities  "than running from the crime in my country," Edwin Murillo, who came to Texas from El Salvador, told USA Today.

The status was never meant to be permanent when it was enacted by Congress in 1990. The government holds the power to designate a country for TPS, and to decide when conditions merit its cessation.

Philadelphia Mayor Kenney and others have fought the administration over ending TPS, declaring the president has "no compassion" for immigrants. Trump's action meant that people who came to the region from countries like Nicaragua and Haiti faced the immediate prospect of wrapping up their lives, disposing of homes and cars, and trying to find care for their citizen-children.

Nationwide, El Salvador has the most TPS recipients in the U.S. Hondurans make up the second-largest group, although their community in Philadelphia is small  3,386 people, concentrated northwest of Center City, Census figures show.

"This is a country of immigrants. It made me sad somebody who has the education and power of the president does not recognize that," Miriam Turcios, of Honduras, told the Inquirer in May.

The intention was always that the migrants would return home at some point. But as conditions in those countries remained dire  some were poor and struggling even before disaster hit  succeeding generations of presidential administrations extended the protection and allowed those migrants to stay, in many cases for years.

Upon taking office, the Trump administration moved against TPS, insisting that the conditions that forced the immigrants' departure to America were no longer present in their homelands.

What's next? The Trump administration seems certain to appeal.

"The Justice Department completely rejects the notion that the White House or the Department of Homeland Security did anything improper," Justice Department spokesperson Devin O'Malley said in a statement after the ruling. "We will continue to fight for the integrity of our immigration laws and our national security."
Miles Ziskind, 28, shown here on his South Philly stoop, was a passenger in a car stopped by police in Wall Township, N.J., he was in possession of marijuana at the time of the stop, Tuesday, September 26, 2018, in Philadelphia. Read more

It may rain tonight, but don't forget to enjoy this nicer weather while it lasts. My colleague Anthony Wood tells us winter weather predictions are already out, and February is looking mighty cold. But we've got plenty of time until then and plenty of news to read. First up, we've got a report on how marijuana possession arrests are soaring in our region, even though acceptance of the drug, both legally and culturally, is on the up and up. We've also got a look at the Philly Trans March returning this Saturday, including interviews with its founder.

 Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

P.S. Need a guide through the weird and wild world of politics ahead of next month's midterm elections? This Friday we're launching a new newsletter from award-winning reporter Holly Otterbein to keep you informed about your government  and you can sign up right now.

Reading this online? Sign up here to get this newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning.

 READ MORE: Despite marijuanas increasing legalization and acceptance, arrests soar

In Philadelphia, marijuana possession has essentially been decriminalized. Instead of arresting thousands a year for pot, police now issue a similar number of $25 civil citations.

As acceptance has grown across the country, other swaths of Pennsylvania, like Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, have relaxed enforcement, too.

But if you're in the Philadelphia suburbs and South Jersey, it's a different story. In those parts, pot arrests are actually rising and African Americans are making up an increasing share of those busted.

 READ MORE: Pa. Senate passes bill tightening gun rules in domestic violence cases

For the first time in years, Pennsylvania legislators passed new restrictions on gun possession Wednesday. State senators overwhelmingly approved a bill that would tighten gun access to those convicted of some domestic violence crimes.

The bill will require people it covers to surrender their guns within 24 hours of a court ruling in their cases.

Gov. Wolf said he will swiftly sign the bill into law.

 READ MORE: Philly Trans March wants people to know about Shantee Tuckers unsolved murder

This Saturday, Philly's transgender community and allies will gather for the eighth-annual Philly Trans March. The event comes on the heels of the death of Shantee Tucker, a transgender woman of color fatally shot last month.

Police continue to search for her killer and, though the march will address a variety of issues, unsolved murders will be one focus this year.

Learn more about the march and its goals with a new video interview with activists including founder Christian Lovehall.

What you need to know today

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

Couldn't agree more, @mcjw13.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we'll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!

Thats Interesting

Opinions

"Every resident should engage with each other, keep an eye on the actions of elected officials, and make use of existing source to become better informed."  

After learning about 7-year-old Alivia Whitaker, whose lemonade stand will help needy kids take SEPTA to school, columnist Ronnie Polaneczky writes, Alivia's "cause is almost as sweet as she is."

Steve Bannon's new mission is to make Europe more Trumpian than the United States, and Americans should be concerned, writes columnist Trudy Rubin.

What were reading

Your Daily Dose of | Stargazing

For amateur astronomers, it may be difficult to find places to stargaze in Philadelphia. But it's certainly possible  if you know where to look.
My daughter recently asked me what should happen to people who hurt others. There's no easy answer, but as someone who lost one brother, Damani, to murder and another, Terrell, to prison, I know revenge and justice are not the same thing. Damani is gone. Terrell is serving a sentence of life without the possibility of parole, which is death by incarceration. He is also gone. No matter how sorry he is, no matter how much he changes over time, he will die in prison without his family.

A recent report shows how common the sentence of death by incarceration is in Pennsylvania, even for many people who, like Terrell, made grave mistakes when they were young, but never intended to kill anyone. And, like Terrell, they will pay for their youthful mistakes for the rest of their lives.

>> READ MORE: What exactly do we want from prisons? | Editorial

None of this was supposed to happen to a family like mine. Our friends compared us to the Huxtables: a middle-class, two-parent, educated Philadelphia family. Our doting father was an educator, specializing in African American history. He taught the children in our community, and his children, that although society sends you a million signals that you're worthless, you come from African kings and queens. Have pride, respect yourselves: You have a legacy to live up to.

When I was two months pregnant, my little brother Damani was shot. He was 23. My world was shattered. The police identified the likely shooter but didn't have enough evidence to bring charges. I didn't care, I wanted the shooter to pay. When some family members said they planned to seek revenge, I was all for it. Luckily, nothing came of this. Several years later, we learned that the suspect killed someone else and was serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. I waited for the knot in my stomach to ease, for my heart to be made whole, but none of that happened.

>> READ MORE: Current Pa. inmate: Punitive policy changes make it clear that staff lives are more important than ours | Opinion

Four years earlier, my older brother, Terrell, was sentenced to life in prison for his role in a murder, committed during what he thought would be a robbery. He was also 23. During his 26 years in prison, Terrell has worked hard on himself. He reads voraciously. He writes. He will soon get a Villanova degree. Most important, he's sorry. He's become a caring adult who understands he played a role in taking another young man's life. But Terrell had to come to his remorse on his own because uniting people is not part of our criminal justice system. Even the courtroom setup divides us: the victim's people on one side, defendant's on the other.

I, too, realized that I can't ask for forgiveness if I can't give it, so I forgave my brother's killer. Just as Terrell has a story, so does the man who shot Damani. To heal, we must be open to one another's stories, and that means not sentencing anyone to die in prison, without giving one the chance to turn things around.

The parole system is not a get-out-of-jail-free card; it gives people an opportunity to show meaningful change. My brother's dream is to be released and help young people find their path and avoid his. But the justice system wants him to rot in a cage, with taxpayers funding his incarceration as he grows old. For what? To prove a point?

>> READ MORE: 'Paper soaked in loved ones' tears': How mail helps Pa. prisoners stay grounded | Perspective

Recently, State Sen. Sharif Street pushed a bill, SB942, that would introduce the possibility of parole for life sentences. Unfortunately, the night before the bill was set to be voted out of committee, the legislation was withdrawn after objections from victims' groups. Those victims do not speak for me.

For those who conflate justice with revenge, I get it. I'm not here to tell you how to feel. But at the very least, our justice system should know the difference.

Kimberly King grew up in West Philadelphia and has lived in or near Philadelphia all her life.


Trees take the edge off the searing heat of summer. They soak up rainwater. And, recent academic studies have shown that greenery reduces crime and helps people battle depression.

In the next three years, Philadelphia will have thousands more of them, thanks to a smart and welcome expansion of the city's TreePhilly program. The program not only fights the heat and floods, but it improves our quality of life.

The city wants to increase the canopy by 30 percent in all neighborhoods, especially those that become urban heat islands in the summer. Some neighborhoods, such as Hunting Park, Point Breeze, and Cobbs Creek, can be 20 degrees hotter than others because they don't have enough trees to shade them. Neighborhoods with more trees, such as Chestnut Hill, Mount Airy, and Somerton, can be cooler in summer.

Help is on the way for the hot spots, as well as the rest of the city.

Earlier this month, the city announced that TD Bank pledged $1 million over three years for the program. That gift comes on top of the more than $7 million that the city, state, and Fairmount Park Conservancy are already devoting to treeing up the city over the same period, starting in 2019. Not only will the city plant more trees, but it will plant them strategically along streets that need them most. And, it will plant additional trees in city parks, especially in areas where deer have ravaged plant life.

Philadelphia will continue its yard tree program, with a slight change. Since 2012, it has given away 21,500 trees to residents to plant in their yards. Going forward, the city wants to give away 9,000 trees through community groups. Available trees, those likely to mix well into neighborhoods and adapt to city soil, include the stately willow oak, colorful crabapple, and elegant witch hazel.

For neighborhoods with yards too tiny to hold trees, the city wants to plant 3,000 street trees and almost 400 trees at neighborhood parks and recreation centers.

This effort to ease the effects of a warming planet may seem small considering the immense global threat, but it is essential in a time when the federal government has chosen to support the fossil-fuel industry instead of research and innovative technologies to battle climate change.

Yet, even in Philadelphia, where most appreciate the value of green space, not everyone is on board. Some developers promise street and landscaping trees in the dreamy renderings they use to gain city approvals, but they don't always deliver. The city requires developers to put up a $700-per-tree deposit. After two years, it takes the deposit and plants trees itself. But there's a backlog of more than 1,000 trees; that represents a lot of broken promises and shows how stretched the city is to keep up with the need for trees. If developers don't keep their side of the bargain, the city should hold up approval of future projects until they make good. It's everyone's job to make Philadelphia a more livable city.

(Individuals may donate to the TreePhilly program at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/tre)
Patna: Former assistant director in the social welfare department Rosy Rani and two others have on Thursday been sent to judicial custody in connection with the alleged sex scandal in a Muzaffarpur shelter home in Bihar. All three accused were on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) remand since September 21.

Some of the victims in the government-funded shelter home run by Brajesh Thakur's NGO Seva Sankalp Ewam Vikas Samiti (SSEVS) had alleged that some of their fellow inmates were killed and buried after rape.

The intelligence agency, who is probing the matter, questioned a close aide of Thakur after which it decided to carry out the excavation process.

Besides Thakur and Rosy Rani, the agency had taken into custody staff members Guddu, Vijay and Santosh.

The incident came to light after a report from Tata Institute of Social Sciences alleged sexual abuse of about 34 girls at the shelter home following which an FIR was subsequently registered by the Bihar social welfare department and 10 people, including Thakur, were arrested.

Following a huge outcry, the Nitish Kumar government handed over the probe to the CBI.

His social welfare minister Manju Verma had to resign in August after it was disclosed that her husband had spoken to Thakur several times between January and June this year.
NEW YORK, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against MGT Capital Investments, Inc. (MGT Capital or the Company) (OTC: MGTI) in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired MGT Capital securities between October 9, 2015 through September 7, 2018, both dates inclusive (the Class Period).



Investors who have incurred losses in the shares of MGT Capital Investments, Inc. are urged to contact the firm immediately at classmember@whafh.com or (800) 575-0735 or (212) 545-4774. You may obtain additional information concerning the action on our website, www.whafh.com.

If you have incurred losses in the shares of MGT Capital Investments, Inc, you may, no later than November 27, 2018, request that the Court appoint you lead plaintiff of the proposed class. Please contact Wolf Haldenstein to learn more about your rights as an investor in MGT Capital Investments, Inc.

The filed Complaint alleges that Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:

Defendants were engaged in a pump-and-dump scheme to artificially inflate MGT Capitals stock price;



this illicit scheme caused MGT Capital to make false and misleading statements, which would result in governmental scrutiny, including from the SEC;

certain of the scheme Defendants exercised control over MGT Capital and its management;



consequently, the illicit scheme would ultimately cause MGT Capitals stock to become delisted from NYSE MKT; and



as a result, Defendants statements about MGT Capitals business and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

On September 7, 2018, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filed a lawsuit against a former officer of MGT as well as other individuals and corporations, alleging violations of the federal securities laws. The SEC complaint alleges that defendants were participants in "highly profitable 'pump-and-dump' schemesfrom 2013 through 2018" in the stock of three public companies, including MGT. The SEC complaint further alleges that the schemes "enrich[ed] Defendants by millions of dollars, [and] left retail investors holding virtually worthless shares.

Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP has extensive experience in the prosecution of securities class actions and derivative litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts across the country. The firm has attorneys in various practice areas; and offices in New York, Chicago and San Diego. The reputation and expertise of this firm in shareholder and other class litigation has been repeatedly recognized by the courts, which have appointed it to major positions in complex securities multi-district and consolidated litigation.

If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions regarding your rights and interests in this case, please immediately contact Wolf Haldenstein by telephone at (800) 575-0735, via e-mail at classmember@whafh.com , or visit our website at www.whafh.com.

## Follow the firm and learn about newly filed cases on Twitter and Facebook. ##

Contact:

Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP

Kevin Cooper, Esq.

Gregory Stone, Director of Case and Financial Analysis

Email: gstone@whafh.com , kcooper@whafh.com or classmember@whafh.com

Tel: (800) 575-0735 or (212) 545-4774

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome.




Chennai: Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are likely to receive heavy to moderate rainfall over the next three to four days, warned the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) - Chennai.

Based on numerical weather model guidance, a low pressure area is very likely to form over Southeast Arabian sea on 05th October 2018. It is likely to concentrate into a Depression during the subsequent 48 hours, move Northwestwards and further intensified into a Cyclonic Storm, said RMC Chennai

Advising fishermen not to venture into the sea between October 6 and 8, the weather department added, Over south Kerala coast, Lakshadweep area, Comorin area, Southeast Arabian sea and Central Arabian sea. Those who are in deep sea are advised to return coast by 5th October 2018.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) also issued heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy falls warning in parts of Kerala on Sunday. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also announced that the IMD had issued a warning about a low-pressure area in the Arabian Sea close to Sri Lankan coast.

"Formation of a low pressure area over southeast Arabian sea on October 5 and its transformation into a cyclonic storm while moving towards northwestward direction on October 6 and 7 is also likely to happen," said Deputy Director General of Meteorology S Balachandran on Wednesday.

"Till October 5, there would be widespread, moderate rainfall in TN and Pondicherry and heavy rainfall in some isolated places," he said.

With agency inputs
Thiruvalluvar University has informed the state government that Ankiv Baisoya was never enrolled in their university.

Following the row over producing fake documents by DUSU president Ankiv Baisoya, a Tamil-Nadu based university on Thursday came forward to clarify that Baisoya is not their student.

The Vellore based-Thiruvalluvar University said that Baisoya was never its student.

Reportedly, Baisoya had submitted a fake certificate in the varsity's name for securing admission in Delhi University.

Thiruvallur University has written to the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department that Baisoya was neither enrolled the university nor any of its affiliated college, a senior government official said.

The official also confirmed that the University has "given in writing" that the documents are indeed fake.

The communication reportedly said the Controller of Examinations has issued a letter stating the certificate was not genuine.

Earlier, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), had alleged Baisoya had produced a fake certificate from the Thiruvalluvar University for getting admission to Delhi University, a charge dismissed by the ABVP.

Baisoya was recently elected president of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU), but a row erupted over his degree certificates after NSUI released a letter, purportedly from the varsity, saying the certificate submitted by him was fake.

(With PTI Inputs)
NEW DELHI: One person died and five others were injured after a barrel containing acid fell on them from under construction Johri Enclave Metro station on Delhi Metro's Pink Line, Wednesday.

The barrel fell on six people at around 6 pm. They were rushed to the hospital. One of them succumbed to their injuries.

Delhi: One person has succumbed to injuries after a can containing acid fell on six people from under construction Shiv Vihar Metro station (Pink Line), yesterday. Police has registered a case.  ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2018

The deceased has been identified as 32-year-old Amit Chauhan.

"Outside the Johri Enclave Metro station, some chemical fell from a vehicle on the motorcycle, injuring the people riding the motorcycle.

"The incident had nothing to do with the Delhi Metro at all. No work which requires the use of such chemical is in progress there. The construction work in this area has already been completed and trial runs are in progress," the DMRC said.

The senior superintendent of police said the possibility of someone pouring chemical on them cannot be ruled out.

The police is probing the case on some other angles also, he said.

The Pink Line is currently being constructed under Delhi Metro's Phase III network development plan. It will consist of 38 metro stations between Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar and will be the longest line in the Delhi Metro.

With agency inputs
NEW DELHI: Delhi government on Thursday rejected Jessica Lal murder case convict Manu Sharma's appeal for an early request.

According to reports, the Sentence Review Board of the Delhi Government rejected the early release application of Manu Sharma, who is currently lodged in the Tihar Central Jail.

Model Jessica Lal was shot dead in a south Delhi restaurant by Manu Sharma in 1999.

Besides Sharma, the Delhi Sentence Review Board also rejected pleas for the early release of convicts in Priyadarshini Mattoo and Tandoor murder cases.

The panel, headed by Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain, reviewed the applications of Manu Sharma, the killer of Jessica Lal, Santosh Singh, who is convicted in the Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case and Sushil Sharma, who has been convicted in the infamous Tandoor murder case and rejected them all.

"The board has rejected early release applications of all the three convicts," a Delhi government official said.

While the board recommended the release of 22 convicts on completion of their sentences, it rejected 86 other cases.
BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday will address several public and organisational gatherings in Rajasthan's Sikar and Bikaner on his one-day visit to the state.

Shah is scheduled to reach Sikar by helicopter from the national capital.

As per a schedule tweeted by the BJP chief, he will address the Shakti Kendra Sanmelam in Sikar's Bharatiya Shiksha Sankul at 11.15 am and a programme for the former service personnel at Sikar's Khel Stadium at 12.30 pm.

Following this, Shah will embark on his journey to Bikaner at around 2.20 pm. In Bikaner, Shah will address a programme for the Scheduled Castes at 3 pm in Medical College Ground.

At 4 pm, the BJP chief will address the Shakti Sanmelan at Bikaner's The Park Paradise.

He will conclude his day-long visit by holding a meeting with workers at the same venue at 5 pm.

All of us are convinced to bring back the BJP in the Rajasthan government with an absolute majority.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday slammed the Centre's decision of cutting the fuel price by saying that the actual slash should be Rs 10 per litre.

Kejriwal's comments came hours after the Central government announced a reduction of Rs 2.5 per litre in petrol and diesel prices.

Kejriwal took to Twitter and posted about the increase in excise duty by the Modi-led government.

Kejriwal accused the BJP government of cheating and said that the Central government first raised the excise duty on petrol and now reduced only Rs 2.50.

"Modi government raised excise duty on petrol by Rs 10 and today reduced only Rs 2.50. This is cheating. The centre should bring down petrol prices at least by Rs 10," he said in a tweet.

Tweet:

Responding to Kejriwal's tweet, Delhi's BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said that the Aam Aadmi Party convenor wants to help the Delhi government by reducing the fuel prices by Rs 10 a litre.

"It means @ArvindKejriwal Ji wish to help Delhi by reducing Rs.10 per litre on petrol and diesel, nice gesture!! Thanks kejriwal Ji," Tiwari tweeted.



Tweet:

The Central government announced a Rs 2.50 a litre cut in petrol and diesel prices, factoring in excise duty reduction of Rs 1.50 per litre and asking oil companies to absorb another Re 1.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asked state governments to follow suit by cutting sales tax or VAT by a similar amount. The reduction followed petrol and diesel prices touching new highs.

Tiwari demanded the Delhi government cut VAT on petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre so that the people of Delhi may also get relief of Rs 5 per litre on the fuels as was done by governments in BJP-ruled states.

BJP's leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said the Delhi government owed "much more" to Delhiites and demanded it reduce the petrol price by Rs 10.50 and diesel price by Rs 7.92 per litre.

"Union Finance Minister asking state Governments to reduce price by Rs 2.50 is not applicable to Delhi. Kejriwal government is pocketing arbitrarily increased 12 per cent VAT on petrol and 10.5 per cent VAT on diesel," Gupta charged.

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj charged that the Centre is "fooling" people.

"For four years, the prices of petrol and diesel were increased and now the Centre is fooling people by decreasing it by Rs 2.50 per litre," he said.

This is an attempt of providing "fake relief" to the people in view of "dipping popularity" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and coming assembly elections in three states, Bhardwaj alleged.

In a similar attack at the government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banjeree also asked the Centre government to reduce the fuel prices to Rs 10 a litre.

Speaking at a programme in Siliguri, Banerjee said that the cess on petroleum products should also be withdrawn."

The central government should slash fuel prices by Rs 10 at least. This government at the Centre is not bothered about the well-being of the masses... They are only interested about their party (BJP)," Banerjee, whose government had last month slashed petrol and diesel prices by Re 1 per litre, said.

Following the central government's footsteps, key BJP ruled states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have announced an additional cut of Rs 2.50 per litre on petrol and diesel bringing the effect reduction to Rs 5 per litre on fuel prices.

(With PTI Inputs)
In a gruesome incident, a 14-year-old boy was shot at in Delhi's Rohini area on Thursday while he was on his way to the bank with his father.

The boy was rushed to a hospital and is out of danger. The police arrested two men who were involved in the case.

The incident took place at around 2 pm. The boy was out with his father to deposit Rs 3.5 lakh cash in the bank.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta said that two bike-borne men attacked the duo while they were on their way to the bank. The assailants attacked the father by throwing chilly powder in his eyes while the boy was shot in his lower abdomen.

The accused have been identified as Somveer (29) and Vikas (27) belonging to Haryana's Dadri and Sampla areas respectively.

A local pistol was seized from the attacker's possession, the police said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the petition filed by Shweta Bhatt, the wife of former IPS officer, Sanjiv Bhatt, challenging the probe against her husband, in connection with a 22-year-old drug planting case.

Sanjeev Bhatt's wife said in a petition filed that her husband was not allowed to file a petition in the Supreme Court. The bench headed by Chief Justice (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi dismissed the petition saying that Sanjeev Bhatt may go to the High Court.

Earlier in September, Bhatt was arrested by the Gujarat CID in connection with the case of alleged planting of drugs to arrest a man, police had said. Bhatt and seven others, including some former policemen attached with the Banaskantha Police, were initially detained for questioning in the case.

Shortly after being questioned, Bhatt was arrested by the Crime Investigation Department while others are still kept under detention, Director General of Police, CID, Ashish Bhatia said. Bhatt was the Banaskantha district superintendent of police in 1996. He was dismissed from the service in 2015.

As per the case details, the Banaskantha Police under Bhatt had arrested one Sumersingh Rajpurohit, an advocate, in 1996 on charges of possessing around one kg of drugs.

At that time, the Banaskantha Police had claimed that drugs were found in a hotel room occupied by Rajpurohit in the district's Palanpur town. However, a probe by the Rajasthan Police had revealed that Rajpurohit was allegedly falsely implicated by the Banaskantha Police to compel him to transfer a disputed property at Pali in Rajasthan.

It had also found that Rajpurohit was allegedly abducted by the Banaskantha Police from his residence at Pali in Rajasthan.

Following the Rajasthan Police's investigation, former police inspector of Banaskantha, I B Vyas, had moved the Gujarat High Court in 1999 demanding a thorough inquiry into the matter. In June this year, the high court had handed over the probe in the case to the CID while hearing the petition.

The high court had asked the CID to complete the probe in three months. Bhatt was in August 2015 sacked by the union home ministry on grounds of "unauthorised absence" from service. He has been a vocal critic of the ruling BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media platforms.

Bhatt had last week met Patidar leader Hardik Patel, who is on an indefinite fast since August 25 at his residence demanding reservation for his community and farm loan waiver.

Recently, the BJP-ruled Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation razed illegal construction at Bhatt's residence here after the Supreme Court dismissed his plea seeking a stay on the demolition. Bhatt had several run-ins with the BJP government in the past over the issue of the 2002 post-Godhra riots.
The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) workers on Thursday staged a protest near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence as a part of their ongoing strike.

Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP of misleading the workers and said that he is worried about the workers and sanitation arrangements.

Kejriwal took to Twitter saying that the workers have to protest every two months to get their salaries.

              MCD                                        https://t.co/8OhN8NqsMf  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 4, 2018

"Sanitation workers are protesting outside my residence. BJP has misled them. I am going to talk to them and present facts before them. I am really worried about the sanitation arrangements in the city and the workers. They have to protest every two months to get their salaries," Kejriwal tweeted.

The Delhi government had on Wednesday agreed to release 500 crores to municipal corporations to be used to pay off pending salaries to sanitation workers. The workers have been on strike since September 12 over non-payment of wages.

The Supreme Court asked the Centre if it can contribute an equal share of the amount in favor of the municipal corporations.

A senior official said a meeting was underway between the east Delhi Mayor and a sanitation union leader to resolve the issue.

"Sanitation workers are protesting outside CM's residence. There has been no instance of violence between protesters and police," another official said.

The EDMC has around 16,000 workers, half of whom are permanent employees.

The BJP-led EDMC on September 26 had decided to begin the process for permanent employment of contractual sanitation workers who were recruited after March 31, 1998.

The president of MCD Swachhata Karmchari Union, Sanjay Gahlot, however, had said that since, there was no assurance of this resolution reaching its desired end from the authorities side, they would continue their agitation in east Delhi.

Earlier in September, the Delhi HC had pulled up the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi for not disbursing funds for the salaries as per the recommendations of the fourth Delhi Finance Commission (DFC). The HC had said that 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, HC had 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 had said.

The HC had not given any directions to the AAP government then and had listed the matter for hearing on October 25 as the Supreme Court is hearing the Delhi government's appeal against the HC's April 16 and May 21 orders over the implementation of the fourth DFC recommendations.

(With Agency Inputs)
NEW DELHI: BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday said that the Centre's reduction in petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2.50 a litre reflected the Narendra Modi-led government's concern towards the countrymen, which evoked a sharp reaction from the main opposition party Congress.

Soon after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced the cut and made an appeal to the state government to announce further relief in this regard, Shah took to Twitter and welcomed the Centre's decision.

     -           2.5              5   

                     pic.twitter.com/eWKUAzOlEa  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) October 4, 2018

He said the Centre's move to slash fuel prices shows its sensitivity towards people's welfare.

While addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra too expressed the hope that people will get a total relief of Rs 5 at the earliest as the Centre has asked states to effect an equal amount of tax cut in the oil prices.

He also took a swipe at the previous Congress-led government at the Centre, saying it had "pawned" national resources by issuing oil bonds while the Narendra Modi government showed its sensitivity by reducing the prices.

The government has also expressed confidence it will fulfill its fiscal deficit targets, Patra noted.

The Centre earlier announced a Rs 2.50 per litre cut in petrol and diesel prices after it reduced excise duty by Rs 1.50 a litre and asked oil companies to absorb another Re 1.

The Congress, however, hit out at the Narendra Modi government over what it described as a "meagre" reduction in excise duty on petrol and diesel.

The Congress party said the move is like applying a band-aid after inflicting a thousand wounds on the people of the country.

Facing public ire and imminent defeat in the 5 election going states, Modi Government attempted to apply Band Aid on the thousand wounds inflicted by it by massive profiteering in the prices of Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene, Cooking gas, CNG, PNG and Natural Gas. Statement:- pic.twitter.com/nuz22UNhcY  Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) October 4, 2018

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala claimed it was a "panic reaction" by the government after facing public ire and an "imminent defeat" for the BJP in upcoming assembly elections in five states, and said the step will bring little relief to the people as it is like "reducing death sentence to life imprisonment".

Alleging over "Rs 13-lakh-crore fuel loot" through the imposition of heavy excise duty on petrol and diesel and an equal amount through VAT by BJP-ruled states, he said the people "cannot be befooled" anymore by the government and demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

"Facing public ire and imminent defeat in the five election going states, Modi Government attempted to apply 'band-aid' on the thousand wounds inflicted by it by massive profiteering in the prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene oil, cooking gas, CNG, PNG and natural gas.

"It is a panic reaction against the people's anger.

"Let Prime Minister Modi remember that he cannot befool the people of India. We challenge the PM and FM to answer to people," he told reporters.

The opposition party demanded that the fuel prices be brought to the 2014 level and that petrol and diesel be brought under the GST regime.

The Congress leader dubbed as "lies" Jaitley's claim that the tax base has risen under the NDA government and said the buoyancy in taxes is due to money collected through rise in excise duty on petrol and diesel in the last 52 months.

"Since May 2014, Modi Government has fleeced and duped the common people by draconian taxation of Rs 13 lakh crore. While FM Jaitley lies' again by saying that the increase in government revenue is on account of increase in tax base, he hides the Rs 13 lakh crore 'fuel loot' completely, which is fuelling the coffers of Modi Government. The PM and the FM must answer the people for this 13-lakh crore 'fuel loot'," he said.

Surjewala said the government must also answer to the people for hiking central excise duty on 12 occasions, raising the central excise on petrol by 211 pc and on diesel by 443 pc.

He said the customs duty has been increased manifold times too.

When Congress demitted power in May 2014, central excise duty on petrol was merely Rs 9.23 per litre and the Modi government has raised it to Rs 19.48 per litre, he said, adding that in May 2014, excise duty on diesel was merely Rs 3.46/litre and the Modi government raised it to Rs 15.33/litre.

"Giving a paltry relief of Rs 1.50 per litre is insignificant and like a needle in the haystack," he said. Surjewala asked why the "fuel robbery continued when the prices of crude oil reduced by 45 per cent internationally".

He said on May 16, 2014, the price of crude oil was USD 107.09 per barrel and the present price of international crude is USD 86 per barrel, with the average crude price during 52 months of Modi government being USD 58 per barrel, nearly 45 pc less than the UPA tenure. Still, the petrol/diesel prices continue to skyrocket at much higher levels during Modi government, he said.

The Congress leader also questioned why the government was selling petrol and diesel "cheaper" to 29 countries.

The main opposition party also asked the government to explain the reasons for the rising prices of LPG and CNG.

(With Agency inputs)
EAST GREENVILLE, Pa., Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Knoll, Inc. (NYSE: KNL), a constellation of design-driven brands for the workplace and home, announced today the opening of the Knoll Japan Tokyo showroom. Knoll Japan is a joint venture between two of Japans leading furniture industry companies  Itoki Corp. (7972.T), among the largest manufacturers and distributors serving businesses throughout Japan, and inter.office, a prominent, high-design furniture distributor in the market.

The new showroom, designed by Naoki Terada, is to be a resource for workplace and residential architects and designers as well as individuals purchasing furniture and textiles for their homes. It is located at 1-2-3 Aoyama, Minato Ward, Tokyo, Aoyama Building 1st Floor. In addition, Itoki will manufacture certain Knoll products under license, including Antenna Workspaces, Rockwell Unscripted and k. lounge and will assemble the Generation by Knoll family of work chairs and other seating products.



Andrew Cogan, Knoll CEO, commented We are excited by Knoll Japans commitment to expand the reach of our historically respected brand in Japan. We look forward to the success of Knoll Japan in bringing the Knoll constellation of brands to global customers and building new local relationships.

Knoll Japan is poised to respond to evolving workplace design trends and penetrate growing ancillary categories, he added.



About Itoki

Founded in 1890, Itoki strives to support the workstyles of individuals across the office, facilitating powerful creativity and productivity, while paving the way for valuable innovation. From healthcare to educational to financial institutions, Itoki has greatly expanded its scope of workplace planning beyond the traditional office space.

With unwavering consideration for the individual, Itoki strives to design a fulfilling "work-style" that is both innovative and beneficial for the society of tomorrow through its efforts in helping customers create their ideal space, environment and workplace.

About inter.office

Launched in 1983, inter.office aims to improve the quality of Japans office space. Planning for a variety of companies with high-end, European-made office furniture, the brand firmly established itself as a prominent distributor in the market. inter.office has further expanded its business into architectural design for offices and public spaces, educational facilities and private homes, as well as interior design and facility management.

Today, inter.office believes that a well-designed office nurtures creativity and that rich functionality gives rise to work efficiency, which contributes to greater productivity. For this reason, inter.office provides total solutions, from furniture to space layout.

About Knoll

Knoll, Inc. is a constellation of design-driven brands and people, working together with our clients to create inspired modern interiors. Our internationally recognized portfolio includes furniture, textiles, leathers, accessories, and architectural and acoustical elements brands. These brands  Knoll Office, KnollStudio, KnollTextiles, KnollExtra, Spinneybeck | FilzFelt, Edelman Leather, HOLLY HUNT, DatesWeiser and Muuto reflect our commitment to modern design that meets the diverse requirements of high-performance workplaces and luxury interiors. A recipient of the National Design Award for Corporate and Institutional Achievement from the Smithsonian`s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Knoll, Inc. is aligned with the U.S. Green Building Council and the Canadian Green Building Council and can help organizations achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) workplace certification. Knoll, Inc. is the founding sponsor of the World Monuments Fund Modernism at Risk program.

Investors:

Charles Rayfield

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Tel 215 679-1703

crayfield@knoll.com

Media:

David E. Bright

Senior Vice President, Communications

Tel 212 343-4135

dbright@knoll.com

Three photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/22ff0884-92ee-473d-8764-eb5491698bbf

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0da581b6-f53f-4af6-ab1c-4c238c58cff0

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4ba781ae-9ff9-4828-a1cd-13a247277866




Palwal: Two police personnel, including a woman sub-inspector, have been suspended and booked in Haryana for allegedly not registering a rape victim's complaint and forcing her to work out a compromise with the accused, Palwal SP Waseem Akram said on Thursday.

The two police personnel are SHO Santosh Kumar and SI Anju Devi. "A departmental inquiry has also been initiated against them. The complaint has now been lodged and on its basis, a case registered against three others," the SP said.

In her complaint, the 34-year-old woman said that on September 16 she had gone to a shop to purchase school bags for her children where a salesman told her to go to the basement to choose the product.

When she reached the basement, she was overpowered by the accused and sexually assaulted, police said, adding she later named three people allegedly involved in the incident.

When she approached the SHO, he allegedly did not register the FIR even a day after the incident and instead forced her to work out a compromise with the three accused, the SP said.

The SHO sent her to the women police station where SI Anju Devi too allegedly tried to prevent her from lodging the FIR, Akram said, adding further investigations were underway and the rape accused would be nabbed soon.
New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft carrying relief material to tsunami hit-Indonesia landed in Balikpapan on Wednesday. The IAF was on a humanitarian and disaster relief mission to the country where more than 1200 people died in a series of earthquakes over the last few days.

IAF C-130J aircraft was carrying 37 medical personnel while C-17 aircraft was loaded with relief material. The aircraft was offloaded and the relief material was handed over to the Indonesian authorities.

Indian Air Force is on a humanitarian&disaster relief mission to tsunami-hit Indonesia. IAF C-130J aircraft with 37 medical personnel&C-17 aircraft carrying relief material landed in Balikpapan y'day.Aircraft was offloaded&relief material was handed over to Indonesian authorities pic.twitter.com/PEaItktsdr  ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2018

An IAF team had embarked the relief mission on Tuesday. The medical teams were instructed to be self-contained for 10 days. Accordingly, they were carrying their rations, generators, FOL, tentage. In addition, light medical equipment including X-ray machine and medicines were being carried.

#BondBeyondBorders - IAF C-17 aircraft landed at Balikpapan , Indonesia, 03 Oct 18. The aircraft

is being offloaded & relief material will be handed over to Indonesian authorities at Balikpapan. Palu, the affected place is unfit for C-17 landing.#operationsamudramaitri pic.twitter.com/eaWcrXzOlR  Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) October 4, 2018

Earlier in the day, India launched a massive operation to provide assistance to the earthquake and tsunami victims in Indonesia, dispatching three naval ships carrying relief material to the country, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

'Operation Samudra Maitri' for humanitarian assistance was launched after a telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Joko Widodo on October 1, and following Indonesia's acceptance of international aid, the MEA said in a statement.

On Sunday, the toll from an earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia soared to 832 confirmed dead, with authorities fearing it will only climb as rescuers struggle to reach outlying communities cut off from communications and help.

Dozens of people were reported to be trapped in the rubble of two hotels and a mall in the city of Palu, which was hit by waves as high as six metres (20 feet) following the 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Friday.

With most of the confirmed deaths from Palu, authorities are bracing for much worse as reports filter in from outlying areas, in particular, Donggala, a region of 300,000 people north of Palu and closer to the epicentre of the quake, and two other districts.
India is scheduled to deport seven Rohingyas to Myanmar on Thursday who have been currently brought to Imphal, Manipur. The seven people will be taken to Moreh border where they'll be handed over to Myanmar authority.

Earlier, they were lodged in the Silchar Detention centre in Assam.

"Seven Myanmarese nationals lodged in Silchar will be deported on October 4. The travel permits have come. The deportation will take place via Moreh (a border town) in Manipur, news agency ANI quoted a senior official of the home and political department of the state.

Of the existing 900-odd inmates in the six detention camps in the state, most are individuals who were declared foreigners at the 100 Foreigners Tribunals in Assam. This is the first time Rohingya immigrants will be sent back to Myanmar from India.

A UN human rights expert has expressed alarm at the governments plan saying India ought to refer the seven persons to UN refugee agency before taking any decision on sending them to Myanmar.

"A UN human rights expert has expressed alarm at the Indian Governments plan to deport seven Rohingya men to Myanmar, saying their forcible return could constitute refoulement which violates international law," the body said, quoting the expert. "The Indian government has an obligation to refer Rohingyas under their custody to the UN refugee agency so their protection needs can be assessed and proper information provided to them about their rights."

The seven Rohingyas set to be sent back were arrested in 2017. " Our police team is going to drop them off at Moreh border where they'll be handed over to Myanmar authority," Deepak Kumar, Inspector General (Law and Order) told news agency ANI.
After a red alert was issued due to rainfall predictions in Kerala, the state's Meteorological Department on Thursday said that the next five days may see the increase in rainfall.

Director of Kerala Meteorological Department K Santosh said that a district wise warning has been issued and fishermen have been advised to not venture into the sea for the next two to four days, news agency ANI reported.

Explaining the cyclonic influence over the state Santosh said that the rainfall is likely to intensify further into a depression in the subsequent 36 hours.

"It will then move northwestwards and develop into a cyclonic storm and again move in the northwest direction towards Oman Coast," Santosh added.

Santosh also added that a low-pressure area is expected to form over Southeast Arabian Sea near Lakshadweep during the next 24 hours.

"Under the influence of cyclonic circulation which is lying over Southeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Lakshadweep Maldives area, a low-pressure area is expected to form over Southeast Arabian Sea near Lakshadweep during next 24 hours," he said.

The authorities earlier on Thursday opened the shutters of the Malampuzha dam in Palakkad in view of Indian Meteorological Department's warning of very heavy rainfall in Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu by the weekend.

According to ANI, four shutters of Malampuzha dam were opened by 9 cm each.

The IMD had on Wednesday issued ''heavy to very heavy'' rainfall warning in parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu on Sunday.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also announced that the IMD had issued a warning about a low-pressure area in the Arabian Sea close to Sri Lankan coast.

The Chief Minister further said that a red alert had been issued for three districts for Sunday, October 7.

The state government also asked the Centre for five companies of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

He said that fishermen have also been asked to reach safer coast by Friday, October 5, in the wake of the alert issued by the IMD.

Addressing mediapersons, the Kerala Chief Minister said, Fishermen have been advised to reach safer coast by October 5. A warning has been issued. Red alert has been declared in three districts for October 7.

Disaster Management Authority has met to assess the situation. We have sought support from central agencies and asked for five companies of NDRF, Vijayan further said.

According to the Kerala Chief Minister, administrations in different districts have already been alerted and have also been asked to take all necessary actions to handle the crisis. District administration has been directed to take necessary action to handle the crisis. Tourists have been advised not to travel to hilly regions, especially to Munnar to see the Neelakurinji, said Vijayan.

IMD has issued a warning about a low-pressure area in the Arabian sea close to Sri Lankan coast. This is likely to develop into a cyclonic storm and a warning has been issued on the same. The predicted trajectory will be along the coast of Lakshadweep, he further said.

Last month, Kerala witnessed incessant rain and worst floods in a century. The deadly monsoon rains savaged the state with heavy rain and severe floods. The rain and floods claimed 231 lives since August 8 in the second spell of the monsoon.

(With Agency Inputs)
Washington: Pakistan wants the US to facilitate talks with India as the two nations are not engaging bilaterally, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said, warning that the absence dialogue could lead to an escalation of tension.

But the Pakistani request on the facilitation of the talks has been rejected by the US, the top Pakistani leader told a Washington audience on Wednesday, a day after he had meetings with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, during which he raised the issue only to be pushed back by the Trump administration.

India is opposed to any third country mediation in its relations with Pakistan. Pakistan has continuously sought mediation to sort out the differences, including over Kashmir.

"When we asked the US, to play facilitating role...Why do we ask? Simply because we are not engaging bilaterally. And that bilateral disengagement is?a distraction. We want to focus, we want to move on the western side of the border, which we are not being able to because we have to watch our back from eastern side (of the border with India). That is not a healthy situation to be in," Qureshi said in response to a question at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded top American think-tank.

"Now can you (United States) facilitate? The answer from them is no. They wanted bilaterally. But there is no bilateral movement," Qureshi said warning that this could lead to escalation of tension between the two South Asian countries.

"If that lack of facilitation leads to escalation and some of the statements that have come out of late have not been very helpful," the Pakistani foreign minister said in an apparent reference to the remarks by Indian leaders.

The new government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he claimed, is not shy of engaging. Referring to the cancelling of his meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New York, he alleged that India backed off.

However, he quickly skipped India's reasons for this ? glorification of terrorists by issuing postal stamps and brutal killing of the Indian security personnel.

"If the Indians have a better option, share it with us. If disengagement, if not talking to each other will resolve and stabilise the region, fine. If that's their analysis fine," Qureshi said.

Qureshi, who left for Pakistan after his meetings with the Trump administration officials, said it is unfortunate that the two countries are not engaging. "It's unfortunate. That's the way it is. Now. What does this government want? We want normalisation. We want co-existence. You've got to recognise the reality. Pakistan is a reality. So is India. We have issues. How do we resolve them?" he asked.

After coming to power, the first speech made by the Prime Minister Khan was "that every step you (India) take towards peace, we will take two. And he meant it. It wasn't just because it sounded good. It wasn't to please anyone. He is too blunt a person to please people. He can be very straight and he can be very blunt. But he said that because he feels that way," Qureshi said.

India has said that Pakistan created the conditions for cancellation of the talks due to issuing of postage stamps glorifying terrorists and brutal killing of its three security personnel.

The Pakistan foreign minister did not mention that in his answer and only said that the stalled dialogue process is not good for the two countries and the region.

Responding to a question on India's stand that talks and terrorism cannot go together, a view which is shared by Washington too, Qureshi referred to a statement by Khan while he was an opposition leader and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a trip to New Delhi that there would always be spoilers.

"There will always be spoilers. There will always be elements that will scuttle the process of peace. But when they do that, let re-engage to fight them. They will push us back. But we have to see what is in our interest, what is in the regional interest. What's in Pakistan's interest," Qureshi said quoting what Khan had told Modi.

Soon, he raised the Kashmir issue.

"They have to realise, and I think they were being simplistic, if they feel that everything that's wrong on the Indian side of Kashmir is all of Pakistan's making, that is an unrealistic approach," he said. India, he said, should also revisit its policies and see why and how people have been alienated.
New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is on a two-day visit to India, arrived in the national capital on Thursday for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Following the bilateral summit, Russia and India are expected to sign the S-400 air defence system deal and a number of other pacts in key sectors such as space and energy.

On his arrival, Putin is accompanied by a high-level delegation and was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the Delhi airport.

The Russian President then met PM Modi at his official residence - 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, where the two leaders had a one-on-one meeting.

Ahead of Putin's arrival, the Prime Minister took to Twitter and said, "Welcome to India, President Putin. Looking forward to our deliberations, which will further enhance India-Russia friendship. @KremlinRussia_E"

Welcome to India, President Putin. Looking forward to our deliberations, which will further enhance India-Russia friendship. @KremlinRussia_E pic.twitter.com/IlGwRrXgAK  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 4, 2018

Later, PM Modi hosted a private dinner for the visiting dignitary.

The dinner meeting comes a day ahead of the 19th India-Russia annual summit during which the two leaders will hold comprehensive discussions on wide-ranging bilateral, regional and international issues, including US sanctions against Moscow and counter-terrorism cooperation.

As Putin landed in New Delhi, the Russian news agency TASS reported that on Friday, a number of bilateral agreements will be signed, including the USD 5 billion contract to deliver the S-400 air defence missile systems to India.

Ahead of the visit, the Russian President's aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted by media as saying that Russia and India are planning to sign more than 20 documents at the end of the Putin-Modi talks and that Putin will oversee the signing of the USD 5 billion deal.

The agreements to be signed are likely to boost cooperation in keys sectors such as defence, space, trade, energy and tourism, among others.

The spotlight will be on the S-400 missile defence system deal as, if signed, it could violate US sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) instituted by the US Congress on arms purchases from Russia.

Besides holding talks with Modi, the Russian leader will also have a meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday.

He will also interact with a group of talented children and address an India-Russia business meet.

The last annual summit was held on June 1, 2017, during the visit of the prime minister to Russia.

In May, PM Modi had travelled to Russian coastal city of Sochi for an informal summit with Putin during which they discussed a range of crucial issues.

(With inputs from PTI)
Pointing a finger at India for 'reigning terror', Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) President Sardar Masood Khan said the United Kingdom should intervene to put an end to the 'gross human rights violations' in Jammu and Kashmir and restore peace, as reported by Pakistan media, Dawn on Thursday.

In the opinion of Khan, as the UK is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) it "could use its weight to influence India to stop its reign of terror and put an end to the gross human rights violations in held Kashmir. That is the only way, he argued, peace can be restored to the region", reports Dawn.

He further alleged that Indias 'illegal' occupation of Jammu and Kashmir indicated the people had lost their right to self-determination, education, health, justice, and free movement and speech, Dawn reported.



According to Dawn's report, the president also accused the Indian army of having unrestricted powers and unleashing it to "kill, mutilate and incarcerate the people of Kashmir indiscriminately". He remarked that the people of Kashmir are deprived of their "rights to education, health, justice and free movement and speech".

Khan urged the global leaders to support the people of Kashmir alleging that they were at the mercy of India's terrorism, said Dawn.

Citing the recently published United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) report on Kashmir, Khan pointed out that "India should respect the right to self-determination of the Kashmiris, repeal the inhumane laws enforced in the held valley and allow the proposed Commission of Inquiry under the Human Rights Council to visit held Kashmir", according to a report by Dawn.

A delegation of British parliamentarians had come to meet him at the Jammu and Kashmir House.

Reacting to Khan's remarks, the delegation said "the right to self-determination was an inalienable right and human rights violations in India's Kashmir must cease immediately", Dawn reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in the capital on Thursday on a two-day visit to take part in the annual bilateral summit that is held alternately between India and Russia.

The 19th India-Russia summit is scheduled to begin on Friday and will conclude with the key signing of agreements, including the multi-billion-dollar S-400 'Triumf' surface-to-air missile system. Putin will stay in India on October 4 and October 5.

Putin will arrive at the national capital at around 6:30 pm and will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in an hour, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed.

On October 05, the Russian President will hold delegation level talks with Prime Minister Modi at the Hyderabad House at around 11:30 am. The two are slated to discuss a number of key regional and global topics, including the US sanctions on Iranian oil.

Following an exchange of agreements and press statements, Putin will arrive at the ITC Maurya Hotel, where the India-Russia Business Summit is scheduled to take place at around 3:30 pm. He is also scheduled to interact with a group of talented children.

Putin will then meet his Indian counterpart -- President Ram Nath Kovind, at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The Russian President will emplane for his return to Russia at around 6:00 pm.

A number of crucial energy deals are slated to be signed by the two countries during the bilateral summit. India`s state-owned ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) may sign a pact with Gazprom, as reported by news agency ANI. OVL already has stakes in three operational projects in Russia.

Also, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov had earlier confirmed that a contract for the supply of five regiments of Russia`s S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems to India worth USD 5 billion will be signed during the Russian President`s visit. The last India-Russia bilateral summit was held in Russia on June 1, 2017.

India and Russia propose to sign more than 20 documents, including mega defence and energy deals, at the end of the summit.
Washington: The US has urged its allies to forgo transactions with Russia, warning that the S-400 missile defence system that India intends to buy would be a "focus area" for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking "significant" business deals with the Russians.

The US administration is required under a domestic law, Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act or CAATSA to impose sanctions on any country that has ?significant transactions? with Iran, North Korea or Russia.

The Act primarily deals with sanctions on Russian interests such as its oil and gas industry, defence and security sector, and financial institutions, in the backdrop of its military intervention in Ukraine and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US Presidential elections.

"We urge all of our allies and partners to forgo transactions with Russia that would trigger sanctions under CAATSA," a State Department Spokesperson said on Wednesday when asked about India's plan to purchase multi-billion S-400 missile defense system from Russia.

"The Administration has indicated that a focus area for the implementation of CAATSA Section 231 is new or qualitative upgrades in capability - including the S-400 air and missile defense system," the spokesperson said.

According to a media report, India and Russia will sign a deal for the multi-billion-dollar S-400 surface-to-air missile system this week.

Moscow has been negotiating to sell the S-400 long-range surface-to-air missiles to India for months.

The signing of the deal for Moscow's most advanced air defence system will be overseen by Russian president Vladimir Putin, who is visiting New Delhi on October 4-5 for the annual India-Russia summit, the report said quoting a top Kremlin official said.

"The President is trying to develop a relationship and change that, but we've not been successful, at least to date," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told NBC news in an interview.

In September, a senior administration official told reporters that purchase of major military system like multi-billion S-400 missile defense system would be considered as a "significant transaction and thus has a potential" for CAATSA sanctions.

The official emphasized that the ultimate target of these sanctions was Russia.

The CAATSA sanctions in this context are not intended to undermine the defence capabilities of any particular country.

"They are instead aimed at imposing costs upon Russia in response to its malign activities," the official had said.
The seven Rohingya Muslims have been deported to Myanmar, Assam police confirmed Thursday.

"Seven Myanmarese nationals have been deported today. They were handed over to the authorities of the Myanmar at Moreh border post in Manipur," Assam Additional Director General of Police (Border) Bhaskar J. Mahanta told PTI over phone.

The seven refugees, who have been lodging in lodged in Cachar Central Jail in Assam's Silchar since 2012 on charges of illegal entry, were put in a bus on Wednesday and sent to the border to be deported to neighbouring Myanmar, a border police official told Reuters.

Assam Police hands over the 7 #Rohingyas to Myanmar authorities after deportation formalities were completed. These 7 Rohingyas had been in an Indian jail since 2012 for illegally entering the country. pic.twitter.com/AH5mplZUwG  ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2018

"This is a routine procedure, we deport all illegal foreigners," said Mahanta.

Consular access had been given to Myanmar diplomats, who confirmed the identity of the immigrants, he added.

Earlier, the Supreme Court refused to interfere in the decision of the Centre thus allowing the deportation of the seven Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.

The bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi announced that the seven Rohingyas were found to be illegal immigrants and Myanmar has accepted them as its citizens. "We are not inclined to interfere on the decision taken," the apex court said.

The Centre told Myanmar that it has issued a certificate of identity to the Rohingyas along with one month visa to facilitate deportation. The Myanmar Embassy has agreed to take them back.
MONACO, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Costamare Inc. (the Company) (NYSE: CMRE), an international owner and provider of containerships for charter, announced the election of two Class II directors at the Companys annual meeting of stockholders held in Monaco today.



The elected Class II directors are Gregory Zikos and Vagn Lehd Mller. Each Class II director was elected to hold office for a term ending at the annual meeting of stockholders in 2021 and until his successor has been duly elected and qualified.

Stockholders also ratified the appointment of Ernst & Young (Hellas) Certified Auditors Accountants S.A. as the Companys independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018.

About Costamare Inc.

Costamare Inc. is one of the world's leading owners and providers of containerships for charter. The Company has 44 years of history in the international shipping industry and a fleet of 79 containerships, with a total capacity of approximately 538,000 TEU, including five newbuild containerships currently under construction. Eighteen of our containerships have been acquired pursuant to the Framework Deed with York Capital Management by vessel-owning joint venture entities in which we hold a minority equity interest. The Company's common stock, Series B Preferred Stock, Series C Preferred Stock, Series D Preferred Stock and Series E Preferred Stock trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols CMRE, CMRE PR B, CMRE PR C, CMRE PR D and CMRE PR E, respectively.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as believe, intend, anticipate, estimate, project, forecast, plan, potential, may, should, could and expect and similar expressions. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Companys belief regarding future results, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Companys control. It is possible that actual results may differ, possibly materially, from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. For a discussion of some of the risks and important factors that could affect future results, see the discussion in the Companys Annual Report on Form 20-F (File No. 001-34934) under the caption Risk Factors.

Company Contacts:

Gregory Zikos - Chief Financial Officer

Konstantinos Tsakalidis - Business Development, Investor Relations

Costamare Inc., Monaco

Tel: (+377) 93 25 09 40

Email: ir@costamare.com
KUPWARA: In a major breakthrough, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday busted an overground module of banned terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen.

According to ANI, the module was operating in Lolab area of Kupwara district in north Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir: Police busted an OGW(over ground workers) module of banned terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, they were operating in Lolab area of district Kupwara. pic.twitter.com/37YCTDDZIp  ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2018

After receiving specific intelligence inputs, the J&K Police detained two persons - Shakir Ahmad Wani and Ghulam Mustafa Sheikh - both residents of Tekipora in Lolab for questioning in this connection.

After sustained questioning, a pistol was recovered on their disclosure.

During their interrogation, the two revealed that the module was engaged in providing logistical support to terrorists apart from luring more youth into the path of terrorism.

An FIR has been registered and a formal investigation has been initiated in this regard.

The Army had on Tuesday busted a terrorist hideout and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition in Doda district in Jammu region.

(With Agency inputs)
Jammu: Pakistani troops violated ceasefire on Thursday evening and resorted to firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, defence officials said.

There was a brief firing of 30 to 40 rounds by the Pakistani Army along the LoC in Gulpur and Khadi Karmara forward areas in Poonch sector around 5:45 pm, they said.

The firing lasted for 5 to 7 minutes, they said, adding that no one was injured in the ceasefire violation.
KOCHI: The authorities on Thursday opened the shutters of the Malampuzha dam in Palakkad in view of Indian Meteorological Department's warning of very heavy rainfall in Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu by the weekend.

According to ANI, four shutters of Malampuzha dam have been opened by 9 cm each.

Kerala: 4 shutters of Malampuzha dam in Palakkad have been opened today by 9 cm each. IMD has issued a warning for heavy rainfall in the state.  ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2018

The IMD had on Wednesday issued ''heavy to very heavy'' rainfall warning in parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu on Sunday.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also announced that the IMD had issued a warning about a low-pressure area in the Arabian Sea close to Sri Lankan coast.

The Chief Minister further said that a red alert had been issued for three districts for Sunday, October 7.

The state government also asked the Centre for five companies of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

He said that fishermen have also been asked to reach safer coast by Friday, October 5, in the wake of the alert issued by the IMD.

Addressing mediapersons, the Kerala Chief Minister said, Fishermen have been advised to reach safer coast by October 5. Warning has been issued. Red alert has been declared in three districts for October 7.

Disaster Management Authority has met to assess the situation. We have sought support from central agencies and asked for five companies of NDRF, Vijayan further said.

According to the Kerala Chief Minister, administrations in different districts have already been alerted and have also been asked to take all necessary actions to handle the crisis. District administration has been directed to take necessary action to handle the crisis. Tourists have been advised not to travel to hilly regions, especially to Munnar to see the Neelakurinji, said Vijayan.

IMD has issued a warning about a low-pressure area in the Arabian sea close to Sri Lankan coast. This is likely to develop into a cyclonic storm and a warning has been issued on the same. The predicted trajectory will be along the coast of Lakshadweep, he further said.

Last month, Kerala witnessed incessant rain and worst floods in a century. The deadly monsoon rains savaged the state with heavy rain and severe floods. The rain and floods claimed 231 lives since August 8 in the second spell of the monsoon.
BHOPAL: Congress could form an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) ahead of Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, confirmed state chief Kamal Nath.

I had spoken to Akhilesh Yadav a few days ago, we are in talks with them, said Nath.

In a huge blow to Congress, Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) decided to contest the MP Assembly polls 2018 alone.

Speaking on the breakdown of alliance talks with BSP, the senior Congress leader said, The list of seats which BSP had given us where they had no chance of winning and the seats which they could have won they had not included in the list.

BSP`s decision to go alone in the state Assembly elections is not a setback and Congress is confident of doing well because of the "groundswell of support is phenomenal", he added.

BSP also joined hands with Ajit Jogis' Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) ahead of the upcoming Chhattisgarh polls 2018.

To a question as to how confident he was about the Congress facing the elections, the senior leader said "absolutely, we are very confident. I have a sense of elections which I have been seeing for the last 40 years. There is a groundswell of support for the party which is phenomenal. We certainly will defeat the BJP."

Kamal Nath accused the BJP of trying to fragment and split the votes.
BHOPAL: In yet another horrendous incident of sexual abuse against a child, a five-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two priests inside temple premises in Madhya Pradesh's Datia district Tuesday.

The priests reportedly lured the victim, a farmer's daughter, with sweets inside the temple and then sexually abused her.

Later, the accused dropped the victim home and threatened her not to disclose the incident to anyone.

The matter came to light after the child's mother noticed that the victim was in pain while she was relieving herself. Initially, she refused to discuss but later narrated her ordeal.

The family immediately contacted the police and rushed the child to the hospital. The child's condition is now stated to be stable.

Goraghat Police have arrested both the accused priests  55-year-old Raju Pandit and 45-year-old Batoli Prajapati  late Tuesday night. They were booked under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO).

Cops suspect the duo might have assaulted other minors too.

In December 2017, MP became the first state to pass a bill allowing death penalty for the culprits in the rape cases involving girls below 12 years of age.

In April 2018, a four-month-old baby was raped by the uncle in Rajwada area of Indore. The victim was sleeping with parents when the accused lifted the infant and cycled away to a building.

The blood-soaked body of the infant was recovered from the basement of the building. The incident had shocked the nation. The culprit was later sentenced to death.

In the last seven months, fast-track courts in the state have pronounced 12 death sentences in rape cases.
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India claimed in the Supreme Court on Thursday that attempts were being made to malign the poll panel and get favourable order by fabricating the documents in a case filed by Congress leader Kamal Nath with regard to Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.

The top court took strong exception over the claims of the poll panel and warned that it may summon the company which has allegedly made public the data of voters and pointed out the duplication.

The Congress leader said that there is nothing wrong in the submission of the documents and the data of duplicate voters, as pointed out by a private company, has been given to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) OP Rawat.

A bench of Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan asked senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for ECI, to verify from Rawat whether such documents were given to him or were directly given in the court.

During the hearing, Singh said, "It is something serious which I want to point out to the court and the act is covered under section 193 of IPC (punishment for false evidence). Somebody should be seriously hauled up for this."

He submitted some papers with regard to voters in Madhya Pradesh and said that an impression was given based on fabricated documents that there were bogus voters.

"Some private company called 'politics.In' has published the data of voters with pictures which the ECI does not do. The petitioner herein has submitted the data relying on such fabricated documents to get a favourable order and malign the Election Commission of India," Singh said.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Kamal Nath, said that there is nothing wrong as the data was in public domain and the petitioner has submitted it to the Rawat as well.

"We have brought it to the notice of Election Commission of India and they have even replied to our representation. What's wrong in pointing it out," Sibal said.

He said that same data was carried and published by electronic and print media also as it was widely available in public domain.

The court said that if the documents were handed over to the ECI also, then it will change the course.

"You please verify with the CEC OP Rawat and inform us by October 8," the bench said and adjourned the hearing of the matter.

On September 20, the apex court had deferred the hearing on Nath's plea seeking draft voter list of Madhya Pradesh in word format, and said the issue requires substantive hearing.

The Congress leader had said that ECI had provided voter lists in word format during Karnataka and Rajasthan elections as also during Madhya Pradesh assembly polls in 2013.

ECI said it received complaints of voter profiling and to prevent the misuse of data it has taken a conscious decision to provide it in PDF format (non-editable).

Nath had said that when the ECI can provide the draft voter list in word format in other states, then what is the problem in providing the list in Madhya Pradesh.

ECI had said that they have received complaints of voter profiling and therefore a conscious decision was taken to provide the draft list in PDF format.

The poll panel said it was done to thwart any attempt of misuse of voters data.

On September 18, the poll panel in its affidavit had justified providing the draft electoral rolls in PDF format in Madhya Pradesh without any pictures of voters and said that it was done to prevent manipulation of the electors data.

It had sought dismissal of petition filed by Nath alleging duplication of names in the voters list as "not maintainable", "completely frivolous" and "an abuse of the process of court".

Referring to the rule of Manual of Electoral Roll, the ECI in its reply on the petition said the draft roll is being put in public domain at the Chief Electoral Officer's website in PDF format and it contains only text and no photographs against the elector's detail.

The poll panel had termed providing of draft electoral rolls in word format in Rajasthan as an "inadvertent error" and in contravention of rules and for the same, necessary action has been initiated by the ECI and the CEO, Rajasthan has been replaced.

With regard to the allegation of 60 lakh duplicate voters being found in draft electoral rolls in Madhya Pradesh, the poll panel said that it has already been replied to the All India Congress Committee after the receipt of field verification report carried out by the CEO of MP.

"Insofar as the allegation of 60 lakhs duplicate, multiple entries are concerned, it is revealed on verification that the complaint is based on limited parameters of common name, relation and gender. It is significant to mention that the other necessary parameters of age and photo have not been included by the complainant in reaching the said figure of 60 lakhs," it said.

The apex court had on August 23, sought reply of poll panel on the petitions filed by Nath and Sachin Pilot.

Nath in his plea, filed through advocate Varun Chopra, had also alleged that in a survey conducted by him in Madhya Pradesh, over 60 lakh fake voters have been found.
New Delhi: Bollywood's cutest couple, Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover recently shot for the magazine cover of Travel +Leisure India. Their vibe is totally kickass in the pictures shared on social media by the actress.

Bipasha captioned it as: This month cover for @travelandleisureindia #weddingsandhoneymoon. Photography by @rahuljhangiani

Styled by @divyakdsouza. Make up @otb_makeup. Hair @kajol_mulani

Location courtesy @conradpune. Managed by @snehaa9 @exceedentertainment

@media.raindrop

They graced the special edition of 'Travel + Leisure India' and talked about finding their 'monkey love'.

Bipasha and Karan starred in 'Alone' in 2014 and fell in love reportedly. The couple dated for a brief time before getting married on April 30, 2016. Their marriage was a star-studded affair and saw the who's who of B-Town making their presence felt.

The wedding reception saw the likes of Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Dino Morea, Bachchan Family, Sanjay Dutt, Sonam Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Preity Zinta, Sushmita Sen, Bobby Deol, Riteish Deshmukh and Shamita Shetty in attendance.
Mumbai: Veteran actor Surekha Sikri says writers and filmmakers need to step up and give stronger roles to older female actors.

The two-time National Award-winning actor believes cinema reflects society and that is one of the primary reasons why female actors of a certain age are not given notable roles.

"Scripts are a reflection of what is happening around. It is a male-dominated world, so there are more male characters in films. There should be more roles for older female actors. People of my age were earlier pieces of furniture in a film. But now things are different," she told PTI.

Leaving aside a few exceptions, what Sikri, 73, dislikes is that "stereotypical parts" for the character of a grandmother continue to be written even today.

"Roles like that of a dadi and nani, like a good dutiful or not-so-good, 'chalu' (cunning) person. The roles are not interesting, there are one dimensional kind of roles. Things have changed since few years, which is good, but not much. Scripts are coming in but I am always on the lookout for a good role."

The actor, popular for her performance in "Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro", "Zubeidaa" and daily soap "Balika Vadhu", says her love for cinema keeps her enthusiastic about going to the sets.

"I enjoy acting, being in front of the camera. Acting is something I would do all my life."

Sikri, who will next be seen in "Badhaai Ho", says she decided to take up the project because it had a well-written script.

The film, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sanya Malhotra in the lead, chronicles an ageing middle-class couple played by Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao who accidentally conceive a baby.

"The storyline and the theme was interesting. It is a funny movie and the situations are so funny," Sikri, who plays the matriarch of the family, says.

The actor says producers and writers willing to discuss issues and subjects that are considered too taboo is a welcome change.

"Socially, one tends to think that people would have this notion that the old couple is still sexually active, it is little embarrassing. Earlier, it was like this is an embarrassing thing.

"Today the atmosphere has become more open and it is primarily due to the internet. It is about celebrating the issues. People are dealing with real situations and audiences are liking it," she adds.

The slice-of-life film directed by Amit Sharma is slated to release on October 19.
New Delhi: Bollywood's quintessential girl-next-door, Shraddha Kapoor has been diagnosed with Dengue and has taken a break from shooting her upcoming venturethe Saina Nehwal biopic.

According to Mumbai Mirror, the actress was keeping unwell for past few days and after undergoing a few tests, turned out that she is down with the mosquito-bred disease. She will soon be back on the sets but is currently taking her time off.

The report also mentions that the filmmaker of the biopic is these days shooting with other cast members. Producer Bhushan Kumar told Mirror, Shraddha has had a busy schedule for months now and that seems to have taken a toll on her health. All of us empathise with her situation. We will soon get an update on her health and when she can resume work. She is keen to get back as soon as possible.

A few days back, the biopic based on the life of ace shuttler Saina Nehwal was officially announced by the makers. The venture will be helmed by Amul Gupte and is backed by Bhushan Kumar.

The film went on floors on September 22, 2018, and is produced by T-Series.

Besides Saina Nehwal biopic for which Shraddha is undergoing rigorous training, the actress has another big budget venture 'Saaho' starring Baahubali Prabhas in the lead role.

Here's wishing Shraddha a speedy recovery!
New Delhi: Tanushree Dutta's explosive revelation about how she faced harassment while shooting 'Horn Ok Please' in 2008 has led to a debate across all social media platforms. The actress alleged that senior actor Nana Patekar harassed her while filming of a dance number.

However, Nana Patekar has outrightly denied the allegations and will soon be holding a press conference to present his side of the story. According to Republicworld.com report, the senior actor is most likely to hold the press conference on October 8, 2018, in Mumbai.

The senior actor who is currently busy shooting for his upcoming venture 'Housefull 4' in Jaisalmer will return to Mumbai soon.

Tanushree has claimed in recent interviews that Patekar harassed her sexually in 2008 on the sets of her film 'Horn OK Pleassss' and also demanded to do an intimate dance step with her. She also named choreographer Ganesh Acharya, director Rakesh Sarang and producer Sami Siddiqui as accomplices in the harassment she faced.

After Tanushree's explosive interview, some of Bollywood's A-listers such as Sonam Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar etc came out in Tanushree's support and lauded her for speaking about the incident in open.
DALLAS, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jack Mason is bringing Americana to Canada as they launch their mens watch collection today at Hudsons Bay. The brand will now be available at four Hudsons Bay locations, as well as thebay.com later this month. This will be the brands first launch in Canada.



Taking inspiration from some of historys most iconic timepieces, Jack Mason offers classic watch designs with innovative features to appeal to those who value vintage style and thoughtful design.

Developing a presence in Canada is an important benchmark for us, said Michael Reese, President and Co-founder of Jack Mason. We are thrilled to partner with legendary retailer, Hudsons Bay, on bringing Jack Mason to their customers.

The Jack Mason collection is built around five classic watch pillars: Aviation, Nautical, Field, Racing and Diving. Hudsons Bay will offer a select assortment of the collections strongest pieces for the stores fashion-savvy customers.

For more information on Jack Mason, visit jackmasonbrand.com.

About Jack Mason

Staying true to the rich history of classic watchmaking, Jack Mason began crafting honest, thoughtfully designed watches in 2015.Taking inspiration from some of the most iconic timepieces in history, Jack Mason aims to celebrate these staples through attention to detail and use of quality materials. Each timepiece is carefully crafted to embody the spirit of the Jack Mason style: classic, sturdy, American.

Attachment
Dandia and Garbha in Gujarat

Gujarat is the epitome of festivities, with people robed majestically in their traditional attires, dancing out the 9 blissful nights performing garbha and dandia together, with the music echoing in the air of the colourful cities. An earthen pot with holes carved on it called 'Garbi' is lighted with diyas, symbolizing the womb which is the ultimate source of life and is used for the Arti in the evening.

Durga Puja in West Bengal

Durga Puja is celebrated during the last four days of Navratri in West Bengal and other eastern states bringing the cities to a halt. The four-day-long extravaganza is celebrated with splendid vigour and enthusiasm in pandals ceremonializing the victory of Maa Durga over the evil Mahishasura. Large, beautiful idols of Maa Durga, Kartikeya, Ganesha, Saraswati and Lakshmi are sculpted and worshipped with sheer devotion with a belief of victory of good over evil.

The New beginnings in Maharashtra

Navratri is perceived as a new beginning by the people of Maharashtra. Owing to the close proximity with Gujarat, it resembles in its celebrations, lit up with lights and music in every nook and corner of the state with people flipping over and taking delight in the festivity. Furthermore, women get together to gift coconut, beetle leaves and beetle nuts to each other and put haldi and kumkum on the foreheads of married women for the long lives of their spouse.

Kullu Dussehra in Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is a pristine place which celebrates Navratri on the tenth day, known as Kullu Dussehra, marked by the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya from Sri Lanka after prevailing over Ravana. Families rejoice and get together with their relatives to pay homage to the all-powerful Lord Rama. On Dusshera or Dashami, the deities from the temples of the village are taken out in processions.

Kolu in Tamil Nadu

The devotees of Tamil Nadu dedicate the nine days to the Goddess Durga, Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati, 3 days each. Friends and relatives visit each other and gift jewellery, clothes and sweets symbolizing their marital status and pray for the long lives of their husbands. A special feature is recognized as 'kolu' which is a make-shift of nine stairs representing the nine nights and is decorated with beautiful idols and dolls as a depiction of goddesses which are passed over from generation to generation.

Batukamma Panduga in Andhra Pradesh

Batukamma Panduga means 'come alive Mother goddess' and is celebrated during the Navratri in Andhra Pradesh, dedicated to goddess Shakti. Women stack together seasonal flowers in seven layers to give them the structure of a pot known as 'Bhatukamma' and perform pooja for 9 days, after which the Bhatukamma is set afloat in any water body.

Last three days in Kerala

Unlike other states, last three days of Navratri are celebrated in Kerala by worshipping Goddess Saraswati to grant them knowledge and wisdom. The Keralites abstain from books and music instruments during these three days as they are worshipped in front of Goddess Saraswati's idol on Ashtami, Navami and Vijay Dashmi.

Naada Habba in Karnataka

The celebration of Navratri in Karnataka dates back to the time when it was celebrated back in 1610 by the great Vijayanagara dynasty and is known as 'Naada Habba' by the localites. Notwithstanding the same reason of celebration being the victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura, the way of rejoicing is significantly unique which involves the procession of elephants on the street and a large number of fairs and exhibitions of the handicrafts and various artefacts is organized.

Kanya Poojan in Punjab

Punjab being the state of delicious food has an uncanny way of paying allegiance to the goddess Shakti. They keep fasting for the first seven days of Navratri which ends on the eighth or ninth day by worshipping 9 little girls and a boy, is known as 'Kanya Poojan' and serve them poori, halwa and chana. Many Punjabis also organize jagarata which involves waking for the whole night to worship the Goddess and seek blessings.


MALDA: In a shocking incident, a Kangaroo court in Malda district of West Bengal ordered a young man to be burnt alive after which three people were arrested by the authorities on Thursday.

According to reports, the kangaroo court passed the bizarre order against the 29-year-old man while hearing a case related to a land dispute.

After the kangaroo court's order, a group of villagers tried to set 29-year-old Mondal Hansda on fire by tying his limbs in Kendpukur village.

However, he was rescued by his family members, who rushed him to a hospital, where his condition was stated to be serious.

Acting on their complaint, the police arrested three persons, including a local community chief who held the kangaroo court.

Hansda and his aunt have been locked in a land dispute for long and the kangaroo court was held to settle the disagreement.

It held the man guilty.

Following the order of the community chief, some people tied the hands and legs of Hansda, poured kerosene on him and set him on fire, Habibpur Block Development Officer Shubhajit Jana said.

His family members doused the fire and hospitalised him, he said.

They also lodged a complaint with the police following which the arrests were made, he added.
ISLAMABAD: The ongoing battle on trade tariffs between the United States and China is being viewed as a boon in disguise by India's neighbour nation Pakistan.

The rising tension between the US and China over trade tariffs is a good sign for Pakistan as 'it would place us in a better negotiating position,' the advisor to Pakistan Prime Imran Khan, Razaq Dawood, was quoted as saying by several news outlets of the country on Wednesday.

The trade war between the US and China have been escalating over the last few months with both the countries imposing tariffs on each other.

The prime minister (Imran Khan) is visiting China on Nov 4 and we will take advantage of this situation by pitching our position as a trade partner, Dawood said while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production.

Pakistan also wants China to raise the imports from Pakistan to at least $2bn.

Imran Khan-led Pakistan government is currently mulling over renegotiating the agreements under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and renegotiate a trade pact signed with Beijing a decade ago. The country feels that the agreement "gives undue advantages to Chinese companies."

Pakistan has been trying to deepen ties with China in recent years as relations with the United States remain on tenterhooks.

The Trump administration has been upping the pressure on Islamabad to stop supporting terror outfits and froze military aids in the past year.

Beijing, on the other hand, pledged to invest about $60 billion in Pakistan for infrastructure for the Belt and Road project.

Over the last few months, work on several projects which are part of the CPEC has been stalled in Pakistan because of financial constraints. According to Pakistan-based Dawn News, the National Highway Authority in the country is under financial crisis and hence the work on several projects has been stalled.
For the first time in 4 years, a case of human infection with anthrax has been recorded in Ukraine. This is a very dangerous infectious disease, with a pulmonary form of which the mortality rate reaches 100%, with intestinal - 50%, and with skin - 10-20%. Although Ukrainian authorities claim that the situation is under control, it seems impossible to say that the danger has passed. Anthrax might be another challenge after botulism, leptospirosis, rabies, and African swine fever, the outbreak of which began in Ukraine

Open source

Ukraines Center for Public Health at the Ministry of Health confirmed a case of anthrax in humans. This person is one of the five people who participated in the slaughter of livestock in the Minyalivka village, Ukraine's southern region of Odesa. Despite the fact that the diagnosis of the remaining four has not been confirmed, it is reported that they were "hospitalized with specific symptoms of skin disease." The skin form presents with a small blister with surrounding swelling that often turns into a painless ulcer with a black center. Cutaneous anthrax presents as a boil-like skin lesion that eventually forms an ulcer with a black center. The black eschar often shows up as a large, painless, necrotic ulcer (beginning as an irritating and itchy skin lesion or blister that is dark and usually concentrated as a black dot, somewhat resembling bread mold) at the site of infection. In general, cutaneous infections form within the site of spore penetration between two and five days after exposure. Unlike bruises or most other lesions, cutaneous anthrax infections normally do not cause pain. Nearby lymph nodes may become infected, reddened, swollen, and painful. A scab forms over the lesion soon, and falls off in a few weeks. Complete recovery may take longer.

The anthrax case in Odesa region has been confirmed. The Ministry of Health claims that it is treated with antibiotics and does not pose such a danger as the pulmonary form. It is known that in the case of pulmonary anthrax the mortality rate reaches 100%. At the same time, due to any of the methods of infection, sepsis (blood infection) may develop.

The Ministry of Health claims that the current outbreak of anthrax in the Odesa region is localized and there is no threat of the spread of infection. At the same time, it is not possible to exclude that the number of cases might increase. "Doctors will monitor the health of the village residents for 15 days. Daily rounds of households are carried out to monitor the health of people who can potentially become infected with the pathogen. Persons who are at risk of infection will be prescribed urgent prophylaxis with antibiotics," as said in the message of the Center for Public Health. The average duration of the incubation period of the disease ranges from 2-3 to 8-14 days.

A person becomes infected from a sick herbivore through damaged (even by microtrauma) skin or mucous membranes during the processing of carcasses, through contact with soil contaminated with anthrax spores (during excavation work). Anthrax is transmitted by inhalation of its spores, as well as through the insects (mosquitoes, flies, gadflies). At the same time, the disease is not transmitted from person to person (by contact).

This pathogen is resilient and it can spread very quickly, it belongs to the third group of the biological hazard, and in some countries (in particular, the DPRK) it was studied as an effective biological weapon. Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the National Medical University Olha Holubovskaya claims that at least 5 countries have the anthrax pathogen in its service (including strains that are resistant to antibiotics). WHO experts estimate that 3 days after spraying 50 kg of a dispute over a two-kilometer zone in the direction of the wind towards the city with a population of 500 thousand people, an infection of 125 thousand (25%) residents and 95 thousand (!) deaths will occur.

In particular, in 2001-2002, there was the case of "postal terrorism fever" in the United States. Its cause was a powder containing anthrax spores. 22 people got sick because of it, and another five have died. Even earlier, in 1979, the Soviet Union has suffered the largest incident involving the massive infection of anthrax bacilli in non-combat conditions. According to official data, 64 people died in Sverdlovsk, the unofficial data indicate thousands of victims.

Officially, an infected cow became the cause of infection in Minyalivka village. The study of slaughtered meat and soil in the yard gave a positive result. As a rule, animals that become a source of human infection can get sick by eating grass in an infected pasture or drinking infected water. The anthrax spores can persist in the ground for about 70 years and become more active when its surface is disturbed, for example, as a result of flooding or displacement. The State Foodstuffs Service does not exclude that the anthrax spores revealed in the soil, remained since 1999 when an anthrax case was recorded in a village located not far from Minyalivka.

Quarantine has been established in Minyalivka and in the adjacent pasture territory (90 hectares): the sale of farm animals and animal products that are kept in the village and grazed on pasture is prohibited (disinfection is carried out directly on the pasture). Also, the collection of milk obtained from the local cows is prohibited. Six police posts were established at the entrances and exits from the village. In addition, the territories of Petropavlovsky, Faraonivsky, and Starosilsky village councils are recognized as a threat zone.

The Main Directorate of State Food Consumer Services in the Odesa region is fully provided with vaccines against anthrax animals and disinfectants to provide measures for the localization and eradication of the disease. With regard to the disease "additional vaccination of animals was carried out, 204 heads of cattle and 1 thousand sheep from Minyalivka were vaccinated."

It is unclear how it turned out that the diseased animal (if there are no other cases of the disease in the next two weeks) turned out to be unvaccinated and why no one checked this.

However, given the fact that none of the investigations into the outbreaks of such dangerous diseases as leptospirosis, rabies, botulism, has been ended, there are no hopes that this case will end with some real outcomes. For example, there is no information about the punishment of those responsible for the outbreak of African swine fever (until 2012, it was not recorded in Ukraine). The disease has caused the death of hundreds of thousands of animals, ruining farms and causing a sharp rise in prices for pork due to shortages. According to the calculations of the Pig Farming Association, only in 2016, African swine fever caused 4.81 million dollars of losses.

The African swine fever has not been defeated, from time to time; the outbreaks take place in different areas. Recently, a scandal erupted in the Kherson region, where, five and a half thousand pigs have already been burned due to rabies and African swine fever outbreak. In order to prevent the further spread of the epidemic, local authorities have decided to kill stray dogs and cats that might be potential disease carriers. After a significant public response and appeal of animal defenders, on September 28, at a meeting of the State Emergency Epizootic Commission at the Kherson City Council, it was decided to refrain from the killing the homeless animals.

The current case of human anthrax infection in Ukraine is the first since 2012 (at that time, one case of the disease was recorded in Cherkasy region). Prior to this, one case (in Mykolaiv region) was recorded in 2008, three cases (in Chernivtsi region) in 2004, and one case (in Kharkiv region) in 2003.

Read the original text at 112.ua.
On Thursday, Russian occupant forces attacked Ukrainian military emplacements nine times. Two servicemen were injured in action, the HQ of the Joint Forces Operation reported.

The skirmishes were observed in Krymske, Orikhove, Luhanske, Shumy, Pivdenne, Krasnohorivka, Mariinka, and Pavlopil.

The enemy mostly used small arms, grenade launchers, and heavy machineguns. 120 mm mines hit Ukrainian army positions in Luhanske; 82 mm mines landed in Krymske and Orikhove.

On October 3, the Russian-backed militants violated the ceasefire, opened fire 21 times. No casualties were reported according to the Joint Forces Operation HQ.

'The militants opened fire at our position 21 times. The enemy used Minsk-banned weapons five times. No casualties reported,' the report says.

Over the past 24 hours, the illegal armed formations performed attacks at the Ukrainian positions near Krymske, Troitske, Luhanske, Novoluhanske, Pisky, Krasnohorivka, Pavlopil, Hnutove, Vodayne, and Lebedynske.
According to Sebastian Kurz, Chancellor of Austria, the means will be sent to the Red Cross for the mine-clearing project

Austria is to allocate $1,1 million financial aid for the eastern regions of Ukraine, as Sebastian Kurz, Chancellor of Austria, said on October 3, Die Presse reported.

According to Kurz, the means will be sent to the Red Cross for the mine-clearing project and to other Austrian non-governmental organizations, which provide assistance for the population affected by Donbas war.

Reportedly, it would take 10-15 years to demine the territory of Donbas. The Minister of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs Vadym Chernysh estimated the process of mine clearing of this territory at around $800 million.

Reportedly, since the beginning of the year, the units of Ukraine's State Emergency Service have seized and destroyed 49,577 explosive items, including 646 aviation bombs.

Earlier, Ukraine's Defense Ministry's department for environmental safety and counter-mine activity reported that 1,858 people have suffered the consequences of mishandling explosives in Donbas since April 2014. 482 of these people deceased; the number of fatalities includes 21 children.

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Pushilin was asked about perpetrators of Zakharchenko's murder, the fate of Minsk Agreements, and whether there are Russian soldiers at the east of Ukraine

The interview with Denis Pushilin, the recently appointed head of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" (DPR) was published by the Polish pro-government newspaper "Rzeczpospolita".

In the beginning, its author Ruslan Shoshyn asked the head of the militants about the perpetrators of the murder of Alexander Zakharchenko. In his turn, Pushilin accused the "Ukrainian special services" and added that Kyiv actively sabotages any peace talks.

"Kyiv actively sabotages any peace talks. The Ukrainian authorities decided to play at a time. During the last three years none of the postulates included in the Minsk Agreements was implemented," he claimed.

Then the journalist noted that Kyiv believed the Kremlin puppets stayed in Donetsk and Luhansk that not make any decision without the agreement of Russia.

"Today the world, possibly, has no doubts that the Russian army stays in Donbas for some years," journalist Szoszyn said. Pushilin answered that "if there were Russian Army in Donbas, the situation would be totally different."

"Kyiv stays far from the place where the Russian Army really stays. I mean Crimea. If there is Russian Army in Donbas, the situation will be totally different. We really wanted it to take place in 2014. Unfortunately, people who worked at the local factories and mines were forced to take arms. Ukraine had suffered huge losses and decided to explain it by the presence of the battalions of the Russian Army in Donbas," he claimed.

The head of the so-called "DPR" also claimed that "their analytics" will consider the variants of the further development of the events if the Minsk Agreement loses its power.

Reportedly, on August 31, as a result of the explosion in the restaurant in the downtown of Donetsk, head of so-called DNR Aleksander Zakharchenko died. The Russian mass media reported that Oleksandr Timofeyev, so-called "minister of revenue and duties" of so-called "DNR" has also died. The so-called law enforcers of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic stated that they detained Ukrainian saboteurs who were presumably involved in the assassination of Zakharchenko. Although, SBU hasnt approved the information.

"DPR" suspects one of the guards of Zakharchenko in his death. At the same time, the Russian MFA accused "Kyiv regime" in the death of Zakharchenko. It was reported on the closure of all crossing checkpoints along the Inter-Entity Boundary Line because of the incident. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences over the murder of Zakharchenko.

Denis Pushilin was appointed as the temporarily Head of the DPR on September 7. The election of the new head of the republic is appointed on November 11.

Related video:
Open source

The widow of the deceased soldier in the Anti-terrorist operation asks the court to recover $206 thousand and $210 thousand from Russia, as the website of Ukraines Judicial authority reports.

The demandant stated that her husband got blown up on a minefield in Opytne, Donetsk region while carrying out a task on the ground reconnaissance in June, 2015.

In April, 2017, Khmelnytskyi District Court established that the man died while serving his military duty. The woman reminded about Russias armed aggression against Ukraine. She noted that Russia has to recover moral damage caused by the death of her husband. The widow stated that she lost life purpose and faith in the future because of this.

The woman applied to the practice of the European Court of Human Rights on the similar issues while defining the amount of the moral damage.

It should be noted that the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine began in April, 2014. The combat actions are being conducted between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and pro-Russian militants, who control the part of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
In the case of the breaches of agreements with the IMF, the growth of the economy can decrease by 2%

The World Bank has worsened the prediction on the growth of the GDP of Ukraine in 2018 from 3,5% to 3,3%. Faruk Khan, the Lead Economist and Program Leader covering Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine claimed this as Interfax-Ukraine reported.

According to Khan, in 2019 the World Bank expects the GDP growth in Ukraine at the level of 3,5%.

"At the same time, if the agreements with the International Monetary Fund are not reached, the growth of the economy might decrease by 2%," he noted during the presentation of the new economic review and macro-economical prediction for Ukraine from the World Bank.

Earlier President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said at the international economic forum in Kharkiv that he expects growth of gross domestic product in 2018 to 4%.

Also, in 5 years, GDP per capita in Ukraine will grow by 1.5 times, analysts of the International Monetary Fund calculated. The growth of GDP, according to analysts, is possible due to the reform of legislation, the judiciary and the land market, as well as by bringing the production.

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English French

CHALK RIVER, Ontario, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canadas premier nuclear science and technology organization, hosted the largest ever gathering of the global small modular reactor (SMR) community during CNLs third SMR Vendor Roundtable, held on the margins of the 2018 Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference in San Francisco, California. CNLs roundtable featured representation from the full breadth of the SMR and advanced reactor industry, including 26 SMR technology vendors from six countries, as well as more than 75 officials from government, regulatory agencies, national laboratories, investors, utilities, and the nuclear supply chain.

Momentum and interest in SMR and advanced reactor technologies within Canada continues to build. A key topic of discussion at this recent roundtable was the development of an SMR Roadmap for Canada, an industry-led initiative launched by Natural Resources Canada In partnership with interested provinces, territories and power utilities. Conversations around the table focused on Canadas advantages in relation to SMR deployment including favourable market conditions in remote communities, the potential applications for mining and industry, a globally-respected nuclear regulator, a robust supply chain, and government policies that support innovation and clean energy.

Canada has a very proud legacy in the development, deployment and operation of innovative small reactor technologies, explained Mark Lesinski, President and CEO with CNL. Building on this depth of experience, it is our vision to serve as a global hub for the development and support of the small modular reactor industry and we are actively taking steps to position ourselves, our facilities and our team to achieve this.

CNL continues to build its expertise and infrastructure to support the development of SMR technologies and has launched initiatives to explore the full range of applications. The proposed flexibility of operations for these new designs enables a wide range of uses beyond electric power, including pairing SMRs with intermittent renewable sources such as solar or wind energy to ensure grid reliability. Energy from an SMR could be used for the production of hydrogen, district heating, desalination, or in industrial processes that require heat and electricity. CNLs discussion of demonstrating and licensing these so-called hybrid energy systems in a Clean Energy Research Park was well received by roundtable participants.

CNL is excited about the potential for integrating SMR deployment with the creation of Canadas first Clean Energy Research Park, commented Dr. Kathryn McCarthy, CNLs Vice-President of Research and Development. CNL will look at how these technologies work together, so we can develop SMRs and other clean energy applications in tandem with one another in order to fully maximize their potential.

Canadas nuclear supply chain is well-established and well-positioned to support the deployment of new advanced reactor designs from around the world, commented Dr. Corey McDaniel, CNLs Vice-President for Business Development. As we move closer to deployment, it will become increasingly important to make those connections between the developers of SMR technologies and the supply chain needed to bring these designs to life.

CNL and the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI) announced plans to co-host the 4th SMR Vendor Roundtable in Ottawa on November 6, 2018. The fourth roundtable will be held prior to the Generation IV and Small Reactor conference (www.G4SR.org) that is organized by CNL and the Canadian Nuclear Society. The fourth roundtable will provide an opportunity for SMR developers and Canadian nuclear supply chain companies to discuss requirements, capabilities and areas of potential partnerships for deploying SMRs in Canada.

For more information on CNLs vision to serve as a global hub for SMR development, including the siting of a demonstration reactor on a CNL-managed site, please visit www.cnl.ca/SMR .

About CNL

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories is a world leader in nuclear science and technology offering unique capabilities and solutions across a wide range of industries. Actively involved with industry-driven research and development in nuclear, transportation, clean technology, energy, defense, security and life sciences, we provide solutions to keep these sectors competitive internationally.

With ongoing investments in new facilities and a focused mandate, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories is well positioned for the future. A new performance standard reinforced with a strong safety culture underscores every activity.

For more information on the complete range of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories services, please visit www.cnl.ca or contact communications@cnl.ca .

Media Contacts:

Patrick Quinn

Director, Corporate Communications

CNL, 1-866-886-2325

communications@cnl.ca

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/972b6df5-3615-4b9c-bd25-bfa2ad69d2b1
Recently, the media have published information about some Ukrainian commercial companies, which, despite the sanctions of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council, continue to send scrap metal to the territory of Transnistria In addition, the authors of the original articles argue that such export operations create a shortage of raw materials, and also pose a serious threat to the national security of Ukraine. Moreover, the emphasis is on enterprises that are among the largest scrap metal producers in Ukraine.

Unfortunately, today there is a confrontation between metallurgists and scrap collectors, and metallurgists, as unconditional monopolists of this market, try to discredit their partners - scrap distributors with various methods in order to redirect their activity from external, more economically efficient markets, to own needs at unreasonably low and economically unprofitable prices for scrap collectors.

We conducted an additional journalistic investigation, and also listened to the head of the press service of the UkrMet Company, who proved that, in fact, the Mateutsi station is not located on the territory of the unrecognized Transnistrian Republic, but on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. The scrap metal buyer, who books the delivery, is a legal entity registered on the territory of the Republic of Moldova and is a major trader of scrap metal. All this undoubtedly indicates that the UkrMet, UkrTrans, and Ukrzaliznytsia companies, mentioned in these publications, did not violate the sanctions restrictions on the supply of scrap metal to the territory of the self-proclaimed republic, established by the current legislation. Moreover, the export of scrap metal occurred on the territory of Moldova, a state friendly to Ukraine.

It turns out that talks about Ukrainian suppliers sanctions-busting are just trade barriers in the intensification of the market competition. Is this mistake made due to ignorance, or intentional misinformation?

Or maybe it is a coincidence? It is strange that "A military unit commander of 39th Sotnia of Self-Defense of Maidan, Consultant of the Committee on National Security and Defense of the Verkhovna Rada" did it out of ignorance. Is it misinformation? Why the fact that the exporting company paid a state fee of 42 euros for each ton of scrap metal for the benefit of the budget of Ukraine is ignored? Is it really beneficial for a Moldovan purchasing company to purchase this raw material at a price with regard to the state duty?

It is not a secret that Ukraine and Moldova are friendly states, for the first half of 2018; a trade turnover amounted to $ 499.1 million. For example, Ukraine is a large exporter of food products to Moldova (chicken, dairy products, wood, etc.) and to other EU countries. Why scrap metal is worse than chicken legs, dairy products or cigarettes? Why the silent export of these products to Moldova lasts for years? And the export of 1,447 tons and the intention to export 6,210 tons of scrap metal in September of this year suddenly caused such an aggressive and inadequate reaction in the mass media? Why and for whom is it profitable to drive a wedge between Ukrainian scrap suppliers and the Moldovan metallurgical business?

It is obvious that political engagement seriously affects the interests of Ukrainian scrap metal. Perhaps someone pays for it because personal super-profits are at stake, not the development of the country's economy. These details should be put into the account.

Who and why puts relations of the metallurgical lobby of Ukraine above the interests of friendly Ukrainian and Moldavian businesses, for whom driving a wedge between the government of Ukraine and the Moldovan parliament is beneficial?

Read the original text at 112.ua.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or 112.International and its owners.
Hungary decided to expel a Ukrainian consul in Budapest as a reaction to the similar measures of Kyiv

Open source

Hungary decided to expel a Ukrainian consul in Budapest as a reaction to the similar measures of Kyiv, as Peter Szijjarto, the Hungarian Foreign Minister, said at the conference, "HVG.hu" reports.

According to Szijjarto, he summoned the consul in Budapest and stated that she had 72 hours to leave the country.

Ukraine continues escalating the conflict, the Minister added.

According to him, the relationships with Ukraine has recently worsened, though Hungary is interested in having Ukraine as a strong democratic neighbour

Reportedly, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared the Hungarian consul in Berehove, Zakarpattia region, persona non grata and obliged him to leave Ukraine within 72 hours.

Earlier, Ukrinfrom published a video where a few Ukrainians were receiving Hungarian passports and owed allegiance to Hungry in the Consulate in Berehove. The Hungarian diplomat recommended not to inform the Ukrainian authorities about receiving the new documents.

Pavlo Klimkin, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, said that the video is being checked on the authenticity. If it is authentic, the Hungarian consul will be expelled from the country.

In his turn, Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, claimed the attempts to intimidate the Transcarpathian Hungarians and threatened to make Ukraines integration more complicated.

Later it was also reported that for seven years, the Hungarian consulates in Berehove and Uzhhorod of Zakarpattia region have been granting Hungarian citizenship to local residents who are citizens of Ukraine.

Yuriy Lutsenko, Prosecutor General, claimed that Ukraine's Security Service investigates this case; however, the service denied this.

Tamas Menczer, Hungarys Foreign Minister Spokesperson later reported that Hungary does not intend to withdraw its consul from Berehove due to the scandalous video about the issuance of Hungarian passports to the Ukrainians.

In its turn, Ukraine claimed that in case, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary does not withdraw their consul from Berehove, Zakarpattia region, and then Ukraine will offer him to abandon the territory.

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The Ukrainian Parliament's appeal to the National Security and Defense Council to apply sanctions against 112 Ukraine TV channel should be viewed as a political decision. Serhiy Tomilenko, the head of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, said that in his commentary for 112 Ukraine TV channel.

'As of today, there are is no proof or arguments for that, merely an attempt to apply the mechanism of sanctions, which the society took as some tool of struggle with the Russian media, Russian entities and the attempt to put Ukrainian media under these sanctions. We should be viewing it as a political decision, but one cannot provide a forecast for the Council's decision so far - because, in fact, the Council involves officials tied to certain political forces. There's a chance these officials may be guided by their narrow political interests, not by their mandates. Anyone in power would like to cut down the degree of criticism and revelatory stories, but this is an authority abuse. The government protects itself in every possible way, including shutting the media it does not like,' Tomilenko said.

The head of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine assumed that the international organizations will stand against the sanctions. 'The document gathered votes as the Freedom House mission stays in Ukraine; the Americans whom I met with were concerned about the petition, and the votes collection, and the fact that the Parliament considers ways to illegally affect the media activity. It is obvious that the international organizations do not uphold the current decision, they will condemn it,' he claimed.

The staff of 112 Ukraine TV channel insists that the steps made by the Ukrainian Parliament, which aim to apply sanctions against 112 Ukraine TV channel are nothing but a political decision; there is not enough evidence to make such decision, which badly lacks argumentation and may be considered unconstitutional.
Ukraine's President wants to show Italys Minister of the Interior schools and markets after Russias bombardments, deceased children and orphaned children, widows and destroyed cities

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko stated that he would like to take Matteo Salvini, Italys Minister of the Interior, who is famous for his statements about the legitimacy of the referendum in Crimea, to Donbas to show the consequences of the battle actions and Russian aggression. The President said it in the interview for La Repubblica, as his Administration reports.

I would like to take Salvini to Donbas to show him schools and markets after Russias bombardments, deceased children and orphaned children, widows and destroyed cities. And I am sure that then he would understand how much we need sanctions against Moscow. Actually, I am afraid, your Minister of the Interior doesnt know about the tragedy Ukraine is experiencing because of the Kremlin, Poroshenko stated.

The Head of the State stressed that the values are always more important than money and it is better to fulfil one's obligations to the EU than doing business with Russia.

Poroshenko noted that Ukraine has been the target of Russian aggression for four years now, when Russian soldiers are murdering our soldiers and civilians on our territory.

Such gross violation of the international law which killed 11,000 people, has to make every politician with self-respect protest. I could also tell Salvini about terrible conditions our Ukrainian political prisoners are kept in, or about the prosecution of 350,000 Crimean Tatars who did not accept Russian passports after the illegal annexation, the President noted.

Earlier Italian Interior Minister and Vice Prime Minister Matteo Salvini considered the annexation of Crimea legal and said that the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine was fake. Foreign Ministry of Ukraine condemned such statement and Italian Ambassador to Ukraine Davide La Cecilia assured that "position of Italy in the support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine is clear and consistent."
Public defender and former Russian lawyer (stripped of his attorney status in April 2018) Mark Feygin was allowed to visit Ukrainian political prisoner Roman Sushchenko as his representative in the European Court on Human Rights (ECHR). Feygin reported this on Facebook.

I have left the prison where Sushchenko is kept. Now, I will visit Roman as his representative in ECHR. I manage to remain in the case of my defendant without having an attorney status, what would we reach if I had one? We will bail Sushchenko out of trouble, I promise, he said.

Ukrainian Roman Sushchenko, the reporter of Ukrinfiorm news agency, was detained in Moscow in September 2016 and accused by the FSB of espionage. For this, he faced 20 years in prison. Ukraine has appealed to Russia with a demand to release the Ukrainian journalist multiple times. Moscow City Court of Russia has sentenced Roman Sushchenko, the citizen of Ukraine, to 12 years in the hard labor colony for the espionage. Russias FSB believes that Sushchenko came from Paris to Moscow to visit his cousin in September 2016 to collect information on Mariupol attack. The court session against Sushchenko took place in the closed regime and the court announced only introductory and resume parts of the decision.
The Slovakian community in Zakarpattia, which borders upon four countries: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, does not experience problems due to the implementation of the language law "On education." Pavlo Klimkin, Foreign Minister of Ukraine, claimed this at the joint briefing with his Slovakian colleague Miroslav Lajcak as 112 Ukraine reported.

"We should not lose time, discussing, as with some other neighbours, the implementation of the law on languages, as our Slovakian friends think that the Slovakian community in Zakarpattia does not suffer from it in any way and it is very good. We, for our part, will help this community and worry about it," Klimkin noted.

The new law on education was signed by Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko on September 25, 2017. In particular, it introduces a 12-year-long school program and limits the number of subjects taught in the languages of national minorities. This particular decision evoked outrage in Moldova, Romania, Russia, and Hungary. Budapest even threatened to slow down the process of Ukraines integration with the EU.

Ukraine sent the text of the new legislation to the Council of Europes Venice Commission; meanwhile, the Councils Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) announced that it failed to ensure the necessary balance between the countrys state language and the languages of its ethnic minorities.

Due to this conflict, Hungary imposed a veto at the holding of the Ukraine-NATO commission in Brussels at the foreign ministers level.

As we reported the session of the Ukraine-NATO commission that should take place on February 14-15 was blocked by Hungary. Hungary claimed about its intention to block the meeting in the mid of January when Peter Szijjarto Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary claimed that the blocking will continue until Kyiv fulfills the demands of Hungary toward the education law.

Article 7 of the new Law, by reducing the scope of education in minority languages, notably at the secondary level, has drawn strong criticism and protests both domestically and internationally. "Paragraph 4 of Article 7 provides no solution for languages which are not official languages of the EU, in particular, the Russian language, as the most widely used language apart from the state language. The less favourable treatment of these languages is difficult to justify and therefore raises issues of discrimination," European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) concluded. A great proportion of Ukraines ethnic minority communities live in south-western Zakarpattia. In 2017, 54% of the regions school leavers couldnt pass the basic exam, an external Ukrainian language test, Open Democracy reports.

Related video:
In November, Andrej Kiska, President of Slovakia, will visit Ukraine. Pavlo Klimkin, Foreign Minister of Ukraine, claimed this at the joint briefing with his Slovakian colleague Miroslav Lajcak as 112 Ukraine reported.

"Next month, the president of Slovakia will be here, in Ukraine. The anniversary of Holodomor is very important. By the way, a lot of our friends will be there. We expect that the Prime Minister of Moldova will also come. So, this gesture is really special for us," Klimkin noted.

The Holodomor lasted for 17 months  from April 1932 to November 1933. The researchers have not defined the number of victims yet. They name the numbers from 1,8 million to 10 million. Most of the experts believe that the number of victims is from 3 to 3,5 million.

Many countries, including some states in the U.S. and governments of particular cities recognized Holodomor of 1932-1933 as the act of genocide of the Ukrainian nation.

Related video:
Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko claimed he received a petition on lifting the immunity of Head of the Radical Party Oleg Lyashko, although, the legal analysis did not find evidence against the MP

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) did not send a petition on lifting the immunity of the Head of the Radical Party, peoples deputy Oleg Lyashko, to other bodies, as Artem Sytnyk, NABU Head, said in the lobbies of the Verkhovna Rada after the session of Parliaments Anti-Corruption Committee, broadcasted by 112 Ukraine.

Answering the question about the petitions on peoples deputies Anton Herashchenko, Oleg Lyashko and the investigation of the e-declaration of Pavlo Petrenko, Justice Minister, he said: Its another scheme used to unite certain elite against us.

If we are talking about these individuals, NABU did not file any official petitions on Lyashko. Speaking about Petrenko, as I far as I know, there is a courts decision. For now, when it was reported that we have allegedly revealed someone, we did not have this decision, no proceeding at all. The same goes with Herashchenko, Sytnyk said.

He noted that someone was trying to stop NABU operation without audit with these messages.

At the same time, the Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko stated that the petition on Lyashko was found incomplete and insufficiently substantiated.

For now, the list of the petitions is depleted. Besides, I can confirm again that I have a petition on Lyashko initiated by NABU and SAP and on peoples deputy Mosiychuk, initiated by NABU and SAP. The legal analysis of the Prosecutor General Office defined that the petition was incomplete, unprovable, so I cannot file the relevant documents for the consideration at the session, Lutsenko said.
According to Mike Pompeo, the termination of the treaty should have happened in 1979, when 60 members of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran were captured

Open source

The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated on the termination of the American-Iran Treaty of Amity, economic relations and consular rights, concluded in 1955. He claimed this October 3, The Hill reports.

Im announcing that the United States is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran, Pompeo said at a press briefing. This is a decision frankly that is 39 years overdue, he claimed.

The 1955 treaty enshrined the legal principle of the most favoured nation in respect of individuals and legal entities on both sides.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the UN International Court of Justice issued a preliminary ruling on Irans claim against the United States, according to which the USA must withdraw from the sanctions against Iran's humanitarian aid and goods related to civil aviation.

Reportedly, the US to introduce new sanctions against Iran on November 4. It was also mentioned that the USA seeks the possibility to negotiate about the conclusion of a treaty with Iran, which to include the Tehrans program on the development of ballistic missiles, as well as its behavior in the region.

In May, the United States President Donald Trump officially declared the US exit from the nuclear agreement with Iran.
GRU officers were trying to get the information from the international investigation of the MH17 tragedy

The Netherlands announced the prevention of Russias cyber attack at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and accused Russian Main Intelligence Directorate officers (GRU) of trying to get the information from the international investigation of the MH17 tragedy. Ank Bijleveld, the Defence Minister of the country, claimed it at the press conference in the Hague, the website of the ministry reports.

The photos of the suspected Russian was shown at the press conference. The names were also mentioned: Alexey Morenets, Yevgeniy Serebryakov, Oleg Sotnikov, and Alexey Minin.

The attempt to carry out a cyber attack at OPCW took place on April 13. On the same day, four Russians, GRU officers, were expelled from the country with the diplomatic passports.

The suspects tried to access the wireless network of OPCW headquarters. The hackers operation was conducted in a close proximity to the object.

The officers of the Russian GRU tried to get the information from the international investigation of the MH17 tragedy.

We had previously informed the Dutch House of Representatives of the Russian Federations interest in the MH17 investigation. As we stated earlier, manipulation and influencing are among the potential threats to the MH17 investigation. All of the organizations involved in the criminal investigation into the MH17 crash are aware of the digital threats that they face and have taken appropriate measures to address these threats, Bijleveld stated.

A laptop of one of the suspects, which was used in Malaysia, was seized to get an illegal access to the files about MH17 tragedy.

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.
ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland and Labrador, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortis Inc. ("Fortis" or the "Corporation") (TSX/NYSE:FTS) will release its third quarter 2018 financial results on Friday, November 2, 2018. A teleconference and webcast will be held the same day at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern). Barry Perry, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Jocelyn Perry, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, will discuss the Corporation's third quarter 2018 financial results.



Analysts, members of the media and other interested parties in North America are invited to participate by calling 1.877.223.4471. International participants are invited to call 647.788.4922. Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. No pass code is required.

A live and archived audio webcast of the teleconference will be available on the Corporation's website, www.fortisinc.com . A replay of the conference will be available two hours after the conclusion of the call until December 2, 2018. Please call 1.800.585.8367 or 416.621.4642 and enter pass code 4019827.

About Fortis

Fortis is a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry with 2017 revenue of C$8.3 billion and total assets of C$50 billion as at June 30, 2018. The Corporation's 8,500 employees serve utility customers in five Canadian provinces, nine U.S. states and three Caribbean countries.

Fortis shares are listed on the TSX and NYSE and trade under the symbol FTS. Additional information can be accessed at www.fortisinc.com , www.sedar.com , or www.sec.gov .

For more information please contact :
The law takes effect only when the aggressor state withdraws all the illegal armed groups, militants, mercenaries and military hardware

Open source

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a draft law 9153 on extended the term of the special order of local self-governance in separate areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions for another year. 245 MPs supported a bill.

The provision of the law on the special status of the area shall take effect only when the aggressor state withdraws all the illegal armed groups, militants, mercenaries and military hardware from Donbas.

As it was reported, a year earlier the Verkhovna Vada also extended the term of this law for another year.
Unfortunately, for today, 112 Ukraine TV channel has to confirm the impossibility to protect its rights independently by legal tools, and soon, it might lead to cessation of the broadcasting. That is why, we ask You to express your position on the protection of our right to a profession, peoples rights for freedom of expression, the right for thinking and speaking freely

112 Ukraine TV channel takes this opportunity to express its respect to you and attract your attention to the urgent need to protect one of the most popular Ukrainian TV channels. The accusations against 112 Ukraine TV channel indicate the threat to freedom of speech and independence of the media as major values of the democratic society.

112 Ukraine TV channel is a leader of news information broadcasting and ranks in the top ten most rated Ukrainian TV channels. The broadcasting content of the TV channel comprises live guest studios, journalist investigation programs, a few programs of interviews, and regular news packages. With a beginning of the new season, the TV channel has launched a full-featured political talk show, which became the most popular political program on the Ukrainian television right away, and is preparing two major talk shows with a social focus, scheduled for November 2018.

The TV channel welcomes the representatives of different political forces, public figures, and experts regardless of their political preferences. It is natural, that our guests might be people who criticize the current authority, pointing to the corruption level increase and curtailing the freedom of expression, in particular. We stress that the communication with our guests is held on air, therefore, such information is presented uncut and without editing, and people in the studio have an opportunity to express their opinion on the most acute issues, which concern the community.

Unfortunately, with the approaching of two election campaigns of 2019, there are more and more politicians in Ukraine who are trying to use the editorial policy of the TV channel as a target of the attacks and a tool for a cheap politicking. Unfortunately, we have to admit that the constant attacks from the authorities, which was refusing to prolong broadcasting licenses for the TV channel, is now followed by pressure from the radically minded peoples deputies of Ukraines Verkhovna Rada, who started gathering signatures to stop the broadcasting of the TV channel, and have recently adopted the regulation on imposition of the sanctions against several companies who own TV channels.

112 Ukraine TV channel considers that efforts to halt its activities are a part of a larger process concerning unsatisfactory situation with respect for the freedoms of expression. Western and Ukrainian human rights organizations, politicians, statesmen, and independent media experts have repeatedly drawn attention to the issue. Following the Declaration of Helsinki of 1975, the states undertook to respect the freedom of expression, facilitate free and wide dissemination of all forms of information. General Comment No. 34 on Art. 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states that the countries should take effective measures on protection of those who assert his right on freedom of speech.

Following the PACE resolution 1638 (2008) Indicators for media in a democracy, national legislation has to guarantee the right of freedom of expression of views and information and this right has to be applicable in practice. Journalists cannot be deprived of freedom and media cannot be shut down because of the criticism.

The Declaration of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe as of April 30, 2014, says that countries have to create an enabling environment for the participation in the public discussion of all the individuals allowing them to express their views and ideas without fear. The states have to not only refrain from interfering the exercise of freedom of speech for this but also protect this right from the external threats, including from the other individuals, by creating an effective protection system.

Unfortunately, for today, 112 Ukraine TV channel has to confirm the impossibility to protect its rights independently by legal tools, and soon, it might lead to cessation of the broadcasting. That is why, we ask you to express your position on the protection of our right to a profession, peoples rights for freedom of expression, the right for thinking and speaking freely. For most of our personnel, 112 Ukraine TV channel is one of the last islands of freedom of speech, one of the last places for the implementation of the journalist profession left in Ukraine.

We necessarily need help, as in the future we are not going to refuse from the basic principles of our work  the obligation of the journalistic standards, provision of the possibility to express ideas of all the political forces on equal terms, the readiness to discuss most urgent issues of the modern Ukrainian community.

Respectfully,

CEO of 112 Ukraine TV channel

Yegor Benkendorf
As 112 Ukraine TV channel has been the target of attacks from different political forces who stand against the obligation of the freedom of speech and basic principles of the journalistic work for four years, which all culminated in the regulation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on introducing sanctions adopted on October 4, 2018, the TV channel decided to send several appeals to the leading international organizations, in particular, to those which deal with the protection of the journalist rights.

The appeal was sent to the President of the European Commission Donald Tusk, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjrn Jagland, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Liliane Maury-Pasquier, President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, Coordinator of the Europe and Central Asia Program of the Committee to Protect Journalists Nina Ognianova, General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists Anthony Bellanger.

Moreover, the appeal was sent to the international organizations Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders and International Federation of Journalists.

112 Ukraine TV channel emphasizes again that it was following the principles of the journalistic work, giving an opportunity to express ones opinion for all the Ukrainian politicians, the representatives of the governmental bodies and independent experts during its existence. Also, the channel does not avoid covering acute political and social issues, and such position of the TV channel cases and will cause opposition from individual politicians and political forces.

Here is the text of the appeal:

112 Ukraine TV channel takes this opportunity in order to express you respect and attract your attention to the urgent need to protect one of the most popular Ukrainian TV channel. The accusations against 112 Ukraine TV channel indicate the threat to freedom of speech and independence of mass media, which make major values of the democratic society.

112 Ukraine TV channel is a leader of news information broadcasting and ranks in top ten most top-rated Ukrainian TV channels. The broadcasting content of the TV channel is comprised of live guest studios, journalist investigation programs, a few programs of interviews and regular news packages. From the new season, the TV channel has launched a full-featured political talk show which became the most popular political program on the Ukrainian television right away, and prepares two large-scale talk shows with a social focus, which is scheduled for November, 2018.

The ether of the TV channel welcomes the representatives of different political forces, public figures and experts regardless of their political preferences. It is natural, that our guests might be people who criticize the current authority, point at the increase of the corruption level and scaling down of the freedom of expression, in particular. We stress that the communication with our guests is held on air, therefore, such information is presented uncut and without editing, and people in the studio have an opportunity to express their opinion on the most acute issues, which concern the community.

Unfortunately, with the approaching of two election campaigns of 2019, there are more and more politicians in Ukraine who are trying to use the editorial policy of the TV channel as a target of the attacks and a tool for a cheap political PR. Unfortunately, we have to admit that the constant attacks from the authorities, which was refusing to prolong broadcasting licenses for the TV channel, is now followed by pressure from the radically minded peoples deputies of Ukraines Verkhovna Rada, who started gathering signatures to stop the broadcasting of the TV channel, and have recently adopted the regulation on imposition of the sanctions against several companies who own TV channels.

112 Ukraine TV channel considers that efforts to halt its activities are a part of a larger process concerning unsatisfactory situation with respect for the freedoms of expression. Western and Ukrainian human rights organizations, politicians, statesmen, and independent media experts have repeatedly drawn attention to the issue. Following the Declaration of Helsinki of 1975, the states undertook to respect the freedom of expression, facilitate free and wide dissemination of all forms of information. General Comment No. 34 on Art. 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states that the countries should take effective measures on protection of those who assert his right on freedom of speech.

Following the PACE resolution 1638 (2008) Indicators for media in a democracy, the national legislation has to guarantee the right of freedom of expression of views and information and this right has to be applicable in practice. Journalists cannot be deprived of freedom and media cannot be shut down because of the criticism.

The Declaration of the European Council Committee of Ministers as of April 30, 2014 says that countries have to create an enabling environment for the participation in the public discussion of all the individuals allowing them to express their views and ideas without fear. The states have to not only refrain from interfering the exercise of freedom of speech for this, but also protect this right from the external threats, including from the other individuals, by creating an effective protection system.

Unfortunately, for today, 112 Ukraine TV channel has to confirm the impossibility to protect its rights independently by legal tools, and soon, it might lead to cessation of the broadcasting. That is why, we ask you to express your position on the protection of our right to a profession, peoples rights for freedom of expression, the right for thinking and speaking freely. For most of our personnel, 112 Ukraine TV channel is one of the last islands of freedom of speech, one of the last places for the implementation of the journalist profession left in Ukraine.

We necessarily need help, as in the future we are not going to refuse from the basic principles of our work  the obligation of the journalistic standards, provision of the possibility to express ideas of all the political forces on equal terms, the readiness to discuss most urgent issues of the modern Ukrainian community.

Respectfully,

CEO of 112 Ukraine TV channel

Yegor Benkendorf
October 3, Verkhovna Rada Committee has recognized legal and grounded the appeal for the removal of immunity from the member of the Opposition Bloc Serhiy Dunaev

Open source

The Verkhovna Rada Committee has recognized legal and grounded the appeal for the removal of immunity from the member of the Opposition Bloc Serhiy Dunaev, as Ukrainian News agency reports.

"The appeal is legal because it is submitted by the appropriate subject. Some remarks regarding the sufficiency of grounds and adequacy of the submission are stated in the conclusions," the chairman of the committee Pavlo Pynzenyk said.

At the same time, the committee expressed reservations concerning the access of the investigator to the telephone conversations of a deputy through third parties.

As it was reported earlier, Nazar Kholodnytsky, the Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Bureau, filed a petition to the Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko concerning the lifting of immunity of Igor Mosiychuk, the peoples deputy from the Radical Party. According to him, it concerns the case against Mosiychuk on suspicion of illicit enrichment and declaration of false information. In particular, its about his house.
The officials from Yanukovych's time are suspected of the assistance in the illegal appointment of First Vice Prime Minister

Mykola Azarov and his son Oleksy Azarov Open source

The Special Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine suspects former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov and his son and ex-MP Oleksiy Azarov in bribery, as the department reported on Facebook.

The pretrial investigation is held upon the articles on the obtaining unlawful benefit in especially large scale (illicit enrichment), bribery, accomplice to the crime, and money laundering.

"As we established enough evidence for the suspicion of these persons, on October 2, 2018, in accordance with the requirements of the Procedural Code of Ukraine, former Prime Minister of Ukraine and his son, the ex-MP of Ukraine were noted about suspicion of taking a more than $4,9 million bribe in the sum of in 2010 which is the especially large scale and assistance in its taking for the fulfillment of the actions in the interests of another person, actions with the abuse of power for the appointment of the person to the post of the First Vice Prime Minister, in other words, in the commitment of the crimes upon the articles illicit enrichment and taking of bribe," the message said.

The pretrial investigation continues.

On March 11, 2010, Andriy Klyuev was appointed as the First Vice Prime Minister in the government of Azarov.

Earlier the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine received permission for a pre-trial investigation of the former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on suspicion of seizing LNG (liquefied natural gas) for 77,4 million dollars.

As it was previously reported, in January 2018, the Prosecutor General's Office announced suspicion to the former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov and ex-head of the National Bank Serhiy Arbuzov. In particular, the ex-PM is suspected of illegal embezzlement of particularly large volumes of liquefied gas extracted by PJSC Ukrhazvydobuvannya and PJSC Ukrnafta. It is noted that this caused damage to the state in the amount of 77,4 million dollars.

Related video:
Ukrainian Parliament recommends National Defense Council to apply sanctions against the 112 Ukraine TV channel. With the approaching of two election campaigns of 2019, there are more and more politicians in Ukraine who are trying to use the editorial policy of the TV channel as a target of the attacks and a tool for a cheap politicking

Today Ukrainian Parliament adopted a resolution, which aims to apply sanctions against the 112 Ukraine TV channel. The step taken is nothing but a political decision; there is not enough evidence to make such a decision, which badly lacks argumentation and might be considered unconstitutional.

The parliament stated that there are systematic signs of imitation of discourse practices of Russian imperial- chauvinistic propaganda in the activity of a number of legal entities, permanent demonstration of propaganda, and spreading of the ideology of terrorism.

112 Ukraine TV channel published an open letter to attract public attention to the urgent need to protect one of the most popular Ukrainian TV channels.

112 Ukraine TV channel also turned for help to international organizations for the protection of journalist rights.

Unfortunately, with the approaching of two election campaigns of 2019, there are more and more politicians in Ukraine who are trying to use the editorial policy of the TV channel as a target of the attacks and a tool for a cheap politicking.

Constant attacks from the authorities, which were refusing to prolong broadcasting licenses for the TV channel, are now followed by pressure from the radically minded peoples deputies of Ukraines Verkhovna Rada, who started gathering signatures to stop the broadcasting of the TV channel, and have recently adopted the regulation on imposition of the sanctions against several companies who own TV channels.

The TV channel welcomes the representatives of different political forces, public figures, and experts regardless of their political preferences. It is natural, that our guests might be people who criticize the current authority, pointing to the corruption level increase and curtailing the freedom of expression, in particular. We stress that the communication with our guests is held on air, therefore, such information is presented uncut and without editing, and people in the studio have an opportunity to express their opinion on the most acute issues, which concern the community.

***

The staff of 112 Ukraine TV channel insists that the steps made by the Ukrainian Parliament, which aim to apply sanctions against 112 Ukraine TV channel are nothing but a political decision; there is not enough evidence to make such decision, which badly lacks argumentation and may be considered unconstitutional.
Erno Keshken, Hungarys Ambassador to Ukraine, received a note demanding the Hungarian consul in Ukraine's Berehove to leave the country within 72 hours

Open source

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared the Hungarian consul in Berehove, Zakarpattia region, persona non grata and obliged him to leave Ukraine within 72 hours, as the press office of the Ministry reports.

Erno Keshken, Hungarys Ambassador to Ukraine, was informed about this decision today.

He received the note, which says that according to the 23rd article of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, concerning the activity incompatible with consuls status, the consul of the Hungarian Consulate in Berehove has to leave Ukraine within next 72 hours, Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

The Ministry also expects the Hungarian side to avoid any unfriendly acts towards Ukraine, and its officials to refrain from violating the Ukrainian legislation.

We consider the Ukrainians of the Hungarian origin as a uniting element in the relations between two countries and urge our Hungarian partners to this, the statement says.

Earlier, Ukrinfrom published a video where a few Ukrainians were receiving Hungarian passports and owed allegiance to Hungry in the Consulate in Berehove. The Hungarian diplomat recommended not to inform the Ukrainian authorities about receiving the new documents.

Later, Pavlo Klimkin, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, said that the video is being checked on the authenticity. If it is authentic, the Hungarian consul will be expelled from the country.

In his turn, Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, claimed the attempts to intimidate the Transcarpathian Hungarians and threatened to make Ukraines integration more complicated.

Later it was also reported that for seven years, the Hungarian consulates in Berehove and Uzhhorod of Zakarpattia region have been granting Hungarian citizenship to local residents who are citizens of Ukraine.

Yuriy Lutsenko, Prosecutor General, claimed that Ukraine's Security Service investigates this case; however, the service denied this.

Tamas Menczer, Hungarys Foreign Minister Spokesperson later reported that Hungary does not intend to withdraw its consul from Berehove due to the scandalous video about the issuance of Hungarian passports to the Ukrainians.

In its turn, Ukraine claimed that in case, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary does not withdraw their consul from Berehove, Zakarpattia region, and then Ukraine will offer him to abandon the territory.

Related video:
The resolution of the Verkhovna Rada on sanctions against "112 Ukraine" and NewsOne TV channels is not a pro or con decision. It means transferring this issue to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) as it lays outside the parliament powers. People's deputy from the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko faction Andriy Antonishchak commented on the situation in the air of 112 Ukraine.

We did not vote for, and we did not vote against. We did not participate at all. We believe that this is not a function of the Verkhovna Rada - there is no need to shift the responsibilities of the Security Service (SBU), the National Security and Defense Council, and the National Commission on Television and Radio Broadcasting they make decisions. Let them give an assessment within their competence," Antonischak claimed.

The peoples deputy added that the 112 Ukraine TV channel invites various guests and provides different points of view regarding the current events.

"112 Ukraine TV channel invites different guests. What struck me was that those colleagues, who show up on "112 Ukraine" almost every day, voted for this resolution. 112 Ukraine have not been inviting me for, probably, 4 months, but this is not a question of personalities. Today it is about 112 Ukraine, tomorrow it will be about some other channel. If it is a matter of Boyko (Yuriy Boyko, MP, heading the electoral list of Opposition Bloc  Ed.), then ask him personally these questions, ask him about his position... The channel provided him with a platform to voice his ideas. This person has expressed his position. Then ask him what did he mean," Antonischak added.

People's deputy Antonischak was absent during the voting. A total of 102 deputies from the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko faction, 98 MPs voted for, 3 abstained, and none of the MPs from this faction voted against.

Ukraines Verkhovna Rada urges the countrys National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to introduce sanctions against several Ukrainian TV channels. 229 MPs supported the draft law No. 9157 on Approval of recommendations to introduce personal special economic sanctions and other restrictive measures (sanctions).

The general director of the TV channel Yegor Benkendorf has claimed that efforts to halt its activities are a part of a larger process concerning unsatisfactory situation with respect for the freedoms of expression. According to him, 112 Ukraine TV channel has to confirm the impossibility to protect its rights independently by legal tools, and soon, it might lead to cessation of the broadcasting.

The appeal was sent to the President of the European Commission Donald Tusk, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjrn Jagland, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Liliane Maury-Pasquier, President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, Coordinator of the Europe and Central Asia Program of the Committee to Protect Journalists Nina Ognianova, General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists Anthony Bellanger.

In addition, appeals were sent to international organizations Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders and the European Federation of Journalists.

Moreover, the appeal was sent to the international organizations Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders and International Federation of Journalists.

112 Ukraine TV channel emphasizes again that during its existence, it has been following the principles of the journalistic work, giving an opportunity to express ones opinion for all the Ukrainian politicians, the representatives of the governmental bodies, and independent experts. Also, the channel does not avoid covering acute political and social issues, and such a position of the TV channel causes and will cause opposition from individual politicians and political forces.

The staff of 112 Ukraine TV channel insists that the steps made by the Ukrainian Parliament, which aim to apply sanctions against 112 Ukraine TV channel are nothing but a political decision; there is not enough evidence to make such decision, which badly lacks argumentation and may be considered unconstitutional.
Open source

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the alliance was helping to create a centre on the protection of the cyberspace from interference and break-in in Ukraine, as NATO press office reports.

NATO has already been helping Ukraine with strengthening its cyber defences, its cyber capabilities. We are doing that through our trust funds. We have a trust fund for cyber defence, and by providing funding and support in strengthening the cyber defences, the cyber capabilities of Ukraine. We also help them with defending their own networks and their own infrastructure. For instance, NATO is now helping Ukraine with setting up a cyber incident response centre, which will be one way to help them to deal with incidents or attempts to interfere or to meddle or to hack into their cyber networks. So, we are already providing that kind of help and I promised President Poroshenko, when he was here at the NATO Summit, that NATO Allies will continue to provide support, including to the trust funds, and one of them are actually funding activities related to cyber, Stoltenberg stated.

Earlier, Ukraines cyber police reported on constant cyber attacks from the Russian Federation territory.

The largest cyber attacks in Ukraine took place on June 27, 2017. An unknown virus hit networks of several big companies, including the state-owned ones. The attacks began almost simultaneously. The virus spread really fast and has manifested itself in the following way  the computers on Windows platform did not work.
The Senate included the conclusion of the government commission of the U.S. on the famine in Ukraine dated April 22, 1988 to the document

Open source

The Senate of the U.S. has recognized the Holodomor 1932-1933 as the genocide of the Ukrainian people as the press service of Ukraine's Embassy to the U.S. reported on Facebook.

"The U.S. Senate adopted the two-party resolution by unanimous vote, which became the first ever legislative act of the U.S. Congress, where Holodomor 1932-1933 is recognized as the genocide of the Ukrainian nation," the message said.

It is noted that the Senate included the conclusion of the government commission of the U.S. on the famine in Ukraine dated April 22, 1988 to the document. It states that "Stalin and his environment committed genocide against the Ukrainians."

Thus, the resolution condemns the systematic violations of the human rights, including the rights for the self-determination and freedom of speech committed by the Soviet government against the Ukrainian people, expresses the condolences to the victims and their families as well as contains the urge to spread the information to raise awareness in the world about the artificial nature of this tragedy.

"Such draft resolution was also approved by the Committee on Foreign Affairs of Representatives House of the U.S. Congress and its consideration during the plenary session is expected," the embassy reported.

The Embassy of Ukraine to the U.S. expressed the gratitude to the U.S. Senate and main co-authors of the resolution.

Earlier President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko urged the UN to recognize Holodomor as genocide during his speech at the UNGA.

The Holodomor lasted for 17 months  from April 1932 to November 1933. The researchers have not defined the number of victims yet. They name the numbers from 1,8 million to 10 million. Most of the experts believe that the number of victims is from 3 to 3,5 million.

Many countries, including some states in the U.S. and governments of particular cities recognized Holodomor of 1932-1933 as the act of genocide of the Ukrainian nation.

Related video:
COLUMBIA, SC, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Every year, the U.S. Department of Justice recovers billions of dollars through the False Claims Act, a tool that helps the Justice Department hold fraudsters accountable and stop exploitation of government programs like Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE.

South Carolina attorney Bert Louthian has spent years on the front line of cases involving the False Claims Act. He represents whistleblowers, key players in the Justice Departments fight against fraud and abuse.

Louthian said that the False Claims Act is the most powerful tool citizens have to fight against this type of corruption. He also believes that too few Americans understand the rights and protections of a whistleblower.

Whistleblowers save taxpayers billions of dollars every year, Louthian said. The government understands the value of the service whistleblowers provide, which is one of the reasons the False Claims Act offers protections and rewards for the information they provide.

If whistleblowers provide information that is unique and leads to a recovery, they are given 15 to 30 percent as a reward.

For example, whistleblowers received a total of $392 million in fiscal year 2017 out of the $3.4 billion in judgments and settlements stemming from the qui tam provision of the False Claims Act. The qui tam provision gives whistleblowers the opportunity to file a lawsuit on behalf of the government.

Whistleblowers are also granted protection against retaliation from employers when they sound the alarm about wrongdoing. Whistleblowers have the right to report abuse, fraud and waste without fear of being fired, intimidated or demoted at their job.

These protections are essential for ensuring the effectiveness of qui tam suits, because so many whistleblowers are employees of the companies named in their whistleblower claims.

Its often the people that work at these fraudulent companies that have access to information about fraud, abuse and waste, Louthian said. Their decision to speak out is vital, so its very important for whistleblower advocates to raise awareness of the ways in which the False Claims Act shields employees against retaliation.

Louthian said that the rights of a whistleblower provide an enormous benefit to society, from stopping fraud against Medicare to ending waste and corruption in the financial sector.

Fraud leaves no corner of our society untouched, Louthian said. Anytime theres an opportunity to exploit our system, there is also a need for whistleblowers to lead the charge against corruption. We can all appreciate the public service that these whistleblowers provide.

About Bert Louthian:

For over thirty years, Bert Louthian has been practicing law in Columbia, South Carolina, alongside his father, Herb, providing clients with a collective 80 years of legal experience. Since receiving his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina, Bert has been dedicated to helping those who have been wronged or have witnessed wrongdoing so they can come forward safe in the knowledge that they will be provided the best representation possible.

Potential whistleblowers can find out more about filing claims through the False Claims Act by visiting http://www.thewhistleblowerlawyer.com/.
Courtesy of Lawrence Lindell

It's the perfect medium, artist, musician and educator Lawrence Lindell said over the phone from Oakland, Calif., where he had just returned home after participating in Maryland's Small Press Expo. There's a wide range of what you can do with zines, you can experiment without too much pressure. And Lindell himself has used the medium for many years to explore topics that relate to identity, mental health, accessibility and representation primarily through his comics.

Lindell is a teacher, but travels most weekends to zine fests around the countryleading workshops, participating in panel discussions and tabling with his many titles, like From Black Boy with Love, Couldn't Afford Therapy, So I Made This, and Hey, People of Color. This weekend, he heads to ABQ Zine Fest 8, the oldest zine fest in New Mexico, to be held on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 11am to 6pm at Three Sisters Kitchen (109 Gold St. SW) in downtown Albuquerque. Admission is free.

Ahead of his third year tabling at our local zine festalong with dozens of other creatives of all stripesLindell unpacked the role zines have played in his life and what he has observed traveling around the world observing zine culture.

Courtesy of Lawrence Lindell

Alibi: What does the act of creation return to you?

Lindell: I'm pretty prolific, and that is because I'm bipolar. The depression hits me, but not as hard as the mania. Comics are kind of a way to control my manic episodes. So, if I'm spazzing out  I have enough knowledge to say, OK, I'm going to sit down and draw. I've ended up drawing comics for 17 hours straight.  Without that, if I had manic episodes with nothing to channel it into, it doesn't end well. It's nice to have something to balance that out.

Was it a process to discover this outlet? Or were you always creating?

I realize it now that comics saved my life. My parents got divorced and I was depressed. I was 12, I found a comic shop, and that was where I spent most of my time and money, and I started making my own comics. But I didn't see it as self care when I was younger.  I look at it now [and know] that that was my escape. Now I have the vocabulary and mindset to put it to use.

What attracts you about the medium of comics in particular?

Courtesy of Lawrence Lindell

I went to school for animation and I love cartoons. I used to paint and do graffiti. I love all the arts, but for some reason, it's comics. I think it was because of when I was young and my parents got divorcedcomics were there. I think subconsciously, everything I've learned about art pushes me towards that medium. You can do anything with comicssmall, large, 1 page, 2 pages, 300 pages. It could be paint, digital. I like texture, because I fold and staple at home. It's freedom.  [With] comics I can sit in my room and focus and give my mind a break. It allows me to just be me in my purest form.

How have you decided what stories you want to tell?

I always sayI make comics for black women, black people, people of color, folks with mental health issues and queer folks.  I wrote a zine called Couldn't Afford Therapy, So I Made This, that's explanatoryit was literally me not being able to afford therapy, so the comic was like my therapist. I really want to write things that I would like to say to my community, or folks I interact with or the kids I teach everyday. Just resources for people to feel good. I love my work, I want people to feel good when they read it. To know that lifeit's worth being here. I just tell the truth. My truth. The thing about comics is that they can be kind of self indulgent,  the medium is perfect for that, but if I can write a story that helps me and helps you, then we both win.

Courtesy of Lawrence Lindell

What was your first introduction to zine making and zine culture?

I've always made books and comics, even when I didn't know them as zines.  My first official zine fest was the first year of LA Zine Fest in 2012.  It was great to see all these folks there for one reason. It wasn't too pretentious like a comic book convention usually is. Likeoh, there's a person with a folded piece of paper and staples, and that was perfectly fine. There was someone else selling cassette tapes. It was everything I already did, but in one room. I had never seen that. All those folks together. It was usually separatethe punks with the punks, the hip-hop heads with the hip-hop heads. But at zine fest was hip-hop artist next to a punk next to a graffiti artist next to someone making comics.

Do you ever find that sharing your truth makes you feel vulnerable?

It's freeing. I always like to say I had the privilege of growing up in punk and hardcore where the attitude was alwayswe don't give a fuck. It was never an issue to be vulnerable.  I'm very comfortable with myself. I just like to tell the truth, and through that I am empowered, because people say, thank you for being vulnerable, you empowered me to be open too.

How does it make you feel when you facilitate someone's engagement with zines through workshops or panels?

I love it. It makes the work worth it. It is great to get praise and be good at making comics, but I honestly do it for the people. Folks say that, but they don't mean that shitI mean it. I really mean it. I can't not mean it. I teach these kids, I see what they go through, I remember what I went through. To have someone say, I didn't know I could make a comic, or I didn't know I could draw someone that looked like me in a comic,that is why.  Giving power back to the people that they don't even know they already have because they've been told they need this or that to access it.

Is there anything about ABQ Zine Fest that has brought you back again and again?

I love Albuquerque, for one. I usually drive there or take the train, so I really like the way into Albuquerque. It's beautiful.  Something about Albuquerque, every time I go, I learn something new, or I have met so many folks that live in LA ... or even people living in Oakland that I had never met before, but we met at Albuquerque Zine Fest. That has been ground zero for connecting me with folks, that's the vibe for me every time I've been to Albuquerque. It's very home-y.  It's nice that something like that is the reason we are there together, and we're meeting at that point in time. There's some magic in Albuquerque.
OUGHT

On Room Inside the WorldOughts third album and their first for Mergegrowing up doesnt mean mellowing out so much as it means learning to pay attention, listening carefully and openly, staying somewhere long enough to really understand where you are. Recorded at Rare Book Room in Brooklyn with producer Nicolas Vernhes (Deerhunter, Animal Collective, Silver Jews), Room Inside the World explores themes that have always concerned the bandidentity, connection, survival in a precarious worldbut with a bolder, more nuanced sound palette. Vibraphone, justly intonated synthesizers, drum machines, and a 70-piece choir suffuse the precise post-punk breakdowns that spangled Oughts first two albums, giving rise to an emotional complexity that pushes their characteristically taut sound to greater depths.

Ought approached this record with newfound patience. Together, they constructed a (digital) moodboard to set their intentions: Brian Eno and Stereolab synths, the Mekons 1985 album Fear and Whiskey, and Gerhard Richter and Kenneth Angers sexy, fluorescent hyperreal all made it into the melting pot. The process of everybody wading into each others subconscious was really excellent, says frontman, guitarist, and lyricist Tim Darcy. Holed up in their rehearsal building, an industrial rock block (and sock factory) overlooking the Trans-Canada Highway, the band strove for greater detail and specificity than before while remaining true to the collaborative, intuitive writing process that yielded their earlier work.

On standout track Desire (which bassist Ben Stidworthy describes as Sade meets Bruce Springsteen), Darcy sings, Im trying to be cool regardless of what I know to be true, and it is true: they do keep their cool, eschewing the white-knuckled panic that rips through Sun Coming Down and the Spartan realism of More Than Any Other Day in favor of a controlled burn. The word trying is keythe bands characteristic elevated pulse and drive-off-a-cliff endings still show up on the Cure-inspired Disaffectation, while the rollicking, insistent snare on Into the Sea seethes impatiently over lyrics about the tension between the individual and the often toxic outer world.

Lead single These 3 Things is about as poppy as they get: think Kate Bush starring in a Todd Haynes film, camp and yearning all at once, synth rising as Darcy sings hear my soul. Disgraced in America features Bowie blowouts in a melancholy disco hue, while album closer Alice transmogrifies a broken drum machine into a secular A. Coltrane ashram fantasy before Darcy and the rest of them fall down the proverbial rabbit hole.

On Room Inside the World, Ought gnaw at questions that have hovered around their music since they first began playing: How do you live in this world without destroying yourself? What is it that we can do for each other to make the lives weve been given easier? Room Inside the World steps away from the nervousness and irony that characterizes Oughts previous records. Instead of winkingly asking you to open your textbooks, as on More Than Any Other Day, here theyre imploring you to look inside yourself and then around you, to tease out and melt away the barriers that keep people separated from one another.

It makes for a different kind of catharsis: the quiet satisfaction of a job well done, the glow of seeing someone as they are, the soft simmer of real love. Its like finding a space inside the world where you can sit down for a bit, a room where theres room enough for everyone. The record ends on a comma, a quick fade, a sharp intake of breath, and you find yourself right back where you began.
PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Show Up! Lost in the Flow Lets go and find peace of mind at a show courtesy of the artist Clear the way for the prophets of rage/ Engagin' on the stage, on a track/ Tell Jack stay in the back/ I was born/ Every level I'm on/ You're warned/ Just in case you forgot/ I pump in kilowatts/ To let 'em know which direction/ To go/ What's up I want to know/ I test the front rowLost at Birth, by Public Enemy. Its about a month to go until a major election floats your way, citizen. Id tell you that fact was stressing me out in my other life as the news editor of this humble rag, but I dont want that to distract or discourage you. The fact is you must go out and vote carnales. That action, performed politically and purposefully, will make us both happy. And in the October interregnum where we all currently reside, one can find a plethora of pleasing party-times that involve interaction with your choice of damn fine local venueswhere you can quaff your thirst whilst getting down to the sound. It will be a pleasant way to spend some rather loud moments before the time comes to quietly do your duty and advance democracy. So with that countdown unwoundas well as a hot mess of totally sick shows headed our way this weekendI leave the rest up to you, dearest comrade, listener and partymaster.

Thursday Brett Davis Experimentalism in programming is not without its dangers. One remembers or can imagine with some contrived audacity the effects of having The Red Elvis band, derivatives of 38 Special or the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air perpetually on ones list of who is next in the green room with an awesome rider. The last time any of these dudes showed up there were more people in back of the merch table than in front. So sad. But not so much when that insouciant craving for the new is supplanted by damn good choices. Sister (407 Central Ave. NW) continues to lead the way in this respect, occasionally offering shows that are downright challenging yet totally hipgiving local audiences in the meanwhile a chance to see the bigger picture, or in this case to hear the bigger sound. So it will be on Thursday, Oct. 4 when that juke joint presents a concert by Quebecois post-rock jazzers Ought, who make art-damaged anti-pop filled to the breaking point with poignant yet subtle references to no-wave, prog-rock and electronic emo. Its an aloof brand of rocanrol, curiously entrancing, but whatever you want to call it, its very post-PoMo and has a decent beat, too. Nuzzzle, the new local psychy-shoegaze project featuring Dillon Cullinan of Adult Beverage and Townie Productions mastermind Tucker Austin and the ever-jangly Big Girls, open. 8pm  $12  21+. View in Alibi calendar

Friday Dylan Reyes Mat Kearney strums simple yet expressive chord progressions and singsor sometimes flowsabout life and all its complexities in an earthy, sometimes lilting tone. That upbeat, comes-from-cool-Califas style has grown in popularity over the years, but basically its the same winsome formula employed by folky vocalist-songwriter-strummers like Jack Johnson and John Mayer. Hippies dig this sound and have since Donovan was at his height, filling the world with mellow yellow and childrens songs writ large in the vernacular of popular folk rock. Sometime in the distant future another rock critic will take up where I have left off, adding the name of yet another of these sunny delights to the rocanrol pantheonin the meantime you can check out Kearney when he jams at the Historic El Rey Theater (622 Central Ave. SW) on Friday, Oct. 5. Like many of his peers, Mat fits in better with the country side of things and sometimes his new work echoes the current trend of plaintive confessionalism so ever-popular in the C/W canon. The truth is out there, in other words, as long as you dont mind it coming in precious fits and starts. A for realz band from down undernot the Chats, though that would be amaze ballsis supporting Kearneys Crazytalk Tour. Theyre called Atlas Genius and they have a decidedly sparse electro flavor that is nuanced by the rock guitar sounds of lead guitarist Keith Jeffery. 8pm  $27 to $37  All-Ages (13+). Croonerstrums simple yet expressive chord progressions and singsor sometimes flowsabout life and all its complexities in an earthy, sometimes lilting tone. That upbeat, comes-from-cool-style has grown in popularity over the years, but basically its the same winsome formula employed by folky vocalist-songwriter-strummers like Jack Johnson and John Mayer. Hippies dig this sound and have since Donovan was at his height, filling the world with mellow yellow and childrens songs writ large in the vernacular of popular folk rock. Sometime in the distant future another rock critic will take up where I have left off, adding the name of yet another of these sunny delights to the rocanrol pantheonin the meantime you can check out Kearney when he jams at the Historic(622 Central Ave. SW) on Friday, Oct. 5. Like many of his peers, Mat fits in better with the country side of things and sometimes his new work echoes the current trend of plaintive confessionalism so ever-popular in the C/W canon. The truth is out there, in other words, as long as you dont mind it coming in precious fits and starts. A for realz band from down undernot the Chats, though that would be amaze ballsis supporting Kearneys Crazytalk Tour. Theyre called Atlas Genius and they have a decidedly sparse electro flavor that is nuanced by the rock guitar sounds of lead guitarist Keith Jeffery. 8pm  $27 to $37  All-Ages (13+). View in Alibi calendar

Saturday courtesy of the artist The Birthday Massacre, that is playing a concert on Saturday night, Oct. 6 at Launchpad (618 Central Ave. NW). Sure enough this Canadian quintet wears their collectively dark heart upon their atrementous sleeve. With dank yet ritualistically danceable tuneage like Counterpane and Hex at their beck and call, listeners can be assured an authentic gothic experience, not unlike the rapturous nights experienced at Burques Pulse Nightclub on Thursday nights, circa 1999. Tampa, Fla., electro-dance-vampires Ghostfeeder open the crypt on the night in question. Go to this show; itll be just like heaven! 9pm  $20  13+. I grew up in the 80s thinking that goth music was really a form of tragically inclined electro dance music led by wan humans wearing black clothes, white powdery faces, heaps of hairspray and boots to stomp the shit out of barefoot hippies they might meet hanging out at the local drug house: They also sang songs about the sadness of the week going by, how much they regretted drowning their loverseither emotionally or in realityand how occult and mysterious sex in dark could be. As the years have drawn on and on, Ive come to realize that I was mostly right. To prove this point, I did some research on a most excellent neo-goth band,, that is playing a concert on Saturday night, Oct. 6 at(618 Central Ave. NW). Sure enough this Canadian quintet wears their collectively dark heart upon their atrementous sleeve. With dank yet ritualistically danceable tuneage like Counterpane and Hex at their beck and call, listeners can be assured an authentic gothic experience, not unlike the rapturous nights experienced at Burques Pulse Nightclub on Thursday nights, circa 1999. Tampa, Fla., electro-dance-vampiresopen the crypt on the night in question. Go to this show; itll be just like heaven! 9pm  $20  13+. View in Alibi calendar
courtesy N.M. Center on Law and Poverty

A glimpse of El porvenir: Anthropologists from the year 3179 will take some time out of their normal routines to unearth, document and offer a critical dialogue on the host of problems that haunted human civilization for most 20th and the 21st century.

You can be sure such lofty future scientists will stumble upon and then point to a pervasive and conceivably labyrinthine healthcare crisis in the richest nation on Earth as one of the reasons why the hairless apes in charge of things in the year 2018 had a hard time moving forward.

En serio, healthcare options have had a tremendous effect on citizens of this city, county and state. With pervasive poverty, seemingly intractable crime issues, an uncertain economy and an education system that is in desperate need of reform, it is more important than ever that New Mexicans of all social statuses and class affiliations have some healing recoursea progressive methodology followed up by the structured implementation of high-quality healthcare services would do much to ameliorate many of the issues currently stultifying the city and state.

Luckily for Burquenos and Burquenas, a forward-thinking City Council is on your side, on the side of the future. This past week Council newcomer Cynthia Borrego introduced a resolution urging our leaders to support a statewide healthcare for all initiative sponsored by NM Together Healthcare.

The proposed program would involve a public buy-in option for Medicaid. According to official publications supporting the measure, a Medicaid buy-in would increase insurance coverage among New Mexicans, more healthcare services would be available to citizens of the state, at a lower cost than private insurance purchased on the exchangeand most importantly, Medicaid is easy to use, rendering the maze-like healthcare system navigable to those most in need of attention.

Weekly Alibi met with Abuko Estrada, an attorney for healthcare issues at the N.M. Center on Law and Poverty, to get a better idea of what such proposals really mean to the people. While emissaries from the distant future were certainly listening, the issue requires attention nowexperts imploreif indeed there is to be a future worthy of sustainable human investment.

Weekly Alibi: For our readers who are unfamiliar with what your organization does, can you provide a brief overview?

Abuko Estrada: Absolutely. The N.M. Center on Law and Poverty is a nonprofit law firm and advocacy group that tackles systemic issues that impact New Mexicans with low wages. We work in areas such as public benefits, workers rights, predatory lending practices, education and healthcare.

Lets talk about resolution R-18-75; what was the outcome at Mondays City Council meeting?

The Council unanimously supported the resolution.

So, what do the next steps toward implementation involve?

What the resolution did was, really, to get the support of the City Council regarding an on-going study about the Medicaid buy-in. The study is being conducted by Manatt Health. We are assisting them on the technical and policy side with our involvement in the NM Together For Healthcare campaign. That is actually a coalition of different organizations including the Center for Law and Poverty, Health Action New Mexico, The Partnership for Community Action and Strong Families New Mexico. Weve built in the capacity of family leaders of color to advocate on healthcare issues. This is one of the issues they are pushing on, because they see that every New Mexican should be able to have access to quality, affordable healthcare coverage.

Do you feel like your coalition is going to get support for this measurea Medicaid buy-infrom the state Legislature and the next governor?

I think we do have support from the Legislature. During this past legislative session in 2018, there were two memorials passed to study the Medicaid buy-in idea, both of those measures passed with bipartisan support. Assuming that the study [done by Manatt] shows viability, we plan to support legislation for the process to begin at the 2019 [legislative] session. In terms of the gubernatorial candidates, we havent been able to reach Congressman Pearces campaign on that issue, but Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham has shown support for the idea.

So do you think Lujan Grisham would sign such legislation into law?

I think she wants to see the details of the report, but we really feel that shes shown her support.

What should citizens know about the Medicaid buy-in?

Every New Mexican deserves access to high quality healthcare. Really, what the Medicaid buy-in is intended to do is to provide an affordable option. Right now we still have more than 180,000 New Mexicans who dont have health insurance and there are thousands more that are underinsured; they can pay the premiums but have difficulty affording co-payments and deductibles.

How would such a program be implemented?

There are different ways to design a Medicaid buy-in. The way the campaign is thinking about it is by using a phased approach that would start with limited access and then build out to a larger population of citizens. If citizens receive tax credits from the government currently to buy coverage through the exchange, they would be able to use those credits to buy the more affordable Medicaid plan.

How serious is the healthcare crisis in New Mexico?

Again, I think that every New Mexican deserves access to affordable healthcare. Its a very critical issue that we get that coverage implemented; its part of building a better healthcare system in the state and nation. When people dont have adequate healthcare, when they have to wait until something gets really bad, until a personal health crisis occurs, they end up in the emergency room. That ends up costing the system a lot more, on many levels, in the long run. If we actually covered people on the front end, we could reduce those costs and improve the overall health of our community.
Newscity

Ruling Enforces Records Requests

The state Court of Appeals ruled that government agencies who fail to adequately respond to requests for public records could be fined up to $100 a day.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the ruling ended a years old lawsuit filed by animal welfare activist Marcy Britton alleging the Attorney Generals Office failed to produce 350 emails in response to an Inspection of Public Records Act request in 2009.

The ruling reverses a previous judgment made in 2015 that denied Britton any damages on the grounds that the Attorney Generals Office responded within the time frame allotted by law. In the new decision, Court of Appeals Judge J. Miles Hanisee wrote that without a penalty, there exists no incentive for a public body to do anything more than provide a perfunctory response to a request no matter how incomplete and inadequate.

The case has moved to District Court, where a judge will decide if the Attorney General's Office is responsible for a fine.
Calgary, Alberta, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The first company to receive support from the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (the Fund, or OCIF) was announced today with MobSquad revealing its plans for a new business based in Calgary with hundreds of high-calibre software developers across Canada.





The announcement was made today at MobSquads new office space in downtown Calgary attended by Navdeep Bains, Canadas Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Joe Ceci, Albertas Minister of Finance, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, and Barry Munro, Chair of the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund.

MobSquad provides clients in the United States with teams of top software engineers and data scientists working from satellite offices in Canada.

We recognize the large and increasing demand for highly skilled engineers in Silicon Valley and the challenges U.S. companies are facing with filling these roles, said Irfhan Rawji, founder and CEO of MobSquad. Were excited to help fill this gap and provide opportunities for Canadians and highly skilled immigrants to work remotely for some of the worlds leading technology startups.

The project is approved for a $1.5 million investment from Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund. It will be delivered in phases as jobs are created. In addition to 150 new jobs in Calgary, MobSquads head office in downtown Calgary will oversee operations across Canada.

The $100 million Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund was formally launched by Calgary City Council in April 2018 to support catalytic investments intended to spur growth and create jobs in economic sectors strategic to the city. The Fund is a wholly owned subsidiary of The City of Calgary that is administered by Calgary Economic Development with an independent volunteer Board of Directors.

When City Council dedicated $100 million to OCIF it was initiatives like MobSquad we had in mind. This is the first of many projects that will create jobs and act as a catalyst for growth in Calgarys economy, said Mayor Nenshi. The decision by MobSquad to locate its head office and create positions in Calgary is proof that we have the talent here and we are able to provide the highly skilled people that companies need.

Since its launch, the Fund has received 150 applications. There is a rigorous review process to scrutinize each application and assess it against specific criteria:

Economic benefits to Calgary in terms of investment and new revenue growth.

Number and quality of jobs created for Calgarians.

Alignment with key industries and sectors.

Impact on the innovation and sector ecosystems.

Leveraged funding and alignment with strategic initiatives.

Social benefits to the citizens of Calgary.

Applications have come from local and out-of-market companies. About half are in industries identified in the citys new economic strategy Calgary in the New Economy  energy, agribusiness, transportation & logistics, creative industries, and life sciences. The remainder are concentrated in the tech sector and focus on commercializing technology across all sectors.

Details on negotiations or agreements are confidential.

OCIF has drawn many interesting proposals and ideas to stimulate and leverage Calgarys economy. As we progress through the reviews of the submissions and  just as important, look for new opportunities  we have no doubt we will have many more exciting announcements in the months ahead, Munro said.

About Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund

Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund was created as a wholly owned subsidiary of The City of Calgary in 2018 to support catalytic investments within the city that will help diversify and transform the economy. For more information, visit our website at https://www.opportunitycalgaryinvestmentfund.com/
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Nissans purpose-driven Calling All TITANs campaign continues with a donation of the Ultimate Service TITAN to the American Red Cross in South Florida



One-of-a-kind service vehicle is a TITAN XD Diesel Midnight Edition Crew Cab transformed into a mobile response unit built to serve

A B&S Customizing Lightweight Bed Box highlights a long list of features included on this ultimate first response vehicle

From disaster relief efforts to employee blood drives, Nissan's partnership with the American Red Cross has raised more than $2.5 million in donations over the past five years

The custom truck will be on display during the Miami Auto Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center Oct. 5-13

MIAMI, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When tragedy strikes, a TITAN responds. Few live this better than the American Red Cross. So as part of the Calling All TITANs campaign, Nissan and the Red Cross collaborated to create the Ultimate Service TITAN, a mobile command center and first aid unit armed with supplies needed to help conquer the elements in the face of disaster.

The one-of-a-kind service vehicle debuted to a group of media today at the Miami Beach Fire Department. It will be on display at the Miami Auto Show through Oct. 13 and then officially donated to the Red Cross in South Florida, where it will be utilized to assist first responders during critical times of need.

As weve seen time and time again, unfortunately its not a matter of if disaster will strike, it is when, said Jeremy Tucker, vice president, Marketing Communications and Media, Nissan North America, Inc. And when it does, the American Red Cross and its volunteers have proven to be dependable  just like the TITAN and our consumers. We hope this Ultimate Service TITAN, created in lockstep with the specific needs of the American Red Cross, will help them continue to be a great example of how a TITAN of the Community can truly make a difference.

The needs of rescue and recovery workers vary widely and the Ultimate Service TITAN is prepared with the following amenities:

With a desk, solar power generator and a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, the Ultimate Service TITAN is a perfect mobile command center for volunteers.

Equipped with a bed and first aid kit, the vehicle allows first responders to provide on-site care to those injured in an emergency.

A built-in refrigerator and the vehicles rugged-terrain capability allows the Ultimate Service TITAN to serve as a blood-supply delivery vehicle that can transport blood to hospitals in need.

For rescue and relief workers, the Ultimate Service TITAN can serve as a place to find shelter, food and a much-needed place to rest between shifts, thanks to the temperature-controlled box that features a resting area, stove, microwave, sink and refrigerator.

In conjunction with Red Cross Blood Drive efforts, the Ultimate Service TITAN could also serve as a place to give or collect blood donations from the field.

Originating as a stock TITAN XD Diesel Midnight Edition Crew Cab  featuring a heavy-duty commercial-grade ladder frame, Cummins 5.0-L V8 Turbo Diesel engine, innovative bed features and roomy 5-passenger interior  transformation into the Ultimate Service TITAN began with the addition of a factory-authorized ICON three-inch suspension lift kit, available through Nissan dealers.

After a disaster strikes, roads can be difficult to pass from washouts, mud and debris blocking roadways. The ICON lift kit on the Ultimate Service TITAN includes adjustable-height coil-over shock absorbers tuned specifically for TITAN XD, custom rod end bearings and patent-pending Delta Joints  helping provide increased ground clearance and enhanced ride quality both on- and off-road.

No matter the conditions, a TITAN fights to do what it takes to help those in need, said Fred DePerez, vice president, North America LCV Business Unit, Nissan North America, Inc. Built on the foundation of a rugged TITAN XD Diesel  and with aftermarket accessories from some of the most reputable companies in the industry  the Ultimate Service TITAN ensures that TITANs of the Community are able to get anywhere, at any time, with the tools they need to get the job done.

Body armor to help protect the vehicle from the elements comes via an Addictive Desert Designs Stealth Bumper. A WARN ZEON Platinum 12S winch was added for debris removal, rescue and recovery efforts and to help ensure the Ultimate Service TITAN can maneuver through many difficult situations. ICON Compression wheels and Nitto Ridge Grappler tires help assure this one-of-a-kind service vehicle will get through the challenging road conditions often seen during natural disasters.

To avoid a fuel shortage  a common concern in disaster-stricken areas  the Ultimate Service TITAN is equipped with a custom TITAN Fuel Tank that holds up to 75 gallons to serve for long periods of time without interruption.

From there, focus shifted to the bed  a crucial piece of the service vehicle puzzle. To provide shelter and privacy for patients receiving care and rescue workers, a B&S Customizing Lightweight Bed Box, complete with a Rockit West custom wrap, serves as the backbone of this mobile command center. Inside the bed box is a Goose Gear Custom Interior, carefully crafted with the Red Cross and its volunteers in mind.

Inside the bed box is where the Ultimate Service TITAN really earns its name. Unique storage for first aid supplies, a desk, a couch, a mobile kitchen, a generator, solar panels, Wi-Fi and a wrap-around awning are just a few of the features that allow the vehicle to transform to meet first responder needs.

A SnoMaster refrigerator was added to store blood, while additional storage is available on top with a Rhino Rack Pioneer Tray System and Pelican Professional Gear Cases. And when darkness settles in and a long night looms, lighting from Baja Designs illuminates the path ahead to ensure no potential danger goes unseen.

The Ultimate Service TITAN will be on display during the Miami Auto Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center through Oct. 13. For more information on the Calling All TITANs campaign, the 2019 TITAN, TITAN XD and the complete Nissan vehicle lineup, please visit NissanNews.com .

About Nissan North America

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.nissanusa.com and www.infinitiusa.com, or visit the U.S. media sites nissannews.com and infinitinews.com.

About Nissan Motor Co.

Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2017, the company sold 5.77 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.9 trillion yen. On April 1, 2017, the company embarked on Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, a six-year plan targeting a 30% increase in annualized revenues to 16.5 trillion yen by the end of fiscal 2022, along with cumulative free cash flow of 2.5 trillion yen. As part of Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, the company plans to extend its leadership in electric vehicles, symbolized by the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissans global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, the Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999 and acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors in 2016. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is today the worlds largest automotive partnership, with combined sales of more than 10.6 million vehicles in calendar year 2017.

For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissan-global.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.

About the American Red Cross

From disaster relief to employee blood drives, Nissan's partnership with the American Red Cross has raised more than $2.5 million in donations over the past five years. Kicking off the Calling All TITANs campaign, Nissan hosted a social donation drive in support of preparedness month on Thursday, Sept. 20, calling all TITANs of the Community. Future activations will help the American Red Cross connect volunteers to blood drives, smoke alarm replacement campaigns and disaster relief efforts.



Media Contact:

Kevin Raftery

Nissan Truck, SUV & Outdoor Communications

615-725-5236

Kevin.Raftery@nissan-usa.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a9c292c1-3ee8-4ae0-b19c-7c9c8a372bb2




English French

SAINT JOHN, New Brunswick, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On October 3, Atlantic Towing Limited received national recognition for its commitment to employment equity and diversity in the workplace. The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour presented the organization with an Employment Equity Achievement Award at the annual award ceremony in Ottawa.



"When everyone is on an equal footing, they can contribute to the best of their abilities, says Hajdu. Employers must stay alert to barriers that can keep members of the four designated groupswomen, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minoritiesfrom participating fully in the workplace. By making sure every Canadian has an equal and fair chance at success, employers contribute meaningfully to Canada's economic growth."

Atlantic Towing received the Innovation award, which recognizes employers who have demonstrated creativity in the design and implementation of measures to remove barriers, positive practices and new initiatives.

Our industry presents unique challenges to inclusive hiring, says Gilles Gagnon, VP and General Manager of Atlantic Towing. This forces us to think creatively to expand and diversify our employee base to include underrepresented groups. Our goal is to not only meet legislative requirements, but to develop a mature program focused on the full benefits of diverse and inclusive ideas and experiences.

Marine industries have traditionally been male dominated. Despite efforts to attract women to the industry, marine educational institutions across Canada experience low female enrolment. Atlantic Towing has undertaken various initiatives to remove barriers to employment, particularly among underrepresented groups. Efforts include a Diversity and Inclusion Committee with related strategic objectives in the companys annual plan. Partnerships are vital to succeeding and Atlantic Towing values the strong relationships with its educational partners like the Marine Institute and College of the North Atlantic in Newfoundland and Labrador as well as the community colleges in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Through groups like Techsploration NS, young women from grades nine through twelve are made aware of the career opportunities and experiences of women succeeding in a marine career.

This year, the company made waves as its vessel, the Atlantic Willow, became the first tugboat in the Port of Halifax to have an all-female crew.

We firmly believe that having people of diverse backgrounds leads to better products, services and business results, adds Gagnon, We appreciate diverse perspectives, and are focused on evolving further to ensure our employees feel welcome, respected, supported and valued. This award from Canada for innovation is a tribute to the team who across are operations are embracing these goals.

Atlantic Towings commitment to diversity and inclusion is reflected in its holding company, J.D. Irving.

Diversity of people and ideas are a vital source of innovation  strengths that we are committed to growing, says Jim Irving, Co-CEO of J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI).

We are very proud of the strong partnerships that we have developed with a number of well recognized groups including Women Unlimited, New Boots, Indigenous as well as African Canadian communities to support the training and hiring of individuals in the skills areas that we need, explains Colleen Baxter, JDIs VP of Human Resources. Our focus will be to continue to grow these important partnerships as we look toward hiring over 10,000 people over the next 3 years.

About Atlantic Towing

Headquartered in Saint John, NB, Atlantic Towing Ltd. specializes in the provision of diverse marine services including port tug services, coastal towing, and offshore oil and gas exploration and product support. Its world class vessels are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and experienced, versatile crews. Both crewmembers and land-based personnel operate with safety, quality of service and team work top-of-mind. Atlantic Towing is a member of the JDI Transportation and Logistics family of companies.

CONTACT:

Please direct all media requests to:

Mary Keith

Vice President Communications

J.D. Irving, Limited

(506) 650-8209

(506) 632-5122

keith.mary@jdirving.com

About the Employment Equity Achievement Awards

The Employment Equity Achievement Awards recognize employers for outstanding achievement in employment equity in their workplaces for the four designated, underrepresented groups (women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities).

About Employment and Social Development Canada

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) works to improve the standard of living and quality of life for all Canadians. We do this by promoting a labour force that is highly skilled. We also promote an efficient and inclusive labour market.

CONTACT:

Please direct all media requests to:

Veronique Simard

Press Secretary

Office of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, P.C., M.P.

Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

veronique.simard@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

819-654-5611

Media Relations Office

Employment and Social Development Canada

819-994-5559

media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:



http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/09b49b63-1475-49f8-9632-75ee8bec15d2

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San Diego, CA, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- General Atomics (GA) expresses its support for the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) report, Roadmap for the Deployment of Micro-Reactors for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Domestic Installations, released earlier today. The report lays out a clear path toward deploying small (<10 MWe) nuclear reactors at DoD installations in potentially as little as five years.

Both Congress and the DoD have identified energy security as a key issue for the U.S. Armed Forces. As the military becomes more reliant on advanced computing and networking for its mission-critical tasks, and moves toward the deployment of advanced weapons with large power demands, it has become critically dependent on resilient sources of electricity.

Yet, almost all DoD installations currently depend on grid power, which can suffer outages at any time. Backup electricity is provided by diesel generators that lack sufficient reliability and are themselves dependent on limited local fuel storage. In part because of these concerns, Congress has directed DoD and the Department of Energy (DOE) to study the possible deployment of small nuclear reactors no later than 2027.

Micro-reactors have the potential to supply clean, resilient, always-on electricity to U.S. military bases, particularly installations in remote areas of the U.S. that are dependent on outside fuel deliveries. Ninety percent of U.S. military installations have electrical loads that could be served by an array of four 10-MWe nuclear plants. These smaller plants could also provide heating, desalination, and other services where necessary.

Very small nuclear reactors can be factory-manufactured and assembled much more rapidly than large commercial nuclear plants. Also unlike larger plants, they can be developed and deployed in much shorter periods of time. As the NEI report explains, the first such system could be deployed domestically by the DoD in as little as five to seven years with sufficient funding and support, especially from DOE and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

GA is developing a mobile nuclear power supply that is truck/air shippable and would fit in a standard military shipping container. This modular, autonomous system has a load-following generating capacity of up to 10 MWe and a refueling period greater than 10 years. The design builds on GAs six decades of experience in nuclear energy: designing and building 65 TRIGA research reactors, the most successful reactor in history; building the Peach Bottom and Fort St. Vrain gas-cooled reactors in Pennsylvania and Colorado; and developing the EM2helium-cooled fast reactor design.

The compact power supply also leverages GAs development of high-temperature materials and fuels that enable high performance, a high degree of safety, and protection against potential threats. Its autonomous features derive from GAs integrated defense systems (e.g., unmanned aircraft missions) and supply of military hardware for power production, communications and mission control. GA will support the micro-reactor program with its decades of experience in successfully partnering with DoD on large defense contracts.

The use of very small nuclear reactors for resilient power in remote locations is an increasingly popular option also being examined by other nations. Both Canada and the U.K. have advanced government programs underway with the goal of deploying small reactors within the next decade.

Attachments
OTTAWA, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE) is concerned about the Canadian Coast Guards (CCG) difficulty recruiting and retaining lightkeepers. CCG is implementing drastic strategies, including rotational closures of light stations, to address its staffing problem. UCTE is concerned that this is coming at a cost of putting mariners at risk.



8 years later and the department still has not developed a successful recruiting strategy, said Barry Tchir, UCTE Regional Vice-President for the Pacific region referring to a Senate Committee decision.

In December 2010, the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans issued a report putting a stop to the governments plan to de-staff the lighthouses. One of the Committees recommendations was for CCG to develop a long-term policy that will obviate cyclical reviews and will ensure continuation of a suitable level of staffing.

Currently CCG is not able to attract people to the work. A large part of the problem is how they recruit. The Union was advised by CCG that it requires permission from Privy Council to advertise including listing it as a career choice on the CCG website careers page.

CCGs own research shows only 20% of lightkeepers were recruited from seeing an ad on the government website, said Tchir. Why keep doing something that provides so poor results?

The Union is actively meeting with CCG to try and assist with a solution. The government is playing Russian roulette with the safety of those who depend on lightstations, said Tchir.

The Union of Canadian Transportation Employees, a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, are proud to count the lightkeepers and ships crews who work for the Canadian Coast Guard amongst its membership.

Contact:

Lira Buschman

Mobile: 613-558-4003
Summary For years there have been stories from Venezuela about food shortages, import cuts and dwindling international reserves. The Venezuelan economy has crumbled before our eyes. President Nicolas Maduros downfall has been a question of when, not if. Were still waiting for the collapse , but Venezuela has finally reached a tipping point .

Initially, when the formal market failed, an informal market appeared to fill the void. Where bartering and the black market couldnt meet basic needs, people would cross into other countries like Colombia to buy what they needed before crossing back. As goods became scarcer and income fell, people stopped coming back. Many opted to go to Colombia, while those with the will and the means frequently opted for faraway places like the United States or southern Europe.

In the past year, the informal market has apparently started to fail too. A June 2018 survey by Venezuelas Consultores 21 found that Venezuelans of every social standing and political persuasion want to leave the country. It found that 54 percent of the upper-middle class and 43 percent from the lower class want to emigrate, as well as 66 percent of Chavistas, 63 percent of supporters of the Democratic Unity Roundtable opposition coalition and 58 percent of other opposition supporters. Even 17 percent of Maduristas, the presidents loyalists, expressed a desire to leave. Leaving is no longer just for the opposition or the wealthy.

Venezuelans hope for their countrys future is fading too. A strong opposition majority elected to the National Assembly in December 2015, combined with massive protests and rallies throughout 2016, failed to affect real change. Protests still occur, but not of the same magnitude as before. Since 2015, approximately 2.3 million people (7 percent of the population) have emigrated, according to an International Organization for Migration report, and most of those left in the past year. What matters now isnt what this means for Venezuela  the answer to that question has been obvious for some time  but what it means for the South American countries now trying to cope with Venezuelas migration crisis.

This Deep Dive will identify the countries experiencing the greatest disruption and explain how their governments are responding. It will then examine the broader problems affecting all affected countries  health risks, the job market, the costs of government responses and the political repercussions of mass migration. Finally, itll provide an overview of the challenges ahead. Ultimately, we arent optimistic about the abilities of these governments to coordinate a response, and though some will fare better on their own than others, every country for itself isnt a recipe for a stable region in the future. Regional Impact International Organization for Migration data shows that of the 697,500 Venezuelans who left the country in 2015, 73 percent went to the U.S., Canada or southern Europe (Spain, Italy or Portugal). These were the ideal destinations for people who could afford to get there. But in the past two years, as the situation has reached a breaking point and the profile of those wanting to get out has broadened, the acceptable destinations have gotten much closer  putting South America at the center of the migration crisis.

Of the 1.64 million Venezuelans who left the country in 2017, 53 percent stayed in South America. The advantages of South American countries are their proximity, the relatively low cost of travel, their common language (save Brazil), their lower cost of living compared to the U.S. or Europe, and the fact that they have large informal economies, enabling immigrants to jump immediately into work.

But the South American countries suddenly facing an influx of Venezuelan migrants were overwhelmed. Over the past few years, the regional rhetoric against the Maduro regime has increased, but little concrete action was taken. Critics feared making things worse inside the country and the dangerous precedent that would come with supporting the removal of another leader in the region. But the flood of Venezuelans into other South American countries is putting a large political and economic strain on those countries that cannot be ignored. Colombia

At the start of Venezuelas economic downturn, neighboring Colombia was a place for struggling Venezuelans to go to buy goods that were scarce at home. People would cross the border for the day or the weekend into towns like Cucuta and then return home. As the situation worsened, they stopped returning home.

Colombia is now the largest destination for Venezuelan migrants and is a transit country along the way to South Americas west coast. The government has started sounding the alarm bells. The problem is the sheer volume of immigrants. Colombias director of migration reported that at the end of 2017, the country had more than 550,000 Venezuelans. Just six months later, he said the figure had risen to 870,093, accounting for 1.7 percent of Colombias population. ( click to enlarge ) By 2016, the Colombian government was already taking administrative measures such as a wildly unsuccessful border mobility card system to track the movement of Venezuelans. By 2017, Bogota had installed new border control checkpoints and introduced a Special Permit of Permanence, or PEP system, to help normalize the legal status of Venezuelans entering the country. Once they have legal status, Venezuelan migrants can work and access social services. In July, about 381,700 had some type of legal status. Just before leaving office in August, President Juan Manuel Santos signed a decree to normalize an additional 442,000 Venezuelans and bring them into the PEP system. Though Colombia is coping, the foreign minister made it clear that his country cant take the lead on a migration crisis and that Colombia would seek help from the international community. Brazil

Brazil is a melting pot of immigrants, but even it was unprepared for the recent flood of Venezuelans. What started as a trickle into the state of Roraima around 2015 became a deluge in 2017. That year, the number of Venezuelans entering Roraima increased sevenfold to 35,000. From Jan. 1 to June 22, 2018, the Brazilian Federal Police received 16,953 applications for refugee status. Of those, 16,523  more than 97 percent  were from Venezuelans. This is more than 20 percent higher than the total number of requests from Venezuelans for all of 2017 (13,583). Brazils Federal Police estimate that there are now at least 50,000 Venezuelans in Brazil. Half of them are in Roraimas capital, Boa Vista, where they represent 7.5 percent of the citys 332,000 inhabitants. ( click to enlarge ) In need of a government response, Brazils National Council of Immigration issued a resolution in March 2017 that permitted Venezuelans to apply for two-year temporary residency and eliminated migratory fees for people in need. In February 2018, President Michel Temer declared Roraima to be in a state of vulnerability because of immigration and increased the number of border guards to 170. In April, the government implemented its acclimation and relocation program, which provides legal status for Venezuelans in the country as well as medical exams, vaccinations, access to public health care, schooling for children, language courses and job training. In August, the government started trying to limit the entrance of Venezuelans through visa checks and additional military deployments to the border. Peru

Peru, which boasts one of the most stable economies in South America, is an increasingly popular destination among Venezuelans. Many enter in the northwest through Ecuador and stay, while others continue on to Chile. In 2015, there were only 433 requests for refugee status in Peru. In 2016 and 2017, the government received a total of around 34,000 requests. And 2018 is on pace to rocket past those figures  to date, there are an average of 14,000 applications per month. In July 2018, the countrys National Superintendence of Migration reported that there were 368,000 Venezuelans in Peru and that as many as 46,000 had entered the country in 2018 alone. The foreign minister said at the end of August that there were now over 400,000 Venezuelans in the country.

The Peruvian government has had to move quickly to catch up with the influx of immigrants. In August 2017, the National Superintendence of Migration announced that it would activate a hotline to organize the issuance of temporary permits of permanence (a program started in January) to Venezuelans who had entered the country. The measure allowed Venezuelans to normalize their legal status, work legally, access social services, get a tax ID number and integrate into the tax system. This proved inadequate, and over the past year officials set up extra facial and fingerprint recognition systems along the border, revamped websites related to immigration services, and set up screening and processing modules throughout Lima, with plans to add 10 more throughout the country. Finally, on Aug. 25, the government said a passport would be required for entry in the hope that it will help stem the flow of immigrants. Ecuador

Located between Peru and Colombia, Ecuador has mostly been used as a transit country. Since 2016, however, there has been a marked increase in Venezuelans living in the countrys central provinces. The National Secretariat of Communication reported that from January through August this year, 641,353 Venezuelans entered Ecuador. Of those, 525,663 left for other South American destinations. In other words, 115,690  just under 20 percent  remain in Ecuador. ( click to enlarge ) Ecuadors government was not prepared for more Venezuelans to stay in the country. Ecuadorian law provides temporary residence for those who can prove economic solvency and come from a member of the Union of South American Nations, meaning that Venezuelans with the means can automatically stay for two years. The government has now started taking steps to control the flow of Venezuelans. It has organized bus trips to bring Venezuelans from their point of entry down south to Peru. The government also tried changing the law so that Venezuelans would need to show passports to enter  currently, they need only to show national IDs  but that was overruled by a court. Ecuador has not ruled out instituting some type of quota system. Common Challenges The sudden arrival of hundreds of thousands of desperate people poses unique challenges for each South American country, but some challenges are shared.



T he health risks that accompany mass migration rank as the most immediate concern among these governments. Basic sanitation is a serious issue. Many of the cities around entry points to these countries were not built to handle an influx of tens of thousands of people. The Ecuadorian and Peruvian governments declared localized states of emergency in areas of high migration to facilitate the allocation and delivery of government resources to these areas.



Brazil has been sending extra doctors to Roraima since 2017. A secondary concern is the potential for disease to spread. Earlier this year, there was a measles outbreak in Venezuela. The Pan American Health Organizations July update for measles said there are now 2,472 confirmed cases, up 45 percent from June, in 11 American countries. Venezuela accounts for 1,613 of the cases, and Brazil ranks second with 677. These two countries also accounted for over 92 percent of the new cases reported. Governments risk backlash from local populations if they are seen as being unresponsive to major health risks in the general populace.

There are also potential economic consequences. The biggest concern is labor. Informal labor markets are large in these countries: They serve as major revenue sources for the local population, but they also account for 70 percent of the work that Venezuelans find upon arrival in a new country, according to the International Organization for Migration. Job competition in the informal market is a concern, as is the suppression of wages in formal employment sectors. Many Venezuelan emigrants have university degrees or technical training.



Though these concerns exist throughout the region, they are especially pronounced in Peru.

Another economic concern for governments is the cost of supporting mass immigration. Even basic operations such as providing security, administrative processing and sanitation measures at border crossings are expensive. Relocation programs, job training and health care for tens of thousands of people is even more so. Brazil still has not fully recovered from its 2015-16 recession, and the government has been struggling for the past two years to reduce spending. Ecuador is in the midst of recovering from low oil prices and transitioning the economy from high levels of government intervention to more open market conditions. And with so few resources to go around, governments must answer tough questions from voters about why so much is being spent on Venezuelans when the native poor populations have so much need for financial sustenance. ( click to enlarge ) Finally, there are the domestic political questions, which will vary for each country. Immigration is by nature a divisive issue. In the case of Venezuelan immigration, anti-immigrant sentiment and political instability will start in border locations with high concentrations of immigrants. Venezuelan immigration has had a huge impact on Brazilian politics, made stronger by the fact that there are elections in October. Tensions were already high between Roraima and the federal government. The state believes the federal government has not provided enough assistance. It also resents the fact that the courts denied its request to close the border with Venezuela. And the immigration debate ties into the national debate about the role of the military in society.

Courses of Action For the affected countries, the solution involves managing the migration flow rather than trying to bring about regime change in Venezuela. In the short term, regime change would have the opposite of the desired effect. Its a messy affair when governments fall  transition periods are chaotic, and there is always the rebuilding phase. Regime change would motivate people to leave and wait for stability to be restored before returning home. Moreover, are reluctant to use force to depose a leader out of fear that it would set a precedent that could one day turn against them. And the affected countries lack the spare resources and public support for such action anyway. For now, at least, governments will pursue solutions on the domestic level first.

Before taking any decisive measures, one major challenge must be overcome: figuring out the size and scope of the migration issue. Massive amounts of data need to be processed to track who enters and exits  often at different locations. In the case of irregular migration, it may take several months to estimate those figures. Many of the national institutions charged with this task were not designed to deal with issues of this magnitude. Perus immigration services are still processing temporary permits of permanence from 2017. Colombia and Peru exchanged basic data on registered Venezuelans, only to discover that some individuals were registered in both countries and reaping the benefits from both. All four countries have resorted to executive decrees to expedite the status of migrants, deploy security forces and/or free up other resources related to humanitarian aid.

Affected countries met on Tuesday to exchange ideas and assess the problem. They called for countries to find means to continue accepting Venezuelans, but joint statements wont solve the problem. Each country has very different capacities to absorb new populations. Brazil is a huge country capable of accepting large numbers of people and with a long track record of integrating foreigners. This is not the case for Ecuador, which is about 30 times smaller than Brazil and has one-eighth the population. And the lack of any existing regional framework severely limits the ability to take a regional approach toward addressing Venezuelan migration. The urgency of the situation does not allow for time to be spent crafting such a framework.

Most important, each country will put its national interests ahead of regional cooperation. No country in the region can single-handedly absorb all the Venezuelan emigrants, nor is there a country that can foot the bill for supporting programs in neighboring countries. Cooperation will occur where it suits national interests , provided it doesnt bind countries to specific courses of action. Where it will be easy for the region to find common ground is in the call for international support  ideally from a multilateral group like the United Nations  and aid to help mitigate the effects of the migration wave.
A group of outraged Brooklyn College students gathered in protest outside the campus library on Thursday afternoon to demand the firing of Mitchell Langbert, an associate professor who penned a blog post last week describing sexual assault as a male rite of passage.

"Brooklyn College is a public institution that educates, employs, and welcomes people of all races, religions, political affiliations, and genders," said Corrinne Greene, president of the college's Young Progressives of America chapter. "CUNY and Brooklyn College have a responsibility to provide a safe learning and working environment."

Langbert's presence, Greene said, violates "the right of students and faculty to learn and work in an environment free from threats of harassment or violence" and "must be taken as a credible threat to the safety, security, and rights of the campus community."

Langbert, an associate professor of business management, rocketed into the news cycle Wednesday morning when a short blog entry he'd written nearly a week earlier attracted attention online. Commenting on the allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaughwhom multiple women have accused of serial sexual predationLangbert posited that, "If someone did not commit sexual assault in high school, then he is not a member of the male sex."

"The Kavanaugh hearing is a travesty, and if the Republicans are going to allow the sissy party to use this travesty to stop conservatism, then it is time found a new political party," Langbert wrote. "In the future, having committed sexual assault in high school ought to be a prerequisite for all appointments, judicial and political. Those who did not play spin-the-bottle when they were 15 should not be in public life."

In a statement to Gothamist, Langbert called his post "satire," a defense he seemed to have settled on only after multiple reporters contacted him. He subsequently updated the post, describing it as a "satirical piece in the tradition of [Jonathan] Swift's (1729) A Modest Proposal." That defense looks fairly thin when viewed in light of his statements to other news outlets on Wednesday, however: He failed to mention satire to the NY Post and Bklyner, instead doubling down on the men-as-natural-predators narrative and contending that "sissy" Democrats routinely "manufactured events" to discredit their opponentshimself included.

"Threats of sexual assault are not a political perspective," Greene said Thursday. "Party affiliation is irrelevant when it comes to threatening violence."

Threats of sexual assault are not a political perspectiveYPA at Brooklyn College student protest of Prof. Mitchell Langbert pic.twitter.com/LtINbuYJly  Claire Lampen (@claire_lampen) October 4, 2018

The assembled student activists, she continued, had five demands: That the college undertake a full, public investigation of Langbert's conduct during his tenure, and "in accordance with evidence from the investigation," fire him; that College President Michelle Anderson and the business department issue public statements condemning his blog post; that all faculty and administrators undergo mandatory, in-person anti-sexual assault and harassment training; that students currently taking Langbert's classes be allowed to drop them without academic or financial penalties; and that Anderson facilitate a campus forum on sexual violence and disciplinary response to employee misconduct.

Additionally, Greene asked students to file Title IX complaints against Langbert, alleging that his writing violates CUNY's sexual misconduct policy. Daphna Thier, president of the Brooklyn College Socialists, read from the complaint the activists had already filed: "What [Langbert] did is tantamount to incitement, and should be treated as such. It should be obvious that publicly stated support of rape or sexual violence isn't [a] legitimate political viewpoint." Langbert's words, the complaint continued, created "an inhospitable environment for women on campus," an environment in which it becomes prohibitively difficult to learn and work.



(Claire Lampen / Gothamist)

Most of the students who gathered cheered in support of the activists who spoke, joining in chants of "When women's rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!" and "Whatever we wear, wherever we go, yes means yes and no means no!"

Most booed on cue at quotes from Langbert's screed, but not everyone who showed up shared in the outrage. Sophomore Logan Santos, for example, sparked a confrontation that disrupted Thier's speech. Inserting himself in the wall of student activists facing the crowd, Santos seemed to voice a viewpoint that upset his peers. An argument flared, but was ultimately drowned out by a few rounds of "Hey hey, ho ho, Mitchell Langbert's got to go!" as a security guard calmly diffused the confrontation.

Still, Santos remained unmoved. After the crowds dispersed, he told a clutch of reporters that he doesn't believe Langbert should be fired for saying "something stupid" online.

"It's not like he said it to their [students'] face," Santos said. "Whatever he said, [it] did not lead to any illegal actions on campus. Nobody saw his message and said 'let me go rape somebody today.'"

"He has every right to say whatever he wants on the internet, because that's the country that we live in," he added. "The same way that they can come out and protest what he said."

Students protest Prof. Mitchell Langberts sexist blog post at Brooklyn College pic.twitter.com/WCDp4JCF0k  Claire Lampen (@claire_lampen) October 4, 2018

That sentiment did not prove popular with Santos's fellow students, however. "I've never sexually assaulted a woman in my life, does that make me not a man?" Ruben, a senior majoring in social history who asked that we not use his last name, told Gothamist. "What [Langbert] said was unacceptable and I want to see him go."

Meli Holdipp, a junior double majoring in film and communications, agreed. Especially when you consider his post in light of his professional focushuman resources and managementHoldipp wondered: "How can you trust him to educate us?"

"There's no excuse for it," she said, adding that she hopes the student response will open up a discourse on sexual assault, and make survivors feel more comfortable coming forward.

On Wednesday, Brooklyn College Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Anne Lopes issued a statement describing Langbert's post as "offensive, obviously abhorrent, and contravening the fundamental values and practices of our community," but noted that his opinion was protected under the First Amendment. CUNY's Professional Staff Congress also condemned his comments as "disgusting," "misogynistic," "homophobic," and "the antithesis of what collegesand unionsrepresent," while in the same breath, stating that it "vigorously opposes calls for [his] immediate dismissal."

Following the protest, President Anderson issued a statement saying she found the "rousing chants" she'd just heard from an impassioned sector of the student body "inspiring."

"I find [Langbert's] words repugnant to our values as an institution of higher education," Anderson wrote. "His remarks contravene our commitments to diversity, equality, and intellectual respect. Students have expressed deep concerns about the faculty members statements and position at the college. We take these concerns seriously."

Still, Anderson did not say the College planned to fire or even discipline Langbert; indeed, she did not mention him by name. Directing students toward campus support resources, Anderson instead announced that she would hold a "Speak Out" next week, to be followed by "an interdisciplinary 'Teach-In.'"



(Claire Lampen / Gothamist)

Greene told protesters that they'd given the administration until Monday to take public accountability, and promised that protests would continue until administrators listened to the student body.

"I was super upset with the administration's response, that was a total, big fuck-you to the students," said sophomore Emily Batista. "Especially when we pay tuition here, it was totally inappropriate and that's wrong. They're going to hear from us."


From now until Election Day, The Brian Lehrer Show is hosting a series called 30 Issues in 30 Days. The idea is to dive deep on one issue a day to give voters a sense of what candidates are saying about the policies that affect their lives. The next issue up: New York's long awaited criminal justice reform.

Criminal justice reformers had high hopes in January when Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a package of reforms that included doing away with cash bail for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, changing the states discovery statute and guaranteeing the right to a speedy trial. "This year," Cuomo declared, "we bring more perfect justice to New York."

But with the Republican majority in the State Senate more sympathetic to police unions and prosecutors, and less interested in criminal justice, the legislative year came and ended without any reforms being passed.

How does this figure into the November election?

Not since the 1970swith a brief interregnum in 2009 and 2010have Democrats held a majority in the State Senate. They are currently *this* close, with an actual numerical majority spoiled by a renegade Democrat, Brooklyns Simcha Felder, who caucuses with the Republicans, giving the GOP a functional majority. Political analysts have identified about ten competitive districts where the Republican status-quo may be upended in November, and Democratic Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins promises that if a blue wave crashes over the Capitol building, shell work to bring the three key criminal justice issues to the floor, and up for a vote. Here they are in a bit more detail:

Bail Reform: Introduced by Senate Democratic Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, the bill, supported by Stewart-Cousins, would eliminate cash bail for misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. Defendants would either be released on their own recognizance or under non-monetary conditions, like checking in regularly with a pretrial services agency (supervised release), travel restrictions, or wearing an ankle monitor.

The Case For: Proponents for reform say bail unfairly punishes poor people. Right now, approximately 16,000 people who have not been convicted of any crime are stuck in jails across the state, the vast majority because they cannot afford the bail amount sought by prosecutors and set by judges, Jared Chausow, Senior Policy Specialist for Brooklyn Defender Services, told WNYC. This practice distorts our legal system and destroys lives by forcing people to plead guilty just to go home, disproportionately impacting Black and Latinx people in poverty. We need meaningful bail reform so that people can remain in their homes, communities, and jobs while they fight the charges against them.

The Case Against: The bills opponents argue that letting too many defendants out on their own recognizance could lead to a public safety issue. Scott McNamara, the D.A. for Oneida County and former president of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, agrees the states bail system is flawed, but says hes seen firsthand what happens when someone is let out jail when it threatens the community: Im on the front lines, having to deal with witnesses who feel unsafe or threatened.

Discovery: New York is one of only 10 states where prosecutors are permitted to withhold crucial evidence (i.e. witness statements, police complaint reports, detective follow-up investigation, and witness names) until after the jury is sworn and just before the prosecutor makes his opening statement. One proposed bill would ensure automatic, comprehensive discovery before plea deals are made, so defendants have all the information they need to prepare their case.

The Case For: Not allowing defendants access to key evidence can lead to the accused preemptively taking a plea deal because they dont know what kind of case is being built against them. It places an accused at a great disadvantage when preparing their defense for trial, State Senator Jamaal Bailey, author of the discovery reform bill, told WNYC. Although [New Yorks discovery statute] has resulted in countless wrongful convictions at great state expense resulting from payouts to those wrongfully convicted, the human toll has been devastating on black and brown communities.

The Case Against: Ever since the 1970s, when reform-minded activists started looking into New Yorks pre-trial discovery laws, there has been strong opposition coming from District Attorneys. They insist that altering the states discovery laws would threaten the safety of witnesses. DA McNamara says were already at a point where information is too public: We already are dealing with intimidation and threats at a level never seen before because of social media and the ability to publish information and threats instantly over the internet. Reforming discovery laws would make it worse: Turning over our civilian witnesses statements, names, addresses and telephone numbers 30 days after arrest will prevent us from bringing to justice many of the most violent people victimizing our communities."

Speedy Trial: Another bill known as Kaliefs law (after Kalief Browder, who spent more than 700 days in solitary confinement awaiting trial before ultimately committing suicide after his release) would guarantee that criminal cases go to trial in a reasonable time frame.

The Case For: New York is the only state in the country that does not actually have a speedy trial framework that accounts for when a case is tried. Instead, prosecutors use a "ready rule" framework that only requires prosecutors to announce that they are ready for trial within certain time frames, and which prosecutors are able to easily manipulate. Senator Bailey, author of the bill, notes that in the Bronx, where Browder was arrested, the median length of a case from arrest to disposition was 517 days, and more than 70 percent of felony cases surpassed New York's "speedy trials" guidelines.

The Case Against: Former Bronx prosecutors point out that these tactics are legal, and argue they are an unavoidable consequence of enormous caseloads and a system that invites such conduct, according to The Appeal. Scott McNamara also argues that the proposed legislation requires the defense to be ready for trial in order for the prosecution to be ready, and that prosecutors should not be required to be accountable for people we cannot control.

What other reforms do criminal justice proponents hope for? If the Democrats take the Senate, activists and public defenders plan to push for greater reforms. Jared Chausow, Senior Policy Specialist for Brooklyn Defender Services names a few: We will also be fighting for sentencing and parole reform, legislation to end long-term solitary confinement in line with United Nations standards, marijuana legalization that repairs the harms of prohibition, record expungement, a bill to help protect immigrants from deportation for misdemeanors, and eliminating court fees and surcharges for low-income people.

For more, listen to Brian Lehrer's segment on criminal justice reform here:

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Opposition to a plan to build a new jail in the Bronx was loud and fierce during a raucous hearing on Wednesday night.

Opening four smaller, borough-based jails is part of the de Blasio administrations plan to shrink the overall jail population and close Rikers Island by 2027. For years, Rikers has been plagued by violence and it sits isolated from courthouses and the family members of those incarcerated there.

The meeting was held at the Bronx Supreme Courthouse on the Grand Concourse, but the site of the new proposed jail is at 320 Concord Avenue in Mott Haven, currently an NYPD tow pound two miles away. The de Blasio administration argues that borough-based jails in Queens, Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, and in the Bronx, are supposed to make it easier for families to visit and inmates to receive services. Each new jail would have 1,510 beds, and the city is offering to fund new buildings in and around the new jails that could be used for housing or other purposes.

But the deal sweeteners were not enough to placate the protesters. Throughout the hearing, a thunderous chorus of no new jails filled the courthouse building. And protesters like Arlene Parks held a large sign over her head. It read, Cell Out, with a photo of the Mayor emblazoned above it.

Parks is the Vice Chair and CEO of Diego Beekman Mutual Housing Association, and said she was worried that inmates released from the proposed jail would increase crime.

We have 38 buildings scattered all over Mott Haven with a drug network that has yet to be broke and the cops cant even handle what we already have, she said.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. was against siting the jail in Mott Haven, a neighborhood that he says has already survived its share of violence and drugs.

Treat us like other boroughs. In other boroughs, where are the jails going? Closer to the courthouses, Diaz said. Theres space here.

Diaz said that it was impossible to flatly oppose the jail and at the same time support the closing of Rikers Island. But thats exactly the position that a vocal group of activists, many of them Bronx artists and students, took. They shouted down Diaz, who tried unsuccessfully to hold a press conference outside the courthouse, and called him outdated and not progressive enough.

20-year-old Asly Anzurez was part of the group who believes in ending incarceration altogether. She and several friends said spending city money on a new jail instead of on improving schools and parks was wrong and senseless. She used her junior high, a failing school that closed, as an example of neglect.

That building looks like a prison. You think I would like to be, oh this is my school, right? Be proud of it, Anzurez said. No, Im ashamed of the school that I went to.

Myra Hernandez said she lives two blocks from the proposed site.

For anybody to propose that this is going to be a beneficial thing for a community that has, once again, been oppressed and marginalized has no clue about whats been happening historically in the South Bronx, she said. But Hernandez also supports closing Rikers Island, and when asked where those inmates would go, she said she didnt feel comfortable answering that.

But opening a new jail is not going to be the answer to any of it, Hernandez said.

The city said that there would be more forums, both public and private, and officials would continue to hear residents concerns.

Cindy Rodriguez is the urban policy reporter for New York Public Radio. You can follow her on Twitter at @cynrod.
Oswaldo Gomezbetter known to most as Ms Colombia, the beloved performer and NYC fixture whose colorful outfits and good cheer made her immediately recognizable and unforgettable to all who met herhas died. She was 64.

Police say that Ms Colombia, who lived in Jackson Heights, was found in the waters off Jacob Riis Park on Wednesday morning around 3:30 a.m. She was pronounced dead at the scene; the medical examiner will determine the cause of death. At this time, police say they do not suspect foul play, but the investigation remains ongoing.

"I'm really heartbroken to hear Ms Colombia has died," said Daniel Albanese, who runs The Dusty Rebel, and who photographed Ms Colombia several times in recent years at various parades and events, where she was a mainstay. "Always smiling and full of joy, Ms Colombia was a true New York icon, and one of my favorite people to photograph. At any given parade, even in sea of dazzling costumes, Ms Colombia always stood out. People flocked around her, amazed at her unconventional use of fashion, as well as the assortment of animals that usually accompanied her to events. I can't imagine this city without her."

So sad about the death of La Paisa, #MsColombia (a.k.a. Osvaldo Gomez). Ms. Colombia was not only at all parades in #JacksonHeights & a beloved figure. About 15 years ago I was at a @Mets game at #SheaStadium & there was Ms. Colombia walking around defiant & proud! #QueensValues pic.twitter.com/KaworbTIZk  Jimmy Van Bramer (@JimmyVanBramer) October 4, 2018

R.I.P. Ms Colombia. I trust there's a comfortable spot in a colorful celestial menagerie somewhere with her name on it. https://t.co/dltq9aGi3v pic.twitter.com/vk4m7BYkK6  Dr Panti Bliss (@PantiBliss) October 4, 2018

She was beloved by all who saw her in the streets, at parades, and in the neighborhood wearing her colorful outfits and a bird on her shoulder, said Council Member Daniel Dromm in a statement. Her cheerfulness and ability to bring a smile to the faces of all who met her will be missed by all New Yorkers...While life did not always treat Ms. Colombia with all the respect she was due, New Yorkers will remember Ms. Colombia as a hero to everyone. He added that his office was reaching out to various organizations to plan a memorial vigil for her.

"She was seriously one of a kind," said Nicolas Heller, who interviewed her for one of his "No Your City" documentary videos, which you can see below. "Sounds cliche, but she truly was a shining star. Everywhere she went she was the center of attention. Everyone loved her. New York lost a legend today."

As she revealed in the video below, Gomez said she was a lawyer who moved to NYC from Medellin, Colombia in the 1970s, hoping to find a place where she wouldnt be persecuted for her sexual orientation. After being diagnosed with HIV in 1988, and being told she only had a year to live, she decided to life to the fullest "day by day" as she pleased. "Happiness is the best way, and that's why I'm still alive," she said. "I love New York because of this freedom, I can do my own style, nobody bothering me."

"They ask me: 'Are you homo? Are you gay? Are your lesbian?' And I say: 'No, I am a human being from another planet.'"
The Department of Justice is attempting to reverse the court decision that freed Pablo Villavicencio, the pizza deliveryman who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement while dropping off food at the Fort Hamilton army base this past summer. He was subsequently fast-tracked for detention, generating nationwide outrage among immigrant advocates and ultimately celebration, after he was granted an emergency stay of deportation by a judge in August.

The process of appealing that decision was initiated this week by U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Bermana former law partner of Rudy Giuliani, and President Trump's pick to replace Preet Bharara earlier this year. According to the New York Law Journal, Berman notified the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Tuesday of their intention to reverse an August 3rd ruling that granted Villavicencio's writ of habeas corpus.

That decision permitted Villavicencioa resident of the United States for ten yearsto return to his family while he applied for a green card. His wife, Sandra Chica, and two toddler daughters are naturalized U.S. citizens. Upon his release, Villavicencio told reporters, "Im very happy to be free so happy for my wife, my daughters, my lawyers. Thank you! Thank you for everything."

In his opinion, U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty called Villavicencio a "model citizen," noting that he was following the Department of Homeland Security's pathway to regularizing his immigration status at the time of his deportation. "It is not unlike giving a person a job, and then taking away the tools necessary to perform the job. It is simply not right," Crotty wrote.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment on the decision to appeal.

Adriene Holder, Attorney-In-Charge of the Civil Practice at the Legal Aid Society, said they were "disappointed, but not surprised" by the government's attempt to void the decision. "We will continue to zealously represent Mr. Villavicencio and fight to keep his family together," she said.


Police are looking for nearly a dozen people accused of violently robbing two teens in Brooklyn last month.

The incident took place just after midnight on September 23rd, in front of 90 Waterbury Street in East Williamsburg. According to the NYPD, two male teens, ages 17 and 18, had just left a party when they were approached by a large group, who demanded, "Give us your chains." Then the group allegedly started to beat up the victims, punching some of them in the face and then snatched their jewelry.

The suspects fled, while the victims refused medical attention. The victims' jewelry had a total estimated value of $200.

Police describe the suspects as being in their late teen or early 20s. Video shows the suspects running down a street:

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.
I am offering the solution to a problem most Republicans don't know they have -- that they can be outmaneuvered and thrown on the defensive endlessly, on nearly any issue, because they accept as true Democrat lies about the Republican Party. To correct that misperception and to help the Republican Party get 'back to basics' is why I'm a man on a mission.

A few years ago, after one of my speeches, a man told me "Do you know what your problem is? You're too far ahead of your time!" My efforts to show Republicans how they would benefit from celebrating the heritage of our Grand Old Party have been arduous, but if this were easy someone else would have already done it.

Among my speech topics are Reconciling the Tea Party and the GOP; Barack Obama, the Worst President Ever; Socialism, the new Slavery; Appreciating the Heritage of our Grand Old Party; Returning to the Founding Principles of the United States; The Womens Rights Achievements of our Grand Old Party; Abraham Lincoln, Republican; Frederick Douglass, Republican; Martin Luther King and the Republican Civil Rights Legacy.
Judicial Challenge

"No incumbent [judge] has ever lost," attorney Tom Bourque admits.

by James Leonard

From the October, 2018 issue

So why is Bourque (pronounced "Burk") even bothering to challenge incumbent 14A-1 District Court judge Cedric Simpson? "With Judge Simpson there is some chance of winning," Bourque replies. "A judge should be running on his record, and [Simpson's] record is public knowledge."



Simpson has been a judge since 1999, when he was appointed by then-governor John Engler. But it's not his record on the bench that Bourque is talking about. Last year, the Michigan Supreme Court concluded that Simpson engaged in judicial misconduct by interfering in an intern's 2013 drunk driving arrest. He was suspended for nine months and fined $7,565.54.



It could have been worse. The Judicial Tenure Commission had recommended removing him from office permanently. The Supreme Court reduced the punishment on appeal.



"He interfered with a police investigation," Bourque emails, "interfered with a prosecution and misled the Judicial Tenure Commission. Those actions show poor judgment and are not consistent with the standards of being a judge."



"I regret that I ended up in the circumstances that put me in that position," Simpson responds in an interview at Sweetwaters. "Somebody called me for help. It got turned into something that I don't believe it was. [The JTC] made their findings, whether I agree or disagree with them. But I don't dwell on all of those things.



"I fought for what I thought was right," the judge continues. "You fight for what you believe is right. This is what I tell my kids. You accept the decision. You learn from it. Then you move on."



Bourque thinks that the misconduct finding could make Simpson vulnerable. But, he concedes, "I don't know how widespread knowledge is of this. I don't know how much the average person voting in November knows about this."



Simpson says he doesn't know if he's vulnerable, but that "one incident doesn't define me." Though he's never faced a challenger, he says having one won't change how he campaigns. "I'm served by having good friends," he

...continued below...

says. "Two supporters who came out early for me: Judge [Tim] Connors and Judge [Carol] Kuhnke.""I do endorse Cedric Simpson in his race," emails Kuhnke, who like Connors serves on the Washtenaw County Trial Court. "I believe that he is the more qualified candidate."Bourque thinks name recognition will be crucial, and hopes to expand his through flyers, signs, social media, a website, and direct mailings. A runner, he's also inviting supporters to "Run with Tom" at five group runs in October and November. Will it work? "I don't know," he admits. "I haven't run a judicial campaign before."But the litigator with Eby Conner Smillie & Bourque does have experience with electoral politics--and with long odds. "I ran for city council in Ann Arbor in 2005 as a Republican in an off-year election in the Second Ward," he smiles. He lost--and no Republican has run for council since. Even "independents can't win now because they can't beat the straight-ticket voters," Bourque says. "All the [council] elections that count will now be in August."[Originally published in October, 2018.]
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has once again addressed the claims of Republican (HHK) MP Armen Ashotyan on incidents and damaged vehicles during the October 2 rally in Yerevan.

Armen Ashotyans information stated yesterday in parliament on alleged broken windows, damaged cars and incidents during the October 2 rally remain unconfirmed. I recommend Mr. Ashotyan to disclose the incidents one by one for the police to be able to investigate, Pashinyan said on Facebook.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. The Trump administration walked back its commitment to two international agreements Wednesday, withdrawing from a 63-year-old friendship treaty with Iran and limiting its exposure to decisions by the International Court of Justice, CNN reports.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Wednesday that the US is withdrawing from a 1955 "Treaty of Amity" with Iran after Tehran successfully made an international complaint that Washington had violated that accord.

And national security adviser John Bolton, citing Iran's "abuse of the ICJ," said the US would withdraw from the "optional protocol" under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

"We will commence a review of all international agreements that may still expose the US to purported binding jurisdiction dispute resolution in the International Court of Justice," Bolton said. Palestinians also brought a complaint against the US to the ICJ in September, challenging the Trump administration's decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The International Court of Justice ordered the US on Wednesday to lift any sanctions that affect goods required for "humanitarian needs" in Iran.

Tehran brought a complaint against the US in July, arguing that the US decision to pull out of the 2015 nuclear pact and re-impose sanctions violated the 1955 treaty.

Iran also said the US had violated the international nuclear agreement with its unilateral withdrawal in May, and that its re-imposed sanctions were so broad, that they are hurting ordinary Iranians.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif criticized the US decision to withdraw from the Treaty of Amity on Wednesday.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan has congratulated teachers on Teachers Day, Sahakyans office said.

Dear teachers,

On behalf of the Artsakh Republic authorities and on myself personally I extend the most heartfelt congratulations to you on your professional holiday, the Day of Teachers.

We are all aware of the challenging and at the same time crucial and demanding work teachers carry out, of the great efforts and vigor they put into that work, how much they strive to make sure that the generations to come are educated and well-bred, that they acquire thorough knowledge skills and competence to safeguard their worth place in life.

Dear teachers,

We are deeply grateful to you, appreciative of your patient and responsive attitude, your commitment, the long years of sowing care and warmth shown to your pupils. Your daily diligent work is highly commendable and deserves great respect.

The issues existing in the field of education and science have always been on the focus of the state. We do our best to ensure quality education for the children in Artsakh and provide our teachers with the opportunity to work in educational institutions conforming to modern standards. And that process will be of a continuous nature.

I would like to congratulate you once again and wish you peace, good health, success and all the best, the President of Artsakh said in his address, according to his office.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. A security guard fired a "warning shot" at an unknown man who tried to enter the eastern Pennsylvania compound of exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen -- an imam the Turkish government wants extradited -- on Wednesday morning, an organization tied to Gulen said, CNN reports.

The apparent intruder, who appeared to be armed, fled the area after the guard fired a warning shot into the air, the Alliance for Shared Values said in a statement.

State troopers went to Gulen's gated home in the eastern Pennsylvania community of Saylorsburg shortly before 9 a.m. after receiving a report about the gunfire, Pennsylvania State Police said.

Gulen, 77, has been living in self-imposed exile in Saylorsburg after leaving Turkey in 1999.

Turkey's government has accused Gulen, the leader of a popular movement called Hizmet, of organizing a failed 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- an allegation Gulen has denied.

"Troopers completed a search of the area and could not locate the unidentified person," and state police still are investigating, police said in a statement.

No injuries were reported, the Alliance for Shared Values said.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. Two days will be declared non-working days in Armenia within the framework of the upcoming La Francophonie summit in Yerevan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at todays Cabinet meeting.

We have presented a legislative initiative and we must request a special session of parliament to be convened tomorrow in order to declare two days non-working days on the occasion of the 17th La Francophonie summit. This requires certain legislative amendments, and essentially, since the volumes are very big and the conclusion, including from police, is that it would be better for these two days to be non working days, we will go in this direction, Pashinyan said, without specifying which exact days will be declared non-business days.

The La Francophonie events will take place October 7-12 in Yerevan. The summit will take place October 11-12.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is criminalizing the public calls of terror, terrorism funding and international terrorism, as well as public approvals or propaganda of terror crimes.

The bill was presented to the Cabinet today by Justice Minister Artak Zeynalyan.

He said that the law will envisage fines and jail terms up to three months for offenders. Imprisonment up to three years is also applicable, he said.

The bill was approved by the Cabinet and will be submitted to parliament.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. More than 50,000 people participated in the October 2 rally of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Police Chief of Armenia Valery Osipyan told reporters today.

He said that the rally was located in the Baghramyan Avenue, Demirchyan Street, and afterwards also in the park of the parliament building, after the gates were opened.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. Russia commends the positive trends which are noticed around the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing, according to TASS.

Now it is important to develop them [trends] and not to harm with careless rhetoric, which, unfortunately, has also taken place recently, she said.

We will provide all necessary assistance from our side to these positive trends, Zakharova said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. Member of Parliament Felix Tsolakyan says Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has offered him to serve as Minister of Emergency Situations, and he has accepted the offer.

Indeed, I got the offer. I accepted it, Tsolakyan told ARMENPRESS. He said he received the offer today.

Tsolakyan was elected Member of Parliament under the electoral list of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK). In June of 2018, he withdrew from the HHK faction.

From 1999 to 2003, Tsolakyan served as head of the presidential oversight service in the Kocharyan administration.

In the early 2000s he was the head of the tax service.

In 2007 he served as President Robert Kocharyans advisor. From 2013 to 2016 he was Governor of Shirak. From 2016 until being elected MP he was head of the presidential oversight service in the Sargsyan administration.

The former minister of emergency situations, Hrachya Rostomyan, was dismissed yesterday as part of the dismissal of Cabinet members representing the ARF and BHK.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia Sahak Karapetyan, who died in a helicopter crash in Russias Kostroma Oblast, was coordinating supervision for highly publisizied criminal investigations, including the Skripal case, a source has told Interfax.

The crash is currently under investigation.

The source told Interfax that the preliminary cause is believed to be a late evening collision with trees.

The Russian Prosecutor Generals Office has confirmed that Deputy Prosecutor General Sahak Karapetyan was on board the helicopter that crashed in Russias Kostroma Oblast.

We are aware of the situation. According to preliminary information Sahak Albertovich was among the passengers, a spokesperson for the Prosecutor Generals office told TASS.

The pilot and the passengers died in the crash. The bodies will undergo identification, he added.

According to London, former Russian military intelligence (GRU) Colonel Sergei Skripal, 66, who had been convicted in Russia of spying for Great Britain and later swapped for Russian intelligence officers, and his daughter Yulia, 33, suffered the effects of an alleged nerve agent in the British city of Salisbury on March 4. Claiming that the substance used in the attack had been a Novichok-class nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union, London rushed to accuse Russia of being involved in the incident. Moscow rejected all of the United Kingdoms accusations, saying that neither the Soviet Union nor Russia ever had any program aimed at developing such a substance.

On September 5, British Prime Minister Theresa May informed the countrys parliament about the conclusions that investigators looking into the Salisbury incident had come to, saying that two Russians, believed to be GRU agents, were suspected of conspiracy to murder the Skripals. According to May, the assassination attempt was approved at "a senior level of the Russian state." The Metropolitan Police published the suspects photos, saying their names were Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov.

In an interview with Russias RT TV channel released on September 13, Petrov and Boshirov said they had visited Great Britain for tourist purposes. According to them, they are businessmen not linked to the GRU and have nothing to do with the Skripal case.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, 4 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 4 October, USD exchange rate up by 0.80 drams to 485.06 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.52 drams to 557.67 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.07 drams to 7.32 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 0.32 drams to 629.51 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 23.60 drams to 18732.76 drams. Silver price up by 3.96 drams to 229.79 drams. Platinum price up by 83.67 drams to 12975.07 drams.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. By the decree of the President of Armenia Feliks Tsolakyan has been appointed Minister of Emergency Situations of Armenia, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Presidents Office.

From 1999 to 2003, Tsolakyan served as head of the presidential oversight service in the Kocharyan administration.

In the early 2000s he was the head of the tax service.

In 2007 he served as President Robert Kocharyans advisor. From 2013 to 2016 he was Governor of Shirak. From 2016 until being elected MP he was head of the presidential oversight service in the Sargsyan administration.

Tsolakyan was elected Member of Parliament under the electoral list of the Republican Party of Armenia. In June of 2018, he withdrew from the RPA faction after voting in favor of Nikol Pashinyan on May 1. He was the only Republican MP to do so. A week later, on May 8, Pashinyan was elected Prime Minister in the 2nd round.

The former minister of emergency situations, Hrachya Rostomyan, was dismissed yesterday as part of the dismissal of Cabinet members representing the ARF and Prosperous Armenia.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
Drone boats filled with explosives have reportedly been used to launch attacks against Saudi Arabia at sea.

On Sunday, the Saudi Royal Navy said it intercepted two boats laden with explosives travelling toward the country's major port of Jazan, located north of Yemen.

And on Tuesday, Saudi border guards said they rescued a Saudi fishing boat that came under fire from unknown attackers while in Gulf waters.

Experts have expressed concern over the Yemeni rebel group having access to this remote type of weaponry.

Drone-controlled boats filled with explosives were reportedly used in at least one attempted attack on Saudi Arabia this week.

Colonel Turki Al-Maliki, the spokesman for the Arab coalition in Yemen, claimed that the Saudi Royal Navy intercepted two boats laden with explosives travelling toward the major port of Jazan, directly north of the country's border with Yemen.

Al-Malaki said the Navy spotted two boats approaching the port on Sunday morning that appeared to be remotely controlled. The boats, reportedly operated by the Houthi group in Yemen, were destroyed and caused only minor material damage.

He warned that coalition forces "will strike with iron fist all those involved in acts of terrorism."

"Those hostile acts will not go by without holding the ones executing, plotting and planning them accountable for their actions."

On Tuesday, Saudi border guards said they rescued a Saudi fishing boat that came under fire from unknown attackers while in Gulf waters, according to Al Arabiya. Border guards said that three fishermen on board were being treated for injuries, and an investigation into the origin of attack was underway.

Over the last year, regional forces reportedly intercepted several drone boat attacks.

In January 2017, Houthi forces struck a Saudi warship using a remote-controlled boat. And in April 2017, Houthi forces attempted to blow up a Saudi Aramco fuel terminal and distribution station in Jazan using a high-speed boat rigged with explosives.

Story continues

Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan, commander of the Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet, told Defence News last year that there is concern over the Yemeni rebel group having access to this remote type of weaponry.

"That's not an easy thing to develop," he said. "There's clearly support there coming from others, so that's problematic," pointing to production support of the mobile weapons by Iran.

He added that explosive boats create a new category of self-destructive attacks.

"You don't need suicide attackers to do a suicide-like attack."

"So it makes that kind of weaponry, which would normally take someone suicidal to use, now able to be used by someone who's not going to martyr themselves."
An Adelaide woman has been struck down with meningococcal disease, just one day after a two-year-old boy was admitted to hospital in a serious condition.

The 29-year-old from metropolitan Adelaide was admitted to hospital on Thursday in a stable condition.

The strain has not yet been identified.

SA Health has identified multiple people who had contact with the patient and four close contacts have been directed to receive clearance antibiotics.

BREAKING: Theres been another case of meningococcal in SA with a 29 year old woman struck down with the disease. #7News pic.twitter.com/kaJ2YuKEMX  Mark Mooney (@MarkMooney7) October 4, 2018

Meanwhile the two-year-old remains in a serious condition in hospital. His strain of meningococcal its not yet known, the department says.

Two dozen cases of invasive meningococcal have been recorded in South Adelaide so far this year compared to 31 cases in the same period the previous year.

It comes after the SA governments free meningococcal B vaccinations program for children aged between six months to under four years started on Monday.

More to come.
An emotional Alvaro Morata snapped his recent goal drought to secure a 1-0 win for Chelsea over Hungarian champions Vidi in the Europa League on Thursday, as Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 victory away to Qarabag in Azerbaijan. Spain striker Morata, without a goal since August 18, wasted a terrific chance in the first half at Stamford Bridge but atoned with a sharp finish on 70 minutes to put Chelsea ahead. Substitute Ross Barkley also headed against the crossbar, while Kepa Arrizabalaga -- the world's most expensive goalkeeper -- produced an excellent save to deny Istvan Kovacs a late equaliser. "If after a goal he wants to cry, I hope to see him cry very often," Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri said of Morata, who scored for just the second time in 10 outings this season. "It's very important for him to score. I think it's very important for him to play a very good match. He played a very good match." Chelsea head Group L with a maximum six points with PAOK -- 4-1 winners over BATE Borisov -- level on three points alongside the Belarusian champions. In Baku, Sokratis bundled in a Nacho Monreal header on four minutes, with Arsenal academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe and French youngster Matteo Guendouzi also scoring their first goals for the club. The Gunners extended their winning run to eight matches and lead Sporting Lisbon on goal difference at the top of Group E, after the Portuguese side snatched a 2-1 win in Ukraine with two late goals against Vorskla Poltava. "It was a difficult game. Every match is important for us. We played an away game against a strong opponent," said Arsenal boss Unai Emery. "Qarabag is an ambitious team and we had to try a lot today. However, in the end, the desired result was achieved." Arsenal's Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan did not make the trip to Azerbaijan due to diplomatic tensions between the country and his homeland. - Contrasting fortunes for Old Firm rivals - Celtic slumped to a 3-1 defeat against Red Bull Salzburg despite taking the lead in Austria. Odsonne Edouard struck after just two minutes, but a brace from Munas Dabbur and a goal from Japanese forward Takumi Minamino gave Salzburg a second win in two Group B matches. Celtic lost James Forrest to a straight red card after he upended Andreas Ulmer in the area, with Dabbur converting the resulting penalty to condemn Brendan Rodgers' side. Seven-time European champions AC Milan recovered from a goal down at home to Olympiakos to claim a 3-1 victory in Group F, as Patrick Cutrone scored twice either side of a Gonzalo Higuain effort. Steven Gerrard's Rangers overcame Rapid Vienna 3-1 at Ibrox as Alfredo Morelos netted twice and James Tavernier scored from the spot after the hosts fell behind to a Veton Berisha effort. "I have been blown away by my players' performance," Gerrard told BT Sport. "The level was well deserving of the Europa League, and if we perform like that in our next two home games we'll get out of this group. That's the best we've played." Last year's runners-up Marseille threw away a two-goal lead in Cyprus and were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Apollon Limassol. Goals by Dimitri Payet and Luiz Gustavo put the French club in control, but Sasa Markovic pulled one back before Emilio Zelaya fired home in stoppage time. Five-time winners Sevilla suffered a 2-1 defeat at Krasnodar as Tornike Okriashvili hit an 88th-minute winner for the Russians, while Eintracht Frankfurt beat nine-man Lazio 4-1. Santi Cazorla scored his first goal in over two years as he tucked away a 96th-minute penalty to snatch a 3-3 draw for Villarreal away to Spartak Moscow. The 77-times capped Spanish international, who is now 33, suffered a serious Achilles injury playing for Arsenal in the Champions League in October 2016. After eight operations, the little attacking midfielder suffered a serious infection in the tendon that almost led to an amputation. But he fought back and recently returned to Villarreal, seven years after his departure for Malaga. Alvaro Morata scored for just the second time in 10 matches for Chelsea this season A trio of firsts: Matteo Guendouzi was one of three players to score their maiden Arsenal goal on Thursday Steven Gerrard was delighted with Rangers' performance as they took over top spot in Group G
Bahrain on Thursday announced a fiscal overhaul aimed at balancing its budget by 2022, backed up by a $10-billion support package from key Gulf allies. The plan aims to save 800 million Bahraini dinars ($2.1 billion, 1.84 billion euros) annually, the government said, as the kingdom looks to curb its debt after years of lower oil prices. Neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have agreed a package worth $10 billion to "support the funding requirements", a Bahraini government statement said. The reform programme includes cutting public expenditure and government waste, voluntary retirements for government workers and "redirecting" state subsidies. The authorities said they are also looking to increase "non-oil revenues, to drive economic growth, diversify government income streams and align non-oil revenue with positive economic growth". Khalid al-Rumaihi, executive director of Bahrain's Economic Development Board, said the country requires $20 billion to balance its books and that the government will provide half of that figure. Bahrain's budget deficit is expected to reach $3.5 billion in 2018, after hitting about $5 billion in 2017. Located between rival regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran, Bahrain has been ruled for more than two centuries by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty. Saudi Arabia has been a major supporter and in 2011 sent in forces along with the UAE to help protect Bahrain's rulers against protests by the Shiite majority. The Bahraini capital Manama, pictured on February 10, 2016
Mosammat Rekha's older cousins grew up unable to read and write, their tiny village so frequently cut off from the nearest school by floods that would rise suddenly in their remote corner of disaster-prone Bangladesh. But seven-year-old Mosammat is learning her ABCs aboard a boat fitted with a classroom and play equipment that is helping children thrive even as climate change alters the world around them. "We can attend classes even during the rainy season, when our homes are barely above water," the seven-year-old told AFP aboard the vessel in Chalan Beel, some 175 kilometres (around 110 miles) northwest of Dhaka. Climate change is already taking its toll across Bangladesh, a densely populated and impoverished country the United Nations has identified as among the most vulnerable to a warming planet. Millions in the low-lying nation are being forced to adapt to overflowing rivers, rising seas and increasingly extreme weather in a country frequented by destructive storms and cyclones. Twenty million people there could be made "climate refugees" by the end of the century, a UN panel has warned, turfed out of their homes as rivers swallow towns and seas encroach on coastal communities. In villages like Kalidaskhali on the banks of the Padma River, these forces are already reshaping lives by the hour. As much as five metres (16 feet) of riverbank can disappear in a single day, consuming everything in its path, local government official Azizul Azam told AFP. More than 9,000 people have been displaced by the Padma in just five years, as the main tributary of the Ganges encroaches further and further inland. "Today my backyard is gone. I had a cowshed over there... now it is just water," said Rukaiya Khatun, watching helplessly as chunks of earth disappeared into the turbid water inching towards her home. "The Padma has devoured everything." River erosion -- though long a phenomenon in the delta nation -- is rapidly accelerating due to climate change, said Atiq Rahman, a member of a Nobel Peace Prize-winning UN climate panel. A warming planet has made monsoon rainfall more unpredictable across Bangladesh and melted Himalayan glaciers to the north, turbocharging the waterways that criss-cross the country. Many have struggled to adapt as the river has turned, in the words of one villager, "wild and furious". - Full steam ahead - But elsewhere, local ingenuity is finding ways around the turbulent and unpredictable forces of nature. Students at BRAC University in Dhaka last month unveiled a model for a floating bamboo home, one that could survive a flood or be easily relocated elsewhere in case of inundation. In Chalan Beel, floating schools chug along rivers and lakes swollen by floods, bringing education to students long denied a chance to learn in one of Bangladesh's poorest locations. "Now, they have year-round education," said Mohammad Rezwan, head of the Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha charity that runs the pioneering project. Today they run more than 20 "floating schools" in the Chalan Beel area. Other charities have replicated the idea in different parts of Bangladesh, where the world's largest river delta empties into the Bay of Bengal. Smaller models are equipped with desks, libraries and blackboards while more elaborate, twin-storey designs also boast slippery slides, monkey bars and swing sets for playtime. Children even learn to use laptop computers, all powered by banks of solar panels atop the boats. At night, once school is over, adults come aboard to learn new techniques for farming in an extreme climate. Rezwan said farmers were being taught how to plant flood-resistant crops in floating seed beds, a possible lifeline for rural communities who can lose a year's harvest when the waters suddenly rise. Bangladesh has invested more than $400 million into a new special agency for adaptation projects, including flood embankments, floating farm technology and mobile water-purification stations. "It shows how seriously we are taking this," said Mukhlesur Rahman Sarker, deputy chief of the government's Bangladesh Climate Change Trust, of the new fund. Simple local innovations have changed lives in a generation in Chalan Beel. Mosammat Jharna, a mother of two, spent her youth hemmed in on all sides by water as unpredictable storm surges and fast-rising floods made walking to the nearest school impossible. She now beams at the floating school anchored near her home -- a symbol of hope for her children, no matter how the landscape changes in the future. "My dream of educating my children, including my daughter, has come true," she told AFP. "I don't want to see them end up illiterate like me." Bangladeshi students at a floating school operated by the Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha (SSS) charity in Chalan Beel -- one of a range of initiatives to adapt to the challenges brought on by climate change In Chalan Beel, more than 20 floating schools chug along rivers and lakes swollen by floods, bringing education to students long denied a chance to learn in one of Bangladesh's poorest locations More than 9,000 people have been displaced by the Padma river in just five years, as the main tributary of the Ganges encroaches further and further inland River erosion -- though long a phenomenon in the delta nation -- is rapidly accelerating due to climate change, experts say The more elaborate floating schools are twin-storey designs boasting slides, monkey bars and swing sets for playtime, while banks of solar panels atop the boats power the school?s laptop computers A man walks through the remains of a home next to the eroding banks of the Padma river in Bangladesh's Rajshahi district
Western powers have accused Russia of orchestrating a string of global cyber attacks including a bungled plot to hack the world's chemical weapons watchdog in The Netherlands. The United States indicted seven alleged Russian members of the GRU military intelligence agency Thursday for targeting the Hague-based OPCW, the US Democratic Party, world sports bodies and US nuclear energy company Westinghouse. The charges came as part of a coordinated pushback by allies Britain, The Netherlands, Canada and the US against a series of hacking attempts by what London dubbed "pariah state" Russia. Russia scathingly accused the West of "spy mania", with the Russian foreign office describing the accusations as "propaganda". In scenes reminiscent of a Cold War spy novel, Dutch security services said Thursday they had expelled four Russian GRU agents in April after they attempted a cyber attack on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons from a car parked nearby. The OPCW was at the time probing the nerve agent poisoning of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal in Britain and an alleged chemical attack on the Syrian town of Douma by the Moscow-backed regime in Damascus. The Dutch and British prime ministers Mark Rutte and Theresa May in a joint statement accused the GRU of "disregard for global values" and lashed out at the Russian agency's "unacceptable cyber activities". - Hidden antenna - The Russians were tracked by Dutch and British secret services from their arrival in Amsterdam on diplomatic passports in April, and were then seen hiring a Citroen car which they parked outside the Marriott hotel next to the OPCW. When Dutch agents swooped on April 13 they found electronic equipment in the boot and back of the car to intercept the OPCW's wifi and login codes, including a hidden antenna facing the chemical weapons watchdog. Marriott manager Vincent Pahlplatz told AFP there was "no James Bond involved" and the Russians had been arrested without force as they emerged from a lift into the hotel lobby. Investigations found the Russians had originally taken a taxi from GRU barracks in Moscow to the airport, for which Dutch agents later found a receipt from their hotel. Some of their mobile phones were also activated in Moscow near the agency's headquarters. "They were clearly not here on holiday," said the head of the Dutch MIVD intelligence service, Major-General Onno Eichelsheim. A laptop belonging to one of the four was linked to Brazil, Switzerland and Malaysia -- while the activities in Malaysia were related to the investigation into the 2014 shooting down of flight MH17 over Ukraine. It was also revealed that the agents had made searches for the OPCW-affiliated Spiez laboratory in Switzerland -- which the Swiss last month said had been targeted by Russia. Dutch authorities released the Russian diplomatic passports of the men identifying them as Oleg Sotnikov, Alexei Morenets, Alexei Minin and Yevgeny Serebryakov. They also showed photos of the men outside the hotel. Rutte said the "unusual and powerful" step of releasing details of an intelligence sting was taken to bring Russia to account. "It is impossible for them to deny what has come out," the Dutch PM told broadcaster NOS. The OPCW confirmed it had suffered "increased cyber-related activities" since the beginning of the year and had "undertaken measures to mitigate them". - 'Pariah state' - The four Russians allegedly involved in the OPCW attack were included in the list of seven men indicted by the US Justice Department. John Demers, US Assistant Attorney General for National Security, confirmed that known attack targets included the OPCW, football body FIFA, the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and Westinghouse. Demers said the operations dating back to 2014 "involved sophisticated, persistent and unauthorised access into the victims' computer networks". The case also overlaps with US Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian election meddling, with three of the men targeted on Thursday having featured in an earlier indictment on interference in the US polls. US intelligence says the GRU conducted the 2016 Democratic Party hack in an effort to help Donald Trump win the presidency. Canada confirmed Thursday it believes itself to have been targeted by Russian cyber attacks, citing breaches at its centre for ethics in sports and at the Montreal-based WADA. Britain and Australia had just hours earlier pointed the blame directly at alleged GRU front operations such as Fancy Bear and APT 28 for the same string of worldwide attacks. The West's coordinated response also saw NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warning Russia to halt its "reckless" behaviour and the European Union condemning "aggressive" Russian spying. France separately denounced the attacks as "serious and worrying". British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said that these were "not the actions of a great power, this is the actions of a pariah state". - 'Spy mania' - Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the allegations had been mixed together "indiscriminately". "That's a hell of a mix for a perfume," she told reporters. London has accused two GRU officers of poisoning former double-agent Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in March, using a perfume bottle containing the powerful nerve agent Novichok. A Russian foreign ministry representative told AFP separately: "Western spy mania is gathering pace." GRU stands for the Main Intelligence Directorate, one of Moscow's three spy agencies along with the FSB security service and the SVR foreign intelligence agency. burs-dk/dcr/kaf Alleged Russian agents stand in a parking lot near the OPCW in The Hague in April Map and details of the equipment used in a thwarted cyber attack on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the Hague. US Justice Department indictments of Russian military intelligence allege cyber attacks on the global chemical weapons watchdog, sports bodies and US nuclear energy company Westinghouse Four suspected Russian agents are shown arriving from Moscow at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on April 10, 2018, as shown in this Dutch Defense Ministry handout photo Russian agents tried to launch a cyber attack on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) building in The Hague, but were thwarted, Dutch security officials said Hacking equipment that four suspected Russian intelligence officers used for a cyber attack on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague
"It was horrible, you have no idea," says Abdoulaye, 23, whose village in northern Cameroon was overrun by Boko Haram in 2015. Abdoulaye now wanders the streets of the district capital Mora selling small items. He used to live in Kerawa, a village that was often targeted by fighters from the Nigeria-based Islamist group until army patrols were stepped up, ushering in a return to normality. Despite not having any identity papers after fleeing and therefore being unable to vote, Aboulaye vocally supports President Paul Biya, who will seek a seventh term at polls on Sunday. A poster in Biya's signature blue adorns the trolley he uses to transport his wares, and Aboulaye argues passionately that a vote for Biya is a vote "to expel Boko Haram from the far north region". Home to more than 1.2 million of Cameroon's 6.6 million voters, the far north is the country's most populous yet poorest region -- a strategic target for Biya. Days ahead of the vote, the Elecam electoral commission sought to reassure voters in the region that "there will be a polling station in each community, as planned", according to the organisation's regional chief Amadou Ali. Though the suicide bombers who once terrorised the region are gone, low-key attacks happen almost daily. In September a convoy of the military's rapid reaction force was targeted not far from Achmide, on the Nigerian border. - 'Isn't a day without an attack' - Other sporadic attacks, including looting of shops and food stores, are frequent blights on daily life. "The truth is that there isn't a day without an attack," said one prominent figure in the region. "The far north is safe," responded a senior officer based in Mora. "No polling station will be relocated," said Ali, the Elecam boss of the region's planned 4,062 polling stations. Two other members of the election organising body said however that some polling stations in "danger zones" would be "regrouped" to "protect them from attack". Election candidates of all political stripes have headed to the provincial capital Maroua, taking heed of the region's electoral importance. Biya, who has ruled Cameroon for 35 years, spent several hours in the town on Saturday. During the campaign rally, parliament speaker Djibril Cavaye Yeguie, who is from the region, said that "100 percent" of the area's voters would back Biya. Joshua Osih, tha main opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) party candidate, held a rally on Friday. Cabral Libii, Garga Haman Adji and Maurice Kamto also made pit-stops in the town. - 'More pressing problems' - The far north remains a crucial factor in deciding the election, added the prominent figure who declined to be named. "The population is poor and easily manipulated," said a social sciences researcher in Maroua who alleged that "here, you can buy a vote from someone poor for 2,000 CFA francs (3 euros, $3.50)". In the far north, 74 percent of people live below the poverty line compared with 37.5 percent nationally, according to the International Crisis Groups (ICG) think-tank. Biya's ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) has allegedly been handing out cash incentives ahead of Sunday's vote. "Unlike the rest of the country there's no one here to take control so there's always a risk of fraud," the researcher said. Elecam also published a list of some 50 polling stations that were difficult to access because they were near "impassable roads", "flood zones" or "rugged terrain". The researcher said that the absence of observers in some areas could lead to ballot stuffing. Everyone interviewed in the region said that, after four years of conflict, they preferred to concentrate on "more pressing problems" than politics. Abdoulaye dreams of making enough to pay for his sick mother's care and to resume his studies. The conflict forced him to curtail his education before graduating from high school. He is now asking, "Will Biya enable me to do that?" With more than 1.2 million of Cameroon's 6.6 million voters, the far north is the country's most populous yet poorest region -- a strategic target in this weekend's vote President Paul Biya will seek a seventh term at polls on Sunday Sporadic attacks, including looting of shops and food stores, are frequent blights on daily life in Cameroon's far north President of Cameroon Paul Biya (R) has ruled the country for 35 years In the far north, 74 percent of people live below the poverty line compared with 37.5 percent nationally Biya's rulingCameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) has allegedly been handing out cash incentives ahead of Sunday's vote
Santiago Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati on Wednesday went before a prosecutor investigating a sex abuse scandal that has roiled the Catholic Church in Chile but declined to answer questions about accusations he was involved in a cover-up. The Catholic Church is under increasing scrutiny because of the escalating worldwide sex abuse crisis, which has seen scandals emerge in North and South America, Europe and Australia that have involved widespread claims of abuse -- and cover-ups. The highest-ranking member of the church in Chile, Ezzati entered the prosecutor's offices in the southern town of Rancagua under heavy police guard and surrounded by media. A solitary protester brandished a sign that read: "Depraved Roman Church." After an hour being interviewed by Emilio Arias -- the prosecutor investigating decades of sexual abuse of minors by Chilean priests -- 76-year-old Ezzati left the courthouse saying: "We are all going to collaborate with everything." - No answers - Hugo Rivera, his lawyer, said the cardinal had used his right not to answer questions about accusations he covered up the sexual abuse of minors, in particular crimes committed by a top diocesan aide. "For now the cardinal has not spoken until we speak with the public prosecutor's office about the definitive dismissal" of the charges, the lawyer said. He insisted the cardinal "is innocent." Arias began investigating scores of abuse cases in July after outrage over the church's own probe into decades of abuse by priests -- crimes for which it often failed to take any action or handed down lenient punishments. Pope Francis, who has removed several Chilean bishops over the scandal, admitted there was a "culture of abuse" within the Chilean church after sending investigators from the Vatican. The pontiff said after meeting abuse victims that the church had failed "to listen and react" to the allegations, and vowed to "restore justice." Arias' office said in August that it was investigating 119 cases of abuse against Chile's clergy going back to 1960. "We are going to prosecute anyone who has committed crimes," Arias told reporters after questioning Ezzati. "There is no witch hunt," he said. "If there is a crime, we will prosecute... we will accuse and go to trial," he said. Ezzati has denied allegations that he covered up cases of abuse, including those of a top aide, Oscar Munoz. Munoz, 56, is under house arrest while a probe continues into allegations he raped at least seven children. Abuse victim Juan Carlos Cruz mocked Ezzati's stance on Twitter. - 'Coward Ezzati'- "The coward Ezzati goes to testify as an accused and decides not to speak so as not to incriminate himself," said Cruz, one of the victims of the most notorious pedophile priest, Fernando Karadima. Karadima, once a revered Chilean cleric, was formally expelled from the church by Pope Francis last Friday. Francis caused an uproar during a visit to Chile in January when he went out of his way to defend controversial bishop Juan Barros, a protege of Karadima's who was accused of covering up his crimes. Francis had appointed Barros as bishop in 2015 when the allegations against him were common knowledge in Chile. Francis subsequently apologized, and accepted Barros' resignation in June. Ezzati is now in the eye of the storm. In September, he was forced to sit out the traditional showpiece mass in Santiago Cathedral to celebrate Chile's Independence Day. And this week, Chile's church was criticized by victims' groups for publishing a manual on its website -- meant to provide guidelines for priests for interacting with children -- which instructed them not to "touch the genitals" or "sleep with" children, give massages -- or kiss children, adolescents or vulnerable people "on the mouth." The instructions were signed by Ezzati. Victims' groups said it was outrageous that priests had to be instructed that touching a child's genitals was wrong. Ezzati later removed the manual from the website. Chile's conservative President Sebastian Pinera is due to have talks with the pope during a visit to the Vatican on October 13. The Archbishop of Santiago, Ricardo Ezzati, arrives for questioning at the offices of the prosecutor investigating Chile's vast sex abuse scandal, in Rancagua, Chile Chilean public prosecutor Emiliano Arias speaks to the press after questioning Santiago Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati over allegations he covered up the sexual abuse of minors
Cyprus decided Wednesday to invite energy giants Total, Eni and ExxonMobil to bid for a license to explore for oil and gas in a new offshore block, officials said. The cabinet agreed to allow firms already licensed to exploit oil and gas in the Mediterranean island's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to bid for exploration rights in an area known as Block 7. That makes the US giant ExxonMobil, France's Total and Italy's ENI all eligible to bid, with a month to do so. Cypriot Energy Minister George Lakkotrypis said Nicosia had made the move due to "very specific geological reasons" related to a discovery in an adjacent block, announced by ENI in February. Cyprus has pushed ahead with exploring for offshore energy resources despite the collapse in 2017 of talks to end the country's decades-long division. That has angered neighbouring Turkey, which has had troops stationed on the island since 1974, when it invaded and occupied the northern third of Cyprus in response to a coup sponsored by the military junta then ruling Greece. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned foreign energy companies not to "overstep the mark" in disputed waters off the Cypriot coast. Texas-based Noble Energy in 2011 made the first discovery off Cyprus in the Aphrodite block, estimated to contain around 4.5 trillion cubic feet of gas. The discovery of Egypt's huge nearby Zohr offshore reservoir in 2015 has stoked speculation that Cypriot waters hold similar riches. Cyprus aims for natural gas to start flowing to a liquefied natural gas facility in Egypt by 2022. Oil pipes extend from the southern Cypriot village of Zygi towards the oil storage terminal at the port of Vasilikos in the coastal town of Mari
Indonesia's disaster agency spokesman is fighting a daily battle to update the world 24/7 on the latest developments in a deadly quake-tsunami, despite his own impending date with death from terminal cancer. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, known affectionately as Pak Topo (Mr Topo), is the face of the government's communication efforts to get word out on the devastating crisis on Sulawesi island that has killed over 1,400 people. The 48-year-old refuses to pass the torch, dragging himself to daily press briefings, taking reporters' calls and communicating on social media at a frantic pace, even as he "feels weaker every day" from Stage IV lung cancer. "I can't lie about my physical condition --- the cancer has spread to other parts of my body and it's weakened my body," he said in a heart-wrenching message to reporters on social media this week. "I apologise if I cannot respond to every question from journalists, my friends. If I was healthy, I would surely do it no matter what." Pale and visibly thinner, Nugroho got the grim news in January that he was dying and might have as little as a year to live. Nugroho has reportedly promised his wife to slow down his work schedule but he is showing few signs of easing up in a job that has made him a household name in disaster-prone Indonesia. He managed to get out a 200-word update on a deadly landslide back in February from his hospital bed, local media reported. Then in August, he was sending out reports on a deadly quake disaster on Lombok island, next to Bali, minutes after finishing a chemotherapy session. Nugroho, who has a doctorate in natural resources and the environment, took the job eight years ago in a bid to combine his education with a love of writing, he told the Jakarta Post earlier this year. "Doctors told me that with chemotherapy and radiation, I probably have one to three years left," he was quoted as saying. "Illness or death is in God's hands, but while I'm still alive I still want to do my best to serve others." Nugroho got the grim newsin January that he was dying and might have as little as a year to live His job has made him a household name in disaster-prone Indonesia The devastating crisis on Sulawesi island has killed over 1,400 people The monster earthquake sent destructive waves barrelling into Sulawesi island
With its pristine waters, snow-covered mountains and breathtaking Alpine views, the Austrian lakeside town of Zell am See is one of the top European destinations for visitors from the Gulf region. And it aims to remain so, even though Austria introduced a ban on face-covering burqa or niqab veils a year ago. The picturesque little town south of Salzburg with a population of 10,000 is regularly described as "paradise" in Arabic-language reviews online. It draws tens of thousands of visitors from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates or Oman every year. They make up more than a quarter of all annual visitors and holiday brochures are readily available in Arabic. So when Austria banned the wearing of burqas or niqabs in all public spaces in October 2017 -- under pain of fines of up to 150 euros ($170) -- the town's authorities knew that enforcing the rule could be a delicate matter. The aim of the ban, according to the government, is to further integration among Austrian Muslims at a time when fears about immigration and radical Islamists are sharply dividing society. But in resorts such as Zell am See, police are having to enforce it against tourists, fuelling fears that the high-spending Arab guests, and the valuable revenue they represent, might be scared off. - Penalties - "I've heard some people say they don't want to come back now," said one restaurant worker who asked not to be named, even if he said hadn't particularly noticed a drop in business this year. Local police chief Kurt Moeschl said more than 200 fines had been handed out between June and September alone. But his officers were always at pains to remain respectful. "We have been trying to implement the law with as much tact and sense of proportion as possible," he said. Austrian embassies and missions abroad had been working to raise awareness of the new law, Moeschl said. And the police chief himself had hosted the Saudi ambassador in Zell am See to discuss the issue. Moeschl estimated that in around 90 percent of cases, the women had agreed to remove their veil after police officers explained the new law to them. Walking along the lakeside, one couple from Saudi Arabia -- who did not wish to be named -- said they had been approached by police during their stay. "Yes, the police did talk to us about the niqab law. But we are leaving tomorrow," the husband said, as his wife, still wearing the veil, stood beside him. - 'Do your job' - A little farther along the shore, Barbara Scheicher, who operates a boat-rental business, said the law had not had a noticeable impact. "I haven't noticed any difference, either in the number [of people] coming, or in how many of them are veiled," she told AFP. "I asked one woman whether she knew it was illegal, but she reacted so badly that since then I haven't. I've seen the same reaction when the police have tried to tell people," Scheicher said. Police chief Moeschl said his officers had also encountered locals and even other holidaymakers who insisted that women's veils be forcibly removed. One Norwegian tourist, for example, went so far as to send the police photos of niqab-wearing women at various locations around the town, complete with the times they were taken, and the message: "Do your job". Moeschl insisted that most interactions passed off without incident and that his officers followed interior ministry guidelines. And he is optimistic that, over time, the situation will become easier. "I expect that in a few years from now, this won't be an issue." Zell am See, a picturesque little town south of Salzburg with a population of 10,000, is regularly described as 'paradise' in Arabic-language reviews online visitors from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates or Oman make up for more than a quarter of the town's annual visitors and holiday brochures are readily available in Arabic Local police chief Kurt Moeschl said more than 200 fines had been handed out between June and September alone Moeschl estimated that in around 90 percent of cases, the women had agreed to remove their veil after police officers explained the new law to them
A family returning from a holiday has left their five-year-old daughter at the airport on their return.

In scenes reminiscent of the Home Alone movie franchise, the young girl was left stranded at Stuttgart Airport, one of Germanys busiest airports, located in the nations southwest on Monday.

According to Stuttgart police, several people witnessed the five-year-old girl walking aimlessly around all by herself in the airports arrival hall.

Despite multiple announcements via the airports intercom system, no parents arrived at the information desk to pick up their lost daughter.

The young girl was left alone at Stuttgart airport following a mix-up between her parents. Source: Getty, file.

After officers brought the unfortunate child to the police station, they received a phone call from her worried mother.

She explained that the family had come back from their holiday abroad and resumed their journey home in two different cars.

According to the police, both parents assumed that the other had taken the daughter in the other car.

The five-year-old was eventually safely picked up by her father, a police spokesperson said.

Members of the public said they saw the five-year-old roaming aimlessly around the airport, pictured. Source: Australscope/ CEN

The unusual situation reminded many online of the Christmas classic Home Alone, in which Macaulay Culkin plays the role of lost child Kevin McCallister.

In the first Home Alone film, Kevins parents fly to Paris without realising their son is still at home in Chicago, while in Home Alone 2 Kevin accidentally boards the wrong flight and ends up in New York all alone when his family members lose sight of who is actually accompanying him.

Honey, are the children with you? A simple and self-explanatory sentence! one comment on social media read.

This can happen to any mother who knows how lively children can be. People who have no children should not have a say here. No mother does this deliberately, another said in defence of the parents.

Thankfully the child wasnt as adventurous as a seven-year-old girl who last year boarded a flight in Geneva despite not having a ticket.

With Australscope
French authorities helicoptered a Slovenian she-bear into the Pyrenees mountains on Thursday, despite an all-night protest by furious local farmers who fear she will eat their sheep. One female bear "in perfect health" was released Thursday morning, to be joined soon by a second, the environment ministry told AFP. "We saw the helicopter over Etsaut. It was hovering and let down a cage," said Olivier Maurin, a local sheep farmer and organiser of the anti-bear protest. The latest skirmish in the "bear war" comes as Environment Minister Francois de Rugy insisted the government would not back down in its bid to boost biodiversity by reintroducing bears to the area. Around 40 brown bears currently roam the range between France and Spain after France began importing them from Slovenia in 1996. The native population had been hunted to near-extinction. The government recently announced that two more Slovenian females would be released into the western Pyrenees, home to two males, in a bid to increase their numbers. Environmental activists say the bears are integral to preserving a fragile ecosystem, and are emblematic of a government plan announced in July to shore up biodiversity, which is under threat from human activity and climate change. Standing behind bales of hay and tractors, protesters had spent the night manning roadblocks in a bid to stop them being trucked in, wielding their shepherding staffs. "It's war," said large letters daubed in white paint across the road. Maurin said the farmers would spread out through the woods making noise in a bid to scare the bears away from their sheep and other livestock. - Local mayor 'outlaws' bears - Speaking on France Info radio, de Rugy condemned "the unacceptable attitude" of those "who feel entitled to set up roadblocks and threaten me with guns". Jean-Pierre Chourrout-Pourtalet, the mayor of the small town of Sarrance who joined farmers at one of their roadblocks, pledged to run the bears off the land. "I have enacted a bylaw outlawing bears and wolves from within municipal borders and I am duty-bound to see the law enforced," he said. But not all locals oppose the bears. They "have always been here, we have always lived side by side. You never see them and it doesn't affect our lives," Elise Thebault, a sheep farmer from Etsaut, told AFP. The government compensates farmers for any livestock deaths from bear attacks, though that has failed to ease their ire. They point to an incident in July 2017 when more than 200 sheep died after running over a cliff while being chased by a bear. The Ariege stretch of the Pyrenees has seen a doubling of bear attacks over the last two years to more than 230 so far in 2018, a local farmers' union complained in August. Breeders in the area have lost at least 372 livestock so far this year, the union said. Farmers in France are angry at the introduction of brown bears, similar to this one pictured in a French wildlife park in 2018 Breeders in the French Pyrenees set up road blocks to check lorries travelling into the Asp Valley, but the bears are being flown in by helicopters In an earlier protest against the bears, farmers in the French Pyrenees scattered the bloody remains of a sheep in front of a local town hall
Peru's ex-president Alberto Fujimori said from his hospital bed Thursday that a return to prison would be a "death sentence," the day after a court revoked a pardon for crimes against humanity. Fujimori, 80, addressed a plea to Peru's President Martin Vizcarra and the South American country's judiciary in a video recorded at his bedside. "Please do not kill me. If I return to prison my heart will not support it. It is too weak to go through the same thing again. Don't sentence me to death. I can give no more." A court on Wednesday annulled a presidential pardon for Fujimori, ending more than nine months of freedom granted under the shock pardon issued by a previous president in December. However, immediately after his re-arrest Fujimori was admitted to a clinic with heart problems. His doctor, Alejandro Aguinaga, told reporters he experienced a drop in blood pressure and an accelerated heart beat -- the same problems for which he has been hospitalized in the past. "He is already considered a prisoner," Interior Minister Mauro Medina told Chile's RPP radio. "He is expected to leave the clinic to take him to the penitentiary," the minister said. Fujimori, a Peruvian of Japanese descent, has been living in Lima but has been hospitalized four times since his release last December. His daughter Keiko Fujimori, leader of the main opposition Popular Force party, described the court's decision on Wednesday as "inhuman" and "unjust". "Today is the saddest day of our lives. It's painful," said Keiko, who is seen by many Peruvians as the heir to Fujimori's political dynasty. - Questionable pardon - Fujimori was pardoned last December on humanitarian grounds, but critics said the move was in exchange for Fujimori's son helping then-president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski avoid impeachment. Fujimori was 12 years into a 25-year jail sentence handed down for ordering two massacres by death squads between 1991 and 1992. He had ruled Peru with an iron fist between 1990 and 2000. Victims of Fujimori's crackdown had petitioned the Inter-American Court to demand a judicial review of the process that led to the pardon. The charge of crimes against humanity stemmed in part from the killings or disappearances of scores of civilians -- allegedly by a shadowy squad of military officers -- during Peru's bloody struggle against Maoist rebels. The ex-ruler is revered and despised in equal measure in Peru. Admirers laud him for dragging the country's economy into the modern era and defeating the Shining Path guerrilla movement. "bur-fj/cd/db/it Policemen stand guard outside the Centenario Clinic in Lima on October 4, 2018, where former Peruvian president (1990-2000) Alberto Fujimori was admitted on October 3 after a court annulled his pardon. People backing Peruvian former president (1990-2000) Alberto Fujimori show their support outside the Centenario Clinic in Lima, on October 4, 2018 Profile of Peru ex-president, Alberto Fujimori
Growing up gay in overwhelmingly Orthodox Romania was never easy for Cosmin Olteanu, but the 18-year-old student fears life could get worse when the country votes in a referendum to narrowly define marriage. Romanians go to the polls at the weekend to vote on whether the constitution can characterise marriage as explicitly between a man and woman, an initiative that aims to block same-sex partnerships. Human rights groups and some European lawmakers have criticised the referendum for breaching human rights standards and discriminating against LGBT people. Gay activists worry the divisive poll encourages hatred. "I personally feel that they are trying to label us, to make us second-class citizens," Olteanu told AFP alongside his partner Robert in the northeastern city of Bacau. Under Romanian law, same-sex couples are not allowed to marry. Currently, the constitution states simply marriage is between "spouses". But the referendum -- organised by a civic initiative called "Coalition for the Family" and backed by the Orthodox Church -- aims to make it impossible for them to marry in future, by changing the constitution to stipulate that marriage is between a man and a woman. - Daily humiliations - Florin Buhuceanu, a 47-year-old gay rights activist from Bucharest, says the pro-referendum rhetoric adds to the daily humiliations gay people face in Romania -- from being ostracised by neighbours to having homophobic graffiti scrawled on front doors. "On the one side, there are the 'honourable' people who defend family values, and on the other, those who 'threaten' those values and must be punished," he said. His partner, Victor Ciobotaru, fears increased verbal attacks from critics on social media in recent weeks could easily translate into physical violence. "I'm sure that if we met, they wouldn't hesitate to act", he said. Amnesty says the referendum fails rights standards and discriminates against homosexuals. Some European parliament members have also condemned the plebiscite as contrary to Romania's rights commitments. In the face of such criticism, the ruling Social Democrat party has been careful not to be seen taking sides and Prime Minister Viorica Dancila insists that "this referendum is not against sexual minorities". - 'Yes' vote likely to win - Nevertheless, party politicians have been shown in pictures by local media campaigning alongside Orthodox priests for the "yes" side of the referendum. In the devout eastern European country, which only decriminalised homosexuality in 2001, there is little doubt the "yes" vote will win. Last month, the government announced that the referendum would be held over two days -- October 6 and 7 -- to ensure maximum turnout. Some 18.9 million Romanians are eligible to vote, but a turnout of at least 30 percent is needed for the result to be valid. A campaign to boycott the plebiscite gained traction on the internet. But at the same time, the anti-gay marriage lobby also ramped up its rhetoric. "If you don't vote, two men will be able to adopt your child", read one billboard in the western city of Timisoara. Some critics worry such propaganda is heading in a dangerous direction. Liliana Popescu, professor of international relations at Bucharest University, compared the campaign to the persecution of minorities in Nazi Germany. "How are the Romanian decision-makers different from the Nazis who fed the fear of Jews, Roma and homosexuals?" she asked. - Unholy alliance? - LGBT activists and critics of the vote worry it will open the door to more socially conservative campaigns -- such as on sex education and abortion -- with the express backing of the Orthodox Church. Romania's Patriarch recently called upon voters to go to the polls and do "a patriotic act" by defending the "sacred gift of life". In the current climate, gynaecologists in dozens of hospitals have refused to carry out pregnancy terminations for religious reasons. Pro-choice campaigners fear a return to the days of the Communist dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu where all forms of contraception were banned and more than 10,000 women died as a result of complications arising from illegal abortions. "Romania has already embarked on the path of illiberalism," university professor Popescu said. "This referendum will only confirm this direction." Cosmin Olteanu (R) says a Romanian vote on the definition of marriage risks making LGBT people 'second-class citizens' Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has dismissed criticism that a weekend referendum on marriage discriminates against gay people Romanian gay rights activists like Victor Ciobotaru (L), 30 and his partner Florin Buhuceanu, 47 worry a weekend referendum on marriage will incite hatred President Antonio Tajani speaks in the EU parliament, where some have criticised the Romanian referendum for disrespecting human rights Cosmin Olteanu (R), 18 and his partner Robert (L), 20, are concerned over the impact of the weekend referendum on marriage.
An Indian actress who alleges she was sexually harassed on two film sets said Thursday she had received legal notices and threats of violence over her claims. Former Miss Universe contestant Tanushree Dutta said she was sexually harassed by multi-award-winning Bollywood star Nana Patekar during the filming of the romantic comedy "Horn Ok Pleassss" in 2008. Dutta first made the allegations ten years ago after walking off the set. She repeated the claim during a recent interview, also alleging that filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri had behaved inappropriately towards her during the shooting of the 2005 movie "Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets". Patekar and Agnihotri both deny the claims. Dutta, 37, said in a statement released Thursday that said she had received legal notices from Patekar and Agnihotri. "This is the price you pay for speaking out against harassment, humiliation and injustice in India," Dutta said. Dutta claimed she had also received "violent threats" from the fringe, far-right Hindu nationalist group Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and was the victim of a "smear campaign" on social media. "This is the age old saga of survivors in our nation," she said. Agnihotri's lawyer said Dutta's allegations against the director were "absolutely false, frivolous and vexatious" and confirmed his client would sue the actress. "We have served a legal notice to initiate defamation action against her," Nidhish Mehrotra said in a statement posted on Twitter by Agnihotri. India has yet to witness its own version of the #MeToo movement that rocked Hollywood last year but Dutta has received the backing of several high-profile stars, including Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar and Sonam Kapoor. Other actresses have begun to speak out about an issue almost never discussed in Indian media. In December, young star Swara Bhaskar said she had been harassed by an unnamed director early in her career. Bhaskar also referred to a "casting couch" culture where young women are expected to exchange sexual favours to secure film roles. Some Indian actresses have said Bollywood needs to create an environment where victims can speak out without fear of being ostracised or trolled on social media. Bhaskar said the cliquey nature of Bollywood, where many of the leading stars and directors are either friends or related, made going public with allegations difficult. Bollywood megastars Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan both refused to answer questions about Dutta's allegations at recent press conferences. Former Miss Universe contestant Tanushree Dutta has said she was sexually harassed on at least two occasions during her film career
The jig's up. It's time for Theresa May to stop dancing around and get down to the business of negotiating Brexit, Europe warned on Thursday. Impatient EU leaders had grudgingly allowed time for the British prime minister to win over her own Conservative Party conference this week. But, with just two weeks to go until a crunch October 17 meeting on Britain's Brexit divorce deal, patience is running out. In Britain, May's Tory conference may be best remembered for her dance moves at the podium, but Brussels is still outraged that her foreign minister compared the EU club to the Soviet gulag. And EU President Donald Tusk, who met Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in Brussels on Thursday, was in a stern mood as he reminded May that the clock is ticking. "I was a party leader myself for 15 years and I know what the rules of party politics are, but now that the Tory party conference is over we should get down to business," Tusk declared. - 'Moment of truth' - Speaking alongside Varadkar, who echoed the need for more intense negotiations in the run up to an October 18 European summit, Tusk criticised the British Tories' conference rhetoric. "Unacceptable remarks that raise the temperature will achieve nothing except wasting more time. What needs to be done is maximum progress by the October European Council," he declared. Tusk's office has invited May to address the other 27 EU leaders on October 17, the eve of the summit that he has previously described as the "moment of truth" for Brexit negotiations. If May accepts the invitation, she will have a chance to convince her peers that a breakthrough is possible and a Brexit deal can be finalised before Britain leaves the bloc at the end of March. Some diplomats in Brussels have suggested the leaders could then talk through the night and approve the outlines of an agreement while they are still in Brussels for the broader October 18 talks. "May is as stubborn as a mule," a French diplomatic source said, casting doubt on whether the British premier could even muster a parliamentary majority to approve any eventual deal. European officials had been hoping the Tory conference would give May enough of a political bounce to give her room to make the concessions they see as necessary for a deal. At the conference, May called Brexit a "moment of opportunity" but was forced to urge supporters to get behind her as she heads into what would be the "toughest phase" of negotiations. She may have survived, but in the eyes of many in European capitals May only managed to do so because her party rivals like former foreign secretary Boris Johnson held back. "She won't fall because no-one wants her job," the French official said. "Johnson wants to take over afterwards when there's nothing left to do. He's never liked to work." - Dangerous impasse - Other European officials now expect any deal will have to wait for an extraordinary summit in November. Either way, the two sides will have to resolve the issue of the post-Brexit Irish border. "I'm very keen to see an agreement concluded by November if at all possible," Varadkar said. "I think that's in the interests of Ireland, the EU and the UK. So let's get down to business." Brussels insists the Brexit divorce must include a legally-binding "backstop" to prohibit a restored "hard border" between the British province of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, an EU member. May warns she will never accept a deal which infringes on British sovereignty and is calling for a transitional form of common market for goods between the EU and all of the United Kingdom. European leaders in turn warn this would undermine the integrity of their own single market, leaving the talks at a dangerous impasse. If, by March, there is no divorce deal and no agreed plan for negotiating a new post-Brexit relationship the disruption to the European and British economy could be devastating. British banking giant RBS warned Thursday the British economy could fall into recession next year. "Today, after my long discussion with my guest, the (Irish) Taoiseach, I want to say that the EU is united behind Ireland and the need to preserve the Northern Ireland peace process," Tusk said. After meeting Tusk, Varadkar went into talks with EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. European Council President Donald Tusk and Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar underlined the need for more intense Brexit negotiations in the run up to an October 18 European summit
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Thursday to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons but disagreed on how as they met to showcase cooperation between their countries. The one-day visit to Israel by Merkel and members of her cabinet was part of German-Israeli government consultations held regularly, but came after Netanyahu's harsh criticism of European countries over their efforts to keep alive the Iran nuclear deal. Germany and other European countries have also repeatedly hit out at Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank and warned over threats to remaining prospects for a two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians. The two leaders brushed aside their list of differences and talked up ties between their countries, while Merkel stressed Germany's "everlasting responsibility" to oppose anti-Semitism. Merkel also sought to smooth over their disagreement on the nuclear deal that Netanyahu brands a "historic mistake". "We are very firmly of one opinion with Israel .... that everything must be done to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear arms," Merkel said during a news conference with Netanyahu. "Where we do not see eye-to-eye is the way there. That's why the discussions here will go on." Netanyahu has urged European nations to follow the lead of US President Donald Trump and withdraw from the accord with Israel's major enemy. He faults the deal's limited timeframe and the lifting of sanctions that, according to Netanyahu, provided Iran with cash to finance "a war machine". Germany, like other signatories to the deal, says it is working as intended by preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons for now. Netanyahu spoke of his speech at the United Nations last week when he accused Iran of harbouring a secret nuclear warehouse. Iran rejected his claims as a "show". "They're still trying to hide," Netanyahu said. "I exposed some of that in the UN. They're trying to get there through the backdoor." Merkel noted Iran's presence in neighbouring Syria and said it was exacerbating the threat from Israel's foe. She said she had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about reducing Iran's presence in Syria as much as possible. - 'Everlasting responsibility' - Merkel began the day with a visit to Israel's Holocaust memorial in the hills above Jerusalem. After laying a wreath in the Yad Vashem memorial's solemn Hall of Remembrance, where an eternal flame burns, she spoke of Germany's responsibility as the Holocaust's perpetrator. "From this comes the everlasting responsibility of Germany to remember this crime and to oppose anti-Semitism, xenophobia, hatred and violence," she said, reading the message she wrote in the memorial's guest book. The two leaders seemed determined to have the visit run smoothly, greeting each other warmly after Merkel's arrival Wednesday night and touring an innovation exhibit together Thursday. Germany said the joint government meeting Thursday afternoon was focused on economic ties, innovation and technology, while noting the consultations have been in place for 10 years. Felix Klein, who heads the German government's fight against anti-Semitism, was part of the delegation. Fears over a resurgence in anti-Semitism in Germany were also a topic for discussion. There was however no shortage of controversy in the run up to the visit. Netanyahu's criticism of Europe related to Iran has been especially strong, and last week at the UN General Assembly he accused EU nations of "appeasement". At the same time, Germany has remained steadfast in its support for a two-state solution and in recent weeks joined calls against Israel's planned demolition of a Bedouin village located in a strategic area of the occupied West Bank. A group of children from the village held signs that asked for help outside Israeli President Reuven Rivlin's office as the German chancellor left there. Merkel had earlier denied a report that she threatened to cancel the trip if Israel moved ahead with demolition of the village beforehand. At the news conference with Netanyahu, Merkel said she intended to call Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to discuss the state of the conflict with him. The last joint Germany-Israel government consultations in 2017 were postponed, with scheduling conflicts cited as the official reason. There were reports however that Merkel was unhappy with a law passed then related to Israeli settlement building in the West Bank. German Chancellor Angela Merkel pauses after laying a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance in the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, on October 4, 2018 Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke of Germany's responsibility as the perpetrator of the Holocaust after visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem A close-up of the message Chancellor Angela Merkel wrote in the guest book of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum referring to the "everlasting everlasting responsibility of Germany to remember this crime and to oppose anti-Semitism" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and German Chancellor Angela Merkel give a joint press conference at a hotel in Jerusalem, on October 4, 2018
A Norwegian court on Thursday remanded a Russian citizen accused of spying for two more weeks in a case that triggered outrage in Moscow. The man, identified as Mikhail Bochkarev in court documents, was arrested on September 21 at Oslo Airport after attending an inter-parliamentary seminar in the Norwegian Parliament, the Storting. The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) seized Bochkarev after witnesses said he was behaving strangely. He is suspected of collecting data information in the parliament. Slamming the accusations as "false" and "absurd", Russia on September 24 summoned the Norwegian ambassador to Moscow in protest. "I participated and made recordings of the discussions," Bochkarev was quoted as saying on Thursday by the Norwegian news agency NTB. "I behaved exactly as I did at previous events," said the Russian who appealed the decision of the Oslo district court. Norwegian officials regularly accuse Russia of attempted hacking and espionage. In April, a Norwegian man, Frode Berg, was arrested in Russia also on suspicion of spying. Berg admitted to having helped the Norwegian intelligence services by acting as a courier several times, but said he did not know the purpose of what he was delivering. On Monday, his detention was extended by two months pending trial. In Norway, some observers see the arrest of Bochkarev as a possible bargaining chip for Berg, but Norwegian intelligence services have declined to comment. Russian Mikhail Botsjkarev (R) has been remanded by a Norwegian court for two more weeks on suspicion of spying at the Norwegian parliament
US Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday accused China of seeking a change of power in the White House, stepping up allegations of electoral interference. "To put it bluntly, President Trump's leadership is working; China wants a different American president," Pence said in a speech to the Hudson Institute, a conservative Washington think tank. "There can be no doubt -- China is meddling in America's democracy." Pence cited China's advertisements in US media and its targeting of politically strategic states when singling out goods for retaliation following tariffs imposed by Trump. "There can be no doubt -- China is meddling in America's democracy," Pence said. The hard-hitting speech comes as Trump faces a probe into whether his campaign colluded with Russia to sway the 2016 presidential election. US Vice President Mike Pence says there "can be no doubt" that China is "meddling in America's democracy"
A bungling thiefs attempted robbery has been cut short after he hit himself in the face with a brick.

CCTV footage shows the suspect try and smash a glass window at a restaurant in Maryland, US, last month after successfully smashing the units front window.

Yet unknowing to the man, the glass was bulletproof and the brick ricocheted back into his face, knocking him to the ground in the process.

The burglary didnt go as planned for the suspect. Source: Prince Georges County Police

The suspect lay injured on the floor for several minutes before calling it a day and gingerly making his way off the premises.

Prince Georges County Police released the footage in the hope someone recognised the man they described as the bad luck bandit.

They urged anyone who may have a suspicious head injury to also get in touch.

In a similar incident earlier this year, a robber was knocked out clean by his counterpart after he got in the way of a brick thrown to smash up a shop front in Shanghai.
Prince Harry and Meghan will pet koalas and watch soldiers perform the haka when they tour the Pacific in their first major outing abroad this month, a royal official said Thursday. The US actress married the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II in May, becoming the new royal of media obsession in Britain and beyond. Meghan has only just attended her first solo function, opening an exhibition last month and making media waves in the process by closing her own car door. The new Duchess of Sussex will now be scrutinised for 16 days running as she dashes with the prince across Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand starting on October 16. "I would think it may be a little daunting," Sam Cohen, a royal official who helped Meghan prepare for the wedding, said of the 37-year-old's first big outing. The couple will be accompanied by a staff of 10 and a substantially larger swarm of reporters from all the British papers and TV stations. Warding off an early potential scandal, Cohen assured reporters that expenses for Meghan's accompanying hairdresser would be paid "privately" and not by the British public. The official visit begins in Sydney, where they will be welcomed by Australia's Governor-General Peter Cosgrove and his wife Lynne. The royals will meet two koalas that same afternoon, which they will be allowed to pet but not cuddle due to strict new anti-koala cuddling rules, Cohen said. "You can cuddle in Queensland and pet in New South Wales," she explained. After sailing Sydney Harbour and visiting the famous Bondi Beach, attending functions at Prince Harry's Invictus Games competitions for wounded soldiers and meeting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, they jet off to Fiji on October 23. Meghan will get a chance to speak at a UN women's empowerment in marketplaces event and meet some female vendors in the project in the Fiji capital Suva. They will meet the local royals in both Fiji and Tonga, which are members of the Commonwealth. The final leg coincides with the 125th anniversary of women's suffrage in New Zealand -- the first country to give women the right to vote. Meghan is expected to speak at a suffrage anniversary celebration in Wellington on October 28. The couple will have a chance to watch members of the New Zealand defence force perform the haka -- the traditional warrior dance popularised globally by the nation's rugby team -- at a governor's reception earlier that afternoon. The trip officially ends in New Zealand on October 31. Cohen said Meghan has previously visited New Zealand as a tourist in 2014. Prince Harry has been to all four countries, but on his own. The couple's first trip abroad saw them dash off to Dublin shortly after their wedding. Prince Harry and Meghan will begin a 16-day tour taking in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand on October 16
Latvia's governing centre-right coalition faces a tough challenge from pro-Kremlin and populist parties when the Baltic state with a sizeable ethnic Russian minority heads to the polls Saturday. "Nobody knows what Latvia will be like next month," political scientist Marcis Krastins said ahead of the election with a third of voters still undecided. "But a cabinet of populists and pro-Kremlin politicians is a real possibility if they find some third party with which to form a coalition," he told AFP. The prospect is frightening for many in a country that spent half a century under Soviet occupation before regaining independence in 1991. "Pay attention to what (the Pro-Kremlin party) Harmony is saying out loud in their ads: they're promising to lower defence spending to one percent of GDP," political analyst Marcis Bendiks said. "That is a breach of NATO mutual understanding. This is their principal promise to voters," he told the NRA daily. Latvia joined NATO in 2004 and has been an enthusiastic partner in the western alliance facing Russia. It is also rare among eastern NATO members in spending two percent of GDP on defence, as the pact wishes. Formerly allied with Putin's United Russia party, Harmony is popular with Latvia's ethnic Russians who account for a quarter of the population. It won the largest number of votes in the last three elections but was unable to attract any partners into a coalition to form a government. Instead, the centre-right Greens and Farmers Union, the right-wing National Alliance and the centre-right Unity formed a three-party coalition government after the 2014 election. - 'Nothing entertaining on offer' - Under their watch, the economy, hit hard by the financial crisis 10 years ago, has resumed growth. Wages, tax revenue and defence spending have gone up, unemployment has been falling steadily and the banking sector's money laundering problem is being addressed. But polls show that the ruling coalition is losing ground despite their economic successes. "Voters are tired of hard work, which was necessary to pull Latvia out of the economic crisis," said political scientist Filips Rajevskis. "Now, when the economic turmoil is finally over and the country is back on track economically, voters want new faces: the current ministers cannot offer anything entertaining," he told AFP. "That's where the populism kicks in. "The old parties are trying to shuffle in some fresh faces as well, but not that successfully. Therefore there's the possibility of a Russia-oriented coalition after the election." Polls predict the Greens and Farmers Union to win only 10 seats, the National Alliance even fewer, while Unity might not even meet the five-percent threshold to make it into the 100-seat parliament. Meanwhile Harmony is on track to win again, securing around 30 seats. And after a decade of trying, the party may finally manage to form a government in league with newcomer populists. - More than a third undecided - KPV LV is a potential coalition partner. The populist party led by former stage actor Artuss Kaimins is polling in second place, with up to 15 seats. "KPV LV is a 'shadow branch' of Harmony, which is not alone in its power quest any more," said political analyst Bendiks. Kaimins was briefly detained over alleged corruption in June, but voters do not appear to mind. "I'm voting for KPV LV, because I like them. I don't care if they're called populists," said construction worker Peteris Kalnins. "And I'm not turned off by the fact that they've been investigated over corruption," the 29-year-old told AFP. The party's candidate for prime minister, lawyer Aldis Gobzems, recently implied they are not against joining forces with Harmony. "KPV LV can work with anybody, we don't have any red lines regarding any other political force," Gobzems said during a TV24 debate. Polls put the populist New Conservative Party in third place on a ballot that includes 16 parties. With only a few days left, a whopping 38 percent of voters remain undecided, according to independent polling firms SKDS and Kantar TNS. Polling stations are open Saturday from 0500 GMT to 1700 GMT. Ahead of elections, a bus-stop poster in Riga urges "Support For Change" with the pro-Kremlin Harmony party, which is popular with ethnic Russians who account for a quarter of Latvia's population The Greens and Farmers Union, part of Latvia's governing centre-right coalition, face a tough challenge from pro-Kremlin and populist parties when the Baltic state with a sizeable ethnic Russian minority heads to the polls on October 6, 2018 The pro-Kremlin Harmony party won the largest number of votes in the last three elections but was unable to attract any partners into a coalition to form a government Latvia's pro-Kremlin Harmony party is on track to win the most seats in parliament with a predicted 30. And after a decade of tryiLng may manage to form a government in league with newcomer populists
Saudi Arabia will invest in a new oil refinery in Pakistan's growing deep sea port of Gwadar, Islamabad announced Thursday. The agreement follows a visit last month by Pakistan's new Prime Minister Imran Khan to the Gulf kingdom as he seeks to attract foreign investment. The Saudis "have shown interest that they want to immediately invest in (the) refinery", petroleum minister Sarwar Khan said. "This has been agreed from both sides." The agreement is set to be signed between Pakistan State Oil (PSO) company and Riyadh's state oil giant Saudi Aramco. Gwadar's port is being developed as part of the $60 bn China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an ambitious plan to build energy and transport links connecting the western Chinese region of Xinjiang with the Arabian Sea via Pakistan, as part of Beijing's broader Belt and Road initiative. Gwadar is part of Pakistan's mineral rich southwestern Balochistan province which is targeted by the ethnic, Islamist and sectarian militants. The agreement for the new oil refinery follows a visit in September 2018 by Pakistan's new Prime Minister Imran Khan (pictured August 2018) to the Gulf kingdom


US fast food chain Taco Bell has announced they will be opening 50 new stores in Australia.

Brisbane is currently home to the only Taco Bell in the country, but after an overwhelming response from customers, the chain is now set to expand in three states.

Southeast Queensland has been cited as a major location, however, where the remaining stores are established remains anyones guess, with Australian franchisee Collins Foods refusing to confirm specific details.

We dont have specifics to share at this stage, but lets just say not all 50 [restaurants] will be opening in Queensland, the company said.

Taco Bell is planning to significantly expand in Australia. Image: Getty

We understand that there is a lot of excitement and interest about where the additional 50 Taco Bell restaurants will open, however we are unable to provide specific locations at this time.

In older (equally as hunger-inducing) news, three more restaurants are set to open this year in the lucky suburbs of Robina, North Lakes and Cleveland.

This will be third time the Tex-Mex chain has attempted to crack the Australian market.

A local restaurant with a similar name sued the chain when they first came down under in the early 1980s.

Several stores were opened in 1997 but were eventually closed again in 2005 after the business struggled for customers.
Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Turkey was summoned to the foreign ministry after a prominent journalist critical of Riyadh went missing, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Thursday. Jamal Khashoggi, a contributor to the Washington Post, went to the Saudi consulate on Tuesday to receive an official document for his marriage and has not appeared since. His Turkish fiancee reported him missing after Khashoggi, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since last year to avoid possible arrest, did not emerge from the consulate. The Saudi ambassador was received by Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kiran on Wednesday, the diplomatic source and state-run news agency Anadolu said. After an initial period of silence, Saudi Arabia said the consulate was working with Turkish authorities "to uncover the circumstances of the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi after he left the consulate building". Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin however told reporters on Wednesday the journalist was being held at the consulate, adding that Ankara was in touch with Saudi officials. "According to information we have, this individual who is a Saudi national is still at the Istanbul consulate of Saudi Arabia," Kalin said. The journalist, who writes opinion pieces for the Post, has been critical of some policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen. US officials said they were looking into his case. Khashoggi's fiancee Hatice, 36, told AFP on Thursday that there had been no news about him. "We don't know where he is. If he had left the consulate as said by the Saudis, we would know where he is," she said. Khashoggi, who turns 60 on October 13, had previously served as an adviser to the Saudi government. Jamal Khashoggi, a contributor for the Washington Post, has not been seen since entering the Saudi consulate on Tuesday Turkey says journalist Jamal Kashoggi is being held in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in India on Thursday looking to tie up billions of dollars in arms deals with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, likely irking the US, China and Pakistan in one fell swoop. The Kremlin said before the two-day visit by Putin and top ministers that the "key feature" would be the signing of a $5-billion deal for the S-400 air defence system, despite the risk of US sanctions against countries buying Russian defence kit. Putin arrived in Delhi on Thursday evening and he and Modi were due to have dinner before the main talks on Friday. The route of Putin's convoy was lined with placards welcoming him in Russian and Hindi. On Wednesday, the United States poured cold water on India's efforts to obtain a waiver to avoid sanctions under legislation called Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Upgrades in arms systems "including the S-400 air and missile defense system" would be a particular focus for CAATSA, a US State Department spokesperson was quoted as saying by India's PTI news agency. Last month Washington slapped financial sanctions on the Chinese military for buying Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets -- and the S-400. However, the US is in a difficult position when it comes to India. It wants to bolster ties with New Delhi to counter China's growing assertiveness, something that has also rattled India. Washington and New Delhi announced plans last month for joint military drills in 2019, and agreed on the exchange of sensitive military information. The US is now India's second biggest arms supplier. But Russia remains number one, and a string of new deals with the Asian giant would be a major win for Moscow -- and a big snub to the US. Putin and Modi, who appear to enjoy a personal rapport, are also likely to discuss a deal for four Krivak-class frigates worth $2 billion and 200 light utility Ka-226 helicopters pegged at $1 billion. "It's about time we showed that we are not going to be pushed around by Washington," R.R. Subramanian, a Delhi-based strategic affairs analyst, told AFP. Experts say India needs the sophisticated S-400 to fill critical gaps in its defence capabilities, in view of China's rise and perceived threats from Pakistan, against whom India has fought three wars. Indian Air Force Chief Birender Singh Dhanoa said Wednesday that the S-400, and the 36 Rafale fighter jets purchased from France -- a 2016 deal mired in political controversy -- represent a "booster dose" for the country. Last year India and China had a military standoff over a Himalayan plateau claimed by Beijing and Bhutan, a close ally of India. China has also perturbed India by loaning vast amounts of money to countries such as Sri Lanka where it has long held sway. - To boldly go - Putin, 65, and Modi, 68, are also set to discuss a possible second Russian-built nuclear power plant. Moscow is currently expanding India's biggest nuclear power plant in Kudankulam. Also on the agenda is Russian training for Indian astronauts as New Delhi aims to launch its first crewed space mission in 2022. Rakesh Sharma, the only Indian to travel in space, did so on a Soviet spacecraft in 1984. But military kit is the main focus. India is the world's biggest arms importer and is undergoing a $100-billion upgrade of its ageing hardware, much of it of Soviet vintage including MiG jets that have frequently crashed in the Indian countryside. Russia and India have had warm ties since Stalin died in 1953. But annual Russia-India trade has slipped below $10 billion since 2014, as Modi cultivated closer diplomatic and economic ties with Washington, while Russia has courted Pakistan and China. Ties received a boost last year when Modi and Putin held a fruitful annual bilateral summit, followed by meetings in Astana and at the G20 in Germany. They also met in Sochi this year. On the strategic front, Russia helped India become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation this year and has backed New Delhi's long-held demand for a permanent UN Security Council seat. Moscow is also pushing for India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group of countries controlling access to nuclear technology. Afghanistan though has been a sticking point, experts say, where Moscow wants to engage Taliban in the peace process -- a prospect unacceptable to India. Vladimir Putin landed in Delhi where he and Narendra Modi were due to have dinner before the main talks on Friday Graphic charting the top 10 arms exporters and importers, 2013 to 2017. Russian President Vladimir Putin is looking to seal a $5-bn deal to sell the S-400 air defence system to India The two-day visit by Putin to India would focus on the signing of a $5-billion deal for the S-400 air defence system, the Kremlin said Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi appear to enjoy a personal rapport
A Brisbane vet has issued a warning about our waterways after what was supposed to be a peaceful evening stroll saw a familys beloved pet dog sedated, going under emergency surgery.

Tilla, the Jack Russell Cross, was out for her regular stroll with her owners when they noticed some fishing wire hanging from her mouth.

Terrified at what was at the end of the line, the quick-thinking Brisbane couple rushed her straight to the Albion Veterinary Surgery, who immediately sent the 3kg pup in for X-rays.

The radiographs showed a large 4cm fishing hook with a barb that had become embedded in Tillas stomach lining.

Tilla was out on an evening stroll when she swallowed the hook. Images: Facebook/Albion Vet Surgery

Dr Andrew works to remove the 4cm hook from Tillas stomach lining. Images: Facebook/Albion Vet Surgery

This put her at risk of perforation and secondary infection which could have resulted in death if it remained undetected, the vet revealed in a Facebook post, sharing images of the hook stuck in Tilla.

With no time to waste, Veterinarian Dr Andrew proceeded with emergency surgery to excise the hook, repair the damage and surgically stabilise the dog.

Now out of surgery, Tilla is doing well and is expected to make a full recovery. Those at the surgery clinic praised her parents for their quick thinking and not trying to remove the wire by themselves.

They have pleaded with local residents to take extra precautions.

Whilst she was our catch of the day and has caught our hearts, we just wanted to share her case to highlight the importance of keeping our beautiful waterways tidy, the vet added.
Democratic congressional candidate Dana Balter and more than 100 other challengers have agreed that government and election reform should be the first legislative priority for Congress in 2019.

Balter, D-Syracuse, and the other House Democratic candidates signed an open letter organized by End Citizens United, which advocates for campaign finance reform. The group has endorsed Balter in the 24th Congressional District race against U.S. Rep. John Katko, a Republican.

In the letter, the challengers show support for campaign finance, ethics, lobbying and redistricting reforms. They also backed preserving and protecting voting rights.

Balter is one of several Democratic challengers from New York who signed on to the letter. The other candidates include Liuba Grechen Shirley (NY-02), Antonio Delgado (NY-19) and Anthony Brindisi (NY-22).

"If we're going to bring down the cost of health insurance, rein in prescription drug costs, and make New York's economy work for everyone, we must end the grip that special interests have over Congress," Balter said in a statement.

In July, Balter unveiled her government and political reform agenda and declared it her top priority if elected to Congress. With the policy proposals came a pledge not to accept donations from corporate political action committees.

Her four-page plan contains several campaign finance reforms, including legislative action to overturn the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision. That ruling struck down limits on the amount corporations and unions can spend supporting or opposing federal candidates.

Balter also proposed the creation of a voluntary public financing system and endorsed legislation requiring groups that spend more than $10,000 on election ads to disclose their donors.

Other legislation supported by Balter includes requiring states to use independent redistricting commissions for redrawing congressional district lines, automatic voter registration and requiring paper ballots for elections.

She also detailed proposals aimed at reforming Congress, such as prohibiting members from stock market activity that isn't available to the public. And she wants to impose a five-year ban on members of Congress from becoming lobbyists after their government work is finished. Lobbyists would be subject to a six-year ban from joining congressional staffs of members they lobbied.

The call for government reform could be significant if many of these members win their elections and Democrats win control of the House. Brindisi and Delgado are in races that have been rated "toss ups" by political forecasters. The 24th district rate pitting Balter against Katko was moved to "lean Republican" Wednesday.

Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United, said voters want candidates who will "unrig the system."

"Dana Balter and the rest of the candidates on this letter are serious about reform," Muller said. "They're sending a strong message to Washington, that when they're elected, things will be different."

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Cayuga County Legislator Keith Batman, the Democratic nominee for the 126th Assembly District race, received support from a statewide elected official Thursday.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who has been in office since 2007 and is seeking a third full term as New York's top fiscal officer, endorsed Batman, D-Scipio, in his race against state Assemblyman Gary Finch.

"Keith Batman has proven himself to be a hardworking, honest and accountable public servant," DiNapoli said in a statement. "He is committed to fiscal responsibility and government transparency and will bring these values to Albany. He will be a voice for middle-class families and protect the rights and well-being of our communities."

DiNapoli is the first statewide official to endorse in the state Assembly race. Finch, R-Springport, is seeking another two-term in office. He was first elected to the state Assembly in 1999.

The state comptroller and the longtime lawmaker are former colleagues. Before being elected comptroller, DiNapoli was a member of the state Assembly from 1987 to 2007.

DiNapoli campaigned with Finch's last Democratic challenger, Diane Dwire, in 2016. He headlined a fundraiser for Dwire in Auburn. Now, he's supporting Finch's latest foe.

"Comptroller DiNapoli has set a great example of what it means to be an elected official, and I look forward to having the chance to work with him to protect taxpayer dollars and move our state forward," Batman said.

The 126th district race is expected to be competitive again this year. Finch fended off Dwire's challenge in 2014, defeating her by 10 points. He won by a wider margin two years ago.

Batman is a Cayuga County legislator and former chair of that body. Before being elected to the county Legislature, he served as Scipio town supervisor.

Republicans hold the enrollment advantage in the 126th district, which covers parts of Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland and Onondaga counties. As of April, there were about 6,000 more active GOP voters than Democrats.

But Batman showed he could make the race competitive by out-raising Finch in the first six months of 2018. He achieved that feat despite not entering the race until April.

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Two incumbents and a candidate for an open state Senate seat are among those who received The Business Council of New York State Political Action Committee's support Thursday.

The PAC, the political arm of the prominent New York business group, endorsed Onondaga County Comptroller Bob Antonacci in the 50th Senate District race. Antonacci, a Republican, is running to succeed retiring GOP state Sen. John DeFrancisco.

Antonacci's opponent in the race is Democratic candidate John Mannion, a biology teacher at West Genesee High School in Camillus.

It's the second endorsement Antonacci received this week from a business organization. The political arm of the National Federation of Independent Business in New York threw its support behind the Republican in the 50th district race.

The Business Council PAC also endorsed two Republican incumbents in Cayuga County-area state legislative races. The group backed Assemblyman Gary Finch, who is seeking another term representing the 126th Assembly District, and state Sen. Pam Helming, who is vying a second term as the 54th Senate District's representative.

Finch, R-Springport, is being challenged by Democratic candidate Keith Batman, a Cayuga County legislator. Helming is locked in a rematch with Rose Supervisor Kenan Baldridge, who unsuccessfully ran for state Senate in 2016. Helming defeated Baldridge to fill the seat vacated by retiring state Sen. Michael Nozzolio.

The Business Council PAC said its endorsements are based on voting records and engagement with the group on its advocacy agenda. Challengers and incumbents are also asked to complete questionnaires as part of the endorsement process.

Heather Briccetti, president and CEO of The Business Council of New York State, acknowledged how important the elections are in New York this year.

"With pro-growth, pro-jobs messaging under attack on multiple fronts, and the competitive challenges facing New York's business community, it is critically important that New York taxpayers elect lawmakers who understand the role business plays in our state's economic health," she said. "The lawmakers and candidates endorsed by The Business Council PAC have demonstrated a commitment to the issues most important to our members."

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U.S. Rep. John Katko is calling on Democratic challenger Dana Balter to answer whether she will support Nancy Pelosi for House speaker and whom she voted for in the gubernatorial primary.

The questions came in an statement from Katko, R-Camillus, Thursday. He said central New Yorkers "deserve a representative who is honest and transparent" and mentioned how he's had to answer "tough questions on legislative issues" and revealed the candidates he's supported in past races.

"It's concerning that my opponent, a candidate for federal office, has failed to answer basic questions," Katko continued.

For Katko, one issue is Balter's apparent refusal to disclose whether she will support Pelosi, the top House Democrat, for speaker. In interviews and public statements, Balter hasn't expressed support for Pelosi and explained that she wouldn't decide on her choice for speaker until all the candidates are known.

The question about whether Balter will support Pelosi is significant, according to Katko, because the Democratic leader "has paid for $1 million in corporate-funded television advertisements backing Balter"  a reference to the pro-Democratic House Majority PAC's ad campaign targeting Katko that launched this week.

Balter's position is reminiscent of how Katko approached questions as a challenger during the 2014 campaign about whether he would support then-House Speaker John Boehner. When Boehner visited central New York to headline a fundraiser, Katko considered it "an opportunity to evaluate him." He didn't commit to supporting Boehner, despite Democratic ads claiming he would be a "rubber stamp" for the speaker.

Katko also expressed frustration with Balter for not revealing whether she supported Gov. Andrew Cuomo or Cynthia Nixon in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. Balter did vote in the Democratic primary, but hasn't publicly shared her preferred candidate in that race.

More than a month before the primary, Cuomo's campaign donated $2,700 to Balter. The contribution was part of the governor's push to defeat House Republicans, including Katko.

Katko believes Balter should inform voters how she voted in the primary.

"It's time for Dana Balter to be open with central New Yorkers," he said.

In a statement, Balter didn't address any of the questions raised by Katko. Instead, she shifted the focus to another issue: The ongoing debate over whether the Senate should confirm Brett Kavanaugh for a vacant Supreme Court seat.

"With a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court on the line, Congressman Katko has been silent on Judge Kavanaugh's integrity while his Republican colleagues try to rush a vote," she said.

Balter also claimed Katko is refusing to debate her in three of the district's four counties. There has been no formal agreement announced about debates in the competitive congressional race.

Katko proposed four joint appearances  three television debates and an editorial board interview with the Post-Standard in Syracuse  in the final full week of the campaign. Balter wanted more debates and forums that would be held during the entire month of October, not just the final week.

"He's ducking the most important issue of the day, and running scared from his own record," she said.

The exchange between the two candidates highlights how much the race has changed this week. Balter announced Monday that she raised $1.5 million in the third quarter  a new quarterly fundraising record for Syracuse-area congressional candidates.

On Wednesday, House Majority PAC launched its ad campaign targeting Katko  an indication that Democrats view this race as winnable. Citing the Democratic super PAC's involvement and Balter's record quarter, Cook Political Report updated its race rating from "likely Republican" to "lean Republican."

Katko is still favored to win. Entering the third fundraising quarter, he had more than $1.6 million in the bank. And the last public poll, released in late August, showed he was leading Balter by 15 points, 54 to 39 percent.

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From haunted houses to costumed carousing, frightful fundraisers to eerie education, here are all the Halloween events we know are happening in the Cayuga County area this scary season:

(This guide will be updated throughout the month, so if you have an event to add, please send it to us! Visit auburnpub.com/calendar and use the submission link at the top of the page, email citizencalendar@lee.net, or mail the information to David Wilcox, The Citizen, 25 Dill St., Auburn. All listings are free. For more information, call (315) 282-2245.)

 Halloween family movie

WHAT: After three centuries, three witch sisters are reunited in Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween night, and it's up to two teenagers, a young girl and an immortal cat to put an end to their reign of terror once and for all.

WHEN: 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25

WHERE: Skaneateles Library, 49 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

COST: Free

INFO: Call (315) 685-5135

 An Evening with the Spirits

WHAT: A lecture on mediums and the paranormal by Suzanne Updike, with dinner.

WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25

WHERE: Springside Inn, 6141 W. Lake Road, Fleming

COST: Tickets $25; advance sales only

INFO: Call (315) 252-7247 or email blattimore@springsideinn.com

WHAT: Costumed guides will lead guests around the museum grounds and historic downtown Auburn, sharing new stories of Victorian funeral practices, spectral encounters from the Seward family, true crime stories and more local folklore.

WHEN: 6 and 7 every night Thursday, Oct. 25, through Tuesday, Oct. 30

WHERE: Seward House Museum, 33 South St., Auburn

INFO: For pricing, visit sewardhouse.org or call (315) 252-1283

 Wacky Weekends

WHAT: A five-acre corn maze, Spook Woods, wagon rides and more.

WHEN: Open noon to 8 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 28

WHERE: Penny's Country Farm, 1540 Gray Road, Union Springs

COST: Admission $8 adults, $5 children; $1 discount if you come in costume

 Halloween at Bass Pro Shops

WHAT/WHEN: Photos and crafts from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26; photos and pumpkins from noon to 5 p.m., trick-or-treating from 3 to 5 p.m. and a costume parade at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27; photos and crafts from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28, and 5 to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 29 and 30; and photos and crafts from 4 to 8 p.m., trick-or-treating from 5 to 8 p.m. and cookie decorating from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31

WHERE: Bass Pro Shops, Fingerlakes Mall, 1579 Clark St. Road, Aurelius

COST: Free and open to the public

WHAT: Long-running haunted attraction by A.P.E. Productions featuring horror characters and other scary scenery.

WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays in October, as well as children's matinees from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

WHERE: Near the food court of Fingerlakes Mall, 1579 Clark St. Road, Aurelius

COST: Admission $5; supports Finger Lakes SPCA of CNY and Matthew House

'Nightmare' over: Auburn haunted attraction holding last year Connor Cuthbert is trading the haunted attraction he started, Nightmare on Anna Street, for 

 Nightmare on Anna Street

WHAT: Annual neighborhood haunted house to support local causes

WHEN: 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26 and 27

WHERE: 3 Anna St., Auburn

COST: Admission $2 and a canned good; supports Warm the Children, St. Alphonsus Food Pantry and Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital

 Children's Halloween Party

WHAT: Stories, games, crafts, refreshments and more.

WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26

WHERE: Ira United Methodist Church, 12479 Ferris Road, Cato

INFO: Call (315) 626-2448

 Halloween party

WHAT: Party with music by The Rounds

WHEN: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26

WHERE: Next Chapter Brewpub, 100 Genesee St., Auburn

 "Mourning or Macabre? Victorian Death Rites"

WHAT: Director of Collections Matt Mac Vittie will lead a nocturnal tour of the museum by candlelight and explore how the Seward family participated in Victorian death rituals during a time beset by tragedy and loss. The rituals included posing for photographs with the dead and keeping memento moris, physical mementos from the bodies of the deceased.

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26

WHERE: Seward House Museum, 33 South St., Auburn

COST: Admission $15 members, $20 nonmembers

 Haunted hayrides

WHAT/WHEN: Field of Screams Haunted Hayrides from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26 and 27, and Kid-Friendly Early Hayrides from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: Bailiwick Market & Cafe, 441 Route 5, Elbridge

COST: Admission $5 per person or $15 per group of four; supports Jordan Scout Troop 57

 "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"

WHAT: Screening of the famous midnight movie with full audience participation and costumes encouraged.

WHEN: 8 and 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26

WHERE: Auburn Public Theater, 8 Exchange St., Auburn

COST: Tickets $35; includes movie and participation prop kit. Proceeds support Auburn Players Community Theatre.

INFO: Visit auburnplayers.org or call (315) 702-7832

 Sixth annual Hallow-Read

WHAT: Read with Capt. Jack, meet Jack Skellington, activities, non-candy treats, selfies and books for every child.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: Play Space, 63 Genesee St., Auburn

COST: Free and open to the public; costumes encouraged. Sponsored by Literacy Volunteers of Cayuga County.

 "Monster House" screening

WHEN: 10:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 27 and 28

WHERE: Track Cinema, Fingerlakes Mall, 1579 Clark St. Road, Aurelius

COST: Admission 25 cents; costumes welcome

 Halloween Spooktacular

WHAT: Stories, songs, activities and refreshments for all ages, who are welcome to come in costume. Includes storytime with "Fanny Seward" at 11:30 a.m. and the movie "Spooky Buddies" at 1 p.m.

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: Seymour Library, 176-178 Genesee St., Auburn

COST: Free and open to the public

INFO: Visit seymourlibrary.org or call (315) 252-2571

 Annual Witches Parade Extravaganza

WHAT: Parade, costume contest, face painting, games and more. Lineup begins at 11:45 a.m. Food donations will be accepted for the local pantry.

WHEN: Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: Fair Haven Village Park, Main Street Fair Haven

INFO: Call (315) 947-5112

 Merry-Go-Round Family Spooktacular

WHAT: Spooky stories, children's activities, trick-or-treating, tarot card readings, a dance party, pumpkin decorating, a costume contest for all ages, photos with Dracula, a 50/50 raffle and a door prize raffle for costumed attendees.

WHEN: 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: West End Theater, 217 W. Genesee St., Auburn

COST: Suggested admission $5 per person; supports Merry-Go-Round educational programming. Costumes welcome.

 Chili Cook-Off & Costume Bash

WHAT: Halloween party with music by Billy Golicki and the Tone Byrds

WHEN: 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: Chateau Dusseau, 5292 Erron Hill Road, Locke

COST: Free and open to the public

 Trunk or Treat

WHEN: 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: Half Acre Union Church, 1768 W. Genesee St., Aurelius

COST: Free and open to the public

 Halloween Carnival

WHAT: Children's Halloween party with bean bag toss, pumpkin painting, hoop the witch's hat, Dark & Spooky Haunted Mini-Tour, pizza, cookies, treats and more.

WHEN: 4:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: Poplar Ridge Friends Meeting House, 1868 Poplar Ridge Road, Poplar Ridge

COST: Admission free and open to the public; ideal for toddlers through fourth grade. Game tickets 25 cents; prizes for all games. Costumes encouraged. Supports UNICEF.

 Boos & Brews Halloween Party

WHAT: Costume contest, DJ Paul Manzari, wine and beer, and more

WHEN: 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: Treleaven Wines, 658 Lake Road, King Ferry

COST: No cover

 LifeWorks of Cayuga County Halloween party

WHAT: Costume contest with prizes, DJ, snacks and 50/50 raffle.

WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: Havana Room, 2 South St., Auburn

COST: Admission a suggested $5 donation; no one will be turned away. All ages welcome.

 '70s-themed Halloween party

WHEN: 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: Frank Calimeri Post, 42 Clark St., Auburn

INFO: Call (315) 252-1000

 Halloween party

WHAT: Halloween music, costume contest with prizes, pumpkin beer and more.

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: The Good Shepherds Brewing Co., 132 Genesee St., Auburn

INFO: Call (315) 406-6498 or visit shepsbeer.com

 Halloween Ball with music by The Billionaires

WHEN: 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: Colloca Estate Winery, 14678 W. Bay Road, Sterling

 '90s Halloween party with My So Called Band

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: A.T. Walley & Co., 119 Genesee St., Auburn

COST: No cover

INFO: Call (315) 282-7314

 Night of the Living Dead

WHAT: Halloween party with music by The Proud Walkers and a costume contest.

WHEN: 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

WHERE: Prison City Pub & Brewery, 28 State St., Auburn

 Trunk or Treat

WHAT: With a costume contest, hot dogs, games and more. Volunteers sought to have parking spots and decorate their trunks (door prize for best designed trunk).

WHEN: 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28

WHERE: Federated Church of Port Byron, Route 38 and Tex Pultz Parkway, Port Byron

INFO: Call (315) 246-2095

 National Theatre Live: "Frankenstein"

WHAT: A screening of the London stage production based on Mary Shelley's 200-year-old horror classic, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller

WHEN: 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28

WHERE: Waterman auditorium, 55 East St., Skaneateles

COST: Tickets $10-$15

INFO: Call (315) 685-5135

 Interactive murder mystery dinner: "Is the Psychic Psycho?"

WHAT: Interactive show with costume contest, DJ Toby Rich, buffet dinner and dancing.

WHEN: 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28

WHEN: Apple Station Winery, 5279 Cross Road, Union Springs

COST: Tickets $40

INFO: Call (315) 889-5184

 Screams & Screens: Scary B Movies at The Auburn preview: "The Satanic Rites of Dracula"

WHAT: Prelude to upcoming movie series featuring B-movie horror films from the '50s, '60s and '70s, hosted by Ed Catto.

WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30

WHERE: Auburn Public Theater, 8 Exchange St., Auburn

COST: Tickets $6

Lake Life Editor David Wilcox can be reached at (315) 282-2245 or david.wilcox@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @drwilcox.

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Empire State Development's tourism office is posting weekly fall foliage reports. Below is the report posted Oct. 3, 2018:

BEAUTIFUL PEAK COLORS BEGINNING TO APPEAR IN NEW YORK STATE

Some Areas of the Adirondacks to see Peak

and Near-Peak Leaves this Weekend

Albany, NY  This is the fourth 2018 Fall Foliage Report for New York State. Reports are obtained from field observers and reflect expected color conditions for the coming weekend. Fall Foliage Reports are issued every Wednesday afternoon and are available at [www.iloveny.com/fall]iloveny.com/fall

Vibrant peak and near-peak foliage is expected this weekend in some areas of the Adirondacks region, while near-peak colors will emerge in the Thousand Islands-Seaway region and parts of the Catskills, according to observers for the Empire State Development Division of Tourisms I LOVE NY program.

Tupper Lake are predicting peak foliage this weekend with 85 percent color change and buttercup, burnt sienna, ginger, carrot, copper, bittersweet, scarlet, rhubarb and burgundy leaves of above-average brilliance. Saranac Lake spotters are calling for near-peak foliage this weekend with 60-70 percent color change and a bright, gorgeous mix of red, orange and yellow hues. In Malone, midpoint to near-peak foliage is predicted for the weekend. Look for 50 percent color change and the continued emergence of deep shades of red and vibrant shades of gold. In the Adirondacks region, Franklin County spotters inare predicting peak foliage this weekend with 85 percent color change and buttercup, burnt sienna, ginger, carrot, copper, bittersweet, scarlet, rhubarb and burgundy leaves of above-average brilliance.spotters are calling for near-peak foliage this weekend with 60-70 percent color change and a bright, gorgeous mix of red, orange and yellow hues. In, midpoint to near-peak foliage is predicted for the weekend. Look for 50 percent color change and the continued emergence of deep shades of red and vibrant shades of gold.

In Essex County, spotters reporting from the Whiteface area around Wilmington note that colors have progressed quickly over the past week, with 65 percent transition and bright, near- peak foliage expected this weekend. Look for vibrant shades of red, orange, yellow and gold. In Lake Placid, look for 50-60 percent color change this weekend with bright shades of red, orange, yellow and gold and foliage at midpoint to near-peak of change. In Crown Point, foliage should be at midpoint of change by the weekend, with 30-50 percent color transition. Look for shades of golden yellow, russet, and some bright bursts of flame-red and orange. There is more fall color in elevated areas away from the valley. In Willsboro, spotters expect foliage to be at midpoint of change by the weekend with 30 percent color transition and rich dark reds mixed with rust browns highlighted by bright shades of gold and yellow. In Ticonderoga, foliage will be heading toward midpoint of change this weekend with 20-25 percent transition and increasingly vibrant yellow, orange and red leaves. Spotters in Schroon Lake predict 20 percent color change by the weekend with some very colorful groups of trees with bright red and gold leaves.

In Herkimer County this weekend, look for 65 percent color change and near-peak conditions in Old Forge, with average shades of red, orange and yellow emerging. In Hamilton County, Lake Pleasant spotters expect foliage at near or at midpoint of change with 40 percent color transition and lots of muted shades of yellow and orange, along with hints of red. Look for 45 percent color change and midpoint conditions in the northwestern portion of Warren County. To the south, color change will be about 35-40 percent. Fall colors are primarily muted shades of yellow and orange with some red mixed in.

Alexandria Bay expect 75 percent color change and near-peak foliage this weekend. Look for red, orange and yellow leaves of average brilliance. In St. Lawrence County, spotters in Canton predict 50 percent color change this weekend with red, yellow and some purple fall colors of average brilliance. Most areas are at midpoint, but some isolated areas and trees are near-peak. Foliage will be at midpoint of change in Oswego County. Look for 30-40 percent color transition as luminous shades of bronze, copper and gold are quickly overcoming the dull greens of the landscape throughout the county, with many more bright spots of red, orange and yellow showing through. In the Thousand Islands-Seaway region, Jefferson County spotters inexpect 75 percent color change and near-peak foliage this weekend. Look for red, orange and yellow leaves of average brilliance. In St. Lawrence County, spotters inpredict 50 percent color change this weekend with red, yellow and some purple fall colors of average brilliance. Most areas are at midpoint, but some isolated areas and trees are near-peak. Foliage will be at midpoint of change in. Look for 30-40 percent color transition as luminous shades of bronze, copper and gold are quickly overcoming the dull greens of the landscape throughout the county, with many more bright spots of red, orange and yellow showing through.

Greene County, reporting from above 2000 feet expect 75 percent color change and midpoint to near-peak conditions this weekend. Look for bright red, yellow and green leaves. Greene County spotters reporting from Catskill are predicting 25 percent color change for the upcoming weekend. Fall colors include vibrant reds, burnt oranges, and yellows of average brilliance. In Ulster County, spotters reporting from Belleayre Mountain in Highmount expect foliage to be at midpoint of change with 40-50 percent color transition and increasing amounts of yellow, orange and red leaves. Foliage spotters reporting from Kingston predict 25-35 percent color change this weekend with increasing amounts of bright orange, yellow and red leaves. In the Catskills region, spotters in, reporting from above 2000 feet expect 75 percent color change and midpoint to near-peak conditions this weekend. Look for bright red, yellow and green leaves. Greene County spotters reporting fromare predicting 25 percent color change for the upcoming weekend. Fall colors include vibrant reds, burnt oranges, and yellows of average brilliance. In Ulster County, spotters reporting frominexpect foliage to be at midpoint of change with 40-50 percent color transition and increasing amounts of yellow, orange and red leaves. Foliage spotters reporting frompredict 25-35 percent color change this weekend with increasing amounts of bright orange, yellow and red leaves.

Colors remain low in Delaware County. Spotters there expect just 15 percent color change by the weekend, with muted fall colors of yellow, red and orange. In Sullivan County, spotters in Ferndale are predicting 20 percent color change with touches of red leaves of average brilliance. Spotters reporting from southeast Sullivan County, in Forestburgh, expect just 10 percent color change by the weekend with some muted touches of gold, wine and a little red.

Mohawk, Herkimer County, spotters predict foliage will be at midpoint of change this weekend. Look for 50 percent color transition and average- to- bright shades of red and gold. In Oneida County, Utica foliage spotters predict 50 percent color change and foliage at midpoint for the weekend, with yellow, orange and red leaves of average brilliance, along with muted scarlet hues. Leaves should be around midpoint of change in Chenango County, according to spotters in Norwich. Look for 30-40 percent color transition and muted yellow leaves accompanied by some splashes of orange. Wind and rain has accelerated leaf droppage. In Central New York , in, Herkimer County, spotters predict foliage will be at midpoint of change this weekend. Look for 50 percent color transition and average- to- bright shades of red and gold. In Oneida County,foliage spotters predict 50 percent color change and foliage at midpoint for the weekend, with yellow, orange and red leaves of average brilliance, along with muted scarlet hues. Leaves should be around midpoint of change in Chenango County, according to spotters in. Look for 30-40 percent color transition and muted yellow leaves accompanied by some splashes of orange. Wind and rain has accelerated leaf droppage.

Broome County spotters reporting from Binghamton predict 35 percent color change this weekend, with midpoint conditions and red, yellow and light green leaves of average brilliance. In Madison County, spotters reporting from the Fenner Renewable Energy Education Center in Fenner predict 30 percent color change and foliage nearing midpoint this weekend with bright red, orange and yellow leaves. Look for 30 percent color change in Schoharie County, according to spotters in Schoharie, with some hints of brilliant red and orange emerging through the mostly yellow and green leaves. In Otsego County, Cooperstown foliage spotters are calling for 20 percent color change with some muted orange and yellow leaves. In Montgomery County, spotters reporting from the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site predict 15 percent color change for the weekend with muted-to-average red and yellow leaves, along with some shades or orange.

Altamont expect foliage approaching midpoint of change, with shades of gold and yellow. In Rensselaer County, more noticeable changes are taking place in the countys eastern and northeastern areas. Look for conditions approaching midpoint, with 30-35 percent color change and bright orange, yellow and red leaves. The rest of the county will be at about 20-25 percent color change. More color is appearing in Schenectady County, according to spotters in Rotterdam. Look for about 35-40 percent color change this weekend with bright red and yellow leaves. Saratoga County spotters in Saratoga Springs expect 30 percent color change as bursts of reds, deep oranges and bright yellows, along with amber and green, become more visible throughout the county. In the Capital-Saratoga region, Albany County spotters reporting fromexpect foliage approaching midpoint of change, with shades of gold and yellow. In, more noticeable changes are taking place in the countys eastern and northeastern areas. Look for conditions approaching midpoint, with 30-35 percent color change and bright orange, yellow and red leaves. The rest of the county will be at about 20-25 percent color change. More color is appearing in Schenectady County, according to spotters in. Look for about 35-40 percent color change this weekend with bright red and yellow leaves. Saratoga County spotters inexpect 30 percent color change as bursts of reds, deep oranges and bright yellows, along with amber and green, become more visible throughout the county.

Elmira and Horseheads expect about 35 percent color change for the coming week. Yellow leaves dominate, while vibrant shades of orange and hints of red are also emerging. Seneca County spotters expect 35 percent color change with more hints of red and orange leaves of average brilliance appearing over the green backdrop. In Steuben County, Corning foliage spotters expect 35 percent color change with bright shades of gold, yellow and orange continuing to emerge from the still-dominant green. In Tompkins County, spotters reporting from Ithaca project 35 percent color change with average shades of yellow, orange and red. Livingston County spotters in Geneseo expect 30 percent color change this weekend with average-to-bright shades of red and yellow rapidly emerging. The early maples are on full display with most showing a full range of red tones from pink to ruby red. In the Finger Lakes region, Chemung County spotters reporting fromandexpect about 35 percent color change for the coming week. Yellow leaves dominate, while vibrant shades of orange and hints of red are also emerging.spotters expect 35 percent color change with more hints of red and orange leaves of average brilliance appearing over the green backdrop. In Steuben County,foliage spotters expect 35 percent color change with bright shades of gold, yellow and orange continuing to emerge from the still-dominant green. In Tompkins County, spotters reporting fromproject 35 percent color change with average shades of yellow, orange and red. Livingston County spotters inexpect 30 percent color change this weekend with average-to-bright shades of red and yellow rapidly emerging. The early maples are on full display with most showing a full range of red tones from pink to ruby red.

In Monroe County, Rochester spotters predict 25-30 percent color change with average-to- bright fall colors heading toward midpoint of change. Red and yellow leaves are appearing on maple trees, and yellow leaves on sycamore and elm trees, while green leaves still dominate. Just north of Rochester, spotters reporting from Greece expect 15-20 percent color change with more trees in the area starting to display shades yellow and a few more are giving off touches of red and orange. Green is still the dominant color and many trees going directly from green to a rust-brown color. In Cayuga County, Auburn foliage spotters are predicting 25 percent color change with bright shades of red, gold and yellow becoming more prominent.

Look for 15 percent color change in Cortland County with average leaves of red, orange and yellow. In Ontario County, spotters in Canandaigua project 20 percent color change with dull yellow leaves appearing amid the mostly green backdrop. Tioga County leaf peepers checking in from Owego predict 20 percent color change this weekend with mostly green leaves and some touches of red and yellow leaves of average brilliance. In Onondaga County, foliage spotters reporting from Syracuse predict 15 percent color change by the weekend with average-to-bright shades of yellow starting to appear from the mostly green backdrop. In Ontario County, Geneva spotters are predicting up to 15 percent color change with muted touches of red, yellow and brown leaves. Wayne County spotters in Lyons predict 15 percent color change with muted gold leaves beginning to appear over the mostly green backdrop.

Allegany State Park expect 40 percent color change this weekend with muted yellow leaves dominating the emerging fall colors. In Little Valley, spotters are expecting color changes of about 20 percent with tinges of muted yellow and orange leaves. In Chautauqua County, look for 15 percent color change with some pale orange and yellow leaves of average brilliance beginning to emerge from the mostly green background. In the Chautauqua-Allegheny region, Cattaraugus County spotters atexpect 40 percent color change this weekend with muted yellow leaves dominating the emerging fall colors. In, spotters are expecting color changes of about 20 percent with tinges of muted yellow and orange leaves. In, look for 15 percent color change with some pale orange and yellow leaves of average brilliance beginning to emerge from the mostly green background.

Springville expect 40 percent color change and near-midpoint conditions this weekend with orange and yellow leaves of average brilliance, along with a touch of red. In Wyoming County, foliage will be approaching midpoint of change this weekend. Look for 35-40 percent color change with average- to- bright shades of red, yellow and orange. In Orleans County, spotters in Albion are expecting 25 percent color change with average shades of gold and red starting to pop. Erie County spotters reporting from Buffalo predict up to 15 percent color change this weekend, with shades of yellow and gold beginning to appear. Genesee County spotters reporting from Batavia predict 20 percent color change with average- to- bright yellow and orange leaves. In Niagara County, spotters in Niagara Falls expect just 10 percent color change this weekend. Trees are mostly green, with some shades of yellow and orange beginning to emerge. In the Greater Niagara region, Erie County spotters reporting fromexpect 40 percent color change and near-midpoint conditions this weekend with orange and yellow leaves of average brilliance, along with a touch of red. In, foliage will be approaching midpoint of change this weekend. Look for 35-40 percent color change with average- to- bright shades of red, yellow and orange. In Orleans County, spotters inare expecting 25 percent color change with average shades of gold and red starting to pop. Erie County spotters reporting frompredict up to 15 percent color change this weekend, with shades of yellow and gold beginning to appear. Genesee County spotters reporting frompredict 20 percent color change with average- to- bright yellow and orange leaves. In Niagara County, spotters inexpect just 10 percent color change this weekend. Trees are mostly green, with some shades of yellow and orange beginning to emerge.

Hudson expect just 15 percent color change by the weekend. Look for some yellow, gold, orange and hints of red leaves of average brilliance. In Dutchess County, Poughkeepsie spotters are calling for 15 percent color change this weekend with green leaves continuing to dominate the landscape. Most fall color will be found in the northern and higher elevation portions of the county. In Orange County, spotters in Goshen expect 15 percent color change with yellow leaves of average brilliance emerging, along with some red and gold. Rockland County spotters reporting from New City expect 20 percent color change with bright orange and yellow leaves appearing over the mostly green backdrop. At Bear Mountain State Park, color change will only be about 5 percent this weekend, with mostly green leaves dominating. In the Hudson Valley , Columbia County spotters checking in fromexpect just 15 percent color change by the weekend. Look for some yellow, gold, orange and hints of red leaves of average brilliance. In Dutchess County,spotters are calling for 15 percent color change this weekend with green leaves continuing to dominate the landscape. Most fall color will be found in the northern and higher elevation portions of the county. In Orange County, spotters inexpect 15 percent color change with yellow leaves of average brilliance emerging, along with some red and gold. Rockland County spotters reporting fromy expect 20 percent color change with bright orange and yellow leaves appearing over the mostly green backdrop. At, color change will only be about 5 percent this weekend, with mostly green leaves dominating.

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As Gov. Andrew Cuomo seeks his third term, we urge him to agree to a series of debates with any and all challengers.

The single debate ahead of the contentious primary election between Cuomo and Cynthia Nixon was held in the Village of Hempstead on Long Island. Not surprisingly, upstate issues were largely left off the table.

And with the whole state preparing to weigh in on Nov. 6, it's important to recognize that New York has more than an upstate-downstate divide. The various regions of New York have very different concerns, so panelists in the Buffalo area are going to ask different questions than panelists in the North Country, central New York or the Capital District.

Incumbency is tough to beat, and Cuomo has a decided edge when it comes to party registration in New York. So our suspicion is that he will want to avoid as much as possible sharing a stage with any competitors. And our fear is that he will ignore anyone living outside a major population center.

But being elected governor  and keeping the job  is a lot to ask. The state's top official has a great deal of sway over how the state's $160 billion annual budget affects employment, education, health, welfare and hundreds of other things that impact the daily lives of New Yorkers.

Cuomo should proactively agree to appear with everyone on November's ballot for governor for a half-dozen or so debates spread across the state. It would be a disservice to a majority of voters statewide if there are too few opportunities to hear from all the candidates about how they would tackle the job if given the chance.

The Citizen editorial board includes publisher Rob Forcey, executive editor Jeremy Boyer and managing editor Mike Dowd.

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LOS ANGELESNakedSword on Wednesday announced the release of a special, just-launched, movie site for the new NakedSword Originals' upcoming release The Last Rose. This feature debuts October 10th, exclusively on NakedSword.com.



The Last Rose stars Falcon superstar Ryan Rose in his final movie before retiring after a prolific seven-year career as a Falcon exclusive. The new feature was filmed on location in Prague by NakedSword's award-winning director mr. Pam and features some of today's most popular BelAmi stars including: Adam Archuletta, Andrei Karenin, Jon Kael, Joaquin Arrenis, and Serge Cavalli. Rounding out the all-star cast is rising Falcon star Alam Wernik and Damon Heart.



The film centers around Ryan being at a turning point and tormented by an uncertain future, so he decides to follow his obsession, Instagram star, Alam Wernik to Prague. Through the eye of his camera lens he stalks the young social media star, who seems to have a fondness for roses and handsome European men. Ryan often finds himself distracted by beautiful faces, chiseled bodies, and enormous uncut dicks, but the sight of a single rose always brings him back to Alam, his primary obsession. Will Ryan find true love in Prague, or will he move onto the next chapter of his life and pass Alam The Last Rose?



The Last Rose will debut exclusively on the 'Netflix of Gay Porn' NakedSword.com on October 10 and will run for four weeks, culminating with a series surprising season finale.



Check out the teaser site now here for preview trailers, galleries, wallpapers, and an exclusive farewell interview with Ryan Rose talking about his final movie and career in adult film.



"When I first started this journey, I knew who I was," Rose said. "That's changed a few times since then, but now I have the biggest puzzle of all: Who am I? Where do I go? I guess that depends entirely on where I want to be."
Facebook should be held responsible when a user on the social media platform sexually exploits another Facebook user, according to a new lawsuit by an unnamed woman in Houston, Texas, who says in a lawsuit filed on Monday that she blames the Menlo Park, California-based companys morally bankrupt corporate culture for permitting a sex trafficker to force her into prostitution after beating and raping her, according to a report by The Houston Chronicle.

The lawsuit also names Backpage.com, which according to a Reuters report, hosted pictures of the woman taken by the man who victimized her after he uploaded them to the site.

The classified advertising site Backpage was shuttered by federal prosecutors in April of this year. The sites founders and several other top executives were hit with a 93-count indictment, on charges of facilitating prostitution and laundering millions from their business.

Whether Backpage can be held liable for crimes inflicted by others on victims remains unclear. The recently passed federal law known as FOSTAthe Fight Online Sex Trafficking Actmakes sites liable for illegal activities committed by others who use those sites.

But whether the Houston lawsuit cites the FOSTA legislation as its basis was unclear. According to the Chronicle report, the suit accuses Facebook of providing an unrestricted platform for criminals to stalk, exploit, recruit, groom and extort children into the sex trade.

The lawsuit does, however, cite a Texas law saying that anyone who engages in the trafficking of persons or who intentionally or knowingly benefits from participating in a venture that traffics another person is liable to the person trafficked for damages arising from the trafficking of that person by the defendant or venture.

The lawsuit says that Facebook should have warned the woman, who was 15 years old at the time she was victimized, that its platform could be used by sex traffickers to recruit and groom victims, including children.

In 2012, the lawsuit states, the 15-year-old was friended on Facebook by a person who was listed as a mutual friend with several others on her friend list. After sweet-talking her via Facebook messages, the man offered to meet her in person after she confided in him that she was fighting with her mother.

Within hours of meeting the Facebook friend, photos were taken of Jane Doe and were posted on Backpage, the lawsuit alleges. Then [she] was raped, beaten, and forced into further sex trafficking.

The lawsuit also charges that the man used a false identity on Facebook, and the company did not properly verify his identity, allowing the offenses to happen through its negligence.

For over a decade Facebook has been providing predators unrestricted platform to prey on victims, attorney Annie McAdams told the Chronicle. Profiting from connecting people requires you to protect those with whom you connect.

Photo By Minette Lontsie / Wikimedia Commons
WASHINGTON, D.C.On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard argument in the case of Gundy v. United States, involving a lawsuit brought by Herman Gundy, a man who had been convicted of an offense that would have required that he comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA)if it had existed when Gundy committed his crime. The Act, which was part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, requires that everyone who has been convicted of certain sex-related crimes including child pornography and child sex trafficking register with law enforcement in the state in which he (or she) resides, and to keep that registration current for the specified term, which may be the life of the offender for certain Tier III offenses.

Gundy's (and many others') problem is, Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III recently decided that SORNA can be applied retroactively, so that even those persons who offended before SORNA came into existence would be required to register, with apparently no limit as to how far into the past such registration could reach. Gundy, who would be swept up under that new rule, sued to void the requirement that he register, claiming that only Congress and not the attorney general has the power to make SORNA retroaxctive. Both a trial court and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Gundy's arguments, but the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up the caseand according to an article in The Washington Times, it looks as though a majority on the high court might agree with Gundy.

Deputy Solicitor General Jeffrey B. Wall, who argued the case for the government, assured the court that it was always Congress' intent that the attorney general have the power to make the law apply to those who had offended before the Act was passed.

"To be honest with you, I think it defies both the text of SORNA and reality to think that Congress was agnostic about whether hundreds of thousands of people who have committed very serious sex offenses, as petitioner has, should be required to register," Wall told the justices. "I think theres no way to read SORNAs text, its legislative history, and not come away with the firm and definite notion that Congress wanted as many of those offenders in the system as the attorney general could get in."

On the other hand, Gundy's attorney Sarah Baumgartel argued that SORNA "grants unguided power to the nation's top prosecutor to expand the scope of criminal laws and to impose burdensome, sometimes lifetime registration requirements on hundreds of thousands of individuals. It combines criminal law-making and executive power in precisely the way that the Constitution was designed to prohibit."

Indeed, the U.S. Constitution, in Article I Sec. 9, states that, "No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed," but it's unclear whether Sessions' reinterpretation of a law Congress has already passed would fall under that prohibition.

In response to a question from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Baumgartel said, "[A]s this Court held in Reynolds, the Congress left it to the Attorney General to determine whether SORNA would apply retroactively at all... [I]t then gave the Attorney General full authority to decide whether the law should be applied retroactively, so the initial on/off determination, but then as well how it should apply, which offenders should be included, if it should extend all the way back to 20, 30, 40 years. There was absolutely no guidance provided to the Attorney General."

Much of the argument revolved around comparing SORNA to other laws which allowed the executive branch to interpret and apply them retroactively, but the scope of how many offenders would be swept up in such an open-ended application of the statute clearly troubled both Justice Ginsburg and conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch.

"How do people even know who is going to be included in this class until they hear from the attorney general?" asked Gorsuch. "And IIm having trouble thinking of another delegation in which this court has ever allowed the chief prosecutor of the United States to write the criminal law for those hes going to prosecute," to which Ginsburg added, "Theres no notice to these people."

Gorsuch later described Sessions' action as "a blank check to the attorney general of the United States to determine who hes going to prosecute," a situation that Gorsuch clearly didn't favor.

The high court's decision, which may not be announced until June of 2019, may be very important to the adult industry, even though very few if any of its members have been convicted of either child sex trafficking or child pornographythough one outstanding example is former producer/distributor Ruby Gottesman, who was found guilty of several counts of production and interstate transportation of child pornography because he had created and distributed several movies starring a then-underage Traci Lords.

Another problem with SORNA in general, and with making it apply retroactively in particular, is the fact that each state gets to determine which sex-related acts require a convicted person to register. For example, in Ohio, "pandering obscenity," which is defined as "creat[ing], reproduce[ing], or publish[ing] any obscene material, when the offender knows that the material is to be used for commercial exploitation or will be publicly disseminated or displayed, or when the offender is reckless in that regard," as well as creating, directing, or producing an obscene performance [i.e., a hardcore movie], or advertising or promoting an obscene performance for presentation, or presenting or participating in presenting an obscene performance, is a felony, and conviction for such an offense requires that the "perp" register as a sex offender, even though all sexual activity involved was consensual and involved only adults. It is not known how many other states consider pandering obscenity to be a registerable offense, but in Ohio alone, going back two or more decades, there have been several high-profile obscenity convictions, as First Amendment attorneys serving that state, including H. Louis Sirkin and J. Michael Murray, can attest.

Another state that has an irrational approach to the Sex Offender Registry is Alabama, which will require anyone convicted of sale or possession of sex toys to go on the registry. Several lawsuits have been filed to overturn Alabama's ban on the toys, but none have succeeded.

Worse, considering the religious fervor that has swept the federal government over the past two years, it's not beyond the imagination that Sessions might easily add pandering obscenity or a number of similar "sex acts" to the federal registration requirement, essentially branding every previously convicted producer, performer or retailer with a form of "scarlet letter" for life.

Fortunately, it appears as though stopping Sessions from expanding the registry has bipartisan report on the high court, so this threat may vanish in a few monthsbut until then, at least some current and former adult industry members may continue to worry.
LOS ANGELESCasey Daniel Purser, a formerly active performer who appeared in dozens of porn videos under the stage name Clover, was arrested in Costa Mesa, California, on Monday on a series of charges including gun and controlled substance violations, after holing up inside a house there as police waited 13 hours for him to emerge, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times.

The arrest would be just the latest for the performer who has previously been arrested at least twice, with at least one arrest leading to a 120-day jail sentence, according to an account by the site RealPornWikiLeaks. According to that earlier report, Pursers 2014 guilty plea to misdemeanor domestic battery charges resulted in his brief incarceration.

Pursers victim in the 2014 case was his then-girlfriend Jennifer Jaen, who alleged multiple, repeated instances of physical abuse by Purser, including one instance when, she said, she picked him up in a rental car at Burbank Airport, when Purser accused her of having another man in the car before him. He threw my face into the steering wheel and started to beat me in the car in front of a whole crowd of people standing just outside the car, she said.

But Purser was arrested again on similar charges in 2015, according to an AVN.com report, which also reported a lengthy history of arrests for Purser, for DUI and animal cruelty charges as well as domestic violence accusations.

Following his 2015 arrest, Purser was quickly dropped by the talent agency representing him, ATMLA.

He was also arrested in May of this year on a firearms charge, the Times reported.

According to the Times report, Pursers latest arrest came after police in Costa Mesa responded to a report of suspicious circumstances at a hime there at about 3:20 a.m. on Monday. Purser was in the house with a woman and threatened to harm her, according to the report. But the woman was able to escape out the front door, with Purser chasing her. But he remained inside the house.

Police then waited until about 5 p.m., when Purser emerged carrying a backpack and was arrested by the waiting detectives. According to the report, his backpack contained, two loaded 9mm handguns, drugs including 12 grams of cocaine and 17 Adderall pills and $15,000 in cash.

Purser later entered not guilty pleas to three felony and two misdemeanor counts.

Photo by Orange County District Attorney's Office
WASSERBILLIG, Luxembourgpjur has launched its new U.S. website.

We are proud to announce the launch of our new website which coincides with our expanding role as a global leader in innovative premium personal products and our Gives You More campaign, said Michael Bart, head of global marketing and online marketing.

The new U.S. website can be visited at pjurLove.com/us.

The new website provides a clear message of who we are, what we stand for and where our value lies when developing and delivering premium personal lubricants and intimate care products, said Bart.

The website also boasts a clean design and intuitive and consistent site-wide navigation system with improved menu functionality that directs you to the information most relevant to you. It is also fully responsive with mobile devices, making it easy to navigate on a wide range of web browsers and portable devices.

The pjur group has introduced a range of new content to the website, including feature content to provide all visitors with a walkthrough of all U.S. pjur products.

Also, the pjur Love blog is designed to help interested people make the right decisions about which personal products are right for them.

Going forward, we will continue to communicate regularly through our blogs and provide new articles and notifications. We also plan to keep adding more video content and product information to provide you with all of the information you need to evaluate our products and services. Were proud of the new website and feel it will create the experience youre looking for when you visit us, Bart said.

For more, visit pjurLove.com/us.
State lawmakers grouped six constitutional amendments on the November ballot in a way that limits efforts to distinguish each amendment from the others.A recent complaint from former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory highlights one potential problem that results for amendment supporters.Each amendment will appear on the ballot below the simple words "constitutional amendment." No letter or number follows those words. That's not an accident or oversight.State law clearly forbids election officials from attaching a number, letter, or any other distinguishing identifier for the amendments. If voters, pundits, and partisans want to discuss particular amendments, they must refer to some shorthand description of each measure. They can't just say "Vote for Amendment One! Vote against Amendment Two!"This observer has no inside scoop on why legislators chose to eschew amendment numbers. One possible explanation is the political calculation that widespread support for some amendments might help push all six over the finishing line.A ballot measure to reduce the cap on the state's income tax rate consistently polls well. So does a proposal to require photo identification from voters. Measures to protect crime victims' rights and the right to hunt and fish also have attracted broad-based support.Four of the six amendments address those topics. The other two deal more with balance-of-power issues within state government. One would change the way the state fills judicial vacancies . The other would shift power from the governor to the General Assembly for appointments to the state board overseeing elections and ethics enforcement Prospects for the two power-shifting amendments do not appear as clear as support for voter ID and a lower income tax cap. Perhaps voters will lump the six amendments together and help secure approval of each one.That's one possible scenario.Or voters could group the six amendments together and reject them. Opponents of one or more amendments have adopted a clear strategy of targeting all of them. They've staked out yard signs urging neighbors to "vote against" unspecified amendments. They've backed a social media strategy to #NixAllSix.The lack of a distinguishing number or letter for individual amendments helps the measures' opponents. If you can't ask voters to oppose Amendments Two and Five, ask them to reject every one. It's a simple message.Opposing amendments en masse also relieves the critics from some political pressure. They don't have to explain why they think it's a bad idea to prevent the prospect of a future 90 percent income tax hike . They don't have to justify North Carolina remaining among the minority of states with no voter identification requirement. They don't have to say why they think crime victims should not secure a stronger role in the legal system.Perhaps a good idea will get lost in the shuffle, some critics will say, but that's a small price to pay to avoid a seriously awful proposal sneaking past voters.While helping opponents, the absence of a distinguishing number for each constitutional amendment also creates problems for some supporters. This is true especially for those who fervently support some measures while actively opposing others.Here's where McCrory's complaint enters the story.He and all four other living former N.C. governors have joined forces to oppose the two power-structure amendments. After an opening State Capitol news conference , the five former governors from both major parties pledged to campaign against the two amendments.But McCrory cried foul when a group called "Stop Deceptive Amendments" aired a television commercial referencing the former governors. In the ad, a narrator suggested that each governor called for a "no" vote onMcCrory argued that this language suggested he opposes all six amendments. He supports four of the six.The "Stop Deceptive Amendments" group revised the ad, but only after its spokesman claimed in a news report that the original message was "accurate" and "clearly referencing" the amendments that united McCrory with his four fellow former chief executives.Accurate? Perhaps. Clear? Certainly not.But that's thanks in no small part to the General Assembly's decision not to distinguish amendments by separate numbers.We'll have to wait until November to learn whether voters decide to lump the amendments together - either to support or reject them. Only then can we judge the ultimate wisdom of the General Assembly's decision to bind all six proposals so closely together.
As the North Carolina General Assembly gathered for its Oct. 2 special session on Hurricane Florence relief , the state's rainy-day fund stood at $2.01 billion. There was another $737 million in reserves earmarked for other purposes (including $104 million specifically for disaster relief) along with an unreserved credit balance in the General Fund of $1.2 billion That North Carolina had billions of dollars socked away to address emergencies such as Florence was no accident. Prudently and methodically, the General Assembly has spent years building up financial reserves. Foolishly and repeatedly, critics faulted lawmakers for saving these dollars rather than spending them.There has been a partisan dimension, no question. After winning majorities in both legislative chambers in 2010, the Republicans made it a high priority to accumulate a substantial rainy-day reserve equal to at least 8 percent of annual state spending, and preferably upwards of 10 percent. Former Gov. Pat McCrory, who served from 2013 to 2016, was if anything even more hawkish about the rainy-day fund.Democrats favor keeping some money in reserve, of course, but have often argued that GOP policymakers were overdoing it. Larry Hall, then the Democratic leader in the North Carolina House, complained during the 2016 legislative session that the Republican majority was saving too much and spending too little.he said just before that year's budget bill passed the House.And while campaigning against McCrory in 2016, Roy Cooper blasted the governor forand for letting the money "just be sitting there" rather than spending it.A few weeks later, Hurricane Matthew hit North Carolina. As you might expect, Cooper immediately stopped complaining about an overly large rainy-day fund.At this point, maintaining significant fiscal reserves ought to be a goal shared by North Carolina politicos of all persuasions. It's not as if they can't imagine what it would be like to experience a massive storm with inadequate savings. Most can remember 1999, when Hurricane Floyd ravaged large swaths of the state.Then-Gov. Jim Hunt and a Democratic-controlled legislature settled on a $840 million disaster-relief package. But there wasn't enough dedicated savings to pay for it. They had to cobble together the funding from several sources, including reverted funds from the operating budget. As a result, the North Carolina had inadequate reserves in 2000-01 when a recession bit into state tax revenues, creating massive budget deficits.Democratic policymakers responded to those deficits by raising taxes, primarily sales taxes. Their decision was economically counterproductive and politically damaging, contributing to legislative losses in 2002 that would have turned control of the North Carolina House over to the Republicans - except that then-House Speaker Jim Black bribed a Republican lawmaker to switch parties and then convinced a rump group of credulous Republicans to keep him in power. This skullduggery sowed the seeds of Black's ultimate political downfall, felony conviction, and stay in federal prison. But it can also be thought of as a delayed consequence of unwise fiscal policy during the high-growth years of the 1990s.I don't expect the two sides to agree on the fundamental trade-off that lies beneath all state budgets. Republicans think that lowering taxes has broad economic benefits. Democrats think higher spending on state programs would be a better choice. This disagreement reflects contrasting philosophical premises and differing interpretations of the empirical evidence.Nevertheless, both sides should want to keep a sizable savings reserve - and should be willing to prioritize replenishing it even if that means some other fiscal goal has to be deferred. Remember that natural disasters aren't the only potential shocks to the system. If a recession comes, a healthy reserve will reduce the pressure on lawmakers either to raise taxes or enact precipitous budget cuts.While no one can forecast precisely when disasters will strike, strike us they will. Thank goodness we were ready this time.
Headlines in the conservative blogosphere sometimes characterize academia as a hostile environment. Real and egregious offenses by administrators, faculty, and fellow students occur that trample the rights of conservative and libertarian students and their invited speakers.But do these incidents represent the situation on most campuses? My own experience at Wake County Technical College in Raleigh, North Carolina suggested otherwise. So, I conducted a survey of student group leaders to see what they had to say. I presented the empirical results in the first part; in this part, I reveal their qualitative responses. Their comments have been lightly edited for clarity.Administrators are either really disorganized or indifferent to the needs of organizations like ours. For example, I had to find out that there was an equipment rental system on my own for an event we recently held. That was nowhere on the "Get Involved" NCSU student organization website. And while an email to one of my professors, who also happens to be our chapter's advisor, helped get word out about our event, it just seemed like the school is too compartmentalized to have any streamlined process for holding events.If we wanted security, I would have to jump through hoops to find out how to get security. I am sure NCSU administrators would disagree because they do not want the university to look bad. But believe me, it is a slow process to get university attention and permissions for events, and the university is at fault.Of the few interactions I've had with other individuals in classes or at tabling events, a lot of individuals simply want free things (food, water, Constitutions) or want to go about the day and get a degree without having to be pulled over by some student activist to talk about our "Lord and Savior," or the government. It is not fun to talk about ideas with a demographic you know disagrees with you most of the time. But neither is learning how to legally pay fewer taxes, and everyone that can usually ends up doing so. I would at least prefer that those who vehemently despise our views hate our views for what they are, rather than ignore political corruption just because it was done by a Republican or a Democrat or even by a capital-L Libertarian.Administration is clearly biased against the right. That said, they're actually relatively good about defending student groups that are right wing-Clemson has a huge right-wing presence: Tiger Town Observer (a political news website), Turning Point USA, Young Americans for Freedom, Young Americans for Liberty, etc. Administrators are definitely bureaucrats. But they're certainly not as bad as you find on some other campuses; this year, we've been totally left alone.The student body's apathy is our biggest problem. Clemson has one of the most right-wing student bodies in the country, but they don't engage. The left-wing students obviously are more vocal and more militant, so getting a right-wing message to the largely apathetic silent majority has been our struggle.(Editor's note: Lord further explained his use of the word "militant:" "Well, just that they're louder because, given their illusion of popular support, they can afford to be.")Students who disagree with us are apathetic and quiet; we haven't gotten any violent or passionate pushback. We're polite to everyone and don't try to "trigger" people intentionally, so maybe that has something to do with it. We just say what we believe...We have lots of interest and enthusiasm from people in our club. We're very tight-knit.But the process of starting a club is ridiculous. It includes extensive forms, deadlines, and long wait times to be "approved" by the administration before you can apply for a meeting room. Campus reservations are also quite slow...Every year you have to "renew," and that is rather tedious as well. [To reserve a room], you fill out a form which isn't too bad, and then wait times are 1-2 weeks.I think that the university administration has been largely supportive of our organization. Almost none of the officials we work with are sympathetic to our political views, but they understand the importance of encouraging dialogue and minority opinions on campus.One area of university resistance you have seen in systems like the University of California is charging conservative clubs exorbitant security fees. But the UNC campus police provide security pro bono if they determine that we need their assistance, without us asking.The student population here is very diverse and intellectually curious, but less tolerant than the administration. There are vocal factions that claim College Republican events cause emotional violence, or other crazy claims. Like many other conservatives these days, we've received baseless accusations of being fascist. Still, we maintain a fairly good working relationship with the Young Democrats and welcome plenty of open-minded liberal students to our major speaker events.The college I went to is extremely Catholic and conservative. As a member of Young Americans for Liberty, I was seen as more of a radical than Democrats were. Most students were apathetic toward political discourse and were solidified for life already as pro-life Republicans. Since our school was private, the administration mainly ignored us. Occasionally, they would make getting a speaker or reserving a room more difficult than it needed to be, but otherwise we just avoided each other. On my campus, the only way to be considered a "true Catholic" was to be a conservative. There was very little disagreement about political ideas in the conservative wings on campus and liberty people were primarily laughed at or shunned for being "crazy potheads."Often, I was easily dismissed when I spoke up in classes or when tabling on campus. Especially in class, people found it very easy to use phrases such as "well that's your ideology so I'd expect you to think that." It made it hard to participate in classes because often the only people who would engage me would be people who were already angry about my opinion, so they wouldn't debate me. Instead, they' would try and shout me down to make me look "wrong." As far as saying what I wanted, I personally never had a problem doing that-it was getting people to seriously listen that was rough.The college staff definitely leans left. Most of the Student Life staff, including a dean, have participated in Democratic rallies and volunteered for Democratic candidates openly. However, the assistant dean of Student Life has been nothing but helpful to me and my College Republicans chapter during my two-year tenure as chairman, even going so far as to offer advice and compliments on the chapter's activism.Honestly, interaction with university staff has been mostly good. I've never heard of any attacks against my chapter, but I have heard a complaint from a member about someone calling her a homophobe from across the street the morning after Trump won. The faculty and staff have promoted events when I've asked them to, and they have been very supportive when we have invited Republican elected officials.Students on campus lean moderate Republican, but faculty leans left. The administration is decidedly left.(Editor's note: Keiser said that the College Republican group counts 120 students as members.)I personally have not had a problem with the administration at school. However, there is a lot of red tape that student organizations must go through. I am sure administrators are behind this, but I have not experienced any particular negative events.We typically get very polarized opinions from the student body. Either a student really loves and engages with our message, or they have hostile disagreement.I think campus conservatives get labeled unfairly. It is assumed that all of us are old-fashioned bigots which simply is not true. I so wish that this perception would begin to change.This was the first semester that we started Young Americans for Liberty at my school and students and administrators seemed to accept it rather well. The administrators worked with me to get my student organization active on campus. That being said, there were a handful of students who disagreed with us when we would table or host events-but no noteworthy interactions. One student vehemently disagreed but was cordial and wanted to have a public debate later.For now, we are the only political organization on campus. The College Republicans and College Democrats disbanded a few years ago. So, a lot of students (especially the liberty- and conservative-minded ones) were very excited about joining. We handed out pocket Constitutions at events and had a free speech ball which everyone loved. Overall, the students have been engaged this semester.Berklee isn't recognizing any new clubs until next semester, including new leftist clubs that are just forming, but we can still book classrooms for "rehearsals" and have our meetings. The only thing we don't have without recognition is funding. So there hasn't been much contact with administration, but there will be next semester.(Editor's note: About 5-10 people attend meetings. They haven't had any protests or problems thus far.)Administration has not been a problem. We are a private Baptist college, so interaction with college officials have been fine. We technically are a chapter with Turning Point USA, but we have internal problems like recruiting. Students are interested in joining the College Republicans, but not as much as with Turning Point USA.Though conservatives are more numerous, liberal groups are more active and visible.(Editor's note: Peters said he has to watch himself because it's a private school. When asked if pressure is obvious or more coercive, he said: "We all know what's acceptable on campus, so we keep a low profile.")Running Turning Point USA at Campbell University has been a dream! It's a very conservative campus in general and we haven't had any issues. The administration is incredibly supportive; we even have a member as our advisor. I will say because it is such a conservative campus that, at first, we struggled to get students to see why our message mattered, as most had never experienced free speech zones or other problems. And while many students are somewhat apathetic, some have an interest in politics. We started with about five people, but now we're getting 15-20 people to our meetings.Though the above experiences are not the only experiences of conservative college groups, their anecdotes give the public a glimpse of how campus conservatives interact with other students, professors, and administrators.


Source: TIA Report

The nonprofit and nonpartisan organization Truth in Accounting (TIA) recently released its " Financial State of the States " report. The report ranks states based on their ability or failure to meet outstanding financial obligations.North Carolina ranked 27th and received a "D" grade on the report.TIA estimates that North Carolina has over $56 billion in outstanding obligations and only $31.7 billion available to pay those obligations. This leaves a $24.3 billion shortfall, which equates to an approximately $8,100 obligation per North Carolina taxpayer, according to the report. Thirty-nine other states are also estimated to have more outstanding financial obligations than available money to meet them.This may be shocking to the average North Carolinian, considering the state's balanced budget requirement. How can the state be so far in the negative if each year's budget has to balance?That's because each year's budget merely needs to include that year's minimum required payment for debt obligations and unfunded liabilities. It's sort of like making the minimum required monthly payment on your credit card debt. The minimum payment meets the legal annual obligations, but the bulk of the money owed remains.The primary reason for North Carolina's low grade is its unfunded state retiree healthcare obligations. This is no surprise to government finance researchers, such as Civitas Executive Vice President Brian Balfour. On the subject of liabilities, Balfour explains that fully funding pension and retiree healthcare obligations would cost the state $4.2 billion annually, which is about 18 percent of the state's current $23.9 billion annual budget. That huge annual expense is the result of ballooning costs with which the state has not been able to keep up.One way to reduce the unfunded health care liability going forward is to reduce costs from healthcare providers. State Treasurer Dale Folwell expressed that his office has had ongoing difficulty getting straight-forward answers about the actual cost of services for which state insurance plans are paying. Adding transparency to healthcare costs is one way to help consumers make more informed healthcare decisions, saving individuals and the state money in the long-term. In addition, price transparency may also increase competition, which can help drive down the price of healthcare.Another significant portion of the state's outstanding financial obligations is the state pension unfunded liability. According to Folwell , the state pension plan has underperformed for the past 20 years in terms of expected returns. This is no small discrepancy since currently 18 percent of state payroll goes into the pension system. State employees contribute 6 percent of their salaries and the state contributes an additional 12 percent . This amounts to around $1.5 billion in taxpayer contributions, up from $800 million just six years ago.In response, Folwell says they have lowered the expected rate of return for the pension fund to more realistically plan for future pension performance and obligations. This is useful in illuminating the true amount that taxpayers will be obligated to subsidize.Financial obligations that are not factored into the balanced budget requirement should not be ignored by the public or state policymakers. If anything, they should warn against frivolous spending on recurring general fund expenses. How can policymakers consider a $5 billion increase to the state's General Fund expenditures when we have $24 billion outstanding financial obligations? To do so would be extremely irresponsible.Some may cite this looming financial threat as a reason to oppose the proposed constitutional amendment to cap the income tax rate at 7 percent. That's muddled thinking because the current personal and corporate income tax rates are well below the proposed 7 percent ceiling at 5.25 and 2.5 percent, respectively, effective 2019. Even under the lowered cap, an additional $5.5 billion could be generated through income tax increases. However, raising taxes is not an effective long-term solution to the unfunded liabilities problem because it does not address the root of the problem: overpromising of retiree benefits Ultimately, the unfunded liability problem originated with the overpromising of retiree benefits, not the underfunding of the pension and health plans. From 2013 to 2016, the state's pension liability grew by 80 percent. For comparison, the state's GDP grew at only 66 percent during that same time period. This disparity illustrates that taxpayers simply cannot continue to support a pension system that is growing at that rate. Systemic reform is needed to reverse this alarming trend.Legislators should continue to support efforts by the state treasurer to better manage the unfunded liabilities. Additionally, budget writers should consider the full scope of the state's financial obligations when making spending decisions. Limiting government spending allows the state to avoid exacerbating the unfunded liabilities problem, but larger reforms are the only true long-term solution. That involves overhauling the current system of pension and retiree healthcare benefits to find a workable solution to improve the state's unfunded liabilities problem.
Should Beaufort County's commissioners be resolved to ask the federal government to defend our Southern Border by ending the Biden /Harris Open Border policy in regards to that one border that is intentionally made OPEN?

Yes, Illegal Migrants are a huge expense to local governments.

No, the cost of Undocumented Immigrants is insignificant in our providing a pathway for Dramatic Demographic Upheaval..
Recently, Gov. Brown signed SB 1121, the first of possibly several amendments designed to fix and rehabilitate the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Here is the complete statute as revised. I prepared a redline showing the amendments.

The amendments make a number of beneficial changes, and on balance its a positive development. However, these amendments barely scratch the surface of the necessary changes, and Im baffled how the legislature prioritized which problems to address now vs. later. As youll see, there remain numerous outright typos in the amended law, plus a seemingly infinite number of conceptual problems.

This post will recap what changed, what still needs to change, and whats next.

Highlights of the Changes

There are numerous tiny fixes in the bill, such as the correction of business' to businesss and the deletion of obvious surplusage after 1798.100(e). Here are some of the bigger changes, many of which are just clarifications:

The amendments more expressly excludes noncommercial activity from the law (new 1798.145(k)). I think this was clear before, but Im glad its even more express.

The amendments more expressly says that there is no private cause of action for any CCPA violation other than the data security breaches (1798.150(c)). I also think this was clear before, but still, Im glad to make it extra-clear. Note that the AGs office supports a wider private right of action, but this amendment didnt address the request.

The amendments refined the interplay between the CCPA and HIPAA (1798.145(c)). Among other things, the amendments excluded business associates under HIPAA, in addition to covered entities, from the CCPA. The uneasy fit with HIPAA was a known problem with the initial law, so this is a beneficial change.

The amendments also clarified CCPAs inapplicability to the financial sector, also a positive change (1798.154(e)).

The amendments remove the need for private litigants to tender their lawsuit to the AG before suing and the AGs ability to nix the lawsuit (1798.155(b)). The AGs ability to kill a lawsuit was likely unconstitutional, so removing that provision was a good idea. Among others, AG Becerra had asked for this change.

The amendments made it clearer that the specifically identified list of things that qualify as personal information only count if they meet the general definition of personal information (1798.140(o)). This is a helpful clarification, but it doesnt change much given the laws massively overbroad definition of personal information. That definition remains my #1 priority for substantive improvements.

The amendments deleted a reference to B&P 17206, which had details about damage-setting for violations (1798.150(b)). The deletion means that the law is self-contained for calculating damages for violations.

The amendments changed who gets the revenue from CCPA enforcement actions (1798.155(c)). The ;law as passed put 20% of enforcement proceeds into a dedicated fund for CCPA enforcement, with the remainder presumably going to the general fund. The amendments allocate 100% of enforcement proceeds into the dedicated fund. This raises a number of questions, including: will the fact the AGs office keeps all the money spur more enforcements and turn the law into a perpetual motion machine?; does this reallocation satisfy the AGs concern that the legislature didnt provide enough money to the AGs office to do the work?; will the fact that 100% of enforcement revenues flow back to the AGs office motivate the AGs office to prioritize enforcements over other ways it could promote privacy or support the community?; and which government functions lost the 80% revenue stream, and what do they think of this change?

The amendments preempt conflicting local laws effective immediately (new 1798.199) but delay AG enforcement as much as six months to July 1, 2020 (or sooner, if the AG gets its regs out before January 1, 2020) (1798.185(c)). Delaying the laws effectiveness up to 6 months is good, but this fix doesnt help very much. Businesses deserve at least a full year to address the AGs regs, which could affect the laws meaning in substantial ways, but at most they will have 6 months. Its possible (perhaps unlikely) that the AG will not complete the regs before July 1, 2020, but I suspect the legislature would intervene if that happens. Still, the potentially quick turnarounds could lead to lots of avoidable drama and unnecessary costs. Note that the CCPA requires a 12 month lookback on disclosures of certain data, which means that if the law comes into effect July 1, 2020, businesses will need to have their data architecture in place July 1, 2019 sufficient to accommodate the lookback, so businesses are spending money today that might be mooted by future developments.

What Still Needs to Change

Heres a very non-exhaustive list of changes the legislature still needs to address. This section is principally derived from my prior roundup of problems and additional points I made in my August post:

Errors

1798.110(c)(5) says that businesses must publish their consumers specific pieces of personal information in their privacy policies. Oops. Talk about a true lack-of-privacy policy!!! Section 110(c)(5) should be deleted. 1798.120(c): The language is inconsistent about 16 year olds (or, if you read the restriction as applying only to 14 and 15 year olds, then its inconsistent about 13 year olds): a business shall not sell the personal information of consumers if the business has actual knowledge that the consumer is less than 16 years of age, unless the consumer, in the case of consumers between 13 and 16 years of age, or the consumers parent or guardian, in the case of consumers who are less than 13 years of age, has affirmatively authorized the sale of the consumers personal information. SB 1121 proposes to renumber this section as 1798.120(c) but doesnt fix the drafting error. 1798.140(b): an individuals deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) isnt data, its material from which data can be obtained. 1798.140(k): The term health insurance information is defined but never used. 1798.140(o)(2): I think the language Publicly available does not include consumer information that is deidentified or aggregate consumer information meant personal information, not publicly available. After all, its in the definition of personal information and the exclusion of deidentified or aggregate consumer information from publicly available is too narrow an exclusion. SCU Privacy Law Fellow, Lydia de la Torre, disagrees with me. She points out that 1798.145(a)(5) excludes deidentified and aggregate consumer information from most obligations in the CCPA, so an exclusion in 140(o)(2) is redundant/unnecessary. But this doesnt make any sense either, because if 145(a)(5) excludes deidentified and aggregate consumer information, then why would it matter if they are in or out of publicly available? Either way, 145(a)(5) would moot that characterization. So if my initial assessment isnt correct, I have no idea what the language is supposed to be. Again, 1798.140(o)(2): Publicly available information is defined as information that is lawfully made available from federal, state, or local government records, if any conditions associated with such information. The bolded phrase is clearly missing words or should be deleted.

Ambiguities

1798.105(d)(7) allows a business to reject a deletion request to enable solely internal uses that are reasonably aligned with the expectations of the consumer based on the consumers relationship with the business. Will any business risk relying on this exception, or will everything need to be based on consumer consent? This one is from AB 375s legislative history: Section 1798.125, where these anti-discrimination and incentive provisions reside, is internally inconsistent to a certain extent. It specifically prohibits charging different prices or rates for goods or services. But, it also specifically authorizes in the following paragraph charging a consumer a different price or rate. The same tension exists for providing a different level or quality of goods or services. 1798.125(b)(1) includes the sentence: A business may also offer a different price, rate, level, or quality of goods or services to the consumer if that price or difference is directly related to the value provided to the consumer by the consumers data. Is the first consumer in the bolded language supposed to be business? More generally, I am uncertain whether 1798.125 will apply to price discrimination in all contexts, not just a restriction on pay-for-privacy. Even charging different prices for different geographies bases the price distinction on personal information, i.e., location information. There are exclusions when such price discrimination is allowed, but if it nominally regulates every form of differential pricing, that will stun the entire business community. 1798.130(a)(2) is supposed to be the data portability provision. However, it only covers the prior 12 months, so anyone holding an account for more than 12 months will only get partial portability. Lydia thinks consumers can take advantage of 1798.100(d), which isnt limited to 12 months. Does 130(a)(2) qualify 100(d), or are each independent disclosure obligations? 1798.140(c)(1) establishes numerical thresholds for enforcement: $25M/yr revenue, 50%+ revenue from data brokerage, or personal information for 50k/yr consumers. Given that in most cases these numbers are not publicly reported, how will the California AGs office, the enforcement entity, know if a business has cleared these thresholds or not? If the AGs office has no idea, how will that affect its enforcement discretion? Also on 1798.140(c)(1), the law doesnt specify if the $25M threshold or 50,000 consumers must all take place in California, or involve California consumers, or if they are enterprise-wide. If its the latter, a business with $25M revenue worldwide theoretically must comply with the law the moment it makes a single sale to California (there may still be personal jurisdiction limits). Also on 1798.140(c)(1), once a business clears one of the thresholds, the law doesnt provide any further grace period for compliance and the business must instantly comply with the entire law. The law could say that compliance must be done at some future date (e.g., by the end of the next calendar year after a business clears a threshold), but thats not what it currently says. And if the business numbers spiked one year and it has good reasons to believe that the threshold will not be met again in the foreseeable future, then the business must still implement the law for the possibly-very-brief spike period. Im sure the AGs office will exercise some discretion in some of these circumstances, but this seems like an excellent place for the AGs office to provide some regulations. 1798.140(c)(2) defines business to include: Any entity that controls or is controlled by a business, as defined in paragraph (1), and that shares common branding with the business. Control or controlled means ownership of, or the power to vote, more than 50 percent of the outstanding shares of any class of voting security of a business; control in any manner over the election of a majority of the directors, or of individuals exercising similar functions; or the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management of a company. Common branding means a shared name, servicemark, or trademark. This definition seemingly means that parents and subsidiaries of a company must honor opt-in/opt-out/erasure/disclosure requests across the entire enterprise if they have a shared name, servicemark, or trademark. What does that mean? If a company has three different subsidiaries, named Brand California, Brand New York, and Brand Europe, must all of these entities honor opt-in/opt-out/erasure/disclosure requests as if they were a single integrated entity? If so, that will blindside the many companies that do not have an integrated data architecture across subsidiary lines. Or will the fact that the brand isnt identical (Brand California isnt an identical brand as Brand New York) avoid this issue? Lydia raised the question of whether definition reaches non-profit subsidiaries of for-profit businesses. For example, if a for-profit company owns a non-profit company that acts as its charitable arm, it appears the non-profit company may qualify as an entity. Fixing this latter problem would be as simple as changing entity to business, but that wouldnt fix the underlying concerns about cross-enterprise obligations. Lydia also raised the question of whether 140(c)(2) treats intra-enterprise data transfers as transfers to third parties, or if the definition of business includes the entire enterprise as an integrated unit. The statutory language on this point is inscrutable. 1798.140(e) defines collects, collected, or collection as buying, renting, gathering, obtaining, receiving, or accessing any personal information pertaining to a consumer by any means. This includes receiving information from the consumer, either actively or passively, or by observing the consumers behavior. Lets consider an example. 140(o)(1)(H) says personal information includes olfactory information. So, in theory, when an employee passively smells a customer in the ordinary course of business (if youve ever worked retail, you know exactly what Im talking about), this would constitute a collection that needs to be disclosed and would possibly trigger other obligations. Really? I think the definition was meant to say that its collected only when its stored in a tangible medium, such as paper or electronic records. Even then, applying the law to paper records would be miserable for the applicable business. 1798.140(o)(1) says personal information can refer to households, but the term households is never defined and could be located outside California or include non-California residents. This would be a good example of how the law could reach extra-territorially for Dormant Commerce Clause purposes. Lydia thinks all references to household should be deleted (or tie it better to California). The same concerns arise with 140(x)s references to family and the numerous references to devices. 1798.140(o)(2) says government data used for a purpose that is not compatible with the purpose for which the data is maintained and made available in the government records or for which it is publicly maintained drops out of the exclusion for publicly available data and just becomes personal information. How will third party transferees of this data recognize this? 1798.140(t)(2) unhelpfully cross-references 1798.110 and 1798.115 for information that they dont contain and raise some questions about how the provisions would be implemented on acquisition. 1798.140(v) defines service providers to include only for-profit businesses. Does this give non-profit businesses an advantage, or put them at a disadvantage? For example, non-profit service providers are classified as third parties, with different rights and obligations. 1798.145(a) says The obligations imposed on businesses by this title shall not restrict a businesss ability to[numerous exclusions]. These exclusions should apply to everyone, not just businesses as defined by the statute. For example, the law imposes restrictions on service providers and other third parties who should equally qualify for the exclusions. 1798.150(a)(1) creates the private cause of action for data security breaches in the case of unauthorized access and exfiltration, theft, or disclosure as a result of the business violation of the duty to implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices. This grammar is hard to parse. Is unauthorized access a precondition for all elements, or only the exfiltration? Does the unauthorized modifier extend to disclosure, or could the cause of action apply to authorized disclosures? Again in 1798.150(a)(1), who defines what constitutes a reasonable security procedure and practice? Will it be AG regulations? Will there be safe harbors based on industry standards or other published specs? Or will it be completely judge-made? Judge-made legal standards pose numerous problems. Plaintiffs can allege unreasonable security procedures/practices after every data security breach and, in theory, at least survive a motion to dismiss. Furthermore, precedent will take years to develop and even longer to change, so by the time a court declares a specific practice reasonable or unreasonable, there will be years of accumulated breaches that may become newly actionablegiving plaintiffs their choice of defendants to pursue. Again with 1798.150(a)(1): does the statute create a cause of action in some circumstances where theres actually no obligation to notify consumers of the breach? 1798.150(a)(1)(A) imposes statutory damages of $750 per consumer per incident. What is a security incident? If a hacker is able to get into a network multiple times, does each intrusion count as an incident? If the exfiltrated data is sold to multiple different buyers, are those multiple incidents? 1798.155(a) still requires the DOJ to give an opinion to anyone who seeks guidance about compliance, something California AG Xavier Becerra objects to. General: for consumer who never signed up with the business, how will the business provide them with opt out/disclosure/erasure rights? General: in a related issue, its unclear when the law applies to adtech companies or how they would comply with it. This Digiday article explains more. General: does the erasure obligation give students unhappy with a course grade the ability to erase it from edtech companies? General: in several places, the law provides instructions for resolving conflicts with other laws. But when do laws conflict? This isnt a new legal question or specific to CCPA, but it will create plenty of uncertainty and countless potential edge cases. In light of the overlap, the legislature should repeal the private right of action in the existing data breach law in 1798.80. Similarly, the legislature should repeal the existing Shine the Law law (1798.83 and associated sections) due to the overlap and inconsistencies.

Whats Next?

According to Bloomberg, AG Becerras office says it hopes to release regulations in June 2019. I love that optimism, but Ill believe it when I see it. I still have no idea who has been tasked with leading this project in the DOJ; and last I heard, the DOJ was still hiring for the team. If the regs are actually released in June 2019, the law would start Jan. 1, 2020, and the amendments extra 6 month delay would be negated. The Bloomberg article also indicated that A.B. 1828 and S.B. 862 were expected to provide the DOJ with $700k and 5 new staff members to work on the regulations, but I couldnt parse those bills to confirm or refute this.

There has been a lot of discussion about the possibility of other states cloning-and-revising the CCPA, but I havent heard any specific initiatives yet. It would be a terrible decision for any state to start with this garbage, especially in its current status before California does the hard work to substantively improve it.

There has been a lot of conversations in Congress and the federal executive branch about dealing with the mess made by the CCPA. Im not sure if anything can get through this Congress, but Californias mistakes give a lot more impetus than I would have imagined.

Shortly after passage, there was some backroom chatter about constitutional challenges to the law. At least in my circles, that conversation seems to have dried up. As far as I can tell, some of the major companies have decided to take the fight to Congress and/or acquiesce and comply with CCPA as best as it can be improved. I think the brand risks to challenging the law are just too high. As a result, its possible the most likely constitutional plaintiffs have been coopted into CCPA and moved their attention elsewhere. That leaves the less-well-funded businesses to fend for themselves.

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* The California Consumer Privacy Act Should Be Condemned, Not Celebrated

* A First (But Very Incomplete) Crack at Inventorying the California Consumer Privacy Acts Problems

* Ten Reasons Why Californias New Data Protection Law is Unworkable, Burdensome, and Possibly Unconstitutional (Guest Blog Post)

* A Privacy Bomb Is About to Be Dropped on the California Economy and the Global Internet

* An Introduction to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
We need clear and realistic requirements for how pets and emotional support animals can travel on airplanes to keep pets and passengers safe during flights. Photo by iStockphoto

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When Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico last year, many residents were faced with a choice they should never have to make: fly to safety while leaving their pets behind to face the storm alone, or stay home and risk their own  and their pets  lives. Current airline rules make traveling with pets during disasters stressful, at best, and impossible, at worst. Dogs too large to travel in the cabin simply cannot fly and when there are limited seats available, accommodating pets of any size or kind becomes even harder. After the hurricane in Puerto Rico, some frantic pet owners resorted to trying to pass off their dogs as emotional support animals to get them on flights.

Even in normal times, when people travel with pets, they can end up facing heartbreak. Thats what happened with the family of Kokito, the French bulldog puppy who died during a flight in March when he was stowed in a planes overhead bin at the insistence of a flight attendant.

The issue of making airline travel safer and more accessible for pets is one that concerns us here at the Humane Society of the United States, and its one we have been working on steadily over the years. In March 2000, the U.S. Congress passed portions of the Safe Air Travel for Animals Act, a measure that the HSUS strongly supported. The new law required airlines to report incidents of animal loss, injury or death, so consumers could compare safety records, and to improve animal care training for baggage handlers. Many airlines responded to this law by implementing restrictions on accepting pets as cargo. After Hurricane Katrina, we worked with Congress on the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, enacted in 2006, requiring state and local agencies to consider the needs of pets and service animals as part of their disaster response planning. But the act doesnt require corporations responsible for travel  such as airlines  to do the same.

Now, at least one airline is taking further steps to make traveling in the skies a little friendlier for pets. On Tuesday, Delta airlines announced they have added a staff veterinarian to the Delta Cargo team. The veterinarian is charged with reviewing policies and procedures to ensure safe and comfortable pet travel. The airline is also working with a partner to improve its pet transportation services.

Earlier this year, I reached out to Delta to express concerns after they announced a ban on pit-bull-type dogs in the cabin, regardless of whether the dog was a service animal. We had an encouraging conversation, and while the pit-bull-type dog ban has not yet been rescinded, we are hopeful that these initial positive steps will ultimately bring about that policy change as well. Todays step is a good sign of the companys willingness to listen and to learn.

Congress has taken further action, too, to improve airline travel for pets. The Welfare of Our Furry Friends (WOOFF) Act, led by Sens. John Kennedy, R-La., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Reps. Dan Donovan, R-N.Y., and Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., bans the placement of pets in overhead compartments. It was included in the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that passed the House last week and the Senate yesterday, showing that even in these partisan times, both Republicans and Democrats  like a majority of Americans  think pets deserve basic (and common sense) humane treatment. The bill also includes a provision that calls on the Department of Transportation to set rules for service and emotional support animals.

These are encouraging developments. We need clear and realistic requirements for how pets and emotional support animals can travel on airplanes to keep pets and passengers safe during flights. That will also keep airlines from responding with knee-jerk reactions such as banning breeds and types of dogs when animal-related incidents occur.

In the absence of action by the Department of Transportation, airlines have taken it upon themselves to try to resolve the issue. Yesterday Spirit airlines became the latest airline  joining Delta, United, Jet Blue and American  in announcing the requirement that passengers with emotional support animals must submit necessary forms, including certifying the animal has received training, 48 hours prior to the flight.

There is a lot more to do in this area. According to the Air Transport Association, more than 5,000 animals are killed, injured or lost on commercial flights each year, including dozens of pets. Pets can face risks, including exceptionally hot or cold temperatures, poor ventilation, insufficient oxygen, and rough handling in the cargo bay. The HSUS will continue to take a good look at our public education, corporate reform and public policy work with the aim of improving the situation for animals in commercial travel. Meanwhile, we applaud Delta Airlines and members of Congress for working to make travel safer for our best friends.

P.S. Planning on traveling with your pets? Be sure to read our tips on preparing to fly with your pet.
Texas Veterinarian Sues to Give Pet Advice Online

Maybe you heard this song before, but there's a veterinarian who would talk to the animals if he could.

At age 75, Dr. Ronald Hines is an old-school practitioner with a modern approach. He gives pet advice online.

At least he did until Texas shut him down. Now he's suing for his right to free speech -- again.

2ndChance

For more than a decade, Hines diagnosed pet ailments through his website, www.2ndchance.info. But Texas authorities suspended his license based on a state law that bars veterinarians from practicing unless they physically treat animals.

Hines sued the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, but lost at the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The U.S. Supreme Court also rejected him.

Then there was a change in the weather, a common occurrence in Texas and sometimes in the law. The U.S. Supreme Court tilted his way in a free speech case, National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra.

"Based on the outcome-determinative change in free-speech law established by NIFLA, Dr. Hines now brings this second free-speech lawsuit challenging the State Board's continuing suppression of his individualized veterinary advice -- a fully protected form of speech," the new lawsuit says.

Double Standard

When it comes to giving advice over the internet, Hines says Texas has a double standard for treating humans and animals. In 2017, the state passed a law authorizing doctors to consult with patients via webcams.

"Change is inevitable," he told Courthouse News during his first free speech lawsuit. "People are going to be using the Internet to discuss their pets, lives, health and other important subjects."

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Mitchell Langbert, a business professor at Brooklyn College who looks like a cross between Ray Liotta and an angry fermented potato, writes that "If someone did not commit sexual assault in high school, then he is not a member of the male sex."

The blog post was reposted in a private group for some 5,000 students and alumni. Some students were outraged. Corrinne Greene said her campus group, Young Progressives of America, wants Langbert fired.

"To have someone in a position of power espousing sexual assault is not a joke. It's something that needs to be taken seriously," she said. Brooklyn College Provost Anne Lopes called the comments in the post abhorrent and counter to the values of the school community. "However, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects even speech that many experience as offensive, such as the faculty member's post," she said. Lopes added that officials will plan a forum to discuss the issue.

I've reproduced his original post verbatim below, as failing to provide the full context would otherwise invite accusations of context-shifting or (as the case may be) of failing to understand that it is supposed to be "satire."

Kavanaugh If someone did not commit sexual assault in high school, then he is not a member of the male sex. The Democrats have discovered that 15-year- olds play spin-the-bottle, and they have jumped on a series of supposed spin-the-bottle crimes during Kavanaugh's minority, which they characterize as rape, although no one complained or reported any crime for 40 years. The Democrats have become a party of tutu-wearing pansies, totalitarian sissies who lack virility, a sense of decency, or the masculine judgment that has characterized the greatest civilizations: classical Athens, republican Rome, 18th century Britain, and the 19th century United States. They use anonymity and defamation in their tireless search for coercive power. The Kavanaugh hearing is a travesty, and if the Republicans are going to allow the sissy party to use this travesty to stop conservatism, then it is time found a new political party. In the future, having committed sexual assault in high school ought to be a prerequisite for all appointments, judicial and political. Those who did not play spin-the-bottle when they were 15 should not be in public life.

Given that Langbert appears to be confessing to sexual assault, why is he still in contact with students? I'm told by libertarian friends that colleges lack due process in such matters. Why not lack it now?

Ah yes: satire. Since publishing the original article, he's fig-leaved it as a Swiftian allusion. There's something funny about the panicked public pants-zipping and shirt-tuckingall his blog posts are just like this, of courseespecially when you style yourself as a no-nonsense libertarian business don.

Just think, though: he had no inkling that writing this would make him look bad (Tip: sarcasm isn't satire: it's embittered sincerity and everyone will know) He had no idea what he was insinuating about himself! When you read of students being coddled by the academic environment, remember who has the power and authority there.

I used Google Images to try and find a higher-resolution version of Langbert's blog portrait (above). It couldn't find one, but it knew what he was.
When workers at an Ikea in Stoughton, Massachusetts expressed interest in forming a union, the company responded with an illegal anti-union crackdown that culminated in locking workers into a conference room and forcing them to watch anti-union slideshows that workers described as "scaremongering".



An international union group filed a complaint against Ikea with the Dutch Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, citing similar incidents in Dublin, Ireland and Lisbon, Portugal.

The lock-in meetings were mandatory on pain of termination and lasted for hours every day in the runup to a union vote; an employee who tried to photograph one of the slides was kicked out of the hall.



The UFCW alleged in the OECD complaint that the failed vote in Stoughton was the culmination of IKEA's attempt to discourage workers against unionizing with so-called "captive-audience" meetings, or mandatory gatherings that employees could be terminated for skipping. The OECD complaint alleged that IKEA's captive-audience meetings would last for one to two hours every day in the run-up to the vote. During the meetings, the UFCW alleged, management disparaged collective bargaining, indicating that the union would likely fail to help workers "obtain a net gain in wages and benefits," and told employees that they were "personally offended" by the push to unionize. "It was a lot of pressure and people were getting scared," Morrison said. He described the meetings as "grinding," and added that management began doing favors for certain employees, like not assigning Saturday shifts. According to the complaint, management also showed employees a PowerPoint comparing the election to selecting a getaway destination. Voting against the union was compared to a "vacation paradise." The union alleges in the OECD complaint that "the choice to have union representation was illustrated with a donkey with a stick in its mouth next to a small wooden hut."



Unions are accusing IKEA of cracking down on Massachusetts workers in a series of 'captive-audience' meetings featuring fear-mongering PowerPoints

[Aine Cain/Business Insider]
On Tuesday, the South African Police Force scored big when they managed to catch thugs who robbed a Cash-In-Transit vehicle.

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Social media users praised the SAPS after they foiled a CIT heist and managed to recovered the money and weapons the robbers used.

The photos of the cops' success was shared on Twitter by Yusuf Abramjee, who captioned the post: "Group of men arrested near Heidelberg in Gauteng and cash/weapons seized after a G4s cash van was bombed and robbed in Tsolo Eastern Cape. Well done to the authorities. @SAPoliceService @MakeSAsafe @NamolaApp."

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The post sparked quite the reaction on social media and tweeps congratulated the SAPS for their hard work and success in catching the criminals.

So, Briefly.co.za decided to gather some of the reactions the post received.

Solsure Mamahlaku, who goes by the Twitter handle @solsure, commented: "Well done saps,slowly but surely u're winning against this #CITRobberies."

Simple TK, @SimpleTK1, wrote: "With such dangerous machine guns in their disposal,not even one nyana died from these criminals, come on police, pull up your guns."

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Top 5 richest men in South Africa on Briefly. Everyone, quick: off the top of your head, name a billionaire. Now, think hard and name two or three South African billionaires. How about more? Dont worry, we have gathered this extremely interesting information for you!

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- The Juventus star firmly issues a statement denying any rape allegations

- He had initially lightly denied the allegations on Instagram

- However, the superstar issued a comprehensive statement on Wednesday which thoroughly condemned rape

- According to Ronaldo, rape stood against everything that defined him as a player and human being

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Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has issued a damning statement following damaging rape allegations against him.

Ronaldo, through his Twitter, faulted the media for riding on the explosive allegations, adding that his conscience was clear.

Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am - Cristiano Ronaldo

Source: Getty Images

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As TUKO.co.ke reported, Ronaldo had on Saturday, September 29 taken to Instagram in a video to simply laugh off allegations made by American woman Kathryn Mayorga as fake news.

Days later and the fire that came with the allegations only seems to be intensifying, prompting the Portuguese star to speak on the matter himself.

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According to the 33-year old, the accuser was only attempting to ride on his name using the allegations as he termed rape as an abominable crime.

"I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense," Ronaldo's statement read.

Leslie Stovall, Mayorga's co-counsel was not available to respond to Ronaldo's statement, although the case , which dates back to 2009 is set to drag on.

Mayorga alleged claims to have endured "psycological injuries" after an alleged non-consensual sexual encounter with Ronaldo nine years ago.

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By Niklas Pollard and Ben Hirschler STOCKHOLM/LONDON (Reuters) - A trio of American, French and Canadian scientists won the 2018 Nobel Prize for Physics on Tuesday for breakthroughs in laser technology that have turned light beams into precision tools for everything from eye surgery to micro-machining. They include the first female physics prize winner in 55 years. Canada's Donna Strickland, of the University of Waterloo, becomes only the third woman to win a Nobel for physics, after Marie Curie in 1903 and Maria Goeppert-Mayer in 1963. Arthur Ashkin of Bell Laboratories in the United States won half of the 2018 prize for inventing "optical tweezers", while Strickland shared the remainder with Frenchman Gerard Mourou, who also has U.S. citizenship, for work on high-intensity lasers. "Obviously we need to celebrate women physicists," Strickland said shortly after learning of the prize. The Nobel prizes have long been dominated by male scientists, and none more so than physics. Strickland is the first female Nobel laureate in any field in three years. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said last year it would seek to more actively encourage nominations of women researchers to begin addressing the imbalance. Strickland later spoke of how her predecessor, Goeppert Mayer, had been "allowed to follow her husband from job to job while he ... went up the ranks as a professor", while she was only allowed to teach or do unpaid research. "Women have come a long way," she told a news conference in Canada. Her win comes a day after Europe's physics research center CERN suspended an Italian scientist, Alessandro Strumia, for telling a seminar at the organization's Swiss headquarters last week that physics was "invented and built by men" and that women were now being favored in hiring for research positions. Jessica Wade, a physicist at Imperial College London who was at the CERN event and unhappy about Strumia's comments, said having a female Nobel winner was also important given the current fight over U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who is facing sexual misconduct allegations. "This news could not come at a better time," Wade told Reuters. "After a week where a woman has been forced to describe her sexual assault to a live television audience of billions, and an academic at a prestigious university has said that women are unfairly promoted into senior positions in physics, even I  the eternal optimist  was starting to lose hope." PRECISION INSTRUMENTS The inventions by the three scientists awarded this year's Nobel Prize for Physics date back to the mid-1980s and over the years they have revolutionized laser physics. "Advanced precision instruments are opening up unexplored areas of research and a multitude of industrial and medical applications," the academy said on awarding the nine million Swedish crown ($1 million) prize. Ashkin's work was based on the realization that the pressure of a beam of light could push microscopic objects and trap them in position. A breakthrough came in 1987, when he used the new optical tweezers to grab living bacteria without harming them. At 96, Ashkin is the oldest ever Nobel prize winner, but he is still busy with fresh research. "I am busy working right now, writing an important paper on solar energy," he told Reuters in a telephone interview. "I'm surprised," Ashkin said about winning the prize. "A guy called me up on the phone and woke me up." Mourou and Strickland's research centered on developing the most intense laser pulses ever created by humans, paving the way for the precision instruments used today in corrective eye surgery and industrial applications. The prizes for achievements in science, literature and peace have been awarded since 1901 in accordance with the will of Swedish business tycoon Alfred Nobel, whose discovery of dynamite generated a vast fortune used to fund the prize. Physics is the second of this year's crop of prizes and comes after the medicine prize was awarded on Monday for discoveries about how to harness and manipulate the immune system to fight cancer. However, for the first time in decades no Nobel Prize for literature will be given this year after a scandal over sexual misconduct allegations saw a string of members leave the board of the Swedish Academy that awards it. Nobel laureates graphic: http://tmsnrt.rs/2y6ATVW ($1 = 9.0113 Swedish crowns) (Additional reporting by Kate Kelland, Matt Scuffham, Brendan O'Brien, Esha Vaish, Daniel Dickson and Helena Soderpalm. Editing by Andrew Heavens and Gareth Jones)
By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada will not appeal a court ruling that overturned its approval of an oil pipeline expansion project, opting instead for more consultations with aboriginal groups unhappy about the plan, a top official said on Wednesday. The problem-plagued bid to almost treble the capacity of the Trans Mountain pipeline is becoming one of the biggest political challenges for the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the run-up to an election in 2019. In August, the Federal Court of Appeal said Ottawa had failed to adequately consider aboriginal concerns before giving the green light to the expansion. That same month, amid increasing protests by aboriginal and environmental activists, Ottawa bought the pipeline from Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd. "The government will not appeal the court's decision ... we are going to do things differently this time," Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi told a news conference. Instead, Ottawa will reinitiate consultations with all 117 indigenous groups who would be affected by plans to pump more oil from Alberta to the Pacific province of British Columbia. Trudeau, who has said the pipeline is intended to help diversify exports away from the United States, told reporters on Wednesday that appealing the court ruling could have taken years. The official opposition Conservatives accuse Trudeau of botching the pipeline effort and say he is opposed to energy development. Canada has the world's third-largest proven oil reserves. Last month Sohi directed the National Energy Board regulator to conduct a new review of the application. Canada's oil producers say the expanded pipeline will help resolve bottlenecks that have resulted in steeply discounted prices for their crude. The British Columbia government, environmental groups and some municipalities and aboriginal communities oppose the idea, citing the impact of spills and expanding oil production. Sohi said on Wednesday that he would not impose a time limit on the consultations but added that "we are not starting from scratch", given the government already had plenty of information from earlier discussions. He also reiterated that there would be no aboriginal veto over the project. Indigenous communities insist they have the final say over projects which would cross their land. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Susan Thomas)
By Joe Bavier JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is in talks with South Africa's major arms manufacturers and is considering taking an equity stake in the struggling state-owned defense firm Denel, the head of the Saudi state defense company told Reuters. Saudi Arabian Military Industries' (SAMI) chief executive Andreas Schwer said he expected to conclude the first partnership deals with South African companies by the end of the year, though he would not identify those initial partners. South Africa's Department of Public Enterprises, which oversees Denel, acknowledged the talks with SAMI but said it was too early to give details of any potential partnership arrangement. The Paramount Group, a privately held South African company, has already said it is in talks with Saudi authorities. "To make it clear, we are in discussions with all major South African companies, not only Paramount, not only Denel," Schwer said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. South Africa's defense industry once played a major role in the country's economy, but more recently it has suffered from the impact of a squeeze on defense spending globally and a weak home market. Saudi Arabia is the world's third largest defense spender behind the United States and China with an estimated military budget last year of nearly $70 billion. Since 2015, the Gulf state has been fighting a war against the armed Houthi movement in Yemen in support of the internationally recognized government there. With little local manufacturing capacity, however, it has long been forced to import the bulk of its military hardware. The Saudi government is now seeking to develop its own domestic defense industry with the goal of localizing half of its military spending by 2030. Schwer said SAMI aimed to have all its foreign partnerships in place by the end of next year. "We are in discussions with the South African government in order to identify opportunities to set up strategic partnerships which could include an equity investment from our side into Denel. It's not decided yet, but it's one option," Schwer said. STRUGGLING INDUSTRY Over 60 percent of Denel's revenues come from exports. But the company has been grappling with a liquidity crunch after becoming embroiled in corruption scandals during the presidency of Jacob Zuma. "We hope to get access to their technology. They have to commit to transfer their technology to Saudi Arabia and to build up together with us local capabilities, not only manufacturing but also engineering," Schwer said. He said those same conditions would apply to all of SAMI's partners, and in return Saudi Arabia would offer preferred or exclusive market access to companies. Denel did not pay senior staff their salaries in full this month. Labor unions say it is critical that Denel receives financial support - either via additional government guarantees or a capital injection. A Denel spokeswoman said she was not aware of the discussions with SAMI and the Saudi government. "Denel would welcome any country that looks at South Africa for procurement of defense material," the spokeswoman Vuyelwa Qinga, wrote in an emailed response to Reuters' questions. President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Saudi Arabia in July and subsequently announced that the Saudi government pledged to invest at least $10 billion in South Africa. Department of Public Enterprises spokesman Adrian Lackay said there had been discussions between SAMI and various state bodies about Saudi Arabia's interest in defense technology. "But at this stage it would be premature and speculative for the DPE to attempt to provide details of any specific transactions," he said. A United Nations arms embargo imposed on South Africa's apartheid government in 1977 forced the country to produce all its own military hardware. By 1994 when Nelson Mandela was elected president, the industry employed over 100,000 people. But defense spending has steadily declined and just 15,000 work in the sector today, a trade association official said earlier this year. "In the beginning, we will pump in lots of additional capacity into South Africa to expand the capabilities and capacities in order to serve our needs and, yes, progressively we will build up capabilities here in the kingdom," Schwer said. He said even though the Saudis were pursuing the partnership to build their own domestic industry, the end result for South Africa would be a much bigger defense industry. (This story corrects to clarify that Paramount stated it was in talks with Saudi authorities, did not specify SAMI) (Reporting by Joe Bavier. Editing by Jane Merriman)
The economic benefits of the now-approved LNG Canada liquefied natural gas project in northern B.C. are said to be massive, but environmental advocates and experts are concerned the climate change impacts could be just as large.

"How are we going to meet our legislated greenhouse gas targets when this substantial increase in emissions is happening?" Ian Bruce, a director with the David Suzuki Foundation, asked Tuesday.

"We don't have a credible climate change strategy that's been released by the province. Moving forward at this stage is likely very irresponsible."

The provincial government maintains that B.C. will meet its climate change targets, however, even with this project going ahead, and there will be a climate plan released soon.

Emission estimates vary

The province says the estimated carbon output of the LNG Canada project will be 3.45 megatonnes per year.

However, a Ministry of Environment spokesperson clarified that this only accounts for Phase 1 of the project, with two production facilities called "trains." Phase 2 would include two additional trains.

Photo courtesy of LNG Canada

The spokesperson was unable to provide emission information for the project at that size. But Bruce and others estimated that at full size, the facility could increase greenhouse gas emissions by eight to nine megatonnes.

"That's more than double all the emissions from all the cars and trucks in Metro Vancouver," he said. "B.C. is going to need the best, most aggressive, world-class climate plan to make up for this additional increase."

Lofty goals

The province has committed to reducing greenhouse gases by 40 per cent by 2030 and 80 per cent by 2050.

Karen Tam Wu, a managing director with the Pembina Institute environmental think-tank, said that means B.C. will only be able to emit a total of 13 megatonnes of greenhouse gases by mid-century.

"That just means we're going to need to step up and accelerate the rate at which we're reducing carbon from other parts of our economy in B.C.," Wu told The Early Edition host Stephen Quinn.

Story continues

CBC

Getting there might be possible, she said, if industry electrifies, the carbon tax is ramped up, and if buildings are rapidly retrofitted to reduce their carbon footprints.

But Marc Lee, a senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said LNG Canada is completely incompatible with meeting the goals.

"This project is a carbon bomb," Lee told BC Today host Michelle Eliot. "We don't have the luxury of indulging in building big, new, fossil fuel megaprojects."

Minister says goals will be met

The business community is supportive of carbon reduction, according to Dan Baxter, policy director of the B.C. Chamber of Commerce  but he said that transition will take decades.

"At the end of the day, B.C., we are a small pin drop in terms of our contribution to global climate change," Baxter said, adding that LNG Canada's exports will help other countries reduce their need for coal and oil.

B.C. Energy Minister Michelle Mungall told On The Coast host Gloria Macarenko that the project will fit within B.C.'s carbon reduction goals, which will be released soon.

She touted the government's work on building retrofits, support for zero-emission vehicles and regulations on the LNG sector. Transportation, she said, is the biggest contributor of carbon pollution in the province.

Still, Kathryn Harrison, a University of British Columbia political science professor, was skeptical. She says B.C. will likely need to cut all other emissions in half to meet its 2030 target.

"It's hard for me to even imagine," Harrison said.

With files from CBC Radio One's The Early Edition, BC Today and On The Coast

Read more from CBC British Columbia
Premier Rachel Notley says Ottawa's constitutional duty to consult with Indigenous people means there can't be a hard deadline placed on the additional consultation on the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion.

The latest phase of consultation was announced Wednesday by Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi. The process, led by retired Supreme Court judge Frank Iacobucci, does not have a timeline.

In Edmonton, Notley said a restart of construction may be delayed past next summer.

"I'd like to see construction resume next year at some point," she said, "but at the end of the day we know that the constitutional obligation to consult with Indigenous people is such that it must be defined by the consultations. It cannot be defined by an arbitrary timeline."

Sohi also announced Ottawa has decided not to appeal the Federal Court of Appeal ruling that brought construction to a standstill in late August.

Notley expressed frustration that avenue has been closed as it could have served as the government's backup plan.

"As far as I'm concerned their job is to keep all options open," she said. "Or to put it another way, you don't lock up your tool box when you haven't finished the job and the job's not finished yet."

'Empty words' from premier, Kenney says

Jason Kenney, leader of Alberta's Official Opposition United Conservative Party, blamed Notley for Ottawa's decision not to appeal the ruling and not introducing enabling legislation.

He criticized her for offering "empty words" in response.

"If our NDP government wanted to show that they mean business on the pipeline then they would repeat what [Premier] Brian Pallister in Manitoba did today and repeal the NDP carbon tax," he said.

Kenney said he thinks the chances pipeline construction will resume before the spring election are "very slim."

Notley said a considerable amount of work was done in the first review, so the additional consultation period may not take too much time. She offered her oft-repeated assertion that the pipeline will be built.

Story continues

The additional consultation with Indigenous people meets one shortcoming addressed by the Federal Court of Appeal ruling.

Last month, Sohi said the National Energy Board would spend another 22 weeks gathering information on how the project could affect coast waters and the resident killer whale population.

Notley expressed her frustration that the $40 billion LNG Canada project is getting a much-easier ride from environmentalists and the B.C. government even though she says it will increase tanker traffic more than the Trans Mountain expansion.

"I think Albertans can be forgiven for being extremely frustrated with the way the federation is working right now," she said. "Because there is a high level of jaw-dropping hypocrisy that is being demonstrated through that process."

Late Monday, five investors from five countries signed on to the project, which would liquefy B.C. natural gas at a new processing plant in Kitimat, allowing export to overseas markets.

Construction is expected to start immediately as all the required approvals have been granted.
By Catarina Demony LISBON (Reuters) - Europe's largest tech event, the Web Summit, will remain in Lisbon for another 10 years, its founder Paddy Cosgrave said on Wednesday in a boost to Portugal's aspirations of becoming a technology hub. Under the agreement, Portugal's government will pay Web Summit 11 million euros a year to expand the venue, anticipating that the number of participants will increase from 70,000 last year to 100,000 eventually. "Staying here for another 10 years brings us so much certainty," Cosgrave told journalists at a press conference where he was joined by Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa. "My heart and the team's heart is in Lisbon." Lisbon scored a big coup when Web Summit moved from Dublin to Portugal in 2016, helping a recovery in the country's capital after the 2011-2014 debt crisis. When Web Summit was launched in Dublin in 2010 it had 400 participants. It now draws speakers from leading global tech companies and politicians, as well as tech entrepreneurs hoping to attract attention to their startups. "It puts Portugal at the heart of the global conversation about tech and innovation," Costa said. The government estimates that the event itself generates 300 million euros ($347 million) for Lisbon in hotel and other revenue during the week it takes place in November. The agreement with Portugal obliges Web Summit to pay the country 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) if it were to decide to leave before the end of 10 years. This amount is the minimum expected economic boost for Portugal from hosting the event, said a statement. The original idea was for Web Summit to stay for three years in Lisbon and then move to other European venues. More than 20 European cities competed to host Web Summit. The event is held in the pavilions built for Lisbon's 1998 World Fair. ($1 = 0.8674 euros) (Reporting By Catarina Demony, writing by Axel Bugge, editing by Andrei Khalip and Elaine Hardcastle)
Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

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..Judean Rose/Elder of Ziyon..03 October '18..UNRWA recently announced it would fire some 100 Gazan Arab employees due to budget cuts. This resulted in massive protests held Monday, unbeknownst to Jewish Israelis, who were celebrating, a short distance away. The protests must have been bad, for they struck abject terror in the hearts of all the lovely dedicated European souls who administrate UNRWA from within Gaza. We know this because the Israeli government was forced to step in and evacuate ten of them.
A shipment of Bibles believed to have been held in a Sudanese port for six years has been cleared for distribution.

The Bibles were held at Port Sudan and were 'decaying' in shipping containers, a source told World Watch Monitor (WWM), but were released a fortnight ago and transported to Sudan's capital, Khartoum.

Warehouses in Port Sudan, where shipments of Bibles were held for years. (Photo: Wikipedia)

Sudan is an Islamic state where Christians routinely face discrimination and harassment.

WMM's source said the government had delayed clearing the Bibles since 2011, though the country's 2 million Christians were short of Bibles and teaching materials.

In October last year a senior church leader, who has overseen the import of hundreds of thousands of Bibles and other pieces of Christian literature to Sudan, told World Watch Monitor the Bible Society had not received any new Bibles to distribute in Sudan since 2013.

The release of the Bibles came after Sudanese authorities returned 19 properties to the Sudanese Church of Christ, two years after it confiscated them in a long-running dispute between the government and the church over the ownership of the properties.

A court ruled against the government in August and ordered the return of the properties, and that the case against five church leaders should be dropped.

Sudan is fourth on the 2018 Open Doors World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
As a result of the recent political turmoil in our country, it is perhaps an opportune time to raise an issue that has been on my heart for a while, but I have not been able to articulate adequately.

We have had a significant change in leadership in the country, albeit frustrating and confusing at times, but maybe this is the time for a new political landscape.

It is time for our Prime Minister, reportedly a deeply religious man of the Christian faith, to get families off Nauru.

Six years after the Australian government began sending people seeking asylum to Nauru, there are still around 900 people left on the island, including an estimated 109 children. All of them will have been there for over four years.

Asylum seekers in Indonesia say they will no longer attempt to reach Australia by boat because the federal government turn-back policy has been so effective (SMH 25 August 2018).

The representatives of asylum seekers say this would not change even if refugees and asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island were resettled.

The boat turn-back strategy  a crucial part of the Abbott governments policy Operation Sovereign Borders and implemented by then immigration minister Scott Morrison  is repeatedly cited as the reason why Australia is no longer considered a viable destination.

Asylum seekers say the message that Australia is closed has also been successfully reinforced by an extensive advertising campaign. And no one is prepared to spend the thousands of dollars to buy passage on a dangerous boat when it will be turned back.

Damage caused

Yet, the children still remain and there are many who are suffering long term psychological damage as a result of their continued incarceration. These cases below are on the parliamentary record and had the federal court intervene to allow medical procedures to happen:

A 14 year old girl doused herself with petrol and set herself alight

A 17 year old boy suffered from psychosis

An adolescent girl suffered major depression and traumatic withdrawal syndrome

A 17 year old girl refused food and fluid diagnosed with resignation syndrome

A 12 year old girl attempted suicide several times

A 14 year old boy suffered major depressive disorder and severe muscle wastage after not getting out of bed for four months.

Australian Medical Association president, Tony Bartone, recently wrote to PM Morrision to seek the removal of families from a situation he characterised as an humanitarian emergency requiring urgent intervention.

Bartone told Morrison he made the decision to write because of a recent groundswell of concern and agitation across the AMA membership and the medical profession about conditions on Nauru, and the escalation in reports of catastrophic mental and physical health conditions being experienced by the asylum seekers, especially children.

There are now too many credible reports concerning the effects of long-term detention and uncertainty on the physical and mental health of asylum seekers, Bartone said in the letter to Morrison. It is within the power of the government to move on this issue and play its part in allowing traumatised people to begin rebuilding their lives.

Whose side is our Prime Minister on?

It is time to challenge our PM on these matters and how he sees them relating to his faith. I am happy to be labelled along with him as a happy clappee! I am happy to say I have listened to Hillsong music, read and listened to Brian Houston and his opinions. I have been to many churches similar to the church that PM Morrison now attends.

Mr Morrison has always been unapologetic about his commitment to the Pentecostal faith that has shaped his politics. Mr Morrison has even quoted one of the United States greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, in parliament when he said, Our task is not to claim whether God is on our side but to pray earnestly that we are on his.

This is not the time for a religious, theological or doctrinal war. This is a time where Morrisons faith should be challenged and whether he really does believe what he espouses.

Whose side is he on?

When Jesus said, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Do I, does Mr Morrison, really believe this? Surely the families on Nauru are the least of these Jesus was talking about.

Which scripture is our Prime Minister reading?

The solution is simple

Churches and people of faith need to find their voice in the community on an issue where the life and death of individuals is at stake. I believe the sanctity of life from womb to tomb is an overriding principle foundation to our faith. If family values are so important to many Christians, then the immediate relocation of these families is crucial and should be attended to immediately. We need PM Morrisons government to be transparent about the situation on Nauru. We need to call for access to and accountability for the facilities where families are being detained.

For all Christians in Australia, we will continue to be judged about how we view the least of these. Many have stood up and courted different sides of the political spectrum for little gain in the promotion of family values. History will judge us on how we have treated the least of these. Immigrants within our country, and those being detained on off shore processing centres is a test of our faith for which we will all be accountable for and will shape the meaning of our faith to those in the community.

It is time for all people of faith, from the Prime Minister right down to the pew warmer, to act  and to start getting the families off Nauru.

Russell Modlin teaches English and Physical Education at a Christian School on the Sunshine Coast. He is married to Belinda and they have three children.
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CPJ, Reuters, Amal Clooney address press freedom violations at the U.N.

CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon speaks at the Press Behind Bars panel event in New York. (CPJ/Gulnoza Said)

CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon addressed a panel event, entitled Press Behind Bars, at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 28. The eventwhich also featured human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and Stephen Adler, president of Reuters and a CPJ board memberhighlighted press freedom violations and the imprisonment of journalists around the world, specifically in Bangladesh, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, and Myanmar.

[Myanmar journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo]s unjust imprisonment not only violates their own individual rights, it violates the rights of everyone in this room and even around the world, Simon told the audience, referring to the two Reuters journalists who were convicted on retaliatory charges in early September and sentenced to seven years in prison. The list of journalists jailed around the world is long. In fact, its never been longer.

Clooney, who represents Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, also spoke at the event. Their conviction and draconian seven-year sentence are a travesty of justice, she said.

Click here to watch a video of the event.

Pakistani press is under pressure, CPJ report finds

A panel event at the Wilson Center in Washington to discuss the findings of CPJs Pakistan report. (CPJ/Aliya Iftikhar)

A special report that CPJ published in September found that while journalist murders have decreased, the Pakistani media are under pressure as the countrys powerful military quietly but effectively encourages self-censorship.

The report, Acts of Intimidation: In Pakistan, journalists fear and censorship grow even as fatal violence declines, is accompanied by a short documentary film. A panel event at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., on September 12 to discuss the reports findings featured CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler; Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Wilson Centers Asia program; Farahnaz Ispahani, a global fellow at the center; Madiha Afzal, adjunct assistant professor of global policy at John Hopkins SAIS and nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution; and Anwar Iqbal, Washington correspondent for the Pakistani paper Dawn.

The report, based on Butlers interviews with journalists during CPJs mission to Pakistan earlier this year, found that measures to stomp out terrorism in the country have gone hand-in-hand with increased pressure on the media. The military restricts reporting by barring access, encourages self-censorship through direct and indirect acts of intimidation, and even allegedly instigates violence against reporters. Journalists who push back or are overly critical of authorities are attacked, threatened, or arrested.

According to CPJ research, fewer journalists were killed in retaliation for their work in Pakistan in recent years; however, impunity remains an issue, with the military, intelligence, or military-linked and political groups the suspected source of fire in half of the 22 journalist murders in the past decade.

The report and the documentary provide a graphic and disturbingly personal look at the intense pressure Pakistans journalists face, Butler said. And it explains how they got there.

CPJ is planning a mission to Pakistan in early 2019 to encourage the new government to move forward on the recommendations in the report aimed at bolstering press freedom and journalist safety.

CPJs new Safety Kit promotes journalist safety

A still from a first aid video CPJ filmed for the Safety Kit. (CPJ)

In September, CPJ released a Safety Kit for journalists, part of the Emergencies Response Teams work to help improve awareness of journalist safety and journalists preparedness for assignments.

The Safety Kit features accessible and easy-to-share Safety Notes, including on how to prepare risk assessments and how to cover dangerous assignments, as well as information and tools on digital and psychological safety. The kit also includes a Resource Center, which helps journalists prepare for or confront emergency situations and provides information on buying insurance or renting personal protective equipment.

The kit features a series of first aid videos to enhance medical preparedness for journalists. The short videos, which can be downloaded, are a supplement to training and provide basic first aid knowledge for journalists encountering serious injuries in places where access to professional medical personnel is limited or unavailable.

Must-reads in September

CPJ Middle East and North Africa Research Associate Justin Shilad wrote about Saudi Arabia, one of the worlds most heavily censored countries. Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, authorities have wielded mechanisms to silence journalists and directed a crackdown on dissidents under the guise of fighting corruption and extremism.

In September, CPJ wrote to Annika Ben David, Swedens ambassador-at-large for human rights, as part of a coalition of groups, asking the Swedish government to reconsider its position on EU export controls of dual use technology to third countries. Read the full letter here.

CPJs digital manager, Ahmed Zidan, examined how the Snapchat app removed the channel for Al-Jazeera upon request from the governments of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Now, users in those countries are offered a list of stores and restaurants that bear a similar name to the broadcaster.

Join CPJ at a panel event in Los Angeles!

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association and USC Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism are hosting a panel event, Safeguarding the Truth: Press freedom and the fight for accountability, on Wednesday, October 10, in Los Angeles.

The panelists include CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon; Sheila Coronel, director of the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia Journalism School and a CPJ board member; Ramzi Malouki, West Coast bureau chief of CNEWS France; investigative journalist Bastian Obermayer, and Marina Walker Guevara, deputy director of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Gordon Stables, director of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism, will moderate the event.

There will be a reception before and after the panel discussion, which you can also follow online using the hashtag #HFPATruth. To RSVP or read more about the event, click here: annenberg.usc.edu/hfpa

CPJ in the news

Amal Clooney calls for immediate pardons for two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar, The Independent

Arresting journalists only makes democracy more fragile, The Washington Post

Is the press still free? Panel ponders journalism in the age of Trump, Morristown Green

Haley slams Myanmar for jailing journalists. Trump called for the same thing just last year., ThinkProgress

Freedom of press on the decline in Pakistan: Committee to Protect Journalists, Dawn

Environment of fear undermines Pakistans electoral process, CPJ warns, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Rights group criticizes sentences given to Iranian journalists, Voice of America
Ukrainian MP Proposes Tax-free Crypto Trading

A leading Ukrainian MP has put forward a private members bill that  if passed  could allow tax-free cryptocurrency trading in the country with population of 42 millions until the end of 2029.

Source: iStock/stevanovicigor

Yuriy Derevyanko, one of the leaders of minority party RNS, told a parliamentary committee that existing proposals for taxes on cryptocurrency trading earnings were repressive, and could force skilled IT professionals out of the country.

Yuriy Derevyanko. Source: Facebook

As previously reported on Cryptonews.com, a rival private members bill  lodged by Oleksiy Mushak, an MP from the ruling Petro Poroshenko Bloc Solidarity Party  is already slated for debate in Ukraines parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. Mushaks bill proposes flat tax rates of 5% for individuals and 18% for corporations.

The countrys Deputy Finance Minister Serhiy Verlanov, meanwhile, has called for the government to go further  requiring crypto traders to declare their earnings in income tax filings, payable at rates of some 19.5%.

However, per Ukrainian media outlet Kurs, Derevyanko says he hopes his bill, which will likely be debated in the Rada this month, will provide an alternative. Derevyankos proposal is to suspend all taxes on cryptocurrency-related businesses and traders until 2030  after which progressive tax regulations could be eased in.

Kurs quotes Derevyanko as saying that tax laws could lead to industry regulations  which would threaten the health of Ukraines growing crypto sector.

The MP stated, Even the smallest percentages proposed by [Mushak], 5%, would create all the conditions required for financial and legal regulators to be able to interfere in [the cryptocurrency sector]. This market is still very fragile. We must protect the enterprising innovators who are bringing technology to our economy.

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It might have been billed a battle between David and two Goliaths  if not for the fact that all three are billionaires with very deep pockets.And in the High Court fight between Roman Abramovich, Vladimir Potanin and Oleg Deripaska it was the 'minnow' who has emerged triumphant.Deripaska, worth 2.8billion, has won the latest round in the legal spat with Vladimir Potanin, valued at 11.4billion, over control of Russia's biggest mining company.A High Court judge has ruled that Abramovich, who is worth 8.7billion, cannot sell his minority stake in mining giant Norilsk Nickel (NN) to Potanin.The dispute, which has raged for years, became so protracted in 2012 that Russian President Vladimir Putin stepped in and installed Abramovich as a minority shareholder to keep the peace.Deripaska, through the firm Rusal, and Potanin each control about 30 per cent of NN. Abramovich took a 5 per cent share, worth around 1.5billion, through Cyprus-registered Crispian Investments.But the deal expired in 2017 and Deripaska sought a High Court injunction to block Abramovich selling his share to Potanin's Cyprus-based Whiteleave Holdings.Justice Stephen Phillips said the agreement between the parties makes clear shares can only be disposed to a 'bona fide third party purchaser' that 'excludes' Crispian.He called Potanin's evidence 'not convincing' and noted Abramovich had neither lodged a witness statement nor appeared before the court, citing prior commitments.Spokesmen for Abramovich and Rusal both declined to comment. Lawyers for Whiteleave did not respond.
17 people have been charged with a string of robberies targeting Apple Stores across California, the state's Attorney General announced in a press release Friday. The robberies resulted in the loss of over $1 million in iPhones, laptops, and iPads from stores across 19 counties, the AG says.Eight of the 17 suspects have been arrested and remanded in custody, while arrest warrants have been issued for the nine other suspects. The suspects are being charged with conspiracy to commit grand theft, thanks to the value of the items taken.The 'scheme' that the Attorney General alleges the suspects dreamed up isn't exactly complicated: wearing hoodies, a group would enter an Apple Store and grab everything within sight from the display tables. A TV segment from ABC7 shows the group in action, and gives a timeline for some of the robberies. According to ABC7, there were at least 21 robberies this summer, sometimes hitting the same store multiple times. Each haul netted around $30,000 in stolen goods.Although the value of the stolen Apple products might be north of $1 million, the theives are likely to have netted much less. Stolen iPhones are only good for parts, since they can be remotely locked down and blacklisted from cellular networks, while stolen laptops will be limited in what Apple services they can use.'Organized retail thefts cost California business owners millions and expose them to copycat criminals. Ultimately, consumers pay the cost of this merchandise hijacking,' the Attorney General said in a statement. 'We will continue our work with local law enforcement authorities to extinguish this mob mentality and prosecute these criminals to hold them accountable.'
It was just a few days before Christmas, and Pan Am flight 103 was at cruising altitude, packed with students heading home to America. Maid of the Seas, a 747 jumbo jet, had left on schedule from Heathrow at 6.25pm, the start of a long journey through the night to New York, Detroit and the holidays.As she approached the Solway Firth 38 minutes into the flight, the crew had started serving drinks  and it was then that, far below, Alan Topp, an air traffic controller at Glasgow's Prestwick Airport found himself blinking in disbelief. The single green box on the screen in front of him that marked the location of Pan Am 103 had disappeared.Briefly, it was replaced by five new boxes, representing the nose cone, the wings, the main fuselage and the tailplane. These, too, then vanished as they fell below the radar horizon while bodies, luggage and debris spilled out into the void six miles above the Scottish borders.It was two minutes before they hit Lockerbie.The worst damage in the town came from the wings containing 20,000 gallons of aviation fuel, which exploded on impact and gouged a crater 30ft wide, 100ft long and 30ft feet deep in Sherwood Crescent. Two houses were completely obliterated along with their inhabitants.It is a tragic irony that Flight 103 had become a sort of 'student special' after a terror threat to US airlines was relayed to all American diplomats in Europe with the result that many cancelled their reservations.Incompetence, vengeance and a cover-up at the highest levelsThe empty seats were offered at cheap rates by student travel agencies. More than half of the passengers, 137, were under 30 and many had called their parents excitedly before they boarded, saying how lucky they had been to get a cheap seat just before Christmas.That is how Dr Jim Swire, a Worcestershire GP, and his wife Jane learned that their daughter Flora was booked on the flight, heading across the Atlantic to see her boyfriend.With a loss of 259 lives on board and 11 more on the ground, the destruction of Maid of the Seas, blown up by a terrorist bomb on December 21, 1988, was the worst civil aviation disaster in British history. Yet 30 years later, we still do not officially know who is responsible for mass murder high in the air above a small Scottish market town preparing for Christmas.It is nothing short of a scandal.There was, of course, a fall guy. Eleven years after the atrocity, a 47-year-old Libyan Arab Airlines security officer called Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was convicted on a tissue of lies which centred on the evidence of a Maltese shopkeeper who claimed to remember him buying clothes similar to those that may have been in the suitcase with the bomb that would rip through the fuselage.A low-level Libyan CIA 'asset' called Abdul Majid Giaka said he recalled seeing al-Megrahi collect a brown Samsonite suitcase from the Arrivals carousel in Malta's Luqa airport on December 20, 1988. On the following morning, he alleged, the unaccompanied suitcase was loaded on to a flight to Frankfurt, from where it would be transferred to London on a Pan Am 'feeder flight' and loaded aboard Flight 103  before then exploding.A further 11 years later, al-Megrahi was sentenced to life imprisonment at an extraordinary trial held in a disused American air base near Utrecht, Holland.Ayatollah Khomeini ordered the bombingAfter years investigating the Lockerbie disaster and its background, I have found that little of the evidence against him can be taken at face value. Instead, a very different story has emerged from the morass of lies, one that should have been apparent from the very start.It is a story of incompetence, vengeance, political expediency and then a cover-up orchestrated from the very highest levels in London and in Washington  where the real bomber is said to live today, under the cover of an American witness protection scheme.In the days and months after the crash, thousands of police, military personnel and specialised investigators from Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch scoured southern Scotland, finding debris over an area of 1,500 square miles. Investigators from the US Federal Aviation Authority and the FBI took part.Representatives of the CIA were present for reasons not divulged. Charred material said to have been found some weeks after the bombing in woods near Lockerbie was sent for analysis to Fort Halstead in Kent, the Ministry of Defence research establishment, where senior scientific officer Thomas Hayes identified bits of black plastic, metal and wire mesh as parts of a Toshiba radio-cassette player.It had contained a bomb and a small piece of circuit board that Hayes believed to be the remnants of a timer. After three years of the joint British/US investigation, this and other evidence pointed in one clear direction: an obscure terrorist group called the People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine  General Command (PFLP-GC).Sleeper cells from the organisation had been arrested in a series of raids in Germany a few weeks before Lockerbie, in which bombs hidden in Toshiba radio-cassette players had been seized alongside a fearsome arsenal of explosives, firearms and ammunition.Shortly after the disaster, the Palestine Liberation Organisation, keen to boost its credentials as a political rather than terrorist organisation, published an 80-page report claiming the PFLP-GC had been paid to blow up the plane  by Iran.It also named a man called Abu Elias as a prime suspect for breaking into the Pan Am baggage store in Heathrow and planting the bomb. The baggage handling area had been broken into with bolt croppers shortly before Flight 103 took off.Years later, of course, the world would be persuaded to accept a very different story. But in September 1989, the evidence of Iranian guilt seemed so clear that the US Defense Intelligence Agency issued a public statement saying: 'The bombing of the Pan Am flight was conceived, authorised and financed by Ali-Akbar Mohtashamipur, Iran's former interior minister. The execution of the operation was contracted to Ahmad Jibril, leader of the PFLP-GC.'They agreed a price for the attack: 7.7millionINDEED, the fate of the passengers and crew of Flight 103 was sealed not in Libya but five months earlier in Tehran after the shooting down of an Iran Air Airbus A300 by the American warship USS Vincennes on July 3, 1988.The Vincennes, sailing illegally in Iranian waters, inexplicably mistook the passenger jet for a hostile fighter, despite the fact it was climbing in Iranian airspace and its transponder clearly identified it as a civilian aircraft. All 290 people on board were killed.According to a former Iranian intelligence officer, Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini responded by ordering a 'qisas'  a like-for-like punishment under Sharia law  that required the destruction of an American aircraft in revenge.Iran needed a deniable proxy and its intelligence service knew who to turn to: the PFLP-GC, with whom it had discussed collaboration a few months earlier. The group's leader, Ahmed Jibril, was a Palestine-born former Syrian Army officer linked to Syrian and Soviet intelligence.He, in turn, hired Jordanian explosives expert Marwan Khreesat to design a bomb that could pass through airport luggage checks and, for preference, detonate over water, destroying the aircraft, killing all on board and leaving no clues. The terrorist group had already proved its bomb could work  blowing up a Swissair flight on February 21, 1970, killing all 47 passengers and crew, and an Austrian Airlines jet the same day, which managed to land safely at Frankfurt airport.When news of the qisas reached Lebanon, Jibril called Tehran and offered to execute it.It is likely that the US National Security Agency and Israeli interceptors monitored the unencrypted phone call. Evidence exists that the price agreed was in the region of 7.7 million  1.5 million on the handshake and the balance on completion.And so, in 1988, Jibril sent a key lieutenant, 30-year-old Hafaz Mohammed Hussein Dalkamoni to the PFLP-GC's European headquarters in the Serbian town of Krusevac, where weapons, explosives and other material were stored. His mission was to activate Jibril's several sleeper cells in Germany. The following month, bomb-maker Khreesat was despatched to Neuss, near Dusseldorf, where the German police photographed a stream of his visitors, including a known PFLP-GC courier.Suspicions grew that an attack on Frankfurt airport  near which other members of the cell had a base  was being planned.The team were observed buying radios and computer equipment, batteries, switches, alarm clocks and cable.Telephone calls were monitored to a kebab restaurant in Cyprus, which functioned as a postbox for Jibril. And in a call to Damascus bomb-maker Khreesat said he had made changes to 'the medicine', which was now 'stronger than before'.In fact, Khreesat built five bombs, concealed inside Toshiba radio-cassette players, each containing a barometric switch that started a timer when the pressure inside the plane fell to a pre-set level, meaning the aircraft would be destroyed around 38 minutes into the flight  a clear match to the Lockerbie explosion. On October 24, in a call to Amman, Jordan, Khreesat said he would be done in a few days.Gaddafi was actually happy to take the blameAfter a CIA warning of an imminent terror attack, the German police launched raids on a dozen apartments, including the ones at Neuss and Frankfurt.Khreesat and Dalkamoni and a dozen others were arrested in possession of an extraordinary haul of weapons and bomb- making equipment.Their car contained blasting caps and an alarm clock modified to serve as a timing device  and a Toshiba radio-cassette player already converted into a bomb.Five kilos of the Czech-made explosive Semtex were also taken away, with 5.7 kilos of another unidentified plastic explosive, three kilos of TNT and 89 detonators.How was it, then, that Libya came to take the blame, in the face of such overwhelming evidence, and why?The answer lies in Saddam Hussein's Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, which prompted the First Gulf War  for which Washington and London needed the compliance of Iraq's neighbours Iran and Syria.A plausible new Lockerbie suspect had to be found and, conveniently, in June 1991 a CIA officer had 'a hunch' that the Iran/PFLP-GC theory was a false lead.Instead, he saw similarities between Lockerbie and the arrest in Senegal of two Libyans carrying 20lb of explosives and triggering devices like the one from which the Lockerbie fragments had apparently come.The theory gained traction because of Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi's known financial support for terrorists, including the IRA, and because it turned out that Gaddafi himself was happy to accept the blame.Libya had been an international pariah under strict economic sanctions since the murder of British PC Yvonne Fletcher, shot dead in London in 1984, and it was the prospect of the lifting of these sanctions that led Gaddafi's intelligence service to find a plausible scapegoat.The 47-year-old airline security officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi fitted the bill. He had been abroad on business on December 20-21, passing though Malta's Luqa airport on both days.All that was needed was evidence. Fortunately, the CIA had a very low-level Libyan 'asset', Abdul Majid Giaka, on secondment from his job as a mechanic for Gaddafi's intelligence service to Libyan Arab Airlines in Malta.After a large reward was offered for information about the Lockerbie bombers, Giaka suddenly volunteered that he had seen al-Megrahi collect a brown Samsonite suitcase from the arrivals carousel in Luqa airport on December 20, 1988. The following morning, he alleged, the suitcase was loaded on to a flight to Frankfurt, from where it would be transferred to London on a Pan Am transfer and loaded aboard Flight 103.Giaka became a star prosecution witness alongside Maltese shopkeeper Tony Gauci, who testified he had sold clothes similar to those found close to the bomb to a man fitting al-Megrahi's description.There was forensic evidence, too. A fingernail-sized fragment of a circuit board, recovered in Scottish woodland months after the crash, was identified as a remnant of the device that brought down Pan Am 103.FBI officer Thomas Thurman also identified it as part of an electronic timer made by MEBO, a Swiss firm which made circuit boards for domestic appliances and had supplied some to Libya. One of MEBO'S technicians named Ulrich Lumpert was willing to testify that he had made this particular board. On November 14, 1991 al-Megrahi and an 'accomplice' called Al-Amin Khalifa Fhimah were formally accused at simultaneous press conferences in Edinburgh and Washington. Gaddafi was ordered to extradite them, but resisted, offering to try them in Libya.The stalemate was not resolved until almost ten years later when it was agreed the two Libyans should face justice in a Scottish court sitting at Kamp van Zeist, a disused American Air Force base in Utrecht, Holland.Al-Megrahi was found guilty. Al-Amin Khalifa Fhimah was cleared, yet the stench of a fix remained. MEBO's co-owner, Edwin Bollier, for example, revealed he had declined an FBI offer of several million dollars for a circuit board to be used in evidence and to testify that the fragment produced in court was part of one specifically supplied to Libya.In 2007, his technician Lumpert admitted he had lied. He also confessed to stealing part of a timing board from MEBO and handing it to an 'official person investigating the Lockerbie case'.There were problems, too, with the technical evidence.FBI explosive 'expert' Thurman was later revealed to be a politics graduate with no relevant scientific training who had altered laboratory reports to favour the prosecution in 30 cases.Even the identifying witness, shopkeeper Gauci, was tainted. The court was not told he had initially picked out a photograph of a completely different terror suspect and only in the course of 18 further statements did his description of the clothes shopper change to fit al-Megrahi. Gauci's financial reward from the CIA was not disclosed.The investigators glossed over the question of how the terrorists were supposed to prime their bomb in Malta and expect it to explode two flights later.The small number of people who had followed the trial, including relatives of victims such as Jim Swire and the Rev John Mosey, each of whom lost a daughter, and the official United Nations observer Professor Hans Kochler, considered the verdict a gross miscarriage of justice.On August 20, 2009, al-Megrahi, in the final stages of terminal prostate cancer, was released on compassionate grounds ahead of his second appeal against conviction.Shortly after he was flown back to Libya, Alistair Darling, then the Chancellor, and Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond both denied the release had anything to do with a deal struck with the Libyan government over BP oil contracts.However, there is another reason why the release might have been politically expedient. Al-Megrahi's new lawyers wanted to call hundreds of pages of evidence withheld from his original trial that would have linked the case to Iran and the PFLP-GC, rather than al-Megrahi and Libya  to the huge embarrassment of Westminster and Washington.The Labour Government was so concerned that Foreign Secretary David Miliband issued a public interest immunity certificate exempting the prosecution from disclosing any evidence it chose to hide.Most of the participants in the story went to the grave without the truth being told. Al-Megrahi died at home with his family on May 20, 2012. Palestinian terror leader Ahmed Jibril was blown up by a roadside bomb placed by an Al Qaeda-linked group on August 26, 2014. Bomb-maker Marwan Khreesat reportedly died in October 2016.Only the mysterious Abu Elias, claimed to be the person most likely to have placed the Samsonite suitcase on Flight 103, is believed to be still alive. He was named in the Scottish parliament in 2009 and is thought to be living in Washington DC under a witness protection programme and employed by the local education authority under the name of Basel Bushnaq. If true, this is the crowning scandal of the whole sordid affair. Douglas Boyd, 2018Adapted extract from Lockerbie: The Truth, by Douglas Boyd, published by The History Press at 20. Offer price 16 (20 per cent discount, with free p&p) until October 7. Order at mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640. Spend 30 on books and get free premium delivery.
A couple's dream sailing holiday in the Seychelles ended in tragedy when the husband, a leading metal expert, drowned in a freak snorkeling accident.An inquest heard Mark Thomson-Tur got into difficulty when his new snorkeling mask sprang a leak and filled with water.Despite efforts from his wife and a deckhand who performed CPR Mr Thomson-Tur was pronounced dead at the scene.A coroners' court heard he and wife Fiona had just embarked on a week-long sailing adventure and were enjoying a morning swim when he initially noticed the leak.Mrs Thomson-Tur swam over to make sure he was okay and he joked that the snorkel mask was leaking, a similar problem he had encountered on a previous holiday.'At least it's better than Costa Rica,' he joked with his wife, moments before tragedy struck.Soon after, Mrs Thomson-Tur noticed he was thrashing about and realised he was in serious trouble, the coroner in Oxford was told.The 60-year-old was then found unconscious and floating face-up in the water by a deckhand from the sailing ship Seabird.Mr Thomson-Tur was enjoying a morning swim with his wife off Round Island, Praslin, Seychelles, assistant coroner Nicholas Graham heard on Tuesday.After their boat moored off the isles, the couple left the the rest of the cruise's group to snorkel in waters which Mrs Thomson-Tur described as 'clear, warm and calm.'However, the dream became a nightmare when Mr Thomson-Tur, who was wearing a new snorkelling mask, began to struggle in the water.Mrs Thomson-Tur swam back to check on him a second time, but could not see her husband anywhere.She then saw her husband approximately 50-100 metres from the rest of the group.In a chilling witness statement, Mrs Thomson-Tur said she then became aware of someone shouting for help, and realised something was terribly wrong.'I did not wish to watch this and I arrived on the Seabird,' she said in her statement to the inquest.Mr Thomson-Tur was unconscious and was taken back to the jetty where deckhands, who were trained in first-aid, frantically performed CPR.An ambulance arrived 15 minutes later.'They noted scratches on his shins where he had been thrashing in the water and hitting the rocks beneath the surface,' Mr Graham told the Oxford Coroner's Court.Mrs Thomson-Tur arrived back at the Seabird, where the captain told her Mr Thomson-Tur had been taken to hospital.She told the inquest her husband died on the jetty and his death was confirmed at the Baie Sainte Anne-Praslin Hospital on April 1 2018.The coroner told the inquest: 'Mark Antony Thomson-Tur died on 1 April 2018. Attempts were made to resuscitate him, but he died at the scene.'Mr Thomson-Tur was born in Bristol and raised on the Isle of Wight.He was an engineer who was highly-regarded in his field and worked as a technical consultant for the Copper Development Association and had 20 years' experience in the metals industry.Mr Graham recorded a conclusion of accidental death by drowning.
A Chinese TV reporter who was arrested after allegedly slapping a Tory activist during a row over Hong Kong has been highly praised in her home country.The 48-year-old journalist allegedly hit a volunteer at a fringe event about Hong Kong at the ruling Conservative party's conference in Birmingham on Sunday.After the news reached China, the public have voiced an outpouring of support for the reporter for her defending the country's sovereignty. People call her 'heroic', 'brave' and 'excellent' on Twitter-like Weibo.The TV reporter, Kong Linlin (???), is a London-based correspondent for China's national broadcaster, covering UK current affairs such as the Brexit.Footage, posted by the conference's co-host on Facebook, showed organisers wrestling with Ms Kong as an altercation broke out.She was eventually removed by security and and later arrested by police. A Conservative Party spokeswoman said her conference pass had been stripped.Ms Kong was arrested on suspicion of common assault and released on Monday.Ms Kong's employer, China Central Television Station (CCTV), said Ms Kong was carrying out normal duty at the time and the behaviour of the meeting's organisers was inappropriate, according to a statement on its official account on Twitter-like Weibo on Tuesday.A spokesperson from the Chinese state-run station urged the UK to take actions to protect the rights of its journalists and to prevent such 'ridiculous' incidents from happening again.The controversial incident took place on the eve of China's National Day when patriotism in China becomes heightened.One supporter of Ms Kong, with the moniker 'Miss Bai Hai', wrote under CCTV's Weibo statement: 'For such a good journalist who safeguard the country's unity and maintain the country's reputation resolutely, please do award (her) handsomely.'Another user with the screen name 'Yulong LL' thought Ms Kong's behaviour was 'very reasonable' because 'the order of the meeting was based on mutual respect'.'Yulong LL' wrote: 'When you don't respect me, why would I assist you to maintain the order of the site. As a Chinese with conscious, when our country's sovereignty and internal affairs are trampled on by other nations, we should stand up indignantly.'The fringe event was co-hosted by Hong Kong Watch, a British-based organisation which promotes human rights in Hong Kong, as well as the UK Conservative Party Human Rights Commission.Ms Kong is said to have become enraged after Benedict Rogers, Chair of Hong Kong Watch, made a speech.Mr Rogers, who also serves as Deputy Chair of the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, said Beijing and London should honour their commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and ensure that Hong Kong's 'one country, two systems' would be upheld.He also said he was 'pro-China' not 'anti-China'.The Chinese journalist then apparently started screaming at Mr Rogers: 'You are a liar. You are anti-China. You want to separate China. And you are not even Chinese. The rest are all traitors!'In the video shared by Hong Kong Watch, a volunteer called Enoch Lieu can be heard telling Ms Kong 'can you please go' and 'if you hit me again I will call the police' while Ms Kong said to him 'you, Hong Kong puppet' and 'shame on you'.The journalist, who was held by another worker at the conference, also repeatedly told Mr Lieu 'leave me alone' before telling him and his colleague 'I am a journalist here', 'I have my right to protest' and 'UK have [sic] democratic [sic]'.The Chinese embassy posted on its website in English on Monday saying her ejection was 'completely unacceptable'.'In a country that boasts freedom of speech, it is puzzling that the Chinese journalist should encounter obstruction in such a way and even assault at the fringe event when she simply raised a question and expressed her opinions,' it said.'The organizer of fringe event should apologise to the Chinese journalist,' the embassy added.Asked if the party planned to apologise, a Conservative Party spokeswoman said: 'The individual concerned was removed from the conference centre and has had their pass revoked'.
Kerala: Details of 3,000 fishers collected under Sagara app project

October 04,2018 | Source: The Hindu

The Fisheries department has gathered the details of around 3,000 fishermen as part of its ongoing survey in the district to update Sagara, an exclusive Android application developed by the National Informatics Centre under the Digital Kerala Initiative for the dissemination of timely alerts on weather changes and other emergency communications by various government agencies.



The six-member survey team appointed by the Fisheries department on contract for the survey has also gathered the registration details of 1,000 boats, including the mechanised and non-mechanised ones, which will be shortly uploaded onto the special purpose mobile application.



Project coordinators say the target is to gather the complete details of 20,000-odd fishermen after visiting all the major harbours in Kozhikode district within three months and make it available on the application for their proper technological linkage. It also aims at recording the details of no fewer than any 5,300 fishing boats in the district, they say.



Now, data collection is going on in six centres, mainly covering the harbours and fish landing centres. The team entrusted with the task is primarily recording the fishermens name, language, phone numbers, age, nature of their job and the details about their vessel. At first, it will be fed into a special software named Realcraft and later it will be accessed by a State-level technical wing to update the Android application. A centralised communication system for supporting emergency rescue operations too is on the anvil.



The fishers cooperation is very vital to complete the survey work on time as most of them are very much busy with their work. We have asked the survey team to first collect the details of all the fishing boats and then focus on the fishermen, says P.K. Ranjini, Deputy Director of Fisheries (in-charge). She also points out that the data collection drive will be a flop if the survey team fails to get the details of all the active fishers in the district.



With the launch of the latest version of the application with features to support multiple languages, fishing boat owners in Kerala will be able to get real-time alert about the status of their vessels and crew on the job. For the Fisheries department authorities, the updated application will bring all their target groups under a common roof for quick information sharing during emergency situations. At present, the basic version of the application is available in the Google Playstore for free download and can be logged in using the registered mobile number.



Officials say the linkage of all the existing satellite-based technologies that guide fishers when and where to fish for the best results too will be possible in the advanced stage of developing the app. Integration of the existing services from the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services and India Meteorological Department too are possible in consultation with the Indian Space Research Organisation.
Tamil Nadu: Fishermen go on indefinite strike in Tamil Nadu, demand reduction in fuel prices

by Akshaya Nath

October 04,2018 | Source: India Today

Fishermen from six districts have gone on an indefinite strike in Tamil Nadu with five demands, reduction in fuel prices being one of them. Fishermen from Nagapattinam, Pudhukottai, Ramanathapuram, Karaikal, Tuticorin, and Tanjore in their demand have stated that the increase in fuel prices has caused a lot of financial crisis.



Apart from this, the fishermen want the new Sri Lanka fishing law to be withdrawn, Indian fishermen in the Sri Lankan custody to be released and compensation for the damaged Indian boats in Sri Lankan custody. A meeting was held by the fishermen leaders of the different district on September 24 in Tanjore district where the decision to go on an indefinite strike was taken.



The fishermen will surrender their RC books of the boats to the district fisheries office and conduct a fasting protest on October 8. If their demands are not met by then, the fishermen will conduct a protest in Chepauk, Chennai on October 15. Except for BJP and AIADMK, other parties will participate in the protest. The continuous indefinite strike will lead to 5,000 trawlers being docked in the ports. Over 10 lakh fishermen and 5 lakh dependent labours will also be affected.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands: The beginning of the end of Andaman & Nicobars Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups

by Denis Giles

October 04,2018 | Source: Down to Earth

In the first week of August 2018, the government of India (GOI) removed Restricted Area Permit (RAP) from 29 islands in Andaman, in order to foster tourism in the archipelago of Andaman & Nicobar (A&N). Thus, foreigners will now no longer require the RAP till December 31, 2022, to explore 29 islands in the Union Territory.



This may seem to be a welcome boost to tourism. But, with a consistent track record of reactionary policy-making to safeguard the interests of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, even with the Andaman and Nicobar Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation (ANPATR 1956) in place, this opening up of the islands reeks of avarice and tokenism by the GOI to promote the Andamans as a tourist destination. The decision of lifting the RAP seems hurried and ambitious, and might open up the proverbial Pandoras Box in the long run. Concerns have been raised by activists, academicians and researchers alike to take back the decision, as a hasty policy will ensure a hasty decimation of the PVTGs surviving independently on the islands since time immemorial and there are ample precedents to this effect in these islands.



Tourism in the Andaman Islands started picking up by the end of the 1990s, when the islanders were unaware of the pros and cons of allowing their islands becoming a tourist hub. There was never any structured Tourism Development Policy in place, though attempts were made a couple of times by the Transferable Administration of A&N Islands. For instance, there were plans to twin Port Blair and Phuket by a few ambitious local leaders, stating that the ancient links between Indian culture and Thailand would boost tourism. These attempts, though mooted with much fanfare, have now been shelved temporarily, after activists explained the demerits. Yet, there remained a few bodies like the Andaman Chamber of Commerce, which have continued their attempts at finding ways and means to connect the Andaman Islands with Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations, on the pretext of economic development. Though it never yielded much, the lifting of RAP in the Andamans is now seen as a result of such persuasions and implemented by those who never could understand the islands and their requirements.



The 29 islands being opened for tourism include nine inhabited Nicobar Islands and two Andaman Islands, which are occupied by PVTGs and indigenous Nicobar islanders. The islands now opened up in the Andaman District which have PVTGS are: North Sentinel Island, Strait Island and Little Andaman Island. Islands opened up in the Nicobar District with PVTGS include: Chowra, Tillangchong, Terassa, Katchal, Nancowry, Kamorta, Pulomilo, Great Nicobar and Little Nicobar. The choice of islands itself seems like this has been done to boost tribal tourism. While North Sentinel is inhabited by the Sentinlese who have consistently rejected the island administrations attempts to establish contact since the 1960s, Strait Island is home to the dying population of the Great Andamanese and Little Andaman is the home of the Onges.



This decision has been taken unilaterally by the GOI, without the consent or participation of the islanders and far removed from the ground realities of the tribal communities. The decision also raises the fear of unwarranted and undesirable cultural changes that can be envisaged and predicted, given the decimation of the Great Andamanese population and the Onges who have never really adapted to the island administration's attempts to mainstream them. The indigenous tribal communities have traditionally thrived on shared community knowledge and we can expect increased marginalisation and creation of cultural and monetary gaps with the introduction of tourism enterprises among the tribal community by the removal of RAP.



Tribes which could get impacted by this move



The Great Andamanese saga is a glaring example of why this move, which seems to promote tribal tourism, is bound to be a disaster. The Great Andamanese, once the largest tribal group, now live in Strait Island, where they have been relocated after their population started dwindling to alarming numbers. Originally, the Great Andamanese were a group of ten different sub-tribes or clans, who had fought for their land when the British first tried to occupy the islands. Their bows and arrows being no match to the modern guns of the British, these communities had to surrender in the famous Battle of Aberdeen (May 14, 1859). They were then introduced to experimentation, sexual exploitation among others and their numbers gradually declined from the estimated 8,000 then to 50 odd today. With the last surviving Bo Tribe members recent death, the Great Andamanese language has also been lost for good. The opening up of Strait Island, where a handful live without much knowledge of their tradition, culture and language is nothing but an unwise decision to completely wipe them out.



This also warrants a special mention of the Onges, a PVTG of the Little Andaman Island. The Onges today number around 110 and have been confined to a small area inside their own island, after the Indian Government started the settlement process in the island during the early 1970s. More so, almost a decade ago, the Onges had lost ten young men as they had consumed some mysterious liquid that had washed onto their shores. Somehow, this community survives, with total dependency on the provisions offered by the government. The Onge today have stopped hunting and fishing for their livelihood and are forgetting their traditional practices. They are the next to be extinct in the series. Opening tourism in Little Andaman with No Restrictions may push the process of the beginning of end of this vulnerable community.



The geographical isolation of North Sentinel Island is widely believed to have kept the Sentinelese intact. But we are never sure of their exact numbers and their exposure to the outside world. The community remains hostile to visitors and a decision of eyes on and hands off was assured by the Indian government after activists from across the world pressed on the need to leave the community to survive independently, as they have for centuries. The surprising move to relax this island for tourism now speaks volumes about the stand taken by the GOI.



The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are already struggling with waste generation and disposal, negative acculturation, sprouting economies and problems of drug and alcohol addictions. The present hasty move would guarantee social and cultural inequalities, leading to marginalisation, illegal activities of various sorts that are known to sprout on small, emerging island economies.



The regions that are particularly vulnerable to such deleterious effects are the islands inhabited by the indigenous islander communities listed as Scheduled Tribes and PVTGs of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Most of the Nicobar (Nancowry group) islands included in the relaxation of RAP for foreign nationals are listed as Wildlife Sanctuaries and issues of environmental degradation and illegal activities are bound to happen.



Given past precedents from the Andamans and from other island groups worldwide, there is an immediate need to exercise caution and to remove the islands from the list being excluded from the Restricted Areas Permit. For this pilot experiment, the GOI could have chosen other island areas inhabited by settlers and not pristine islands.



Having laws such as ANPATR 1956 have never helped the PVTGs. Instead, the ANPATR 1956 has become a mockery in itself. Glaring examples of the Ang members (Jarawa) being forced to dance for food by tourists; sexual exploitation and introduction of alcohol, marijuana among others by poachers have been coming to light time and again. Those involved in the crime have never been punished. In such a situation, when law has failed to safeguard the PVTGs of Andaman Islands; lifting of RAP and other developments inside the Tribal Reserve clearly means the beginning of the end of Andamans PVTGs.
A California woman and her boyfriend could face the death penalty in the June slaying of her 10-year-old son, who authorities say was lashed, body-slammed and forced to kneel on rice  among other torture claims, according to reports Wednesday.





Heather Barron, 29, and Kareem Leiva, 32, of Lancaster, pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges, including murder involving the infliction of torture, the Los Angeles Times reported.





Anthony died June 21. In the days leading up to his death, Barron and Leiva allegedly poured hot sauce on the boys face, gave him rug burns, and dropped him on his head after dangling him upside down, the Times reported, citing Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatamis motion.





The LA County Department of Children and Family Services received tips that the boy was being abused, but allowed him to remain in the home with his mother and her boyfriend, the report said.





The agency investigated 88 claims of abuse dating to 2013, according to an attorney representing the boys relatives, the Times reported. Two of the 15 substantiated claims involved sexual abuse, the lawyer said.





Seven children, between 11 months and 12 years old, were removed from the home after Anthonys death, the LA County Sheriffs Department said, according to Tribune Media.





The prosecutor said Leiva hit Anthonys younger brother with enough force that the boy needed medical attention and staples to close a head wound, the Times reported.





Leiva hit at least three other siblings with a hose, hurled dirty diapers at them and forced them to squat against a wall for long periods of time, Hatami wrote.





As long as she doesnt walk free, David Barron, brother of Heather, told the Times, with tears in his eyes.





He then shouted, We want a full-blown investigation! when speaking about the DCFS and the social workers who handled Anthonys case.





DCFS had the opportunity to save [Anthony and his siblings] and they chose to look the other way.  They need to change the way they do things, Maria, Davids wife, told Tribune Media while appearing to hold back tears.





How many more kids need to die? added Maria. Enough is enough!





Both defendants are scheduled to return to court for a hearing on Nov. 27.

Tragic Death of Anthony Avalos: Mom, Boyfriend Could Face Death Penalty

A woman and her boyfriend pleaded not guilty Wednesday to torturing and murdering her 10-year-old son in Lancaster in a case in which the two could now face the death penalty if they are convicted.





The boy's mother, Heather Maxine Barron, 29, and her boyfriend, Kareem Ernesto Leiva, 32, are charged with killing Anthony Avalos and torturing him in the days leading up to his June 21 death.





The murder charge includes a newly added special circumstance allegation of murder involving the infliction of torture, opening them to a possible death sentence.





Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek the death penalty against the two, who have remained jailed without bail since they were arrested about a week after the boy's death.





Along with the murder count, Barron and Leiva are charged with one count each of torture and child abuse -- the latter involving a separate alleged victim.





Barron is also charged with a second child abuse count involving Anthony, while Leiva is charged with a count of assault on a child causing death.





The pair are due back in court in Lancaster Nov. 27, when a date will be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require the two to stand trial.





In court papers filed in July, prosecutors contended that Anthony was severely tortured during the last five or six days of his life and alleged that Barron and Leiva "abused, beat, assaulted and tortured Anthony Avalos."





The alleged abuse included whipping the boy with a belt and a looped cord, pouring hot sauce on his face and mouth, holding him by his feet and dropping him on his head repeatedly, according to the court papers.





Deputies and paramedics responded to a 911 call from Barron about 12:15 p.m. June 20 and found her son unresponsive inside his family's apartment.





Authorities said they were told that the child had suffered injuries from a fall, but investigators quickly classified the death as "suspicious.''





The boy "survived through the night,'' but "tragically succumbed to his injuries at 6:30 the following morning,'' Sheriff Jim McDonnell told reporters in July.





At a July 17 news conference, an attorney representing the boy's family called for a criminal investigation into social workers who investigated allegations of abuse in the household.





"This is a case of flat-out, deliberate indifference toward the life of Anthony Avalos,'' the family's attorney, Brian Claypool, said at a news conference outside the Los Angeles headquarters of the county Department of Children and Family Services. "These records that we have today clearly demonstrate and social workers within L.A. County DCFS had massive red flags of a household replete with horror, a household where many of the kids were allegedly abused, not just Anthony Avalos. Because of this, we are calling for a criminal investigation. We would like social workers investigated for child abuse and criminal negligence.''





Claypool -- who was joined by the boy's father, Victor Avalos, and the boy's aunt and uncle, Maria and David Barron -- said he has obtained documents that are a "recipe for a criminal investigation,'' noting that the records show 18 separate investigations into the household by DCFS over a four-year period beginning in 2013 and 88 alleged instances of child abuse, sexual abuse and child neglect.





Speaking at the news conference in July, Anthony's aunt, Maria Barron, said her nephew "did not deserve all the pain he endured.''





"Why? Why did DCFS fail him?'' she asked. "Why did they not take action? He had so many people that loved him, so many people willing to take him in.''





In a statement released shortly after the family's news conference, DCFS Director Bobby Cagle said, "As our department grieves the senseless death of Anthony Avalos, my primary focus must be on the in-depth, top-to-bottom review now underway to determine exactly what happened and what needs to happen to safeguard innocent lives going forward.''





"We also are committed to doing all we can to cooperate with the Sheriff's Department as their criminal investigation proceeds,'' he said.





"Thank you for understanding that these are my most urgent priorities. We will be happy to share additional information and insights with you when appropriate.''





In June, the county Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Supervisor Kathryn Barger calling for a thorough review of why Anthony wasn't removed from his family home, despite multiple reports to the DCFS.





"You had teachers, you had family members, you had law enforcement come in contact. And yet, Anthony's at the morgue; we're awaiting autopsy results,'' Barger said. "One has to wonder what it's going to take to get the attention of not only the social workers, but the public in general, because I'm told that neighbors also were aware of what was taking place.''





Barger and other county officials repeatedly said they would wait for all the facts to come in before drawing conclusions about exactly what happened to the boy. But Barger called it a "senseless murder,'' explaining that "we don't have a conclusion, but there's no other explanation."

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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
In the autumn of 2010, Vikram Sood, retired RAW chief, and myself were in a conference at Potsdam organised by the Rosa Luxembourg Stiftung. As the conference was winding down, the hosts asked the Indian team if there was anything particular we wanted to do before leaving for India, and the Chief and I suggested a visit to the Glienicke Bridge, where the first great spy exchange took place between the US and the Soviet Union. It was a cold and grey October and we were wearing overcoats. It was just the right setting for spies coming in from the cold.

Glienicke Bridge is a bridge across the Havel River in Germany, connecting Berlins Wannsee district with Brandenburgs capital Potsdam. It is named after the nearby Glienicke Palace.

The first spy exchange took place in February 1962, when the Americans and Russians exchanged Col. Rudolf Abel of the KGB for Maj. Francis Gary Powers of the CIA. Both were symbols of two great and successful spy operations undertaken by the two powers. This was later made into the film Bridge of Spies, directed by Steven Spielberg, with Tom Hanks as the lawyer, and James Donovan as the man who facilitated the exchange. Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel won the Oscar for the supporting role in 2016.

Abel was a Russian illegal, meaning a Russian agent with a false but artfully created legend. It usually started with a visit to cemeteries to search for identities of boys or girls who died early and to match the age of the agent. Based on this, a complete identity was created with superbly forged documents to support a carefully crafted timeline. Many of the illegals were sleepers, who would be woken up when a job was required to be done and required their expertise and skills. How many sleepers the KGB had installed in the West can never be known. The series The Americans, which scored big in the Emmy awards recently, is about a group of Russian-Americans illegals operating in the United States. It ran for six seasons.

But Rudolf Abel was clearly at the top of the pyramid. He is believed to be the agent who handled the atomic spies, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and Vivian Fuchs, who worked on Project Manhattan, the super-secret American nuclear bomb programme in Los Alamos. The Russians, wartime allies of the US, were kept so well abreast of the programme that when the Trinity explosion was triggered off at Alamogordo on July 16, 1945, the allied leaders were scheduled to meet at Potsdam for a conference the following week. The first nuclear test was still a well-kept secret.

Rudolf Abel entered America with a genuine birth certificate, a forged draft card and a forged tax certificate, all under the name of Emil Robert Goldfus, along with $1,000. The real Goldfus had died at only 14 months, having been born on August 2, 1902, in New York. The forerunner of the KGB, the NKVD, obtained Goldfus birth certificate. The illegals programme was the jewel in the crown of Soviet intelligence operations.

At the Potsdam Conference, however, President Harry S. Truman chose to tell Stalin only that the US possessed a new weapon of unusual destructive force. This was Trumans account: On July 24 I casually mentioned to Stalin that we had a new weapon of unusual destructive force. The Russian Premier showed no special interest. All he said was he was glad to hear it and hoped we would make good use of it against the Japanese.

But Stalin knew, and the Russians were getting a good deal of information from Project Manhattan. They were ready in four years. The first Soviet atomic test was codenamed Pervaya Moiniya  or First Lightning  and took place at Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan on August 29, 1949. The Americans codenamed it as Joe 1. The design was very similar to the first US Fat Man plutonium bomb, using a TNT/hexogen implosion lens design.

In the same year the Russian nuclear physicist Andrei Sakharov developed a design for a layered fission-fusion-fission bomb and called it the sloika, or layered cake. It was also known as the RDS-6S, or Second Idea Bomb. The RDS-6S layer cake design was detonated on August 12, 1953, producing a yield of 400 kilotons, about 10 times more powerful than any previous Soviet test.

The Americans tested their first fusion or hydrogen bomb on March 1, 1954. Castle Bravo was the first in a series of high-yield thermonuclear weapon design tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands. The device was the most powerful nuclear device detonated by the United States and its first lithium deuteride-fuelled thermonuclear weapon and had a yield of 15 megatons.

The Russian climaxed this race with the Tsar Bomba, which was the largest, most powerful thermonuclear weapon ever detonated. It was a three-stage hydrogen bomb with a yield of about 50 megatons. This is equivalent to 10 times the amount of all the explosives used in World War II combined. It was detonated on October 30, 1961.

The U-2 spy plane programme was a great mission as it involved Americas great technical prowess and project management abilities. When the onset of the Cold War and when a near-impenetrability separated the West from the Soviet Union, which was best defined by Winston Churchills From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an Iron Curtain has descended across the Continent. Little was known about what was happening behind this Iron Curtain, and with the bomb-building frenzy creating a huge trust void with both sides seeking information about the other and its intentions. The Soviets were more focused on American technologies, while the Americans were focused on Soviet intentions and military dispositions.

The Russians kept prying on America with human intelligence, the leading edge of this being the illegals programme. The Americans, shut out by a police state, sought to achieve their objectives by technological means. The star of this was the U-2 programme. This was the period before satellite reconnaissance and when both alliances were at hair-trigger nuclear alert and round-the-clock bomber patrols.

The CIA wanted a plane that the Russians couldnt see or track, let alone shoot down. So it went to Lockheeds legendary aircraft designer, Kelly Johnson, for help. Johnson gave them the Lockheed U-2, nicknamed Dragon Lady, a single-jet engine, ultra-high altitude reconnaissance aircraft capable of day and night, high-altitude (70,000 feet) and all-weather intelligence gathering. It could criss-cross the Soviet Union at will. The Russians could only watch helplessly. The U-2 was basically a XF-104 (an early Starfighter) with extended wings that stretched 103 feet and large fuel tanks, and highly sophisticated cameras. Shooting through seven glass encased windows in the belly of the U-2, the camera recorded everything along a 3,500 km (2,700 mile) course up to 200 km (125 miles) wide, and it could provide up to 4,000 pairs of stereoscopic photographs. The 36-inch focal length lens resolved features as small as 2.5 feet.

The U-2s flew from bases at Hakodate in Japan, Peshawar in Pakistan and Lanark in Cyprus, and ranged over Russia since 1957. Then suddenly, out of the blue, a U-2 mission from Peshawar overflying Russia and to land at Bodoe in Norway was shot down over Sverdlovsk in Russia. The pilot, Gary Powers, baled out as the crippled U-2 came down towards earth and was captured by the Russians. Incidentally, the US still operates the U-2, 71 years after it entered service.

The Russian illegals programme and Americas U-2 programme intersected for a moment when the two exchanged spies passed each other on February 10, 1962 on the Glienicke Bridge outside Potsdam.
VinFast officially showcased its first two vehicles at the Paris Motor Show on Tuesday. Photo by VnExpress

Several experts and industry insiders are advising caution over judging carmaker Vinfast too highly, too soon.

VinFast, a unit of Vingroup JSC (VIC.HM), Vietnams largest business conglomerate, officially showcased its first two vehicles: the LUX A2.0 sedan and the LUX SA2.0 SUV at the Paris Motor Show on Tuesday.

The new carmaker impressed everyone by doing this just one year after kicking off production in northern Hai Phong City. It received much praise for completing design and development of its models, as well as putting together a production line at an astonishing pace.

Supporters pointed to the companys daring strategy of gaining a head start by taking a shortcut, by signing agreements with a strong list of global partners.

The company uses Siemens plant construction expertise; BMWs intellectual property; Pininfarinas design; and Bosch for hardware, software and service solutions.

Experts say that VinFast's car falls into the mid-luxury segment. Automobile expert Le Anh believes the sedan can sell for VND1.4 billion ($60,869) and the SUV for VND1.8 billion ($78,260).

However, amidst all the praise and euphoria, many people have advised caution in assessing VinFasts progress.

An expert with many years of experience in the luxury car sector in Hanoi told VnExpress: Initial images and figures do not say much about the product lines final performance. The commercial version of the models have not even been completed yet."

"The fact that VinFast could develop the models so quickly is easy to understand given that it has bought most of the required technology, designs and engineering from other carmakers, the expert said.

This observation matches that of Bill Russo, head of Shanghai-based consultancy Automobility Ltd and a former Chrysler executive.

The key question is why the world needs yet another car brand in an era when hardware is commoditising. The fact that they have outsourced design and manufacturing and are relying on foreign R&D tells me they are following a traditional path that may not be competitive in an era of digital mobility services, Reuters quoted Russo as saying.

Meanwhile, a former Vietnamese engineer who has worked for Volkswagen in Germany for many years, said Vietnamese people have the right to be proud at the birth of a new Vietnamese brand.

But what comes next? Quality, reliability and price are the real problems that VinFast needs to overcome when approaching customers, he added.

Bui Sinh, who has many years of experience with other luxury car brands, said that there were no grounds to trust the two new models.

The information provided is one-dimensional, and there is no actual car to verify these claims. Only when we know the car works, should we move on to analyse the quality of the car and the calibre of its technology.

Sinh also pointed out that if VinFast were to position the first two models in the luxury car market segment, national pride would just form part of the brand, and have little effect in the actual selling. For wealthy customers used to driving luxury or mid-luxury vehicles, patriotism cannot replace actual function, he said.

Other experts have also said people should be careful in assessing VinFasts progress. Previously, two other automobile makers in Vietnam-- state-owned VEAM Motor and private venture Vinaxuki-- have flopped.

Bui Ngoc Huyen, chairman of Vinaxuki, which tried to produce a domestic car but ceased production just before its first car was to be officially released in 2012, said VinGroups deep pockets would help, but warned that building a brand takes time.

You have to move from producing small and cheap cars to luxury ones, he said. It will take several years for a new carmaker to fine tune its products and win the confidence of consumers. It will take between 10 and 20 years.
Whining about the ethics of eating dog meat is basically barking up the wrong tree.

Duc Hoang, a journalist

The Vietnamese debate on dog consumption has lasted for over a decade now.

There is no way we can reach a mutually agreeable conclusion to it, unless, maybe, we look at this problem from a different perspective.

So far our arguments and counter-arguments have been based on a cultural standpoint. Thats why were stuck, authorities included.

Hanoi recently issued a statement suggesting that residents stop eating cats and dogs to preserve the citys image. But that was it.

That statement failed to address the most important aspect of this discussion: the origins of dog meat sold in public and the health concerns associated with its consumption.

Take a chicken egg for example. In Vietnam, even an egg, which isnt yet a living creature, is subjected to stringent food quality checks and has to be approved by veterinary departments. But that has never been the case for dog meat.

Some time ago I took part in a debate on TV, and the topic was Vietnams culture of eating dog meat.

I have to confess that Id never given much thought to whether or not people should eat dog meat. I believe that in life, one survives simply by obeying two things. The first is ones self-preservation instincts. To stay alive, people need to eat and drink and sleep and not run headfirst into a moving truck. The second is the law, or more specifically, the law of whichever country you live in. These are the fundamentals. All other norms, customs, etc. are subjective, so trying to debate yes or no, or ethical or unethical, about these things will end up at a dead end.

So these were the thoughts going through my head. But I couldnt actually say all that on live TV. Debating wasnt really my forte, I thought.

Anyway, I started talking about the legal aspects, more specifically about how all food products need to have clear origins and undergo strict quality checks.

Sounds lame? Think again.

If everyone knew where all the dog meat sold in the local markets actually came from, they would be wary of consuming them, and the number of dog theft cases would surely plummet, as many of the dogs sold are actually stolen pets.

Dogs wait to be slaughtered in a cage for sale as food in a village outside Hanoi. Photo by Reuters/Kham

The illegal act of robbing an animal, then killing it for food right under the nose of law enforcers, would be utterly unacceptable in any developed nation.

It would be even more so in Vietnam, where we are at home with complicated paperwork and certificates and stamping approval seals on absolutely everything.

However, the legal aspect, for some reason, gets almost no attention. Being humane, civilized and such abstract notions are at the forefront, and if this continues, they will remain there for a long, long time.

And it wont get us anywhere.

But it just might be the law, and its enforcement, that could provide the key.

Once dog meat has to undergo all the quality checks and approval procedures, their prices would go up. Like... a lot.

What impact would expensive dog meat have on consumption?

Typically, people willing to pay a lot for gourmet food are young people in urban areas, but this is a demographic that is speaking out against consumption of dog meat. Then there are the working middle-class adults like me, who couldnt care less about this debate, in the first place. If its too expensive, I just wont buy it.

Historically speaking, tightening the flow of goods into the market and increasing their prices have always been effective in curbing consumption. And thats not the only solution out there. Laws have proven their ability to dislodge even the most deep-rooted habits of a community.

Look at how Singapore handled smoking. As the government heavily fines people who buy, sell or use cigarettes and its related products, you wont so easily see somebody casually puffing out rings of smoke there. It wasnt a discussion or debate on whether people should stop smoking or not that purged the behavior, it was the law, in a law-abiding nation.

Hanoi isnt taking notes.

Officials keep saying that people shouldnt eat dogs and cats, while dog meat with no clear origins are publicly sold everywhere.

The dog meat debate needs to be scrutinized by the law, and people need to know where the things they eat actually came from. There would be no need to keep spouting words like civilized or culture or humane, and no one would need to feel offended either. There is nothing left to debate on, once we boil the conversation down to plain-old food safety concerns.

We didnt succeed in making people wear helmets in traffic or banning firecrackers during the Lunar New Year by playing the cultural card; we simply made it part of our law.

Imagine what we can achieve with this.

Forget dog meat, the legal route can take us to a world free of plastic bags, buffalo fights, paper burning offerings... you name it.

But will we do it? Or let sleeping dogs lie?

*Duc Hoang is a Vietnamese journalist based in Hanoi. The opinions expressed are his own.
Vam Cong Bridge, a major connection in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, is expected to be finished by early 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Cuu Long

Authorities have criticized a South Korean contractors "disrespectful" attitude as it delays work on a major bridge in southern Vietnam.

They allege that the contractor has dragged its feet on fixing a crack on the Vam Cong Bridge in the Mekong Delta.

The Ministry of Transport had ordered that a crack on the Vam Cong Bridge, a major link between the Mekong Delta and the outside world, must be fixed by late this year so that the bridge would be ready for traffic by early next year.

But the projects main contractor, South Koreas GS E&C, said at a meeting convened by the ministry on Tuesday that the repairing process has fallen behind schedule only by almost two months.

GS E&C explained that it was facing financial difficulties as it had not been paid any value added tax refund or insurance coverage for the project.

We have spent a lot on the repair work and are trying to speed up the progress, a representative of GS E&C told the meeting.

But the projects investor, Cuu Long Corporation for Investment, Development and Project Management of Infrastructure (Cuu Long CIPM), a state-owned firm managed by the transport ministry, told another story.

Its general director Tran Van Thi said repair work at a cracked girder at Vam Cong Bridge has been delayed because the South Korean contractor did not take drastic enough measures and was not active enough.

He said that GS E&C has failed to guide the projects sub-contractor, Vietnams Thanh Long Corporation, to fix the problem in time. Thi said Thanh Long did not assign enough welders for the project and spent way more time than needed in getting 100 tons of steel.

The projects consultant and Cuu Long CIPM repeatedly sent reports and documents pushing GS E&C but the contractor did not respect the main investor, he said.

He suggested that the ministry bans the two contractors from joining any projects managed by the ministry after their work at Vam Cong Bridge is done.

Le Kim Thanh, head of the ministrys Transport Engineering Construction and Quality Management Bureau, said the bridge has not been done yet and thus the task of fixing any problems now lie at the main contractor.

The ministry organized a meeting with the bridge's investor and invited GS E&C to come over on September 10 but the South Korean firm did not show up.

We do not understand the way GS E&C works, Thanh said.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Nhat said the ministry has transferred enough investment in foreign currency to the contractor and for counterpart funding from the state budget to cover value added tax, the ministry has already given VND40 billion ($1.7 million) for the Vam Cong project.

Regarding insurance coverage, the ministry has worked with the insurance firm that is in charge of the project to ensure that the loss would be as smallest as it could for the South Korean contractor, Nhat said.

"The project is not yet finished and the contractor has the responsibility to complete its task. It is unacceptable that the contractor blames the lack of investment or insurance coverage for the delay in its work, he said.

A ferry operates on the Hau River to bring passengers to and from Dong Thap Province and Can Tho City in the Mekong Detla in southern Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Nga

The Vam Cong Bridge will stretch nearly three kilometers across the Hau River to connect Dong Thap Province and Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta. The $271 million project is funded with official development assistance (ODA) from South Korea.

With construction beginning in September 2013, the bridge was initially set to open in late 2017, replacing local ferries, but a crack four centimeters wide and two meters long was detected at one of its girders in November that year.

Once completed, Vam Cong Bridge will play a key role in traffic circulation in the region because most transportation within the Mekong Delta and between the Mekong Delta and the outside world is made through this section of the Hau River, a branch of the Mekong River in Vietnam.

Transportation here has depended on the ferries for years and with increasing travel demand, especially during special occasions like holidays and rush hours, traffic jams can last for hours at the ferry terminal.
An aerial view of uninhabited island of Spratlys in the South China Sea, April 21, 2017. Photo by Reuters/Erik De Castro

Vietnam has asked all concerned parties to fulfill their legal obligations to maintain peace in the South China Sea.

"We expect countries to contribute positively and practically to maintaining peace and stability, carry out international legal obligations, and obey international laws on the seas and oceans," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said at a press briefing Thursday.

Hang was responding to questions regarding an incident when Chinese destroyer Luyang approached the USS Decatur, a U.S.s guided-missile destroyer, as the latter passed within 12 nautical miles of the Gaven and Johnson reefs of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Sunday.

Vietnam calls the waters the East Sea.

The action made headlines on global media, including the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and many Asian media channels like the Japan Times and South China Morning Post.

During the operation, the Chinese warship sailed within 45 yards (40 meters) of the USS Decatur as it conducted freedom-of-navigation operations," forcing the U.S. ship to quickly maneuver to avoid collision, Reuters reported, citing U.S. officials.

Despite such reckless harassment, the United States Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and our national interests demand. We will not be intimidated. We will not stand down, the report quoted U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as saying.

The close encounter gave the ship's captains just seconds to react to any course change, said Carl Schuster, a former U.S. Navy captain, told the CNN.

"This was very dangerous. Captains get very nervous when ships get closer than 1,000 yards," said Schuster, now a Hawaii Pacific University professor.

Gaven and Johnson are two reefs belonging to Vietnams Spratly Islands, which China has been occupying illegally.

Hang reiterated at the press conference that Vietnam has full legal basis and historical evidence to assert its sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands in accordance with international law. China seized the Paracels from South Vietnam by force in 1974.

Vietnam calls for peace, stability after close brush between Chinese, US warships"Vietnam respects the rights to freedom of navigation and overflight of other countries in the East Sea in accordance with international laws, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," she said.
The Party's Central Committee has nominated General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to be the country's next president.

The committee voted on Wednesday to introduce Trong as a candidate for the head of state post to Vietnams legislative National Assembly, which will be in sesssion between October 21 and November 19. No other candidates have been proposed for the job.

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh is currently the acting President, serving as Vietnam's first female head of state, after President Tran Dai Quang passed away September 21 due to a serious illness.

This is the first time in many years that a Party's General Secretary is recommended by the Central Committee to the National Assembly to serve as the president. The President is countrys top representative in both internal and external affairs, commander-in-chief of the military, entitled to appoint or dismiss the deputy prime ministers, ministers, and advise the National Assembly to do the same with the country's vice president, prime minister, top judge and top prosecutor.

Vietnam is now led by four pillars: its president, prime minister, Party chief and the national assembly chair. If approved, Trong will become the first Vietnamese leader to be the head of state and the Party since founding president and revolutionary Ho Chi Minh.

Trong, born 1944 in Hanoi, studied Literature in university and spent many years working for the Communist Review, the political agency of Vietnam's Communist Party, and was its editor in chief between 1991 and 1996.

He served as Hanoi's Party Secretary between 2000 and 2006, before chairing Vietnam's National Assembly for two consecutive terms.

He became a standing member of the Politburo, the Party's decision-making body, in 1999. In 2011, he became the General Secretary of the Party's Central Committee, and was reelected to the position in 2016.

For several years, Trong has spearheaded a crackdown on corruption that has seen scores of top businesspeople and government leaders face criminal probe or even trial over allegations of financial mismanagement and embezzlement.

The biggest casualty of the campaign so far is Dinh La Thang, a dismissed member of the now 17-strong Politburo, who is serving 30 years in jail for violations when he was chairman of the state oil giant PetroVietnam.

Trong's presidency nomination was made during the 8th plenum of the 12th Central Committee, a key Party gathering held between Tuesday and Saturday to discuss major issues including Party personnel, socio-economic development and national maritime strategy. Punishments for several top officials are also expected to be announced at the meeting, joined by 223 senior Party members.
Suzanne Thi Hien Hook does not know her birth date, only that in 1969 she was abandoned on the street in Saigon as an infant.

Suzanne in HCMC. Photo by Hanh Pham

I am a product of the Vietnam War, Suzanne tells VnExpress. I was the daughter of a Vietnamese woman and a black American soldier.

Found in a bush by a police officer, the girl was sent to the nearest orphanage. The orphanage gave me a name and a birthday. The name they gave me was Thi Hien. The birthday they gave me was March 26.

Thi Hiens birth story is recorded in a letter written by Maragret Routh, an English nurse at her orphanage, to her adopted parents, Barbara and Murray Hook.

In the letter dated June 6, 1971, Routh wrote that the two-year old Thi Hien suffered malnutrition, could not lift her head off the pillow or sit properly.

Mixed raced babies, especially babies of Vietnamese women and American soldiers, were not looked after very well at the orphanage and usually got food last, according to the nurse.

Thi Hien at three in a Saigon orphanage. Photo courtesy of Suzanne

Thi Hien was among the adoptees to leave Vietnam and arrived in England. Her name was changed into Suzanne Thi Hien Hook.

Many children were abandoned, and many children did not survive the war. So I am very lucky to have done that and lucky to come out healthy.

There are no accurate records for Vietnamese  American children born during the war. Figures from the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement show 30,000 Vietnamese were settled as the children of American soldiers and officers. The Amerasian Fellowship Association, an organization for Amerasian rights, estimates over 1,000 illegitimate children remained in Vietnam.

The devil child

Suzanne Thi Hien Hook 6 months after the day she came to England. Photo courtesy of Suzanne

One September morning Suzanne waited for me in a white gown and dark red hair at a Saigon cafe. On the table, an ashtray had three cigarette butts and one that was half burned. A waitress brought out water and tried to take away the ashtray, but Suzanne stopped her. "I need to use it." In three hours she finished a pack.

Most people think adoptees enjoyed happy lives abroad, but Suzanne did not.

To me, adoption is like a lottery. Sometime you get the golden ticket, you get loving adopted parents, and then you get a bad lottery ticket.

Sadly for me, my adopted parents werent very good people.

Barbara Hook was a housewife and Murray Hook was a ground staff at Heathrow International Airport. They had strong religious beliefs. Before deciding to adopt a Vietnamese girl, the couple had a daughter together. The Hooks lived in a low-income all-white neighborhood in Hayes town, west of London.

Suzanne's adoptive parents would rarely mention Vietnam. The only times they would refer to the distant country were when they ranted at or hit their daughter.

They would be hurtful: "Your Vietnamese mother didnt want you. Vietnamese nurses didnt want you because you are mixed race, because your dad is black and your mother is Vietnamese. Youre ugly. Nobody wants you.

Hands trembling and taking a deep breath, Suzanne recalls a childhood of physical and mental abuse by her parents.

Suzanne Thi Hien Hook in a suburb of London in 1994. Photo courtesy of Suzanne.

One day, when she was in grade 3, Suzanne showed her mother an A in her English test, and for the first time saw her happy. For a month straight Suzanne came home every day with high grades.

But at a parents meeting soon after, her mom found out all the As were a lie.

"I knew she would find out sooner or later, but I still did it to make her happy. If she was happy, I was happy too." Suzanne presses her fingers against the corner of her eyes to stop the tears from falling.

Returning home, Barbara pulled Suzanne out of her bedroom down to the kitchen where she hit and cursed her as "the devil child." That night, the 11-year-old girl cried in the basement and went to sleep on an empty stomach.

She would call me Suzanne at the church in front of everybody. But when I was at home, I was called the devil child.

Her mother would often vent her anger on her without a reason.

Suzanne moved out of her house at 18. She spent three years learning cooking before earning her way up from chef assistant to a chef on cruise ship. After working for 13 years Suzanne went to college and then opened a beauty services company.

She became a successful businesswoman and married a good man. But her mother never acknowledged her efforts.

"I'm 49 and I still call myself ugly.

Suzanne leaves to wipe away her tears. She does not want to cry in front of an audience.

Finding her mother

In Suzanne's mind, "Vietnam" was associated only with beatings, and so she always avoided seeing herself as Vietnamese. Whenever someone asked, she just quickly answered she was American - Vietnamese. Even her close friends are unaware of her full name.

But she realizes there is a void in her life after growing up wondering why she was abandoned and then hated by her adoptive parents.

I need to have an identity, I need to know where I came from, I need to know who I am, Id like to know who I look like.

When she came to Vietnam for the first time in 2006 Suzanne thought Vietnamese would look like her with curly hair and dark skin. After two weeks in Saigon she realized she was completely wrong.

"I realize I dont look Vietnamese. I dont belong to anywhere."

The hole in her identity caused a further longing in her to trace her Vietnamese origins and sparked off a journey to find her birth mother.

When I was in Vietnam, it was the time I felt the happiest, she says to explain her decision to return to Vietnam in 2007, when she spent the year helping orphans in Saigon.

I was shocked to see how many orphans there were and how big the poverty divide was. I dont know how to explain it, but I felt a responsibility to those children. I had to help them.

After a year in Vietnam she returned to England but her worldview was never the same again.

All of a sudden, her first-class flights, 300 pairs of shoes, her Mercedes car, and shopping trips in Paris all became meaningless.

My heart had stayed in Vietnam.

Selling all her properties and splitting up with her husband, she returned to Vietnam in 2010 with a suitcase and a vague idea of setting up an orphanage.

Because my childhood was not happy, I want to make some orphans here happy.

Since its establishment, Allambie has become a home for 12 orphans. Suzanne covers the childrens meals and school fees and also tries to address their emotional well-being.

"My mother never hugged me. Every day I hug them, I tell them I love them and they are beautiful because I dont want another child to go through what I went through.

Suzanne only thought about herself after putting all her money and energy into the orphanage.

In 2013, she decided to send a DNA sample to Family Tree DNA, a U.S. testing center, which confirmed she was 40 percent Vietnamese and 60 percent black.

But a more important piece of information arrived later: that there was a high possibility she was biologically connected with Tran Ngoc Thanh living at 45 Nguyen Hue Street, Dong Ha City, Quang Tri Province.

The hope was lit, but for the last five years Suzanne has not been able to find this person.

When you do a DNA test, you are opening up a Pandoras box; you have to understand, you have to accept, that you may not get the happy ending, she slowly says and stubs the last cigarette in the ashtray.

Im either a lovechild or Im a product of rape. But Id still like to know.

Even if I dont have a relationship with my birth mother, I would just want to sit down and say thank you to her.
Mu Cang Chai in Yen Bai Province is famous for its iconic terraced rice fields which turn golden yellow during harvest season. Photo acquired by VnExpress

The Sword Lake and Mu Cang Chai are among 15 best places to enjoy the autumn in Asia.

Singaporean travel site Tripzilla, which made this selection, has included two Vietnamese sites in the list  Hanois iconic Sword Lake, and Mu Cang Chais golden-hued terraced rice fields in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai.

When autumn comes, the Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as the Sword Lake, is transformed into a romantic landscape by barrington acutangula trees glistening in shades of red and yellow, the site said.

The lake, which stands in the heart of Hanoi, is a few minutes walk from the Old Quarter. Legend has it that in the mid-15th century, a golden turtle god surfaced and asked Emperor Le Thai To to give back a magical sword that he had been given to drive away Chinese invaders.

The Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Ho Ha

The turtle then took the sword and disappeared into the lake. The Turtle Tower (Thap Rua), which stands on a small island near the center of lake, is linked to the legend.

Mu Cang Chai is a rural district about a seven-hour drive from Hanoi. It becomes a strikingly beautiful place from late September to early October when its terraced rice fields turn golden during the harvest season.

Two Vietnamese locales get autumn stars Mu Cang Chai vao top vung nui ep nhat the gioi

These rice terraces turn different hues of green and golden yellow, and the landscape exudes a charm that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world, Tripzilla tells its readers.

Last year, Mu Cang Chai, where HMong ethnic minority group started carving rice terraces into the mountain range centuries ago, was named one of the 19 most picturesque peaks on earth.

Some other Asian tourist destinations that are highlighted as fall attractions are the Komyoji Temple and Metasequoia Namiki Avenue in Japan, the Asan Gingko Tree Road, Naejangsan National Park and Nami Island in South Korea, and the Great Wall of China.

The American news channel CNN last month urged visitors to enjoy fall in Vietnam, but at the sunny beaches of Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang.

Last year the U.S.-based National Geographic magazine listed Vietnam among the best fall trips to make.
Hundreds of seized elephant tusks, pangolin scales and other animal parts were destroyed Thursday as part of a crackdown on illegal wildlife trafficking.

Authorities set fire to pyres stacked with 277 pieces of elephant ivory, 1,544 antelope horns, 180 tiger bones and other confiscated items weighing more than 1.4 tons at a government compound in the capital, Naypyitaw.

"It is crucial to sustainably conserve our country's natural resources, including land, water, forest, mountains and wildlife, for the sake of our future generations," Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Ohn Win said during the ceremony.

Myanmar, which lies in the notorious "Golden Triangle" region bordering Thailand and Laos, is at the heart of the global trade in illicit wildlife, with goods smuggled mostly to China.

A report by conservation group Save the Elephants this week said China's recent ban on the ivory trade had done little to stop the "prolific growth" in trade in the Myanmar-China border town of Mong La, where there has been a 60 percent growth in new ivory items seen for sale in the past three years.
NABU: Buyers of electricity from thermal stations overpay US$536 mln due to illegal Rotterdam Plus formula

The final decision will be made after expert evaluation.

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Naftogaz names Plan B in case of Nord Stream 2 launch

The construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline should be completed by the end of 2019.

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Ukrainian regions post record yields in entire history of crop observations

The record yield is being observed in maize, sunflower, soybeans, and sugar beet crops.

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Electricity exports from Ukraine to grow in 2019  Energy Ministry

Ukraine is expected to increase exports to Eastern Europe by 3.8% to 5.43 billion kWh.

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Law on "single window" at customs comes into force in Ukraine Oct 4

Radiological control, which was carried out by environmentalists, has been removed at the customs.

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Artsakhs president congratulates Teachers Day

President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan has congratulated teachers on Teachers Day, Sahakyans office said. "Dear teachers, On behalf of the Artsakh Republic authorities and on myself personally I extend the most heartfelt congratulations to you on your professional holiday, the Day of Teachers. We are all aware of the challenging and at the same time crucial and demanding work teachers carry out, of the great efforts and vigor they put into that work, how much they strive to make sure that the generations to come are educated and well-bred, that they acquire thorough knowledge skills and competence to safeguard their worth place in life. Dear teachers, We are deeply grateful to you, appreciative of your patient and responsive attitude, your commitment, the long years of sowing care and warmth shown to your pupils. Your daily diligent work is highly commendable and deserves great respect. The issues existing in the field of education and science have always been on the focus of the state. We do our best to ensure quality education for the children in Artsakh and provide our teachers with the opportunity to work in educational institutions conforming to modern standards. And that process will be of a continuous nature. I would like to congratulate you once again and wish you peace, good health, success and all the best," the President of Artsakh said in his address, according to his office.
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
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

Google Ad

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

Google Ad

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
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a bill amending some Ukrainian laws regarding preserving Ukrainian forests and preventing illegal imports of rough timber, according to a Wednesday posting on the official website of the head of state.

The law increases fines for illegal logging and causing damage to forests and young trees by several times.

The amendments are made to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses, Criminal Code of Ukraine, Code of Criminal Procedure and the law on the specifics of the public regulation of activities of business entities linked to the sale and exports of wood.

The government is instructed to design a comprehensive program on restoration of forests of Ukraine and set the priorities for these works, fire and disease protection and other measures.

The introduction of the requirements of the law will allow preserving the environmental safety of Ukraine and will create an effective mechanism to prevent committing crimes related to illegal logging.

As reported, on July 3, 2018, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada passed bill No. 5495, restricting domestic consumption of rough timber to 25 million cubic meters a year and temporarily banning exports of firewood.
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces has called information about the alleged supply to Ukraine of a large batch of lethal weapons and ammunition from the United States "fake news."

"This information is untrue. It is just another lie of Russia's propaganda machine," Bohdan Senyk, who heads the public office of the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces, told the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Wednesday, October 3.

Interfax (interfax.ru), citing sources, earlier reported that on August 30, about 3,500 small arms, more than 3,100 mines, about two million ammunition rounds, 34,000 detonation devices, 52,000 missiles and 5.38 million blank cartridges were imported into Ukraine via the Krakivets border crossing.
The Verkhovna Rada has adopted a law amending the statute of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which provide for a change in greetings by servicemen.

According to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, 271 deputies voted for the law, the draft of which was submitted by the president, at a plenary meeting of parliament Thursday.

The law amends the statute of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to the amendments, during greetings and farewells of a commander or senior officer with servicemen, the phrase "Glory to Ukraine" will be followed by the phrase "Glory to Heroes."

The statute of the Ukrainian Armed Forces currently foresees that the senior officer says "Hello, comrades," with servicemen replying: "I wish you well, comrade," adding a military rank at the end.

In addition, the statute of the Ukrainian Armed Forces now provides for the use of the address "Sir" ("pan" in Ukrainian) instead of "comrade."

Before the second reading of the bill, MPs also extended the use of the salute "Glory to Ukraine!" to the National Police.

The law will take effect on the next day after its publication.
Hungarian Ambassador to Ukraine Erno Keskeny has been handed a note that the Hungarian consul in the town of Berehove in Zakarpattia region was declared persona non grata and must leave Ukraine within 72 hours, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said.

According to the ministry's press service, Keskeny was handed a note "with the information that according to Article 23 of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, in connection with activities incompatible with the status of a consular officer, the consul of the Consulate of Hungary in the town of Berehove must leave the territory of Ukraine within the next 72 hours."

"We hope that the Hungarian side will refrain from any unfriendly steps towards Ukraine in the future and that its officials will not violate Ukrainian legislation," the ministry said.

The ministry said that Kyiv views Ukrainian citizens of Hungarian descent "as a unifying factor in relations between the two states."

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said on October 3 that Kyiv would send a note to Hungary on October 4 demanding that the Hungarian consul stationed in Berehove leave Ukraine.

"I have urged [Hungarian Foreign Minister] Peter Szijjarto to recall him [the consul]; he has a diplomatic week to do so. If this does not happen and, as I understand it, it will not, we will send a note to Hungary tomorrow and say that he should be removed from office and, therefore, leave the country," Klimkin said at a joint press conference with Moldovan Foreign Minister Tudor Ulianovschi on Wednesday.

Klimkin added that no one was going to force the Hungarian diplomat out. "Of course, he will leave the country on his own," he said.
112 Ukraine TV channel says Rada request to NSDC about imposing sanctions on it is politically motivated

The 112 Ukraine TV channel has said the resolution supported by Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada to the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) requesting sanctions be imposed on companies listed as owners of the 112 Ukraine and NewsOne TV channels is politically motivated.

"The situation is that this is a politically motivated act and very expensive public relations of several political forces involving 229 Rada deputies [who on Thursday voted for the measure], the majority of whom are frequent guests on our TV channels," 112 Ukraine General Producer Artem Marchevsky said, adding that his TV channel operates as professionally as possible, objectively and efficiently, as evidenced by TV ratings.

As earlier reported, the Rada on Thursday recommended the NSDC impose sanctions against companies included in the holdings of the 112 Ukraine and NewsOne TV channels.

The corresponding resolution (No. 9157) was approved by 229 parliament deputies during a plenary Rada session.

According to the resolution, sanctions should apply to Ariadna TV LLC, Novy Format TV LLC, TV Vybir LLC, Teleradiokompaniya 112-TV LLC, Lider TV LLC, Partner TV LLC and Novyny 24 Hodyny LLC.

According to information on the TV channels' websites, Novyny 24 Hodyny LLC is listed among the owners of NewsOne. The remaining six legal entities are included among the holdings of 112 Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has signed the law, which extends the law on the special order of local self-government in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (ORDLO) for a year.

This law (bill No. 9153) was returned with the president's signature on October 4, 2018, the website of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine reported.

At the morning plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on Thursday, October 4, some 245 deputies supported the extension of the law on a special order of local self-government in the ORDLO until the end of 2019.

"The continuation of the law on the special procedure for self-government of the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions is necessary to maintain international sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation, as well as to create the necessary conditions for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission," the president wrote on Twitter after Rada's adoption of the law.
Investigators from the special investigations department of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office have officially notified a former prime minister and his son, a former parliamentarian, that they are suspected of accepting a bribe of over UAH 140 million in 2010 for assistance in appointing another person as first deputy prime minister.

The two men are suspected of accepting a bribe and mediation in accepting a bribe, the department's press service said.

A preliminary investigation is underway, it said.

The statement does not specify the names of the former prime minister and former parliamentarian suspected of bribery. Interfax-Ukraine has learned, however, that the men in question are former prime minister Mykola Azarov and his son Oleksiy Azarov.

Mykola Azarov led the Ukrainian government from March 2010 until the end of January 2014, after which he left Ukraine; he is currently residing in Russia. Ukraine has issued a CIS arrest warrant for him over embezzlement of public funds.

Oleksiy Azarov was a member of the Verkhovna Rada of the seventh convocation.
The Hungarian Foreign Ministry has given a Ukrainian consul 72 hours to leave Hungarian territory in response to Kyiv's expulsion of a Hungarian consul, according to the Hungarian site hvg.hu.

"Ukraine is continuing to worsen the conflict," the publication quoted Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto as saying at a press conference in Budapest on Thursday.

"The Ukrainian ambassador in Budapest has been informed that one of the consuls working here must leave Hungary within 72 hours, and this is a proportionate response," he said.

Earlier on Thursday, Ukraine delivered a note to Hungarian Ambassador in Kyiv Erno Keskeny declaring the Hungarian consul in Berehove in the Zakarpattia (Transcarpathia) region of Ukraine persona non grata and demanding that he leave Ukraine within 72 hours.

Ukrainian media reported in September that Hungary had issued passports to Ukrainian citizens at its consulate in Berehove. The reports included a video in which the new Hungarian citizens took the oath of allegiance. After the oath, in which these people call Hungary their homeland and vow to serve it, consulate employees advise them to conceal their Hungarian citizenship from the Ukrainian authorities.

Klimkin discussed the issue with Szijjarto on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. He said Szijjarto disagreed that the Hungarian consul had breached Ukrainian laws.

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko said on September 27 that the Ukrainian Security Service was investigating the issuance of Hungarian passports to Ukrainian citizens. Dual citizenship is prohibited in Ukraine.

A criminal case has been opened over high treason.
The U.S. Senate has adopted a resolution that recognizes the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as a genocide of the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian Embassy to the United States has reported.

"The U.S. Senate has unanimously adopted a bipartisan resolution, which was the first ever legal act of the U.S. Congress, where the Holodomor of 1932-1933 was recognized as genocide of the Ukrainian people," the embassy said on Facebook on Thursday.

Thus, in the operative part of the document, the Senate recognized the conclusions of the U.S. Government Commission regarding the famine in Ukraine (dated April 22, 1988) and that "Joseph Stalin and those around him committed genocide against the Ukrainians in 19321933."

In addition, the resolution also condemns the systematic violations of human rights, including the rights to self-determination and freedom of speech, committed by the Soviet government against the Ukrainian people, and also expresses the deepest condolences to the victims of the Holodomor and their families.

"The draft of such a resolution was also approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and is now awaiting consideration during the plenary session," the embassy said.
Ukraine confirms its loyalty to settlement of Donbas war by extending law on special status of ORDLO

French Ambassador to Ukraine Isabelle Dumont has welcomed the extension by the Verkhovna Rada of the law on a special procedure for local self-government in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (ORDLO).

"I welcome the continuation by the Parliament of the law of Ukraine "On the special order of local self-government in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which proves Ukraine's dedication to resolving the war in Donbas," Dumont wrote on Twitter on Thursday afternoon.

Earlier on Thursday, the Verkhovna Rada supported the presidential legislative initiative, by which the special order of local self-government in certain regions of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions (ORDLO) will be extended until December 31, 2019.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has said it does not consider Hungary's decision to expel a Ukrainian diplomat from Hungary a proportional response, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mariana Betsa has said.

"I can confirm that today our ambassador in Hungary was invited to Hungary's Foreign Ministry and told that the first secretary of Ukraine's embassy in Hungary, a diplomat who performs consular functions, would be expelled. During the next 72 hours he must leave Hungary as a part of a proportional response (to Ukraine's decision to declare persona non grata Hungary's consul in Berehove, Zakarpattia). We think this is not a proportional response," Betsa said.

"Our employee is an embassy diplomat, not just a consular officer, as was the case in Berehove. They have a different status. He is not a consular officer, but a diplomat who works in the embassy," she said, adding that the Ukrainian diplomat has not violated any norms of international law, such as the Vienna Convention.

As reported earlier, Hungarian Ambassador to Ukraine Erno Keskeny on Thursday was handed a note that the Hungarian consul in the town of Berehove in Zakarpattia region was declared persona non grata and must leave Ukraine within 72 hours, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said.

According to the ministry's press service, Keskeny was handed a note "with the information that according to Article 23 of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, in connection with activities incompatible with the status of a consular officer, the consul of the Consulate of Hungary in the town of Berehove must leave the territory of Ukraine within the next 72 hours."

"We hope that the Hungarian side will refrain from any unfriendly steps towards Ukraine in the future and that its officials will not violate Ukrainian legislation," the ministry said.

The ministry said that Kyiv views Ukrainian citizens of Hungarian descent "as a unifying factor in relations between the two states."

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said on October 3 that Kyiv would send a note to Hungary on October 4 demanding that the Hungarian consul stationed in Berehove leave Ukraine.
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani told a group of politicians and activists on October 3 that Iran is confronting a complicated situation and conditions are unusual and delicate.

Saying that today we are a sensitive juncture, Rouhani added that Iran is in the middle of a full-fledged economic war.

His comments come as Iran is facing the implementation of additional U.S. sanctions on its oil exports in about a month.

Rouhani defended his administration by insisting that Expectations from the government should be proportionate with the unusual conditions the country faces. He added that Iran is facing a complicated situation.

If this administration was not at the helm, perhaps Iran would have exited JCPOA even before the U.S. announcement [leaving the nuclear agreement] and today we would have faced even a more critical situation, he said.

President Donald Trump announced last May that the U.S. is abandoning the nuclear deal with Iran, known as JCPOA, and reimposing a wide range of sanctions.

Since then, Irans currency has lost a lot of value, its oil exports have declined and many international companies have announced their disengagement from the country.

In his meeting with a group of reformist politicians Rouhani asked them to help preserve and promote hope among the people.

On many occasions, leaders of the Islamic Republic have claimed that the U.S. has fallen into a weak diplomatic position and Iran has proven its righteous position.
Irans Supreme Leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a nationally televised address Thursday morning, a day after the International Court of Justice handed the Islamic Republic a victory and the United States abrogated a friendship treaty with Iran.

The leader of the embattled country admitted that Iran is under economic pressure but insisted we are not at an impasse. He added that the Islamic Republic has imperfections but is not facing a dead-end.

A day after the World Court ordered the U.S. to ensure its sanctions dont impact humanitarian needs, Khamenei said Iran will deliver a slap and defeat America by defeating sanctions.

The speech was delivered in a stadium, in the presence tens of thousands of Baseejis, who are paramilitary forces under the command of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).

Most of Khameneis remarks were directed at the adversaries of the Islamic Republic, mainly the U.S.

He said, Recently, the U.S. president told European leaders to wait two or three months and they [Irans regime] will vanishthis poor guy tries to keep himself and his colleagues upbeat.

He added, Some naggers say dont bash America, so they dont become your enemy, but, a great Islamic power has risen in the region and America is afraid of it.

The leader who has ruled Iran with an iron fist for nearly thirty years turned his ire against dissidents intellectuals, saying that they refuse to accept that America is enemy with Iran and propose a surrender. If they are not enemy agents, then at least they are not agents of [Irans} progress either.

He also attacked Irans enemies for using new media platforms to paint the wrong picture and influence Iranian public opinion.

This remark shows the impact of social media in Iran and the degree of concern the authorities have about its role.

Following the court decision at the Hague, the U.S. abrogated a decades old friendship treaty with Iran that Tehran relied upon in its legal case against Washington.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Russia welcomes all the positive trends in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said at a press conference Oct. 4.

We welcome all the positive trends, she said. Presently, it is important to develop them and not to damage with careless rhetoric. For our part, we will render all the necessary assistance to these positive trends.

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 the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

Trend:

A citizen of the United Arab Emirates, Ibrahim Ahmed Mohammed Abdalla addressed a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asking for a removal of his name from the List of foreign citizens illegally visited the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a message on Oct. 4.

In his letter, Ibrahim Ahmed Mohammed Abdalla, noted that he travelled to Nagorno-Karabakh in 2015 and he was unaware about the consequences of that visit. He underlined that this visit in no way means disrespect for the Republic of Azerbaijan and its people.

Ibrahim Ahmed Mohammed Abdalla reaffirming his full respect to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders, its laws and regulations, expressed his apology to the Azerbaijani government and people for an unauthorized visit to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

Expressing regrets for this visit Ibrahim Ahmed Mohammed Abdalla mentioned that his visit to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan by Armenia in no way served for the promotion of illegal regime established in the seized lands of Azerbaijan.

Furthermore, he attested that he would refrain from such visits to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in the future. Ibrahim Ahmed Mohammed Abdalla also asked for permission to visit our country in the future.

Appeal by Ibrahim Ahmed Mohammed Abdalla was considered and the decision was made to remove his name from the list.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

Trend:

Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has met with the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Azerbaijan Zurab Pataradze, the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan said in a message on Oct. 4.

The minister congratulated the ambassador on the commencement of diplomatic activities in Azerbaijan and wished him success in expanding cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The diplomat expressed satisfaction with the beginning of activities in Azerbaijan as an ambassador and noted that he would make every effort to develop Azerbaijan-Georgia relations, in particular, military cooperation.

During the meeting, the sides discussed the military-political situation in the region, bilateral military cooperation and other issues.
Details added (first version posted on Oct. 3 at 15:58)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 3

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received credentials of newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic Milan Ekert.

The ambassador reviewed a guard of honor.

Ambassador Milan Ekert presented his credentials to President Ilham Aliyev.

President Ilham Aliyev then had a conversation with the ambassador.

The head of state hailed the level of bilateral ties and mutual cooperation between the two countries.

President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the importance of bilateral relations in terms of the Azerbaijan-European Union and Azerbaijan-NATO cooperation.

The president noted that the two countries are interested in attaining good results of cooperation in other fields too, expressing his confidence that the goal will be achieved.

President Ilham Aliyev pointed out that the interparliamentary, intergovernmental and business relations as well as reciprocal visits might contribute to this. The head of state wished the ambassador success in his activities.

Ambassador Milan Ekert praised the successful development of bilateral relations between the two countries in a variety of areas.

He described the fact that this year marks the centenary of the establishment of the republic both in Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic as symbolic.

The ambassador noted that the two countries have made great strides in terms of the development of bilateral relations over the past 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Ambassador Milan Ekert said he will spare no efforts to contribute to further expansion of the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic during his diplomatic tenure.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

Azerbaijani MP, head of the working group on Azerbaijan-Latvia inter-parliamentary relations Kamran Bayramov will visit Riga Oct. 4-7 as an international observer at the election to the Latvian parliament.

The MP will familiarize himself with the situation in preparation for the election, and on October 6, he will watch the electoral process, the observance of democratic rules, ensuring the rights of voters, the activity of citizens and the counting of votes.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

The capital of Moldova, Chisinau, will host a meeting of the heads of government of the GUAM countries on October 5.

Azerbaijan will be represented at the meeting by a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmadov.

Development of economic and political relations among the GUAM countries, as well as the prospects for joint activities in international organizations will be discussed at the meeting.

In conclusion, a joint declaration of the heads of government, a protocol on cooperation of customs administrations of the GUAM countries in the fight against customs offenses when transporting goods by air across state borders will be signed.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received credentials of the newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to Azerbaijan Archbishop Paul Fitzpatrick Russell.

Archbishop Paul Fitzpatrick Russell reviewed a guard of honor.

Paul Fitzpatrick Russell handed his credentials to the Azerbaijani president.

President Aliyev then spoke with the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See.

Hailing a very high level of Azerbaijan-Vatican relations, the president said we are still impressed by Pope Francis's visit to Azerbaijan.

President Aliyev referred to his meetings with Pope Francis held during the trip, and recalled his own visit to the Vatican. Describing Pope Francis's visit to Azerbaijan as a historic event, the president stressed the significance of the Pope's familiarizing himself with Azerbaijan, communicating with people and meeting with representatives of the religious communities in the country.

President Aliyev extended his gratitude for Pope Francis's receiving Mehriban Aliyeva recently, adding that Mehriban Aliyeva was deeply impressed by the meeting.

The president asked the Apostolic Nuncio to extend his greetings and best regards to the Pope.

Saying that relations between Azerbaijan and the Vatican have good history and covers many areas, President Aliyev underlined that relations in the field of culture are of particular importance.

This cooperation is a good sign of our bilateral relations and one of the essential elements of the global intercultural and intercivilizational process, the president said. We value this cooperation and are confident that these relations will continue strengthening.

The president expressed his confidence that Archbishop Paul Fitzpatrick Russell's tenure will contribute to the strengthening of the bilateral relations.

Thanking the president for the warm words, Archbishop Paul Fitzpatrick Russell hailed excellent relations between the Vatican and Azerbaijan. Saying he met with Pope Francis several weeks ago, the Apostolic Nuncio said that the Pope recalled his visit to Azerbaijan and noted that they were looking forward to Mehriban Aliyeva's visit.

Mehriban Aliyeva said that her meeting with Pope Francis took place in a very frank and friendly atmosphere, President Aliyev said.

The president described this as a good sign of cooperation.

Azerbaijan-Vatican relations demonstrate to the world how people living in different geographical areas, representatives of different cultures and religions can successfully cooperate and build friendly relations, the president added.

Archbishop Paul Fitzpatrick Russell said he fully shares President Aliyev's views, noting that Vatican-Azerbaijan relationship is truly exemplary.
Details added (first version posted on 18:55)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:

The status quo in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is unacceptable, German Ambassador to Azerbaijan Michael Kindsgrab told reporters in Baku Oct. 4.

He was speaking at a reception dedicated to the Day of German Unity.

Germany has always been a supporter of resolving the conflict peacefully, he noted, adding that Germany welcomes every step in this direction.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised this issue during her visit to Azerbaijan, and there were many discussions, he said.

Merkel noted that opportunities are being considered about how Germany can support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Kindsgrab said. A new format is not the case, Germany can support the existing format, said the ambassador.

He noted that the relations between Baku and Berlin are developing in the political, economic and cultural spheres.

Azerbaijan and Germany cooperate at the level of parliaments and governments, he said.

Germany supports the Southern Gas Corridor project, and there is the German-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce, he noted.

Economic ties are growing, strengthening, and the German investments in Azerbaijan are growing, he said.

In addition, interest in the German language is growing in Azerbaijan, and the Goethe Cultural Center began operating not only in Baku, but also in the districts last year, the ambassador said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyev
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:

Baku is ready to strengthen and expand relations with Berlin in all spheres, Azerbaijans Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said Oct. 4.

He was speaking in Baku at a reception dedicated to the Day of German Unity.

Azerbaijani-German relations are developing in many directions, he said. This is an indicator of trust between our countries. Baku and Berlin work closely together, both bilaterally and on international platforms. We can also see growth in bilateral trade. German companies participate in many projects in Azerbaijan. We hope that the meetings held between representatives of the two countries business circles during the visit [on August 25, 2018] of Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel to Azerbaijan will serve to further strengthening bilateral economic relations.

There are over 200 companies with German capital in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijans trade turnover with Germany exceeded $1.05 billion in January-August 2018, according to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee. Exports of Azerbaijani products for the period to Germany exceeded $619.5 million.

Germany is the fourth biggest foreign trade partner of Azerbaijan.

The deputy minister also expressed hope that Europe and Germany will contribute to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of Azerbaijans territorial integrity.

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 the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyev
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:

The New York Times has published an article titled An Azerbaijani Feast Awaits in Brooklyn, if You Can Find It.

The author of the article shares emotions from visiting an Azerbaijani restaurant called Village Cafe, located in Brooklyn, and talks about impressions from Azerbaijani cuisine, such dishes as bozbash (mutton soup), khingal (dumpling), qutab (stuffed flatbread).

For atmosphere, Village Cafe is roundly beaten by my second-favorite Azerbaijani restaurant in Brooklyn, Old Baku in Kensington, the author said in the article.

There will never be a time when I go to Village Cafe and decide not to have at least one qutab, if not all three, says the author. The menu gives the name of this delicate Azerbaijani flatbread, the diameter of a pita but thinner, as kutaby. Either way, it is very good when stuffed with minced, quietly spiced chicken or lamb. It is exceptional when filled with greens: spinach, scallions, and dill and cilantro, two fresh herbs that turn up again and again in Azerbaijani cooking.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyev
Baku, Azerbaijan, October 4

Trend:

Azerbaijan and Italy are preparing a new agreement on mutual investment promotion.

This was announced on October 4 during the meeting of the Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy to Azerbaijan Augusto Massari, the Ministry of Economy said in a statement.

Mustafayev said that the cooperation between the two countries continues successfully.

According to him, the visits of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to Italy, the visit of President of Italy Sergio Mattarella in Azerbaijan in July this year, as well as the visit of the First Vice President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva to Italy in September, the meetings and negotiations held during these visits represented great significance for expanding the ties between the two countries.

The minister noted that 95 Italian companies, which participate in 41 contracting projects under interstate agreements, have been registered in Azerbaijan. It was stressed that Italy is the main trade partner of Azerbaijan and ranks first in terms of its share in the Azerbaijani exports.

It was also noted that at present, the work is underway on development of a draft new agreement on the promotion and protection of investments between Azerbaijan and Italy, a joint action plan providing for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of energy, infrastructure, logistics, railway, agro-industrial complex, petrochemical industry and other areas.

The Italian ambassador noted the success of mutual high-level visits. Massari also said the development of cooperation in the non-oil sector was discussed as well during these visits. Massari added that Italian companies are interested in implementing projects in Azerbaijan in various fields, he shared his opinion on expanding the cooperation.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

By Fikret Dolukhanov  Trend:

Korean logistics and consulting company Suwan TPL Co. Ltd. is interested in importing alcohol, beans and spices from Uzbekistan, the press service of the Tashkent city administration said.

A meeting with the Korean delegation, consisting of representatives of the companies Hyundai DIA Hausys, Segi Century, Sunjin E&A, Suwan TPL Co. Ltd was held in the Uzbek capitals administration.

During the meeting, CEO of Hyundai DIA Hausys Joo Woo-Jung said that Korean entrepreneurs would be happy to promote their business together with the Uzbek side.

Representatives of the Korean logistics and consulting company in the field of investment and trade Suwan TPL Co. Ltd. noted that they are interested in cooperation with Uzbekistan in export of Uzbek alcoholic beverages, beans and spices to Korea, as well as in attracting Korean investment in the production of medical equipment in Uzbekistan.

It should be noted that Uzbekistan is the main trading partner of the Republic of Korea among the countries of Central Asia. Uzbekistan accounts for over half of the trade turnover of the Republic of Korea with the states of the region. In the 1H2018, the trade turnover between Uzbekistan and South Korea amounted to $762.4 million.

Currently, there are more than 460 enterprises with participation of Korean capital in Uzbekistan (386 joint ventures and 75 enterprises with fully Korean capital).

Representative offices of 75 South Korean companies are also accredited in Uzbekistan.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov
Baku, Azerbaijan, October 4

Trend:

The Export Promotion Fund for Small Businesses and Private Entrepreneurship under the National Bank of Uzbekistan has registered its representative office in India, UzDaily.uz reported.

The representative office of the fund will conduct marketing research and find foreign partners.

The representative office of the fund will promote the brands of Uzbekistan and organize the participation of entrepreneurs of Uzbekistan in international exhibitions, fairs, tenders and other events.

The representative office will assist in obtaining international certificates, licenses and other permits.

The representative office of the fund has already assisted Ozbekiston Shampani company to conclude a contract with the Indian ADITYA EXPORTS LTD. company in the amount of $1 million.

The Uzbek company will begin deliveries of wine products to India from December 2018.
Tehran, Iran, Oct. 4

Trend

Iran exported nearly 10,612 tons of goods worth $23 million from Bileh Savar customs point in the northwestern Ardabil province in the first six months of the current Iranian fiscal year (started March 21) to Azerbaijan, the governor of Bileh Savar said.

So far 10,612 tons of goods have been exported from Bileh Savar customs point to Azerbaijan, Hassan Qobadi said on October 4, IRNA news agency reported.

He added that the amount of the exported goods registered a 57-percent increase compared to the same corresponding period last year.

Potato, construction materials, vegetables, plastic and metal structures, and nuts were among the major goods exported to the Azerbaijan from the border crossing.

Bileh Savar is the capital city of Bileh Savar County in Ardabil Province, Iran. The city is the site of a border crossing with the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

Trend:

The Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a new strategy for Uzbekistan which sets out the Banks priorities in the country for the next five years, the EBRD said in a message on its website.

The strategy reflects recent changes in Uzbekistans political and macroeconomic environment and is aimed at the creation of an open, integrated and export-driven economy, according to the message.

The new EBRD strategy for Uzbekistan recognizes the need to strengthen the countrys democratic institutions, expand the role of civil society, provide greater freedom to mass media and promote womens entrepreneurship.

The bank will also continue monitoring progress on the eradication of forced and child labor in sectors such as the cotton growing industry.

The EBRDs operational and strategic priorities in Uzbekistan will be based on the following three pillars:

Enhancement of competitiveness by strengthening the role of the private sector.

Promotion of green energy and efficient use of resources.

Support increased regional and international cooperation and integration.

From 1992 to 2010, the EBRD invested 894 million euros in 54 projects in Uzbekistan. By the end of 2017, the bank signed the first six new agreements on operations in the country since 2010, totaling more than 153 million euros.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

By Rashid Shirinov - Trend:

S&P Global Ratings today affirmed its 'B/B' long- and short-term issuer credit ratings on Kazakhstan-based Bank Kassa Nova JSC. The outlook is negative.

At the same time, S&P affirmed its 'kzBB+' long-term Kazakhstan national scale rating on the bank.

The affirmation reflects S&P's view that Kassa Novas business and financial profiles will remain stable over the next 12 months, supported by its focus on its niche retail segment, limited related party business, ample liquidity, decent profitability, and a supportive shareholder that is able and willing to provide capital and funding support in case of need.

These factors positively differentiate the bank from other small Kazakh banks that have experienced material difficulties in continuing their business over the past two years.

"We continue to view the banks combined capital and risk position as vulnerable to weakening over the next 12-24 months, warranting a negative outlook. We view the banks historically aggressive NPL provisioning rate and over-reliance on real estate collateral as its risk management policy's main weaknesses," said the report.

Under S&P's base case scenario, it expects the banks capitalization, as measured by the risk-adjusted capital ratio (RAC), will remain above 10.5 percent over the next 24 months, compared with 11.1 percent at year-end 2017. S&P's forecast is based on annual loan growth rates of about 10 percent, ROA of about 1 percent, and full earnings retention.

"In August 2018, the bank paid its first ever dividend of 50 percent, but its strategic plans do not include future dividends. Another payment of dividends of comparable size not compensated by proportionate capital injections would likely cause S&P's forecasted RAC ratio to decline to below 10 percent over 2018-2020, leading us to reassess its capital and earnings position downwards, and downgrade the bank," said the report.

"Our negative outlook on Kassa Nova reflects ongoing pressure on the bank's capitalization and asset quality, stemming from the tough operating environment in Kazakhstan. It also reflects the bank's weakened asset quality over the past two years, as evidenced in an increase in nonperforming loans, which is exacerbated by the very low provisioning coverage of NPLs," the report said.

S&P noted that it could lower its ratings on the bank over the next 12 months if the banks combined capital and risk position weakened. This could happen due to higher growth rates or lower retained earnings through payment of dividends, or the need to create significant additional provisions higher than assumed in S&P's base-case forecast, leading to the forecast RAC ratio falling below 10 percent.

"An increased in NPLs to over 10 percent, coupled with the decrease in provisioning coverage level to below 50 percent of NPLs, could also lead to a downgrade. The worsening of the economic or industry risk of the Kazakh banking system could lead to an additional pressure on the banks capitalization and asset quality," said the report.

"We could revise the outlook to stable over the next 12 months if the bank sustainably strengthened its capitalization and provisioning levels, or showed a sizable improvement in asset quality while successfully growing its core business," S&P added.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

Trend:

Azerbaijan's Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FIMSA) will be governed by the Board, according to the new charter of FIMSA, approved upon Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs decree on additional measures to ensure FIMSA's activity.

Previously, the main governing body of FIMSA was the Board of Directors, which monitored and checked the activity of the Board.

FIMSA is supervised by the countrys president. The president can also liquidate and reorganize FIMSA.

The authorized capital of FIMSA is five million manats.

(1.7 manats = $1 on Oct. 4)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

Trend:

Azerbaijani exporters will be provided every possible support for the recognition of their products in the Russian market and increasing their sales, Chairman of the Azerbaijan-Russia Business Council Samad Gurbanov said.

He made the remarks Oct. 4 at a regular meeting of the Azerbaijan-Russia Business Council at the Baku Business Center, Azerbaijans Economy Ministry said in a message.

The event was attended by about 40 entrepreneurs and representatives of companies operating in the spheres of food industry, agriculture, construction, logistics and other fields.

Gurbanov said that this meeting is being held as continuation of the expanded meeting of the Azerbaijan-Russia and Russia-Azerbaijan business councils as part of the 9th Azerbaijan-Russia Interregional Forum held Sept. 27.

It was said that this meeting of the Azerbaijan-Russia Business Council with exporters was held considering applications and proposals of entrepreneurs related to the expansion of trade and economic relations between the businessmen of both countries, as well as the export of Azerbaijani products to the Russian market.

Then entrepreneurs made speeches and answers were given to their questions.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.4

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Construction progress of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) in Albania is steady and proceeding at a great pace, Albanias Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Enis Aliko told Trend.

He noted that during the last few months, TAP has not had any requirement for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, which shows that construction is proceeding without problems.

"We are confident that this part of the pipeline will be finished on time, if not before the deadline," said the deputy minister.

As for the creation of the joint venture between Albanian gas infrastructure operator Albgaz and Italian SNAM for TAPs maintenance on Albanias territory, Aliko said that it shall be created as soon as the maintenance agreement with TAP is finalized.

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).

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Follow the author on Twitter:@Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, October 4

Trend:

The tariffs for gas and electricity for individuals can be increased by 10 percent in Uzbekistan, Gazeta.uz quoted Odil Temirov, the Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Uzbekneftegaz company, and Sharifjon Tursunov, the Chairman of the Board of the UzTransGaz company as saying at a meeting of the International Press Club.

Temirov said the issue of raising the cost of 1 cubic meter of natural gas from 289.7 to 320 soums (by 10 percent) for the population, and up to 600 soums for enterprises of various economic sectors (Uzkimyosanoat SJSC, Uzbekenergo JSC and etc.) is discussed currently together with the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Finance.

The Chairman of the Board of UzTransGaz company Tursunov said that if the gas tariffs were not changed, a crisis could happen in the energy or other sphere.

"We need to save energy. At the expense of what? The benefits will be provided to low-income families who consume few resources, and there must be a different tariff for those who consume a lot. This issue is still under discussion. We need to put this issue up for public discussion. We have to follow this path, there is no other way to save resources. Its the same all over the world," he said.

He believes Uzbekistan is not yet ready for differentiated tariffs due to the lack of special meters.

When we install them, the meter will automatically calculate the necessary tariff itself. People cannot cope with this themselves, Tursunov explained.

In an interview with a Gazeta.uz correspondent, the director of board of UzTransGaz confirmed that it has been planned to raise gas prices by 10 percent for the population and by more than 50 percent for enterprises.

Earlier, Uznefteprodukt, Uzbekneftegaz and Uzbekenergo companies explained the reasons for the revision of the tariff policy and the rising costs in production of electricity, gas and gasoline.
Baku, Azerbaijan, October 4

Trend:

Hungary is interested in participating in the South Gas Corridor project (SCP) in the future, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto said at a meeting with the Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan Parviz Shahbazov in the framework of the Russian Energy Week international forum, the Ministry of Energy said in a statement October 4.

The ministers discussed at the meeting the issues regarding the implementation of the SCP project, the prospects for its expansion and the enhancement of its transmission capacity at the next stage.

Szijjarto noted the importance of holding a dialogue between relevant ministries of the two countries. An exchange of views on areas of cooperation in the energy sector between Azerbaijan and Hungary took place during the conversation.

Parviz Shahbazov also met with the Minister of Energy of Mongolia Tserenpil Davaasuren. Shahbazov expressed gratitude for the fact that Mongolia refused to chair the Energy Charter Conference in 2020 in favor of Azerbaijan.

The prospects for cooperation in geological exploration in the energy sector, particularly in the oil and gas sector between the two countries were discussed, and the possibility of study of Mongolian students at relevant universities in Azerbaijan in the oil and gas specialty was considered at the meeting.

Parviz Shahbazov held a number of meetings in the framework of the "Russian Energy Week" international forum.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

Trend:

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting Oct. 3 devoted to the analysis of the state of affairs in the electric power industry, as well as defining additional measures for the industrys development, Uzbek media reported.

The electric power industry is a locomotive of the economy, it is impossible to imagine socioeconomic development and our life as a whole without it, said Shavkat Mirziyoyev. In our country there are capacities for generating a total of 14,000 megawatts of energy, 86 percent of which accounts for thermal power plants.

However, 84 percent of the capacities of thermal power plants were commissioned almost half a century ago, and the existing capacities are used only by 83 percent. If in developed countries, 240-260 grams of fuel is consumed to produce 1 kilowatt of energy, fuel is consumed twice as much at some power plants in Uzbekistan.

Special attention at the meeting was paid to the fact that presently, the share of electrical grids with a service life of more than 30 years is 62 percent, 57 percent of the lines on power distribution networks and 39,600 transformers need to be updated.

In accordance with the program designed for 20172021, this year it is required to modernize 34,000 kilometers of power lines and 7,000 transformers, and in 2019 it is required to modernize 7,000 kilometers of power lines and 2,000 transformers.

In this regard, the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan, the ministries of finance and economy, as well as Uzbekenergo JSC were instructed to provide sources of stable funding for the events envisaged in the program.
Facebooks (FB.O) lead regulator in the European Union, the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC), on Wednesday commenced an investigation into a massive cyberattack on the social networking site that the company disclosed last week, Reuters reported.

Facebook said on Friday that hackers had stolen login codes that allowed them to access nearly 50 million Facebook accounts, its worst-ever security breach given the unprecedented level of potential access.

In particular, the investigation will examine Facebooks compliance with its obligation under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure the security and safeguarding of the personal data it processes, the DPC said in a statement.

Under the new GDPR European privacy regulations which came into effect in May, breaking privacy laws can result in fines of up to 4 percent of global revenue or 20 million euros, whichever is higher, as opposed to a few hundred thousand euros previously.

The DPC, which regulates a number of U.S. multinationals with European headquarters in Dublin, said Facebook informed it that their own internal investigation is continuing and that the company continued to take remedial actions to mitigate the potential risk to users.

Facebook said on Tuesday that investigators had determined that the hackers did not access other sites that use the social networking sites single sign-on.

Some security experts, including a former Facebook executive, said the company may have painted a worst-case scenario when it disclosed the attack on Friday to ensure compliance with the strict new European Union privacy rules.

GDPR imposes steep penalties if companies fail to follow rules that include a requirement that they disclose breaches within 72 hours of discovery. That is a tight window that security experts say does not give investigators adequate time to determine the impact of the breach.

Facebooks latest vulnerability had existed since July 2017, but the company first identified it on Tuesday of last week.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

By Huseyn Valiyev  Trend:

High-Tech Park LLC of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies has started to issue travel grants.

Travel grants are issued as part of the Fast Track acceleration program to local startuppers wishing to take part in big investment events which are held abroad, where they can meet with potential investors, the ministry told Trend on Oct. 4.

They will be able to take part free of charge in international trainings and contests thanks to travel grants, the ministry said.

The High-Tech Park issued the first travel grants to the Ticketsetup and OnBrunch startuppers as part of the acceleration program.

The Ticketsetup project will be demonstrated at the Startup Con conference in Germany, while OnBrunch at the Startup Istanbul Competition, to be held in Istanbul.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @h_veliyev
UAE Ambassador in Astana, Dr. Mohamed Ahmed bin Sultan Al Jaber, attended the World Petroleum Council (WPC) meeting, "Kazinform" reports citing WAM.

Delegates from 28 countries of the world attended the meeting, including the countries of Europe and Asia, Africa, North and South America. There were heads of sectoral state bodies and transnational companies, leading oil and gas experts.

Representatives of the member states' national committees discussed the organisation's activities, trends in the development of the oil and gas market, innovative technologies and the use of global energy resources.

The WPC programme included a meeting of the WPC's Board, which is held annually in one of the member states and is the final event of the organization, attended by all delegates. In addition, there were meetings of the Executive and Program Committees, a joint session with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on the development of gender policy and special events of the Youth Committee.

On October 2nd, a conference on "Investment Opportunities: New Solutions for Sustainable Growth" was held with the participation of the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, leaders of the AIFC, Samruk-Kazyna SWF JSC and other state bodies and companies of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

During the conference, representatives of national committees exchanged views about the latest trends in the development of the oil and gas and energy industries in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 4

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

The Turkmen delegation participated in the 69th session of the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Turkmenistan's Foreign Ministry said in a message.

The event is annually held in Geneva to review and approve the agencys programs and budget, advise on international protection issues. The current session brought together representatives from 132 countries.

The Turkmen delegation delivered a speech in which a special emphasis was placed on Turkmenistan's obligations under the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) to create orderly, safe, legal and responsible migration, which continues to be an imperative requirement of today, the message reads.

In November 2014, the UNHCR High Commissariat approved the global action plan for the reduction of statelessness for the period 2014-2024, which was enshrined in the resolution of the UN General Assembly.

In 2018, 735 people permanently residing in the territory of Turkmenistan, having no citizenship and representing different nationalities, became citizens of Turkmenistan. In the period 2011-2017, according to decrees of the Turkmen head of state, 8,145 people were granted the Turkmen citizenship.
Baku, Azerbaijan, October 4

Trend:

Americans will help establish schools in Uzbekistan where all subjects will be taught in English, Podrobno.uz reported.

This became known after the talks between the Minister of Public Education of Uzbekistan Sherzod Shermatov and the US Secretary of Education Elizabeth DeVos, which took place in Washington.

The Embassy of Uzbekistan in the United States stated that the parties discussed the practical aspects of the development of cooperation in the educational sphere, aimed at implementing the agreements reached at the Uzbek-American summit in May of this year.

In this context, the perspectives of interaction in the field of improvement of educational process management mechanisms, introduction in the education system of ICT, material incentives and social support for teachers, as well as models of financing school education were considered.

"Special attention was paid to the further implementation of the intergovernmental memorandum of cooperation in teaching the English language. The mutual interest in the implementation of joint projects, including the opening of secondary schools teaching all disciplines in English, was stressed," the press-service of the foreign ministry reported.

The American side expressed readiness to assist in setting up an online teacher training system at the first stages of cooperation and subsequently, to develop in conjunction with the relevant US universities the specialized programs based on modern teaching methods.

Following the talks, the parties agreed to continue contacts between the two ministries in the issues of introduction in Uzbekistan of the best US practices in improving the school education system.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

Trend:

The Central Asia region remains the main foreign policy priority of Uzbekistan, UzDaily.uz quoted the Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the UN Bakhtiyor Ibrahimov as saying during his speech at the general debate of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

He noted that today the situation in this region is fundamentally different from the situation which existed until quite recently. Thanks to the joint efforts of the countries of the region, a fundamentally new political atmosphere was formed in Central Asia in a short time, the level of political trust increased significantly, and the traditionally friendly and good-neighborly relations strengthened.

The representative of Uzbekistan stressed that the reached agreements allowed for opening dozens of checkpoints on the borders of Uzbekistan with neighboring countries, and liberalizing the visa regime. The trade turnover of Uzbekistan with the states of the region increased by 20 percent in 2017, by 50 percent in the first half of 2018.

"The most important thing is the understanding that we are united not only by the common past, but also by the common future. The high level of regional cooperation in Central Asia receives wide international support. In this regard, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all our partners and friends who have helped in the recent preparation and adoption of the historically important resolution of the UN General Assembly on "Strengthening regional and international cooperation to ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region", Ibrahimov said.
Some 150 cultural elites and ambassadors from 56 countries arrived in Hamedan to take part in the International Conference of Cultural Elites and Ambassadors, IRNA reports.

Director General of Hamedan Islamic Propagation Organization Ali Dashtaki told that the city hosts the event as it has been selected as tourism capital of Asian states in 2018.



Hamedan Cultural Committee has 40 programs on its agenda, he said, noting that the conference will seek to use capacity of religious tourism as a major opportunity.



The event will also deal with the opportunities and challenges faced by religious tourism, Dashtaki said.



Hamedan province has many religious and cultural luminaries who will be introduced during the conference, the official said.



The conference will provide an opportunity for cultural interaction in the field of religious tourism, he added.
Russian minister of energy has emphasized that Moscow will continue cooperation with Iran even after the new round of the US sanctions that are going to take effect in November, IRNA reports.

Iran is our longtime economic partner... Of course, we need to find (new) forms (of cooperation) and work together further by implementing joint projects, Alexander Novak told reporters on Wednesday evening.



The minister emphasized that Russia will be committed to the oil agreement with Iran despite the US sanctions.



The US, following its withdrawal from the landmark nuclear deal, has pressed its allies to halt their oil imports from Iran.



The long-term program has been implemented since four years ago and is of great importance for Iran and Russia, Novak said.



The minister also noted that the US vows for halting Iran's export and the attempts by Washington to influence non-OPEC countries will significantly affect the oil price in the global markets.
Iraqi interior minister and Iran's envoy to Baghdad discussed arrangements for the coming Muslim ShIia ritual of Arbaeen, IRNA reports.

At the meeting, the Iraqi minister Qasim al-Araji kept Iran's Ambassador Iraj Masjedi abreast of the latest measures taken by his country to host millions of Arbaeen pilgrims from around the world, including Iran, in the best possible manner.



The minister also presented a report on the measures taken by the Iraqi side to facilitate the pilgrimage.



Arbaeen marks the anniversary of the 40th day after the third Shia Imam, Hussein ibn Ali (pbuh), was martyred in the 7th century. The ritual, which is commemorated by Muslims, will be held on October 30 this year.



Some four million Iranian pilgrims annually visit holy cities in Iraq, mainly Karbala.



Also, about two million Iraqi tourists visit Iran for religious and medical purposes.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

By Matanat Nasibova - Trend:

Glorification of personality and overtly racist theory of the Armenian nationalist organization Tsegakron led by Garegin Nzhdeh (Ter-Harutyunyan) and its transformation into the official state ideology of Armenia contradict all the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), Oleg Kuznetsov, a well-known Russian historian and political scientist, said Oct. 4 at a press conference Armenia: a country of permitted Nazism.

This is the second press conference with the participation of Kuznetsov, where he talks about archival secret documents confirming the ideology of Armenian nationalism, and in particular the Nazi essence of famous dashnak Garegin Nzhdeh.

Kuznetsov said that the declassified materials of the archive of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan revealed a set of documents of the Soviet state security bodies, confirming the Nazi essence of the Tsegakron ideology in Armenia.

Armenian nationalism and the Dashnaktsutyun party, which represented this nationalism, until the mid-1930s werent perceived by the USSR state security bodies as ideological opponents, which should be closely monitored, he noted.

"Even then, the Dashnaks were kept under control, and the most active were sent into exile or imprisoned in concentration camps, seeing them as rebels and terrorists in the first place, and not as political rivals. Dashnaks turned into ideological enemies for the Bolshevik party in 1933, when Garegin Ter-Harutyunyan, better known by the party name Nzhde, created the organization Tseghakron in Boston (Massachusetts, US) at the founding conference. Subsequently, it was renamed the Federation of Armenian Youth or Racists," Kuznetsov said.

According to him, during this period two more important events took place, at first glance, in no way connected with each other.

First, on January 30, the leader of the National Socialist Workers' Party of Germany (NSDAP), Adolf Hitler, was appointed Reich Chancellor of Germany, and, second, the French anthropologist George Montandon declared that there was a separate Armenoid race that was as ancient as and the Aryans in the racial theory of the Nazis.

"The coincidence of these two facts in the same period is not accidental, since Garegin Nzhdeh created the organization explicitly in order to attract the attention of the new Fuhrer of the German nation, to join the ranks of the Nazis and use their military-technical power in the interests of the Armenian nationalism," Kuznetsov said, adding that Nzhdeh was not just a follower of Nazism, but one of the interpreters of this ideology among the peoples of the Soviet Union.

The historian said that the documents with the interrogations of prisoners of war of the German army, who personally took part in the recruitment of the leaders of the Armenian nationalists in European countries to serve the Third Reich, are kept in the State Archive of the Russian Federation in the fund of the Peoples Commissariat for Internal Affairs of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

"One of them was Peter Kamsarakan - a former agent of the Reich Main Security Office of Nazi Germany, an Armenian from Shamakhi, who lived in Austria before the World War II, he said. Austrian Armenian Kamsarakan was of great importance for the Soviet special services as a source of information, so his case was personally supervised by Interior Minister of the USSR Colonel-General Sergey Kruglov.

In November 1948, a top secret reference signed by Kruglov was drawn up in six copies, addressed to Stalin, Molotov, Beria, Malenkov and other representatives of the Soviet power," said Kuznetsov.

He added that this fact testifies to an extremely high level of secrecy of this document, which contained information about cooperation of the special services of the Third Reich and Armenian nationalists.

Kuznetsov further cited an excerpt from this document, which stated that Dashnaks collected in all countries information that was of interest to the Germans and was related to the Soviet Union, countries of Central America and England.

"It was proposed to establish within the territories of Germany an Armenian state where the Dashnaks would be the government party, in the event of a war with the USSR. Thus, besides the annexation of the Armenian regions of Turkey in the east, the territory of Armenia had to be expanded at the expense of Nagorno-Karabakh and in the north  through annexation of the Borchali region of Georgia. The document also states that the testimony of Kamsarakan and his role in attracting Dashnaks to cooperation with the Germans is confirmed by the convicted leader of Armenian emigrants Ter-Arutyunyan, known by the nickname of "Nzhdeh", kept under arrest in Vladimir prison of Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR," the historian said.

Kuznetsov also noted that Nzhdeh actually admitted that he, like his other nationalist associates, had consciously and purposefully cooperated with the Nazis since 1940, and the complicity with the Nazis manifested itself not only in the form of military and economic intelligence, but also in the sale or legalization of property of Holocaust victims.

Kuznetsov said that basically, Nzhdeh confirmed that he is a supporter of German Nazism, its ideology of tseghakronism and racism.
Defense Minister Levan Izoria participated in the NATO-Georgia Commission meeting, held in the frames of the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels on October 3-4, Civil.ge reports.

At the Commission meeting, Allies welcomed the continued progress Georgia is making on more effective security and defense institutions and modernizing its armed forces. They also discussed the security situation in the Black Sea region, which according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is of shared concern to NATO Allies and Georgia.

NATO-Georgia Commission meeting today showed, that this is something that is of benefit, both for NATO and for Georgia. This is about protecting each other. This is about supporting each other. This is about helping each other and this is about learning from each other and its about facing common security challenges together, the SG stressed after the meeting.

Secretary General Stoltenberg also noted that the Alliance appreciates the close partnership with Georgia, and that it was strongly expressed by all Allies at the commission meeting. According to Stoltenberg, NATO deeply appreciates Georgias contributions to the shared security, and is working together with the country more closely than ever before.

In the pre-ministerial press conference on October 2, Stoltenberg said Georgia would become a member of the Alliance when it meets the NATO standards.

Its only for Georgia and 29 NATO Allies to decide when that will happen. No other country, including Russia, has any right to interfere in such a process, he said, noting that the country would not be forced to choose between its territorial integrity and membership of NATO.

Ahead of the NATO-Georgia Commission meeting on October 3, Minister Izoria had a bilateral meeting with Jens Stoltenberg.

In Brussels, he also met with U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, discussing the countrys defense capabilities and interoperability with NATO. According to the Department of Defense, the sides agreed to continue deterring Russian aggression through U.S. security assistance, and support defense initiatives to develop long-term readiness and NATO interoperability.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday congratulated Barham Salih on his election and swearing-in as Iraqi president, Xinhua reports.

The secretary-general hopes the election of the president will pave the way for the swift formation of an inclusive government in line with constitutional timelines, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman of Guterres, in a statement.

Salih has nominated Shiite politician Adel Abdul-Mahdi as prime minister and tasked him with forming a new government.

Guterres looks forward to working closely with President Salih on all issues of common concern, said the statement.
The nationwide conference on the Macedonian naming issue will be held in Athens on October 21-23, the organizers told Sputnik on Wednesday adding that the Greeks from the whole world would discuss the Greek-Macedonian agreement on Macedonias name.

This will be a large meeting of the Greeks from whole Greece and the whole world. The Greeks from Russia will also arrive. The problems in the relations with Skopje at many levels will be discussed. The new data on the Prespa Agreement [on Macedonias naming issue] will be presented. Famous Greek lawyers have prepared a legal opinion. Historians will tell about the origins of the problem. The problem of splitting the church in Skopje, which wants to separate from the Serbian Church, will be raised, one of the organizers of the meeting said.

The nationwide conference will be held in the old parliaments building.

"All legal means of opposition to actions, that may threaten the national and sovereign rights of Greece, will be discussed," the organizing committee said.

Greece and Macedonia, officially known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), have been entangled in a naming dispute for years, with Athens opposing the use of "Macedonia," which is also the name of a region in Greece. The agreement on the new name for Macedonia  Republic of Northern Macedonia  was signed by Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov and his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias on June 17. If ratified, the agreement will allow the renamed Macedonia to join the European Union and NATO, since Greece will no longer be blocking the process.

On Sunday, Macedonia held a referendum on the issue. According to the State Election Commission, 91.46 percent of voters chose to rename the country, while 5.65 percent voted against the agreement. However, the turnout amounted to just 36.91 percent, meaning that the referendum failed to secure the 50-percent turnout needed to be valid.
Berlin-based digital bank N26 launched in Britain on Thursday and will open in the United States in the first quarter of next year, its Chief Executive told Reuters.

The bank, which offers a suite of mobile banking services, will bring on a handful of customers at first in October before opening accounts for some of its 50,000-strong waiting list in November, Chief Executive Valentin Stalf said in an interview.

Since its launch in 2015 N26 has grown to have 1.5 million customers across eighteen markets in Europe including its home base of Germany, and counts Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing and Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel among its backers.
Austrian Interior Minister Herbert Kickl and Danish Minister for Immigration Inger Stojberg have developed a plan to curb the influx of undocumented migrants coming to the European Union, Sputnik reported citing Kleine Zeitung.

According to the Kleine Zeitung newspaper, the plan, which was presented during the conference of the European Migration Network (EMN), envisages ensuring an effective control on the EU external borders. Austria and Denmark reportedly want to deport all migrants who have no right to stay in the European Union back to either their native country, a safe third-party or special migrant reception centers.

The plan also seeks to create better conditions in the countries of migrants' origin, prevent refugee deaths in the Mediterranean Sea, destroy the human trafficking business, strengthen solidarity between EU countries and the Schengen Areas member states, as well as resettle refugees after tackling illegal migration.

The plan was presented after in June, the European Council summit agreed on several aspects of the EU migration policy, including the establishment of "regional disembarkation platforms in close cooperation with relevant third countries" and controlled centers in the EU member states to process asylum applications. The resettlement or relocation of migrants across the bloc is expected to be done on a voluntary basis amid the lack of consensus.

European countries have been experiencing a severe migration crisis since 2015 due to the influx of thousands of migrants and refugees fleeing crises and poverty in the Middle East and North Africa.
Antonina Mahari, widow of writer Gurgen Mahari, died today in Yerevan at the age of 94.

Antonina Mahari, a Lithuanian by birth, authored the books, My Odyssey, Recollections and Recollections and Short Stories. She was a member of the Armenian Writers Union.

Hetq first visited Mrs. Mahari in her Yerevan home in 2010. She was living on a monthly pension of AMD 30,000 ($74).

Antonina Mahari (nee Povilaytinen), then a student at the Law Faculty, and Gurgen Mahari (Ajemian), first met in a Siberian prison camp.

She was arrested for belonging to an underground students group called Freedom for Lithuania. Gurgen Mahari had been arrested and charged for belonging to a terrorist organization that was plotting to kill Lavrentii Beria, Stalins notorious police chief.

She spent ten years in Siberia and Gurgen Mahari survived for seventeen. They were released together. They married in Siberia and then moved to Armenia.

Read more:

Antonina Mahari: "If I am not worthy of respect for who I am, then turn your gaze away"

Antonina Mahari: Like iron, I have been forged in the cauldron of many storms
German Chancellor Angela Merkel landed in Israel, beginning a two-day visit to the country, The Jerusalem Post reports.



The government-to-government meeting that was postponed for nearly a year and a half because of disagreements over Israels settlement policies and approach to the Palestinians, will finally occur.

Merkel is set to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for dinner and then will have a busy schedule ahead of her.



Her trip will include a visit to to Yad Vashem Musuem, the Israel Musuem and lunch with President Reuven Rivlin. Merkel will continue to have bilateral meetings throughout Thursday.



Merkel could have continued to postpone the meeting, but has chosen not. Political meetings of this nature demonstrate significant symbolism - to show two countries relationships are particularly close.

Among the most pressing issues that should be addressed at Thursdays meetings, is how Israel can ensure this sentiment outlasts Merkels tenure as Germanys chancellor.
Two Americans and a Briton won the 2018 Nobel Prize for Chemistry on Wednesday for harnessing the power of evolution to generate novel proteins used in everything from environmentally friendly detergents to cancer drugs, Reuters reports .

The fruits of this work include the worlds top-selling prescription medicine  the antibody injection Humira sold by AbbVie for treating rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.

Frances Arnold of the California Institute of Technology, George Smith from the University of Missouri and Gregory Winter of Britains MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology were awarded the prize for pioneering science in enzymes and antibodies.

Arnold, only the fifth woman to win a chemistry Nobel, was awarded half of the nine million Swedish crown ($1 million) prize while Smith and Winter shared the other half.

Some people breed cats and dogs. I breed molecules, Arnold told Reuters after learning of the award, which she said had come as a complete surprise.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said Arnold had transformed science by using the principles of evolution  genetic change and selection  and to evolve new types of proteins very fast.

Arnold is the second woman to win a Nobel prize this year after Canadas Donna Strickland shared the physics award on Tuesday.

Her research on enzymes  proteins that catalyze chemical reactions  laid the bedrock for the development of better industrial chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

There are enzymes now in detergents that we use in our dishwasher and have been evolved by this process. There are also enzymes that can create new types of biofuels or that catalyze the formation of building blocks for new medicines, said chairman of the Nobel chemistry committee Claes Gustafsson.

All this you can do with enzymes that Frances Arnold has developed.

Smith developed a method using a virus that infects bacteria to produce new proteins while Winter used the same phage display technique to engineer the evolution of antibodies, with the aim of producing more effective medicines.

Humira, or adalimumab, was the first drug based on Winters work to win regulatory approval in 2002. It has since gone on to become a blockbuster, with sales last year of $18 billion.

With this medicine, far fewer people with rheumatoid arthritis are forced to use a wheelchair, said immunologist Dan Davies of the University of Manchester.

Other antibody drugs at the cutting edge of medicine use the same technology, including a number of treatments that have proved highly effective against cancer.

Winter said he was surprised by the huge commercial success of antibody drugs, which he put down in large part to the high prices that drug companies have managed to charge for them.

I had no idea they would be so commercially successful ... it was a complete paradigm shift, he told reporters in a conference call. Antibodies as a pharmaceutical product are still growing great guns.

The prizes for achievements in science, literature and peace were created and funded in the will of Swedish dynamite inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel and have been awarded since 1901.

For the first time in decades, the Nobel line-up did not feature a literature award after a rift within the Swedish Academy over a rape scandal involving the husband of a board member left it unable to select a winner.

The science and peace prizes are selected by other bodies. Chemistry is the third of this years Nobel Prizes after the winners of the medicine and physics awards were announced earlier this week.
Lithuanian Defense Ministry will develop 3 new military territories as part of broader military infrastructure modernization efforts, announced the country's Defense Ministry on Thursday, Xinhua reported.

Three military facilities with necessary infrastructure for three battalion-sized units of Lithuanian Armed Forces are to be built in Western, Northern and Eastern part of the country "over the next several years", according to an announcement from the ministry.

The ministry says the implementation of the project marks "a completely new stage" of the development of the Lithuanian Army's infrastructure.

"At the moment, all of our armed forces units are based in former military territories and buildings, the majority of which have been left behind by the Soviet Army," the vice minister of defense Giedrimas Jeglinskas was quoted as saying in the announcement.

The size of the project will amount to around 90 million euros. The construction of 3 military territories will the first military project based on public and private partnership (PPP).

The ministry hopes that PPP method would ensure that the project will meet its quality, time and costs targets.

"We can only achieve it if we stimulate competition among both, contractors and investors," said Jeglinskas.

In 2018, Lithuania's defense expenditures are 873 million euros, or 2.01 percent of the country's GDP.

Lithuania, a small Baltic State with a population of less than 3 million and the Eastern-flank member country of NATO, has increased its defense spending and stepped up military in recent years.
Afghan security forces have defused 60 landmines and killed four militants from the Taliban movement in the country's western Herat province, Sputnik reported citing Pajhwok news agency.

The landmines were found in a Taliban arms depot in Herat's Shindand district, according to the Pajhwok news agency.

The killed militants were experts in making and planting explosive devices, the agency reported.

Afghanistan has long been suffering from an unstable political, social and security situation due to simmering Taliban insurgency. The violence is exacerbated by the activities of various terrorist groups, including Daesh. In August, the Taliban rejected Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's offer for a three-month ceasefire.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will make an official visit to India on October 4-5, the Kremlin press service said, TASS reports.

Putin will hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi where they plan to discuss the key aspects of further development of Russian-Indian strategic partnership, exchange opinions on pressing international and regional matters. After the talks, Putin and Modi are expected to sign a number of bilateral documents.

The Russian president is also scheduled to meet with India's President Ram Nath Kovind, as well as to attend the Russian-Indian business forum.

The two sides are expected to sign a contract on delivering Russia's S-400 Triumf missile systems to India. The deal will be worth over $5 billion.
Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev has held a meeting with Japanese National Security Advisor Shotaro Yachi in Tokyo, the Russian Security Council said in a statement, TASS reports.

"Patrushev and Yachi exchanged views on Russian-Japanese cooperation in the security field and strengthening trust between the two countries," the statement reads.

"Particular attention was paid to the military and political situation in the Asia-Pacific Region," the Russian Security Council added.

The two top security officials also expressed determination to boost dialogue between the foreign and defense ministries of Russia and Japan, as well as between their security councils.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Turkey and Qatar will hold political consultations on October 4 during the Qatari Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmed Hassan Al-Hamadi's visit to Turkey, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a message.

Al-Hamadi will meet with his Turkish counterpart Sedat Onal. A number of issues will be discussed during the meeting including the expected visit of the Qatari Emir to Turkey.

Qatar currently ranks 19th among countries that have made direct investments in Turkish economy.

Foreign investment in the Turkish economy amounts to $4.108 billion. Qatari investments in the Turkish economy reach $541 million.

About 68 percent of foreign direct investments in the Turkish economy comes from European countries. Spain ranks first among European countries that have made direct investments in the Turkish economy.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by telephone on Wednesday about boosting economic development in Mexico and Central America in order to stem illegal migration, Reuters reports.

The phone call came after Mexico, the United States and Canada agreed on a new trilateral trade deal late Sunday, which Lopez Obrador hailed as a good accord that would create economic certainty and encourage investment.

The two leaders also discussed a next step, agreeing on investment among Mexico, Canada and the United States to aid development in Central America and Mexico to tackle the migration phenomenon, said Lopez Obrador, who takes office on Dec. 1.

He looks favorably on it, the leftist Lopez Obrador told reporters at the Mexico City airport, referring to Trump.

The Mexican president-elect added that representatives of his incoming government would travel to the United States in the next few days, including the foreign minister-designate, Marcelo Ebrard.

It was a great call, Trump tweeted, with Lopez Obrador, adding that we will work well together!

The White House said in a statement that Trump and Lopez Obrador discussed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and expressed their pleasure with the agreement and noted it would make the region stronger and more competitive.

Lopez Obrador said a plan was being put together for development projects across the country. They ranged from a new oil refinery to a train connecting parts of southern and eastern Mexico that his team has discussed.

The projects belonged to a general development plan that would require more than $30 billion in total investments, he said. It was not clear how much would be divided between public and private investors, or between countries.

Before the July election, Lopez Obrador said he wanted to reach a deal with Trump to prioritize development in Mexicos poorer south and in Central America to stem illegal immigration, which has caused tensions between Washington and Mexico.

Trump provoked widespread outrage in Mexico when he described Mexican migrants as rapists and drug-runners during his own election campaign. He also pledged to build a southern border wall to stop migrants, saying Mexico would pay for it.

Lopez Obrador has shied away from addressing the wall to avoid clashing with Trump. He said in the run-up to the Mexican election, however, that U.S. money would be better spent on aiding development south of the border than on a wall.

Lopez Obrador said U.S. Vice President Mike Pence would attend his inauguration, not Trump.
A U.S. soldier was killed in fighting in Afghanistan, a senior U.S. general said on Thursday, bringing the American combat death toll this year to seven service members, Reuters reported.

U.S. General Joseph Votel, speaking to Pentagon reporters in Washington, declined to offer details, citing the need to notify the soldiers family. The Pentagon says there are about 14,000 U.S. service members in Afghanistan. More than 2,400 U.S. forces have died in the 17-year-old war, Americas longest conflict.

The U.S. militarys mission is focused mainly on guiding and aiding Afghan forces battling the Taliban, which was ousted from power in 2001.

President Donald Trump has expressed scepticism about Americas involvement in the war. Critics warn his military cannot promise to defeat the Taliban anytime soon or overcome Afghanistans vast political divisions and entrenched corruption.

Although Trump administration officials emphasize efforts to broker a peace agreement with the Taliban, many U.S. officials are not sure a meaningful deal can be reached as long as the Taliban believe they are in a relative position of strength.

U.S.-backed Afghan forces, meanwhile, have sustained heavy losses fighting the Taliban. Votel said he believed the number of Afghan military casualties had risen this year against last year, despite increasing U.S. support under Trump.

It is my understanding that it (the number of Afghan casualties) is increasing, Votel said.

Votel compared of the Afghan force to a soldier with a bloody nose, who was still standing and fighting.

Thats exactly what theyre doing right now. So they are able to sustain this, he said.
White House National Security Adviser John Bolton told reporters Thursday that US President Donald Trump has approved a new US counterterrorism strategy much broader than any previously established, Sputnik reported.

"President Trump has approved a new strategy which is the nation's first robust, fully articulated counterterrorism strategy since 2011," Bolton said, before indicating that the new strategy would include isolating terrorist from their supporters, protecting US infrastructure and countering terrorist recruitment and radicalization.

"Working with foreign governments, we will encourage burden sharing with capable partners so they can play a larger role in counterterrorism efforts," the official added.

A White House release indicates that the new six-pronged approach will focus on: Pursuing terrorists to their source; Isolating terrorists from their sources of support; Modernizing and integrating the United States counterterrorism tools; Protecting American infrastructure and enhancing resilience; Countering terrorist radicalization and recruitment; and Strengthening the counterterrorism abilities of our international partners.

The adviser later took a turn and began talking about Iran and China with reporters. In regards to Tehran, he accused Iran of being the "world's central banker for international terrorism since 1979." He added that "radical Islamist terrorist groups represent the pre-eminent transnational terrorist threat to the United States and to the United States' interests abroad."

Bolton was also quoted by reporters as saying that climate change is not the cause of international terrorism and how the stance being taken by the Trump administration is much different from previous US administrations. "This is not the Obama administration," he said.
To share with friends and brethren The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (the Everlasting Gospel), and to prepare a people to stand when He returns to redeem His remnant. Also, to share relevant information of current events, and to show how they relate to prophecy; By means of articles, editorials, opinions, scripture readings, and poetry.

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Endrtimes does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article/video posted on this site. The information provided here is done so for personal edification; It's up to the reader to separate truth from error, and to examine everything (like the Bereans) from a Biblical perspective. Let the Holy Scriptures be you guide! - - - FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages/videos may contain copyrighted () material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, POLITICAL, HUMAN RIGHTS, economic, DEMOCRACY, scientific, MORAL, ETHICAL, and SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 4, 2018 - 11:45 | All, World

The United States should hold off on its demand for an inventory of North Korea's weapons programs and agree to an end-of-war declaration in return for a verified dismantlement of the North's main nuclear complex, according to South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung Wha.

Kang referred to the proposed bargain in an interview with the Washington Post ahead of a trip to Pyongyang by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday for denuclearization talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"What North Korea has indicated is they will permanently dismantle their nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, which is a very big part of their nuclear program," Kang said in the interview carried in the paper's online edition Wednesday.

"If they do that in return for America's corresponding measures, such as the end-of-war declaration, I think that's a huge step forward for denuclearization," she told the paper at the South Korean mission to the United Nations in New York.

Kang was referring to a willingness Kim expressed in a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae In last month in Pyongyang to permanently dismantle the nuclear complex in Yongbyon if the United States takes "corresponding measures."

The Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, meaning U.S.-led United Nations forces, including South Korea, are technically still at war with North Korea.

The paper said Kang's proposal will be one of the options available to Pompeo when he meets Kim to jump-start stalled denuclearization negotiations, as well as to prepare for a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and the North's leader.

Stressing the importance of stopping the further production of nuclear materials at the Yongbyon complex, Kang said, "We will have to see an inventory at some point, but that some point can be reached more expeditiously by action and corresponding measures that give the two sides sufficient trust."

North Korea has insisted it first wants a declaration on ending the 1950-1953 conflict as a way of building trust and guaranteeing its security.

Kang dismissed concern that an end-of-war declaration would lead to the withdrawal of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, saying it would be a purely "political" document and "not a legally binding treaty."

Earlier Wednesday, Pompeo sounded an upbeat tone on the progress anticipated from his upcoming trip to North Korea toward denuclearization of the country.

The top U.S. diplomat said his trip will be "another chance to continue to advance the commitment" that Trump and Kim made at their historic summit in Singapore in June.

"I'm optimistic that we'll come away from that with better understandings, deeper progress and a plan forward not only for the (next) summit between the two leaders, but for us to continue the efforts to build out a pathway for denuclearization," he said at a news conference.

Pompeo also reiterated that U.N. sanctions on North Korea "continue to remain in place" until it denuclearizes.

Trump said last week that he will hold a second meeting with Kim "in the not-too-distant future," with speculation growing that it will take place possibly in November in locations such as Vienna, Geneva or the truce village of Panmunjeom.

==Kyodo
KYODO NEWS - Oct 4, 2018 - 11:49 | All, World, Japan

The office of San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Wednesday it is "unfortunate" that Osaka city has decided to terminate a sister-city relationship over a statue symbolizing Asian "comfort women" forced into wartime brothels for the Japanese military.

"It is unfortunate that (Osaka) Mayor (Hirofumi) Yoshimura no longer wishes to maintain ties between the governments of San Francisco and Osaka," Jeff Cretan, communications director for Breed, said in a statement.

The San Francisco mayor's office received Tuesday a 10-page letter from Yoshimura giving notification of the termination before what would have been the 61st anniversary of the sister-city relationship.

"We will remain sister cities via the people-to-people ties maintained by our San Francisco-Osaka Sister City Committee and their counterparts in Osaka," Cretan said.

Breed's predecessor Edwin Lee, who died of a heart attack last December, accepted weeks before his death the Women's Column of Strength statue in San Francisco's Chinatown, which depicts three girls -- Chinese, Korean and Filipino, respectively -- holding hands.

The memorial established in September last year by a local private organization and donated to the San Francisco government pays tribute to women and girls forced to work in brothels for the Japanese military before and during World War II.

Yoshimura said in the letter it was "solemnly disappointing" when Lee signed a document formalizing the city's acceptance of the statue in November last year.

The decision was made despite the Osaka mayor's repeated requests not to accept the memorial. Yoshimura had said the statue's inscription bore uncertain and "one-sided" claims about the extent of the Japanese military's involvement in the brothels and the degree of the damage inflicted.

In December, Yoshimura announced his decision to dissolve the ties between the two cities, but postponed formalizing the termination after the unexpected death of Lee. The western Japan city had asked about the new San Francisco mayor's policy on the statue and requested a reply by the end of September.

The notification was sent as Breed had made no response by the deadline, according to the Osaka city government.

In September, the organization that set up the statue celebrated the first anniversary of its establishment, with citizens of Osaka among those in attendance.

Since the San Francisco Board of Supervisors drafted a resolution to build a monument for comfort women in August 2015, Yoshimura and his predecessor Toru Hashimoto have sent nearly 10 letters to the U.S. city denouncing the memorial.

San Francisco is the first major U.S. city to install a memorial dedicated to comfort women. Across the country, similar statues have been erected in the Southern California city of Glendale, Brookhaven in Georgia and Fairfax County in Virginia among other locations.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 4, 2018 - 07:27 | Urgent, All, World

A Peruvian court on Wednesday reversed the pardon of former President Alberto Fujimori and ordered him back to jail.

The decision came after the Peruvian government last December pardoned Fujimori on medical grounds, releasing him less than halfway through a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses.

(Alberto Fujimori)

According to local media, Fujimori's lawyers will appeal the decision.

Fujimori, who was born in Peru to Japanese immigrants, was elected president in 1990. He was lauded for rebuilding the economy and suppressing leftist guerrilla uprisings.

He also led an armed operation to free hostages from the Tupac Amaru insurgency during a siege of the Japanese ambassador's official residence in Lima in 1996-1997.

In 2000, Fujimori fled to Japan, following a corruption allegation against his aide and was later dismissed as president by the Congress.

After traveling to Chile in 2005, he was extradited to Peru two years later and convicted of involvement in human rights atrocities that claimed the lives of civilians.
Heavy rains caused water-logging, landslips and disruption of train service in southern parts of Kerala on Sunday
My names Will Capers. For almost nine years, Ive blogged on various topics. I blogged as Blaque Ink first, and as Brotha Wolf second. The latter had a mu...

2 years ago
New Delhi :India and Russia are expected to ink about 20 agreements in areas ranging from defense, nuclear energy, space and economy during Russian President Vladimir Putins two-day visit to India which will start from Thursday. President Putin is programmed to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

One of the anticipated upshots will be the joint India-Russia counter-terrorism exercise, Indra-2018.It is set to be held from November 18 to 28. On Tuesday, Putins top foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov had confirmed that the Russian President will watch over the signing of the S-400 air defense systems deal. Worth mention here this was the first official confirmation from the Russian government at the highest level of the deal. The pact is worth more than $5 billion.

71 year old Ushakov is an experienced diplomat. He was appointed Putins aide in 2012 and was Russias ambassador to the US for 10 years from 1998.

Talking about The S-400 deal has been landed in a diplomatic outrage between the United States and Russia. On a related note Washington threatened New Delhi and other partners that it sanctions if their defense deals with Russia go through.

Ushakov told reporters in the capital city Moscow that Russia and India plan to sign more than 20 documents at the end of the summit.
Hanoi promotes IT in residence management

Hanoi is working on gradually digitising the household registration books of over 7.6 million residents, a move to simplify administrative procedures related to residence management.









Each citizen will be issued with a new identity card and a 12-digit NI number, which incorporates all basic personal information, some of which is currently recorded in household registration books. (Photo: baophatluat.vn)



Citizens will be managed solely through their identification numbers on a new online national database. Personal transactions will be performed solely through the national identification (NI) number and all changes to personal information will be updated on the national database and recorded alongside each persons NI number.



Each citizen will be issued with a new identity card and a 12-digit NI number, which incorporates all basic personal information, some of which is currently recorded in household registration books.



The new ID card will include information such as name, place of birth, fingerprints, permanent address, marital status, and all data relating to births, deaths, number of children and criminal convictions.



Three districts including Hai Ba Trung, Nam Tu Liem and Long Bien have implemented e-citizen databases.



The remaining 27 urban districts, wards and communes in the city are reviewing existing household registration books to prepare for the digitisation process.



Hanoi is also applying information technology widely in the registration and management of citizens information.



Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Justice Pham Thanh Cao said that one of the highlights in the implementation of Civil Law in the city was Hanois focus on the application of information technology in the registration and management of civil status.



This has helped make it more convenient for citizens to deal with administrative procedures, reduce inefficiency and create favourable conditions for civil servants to perform their duties, he said at a conference to review the three-year implementation of the Law on Civil Status held by the Hanoi Peoples Committee on Thursday.



At present, all commune-level agencies in Hanoi have adopted online birth registration systems, Cao said.



In the first nine months of this year, over 260,000 records related to residence books were moved online.



Locals in the capital city can access administrative procedures online, including registering a birth, death or marriage, and certifying copied documents in Vietnamese.



The move was considered a breakthrough in Hanois administrative reform towards a simplified and transparent administration, said Cao.



However, the registration and management of civil status in the locality also revealed some inadequacies.



At the conference, the justice deputy director also proposed amendments and supplements to the regulations in the Law on Civil Status in order to improve efficiency of the implementation of the civil status legislation.-VNA






A single bone artefact found in a Moroccan cave is the oldest well-dated specialized bone tool associated with the Aterian culture of the Middle Stone Age, according to a study released October 3, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Abdeljalil Bouzouggar of the Institut National des Sciences de l'Archeologie et du Patrimoine in Morocco and colleagues. The make and manufacture of the tool are distinct from similarly-aged sub-Saharan artefacts, suggesting a unique technological industry in North Africa.

The tool was recovered in 2012 from Dar-es Soltan 1 cave, located about 260km inland from the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Upon close examination, Bouzouggar and colleagues were able to identify the origins of the bone as a large mammal rib with evidence of having been shaped and sharpened into a 122mm-long knife through a complex series of modifications. The layer containing the bone knife has been dated to approximately 90,000 years ago, approximately 55,000 years after the first appearance of the Aterian culture.

This tool and the technology used to create it are distinct from bone tools of similar age in southern Africa but similar to two tools known from the El Mnasra cave site in Morocco which is also of similar age, suggesting a unique North African Aterian bone technology. Specialized bone tools are considered a sign of cognitive complexity but have been poorly-understood with the Aterian technological complex, so this finding represents a new insight into the development of modern human cognition. The authors also suggest that this new technology may have come about in response to changing resources around 90,000 years ago but note that more study will be required to support this.

Silvia Bello, a co-author, adds: "Aterians were capable of a complex and controlled sequence of actions involved in the manufacture of specialised bone knives. Such distinctive bone technology implies the emergence of an independent modern techno-complex unique to the north Africa around 100,000 years ago."

###

In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0202021

Citation: Bouzouggar A, Humphrey LT, Barton N, Parfitt SA, Clark Balzan L, Schwenninger J-L, et al. (2018) 90,000 year-old specialised bone technology in the Aterian Middle Stone Age of North Africa. PLoS ONE 13(10): e0202021. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202021

Funding: Excavations at Dar es-Soltan were supported by Institut National des Sciences de l'Archeologie et du Patrimloine, Rabat, Morocco, University of Oxford (Fell Fund) and Calleva Foundation. The study of the bone tool was supported by the Calleva Foundation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
The Pharmacy Gallery and Art Space 623 E. Adams St., Springfield Downtown

Free

Art & Architecture

Pharmacy member artists will be working in the gallery on Second Saturday Open Studio. This is a wonderful opportunity to stop into the gallery to watch them at work, ask questions and learn about their process as well as to see the exhibit, "Tranquility in Flight," that is on display. Every second Saturday until further notice. Masks are required and social distancing is easily followed in our large gallery space. Free and open to the public. 801-810-9278
Huawei Honor has been receiving a lot of praise lately due to the immense success of their smartphones. Their smartphones have good specifications, are reasonably priced, but have a beautiful premium look. Last years Honor 7X was a big hit in the market and was perhaps the go-to phone for the $300+/- range. Now that the 8X is out, expectations are high, has Honor done enough? Lets find out.

The Design

The design looks refreshing, to say the least. The phone has a glass back which has different textures for the left and right side. The rear glass panel lefts light and both the left and right side reflect it in a different way. The transition between the two different types of reflections looks nice.

The reflective glass back is then met with a vibrant color scheme that makes it one of the most beautiful smartphones out there. The body of the phone is 7.8mm thick and the edges are rounded for in-hand comfort. The design, when looking at it as a whole is not that different from other Honor phones. However, the multi-textured glass back makes it look much prettier than its siblings.

The phone comes with a dual-camera setup. Like many other Huawei and Honor phones, the dual cameras go on the left side of the phone vertically. However, unlike many phones where the fingerprint scanner is directly below the cameras, the fingerprint sensor is to the middle of the phone. The sensor is in a good place where your finger can easily reach without a problem. Moreover, you can feel for it as well without fear of smudging your camera.

To top it all off, the phone has a Micro-USB port and a headphone jack. Its slightly disappointing that given that its 2018, some phones are still coming with micro-USB charging ports instead of type-C. A lot of companies have now made the switch due to the latter being much faster. However, given that the Honor 8X is a budget-friendly smartphone, that can be forgiven.

The headphone jack is still there, which is nice. Many companies have now started removing the headphone jack due to various reasons. Although a lot of people now use Bluetooth options, there are still a lot of people who use wired earphones as well. Bluetooth can never beat the sound quality of wired earphones, so its nice to see the jack still there on the Honor 8X.

Screen and Display

The phone has a nice glass back, but what about the front? Were looking at a 6.5-inch screen, with a 2,340 x 1,080 resolution phone. It features an IPS panel and the chin of the phone is slightly larger than the other three bezels. The body of the phone is also long. All of this combined makes the phones screen-to-body ratio higher than the OnePlus 6 and even the Galaxy Note 9, which is impressive, to say the least.

As for the display itself, its a nice looking display. If you look at the display straight after taking it out of the box, do not be fooled. The Honor 8X has a TUV Rheinland-certified eye comfort mode which applies a filter to the display and makes the display look substantially worse than what it actually is. The mode is activated by default out of the box, so be sure to disable it by going to settings.

Theres more to the display as well. Theres a video enhancement mode that increases the contrast and overall improves the quality of the display when youre watching a video. The display also has what is known as glare minimization which makes the display clear even under sunlight. Its very hard to use a phone under bright sunlight and you often need to turn up the brightness in order to see anything.

Glare minimization is a great feature that lets you see the screen without doing too much. Overall, the screen the display is good enough for the price point and also large enough to fit the hands of almost everyone.

Hardware and Performance

The Honor X comes with the new octa-core Kirin 710 chipset alongside 4 GB of ram. The phone is able to deliver smooth performance and can do just about any task you throw at it. The performance of the phone really goes to show just how blurry the line between budget and premium smartphone gets every passing day. A few years ago, you couldnt have imagined a buttery smooth performance from a phone as cheap as the Honor 8X.

To put things into numbers, the new processor inside the phone is 75% faster than previous generation processors. Performance-wise, its good but what about gaming? Smartphone gaming is something thats been on the rise for a few years now. With games like PUBG mobile and Fortnite making their way to phones, the phones specs are put to the real test.

Before, whenever a company would decide to put in a large amount of RAM into their phones, that was primarily done to attract those who look at spec sheets. However, now these specs become absolutely necessary due to the kind of apps and games that are available. The good news is, the phone handles games well. It also comes with the revolutionary GPU Turbo technology.

GPU Turbo really makes a difference and you can tell when you play games such as PUBG mobile or Fortnite on the phone. The turbo tech makes the phones GPU 130 percent better than the last generation which makes the phone really good for gaming.

Battery and Memory

The phone has a decent hardware lineup, which is capable of providing smooth and reliable performance. Such specs require a decent battery in order to make the phone durable. Huawei has done exactly that and has given the phone a large 3750 mAh battery.

The battery works well with the processor and GPU to ensure that the user gets decent battery life. On an average day, the phone can churn out 5-6 hours of screen time which is good for a phone at its price point. Of course, there are phones with much better batteries out there. However, considering the price of the Honor 8X, you cant really get much better down there.

As far as memory is concerned, the Honor 8X comes with 128 GB of internal memory. If thats not enough for you, then expandable storage is also an option as the phone supports a micro-SD card up to 400 GB. Overall, the phone delivers on the battery and has decent enough memory to last you a long time.

Camera

Perhaps the most important thing to look out for in a smartphone, the Honor 8X has a great camera setup for its price point. It features a dual 20MP+2MP rear camera and 16 MP front-facing cameras. The camera, for the most part, is really good. In good lighting, the camera makes you forget that youre holding a phone thats a 3rd of the price of an iPhone XS.

The dual camera setup means that portrait mode is also available. However, the real star of the camera would perhaps be the A.I and other camera modes. Huaweis continued persistence on using AI technology has resulted in some really good camera results. We saw how well the AI camera worked with the P20 Pro, and although the 8X isnt up to that level, its still really good.

The AI camera can process more than 500 different scenes in real-time which are categorized in 22 different categories. Color enhancement is good and the HDR mode makes the photos look really nice. The bokeh mode is amazing. It accurately recognizes edges and blurs the background around them making an ordinary photo look amazing. There are other modes as well such as a 3D portrait mode, slow-mo video, and an Augmented Reality mode too. However, the winner is the A.I mode.

The AI technology in the device optimizes and adjusts the camera quality depending on the scene. The night mode is also present, which we first saw in the P20 Pro. It eliminates the blurring of photos when taking night shots and comes up with an impressive photo. As already mentioned, its not as impressive as the P20 Pro, but for less than half the price, what more do you want?

Other Features

The phone has everything youd need from a smartphone. A fingerprint sensor in the correct place, good performance, a decent camera, can it offer more? In fact, it does. The phone runs on the smart user interface EMUI 8.2 which helps keep the system running smoothly. It also brings features like facial recognition in dim light and fun augmented reality (AR).

The eye comfort mode is perhaps the best one out of them all. As mentioned above, the eye comfort mode has Rheinland certification. The certification is basically equivalent to an IP certification for waterproofing. The eye comfort mode is great for people wanting to lessen the strain on their eyes, especially during the night.

The phone also has NFC which means you can make payments through your phone using options such as Google Pay. However, it seems that NFC is limited to certain regions to make sure to check before buying if you really want the phone to have the feature.

Conclusion

Is the Honor 8X a reasonable upgrade from last year? Does it live up to its expectations? The answer to both of these questions is a resounding yes. The mid-range market is on fire currently, with phones like the Honor 8X making it hard to distinguish between mid-range and premium devices every day.

The phone looks and performs like a high-end device and it is one. However, the price says otherwise. With that said, there are a few shortcomings of the phone which are understandable. Otherwise, Huawei couldnt have reduced the price to as low as it has done. Overall, the phone is a winner and is available for just under the $330 mark.
Its tough to click on anything other than the $300 option when you are booking a round-trip flight to Paris, especially when there are $900 options down the page.

But its also tough to see a tweet that says AIRLINE CEASES OPERATIONS, and realize that you now have a one-way ticket instead of a round-trip.

This is the downside of low-cost airlines, which have flooded the market with prices that seem too good to be true. But does that potential downside  that your airline will literally not exist anymore  outweigh the hundreds or thousands of dollars you can save by using them? Its a tricky calculation for anyone to make.

A charter jet for Primera Air taxis at Newark Liberty International Airport, Wednesday, May 2, 2018, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

You may not have heard of Primera Air. Until it announced this week without warning that it was bankrupt and finished, it was a small Danish 15-plane airline based in Copenhagen and Riga, Latvia that launched in 2003 under the name JetX.

On Oct. 1 Primeras website announced that operations have been suspended as of today, and on this sad day we are saying Goodbye to all of you (sic). Kindly understand that the usual options for contacts (via email or phone) can not be offered any longer, they add.

The immediate termination of services has stranded passengers all over the world.

@primeraair just cancelled all operations without telling us (we have a flight home to Boston in 2 days), and without apparently making any arrangements for stranded passengers to get home. Bravo, Primera, tweeted one unfortunate traveler. When a media outlet replied asking for an interview, the man tweeted: Thank you for the offer, but Im going to try to enjoy the rest of my honeymoon.

Story continues

So it looks like Primera Air has gone bankrupt, which means my eldest daughter and her new husband are stuck in Paris trying to get home to Toronto from their honeymoon. Anyone know if @AirCanada or anyone else is doing anything to help stranded passengers?  Mathew Ingram (@mathewi) October 1, 2018

One Primera flight attendant begged British Airways in a tweet for help, after she was left stranded in Toronto by the airline. Scores of other stories from unfortunate travelers have emerged as they look at other flight options, some of which cost thousands.

Behind Primeras troubles, according to the BBC, was the failure to secure long-term financing, which followed issues with delayed orders for Airbus aircraft. The airline was attempting to scale and compete with other low-cost airlines Wow and Norwegian Air.

Adventures in the low-cost lifestyle

Ticket prices for low-cost airlines can be a third of what mainstream airlines charge, but the experience can make even the biggest bargain not worth the hassle.

I bought a Primera Air round-trip flight from New York-Newark to Paris-Charles de Gaulle for $348 when it popped up on Google Flights just before Labor Day. I had never heard of them, but their bare-bones service had a not-great-but-it-works review with The Points Guy.

At the typical price, which is often around $600 (at off-peak times) to more than $1,000 during the summer and holidays, an international trip like this is essentially restricted to a formal undertaking that requires planning and a duration long enough to justify the cost. But with a $348 flight, the prospect of a long weekend was on the table. Worth a try, right?

Two weeks after I booked, I received an email from irregularity@primeraair.com informing me that due to operational reasons my flights were canceled. I was given options to get a refund or rebook on a different flight with them or another carrier. I asked for and was given a refund a few days later, but was left with no flights.

I went back to Google Flights and found good news. Flights could be found for as low as $292! I booked it, using separate one-way trips with Primera and Level, Iberias low-cost brand.

Two weeks later, I saw on Twitter  not from the airline  that the company is kaput.

Some travelers in this position have recourse more than others. Consumers who bought their flights with a credit card can dispute charges and attempt to get the money back that way, which is what I did, successfully. Travel insurance that comes with many credit cards  check your terms and conditions  may cover you as well. Some debit card providers may also protect users.

For travelers that dont carry any insurance through their cards, they may be stuck with little recourse beyond the IATAs rescue fares, a program set up in 2014 in which solvent airlines offer affordable rides home to travelers left stranded by financially ruined airlines.

But even if you get the refund, youll be stuck without a flight. I closed the loop by buying a ticket for $245 on Norwegian, bringing my total cost to $378 (including the 115 euro Level flight).

As I should have expected, my low-cost adventure was not finished. The following day, I got an email saying my Level flight was also annule for raisons operationnelles. Thats French for you are not going to Paris.

I never got any more information about the operational reasons, but if Primeras struggles are any indication, low-cost airlines with small fleets may have difficulty finding replacement planes if deliveries are delayed or if repairs hold up operations.

I got a refund and tried to book another flight over, but couldnt find one in my price range so I was stuck with the one-way trip back from Paris the day before. However, U.S. law provides that even flights with no cancellations allowed can in fact be canceled within 24 hours of buying. It was 1:50 p.m., and I had bought my ticket at 2:10 p.m. the day before. I had 20 minutes.

Unfortunately, part of what makes a low-cost airline low-cost is that they dont have hundreds of customer service reps answering calls, so a 50-minute hold time is nothing unusual. When I finally got a human, he told me they would honor the time the call was initiated. I had my refund.

After three airlines, two flights canceled by the carrier for operational reasons, a disputed charge, and a bankruptcy, I was back where I started. No trip to Paris.

This is bad, but its not the norm

This is not a typical experience, of course, and my experiences on Iceland Air, Wow, and Norwegian have generally been fine, though I have had multiple instances of getting emails notifying me that my flights have changed in some material way.

For flights that you simply must make, like business travel or inflexible vacation plans, it may make sense to spend a little more for the big airline with solid financials and a long track record.

But if you have flexibility or wouldnt otherwise fly somewhere without a deal, low-cost airlines can save you a significant amount of money. For all the irritation over cancellations and delays, its hard to avoid the allure of transatlantic flights in the $300 range for most of the year, and in the $500 range in the summer, a time when flights routinely top $1,000.

Since youll almost certainly arrive at your destination without a problem, have a normal seat size on the way, and a generally unremarkable experience, I am one of the many travelers who thinks its worth it.

So I logged back onto Google Flights and searched my Paris dates: $380 with Norwegian, direct, round-trip, on a Boeing 777. I bought it.

Of course, its being operated by EuroAtlantic airlines, a Portuguese-based airline with a fleet of nine planes. So perhaps the adventure is to be continued.



Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance focusing on consumer issues, retail, personal finance, and more. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann.

Consumers are one step closer to larger airline seats and safer pets
Canadas largest carrier said it plans to fold the more than five million Aeroplan accounts into an in-house rewards system set to launch in 2020.

Lost value is the top concern among Aeroplan members following the Air Canada-led (AC.TO) deal to acquire the loyalty program from Aimia Inc. (AIM.TO), according to a new poll.

Air Canada teamed up with TD Bank (TD.TO), CIBC (CM.TO) and Visa Canada Corp. (V.N) to pay $450 million in cash for the program, and assume approximately $1.9-billion in associated liability, in a deal announced in August.

Canadas largest carrier said it plans to fold the more than five million Aeroplan accounts into an in-house rewards system set to launch in 2020.

The Angus Reid Institute found 59 per cent of respondents cited concerns about losing value when the Aeroplan points are converted to the new rewards framework.

Details about what the Air Canada purchase will mean for members remain somewhat unclear, the pollster wrote on its website on Monday. Questions remain about ensuring equal value for those points.

Among those surveyed, 49 per cent worry about maintaining the same number of points, and 42 per cent expect difficulty getting the flights they want. Thirty-nine per cent worry that they will only be able to book flights on Air Canada.

The anxiety is not expected to translate to action. Three-quarters of respondents said they are not changing their plans to cash in their rewards points. In fact, 57 per cent expect there will be little to no change after Air Canadas program is up and running.

Story continues

The agreement in principle between Aimia and the Air Canada-led consortium was the result of a dramatic series of offers and rejections between the two parties over the summer. At one point, Aimia announced a deal with Toronto-based Porter Airlines as its preferred carrier.

Despite the deal-making drama playing out in the headlines, Angus Reid found the Aeroplan saga did not grab much attention, ranking slightly ahead of Canada peacekeeping role in Mali and the net neutrality debate in terms of engagement.

Overall dissatisfaction with the Aeroplan program emerged as a key trend in the poll, with 53 per cent of those surveyed saying they are not content, and one-in-five (18 per cent) saying they are very dissatisfied.



Accumulation is apparently a source of frustration for members, as is redemption, the pollster wrote. Close to half of Aeroplan members say the are dissatisfied with how easy it is to do both.

Angus Reid said it questioned a randomized sample of 1,500 Canadian adults between Sept. 4 and Sept. 7 who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The institute notes a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times

out of 20.

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FILE PHOTO: Attendees at Amazon.com Inc annual cloud computing conference walk past the Amazon Web Services logo in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., November 30, 2017. REUTERS/Salvador Rodriguez/File Photo

(Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) denied a Bloomberg Businessweek report on Thursday that said their systems had been infiltrated by malicious computer chips inserted by Chinese intelligence agents.

Bloomberg cited 17 unidentified sources from intelligence agencies and business to support claims that Chinese spies had placed computer chips inside equipment used by about 30 companies and multiple U.S. government agencies, which would give Beijing secret access to internal networks.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a written request for comment. Beijing has previously denied allegations of orchestrating cyber attacks against Western companies.

Security experts who have worked for government agencies and large corporations told Reuters that they were surprised by the stark discrepancy between the claims in the Bloomberg article and the strongly worded denials from Apple and Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O) Amazon Web Services. Some said that certain allegations were plausible, but that the strong denials from companies cited in the piece left them with doubts about whether the attacks had happened.

"There is no truth" to claims in the story that Apple found malicious chips in its servers in 2015, the said in a statement. "This is untrue," Amazon said in a blog post.

Bloomberg defended its reporting.

"Seventeen individual sources, including government officials and insiders at the companies, confirmed the manipulation of hardware and other elements of the attacks," Bloomberg said in a statement. "We stand by our story and are confident in our reporting and sources."

The report said that a unit of the Chinese People's Liberation Army infiltrated the supply chain of computer hardware maker Super Micro Computer Inc (SMCI.PK) to plant malicious chips that could be used to steal corporate and government secrets.

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Super Micro Computer shares fell 38 percent to $13.26 in Pink Sheet trading.

San Jose, California-based Super Micro strongly denied that it sold servers to customers contained malicious microchips in the motherboards of those systems. It said it has never found any malicious chips, had not been informed that such chips were found by any customer, and never been contacted by government agencies on the matter.

Bloomberg reported that Amazon uncovered the malicious chips in 2015 when examining servers manufactured by a company known as Elemental Technologies which Amazon eventually acquired.

The investigation found that Elemental servers, which were assembled by Super Micro, were tainted with tiny microchips that were not part of their design, Bloomberg said. Amazon reported the matter to U.S. authorities, who determined that the chips allowed attackers to create "a stealth doorway" into networks using those servers, the story said.

AWS told Bloomberg it had reviewed its records related to the Elemental acquisition and "found no evidence to support claims of malicious chips or hardware modifications."

Bloomberg also reported that Apple in 2015 found malicious chips in servers it purchased from the hardware maker, citing three unidentified company insiders.

Apple denied the account, saying it had investigated Bloomberg's claims.

Representatives with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment. A U.S. National Security Agency spokeswoman said she had no immediate comment.

While the companies disputed the facts in the story, security experts noted that there is growing concern that hackers could launch cyber attacks by inserting malicious chips into hardware sold to government agencies and businesses.

"Extended, complex, global supply chains create a risk for malicious cyber activity that companies must take into account," said Michael Daniel, chief executive of the non-profit Cyber Threat Alliance.

(Reporting by Jack Stubbs in London; Sweta Singh in Bangalore; Christopher Bing in Washington; Joseph Menn in San Francisco; Kenneth Li in New York; Adam Jourdan in Beijing; writing by Jim Finkle; editing by Nick Zieminski and Grant McCool)
(Corrects to Canadian dollars in second and third paragraphs)

Oct 4 (Reuters) - Canadian Pacific Railway estimated third-quarter profit above Wall Street expectations.

Canada's second-largest railway network said on Thursday it expects to report an adjusted profit of C$4.10 per share for the third quarter.

Analysts on average were expecting adjusted profit of C$3.64 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

(Reporting by Laharee Chatterjee in Bengaluru)
By Teis Jensen

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danske Bank (DANSKE.CO) faces a criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice over a 200 billion euro ($230 billion) money laundering scandal involving its Estonian branch, increasing long-held investor fears.

Denmark's largest bank said on Thursday that it had "received requests for information from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in connection with a criminal investigation relating to the bank's Estonian branch".

The bank, which this week appointed Jesper Nielsen as interim chief executive to handle the crisis in the short term

after the resignation last month of Thomas Borgen, said it was cooperating with the U.S. authorities.

Shares in Danske Bank fell by three percent to 160 Danish crowns, their lowest level since January 2015 and a 33 percent decline so far this year, as its investors and customers digested the U.S. investigation and the bank's decision to halt a share buyback program to bolster its capital.

The mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen, said the Danish capital was looking into ending its cooperation with Danske Bank as a result of the unfolding scandal.

Shareholders have fretted for months over the possibility of U.S. authorities investigating whether Danske Bank broke U.S. rules in allowing payments through its Estonian operation because of the potential for significant penalties.

"We think a fine of $6 billion, unlikely in our view given no sanctions/terror violations have been uncovered as yet after investigating high-risk customers, is already reflected in the price," Jefferies analyst Kapilan Pillai said in a note.

France's BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA) reached a record $8.9 billion settlement with U.S. authorities in 2015 to resolve claims that it violated sanctions against Sudan, Cuba and Iran.

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Many of the non-resident accounts at Denmark's Estonian branch were held by entities or individuals in Russia, which is the subject of U.S. sanctions.

Banks doing business in Estonia handled more than $1 trillion in cross-border flows between 2008 and 2017, the country's central bank said on Wednesday.

Sweden's Swedbank (SWEDa.ST) said on Thursday there were "no ongoing investigations" into its anti-money laundering practices. Nordea (NDAFI.HE), the Nordic region's biggest bank, also said it is not under investigation over alleged money laundering in the Baltics.

WIDENING NET

In a sign of the impact criminal and regulatory investigations in Estonia, Denmark, Britain and now the United States are having on the lender, Danske Bank said it would end its share buybacks after reassessing its capital targets.

It had initially planned to buy shares back worth 10 billion Danish crowns ($1.5 billion) under the program, which should have run until February next year. It had repurchased shares worth 6.8 billion as of the end of last week.

This followed an assessment by Denmark's Financial Services Authority which said Danske Bank's compliance and reputational risks had risen. It did not mention the U.S. inquiry in a 12 page follow-up report published by Danske Bank.

The FSA said in May that Danske Bank's Pillar II capital requirements should rise by 5 billion Danish crowns but has now ordered it to double this to a minimum of 10 billion crowns.

The bank raised its CET1 capital ratio target to around 16 percent from a 14-15 percent target and its total capital ratio to be above 20 percent from an earlier target of above 19 percent.

By end of the second quarter the bank's CET1 ratio stood at 15.9 percent and its total capital ratio stood at 21.6 percent.

"It is a signal from our side that we would rather be on the safe side, rather than being seen on the other side, when it comes to capital," Morten Mosegaard, Danske Bank's interim chief financial officer and chief of staff told Reuters.

Last month the bank said in an internal report commissioned by Borgen that payments totaling 200 billion euros, many of which it described as "suspicious", had been moved through its Estonian branch between 2007 and 2015.

The findings of the report led to Borgen taking "ultimate responsibility", although he says he was cleared from a legal point of view, and prompted renewed action by regulators.

The Danish bank's board has asked Denmark's FSA to approve the appointment of its head of wealth management Jacob Aarup-Andersen as its new chief executive, Danish online media Finans reported, citing several unnamed sources.

The FSA is due to make a decision next week, Finans reported. The FSA and Danske Bank declined to comment.

Politicians in Europe are calling for stricter measures to prevent money laundering after Dutch financial group ING (INGA.AS) was fined 775 million euros last month after admitting criminals had been able to launder cash through its accounts.

(Reporting by Teis Jensen; Additional reporting by Danilo Masoni in Milan Writing by Alexander Smith; Editing by Jason Neely/Keith Weir)
MarketWatch

The good news: Retirement at 58 may very well be within your reach, financial advisers said. One of the highest-priority tasks you will face if you retire at 58 (or any time before Medicare is available at 65 years old) is health insurance. There are a few options to be covered, including saving now for whatever cost it will be in the open market later on; taking on a part-time job with health benefits so that you can take advantage of the healthcare, earn a little extra income but still have more freedom than a full-time job requires; or have your wife take on a job that provides the family health insurance (if she isnt already).
Officials in the European Union have launched a formal investigation into a recent Facebook hacking incident to see if the tech giant failed to abide by new EU data privacy rules.

This marks the start of a process that could lead to a heavy $1.6bn fine against the tech company.

The Data Protection Commission in Ireland is leading the Facebook (FB) investigation.

The investigation will examine Facebooks compliance with its obligation under the General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR], the agency said in an emailed statement.

Facebook is under investigation in the EU over a recent hacking incident. Photo: Jaap Arriens/Getty Images

It will probe whether the company implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the security and safeguarding of the personal data it processes.

The EUs strict GDPR rules went into effect in May 2018. Companies that break the rules could face penalties of up to 4% of their global annual revenue. In Facebooks case, that would mean a maximum fine of $1.6bn.

Facebook revealed in late September that hackers gained login details for about 50 millions accounts. Its estimated that less than 10% of compromised accounts belonged to Europeans, according to the Data Protection Commission.

Shares in Facebook were slipping by about 1% in premarket trading.
Escondido, California--(Newsfile Corp. - October 2, 2018) - MARIJUANA COMPANY OF AMERICA INC. (OTC Pink: MCOA) ("MCOA" or the "Company") , an innovative hemp and cannabis corporation, and its joint venture partner Global Hemp Group Inc. (CSE: GHG) (OTC Pink: GBHPF) (FSE: GHG) (the "Partners") are pleased to provide an update on their high yielding CBD hemp project in Scio, Oregon.

Harvest

Figure 1: Harvest underway at Marijuana Company of America's CBD hemp operation in Scio, Oregon



Cannot view this image? Please visit:

https://s.yimg.com/os/en-US/homerun/newsfile_64/21afe1d0e0939ff120f62db29b054ab5

Harvest has begun at the farm. Over the next 10 days the team in Scio will harvest this year's crop, which consists of approximately 36,000 high yielding CBD hemp plants that were grown in an orchard style cultivation on 33 acres. The team planted six different cultivars this year to determine which would be the optimal hemp variety to grow in the coming year. The team continues to evaluate hemp cultivars that will provide higher CBD yields and a reduced flowering period, which will allow the team to complete the harvest earlier in the year prior to the fall rains.

Preparation for Extraction

Once the hemp is harvested, it will be dried in preparation for storage prior to processing. Drying this season will take place in the project's four recently completed greenhouses on the farm and will utilize a traditional hanging method, as well as testing an innovative rack drying system. Prior to next season's harvest, the Partners will construct a permanent drying facility on site. Once the hemp is dried to a 10-12% moisture content, it can be stored with little or no cannabinoid/plant matter degradation, prior to extraction.

Greenhouses

Figure 2: Newly setup greenhouses at Marijuana Company of America's CBD hemp operation in Scio, Oregon



Cannot view this image? Please visit:

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Story continues

The team has now completed the setup of the first four of five greenhouses, giving the project 15,000+ sq. ft. of active greenhouse space for its drying and cloning operations. A fifth greenhouse (already purchased) will be installed after the drying of this year's crop is complete. This will increase the active greenhouse space at the project to over 19,000 sq. ft. An additional 20,000 sq. ft. of greenhouse space will be purchased in October as part of further project expansion, with the vision of implementing a year round perpetual harvest model to enhance revenue generation and cash flow, and increasing the size of the cloning operation to be able to supply clones to the local farming community.

The team has now started its cloning operations for the winter crop, which will utilize the current and future greenhouses. Management is exploring opportunities to maximize production by developing beneficial relationships that will help optimize the Project's profit potential through R&D, data collection and analysis.

Discussions with local Farmers

With the success of this year's hemp cultivation on display at the farm, it has attracted the attention of the local community and many local farmers that are interested in growing hemp as hemp generates a far greater Return On Investment per acre than any other crop they are currently growing. The Project's stated goal has been to use 2018 as an initial commercial trial and then to significantly expand the acreage under cultivation in the coming years. Management is currently in discussions with a number of these local farmers regarding contract farming and share cropping for the project, starting next year.

About Marijuana Company of America, Inc.

MCOA is a corporation which participates in: (1) product research and development of legal hemp-based consumer products under the brand name "hempSMART", that targets general health and well-being; (2) an affiliate marketing program to promote and sell its legal hemp-based consumer products containing CBD; (3) leasing of real property to separate business entities engaged in the growth and sale of cannabis in those states and jurisdictions where cannabis has been legalized and properly regulated for medicinal and recreations use; and, (4) the expansion of its business into ancillary areas of the legalized cannabis and hemp industry, as the legalized markets and opportunities in this segment mature and develop.

About Global Hemp Group Inc.



Global Hemp Group Inc. (CSE: GHG) (OTC Pink: GBHPF) (FSE: GHG), is focused on a multi-phased strategy to build a strong presence in the industrial hemp industry in both Canada and the United States. The Company is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, with hemp cultivation operations in New Brunswick and Oregon. The first phase of this strategy is to develop hemp cultivation with the objective of extracting cannabinoids (CBD, CBG, CBN & CBC) and creating a near term revenue stream that will allow the Company to expand and develop successive phases of the strategy. The second phase of the plan will focus on the development of value-added industrial hemp products utilizing the processing of the whole hemp plant, as envisioned in the Company's Hemp Agro-Industrial Zone (HAIZ) strategy.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" which are not purely historical and may include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities and words such as "anticipate", "seek", intend", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "project", "plan", or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects, the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based products. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-12G, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, please visit www.sec.gov.

For more information, please visit the Company's websites at:

MarijuanaCompanyofAmerica.com

hempSMART.com

NetworkNewsWires/MCOA
By Simon Jessop

LONDON (Reuters) - A leading proxy voting adviser said investors with London-listed shares of Unilever (ULVR.L) (UNc.AS) should oppose the consumer goods company's plan to create a single holding company in the Netherlands.

The call by the influential advisory firm follows a series of public announcements in recent days from institutional investors concerned about the move.

Pensions & Investment Research Consultants Limited (PIRC), which advises pension schemes and other investors, said it was concerned about the impact on investors who would be forced to sell their shares.

"The company's exclusion from the FTSE 100 may compel some shareholders to sell their shares at a price and time that is not of their choosing, effectively resulting in a forced selling decision," PIRC said in a report.

With affected holders likely to be some of Unilever's longest-standing investors, the board was being "short-sighted to presume that they have no voice", PIRC said.

"Ultimately, it could be viewed that the (UK) PLC shareholders are being asked to consent to a takeover without a premium being paid," it added. PIRC said it had issued separate guidance to holders of the Dutch shares backing the move.

Earlier on Wednesday, Royal London Asset Management said it would also vote against the plan, following similar statements from Legal & General Investment Management, Schroders and others.

For Unilever's proposal to pass, it needs approval from 75 percent of the UK PLC's voted shares, and 50 percent of the Dutch NV's.

It also needs to be endorsed by a majority of shareholders.

If approved, at votes scheduled for Oct. 25 and 26, the existing shares would stop trading on Dec. 21, with the new shares beginning to trade on Dec. 24.

(Reporting by Simon Jessop; editing by Kirstin Ridley)
Blockchain Shift Ambassador Wendy Diamond presents the President of Malta, Mrs. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, with VIP tickets to the Blockchain Shift Conference

MIAMI BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / October 2, 2018 / New York and Miami FL. Sept. 28, 2018  Wendy Diamond, Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization Founder and Blockchain Shift Ambassador, presents the President of Malta, Mrs. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, with VIP tickets to the Blockchain Shift Conference, which will highlight the importance of Malta and its role in the Blockchain and Crypto communities. Mr. Malcolm Falzon, a partner of the Malta based law firm, Camilleri Preziosi, along with Mr. Ivan Grech, the Head of Business Development of FinanceMalta will be hosting the panel on Oct 11th at 2pm entitled: "A Global Look at Blockchain: Everything Malta and Much More  A Safe Haven for Exchanges?"

If you havent already purchased your tickets, do so now. https://bit.ly/2zoaO3W

About Blockchain Shift Conference

Blockchain Shift is a one-of-a-kind event in the world of blockchain. The event will take place next week (Oct. 11-12) in Miami and aims to put the region at the center of the buzz about blockchain, financial technology (fintech) and crypto currencies. Our core mission is to raise awareness and educate the world on the power of this transformative technology.

Blockchain Shift will welcome a diverse group of distinguished thought leaders and experts, including crypto and institutional investors, bankers, attorneys, government officials, service providers, as well as representatives of blockchain architected startups, projects working on tokenizing real assets (such as real estate, music and art), as well as valuable enterprise companies for an unparalleled series of discussions and networking opportunities.

Blockchain technology brings a fundamental change in the approach to how companies conduct business and will forever alter industries globally. With thousands of applications, it promises a tectonic shift in technology development and our daily lives. For more information, visit https://blockchainshift.io/

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About FinanceMalta

FinanceMalta is the public-private initiative set up to promote Malta as an International Financial Centre.FinanceMalta came on the scene at a critical time, just as Malta entered the Eurozone. The financial services sector is now a major force in the country's economy. Malta has some significant strengths to offer the industry such as a well-trained, motivated workforce; a low-cost environment; and an advantageous tax regime backed up by more than 60 double taxation agreements. To these, FinanceMalta can add a world-class information and communications technology infrastructure, English as an official language, an enviable climate and its strategic location. https://www.financemalta.org

About Women's Entrepreneurship Day

Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO) and international campaign #ChooseWOMEN is a non-governmental volunteer organization started by social entrepreneur and humanitarian Wendy Diamond, that empowers, celebrates, and supports women in business worldwide. Launched in 2013, WED works globally to empower women and girls to become active participants in the economy by igniting a network of women leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs to initiate startups, drive economic expansion, and advance communities around the world. In order to achieve this ambitious goal, WED builds and catalyzes the vital networks of like-minded individuals and organizations that women business leaders need in order to realize their full potential and change the world. http://www.womenseday.org

Contact Info:

Name: Mike Valdez-Fauli

Email: mvaldesfauli@parkcapital.io

Organization: BlockchainShift.io

Address: 1111 Lincoln Road, Suite 800, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States

Phone: +1-305-615-1111

For more information, please visit https://blockchainshift.io

SOURCE: BlockchainShift.io




MOSCOW, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Israel must provide Moscow with more information about the downing of a Russian military aircraft near the Syrian coast earlier this week, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday, the Interfax news agency reported.

Fifteen Russian crew were killed when the IL-20 surveillance plane crashed near Latakia in northern Syria on Monday. Russia has said Syria shot the plane down shortly after Israeli jets hit the area, and accused Israel of creating the dangerous conditions by failing to give sufficient advance notice.

Israel dispatched its air force chief to brief Moscow about the incident on Thursday. (Reporting by Polina Devitt Writing by Andrey Kuzmin Editing by Andrew Osborn)
Silatech - A Leading NGO Signs an MoU and Three Respective Agreements for Empowering Youth and Improving Their Overall Employability

DOHA, QATAR / ACCESSWIRE / September 29, 2018 / Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Naseer, Chairperson of Silatech's Board of Trustees, and His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Isse AwadThe Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of The Federal Republic of Somalia, attended today in New York City today the signing of three agreements to economically empower Somali youth by securing more than 75,000 jobs in Somalia. 75,414 jobs for Somali youth adds to Silatech's achievement in securing one million jobs for youth in 17 countries.

A collaboration between Silatech, American Refugee Committee (ARC) and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the first agreement aims to provide housing and energy solutions for 1,000 families and develop local youth owned enterprises; creating around 3,000 jobs for returning refugees and IDPs in the Kismayo district. The second agreement is to support Al Amal bank in financing youth enterprises to create 63,414 jobs around Somalia. In partnership with the Somali Institute for Development and Research Analysis (SIDRA), the purpose of the third agreement is to build the skills of 9,000 graduates and place them into jobs in the labor market.

As part of its continuous efforts to empower youth in Somalia and activate their role in developing their communities, Silatech signed the three agreements to provide solutions to combat unemployment, poverty, marginalizationand extremism. Silatech also focuses on economically empowering women in Somalia and engaging them in promoting peace and security in their societies.

Furthermore, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Naseer, Chairperson of Silatech's Board of Trustees, has attended the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Silatech, the United Nations Democracy Fund, and Tamkeen for Development to collaborate within their respective mandates and their common goals in the area of improving youth empowerment and participation and skills developments based on the World Programme of Action for Youth. The MoU aims at engendering, promoting and strengthening youth engagement, skills development, entrepreneurship and improving employability in countries or regions of mutual interest.

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Since its inception in 2008, Silatech has secured one million jobs for youth through working in coordination with governments and international organizations and in cooperation with its partners to design and implement programs that uproot youth out of poverty and chronic unemployment, thus empowering them to contribute to the socioeconomic development of their countries.

For more information, please visit: http://www.silatech.org/

Contact Info:

Name: Ms. Sabah Al Haidoos

Organization: Silatech

Address: PO Box 34111, Doha, Qatar

Phone: +974 4499 4800



For more information, please visit http://www.silatech.org

SOURCE: Silatech
By Christopher Bing

WASHINGTON, Oct 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Wednesday warned that a hacking group widely known as cloudhopper, which Western cybersecurity firms have linked to the Chinese government, has launched attacks on technology service providers in a campaign to steal data from their clients.

The Department of Homeland issued a technical alert for cloudhopper, which it said was engaged in cyber espionage and theft of intellectual property, after experts with two prominent U.S. cybersecurity companies warned earlier this week that Chinese hacking activity has surged amid the escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing.

Chinese authorities have repeatedly denied claims by Western cyber security firms that it supports hacking.

Homeland Security released the information to support U.S. companies in responding to attacks by the group, which is targeting information technology, energy, healthcare, communications and manufacturing firms.

"These cyber threat actors are still active and we strongly encourage our partners in government and industry to work together to defend against this threat," DHS official Christopher Krebs said in a statement.

The reported increase in Chinese hacking follows what cybersecurity firms have described as a lull in such attacks prompted by a 2015 agreement between Chinese President Xi Jinping and former U.S. President Barrack Obama to curb cyber-enabled economic theft.

I can tell you now unfortunately the Chinese are back," Dmitri Alperovitch, chief technology officer of U.S. cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, said Tuesday at a security conference in Washington, D.C.

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"Weve seen a huge pickup in activity over the past year and a half. Nowadays they are the most predominant threat actors we see threatening institutions all over this country and western Europe, he said.

Analysts with FireEye, another U.S. cybersecurity firm, said that some of the Chinese hacking groups it tracks have become more active in recent months.

Wednesday's alert provided advice on how U.S. firms can prevent, identify and remediate attacks by cloudhopper, which is also known as Red Leaves and APT10.

The hacking group has largely targeted firms known as managed service providers, which supply telecommunications, technology and other services to business around the globe.

Managed service providers, or MSPs, are attractive targets because their networks provide routes for hackers to access sensitive systems of their many clients, said Ben Read, a senior intelligence manager with FireEye.

"We've seen this group route malware through an MSP network to other targets," Read said. (Reporting by Christopher Bing in Washington Editing by Jim Finkle and Lisa Shumaker)
THE HAGUE Oct 3 (Reuters) - The World Court, the highest United Nations tribunal, on Wednesday ordered the United States to ensure that sanctions against Iran do not impact humanitarian aid or civil aviation safety.

Judges at the International Court Of Justice handed a victory to Tehran, which had argued that the U.S. sanctions imposed since May by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump violate the terms their 1955 Treaty of Amity. (Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg, Toby Sterling and Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Torchmark's (TMK) Q3 rides high on better premiums at the Life and Health segments as well as benefits from lower share count.

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  October 4, 2018  Zacks Market Edge is a podcast hosted weekly by Zacks Stock Strategist Tracey Ryniec. Every week, Tracey will be joined by guests to discuss the hottest investing topics in stocks, bonds and ETFs and how it impacts your life. To listen to the podcast, click here: (https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/326063/how-to-invest-in-the-hot-medical-device-innovators)

How to Invest in Hot Medical Device Innovators

Welcome to Episode #149 of the Zacks Market Edge Podcast.

Every week, host and Zacks stock strategist, Tracey Ryniec, will be joined by guests to discuss the hottest investing topics in stocks, bonds and ETFs and how it impacts your life.

In this episode, Tracey is joined by Zacks Senior Strategist Kevin Cook, who is also the editor of Zacks newsletter the Healthcare Innovators, to talk about the companies that are innovating in the medical device category.

While a lot of the press goes to companies trying to find cures for cancer or Alzheimers, other companies are focusing on devices that are making it easier to treat chronic conditions or perform surgeries.

How can investors find these companies?

And should you be playing for a buyout by one of the big guys?

5 Companies Innovating in Medical Devices

1. Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) makes robotic assisted surgical devices called da Vinci Robotic Assisted Surgical Systems. Shares have been on a tear and arent cheap, at 53x, but sales are expected to rise 17.9% this year.

2. BioTelemetry (BEAT) has a market cap of $2 billion. It makes wireless heart monitoring devices and has partnered with Apple, and its iWatch, to develop its data system further. In the second quarter, BEAT posted its highest quarterly revenue ever and raised guidance. Its trading with a forward P/E of 42, but revenue is expected to rise 37% this year.

3. Edwards Lifesciences (EW) makes heart valves. This large cap company has a forward P/E of 36 and is expected to grow earnings by 22% this year. Shares are up another 45% this year as revenue is expected to rise 11%.

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4. Penumbra (PEN) makes innovative therapies including catheter focused tools. It has a $5 billion market cap. It recently announced that its Penumbra JET 7 and JET D Reperfusion Catheters would enable physicians to extract thrombus effectively and safely in acute ischemic stroke patients. Sales are expected to rise 27% in 2018 but its P/E is pretty steep, at 434x.

5. Vericel Corp. (VCEL) develops therapies for the treatment of patients with autologous (patients own) cells. In Dec 2016, it got FDA approval for the MACI procedure which uses a third generation autologous cellularized scaffold product that is indicated for the repair of single or multiple symptomatic, full-thickness cartilage defects of the adult knee. This method could be used on patients instead of knee replacement. Sales are expected to be up 27% this year.

All of these stocks are growth stocks as both earnings and revenue are growing in the double digits.

What else do you need to know about investing in companies making cutting edge medical devices and products?

Listen to this weeks podcast to find out.

Wall Streets Next Amazon

Zacks EVP Kevin Matras believes this familiar stock has only just begun its climb to become one of the greatest investments of all time. Its a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in pure genius.

Click for details >>

Tracey Ryniec manages the Insider Trader and Value Investor portfolios at Zacks.com. She hosts 2 weekly podcasts: Zacks Market Edge Podcast and the Value Investor Podcast. You can also catch her on Twitter at @TraceyRyniec.

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Sibghatullah Mojadedi, Mohammad Mohaqiq, and Mohammad Khan are among Afghanistan's most prominent onetime hard-line Islamists. But the former warlords' credentials have been questioned by some Afghans after they attended a celebration marking Chinese communism in Kabul.

The three gray-bearded men, clad in traditional Afghan garb, were photographed attending a dance performance at the Chinese Embassy, where Chinese women performed acrobatic dances in skin-tight clothing. The act was part of a September 29 ceremony marking the anniversary of the formation of Communist China in 1949.

As the photos of the event were revealed on September 30, the irony was not lost on many Afghan social-media users.

Mojadedi, Mohaqiq, and Khan were prominent commanders of the mujahedin, the Islamist militant groups who fought against the Soviet and Afghan communist forces in the 1980s and seized power from 1992-96 during the country's devastating civil war.

The mujahedin enforced an Islamic dress code in Kabul and women who wore makeup or failed to cover their heads were threatened and sometimes beaten. Some women also lost their jobs, as some occupations were considered un-Islamic.

Photos on social media captured the attendance of Mojadedi, a former president during mujahedin rule; Mohaqiq, a former warlord from the mainly Shi'ite Hazara community and the second vice president of Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah; and Khan, Abdullah's first vice president and a senior member of the Hizb-e Islami party that was accused of being behind instances of acid being thrown in women's faces in the 1970s and 80s.

The three men cut a large cake with representatives from the Chinese Embassy and then took their seats to watch the show among other senior Afghan government officials.

Ismail Miakhail, a BBC reporter, mocked the three men on Facebook on September 30: "Subhanullah [Glory to God!] Former Afghan jihadist leaders watching Chinese dancers & cutting cake in Chinese embassy Kabul."

One Twitter user accused the three men of "hypocrisy":

Another Twitter user, who described himself as a freelance journalist, joined in:

Twitter user Abdugheni Sabit, who describes himself as an activist for Uyghur rights, wrote:

It was unclear if the three men were aware that the ceremony at the embassy was to feature the dance performance.
Its not over yet, but Republican gubernatorial candidate Walker Stapleton needs to come out swinging in a series of debates that start Friday, agreed a panel of experts at the University of Denver on Tuesday. They cited polling out that morning that gave Democrat Jared Polis a 7-point lead, with the political winds at his back, five weeks from Election Day.
All six Colorado Springs police officers who were injured Tuesday in training at Fort Carson, have been released from the hospital, police tweeted Wednesday.

None of the injuries was serious, police Lt. Howard Black said.

Five officers were treated at a hospital and released, and another was hospitalized overnight as a precaution, Black said.

The simulator exploded at an urban training center near the posts Camp Red Devil, said Col. Brian Wortinger, the Fort Carson garrison commander.

Military units were training on counter-IED (improvised explosive device) on the post, Wortinger said.

One of the devices that they were using  (which) simulates the sights and sounds of combat as safely as possible  was in the training area, he said. Simultaneously, we had Colorado Springs police out here doing their police training that encountered one of these devices.

The simulator that exploded appeared to be made partly of cardboard, he said.

Fifteen to 20 officers with two police riot teams were training. The exercise was cut short after the mishap, Black said.

Department personnel, including some tactical and specialized units, routinely train at the post, he said.

Officials could not say how the IED got on the site, when the blast occurred or whether the explosion came during training or a break.

We are way too early to answer any of those questions, Black said. We need more time to truly understand what occurred at this site.

Fort Carson will investigate, Wortinger said.

Unfortunately, the business that both we are in and CSPD are in is an inherently dangerous business, and the training itself can often be dangerous as well, the commander said.

Well be looking at what we were supposed to do, what we actually did, and then reconciling what if anything we need to change about our procedures.

The training center, built at the height of the Iraq War, has buildings that replicate a city and an underground sewage system that allows mock insurgents to pop up during training.
She remembers the date, her unsettling premonitions and the look of her infant sisters body when CPR was attempted.

It was July 4, 1998, and we were invited to a party, Tiffany Jorgenson told The Gazette. Honest to goodness, I believed in my 8-year-old heart, Someone is going to die tonight.

Jogensons 7-month-old sister, Ariel, had fallen off the bed where she had been put to sleep and had been trapped between the mattress and the wall. Their mother and her boyfriend were drinking in another room.

I immediately knew she was dead. I knew thats not where babies are supposed to be, Jorgenson said, recalling how she watched as Ariel was pulled from the crevice.

Nearly 30 years old now, Jorgenson still reaches for tissues to wipe the tears when she tells her story.

It doesnt matter how long its been, it doesnt make it any better, she said.

But Ariels death spurred a change and precisely 17 days later, Jorgenson said she and her remaining two siblings  a younger brother and a younger sister  were removed from the custody of their mother.

That was the start of the process that would introduce Jorgenson to the court appointed special advocate who would change her life forever. Such advocates, called CASAs, are appointed by judges to help children navigate the foster-care system and to advocate for their needs as each case moves forward.

Wednesday night, Jorgenson spoke briefly at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, 215 S. Tejon St., urging the crowd to give however they can to CASA of the Pikes Peak Region. The event was the organizations public kickoff for its Community Campaign, which hopes to raise $2.8 million.

So far, the local CASA program has raised more than $1.6 million, said Keri Kahn, the organizations communications manager.

The underlying goal is to ensure that every child in need of a CASA has one by 2020, Kahn said. The baseline comes from 2012, when CASA was only able to provide an advocate for half the children in need within El Paso and Teller counties.

Since then, the number of children we serve has steadily increased and in the last fiscal year we served 78 percent of the kids in our community who need us, Kahn said.

About 200 children in the region still must are without an advocate, Kahn said.

Jorgenson was joined by Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, who noted that children with a CASA are much more likely to be adopted and half as likely to re-enter the foster system. The advocates only goals are the well-being and stability of abused and neglected children thrust into a court system they cant and dont understand, he said.

Suthers wife, Janet Suthers, who serves as co-chair of the Community Campaign, also urged the crowd to help however they can.

Every child deserves an adult they can trust, Janet Suthers said.

The benefits CASAs offer are undeniable for Jorgenson, who said she first began to notice physical and emotional abuse in her family when her mother began dating a man named Michael.

Thats when the drug abuse, alcohol abuse and the partying got worse, she said. There was hitting, punching, kicking.  My job was to keep my siblings safe. If I knew Michael was going on a drug binge, I would take them out of the house.

But Jorgenson was still a child and ill-suited to the task of caring for her younger siblings, she said.

We ate things like spoonfuls of mayonnaise, strips of bacon, sticks of butter, because thats what kids get into, she said.

After Ariels death, Jorgenson said she and her siblings were taken away from their mother and Michael and put into the local foster system. Much of that time is a blur, but around the year 2000, the children were introduced to Theresa, a nurse anesthetist, who volunteered as a CASA.

She really dove into our case, took it to heart and really became a part of our family, Jorgenson said.

At the time a Jorgenson and her siblings had been taken in by a couple, who she now calls her mother and father, and Theresa fought to keep all three children together and out of the poisonous environment they survived for so many years.

Jorgenson said her birth mother wanted her children back, but was ordered by a court to keep Michael out of her life. At the same time, Michaels mother and sister fought to adopt the children.

Acting on a gut feeling, Theresa staked out a parking lot and watched for Jorgensons birth mother, whom she caught riding in a car with Michael, Jorgenson said. Obviously she wasnt complying with the no-contact order.

Theresa took that information back to a judge, which ultimately kept all three siblings together and in a loving, adoptive family, Jorgenson said.

I can see all the crazy turns my life has taken, she said. And I can trace it all the way back to that one moment. It changed the trajectory of my life.

The pair remain in touch, exchanging Christmas cards and watching for new life developments, Jorgenson said.

Even when Jorgenson was considering her career, she looked to Theresa for inspiration, she said.

Now, Jorgenson is married. She has a son, McKinley, and is expecting another child in March. She owns her own business and works as a certified nurse-midwife and said she has delivered more than 150 children herself.

Because of Theresas influence, Im able to pursue my goals and become the person I didnt know was inside of me, she said. My life is open and broad because someone sacrificed for me.

Because shes needed around the clock for work, Jorgenson said she cant currently work as a CASA, but she can make different sacrifices and encourage others to fight for those who are too young to help themselves.

More information about the Community Campaign can be found at casappr.org/community.

conrad.swanson@gazette.com @conrad_swanson
DENVER  Prosecutors say no charges will be filed against the Colorado State trooper who shot and killed a Texas woman armed with a shotgun near Alamosa in August.

The decision was made by District Attorney Crista Newmyer-Olsen who reviewed the incident.

The incident happened on Aug. 25 when Saguache County Sheriff's officers tried to pull over a man driving a stolen vehicle in Moffat.

After a chase, the vehicle stopped and 37-year-old passenger Jennifer Sharp got out armed with a shotgun. A trooper shot and killed her.

The driver, 26-year-old Nelson Billings, picked up the shotgun and took his own life.

Billings and Sharp were from Port Lavaca, Texas.

According to the decision letter, the trooper was justified in shooting Sharp because she was directly endangering other members of the public.
Rachel Stovall is a longtime community advocate and organizer. Also a fundraising, media and marketing consultant, Stovall is most known for singing with her dance band Phat Daddy and the Phat Horn Doctors.
LETTERS: Seeing what they want to see; CEO's salary is shameful
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has shown up again on Colorado campaign finance reports, with another donation to a Colorado campaign.

The latest reports from the Secretary of States TRACER campaign finance system, covering Sept. 13-26, show the billionaire ex-mayor gave $500,000 to Fair Maps Colorado, which advocates on behalf of two ballot measures referred by the Legislature that would set up nonpartisan groups to redraw Colorados congressional and legislative district boundaries in hopes of preventing partisan gerrymandering.

This year, Bloomberg gave $2 million to a political action committee that backed then-Democratic gubernatorial candidate Michael Johnston, who later lost the primary to Jared Polis.

Fair Maps Colorado also took in $250,000 from Walton family heir Ben Walton in the Sept. 13-26 period.

In all, more than $27.7 million flowed into campaign coffers for candidates and ballot measures in the most recent reporting period. Thats up from the $17.5 million that came in during the prior two weeks.

But political spending is up now, too.

More than $19.75 million went out the door between Sept. 13 and 26, and one independent spending committee, the Democratic-backed Coloradans for Fairness, spent a record amount on attack ads against Republicans for the five swing seats that will determine which party controls the state Senate.

Republicans hold a razor-thin one-seat margin in the 35-member body.

But the biggest bucks continue to come from the oil and gas industry into efforts to defeat Proposition 112 and back Amendment 74.

Proposition 112 would set up a 2,500-foot setback between occupied structures and any new oil and gas development, up from the current 500-foot buffer around houses. Amendment 74 would allow a property owner to sue a government when regulations reduce the value of the property  a measure that could have a major impact if both 74 and 112 pass.

The top donation in the last two weeks was $2.7 million from Protecting Colorados Environment, Economy and Energy (also known as Protect Colorado), which is funded by the oil and gas industry. Those dollars went to the Committee for Colorados Shared Heritage, which is managed by Colorado Farm Bureau and supports Amendment 74.

Protect Colorado took in $4.7 million in the same reporting period, with just under $1.4 million from oil and gas company Noble Energy and six-figure donations from nine other energy-related companies.

Protect Colorado, an independent expenditure committee, sent $5 million out the door between Sept. 13 and 26. About $1 million of that went for advertising on behalf of the Committee for Colorados Shared Heritage. The rest paid for the onslaught of TV and radio advertising seen in recent weeks against Proposition 112.

The next largest contribution between Sept. 13 and 26 was $2.25 million from the League of Conservation Voters of Washington, D.C. That donation went to the Conservation Colorado Victory Fund, which announced Monday it would put $3.2 million toward support for Democratic candidate Jared Polis for governor. The group spent $1.5 million of that between Sept. 13 and 26 on canvassing to back Polis.

Polis, currently a congressman from Boulder, put another $1 million from his own fortune into his campaign in the last two weeks, bringing his total to $19.775 million.

The Washington, D.C.-based progressive Sixteen-Thirty Fund, which doesnt disclose its donors, is increasingly generous with all kinds of political campaigns in Colorado, backing Democratic candidates for the state House and Senate and a ballot measure that would limit payday loan interest and fees to 36 percent.

Between Sept. 13 and 26, the fund donated $1.5 million to two independent expenditure committees supporting Democratic candidates for the legislature. Those most recent donations bring the funds total in 2018 to $4 million, including $920,000 into Good Jobs Colorado, an independent spending group that backs Polis.

Good Jobs Colorado also took in $350,000 from Education Reform Now Advocacy, the money side of Democrats for Education Reform. ERNA has now given $500,000 to Good Jobs Colorado along with $350,000 in the last two weeks to the two major independent expenditure committees backing Democrats for the legislature, Our Colorado Values (House) and Coloradans for Fairness (Senate). All told, the education reform group has put $1.5 million into various political committees in 2018.

Our Colorado Values spent $658,000 in the last two weeks on attack ads against a half-dozen Republican candidates for the state House.

One name that shows up more often than others on the attack ad list is Republican Toren Mushovic of Greenwood Village, whos running against incumbent Democratic Rep. Jeff Bridges in House District 3.

But thats dwarfed by what Coloradans for Fairness spent for ads opposing Republicans running for the five key state Senate races.

Between Sept. 13 and 26, the committee spent a two-week-record $374,257 on ads attacking Republican Sen. Tim Neville of Littleton, including $229,436 in one TV ad buy, a record for a one-time expenditure for a legislative seat. They spent $221,153 on attack ads opposing Republican Sen. Beth Martinez Humenik of Thornton in Senate District 24. And $189,055 more went for ads opposing Republican Christine Jensen for Senate District 20, in eastern Jefferson County.

In Senate District 22, which includes Lakewood, Coloradans for Fairness spent $113,737 on attack ads on Republican Tony Sanchez. And in Senate District 5 on the Western Slope, the committee spent $81,414 between Sept. 13 and 26 on attack ads targeting Republican Olen Lund of Paonia.

Coloradans for Fairness had its best haul of the election cycle, raising $2.1 million between Sept. 13 and 26 That includes its largest donation for 2018, $1.1 million from the Sixteen Thirty Fund. It also received $300,000 from Everytown for Gun Safety, and $235,000 from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The committee has now raised $3.9 million for the 2018 election.

The two big independent expenditure committees working to elect Republicans to the legislature are Colorado Citizens for Accountable Government (House and Senate) and the Senate Majority Fund.

CCAG took in $538,000 in the last two weeks and spent $322,000 of it on ads in four of the five targeted state Senate races. They spent $105,679 on ads opposing Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen for Senate District 22, in Jefferson County; $78,596 on ads against Speaker Pro Tem Jessie Danielson of Wheat Ridge, in Senate District 20; $72,057 to oppose Rep. Faith Winter in the Adams County Senate District 24 race; and $37,968 to oppose Democratic candidate Tammy Story in Senate District 16, also in Jefferson County. The committee also bought advertising that advocated for the Republican candidates in those races.

The committees biggest donation  $250,000  came from the Washington, D.C.-based Republican State Leadership Committee, which doesnt disclose its donors. However, Open Secrets reported in 2016 its contributors included Las Vegas casino owner Sheldon Adelson, the National Rifle Association, Koch Industries, Walmart and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, its largest donor, at more than $5 million.

The Senate Majority Fund has now raised a total of $3.7 million and spent just over $486,000 between Sept. 13 and 26. They also spent on the same five Senate races in the last two weeks: $102,051 for attack ads on Winter, $98,456 for ads opposing Danielson, $75,992 for ads against Story, and $74,025 for ads opposing Pettersen. And $12,596 more was spent on attack ads against Donovan.

The Majority Funds biggest donors include several oil and gas companies and $200,000 from a group known as the Political Action Trust, based in Windsor, which is tied to the Dairy Farmers of America.
Colorado Politics senior political reporter

Joey Bunch is the senior correspondent and deputy managing editor of Colorado Politics. His 32-year career includes the last 16 in Colorado. He was part of the Denver Post team that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 and he is a two-time finalist.
Starting Saturday and continuing every day through Oct. 14. Lift-offs at 6 a.m. daily, evening glows at 8 p.m. this weekend and Oct. 18-21. Full list of events at balloonfiessta.com/event-info/event-schedule.

No offense to Colorado Springs. Paul Smith hears its a beautiful place to fly hot air balloons. He hears only great things about the Labor Day Lift Off.

Its just that the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is something else entirely.

Think times five or six, says Smith, executive director of the worlds grandest celebration of its kind.

In the Springs, local balloon lovers are accustomed to nearly 100 colorful orbs filling the early morning sky above Memorial Park at the start of every September. Across the state line, 370 miles away at Balloon Fiesta Park, that number is close to 600. They are piloted by men and women from almost 20 countries.

An estimated 850,000 people flock to New Mexico for what is now a nine-day spectacle, with lift-offs at dawn and glows at night, along with laser shows, fireworks, live music, chainsaw carving and much more. An estimated 25 million photos are taken during the fiesta, earning it the unofficial title of the Worlds Most Photographed Event.

What started in 1972 with a dozen balloons launching from a mall parking lot is now a bucket-list festival held in a field with the Sandia Mountains as a backdrop. New Mexicos most populous city has become known globally for the fiesta.

How? Smith, an organizer since 1997, credits Sid Cutter.

He was willing to put his money where his mouth was, Smith says.

Considered the first owner of a hot air balloon in Albuquerque, Cutter decided to make something more out of that first flight 47 years ago, intended simply as a birthday bash for a radio station. According to history maintained by the Fiesta, 273 balloons had registered by 1978, with hundreds more flying through the next decade.

They didnt have enough hotel rooms back then, Smith says, so they just kind of asked people to put (pilots) up in their homes, and they did.

The green chile and Southwest hospitality have been instrumental to the fiesta thriving, he says. So has the climate.

The Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce boasts 310 days of sunshine, with an average annual rainfall of 9 inches. Pilots take off in hopes of catching the legendary Albuquerque Box, a wind pattern that ensures balloons land exactly where they launched.

That happens in other places of the world, but not very many, and not nearly as often as it happens here, says Smith.

Still, Mother Nature being unpredictable, Smith recommends attendees give themselves more than one day to spectate. He also recommends first-timers try to carve out a weekday, less packed than Saturdays and Sundays.

And finally: Expect the unexpected. Nothing can prepare you for the sight, Smith says.

It has, pardon the pun, an uplifting effect, he says. People say, Arent you getting tired of it? To walk around the park and see little kids looking up with their mouths wide open and eyes twinkling, thats really what makes it all worthwhile.

SETH BOSTER, The Gazette,

seth.boster@gazette.com
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Canadas national nuclear laboratory discusses wide-range of speciality services to support sustainability of the global nuclear reactor fleet with worlds leading utilities

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canadas premier nuclear science and technology organization, shared the launch of CNLs Centre for Reactor Sustainability (CRS) with utilities from China, Korea, Japan, the United States and Canada, representing more than half of the worlds nuclear power plants, during a meeting of the 21st Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference in San Francisco. The initiative brings together CNLs broad research capabilities in support of the sustainable, long-term operations of the worlds fleet of more than 400 nuclear power reactors.



CNLs Chalk River Laboratories is recognized around the world for its work to support the life extension and efficiency of nuclear power reactors, commented Mark Lesinski, CNL President and CEO. CNL and the nuclear supply chain work together to deliver an integrated approach to reactor sustainability, leading to major costs savings and efficiency improvements for safe nuclear operations.

Today, nuclear reactors around the world safely, cleanly and reliably provide over 10 per cent of global electricity. The Centre for Reactor Sustainability will help make nuclear power plants even more efficient and reliable, support reactor life extension and long term operation, and enable plant modernization through innovative technologies and inspection services. CRS will leverage CNLs specialized knowledge and experience to provide services to utilities and their suppliers in five key research areas:

Aging Management, including Post-Irradiation Examination

Fuel Characterization

Operational Support and Failure Response

Chemistry Control, Monitoring and Optimization

Specialized Inspection and Maintenance Tooling

The nuclear industry continuously innovates to remain economically competitive. CRS offers tools and expertise to solve the most difficult, specialized problems, and to enable reactor sustainability throughout the global nuclear industry," explained Dr. Corey McDaniel, Vice-President of Business Development at CNL.

The word sustainability gets discussed often, but we are taking a holistic interpretation of the term, added Dr. Kathryn McCarthy, Vice-President of Research & Development with CNL. Sustainability is about more than licence renewal or licence extension; its about economic competitiveness as well.

With over 60 years of experience conducting state-of-the-art research and development activities in support of the Canadian nuclear industry, CNL is well-positioned to help nuclear operators improve the economics of their power reactor fleet. CNLs unique capabilities and facilities are at the core of the CRS initiative, providing nuclear operators with the resources of a national laboratory, delivered with the agility and speed demanded by todays commercially-focused organizations.

For more information on CNLs capabilities, please visit www.cnl.ca .

For more information on the Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference, please visit http://pbnc.ans.org/

About CNL

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories is a world leader in nuclear science and technology offering unique capabilities and solutions across a wide range of industries. Actively involved with industry-driven research and development in nuclear, transportation, clean technology, energy, defence, security and life sciences, we provide solutions to keep these sectors competitive internationally.

With ongoing investments in new facilities and a focused mandate, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories is well positioned for the future. A new performance standard reinforced with a strong safety culture underscores every activity.

For more information on the complete range of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories services, please visit www.cnl.ca or contact communications@cnl.ca .

Contact:

Patrick Quinn

Director, Corporate Communications

CNL, 1-866-886-2325

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3c4a1a97-779b-4664-8d90-d74e089d516d
English Danish





Company announcement







Announcement No. 59/2018









Holmens Kanal 2-12

1092 Kbenhavn K





04 October 2018

Danske Bank ordered to reassess its solvency need

Share buy-back programme for 2018 is discontinued

On 3 May 2018, Danske Bank A/S was given eight orders and eight reprimands by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (the FSA). These were the outcome of the FSAs investigation into Danske Banks management and governance in relation to the former non-resident portfolio at the banks branch in Estonia (Company announcement No. 31).

On 29 June 2018, Danske Bank sent a reply to the FSA, which served to follow up on the orders and reprimands. The reply contained a description of the initiatives taken by the bank to comply with the orders and to address the reprimands. Danske Bank today publishes the FSAs decision regarding Danske Banks compliance with the orders. In the decision, the FSA orders the Board of Directors and the Executive Board to reassess the banks and the banking groups solvency need with a view to increase the add-on to an absolute minimum of DKK 10 billion in order to ensure an adequate capital coverage of increased compliance and reputational risks.

The order and the FSAs assessments of the banks initiatives are stated in the FSAs decision, which is attached to this announcement.

Jesper Nielsen, Interim CEO, comments on the FSAs decision:

We take note of the FSAs decision. As the FSA states, Danske Bank has complied with, or has initiated adequate initiatives to ensure compliance with, the orders given to us in May, except for one order, where further initiatives are required. In addition to the initiatives already taken, we will continue our constructive dialogue with the FSA and execute the orders given, says Jesper Nielsen.

Order for Danske Bank to reassess its solvency need again

In connection with the release of its interim report for the first half of 2018, Danske Bank reassessed its solvency need to ensure adequate capital coverage of its compliance and reputational risks. The background was that the FSA, in its decision of 3 May 2018, had made an initial estimate to the effect that a Pillar II add-on to Danske Banks solvency need should amount to at least DKK 5 billion, or about 0.7% of the banks total risk exposure amount (the REA) at the end of 2017.

In its latest decision, the FSA finds that, at the end of the second quarter of 2018, Danske Bank complied with the order to adjust its solvency need by a Pillar II add-on of DKK 5 billion. Considering the current developments, the FSA finds, however, that the banks compliance and reputational risks are higher than assumed in the FSAs decision of 3 May 2018. As a result, the FSA has ordered Danske Bank to reassess the banks and the Groups solvency need in order to ensure adequate capital coverage of the increase in compliance and reputational risks.

The FSAs initial estimate is that the bank, as an absolute minimum, should increase the Pillar II add-on to DKK 10 billion, or 1.3% of its total REA at the end of the second quarter of 2018. This would increase the Groups solvency need from 11.2% to 11.9% at 30 June 2018. At the same time, the FSA assesses that the bank must fund this Pillar II add-on requirement through common equity tier 1 (CET1) capital.

Danske Banks Board of Directors agrees with the need to reassess the Pillar II add-on. As a consequence of the expected increase in Danske Banks solvency need of DKK 10 billion, the Board of Directors has decided to reassess the Groups capital targets and take further prudency measures.

Danske Bank has thus set a higher target for its CET1 capital ratio to be around 16% (previously 14-15%) and the target for its total capital ratio to be above 20% (previously above 19%). Danske Bank fully meets the revised capital targets already today, and the Board of Directors reassesses the targets on an ongoing basis.

In order to remain prudent and in view of the above, Danske Banks Board of Directors has decided to discontinue the present share buy-back programme as of today. The share buy-back for a total of DKK 10 billion, with a maximum of 85 million shares, was due to end by 1 February 2019. At the end of week 39, the programme had repurchased 33,029,000 own shares at a transaction value of approximately DKK 6.8 billion.





Danske Bank





Attachments
ISTANBUL, Turkey, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Four remarkable humanitarians were recognised last night for their outstanding efforts and contributions to society at the World Citizen Awards in Istanbul.

The World Citizen Awards were hosted last night at Raffles Hotel on the first day of TRT World Forum, a summit of renowned international opinion leaders and dignitaries.

The awards were all about people who have made exceptional efforts to help others around the world, living under the most difficult of circumstances.

The first award, the Educator Award, was given to Dr Sakena Yacoobi, Founder and Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL). Dr Yacoobi pioneered a ground-breaking approach empowering women and communities to bring education and health services to girls living in rural as well as poverty-stricken urban areas of Afghanistan.

Jerome Jarre, Founder of the Love Army Movement, received the Communicator Award. Amongst other things, the movement, which now has more than 120,000 members in 49 countries, helped raise nearly $2m to deliver aid to those suffering from drought in Somalia.



The Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to Dr Hawa Abdi Diblaawe, Somalias first gynaecologist. Dr Abdi Diblaawe began providing free medical care to her community in 1983, later housing more than 90,000 refugees on her own land in 2012.

Finally, the Citizen of the Year Award was given to Mohamed Bzeek, a Libyan-American Foster Parent in Los Angeles. Since 1990, Mr Bzeek has served as the only foster parent in LA who focuses on caring for terminally ill children.

Launched in 2017, the awards are a first for a global media network whose employees are on the ground, working on grassroots humanitarian-based initiatives.

The keynote speech on the significance of recognising humanitarian efforts was delivered by the Director General and Chair of TRT Ibrahim Eren.

For more information about the Forum, visit http://researchcentre.trtworld.com/forum/forum-2018

For more information, contact:

Turkey: UK: Aslihan Amir, Acting Head of Global Affairs Malcolm Munro, PGC Tel.: +90 212 326 30 00 / Ext.: 3229 Tel.: +44 (0)20 3143 3595 Mob.: +90 530 069 74 56 Mob.: +44 (0)7795 013 006 Email: corporate.comm@trtworld.com Email: mmunro@pagefieldglobalcounsel.com Website: www.trtworld.com Twitter: @trtworld Facebook: facebook.com/trtworld Instagram: @trtworld




TORONTO, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clear Blue Technologies International Inc. (Clear Blue) (TSXV:CBLU), has delivered its Smart Off-Grid technology to Telefonica and Mayu Telecommunications (Mayu) to power a mission-critical network for the city of Atalaya, located in the Amazon Jungle.



This pilot deployment at two locations is an early key element of Telefonicas  Internet para todos , or Internet for all program, which will offer connectivity to 100 million people in rural Latin America who do not have Internet access today. Telefonica is working closely with local partners, such as Mayu in Peru, to deploy this network using open technology.

The newly installed network in Atalaya offers reliable telecommunications and broadband Internet services to 25,000 people who were previously digitally isolated, and is powered by 100% renewable energy, in line with Telefonica and Mayus commitment to clean energy practices. As Atalaya is in the environmentally sensitive Amazon region and is not connected to the electric grid, it was crucial that the network could operate independently and with high reliability.

When you have so many people relying on the network, you cant afford to have it underperform or break down. Whats more, the areas where we have deployed the towers through our partner Mayu are difficult to get to, so in addition to being environmentally clean and cost-efficient, we needed a system that would remain operational without the need for frequent maintenance or repairs, said Cesar Hernandez, manager of strategic projects and investments, Telefonica. Clear Blues Smart Off-Grid technology provides highly reliable off-grid power and the remote control and management capabilities necessary to perform well in this challenging environment. The new connectivity will empower the people of Atalaya to join the modern marketplace.

Given its remote location, all the equipment needed to be hand carried for over three hours to reach the mountain top locations where the systems were installed.

This is one of the most challenging deployments weve been involved in, with no tracks or roads to transport about 20 tons of materials to each site, but it was well worth it when you consider the end result, added Omar Tupayachi, president and CEO, Mayu. We believe that broadband connectivity through our partnership with Telefonica will provide substantial economic opportunities, particularly for the young people in the area, that will sustain further prosperity in Peru.

Clear Blues Smart Off-Grid technology offers automated remote management and control, predictive weather forecasting, and the ability to optimize systems remotely, which significantly reduces the need for technicians to travel to the site for updates or repairs. Its extensive troubleshooting capabilities facilitate quick resolution of any issues, keeping systems running with unmatched reliability and long-lasting performance, while reducing installation and maintenance costs by up to 80 percent.

We are pleased to have been able to contribute to this initial step within Telefonicas ambitious and grand vision of bringing the Internet to 100 million more people in rural Latin America. Clean, reliable Smart Off-Grid power will be a key enabler to the thousands of sites that will be needed to achieve this, added Miriam Tuerk, CEO and co-founder of Clear Blue. It was incredibly rewarding to work with Telefonica and Mayu to support their valuable initiative to connect people throughout Latin America.

Once completed, the network will serve as a test pilot for the larger program, establishing best practices and analytics for the entire Internet para todos project. Clear Blues weather forecasting will be instrumental in this regard, and will help build analytics which can be carried through to future installations.

About Clear Blue Technologies International

Clear Blue Technologies International, the Smart Off-Grid company, was founded on a vision of delivering clean, managed, wireless power to meet the global need for reliable, low-cost, solar and hybrid power for lighting, telecom, security, Internet of Things devices, and other mission-critical systems. Today, Clear Blue has thousands of systems under management across 34 countries, including the U.S. and Canada.

About Telefonica

Telefonica is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world by market capitalization and number of customers with a comprehensive offering and quality of connectivity that is delivered over world class fixed, mobile and broadband networks. As a growing company it prides itself on providing a differential experience based both on its corporate values and a public position that defends customer interests.

The company has a significant presence in 17 countries and 357.5 million accesses around the world. Telefonica has a strong presence in Spain, Europe and Latin America, where the company focuses an important part of its growth strategy.

Telefonica is a 100% listed company and its shares are traded on the Spanish Stock Market and on those in London, New York, Lima, and Buenos Aires.

About Mayu Telecommunications

Mayu Telecommunications is a telecom infrastructure operator focused in rural areas. They invest, deploy, and maintain their own telecom network in rural regions where there is lack of telecom infrastructure and in consequence telecom services. Mobile operators rent their infrastructure in order to provide mobile services to new users in these regions. Mayu is a company born with the vision of making possible the provision of quality telecommunications services in an efficient and sustainable way to every inhabitant of the country, regardless of geography, distances and market difficulties.

Media Contact:

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+1 646.864.3517

bnye@montiethco.com

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invest@clearbluetechnologies.com

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Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

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Washington, DC, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today at EABs annual student success summit, CONNECTED, the firm announced the official launch of its Transfer Portal , as well as a major enhancement to its student success management system (SSMS). Both advances give students resources they need to make informed decisions about their educational paths so they can reach their goals in the least amount of time.The Transfer Portal, a new solution in EABs technology suite, allows individual institutions to make a set of online tools available on their own websites for students interested in transferring. It projects which courses will transfer, which majors those courses will apply toward, and what job opportunities and salaries are available to someone with those degrees. By using the portal, students can identify the outcomes they want and choose the courses and majors that put them on the shortest and least expensive paths to achieve their ambitions. The portal also provides counselors and advisors with information about prospective students, enabling them to proactively engage with individuals earlier in the process and help students successfully transition from community colleges to four-year schools.EAB also shared a major enhancement to its SSMS: four-year college students now have access to academic planning tools that help them select the courses they need to complete their degrees, ensure those courses work with their schedules, and seamlessly register for classes. Providing this information directly to students equips them with the insights they need to make decisions that will get them to their desired outcomes more quickly. The academic planning module also gives students and advisors the ability to collaborate in an online workspace, ensuring students have access to advisors expertise as they create their course plans and freeing up time in face-to-face meetings for more robust conversations about career paths or potential obstacles to graduation.Too many students experience a difficult journey through higher education that takes longer and costs more than it should, said Melanie Bowen, Senior Vice President, EAB. Thats why we created the Transfer Portal, which specifically serves students at the crossroads of community colleges and universities. And thats why it was incredibly important for us to advance our SSMS and give all students the academic planning tools they need to chart direct paths to the degrees they want and reduce the time they spend in school.EAB also announced that it has combined its platforms for two-year and four-year institutions into a single student success management system. The unified SSMS has adopted the name of the two-year solution: Navigate. Now, students can have a seamless experience if they move between a community college and a four-year institution, while schools benefit more quickly from technological innovations as well.Together, the Transfer Portal and Navigate serve students across the higher education continuum, helping individual schools and higher education systems guide students through the diverse and complicated paths to their degrees, Bowen continued.

At EAB, our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger. We harness the collective power of more than 1,400 schools, colleges, and universities to uncover and apply proven practices and transformative insights. And since complex problems require multifaceted solutions, we work with each school differently to apply these insights through a customized blend of research, technology, and services. From kindergarten to college and beyond, EAB partners with education leaders, practitioners, and staff to accelerate progress and drive results across three key areas: enrollment management, student success, and institutional operations and strategy.
LEWISVILLE, Texas, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ResponsiveEd, a nonprofit North Texas company supporting 19 metroplex public charter schools, won first prize on North Texas Giving Day for having the most donors make contributions to the ResponsiveEd Foundation through FUNdraising pages online.

Overall, more than $63,000 was raised and 209 donors used the online platform to make their donations. The company received an additional bonus prize check for $2,500 presented by Communities Foundation of Texas, the organizers of the annual event.

We are so proud of the parents, communities, local businesses, and team members who support our efforts in North Texas to provide schools of choice and these generous donations will go a long way in helping us continue our mission, says ResponsiveEd Campus Development Coordinator Angela Bernstein. Thank you to the organizers of North Texas Giving Day for recognizing our donors and providing us with additional funds that will help make a difference in the lives of our children.

Now in its 10th year, North Texas Giving Day is an 18-hour online giving event designed to empower citizens and businesses to give back to their community by supporting local nonprofits. The 2018 event took place on September 20 raising close to $50 million and donating more than 157,000 gifts to 2,690 organizations across North Texas.

ResponsiveEd is a non-profit corporation that operates more than 75 tuition-free public schools throughout Texas and Arkansas, including Premier High Schools, ResponsiveEd Classical Academies, Founders Classical Academies, Quest Academies, iSchool High, and iSchool Virtual Academy. ResponsiveEds mission is to provide hope to students through innovative, character-based, personalized learning environments. To learn more, visit www.ResponsiveEd.com.



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Friday, October 5 at 6 p.m.Clinton, S.C.14-3Friday, October 6 at 2:00 p.m.Charleston, S.C.32-7The High Point University volleyball team will continue conference play as it travels to South Carolina this weekend. The Panthers will go to Clinton, S.C. to play Presbyterian at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5 before going to Charleston, S.C. to face Charleston Southern at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6. The Panthers improved their overall record to 8-8 and their conference record to 4-1 with a 3-0 win over Campbell in the Millis Center on Tuesday, Oct. 2. Seniorleads High Point offensively with 2.80 kills per set (fifth in the Big South) and a .325 hitting percentage (third in the Big South). Defensively, sophomoreleads the way with 5.35 digs per set, which ranks first in the Big South. Livingston is ninth in the Big South with .80 blocks per set. Presbyterian comes into the match with a 6-9 overall record and a 4-1 Big South record, which is tied for first in the Big South. The Blue Hose dropped their match against Charleston Southern 2-3 Tuesday, Oct. 2 in Charleston, S.C. Sophomore Sydney De Jong is tops on the team and fifth in the Big South with a .303 hitting percentage, while freshman Erin Cooke leads the team with 2.52. De Jong is also the defensively leader ranking third in the Big South and first on the team with 1.12 blocks per set. Redshirt-junior leads the Blue Hose and is fourth in the Big South in digs per set at 4.38 Charleston Southern brings into Saturday's match with an 8-5 overall record and a 3-2 Big South mark after defeating Presbyterian 3-2 Tuesday, Oct. 2 in Charleston, S.C. The Buccaneers are currently fourth in the Big South. Redshirt-freshman Madison Malloch leads the Buccaneers and ranks sixth in the Big South in kills per set at 2.79, while senior Hannah Western is tops on the team and eighth in the Big South in hitting percentage at .276. Senior Madison Martin leads Charleston Southern defensively averaging 5.18 digs per set, which ranks second in the Big South. Junior Caitlyn Michalski is fifth in the Big South with .92 blocks per set. The Panthers will take a break from conference play as they travel to Johnson City, Tenn. to take on East Tennessee State. The match will be played Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m.#GoHPU
Researchers are attempting to figure out how to recover metals that are in limited supply in Europe from material that is often dumped or used in low-grade applications. They hope this metal recovery will also help to reduce the impact of industry on the environment.

Currently, most metals used in Europes industries are imported, which means supplies can be affected by instability in the countries where they are mined. They can also be subject to political decisions to restrict exports or to introduce tariffs such as those imposed on steel and aluminium by the US.

The CHROMIC project is aiming to change this dependence by looking to recover metals from waste and by-products that are already in the EU.

'We want to develop technologies that can help Europe to be more self-reliant for important metal resources in the future,' said Dr Liesbeth Horckmans, from the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) in Mol, Belgium, who is the project coordinator.

'Our idea is to make sure that we have our own supply, or at least part of it, so we can be more self-reliant.' Dr Liesbeth Horckmans, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Belgium

CHROMIC is focussing on a group of metals that are commonly used in everyday life  chromium, vanadium, molybdenum and niobium. All four metals are added to steel to make it more durable or increase its strength, but chromium is also a valuable chemical and pigment. Vanadium alloys are also ideal for making bicycle frames and gears, while niobium is used in prosthetics and pacemakers due to its hypoallergenic properties. Molybdenum is found in military armour, aircraft parts and fertilisers.

Around 45% of chromium, however, is brought into Europe from abroad while 100% of the other three metals are imported from South Africa, Brazil, the US, China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkey. But each of these metals are found in significant amounts in industrial by-products that are often discarded in the EU.

'We are focussing on steel slags (stony waste matter), stainless steel slags and ferrochrome slags,' said Dr Horckmans. At present, the team is looking at new slags being produced, although they have considered opening up old industrial landfill sites as well.

Extraction

Extracting metals from industrial residue isnt easy though. The metals are present as fine particles that need to be separated out from the rest of the waste. Dr Horckmans and her team are developing a number of methods to remove them, including using magnetic fields to pull out metallic particles and water to dissolve the metal so it can then be recovered from the solution.

'We are developing a new process based on a combination of novel and existing technologies where we can recover metallic particles (from some of the slags) that can be reintroduced directly into the steel process,' said Dr Horckmans.

From the sources they are investigating, the team think their technologies could recover around 91,000 tonnes of these metals a year, equivalent to 5-10% of the EU's annual use. But the techniques could be applied to other types of industrial slag waste, such as incinerator ashes, to boost their quantities.

In addition, Dr Horckmans and her colleagues are looking at how to repurpose the material left behind after they have extracted the metal. Metals typically make up less than 5% of the waste, so the whole process would not be sustainable if the rest is not reused as well, said Dr Horckmans.

Metal-containing slags are already used in the construction industry as aggregates in concrete or asphalt, for example, so the remaining waste could be put to similar uses. But the material left behind after the metal is removed will be made up of finer grains, whereas the original slags are lumpy.

The team has developed a way of making bricks from this material by shaping them into rectangular blocks and using carbon dioxide to create a reaction that cements the particles together. 'Its one of the applications we want to test,' said Dr Horckmans.

The project typifies a movement known as the circular economy, which aims to reuse discarded and waste materials for new purposes.

Second life

Another project with a similar goal is targeting different metals. The METGROW+ project is aiming to recover nickel, zinc and copper from sludges and residues left over from the production of metals such as stainless steel and zinc.

They are also interested in less common metals such as indium, gallium, germanium, cobalt and chromium, some of which are used to make computers, electronics and batteries.

'What we are trying to develop isnt specifically for one material stream,' said project coordinator Dr Paivi Kinnunen from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in Espoo. Instead, they have selected waste streams that are found across Europe, so that their results can be widely used.

The team is developing new technologies that can be combined with existing processes to extract metals in an economically feasible way. The metal content of the waste sources is very low and several different treatments are often required to retrieve it. They are now conducting several pilots in Finland, Poland, Belgium and Spain to test the different techniques on various low-grade material sludges.

We are trying to get the best combination of different technologies, said Dr Kinnunen.

If the team is successful, the results could be game-changing. Europe currently imports almost 100% of its indium supply, for example, and the researchers think they could produce 80% of it from the sources they are targeting. For gallium, they should be able to extract 30% of the required supply.

I think there is huge potential, said Dr Kinnunen.

The leftover material, which would normally end up in landfill, will also be given a second life. So far, they are investigating if it can be used to create construction materials by turning it into a substance similar to cement.

The research in this article was funded by the EU. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.
Photos by David Blanchette Democratic incumbent Sue Scherer and Republican challenger Herman Senor.

Organized labor will have a friend in the State Capitol no matter who wins the 96th District state representative race on Nov. 6.



Democratic incumbent Sue Scherer of Decatur was a longtime union member and contract negotiator, and Republican challenger Herman Senor of Springfield has been a Teamsters Union member for more than 20 years.

Herman Senor poses in his childhood home in Springfield by a portrait of his father, Clarence L. Senor.

Sue Scherer with volunteers in the downtown Springfield campaign office she shares with State Senator Andy Manar.

Photo by Joseph Copley Gary Pierce, write-in candidate

I embrace it. Ive been a union member and the union has been very good to me and my family, said the 57-year-old Senor, the Springfield Ward 2 alderman and a 30-year employee of the Illinois Department of Transportation. Thats just something that is a part of me and it is one thing that kind of separates me from the crowd, that I am a union member and I am a Republican, and a black Republican at that.Senor also doesnt see eye-to-eye with his Republican colleagues on the U.S. Supreme Courts Janus decision regarding fair share union membership.If you get to take advantage of something thats out there and dont have to pay for it, I dont think thats the premise that our country is made on, Senor said. If you are a part of something and you get the benefit, there should be some buy-in from you. No matter what we do, there are no free rides.The 62-year-old Scherer, seeking her fourth term as 96th District state representative, is also not a fan of the Janus decision.It concerns me, I see a lot of unions not getting the support that they need from the government, Scherer said. I dont see whats wrong with a group of people standing up to be treated humanely.Scherer was a teacher for 34 years in Maroa-Forsyth and Decatur public schools, was a member of the Illinois Education Association and served as the local unions chief contract negotiator for many years. She has a family history of union activism going back two generations.My dad was the financial secretary for the machinists union at the Norfolk and Western Railroad, Scherer said. My grandfather was part of the organizing group when they started unionizing, and he told us they would hold hands and make a line, and one time he had someone stick a rifle in his belly. And he wouldnt move, he said, No, Im staying here, because this is the right thing to do.Scherer and Senor also have similar, pro-life views on abortion.I am pro-life with the exceptions of incest and the life and health of the mother, Scherer said.Senor criticized Gov. Bruce Rauner for signing House Bill 40 that allows state funds to pay for abortions in certain cases. I cant tell a woman what to do with her body because I dont know how she feels, Ive never carried a baby, Senor said. But I dont believe it is right for the public to pay for a private decision that a woman makes.Senor and Scherer live at opposite ends of the 96th District that includes most of Decatur, parts of east and central Springfield, Rochester and northern Christian County.Senor grew up in Springfield and was the second youngest of eight children. His late father, Clarence L. Senor, was a Springfield fireman and his mother, Peggy Senor, held several jobs and raised the children. Senors mother continues to reside in the familys 16th Street home in Springfield. Senor attended Iles Elementary School, Jefferson Middle School, Springfield High School and Coastal Carolina University. He served four years in the U.S. Navy and has worked for the Illinois Department of Transportation since 1988.Senor has been married for 34 years to his college sweetheart, Valeria Hickman Senor, and they have three grown children.Scherer grew up in Decatur and has extended family members from Springfield. She received her undergraduate degree from Illinois State University and a masters from Eastern Illinois University. In addition to a lifetime of teaching, Scherer did consulting work and instructed people who were returning to the education field.Scherer has four children ranging in age from 28 to 38 and two grandchildren.Scherers initial run for state representative in 2012 began with a discussion she had with a fellow educator during a last day of school teacher breakfast about the districts open seat.We talked about the fact that they needed a regular person in there, and the other teacher said, I think Im going to run, and I thought that was an outlandish idea for someone to run who wasnt already in the political arena, Scherer said. I pledged to help and support her, but by the end of breakfast she said she wasnt going to run. So then my wheels started turning and I thought maybe I should be the one to run.Scherer did her research and spoke to the Democratic Party chairs of Macon and Sangamon County. She also had an eye-opening discussion with Christian County Democratic Chair Jack Mazzotti.He held nothing back. He said, Do you know what you are getting into? Do you know how much work youre going to have to do? Do you know how many hours you are going to have to knock on doors? Scherer said. I dont know whether I didnt believe him or just didnt think it would be that bad.Senors sister is former Sangamon County Circuit Clerk Candice Trees, the first black executive officer in Sangamon County.We are very proud of that, and she has been very influential and helpful in my campaign, Senor said. Irv Smith (former Sangamon County Republican chair) used to be our principal at Iles School and I swam for Irv back in the 1960s at the YMCA. We used to have a Jerome Irwin Republican Club. There were a lot of people who were good people who have helped me formulate who I am today.My father told me, If you see something, dont complain about it, get out and try to make it better, Senor said.Senor has been Springfields Ward 2 Alderman for three years and had previously served as an appointed Capital Township Trustee.Both candidates feel they have demonstrated an ability to work with people in either political party and eschew the partisanship that seems to thwart progress at the Capitol.Its not them versus us, Scherer said. (Republican Representative) Bill Mitchell and I went to the same high school and he told me in the beginning, Sue, you are going to find that you and I vote very similarly. Well be on the same side more than we will be on opposite sides.When it came to the budget, taxes and all that, we were getting nowhere letting the leaders try to handle this, Scherer said. So we started a small group of Democrats and Republicans and we started meeting for dinner, or wed go for a walk at Washington Park, just different ways of getting together and thats when we really talked about how we were going to get things done.Scherer said theres no love lost between Governor Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan, but behind the scenes, lawmakers from both parties have forged lasting friendships. She and Republican Representative Dan Brady have helped each other on constituent matters, including some that still make her smile.Dan had a lady doing a church scavenger hunt and she would get 100 bonus points if she could get picture of a Democrat and a Republican sitting down playing a board game, Scherer said. I had to go to Chicago anyway the next day, so we met by the Route 66 sign in Towanda and we played Connect 4, and the lady got her picture.Senor said hes worked with his fellow aldermen on the city council to get things accomplished and will bring that spirit of cooperation to the Capitol if elected.Our country is a melting pot and you have to make a pledge to work with everybody when you are a representative, you have to be able to reach across the aisle and come to a conclusion that is amicable to both sides, Senor said. No matter what we do we never get 100 percent of anything. I have learned to work with people and come to conclusions, because its not for you, its for the good of the people that you represent.Senor said some of Illinois partisan difficulties may stem from having a governor who doesnt do things the way theyve always been done.I think Bruce Rauner has been a good governor because he has shined a light on some things that have been going on, Senor said. Change is hard but some change is inevitable, and when you start doing things differently it causes people to step back and say, I never knew thats how it was, maybe it needs to be changed.Springfield Ward 10 Alderman Ralph Hanauer has seen his Second Ward counterpart in action.Working with Herman Senor for the past term . . . he has shown his dedication to his constituents needs and concerns, Hanauer said. He is not afraid to ask questions regarding ordinances that come before the council, especially if it may cause a financial impact to his constituents.Senor hopes to focus on youth and senior citizen issues if elected.I think there is a vast need for programs for younger people with an emphasis on retaining our younger population, Senor said. We can get people more involved in our community because when you buy in you have a sense of accomplishment. We always need to make sure that young people have a sense of belonging and acceptance. So instead of people looking for reasons to leave, they will find reasons to stay.Last summer within a 10-day time frame we had three young people get killed in Springfield. From that I thought there might be some state funding or programs that pay attention to our youth, and I dont think that has happened, Senor said. Decatur is kind of the same way. It is a mirror image of Springfield in certain areas. I just think there needs to be more emphasis put on programs and jobs for our younger people.Senor also thinks the state needs to figure ways to keep more older people in the state and discover the reasons why, besides the weather, many senior citizens leave their home state of Illinois once they retire.Former teacher Scherer points to the education reform sponsored by her Democratic colleague, Sen. Andy Manar, as a major focus of her legislative career. She also thinks its critical that the state reduce its backlog of unpaid bills.When I came in we were paying our backlog of bills down and we were going at a good clip. At the end of Governor Quinns administration it was down to $5 or $6 billion, Scherer said. Now its at $16 billion. It took a lot of work to get that backlog down, to make those cuts so were not paying all of that interest.To me this is a no-brainer. You borrow the money to pay back at three percent so you can pay your bills that you are paying 12 to 15 percent on, Scherer said. We couldnt even get the governor to agree with that.Scherer is chair of the new Business Incentives for Local Communities Committee in the House, which is looking at ways to improve the states business climate. She said one thing she has learned from the input the committee has received is that the states Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credit isnt an effective economic development tool.The EDGE tax credit isnt suitable for the year 2018, Scherer said. EDGE is a credit if you are increasing the number of workers. It sounds like a great deal, but the problem now especially in high-tech businesses is that they will not always hire more workers, but they will upgrade their existing workforce by hiring more technology-savvy workers and pay them a better salary. These moves improve the lives of people but maybe dont add new numbers of jobs.Scherer also wants to focus on overriding the governors amendatory veto of legislation she sponsored, House Bill 4710 ,which addresses the issue of college credit card debt, which she said compounds the problem of college student loan debt.Both Scherer and Senor consider themselves pro-Second Amendment. The National Rifle Associations (NRA) candidate ratings for the November election give former educator Scherer a B on an A-through-F grading scale. The NRA has Senor listed as a question mark because he had not returned the organizations candidate questionnaire before the rankings were published.Scherer had received a higher grade from the NRA in the past, but she said recent school shootings and her reaction to them have caused her rating to dip slightly.When the school shootings happened I started hearing from a lot of other constituents that are not NRA members pushing for the other side, Scherer said. The district is very divided on this, but what I mainly heard from people, not organizations, is that we need to be able to keep our guns. So my votes are still very much pro-Second Amendment with common sense added.It appears the NRA has gone too far to one edge, so I ask my constituents what they think is the right thing for our district, Scherer said. Thats how I decided to vote on mental illness issues related to guns, some of the waiting periods, and mom-and-pop firearms dealers versus big chain stores.Senor said more gun control measures arent the answer.Our Constitution allows people to buy and carry guns in a lawful manner, Senor said. We have all of these laws in place yet they arent stopping someone from going out and obtaining a gun illegally.We need more social services, we need people to pay more attention in our schools and communities, Senor said. We also need more outlets for younger people, because a lot of things our young people do they do because they are bored, and one thing leads to another and they are doing something they shouldnt be doing.Neither Senor nor Scherer are receiving an abundance of state political party contributions to help fund their races, and both are believers in going door-to-door to meet voters.Macon County Democratic Party Chair Jim Underwood has known Scherer for many years and his wife and children had Scherer as a teacher.Shes passionate about the issues, and one-on-one shes excellent at connecting with voters, Underwood said. One of the strengths is her door-to-door effort that she makes every time she is up for election, and in fact she even walks doors on years when shes not up for election.She has to continue what shes been doing, get her message out, keep knocking on doors, and I think people really respect her for that, Underwood said.Senors campaign philosophy is also simple.Get out as much as I can, meet people, and let them get to know Herman Senor and where I stand, Senor said.Gary Pierce, write-in candidateGary Pierce of Springfield is a write-in candidate for the 96th District State Representative seat and is optimistic about his chances.A lot of people in Springfield and Decatur know me from my church and youth work, Pierce said. I think I will be the one to get more votes than both other candidates because Im representing all of the people.Pierce, who is African-American, is an alcohol and substance abuse counselor and ordained minister who has tried unsuccessfully as a Republican and a write-in candidate for the representatives seat in the past.I ran as a write-in candidate when they first opened the district, then I ran in the 2016 primary and was beaten by Cindy D. Wolfer, who later dropped out of the general election, Pierce said. They interviewed me to replace her, but the chairmen for Macon and Christian counties rebuffed me. After that, in 2016 I resigned as Republican precinct committeeman, and decided to run as a write-in candidate in the 2018 general election.Pierce is distributing fliers and yard signs that graphically show voters how to properly enter his name on the ballot so their votes will count.Pierce cited gun violence, youth activities, the opioid epidemic, job creation, infrastructure improvements, and curbing illegal immigration as his top priorities. He was been married for 31 years and has four children.They keep doing the same things at the Capitol and nothing is happening, so they need some different approaches, Pierce said. We need to stop beating around the bush, we need to make some changes. I feel like I would be the better advocate overall. David Blanchette
As a freelance writer, I enjoy writing about an eclectic range of topics  health and fitness, nutrition, museums, travel, advocacy, government, local businesses, community leaders, wedding planning, programs for kids, activities for seniors and interesting people, places and organizations. Recently, I was asked to write about two seemingly different topics: the Sacred Heart Convent Chapel and a Green Symposium about innovations in sustainable design. I did not expect to find something profound that they had in common.



I interviewed Sister Beth Murphy, communications director for the Dominican Sisters, about the upcoming celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Sacred Heart Convent Chapel(next page). It was my first visit to the chapel, which is stunningly beautiful and impressive. Murphy told me, Spaces we occupy deeply influence who we are. This beautiful space has informed our life and prayer of the Dominican Sisters for the last 50 years. Just two days later I was at the Green Symposium at University of Illinois Springfield, listening to the keynote speaker who is the founder of WORKSHOP Architects. He remarked: The environments we create impact the lives of people in them. He defines a socially fit place as one that strengthens healthy relations and promotes a sense of equity, inclusion and belonging. He delivered a compelling case that the environments we create through building design impact the lives of the people within them. I was struck by the similarity in perspective between Sister Beth Murphy and the founder of WORKSHOP Architects, the designer of the UIS Student Union. I have written previously about the science of awe and the profound impact that being immersed in nature can have on people (See Illinois Times, Capital City Senior, Sept. 15, 2016). A lot has also been written about the powerful impact of architectural design.



Collin Ellard is a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Waterloo in Canada who says he works at the intersection of psychology and architectural and urban design and studies how your brain and body respond to different kinds of settings. Ellard says psychogeography is the study of the relationship between the places we move through in our everyday life and the effects those places have on our minds. In 2017 he wrote a book, Places of the Heart: The Psychogeopraphy of Everyday Life. Summarizing his book, he says:

Our surroundings can powerfully affect our thoughts, emotions and physical responses, whether were awed by the Grand Canyon or Hagia Sophia, panicked in a crowded room, soothed by a walk in the park, or tempted in casinos and shopping malls. Places of the Heart explores how our homes, workplaces, cities and nature  places we escape to and cant escape from  have influenced us throughout history, and how our brains and bodies respond to different types of real and virtual space. By investigating what science has gained from new technologies, the book assesses the influence these developments will have on our evolving environment and asks what kind of world we are, and should be, creating.A report published in 2008 by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment in the United Kingdom says:The quality of buildings and spaces has a strong influence on the quality of peoples lives. Decisions about the design, planning and management of places can enhance or restrict a sense of belonging. They can increase or reduce feelings of security, stretch or limit boundaries, promote or reduce mobility, and improve or damage health. They can remove real and imagined barriers between communities and foster understanding and generosity of spirit.Sarah Williams Goldhagen, an architecture critic who taught at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, published a book in 2017: Welcome to Your World: How the Built Environment Shapes our Lives. She says, Given what we now know about human cognition and perception, the built environments we inhabit are drastically more important than we ever thought they were.There is increasing scientific research on how the environment shapes us and our lives. See the two articles in this issue of lllinois Times (on pages 15 and 18) for a sense of how two significant but very different buildings in Springfield were designed to impact the people who would use them  the UIS Student Union and the Dominican Sisters Sacred Heart Convent Chapel. Then take time to consider how your home, work environment, community and spaces you frequent impact your mood and shape your life.
Photo courtesy sacred heart convent Sacred Heart Convent Chapel is in its glory when the entire congregation gathers for community meetings and celebrations like this one in 2016.

Youve likely driven by the Sacred Heart Convent Chapel many times without realizing you are passing by an architectural gem filled with spectacular stained glass. The Sacred Heart Convent, on West Monroe Street between Amos and Lincoln avenues, is the motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield and retirement home for their senior sisters. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Sacred Heart Convent Chapel, the Dominican Sisters are sharing this spectacular chapel with the public. A full day of activities, including chapel tours, exhibits, childrens activities, a lecture about the art and architecture of the chapel and evening prayer service are planned for Sunday, Oct. 7.



If you are interested in art, stained glass, architecture, local history, contemplative and beautiful spaces or want to learn more about the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, take time on Oct. 7 to experience this hidden gem which is rarely open to the public. Sister Beth Murphy, OP, is director of communications for the Dominican Sisters. She says, Our chapel was completed in 1968 and is a magnificent example of liturgical art and architecture inspired by the theology of the Second Vatican Council. It is a joy to be able to share our sacred space with the public. We hope many people of all faiths will feel welcome to join us for this special day.

Photo courtesy sacred heart convent Detail from the Rosary mosaic in the chapels sanctuary. Mosaics were designed by Deprato Studios, Chicago, and executed in Pietrasanta on the northern coast of Tuscany. They were shipped in numbered sections and assembled on-site by Deprato crafts

Spaces we occupy deeply influence who we are, says Murphy. This beautiful space has informed our life and prayer of the Dominican Sisters for the last 50 years. Upon entering the chapel with its 40-foot vaulted ceiling, the light reflecting through the magnificent stained glass windows provides an immediate impression of beauty and a sense of place for contemplation. Each of the windows is unique. Within the seemingly abstract stained glass windows are stories and symbols that relate to the four pillars of Dominican tradition: prayer, study, preaching and community life. Some of the topics depicted in the windows are charity, humility, meditation, sacrifice, acceptance, strength and fraternal life.

The chapel is a majestic setting for 4,000 square feet of sculptured, slab glass windows in 43 different bays, designed by the prolific French glass artist Gabriel Loire, who died in 1996 at the age of 92. Loire designed windows for more than 800 churches and secular buildings worldwide with more than 250 in the U.S. The Sacred Heart Convent Chapel is among the largest of Loires churches in the U.S. Loire was one of the most prolific glass artists of the 20th century during his 74-year career. He founded the Loire Studio in Chartres, France, which is still in operation.Loires windows in the Sacred Heart Convent Chapel reflect the values and virtues of Dominican life. Loires daughter was a Dominican nun, and this relationship inspired Loire to take on this project for the Dominican Sisters of Springfield. Says Murphy, Loire took his knowledge of the Dominican Sisters and poured it into the design of the stained glass in our chapel.Marble and Venetian glass mosaics, designed by Lawrence Campbell at the Daprato Studio in Pietrasanta, Italy, are other remarkable artistic features of the chapel. The mosaic behind the altar depicts Dominican saints. Embedded in the mosaics are the words Pro Mundi Vita For the Life of the World, and Ora Pro Nobis Pray for Us.There are no theater-style pews facing the altar of the chapel. Designed in the monastic tradition where psalms are sung and verses chanted alternately from side to side, the seats on the left and right sides of the chapel face each other.John Shafer is a Springfield architect and president of Shafer Architects. He says the Sacred Heart Convent complex is very well done with a high level of craftsmanship. The design has its roots in the International Style, but I like to think of the complex as a midcentury modern design. The design vocabulary is modern, with quality materials and details and enough traditional elements to make the complex functional as well as beautiful. The architects were Hadley and Worthington of Springfield. In addition to the chapel, I particularly like the courtyards and the arcades, along with that wonderful serpentine brick wall along Monroe Street.Loire was known to say La paix donne la joie (Peace gives joy). Sister Beth Murphy says her own appreciation of the beauty and symbolism of the stained glass in the chapel has continued to grow over the many years shes been a part of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield. She looks forward to sharing the joy of this chapel with the public on Oct. 7.1237 W. Monroe Street, SpringfieldFree, donations welcomedExhibits open 11 a.m.  3 p.m.Chapel tours at 11:15 a.m., noon, 12:45 p.m.,1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3:00 p.m.Preregistration for tours is recommended but not required5:30  6:15 p.m.Reading Light: The Art and Architecture ofSacred Heart Convent ChapelPresentation by Anthony Rubano, project director, Illinois Historic Preservation OfficeDoors open at 5:15 p.m.; light hors doeuvres providedPreregistration recommended but not required6:30 p.m.Solemn Evening PrayerVisitors are welcome to join in the singing, chanting and responses during the 30-minute prayer service, or simply sit and soak in the beauty and surroundings of the chapel.For more information and to register, go tohttp://springfieldop.org/open-house-tickets/
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More than 1,500 law professors across the country have signed a letter opposing the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, including 38 professors representing all four law schools in Indiana.

The letter, delievered to the U.S. Senate Thursday afternoon, says Kavanaugh does not have the "impartiality and judicial temperament requisite to sit on the highest court of the land."

The Senate is expected to vote to close discussion about Kavanaugh on Friday morning. If that vote passes, the final vote would likely take place over the weekend.

The professors signing the letter have "differing views about the other qualifications of Judge Kavanaugh," and focus on his demeanor during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last week in which Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, his accurser, testified.

Read More: Young Says FBI's Kavanaugh Investigation Shows 'No Evidence Of Misconduct'

"Judge Kavanaugh exhibited a lack of commitment to judicious inquiry. Instead of being open to the necessary search for accuracy, Judge Kavanaugh was repeatedly aggressive with questioners," the letter says. "Instead of trying to sort out with reason and care the allegations that were raised, Judge Kavanaugh responded in an intemperate, inflammatory, and partial manner, as he interrupted and, at times, was discourteous to questioners."

The letter says Kavanaugh's lack of judicial temperament would disqualify him from serving in any court, "and certainly for elevation to the highest court of this land."

Kavanaugh continues to deny all allegations of sexual misconduct.

Read the complete letter:

Open Letter to the United States Senate from Law Professors Around the Country Judicial temperament is one of the most important qualities of a judge. As the Congressional Research Service explains, to be a judge requires that an individual have a personality that is evenhanded, unbiased, impartial, courteous yet firm, and dedicated to a process, not a result. [1] The concern for judicial temperament dates back to our founding; in Federalist Paper 78, entitled Judges as Guardians of the Constitution, Alexander Hamilton expressed the need for the integrity and moderation of the judiciary. We are law professors who teach, research, and write about the judicial institutions of this country. Many of us appear in state and federal court, and our work means that we will continue to do so, including before the United States Supreme Court. We regret that we feel compelled to write to you to provide our views that at the Senate hearings on Thursday, September 27, 2018, the Honorable Brett Kavanaugh displayed a lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for any court, and certainly for elevation to the highest court of this land. The question at issue was of course painful for anyone. But Judge Kavanaugh exhibited a lack of commitment to judicious inquiry. Instead of being open to the necessary search for accuracy, Judge Kavanaugh was repeatedly aggressive with questioners. Even in his prepared remarks, Judge Kavanaugh located the hearing as a partisan question, referring to it as a calculated and orchestrated political hit, rather than acknowledging the need for the Senate, faced with new information, to try to understand what had transpired. Instead of trying to sort out with reason and care the allegations that were raised, Judge Kavanaugh responded in an intemperate, inflammatory, and partial manner, as he interrupted and, at times, was discourteous to questioners. As you know, under two statutes governing bias and recusal, judges must step aside if they are at risk of being perceived as or of being unfair. See 28 U.S.C.  144, 455. As this Congress has put it, a judge or justice shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned. 28 USC  455. These statutes are part of a myriad of legal commitments to the impartiality of the judiciary, which is the cornerstone of the courts. We have differing views about the other qualifications of Judge Kavanaugh. But we are united, as professors of law and scholars of judicial institutions, in believing that Judge Kavanaugh did not display the impartiality and judicial temperament requisite to sit on the highest court of our land.



Signed, with institutional affiliation listed for identification purposes only, [See all signatories on the New York Times. See Indiana signatories below, as listed on the New York Times] [1] See Congressional Research Service, Supreme Court Appointment Process: Presidents Selection of a Nominee, June 27, 2018, at 12 (available at https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44235.pdf) (citing Miller Center of Public Affairs, Improving the Process of Appointing Federal Judges at 10 (Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia, May 1996)).

Signatories from law schools in Indiana:

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law

Cynthia M. Adams, Clinical Professor of Law

Jeffrey O. Cooper, Associate Professor of Law

James D. Dimitri, Clinical Professor of Law

Jennifer A. Drobac, R. Bruce Townsend Professor of Law

John S. Grimes, Professor of Law & Director of the Center for Int'l and Comparative Law

Max Huffman, Professor of Law

Deborah B. McGregor, Clinical Professor of Law

Seema Mohapatra, Associate Professor of Law

Xuan-Thao Nguyen, Gerald L. Bepko Chair in Law

Florence Wagman Roisman, William F. Harvey Professor of Law and Chancellor's Professor

Nicolas Terry, Professor of Law

Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Daniel H. Cole, Professor of Law and Public & Environmental Affairs

Pamela Foohey, Associate Professor of Law

Luis Fuentes-Rohwer, Professor of Law

Charles Geyh, John F. Kimberling Professor of Law

Dawn Johnsen, Walter W. Foskett Professor of Law

Leandra Lederman, William W. Oliver Professor of Tax Law

H. Timothy Lovelace, Jr., Professor of Law

Sophia C. Goodman, Professor of Law

Dr. Jody Lynee Madeira, Professor of Law

Donna M. Nagy, C. Ben Dutton Professor of Law

Christina Ochoa, Professor of Law

Aviva Orenstein, Professor of Law

Jennifer Prusak, Associate Clinical Professor of Law

Victor D. Quintanilla, Professor of Law

Steve Sanders, Associate Professor of Law

John A. Scanlan, Professor Emeritus

Jeffrey Evans Stake, Professor of Law

James Alexander Tanford, Professor Emeritus

Carwina Weng, Clinical Professor of Law

Deborah Widiss, Professor of Law

Indiana University Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies

Shruti Rana, Professor of International Law Practice

Notre Dame Law School

Mark P. McKenna, John P Murphy Foundation Professor of Law

Christine Venter, Teaching Professor

Valparaiso University School of Law

Laura Dooley, Professor of Law

Edward McGlynn Gaffney, Jr., Professor of Law Emeritus

Bethany R. Lesniewski, Associate Professor of Law

Susan P. Stuart, Professor Emerita of Law
A southern Indiana city is looking into what it would take to create a train 'quiet zone' throughout its downtown corridor.

Train traffic follows many federal regulations to ensure safety. But Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop says a horn wail at 3 in the morning comes at a cost to residents and visitors.

"I mean the Hotel Indigo here is right next to the tracks and even today we have anecdotal information that indicates that if you book a room there, you want to be on the east side of the hotel," Lienhoop says.

The city is looking at enhancing the safety guidelines of four downtown crossings in order to eliminate the train horn requirement.

The city hired a consultant to look at the regulatory framework at the State Road 46, Fifth, Eigth and 11th Street crossings.

"They say if you want this, this is what you have to do and then well have to make a determination to whether or not its worth it," Lienhoop says.

Lienhoop says the city expects the upgrades to cost nearly $800,000.
Hoosiers hoping to travel during the upcoming Indiana University fall break weekend should plan extra time to navigate the Indianapolis airport. The Indianapolis Airport Authority is warning travelers of increased traffic on October 5 and 8.

The airport is asking anyone planning to fly this weekend to arrive early.

Aaron Batt is the Transportation Security Administrations federal security director with coverage of Indiana. He says the airport is expecting an 8-percent increase in traffic from fall break last year.

Batt says the highest traffic is expected for early flights, between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m.

For example, this upcoming Friday we see 2,500 people going through in just the 5 to 6 hour timeframe, Batt says.

He says the normal number of travelers in that hour is closer to 1,600.

Batt says most travelers expect longer lines around Thanksgiving and Christmas. He says the advisory is to alert them the same problems can happen around fall break and other school holidays.

Give yourself a little bit of extra time and arrive a little earlier than you normally would, Batt says. We recommend two hours ahead of time.

A press release says approximately 16,000 people are expected to pass through the airport on both October 5 and 8.
Indigenous people are fiercely guarding their lands in the Amazon against deforestation and studies say there is less deforestation where these tribes still live. They could be just the lifeline the struggling forest needs.

Credit: Sam Eaton/The World Claudio da Silva and the Guajajara Guardians of the Forest ride up the Caru River to investigate a report of illegal cutting on Guajajara land.

If we go looking in our territory, we always find illegal things going on, da Silva says before we leave. And sure enough, as we make our way up the river in speedboats, da Silva spots a dugout canoe on the bank on the Guajajara side. We pull up alongside it, jump out and move quickly up a narrow path into the dense forest. There are fresh machete cuts in the brush. And then we hear the sound of mens voices coming toward us. The guardians crouch down for an ambush, their rifles loaded.

A member of the Guardians alerts da Silva about a boat on the side of the river. Da Silva runs toward the sound of voices coming from the forest. The Guajajara find three boys, who confess to cutting virgin timber for charcoal.

The Guardians shout commands as three boys appear, with barking dogs at their heels. Soon, the boys are kneeling, with hands behind their heads. Theyre from the settlement across the river. The youngest is 14; the other two are in their 20s. They confess to cutting virgin timber to make charcoal, a valuable product in this impoverished region of Brazil. The guardians eventually send the boys back to their homes across the river with a warning to the others: Dont come back. This is a war, da Silva says. The invaders want confrontation. The hunters, the loggers, the farmers, theyre all armed. We can die at any time.

Credit: Sam Eaton/The World Guardians assemble before heading out to investigate a report of an illegal marijuana farm. Their job is dangerous: more than 140 people have been killed in Brazil defending land since 2015.

Da Silva isnt exaggerating. Brazil has become the deadliest country in the world for land defenders like him, with more than 140 people killed since 2015. And Maranhao, where the Guajajara live, is perhaps the most dangerous part of the country, with more attacks on Indigenous groups here in 2016 than anywhere else. Just after this visit, the body of one of da Silvas fellow guardians from an Indigenous territory just south of here was found dumped along a riverbank. Da Silva himself says he has received dozens of death threats. But for him, its worth the risk. For the Indigenous, our wealth is the forest, he says. Its not gold or whatever else is there. What we want is the forest itself. Its a wealth that extends far beyond the Guajajaras land and even the rest of the Amazon. Indigenous groups protecting their forests are providing an invaluable service for all of us: helping soften the impact of climate change. Fifty-six percent of the carbon dioxide we are throwing into the atmosphere is removed back to the ocean, and to the forest, says Carlos Nobre, Brazils leading climatologist. This is a tremendous ecosystem service. Very few people have a vague idea what that means, or even of its existence. Or the fact that deforestation may be driving the entire Amazon, and the services it provides to all of us, to an alarming tipping point. After decades of sucking up huge amounts of CO2 pollution from the atmosphere, the process seems to have stopped and maybe even reversed. If thats happened, or when it does, that would mean the end of one of the planets most powerful buffers against even more dangerous climate change. So, if we lose even part of that, that means that we have to find ways to remove carbon and also, to decrease emissions from fossil fuel much more rapidly, Nobre says.

Credit: Sam Eaton/The World The Caru River cuts through the land and shows the pristine forest of the Indigenous lands in stark contrast with the deforested area on the opposite bank.

Many activists say Indigenous groups like the Guajajara are the last, best hope for saving the Amazon and other tropical forests. And theres evidence to back that up. Numerous scientific studies have found that the best way to protect forests is to empower the people who live in them, granting them land rights and legal standing. When Indigenous people live in the forests, deforestation rates remain low, which results in carbon sequestration and cleaner water. But its a David-vs-Goliath battle. Protected Indigenous lands cover nearly a quarter of the Amazon. But powerful economic forces are testing tribes like the Guajajaras resolve  from big ag, mining and logging  to the global demand for meat and soy. And the extractive industries have allies in the Brazilian government. Congressman Nilson Leitao is a leader in the powerful agribusiness lobby, called the ruralistas. Leitao says Brazil shouldnt be protecting Native lands from modern enterprise. Brazils debt with the Indian is not over land, he says. Under his leadership, the ruralistas and their ally, President Michel Temer, have stopped the process for creating new Indigenous reserves, defunded the agency charged with protecting the rights of Indigenous people and are pushing to open existing Indigenous territories to agribusiness and mining. Most Indians live on government grants. Instead, they should be able to exploit their land, and make money, Leitao says. Brazils Indigenous groups generally see this rhetoric as self-serving. And theyre fighting back. Last spring, more than 3,000 Indigenous people descended on the capital, Brasilia for a week of rallies and marches. It was the largest Indigenous mobilization in Brazils history.

Credit: Sam Eaton/The World A member of the Guajajara tribe applies body paint in preparation for a protest.

Credit: Sam Eaton/The World A recent protest in the capital Brasilia was the largest gathering of Indigenous people in Brazil's history.

Weve always lived in a war in Brazil, says Sonia Guajajara, head of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil and a vice presidential candidate who helped organize the event. The colonization period was marked by deaths, murders and extermination, and this hasnt stopped. It requires our constant resistance. In the Caru Indigenous Territory, da Silva calls the regional office of the military police for backup. The guardians have discovered a possible marijuana plantation on their land. Confronting drug traffickers is the most dangerous kind of raid, da Silva says. The next day, eight heavily armed policemen arrive. Its most likely a rare show of support, da Silva says, because an American journalist is along for the ride. We enter the forest up the river and head up a path with assault rifles and bulletproof vests, checking for trip wires and booby traps. Before long, we find a planted field, but its not pot. Its cassava, planted by land-grabbers after they cleared the trees for charcoal. The guardians cut and burn the cassava. The forest will take decades to recover. Sometimes, when we see the trees cut down, we feel rage, da Silva says. But we also have a heart, so sometimes we pity the outsiders, too. They wrecked what they had and now they want to wreck what we have. This is why we keep fighting, so that this doesnt happen.
The suit alleged that US sanctions, which strengthened significantly in August, 90 days after President Donald Trumps withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, were illegal under the Treaty of Amity signed between Iran and the US in 1955, long before the Islamist takeover of Iranian government.

A second round of sanctions that were suspended under the nuclear deal is set to go back into effect on November 4, with the express intention of cutting off Iranian oil from most world markets.

The decision of the International Court of Justice has no serious bearing on that goal, but it theoretically relevant to both rounds of re-imposed sanctions. As explained in a report by the Washington Post, the ruling ordered that the US must remove or avoid any sanctions that restrict Irans access to humanitarian goods and services, including food staples and medical necessities.

However, the same report also notes that the ICJ wields no actual power to enforce its ruling, making the judgment little more than a diplomatic victory for Iran.

Whats more, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo endeavored to spin the assessment of the rulings impact, calling it a defeat rather than a victory for the Islamic Republic.

The ruling prompted the State Department to cancel the relevant 1955 treaty, a move that Pompeo said should have been undertaken nearly 40 years ago in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution and subsequent hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran.

As it stands, the treatys practical significance has been very limited over the course of those four decades. The hostage crisis marked the end of diplomatic relations between the two countries, effectively nullifying the treatys mutual safeguards on consular rights.

Other provisions of the treaty concern trade between the two countries, but this has remained practically non-existent, even while the US was still a party to the 2015 nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Agence France Presse notes that because of these longstanding conditions, there will be little actual effect from the State Departments announcement of American withdrawal from the Treaty of Amity. But the move may forestall further Iranian challenges to current and forthcoming sanctions, thereby robbing Tehran of additional diplomatic victories.

The treaty has previously been cited in multiple court cases between the two countries, but as in the current case, judgments have been unenforced and largely ignored by the losing party.

Pompeo did, however, say of the latest judgment that the US was disappointed with the ICJs judgement. He also dismissed Irans initiation of that case as frivolous, saying according to CBS News: Iran has attempted to interfere with the sovereign rights of the United States to take lawful actions as necessary to protect our national security and Iran is abusing the ICJ for political and propaganda purposes.

Given Irans history of terrorism, ballistic missile activity and other malign behaviors, Irans claims under the treaty are absurd, he added. But Pompeo also dismissed the ICJs ruling as redundant, noting that the American sanctions laws already make exceptions on humanitarian grounds.

Such claims cast doubt upon the theoretical effect of the ruling even in the event that the ICJ was able to enforce it. However, it appears that the scope of humanitarian exceptions for the court would be greater than those defined by the US government.

Makers of commercial aircraft and replacement equipment were among the few American businesses to attempt reentry into Iranian markets following the implementation of the JCPOA, and these would-be transactions were aggressively targeted by the Trump administration as it sought to extricate the US from the agreement and impose maximal pressure on the Islamic Republic.

But as the Washington Post pointed out, the 15-judge panel included civil aviation safety within the broader category of humanitarian needs for which the US should remove impediments.

The same report goes on to note that even if primary sanctions on the Islamic Republic comply with the UN-recommended restrictions, certain relevant goods could still be prevented from entering Iranian markets because the imposition of secondary sanctions on Irans private sector banks could make the trade effectively impossible.

It is precisely these secondary sanctions that stand to go back into effect in November, applying penalties to businesses in Europe and throughout the world that engage in trade with targeted Iranian entities. Additionally, several legitimately targeted entities such as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps have an active hand in numerous different sectors of the Iranian economy.

This speaks to additional criticisms that were levied by Secretary of State Pompeo in the wake of the ICJ ruling. Reuters quoted him as saying that the Iranian regime and its hardline institutions are squandering the wealth of the Iranian people, focusing on priorities like regional interference and ballistic missile development to the exclusion of some of the essential needs of the domestic population.

In this sense, Pompeo and other Trump administration officials have sought to portray themselves as defenders of Irans humanitarian interests while placing the blame for worsening socio-economic conditions squarely on the shoulders of the mullahs.

Crucially, Irans activist community seems to fully agree with this assessment, as evidenced by the past several months of anti-government protests, largely stemming from a mass uprising in December and January that was initially focused on worsening economic indicators.

The tone of that uprising and subsequent protests quickly became more political, however, with participants chanting provocative slogans like death to the dictator and death to [President] Rouhani.

The White House has repeatedly expressed support for those demonstrations while describing the Iranian people as the longest suffering victims of the clerical regime. And although the administration denies any intention to facilitate regime change, Trumps personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani spoke to a gathering of Iranian expatriates last week and said of the mullahs, They are going to be overthrown.

The people of Iran obviously have had enough.

Giuliani and National Security Advisor John Bolton have both spoken at the annual summer rallies of the National Council of Resistance of Iran outside Paris, and Bolton has used those speeches to insist that the declared policy of the United States should be regime change in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In his White House office, Bolton has publicly supported the more measured goals of the Trump administration, but he has also contributed greatly to that administrations assertiveness in dealing with Iran, addressing the Iranian leadership last week at a summit organized by United Against a Nuclear Iran to say, 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.

This was widely viewed as one in a series of tense turns in US-Iran relations  language that Defense News applied on Wednesday both to Pompeos withdrawal from the Treaty of Amity and to his apparent threat of reprisal against any harm to Americans or our diplomatic facilities whether perpetrated by Iranian forces or by associated proxies of elements of those militias.

Of course, Iran has contributed its own escalations in the ongoing war of words between the two governments, and statements by Iranian military and political officials have sometimes clearly underscored the reality of the threats that Pompeo warned against.

The regimes anti-Western rhetoric has been particularly pronounced in the wake of the September 22 attack on an IRGC-led military parade in the Iranian city of Ahvaz, which officials blamed on the US, Israel, and regional Arab countries, without citing any evidence to support the allegation.

On Monday, the IRGC launched missile and drone strikes on what it claimed were terrorist assets in eastern Syria, but much of the media coverage of that incident described it as intending to send a message to Western adversaries.

By Wednesday, the Iranian regime had effectively dropped the pretense of calling that strike retaliation against the Ahvaz terrorists, suggesting instead that the missile launch was motivated at least in part by John Boltons UANI speech.

Newsweek quoted Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council, as saying, John Bolton said we should take you seriously; [Amir Ali] Hajizadeh, commander of the Aerospace Forces, took you seriously and landed a rocket within three miles of you. The remark was made in reference to the fact that US military forces were within three miles of the strike zone on Monday.

While the proximity of that strike highlights the possibility of Irans military or paramilitary forces striking out against Western personnel or allies directly, a report at Business Insider noted that those Iranian forces remain reliant on outmoded and unreliable military technology in the midst of an internationally enforced arms embargo. But this unreliability may actually increase the potential for Iran to escalate tensions through miscalculation or error.

The report pointed out that at least one of the missiles fired in Mondays strike failed to reach its target, instead crash landing on a farm inside Irans borders. IRGC officers had previously boasted of the relevant missiles range, but the misfire theoretically makes anything within that more than 700 mile range the target of either intentional or unintentional attack.

So far, however, each Iranian escalation has been clearly intentional, including missile threats, the ICJ lawsuit, and terror plots targeting the regimes enemies within Western territory. An editorial published on Wednesday by UPI characterized many of these escalations as part of an effort to divert attention away from the regimes own corruption and its adverse impact on the Iranian people.

And although early assessments of the ICJ ruling suggest it as advancing this goal, it is clear that the White House is already responding with further efforts to highlight that which Tehran is working to conceal.
The French government reached the decision that the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS), specifically deputy minister and director general of intelligence Saeid Hashemi Moghadam, had ordered the attack on Paris on June 30, according to a French diplomatic source.

This was first discovered by the Security and Anti-terrorism Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) on July 11, who said that the decisions about these attacks go right to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and cited that the MOIS had been involved.

The NCRI welcomed the French move, writing in a statement: This foils the efforts by the mullahs and their agents to portray this act of terrorism as an arbitrary measure by fictitious factions within the regime in a bid to whitewash the hands of Khamenei, Rouhani and Zarif in this regard.

It is no longer possible for Rouhani and Zarif to attribute the bombing to its victims, as if they were not responsible for the state-sponsored terrorism and were not part of the religious fascist regime in Tehran.

The Iranian Regime has been using domestic suppression and terrorism to create chaos and maintain their rule for 40 years and the Iranian Resistance has been warning about it for over 30 years.

In order to prevent this sort of thing from happening again, the European Union needs to implement their own April 29, 1997 declaration, which calls for more restrictions on the Iranian Regime in Europe.

It calls for

 the suspension of bilateral Ministerial visits to or from Iran

 confirmation of the established policy of European Union Member States not to supply arms to Iran

 cooperation to ensure that visas are not granted to Iranians with intelligence and security functions

 the exclusion of Iranian intelligence personnel from European Union Member States.

The NCRI wrote: In the wake of the Iranian peoples uprising in December-January, the clerical regime has found its only way out in stepping up its terrorist activities.

The regimes ill-fated attack on the MEK gathering in Albania in March 2018, its aborted terrorist plot against the Iranians gathering in Paris in June 2018, and the arrests in August 2018 of two MOIS agents in the US who were preparing for terrorist operations against the MEK, are among such measures.
A French diplomatic source said: Behind all this was a long, meticulous and detailed investigation by our (intelligence) services that enabled us to reach the conclusion, without any doubt, that responsibility fell on the Iranian intelligence ministry.

They revealed that Saeid Hashemi Moghadam, Irans director general of intelligence, had ordered the attack and Assadollah Asadi, a Vienna-based diplomat, had arranged it. The Iranian intelligence ministry answers directly to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Asadi was arrested in Germany on the day of the attempted attack, while the Iranian operatives that he had recruited were arrested in Belgium and France. The two arrested in Belgium were charged with possessing explosives.

The diplomatic source said: We cannot accept any terrorist threat on our national territory and this plot needed a firm response.

This announcement from France came just one day after Germany agreed to extradite Asadi to Belgium for trial.

The rally that the Iranian Regime was attacking was attended by hundreds of prominent politicians from around the world and 100,000 supporters of the Iranian Resistance.

Asset freezes

The freezes mentioned by the French government affect Asadi, Moghadam, and a unit within the Iranian intelligence services, but France gave no details of the assets; merely describing its measures as targeted and proportionate.

This is in line with the robust response promised by France and the previous diplomatic actions they have already taken against Iran.

In September, French President Emmanuel Macron and Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian demanded explanations over Irans role in the bombing, whilst at the UN General Assembly. While in August, France told diplomats not to travel to Iran, refused to nominate a new ambassador to Iran, and have not responded to Irans nominations for diplomatic positions in France.

This news could have wide-ranging, long-term effects on Iran, as France is one of the states that remained a party to the 2015 nuclear deal, following US withdrawal in May, and is working towards efforts that would help to subvert US sanctions on Iran.

These sanctions have already been hitting the Iranian economy hard and if France withdraws from the deal too, citing understandable concerns about its failure to address terrorism, then the Regime will find itself in an unwinnable position.
He told reporters at the State Department: Iran is the source of the current threat to the Americans in Iraq Our intelligence is strong in this regard, we can see the hand of Ayatollah and his followers supporting these attacks on the United States.

The attacks that Pompeo referred to were the rocket attacks on the US Consulate in Basra and the US Embassy in Baghdad by Iranian-backed forces in September. This has led the US to withdraw diplomats from Basra as of the end of September and only provide services from the Embassy.

In a related message, Pompeo again stressed that Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism, using its money to finance terrorism and militias in Iraq and the Middle East [and continue] its malicious activity in the region.

He went on to say that he hoped that the Iraqi government is not subject to Iranian dictates, as Iran has worked to control the Iraqi government, and reiterated that the US will always stand side by side with the Iraqi people, who notably have been protesting Iranian interference in their country recently.

US sanctions

Pompeo then explained that a ruling from the International Court of Justice that US sanctions on Iran would stay in place, with the exception of sanctions on humanitarian aid, food, and civilian aeroplane parts, was a defeat for Iran.

He said that the US had already made exceptions for humanitarian aid and that the ruling categorically rejected all unfounded demands by Iran to lift US sanctions. He then accused Iran of exploiting the court for political purposes.

In response to the Iranian attempt, Pompeo has announced that the US will terminate a 1955 treaty with Iran that addressed the practicalities of relations between the two countries. While diplomatic relations have already ended, meaning that there is no actual effect of withdrawing from this treaty, it will stop Iran from accusing the US of breaking the treaty when it put sanctions on the Regime.

Pompeo said: Im announcing that the US is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran. This is a decision, frankly, that is 39 years overdue.

While national security adviser John Bolton said that the US would pull out of an amendment to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that Iran or others could use to sue the US at The Hague.
- Prominent universities tagged to be part of Red October denied these allegations

- Official from UST has stated that there must be proof to support AFPs claims

- Anakbayan Chairperson Nickolo Domingo said that it was just governments tactic

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Some universities and colleges that have been named to be part of communist groups plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte have denied their involvement in Red October.

KAMI has learned that officials from these universities and colleges have spoken.

According University of Santo Tomas (UST) Secretary General Fr. Jesus Miranda Jr. stated that the claims made by the Armed Forces of the Philippines should have a basis to support their claim.

Siguro i-prove muna nila kung bakit nasama. Ano yung mga proof [at] mga detalye. Or baka naman [they are] stereotyping or because we are a Catholic university and there is a perception that we are against the present government, ganoon ba yon? Is that why we are being tagged?  stated by Fr. Miranda.

According to UST Simbahayan Director Mark Abenir, "I do not understand why they are red-tagging the University for standing up for human rights, standing up against the return of any form of dictatorial rule."

PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data!

University of the East (UE) Student Council has also released their statement.

We would like to rectify the statement of AFP Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. tagging the UE as a recruitment ground for communists planning to oust Pres. Duterte. We do not want to destabilize our government. We need to promote solutions, solutions that serve every Filipino regardless of sector, they said.

Even University of Makati President Tomas Lopez Jr. insisted that their students do not participate in such ouster plot. He said, [Students] do not participate in any partisan political initiatives but rather focus on efforts to strengthen the value of citizenship in young Filipinos so they can become productive members of the society.

The management of University of Makati has no knowledge of any student activity linked to what the AFP claims as recruitment efforts of the CPP, he added.

Anakbayan Chairperson Nickolo Domingo also stated that University of the Philippines Diliman denies these allegations. According to Domingo, it is a government tactic to divert the peoples attention to anti-people policies such as the TRAIN Law and rice tarrification.

In a report by Rappler, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde has released a statement regarding state universities involvement in the issue.

"Ito masabi ko... these youth are given free education by no less than the government, hindi ba? In state universities you are given free education by the government and yet hindi ka pa nag-ga-gragraduate you are already going against the same government that gives you free education. Samantalang kami when we were given free education we were required to serve the country for a minimum of 8 years kahit saan,"

So this is just our question: Why? he added.

As previously reported by KAMI, AFP revealed the names of universities and colleges involved in the alleged ouster plot or Red October. Super Radyo DZBB 594khz has released the names through a Facebook post.

POPULAR: Read more news about President Duterte here!

Today we are going to ask Philippines strangers some very funny Tagalog tricky questions! These individuals from the Philippines have their answers! What Does Monkey-Eating-Eagle Eat? This questions might sound easy, but in reality, they are pretty tricky and it is easy to make a mistake!  on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel!

Source: Kami.com.ph
Application Period Now Open for $1.2 Million Edison Scholarship Program

High school seniors who dream of making a difference in the world through STEM studies are invited to apply to Edison Internationals $1.2 million Edison Scholars Program.

Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison, is awarding $40,000 scholarships, paid over four years, to 30 high school students planning to major in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) fields at four-year accredited U.S. colleges and universities. Scholarship applications are now being accepted through Dec. 14.

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Applicants must live in SCEs service territory and plan to be a full-time undergraduate college freshman majoring in a STEM field in fall 2019. Eligible students must be a high school senior, have at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA and demonstrate financial need. Students from underserved communities and ethnic minorities are encouraged to apply. Dependents of Edison International and SCE employees and retirees are not eligible for the Edison Scholars Program.

Science, technology, engineering and math educations open doors to the future. Im the beneficiary of a STEM education, and I know it changes lives, said Pedro Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International. At Edison, we are proud to play a role in helping local students realize their academic dreams.

To apply and get additional eligibility information, visit: edisonscholars.com.

Scholarship recipients will be announced next spring. They may also be eligible for summer internships at SCE after completing their second year of college.

Since 2006, Edison International has awarded more than $8.7 million in scholarships to 610 students higher education through the Edison Scholars Program.

Edison Internationals support of charitable causes, including the Edison Scholars Program, is funded entirely by Edison International shareholders. SCE customers utility bill payments do not fund company donations.
Assemblymember Santiago and Senator Wiener Issue Statements on Net Neutrality

Assemblymember Miguel Santiago is issuing the following statement about Governor Jerry Browns signing of Senate Bill 822 a few hours ago:

This measure ensures that we, in California, will maintain a free and open internet that doesnt discriminate or price users or content differently. I applaud Governor Brown for leading the nation by signing the strongest net neutrality bill in the country, said Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles). California leads the fight against the Trump Administration agenda to destroy the internet as we know it.

Santiago added, The fight for social change and progressive values is directly tied to a free and open internet. Citizens United, the Janus decision and now the threat of a Supreme Court nomination under Trump makes this net neutrality framework more important than ever. It is essential to our Democracy and the future of our movement powered by people and I thank Senator Wiener for leading the charge on this effort.

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SB 822 is authored by Senator Scott Wiener and principle co-authored by Assemblymember Santiago. Senator Wiener issued the following statement:

This is a historic day for California. A free and open internet is a cornerstone of 21st century life: our democracy, our economy, our healthcare and public safety systems, and day-to-day activities. While the Trump Administration does everything in its power to undermine our democracy, we in California will continue to do whats right for our residents. Net neutrality, at its core, is the basic notion that we each get to decide where we go on the internet, as opposed to having that decision made for us by internet service providers. Its also about ensuring a level playing field for ideas and for businesses trying to compete. Today marks a true win for the internet and for an open society. Im proud of the broad and diverse grassroots coalition that moved this legislation forward and got it passed. I want to thank Governor Brown for understanding the need to protect the internet, and for his signature on Senate Bill 822.

SB 822 contains strong net neutrality protections and prohibits blocking websites, speeding up or slowing down websites or whole classes of applications such as video, and charging websites for access to an ISPs subscribers or for fast lanes to those subscribers. ISPs will also be prohibited from circumventing these protections at the point where data enters their networks and from charging access fees to reach ISP customers. Moreover, SB 822 bans ISPs from violating net neutrality by not counting the content and websites they own against subscribers data caps.
Blacks Political Future Not Sealed

Blacks political future in Los Angeles and throughout the nation remains uncertain. However, to ensure a more certain and positive future, political and otherwise, means the Black community and its leadership, especially, must change their mindsets, priorities and most important, their behavior. Over a long period of time, having internalized values that do not serve their own interests, such changes represent a tremendous challenge. I recently came across an old newspaper article that illustrates the complexity of the problem.

Several years ago,, a front-page article in the Los Angeles Times, Disunity in L.A.: Blacks Face Grim Future in Politics, (October, 1989) painted a grim picture. The thrust of the article was that discord, dissension and division characterized L.A.s African American community and there was no relief in sight. The political landscape for Los Angeles African Americans then, and now, reflected a national phenomenon of unfilled empowerment. The promise and influence of past generations had not then, and still has not been realized. The article asserts, With few exceptions across the nation, Blacks ushered into office by the civil rights movement grew old in elected jobs that proved mostly to be dead-ends. Young, politically active Blacks, frustrated that their elders have not moved up, are increasingly looking to challenge them for primacy. (Currently, Black Lives Matter is a prime example of the impact of organized youth. )

There was some validity to the doomsday prognostication for Blacks political future, but it did not follow that, politically, all was lost. The Times article begins by asserting that the future became grimly obvious for Blacks in Los Angeles in the autumn of 1986. The reference was to the citys senior Black leadership being unable to anoint the next politician they hoped would succeed David S. Cunningham in the 10th District City Council seat. Their thinking was that a unanimous selection could have established the successor to Mayor Bradley as the citys foremost Black politician.

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This analysis presumes the citys Senior Black leadership, whoever they were, were ordained to exercise awesome political power, apparently so entrenched and so unquestioned, that the groups choice for the 10th District seat would have been elected to succeed Tom Bradley.

Los Angeles 10th district African American community was forced to examine, on the one hand, political stability and predictability as highly desirable; on the other hand, the negative implications of the primacy of such predictability was enormous. It could involve various forms of patronage, which is not unusual, and in this case, a senior leadership network as pre-eminent. That posed-and continues to pose-a real danger that political longevity is more a function of the absence of accountability than the competence of the officeholder.

African Americans must also carefully re-examine the role of tradition, sentimentality and unwritten codes such as, Thou shalt not criticize nor, worst yet, run against an incumbent in the Black community. Although most African American elected officials, and a great many citizens, take the status quo for granted, continued lock-step adherence to it is not in the Black communitys best interest. For example, unfortunately, the main criterion for winning and retaining elected office, by any means necessary, has become universally acceptable. And in the words of the late Speaker of the California Assembly, Jesse Unruh, Money is the mothers milk of politics.

That may be true in a strictly political sense, but money is not the mothers milk of effectiveness and responsiveness nor does it serve unique needs of the African American community. It is past time for Black politicians and the community itself to redefine political effectiveness. Of course, reordering the status quo is a long and arduous process; the issues are extremely complex and are played out in the context of both national and local politics. Most important, redefining political effectiveness and the art of the possible must benefit the African American community.

Increasing numbers of immigrants, Latinos and Asians, especially, have threatened traditional African American political turf. Ultimately however, the only way to deal with the changing demographics and new political power configurations is to develop a very different politics based on moral and ethical values and unitynot with the anointment of senior Black leadership. Rather. It will happen with unity born of thoughtful, collective community oriented processes where the primary criteria relate to the specific interests of the African American community, as opposed to the narrow interests of a given politician, organization or political party. Needless to say, the younger generation of African Americans should never feel locked out of the political process. Certainly Black Lives Matter has the potential for helping to change that; whether it does depends on whether it is just a moment, or a movement.

Racism and White privilege remain a fact of life in this country and African Americans remain among the most victimized by its poison tentacles. There are countless examples of the continuing impact of racisms pernicious effects. It should, be just as obvious that unless African Americans re-order their priorities, develop new definitions of political success and failure, and begin to define accountability themselves, the future will likely remain bleak. Lets be clear though, a grim future for African Americans is by no means sealed, pre-determined or inevitable. To the contrary, present and future reality present a monumental challenge to the African American community and its political leadershipa challenge they cannot afford to ignore.

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Constructing Justice: Black Workers Graduate From New Painters Pre-Apprenticeship

A cohort of Black workers have graduated from a new painters pre-apprenticeship program, positioning them to succeed in apprenticeship trade programs that ultimately lead to career track jobs in the construction industry. This cohort represents the first graduating class who has completed the Ready to Work Filling the Pre-Apprenticeship Readiness Gap Program.

The training program was created through a partnership between the Los Angeles Black Worker Center and Painters and Allied Trades District Council 36. A special graduation ceremony was held on Friday to congratulate the students and award them with a certificate of completion.

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Hearing the graduates share how they appreciated their training makes me feel confident that this program was life changing for them, said La Tonya Harris, Operations Director for the Los Angeles Black Worker Center, who directed the program. Im excited about how our center is helping them realize quality union careers in the construction field.

The pre-apprenticeship program focused on teaching life skills that trained students how to enroll and excel in a construction trade apprenticeship program. The two-week training program took place at Christ Temple Church in South Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Black Worker Center originally aligned with Painters and Allied Trades District Council 36 last year to plan the pre-apprenticeship program. Once Southern California experienced a construction boom, the organizations felt it was advantageous to move forward with launching the training program.

Since partnering with the Black Worker Center, over time we developed a curriculum that would prepare individuals how to excel in an apprenticeship program and a job in the construction industry, said Kevin Bass, Assistant Political Director and Business Representative for Painters and Allied Trades District Council 36. After experiencing an upturn in the industry this past year, we felt it was the right time to offer the training program.

UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health also participated in the pre-apprenticeship program by conducting health and safety certification trainings for the students. We wanted to ensure that students received the appropriate safety training needed to enter the apprenticeships, said Yodit Semu, Environmental Career Worker Training Project Coordinator for UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health. I am so grateful that our program could support this process and help Black workers get quality careers.

LaQuan Morales, a father of three whose wife Brianna also completed the same training program, says that the course has already helped him jump start his career. Through this program, Ive received opportunities that Ive never gotten before, like joining the union, says Morales. Now I can start earning money that I deserve so I can provide for my family.

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The pre-apprenticeship program was supported by Service Planning Area (SPA) funds allocated by Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas. SPA funds are utilized by County Supervisors to support beneficial programs serving communities in their districts.
In May, Gilton Pitre (dob 5/4/72) pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and admitted two special circumstance allegations: multiple murders and murder with a prior murder conviction.

Deputy District Attorney Samuel Hulefeld prosecuted the case.

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Pitre murdered Jane Doe, aka Maribel Medina, on or about Jan. 31, 2004, and Irma Barboza, 24, on or about Sept. 2, 2004. Barboza was about eight months pregnant when she was killed.

Both women were transients whose bodies were dumped in the downtown Los Angeles area.

Pitre was sentenced to 110 years to life in state prison for the first-degree murder of Alyssa Gomez, a 15-year-old runaway whom he strangled in 2007 in a Sunset Boulevard motel room.

Case BA432953 was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department.
Davar Christian Center Promises a Spiritual Life-Changing Experience

New non-denominational ministry aims to equip Gods people to live in fullness of Christ

Promising a spiritual life-changing experience, the founders of Davar Christian Center are making plans to introduce a new ministry in Southern California.

The non-denominational church, organized by Pastors Wes and Cheyenne Owens, will hold their inaugural worship service on Sunday, October 14, at 3 p.m., at the Jewish Community Center, 3801 E. Willow St., in Long Beach. Beginning October 21, regular Sunday services will take place at 10 a.m., at the La Palma Community Center, 7821 Walker St., in La Palma.

Davar Christian Center is a church for today, for this time, for all people and everyone is welcome. We endeavor to build the kingdom of God and to equip His people for the work of the ministry until the fullness of the stature of Christ Jesus, said the pastors.

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Joining the Owens on the spiritual leadership team will be Associate Pastors Arthur and Amanda Dyson, along with the young adult children of both couples. Mary Owens Williams, the mother of Wes and Amanda, is another key participant, as well as Marys daughter, Deborah Owens Collins, who will serve as administrator.

Even with all of the family support, unwavering faith and patience are also required to start a church. Fortunately, Dr. Wes has those qualities and more in abundance as demonstrated by his careful advance planning to prepare for the ministrys launch.

In January 2016, I had a burning desire in my heart to answer the call that God placed on my life and share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, said Dr. Wes. I sought God for direction as to the name of the church and was led to the name Davar Christian Center. In Hebrew, Davar literally means to bring to life the spoken word.

Last year, he and Pastor Cheyenne completed the incorporation of the church name and then asked the Dysons to be a part of his vision. The invitation persuaded Arthur to finally accept his call to the ministry and he was ordained this past April.

Although they are new to church leadership, the couples are experienced in ministry and godly service. The Owens were active members of Crenshaw Christian Center for more than 35 years and participated in a range of auxiliaries including leading the Highways and Byways street witnessing and evangelism teams and heading the nursery ministry.

We have also served as helps ministry workers, personal ministry counselors and with the CCC Prison Ministry, said Dr. Wes, who credits Apostle Frederick K.C. Price, CCCs founder, as a major influence in his spiritual life along with the late Ester Mallot and Jimmy Crawford. Also, the Owens received a prayer blessing for Davars success from CCC Pastor Fred Price, Jr., on Sept. 30.

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The Dysons, who worshipped the past 20+ years at Cottonwood Church in Los Alamitos, were highly involved in the church. Arthur, a keyboardist and bassist, was part of music and mens ministries, while Amanda served in nursery ministries and with the praise dance ministry for nearly three decades. Cottonwood Pastor Bayless Conley was also extended a blessing for Davar Christian Center and offered to assist with the churchs launch.

In addition, the couples are educationally prepared to lead the new church. Dr. Wes, a graduate of Southern California Bible College in Norwalk, earned Doctorate of Divinity degree at EMIBU University in Bellflower. The co-founder, dean and instructor at Loving to Learn Bible University in Los Angeles, he also attended the CCC School of Ministry.

As for the Dysons, both were students at Cottonwood Leadership College and are currently enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry program at Next Dimension University in Rancho Cucamonga.

Inviting the public to check out Davar Christian Center, Dr. Wes said, We are here to love and bring the spoken word of God from the Holy Bible to encourage and empower people, and to equip the church to fulfill Gods plans, promises and purpose for their lives!

To learn more, visit davarcc.com.
FAME Hosts #Votefest in Hopes of Registering 10,000 New Voters

First AME Church of Los Angeles is making a bold move to register 10,000 new voters by the mid-term election on Nov. 13. The initiative, headed by FAME Pastor J. Edgar Boyd, is part of the African American Get  Out The Vote (AAGTV) campaign to increase voter registration by 10 percent.

To kick-off their effort, Boyd and FAME members hosted #VoteFest on September 30, in collaboration with Corvette of Choice Club, the United in Peace Foundation Bikers and other specialty car clubs.

The event, which also included a rally and resource fair, featured more than scores of motorcycles and classic cars encircling the FAME campus to encourage people to register. Earlier, LAPD officers escorted the motorists from 105th and Figueroa to the FAME campus.

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Emphasizing the importance of voting, Pastor Boyd said, Voter participation is the bedrock of American democracy. When we fail to vote, we allow others to choose our civic officials and decide the issues which affect our personal welfare. History has shown that bad government in America negatively affects Blacks, other racial minorities, and the poor, disproportionately. With the evils of racial hatred and political corruption on the verge of splitting the country, all of us are reminded of the urgency to register and vote!

The Rev. Judi Wortham-Sauls added, We are continuing to ask pastors and congregations to proclaim, explain and educate their members as we claim our legacy of advocacy and activism in the election process. Our hope is that congregants will be energized with a clear understanding of whats at stake in this election by sharing the ramifications on the African American community. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines while others determine our fate.

To learn more about participating in AAGTV, email the Rev. Wortham-Sauls at [email protected] or call FAME Church at (323) 735-1251.
Homegoing Services Set for Rev. Rocellia Johnson, Founder of Bethany Baptist Church

When the Rev. Rocellia Johnson migrated to Los Angeles in 1941, no one foresaw that God would use his ministry in such an impactful way. But empowered with Christs favor, Pastor Johnson drew thousands of people to the Lord by organizing Bethany Baptist Church of West Los Angeles in 1958, founding Bethany Christian Bible College (BCBC) in 1978 and serving 27 years as executive director of the National Evangelism Movement (NEM).

Even after retiring as Bethanys senior pastor in 2009, Johnson moved to pastor emeritus status where he still shared his time and talents with the church and BCBC, always focused on making a tangible difference in the lives of believers. His long ministry came to a close on Sept. 25, when Johnson passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 95.

Two commemorations of Johnsons life will be held at Bethany Baptist Church, 4115 West Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in Los Angeles. On Friday, Oct. 5, a viewing will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., followed by a memorial service.

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A second viewing will be held on Saturday, Oct. 6, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The homegoing celebration will begin at 11 a.m.

Reflecting on Johnsons extensive ministry, the Rev. Dr. L.A. Kessee, pastor of Bethany Baptist said, Dr. Rocellia Johnsons ministry touched thousands of lives from Los Angeles to Nova Scotia to Trinidad. He was one of a kind. He possessed an uncanny ability to make everybody feel as though he or she had him all to ones self. He was a great man.

Offering similar comments, Bishop Sylvester Washington, pastor of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, said, Dr. Johnson, pastored the Bethany Baptist Church of West Los Angeles for more than 40 years. I, and many other pastors and saints, will miss this man of God. He was truly a visionary and one of Gods great leaders.

The Rev. Dr. Reginald Pope, pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, recalled that when he first met Johnson 34 years ago, his initial perception was that Johnson was a mean man. But, as I got to know him, he was not mean at all, but he did mean business when it came to the National Evangelism Movement, Inc.

Pope, who served as an instructor and treasurer during Johnsons tenure at NEM, noted that Johnson quietly paid the registration and transportation costs to enable many pastors of smaller churches to attend NEM conferences. Johnson also assisted Pope in establishing the first evangelism training class at Bethels School of Evangelism.

Pastor Johnson was born in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma on Dec. 17, 1922. Relocating to Los Angeles as a young adult, God prepared Pastor Johnson through spiritual guidance, experience and education.

I joined the Metropolitan Baptist Church, under the leadership of Dr. George H. Washington, Jr., and I began my theological studies at the Los Angeles Bible Training School under his tutelage, said Pastor Johnson in a 2015 L.A. Sentinel interview.

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He went on to earn an Associate of Arts degree at Los Angeles Business College, a Bachelor of Theology degree at the Preachers and Teachers Training School, a Masters degree in theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, a second Masters Degree in pastoral psychotherapy at the American Institute of Family Relations as well as a Masters degree in family counseling at University of LaVerne.

Explaining his lifelong commitment to teaching and training Gods people, Pastor Johnson said, I believe in the stronghold of the church. James 1:22 says, But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Also, I was moved by the Biblical mandate to witness to the lost and to train the saved for service. For Jesus said in Matthew 7:26, and everyone that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.

The Los Angeles City Council recognized his achievements in 2015 by designating the corner of King Boulevard and Hillcrest Drive as Dr. Rocellia Johnson Place.

His legacy will be further secured with next years opening of Stella Middle Charter School on Bethanys property, said Rod Miles, executive director of the Baldwin-Bethany CDC. Pastor Johnson has this vision to provide a strong curriculum for youth that focused on leadership skills, academic excellence, high self-esteem and college attendance. The classes at Stella, which will be for grades 5-to-8, will reflect his dream.

Johnsons wife, Dorothy, preceded him in death. His survivors include his daughter, Rosalyn Kay Adams; and granddaughters, Ebonie, Angel and Vaughn.
Homeowner Bill of Rights: Protecting Families from Lifes Financial Storms

In recent weeks, multiple news sources have reported on the 10-year anniversary since the onset of the nations foreclosure crisis. Between 2007 and 2011, 10.9 million homes went into foreclosure, with 8 million completing that process. Additionally, $1.95 trillion in lost property value affected both families who lost their homes to foreclosure, as well as their nearby neighbors who remained in their homes.

Less prominently revisited in these retrospectives were the disproportionate losses suffered by Black and Latinx communities. Together, these two ethnicities absorbed $1 trillion wealth losses.

None of us can change the past; but what we can and should learn from it and take steps to ensure that harms caused are acknowledged and never repeated. The creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was authorized at the federal level. But across the country, states also took initiatives as well.

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For example, California became the first state in 2012 to create a Homeowner Bill of Rights (HOBR). A state legislative package was enacted to end many mortgage ills, like banning mortgage broker kickbacks for unfairly placing borrowers into more expensive loans than necessary. Another harmful practice included mortgage servicers who assured borrowers that a refinance was in progress while at the same time, beginning the formal foreclosure process. HOBR was an important part of a legislative package that broadly addressed a wide range of mortgage woes.

It took years of advocacy before the California Assembly passed the initiative. At the urging of consumer advocates and the former state Attorney General Kamala Harris, the HOBR gained support from civil rights organizations, banks, credit unions, labor unions and consumer groups. Borrowers, lenders, workers and advocates all agreed the legislation was fair and responsible to improve the foreclosure tsunami.

For consumers, however, the most heralded legal provision, included the right to have their own day in court. If mortgage servicers did not comply with the law, borrowers could sue and seek financial redress. Borrowers were also assured of timely notification on the status of their loan modifications and gained the right to appeal modification denials.

Unfortunately, as much legislation affords, sunsets, dates by which specific legal requirements expire, took the real teeth out of HOBR since 2017. Such times are also the moments when leadership can emerge and replace what was lost.

San Joses State Senator Jim Beall, who also chairs the states Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, sponsored a 2018 HOBR that restored the previously lost provisions. Moreover, on September 14, California Governor Jerry Brown signed the new bill into law.

Beyond restoring the right to appeal a loan modification denial, the updated bill also resurrects:

Requirements that loan servicers provide homeowners with written notices to confirm receipt of their loan modifications applications and whether any necessary application items are missing; and.

Requirements that servicers send written denial notices with sufficient information and sufficient time to appeal a questionable denial.

Californians can once again count on the protections that helped thousands of homeowners hold onto their houses during the 2008 financial crisis, noted Sen. Beall. Lenders will have to provide timely notifications on the status of a loan modification application and homeowners will have the right to appeal denials.

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For Graciela Aponte-Diaz, California Policy Director with the Center for Responsible Lending, the 2018 bill reinstates safeguards to help families stay in the homes.

Foreclosures have rattled our housing market, especially for owners who have been hit hard by natural disasters, said Aponte-Diaz. Homeowners need protection against procedural abuses  this bill helps us accomplish that goal.

Today, consumers in Minnesota and Nevada have similar HOBRs.

It just seems sensible that other locales where billion-dollar property losses were suffered due to recent storms or wildfires would be well-served if their respective states also implemented their own HOBRs. In just the past year, locales as diverse as Arizona, Florida, the Carolinas, and Texas have also suffered tremendous losses and will need years to fully recover financially.

The bottom line is that whoever you are or where you live, housing is needed. At a time when most working families are dedicating an increasing amount of income to provide a home, it should be apparent that these homes deserve protection  not just from weather storms; but lifes financial storms.

As former President Lyndon Johnson spoke in a June 4, 1965 address to Howard University:

You do not wipe away the scars of centuries by saying: Now you are free to go where you want, and do as you desire, and choose the leaders as you please.

You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, you are free to compete with others, and still justly believe that you have been completely fair.

Thus is it not enough just to open the gates of opportunity. All our citizens must have the ability to walk through those gates.
If Cannabis is Legal in California, Why Are So Many Minority Businesses Considered Illegal?

One of the great advantages of Proposition 64  the 2016 ballot initiative that legalized adult use cannabis  was the idea that it could start to address the disproportionately negative impact of marijuana arrests among communities of color. This disparity is well documented. Just a few years ago, the American Civil Liberties Union reported that African Americans were nearly four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than Whites, even though use of the drug was roughly equal among both populations.

Prop 64 not only promised to reduce or expunge certain past convictions, it also presented employment opportunities in the newly legalized cannabis industry as a gateway to the middle class for many underserved communities.

As the head of a statewide organization that supports many minority-owned cannabis businesses, I know firsthand that communities of color are not seeing the promised opportunities of this new marketplace being realized.

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Since Prop 64 was implemented back in January of this year, less than 15% of California cities are operating functional, licensed cannabis markets.

Theres more: Recently, the States Bureau of Cannabis Control has notified more than 900 cannabis-related businesses across the state to cease operation because they are unlicensed. These dispensaries, delivery services, cultivators, brands and farms  many of them owned by or employing people of color  were perfectly compliant for decades before January 1. But because state and local jurisdictions have been slow to issue the proper paperwork to them, the expectation is that they should close down until the bureaucrats finally get their act together.

Try to use that as an excuse when you cant pay your rent, health insurance, or credit card bill.

This is particularly problematic given that the ACLU has also noted that opportunities for racial minorities to establish businesses are significantly less likely to occur as compared to White entrepreneurs. Just say cannabis in some business settings (yes, even here in California) and you will see what an uphill battle people of color can face. But theres a solution.

Our communities must hold elected officials accountable and make the promise of legal cannabis a reality for people of color.

The first step is for local leaders to open up the cannabis markets in their communities. We must write, call, and confront local elected leaders and ask: Why havent they issued more licenses? When do they plan to do it? Will they make sure that small businesses have a chance? Will they make sure that the licensing fee structure doesnt prevent small businesses from participating?

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The barriers of entry to licensure are incredibly high, whether it be fees or unduly high state and local taxes. Combined with local bans, this is leaving no path for small, minority-owned and -operated businesses to get a foot in the legal market. Breaking down these walls will be key to ensuring more diversity of applicants and allowing the licensed market to triumph over the illegal market.

Back in 2016, Californians overwhelmingly told the state that we supported legal cannabis. Now its time to remind our local leaders of that  and for them to make it really happen.

Aubry Stone is President and CEO of California Black Chamber of Commerce.
Man Sentenced For 2014 Shootout with Sheriffs Deputies

A man has been sentenced to 25 years in state prison for shooting at Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies in Lawndale four years ago, the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office announced.

Travis Herr (dob 7/16/91) pleaded no contest to two counts of assault with a firearm on a peace officer. He was immediately sentenced to 25 years in state prison by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Alan Honeycutt.

Deputy District Attorney Geoff Lewin of the Crimes Against Peace Officers Section prosecuted the case.

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On Oct. 29, 2014, Herr began firing various weapons in the 4200 block of West 164th Street in Lawndale. Authorities placed the neighborhood on lockdown as they evacuated nearby residents, the prosecutor said.

Herr then shot at responding law enforcement officers from both inside and outside his home. No deputies were injured.

After more than two hours, Herr was shot by return gunfire and taken to an area hospital.

Case YA091505 was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.
Pair Face Death Penalty for Murder, Torture of 10-Year-Old Boy

A criminal complaint was amended today against a mother and her boyfriend accused of murdering and torturing her 10-year-old son, making the pair eligible for the death penalty, the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office announced.

The complaint adds a special circumstance allegation against Kareem Ernesto Leiva (dob 12/23/85) and Heather Maxine Barron (dob 9/29/89) that says the murder of Anthony A. was intentional and involved the infliction of torture.

The defendants were charged in June with one count of murder and torture. On Wednesday, they also were additionally charged with one count of child abuse for allegedly beating Anthonys younger brother.

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Both defendants appeared in court today and pleaded not guilty to the amended charges. They are scheduled to return on Nov. 27 for a preliminary hearing setting in Department A11 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Antelope Valley Branch.

Deputy District Attorneys Jon Hatami of the Family Violence Division, Complex Child Abuse Section, and Saeed Teymouri of the Family Violence Division are prosecuting the case.

On June 20, Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies responded to a home in the 1100 block of East Avenue K in Lancaster. Anthony A. was taken to a hospital where he died the following day.

The defendants are accused of torturing the boy in the days leading up to his death, prosecutors said.

They face a possible maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or death if convicted as charged. A decision will be made at a later date on whether to seek the death penalty.

Case MA074159 remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Homicide and Special Victims bureaus.
Rep. Bass Introduces Resolution Calling for a Respect of Human Rights in Cameroon

Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, introduced legislation calling on the government of Cameroon and all parties to the conflict, including armed separatist groups, to respect human rights and adopt nonviolent approaches to conflict resolution.

The ongoing crisis and violence taking place in Cameroon at this very moment is something that deserves the attention of the world. Both the government and Anglophone separatists must be held accountable for their role in the violation of fundamental human rights. The government has violently repressed protests organized by lawyers, teachers, and students, which has resulted in deaths, imprisonments, and extrajudicial executions.

Meanwhile, Anglophone separatists launched their own campaign against the government of Cameroon. They have burned school buildings, threatened education officials with violence, and targeted civilians who may work for the government security force personnel.

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The situation in Cameroon continues to worsen. In addition to hundreds of deaths, hundreds of thousands have been displaced. All parties to this conflict must come together to find a nonviolent resolution to this conflict.
Suge Knight Sentenced for 2015 Fatal Hit-and-Run

Marion Suge Knight was sentenced to 28 years in state prison for running over a man and killing him in a Compton restaurant parking lot, the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office announced.

On Sept. 20, Knight (dob 4/19/65) pleaded no contest to one count of voluntary manslaughter and admitted a special allegation that he used a deadly weapon, a truck.

Deputy District Attorney Cynthia Barnes of the Major Crimes Division prosecuted the case.

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On Jan. 29, 2015, an altercation occurred outside a restaurant and Knight ran over two men with his truck. Terry Carter, 55, was killed and the other man was injured. Knight, who at the time was out on bail in a robbery case, fled the scene but was later arrested.

Knight received the high-term of 11 years in prison for the voluntary manslaughter count that doubled because he has a prior conviction under Californias three strikes law. He also received an additional five years because the conviction was for a serious and violent felony and a year for the deadly weapon allegation.

Case TA136401 was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.
Taste of Soul Spotlight: Pucker Up Lemonade

Lemonade? Lemonade anybody? It is a refreshing drink isnt it? Its a beverage that has brought Taste of Soul (TOS) vendor, Pucker Up Lemonade attention and success. Co-owners and couple, Karneisha Christian and Jon Ken Stewart share their story of how TOS helped put their business on the map.

Christian was born and raised in Compton, CA and is a mother of two. She previously worked as a pediatric nurse but always had strong entrepreneurial roots. Her grandmother was a sharecropper from Mississippi that came to California in search of money growing on trees. Both of her parents owned a local business. Stewart was born in Memphis, TN and raised in Carson, CA. He has served in the U.S. Navy and as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer.

So how did Pucker Up Lemonade come about? Well, according to Christian and Stewart, it started with an ice chest, an igloo, lemons from Stewarts parents tree and Christians fathers recipe.

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We started at Optimal Christian Academys annual carnival in Compton in 2011, said Christian. The response was amazing!

We sold out both Saturday and Sunday that weekend.

In 2011, they began to see that beverage stations were trending in event spaces, so they launched Pucker Up Lemonade Company as a boutique beverage catering startup. Lemonade flavors you can find on the menu include: classic lemonade, strawberry, blue raspberry, mango and watermelon. They also added that they use agave nectar, sweetened varieties. At Vegan festivals, they sell flavors like tumeric ginger, kale cucumber, pomegranate acai and even activated charcoal infused Lemonade. They also have blended adult favorites such as the Blue Raspberry Mojito which is their blue raspberry lemonade, fresh mint leaves, limes finished with Malibu Rum.

As the originators of the All You Can Drink lemonade stand, our specialty is incorporating unique themed decor with our lemonade stands and beverage stations for private events such as birthday parties, weddings, baby showers, proms, and corporate events, said Stewart.

On a typical weekend, we service private events and vend at festivals from Compton to Conejo Valley, [from] Baldwin Hills to Bel Air, said Christian. We also service VIP tents for events such as the Carson Jazz Festival, Taste of Inglewood, Oxnard Jazz Festival, and for the 5th year at the [TOS].

They have a favorite on the menu, a flavor that is sure to get most customers attention, which is our peach cobbler flavored Teamonade.

Our take on the infamous Arnold Palmer, definitely peaks our customers curiosities. Its a blend of our peach lemonade, black tea and traditional spices found in peach cobbler.

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We introduced this at the Inglewood Earth Day Jazz Festival in April of this year to rave reviews.

Pucker Up Lemonade has participated in the TOS since 2013 and they have had plenty experience in how to prepare for the largest family festival in Southern California.

The anticipation of preparing to serve thousands of people requires careful planning and execution, said Christian. We are a family owned and operated business.

Our multi-generational crew includes our kids, cousins, aunts, and friends. At TOS, due to the large crowds, we specialize in a quick service approach, virtually a walk thru Lemonade Stand where customers can line up, then sample and be served in under a minute.

We love the responsiveness of the TOS attendeespraising our efforts as a Black-owned business and enjoying their first sip.

Pucker Up Lemonade has garnered major social media presence with nearly 9k followers on Facebook and 5k on Instagram. They have serviced thousands of clients over the past 7 years and acquired a core group of supporters that come to events just to visit their stand.

They often bring one of our souvenir cups for a refill, said Stewart.

Christian and Stewart enjoy TOS and are looking forward to celebrating with the rest of the vendors and attendees on October 20.

Make sure you stop by their booth and get some citrus satisifaction! And, they also wanted to share some exciting news

After seven years in business and eagerly anticipating our 5th year at Taste of Soul, we are extremely blessed to be opening our first brick and mortar location in our hometown of Compton, CA, said Christian. We were blessed to take over a business locationat 723 East Compton Blvd, in the city of Compton.

As one of the pillars of our mission is to support our community and youth, we will become a hub for fundraising efforts for local schools, youth groups, and non-profit organizations through our Pucker Up Profit Sharing Program, said Stewart. We will also maintain our commitment to employing and training disadvantaged youth and veterans.

Find Pucker Up Lemonade on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You can also visit their website at puckeruplemonadecompany.business.site or call (562) 507-8177.

For more information on Taste of Soul, please visit tasteofsoul.org

Get the Taste of Soul App for up-to-the-minute performer & stage info, interactive maps, exclusive offers, discounts, contests and more available on Apple App Store and Google Play.
The Criminalization of Poverty: Cash Bail for Non-Violent Misdemeanors Perpetuates Unequal Treatment Under the Law

As a young woman in the early 1960s in New Orleans, my mother, Sybil Morial, was rejected for membership in the League of Women Voters because of her race. In response, she co-founded the interracial Louisiana League of Good Government, was elected its first President, and set about registering voters  even though, across the south, people were being killed for trying to register Black voters.

She recalled a woman named Clara who was in her late 70s or early 80s, whod grown up in rural southwestern Louisiana. I have wanted to be able to vote as long as I can remember, she told my mother. My mama used to tell us stories about slavery days and about the lynchings of our people. I thought that was so awful and wished I could vote so maybe I could help stop the way our people were treated.

Despite her diligent work preparing for the literacy and citizenship tests, Clara was rejected. She vowed to study harder. She failed again. The third time, my mother waited outside the door of the registrars office. Clara emerged in tears. That mean man was so ugly to me. He told me I wasnt smart enough to vote. My mother began to doubt whether Clara would ever be able to vote. But the fourth time, Clara passed. I made it, Mrs. Morial. I can vote! Praise the Lord!

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Praise the Lord, indeed. Since the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Black voting rates  particularly in presidential years  rose steadily. In 2008, the Black voting rate matched the White rate for the first time and in 2012 exceeded it. Not coincidentally, in 2013 the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act and the Black voter turnout in 2016 dipped to a low not seen since 2004.

In Claras memory, and in the memory of all those who fought and bled and died for the right to vote, the National Urban League is working to engage voters with a campaign called Enough is Enough. Vote! More than 50 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, racial justice protections are slipping away. The rights of immigrants are being decimated. Mass incarceration debilitates Black communities. Public schools are deliberately underfunded. The Affordable Care Act, which slashed the uninsured rate among African Americans, has been weakened and remains under threat of repeal.

Enough is enough. There is power in our vote. When we go to the polls, we overwhelmingly elect representatives that champion the issues essential to our families and communities.

Over the next few weeks, well be holding voter engagement events around the country. In the meantime, people can pledge to vote, make sure theyre registered or register online, find their polling location or see their candidates at http://www.nul.org . Sign up to receive updates and stay engaged.
Us at 53: Reaffirming Our Revolutionary Spirit and Radical Imagination

Part 1. As we close out the month of our coming forth and founding, September 7, 1965, 53 years ago, we continue with Sankofa remembrance, reflection and reaffirmation of the original and ongoing revolutionary spirit and radical imagination that brought us into being and provided the foundation for our continuing resilience and our enduring resistance. And as part of this process, I want to share reflections of this revolutionary spirit and radical imagination found in The Quotable Karenga, which contains critical concepts that served as foundation and framework for our thought and practice of revolutionary cultural nationalism. All quotes which follow are from The Quotable first published in 1967, but representing also an earlier period of thought and practice. To talk of revolutionary spirit is to speak of an animated and active commitment to righteous and relentless struggle for the liberation of our people, to courageous and uncompromising questioning of things offered and imposed by the existing system, and to an ultimate overturning of the established order of oppression. And to speak of radical imagination is to talk of a deep-rooted rethinking and reframing of our conception of ourselves, society and the world from a standpoint in our own image and interest, from a Black frame of reference, as we say now, from an African-centered or Afrocentric framework.

In its most radical sense, this means to Us and in Kawaida, our philosophy of life and struggle embracing and engaging Africa at its best as our moral, spiritual and social ideal. This is radical in that it means upturning the way we understand and assert ourselves, moving from the established Eurocentric way inculcated in us at every level of life and embracing an African-centered way, a Kawaida way of understanding ourselves and the world and asserting ourselves in the world. Here I use a word from the vocabulary and vision of our revered foremother and mentor, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. She says, we must upturn the world. This word, upturn has two interrelated meanings: to turn something upward or upside down. And I read it here as turning the African worldview, previously pressed down and suppressed, rightfully upward in our lives and struggle and turning the Eurocentric worldview upside down, upsetting it and ultimately overturning it completely. Indeed, in a White-dominated country and world, to think really Black, really African, is radical, even revolutionary in its contribution to reconceiving, repairing, renewing and remaking ourselves, society and the world in the most ethical, effective and expansive ways.

Us and its philosophy of life and struggle, Kawaida, was born, shaped and made meaningful in the fiery midst of the Black Freedom Movement, as the Movement transitioned from its civil rights phase to its Black Power period in that turbulent time of turning and overturning called the Sixties. We understood ourselves as young lions, Simba Wachanga, self-conscious and committed freedom fighters which our honored teacher, Min. Malcolm X, pointed to in the Congo and called for in the U.S. They were for him a model of revolutionary resistance by young people which was sweeping the world in an era of revolution and rising liberation struggles of the oppressed and dark peoples of the world. And he wanted us to recognize that we, as a people and a generation, were a part of this global historical initiative of liberation and must self-consciously accept the awesome responsibility this imposed on us.

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We of Us, like so many of our age and era, were on fire with the idea and practice of liberation and steeped in the self-understanding of being a key people and a key generation in a key country at a critical juncture in the history of our people, society and the world. The U.S. was a colossal source of war and imperial expansion around the world and we were in the belly of the beast. And given our strategic position in this racist system of domination, we argued that our liberation struggle would not only expand the realm of freedom for us and others in this country, but also be a significant contribution to the global struggles of oppressed people against racism, colonialism, and imperialism. As Malcolm, our revered teacher, taught, this was a turning point in history where we were witnessing and participating in the righteous struggles to end White supremacy in the world. And we were eager to answer what we saw as this invitation to history and struggle.

We began by defining ourselves as an organization, naming ourselves Us in audacious affirmation of our people and in defiant opposition to our oppressor. Thus, the name Us signifies first and foremost a self-conscious, active commitment to us, us Black people, us Africans, and to our liberation and the flourishing of our lives. Also, Us signifies radical opposition and resistance to them, the oppressor. And finally, Us signifies our commitment to an African communitarian way of life, a community-oriented way of life, a life of sharing good and the responsibilities, commitment, values, work and struggle that produce and sustain the good.

Here we dared to pose Africa as our moral, spiritual and social ideal, Africa at its best and most beautiful. Thus, we said Us is an idealsomething that has not been tried before, i.e., a sankofa retrieval, reconstruction and reaffirmation of African culture in the service of liberation and in the most intellectually grounded and comprehensive ways. We put cultural revolution at the center of our struggle for national liberation, maintaining with Malcolm, Toure, Cabral, Fanon and other revolutionaries of the world that the cultural revolution precedes, makes possible and sustains the larger revolutionary liberation struggle. Thus, we said, We must free ourselves culturally before we succeed politically. And we also said, The revolution being fought now is a revolution to win the (hearts and) minds of our people. If we fail to win this (revolution) we cannot wage the violent (political) one. We also argued that without culture, negroes are only a set of reactions to white people and will continue to see themselves as derivative rather than as original and in their own awesome image and rightful interests.

Moreover, we argued that culture is the basis for all ideas, images and actions. To move is to move culturally i.e., by a set of values given to you by your culture. Culture was to Us, not what the oppressor and lesser enemies evilly and/or ignorantly assert is our position, i.e., simply music, clothes, language and symbols. Rather culture was and is for Us the totality of thought and practice by which a people creates itself, celebrates and sustains and develops itself and introduces itself to history and humanity. As I stated then Everything we do, think or learn is somehow interpreted as a cultural expression. So, when we discuss politics, to Us that is a sign culture. When we discuss economics, to Us that is a sign of culture. When we discuss community organization, that to Us is a sign of culture. In other words, We define culture as a complete value system and also means and ways of maintaining that value system.

Concerned that we dont simply accept tradition without question or concern for its rightness and relevance to the realities, needs, aspirations and the best ethical understandings of our people, we made, as a central principle of Kawaida, the consistent joining of tradition with reason. Our culture is based on tradition and reason, we said. We must take things which were traditional and apply them to (meet) the concrete needs of the people. Furthermore, we said, All we do is based on tradition and reason, that is to say foundation and movement. We begin to build on a traditional foundation, but it is out of movement that we complete our creation, i.e., the creation of a new man and woman, a new society, a new world and a new hope and horizon for humankind.
USC Interim President Dr. Wanda Austin Goes 1-on-1 with the L.A. Sentinel

Dr. Wanda Austin was appointed as the first African American female interim president at the University of Southern California, a university with nearly 45,000 students and an endowment of over $5 billion.

Im an alum, Im a trustee, I really have a passion for USC and that experience is critical to connecting to our values and to be able to share with the very diverse population that we have here, that I understand the needs of all of our stakeholders, explained Dr. Austin in an interview with the L.A. Sentinel.

Austin, who took over for Max C.L. Nikias as USCs president, graduated with her doctorate in engineering from USCs Viterbi School of Engineering in 1988. Since 2010, she has served on the USC Board of Trustees. In 2018, she received the USC Presidential Medallion and was asked to take over as interim president of the university in August 2018. Austin is no stranger to leadership roles that require managing high expectations.

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The New York City native has an extensive background in aerospace engineering having served on President Obamas Council of Advisors on Science and Technology until January 2017 where she advised the President on the intersection of science, technology and innovation as it related to forming effective U.S. policy.

She also served as the first female and first Black CEO of the Aerospace Corporation, an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the application of science and technology toward critical issues affecting the nations space program. For eight years, Austin led the organizations 3600 employees and managed annual revenues of $950 million at 17 offices nationwide.

Austin, the second oldest of three girls, first learned of her passion for math and the sciences, when she was in seventh grade. She recalled having her teacher share in front of her entire class how skilled she was, Wanda youre really good at this dont ever let anyone tell you that youre not.

Austins parents were always supportive of her receiving a quality education, even if that meant being bussed out of her neighborhood for school. She went on to attend The Bronx High School of Science.

That enabled me then to go off to college, said Austin. For an African American girl, in an all-White school that was very empowering and encouraging.

Austin went on to earn her a B.A. in mathematics from Franklin & Marshall College, an M.S. degrees in systems engineering and mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh and ultimately her PhD from USC.

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LAS: Can you describe that moment, when you were first asked by the board of trustees to fill in as USCs interim president?

Dr. Austin: I would tell you that I was honored and delighted that the board had confidence that I could help lead us during this interim period as we do a search for the next president. I am very committed to USC, I believe it is a world-class university and that it is doing phenomenal things not only on campus, but also in the community so I was happy to serve in this capacity.

LAS: Amidst such controversy that youre taking over, what has the response been like from your appointment and the reception?

Dr. Austin: The reception has been overwhelmingly positive and upbeat. We have gone through a challenging period as many institutions do when you have institutions of this size, but I believe that based on my experience and history and demonstrated track record with respect to leadership that the community is confident that I will focus on the right things.

LAS: Youre no stranger to being the first, do you feel like your position with the Aerospace Corporation prepared you in any way for this position with USC.

Dr. Austin: I would say that my experience in being the CEO of the Aerospace Corporation, my experience with serving on nonprofit and for-profit boards, such as the Chevron and AMGEN board has provided me with outstanding experience from an organizational leadership perspective that will help me as I lead at USC.

LAS: The #MeToo movement has become increasingly prevalent in todays workforce, as a woman of color in a male-dominated field, what advice would you give to young women striving to attain your success?

Dr. Austin: The first piece of advice I would offer is to make sure that you are putting in the work so that you can be your best whatever your field is prepare yourself so that you can communicate to everyone in your network people in your family about what your vision is for yourself or to alert you to other opportunities too.

Thirdly, if you feel that youre running into barriers, work through do a sound check to see if I am saying this correctly, its really important for women to speak up in the sense of making sure people understand what their objectives [are]I think people will knock down.

LAS: If you could share a message with the Trojan family about the future of USC, what would that message be?[Text Wrapping Break][Text Wrapping Break]Dr. Austin: Thats a great question. I would talk about my vision for the university going forward, USCs education research and patient care missions are very strong. We have an opportunity to make some improvements in our process that are going to strengthen us I think well be an example to others about how to improve governance in higher education. I believe that we are on a good path. I want to make sure that we create an environment where people can feel confident that they can be the best that they can be and achieve their full potential.

In Austins short tenure as interim president, she has implemented school-wide policies to help in the prevention of negligence as it relates to medical care and students safety. She helped to establish the USC Office of Professionalism and Ethics, which was formed to manage complaints of misconduct across both of the universities campuses. The goal of the office is to provide university leaders with the information they need to respond quickly when problems arise. It will also track ongoing investigations to ensure they are completed as quickly as possible and that corrective action is taken to protect the USC community.

Weve made significant changes at the student health center, which is professionally overseen by the Keck School of Medicine now which is a significant change, commented Austin.

USC has hired 10 new mental health counselors, several new doctors including more certified female gynecologist, and new experts in sexual assault prevention. Austin emphasized the importance of transitioning the university through better practices from the top down.

There are some key things that we want to focus on going forward, started Austin. First is communication, to increase our communication with our internal and external communities and second is to make sure that everyone understands our priority to provide a safe and secure environment; and [finally] to encourage people to if you see something that you think is not right, to say something.

The past eight years under Nikias leadership, the university saw the creation of two new schools, the construction of the USC Village and the introduction of several new buildings to the University Park Campus.

Though Austins time as president has an expiration date, she wants to ensure to leave the university in a progressive state. The board of trustees have approved the formation of a search committee and the hiring of search firm Isaacson, Miller to coordinate the selection of a successor. A second search company, Heidrick & Struggles, will also advise trustees.

Our goal is to complete this search within four to six months, according to USC board Chairman Rick Caruso.
Afghan health officials say militants are interfering in their effort to protect children in western Afghanistan against polio virus.

Abdul Jabar Shayeq is head of the health department in Farah province. He told VOA that the Taliban is blocking efforts to provide polio vaccine in some unsafe areas. He said the group wants the power to decide who vaccinates the children.

Shayeq told VOA, "Armed Taliban do not accept our standards, and push for their conditions, in an effort to control the vaccination process. They do not allow the vaccination campaign to be implemented independently."

He added that the Taliban is not directly opposing the vaccination campaign. He said its members are making it difficult for vaccinators to do their job correctly and to follow international standards.

Afghanistan has the largest number of registered polio cases in the world. Activists in Farah province want opposing sides to not politicize the vaccination campaign.

One activist, Nasim Minawal, told VOA the campaign is important and does not belong to the government or any other group. He added that "this is an important preventive program for children. Children who are suffering from polio [because of lack of vaccination] have no treatment whatsoever.

Minawal called on the Taliban not to interfere with the process and to let health workers do their jobs.

Some tribal leaders are calling on local leaders in rural areas to use their influence to help with the vaccinations.

Hameedullah Khan is a tribal leader in Farah. He believes efforts to block the vaccinations are non-Islamic. He told VOA that he wants community leaders to support vaccination efforts.

"I call on religious scholars, tribal leaders and community members not to politicize polio vaccination, Khan said. He added that they should be concerned for the well-being of their children and make sure they receive the vaccination in a timely manner."

Records from the Afghan ministry of public health show a decrease in the total number of polio cases from 2017. Fourteen polio cases were reported in Afghanistan last year. This year, there have been 10 cases.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Khushal Zaland reported this story for VOA News. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in this Story

implement  v. to begin to do or use something, such as a plan; to make something active or effective

province  n. any one of the large parts that some countries are divided into

standard  n. a level of quality, achievement, etc., that is considered acceptable or desirable

scholar  n. someone who has done studies in a special field or subject

manner  n. a way of doing things

allow  v. to permit or let
This is Whats Trending Today

Chinese officials have ordered X-Men actor Fan Bingbing to pay $130 million in taxes and fines. The move ends the mystery over her disappearance from public view three months ago.

Fan Bingbing is one of Chinas most famous actors. In 2016, Forbes listed her as one of the highest paid female actors in the world.

Chinas state news agency Xinhua reported that Fan would not be investigated for the crime of tax evasion as long as she pays the taxes, fines and late fees of almost 900 million yuan, about $130 million.

The Xinhua report said Fan avoided taxes by making a $20-million secret performance contract for the Chinese film Unbreakable Spirit.

It is a common custom in Chinese show business for actors to make one private contract with high pay and another public contract showing much lower pay. The report said the investigation serves as a warning to all show business performers in China.

Fan apologized on the social media site Weibo.com: I am unworthy of the trust of the society and let down the fans who love me.

She wrote that she accepts the tax officials decision and will overcome all difficulties and raise funds to pay back taxes and fines. The post is her first update on Weibo.com since June 2.

Fan has starred in several movies and TV series in China. She is best known internationally for her performances in the X-Men and Iron Man films.

Before her disappearance, she was to appear with Penelope Cruz in the Hollywood film 355. She also has a part in the upcoming movie Air Strike with Bruce Willis.

Im Anna Matteo.

The Associated Press reported this story. Hai Do adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

evasion -n. the act of avoiding something that you do not want to do or deal with : the act of evading something

society -n. the people of a particular country, area, time, etc., thought of especially as an organized community

funds -n. available money
A handful of companies have released smartphones aimed at gamers over the past year or two. The ASUS ROG Phone really seems like one of the first to earn that title.

In addition to flagship-class specs, the phone features Air Trigger buttons that you can use to perform actions while gaming, a docking port that lets you connect game controllers and/or an optional cooler to keep the phone from overheating, and an Asus Republic of Gamers logo on the back of the phone that lights up.

Asus announced the phone in June, and now the company plans to hold a US launch event for the ROG Phone on October 18th.

Well probably have to wait until then to find out about the US pricing and release date for the phone. But we already know the key specs:

6 inch, 2160 x 1080 pixel AMOLED display with HDR support, 90 Hz refresh rate, and 1ms response time

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor (overclocked to 2.96 GHz)

Up to 8GB of LPDR4X RAM

128GB or 512GB UFS 2.1 storage options

Stereo front-facing speakers

Rear fingerprint sensor

4,000 mAh battery

6.3 x 3 x 0.3

7 ounces

The ROG Phone has an 8MP front-facing camera and dual rear cameras including a 12MP 83-degree primary camera with optical image stabilization and a secondary 8MP camera with a 120 degree wide-angle lens.

Other features include support for 192kHz/24- it audio, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and GPS. The phone supports dual SIM cards and head a headphone jack, but theres no microSD card slot.

It features a USB 3.0 Type-C port for charging and data and the phone comes with a 30 watt power adapter for fast charging.

Theres also a docking port on the phone that you can use to attach optional accessories including the AeroActive Cooler, a Gamevice controller that adds physical gaming buttons, a TwinView dock that adds a second screen for viewing chat windows or other content while using the primary screen for gaming, and Mobile Desktop dock that lets you connect a mouse and keyboard for PC-style gaming.

Could you make the case that all of this is overkill for a smartphone, since most mobile games are designed to run on hardware that doesnt have all these features? Yes. Yes you could.

But with a growing number of PC games being ported to mobile platforms, the ability to add custom cooling, controls, and other features such as improved audio and video capabilities to smartphones could certainly making extended Fortnite or Civilization 6 sessions a little more enjoyable.

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THE International School of Macau (TIS) recently announced a brand-new program titled Activist-in-Residence aiming to advance the institutions mission to problem solve, think critically, and make positive changes in our global community.

For the inaugural activity of this new program, TIS has invited Salva Dut, founder of Water for South Sudan, who will present a series of activities dedicated to students, parents and the school community on November 1 and 2.

To learn more about this new program and its aims, the Times spoke to Dennis Stuebing, who has organized this and several other similar programs in the school.

Macau Daily Times (MDT)  How did this idea come about?

Dennis Stuebing (DS)  The history of the program came [from the fact] that our former head of School, Howard Stribbell had been following an organization, Inspire Citizens, through social media. He thought it would be a good opportunity for us to connect with them and to invite them in to do some learning around the ideas connected to what this program has now become.

Inspire Citizens is a [relatively] new organization that is operating out of Beijing and its an initiative that was founded by a number of international teachers, who have contacts with Salva Dut, founder of Water for South Sudan. They have been in operation for at least a year or two, facilitating engagement with international schools in the Asia region.

So when Howard [Stribbell] initially shared this idea with me, we looked into creating this Activist-in-Residence program as a way for TIS to invite some people from the world of advocacy and community engagement for a couple of days, similar to our Artist-in-Residence program. And thats basically the idea, network these people with our students, their families and the broader Macau community to provide role models around the ideas of responding to an need. I think this can provide a great role model to our students and to their families.

MDT  How do you expect this program to impact the lives of the students and their families?

DS  We live in this amazing place called Macau where we have everything. However, for instance, last years Typhoon Hato opened the eyes for many people in Macau, as they experienced what people in other parts of the world face. This is also what we are trying to do through the Activist-in-Residence program and other programs. Another program is CAS [Creativity, Activity, Service], which is part of the curriculum and where students go out to different places, either in Macau or other places in the world, and engage in response to service needs and communities.

Despite us being in this bubble of luxury, wealth and opulence, people in Macau are a little more sensitive to the rest of the world and the needs that exist in other peoples lives. Bringing Salva [Dut] here gives a chance for us to see what those needs are and how other parts of the world live. It allows our students and families to connect to that reality and hopefully not just to learn something but to also find a way to do something.

One thing we are doing through Salvas visit is fundraising for his organization called Water for South Sudan. In fact, we have a webpage through Water for South Sudan which has a goal to be met. We have actually started fund raising in the school and we have a goal of USD16,000, which will be the focus of our gala evening on November 1, when he does a presentation in the evening for families and representatives of the Macau and Hong Kong communities. It will be a way for people to respond to the needs of South Sudan and to give and contribute to this overall goal. This money will be helpful in creating a water source in the community in South Sudan, so that they can have fresh clean water that is maintained and taken care of. Its not just about getting fresh water but also guaranteeing that it remains fresh.

MDT  What do you think will be the response from students and families?

DS  I hope there will be a positive response, as this has not come just out of the blue. We have been doing a number of different programs and different ways of connecting students to understand the needs of a community. Experience Week is one of those. One of the things that gives us an advantage is that we have gained a lot of experience through the service learning program for our secondary students every March, from grade 7 to grade 12. As part of this week, students engage in service learning where they would go and respond to a community need.

This year in Macau, we are doing a program in which students are involved in mangrove rehabilitation and restoration with one of our local professors from the University of Saint Joseph. Hence, we are addressing that need and somehow connecting it to the big storms we have had, as we know that mangroves are so vital in terms of absorbing storm surge and helping to protect us from the typhoons that are happening more regularly now. We also had programs with local organizations and institutions such as Anima, Rainbow Macau and Cradle of Hope. For instance, these organizations presented several needs to our students and community and allowed them to think about the obligations they have as people who come from a privileged background or having an education that is unique and different than other schools, as well as obligations they have to use the things they learned to respond to those needs.

All these things have been very generously received by the members of our community and we hope this is another step. Our expectations are quite high and we think it will be well received but I think this is based on the history that we have been building as a school by creating awareness and equipping our students with that knowledge and opportunities to engage in response to that.

MDT  After this inaugural experience, what will be the next project?

DS  Well, this is our first time running this program. My hope is that we will run it again based on what we have learned through this process and hopefully we will learn how to do it a little bit better, and the ways we can include more people and the community. This may be done by including other schools in our leadership conference or finding the next activists that we will invite to speak to our students and our community. Maybe we want to bring a female activist the next time as we have been bringing several males, it does not have to be, but maybe it will. Another thing that we aim is to try to broaden the topics that needs addressing; so far we have been touching issues such as war conflicts consequences and environment, maybe we can explore other topics that are also relevant.
The government approved a seven-day extension to the deadline for Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome to rehouse its retired greyhounds.

On Tuesday, the Canidrome was supposed to relocate some 160 greyhounds to its Coloane home.

Under the new timetable, the dogs are to be rehoused on or before October 6.

The new dog shelter in Coloane is near Instituto Canossiano Vila Madalena, a home for the elderly.

Speaking to reporters prior to the governments reception to celebrate the 69th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China, Chief Executive Chui On said that the SAR would take enforcement actions, if necessary, should Canidrome fail to act in line with Macaus noise control regulations and the citys Animal Protection Law.

Chui added that the government has been monitoring any possible impacts on the nearby community caused by the new shelter for the greyhounds.

Meanwhile, in a letter addressed to the head of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), Jose Tavares, local animal rights group, Anima, warned that the new deadline proposed for adoptions (between March and April 2019) is not practical.

As you can imagine, everything becomes more complicated with this decision and the animals, instead of taking one year to leave [and be adopted], will take two or three years, the letter read, as cited in a TDM report.

This short timeline will result in the end of the sterilization and treatment in Macau and not guarantee that [the outside recipients] will accept this measure, even if the costs are covered by Yat Yuen.

IACM previously noted that the Canidrome would be fined for abandonment if the relocation of the greyhounds to its new Coloane home did not occur. Anima president, Albano Martins, then told TDM that the organization would dedicate itself to the adoption processes.

Meanwhile, Jose Tavares explained yesterday on the sidelines of the Executive Council press conference that the transfer of greyhounds from the Canidrome facilities to the new location in Coloane would not happen. According to the official, the reason is due to lack of isolation of the new venue, he said when questioned by the media.

Tavares noted that the IACM had performed an inspection of the facilities ahead of the transfer, finding that the facilities were not built like they should and the isolation is not perfect.

With only two days left before the deadline for clearing the Canidrome facilities, it is not likely that the company will be able to fix the facilities on time.

According to Tavares, what can happen is the imposition of a fine, that can go from MOP20,000 to MOP100,000. We will study and considered this according to the costs related to the shipping of the greyhounds for adoption outside Macau, he said. He noted that the possibility of the government covering such expenses has not been excluded at this stage.

Also not excluded, Tavares said, is the possibility of the government seeking compensation from the Canidrome Company by judicial means. LV/RM
North Koreas nuclear and missile tests have stopped, but its hacking operations to gather intelligence and raise funds for the sanction-strapped government in Pyongyang may be gathering steam.

U.S. security firm FireEye raised the alarm yesterday over a North Korean group that it says has stolen hundreds of millions of dollars by infiltrating the computer systems of banks around the world since 2014 through highly sophisticated and destructive attacks that have spanned at least 11 countries. It says the group is still operating and poses an active global threat.

It is part of a wider pattern of malicious state-backed cyber activity that has led the Trump administration to identify North Korea  along with Russia, Iran and China  as one of the main online threats facing the United States. Last month, the Justice Department charged a North Korean hacker said to have conspired in devastating cyberattacks, including an $81 million heist of Bangladeshs central bank and the WannaCry virus that crippled parts of Britains National Health Service.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned of the use of malware by Hidden Cobra, the U.S. governments byword for North Korea hackers, in fraudulent ATM cash withdrawals from banks in Asia and Africa. It said that Hidden Cobra was behind the theft of tens of millions of dollars from teller machines in the past two years. In one incident this year, cash had been simultaneously withdrawn from ATMs in 23 different countries, it said.

North Korea, which prohibits access to the world wide web for virtually all its people, has previously denied involvement in cyberattacks, and attribution for such attacks is rarely made with absolute certainty. It is typically based on technical indicators such as the Internet Protocol addresses that identify computers and characteristics of the coding used in malware, which is the software a hacker may use to damage or disable computers.

But other cybersecurity experts tell The Associated Press that they also see continued signs that North Koreas authoritarian government, which has a long track record of criminality to raise cash, is conducting malign activity online. That activity includes targeting of financial institutions and crypto-currency-related organizations, as well as spying on its adversaries, despite the easing of tensions between Pyongyang and Washington.

The reality is they are starved for cash and are continuing to try and generate revenue, at least until sanctions are diminished, said Adam Meyers, vice president of intelligence at CrowdStrike. At the same time, they wont abate in intelligence collection operations, as they continue to negotiate and test the international communitys resolve and test what the boundaries are.

CrowdStrike says it has detected continuing North Korean cyber intrusions in the past two months, including the use of a known malware against a potentially broad set of targets in South Korea, and a new variant of malware against users of mobile devices that use a Linux-based operating system.

This activity has been taking place against the backdrop of a dramatic diplomatic shift as Kim Jong Un has opened up to the world.

Tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula have dropped and fears of war with the U.S. have ebbed. Trump this weekend will dispatch his top diplomat, Mike Pompeo, to Pyongyang for the fourth time this year to make progress on denuclearization. AP
Hng Kongs securities regulator froze the assets of an unnamed chairman of a public company on suspicion of fraud totaling USD1.3 billion.

The person may have conducted two suspicious transactions to make significant profits, the Securities and Futures Commission said in a statement dated Sept. 17 but published to the citys official Gazette on Friday. It did not name the company or person it suspects of being involved in the alleged fraudulent transactions.

The company has purportedly lost contact with the chairman, the SFC said, adding that recent news reports appear to indicate that the person may be abroad or under investigation in China as a suspect in corruption case.

The SFC said it has ordered Kingston Securities Ltd., Satinu Markets Ltd. and HSBC Broking Securities (Asia) Ltd. to stop any dealings with the persons accounts. The person has securities and cash at the brokerages with an estimated value totaling HKD4.64 billion, the SFC said. Kingston Securitiess parent Kingston Financial Group Ltd. dropped as much as 7.7 percent in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the SFC declined to comment beyond the statement. The amount ordered for freezing is the largest ever for the city, according to activist investor David Webb.

At least three chairmen have gone missing from Hong Kong-listed Chinese firms this year, including Yang Zhihui from casino operator Landing International Development Ltd. and Wang Fucai from Real Nutriceutical Group Ltd.

While incidents such as missing bosses may make investors more cautious about the Hong Kong market, you cannot prevent cases like these, said Alex Wong, Hong Kong-based director of asset management at Ample Capital Ltd.

Investors have also grappled with sudden share price plunges in the wake of short seller reports. The citys bourse last month proposed a trading halt when auditors issue a disclaimer or adverse opinion on financial results as part of a review to address market concerns. Bloomberg
Alibaba founder Jack Ma said Tuesday that the trade dispute between the U.S. and China could last 20 years. But he expressed hope that a solution could be reached as a trade war would hurt everybody.

The Chinese e-commerce billionaire also questioned the focus among some on trade deficits, calling it a relic of the 20th century. U.S. President Donald Trump has long decried the U.S.s whopping deficit with China.

When trade stops, sometimes the war starts. So trade is the way to stop wars, Ma said at a World Trade Organization seminar. Trade is the way to build up trust. Its not the weapon to fight against each other.

He said trade conflict would not only hurt the U.S. and China but other countries small businesses. The standoff, he added, may last 20 years, unfortunately.

Overall, Ma expressed bullishness about trade, but said it needed to be protected from regulators.

Today we see Made in China, Made in America, Made in Switzerland or Made in Geneva: 2030 will see Made in Internet. More than 85 percent of business will be e-commerce, he said.

Alibaba Group is the worlds biggest e-commerce company by value of the goods that pass across its platforms.

A key part of its business is connecting American retailers with Chinese suppliers, many of them small producers of furniture, handbags, tools and household appliances. The United States is an important market for Chinese businesses and Washingtons tariff increases have been a hit.

The Trump administration has imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods, prompting retaliation from Beijing.

Ma, 54, is one of Chinas most prominent and outspoken business leaders. He announced last month he will step down as Alibabas chairman next September but will stay on as a member of the Alibaba Partnership, a group that retains control of the company through their right to nominate a majority of its board of directors. AP
In celebration of the 69th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China, Chief Executive Chui Sai On said that the SAR would step up efforts in responding to the needs of the national development strategy.

Chui joined more than 700 people at a reception at the Macau Tower on Monday.

In his speech, Chui noted that the mainland has entered a new era of development, adding that the country serves as a driving force for the SARs development.

The better the country is, the better Macau will become. The prosperity and strengthening of the country are driving forces for the development of Macau and they will always be the unshakable support of the stability of Macau, he said.

Chui also pledged to strengthen the SARs disaster prevention and response measures, increasing investment in resources for implementing short, medium and long-term measures to develop a long-term disaster prevention and mitigation plan.

In the future we will work hard to improve our capacity and the level of disaster prevention and response, keeping, as a priority, the safety of the lives and the goods of residents, he said.

Chui outlined routes to further advance development and ensure socio-economic stability of the region, which include enhancing coordination and planning, and strengthening the quality of governance.

According to him, the government will adjust the regions Five-Year Development Plan by adding new content to support the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

The Chief Executive noted that the SAR Government would work closely with the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong to explore innovative mechanisms and systems to improve living, working and tourism conditions.

We aim to enhance Macau peoples sense of satisfaction and solidarity, especially to create a favorable environment for the younger generation to engage in competition within the Greater Bay Area, he said.

He also pledged that SAR government would continue to optimize the long-term livelihood mechanisms for social security, healthcare, housing and education.

We will further increase subsidies and allowances, targeting the underprivileged, so that they can share the results of economic development, said Chui.
High above Yemens rebel-held city of Hodeida, a drone controlled by Emirati forces hovered as an SUV carrying a top Shiite Houthi rebel official turned onto a small street and stopped, waiting for another vehicle in its convoy to catch up.

Seconds later, the SUV exploded in flames, killing Saleh al-Samad, a top political figure.

The drone that fired that missile in April was not one of the many American aircraft that have been buzzing across the skies of Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001. It was Chinese.

Across the Middle East, countries locked out of purchasing U.S.-made drones due to rules over excessive civilian casualties are being wooed by Chinese arms dealers, who are worlds main distributor of armed drones.

The Chinese product now doesnt lack technology, it only lacks market share, said Song Zhongping, a Chinese military analyst and former lecturer at the Peoples Liberation Army Rocket Force University of Engineering. And the United States restricting its arms exports is precisely what gives China a great opportunity.

The sales are helping expand Chinese influence across a region vital to American security interests.

Its a hedging strategy and the Chinese will look to benefit from that, said Douglas Barrie, an airpower specialist at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. I think the Chinese are far less liable to be swayed by concerns over civilian casualties, he said.

At the start of the year, a satellite passing over southern Saudi Arabia photographed U.S.-made surveillance drones at an airfield, alongside Chinese-manufactured armed ones.

According to the Center for the Study of the Drone at New Yorks Bard College, that was the first documented example of the two drone systems being used in the war in Yemen. The country has emerged as a sort of a testing ground for these strike-capable drones, said Dan Gettinger, the co-director of the Center for the Study of the Drone. Theres a rapid turnaround from delivery to deployment.

U.S. drones were first used in Yemen to kill suspected al-Qaida militants in 2002.

One of the biggest Chinese exports is the Cai-Hong, or Rainbow, series made by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., or CASC, the largest contractor for the Chinese space program.

CASCs CH-4 and CH-5 models are on a par with San Diego-based General Atomics Predator and Reaper drones, and much cheaper. Independent analysts say the Chinese models lag behind their American counterparts but the technology is good enough to justify the price tag, which might be half or less.

A CASC executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to journalists, said cutting-edge U.S. models like Boeing Co.s Stingray, introduced this year for the U.S. Navy, still hold a technological advantage.

And while price is an advantage, so too is a more relaxed attitude toward how drones are used, said Ulrike Franke, an expert on drones and policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations

Since 2014, China has sold more than 30 CH-4s to countries including Saudi Arabia and Iraq in deals worth over USD700 million, according to CASC. Ten countries are currently in negotiations to purchase the CH-4, according to the firm.

Last year, China sold to the UAE the Wing Loong II, an armed unmanned aerial vehicle roughly equivalent to the American MQ-9 Reaper.

In recent years, all types of drones have proven their value and importance through a high degree of use in warfare, and the military has noticed, said the top CASC executive. Many countries are now speeding up the development for these weapons systems, including China.

During President Xi Jinpings five years in power, China has stepped up spending on stealth fighters and aircraft carriers for its own military, while boosting sales of advanced equipment such as attack submarines to close allies like Pakistan.

China still lags behind the U.S., Russia, France, and Germany in total arms sales but its catching up. Chinese arms exports rose by 38 percent between 2008-12 and 2013-17, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which tracks the global arms trade.

Mounting criticism over the rising civilian death toll in Yemen prompted the U.S. to impose restrictions on drone sales, forcing foreign countries to go through the U.S. government to buy armed drones, including those with laser-guidance systems.

The Washington-based New America Foundation estimates more than 240 drone strikes in Yemen have killed more than 1,300 people, including at least 111 civilians.

But with Chinas drone sales booming, theres growing pressure from U.S. arms makers to remove restrictions to let them catch up.

After some U.S. lawmakers urged President Donald Trump to loosen controls and let General Atomics sell its armed Reapers to Jordan and the UAE, the administration on April 19 permitted U.S. manufacturers to directly market and sell drones, including armed versions.

The government must still approve and license the sales, which are also contingent on human rights and proliferation reviews and congressional authorization.

General Atomics did not respond to a request for comment.

China doesnt routinely announce arms sales like the U.S. and others, but a review of drone spottings gives some indication of who its customers are:

 In Iraq in October 2015, the countrys then-defense minister inspected a CH-4 drone at an air base in the city of Kut.

 Chinese armed drones have been operating at Jordans Zarqa Airport, at an air base in Pakistan and from bases in Egypt in the Sinai Peninsula and near its border with Libya, according to satellite photos analyzed by the Center for the Study of the Drone.

 Satellite photographs taken of a mysterious air base in the United Arab Emirates deep south  a desert area known as the Empty Quarter  appear to show three Wing Loong IIs, IHS Janes Defense Weekly reported in January.

 Two CH-4s were spotted by satellite alongside surveillance- only Predators purchased by the UAE at Jizan Regional Airport in southern Saudi Arabia, near the kingdoms border with Yemen, according to the Center for the Study of the Drone.

 Outside of the Mideast, Nigeria has used Chinese armed drones against the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram. Jon Gambrell & Gerry Shih, Dubai, AP
Bioelectric depolarization is indicated using a fluorescent dye (brighter green areas). Depolarization patterns in the uninjured leg (right) occur within seconds of amputation of the opposing leg (left), reflecting both the position and type of injury. Yellow arrow points to spinal cord, Credit: Sera Busse, Patrick McMillen, Michael Levin - Tufts University

In research that extends knowledge about the physiology of regeneration and wound repair, Tufts University biologists have discovered that amputation of one limb is immediately reflected in the bioelectric properties of the contralateral, or opposing, un-damaged limb of developing frogs. The pattern of bioelectric depolarization in the un-injured leg is directly correlated to the position and type of injury, indicating that information about damage to tissues is available to their symmetrical counterparts within about 30 seconds of injury. The newly discovered phenomenon, dubbed "bioelectric injury mirroring" or BIM, is described in detail in a paper to be published next week in the journal Development.

Bioelectric phenomena are caused by cells that produce a voltage potential across their membrane by actively pumping or passively diffusing charged ions into or out of the cell. Most cells are capable of doing this, and patterns of high and low voltage potentials help direct the proliferation and differentiation of cells, as well as the patterning of tissues and organs, during embryonic development. Bioelectric states have also been implicated in regenerationresearchers have been able to alter bioelectric state to induce the regeneration of tails on tadpoles that had already matured beyond the capability of regeneration.

Studies of the bioelectric contribution to regeneration have largely focused on the region around the wound. "However, we wanted to look a little further," said Sera Busse, the study's first author who conducted the research as an undergraduate student before graduating with a degree in biology from Tufts in May 2018. "We know that bioelectric potentials can exhibit symmetrical patterns. We asked whether it was possible that the patterns resulting from injury might also be reflected symmetrically, at a distance."

Busse, post-doctoral scholar Patrick McMillen, Ph.D., and Michael Levin, Ph.D., the Vannevar Bush Professor of Biology in the School of Arts & Sciences and Director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts, devised experiments using a fluorescent dye that can reveal the pattern of electrical depolarization in the upper layer of skin.

When Busse amputated the limbs of froglets still in regeneration stage, the dye revealed a remarkable phenomenon: The un-injured leg exhibited bioelectric states that mirrored the location and type of injury occurring on the opposite side, and the effect was immediate, occurring within 5 seconds.

"What was amazing about this result was that not only did the depolarization in the un-injured leg detect the presence of injury on the other side, it also reflected information about the position of the cut," said Levin.

The researchers considered whether such information was conveyed by typical neural communication through the central nervous system or spinal cord, but the BIM signal was undiminished when the central nervous system communication was interrupted. The result suggests that the distant communication between limbs occurs by a cell-to-cell mechanism which may be an evolutionary precursor to the more familiar neural signaling.

"Looking ahead, we will be employing more precise genetically-encoded voltage sensing tools, which can provide more quantitative and deeper tissue information than dyes, and machine learning methods to extract signatures of different types of damage from the bioelectric signal, to provide a more highly resolved understanding of the BIM phenomenon," said Levin. Next steps involve understanding the mechanism and information content of such long-range signaling in the body, and potentially developing surrogate-site diagnostics for many different disease conditions.

In addition to conducting leading research during her time as a Tufts undergraduate, Busse is a nationally competitive rower, a 10-time U.S. rock climbing team member and a U.S. national champion in the sport. The other two authors, McMillen and Levin, also are former undergraduates of Tufts University.

Explore further Researchers rescue embryos from brain defects by re-engineering cellular voltage patterns

More information: Sera M. Busse et al, Cross-limb communication duringXenopushind-limb regenerative response: non-local bioelectric injury signals, Development (2018). Journal information: Development Sera M. Busse et al, Cross-limb communication duringXenopushind-limb regenerative response: non-local bioelectric injury signals,(2018). DOI: 10.1242/dev.164210
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Analysis of the world's largest set of genome data from pregnant women, totaling 141,431 expectant mothers from across China, has uncovered unsuspected associations between genes and birth outcomes, including the birth of twins and a woman's age at first pregnancy.

The analysis also allowed researchers to reconstruct the recent movement and intermarriage of different ethnic groups in China, and promises to help identify genes that make people susceptible to infectious diseases.

"It's amazing that this is even possiblethat you can take these massive samples and do association mapping to see what the genetic variants are that explain human traits," said co-author Rasmus Nielsen, a professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley, who oversaw the computational analysis performed by researchers at BGI in Shenzhen, China.

It's even more amazing because the researchers sequenced, on average, only 10 percent of each mother's genome, relying on large numbers of poor-quality genomes so as to leverage cheaper tests to discover new genetic links.

The mothers-to-be had provided blood samples to be tested for fetal chromosomal abnormalities, primarily Down syndrome. This technique, called cell-free fetal DNA testing, a form of non-invasive prenatal testing, is possible because mothers have DNA from their unborn child floating in their bloodstream. With rapid shotgun sequencing, labs can break up all the free-floating DNA in the blood and sequence just enough of the bits to diagnose Down syndrome.

Though not yet widespread in the United States, non-invasive prenatal testing is common in China: 70 percent of such tests worldwide have been performed in China. Sampling the mother's blood can be done early and risk-free, whereas standard prenatal testing in the U.S. involves amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, both of which require obtaining fetal cells from inside the uterus and risk harming the unborn child.

BGI was paid by maternity hospitals to conduct these tests, but obtained informed consent from each mother to also analyze the partially sequenced genomes for research purposes, maintaining anonymity. All the analyses were performed in China and the data is hosted in the China National GeneBank.

The data analysis revealed, for example, that variation in a gene called NRG1 is linked to a greater or lesser incidence of twins. One variant of the gene is more common in mothers with twins and is associated with hyperthyroidism, tightening a link between thyroid function and twinning that had previously been seen in mice.

A variant of another gene, EMB, was associated with older first-time mothers.

BGI-Shenzhen researchers Siyang Liu, Xun Xu, and Xin Jin (left to right). Credit: BGI-Shenzhen

The analysis also pulled out several genes that had not previously been associated with height and body mass index.

Perhaps most interesting, Nielsen said, is what sequencing of all the DNA in maternal blood tells us about viruses circulating through the body, and thus the link between viruses and genes that determine susceptibility to disease.

A variation in one gene, for example, was associated with a higher concentration of herpesvirus 6 in a mother's blood. Herpesvirus 6 is the most common cause of the relatively benign baby rash called roseola, but a high "viral load" correlates with more severe symptoms. People with Alzheimer's disease also have higher levels of herpesvirus 6 in their brains.

"Most people are infected by herpesvirus 6 at some point in their life, but some people seem to be less affected than others. We have now found a human genetic variant that helps control the severity of the infection," Nielsen said. "This is quite interesting because we don't know much about the genetic variants that control why some people seem more susceptible to viral infection and not others."

More correlations remain to be discovered. The BGI team to date has sequenced genomes from more than 3 million pregnant women, much of it accompanied by information on the mothers' and babies' health that can be used to find genetic associations.

"If you have these genotypes and compare them to phenotypes, that is, something you can measure, you can find genetic variants that explain human traits," said Xun Xu, a leader of the BGI team and the study's lead author.

Nielsen, Xu, Siyang Liu and other BGI colleagues will report initial findings from the analysis on Oct. 4 in the journal Cell.

Sequencing by imputation

To find genes associated with human traitsheight and weight, for instanceresearchers typically sequence thoroughly a small number of genomeshundreds to thousandsand scan the genomes for variations in the sequence that are more common in people with the trait. The gold standard now is to sequence each genome 60 times to insure accuracy given inherent errors in the sequencing process. Even if each genome is sequenced a mere 20 times, which is good but not great, it still gets expensive.

The new study relies on only partial genomeswhich are cheaper to getbut massive numbers of them. On average, about one-tenth of each mothers' genome was sequenced, because that is all that is necessary for a doctor to diagnose a chromosomal anomaly in the fetus. For example, Down syndrome, or trisomy 21, is caused by three rather than two copies of chromosome 21. A single cycle of sequencing is enough to determine whether some genes are 50 percent more common than normal, indicative of one extra chromosome.

But partial genomes can tell researchers a lot too, Nielsen said.

Think of reconstructing a lost book from thousands of error-prone copies, complicated by the fact that you have only about 10 percent of each copy. By looking for overlaps and inferring words from contextcalled imputationyou could reconstruct a lost manuscript.

In reconstructing partial genomes, scientists have another important data set: all the complete human genomes sequenced to date, with all their individual variations.

Proof that imputation using more than 141,000 partial genomes works is that the reconstructed geographical distribution in China of minority groups and the dominant Han Chinese reflect known population movements in the country over the last 100 years.

"Because the sample size is so large, we can get at recent population movements, including relocations as a consequence of China's governmental policies," Nielsen said. Many populations of Han Chinese in western China are more closely related to the populations of large cities on the East Coast, for example, reflecting relocation of large numbers of people into the sparsely populated countryside.

The researchers also found that many Chinese had genetic variants common among Indians, Southeast Asians and, along the route of the old Silk Road, Europeans.

Nielsen is currently working with his BGI colleagues to analyze the genomes of 1 million Chinese women who underwent non-invasive prenatal testing.

Explore further Fetal DNA sequencing potentially could reduce need for invasive prenatal diagnostic procedures
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On a Sunday in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur, a lone gunman shot an elderly couple at the inn they owned, 22 diners lunching at a nearby tourist spot, two tour bus drivers and several of their passengers, four occupants of a BMW, and two customers at a gas station.

By the time the bullets stopped flying on April 28, 1996, 35 people were dead and 23 more were wounded. It was the worst mass shooting Australia had ever seen.

In a matter of months, Australia rolled out the National Firearms Agreement, which banned the possession of automatic and semiautomatic firearms in all but "exceptional circumstances." About 640,000 guns were surrendered through a gun buyback program and 60,000 more were turned in to authorities for free in 1996 and 1997.

Australia has not seen a shooting like the Port Arthur massacre since, and the National Firearms Agreement is widely credited for this success. Gun control advocates in the United Statesincluding former President Barack Obamahave spoken admiringly of the law and suggest it should be a model for reducing gun deaths here.

That wouldn't do any good, according to the authors of a new study.

Mass shootings get the most attention, but they account for a tiny fraction of total gun deaths in the U.S., data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show. Among the nation's 36,252 firearms-related fatalities in 2015, 61 percent were suicides and most of the rest were ordinary homicides.

Neither of those kinds of deaths actually fell in Australia as a result of the National Firearms Agreement, researchers reported last week in the American Journal of Public Health.

"Many claims have been made about the NFA's far-reaching effects and its potential benefits if implemented in the United States," wrote Stuart Gilmour, a statistician at St. Luke's International University in Tokyo, and his coauthors from the University of Tokyo. "However, more detailed analysis of the law shows that it likely had a negligible effect on firearm suicides and homicides in Australia and may not have as large an effect in the United States as some gun control advocates expect."

Previous studies have said otherwise. A 2010 report in the American Law and Economics Review concluded that "the buyback led to a drop in the firearm suicide rates of almost 80 percent" and had a similar effect on gun-related homicides. But that study ignored the fact that gun deaths were already falling when the program went into effect.

A 2016 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association acknowledged that a decline in gun-related suicides and homicides was indeed underway but said these mortality rates dropped more sharply in the aftermath of the NFA. However, the JAMA study failed to consider deaths that had nothing to do with guns. That means they might have given the gun control law credit for something that would have happened anyway.

Gilmour and his coauthors attempted to solve these problems by using a statistical method known as "difference-in-difference." This approach turns real-life events into scientific experiments in which one group is subjected to an intervention and another group serves as a control.

In this case, the intervention was the National Firearms Agreement. It could have affected Australians who were inclined to use a gun to commit a suicide or homicide. But Gilmour's team assumed it would have no effect on suicides and homicides that did not involve a gun. This was their control group.

Their difference-in-difference analysis revealed that although the rate of gun-related suicides fell steadily after the NFA went into effect in 1997, that decline was part of a larger trend that began in the late 1980sand wasn't altered by the new law.

Likewise, homicides in Australia were already dropping when the National Firearms Agreement went into effect. The rate of gun-related homicides fell in the wake of the NFA, but the law had no effect "over and above a broad decline" in homicides involving all kinds of weapons, the study authors wrote.

To test the strength of their results, the researchers repeated their analysis using 1998 (not 1997) as the first year of the NFA era. They also tried using earlier start dates for their pre-NFA period, in case their initial choice happened to skew the results. The findings were "mostly unaffected" by these changes.

It's not that the National Firearms Agreement was a bad idea. It's that other things going on in Australia must have made a bigger differenceone that swamped any help the NFA might have offered.

The researchers can't say for sure what those other things were, but they have some ideas. They noted that Australia implemented a nationwide youth suicide prevention program in 1995 and one for adults in 2001. Either or both programs could have helped reduce suicides, including suicides carried out with a gun.

In addition, the Australian Institute of Criminology developed gun control policies that were adopted in 1991five years before the NFA.

"It is likely that these more comprehensive and detailed 1991 changes played a greater role in reducing firearms-related suicide and homicide than did the NFA, which was implemented solely for the purpose of eliminating mass shootings," Gilmour and his colleagues wrote.

If that is indeed the case, trying to pass an American version of the National Firearms Agreement could be counterproductive, they added.

"It is imperative that this political moment ... not be squandered on a law that will have limited impact," they wrote. "To achieve real, sustained reductions in the majority of causes of firearm-related mortality, the United States needs a broader, more comprehensive range of gun control measures than those in the NFA."

Explore further Study shows that gun purchase delays can reduce suicide rates

2018 Los Angeles Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
This image shows two poses for a new compound, discovered at Purdue University, docking and targeting the laminin receptor protein for cancer therapy. Credit: Purdue University

Purdue University researchers are studying ways to make prostate cancer, ranked as the second most common and second most fatal cancer among men by the American Cancer Society, less lethal by making it less aggressive.

The Purdue team has developed a drug to target the laminin receptor (37/67 LR), a membrane protein that when overexpressed can promote the growth of cancer cells and tumors. The researchers say it also could help fight other types of aggressive cancers, including pancreatic, colon, liver and breast.

"We are trying to take cancer's foot off the accelerator by targeting this receptor," said Marxa Figueiredo, a Purdue associate professor of basic medical sciences, who helped lead the research team.

Purdue's drug binds to the laminin receptor and cuts its ability to help tumors grow and to communicate with blood vessels, which are the lifeblood for cancer cells and tumors. The Purdue compound mimics anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenesis pathways to inhibit cancer cell viability, proliferation, migration, as well as inhibits the formation of new blood vessels.

The Purdue approach is unique because it provides a single drug to perform multiple functions in cancer treatment. The drug also shows promise for treating similar cancers in pets.

"It is incredibly rewarding and exciting to potentially provide new options for people and for animals dealing with aggressive tumors," Figueiredo said.

Figueiredo worked with her former graduate student, Sam Umbaugh, to develop this drug. She is currently collaborating with Herman Sintim, Purdue's Drug Discovery Professor of Chemistry, to create different versions of the drug that are more effective against various types of cancers.

Explore further Technique to monitor the growth of certain cancers
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Compliance with legislation intended to mitigate the risks associated with indoor tanning varies widely between countries and individual facilities and is generally poor, a study published in the open access journal BMC Public Health suggests. This may reduce its intended protective effect on public health.

Researchers at the University of Guelph, Canada conducted a systematic review of 16 peer-reviewed studies, which assessed compliance with indoor tanning legislation in five countries; the US, Germany, France, Australia and Chile.

The authors reviewed compliance with age restriction requirements, parental consent or accompaniment, protective eyewear, warning labels, health risk information, health benefit information, and risk restrictions, such as a minimum of 48 hours between individual tanning sessions.

Jessica Reimann, a Ph.D. Candidate and the lead author of the study said: "We were surprised by the extent to which compliance varied from one aspect of legislation to the next. For example, compliance with providing protective eyewear was quite high at 92% on average while compliance with youth access restrictions was low at only 34% on average."

Dr. Jennifer McWhirter, a professor and the corresponding author added: "Non-compliance with communicating risks, posting warning signs, or making misleading health claims was also common, suggesting tanners may not be getting appropriate health information or, worse, may even be receiving misinformation."

The authors suggest that with the global incidence of skin cancer increasing and especially young people at increased risk from UV exposure, greater compliance is needed especially for indoor tanning risk communication and youth access.

Jessica Reimann said: "We need greater enforcement to protect the public. Checking on compliance in-person at tanning salons is an effective means to do this. Legislative amendments may also help to ensure young people are not indoor tanning. For example, removing parental consent exemptions in favour of outright youth bans would likely do a better job at deterring use of tanning beds by young people."

Considering successful strategies from other public health initiatives, such as alcohol and tobacco control, may be helpful when drafting future indoor tanning legislation, for example by monitoring and enforcing age restrictions of 18 years or higher. Putting a tax on tanning where it doesn't already exist, could fund inspections and may deter customers, according to the authors.

The authors caution that due to differences in legislation between countries and varying definitions of compliance between studies, as well as variable study designs and temporal and geographic differences, comparisons across studies were challenging. As the majority of studies examined in this review were conducted in the US, this may limit the generalizability of the findings.

Explore further Do tanning salons comply with state laws restricting access to minors?

More information: Jessica Reimann et al, A systematic review of compliance with indoor tanning legislation, BMC Public Health (2018). Journal information: BMC Public Health Jessica Reimann et al, A systematic review of compliance with indoor tanning legislation,(2018). DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-5994-4
Katelyn and Jeffrey Hoglund

(HealthDay)In 2016, almost 174 Americans died each day due to drug overdosesand roughly two-thirds of those deaths were caused by opioid drugs. The statistics are startling and make the problem seem hopeless.

But is it?

Beating drug addictionwhether it's opioids (such as OxyContin), methamphetamine or something elseis definitely a challenge and an ongoing process. Recovery often doesn't occur with just one attempt. People often relapse one or more times during the process, according to the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.

But it is possible to recover from even the most serious of addictions.

Just ask Katelyn and Jeffrey Hoglunda Cincinnati-area couple. Before they met, they were both so far gone into addiction that their daily lives revolved solely around getting the next fix.

Today, they're celebrating five years drug-free and their first wedding anniversary (they met in recovery). Both have good jobs and they just purchased a new house to give their five dogs more room to roam.

Paths to addiction

Their journeys weren't without trouble though. "I had zero belief that I could be anything but a dope fiend when I was using," Katelyn said.

Both Katelyn and Jeffery were somewhat surprised by how easy it was to get addicted.

For Katelyn, it started with a party where she took some opioid pain pills. She liked the high and started using them more and more. She said she was naive and didn't realize that the pills were addictive.

"I thought, 'These are made in a lab. They must be OK.' But one day I woke up feeling really sick," she said. "I didn't know it at the time, but I was dope sick. Later that day, I got some pain pills, and I vividly remember that I felt better, and then I thought, 'Uh-oh.' "

But she still kept using, and said it was probably only a month or two before she knew she was addicted. The real turning point was when she crossed from pain pills to using a needle to inject heroin. "At that point, any semblance of my life was shattered," she said.

Katelyn said she used for probably five years, and during that time was arrested a few times, including for stealing a large sum of money from her parents.

"Everything finally started to catch up on me," she said. "I would wake up in the morning and be angry that I had woken up, that I hadn't overdosed. I knew I couldn't continue to live that way."

Katelyn turned herself in and was given a chance to go to an inpatient treatment center instead of jail.

Jeffrey's story is similar. He was very close to his parents, especially his Dad. In 2001, he found out his Dad had pancreatic cancer. He was devastated. A friend said to him, "Buddy, you don't have to feel this." That was the first night he ever tried hard drugs.

"The drugs brought me everything I didn't know I was looking for, and from that point until 201312 yearsit didn't matter what drugs I could get as long as I didn't have to feel," Jeffrey said.

Like Katelyn, he said any semblance of his former life vanished once he crossed the line into injecting drugs. Jeffrey also was arrested and entered drug rehab multiple times before he finally took recovery seriously.

Support key to recovery

What made the last visit to rehab the one that stuck?

Jeffrey said he's not entirely sure, but thinks the weekly visits from his mother helped. His mother encouraged him and said she saw something changing in him. "I always thought I would die a junkie. But seeing myself through her eyes allowed me to see myself as something better," he said.

Marjorie Clifton, executive director of the Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies, said what many people don't understand about opioid addiction in particular, is that the drugs rewire your brain.

"People addicted to opioids aren't looking for the high; they're trying to avoid the dope sickness. They get so sick when coming off the high that they will do anything to keep from feeling it, and it's something you cannot understand unless you've been through it," Clifton said.

Fred Muench, CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, and himself a recovering addict, said the stigma surrounding addiction is a huge problem.

"I've heard people say, 'Why should you resuscitate addicts who've overdosed?' because people believe addiction is a choice. But addiction is a disease, and however that disease gets triggered, we need to stop blaming the individual and seeing addiction as a moral failure. Addiction is the only disease we treat with jail," he said.

Muench said if you have insurance, you'll likely have treatment options. Success rates between inpatient and outpatient treatment aren't drastically different, but whatever your choice, be sure to research the treatment center and make sure its marketing isn't making wild promises. Family members can help with this research if they want to be involved, he suggested.

People without insurance must rely on state and local government programs. These programs often have waiting lists, he noted.

Muench also encourages family members to not give up, even if your loved one has tried over and over again to get off drugs. But, he added, it's important to set boundaries, and support doesn't necessarily mean giving someone money.

"Understand that you reaching out to help can change someone's life. When I couldn't give myself hope, others around me who could see I wasn't a bad person, just someone struggling, gave me hope. It can get you from feeling suicidal to getting into treatment," Muench said.

Explore further Combatting the opioid epidemic

More information: Learn more about safe medicine use and what treatment options are available for people addicted to drugs from Learn more about safe medicine use and what treatment options are available for people addicted to drugs from MedicineSafe

Copyright  2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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The risk of dying during pregnancy is negligible for the average Danish woman, but if a woman has epilepsy, the probability is multiplied by five. This is the central result of a comprehensive epidemiological study conducted by researchers from the health department at Aarhus University.

The study is published in Neurology, and shows that out of approximately 2 million pregnant women, including 12,000 women with epilepsy, a total of 176 women died during their pregnancy. Five of them had epilepsy, which means women with epilepsy are a higher risk group, says Jakob Christensen, one of the researchers behind the study. He is a clinical associate professor, DMSc at the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University and a consultant at the Department of Neurology at Aarhus University Hospital.

"Although the absolute risk is small, we have to consider how we can follow pregnant women with epilepsy better than today," says Jakob Christensen.

According to the study, pregnant women with epilepsy die of virtually the same conditions and events as women without epilepsyincluding accidents, blood clots, cancer and suicidealthough with a greater frequency.

"We can't produce statistics on causes of death on the basis of five deceased pregnant women with epilepsy, but we can conclude with great statistical certainty that pregnant women with epilepsy die five times more frequently than other pregnant women," says Christensen.

The research results should be seen in light of the fact that in general, people with epilepsy have a higher mortality rate than the rest of the population. Overall, for women of childbearing age, the mortality rate is 15 times higher.

The relative risk of death is thus lower for women with epilepsy who are also pregnant when compared to all women with epilepsy, which, as Christensen points out, may be due to the fact that it is always the most healthy women who become pregnant.

"As a woman with epilepsy, you are affiliated with highly specialised neurological treatment at a hospital, while on the other hand, you need follow-ups from your general practitioner. Patients in this situation risk being sent back and forth, as one medical service believes the other is taking overall responsibility and vice versa. This could be a partial explanation for the increased mortality, which is particularly seen in people with epilepsy who also suffer from mental illnesssomething that is unfortunately well documented, for example, in Swedish patients with mental illness," says Jakob Christensen.

"At the same time, we must take into account that the vast majority of pregnant women with epilepsy receive medication and are closely monitored during pregnancy, and that this probably helps to reduce the overall mortality, because close monitoring means that there is better management of their epileptic seizures," he says.

The study was conducted in close collaboration between Jakob Christensen, who meets the patients in the clinical reality, statistician Claus Hstrup Vestergaard from the Research Unit for General Practice under the Department of Public Health, and Associate Professor Bodil Hammer Bech, who works with epidemiology at the Department of Public Health.

The research group examined 2,110,084 pregnancies between 2000 and 2013. Among these pregnancies, 11,976 (0.6 percent) were pregnancies among women with epilepsy; in all cases, "pregnancy-related death" was defined as death during pregnancy and up to 42 days after the end of the pregnancy. Mortality among women with epilepsy was compared with the mortality rate for women of the same age and social background.

The Danish study is the result of a number of worrying studies from the U.S. and U.K. reporting a tenfold increase in the risk of dying for pregnant women with epilepsy. But things do not look quite as bad in Denmark.

"Even though it can be difficult to compare Denmark with the United States and the U.K. because the healthcare systems are constructed differently, the study indicates that in Denmark, we're better at dealing with pregnant women with epilepsy, which we should naturally be pleased about. But this is of little consolation for the pregnant Danish women with epilepsy who still have a markedly increased risk of losing their lives during pregnancy. And I definitely think that we should take an interest in this as medical doctors," says Christensen.

More information about epilepsy

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases. Epilepsy can have many different causes, manifestations and prognoses. The common denominator is recurrent epileptic seizures as a result of the signal out-of-control traffic in larger or smaller networks of nerve cells in the brain.

Worldwide, approximately sixty million people have epilepsy. Epilepsy affects 12 Danes every day. A total of 50,000 are diagnosed in Denmarkof these, 65 percent are free of seizures.

The majority of women with epilepsy can become pregnant and have healthy children, but pregnancy in women with epilepsy requires preparation and planning in consultation with a medical doctor, because both frequent epileptic seizures and epilepsy medicine can harm the child.

Explore further Fertility rates no different for women with epilepsy

More information: Jakob Christensen et al. Maternal death in women with epilepsy, Neurology (2018). Journal information: Neurology Jakob Christensen et al. Maternal death in women with epilepsy,(2018). DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000006426
Professor Lee Gettler holds his newborn son. Credit: Lee Gettler/University of Notre Dame

Much has been written about what happens to mothers hormonally during pregnancy and after, but what about fathers?

In a first-of-its-kind study, University of Notre Dame Assistant Professor of Anthropology Lee Gettler and lead author Patty Kuo, visiting assistant professor of psychology, focused on how dads' biology around the birth of their children relates to their parenting down the road. They partnered with Notre Dame psychologists and Memorial Hospital of South Bend to analyze testosterone and cortisol in 298 men on the first two days of their newborns' lives.

"Studies like this give us an understanding of the value of having the dad present at birth and engaging with the baby," said Gettler. "What we see in the special days around birth is that dads' hormoneshow much dads are producing overall and how their hormones quickly change when they hold their newbornsare linked to what fathers are doing months later. This relates to how men establish bonds with their newborns as well as with their partners and how they will co-parent."

The large number of participants allowed Gettler and Kuo to examine how hormonal changes affect both new fathers and experienced ones. Their research, published this month in the journal Hormones and Behavior, demonstrated that dads whose cortisol levels were elevated while they held their newborns on the day of their birtheither skin-to-skin or clothedwere more likely to be involved with indirect care and play with their infants in the first months of their lives.

They also tested men's testosterone on the day of birth and found that fathers' later caregiving did not differ based on those levels. However, if dads' testosterone was lower on the second day of the infants' lives, fathers were more involved in care. These findings align with existing studies, including Gettler's leading research.

Labor and delivery nurses at Memorial collected saliva samples from participating dads who held their babies approximately an hour after birth. A UNICEF/WHO baby-friendly hospital that encourages skin-to-skin contact between parents and newborns, Memorial is not affiliated with a university. However, Memorial labor and delivery nurses were excited to partner with Gettler and Kuo because their study aligns with the nurses' goal to encourage interaction between fathers and their newborns.

A follow-up survey completed by 180 of the original participants gave Gettler and Kuo insight into the level of care fathers invested in the first four months of their newborns' lives.

Cortisol is sometimes referred to as the "stress hormone," but this study and others show that elevated cortisol is not always harmful, but helpful.

"We tend to think of cortisol as a 'bad' hormone, but babies do require a lot of care and you do need to be vigilant," Kuo said. "We think that elevated cortisol is a sort of orienting response that can help the body prepare for child care."

It's not surprising that cortisol level in dads is high on the day of birth. And, as long as it's not chronically elevated, it can have benefits, Gettler explained. Some data show that this is beneficial in moms as well, since it could make moms more prone to being responsive to their babies' cues signaling hunger or illness, for example.

"When we were approached by Dr. Gettler to help in his study, we had no idea it would end up taking two years and 1,600 tubes of saliva," said Patricia De Stefano, manager of the Memorial Childbirth Unit. "Our nurses are very passionate about the involvement of dads in the birth process and were willing to do whatever it took to help children have more involvement with their fathers. We were so thrilled to participate in the study."

Explore further Preemies' dads more stressed than moms after NICU

More information: Patty X. Kuo et al. Fathers' cortisol and testosterone in the days around infants' births predict later paternal involvement, Hormones and Behavior (2018). Journal information: Hormones and Behavior Patty X. Kuo et al. Fathers' cortisol and testosterone in the days around infants' births predict later paternal involvement,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.08.011
Finnish health officials are demanding a law to protect breastfeeding mothers from being driven out of public places, including restaurants and coffee shops, in one of western Europe's most gender equal nations.

The public health authority (THL) called last year for new legislation securing women's rights to nurse a child anywhere in public across Finland.

Now campaigners have launched a petition in support of the proposal, backed by the national midwifery association, The petition was on Thursday was signed by 1,000 people.

If it gathers 50,000 signatures within six months, lawmakers will be forced to debate the issue in the parliament.

"I'm worried that the general attitude regarding breastfeeding is not very good at the moment," petition co-organiser Kati Bhattacharya, a student and nurse in Helsinki, told AFP.

Although Finnish women breastfeed their children for longer on average than counterparts in many other European countries, THL says breastfeeding rates are lower in Finland than other Nordic countries.

Finland also falls short on World Health Organisation guidelines to feed babies exclusively on breast milk for the first six months of their lives.

Officials say that negative public attitudes to mothers nursing their babies are partly to blame.

A case last year of a breastfeeding mother in a restaurant who was asked by staff to either go into the toilet or downstairs made headlines and generated vigorous online debate in Finland.

The establishment, in the southern town of Tampere, later told media they asked the woman to move so as not to upset other customers.

"Some people say that breastfeeding mothers should be discreet to make sure people don't get upset," Bhattacharya said.

"I think it should be the other way round, that other people shouldn't be offended by mothers doing the most natural thing in the world," she added.

The proposed law guaranteeing the right to breastfeed in public would bring Finland into line with countries such as the UK and the US, where it is now illegal for business owners to discriminate against breastfeeding mothers.

 2018 AFP
The growing workload crisis in NHS primary care could be helped by the systematic integration of community health workers at scale, a study shows. Published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, the modelling study was led by researchers at Imperial College London. Using a model introduced in Brazil's Family Health Strategy, they estimate likely costs and benefits of deploying community health workers throughout NHS primary care in England.

Community health workers in Brazil provide services to 70% of the country's 200 million inhabitants, and have basic training in disease identification and monitoring, immunisation, screening support and health promotion. With responsibility for a defined group of households in their local area, community health workers visit all households at least once per month and liaise proactively with primary care services to ensure effective resolution of health and social care issues.

The study points to a 2017 UK government select committee report, which stated that the absence of any comprehensive national long-term strategy to secure an appropriately skilled and committed workforce represents the biggest internal threat to the long-term sustainability of the NHS.

Lead researcher Dr. Benedict Hayhoe, said: "Numerous interventions and government initiatives over some 20 years have failed to result in actual system-wide integrated care. A scaled and integrated community health worker workforce, offering proactive, preventative and holistic community-based care, may have the potential to succeed in achieving these aims where previous efforts have failed."

According to Dr. Hayhoe, community health workers could have important beneficial effects on health outcomes. "Their ability to liaise closely with GPs, identify problems early and support chronic disease monitoring indicates potential to reduce unnecessary workload burden on GPs, improving access while reducing use of acute and secondary care services," he said.

Conservative modelling carried out by the researchers suggests that 110,585 community health workers would be needed to cover the general practice population in England, costing the NHS 2.22bn annually. Assuming they could successfully refer 20% of eligible unscreened or unimmunised individuals, an additional 753,592 cervical cancer screenings, 365,166 breast cancer screenings and 482,924 bowel cancer screenings could be expected. A total of 16,398 additional children annually could receive their MMR vaccination at 12 months and 24,716 their MMR at five years of age.

Dr. Hayhoe said: "The impact of community health workers in the UK may be smaller than in Brazil overall, given differences in baseline health provision. However, this study provides a compelling case for pilot studies to explore the feasibility of a comprehensive, universal system of community health workers, integrated into primary care in the UK NHS."

Explore further Four practice characteristics facilitate integration of community health workers

More information: Integrating a nationally scaled workforce of community health workers in primary care: a modelling study , Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (2018). Journal information: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Integrating a nationally scaled workforce of community health workers in primary care: a modelling study ,(2018). DOI: 10.1177/0141076818803443
Tricia McGuire-Adams asked a group of Anishinaabeg women what inspires them to be physically active. Through their stories, she discovered they saw it as a way to help them improve all aspects of their well-being, from personal to family and community. Credit: Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation

For a group of Anishinaabeg women, physical activity is about more than just fitness, according to a new University of Alberta study; it's about enacting resilience in the face of colonialism.

Tricia McGuire-Adams, a U of A researcher who is Anishinaabe, examined what inspires Indigenous women to participate in sport and recreation.

She sought out seven Anishinaabeg women who were already practising a high level of physical activity. It enabled her to use an Anishinaabeg research paradigm that emphasizes storytelling and engagement in reciprocal and ethical relationships with her participants.

"They talked about their physical activity as a point of spiritual connection, connecting to the land, fostering their own health, but also the health of their family, their community, and also ceremony in some cases," McGuire-Adams explained. "So through their physical activity they're already enacting personal decolonization."

As she was conducting her study, McGuire-Adams noticed that most research looked at Indigenous health from a negative perspective, focusing on the effects of colonization, including poor health and disease.

"Within the western biomedical research, there is no opportunity to see successes, to see Indigenous folks living with well-being, living with vital, spiritual lives. It's always doom and gloom, it's always we're meant to be erased, it's always we're supposed to succumb to Type 2 diabetes, because it's so prevalent."

So McGuire-Adams set out to look at things differently, through an Anishinaabeg lens with a focus on successes.

By committing to physical activity, McGuire-Adams said the participants changed their negative feelings or behaviours into positive, transformative ones.

"The women in the study are exemplars of resilience," she said.

"Through their stories they were able to showcase how despite the challengesdespite the negative feelings, depression, whatever it might have been they were feeling at the timeit was through their practice of resilience through physical activity they were able to heal themselves and to continue that well-being journey."

She found that the women's pursuit of physical activity to rise above the challenges in their lives aligns with the Anishinaabeg concept of "gweysayjitodoon indo bimaadiziiwin" or "transforming oneself into a better life"that is, transforming all aspects of one's life.

"We can't erase the fact that we've all been impacted by colonization, but through the women's stories it became apparent to me that they already enact a resistance to that through their specific forms of physical activity," McGuire-Adams said.

She hopes the study will help inform community-based practitioners about key elements for program creation and delivery across communities.

"It's a different way of looking at our ill health. Yes we have these [ill health] statistics, we can't erase that, that's a fact. But there are different ways to address it, from an Anishinaabeg lens, and that may be applicable to other Nations as well."

Explore further Study examines the effects of physical activity during pregnancy

More information: Anishinaabeg women's stories of wellbeing: Physical activity, restoring wellbeing, and confronting the settler colonial deficit analysis: Anishinaabeg women's stories of wellbeing: Physical activity, restoring wellbeing, and confronting the settler colonial deficit analysis: manage.journalindigenouswellbe  w/article/view/55/92
Monica Zaring, who has Saul-Wilson syndrome, as a child and today Credit: Sanford Burnham Prebys

For children born with Saul-Wilson syndrome, and their parents, much of their lives are spent searching for answers. First defined in 1990, only 14 cases are known worldwide. And the cause of the syndromecharacterized by short stature, microcephaly (small head), hearing loss and early developmental delaysremained unknown. Today, these individuals have answers.

"This is the news I have been waiting for my whole life," says Monica Zaring, who has Saul-Wilson syndrome. "A diagnosis with Saul-Wilson syndrome is just thata name. I feel so grateful for all the doctors who never gave up, even when they didn't have answers, and I hope this information will help more people in the future."

Scientists from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), in collaboration with researchers and clinicians at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), the University of Edinburgh, the University of Oregon, and the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, have uncovered the cause of Saul-Wilson syndrome: an alteration in the gene that codes for a protein that is part of a component that controls and maintains the cell's protein packager, the Golgi complex (pronounced gol-je). The study published today in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

"Children with Saul-Wilson syndrome and their parents live with many unanswered questions," says Carlos R. Ferreira, M.D., medical geneticist at the NHGRI. "Knowing the underlying cause of the condition is a major step forward for these indviduals and could help scientists find a treatment for the syndrome. This finding also advances our understanding of the genome and Golgi complex's impact on human health, which may help us understand more skeletal disorders."

Proteins, the workhorses of our body, are transported inside of our cells via packages called vesicles. These packages travel from one cellular organ, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), to the Golgi complex, which resembles a stack of pancakes. Keeping the Golgi in working order relies on a protein complex called COG, which has eight subunits.

"The Golgi complex is where proteins 'get ready for the dance,'" says co-first author Zhijie Xia, Ph.D., postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Hudson Freeze, Ph.D., co-senior author of the paper and director and professor of the Human Genetics Program at SBP. "Here, proteins are modified in a variety of wayssuch as sugars being added or removedwhich affects their ultimate function in the body."

Using the latest genetic technology, the scientists analyzed 14 people with Saul-Wilson syndrome. All the individuals had the very same change in just one copy of the gene that codes for COG4 protein, which is part of the Golgi complex. This change in the COG4 gene arose spontaneously (de novo), meaning each parent did not have the mutation. As a result, one amino acid, the building block of proteins, was swapped for another. Specifically, glycine was replaced by arginine.

Further study revealed that in the cells of people with Saul-Wilson syndrome, packages of proteins moved slowly from the ER to the Golgi complex, but then rapidly returnedsimilar to a delivery truck that drives slowly to your home but speeds back to the warehouse. The size of the Golgi complex was halved. The scientists also found the Golgi complex's ability to add sugars to one protein, decorin, was altered. This protein travels out of the cell and helps support the collagen in skin.

"With the advent of genetic sequencing, we are learning of more conditions that are caused by de novo changes, including autism and epilepsy. Additionally, we are finding more disorders that are caused by heterozygous mutationswhich are found only on one gene, versus both genes," says Freeze. "Studying cases of heterozygous, de novo mutations could provide insights into additional mysterious conditions. Our lab is already undertaking a more comprehensive study to understand the impact of the COG4 mutation on protein production and stability."

Explore further Cell discovery could help with research on genetic diseases
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

An international research team from the CRyPTIC Consortium has taken a critical step forward in the fight against tuberculosis: a large-scale genome analysis of over 10,000 pathogen strains has shown that genome sequencing can improve tuberculosis treatment. Furthermore, the method has the potential to replace time-intensive phenotypic resistance testing. The results of this study, led by the University of Oxford, have been published in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the deadliest infectious disease worldwide. According to a current report from the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 10 million people contracted TB and 1.6 million people died of the consequences of infection last year.

A major problem in tuberculosis treatment is the increased occurrence of multidrug-resistant strains (MDR-TB) that are no longer sensitive to commonly used drugs. A timely diagnosis of resistance is critical to treatment success. Classical resistance testing involves culturing bacteria in mediums containing antibiotics, which currently takes several weeks. Additionally, these tests are not used in many countries with high rates of TB. Consequently, many patients take the wrong drug combinations and subsequently have lower chances of being cured and of survival. More rapid and practical methods for resistance testing are urgently needed.

The CRyPTIC study examined over 10,000 bacterial genomes from 16 countries. The Research Center Borstel (FZB), Leibniz Lung Center, has donated data from over 600 TB strains obtained in Germany, Africa and Central Asia and was involved in evaluating the data.

The study, which was also presented at the U.N. General Assembly's High-Level Meeting on Ending TB on 26 September 2018 in New York, shows that changes in pathogen genomes can be used to predict resistance to standard first-line drugs very accurately. Genome sequencing can precisely and individually determine the required drug combinations and save resources used in standard resistance testing. The FZB researchers are also working on establishing genome analysis in reference laboratories in central Asia and Africa.

"The study data enables new concepts for TB diagnostics to be developed. Additionally, standard resistance testing for commonly used drugs could soon be replaced by genome-based methods. This is a milestone and a paradigm shift in the fight against MDR-TB," says Stefan Niemann, head of the CRyPTIC study at the FZB and coordinator of the TB research field at the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF).

In England, the Netherlands and at the Wadsworth Center for Public Health in New York, the results have already led to a decrease in the use of bacterial cultures for resistance testing and a start to treatment that is solely based on genome sequencing results. In Germany, planning for a pilot study to evaluate the nationwide suitability of genome sequencing for diagnostics and surveillance is also currently underway at the Robert Koch Institute and the FZB.

Explore further Assay can ID M. tuberculosis resistance mutations

More information: , Prediction of Susceptibility to First-Line Tuberculosis Drugs by DNA Sequencing, New England Journal of Medicine (2018). Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine , Prediction of Susceptibility to First-Line Tuberculosis Drugs by DNA Sequencing,(2018). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1800474

Provided by German Center for Infection Research
Drs. Keiko Watanabe and Vladimir Ilievski study periodontitis bacteria. (Photo: Chris Bevel. Credit: University of Illinois at Chicago

Long-term exposure to periodontal disease bacteria causes inflammation and degeneration of brain neurons in mice that is similar to the effects of Alzheimer's disease in humans, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The findings, which are published in PLOS ONE, suggest that periodontal disease, a common but preventable gum infection, may be an initiator of Alzheimer's, which currently has no treatment or cure.

"Other studies have demonstrated a close association between periodontitis and cognitive impairment, but this is the first study to show that exposure to the periodontal bacteria results in the formation of senile plaques that accelerate the development of neuropathology found in Alzheimer's patients," said Dr. Keiko Watanabe, professor of periodontics at the UIC College of Dentistry and corresponding author on the study.

"This was a big surprise," Watanabe said. "We did not expect that the periodontal pathogen would have this much influence on the brain, or that the effects would so thoroughly resemble Alzheimer's disease."

To study the impact of the bacteria on brain health, the Watanabe and her colleaguesincluding Dr. Vladimir Ilievski, UIC research assistant professor and co-author on the paperestablished chronic periodontitis, which is characterized by soft tissue damage and bone loss in the oral cavity, in 10 wild-type mice. Another 10 mice served as the control group. After 22 weeks of repeated oral application of the bacteria to the study group, the researchers studied the brain tissue of the mice and compared brain health.

The researchers found that the mice chronically exposed to the bacteria had significantly higher amounts of accumulated amyloid betaa senile plaque found in the brain tissue of Alzheimer's patients. The study group also had more brain inflammation and fewer intact neurons due to degeneration.

These findings were further supported by amyloid beta protein analysis, and RNA analysis that showed greater expression of genes associated with inflammation and degeneration in the study group. DNA from the periodontal bacteria was also found in the brain tissue of mice in the study group, and a bacterial protein was observed inside their neurons.

"Our data not only demonstrate the movement of bacteria from the mouth to the brain, but also that chronic infection leads to neural effects similar to Alzheimer's," Watanabe said.

The researchers say these findings are powerful in part because they used a wild-type mouse model; most model systems used to study Alzheimer's rely on transgenic mice, which have been genetically altered to more strongly express genes associated with the senile plaque and enable Alzheimer's development.

"Using a wild-type mouse model added strength to our study because these mice were not primed to develop the disease, and use of this model gives additional weight to our findings that periodontal bacteria may kick-start the development of the Alzheimer's," Watanabe said.

The researchers say that understanding causality and risk factors for the development of Alzheimer's is critical to the development of treatments, particularly when it comes to sporadic, or late-onset disease, which constitutes more than 95 percent of cases and has largely unknown causes and mechanisms.

While the findings are significant for the scientific community, Watanabe said there are lessons for everyone.

"Oral hygiene is an important predictor of disease, including diseases that happen outside the mouth," she said. "People can do so much for their personal health by taking oral health seriously."

Explore further Researchers find potential link between gum disease and Alzheimer's

More information: Vladimir Ilievski et al. Chronic oral application of a periodontal pathogen results in brain inflammation, neurodegeneration and amyloid beta production in wild type mice, PLOS ONE (2018). Journal information: PLoS ONE Vladimir Ilievski et al. Chronic oral application of a periodontal pathogen results in brain inflammation, neurodegeneration and amyloid beta production in wild type mice,(2018). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204941
Terminally-ill homeless adults and their care providers must surmount many obstacles in the receipt and provision of palliative care, according to a University of Toronto scoping review of the available grey and peer-reviewed literature on this topic, published online this week in OMEGAJournal of Death and Dying.

"Homeless individuals often live and die in the margins, disengaged from or avoidant of a health care system that they perceive as unwelcoming or discriminatory. Their care may also be medically complex and they are more likely to have comorbid physical and mental health problems, all of which may pose particular diagnostic and prognostic challenges for providers," said lead author Keri West, a Ph.D. student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.

"Some of the most consistently reported barriers to palliative care relate to pervasive stigmatizing beliefs about homeless people that may impede the provision of compassionate, supportive care at the end of life," reports Alex Coatsworth, study co-author and Social Worker at Baycrest Health Sciences. "There are many other challenges with traditional models of palliative care for the homeless population, including practical and logistical issues, such as needing power to refrigerate medications."

Although the review identifies extensive unmet needs, it also points to opportunities to improve quality of life at end-of-life for people who are homeless.

"We found a number of promising, inclusive models, such as those that are oriented toward a harm reduction philosophy, that have the potential to enhance dignity and autonomy at the end of life while also supporting care providers. Shelter and hospice staff often function as family for homeless persons. This may involve a significant emotional investment so it is important to ensure that caregivers are also cared for," said Brittany Wrobel, study co-author and Enterprise Customer Support Advocate at Softchoice. "Specialized training for providers is key to addressing the needs of this very vulnerable population."

"This is a burgeoning literature, which is very encouraging," said Stefania Pallotta, study co-author and Psychogeriatric Case Manager at LOFT Community Services. "We located 57 articles that focused on the palliative needs of homeless adults, and of these, 36 had been published in the past decade. It shows that there is a growing interest in better serving this vulnerable population."

Explore further End-of-life support is lacking for homeless people

More information: Keri J. West et al, Bearing Witness: Exploring the End-of-Life Needs of Homeless Persons and Barriers to Appropriate Care, OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (2018). Keri J. West et al, Bearing Witness: Exploring the End-of-Life Needs of Homeless Persons and Barriers to Appropriate Care,(2018). DOI: 10.1177/0030222818801150
In 2006, a few hundred mostly local researchers gathered in La Jolla to discuss the emerging but still science-fictiony field of stem cells.

Since then, stem cells, enhanced by gene therapy, have progressed to yield breakthrough treatments, most spectacularly in cancer. Likewise, the conference known as the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa has mushroomed into an international event. (The mesa is Torrey Pines Mesa, the epicenter of San Diego's life science sector).

About 1,200 scientists and business executives are expected to attend the three-day conference, up from about 900 last year.

Today and Thursday, investors and potential partners are to hear from 69 listed companies. They're developing therapies for a gamut of diseases, from rare genetic conditions to big killers such as heart disease and cancer.

That's nearly double the 35 presenting companies in 2012.

"There's a lot of companies now doing a lot of interesting work, and at later stages in the development process, than there have ever been before," said Janet Lambert, CEO of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine. The Alliance holds the conference along with the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center at UCSD Health.

On Friday, the scientists get their turn. Topics include genetic editing of human embryos; the use of mini-brains "organoids" to model human brain development and diseases; and rejuvenation of old muscles.

The conference's growth has diluted its early focus on San Diego. Of the 69 presenting companies, only two are from San Diego. They are ViaCyte, a diabetes treatment developer; and Organovo, a maker of "bioprinted" tissues. And 14 are from other countries, including Australia, Chile, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

"There was pretty intense competition," Lambert said.

There's not only competition to attend, but also for space, she said. The hosting hotel, the Estancia, has been popular for its intimate setting. But the conference has maxed out the Estancia's capacity. The hotel can only house only about half of the guests.

So next year the business side of the event will move to the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, which the conference has fully booked.

That hotel will provide double the space for attendees, Lambert said, along with 78,000 square feet of meeting space, more than double that of the Estancia.

On the scientific side, researchers have grown more adept and comfortable working with cell therapies, said Alysson Muotri, chair of the conference's scientific symposium steering committee and co-director of UC San Diego's stem cell program.

Previously, there were concerns that if any rogue stem cells were transplanted into a patient, they could become cancerous, or that they would migrate away from where they were intended to go, he said.

Scientists now know much more about how to identify and grow stem cells, he said. Moreover, genome editing technologies such as CRISPR makes it easier to genetically alter cells with precision.

"Now we can manipulate those cells the way we want," Muotri said.

Another advance is in the use of stem cells to develop disease models not otherwise feasible, such as by producing human brain cells with mutations linked to Alzheimer's or other diseases.

And Muotri's own lab studies the brain's three-dimensional nature by growing brain organoids, small, rudimentary structures that model some of the brain's circuitry.

Last month, Muotri and colleagues published a study about an improved method of making brain organoids directly from a person's cells, such as people with autism spectrum disorder.

The science event, hosted at the nearby Salk Institute, is also wrestling with growing pains, Muotri said. So it, too, may have to move.

"We are debating that now," he said.

Explore further Building a better brain-in-a-dish, faster and cheaper

2018 The San Diego Union-Tribune

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Gregg County, TX - A 28-year-old Louisiana man has been arrested on suspicion of robbing an Uber driver by using a knife, carjacking his vehicle and on other charges Saturday.

Richard James Darby Jr. of New Iberia, Louisiana, remained in custody Monday in Gregg County Jail on charges of unauthorized use of a vehicle, resisting arrest and a Harrison County charge of aggravated robbery, jail records show.

Darbys arrest came after Harrison County Sheriffs deputies responded to a 911 call at 9:30 a.m. Saturday from an Uber driver from Tarrant County who said a customer kidnapped him and stole his vehicle, Sheriffs Lt. Jay Webb reported.

The driver, Ekpono Eckponobong, said he went to an address in Bedford to pick up Darby, who told him to drive to Shreveport where the suspects family had been killed. But after arriving in Shreveport, Darby told the driver to return to Fort Worth.

The driver said Darby held a knife to his throat and ordered him out of the vehicle, Webb reported. The driver slowed the vehicle and jumped out of it.

Darby took control of the vehicle and continued west on Interstate 20 from the 606 mile marker, Webb said. But before he reached the FM 450 exit in Hallsville, Hallsville police officer Sam Lavender and sheriffs deputies located and described the suspect.

Darby abandoned the vehicle in a ditch off I-20 in Gregg County. Troopers David Isbell and Jacob Henderson of the Texas Department of Public Safety were able to identify him because he left his wallet and other evidence inside the car, Webb said.

The troopers spotted a shirtless Darby about a quarter-mile away in the woods running onto the interstate, flailing his arms and running between cars, Webb said.

Deputies ran to Darby, forcibly arrested him and put him in handcuffs. After he was under arrest and placed in the rear of a squad car, he began kicking the windows and attempting to flee from the vehicle, Webb said.

They took Darby to Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center-Longview, where he again tried to flee from authorities. DPS troopers booked him into the Gregg County Jail because the arrest occurred in Gregg County.
The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) has released its inaugural digital banking crime statistics report.

The report looks at digital technology and how it is exploited by criminals.

SABRIC found that in 2017, 13,438 incidents were recorded across banking apps, online banking, and mobile banking  costing the industry more than R250 million in gross losses.

While incidents from January to August 2018 already show a 64% increase, we are pleased that the increase in gross losses is just 7% when compared to the same period in 2017, said SABRIC.

When comparing January to August 2017 to the same period in 2018, mobile banking incidents showed an increase of 100%, with gross losses of R23 million.

Online banking incidents showed an increase of 44% with gross losses of R89 million. For the same period, banking app incidents increased by 20%, with gross losses of R70 million.

SIM-swop fraud

A worrying figure from the report was the massive increase in SIM-swop incidents in South Africa.

SABRIC stated that from January to August 2017, 4,040 SIM-swop incidents were reported.

This is compared to 8,254 incidents from January to August 2018  an increase of 104%.

In most cases, clients are still compromised because of phishing, vishing, or the installation of malware onto a victims device by having them click on a link, enabling the criminal to steal sufficient personal information to access their online banking profile, said SABRIC.

SIM-swop fraud is well documented in South Africa, and has seen individuals lose hundreds of thousands of rand in the space of a few hours after their bank accounts are targeted and accessed in combination with access to their cellphone number.

How to stop SIM-swop fraud

SABRIC said South Africans must look out for the following to avoid falling victim to a SIM-swop attack.

If reception on your cellphone is lost, immediately check what the problem could be.

Inform your bank should your cellphone number change.

Memorise your PIN and passwords, never write them down or share them.

If you think your PIN and/or password has been compromised, change it immediately either online or at your nearest branch.

Now read: Twitter adds new Data Saver feature to mobile app
Citizen Lab has released a report titled Hide and Seek which details the usage of spyware called Pegasus  developed by Israeli company NSO Group.

The report shows that infections of the Pegasus spyware were detected in South Africa on the networks of Vodacom, MTN Business, Telkom (SAIX  likely on ADSL), and Internet Solutions.

Pegasus is a mobile phone spyware suite which requires that the attacker convince their target to click on a exploit link.

When you click the link, it activates a series of zero-day exploits which break your phones security and installs Pegasus without your knowledge.

Once the phone is exploited and Pegasus is installed, it begins contacting the operators command and control servers to receive and execute commands, Citizen Lab reported.

It also sends your private data to the servers including passwords, contact lists, calendar events, text messages, and live voice calls from mobile messaging apps. Pegasus can also remotely activate your phones camera and microphone.

NSO Group asserts that it licenses its product exclusively to governments and law enforcement.

Our business is conducted in strict compliance with applicable export control laws, the NSO Group told Citizen Lab.

However, Citizen Lab has witnessed the use of Pegasus to target activists, journalists, and politicians of opposition parties.

South African infections

The organisation explained that it developed a technique it calls Athena to cluster IP addresses that matched its Pegasus fingerprints into 36 distinct operators. Each operator makes use of multiple IP addresses.

Citizen Lab gave each operator a name drawn from national symbols or geographic features of the country.

For each IP address used by the operator, we extracted a domain name from its TLS certificate, Citizen Lab said.

We coded the domain names to generate a Suspected Country Focus and assessed whether there were political themes in the domains, which might suggest politically-motivated targeting.

Using DNS cache probing, Citizen Lab generated a list of countries in which there are possible infections associated with the operator.

This process revealed that there are a significant number of Pegasus infections in South Africa, though South Africa does not appear to be specifically targeted by any Pegasus operator.

The Pegasus operators who have infected devices that appear to be active on South African networks are:

GRANDLACS  active from June 2017 with suspected infections in Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda. Political themes found.

MULUNGUSHI  active from February 2018 with a suspected focus on Zambia. Suspected infections in South Africa and Zambia. No political themes found.

Infected devices connected to the GRANDLACS operator were found on the networks of Vodacom, MTN Business, and SAIX in South Africa.

MTNs networks in Uganda and Rwanda, and Vodacoms operation in Kenya (Safaricom) also had infected devices on them.

The MULUNGUSHI operator had infections on the Internet Solutions network in South Africa, and MTN Zambia.

NSO Group responds

NSO Group provided the following statement to Citizen Lab in response to its report:

There are multiple problems with Citizen Labs latest report. Most significantly, the list of countries in which NSO is alleged to sell or where our customers presumably operate the products is simply inaccurate. NSO does not sell its products in many of the countries listed. The product is only licensed to operate in countries approved under our Business Ethics Framework.

Citizen Lab disputed the accuracy of the statement, saying they were able to infect a test device with Pegasus in the United States  a country not listed by NSO Group.

The list in our report is of suspected locations of NSO infections, it is not a list of suspected NSO customers, added Citizen Lab.

Now read: Here are the leaked emails from SARS spy unit to Hacking Team
Microsoft has told MyBroadband that its new Surface devices will not be available in South Africa.

The company recently unveiled an array of new hardware in the US, including new multifunction laptops and PCs. Microsoft also unveiled a pair of Surface headphones.

A highlight of the event was the Surface Pro 6, which is the most powerful Surface Pro yet.

The versatile tablet packs an 8th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, SSD storage, and up to 16GB of RAM.

As with previous Surface hardware, however, the devices will not be available in the local market, Microsoft told MyBroadband.
ISPA regulatory advisor Dominic Cull has heavily criticised ICASAs new call termination rates.

ICASA recently announced its new call termination rates for telecoms operators in South Africa, gradually decreasing the amount networks pay each other to terminate calls on their networks.

ICASAs review of the 2014 Call Termination Regulations has been greeted with silence by the incumbent mobile networks, which is telling, said Cull.

He said that this is due to the anti-competitive rate regime that favours large operators.

Cull said ISPA objects to the new rates as they remove any advantage given to smaller fixed-line service providers to compete with dominant incumbent Telkom.

Where in the world do we find a regulator that takes more than 36 months to complete a notionally pro-competitive intervention and come up with a regime which has obvious anti-competitive consequences? said Cull.

He added that this is only the latest move showing the ineffectiveness of ICASA. Other blunders include ICASAs failure to finalise a framework for porting non-geographic numbers such as 0800 and 0860 numbers, strengthening the dominance of Telkom.
We are still far from where ...
Napans are likely familiar with the first responders who immediately stepped forward during last Octobers wildfires to battle flames and rescue victims.

At the same time, a second group of citizens quietly followed in their footsteps.

They fed the hungry, sheltered and comforted evacuees, transported the sick and made sure animals were safe. These people and the nonprofit organizations they serve are known as second responders.

For example, Mohamed A. Jalloh, Pharm.D., an assistant professor at Touro University who volunteers as a pharmacist for OLE Health in Napa, arranged transportation for evacuees during last Octobers wildfires so patients could see healthcare providers.

Jalloh secured a bus from Michaels Transportation Service in Vallejo that transported more than 20 patients, and when that didnt prove to be enough, he provided additional rides in his own car.

The night the fires broke out, registered nurse Lois Husted, base/medical emergency management coordinator for Queen of the Valley Medical Center, was told the California Highway Patrol helicopter was dropping off evacuees on the hospitals helipad.

Her team immediately went to work providing scrubs for evacuees arriving in their pajamas, setting up a comfortable place for them to gather in the hospital lobby and helping find rides to shelters and connecting evacuees with their loved ones. Husted and her team helped more than 50 dazed fire victims that night.

These second responders are members of Napa Valleyarea organizations that will be honored Wednesday, Oct. 3, at a Celebrating Second Responders event at the Westin Verasa Hotel, hosted by The Doctors Company and Napa Valley Community Foundation (NVCF).

The Doctors Company and NVCF have also established The Doctors Company Fund, a donor-advised, disaster relief fund managed by the foundation. An initial grant of $127,000 will be announced at the event.

We are truly grateful to The Doctors Company for recognizing and honoring the work of these second responders with their financial support, said foundation president Terence Mulligan.

This new fund will make grants to more than two dozen nonprofits that have played, and continue to play, an essential role in helping residents of Napa and Sonoma counties recover from the devastating North Bay fires.

The fires charred at least 245,000 acres, damaged or destroyed more than 7,000 homes and other structures, and claimed 40 lives. In Napa County, nearly 70,000 acres were burned, and more than 1,200 structures were damaged, including 612 homes destroyed.

Among those still helping fire victims a year later are Shirley King, program director, CAN-V Food Bank.

During the fires, the food bank provided evacuees with emergency food boxes and water, and they connected fire victims with programs for ongoing support.

We still have almost 180 households who are coming to us for food because of the fires. Thats almost 900 people, King said.

Many of those most impacted were service-industry workers who lost their jobs. They may have found other work, but its not as consistent or the wages arent comparable.

Another is Wendi Piscia of Napa Humane, whose organization provided much-needed funds to livestock and pet owners immediately after the fires, and which continues to provide money to financially strapped fire victims.

In addition to companion animals  dogs, cats, rabbits Napa Humane has also provided support for farm animals.

For instance, during the fires, John and Suzanne Fouts of Calistoga stayed behind to defend their home and to care for their farm animalsplus another 200 animals in the area.

We were able to pay for feed for not only the Fouts animals, but also for the neighboring farm animals, says Piscia.

And because insurance did not cover the complete cost of replacing the Fouts fencing that was lost in the fire, Napa Humane was able to help offset that cost.

The awards will also recognize those who went above and beyond to serve the community despite the fires impact on their own lives, like John Salo, a physician assistant at Queen of the Valley Medical Center.

After fleeing the Atlas Fire with nothing but his dog, his truck, and the shorts and tank top hed been sleeping in, Salo went straight to the emergency room.

I wasnt on duty, but I didnt stop working until the next night, he recalls. My dog was in the call room. I had no place to go. I took a rest and showered when I could in the call room. I was there three or four days and didnt know if I had a house to return to. Salos home was among the few spared in his neighborhood.
Tatiana and the Russian Wolves Clovercroft Publishing, $14.99

Stephen Evans Jordan will read from his debut novel, Tatiana and the Russian Wolves, at Napa Bookmine at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6, in a joint presentation with Elizabeth Bishop and Conrad Fuller, Sonoma-based authors of Galahads Fool.

Jordan, who grew up in Napa and graduated from Napa High School, now lives in Chicago. He began writing fiction after a career in international banking.

The Tatiana of the title has been dead for 20 years when the story opens in 1985. And like most ghosts, she is shrouded in mystery.

Her son, Alexander, talks to her regularly and hears her replies,

The daughter of an aristocratic Russian family, Tatiana endured the trauma of the Russian revolution and of life in exile in Paris during World War II before she and her mathematician husband and her son land in Berkeley. After the death of her husband, Tatiana, a dreamy and imaginative art expert, who creates a private world for herself and her beloved son, sends the teen-aged boy away, and then kills herself.

We were travelers, Alexander says. Art books and museums were departure gates. Her incredible imagination allowed her to walk into paintings, explore the settings and talk to the subjects. When I was a boy, I followed her. But after she died, I put away such make-believe.

Or did he?

Two decades later, Alexander has made a success of his life, at least on the surface. He has pushed away the call of art to become an international banker based in San Francisco. He survived largely because of his mothers American friend, Fiona, a wealthy San Francisco socialite, who supported him through college and beyond. After a brief affair with Fionas son, Drew, its the mother who becomes his clandestine, if enduring, lover over the next two decades.

These are only a few of the secrets that are revealed in the course of the book, which unfolds in layer upon layer. At the core, for Alexander, there remains the question of what drove his mother to madness and suicide. The people in his life all hold missing pieces of a picture, which he haphazardly assembles; its not just Fiona and Drew, but Russians with whom he goes to work after the collapse of the Soviet Union  everyone down to the family doctor knows more than Alexander does.

Tatiana and the Wolves is an ambitious and original novel of love, loss and survival that mingles two worlds in chaos: the Russian Revolution and its aftermath, which ultimately destroyed his mother, and the world in 1985-89 in which the novel is set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic that is devastating another culture.

Alexander, aloof, courtly, innately aristocratic, with his cultivated taste and complicated love life, navigates the worlds of San Francisco, Moscow, and Paris, with a degree of aplomb, but all the while, he is talking to his mothers ghost. When circumstances catapult his life in a personal turmoil, the question remains: will he navigate his way to somewhere on his own or will he be consumed by the Russian wolves that swallowed up his mother?
19282018

Born to Raymond & Joan (nee Selander) Stoller in 1928, named Laura Marcia Stoller, she was called Marcia from birth. She spent her youth in Oakland, San Francisco, Mariposa & Sonoma county before moving to Washington state to attend the University of Washington, graduating in the late 1940s. Returning to California in 1953, she & her husband Robert (Bob) Barrett were among the first to live at the newly formed Lake Berryessa staying there until 1964. After moving to St. Helena, Marcia began a career working for the Veterans Service Administration Office in St. Helena and then Napa, helping hundreds of veterans get the benefits, aid and assistance that they were entitled to. This was a great source of pride for her & her family. Though her position was eliminated due to downsizing after well over a decade of service she continued helping any veteran that she could into her late 70s.

Marcia spent the 1980s and 90s being the Yountville Avon sales rep, taking care of her beloved animals, but of most importance she began caring for the children of neighbors and friends after school and in the summers. She formed many lifelong friendships with these young people & their parents and this brought her immense joy to her last days on earth.

Marcia spent the last 6 years of her life in Oregon in order to be close to her brother Bill Stoller and daughters Lori Barrett & Kelley Conrad Erickson, who all survive her along with four grandchildren & three great grandchildren. Her oldest daughter Lynne Howard & husband Bob Barrett predeceased her in the mid 1970s. Marcia was extremely well read in many subjects and loved having long philosophical conversations with her many friends. Her humor & intelligence will be missed by all who knew her. She belongs to the universe now. In lieu of flowers & per her wishes that there be no formal services, anyone wishing to honor her memory is encouraged to donate to Silverado Veterinary Hospital, 2035 Silverado Trl, Napa, Ca.
Bill Longhurst passed away at home in Sutherlin, Oregon on September 26, 2018 at the age of 100. He was born in 1917, in Oakland, California, to Murray Longhurst and Ruth Berg Longhurst. His family had a home there, and Bill spent his time between the Oakland home, and the Elkhorn Ranch, the familys cattle and sheep ranch in Mackay, Idaho. The family sold the ranch in Idaho, and purchased a ranch in Napa, California in the 1920s. Bill attended elementary and high school in Napa. He graduated in 1935 from Napa High School. Following graduation, he attended Stanford University, receiving his bachelors degree in biology, then attended University of California in Berkeley, earning his masters degree in Zoology in 1940. During his time at UC Berkeley, he met his future wife Virginia Lee Davidson, also a student at UC Berkeley, and they married in 1940. He was then awarded a scholarship to attend Cornell University in New York and in 1942 earned his doctorate in zoology at the age of 24. In the summer of 1942, Bill enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He was called to active duty in February 1943. Shortly after D-Day in Europe, he was sent overseas. In September 1944, Bill was assigned to the 429th Fighter Squadron, flying P-38s, in France and Belgium. On his 17th mission, on Christmas Day, he was shot down by ground fire, bellied his plane in the forest, and though significantly injured, made his way back through German lines, 20 miles to his squadron. By the end of WW II, Bill had flown 62 combat missions. In 1945 Bill was released from active duty. He then joined the staff at UC Berkeley, and later the staff at UC Davis as a wildlife biologist. While employed with UC Davis, Bill lived in Hopland, CA, and was the resident biologist at the UC Hopland Field station. He was well known for his studies on wildlife, and range land practices. His studies eventually took him to East Africa, where he enjoyed many year-long sabbaticals, doing research on ruminants in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. His family, wife Virginia, and children, Caroline, John, and Marguerite (Maggie) were able to accompany him on his safaris to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Sudan. Bill was a lifelong avid outdoorsman, enjoying hunting and fishing in both the US, Canada and in Africa.
Srinagar: In the run up to municipal elections, over a dozen youth were arrested by the government forces during a string of raids in multiple villages of south Kashmirs Pulwama district in past two days.

Reports said that police and SOG men carried several raids over past two days in Rahmoo, Karimabad, Muran and other places in and around the Pulwama town and picked up more than a dozen persons.

Locals have identified some of the detainees as Arshad Sofi, Muzamil Ahmad, Raju, Manzoor Ahmad, Yawar, Aqib Ahmad, Majid and Azeez Pir.

Municipal elections are set to begin from October 8 in Kashmir with separatist outfits calling for a shutdown on the day to protest what they termed as election drama.
Beverly Owen, a New York City actress, came out to the Coast to film the pilot for an unusual new TV sitcom, The Munsters. She was awarded the part of Marilyn Munster, the beautiful college niece of the ghoulish family that lived in an old crumbling mansion at 1313 Mockingbird Lane in the make-believe town of Mockingbird Heights.

The young woman was told by the production company that pilot wouldnt sell, and make the 1964 fall schedule. She was going with a young man and didnt want to be faraway from him for a lengthy filming duration.

A 15-minute colored episode, My Fair Munster, was filmed to pitch to the CBS Network producers. It opens up with Marilyn Munster being driven home by her date. She takes him up to the door to meet her relatives, but doesnt have her key.

She knocks on the door. When the door opens, out steps a Frankenstein creature. Her date gets one look at Herman Munster (Fred Gwynne) and takes off running and jumps over the brick wall. He quickly speeds off in his convertible. Marilyn falls into the Mary Shelley creatures big arms, crying, Whats the matter with me, Uncle Herman?

She blames herself for not being attractive, not realizing she is a beautiful young lady.

Later, Herman complains to his vampire wife Phoebe (Joan Marshall) about being stuck with Marilyn, and nobody on his side of the family looks like her. Meanwhile, Happy Derman, who plays Eddie Munster, is acting bratty and climbing the walls.

And, of course, Grandpa (Al Lewis) is down in the basement in his laboratory. He was the 350-year-old Count Dracula.

CBS executives like the bold concept. However, they see problems with using Joan Marshall as Phoebe Munster. She reminded them of The Addams Familys Morticia (Carolyn Jones.) They replaced her with movie actress Yvonne DeCarlo.

Happy Derman is also replaced in playing the television role of Eddie Munster. Butch Patrick takes over. He plays a more likable, ordinary boy.

Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis are happy to be working together again. The previous year they starred in NBC TV sitcom, Car 54, Where Are You? However, they object to movie actress Yvonne DeCarlo replacing Joan Marshall. They share their concerns with the producer that Miss DeCarlo might be difficult to work with on the set and want movie star treatment. Their concerns arent taken seriously by the big suits.

DeCarlo proves to be an asset in the role of Lily Munster. Both televisions actors are pleased with her comical performance.

The sitcom spoofed popular domestic sitcoms like Leave It To Beaver, Father Knows Best, and The Donna Reed Show.

Also, its filmed in black and white.

Meanwhile, Beverly Owen became more and more depressed. She misses her young man and wants to return to New York to be with him. However, she couldnt get out of her seven-year contract with the studio.

Lewis and Gwynne noticed Beverly crying all the time. They went to the studio heads and demanded for them to let her out of her contract. If the studio heads wont let her go, the two men plan to quit the show. Shes released from her contract after appearing in 13 episodes and returned home to get married.

Pat Priest, daughter of U.S. Treasurer Ivy Baker Priest, took over the role of Marilyn Munster.

She bears a striking resemblances to Beverly Owen and fit perfectly in her costumes. The television viewing audience didnt notice the change in actresses.

The Munsters continued for a second season. However, color programs made it hard for The Munsters to go for a third season. The show was cancelled.

In order not to disappear completely from the heart of viewers, a Technicolor theatrical movie, Munsters, Go Home was going to be made by Universal. Pat Priest was immediately replaced in the role of Marilyn Munster by 17-year-old Debbie Watson.

Shes absolutely crushed when she learned she wont be in the movie role.

After Munsters, Go Home was filmed in England, Gwynne, DeCarlo, Lewis and Patrick departed from their television roles. However, the three adult actors return to their roles in the 1981 television movie The Munsters Revenge. New younger actors play the roles of Marilyn and Eddie Munster.

The Munsters Revenge was supposed to bring a new interest and attempt to make a new sitcom for the early 1980s. Sadly, it was shown the same night as The Wizard of Oz and fails to attract a new fan base.

Carl G. White lives in Napa.
In Italy, more than 80 percent of the grapes grown are native varieties. One of the most cultivated indigenous varieties is Nero dAvola, the flagship red grape of Sicily. It makes up 60 percent of Sicilys agriculture. When speaking about Nero dAvola from Sicily, it is like speaking about Nebbiolo from Piedmont, Sangiovese from Tuscany and Montepulciano from Abruzzo.

One of the leading producers of Nero dAvola is Planeta. The Planeta family in Sicily dates back five centuries and 17 generations. After a long history in agriculture, Grandfather Vito Planeta transformed their small family winery into a large cooperative winery in the 1900s.

His son, Diego Planeta, continued the evolution and was key in the winemaking renaissance of Sicily. Today, two different generations, made up of brothers and sisters, children, nieces and nephews, run the family business which includes the wine production, olive oil production and hospitality.

Alessio Planeta, who was recently in town, shared the idea that there is not one Sicily, there are many. From north to south, east to west, the climate and soil are different across Sicily and Planeta is expressing the diversity of Sicily through Nero dAvola.

Planeta has 400 hectares of vines in five areas of Sicily  Menfi, Vittoria, Noto, Capo Milazzo and Etna. Nero dAvola, which can be found primarily along the coast, is grown in all of them except Etna because the grape does not perform well on mountains. Each of these areas offers different terroirs, and Nero dAvola is expressed differently, as I learned in a recent tasting.

Menfi

Located in the southwest of Sicily, Menfi is an agricultural area. The soils are clay-calcareous and the Nero dAvola from Menfi is lively and succulent, expressing notes of plum, chocolate and mint.

Planeta La Segreta Nero dAvola ($15)  100 percent Nero dAvola, this wine is light bodied with notes of ripe fruit and earth. It has soft tannins and bright acidity and is the perfect pizza wine.

Vittoria

The only DOCG in Sicily, Cerasuola di Vittoria, is located in Vittoria in the south of Sicily. The area has red sandy soils with flat terraces that run from the sea to the mountains. Both Nero dAvola and Frappato are grown in Vittoria. The Nero dAvola from Vittoria is playful and juicy with fresh strawberry and cherry notes.

Planeta Cerasuolo di Vittoria 2015, Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG ($23.99)  A blend of 60 percent Nero dAvola and 40 percent Frappato, the wine has aromas of roasted strawberries, cherry and minerality with delicate tannins, medium acidity. The wine has a long finish that lingers on the palate.

Planeta Dorilli 2015 Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Classico DOCG ($32.99)  A blend of 70 percent Nero dAvola and 30 percent Frappato, this wine has notes of strawberry jam, cherry and herbal notes with soft acidity and soft tannins.

Noto

Located in the southeast of Sicily, Noto is an area of extreme conditions. Calcareous white soils and little rain results in low vigor but intense wines with aromas of black currant, carob, incense and balsamic.

Planeta di Santa Cecilia ($40.99)  The 100 percent Nero dAvola wine is Planetas top Nero dAvola and is about elegance, power and balance. The current release is the 2013, an elegant wine with notes of black currant and carob and slightly drying tannins. The 2007 has a beautiful nose of stewed fruits and balsamic, with medium acidity and a long finish. The 2005 has lost much of its fruit and spice stands out. The older vintages are still available in the market.

Capo Milazzo

Located in the north of Sicily, Planeta has eight hectares planted in the alluvial soils. The Nero dAvola from Capo Milazzo is fresh and velvety and shows notes of black cherry, citrus, tamarind and seaweed.

Planeta Mamertino 2015, Mamertino DOC ($32.99)Composed of 60 percent Nero dAvola and 40 percent Nocera, the wine has notes of dark red fruit, sweet tobacco, cedar and tamarind and is soft, velvety and lingers on the tip of the tongue.

Allison Levine is owner of Please The Palate, a marketing and event-planning agency. A freelance writer, she contributes to numerous publications while eating and drinking her way around the world. Contact her at allison@pleasethepalate.com.
Bulgaria holding presidential, snap parliamentary elections

Russia, Turkey discussing possibility of jointly manufacturing weapons

Azerbaijanis set up shack near Armenias Chakaten village, says mayor

Earthquake hits Armenia-Georgia border zone

EEU countries approve roadmap for industrial cooperation until 2025

882 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Mayor of Armenias Kapan: Road at Chakaten village is now used in same mode

Potentially dangerous asteroid approaching Earth is discovered

At least 13 Syria soldiers, fighters killed in fight against terrorists in Deir ez-Zor Governorate

Armenia local elections continue

One dead after accident on Yerevan-Meghri motorway

US conducts joint drills with Ukraine, Turkey and Romania in the Black Sea

US authorities unseal oil reserves to stabilize market prices

UNICEF reports increase in number of child marriages in Afghanistan

COAF, US Embassy, Armenia's ministry sign three-year Memorandum of Understanding

Search work to find bodies of those killed in Artsakh suspended since October 18

itizen who threw a grenade near Shushi is in Artsakh Investigative Committee

Armenian Defense Ministry: Azerbaijanis opened fire on Armenian positions in the direction of Verin Shorzha

Azerbaijan says three people injured due to explosives incident

Bloomberg: US authorities rejected Intel's proposal to increase chip production in China

Stepanakert-Berdzor road is temporarily closed

US and Japan begin consultations to solve the problem of overproduction of steel

Russia creates unified satellite communication system for UAVs

Artsakh NSS: No injured among Artsakh citizens

1,251 new cases of coronavirus infection registered in Armenia per day

Celebrities ask Biden to give pardoned turkeys for Thanksgiving to animal rights activists

Lavrov, Shoygu discuss situation in Karabakh with French counterparts

Armenia PM to send High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs to Russia on business trip

Explosion takes place in mosque in Afghanistan, leaving 15 injured

Armenia Parliament Deputy Speaker meets with Karabakh Security Council Secretary and parliamentarians

Gunshots heard in computer game room in Yerevan

RFE/RL Armenian Service: Iranian drivers complain that new Tatev-Aghavni road is narrow for trucks

EU, UNDP launch Mayors for Economic Growth Program in Armenia

Armenia Deputy PM: We support adoption of documents for further enhancement of defensibility of CIS countries

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin says COVID-19 vaccination does not present spiritual danger

Armenia Deputy PM meets with representatives of Asian Development Bank

Monument to officers of Russian helicopter downed in 2020 unveiled during ceremony in Armenia's Yeraskh

Armenia Kotayk Province's general jurisdiction court has new judge

Armenia ruling party MP appointed Ambassador to Spain

NEWS.am daily digest: 12.11.21

Armenia Justice Ministry, UNDP to cooperate for constitutional reforms and in anti-corruption field

Turkey, Qatar agree to strengthen military cooperation

Armenia defense minister, India Ambassador discuss cooperation in defense sector

Armenia has new Ambassador to Germany

Armenia appellate court releases ex-MP from custody

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?

Man in photo died from railway accident in Russia, there is suspicion that he was from Armenia's Armavir Province

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
YEREVAN.  According to some information, President Armen Sarkissian is not going to sign the controversial bill which the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia (RA NA) passed recently, according to Hraparak (Square) newspaper.

In a close circle, he called it backward, and he is going to make use of the 21-day period defined by law and send it to the CC [Constitutional Court], which can consider its constitutionalitywithin 3 months.

The information publicized on the presidents website also attests to this intention: The President [of Armenia] has spoken on phone with [Prime Minister] Nicol Pashinian and [Speaker of the National Assembly] Ara Babloyan and discussed [with them] the existing situation. He [the President] will refer to the draft law [on the Amendment to the RA Constitutional Law on the Statute of the National Assembly] immediately after his return to [capital city] Yerevan, and will initiate consultations with the leadership of the Government and NA. The President urges to remain calm and tolerant towards each other and is confident that the existing situation can and must be settled in the framework of the Constitution and laws through negotiations and dialogue, Hraparak wrote.

As reported earlier, the NA on Tuesday passed the controversial bill on making amendments to the Constitutional Law on the Statute of the National Assembly. But as per Prime Minister Pashinyan and the NA Way Out (Yelk) Faction, this proposed law will enable to prevent the holding of a snap parliamentary election once the PM resigns from office.
Bulgaria holding presidential, snap parliamentary elections

Russia, Turkey discussing possibility of jointly manufacturing weapons

Azerbaijanis set up shack near Armenias Chakaten village, says mayor

Earthquake hits Armenia-Georgia border zone

EEU countries approve roadmap for industrial cooperation until 2025

882 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Mayor of Armenias Kapan: Road at Chakaten village is now used in same mode

Potentially dangerous asteroid approaching Earth is discovered

At least 13 Syria soldiers, fighters killed in fight against terrorists in Deir ez-Zor Governorate

Armenia local elections continue

One dead after accident on Yerevan-Meghri motorway

US conducts joint drills with Ukraine, Turkey and Romania in the Black Sea

US authorities unseal oil reserves to stabilize market prices

UNICEF reports increase in number of child marriages in Afghanistan

COAF, US Embassy, Armenia's ministry sign three-year Memorandum of Understanding

Search work to find bodies of those killed in Artsakh suspended since October 18

itizen who threw a grenade near Shushi is in Artsakh Investigative Committee

Armenian Defense Ministry: Azerbaijanis opened fire on Armenian positions in the direction of Verin Shorzha

Azerbaijan says three people injured due to explosives incident

Bloomberg: US authorities rejected Intel's proposal to increase chip production in China

Stepanakert-Berdzor road is temporarily closed

US and Japan begin consultations to solve the problem of overproduction of steel

Russia creates unified satellite communication system for UAVs

Artsakh NSS: No injured among Artsakh citizens

1,251 new cases of coronavirus infection registered in Armenia per day

Celebrities ask Biden to give pardoned turkeys for Thanksgiving to animal rights activists

Lavrov, Shoygu discuss situation in Karabakh with French counterparts

Armenia PM to send High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs to Russia on business trip

Explosion takes place in mosque in Afghanistan, leaving 15 injured

Armenia Parliament Deputy Speaker meets with Karabakh Security Council Secretary and parliamentarians

Gunshots heard in computer game room in Yerevan

RFE/RL Armenian Service: Iranian drivers complain that new Tatev-Aghavni road is narrow for trucks

EU, UNDP launch Mayors for Economic Growth Program in Armenia

Armenia Deputy PM: We support adoption of documents for further enhancement of defensibility of CIS countries

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin says COVID-19 vaccination does not present spiritual danger

Armenia Deputy PM meets with representatives of Asian Development Bank

Monument to officers of Russian helicopter downed in 2020 unveiled during ceremony in Armenia's Yeraskh

Armenia Kotayk Province's general jurisdiction court has new judge

Armenia ruling party MP appointed Ambassador to Spain

NEWS.am daily digest: 12.11.21

Armenia Justice Ministry, UNDP to cooperate for constitutional reforms and in anti-corruption field

Turkey, Qatar agree to strengthen military cooperation

Armenia defense minister, India Ambassador discuss cooperation in defense sector

Armenia has new Ambassador to Germany

Armenia appellate court releases ex-MP from custody

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?

Man in photo died from railway accident in Russia, there is suspicion that he was from Armenia's Armavir Province

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
YEREVAN.  The National Assembly (NA) of Armenia on Friday will convene a special session; the government has made this decision at Thursdays Cabinet meeting.

Solely one matter will be on the agenda of this NA session: making an addition to the law on holidays and memorial days in Armenia.

In this connection, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted that the days of La Francophonie will kick off in the country on Sunday, and therefore October 11 and 12 will need to be declared non-working days; and to do this, as per the PM, an amendment should be made to the aforementioned law.

A need for declaring non-working days arises when important events are held in the country, and which bring together heads of states, or governments. And in order to ensure these officials safety and appropriate travel in the country, usually there is a need to close off some main streets; this, however, causes inconveniences for people because traffic becomes heavy.
2 killed, 1 injured in Sindhuli mini-truck accident

Two persons died and another one sustained critical injuries when a mini-truck met with an accident at Pipalbhangjyang in Kamalmai Municipality-2, Sindhuli district along the BP Highway on Thursday.
YEREVAN.  The German Chancellor Angela Merkels visit to Yerevan was very successful, the German Ambassador to Armenia Matthias Kiesler told Armenian News- NEWS.am.

His remark came during the opening of Who We Are exhibition of the famous German artist Herbert Mayer, dedicated to the Day of German Unity.

According to him, along that she came it was the very first time the German head of state or government came to Armenia.

I think that she came at the right moment, just after the changes we had here. There is a big number of areas where we want to do more. We want to do more in education, in science, in migration issues, he said

According to him, the German side is working at the moment together with the office of Armenian foreign ministry and PMs office to put all ideas together and to have a package of new activities and projects.

I cannot give you the details at the moment but these are very ambitious program and of course we would like to see more economic exchange between our countries, he said, adding Mrs. Merkel always takes CEOs of top German companies with their delegations, and they were happy when they had contacts with their Armenian counterparts here. So, I think there are a lot of reasons for the successful cooperation, but it is very important to have a follow-up and to have very concrete things. And this is what Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed: we want to do not words, deeds.
3 arrested for making fake expedition permission letter

Three staffers of Seven Summit Trek Pvt. Ltd have been arrested for their alleged involvement in making a fake expedition permission letter.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Thousands of Brazilian women marched last weekend to voice their contempt for presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, whose history of sexist comments likely exemplifies the lack of respect that most women -- and even men -- feel women get in their country. Fewer than one in five women in Brazil (18%) say women in their country are treated with respect and dignity, and 28% of men feel the same way.

However, the anger on display with the #NotHim movement in Brazil this past weekend predates Bolsonaro's controversial comments that a fellow member of Congress was too ugly to rape or that women should not be paid the same as men. Since 2011, at most, about one in three Brazilians overall have said women in their country are treated with respect and dignity.

The trend instead provides evidence of the "machismo" mindset that is still entrenched in Brazil and other countries in the region, where fewer than one in four women overall in 2017 said women in their countries are treated with respect and dignity. As far back as 2012, Latin Americans have been the least likely in the world to say women in their countries are treated this way.

These numbers -- and Bolsonaro's comments -- largely reflect two major problems that women in Brazil, and across the region, continue to face: violence against them and inequality.

Gallup data from just last year show fewer than one in three women (31%) in Latin America overall said they feel safe walking alone at night. This is the lowest number on record in the region. In Brazil, where recent studies show that about one in three women say they have suffered violence -- often at the hands of a current or former partner -- an even lower 28% say they feel safe.

And, while men and women in Brazil are both sour on the job market, women -- who are typically more likely than men to be unemployed -- are even more pessimistic. Just 15% of women in Brazil say it is a good time to find a job where they live, compared with 25% of men.

Takeaway: As disrespected as they may feel, women's votes matter in Brazil's election this weekend. In fact, with Brazilian female voters reportedly outnumbering male voters by close to 7 million, they could ultimately decide the election, and some say, the fate of their republic.

With the election likely headed to a runoff between Bolsonaro and Fernando Haddad later this month, both candidates will need to figure out a way to attract more female voters to win.

For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details.

Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works.
Learn more about cybersecurity next week at SIU

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill.  A workshop for community college and high school students next week at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will focus on cybersecurity  one of the hottest career fields in information technology.

The School of Information Systems and Applied Technologies is hosting the sixth annual SIU Cybersecurity Day on Oct. 13. The workshop runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. While the event is directed toward high school and community college students, the public is also invited.

Lunch and a T-shirt will be available for students only. The event is free but pre-registration is required and information is available at www.surveymonkey.com/r/M9KBQRB.

Media Advisory

Reporters, photographers and camera crews are welcome to cover the SIU Cybersecurity Day at SIU Carbondale on Oct. 13. Go to Room 111 in the Applied Sciences and Arts Building C. For more information, contact Tom Imboden, Information Systems and Applied Technologies associate professor, at 618/694-1297 or by email at timboden@siu.edu.

Workshop topics include defending power grids and social media privacy

The workshops will feature two speakers discussing their careers:

Matthew Nicklin, a cybersecurity specialist with Southern Illinois Power Cooperative

Tom Harness, the owner of Harness Digital Marketing

Opportunity to learn about SIUs cybersecurity program

The workshop will be beneficial to participants regardless of whether they have any previous cybersecurity experience, said Tom Imboden, an associate professor in ISAT.

There will be an opportunity to compete in a mock event with the Security Dawgs, a registered student organization that has advanced to Midwest regional competition in eight of the last 11 years. The Security Dawgs will provide hands on instruction and demonstrations of tools and skills, and there will be an afternoon mock mini-cyber defense competition.

The John A. Logan College Logan Defenders are also assisting with the event.
Bardiya starts honouring war victims, families

Amid the failure of the federal government to provide reparation to the victims of Maoist insurgency, local governments in Bardiya district have started naming local infrastructure after the deceased and disappeared, and felicitating the victims families.
EC urges pool fund for greater transparency

The Election Commission has proposed creating a pool fund for political parties to finance their election campaigns for ensuring greater transparency of political financing.
Guidelines for hedging funds being prepared

The government is preparing guidelines to establish hedging funds, an insurance-like mechanism to cover currency exchange rate risks associated with infrastructure projects being developed with foreign direct investment.
LILONGWE, Malawi (AP)  Melania Trump spent Thursday in southern Africa promoting the work of a U.S. international development agency whose funding President Donald Trump has twice proposed slashing by nearly a third. Lawmakers essentially ignored those requests.

Mrs. Trump toured classrooms at Lilongwe's Chipala Primary School, which gets textbooks and other education assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

A batch of 1.4 million books donated Thursday brought to nearly 10 million the total Malawi has received in recent years under USAID's national reading program, officials said. Malawi's education minister said the partnership had "significantly" improved student literacy.

But the Trump administration sought a roughly 30 percent cut in funding for the State Department and USAID in its first two budgets. Widespread bipartisan opposition in Congress averted the reductions.

But none of that was up for discussion as Mrs. Trump visited with happy schoolchildren and their teachers in the Malawian capital.

"I wanted to be here to see the successful programs that (the) United States is providing the children and thank you for everything you've done," the first lady said at a book donation ceremony in the school library.

She had just finished touring several outdoor classrooms. Chipala has more than 8,500 students but just 77 teachers, for a ratio of 111 students per instructor, according to the U.S. government. With just 22 classrooms, many students are forced to take their lessons outdoors, seated shoulder to shoulder in their uniforms on loose, red dirt.

Mrs. Trump watched several teachers conduct lessons for the equivalent of second- and third-graders.

"Meeting those children and understanding their different way of life is why I wanted to travel here," Mrs. Trump told U.S. Embassy employees at a gathering at the U.S. ambassador's residence. Her own 12-year-old son attends a private school in Maryland.

Story continues

"I was heartened to spend time with the students and was honored to donate school supplies and soccer balls," she said. The soccer balls, along with tote bags donated for the teachers, sported the logo of "Be Best," the child well-being initiative Mrs. Trump launched this year.

The U.S. first lady was joyously welcomed at the airport, with singing and dancing by a troupe of women and scores of schoolchildren waving African and Malawian flags. The high-pitched sounds of women vocalizing were heard at the airport and at her subsequent appearances. In southern Africa, the vocalization is often done as a celebratory welcome by women.

But a few signs of protest were afoot, too, as President Trump is not widely seen as a friend of Africa.

Among scores of people lining the motorcade route between the school and the ambassador's residence, a few white people held signs.

One said #MELANIATOO, with the "ME" in bold black. Another said "Welcome to Malawi. #NOTASHITHOLE!"  a reference to reports that the president used the vulgar term to describe African nations. A third sign raised the immigration policy the president once enforced that led to thousands of children being separated from their families after they illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico. Many children still have not been reunited with their families.

After leaving the ambassador's residence, Mrs. Trump went to the State House for tea with Gertrude Mutharika, her Malawian counterpart. Mrs. Trump sat in a rooftop garden and watched performances by dance groups representing different regions of Malawi.

Mrs. Trump opened her first extended international tour as first lady on Tuesday in the West African nation of Ghana. She arrived in Kenya late Thursday for a series of events on Friday before she continues on to Egypt, her final stop

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervileap
House panel changes decision for 3rd time under pressure from Minister Baskota

The Development and Technology Committee of the Parliament has changed its decision for a third time under pressure from Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Baskota.
That sounds amazing!

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Amazing idea! I dont understand how it will work, but well done to them for trying!



I would love to open a low-cost grocery store in one of those food desserts that only have liquor stores.



Edited at 2018-10-04 08:59 pm (UTC)

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It will probably just be like a private food bank. I think people have to apply to those, too.



They might also be accepting donations.

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Commenting on this post to say, hello you! How is everything?

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From what I understand it's a food bank, you need to qualify, etc, but instead of going to some warehouse and being handed a box of whatever you get to actually pick your groceries and make it fit your household better. She described it something like a food bank that keeps your dignity or something? (I'm paraphrasing, her description sounded great.)

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Good for them! And for society.

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THIS IS SO RAD AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY DREAM TO DO! i hope it is super successful and allows many people to shop with dignity!

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it sounds like a great idea!



although i'm wondering how they're going to keep track of people with the whole "free for one year" only.



(and if this will prevent some people, who are desperately in need, from being able to get produce)

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I wonder if that's their polite way of saying "We'll be able to run it free for one year, but we'll start to need donations after that to really keep it going & provide more services."

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Maybe a shopping card linked to their id like Costco?

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i'm sure they'll need to sign up for a membership card.

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that was my thought as well

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Oh god this sounds amazing. Please dont let the hipsters ruin it.

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To clarify, Nashville hipsters are some of the worst most entitled brats on the hipster hierarchy - and super wealthy on top of it. I can think of at least 5 people I went to school with who would have no issue waltzing into a place like this and taking whatever they want even if they can afford to pay for groceries for everyone in the store. I know of a couple who stole from a food bank for a party.

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wtf thats just nasty...

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It's the same type of people who incorrectly think free housing for the homeless = "I'll just put on a ratty outfit, say I don't have a home, live rent free & quietly sell my house for a nice profit on the side."

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Damn, some people are just trash. >_

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When I lived in Nashville I gave up dating cus I was like no fucking thanks. The hipsters were real intense

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Yup. Shit like that happens here. I knew a girl who has her equipment stolen and she was crying. I mean, it's sad and I felt for her but she made a go fund me and was asking for venmo donations to replace it. Meanwhile she didn't really work and her parents pay for everything. She refuses to get a job because she says it will get in the way of her art but at the same time takes advantage of social services but looks down on others for doing so.

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That's a really weird donut



I hope it all works out.

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Voodoo donuts are amazing! Sinful, but amazing!!

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I miss Voodoo Donuts ;__; I miss Portland. Unexpected homesickness in this post!

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This sounds great. I hope it works out; I wonder how this is funded.

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Cool

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Amazing, more of this, please!

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That sounds awesome. I hope they're able to keep it up.

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This is absolutely wonderful! I hope that bigger companies see what they're doing and make donations so they can stay open.

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This is so great of them!



I live in a small town that's also sort of a getaway for the Bay Area. It's really hard to find affordable housing and jobs, so I had to use the local food bank here for about a year and it saved my fucking life. $12/hour working full-time plus pet-sitting on the side just about paid my rent and bills, but food was "extra" for me. I remember crying when I got my first food bank bag because I went to bed that night for the first time in months not hungry and not worried over not being able to eat for another week.

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I'm glad you had the food back. I'm sorry things we so bad. I live in a low cost of living area, and the things I hear about places like Cali boggle the mind.

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This is the kind of stuff I fantasize about doing if I was super rich.

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Ugh same.

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Big Oiland its smaller competitorsattracted a lot of praise for their tight financial discipline during the last three years, after Brent collapsed from more than US$100 a barrel to less than US$30 in less than 24 months. Some actually thought this may be the new normal: financial discipline, tight belts, and careful scrutiny of any new projects. Reality seems to have proven them wrong.

Reuters reported this week that big oil companies boards are under increasing pressure to boost spending, expand production, and increase reserves. Thats just three years after everyone in oil woke up to the fact that Brent was going nowhere but down for a while longer and belts started tightening. Now, with Brent at US$85 and climbing, these belts are getting too tight, it seems. Despite pledges made by the chief executive officers of the biggest oil companies in the world, the strict financial discipline they had imposed during the rough years might now have to be relaxed.

Reuters quoted sources from the sector that said various departments within them were asking for more money, videoconferencing was being replaced by face-to-face meetings, which are costlier because of travel expenses, and offshore platform rotas are being shortened, which raises logistics costs. All this suggests Big Oil is relaxing and is ready to start spending more again.

Moodys in July said in a note to clients the five biggest oil companies would spend 5 percent more in 2019 than in the current year. The ratings agency, whose note Forbes Gaurav Sharma quoted in a July story, said higher oil prices were helping Big Oil report more substantial profits and these profits, in turn, were spurring a more upbeat attitude towards higher expenditure.

Does this sound familiar? It must, because thats how all oil cycles have worked. Hopesand assurances from the industrythat this time everything will be different may very well have been premature and overoptimistic. Reuters John Kemp put it succinctly in a commentary from April: The oil industry has been characterised by deep and prolonged boom-bust cycles since the first modern well was drilled in 1859. Deep cycles are the natural condition of the oil industry and there is no reason to think the future will be any different. Related: Is China Turning Trump's Oil Weapon Against Him?

The oil industry cannot escape from its cyclical nature no matter how many mistakes it learns from, but there are two areas that really do require higher spending and there are doubts that Big Oil will be able to provide it, regardless of the current oil price rally. These two are reserve replacement and climate change.

Reuters reported in its story that the oil field decline rate accelerated from 3 percent in 2014 to 6 percent in 2016. Sure, spending cuts had something to do with this, but there is also such a thing as natural depletion that has nothing to do with spending: finite resources. So, higher spending to ensure stable production in spite of the doomsayers eager to usher in a totally renewable era in energy is inevitable.

Yet, higher spending on cleaner energy is also inevitable: Big Oil has been increasingly vocal about its commitments to the world of tomorrow where oil and gas will be a much smaller part of the energy mix. To live up to their promise, these companies will need to spend twice as much on new energy as they are spending now, Morgan Stanley warned in a report from last month cited by Bloomberg. In this context, it would be safe to say that Big Oil is entering the next stage of the new cycle and it will be spending more in the coming years. Until the next price drop, that is.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Saudi Arabia will spend US$20 billion on boosting its oil production capacity in the coming years, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said, as quoted by Reuters. Earlier this week, the Kingdoms top oil man said, during the Russia Energy Forum in Moscow, that the country was pumping 10.7 million bpd, with current production capacity standing at 12 million bpd, as per the Reuters report.

These numbers mean that OPECs biggest producer and exporter has spare capacity of 1.3 million bpd, based on the self-reported September production figure, which might add anxiety to an already distressed market that has recently begun to question Saudi Arabias ability to boost oil production enough to offset the drop in supply widely expected after the entry into effect of U.S. sanctions against Iran, OPECs third-largest producer.

The investment pledge will do little to assuage the worry: optimists believed Saudi Arabia has the capacity ready and waiting to be deployed within months, although skeptics warned boosting production from the current level would take a lot longer than just a few months. Still, with August production at 10.42 million bpd, if the September figure is confirmed by external sources, it would mean a pretty quick ramp-up of almost 300,000 bpd.

However, according to the monthly Reuters survey of OPEC supply, Saudi Arabia pumped 10.53 million bpd in September, up by just 50,000 bpd from August, when Reuters estimated it had produced an average 10.48 million bpd. OPECs secondary sources put Saudi Arabias oil production in August at 10.4 million bpd. OPEC will release the September production figures next week.

Also in Moscow, Al-Falih said the Kingdom will continue pumping more this month and in November, in line with earlier statements made in a bid to calm down an increasingly distressed market. The current oil production rate of the Kingdom is the highest on record after the 10.72 million bpd reported for November 2016, two months before the OPEC+ production cut agreement went into force.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Thanks to a huge natural gas discovery off its coasts, Egypt has just become self-sufficient in this key energy source, welcoming what it hopes to be its last liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo last week.

The country, however, continues to depend on imports for gasoline and diesel. Under a deal for loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the country is overhauling its energy subsidies program, aiming to let fuel prices reach international levels and stop subsidizing fuels by the middle of next year.

But rising oil pricesnow at levels way above prices that Egypt had factored into its budget and state financesmean that the government will be spending more on fuel subsidies this fiscal year through June 2019, when it plans to have phased out the support for fuel prices.

The higher price of oil may soon pose a dilemma for the government: either risk public discontent by letting fuel prices reach market-price levels, or miss its targets for cutting the deficit, economists and analysts tell Bloomberg.

Higher oil priceswith Brent Crude above $86 a barrel early on Thursday morningcould additionally burden Egypts state finances by offsetting the savings that the government would achieve by ending the imports of LNG.

At the beginning of this year, Egypts Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla said that Egypt would start saving US$250 million each month after it ended its LNG imports. The start-up of the huge Zohr gas field, which Italys oil and gas major Eni discovered in 2015 when it said that it was the largest ever gas discovery, has now made this possible. Zohrs production has jumped six-fold since it was launched in January this year.

Egypt now aims to become a regional natural gas hub for re-export and could shore up its budget by saving around US$2 billion a year from natural gas imports. Related: Is Argentina Producing Too Much Natural Gas?

But the rallying oil prices come at a bad time for Egypts energy and economy. Although higher prices could raise Egypts revenues from exports of its own crude oil, they are lifting the price of fuels. If the government wants to meet its energy reform targets, it has to lift fuel prices much higher than it had thought it would when it started to enact the subsidy reform. The dilemma is whether to let fuel prices rise sharply and stir discontent, or to find some other means to fund the subsidies, according to Salma Hussein, a researcher with the Cairo-based Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.

The government will probably choose what it did in the past couple of years -- increase borrowing, in addition to cutting subsidies and wages, Hussein told Bloomberg.

Egypt has budgeted its 2018/2019 finances assuming oil prices at $67 a barrel. With the fuel subsidies not yet phased out, the government needs additional money to fund the subsidies this fiscal year though June 2019.

According to Bloomberg calculations, Egypt plans to spend US$5 billion (89 billion Egyptian pounds) on fuel subsidies this fiscal year, assuming oil at $67 a barrel. Every dollar of the oil price above the budgeted $67/b means additional US$223 million (4 billion Egyptian pounds) that has to be spent on fuel subsidies. The higher spending on energy subsidies means that Egypt may fail to meet its target for budget deficit this fiscal year.

The government faces the same dilemma that all crude oil-importing countries are now facinghow to mitigate the effect of rallying oil prices on their economies.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Mexico could see electricity prices drop by as much as 40 percent by deploying more renewable energy generating capacity. This is the conclusion of a study carried out by the Mexican Business Coordination Council, quoted by S&P Global Platts. Representatives of the local wind and solar power industry associations were co-authors of the study.

Commenting on the study, the director of the Mexican wind power association, AMDEE, said that renewable energy could turn Mexico into a more competitive player on the energy market. Leopoldo Rodriguez also said, "Data have shown renewable generation in Mexico has more than surpassed all our expectations."

Last year, 21 percent of Mexicos electricity, or 69.4 GWh, came from renewable sources. Renewable generation capacity stood at 22.3 GW, representing 30 percent of total installed capacity. Plans are in place to boost the portion of electricity produced by cleaner energy sources to 35 percent of the total by 2024.

Longer-term plans envisage expanding further the share of renewables in the countrys energy mix to 50 percent by 2050. As part of the plan, this year saw the launch of clean energy credits, a Renewable Energy World article by Mary DeFilippe from April noted, which will be instrumental in achieving the renewable energy goals of the previous government, provided, of course, the incoming Obrador administration sticks to them.

It might; although for now, the focus is on energy as a whole, and boosting domestic oil production is part of this priority. An August story by Reuters quoted analysts as saying that the Mexican president-elect could do better in his top prioritiespoverty and equalityif he focuses more on renewables, which also made up part of his campaign platform. But there are worries that the pledge to put more power into the hands of Petrobras and increase domestic oil production would come into conflict with environmental commitments.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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There is a risk that oil prices could hit $100 a barrel soon because a lot of uncertainties currently exist in a very nervous and emotional market, Russias Energy Minister Alexander Novak told Russian radio station Business FM in an interview on Thursday.

Novak doesnt rule out that oil prices could reach $100 a barrel, but noted that this wont be good for the global economy, producers and consumers alike. The current uncertainties in the oil market, especially about how many Iranian barrels will be lost to U.S. sanctions, will persist for at least another month until the market gets some clarity on the Iran sanctions, Novak noted. Due to those uncertainties, the market is currently very nervous and emotional, and traders and other market participants could continue to make decisions based on those uncertainties and push prices higher, he said.

Asked about whether Russia and Saudi Arabia would raise production to ease concerns about supply and cool oil prices, Novak said that Russia has already reversed all 300,000 bpd of the cuts it had pledged in the OPEC+ deal and added another 100,000-bpd production in September.

Russia increased its oil production in September to a post-Soviet record high of 11.36 million bpd.

Saudi Arabia also raised production in September, Novak told Business FM.

In an interview with Bloomberg Television, the Russian minister also said that oil prices are currently influenced by the uncertainty with Iran, as well as falling Venezuelan production.

Current levels may be a little bit high, Novak said, commenting on the current price of oil.

The price range of $65 to $75 a barrel seems to be an acceptable level for both consumers and producers, and at the same time, that range ensures enough cash flow to the oil sector to reinvest and develop sustainably, the Russian energy minister said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
In the 1830s and 1840s, American craniologist Samuel Morton collected and measured hundreds of human skulls in what he described as an attempt to compare the brain size of five human racial groups. At nearly the same time, across the world, German anatomist Friedrich Tiedemann was conducting similar research.

The scientists produced nearly equivalent results, but what they inferred from those findings differed drastically: Tiedemann used his to fight for equality and the abolition of slavery, and against the idea that different races were created separately. Morton's research was used to maintain the status quo in the United States, which, at that time, meant racial division, hierarchy, and slavery.

Though the work happened almost 180 years ago, it still elicits debate, particularly over the concept of scientific racism and bias. A paper published in PLOS Biology from University of Pennsylvania doctoral candidate Paul Wolff Mitchell adds to the conversation, through analysis of never-before analyzed, handwritten cranial measurements he unearthed in Morton's archives.

Mitchell determined that while Morton's data-collection methods produced accurate numbers and were likely not intentionally biased, the scientist's conclusionsthat Caucasians had the largest skull size and therefore, the highest intelligence and that Africans had the smallest skull size and lowest intelligenceblatantly were. They also point to the importance of scientific interpretation.

"Morton and Tiedemann both thought the bigger and more complex the brain, the more superior the individual or species," Mitchell says. It was a belief held by many scientists at the time, although one that modern science has disproven. "Beyond that, more than just the data were informing their scientific positions," he adds. "Political and ethical considerations were, too."

"It's a complex story," Mitchell says, one that requires walking through Morton's process and what followed to fully grasp its intricacy.

Morton's scientific path

Morton, a native Philadelphian, physician, and naturalist, recognized as the first physical anthropologist, began collecting human skulls in the early 1800s. Though he didn't travel much himself, his role as president of the Academy of Natural Sciences afforded him the opportunity to correspond with scientists around the world to secure samples.

He aimed to gather sufficient numbers from each of the five racial groups he recognized: Ethiopian (or African), Native American, Caucasian, Malay, and Mongolian. In total, he amassed around 900 skulls, the largest academic collection at the time, and one that remained so for half a century after his death. Today, the Morton Collection is stored and curated in the Physical Anthropology Section of the Penn Museum.

Initially, Morton measured the size of 256 skulls by pouring white pepper seed into each cavity, then gauging in cubic inches the volume of seed needed to fill a sample. From that work, he published Crania America in 1839, which reported statistics from every Native American skull and averages for the other groups. The next year, he published the first of three skull catalogues, and then a book called Crania Aegpytiaca and the second catalogue came in 1844.

In trying to replicate his seed measurements, Morton had difficulty so he switched to lead shot and went through the measurement process again, now with 672 skulls. "He came to basically the same conclusion as before," Mitchell explains, "with Caucasians having the biggest brain size and Africans the smallest." In 1849, Morton published a third and final catalogue with cranial data based on the lead-shot measurements of every individual skull.

He died just two years later, at the time considered a preeminent expert in his field. Until, that is, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species and the United States fought the Civil War.

Seeing something new

For more than a century following those two events, Morton's science fell into obscurity, his methods modernized and surpassed, his theories debunked. Then in 1978, American scientist Stephen Jay Gould wrote several texts about scientific racism, the idea that scientific findings might justify continued discrimination and intolerance. He used Morton's skull studies as a prime example.

"Gould notices that the average for the Africans between the seed measurements and shot measurements increases a lot, but the average for the measurements of the Caucasians only increases a little, about the same amount that the measures for the Native Americans do," Mitchell says. "This leads Gould to conclude that Morton was unconsciously underestimating brain size for the Africans."

Because of the seeds' compressible nature, Gould suggested skulls could be inadvertently overstuffed or lightly packed, producing inaccurate numbers. Morton had unconsciously done so, Gould surmised, packing seeds into Caucasian skulls and only lightly filling African skulls, leading to systematic underestimations of African cranial capacity.

Unbeknownst to Gould, however, he didn't have all the facts, namely the full seed data Morton never publisheddata that Mitchell rediscovered in the scientist's archives at the Academy of Natural Sciences.

"I was looking through Morton's old catalogue of skulls. He had printed three copies throughout his life to advertise to other scientists and collectors what he had in his collection," says Mitchell. "He also kept personal copies, which he signed and dated. The first copy was from 1840."

That first edition didn't include printed brain size like the latter two did, but in Morton's personal copy, Mitchell noticed handwritten measurements accompanying many entries, some scratched out and rewritten. He also realized that the brain measurements from the 1840 and 1849 catalogues differed, leading him to conclude that those jotted down represented previously unseen seed measurements.

Having worked with the Morton skulls since 2010, under the tutelage of Janet Monge, curator in charge of the Penn Museum's Physical Anthropology section and a Penn adjunct professor of anthropology, Mitchell had an intimate relationship with the collection. "I know those skulls well," he says. "When I looked at what Morton had written down, I said, 'Something's not right here. That's not the measurement he gives later.' It was due to a great deal of familiarity with the skulls that I could see something new in these documents."

What does it all mean?

For Mitchell, viewing the entries for the original seed measurements rather than the averages for four out of the five of Morton's racial classifications shifts the conversation about these skulls. Mitchell's analysis confirmed that Morton's measurements were accurate; the seed and shot measurement averages differed because of different overall sample sizes.

But, he points out, that finding almost doesn't matter.

"Just because Morton's data were not biased doesn't mean his science wasn't," Mitchell says. "He can measure skulls very accurately but also be a biased scientist." Simply look at Tiedemann, he says. "The German scientist basically does the same thing Morton does but comes to a dramatically different conclusion."

Through his work, Tiedemann noticed a range of skull sizes among all humans. Morton, on the other hand, focused on brain-size averages of different races. Although Morton's numbers overlap across races, and although taking the averages of Tiedemann's datawhich he himself never didreveal an almost perfect match to Morton's, the interpretive differences of the two scientists supported their divergent conclusions.

With respect to today's science, the biggest fault in Morton's research may lie in that he didn't collect data on body size, Mitchell says. Brain size correlates to body size, and brain and body size are well known adaptions to the climate in which people live. That means from an evolutionary perspective, there's no reason to suppose a link between cranial size and intelligence.

"If you just collect heads from all over the globe and you don't take body size into account, there is no meaningful way to compare your data," Mitchell says. "People with bigger bodies have bigger brains."

The other issue with Morton's research, he notes, is that the racial categories he supposes have no biological basis. Which all leads Mitchell to question what, in the end, Morton's data can really teach.

"When dealing with moral and political questions, interpretation is a key part of how the science gets done," Mitchell concludes. "That will always have an element of bias. The only way to get around it is to have the open presentation of data, scrutiny of scientific work, and a diverse community of people working on and thinking about these issues."

Explore further Samuel Morton collection of skulls at center of controversy
Incumbent govt will complete its full five-year term: PM Oli

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has claimed that his government will successfully lead the country for a full five-year term.
Brazil's savannah is a biodiveristy hotspot, but doesn't command the conservation attention the rainforests garner. Credit: Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva, Michigan State University

New research suggests that protecting the Amazon rainforest from deforestation may just be shifting the damage to a less renowned neighbor. The unintended consequences are profound.

Efforts to rein in agriculture activities in the Amazon have led to an 80 percent reduction in rainforest destruction between the early 2000s to 2015. Yet in this month's Journal of Geographic Sciences Michigan State University (MSU) researchers show that farming and ranching have caused 6.6 times more destruction of natural vegetation in the nearby Tocantins State of the Cerrado in central Brazil, without a corresponding uprising of concern.

"We are not saying reducing rainforest destruction in the Amazon shouldn't get attention," said Yue Dou, a research associate in MSU's Centers for Systems Integration and Sustainability (CSIS). "But attention has to be paid in the major destruction of another area which also has significant biodiversity."

Cerrado is a Brazilian savanna of varied, wooded grasslands that cover more than 20 percent of the country. Amazon's rainforest terrain of towering, ancient broadleaf trees, has a wide appeal and international fascination. The Cerrado, though a global biodiversity hotspot, hasn't commanded the same attention. Both areas of Brazil have been farmed aggressively. Two supply-chain agreements placed bans on purchasing soybeans grown on Amazonian lands after 2006 or beef raised on Amazon land deforested after 2009 vastly slowed deforestation. Researchers calculated that the policies reduced deforestation from 22,766 square miles to 11,013 square miles in the Amazon.

Yet destruction in the Cerrado surged as soybean farmers and cattle ranchers sought new places to produce highly demanded foods. In the state of Tocantins alone the conversion to agricultural land increased from 465 square miles to 3,067 square miles from 2007 to 2015.

The authors of "Spillover effect offsets the conservation effort in the Amazon" note that the reasons behind the hidden impacts are complex and can be difficult to understandso it's hard to realize success in one part of the country can be spilling over with setbacks in a neighboring area. Colonization, road building, available infrastructure and effectiveness of law enforcement are among the many moving parts that cause people to cut down natural vegetation and farm. Comparing rainforest to Cerrado also is challenging.

That's why scientists worked with the telecoupling framework capable of examining many different factors. Telecoupling framework integrates many different scientific disciplines to allow scientists to holistically understand ecological and socioeconomic interactions over distances.

"In our increasingly complex world, we need to look at problems in new ways that can reflect subtleties and truths that are counterintuitive," said Jianguo "Jack" Liu, CSIS director and co-author. "Progress in sustainability must be genuine and we can't allow ourselves to be blinded by success in one place at the expense of invisible impacts on other places. The telecoupling framework helps to bring together many different kinds of information to fully understand important change in our telecoupled world."

Explore further Parts of Amazon on the verge of forest-to-grassland shift

More information: Yue Dou et al, Spillover effect offsets the conservation effort in the Amazon, Journal of Geographical Sciences (2018). Yue Dou et al, Spillover effect offsets the conservation effort in the Amazon,(2018). DOI: 10.1007/s11442-018-1539-0
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

In a new scientific article, researchers at Uppsala University describe how, using a completely new method, they have synthesised an artificial enzyme that functions in the metabolism of living cells. These enzymes can utilize the cell's own energy, and thereby enable hydrogen gas to be produced from solar energy.

Hydrogen gas has long been noted as a promising energy carrier, but its production is still dependent on fossil raw materials. Renewable hydrogen gas can be extracted from water, but as yet the systems for doing so have limitations.

In the new article, published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science, an interdisciplinary European research group led by Uppsala University scientists describe how artificial enzymes convert solar energy into hydrogen gas. This entirely new method has been developed at the University in the past few years. The technique is based on photosynthetic microorganisms with genetically inserted enzymes that are combined with synthetic compounds produced in the laboratory. Synthetic biology has been combined with synthetic chemistry to design and create custom artificial enzymes inside living organisms.

"We've now been able to use the method we developed to produce enzymes that use the cell's own energy to produce hydrogen gas," says Adam Wegelius, a Ph.D. student at the Department of Chemistry  Angstrom Laboratory, Uppsala University.

Senior Lecturer Gustav Berggren and Professor Peter Lindblad of the same department have been jointly leading the research.

"Evolution has already developed and refined a tool for capturing sunlight through photosynthesis. And by introducing our artificial enzyme into photosynthetic cyanobacteria we can directly benefit from this efficient process, thus producing hydrogen gas from solar energy. We've developed a completely new method, which allows us to go beyond the solutions offered by evolution and nature, in our development of artificial enzymes" Berggren says.

The article, "Generation of a functional, semisynthetic [FeFe]-hydrogenase in a photosynthetic microorganism", was published in Energy and Environmental Science.

Explore further Scientists pioneer a new way to turn sunlight into fuel
Europe's consumer affairs commissioner has called for closer scrutiny of budget airline Ryanair

Consumer officials should examine budget airline Ryanair's new terms and conditions, as any move to force dissatisfied customers to seek redress in Ireland would be illegal, a top European official said Thursday.

Vera Jourova, the European Commissioner for justice and consumer affairs, was responding on Twitter to a media report about the Dublin-based airline changing its terms and conditions.

"I read with concern news on Ryanair," wrote Jourova, the European Commissioner for justice and consumer affairs.

"The fact that passengers would only have the possibility to seek legal remedies in Ireland is clearly against consumer rules," she added.

"I call on Consumer Protection Authorities to examine these practices."

She was reacting to an article in Belgian daily Le Soir, which reported on consumer association Test Achats' analysis of Ryanair's new terms and conditions, introduced Tuesday.

Test Achats said that not for the first time, the company had changed its rules to make it harder for any passenger with a complaint.

It denounced Ryanair for obliging Belgian customers to submit complaints in English to a contact point in Ireland and is handling a number of actions in Belgian courts.

And it condemned its latest decision not to pay compensation to customers for some of the recent strikes that have hit it in on the grounds that they were internal disputes.

On Monday, Ryanair slashed its profits forecast and signalled job losses in the Netherlands and Germany, which it said was the fallout of pan-European strikes by staff.

Explore further German cabin crew join Ryanair strike, nearly 250 flights cut

 2018 AFP
Illustration of ICESat-2. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

The laser instrument that launched into orbit last month aboard NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) fired for the first time Sept. 30. With each of its 10,000 pulses per second, the instrument is sending 300 trillion green photons of light to the ground and measuring the travel time of the few that return: the method behind ICESat-2's mission to monitor Earth's changing ice. By the morning of Oct. 3, the satellite returned its first height measurements across the Antarctic ice sheet.

"We were all waiting with bated breath for the lasers to turn on and to see those first photons return," said Donya Douglas-Bradshaw, the project manager for ICESat-2's sole instrument, called the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System, or ATLAS. "Seeing everything work together in concert is incredibly exciting. There are a lot of moving parts and this is the demonstration that it's all working together."

ICESat-2 launched on Sept. 15 to precisely measure heights and how they change over time. It does this by timing how long it takes individual photons to leave the satellite, reflect off the surface, and return to receiver telescope on the satellite. The ATLAS instrument can time photons with a precision of less than a billionth of a second, which allows the mission to detect small changes in the planet's ice sheets, glaciers and sea ice.

Once ICESat-2 was in space, the ATLAS team waited to turn on the lasers for about two weeks to allow any Earthly contaminants or gases to dissipate.

"It's very critical when you fire the lasers that you don't have contaminants because you could damage the optics," Douglas-Bradshaw said. "Fourteen days is well beyond the time needed for that, but we wanted to be safe."

A visualization of ICESat-2 data, called a photon cloud, shows the first set of height measurements from the satellite, taken as it orbited over the Antarctic ice sheet. Each blue dot represents a photon detected by the ATLAS instrument. This photon cloud shows the elevation measured by photons in the middle of the ice sheet, following along 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) of the satellite's ground track, from left to right. The speckled dots are background photons from sunlight, but the thick blue line is actually a concentration of dots that represent laser photons that returned to the ICESat-2 satellite. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

During those two weeks, the ICESat-2 operations team turned on and tested the various systems and subsystems of the spacecraft and instrument, and fired thrusters to start placing the satellite in its final polar orbit, approximately 310 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth.

Before the laser was even turned on, however, the team eagerly awaited another milestone, Douglas-Bradshaw said. The door that protected the telescope and detector elements during launch had to be opened. The team had two chances to release one of two spring-loaded pins to open the door. This was successfully accomplished on Sept. 29.

The following day, it was the laser's turn. The engineering team had been working with the operations team that controls the instrument on orbit, so the commands were ready to gofirst turning on the laser itself, waiting for it to warm up, and then issuing commands to put it in fire mode.

The laser energy levels jumped up, and the device that starts ATLAS's sophisticated stopwatch was activetwo different, independent indicators that the laser was firing away.

Opto-Mechanical Engineer Tyler Evans explains how the photons that bounce back from Earth are received and filtered by the ATLAS telescope. ATLAS is the primary instrument on board the ICESat-2 spacecraft, which measures the height of Earth's features. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

"We were all incredibly excited and happy, everyone was taking pictures of the screens showing data plots," Douglas-Bradshaw said. "Someone noted: 'Now we have a mission, now we have an instrument.'"

Three days later, the ICESat-2 team had the first segment of height data, taken as the satellite flew over Antarctica.

Computer programmers were up all night analyzing the latitude, longitude and elevation represented by each photon that returned to the ATLAS instrumentand by 6 a.m., Tom Neumann, ICESat-2 deputy project scientist, was texting screenshots of the height data to the rest of the team.

"It was awesome," Neumann said. "Having it in space, and not just simulating data on the ground, is amazing. This is real light that went from ATLAS to Earth and back again."

Pho, a plucky bright green photon of light, must travel from a NASA spacecraft down to Earth and back again to help complete a crucial science mission in this educational short film. The animation was created and produced by media art students from the Savannah College of Art in Design in Georgia, in collaboration with ICESat-2. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Savannah College of Art and Design et al

When scientists analyze the preliminary ICESat-2 data, they examine what is called a "photon cloud," or a plot of each photon that ATLAS detects. Many of the points on a photon cloud are from background photonsnatural sunlight reflected off Earth in the exact same wavelength as the laser photons. But with the help of computer programs that analyze the data, scientists can extract the signal from the noise and identify height of the ground below.

The first photon cloud generated by ICESat-2 shows a stretch of elevation measurements from East Antarctica, passing close to the South Pole at a latitude of 88 degrees south, then continuing between Thwaites Glacier and Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica.

Next up for ICESat-2 is a suite of procedures to optimize the instrument, Neumann said, including tests to ensure the laser is pointing at the precisely correct angle and lasing at the precisely correct wavelength to allow as many photons as possible to hit the detector.

"It will take a couple of additional weeks," he said, "but about one month after launch we'll hopefully start getting back some excellent science-quality data."
Passengers on domestic flights will be able to choose whether they want to use the biometric authentication system and go paperless with the new facial recognition tech

Indian flyers will soon be able to leave their identification cards and boarding passes at home after the government announced plans Thursday to introduce facial recognition technology at airports.

The scheme will be rolled out early next year in a bid to help congested airports deal with rapidly rising passenger numbers, the ministry of civil aviation said.

Passengers on domestic flights will be able to choose whether they want to use the biometric authentication system and go paperless, ministry secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey said in a statement.

"Security will benefit from the ability of the technology to verify the passenger at every checkpoint in a non-intrusive way," Choubey said.

The scheme is similar to plans that Delta Air Lines announced last month when it said it would launch its first biometric terminal in Atlanta.

British Airways also recently installed biometric technology to identify customers at airports in New York, Orlando, and Miami.

Under the Indian government's proposals passengers would have their identity verified by being photographed at every stage of the check-in process from entering the airport to proceeding through security and boarding the plane.

The technology will be introduced at Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports first in February 2019, the statement said.

It will then be installed at airports in Kolkata, Varanasi, Pune and Vijayawada by April.

But Devesh Agarwal, editor of the Bangalore Aviation website, told AFP there were questions over whether the scheme had adequate privacy safeguards for passengers.

"It's a welcome move but how will the data be stored and what happens to citizens' data... if private entities start collecting biometric details?" he asked.

India has witnessed a six-fold increase in passenger numbers over the past decade as citizens take advantage of better connectivity and cheaper fares thanks to a host of low-cost airlines.

But airports are struggling to cope with the surge and analysts have warned that the government needs to spend billions of dollars to boost capacity.

Explore further Delta to use facial recognition in Atlanta's international terminal

 2018 AFP
NASA's IMERG and NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite imagery were combined to create a picture of the extent and rainfall of Tropical Storm Kong-Rey. IMERG found heavy rain falling (red) around the center and northwest of the center on Oct. 3, 2018. Credit: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) /NOAA/JAXA

NASA's IMERG combines data from many satellites to provide a look at rainfall occurring around the world. Those rainfall data were combined with visible imagery from NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite to create a composite or fuller picture of Kong- Rey in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean as it weakened to a tropical storm.

The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite provided a look at distribution of rainfall within Kong-Rey. GPM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA. GPM found heaviest rain falling around the center and northwest of the center on Oct. 4, 2018.

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible light image that showed the western quadrant of Kong-Rey just east of Taiwan on Oct. 4.

The Status of Kong-Rey

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on Oct. 4, 2018, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center downgraded Kong-Rey from a typhoon to a tropical storm as maximum sustained winds dropped to 60 knots (69 mph/111 kph). Kong-Rey was centered near 26.1 degrees north latitude and 126.5 degrees east longitude. That's approximately 88 nautical miles southwest of Kadena Air Base and has tracked north-northwestward.

Kong-Rey is forecast to turn to the north then northeast, and move into the Sea of Japan. The storm is now weakening, and will become extra-tropical over northern Japan.

About IMERG

NASA's GPM or Global Precipitation Measurement mission satellite provides information on precipitation from its orbit in space. GPM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency or JAXA. GPM also utilizes a constellation of other satellites to provide a global analysis of precipitation that are used in the IMERG calculation.

At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, those data are incorporated into NASA's IMERG or Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM. IMERG is used to estimate precipitation from a combination of passive microwave sensors, including the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission's core satellite's GMI microwave sensor and geostationary infrared data. IMERG real-time data are generated by NASA's Precipitation Processing System every half hour and are normally available within six hours.

Explore further NASA created rainfall analysis for super Typhoon Mangkhut
Rufous-tailed Jacamar (Galbula ruficauda). Credit: Alexander C Lees: Manchester Metropolitan University

Even after 40 years of recovery, secondary forests remain species and carbon-poor compared to undisturbed primary forests, a new study reveals.

However these secondary forestsforests regrowing in previously deforested areasare still vitally important to biodiversity conservation and carbon storage, argue scientists.

Housing much of Earth's carbon and biodiversity, tropical forests are, arguably, the planet's most important ecosystems. Yet, they continue to be destroyed by humans at an alarming rate, with devastating implications for climate change and the world's species.

An international team of scientists from Europe, Brazil and Australia, measured carbon and surveyed more than 1,600 plant, bird and dung beetle species in 59 naturally regenerating secondary forests and 30 undisturbed primary forests in the eastern Amazon.

Their study, published today in the leading journal Global Change Biology, shows that primary forests contain more biodiversity and carbon than even mature regenerating forests. The study authors argue this means protecting primary forests should be a conservation priority.

Despite this, the study provides compelling evidence that recovering secondary forests may also play a critical ecological role.

"We found that the carbon and biodiversity of secondary forests recovered to more than 80 per cent of levels found in undisturbed primary forests," said lead author Dr. Gareth Lennox from Lancaster University in the UK. "This is undoubtedly good news for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. Nevertheless, the regions we assessed provide very favourable regeneration conditions, with greater than 50 per cent remnant primary forest cover and, consequently, large populations of forest species that can colonise secondary forests.

"Even in this situation, secondary forests cannot substitute for undisturbed primary forests, which must remain a priority of conservation efforts."

The growth of secondary forests

As economies in the forested tropics grow, rural populations are attracted to cities. This leaves fewer people to engage in traditional farming practices. Forests then regenerate in areas that areat least temporarilyno longer used for agriculture, potentially counteracting losses of tropical primary forests, an area of which equal to the size of Austria continues to be felled each year.

In Brazil, these forces have led to a rapid expansion of secondary forests: in the last 30 years, the area of the Brazilian Amazon occupied by secondary forests has grown from less than 30,000 km2 to over 170,000 km2more than twice the size of Austria.

"Brazil has made bold forest restoration commitments," study co-author Dr. Joice Ferreira from The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) said. "Through the Bonn Challenge and Initiative 20 x 20, Brazil has pledged to restore an additional 120,000 km2 of forest by 2030. But there remains considerable uncertainty whether secondary forests can meet minimum ecological standards and whether natural regeneration or active planting is the best restoration strategy.

"Our results show that novel secondary forests can deliver a range of high-value ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, habitat provision, and the suite of services linked to biomass resilience, such as soil conservation and the maintenance of water systems. Importantly, we show that these services can be provided through natural regeneration, which is vastly less expensive than active restoration alternatives."

The relationship between carbon and biodiversity

The scale of the climate and biodiversity crises facing humanity is unprecedented. However, funding to meet internationally agreed conservation targets is much less than needed. As a result, discovering areas where biodiversity and carbon can be protected and enhanced simultaneously is a key conservation goal.

Dr. Toby Gardner, co-author of the paper from Sweden's Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), explained what the team's results reveal about the relationship between carbon and biodiversity.

"International initiatives, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and REDD+, seek to protect and enhance tropical biodiversity and carbon stocks, in part through forest regeneration," he said. "In contrast to other areas of the tropics, we found that biodiversity recovers at least as quickly as carbon. Secondary forests in the eastern Amazon may therefore present the win-win scenario in which conservation investments can alleviate climate change and protect tropical species at the same time."

Recognizing the importance of secondary forests

Despite the potential ecological and socio-economic significance of secondary forests, they are frequently re-cleared and so do not provide any long-lasting conservation gains.

Professor Jos Barlow, study co-author from Lancaster University, explained, "In the Brazilian Amazon, the average time before secondary forests are deforested again is just five years. Moreover, across the tropics, secondary forest management regimes are beset by legal uncertainties, inconsistent decision-making, and the chronic undervaluation of these important ecosystems."

"For secondary forests to achieve the socio-ecological potential we uncover, where sites have been regenerating for up to 40 years, they must be incorporated as key elements of landscape management and conservation planning."

The article, Lennox et al. (2018), Second rate or a second chance? Assessing biomass and biodiversity recovery in regenerating Amazonian forests, will appear online at Global Change Biology on 4th October 2018.

Explore further Secondary forests have short lifespans

More information: Gareth D Lennox et al, Second rate or a second chance? Assessing biomass and biodiversity recovery in regenerating Amazonian forests, Global Change Biology (2018). Journal information: Global Change Biology Gareth D Lennox et al, Second rate or a second chance? Assessing biomass and biodiversity recovery in regenerating Amazonian forests,(2018). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14443
Miami-Dade closed beaches north of the Haulover inlet before dawn on Thursday morning after lab tests confirmed the presence of red tide in ocean waters as the toxic algae traveled from Gulf waters to the Atlantic, spreading an environmental and tourism crisis to more of Florida.

Lab tests confirmed "medium concentration" of algae linked to red tide off Haulover Park, according to a statement issued early Monday by Mayor Carlos Gimenez.

Farther south, tests off Miami Beach and Key Biscayne were "in the very-low to low range." The levels were too low to prompt beach closures south of Haulover.

Haulover Inlet is in North Miami-Dade, around 10800 Collins Ave., north of Bal Harbour.

Red tide is rare on Florida's east coast, but was confirmed in Palm Beach County on Monday after weekend beachgoers complained of symptoms linked to the toxic algae. Beaches were closed Sunday.

The finding prompted expanded testing along the Atlantic coast, including four beaches in Miami-Dade County and parts of Broward County, as well as waters about two miles offshore.

"The county received results late Wednesday indicating that elevated levels of algae linked to red tide have been detected in our area," the alert from Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez's office said. "Although results from three sampling areas off Miami Beach and Crandon Park were reported in the very low to low range, results for samples collected off Haulover Park were reported in the medium concentration range."

Miami-Dade's beach patrol began asking people to leave Haulover on Thursday morning.

"We just came here to go to the beach, and the beach patrol person cane and said it was supposed to be bad for breathing," said Britta Toennies, a tourist from Denmark staying in Bay Harbor Islands. "So he's telling people not to be on the beach."

As a news chopper hovered overhead, Toennies and her fellow traveler, Jenny Henson, said they were going to take his advice to head for sand not covered by the county advisory.

"We were just talking about South Beach " Henson said.

It's not clear if red tide has ever appeared in the county before. Because red tide blooms regularly form in the Gulf of Mexico, scientists believe they are carried to the Atlantic coast by the Florida current, which runs farther offshore in Miami-Dade County than Palm Beach County. Coastal currents may have also carried algae south from Palm Beach County.

"You can have coastal currents that go in the opposite direction carrying it south," said Larry Brand, an algae expert at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. "That's how you can form islands like Miami Beach."

While amounts found at Haulover were moderate, they are high enough to trigger problems like respiratory symptoms and fish kills, he said.

How long it lasts depends on the amount of algae, winds and currents. If it's being moved by coastal currents, there's a possibility conditions worsen along beaches to the south like Crandon Park, he said.

Another concern is Biscayne Bay. If red tide gets into the bay where pollution that feeds the algae is high, it could stay longer.

"If it gets carried into Biscayne Bay, it can establish a population for a while," he said. "The bottom line is there's so many uncertainties still about the red tide. We can't predict it very well and after things happen we try to explain it."

Broward County is still waiting for results from water collected along its beaches, Environmental Planning Director Jennifer Jurado said Thursday morning.

Thursday's finding marks a significant escalation of a crisis that had until recently been confined to the West Coast. Local officials began dreading test confirmations after the algae spread to Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties, where beaches were closed this week and fish began turning up dead.

Scientists believe the blooms, which first appeared in the Gulf of Mexico off Sarasota nearly a year ago, got swept into the Gulf's Loop Current, which connects to the Florida Current and flows north along the Atlantic coast. In August and September, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration satellites detected some evidence of the algae west of the remote Marquesas Islands near the Dry Tortugas, suggesting the algae could have flowed south of the Keys.

Red tide is linked to health problems, including breathing issues. The county's advisory urges "people with severe or chronic respiratory conditions to avoid red tide areas."

Explore further Red tide may be cause of Florida beachgoers' breathing problems

2018 Miami Herald

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The 2000-year-old pipe sculpture's bulging neck is evidence of thyroid disease as a result of iodine deficient water and soil in the ancient Ohio Valley. Credit: Kenneth Tankersley

Art often imitates life, but when University of Cincinnati anthropologist and geologist Kenneth Tankersley investigated a 2000-year-old carved statue on a tobacco pipe, he exposed a truth he says will rewrite art history.

Since its discovery in 1901, at the Adena Burial Mound in Ross County, Ohio, archaeologists have theorized that the the 8-inch pipe statuecarved into the likeness of an Ohio Valley Native Americanrepresented an achondroplastic dwarf (AD). People with achondroplasia typically have short arms and legs, an enlarged head, and an average-sized trunk, the same condition as Emmy Award-winning actor Peter Dinklage from HBO's "Game of Thrones."

"During the early turn of the century, this theory was consistent with actual human remains of a Native American excavated in Kentucky, also interpreted by archaeologists as being an achondroplastic dwarf," says Tankersley.

This theory flourished in the scientific literature until the turn of the 21st century when Tankersley looked closer.

"Here we have a carved statue and human remains, both of achondroplasia from the same time period," says Tankersley. "But what caught my eye on this pipe statue was an obvious tumor on the neck that looked remarkably like a goiter or thyroid tumor."

Early theory up in smoke

Tankersley collaborated with Frederic Bauduer, a visiting biological anthropologist and paleopathologist from the University of Bordeaux in Paris, to ultimately dispel previous academic literature claiming the sculpture as portraying achondroplasia.

The results of the research were published in the recent issue of the journal Medical Hypotheses titled "Evidence of an ancient (2000 years ago) goiter attributed to iodine deficiency in North America."

"In archaeological science, flesh does not survive, so many ancient maladies go unnoticed and are almost always impossible to get at from an archaeological standpoint," says Tankersley. "So what struck me was how remarkably Bauduer was using ancient art from various periods of antiquity to argue for the paleopathology he presented."

Using radiocarbon dating on textile and bark samples surrounding the pipe at the site, the Adena pipe dates to approximately 2000 years ago, to the earliest evidence of tobacco.

Traditionally, tobacco is considered a sacred plant to Native Americans in this region, and smoking tobacco played an important role in their ceremonies, but he points to tobacco smoking as being long associated with an increased prevalence of goiter in low iodine intake zones worldwide.

From a medical perspective, Bauduer found the physical characteristics, such as the short forehead and long bones of the upper and lower limbs, simply not adding up as an achondroplastic dwarf.

The figure's appearance of short stature is actually a result of legs bent in a squat likely during a Native American ceremonial dance. Credit: University of Cincinnati

"We found the tumor in the neck, as well as the figure's squatted stancenot foreshortened legs as was formerly documented in the literaturewere both signs and symptoms of thyroid disease," says Tankersley.

"We already know that iodine deficiencies can lead to thyroid tumors, and the Ohio Valley area, where this artifact was found, has historically had iodine depleted soils and water relative to the advance of an Ice Age glacier about 300,000 years ago."

Tankersley says the Ohio Valley region, before the introduction of iodized salt in the 1920s,was part of the so-called U.S. "goiter belt" where goiter frequency was relatively highfive to 15 incidences per thousand.

The lower limbs on the statue, previously documented in the literature as short in stature, are actually normal size in bone length, according to Baudeur. Upon closer inspection, both Bauduer and Tankersley agree that the figure is also portrayed in a tilted squat, a common gait anomaly found in people with hypothyroidism.

The figure has what appears to be an abdominal six-pack, but both researchers say the detailed physical features indeed portray a normal physique except for the telltale signs of thyroid disease.

"The fact that the bones of the figure are all normal size leads us to believe the squat portrays more of an abnormal gait while likely in the stance of a typical Native American ritual dance," says Tankersley, who is one-quarter Native American himself and regularly attends ceremonial events throughout Ohio and Kentucky.

"The regalia the figure is wearing is also strongly indicative of ancient Native Ohio Valley Shawnee, Delaware and Ojibwa to the north and Miami Nation tribes in Indiana.

"The traditional headdress, pierced ears with expanded spool earrings and loincloth with serpentine motif on the front and feathered bustle on back are also still worn by local Native tribes during ceremonial events today."

Artistic clues

In addition to figures found in South America and Mesoamerica, Tankersley says the Adena pipe is the first known example of a goiter depicted in ancient Native North American art and one of the oldest from the Western Hemisphere.

"The other real take here is that a lot of people ask, 'What is the value of ancient art?'" asserts Tankersley. "Well, here's an example of ancient art that tells a deeper story. And similar indigenous art representations found in South America and Mesoamerica strengthen our hypothesis."

Tankersley is interested in looking deeper for pathologies and maladies portrayed on other ancient artifacts from Native Americans thousands of years ago here in the Ohio Valley and elsewhere.

"Art history is beginning to help substantiate many scientific hypotheses," says Tankersley. "Because artists are such keen students of anatomy, artisans such as this ancient Adena pipe sculptor could portray physical maladies with great accuracy, even before they were aware of what the particular disease was."

Explore further Ancient connection: New evidence points to Shawnee lookout as oldest continuously occupied site

More information: F. Bauduer et al, Evidence of an ancient (2000 years ago) goiter attributed to iodine deficiency in North America, Medical Hypotheses (2018). Journal information: Medical Hypotheses F. Bauduer et al, Evidence of an ancient (2000 years ago) goiter attributed to iodine deficiency in North America,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2018.06.011
An old antibiotic, called nifuroxazide, could selectively kill dangerous cells within melanomas, the deadliest type of skin cancer, scientists from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at the University of Edinburgh have found.

The study, published in the journal Cell Chemical Biology, found the drug showed promise for complementing existing melanoma therapies. The drug's effect on melanoma cells was tested in mice and samples from human tumours and the scientists caution more research is needed to determine if it will be effective in people.

Within a single tumour there can be variation in the properties of the cells, with some more dangerous than others, in terms of their potential to support growth or become resistant to drug treatment. Many of the more dangerous cells in melanoma tumours produce a lot of an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1).

Current research into therapies has focused on blocking ALDH1, but in this study the researchers went a step further and aimed to selectively kill cells producing high ALDH1.

They used the drug nifuroxazide, an antibiotic, that is activated by the enzyme ALDH1, which means that it only becomes toxic once it is inside cells producing ALDH1.

Using samples of human melanomas implanted in mice the researchers showed that the nifuroxazide therapy killed the tumour cells that produced a lot of ALDH1, without significant toxicity to other cells in the body.

The researchers hope that the strategy may complement existing melanoma treatments, called BRAF and MEK inhibitors. Currently, some people's tumours develop resistance to BRAF and MEK inhibitors and the researchers found that some of these resistant tumours were high in ALDH1.

In the lab, the researchers simulated this by treating cancer cells lines with BRAF and MEK inhibitors, which increased the number of cells with high levels of ALDH1 and made the cells especially sensitive to nifuroxazide treatment.

Dr. Liz Patton from the MRC Institute for Genetics and Molecular Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, who led the research, said: "There won't be one magic bullet for targeting melanomathe variations that exist within the cancers mean there will need to be combination therapies. When people are given BRAF or MEK drugs to treat melanoma it can result in the tumours having more cells with high levels of ALDH, so we think that's a really important target. We've shown this antibiotic that's used mostly to target intestinal bacteria can also target and kill cancer cells high in the enzyme ALDH1."

"It's great that this antibiotic is approved for use in humans, but it wasn't designed as a cancer drug, so we still need to find out if it's safe and effective for cancer in humansfor example, can it get to the cancer in the body and are the doses needed safe? We may need to take the concept for how this antibiotic works and re-design it to make it better at killing cancer."

Dr. Nathan Richardson, head of molecular and cellular medicine at the MRC, said: "This imaginative study exploits the sensitivity of some cancer cells to an existing antibiotic and could reveal an exciting new approach to both combination treatment and 'personalised' medicine by directly targeting drug resistancea key priority for the MRC."

'ALDH1 bio-activates nifuroxazide to eradicate ALDH(High) melanoma-initiating cells' by Sarvi et al is published in Cell Chemical Biology.

Explore further Antibiotic effective in breast cancer clinical trial
IOM, partners drill national security forces in emergency response

A three-day simulation exercise to provide the national security forces with hands-on experience in emergency response and management of camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) kicked off in Kathmandu from Wednesday.
UBC researchers have helped develop a new way to remotely measure Earths magnetic field in the atmosphere. Image shows mesospheric clouds in the Southern Hemisphere. Credit: NASA

Researchers in Canada, the United States and Europe have developed a new way to remotely measure Earth's magnetic fieldby zapping a layer of sodium atoms floating 100 kilometres above the planet with lasers on the ground.

The technique, documented this week in Nature Communications, fills a gap between measurements made at the Earth's surface and at much higher altitude by orbiting satellites.

"The magnetic field at this altitude in the atmosphere is strongly affected by physical processes such as solar storms and electric currents in the ionosphere," says Paul Hickson an astrophysicist at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and author on the paper.

"Our technique not only measures magnetic field strength at an altitude that has traditionally been hidden, it has the side benefit of providing new information on space weather and atomic processes occurring in the region."

Sodium atoms are continually deposited in the mesosphere by meteors that vaporize as they enter Earth's atmosphere. Researchers at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the University of Mainz and UBC used a ground-based laser to excite the layer of sodium atoms and monitor the light they emit in response.

"The excited sodium atoms wobble like spinning tops in the presence of a magnetic field," explains Hickson. "We sense this as a periodic fluctuation in the light we're monitoring, and can use that to determine the magnetic field strength."

Hickson and UBC Ph.D. student Joschua Hellemeier developed the photon counting instrument used to measure the light coming back from the excited sodium atoms, and participated in observations conducted at astronomical observatories in La Palma.

The ESO team, led by Bonaccini Calia, pioneered world-leading laser technology for astronomical adaptive optics used in the experiment. Project lead Felipe Pedreros and Dmitry Budker (Johannes Gutenberg University), Simon Rochester and Ronald Holzloehner (ESO), experts in laser-atom interactions, led the theoretical interpretation and modeling for the study.

More information: Felipe Pedreros Bustos et al. Remote sensing of geomagnetic fields and atomic collisions in the mesosphere, Nature Communications (2018). Journal information: Nature Communications Felipe Pedreros Bustos et al. Remote sensing of geomagnetic fields and atomic collisions in the mesosphere,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06396-7
Apple Inc., with a trillion-dollar market capitalization, is turning to a federal appeals court in its years-long patent fight with Andrea Electronics Corp., one of Long Island's smallest public companies.

Bohemia, N.Y.-based Andrea has sought since 2016 to enforce infringement claims against Apple on patent No. 6,363,345. The patent covers a digital algorithm that makes communications in noisy environments more intelligible by canceling out extraneous sounds.

In July the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in a formal review of Andrea's patent, ruled that somebut not allelements remain valid.

On Sept. 18 Apple filed a case with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, seeking to strike down the remainder of the patent.

Andrea, a technology company, reached a license agreement on the same patent in August 2017 with Samsung Electronics Co. and halted litigation against the South Korean electronics maker.

While Apple continues its effort to invalidate the patent, Andrea is seeking to schedule a civil trial before a jury in U.S. District Court in Central Islip to assess any damages it is due. Andrea initially filed a patent infringement case in that court in September 2016, but it was stayed while the patent's validity was reviewed.

"We're asking the court to move ahead," said Steven Pedersen, an intellectual property attorney representing Andrea. "Further delay is contrary to the whole judicial system."

Gerald Bodner, a Melville intellectual property attorney, said that some patent litigants try to use their financial resources to overpower their legal foes.

"You can make it so expensive for the other side where you just bury them in costs," he said.

But, he said, Apple is "doing what any litigant would do" in trying to have Andrea's patent invalidated. Apple "could be susceptible to a lot of damages."

Calls and emails seeking comment from Apple went unanswered.

On Friday, Apple won an unrelated patent case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which threw out a $234 million damages award to the licensing arm of the University of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation sued Apple in 2014, arguing that computer chips in some iPhones infringed on its patent designed to improve performance.

Andrea, founded in 1934, was an early manufacturer of radios and televisions and made intercoms for Gemini space capsules in the 1960s. The company, with 2017 patent revenue of $6 million and total revenue of $6.9 million, produces microphones, software used in speech recognition and a voice-recorder app for Apple iPhones and iPads. The company's stock market value, as calculated by Bloomberg, was about $4 million on Tuesday.

In August Apple became the first U.S. company to reach a stock market capitalization of $1 trillion. In the quarter ended June 30, the tech giant posted sales of $53.3 billion.

Explore further Samsung to appeal to US Supreme Court in Apple patent case

2018 Newsday

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Participants were given an Amazon table that displayed the air pollution data in an easy-to-understand line chart so they could see when and why the air quality worsened. Homeowners also could label points in time when the pollution would spike, such as when they were cooking or vacuuming. Credit: Jason Wiese/University of Utah

You can't see nasty microscopic air pollutants in your home, but what if you could?

Engineers from the University of Utah's School of Computing conducted a study to determine if homeowners change the way they live if they could visualize the air quality in their house. It turns out, their behavior changes a lot.

Their study was published this month in the Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies. The paper also is being presented Oct. 9 in Singapore during the "ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing." The paper can be viewed and downloaded here.

"The idea behind this study was to help people understand something about this invisible air quality in their home," says University of Utah School of Computing assistant professor Jason Wiese, who was a lead author of the paper along with U School of Computing doctoral student Jimmy Moore and School of Computing associate professor Miriah Meyer.

During the day, the air pollution inside your home can be worse than outside due to activities such as vacuuming, cooking, dusting or running the clothes dryer. The results can cause health problems, especially for the young and elderly with asthma.

University of Utah engineers from both the School of Computing and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering built a series of portable air quality monitors with Wi-Fi and connected them to a university server. Three sensors were placed in each of six homes in Salt Lake and Utah counties from four to 11 months in 2017 and 2018. Two were placed in different, high-traffic areas of the house such as the kitchen or a bedroom and one outside on or near the porch. Each minute, each sensor automatically measured the air for PM 2.5 (a measurement of tiny particles or droplets in the air that are 2.5 microns or less in width) and sent the data to the server. The data could then be viewed by the homeowner on an Amazon tablet that displayed the air pollution measurements in each room as a line graph over a 24-hour period. Participants in the study could see up to 30 days of air pollution data. To help identify when there might be spikes in the air pollution, homeowners were given a voice-activated Google Home speaker so they could tell the server to label a particular moment in time when the air quality was being measured, such as when a person was cooking or vacuuming. Participants also were sent an SMS text message warning them whenever the indoor air quality changed rapidly.

University of Utah engineers conducted a study to determine if homeowners change the way they live if they could visualize the air quality in their house. They discovered that many homeowners did change their behaviors based on their indoor air pollution. Researchers provided participants air pollution sensors, a Google Home speaker and a tablet to measure and chart the air quality in their homes. Credit: University of Utah College of Engineering

During the study, researchers discovered some interesting trends from their system of sensors, which they called MAAV (Measure Air quality, Annotate data streams, and Visualize real-time PM2.5 levels). One homeowner discovered that the air pollution in her home spiked when she cooked with olive oil. So that motivated her to find other oils that produced less smoke at the same cooking temperature.

Another homeowner would vacuum and clean the house just before a friend with allergies dropped by to try and clean the air of dust. But what she found out through the MAAV system is that she actually made the air much worse because she kicked up more pollutants with her vacuuming and dusting. Realizing this, she started cleaning the house much earlier before the friend would visit.

Participants would open windows more when the air was bad or compare measurements between rooms and avoid those rooms more with more pollution. "Without this kind of system, you have no idea about how bad the air is in your home," Wiese says. "There are a whole range of things you can't see and can't detect. That means you have to collect the data with the sensor and show it to the individual in an accessible, useful way."

Researchers also learned that circumstances that made the air pollution worse differed in each home. Vacuuming in the home, for example, would cause different reactions to the air quality. They also learned that if homeowners could visualize the air quality in their home, they always stayed on top of labeling and looking at the data.

University of Utah School of Computing assistant professor Jason Wiese (left) and computing doctoral student Jimmy Moore conducted a study to determine if homeowners change the way they live if they could visualize the air quality in their house. They provided participants air pollution sensors, a Google Home speaker and a tablet to measure and chart the air quality in their homes. Credit: Dan Hixson/University of Utah College of Engineering

Wiese says no known manufacturers make air quality systems for the home that allow residents to visualize and label the air quality in this way, but he hopes their research can spur more innovation.

The study involves engineering in collaboration with other University of Utah scientists, including biomedical informatics and clinical asthma researchers. It was funded as part of a larger National Institutes of Health program known as Pediatric Research using Integrated Sensor Monitoring Systems (PRISMS), launched in 2015 to develop sensor-based health monitoring systems for measuring environmental, physiological and behavioral factors in pediatric studies of asthma and other chronic diseases.

Explore further Study shows smart controller for home heating and cooling system can clean pollution with little energy costs
Artist's conception of a gamma ray burst. Jet of fast-moving material is propelled outward through spherical shell of ejected material from initial explosion of a massive star and its collapse into a black hole. Credit: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF

Astronomers comparing data from an ongoing major survey of the sky using the National Science Foundation's Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to data from earlier surveys likely have made the first discovery of the afterglow of a powerful gamma ray burst that produced no gamma rays detectable at Earth. The unprecedented discovery of this "orphan" gamma ray burst (GRB) offers key clues to understanding the aftermath of these highly energetic events.

"GRBs emit their gamma rays in narrowly focused beams. In this case, we believe the beams were pointed away from Earth, so gamma ray telescopes did not see this event. What we found is the radio emission from the explosion's aftermath, acting over time much as we expect for a GRB," said Casey Law, of the University of California, Berkeley.

While searching through data from the first epoch of observing for the VLA Sky Survey (VLASS) in late 2017, the astronomers noted that an object that appeared in images from an earlier VLA survey in 1994 did not appear in the VLASS images. They then searched for additional data from the VLA and other radio telescopes. They found that observations of the object's location in the sky dating back as far as 1975 had not detected it until it first appeared in a VLA image from 1993.

The object then appeared in several images made with the VLA and the Westerbork telescope in the Netherlands from 1993 through 2015. The object, dubbed FIRST J1419+3940, is in the outskirts of a galaxy more than 280 million light-years from Earth.

"This is a small galaxy with active star formation, similar to others in which we have seen the type of GRBs that result when a very massive star explodes," Law said.

Series of radio images of FIRST J1419+3940 from 1993 to 2017 show its slow fade. Credit: Law et al., Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF

The strength of the radio emission from J1419+3940 and the fact that it slowly evolved over time support the idea that it is the afterglow of such a GRB, the scientists said. They suggested that the explosion and burst of gamma rays should have been seen sometime in 1992 or 1993.

However, after searching databases from gamma ray observatories, "We could find no convincing candidate for a detected GRB from this galaxy," Law said.

While there are other possible explanations for the object's behavior, the scientists said that a GRB is the most likely.

"This is exciting, and not just because it probably is the first 'orphan' GRB to be discovered. It also is the oldest well-localized GRB, and the long time period during which it has been observed means it can give us valuable new information about GRB afterglows," Law said.

"Until now, we've never seen how the afterglows of GRBs behave at such late times," noted Brian Metzger of Columbia University, co-author of the study. "If a neutron star is responsible for powering the GRB and is still active, this might give us an unprecedented opportunity to view this activity as the expanding ejecta from the supernova explosion finally becomes transparent."

Animation of images from 1993 to 2017 shows radio emission from suspected "orphan" gamma ray burst fading with time. Credit: Law et al., Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF

"I'm delighted to see this discovery, which I expect will be the first of many to come from the unique investment the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and the National Science Foundation are making in VLASS," said NRAO Director Tony Beasley.

VLASS is the largest observing project in the history of the VLA. Begun in 2017, the survey will use 5,500 hours of observing time over seven years. The survey will make three complete scans of the sky visible from the VLA, roughly 80 percent of the sky. Initial images from the first round of observations now are available to astronomers.

VLASS follows two earlier sky surveys done with the VLA. The NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS), like VLASS, was an all-sky survey done from 1993 to 1996, and the FIRST (Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty centimeters) survey studied a smaller portion of the sky in more detail from 1993 to 2002. The astronomers discovered FIRST J1419+3940 by comparing a 1994 image from the FIRST survey to the VLASS 2017 data.

From 2001 to 2012, the VLA underwent a major upgrade, greatly increasing its sensitivity, or ability to image faint objects. The upgrade made possible a new, improved survey offering a rich scientific payoff. The earlier surveys have been cited more than 4,500 times in scientific papers, and scientists expect VLASS to be a valuable resource for research in the coming years.

Law and his colleagues are publishing their findings in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Explore further VLA begins huge project of cosmic discovery

More information: "Discovery of the Luminous, Decades-Long, Extragalactic Radio Transient FIRST J141918.9+394036," C. J. Law et al., 2018, to appear in Astrophysical Journal Letters, Preprint: Journal information: Astrophysical Journal Letters "Discovery of the Luminous, Decades-Long, Extragalactic Radio Transient FIRST J141918.9+394036," C. J. Law et al., 2018, to appear in, Preprint: arxiv.org/abs/1808.08964
Anup Ojha is a reporter for The Kathmandu Post primarily covering social issues and human interest stories. Before moving to the social beat, Ojha covered arts and culture for the Post for four years.
CNBC Senior Personal Finance Correspondent Sharon Epperson reminded attendees of the Brain Aneurysm Foundations 12th Annual Research Grant Symposium to always remain present, mindful, and grateful in their daily lives.

Epperson, a brain aneurysm survivor, captivated a full house with her inspirational story of recovery, perseverance, and advocacy. She drew an audience of researchers and medical professionals as well as local fans, friends and family as she returned to her hometown last week at the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel.

This year, the Brain Aneurysm Foundation (BAF) awarded $500,000 to 14 different research projects to be completed at various institutions across the U.S. and Canada. The majority of the grants funded come from individuals and their families who have events to fund a Chair of Research in their or a loved ones name.

Despite the fact that 1 in 50 people have a brain aneurysm, the federal government only spends 83 cents per year on brain aneurysm research for each person afflicted, said Christine Buckley, Executive Director of the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. We are honored to award research grants that support a variety of brain aneurysm research. This research has potential to change the trajectory for brain aneurysm survivors.

The highlight of the evening was when Epperson spoke to the standing-room-only crowd prior to awarding the first-ever Sharon Epperson Chair of Research, a $15,000 grant. The grant was awarded to renowned neurosurgeon and researcher Dr. Brian Hoh, chair of neurosurgery at the University of Florida. Dr. Hohs research team is researching the formation of brain aneurysms, as well as innovative tissue engineering technology to improve treatments. The grant was made possible by contributions to the BAF from Eppersons employer, CNBC, as well as her friends and family.

On Sept. 21, 2016, Epperson suffered a hemorrhagic stroke from a ruptured brain aneurysm. After her exhaustive recovery, Epperson has become a staunch advocate for raising awareness and funding for brain aneurysm research. She has been able to weave her personal experience into her reporting, too, as she advises her audience to prepare their finances for the unexpected and to prioritize items such as assigning a power of attorney to handle medical and financial matters, having disability insurance and building emergency savings in case of an unplanned for medical event.

In her remarks, Epperson shared that her great-grandfather, grandfather and aunt, passed away after brain hemorrhagesalthough it was uncertain if either had experienced ruptured aneurysms. These were stories Epperson was largely unaware of in her life; however, she later learned family history is a large predetermining factor.

The event was hosted by Brian Jankowitz, MD, Assistant Professor of the Department of Neurological Surgery, Co-Director of Endovascular Therapy, and Director of the Neuroendovascular Fellowship Program at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), also a medical advisory board member of the foundation. The symposium brought together the best and brightest medical professionals who are working to improve early detection and treatment options for brain aneurysm disease, patients and their families, industry, and those who had lost a loved one.
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NGP, an energy firm, has joined hands with Yungtai Enterprise, an electromechanical firm, in forging the rooftop PV power system of Mitsui Outlet Park in Taichung Harbor, scheduled for inauguration on Dec. 12, 2018.

NGP will be in charge of installing rooftop PV devices on the buildings of the facility, plus those at parking lots, while Yungtai will handle electromechanical works. The PV devices are part of the design of the facility, giving it a complete good look, an unprecedented arrangement in Taiwan, since all existing rooftop PV devices on the island were installed on existing buildings.

A renowned PV power system builder with the track record of domestic and overseas cases, NGP has landed many major projects in Taiwan in recent years, including a floating PV power device in Yungan flood retention basin, the largest such device in Taiwan so far, a ground-mounted PV power station in Taichung landfill, and a thin-film rooftop PV power device, the largest in Asia, in addition to many PV power stations in Japan. In total, it has built dozens of PV power stations so far, reason why it was chosen as the sold EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) firm for the PV power facilities of Mitsui Outlet Park.

Yungtai forays into PV power market

NGP has doubled down on its success in the case by having its subsidiary Yungtai become the general contractor for the electromechanical works of Mitsui Outlet Park. "The integration of PV power system into the electromechanical design of the facility from the outset is unprecedented, not only avoiding possible incompatibility between the building and the PV system but also assuring a complete good outlook of the facility," remarks Ho Tsung-lun, vice general manager of Yungtai.

NGP aspires to forge green hope in Taichung

Tang Meng-han, NGP chairman, points out that "The incorporation of PV power system into the design of the facility from the outset involves a very complicated task, covering electromechanical works, pipe burying, architectural design, and civil engineering. As a leading PV system firm, what we focus on is engineering quality and we hope the project can become a green-energy guidepost for Taichung."

(Photo shows the rooftop PV power device on a factory in Suao of Yilan County, courtesy of NGP)
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One of the men who was to begin trial next month for the 2014 murder of Javier Limon took a 
One-stop platform to be set up for medevac permits

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[NEW DELHI] US negotiators at key global climate talks are working to prise climate and development apart, documents seen by SciDev.Net show, in a challenge to the orthodoxy that has inextricably linked the two since the establishment of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015.

Countries around the world are gathered in Incheon, South Korea, this week to thrash out a landmark UN report on whether the world can keep global warming to within 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels  the most optimistic objective set by governments in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The meeting, convened under the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is to agree the wording of the Summary for Policymakers, a politically charged part of the wider report which sets out the key messages and findings.

Anybody who's trying to prevent action is challenging [well established] science, and that's what the United States is doing, Saleemul Huq

In a series of detailed comments to the draft seen by SciDev.Net, the US delegation notes that the report focuses too much on sustainable development and should focus on the "assessment of climate change science" only.

"The IPCC  should not take it upon itself to plot a vision for global attainment of sustainable development goals via climate policy, the delegation writes.

The Paris Agreement was hailed as a major step forward in combatting man-made climate change. However, US President Donal Trump announced last year that US would withdraw from the agreement.

From the idea that humanity will be worse off living on a warming planet, to the belief that climate change and development are two sides of the same challenge, the comments mean the US is questioning some of the most fundamental principles underpinning the Paris Agreement.

Anybody who's trying to prevent action is challenging [well established] science, and that's what the United States is doing, says IPCC author Saleemul Huq, who heads the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in Bangladesh.

Serious consequences

However, others fear that decoupling climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals could be an effective strategy with serious consequences.

"The developed world already has a disproportionate lobbying power within the UN climate framework," says Vijeta Rattani, climate change programme manager with the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi, India.

If the voice of developing nations was not listened to, she says, "they would be forced to revise their [climate pledges under the Paris Agreement] substantially and drastically in the next cycle [of negotiations]".

In the comments, the US questions the core premise of the upcoming report, that the world would be worse off as the world warms.

Humanity, it says quoting a number of published studies, "has never been more prosperous, less poverty-stricken, less hungry, longer-lived and healthier than today. It cites the example of India and China as two nations that are still relying heavily on fossil fuels but are also thriving economically.

The arguments tabled by the US, says Teresa Anderson, Policy officer on Climate Change with Action Aid, "are part of the same effort to remove the recognition of the impacts of climate change and undercut the purpose of this report".

When the IPCC was given a mandate to assess climate science underpinning the 1.5C target, she says, the study of impacts was clearly mentioned, and the SDGs are the best tool available to assess them against measurable goals.

"These two frameworks (IPCC and SDGs) are completely interlinked, they are a cobweb of institutions and you can't really achieve one without the other," she says.

For coastal communities in Bangladesh losing the land to rising sea levels or experiencing cyclones every year, she says, or for African farmers going hungry because of crop failure, "[to hear] that climate change is making you wealthier is kind of insulting and cruel.

In an emailed statement, the US delegation said: The United States is leading the world in providing affordable, abundant, and secure energy to our citizens, while protecting the environment and reducing emissions through job-creating innovation rather than job-killing regulation.
Security experts from FireEye published a report on the activity of financially motivated threat actors, tracked as APT38, linked to the North Korean government.

The attacks aimed at financial institutions, FireEye estimates APT38 has stolen at least a hundred million dollars from banks worldwide.

APT38 appears to be a North Korea-linked group separate from the infamous Lazarus group, it has been active since at least 2014 and it has been observed targeting over 16 organizations across 11 countries.

The report attributed the string of attacks against the SWIFT banking system to the APT38, including the hack of Vietnams TP Bank in 2015, Bangladeshs central bank in 2016, Taiwans Far Eastern International in 2017, Bancomext in Mexico in 2018, and Banco de Chile in 2018.

APT38 is a financially motivated group linked to North Korean cyber espionage operators, renown for attempting to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from financial institutions and their brazen use of destructive malware. reads the report published by FireEye.

Attribution to both the Lazarus group and TEMP.Hermit was made with varying levels of confidence primarily based on similarities in malware being leveraged in identified operations. Over time these malware similarities diverged, as did targeting, intended outcomes, and TTPs, almost certainly indicating that TEMP.Hermit activity is made up of multiple operational groups primarily linked together with shared malware development resources and North Korean state sponsorship.

According to FireEye, the APT38 was targeting banks worldwide to allows the North Korean government to obtain new cash bypassing sanctions imposed on Pyongyang by foreign states.

Based on observed activity, we judge that APT38s primary mission is targeting financial institutions and manipulating inter-bank financial systems to raise large sums of money for the North Korean regime. Increasingly heavy and pointed international sanctions have been levied on North Korea following the regimes continued weapons development and testing. continues the report.

The pace of APT38 activity probably reflects increasingly desperate efforts to steal funds to pursue state interests, despite growing economic pressure on Pyongyang.

Experts believe the activity of the group will continue in the future, likely adopting new sophisticated tactics to avoid detection.

Based on the large scale of resources and vast network dedicated to compromising targets and stealing funds over the last few years, we believe APT38s operations will continue in the future, concludes FireEye.

In particular, the number of SWIFT heists that have been ultimately thwarted in recent years coupled with growing awareness for security around the financial messaging system could drive APT38 to employ new tactics to obtain funds especially if North Koreas access to currency continues to deteriorate.

Pierluigi Paganini

( Security Affairs  APT38, North Korea)

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MMA Weekly

Since Conor McGregor's loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 due to suffering a broken leg in the final seconds of the opening round, a lot of fighters have called out the former two-division UFC Champion. McGregor has engaged in numerous social media altercations with fighters spanning multiple weight classes while recovering from his injury. The potential opponents for McGregor to face in his return are numerous, but UFC president Dana White thinks it's 'ridiculous' to entertain who McGregor will
People hire domestic workers for various reasons. You may be getting a maid to take care of your aging parents, your children while you work or a general house manager to get your home organized as you work. The current economic condition in Singapore has recently prompted many families in Singapore to look for full-time domestic workers from foreign countries.

This confirms the high number of foreign domestic workers in Singapore. Many families have shown interest on foreign maids as they assume that it is cheaperor is it lack of domestic workers in Singapore? Whichever the case, we are going to analyze and break down the costs of hiring a domestic worker in Singapore to get a more definite figure that will determine whether this option is actually cheaper or its just another bad business.

The monthly salary

The maids salary predominantly varies based on some factors like the country theyre coming from, the years of experience, and many others.

Filipino- $570

Indonesian-$550

Indian-$350

Myanmar-$450

Sri Lanka-$400

Youre also expected to pay for meals, medical, lodging and travel expenses on top of the salary.

Levy

As the employer, youre supposed to pay levy directly to the government. The average monthly rate stands at $260 while the concessionary fee is $60, Although the monthly levy is expected to rise any time between now and 2019.You only pass to get the concessionary rate if there is a person with a disability, an aged person, a grandchild, or child living at the same residence as you. Here are the conditions;

Either you or your spouse has a young child or a grandchild who is below or at the age of 16 years, a Singapore citizen and living the same address. You or one of the family members living with you is disabled You live with a Singapore resident aged above 65 years Agency Charges

Every agency has its own rate which heavily depends on the services listed. Many agencies dont virtually announce their prices, but you should always expect them to command about $1000. Some little research wont do you harm but may help shed some light on the various charges and services. Also, pay attention to agencies requesting very low agency fees as this industry has very many scammers as well as immoral and unethical operators.

Story continues

Work permit

Work permits for domestic workers nowadays costs about $30 plus an additional $30 after the application has been successfully completed. Work permits virtually take three to five weeks nowadays and once obtained can be renewed after two years.

Medical and other personal insurance

Youre responsible for purchasing insurance policies for your maid. Depending on the many coverages available, some of the basic policies include medical and personal accident insurance coverages. The minimum costs for each include:

Personal accident protection: $40,000

Medical coverage: $15,000

There exist other insurance companies that provide coverage for both policies at a subsidized rate as a combined package. Most of them are available in premium packages that range up to $200 for 26 months.

Performance bond

If you intend to hire an Indonesian domestic worker, the hiring or renewing contracts may set you back with a slap of $70. This amount covers for the performance bond of $6,000 the full amount of money you will be required to pay if you breach the agreement.

This bond helps protect the migrant worker by making sure that the employers stick by the employment terms and condition of the contracts. Similarly, you will need to pay $40 for a bond worth $2000 if you intend to employ a worker from the Philippines.

Medical checkups and regular examinations

The maid will be required to take an initial medical test needed for your work permit application. You are financially responsible for paying this test which costs S$80. Subsequently, the worker may need to get regular medical checkups which may cost you approximately S$35 depending on the type and number of tests. Some tests are only required to be taken after every two years.

Settling in the Programme (SIP)

Another additional cost is the Settling in Programme (SIP). You will need to send your domestic manager a special program known as Settling in The Programme (SIP) upon arrival which costs S$75. The program typically covers subjects like stress management, relationships, safety, and employment conditions.

Travel expenses

Depending on where the maid is coming from, youre entirely responsible for the air ticket for your employee. This may cost you between S$ 200 to S$600 depending on her home country. Alternatively, you can find a credit card that offers travel bonuses and benefits to help you save a couple of bucks as you will need to find a taxi or personally fuel and drive to the airport to pick the employee. In the airplane, she will need to eat and rest if the flight is a long oneall that should be covered by you.

Miscellaneous

The above costs are only an approximation of what you must pay in order to get a foreign domestic worker. Remember that this is a new member you have introduced in your family and will need other basic necessities like a room to sleep, food, personal effects, some training and other necessary expenses that come with new members. Such costs may look small, but at the end of the month, you may have to deal with an acute shortage of money.

The final verdict

It is crystal clear that hiring a foreign domestic worker is a very significant family life investmentan idea that requires some serious thought before venturing into. The one-time process can cost you on average a clean $1,496. This is only the starter pack, the monthly salary, food. toiletries, insurances, and medical examinations are not included.

Hiring a non-native also means risking bringing a stranger to your home. Cultural diversities and means of communications are some of the challenges you will have to deal with as an employer. Therefore, unless you have exhausted all your options, you may need to rethink fundamentally if youre financially straining before considering to hire a foreign worker. When making such decisions, always calculate the costs of hiring a foreigner vs hiring a native and pick the finance-friendly option.

You may also like to read:

Singapore Employers Guide To Work Permits

6 High-Paying Jobs In Singapore That Dont Require A Degree

Common Money Vices You Should Avoid

(By Molly Joshi)

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Top 6 MBAs in Singapore  How Much Does An MBA Cost and Is It Worth it?

Youre a degree holder and youre now looking for a way to get ahead on the corporate ladder. To improve your management skills and widen your professional network, you may be considering taking an MBA in Singapore. At $33,000 to $134,000, its no small sum. Should you do it? Where can you enrol?

MBA stands for Master of Business Administration, which first started in the US at the turn of the industrial age. Today, corporate workers take MBAs to boost their careers and rub shoulders with powerful contemporaries from different fields.

The top MBAs in Singapore are INSEAD Singapore, NUS MBA and NTU MBA. But there are also other prestigious ones like ESSEC Global MBA, SMU MBA and the new SUSS MBA.

Top 6 MBAs in Singapore (2018)  how much does an MBA cost?

Top MBAs in Singapore Cost INSEAD MBA $134,131 ESSEC Global MBA $73,700 NUS MBA $66,340 SMU MBA $64,724 (full-time)

$68,480 (part-time) NTU MBA $62,513 SUSS MBA $32,956 (Singapore citizens and PRs)

$39,547.20 (other residents)

Is an MBA worth it? Whats the ROI?

How useful your MBA will be really depends on your career choices. Dont expect that your boss will recognise you suddenly now that you have an MBA. You will have to actively seek out opportunities by either switching to a new role, industry or organisation.

Also, know that the value of an MBA is not necessarily in the rigour of its curriculum. Rather, it is in the access to corporate professional networks.

Most times, the prestige of the school matters more than the degree. There has been anecdotal evidence that having an MBA on the resume can sometimes backfire against a job seeker if it is not from a top-tier school.

So definitely dont take an MBA as just a chance to to enjoy student life again as you will just be wasting the money and opportunity.

Do you need a GMAT for an MBA in Singapore?

When researching for MBAs, you may have come across the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).

GMAT is a specialised examination that you can take that tests on your analytical skills, reasoning, table analysis, graphics interpretation and so on. What it does is that it sieves out the top problem solvers from the average ones.

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Top global MBAs typically require a GMAT score of at least 700 (out of 800), especially in the US. In Singapore, the GMAT is a requirement for all MBAs. However, MBAs in Singapore typically value working experience more than a stellar GMAT score. You will need at least 2 years of working experience to apply.

Whats the difference between MBA and EMBA?

The executive MBA (EMBA) is sometimes seen as more superior to the MBA, but actually the difference is in the level of candidates who apply.

EMBA typically admits candidates of senior managerial position with more than 12 years of working experience. Hence, candidates are evaluated based on the professional networks that he can bring to the table as well as work experience rather than academic records, which may be outdated and not a good gauge.

For comparison, enrolling into the NUS MBA requires 2 years of working experience but the prestigious UCLA-NUS Executive MBA requires 12-19 years of work experience.

INSEAD MBA ($134,000)

Want a degree with international cache but not ready to take the plunge and move overseas for one or two years? The INSEAD MBA offers a happy medium.

INSEAD (Institut Europeen dAdministration des Affaires) is a French graduate business school with campuses in France, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. It receives consistently high rankings and is supposedly one of the worlds best full-time MBA courses.

One advantage is that theyve got an accelerated MBA programme that lasts only 10 to 12 months, which is surely a plus if youre anxious to jump back into employment soon after. That does mean, though, that the course will be very intense.

The second advantage is that you get the chance to gain international exposure. Youll spend part of your degree in Singapore and part of it at one of their other campuses, and the student body and faculty are extremely international. This is perfect if youre hoping to network and find work abroad.

As the top MBA in Asia, second only to Stanford Graduate School of Business on The Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2018, the prestige is reflected in its fees. It is the most expensive MBA in Singapore at slightly over $134,000.

INSEAD MBA admissions requirements:

A bachelors degree from a recognised university

Competitive GMAT / GRE score

Professional experience with leadership capability (on average 5 years)

Able to actively participate with strong communication skills

INSEAD MBA Fees: 84,000 euros (SGD $134,131)

ESSEC Global MBA Program ($73,700)

ESSEC (Ecole Superieure de Sciences Economiques et Commerciales) is a French business school that has set up campuses in Singapore and Morocco. It is considered a prestigious school in France and their Master of Science in Management has received very high worldwide rankings.

Like INSEADs programme, ESSEC Global MBA can be completed in one year at its Singapore campus and students will be given the chance to study at their French and Moroccan campuses, too. If you wish to make international contacts and possibly get a job overseas, you just might get your chance.

So why choose ESSEC over INSEAD? ESSEC has some very industry-specific majors including digital business and innovation, luxury brand management and hospitality management.

And also, its cheaper lah.

ESSEC Global MBA admissions requirements:

At least 3 years of post-university professional experience

Competitive GMAT / GRE score

Advanced level of English

ESSEC Global MBA Fees: $73,700 SGD (Singapore campus)

NUS MBA ($66,340)

NUS is good at climbing up in international rankings, and the NUS MBA has a decent Times ranking within the worlds top 20. The full-time MBA can completed in 17 months, with students typically spending one semester undertaking an internship and another on exchange, in addition to participating in overseas trips. They also offer a part-time MBA.

Theyve actually got several permutations of the MBA. Other than the purely NUS degree, they also offer a few double-degree programmes, including joint courses with Peking University, HEC Paris, Yale University and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

NUS MBA students reportedly enjoy some networking events and recruitment talks, although their career services are reportedly not as good as SMUs. When it comes to classes themselves, the quality really depends on the professors, some being better than others.

NUS MBA admissions requirements:

A undergraduate bachelors degree from a recognised university

Competitive GMAT / GRE score

A minimum of 2 years of full-time post-undergraduate work experience

TOEFL (if candidates undergraduate degree is not taught exclusively in English)

NUS MBA Fees: $66,340 (full-time and part-time)

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) MBA ($62,513)

The NTU MBA can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis. It has also received high global rankings, but the NUS MBA is generally considered much more prestigious than the NTU MBA by local employers.

They also offer full-time double degrees with Waseda University, ESSEC and University of St Gallen. The former will take 14 months to complete, and the other two 24 months. All three will involve a stint in Japan, France or Switzerland.

For those who are not undertaking double degree programmes, the experience will be a bit less international than those of some of the other MBAs on this list. The 12-month programme is intense and does not leave room for exchange programmes or internships, although field trips abroad might be organised.

NTU MBA admissions requirements:

Bachelors Degree from a respectable institution

At least 2 years of work experience

Competitive GMAT or GRE score

TOEFL score > 100 IBT or IELTS score > 6.5, if English was not the medium of instruction used at the undergraduate level

NTU MBA Fees: $62,513

SMU MBA ($68,480)

As with their bachelors degree programmes, SMUs MBA tends to be very practical in focus. So expect lots of class participation and group projects, the chance to embark on overseas immersion trips and lots of networking events and career advisory services. About 65% of your fellow students will be international students.

The SMU MBA takes 1 year to complete on a full-time basis and 18 months part time.

SMU MBA admissions requirements:

A good Bachelors degree in any undergraduate field from a respectable institution

A minimum 2 years of post-degree work experience

Competition GMAT/GRE score

Strong interpersonal skills and leadership experience

SMU MBA Fees: $64,724 (full-time), $68,480 (part-time)

SUSS MBA ($32,956)

SIM University recently got rebranded as SUSS and the universitys MBA programme takes 18 months to complete. The programme is designed for people who want to continue to work full-time, so there is no need to quit your job.

SUSS MBA can be a good option if your main goal is to give your qualifications a little boost and learn a bit at the same time while continuing to hold on to your full-time job.

But of course, you should know that the SUSS MBA may not open the same kinds of doors as a top-ranked MBA programme will.

SUSS MBA admissions requirements:

A recognised Bachelors degree or equivalent

A good GMAT score

A minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience

TOEFL if degree programme was not conducted in English

SUSS MBA Fees: $32,956 (Singapore citizens and PRs), $39,547.20 (other residents)

Do you think it is worthwhile to get an MBA? Share your views in the comments.

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Three astronauts, who spent 197 days on the International Space Station as part of Expedition 56, touched down in Kazakhstan on October 4.

Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold from NASA and Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, went through a parachute-assisted landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, NASA said.

The crew was on the station to conduct scientific experiments to expand navigation capabilities in preparation for future travel far from Earth. The moment of their touch down was streamed live on NASAs social media channels. Credit: Roscosmos via Storyful
Blockchain VCs got together to invest US$20M in Singaporean AI Grid Foundation

The non-profit organisation has a mission to promote the decentralised use of renewable energy through a blockchain smart contract platform

A group of venture capitals joined in a US$20 million investment to AI Grid Foundation of Singapore as reported by Deal Street Asia. The VCs investing are OK Blockchain Capital, Krypital Group, Starwin Capital, Fenbushi Capital, LD Capital, Horman Capital, Collinstar Capital, Interblock Capital, JRR Crypto, Fly Fund, Qingzheng Capital, Decentrust Capital, Powerlink Labs, GVC.PE, Ceyuan Digital Assets, and unmentioned private investors.

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The company is currently building a blockchain smart contract platform that will allow customers to exchange renewable energy with each other. The organisation has also formed strategic partnerships to develop its ELOCITY project, which is a community-based approach to employing decentralised renewable energy resources.

For this project, United Nations Clean Energy Ambassador, Dai Zhen, has been appointed as the lead advisor on ELOCITY.

In its official statement, AI Grid Foundation claims that it can provide customers with on-site renewable electricity generation and locally produced store electricity.

To make this happen, AI Grid Foundation partners with GREE Electric Appliances, the global eating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) manufacturer, to drive a wider adoption of direct HVAC systems which will increase the efficiency of renewable energy systems.

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According to Martin Friel, the director of the Birmingham Energy Institute at the University of Birmingham, the biggest challenge facing the future of the energy sector will be building air conditioning and heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). It consumes the largest energy load in a typical building for more than half of the average buildings electricity demand.

Story continues



Photo by Mario Caruso on Unsplash

The post Blockchain VCs got together to invest US$20M in Singaporean AI Grid Foundation appeared first on e27.
Santiago Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati on Wednesday went before a prosecutor investigating a sex abuse scandal that has roiled the Catholic Church but declined to answer questions about accusations he was involved in a cover-up. The highest-ranking member of the church in Chile, Ezzati entered the prosecutor's offices in the southern town of Rancagua under heavy police guard and surrounded by media. A solitary protester brandished a sign that read: "Depraved Roman Church." After an hour being interviewed by Emilio Arias -- the prosecutor investigating decades of sexual abuse of minors by Chilean priests -- 76-year-old Ezzati left the courthouse saying: "We are all going to collaborate with everything." - No answers - Hugo Rivera, his lawyer, said the cardinal had used his right not to answer questions about accusations he covered up the sexual abuse of minors, in particular crimes committed by a top diocesan aide. "For now the cardinal has not spoken until we speak with the public prosecutor's office about the definitive dismissal" of the charges, the lawyer said. He insisted the cardinal "is innocent". Arias began investigating scores of abuse cases in July after outrage over the church's own probe into decades of abuse by priests, crimes for which it often failed to take any action or handed down lenient punishments. Pope Francis, who has removed several Chilean bishops over the scandal, admitted there was a "culture of abuse" within the Chilean church after sending investigators from the Vatican. The pontiff said the church had failed "to listen and react" to the allegations, and vowed to "restore justice." Arias' office said in August that it was investigating 119 cases of abuse against Chile's clergy going back to 1960. "We are going to prosecute anyone who has committed crimes," Arias told reporters after questioning Ezzati. "There is no witch hunt," he said. "If there is a crime, we will prosecute....we will accuse and go to trial," he said. Ezzati has denied allegations that he covered up cases of abuse, including those of a top aide, Oscar Munoz. Munoz, 56, is under house arrest while a probe continues into allegations he raped at least seven children. "The cowardly Ezzati goes to testify as an accused and decides not to speak so as not to incriminate himself," said Juan Carlos Cruz, one of the victims of the most notorious abuser, ex-priest Fernando Karadima. Karadima, once a revered Chilean cleric, was formally expelled from the Church by Pope Francis last Friday.
One year into unity, infighting and fissures disrupt the ruling party

One year after the unification announcement between two major leftist forcesCPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist Centre)and seven months after their merger, cracks have started appearing within the ruling unified communist party.
Asian manufacturers could find it harder to sell their products in American markets under a new deal signed by the United States, Mexico and Canada, and could risk long-term isolation in key industries, analysts say.

In the long term, as long as the supply chains are shifting towards North America, it will be harder for countries elsewhere to break into the North American market, said Henry Gao, a professor of trade policy at Singapore Management University.

Under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) tighter country of origin rules and labour standards for the car and garment manufacturing industries mean production of those products could shift back to North America, which would be a blow to Asian producers.

The deal, announced on Monday, includes tougher rules stipulating that raw materials used in garment manufacturing, such as sewing thread, must be sourced from suppliers in one of the three signatory countries.

[The rules] are likely to limit the ability of Vietnamese companies to fill demand for inputs in the textiles sector, said Maxfield Brown, head Dezan Shiras Business Intelligence Unit for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Vietnam exported about US$60 million worth of sewing thread, pocketing fabric, narrow elastic bands and coated fabric to the three nations last year, according to figures from Dezan Shira.

The USMCA also states that 40 to 45 per cent of the all car parts bought by the signatory nations must have been produced by workers making at least US$16 an hour.

This seems designed to attract car manufacturing back to the US and Canada and away from Asia and Mexico, said Cuz Potter, an associate professor at the Korea University Graduate School of International Studies in Seoul.

China might also be affected by conditions that prevent USMCA members from signing deals with non-market economy countries. Under the terms of their accession to the World Trade Organisation, both China and Vietnam have non-market economy status.

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While it is unclear on what grounds USMCA members will determine the status of members, analysts said the clause could be seen as a move by the United States to stop Canada or Mexico signing a free-trade deal with China.

The USMCA could heighten the debate about when China and Vietnam will shed their NME [non-market economy] status, said professor Chin Leng Lim from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

But Carl Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia, said the impact of the USMCA should not be overstated as the deal was built on the North American Free Trade Agreement, whose rules had been in place since 1994.

Most of effects  have already been absorbed in Southeast Asia, he said.

This article Chinese, Asean suppliers could face fresh challenges under United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.
Members of the Czech Republic's Roma minority on Wednesday flooded social media with photos showing them at work, after President Milos Zeman suggested they were work-shy. "It's no longer amusing to hear people say we don't work. So we'll flood Facebook with our work photos," Stefan Pongo, the mastermind of the campaign, had posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday. Only hours later he wrote that he had already received 1,000 photos from Roma holding down various jobs in the Czech Republic but also in Britain, Germany and Ireland. While visiting the eastern town of Kojetin last week, Zeman said most of the unemployed in the area were Roma, before expressing regret that the totalitarian era was over. "Under communism, the Roma were forced to work. They mainly worked as ditch diggers," said Zeman, who is known for his controversial statements. "Those who refused were labelled as people who are put off by work and were sent to prison," he told reporters and local residents. Pongo's social media initiative was backed by Romea, a Czech Roma rights NGO, which on Wednesday published a collage of some of the photos on www.romea.cz, its website. "European Roma flood Facebook with hundreds of photos of themselves at work, tell Czech President to stop insulting them," Romea said on its site. Zeman was also criticised by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), which on Monday sent him an open letter condemning his "racist scorn for Romani citizens of the Czech Republic." Between 250,000 and 300,000 Roma live in this EU member state of 10.6 million people. In a report this year, Amnesty International criticised the Czech authorities for discrimination against Roma regarding access to housing allowances and education.
Morocco's navy rescued 37 of its citizens off the country's coast on Wednesday, as they were trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, the armed forces said. The migrants were saved from their partially-inflated rubber dinghy, which was struggling in "unfavourable meteorological conditions", Morocco's military said in a statement. After being rescued off the coast of Tangier on Morocco's northern coast, the group was taken to the city's port where they were "safe and sound". The dinghy they had been travelling in "sank just after the rescue operation", the armed forces said. The incident came a day after at least 13 people died when their boat ran into trouble off the coast of Nador in the country's northeast. Thirty-two migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were saved, according to local authorities, while organisations which support migrants put the death toll at 34. Thousands of people have tried to reach Europe from Morocco, most of them on boats bound for Spain or via the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa. More than 40,000 migrants have made it to Spain since the start of the year, including around 35,000 by sea, according to the International Organization for Migration. Morocco said last month it had foiled 54,000 bids so far this year by people trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. Some 80 smuggling networks have been dismantled in the same period, according to the interior ministry. As part of the crackdown, Morocco's navy last week opened fire on a speedboat which was ferrying migrants to Spain. A 22-year-old student was killed in the shooting, while three other Moroccans were wounded, sparking criticism from rights groups.
United States prosecutors have alleged that former Hong Kong minister Patrick Ho Chi-ping, who will go on trial for bribery next month, illegally sold weapons to Libya and Qatar in 2015.

Officials dropped the bombshell in a 32-page document filed on Tuesday in New York. Included in the document are emails that reportedly show Ho brokered arms transactions via an unnamed intermediary.

In the emails, Hos contact also hints at selling weapons to South Sudan, which has been embroiled in a bloody civil war since 2013, seeing hundreds of thousands of people killed in ethnic violence.

Arrested and detained since November 2017, Ho has been charged with five counts of bribery, and three of money laundering, in connection with US$2.9 million (HK$22.8 million) worth of bribes prosecutors say were offered to officials in Uganda and Chad, for advancing oil and development rights to Shanghai-based oil conglomerate CEFC China Energy.

At the time, Ho was serving as the secretary general of think tank China Energy Fund Committee, which was funded by CEFC.

Authorities allege Ho also promised to relay a request from Chad President Idriss Deby for Chinas military assistance in cracking down on Islamist group Boko Haram, as part of the bribe.

While not filing charges for the arms dealing, which occurred outside the US, prosecutors want to use the new evidence to prove Ho has a track record of doing business involving military transactions and oil rights in Middle East and Asia, in return for favourable terms for CEFCs business interests in the region.

According to the document filed with the New York Southern District Court, the intermediary, who is unnamed, first emailed Ho a document listing numerous arms and end-user certificates to use those weapons, in March 2015.

The certificate, which is typically used in the international arms trade, showed the buyer as the Libyan Ministry of Defence.

We have the funding and processing mechanisms in place. If it works nice, there will be much more. Also for S. Sudan, the email reads.

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An email sent by Ho to his contact one month later, showed that the minister was fully aware that Libya was under a military embargo, and the parties cannot sell directly to Libya.

In April 2015, Ho also offered to arrange an arms sale to Qatar, which has no embargo.

Qatar needs new toys quite urgently, wrote Ho in the email. Their chief is coming to China, and we hope to give them a piece of good news.

The scope or quantity of the weapons in question is unclear, and the prosecution did not identify the Qatar chief, or the intermediary.

Hos legal team did not immediately respond to a Post request for comment.

Former defendant Cheikh Gadio, who has agreed to testify against Ho in exchange for changes against him being dropped, is expected to tell the court that Ho told him, CEFC could provide arms and military equipment to Chad as part of an oil deal, the prosecution said.

In one undated email, Gadio asked Ho: Do you think CEFC can intervene with the Chinese state to get an urgent, extremely confidential and significant military weapon assistance to our friend [the President of Chad] who has engaged in the battle of his life against the devils of Bokko Haram

Ho replied to Gadio that the request has, been given the highest level of consideration.

While CEFC has previously distanced itself from the case, China has shown willingness in the past to assist Chad in cracking down on extremist groups.

In early September, President Xi Jinping said China had met with Deby during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing.

Other than expressing a willingness to work with Chad on cooperating on energy exploration and exploitation, Xi also said China would also like to assist Chad in strengthening its capacities in counterterrorism, according to Chinese state media.

Separately, Ho was also allegedly providing US$50,000 and a free Hong Kong trip to John Ashe, the president of the United Nations General Assembly during September 2014 and September 2015, in exchange for further cooperation after Ashe stepped down.

US prosecutors have already charged Ho with offering a bribe to Ashes successor, Sam Kutesa, who is Ugandas foreign minister. The bride reportedly included US$500,000 from CEFC to support Uganda President Yoweri Musevenis re-election campaign.

The major contribution will come in after we talk about what [John] Ashe can help us with

Patrick Ho, via email

Ashe was charged with failing to disclose a bribe in a separate case, but died before the trial.

According to a transcribed phone conversation in July 2014, Ashes aide pressed Ho regarding a contribution to Ashe, with Ho telling the aide only part of the sum had been paid.

In an apparent attempt to ease the aides concern, Ho quickly added that, the major contribution will come in after we talk about what [Ashe] can help us with [after he left the UN].

Ho reportedly told the aide, the contribution to Ashe was not a problem, and hinted that it was a matter of give and take.

Prosecutors have also not charged Ho in relation to his dealings with Ashe, but want to use the evidence to dispute Hos claim that similar contributions in Chad and Uganda were merely for charity. The aide Ho spoke to has already pleaded guilty in a separate bribery case.

A final pretrial hearing will be held at the district court on October 23, where apart from Hos bail application, the judge is likely to decide whether to accept or strike out evidence requested by both the prosecution and defence.

Separately, Ho has applied to limit or even strike out testimony provided by Gadio, including Gadios recollection of Hos meetings with Deby in November and December 2014. Gadio earlier told prosecutors that Ho offered US$2 million in cash, concealed in a gift to the president in December 2014.

This article Former Hong Kong minister Patrick Ho accused of being illegal arms dealer by US prosecutors as they turn up heat ahead of New York bribery trial first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.
From marketing-tech to cryptocurrency, the four German startups plan to develop a value proposition for Singapore and Southeast Asia market

With the mission to support German startups in penetrating Southeast Asia, German Accelerator Southeast Asia will welcome four new startups to Singapore in November. The startups plan on reaping from Singapores vibrant and diverse startup ecosystem.

Belong to the Class of Winter 2018 are Hackerbay (software for AI solutions), NOS (cryptocurrency), uberall (location marketing), and Wagawin (digital marketing) from Berlin and Munich. These four potential startups have entered the final application round of the German Accelerator program in Singapore.

Since Singapore has been maintaining its image and capability as the gateway to Asia for many startups, the region has become as an important market for startups to place their products. German Accelerator supports innovative startups from Germany that have the potential and the determination to enter the Southeast Asian market. The aim is to empower high potential German startups to set up a sustainable business here, and become part of Germanys future digital mittelstand, said Claus Karthe, Founder and CEO of German Accelerator Southeast Asia.

Also Read: Indonesias online travel startup Traveloka in talks to raise US$400M, says report

One of the four startups is cryptocurrency NOS. Im confident that we can have a successful set up in Singapore as it is now a crypto-hub. We sure hope to launch our stablecoins in Southeast Asia, said NOS Co-Founder and CEO, Daniel Neetzel.

Class of Winter 2018 of German Accelerator program soon will start its third program cycle with the first inaugural program just launched in March 2018. Startups ranging from agritech, regtech, fintech, logtech, deeptech, sensor technology to publishing has been brought into Singapore and Southeast Asian scene since then.

Since Singapore has grown into the leading hub for technological change in Southeast Asia, many tech talent and a dynamic startup community has made Singapore the location of choice.

With government support and high willingness to invest, it has been the breeding ground of emerging startups.

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Also Read: Go-Jek is reportedly preparing Singapore launch this month

The next German Accelerator program will be Class of Spring 2019. The application is open until February 1, 2019 and interested startups must apply online and undergo a detailed assessment and pitching session in front of a selection committee of industry leaders, VCs, and representatives from German Accelerator in Singapore and Germany.



Photo by bady qb on Unsplash

The post Four German startups will soon step foot in Singapore appeared first on e27.
By Sophie Louet

PARIS (Reuters) - France carried out air strikes in northern Burkina Faso after Islamist militants attacked a police unit at a local gold mine, the latest incident to underscore rising insurgency in the West African region.

The arid Sahel region is suffering a spike in violence by militant groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, highlighting the difficulty international partners face in restoring regional stability.

The Burkinabe Ministry of Security said one gendarme was killed and another wounded in an attack on police on Wednesday at the Inata gold mine in the northern Soum region carried out by a large group of heavily armed terrorists.

France's army said in statement that at the request of the local authorities its forces intervened to hunt down the attackers. It dispatched a Reaper drone and two Mirage fighter jets from a base in neighbouring Niger on Wednesday night.

"The drone detected a column of several motorcycles leaving the area in the direction of the north. After observing the group and establishing its terrorist nature, both Mirage planes carried out strikes," the statement said.

An army spokesman said some 15 motorcycles had been targeted, but it was too early to say how many fighters had been killed.

France, the former colonial power in the region, intervened in Mali in 2013 to drive out Islamist militants who had occupied the north and has since kept about 4,500 troops in the region as part of counter-terrorism operations.

French officials acknowledge Paris is likely to remain in the zone for the next decade.

No group claimed Wednesday's attack in Burkina Faso, but the province of Soum is known to be an area where Ansarul Islam, a jihadi Salafist group, operates.

The northern region of Burkina Faso, bordering Mali and Niger, has been the theatre of many jihadist attacks since 2015.

"It is a threat that could potentially extend across the region," said a French army spokesman. "We are here to help when necessary."

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Six Burkinabe soldiers were also killed on Thursday morning when their vehicle hit a landmine in the eastern province of Komondjari, an army spokesman said.

Led by France, Western powers have provided funding to a regional force made up of soldiers from Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mauritania to combat jihadists.

But the so-called G5 force has been hobbled by delays in disbursing the money and poor coordination between the five countries while insecurity has escalated in the border region between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

(Additional reporting by Thiam Ndiaga in Ouagadougou; Writing by John Irish; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Peru's ex-president Alberto Fujimori said from his hospital bed Thursday that a return to prison would be a "death sentence," the day after a court revoked a pardon for crimes against humanity. Fujimori, 80, addressed a plea to Peru's President Martin Vizcarra and the South American country's judiciary in a video recorded at his bedside. "Please do not kill me. If I return to prison my heart will not support it. It is too weak to go through the same thing again. Don't sentence me to death. I can give no more." A court on Wednesday annulled a presidential pardon for Fujimori, ending more than nine months of freedom granted under the shock pardon issued by a previous president in December. However, immediately after his re-arrest Fujimori was admitted to a clinic with heart problems. His doctor, Alejandro Aguinaga, told reporters he experienced a drop in blood pressure and an accelerated heart beat -- the same problems for which he has been hospitalized in the past. "He is already considered a prisoner," Interior Minister Mauro Medina told Chile's RPP radio. "He is expected to leave the clinic to take him to the penitentiary," the minister said. Fujimori, a Peruvian of Japanese descent, has been living in Lima but has been hospitalized four times since his release last December. His daughter Keiko Fujimori, leader of the main opposition Popular Force party, described the court's decision on Wednesday as "inhuman" and "unjust". "Today is the saddest day of our lives. It's painful," said Keiko, who is seen by many Peruvians as the heir to Fujimori's political dynasty. - Questionable pardon - Fujimori was pardoned last December on humanitarian grounds, but critics said the move was in exchange for Fujimori's son helping then-president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski avoid impeachment. Fujimori was 12 years into a 25-year jail sentence handed down for ordering two massacres by death squads between 1991 and 1992. He had ruled Peru with an iron fist between 1990 and 2000. Victims of Fujimori's crackdown had petitioned the Inter-American Court to demand a judicial review of the process that led to the pardon. The charge of crimes against humanity stemmed in part from the killings or disappearances of scores of civilians -- allegedly by a shadowy squad of military officers -- during Peru's bloody struggle against Maoist rebels. The ex-ruler is revered and despised in equal measure in Peru. Admirers laud him for dragging the country's economy into the modern era and defeating the Shining Path guerrilla movement. "bur-fj/cd/db/it
Police find British inmate after his escape from prison

A British inmate, who escaped from Nakhu Jail in the wee hours of Wednesday, was taken into custody a few hours after his escape.
The ride-hailing giant from Indonesia plans to enter Singapore after a successful launch in Vietnam under a moniker Go-Viet

Indonesian homegrown ride-sharing service Go-Jek is reportedly readying up to step foot in Singapore, which is the headquarter of its main competitor Grab. As reported by Techcrunch, the company plans to be in Singapore with the speeding up of its regional expansion program.

Go-Jek reportedly will introduce the Singapores service before the end of October. However, it remains inconclusive on how the company will deal with Singapores no-motorbike-taxi policy.

Also Read: Blockchain VCs got together to invest US$20M in Singaporean AI Grid Foundation

It is said to be in discussion with ComfortDelGro, Singapores taxi operator who may also launch a private car service within the country.

Following the exit of Uber, which is another one of the companys rivals, the company seems to gain strength and showcase it by expanding to neighboring countries such as Vietnam and Thailand.

Today, the company has a US$5 billion valuation with Google and Tencent back it up, all concentrated in Indonesia and keeps on growing to covering other services like digital wallet, food delivery, and even on-demand cleaning and beauty service.

Also Read: Filipino fintech startup First Circle raises US$26M Series A funding round

Go-Jek is currently in discussions with investors with a possibility to raising US$2 billion to fund its coming expansion.



Image Credit: Go-Jek

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Nepal said Thursday it had ordered more than 24,000 pornography websites to be blocked under a crackdown that activists have criticised as "ridiculous" and ineffective. The move, which the government says is in order to curb sexual violence, follows a national outpouring of anger this summer in response to the brutal rape and murder of a 13-year-old schoolgirl in July. The killing of Nirmala Pant sparked protest rallies across the country in August -- leaving one dead and dozens injured -- after the state was accused of not taking adequate action in rape cases, and a video emerged of police officers destroying evidence. The government stoked further ire by describing the protests as a conspiracy against the ruling party. In response to the mounting criticism, a state crackdown on "pornography and vulgar content" was announced last Friday. "Easy access to porn and vulgar content through the internet has affected our social values and social harmony and it has encouraged sexual violence," the government said in a statement. The list of websites that the telecoms authority has told providers to block has not been made public -- but as explicit sites were still easily available Thursday it was not clear if the ban was being enforced. Binaya Bohara, CEO of Vianet, an internet service provider, warned that the government's vague directive would be difficult to follow. "There are many back end ways to reach these sites. It's not a very effective way of doing things," Bohara told AFP. Meanwhile the crackdown has been slammed by campaigners. Lawyer and internet freedom activist Babu Ram Aryal told AFP the "ridiculous" ban exposes the government's "lack of understanding of how the internet works". Women's rights activist Mohna Ansari of the National Human Rights Commission said that the authorities were "closing their eyes to the reality". "This is not a solution to control sexual violence and rape," she told AFP, adding that the real problem was the lack of justice for women who do take complaints of domestic and sexual violence to the police. Since Pant's death in late July -- which spawned the hashtags #JusticeForNirmala and #RageAgainstRape -- there has been a surge in reports of sexual violence both to police and in the national media. In the last two months the police have registered 479 reports of rape and attempted rape, more than the total number of cases filed in 2008 and 2009, according to official figures. Activists say the rise is due to more women reporting violence to the police, but also say many more still go unreported in deeply patriarchal Nepal. Only 60 percent of Nepal's population has access to the internet, according to the telecom authority's numbers, raising further questions about the efficacy of banning online porn to curb sexual violence. As Twitter user, Saurab Pokharel, wrote with reference to a popular online game: "Banning porn sites to control rape is like banning Clash of Clans to control robbery!!"
No excessive force used on Hong Kong taxi driver who died after he was put in headlock during police arrest, inquest hears

Reasonable force was used on a Hong Kong taxi driver who was put in a headlock during his arrest and later died of complications from a neck injury, the citys Coroners Court heard during an inquest on Wednesday.

But Constable Ma Chun-hong, one of the officers who dealt with taxi driver Chan Fai-wong in the incident on November 11, 2012, was initially reluctant to say if he had punched 65-year-old Chan, the court heard.

On Wednesday coroner Ada Yim Shun-yee asked Ma, who was 27 at the time, whether he wanted to answer the question. No, Ma replied.

The inquest was sparked by Chans death on December 12, 2012 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Jordan, where he was sent after his arrest. He was detained over an alleged assault on a passenger following a fare dispute.

Security footage played in court showed Chan was lifted from the ground into a police van, with his arms handcuffed behind his back and an officers arm around his neck, while Ma offered help.

The sergeant instructed me to move him into the vehicle without telling us how to do it, Ma explained. We used our common sense to put him in.

The sergeant instructed me to move him into the vehicle without telling us how to do it

Ma Chun-hong, constable

But Neville Sarony SC, representing Chans family, questioned: Why so much aggression towards this taxi driver by you and your colleagues?

Ma said: The force that I used at the time was reasonable, and the purpose of that was to put him under control with the lowest degree of force. When that was achieved, we immediately stopped.

He also explained that the degree of force used by police depended on the incident, the suspect and the extent of resistance. In this case, he said an agitated Chan was resisting and being uncooperative, as he refused to board the vehicle and was kicking his legs.

The force I used was reasonable, Ma repeated.

Even though it appeared you were punching him? Sarony asked.

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Ma disagreed.

But he later clarified with his counsel Priscilia Lam that he did not actually see his colleagues arm around Chans neck because he was focusing on the drivers arms and legs.

Senior Constable Lum Chi-wan, who stood watch as Chan was being loaded into the police van, testified he did not see any officer use unreasonable force at the time.

Chan was picked up by an ambulance 30 minutes later.

A triage assessment found Chan suffered a head injury, a nose bleed and bruises on his limbs. It was also recorded that he vomited once.

Constable Lit Kwok-wai, who arrived at the hospital to guard Chan on November 12, said the driver complained of pain in his neck and waist.

Another constable, Lee Kin-chung, recalled a complaint of back pain from Chan when he took over Lits watch the next day.

Chans escorting officers at the hospital, who were on duty from November 11 to 13, also testified to seeing him conscious, but unable to move his hands. They said he did not ask for any family visit.

An MRI scan revealed Chans cervical vertebrae  bones directly below the skull  had been dislocated.

An autopsy found his underlying heart disease impaired his cardiopulmonary function, which together with his neck injury that left him bedridden, caused him to contract bronchitis that eventually killed him.

The 10-day inquest that began on Tuesday continues.

This article No excessive force used on Hong Kong taxi driver who died after he was put in headlock during police arrest, inquest hears first appeared on South China Morning Post

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The Congress of the Philippines is rushing approval of a new law that could give President Rodrigo Duterte wide-ranging powers similar to those of his idol, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The death penalty will be restored. Torture, allowed. Filipinos could be jailed for their posts on Facebook, Twitter and other social media. Suspected terrorists and even unwilling witnesses could be arrested without warrants and detained for 30 days without charge during an actual or imminent terrorist attack.

These are just some of the amendments proposed by Philippine security officials to the current Human Security Act of 2007 or Republic Act 9372.

The proposals come amid claims by the Duterte administration that the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New Peoples Army, together with opposition political parties and civil society groups, has been plotting a coup called Red October to overthrow the president.

However, the claims have been rubbished by critics, who say the plot has been made up to justify a crackdown on the opposition and pave the way for martial law.

In a Senate hearing on Monday, defence secretary Delfin Lorenzana pushed for approval of the new law, saying: We wont need to use martial law if we have something else that would give our security agencies a bit more teeth.

Armed Forces chief of staff General Carlito Galvez, Jnr. said there was a need for longer detention periods, pointing to the recent twin bombings in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat in Mindanao which took place within five days of each other, in August and September.

We captured the bomber. But because of a very permissive law [requiring their release in 72 hours], the bombers were able to be released from detention, General Galvez said. Both incidents have been blamed on Islamist terrorists.

At present, Galvez said, we cannot detain under mere suspicion alone. It usually took up to two weeks to extract information from a hard core terrorist, he said.

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Both Galvez and presidential national security adviser Hermogenes Esperon expressed envy for the more restrictive laws of other Asian countries. Australia can detain suspects for as long as seven days or more [whereas] we can only detain suspects for three days, former military chief Esperon said.

Human rights lawyer Antonio Gabriel La Vina, however, warned the proposals would legalise state terrorism. He called the amendments repugnant to the sacred constitutional doctrine of due process of law which protects life, liberty and property of any person and the right of an accused to be heard and present evidence in his or her behalf.

Law professor La Vina also sided with left-wing congressman Ariel Casilao, saying that the law was another step toward a dictatorship.

Former congressman Teddy Casino of the Bayan Muna party list group called the proposals very dangerous because they expand the definition of terrorism to virtually any crime under the sun.

The present law specifies only a dozen high crimes including piracy and mutiny, rebellion or insurrection, coup detat, murder, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, arson, and use of nuclear or toxic substances.

However, these crimes can be considered terrorist acts only when they sow and create a condition of widespread and extraordinary fear and panic among the populace, in order to coerce the government to give in to an unlawful demand. Security officials have proposed to delete this condition from the law.

In addition, they have inserted the violation of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 as a terrorist act. Since RA 10175 had specified that it covers the entire Philippine Penal Code, the insertion would affect a wide array of laws.

Because of this, Casino warned that the amendments make terrorism so broad and vague a crime it can be used against anyone  leftist organisations, tree-huggers, anti-corruption watchdogs, political enemies of those in power, even drug suspects and petty criminals.

Other notable deletions are the sections banning torture during interrogation. Section 23 of the current RA 9372 required law enforcement workers to keep a logbook on each detainee. Section 24 specified that no torture or coercion in investigation and interrogation is allowed. Any evidence extracted in this manner is inadmissible.

Both sections 23 and 24 have been deleted in a draft proposed by security officials.

However, Senator Panfilo Lacson, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, said he had tweaked the Senate version of the bill by restoring section 24 against torture, but not section 23.

Lacson has also proposed to insert a section that specifies that legitimate exercises of the freedom of expression and to peaceably assemble  protest, dissent would not be considered terrorist acts provided a person does not have the intention to use or urge the use of force or violence or cause harm to others.

Coincidentally, two of the main sponsors of the bill  Senator Lacson and House Congressman Amado Espino, Jnr.  were once both officers in the Philippine Constabulary under Marcos. The constabulary was found to have engaged in massive human rights violations of detainees, according to one of its former officials, General Ramon Montano.

Human rights groups have estimated that 3,700 people were murdered, 40,000 tortured and up to 100,000 detained without charge during the Marcos dictatorship.

This article Philippines plans law to give Duterte Marcos-like powers first appeared on South China Morning Post

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Pothole woes on Tribhuvan Highway

Tribhuvan Highway, countrys oldest highway, has more than 20,000 potholes on it yet the government has done nothing to repair it. Potholes are a major problem and can be dangerous as they cause numerous accidents along the highway.
A collision between two Sudanese army planes on the runway at Khartoum airport on Wednesday injured eight people, officials said. The Soviet-era Antonov aircraft had landed within seconds of each other when the accident occurred, an airport official said. "Eight people were injured and taken to hospital when two military planes collided at Khartoum airport," said another official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity. Sudanese military spokesman Brigadier Ahmed Khalifa Shami in a statement said the two aircraft were military cargo planes, and added that the incident did not cause "any losses". An investigation had been launched to find the reason for the collision, he said. Video footage posted on social media showed two planes moving along the runway before one suddenly rams the tail of the other. Both planes appeared to have been badly damaged in pictures posted online. Airport officials said the facility had been temporarily closed after the accident. Wednesday's accident is the third to have hit Sudan's ageing military fleet in less than a month. On September 21, two pilots were killed when their military jet crashed near Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum on the west bank of the Nile. It came days after a military helicopter crashed on landing in Darfur. All passengers were rescued as the helicopter caught fire. Most of Sudan's fleet consists of Soviet-made aircraft, and in recent years it has suffered several crashes, with the military frequently blaming technical problems and bad weather.
Advent will establish a portfolio of vascular access solutions with the potential to address the key gaps in enabling haemodialysis to be delivered in alternative care environments

Singapore-based medtech startup Advent Access, which focuses on end-stage renal disease management, announced today certain key assets of Vital Access, a vascular technology company headquartered in the US.

The assets include the global manufacturing and commercialisation rights to the Vwing Vascular Needle Guide product line.

The acquisition is in line with Advents strategy to establish a portfolio of vascular access solutions with the potential to address the key gaps in enabling haemodialysis to be delivered in novel or alternative care environments, as per an official statement. It also enhances Advents potential global customer base and intellectual property portfolio.

Vwing is an implantable device designed to facilitate safe access to arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) in obese patients suffering from end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis. Through AVF, patients gain access to their blood for cleaning via a dialysis machine.

Also Read: Viking Garage puts the brakes on dodgy bikes and rents out trusty roadsters like Harleys

Vwing is currently marketed in the US and also approved for use in markets including Europe, Canada and New Zealand.

The Vwing technology provides access to very deep fistulas and complements Advents av-Guardian technology, which is designed to be implantable for the majority of other fistula types.

Peh Ruey Feng, Founder and CEO of Advent Access, said: This acquisition is a strategic move to broaden our vascular access portfolio and accelerate our access to key global markets, particularly the US. Advent now owns one of the industrys most extensive IP portfolios in technology-assisted use of AV fistulas. Together with our core technology, the av-Guardian, we have the opportunity to create a leading portfolio of vascular access solutions, with the potential to enable hemodialysis to be provided beyond traditional care settings.

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Advent Accesss mission is to reduce dialysis cost and increase the quality of life of kidney failure patients. Its first product is av-Guardian  an implant technology that aims to improve vascular access reliability, and enable less-painful self-cannulation. av-Guardian forms a key component of Advents dialysis-machine agnostic platform to transform hemodialysis to be performed independently and safely.

In December last year, Advent Access raised US$1.9 million in pre-Series A funding round led by Temasek-backed medical device company Accuron MedTech.

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SRC Recruitment had been posting advertisements on Carousell promoting foreign domestic workers between September 1-17

Singapores ministry of manpower (MOM) today announced that it has prosecuted SRC Recruitment and one of its employment agency employees Erleena Mohd Ali for posting insensitive advertising of foreign domestic workers on C2C online markerplace Carousell, Channel News Asia reported.

Both SRC and Ali (who was in charge of posting the advertisements) face a combined 243 charges including the posting of the advertisements itself and their failure to ensure that the agencys name and licence number were displayed in the advertisements.

They may be fined up to S$5,000 (US$3,600), jailed a maximum of six months, or both if found guilty.

Also Read: Carousell now has official meet-up spots in the Philippines for users to conduct deals

Following the prosecution, SRCs licence has been suspended while Ali has been deregistered as an EA personnel.

MOM expects all employment agencies to exercise sensitivity when marketing their services, and exercising their duty of care towards their clients, including foreign domestic workers, the ministry said in a press statement.

Between September 1 and 17, SRC Recruitment had been posting advertisements promoting domestic workers from Indonesia, completed with information on their names and ages, which the ministry described as casting the workers in an undignified light.

Carousell has responded by removing around 50 listings related to the advertisements.



Image Credit: niu niu on Unsplash

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Sudan summoned the European Union ambassador to Khartoum on Wednesday to protest against an EU-organised meeting of journalists that called for strengthening of press freedoms in the African country. The meeting held on Tuesday by the EU at its office in Khartoum was attended by representatives of several European embassies and the US charge d'affaires to Sudan. "The ministry complained to the EU ambassador that the meeting he organised was held in a way that only a select group of journalists were called," the Sudanese foreign ministry said in a statement. The ministry said it also protested at the statement issued by the EU after the meeting, which suggested that the meeting was for all Sudanese journalists. "The way the meeting was held is against diplomatic behaviour and the ministry rejects this," it said. A Tuesday statement issued jointly by European Union ambassadors and US Charge D'Affaires Steven Koutsis said that journalists who attended the meeting briefed the diplomats about the challenges faced by the media industry in Sudan and the difficulties for journalists. "Furthermore, the importance of strengthening the freedom of the press and the freedom of opinion and expression in all media outlets, including online media, was stressed by all," the statement said. "In this regard, concern about the constraints placed on these freedoms in Sudan, particularly with regards the ongoing newspaper seizures was also expressed." Media in Sudan are frequently targeted by agents of National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) for their reporting, especially for publishing articles that criticise government polices. Often security agents seize entire print-runs of newspapers without any prior notice. Several journalists were arrested in January when authorities cracked down on anti-government protests triggered by surging food prices. Media watchog, Reporters Without Borders, ranked Sudan 174th out of 180 countries on its 2017 world press freedom index, saying that NISS "hounds journalists and censors the print media".
(Reuters) - Some Tesla directors have proposed that James Murdoch, fellow board member at the electric carmaker and chief executive officer of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc, succeed Elon Musk as its chairman, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing people involved in the board's discussions. Murdoch hasn't volunteered for the post nor has he discussed it with any other director, the newspaper reported. The board has not engaged in any "serious" discussions of who should be the chairman, the paper said, citing a source close to the selection process. The New York Times also said Musk had threatened to resign, in a phone call with directors, if the board insisted that he and the company enter into a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). However, the next day, Tesla's attorneys were back at the SEC requesting them for a second chance, this time with Musk's 'grudging approval', the paper said. Tesla and Musk reached a settlement with regulators on Saturday, where they agreed to pay $20 million each to financial regulators and the billionaire will step down as chairman but remain as CEO. Reuters couldn't reach out to Murdoch for comment. Tesla and Twenty-First Century Fox were not immediately available for comment outside regular business hours. (Reporting by Rishika Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)
Top Beijing official delays retirement to help rein in pro-independence calls in Hong Kong

Despite reaching retirement age last year, a top Beijing official has been asked to stay on at the central government agency overseeing Hong Kong affairs to handle legal issues relating to pro-independence calls in the city.

Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office deputy director Feng Wei was originally expected to step down late last year when he turned 60, the usual age for vice-ministerial officials to leave officialdom.

A source in Hong Kong who is familiar with the situation said Feng, who has been handling the citys affairs for two decades and is well versed in its laws, was told to remain in his current position until further notice to handle legal issues relating to Hong Kong, particularly on how to rein in the mounting calls for the city to break free from China.

Feng Weis staying on is an indication of the top echelon of the mainland leadership in Beijing taking the growing calls for Hong Kong independence seriously

A source familiar with the situation

All personnel changes concerning vice-ministerial officials at central government agencies dealing with Hong Kong and Macau affairs are approved by President Xi Jinping. Feng Weis staying on is an indication of the top echelon of the mainland leadership in Beijing taking the growing calls for Hong Kong independence seriously, the source said.

Feng, who turned 61 last month, is seen as a moderate among the central government corps. He is perceived to favour dialogue with moderate pan-democrats.

A mainland source familiar with Beijings handling of Hong Kong affairs said there was no sign Feng would retire soon.

As a general principle, vice-ministerial officials retire when they turn 60, but some may stay on for some months or even more than a year for special reasons, the mainland source said.

Executive councillor Ronny Tong Ka-wah, who has known Feng for more than a decade, said it was reasonable for the Beijing official to stay beyond retirement age because he was familiar with Hong Kong affairs and the citys laws.

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Its good for Feng to stay on his job for a while because he is moderate and is acquainted with key figures in Hong Kongs political arena, Tong said.

He said Feng told him in April last year that he was about to retire.

But I know he remains active at the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, and some of my friends met him recently, Tong said.

A graduate of Peking Universitys law school, Feng studied English law at the London School of Economics in the early 1990s, and at the law schools of the University of Hong Kong and City University in the mid-1990s. In 1997, he became the first legal affairs department spokesman of the Peoples Liberation Armys Hong Kong garrison.

The senior colonel later joined the central governments liaison office in Hong Kong and was promoted to director of legal affairs.

In April 2010, Feng held a meeting with Democratic Party leaders. It paved the way for the historic talk between the Democrats and liaison office deputy director Li Gang a month later, which led to an agreement allowing 3.2 million people without a vote in a functional constituency to elect five super-seat lawmakers.

Feng, who was present at the closed-door meeting, became deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office in July 2014.

In August 2015, he met Democratic Party leaders to discuss Hong Kongs governance and constitutional reform. The meeting was seen as an olive branch from Beijing after the reform plan was voted down in June 2015.

In an exclusive interview with the Post in March 2016, Feng said advocates of separatism and Hong Kong independence were a minority who did not represent the mainstream, but their views had been magnified.

He said the central government was looking into the reasons behind the growth of radicalism and the tendency of activists to resort to violent protest methods.

Feng attributed the trend to sluggish economic growth in Hong Kong, noting that Hongkongers median income had barely increased in the past two decades while property prices had surged.

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Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Turkey was summoned to the foreign ministry after a prominent journalist critical of Riyadh went missing, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Thursday. Jamal Khashoggi, a contributor to the Washington Post, went to the Saudi consulate on Tuesday to receive an official document for his marriage and has not appeared since. His Turkish fiancee reported him missing after Khashoggi, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since last year to avoid possible arrest, did not emerge from the consulate. The Saudi ambassador was received by Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kiran on Wednesday, the diplomatic source and state-run news agency Anadolu said. After an initial period of silence, Saudi Arabia said the consulate was working with Turkish authorities "to uncover the circumstances of the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi after he left the consulate building". Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin however told reporters on Wednesday the journalist was being held at the consulate, adding that Ankara was in touch with Saudi officials. "According to information we have, this individual who is a Saudi national is still at the Istanbul consulate of Saudi Arabia," Kalin said. The journalist, who writes opinion pieces for the Post, has been critical of some policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen. US officials said they were looking into his case. Khashoggi's fiancee Hatice, 36, told AFP on Thursday that there had been no news about him. "We don't know where he is. If he had left the consulate as said by the Saudis, we would know where he is," she said. Khashoggi, who turns 60 on October 13, had previously served as an adviser to the Saudi government.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in India on Thursday looking to tie up billions of dollars in arms deals with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, likely irking the US, China and Pakistan in one fell swoop. The Kremlin said before the two-day visit that the "key feature" would be the signing of a $5-billion deal for the advanced S-400 air defence system, despite US sanctions against countries buying Russian defence hardware. India will ask the United States for a special waiver for the purchase -- as discussed by their defence and foreign ministers in New Delhi last month -- but Washington has signalled there is no guarantee it will accede. The US is in a difficult position as it seeks to contain China through better ties with India, which like Washington has been unnerved by Beijing's growing assertiveness. Washington and New Delhi announced plans last month for joint military drills in 2019, and agreed on the exchange of sensitive military information. But Russia remains India's main arms supplier, and a string of new deals with the Asian giant would be a major win for Moscow -- and a big snub to the US. Putin and Modi, who appear to enjoy a personal rapport, are also likely to discuss a deal for four Krivak-class frigates worth $2 billion and 200 light utility Ka-226 helicopters pegged at $1 billion. India and Russia have already concluded an Inter-Governmental Agreement for the choppers, 60 of which would be built in Russia and the rest in India. "Russia is a time-tested friend. I am really glad some spine has finally been shown by India," R.R. Subramanian, a Delhi-based strategic affairs analyst, told AFP. "It's about time we... showed that we are not going to be pushed around by Washington." Experts say India needs the sophisticated S-400 system to fill critical gaps in its defence capabilities, in view of China's rise and perceived threats from Pakistan, against whom India has fought three wars. Indian Air Force Chief Birender Singh Dhanoa said on Wednesday that the S-400 and the 36 Rafale fighter jets purchased from France -- a 2016 deal mired in political controversy -- represent a "booster dose" for the country. - Boldly go - Putin, 65, and Modi, 68, are also set to discuss a possible second Russian-built nuclear power plant in India. Moscow is currently expanding India's biggest nuclear power plant in Kudankulam. Also on the agenda is Russian training for Indian astronauts as New Delhi aims to launch its first crewed space mission in 2022. Rakesh Sharma, the only Indian to travel in space, did so on a Soviet spacecraft in 1984. But military kit is the main focus. India is the world's biggest arms importer and is undergoing a $100-billion upgrade of its ageing hardware, much of it of Soviet vintage like MiG jets that regularly crash in the Indian countryside. Russia is still India's biggest arms supplier, and the two have had warm ties since Stalin died in 1953. The US is now number two, though, supplying the Indian military with advanced hardware like Apache attack helicopters and negotiating the sale of armed drones. Russia-India trade has slipped below $10 billion since 2014, as Modi has cultivated closer diplomatic and economic ties with Washington, while Russia has courted Pakistan and China. But ties received a boost last year when Modi and Putin held a fruitful annual bilateral summit, followed by meetings in Astana and at the G20 in Germany. They also met in Sochi this year. On the strategic front, Russia helped India become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation this year and has backed New Delhi's long-held demand for a permanent UN Security Council seat. Moscow is also pushing for India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group of countries controling access to nuclear technology despite atomic-armed India not signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Respect human rights

Anti-torture legal provisions must be fully compliant with international conventions
Rights activists submit memo to CM Bhatta demanding justice

Womens rights activists submitted a memorandum demanding justice for Nrimala Pant to Sudurpaschim Province Chief Minister Trilochan Bhatta at the latters office in Dhangadhi, Kailali, on Wednesday.
In 1983, I was one of Brett Kavanaughs freshman roommates at Yale University. About two weeks ago I came forward to lend my support to my friend Deborah Ramirez, who says Brett sexually assaulted her at a party in a dorm suite. I did this because I believe Debbie.

Now the FBI is investigating this incident. I am willing to speak with them about my experiences at Yale with both Debbie and Brett. I would tell them this: Brett Kavanaugh stood up under oath and lied about his drinking and about the meaning of words in his yearbook. He did so baldly, without hesitation or reservation. In his words and his behavior, Judge Kavanaugh has shown contempt for the truth, for the process, for the rule of law, and for accountability. His willingness to lie to avoid embarrassment throws doubt on his denials about the larger questions of sexual assault. In contrast, I cannot remember ever having a reason to distrust anything, large or small, that I have heard from Debbie.

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I did not want to come forward. When the New Yorkers Ronan Farrow contacted me while researching a story about Debbie and Brett, I told him that I didnt see the point. There is no way that Brett will face legal consequences after this much time. Either he will be confirmed or another conservative judge will be. There would be a high cost. I was raised in a Republican family. My mother, who has since passed away, was a Republican state representative in Connecticut. My father owns a MAGA hat. I have close friends who are very conservative. In recent years I have had disagreements over politics with some of these friends and family, but I care deeply about them. My involvement has and will come with personal, professional, and reputational damage.

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Debbie needed someone to help her be heard.

Ultimately, I told Farrow that Debbies story was believable and that Brett was frequently, incoherently drunk. When asked about my comments in the New Yorker at his hearing last week, Judge Kavanaugh seemed to suggest that my account was not credible because it was a contentious situation where I did not like the third suitemate. He then referenced a prank I pulled on the third suitemate and some redacted portion of his closed-door questioning by Senate Judiciary Committee staff. Its true that I played a prank on the third roommate. We were not close. But that relationship has no bearing on my ability to observe Kavanaughs behavior then and to describe it now.

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As for the specifics of what happened to Debbie freshman year: When Farrow approached me, I had a vague memory of an event involving Debbie and Brett, but not enough to say I am sure. I told Farrow that I could participate off the record and only to support Debbies credibility and to describe Bretts behavior when drinking, where I had meaningful, firsthand experience.

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Right before publication, Farrow called me and asked if I would reconsider publicly sharing my own recollections. Debbie was going to be attacked. She had lived with the pain of this event for years. Bretts friends who participated would deny that it happened. It would be a powerful Washington judge and his friends against Debbie.

Others would say: Brett was background-checked many times. This must be made up. As Bretts college freshman roommate, I would have expected to be interviewed if a background check was looking for evidence of poor college behavior. I wasnt called. I assume college behavior was not a topic of interest. The FBI didnt find Debbies story because they were not looking for it.

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As for this round of the investigation: I still havent been called, even though they are supposedly looking into Debbies case. How will they learn what happened if once again they are not allowed to truly and thoroughly investigate?

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Debbie needed someone to help her be heard. When nobody else would do it, I agreed to be quoted in Farrows story on the record. 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, I said. Is it believable that Kavanaugh was one of them? Yes. I stand by this quote and I accept it is my opinion and not objective fact.

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Since the New Yorker story came out, I have been asked for countless interviews by print publications, TV, and online media, the vast majority of which I have resisted. Ultimately I wrote and distributed a statement to minimize the distraction to my personal and business life. In the statement, I wrote that Brett was a notably heavy drinker, even by the standards of the time, and that he became aggressive and belligerent when he was very drunk.

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I believe that many women have been mistreated and silenced. When they come forward, they are treated like they are liars or whiners or crazy. But I also believe that both accusers and the accused deserve a deep, unfettered investigation. In Bretts cases, if he is innocent, he should be cleared. If he is not and he is being untruthful to the nation, that should disqualify him from sitting on the highest court in the land. This just seems fair.

The other night I reviewed the transcript of the hearings. People are asking for me to respond.

I do not know if Brett attacked Christine Blasey Ford in high school or if he sexually humiliated Debbie in front of a group of people she thought were her friends. But I can say that he lied under oath. He claimed that he occasionally drank too much but never enough to forget details of the night before, never enough to black out. He did, regularly. He said that boofing was farting and the Devils Triangle was a drinking game. Boofing and Devils Triangle are sexual references. I know this because I heard Brett and his friends using these terms on multiple occasions.

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I cant imagine that anyone in the Senate wants to confirm an individual to a lifetime appointment on the United States Supreme Court who has demonstrated a willingness to be untruthful under oath about easily verified information.

I do not argue that Brett or anyone else should be persecuted for teenage drinking antics that are common to many, many Americans. My parents once visited Yale unexpectedly to find that I was unresponsive in my dorm room after a long session at Morys where friends and I sang and drank from trophy cups way past our limits. I was not a choirboy, butunlike BrettIm not going on national television and testifying under oath that I was. This is not about drinking too much or even encouraging others to drink. It is not about using coarse language or even about the gray area between testing sexual boundaries with a date and sexual abuse. This is about denial. This is about not facing consequences. This is about lying.

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In this case, the lies are not trivial: His lies about sexual terms and his drinking are directly relevant to the accusations of Christine Blasey Ford and Debbie Ramirez, which both involved sexual behavior and heavy drinking. The truth would make him look bad and would bolster the credibility of both of these women. In this climate, had he simply said I dont remember or even If I did these things in my youth I am sorry, he might have sailed through the confirmation process. But he lied, under oath, like it was nothing.

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During last weeks hearings, some committee members equated Bretts frustration over his stalled ambitions and the challenges to his character to Fords pain from an attempted rape and challenges to hers. They had both been through a lot. Members of the committee ignored the obvious and easily checked inaccuracies in his story and instead chose to erupt with rage that one of the most powerful men in America might have to defend himself against credible allegations of sexual assault. There was no consideration given to the truth that even if he withdraws, Brett will return to his position for life as one of the most powerful forces in the U.S. justice system. The women who say that they have been traumatized by his actions, meanwhile, will know that their suffering and bravery did not even warrant a thorough investigation.

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Debbies story and her pain have been lost in all of the yelling. Her accusation should be fully and properly investigated, as should any current and emerging allegations regarding Judge Kavanaughs behavior. Let real law enforcement professionals spend the time that it takes to figure out the truth. If this takes too long, find a less controversial, similarly conservative judge and start over.

To me it seems very simple. We are deciding if a man is suited to judge others. To hear with compassion and empathy the cases of the vulnerable. As a Supreme Court justice, he would be the last line of legal defense for people who need a champion with unimpeachable judgment. A man who lies effortlessly rather than taking responsibility for his own words and actions is not what we need.
In the early hours of Thursday morning, the Senate announced that the FBI had concluded its background investigation into sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh and that it had received the results.

Here is what we know about that investigation ahead of the Senate vote to confirm Kavanaugh:

The White House has made up its mind about the findings. In a statement issued at about 2:30 a.m., White House spokesman Raj Shah said the White House had taken a look and sent the report to Capitol Hill. This is the last addition to the most comprehensive review of a Supreme Court nominee in history, which includes extensive hearings, multiple committee interviews, over 1,200 questions for the record and over a half million pages of documents, he said. With this additional information, the White House is fully confident the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

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According to the Wall Street Journal, the White House found no corroboration of the allegations. But its unclear if it has yet fully reviewed the material. And its not much of a surprise. President Donald Trump has maintained his belief in Kavanaughs truthfulness, casting doubt on Christine Blasey Fords account and going as far as to openly mock Ford at a rally this week.

Senators will begin reviewing the report Thursday. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley announced less than two hours later that the committee had received the background file and that he and Sen. Dianne Feinstein agreed to alternating EQUAL access for the two parties.

So, according to the Washington Post, Senate Republicans will spend an hour with the report, then Democrats will have an hour, and it will rotate throughout the day, and possibly into Friday. Senators and 10 committee staffers cleared to view the material can review it at a secure room in the Capitol Visitor Center, where only one physical copy of the report will be available.

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The investigation was limited to two allegations. The investigation only looked into allegations of sexual misconduct made by Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her in high school, and Deborah Ramirez, who accused him of exposing himself to her in college. The FBI apparently did not look into allegations by a third accuser, Julie Swetnick, who is represented by Michael Avenatti. Senate Democrats have not focused on Swetnicks claims, as she is considered by some to be less credible.

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The investigation was also not permitted to question witnesses about Kavanaughs drinking habits, which came up in the allegations and in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last week, and which some who knew Kavanaugh have said the Supreme Court nominee lied about under oath.

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The FBI talked to nine people. According to reports from sources who have been briefed on the findings, the FBI contacted 10 potential witnesses and spoke to nine of them. Its unclear who the 10th person was and why that person wasnt interviewed.

We dont know who all nine of those people are, but we do know most of them. Initially, the FBI interviewed the three people Ford said were at the party where she was allegedly assaulted: Mark Judge, P.J. Smyth, and Leland Keyser. The three had said publicly before that they did not remember the party, though Keyser noted that she believed Ford. The bureau also initially interviewed Ramirez.

After Democrats criticized the White House for restricting the FBI to those witnesses, the investigation was allowed to expand, and according to the Journal, two high school friends named in Kavanaughs 1982 calendar were also questioned: Tim Gaudette and Chris Garrett, known in the calendar as Squi.

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The FBI has not explained why it limited itself to nine people.

The FBI didnt talk to Ford or Kavanaugh. Republicans have contended that an interview would have been unnecessary because the two already were questioned before the Senate, but Democrats have countered that an FBI investigation is different and that it would be considered standard for the FBI to talk to them.

An attorney for Ford criticized the bureau Wednesday, saying an investigation that didnt include his client and the witnesses who corroborate her testimony cannot be called an investigation, according to the Journal. We are profoundly disappointed that after the tremendous sacrifice she made in coming forward, those directing the FBI investigation were not interested in seeking the truth.

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Agents did speak to one accuser, though. Ramirez told the New Yorker that last weekend, two agents drove from Denver to Boulder, Colorado, to interview her. She gave the FBI a list of names of people she thought could help corroborate her story, but she says she believes the bureau did not contact them.

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Some potential witnesses tried to contact the FBI but couldnt. NBC News reported that dozens of people who said they had information about Kavanaugh contacted FBI field offices, but agents were not allowed to talk to many of them.

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According to a Wednesday night report from the New Yorker, several potential witnesses who wanted to speak as part of the investigation ended up sending unsolicited statements to the FBI and to senators. One former classmate told the New Yorker that he believed that no one who lived in the dorm where Kavanaugh lived and the alleged incident occurred was interviewed.

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A former classmate from Georgetown Prep who remained anonymous submitted a signed declaration but told the New Yorker he didnt hear back from the FBI. In the statement, sent also to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, he described Kavanaugh as a high school bully. He recalled Kavanaugh drinking heavily, boasting about sexual conquests, and inventing a cruel rhyme about a female student, Renate Dolphin. A former classmate of Dolphins said in a statement also submitted to the FBI that at a party with Georgetown Prep boys, a friend had warned me not to go upstairs, where the bedrooms were, cautioning me that it could be dangerous.

One witness who said he wasnt interviewed claimed to remember hearing about the incident at Yale. According to the New Yorker, Kenneth G. Appold, who was a suitemate of Kavanaughs when the alleged incident at Yale occurred and was quoted anonymously in an earlier New Yorker story, decided to come forward publicly. Appold, now a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, had previously said he heard of the allegation a day or two afterward and that he was 100 percent certain he was told it was Kavanaugh. He had told his roommate about the incident at the time, and that roommate told the New Yorker he remembered Appolds account, as they had both been shocked by it.

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He also depicted Kavanaugh as sometimes studious and shy, and sometimes belligerent, with a tendency to drink to excess. He tried to reach out to the FBI but instead resorted to submitting a statement through an FBI web portal.

Its unlikely the public will see the report anytime soon. An agreement between the Judiciary Committee and the White House bans the sharing of contents of a background file by the committee. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that the report would be kept confidential, and Chuck Grassley agreed on Wednesday, but some senators in both parties said this week that the importance of the background check should allow for some kind of redacted release.

What might more predictably happen, though, is that senators selectively leak parts of the report. Republicans have considered some sort of public statement or summary, according to Slates Jim Newell. Theres also the possibility a senator could try to steal it and read itor just summarize itinto the Congressional Record on the Senate floor.

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A vote is going to happen soon. Late Wednesday, before the FBI report was delivered from the White House, Senate Republicans set up a Friday procedural vote on Kavanaughs nomination, saying that the timeline would give senators enough time to review the investigations findings. A final vote could happen as early as Saturday.

Republican Sens. Jeff Flake, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowskiall of whom have said the FBI report will factor into their decisionare the votes to watch. If two of them vote against Kavanaugh, along with all Democrats, his nomination would be defeated. In pretty much any other scenario, he gets through.
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Senators are getting their first look Thursday at the results of the FBIs limited-in-time-and-scope investigation into Brett Kavanaughs alleged sexual misconduct. With Republicans promising to plow ahead with a confirmation vote, likely as early as Saturday, all eyes are on a handful of potential swing votes that are expected to decide this thing. Below, were rounding up reactions from them, and others of note, as they trickle in from Capitol Hill.

The most crucial votes will come from the three Republicans who banded together to force their party to allow the FBI to investigate the allegations in the first place: Arizonas Jeff Flake, Alaskas Lisa Murkowski, and Maines Susan Collins. Republicans hold a narrow 5149 advantagewith Vice President Mike Pence as the potential tiebreakerso they need just two of those three to confirm Kavanaugh along party lines. The early returns from this group suggest Mitch McConnell has good reason to believe hes got the votes:

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Collins:

Sen. Susan Collins, via @jeremyherb, after briefing on the FBI's work: "It appears to be a very thorough investigation"  Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) October 4, 2018

.@SenatorCollins just left the room where the FBI report on Kavanaugh is being held for senators-only viewingshe says she's done reading it.



No position expressed.



"I'm not going to comment further, other than to tell you that I've read all of the interviews," she tells me.  Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) October 4, 2018

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Flake:

.@JeffFlake: "Weve seen no additional corroborating information, adding he needs to finish reviewing the material. Flake also said he agrees with Senator Collins that the investigation was thorough.



-- Ted Barrett  Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 4, 2018

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Im told by source with direct knowledge that Flake is still having issues and that some colleagues are trying to walk him through them. Sen Coons tells me just now that Flake reached out to him and asked if they could speak at length later.  Elaina Plott (@elainaplott) October 4, 2018

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Murkowski:

Murkowski just went into FBI report viewing room. Didn't say if she's any closer to making decision on Kavanaugh. "I'm gonna read the FBI report," she said, disappearing into the room.  Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) October 4, 2018

Murkowski told us the reports are being read aloud to the senators.  Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) October 4, 2018

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Murkowski told me she concurs with Susan Collins view that Kavanaugh probably wouldnt overturn Roe.  Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) October 4, 2018

Sitting below that trio on the confirmation watch list are a pair of red-state Democrats who are up for re-election in states that Trump won by landslides in 2016: Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, both of whom voted to confirm Donald Trumps previous SCOTUS pick, Neil Gorsuch. If the GOP ends up with the votes to confirm Kavanaugh along party lines, its possible that Heitkamp and/or more likely Manchin break ranks to prove their independence to Trump voters back home, but its nearly unthinkable either would be willing to be the deciding vote on her or his own.

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Heitkamp:

BIG: @HeidiHeitkamp is a NO on Kavanaugh >



EXCLUSIVE: Heitkamp reveals Kavanaugh vote and reasoning to WDAY News | WDAY https://t.co/Uq0DVh429M  Leigh Ann Caldwell (@LACaldwellDC) October 4, 2018

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My statement on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh: pic.twitter.com/exZcK78JtF  Archive: Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (@SenatorHeitkamp) October 4, 2018

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Manchin:

Sen. Manchin, leaving briefing, would not say which way he was leaning. He said he still needed to finish reviewing the report, saying he planned to go back tomorrow between 9a-10a. He said he made it about halfway through the material.



Heidi made her decision, Ill make mine.  Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 4, 2018

Then a good ways below them sit a handful of other Republicans who could theoretically jump across partisan lines to vote against confirmation if Flake, Murkowski, and/or Collins jump first. Among them: Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, and Dan Sullivan of Alaska.

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Capito:

Shelly Moore Capito said last week she found testimony by fellow Holton Arms grad Christine Blasey Ford compelling. After todays review, she says she is still a yes.



You have to look at the facts, and the facts present a challenge for her story.  Nicholas Fandos (@npfandos) October 4, 2018

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And then there is the rest of the Senate, whichsurprise, surpriseis reacting exactly how youd expect to an FBI report that Democrats were always afraid would not be thorough enough and Republicans claimed would be more than adequate.

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GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Judiciary Committee:

BREAKING: Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, says the FBI has turned up nothing to corroborate allegations that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was involved in a sexual assault in high school and another instance of sexual misconduct in college.  NPR (@NPR) October 4, 2018

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, ranking member of the Judiciary Committee:

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Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, after reviewing the FBI report on Brett Kavanaugh: "It looks to be a product of an incomplete investigation that was limited, perhaps by the White House" pic.twitter.com/R4oMGwgyAq  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 4, 2018

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell:

Mitch McConnell: "These allegations have not been corroborated. None of the allegations have been corroborated by the seventh FBI investigation. Not in the new FBI investigation. Not anywhere." pic.twitter.com/Uq7qDkF35r  The Hill (@thehill) October 4, 2018

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer:

.@SenSchumer: "We had many fears that this was a very limited process that would constrain the FBI from getting all the facts. Having received a thorough briefing on the documents, those fears have been realized." https://t.co/LIsQ04GwPb pic.twitter.com/p0ykinLluq  The Hill (@thehill) October 4, 2018

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GOP Sen. John Kennedy, member of the Judiciary Committee:

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Sen. Kennedy says the FBI report is this big pic.twitter.com/HNgkrV57Lp  Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) October 4, 2018

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, member of the Judiciary Committee:

Senator Booker to reporters just now: Its very frustrating, even the things I read. I heard the chairman of the committee say there are no hints of misconduct. In plain English what I just read there are hints of misconduct.  Alan He (@alanhe) October 4, 2018

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Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez:

Just read the FBI report on Kavanaugh - if thats an investigation, its a bullshit investigation. pic.twitter.com/9D8oeVMEoU  Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez) October 4, 2018

And finally, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, member of the Judiciary Committee:

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Chris Coons, who helped hatch a deal for the FBI investigation is clearly insatisfied: I think Ive made my case as best I could, the materials are what they are, and its now left to senators to reach their conclusions.  Nicholas Fandos (@npfandos) October 4, 2018

Well continue to update this post with additional reactions of note throughout the day.
Apart from Brett Kavanaugh, the most nervous man in Washington currently may well be Mike Pompeo. The secretary of state is flying to North Korea this weekend with hopes of nailing down the framework of a disarmament deal with Kim Jong-un. If he fails, President Donald Trump, who has pronounced himself in love with Kim, will be upset. He will almost certainly fail.

There is no reason for Kim to let Pompeo succeed, and some of this is Trumps doing. Ever since the June summit in Singapore, where he appraised the man he once called Little Rocket Man as a great and trustworthy leader, Trump has dropped even the slightest hint of pressure against Kims regime. He has publicly said Kim should feel no rush to honor his vague pledge to denuclearize; hes declined to back up his own negotiators demand that their North Korean counterparts at least define the term; and U.N. sanctions are still in place, but he has called for no action against Russia or China for violating them. When Trump confessed at a rally last weekend in West Virginia that he and Kim fell in love at their summit, he pulverized the last shred of leverage that Pompeo might have brandished this coming weekend.

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Kim will likely hold off playing any cards until his next summit with Trumpwhich Trump has been keen to organize, possibly in Washington, for some time. The U.S. dotard, as Kim once called him, believes that only he knows how to negotiate with foreign leaders, so he may, in that sense, welcome Pompeos empty-handed return as a chance to display his own prowess at the art of the deal. In their one-on-one session at the previous summit, Trump gave Kim some tangible favorsincluding the suspension of U.S.South Korean military exercisesfor nothing in return. Kim, who has proved quite shrewd at pushing the buttons of allies and adversaries, has reason to hope for a reprise at the Trump summit to come.

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According to the Washington Post, South Korean President Moon Jae-inwho has galvanized this nascent detente since the historic Winter Olympics visit and is keen to accelerate the steps toward peace, investment, and tradeproposed a deal, just this week, that he hoped would break the logjam between Trumps and Kims negotiators: In exchange for the verified dismantlement of North Koreas nuclear reactor at Yongbyon, the United States would declare a formal end to the Korean War, which has persisted as a tense cold war since the armistice of 1953.

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For Kim, this would be a good deal. Yongbyon is not the onlyand may not be the principalsite where North Korea enriches uranium. Meanwhile, he could wave a peace declaration as a rationale for lifting economic sanctions and removing U.S. military forces from South Korea and the regionin short, for getting everything the Kim dynasty has desired for more than 60 years.

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Certainly, from Kims point of view, Moons proposal would be far better than the Trump administrations insistence that the next diplomatic step must entail a comprehensive list of North Koreas nuclear weapons and facilities. Pompeo had referred to this demand as a declaration for declarationthe U.S. declares peace; North Korea declares its atomic holdings.

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Its a clear signal of Kims confidence that he rejected not only Pompeos formula but Moons as well.

Ever since Singapore, Kims negotiatorsmany of whom have been at their jobs since the arms talks with the Clinton administration, a quarter-century agohave pretty much twiddled their thumbs in their sessions with the U.S. team. The Post story reports that theyve entirely ignored Stephen Biegun, Trumps recently appointed special envoy to North Korea. As Daniel Sneider, lecturer in Asia studies at Stanford, wrote in the Nelson Report, a private newsletter on Asian politics, they clearly believe they can get the best deal from Trump himselfa view vindicated by Singapore and reinforced by the many warm greetings sent since by the man in the White House with the puzzling case of adoration for tyrants.

Pompeo signed up to be Americas top diplomat, but hes finding himself left out of the room where things really happenand not to his, or our, advantage.
During Tuesdays oral arguments in Gundy v. United States at the Supreme Court, Justice Neil Gorsuch name-dropped an unusual ally: the American Civil Liberties Union. Gorsuch asked Jeffrey Wall, the principal deputy solicitor general, to respond to an argument in the ACLUs amicus brief on behalf of Herman Gundy, a sex offender challenging a federal registration law. Days before, the ACLU announced its opposition to Brett Kavanaughs nomination, a rare move for an organization that typically refrains from endorsing or opposing judicial nominees. Last year, the group issued a sharply critical report on Gorsuchwho, upon joining the bench, promptly ruled against the ACLU in a series of high-profile cases.

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Yet here was Gorsuch, relying upon the ACLUs reasoning to challenge the authority of the Trump administrationand, specifically, Attorney General Jeff Sessionsto impose retroactive penalties on sex offenders. It was a remarkable moment, but not a surprising one: Gorsuch has voted to limit federal law enforcement authority before, and hell do it again. The catch is that Gorsuchs idiosyncratic views on federal power and individual liberty, while helpful to progressive causes in cases like Gundy, pose a huge threat to business and environmental regulations that liberals support. Civil libertarians who seek Gorsuchs vote risk fueling his crusade against the administrative state. Unfortunately, they may have no other choice.

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Gundy revolves around a single section of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, or SORNA, a draconian 2006 law that established a national sex offender registry. SORNA also requires convicted sex offenders to register with state officials and periodically update their whereabouts. Failure to register or provide updates is a federal criminal offense that can result in 10 years imprisonment. When Congress debated SORNA, it could not decide whether it should impose these burdens on individuals convicted before the law was passedabout half a million people. So it delegated that decision to the attorney general, who would determine if and how SORNA should apply retroactively.

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Heres the thing: Gorsuch is absolutely right.

This delegation is extremely weird. Congress delegates policymaking to the executive branch all the time, giving federal agencies like the Department of Labor wide latitude to implement statutes. But Congress rarely asks a federal agency to establish criminal lawsand when it does, it typically gives them some direction explaining its goals. Here, Congress simply abdicated its responsibility to define the scope of a criminal statute, passing the buck to attorneys general without even giving them any real guidance.

As Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg pointed out in a 2012 dissent from a decision involving SORNA, this sweeping grant of legislative power raises grave constitutional concerns. At the height of the New Deal, the Supreme Court struck down two laws as violations of the nondelegation doctrine, rooted in the Constitutions separation of powers. The court acknowledged that Congress can hand over a great deal of authority to the executive branch. But it held that Congress must provide some intelligible principle to guide the agencies execution of the law.

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Thats a low bar, and legislators quickly began inserting such principles into their bills to avoid a constitutional infirmity. It worked: The Supreme Court hasnt struck down a law on nondelegation grounds since 1935. Today, however, conservative judgesincluding Gorsuchhave expressed interest in reviving a doctrine to place new limitations on executive branch agencies. Gundy is the Supreme Courts first opportunity to curb their authority.

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Yet Gundy creates a dilemma for the left, because SORNA is a truly terrible law, and its retroactivity provision deserves to be invalidated. Herman Gundy is represented by the Federal Defenders of New York, a public defender office that aids indigent people charged with federal crimes. It often represents individuals who failed to comply with SORNAs stringent registration scheme, sometimes by mistake. SORNA drives Americas mass incarceration problem by sending rehabilitated offenders back to prison because they failed to fill out certain paperwork. Any criminal justice reformer should oppose its extension to the half-million people convicted before it passed 12 years ago.

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Gorsuch, a skeptic of vague criminal statutes, came down hard against SORNAs retroactivity clause on Tuesday. (He also condemned it when serving on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.) Im having trouble thinking of another delegation in which this court has ever allowed the chief prosecutor of the United States to write the criminal law for those hes going to prosecute, the justice told Sarah Baumgartel, Gundys lawyer. We say that vague criminal laws must be stricken. Weve just repeated that last term. Whats vaguer than a blank check to the attorney general of the United States to determine who hes going to prosecute? (Thats your argument stated very, very concisely, Ginsburg cracked to Baumgartel.)

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Heres the thing: Gorsuch is absolutely right. And judging by the other justices skepticism of SORNAs delegation, his view will carry the day in a lopsided ruling against the government. But while a ruling against the government would be a victory for criminal justice reform, it could also be very dangerous to the progressive project. Countless federal laws use broad language to let agencies enact policies to carry out Congress objectives. Statutes that regulate air and water, for instance, let the Environmental Protection Agency decide how best to reduce pollution. Those that regulate Wall Street and consumer fraud let agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau pass rules to police financial markets.

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If the Supreme Court goes big on Gundy, it could place these laws in peril. (The many conservative groups that filed amicus briefs on Gundys behalf urged the justices to do precisely that.) But it doesnt have to. The ACLU brief that Gorsuch mentioned provides a sensible alternative, urging the court to apply more scrutiny to delegations in the criminal context due to the heightened threat to individual liberty. Gorsuch advised this very path in his 10th Circuit opinion questioning SORNA; indeed, the ACLU brief quotes him extensively, in a pretty clear effort to snag his vote. Perhaps he and the ACLU are in perfect agreement, and the justice sees no need for an expansive decision that reins in every federal agency.

But when Gorsuch swings left, he tends to plant seeds that will grow into conservative jurisprudence later on. When he voted to strike down a hazy deportation law, the justice wrote separately to cast doubt on the legality of commonplace regulations, like those that govern business licensing. If he writes the opinion in Gundy, expect a similar time bomb that could blow up the administrative state. Gorsuchs libertarian streak may prove helpful to progressive groups like the ACLU. But when they court his vote, theyre playing with fire.
When prosecutor Rachel Mitchell was hired by Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee to conduct the questioning of Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager, it seemed odd.

As a state prosecutor for three years and a federal prosecutor for 25 more, I knew that job to be about holding a person who committed a crime accountable and finding the truth. But that was not Mitchells job last week. Her job was to attempt to dent a victims credibility and serve as a female assistant cut-out for the all-male, all-white Republican side of the committee.

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By most impressions, Mitchell failed to do any significant damage to Fords account of events during Thursdays Senate testimony. In an apparent effort to change that perception, Mitchell issued a report on Sunday that was addressed not to the full Judiciary Committee, or to the Senate at large, but instead to All Republican Senators.

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In her report, Mitchell does what no prosecutor should doshe attempts to discredit the victim of a sexual assault. Her effort is so misleading, it approaches farce. Mitchell begins her offensive by falsely claiming that Ford struggled to identify Judge Kavanaugh as the assailant by name. She relies on the fact that notes from a 2012 therapy session, when Ford disclosed that she was sexually assaulted, did not include his name.

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What Mitchell fails to mention is that Ford told her therapist that her attacker was from an elitist boys school who went on to become highly respected and a high-ranking member of society in Washington. Fords description fits Brett Kavanaugh to a T. More importantly, an experienced sex crimes prosecutor like Mitchell should understand that Ford may have done what many sexual assault victims domade a considered decision not to identify her attacker by name. Later in 2012, Ford told her husband that Brett Kavanaugh was the person who had assaulted her.

Next, Mitchell falsely claims that Ford changed her description of the incident. The change that Mitchell says undermines Fords credibility was Ford having once described the Kavanaugh incident as sexual assault and once as physical abuse. Would you call a witness a liar because he recounted an event by once saying he was going to his house and once saying he was going to his home? This is what Mitchell seeks to do.

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Her next allegation is that Ford does not remember key details of the night in question. Details like who invited her to the party, how she got there, and what method of transportation she used to get home.

As Ford describes the assault, Kavanaugh forced her into a bedroom, covered her mouth when she tried to scream, and attempted to remove her clothes so he could rape her. In the context of an attempted rape, who invited Ford to the party hardly seems like a key event. And any prosecutor who deals with victims of crimes knows that the mind often recalls the trauma itself, leaving the insignificant details blurred in its wake.

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Mitchells effort is so misleading, it approaches farce.

In her next line of attack, Mitchell claims that the other people at the party where the alleged assault occurred do not support Fords version of events. Ford has identified at least three other people at the party. Ford has said that two of the people, Leland Keyser and Patrick Smyth, would have had no idea the assault occurred because they were on a different floor of the house and would not have been able to see or hear the assault. From their perspective, there was nothing that would distinguish that party from any of the countless other parties they may have attended in their teens.

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Mitchell includes part of a statement from Keyser in her report, but she edits out the part where Keyser says that although she does not remember the specific party from 36 years ago, she believes Ford and thinks she is telling the truth.

According to Fords description of events, the third person at the party, Mark Judge, was an eyewitness to the assault. In a written statement to the Judiciary Committee, Judge said both that he has no memory of, and never saw, the incident Ford describes.

Witnesses often say I dont remember when they do not want to provide evidence against a friend or family member. Even so, in his 1997 book Wasted, Judge acknowledged that he was frequently blackout drunk; Ford said that Judge and Kavanaugh were very drunk when the incident occurred.

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It is possible that Judge witnessed the assault but was too drunk to remember. However, that would be very different from Judge saying that he has a clear memory and is confident the assault did not take place. A prosecutor knows this distinction well, but it is missing in Mitchells assessment of the question.

In addition to disparaging Fords memory of the sexual assault, Mitchell alleges that there is something defective with Fords memory of important recent events. Mitchell says that Ford cannot remember if she provided the Washington Post with a copy of her therapy notes or a summary of the therapy notes that she made after reviewing them.

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Thats it? Perhaps Mitchell should have asked Ford what she was wearing, or what she ate for breakfast, when she spoke with the Washington Post. If she did not remember those things, would it be additional proof that Ford was lying? No. And I have no doubt that in her 25 years as a sex crimes prosecutor, Mitchell has more than once argued to a jury that victims of sexual assault should not be disbelieved because they cannot remember every detail.

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During Thursdays hearing, Mitchell asked Ford a seemingly endless series of questions about her fear of flying. Perhaps in an effort to justify what was widely criticized as a waste of time, Mitchell has included an analysis of Fords statement that she flies for work and vacation in her report. Mitchells report also makes the point that Fords hearing testimony was delayed because of Fords fear of flying. Both can be true. Someone can fear flying and yet still fly. And one can easily imagine that flying to a vacation destination would be less stressful than flying to testify before Congress about your sexual assault at the hands of a Supreme Court nominee, after the same members of Congress, and the president of the United States, have publicly called you a liar.

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Mitchell wraps up her efforts at undermining Ford by suggesting that Ford is not credible because on one occasion she said that Kavanaughs sexual assault caused her psychological problems, and on another occasion she said that the assault contributed to her psychological problems. Again: Thats it?

In her report, Mitchell comes to a bottom line conclusion that no reasonable prosecutor would charge the case. That may be true based on what was presented, but Fords allegation had never been investigated by any law enforcement agency. No prosecutor would charge any case without a full investigation by law enforcement. Further, Kavanaughs confirmation hearing is a job interview, not a trial. Mitchells conclusions, in absence of a full and thorough investigation, expose her as the Republican mouthpiece she was hired to be.
President Trumps surrogates are defending his latest attack on Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accuses Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault. Theyre claiming that Trumps mockery of Ford, delivered at a political rally on Tuesday night, was factual. You may not like the presidents tone, the argument goes, but everything he said about Fords testimony was true.

No, it wasnt true. Trump lied about Ford. And his supporters, in defending him, are doing the same.

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At the rally, Trump mocked Ford by pretending to re-enact a question-and-answer session with her:

How did you get home? I dont remember. Howd you get there? I dont remember. Where is the place? I dont remember. How many years ago was it? I dont know. What neighborhood was it in? I dont know.  Upstairs, downstairs, where was it? I dont know. But I had one beer. Thats the only thing I remember.

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Trumps allies say this depiction of Fords testimony was accurate. On Wednesday morning, at a forum hosted by the Atlantic, Sen. Lindsey Graham declared, Everything he said was factual. In an interview with Fox News, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway insisted, The president is pointing out factual inconsistencies. At an afternoon briefing, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders claimed that Trumps re-enactment wasnt anything other than the president stating facts.  He was stating facts that Dr. Ford herself laid out in her testimony. Sanders referred reporters to a memo released Sunday in which Rachel Mitchell, the prosecutor who interrogated Ford on behalf of Senate Republicans, summarized Fords testimony. Each of the things that he called out were things that were laid out in that memo, said Sanders.

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The press says these arguments miss the point. What matters, reporters argue, is Trumps tone. You said he was stating the facts, a reporter told Sanders at the White House briefing. But this was so much more than stating the facts. This was a full-scale campaign-rally assault on a woman who says shes a victim of sexual assault.

Yes, Trumps mockery of Ford was contemptible. But lets not lose sight of the fundamental dishonesty of his remarks. What he said at that rally wasnt more than stating the facts. It was less. It was full of lies.

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Ford doesnt recall exactly when the alleged assault happened or how she got there. She has described the interior of the house, but she doesnt recall whose house it was. That much is true. But the rest of Trumps riff was sheer fabrication. It misrepresented Fords testimony, Kavanaughs testimony, and Mitchells memo.

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Start with Trumps claim that Ford said she didnt know in what neighborhood the attack occurred. In her testimony, Ford described the location as a house in the Bethesda area  somewhere between my house and the [Columbia] Country Club. Kavanaugh, in his testimony, added the address: Dr. Ford has said that this event occurred at a house near Columbia Country Club, which is at the corner of Connecticut Avenue in the East-West Highway in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Mitchells memo repeated Fords description.

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What he said at that rally wasnt more than stating the facts. It was less. It was full of lies.

You could argue that when Trump joked about Ford not knowing the neighborhood, he was using a strict definition of neighborhood. But that would be absurdly generous, especially after Kavanaugh specified an intersection. Lets be real: The reason Trump made the joke is that he didnt pay attention to Kavanaughs testimony, Fords testimony, or Mitchells memo. He just made it up.

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Trumps next line was about where in the house the attack occurred:  Upstairs, downstairs, where was it? I dont know.  Here, theres no interpretation that can rescue the presidents lie. In her initial letter, her interview with the Washington Post, and her testimony, Ford explicitly said the attack happened upstairs. Mitchell, in her memo, repeated that point. Anyone who has paid attention to Fords story, sympathetically or skeptically, knows that the upstairs/downstairs distinction is central to her description of the attack and to witness testimony for or against her. There are only two possible explanations for Trump joking that she didnt know on which level the attack took place. One is that he didnt read the memo or watch the testimony. The other is that he doesnt care.

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Trumps last lineI had one beer. Thats the only thing I rememberis false on its face. Its a dismissal of everything Ford recalled in her testimony. Its also a brushoff of Mitchells memo.

So when Graham says everything [Trump] said was factual, hes lying. When Sanders says Trumps riff wasnt anything other than the president stating facts, shes lying. When Sanders says each of the things that he called out were things that were laid out in [Mitchells] memo, shes lying again. And when Conway says Trump was just pointing out factual inconsistencies, shes lying, too. Nothing Trump cited in his riff was an inconsistency. Everything he said was either a fabrication or a caricature of vagueness in Fords testimony.

Its true that Ford cant recall important details about place and time. Its true that she cant recall how she got to the house or how she left. Its true that every accused person is entitled to a presumption of innocence. But Trumps portrayal of Fords testimony wasnt true. It was a pack of lies. And people who defend it, like Lindsey Graham, are liars too.
Headlines have been singing the praises of Apples iOS 12 update.

The new operating system is totally worth downloadingnot only does it come with features that may improve your life, its also faster and smarter, according to Christina Bonningtons summary here in Slate. But have you heard? Its also said to be more of a gossip. According to reports, Siris latest iteration is a lot more clue-y about the stars, with celebrity trivia among its new tricks (which include shortcuts, calorie-counting support, and the weirdly targeted motorsports results, schedules, stats and standings). Siri, it seems, is keeping up with the Kardashians. Now thats something that may improve your life.

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According to Gadget Hacks, Siri previously relied heavily on Wikipedia for celebrity questions, and the results were not particularly user-friendly for those wanting to dig a little deeper. With iOS 12, however, the new-and-improved Siri gathers information from multiple sources and offers it up in a useful little tableau of factsa celebrity flashcard, of sorts. Ask whom John Legend is married to, and itll tell you its Chrissy Teigen (even pronouncing it correctly!) as well as offering an on-screen bubble including her profession, bio, height, date of birth, place of birth, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Its cute and clever, but any celebrity watchers hoping Siri might be their new shame-free TMZ will be bitterly disappointed. Siri is all about giving you facts, not gossip. Its great at the biographical information but fails at the fun stuff. Its encyclopedic about birth certificates, knowing where celebs were bornNicole Kidman in Honolulu, Natalie Portman in Jerusalembut its got no idea as to whether Nicole Kidman was ever a Scientologist, or how to pronounce Natalie Portmans real name.

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So just how culturally enlightened is Siri? I set out to test the limits of Siris celebrity-knowledge bank.

Its clear that Siri has the births down pat, but I ask the birthdate of my birthday buddy, just to make sureColin Firth was born Sept. 10, 1960, and is 58 years old, it replies, which checks out. Unlike the current president, Siri knows where celebrity Barack Obama was bornin the same place as Nicole Kidman, Honoluluand it tells me right down to the name of the hospital. Yet it cant tell me when Kylie Jenners baby was bornfor that, it suggests I try TMZ. Thats what I was trying to avoid, Siri.

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One area Siri definitely has covered is deathsomething that makes up a depressing amount of celebrity news this year and every year. Siri, when did Aretha Franklin die? Aug. 16, it tells me, even adding that she was 76 and died in Detroit. Siri, when did Mac Miller die? Sept. 7, 26, San Fernando Valley, California. When I ask how Mac Miller died, however, it doesnt respond aloud, instead offering me an on-screen bubble from Wolfram Alpha, Siris preferred computational-knowledge engine, that says: [Input interpretation: Mac Miller, cause of death; Result: drug overdose]. Same goes for Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdainit wont say the cause aloud, but it will share it. In fact, itll use Wolfram Alpha in lieu of reading out the causes of the most memorable celebrity deaths, from Elvis to Kurt Cobains to Marilyn Monroes. (Her barbiturate overdose, notably, isnt listed as either a suicide or a murder.)

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Siris database is only here for the hard facts: the births, deaths, and marriages.

What about relationships? I start with an easy one: Brangelina, only one of the most iconic duos of this or any generation, and one that remains highly newsworthy despite being through. Who was Angelina Jolies husband? I ask. Angelina Jolie was married to Brad Pitt from 2014 to 2016, it says, and offers a flashcard about Brad. (Technically the divorce isnt finalized, but well give it this one, considering thats when they announced their split.) Ask who her ex-husband is and youll get Jonny Lee and Billy Bob too, via Wolfram Alpha, which accurately lists Brad as her current husband. Sometimes you might find yourself genuinely wondering, Who are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolies kids? but Siri only offers up two names: Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt and Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt, each linking to a small flashcard covering their dates and places of birth. Even when I try just Ange, I get the same incomplete results. Its almost as if, according to Siri, Pax, Zahara, Knox, and Vivienne dont exist, in spite of the fact that twins Knox and Vivienne are the subjects of the most expensive celebrity photos ever sold. (By contrast, Amazons Alexa knows there are six, but it has a biological-child bias: Angelina Jolie has six children including Knox Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, and Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, it says.)

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Siri may struggle with kids, but it knows all the major Hollywood mothers (Carrie Fishers, Kate Hudsons) and fathers (Allison Williams, Angelina Jolies). It remembers all the marriages, if asked correctly (ask for Britneys ex-husbands, not husband) and even if the participants would rather forget, but struggles with relationships that didnt make it down the aisle, no matter how memorable. It cant tell me the names of any of Taylor Swifts exes, for instance, though it can tell me the names of both of Julia Roberts husbands, current and formerjust in case anyone forgot about Lyle Lovett.

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Its spotty in its knowledge of current celebrity beaus: It knows Ariana Grande is with Pete Davidsonwho doesnt?yet hasnt heard the buzz about Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom. This update needs an update: Someone needs to fix the database to show that Kourtney Kardashian and Younes Bendjima have broken up, bitterly, and that Miley and Liam are back onwhen I ask whom Miley Cyrus is dating, Siri says only that she used to date Liam Hemsworth and Nick Jonas, ignoring Stella Maxwell. (So deep is Siris marriage bias that Liams flashcard lists sister-in-law Elsa Pataky but not Miley.) According to Apple, Siri draws on a combination of Wikipedia, Apple Music, and Apple TV (sure, sure) for its celebrity facts, but honestly, itd probably be better off turning to WhosDatedWho, the celebrity-love-life encyclopedia that Slates Heather Schwedel calls the Google of the celebrity-relationships SEO space to the Bings that make up the rest of the pack. (At this point, Siri is showing itself to be a Bing.)

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And what about the more obscure figures? Siri only knows figures who are famous enough to have a Wikipedia page or at least be mentioned in the biographical facts of someone elses. It can answer questions about YouTube star PewDiePie or former real housewife of Beverly Hills Taylor Armstrong but sometimes struggles with the whos. It can link Apple Martin to her mother or Jackie Sandler to her husband, but since Cherry Seaborn doesnt make it onto her fiances flashcard, shes as good as dead to Siri. When our conversation turns to The Bachelor, Siri is stumped. Who won the last season of The Bachelor? I ask. The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer won one Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, it answers. (Meanwhile, true gossip fiend Alexa is able to tell me not only that Becca Kufrin won the last season of The Bachelor, but that Bachelor Arie Luyendyk Jr. later broke up with her to be with runner-up Lauren Burnham.)

Siri never gives up, even when it doesnt have the answer. When I ask it something challenging, it searches the web and offers up some potential links in lieu of an answer, usually from People, E! Online, PopSugar, Vanity Fairall good choices. But if youre hoping your iPhones new celebrity feature was going to save you from checking TMZ, youre sadly mistaken. Siris database is only here for the hard facts: the births, deaths, and marriages.

Fame is fleeting, but so is celebrity news. Siris just not up to the task.
It all makes sense once you realize they want to kill us, by Mike Whitney - The Unz Review : 'It is now apparent that these products in ...
STC faces losses as sugar idles in Sirsiya

More than 2,400 tonnes of sugar imported by Salt Trading Corporation (STC) has been lying idle at the Dry Port in Sirsiya, Birgunj, following the import restriction by the government.
Kuciaks last, unfinished, story is not dead. Robert Fico has forgotten this, but we should not.

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One week after police made their first arrests in the Kuciak and Kusnirova murder case, all the information in the public domain is now pointing towards the involvement of controversial businessman Marian Kocner.

When Alena Zsuzsova from Komarno was arrested last Friday, Slovak media immediately highlighted the links between her and Kocner that emerged from journalists talks with her neighbours, and with her and Kocners acquaintances.

On October 3, Dennik N cited police sources as saying that one of the four persons charged with the murder, local Komarno businessman Zoltan Andrusko  who, according to the prosecutors, was one of the middlemen between the person who ordered the murder and the hitman  had named Kocner in testimony as the person at the top of the murderous pyramid.

Even before that, Smer chairman and former prime minister Robert Fico revealed he had information that the Kocner theory was the most likely one being pursued by the police, during a one-way press conference (in which he denied journalists the opportunity to ask questions following his statement) whose main purpose appeared to be to declare It wasnt me.

Who owns the truth?
The General Prosecutors Office ordered criminal prosecution.

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The top prosecuting body in Slovakia, the General Prosecutors Office, found that the investigator of the District Police Presidium in Trencin made a mistake when halting the criminal prosecution of Nina Chuchelova from Dubnica nad Vahom, who died after being hospitalised in the Trencin Teaching Hospital.

The GPO came to this conclusion after having studied the documents following her cause of death, GPO spokesperson Andrea Predajnova said, as quoted by the Sme daily.

Prosecution bodies in error

Police wrongly evaluated the evidence and the facts of the case, she explained.

The October 17, 2013 death of Chuchelova, a mere six years old, in the then-Childrens Teaching Hospital in Bratislava-Kramare, was due to the fact that earlier  in the Trencin hospital  she had received too little IV, antibiotics were used too late, and her vital signs were not scrutinised sufficiently, according to two expert opinions, Sme wrote on October 4.

The Regional Prosecutors Office Trencin was ordered to secure a re-opening of criminal prosecution, the spokesperson noted.

Originally, the prosecutors office received the motion from childrens commissioner, Viera Tomanova. The Trencin police has not commented on the claim of GPO that they had committed an error. Trencin hospital did not comment, either, claiming they have not received the decision officially.

Ninas parents are satisfied with the decision, saying that they have started to believe that justice still exists.

How did the girl die?

Nina Chuchelova was hospitalised in the Trencin hospital with an abdominal flu; however, after two days of there and after being transport to the Bratislava-Kramare hospital, she died of shock caused by blood poisoning.

Despite the errors detected in the Trencin hospital treatment, the Healthcare Surveillance Authority twice declared that the hospital had not made any mistake. Police stopped the investigation  the Trencin prosecutors office  opining that the hospital did not cause the childs death.

There is also an ongoing civil court case so the issue is not concluded even five years since the girl's death.
The winner of the strongest edition so far is Tomas Benedikvoic of the Dennik N daily; there were many categories involved, including international.

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Tomas Benedikovic of the Dennik N daily is the winner of the 7th year of Slovak Press Photo competition, with his picture from a series capturing the For a Decent Slovakia street protests, which took place throughout Slovakia following the murders of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova, the TASR newswire wrote.

While his name was announced in September, the names of winners in other categories were revealed on October 4.

Street protests in focus

Most of the applications depicted this topic, so it was very difficult [to choose the winner], said Slovak-Canadian photographer Joe Klamar, chairman of the international jury of five, as quoted by TASR.

We all concurred that the winning photo must be from this event, because its a journalistic photo. I dont remember in recent decades so many people taking to the streets and Im not aware of any bigger event Slovakia has experienced recently, said Klamar about the winning photo showing the protesters standing peacefully with lights and singing the national anthem. Weve chosen it because its neutral, its long-lasting ... the situation hasnt ended, its neither won, nor lost. I think it shows the situation Slova kia is experiencing now, he added.

Slovak Press Photo jury members (L-R): head, Joe Klamar - AFP photographer - and Czarek Sokolowski of Poland - AP photographer - comment on the winning photo. (Source: TASR)

From among this category's finalists  News, Individual Photos  Jozef Jakubco of the Sme daily had the same subject (and the same title of the picture), while Boris Nemeth of Tyzden weekly won with the same theme (and eponymous works) in the category of News  Series.

In the Everyday Life category, the winner  Zuzana Knezekova, with her Flying over the Beauty / Prelet nad Krasnom was excluded for violating the competitions rules.

The strongest edition so far

As many as of 241 photographers registered for the competition, sending 2,672 pictures  the highest number in the competitions history, Slovak Press Photo director Jana Garvoldtova told the newswire.

The international jury evaluated both individual photos and a series of photos in the following categories  News, Reportage, Everyday Life, Portrait, Sport, Nature and Environment, World of Art and Culture, Young Photographers Up to 25 Years and Students, Long-Term Documentary and the Bratislava Grant. The jury pointed out that the quality of the photos was significantly higher in all categories compared to previous years.

More than 2,600 photos were sent, which is truly a huge number, considering that in the World Press Photo, there are 10,000 of them, Garvoldtova told the SITA newswire, adding that this worldwide organisation has shown interest in Slovak Press Photo, thus confirming the growing quality of local output. Moreover, World Press Photo will build up a library for the Slovak edition of the competition, in the Bratislava headquarters of the Slovak Press Photo foundation.
Slovaks live with the stereotype that a Slovak is a person with white skin born to two white Slovaks.

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A camera follows a woman with colourful ribbons tied in her hair as she walks in a night club corridor to reach the dance floor. A silent voice in the background sings Slovenske mamicky, pekne dcery mate. It is a slightly different version of a Slovak folk song that in the original version says: Slovak mums, you have handsome sons. In the video, "daughters" replaces "sons" in the lyrics.

At the end of the video, the woman turns to the camera. She is not your stereotypical Slovak woman. Her name is Natalie, she has a Congolese background but she was born in Slovakia.

We talk about tolerance, everyone who was born in Slovakia has a Slovak parent and loves this country is Slovak regardless of skin colour, Absolut Vodka, which is behind the ad, wrote in one of the many Facebook comments their ad has triggered.

The campaign went viral on social networks, with more than 500,000 views on Youtube as of early October. Some people praised it for disseminating tolerant ideas and condemnation of racism, others got angry due to it spreading colourful propaganda. Many opined that Natalie cannot be Slovak because she is of different skin tone and her Slovak citizenship will not change that. Some people and even pubs and bars announced a boycott of Absolut Vodka.

When foreigners living in Slovakia are asked whether they encountered racist attacks and prejudice, most say no. But what about the Slovaks who were born in Slovakia, have Slovak citizenship, speak fluent Slovak but are not considered Slovak anyway by some people?

Accepted as human

Dominika Dongova is Natalies sister. Her skin tone is also darker and thats the reason why she has experienced racism since she was a little girl.
The police do not wish to comment on the case, while the Prosecutors Office has asked the media not to publish any information on the murder.

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It appears that the police operation in Kolarovo (Nitra Region) probably thwarted another murder. People detained for the murder of investigative reporter Jan Kuciak and his fiancee, Martina Kusnirova, reportedly planned to kill Deputy General Prosecutor, Peter Sufliarsky, the Aktuality.sk website reported.

An unnamed source allegedly confirmed that the murder was to be carried out in Dunajska Luzna (Bratislava Region), where the prosecutor lived. The police are said to be collecting the camera records from all buildings.

Read also:

Read also: Will we learn from our collective failure? Read more

It is sensitive information, said Andrea Predajnova, spokesperson for the General Prosecutors Office, as quoted by the Sme daily. The Deputy General Prosecutor has therefore asked the media not to publish any information about the alleged preparation of the premeditated murder and let the law enforcement bodies do their job.

The police refused to comment on the case due to ongoing investigations.

Sufliarsky was dealing with mafia cases

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Read also: Kuciak murder: One of the accused said that Kocner ordered the murder Read more

Sufliarsky became more visible at the time he was dealing with the cases of the mafia boss Mikulas Cernak. He was present when the court sentenced Cernak to life. He was also dealing with other, mostly serious, mafia cases.

He became the Deputy General Prosecutor when Jaromir Ciznar was appointed to lead the General Prosecutors Office, Sme wrote.
Dutch Bros Coffee, the largest privately held drive-thru coffee chain in America, has just secured funding from TSG Consumer Partners. According to the press release, the total amount paid by TSG remains undisclosed but does give the company a minority stake in the business.

For those in the coffee world, the name TSG Consumer Partners may ring a bell; the firm invested in Stumptown, the funding heard round the world that kicked off a string funding announcements and acquisitions from big name specialty coffee roasters. And now TSG has turned their sights to another Oregon coffee company: Dutch Bros. Per the press release, the Grants Pass-based chain boasts 300 locations across seven states, and with the help of TSG, the brand has plans to increase that number to 800 in the next five years.

In the statement, Dutch Bros cofounder and CEO Travis Boersma had this to say:

TSG understands the vision of Dutch Bros and values our unique company culture and dedication to our people, customers and local communities. Were continuing to invest in our people first, helping those who are determined and hungry design their lives and live their dreams. We have set ambitious growth and expansion goals, and we trust TSG to help us build on this momentum in the most strategic way possible.

Along with Stumptown, Dutch Bros now joins a TSG beverage portfolio that has included: Pabst Blue Ribbon, SweetWater Brewing Company, Brewdog, Vitamin Water, Voss, and Duckhorn Vineyards.

The full statement from Dutch Bros Coffee can be found here.

Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Top image via Dutch Bros Coffee
Post Time with Mike and Mike, presented by BetAmerica, is excited to announce their lineup for Thursday morning's (Oct. 4) show, scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.

Mike Bozich and Michael Carter will be joined by owner-trainer Nancy Johansson, Joe Faraldo from the Standardbred Owners Association of New York, and Kurt Becker from the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

Johansson joins the program this week to talk about the recent purchases from the Lexington Selected Sale. She will talk about what went into the decision to purchase the horses, and some of the things that she looks for when at the yearling sales.

Faraldo will discuss the upcoming 2018 Yonkers International Trot. Faraldo will discuss what goes into selecting and getting the horses to the United States for the big race. Post Time will be live from Yonkers Raceway next Saturday to cover the $1 million race.

Becker, an announcer at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, discusses what goes into being the announcer at such a big event. He will talk about what kind of research goes into the position and what he looks forward to each year.

Post Time with Mike and Mike, presented by BetAmerica can be heard live every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. via posttimewithmikeandmike.com or on demand at betamerica.com/BARN.

(Post Time with Mike and Mike)
After securing resource consent in July 2014, then gettting the green light in September 2015 to begin construction, New Zealands latest geothermal power plant has now entered the commissioning phase.

More than 265,000 man hours have been completed on site, without a single lost time injury.

This is a momentous stage in the project, says Matt Todd, chief executive of Eastland Group, the Gisborne-based infrastructure company that owns Te Ahi O Maui operator Eastland Generation.

All pre-operational resource consent and safety requirements have been met. Operational checks are now being undertaken to allow commissioning to begin.

Initial heating up of the plant has begun, with the first synchronisation of the plant to the national grid expected to occur in the coming days. A reliability run will follow an extenstive testing regime, which is being conducted with Ormat Technologies Inc.

Israeli company Ormat, a world leader in the development of binary cycle geothermal power plants, supplied and constructed the Te Ahi O Maui power plant.

Matt says that Eastland Groups original business case has Te Ahi O Maui being commissioned from August 2018.

As with any mulit-year project of this scale and complexity, many activities run in parallel. The construction component was delivered ahead of plan, and were beginning commissioning only a few weeks behind our initial ambitious schedule.

Power for over 25,000 homes

The Te Ahi O Maui facility consists of three geothermal production wells, two geothermal injection wells, an Ormat binary power station similar to many others already in operation in New Zealand and around the world, and a transmission connection to the national grid.

Consents allow for the extraction of 15,000 tonnes of geothermal fluid daily from the Kawerau geothermal reservoir, for the next 35 years. Nearly 100% of this fluid will be injected back into the reservoir, ensuring the operation is sustainable.

Initially considered a 22MW plant, the Te Ahi O Maui plant is expected to achieve around 25MW - enough to power over 25,000 average homes. The increase in output has improved the plant construction cost, including drilling, to $5.45m/MW.

A collaborative approach

Te Ahi O Maui is a partnership between Eastland Generation and the Kawerau A8D Ahu Whenua Trust.

Both partners have brought strong commitments to the cultural wellbeing and safety of the whenua and the people working on the project, says Ben Gibson, Eastland Generation general manager and Te Ahi O Maui project director.

Our kaupapa of development has ensured the project was executed in an environmentally friendly, sustainable and culturally appropriate way.

Seeing this project completed has long been a vision for me and my whanau. We have a strong connection with the whenua and we are proud that it has been completed without any injury to people or the enviroment, says Cultural advisor for the project and kaumatua of the Trust, Tomai Fox.

A first under new health and safety legislation

One of our aims was to build a geothermal plant from the ground up, managing multiple contractors and high risk hazards, respecting and working closely with local iwi  with zero harm to workers and visitors, explains Mr Todd. Were proud to have achieved this, and its a testament to all the teams involved.

Te Ahi O Maui is the first geothermal power station to be built in New Zealand under new health and safety legislation, and the first of its type to submit a Safety Case. On 16 April 2018, they received notification from WorkSafe that their Safety Case had been accepted.

Long term benefits for local communities

We look forward to seeing Te Ahi O Maui provide baseload renewable energy to New Zealands emerging alternative energy markets, and playing a greater role in meeting the countrys current and future energy needs, says Matt.

Were exploring ways that we can use the output commercially, to support businesses and the communities we operate in.

Most importantly, Te Ahi O Maui will deliver strong financial returns to our sole shareholder, Eastland Community Trust, and their beneficiaries  the people of Tairawhiti Gisborne - for at least the next three and a half decades.

Our project partners Kawerau A8D Ahu Whenua Trust will also benefit from these long term returns.

Eastland Community Trust chief executive Gavin Murphy describes Te Ahi O Mauis development as an important piece of the economic puzzle for both Tairawhiti Gisborne and Kawerau.

It has been exciting to see the plans for Te Ahi O Maui come to life. The project is an example of best practice development with mana whenua, health and safety, and renewable energy.

Te Ahi O Maui is also notable as the largest single investment made within ECTs portfolio. Its commercial success will further underpin Eastland Groups strong dividends to the Eastland Community Trust. The local community will benefit from their commercial success via the distributions and direct investment programme of the Trust and the Trusts economic development arm, Activate Tairawhiti.

We congratulate everyone involved in the delivery of this extremely significant project.

Countdown to Te Ahi O Maui go live

July 2014: Resource consents are awarded to Te Ahi O Maui.

September 2015: Decision to proceed is signed off by Eastland Community Trust.

January 2016: Construction of project roads commences with Eastern Bay of Plenty contractor Grant Farms Ltd. Well pad construction is undertaken by Seay Earthmovers from Taupo.

May 2016: After assembly, inspections and karakia and blessings from the local kaumatua, drilling begins with MB Century and Halliburton. Ormat is engaged for the construction of the plant.

June 2016: Earthworks for the power plant and separator get underway with Seay Earthmovers.

Early 2017 onwards: Ormat mobilises to site to begin the foundation works for the power plant. Construction continues throughout 2017:

 MB Century is awarded the contract for the design and construction of the steamfield.

 Horizon Contracting, part of the electricity distribution company in the Bay of Plenty, constructs the transmission line.

September 2018: Plant construction is complete, and commissioning with Ormat begins. There will be a string of tests to ensure that the plant and all systems operate correctly, followed by a reliability run.

October 2018: Ormat is due to formally hand over Te Ahi O Maui to begin full commercial operations.

An official opening ceremony will be held early next year.
Supreme Court issues interim order barring plan to demolish Bag Durbar

The Supreme Court has issued an interim order, directing the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) not to demolish the historic Bag Durbar that suffered damage in the earthquake of April 25, 2015.
Finally, after a long time of announcing the ROG Phone back in June, ASUS has posted an official news that the gaming smartphone will make its debut on 18 October 2018. However, that will take place all the way in New York City but at least that really gives us a good idea that the device is ready.

This actually tallies with our recent report that it may come to Malaysia this month as well. The USA release should be the global launch so there's a good chance that Malaysia will be part of the first wave. According to sources, a retail listing has unveiled that the shipment for the ROG Phone will start from 22 or 24 October 2018, another indicator of the gaming phone's release for the Malaysia market but we shall see.

Despite the long delay, ASUS didn't really make that many changes on the ROG Phone. It's still packing the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, a monstrous 8GB of RAM, along with a 4000mAh battery, a 6-inch AMOLED screen panel, a dual 12MP + 8MP camera rear camera, running on the latest Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box and more. It's unknown if Malaysia will get the 128GB or 512GB model or not.

Stay tuned for more ASUS news at TechNave.com!
Tiger found dead in BNP

A tiger was found dead at Karnali embankment area of Bardiya National Park (BNP) in Bardiya district on Wednesday.
U.S. withdraws from international accords, says U.N. world court 'politicized'

The Trump administration on Wednesday pulled out of two international agreements after Iran and the Palestinians complained to the International Court of Justice about U.S. policies, the latest withdrawal by Washington from multilateral accords, Reuters reported.
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


The TransGriot is available for speaking engagements, college lectures, panel discussions, media interviews, conferences or Trans 101 education efforts for your school, business or professional organizations.



For local Houston area, Texas or national events, you can e-mail me at transgriot@yahoo.com



For events outside the Houston metro area, I ask that my travel and lodging expenses be covered.



This is separate from my speaking fee.



If you are interested in having me appear as a speaker or panelist, you can e-mail me with the date and details of your proposed event.

Please book as early as possible because my speaking and event calendar slots during the year rapidly fill up.
Mountain Shadows in Wayanad is just the place for a dreamy vacation
At 58, the member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is a veteran politician. For Patriarch Sako, he is committed to "true reconciliation" against tensions and controversies. He is respected leader and a source of hope, says Mgr Yaldo, who views citizenship as a fundamental basis of the country.

Baghdad (AsiaNews)  Card Louis Raphael Sako "welcomed with great pleasure" the election of Barham Salih as Iraqs new president. The Chaldean Patriarch urges the moderate Kurdish leader "to serve all Iraqis", build "a strong civil state", and "face the many challenges" that lay ahead.

The cardinal, who sent his message to AsiaNews for wider release, hopes to see the new president engage in greater efforts to achieve "true reconciliation" both in the government and the country, with "disputes and tensions" put aside.

Salih, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), was elected yesterday, defeating his main rival, Fuad Hussein, of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), by a margin of 219 votes to 22.

After his election, Salih took the oath of office pledging to safeguard Iraqs unity and safety.

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, the largely ceremonial post of head of state has been reserved to a Kurdish leader. Among his duties, the president is responsible, within 15 days of his election, for the appointment of a prime minister tasked with forming a new government.

A few hours after his election, Salih named Adel Abdul Mahdi, a former Oil and Finance Minister, as prime minister designate. Experts view Mr Mahdi as a compromise candidate liked by both by the United States and Iran.

Mahdis name was put forward by radical Shia leader Moqtada al-Sadr, whose coalition won last Mays parliamentary election but without an absolute majority.

The 58-year-old Barham Salih is considered a moderate, and served as prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government.

An engineer by training in Britain, he was forced into exile under Saddam Hussein. Most of his political life has been with PUK.

Electing a president was a source of tensions and divisions between the two main Kurdish parties, the PUK and Massoud Barzanis KDP, reflecting deeper cleavages in Iraqs Kurdish population, something that came into the open during last years independence referendum.

Now the new president will have to try to reconcile Kurds and the country as a whole.

For Mgr Basel Yaldo, the auxiliary bishop of Baghdad and the Patriarch Sakos right-hand man, choosing Salih brings hope because he is a veteran politician even though he is still young. He has held various offices and is a capable and balanced leader.

The prelate told AsiaNews that the new president is a "moderate and guarantor of unity", which is fundamental for rebuilding the country.

Like Patriarch Sako, the new president "strongly insists on the element of citizenship, not religious faith or ethnicity, as a fundamental basis of the Iraqi nation and society".

Mgr Yaldo noted that Salih was part of the interim government set up after Saddams fall and served as deputy prime minister under Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

For the prelate, "He will be a good president because he has great experience and is known and appreciated internationally. With him we have established good relations and he has great personal affection for us and Patriarch Sako."
EXCLUSIVE: Hot on the heels of Pine Gap ABC is planning another nuclear-themed drama miniseries.

Writer Peter Duncan (Rake) is scripting Fallout, a 6 hour drama on historic events at Maralinga.

To be produced by Porchlight Pictures (The Kettering Incident, Laid, Animal Kingdom, Jasper Jones), it is surrounds British atomic tests in 1953 in Maralinga, 1000 km northwest of Adelaide.

But the secretive tests also saw the displacement of Indigenous communities, whilst a 1980s Royal Commission found UK & and Australian servicemen were purposely exposed to fallout from the blasts, to study radiological effects. Despite an official clean-up, areas are still said to be contaminated and Indigenous communities have complained about poisoning.

We still have to go through a process with Screen Australia, so its not locked (down), Duncan told TV Tonight.

But Im writing it.

Pine Gap, which was at the centre of anti-nuclear campaigns in the 1980s, debuts on ABC on Sunday October 14.
A trial is currently ongoing in the Liverpool Crown Court, relating to the death of a 19-month-old toddler who had been securely tied to her mattress, with a duvet over her and a cage fixed over her cot. Ellie-May Minshull-Coyle reportedly showed no other signs of ill-health excepting the possibility of sleep-related problems, which led to the boyfriend caging her in her cot to help her sleep patterns.

According to a report by Birmingham Live, the 19-year-old mother, Lauren Coyle, her 20-year-old boyfriend and stepfather of the child, Reece Hitchcott, as well as their lodger, 20-year-old Connor Kirby denied manslaughter charges on 23 March 2017.

However, the trial continues in the matter.

Toddler tied up and caged

As reported by the BBC, a jury at the Liverpool Crown Court was told that Ellie-May had been tied up in a caged cot and forced to sleep face down, covered by a duvet. The cot was pushed against a wall, while the open sides were lashed together with ligatures tied to the frame.

Bedding and sheets had been draped over the open sides of what the court described as a monstrous cage. This was reportedly to stop the toddler being able to see outside her bed. A mattress and sheet had been used to cover the window of her bedroom and there were no working lights in the room.

The jury was told that Ellie-Mays ankles had been tied together and that marks on her wrists and ankles suggested the toddler had also been tied to the cage bed at some stage. Her forced sleeping position was said to have compromised her breathing, leading to her death.

Three defendants in court

Coyle, her boyfriend Hitchcott and lodger Kirby lived together with Ellie-May in a two-bedroom flat in Lostock Hall, Preston.

All three denied manslaughter charges last year, however, it is believed they all know what was going on with the toddler.

Toddler Ellie-May Minshull-Coyle died after being 'tied face-down and forced to sleep in cage' https://t.co/AG08GmNTQw pic.twitter.com/CweXvpQByG  Birmingham News (@DailyBRUM) October 4, 2018

Christopher Tehrani QC opened the case for the prosecution, telling the jury that their case reveals that Ellie-May was forcibly restrained and caged by those who should have been caring for her.

Tehrani said the situation would have caused the toddler immense distress, upset and suffering. The fact that she was restrained in a face-down position, would have compromised the toddlers ability to breathe.

Tehrani said Ellie-May would have been unable to move due to her restraints, into a position that would have allowed her to breathe properly. The prosecution stressed that the toddlers death was wholly avoidable, unnecessary and pointless. He added that Ellie-May did, apparently, struggle with sleeping patterns but was otherwise a totally normal toddler with no health problems.

Mother speaks to the police about Ellie-Mays death

Coyle had told the police that Hitchcott had begun binding her daughter to her bed from around January 2017.

This was allegedly to help Ellie-May get into a sleep routine. Coyle said she didnt approve of his actions. Coyle took Ellie-May to the local job centre on 22 March 2017, where she said the toddler was full of life and mischievous.

'Frustrated' mum's Snapchat message hours before tot died 'in monstrous cage'https://t.co/TIOQ850cEv pic.twitter.com/xZyPFohqog  Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) October 4, 2018

However, at about 7:30 PM that night, Hitchcott and Kirby had put Ellie-May to bed, where the child slept until around midnight. However, when she was unsettled for the remainder of the night, Coyle reportedly sent a Snapchat message to her friend, writing that the child was p*ssing me of [sic] tonight. The next morning at around 6 AM, the mother contacted her father to tell him her daughter would not stop crying, adding in her message that she had left Ellie-May to cry for around two more hours, as she was allegedly taking the Mickey.

It was when her father arrived at their flat at 9 AM that a terrible problem was revealed. Sean Coyle had entered the bedroom to find the child wasnt breathing. An ambulance attended Ellie-May but paramedics were unable to resuscitate the child.

Toddler pronounced dead

Despite all efforts by medical staff at the Royal Preston Hospital, the toddler was pronounced dead at 10:47 AM. The post-mortem examination revealed the childs death had been caused by her being restrained in a face-down position, complicated by hyperthermia.

Tehrani said that Dr. Alison Armour, the forensic pathologist, was of the opinion that the toddlers injuries reveal she had been forcibly bound to the cot on more than one occasion.

Coyle, Hitchcott and Kirby have pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charge and to a further charge of allowing or causing the death of a child, a further charge of child cruelty for caging Ellie-May and another of child cruelty for restraining the toddler in her bed. The trial is still ongoing.
On their first ever tour of Sussex as Duke and Duchess, Prince Harry and Meghan received loving receptions from crowds of well-wishers and Royal fans at every stop. The extremely quick four-stop visit saw the couple descend on Chichester, Bognor, Brighton and Peacehaven with big turnouts of people desperate to meet the Royal couple this week.

The Royal Tour

On their wedding day in May, Harry and Meghan were given the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex, making them newly cherished idols of the region.

The BBC reported that at their first stop in the West Sussex cathedral town of Chichester, the Royal couple were seen interacting with the crowds, who lined the streets, for a prolonged reception period.

Meghan was said to be very 'natural' according to fans who reportedly spoke to her about her beloved 'wedding dress' and reminisced about the Spring wedding. Prince Harry even found time to delight fans by tickling and joking with a two-year-old admirer who had been waiting for a glimpse of the Prince with his mother.

In Bognor, the Royal husband and wife performed the duty of officially opening the University of Chichester's Engineering and Digital Technology Park before then being taken on a tour of the new state of the art facilities. Both Meghan and Harry then went into classrooms to speak with students who will be benefiting from the region's innovative new centre.

There were glorious scenes in Brighton as the couple met fans in the sunny city next to the scenic Brighton Royal Pavilion.

Crowds passionately chanted their names as they made their way around talking and laughing with ardent Royal supporters. After touring the Pavilion, Harry and Meghan went to look at a charity for survivors of rape and sexual assault, called 'Survivors' Network', continuing the Royal pair's passion for championing worthy causes.

The last stop of their whirlwind tour was in Peacehaven where they greeted young people at the Joff Youth Centre. They took a special interest in the organisation's work on mental health and wellbeing which is a cause that has been at the forefront of the Royal Family's work in recent times with the founding of their charity, 'Heads Together'.

The Royal couple have already won the hearts of many

This whistlestop tour comes in the wake of many public appearances Harry and Meghan have made which have always had a particular focus on uplifting the charitable sector and promoting worthy causes.

Just last month, Meghan announced her first solo project as a member of the Royal Family. The endeavour is a cookbook devoted to the survivors of the Grenfell Tower disaster. The cookbook is being produced by cooks at the Hubb Community Kitchen in West London where the tragedy took place. Having volunteered at the centre since January, Meghan decided to write the foreword to the book as she felt so 'connected' with the organisation.
Russian President Putin and Austria's Federal Chancellor Kurz speak during their meeting in the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg Russian President Vladimir Putin and Austria's Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz speak during their meeting in the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia October 3, 2018. Dmitri Lovetsky/via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, speaking alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, said all European countries participating in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project supported it, TASS news agency reported.

"I want to assure you, that European countries, participating in this project, support it. They regard it positively, and want to implement it together," Kurz was quoted as saying.

The interests of Ukraine in the matter must also be upheld, he said.

(Reporting by Polina Ivanova; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
European Union Chief Negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier accompanied by a delegation of Irish ministers visits the Armagh and County Louth border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. Photo: Reuters

Ireland is holding back the tide of Brexit vengeance within the European Union, according to the chairman of the countrys Brexit committee.

Many within the EU really want to do a number on the UKas if, how dare you question this European project? senator Neale Richmond told Yahoo Finance UK in an interview.

Richmond serves as the ruling Fine Gael partys spokesperson on European affairs in the Irish senate, and chairs the special committee on the UKs exit from the EU.

If the Brexiteers think were being difficult, or were being awkward, its very hard to explain to them that, look, were doing you a massive favour here, he said.

READ MORE: Chair of Irish Brexit committee: Hard border will see return to violence within a week

Not just to save yourselves from yourselves, but also to hold back the tide of genuine vitriol towardsnot the UK as an entity, not to the British people as a people, but towards the movement that is the ignorant Brexiteer movement, Richmond added.

Richmond said that he could understand why certain sections of the EU felt this way. Where the project stems from post World War II means that it has so much more resonance for continental Europeans than it does for us [in Ireland] and people in the UK, he said.

READ MORE: Fear swirls around Brexit hitting the lifeblood of Northern Irelands economy

You have people in Brussels and Strasbourg who have spent their lives working on this fantastic peace project thats morphed into so much more, and its the envy of the world, and you have these Brexiteers labelling them as a bunch of bureaucrats.

Some of them, he said, actively would like to punish the UK.

The UK is punishing itself, though. Its not going to do well out of this. It cant do well out of this. But if we get a withdrawal agreement and move onto trade negotiations, thats when Ireland really steps up to the plate as the UKs closest friend.

Its not just because theyre our direct trading partner; its our direct access to our largest market on the continent. Its so so important.

Story continues

Richmond also countered suggestions that Ireland is going to be thrown under the bus by the EU, because the bloc wants a trade deal at all costs. That hasnt happened, and its not going to happen, he said.

READ MORE: Controversial single malt tax avoidance structure still in use in Ireland

The relationship between Ireland and the EU, on some matters, has not been without contention, however.

Ireland has been battling against proposals that would see a harmonisation of tax rules within the bloc. Speaking in the European Parliament in January, Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar accused fellow member states of hypocrisy over corporate tax and rejected claims that Ireland was a tax haven.

Theres a bit of hypocrisy about that when you look at the amount of money that we actually collect in terms of corporate taxes versus other countries that collect so much less, but yet on paper have a higher tax rate and I think that needs to be challenged, he told the parliament.

But Richmond say that this hasnt translated into Ireland bowing down to pressure from the EU, even if member states have been supportive of the nation during Brexit talks.

He said that Ireland will not have to compromise on its 12.5% corporate tax rate, as the appetite for that in other member states is actually very low.

Not only does Ireland have a veto on this, but so do 26 other member statesand youll find Estonia will be a lot quicker to act on that than Ireland will be.




By Foo Yun Chee

STRASBOURG (Reuters) - There is "no chance" of Italy defaulting on its debts and the country is very different from Greece, Italy's minister for European affairs was quoted on Wednesday as telling EU lawmakers.

Paolo Savona was speaking after presenting a document to Italian lawmakers in the European Parliament in which he proposes a review of the EU's monetary and fiscal policy.

"I think there is no chance that Italy will default on its public debt," Savona said, according to a person who attended the meeting.

Italy has the second largest debt in the European Union as a proportion of its gross domestic product (GDP) after Greece, which has received three multi-billion-euro bailouts over the past few years. Italy's debt exceeds 130 percent of GDP.

Italy's populist-led government said last week it planned to run a deficit of 2.4 percent of GDP next year, tripling the previous government's target.

After the announcement triggered a sell-off in Italian assets and EU criticism, Rome said on Wednesday it would cut its deficit from 2020.

Savona, who was his government's original pick as economy minister but vetoed by Italy's president due to his critical opinion of the euro, said he had presented to EU lawmakers a document in which he proposed "to reassess the European monetary and fiscal policy in an integrated manner".

Savona was referring to a document he posted on his ministry's website a month ago.

In that paper he called for the public debt of all euro zone states to be brought below 60 percent of gross domestic product, via long-term restructuring underwritten by the European Central Bank.

Savona also said Italy was very different from Greece, in an apparent reaction to remarks made by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

Juncker warned Rome this week against following a fiscal policy that he said could cause a financial crisis like the one experienced by Greece over the past few years.

(Writing by Francesco Guarascio; editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Gareth Jones)
Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, has repeatedly warned of the risk to financial stability posed by not finding a back up plan for trillion pound contracts in a no deal Brexit scenario - REUTERS

Trillions of pounds worth of financial contracts at threat from a no deal Brexit may soon be protected after a senior EU regulator hinted at a compromise on the issue.

Steven Maijoor, chairman of the European Securities and Markets Authority told an audience in Athens that he favoured a transitional arrangement to allow EU firms to access clearing houses based in London, should the UK quit the bloc without a deal.

Mr Maijoor said such a move was necessary in order avoid risks to the stability of EU financial markets if the contracts were thrown into doubt.

While the City welcomed Mr Maijoor's speech, the contract will not be considered properly safeguarded until the European Central Bank and Bank of England's joint Technical Working Group have agreed a formal solution.

The Bank of England has repeatedly warned of the threat to the financial sector if such a solution is not found for financial contracts worth 29 trillion.

The Bank issued it first warning in June 2017. Some policy makers have grown increasingly impatient that the EU has not matched the Banks offer of a short term solution to ensure continuity of the contracts.

In its Financial Stability Report published in June this year, the Bank said: The biggest remaining risks of disruption are where action is needed by both UK and EU authorities, such as ensuring the continuity of existing derivative contracts. As yet the EU has not indicated a solution analogous to a temporary permissions regime.

Miles Celic, chief executive of the trade body TheCityUK, said Mr Maijoors remarks were long overdue and a step forward.

Mr Celic echoed the remarks of, Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, who said that the private sector alone could not resolve the issue of derivatives contracts. Regulators and legislators needed to take the lead on the issue, he said.

Possible solutions could involve including the contracts within the UKs Withdrawal Agreement with the EU.

We now need regulators on both sides of the Channel to work together towards a broader and fully joined up approach to no-deal planning," Mr Celic added. "This is critical to ensuring wider European financial stability and for providing certainty to customers and clients."
European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans delivers a speech during a debate on the rule of law in Romania at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, October 3, 2018. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

Thomson Reuters

By Foo Yun Chee

STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - Romania appears to be backsliding in its judicial reforms, the European Commission said on Wednesday, underlining its concerns that the country could be a potential domino after Hungary and Poland with their perceived authoritarian drift.

Plans by Romania's Social Democrat-led ruling coalition to overhaul the judiciary and change legislation to potentially decriminalize several corruption-related offences have drawn criticism from the EU, the U.S. State Department and Romanian magistrates, and have triggered large street protests.

This is a worrying development, European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans.

"We have seen substantial progress in the past but things are now moving backwards in a way that would be damaging for the place that Romania has built as an EU member state in recent years," Timmermans told EU lawmakers during a debate on Romania.

"I call on the Romanian authorities to conduct full and impartial investigations of this issue," he said.

"The reform to the judicial laws and criminal court are interlinked and it must be avoided that they have a negative impact on the independence of the judiciary and their effectiveness to combat corruption."

Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila dismissed the criticism. "Do not deny Romania things that are permitted to other member states of the Union and do not allow that in Romania, things should happen that are unacceptable in other member states," she told European Parliament.

"We want to be a partner but we want to be equal partners. No one never will be able to turn Romania back from its European road," Dancila said.

The center-right European People's Party (EPP), the largest in the European Parliament, joined in the criticism.

"Romanians fought against communism for their liberties. They tore down a tyranny and built a democracy. Such brave and noble efforts should not be undermined," said Esteban Gonzalez Pons, EPP vice-chairman.

Story continues

(Additional reporting by Clement Rossignol; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

See Also:
"The holy grail of whisky", which dates back almost a century, has been sold for a record-breaking sum at auction.

The bottle of 1926 Macallan Valerio Adami was bought for 848,750, including a hammer price of 700,000 and a buyer's premium of 148,750.

The whisky, which fetched the vast sum due to its rarity, vintage and unique artwork, had been expected to go for between 700,000 and 900,000.

Its label was designed by well-known Italian pop artist Valerio Adami.

Macallan had commissioned Adami and Briton Peter Blake to come up with labels for a very limited edition of 24 bottles.

Twelve carried the Adami label and 12 had the Blake design. It is not known how many of them still exist.

The whisky, sold at Bonhams in Edinburgh to an unknown buyer, is officially described as a 60 years old, having been created in 1926 and bottled in 1986.

Martin Green, from the auction house, said: "I am delighted at this exceptional result. It is a great honour to have established a new world record, and particularly exciting to have done so here in Scotland, the home of whisky.

"The Macallan 1926 60-year-old has been described as the Holy Grail of whisky.

"Its exceptional rarity and quality puts it in a league of its own, and the world's most serious whisky collectors will wait patiently for many years for a bottle to come on to the market."

Bonhams said the previous world record was set by the auction house this May when another bottle of the Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 was sold for 814,081.

One of the limited edition bottles is said to have been destroyed in an earthquake in Japan in 2011, and it is believed at least one of them was opened and drunk.

The bottle sold on Wednesday was bought by the seller direct from the Macallan distillery for an undisclosed sum in 1994.

Bonhams Hong Kong sold a bottle of the Macallan Peter Blake 1926 60-year-old for 751,703 in May.

Valerio Adami, now aged 83, is famous for painting bold, flat forms outlined in thick, black lines, in a style reminiscent of comic art.

He is among the most highly acclaimed of 20th century pop artist, alongside Sir Peter Blake.

The 86-year-old is best known for co-creating the sleeve design for the Beatles' album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran will deliver a slap and defeat America by defeating sanctions, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in an address broadcast Thursday on state TV.

The speech was delivered to tens of thousands of members of the Basij militia and top Revolutionary Guards commanders in a stadium in Tehran.

(Reporting By Babak Dehghanpisheh; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
Labor says boosting the domestic renewables industry will have flow-on benefits for traditional industry, with metallurgical coal required to manufacture wind turbines. Photograph: David Gray/Reuters

Australia is in a position to replace thermal coal exports with the export of renewable energy technologies if the parliament can settle an energy policy and end a decade of policy chaos, the Labor frontbencher Pat Conroy says.

The shadow assistant minister for climate change and energy will use an appearance at a renewable energy conference on Thursday to argue that Australia can remain an energy export superpower during the transition to low-emissions energy  it just wont be fossilised carbon, instead it will be wind and solar power.

Conroy says in his speech that thermal coal exports will decline significantly over the next few decades but Australia will continue to export metallurgical coal, which makes up 65% of our coal exports by value, for a long time to come, as there is no other way of manufacturing steel at an industrial scale.

He says that, with the right policy settings, Australia can replace thermal coal exports with renewable energy exports, and also develop the hydrogen economy.

Some critics of renewables  such as the former prime minister Tony Abbott  contend that a high take-up of low-emissions technology will lead to the de-industrialisation of Australia.

But Conroy argues the reverse is true. The shift to renewables also offers Australia the opportunity to revitalise the manufacturing sector.

As the world decarbonises its electricity supply, the nations that can transform into manufacturing powerhouses are those with the cheapest energy, which will be the nations with the best renewable energy resources.

He says the opportunity is twofold. Australia has the highest average solar radiation per square metre of any continent in the world, plus abundant wind and wave resources, generating power that can be firmed by gas peaking plants, pumped hydro and batteries.

Conroy says Australia is also well positioned to be the capital of mining and processing of key inputs for the renewables revolution.

Story continues

We are the second-largest producer of rare earths, we supply 41% of the worlds lithium and we have 12.4% of global copper reserves. These are all crucial materials for clean energy and battery manufacture.

Conroy will restate Labors commitment to create renewable energy zones if it wins the next federal election. He says the zones will be central to developing new industries such as hydrogen, direct electricity export and new energy intensive manufacturing facilities.

He says boosting the domestic renewables industry will have flow-on benefits for traditional industry, with metallurgical coal required to manufacture wind turbines.

In a similar vein, if we source local steel for the wind farms that will be built to meet Labors 50% renewable energy commitment, this would need 423,000 tonnes of Australian steel. This is around 10% of Australias annual steel production.

He says producing a coherent development plan for Australias renewables industry is not some hippy nirvana but a transition already underway in other countries.

Conroy says the US remains a case in point, despite Donald Trump pulling out of the Paris agreement and winding back some of the environmental regulations of the Obama era. He says there are close to 3.4m clean energy jobs in the US, 200,000 jobs in the United Kingdom and 350,000 in Germany.

The speech is critical of the Turnbull and Morrison governments for floating and rejecting a series of energy policy options during this term in government, and Conroy notes that industry and the general public are crying out for a vision for our energy sector.

The new energy minister, Angus Taylor, was invited to address Thursdays renewables conference but declined.

Labor is yet to determine its final position on the future of national energy guarantee  the policy developed by the Coalition to promote reliability and emissions reduction in the electricity sector  before being dumped by the new Morrison cabinet.

But while the oppositions position is not yet final, the Labor leader, Bill Shorten, has sent a number of public signals over the past month that the ALP is likely to keep the Neg mechanism with a higher target for emissions reduction.

A number of industry stakeholders are lobbying the ALP to keep the Neg.

Last month, Shorten told the ABC we think that theres something that we can work with there and we are prepared to use that as part of our framework going forward.
By Denis Dumo and Giulia Paravicini

JUBA/KINSHASA (Reuters) - The last remaining group of South Sudanese rebels who had been in exile in Democratic Republic of Congo have left to return home or third country destinations, a rebel spokesman and the United Nations said on Thursday.

A relapse into war in July 2016 between forces of South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar led to a flight of rebels from the capital Juba. Hundreds fled to the jungles of neighbouring Congo where they sought out the protection of United Nations peacekeepers.

Last month, however, the warring sides signed another peace deal that is expected to end the fighting and return a measure of order and security to Africa's youngest nation.

A rebel spokesman and the United Nations said the exiles had over several months been repatriated to South Sudan or moved to neighbouring states including Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan.

The rebels stayed in a U.N. camp in Congo's southeastern city of Goma on the border with Rwanda.

"Today the last 12 remaining members left the camp for several destinations including South Sudan," said Florence Marchal, spokesman for the U.N. mission in Congo MONUSCO.

The 12 were among a total of 744 rebels who fled to Congo and eventually sought U.N. protection.

War erupted in South Sudan in 2013, triggered by a political disagreement between Kiir and Machar. A peace pact in 2015 briefly halted the violence before mutual suspicions sparked renewed fighting the following year.

(Additional Reporting by Sabiti Djaffar in Goma; writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  The Latest on stranded ferry in the Baltic Sea (all times local):

4:30 p.m.

A spokesman for Russia's Federal Agency for Sea and River Transport says that the crew of a stranded ferry in the Baltic Sea with about 300 people onboard is trying to make one of the ship's malfunctioning engines work again.

Alexei Kravchenko has told the Interfax news agency that the crew has asked to be taken to Lithuania. He says that a Russian tugboat and ships from Lithuania, Estonia and Sweden are approaching the ferry to provide assistance.

The Copenhagen, Denmark-based operator DFDS Seaways said the Regina Seaways was stranded in the Baltic Sea after the ship experienced engine failure.

No injuries have been reported and the company said that an evacuation wasn't immediately necessary.

The ship was in international waters off Kaliningrad, Russia's Baltic Sea exclave between Poland and Lithuania. The ferry was traveling between the ports of Kiel, Germany, and Klaipeda, Lithuania.

___

3:10 p.m.

Danish ferry operator DFDS says that 294 passengers have been stranded after one of its ships had an engine breakdown in the Baltic Sea.

The company says that the malfunction aboard the Regina Seaways produced smoke, which triggered the ship's fire extinguishing system in the engine room. No passengers or crew members have been injured, according to a statement.

DFDS said Tuesday that passengers were assembled at muster stations in preparation for a possible evacuation, but it wasn't necessary because the "situation is under control."

The statement said that the extent of the damage wasn't yet fully known, and it is not yet clear whether the ship can continue on its own or with tugboat assistance.

The ferry was traveling between the ports of Kiel, Germany, and Klaipeda, Lithuania.

See Also:
Reuters

U.N. climate talks in Scotland ended with a global agreement aimed at keeping alive hopes of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius, and so maintain a realistic shot at saving the world from catastrophic climate change. Alok Sharma, the conference https://www.reuters.com/business/cop chairman, was visibly emotional before banging down his gavel in relief to signal that there were no vetoes from the almost 200 national delegations present in Glasgow, ranging from coal- and gas-fuelled superpowers to oil producers and Pacific islands being swallowed by the rise in sea levels. The two-week conference in Glasgow, which extended into an extra day https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/cop26-final-hours-climate-negotiations-2021-11-12 of tortuous negotiations, was the 26th of its kind but the first to call for a reduction in fossil fuels, which not only power much of the world's economy but are also the main cause of manmade global warming.
A Brown Bear With Cubs Forages In The Forest Outside Ljubljana, Slovenia - Getty Images Europe

Bear lovers scored a key victory Thursday after French authorities secretly helicoptered a Slovenian she-bear into the Pyrenees mountains.

The bear was flown over roadblocks erected by irate local farmers who say the beasts pose a threat to their flocks.

Conservationists hope the female, soon to be joined by a second, will prevent the bear population from dying out in the western Pyrenees as only two lonesome males - father and son - are left in the area.

But a group of angry farmers wielding shepherding staffs had set up bales of hay and tractors along key roads into the Pyrenees from France to Spain, and had spent the night manning roadblocks in a bid to stop them being trucked in.

"It's war," said large letters daubed in white paint across the road.

"We saw the helicopter over Etsaut. It was hovering and let down a cage," said Olivier Maurin, a local sheep farmer and organiser of the anti-bear protest.

Mr Maurin said farmers intended to launch a hunt in the woods, not to kill but to scare the bears away from their sheep and other livestock.

Breeders gather on October 3, 2018 in Sarrance in the French Pyrenees as they block the Asp valley access to protest against introduction of two bears from Slovenia Credit: IROZ GAIZKA/AFP

Jean-Pierre Chourrout-Pourtalet, the mayor of the small town of Sarrance who joined farmers at one of the roadblocks, pledged to chase the bears off the land.

"I have enacted a bylaw outlawing bears and wolves from within municipal borders and I am duty-bound to see the law enforced," he told AFP.

Anti-bear farmers have previously taken the law into their own hands, targeting the animals with various traps, including one containing honey laced with glass.

Francois de Rugy, Frances environment minister, insisted the government would stand firm in its drive to shore up biodiversity - enshrined in a law passed this summer - by reintroducing bears to the area.

Speaking on France Info radio, he slammed "the unacceptable attitude" of those "who feel entitled to set up roadblocks and threaten me with guns". Not all farmers were against the bears presence. Elise Thebault, a sheep farmer from Etsaut, said: The bears have always been here since the dawn of time.

Story continues

We have always lived side by side. You never see them and it doesn't affect our lives. The government compensates farmers for any livestock deaths from bear attacks but that has failed to reduce tensions.

Bears were re-introduced from Slovenia in the 1990s after hunters all but wiped out Frances native population.

The last time was in 2006, when five were freed near the Spanish border, but the lovelorn males, Canellito and Nere, are the only ones left in the western Pyrenees.

Another 37 have been counted in the central section of the mountain range along the Spanish border.

But conservationists say the two isolated males are unlikely to reach the group and would have to fight dominant males before being able to mate with the females.

The reintroduction of the creatures, which can weigh 250kg (almost 40 stone) and stand two metres tall on their hind legs, has been a divisive and impassioned issue for more than 20 years.

The quarrel mirrors a similar dispute over wolves, which have returned to France from Italy after being hunted to extinction by the early 20th century.

Polls suggest the French are vastly in favour of the bears, although farmers blamed them for the deaths of more than 200 sheep who tumbled off cliffs while being chased by bears in 2017.

The Ariege stretch of the Pyrenees has seen a doubling of bear attacks over the last two years to more than 230 so far in 2018, according to a local farmers' union.

Breeders in the area have lost at least 372 livestock so far this year, it asserted.
Gerald Grand, staff member at Agolin, Swiss maker of feed additives based on botanical compounds, works on a mixture of components in Biere, Switzerland, September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

Thomson Reuters

By Cecile Mantovani

BIERE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Cows burp and fart more than they need to, says a Swiss firm that has developed a feed that cuts methane emissions from livestock - helping to combat global warming into the bargain.

A single cow produces the equivalent of about three tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, says Agolin, based in Biere near Lausanne. Co-founder and managing director Kurt Schaller told Reuters its specialist feed can reduce that by 10 percent.

"We sell our mixture for around 1 million cows per year... There are 25-28 million cows in the European Union, so it is a big percentage," he said. "That represents 300,000 tonnes of CO2 reduction today."

The United Nations says livestock farming alone is responsible for up to 18 percent of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

Nearly a quarter of that comes from bovine flatulence.

"The burps for the cows - it is more burps than farts - contribute about ... 4 percent of (all) greenhouse gas emissions," said Anne Mottet, livestock development officer at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.

Agolin says field trials have shown its product also helps increase milk yield and feed efficiency, which are benefits that farmers can more easily measure.

"A farmer does not get a cent if he reduces his methane production," said technical director Beatrice Zweifel. "That is starting to change a little bit, however, for example in California, where farmers must reduce their methane production by 40 percent."

(Reporting by Cecile Mantovani, additional reporting by Fabiano Franchitti in Rome, writing by Tom Miles; editing by John Stonestreet)

See Also:
BHP Billiton has predicted China will account for around 7% of global demand for copper, after analysing the countrys international infrastructure spending plans.

The multibillion dollar programme, called the Belt and Road Initiative and launched in 2013, is intended to connect China with the rest of the world through a belt of overland corridors and a road of shipping lanes. It entails a vast number of overseas construction projects in 115 countries  up from BHP's earlier estimate of 68  across South America, South East Asia and parts of Africa.

In its latest analysis, BHP estimates that the initiative will represent one third of the global economy and drive spending of up to $1.3trn on infrastructure projects by 2023.

It will also, according to the blue-chip miner, create a surge in demand for copper. BHPs analysis expects demand to increase by around 1.6m tonners, around 7% of annual demand, over the next five years.

More than 70% of that demand is expected to come from around 100 new power projects.

Said BHP: Copper does not directly benefit as much as steel from the road, rail and other transport and logistics projects that represent around half of the total project outlay. However, the positive spillover effects of this infrastructure is expected to provide a wider field of economy opportunity in recipient countries for decades.

It conceded that foreign investment was a "complex and risky business". But it added: "There are signs that China is developing its institutional statecraft to improve its management of such challenges in the future, and the capacity of its firms to develop infrastructure at scale are beyond doubt."

BHP, which owns the worlds largest copper mine, in Chile, derives around 28% of its earnings from the metal. One of its core sectors, it is looking to expand mines in Chile and Australis as it seeks to counter the impact of failing quality at its operations.

BRAZIL UPDATE

Separately, BHP updated the London market on the Samarco compensation programme. Samarco, a joint venture between BHP and Vale in Brazil, was involved in a deadly dam collapse in 2015, which killed 19 people and was an environmental disaster. Samarco, which has always claimed it followed Brazilian laws, has been in negotiations with local prosecutors ever since.

Press reports said that a final compensation deal had been reached and payments would now be made to families of the 19 dead as well as those who had lost homes and other properties in the disaster.

BHP said it had noted the media reports, and added: "The agreement outlines the processes and principles for the negotiation and implementation by the Renova Foundation for the formal compensation programme for impacted people Mariana, Minas Gerais. To date, the Renova Foundation has been providing compensation and support to many of the individuals in Mariana who have been impacted by the dam failure."

The Renova Foundation was set up by the companies involved to manage the compensation scheme following the dam collapse.
Sterling gained on Thursday after an EU source told Reuters that the UK's latest proposals on how to avoid extensive border checks in Ireland, after Brexit, were "a step in the right direction" and "make finding a compromise possible".

That came as the Financial Times reported that Dublin had shown support for one of Prime Minister Theresa May's proposal in case no other solutions could be found.

In response, the pound was trading 0.59% higher versus the Greenback at 1.30166 as of 1920 BST and by 0.37% against the single currency to 1.1316.

Trading in the other major currency pairs was mixed, with euro/dollar bouncing back by 0.22% to 1.15028 after positive US data and hawkish remarks from US Fed chair Jerome Powell had knocked it sharply lower on Wednesday.

Dollar/yen on the other hand was moving lower by 0.64% to 113.805.

From a bird's eye view, the US dollar spot index, which tracks the American currency's value versus that of the currencies of its main trading partners, was edging higher by 0.02% to 95.7790.

However, emerging market currencies were mostly lower with the China's yuan being the main exception.

The US dollar was up by 2.56% to 6.2011 against the Turkish lira, by 1.78% to 38.3483 versus the Argentine peso and by 1.73% to 67.0297 in its cross with the Russian rouble.

Also weighing on the rouble was a large drop in crude oil futures and perhaps also talk of further sanctions in response to the indictment in the US of seven alleged Russian agents for cyber attacks.

Gains were more muted against the Brazilian real, at 0.73% to 3.9311, and the Mexican peso, at 0.64% to 19.1668.
Danske Bank is under investigation by the US Department of Justice over foreign accounts linked to the 200bn money-laundering scandal centred around the banks Estonian branch, while Swedbank provided more assurances on Thursday.

In a statement made by the Danske on Thursday, the lender confirmed it had received several requests for information from the DoJ and said that it was cooperating with authorities.

The US investigation had been rumoured in the Danish media and now joins other official inquiries being carried out by both Danish and Estonian authorities.

Danske also said it would end a share buyback scheme after Danish authorities said its compliance and reputational risks are higher than previously thought.

The companys chief executive, Thomas Bergen, stepped down last month after allegations surfaced over the summer that as much as 200bn had been laundered through the small Estonian branch and the companys board admitted that they could have done more to prevent the laundering.

The Danish bank said that much of $235bn in non-resident flows between 2007 and 2015 could be deemed suspicious. It said 6,200 of the 15,000 accounts covered by the flows have the highest risk indicators for laundering and have now been reported to authorities.

The source of the funds is unclear, although the Estonian investigation is understood to be focussed on the handling of Russian and ex-Soviet money.

On Wednesday the central bank of Estonia, a country where banks handled roughly 900bn in cross-border transactions between 2008 and 2015, issued a statement on Wednesday said it could not provide an estimate for the share of non-resident flows.

SWEDISH LINKS

Shares fell in a number of Swedish bank active in the Baltic region tumbled, with Swedbank, which Estonia's largest non-domestic bank with a 55% market share, losing around $1.6bn of market cap after the Central Bank of Estonia statement.

But Swedbank assured on Thursday that there were no ongoing investigations into its anti-money laundering procedures.

There are currently no ongoing investigations into our bank from any of our regulators concerning anti-money laundering practices, Swedbank said in a statement.

We have always had zero tolerance against money laundering in all markets where we operate.

Analysts at JP Morgan said the statement draws attention to Sweden's banks, given their dominant market share.

JP Morgan noted that Swedbank engaged with some, although limited number of non-resident customers in the Baltics and that the region accounted for over 20% of Swedbanks net income.

With Swedbank having a US New York State-licensed branch, JP Morgan said it felt "that the valuation at the current level is fair" and downgraded Swedbank to 'neutral' pending further clarification and took Swedbank out of its "top pick" European bank portfolio.

Jefferies said the market cap loss, "for what the Estonian Central Bank clarified may potentially just be helping local entrepreneurs facilitate the sale of milk to Lithuania, seems slightly excessive to us".

Swedbank's and the Swedish authorities' reassurance over limited money-laundering risks, controls and the size of NRPs "should help to remove the overhang on the shares from this issue, with the market fretting over a Danske-Estonia episode rerun".
UberEats joined workers from JD Wetherspoon , Uber , Deliveroo , McDonald's and TGI Fridays who are striking on Thursday over low pay.

Walkouts will be held in several cities across the country and there will be a rally in London.

UberEats is requesting workers want to be paid 5 per delivery, and an extra 1 per mile for each delivery. Last month workers had their minimum pay per delivery reduced from 4.26 to 3.50.

Workers at JD Wetherspoon, McDonalds and TGI Fridays want to be paid 10 an hour.

Striking McDonalds worker Lauren McCourt said the industrial action could transform the sector for the better.

The days of poverty pay, insecure contracts and lack of respect for workers are numbered. A living wage of 10 an hour for all ages, security of hours, and our right to a union are the basic rights we are fighting for, she said.

"The fact that UberEats drivers have decided to strike on the same day as us shows that low pay is an issue that affects people across the industry," said a spokesman from the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU), according to the BBC.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady told the BBC programme that the strike was "small but growing" and added that the firms could afford to award a pay rise "and should".

Paul Hickman, analyst at Edison Investment Research said on Thursday that: By definition the workers affected by flexible hours contracts are not a comprehensive industrialised workforce in the sense of, say train drivers or the miners of the 1980s. Provided branded operators like Wetherspoon, McDonalds and TGI Fridays can keep their doors open, the financial effects are unlikely to be significant."

"Uber Eats is only a small part of the Uber UK operation, which is only a small percentage of Ubers worldwide revenue. Therefore any action by Uber drivers is unlikely to move the dial for Uber as a whole. It could be more significant for UK-based Deliveroo, but even so we doubt whether all drivers will show complete solidarity, and certainly Deliveroo was still taking orders in central London today," he added.

The strikes are being held to coincide with industrial action over pay by fast food workers in Chile, Colombia, the US, Belgium, Italy, Germany, the Philippines and Japan on Thursday.

MORE PAY AND MORE JOB SECURITY

Low pay is not the only thing worrying workers in the leisure sector, according to the Guardian around half of the people on zero-hours contracts want more regular work and a greater job security aside from a raise in their wages.

Companies like Deliveroo or Uber allow their workers to choose the hours they want to work granting them flexibility but around 44% of the workers now request more working hours to ensure a minimum wage to live.

Back in 2013, JD Wetherspoon was found to have around 80% of its staff (24,000 people) on contracts with no guarantee to work each week. The pub chain offered their workers the opportunity to move to permanent hours in 2016.

In 2016 around 80,000 of the 82,000 UK workforce at McDonalds were employed on zero-hour contracts but also offered their workers the chance for a more regular job.

Research from economists Nikhil Datta, Giulia Giupponi and Stephen Machin, found that almost 30% of workers had no other option but to accept working on a zero-hours contract because of a lack of job opportunities, the Guardian reported.

The study also said that zero-hour contracts help the companies buffer the wage cost shock induced by the minimum wage rises which would explain the high numbers of these type of contracts in the sector.
Theresa May has made a bold pledge to bring a decade of austerity to a close, as she appealed to the public over the heads of her squabbling party to back her to deliver a Brexit deal. Speaking in Birmingham on Wednesday at the end of the Conservatives annual conference, which was marred by repeated clashes over Europe, May cast aside the chancellors concerns about the health of the countrys finances and signalled Brexit would mark an end to public spending cuts.  Guardian

The Japanese carmaker Nissan has warned the government that serious disruption will be caused to its huge manufacturing operation in the north-east of England if the UK fails to secure a deal with the EU that avoids a hard Brexit. Carlos Ghosn, the chair of Nissan, has described its British operations as a European investment based in the UK, which employs almost 8,000 people, mostly at its factory near Sunderland. A further 30,000 people are employed in UK companies supplying Nissan. - Guardian

Demand for copper will surge over the next five years thanks to Chinas huge global lending programme, according to the worlds biggest miner. BHP Billiton has estimated that Chinas "belt and road initiative" will generate spending of around $1.3 trillion (1 trillion) on infrastructure projects by 2023, driving an additional 1.6m tonnes of copper demand. This is equivalent to adding another 7pc to global demand.  Telegraph

The Government has vowed to step up its efforts to wipe out late payments to small businesses with a new pledge to pay most of its own small suppliers within five days and a call for evidence on how best to tackle the problem in the private sector. Ministers will consider how new accounting technology and measures such as requiring companies to nominate a director responsible for fair payment practices could help stamp out the problem, which causes cashflow trouble for millions of small firms.  Telegraph

A senior official at the Financial Conduct Authority held undisclosed meetings with a Royal Bank of Scotland executive while the lender was subject to a highly sensitive regulatory investigation into its scandal-hit restructuring unit, The Times can reveal. Simone Ferreira had social drinks on two occasions when she was the City regulators head of event supervision with Jon Pain, who was chief conduct and regulatory affairs officer of RBS.  The Times

The company building the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant has been rebuked by French safety regulators for failings in the construction of a prototype reactor in Normandy. EDF, the French state-backed energy group, is building a reactor at Flamanville to the same design that it plans to use for the 20 billion twin-reactor Hinkley Point project in Somerset.  The Times
Shares in fashion retailer Ted Baker tumbled as it posted a rise in interim revenue thanks to a solid performance from its online segment but a 3.2% drop in reported pre-tax profit as it incurred exceptional costs of 600,000 related to debtor balances owed by House of Fraser which are not expected to be recovered following the department store chain's entry into administration in August.

Even so, Liberum reiterated a 'buy' with a target price of 3,100p as the broker was impressed by the "flexibility" of the retailer's business model. "Revenues are lower than we had hoped, but a variable cost model, managements forward planning and the ability to flex sales through channels, have combined to deliver a commendable result," analysts said.

Spire Healthcare's shares fell as the healthcare provider was downgraded to underperform and had its target price snipped from 160p to 115p by Jefferies, where analysts said that it was becoming increasingly clear that Spire's aims of reaching 200m in underlying earnings by 2022 were "likely to slip.

The company had set out the targets at a capital markets day in April, alongside aims for 80% of sales to come from private patients and 100% of its hospitals rated good/outstanding by CQC on the same timeline.

Analysts also commented that the healthcare provider's private medical insurance and NHS segments were lagging and that a high concentration of rival insurers coupled with the uncertainty of Brexit had created a distinctly "unhelpful" environment for Spire.

Recruitment and human resources firm Hays also dropped in afternoon trade on Thursday ahead of its release of a trading statement next week.

Iron miner Ferrexpo stormed after it was boosted to overweight at Barclays with a target price of 300p, raised from 140p, on the back of rising iron pellet premiums. "Significant increases in spot pellet premiums drive upgrades to our forecasts and price target for Ferrexpo, and should lead to consensus 2019 earnings per share estimates rising substantially, in our view," said a Barclays note.

Canary Wharf owners Brookfield is preparing a bid for shopping centre owner Intu Properties, trade title Estates Gazette reported just after the closing bell. It is understood that no formal offer has yet been made.

Healthcare company BTG advanced as it upgraded its full-year sales expectations thanks to strong products sales in the first half for its interventional medicine business. The company said it was upgrading forecasts for the combined vascular and oncology portfolios to 15%-17% growth for the year on a constant currency basis following the incorporation of varicose veins treatment.

RBC Capital Markets reiterated its 'underperform' rating of the company's shares with a target price of 510p.

Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank owner CYBG and Virgin Money rose after they received approval by the financial conduct authority and prudential regulation authority for their 1.7bn merger. The former company announced its intention to buy Virgin Money with an all-share offer in June. Virgin Money shareholders, who approved the merger last month, will receive 1.2125 new CYBG shares for every Virgin Money share held and will own approximately 38% of the total business.

Electronics and industrial components distributor Electrocomponents rallied as it said it plans to invest more in the Asia Pacific region to "drive faster longer-term growth" after a half year where group profits are expected to grow 27%.

"In particular we plan to invest in Asia Pacific in both digital and customer acquisition to drive faster longer-term growth in this important region. We are also investing to further develop our capabilities in electronics and single board computing," said a statement from the company.

Liberum reiterated its 'buy' rating in the company's shares with a target price of 780p, commenting that the company's performance was "extremely encouraging" given the competition that it faces.

Market Movers

FTSE 250 (MCX) 20,152.52 -0.73%



FTSE 250 - Risers

Ferrexpo (FXPO) 226.70p 8.16%

Just Group (JUST) 80.66p 7.69%

BTG (BTG) 589.00p 5.27%

Equiniti Group (EQN) 246.00p 4.68%

Virgin Money Holdings (UK) (VM.) 384.20p 4.09%

Electrocomponents (ECM) 745.60p 3.76%

AA (AA.) 97.84p 3.51%

Indivior (INDV) 205.30p 3.35%

Greencore Group (GNC) 197.92p 2.92%

CYBG (CYBG) 318.00p 2.71%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

Ted Baker (TED) 2,100.00p -9.01%

BBA Aviation (BBA) 288.60p -5.93%

Hays (HAS) 192.30p -5.83%

Spire Healthcare Group (SPI) 139.04p -5.29%

Superdry (SDRY) 1,020.00p -3.95%

Inchcape (INCH) 641.50p -3.82%

Hammerson (HMSO) 439.20p -3.60%

Syncona Limited NPV (SYNC) 292.00p -3.47%

Pennon Group (PNN) 689.80p -3.42%

Genus (GNS) 2,386.00p -3.32%
After Anita Turlington participated in a panel titled "Frankenstein: Creation and Consequences" for the University of North Georgia's (UNG) inaugural Science Festival in spring 2018 in conjunction with the Dahlonega Literary Festival, she and other UNG faculty members were inspired to create a similar experience.

Turlington, associate professor of English at UNG, and Dr. Diana Edelman, associate professor of English at UNG, developed a similar event to mark the 200th anniversary of the publication of "Frankenstein."

"Lots of schools in the U.S. and around the world scheduled their ceremonies in the spring," Turlington said. "We wanted to take advantage of the energy of the fall semester and Halloween."

Coined "Franken Fridays," events will take place every Friday in October on all campuses. For example, one event will feature a guided tour of Mount Hope Cemetery near UNG's Dahlonega Campus coupled with readings of excerpts from the novel, said BJ Robinson, one of the members of the planning committee, professor of English and director of UNG Press. On the Gainesville Campus, Drema Montgomery, a visiting artist who creates art by assembling it with various found objects, will demonstrate her work and correlate it to Dr. Frankenstein's manufacturing the monster.

"And of course during the course of the semester, we will have a monster-themed poetry contest," Edelman said, adding the top three winners will have their entries published in The Chestatee Review.

Mary Shelley wrote "Frankenstein" in the 19th century.

Kicking off Franken Fridays will be an Oct. 5 lecture by Anne Williams, professor of English emeritus of the University of Georgia and author of "Art of Darkness: A Poetics of Gothic." She will speak about "Frankenstein's Originality" from 11 a.m. to noon in the Cleveland Ballroom in the Martha T. Nesbitt building on the Gainesville Campus. Then she will deliver the same lecture from 2-3 p.m. in Hoag Auditorium on the Dahlonega Campus, which will be broadcast to the Oconee and Cumming Campuses. A reception will follow the second lecture.

Edelman said the character of Frankenstein is an ideal character who can be studied by various academic subjects such as science, technology and film. For example, technological science can discuss the extension of life regarding the Frankenstein creature. Film students can examine the different movies spawned by the novel. And all students can also discuss the different themes illustrated through the monster.

"The creature can stand in for any identities labeled as 'other,' not one of us and not in the majority," Edelman said.
How BIM can help reduce costs for the designing and can manage design processes faster, discussed Harry Ibbs, Head of BIM at Zaha Hadid Architects, at the Architecture of the Future Conference.

Talking at the BIM (Building Information Modeling) panel, Ibbs stated that "it's part of the whole design process, not coming after the project."

"ZHA have been invested BIM for many years to make the design process better, faster and in an accurate workflow to meet the clients' demands in ever-changing layout," added Ibbs.

"It's a holistic approach, should not be considered as a separate workflow." "We have a strategic workflow with a big staff, and real time models, coordination, creating models quickly are just part of the BIM to help design decisions quickly and avoid unintended budgets in the projects."

"These are, like Mercury House in Malta, Skolkovo Innovation Center in Moscow, big projects and there are a lot of risk involved. So as long as you use the BIM, you update the project parametrically."

The Architecture of the Future Conference is being held on October 4-5, 2018 Kyiv, which is the biggest architecture conference in Eastern Europe, and brings together authorities, architects, engineers, developers, media to discuss the "architecture of the future trends" in Kyiv, Ukraine for the first time.

Harry Ibbs was one of the speakers talking at BIM panel today at the conference. Ibbs, especially, talked about the benefits of constructibility of the buildings through BIM. He added that "we're producing fluid forms and spaces but how we are going to build these buildings, is a very important question."

"So the use of BIM is not only about constructability or adaptive elements, it also about the accurate scheduling and cost efficiencies as a whole."

"We have BIM team, we have VR team to see the reality of the construction and designing the building with an accurate budget and faster process."

"With the help of these kinds of modeling techniques or BIM, you don't need to send separate pdf drawings to your client, you can just send the link to check all data," Ibbs added.

"It immediately make the process faster in the projects."

Ibbs also emphasized how they work with clients by offering BIM, whether it is part of the project contract or not, by sharing high-risk or low-risk strategies on the projects.

For the clients, ZHA's low-risk strategy reads that "important to establishing an agreed workflow for ZHA and the best time to switch into BIM. With careful management sticking to BEP, ZHA will get the full return on the investment of setting up to a project in BIM from an early stage."

Curated by Riyad Joucka, Founder/Architect MEAN* Middle East Architectural Network. United Arab Emirates, the conference is seeking to change the city through the development of advanced technologies and the creation of iconic projects with key speakers and leaders.

Harry joined ZHA in 2014. As head of BIM, he is responsible for strategically directing the office's technology workflows, for better efficiencies and best practices across BIM, CPU, GPU, computing and cloud collaboration.

The conference is being shaped around six major topics: How VR/AR/AI are changing present and future of the architecture, 3D printing as a new shape for architecture, Zero energy architecture, Smart city as new platform for living, the sustainable strategies for the cities development, Mega projects, supertalls and new cities within the existing cities.

World Architecture Community is official Media Partner of the conference and is bringing you the hottest topics, key discussions and keynote sessions from the two-day event.

Top image courtesy of Financial Times Live/Flickr

All images  World Architecture Community

> via Architecture of the Future Conference
He has been an ambassador of Kazakhstan to Egypt since September 2020, before that, since April 2019, he was Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and even earlier, from October 2013 to February 2019, he worked as Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the UAE.
Its well-known that after wrapping up RC12s Azerbaijan schedule, Ram Charan flew down to Georgia where a crucial schedule for his ongoing production, Sye Raa, has been underway for the last couple of weeks. Now, Charans latest gesture for the films unit members is winning hearts.

Apparently, Charan recently gave some dollars to each member of the unit and asked them to buy whatever they needed. Needless to say, the crew was touched by the actors gesture. Unit members also feel that Charan is a change man now and doesnt get angry if something goes wrong on the sets.









Articles that might interest you:
Odeh Bisharat in the Boston Review:

A village boy once asked his local priest, Father, when you go to sleep, where do you lay your beard, under or over your blanket? Ever since he heard the question, the priest couldnt sleep through the night. If he laid his beard under the blanket, he felt hot; if his beard was over the blanket, he got cold. He had always slept fine, without waking. But once he was asked to pick a single side, neither one seemed comfortable.

Such is the case with the concept of Israel as a Jewish and democratic country. As a Palestinian citizen of Israel, I have always found the notion a contradiction in terms, a source of unfair Jewish privilege. The very proposal of this phrase, the democratic half of which was codified into Israeli law in 1985, turned into a national obsession: Which would be more important, the Jewish or the democratic side? On whichever side of the equation you gripped, something went awry.

More here.
Britt Peterson in Nautilus:

When I first adopted Lucas nine years ago from a cat rescue organization in Washington, D.C., his name was Puck. Because hes mischievous, his foster mother said. Although we changed the name, her analysis proved correct. Unlike his brother Tip, whom I also adopted, a gray cat with white paws and an Eeyore-ish dour doofy sweetness, Lucas was from the start a fierce black fireball, a menace to stray toes or blanket fringes or loose items on tabletops. He was my alarm clock in the morning with his habit of knocking my hairbrush, deodorant, and earrings box off my bureau until I got up to feed him.

Then, almost four years ago, my husband and I had a child. Lucas, no longer the most important small creature in the apartment, retreated to the top shelf of his cat tree, where he would lie all day, staring morosely over the edge. When he did want attention, his solicitations became aggressive. Instead of waiting until 7 a.m. to start knocking things off of the bureau, he started hopping up there at 4 a.m. We closed the bedroom door and were still woken up at 4 every day by Lucas rattling the doorknob or hurling the weight of his 13-pound body against it. At mealtimes he would gobble down his food and then shove Tip out of the way to eat Tips food. He started marking the carpets in our living room and my sons room, and his play with Tip turned more violent too.

I made an appointment, first, with a pet behavior specialist and, five months later, when her initially helpful suggestions didnt change Lucass behavior, with a vet. The vet described Lucass condition as anxiety and prescribed fluoxetine, a generic for Prozac thats often prescribed for animals. While I had felt a mixture of frustration and pity toward Lucas, in that moment I experienced a surprising stir of recognition. Over a decade ago, during six months in college, I had panic attacks every other day. I was given a similar diagnosispanic disorder being a major anxiety disorderand was prescribed a similar medication.

More here.
Dawn Stover in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists:

In the wake of Hurricane Florence and the rains that followed, residents of disaster-stricken areas of North Carolina are now also dealing with swarms of enormous, aggressive mosquitos up to a half-inch long. Some news reports are calling it a mosquito-pocalypse.

The giant mosquitos plaguing North Carolina are known as gallnippers (their scientific name is Psorophora ciliata). They can be three times the size of an average mosquito and are persistent biters that can easily penetrate two layers of clothing.

North Carolinas governor has ordered $4 million to fund mosquito abatement; FEMA provides reimbursement for spraying. Gallnippers are more of a nuisance than a health risk, but they make storm recovery more difficult by driving people indoors.

As surely as night follows day, mosquitos follow floodwaters, noted a FEMA news release a decade ago, after Tropical Storm Fay inundated much of Florida. In a report published a few days ago, Michael Reiskind, an entomologist at North Carolina State University, told USA Today that there are 61 species of mosquitos in his state, of which probably 15 to 20 would be highly responsive to floodwaters that cause dormant eggs to hatch in vast numbers.

Climate change does not make mosquitoes bigger but it does make storms like Hurricane Florence, on average, wetter and widerso we can expect to see more mosquito population explosions in the future in places like the Carolinas.

More here.
Baglan Begbauov has been appointed as the Vice Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the press service of the government said in a press release on Wednesday.

Born in 1983 in the city of Turkestan, Baglan Begbauov graduated from the Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University and the Narikbayev KAZGUU University.

He started his professional career as a software specialist. Between 2008 and 2016 he held various posts at National Information Technologies JSC. In 2017 he was appointed as the deputy chairman of the Committee for Legal Statistics and Special Accounts of the General Prosecutors Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

He also served as the Deputy Chairman of the Board of National Information Technologies JSC between January and February 2021.
Watertown episode of HBO's 'We're Here' airs Monday

After filming an episode of "We're Here" in Watertown this summer, HBO is ready to air the state's first episode Monday.
Albuquerque police will reopen the departments Old Town substation, which officials said is part of an effort to have a stronger police presence in some of the most visited spots in the city.

Police Chief Michael Geier said the substation at Central and Rio Grande first opened in 2001 but it hasnt housed officers for several years. Starting today, there will be at least one civilian employee or an officer inside whenever the building is open to take police reports. And some officers in the Valley Area Command, which includes Downtown and Old Town, will base out of the substation, he said.

Were going about our business in a little different way, Geier said. If we want public safety and community policing to be our top priorities then we have to be creative about getting officers out there.

So far this year, Mayor Tim Keller has announced that police will open three substations. One is in the Nob Hill and University area, one Downtown and the building near Old Town. He said that the city wanted to have the Old Town substation opened for Balloon Fiesta because many people visit there during the fiesta.

Geier said the plan is for the Old Town substation to be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the weekends. But he said those times could change depending on when officers are needed in the area.

He encouraged people who live or work in the area to stop by the substation so they could meet some of the officers.

George Griego, the owner of Central Grill and Coffee House, said the reopening of the substation is a welcomed sight for business owners and people who live in the area.

All you hear about is us being No. 1 in crime and all these crazy things going on all the time, he said. To actually see things happening  I think thats really important.
Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

A New Mexico legislator is urging the states Environment Department to approve a measure by the end of the year that would ultimately increase the amount of nuclear waste that can still be emplaced at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad.

Rep. Cathrynn Brown, R-Carlsbad, submitted a public comment on the proposal on Sept. 20 that also expressed wishes that no public hearing be held on the requested changes.

In the event NMED (New Mexico Environment Department) does decide to add a hearing, I request that the hearing be held in Carlsbad, the city closest to WIPP, Brown wrote.

The NMED did decide to hold a hearing in Carlsbad on Oct. 23.

I just think we need to have (NMED Secretary Butch Tongate) make a decision, and I didnt see any reason to have another delay, in terms of expense and all that, as well, Brown said Thursday.

Browns public comments did little to assuage the concerns of Don Hancock, director of the Nuclear Waste Program at the Albuquerque-based Southwest Research and Information Center, who has said he believes officials are aiming to fast-track the request through the system before the next gubernatorial administration comes in.

But if its the Republican candidate, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, who moves into the mansion, the request will likely find a warm reception.

A spokesman for Pearce said the candidate supports the measure.

From his perspective, WIPPs volume of waste limitations is based on actual waste, not empty space, wrote Kevin Sheridan, a campaign spokesman, in an email. Including the empty space within the disposal drum as volume of waste seems like an artificial barrier to the success of the site and its critical national security mission.

A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the Democratic candidate and current front-runner, according to a recent Journal poll, said the decision should not be rushed, but didnt say whether she supports the request.

Any permit modification proposal must be thoroughly vetted, campaign spokesman James Hallinan wrote in an email. This review must include and engage all interested stakeholders.

Thirty-six comments on the modification request, most of which oppose the change, were filed with the NMED by the Sept. 20 deadline.

Two public meetings were held in Carlsbad and Santa Fe earlier in the year.

Hancock also said he opposes choosing Carlsbad as the location of the hearing, at which technical testimony will be given.

He said past hearings related to WIPP have had the technical testimony given in Santa Fe.

Nobody from Carlsbad requested a public hearing on the record, Hancock said. I would be delighted to have numerous public comment sessions in Carlsbad, Santa Fe and, frankly, in other locations, but technical testimony should be in Santa Fe.
Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

A nuclear weapons expert who worked on Kirtland Air Force Base when he was arrested last year on suspicion of sexually assaulting his child has filed a lawsuit against the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office and the states child welfare agency, claiming the false accusations have ruined his career and traumatized his children.

The lawsuit brought by Adam Lowther, who at the time of his arrest was the director of the Air Forces School for Advanced Nuclear Deterrence Studies, and his wife, Jessica Lowther, says that their constitutional rights were violated multiple times throughout the investigation and their children were harmed when they were temporarily placed in foster care.

Lowther, who at one point was one of the countrys leading experts on nuclear policy, was fired after his arrest and remains unemployed. The 53-page lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, is seeking compensatory and punitive damages and argues that sheriffs deputies and Children, Youth and Families Department investigators omitted and misrepresented numerous facts in the case in their official reports.

The Lowthers have since been reunited and now live in Katy, Texas.

The lawsuit names the BCSO, CYFD, CYFD investigator Maria Morales and deputies Jacob Wootton, Catherine Smalls, Brian Thornton and Martin Lozano as defendants.

Officials from the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office and CYFD declined to comment on the specifics of the case, citing the pending litigation.

Lowther was arrested in August 2017 and charged with criminal sexual penetration of a minor and criminal sexual contact of a minor against his 4-year-old daughter.

Michael Patrick, a spokesman for the District Attorneys Office, said that the case against Lowther has been reassigned to a different prosecutor and that the office plans to try to present the case to a grand jury.

We would hope and expect that because of the dearth of evidence it would cease any effort to indict Lowther, said Rachel Higgins, attorney for one of the Lowthers.

The case against Lowther was launched after a teacher at his daughters private school, which has preschool through high school students, reported to CYFD that the girl told the teacher she had been assaulted by her 7-year-old brother and father. The lawsuit says that the teacher was upset at the time with how the Lowthers responded to the teachers concerns that their little girl had put her hand down her pants at school.

Less than two hours after the alleged abuse was reported to CYFD, deputies arrived at the Lowther house and threatened Jessica Lowther with arrest and took custody of their two children for two days, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit accuses deputies of failing to vet the teacher  who had known the child for only eight days  and improperly enforcing laws concerning child welfare checks and 48-hour holds on children suspected of being abused.

Deputy Felicia Maggard, a spokeswoman for the BCSO, said deputies have the authority to charge anyone who interferes with a welfare check on a child and she provided the Journal with the state statute prohibiting anyone from knowingly obstructing, delaying, interfering with or denying access to a law enforcement officer or child protective services social worker in the investigation of a report of child abuse or sexual abuse.

After Adam Lowthers arrest, the lawsuit accuses the BCSO of misrepresenting the facts of the case in a news release that was used as a resource in multiple stories. The release said that a forensic interview with the 4-year-old and a physical examination showed signs of abuse. But the lawsuit said that during the interview the child said her father touched her after she used the restroom and that the physical examination found no signs of assault.

The allegation is not only sick and disgusting, it is absurd, the lawsuit says. Dr. Lowther has done everything in his power to prove his innocence, including taking and passing a polygraph that was validated by the district attorneys own polygraph expert.

After Adam Lowthers arrest, the children were temporarily placed in foster care until parental rights were returned to Jessica Lowther in November.

The day her parental rights were restored, deputy Wootten arrested Jessica Lowther for alleged witness tampering. The case against Jessica Lowther wasnt prosecuted.

The lawsuit said that throughout the criminal cases, Wootten and Morales made misstatements and omitted things in reports or affidavits that misled judges.

Defendant Morales and Wootton are either unencumbered by the truth or recklessly incompetent, the lawsuit states. Either way, their mishandling of the case is inexcusable.

Court records dont list an attorney for any of the defendants. The Journal reached out to the CYFD and the sheriffs office late Wednesday seeking comments from the defendants. It had not received a response by deadline.

The lawsuit said Lowther was notified five times, the most recent being in March, that he was a target of a grand jury investigation. He was never indicted. His parental rights were restored in May of this year.

The suit says the Lowther children continue to struggle as a result of their time in foster care. During that time the brother, upset with the familys separation, physically attacked the younger sister, threatened suicide and had to see a school counselor 55 times.

The emotional trauma has persisted since the children were returned to the Lowthers as they are fearful of being taken again, the lawsuit states.
Thursday, October 4, 2018

Judge Edward Chen yesterday entered an order (Download Tps order) in Crista Ramos et al. v. Kirstjen Nielsen, et al. In that case, Plaintiffs challenge the Trump Administration's termination of "Temporary Protected Status" (TPS) for immigrants from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Sudan Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Sudan. The court entered a preliminary injunction and ordered that

"Defendants, their officers, agents, employees, representatives, and all persons acting in concert or participating with them, are ENJOINED AND RESTRAINED from engaging in, committing, or performing, directly or indirectly, by any means whatsoever, implementation and/or enforcement of the decisions to terminate TPS for Sudan, Haiti, El Salvador, and Nicaragua pending resolution of this case on the merits."

At oral argument in the case, Judge Chen reportedly was sympathetic to the plaintiffs' arguments that the end of TPS was an unexplained change in policy and motivated by racial animus. The order looked at possible racial animus in the decisions to end TPS:

"Because there is evidence that President Trump and/or the White House influenced the DHS on the TPS decisions to at least raise serious question on the merits, the remaining issue is whether there is evidence that President Trump harbors an animus against non-white, non-European aliens which influenced his (and thereby the Secretarys) decision to end the TPS

designation. As Plaintiffs have catalogued, there is evidence of such as reflected by statements made by President Trump before, during, and after the TPS decision-making process13:

 In June 2015, Mr. Trump announced that he was running for President and delivered remarks characterizing Mexican immigrants as drug dealers or users, criminals, and rapists. See Degen Decl., Ex. 92 (Washington Post article).  In December 2015, [Mr.] Trump called for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. Degen Decl., Ex. 95 (New York Times article).

 In June 2017, President Trump stated that 15,000 recent immigrants from Haiti all have AIDS and that 40,000 Nigerians, once seeing the United States, would never go back to their huts in Africa. Degen Decl., Ex. 95 (New York Times article).

 On January 11, 2018, during a meeting with lawmakers where immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador, and African countries were discussed, including with respect to TPS designations that had been terminated, President Trump asked: Why are we

having all these people from shithole countries come here? [He] then suggested that the United States should instead bring more people from countries such as Norway, which has a predominantly white population. Degen Decl., Ex. 96

(Washington Post article). He also told lawmakers that immigrants from Haiti must be left out of any deal. Degen Decl., Ex. 96 (Washington Post article).

 In February 2018, President Trump gave a speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference where he used MS-13  a gang with many members having ties to Mexico and Central America  to disparage immigrants, indicating

that that they are criminals and comparing them to snakes. See Degen Decl., Ex. 93 (article from www.vox.com); see also Degen Decl., Ex. 98 (New York Times article) (stating that President Trump characterized undocumented immigrants as animals).

 In July 2018, President Trump told European leaders that they better watch themselves because a wave of immigration of changing the culture of their countries, which he characterized as being a very negative thing for Europe.

Degen Decl., Ex. 99 (Washington Post article)."

Based on the evidence, the court concluded that "at the very least, the evidence submitted by Plaintiffs supports serious questions on the merits on the Equal Protection Claim. "

For more on the order, click here and here.

KJ

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2018/10/district-couyrt-enters-injunction-in-challenge-to-stripping-tps-from-salvadorans-haitians-nicaraguan.html
FLORENCE, S.C.  Seven South Carolina law enforcement officers were shot Wednesday, one fatally, in a confrontation with a man who held children hostage as he fired on the officers, officials said.

The suspect was taken into custody and the children werent hurt after a two-hour standoff in an upscale neighborhood just outside of Florence, not far from areas that were devastated by flooding from Hurricane Florence, authorities said.

The man shot three Florence County deputies from inside a home as they came to serve a warrant around 4 p.m. Wednesday, Florence County Sheriffs Maj. Mike Nunn said.

The suspect then shot four Florence city police officers, one fatally, as officers from all around the area swarmed in to help, Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler said.

A bullet-proof vehicle had to be used to rescue the wounded officers as the man held children hostage inside for two hours, Nunn said.

Officials refused to say why they were serving a warrant. They also did not name him or the wounded officers, nor did they give the conditions for the wounded.

City of Florence spokesman John Wukela identified the fallen officer to The Associated Press as Terrence Carraway of Darlington. Carraway, 52, had just celebrated 30 years as a police officer in the city, Wukela said. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. An autopsy will be performed at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, according to the coronors office.

Both Heidler and Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone had tears in their eyes as they spoke to reporters about two hours after the standoff ended.

I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known, Heidler said, visibly overcome by emotion at the news conference.

Condolences and outpourings of support rolled in at news of the shooting.

This is simply devastating news from Florence, Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted. The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real.

Thom Berry, spokesman for the State Law Enforcement Division, said the agency had sent crime scene technicians to assist officials in Florence but were not immediately requested to help with any investigation.

Boone said investigators from Richland County would help investigate the shooting. He did not say why he wasnt using state police like most law enforcement agencies do in officer shootings in South Carolina.

Authorities said the shootings happened in Vintage Place, an upscale neighborhood west of the city. Neighbors said the community is full of brick homes and well-kept yards. Property records show several houses valued at more than $400,000.

Bobby Goin stood outside waiting for police to let him back to his home where his wife and granddaughter heard gunshots from the home back further in the neighborhood.

Surprised is probably an understatement, Goin said of the shooting in the neighborhood where he has lived for 20 years. The worst thing that goes on around here is that someone runs a stop sign and it gets posted on Facebook.

This is the second shooting of multiple police officers in South Carolina this year. In January, a 47-year-old former banker shot four officers in York County, killing one, after his wife called 911 to report he beat her. Christian McCall pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life without parole.

Florence, a city in South Carolinas northeastern corner home to roughly 37,000, sits at the convergence of Interstates 95 and 20. Its the largest city in the region known as the Pee Dee, where flooding from Hurricane Florence devastated areas to the east and south.

___

Kinnard reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Monica Mathur in New York contributed to this report.
CHICAGO  Last week, Gabrielle Giffords nailed it: Three workplace active shooting attacks in just the last 24 hours should spark outrage in every American. No matter where you work, learn, play or live  you have a right to feel safe, and Im horrified that thats no longer the reality in America.

The former Arizona congresswoman was shot in the head while meeting with constituents outside a grocery store in 2011. She states the obvious, and it stings.

No matter your walk of life, chances are you dont feel 100 percent safe in your community and harbor at least a little fear that your schools, churches or movie theaters could be the next target of someones indiscriminate rage.

But as Illinois police officer Andrew Mannino recently told an audience: You can feel scared, but you dont need to feel helpless. Mannino spoke to about 30 people who gathered Aug. 30 at the police station where he works in Lake in the Hills, a small-town exurb 50 miles from downtown Chicago, for a course called Civilian Response to Active-Shooter Events.

Throughout the free two-hour training, Mannino shared gun-shooting statistics and explained how deaths at Columbine High School in 1999 could have been prevented with proper training. He also emphasized that when acts of violence occur, innocent bystanders must believe, first and foremost, that you have the right to survive.

It was a message of empowerment, followed by specific steps for reacting to an active-shooter event. The people in the room  older couples, school secretaries, parents with teen kids, military vets, young guys sporting gun manufacturer T-shirts, and women of all ages  had come out to listen on a warm, late-August weeknight.

Mannino first illustrated how surviving an active-shooter event depends on purposefully resisting crowd pressure to go on as if nothing is happening even as shots are ringing out or someone is behaving bizarrely.

There is a theory called social proof that says even when something is obviously amiss, most people will look to the reactions of others surrounding them and then conform to their behavior so as to be in step with the crowd, Mannino said as he introduced video clips of researchers filming passersby ignoring a planted actor writhing in the street.

In these clips, pedestrians looked around, saw everyone else ignoring the suffering stranger and walked quickly past him or her. However, the moment one person stopped to check on the sufferer, almost all other passersby also stopped to inquire or offer help.

This knowledge alone, Mannino said, could make the difference between life and death, which is why its important to respond to a life-threatening situation quickly. Other people will follow if we lead the way.

Leadership in an active-shooter situation starts with being aware of your surroundings, specifically potential exits like doors, windows and fire escapes, at all times. If you hear gunshots  and remember that a burst balloon or car backfire isnt likely to be a repeated pop-pop-pop  run and hide.

If you avoid an attacker and an escalating situation immediately, your action will cause others to react, too.

Second, deny an attacker access to your area  by locking doors behind you or creating a barricade, turning off lights, putting your phone on silent and staying out of sight.

Lastly, if you have to, fight for your life. You have the legal right to defend yourself. And dont fight fair, Mannino said. Be aggressive, use anything you can get your hands on as a weapon and go for the eyes, face and groin. Mannino even suggested that school workers and teachers can keep items like hammers in their classrooms that are harmless if kept out of the sight of students but could help for self-defense in an emergency.

The aftermath is just as important: Call 911 and dont guess at any questions you are asked. When the police arrive, follow commands, show your hands and dont make any sudden movements.

Its important to visualize yourself making these moves and practicing in your mind so that youre ready to react if the unthinkable happens.

Is this any way to live?

No, of course not. Its sad and maddening, and none of us wants to live in a world where teachers keep heavy tools in their classrooms for a just-in-case that isnt outside the realm of possibility.

But absent meaningful changes to a society that is breeding and enabling active shooters, isnt it better to believe youre at least a little prepared to survive and aid others than to feel utterly helpless?

E-mail: estherjcepeda@washpost.com. Twitter: @estherjcepeda. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group.
Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Just over a year ago, Brian Colon and Wayne Johnson were both running to be Albuquerques next mayor.

Now theyre squaring off in the race for state auditor, a once-obscure state government position whose stature has increased in recent years due to previous auditors efforts to broaden the scope of the office.

Johnson, a Republican and former Bernalillo County commissioner, currently holds the $85,000-a-year job, after being appointed in December by Gov. Susana Martinez. He filled the vacancy created when then-Auditor Tim Keller won the Albuquerque mayors race.

Since becoming auditor, Johnson has ratcheted up the scrutiny of several quasi-governmental agencies, including a state high-risk insurance pool and the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities.

What Ive found is when people are observed they tend to behave better, Johnson said. I look at myself as the chief transparency officer in the state of New Mexico.

Colon, a Democrat with a long political track record of his own, also touts transparency as a tool to reduce fraud and waste in New Mexico state government. If elected, he said in a recent interview, he would seek to raise awareness and secure more funding for a state fraud hotline.

The more Im on the campaign trail, the more I realize the deep disappointment the electorate has in public officials, said Colon, who is an attorney of counsel with the Albuquerque law firm of Robles, Rael and Anaya.

The State Auditors Office functions as a state government watchdog of sorts, as its in charge of making sure each state government agencies finances are reviewed annually. Its also authorized to launch special audits and refer findings to law enforcement agencies.

The state auditors budget has been cut in recent years  from $3.8 million in the 2015 budget year to $3.4 million this year  and the office currently has 28 employees, according to a state transparency database.

Independence

Johnson is trying to buck history in this years race; the last time a Republican was elected state auditor was in 1966, when Harold Thompson won election to the post.

He argues that having a GOP auditor is a good thing in a state with a large number of Democrats  both in terms of voter registration and elected officials.

I think the key component of any audit is independence, he said. I think its really a good thing and a healthy thing for a Republican to be in an office like this so you have that separation of influence.

Johnson has also questioned whether Colon, a former state Democratic Party chairman, could be compromised by political connections. He specifically cited the friendship between Colon and Attorney General Hector Balderas, a former state auditor who attended law school with Colon and publicly endorsed his campaign for mayor.

That type of connection concerns me as a taxpayer and citizen of the state of New Mexico, he said. As an auditor, it would raise an eyebrow.

In response, Colon said hed be able to put his friendship with Balderas aside if necessary, but also suggested the attorney general would be unlikely to balk at an outside auditors findings.

In addition, Colon said, he would not be bashful about pushing lawmakers and the states next governor  either Republican Steve Pearce or Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham  for adequate funding for the Auditors Office.

I am going to hold the next governor accountable to make sure I have the resources to do my job, he told the Journal.

Colon also questioned Johnsons response to a recent ruling by Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Olivers office that Johnson reimburse his campaign for $1,607 spent on an October 2017 party for his failed mayoral campaign. Johnson said last week he planned to appeal the ruling and accused Toulouse Oliver of political bias.

Meanwhile, Colon also pointed out Johnsons chief of staff, Bobbi Shearer, previously worked as elections director under former Secretary of State Dianna Duran, who resigned and pleaded guilty in 2015 to misusing campaign funds to cover a gambling habit.

That doesnt engender trust in the public, Colon said.

Fundraising

Colon has outraised and outspent his opponent in the auditors race, but much of that spending occurred in a Democratic primary race that pitted Colon against state Rep. Bill McCamley of Las Cruces. Johnson was unopposed in the GOP primary.

As a result, Johnson reported last month having slightly more money in his campaign account than Colon  $105,029 to $100,607.

A Journal Poll conducted in mid-September found Colon with a lead over Johnson in the race, but plenty of voters were still undecided. Forty-five percent of proven statewide voters surveyed in the poll said they would vote for Colon, while 39 percent said theyd vote for Johnson.

Colon said his law degree and finance background make him perfectly situated for the auditors job and said hes learned from past campaigns, including being the Democratic lieutenant governor nominee in 2010 and one of eight candidates in last years Albuquerque mayoral race.

Theres a reason Im back at the table, no matter how hard it is to lose, Colon said. I feel like Ive got something to offer.

He also said he would evaluate special audits undertaken by Johnson, and forge ahead if theyre found to be worthwhile.

For his part, Johnson said he would continue with the work hes already started if elected to a new four-year term.

While he has faced criticism for overreaching on some efforts, including a planned review of New Mexicos public campaign financing system, he said hes focused solely on results.

There are a lot of things that weve discovered since I took office that either hadnt been audited or hadnt been audited to a full compliance level, Johnson said. I really believe theres all these groups we dont even know about yet.
The city of Albuquerque plans to construct a new West Side maintenance facility to be located at the Cerro Colorado Landfill, which officials said will decentralize the citys solid waste collection operations.

The new $1.5 million maintenance and dispatch facility will contain two bays, and landfill mechanics will service the trucks for routine maintenance and minor repairs.

Mayor Tim Keller said decentralizing the Solid Waste Management Departments collection operations would reduce the citys carbon footprint by reducing fuel use of trucks on the highway and provide accommodations for drivers and trucks serving the West Side.

Essentially one-third of our population, and therefore one-third of our waste, comes from the West Side of Albuquerque, yet we have trucks that are driving into the central part of Albuquerque, then driving back out to the West Side, then driving to the dump out here, then coming back, Keller said. A third of that can be solved by housing those folks here.

Decentralizing operations by expanding the West Side facility will also help prepare for future growth on the West Side and restructure the collection routes to maximize service capacity, he said.

Plans also call for the West Side collection fleet to park overnight at the Cerro Colorado Landfill, which will eliminate the longer drive time to the departments facility at Edith and Griegos. Drivers for these routes will start and end their work day at the landfill. The new maintenance facility includes a space for drivers with lockers and a break room.

The new West Side maintenance facility will save valuable time and resources for our staff and the city as a whole, Solid Waste Management Director Matthew Whelan said. The new maintenance facility will also have state-of-the-art design and will be a value add to the Cerro Colorado Landfill and our West Side operations.

A groundbreaking date for construction of the facility has yet to be determined, Whelan said.

The Keller administration made an announcement last December that the 4600 Edith NE location would no longer serve as a proposed transfer station. Plans for a scaled-down transfer station in the citys east side are still under consideration.
CHICAGO  Attorneys in the trial of a white Chicago police officer charged with murder in the 2014 shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald sparred over what video of the deadly encounter actually proves Thursday just before jurors withdrew to begin deliberating.

During closing arguments , prosecutor Jody Gleason pointed to dashcam video of Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times as the teenager held a knife at his side. She noted that Van Dyke told detectives that McDonald raised the knife, that Van Dyke backpedaled, and that McDonald tried to get up off the ground after being shot.

None of that happened, she said. Youve seen it on video. He made it up.

But Van Dykes attorney, Dan Herbert, said the video, the centerpiece of the prosecutors case, doesnt tell the whole story and is essentially meaningless based on the testimony jurors heard. He pointed to testimony from Van Dykes partner that night, Joseph Walsh, who said he saw McDonald raise the knife, even though the video doesnt show that. Van Dyke made similar claims on the witness stand as he told jurors that he was afraid for his life and acted according to his training.

The video is not enough, he said. He added: It shows a perspective, but its the wrong perspective.

Herbert did not note that Walsh is one of three officers charged with conspiring to cover up and lie about the circumstances of the Oct. 20, 2014, shooting to protect Van Dyke. Jurors were told only that Walsh was testifying under use immunity, meaning his testimony cant be used against him as long as he was truthful, but were never told about the allegations he faces.

Police encountered McDonald after a 911 call reported someone breaking into vehicles. As Van Dyke arrived, police had the 17-year-old mostly surrounded on a city street. An officer with a Taser was just 25 seconds away.

Gleason seized on the testimony of one the defenses own witnesses, a psychologist who interviewed Van Dyke. Dr. Laurence Miller said that when Van Dyke heard on his radio that McDonald had a knife and had punctured the tire of a squad car, he told his partner: Oh my God, were going to have to shoot the guy.

Gleason said Van Dyke had made up his mind about what hed do before even arriving at the scene.

Laquan McDonald was never going to walk home that night, she said.

Gleason told jurors that while police officers are allowed to use deadly force in some circumstances, this was not one of them.

They do not have the right to use deadly force just because you will not bow to their authority, she said. This is not the Wild West out here  where an officer can shoot an individual  and try to justify it later.

Van Dyke is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery and official misconduct. The judge told jurors just before they withdrew to begin deliberating that they will have the option of convicting the officer of the lesser charge of second-degree murder. First-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of life. If convicted of second-degree murder, Van Dyke could face 15 years or more in prison, but probation is also an option with that charge.

The jury, which deliberated for nearly five hours Thursday before stopping for the day, is comprised of eight men and four women. Seven are white, three are Hispanic, one is Asian-American and one is African-American.

Two alternate jurors  a man and a woman  told reporters after being dismissed by the judge that they would have found Van Dyke guilty in the shooting. The man said he thought Van Dyke should have waited a little bit longer. The woman said other officers had encountered McDonald that night and they didnt feel the need to use deadly force.

Three other alternates were not dismissed.

One of the last images prosecutors showed jurors was an autopsy photo of McDonalds body. Gleason noted bullet entry and exit holes.

Laquans body was riddled, broken and bleeding, she said. She added: He even had bullet fragments in his teeth.

Herbert argued that McDonald was to blame for what happened that night, saying the tragedy  could have been prevented by one simple step. Herbert then dramatically took the knife that was entered into evidence earlier and dropped it on the floor in front of the jury box. Van Dyke testified that he repeatedly asked the teen to drop the knife.

Herbert also reminded jurors that a prosecutor briefly mentioned the issue of race during opening statements but never broached the issue again.

Did you see any evidence that race had anything to do with this case? he said. When you dont have evidence, you use argument.

As jurors began deliberating, the Chicago Police Department canceled days off and put officers on 12-hour shifts. An extra 4,000 officers will be on the street, according to spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. The city saw protests after video of the shooting was released in November 2015, and activists have been planning how they might react to a verdict.

The verdict will be the latest chapter in a story that has led to the police superintendent and the countys top prosecutor both losing their jobs  one fired by the mayor and the other ousted by voters. It also led to a U.S. Justice Department investigation that found a pervasive cover-up culture and prompted plans for far-reaching police reforms.

___

For the latest developments: https://bit.ly/2IDNEK2

For the APs complete coverage of the case: https://apnews.com/tag/LaquanMcDonald
Wednesday, October 3, 2018

The Delaware Supreme Court reversed a Superior Court decision overturning professional discipline imposed on two nurses who work in a correctional facility.

The Board of Nursing had found the two had violated professional standards in handling very expensive pills used to treat inmates for hepatitis C.

Twelve of the $1,000 pills had spilled onto the floor while being handled by other nurses, who placed the pills in a waste container. Authorities were notified and the two accused nurses were summoned and shook the container until the pills (and other discarded medical waste) came out.

Along with the pills came some syringes, retractable lancets, and diabetic testing strips. There was additional medical waste in the container that the twelve pills could have touched, but once all twelve pills fell out, the nurses stopped shaking the container, leaving those materials behind. No one knowsor can knowwhat that waste was. What is known is the sorts of things that can be found in that type of container: saturated wound dressings, items soiled with more than five milliliters of blood or other bodily fluids, items from patients on strict isolation, skin-piercing objects such as needles, disposable scissors, scalpels, and catheters, and other disposable equipment for internal use.

Then

[Nurses] Francis and DeBenedictis wrapped the pills in a paper towel and took them to their office. There, they were met by the on-site pharmacist, and together, they looked at the pills. To the pharmacist, there did not appear to be anything wrong with [them]they looked like they came out of a bottle. This eyeball test, consistent with the five-second rule some might use to determine whether to eat food dropped on the floor, is not one that any witness testified is a professionally recognized practice...

The pills were later given to the inmate. He suffered no ill effects, but he was not told the pills had been retrieved from a medical waste container until after he had taken them. In other words, no one informed the inmate of what had happened to the pills or gave him a chance to give or deny consent or request that he receive pills not retrieved from a medical waste container.

No onenot the nurses, not the on-site pharmacist, not the head pharmacist, and not the head physiciantook responsibility for deciding that the pills were fit for use. Francis, DeBenedictis, and the head physician claimed it had been one of the pharmacists, while the head pharmacist insinuated it had been the head physician. The on-site pharmacist pleaded ignorance.

A whistleblower came forward

When one of the nurses who had disposed of the pills in the waste container learned they had been retrieved and given to an inmate, she reported it to the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation. After an investigation, the State brought disciplinary proceedings against the head physician and the two nurses, and a hearing was held before an administrative hearing officer.

The charge was "unprofessional conduct."

The nurses pleaded reliance on the pharmacist and called expert witnesses to bolster the contention that the pills created no risk to the inmate.

the hearing officer concluded that, contrary to the experts assumptions, no one examined the contents of the waste container after the pills fell out, so the containers full contents were and are currently unknown. Because no one could say for sure what the pills may have encountered, the hearing officer found that giving them to the inmate was not a riskless endeavor...

the hearing officer found that disposing of medication that falls on the floor is an accepted standard of the nursing profession and that retrieving those pills from a sharps container and administering them to a patient violated that standard.

As to reliance, the hearing officer found that the nurses were obligated to exercise their own independent judgment.

Before the Board

In two short orders, the Board adopted the hearing officers conclusions of law, placed the nurses on probation for ninety days, and required them to undergo training in pharmacology and nursing ethics. Despite the hearing officers invitation for the Board to expound on the accepted standard that nurses are expected to follow in this sort of scenario, the Boards order simply adopted the hearing officers recommendations and offered no further comment.

The nurses appealed to the Superior Court

The Superior Court sided with the nurses, but for a reason neither side had anticipated. After considering the three rules the nurses were found to have violated, the Superior Court concluded that each of them required the State to proveas an essential element of its casethat the nurses behavior had caused harm. And the court agreed with the nurses that the record supplied no basis for the hearing officer to have found that the inmate had been harmed.

The court found that proof of actual harm was not required

We...disagree with the Superior Courts apparent finding that unless improper nursing behavior creates actual harm, it is not sanctionable under any of the Nursing Boards rules. And on this record, it is plain from the testimony of the nurses own witnesses that they engaged in conduct, in concert with others, that put the inmate patient at risk.

The nub

We start by reiterating something that is critical. Both of the nurses testified that they were trained that pills that fall on the floor must be discarded. This is not a small point. Both nurses knew that the risks of contamination from the floor alone justified disposal, and their own expert physician testified that inspecting that floor would be a crucial part of ensuring that the pills had not been contaminated.

The pills journey did not, of course, end there. They ended up in a sharps container, and contrary to the Superior Courts view, there was evidence in the recordfrom the nurses own expertthat giving a patient pills retrieved from an uninspected sharps container is risky. The nurses expert physician made a point to caution that if pills are to be fished out of a waste container and given to a patient setting aside, for a moment, the ethical implicationsit would be critical to examine all of the contents of the container. His opinion that these pills were safe depended on that assumption, and the nurses do not dispute the hearing officers finding that a full inspection of this container never occurred.

The court also rejected a "just following [pharmacist's] orders" defense. (Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2018/10/the-delaware-supreme-court-reversed-a-superior-court-decision-overturning-professional-discipline-imposed-on-two-nurses-who-w.html
Franklin Templeton Investments (India), one of the leading fund houses in the country has launched a six-video series campaign titled Reach for Better, in partnership with The Better India. The campaign, encompassing real-life inspirational stories, aims to bring alive the concept of the theme through a beyond just investments, larger than life approach, amplifying Franklin Templeton Investments core thought of standing for Reach For Better.

The campaign seeks to deliver investor education messages through real-life human stories - stories of ordinary people who have had an impact on society and communities. Each of the stories is pegged to one investment pillar.

Speaking at the launch, Juzer Tambawalla, Director and Head  Marketing, Franklin Templeton Investments said, These are stories about everyday Indians achieving something out of the ordinary. How did they do that? By having a goal, starting early, stepping up, staying resilient, seeking guidance and believing that it's never too late to begin. We have sought inspiration from real-life individuals to draw parallels with each situation, in an effort to impart core values that we believe are instrumental while investing. Each story is an excellent example of how one can succeed by using these principles even with their own investments.

Commenting on the launch, Balaji Vaidyanathan, Deputy Head - Marketing, Franklin Templeton Investments said, The Reach for Better campaign draws inspiration from multiple dynamic backgrounds. It features a diverse set of individuals like a tech-savvy visually challenged person, a best-selling author who started as a domestic help, a successful transgender radio host who broke gender stereotypes, a young innovator transforming lives, an individual who revolutionized farming across the globe and a woman entrepreneur who triumphed against all odds. Each story is woven beautifully in a manner that talks about the importance of that tenet to ones life, as well as investments.

Talking about this partnership, Dhimant Parekh, CEO & Founder of The Better India says As India's only positive news platform, The Better India's motto is to help the audience turn inspiration into impact. As a natural extension of this philosophy, The Better India and Franklin Templeton Investments have come together to tell stories about Indians who despite all odds have stayed true to their real purpose, reached for better, while making a massive impact in the lives of so many others.

The first episode showcases the story of Kajal Brahmavar, the first transgender radio jockey from coastal Karnataka. From begging on the streets to becoming Karnatakas first transgender RJ, Kajals journey has been nothing short of inspiring. Even though she faced a number of challenges in life and went through multiple highs and lows, she chose to stay resilient. Her never-give-up attitude is an inspiration for all.

It is this spirit of resilience that Franklin Templeton Investments and The Better India are celebrating through Kajals story. Whether in life or with your investments, staying resilient can help you #ReachForBetter.
J Walter Thompson India has announced senior leadership changes. With Rajesh Gangwani, head of JWT Mumbai moving out to explore other avenues, some opportunities opened up within the agency.

Commenting on Rajesh Gangwani, Tarun Rai, CEO J. Walter Thompson said, Rajesh has been a lifer at JWT, having started his career with us in 1991 at our Mumbai office. He grew through the ranks and got the opportunity to head our Bengaluru office in 2008 and was given the additional responsibility of Chennai in 2011. He came to head Mumbai in 2014. Under his leadership, JWT Mumbai has diversified its capabilities and built a very strong team. The office has shown strong growth since he took over. Rajesh has had an excellent career with us and I thank him for his contribution to the agency over the years and wish him the very best for the future.

Kishore Tadepalli takes over as the head of JWT Mumbai. Kishore has around three decades of experience in advertising and marketing communications and is currently the Senior Vice President & Managing Partner of JWT Bengaluru. Under his leadership JWT Bengaluru has shown remarkable growth and has produced some of the best work. A Thompsonite at heart, he has spent over 17 years with the agency and over the years, he has worked on a multitude of brands across categories in addition to leading large teams successfully. Having worked in JWT Mumbai in an earlier role, he has a deep understanding of the market, clients and their business challenges.

Commenting on Kishore Tadepalli, Tarun Rai, CEO J. Walter Thompson said, Kishore has been leading our office in Bengaluru for the past couple of years. Under his watch the office has shown aggressive growth in addition to building new capabilities. Kishore is no stranger to Mumbai having lived and worked here most of his life. He is looking forward to his new role and I am confident that he will contribute significantly both to our clients as well to JWT Mumbai

Kundan Joshee takes over from Kishore as the head of JWT Bengaluru. This is a Homecoming for Kundan having spent around 5 years at JWT Delhi in an earlier stint. He brings around 20+ years of experience as a Marketing and Communications professional having worked both at agencies as well as a client. In his long career he has worked on brands like Samsung, Pepsi, Slice, Tropicana, Aquafina, Zee TV, Vodafone, Maruti Suzuki, Whirlpool, Sony, National Geographic, Fox Life, Apollo Munich to name a few. He joins from Cheil Worldwide.

Commenting on Kundan Joshee, Tarun Rai, CEO J. Walter Thompson said, I found Kundans energy infectious. He is a consummate advertising professional with extensive experience in creating high impact, integrated communication solutions across traditional, digital, activation and retail platforms. I am sure both our clients as well as the office will benefit from his experience. He is excited to come back to JWT and lead our fantastic team of professionals at Bengaluru. 

The changes come into effect from October 15, 2018.
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The National Nuclear Security Administration held a days-long plutonium pit production workshop at the Savannah River Site this week, according to a person familiar with the matter and an itinerary obtained by the Aiken Standard.

The get-together, scheduled Oct. 2-4, circled and was informed by the Nuclear Posture Review as well as the federal demand to produce 80 plutonium pits per year by 2030, according to the person familiar.

More than 100 people were scheduled to attend the multi-day pit production meeting, the person added. Those in attendance represented senior managers and staff from across the nation's nuclear security complex.

The NNSA is a semiautonomous U.S. Department of Energy agency in charge of the nation's nuclear outfit and related nonproliferation.

Trump signs defense bill; package authorizes MOX money, questions SRS pit production President Donald Trump, on stage at a ceremony in New York, signed the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, which in part defi

Plutonium pits are nuclear weapon cores or triggers.

In May, the NNSA and U.S. Department of Defense together recommended turning the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility, currently under construction at SRS, into a pit production hub.

The NNSA and DOD jointly suggested producing 50 pits at a transformed MOX facility while producing 30 pits at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, the nation's plutonium science and production center of excellence.

That momentous tandem task  directly dependent on U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry's ability to terminate the MOX project  is currently under review and consideration.

On Tuesday morning, SRS manager Michael Budney, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions President Stuart MacVean, Savannah River National Laboratory Director Vahid Majidi and the NNSA's Savannah River Field Office manager, Nicole Nelson-Jean, welcomed the attendees, according to the meeting itinerary.

At an August dinner forum in Aiken, Nelson-Jean said she hopes the pit mission at the site will start in the very near future."

The pit program's "status" was reviewed Tuesday as was the MOX-specific pit production engineering assessment, according to the itinerary.

Dozens of people were scheduled to tour the MOX facility Tuesday afternoon, according to the same information. A collective overview of SRS and the national lab was provided the same day.

MOX employees have been in contact with the Aiken Standard and have spoken on the condition of anonymity. One MOX worker on Tuesday discussed a tour of the project taking place.

Lawsuit against NNSA contracting officer voluntarily dropped A lawsuit lodged against a National Nuclear Security Administration contracting officer has been voluntarily dismissed, according to court doc

On Wednesday, workshop attendees broke into separate groups to further discuss things, the itinerary reads. At 4:30 p.m., Majidi was scheduled to present at an executive session.

The person familiar with the pit production event said multiple presentations were made over the course of three days.

On Thursday afternoon, according to the itinerary, a "summary of actions" and the "next steps" for pit production were to be discussed.

The pit production program meeting this week echoed a similar get-together at Los Alamos in July, the person familiar said.
For Fr Paul Karam, the situation remains challenging. Only a few families have gone home, and their fate remains uncertain. Syrian authorities have encouraged repatriation, but the situation remains unstable. Lebanon faces its own problem: both unemployment and poverty are close to 40 per cent.

Beirut (AsiaNews)  A deal between the Lebanese government and Syrian emissaries has made it possible for several Syrian families to go home, but we cannot say that the situation has changed radically nor that most have returned, said Fr Paul Karam, president of Caritas Lebanon, speaking to AsiaNews.

The clergyman, who has been involved with war refugees for a long time, said that the situation is still challenging. Noting that the Lebanese want to see lasting peace to facilitate repatriation, he added that the emergency cannot be solved quickly.

Yesterday, hundreds of Syrian refugee families left Lebanon for their homeland in buses from the cities of Tripoli (northern Lebanon), Nabatieh (south), as well as Shebaa and Bourj Hammoud. Lebanese authorities "facilitated their return" by coordinating the operation with their Syrian counterpart.

Recently, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Syria is ready to welcome the return of a million refugees thanks to an improvement in the situation on the ground and the reconstruction work had started in collaboration with Moscow.

However, in light of the actual situation on the ground, such a claim is far too optimistic for many observers and Caritas.

One of the consequences of the still ongoing civil war that broke out seven years ago is the displacement of millions of desperate people around the Middle East as well as Europe, North America and Australia.

Lebanon is one of the countries carrying one of the heaviest burdens, namely a million Syrian refugees in a country of four million people, plus long-term Palestinian refugees.

The situation has reached a breaking point, with huge strains on the economy and public services as well as the civilian population.

The government and NGOs (including Christian groups) have spent a lot of money in the past few years to "protect, promote and integrate" refugees, which Pope Francis encourages in his message for this years World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

"No one has precise information about the fate of those who have returned, whether they returned to their homes and region, said the clergyman. Although something is happening and some people are going back, the issue remains unresolved.

"In recent weeks, several families returned to Syria for the Muslim holidays before coming back to Lebanon at the end of the celebrations. The Syrian government encourages repatriation, but it is still a long process."

The offensive against Idlib is another major headache because it could turn into another humanitarian emergency with international repercussions that could trigger a US-led Western intervention.

Despite early attempts at reconstruction, Syria is a nation that has been almost completely destroyed; for most people, life is one of instability and destabilisation. The international community is not blameless since it failed to manage the crisis.

For Fr Paul, it will take "many years for Syria to get back on its feet. Lebanon too will need time to overcome its current difficulties.

In Lebanon, "Over 38 per cent of the population is unemployed and a similar percentage lives below the poverty line. We are going back, paying dearly for other people's policies.".

In this context, the Lebanese Church "continues to help" even if "it is increasingly difficult to promote projects and find funding since money and energy are increasingly in short supply."
Congress is overwhelmingly willing to sanction Hamas and Hezbollah officials who use human shields  but isnt quite ready to take the fight to the United Nations.

When the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced Texas Republican Ted Cruzs STOP Using Human Shields Act last week, it stripped language requiring the Donald Trump administration to push for a UN Security Council resolution that would place multilateral sanctions on terrorist groups using human shields.

An aide to committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told Al-Monitor that some members of the committee had concerns about prospectively endorsing a United Nations Security Council resolution that had not yet been finalized.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley called on the Security Council to address Hamas and Hezbollahs use of human shields in April. It was not immediately clear whether a new resolution is actually in the works as Haleys office did not respond to Al-Monitors request for comment.

Hamas has exploited and endangered the very Palestinian people it claims to represent by locating rocket launchers near schools, apartment buildings, hotels, churches and UN facilities, Haley said at the time.

At the behest of the United States and Israel, the UN General Assembly did include language on human shields as part of a broader, nonbinding counterterrorism resolution in June. The resolution came after the General Assembly accused Israel of using excessive force against Palestinian protesters in Gaza earlier that same month.

Cruzs original bill would have directed Haley to push for a Security Council resolution that would place UN sanctions on terrorist groups for using human shields, require the UN to track and report the use of human shields in monitored conflicts and spell out consequences for using UN personnel or facilities as human shields.

The bipartisan Senate bill, which boasts 45 co-sponsors, builds upon individual efforts in the House from Reps. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., and Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., to separately sanction Hamas and Hezbollah for human shield use. Both the Wilson and Gallagher bills passed the House unopposed earlier this year.

The latest version of the Senate bill also deletes a lengthy preamble singling out Hamas and Hezbollah for civilian deaths resulting from the use of human shields.

Lara Friedman, the president of the liberal Foundation for Middle East Peace, argued that the underlying intent of Cruzs original bill was never about sanctions and was instead an attempt to establish as a matter of US law that responsibility for Israel killing any civilians in Gaza falls 100% on Hamas.

Given the size and population density of Gaza, there is virtually no way Hamas could exist or operate in Gaza that would not be characterized by Israel as involving the use of human shields, she wrote in a July analysis for her organization.

Cruz and pro-Israel groups lobbying in favor of the legislation appear to be satisfied with the abbreviated version omitting the UN provisions.

After the markup, Cruz issued a statement commending the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for advancing the abridged bill and expressed hope that the Senate will move swiftly to advance this important legislation.

Sandra Hagee Parker, the chairwoman of the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) Action Fund, also noted that her organization is fine with the changes. CUFI asked lawmakers to pass the legislation during its annual lobbying day in July.

While we appreciated the language [in the original bill], given the administrations track record, including Ambassador Haleys strong voice at the UN, we are pleased with the current version of the bill, Parker told Al-Monitor.

Regardless of the bills future, the Trump administration already has plenty of authority to sanction Hamas and Hezbollah.

Given that the US already has far-reaching sanctions on members of US-designated foreign terrorist organizations and those working with them, it is not clear at this point how these sanctions are not redundant, Friedman wrote shortly after the markup.

But Parker believes that the extra sanctions authorities could prove useful for the Trump administration.

In deploying American sanctions over the last decade or so, she said, policy experts have learned that having multiple authorities to sanction rogue actors and terrorists is crucial to advancing US national security interests.
CAIRO  Egypts Minister of Public Business Hisham Tawfik said Sept. 17 that Egypt will sell 14 tracts of land where it stores its industrial cotton gins in a bid to overhaul and develop the textile manufacturing industry. The land is worth 27 billion Egyptian pounds ($1.51 billion). The industry suffered losses of 2.7 billion Egyptian pounds from 2016-2017.

Tawfik said the plan to bolster the Holding Company for Spinning and Weaving will be funded from the proceeds of selling the cotton gin lands. He added that the development project will cost an estimated 25 billion Egyptian pounds. Though there is no prospective buyer for the land, the government plans to change the land's purpose from industrial to real estate.

Egypt is home to a distinguished and diversified textile industry. The sector plays a major role in the Egyptian economy, starting from the cultivation of cotton all the way to the production of textiles. In 2011, the textile industry made up 3% of the gross domestic product, 30% of the industrial product and 13% of nonpetroleum exports, according to the Central Bank of Egypt.

The state-owned Holding Company for Cotton, Spinning and Weaving handles the textile industry in Egypt. It comprises 32 companies distributed across Egypt's governorates. The holding company is divided into different businesses dealing in cotton trades and the spinning and weaving industry. The holding company has suffered since late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat initiated a policy of economic openness. Egypt began to import more cotton instead of focusing on cultivating Egyptian cotton. Textile manufacturing equipment has aged since then, and economic policies have not been renewed.

The textile industry in Egypt continued its downhill trajectory following the decrease in the price of cotton, to the dismay of farmers. Cotton production has since waned, and the government has reduced customs on imported seeds, leading to poor government marketing plans for long-staple cotton. High energy prices have also prompted Egyptian companies and factories to import cotton.

Cotton acreage decreased in early 1990. This decline was further exacerbated by the liberalization of Egypts cotton sector in 1994, which ended the state oversight of cotton cultivation and opened the door for the private sector. Cotton acreage fell dramatically, reaching 270,000 feddans (280,000 acres) in 2017, as opposed to the heyday of 1991, when Egypt cultivated up to 1 million feddans.

The Egyptian government seeks to increase cotton acreage in 2018. The Ministry of Agriculture announced earlier this year that it aims to cultivate 500,000 feddans of cotton this year, setting the price of 2,700 Egyptian pounds per quintar (approximately 143 kilograms or 315 pounds) of high-quality cotton.

Prior to the 1994 liberalization, which dealt a severe blow to the cotton industry, the price of one quintar stood at 100 pounds. After 1994, prices rose to 500 pounds per quintar, reaching 1,600 pounds in 2010, a year before the January 25 Revolution.

Following the outbreak of the revolution, the successive government cared little about the cultivation of cotton, until the government began setting policies to increase cotton acreage and encourage farmers, setting the price of one quintar at 2,700 pounds.

In 2009, Egypt exported cotton to more than 20 countries. That year, Qatar ranked first in terms of cotton imports from Egypt, with 38% of imports, China 16% and Turkey 15%. According to the 2009 Egypt cotton crop statement, Egypt made $37 million in cotton exports, amounting to 12 million quintars. In 2017, 86,000 quintars of cotton were exported for $139,000, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics.

Yomn al-Hamaki, a professor of economics at Ain Shams University, told Al-Monitor via phone that private businesses' control over the textile industry, as well as the absence of a government vision and the lack of coordination between its institutions, have taken a heavy toll on the industry.

Hamaki said the sale of cotton gin land is part of a Ministry of Business strategy to overhaul the textile industry, whereby new cotton acreage will be determined in Upper Egypt to encourage farmers to cultivate short-staple cotton in a bid to meet the needs of local cotton factories.

This is in addition to the development of the cotton gin manufacturers, which will be funded from the revenues from the sale of the high-priced cotton gin lands  a step that the government believes is the best option to overhaul this sector.

She believes that the states strategy to promote the textile industry is viable so long as there is close monitoring, administrative control over cotton sales, encouragement of competition among companies and support for small textile projects.

The sale of the cotton gins is the best way to overhaul the sector. It is the only option in the absence of the necessary resources, especially since the government budget cannot be burdened and the weaving and textile companies are suffering great losses, Hamaki said.

The Ministry of Business announced in 2018 its strategy to overhaul the textile industry. The strategy relies on the cultivation of small-staple cotton in Upper Egypt; changing the curricula in technical schools to meet the needs of factories; having the factories take on students scientific research costs; and setting up colleges to award advanced technology degrees.

Economist Rashad Abdo criticized the states plan to sell the cotton gins. This brings to mind the popular saying that goes, sacrificing the mother so the child lives. It does not make sense to me to sell the land to promote the factories, Abdo told Al-Monitor during a phone interview.

He believes the government's plan is a result of incompetence and confusion within the Ministry of Business. Abdo believes the government should take into consideration alternative plans, such as involving the private sector in the textile industry or using the holding company's land instead of selling it.

The government said the sale deal is worth 25 billion pounds," he said. "Why dont we keep the lands and opt for better alternatives?

Raif Tamraz, undersecretary of parliament's agriculture and irrigation committee, concurred with Abdo. This plan has made things worse. This decision is totally unacceptable. Had this government been able to properly run the textile industry, we would not have reached this point in the first place, Tamraz told Al-Monitor via phone.

I am all for the participation of the private sector and foreign investors and developers, even if through borrowing. Selling is a big no, he added.

Tamraz believes these alternatives would ensure the continuous production of textiles and circumvent the failure of public sector companies. The government did not address this plan with parliament," he said. Tamraz said that when parliament next convenes in October, he will issue a request to meet with Tawfik and the minister of agriculture.

Egyptians will not likely welcome the government's plan to sell state assets. According to economists, the best way to promote industry is through the participation of the private sector.
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey  Over the weekend, Elazig Street, which leads to the Diyarbakir Fair and Congress Center, was filled with cars and pedestrians  possibly reminding an onlooker of the happier times for the region more than a decade ago, when large crowds gathered on this road to celebrate Nowruz, the Kurdish New Year. But, this time, the crowds  families, young people and children  are not heading for dancing and singing but to a book fair.

The Diyarbakir Book Fair, the largest literary gathering in Turkeys southeast since its inception in 2010, has returned to the city after a four-year hiatus. The fair had been suspended in 2015, when the organizers announced that the bombings and clashes in the city made it impossible to maintain security.

The six-day fair, held Sept. 25-30, had a good revival, with 153 publishing houses  with books in Turkish and Kurdish  and associations participating. It also hosted roughly 110,000 visitors  20,000 more than the last fair in 2014.

It is a positive sign that 110,000 people turned up for this fair, Muharrem Erbey, an author and human rights activist, told Al-Monitor. Diyarbakir is a city that reads. I have learned that the Kurdish-language books sold well, too, he added, referring to the stands of the 30 publishing houses that displayed Kurdish-language books.

Erbey said peoples interest in the fair was a reflection of their longing for cultural events. In the last few years, culture has taken a back seat to conflict and to politics. The government-appointed mayors [who have replaced the elected mayors in the region and throughout Turkey] have done next to nothing on culture.

The fair was a reflection of the political environment in Turkey. At the last fair in 2014, fair posters had been in three languages, Turkish, English and Kurdish. However, this year, posters and banners were only in Turkish, creating resentment among the predominantly Kurdish-speaking public and criticism in the local media. Unconfirmed rumors among participants of the fair indicated that some of the Kurdish publishing houses had boycotted the fair on the grounds that the posters and banners were only in Turkish.

The fair drew its largest crowds over the weekend  its last two days.

Judging by the way they all turned up, the local people must have thought that this was the Nowruz celebrations, attendee Kadir Karagoz, speaking tongue in cheek, told Al-Monitor. Then he added on a more serious note that this was a city where people were curious and eager to learn. This has been the land of different books  holy or not  faiths and cultures for centuries. Yes, we are in economic difficulties now, but even then, many of the people here think that book-learning and education will help their children have a better life than they do.

Diyarbakir has lived through a tense period in the last few years, he said, referring to the clashes between the Turkish security forces and Kurdish militants, the curfews and the destruction of the ancient district of Sur  the walled city  in Diyarbakir. This is a bit of fresh air.

The fair hosted Turkish writers who wrote in Turkish on the Kurdish issue, such as journalists Altan Oymen, Levent Gultekin and Ismail Saymaz, best-selling authors Ayse Kulin and Oya Baydar, sociologists Ismail Besikci and Fikret Baskaya.

It also included new-generation Kurdish writers, such as Murat Bayram, a journalist and editor of the independent news agency Bianets Kurdish-language section. He has released his first book of short stories, Belki isev binive (Maybe she will sleep tonight), about life in Diyarbakir during the 2015 clashes and curfews.

The readers here are informed of the new books, Bayram told Al-Monitor. I saw that many of them visited the fair with a list of books that they wanted to buy. The local kids rushed to the stands with Kurdish books. Then he added, The fact that this book fair took place is a sign of normalcy.

The multicultural nature of the city was reflected in the choice of the fairs guest of honor, Turkish-Armenian writer Migirdic Margosyan. Margosyan, who was born in the non-Muslim quarter of the old city, right under the city walls, told Al-Monitor that he had been reluctant to be the guest of honor in the fair, given that he had participated ever since the beginning. I am from the city, he said. I am no guest. But [the organizers] invited me and I accepted.

Not that I am complaining about [the organizers], he said. If I were to complain, it would be about the policies that made me a guest in my own city. His words are a thinly veiled reference to the fact that his childhood neighborhood, which became the title of his book Infidel Quarter, was damaged in the clashes and then became the venue of a much-criticized gentrification plan.

The veteran writer also praised the attendance at the fair. Its good that there was so much interest after a hiatus of four years. Most people actually came to buy books, not to look around. The authors and the readers had plenty of occasions to talk to each other, too. When I talked to the readers, they mostly asked me about the Infidel Quarter  perhaps because it no longer exists.
After withdrawing from the Paris climate pact and gutting the EPA, the Donald Trump administration is suddenly obsessed with the sorry state of Irans environment.

The State Departments hawkish Iran Action Group devotes an entire chapter to the topic in its new report on the outlaw regime, including environmental exploitation by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Secretary of State Mike Pompeo quipped that Tehran is more concerned with heavy water than drinking water during a Sept. 25 appearance at the United Against Nuclear Iran summit in New York.

The rhetoric has been roundly mocked by skeptics of the administrations green credentials, but it makes perfect sense, as the administration seeks as many avenues as possible for undermining the regime.

Environmental activism has increasingly emerged as a mostly non-political, non-factional outlet for dissent in recent years, which the IRGC in particular has cracked down on, Al-Monitors Iran Pulse editor Mohammad Shabani explained.

Longstanding issues such as the drying up of Lake Urmia, wildlife conservation, etc., have gained greater urgency in the public debate both due to the activism but also the crackdowns, Shabani said.

Why it matters: The Iran Action Group was formed in August to spearhead the Trump administrations campaign of pressure, deterrence, and solidarity with the long-suffering Iranian people. Exploiting Iranian grievances while making sure Tehran gets the lions share of the blame as US sanctions bite has been a key part of that strategy.

Thanks to the regimes failed policies, the Iranian people are battling drastic water shortages and environmental crises throughout their nation, Pompeo said last week. Last year, Irans own energy minister said that 295 cities are facing droughts and water shortages. Meanwhile, the regime has spent untold billions of dollars on a nuclear program that has extended now over years.

Whats next: With sweeping sanctions on Irans energy sector resuming next month, expect the rhetorical fight between Washington and Tehran over who has the Iranian peoples best interest at heart to kick into high gear. It will be especially worth watching whether the US campaign backfires against apolitical environmentalists.

Know more: Be sure to check out Maysam Bizaers extensive coverage of environmental issues over on Al-Monitor's Iran Pulse for a fuller view of the issue. Also, dont miss Shaghayegh Rostampours upcoming story about the devastating wildfires consuming the Hawizeh marshes straddling the Iran-Iraq border. Barbara Slavin also has a must-read analysis of how the Trump administrations cuts to cultural and scientific exchanges with Iran threaten environmental progress.

- Julian Pecquet
On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini announced that the European bloc would create a "special purpose vehicle" (SPV) to sustain Iran-EU trade despite the reimposition of US secondary sanctions. While details are being worked out, the SPV will act as a new payment mechanism between the two sides and will probably mainly rely on a bartering system with a minimum flow of funds. According to Mogherini, the SPV will aim to "assist and reassure economic operators pursuing legitimate business with Iran."

But what is the feasibility of this plan, and what does it mean for Iranian and European companies?

Of note, there will potentially be a number of SPVs that will be designated for business with Iran. Nonetheless, for the sake of simplicity, this analysis will refer solely to one SPV to outline the feasibility of this approach. The multiplicity of SPVs will also make the application of sanctions more challenging, which would serve the ultimate purpose of this structure.

As was argued in Al-Monitor in May, it was clear from the outset that the continuation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) absent the United States would depend on the cooperation of European small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with Iran. So the question is whether the proposed SPV can facilitate that process and protect European banks and companies from the risk of future US sanctions, considering that Washington could expand its measures to target the SPV mechanism and thus undermine the venture's future operations.

First and foremost, indications are that the SPV will be a legal entity potentially owned by participating European governments to act as an intermediary between Iran and the EU. Acknowledging that the United States will have the highest leverage over financial, and especially dollar-based, transactions, the SPV seems to be designed to devise a structure that will minimize the financial flows through a triangular barter structure. In practice, the SPV would act as a financial and commercial intermediary for exports and imports between the EU and Iran and will be open to other nations that are trading with Iran. The fact that non-EU trading partners will also be allowed to utilize the SPV expands the range of possibilities for triangular flow. An example could be the following scenario: Iran exports petrochemicals to country A, the proceeds of which will be paid to the SPV that will keep the funds in escrow. Then, Iran imports equipment from a European supplier and settles the bill through the SPV. As such, the SPV would not have to engage in financial transactions on all imports and exports, but will rather settle the balance on a regular basis  exactly like an escrow agent. Assuming that the SPV would be connected to one or more European central banks, it would not have to use the SWIFT service that was used in the period between 2012 and 2016 to stifle the transactions between Iran and the global financial system. Needless to say, none of the financial transactions will be dollar-based.

If the above assumptions are correct, the SPV will be the main European entity that is in direct financial interaction with Iranian entities and banks, and it can be expected that the United States would then try to target all legal entities that are trading with the SPV. Therefore, at the end of the day, the feasibility of this plan will fully depend on the extent to which EU governments and institutions are prepared to go to counter likely US sanctions. In other words, the key challenge will be to protect the SPV as well as all those European companies and banks that will directly trade with Iran via the mechanism. This may happen through legal action against US interests in the EU or through international institutions such as the World Trade Organization, but it will be important that the EU has a comprehensive contingency plan to counter future US measures.

The next question is how Iran and other stakeholders  especially Tehrans non-EU trading partners, will react to the proposed mechanism. Iranian officials have praised the EU for their political commitment and also for the courage to take a significant step to sustain trade between the two sides. However, while the SPV has the potential to sustain trade, the key issue for Iran will be investment and transfer of technology. Consequently, other steps will be needed from both sides to facilitate the transfer of technology and actual investments as opposed to pure trade. It is also important to the Iranian side that the SPV mechanism is not understood as an oil-for-food program  a notion that would work against Irans sense of dignity. As such, the SPV will have to be seen as a vehicle for protecting and hence facilitating business between Iran and the EU.

There is no doubt that European SMEs have the potential to offer Iran the needed technologies, particularly in fields such as energy efficiency, water management, environmental issues and industrial development. The bottleneck here will be the process of creating successful joint ventures between European SMEs and Irans private sector. As such, the SPV could also act as a facilitator in preparing European SMEs for joint ventures and the needed legal, technological and operational processes to assure win-win scenarios for all parties. At the same time, Iranian officials will have to improve the business climate in order to remove some of the impediments for the operation of European companies in Iran.

As far as investments in the Iranian economy are concerned, the EU and Iran have to seriously consider the establishment of various investment funds with participation from both sides in order to mobilize financial resources to invest in Iran. The European side can allocate some resources to specialized sectors while the Iranian side prepares to issue Eurobonds. Whether the SPV can facilitate this process remains to be seen.

One important group of stakeholders will be European buyers of Iranian crude oil. Assuming that all the large oil companies will avoid buying Iranian crude and condensate, the big question will be whether some European oil traders will opt to purchase Iranian oil through the SPV. Such oil traders would be more susceptible to US sanctions compared to SMEs that are less exposed to US pressure. It thus remains to be seen how the EU will fill that gap in addressing Irans expectations, one of which is that the EU will continue to import Irans oil.

For Irans non-EU trading partners, which will most probably start interacting with Iran in their local currencies, the SPV will be a welcome additional vehicle to trade with Iran, and in some cases  such as China and Russia  their presence could further facilitate the SPVs actual operations.

All in all, the SPV mechanism is the starting point of a process that needs to be further consolidated in order to enable trade and investment between the two sides. The fact that the SPV could lead to the creation of new paths in managing international financial flows independent of the United States is secondary to the actual requirement to sustain trade and investment ties between Iran and the EU and hence Tehrans motivation to remain committed to the JCPOA.
While US officials claim they are earnestly seeking a new nuclear deal and even a treaty with the Islamic Republic of Iran, they are busy scrapping old treaties that have endured for decades and spanned half a dozen US presidents, two different governments in Iran, a hostage crisis and the bombing of a civilian airliner.

On Oct. 3, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the United States would be terminating the Treaty of Amity with Iran, calling it 39 years overdue. Formally known as The Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights Between the United States of America and Iran, it was signed in 1955 in Tehran under President Dwight Eisenhower and Irans king at the time, Mohammad Reza Shah, who ruled the country until 1979.

While the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States formally severed ties in 1980 after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the Iran hostage crisis in which 52 American diplomats in Tehran were held for 444 days, the treaty established that the top United Nations court  the International Court of Justice (ICJ)  be used to settle disputes. The ICJ had previously been used by both the United States after the hostage crisis and by Iran after a US warship shot down an Iranian commercial airliner in the Persian Gulf in 1988.

The US decision to leave the treaty, however, was prompted after the ICJ ruled in favor of Iran regarding US sanctions, which were applied against the country after the United States pulled out of the Iranian nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Pending the finalization of its review of Iran's demand that the United States lift sanctions and pay compensation for damages, the ICJ ruled that the United States should lift sanctions on humanitarian goods such as food and medicine as well as spare parts for civilian aircraft.

Iran certainly saw the ICJ ruling as a victory. The countrys foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, tweeted after the ruling, UN top court rules that US must comply with obligations violated by reimposing sanctions on Iranian people when exiting JCPOA. Another failure for sanctions-addicted USG and victory for the rule of law. Imperative for [international] community to collectively counter malign US unilateralism.

In announcing the end of the treaty, Pompeo called Irans claim at the ICJ meritless, accused Iran of abusing the ICJ for political and propaganda purposes, and added, Iran is attempting to interfere with the sovereign rights of the United States to take lawful actions necessary to protect our national security. According to the terms of the treaty, it will take a year to be fully terminated.

The irony of the United States leaving one treaty while simultaneously calling for another treaty was not lost on Irans foreign minister. US abrogated JCPOA  a multilateral accord enshrined in UNSC Resolution 2231  arguing that it seeks a bilateral treaty with Iran, Zarif tweeted. Today US withdrew from an actual US-Iran treaty after the ICJ ordered it to stop violating that treaty in sanctioning Iranian people. Outlaw regime.

As mechanisms to settle disputes are disregarded, Iran-US tensions show no signs of subsiding. During a speech at Azadi stadium, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed the mounting tensions and reports of US President Donald Trumps beliefs that the Iranian government will collapse. These dreams remind one of 40 years ago in which Americans and their domestic servants would talk about the collapse of the government in six months time, Khamenei said to the crowd of 100,000 Basijis, his first speech at the venue in decades. But today, four decades of the life of the Islamic Republic have passed.

Khamenei said Americas last resort to confront Iran is through sanctions, but that in taking this path they will fail and receive a slap in the face.
WASHINGTON  Concerned that tensions between Iran and the United States could blow back onto Iraq, a senior Iraqi diplomat said today that Iraq would be willing to facilitate dialogue between the two nations.

Iraq is capable and willing to facilitate and create communication between not only  the US and Iran, but with all the countries in the region, Ahmed Mahjoub, spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a small group of journalists and analysts at the Iraqi Embassy in Washington.

During the recent two years, Iraq was able to solve a couple of problems between states, Mahjoub said, adding that he could not discuss the details because the parties agreed not to disclose the Iraqi role in those mediations. But I assure you that Iraq managed to solve problems between states during the last few years, and I believe that Iraq is willing to continue to this role."

He stressed that Iraq cant afford to be the battleground for any US-Iran escalation.

What I want to say, and I believe it is very important, is that Iraq does not want to see relations between Iran and the United States affect the relations between the United States and Iraq, Mahjoub said. We want independent relations between Iraq and the United States. And we do not prefer and we dont like to see the problems between Iran and the United States shadow the relations between the United States and Iraq.

Mahjoub said Iraqis were optimistic about the election yesterday of their new president, Barham Salih, and Salihs selection of former Iraqi Oil Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi as Iraqs prime minister-designate.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo congratulated Salih in a phone call today, the State Department said.

"The Secretary congratulated President Salih on his new position and underlined that the United States looks forward to working with him in this important role," a State Department readout of the call said. "The Secretary underscored continuing US support for a strong, sovereign and prosperous Iraq as outlined in our bilateral Strategic Framework Agreement with Iraq."

The Iraqi delegation was in Washington in part seeking waivers from US sanctions on Irans energy exports set to go into effect next month. Some two-thirds of Iraqs electricity production is derived from imports of natural gas from Iran, Mahjoub said.

He also said that the Iraq government was blindsided by the decision announced last week by the State Department to order the departure of staff from the US Consulate in Basra, and stressed that the Iraqi government took its pledge to protect diplomatic facilities seriously. He urged the United States to consider reopening the consulate.

We were surprised that our American friends withdrew their staff from the US Consulate in Basra, Mahjoub said. The Iraqi government always [honors] its pledge and commitment to protect all foreign missions in Basra. He noted there are six consulates active and working there now, including from Britain.

The Iraqi diplomat questioned the Trump administrations assertion that militia groups it alleges lobbed projectiles near US diplomatic facilities in Baghdad and Basra were being directed by Iran.

I am not aware of the source of information that Secretary Pompeo has regarding the Iranian role in threats against the US Consulate in Basra, Mahjoub said. What I am pretty sure of is that the governate of Basra is totally safe, that the Iraqi government controls the security there and that there are no forces or military groups in Iraq who receive orders from abroad, whether from Iran or from another country.

The United States might have wanted to send messages to regional powers after its withdrawal, and we dont want to see these messages sent via Iraq, Mahjoub said.

If the United States presently believes that the Iranians have some illegal influence in Iraq, and in Basra specifically, why [did] they withdraw from Basra? We want solid, strong and longstanding relations between Iraq and the United States. And if the United States believes that the Iranians are playing some negative role in Basra, we believe that the Americans should be there, too."
The Iraqi Ministry of Planning announced the launch of the Social Fund for Development on Sept. 23, with initial capital of $300 million, in cooperation with the World Bank.

The project aims to improve the living conditions of Iraq's poor. High poverty rates in Iraq have led to repeated protests for 15 years calling for improving the standard of living and for more employment opportunities. These protests have resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries.

A May 2018 World Bank report noted that Iraq's population of 38.5 million sits at the poverty line with a poverty rate of 22.5%. The spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Ammar Menem, told Al-Monitor that this high rate is due to exceptional security conditions ensuing from the war and its costs, as well as to the slump in oil prices. This resulted in the cessation of funding of projects for the rehabilitation of unemployed persons, a lack of investment projects and faltering economic growth.

Najla Ali Murad, the director of Iraq's Poverty Reduction Strategy, defined the expression poor individual in Iraq as a citizen with a monthly income of less than 105,000 Iraqi dinars ($88)." She told Al-Monitor that this definition applies to individuals and families who are exposed to emergency economic hardship, such as the suspension of the monthly ration card. Poverty is currently concentrated among those displaced by the war against the Islamic State (IS)," Murad said.

Mudher Mohammed Saleh, an economist and financial adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, said, The Social Fund for Development (SFD) is an aspect of development financing in line with national strategies to address poverty and economic and social failures."

Saleh said, Iraq suffers from a substantial imbalance in the geographical distribution of income and wealth, since poverty rates are soaring up to 50% of the population in major provinces. He added, Employment is still plaguing the provinces liberated from IS, especially among youth groups. In these provinces, around 40% of the total economically active labor force is jobless.

He said the SFDs objective is to reduce unemployment and poverty rates to one digit. High levels of poverty in the long run create serious social and political problems," he said.

The SFD aims to empower and support small and medium business opportunities," he said. "This would turn it into one of the pillars of the 2018-2022 development plan in its capacity as a financing force for society and the market. The SFD adopts the philosophy of a social market economy based on increasing Iraq's annual gross domestic product beyond the population growth rates.

On its website, the World Bank stated, In 2018, the SFD activities will start in three governorates: Muthanna, which has the highest poverty rate, [Salahuddin], as a liberated area with many returnees, and Dohuk, where host communities were significantly impacted by internally displaced people and Syrian refugees. In 2019, the program will expand to Ninawa, Thiqar, Qadisiya and Baghdad. Starting year 3, the program will expand to all governorates in Iraq.

Abdel Zahra al-Hindawi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Planning, told Al-Monitor that Iraq's financial crisis stems from low oil prices and the high cost of fighting IS. It has forced the country to rely on external financial support and loans and grants. Iraq has already obtained a soft loan from the World Bank, he said.

I am not optimistic about initiatives launched by international or government institutions within the scope of the poverty reduction strategy, including the SFD in Iraq, said Mohammed Zaki Ibrahim, an expert at the Iraqi Oil Ministry. I have observed several initiatives launched by the government to support the agricultural sector, or tourism, or small enterprises. Nothing tangible has ever been achieved by these initiatives. A large part of these loans remained unpaid and the government was forced to reimburse it.

Ibrahim believes Iraq needs not only money to launch such projects, but also legislation that guarantees their success, such as customs protection or insurance. Rampant administrative corruption usually hinders the chances of success of such initiatives, and therefore the heavy borrowing policy adopted by the Iraqi government at this stage will not serve development.

Salam Smeasim, an economic expert and former member of the Iraqi National Coalition, told Al-Monitor, "The Ministry of Planning has always launched projects with catchy titles that best describe its strategy. But its previous strategies based on seeking grants and economic support led to a decline in economic performance. The ministry had previously prepared a poverty reduction strategic plan, but the poverty rate rose to more than 40% in some provinces.

Smeasim expected the SFD in Iraq to be another failed project amid the absence of proper implementation mechanisms.

Hussein Thagb, economics editor at Al-Sabah newspaper, argued that "regardless of the dispute on the methods of financing the SFD, financing remains necessary for similar projects and initiatives in order to raise the level of services provided to the citizen, reactivate suspended projects and prepare new ones to meet the requirements imposed by the high rates of population growth.

This fund will surely achieve its objectives if it is financed by international parties, especially if the financing is accurately tracked and supervised so as to prevent any waste, he told Al-Monitor.

Thagb added, No one questions the objectives of the SFD, aimed to improve the economic and social conditions of the poor, low-income and displaced people, but there is little trust in the mechanisms and ways of disbursing money in light of the corruption that has previously wasted the financing granted to many similar projects.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus multiyear tenure is now entering its most dangerous phase: Netanyahu is losing his grasp over his own internal checks and balances system that, in the past, caused him to avoid security-related adventures. Now he is itching for a fight and wants to leave his mark on Jewish history. This issue was analyzed in an Al-Monitor article several months ago, but it seems that now he  and we  may be entering the point of no return.

Netanyahu will be investigated Oct. 5 one more time, but this doesnt ruin his good mood. On Sept. 28, it turned out that Netanyahu has a major role in the drama that is playing out under the radar (mainly), regarding the appointment of the Israel Defense Forces next chief of staff. Netanyahu is making it hard for Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman to conduct an organized, transparent process for the appointment of a successor to Gadi Eizenkot; the latter is expected to return the keys on Jan. 1. Netanyahu favors the appointment of the youngest, least experienced contender among the four candidates. His goal: to receive a docile, submissive chief of staff who will owe his appointment to the Big Boss in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu has reached a crucial, decisive stage in his life as a leader, an associate of Netanyahu told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. He has sworn not to leave his seat until he clearly and sharply 'settles' the Iranian issue. He will not stand for a know-it-all chief of staff or heads of the branches of Israels security forces who think too independently and can do to him what they did in 2010 and 2011. Netanyahu is jockeying for a situation in which the heads of the security branches will carry out orders verbatim. He does not want people who can steal the show from under him.

The main player in this appointment process is traditionally the defense minister. He is supposed to bring the name of the desired person to the government plenum for approval. The prime minister has a monopoly over what takes place in government meetings; he can even decide not to place the appointment of the chief of staff on the agenda, which may well turn the defense minister into a hostage should he not align himself with the Big Boss. Nevertheless, prime ministers generally try to avoid intervening in the process as much as possible. They stand on their rights to interview the candidates and remain in the picture, but at the end of the day it is still the defense minister who makes the recommendations and brings the decision to the government for a vote.

But Netanyahu decided that this year, he will stick to his guns. Past traumas caused by dissenting chiefs of staff are still fresh in his memory. It began in his first term of office in the 1990s, when his bitter rivalry with Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak led to the creation of the Center Party that contributed toward Netanyahus failure in the 1999 elections. This continued in the period between 2009 and 2011, when Netanyahu tried to recruit the support of the army for attacking Irans nuclear infrastructure. That was when he was confronted with a group of security chiefs rejecting his stance. He ran afoul of Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, Mossad head Meir Dagan, Shin Bet head Yuval Diskin and IDF Military Intelligence Directorate head Amos Yadlin  all of these fiercely opposed him. Theoretically, a prime minister can garner a majority in the Cabinet and take action despite the opposition of the security branches heads. But under such circumstances, the defeat and failure of an operation would spell catastrophe for the prime minister, would involve a committee of inquiry and probably culminate in resignation in disgrace.

The heirs of these very senior defense personages also did not bode well for Netanyahu: Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and Mossad head Tamir Pardo continued to fiercely oppose an action in Iran. Thus, Netanyahu was stuck because even his then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak backed down and decided to restrain his boss foolhardy aspirations for conducting a military strike deep in Iran.

As of today, the situation has changed: This is a different Netanyahu. He is no longer that hesitant, apprehensive leader who avoided conflict so as not endanger his tenure. The 2018 Netanyahu Model knows that it is only a matter of time until he is served with an indictment. His amazing, against-all-odds victory in 2015 encouraged the development of a messianic-type viewpoint and the assumption that no one is capable of threatening his rulership. He knows that the current president in Washington will back up any Israeli security "adventure." Or at least, that is what Netanyahu thinks. Iran is weakening, its economy is crashing and it lacks the ability to deliver real military reprisals against Israel on the Syrian front. Two years of unremitting Israeli assaults on Irans efforts in Syria to become a stronger presence have garnered quite a few tactical successes.

Most important of all: Mossad head Yossi Cohen works closely with Netanyahu (after serving as Netanyahus national security adviser); the head of the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate is now Tamir Heiman (recently appointed). All that remains for Netanyahu is to appoint a convenient yes-man chief of staff who will not stand in Netanyahus way of ratcheting up the pressure on Iran. An associate of Netanyahu recently told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Netanyahu has no intentions of backing down. He will not part from his role as premier before he resolves the Iranian threat, once and for all. This is his mission, this is his historic role.

Among the four contenders for the role of chief of staff, two already served as deputy chiefs of staff, which is viewed as a mandatory position on the way to the top of the pyramid. They are Gens. Yair Golan and Aviv Kochavi. Golan had to abandon the race because of a speech he delivered in May 2016 that was perceived as too political for Israels solemn Holocaust Day. That leaves Kochavi, now deputy chief of staff; he had also served as head of the Northern Command (a "necessary requirement" these days since the northern front is the IDFs main challenge). Kochavi also served as director of Military Intelligence and as former commander of the Gaza Division.

But Kochavi is perceived as a prince: He bears the charismatic figure of an experienced officer, self-confident and capable of going into politics after he takes off his army uniform. And these are exactly the qualities that work against him in Netanyahus eyes. The other two candidates  Gens. Eyal Zamir and Nitzan Alon  are less experienced and younger.

In normal times, Netanyahu would not appoint a rather junior officer to the position of chief of staff, knowing that a future committee of inquiry might one day blame him for doing so. He would go with the "sure bet." But these are not normal days; Netanyahu is in a hurry. In the next few days, he will have to decide whether or not to have early elections, at the beginning of next year. Meanwhile, he is ratcheting up the pressure on Iran, day by day.

As we know, Netanyahu made an appearance Sept. 27 at the United Nations General Assembly meeting where he revealed fresh intelligence material regarding Iran. On Oct. 3, a mysterious WhatsApp message was sent to thousands of Beirut residences warning them that "near your home a Hezbollah site has been established." Netanyahu is setting up optimal conditions to enable him to reach the pinnacle of his years in office: He wants to duel with Iran in the light of day, as he has dreamed about since his youth. It is possible that this stage will pass and, at some point, the original cautious, calculated Netanyahu will return to grasp the leadership rudder. If not, then everything will be ready for Netanyahu to finish his historic mission: Defeating Iran.
RAMALLAH, West Bank  Although the United States has slashed funding to the Palestinian territories, the Palestinian security services continue to receive American assistance. In a recently released report, the US State Department praises the efforts by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to prevent terrorist operations against Israel.

The report notes the PA has continued its counterterrorism and law enforcement efforts in the West Bank, where Hamas, PIJ [Palestinian Islamic Jihad], and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine [PFLP] remained present. It further states, The PA Security Forces (PASF) constrained the ability of those organizations to conduct attacks, including through arrests of Hamas members planning attacks against Israelis.

The State Department also noted Washington's own efforts. The United States assisted the PAs counterterrorism efforts by providing training, equipment, and infrastructure support to the PASF. US training and support assisted in the PAs continued development of professional, self-sufficient, and capable security forces. The US also assisted the PA with criminal justice investigations and prosecutions of terrorist financing and terrorist-related activity.

Yet the Donald Trump administration has frozen financial aid to Palestinians for infrastructure development, civil society projects and to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The most recent cut was on Sept. 14, when the administration halted $10 million in funding for programs designed to promote goodwill between young Palestinians and Israelis.

Political tensions have continued to run high between Washington and the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah since Trump's Dec. 6 announcement that the United States would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and shortly thereafter decided to transfer the US Embassy there from Tel Aviv. In addition, PA President Mahmoud Abbas has made it clear that he opposes Trump's much-hyped peace plan for the Middle East, which Palestinians say favors Israel. The deal has yet to be officially unveiled. Because of this opposition, however, even aid to the security forces might be in jeopardy.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Aug. 2 that the US administration had transferred $61 million to the Palestinian security forces to maintain security coordination between the PA and Israel. A PA source speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity said that, thus far, there have been no signs that security funding is endangered. The US believes [it] to be important for controlling security in the West Bank and maintaining coordination with Israel, the source said.

That said, Abdullah Abdullah, head of the Political Committee of the Palestinian Legislative Council, told Al-Monitor, We expect US aid to the security services to stop, given our clear stance against the current US administration and its bias toward the Israeli occupation.

The author Ghassan Khatib, a former PA planning minister and former director of the PA Government Media Center, acknowledges the possibility of security cuts. Washington is taking progressive steps in imposing sanctions on the PA, and we don't know where this could lead, he told Al-Monitor.

He said the US administration does not think applying additional sanctions against the Palestinians will reduce the chances of achieving peace with Israel, which could suggest that sanctions are on the way regarding security aid.

If the [Palestinian leadership] continues to refuse to deal with the US as a mediator in the peace process, neither the US nor Israel would be bothered should the PA [fold], Khatib said. The PA has several functions, and its existence is linked to the peace process project. If [the Palestine Liberation Organization] refuses to resume negotiations and accept the US role, [the PA's] existence may no longer be necessary from a US point of view.

Beyond financial aid, the PA has security ties with the United States that have developed into their officials having bilateral meetings, with security communication channels continuously open since the United States helped rebuild the Palestinian security services in the West Bank beginning in 2005, after the Al-Aqsa intifada, which erupted in 2000. Closer relations with the United States also helped increase the level of coordination with the Israeli side.

Nevertheless, the ongoing political crisis between the United States and the Palestinians could ultimately affect their security relationship. On Sept. 11, Israeli Public Broadcasting reported that the Palestinians had threatened to suspend security and intelligence coordination between the PA security services and the CIA due to the US administration's decision to close the Palestine Liberation Organization office in Washington.

Mohammed al-Masri, director of the Palestinian Center for Research and Strategic Studies in Ramallah, told Al-Monitor, The security establishment  is an essential part of the fight against terrorism at the international level, and this is in our interest, so our people aren't described as terrorists, said Masri. The PA will play its part in the fight against terrorism even if the US cuts aid, because this role is strategic for it.

Masri, a former intelligence director and former deputy head of the General Intelligence Service in Gaza, said that countries tend not to suspend security relations, even under the most hostile of circumstances, because political leaders can maintain lines of communication through them. For this reason, Masri said, it would be best to keep all channels for security communication open.
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Richard Dolan on the Digital Strip Search - New Zealand LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 348173

10-04-2018 02:22 AM











Post: #1 Richard Dolan on the Digital Strip Search - New Zealand

Advertisement



http://time.com/5413621/new-zealand-digi...word-fine/







Travelers to New Zealand Could Face a $3,000 Fine for Refusing 'Digital Strip Searches' Travelers who refuse to provide the pass codes to their digital devices or unlock them with biometric data such as fingerprints will face fines of up to NZ$5,000 (US$3,284) under New Zealands new Customs and Excise Act of 2018, which came into effect Monday, the New York Times reports. D3VILSR3J3CT

...

User ID: 464456

10-04-2018 02:29 AM



Posts: 15,604









Post: #2 RE: Richard Dolan on the Digital Strip Search - New Zealand

What have you got to hide?



I don't see a problem.

Especially if they arrest a few pedos while they are at it. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 465955

10-04-2018 02:30 AM











Post: #3 RE: Richard Dolan on the Digital Strip Search - New Zealand



NZ is going to be a Tech Giant in 20 years due to this practice...and a lot of mofo's are going to get whacked doing this. Its a great way to sweep all those Elites hard drives for all the stolen High-tech data and crypto currency codes etc..NZ is going to be a Tech Giant in 20 years due to this practice...and a lot of mofo's are going to get whacked doing this. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 348173

10-04-2018 02:31 AM











Post: #4 RE: Richard Dolan on the Digital Strip Search - New Zealand

 Wrote: (10-04-2018 02:29 AM) What have you got to hide?



I don't see a problem.

Especially if they arrest a few pedos while they are at it.

Like all new regulations brought in to keep people 'safe', it has the potential to be used against us. Like all new regulations brought in to keep people 'safe', it has the potential to be used against us. D3VILSR3J3CT

...

User ID: 464456

10-04-2018 02:35 AM



Posts: 15,604









Post: #5 RE: Richard Dolan on the Digital Strip Search - New Zealand

LoP Guest Wrote: (10-04-2018 02:31 AM)  Wrote: (10-04-2018 02:29 AM) What have you got to hide?



I don't see a problem.

Especially if they arrest a few pedos while they are at it.

Like all new regulations brought in to keep people 'safe', it has the potential to be used against us.

Then don't buy their devices. Then don't buy their devices. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 348173

10-04-2018 02:38 AM











Post: #6 RE: Richard Dolan on the Digital Strip Search - New Zealand

 Wrote: (10-04-2018 02:35 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (10-04-2018 02:31 AM) Like all new regulations brought in to keep people 'safe', it has the potential to be used against us.

Then don't buy their devices.

There goes my secret sauce recipe then There goes my secret sauce recipe then D3VILSR3J3CT

...

User ID: 464456

10-04-2018 02:41 AM



Posts: 15,604









Post: #7 RE: Richard Dolan on the Digital Strip Search - New Zealand

LoP Guest Wrote: (10-04-2018 02:38 AM)  Wrote: (10-04-2018 02:35 AM) Then don't buy their devices.

There goes my secret sauce recipe then

Memory is like a muscle.

Use it or lose it.



Just connect your Conscious memory to your subconscious memory.



Become the master.

And you shall have your recipe. Memory is like a muscle.Use it or lose it.Just connect your Conscious memory to your subconscious memory.Become the master.And you shall have your recipe. D3VILSR3J3CT

...

User ID: 464456

10-04-2018 02:45 AM



Posts: 15,604









Post: #8 RE: Richard Dolan on the Digital Strip Search - New Zealand

LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 348173

10-04-2018 02:45 AM











Post: #9 RE: Richard Dolan on the Digital Strip Search - New Zealand

 Wrote: (10-04-2018 02:41 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (10-04-2018 02:38 AM) There goes my secret sauce recipe then

Memory is like a muscle.

Use it or lose it.



Just connect your Conscious memory to your subconscious memory.



Become the master.

And you shall have your recipe.

Won't be long till they want what's in your brain next.

Was a thread about connecting brains together yesterday I think. We are zee borgy. Won't be long till they want what's in your brain next.Was a thread about connecting brains together yesterday I think. We are zee borgy.
















Late last month at the UN General Assembly in New York, Bahrains Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa warmly embraced his Syrian counterpart Walid Moallem. The encounter raised many questions about Bahrain and, by extension, other Arab Gulf states current Syria policy. The following day, Khalifa stood by his decision to meet with Syrias top diplomat, stating that it was unplanned and that both officials had had previous meetings at earlier junctures in the Syrian crisis.

In his words: Greetings among brothers are a must, but this meeting took place at a time when the Arab stance is going through positive changes to ensure Arab action and activities on the Syrian issue. There is a need to re-take the Arab lead. Syria is an Arab country and its people are Arab brothers, and whatever is happening there concerns us before any other nation. Unfortunately, regional and international states are looking into the Syrian issue whereas we Arabs are absent.

The encounter and Khalifas defense of it took scores of observers by surprise, perhaps for good reason. That Manama and Damascus chief diplomats were extremely cordial was quite contradictory, at least on certain levels. After the Syrian crisis erupted, Bahrain  along with all other Gulf Cooperation Council members, except Oman  recalled its ambassador from Damascus. In February 2016, the island kingdom threatened to join Saudi forces in waging a military intervention in Syria, resulting in Moallem responding that such a campaign against Damascus would result in Bahrainis and Saudis returning to the Arabian Peninsula in coffins. In April 2017, Bahrain backed the Donald Trump administrations decision to fire dozens of missiles at the Shayrat air base near Homs in retaliation for a chemical attack. Thirteen months later, Manama also supported Israeli military strikes against the Syrian army.

Yet Bahrains true position on the Syrian crisis itself has had contradictions, particularly since Russias military interfered in the civil war in September 2015, which shifted the balance in Bashar al-Assads favor. In February 2016, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi for a highly symbolic meeting in which Putin gave the Bahraini ruler a stallion and the king presented Russias leader with a sword made of Damascus steel, called a sword of victory. Certain analysts interpreted those words to reflect Manamas support for Moscows direct military intervention in Syria, which ultimately amounted to direct or indirect support for Assads regime.

Immediately after King Hamads meeting with Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that both Russia and Bahrain want to see a stable Syria, a country in which the foundations of the secular state are strengthened, a country that ensures its territorial integrity and within the framework of which the rights of all its citizens, without exception, are guaranteed.

Perhaps like Jordan, Bahrain changed its views on the Syrian crisis significantly following the meteoric rise to power of the Islamic State (IS) in 2014. Given the threat that Bahraini Salafi jihadis who have joined IS ranks in the Levant pose to the island kingdom and Manamas Arab allies, Bahrains leadership may have ultimately welcomed Russias intervention on the grounds that Moscow could effectively weaken IS, even if it entailed the regime in Damascus staying in power in line with the Kremlins interests.

Regardless of the Manama regimes outlook on the Syrian crisis and the prospects of Damascus returning to the Arab fold, all of Bahrains major foreign policy decisions must receive the green light from Saudi Arabia. Unquestionably, Bahrains sovereignty has been a price paid for Saudi assistance to the archipelago kingdom since the crisis of 2011 broke out. Manamas foreign policy has been in lock-step alignment with Riyadhs throughout the post-Arab Spring period, as highlighted by Bahrains position on the Iranian nuclear accord, Egypts 2013 military takeover, Yemens Houthi rebellion, the blockade of Qatar and Arab outreach to Israel. Therefore, odds are good that Bahrains foreign minister embraced his Syrian counterpart only after having received permission from Riyadh, which is yet another indicator of Saudi Arabias move away from the "Assad must go" position, rigidly held by the kingdom earlier in Syrias civil war.

Damascus has achieved important steps in normalizing its diplomatic and/or economic relations in the Arab world, such as with Egypt in 2013, Tunisia in 2015 and earlier this year with Jordan. Yet the restoration of ties between Damascus and the Arab Gulf monarchies that firmly supported the predominantly Sunni rebellion would truly mark a watershed in Assads return from the cold to Arab diplomacy.

To be sure, Manama or Riyadh officially normalizing diplomatic relations with Damascus may not come in the immediate future, as more time may be required to prepare for the painful, yet most likely highly pragmatic, decision to accept the Syrian regime and to engage at all levels. Sensitive issues, including backlashes at home from Islamists, may prompt such officials in the Gulf to move cautiously in engaging an Iran-allied, Alawite-led regime.

Finally, it is worth asking how the Saudi or Bahraini leaders could sell such a move to the public as something other than an Iranian victory in the Syrian civil war. The answer is that Riyadh and Manama will likely give strong support to the Trump administrations efforts to eject Tehrans influence from Syria with the hope that Western and regional states can pressure Assads regime to distance itself from Iran, realigning more closely with fellow Arab states and accepting Russia  not Iran  as the dominant foreign linchpin in Syrias (in)security architecture.
He who does not love animals does not love humans either. The sentiment conveyed in a tweet by the ruling Justice and Development Partys (AKP) Bahcelievler branch was echoed by Turkish social media accounts spanning the ideological spectrum to mark Oct. 4, World Animal Day. Seyma Dogucu, president of the AKPs Istanbul womens branch, posted a photograph of herself caressing a scrawny black kitten with the top trending Twitter hashtag #CanDostlarmznYanndayz, which translated literally means We stand by our life friends.

Sezgin Tanrikulu, a prominent member of the main opposition pro-secular Republican Peoples Party, seized the occasion to press for new legislation introducing harsher penalties for cruelty to animals.

The law was last amended in 2004 and is insufficient, Tanrikulu told Al-Monitor. The main problem is that it treats violence against animals as a misdemeanor, which in turn means that offenders get off with a fine instead of jail time, he explained.

Turkeys record on animal rights remains spotty. Local municipalities  be they pro-secular, Islamic, Nationalist or Kurdish  periodically cull strays with poisoned meat. Municipal workers in the central Anatolian province of Nevsehir provoked uproar when they were caught on camera in July bagging live canine strays and tossing them into a garbage-crushing truck.

Physical abuse of animals remains widespread, but a swelling army of animal rights activists is pushing back. Growing concern for the welfare of animals is one of the few dynamics binding Turkeys otherwise deeply polarized society.

Tanrikulu, the proud owner of a German shepherd and a Saint Bernard rescue, said, Whenever I raise the issue in parliament or some particularly horrific abuse against animals occurs, many AKP members who usually oppose almost everything I do rally round.

Arzu Korkmaz, who represents the advocacy group HAYTAP, said, Awareness of animals and their rights has well and truly ballooned in recent years; its simply incredible. Speaking from the western province of Balikesir where she runs her own private shelter for dogs, Korkmaz agreed that ideological and confessional differences are increasingly trumped by concern for animals well-being.

Islamic scholars remain divided as at whether its acceptable to have dogs as pets. Even orthodox preachers say it's OK as long as its to herd sheep or perform other utilitarian tasks. Nihat Hatipoglu, a prominent theologian from Diyarbakir, a mainly Kurdish and deeply conservative province in the southeast, said, Of course you can care for dogs. They are not dirty animals. There is no such thing as a dirty animal. Speaking before a pious audience, Hatipoglu continued, Even with pigs, it is only that you cant consume its meat. There is no animal that is cursed in the Kingdom of God.

This burgeoning tolerance was on full display during the recent Feast of Sacrifice when Muslims worldwide slaughter animals, usually sheep or goats, to prove their devotion. Wealthier Muslims sometimes opt for bulls. One such creature made the headlines when he broke free from the animal market in the Black Sea town of Rize on the first day of the holiday that was marked in Turkey in July. The bull thrust himself into the water and swam all the way to the neighboring province of Trabzon to escape slaughter, where he collapsed on the beach.

Haluk Levent, a famous Turkish rock star and ardent defender of animal rights, bought the bulls freedom; hardly anyone uttered a peep. In the old days, his actions might have been read as yet another secularist attempt to undermine Islamic values. The bovine, who now leads a life of leisure at a sanctuary in the western province of Izmir, has been named Ferdinand after the 20th Century Fox movie about a young bull in Spain who breaks free from a training camp for fighting bulls.
The fate of a missing dissident Saudi journalist has remained shrouded in mystery, particularly following Ankara and Riyadhs contradictory statements Oct. 3 about his whereabouts.

Jamal Khashoggi, 59, a frequent contributor to The Washington Post and author of several articles critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, went missing Oct. 2 after visiting the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul. The journalists fiance and friends believe Khashoggi has been held at the consulate since he entered it.

We are certain that Jamal is being held inside, the head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association, Turan Kislakci, told AFP.

His fiance said Khashoggi visited the consulate to obtain some documents in order to be married next week. "He went in, and as far as I know, he didn't come out. And if he did exit, we have no news of him," his fiancee, who declined to be identified, was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.

However, Saudi authorities denied the allegations Oct. 3 in a statement sent to The Associated Press. Mr. Khashoggi visited the consulate to request paperwork related to his marital status and exited shortly thereafter," the statement said. "The government of Saudi Arabia follows up diligently on any reports related to the safety of any of its citizens and will continue to follow up on these reports.

Shortly after, a contradictory statement came from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman. Speaking to reporters at the presidential complex in Ankara, Ibrahim Kalin said Turkish authorities believed the journalist was still at the consulate.

"According to the information we have, this person who is a Saudi citizen is still at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul," Kalin said.

Khashoggi had gone into self-imposed exile in the United States last year. The journalist later penned several critical articles targeting the Saudi crown prince and lamented the Saudi-led war in Yemen as cruel and devastating.

The Post also expressed concern about Khashoggi, one of its contributing writers. We have been unable to reach Jamal today and are very concerned about where he may be. ... It would be unfair and outrageous if he has been detained for his work as a journalist, The Posts international opinions editor, Eli Lopez, said in a statement.

The incident places Turkey in an awkward position as the journalist may technically be on Saudi soil; the situation poses an intricate diplomatic problem for Turkey.

The incident has a dimension of international law, there is a dimension of the law of the Turkish Republic and a humanitarian dimension, Kalin said.

Ironically, Ankara may now find itself in a position in which it would try to rescue a foreign dissident at a time when more than 100 journalists are behind bars in Turkey.

Nevertheless, Kalin struck a cautious tone to avert a possible diplomatic crisis between the two countries. We hope the problem will be solved smoothly, he said.
How do you energize young black voters in Alabama? DeJuana Thompson knows exactly how to do it.

She's the founder of Woke Vote, an organization that aims to educate and motivate black millennials throughout the state, getting them interested in politics and out to the polls on election day.

Thompson, a Birmingham native and political strategist, mobilized black voters when Jeff Sessions' Senate seat was up for grabs, helping Democrat Doug Jones to win over Republican Roy Moore in a special election in December 2017.

Now Thompson and Woke Vote have their sights set on the 2018 elections and beyond. Their work is grabbing a piece of the public spotlight, as well, via a segment that debuts today on "I Love You, America," a Hulu series hosted by comedian Sarah Silverman.

Silverman visited Birmingham earlier this year, interviewing Thompson and others at Woke Vote and discussing the ways black voters can effect change at the local, state and national levels.

"This is such a powerful voting bloc," Silverman says during the segment. "Politicians should be asking, 'What are your demands? What are the things that should be on our platform?'"

Thompson and her colleagues agree. During their chat with Silverman, they seem happy to take on any topic she tosses out, from the origins of their participation in the Jones/Moore race to envisioning what the United States would look like if it were run by black women.

"I think it would still be very diverse leadership, though," Thompson says. "Black women -- and I don't like to categorize everybody -- but we are very community-minded. You know, we take care of everybody before we take care of ourself."

Silverman also wrangles an invitation to a cookout organized by Woke Vote, asking participants to name some people who'd be "invited to the cookout" in a political sense. The eight-minute segment includes humor along with social commentary, and ends on a positive note.

"You know, black women and women of color endure some of the biggest hardships in this country, yet turn out the most to help shape this country for the better," Silverman says. "I don't know -- kinda sounds like maybe the most American thing I've ever heard."

The episode also includes an appearance by Jane "Chika" Oranika, a Montgomery rap artist who's called out Kanye West and responded to J. Cole on social media. She closes out the show with Silverman and performs an original composition, according to a Hulu publicist.

The latest episode of "I Love You, America" pops today at 5 p.m. CT. Hulu subscribers can stream it anytime thereafter. Each episode of the series includes a monologue by Silverman, interviews, and pre-taped segments.
Former Birmingham Police Chief and Birmingham City Councilman Bill Myers died Wednesday.

Myers, who served as the police chief from 1978-1981 and served four terms on the Birmingham City Council, from 1981 to 1993, died at his home at Mount Royal Towers. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office said Myers was pronounced dead at 8:36 a.m. from natural causes.

Former Birmingham Mayor David Vann appointed Myers chief on October 13, 1978 following the resignation of Jim C. Parsons. Less than a year into his term as the city's top cop, Myers was faced with high-profile killing of Bonita Carter by Officer George Sands at a convenience store in Kingston in June 1979.

Carter, just 20 years old, was two blocks from the home she shared with her parents when she was shot by Sands, who was responding to an altercation at Jerry's Convenience Store. Sands mistakenly thought Carter was involved in a robbery there, but she only was with a man who had been arguing with the store clerk. Her death was seen as yet another example in the perception of rampant police brutality against Birmingham's black citizens, and it reignited the racial strife that had never been far from the surface.

We regretfully announce the passing of former Police Chief William Bill Myers. He was Chief of the Birmingham Police Department from 19781981. We will share more on Chief Myers in a later release. Please keep the Myers family in your prayers. pic.twitter.com/hsezO3Cqzk  Birmingham Police (@BhamPolice) October 3, 2018

Myers brought then-Birmingham City Councilman Richard Arrington, Jr to the scene to try to calm the crowd without the threat of more police violence. The mayor's refusal to call for Sands' firing opened the way for Arrington's successful campaign for mayor that fall.

Former Birmingham Police Chief Johnnie Johnson, the city's second black police officer, lauded Myers for his engagement with the community during his tenure. "He was really the first chief that went out in the community,'' Johnson said. "I don't think anybody else had done that."

"He was very serious about what he did,'' Johnson said. "He was funny. He was sincere. He was a good officer."

Myers left public office in 1993.
A judge ruled Thursday that attorneys should have access to a Jefferson County judicial candidate's documents that may reveal where she permanently lives.

A Jefferson County voter filed a lawsuit late last month, claiming Linda Hall isn't eligible for the judicial seat she's campaigning for because she doesn't live in Jefferson County.

Hall is currently the Democratic nominee for Jefferson County Circuit Court Place 16. She is running against Republican incumbent Circuit Judge Teresa Pulliam.

That complaint states Hall isn't eligible for the seat because Alabama law requires a judicial candidate to reside in the circuit they are competing in for at least 12 months prior to the election or appointment. The voter's lawsuit says Hall has lived in Shelby County-- which is not part of the Tenth Judicial Circuit-- for parts of the past 12 months and will not have lived in Jefferson County for a year by election day.

All Jefferson County judges recused themselves from the case, and Circuit Judge Samuel Junkins was appointed to preside over the case. Junkins is a judge for the state's 24th Judicial Circuit which includes Fayette, Pickens and Lamar counties.

Junkins held a hearing Thursday morning, but neither Hall nor her attorney were present. Barry Ragsdale, who is representing the complaining voter, and Peter Davis, who competed against Hall in the Democratic primary, were at the hearing.

Ragsdale asked the judge to allow attorneys to see documents that may prove Hall's residency, including an alleged lease she signed for an apartment complex in Shelby County and bills for utilities that are sent to that address.

While Hall's name should not appear on the November 6 ballot, the voter's complaint says, it would be impossible to print new ballots in time for the election. Absentee ballots have already been sent out in the county.

The complaint says, "As a result, the only remedy available is a preliminary and permanent injunction prohibiting the state and county officials... from counting any votes cast for Defendant Hall."

Ragsdale said, "We strongly believe that Ms. Hall is ineligible to run or serve as Circuit Court judge and that the evidence will be conclusive that she is not a resident of Jefferson County. The voters deserve to know that before the general election."

He said, "There is too much at stake to risk electing a judge whose every decision and sentence would be subject to being challenged on appeal because the judge was not eligible to serve."

Davis filed a motion last week to intervene in the case, stating that since he was Hall's only opponent in the primary, he should take the place as the Democratic nominee if Hall is ousted. "If on June 5, 2018, Defendant Linda Hall was ineligible to qualify as a candidate for the democratic nomination for Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit, Place 16, then the Intervenor Peter Johnson Davis, as the only eligible candidate for this position on the ballot for the primary election... is the rightful and legitimate democratic nominee for this position," Davis wrote in his motion.

Davis told AL.com, "In the event that the supporters of the Republican challenger Teresa Pulliam are successful in removing the Democratic nominee, I want to be the nominee to ensure that the Democratic Party in Jefferson County has a nominee that they can support. I am the only other Democratic Candidate that qualified for Circuit Court, Place 16. This is nothing more than a Republican led effort to eliminate the Democratic elected nominee."

In court records, Hall "denies that she is not a resident of Jefferson County." She states that she has continuously resided at and does reside at a Valley Avenue address, which is an office building called Valley Centre.

Her attorney did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Mandy Parente, interpersonal violence prevention coordinator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said students have been receiving mandatory online and in person Title IX training covering consent and bystander training since 2014.

Most public university students around the state undergo some form of consent and or sexual assault awareness training. These programs vary nationally from in-person sessions with trained staff to online courses on consent and healthy relationships. In 2015, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study on a campus sexual violence prevention program that trained women to avoid sexual assault. The study found the program reduced college women's chance of being assaulted by 50 percent. However the course by a doctor at the Centers for Disease Control by placing the responsibility on women to avoid being assaulted.

"Students have reported feeling higher levels of self efficacy and said they are more likely to intervene if they see sexual violence happening," Parente said. "They also have a better understanding of what consent is and the nuances of consent."

Parente is now working with students who asked to create a Consent Campaign on campus.

Incoming students at the University of North Alabama are required to take a sexual assault prevention courses online before signing up for classes. The Title IX office offers courses throughout the year including Mandatory Reporting, Bystander, and Title IX training.

"We also go into every First Year Experience course for freshman and talk about Title IX and bystander intervention. That program also includes a discussion about consent, alcohol and identifying signs of intimate partner violence," Tammy Jacques, assistant vice president for student affairs and Title IX coordinator, said.

Auburn University does not have a mandatory program but encourages students to complete an online course covering mental health, sexual assault and civility. Eric Smith, director of health promotion and wellness services, said they receive a response rate of above 90 percent. Auburn also offers the Green Dot training program, which encourages bystanders to act if they see a sexual assault happening.

"Since the majority of individuals will not be victims or perpetrators of power-based personal violence we believe harnessing bystanders can actually prevent incidents from occurring," Smith said.

The University of Alabama requires incoming students to complete an online program through AlphaPoint, which includes issues such as sexual harassment and communication skills.

Many schools across the country began implementing consent training after Emma Sulkowicz spent their year carrying a dorm room mattress around Columbia's campus in New York to protest their university's response to their alleged sexual assault in 2014.
The city of Huntsville has less than a month to turn over records in the case of William Darby, a police officer charged with murder of a mentally ill man, a judge ruled.

However, those records won't include statements made by Darby at a police review board hearing. In an order issued late Wednesday, Madison County Circuit Judge Donna Pate said for now she won't require the city to provide to prosecutors copies of Darby's statements for the review board hearing.

"The city of Huntsville is directed to produce to the court all items requested by the subpoena...except for statements in any form made by William Darby," Pate wrote. The city has to turn over the records by Nov. 1.

At the review board hearing, which was audio and video recorded, the police department cleared Darby of wrongdoing in the April 3 shooting death of 49-year-old Jeffrey Parker. Darby has since been indicted on a murder charge.

The judge's written order comes just days after a hearing at which the city argued it shouldn't have to comply with a subpoena for review board records. At the hearing, the judge ordered the city to turn over other records from the review board hearing but delayed ruling on Darby's statements.

After prosecutors asked the judge to force the city to comply with a subpoena for review board records, Huntsville requested the subpoena be quashed.

Prosecutors have said in court records that 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 to the defense 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, the defense asked that those and other records be turned over as part of the discovery process.

But in her order, the judge said, "There can be no suppression of evidence already known by and available to the defendant prior to trial."

The city has offered to provide copies of all review board materials to the defense and to the court.

But, the city argued it shouldn't have to provide the records to prosecutors because of Supreme Court cases regarding the rights of police officers against self-incrimination.

Officers are required to give statements during internal reviews or potentially be fired. Darby and two other officers testified at his review board hearing.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that such statements can't be used against police officers. The city and the defense said that allowing the state access to the statements would amount to prosecutors using the evidence.

Prosecutors said although Darby's statements to the review board might not be admissible in court--because of the Supreme Court's prior rulings--the statements are still discoverable.

Discoverable evidence has to be provided to prosecutors and defense attorneys. Admissible evidence is what can be used at trial. Discoverable evidence isn't necessarily admissible.

The judge ordered the city to maintain copies of Darby's statements, in case they are needed later.

Prosecutors are already aware of what Darby said to the review board.

As is customary, Madison County Rob Broussard and another prosecutor attended the review board hearing. Also in attendance were members of the police department's senior leadership, the department's citizen advisory council and the city attorney's office. However, the decision whether Darby followed policy was left to three police captains, who cleared the 25-year-old officer of wrongdoing.

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.

The day of the shooting, Parker called police, saying 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 didn't 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. Since Darby went from cleared by the department to indicted by a grand jury, the public has heard competing narratives.

Battle recently accused Broussard's office of "playing politics" in the case.

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. Darby is represented by Huntsville attorney Robert Tuten.

Battle and Police Chief Mark McMurray say 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

of the shooting to the public.

Judge: City Doesn't Have to Hand Over Cop's Statements in Murder Case by Ashley Remkus on Scribd
Alabama's rollicking Senate election last year became the most expensive political campaign in state history and was a hot spot for the national cable TV cameras.

It was a one-of-a-kind political event for Alabama. The conclusion saw the first Democrat from the state in more than a quarter-century elected to the Senate.

It's also the exact opposite of the 2018 campaign season in Alabama, where political observers believe the state is headed back to "normal circumstances" that existed when Republicans ruled in major statewide contests.

"I expect that Republicans will do very well in Alabama," said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and a longtime observer of Southern politics. "In a very unusual circumstance such as having a flawed candidate like Roy Moore going up against an attractive candidate like Doug Jones who has a good strategy, that can squeak out a win."

He added, "But that is not the model of what we'll see in November. It's more of a normal election."

'Moving on'

For Alabama, the national political spotlight has been replaced with a sense of normalcy. The cable TV networks, devoted to the state's special Senate election nine months ago, have turned their attention elsewhere ahead of the November 6 midterm elections: A governor's race in Georgia, Senate seat contests in Tennessee and Mississippi, and governor and Senate race battles in Florida.

"It definitely seems like a less charged environment in terms of the amount of money and excitement and the attention that is being paid, obviously," said David Mowery, a veteran Alabama political consultant based in Montgomery. "We're not seeing the national news stories and all of that."

But that doesn't mean Democrats have lost the enthusiasm from 2017. It just seems that energy has shifted more to the grassroots.

In Madison County, for example, the Democratic Women's organization is "on the cusp of 400 members." That represents a dramatic surge of participants from the 30 or so members who were active just two years ago, said Pam Miles, the group's president.

"I've been president since January and we've grown every single month, and are getting new members all the time," said Miles, adding that the group is also raising money to help down-ballot Democrats seeking state House or Senate seats. Through fundraisers and various events, that amount has risen to $40,000 in recent months.

Republicans and a host of political scholars continue to view the 2017 election result as a one-off. To them, the blame for the Senate loss falls on the shoulders of the party's scandal-plagued candidate, Roy Moore.

"As much as Doug Jones scored the impressive win, the fact of the matter is that Roy Moore lost it," said Gary Nordlinger, a political science professor at George Washington University and a frequent analyst during last year's Senate election. "When you have more people doing write-in names than the winning margin, it shows to me that it was a vote more against Roy Moore than putting Doug Jones into the Senate."

Republicans, including Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey's campaign team, are dismissing talks about a "blue wave" affecting statewide contests. National pundits, meanwhile, are hyping the likelihood that Democrats will seize a majority in the U.S. House during the midterm election.

Alabama has long been considered among the most conservative states in the U.S., and a Republican stronghold. The GOP holds every major statewide elected office - except the one U.S. Senate seat -- and claims a supermajority status in the Legislature.

Given those advantages, the rare loss in 2017 is something that county-level GOP leaders want to put in the past.

"We've moved on from that," said Michael Hoyt, chairman of the Baldwin County GOP.

He added, "It was a unique set of circumstances in what happened there. It's not like Alabama became a bellwether type of state. (Democrats) know that. Republicans are energized and we're not looking back."

'Renewed vigor'

The return to normalcy is evident in this election cycle's fundraising, which is far removed from the massive amounts of out-of-state money that was funneled into the state last year.

In this year's governor's race, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey leads all candidates in fundraising having generated more than $6 million since last year. Her Democratic opponent, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, has raised around $2.1 million.

Jones, last year, was referred to as a fundraising "juggernaut." He raised more than $22 million to compete against Moore, who raised over $6 million himself.

Nordlinger said he doesn't believe "it's fair at all" to compare the 2017 special election with the 2018 midterms in Alabama.

But other scholars say that the Senate election did offer something for the 2018 midterms, especially for Democrats: "Hope."

"They were largely beaten down," said Jess Brown, a retired political science professor at Athens State University. "It's given them a ray of hope. I think they will be energized."

Said Richard Fording, a political science professor at the University of Alabama: "There is definitely a lot more energy within the Democratic Party in Alabama right now than there was in 2014, and in some ways, more than 2016. There is no doubt that Doug Jones' victory was a huge shot in the arm."

Both Fording and Brown believe that the recent swell of Democratic energy is more attributed to opposition of President Donald Trump, even if the president remains popular in Alabama. Trump's popularity in Alabama is highest of all states outside of Wyoming and West Virginia, according to the most recent Morning Consult analysis.

"I think the folks who are probably Republicans and are not typically voting during an off-year election, they will be a proponent of the Trump personality cult and I think they will go to the polls to defend Trump," said Brown. "There may be renewed vigor in the Democratic Party ranks, but I think the intensity and support for Donald Trump among the subset of Alabama voters is greater than for Roy Moore."

Brown also said that Moore had a history of being "shellacked" in past political campaigns in Alabama, including races he badly lost for governor in 2010 and 2006.

"Bob Riley took him to the woodshed," said Brown, referring to the 2006 GOP primary which Moore lost by a 66-33 percent difference.

Governor's race

In Alabama's current governor's race, Maddox has been pushing to debate Ivey, but to no avail. The current governor enjoys high approval scores and is ranked among the most popular governors in the U.S., according to Morning Consult.

Debbee Hancock, an Ivey spokeswoman, said any leftover Democratic energy from 2017, is "not a concern" for the governor's campaign. She said, "Governor Kay Ivey is a governor who works hard to represent all Alabamians regardless of political party."

Chip Hill, spokesman with the Maddox campaign, said the mayor has enjoyed growing crowds as the political calendar flips to the final month of campaigning.

"There is a very real enthusiasm and energy around the campaign in general but specifically to see and hear Walt," said Hill, touting the campaign's advantage in individual campaign donors and a schedule that is now "basically fully booked between now and Election Day."

"Kay and her folks are trying to hide her the best they can while they run out the clock," said Hill.

An almost similar strategy existed for Moore ahead of the 2017 general election. Moore refused to debate Jones, and also shunned political talk radio ahead of the election. He gave few media interviews after The Washington Post reported, slightly more than a month before the election, inappropriate sexual contact that Moore allegedly had with teenage girls when he was working as an Etowah County prosecutor decades ago when he was in his 30s.

Michael Slobodchikoff, chairman of the political science department at Troy University, said an October surprise could loom, which could toss the governor's race into uncertainty. For now, he said, "Kay Ivey has done everything right. She is from a position of strength. She is really playing things close to the vest."

Slobodchikoff added, "I just don't think there is the excitement in this race as there was in the Doug Jones race especially in the African-American community."

Black voter turnout

Indeed, black voter turnout has been repeatedly cited as a key factor for Jones's victory. Exit polls suggested that black voters made up about 28 percent of the special election electorate, with a whopping 96 percent backing Jones including 98 percent of black women backing the Democrat.

Cliff Albright, co-founder and executive director of the Black Voters Matter Fund, said it's simply too early to predict what will happen in Alabama's midterms.

He said that in the days leading up to the Dec. 12 election, "there were already articles explaining how Doug Jones lost because of turnout."

"They were trying to create this story line that the turnout wasn't high enough," said Albright. "I remember reporters asking us, and then reading articles on 'why is that that black folks' (don't turnout) in trying to explain the reason for Doug Jones's loss."

Albright said that Moore was already a "polarizing" figure before the sexual misconduct claims surfaced in November.

"Turnout is lower in the midterms and we don't have a really polarizing figure like Roy Moore running in this election," Albright said. "But it might be a little too early to tell and the enthusiasm is likely to pick up in the next six weeks."

He said that black voters could find themselves supportive of Democratic Alabama Attorney General hopeful Joseph Siegelman, who is running against Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall.

Siegelman is the son of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, who was popular among black constituents when he became the last Democrat to win a governor's race in 1998.

Mowery said he believes there could be some down-ballot races in counties that supported Jones - like Lee County, home to Auburn University - which Democrats could flip and defeat Republicans in statehouse races.

Statewide wins, Mowery said, will be difficult to come by for Democrats.

"Strangely enough for Alabama, you can say the governor wins 54-46 and that is probably going to be the effect of the blue wave," he said. "Even with a 5-point advantage, it doesn't get you a ton."
The Alabama Ethics Commission voted on Tuesday to drop an ethics violation case against Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin.

Thomas Albritton, the commission's executive director, confirmed the move in an email to AL.com Wednesday morning.

"Yesterday, the Commission determined that there was insufficient evidence of a violation of the Ethics Act by Sheriff Entrekin to warrant referral to either [Attorney General Steve Marshall] or the appropriate District Attorney and dismissed a pending case against him unanimously," Albritton said.

"Of course, under the Act both of those offices have the ability to separately investigate the issues [that] made the basis of that complaint if they so choose."

The Etowah County Sheriff's Office did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday morning.

Asked for details about the case against Entrekin, Albritton said that it was "related to food accounts."

The Ethics Commission investigation was launched in the months following a March report by AL.com that revealed that Entrekin had pocketed more than $750,000 of public funds allocated for the purpose of feeding inmates in Etowah County's jail over the last three years. He and his wife purchased a $740,000 beach house in Orange Beach in September.

"The law establishes that whereas personal use may look bad, it may be bad policy, it doesn't violate the law. As it relates to this particular sheriff," Albritton said via email Wednesday.

"It really is a county by county analysis [because] the law often varies by county (generally does) regarding the money in food accounts. The investigation revealed that there was no violation of our Act based on the applicable local and state laws."

Entrekin told AL.com in July that he was under investigation by the Ethics Commission and the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General.

"The federal [DHS] OIG is looking at it, they're doing an investigation, so is the Ethics Commission," Entrekin said at the time. "They're looking at the food bill, they've asked for some documents from me ... My lawyer provided them records."

The status of the federal investigation is unknown, as is the status of an ongoing State Bureau of Investigation probe into allegations that he had sex with two underage women in the early 1990s.

Entrekin has argued repeatedly that he did not break any laws by keeping the money, and it appears that he is permitted to do so under a Depression-era state law. But lawyers and experts have said that he may have run afoul of federal law by keeping money his office received from the federal government to feed Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees housed in his jail.
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The harassment of senators on both sides of the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation battle has extended to Doug Jones' office, who said Thursday that his female staffers received threats from some of Kavanaugh's backers.

"The hate and ugliness I have witnessed is unprecedented, and I hope, God I hope, does not reflect who we really are as Americans, and it has been on both sides," Jones said in a conference call with reporters. "I've even had callers telling the young women who've answered my phones that they hope they are sexually assaulted."

Jones indicated last week that he would vote against Kavanaugh's confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court, calling the process "flawed from the very beginning." Alabama's junior senator said he was concerned that Republicans were rushing the confirmation, pointing out that the GOP-led Senate Judiciary Committee refused to allow the National Archives to transfer all of Kavanaugh's records, including the judge's tenure as staff secretary to President George W. Bush. The senator also said that the committee should have subpoenaed Kavanaugh friend Mark Judge, whom Dr. Christine Blasey Ford claimed witnessed Kavanaugh sexually assaulting her when they were in high school.

"I believe it was flawed from the very beginning, it will be incomplete at the end because of the needless rush for confirmation," Jones said. "There's simply no need to rush a Supreme Court nomination for a lifetime appointment."

The heated debate over Kavanaugh's confirmation led to harassment of senators from both parties. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, was forced out of a Washington restaurant by anti-Kavanaugh activists, and Capitol Police had to escort senators from protesters.

At a second Judiciary Committee hearing last week, Ford and Kavanaugh testified about the sexual assault allegations. Jones said he believed Kavanaugh's conduct at the meeting - the judge said he believed the attacks on his character was "revenge on behalf of the Clintons" for his role in President Bill Clinton's impeachment - was "unbecoming of a judge" much less a potential Supreme Court justice.

"The manner in which he went attacking and blaming others I thought was incredibly unfortunate but also demonstrated a partisanship, a lack of independence," the senator said.

While Jones said he expected Kavanaugh to defend himself against the allegations, he also expected the judge to agree to a full vetting of the claims if there was no misconduct.

The FBI, which was called on to investigate the claims, submitted its report today to the Senate. Jones is scheduled to view the findings this afternoon, but he was concerned that the investigation's limited scope would not substantiate or disprove Ford's claims.

"There will always be a cloud" over the nomination, Jones said. "They will never get to the bottom of this at all, and that is not just unfortunate for Judge Kavanaugh, it's unfortunate for Dr. Ford and its unfortunate for the Supreme Court."
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $18 million to reimburse Jacksonville State University for replacing Hugh Merrill Hall, which was damaged during the tornado and severe weather that struck earlier this year.

The EF-3 tornado touched down on March 19 on the JSU campus, and severe storms on March 19 and 20 caused significant damage in Calhoun, Cullman, Etowah and St. Clair counties.

The tornado caused an estimated $70 million in damages to the campus and surrounding areas, and damaged 50 of 70 structures on the JSU campus.

The university plans to demolish Merrill Hall and rebuild it.

FEMA issued a news release Thursday announcing the grant, which is being provided through agency's public assistance program. Through this program, FEMA can reimburse eligible applicants for up to 75 percent of the costs taken to recover from a natural disaster. Remaining costs must be covered by non-federal sources.

The funding will be administered through the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, which will distribute the funds following its review process and upon receipt of appropriate documents from the school.
A day after the Alabama Ethics Commission did not act on a complaint filed against Attorney General Steve Marshall, his opponent in the Nov. 6 election said he is urging the commission to not look away from the complaint.

Joe Siegelman, the Democratic AG nominee and son of former Gov. Don Siegelman, said at a press conference Thursday in Huntsville that he was sending a letter to each member of the ethics commission.

The complaint, filed in July by Marshall's Republican primary opponent Troy King, accused the attorney general of violating Alabama campaign finance law by accepting donations in a political action committee to political action committee transaction prohibited by Alabama law.

King's allegation is that PAC to PAC transfers, then giving it to an Alabama candidate, violates state law even if done by a national organization outside the state. Such PAC-to-PAC transfers make it harder for voters to see exactly who is financing a campaign and what they might want in exchange.

King also raised questions in his complaint about donations from the national Republican Attorneys General Association, which to date as given $735,000 to Marshall's campaign.

The Alabama Ethics Commission held its final pre-election meeting on Wednesday without acting on the complaint.

"The people of Alabama need to know that their attorney general is not working for any out-of-state interests," Siegelman said Thursday. "That he or she is working for them exclusively for them. Not only is it suspicious and concerning that my opponent has accepted three-quarters of a million dollars of dark money from out of state.

"It seems as if that money is illegal under Alabama law. This is an issue that must be addressed. It's an issue the people of Alabama need to know about."

Siegelman hammered the point that Marshall could be the latest state official booted from office - preceded by former Gov. Robert Bentley, Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard and Chief Justice Roy Moore - if elected to a full term next month.

Marshall took office in February 2017 after being appointed by Bentley following Bentley's appointment of Luther Strange to the U.S. Senate.

"We are on the verge of potentially losing our attorney general," Siegelman said. "And I don't know how our state recovers from that."

Asked by AL.com following the press conference to expand on that assertion, Siegelman said, "The law is clear. If the violation takes place, then it's criminal if done intentionally. I am not attorney general. I'm in no position to act on a violation. The ethics commission is. The district attorney in Montgomery County is. If they want to take up this issue, they can.

"Under the law, if my opponent took this money knowing it was illegal or should have known it was illegal, then he can be prosecuted. If that happens, he would be removed from office and we would lose our attorney general."

In a statement to AL.com, Marshall campaign manager Jon Jones said, "It is unfortunate that our young, inexperienced liberal democratic opponent has decided to run a false and negative campaign."

In a response to a June 23 column raising the issue by AL.com columnist Kyle Whitmire, Marshall's campaign said Alabama's law against PAC-to-PAC transfers does not apply to federal PACs.

But Alabama Ethics Commission Director Tom Albritton told Whitmire he had been asked by other campaigns whether similar transfers were legal and had told them no.

Siegelman said voters should not look at the ethics commission's lack of action on the ethics complaint against Marshall as a vindication. The commission has 180 days to act on a complaint and could extend that window another 180 days.

King's complaint was filed July 9.

"The problem is their next meeting is not until after the election," Siegelman said. "And I believe this is a problem that the people ought to know that if they choose this person, he is subject to be removed from office shortly after being elected because he violated campaign finance law."

AL.com reporter Lee Roop contributed to this report.

Updated today, Oct. 4, 2018 at 1:58 p.m. with comment from Marshall campaign.

Updated today, Oct. 4, 2018 at 5:06 p.m. with Siegelman letter to ethics commission.

Letter to Alabama Ethics Commission by pgattis7719 on Scribd
An Athens man has been charged with reckless murder and DUI assault in a fatal crash that left one man dead Tuesday night, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

The victim, 37-year-old Lloyd Jason Crawford Reed died when the 1984 Chevrolet El Camino he was driving collided with a 2005 GMC Envoy around 8:40 p.m. Tuesday. Reed was pronounced dead on the scene.

Scotty Dale Moss, 38, who was driving the Envoy was arrested and charged with reckless murder and DUI-assault Wednesday afternoon. He is charged with DUI-assault for injuries a teenager who was in Reed's car suffered in the crash. The teenager was airlifted to Huntsville Hospital for treatment.

Moss and a passenger in his vehicle were not injured in the crash, troopers said.

The crash happened on Zehner Road about six miles northwest of Athens, troopers said. Further details about the crash were not immediately available. The crash remains under investigation.
Federal prosecutors have denied the claims of misconduct by state Rep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne and two other defendants charged in a legislative bribery case pending in U.S. District Court in Montgomery.

Davis, lobbyist Marty Connors and Trina Health CEO G. Ford Gilbert of California are asking the court to dismiss charges by claiming, in part, that prosecutors improperly influenced the grand jury by calling a diabetes treatment offered by Trina Health as "snake oil."

Gilbert is accused of bribing Alabama lawmakers to promote legislation to make insurance companies cover the "artificial pancreas treatment."

Davis is accused of participating in the scheme and Connors, a former state Republican Party chairman, is charged in connection with his work as a lobbyist for Gilbert.

One other Republican lawmaker and one former Republican lawmaker have been named in the investigation.

All the defendants have denied wrongdoing.

The defendants' misconduct claim stems from "off the record" comments assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Ross and Josh Wendell made during grand jury testimony in March. Both referred to the Trina Health treatments as "snake oil."

Davis, in his motion to dismiss, claimed it was "improper, derogatory and prejudicial" to use the term "snake oil."

In a 19-page response filed on Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendell wrote that the "snake oil" references were part of an exchange that lasted only 90 seconds during more than 18 minutes of testimony from a witness. He called the remarks "ill-advised" but also said they were a fair characterization of a procedure that was denied coverage and that providers coded incorrectly to get insurers to pay.

Wendell wrote that when prosecutors sought a second, superseding indictment, they presented the entire case again to the grand jury and instructed jurors to disregard any comments made by the prosecution.

"This course of action was chosen by the prosecution to ensure the short-hand references to the fraud scheme as 'snake oil' did not improperly influence the grand jury's decision whether to indict," Wendell wrote.

The grand jury issued its initial indictment in the case in April. It issued a second, superseding indictment in July.

The indictments say former House Majority Leader Micky Hammon of Decatur took part in the scheme but he is not charged. Hammon pleaded guilty to mail fraud for using campaign funds for personal expenses. He served three months in prison.

Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills, was charged in the first indictment but not in the second. His lawyer and prosecutors have said they Williams applied to enter a pretrial diversion program.

Magistrate Judge Wallace Capel Jr. has scheduled an Oct. 17 hearing on the motions to dismiss by Connor, Davis and Gilbert. They are scheduled for trial in January.
On day two of the Alabama leg of the "Rethink School" tour, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos praised Tuscaloosa-area higher education, business and industry leaders for working together to improve outcomes for students.

"I think that partnership with business and industry really drives the future in terms of workers' needs and opportunities for them," DeVos said during a gathering at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa. "Having business integrally involved with helping form and shape programs and curriculums is an imperative, really, for connecting students with the possibilities."

Not every student should think only in terms of a four-year college degree, DeVos said. "This administration is committed to ensuring all students have a multitude of pathways to pursue," she said.

While at Shelton State, DeVos met with students involved in hands-on learning that will propel them into the workforce.

That hands-on learning was what DeVos came to see, she said. She visited with students in various classes and heard first-hand how they were learning to operate the machinery and tools that would help them earn a good living after completing the program.

Some students already work part-time, Shelton State Dean Jason Moore said, and their employers help pay for tuition to complete their education because of the strong program Shelton State operates. "We're proud of our institution," Moore said. "We're proud of the facilities and equipment we have that mimics that of industry."

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos listens as Shelton State Community College student Harrison Hartley explains the machine process used to create the keepsake paperweight during her 'Rethink School' visit to Tuscaloosa on Oct. 4, 2018.

Student Harrison Hartley helped DeVos with the process of engraving a paperweight, demonstrating the work of a machine using CNC, or computer numerical control, he said.

Hartley told AL.com his grandfather was a machinist and that's how he became interested in pursuing the program at Shelton State. He said he is happy with the program, calling it his "passion." "It's all hands-on," he said.

After visiting Georgia Institute of Technology and Huntsville's Marshall Space Flight Center and Space and Rocket Center on Wednesday, DeVos began her day having coffee with leadership at the University of Alabama, she said, and then visited the University's RISE Center, an early childhood education center for students with special needs.

State Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, and Rep. Rich Wingo, R-Tuscaloosa, were on hand for DeVos' visit to Shelton State.

Allen said workforce training programs like those at Shelton State have even more significance given the new trade agreement Pres. Donald Trump reached with Mexico and Canada.

"It's great for America to be able to manufacture their own products and keep their citizens working," Allen said.

Both Allen and Wingo planned to participate in a roundtable discussion with DeVos, local education officials and industry representatives to highlight the partnerships the region has successfully developed to improve workforce development and fill jobs in the region.

According to DeVos' Press Secretary Liz Hill, representatives from Mercedes-Benz, NuCorp, Pfeiffer, Inc. B.F. Goodrich, and Hunt Refining Company were also scheduled to participate in the roundtable discussion.

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos listens to students at Shelton State Community College explain what they are learning during her 'Rethink School' tour to Tuscaloosa on Oct. 4, 2018.

DeVos said hearing from local and state leaders is important. "We want to ensure that schools have the freedom to create and innovate and do things differently based on the needs in their communities," DeVos said.

The federal government needs to "get out of the way" when local and state officials ask, she said, but should be available to support, through competitive grants and pilot programs, programs when needed.

"The bottom line of a tour like this," DeVos said, "is to help challenge schools and school leadership to continue to think broadly and far into the future to be sure that they're doing the things they need to do today to meet the students' needs of tomorrow."

DeVos continued her tour Thursday afternoon in Holmes County, Mississippi, where she planned to visit a public high school in Lexington. While in Mississippi, DeVos also planned to participate in an activity with a homeschooled group of students and families.

The "Rethink School" tour will conclude on Friday with a visit to New Orleans, where DeVos will tour a public charter school and then visit the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy to learn more about its Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps (JROTC) program.
Nearly 600 Daphne residents signed onto a petition objecting to a controversial rezoning. Crowds packed the council chambers expressing concerns that the city risked losing its character amid rising traffic and bustle.

But when the rezoning opposition was labeled a "mob" on Monday, it drew backlash from city officials:

"If this applicant wants to consider it mob rule, then that's their view," said Mayor Dane Haygood. "I don't think you have mob rule."

"That was extremely unfortunate language," agreed Councilman Ron Scott, one of the four council members to support the rezoning.

Councilman Joe Davis, another project supporter, said pretty much the same thing: "The choice of words was unfortunate."

'Mob' dispute

The words were offered by Daniel Dyas of Dyas LLC, a Fairhope-based family company that's looking to develop 1.8 acres adjacent to the venerable "Olde Towne" neighborhood, where homes are within easy walking distances of restaurants, churches, schools, parks and shops.

The council, with a 4-3 vote, agreed to the rezoning that Dyas sought.

Haygood, as mayor, subsequently vetoed the council's decision. He acted, he said, in accordance with the "will of the community."

Dyas, during Monday's council meeting, urged the members not to allow "mob rule to dictate your decision."

Dyas, who ran for Congress as a Republican in 2013, defended his rights as a property owner to use it as his family's development firm sees fit. He did not respond to an attempt to reach him for comment Wednesday.

Residents opposing the project have long said that Dyas purchased the acreage aware of the existing zoning. They said the zoning was there to set parameters on the tract's future, and to protect the nearby neighborhood, as well.

The dispute in Daphne, which is Baldwin County's largest city, focuses on six residential properties that would be developed adjacent to Olde Towne and U.S. 98. The houses would join 38 townhomes in the overall 4-acre parcel that already hold city approval.

Over the past year, the relationship between Dyas and the Olde Towne residents has become increasing tense. Residents have feared that Dyas LLC was angling to connect a road between their neighborhood and heavily traveled U.S. 98.

In many sensitive zoning cases, city officials often encourage developers to work out disagreements with the neighbors.

"The hope was for the two groups to work together and have a compromise," said Haygood. Instead, he said, the two sides became "pitted against each other."

The labeling of the opponents at Monday's meeting as a "mob" prompted upset and ridicule from the audience.

Said Haygood, "You can certainly run into a situation where a small vocal minority might be against something but that it does have a great good for the community. We've had many zonings and annexations which are challenged by a group of residents that still get passed."

He continued, "To me, this particular matter wasn't just a couple of neighboring property owners. It grew into a large part of Olde Towne Daphne."

Scott, who supported the Dyas proposal, said that residents who "legitimately organize" to support a "cause they believe in are certainly not a mob."

'Best interest'

No council member spoke up during Monday's meeting to admonish Dyas's comment, but Scott said that he doesn't believe anyone on the council "has that kind of attitude."

Scott said that individual council members have to vote in what they consider to be "the best interest of the city."

"We have a representative form of government and we have to vote in our best conscience," said Scott. "I don't vote based on the number of people who holler and scream."

Davis said he wished the council had done a better job of explaining the rules of its public commenting period during the meeting. One more than one occasion, the audience cheered and clapped or jeered at something they heard. One man attempted to ask a direct question of Davis, which is not allowed during most public comment periods at Alabama city meetings.

"Rather than say 'No,' we were just trying to find ways to say 'Yes,'" said Davis. "We tried to find ways to make it palatable and it didn't work. That many people got to the point of not wanting anything at all, I hate that."

Dyas did revise his project plan, which he said would improve the overall development anchored by a 104-foot "buffer" park to shield Olde Towne Daphne. He pledged to scrap the controversial connecting road.

But Haygood said he had doubts the road would be eliminated from consideration. "I don't know if it's fully been put to rest with the language that was added," Haygood said.

"If it became a cut-through, I can see how that is a concern," he said.

Scott said he doesn't believe the council has enough votes to reverse the mayor's veto. Scott, Davis, Doug Goodlin and Joel Coleman voted in support of the Dyas request. Voting "No" were Robin LeJeune, Pat Rudicell, and Council President Tommie Conaway.

Conaway said it will take a supermajority, or five votes, to override the mayor's veto. She said she doesn't plan to change her vote.

"I don't think the votes are there to overturn it," said Scott.

Political ramification

Meanwhile, Davis could face some pushback on Nov. 6. He is running as a Republican for a Baldwin County Commission seat against Democrat Amber Smith. He is the only Daphne council member running for a political office this year.

Smith was in attendance at Monday's meeting. She said she was "very disappointed" with Davis' vote.

"It was clear the citizens of Daphne did not want this," said Smith, who is campaigning in support of more planning in Baldwin County. She said she wondered why the development did not include an environmental impact analysis.

"Those concerns are very serious," she said. "They need to be addressed not only in Daphne, but countywide."

Davis said he understands that he'll face criticism for his vote ahead of the election. He is one of two Republicans facing Democratic opposition to the Baldwin County Commission. But while the district he's running for represents the Eastern Shore area, each of the four commission seats are elected countywide and Baldwin County has long been a Republican stronghold.

"There will be some people who will want to take this up as a topic for discussion before November 6, but I've been consistent," said Davis, acknowledging his support for property owner's rights.
Cameroon heads to the polls on Sunday with eight candidates looking to unseat 85-year-old President Paul Biya.

Yaounde, Cameroon  On the morning of October 7, eight of Cameroons 10 regions will vote in a presidential election that could end the long-running leadership of Paul Biya, who has been in office since 1982 and was prime minister in the seven years before that.

Dissidents in the remaining two regions  the South West and North West  home to Cameroons English-speaking minority, have threatened a showdown.

There is localised violence in the Anglophone regions  more than 1,000 men have pledged to dislodge the elections in those regions by violence, says Hans de Marie Heungoup, senior analyst for Central Africa at the International Crisis Group.

Besides fighting by Boko Haram in the Far North and North regions and rebel incursions from the Central African Republic into the Eastern region, Cameroon is largely beset by the Anglophone crisis, a separatist uprising with roots in the pre-World War I era when it was a German colony.

We are very much on the brink of a civil war, said Kah Walla, who is from an Anglophone region.

She is the leader of the Cameroon Peoples Party (CPP), but the group declined to put forward a candidate for the coming vote.

Separatist groups have gotten to a stage where they control some territory and have promised violence if the authorities attempt to hold elections there and government has vowed to hold elections there. So the population is caught in the middle.

Southern Cameroons became German Kamerun in 1885, eventually transiting to joint French and British administration. Opting not to join Nigeria as it sought independence in 1961, it instead joined the French Cameroons, which had already gained independence a year earlier.

By 1972, the federal republic of Cameroon had become a unitary state; while the south kept its English laws and academic system, the rest of the country stuck to the French legal system and the baccalaureate schooling alternative.

There are now complaints of marginalisation and a dearth of infrastructure in those English-speaking provinces, despite being home to the oil that accounts for 40 percent of the countrys GDP. People looking to go from Mamfe to Akwaya in the same region, for instance, travel through a Nigerian border town before returning to Cameroon  a journey that could take as long as a day  because of the roads terrible condition.

The elections won't be free and fair. The system is already rigged to give the president a structural advantage. Kah Walla, Cameroon People's Party leader

Rising tensions and subsequent protests caused by these divisions snowballed spectacularly in 2016.

At least 400 people have died so far. A further 20,000 people have fled into neighbouring Nigeria as their villages were razed. Schools have been closed and a three-month internet shutdown was enforced in those provinces, forcing a few hundred untrained secessionist fighters to group and arm themselves against a military crackdown.

A recent poll by GICAM, Inter-Patronal Grouping of Cameroon said more than 6,000 jobs have been lost to the crisis. In the Northwest region, a dusk-to-dawn curfew has been imposed.

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Thousands have fled both provinces, moving to stay with friends and relatives elsewhere nationwide after threats by separatists who are expected to begin taking up arms in the days leading up to the elections.

Others remain trapped in their hometowns or in informal camps for displaced people in host communities.

Weeks ago, Bernard Bilai, the Southwest governor, went with a party of gendarmes to a popular motor park in Buea, capital of the region, to ask panicked people gathered there to remain.

Despite violence inflicted on them by both the military and rebel troops, many in the Anglophone areas are sympathetic to the secessionist cause, although this support is not voiced, say experts.

Early this year in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, the self-declared leader of the separatist agenda, Julius Ayuk Tabe, was arrested with nine others and has since being extradited to Cameroon for trial on charges of treason.

Who is running?

Eight presidential candidates are angling to retire Biya, who is seeking a fresh seven-year mandate in what could be his seventh term.

The frontrunners include Joshua Osih of the main opposition Social Democratic Front and Akere Muna, a veteran lawyer, former vice president of Transparency International and son of a former vice president of the Federal Republic of Cameroon running with the Front Populaire Pour Le Developpement (FPD).

Both are from the English-speaking provinces.

Akere Munna is 66 years old and believes it is time for Cameroon to be run by someone from the Anglophone regions [Max Mbakop/Al Jazeera]

There is also Maurice Kamto, who leads the Mouvement pour la Renaissance du Cameroun (MRC) party. He was justice minister during the 2008 constitutional amendments that revised presidential term limits and led the legal team in negotiations with Nigeria over the disputed Bakassi peninsula in the early 2000s. He has a strong following in the west of the country, where he hails from.

Most young people seem to favour Cabral Libii, an eloquent 38-year-old journalist with Univers Party and law lecturer at the University of Yaounde II.

Kamto and Libii have roots in the Francophone regions.

Key issues

In 2014, Transparency International ranked Cameroon 136 out of 175 countries in a corruption index. An estimated 48 percent of Cameroons population lives below the poverty line.

In March, 85-year-old Biya  who reportedly presides over the countrys affairs while living in a five-star hotel in Geneva, more than 6754km away from the presidential palace in Yaounde  held his first cabinet meeting in three years.

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The key issues include unemployment and underemployment, which is generally seen as more important and sensitive than the Anglophone crisis to some of the candidates, says a technocrat who requested anonymity out of fear of being targeted by the authorities.

Political reforms, such as issues relating to staying a federation and changing presidential term limits, are also on the table.

Its time for a change, the technocrat continues. Weve never had this many good candidates at once.

Osih has deep political experience from his time in parliament; Muna has international experience. Same with Kamto.

While I dont rule out a coalition happening between the candidates post-elections  I dont see the possibility of a coalition happening before the elections.

The end of Biya?

It remains a tall order to dislodge the strongman of Cameroonian politics, experts and analysts say, warning that voter apathy and presidential gimmicks will be at play.

Presidential candidates have been made to pay a CFA 30million ($52,100) caution fee  to guarantee they wont encourage their supporters to violence  and were given half that amount by the government to fund their campaigns barely two weeks before the elections.

The elections wont be free and fair, says Walla, the CPP leader from the Anglophone region. The system is already rigged to give the president a structural advantage. The minister of Territorial Administration, whose ministry supervises the elections, is a diehard Biya fan. Many of the district officers in the ministry who will count votes are helping relaunch Biyas book on his political philosophy, so there is no line between the civil service and politics.

Biya controls the police and military forces and has substantive influence over the electoral commission; he regularly appoints its chief. Its board members only quit their ruling party membership the day their appointments were announced.

President Paul Biya, 85 and one of Africas longest-serving leaders, vows to hold the largely Francophone country together even as thousands flee violence in Anglophone regions [File: AP Photo/Sunday Alamba]

The president also appoints all judges in the country.

Members of the electorate have little faith in the biometric reader system put in place for the election and do not expect Biya to concede in the unlikely event of a loss.

Local media is also suspect, recently reporting a story about Ennovate Solutions, a supposed American election-monitoring organisation, predicting a landslide victory of 81 percent for the incumbent. The firm turned out to be a web design firm owned by a relative of Paul Nji, Biyas minister of territorial administration.

Biya still has a strong base especially among his Beti kinsfolk, one of the major ethnic groups.

Serge Alomomou, a taxi driver in Yaounde, is one of them and blames French colonialists for the countrys problems.

Every country has its own problems and we signed a lot of contracts with the French at independence that put us in this mess. I trust Biya and he knows the best for us, he knows us more than the people who want to try and replace him. It is those working around him that mess up his efforts.

Mounting hate speech

Over the past year, hate speech has risen.

A petition against controversial TV host Ernest Obama surfaced online last October over his frequent outbursts against the Anglophone community.

In June, Prime Minister Philemon Yang blamed Cameroonian citizens in the diaspora for inciting their compatriots to violence on social media over the Anglophone issue.

Kamto, the candidate and former justice minister, has lambasted TV host Obamas channel, Vision 4. He pulled out of a debate on the network because, he wrote on Facebook, it promotes division and hatred among Cameroonians, particularly against the innocent English-speaking Cameroonian population trapped between secessionist activities and security forces.

The MRC party chief has himself been accused of stoking tribal tensions between his own Bamileke people and Biyas Beti people, two of Cameroons major ethnic groups.

There are ethnic and political tensions we can see mounting between the Bamileke and Beti ethnicities, says Heungoup. There is mounting hate speech and it is worrying because, in Cameroon, most of the candidates have regional bases, so what if any of them decides to reject the results?
Tarana Burke says #MeToo has come a long way, but misconceptions about sex assault continue to play out on public stage.

It was described as a watershed moment when, last year, tens of millions of people from around the world shared their personal stories of sexual harassment, assault and violence.

The accounts were shared under #MeToo, which has since grown into a movement to end sexual violence in all its forms, support survivors, and educate people about the widespread issue.

As the one-year anniversary of that viral moment takes place later this month, and as sexual abuse allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh regalvanise the movement, the work of #MeToo continues, says Tarana Burke, the US-based community organiser who first used the phrase more than a decade ago.

We have this amazing, historic opportunity to shift things in such a way that it doesnt ever shift back, Burke recently told Al Jazeera in a telephone interview.

We have an opportunity to talk about this differently, to think about it differently, to work toward it differently. Thats the work that happens now.

While #MeToo has dominated the headlines like never before, in many ways, its not been an easy year for the movement, either.

Detractors have decried the harm sexual abuse allegations have had on mens reputations  describing alleged abusers as #MeToo casualties  while with new accusations, newspapers have questioned whether #MeToo has gone too far. Alleged abusers have also attempted comebacks in recent weeks.

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Al Jazeera spoke to Burke about whats happened since #MeToo went viral last year, the misconceptions that persist around sexual violence, why apologies arent enough and what work still lies ahead.

Al Jazeera: How do you feel about what has happened since the #MeToo hashtag went viral a year ago?

Tarana Burke: I feel like we have a lot of work to do still, but I feel like weve made some strides in the last year.

But what has also happened is the conversation has stagnated around the perpetrators of the crime and the celebrity involved and hasnt been expanded to the survivors of sexual violence and why [the hashtag resonated with] so many millions of people.

I Tarana

has unfolded makes it clear that theres still a lot of education necessary in the country around the realities of surviving sexual violence, and the realities of what it does to a person physically, mentally and emotionally.]

Al Jazeera: Over the past two weeks, the #MeToo conversation in the US has centred on the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, who has been accused of sexual assault. How do you feel about how that conversation has gone?

Burke: I think that the way the conversation has unfolded makes it clear that theres still a lot of education necessary in the country around the realities of surviving sexual violence, and the realities of what it does to a person physically, mentally and emotionally.

The kind of stereotypes around falsehoods and misconceptions that people have around sexual violence are playing out on a public stage with the president tweeting out victim-blaming tweets, or Kavanaugh talking about [how] his supposed virginity shields him from being a sexual assaulter.

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

Al Jazeera: What impact do these types of misconceptions  being shared so widely in relation to the Kavanaugh accusations  have on sexual assault survivors?

Burke: I think its clearly a negative impact.

For [Trump] to single out citizens who survive sexual violence and blame them for their own victimisation is awful and its certainly is not helpful for those of us who are trying to encourage survivors and tell them that healing is possible.

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We are on one hand saying its not your fault, and youre not alone, and theres a community that supports you, and you did the right thing by coming forward.

And then [we] have people in leadership who are saying, No, she was drunk, or she didnt report, so shes invalidated.

Al Jazeera: In the past year, critics of #MeToo have said the movement is harming mens reputations and alleged abusers have been described as #MeToo casualties. How do you feel about that type of framing of the issue?

Burke: Its a very dangerous narrative.

We are already dealing with people  millions of people, in fact  that are impacted by sexual violence, and to watch people turn #MeToo into a weapon, as opposed to acknowledging it as a tool, is not just unfortunate, but its dangerous.

It creates this idea that the labour that survivors are putting forth to tell their stories, to try to shift the narrative about being a survivor, is only about taking down powerful men.

Al Jazeera: How would you describe what the #MeToo movement is really about?

Burke: I would describe it as a global movement of survivors and allies who are working toward ending sexual violence and also working toward healing from the trauma of sexual violence.

Burke founded the movement more than 10 years ago to support and amplify the voices of survivors of sexual violence, assault and abuse [File: Courtesy of Tarana Burke]

Its a movement to raise consciousness. Its a movement to educate people about the realities and the breadth and depth of sexual violence. Its a movement about supporting survivors.

Its everything but a movement about targeting perpetrators.

Al Jazeera: Whats your response to people who have been accused of sexual violence now trying to make their way back into the community? Louis CK, who recently performed stand-up to a widely receptive audience in New York, just a few months after apologising for masturbating in front of young female comics without their consent, for example.

Burke: Its disappointing because what it tells me is that theres no a real ask of accountability happening.

What it is, is people who were accused  kept their heads out of the public eye, and just are peeking out to say, OK, has this media cycle passed yet? Has it died down yet? Can I come back yet?

Theyre counting on our notoriously short memory, and our propensity for forgiveness, if you will, for those who entertain us.

Its not that theres not a road back. Its not that theres not a possibility of being a part of the larger community again or doing the work that they want to do.

People participate in a protest march for survivors of sexual assault and their supporters in Los Angeles, California in November 2017 [File: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters]

Lets talk about Louis CK. He admitted that the behaviour was wrong, so theres an admission of wrongdoing there, but that means that you have to follow that up with action that allows the person who you wronged to understand that you have learned from what you did and that you wont engage in that behaviour again.

You cant simply leave that to an apology [alone].

We havent seen a public expression of understanding about the gravity of some of the things that have happened. We havent seen the survivors of this misconduct or the abuse or the assault or whatever the thing is, talk about what they need.

Nobodys asked them: what would you need in order to see this person come back into the spotlight, if at all?

Al Jazeera: You said earlier that #MeToo is a global movement. How important is it for people from marginalised communities to have a place within this conversation?

Burke: I think its critical. There is a part of sexual violence that is a unifier.

Its a common denominator among vastly different groups, and I think seeing and hearing the fullness of the impact of sexual violence helps paint a larger picture.

While sexual violence knows no race or class or gender or what have you, the response to it does.

In the public discourse, we have not really scratched the surface of understanding the breadth of sexual violence, and in order to do that, we need to hear the stories of the most marginalized people.

While sexual violence knows no race or class or gender or what have you, the response to it does. Tarana Burke, founder of the Me Too movement

The Native community is affected in one way. Black and Brown folk are affected in one way. People in Southeast Asia are affected in another way. There are religious implications. There are racial and cultural implications that we havent grappled with.

Thats important to understand what were actually dealing with.

Al Jazeera: When we talked last year, you stressed the importance of shifting the focus of #MeToo to making sure survivors get the support they need. Has that been happening, and if not, how can it get there?

Burke: I wish I had an answer to that. I feel like Ive been talking for almost 12 months straight about the same thing.

As much as #MeToo has been in the media [and] as much as we hear about it, I dont think people realise how disconnected what we hear and see is from the reality of what is going on, on the ground.

There are not a lot of [added] resources that have moved in this last year to support the people doing the work to end sexual violence.

Protesters at a march for survivors of sexual assault and their supporters in California in November 2017 [Lucy Nicholson/Reuters]

On the ground, the people who are literally holding the hands of the survivors, who are coming in after disclosing their experience of sexual violence that theyve held for 30 years  theyre going to rape counselling centres, and theyre going into counselling centres and theyre going to local support groups.

These are the people, these are soldiers on the ground, who need resources.

Al Jazeera: Why do you think those resources havent gone where they need to go?

Burke: People have to be bleeding and dying in the street in order for people to respond with the urgency it requires.

The fact that 12 million people in 48 hours responded to #MeToo on one social media platform should have set off bells and whistles. That should have been a state of emergency.

I Tarana

lends itself to creating solutions. I hope that it gives the people who have already experienced sexual violence a place to feel whole and fully actualised again. I hope we get the resources we need to do the work.]

That should have made everybody stop and say, Oh God, what have we unearthed?

Whos doing the work to stop [sexual violence]? How do we support them? And what are we putting in place to make sure that we never have this many people suffering under the same thing again?

Al Jazeera: So what work lies ahead for #MeToo?

Burke: Our work is to continue what weve been doing. To help survivors who need to find the resources they need; to help them understand that healing is possible.

To help people who have been motivated in this moment to do something toward the end of sexual violence, to help them figure out what their role is.

Were doing that through our website; were doing that through giving out funds.

I hope [the movement] lends itself to creating solutions. I hope that it gives the people who have already experienced sexual violence a place to feel whole and fully actualised again. I hope we get the resources we need to do the work.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Eight years ago, a photo of the brutalised body of Khaled Said, a young man from the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, went viral on social media. Said had been beaten to death by local police, who alleged that he had died from asphyxiation after stuffing a bag of hashish down his own throat.

Public anger over repression, police brutality and impunity under the regime of President Hosni Mubarak had been simmering for years and with Saids murder, it boiled over. Unprecedented protests took place in Alexandria and Cairo that summer under the slogan We are all Khaled Said.

Six months later, in January 2011, Said would become one of the symbols of the Egyptian uprising, as people took to the streets, calling for freedom and dignity and the downfall of the regime. After Mubarak was toppled, graffiti artists painted Saids face on buildings in downtown Cairo.

Today, the graffiti is gone, whitewashed by the regime of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who has unleashed an unprecedented level of violence and repression onto the people of Egypt which many see as worse than Mubaraks.

Report after report by human rights organisations have detailed massacres, mass arrests, torture in detention, forced disappearances and death sentences in Egypt, calling on the rest of the world to take action.

The European Union, however, has chosen to ignore these pleas and continue cooperation with the Sisi regime. Not even the forced disappearance, torture and brutal murder of one of its citizens in 2016, Italian student Giulio Regeni, changed this stance; his mother, Paola Regeni, famously said: They killed him like an Egyptian.

After an initial rebuke of the Egyptian authorities, who are seen as being responsible for the murder, Italy quietly returned its ambassador to Cairo last year and proceeded to conclude an energy deal with Egypt.

Today, the racist far-right Italian government is at the forefront of EU efforts to strike deals with North African countries to prevent desperate people fleeing violence, abject poverty and war from reaching European shores. One of these states is el-Sisis Egypt.

In mid-September, it emerged that the EU is negotiating a deal with the Egyptian dictator to have his security forces up their policing of coastal waters and divert vessels carrying refugees to Egypt. In return, the Egyptian regime will receive financial support and investment and high-profile visits from European leaders.

If such a deal is concluded, this would be a bright and shiny proof that for the EU, Egyptian lives dont matter.

An Egyptian boy passes by a mural of Khaled Saids post-mortem photo in downtown Cairo on November 29, 2012 [Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh]

El-Sisis horrendous track-record

Since el-Sisi took over in a bloody coup in the summer of 2013, his human rights record has gone from bad to worse. Tens of thousands have been imprisoned under various repressive laws  from activists and journalists to ordinary people.

Human Rights Watch has declared that there is a torture epidemic in Egypt which may constitute a crime against humanity. Amnesty International has documented the forcible disappearance of hundreds of Egyptians. The world has baulked at the number of court cases in which death sentences have been handed down to dozens of civilians.

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And beyond the everyday repression Egypts general population is facing, el-Sisis regime has not spared refugees either. Since 2013, human rights defenders have called on the Egyptian authorities to stop arbitrarily arresting and deporting Syrian and Palestinian refugees. Syrians deported to Damascus have been at a high risk of facing detention and torture by the Syrian regime.

The Egyptian police have also been detaining and harassing refugees and asylum seekers from Sudan and the Horn of Africa, with NGOs reporting that hundreds were detained for seeking to leave Egypt illegally. In 2015, Egyptian border police shot and killed 15 Sudanese migrants and wounded another eight at the Egyptian-Israeli border.

If Egypt starts diverting intercepted boats to its shores and intensifies its crackdown on refugees and migrants who make it through its borders, its fundamentally flawed judiciary and appallingly tough conditions in Egypts immensely overcrowded prisons strongly suggest that this will result in an abundance of human rights abuses.

Given its overloaded healthcare system and inadequate social provision, it is also highly doubtful that it would be able to provide for the basic needs of these people. Severe restrictions placed on the operations of over 47,000 NGOs through a draconian bill also mean that the non-profit sector will not be able to help either.

The personal belongings of murdered Italian student Giulio Regeni that the Egyptian interior ministry alleged were found when it killed members of a criminal gang suspected of links to his killing; the Italian government rejected the claim [AP]

El-Sisis paid-for legitimacy, EU betrayal

It is in the context of these past and future human rights abuses that the EUs decision to work with el-Sisi must be strongly condemned. Any deal struck with the Egyptian president will diminish the diplomatic legitimacy and moral authority of the EU in Egypt and beyond.

Any arrangement whatsoever with el-Sisi will justify Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvinis blatantly racist, violent and hostile policies towards migrants and the much-maligned NGOs trying to help them.

This intended partnership is the unfortunate and painful betrayal of liberal democracy and every individual unfairly imprisoned, tortured, forcibly disappeared and killed by Egyptian security forces since 2013.

And all the wonderfully crafted EU statements lambasting the undemocratic actions of authoritarian governments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon will ring shamefully hollow once questioned through the dark, blood-filled prism of regressive diplomatic solidarity with el-Sisi.

No doubt the Egyptian president will use his administrations partnership with the EU as diplomatic cover for further brutal clampdowns on human rights campaigners, NGOs and political rivals, all to bolster his wafer-thin legitimacy. No doubt el-Sisis propaganda machinery will go into overdrive publicising his EU engagements as solid proof of his supposedly strong, progressive and indispensable leadership on the world stage.

No doubt ordinary Egyptians and desperate migrants from the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel region will come to understand and experience first-hand how the EU has no genuine desire to help foster stability, security and prosperity, democracy, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law in Egypt.

And no doubt, after all is said and done, many will soon come to realise the hard way that the EU does not promote and practise the gospel of democracy it preaches and cares little if at all about Arab and African lives.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
Jamal Khashoggi supports the Saudi Vision 2030. The Saudi leadership should see him as an ally, not an enemy.

Reports have emerged that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has gone missing after entering the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul on October 2. For those of us who know Khashoggi personally, this is very worrying, especially in the context of the ongoing crackdown on dissent led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS as he is known.

I have known Jamal Khashoggi for the better part of 16 years. I met him in Jeddah in 2002 on my first visit to the kingdom. At the time he was the deputy editor-in-chief of Arab News, the main English-language newspaper in Saudi Arabia.

He was also someone who in his youth had known Osama bin Laden and had subsequently interviewed him several times between 1987 and 1995. Although he already had a reputation as a forthright journalist in a country where the media was very much the handmaid of the regime, my interest at the time was to hear from someone who actually knew bin Laden.

I remember him saying, with a twinkle in his eye (and anyone who knows him will recognise the twinkle) that the thing about Osama was that he had gotten in with the wrong crowd.

In 2003, Jamal went on to briefly edit leading Saudi newspaper Al Watan, lasting on the job barely two months before being sacked for publishing articles critical of the conservative religious elite. His subsequent career followed the same trajectory. He is a brilliant journalist with a fiercely independent mind but with sufficient pragmatism to know just how close to the red lines he could go.

He returned to Al Watan in 2007 and managed to remain editor for three years. His strategy was to survive in the post until an article that was just a tad too critical got him into trouble. Then he would lay low before re-emerging. That takes a great deal of courage, especially in a country like Saudi Arabia.

In 2010, Saudi business magnate Prince al-Waleed bin Talal (one of the businessmen MBS imprisoned in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in his infamous shakedown) asked Khashoggi to head his new media project, al-Arab News Channel.

It was envisioned as an independent, privately-funded Arabic news broadcaster, which was supposed to offer objective, agenda-free coverage of current events in the region. Five years later it was finally launched in Bahrains capital Manama but was almost immediately shut down after airing an interview with a Bahraini opposition leader.

One of the ironies of the Mohammed bin Salman regime  and for those affected it is a cruel one  is that individuals who were supportive of Vision 2030, his programme of economic and social reform, very quickly fell under the suspicious gaze of this impetuous young man.

One of them was Khashoggi. Fearing arrest at any moment, he left Saudi Arabia in September 2017. At the time he lamented his forced departure and that of other friends and colleagues who fled ahead of being seized. In effective exile, he penned opinion pieces for the Washington Post and in his first column, he had this to say:

My friends and I living abroad feel helpless. We want our country to thrive and to see the 2030 Vision realized. We are not opposed to our government and care deeply about Saudi Arabia. It is the only home we know or want. Yet we are the enemy.

His most recent column was this past September 11 and in a characteristically balanced article he called on MBS to work toward bringing an end to the war in Yemen: The longer this cruel war lasts, the more permanent the damage will be. The crown prince must bring an end to the violence and restore the dignity of the birthplace of Islam.

The message that MBS strives to impart, in the West at least, is that the kingdom is open for business, it has returned to a moderate Islam, it has allowed movie theatres, it displays progressive thinking by, for example, granting women the right to drive  yet it has arrested the women activists who campaigned for that right.

The disconnect between many of the good economic reforms MBS wants to secure and the way he is ruthlessly using his power to crush any dissent grows ever wider by the day. And it begs the question: What is he afraid of?

Was he worried that women campaigners would undermine his authority by seeking more rights? Did he think that moderate cleric Salman al-Awdah, who was jailed last year and is currently facing the possibility of a death sentence, would seek to turn his 14 million Twitter followers against him? Did he fear that a brave journalist writing for an influential Washington publication would weaken his standing in DC?

All these people have supported MBSs Vision 2030. They could have been his allies, as he launched this bold and necessary project to transform the country. Instead, as Khashoggi wrote, he treated them as if they were the enemy.

These are the anxieties not of a powerful leader but of a man who is, in point of fact, displaying grave weakness.

I fear for Jamal Khashoggi who went to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in good faith.

He is a good man and a fine journalist. His is a voice of reasoned criticism and wise comment that the Saudi crown prince should listen to.

The thought that he might be forcibly repatriated back to the kingdom to face charges that could lead to a long prison sentence, or worse, fills me with dread.

I hope that good sense and common decency will prevail and he will be let go.

Editors note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Khashoggi entered the Saudi embassy in Istanbul. The Saudi diplomatic mission in Istanbul is a consulate.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
About 147 million voters head to the polls amid spiralling polarisation and converging crises.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil  About 147 million Brazilians are heading to polls on Sunday in highly polarised presidential and congressional elections.

At stake, is the presidency and more than 1,650 national and state level positions.

The vote takes place against a backdrop of widespread dissatisfaction prompted by a stuttering economy, worsening violent crime rates and several recent high-profile corruption scandals.

Heres what you need to know about Sundays election:

Why does the vote matter?

Brazil, Latin Americas most populous country and largest economy, is a regional powerhouse.

Home to about 210 million people, Brazil forms part of the five-member BRICS group of major emerging economies alongside Russia, India, China and South Africa.

But several recent domestic setbacks have begun to erode the countrys standing on the world stage, according to Oliver Stuenkel, a professor of international relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV).

Brazil at this point, and over the last few years, has lost its voice on international issues, Stuenkel said.

It is no longer able to project itself as a model  its legitimacy is lower today than four years ago [at the last election], he added.

This years vote arrives at a critical juncture for Brazils future prospects as it battles to confront several complex and threatening challenges that have increased unrest and widened polarisation among the countrys citizens.

What are the key issues?

At the top of voters minds are Brazils economic, political and social crises.

From 2000 to 2012, Brazil seized on a global commodities boom to become one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world. A more than two-year deep recession, which began in mid-2014, has since rocked the country and stagnated growth.

Though technically out of the recession since last year, the economy is still struggling to recover and unemployment stands at above 12 percent, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics.

The fiscal downturn has coincided with numerous high-level corruption scandals since 2014 as part of the Lava Jato, or Car Wash, anti-graft probe and other interlocking investigations.

Widely popular former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was among more than 150 Brazilian business leaders, corporations and politicians convicted on the back of the investigations. He is now serving 12 years in jail and was barred from running in this election. Lula has consistently denied the charges, alleging they are politically motivated.

The scandals involving the former president and others have decimated public faith in the countrys political class and democratic institutions.

Just 17 percent of Brazilians have confidence in the national government, according to US-based consultancy Gallup, down from 51 percent a decade ago.

Violent crime, meanwhile, has surged in the last few years. In 2017, a record 63,880 homicides took place in Brazil, up 2.9 percent from 2016.

In the grip of a worsening public security crisis, Brazil is now home to seven of the worlds 20 most violent cities.

The combination of these factors has placed Brazil on the front lines of the global recession in democracies, Brian Winter, vice president of policy at the Americas Society and Council of the Americas and editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly, told Al Jazeera.

The issues present in Brazil are seen in a lot of places; disenchantment with the establishment, problems generating new employment, existential doubts over trade and rising violence, Winter said.

But in many of those cases they are just worse in Brazil than they have been in a lot of other places, he added.

Who is being elected?

Voters will choose the countrys 38th president and all 27 of Brazils state governors.

Also up for grabs are most of the seats in Congress  including two-thirds of the 81-member upper-house Senate and all 513 places in the lower-house Chamber of Deputies  and 1,059 positions within state legislatures.

Who are the top presidential contenders?

Far-right frontrunner and controversial firebrand Jair Bolsonaro of the Social Liberal Party has led opinion polls in the run-up to the vote and is projected to win up to 35 percent of the vote, according to Datafolha polling institute.

A Rio de Janeiro congressman since 1991, Bolsonaro has styled himself as a political outsider untarnished by corruption and pledged to end Brazils security problems by militarising the police and loosening gun laws.

His numerous discriminatory comments on race, gender and sexual orientation as well as several highly controversial remarks about the countrys former military dictatorship  in power from 1964 to 1985  have angered and alarmed tens of millions of Brazilians.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of Brazilians turned out in cities nationwide to protest his candidacy as part of a women-led #EleNao (#NotHim) movement. The next day, thousands of Bolsonaros supporters rallied throughout Brazil in response.

Last month, Bolsonaro was stabbed while out canvassing support in the city of Juiz de Fora, in southeastern Minas Gerais state, and has been unable to return to the campaign trail since.

People holding national flags gather in front of the condominium where leading presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro resides to show their support, in Rio de Janeiro [Leo Correa/AP Photo]

Fernando Haddad, Bolsonaros closest opponent and the leftist Workers Party (PT) replacement candidate for Lula, is trailing the former army captain in second place with about 22 percent of support.

Haddad, a former mayor of Sao Paulo and minister of education under Lula, has promised to make Brazil happy again and restore the economy to its former state of health under Lulas presidency from 2003 to 2010.

He is facing the difficult balancing act of translating Lulas widespread popularity among Brazils working class into votes for himself while also appealing to parts of the electorate with whom the former president and the wider PT are deeply unpopular.

Hostility towards the PT among some is high as a result of corruption scandals and the economic downturn which coincided with Dilma Rousseffs, Lulas successor, time in office from 2011 until her impeachment and removal from the presidency in August 2016.

Neither Bolsonaro nor Haddad appear likely to secure the absolute majority of support required to win office in the first round vote, on October 7, and are widely tipped to contest a second round head-to-head vote on October 28 instead.

Polling suggests Ciro Gomes, Geraldo Alckmin and Marina Silva  a trio of centrists who have all run for the presidency at least once before  will not catch up with the two frontrunners.

In terms of the final two candidates it has actually been quite predictable, Winter said.

Where it does become unpredictable is in this runoff, if it does confirm that we are looking at Bolsonaro versus Haddad, then thats about as close to a toss-up as you get, he added.

However, Haddad and Bolsonaro both have high rejection rates, hovering at 40 percent for the former and 45 percent for the latter.

That could pose problems for Brazil post-election if, as appears likely to be the case, either of the pair is elected to the countrys highest office, according to Winter.

If its one of these two candidates [Haddad or Bolsonaro] as president, I think they are going to face extremely difficult challenges on the economic and social front and possible questions about legitimacy, Winter said.

I think Brazil could come out of the election with a very divided society that may not be focused on the right things and may be focused more on division and this war between competing cults of personality than the very real economic, social and security challenges, he added.

How does voting work?

More than 147 million people are eligible to vote. Participation is compulsory for literate Brazilians aged 18 to 70.

Participants will make their choices via an electronic voting system, using a single, number-based method. First, they will vote on state legislators, then congressional positions, state governors and, finally, the presidency.

The presidency, state governors and senators are decided on by a majority voting system.

Seats in the Chamber of Deputies and state legislatures, meanwhile, are determined using a proportional system.





Although most results will be decided on October 7, there may be a series of second-round runoff ballots held on October 28.

Presidential and state governor candidates, unlike senators, require an absolute majority vote to be elected.

If no such result is returned on October 7, the best two performers from the first round go head-to-head in a second poll three weeks later.

At every level of government, those elected face a huge challenge to overturn the current malaise weighing on Brazil, according to Stuenkel.

The broad sense of crises is clearly present, there is a notion that things are difficult  there is a sense of crises and that there is a complexity to the crises, he said.

Brazil is in a very difficult situation.
Erdogan says Turkish troops stationed in Syria since August 2016 will remain until Syrians hold an election.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country will not leave Syria until a general election is held in the war-torn Middle-Eastern nation.

Whenever the Syrian people hold an election, we will leave Syria to its owners, Erdogan said at the TRT World forum in Istanbul on Thursday.

Turkey sent troops to Syria in August 2016 to clear a border area of fighters belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also referred to as ISIS).





It launched another operation earlier this year in the northern Syrian enclave of Afrin to remove Kurdish fighters affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Erdogan agreed with President Vladimir Putin of Russia last month to establish a demilitarised zone between rebel and government fighters in northern Syria.

The zone, which will have a depth of 15 to 20km will see groups deemed radical by Moscow withdraw from the area by October 15.

Erdogan added on Thursday that Ankara did not encounter difficulties in conducting talks with various rebel factions in northern Syrias Idlib province, the last major rebel-held stronghold that is outside Syrian President Bashar al-Assads control.

Hayet Tahrir al-Sham, which includes the al-Qaeda-linked group formerly known as al-Nusra Front, is believed to be the most powerful armed group in Idlib.

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Turkey designated the group a terrorist organisation in August, matching a decision by the United Nations in June.

On Thursday, Erdogan said that in addition to 12 observation points hosted by Turkey in the Idlib region, Russia has 10 and Iran has six.

Securing this corridor means securing Idlib, he said. And we have started fortifying our observation posts.

Seven-year war

Since the brutal Syrian civil war began in 2011, some 5.6 million people have fled the country, with as many as 6.6 million others internally displaced, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

Last week, while addressing the UN General Assembly, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said his countrys battle against terrorism is almost over and that it is now ready to welcome the millions who fled back.

Turkey, which backs opposition fighters seeking to overthrow the Syrian government, fears a large-scale offensive against the rebels could trigger a mass exodus towards its border.

As part of its diplomatic efforts to prevent what the UN fears may be a bloodbath in Idlib, Turkey has been reaching out to other stakeholder nations.

Later this month, a four-way talk between Turkey, Germany, Russia and France over the Idlib situation is expected to be held after Erdogan made a rare trip to Berlin in September.
Chelsea Logistics Holdings Inc. said it will wait for the approval of its planned acquisition of Trans-Asia Shipping Lines Inc. from the Philippine Competition Commission before proceeding with the offering of P5 billion in preferred shares. Chelsea Logistics vice president for finance Ignacia Braga IV said in a recent interview the company re-filed its plan to purchase Trans-Asia, a deal earlier voided by the countrys anti-trust body. Braga said Chelsea Logistics wants to obtain PCC approval of the deal first before proceeding with the preferred shares offering, which is also pending with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange. The PCC in July canceled Chelsea CLCs acquisition of Trans-Asia for failure to notify the antitrust body of the 2016 deal, even though the size of the transaction fell under the compulsory notification threshold of P1 billion at that time. The PCC also imposed a P22.8-million fine on Chelsea Logistics and parent Udenna Corp. led by businessman Dennis Uy. Braga said CLC recently filed a new notification with the PCC on the planned acquisition of Trans-Asia. He said the new notification would be subject to review again by the PCC.Chelsea Logistics said it was not required to notify the deal with PCC since Trans-Asias net asset value at the time of the sale was way below the P1-billion threshold. Chelsea Logistics in August filed with the SEC an application to raise as much as P5 billion from the sale of preferred shares to fund expansion and acquisition plans. The company plans to sell up to 3 million in preferred shares plus another 2 million to cover oversubscription at a price of up to P1,000 apiece. The preferred shares are non-voting, nonconvertible and non- participating. The company tapped China Bank Capital as the sold issue manager and book runner of the fundraising activity. Chelsea Logistics through its wholly-owned subsidiaries has 16 tankers, 14 tugboats, 22 RoPax vessels, 11 cargo ships, and one floating dock, while the 2GO Group operates eight RoPax vessels, five cargo ships, and 11 fast craft.
The proposal says passengers will be verified by being photographed at every stage of the check-in process.

The Indian government plans to decongest its airports by introducing facial recognition technology next year  a proposal that may once again raise privacy concerns in the South Asian country.

Indias Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday said passengers on domestic flights will be able to opt to use their biometric authentication system and go paperless.

Security will benefit from the ability of the technology to verify the passenger at every checkpoint in a non-intrusive way, ministry secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey said in a statement.

The proposal says passengers would be verified by being photographed at every stage of the check-in process  from entering the airport to proceeding through security and boarding the plane.

The government statement said the biometric technology will be introduced first at Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports by February next year, followed by Kolkata, Varanasi, Pune and Vijayawada by April.

Indian media reports said the biometric system at the proposed airports will use passengers 12-digit unique identification number, known in India as Aadhaar, and mobile phone numbers.

Aadhaar, (foundation in Hindi) is the worlds biggest identity project, with over a billion individuals enrolled so far. The national Aadhaar database holds all the personal details of registered citizens, including their biometric data from photos, fingerprints and iris scans, in a national database.

Authorities said the scheme will be rolled out early next year in order to decongest Indias airports, which have witnessed a six-fold rise in passenger numbers in the last decade.

The scheme is similar to US-based Delta Air Lines launching its first biometric terminal in Atlanta or British Airways installing the technology at airports in New York, Orlando and Miami.

Questions over privacy

But Devesh Agarwal, editor of the Bangalore Aviation website, told AFP news agency that the proposal raises questions over whether the scheme had adequate privacy safeguards.

Its a welcome move, but how will the data be stored and what happens to citizens data if private entities start collecting biometric details? he asked.

The civil aviation ministrys proposal came a week after Indias Supreme Court upheld the validity of Aadhaar.

While the top court allowed Aadhaars use for the governments social security schemes, it flagged privacy concerns and prevented authorities from making it mandatory for banking or telecom services.

In a scathing dissent, one of the five top court judges who ruled on the matter said the Aadhaar law was a fraud on the constitution and violated the right to privacy.

The scheme had been dogged by controversy since its inception in 2010, with multiple cases of Indians finding their social security payments, or access to food and fuel rations, blocked despite possessing an Aadhaar number.

In January, a journalist faced criminal proceedings after she exposed how the Aadhaar database could be hacked and the identity cards printed for the equivalent of a few dollars.
ISIL fighters still operate around Anbar

Iraqs military has launched another offensive to target ISIL pockets long after the group lost territory.
Prime Minister-designate Hariri says Lebanese economy cannot withstand any more delay in forming of government.

Lebanon will have a new government within a week or 10 days and the economy cannot withstand any more delay, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri said in a television interview on Thursday.

Everyone must make sacrifices I urge the president to offer sacrifices to facilitate the formation of the government, regarding the deputy prime ministers post and other issues, Hariri told Lebanese broadcaster MTV.

Asked whether Free Patriotic Movement chief Gebran Bassil was obstructing the formation process, Hariri said: The president does not wait for Bassils opinion and we might form a government within seven to 10 days.

Im willing to give everyone seats from my share for the sake of the country, Hariri added.

Since a parliamentary election in May, political wrangling has prevented Lebanon from forming a national unity government, raising concerns for the heavily-indebted economy.

Government officials, economists and bankers have warned that Lebanons economic situation is in rapid decline.

In September, workers and trade unions threatened protests to push officials to agree on a new government, saying the political uncertainty was affecting investor confidence and much-needed economic reforms.

While progress in bringing together rival parties in a government has been slow, lengthy negotiations are not unusual in Lebanon.

U nsustainable path

On Thursday, Bloomberg news agency reported that the World Bank had halved Lebanons 2018 growth forecast to 1 percent, predicting its ratio of debt to gross domestic product would remain on an unsustainable path.

In its October report, the international financial institution cited a decision by the Lebanese Central Bank to halt subsidised housing loans as a main factor behind the slowdown in economic activity this year.

Bloomberg, citing the World Bank report, reported that the fiscal deficit is projected to grow to 8.3 percent of GDP in 2018 because of the public sector wage raise the government approved last year.

Subdued growth and high interest payments mean the debt-to-GDP ratio is expected to persist in an unsustainable path toward 155 percent by end-2018, Bloomberg reported.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  Rosmah Mansor, wife of the former Malaysian prime minister, appeared in court on Thursday to face 17 charges of money laundering and unpaid taxes as authorities step up their investigation into the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.

Rosmah arrived at the sprawling court complex at 8:25am (00:25 GMT) dressed in an orange baju kurung traditional outfit with a scarf draped loosely around her head after spending the night in custody.

Escorted by officers from Malaysias Anti-Corruption Commission and separated from the waiting media by police, Rosmah smiled but didnt respond to questions.

Standing in the dock as the clerk took 20 minutes to read charge details, Rosmah nodded occasionally and leaned on the rail in front of the dock for support. She pleaded not guilty and was granted bail of RM2m ($482,500).

Rosmahs husband, Najib Razak, is already facing at least 30 charges in relation to the state fund and was also in court on Thursday  arriving shortly after his wife and appearing in a courtroom three floors above.

Widespread anger over 1MDB contributed to his coalitions defeat at the polls in May, Malaysias first change in government in 60 years.

Lavish lifestyle

Some $681m is alleged to have ended up in Najibs private accounts, and Rosmahs lavish lifestyle has long provoked anger and ridicule among Malaysians. Police seized luxury goods including 567 designer handbags and millions of dollars in fine jewellery in raids on the couples properties shortly after the election.

Both Najib and Rosmah have denied any wrongdoing. A small group of supporters gathered outside the court voiced suspicion about the charges, claiming the prosecution had no real evidence. Its really ridiculous and bogus, said Elly Suriati of the charges against Rosmah.





The allegations centre on about RM7 million that was deposited into her local bank account between 2013 and 2017. The prosecution says the amounts were proceeds from illegal activities.

If Rosmah is found guilty, she could be facing a substantial prison sentence  four of the 12 money-laundering charges carry a maximum jail sentence of five years and/or a fine not exceeding RM5 million, while the others have five-year jail terms.

A further five charges relating to undeclared income have maximum jail terms of 15 years.

Passport surrender

The prosecution earlier asked for bail of RM10m, noting the sum was not unreasonable, given the gravity of the offences and Rosmahs position in life at the time.

A person of her standing should not be in the dock in the first place, lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram told the court.

Rosmahs defence lawyers argued for bail of just RM250,000, but the judge set the sum at RM2 million. Rosmah has to pay RM500,000 by the end of Thursday with the remainder due by October 11.

She also must surrender her passport and has been instructed not to contact any prosecution witnesses, amid allegations she had tried to convince a witness to write a statement in her favour.

Najibs lawyers, meanwhile, asked for his case to be transferred to the Federal Court, Malaysias highest court, in Putrajaya. His full trial is due to start in February next year and he faces life in prison if found guilty.
Over 24,000 pornography sites blocked but activists say the real problem is the lack of justice for women.

Nepal said on Thursday it had ordered more than 24,000 pornography websites to be blocked under a crackdown that activists have criticised as ridiculous and ineffective.

The move, which the government says is in order to curb sexual violence, follows a national outpouring of anger this summer in response to the brutal rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Panta in July.

Pantas killing sparked protest rallies across the country in August  leaving one dead and dozens injured  after the state was accused of not taking adequate action in rape cases and a video emerged of police officers destroying evidence.

The government stoked further ire by describing the protests as a conspiracy against the ruling party.

In response to the mounting criticism, a state crackdown on pornography and vulgar content was announced last Friday.

Easy access to porn and vulgar content through the internet has affected our social values and social harmony and it has encouraged sexual violence, the government said in a statement.

Nepali activists have called on the government to hold rapists responsible for their actions [Dipen Shrestha / AFP/AFP]

Closing their eyes to the reality



The list of websites that the telecoms authority has told providers to block has not been made public  but as explicit sites were still easily available on Thursday it was not clear if the ban was being enforced.

Only 60 percent of Nepals population has access to the internet, according to the telecom authoritys numbers, raising further questions about the efficacy of banning online porn to curb sexual violence.

Binaya Bohara, CEO of internet service provider Vianet, warned that the governments vague directive would be difficult to follow.

There are many back-end ways to reach these sites. Its not a very effective way of doing things, Bohara told AFP news agency.

Meanwhile, the crackdown has been slammed by campaigners. Lawyer and internet freedom activist Babu Ram Aryal told AFP the ridiculous ban exposes the governments lack of understanding of how the internet works.

Womens rights activist Mohna Ansari of the National Human Rights Commission said that the authorities were closing their eyes to the reality.

The real problem is the lack of justice for women who do take complaints of domestic and sexual violence to the police, Ansari told AFP.

Pantas killing caused an increase in reports of sexual assault. In the past two months, the police have registered 479 reports of rape and attempted rape, more than the total number of cases filed in 2008 and 2009, according to official figures.

While more women are reporting violence to the police, activists say, many more still go unreported.
Netherlands expelled four Russian agents, says Dutch defence minister, after UK accused the Kremlin of cyber attacks.

The Dutch defence minister has said the Netherlands disrupted a Russian hacking attack and expelled four Russian intelligence officers.

In April, authorities disrupted an attempt by Russian intelligence agents to hack the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld said at a news conference in the Hague.

Bijleveld called on Russia to cease its cyber activities that aim at undermining Western democracies.

The Dutch government finds the involvement of these intelligence operatives extremely worrisome, Bijleveld said on Thursday, adding: Normally we dont reveal this type of counter-intelligence operation.

This comes as the United Kingdom accused Kremlin spies of directing a host of cyber attacks aimed at undermining Western democracies by sowing confusion in everything from sports to transport and the 2016 US presidential election.

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Britains Defence Minister Gavin Williamson said Moscows reckless and indiscriminate attacks left it isolated in the international community.

This is not the actions of a great power, this is the actions of a pariah state and well continue working with allies to isolate, make them understand they cannot continue to conduct themselves in such a way, Williamson told reporters in Brussels.

Russian rejection

Russia on Thursday rejected British accusations its spies were behind global cyber attacks, saying the allegations were unworthy and part of a disinformation campaign designed to damage Russian interests, the TASS news agency reported.

Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a news briefing that the accusations were the product of someone with a rich imagination.

Its some kind of a diabolical perfume cocktail [of allegations], TASS quoted Zakharova as telling reporters.

The vivid imagination of our colleagues from the UK has no boundaries indeed [] its undignified for the country, which pretends to play one of the leading roles in the world, she said.

Al Jazeeras Paul Brennan, speaking from London, said Thursdays reaction is notable.

Most, if not all, advanced intelligence agencies engage in hacking, he said. But it seems today that what were seeing is a coordinated campaign against Russia specifically because the activities that Russia has been engaging in go far beyond what in normal intelligence circles would be regarded as acceptable.

GRU cyber agression

Four Russians arrived in the Netherlands on April 10 and were caught three days later with spying equipment at a hotel located next to the OPCW headquarters, the Dutch military intelligence agency said.

The men had planned to travel on to a laboratory in Spiez, Switzerland used by the OPCW to analyse samples, Dutch Major-General Onno Eichelsheim said. They were expelled to Russia.

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The Netherlands released copies of passports of the four men, which identified them as Alexey Minin, Oleg Sotnikov, Evgenii Serebriakov and Aleksei Morenets, all in their 30s or 40s.

Earlier on Thursday, Britain released an assessment based on work by its National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which cast Russias GRU military intelligence agency as a cyber aggressor which used a network of hackers to sow worldwide discord.

The GRU, Britain said, was almost certainly behind the BadRabbit and World Anti-Doping Agency hacking attacks of 2017, the hack of the US Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016 and the theft of emails from a UK-based TV station in 2015.

The GRU, now officially known in Russia by a shorter acronym GU, is also the agency Britain has blamed for sending two men to England to poison former GRU agent Sergei Skripal with a chemical weapon sprayed on his door.

Reckless behaviour

Later on Thursday, the US Justice Department charged seven Russian intelligence officers with hacking anti-doping agencies and other organisations.

Meanwhile, NATO defence ministers gathered in Brussels presented a united front to their Cold War-era foe in response to the British and Dutch accusations.





US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he agreed with the British and Dutch assessments. Russia must pay a price and a number of response options were available, he said.

I would ask anyone here is anyone surprised they would attack that organisation (OPCW), I think not, Mattis said.

The GRU cyber attack that has been revealed on the OPCW is the latest of world-wide pattern of reckless and irresponsible behaviour from Moscow.

Al Jazeeras Natacha Butler, reporting from the Belgian capital, said: The accusations by the UK and the Netherlands against Russia have really been met here by a very serious tone, a very serious response.

What experts will tell you that NATO has perhaps focused a little bit too much on cyber defence rather than offensive measures and Defence Secretary James Mattis said that what the US is going to do is to offer some of its offensive cyber capabilities to the alliance to try and strengthen them in this domain and stop any future attacks, she added.

In separate statements, Australia and New Zealand also backed the British findings.
Osaka and San Francisco have been sister cities since 1957. A memorial to women forced into sexual slavery ended that.

The Japanese city of Osaka has ended its sister city agreement with the US city of San Francisco due to a dispute over a statue that memorialises women made sex slaves by Japanese forces in the 20th century.

The statue in San Francisco features depictions of women from China, Korea and the Philippines, symbolising comfort women, a term that refers to the women and teenaged girls abducted and forced to work in brothels under Imperial Japanese rule.

The statue bears an inscription that reads: This monument bears witness to the suffering of hundreds of thousands of women and girls, euphemistically called Comfort Women, who were sexually enslaved by the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces in thirteen Asian-Pacific countries from 1931-1945. Most of these women died during their wartime captivity.

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In a letter to his San Francisco counterpart, London Breed, Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura said there is disagreement among historians regarding the historical facts such as the number of comfort women, the degree to which the former Japanese Army was involved, and the extent of the wartime harm.

Yoshimura concluded his letter by saying: In the future, should the City and County of San Francisco retract the Comfort Women Memorial and plaque from public property  the City of Osaka will be genuinely inclined to fully revive the sister city affiliation whenever necessary.

Cutting of ties unfortunate

The statue was erected by a private group but San Francisco officials agreed to recognise it as public property this week.

Breeds office said in a statement it was unfortunate that Yoshimura ended their relationship.

The move was also termed outrageous and absurd by Lillian Sing, co-chair of the Comfort Women Justice Coalition, a US group based in San Francisco, who spoke to The Guardian.

It shows how afraid the Osaka mayor and Japanese prime minister are of truth and are trying to deny history, said Sing.

The Japanese government has taken steps to address the historical issue of sex slavery. Japan and South Korea reached an agreement in 2015 that included an apology from Japan, though Tokyo never accepted legal responsibility for the plight of comfort women.

Japan also founded the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation, a one billion-yen (roughly $8.7m) fund to care for survivors.
The Russian president to ink defence deal worth $5bn as Moscow plans to cement ties amid opposition from the US.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in India for a two-day visit during which Moscow is expected to ink a weapons deal worth billions of dollars, despite threat of sanctions by the United States.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening welcomed Putin in capital New Delhi and the two headed off to an informal dinner.

Official talks are expected to begin on Friday, when nearly 20 bilateral agreements will be signed in areas such as defence, nuclear energy, space exploration and economy.

Welcome to India, President Putin. Looking forward to our deliberations, which will further enhance India-Russia friendship. @KremlinRussia_E pic.twitter.com/IlGwRrXgAK  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 4, 2018

The Kremlin said the key feature of a deal with India would be the signing of a $5bn deal for the S-400 air defence system, despite a US law that sanctions any country that trades with Russias defence and intelligence sectors.

US sanctions

On the eve of Putins arrival, the US poured cold water on Indias efforts to obtain a waiver to avoid sanctions put in place under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

The deal will also help reassure Russia because India-Russia ties have been fraying at the edges for the past several years Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, journalist and security analyst

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Upgrades in arms systems including the S-400 air and missile defence system would be a particular focus for CAATSA, a US State Department spokesperson was quoted as saying by Indias PTI news agency.

The S-400 is attracting attention due to the US-Trump overhang. With the US domestic legislation discouraging countries like India from engaging in significant trade with Russia, there is a high-visibility political subtext about how this deal will impact the India-US bilateral, said Commodore (retired) Uday Bhaskar, director at The Society for Policy Studies.

The US response will be evident by November 5, when both the trade with Russia and the hydrocarbon imports from Iran will come to a tipping point. If the US decides to go ahead with its domestic legislation and invoke penalties/sanctions against New Delhi, it would test the resilience of the India-US bilateral, he said.

This would be an anomalous situation, wherein the US would place both India and China in the same sanctions basket  unlikely bed-fellows indeed. Beijing will monitor this S-400 issue very closely for long-term strategic implications.

Last month Washington slapped financial sanctions on the Chinese military for buying Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and the S-400.

However, the US is in a difficult position when it comes to India; it wants to enhance ties with New Delhi to counter Chinas growing assertiveness, something that has also rattled India.

Washington and New Delhi announced plans last month for joint military drills in 2019 and agreed on the exchange of sensitive military information. The US is now Indias second-biggest arms supplier.

But Russia remains number one; new deals with the Asian giant would be a major win for Moscow  and a big snub to the US.

Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who appear to enjoy a personal rapport, are also likely to discuss a deal for four Krivak-class frigates worth $2bn and 200 light utility Ka-226 helicopters pegged at $1bn.

Critical gaps in defence capabilities

Experts say India needs the sophisticated S-400 to fill critical gaps in its defence capabilities, in view of Chinas rise and perceived threats from Pakistan, against whom India has fought three wars.

India has been concerned about a possible two-front war in which it has to face some form of confrontation from Pakistan and China at the same time, said Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, New Delhi-based foreign policy analyst and foreign affairs editor at the Hindustan Times newspaper.

If the US decides to go ahead with its domestic legislation and invoke penalties/sanctions against New Delhi, it would test the resilience of the India-US bilateral Commodore (retired) Uday Bhaskar, director at The Society for Policy Studies

Also Indias Air Forces strength has weakened owing to acquisition problems. India has been shopping around for some time now for air-defence systems, he told Al Jazeera.

The S-400 systems have not been battle-tested but technologically they are quite good, also relatively cheap. So [they] are seen as a good solution.

The deal will also help reassure Russia because India-Russia ties have been fraying at the edges for the past several years, he added.

India is the worlds biggest arms importer and is undergoing a $100bn upgrade of its ageing hardware, much of it of Soviet vintage including MiG jets that crash frequently in the Indian countryside.

Warm ties

Putin, 65, and Modi, 68, are also set to discuss a possible second Russian-built nuclear power plant in India. Moscow is currently expanding Indias biggest nuclear power plant in Kudankulam.

Also on the agenda is Russian training for Indian astronauts as New Delhi aims to launch its first crewed space mission in 2022.

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Annual Russia-India trade has slipped below $10bn since 2014 as Modi cultivated closer diplomatic and economic ties with Washington, while Russia courted Pakistan and China.

Ties received a boost last year when Modi and Putin held a fruitful annual bilateral summit, followed by meetings in Astana and at the G20 in Germany. They also met in Sochi this year.

On the strategic front, Russia helped India become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation this year and has backed New Delhis long-held demand for a permanent UN Security Council seat.

Zeenat Saberin contributed to this report from New Delhi
Head of a UN-mandated team of investigators on Yemen says the UAE interfered in his panels work.

The head of a UN-mandated team of investigators on Yemen has accused Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of interfering in his panels work, which accuses all sides of the conflict in Yemen of rights abuses.

Kamel Jendoubi told Al Jazeera on Thursday that his team presented a list of human rights abuses to the United Nations.

These were based on a report his panel published in August, which said that it had reasonable grounds to believe that the parties to the armed conflict in Yemen have committed a substantial number of violations of international humanitarian law.





Many of these violations may amount to war crimes, the report said, pointing to widespread arbitrary detention, rape, torture and the recruitment of children as young as eight to fight.

I did not expect such a harsh reaction, weve done a professional, neutral and objective job, Jendoubi told Al Jazeera.

All we did was report based on allegations and actions we collected during our visits, from testimonies and reports  Its a normal process for any experts, he said.

The report said air attacks by the Saudi and UAE-led military coalition had caused the most direct civilian casualties in the war, and a blockade of Yemeni ports and airspace may have violated international humanitarian law.

The alliance, which has been at war with Houthi rebels since March 2015, has repeatedly denied allegations of war crimes and claims its attacks are not directed at civilians.

Data collected by Al Jazeera and the Yemen Data Project has found almost one-third of the 16,000 air raids carried out in the country have hit non-military sites.

The attacks have targeted weddings and hospitals as well as water and electricity plants, killing and wounding thousands.





The group of experts has reason to believe the government of Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, are responsible for violations of human rights, Jendoubi said when the report was published.

Violations and crimes have been perpetrated and continue to be perpetrated in Yemen by the parties to the conflict.

Members of the government of Yemen and the [Saudi-UAE] coalition may have conducted attacks that were disproportionate and could constitute war crimes, Jendoubi added.

The experts also accused the Houthis of indiscriminate shelling in civilian areas and snipers targeting non-combatants.

The United States, which has provided weaponry and logistical support to the coalition, said at the time of the release of the report that the governments support for it was constantly under review and was not unconditional.

The fighting has so far killed more than 10,000 people and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine.
Mystery surrounding what happened to Jamal Khashoggi deepens as Saudi Arabia says no idea what happened to the critic.

Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul insisted on Thursday that a missing Saudi dissident had left its premises before disappearing  directly contradicting comments by Turkish officials who say they believe hes still inside.

The comments further deepen the mystery surrounding what happened to Jamal Khashoggi, who had been living in a self-imposed exile in the United States while writing columns critical of the kingdom and its policies under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Khashoggis disappearance also threatened to further deteriorate relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which are on opposite sides of an ongoing four-nation boycott of Qatar and other regional crises.

In a statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the consulate did not challenge that Khashoggi, 59, disappeared while on a visit to the diplomatic post.

The consulate confirmed that it is carrying out follow-up procedures and coordination with the Turkish local authorities to uncover the circumstances of the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi after he left the consulate building, it said without elaborating.

The statement comes after a spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters Wednesday night that authorities believed the journalist was still there.

According to the information we have, this person who is a Saudi citizen is still at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Ibrahim Kalin said. We dont have information to the contrary.

Paperwork

On Tuesday, Khashoggi entered the consulate to get paperwork he needed in order to be married next week, said his fiancee Hatice, who gave only her first name for fear of retribution.

He gave her his mobile phones for safekeeping, a common occurence as many embassies routinely require that phones be left outside as a security precaution.

Hours later, Khashoggi hadnt emerged and Hatice recounted how she called his friends in a panic.

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I dont know what has happened to him. I cant even guess how such a thing can happen to him, she told The Associated Press.

There is no law or lawsuit against him. He is not a suspect, he has not been convicted. There is nothing against him. He is just a man whose country doesnt like his writings or his opinions.

The Washington Post, which Khashoggi writes for, said it was extremely concerned about him.

We have reached out to anyone we think might be able to help locate him and assure his safety, including US, Turkish and Saudi officials, editorial page editor Fred Hiatt said in a statement.

Critical views

Khashoggi has written regular columns in the Washington Post criticising Saudi Arabias policies towards Qatar and Canada, the war in Yemen, and a crackdown on dissent and the media and activists that has seen dozens detained.

I have left my home, my family and my job, and I am raising my voice, he wrote in September 2017. To do otherwise would betray those who languish in prison. I can speak when so many cannot.

Ali Shihabi, head of the Arabia Foundation in Washington, which regularly supports Saudi policy, expressed concern on Twitter about the reports.

Jamal and I have not seen eye to eye on many issues but having him go missing like this is awful, he said.

Khashoggi is a longtime Saudi journalist, foreign correspondent, editor and columnist whose work has been controversial in the past in the ultraconservative kingdom. He went into a self-imposed exile in the US following the ascension of Prince Mohammed, now next in line to the throne of his father, 82-year-old King Salman.

Khashoggi was known for his interviews and travels with Osama bin Laden between 1987 and 1995, including in Afghanistan, where he wrote about the battle against the Soviet occupation. In the early 1990s, he tried to persuade bin Laden to reconcile with the Saudi royal family and return home from his base in Sudan, but the al-Qaeda leader refused.
SEC warns public against 3 companies

posted October 04, 2018 at 09:35 pm by Manila Standard Business October 04, 2018 at 09:35 pm

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday warned the public about dealing with three companies that are allegedly soliciting investments without prior consent from the regulator. The commission, in an advisory posted on its website, warned the public against investing in Nutriwealth Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Bibli Online Store and Kapa Community Ministry International Inc. It said the three companies were not authorized to solicit investment from the public as they have not secured the necessary license or permit as required under the Securities Regulation Code.Based on information gathered by SEC, Nutriwealth was offering to the public investment opportunities termed as savings which involves a deposit of P1,000 up to P100,000 per month for a fixed term of 5 to 35 years with 12-percent annual interest income. It also offers double your Money in 5 years with a minimum one-time deposit of P5,000 and a maximum one-time deposit of P100,000.

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.
Turkeys foreign ministry summoned Saudi Arabias ambassador to Ankara over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul two days ago.

Turkish diplomatic sources, as well as Anadolu news agency, on Thursday said the Saudi ambassador was received by Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kiran on Wednesday for consultations over the critics disappearance.

A Saudi Press Agency statement said while the consulate did not challenge that Khashoggi disappeared during a visit to the diplomatic post, it was working with Turkish authorities to find the dissident writer.

The consulate confirmed that it is carrying out follow-up procedures and coordination with the Turkish local authorities to uncover the circumstances of the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi after he left the consulate building, it said, without elaborating.

The statement followed a spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan telling reporters on Wednesday night that he believed the journalist was still inside the consulate.

According to the information we have, this person, who is a Saudi citizen, is still at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Ibrahim Kalin said. We dont have information to the contrary.

Mysterious disappearance

Thursdays developments add to the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Khashoggi, who had been living in self-imposed exile in the United States since he fled the kingdom in September 2017.

The 59-year-old was critical of the Saudi governments reform programme under the stewardship of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

I have left my home, my family and my job, and I am raising my voice, he wrote in September 2017. To do otherwise would betray those who languish in prison. I can speak when so many cannot.

Khashoggis disappearance threatens to further deteriorate relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which are on the opposite sides in the four-nation boycott of Qatar and other regional crises.

On Tuesday, Khashoggi entered the consulate to get paperwork he needed in order to be married next week, said his fiancee Hatice, who gave only her first name for fear of retribution.

He gave her his mobile phones for safekeeping, a common occurrence as many embassies routinely require that phones be left outside as a security precaution.

Hours later, Khashoggi hadnt emerged and Hatice recounted how she called his friends in a panic.

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He is not a suspect  He is just a man whose country doesnt like his writings or his opinions, she told The Associated Press news agency.

Long-time critic

Khashoggi regularly wrote for the Washington Post, criticising Saudi policies towards Qatar and Canada, the war in Yemen, and a crackdown on dissent and the media in the kingdom.

The Washington Post said it was extremely concerned about him.

We have reached out to anyone we think might be able to help locate him and assure his safety, including US, Turkish and Saudi officials, the Posts Fred Hiatt said in a statement.

Ali Shihabi, head of the Arabia Foundation in Washington, which backs the Saudi regime, posted on Twitter: Jamal and I have not seen eye to eye on many issues but having him go missing like this is awful.

Khashoggi was known for his interviews and travels with Osama bin Laden between 1987 and 1995, including in Afghanistan, where he wrote about the battle against the Soviet occupation.

In the early 1990s, he tried to persuade bin Laden to reconcile with the Saudi royal family and return home from his base in Sudan, but the al-Qaeda leader refused.
Britains Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson has called Russia a pariah state after London accused Kremlin spies of mounting a campaign of cyber attacks on civilian bodies around the world.

Cyber experts from the United Kingdom identified operatives from Russias GRU military intelligence to be behind a string of high-profile incidents, including an attempted hack on the World Anti-Doping Agency last year.

As Williamson arrived for talks in Brussels with his NATO counterparts, he said Moscows reckless and indiscriminate attacks left it isolated in the international community.

This is not the actions of a great power, this is the actions of a pariah state and well continue working with allies to isolate, make them understand they cannot continue to conduct themselves in such a way, Williamson told reporters.

The UKs National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has high confidence that the GRU was almost certainly responsible for a number of attacks, including the targeting of the US Democratic Party ahead of the 2016 presidential election, according to sources in London

The GRU headquarters in Moscow is home to some of Russias best intelligence operatives [File: Ivan Sekretarev/AP Photo]

Al Jazeeras Rory Challand, reporting from Moscow, said: Russia has been accused by numerous countries [including the US, Estonia and now the UK] over the years of being responsible for cybersecurity attacks.

NATO is stepping up efforts to strengthen its resources to counter electronic warfare, with the United States set to announce it is making offensive cyber capabilities available to the alliance.

Asked three times whether the UK would consider hitting back at Russia with cyber attacks of its own, Williamson said that being named and shamed was a deterrent in itself.

Were going to make it clear where Russia acts that we are going to be exposing that action and we believe that by doing so this will act as a disincentive to act in such a way in the future, Williamson responded.

Ties between the UK and Russia are at rock bottom after a nerve agent attack targeting former Kremlin agent Sergei Skripal in the English city of Salisbury.

London has blamed Moscow for the attack, which left one person dead, and last month the British-based investigative group Bellingcat identified one of the suspects as a highly decorated GRU colonel.
Rosmah Mansor spent the night in detention and pleaded not guilty to all charges on Thursday.

The wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged with 17 offences, including money-laundering, as anti-corruption agents investigate billions of dollars missing from state coffers.

Rosmah Mansor smiled and waved at reporters as she was escorted into court but said little on Thursday.

She was arrested on Wednesday by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and spent the night in detention. She pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Prosecutors sought to set her bail at $2.4m and seized her passport.

The prosecution asked the court to bar her from contacting witnesses, lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram telling the court Rosmah had approached a witness with a request to give a statement in her favour.





However, the judge set Rosmahs bail at 2 million ringgit ($482,500).

The money laundering charges carry a penalty of up to 15 years in jail and a fine of not less than five times the value of the proceeds of any illegal transfers or $1.2m, whichever is higher.

Spending lavishly

I think these charges are highly significant, said James Chin from the University of Tasmanias Asia Institute. This is the first time the wife of a prime minister of Malaysia has been charged with corruption.

Chin said the charges against Rosmah, 66, will likely be well received by many in the Southeast Asian nation.

A lot of people dont like her because there were many reports of her spending money lavishly oversees. There were many reports of her making political decisions on behalf of her husband, he told Al Jazeera.

Malaysians have been outraged by the seizure of about $275m worth of cash and goods, including a vast collection of designer handbags, jewellery and watches from properties linked to Najib and Rosmah.

Saudi gift

Najib  who also making a court appearance on Thursday  faces 32 charges ranging from money laundering to abuse of power and criminal breach of trust in the effort to uncover how billions of dollars missing from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

US investigators say Najibs associates stole and laundered $4.5bn from the fund, with some $700m landing in Najibs bank account and $30m used to buy jewellery for his wife.

He has denied any wrongdoing. Rosmahs arrest came after three rounds of questioning by anti-corruption agents over 1MDB.

The then-attorney general cleared Najib in 2016, saying the money in his account was a donation from the Saudi royal family and most of it was returned.
Arkansas Railroads: From 1858 Through Today

Arkansas, known for its beautiful, rugged topography and gorgeous rivers, has seen its share of trains since the mid-19th century.

Over the years the state would become home to several railroads, which operated through or within its borders, including four classic, "fallen flags".

Sadly, abandonments have led to half of the state's rail mileage being removed. Most was pulled up after the 1970's.

Much of the cutbacks were branches and secondary corridors serving either agricultural interests or small towns situated at the end of the line.

One of the most well-known corridors removed was the Rock Island's famous Choctaw Route, which began at Memphis and cut across Arkansas on its way to Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Nevertheless, Arkansas is still home to some twenty-six different railroads; four Class Is (including Amtrak), one regional, and twenty-one short lines. Along with operating freight lines, the state is also home to several railroad museums and tourist lines.

In any event, the information listed on this page gives a general overview of Arkansas railroads, the state's history with trains, and its current operations.

A crewman puts away Delta Valley & Southern Railway 45-ton switcher #50 (built new by General Electric in 1954) for the day at the road's small engine house in Wilson, Arkansas during May, 1972. For many years the DV&S operated about 2 miles (Delpro - Elkins) of a former St. Louis-San Francisco Railway branch that originally ran 18 miles from Elkins to Deckerville, Arkansas. Warren Calloway photo.





A Brief History Of Arkansas Railroads



Railroads here have their history dating back to January 10, 1853 when the Memphis & Little Rock chartered by the state of Arkansas.

It first completed a 38-mile line connecting Hopefield (near Memphis) and Madison (the railroad's first train also pulled six bales of cotton).

Eventually, the company would complete its 133-mile main line between its namesake cities by 1871 (it was originally built as a five-foot gauge system).

After numerous bankruptcies the M&LR route eventually was purchased by the Choctaw, Oklahoma, & Gulf Railroad (the Choctaw Route) in 1900 and this company would later become part of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad system (Rock Island).

As the years progressed so did the state's railroad mileage, which quickly surpassed 800 by 1880.

Surrounding State Histories

Louisiana



Mississippi



Missouri



Oklahoma



Tennessee



Texas







Classic Railroads To Serve Arkansas

Missouri Pacific, "Route Of The Eagles"



St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, "Ship It On The Frisco!"

Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, "Route Of The Rockets"

St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt)



Kansas City Southern, "Route Of The Southern Belle"

Ashley, Drew & Northern Railway

Louisiana & North West F7A's #47 and #45 have daily road freight #15 near McNeil, Arkansas on September 21, 1983. Doug Kroll photo.

During the railroad industry's golden era the state would be home to several now-classic fallen flag railroads which include Missouri Pacific Railroad; Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad; St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco); and Kansas City Southern (still operating).

Of these railroads the Missouri Pacific by far had the most trackage in the state and the Union Pacific Railroad today operates nearly half of the state's total route mileage thanks in large part to the MP's heavy concentration in Arkansas.

Arkansas & Missouri C420's #60, #44, #48, and #62 along with T-6 #14 have southbound freight FSTN at Rudy, Arkansas on September 18, 1992. Doug Kroll photo.

Although the state's railroads have been reduced in number through mergers and acquisitions it is still home to three systems; Union Pacific, BNSF Railway, and Kansas City Southern Railway.

Today, while UP dominates much of the state BNSF has trackage rights on UP between Texas and Memphis and two lines between St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri.





Arkansas's Abandoned Railroads

Arkansas has been hit hard by abandonments since its rail mileage peaked in the 1920's; 2,500 miles have been removed since that time.

Arkansas's rich agricultural resources, notably farming products and timber, led to numerous branch lines crisscrossing the state.



Every large system to reach Arkansas has witnessed at least a few miles abandoned such as the Missouri Pacific (which blanketed the state), Rock Island, Cotton Belt, and Frisco.

The state's notable losses include part of the Rock Island's fabled "Choctaw Route," which once linked Memphis with the Southwest (via Tucumcari, New Mexico and Southern Pacific) as well as much of the old Ashley, Drew & Northern.

The AD&N was a classic short line that predominantly handled timber products between Monticello and Crossett. Most of the route was abandoned by owner Georgia Pacific in 1995.

KCS's mainline also runs along Arkansas' western edge and is home to the railroad's steepest grade at Rich Mountain.

As for major yards and facilities, the notable ones all belong to Union Pacific in North Little Rock and Pine Bluff, along with a locomotive repair facility also located in North Little Rock (Downing P. Jenks shop).









* Arkansas's first railroad was the Memphis & Little Rock to connect Hopefield (along the Mississippi River's west bank from downtown Memphis, Tennessee) with Little Rock on the Arkansas River. It opened its first segment in July, 1857 when the locomotive "Little Rock" handled six bales of cotton and offered excursions to dignitaries. However, according to the book, "The Governor's Of Arkansas" (edited by Timothy B. Donovan and Willard B. Gatewood, Jr.) the road's official opening occurred on November 11, 1858 when the first 40 miles to Madison, along the St. Francis River, opened for freight and passenger service. The M&LR went on to become part of Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific's fabled "Choctaw Route."



For a more in-depth look at Arkansas's rail mileage over the years please refer to the table above.

During the state's heyday it saw a rail network that stretched more than 5,000 miles. However, today that number has fallen to just over 2,700 miles.





At a loss of 48% of its railroad infrastructure, Arkansas's decline is not unusual as most states experienced similar decreases.



Arkansas used to be home to several well-known passenger trains including the MoPac's Texas Eagle and KCS's Southern Belle.

Today, however, the state is home to just one through passenger train, Amtrak's continued Texas Eagle, which makes five different stops across the state. These also include twenty-two different smaller railroads.

Ashley, Drew & Northern GP10's are seen here with matching 50-foot boxcars at Crossett, Arkansas on October 22, 1988. Warren Calloway photo.





Current Short Lines

Along with the state's one Class II, Missouri & Northern Arkansas Railroad many of its short lines include:

Arkansas, Louisiana & Mississippi



Arkansas Midland Railroad



Arkansas & Missouri Railroad (home of a large fleet of Alco diesel locomotives, this line is definitely worth checking out!)



Arkansas Southern Railroad



Bauxite & Northern Railway



Caddo Valley Railroad



Dardanelle & Russellville Railroad



Delta Southern Railroad



Delta Valley & Southern Railway



De Queen & Eastern Railroad



East Camden & Highland Railroad



El Dorado & Wesson Railway



Fordyce & Princeton Railroad



Fort Smith Railroad



Kiamichi Railroad



Little Rock Port Authority Railroad



Little Rock & Western Railway,



Louisiana & North West Railroad



Ouachita Railroad



Prescott & Northwestern Railroad



Warren & Saline River Railroad

Union Pacific C36-7 #9009 and SD40-2 #3083 lead a long string of boxcars over the former Missouri Pacific in Van Buren, Arkansas in October, 1988. By this date, the UP connected here with the Burlington Northern (formerly the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway). Warren Calloway photo.





Railroad Museums And Attractions

Along with Arkansas's railroads, the state also features a number of excursion lines and museums available to see.

So, if you are either a vacationer interested in something to do or someone with a serious interest in railroads you may want to check them out.

These include the A&M listed above, Arkansas Railroad Museum and Cotton Belt Historical Society, Fort Smith Trolley Museum, Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway, and the Frisco Depot Museum.

With everything Arkansas railroads have to offer, from short lines to Class Is, a trip to see the Natural State is well worth it!
In 1823, President James Monroe issued his famous doctrine forbidding imperial powers foreign to the Western Hemisphere from acquiring territories in Latin America or seeking undue influence. This decisive edict became the cornerstone of American foreign policy and grand strategy.

As John Lewis Gaddis outlined in his fantastic 2004 book, Surprise, Security, and the American Experience, the inspiration for the Monroe Doctrine was born out of the experiences the early United States had endured along what was then the frontier (threats from the American Indians and Spanish in Florida and in the untamed West, as well as the continuing threat posed by British-controlled Canada). After then-general Andrew Jackson had successfully invaded Florida and (illegally) annexed it away from nominal Spanish control, the Monroe administration recognized the value in moving the frontier of the United States as far away from the original 13 states as possible.

At the time that the Monroe Doctrine was announced, the British Empire was not the only imperial colonizer looking for new territory. The United States was a young and small nation. Policymakers in Washington understood that if they could keep as many threats over the horizon as possible, the United States would have the ability to secure its national core (the original 13 states). American leaders also realized that without significant regional threat, the United States could expand across the North American continent, thereby becoming an even greater power than anything in Europe. However, this could not come about if the United States was constantly encircled by more powerful rivals from afar.

For about 200 years, the precepts of the Monroe Doctrine have been enforced. Latin America has steadily become a zone of exclusive American influence. In fact, the Monroe Doctrine is so important that the United States risked all-out nuclear war with the Soviet Union in October 1961, when it was discovered that the Soviet Union was intent on deploying nuclear-tipped intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) to Cuba.

The Dragon Sits in Our Backyard

After all that, the United States today is losing its hegemonic position in Latin America. Currently, China has made significant economic inroads in America's backyard. Whereas in the year 2000, trade between China and Latin America was a meager $12 billion, by 2017, it was $280 billion  and rising. (According to the U.S. trade representative, as of 2016, trade between the United States and Latin America is about $1.3 trillion, though this is declining.) In fact, Chinese credit (for energy and infrastructure programs) outstrips that of the U.S.-backed World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank combined. From this economic position in Latin America, China is also enhancing "its political influence" across Latin America.

Much like its policies toward Africa, Chinese economic policies are enhancing China's standing in Latin America not because they come with strings attached. Instead, China's preferred policy of trade rather than aid with Latin America is giving Beijing significant advantages over the United States.

Between the natural resources and its geographical location at the underside of the United States' vulnerable southern border, Latin America is a tempting target for U.S. rivals. Not only is China moving in on the opening that Washington has created through years of minimizing the importance of Latin America to U.S. foreign policy, but so too are the Russians and even the Iranians. This is to say nothing of the threats posed by collapsing Venezuela and communist Cuba.

Latin America Swings Left

Meanwhile, Mexico and Brazil  the two largest and most important states in Latin America  increasingly lurch to the left. As both Brazil and Mexico become havens for the socialists, so does all of Latin America. And, as Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua have proven over the decades, the more leftist Latin America becomes, the greater the threat to the United States.

The United States' earliest leaders recognized the importance of preserving U.S. hegemony over Latin America. Since the 2000s, that position is slowly evaporating. In its place is a new form of anti-American leftism. Undergirding this have been developments in which China is now a major benefactor for most of Latin America and in which the illicit narcotics networks have become key drivers of instability for the region  to say nothing of the threat posed by unfettered migration into the United States, thanks to the tenuous political situation throughout Latin America.

The more Latin America swings to the left, the more political instability will arise. As that occurs, the drug wars will intensify, and calls for greater foreign intervention from Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran will become deafening. Washington must start paying more attention to these developments.

How to Win Back Latin America

Going forward, the Trump administration must refocus its attention to Latin America. It is no longer enough to talk about America's southern neighbors while adding little resources or efforts to securing U.S. interests there (of which there are many). Instead, the United States must make a serious play to win the hearts and minds of Latin Americans everywhere, through continual calls for greater trade and constant displays of strength. Rather than foreign aid and free trade, though, the United States should engage in bilateral trade with the major Latin American powers in ways that do not harm American workers. (The Trump administration's recent deal with Mexico was a great start  kudos to Jared Kushner and his team on that one.)

Further, the Trump administration must actually increase both its commitment to greater border security and the physical construction of a comprehensive wall for the southwestern border. Then the Trump administration should intensify its military and law enforcement cooperation with Mexican, Colombian, and other forces in the region in helping to combat the ongoing regional drug war.

The United States cannot ignore Latin America any longer. It is the only part of the world that shares a direct land border with the United States, and, as Admiral Kurt W. Tidd, commander of U.S. Southern Command, stated in 2017, the routes leading into the United States are dangerously undefended. Since taking command, Admiral Tidd has repeatedly requested greater resources for the often ignored but vitally important Southern Command. His requests should be taken more seriously. What's more, no one in the United States should feel comfortable about China, Russia, or Iran having as much influence over our southern neighbors as they presently do. For that matter, Americans should be concerned that the European Union is also gaining more influence over the region relative to the United States.

Washington cannot abandon Latin America. After all, the problems that afflict Latin America will inevitably ripple upward to the United States, causing grave political and economic dislocations. They already are. Imagine what happens if the United States retreats completely from the region and cedes its influence to rivals like China, Russia, and Iran  or Cuba, for that matter.

The Monroe Doctrine is a foundational tenet of U.S. foreign policy. It has survived for two centuries because the doctrine is one of common sense. It's time to reinforce the Monroe Doctrine and take seriously the notion of being a good neighbor to Latin America.
President Trump has been in an uphill battle to reverse Obama's efforts to "fundamentally transform" America. Trump's successes in the past 20 months in erasing the damage of the Obama's eight years are well documented. But he has a long way to go based on what we saw in the Kavanaugh hearings.

Trump's biggest challenge is to push back Obama's primary legacy of identity politics, which is destroying the fabric of our nation. Neighbors, family members and old friends have been split apart, by design. Obama polarized America according to race, ethnic background, sex, sexual orientation, and politics.

Like a deadly cancer, the Obama legacy has metastasized into widespread hatred among Americans that was on display at the Kavanaugh hearings. Obama's primary legacy is dangerously malignant and more toxic than ever, fueled by cynical and destructive politicians, the Alinsky Rules for Radicals, and billions of dollars from the evil George Soros.

Statements from the hearings and the left-wing mobs and commentators attempting to disrupt the proceedings tell the story. "Call your senators and tell them to vote no for Kavanaugh  the future of our country deserves more than a privileged white boy." Were you able to catch the code words? "Privileged." "White boy."

Hawaii Democrat Mazie Hirono made headlines when she told all men to "shut up and step up and do the right thing for a change." In other words, men rarely do the right thing. Men, did you get it?

Democrat Senator Cory Booker used his "Spartacus moment" to suggest that Kavanaugh was guilty of "racial profiling." Racial profiling, presumably against minorities. Get it?

"Women deserve to be angry all of the time," said talk show host Andy Richter. "This country's government is an abuser. We live in the most shameful of times." Yes, of course, the Trump government is an abuser of women. Now armed leftists, some with funding from George Soros, are calling for mass violence if Kavanaugh is confirmed.

Here's one certain to win over a lot of Americans: "The Antifa Website Calls for 'Slaughter' of 'Fascistic Border Patrol Dogs and Their Bosses."

In short, the Kavanaugh nomination reveals the obvious: we no longer have a viable two-party system in which both parties embrace our current Constitution-based system, share the same set of core values and fairness, and agree on certain standards of ethical conduct regardless of who wins an election.

This all sums up the primary legacy of one Barack Hussein Obama. You'll remember he's the one who appointed to the Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor, who famously suggested that a "wise Latina" on the bench would come to more just decisions than a white male. Did you get the code words there? Some Republicans in a show of good faith actually voted for her.

Go back to July 2009, when Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested outside his home in what was clearly a misunderstanding between him and the police. Obama, just a few months in office, immediately politicized it.

I don't know ... what role race played in that. But I think it's fair to say ... the Cambridge police acted stupidly[.] ... We know separate and apart from this incident is that there's a long history in this country of African Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately.

Did you get all of that? Police acted stupidly. A long history of black Americans and Latinos stopped by police acting "disproportionately."

After Trayvon Martin was killed after attacking a partially black Latino who happened to have a "white" name, George Zimmerman, Obama quickly jumped in, noting that if he had a son, he would look like Martin, a black hoodie-wearing 17-year-old. Get it? I'm black. The kid is black. He must be innocent. The support Trayvon movement led to the formation of "Black Lives Matter," an incendiary project funded by George Soros that brags that it is now global network with more than 40 chapters.

When Michael Brown was shot dead after assaulting a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, a large fuss was made over the racial composition of the police department. Obama wasn't going to let this crisis go to waste.

The death of Michael Brown is heartbreaking, and Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to his family and his community at this very difficult time. As Attorney General Holder has indicated, the Department of Justice is investigating the situation along with local officials.

The Department of Justice subsequently found no civil rights violations in the case. But the damage was done. Obama had already identified with Michael Brown, showing "compassion" for his  as it turned out  so-called family.

And who can forget Freddie Gray, Jr., a 25-year-old black man who was arrested by Baltimore police for possessing an illegal knife? While in a police van, Gray fell into a coma and died. Obama wasted no time getting involved. "This has been going on for a long time. This is not new, and we shouldn't pretend that it's new." Get it? Black people getting killed by police has been going on for a long time. Riots followed. Homicides with a preponderance of black victims spiked. Ultimately, the six Baltimore police officers involved (three of them black men and one black woman) were all found not guilty or charges were dropped. But again, the damage had been done. Obama's DOJ reluctantly announced it would not bring federal charges against the officers.

It isn't just race that Obama has used to divide us. The Obama legacy is also about sexual politics. Remember when Obama ordered all U.S. public schools to allow students to access opposite-sex restrooms in a move that escalates the national fight over LGBT rights? That escalated battles at the statewide level. Michelle Obama has also been part of the effort. After leaving the White House, she said, "Any woman who voted against Hillary Clinton, voted against their [sic] own voice."

Over 60 million Americans saw through this. Trump was elected president. But the Obama damage was obvious. At the end of Obama's presidency, just 27 percent saw the U.S. as more united, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted after the 2016 election. Far more  44 percent  said it was more divided. USA Today has just reported that a third of American voters think a civil war is coming.

The Kavanaugh hearings were a major opportunity for the left. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich blasted the Democrats for behaving:

... in an evil way unworthy of the United States. This has been the most despicable behavior by a major party in modern history. This is a deliberate, vicious, character assassination  hurt the guy's daughters, hurt his mother, hurt his wife, hurt his reputation  they didn't care[.]

Writer Patricia McCarthy called the Kavanaugh hearings:

... [t]he historical low point in American politics  and make no mistake: this was all about politics, not Kavanaugh. If there was any doubt before, there is no longer: the American left today is malevolent. The Democratic Party has demonstrated for all to see just how soulless it has become. The Democrats on the committee disgraced themselves. The two youngsters, Harris and Booker, are callow, shallow, rude, and power-mad. We have seen what they are made of: pure narcissism.

But for Obama, they are the future of his America. New York University professor Jonathan Haidt notes that "diversity, immigration and multiculturalism are right at the heart of the problem in Western democracies[.] ... Identity politics is like throwing sand in the gears ... a world in which factions are based on race and ethnicity, rather than economic interests, that's the worst possible world."

Obama is not stupid. He knows this. It's his road map.

The Obama legacy of hatred among identity groups is a viral cancer in our society. It pits race, ethnic, and religious groups against each other. It pits women against men. It is pitting gays and others who claim LGBTQ victimhood against heterosexuals. As this disease further metastasizes, our country faces an even more seriously divided future. It is pushing us toward tribalism, balkanization, and potentially, dissolution. The hatred of Trump by the left is deep. He is a forceful barrier to their destructive aims. We can't afford to lose him. But the question is whether even Trump can put the Obama legacy into remission and prevent the left from ripping our country further apart.

Frank Hawkins is a former U.S. Army intelligence officer, Associated Press foreign correspondent, international businessman, senior newspaper company executive, founder and owner of several marketing companies, and published novelist. He currently lives in retirement in North Carolina.

Image credit: Adapted from official White House photo by Pete Souza.
Welfare reform is something people on the right often speak about during election years but rarely gets much focus or attention. In order for any meaningful reform to happen, a couple of other dominoes must fall in place.

The Rise of the Welfare System

The dichotomy of the United States between the 1920s and 1930s is quite striking. The former decade was a period of great success, opulence, and opportunity. The latter decade was marked by so much failure, poverty, and dismay that, all these years later, it's symbolically known as "The Great Depression."

When the Great Depression started, there were roughly 18 million disabled and elderly, along with single mothers with children, living below the poverty line in the United States. Churches, private charities, and local governments saw it as their collective duty to work together and provide basic necessities like food, clothing, and shelter for these individuals. But by 1933, another 13 million Americans were unemployed, and it was no longer feasible for these private organizations to care for a swelling population of impoverished and desperate people.

"Grace Abbott, head of the federal Children's Bureau, reported that in the spring of 1933, 20 percent of the nation's school children showed evidence of poor nutrition, housing, and medical care," the Constitutional Rights Foundation explains. "School budgets were cut and in some cases schools were shut down for lack of money to pay teachers. An estimated 200,000 boys left home to wander the streets and beg because of the poor economic condition of their families."

If the conditions were rough for America's youth, they were catastrophic for the elderly. At the time, the majority of elderly Americans didn't have any personal savings, retirement pensions, or fallback plans. For those who did have investments, Black Tuesday and the stock market crash of 1929 destroyed whatever they previously laid claim to. In other words, American society was quickly burning at both ends.

While President Franklin D. Roosevelt did focus a lot of attention on creating jobs to put unemployed workers back into money-producing jobs, he also had no other choice but to care for the 31 million-plus citizens struggling to survive. By 1935, he had spearheaded a national welfare system  the first of its kind in American history.

The welfare system empowered local counties to give certain kinds of relief  such as food, fuel, and cash  to poor residents. Those who were capable were required to work in difficult labor positions. However, most individuals  young children, widows, the elderly, and the disabled  were incapable of working.

Pretty soon after the implementation of the welfare system, Roosevelt foresaw just how dangerous the continuation of government relief programs would be for the country moving forward.

"The lessons of history, confirmed by the evidence immediately before me, show conclusively that continued dependence upon relief induces a spiritual and moral disintegration fundamentally destructive to the national fiber," Roosevelt said in his 1935 State of the Union address. "To dole out relief in this way is to administer a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit."

It has been more than 80 years since Roosevelt spoke those words, and the national fiber of this country has been worn down. The welfare system has created huge problems in society and we're still trying to find a viable solution that empowers the human spirit and discourages continued disintegration.

Laying the Foundation for Welfare Reform

According to data gathered during the last U.S. Census, there were nearly 110 million Americans receiving some sort of government assistance in 2012. That's roughly 35 percent of the total U.S. population. While 31 percent of people receiving public assistance stay in the program for less than a year, 43 percent receive benefits for three to four years. More than one in four participants receive long-term assistance.

As was the case during the Great Depression, children, senior citizens, and single mothers are much more likely to receive welfare than other groups.

Almost every politician for a major public platform has developed a specific plan for welfare reform over the past 25 years, yet nothing significant has changed. The reason for this is that the foundation is compromised. For welfare reform to work, there are two key areas that must first be addressed.

Education

While there will always be extenuating circumstances that force people into the welfare system, the vast majority of those who receive long-term assistance lack basic education. When you consider that basic education is the key to finding income-producing opportunities, it makes sense that amplifying education in impoverished communities is part of the answer.

When young Americans are given a chance at receiving a quality education, they're much more likely to prioritize higher education. (Those who receive at least one year of college education rarely ever enter the welfare system.) And even if they don't have aspirations of attending college, they at least have the discipline and skills in place to find jobs that (a) earn money, and (b) fill their time with safe, constructive behaviors that keep them off the streets and away from situations that often lead to welfare enrollment.

Financial Literacy

Financial literacy is the second foundational pillar that needs to be cemented in place before true welfare reform can begin.

According to a recent study, nearly two thirds of Americans can't pass a basic financial literacy test. That proportion is even higher among Americans in impoverished communities where welfare is rampant. As a result, the poor continue to make bad financial decisions and ultimately become even poorer.

There are numerous real-world illustrations of how this works. Consider, for example, that financially illiterate families don't understand how basic things like car insurance work. So instead of comparison-shopping for rates, they end up spending hundreds or thousands more than they have to each year.

The same could be said for loans. Those in impoverished communities don't know how to compare loans and are much more likely to be victimized by predatory lending practices. This leaves people with high-interest debts that are nearly impossible to pay off.

Also consider that most Americans don't understand how interest and savings work. So not only do people find themselves carrying high-interest debts, but they also lack any sort of retirement savings plan. As a result, they miss out on the value of compounding interest. (Saving just $100 per month over 40 years produces an average nest egg of $150,000.)

By providing basic financial literacy to communities with high proportions of welfare recipients, fewer Americans will be duped into making foolish mistakes that compound their already difficult situations. Ideally, financial literacy should go hand in hand with education reform.

Building a Brighter Tomorrow...for Everyone

Why do we often feel that personal success is predicated on the failure of others? Why do we think that in order for us to be successful, others have to stay in poverty?

The truth is that our country is better when we're all collectively healthy and thriving. Success and wealth breed more success and wealth. By dealing with the root issues of welfare, we can give way to a brighter tomorrow for everyone. It'll take time, but education and financial literacy must become foundational focuses of welfare reform.
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Saks has stated that the ultimate basis of Jewish peoplehood throughout history has been "Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh"  "All Jews are responsible for one another." We may not agree on anything, but we remain a single extended family. If you disagree with a friend, tomorrow he may no longer be your friend. But if you disagree with a family member, tomorrow he is still part of your family. Being a family is what keeps us together. We don't need to agree with each other, but we do need to care about each other. This historical connection among Jews has come to an abrupt end. It can no longer be ignored or denied. American Jews from the Democratic, progressive side of the political map not only have transformed themselves into a vanguard dedicated to publicly criticizing Israel, but act as if Israel is a flawed democracy unworthy of their support.

This monumental shake-up and self-inflicted division of the Jewish world has been building up, changing the foundation of the Jewish world we have been accustomed to for the past 150 years. Not since the period of European enlightenment leading to the establishment of the Reform movement and secular Judaism, and not even during the darkest days of the Holocaust, has the Jewish world undergone such a widespread and fundamental rethinking of what it means to be Jewish. With the establishment of the State of Israel and her metamorphosis within a relatively short period into a world leader in defense, technology, medicine, agriculture, water purification, and food production, allowing Israel to free herself from the shackles of dependence on the American Jewish community, the schism has only accelerated and is threatening the unity of the Jewish world.

We see it everywhere today; led by self-hating Jews, appearing on mainstream and social media, adopting an anti-Israel narrative that not only rejects Israel's basic national right of self-defense, but simultaneously demands that Israel forfeit her right to exist as the nation-state of the Jewish people. Jewish intellectuals, liberal and progressive organizations, Reform rabbis, lay leaders, university faculty members, students, communities, and grassroots movements have all joined hands, using their Jewish identity and Jewish affiliation to represent themselves as a moral authority and amplify their rejection of the State of Israel while making alliances with BDS organizations, Islamic organizations, and anti-Israel movements throughout the world that specifically express their objective of ending the existence of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. They express solidarity with the Palestinians and their efforts to delegitimize the Jewish State.

Peter Beinart, archliberal and Jewish provocateur in regard to Israel, stated in his book, The Crisis of Zionism, that the problems of Jewish unity "are not especially connected to Israel because they are not especially connected to being Jewish." These young and liberal American Jews, who are Jews only in name, seem to have lost their basic understanding of how democratic societies function. In the same manner that they deny the elections in America and deny President Trump any semblance of legitimacy despite his fair and square win over his democratic opponent, these Jews refuse to accept the reality that Israel's political system and political processes are subject to judicial review and cannot in any manner deviate from accepted norms of democratic principles.

Yet despite the undeniable Democratic due process in Israel, progressive Jews still act as if they can no longer defend Israel and infer that Israel itself, as a Jewish state, is a provocation to their humanistic values. Even President Trump's decision to move the American Embassy to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, was given a cold shoulder by progressive Jews. This being the case, denying the legitimacy inherent in President Trump's election win and denying the legitimacy of laws and regulations enacted by Israel's Knesset are two sides of the same coin.

In response to these Jews' consistent rejection of democratic norms while adhering to irrational yet politically correct viewpoints, we can clearly observe a counter-intuitive response of their political allies on the left side of the political map. Despite the support given to and alliances with black and Latin American political leaders, we are witnessing an unprecedented upswing in incidents of anti-Semitism from these communities. The recent funeral of Aretha Franklin, in which Democrat ex-president Bill Clinton shared a broadcasted center stage with the virulent Jew-hater and anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan, is one example. In the past, Farrakhan called Adolf Hitler "a very great man and claimed a few years ago that "white people deserve to die." Many progressive Jews on the left may not know the extent of Farrakhan's bigotry, or they may condone it by claiming he did a service for black communities. For example, Tamika Mallory, cofounder of the Women's March, called Farrakhan a "GOAT," or the greatest of all time, and Congressman Keith Ellison, an accused abuser of women and the deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee, once called him a "role model for black youth." All this shows something inherently wrong with the reciprocity awarded to progressive Jews for their efforts by the Democratic Party and their cohorts.

On the Israeli front, progressive Jews are being interrogated, detained, and denied entrance into Israel at an unprecedented rate, with new cases being reported every day. It seems that progressive American Jews have crossed the line as far as Israel is concerned.

So who will save these self-destructive progressive Jews from themselves and help them in their hour of need: progressive Jews' newfound partners? The anti-Semitic supporters of the BDS movement? Or maybe the anti-Semitic supporters of the anti-Israel LGBT organizations? Certainly, the 60 million Evangelical Protestant Americans and their families who voted for President Trump won't be in their corner, nor the people of Israel, their historical "kissin' cousins" and partners to 3,000 years of family unity, who have been effectively given the progressive middle finger.

Progressive American Jews have lost support on the left and on the right and are entering dangerous waters. Should they continue and suppress expressions of support for Israel or ostracize pro-Israel individuals, the progressive Jews of America will continue to alienate and distance themselves from the Jewish world and will find themselves acting like the beached whales that run themselves aground again and again until they eventually die. Progressive Jews might well bring upon themselves a similar fate in the near future. They have no one to blame but themselves.

The writer, a 25-year veteran of the IDF, served as a field mental health officer and commander of the Central Psychiatric Military Clinic for Reserve Soldiers at Tel-Hashomer. Since retiring from active duty, he provides consultancy services to NGO's implementing psycho-trauma and psychoeducation programs to communities in the North and South of Israel and is a former strategic adviser to the chief foreign envoy of Judea and Samaria. Contact: medconf@netvision.net.il.
The Kavanaugh hearings have been illuminating in many ways. We have been witness to some incredible ironies, such as the estimable paragon of Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, lecturing Judge Kavanaugh about lack of credibility. Would that Bob Menendez were also on the Judiciary Committee to lecture Kavanaugh about his lack of professional ethics! But far and away the most significant comment, I think, came from Hawaii's apparent patroness of feminist rights, Senator Mazie Hirono, who said early on that "I just want to say to the men of this country: Just shut up and step up."

This remark reeks of the attitude that another minority (besides men) in U.S. history had to deal with  namely, African-Americans, who were shamefully told all too often to "know their place." One can only wonder how well Hirono will do with Hawaiian males in her next re-election bid.

The Democrats have made polarization politics into an art form  balkanize the electorate, demonize a particular group, rally the faithful around the blazing fire at the stake as the demonized group is destroyed. But what an interesting group that Hirono and the other Democrats have targeted for pillorying: men. The subgroup "men" intrinsically breaks down into secondary subgroups such as fathers; uncles; brothers; and, most interesting of all, sons. You can't tar men without tarring all of the subgroups, and that includes sons. Therein lies the rub.

Over a hundred million American women have sons. So these hundred million American women have a problem: how can they trash and dismiss American men if in doing so they trash and dismiss their own sons? It may be too much to ask of Senator Hirono, but I wonder if Senators Collins and Murkowski  or more importantly, all those moms in Maine and Alaska  are okay with throwing their sons under the bus as Senator Hirono and the accusers of Brett Kavanaugh seem to be.

In the absence of any evidence, it is remarkable to hear so many Americans say, "But I believe Christine Ford." Do they understand  or care  that they are thereby establishing a precedent whereby their sons and grandsons can have their careers, their relationships, their lives destroyed simply by accusation? Is that the world that they wish to leave to their sons and grandsons? Do they hate males so much that they would so condemn their own male children? I'm guessing that there are lots of moms in the states of Maine and Alaska who disagree, and Collins and Murkowski had better start to tune in to that if they like living and working in D.C. ZIP codes.
The United Stated through the US Agency for International Development has allotted P250-million assistance to bankroll the extension for three years of its Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development project in the Philippines. USAID Mission Director Lawrence Hardy II said the additional assistance, which brings the total USAID investment in the innovation sector to nearly P2 billion since 2013, will expand collaboration between government, industry, and academia on initiatives that promote innovation and support inclusive growth. Hardy made the announcement of the project extension at the Department of Trade and Industrys Inclusive Innovation Conference in Pasay City with more than 250 representatives from government, universities, and the private sector in attendance. USAID is a close partner of the Philippine government in investing in human capital development and employing science, technology, and innovation to bolster growth, Hardy said, in a statement released by the US Embassy in Manila. USAID, in partnership with RTI International, launched STRIDE in 2013 to boost the Philippines capacity for innovation-led inclusive economic development. In the past five years, STRIDE has forged partnerships with over 380 industry partners, 110 Philippine academic institutions, and 25 US universities.Through these partnerships, STRIDE has developed a network of researchers and entrepreneurs, established career centers at Philippine universities, advanced high-growth sectors, and created employment opportunities. The US government, through STRIDE, has awarded scholarships for 57 Filipinos to study at US universities and issued 68 grants valued at over P270 million to provide advanced technical training to Filipino scientists and researchers in support of innovation. Over the next three years, the project will build on this momentum by facilitating greater collaboration among key government agencies and helping partner universities share their knowledge and best practices with other Philippine universities. The project extension will enable more Filipinos to contribute to innovation, with the goal of further boosting inclusive, resilient growth in the Philippines, Hardy said.
The left can be pretty amazing in its refusal to learn from history. Witness socialism. More specifically, there's its hopes for its own blue wave for a congressional takeover in the November midterms. Its series of stunts around the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh  and the incredible one-sided bias of its media lackeys  is starting to suggest a conclusion for leftists similar to what the left dealt itself during the Clarence Thomas hearings at midterms: a loss of nine congressional seats. These people don't learn.

But some of them do notice problems going on. The smarter ones in the lefty press are noticing falling Democrat fortunes in polls. Meanwhile, Democratic politicians most likely to lose their Senate seats are suddenly warning to a pro-Kavanaugh vote. Call it getting religion, or death concentrating the mind. And of all things, the NeverTrump neo-cons (often former Democrats) are actually coming out for Kavanaugh.

Bottom line: The GOP is silently accumulating power, and many Democrats can feel it slipping through their fingers. As Rick Moran noted at Pajamas Media, it's the "Kavanaugh Effect." Center-left Axios calls it the "Brett bounce."

Here is the conclusion from the lead item in today's Axios by Jonathan Swan and Mike Allen, which also calls this shift an "October Surprise":

Be smart: Steven Law  a former McConnell chief of staff who runs the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC  warned that hard data is limited so far. But he said "a broad bitstream of calls, emails, cabbie conversations and other inputs from non-D.C. sources ... suggest a strongly negative reaction that is building far beyond the Beltway to where the Democrats and the media have taken this."

That even Axios noticed this is something. The center-left news site tends to focus on reassuring Democrats they are winning, bringing them good news however they can come up with it. Obviously, something has really changed, then, and they don't want to be caught flat-footed. Axios cites the behavior of embattled Democrats seeking re-election and, most importantly, this NPR-Marist poll, which comes from hardly a right-wing outfit:

An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released yesterday found that the "wide Democratic enthusiasm advantage that has defined the 2018 campaign up to this point has disappeared," NPR reported. "In July, there was a 10-point gap between the number of Democrats and Republicans saying the November elections were 'very important.' Now, that is down to 2 points, a statistical tie."

Then, as Rick Moran has noted in several pieces in American Thinker as well as his PJMedia piece, Senate Democrats in vulnerable seats really are scurrying for cover.

Call it the "Kavanaugh Effect." We are seeing it in red states where Democratic incumbent senators are trying to hang on to their seats. In North Dakota, Senator Heidi Heitkamp has fallen 10 points behind her GOP challenger, Rep. Kevin Cramer, in the last two weeks, indicating a surge as a result of the attacks on Kavanaugh. The Missouri Senate race between Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill and Attorney General Josh Hawley is dead even and in Nevada, the GOP's most vulnerable incumbent, Senator Dean Heller, is holding his own against his Democratic challenger Jacky Rosen.

It stands in stark contrast to earlier polls quickly declaring Kavanaugh toast among female voters. Based on how Democrats are now reacting, those polls aren't something they're betting the farm on.

As a sizzling little lagniappe, Democrats also notice that Salena Zito, whom most of them grudgingly respect for her correct calls on the 2016 election, is noticing the red ripples, too.

Then there's the amazing convergence of George Bush-linked NeverTrump neocons (often former Democrats) and ordinary Trump-supporting conservatives around the issue of supporting Kavanaugh. The rift there is closing.

The Wall Street Journal, which had been a bastion of NeverTrumpery for a long time, has a terrific powerhouse editorial speaking of the uniting of the right over Kavanaugh because of what this Kavanaugh struggle is really about, concluding:

The media sometimes profess to be puzzled that more than 80% of Republicans across the country tell pollsters they support Mr. Trump despite his personal flaws. The Never Conservatives are the reason, and the assault on Judge Kavanaugh is the latest showcase of their methods. Republicans have figured out that if the left can willfully, even gleefully, destroy a man as distinguished as Brett Kavanaugh, they can and will do it to any conservative who threatens their grip on power. Republicans are well aware of Mr. Trump's excesses and falsehoods. But they have also come to understand that the resistance to him isn't rooted in principle or some august call to superior character. They know Democrats nominated Hillary Clinton in 2016 despite her history of deceit. Voters know this is about the left's will to power by any means necessary. Republicans across America can see, and certainly their Senators voting on Judge Kavanaugh should realize, that the left hates them as much or more than they loathe Mr. Trump. Conservatives understand that, for the American left, they are all deplorables now.

That would explain a lot of the emerging Republican enthusiasm that Democrats are noticing. It makes sense, because the Journal and likely the NeverTrumps must recall that Kavanaugh was a Bush guy  not part of Trump's New York menagerie, and not a Bannon creature, as the Journal disdainfully notes, and to their credit, they stuck with him. Even President Bush lobbied for him. Up until Democrats realized he would sail through confirmation, he was also seen as a nice guy, a niceness that tended to make voters of all stripes sympathetic. Yet Democrats were stupid enough to test that niceness with their series of character-assassination stunts, not realizing he, too, despite his Bushie credentials, could Go Trump on them and fight back. The fight back united all sides  Trumpsters, NeverTrumps, voters, and pols  putting Democrats on their back foot, and many of them know it.

As Sen. Lindsey Graham noted in the finest moment of his political career (up until then, he was hardly a Trumpster): "Boy, you all want power. God, I hope you never get it." Democrats these days may just be watching this nightmarish condemnation come to life.

Image credit: Lorie Schaull, via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
As a proud graduate from an American high school in the Class of '64, I'll say we most certainly had our moments of fun. But by the newly created Kavanaugh Standards, most of my fellow male classmates would probably now be eliminated from further success in America.

Yet it was those same classmates and many like them who stood up for their country when it mattered, with large numbers of them entering the armed forces. Tragically, 58,212 of my fellow veterans  from the Vietnam War  would never even have the problem of being called to account for their behavior in high school or college because they were killed overseas. Eight women also made the supreme sacrifice.

President Trump, also Class of '64, nails it in today's mob-rule witch-hunt time in America:

"It is a very scary time for young men in America, where you can be guilty of something you may not be guilty of," Trump said. "This is a very, very  this is a very difficult time. What's happening here has much more to do than even the appointment of a Supreme Court justice."

Senators are now pontificating that Americans should not trust men and even saying that just because we are male, we all must guilty of something.

This infamous line by Hawaiian Democratic senator Mazie Hirono will long be remembered:

"Guess who is perpetrating all of these kinds of actions[.] It's the men in this country," Hirono said. "I just want to say to the men in this country: Just shut up and step up. Do the right thing, for a change."

She asked "the enlightened men in our country" to "rise up to say, 'We cannot continue the victimization and the smearing of someone like Dr. Ford.'"

News flash, Senator: We now find out that Dr. Ford will be lucky if she avoids a charge of perjury, and it is not as if she wasn't given fair warning in American Thinker.

It is a very ugly time in America. To add further insult, "white male privilege" is asserted as being evil. Well, tell that to the 49,830 white men who never made it home.

In the high school classes of the 1960s, men most certainly had a different issue from worrying about the prospect, three or four decades later, of a U.S. senator mocking them or calling them out for something even worse during their high school years. In those days, we "partied hearty" because we were being swept up in the political ambitions of one of the biggest moral cowards in American history on issues of war and peace: President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

LBJ had been a successful Democratic senator and then president who had lied about relatives fighting at the Alamo. He sent a generation to fight and die in Southeast Asia  except, of course, for Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

When the going got politically tough, this lasting example of a successful Democrat leader, President Johnson, symbolically threw down his rifle and ran from battle.

This was the paragon of virtue, representing the Democratic Party who sent a small select generation of males to fight and die. This is how The Atlantic put it:

Johnson had "an unfillable hole in his ego," Moyers says. Feelings of emptiness spurred him to eat, drink, and smoke to excess. Sexual conquests also helped to fill the void. He was a competitive womanizer. When people mentioned Kennedy's many affairs, Johnson would bang the table and declare that he had more women by accident than Kennedy ever had on purpose.

Please, all Democratic senators: Have a modicum of honor and dignity not to declare war on men, or if not, then disavow your past political heroes.

A good saying from the Bible (am I allowed to make reference to the Bible in today's America?) comes to mind: let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
We often say Venezuela is a rich country because of massive oil reserves. Unfortunately, Venezuela also has a socialist government destroying the oil sector day by day.

This is from Aurelio Concheso:

Recently, it has become abundantly clear that the number of drills operating in Venezuela has dropped to levels of a country without oil reserves. Our oil industry was once the envy of the region; now it's the tragedy of the region. Chinese investment will not save us... thus far the Chinese have made only meager and insufficient investments that will not change the fundamental reality of our precipitous decline in production. The number of drills in operation or "rig count" as analysts term it, is a thermometer of the vitality of an oil industry. It might sound like a truism, but if it is not drilled, there is no way to extract oil. Of course, in an oil state like Venezuela with 100 years of history, there are already tens of thousands of existing wells, and the reconditioning of them can help to boost production. But without drilling new wells there is no way to reverse the natural decline in reservoir yields and in turn produce enough additional oil so as to increase the laughable 1.2 million barrels per day that the country is currently producing. At present, the number of drills in operation is under 25, and knowing the conditions that prevail in the fields, plus the abandonment of their posts by qualified personnel, the drilling efficiency of these leaves much to be desired.

It's really Socialism 101.

Castro did the same thing to Cuba's sugar industry and others as well. I remember an old Cuban joke about communism and the island's fishing industry. It was successful prior to Castro. So the joke asked: What happened to all the fish that used to live around the island? The fish swam to Miami.

In Venezuela, the oil revenues were used to maintain and re-elect Hugo Chavez. The money was never invested in the business. It was invested in the bureaucracy, providing jobs and benefits to voters who "showed up" to vote.

Socialism does not work. Just look at Cuba and Venezuela. Don't bring it to the U.S.!

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
In 1969, John Kerry accused the U.S. military of terrorism and war crimes in Vietnam. In 2003, Kerry described the U.S. military in Iraq as terrorists.

This week, Kerry appeared on CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper to peddle his new book, Every Day Is Extra. Kerry took time off from trying to undermine U.S. policy toward Iran and playing with his yacht to inform us that Teddy Kennedy, also known as Teddy the Swimmer, "owned up" to Chappaquiddick:

He stood up and owned moments where he knew he'd stepped over the line, so I think that  and he wasn't about to be nominated to a lifetime position, in fact, he said to the people of Massachusetts, if you think I shouldn't stay here, then, you know  he took those returns and then he was elected another six times.

Leaving Mary Jo Kopechne in a submerged car to die, while Teddy waited about ten hours before reporting to the police, is known to Kerry as "stepping over the line." If you drive while intoxicated into a pond, leaving a woman in the car to die of asphyxiation, and wait ten hours to call the police, you should be charged with manslaughter, homicide by vehicle while intoxicated, driving under the influence, and other crimes. But Teddy pleaded guilty only to leaving the scene of an accident, with a suspended two-month jail sentence.

Kerry said this in response to Tapper's comment:

I've heard Ted Kennedy's name invoked in the last week or two and Bill Clinton's name invoked in the last week or two by conservatives saying Democrats ceded the moral high ground on a lot of these sexual assault and sexual harassment issues by standing by people like Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy because of the good things in their view that they did.

Kerry, smirking and smarmy as ever, sought to give the impression that Kennedy "owned the moments" while Kavanaugh has not "owned" the accusations. There is a simple reason why Kavanaugh has not "owned" the accusations: he is innocent. There is no dispute about Teddy's conduct and Clinton's conduct, but the Kavanaugh accusations are not credible because they are false.

According to Kerry, Teddy showed courage by running for office and leaving it to the Massachusetts voters whether to elect him. If Teddy had any principles and morals, he would have withdrawn from public office. If Kerry had any principles and morals, he would shut up and go play with his yacht.
This morning, there are two main stories on the news being repeated over and over again. They are using both to trash Trump.

The first is that Trump called out Christine Ford for several of the holes in her story about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. CBS said Ford's leftist attorney said the attack was "soulless."

Here is how The Hill reported it: "Trump mocks Christine Blasey Ford testimony at Mississippi rally."

Here is how the Sacramento Bee reported it: "The Latest: Attorney blasts Trump for mocking Ford at rally." "Attorney Michael Bromwich tweets that Trump engaged in a 'vicious, vile and soulless attack' on Ford."

What is actually soulless are leftist attorneys, journalists, and others seeking to destroy a man with a blameless record through unverified stories because they want power and control of the courts.

Then there was this from CNN: "Flake calls Trump's comments on Ford 'appalling.'"

Wobby GOP senator Jeff Flake (as he continues to audition for jobs at left-wing networks) said President Trump's comments were appalling.

What is actually appalling is that the journalists, Democrats, Flake, and other people against Trump have touted a story as true when there are no witnesses or evidence that it is true. Good journalists and senators should have recognized all the holes in the story and buried it instead of running it as if it were true, all to take out Kavanaugh. They could have at least grilled Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford at the hearing instead of just repeating over and over again how credible she sounded. A lot of people who make up stuff sound credible. Didn't Bill Clinton sound credible when he said he never had sex with Monica?

The second story is from the New York Times suggesting that Trump and his father used dubious tax schemes to transfer huge amounts of money (they said more than $400 million in today's dollars) to Donald Trump. Here is what the Times wrote: "Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father."

Do journalists realize that properties go both up and down in value, and many people lose money that they inherit? I am always amazed at the greed and envy of journalists and others who somehow believe that the government is entitled to money people earn instead of family members.

What was the motive of the person providing the documents and the people who supposedly analyzed the documents? Do journalists at the N.Y. Times or the people analyzing these documents actually have the ability to determine fair value of the assets transferred to determine that they weren't correct from decades ago? My guess is that there were appraisals to justify the values.

Did the journalists analyze the tax code before they described the tactics as dubious, or is that just their opinion? There are many things in the tax code that are legal that journalists and others may believe are dubious, but that does not make people using them guilty of anything. If journalists don't like the tax code, they should lobby politicians to change it instead of implying that people using the code to their benefit are guilty.

It appears that the media and Democrats have come to the conclusion that they have nothing on Kavanaugh, so they need another hit piece to go after Trump, because they certainly don't have policies they can sell to the public, and Trump's record of achievement his first two years is outstanding.

I'll give you a couple of things that are soulless and appalling:

When the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton pay more than $10 million to create a fake dossier to take out Trump. Then the Obama administration, the Justice Department, intelligence agencies, Democrats, and the media themselves collude to use this document to create the illusion of Russian collusion with Trump. They continue to pretend the story is true today. They even used the fake document as an excuse to spy and then have used an investigation into the fake collusion to destroy people who knew Trump.

Continually printing unverified and anonymous stories and pretending they are absolutely true. The reason journalists do this has nothing to do with reporting the truth (which is their job) and 100% with taking out Republicans and Trump to give Democrats and their agenda power.

Destroying people's lives has no meaning to the journalists or their Democrats. Power is all that is important. That is not only appalling and soulless, but despicable.

Image credit: Richard Summers/Banalities via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
The founder of "Kinky S Dolls" planned to open the first sex robot brothel in the United States this month in Houston. Except he does not call it a brothel. He prefers the term "showroom."

As Yuval Gavriel told the Washington Examiner, "I consulted with a lawyer and the lawyer said, 'if you are smart you don't go out and say you are operating a brothel.'"

He claims his company operates like a car showroom: people can rent the dolls, test them on the premises, and decide whether to buy one. A half-hour in a private room with a sex bot costs $60.

The Houston City Council yesterday voted to ban sex robot brothels.

But laws and ordinances are not enough. We need to dig deeper to underlying cultural attitudes. How did it become possible that some people would prefer a mechanized doll to a real person?



Harmony, "the world's first sex robot." Screen grab via ABC News.

The answer is that sex has been steadily de-personalized. Start with the hookup culture: it rests on the assumption that sex can be purely physical  cut off from the whole person, without any hint of love or commitment.

Young people know the script all too well. In my new book, Love Thy Body, I include several heart-wrenching quotes from college students  like Alicia, who says, "Hookups are very scripted. ... You learn to turn everything off except your body and make yourself emotionally invulnerable."

Another student told Rolling Stone magazine that the mistake people make is that they "assume there are two very distinct elements in a relationship, one emotional and one sexual, and they pretend like there are clean lines between them." In other words, they treat sex as a strictly physical act isolated from the rich inner life of the whole person.

Critics of the hookup scene often claim that it gives sex too much importance, but in reality, it gives sex too little importance. It treats the body as nothing but a physical organism driven by physical urge and instincts.

No wonder it is creating a trail of wounded people. They are trying to live out a view of sexuality that does not fit who they really are.

An even more extreme level of de-personalization is pervading society via pornography. The viewer disconnects the woman's body from any interest in who she is as a person.

Today the average age that a boy first encounters pornography is nine years old. By the time he is an adult, he has been consuming porn for more than a decade. How does that affect his relationships with real women? Time magazine reports that many find they are unable to experience a sexual response with a live woman. In fact, they prefer pornography.

When these men marry, they are shocked  shocked  to discover that porn has destroyed their ability to relate to their spouses as full people.

Sex robots will intensify the problem. Futurists predict that in ten years, robots will become more popular than porn. Sex with robots is a kind of 3-D porn. The ultimate de-personalization.

The irony is that science is constantly uncovering new evidence of the profound interconnection between body and person. Pick up any recent book on sexuality, and you will read about the role played by hormones such as oxytocin and vasopressin, which are released during sexual intercourse. This means the desire to attach to the other person when we have sex is not only an emotion, but also part of our chemistry.

As one physician puts it, when we have intercourse, we create "an involuntary chemical commitment."

The upshot is that even if you think you are having a no-strings-attached hookup, you are in reality creating a chemical bond  whether you mean to or not. An advice columnist for Glamour magazine warns that even when you intend to have a casual encounter, "biology might trump your intentions."

In the words of UCLA psychiatrist Miriam Grossman, "[y]ou might say we are designed to bond."

The latest science is confirming that the human being is a unified whole. We do not, by nature, thrive on casual, meaningless sexual encounters. We crave emotional intimacy and fidelity.

When people treat sex as completely separate from the person, they are shooting themselves in the foot. They're failing to learn how to form the strong, resilient bonds needed to create happy, fulfilling, long-term marriages and families  which is, after all, what most of us ultimately want.

In the competition between women and bots, everyone is happier when women win.

Nancy R. Pearcey is author of the recently released Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality. She is professor and scholar in residence at Houston Baptist University.
Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro on Thursday announced that the Supreme Court has launched a pilot test in Valenzuela City, in which the payment of legal fees in court cases, like filing fees, is paid directly to the Land Bank of the Philippines. De Castro said if successful, the project will be implemented nationwide to cover all courts and with the participation of other banks and online payment outlets. The pilot test in Valenzuela allows the litigants who are filing cases in courts within the city to pay the fees directly to LBP branches. They would merely attach the deposit slips or receipts in their pleadings for filing with the courts. Meanwhile, with the approval of the Court en banc, De Castro authorized the increase in the payment of transcript of stenographic notes from P10 to P20 per page. Stenographic notes are needed by lawyers and litigants in the preparation of succeeding pleadings in their court cases. The increase would benefit directly court stenographers nationwide. The P10 per page was set in year 2000. Exempted from the payment of the transcript of stenographic notes are indigent litigants and those represented by the Public Attorneys Office of the Department of Justice.The two reform measures adopted by the high court have been recommended by Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez. Marquez said of the amount collected from the transcript of stenographic notes, one-third of the amount goes to the Judiciary Development Fund while the rest goes to the concerned court stenographer. Last month, De Castro also ordered the implementation of salary increases, retroactive to July 1, for judges in the first level courtsmunicipal trial courts, municipal circuit trial courts, municipal trial courts in cities and Sharia circuit courts. The salary increase was the result of the upgrading of the judges positions from Grades 26 and 27 to Grade 28. With the upgrading of positions, the judges salaries would be increased from the current P102,000 to P114,000 and to as much as P127,000 per month.
In Short: Several months after the ASUS ROG Phones original announcement, ASUS North America has announced that the device will become available in the US soon. The company has announced, via its official Twitter account, that a press event will be hosted on October 18 in New York. In its Twitter post, the company only mentions the date, and the place where the event will be held, we still do not know the exact time when it will start. ASUS did, however, mentioned that details will follow, so well probably get more info in the coming days.

Background: The ASUS ROG Phone was introduced back in June this year, and it is still not available for purchase. Well, that will change really soon, as the phone will almost certainly go on sale this month, this new event announcement pretty much confirms it. The ASUS ROG Phone is a gaming smartphone, ASUS very first one. This handset comes with three ultrasonic pressure-sensitive zones, it is water resistant, and it features ASUS ROG Gaming UI. The devices display has a 90Hz refresh rate (1ms pixel response time), and were looking at an OLED panel here which supports HDR content. The ASUS ROG Phone offers a fullHD+ display, while the device also packs in a 4,000mAh battery, which supports Qualcomms Quick Charge 4+ fast charging. The ASUS ROG Phone also features a set of stereo speakers, while a 3.5mm headphone jack is also a part of the package, and that is not surprising considering that this is a gaming smartphone. The device is fueled by the Snapdragon 845 64-bit octa-core SoC, while it packs in 8GB of RAM.

Impact: The ASUS ROG Phones price tag is still unknown, but if ASUS hits the mark on that one, this handset may actually become quite popular. The gaming community is getting larger by the day, and a number of gaming smartphones have seen some success already. The ASUS ROG Phone is well-equipped for a gaming smartphone, and even though it took the company quite a bit of time to bring it to market, the device may prove to be successful for ASUS, but well see what will happen.
In short: A spokesperson for the Belgian Ministry of Defense has said the agency will sue Google over the companys failure to conceal military sites and the location of key infrastructure such as nuclear power plants in its mapping services, Reuters reports. No further details about the incident have been outlined but Googles response seems to indicate that this the culmination of an ongoing dispute. In fact, the company claims that it has already been working with the government for the past two years at least and that it has been removing sites from its maps when requested and wherever it can legally comply.

Background: While details on the ground are still relatively slim, this is not the first time a mapping-related company has found itself in hot water over the recording of data pertaining to military affairs. Fitness app developer Strava was caught up earlier this year after it was discovered that its records of wearable users movement gave away military installations and compromised patrol routes. Google itself has been embroiled in controversy more recently as well regarding the wording of its explanation for location data collections and more broadly, its handling of user location data. Although not at all related to military personnel, bases, or other secured locations, the company was effectively called out for not clearly explaining its practices. Whats more, it had been claimed that there really isnt any easy way for users to avoid having that data collected. Google has since corrected those issues for the most part. Setting that aside, Google has historically managed to avoid most legal repercussions relating to these matters with the exception of some more minor incidents. Primarily, those have centered around the public sharing of roads existing on private property, which it was ultimately required to remove from Google Street View.

Impact: It isnt immediately clear what the suit will entail if the defense ministry decides to pursue legal recourse or what Googles consequences might be if it loses the case. Instead, authorities only indicate that the removal of the locales in question, presumably from Google Maps, Street View, Google Earth, and related databases, is a matter of national security. Similarly, Google has not stated whether it plans to comply with any unspecified requests in order to prevent further conflict, stating only that the decision to proceed in this direction is unfortunate.
In short: The Canadian government uses many layers of security against the potential threat posed by Huaweis telecommunications equipment, particularly the new hardware meant to allow for 5G connectivity, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security chief Scott Jones said earlier this week while speaking at a cybersecurity conference in Toronto. The claim was specifically aimed at alleviating concerns about Ottawa not barring Huawei from participating in its deployment of the fifth-generation of wireless networks, something that the United States and Australia already did and what South Korea is expected to do in the immediate future, all due to national security concerns. Mr. Jones also shifted the national cybersecurity conversation to a broader area during his keynote speech on Tuesday, stressing the importance of the software side of things; If anyone here believes security is about a single piece of equipment, I have an e-mail from a Nigerian prince who is offering you millions, he said lightheartedly.

Background: Over the last half a decade, the Canadian government has reportedly been testing Huawei-made telecom equipment for potential security threats, signaling that it shares some concerns with its allies about the company possibly posing an espionage risk due to its close ties to the Communist regime in China and the fact that Beijing could legally compel it to help it spy its customers with little issues and in a relatively short timeframe. Huawei has been having issues with the U.S. in particular for well over a decade, having faced criticism and scrutiny from both Washington and American companies. The tech giant remains adamant all concerns about its equipment are baseless propaganda aimed at preventing it to compete with its Western rivals.

Impact: Despite being the worlds largest telecom equipment maker, Huawei may not have a large 5G footprint in the West due to renewed concerns about how prone its operations are to government interference. Coupled with the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China that deteriorated the relationship between the worlds two largest economies to a record low in the 21st century, it appears unlikely Huaweis stateside telecom ambitions will amount to much anytime soon.
In short: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday said Google must immediately end its work on Project Dragonfly, a widely reported endeavor aimed at making a censored version of Search for China. The VP described the controversial software as an app that will strengthen their [Chinas] Communist censorship and compromise the privacy of Chinese customers in a speech at the Hudson Institute in Washington that saw him proclaim the Far Eastern country a massive threat to the U.S. intellectual property, with the 59-year-old once again criticizing Beijings theft of American technologies.

Background: VP Pences latest dig at Google comes shortly after the Justice Departments antitrust chief Makan Delrahim informed select Capitol Hill senators that the U.S. government may investigate Alphabets subsidiary over antitrust concerns associated with its Android operating system. Google was already fined in excess of $5 billion by the European Commission over its anti-competitive Android practices this July and is currently also facing accusations of liberal Search bias in its home country. Additionally, the company declined to send any one of its top officials to Capitol Hill for a September hearing on election security organized by the Senate Intelligence Committee, prompting more harsh criticism from stateside lawmakers. Google CEO Sundar Pichai eventually traveled to Washington last week to hear complaints and concerns from various legislators but not much was likely achieved with the meetings given the lack of announcements that stemmed from them.

Impact: The pressure on Google continues to pile on as the company is still facing bipartisan scrutiny over a wide variety of affairs. Its insistence on sticking with Project Dragonfly despite employee activism and criticism from both aisles of the political spectrum might hence not bode well for the company in the future, though its leadership may yet cancel the initiative, especially as the massive trade war between Washington and Beijing wages on, bringing the relations between the worlds two largest economies to a new 21st-century low.
In short: Groups that is representing ISPs AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Charter, are suing the state of California over its Net Neutrality rules. There are four groups that are representing these ISPs, and have filed suite on Wednesday saying that this new law is complex, burdensome and harmful to innovation. This new lawsuit comes just days after Justice Department announced that it was going to sue California over its new Net Neutrality rules as well.

Background: Earlier this year, the FCC had voted to repeal Net Neutrality, a set of rules that were put in place under the Obama Administration that keeps ISPs from treating certain data differently. For instance, it would keep ISPs like Comcast from throttling video streaming and not throttling regular web browsing. With Trump taking office, he installed a FCC chairman that wanted to get rid of Net Neutrality, to help Trump rollback everything that Obama did while President. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, was pretty quick to repeal Net Neutrality. However, California decided to create its own Net Neutrality rules for the state, and ISPs are not too happy with that.

Impact: The groups that files this lawsuit are the American Cable Association, The Wireless Association, The Internet & Television Association and the Broadband Association. It is attempting to block these rules before they go into effect on January 1. The groups called this new law a classic example of unconstitutional state regulation. Its to early to say what might happen with this case, but one thing is for sure is that this is unprecedented and may lead to more states attempting to do its own Net Neutrality laws, or it could force states to stay away from that and force more people to urge the FCC to bring Net Neutrality back. Either way, its going to be an interesting few months leading up to January 1, 2019.
HMD Global has just taken the wraps off of its newest smartphone, the Nokia 7.1. This marks the highest-end Nokia smartphone to make its way to the US, so far. But is it worth the $349 price tag? Is it enough to compete with the other competitive, mid-range smartphones like the Moto G6, Honor 8X, and even some that are a bit more expensive like the OnePlus 6. Well, there is a lot to like about the Nokia 7.1, and as always, this is not a perfect smartphone so there are some things to dislike here. So lets go over the good, the bad and the ugly of the new Nokia 7.1.

The Good

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The Nokia 7.1 comes in at a very competitive price point of $349 and does come unlocked. It is GSM-unlocked, so that it will work on AT&T and T-Mobile here in the US. Thats a pretty impressive price for what you are getting with the Nokia 7.1. Not just in terms of hardware and specs, but also in terms of the software experience. For $349, there are plenty of other smartphones out there that will likely leave a bad taste in many peoples mouth, but with Nokia sticking with stock Android, that wont be an issue. On top of the impressive price point, HMD Global is also starting pre-orders tomorrow (the day after Nokia 7.1 was announced). That is a good thing for sure, especially with all of these smartphones being announced in October, HMD Global  and other OEMs  cant afford to wait weeks for pre-orders to open up. The Nokia 7.1 will start shipping on October 28.

Speaking of software, the Nokia 7.1 is still an Android One device. This should come as no surprise, given the fact that HMD Global announced at MWC back in February that all of its smartphones would be either Android One or Android Go devices. Essentially, these are pure Google smartphones. This means lightweight software, which will perform really well on that Snapdragon 636 chipset, as well as fast updates  something that HMD Global has already excelled pretty well at  and it also means that enthusiasts are going to love the software experience. The only real change that HMD Global makes in terms of software, to its smartphones, is in the camera.

Typically, when a phone is priced at around $349, you dont expect the hardware to be top notch  no pun intended here. But with the Nokia 7.1, you are getting a beautifully designed smartphone made of glass and metal. HMD Global is using different metal finishes here that come together seamlessly, the company was looking to make the Nokia 7.1 feel like a piece of jewelry or a high-end timepiece in your hand, and it does honestly feel like one. The phone comes in two colors  gloss steel and gloss midnight blue  the gloss steel is definitely the more interesting of the two, with colors we dont typically see on smartphones. HMD Global has also used 2.5D glass on the back of the Nokia 7.1, which allows the phone to feel better in the hand, and it is less likely to slip out of your hand  since this is still a glass smartphone.

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The Bad

The Nokia 7.1 is launching with Android 8.1 Oreo. For an Android One device, this is going to cause a lot of uproar from potential customers. But HMD Global has stated that it will be rolling out Android 9 Pie before the end of November. So within a month of this being available, Android Pie will be available for it, which is impressive. It still would have been better for this to launch with Android 9 Pie, but that might have been out of HMD Globals hands. Seeing as OEMs need binaries from Qualcomm to support their processors, and HMD Global is using a Snapdragon 600-series chipset here instead of the high-end Snapdragon 800-series, it is further down on the list of support for Qualcomm.

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Yes, there is a notch on the Nokia 7.1. That is going to turn some people off, but its not going to keep HMD Global or other manufacturers from utilizing the notch. Manufacturers continue to tell AndroidHeadlines that the reason for using a notch is to give users more screen without increasing the size of the device. While that extra screen is not all that helpful, and it does make the phone look somewhat ugly, at least the Nokia 7.1s notch is smaller than the Pixel 3 XLs notch  according to leaks at least.

While the Nokia 7.1 is going to be available unlocked, it is only supporting AT&T and T-Mobile in the States. That is pretty common, however, since HMD Global is using the Snapdragon 636 chipset, it could actually support bands for all four carriers. But the likely reason for Nokia not using CDMA bands here is certification. The Nokia 7.1 would need to be certified by Sprint and Verizon, and those certification tests arent cheap at all. So while unfortunate, its not a surprise that HMD Global is sticking with supporting GSM carriers only with the Nokia 7.1.

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The Ugly

The Snapdragon 636 chipset is being used on the Nokia 7.1, while its actually a really good chipset, many would prefer something higher-end, like the Snapdragon 710. Obviously HMD Global was looking for two things in using the Snapdragon 636 over other Qualcomm chipsets, and that was component price and battery life. The Snapdragon 636 is much cheaper for HMD Global to buy from Qualcomm than a Snapdragon 710 or 845, which allows them to keep the price of Nokia 7.1 lower. Battery life is also a hallmark feature of the Snapdragon 600-series chipsets, without affecting performance. Which is why we are seeing the 600-series used a whole lot more these days. The Snapdragon 636 itself has been used quite a bit recently, with HTC U12 Life and Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro both sporting that chipset.

Theres no water or dust resistance on the Nokia 7.1. Now yes, it can handle splashes of water, which just about every smartphone can do, its not IP68 certified like most smartphones these days. This omission is likely another corner that HMD Global cut so that it could keep the price low on the Nokia 7.1. But in 2018, its something that people come to expect on smartphones even inexpensive smartphones like the Nokia 7.1.

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Conclusion

The Nokia 7.1 is actually pretty impressive for its price point. If you havent read our hands-on of the device just yet, its definitely worth a read. Theres a whole lot to like about the Nokia 7.1, and not that much to dislike  when you factor in the $349 price here. Sure it would be nice to have a Quad HD+ display, more RAM, more storage, a bigger battery, but at $349, these specs are more than acceptable, especially with this build.
OnePlus second smartphone for 2018 is set to unveil later this month and a series of leaks have already provided a detailed look at its design. The latest in the line comes from Mobile Fun that has prematurely listed the entire portfolio of Olixar-branded cases for the upcoming OnePlus 6T. At this point in time, these cases dont add any new detail to the generally known information about the handset, though they do reiterate what previous leaks and rumors had claimed. The unannounced Android flagship can be seen boasting a design language that is largely based on its predecessor and the current OnePlus flagship, the OnePlus 6. The two handsets differ majorly in two areas  their display cutouts and the placement of their fingerprint readers.

The Chinese OEM has already confirmed that its next high-end handset will get rid of the rear-facing capacitive fingerprint sensor and use an under-display optical solution instead. OnePlus sister companies  Vivo and OPPO  offer an extensive range of devices sporting similarly advanced fingerprint readers, however, most global brands have stayed away from the technology mainly because of its slower response time than conventional means. The biometric sensors deployed by OnePlus are considered one of the fastest in the mobile phone industry and the company is unlikely to favor a slower sensor for its next-generation device. In addition to this, the display notch, which was introduced only recently on the OnePlus 6, will shrink quite a bit to house just the front-facing camera, while the sensors and earpiece will be pushed further up toward the phones edge giving the user a larger screen estate. Both these changes have been recited several times in the past reports and the new case renders reaffirm the same design choices. The mentioned prices of these cases start at $7.77 for the basic ones and go all the way up to $25.92 for higher-end cases made out of premium materials.

A major feature that the OnePlus 6T has been confirmed to ditch is the 3.5mm headphone jack. The launch of the Bullets Wireless earphones earlier this year supposedly paved a way for the company to remove the analog connector and at the same time give the users a lower-priced alternative to their wired headphones. Apart from these changes, the high-end handset is expected to continue using the same internals found inside the OnePlus 6, including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal memory. The upcoming device is rumored to include a larger 3,700mAh battery and come pre-installed with Android 9 Pie-based OxygenOS 9.0 which was released quite recently for the OnePlus 6.
Ever since relaunching the Nokia smartphone brand globally some 18 months ago, HMD Global has been evasive when asked about its stateside ambitions. The company remains careful in its approach to the United States, a market that it sees as highly competitive, as one of its officials recently explained to AndroidHeadlines. Still, this year marked the return of Nokia smartphones to the U.S. and two of those stand out in particular  the Nokia 6.1 and Nokia 7.1. Starting at $229 and $349, respectively, these devices not only offer amazing value for money but serve as proof that you dont need to spend top dollar to get a handset that feels like a truly premium product.

While HMD remains adamant its still going slowly with the U.S. and isnt planning to start firing on all cylinders anytime soon, the Nokia 6.1 and Nokia 7.1 already do a great job at reintroducing the brand to American consumers as theyre the perfect epitome of what the new brand is all about  delivering a pure, contemporary Android experience powered by above-average hardware contained within a body that looks much more expensive than it actually is. In other words, the new Nokia devices are an excellent choice for both budget-conscious consumers and enthusiasts interested in running stock Android on their daily driver but without fiddling with custom ROMs or paying a premium to do so. As it turns out, both the Nokia 6.1 and Nokia 7.1 do a fantastic job at communicating that fact.

Whats more, HMD managed to get these devices picked up by both B&H and Best Buy, one of the largest electronics retailers in the country. Naturally, its also selling them via Amazon (or will, in the Nokia 7.1s case), with all available variants being unlocked and offering GSM support, meaning you can use them on AT&T and T-Mobile, as well as all MVNOs leveraging their network infrastructure. While the lack of CDMA compatibility is a big miss, not a lot of great mid-rangers you can buy unlocked in the country offer it so while certainly a shortcoming, its not one we can be too critical about.

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On the other hand, what not a lot of phones in general offer are firm pledges of software support, yet thats precisely where the new Nokia mid-rangers excel; being part of Googles Android One program, the devices come with a promise of two major operating system upgrades and at least three years worth of monthly security patches. In other words, thats more than everyone bar Apple and Samsung are offering, and the latter only attaches that guarantee to its more expensive smartphones and has issues with delivering on it. Not HMD though; despite having limited resources relative to some of its rivals, the Finnish firm remains on top of all new firmware revisions Google pushes out and is always among the first  if not the first  to deploy them to its handsets such as the Nokia 6.1. And anyone who cares about security and staying up to date with the latest software will certainly be impressed with the fact that both of those are achievable without spending close to a $1,000 on a new handset every year.

Between the launch of the Nokia 7.1 and the new Nokia True Wireless Earbuds, it appears HMD is also moving to diversify its stateside brand, so coupled with increased exposure thanks to additional marketing investments and the fact that most major retailers in the country will be carrying its phones, the company appears to be on course to mark a rather successful U.S. return. Not bad for a quiet approach in its first year on the (American) market, right? The only thing that this stateside return of the Nokia brand is now missing is a carrier partnership that would truly push those devices to the average consumer. If youre skeptical about how much a carrier deal means to manufacturers in the U.S., just watch OnePlus explode after T-Mobile starts selling the OnePlus 6T this fall.

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All things considered, HMD did almost everything right with Nokias its return to the American smartphone market and while were still waiting for a flagship such as the Nokia 8 Sirocco to launch stateside (Nokia 9 has been rumored as coming soon for some time now), the company says thats by design and its hard to blame it for being careful; the U.S. remains the worlds largest market for high-end smartphones where the level of saturation and competition is nothing short of intimidating to new players. Still, HMD is doing amazingly so far, gradually introducing new devices that offer fantastic value for money, are built like they cost twice as much, and deliver a pure Android experience with a guarantee of years of software updates. The market will hopefully recognize and reward this consumer-friendly approach to doing business because whatever happens, we definitely want to see more from HMD moving forward.
DOH-Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) Regional Director Eduardo Janairo vowed to provide more significant trainings for nurses to increase their knowledge and competencies during the recent two-day Hospital and Public Health Nurse Conference held in Pasay City. We will provide the needed educational programs to ensure that their capabilities and qualifications respond appropriately to the health needs of the people and challenges of times, said Janairo. He said the conference would give essential updates, introduce new policies, and strengthen the service delivery network to improve the quality of care in the community and hospital setting. The nature of public health nurses work in hospitals and in the community, she said, is physically and emotionally demanding. They dont just deliver care and provide physical and emotional comfort to patients and their families; their work also entails critical tasks such as monitoring and assessment of their patients and assists in the conduct of disease surveillance and initiating interventions in the communities to prevent outbreaks. Currently, he said there were 1,496 deployed in the region under the Nurse Deployment Program or NDP. Cavite with 235 nurses, Laguna with 289, Batangas -235. Rizal  241 and Quezon with 406.According to Janairo, DOH-CALABARZON is the only regional office which has employed all job order nurses for 2018 even with the budget reductions implemented. We do not want to sacrifice health care particularly now that we have the Dengvaxia concern to monitor for 5 years. We also need the manpower to accommodate the growing health needs of its population of 14,414,774, making it the most populated region in the country. The Department of Health National Deployment Program is a composite of several human resources for health that aims to deploy, community-oriented and dedicated human resources for health to difficult areas. The NDP intends to improve access to quality healthcare services, address the inequitable distribution of healthcare professionals and augment the need for human resources for health especially in rural, underserved, hardship communities; improve local health systems that will support the countrys attainment of universal health care or Kalusugan Pangkalahatan.
MadridOnce again, the criminal division of Spains Supreme Court has turned down a request filed by the legal counsel of Catalonias nine political prisoners (Josep Rull, Jordi Turull, Raul Romeva, Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Sanchez, Carme Forcadell, Joaquim Forn, Dolors Bassa and Jordi Cuixart) asking for the release of their clients.

This time the Supreme Court argues that the distress of their families [] does not provide sufficient grounds for the release of the defendants. Furthermore, the statement stresses that the new political climate cannot be taken into consideration. Dolors Bassas request was based on the former Catalan ministers decision to end her political career for good and the realisation that the current political climate is conducive to a dialogue between the Catalan government and its Spanish counterpart. The Supreme Court points out that the pre-trial detention currently in place was not deemed appropriate in response to the political climate at the time; therefore, it will not be reviewed in the light of the new political context. The Spanish courts decision came in response to motions for the release of the prisoners filed in September, as well as appeals lodged against a July 26 ruling that had initially dimissed requests for their release. Specifically, former minister Joaquim Forn mentioned his mothers poor health as did Bassa, who was allowed to visit her mother in hospital after surgery, while Carme Forcadell mentioned her grandson.

The courts ruling claims that the motions filed by the defendants based on their family situation fail to counter the flight risk and the likelihood of reoffending that the examining magistrate, Pablo Llarena, had emphasised when he ordered that they be held on remand. The court stresses that the aim of the proceedings and, in particular, of the precautionary measures adopted to that effect, arent diminished by the distress brought on their families by pre-trial detention.

They will remain in prison during the trial

The Supreme Court has also ruled that the political prisoners will have to remain in prison during the trial. Some had argued that their right to a proper defence and a fair trial would be infringed upon, should they be kept in custody during the trial. However, the criminal division of Spains Supreme Court has ruled that neither the material content of their right to a defence nor their right to a fair trial are jeopardised by the conditions in which the trial will be held. The dignity of the defendants, the quality of their meals and the standards of the facility where they will be held will be properly supervised by this court, they remarked.
The introduction of the e-AWB standard in the Sultanate will reinforce Omans position as an internationally competitive logistics hub with a digitally connected and integrated air cargo supply chain. The use of e-AWB allows freight forwarders and traders to communicate directly with over 120 airline operators around the world to report and manage their shipments. Omani traders will also benefit from the use of the e-AWB as it will remove barriers to trade by facilitating early (pre-arrival) reporting to customs and earlier release, reducing cargo storage time and costs.

In support of the implementation process, IATA and CHAMP Cargo Systems will offer freight forwarders low-cost online facilitation for the creation and sharing of e-AWB messages. This means that local businesses can benefit from the electronic reporting, without the need to invest in building digital systems in their businesses.

Oman Air Cargo and Asyad conducted an e-AWB workshop on 26th September 2018 for the trade partners and airlines by inviting delegates from IATA and CHAMP systems to share the best practices and create awareness about e-AWB. On this occasion Oman Air Cargo became e-AWB compliant by signing the IATA Resolution 672, Attachment D agreement. Oman Air Cargo is the commercial cargo division of Oman Air, National Carrier of the Sultanate of Oman.

Mohammed Ali Al Musafir, Senior Vice President, Oman Air Cargo said, The digital advancement is changing the way industries operate. Oman Air Cargo is always at the forefront of adopting the latest e-initiatives to further develop the standards of the air freight industry in Oman and make trade easier and faster for all industry players.

Mazen Al Homsi, Regional Cargo Manager MEA, IATA said, The adoption of e-AWB will develop the air cargo community in Oman. IATA has been signing up more carriers, airports and freight forwarders into the e-AWB system. The e-AWB system that Oman Air Cargo is implementing will allow it to safely and proficiently empower its freight customers to perform the most essential tasks for cargo booking and data capture.

The e-AWB initiative is an international standard that removes the requirement for paper documents, resulting in significant improvement in the air freight supply chain efficiency, as it enhances productivity, reduces costs and increases data accuracy and security. Additionally, it enables traders and airline operators to access, store and track information conveniently.

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A KOREAN and a Chinese national, both wanted by authorities in their own countries, were ordered deported following their arrest in separate operations in Las Pinas and Manila, the Bureau of Immigration said Thursday. BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the two aliens would be deported for being undesirable and undocumented aliens after the passports of the foreigners were revoked by their governments. We reiterate our warning to all foreign criminals who are hiding in the country. The long arm of the law will eventually catch you and we will send you back to your homelands so you will be meted punishment for your crimes, Morente said. BI FSU chief Bobby Raquepo identified the Korean as Go Yongsung, and the Chinese national as Lian Lilong. Go was arrested at his residence along Vanessa Street in Las Pinas City and wanted for large-scale fraud and was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Suwon district court in Korea. Documents from Korean authorities state that between December 2015 to June 2016, Go conspired with five other suspects in defrauding other Koreans of more than 37 billion won or equivalent to US$33 million, in a pyramiding scam using as front a company which they operated in Pasay City.They managed to swindle their victims by promising that their investments would earn huge profits if they buy bitcoins that were non-existent and had no value. The Chinese embassy, meanwhile, sought the arrest of Lian who was allegedly wanted by Beijing authorities for involvement in economic crimes. He was arrested last Oct. 1 inside his room at the Lido de Paris Hotel in Binondo, Manila. It was learned that Lian and four of his cohorts, who are also Chinese, were already issued a summary deportation order by the BI for being fugitives from justice. The four others remain at large and are the object of manhunt by FSU operatives.
Turkey's parliament has voted to extend the country's troop presence in neighboring Iraq and Syria by a year because of the continued presence of terror-listed organizations on its borders. "However, the existence of PKK and Daesh in Iraq poses a direct threat to regional peace, stability and the security of our country," read a motion approved by parliament on Wednesday, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported, referring to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and ISIS.



Turkish upgraded M60A3 MBT with a Mercedes-Benz Unimog 1300L in the background (Picture source: Cemal Acar on Twitter)

The initial mandate allowed the Turkish military to conduct cross-border operations from October 31, 2017 until October 31, 2018. It cited the importance of protecting Iraq's territorial integrity, national unity and stability  the same argument the United States has made for its troop presence in Syria. Both organizations are considered terrorist organizations by Turkey, the European Union, and the United States. The former claims to be fighting for greater minority, cultural, and political rights and is based in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region's (IKR) northeast region of Qandil.

Turkey considers the PKK to be the same organization as the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) in Syria and the Shingal Protection Units (YBS) in the disputed area claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad. The Turkish military has actively carried out strikes on PKK targets in the IKR from Qandil to Shingal. They have a military base in Bamarni near Duhok that has been used to train forces for the fight against ISIS.

In Syria, Turkey has backed opposition forces in Idlib belonging to Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an al-Qaeda linked organization. Groups in Idlib are at an impasse with Russia, Iran, and Turkey unable to agree on the future of the last remaining major rebel-held area in the country.

To the east, Turkey would like to see the United States stop supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in their fight against ISIS. The backbone of the SDF is the YPG. Together they have formed military and civil councils in liberated areas, which Ankara also believes are YPG spinoffs.
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.
The Vatican Under-Secretary for Relations with States won first prize at the annual lottery organized during the National Day of the Republic of China. The prelate is the signer of the agreements between the Vatican and Communist China on episcopal appointments. Ambassador of Taiwan: "Happy with the understanding, this is a purely religious matter".

Rome (AsiaNews) - The Under-Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See, Msgr. Antoine Camilleri has won a free trip to Taiwan (see photo). The winner was announced yesterday, during the reception offered by the Embassy of the Republic of China to the Vatican on the occasion of the national holiday of the island. It is not clear whether the prelate will go or not: he is the signer of the agreements between Communist China and the Holy See on episcopal appointments in the Asian country.

During the event, which took place at the Urbanianum University, it is customary to organize a small lottery involving all guests. Prizes are offered by business partners and embassy sponsors.

After thanking the guests for their presence, Ambassador Matthew SM Lee gave a speech praising the recent agreements on episcopal appointments: "This is a significant agreement because, for the first time, the Chinese Communist Party recognizes the Pope as leader of the Catholic communities in China, thus breaking its old-fashioned dogmas of noninterference in Communist Chinas domestic affairs from foreign countries, and no affiliate relationship between Chinas religions and foreign religions. However, the diplomat stressed that these are "religious, not diplomatic" relationships.

Despite this positive aspect, Lee recalled how Beijing is trying in every way to remove Taiwan from the international community but, citing Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu who recently said, Taiwan is the David to Chinas Goliath, and we will prevail. With the assistance of global partners standing up to the rising autocratic authoritarian power, Taiwan will persist, persevere and prevail."

Finally, the diplomat wanted to quote Pope Francis and asked those present to " accompany our brothers and sisters in Mainland China with fervent prayer and fraternal friendship along their difficult path of reconciliation and unity, hoping that their sufferings will be alleviated and divisions will be healed as time goes by. As Confucius said in his infinite wisdom:  The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.".
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian

RECOGNIZING the role of military reservists in disaster response and nation-building, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has vowed to fight for an increase in the budget of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Reserve Force. Gatchalian commented during the Senate hearing on the budget of the Department of National Defense the full potential of the countrys reserve force remained untapped due to budgetary constraints.The senator said that the 14.1 million budget allocated to the AFPRF under the DND budget was not enough to provide training for the more than 700,000-strong reserve corps. Hopefully, we can allocate a sizable and respectable budget for our military reservists in 2019. 14-million is not sufficient to provide our reservists with adequate training and, I understand, that lots of our reservists spend their own money just to get trained, said Gatchalian, who was given the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Philippine Army Reserve Force last month. Data provided by the DND show that there are a total of 741,937 AFP reservists. 93,062 of these comprise the Ready Reserve Force Unit, made up of able-bodied personnel between 18 and 35 years of age who have undergone military training, while another 20,451 are part of the Affiliated Reserve Unit. Both units may be activated at any time to augment the manpower strength of the full-time AFP units, not only in times of war or national emergency but also to meet local emergencies arising from calamities, disasters, and threats to peace, order, security, and stability in any locality. The remaining 628,424 reservists belong to the Standby Reserve Unit, which is mobilized only in times of national emergency or war.The lawmaker pointed out that the government may always activate the countrys reserve forces in times of calamity, citing the recent onslaught of Typhoon Ompong. Ompong, which was the strongest storm to hit the Philippines so far this year, affected 800,000 people across 7 regions and resulted in 74 fatalities. With this in mind, Gatchalian quizzed Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana about his vision for the countrys reserve force. Thus, the senator requested the DND to submit to the Senate Committee on Finance its long-term vision for the reserve force, as well as the budget required to achieve this goal starting next year. I believe that we should maintain and develop the AFP Reserve Force to help our country respond to the disastrous effects of natural calamities caused by climate change. We need more boots on the ground, the senator said.
LEGACY carrier Philippine Airlines announced on Thursday it would launch the Manila-Sapporo (Chitose) flight operation on Dec. 7. PAL corporate communications department head and spokesperson Ma. Cielo Villaluna said the Sept. 6 earthquake that hit Hokkaido made it necessary for the airline to make operational adjustments in the launch of its new PAL service to Japan. Although the situation in Sapporo has normalized, December 2018 reflects passenger build-up on the route making the said month most ideal for the commencement of thrice weekly services between Manila and Sapporo (Chitose), she added. Flight PR 406 will be leaving the Ninoy Aquino International Airport every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1:55 am and arrive in Sapporo (Chitose) at 8:30 am. The return flight PR405 leaves Sapporo (Chitose) on the same days at 9:45 am and touches down in Manila at 2:15 pm. Villaluna said PALs brand new 168-seater Airbus A321 neo, with 12 seats on business and 156 on economy, would be utilized for the new flights to and from Japan.Trains, subway lines/tram lines have resumed service as well as local and long-distance buses. Ferries to/from Hokkaido are operating and depart from ports such as Hakodate, Tomakomai and Otaru. All expressways and regular roads are now open except for a few roads near the epicenter. Tourist attractions, shops, hotels and restaurants are operational. PAL vice president for operations Ismael Augusto Gozon said Chitose Airport is about an hour from the dive bars to the city of Sapporo and it is 15 minutes by train, and 60 minutes by water service. From Manila, PAL currently flies to Fukuoka, Nagoya (Chubu), Osaka (Kansai), and Tokyo (both Narita and Haneda airports); from Cebu, the airline operates flights to Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo, Narita.
Adaptive Cruise Control

It looks like just another Camry, doesnt it? But the 2.5-liter four-cylinder and hybrid system make this mid-size sedan the most economical Camry on sale today, generating CO2 emissions as low as 98 grams per kilometer. In regard to fuel consumption, Toyota quotes 4.2 liters per 100 kilometers according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure.All in all, the powertrain offers 218 PS (215 horsepower) and a thermal efficiency of 41 percent. The Dynamic Force Engine promises smoothness and refinement, boasting Dual VVT-i, VVT-iE, and D-4S for optimal performance regardless of driving conditions.The Toyota Hybrid System II includes Sequential Shiftmatic technology, which is another way of saying the eCVT mimics an automatic transmission with six forward gears. Toyota even talks about spirited performance and driving enjoyment, but that isnt the case at all with the Camry Hybrid.As all modern Toyota models, the Camry Hybrid is equipped with Safety Sense as standard. The Suite combines a camera and a millimeter-wave radar for detection, enabling functions such as Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection,, Lane Departure Alert with steering assist, Automatic High Beam, and Road Sign Assist.Just like the exterior, the cabin doesnt excel in any form or fashion. The Human Machine Interface consists of a 7.0-inch multi-information display, 10-inch head-up display, and an 8.0-inch infotainment system. The switchgear, as you can tell from the photo gallery, is made for wear and tear.Two color options are available for the interior (Beige or Black), and the seats can be had with fabric or leather upholstery. A touch control panel built into the center armrest allows the rear-seat operation of the air conditioning and audio system, which is not bad at all for a non-premium sedan from the mid-size segment.Last, but certainly not least, the battery doesnt eat up into the trunk compartment. The loadspace has a capacity of 524 liters, besting the Ford Mondeo Hybrid. On the other hand, the Volkswagen Passat GTE retains the 586-liter capacity of the non-hybrid model.
HP

AWD

CVT

SUV

Toyota had a big deal with BMW to get access to its high-tech diesel engines. They were supposed to go into the Corolla and RAV4, but plans have changed in Europe. Instead, the powertrain of choice is a large (by segment standards) hybrid system.This consists of a 2.5-liter "Dynamic Force" engine and two electric motors. Yes, two of them, for a combined output of 222. The details aren't even available in America, where the RAV4 launched half a year ago, so we can't tell you much. But it should perform a lot like the Lexus NX.Toyota says that its 4th generation hybrid drive is more efficient and features the latest Nickel metal-hydride battery pack, which is larger and has lower energy losses.Europeans can also look forward to a cheaper 2-liter gasoline motor which will be available withor aas an option. It's like returning to the roots of what this segment was about 20 years ago but in a much larger vehicle. However, the base engine won't be available everywhere.Styling-wise, there's something oddly stylized about this. Like the Jeep Renegade, the RAV4 wants to be a rugged truck of a car. Interestingly, there are at least two trims being exemplified here, as the white Toyota has gloss black fender flares and wheels while the blue one looks cheaper.The new RAV4 will have the Toyota Safety Sense as standard, with an eCall emergency contact function. Even at entry level, the check-list will include 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, LED headlights, push-button start, seven-inch display, and a 4.2-inch TFT multi-information display.Over in Paris, a few features caught our eye. For example, the off-road drive mode selector is a cluster of six buttons, not the usual dial. Also, the air temperature controls are giant rubber wheels.
And the throttle-addicted folks over at autocar, who held the same test, are now back with a new challenge. This time around, the 720S and the Senna battle on the second's favorite playground, namely the racetrack.The pair of missiles got together on the Anglesea Circuit, with the obvious aim of impressing the stopwatch.And there's more - stopwatch figures aside, the driving experience delivered by the two is quite different, as you'll get to notice in the piece of footage at the bottom of the page.Keep in mind that the Senna packs plenty of assets, from the new Monocage III carbon tub and the active aero to the massaged 4.0-liter V8, which jumps from 720 to 800 horsepower.This test also makes us wonder how the freshest Macca out there performs and we're referring to the 600 Longtail . Given the LT badge, this can be regarded a serious threat to the all-rounder that is the 720S.Of course, we must also mention the financial side of the deal. To put things simply, the 720S can be had for a third of the Senna's cost. And there's one factor influencing this that doesn't show up in the video comparo of the two, namely the exclusivity. And you should keep in mind that the British automotive producer is only set to bring 500 units of the Senna to the world.And while we've talking about the 720S, we'll remind you that earlier today we showcased a drag race between this and the Ferrari 812 Superfast.
Mitsubishi Motors is planning to introduce its Xpander MPV to more markets after tremendous success in Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand. The popularity of the Xpander, which has garnered more than 100,000 orders in Indonesia alone has prompted the automaker to mull introduction the model to other markets in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America.

Mitsubishi Motors is beginning to fully utilize the benefits of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. The automaker has announced plans to increase production capacity in its manufacturing facility Bekasi, Indonesia. Much of the plants capacity is devoted to the Xpander MPV, with a small portion dedicated to the Montero Sport (for local demand).

The production increase is in response to strong demand for the Xpander in Indonesia and ASEAN markets. By the fiscal year of 2020, it hopes to increase capacity from the current 160,000 units a year to 220,000. The expansion will require an investment of around 4 billion Yen and provide employment for 800 more people, bring the total staff up to 4,100.
Amazon and Apple network servers may have been compromised by Chinese spy microchips, a Bloomberg Businessweek report claims.

What happened: U.S. investigators found that microchips were installed in servers used by various companies while they were being manufactured in China. The goal, per Bloomberg, was "long-term access to high-value corporate secrets and sensitive government networks."

The details: The discovery kicked off a government investigation which, after three years, is still going. No consumer data is believed to be compromised from the almost 30 companies that were affected.

Supermicro, the U.S.-based company that assembles the affected servers, dominates the industry. While it assembles its products in the U.S., its core product, the motherboards, are manufactured in China. A former U.S. intelligence official told Bloomberg that attacking Supermicro "is like attacking Windows. It's like attacking the whole world."

The other side: Amazon, Apple, and Supermicro all disputed the findings of Bloomberg's report.
Recent violence in the areas where the deadly Ebola virus is centered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has triggered stronger moves by the U.S. and international organizations to prevent the virus from spreading to other countries.

Why it matters: Violence has pushed public health measures against Ebola into sporadic stoppages  effectively allowing the infectious disease to take foothold again. Fighting against Ebola requires constant tracking of every person who's been in contact with an infected person, as well as a vaccination and treatment regime and education on hygiene.

What we're hearing:

"To say it's fragile would be an understatement. We've never had such an explosive combination of rebel activity and spread of the virus, particularly in some populations that don't believe in traditional public health measures."

 Michael Osterholm, director, University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy

What's happening now: There's been a recent uptick in violence in DRC's North Kivu area, which borders Uganda and Rwanda, where there's been been a civil war raging. Another problem is that there have been pockets of resistance to traditional public health measures, Osterholm says.

On Wednesday, villagers attacked an ambulance, injuring 3 Red Cross workers and halting their assistance in burials. This could increase the risk that the virus will spread, since the virus remains infectious in the body after death.

On Sept. 22, 21 people were killed in a raid in a city in North Kivu called Beni, allegedly from Ugandan Muslim militants. This halted public health efforts for several days.

"I'm really worried we'll see more health care workers injured or killed ... making the situation even more difficult and complex," Osterholm says.

In addition, DRC Ministry of Health spokesperson Jessica Ilunga tells Axios they continue fighting elements of ignorance and suspicion that cause possibly infected people to resist quarantine and treatment protocols, sometimes heading to the border.

The U.S. Agency for International Development announced Monday it deployed an elite disaster assistance response team. A USAID spokesperson tells Axios:

"This outbreak is occurring in a highly insecure environment, which complicates public health response activities."

"While the DRC has faced nine previous Ebola outbreaks, this is the first outbreak in an area with such high population density or scale of chronic insecurity and humanitarian crisis ... There remains a risk of further spread of Ebola within the DRC and to neighboring countries."

The World Health Organization raised its warning of the virus spread to the region to a "very high" risk earlier this week. WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday requested help from the UN Security Council to help secure health operations there. He tweeted:
A federal judge in California issued a preliminary injunction on Wednesday to temporarily block the Trump administration from terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan.

Why it matters: This is a significant victory for more than 300,000 TPS beneficiaries and advocates seeking to reinstate the program that protects some undocumented immigrants from deportation  many of whom have been living in the U.S. for decades and have children who are American. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen wrote that the government must maintain TPS while a suit challenging its decision plays out in court. Chen's ruling comes as recipients from Sudan were set to lose their protections next month.
For several years, North Korea has been conducting a spree of bank robberies online. A new report from FireEye makes clear that a recent attempt to "name and shame" a North Korean government-affiliated hacker did nothing to curtail the digital heists, and sanctions have only made Pyongyang more eager to steal money. But experts think the U.S. still has other levers it can pull.

Why it matters: While the Trump administration is trying to play nice with Kim Jong-un ("We fell in love," said Trump at a rally Saturday night), the continuing heist campaign has attempted to steal more than $1 billion total.

Background: After years of crippling sanctions, the Kim regime began using part of its cyber program to generate the cash North Korea needed to run. According to FireEye, North Korea began robbing banks in 2014, shortly after being sanctioned for its third nuclear test.

Since then, the pile of international sanctions has only grown, including some for cyberattacks. Those sanctions appear to have encouraged more North Korean thefts.

The FireEye report, released Wednesday, is an argument that North Korea's bank hackers are separate and distinct from the country's other hacking ventures.

The bank robbers, which FireEye calls "APT38," operate by hacking a victim and requesting large transfers over the SWIFT interbank messaging system. "The attack ends in destructive, disk-whipping malware. They want to destroy systems not only to delete evidence, but to give them time to launder funds," said Nalani Fraser, threat intelligence manager at FireEye.

APT38 is one of a number of financial crime operations in North Korea. Other hackers, for example, rob cryptocurrency exchanges.

Name and shame: In September, the Trump administration publicly named, sanctioned and announced plans to charge North Korean Park Jin Hyok for, among other things, helping develop the WannaCry malware.

The tactic, often called "naming and shaming," did not decrease APT38 attacks.

The diplomatic play: Trump could make financial attacks a deal breaker in nuclear negotiations with North Korea, suggested Andrew Grotto, former senior director for cybersecurity policy to Presidents Obama and Trump and a current fellow at Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation.

"The Trump administration pulled out of the Iran deal in part because it didnt address other issues, like hacking," he said. "If theyre consistent, they would try to address bank robbery."

The legal moves: Grotto notes financial crimes require an external, international network of collaborators  from money launderers to people who identify soft targets to attack. If we can't arrest hackers in North Korea, we could arrest confederates elsewhere.

Since North Korea lacks the internet infrastructure needed to launch cyberattacks, many of its attacks are launched from other countries. Michael Daniel, former White House cybersecurity coordinator and the current president and CEO of the Cyber Threat Alliance, believes the U.S. could press countries to cough up North Koreans.

Returning fire: And, said Daniel, the United States could use cyber means to disrupt the networks.

Or all of the above: "It would likely be a complex mix of tactics," said Daniel.
Two elderly Pinoys killed in car accident in California

posted October 04, 2018 at 11:00 pm by PNA October 04, 2018 at 11:00 pm

Two Filipinos were killed in a car crash in Palmdale, California, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported Thursday. In an update sent to the media, the agency, through Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato, has extended condolences to the families of the victims. Consul General Adel Angelito Cruz said the two, both in their 60s, were killed after the vehicle they were riding crashed into a construction truck on 14 Freeway near Palmdale Boulevard early Saturday morning.The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles said it is coordinating with the Los Angeles Sheriffs Office, which is expected to release the full details on the crash. Cruz, for his part, said that the Consulate General is ready to extend the necessary assistance to the families of the victims.

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The Netherlands has expelled four Russian military intelligence officers who were attempting to hack the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a global watchdog investigating the Novichok poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England, reports the AP.

The details: Dutch authorities said the Russians were expelled from the country on April 13, the same day they were discovered in a hotel parking lot across the street from OPCW setting up a car full of spy equipment. A receipt shows the four men, who are also suspected of targeted the investigation into the 2014 Malaysian Airlines crash over Ukraine, took a taxi from the headquarters of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency, to the Moscow airport.
Public health officials say that polling using text messages, social media platforms and other digital tools can be key in both tracking the health care behavior of people and disseminating lifesaving information during emergency situations.

Why it matters: During public health emergencies  such as the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo  it's difficult for public health officials to monitor people's health care behavior. Digital polls and social media monitoring can complement physical tracking in a way that could save time, money and offer more safety to health care workers, according to New York University's Rumi Chunara.

DRC officials say they are using digital tools, particularly in monitoring WhatsApp, to keep tabs on what's happening with the Ebola outbreak, particularly in areas like hard-to-access conflict zones. They also use the social platforms to ensure people are getting correct information.

"[U]sing digital communications is part of our strategy because North Kivu is one of the most connected regions in the country. People use social media, especially WhatsApp, to keep informed of what is happening in the city and share their concerns," says Jessica Illunga, spokesperson for the DRC Ministry of Health.

"A lot of rumours are being shared on these platforms as well so it is very important for the Ministry to monitor these channels to identify dangerous rumours and respond in a timely manner on the same channels."

 Jessica Illunga, DRC Ministry of Health

Based on a new study published earlier this week in NPJ's Digital Medicine, co-author Chunara says digital polling was successful in helping track the behavior of people in seeking health care during the 2015 Ebola outbreak in Liberia.

While digital monitoring can't replace traditional surveys outright, she says, "it offers complimentary aspects... giving high frequency information or more data locations."

Study details: The study examined the Ebola outbreak in Liberia in 2015, and found health officials were able to use text message surveys to determine in real time how people used maternal health services, measuring a "significant drop" in hospital-based births during the outbreak, she tells Axios.

There's a lot of new data sources out there  digital polling and tracking via social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter or wearables like Fitbit  which "could be useful prospectively to garner valuable information," Chunara says.

Examining birth behavior is a typical standard of checking behavior, she says, because "it gives us a good sense for how services were being used in general."

What's next: Meanwhile, social media is being used to help forecast seasonal flu epidemics. The Los Alamos National Laboratory told Axios last flu season they found social media (in particular using Google health trends) to be helpful in their forecasting.

Go deeper:
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Thursday replaced three of the six government ministers fired by him following the collapse of his power-sharing agreements with the Prosperous Armenia (BHK) and Dashnaktsutyun parties.

Pashinian announced the sackings on Tuesday as he accused the BHK and Dashnaktsutyun of cooperating with Serzh Sarkisians Republicans (HHK) in trying to prevent fresh parliamentary elections in Armenia.

Both parties denied the accusations, saying that they only want the elections to be held next year, rather than in December, as is demanded by Pashinian. Dashnaktsutyun said it itself has decided to withdraw from the de facto ruling coalition formed after Pashinian came to power in May in a wave of mass protests.

Dashnaktsutyun was represented in the government by two ministers, while the BHK had four ministerial posts. Six provincial governors affiliated with these parties were also dismissed.

In separate decrees, President Armen Sarkissian formalized the appointment of the new ministers of energy, transport and emergency situations handpicked by Pashinian. Their predecessors represented the BHK.

The newly appointed Emergency Situations Minister Felix Tsolakian held senior positions in the administrations of former Presidents Serzh Sarkisian and Robert Kocharian. A former KGB officer, Tsolakian served as a deputy director of Armenias National Security Service (NSS) from 2007-2013 after heading the national tax service from 2003-2007. He governed the northwestern Shirak province before being elected to the parliament on the HHK ticket in 2017.

Tsolakian, 66, broke ranks to vote for Pashinians becoming prime minister in May. He went on to leave Sarkisians party.

Hakob Arshakian, a 33-year-old member of Pashinians Civil Contract party, was named to run the Armenian Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology. Arshakian served as first deputy minister of transport until now.

The post of energy minister was given to Garegin Baghramian, a 41-year-old technocrat not affiliated with any party. He worked as deputy minister before the appointment.

I want to thank the former ministers for their cooperation, Pashinian said at a cabinet meeting held earlier in the day. The staff changes were made in view of the known political events, and I want to wish all of our colleagues success.
By Sara Israfilbayova

As part of the projects implemented by the Economy Ministry of Azerbaijan jointly with the Turkish Embassy, the sale of products manufactured in greenhouses and beekeeping farms established in Jojug Marjanli village of Jabrayil region has already begun.

Deputy Economy Minister Sahib Mammadov made the remarks at the event held in Jojug Marjanli, adding that the implementation of joint projects in the village once again bears evidence to the Azerbaijani-Turkish friendship.

The implementation of such projects is important in providing employment in the villages, social and economic development of the region, the deputy minister said, noting that the products produced in these farms have already been put up for sale under the brand Jojug Marjanli.

Taking their turns, Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Erkan Ozoral and Coordinator of Turkish Agency for Cooperation and Coordination (TIKA) Baku Office,Teoman Tiryaki noted the successful development of Turkish-Azerbaijani relations, the importance of implementing joint projects in Jojug Marjanli in agricultural development.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Board of the Agency for Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development Orkhan Mammadov informed about the measures taken by the agency, further saying that entrepreneurs operating in Jojug Marjanly will receive full support.

Within the framework of the implementation of joint projects of the Azerbaijani Economy Ministry and the Turkish Embassy in Azerbaijan in Jojug Marjanli village, 15 tunnel-type greenhouses with a polyethylene coating were installed, each covering an area of 160 square meters.

Greenhouses are equipped with a drip irrigation system, seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, tools and equipment for plant care are handed over to users. In addition, 10 honeybee colonies were transferred to 15 families in Jojug Marjanli. Each of the bee farms is provided with 10 two-storey beehives, beekeeping equipment, materials and medicines.

Jojug Marjanli was liberated by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces from the Armenian occupation in April 2016. In late January 2017, President Ilham Aliyev ordered to restore the village.

During the first phase of restoration, 50 private houses, a school, mosque, electric substation, hydrometeorological station, highway and other relevant infrastructure were constructed in Jojug Marjanli. The village was provided with gas, electricity and water supply.

The second phase of construction and restoration work and work on improvement and creation in Jojug Marjanli started on June 15, 2017. Within the second phase, new houses are being built and infrastructure is being enhanced in the village.

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Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is

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By Sara Israfilbayova

Political relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia are at a high level, cooperation has reached a strategic level, and relations are based on the principles of strong friendship, good neighborliness and mutual respect.

Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev made the remarks during the meeting with Georgian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Zurab Pataradze.

The minister stressed that the countries cooperate in various areas, including trade, energy, transport, investment, humanitarian, etc.

Azerbaijan and Georgia are the main participants in large-scale projects Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, the Southern Gas Corridor. Azerbaijan has been the first in terms of investments in the Georgian economy since 2012. More than 300 companies with Georgian capital have been registered in Azerbaijan, the minister stressed.

Pataradze, in turn, underlined the importance of reciprocal visits in the development of relations and shared his views on cooperation in the economic sphere.

Diplomatic ties between Azerbaijan and Georgia were established on November 18, 1992.

The two countries broadly cooperate in regional energy development, transportation and economic partnership projects such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (BTC), Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway (BTK), the TRACECA, the BSEC.

Georgian exports to Azerbaijan include cement, locomotives and other railway vehicles, mineral and chemical fertilizers, mineral waters, strong drinks, glass and glass wares, and pharmaceuticals, among other things.

Azerbaijani mainly exports to Georgia oil and petroleum products, natural gas, plastic wares, furniture and building constructions.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during his meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, which took place in March in Baku, noted that Azerbaijan is on the first place in terms of the volume of investments in Georgia, which indicates a high level of interstate relations between the two countries.

We successfully cooperate in different fields. Azerbaijan is the first among the countries that invest in Georgia. Since 2012, we maintain this position. This shows the best investment climate in your country. In addition, this indicates that our relations are at a high level, the head of state said.

The trade turnover between the states amounted to more than $584 million in the first half of the year.

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Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is

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By Sara Israfilbayova

Azerbaijan and Italy will sign a new agreement On the promotion and mutual protection of investments.

The statement was made during the meeting of Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev and Italian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Augusto Massari.

Currently, a draft of a new agreement on the promotion and mutual protection of investments is being prepared. We are also working on a joint Action Plan on cooperation in energy, infrastructure, logistics, agriculture, petrochemistry and the railway sector, said Mustafayev.

The minister went on to say that Azerbaijan and Italy successfully cooperate in the energy sector, underlining the interest in cooperation in the non-oil sphere, in particular in agriculture, tourism, transport, infrastructure and the humanitarian sphere.

In turn, the Italian ambassador noted the success of mutual high-level visits. Massari also said the development of cooperation in the non-oil sector was discussed as well during these visits. Massari added that Italian companies are interested in implementing projects in Azerbaijan in various fields.

Diplomatic relations between the two states were established in 1992.

Italy, as the main importer of crude oil and oil products from Azerbaijan, has become the largest trading partner of the country. The basis of trade between the two countries is export products from Azerbaijan.

Italian business circles in Azerbaijan are making large investments and are taking part in a number of projects of international importance. As many as 95 Italian companies have been registered in Azerbaijan and are contractors in 41 projects.

Moreover, Italy can be considered the main partner for the development of the Shah Deniz 2 gas export to Europe through the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

Italy is at the end of the Southern Gas Corridor, a pipeline taking gas from central Asia to western Europe, but the new government had previously expressed doubts about the project.

The Southern Gas Corridor snakes its way from Azerbaijan through eastern Europe towards Italy via Georgia, Turkey and Greece.

It would bring up to 10 billion cubic meters of gas to Italy from Shah Deniz 2, a gas field developed by a BP-led consortium.

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Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is

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By Sara Israfilbayova

Azerbaijan plays a very important role not only in ensuring energy security, but also in economic relations throughout the region.

The remark was made by Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Natia Turnava.

She told reporters that Azerbaijan is the main supplier of gas to Georgia.

We have very good and fruitful cooperation with Azerbaijan in this area. We are confident that Azerbaijani gas suppliers will take an active part in the reforms implemented in the field of energy in Georgia, Turnava stressed.

Diplomatic ties between Azerbaijan and Georgia were established on November 18, 1992.

The two countries broadly cooperate in regional energy development, transportation and economic partnership projects such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (BTC), Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway (BTK), the TRACECA, the BSEC.

Georgian exports to Azerbaijan include cement, locomotives and other railway vehicles, mineral and chemical fertilizers, mineral waters, strong drinks, glass and glass wares, and pharmaceuticals, among other things.

Azerbaijani mainly exports to Georgia oil and petroleum products, natural gas, plastic wares, furniture and building constructions.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during his meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, which took place in March in Baku, noted that Azerbaijan is on the first place in terms of the volume of investments in Georgia, which indicates a high level of interstate relations between the two countries.

We successfully cooperate in different fields. Azerbaijan is the first among the countries that invest in Georgia. Since 2012, we maintain this position. This shows the best investment climate in your country. In addition, this indicates that our relations are at a high level, the head of state said.

The trade turnover between the states amounted to more than $584 million in the first half of the year.

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Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Laman Ismayilova

A personal exhibition by Faig Ahmed entitled "Nonvisual Language" will open at the Museum of Textiles at George Washington University on October 6.

The exhibition will feature new works on which the artist worked after returning from Peru.

The preparation for the exhibition began about a year ago. As part of his research activities, Faig Ahmed went to Peru for the first time. After examining the collections of Peruvian textiles, as well as the texts, objects and embroideries of the Shipibo-Conibo tribe at the Washington Textile Museum, the artist spent a month in a remote village hidden in the thick of the Amazonian jungle in the territory of modern Peru.

One of the main goals of the trip was to get acquainted with the rich and ancient culture of the Shipibo-Conibo tribe. Faig has long been fascinated and interested patterns on fabrics and ceramics, which are fundamentally different from the patterns and familiar patterns that we see everywhere. The peculiarity of these patterns is that they are applied by shamans, who traditionally have a strong connection with nature, which the city dweller has long since and, unfortunately, lost.

This connection is realized through communication with plants and with the earth. As the Shamans themselves say, plants have consciousness, and it is much more ancient than human consciousness. And that is why people should actively learn from nature. Patterns created in the Shipibo tribe are not separated from the concept of sound or vibration.

There is even a term denoting sound and pattern as a single substance. Thus, with the creation of a new language, Shipibo tribe expanded the limits of textiles and its connection with the subconscious.

In the course of his research, Faig also relied on the work of the Azerbaijani scientist and professor Khudu Mammadov, who studied the connection of music, in particular, mugham and patterns of carpets.

Through his works, the artist shows that all techniques of ornament formation on textiles around the world are somehow similar, which is why patterns created on traditional Azerbaijani carpets and Peruvian textiles can be reduced to a single base.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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By Kamila Aliyeva

Two foreign citizens were excluded from the list of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys list of undesirable persons.

A citizen of the United Arab Emirates, Ibrahim Ahmed Mohammed Abdalla, addressed a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asking for a removal of his name from the List of foreign citizens illegally visited the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a message.

In his letter, Ibrahim Ahmed Mohammed Abdalla, noted that he travelled to Nagorno-Karabakh in 2015 and was unaware about the consequences of that visit. He underlined that this visit in no way means disrespect for the Azerbaijan Republic and its people.

Ibrahim Ahmed Mohammed Abdalla reaffirming his full respect to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders, its laws and regulations, expressed his apology to the Azerbaijani government and people for an unauthorized visit to the occupied territories.

Expressing regrets for this visit Ibrahim Ahmed Mohammed Abdalla mentioned that his visit to the territories occupied by Armenia in no way served for the promotion of illegal regime established in the seized lands of Azerbaijan.

Furthermore, he attested that he would refrain from such visits to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in the future and asked for permission to visit Azerbaijan in the future.

Following this appeal, the decision to remove his name from the list was made.

Earlier, Harizs Egliens, a citizen of Latvia and an employee of the IMPRO Travels LTD, also sent a letter to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, asking to exclude him from the list of foreigners who illegally visited the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

Harizs Egliens also said he was not informed about the consequences of the visit, further underlining that the visit does not mean disrespect for Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani people.

He noted that he respects the laws, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan in the framework of internationally recognized borders, and apologized to the government and people of Azerbaijan for traveling to the occupied territories.

Expressing his regret in connection with the visit, Egliens stressed that the visit to the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia doesn't in any way serve the purpose of encouraging the illegal regime established in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

In his letter, Egliens also emphasized that in the future, he will refrain from such visits and asked for permission to visit Azerbaijan in the future.

Visiting Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied Azerbaijani territories without agreement of the Azerbaijani side is considered illegal.

Earlier, the spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Hikmat Hajiyev, said that the number of illegal visits to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan has significantly decreased. He noted that such visits have decreased after Azerbaijan launched its undesirable persons list, and has taken measures related to the issue.

Names of any individuals paying unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia are included in the Foreign Ministrys list of undesirable persons. The ministry and diplomatic missions pay special attention to the illegal activity in the occupied areas of the country.

Baku has repeatedly warned foreign officials and diplomats of illegality of visits to its territories that are occupied by Armenia, calling them contradictory to international law. The work is constantly carried out to prevent such illegal actions.

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 regions.

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By Trend

Armenia is shaking again, and it looks like the country is on the eve of a civil war, as the Russian analysts have previously warned, the well-known Russian expert and TV presenter Yevgeny Mikhailov expressed his opinion while commenting on recent events taking place in Armenia.

As it became known from the Armenian media, yesterday, after the adoption by the parliament of a law preventing the dissolution of the National Assembly (parliament), the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan brought people to the streets and made a statement at a spontaneous rally about the dismissal of ministers from the Prosperous Armenia (PAP) and Dashnaktsutyun parties, and also said he will resign after the orders about dismissals de jure come into force.

The Russian analyst believes that having come to power on absolutely populist slogans, Nikol Pashinyan turned out to be completely unable to control the situation.

He declares that he is supported by the people, but the very people will throw him. It is clear that those who sit in parliament and the ministers who have been nominally dismissed will not surrender their positions. They have their own part of the people, who do not like what Pashinyan declares and translates into reality. Again, the struggle against the Dashnak party, the main nationalistically-minded representatives of the Armenian establishment, is currently unpromising, and its representatives together with supporters from other parties, including the Republican Party, will give a powerful rebuff," Mikhailov said.

He noted that the Armenian Prime Minister is reeling from side to side, and it is obvious that the current decision to re-elect parliament and dismiss ministers can speak, first of all, of Pashinyans attempt to strengthen his own power.

One day he voices threats towards Azerbaijan, another day he softens the position, but those who represent nationalists in parliament show displeasure. He hopes that the people will elect him again after the election of the new parliament, and therefore he confidently declares that immediately after the dismissal of several ministers he will resign. Of course, this is nothing more than a political maneuver," Mikhailov said.

Mikhailov believes the velvet revolutions always devour their heroes, and either Armenia will take the path of development in case of stabilization of the situation with the help of external mediators, or a civil war may occur in the country.

"I can admit the thought that Pashinyan may turn for support on certain conditions to Azerbaijan, who is quietly watching and not using the situation to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. In fact, the situation in Yerevan is very critical. It is worth remembering Putins deferred visit to Armenia, and his very short conversation with Pashinyan at the Dushanbe summit. I think this is not an accident. Russia does not interfere in the events in Yerevan, but it is clear that analysts in the Kremlin have supposed the current development of domestic political conflict in Armenia and decided to hold off official visits and political conclusions," the expert said.

Summing up what has been said, he confidently assumes that in the near future it will become clear whether Armenia retains political stability and the ability to talk with external players, or completely loses its statehood, while retaining some kind of semblance of a unitary state consisting of the territories which in fact are governed by local "political princes".

The Russian political analyst believes, in such a situation, Baku will be able to return the territories of Karabakh, belonging to Azerbaijan, almost bloodlessly.

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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The House of Representatives on Wednesday night approved the general appropriations bill that provides a national budget of P3.757 trillion for 2019. The House led by Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo approved the budget by voice vote after 11 days of plenary deliberations. The House is expected to approve the bill on third and final reading before Congress adjourns next week. Arroyo has been closely following the progress of the bill to ensure the House remains on track with its schedule to pass it on final reading before the Oct. 12 congressional recess. On Monday night, she and other House members stayed until the interpellations on the Defense departments budget were terminated at 6 am of Tuesday. In last nights period of individual amendments, House Majority Floor Leader and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. said pursuant to parliamentary precedence, he proposed the creation of a small committee to receive and resolve amendments to HB 8169. Andaya named the following as members to the small committee: For the majority: Committee on appropriations senior vice chairperson Maria Carmen Zamora, Representatives Federico Sandoval II and Corazon Nunez-Malanyaon; for the Committee on Rules: Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr.; and for the minority: Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, Representatives Anthony Bravo and Edcel Lagman. The deadline for the submission of amendments is set on Oct. 9, 2018, as Congress will adjourn on Oct. 12. During the lump sum fund interpellation, Rep. Makmod Mending Jr. of AMIN party-list expressed concern that the release of the P3.5-billion fund for the rehabilitation of Marawi City, which is good for only a year, might be bogged down by bureaucratic delay. He said the establishment of Task Force Bangon Marawi added a layer to the budget release process for the citys rehabilitation. Previously, the budget only had to pass through the Office of Civil Defense and the Office of the President. But House appropriations committee senior vice chairman and Albay Rep. Joey Salceda assured Mending that they would seek to extend the validity period of the Marawi rehabilitation fund. For the fiscal year 2019, the education sector will get the lions share of the national budget. The total proposed funding for Department of Education, state universities and colleges, Commission on Higher Education and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority of P659.3 billion marks a 12.3 percent or P72.2-billion growth over their 2018 budget of P587.1 billion.Of the proposed appropriations of P659.3 billion for education, P528.8 billion will be allocated to DepEd; P65.2 billion will go to SUCs; P50.5 billion to CHED; and P14.8 billion to TESDA. The Department of Public Works and Highways will receive the second highest allocation of P555.7 billion, which represents an increase of 25.8 percent or P113.9 billion compared to its P441.8-billion budget in 2018. The Department of the Interior and Local Government will receive the third largest appropriation in 2019 with P225.6 billion. This is 30.9 percent or P53.2 billion higher than its 2018 funding of P172.4 billion. The other top recipients are the Department of National Defense, P183.4 billion; Department of Social Welfare and Development, P173.3 billion; Department of Health, P141.2 billion, which includes P67.4 billion for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.; Department of Transportation, P141.4 billion; Department of Agriculture, P76.1 billion; the Judiciary with P37.3 billion; and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, P32.3 billion. The infrastructure program for 2019, which shall receive an appropriation of P909.7 billion, will fuel the administrations massive Build Build Build Program. In his budget message to Congress, President Rodrigo Duterte said the country is now moving towards half-time in the period that has been given to him and his administration, to enable the Filipino people to experience the life that they aspire for, the life that they deserve. We are almost midway to the path that our people have chosen to traverse with us, one that will take them from mere hopes and dreams of the past to the reality of a better and more comfortable life, in a peaceful and more progressive nation today. We are finally poised on the bridge that will lead us to the bright future that we can actually already glimpse, said the President. Among the key budget priorities the President identified for 2019 are : 1) Intensifying infrastructure development through infrastructure projects in and outside Metro Manila and in local government units, and through information technology infrastructure; 2) expanding programs on human development; 3) enhancing social services through expanded educational opportunities, universal health for all, and social protection; 4) continuing provisions for the peoples basic needs by ensuring food security and securing meaningful employment; 5) rehabilitating Marawi and moving forward; 6) building a more secure nation through hiring of more police officers and enhancing the capability of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and ensuring efficient administration of justice. READ: Budget approval before House break doubted
By Kamila Aliyeva

Russia welcomes all the positive trends in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process, Spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said at a press conference on October 4.

We welcome all the positive trends that have emerged. It is important now to develop them and not to injure with careless rhetoric. For our part, we will provide all the necessary assistance to these positive trends, she said.

The positive trends observed recently concern the recent conversation held between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. This meeting became a source of positivity and regained faith that the negotiations on the settlement of the long-lasting conflict may finally bring result.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry, commenting on this issue, said that the talks will contribute to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Russia welcomes any agreements aimed at achieving settlement of the conflict. We hope that the conversation held in Dushanbe will contribute to the implementation of this task, the ministry said, adding that, as one of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Russia is ready to provide the necessary mediation assistance to Azerbaijan and Armenia

Russia has always played a very active role in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and along with the U.S. and France is a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group, which spearheads the OSCEs efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

The two countries fought a lengthy war that ended with signing a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

Negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are still underway within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. Azerbaijan insists on maintaining its territorial integrity, Armenia defends the interests of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Until now, Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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By Today.az

The beginning of Ordukhan Babirov's career at the 98th air division of the Soviet troops in Ukraine can't be considered accidental. In that period, Azerbaijanis were rarely allowed to serve in the elite troops of the Soviet army. The Azerbaijanis could not even come close to such mysterious places; the army used to send our compatriots mainly to the so-called "stroybats" (construction battalion) or other non-combat units. However, the leadership of the Soviet Ministry of Defense made some exceptions to those who had ties with the military intelligence. The Soviet military intelligence practiced cherry-picking of potential sources (here and after undercover agents) among youngsters living in bordering areas with foreign countries. Those interested in martial arts, as well as representatives of socially vulnerable families (youth without a career prospect), had more chances to attract the attention of the Soviet military intelligence. Ordukhan possessed all those characters.

Ordukhan was one of those seriously interested in sports (as he posted in social networks), who lived in the border region with Iran, had only preliminary school education and lower social status. The Soviet security services noticed O.Babirov, a boy from Jabrail when he studied at Khorovly village school. When he applied for the registration as a military conscript they picked his candidacy for prospective recruitment. According to an informed source, that was a reason why they later sent him to the special military unit.

From social network statuses that Ordukhan has shared, becomes clear that he further developed his physical and combat readiness during 1987-1989, while serving in the 98th "VDV" division (air paratroopers unit). This gives rise to the fact that, after being educated clearly, he has been involved in special operations against his compatriots to carry out practical exercises, in particular, to show his loyalty to military intelligence! The source, who knows Ordukhan, also has claimed that in 1988 the Soviet military counter-intelligence inquired materials related to Babirovs background check as a candidacy for secret cooperation from Soviet Azerbaijans branch of the KGB.

Apparently, Orduhan Babirov liked being involved in such activities because it gave him a chance of benefitting from the messy situation caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union and eventually of not returning to Azerbaijan after finishing his military service. In contrary to him, the majority of those who considered themselves Azerbaijani patriots refused to continue their military services in the Soviet army and returned to the homeland.

A well-informed source told Russian special services used Ordukhan Babayev after completing his military service for various purposes as a trained agent, and this activity continues to these days. The process contained continuing the secret communication with him, deepening his dependence on the special services, including by the means of his involvment in illegal activities in Russia.

Ordukhan continued to fulfill the orders of his operative from the Soviet military intelligence in 1988-1991, despite the fact that during those days Azerbaijan faced serious threats including Armenias allegations on Nagorno-Karabakh. Ordukhans 98th division largely participated in committing violence against Azerbaijanis on January 20, 1990. During those days Azerbaijanis from around different parts of the Soviet Union raised their voices against the events, some of them protested by quitting their military services and returning home. However, Ordukhan was not among them; he maintained loyalty to the Soviet Union and continued his mission with love and respect.

According to the information, it was not accidental that Ordukhan was in Baku during the January 20 tragedy. He was sent to Baku to support the activities of the 217th regiment of the 98th division. It is not a secret for our readers that wherever military units go, their eyes and ears, their military intelligence follows them, together with its sources. Military intelligence uses its agents to collect information from sites and influence a situation in the operational environment. From this point of view, during the events of January 20, Ordukhan's main task was to identify national liberation activists who played a leading role in the areas where the barricades were established and report on them to his operator. More precisely, Ordukhan, as a local resident, provided the Soviet intelligence services with necessary data.

It should be noted that there were cases of Azerbaijanis being involved in crimes against Azerbaijanis in Russia. Now it turns out that these criminal people, like Ordukhan Babirov, were agents of the Russian intelligence ...

A well-informed source notes that the paratrooper Ordukhan Babirov, who had been recruited after completing his term in military service, participated in racketeering of mainly Azerbaijani businessmen in various cities of the Russian Federation. The areas of his activities included the areas of interest of the GRU, like one of the largest ports in Russia Murmansk. With the support of his patrons in this process, he also managed to collect his initial capital.

It is no coincidence that the city of Murmansk was selected as the main activity zone. The Soviet Navys Northern Command had its headquarters and main military units deployed there. Murmansk oblast has never freezing seaports and the Soviets kept their nuclear submarines there. The Northern Commands fleet included long-range rocket-propelled aviation vehicles; they were deployed in this area. It is also interesting that at the time the Soviet Ministry of Defense operated 5 concealed administrative-territorial units in the Murmansk Oblast.

Being a strategically significant military beachhead for the possible Soviet military attack on the West, the Murmansk Oblast was under the "security umbrella" of GRU.

They benefitted from Ordukhan as an undercover agent to control the population's activities. If you remember, skilled Azerbaijanis in "perestroika" (a political movement for reformation within the Communist Party during the 1980s and 1990s) started to create their own trade networks throughout the USSR and to develop small entrepreneurship in the form of cooperatives. Murmansk, which is the favorite place for establishing ties with the West, especially the port in this city, was considered as one of the main channels for delivering "deficit" goods from Europe. For this reason, GRU ordered Ordukhan to join the Azerbaijani community in Murmansk, to control the contacts of the Azerbaijanis with foreigners, and, if necessary, to use it for the interests of the military intelligence.

Ordukhan Babirov makes attempts to create a "patriotic" image. But the fact is that Ordukhan Babirov, often boasting with his high physical and combat training skills, as well as his brothers, did not participate in military operations during the Nagorno-Karabakh war, as well as in the battles for the defense of his native home Jabrail. Nevertheless, Ordukhan spread false information about his involvement in military operations.

He also sometimes attempts to present himself as an "old frontier" (member of Azerbaijani Popular Front), to take advantage of Abulfaz Elchibey's factor, and of the ideology of the national liberation movement. But it is interesting that neither he himself nor his brothers participated in defense of the homeland during Abulfaz Elchibey's presidency. Sometimes, however, in the social media correspondence, he is trying to justify the fact that he did not fight in Nagorno-Karabakh, describing the mentioned war as a "play". He also tries to introduce himself as a "hero" who helped allegedly from distance. He wrote in one of his social media post about his brothers' involvement in battles, that he was making money and was carrying ammunition with cars imported from abroad to support them. He also explains that these cars are "small cars", such as "Mercedes", "Ford" and "Jiguli". Imagine in a moment a transportation of ammunition inside these cars.

However, the information confirms that the brothers Ordukhan Shakir Babirov born in 1959 and Babir Babirov, 1966, weren't listed in the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Despite the fact that Babir Babirov was still in Ukraine in 1988, he graduated from the military department of the radio-electronics specialty at Kharkov University and was released with a "lieutenant" military rank.

According to some reports, his brother Babir was involved in secret cooperation with Soviet intelligence agencies (KGB) during his education in Kharkov. His brothers Shakir and Babir live in foreign countries - one in Turkey and the other in Kazakhstan.

Ordukhan Babirov's eldest brother, Khanlar, born in 1953, has been working at the medical institutions of the Defense Ministry (mainly based in Baku) since 21.03.1993. In 1998, with mayor rank, he was released as a health care officer because of the illness. There is no information and no witness to this persons being in the contact line or in the operational area during active operations in Nagorno-Karabakh.

As you can see, the deserter-fighter-agent Ordukhan is also a "professional" in spreading lies.

Our source says that due to the completion of the recruiting Ordukhan in 1989, it was decided to continue cooperation with him as he proved himself as a devoted agent during military service.

According to the obtained information, in 1990, the documents of this person were sent to the Ministry of Defense of the former Soviet Union by the Jabrail District Commissariat on request. According to available information, O.Babirov was included in the agent apparatus of the former Soviet military intelligence with the nickname "Kentavr". Ordukhan's activities with the Center were coordinated by the person who presents himself as "Pavel".

Also, we have information about Ordukhan went beyond the instructions and permissions of the Russian intelligence agencies and deceived many Russian women to obtain their apartments for personal and material interests.

We would like to note that during the investigation of Ordukhan Babirov, some "sensitive" information about another person who has settled in Europe has attracted our attention. This person has settled in Germany under the pretext of being subjected to pressure and imprisonment in Azerbaijan. This "intellectual", closely connected with the Ordukhan, regularly acts as an initiator of "blackening" campaigns against the prominent representatives of the national liberation movement, as well as the traditional opposition political forces in the country. He is actively using the TV channel created under the name of "independent and free media" in propaganda. We will clarify the facts about him later, in order not to distract our readers from the main subject.

You will find in the next article the details of O.Teymurkhan's "beyond activities" during the racketeering, consequently being punished by the intelligence services and then sent to Europe with the task to commit activities against Azerbaijan. In addition, you will be able to read the information about his migration business in Europe, as well as information how GRU has used Ordukhan in order to develop its recruitment targets among immigrants from Azerbaijan and Turkey.

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By Trend

Azerbaijan has proposed to create Parliamentary Assembly of Central Asia, the Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA), member of the Azerbaijani Parliament Azay Guliyev said at the autumn session of OSCE PA in Bishkek on Oct. 4.

Guliyev talked about ways to further expand regional cooperation in Central Asia, putting forward a proposal to create a Parliamentary Assembly of Central Asia as a fruitful platform in the sphere of parliamentary cooperation.

The autumn session of the OSCE PA, in which Azay Guliyev and MP Tahir Mirkishili are also taking part, started working in Bishkek, on Oct. 3.

A meeting of the Silk Road Support Group will be held during the session. Silk Road Support group is chaired by Azay Guliyev.

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By Trend

Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has met with the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Azerbaijan Zurab Pataradze, the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan said in a message on Oct. 4.

The minister congratulated the ambassador on the commencement of diplomatic activities in Azerbaijan and wished him success in expanding cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The diplomat expressed satisfaction with the beginning of activities in Azerbaijan as an ambassador and noted that he would make every effort to develop Azerbaijan-Georgia relations, in particular, military cooperation.

During the meeting, the sides discussed the military-political situation in the region, bilateral military cooperation and other issues.

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By Sara Israfilbayova

The 2nd international forum the Russian Energy Week, which will last four days, has kicked off on October 3 in Moscow, Russia.

The main issue of panel discussions is sustainability of energy in a changing world.

The Russian Energy Week is attended by Qatar Minister of Energy and Industry Mohammed Saleh Al Sada, North Korean Electric Power Industry Minister Kim Man Su, Serbian Minister of Energy and Mining Aleksandar Antic, Belarusian Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich, Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto and other officials.

Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov also took part in the forum and held a series of meetings.

The minister informed the participants about the main achievements of the country in the energy sector and developments in the field of renewable sources.

Over 15 years, the economy of Azerbaijan grew by more than 3.5 times. More than $250 billion was invested, half of which - foreign direct investment. As many as $95 billion was invested in the oil and gas sector. We have rather seriously diversified our routes - we have different means of delivery in different directions, mainly oil and gas pipelines. Our last achievement in the field of energy is the implementation one of the largest gas projects in the world - the Southern Gas Corridor, the minister stressed.

He went on to say that through this pipeline, the length of which is more than 3,500 km, gas will be delivered to Georgia, Turkey, as well as to European countries and the Balkan countries, including Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, and the south of Italy.

Further, the Energy Minister underlined that Azerbaijan has proved to be a very reliable partner in all energy projects.

We have huge investments in the energy sector, primarily in oil and gas. Today, we plan to develop the renewable energy sector. We have a great potential for that. We intend to create a separate serious legislative base for the development of renewable energy sources. At the same time, we want to create incentive mechanisms in this sector. No matter how this sphere develops, governments support is always needed. Now we are optimizing our projects on power lines that we were able to take the necessary electric power, which we intend to generate from renewable energy sources, Shahbazov underlined.

Speaking of the Strategic Road Map, the minister noted that since 2016, a large reform program is being implemented in Azerbaijan, further adding one of the main parts of these reforms is related to the energy sector.

Therefore, taking all this into account, I want to address representatives of many countries from here and invite them to Azerbaijan to jointly implement new projects. International cooperation for Azerbaijan in the energy sector has always been a priority, he emphasized.

Touching upon the oil production in the country, Shahbazov told journalists that the production will increase slightly by the end of 2018 compared with the current level.

He mentioned that in September, the volume of raw material production in Azerbaijan almost did not change compared to August and amounted to 773,000 barrels per day, adding that the growth of oil production will ensure an increase in gas condensate production and investment.

In August, daily oil production in Azerbaijan amounted to 774,000 barrels, of which 716,000 were oil, and 58,000 condensate. Some 19,000 barrels of oil were exported.

During the meeting with the Azerbaijani Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto said that his country is interested in participating in the Southern Gas Corridor project.

Szijjarto pointed out the importance of holding a dialogue between relevant ministries of the two countries.

The sides also exchange views on areas of cooperation in the energy sector between Azerbaijan and Hungary.

Further, Shahbazov held the meeting with Mongolias Energy Minister Davaasuren Tserenpil and expressed gratitude for the fact that Mongolia refused to chair the conference of the energy charter in 2020 in favor of Azerbaijan.

The meeting discussed prospects for cooperation in geological exploration in the energy sector, particularly in the oil and gas sector between the two countries, and considered the possibility of studying Mongolian students at relevant universities in Azerbaijan in the oil and gas specialty.

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Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is

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By Trend

The US company Oppenheimer offered its assistance in attracting investors and raising Tashkent citys rating at a meeting in the Uzbek capitals administration, the press service of the Tashkent city administration said in a statement, Uzbek media reported.

Oppenheimer representatives noted that providing innovative solutions for customers distinguishes them from competitors. Oppenheimer feels proud by its reputation as a private company that helps individuals, families, company heads, foundations, charitable organizations, companies and institutions.

It was noted at the meeting that providing unbiased advice and access to a wide range of traditional and non-traditional investment services is the backbone of Oppenheimers business.

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By Trend

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Ryabkov has met with the Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Head of the Center for Political Research D. Akov, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, TASS reported October 3.

The issues of arms control have been discussed during the meeting.

"The sides exchanged views on the current agenda, including the issues of arms control and non-proliferation of WMD (weapons of mass destruction)," the Foreign Ministry said.

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By Trend

Russian ex-official Arkady Dvorkovich has been elected president of the World Chess Federation during the FIDE General Assembly in Georgias Batumi on Wednesday, TASS reported.

The other candidate for the post was FIDE Vice-President Georgios Markropoulos, of Greece. Dvorkovich received 103 votes, while Makropoulos secured 78 votes. One vote was announced to be invalid.

Another contender for the post, grandmaster Nigel Short, of Britain, withdrew his candidacy some minutes shy of the voting procedure.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Dvorkovich with his election and expressed hope that this would help clear chess of politicization, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists. "Putin expressed hope that Dvorkovichs election to this position will benefit chess and help clear chess of any attempts of politicization," Peskov said.

Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev also joined in on the congratulations. "Congratulations to the World Chess Organization on electing its new president," the Russian PM wrote on his Twitter page. He also wished luck to Dvorkovich.

Members of the Presidential Ticket of Arkady Dvorkovich, who have been also elected to the office are:

- Bachar Kouatly (France) - Deputy President

- Mahir Mammedov (Azerbaijan) - Vice President

- Julio Granda Zuniga (Peru) - Vice President

- Sewa Enyonam Fumey (Togo) - General Secretary

- Zhu Chen (Qatar) - Treasurer

Dvorkovic, 46, replaced in the post of FIFE president his fellow citizen Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who ran the worlds governing chess body since 1995 being reelected six times. His 23-year term at the helm of FIDE is the second longest in the history of the organization. Dutchman Alexander Rueb, one of the founders and the first president, was in charge of FIDE for 25 years (1924-1949).

In late 2015, the US Department of Treasury added Ilyumzhinov to its sanctions list for "materially assisting and acting for or on behalf of the government of Syria." In the wake of this move, Ilyumzhinov informed members of the FIDE Presidential Board that he temporarily delegated his legal, financial and business powers relating to FIDE activities to Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos. The Swiss bank, UBS, threatened to close the federations bank accounts because of Washingtons sanctions.

In late March 2017, FIDE posted a report on Ilyumzhinovs resignation on its website. According to that report, he allegedly said he would step down at a meeting of the FIDE board. However, the FIDE head refuted it saying he was ready to continue to perform his functions.

In October 2017, the FIDE Executive Board unanimously approved the full delegation of Ilyumzhinovs powers to Makropoulos. In April 2018, the FIDE Presidential Board asked Ilyumzhinov to step down because he had been sanctioned by the US. As many as 14 board members voted for that resolution, and one voted against it. On July 13, the FIDE Ethics Commission decreed to suspend Ilyumzhinov.

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By Trend

Turkey and Qatar will hold political consultations on October 4 during the Qatari Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmed Hassan Al-Hamadi's visit to Turkey, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a message.

Al-Hamadi will meet with his Turkish counterpart Sedat Onal. A number of issues will be discussed during the meeting including the expected visit of the Qatari Emir to Turkey.

Qatar currently ranks 19th among countries that have made direct investments in Turkish economy.

Foreign investment in the Turkish economy amounts to $4.108 billion. Qatari investments in the Turkish economy reach $541 million.

About 68 percent of foreign direct investments in the Turkish economy comes from European countries. Spain ranks first among European countries that have made direct investments in the Turkish economy.

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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Kazakhstan and Russia are deepening trade and economic cooperation in the supply of oil and oil products.

Kazakh Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev and his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak signed an intergovernmental protocol on amending the agreement on trade and economic cooperation in the field of oil and oil products supply to Kazakhstan.

The signing took place in Moscow on September 3 as part of the international forum Russian Energy Week - 2018.

Currently, Kazakhstan has a ban on the export of light petroleum products. The ban on the export of light petroleum products from Kazakhstan was introduced under the current intergovernmental agreement with Russia, which in turn exports about 2 million tons of fuel annually to its partner within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

The signed protocol creates opportunities for the opening of exports of light petroleum products of the modernized oil refineries of the republic.

Kazakhstans Energy Minister reported that the changes will allow regulating the import of petroleum products from Russia to Kazakhstan and the export of petroleum products from Kazakhstan outside the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) at the interdepartmental level (at the level of energy departments of the two countries).

Thus, Kazakhstan will be able to more quickly make decisions on opening/closing exports or imports of certain types of petroleum products, depending on the balance of the domestic fuel market.

Kazakhstan, as a result of modernization of oil refineries, has increased the production of gasoline, which exceeds the needs of the republic and creates a surplus of fuel.

Kazakhstan has three major oil refineries - Atyrau, Shymkent and Pavlodar. Pavlodar and Atyrau refineries have already completed its modernization program, while Shymkent was expected to wrap up the reconstruction and modernization this fall.

The refining capacity of all the three plants was said to increase from 13.8 to 16.5 million tons after the modernization. Production of all types of light oil products, gasoline, diesel fuel and aviation kerosene will increase. All plants will produce gasoline for 2.3 million tons more. The production of diesel fuel will increase for 917,000 tons and aviation kerosene for 539,000 tons.

Earlier, it was also announced that a new oil refinery plant will be built in Kazakhstan. A contract with investors from Singapore for the total amount of 300 billion tenge was signed in Karaganda in the spring of this year. According to preliminary calculations, the plant will process up to 1 million tons of oil per year.

Russia traditionally maintains a leading position among the trading partners of Kazakhstan.

In 2017 a significant increase in mutual trade between Kazakhstan and Russia was observed.

The trade turnover amounted to $ 16 billion, showing an increase of 25.6 percent compared to 2016.

At the same time, Kazakhstans exports amounted to $ 4.5 billion, imports - $ 11.5 billion. Thus, Russia's share in the foreign trade turnover of Kazakhstan in 2017 was 20.6 percent. The country ranked first in terms of imports to Kazakhstan  39.2 percent and fourth in terms of exports of Kazakh products  9.3 percent.

In 2018, the positive dynamics of mutual trade is maintained. Trade turnover in January-July of the current year totaled $ 9.9 billion, which corresponds to an increase of 9.5 percent compared to the same period last year. Exports amounted to $ 3 billion and imports - $ 6.9 billion.

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Senator Aquilino Pimentel III on Thursday said the number of the PDP-Laban candidates for senator was reduced to five or six from the initial 24 that was submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte. He said their candidates should be advocates of federalism. On the other hand, former senator Lito Lapid is joining the senatorial race in 2019 via the Nationalist Peoples Coalition as he and his son, former Pampanga governor Mark Lapid, took their oaths as new members of the Nationalist Peoples Coalition or NPC. Barely a week before the start of the filing of the certificates of candidacy for the May 2019 elections, Pimentel, also the partys president, said only five or six were left on their list, but he declined to name PDP Labans remaining candidates for senator saying they would announce the list next week. In August, Pimentel sent a letter to Duterte, also the partys national chairman, indicating the 24 names of possible senatorial bets. Asked about the reason for fewer names, Pimentel said some had backed out to run for senator while others opted to run for other elective posts. He cited the case of Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, chairman of the House of Representatives committee on appropriations, who decided not to pursue his initial plan to run for senator. He also mentioned Quirino Rep. Dakila Carlo Dax Cua, who decided instead to run for governor in his province.We will tighten or we will be very strict in our vetting or selection procedure. And if we dont complete the slate, so be it, Pimentel said. Aside from being advocates of federalism, he said, PDP-Laban nominees must have served the party and must participate in party activities and not only show up during the filing of COCs. Well be strict. The nominees of PDP-Laban for senator must be federalism advocates, must have fully complied with the membership requirements, must have served the party, must have shown his or her face in party activities and not just appear when its time for the filing of candidacies, Pimentel said. He said they were open to forging alliances with other groups, including the parties of re-electionist senators. But he maintained that those from other parties who wished to ally with PDP-Laban should be open to federalism. He said they still could not tell how many parties there were. If they could not make a complete list, he said, their campaign manager would have the flexibility to enter into alliances because [we have to] remember that re-electionist senators have their own parties. Pimentel, who is also seeking reelection, said entering into alliances will be up to the campaign manager if he wants to come up with some tactical arrangement with other candidates who must be at least open to federalism.
By Kamila Aliyeva



Armenia, where street policy prevails again, is experiencing another crisis of power with growing dispute between the government and the parliament.



After the parliament passed a bill to prevent the dissolution of the National Assembly (parliament), Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan led people to the streets and said at a spontaneous rally about the dismissal of ministers from the Prosperous Armenia (PAP) and Dashnaktsutyun parties. He also said he will resign after the orders about dismissals de jure come into force.



The bill passed by the parliament deprives Pashinyan of the opportunity to hold early elections, having received a loyal parliament, and a chance to become the legally elected prime minister. Political October in Armenia promises to be hot.



The transit of power that began in Armenia in April-May of the current year, which resulted in Serzh Sarkisians resignation and the election of Nikol Pashinyan as prime minister of the country, was expected to reach its logical end. It is only natural that a prime minister without a parliament in a parliamentary form of government will always be in danger of losing the levers of power. So, the confrontation with the National Assembly proved was not long in coming.



Pashinyan, who came to power as a result of the revolutionary movement, called the adoption of this law counter-revolution.



With this vote and the introduction of this bill into circulation, the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and the forces assisting them officially declared a counter-revolution in Armenia. The counter-revolution has no chance in Armenia, since no one can take away the victory from the people, said Pashinyan.



The conflict between Pashinyan and the opposition, to which Tsarukyan bloc and Dashnaktsutyun have now joined, arose out of the demands of the prime minister to hold early parliamentary elections in December 2018.



When RPA leader Serzh Sargsyan resigned, and the founder of the Civil Contract party, opposition member Nikol Pashinyan took his place, the executive power migrated to his hands, while the legislative power (parliament) was left to the republicans.



What does it mean? The parliament could theoretically block any initiatives of the government and generally paralyze the work of two of the three branches of power in Armenia. This is another problem of the new constitution - by default it assumes that the head of the government is always appointed by parliamentary majority. However, Pashinyan is the prime minister of the minority, as he has only nine people in the National Assembly.



In order to deal with this situation and somehow normalize it, Nikol Pashinyan needs to dissolve the parliament and hold early elections.



According to the constitution, this may happen only in two cases - if the parliament does not elect the prime minister twice in a row or rejects the program of the newly elected government. In both cases, Pashinyan will have to resign with a view to immediate re-election, otherwise he will lose his chair.



The problem, however, is that the composition of the parliament has remained the same since the RPA was in power, and in the event of Pashinyans resignation, the opposition forces in the Armenian legislature can elect their own prime minister, having made a de facto counter-revolutionary coup.



That is why Pashinyan had to urge the people to once again go to the streets and appeal to the President of the country Armen Sargsyan not to sign the scandalous bill.



This is how another crisis of power arose in Armenia, but whats even more interesting is how those events are linked to the foreign policy of the country.



Soon after the velvet revolution in the spring of 2018, Pashinyan began to make very contradictory statements about the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.



His appeals were especially remembered for returning the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh to the negotiating table.



Pashinyan explained this by the fact that he is not authorized to speak on behalf of the people of Karabakh. The newly minted prime minister also sent his son to military service in the frontline zone. All this caused great concern in Azerbaijan.



However, on the sidelines of the summit of the CIS Council of Heads of State in Dushanbe, Nikol Pashinyan initiated a conversation with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. As a result, the parties decided to work out mechanisms for establishing operational communications to prevent incidents on the contact line of troops and on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.



Baku and global community have reacted very positively to the rhetoric of Armenian leadership. Many experts also expressed views that these talks would contribute to the solution of the conflict.



On the background of certain positivity and hope that Armenia would strive to peaceful negotiations aimed at the conflict resolution, political situation inside Armenia has flared up. There are even rumors and talks that civil war might break out there. Can it be coincidence that these two events took place almost at the same time? Unlikely.



There can be only one conclusion  the settlement of the Karabakh conflict and strong Caucasus region are not profitable for certain forces inside or, maybe, outside Armenia. Apparently, Baku and Yerevan have still a lot to overcome in order to bring peace and stability to the region.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Uzbekistan and India intend to create a Technopark of software and innovative products.

Given Indias great experience in the development of technology parks, Uzbekistan is interested in working with leading technology parks in India, including the Software Technology Parks Society of India (STPI) to create and develop modern platforms for developing software products and tools, the Uzbek Ministry of Finance reported.

Indian partners were invited to consider the possibility of creating a Technopark of software and innovative products in Uzbekistan based on their experience, according to the ministry.

The Software Technology Parks Society of India was created in 1991 to promote and encourage software exports. It provides legislative and other services to exporters to promote products, encourages the activities of micro, small and medium-sized entrepreneurs by creating favorable conditions for entrepreneurship in the field of information technology.

Uzbekistan is also interested in cooperation and exchange of experience with India in the field of e-government development.

In the framework of the recent visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, agreements to hold joint activities in this direction were reached between the Center for the Development of Electronic Government of Uzbekistan and the National Center for Informatics of India. In particular, the parties signed a memorandum of understanding.

Starting from this year, the development of space technologies and the use of space for peaceful purposes is a new area of activity of the Ministry of Finance. During the visit, an agreement was signed between the Government of Uzbekistan and the Government of India on cooperation in the exploration and use of space for peaceful purposes.

In accordance with the agreement of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will work together in this area.

ISRO, headquartered in Bangalore, is the National Space Agency, subordinate to the Department of Space Research of India.

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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

The Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a new strategy for Uzbekistan, which defines the priorities of the bank in the country for the next five years.

The strategy reflects the recent changes in the political and macroeconomic environment of the country and is aimed at creating an open, integrated and export-oriented economy.

The new stage of the banks interaction with the country is dictated by a large-scale reform program launched by the government at the end of 2016 aimed at moving towards a more open, integrated market economic model, improving international relations, strengthening the rule of law and judicial independence, achieving currency regulation liberalization.

Reducing the states presence in the economy, improving the business environment and promoting foreign direct investment are among the top priorities of the Uzbek authorities.

The new EBRD strategy for Uzbekistan recognizes the need to strengthen the country's democratic institutions, expand the role of civil society, provide greater freedom to the media and promote women's entrepreneurship. The Bank will also continue to monitor progress in the elimination of forced labor and child labor in sectors such as cotton growing.

The bank will attract financial and advisory resources to support small and medium businesses. The EBRD will help develop local capital markets and strengthen national financial institutions. It will provide support before privatization to individual state-owned enterprises and look for ways to improve the investment climate in Uzbekistan.

The EBRD will promote the development of sustainable solutions for the municipal and national infrastructure sectors. This will help stimulate green investments to reduce carbon intensity, channel resources and provide know-how to realize the country's renewable energy potential. Special attention will be paid to energy security, which will include efficient and sustainable production, transmission and distribution of electricity. The Bank will also use its expertise to assist in the reclamation of uranium tailings.

Together with other international financial institutions, the EBRD will work to improve the country's transport infrastructure and ways to promote its commercialization and improve communication with regional networks. It will also stimulate the attraction of private business to the sector. The EBRD will support regional energy cooperation, including networks.

The Trade Facilitation Program (TFP) of the bank will help mobilize the export activity of Uzbek enterprises and financial institutions. The Bank plans to explore opportunities and support investments related to the country's cultural heritage in order to improve the appropriate infrastructure and tourism potential.

Between 1992 and 2010, the EBRD invested 894 million euros in 54 projects in Uzbekistan. By the end of 2017, the bank signed the first six new documents with the country since 2010, worth more than 153 million euros.

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By Trend

The Turkmen delegation participated in the 69th session of the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Turkmenistan's Foreign Ministry said in a message.

The event is annually held in Geneva to review and approve the agencys programs and budget, advise on international protection issues. The current session brought together representatives from 132 countries.

The Turkmen delegation delivered a speech in which a special emphasis was placed on Turkmenistan's obligations under the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) to create orderly, safe, legal and responsible migration, which continues to be an imperative requirement of today, the message reads.

In November 2014, the UNHCR High Commissariat approved the global action plan for the reduction of statelessness for the period 2014-2024, which was enshrined in the resolution of the UN General Assembly.

In 2018, 735 people permanently residing in the territory of Turkmenistan, having no citizenship and representing different nationalities, became citizens of Turkmenistan. In the period 2011-2017, according to decrees of the Turkmen head of state, 8,145 people were granted the Turkmen citizenship.

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By Trend

UAE Ambassador in Astana, Dr. Mohamed Ahmed bin Sultan Al Jaber, attended the World Petroleum Council (WPC) meeting, "Kazinform" reports citing WAM.

Delegates from 28 countries of the world attended the meeting, including the countries of Europe and Asia, Africa, North and South America. There were heads of sectoral state bodies and transnational companies, leading oil and gas experts.

Representatives of the member states' national committees discussed the organisation's activities, trends in the development of the oil and gas market, innovative technologies and the use of global energy resources.

The WPC programme included a meeting of the WPC's Board, which is held annually in one of the member states and is the final event of the organization, attended by all delegates. In addition, there were meetings of the Executive and Program Committees, a joint session with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on the development of gender policy and special events of the Youth Committee.

On October 2nd, a conference on "Investment Opportunities: New Solutions for Sustainable Growth" was held with the participation of the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, leaders of the AIFC, Samruk-Kazyna SWF JSC and other state bodies and companies of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

During the conference, representatives of national committees exchanged views about the latest trends in the development of the oil and gas and energy industries in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

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President Rodrigo Duterte, angry over the disappearance of 23,000 sacks of smuggled rice in Zamboanga, has suspended two officials from the National Food Authority and the Bureau of Customs, the Palace said Thursday. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Zamboanga Port District Collector Lyceo Martinez and Customs Police District Commander Filomeno Salazar were placed under preventive suspension as the government investigates how the smuggled rice disappeared. The President was visibly upset with the missing 23,015 sacks of apprehended smuggled rice in Zamboanga City, said Roque. The President has ordered an immediate and thorough investigation of this incident, and instructions were given for both the NFA OIC and Customs commissioner to immediately place on preventive suspension individuals who may be part of this scheme, he added. Roque said the suspension would prevent the two officials from tampering with the evidence or influencing the investigation. On Monday, Customs and the National Bureau of Investigation agents recovered 5,000 sacks of rice at the Basulta Traders Corp. warehouse. Meanwhile, 3,000 sacks of rice at Suterville warehouse and 8,000 sacks at Kasanyagan Compound warehouse in Sta. Catalina were recovered the following day. Roque quoted Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapena saying the bureau has already sent a team to Zamboanga to investigate the incident. The President was furious because how do you lose 23,000 sacks? I mean, its incredible, Roque said. Roque said Customs officials may have connived with NFA personnel. I think its obvious because both agencies had some jurisdiction over the apprehended smuggled rice... They probably have a liability for this, he said. The NFA also came under fire at the Senate, where Senator Cynthia Villar accused officials from the agency who attended Thursdays budget hearing of intentionally creating confusion.In the hearing, Maria Mercedes Yacapin and Yolanda Nieves, NFA assistant administrator and assistant administrator for Finance, respectively, gave conflicting figures. Sometimes, they would say bags. We are talking of metric tons, thats our measurement. And then when are talking about local [rice], it would suddenly become imported. Theyre saying different things, said Villar. So we cant reach a conclusion. Because I have been asking them how much their losses [are] when they buy local and how much they lose when they buy imported, she said in a mix of English and Filipino. She also said the minority senators were not satisfied with the answers given by NFA officials when they were grilled over the losses incurred by the agency. She also said there were questions on their process of importing rice when in fact, they can buy rice from local farmers at a higher cost than the prevailing P17.00 farmgate price per kilo. Villar, chairman of the Senate agriculture and food committee, also grilled NFA officials on what happened to the P7-billion government subsidy given to them. They have a subsidy of P7 billion a year, where did it go? Villar said. So they said they lose P9 from local rice bought and they lose P3 from imported rice, she said. Villar also questioned the NFAs P5 billion overhead for operations and personnel. She set another hearing next week before they decide on the NFAs proposed budget.
READ: Duterte not dyingPalace

READ: Pray for Rody's healthBishops
Joseph Luiz can be reached at 395-7368 or by email at jluiz@bakersfield.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @JLuiz_TBC.
You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415 or smorgen@bakersfield.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC.
Weird Tales of Pixieland, Central Oregon Coast History, Part I

Published 10/03/2018 at 2:44 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Lincoln City, Oregon) - The whole tale actually begins with Pixie Kitchen, which was an enormously popular restaurant on the central Oregon coast from the 50s until the 70s, finally folding in the 80s. From that sprung Pixieland, a sprawling playground of Disney-esque ideals that was just outside of Lincoln City for a few short but rather legendary years.

This is part one of this two-part series on Pixieland and its kooky tales. Part two: Kooky Oregon Coast History: Lincoln City's Pixieland Part Two.

Its funny how time has treated this Oregon coast amusement park: its now more legendary and popular than it was throughout most of its short, often wobbly days.

On Highway 101, not far from the Highway 18 junction, youll find a plaque showing where Pixieland was. If you blink, youll miss it. Nature has reclaimed the 53-acre attraction completely, and thats the way Oregon state officials wanted it.

At its heyday  which was awfully brief - it boasted a dozen or so rides, a sizable park for trailer campers next door, and a smattering of eatery booths. Rides like the Grunykinland put you in the arms of a giant bear and sent you into a dark area lit by black lights that was supposedly the home of the pixies. There was a log flume that got you slightly wet, some bumper cars, and a train that meandered around the property.

Pixieland opened its doors to much fanfare in 1969, with an appearance by Governor Tom McCall. It was on land that Pixie Kitchen owner Jerry Parks had purchased in 1966, part of a backup plan in case a proposed bypass of Highway 101 actually happened. Parks figured it would cut off the tourist throngs from the restaurant, but luckily it was never built.

So up this vision of pixies on the Oregon coast went: but cracks in it showed pretty quickly.

There are plenty of interesting anecdotes about it. Among them, that Paul Newman visited there in 1971 during the filming of Sometimes a Great Notion.

Ed Dreistadt, director of Lincoln Citys visitors center, has become a bit of an expert on the place.

He recalls Parks daughter, Sharon Walters, telling the story of when they were in the middle of some construction in its early days, with the help of her husband, Howard. One day, a dump truck was dropping dirt near the train trestle that the parks little choo choo ran on.

The driver forgot to put the bed down, and started driving out of the park and took out the trestle, Dreistadt said. Sharon was working at the parks restaurant at the time and heard a horrible noise. So she had to call down to where Howard was at another end of the park and told them to not let the train leave.

There was a lot of enthusiasm and optimism for Pixieland for even the first two, three years: even by the second year, when problems began to be evident, everyone plowed right ahead. They simply began work on fixing the various issues. One thing, however, seriously eluded them: turning a profit. The right formula for grabbing enough visitors to really turn things around was somehow never within reach.

More on Pixieland and coastal history is found in these books:



By 1971, serious cracks began to show, including Parks lowering his own salary. They slowly began trying a flurry of new things, including selling longterm lots at the trailer park and a variety of changing rides. In 1972, the Salmon River flooded parts of the complex. A Ferris wheel came and went, they began charging admission, and suddenly in 1973 Parks openly complained the operating season was too short and that the amusement park was too far from a major population center like Portland.

Dreistadt remembers a man who gave him a DVD of some home movies made there, somewhere around 1974.

There was no one there, Dreistadt said. Its like he had this whole amusement park to himself.

Then there was the freaky monkey they kept. That and other oddities are coming in part two.

Part two of this historical series: Kooky Oregon Coast History: Lincoln City's Pixieland Part Two . Lodgings in Lincoln City - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours

Also See:

Inn at Lincoln City. Right on the famed D River with ocean views, and just a block from the beach. Elegant guest rooms come in a wide range, from smaller to those with views and whirlpool tubs. ADA-defined service animal-friendly. Centrally located, its a quick drive to the casino, seven miles of beaches, the bay, and not far from the outlet mall. Copious complimentary breakfast in the morning, free wi-fi, a business center, accessible elevator, a sizable DVD library, pets allowed and a 24-hour lobby catering to your needs. The entrance is a grand beauty all its own. You get access to a lakeside fire pit, perfect for those light breezes of evening and smores. Plenty of parking, and theres an indoor spa. All rooms come with coffee maker, microwave, refrigerator, flat screen TV, hair dryer, air conditioning. 100 percent smoke free. 1091 SE 1st Street. Lincoln City, Oregon. (541) 996-4400. Website here.





Below: Highway 18, Van Duzer Corridor, not far from the old Pixieland site





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Albany

In an old episode of "Law and Order: SVU," Cynthia Nixon starred as a woman with multiple personalities while Diane Neal played her usual role as Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak.

If you watched the show and thought, "Those women will run for office someday," congratulate yourself and buy a lottery ticket. You saw the future.

Nixon, of course, tussled with the governor in the Democratic primary and lost, while Neal is still running to represent New York's 19th Congressional District  despite bare-knuckled attempts to knock her off the ballot. Neal, you see, is running as an independent against incumbent Republican John Faso and Democrat Antonio Delgado.

An outsider trying to offer voters an alternative?

No, no, no. The powers-that-be can't tolerate it.

Employing an age-old tactic, Democratic operatives and their high-powered attorneys successfully challenged the ballot petitions of the three independent candidates in the race. When Neal fought back, Appellate Division justices unanimously kept her on the November ballot. Democrats are seeking to appeal that ruling.

"They're just trying to waste my time and resources," Neal told me earlier this week. "It's another ploy and one of the many things that's wrong with modern political system."

With control of the House at stake, the Faso vs. Delgado battle is lit by the national spotlight and could go either way. Since they're trying so hard to toss her from the ballot, we can presume Democrats think Neal could get enough votes to cost them the seat.

The effort validates a theme of Neal's candidacy. She (rightly) argues that the major parties manipulate the rules to silence outside voices. Elections are a private club that independent-minded outsiders aren't invited to join.

More Information Contact columnist Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse

That's inexcusable everywhere, but it's particularly galling in the 19th, a jumbo-sized district that includes much of Rensselaer County and all of Columbia, Greene, Ulster and Schoharie counties, among others. That's because a plurality of voters there are not registered as Republicans or Democrats.

Arguably, Neal's eclectic mix of positions  a liberal and libertarian blend  more closely represents what voters in the district believe than what Delgado or Faso are offering. Nevertheless, Neal is being cast as an interloper who has no business running.

"Even if 100 percent of registered Democrats showed up and voted for Antonio, he's still not going to win," said Neal, who lives in rural Hurley, near Kingston. "And yet they still feel so entitled."

Neal rejects the simple-minded duality of our politics. She's a gun owner and Second Amendment supporter who wants single-payer health care. She's pro-choice and pro-military. She's thinks climate change and the national debt are the biggest threats to national security.

When we talked about Brett Kavanaugh, Neal again rejected tribalism. She spoke of her own experiences with sexual harassment and her appreciation of the #MeToo movement, but said last week's testimony led her to no firm conclusion.

"It's obvious she's been victimized, and it's obvious he feels hugely under attack," Neal said. "There can be different sides to things and shades of gray. Life is complicated."

Delgado is a Rhodes scholar and lawyer whose previous career at Akin Gump, the politically connected law and lobbying firm, has made him a prolific fundraiser. But it's his brief stint as a rapper that dominates media coverage, largely because of controversial Republican ads criticizing his lyrics.

Neal, 42, considers the attacks beyond the pale  "a dog whistle"  but, wearing no partisan lenses, added that Democratic attacks on Faso also misrepresent. (Politifact on Wednesday rated a Delgado ad claiming Faso supported "an age tax" as "mostly false.")

"They are just so willing to lie and smear, and it just produces this really nasty, toxic environment that makes people not want to get involved," Neal said. "Or it makes them rabid and blind to basic facts, and when people are rabid, you can't have a constructive conversation."

In Delgado, Neal sees a candidate out of touch with the district. But Faso, a former state lawmaker turned lobbyist, is cut from much the same cloth, she said. How many lobbyists and lawyers does Congress need?

Fewer, for sure. Yet I'm not sure we're better off with celebrities usurping politics. When Kid Rock runs for president against The Rock, I'm moving to Idaho to raise llamas off the grid.

But celebrity candidates do have advantages when it comes to challenging the establishment. Had Cynthia Nixon not played Miranda Hobbes, she couldn't have made Andrew Cuomo fret. Had Neal not played Casey Novak, you wouldn't be reading about her campaign now.

Noting her struggle to stay on the ballot, Neal said she was fortunate to have the time and money needed to fight back against the usual politics.

"How can anyone who would really serve the district be able to put up a fight against these giant machines?" she asked. "It's not a good thing for our district, and it's not a good thing for the republic and democracy."

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchill
Sorghum pollen sickened a group of students who broke out in hives and had trouble breathing while helping at a corn maze at a Tomball church on Friday, Sept. 28.

About two dozen Salem Lutheran School seventh graders began experiencing symptoms, causing the nurse to call the Rosehill Fire Department and a Hazmat team to investigate the incident, said spokesperson Joey Bluege.

UNIQUE VIEW: Astronaut corn maze photographed from space

They were given the opportunity to be of service to Salem's student ministry in preparation for the grand opening of the corn maze on Saturday. The objective was to remove toppled corn and sorghum stalks out of the maze paths, along with other setup jobs along the perimeter, Bluege said.

The students high level of discomfort caused the nurse to contact emergency medical services.

One student went to the hospital as a precaution, but was released to her parents later that night.

The other students that experienced mild symptoms of skin irritation  which can occur when coming into contact with either corn, sorghum, or even grass  were picked up by their parents at school at the end of the school day, Bluege said.

POLITICAL: Presidential race inspires Houston-area corn maze

While helping to set up, some students mistakenly believed an open and nearly empty bag of fertilizer was causing the symptoms and alerted the assistant principal.

No students working near the fertilizer were affected, he said.

Now that the Hazmat team determined the sorghum pollen was causing the irritation, school officials plan to review the incident and determine future steps to prevent a health hazard.

This experience will be reviewed in detail in our leadership meeting this week. The safety and care of your children is our priority, said director of educational ministries Mary Gaertner in a statement to parents.

mayra.cruz@chron.com
As the fog lifted at Cattail Marsh on Wednesday morning, professional birders and brothers Rob and Eric Ripma were enjoying their second day of birdwatching in Southeast Texas.

The Indianapolis, Indiana, natives are in the region plotting a birding tour for their company, Sabrewing Nature Tours.

In just two days, the Rimpas said they'd spotted 121 species of birds.

More than 370 of the 642 bird species in Texas can be found within a 45-mile radius of Beaumont. That's because of the city's location on both the Mississippi and Central migratory flyways, according to the Ripma brothers.

Rob Ripma said birds flying from the Yucatan Peninsula across the Gulf of Mexico might travel for 18-24 hours without spotting land.

"They'll stop at the first trees they find," he said.

"Beaumont is just areally good place to base yourself for birding because not only do you have the birding here, but you're so close to Sabine, Big Thicket, High Island, Galveston  everything is within an hour and a half away."

The Ripma brothers said they travel the world, taking paying customers on birding expeditions.

"Birders spend money," Eric Ripma said. As an example, he said his brother's binoculars cost $23,000.

The 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service found that 45 million Americans participate in some sort of birdwatching, and that wildlife watching contributes almost $80 billion annually to the U.S. economy.

"Between hotels and food, the gear, it introduces a lot of money into the local economy," said Christina Majdalani with the Beaumont Conventions and Visitors Bureau. "Just one rare bird sighting in Pennsylvania generated $233,000 in 67 days from travelers."

The CVB is hoping to bring attention to the great birding opportunities that Beaumont and the surrounding areas have to offer, she said.

"If you Google 'birding hotel package,' the Beaumont CVB website will be the first result, because we're really trying to encourage people to come," Majdalani said.

"When birders see that we've done something just for them  and they're a largely underserved community  they're excited."

Rob Ripma said the area has a lot to offer birding enthusiasts.

"It's all about perspective," he said. "You may see a bluejay or a cardinal and it's no big deal, but to someone from England, it would be really exciting because they don't have cardinals there. So, people are willing to travel all over to see different birds and check them off their lists."

Charles and Janet Watson drove in from New Caney on Wednesday to stop at Cattail Marsh.

Janet Watson is in a competition with her brother in Alabama to spot the most birds in 2018. She said she is winning.

"Birding means a lot of different things to different people," Rob Ripma said.

"You make it what you want so it can be really competitive or relaxed."

Now that it's migration season, the Watsons said the come to the area more regularly to bird watch at Cattail Marsh and Sea Rim State Park.

"It's just fun," Janet Watson said. "We go out birding once or twice a week, and we like coming to Beaumont to see good shore birds that we don't see at home."

She said the hobby gives them a reason to get outside more and walk around.

"We've learned and awful lot about birds," Janet Watson said.

"I was joking with my husband that we need a bumper sticker that says, 'We stop for birds,' because any time we see a hawk or a falcon, we pull over to take a look at it."

HBruyn@BeaumontEnterprise.com
More than 300 homeless veterans in the Bay Area and Central Valley could soon move into permanent housing with the help of a joint federal program, officials said this week.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs awarded $5.3 million for rental assistance and support services to various HUD offices in the Bay Area and Central Valley, according to HUD. The funds are expected to help 343 veterans get housing vouchers.

We have few responsibilities greater than making sure those who have sacrificed so much in service to their country have a home they can call their own, said Ben Carson, HUD secretary. The housing vouchers awarded today ensure homeless veterans nationwide have access to affordable housing and the critical support services from the VA.

As part of the voucher allocation process, officials at VA facilities are tasked with reviewing how long each veteran has experienced homelessness and determining how much intensive support is required for the individual to obtain and maintain permanent housing before referring them to local housing agencies for these vouchers, officials said.

Decisions are based on a variety of factors, officials said in a statement Wednesday.

The monetary assistance was provided through the HUD-Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing program, which provides rental assistance, individual case management and clinical services through the Department of Veteran Affairs.

The Santa Clara County Housing Authority received the largest amount of funding, garnering $2.8 million to provide 140 vouchers for permanent housing and services, HUD said.

The San Francisco Housing Authority received $343,723 for 21 vouchers.

More than 93,000 housing and services vouchers have been awarded and roughly 150,000 homeless veterans were served throughout the United States through the joint program since 2008, officials said.

Veterans participating in the program typically rent privately owned residences and use 30 percent or less of their income toward rent, officials said.

When our neighbors answer our countrys call to service, we must answer their call when they return home, said Wayne Sauseda, HUDs deputy regional administrator.

Heres how the money was disbursed in the Bay Area and Central Valley:

San Francisco Housing Authority: $343,723 (21 vouchers)

Contra Costa County Housing Authority: $284,891 (20 vouchers)

San Mateo County Housing Authority, Palo Alto VA medical facility: $162,949 (12 vouchers)

San Mateo County Housing Authority, San Francisco VA medical facility: $67,895 (5 vouchers)

San Joaquin County Housing Authority: $116,648 (20 vouchers)

Stanislaus County Housing Authority: $138,880 (25 vouchers)

Marin County Housing Authority: $76,965 (5 vouchers)

Berkeley Housing Authority: $248,181 (15 vouchers)

Santa Clara County Housing Authority: $2,816,567 (140 vouchers)

Pittsburg Housing Authority: $62,903 (5 vouchers)

City of Alameda Housing Authority: $131,188 (5 vouchers)

Alameda County Housing Authority, VA Northern California Health Care System: $278,986 (20 vouchers)

Alameda County Housing Authority, Palo Alto VA medical facility: $209,240 (15 vouchers)

City of Napa Housing Authority: $40,182 (5 vouchers)

Livermore Housing Authority: $75,849 (5 vouchers)

County of Sonoma: $51,983 (5 vouchers)

City of Santa Rosa: $112,874 (10 vouchers)

City of Vacaville: $43,805 (5 vouchers)

Solano County Housing Authority: $40,118 (5 vouchers)

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor
Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III

Migrant Filipino workers have turned against their supposed representative in Congress and filed an ethics complaint against him.Migrante International, an advocate of migrant workers rights, filed the case against Party-list Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III of ACT-OFW on Thursday. Chairman Arman Hernando of Migrante said Bertiz does not deserve a seat in the House not only because he does not truly represent the Filipino migrant workers but because of his alleged arrogance as a public servant. READ: Three tales of endo in government service: Holding out A series of his unacceptable actions in public, as well as his manifest conflict of interest with OFWs, have made him unqualified to represent the sector, says Migrantes complaint signed by Hernando. His conduct and ideals are unbecoming of an OFW representative. Thus we seek for his outright removal from office. Hernando also cited Bertizs alleged conflict of interest for being the owner of several recruitment agencies. Lawmakers from the Makabayan Bloc and a migrant worker from Oriental Mindoro, Shiela Mabunga, joined Hernando in the complaint. However, the House has yet to receive a sworn statement detailing the complaints against Bertiz. READ: Bertiz vows to submit self to House ethics probe At the NAIA Terminal 2 on Saturday morning, Bertiz scolded security checker Hamilton Abdul who had asked him to take off his shoes as part of security measures. READ: Bertiz apologizes for breach of airport security Bertiz then shoved his identification card at Abdul and tried to grab his ID card. His actions were captured by the closed-circuit television cameras inside the airport.In her complaint, Mabunga related how Global Asia Alliance Consultants Inc. allegedly violated the provisions in her employment contract. Migrante said Bertiz was the president and chief executive of GAACI. Mabunga said in her written complaint that in 2013, she applied as a cook for deployment to Dubai with Keys Placement, a recruitment agency owned by Bertizs wife. Midpoint during the processing of her papers, however, Mabunga said her documents were transferred to Bertizs GAACI for processing. Mabunga said in her complaint that instead of being deployed in 2014 to her real employer, she was instead fetched at the airport by a different employer, who then abused and maltreated her. When half of her body was paralyzed due to her ordeal, Mabunga said her family sought help from the GAACI countless times but their pleas fell on deaf ears. Fearing for Mabungas life, her father filed a request for repatriation at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration in February 2015. Bertiz allegedly took four months before meeting with Mabunga and negotiate with her employer. Mabunga said she begged Bertiz to take me back with him to the Philippines but my supplication was not granted. Instead, Bertiz persuaded me to return to work for the employer until the end of Ramadan. Mabunga also said Bertiz promised her repatriation and assistance for her college education on the condition that she abstained from filing a case against his agency GAACI and her employer. She said she was subjected to more abuse and severe exploitation when she returned to her employer. Finally, in August 2015, Mabunga was repatriated to the Philippines but none of the commitments made by the agency was ever fulfilled and Bertiz did not even show up in any of their hearings at POEA, she said. In 2016, Mabunga filed a case against Bertiz and his recruitment agency at POEA and NLRC. The case is still pending. Migrante, in a statement, also cited the case of Emmanuel Villanueva, a Filipino working in Hong Kong and secretary general of UNIFIL-Migrante who said that in January 2017, he had a heated exchange with Bertiz during a dialogue with Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod. The dialogue was about the Filipino workers demand for the abolition of the overseas employment certificate. Despite being an uninvited guest, Villanueva said Bertiz took much of the time by lecturing on the need for the OEC and his proposed OFW ID which infuriated those present at the meeting. When I politely asked the lawmaker not to consume much of the time, he yelled at me and accused me of being an undocumented OFW," Villanueva said.
WASHINGTON - Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday issued a broad indictment of the methods behind China's rise to becoming a major economic power, asserting in a sharply critical speech that Beijing has sought to undermine U.S. interests across the globe - and to undermine President Donald Trump in the midterm elections.

Speaking at the conservative Hudson Institute, Pence accused China of using trade, diplomatic overtures and military expansion to spread its influence, and he called on American business leaders, academic scholars and journalists to counter Beijing's campaign.

Trump "will not back down" to the challenge, Pence said. He added that China "wants a different American president" and that the nation "is meddling in America's democracy" ahead of the midterm elections, an accusation that echoed a view the president first raised at the United Nations last week.

Pence also cast China as a greater threat to election security than Russia, whose interference in the 2016 election is the subject of a special counsel investigation Trump routinely calls a "witch hunt."

"As a senior career member of our intelligence community told me just this week, what the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what China is doing across this country," Pence said. "And the American people deserve to know it."

The speech marked another escalation in rising tensions between Washington and Beijing amid a deepening trade war and new military hostilities. Top White House aides have said the administration is developing new policies to mark a turn in the bilateral relationship away from cooperation in many areas and toward outright competition.

Hours after Pence spoke, China rejected the allegations of election interference as "completely ridiculous."

"We have no interest in interfering in the internal affairs and elections of the United States," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. "The international community sees very clearly, in fact, which country is the one that invades the sovereignty of other countries, interferes in other countries' internal affairs, and damages the interests of other countries."

Hua echoed the view that the United States was seeking to contain China's rise. "No one can obstruct the Chinese people from unswervingly following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and realizing even greater achievements," she said.

Trump has continued to offer personal praise for Chinese President Xi Jinping, as he continues to try to enlist Beijing's support in his administration's efforts to pressure North Korea into relinquishing its nuclear weapons. Using the vice president to deliver the address could help the president maintain a good working relationship with Xi, although Trump acknowledged last week that the Chinese leader may no longer consider them friends.

But Pence's remarks offered the clearest declaration that the White House is moving forward with a harder-edge strategy, which analysts in Beijing view as aimed at containing China's rise. The vice president emphasized that China's economy has worsened in recent months, attributing some of the declines to the Trump administration's tariffs on more than $250 billion in Chinese goods.

"We don't want China's markets to suffer. In fact, we want them to thrive," Pence said. "But the United States wants Beijing to pursue trade policies that are free, fair and reciprocal. And we will continue to stand and demand that they do."

In a wide-ranging interview on NPR on Thursday morning, Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai suggested the Trump administration has not shown good faith in negotiating with Beijing over trade.

"The U.S. position keeps changing all the time, so we don't know exactly what the U.S. would want as priorities," he said. "And number two, I think there's been some attempt on the U.S. side to force something like the U.S. will get 100 percent, and China will get zero. I don't think this is fair."

The animosity between the world's two largest economic powers has raised concerns about whether the clash could play out dangerously in the coming months. This week, a Chinese warship conducted a risky maneuver and sailed within 45 yards of a U.S. Navy destroyer in the contested South China Sea, where China has sought to establish maritime dominance in the crucial shipping corridor.

"We will not be intimidated, and we will not stand down," Pence said, referring to the incident.

At a U.N. conference last week, Trump accused Beijing of trying to influence the midterm elections in retaliation for the trade war. The president did not offer evidence of such actions by Beijing, although administration officials told reporters that they viewed several Chinese actions as tantamount to interference.

Pence also failed Thursday to offer many examples of what he called an "unprecedented effort to influence American public opinion, the 2018 elections and the environment leading into the 2020 presidential elections."

He cited the tariffs aimed at agricultural industries in Midwest states where Trump enjoyed significant support in 2016, as well as an advertising supplement purchased by Chinese state media in the Des Moines Register, as examples of Beijing's influence campaign.

Pence said China is not being forthcoming about the real aims of its military expansion in the South China Sea and elsewhere, and that it was cheating and effectively extorting U.S. firms while persecuting and subjugating Chinese people.

"Beijing now requires many American businesses to hand over their trade secrets as the cost of doing business in China. It also coordinates and sponsors the acquisition of American firms to gain ownership of their creations," Pence said. "Worst of all, Chinese security agencies have masterminded the wholesale theft of American technology - including cutting-edge military blueprints."

He called on Google to halt development on "Dragonfly," a new search engine for the Chinese market that critics have said would allow information searches to more easily be tracked by the government. The application "will strengthen Communist Party censorship and compromise the privacy of Chinese customers," Pence said.

He also accused China of using "debt diplomacy" to trap other countries into political cooperation through questionable loans. Drawing applause while referring to Taiwan, Pence said that while the United States will continue to abide by the one-China policy that recognizes Beijing's authority, "America will always believe Taiwan's embrace of democracy shows a better path for all the Chinese people."

Pence sought to put China on the defensive over human rights, citing the persecution of up to 1 million Uighurs, a Muslim minority group in the western part of the country, who have been detained in "reeducation" camps.

And the vice president criticized China for blocking U.S. media websites and making it more difficult for Western journalists to secure visas, a move that Pence said came after the New York Times published critical stories about the wealth of Chinese leaders several years ago.

Trump and his aides have lashed out this week after the Times published a lengthy investigative report alleging fraud behind the president's personal wealth. But in reference to China, Pence declared that it was "great to see more journalists reporting the truth without fear or favor" and "digging deep to find where China is interfering in our society - and why."
Senate Republicans expressed confidence that nothing in a supplemental FBI investigation prompted by sexual misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh will derail the Supreme Court nominee, as they press ahead with plans for a make-or-break Friday test vote.

"There's nothing in it that we didn't already know," Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa said Thursday as senators are viewing the report in private.

Democrats are criticizing the probe as a whitewash as the White House said investigators interviewed nine people -- far short of the dozens of potential witnesses offered to the FBI by two Kavanaugh accusers.

The FBI didn't interview Kavanaugh or Christine Blasey Ford, one of his accusers, because it didn't have clear authority from the White House to do so, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

President Donald Trump, who was briefed on the findings of the report Thursday, signaled support for his nominee, decrying "harsh and unfair treatment" of Kavanaugh in an early morning tweet.

The White House's position indicates a push from Kavanaugh's backers for quick action on the nomination, which has verged on collapse at times by the weight of mounting sexual misconduct allegations.

There will now be even more pressure on undecided Republican senators ahead of the test vote on Kavanaugh's nomination. If the nominee's supporters prevail in that vote, Kavanaugh could be confirmed this weekend to the nation's highest court.

"All senators will be able to review the report" delivered early Thursday by the FBI, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office said in a statement.

Top Judiciary Committee Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California didn't speak to reporters as she left the secure room where senators are viewing the report. On Wednesday, the California senator said in a statement that a lack of FBI interviews with Kavanaugh and Ford "raises serious concerns that this is not a credible investigation."

Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy said on Twitter that with each senator being given one hour to review the report before a "rushed vote," the confirmation process controlled by Republicans is "just about power politics."

The announcement of the vote came after some Republican senators expressed dismay over Trump's mockery of two of the women who have come forward with claims against Kavanaugh.

Ford's attorneys said in a statement that they were "profoundly disappointed" in the probe.

"An FBI supplemental background investigation that did not include an interview of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford -- nor the witnesses who corroborate her testimony -- cannot be called an investigation," they said, adding that "those directing the FBI investigation were not interested in seeking the truth."

White House spokesman Raj Shah defended the investigation to reporters Thursday morning, saying "of course we were and of course we have been" seeking the truth in the matter. He said Ford and Kavanaugh had an "opportunity to tell in a very detailed and comprehensive fashion the Senate their testimony" and that the administration was "fully confident after reviewing this information senators can be comfortable voting yes."

Shah wouldn't identify the nine people interviewed by the FBI, which reached out to 10 people. He said other witnesses -- like a former Kavanaugh classmate at Yale who told the New Yorker his outreach to the FBI had been ignored -- lacked "firsthand knowledge" and therefore would not "be deemed as very credible in a process like this."

Democrats criticized the limited scope of the FBI investigation. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois told CNN on Thursday it was unacceptable for the FBI to interview only a "handful" of people, given the "gravity" of the case.

Shah said the White House had been in regular contact with senators on the fence about Kavanaugh's nomination, and that outreach would continue in coming days.

Speaking Tuesday night at a rally in Southaven, Mississippi, Trump attacked the credibility of Ford, who last week testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that Kavanaugh drunkenly assaulted her during a high school party in Maryland more than 30 years ago.

The president, who days ago said Ford's testimony was "very credible," ridiculed her memory to cheers from the audience.

"How did you get there? I don't remember. Where was the place? I don't remember," Trump said, mocking Ford's answers during last week's hearing.

At the Mississippi rally, Trump also turned his ire on Julie Swetnick, who claims Kavanaugh took part in efforts at parties during high school to get girls intoxicated so that groups of boys could have sex with them.

"This woman had no clue what was going on, and yet she made the most horrible charges," Trump said.

Kavanaugh has strongly denied all allegations of sexual misconduct.

Trump's remarks drew a rebuke Wednesday from Sen. Jeff Flake, the Arizona Republican who forced the additional FBI inquiry into the accusations by threatening to withhold his vote for confirmation.

Flake said the comments were "kind of appalling" in an interview with NBC News. "There is no time and no place for remarks like that," Flake said. "But to discuss something this sensitive at a political rally is just not right."

Another undecided Republican, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, was asked whether Trump's comments would affect her decision on whether to back Kavanaugh's confirmation.

"I am taking everything into account and I think the comments by the president yesterday mocking Dr. Ford were wholly inappropriate," Murkowski said.

Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican who also has yet to declare her stand on the nomination, was also critical of Trump.

"The president's comments were just plain wrong," she said in a statement.

Despite Trump's assertion on Monday that "the FBI should interview anybody that they want, within reason," confusion beset the investigation, fed by conflicting signals over what constraints had been placed on the bureau.

The White House has indicated to the FBI that the testimony from Kavanaugh and Ford before the Judiciary Committee last week was sufficient, said the two people, who asked not to be identified discussing the sensitive matter.

A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the White House viewed the inquiry as a supplemental background investigation, with its scope limited to the sex-assault allegations. On Monday, three days into the investigation, the White House gave the FBI approval to interview more people, but the bureau was still constrained by an initial directive to investigate only credible allegations of sexual misconduct, one of the people said.

FBI Director Christopher Wray is documenting what's happening behind the scenes in order to help ensure the bureau's activities in the politically charged investigation are captured and perhaps made public one day, the person added.

The FBI declined to comment on the investigation or its timing.

- - -

Bloomberg's Justin Sink, Alyza Sebenius, Erik Wasson and Steven T. Dennis contributed.
WASHINGTON - Democrats and representatives for those who claimed to have been victimized by Brett Kavanaugh angrily denounced the FBI's background check of Kavanaugh on Thursday, asserting that the bureau, shackled by the White House, did not pursue obvious leads that could have helped corroborate the allegations the Supreme Court nominee faced.

The FBI interviewed nine people in its weeklong look at Kavanaugh, and the White House and Republicans seized on its findings to declare that the claims of sexual misconduct remained uncorroborated. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, considered a critical swing vote on Kavanaugh's nomination, said the probe seemed to be "a very thorough investigation."

Democrats, though, disputed those characterizations, asserting that what was more important than what the bureau did not find was what its agents did not pursue.

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., who has been repeatedly investigated by the FBI, called the bureau's work on the Kavanaugh matter "a bulls--- investigation. The reality is that is not a full and thorough investigation. . . . You don't get corroboration if you don't talk to corroborating witnesses."

Lawyers for two of Kavanaugh's accusers said the FBI did not interview dozens of people whose information they provided and who would have supported their clients' accounts.

"The 'investigation' conducted over the past five days is a stain on the process, on the FBI and on our American ideal of justice," lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford, who claims Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when both were in high school, wrote in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray.

An FBI spokeswoman declined to comment.

The FBI has spent most of the past two years at the center of a partisan maelstrom as it investigated Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server and then President Donald Trump's election campaign. Officials knew that when they were drawn into the Kavanaugh matter, their work was destined to become mired in politics and leave many feeling unsatisfied.

Because agents were tasked with performing a background check rather than a criminal investigation, the scope of their work was decided by the White House, which seemed to be taking significant direction from Senate Republicans. The FBI never planned to draw any conclusions about the credibility of the allegations or Kavanaugh's worthiness as a judge - which are questions left for the White House and Senate.

Initially, the FBI was asked to interview four witnesses. Three - Mark Judge, Peter Smyth and Leland Keyser - were at the gathering where Ford said Kavanaugh pushed her onto a bed and groped at her. The fourth, Deborah Ramirez, had separately alleged that Kavanaugh exposed his penis to her when both were students at Yale.

The limited breadth, though, sparked significant controversy, and the White House soon permitted the FBI to expand its investigation - albeit only modestly. The White House, for example, barred a broad look at Kavanaugh's youthful drinking and whether he had misled the Senate in testifying about it, the people familiar with the process said. Some Republican senators insisted Thursday that the FBI was allowed to interview those the agency deemed appropriate.

"The FBI has gotten all the permission they need in order to interview whoever they think is necessary," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said at a news conference.

Agents also talked to two other men, Tim Gaudette and Chris Garrett, who were listed on a calendar as being with Kavanaugh at a gathering at a house on July 1, 1982.

The calendar entry had fueled some speculation that the gathering might have been the one at which Ford claimed to have been assaulted, though the list of attendees did not match those she had recalled being in the house when she said the attack took place.

The bureau also interviewed three other people, whose names have not yet been made public, according to the White House. Notably, though, agents did not talk to Ford herself, nor did they interview the more than a dozen other people whose names Ford's legal team provided to the bureau. The legal team said those people would have challenged the credibility of Kavanaugh's Senate testimony or provided other information to support Ford's account.

If agents had interviewed those people, a member of Ford's legal team told The Washington Post, they might have learned that Ford was never focused on July 1 as the date that the assault occurred.

Ramirez's legal team, similarly, said that it provided the FBI with a list of more than 20 possible witnesses and that it was unaware of the FBI following up with those people. Several former Yale students have said they got in touch with the FBI proactively offering various bits of information but were never formally interviewed

William Pittard, Ramirez's lawyer, wrote to Wray on Thursday, saying that those people were still available to talk.

"There may be additional witnesses who could offer still further corroboration (if any additional corroboration were needed, which it is not). But we likely never will know, given that your agents were barred from investigating," Pittard wrote.

The FBI spoke with Judge about the claims of a third woman, Julie Swetnick, who said in a sworn declaration that Kavanaugh was physically abusive toward girls in high school but not to Swetnick herself. Her attorney, high-profile Trump rival Michael Avenatti, tweeted Thursday that the bureau's investigation was "no investigation at all."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Calif., the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the FBI report seemed to be "a product of an incomplete investigation that was limited, perhaps by the White House." Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., called for the public release of the FBI's findings, a copy of which Senators were taking turns reviewing in a secure area of Capitol Hill on Thursday.

The Democrats' frustration, though, might not amount to much. While Collins praised the investigation as apparently "thorough," Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., considered another key swing vote, said he had "seen no additional corroborating information."

- - -

The Washington Post's Emma Brown and Tom Hamburger contributed to this report.
Some of the schools Red-tagged by the AFP.

Philippine National Police chief Dir. Gen. Oscar Albayalde on Thursday warned college professors who teach communist ideologies that they will be charged with contempt as he scolded students of state universities for biting the hand of the government that shoulders their free education.Albayalde made the statement even as Malacanang downplayed concerns that the hunt for conspirators in the Red October plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte will lead to a crackdown against student activists. destab Armed Forces deputy chief of staff for operations Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. on Wednesday identified 18 colleges and universities that have allegedly been tapped for communist recruitment. What if we charge teachers who instigate their students? They should also be charged for contempt for teaching such things to our students. We in the PNP sacrifice our lives for our country. We are trying to save generations. Yet we teach these [rebellious ideas] to our students, Albayalde said. In state universities, you are given free education by the government. And yet you have not yet graduated and you are already going against the same government that gives you free education. Students in state universities are considered the cream of the crop. They should be the hope of the land, he added.AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said they have received complaints from parents who were worried that their children were being brainwashed. Their children were subjected to like films showing; video teleconferencing with a terrorist leader like Jose Ma. Sison; and Martial law reenactments during break time of high school student, among others, Arevalo said. As a good number of us in the AFP are parents ourselves, we join the multitude of parents wary of these creeping indoctrination of their children that tend to draw them into activism and radicalism. Beware of the wolves in sheeps clothingthis we caution schools administration and parents about some members of the NPA infiltrating the schools, he added. Albayalde said the PNP will engage schools to help them stop the alleged infiltration. He, however, clarified that cops will not be deployed to guard the 18 universities tagged by the AFP. Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Carlito Galvez, for his part, said he will seek a dialog with the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education to address the alleged CPP infiltration of private and state universities and colleges. We will take action on that. We will make sure that whatever needs to be done will be done, Galvez said.Arevalo said it was not the intention of the military to red-tag the 18 schools, namely the University of the Philippines (Diliman and Manila), Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, Adamson University, Far Eastern University, University of the East (Recto and Caloocan), Emilio Aguinaldo College, Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, San Beda, Lyceum, University of Makati, University of Caloocan, University of Manila, and Philippine National University. We wish to assuage the fear of our people about this recent development. This was not intended to brand those schools as communist, he said. We do not censure, but as a matter of fact guard and support freedom of speech, of assembly, and of redress of grievances. But such should be done in a manner peaceful and orderly, and with due respect to other peoples rights. Because the moment they resort to violence, the AFP will be there to prevent lawlessness, Arevalo added. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said student activities need not worry that their rights will be repressed. The President highly tolerates freedom of expression. Thats one thing we have to give credit to the President, he said.It [identification of the 18 schools] is not a cause of worry. It is just a statement of fact. We have no doubt that none of the schools are openly supportive of such initiatives [by the CPP], Roque added.The Commission on Human Rights, however, expressed alarm over the red-tagging or the practice of branding a person or an organization as being supportive of the communist movement. This blanket act of red-tagging endangers students and the youth and it may give the AFP a license to arbitrarily infringe the freedom of expression, the right to petition government, as well as to assembly, CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said. The AFP should be more prudent in matters such as this, De Guia added. Galvez himself admitted that the list released by Parlade is still being validated. Several colleges and universities in the militarys list have condemned the militarys allegation that communist rebels have been recruiting their students. UP as a national university is open to all. We want our students to be exposed to all views and opinions, and all sectors of society. There are so many issues students are concerned about. To call them communist is trying to obscure the issue, said UP Chancellor Michael Tan said. DLSU president Bro. Armin Luistro described the Red scare as a wild accusation. To me, if theres nothing substantial about the report, then thats the only logical explanation why they are even spilling this out in the press. Media release of an intelligence report does not help any, Luistro told ANCs Headstart. UST Secretary General Fr. Jesus Miranda said the burden of proof lies with the military. There is a perception that we are against the present government. Is that why we are being tagged? Such statement undermines the safety and security of the students of Emilio Aguinaldo College as they are now looked upon as possible communists or rebels, EAC legal counsel Joseph Noel Estrada said.Meanwhile, the Makabayan bloc in Congress warned proposed amendments to the Human Security Actincluding allowing the detention of suspected terrorists for 30 days without a warrantwill be tantamount to an undeclared but legislated martial law that will empower the President to clamp down on his critics. This new and insidious tactic is to implement nationwide martial law without having to go through the legal requisites of making a formal declaration, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sara Elago said. I do not disagree with strengthening anti-terrorism laws given that the Philippines is now a potential target for terrorism attacks. But there should be extreme caution taken in amending the law. Oftentimes, strengthening security provisions means sa sacrificing on civil liberties, Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano said. The Department of Justice earlier filed a petition seeking to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army as a terrorist organization. At least 600 individualsincluding former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and United Nations special rapporteur Victoria Tauli-Corpuzwere included in the list of names of alleged CPP-NPA members.
More than 2,000 potential voters in Texas had their voters registration applications unfairly rejected by the Texas Secretary of State, a national advocacy group said Wednesday.

Those voters will be barred from voting on Nov. 6 unless they re-submit updated applications with new signatures on them, according to the Secretary of States office, which will send affected voters the paperwork by mail. It must be resubmitted to the state within 10 days.

Vote.org, a nonpartisan group, said it helped 2,400 Texans from Dallas, Bexar, Cameron and Travis counties submit voter registration applications that use digital photographs of their signatures.

Only at HoustonChronicle.com: Get informed with our general election voter guide

State officials say the applications submitted by the group do not comply with Texas law. Voter registration applications must include a handwritten signature, and that signature cannot be a copy, digital signature or photograph of a signature, according to a spokesman for the Texas Secretary of State.

Our Elections Division instructed Vote.org to change their process immediately in order to comply with state law and avoid misleading Texas voters into submitting invalid registration forms, said Sam Taylor, a spokesman for the Texas Secretary of States office.

The deadline for voters to register for the Nov. 6 election is Oct. 9. But those being directed to resubmit their paperwork via mail with corrected signatures will still have 10 days to do so, Taylor said.

Texas election law is not clear as to whether a handwritten signature is necessary. It calls for a voter registration to be submitted by personal delivery, by mail, or by telephonic facsimile machine and states that it must be in writing and signed by the applicant.

Lawyers for Vote.org disagree with the Secretary of States interpretation and say they reserve all rights to challenge it. They say there is nothing in the election code requiring a handwritten signature. Still, they are changing the way they help Texas voters sign up by directing them to mail in a form that includes a handwritten signature.

More Information How to Register to Vote in Texas ONLINE: - Fill out a voter registration form via the Texas Secretary of State: https://www.votetexas.gov/index.html - Mail it to the local County Voter Registrar (That can be the Tax Assessor-Collector in many counties, or the County Clerk in others). IN PERSON: - You can register in person at the county Voter Registrar's office. (In most Texas counties, the Tax Assessor-Collector is also the Voter Registrar. In some counties, the County Clerk or Elections Administrator registers voters.) - Or you can register by mail by obtaining an application from your county Voter Registrar's office or pick up applications at libraries, government offices, or high schools. See More Collapse

KAVANAUGH BATTLE: Sheila Jackson Lee intern arrested for 'doxing' GOP senators

Raven Brooks, chief operating officer for Vote.org, said the states actions are frustrating and explain why Texas has some of the worst voter registration and voter participation rates in the nation. He says the Secretary of States office throws up roadblocks to that participation.

Brooks said hes worried that some of the potential voters who tried to register with help from his group are not going to see their mail in time or just not follow through with another step to get registered.

Texas is already reporting a record surge in voter registration heading into the midterm elections. The state last week reported 15.6 million voters are registered for the 2018 midterm elections  about 1.6 million more than the last midterm election in 2014. Just since March, Texas has seen the voter rolls grow by about 400,000.

Texas is one of 12 states that do not allow online voter registration, which is allowed in 38 states plus the District of Columbia.

This election season, Vote.org was working directly with the four counties to boost registration. Brooks said the plan was to see how those registration efforts went and then expand the program to other counties.

Vote.Org officials said the online tool they created enabled Texans to register to vote under the provision of the Texas Election Code that allows registration by fax with a copy of the application sent by mail within four business days. With the tool, voters were able to capture their signatures electronically, submit their forms by fax, and initiate the printing and mailing of a copy of their form to county officials.

Taylor said the problem was that Vote.org was affixing voters' digital signatures to the applications for the voters, which is not only illegal in Texas but also creates a risk for fraud and abuse.

This is hardly the first time rules in Texas on voter registration signatures have created a problem. Civil rights groups sued the state in 2016, arguing that the different systems for online and in-person registrants violates the federal National Voter Registration Act, often called Motor Voter. While the state accepts electronic signatures from people who go to a Texas Department of Public Safety Office to change a voter registration, it does not accept changes submitted through the states online drivers license system.

The Texas Civil Rights Project says the states practices create confusion for potentially thousands of voters who think theyve changed their voting information, but in fact have not.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com
The new treaty that would replace the North American Free Trade Agreement is good for Southeast Texas because of the fourth word in that title  trade, a willing transaction between buyer and seller that can benefit both parties. The public ports and refineries in this region depend heavily on trade  usually raw materials coming in and finished products going out, although lately domestic crude oil exports have been added to the mix.

The more commerce that our refineries and ports engage in, the more jobs and tax revenues they produce. Without robust foreign trade, our region would have fewer paychecks and taxes. Its that basic.

President Trump deserves credit for pushing to update NAFTA with what is being called USMCA  the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Plenty of skeptics said it couldnt be done  or didnt need to be done. Trump has proved them wrong, though most analysts say the new treaty is similar to the old one, with various pluses and minuses that would be inherent in any large, complex agreement.

Yet the upgrade also refutes a common complaint of Trumps  that trade is bad and inherently favors foreign nations. Thats old-fashioned and too negative. The modern world depends on trade, and if the United States withdraws from this arena it will simply abdicate more power to rising economies like China, which trade aggressively.

The United States, Mexico and Canada are natural trading partners  three large nations that make up an entire continent. Texas, which has the longest border with Mexico than any state, has extensive commerce with Mexico and enjoys a trade surplus. The stronger the Mexican economy, the less immigration from that country into ours by people who simply want decent jobs.

While Mexico is our states biggest trading partner, Canada is No. 2. And if the Keystone XL pipeline is completed as planned, more Canadian oil will end up right here on the Gulf coast, at refineries in Houston and Port Arthur. Even now, Canada sends 3.3 million barrels of oil per day to U.S. refineries. Whether additional tar sands crude from Canada is exported from our ports or processed into gasoline sold to American consumers, our local economy benefits.

The new proposed treaty must still be approved by Congress and officials in Canada and Mexico too. Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz have more influence in Washington than many of their colleagues. They should use their clout to make sure this treaty gets through the Senate, assuming of course that it is as positive as it appears. Our region, state and nation will benefit if they do.
PNG foreign minister Rimbink Pato addresses the UN general assembly - 'don't meddle in Bougainville'

STAFF REPORTER | Niu FM Pacific Radio News

PORT MORESBY - Papua New Guinea's foreign minister Rimbink Pato has told the United Nations general assembly that international meddling in the upcoming Bougainville independence referendum won't be welcome.

He told the global leaders that PNG is keen for the referendum commission, which will be led by former Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern, to begin its work.

But he says all stakeholders, while welcome in the work of the referendum, must not undermine PNG's sovereignty over Bougainville.

"We want to emphasise that the work of partnership, should in no way - and I repeat in no way - undermine the sovereignty of Papua New Guinea over its territory in accordance with international law."

The referendum Bougainvilles political future on will be held on 15 June next year.
MIAMIA Puerto Rican ex-beauty queen was found guilty Wednesday of hiring a hit man to kill her wealthy Canadian husband. Aurea Vazquez Rijoswho spent several years in Europe as a fugitivewas convicted of hiring Alex Pabon Colon to kill Adam Anhang in September 2005. The victims father, an emotional Abraham Anhang, told reporters at the courthouse doors: Im very happy, this has been almost 14 years of agony. And I believe justice has been done. Sentencing was set for January 31, 2019. Prosecutors said the former Miss Puerto Rico Petite paid $3 million for the hit. She had signed a prenuptial agreement six months before ordering the murder of Anhang, a Canadian real estate developer with properties in Puerto Rico, the indictment added. According to court documents, at the time of his death he had a net worth of $24 million.Shortly after getting married, Anhang began mentioning the possibility of divorce, court records showed, but under the terms of their agreement, Vazquez Rijos would receive much more as a widow. The ex-beauty queen allegedly summoned her husband to Old San Juan for dinner to make it easier for the hit man to do his job. The hit man later confessed to killing Anhang when the couple left the restaurant. He also hit Vazquez Rijos so that the attack would look like a robbery. She fled to Italy before the prosecution issued the first indictment in 2008. She was finally arrested in Spain in 2013 and then extradited.
Dayton (Ohio) Children's Hospital is considering developing a five-story outpatient center at its main campus, Dayton Daily News reports.

Here's what you should know:

1. Dayton Children's is seeking approval from Dayton's planning board but hasn't decided whether it'll build the center.

2. Hospital administrators are weighing the demands of their patient base to inform the decision.

3. The outpatient center is a new consideration and was submitted recently to the planning board for approval. The outpatient center would replace structures past their clinical usefulness.

4. Dayton Children's is already building an outpatient center in Troy, Ohio.
Columbus-based Ohio Surgery Center celebrated its 20th anniversary, NBC4 reports.

Here are four highlights:

1. Facility Administrator Suzi Walton has been with Ohio Surgery Center since it opened in June 1998.

2. The ASC partners with Columbus-based Ohio ENT & Allergy Physicians.

3. Center physicians specialize in pediatric surgery and ENT services.

4. The ASC will host a free workshop about becoming a savvy healthcare shopper Oct. 28 at its facility.
Hundreds of documents containing patients' protected health information and belonging to five Houston area hospitals were recently found on a sidewalk by a KHOU11 employee.

The paper documents included patients' names, dates of birth, diagnoses, treatment, medication lists, vital signs and admission dates. About 1,800 patients' records were affected.

According to The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston  the health system governing some of the affected hospitals  a recent UTHealth medical residency program graduate notified the UTHealth Privacy Office July 24 that his vehicle had been burglarized July 17 and that patient records in the trunk of his locked vehicle had been stolen.

The five hospitals included in the breach are:

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Memorial Hermann Hospital Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital Children's Memorial Hermann TIRR Memorial Hermann

UTHealth said its investigation found that the documents were recovered by a KHOU11 employee a day after they were stolen, and it made several requests to KHOU11 for the stolen patients records before receiving them Aug. 6. The health system said it learned that while it waited for the original records, the news station made copies.

The station said it contacted the physician and some patients whose records had been disclosed.

"We are grateful to the KHOU employee who found the documents, and we do not believe KHOU has disclosed any of the affected patients health information," a UTHealth notice obtained by KHOU11 reads. "We again respectfully request that KHOU return all copies of the records or destroy them without further compromising the privacy and dignity of the affected patients."
Scripps Health in San Diego has sent a local woman other patients' medical records on three separate occasions, even though she has reported the issue, according to ABC 10 News.

The woman, Danielle Sullivan, is concerned that this is a widespread problem, and worries that it could lead some medical records to fall into the wrong hands.

Ms. Sullivan said on two occasions, San Diego-based Scripps Mercy Hospital sent her someone else's medical records after she'd requested to have her own records mailed to her. The third instance involved San Diego-based Scripps Clinic Mission Valley.

"How often is this going to happen? How many people are walking around in this town with other people that know their medical background or personal things about them?" Ms. Sullivan told ABC 10 News.

Ms. Sullivan has complained to both Scripps Health and to the Department of Health and Human Services. Both organizations would not comment on specifics of the incident to ABC 10 News, citing privacy laws. However, Scripps provided the following statement to the station:

"Due to patient privacy laws, we cannot address this specific complaint. At Scripps, we take our patients' privacy seriously. If we are notified of a possible inappropriate disclosure of patient information, we attempt to retrieve any misdirected documents and conduct an investigation. If we confirm that such a disclosure has taken place, we notify the affected patient and report the incident to the responsible governmental agencies."
President Donald Trump signed the Veterans Affairs Department appropriations bill (HR 5895) on Sept. 21, which includes a provision mandating that the agency decide the fate of a patient-scheduling project within 90 days, according to the Politico Morning eHealth newsletter.

The Epic-Leidos patient-scheduling project is being piloted at a site in Columbus, Ohio, and is currently under budget and expected to finish within three years  a fraction of the time officials originally planned.

According to the provision, the VA has 90 days to decide whether to terminate or continue the project as it begins implementing a Cerner EHR systemwide. The contract with Cerner includes a scheduling system component, however, the nationwide rollout is expected to take nearly 10 years.

If the VA drops its work with Epic and Leidos, "conferees are disturbed that some regions of the country will not benefit from the scheduling system for a decade," despite "the continuing problem of delayed appointments" at VA facilities, according to a joint House-Senate statement about the provision.
Washington, D.C.-based Sibley Memorial Hospital, part of Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine, is constructing a proton treatment center for cancer patients, according to WTOP.

The Johns Hopkins National Proton Therapy Center, which is scheduled to open next year, will feature four treatment rooms, including one room created just for pediatric patients and another room for research. The center will cost more than $100 million to construct. The hospital will also pay about $1 million in annual upkeep expenses.

Matthew Ladra, MD, a pediatric radiation oncologist at Sibley Memorial Hospital, told WTOP an estimated 80,000 patients worldwide have received proton treatment. Proton therapy works similarly to X-ray therapy by using radiation to target the DNA of cancerous cells. However, proton therapy is more precise, which causes less damage to healthy tissue.

"Radiation to a normal brain can cause an increased risk of stroke later on in life; it can cause problems with attention, memory and learning. Also, it can cause problems with hearing and hormone development, so we prefer to avoid [exposing healthy tissue to radiation] when we can," Dr. Ladra told WTOP.

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, also in Washington, D.C., opened a proton therapy center in March, making it only the 28th such center in the nation.

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Here are 15 health systems with strong operational metrics and solid financial positions, according to recent reports from Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Health system names were compiled from recent credit rating reports and are listed in alphabetical order.

1. St. Louis-based Ascension has an "Aa2" senior debt rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The health system has a large diversified portfolio of sizable hospitals and strong liquidity. Moody's expects Ascension's margins to improve in fiscal year 2019.

2. Morristown, N.J.-based Atlantic Health System has an "Aa3" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The system has a strong market position, favorable balance sheet ratios and strong operating performance, according to Moody's.

3. Atrium Health has an "Aa3" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The Charlotte, N.C.-based health system has historically stable operating performance and solid cash-flow metrics, according to Moody's.

4. Prince Frederick, Md.-based CalvertHealth System has an "AA-" rating and stable outlook with Fitch. The system has a leading market share, a favorable payer mix and stable cash flow, according to Fitch.

5. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta has an "Aa2" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The health system has a dominant market position, strong margins and ample liquidity, according to Moody's.

6. Cleveland Clinic has an "Aa2" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. Cleveland Clinic has strong brand recognition, exceptional fundraising ability and healthy cash flow, according to Moody's.

7. Inova Health System has an "Aa2" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The Falls Church, Va.-based health system has consistently strong cash-flow margins, a leading market position and a good investment position, according to Moody's.

8. Philadelphia-based Main Line Health has an "Aa3" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The system has a strong market position, healthy balance sheet metrics and a light debt burden, according to Moody's.

9. Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic has an "Aa2" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. Mayo has a strong clinical reputation, favorable fundraising capabilities and a robust balance sheet, according to Moody's.

10. Dallas-based Methodist Health System has an "Aa3" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The health system has a favorable liquidity position, consistent operating results and a growing market population, according to Moody's.

11. Omaha-based Nebraska Medicine has an "AA-" rating and stable outlook with Fitch. The system has strong operating margins and a light debt burden, according to Fitch.

12. Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Parkview Health System has an "Aa3" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The system has healthy debt service coverage, manageable capital spending and improving liquidity metrics, according to Moody's.

13. Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (Kan.) Health System, which does business as SCL Health, has an "Aa3" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The system has a good market position in a favorable service area, strong operating margins and limited capital spending, according to Moody's.

14. Hollywood, Fla.-based South Broward Hospital District has an "Aa3" rating and positive outlook with Moody's. The health system has a dominant market position, robust debt coverage and improving operating margins, according to Moody's.

15. Chapel Hill-based University of North Carolina Hospitals has an "Aa3" rating and stable outlook with Moody's. The health system has an excellent market position, strong patient demand and healthy financial performance, according to Moody's.

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El-Segundo, Calif.-based Verity Health System's recent filing for bankruptcy and move to auction its hospitals have sparked concern from unionized healthcare workers about the future of Verity's Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, Calif., the Gilroy Dispatch reports.

"When Verity bought the hospital it was contingent on them remaining open. Filing bankruptcy puts that in doubt. That concerns patients, workers and their families," Sean Wherley, senior communications specialist for Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, which represents 2,000 workers at Verity Health hospitals, told the Dispatch.

Verity filed a motion Oct. 2 seeking bankruptcy court approval to auction off its hospitals in Santa Clara County, including Saint Louise and San Jose, Calif.-based O'Connor Hospital. Santa Clara County, which is leading the bidding process, has placed a $235 million "stalking horse bid" to acquire Saint Louise and O'Connor.

Verity Health said it seeks an "orderly auction process" where other potential buyers can bid against the county's offer. Verity seeks an auction in December.

"I think that would be great if it went to the county," Saint Louise certified nurse assistant Deborah Schwoerer told the Dispatch if the county bought the hospital.

But she said she "would probably start crying" if the hospital closed.

Los Altos, Calif.-based Daughters of Charity Health System originally owned St. Louise and five other Verity hospitals, which were sold to New York City-based private equity firm BlueMountain Capital Management in 2015. In 2017, billionaire investor Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, purchased Integrity Healthcare, the BlueMountain subsidiary that manages Verity.

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Workers from UPMC facilities in Pittsburgh will strike Oct. 4 in their push for unionization.

Based on sign-ups Oct. 3, about 100 UPMC workers were planning to participate, along with community supporters and other allies, according to Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania.

On the morning of Oct. 4, UPMC said 45 of its more than 40,000 employees who work in Pittsburgh are participating in the strike, expected to last all day, with the main rally at 4 p.m.

The union said workers are striking because they want UPMC to stop what they see as a history of "egregious' violations of workers' rights" and take corrective actions.

Numerous National Labor Relations Board rulings prompted the strike, including a ruling Aug. 6 that UPMC unlawfully prohibited off-duty workers from unionization efforts. In late August, the NLRB also found that UPMC violated the law regarding the formation and operation of an employee council at UPMC's Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh.

UPMC did not comment on the Aug. 6 ruling. UPMC spokesperson Paul Wood previously told Becker's the other NLRB decision "deals with disputes from five to six years ago and relates in large part to policies and practices that UPMC has long since changed."

While NLRB rulings prompted the strike, union workers said they also hope to gain support for their desire to unionize. Arlynna Evans, a housekeeper at Pittsburgh-based UPMC Mercy told the Pittsburgh City Paper she believes UPMC could increase workers' pay given its plans to invest $2 billion to build three digitally centered specialty hospitals.

A UPMC spokesperson said: "In spite of an unsuccessful seven-year organizing campaign by the SEIU, our employees have not felt that SEIU representation is necessary and have instead filed petitions to decertify the union at three UPMC facilities. As in years past, we are fully prepared to take excellent, seamless care of our patients."

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Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare has reached a three-year network agreement with Cigna for the system's six hospitals, effective Nov. 1, according to the Hartford Courant.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, though Hartford HealthCare has already collaborated with Cigna for four years, including partnering on Integrated Care Partners, a clinical integration organization.

"Being able to agree on this contract a full month before the existing agreements expiration date eliminates any possibility of confusion and unnecessary disruption for our patients, providers and the communities we serve," said James Cardon, executive vice president at Hartford HealthCare.
KUALA LUMPUR-The luxury-loving wife of Malaysias former prime minister was Thursday charged with money laundering and tax evasion linked to a multi-billion-dollar scandal that helped bring down the countrys previous government. Rosmah Mansor, the 66-year-old wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, pleaded not guilty to 17 charges that could see her spend the rest of her life in prison. Reviled in Malaysia for her lavish overseas shopping sprees and fetish for Birkin handbags as well as dazzling jewelry, Rosmah was released on bail after spending the night in detention at the office of the countrys anti-corruption agency. Her husband is also out on bail on more than two dozen charges linked to the alleged plunder of state funds during his nine years in power. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, 93, who came back from retirement to challenge Najib, has launched a crackdown against corruption in the previous government. There is no idea of revenge and anything like that... If you steal money, you will be charged in court, the official Bernama news agency quoted him as saying. In the charge sheets, prosecutors accused Rosmah of having engaged directly in a transaction that involves proceeds of unlawful activity in violation of laws against money laundering. A dozen charges involved deposits to a single bank account belonging to her from 2013-2017, totaling more than seven million ringgit. The remaining charges were for dodging taxes on the deposits. Lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram told the court Rosmahs alleged offenses were very serious. He also said Rosmah had approached a witness with a request to give a statement in her favor. Rosmah was allowed to post bail of two million ringgit ($483,365) and ordered to surrender her passport. She was barred from contacting any witnesses. Rosmah, wearing an orange dress and scarf, arrived under heavy security at the court complex Thursday after being arrested the previous day and held overnight at the headquarters of the countrys anti-corruption agency.In court, she sat quietly in the dock and did not look at the gallery, where family members were seated. Meanwhile her husband made a separate court appearance Thursday in connection with some of the more than two dozen charges lodged against him. Najib, 65, has denied any wrongdoing despite revelations that hundreds of millions of dollars ended up in his bank accounts. Lawyers said the disgraced former first couple face protracted legal battles as they are being tried in ordinary courts. For the trial and all subsequent appeals to conclude, this may take some years, said N. Surendran, a lawyer who advises the rights group Lawyers for Liberty. A central issue in the May election that ousted Najib was the allegation that his family and cronies looted billions of dollars from state fund 1MDB in a fraud ring that stretched from Singapore to Switzerland. Rosmahs love of the trappings of wealth, as well as imperious manner, made her a target of critics ahead of the poll. After the election loss, a stash of cash, jewelry and hundreds of designer handbags worth as much as $273 million was seized from properties linked to Najib and Rosmah. Surendran told AFP that charging Najib and Rosmah sends a message that corruption in government will no longer be tolerated. He added that the multiple charges could also be an attempt to rescue Malaysias battered image abroad after the financial scandal involving state fund 1MDB. Rosmah is often compared to Imelda Marcos, who left behind more than a thousand pairs of shoes after her husband, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, was ousted in a popular uprising in 1986.
Salmonella-infected eggs have sickened 38 people across seven states since June 17, according to NBC News.

Here are four things to know:

1. The illnesses first occurred between June 17 and Aug. 16. Ten people required hospitalizations. No deaths have been linked to the salmonella cases.

2. The CDC issued a food safety warning after an investigation traced the salmonella outbreak to eggs sold by Cullman, Ala.-based Gravel Ridge Farms. The company recalled the eggs Sept. 8.

3. The infected eggs were sold in retail stores and restaurants in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. The affected eggs contained "best if used by" dates of July 25 to Oct. 3. Salmonella cases were reported in Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, Tennessee, Alabama and Ohio.

4. The CDC advises consumers to return or discard of any Gravel Ridge Farm eggs included in the recall, even if the eggs were consumed and no symptoms presented themselves.

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The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association are combining their cardiac certification programs to improve care and outcomes for cardiovascular disease patients, and will offer a single joint product for hospitals beginning Jan. 1.

The certification program combines the AHA's Cardiovascular Center of Excellence accreditation and cardiovascular science, research and quality improvement expertise with the Joint Commission's existing Comprehensive Cardiac Center Certification and experience working with healthcare organizations to assess care delivery.

The joint cardiac certification award will be granted to hospitals that achieve rigorous standards of care.

"Hospitals will be required to deliver integrated, coordinated and patient-centered cardiac care and communications, from the emergency department visit to diagnosis, treatment and follow-up and through outpatient care," the Joint Commission said.

Organizations seeking more information can contact accreditation@heart.org or certification@jointcommission.org.
An 85-year-old man in North Carolina died Sept. 25 after contracting a rare bacterial infection from Hurricane Florence floodwaters, according to WECT.

Ron Phelps, a citizen of Wilmington, N.C., scraped his leg while working in his yard after the storm. The scrape later became infected, prompting a medical amputation.

North Carolina recorded 37 deaths related to Hurricane Florence, most of which were attributed to vehicles caught in floodwaters, while some were cleanup-related, according to a Sept. 27 statement from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's office.

David Howard, deputy director of public health in New Hanover County, told CNN "some bacterial infections from cuts and scrapes" have occurred among those doing cleanup work after the hurricane. "It really comes down to bacterial infections that are common in the environment that end up in floodwaters that people are not normally exposed to in a great quantity," he said.

Populations with weakened immune systems, like the elderly, are at high risk for bacterial infections, Mr. Howard told CNN. The health department has administered tetanus vaccinations to protect those involved in cleanup efforts and warned people to avoid the floodwater when possible.

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Remote patient monitoring programs offer multiple clinical and financial benefits, including reducing hospital admissions among patients, according to a new KLAS Research report.

KLAS Research partnered with the American Telemedicine Association to examine success factors for remote patient monitoring programs at different healthcare organizations, including hospitals, payers and home health agencies. As part of the report, KLAS Research spoke with 25 organizations using products from seven leading remote patient monitoring vendors about their experiences.

The report marks the health IT research firm's first report on remote patient monitoring, a form of telehealth in which patients collect and transmit medical data  such as blood pressure, heart rate or electrocardiograms  to healthcare providers in separate locations. Providers can use this data to assess patient progress and recommend changes to care plans.

Heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were the leading use cases among organizations in KLAS Research's survey. Some of the surveyed organizations were also branching out into other chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension.

Here are eight clinical and financial outcomes, ranked by how frequently respondents said they improved during remote patient monitoring programs:

1. Reduced hospital admissions: 38 percent

2. Improved patient satisfaction: 25 percent

2. Reduced readmissions: 25 percent

2. Reduced emergency room visits: 25 percent

5. Quantified cost reductions: 17 percent

6. Improved medication compliance: 13 percent

6. Improved patient health: 13 percent

8. Decreased A1c levels, a measure of blood sugar: 8 percent

Eight percent of respondents said either "none" or "unsure" when asked what clinical and financial outcomes they achieved with remote patient monitoring programs.
Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Erlanger Health System's spine surgeon Venkat Ganapathy, MD, became a faculty member of AOSpine North America, according to The Chattanooga.

Here are three highlights:

1. With AOSpine North America, Dr. Ganapathy will deliver lectures, moderate spine labs and serve as an instructor for spine courses.

2. Dr. Ganapathy is the associate editor of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

3. Board-certified in orthopedics, Dr. Ganapathy is an assistant professor and director of spine surgery at Chattanooga-based University of Tennessee College of Medicine.
From left: Andrew McConkey of LacPatrick Dairies with Michael Hanley and Alo Duffy of Lakeland Dairies

More than 1,300 dairy farmers will vote on a merger later this month after the boards of their co-ops gave the go-ahead for a tie-up.

A union of all-Ireland co-operatives Lakeland Dairies in Cavan and LacPatrick in Monaghan is expected to form an entity with the second-biggest milk pool on the island at 1.8 billion litres.

Last night the boards of the co-ops, which collect milk from dairy farms in border areas of Northern Ireland and the Republic, indicated they were in favour of the deal.

Lakeland said it would underpin "a sustainable and competitive milk price" for thousands of dairy families.

Farmers will have the chance to vote on the potential deal at special meetings on October 23. Lakeland has 750 supplier farms in Northern Ireland, while LacPatrick has 600.

The proposed merger is the latest shake-up in LacPatrick. Three years ago Town of Monaghan Co-op took over Ballyrashane Creamery in Co Antrim, leading to a rebrand as LacPatrick. Last year LacPatrick unveiled a 30m "Brexit-proofing" technology centre for the production of milk powders in Strabane, Co Tyrone.

Under the new deal the merged entity will be known as Lakeland Dairies.

It will be second only to dairy giant Glanbia in the size of its milk pool of 2.5 billion litres.

A spokesman for Lakeland said the two co-ops "are neighbouring societies and both operate on a cross-border basis, exporting the vast majority of their output to global markets".

"The amalgamation of Lakeland and LacPatrick is a coming together of two dairy co-operatives on the island of Ireland to form a strong force in the global dairy industry. Both co-operatives are highly successful agrifood industry players with excellent manufacturing facilities and complementary strengths and advantages in their various worldwide markets," he said.

LacPatrick chairman Andrew McConkey said its board was "unanimous" in recommending the deal and believed it is "the best thing for our milk suppliers, shareholders and customers".

"It gives our farmers the necessary security to make long-term business decisions and provides stability for continuing progress in dairy farming for the next generation."

Lakeland chief executive Michael Hanley said the deal would allow for an expanded range of products including foodservice and consumer foods.

"The business will have considerable potential to increase revenues and generate the cost savings necessary to ensure competitive milk prices for our dairy farmers in the future. It will continue to ensure market access to the UK, Europe and the world," Mr Hanley said.

LacPatrick farmers will vote at a meeting in Cookstown on October 23, while Lakeland farmers will meet in Cavan to vote.
Fountain House, where New Look has operated from for the past 11 years

There are fears for the future of 25 jobs at fashion retailer New Look's flagship Belfast store as talks continue over the potential sale of the building to Primark.

Primark has already stated that it has been in discussions about relocating to Fountain House in Donegall Place following the fire that devastated its Bank Buildings store in August.

But neither New Look, which has occupied Fountain House for 11 years, nor Primark would confirm if any move was imminent - leaving around 25 members of staff at the store in limbo.

Ulster Unionist councillor Jim Rodgers criticised New Look for "playing its cards close to its chest".

He said: "There have been strong rumours that Primark would relocate there but I don't think it's good enough that the owners of New Look haven't notified or consulted with staff.

"Any good employer should always seek to keep their staff informed. It's only right and proper."

One long-term employee said that staff at the city centre store found out about the possibility of Primark moving in through Facebook.

They said: "It is horrible because we don't know where we stand and it's coming up to Christmas.

"We had customers come in and tell us that we would be out by November. It would be good to know either way."

The member of staff said the team in the store expected an announcement next week, but New Look said it was "unable to comment at this time".

Mr Rodgers added: "If the rumours are correct then I would sincerely hope that New Look would look for some other building and seek to keep their staff employed."

New Look, which has 26 stores here, announced a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) in March which included the closure of 60 out of its 593 outlets.

However none of its Northern Ireland stores were identified for closure.

Its directors are thought to have entered into legally binding agreements with its creditors, including landlords, to avoid going into administration or liquidation.

The retailer said its CVA was approved by the "overwhelming majority" of its landlords and creditors.

A spokesman for Primark last month said: "It has always been Primark's intention to be back up and trading in Belfast as soon as possible, whilst also doing everything we can to support the wider business community in the city.

"We have been working hard to identify suitable premises and can confirm that we are currently involved in commercial discussions in relation to Fountain House, Donegall Place."

He added that it would also be assessing the trading possibility from Commonwealth House in Castle Street.

Belfast's historic Bank Buildings were ravaged in the August 28 fire. Nobody was hurt in the blaze and 1,500 people were safely evacuated from the building.

Attempts to save the facade of are ongoing and a cordon around the area will remain in place for four months.
Northern Ireland's largest independent car dealership has announced the acquisition of a smaller dealer with a 92-year-history in Co Down.

Donnelly Group described Shaws Citroen in Bangor as one of the area's most respected car dealers as it announced the takeover today.

The acquisition of Shaws, which is based on the corner of the Green Road and the Bangor-Newtownards carriageway, will give Donnelly Group its ninth location here and the first in Bangor.

Donnelly Group has also announced that it will open a Honda franchise on the site from next month and introduce Donnelly Motorstore, selling more than 2,000 used vehicles.

All 19 employees at Shaws will join the Donnelly Group with Michael Shaw remaining in position as general sales manager, which Donnelly Group said would ensure a continuity of service for customers.

Paul Compton, who has been with the Donnelly Group for over 10 years, becomes site director.

Donnelly Group managing director Dave Sheeran said: "There are many synergies between Shaws and the Donnelly Group that made this an attractive acquisition for the group.

"Both are family businesses with a long history of customer excellence, and like the Donnelly Group, Shaws has a strong and loyal customer base who will continue to be served by the same dedicated team.

"I'd like to welcome the Bangor team to the Donnelly Group family which now encompasses more than 750 employees across nine locations in Northern Ireland and represents 18 manufacturers."

Mr Compton will also continue overseeing operations at Donnelly Group at Boucher Road.

He said: "Whilst we have showrooms across Northern Ireland we felt we needed a presence in Bangor, making it easier for our North Down customers to avail of our province-wide sales offering and after sales services.

"Through the award-winning range of Honda and Citroen new vehicles plus our Motorstore of used cars and vans, we look forward to bringing the Donnelly Group way of doing business to the motorists of Bangor, North Down and the Ards Peninsula."

Mr Shaw, a member of the company's founding family, said: "Shaws was established in 1926 and relocated to the current premises some 30 years ago. The team and I are delighted to be joining the Donnelly Group."

In its latest financial results, group company Donnelly Bros Garages (Dungannon) reported pre-tax profits of 1.9m.
The global president of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has praised the impact of the profession on Northern Ireland. John Hughes, who is based in Toronto, has visited Belfast to meet members and businesspeople.

Mr Hughes also said surveyors needed to be aware of the impact of technology.

He said: "Technological advances in AI, big data computing and blockchain are set to radically change the way we develop land and manage property in our cities.

"These innovations are disrupting long established business models and have already encouraged a variety of tech firms into the property industry, such as Google's smart city development in Toronto and Airbnb's growing global dominance over the hospitality industry."
WASHINGTONThree Republican senators key to Brett Kavanaughs approval to the US Supreme Court blasted President Donald Trump Wednesday for mocking the woman accusing his nominee of sexual assault, as he played to a crowd of thousands at a political rally. The controversy over Kavanaughs nominationwhich could be put to a final vote in the Senate as early as Saturdaycomes ahead of November congressional elections in which Trumps Republican Party will battle to keep control of Congress. Still undecided on backing the conservative judgewhose appointment to the crucial, lifelong post has fueled a bitter partisan clashSenator Susan Collins weighed in to denounce the presidents comments ridiculing Christine Blasey Ford as just plain wrong. Senator Lisa Murkowski called Trumps speech wholly inappropriate and unacceptable while Senator Jeff Flake, the third Republican swing vote, said there was no time and no place for remarks like that. To discuss something this sensitive at a political rally is just not right. I wish he hadnt done it. Its kind of appalling, Flake said. The stern lawmaker reactions raised fresh doubts over the fate of Kavanaugh, as the Federal Bureau of Investigation reviews allegations by three women that the appeals court judge drank heavily and engaged in sexually abusive behavior while he was a student in the 1980s. The FBI was last Friday given a week to probe the accusationswith a vote in the Senate pushed back accordingly. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that the FBI was due to present the Senate late Wednesday with its highly anticipated supplemental investigation report and moved to end debate on Kavanaughs nominationsetting up a Friday procedural vote and a final vote as early as the following day. Trump stirred the furious backlash when, at a Mississippi election rally late Tuesday, he ridiculed Blasey Fords accusation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party in 1982, when both attended elite private high schools in suburban Washington. The White House denied that Trump had derided the university professor. The president was simply stating facts that Dr. Ford herself laid out in her testimony, spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told journalists. Senior Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway likewise argued that Trumps comments were in-bounds in the political battle over Kavanaugh. Excuse me, shes been treated like a Faberge egg by all of us, beginning with me and the president, Conway said of Blasey Ford. But Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, calling Trumps remarks reprehensible,said the president owes Blasey Ford an immediate apology. In searing testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, Blasey Ford told lawmakers she recalled some important details of the incident at a party in a private home, and was absolutely certain that Kavanaugh was the attacker. She could not remember other aspects howeverprompting Trump to mock her before an auditorium of supporters.I had one beer, right? Trump said, echoing one point Blasey Ford did recall. How did you get home? I dont remember. How did you get there? I dont remember. Where was the place? I dont remember. How many years ago was it? I dont know. I dont know. I dont know. I dont know, he added, to cheers from supporters. But I had one beer. Thats the only thing I remember. Trump said. Michael Bromwich, one of Blasey Fords attorneys, slammed a vicious, vile and soulless attack on his client. Is it any wonder that she was terrified to come forward, and that other sexual assault survivors are as well? She is a remarkable profile in courage. He is a profile in cowardice. It was not clear whether the remarks shifted the dynamic in the battle over Kavanaugh, whose appointment Republicans hope could shift the balance in the Supreme Court decisively to conservatives. Democrats say Kavanaugh cannot be confirmed with the still-unproven accusations hanging over his head. Kavanaugh steadfastly denies the allegations. With Republicans holding a slim 51-49 majority in the Senate, the loss of any two of their senators would doom Kavanaugh. None of the three undecided Republicans would say if their views had solidified, one way or another. Trump on Wednesday tweeted further support for Kavanaugh, writing: Something very big is happening. He is a fine man and great intellect. The country is with him all the way! Outside the US Supreme Court, several hundred people protested against Kavanaugh on Wednesday, carrying signs with messages such as, We will not be silent and I believe survivors. No on Kavanaugh. Weve spent all day in senators offices just throwing ourselves in front of them and saying, Please dont do this, this is a disgrace, this is an embarrassment, said Lorraine Tripoli, 58. Were standing together against Judge Kavanaugh, Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand told demonstrators. More than 650 law professors signed a letter to the Senate, published in The New York Times on Wednesday, saying that at the Judiciary Committee hearing Kavanaugh did not display the impartiality and judicial temperament required for the Supreme Court, and urged that he not be confirmed.
Theresa May is facing renewed calls to abandon her Chequers blueprint for Brexit after European Council president Donald Tusk said the offer of a simple, Canada-style free trade deal remained open.

Following talks in Brussels with Irish premier Leo Varadkar, Mr Tusk said the EU remained committed to securing a deal with the UK which maintained a relationship that was as close and as special as possible.

He said the EUs proposal for an enhanced version of the free trade deal it negotiated with Canada  sometimes referred to as Canada+++  was still on the table.

From the very beginning, the EU offer has been a Canada+++ deal. Much further-reaching on trade, internal security and foreign policy cooperation. This is a true measure of respect. And this offer remains in place. #brexit  Charles Michel (@eucopresident) October 4, 2018

His intervention comes after Mrs May told the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham that her Chequers plan was the only proposal which would avoid the imposition of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Tory Brexiteers  who say Chequers would keep Britain too closely tied to the EU after it has left the bloc  warmly welcomed Mr Tusks comments saying they showed another deal was possible.

Mr Tusk said: Let me make this clear: the EU wants a relationship with the UK that is as close and special as possible.

From the very beginning, the EU offer has been not just a Canada deal, but a Canada+++ deal.

Much further-reaching on trade, on internal security and on foreign policy cooperation. This is a true measure of respect.

And this offer remains in place. The EU is serious about getting the best possible deal. Even though we havent changed our minds that the consequences of Brexit will be negative, for both sides.

Former Brexit secretary David Davis, who quit over Chequers, said: This shows clearly that No 10s claim that there is no alternative to Chequers is just wrong.

We could easily switch strategies to Canada+++ and deliver an outcome that is good for the UK, acceptable to Parliament, and negotiable with Brussels.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the pro-Brexit Tory European Research Group, said it represented a good solution for everyone, while Sir Bernard Jenkin also welcomed Mr Tusks offer, but said there must be a satisfactory solution to the Irish border issue.

EU must concede that Irish border issue is resolvable via checks away from border, not via backstop which threatens to divide UK, he wrote on Twitter.

Mrs May is adamant she will not accept the EUs proposed backstop arrangement which would effectively see Northern Ireland remain in the customs union if there was no wider deal  requiring checks on goods going between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

Mr Tusk said the EU remained united behind Ireland and the need to preserve the Northern Ireland peace process.

Despite the UK Governments rejection of the original EU backstop proposal we will not give up seeking a workable solution that fully respects the Good Friday Agreement as well as the integrity of the single market and customs union, he said.

Hooray! Tusk/ERG agree on Canada+++! Prob with Chequers is it asks too much of EU: needs too many concessions/cherries. But EU must concede that Irish border issue is resolvable via checks away from border, not via backstop which threatens to divide UK. @BrexitCentral https://t.co/NZwuUzkgW2  Bernard Jenkin (@bernardjenkin) October 4, 2018

In his news conference, Mr Tusk also angrily denounced Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunts insulting comparison in his conference speech of the EU to the Soviet Union.

The Soviet Union was about prisons and gulags, borders and walls, violence against citizens and neighbours, he said.

The European Union is about freedom and human rights, prosperity and peace, life without fear, it is about democracy and pluralism  a continent without internal borders and walls.

As the President of the European Council and someone who spent half his life in the Soviet bloc, I know what I am talking about.
DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds has reiterated that his party will reject any Brexit deal which differentiates Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom.

His statement comes after The Financial Times reported on Thursday that officials in Dublin are privately arguing in favour of Prime Minister Theresa May's proposal for an entire customs union between the EU and UK for a time-limited period.

Read More

The plan is also expected to include light regulatory checks between Britain and Northern Ireland.

As well as protecting Irish trade with the UK, it would also prevent a hard border on the island.

It is one of Theresa May's proposals, should no solution be found to the Irish backstop impasse.

However Mr Dodds said his party would reject any plan that separated Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.

"If the whole of the UK is in both, then that's fine," he told the BBC.

"If the whole of the UK is out of both, then we must be out of both."

He said if regulatory checks are able to be imposed on between the rest of the UK and Northern Ireland then they should be able to be imposed on the Irish border.

"You only need checks if there's a different set of rules and we have been clear that we must leave the EU as one country, because to do otherwise, to put barriers up, would do real damage to the economic future of Northern Ireland," the North Antrim MP said.

The DUP deputy leader said that he hoped Theresa May's government had learned lessons from December's debacle when Brexit agreements had to be renegotiated following DUP objections sand said his party "will not be bounces" in the current negotiations.
Ireland is to give Theresa May and the UK Government a Brexit boost by backing an all-UK customs union with the EU after its departure from the union, it has been reported.

However, one Northern Ireland MLA rejected the plan as "not Brexit".

The Financial Times reports - ahead of Leo Varadkar meeting European Council president Donald Tusk and chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier - officials in Dublin are privately arguing in favour of the proposal for an entire customs union between the EU and UK for a time-limited period.

As well as protecting Irish trade with the UK, it would also prevent a hard border on the island.

It is one of Theresa May's proposals, should no solution be found to the Irish backstop impasse.

Michael Barnier has already rejected the idea.

It looks like it would resolve that issue [of the border], a senior Irish official involved in Brexit talks told the Financial Times. Whether Europe accept it or not is another conversation.

Read More

The forthcoming EU summit on October 18 is seen as crucial to the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned time is running out to reach a Brexit deal.

Arlene Foster, said the DUP would not agree to any solution which would see a sea border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK - stating her red line was "blood red".

DUP leader Nigel Dodds, at the Conservative party conference, said a custom union with the EU had to include the entire UK and be time-limited.

Alliance leader Naomi Long said it was much more preferable option and could help grow of the Northern Ireland economy.

Citing unionist lobbying for the cut in corporation tax, She said there had been differences "for years" between the UK and Northern Ireland and there was "nothing to fear".

Alliance leader Naomi Long tells #bbcgmu unionists have nothing to fear from Northern Ireland being treated differently from the rest of the UK after Brexit. pic.twitter.com/4AI19g1N6m  BBC News NI (@BBCNewsNI) October 4, 2018

However, Jim Allister said to remain within a customs union with the EU "was not Brexit". He said it "denied the right" for the UK to negotiate trade deals with countries in the rest of the world.

PUP Belfast councillor, John Kyle said the DUP's "insistence on a hard Brexit poses the greatest existential threat to NI since 1921. A special customs arrangement with EU and U.K. would offer enormous economic opportunities and secure the Union for generations."

The EU, meanwhile, is concerned the proposal would in effect create a back door to the single market without any of the obligations of full membership.

Ahead of travelling to the continent, Leo Varadkar said: "The immediate focus of the Irish Government is on the pressing need for agreement on a Withdrawal Agreement, with an operational and legally-binding backstop.

The Withdrawal Agreement must ensure that, no matter what the outcome of negotiations on the future relationship between the EU and UK, a hard border on the island of Ireland will be avoided.

This is critically important to reinforce the stability brought about by the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement.

The negotiations are entering a critical phase, and time is running out.

But I believe that an agreement is possible, with the right political will and focus on all sides."

Theresa May said the British proposal was "a free-trade deal that provides for frictionless trade in goods" and that under her plan "the seamless border in Northern Ireland  a bedrock of peace and stability would see no change whatsoever".

She said she would never accept a deal which "carves off Northern Ireland  a part of this country  effectively leaving it in the EUs customs union".

"We will not betray the result of the referendum and we will never break up our country," she told her party conference.
The Rev Tony Davidson minister of First Armagh Presbyterian Church, said the current approach to the legacy issue is "deficient"

The Presbyterian Church has called for a fresh rethink on the legacy proposals.

The Church said the history of the Troubles should not be "rewritten" to legitimatise "what was morally wrong and totally unjustified".

Its position was outlined in its submission to the legacy consultation, released yesterday.

The Rev Tony Davidson minister of First Armagh Presbyterian Church, said the current approach to the legacy issue is "deficient".

"We have already said publicly that the status quo in relation to dealing with the legacy of Northern Ireland's past is deficient, and that the Secretary of State's proposals are not currently acceptable and need considerable change," Rev Davidson said.

"Given that, we believe that the proposed broad framework does represent an opportunity to find an agreed and acceptable process which could command cross-community support."

Outlining its proposed revisions in the detailed submission, in which the Church insists that the history of the Troubles should not be distorted, it warned that not to implement changes would "likely set the issue back for many years - if not for ever".

"There is broad agreement that current arrangements are not delivering enough for victims, survivors and wider society," it added.

"There are undoubtedly significant shortcomings in terms of truth, justice and care for people who have been physically and mentally injured during the Troubles."

Meaningful discussion about reconciliation is also worryingly absent, the submission further asserts.

"We therefore agree that a new approach is required... The choice we face as a society is between shaping a new approach and retaining the status quo."
EasyJet has defended its service reliability after a frequent flyer questioned its Belfast operation's punctuality.

The budget airline said so far this year 76% of flights arrive on time, the same as last year, but it continuously works to improve on that figure.

Derry native, Steve Bradley regularly commutes to London for his work as a consultant on regeneration.

He says he tries to avoid the easyJet service after being affected by delays over recent months. Snce May he has had two flights cancelled and delays of over an hour to deal with.

"When you go with a budget airline you don't expect things to run smoothly and the odd delay. But it should be better," he said.

The website Airportia tracks more than 150,000 flights from 3,600 airports and 1,400 airlines over the world.

It reports on delays on the easyJet Belfast to London Gatwick daily 16.20 flight. Of the 30 flights listed for the past month, it claims there were 13 delays.

It states the service is on time 30% of the time with the average delay being almost 34 minutes. It also reports the 8.30pm daily flight was on time on only two occasions since August.

"When I first had a flight delayed in May I started to check the departures board and just noticed there appeared to be a lot of disruption on easyJet flights," Steve continued.

"If the flights are delayed then you could arrive in London after the trains stop and have to take a slow bus or an expensive taxi ride.

"And when a Friday night flight was cancelled I had to get to Dublin and pay three times more to get the last seat on a flight to London. This can't be good for tourists if that's their last experience on leaving Northern Ireland."

EasyJet has six aircraft based at Belfast as well as employing 223 employees at the airport.

It said this year there had been more than 26 air traffic control strike days causing more than 5,000 flight cancellations with Europes major airlines affecting millions of passengers. The airline said it "shared passengers frustration over the strikes" and was continuing to raise the issue with politicians across Europe in a bid to try and lessen the impact on the travelling public.

A spokeswoman added: "easyJet operates the largest number of flights per year of any UK airline, is the largest airline in Northern Ireland carrying more than 48% of Northern Irish travellers and operates in the busiest airports and most congested airspace in Europe.

Our own data shows easyJets network punctuality in Belfast for 2018 to date is around 76% - the same as 2017. This is calculated using accurate data from the aircraft.

"We have a continuous focus on punctuality as we know it is important to our customers.
The family of a man beaten to death along with his friend have won High Court permission to challenge a decision not to hold an inquest into their murders.

Relatives of Finbarr McGrillen want a tribunal to examine the double killing which was the focus of a watchdog report highlighting police failures in handling one of the perpetrators.

A judge granted leave to seek a judicial review amid claims a coroner's refusal to hold an inquest breaches their human rights.

Mr McGrillen, 42, and 40-year-old Caron Smyth were attacked at an apartment in the Ravenhill Court area of east Belfast in December 2013.

They had sustained fractured ribs and damaged organs, as well as head, neck and chest wounds consistent with being punched, kicked and stamped on.

Two men subsequently pleaded guilty to the murders - including Ms Smyth's violent ex-boyfriend Sean Hegarty.

Hegarty, 38, who had a more than 70 previous convictions, was arrested days before the killings for allegedly assaulting Ms Smyth.

She told police he had imprisoned her, hit her with a metal bar and threatened to kill her.

Despite officers concluding she was at risk of serious harm and detaining Hegarty, he was subsequently released from police custody.

Three days later he then carried out the murders with his 37-year-old accomplice, Ciaran Nugent.

Both men received life sentences after admitting the killings.

In September last year a Police Ombudsman report listed a catalogue of flaws in how the PSNI handled Hegarty.

He had been released on police bail after PSNI officers, without proper authorisation, allowed him to change the address where he could live.

Those living arrangements did not have an electricity supply needed for an electronic tag supposed to monitor his movements.

Six police officers were disciplined following the report, while another has since resigned due to an unrelated matter.

The McGrillen family, represented by Harte Coyle Collins solicitors, launched judicial review proceedings after a coroner concluded there was no requirement to hold an inquest following the Police Ombudsman's probe.

They claim that decision is in breach of the state's investigative obligations under human rights legislation.

It is understood that relatives of Ms Smyth have also commenced similar proceedings.

The victims' relatives believe an inquest is needed to publicly scrutinise and expose all the circumstances surrounding the murders.

Ruling on the McGrillen family's application, Mr Justice McCloskey set out their argument that the Ombudsman was not fully able to hold state agents to account.

"The applicant makes the case those officers would be compellable witnesses if an inquest were to be held, and the inquest would fill what the applicant says is a gaping chasm in the state investigation into the death," he said.

He confirmed that the challenge had passed the legal test of establishing an arguable case.

"I grant leave to apply for judicial review on the central ground - namely that the coroner's decision is incompatible with the procedural requirements of Article 2 of the Human Rights Convention."

A full hearing is now expected to take place in January.
A pensioner grieving her late husband has called for faster access to bereavement counselling services after being placed on a six-month waiting list.

Widow Maryann Quigley said the death of her husband Patrick - after 35 years of marriage - from acute lung condition pulmonary fibrosis has left her "absolutely devastated".

The 70-year-old from north Belfast said she had been advised by the Belfast Trust, which cared for her 78-year-old late husband until he died in August, to contact charity Cruse Bereavement Care for grief counselling.

She said she was shocked when she was told by Cruse, which offers its services for free, that it will be early next spring before she will receive an appointment.

"I phoned Cruse the following week after Patrick's funeral and was told that it will be next February, even then they couldn't give me a definite date," she told the Belfast Telegraph.

"Patrick was my rock, I miss him so much. Pulmonary fibrosis is an awful disease."

Mrs Quigley said she also contacted similar charities as well as support groups - including those aimed at helping older people - only to be given similar waiting times or discover they do not offer counselling services.

"You go to the GP and you're told to go to those groups... I became exhausted in my search for services in or out of Belfast which could offer help to those grieving."

Cruse said its current waiting list is up to 11 weeks and blamed an increase in demand for waiting times.

Mrs Quigley said the traumatic circumstances in which she discovered her late husband has also compounded her grief.

"Patrick passed away on the morning of August 13. I was nursing him at home and he had carers, I took up his breakfast and there he was lying on the floor dead," she recalled.

"I was absolutely distraught. I went into auto-pilot and I'm still coming to terms with the fact that he was lying dead on the floor.

"Patrick couldn't get out of bed without help, and was on oxygen. It's left me asking: 'Had he struggled, had he been calling out to me?' All of these things are present along with the grieving."

She added that this had left her with so many questions that she is still grappling to answer - something she believes speaking to a professional can only help her with.

"I need someone to walk with me on this journey because I have so many questions. I have had to push myself to find these avenues, just to ask for counselling."

Mrs Quigley, who is a regular weekly presenter with local television network NVTV, said that while she had the great support of her two grown-up children from her first marriage, along with friends, grief is a very personal process.

"It's something that ultimately you go through alone," she added. "I've spoken to others going through the grieving process and they've found the same thing with the waiting times.

"The alternative is to pay for a private counsellor which is 50 for 50 minutes per session. Not everyone has the money to pay for that."

And while she thinks it is "wonderful" that there are so many bereavement services available to those who lost loved ones to suicides and the Troubles, she feels services for people in her circumstances are "lacking".

"Why is there in Belfast only one bereavement service for people who fall outside those categories, and yet cannot have contact for six months, which can be a very long time for someone in grief? Not everyone has family to turn to."

Mrs Quigley said that while she waits until February she has no choice but to adopt a self-help approach in the meantime.

"I've read umpteen books from the library on grieving. It's just not the same as sitting face-to-face with a professional," she explained.

Paul Finnegan, director of Cruse Bereavement Care in Northern Ireland, said the charity has witnessed an increase in referrals over the past few years which has led to the current wait for up to 11 weeks for its one-to-one support services.

"We recognise this isn't ideal and we're working hard to reduce waiting times in Belfast and across Northern Ireland," he explained.

"We are committed to supporting people who have been bereaved.

"All our services are free of charge and we are reliant on funding and donations to help us train and support our volunteers who deliver this valuable service."

A spokesman for the Belfast Trust - which offered its sympathies to Mrs Quigley - explained that in the absence of an "in-house bereavement counselling service", individuals or families are directed to a range of external "support organisations depending on the circumstances of their bereavement".

Stressing that it has no "influence" on waiting times operated by these third party organisations, the spokesman said the Trust also provides "support literature" on bereavement.
AFTER THE QUAKE. A couple make their way past a damaged mosque in Palu in Indonesias Central Sulawesi on Oct. 4, 2018, after an earthquake and tsunami hit the area. AFP

PALU, IndonesiaMany children have been separated from their families and are in shock and traumatized following Indonesias devastating quake-tsunami, aid workers said Thursday, as much-needed supplies trickled in to shattered communities. A total of 1,424 people have been confirmed dead and over 2,500 injured after the monster earthquake struck Friday sending destructive waves barreling into Sulawesi island. The disaster reduced buildings in the seaside city of Palu to rubble but, with transport links badly affected, aid has been slow to arrive and looting has broken out. On Thursday police armed with guns stood guard outside petrol stations to ensure order in long, winding queues. Trucks carrying supplies have reportedly been ransacked en route to Palu.Authorities initially turned a blind eye but have now taken a tougher stance, with police rounding up dozens of suspected looters and the military warning that soldiers will fire on anyone caught stealing. While rescuers continue to comb through destroyed buildings, hope is fading that anyone will be found alive under the rubble. Authorities say over 100 people are still unaccounted for. Hundreds have been buried in mass graves as authorities race to avoid a disease outbreak from corpses rotting in the tropical heat. At least 600,000 children have been affected by the quake, Save the Children said, with many sleeping on the streets among ruins. Attention has focused on the huge number of children left orphaned, or separated from their families in the chaos as buildings collapsed across Palu and people were swept away by huge waves. Aid organizations are urgently working with the government to identify and reunite them with their relatives, the group said. Its hard to imagine a more frightening situation for a child, said Zubedy Koteng, the groups child protection adviser, who is in the city. Many children are in shock and traumatized, alone and afraid. Young children searching for surviving relatives will have witnessed and lived through horrific experiences which no child should ever have to see. The Indonesian government initially refused to accept international help, insisting its own military could handle the response, but as the scale of the disaster became clear President Joko Widodo reluctantly agreed to allow in foreign aid groups and governments. Twenty-nine countries have pledged aid, according to Indonesia, but the delay in inviting help and severed transport links means little foreign help has arrived. Palu airport -- which was only accepting military flights in the early stages of the disaster -- opened to commercial services Thursday but only a limited number, with aid workers given priority. An Indonesian navy ship docked in the city Thursday carrying water, rice and food, which was loaded by soldiers onto trucks.We have to get to places where people need aid really quickly, said first admiral Dwi Sulakson. Desperate survivors, some crying, waited to get a spot on the vessel which was set to return to the city of Makassar in southern Sulawesi, and brief scuffles broke out with soldiers. The United Nations has pledged $15 million from its emergency response fund. The Red Cross is dispatching ships loaded with supplies including field kitchens, tents, body bags and mosquito nets. In a country with a long-standing problem with fake news, authorities vowed to clamp down after false reports related to the disaster circulated online, including one saying another quake had hit Sulawesi. Ferdinandus Setu, communications ministry spokesman, said authorities had received several reports about suspected cases and were working to ensure that Indonesias internet sphere is free from hoaxes. Rescuers seeking survivors are focusing on half a dozen key sites around Palu, including a shopping mall and the Balaroa area where the sheer force of the quake turned the earth temporarily to mush. At the badly damaged Mercure hotel, a team used sniffer dogs to try to detect signs of life under mounds of rubble and twisted metal. French NGO International Emergency Firefighters provided equipment to help in the hunt, including scanners and sound detectors. There is always hope, said the groups president Philippe Besson. But he added that the building is really extremely unstable... since yesterday, there has been so much wind that the building was starting to move on its own. Martinus Hamaele was among those keeping vigil outside the shattered hotel, desperate for news about his missing daughter, Meiren. We kept shouting Meiren, Meiren, its meyour dad and your brother, he said. But there was no response, just silence. Authorities have set a tentative deadline of Friday to find anyone still trapped under rubble, at which point the chances of finding anyone alive will dwindle to almost zero. There have been small signs of things returning to normal. Power has returned to parts of Palu, phone networks are back up and even some markets are open for business. Indonesia sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the worlds most tectonically active region, and its 260 million people are vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.
The son of an innocent man shot dead by the IRA 29 years ago today has accused Sinn Fein of insulting victims by suggesting the Government was the "main conflict protagonist" in the Troubles.

The party's controversial claim is contained in its formal response to a public consultation on proposed mechanisms designed to address the toxic legacy of the conflict.

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Speaking at Parliament Buildings, Sinn Fein Assembly Member Gerry Kelly, a convicted bomber, insisted the UK Government bore the greatest responsibility for the conflict.

"They were the main protagonists, they are a government, they had 31,000 troops, they have a standing army of something like 150,000," he said.

"So it is not unreasonable that they were the main protagonists, and certainly in terms of what was suffered within the nationalist population."

But last night Antrim man Marcus Babington (50) hit back, hours before the anniversary of his father Henry's murder on the Cavehill Road in north Belfast as he walked to work on October 4, 1989.

"To hear Gerry Kelly say that is an insult to victims," he said.

"Enough salt has been rubbed in our wounds."

Mr Babington said if it came down to a "head count of the dead, his organisation is the worst", as the IRA was responsible for many more deaths than any other group.

Of the 3,600 people killed during the Troubles, the IRA was responsible for more than 1,700 of the deaths.

Around 370 killings were attributed to the security forces, though a number of families whose loved ones were murdered by loyalists allege the State colluded in those deaths as well.

Mr Babington said while the security forces were responsible for killings such as Bloody Sunday, "they are having their doors knocked - but the IRA is not being held accountable".

He said his mother Maura, now 85, had sought answers from Sinn Fein at a Falls Road advice centre shortly after her husband's murder.

But those inside threw her out onto the street.

At the time the IRA claimed the murder was a case of mistaken identity.

Sinn Fein's blueprint for dealing with legacy issues includes an independent Historical Investigations Unit (HIU) to examine outstanding deaths from the Troubles, as well as an Information Retrieval Commission that would provide details of deaths to victims and survivors privately.

Sinn Fein also criticised Britain for working to "deny wrongdoing, conceal the truth and limit accountability" over its actions during the Troubles, including its involvement in deaths.

But the party's proposals were criticised by DUP leader Arlene Foster and IRA victims, who accused it of trying to rewrite history. Mrs Foster said that republican paramilitaries had been responsible for 60% of deaths in the Troubles.

She said: "This is not about 'different narratives of the past'. It is the continuation of attempts to rewrite history.

"It is not opinions which Sinn Fein seek to change, but hard facts.

"The use of the 'big lie' by Sinn Fein cannot be allowed to distort the truth.

"Nor should the regular repetition of such claims allow the reaction to be one of acceptance or even dismissal because we expect nothing better of Sinn Fein than to continue its defence of a campaign to bomb, shoot, maim and torture people into a united Ireland."

Stephen Gault, whose father Samuel was killed in the 1987 IRA Enniskillen bomb attack, said Sinn Fein should accept that dealing with legacy is a "two-way process".

He said: "Republicans should confront their part in the Troubles, they need to do this. What happened was unjust and unjustified.

"Terrorists on both sides accounted for 90% of deaths during the Troubles, while the State was responsible for 10%.

"Until Sinn Fein disclose their own wrongdoings it is wrong for them to demand the same from the British State."
A Newry man will travel to Zambia next month to honour his grandfather, who fought in the last battle of the First World War 100 years ago.

John Bannon (66) has been invited to the African country to take part in official commemorations marking the centenary of the end of the battle.

During the war Zambia's Mbala district - then known as Abercon - was a focus of the British military effort to defeat the German army under their East Africa Commander General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck.

At 11am on November 11, 1918 the First World War came to an end. However, poor communications meant fighting continued in Mbala. Weapons weren't laid down until the following day when a telegram with the news finally arrived.

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Born in 1891, John (Jack) T Bannon signed up for the Royal Irish Rifles at the age 21 as a reservist.

When Britain declared war on Germany in August 1914 he was working as a horse and van driver for McAreavey's furniture removals in Newry.

He joined the East Africa Rifles, was promoted to Battalion Sergeant Major, and bestowed with the Distinguished Service Medal. Jack left Belfast in May 1916 and landed in Africa in early July.

Despite surviving the war, John says his grandfather almost died in the post-conflict Spanish flu epidemic that claimed a 100 million deaths worldwide.

He eventually returned to Ireland in April 1919 after four different ship journeys, and later married Margaret (Cissie) Brady.

The couple had one son, Patrick, who is now 92 and still living in Newry.

After the war Jack became a well-known figure in the world of public transport, training as a mechanic and forming the Newry Bus Company.

He later joined the Belfast Omnibus Company, which ultimately became the Ulster Transport Authority.

Down the years Jack kept his experiences of the war largely to himself. He passed away in April 1961.

John said: "He never really talked much about his time during the war, except to reminisce about teaching some of the locals the popular wartime songs like It's A Long Way To Tipperary.

"Afterwards he was offered a full-time officer's commission but he had no interest -he thought their party lifestyle would be too much for him!"

John's interest in his grandfather's role in the East Africa campaign came after reading his diaries.

"I just couldn't believe the scale of what happened out there," he said.

"It really blew my mind to read about my grandfather's African adventures and realise his central role in the war."

More than 18 countries will be represented at next month's commemorations in Zambia, including Britain, France, Russia, India, the USA and Japan.

John will be the only person from Ireland to attend alongside distinguished guests, including a grandson of General von Lettow-Vorbeck.

The events will include a re-enactment of the receipt of the telegraph notice of the end of hostilities and a wreath-laying parade at Mbala's cenotaph on November 25.

"It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity and a very emotional experience to honour my heroic grandfather and stand where he stood exactly a century ago," John added.
The afftermath of McGurks bar explosion in north Belfast in December 1971

A man who lost his parents in the McGurk's Bar bombing is mounting a legal challenge following the attorney general's decision not to order a fresh inquest into their deaths.

Fifteen people were killed in the bombing in December 1971, including Terence Keenan's parents, Edward and Sarah.

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Victim's families have been campaigning for years for a fresh inquest into their loved one's deaths.

Relatives and campaigners claimed to have discovered large amounts of new evidence not heard at the original inquest held the year after the massacre.

In July Attorney General John Larkin refused the families request.

Lawyers acting on behalf of Mr Keenan have now lodged papers in the High Court to initiate proceedings against the attorney general, hoping for a judicial review into the decision.

"Every right-thinking person knows that this decision was wrong," Mr Keenan told the BBC.

"There has been a vast amount of new information made available in recent years that was never put before the original inquest."

The bombing was carried out by the UVF but at the time security forces blamed the IRA, prompting speculation the dead might have included IRA members who were carrying the device.

Expand Close Relatives of the McGurks Bar bombing victims (OMuirigh Solicitors/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Relatives of the McGurks Bar bombing victims (OMuirigh Solicitors/PA)

A UVF man was convicted for his part in the attack in 1978.

A Police Ombudsmans report in 2011 said RUC officers had shown an investigative bias with the original mis-attribution of blame.

However, the PSNIs then-chief constable Matt Baggott refused to accept that particular finding by the ombudsman and a subsequent probe by the polices Historical Enquiries Team (HET) concluded there was no such bias.

In a further twist, Mr Baggotts successor George Hamilton reversed the polices position in 2015, acknowledging there was bias in the initial RUC investigation.

He said the HET report findings had been amended to reflect the change in stance.

Sinn Fein MLA Caral Ni Chuilin welcomed the fresh legal challenge to the attorney general's decision.

Expand Close Children remove a baby's cot from the debris of McGurk's bar in North Queen Street, Belfast, where 15 people died in 1971 / Facebook

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Whatsapp Children remove a baby's cot from the debris of McGurk's bar in North Queen Street, Belfast, where 15 people died in 1971

It is wrong that the Attorney General refused a fresh inquest into the McGurks Bar massacre," the North Belfast MLA said.

These families have been campaigning for truth and justice for 47 years.

There are still too many unanswered questions about the involvement of various state agencies in the attack both before and after the massacre of 15 people,"

A fresh inquest would be an opportunity to test in the courts the mounting weight of evidence, painstakingly uncovered by families and campaigners about the involvement of the state."
A Co Down family have been targeted in a racist attack.

Three windows of a house in Primacy Park were smashed and racist graffiti sprayed on the walls on Tuesday at around 8.40pm.

Police are treating the attack as a hate incident.

Alliance councillor Karen Douglas said: This is a disgusting incident and the vast majority of people will rightly condemn it.

I am relieved to hear no-one was at home at the time of this attack, but this still must have been a distressing incident for the residents of the property.

"I have reported it to council officers, who will be urgently removing the graffiti.

There can be no tolerance in our society for such blatant intimidation and racist views. Bangor is a welcoming place where the population deplore this sort of behaviour, so this is not truly reflective of the town.

I urge anyone with any information on this attack to contact police with it immediately.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting serial 1311 of 02/10/2018.
Daniel and Amy McArthur of Ashers Baking Company which is due to find out the result of a Supreme Court appeal in the gay cake case (PA/Neil Carson)

The UKs highest court is to rule next week on whether the Christian owners of a bakery discriminated against a customer by refusing to make a cake decorated with the words Support Gay Marriage.

Five Supreme Court justices will announce their decision in London on Wednesday October 10.

Their ruling follows the latest round of a legal action brought against family-run Ashers bakery in Belfast by gay rights activist Gareth Lee, who won his case initially in the county court and then at the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal.

The bakery went on to fight the finding of discrimination at a Supreme Court hearing in Belfast in May.

Owners Daniel and Amy McArthur have said the law risked extinguishing their consciences.

During the Supreme Court proceedings, the panel of justices including president Lady Hale, were told that the owners were being forced to act against their religious beliefs.

David Scoffield QC, for Ashers, argued that the state is penalising the baking firm, with the courts effectively compelling or forcing them to make a cake bearing a message with which they disagree as a matter of religious conscience.

The legal action against Ashers was taken by Mr Lee with support from Northern Irelands Equality Commission.

Expand Close Gay rights activist Gareth Lee who brought a successful discrimination action against the Christian owners of a Belfast bakery (PA/Brian Lawless) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Gay rights activist Gareth Lee who brought a successful discrimination action against the Christian owners of a Belfast bakery (PA/Brian Lawless)

Controversy first flared when Mr Lee, a member of the LGBT advocacy group QueerSpace, ordered a cake in 2014 featuring Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia.

His order was accepted and he paid in full but, two days later, the company called to say it could not proceed due to the message requested.

In the original court case, District Judge Isobel Brownlie ruled that religious beliefs could not dictate the law and ordered the firm to pay damages of 500.

Mounting an unsuccessful challenge at the Court of Appeal in Belfast in 2016, Ashers contended that it never had an issue with Mr Lees sexuality, rather the message he was seeking to put on the cake.

Mr Scoffield told the justices that the case, a simple transaction, raised an issue of principle since those with deeply-held religious or philosophical convictions could be compelled to act against their beliefs.

Robin Allen QC, for MrLee, said: This was a relatively small incident in his life which has become enormously significant and continues to be so. That is a heavy burden to bear for one individual.

The Ashers legal battle has run for four years and attracted enormous attention.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK or Ireland where same-sex marriage is outlawed, with Theresa Mays DUP allies staunch opponents of changing the law.

The Supreme Court will rule on whether Ashers directly discriminated against Mr Lee on grounds of sexual orientation contrary to the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (NI) 2006, and religious and political belief, contrary to the Fair Employment and treatment (NI) Order 1998, by refusing to make a cake decorated with the requested message.

The justices have also been asked to decide if the relevant provisions under the regulations and order breached the McArthur familys rights under the European Convention on Human Rights relating to freedom to manifest ones religious beliefs and freedom of expression.
A 58-year-old woman has been killed following a collision with a van in Co Down.

Police named the woman as Cindy Greer, from the Gilford area.

She died in hospital following the crash on the Banbridge Road in Laurencetown on Wednesday.

Ms Greer was driving a Red Honda Civic which collided with a white Ford Transit van at around 5.30pm.

The driver of the Transit Van was treated for injuries that are not believed to be life threatening.

Posting on the Belfast Telegraph Facebook page Ann Marie Tyrrell said that Ms Greer was "such a beautiful lady".

"Such tragic news. Thinking of her family and Alan at this very sad time," she wrote".

Joy Jamieson Ewing said that she was "devastated to hear the news".

"A beautiful lady, My heart goes out to the family," she wrote.

Ms Greer was the 41st person killed on Northern Ireland's roads this year.

The figure compares to 47 people killed in the same period last year and 49 in 2016.

Police are appealing for anyone who was travelling on the Banbridge Road around the time of the collision and who saw either vehicle, or anyone who may have dash cam footage of the collision to contact officers in the Collision Investigation Unit on 101 quoting reference number 969 03/10/18.
UUPs Reg Empey and David Trimble in 1998 when the deal was done

Former First Minister David Trimble has said that a major overhaul of the Good Friday Agreement would be "very dangerous and foolish", after Arlene Foster claimed the 1998 peace deal was not "sacrosanct".

Former UUP leader Lord Trimble, who was awarded a Nobel peace prize for his role in creating the agreement, spoke out following an interview given by the DUP leader to the Daily Telegraph.

His concerns were echoed by another former UUP leader Sir Reg Empey, who said that Mrs Foster risked opening "Pandora's box" and was in "very dangerous territory."

In the interview, Mrs Foster praised Boris Johnson's "positive" Brexit vision and said it was wrong to suggest that the Good Friday Agreement couldn't be altered to accommodate a final Brexit deal.

She stated: "It has been deeply frustrating to hear people who voted remain and in Europe talk about Northern Ireland as though we can't touch the Belfast Agreement. Things evolve, even in the EU context.

"There has been a lot of misinterpretation, holding it up as a sacrosanct piece of legislation."

In response, Lord Trimble hit out at the DUP.

"Part of the reason why we don't have a functioning administration in Northern Ireland is because the DUP have abused the processes laid down under the Agreement," he said.

"The Good Friday Agreement has not outlived its purpose, what has happened is that it has been abused by the participants, and I think it would be a good thing for people to think of ways of ensuring that those abuses don't continue. That wouldn't be a major change to the agreement, it would be adjusting procedures or practises to repair the damage done after the last year and a half.

"I'm not happy with the way things have developed or how the agreement has been abused.

"There are some areas, such as the petition of concern, which could be used in a better way.

"It's not time for a major overhaul of the terms of the agreement - that would be very dangerous and foolish.

"Saying you want to reopen issues would be a huge mistake, particularly from a unionist point of view. It was such a good thing for unionism, a very good agreement.

"In all the days of the Troubles the best deal on constitutional matters ever offered to unionism was the Good Friday Agreement."

Lord Trimble also urged against changing the accord "at the drop of a hat".

"It's not a matter of saying we should abolish it," he stated. "It's 'can you be sure that it can be used in the spirit that was intended at the time of its making?'

"The Good Friday Agreement is as important and relevant now as it was 20 years ago.

"It's a basic constitution for Northern Ireland, and you don't change a constitution at the drop of a hat."

Meanwhile, Lord Empey accused Mrs Foster of using "very loose language" and called for her to "reconsider her position" as she risked "opening Pandora's box".

"Arlene, not for the first time, has used very loose language with regard to the Belfast Agreement," he stated.

"Of course policies are never for everyone, but if she opens up the Belfast Agreement that puts the constitutional position back on the table, and that's exactly what Sinn Fein wants.

"They never liked the constitutional settlement, they refused to participate in strand one, they have been calling for polls.

"What does Arlene think will be the outcome?

"There could be a border poll, a poll on a new agreement, anything. If she opens the Pandora's box all sorts of things will come out.

"Her attitude is reckless, highly dangerous, and I strongly urge her to reconsider her position.

"I think she has been playing into Sinn Fein's hands for the past couple of years.

"The whole ghastly mess at Stormont and her involvement in it gives Sinn Fein a huge opportunity.

"She's in very, very dangerous territory."

Lord Empey said he was "baffled" by Mrs Foster's comments, and added that "people have been using Brexit as a stick to beat the Good Friday Agreement".

"It's a very dangerous direction to travel, and the very fact that it is at the behest of unionists, I don't understand it at all," he continued.

"People have been using Brexit as a stick to beat the Good Friday Agreement.

"The way things have gone has been far from ideal and the DUP played a big part in pushing for Brexit.

"How could you improve on the constitutional arrangements we have? You can't."

Lord Empey suggested that the current Stormont impasse was due to changes made to the Good Friday Agreement by the St Andrew's Agreement.

"What we are operating now, and the reason we have the situation at Stormont, is that the terms of the Good Friday Agreement that were agreed and ratified by the people are not what we have today," he stated.

"They were changed in 2006 in the St Andrew's Agreement.

"The whole core was the partnership between the two sections of the community, and that was torn up. I would be in favour of going back to what was originally agreed, the partnership model."

The DUP had not responded to a request for comment at the time of going to press.

A Sinn Fein spokesperson said that "David Trimble hasn't been relevant for 20 years".
Police in Northern Ireland have arrested two men as part of an investigation in violent dissident republican activity.

The arrests follow a number of searches in north and west Belfast on Wednesday, October 3.

The two men, aged 39 and 43, were arrested under the Terrorism Act and taken to Musgrave Police Station for questioning. They remain in custody at this tim
"General Galvez contradicted what the Palace had said about the supposed Red October plot."

The first sign of a split between the Duterte administration and the Armed Forces of the Philippines surfaced in the Senate this week. Asked by Liberal Party Senators Francis Pangilinan and Antonio Trillanes IV whether the opposition Liberal Party was involved in a coalition with the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing New Peoples Army, AFP chief Gen. Carlito Galvez categorically said: No, sir. This was a direct contradiction what Palace officials who are purveying the Red October plot to overthrow President Rodrigo Duterte said. The general also cleared Senators Trillanes and Pangilinan of any complicity in the alleged Red October plot. We commend Galvez for telling it like it is. With his statement, he gave relief to the people who have enough problems for them to still deal with destabilization and a volatile political situation. It is a given that the CPP of exiled communist leader Jose Maria Sison has on many occasions publicly stated it wants Duterte out. Malacanang, however, is the one giving Joma and the CPP credence. Even Sisons host country The Netherlands sees no more relevance in him. It merely exercises tolerance in letting him stay in Utrecht. The liberal Dutch government perceives Sison as a relic of the past even as it continues to mediate the on-and-off peace talks between the CPP and the GRP. The alleged Red October plot is a yarn being spread by Malacanang itself. Why? We dont have the answer to this but there are speculations the Palace is spinning the conspiracy web to gain sympathy for the President and to distract the people from the rising prices of fuel, food, crime and unemployment. So what is the real objective of the Red October ploy? Is there another layer of Machiavellian men behind the President that his own Cabinet does not know about? Or this so-called Red October plot borne out of the deep recesses of Digongs own mind to declare martial law in the entire country? The difference between Duterte and Marcos is that FM had the best and the brightest people in his Cabinet. They helped him plan and study the consequences of martial law. Foremost of these men was then-Justice and later Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile. Say what you will about the man but Enrile helped Marcos lay the legal basis of a military rule including its consequences and how the populace will react to it.Enrile could have been the President the country needed but then there is the belief that to be president is a destiny. As they say, if its not in the stars, then its not meant to be. We suggest the government focus on addressing and solving the gut issues of food prices made higher by the uncontrolled cost of imported crude oil paid by the government in dollar terms. This is why the peso has sunk even lower vis-a-vis the US currency. Food prices can be brought down to affordable level if agricultural production is given the utmost attention. The Philippines is an agricultural country. Vast expanses of land, particularly in Mindanao where President Duterte is from, is not being fully planted for rice and other crops. Hence, the country imports, rice, onions, garlic and even fruits. We cannot understand this import mentality. Non-farming areas can also be used for raising cattle and other livestock. Yet, this not being done. We cannot blame the Duterte administration entirely for this. Past administrations have also been remiss in this department. China, which has taken over our fishing waters in the West Philippine Sea, has offered to lease our agricultural land to help our farmers. We have allowed them to take over our territorial watersare we now also going to let the Chinese also exploit our farmlands? If we do, we might as well accept the idea that indeed we have become a province of China. This is the real Red China threat not just in October but a subservience that could lead to years of colonization like in the Spanish and American eras.First the good news. Presidential Communications Operations Office Assistant Secretary Margaux Uson has resigned from her post after a series of gaffes. The PCOO said Mocha was not forced to resign but did so as she is eying a senatorial seat in next years mid-term elections. That is the bad news. With her millions of Facebook followers, she could well win a seat in the Senate. She could continue to torment us under the mantle of parliamentary immunity. Presidential Spokesman Roque meanwhile said six of the Presdents Cabinet are also running for the Senate. While he did not include himself among the six Cabinet officials, it is no secret that after the House, next on Harry Roques agenda is a Senate seat. But that might be a tough hurdle. Presidential spokesmen except Marcos s press secretary and information minister Kit Tatad who was elected senator and even went on to become Senate Majority Leader, no presidential spokesman was elected senator. Will Roque break the jinx to win a Senate seat? Roque is not even sure he will get President Duterts approval to leave the Cabinet. Because he is doing such a good job as presidential spokesman, he has become a victim of his own success. As it is, it looks like Roque is going to be with Digong for the long run. Unless the President resigns from the presidency like he has threatened to. Perhaps that is why six of the President Cabinet are quitting to seek a Senate seat. To abandon ship while the jumping is good must be in the minds of those quitting the Cabinet.
Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald has said that unionists would be able to retain their British citizenship in the event of a united Ireland.

The Sinn Fein leader also issued a warning to Prime Minister Theresa May that changes to the union between Northern Ireland and Britain cannot be stopped.

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Mrs McDonald made the comments during a speech titled 'Remembering, Respect and Reconciliation - Building a Future Together' to the Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Liverpool on Thursday.

The Dublin Central TD said that as part of a new Ireland unionists would be able to maintain their British citizenship and that close links would remain between the two countries.

Mrs McDonald also responded to Mrs May's comments that no Prime Minister would consider changes to the union.

The Prime Minister made the comments in February, while discussing customs plans for Northern Ireland after Brexit.

Mrs May said that no Prime Minister could allow a customs border in the Irish Sea.

However Mrs McDonald said that the "ship sailed in 1998" on changes to the union.

"If the people choose unity, then the British government is obliged to legislate for it," the Dublin TD told the audience.

The truth is that since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, the British government is obliged to act on the vote of the people in a unity referendum.

The Sinn Fein leader said that part of a united Ireland would be a "new relationship with Britain", and that people would be allowed to remain British citizens in a united Ireland if they wished.

She said that Ireland and Britain shared "bonds of friendship, kinship and history" and this would continue in the event of a united Ireland.

People in Northern Ireland are entitled to British and Irish citizenship or both under the Good Friday Agreement.

Mrs McDonald also addressed the legacy row after Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly said that the UK Government was the main Troubles protagonist.

The comments were heavily criticised by DUP leader Arlene Foster, UUP leader Robin Swann and Alliance Party leader Naomi Long.

On Thursday Mr Kelly admitted that the IRA "were a main protagonist" in the conflict.

"The debate on the past cannot and should not be reduced to whataboutery or who started the conflict in an attempt to apportion blame," the Sinn Fein leader said.

"It is not a zero-sum game. It is more important than political point scoring.

"My starting point is to be thankful that the conflict is over. That we have an agreement and peace.

"But we need more. We need a new conversation about the past.

"A focus on finding common ground and a compassionate approach to the past.

She said that past must be dealt with in order to build a better future for everyone.

There are some who use the past to abdicate responsibility to lead in the present - those who want to refight old battles, to demand repentance, victory and surrender," Mrs McDonald said.

That is not peacebuilding, and such actions can only perpetuate division and separation. We cannot ignore the past. We cannot wish it away.

"Wrongs that have been done cannot be undone.

"We must all face up to the past as a society. "

The Dublin Central TD said that the best way to deal with the past would be to have a "new conversation" and to focus on "finding common ground and a compassionate approach", to "acknowledge all suffering and provide a space to remember".
Irish politicians have praised legislation to allow abortion services in Ireland after the health minister introduced the bill into parliament.

Simon Harris said that TDs are making history as he introduced the Regulation of the Termination of Pregnancy Bill in the Dail.

The bill, which seeks to legalise abortion services in Ireland, has been hailed as historic and important.

The Irish electorate voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment in Mays referendum, with just under 67% voting in favour of repeal.

This history was made on streets, in homes and in ballot boxes across this country.Simon Harris

Donegal was the only constituency to vote against the proposal.

Mr Harris told the Dail: On May 25th, the Irish people gave us a very clear message to legislate for the introduction of abortion services in this country.

Today we begin the job they have given us, of making the law that follows the repeal of the Eighth Amendment and after 35 years in our constitution, in doing so, we are also making history.

Of course, history is not made only in this House. This history was made on streets, in homes and in ballot boxes across this country.

The health minister said the referendum was a resounding affirmation of respect and support for women and their right to make choices about their lives.

It was a reaffirmation of the primacy of equality in our modern democracy. And it was a call on us all to do more. On womens health. On womens equality.

On continuing to shape an inclusive and more equal society.

The minister said he was determined to begin a new chapter on womens health, in which they are valued and decisions are respected without judgment.

He took the Dail through the ills sections which is divided into three parts.

Fianna Fails health spokesman Stephen Donnelly told the Dail that the government should remove costs associated with maternity care as it is providing freely available abortion services to women.

Mr Donnelly also said he disagreed with some elements of the bill, including the three-day waiting period.

It is my view that when the people voted to repeal the eighth amendment, they did so with a clear understanding that the legislation following it would reflect the heads of the bill published in March, he said.

Sinn Fein TD and the partys health spokeswoman Louise OReilly said that the legislation will go down in the history of that State as one of the most important.

She added however that she was shocked to see offences and criminal sanctions moved to section five of the bill which she said was not the appropriate place.

Ruth Coppinger, People Before Profit TD, said: Its been a huge achievement to win legislation thats on a par with countries and international norms. Even up until a year ago, the type of legislation that was being discussed in this country was of a very restrictive nature.

It was talking about where life was at risk for fatal foetal abnormality and rape and no other grounds were even being countenanced and that is the reality.

The reality of this situation was brought home to people on the committee and the reality of people travelling and using abortion pills but also the persistence of a young, radical movement that led this campaign, that refused to accept an Irish solution to an Irish problem.
The Irish government has lost a vote on a cross-party motion calling for a better response to the countrys housing crisis.

The motion, tabled by Solidarity-People Before Profit, was backed by 83 votes to 43 on declaring the current state of housing and homelessness a national emergency.

Opposition parties supported the vote, which also called for the government to increase funding in social housing.

It comes after Sinn Fein politicians and Irelands Foreign Affairs Minister clashed over the governments policies in dealing with the housing crisis.

Resounding YES to emergency housing motion introduced by Richard Boyd Barrett yesterday. This is serious indictment FG housing policy-we need immediate change to build houses, stop evictions and introduce rent controls. #RaiseTheRoof #TakeBackTheCity pic.twitter.com/956C5gfLc6  People Before Profit (@pb4p) October 4, 2018

The heated debate comes 24 hours after thousands of people protested outside the Irish parliament.

Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty called for the government to double its investment in social housing declaring enough is enough.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said that money is not the main obstacle and blamed processes and decision making for causing delays.

The Fine Gael minister added: The delay in delivering social housing right now is not about the availability of capital, it is about process and capacity within local authorities to deliver at the pace we are asking them to deliver on.

This sparked an angry reaction from Mr Doherty who said that the governments housing policies were not working.

You are failing people  you are failing students and the 80,000 more people who are living with their parents than there were last year and those who want to get on to the property market, he said.

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Whatsapp People gather outside Leinster House in Dublin during a Raise the Roof housing rights protest (Brian Lawless/PA)

Rents out of control, nearly 40% above peak, houses out of the reach of ordinary couples and a crisis of unforeseen proportions of 10,000 people in emergency accommodation.

Yesterday thousands of people gathered outside the gates here to stand against the homelessness and housing crisis and there were people from all walks of life and all different sectors of society from students to parents, from teachers to nurses to pensioners, to workers, to the unemployed.

Their message to you was loud and clear, it was a message to your government that your housing policies are failing and they want real solutions and they want meaningful solutions.

Mr Coveney said that the government understands the frustration of those taking part in Wednesdays march.

We are in the midst of a very pressurised situation for many families that are renting or cannot afford to purchase their own home or are waiting for social housing, but can I also say that the biggest priority in government in terms of domestic political agenda is housing and has been for quite some time, Mr Coveney added.

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Whatsapp Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty was cautioned by the Speaker (PA)

The impression that some people would like to give that this government has some sort of ideological objection to putting public money into building social housing for people who cannot afford their own homes is absolutely untrue and not borne out by the facts.

You know that better than most but it doesnt suit you narrative to accept it and thats the reality.

A row involving Mr Doherty and Sinn Feins party spokesman Eoin O Broin ensued, prompting the Dails Ceann Comhairle (Speaker) Sean O Fearghail to intervene.

Excuse me Deputy Doherty, is it becoming a habit that the people on your bench are barracking the ministers when they are responding, he said.

The public are at their homes watching what is happening here, can we please behave.
Heroic Irish sailor Gregor McGuckin has said he is overwhelmed by the support he has received after being rescued from the Indian Ocean.

Mr McGuckin, who was attempting to save an injured fellow competitor when his boat capsized, is in Perth, Australia, where he was reunited with his family.

A French fisheries patrol boat rescued injured Indian Abhilash Tomy, 39, and Dublin man Mr McGuckin, 32, last month after their boats lost masts in a storm, almost 2,000 miles south west of Perth in western Australia, while competing in the around-the-world Golden Globe Race.

I'm trying to get to grips with what happened, it's been a bit of a whirlwind, the last few weeksGregor McGuckin

The two men were taken to Amsterdam Island where they were given a full medical examination.

Speaking on Thursday on RTE Radio, Mr McGuckin said: Im OK, Im trying to get to grips with what happened, its been a bit of a whirlwind, the last few weeks.

Ive just been reading some messages of support people have given me and my sponsors, and its just been incredible, the messages people have been sending me from Ireland, its been really nice.

Its really overwhelming, actually, so Im still trying to kind of come to terms with everything, over the last week or two Ive tried to start to figure it out, I think.

Expand Close Gregor McGuckin on his yacht in Dun Laoghaire harbour (Niall Carson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Gregor McGuckin on his yacht in Dun Laoghaire harbour (Niall Carson/PA)

Asked if he would attempt the race again, Mr McGuckin laughed but did not rule anything out.

Ah look, at this stage Im just trying to piece together and figure out how I feel about everything. Its been two weeks since I was racing and now Im sitting in Australia, its all a bit of a whirlwind, so I dont know yet.

Mr McGuckin added he would stay in Australia for a few weeks while he recovers.

His sponsors released a statement hailing his actions.

He is truly an inspiration, and our priority now is to ensure his safe return to IrelandHanley Energy

We understand that Gregors yacht, the Hanley Energy Endurance, was dismasted in a storm while attempting to reach his fellow competitor Abhilash Tomy, who had sustained injuries after being capsized.

In a remarkable display of seamanship, courage and fortitude, Gregor managed to build a jury rig and hand-steer the Hanley Energy Endurance within 30 miles of Abhilashs yacht for four days in order to be on site to assist with the rescue.

Hanley Energy would like to commend Gregor on his outstanding and heroic efforts to come to the aid of his fellow competitor. He is truly an inspiration, and our priority now is to ensure his safe return to Ireland.

It is understood Mr McGuckin also removed all debris from the deck of his boat, secured all equipment on board and ensured the small amount of fuel on board was not at risk of leaking.

The sponsors thanked everyone on the island and all involved in the rescue operation for their generosity, hospitality and professionalism.
Presidential candidate Gavin Duffy talks to the media while canvassing for votes on Dublins Henry Street (Niall Carson/PA)

Irish presidential candidate Gavin Duffy has accused Michael D Higgins of not being sure on any given day whether he is a president or a candidate.

Mr Duffy said: We know a president is above politics but please dont be playing politics with the campaign and with the electorate.

The Irish Dragons Den star made the comments while out canvassing for votes on Dublins Henry Street on Thursday.

Asked about Mr Higgins being posed more questions about spending at Aras an Uachtarain, the businessman said people on the streets that he had been speaking to wanted more clarity when it came to the Office of the President.

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Whatsapp Presidential candidate Gavin Duffy and his wife Orlaith Carmody take a selfie with shoppers (Niall Carson/PA)

While on the campaign trail in Cork, Mr Higgins said on Thursday he would be handing back 200,000 euro to the State from the underspent presidential allowance after his seven-year term in office.

But Mr Higgins said details of the spending would not be released until after the presidential election has taken place.

The expenditure of the Office of the President has been scrutinised in recent weeks with the Public Accounts Committee probing the spending.

Mr Higgins has faced allegations that he used the 317,000 euro presidential allowance to top up a staff members wages  claims he has robustly denied.

An allowance of up to 317,000 euro a year has been paid to each president since 1998 which is not audited, taxed or scrutinised.

Mr Duffy said: Meeting the electorate and canvassing people they seem to be looking for those answers that are not coming forth and being told they are going to happen after the election.

As he canvassed on one of the capitals busiest thoroughfares, Mr Duffy stopped to speak to some of the traders selling flowers on the street.

While asking for their votes, Mr Duffy bought a red rose for his wife Orlaith Carmody who was accompanying her husband on the campaign trail.

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Veronica Ryan, who has been a street vendor for 38 years, said she would be giving her number one to Mr Duffy because he was salt of the earth.

Mr Duffy said his campaign was progressing well and he was receiving positive feedback from members of the public.

Ive actually come across no nastiness whatsoever, he said.

You ask them will you give me the number one and Im pleasantly surprised the number of people who make that personal commitment to you, he said.

The businessman launched his official bid for office earlier this week in which he laid out his vision for Irelands next president.

He said that in light of Brexit Ireland needed a president that was familiar with trade and tariff issues. Mr Duffy said he was the candidate best equipped to understand the economic challenges that the withdrawal of the UK from the EU posed.

There are six candidates running for election on October 26.

As well as Mr Duffy and incumbent President Mr Higgins, the others in the running are: businessmen Sean Gallagher and Peter Casey, Sinn Feins Liadh Ni Riada and senator and Pieta House founder Joan Freeman.
The Taoiseach will hold meetings with key EU figures in Brussels on Thursday as focus on finding a resolution to the Irish border backstop intensifies.

Leo Varadkar will have talks with President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and the EUs chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.

Mr Varadkar is also due to meet the chair of the European Parliaments Brexit Steering Group, Guy Verhofstadt.

The engagements come two weeks ahead of the crunch European Council summit in Brussels and amid ongoing uncertainty over whether a Brexit deal can be struck.

The impasse over the Irish border remains a key sticking point, with the EU and UK unable to find common ground on the shape of a legally binding backstop position that would ensure free movement across the frontier, even if a wider trade deal failed to materialise.

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Ahead of the meetings in Brussels, Mr Varadkar warned time was running out on the Brexit negotiations.

I look forward to these meetings in Brussels, which will give me the opportunity to discuss the status of the Brexit negotiations ahead of the European Council meeting in two weeks time, he said.

The immediate focus of the Irish Government is on the pressing need for agreement on a Withdrawal Agreement, with an operational and legally-binding backstop.

The Withdrawal Agreement must ensure that, no matter what the outcome of negotiations on the future relationship between the EU and UK, a hard border on the island of Ireland will be avoided.

This is critically important to reinforce the stability brought about by the Peace Process and the Good Friday Agreement.

The negotiations are entering a critical phase, and time is running out. But I believe that an agreement is possible, with the right political will and focus on all sides.
Michael Doran, managing director of Action Renewables, gives evidence to the RHI Inquiry.

A green energy organisation has lodged a serious incident report over claims it may have misled a Charity Commission investigation about its role in the RHI scheme.

Action Renewables, a registered charity, helps businesses switch from fossil fuels to green energy, and was involved in facilitating around a quarter of all applications to the botched green energy scheme.

Michael Doran, managing director of Action Renewables, admitted to the RHI inquiry on Wednesday the company knew from the outset the scheme was flawed but did not raise it with Stormont officials in case it led to a delay in the introduction of the scheme.

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The RHI scheme was set up in 2012 to encourage the use of renewable energy in Northern Ireland but overgenerous subsidies led to a huge over spend.

In early 2017 the Charity Commission set up an investigation into Action Renewables following a report in the Irish News that Action Renewables was helping RHI applications even though it knew of the problems.

The investigation was closed by the commission after trustees of Action Renewables said they did not know about the problems with the scheme until December 2016.

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Sir Patrick Coghlin, chair of the RHI inquiry, said on Wednesday there was an "inescapable inference" Mr Doran had been misleading the commission.

Mr Doran responded: "It would appear from this document, yes." However, he denied any cover-up.

On Thursday Professor Brian Norton, chairman of Action Renewables, told the Belfast Telegraph: "We have already been in touch with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland and lodged a serious incident report.

"The board has also briefed a legal specialist in charity law to conduct an independent review on its behalf and will fully cooperate with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland on this review.

On Thursday the Charity Commission said it was aware of Mr Doran's evidence to the RHI inquiry and that it will "carefully consider" it.

The RHI inquiry has heard Action Renewables earned nearly 250,000 by advising more than 500 RHI applicants.

1/2 The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland is aware of the witness evidence provided to the RHI inquiry in relation to the charity Action Renewables Ltd (NIC100806). The Commission will carefully consider this evidence. #rhiinquiry #rhi  CharityCommissionNI (@CharityCommNI) October 4, 2018
Jeremy Corbyn has said there must be a diplomatic confrontation with Russia over Salisbury and cyber attacks.

The Labour leader denied he was slow to accept evidence of Russias involvement in the poisoning attack in the UK and its malign influence on international affairs.

Mr Corbyn was targeted by Prime Minister Theresa May in her Conservative Party conference speech on Wednesday for allegedly refusing to lay the blame squarely where it belonged.

She contrasted Clement Atlee and other past Labour leaders pro-West and pro-Nato approach to the alleged stance taken by Mr Corbyn to Vladimir Putins Russia.

But speaking on a visit to Leeds, Mr Corbyn said he had wanted to see clear evidence which was now very, very strong against Russia and the time had come to act.

He said: First of all confront Russia with the evidence, remove any diplomats that clearly are not diplomats and are masquerading as something else and confront Russia with it but also strengthen international organisations and their protections such as the UN and the Organisation for Prevention of Chemical Warfare.

The evidence is clearly against Russia on both the Salisbury attack and of course on the latest cyber attacks so there has to be a confrontation, a diplomatic confrontation, with Russia on this.

Clearly the evidence now is very, very strong on Russia, I said so in fact in my speech to the Labour Party conference.

All the evidence points again to Russia on the cyber attacks and the Dutch are clearly involved in this investigation as well, but I think we have to make clear that we have to make everything protective against cyber attacks from any state or from any organisation because clearly cyber security is going to become more and more important as the years go on.

While Mr Corbyn said his past criticism of Nato was perfectly sustainable he wanted to remain on good terms with the Russians.

He added: What I want is positive relations with Russia but that does mean diplomatically confronting them with the evidence both of what happened in Salisbury and of course the more recent cyber issues that come up.

Listen, any country or any organisation that undertakes cyber attacks against any of us needs to be confronted with that.

Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in Russia in March while Russian spies have been accused of involvement in a series of cyber plots across the globe.

Other targets allegedly include the global chemical weapons watchdog, anti-doping agencies and a US nuclear company.
The Scottish Government is consulting on plans to tackle FGM (PA)

Special protection orders could be introduced in a bid to prevent women and girls at risk of female general mutilation from being taken abroad.

With 2,750 girls born in Scotland between 2001 and 2012 whose mothers come from countries where FGM is practiced, the Scottish Government is currently considering what steps could be taken to help end the abhorrent act.

It is looking at introducing FGM protection orders which could be used to help prevent females classed as being at risk being taken overseas.

This could involve those who might travel with them having to surrender their passports.

We consider FGM to be an abhorrent practice, a form of abuse and a violation of the human rights of women and girls that is rightly illegal.Equalities Minister Christina McKelvie

FGM has been a criminal offence across the UK since 1985, with Holyrood introducing tougher sentences in 2005 which raised the maximum jail term for those carrying it out from five to 14 years.

But with some women and girls taken abroad for the procedure, ministers are looking at what more can be done.

Equalities minister Christina McKelvie has published a consultation paper on legislation to strengthen the protections available.

She said: As a Government, we consider FGM to be an abhorrent practice, a form of abuse and a violation of the human rights of women and girls that is rightly illegal.

We want to strengthen protections further and introduce protection orders for women and girls at risk, and place guidance for professionals on a statutory footing.

This consultation seeks the views of stakeholders and all those with an interest in ending this form of gender-based violence on those aims.
"The public has long suffered the poor and expensive service offered by the duopoly."

That is the question being asked by an anxious public after the Department of Information and Communications Technology announced last Wednesday the long-awaited bidding for the countrys third telephone company to be held Nov. 5. Thrice postponed for some undisclosed reasons, this announcement should be welcome news especially to a public which has long been suffering from poor and, yes, very expensive telco service. From the looks of it, however, the announcement was met by a sigh and tempered hope that the promise would come to fruition sooner rather than later. This tepid response is understandable given the indicated bidding terms and conditions which, from all indications, unduly constrict the possibility of the big, proven telco providers participating at all. Who among the worlds best, for example, can or will be able to comply with the first three basic requirements for entry by the bidding date of Nov. 5? First, having a nationwide telco franchise to start with. Except for the duopoly of PLDT/Smart and Globe, very few locals have such a franchise. Even if they do, they cannot possibly comply with the second and third requirements, namely: Having a paid-up capital of $10 billion and a 10-year operating experience. Of course, they can partner with the worlds largest and marry their franchise with the resources and experience of these international service providers. The question is: Will they be able to enter into an honest-to-goodness partnership by the deadline? I doubt it.Take the British giant Vodafone, for example. Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said he was able to talk with the top officials of Vodafone at the sidelines of one of the forum conducted during the roadshow of the economic managers in London a week or so ago. Diokno reported that the companys top guns appeared interested in entering the market given the number of questions they were asking about foreign ownership and the like. That is well and good. But if the questions revolved around the issue of foreignownership, I doubt whether they would be satisfied with Dioknos answer. The good secretary correctly mentioned that there are a number of issues regarding the restrictions under the Public Service Law of 1936 but theres a pending law which will allow them to come in as we are redefining the terms of participation in the utilities sector. That said, will Vodafone rush in, join up with a local telco franchise holder and commit its billions and expertise for the purpose? Good luck. Vodafone is just the latest in a list of telco giants which have expressed interest in the Philippine market. Early on, the President had said that he preferred a Chinese company to be the third telco. That set the stage for a kind of semi-rush of Chinese companies from China Telecoms to PCCW to Huawei and even ZTE, despite its continuing row with US authorities. Then, there was some interest shown by Indias Reliance Telecoms which is affiliated with that countrys number one conglomerate, Reliance Industries, and even Tata Telecoms of the venerable Tata Industrial group. Of course, South Korean companies, Korea Telecoms and LG as well as the American telecoms giant AT & T, Japans KDDI and even Norways Telenor in partnership with the Bangladesh Grameen Group have expressed interest as well. Again, the question is: how far have they gone to perfect their bid which requires three basic elements which definitely cannot be ironed out overnight? In any event, we remain hopeful that in time we will have a third telco to do battle, as it were, with the duopoly. That way we long-suffering customers, will have a better-than-even chance to get the service we have long been hungering for. Quite apart from the millions of individual customers which a third telcos positive disruptive presence can bring to individual users, such a situation augurs well for the way we conduct our businesses, here and abroad. It is time we get out of the laggard category which we have long been occupying together with the likes of Afghanistan and East Timor. Similar to the situation in the power sector which has brought us to a high priced, underserved (especially in the provinces) situation, we cannot afford to have a telco sector which continues to stagnate in the precipices of unreliability and backwardness. We hope that acting DICT Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. will do our country and our people right this time around.
Protestors gather outside the Royal Courts of Justice, as legal action over plans to expand Heathrow is launched (PA)

High Court judges will hear a legal challenge over controversial plans to expand Heathrow Airport next year.

A coalition of councils, residents, environmental charities and the mayor of London Sadiq Khan are challenging the Governments decision to approve the building of a third runway.

At a hearing on Thursday, Mr Justice Holgate dealt with preliminary issues in the case, which is due to be heard over two weeks in March.

The case is being brought against Transport Secretary Chris Grayling by local authorities and residents in London affected by the expansion and charities including Friends of the Earth and Plan B.

We're live at the Royal Courts of Justice for today's #heathrow hearing. We say #NoThirdRunway #NoToHeathrow. pic.twitter.com/rAf3ph94m1  Friends of the Earth (@friends_earth) October 4, 2018

The coalition claims the governments National Policy Statement (NPS) setting out its support for the project fails to properly deal with the impact on air quality, climate change, noise and congestion.

A spokesman for Mr Khan said: One of the mayors top priorities is cleaning up the toxic air in our city which causes thousands of premature deaths every year.

He is greatly concerned about the impact of a third runway on air quality, noise pollution and also on public transport.

Before the hearing, a crowd of about 50 demonstrators gathered outside court to hear speeches from prominent opponents of the expansion including shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley.

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Mr McDonnell, whose Hayes and Harlington constituency is one of those affected by the plans, said up to 4,000 homes could be damaged or lost if the third runway goes ahead.

It isnt just our homes, it isnt just our community, this is our planet itself, he added.

This will be such a retrograde step in the campaign that we have to ensure climate change is halted.

Support from Labour MPs helped push through the proposals to expand Europes busiest airport with an overwhelming majority of 296 in a Commons vote last month.

Mr Grayling said the new runway would set a clear path to our future as a global nation in the post-Brexit world.

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Construction could begin in 2021, with the third runway operational by 2026.

Oliver Hayes, climate change campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: Heathrow is already the single biggest source of emissions in the UK.

Adding a third runway will make it virtually impossible for us to meet our climate change targets and demonstrates a shocking willingness to leave future generations stranded with climate-damaging infrastructure.

Plan B director Tim Crosland said: The broad coalition of devolved government and civil society lining up against the government is proof that this is not a political issue, its a coalition for the future of life on earth  one that everyone can get behind.

As with any major infrastructure project, we have been anticipating legal challenges and will robustly defend our positionDepartment for Transport

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: Expansion at Heathrow is a critical programme which will provide a boost to the economy, increase our international links and create tens of thousands of new jobs.

As with any major infrastructure project, we have been anticipating legal challenges and will robustly defend our position.

Todays hearing does not impact on the work Heathrow is undertaking on its application for planning consent or the timetable to deliver this much-needed runway.

A Heathrow spokeswoman said: We are participating in the legal challenges as an interested party given our role as the promoter of this critically important, national project.

Our work in delivering Britains new runway will continue in tandem with this process following overwhelming support in Parliament.

We remain focused on the work needed for our development consent order submission in 2020 and we are getting on with the delivery of this project which will benefit the whole of the UK.
An inquest is due to begin later today into the death of Westminster attacker Khalid Masood.

Masood, 52, from Kent, embarked on a 82-second rampage on March 22 last year, killing four members of the public and Pc Keith Palmer.

The inquests into those deaths concluded on Wednesday with Chief Coroner Mark Lucraft QC saying there were shortcomings in security at the Palace of Westminster which meant armed officers did not know they were supposed to guard the open gate where Pc Palmer was on duty.

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Speaking after the conclusions at the Old Bailey, his widow Michelle Palmer said: He was left at a vulnerable location with no protection to die.

Mr Lucraft will begin a full inquest into the death of Masood, who was eventually shot dead by a plain clothes close protection officer, in Court One of the Old Bailey on Thursday.

In the inquests into the victims, the coroner outlined Masoods background in the run-up to the attack, including his convictions for violence and links to extremists after he converted to Islam.

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The court had heard he first appeared on MI5s radar in 2004 when he was connected with a suspect in the fertiliser bomb plot.

He was dropped as a subject of interest in December 2010 but continued on MI5s radar with intermittent contact with suspects until 2016.

In the days before the attack, Masood bought knives, hired a high-powered Hyundai Tuscon and carried out reconnaissance in Westminster.

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He visited his mother and told her: They are going to say Im a terrorist but Im not.

On the afternoon of March 22 last year, he drove across Westminster Bridge and knocked over and killed American tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, mother-of-two Aysha Frade, 44, and Romanian designer Andreea Cristea, 31.

Twenty-nine other pedestrians were seriously injured as Masood mounted the pavement before crashing into railings at the Palace of Westminster.

He got out of the car and lumbered towards the gates of the Palace of Westminster where Pc Palmer came forward to challenge him.

It is clear to me that Pc Palmer acted bravely, he did not shrink from performing his duty of protecting those in the Palace of Westminster

Mr Lucraft said: It was an extremely brave thing for him to do.

He was fulfilling his job to protect the palace and those within it.

It is clear to me that Pc Palmer acted bravely, he did not shrink from performing his duty of protecting those in the Palace of Westminster.

Following the conclusions, counter-terrorism chief Neil Basu apologised on behalf of Scotland Yard and said the lost chance to save a brave and courageous officer was unacceptable.

The inquest, which is due to hear from Counter Terrorism Command officers, paramedics, and a parliamentary assistant who witnessed Masood being confronted, is due to last two weeks.
Man believed to have lived in the six-foot shed for 40 years (GLAA/PA)

An investigation is under way after a man believed to have lived in a six-foot shed for 40 years was rescued by specialist officers.

The 58-year-old was found at a residential site north of Carlisle in Cumbria in a dawn raid on Wednesday by officers from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).

The potential modern slavery victim was taken by specialist trauma officers to be medically examined and assessed, said GLAA.

A 79-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of modern slavery offences.

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In a statement, GLAA added: The operation has been supported by specialist officers from the National Crime Agency, the Cumbria Housing Department who are investigating possible health and safety breaches, and officers from Cumbria Police.

Modern slavery exists in a whole range of forms across the UK. If you suspect someone is being exploited or abused, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us.

Your call could be the difference between exploitation continuing and worsening or a victim being rescued and given the support that they desperately need.
The Prime Minister appealed to the party to unite behind her plan (Aaron Chown/PA)

A leading Tory Brexiteer has issued a new warning to Theresa May that she faces a Commons defeat if she presses ahead with her Chequers blueprint for Brexit.

Just hours after the Prime Minister appealed to the party to unite behind her plan, former Brexit minister Steve Baker, who quit over Chequers, urged her to avoid a political accident and rethink her approach to negotiations with Brussels.

Mr Baker, a leading member of the pro-Brexit Tory European Research Group, said even if only half the 80 Conservative MPs who had indicated their opposition to the plan actually voted against it would be enough to defeat the Government.

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In her closing address to the Conservative conference on Wednesday, Mrs May sought to rally her warring party with an appeal to back her proposed deal in the national interest.

She warned that if Tory MPs split in pursuing their perfect Brexit they risked ending up with no Brexit at all.

However Mr Baker  who backed former foreign secretary Boris Johnsons conference call to chuck Chequers  said she would face a substantial revolt unless she changed course.

Mr Baker has previously said there were 80 Tory MPs were prepared to vote for an amendment protesting against Chequers, which they believe keeps the UK too closely tied to the EU after Brexit.

We don't want to have this accident. We are trying very hard to avoid these circumstances arisingSteve Baker

While he acknowledged that supporting a protest motion was a different matter to voting down an actual deal, he said the Government whips would still struggle to get it through the House.

We dont want to have this accident. We are trying very hard to avoid these circumstances arising, he told ITVs Peston show.

Voting against a Chequers-based deal would be quite a high bar, I am not going to deny that. But what I am saying is that even if the whips did fantastically well and got the numbers down to 40 it still seems to me that it will be voted down.

I am trying very hard to avoid that by being very plain with everybody on the record what I expect to happen if a Chequers-based deal comes back.

His intervention suggests any breathing space won by Mrs May after what was generally a well-received conference speech in Birmingham may be short-lived.

The Prime Minister  who danced onto the platform to the strains of Abbas Dancing Queen  sought to lift the partys spirits raising the prospect of an end to a decade of austerity.

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At the same time, she insisted her Chequers plan was the only proposal that would honour the referendum vote to leave the EU while avoiding the return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

She was backed by the Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom  a prominent Leave campaigner in the referendum  who said it met her red lines for Brexit.

That is the only deal that is on the table, she told the Peston show.

It is also the only deal that keeps the United Kingdom together, that avoids hard infrastructure on at border between Northern Ireland and Ireland or  even worse  a border down the Irish Sea.

She refused to be drawn however on whether Mrs May should continue as Prime Minister after Britain has left the EU.

Thats all for the future. She has shown her absolute determination to fulfil the referendum. I just think politics is a short-term game, a week changes a lot, she said.

Meanwhile Nigel Dodds, the deputy leader of the DUP which props up the Government, in the Commons issued a fresh warning that they would not accept any deal which imposes a border checks between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

Mrs May has said she will come forward with revised proposals to try to break the deadlock with the EU over the so-called Irish backstop to prevent the return of a hard border if the two sides fail to reach a wider agreement on their future relationship.

Our position is very, very clear. There can be no new regulatory barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, Mr Dodds told the Peston show.
Nissan has warned that a hard Brexit will have serious implications for the carmakers Sunderland factory.

The Japanese firm, which employs about 8,000 in the UK, said that Britain crashing out of the EUs single market and customs union into World Trading Organisation rules would be detrimental to its operation.

Nissan uses its UK operations to export to the EU and benefits from being able to trade freely without customs checks or extra tariffs while Britain is a full member.

The company said in a statement on Thursday: As a sudden change from those rules to the rules of the WTO will have serious implications for British industry, we urge UK and EU negotiators to work collaboratively towards an orderly balanced Brexit that will continue to encourage mutually beneficial trade.

Since 1986, the UK has been a production base for Nissan in Europe. Our British-based research and development and design teams support the development of products made in Sunderland, specifically for the European market.

Today we are among those companies with major investments in the UK who are still waiting for clarity on what the future trading relationship between the UK and the EU will look likeNissan

Several high profile Conservatives, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, have come out in favour of Britain adhering to WTO rules after Brexit day.

The warning follows the Tory party conference, with Theresa Mays Government still in a negotiating deadlock with the EU over an exit deal.

As well as thousands of workers in Sunderland, Nissans supply chain network supports tens of thousands more jobs in the UK.

Sunderland voted to leave the EU on June 23 2016.

Frictionless trade has enabled the growth that has seen our Sunderland plant become the biggest factory in the history of the UK car industry, exporting more than half of its production to the EU, Nissan added.

Today we are among those companies with major investments in the UK who are still waiting for clarity on what the future trading relationship between the UK and the EU will look like.

It comes as several multinational firms pull jobs and operations out of the UK, amid growing concern over the Governments protracted negotiations and a no-deal scenario.

Planemaker Airbus warned in June it could quit the UK if Britain leaves without a trade deal, while several banks have moved staff and trading units to the EU.

Japanese firms have been among the most vocal when expressing fears over Brexit, with Panasonic the latest to announce plans to shift its European headquarters out of the UK.

It is thought there are 879 Japanese companies employing 142,000 staff in Britain, including Honda and Nissan.

A Government spokeswoman said: As we have always said, our top priority is to agree an ambitious future economic relationship with the EU, and we are confident that this is the most likely outcome of negotiations.

The government is determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for automotive and other advanced manufacturing.

Our proposals make plans for a UK-EU free trade area underpinned by a common rulebook on industrial goods.

However, a responsible government should prepare for all potential outcomes, including the unlikely scenario in which no mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached and that is exactly what we are doing.
Police Scotland have released images of a man they want to trace over a serious assault in January.

A 33-year-old man was left with serious facial injuries after he was attacked as he was crossing Castlemilk Road, near Kingsbridge Drive, in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, at 2.20pm on Sunday January 14.

The man officers want to speak to has been described as being aged between 30 and 40, 6ft, of medium build and he has a local accent.

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Pc Alan Smith has urged the man to get in contact.

We are appealing for the man in the image to come forward, or anyone who knows of him to get in contact, he said.

We believe he may be able to assist us in this inquiry.

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Anyone with information can contact police via 101, quoting incident number 2018 of January 14.
The surgery involves fat being taken from a part of the body and injected into the buttocks (PA)

Brazilian butt lifts should not be carried out in the UK, leading plastic surgeons have said, after reports of a second British death from the procedure.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) has advised its members to stop performing the cosmetic operation until more information about its safety is available.

The surgery, which involves fat being taken from a part of the body and injected into the buttocks, has been made popular by celebrities promoting a curvier figure, the organisation said.

However there is a risk that fat injected into large veins can travel to the heart or brain, leading to severe illness of death.

The surgery has the highest death rate of all cosmetic surgery procedures, Baaps said, at an estimated one-in-3,000 operations internationally.

Mother-of-three Leah Cambridge, 29, from Leeds, is said to have died in August after undergoing the procedure in Turkey.

Her family told The Sun at the time that she suffered three heart attacks during the operation.

A second British woman, in her late 20s, also died this year, the BBCs Victoria Derbyshire programme reported on Thursday.

It is not clear where the second woman underwent the operation but the programme said an inquest would take place within the next year.

Baaps, which represents the majority of NHS-trained consultant plastic surgeons in private practice, said it decided to warn its members not to perform the procedure before learning of the latest death.

Outgoing president Simon Withey said the news reinforces the importance of their recommendation.

Its quite difficult, while the rest of the world is carrying on accepting that this procedure takes places, to take a stand against it, he told a press conference.

You are potentially driving people from here to less safe environments elsewhere.

So I think it is important that the message is reinforced: there is nowhere internationally where this is particularly perceived as a safe operation.

The number of Brazilian butt lifts carried out in the UK is not known, but is thought to be relatively low.

Paul Harris, president-elect of Baaps, said: Its probably in the hundreds, maybe not multiple, multiple hundreds, but its not thousands, I wouldnt have thought.

Mary OBrien, an NHS consultant plastic surgeon at the Royal Derby Hospital, said: The problem is this is high-volume fat.

And if that fat ends up in a large vessel or a vein that you are going to have in the buttock area, it can get carried to the heart and to the lungs, and thats what causes the fatality.

Weve seen this with breast implants  the fashions change  and what governs those fashions? Its social media, it is a celebrity culturePlastic surgeon Mary O'Brien

Complications arising from the surgery can also include severe bacterial infections, scarring, tissue dying, wound ruptures and abscesses.

Baaps estimates that people who travel abroad for surgery and return to the UK with complications are costing the health service thousands of pounds.

One of the real problems that we face is people are drawn in to jumping on a plane for sun, sea, sand and surgery, and if it all goes well they come back on the plane, Ms OBrien said.

But then wheres their surgeon if things go wrong back home?

And if they have a complication out there, they cant get back to this country.

Ms OBrien, a Baaps council member, urged anyone considering the procedure to consider the possible risk to their health and the long-term effects of the surgery.

Weve seen this with breast implants  the fashions change  and what governs those fashions? Its social media, it is a celebrity culture.

You just have to be so careful that you tailor your surgery to that individual patient, and its not just a quick-fix.

It takes a lot of time discussion to get it right.
A man sits in the shade of a sheet of a corrugated tin surrounded by earthquake debris in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia (Dita Alangkara/AP)

UK aid agencies are launching a joint fundraising appeal to try and help the survivors of the Indonesia earthquake and tsunami.

More than 1,500 people are thought to be dead, missing or injured after last Fridays 7.5 magnitude tremor and wave.

Rescuers are struggling to reach devastated communities.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Indonesia Tsunami Appeal, which is being launched on Thursday, comes as authorities fear that casualties and the number of people who have been displaced will rise within days.

Up to 1.5 million people may have been affected.

DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed said: DEC member charities and their local partners are working closely with the Indonesian authorities to get aid to those who urgently need it, as well as helping survivors to cope with the trauma of the last few days.

As the full scale of the disaster unfolds, they are providing emergency relief and are ready to help devastated communities to rebuild their lives.

There is an urgent need for clean drinking water, food, medical care and shelter.

Please give generously and lets save the survivors.

Anyone wishing to make a donation can go online, at www.dec.org.uk, call the 24-hour hotline on 0370 60 60 900, donate over the counter at any high street bank or post office, or send a cheque.

A 5 donation can be made by texting SUPPORT to 70000.

DEC said that texts cost 5 and the whole 5 goes to the appeal.

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Mount Soputan in North Sulawesi has spewed ash nearly 20,000ft into the sky, prompting warnings over volcanic ash in the air and hampering aid efforts.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt has said that thousands of shelter kits, solar lanterns and water purifiers are being sent to the disaster zone.

Ms Mordaunt said: Its essential we get vital UK aid supplies, including shelter kits, to those affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia as quickly as possible.

This is extremely challenging given the devastation.

The UK is a leader in providing emergency humanitarian assistance when disaster strikes and our expertise will help greatly.

1,300 shelter kits

2,300 water purifiers

1,000 solar lanterns

The supplies are to try and help more than 70,000 people forced to flee their homes.

Supplies include 1,300 shelter kits, which can accommodate five people each, 2,300 water purifiers and 1,000 solar lanterns.

Ms Mordaunt has also pledged an extra 1 million in aid to support immediate relief efforts on the ground, taking the UK assistance to 3 million.

A team of five UK humanitarian experts left London for Sulawesi earlier this week, and are now helping to coordinate the humanitarian response on the ground.

A sixth team member has joined them, and the UK will keep its support under review.

The UK has also offered the use of HMS Argyll, currently located in Singapore, to support the humanitarian relief effort.

The government of Indonesia has thanked the UK Government for this offer, but said it is not needed at this time.

The Department for International Development (DfID) funding is on top of existing UK-funded support through humanitarian agencies on the ground.

These include the DfID-backed UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which has allocated 15 million US dollars to the Indonesia earthquake response.

DFID is the top global donor to the UN Emergency Response Fund  20% of all contributions in 2017  and we are proud that they are committing $15 million to the Indonesia earthquake response @UNOCHA @UNCERF  DFID (@DFID_UK) October 3, 2018

DfID provided 20% of all contributions to the fund in 2017.

The 15 million dollars will allow UN agencies and humanitarian organisations to rapidly scale up aid operations providing shelter, clean water and health support.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has almost 300 specialist volunteers and staff carrying out search and rescue missions and providing emergency health assistance on the ground.

The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) has made 1.5 million euro available to support the relief effort.
A handout photo from April of four GRU officers who entered the Netherlands (Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA)

Britain has warned Russia it could face new sanctions after accusing the Kremlin of attempting to hack the international body investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

Dutch authorities disclosed on Thursday how  with the help of UK intelligence  they thwarted an attempted cyber attack on the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague.

The incident  just weeks after the attempted poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal  led to the expulsion from the Netherlands of a four-man team from Russias GRU military intelligence service.

In a joint statement, Theresa May and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte condemned the unacceptable cyber activities of the GRU and vowed to work to uphold the rules-based international system.

Expand Close Russian passports belonging to (top row) Oleg Sotnikov (left), Aleksei Morenets, (bottom row) Evgenii Serebriakov (left) and Alexey Minin (Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Russian passports belonging to (top row) Oleg Sotnikov (left), Aleksei Morenets, (bottom row) Evgenii Serebriakov (left) and Alexey Minin (Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA)

The Russian foreign ministry dismissed the allegations as big fantasies and part of the Wests spy mania.

However in Washington, the US Department of Justice said it had indicted seven suspected GRU officers for malicious cyber activities against the US and its allies  including some of those named in connection with the OPCW attack.

Assistant attorney general John Demers said three of those charged had already been indicted by special prosecutor Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Details of the attempted attack on the OPCW were revealed at an extraordinary joint news conference at the Dutch Ministry of Defence with the British ambassador Peter Wilson.

He said that in the days and weeks which followed the Salisbury attack in March, a group of GRU hackers in Russia known as Sandworm had targeted both the Foreign Office and the Defence and Science Technology Laboratory at Porton Down which was investigating the incident.

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They were also said to have sent spear phishing emails to the headquarters of the OPCW  which was helping the UK authorities to identify the deadly nerve agent used in the attack  in an attempt to compromise its computers.

When that failed, a GRU close access team was sent from Russia to the Netherlands to try to penetrate their cyber defences from close quarters.

On April 13, the Dutch security service seized a hired car containing sophisticated hacking equipment the GRU men were using near the OPCW building.

While the Russians were escorted out of the country, investigators uncovered evidence that they had been preparing to travel on to Switzerland to target the OPCWs laboratory in Spiez.

They also found details of other operations some of the men had been involved in  including the hacking of the Malaysian investigation into the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine and the World Anti Doping Agency (Wada) in Switzerland.

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Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the disclosures were hard evidence of the activities of the unacceptable activities of the GRU which Britain has previously blamed for the Salisbury attack.

He said the Government would now be entering into discussions with allies on what new sanctions could be imposed against the Kremlin.

The Russian government needs to know that if they flout international law in this way, there will be consequences, they will be exposed, and people will see the Russian government for what they are, he said.

The Dutch authorities  who released CCTV images of the four men arriving at Schiphol Airport  said they had all been travelling on official Russian diplomatic passports.

They were named in them as Alekski Morenets and Evgenii Serebriakov, described as a cyber operators, and Oleg Soktnikov and Alexey Minin, who were said to have provided humint (human intelligence) support.

Defence minister Ank Bijleveld said: The cyber operation targeting the OPCW is unacceptable. Our exposure of this Russian operation is intended as an unambiguous message that the Russian Federation must refrain from such actions.

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance stood in solidarity with the decision by the Dutch and British governments to call out Russia for its actions.

Russia must stop its reckless pattern of behaviour, including the use of force against its neighbours, attempted interference in election processes, and widespread disinformation campaigns, he said.
Boracay Island, once associated with wild parties and unrestricted tours, will reopen on Oct. 26 under strict state rules that aim to limit arrivals in the famous tourist destination.

Alcohol drinking and smoking will be banned along the beach areas of the island, while only 19,000 tourists will be allowed at any time. The government is imposing the rules to protect the islands fragile ecosystem. Up to 40,000 beachgoers unwound on its sand and swam in its once-pristine waters during peak periods in the past. Boracay, before President Rodrigo Duterte ordered its closure to visitors in April, attracted two-million tourists annually, pumping about $1 billion in revenues into the economy. READ: Partys over: Government sets crackdown on beach revelry in reopened Bora Much has been doneor undone on Boracay since Duterte described it as a cesspool and authorized its closure. Bars, restaurants and hotels were demolished to restore a 30-meter stretch of sand between the water and tourist areas. Environment Undersecretary Sherwin Rigor said these would be off-limits to drinking, smoking, weddings, vendors, and massage providersactivities that can be done inside hotels and restaurants. The government, in addition, will limit tourist accommodations to 6,000 hotel rooms, or half the current total. The rest of the hotel and vacation facilities are expected to go out of business after failing to comply with environmental and other regulations. Boracay hotels, according to the environment official, are now required to put up their own sewage treatment plants to clean up the island.It is too early to tell if the government can successfully implement the rigid rules once tourism activities pick up pace on the island. But authorities should be reminded of the environmental disaster that struck Thailands famous Maya Bay immortalized in the movie The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The Thai government is closing the beach indefinitely after a temporary ban on visitors just expired. Thailand, after shutting down the tourist destination in June because of beach erosion and pollution, learned later that the damage to the environment was worse than it had thought. Maya Bays beach as well as the plants that cover it were completely destroyed. Maya Bays shores have been degraded as a result of the 5,000 tourists flocking the area daily. Trees and smaller vegetation, according to a Thai official, have been gradually uprooted after the white sands receded. Lessons should be learned from the Thailand experience before Boracay turns into another wasteland.
Conor McGregor may be preparing for one of the biggest fights of his life, but its his son who grabbed the attention onstage in Las Vegas.

The 30-year-old is preparing for a UFC lightweight title fight against undefeated Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov in the US city, where he trained in an open workout on Wednesday  and decided to bring one-year-old Conor Jr along.

Conor McGregor Jr. is just a year old, but already has his dad's swagger. pic.twitter.com/GlESE3Oc2V  ESPN (@espn) October 4, 2018

Adorable and confident, little Conor Jrs performance stole the show.

Conor Jr is DRIPPING swag right now at Open Workouts. #UFC229 pic.twitter.com/SJ5jWYiBxY  Robbie Fox (@RobbieBarstool) October 4, 2018

The littler McGregors swashbuckling charge went down brilliantly with the audience gathered to watch his dad spar  and it drew some comparisons too.

Like father, like son 



Conor Jnr stole the show at the#UFC229 open workouts! pic.twitter.com/2GT36gHojx  UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) October 4, 2018

He already doing the milli dollar walk pic.twitter.com/cF7vrtDOLv  Logan Dixon (@Noodle504) October 4, 2018

After Conor Jr had shown off his moves on the mats though, his dad came out to display what he can do too.

McGregor and Nurmagomedovs fight at the T-Mobile Arena has been billed as the biggest in the UFCs history as the Irishman looks to make a statement against the person who succeeded him as 155lb champion.

Nurmagomedov, 30, has won 26 fights in the octagon and lost none but McGregor said after the open workout he plans to take his head off at UFC 229.

Saturday night: Youre in for a show, trust me on that, he told the crowd. Im going to take his head off. Trust me.

(It will be a) devastating KO. (Nurmagomedov is) too easy to hit, too flat-footed, too predictable, Im going to knock him clean out.
South Carolina state troopers gather near the neighbourhood where several law enforcement officers were shot (Sean Rayford/AP)

Seven South Carolina law enforcement officers have been shot, one fatally, in a confrontation with a suspect who held children hostage in a home and fired on deputies, officials said.

The suspect was taken into custody after a two-hour standoff.

Spokesman John Wukela in the city of Florence, where the deadly encounter occurred, gave an updated total on Wednesday evening of officers felled by gunfire, speaking at an emotional news conference.

Expand Close Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone, from left, Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler and Florence County Chief Deputy Glenn Kirby speak after the shooting (Jeffrey Collins/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone, from left, Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler and Florence County Chief Deputy Glenn Kirby speak after the shooting (Jeffrey Collins/AP)

Major Mike Nunn, with the Florence County Sheriffs Department, said officers were serving a warrant when the suspect began shooting, wounding three deputies.

The deputies had to be removed using a bulletproof vehicle.

Then, four Florence police officers were shot while trying to respond to the initial gunfire, said Allen Heidler, the Florence police chief.

Mr Wukela identified the deceased officer to The Associated Press as Terrence Carraway of Darlington.

Mr Carraway, 52, had just celebrated 30 years as a police officer in the city, Mr Wukela said.

He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. An autopsy will be performed at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, according to the coronors office.

I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known, Mr Heidler said, visibly overcome by emotion at the news conference.

Mr Nunn said the suspect held off police for two hours  holding children hostage in his home  before eventually being taken into custody.

He would not release the suspects name or condition and other details were not immediately disclosed.

Condolences and outpourings of support rolled in at news of the shooting.

This is simply devastating news from Florence. The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real. (1/2)  Gov. Henry McMaster (@henrymcmaster) October 3, 2018

This is simply devastating news from Florence, Governor Henry McMaster tweeted. The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real.

President Donald Trump said his thoughts were with the sheriffs office and police department.

He said on Twitter: My thoughts and prayers are with the Florence County Sheriffs Office and the Florence Police Department tonight, in South Carolina. We are forever grateful for what our Law Enforcement Officers do 24/7/365.

Thom Berry, spokesman for the State Law Enforcement Division, said the agency had sent crime scene technicians to assist officials in Florence but at this time had not been requested to help with any investigation.

Authorities said the shootings happened in Vintage Place, an upscale neighbourhood in the western part of the city.
Lawyers for a woman accusing Cristiano Ronaldo of raping her nine years ago have said that their client has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and depression, conditions they argue would have made her legally incompetent to reach a non-disclosure agreement.

Kathryn Mayorga did not appear with her lawyers at a news conference in Las Vegas the same day that Ronaldo denied the rape accusations, using Twitter to say he had a clear conscience as he awaits results of any and all investigations.

I firmly deny the accusations, he said.

Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense.

Ms Mayorgas lawyer Larissa Drohobyczer told reporters of a psychiatrists recent medical opinion, saying: These (psychological) injuries rendered Kathryn incompetent to participate in the negotiations and settlement and non-disclosure in 2010.

Expand Close Lawyer Larissa Drohobyczer (John Locher/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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The argument previews claims Ms Drohobyczer and law partner Leslie Stovall would make when asking a judge to void the non-disclosure agreement that the lawyers say Ms Mayorga signed while accepting a 375,000 US dollar (268,000) payment from Ronaldo.

Ms Drohobyczer and Mr Stovall spoke of Ms Mayorga on Wednesday by name. Ms Drohobyczer told the Associated Press on Tuesday that Ms Mayorga gave consent to have her name made public.

Expand Close Lawyer Leslie Stovall speaks during the news conference (John Locher/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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A civil lawsuit filed last week in state court also seeks monetary damages that Mr Stovall said could, counting compensatory and punitive damages, amount to many times more than the minimum 200,000 US dollars (154,000) sought under Nevada state law.

Lawyer David Chesnoff in Las Vegas, who was hired on Wednesday by Ronaldo, issued a statement categorically denying the allegations and expressing complete faith in the justice system.

Mr Chesnoff said Las Vegas police investigated Ms Mayorgas sexual assault claim in 2009 and did not recommend the filing of criminal charges.

The civil lawsuit filed on September 27 in state court in Las Vegas alleges Ronaldo raped Ms Mayorga in his penthouse suite at a Las Vegas hotel and hired a team of what the document called fixers to pressure Ms Mayorga to keep quiet.

I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense.  Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) October 3, 2018

My clear conscious will thereby allow me to await with tranquillity the results of any and all investigations.  Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) October 3, 2018

Earlier this week, the 33-year-old Portuguese player used social media to label the allegation fake news.

Ms Drohobyczer acknowledged that Ms Mayorga accepted the money nine years ago because she never wanted her name made public.

Las Vegas police said they would not be releasing the report that Ms Mayorga filed the day she said she was attacked, because the investigation is open.

Ms Mayorga also was influenced in recent months by the #MeToo movement, Ms Drohobyczer said.

The civil lawsuit in Clark County District Court accuses Ronaldo or those working for him of acts of conspiracy, coercion and fraud, defamation, battery, breach of contract and negligence for allowing details of the confidential settlement to become public.
A son of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin will spend a year in custody after a judge ruled that allegations he hit a woman disqualified him from a therapeutic programme for military veterans tied to a separate assault case.

Track Palin, 29, has been accused of three attacks on people close to him over the past few years, the most recent coming last week against a female acquaintance.

Palin, who served a year in Iraq, entered a programme intended to rehabilitate veterans after he was arrested for an alleged assault on his father less than a year ago.

Anchorage District Court Judge David Wallace told Palin he had violated conditions of a plea agreement in the earlier case and must report to a halfway house at the end of the month.

Expand Close Track Palin, centre, and his father Todd, right, at a hearing in Veterans Court (Bob Hallinen/Anchorage Daily News/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Track Palin, centre, and his father Todd, right, at a hearing in Veterans Court (Bob Hallinen/Anchorage Daily News/AP)

The Department of Corrections will determine if he serves time at the halfway house or behind bars. Anchorage district attorney Richard Allen said jail time is unlikely.

The judge could have chosen to let Palin remain in Alaska Veterans Court, which gives eligible former service members the option of enrolling in mental health treatment instead of a traditional sentence.

Before Judge Wallace issued his decision, Palin said he appreciated the opportunity to participate in the programme in Anchorage. He acknowledged it was a challenge taking part because he had to come in from the Mat-Su Valley, about 45 miles away.

Palin attended the hearing with his father Todd, who also spoke briefly in court, saying he hoped his son would be allowed to remain in veterans court.

Asked if they wanted to comment before the hearing, Todd Palin declined. Track Palin said: Pay me, I will.

Track Palin was arrested on Friday night after a female acquaintance said he told her she could not leave his house in Wasilla, took away her phone and then hit her on the head, according to court documents.

The woman said the pair wrestled over the phone and Palin let her leave after she screamed for help, according to an affidavit by Alaska State Troopers. They said Palin told them the two were arguing over how they said goodbye and that any injuries the woman had were self-inflicted.

Authorities said he also kicked over a table and threw his head back at a trooper as he was arrested. Palin is in jail facing misdemeanour charges including assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Last December, he was accused of breaking into his parents home and leaving his father bleeding from cuts on his head, authorities have said. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in veterans court.

Palins arrangement called for him to serve 10 days in jail if he completed the therapeutic programme and a year behind bars if he did not.

Palin also was accused of punching his then-girlfriend in 2016, court documents said. He pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm while intoxicated, and the other charges were dismissed.

Sarah Palin indicated that post-traumatic stress disorder might have been a factor in that case.
Two extreme skiers who overcame threatening weather conditions and equipment problems to ski down from the summit of the worlds fourth-highest peak have returned safely from the mountain.

James Morrison, from Tahoe, California, and Hilaree Nelson, from Telluride, Colorado, arrived in Nepals capital Kathmandu looking forward to a break after becoming the first people to ski down from Mount Lhotses 8,516-metre (27,940ft) summit.

They were the only team in the Mount Everest-Lhotse region during the autumn season, which is less popular with climbers than the spring season because of poorer weather.

Lhotse is a sister peak of Everest and the two mountains share most of the same climbing route.

I was scared but I like to be a little scaredHilaree Nelson

The skiers said they faced problems and delays but were able to complete their mission over the weekend.

There were a few times when it was more difficult than I thought it was going to be and I thought we might not make it, but not because I was going to die but just because I was going to give up, Ms Nelson said.

They said the snow conditions were difficult because it was right after the monsoon season, which brings rain to the rest of the country but large amounts of snow in the mountains.

They also knew high winds were heading their way and they needed to finish before the winds arrived.

Ms Nelson said they tried to climb the mountain without using oxygen tanks but the last part was very difficult and they were forced to use supplemental oxygen.

Other climbers have skied down Everest but this is the first time anyone has done it on Lhotse.

Expand Close James Morrison hugs Hilaree Nelson as the pair arrive in Kathmandu (Niranjan Shrestha/AP) AP / Facebook

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Whatsapp James Morrison hugs Hilaree Nelson as the pair arrive in Kathmandu (Niranjan Shrestha/AP)

Ms Nelson said she decided to try it when she climbed both Everest and Lhotse in 2012.

I was scared but I like to be a little scared, she said about the moment she strapped on her skis and began descending the 60 degree slope.

Mr Morrison said they had planned to begin in early September but it was pushed back due to delays in getting equipment to the mountain.

I always had doubts but I was pretty determined to make it work. I had pretty good confidence, he said.

The weather was an issue, our equipment was an issue, the weather in Kathmandu and getting our equipment flown up there was an issue. I was always fearful but we just kept on pushing.

Their team, which included two other climbers and some Nepalese Sherpa guides, was the only one at the base camp and had to climb on its own.

The base camp is normally crowded with hundreds of climbers and guides during the popular spring season who help place ropes and ladders along the path to the summit.
On October 1 the Police Service of Northern Ireland launched a new recruitment campaign for 400 officers and this led to some discussion about the level of recruitment among Catholics.

Deputy Chief Constable Stephen Martin said that Catholic recruitment had stalled and called for those with influence in the Catholic community to advocate and encourage people to consider joining the police. Indeed, he made specific mention of the role of Sinn Fein.

However, in a comment that was both unwise and unhelpful, he added that a return to a 50:50 recruitment process should not be ruled out.

The Patten Report, which was published in 1999 and led to the creation of the PSNI in 2001, recommended 50:50 recruitment for a period of 10 years to increase the percentage of Catholics in the service.

This was adopted by the United Kingdom Government and so 50% of recruits had to be from the Catholic community. Minister of State Adam Ingram stated in the Commons that this was "positive discrimination" and it continued for 10 years until 2011.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein held back on support for the PSNI until 2007. Even then its support was less than wholehearted. Gerry Adams told party meetings that they intended "putting manners" on the police and one delegate at the ard fheis said that they needed to get inside the "rat's nest" of the police force to destroy it.

So, where are we? A Deloitte report into police recruitment published in December 2016 showed that 31% of applicants were from the Catholic community, which was close to the 35% key performance indicator set for the previous recruitment campaign. However, when it came to appointments the figure dropped to 19%.

Research also revealed an under-representation of female officers, an underrepresentation of recruits from working-class Protestant communities and also from west of the Bann.

However, Sinn Fein latched on to the issue of Catholic recruitment, the SDLP followed, and they have continued to demand the return of "positive discrimination" in favour of Catholics.

In so doing they avoid the under-representation of women and the underrepresentation of working-class Protestants, which 50:50 will do nothing to address.

They also avoid the awkward questions about why this situation has arisen in the first place.

That is why it is worth recalling the comment of Chief Constable George Hamilton in November 2017 when he said that Sinn Fein and the GAA were failing to encourage nationalists to join the PSNI.

Indeed, he might have gone further and said that not only was Sinn Fein failing to encourage Catholics, by its actions it was really discouraging Catholics.

Sinn Fein wants to rewrite the history of the Troubles in order to sanitise and legitimise the IRA, and that requires it to demonise the RUC.

It also means that it wants to undermine the credibility of the PSNI and the force's investigations into the past.

Sinn Fein also wants to demonstrate to its core support that it is keeping faith with the past.

Just think of the Sinn Fein calendar of commemorations for IRA men, members of a terrorist organisation that murdered 277 police officers.

Furthermore, Sinn Fein wants to portray Northern Ireland as a "cold house for Catholics", and the reintroduction of 50:50 recruitment would be used by it as "proof" of that false assertion.

Connolly House is a "factory of grievances" and those manufactured grievances are a key part of the Sinn Fein strategy.

That's why Deputy Chief Constable Martin was unwise to say that 50:50 recruitment should not be ruled out.

If that is what Sinn Fein wants - and it does - then the possibility of 50:50 will merely be an incentive to continue its current approach.

It is certainly not an incentive for it to step up to the mark and demonstrate integrity and leadership by actively encouraging Catholic recruitment.

The way forward for recruitment in not through the return of institutionalised discrimination, but rather by pressing Sinn Fein to abandon its duplicity.

It talks a lot about honesty and integrity, but it shows very little sign of either.
It was a battle most of us have never heard of which took part in Zambia, and continued for a day after the First World War had ended elsewhere.

But the exploits of a Newry soldier in that conflict 100 years ago is being remembered with an invitation to his grandson to attend a commemoration to mark the centenary of the battle.

That is a tremendous gesture in recognition of the selfless service given by so many. Although there is nobody left alive who fought in the war the tales of their heroism continue to resonate. It's right we remember those who served so that succeeding generations could live in freedom, men like that Newry soldier.
Over many years I have engaged with and listened to victims from right across the political spectrum recount countless stories of pain, injury and loss.

For the families who are waiting 45 years on access to the basic right of an inquest into their loved one's death, I have heard their frustrations. For many of them, time is not on their side and that wrong must be righted.

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For all those seriously physically and psychologically injured, I have heard and listened to their immediate needs. I have engaged with families who are frustrated by protracted delays where the state has held back reports, information and documentation. We have seen thousands of people take to the streets of Belfast in February demanding the right to truth.

I want families to know that we in Sinn Fein have listened to your stories of injury and loss, your need for acknowledgement and your hopes for a better future. Your views have informed our approach to the legacy consultation which we published yesterday.

Implementing and participating in the legacy mechanisms will undoubtedly be an immensely difficult and painful process for families seeking answers into the death of a loved one, those injured, and society more generally.

We have to get it right. Families have faced too many false dawns and the legislation that emerges from this consultation must put their needs at the centre, not the needs of vested or political interests. Notwithstanding the risks, the new Stormont House Agreement legacy architecture has the potential to comprehensively engage with the past and facilitate a wider conversation about the future and building a society defined by the protection of rights for all.

Full implementation of legacy mechanisms agreed at Stormont House is key to realising that potential.

They must be implemented and they must be operated on the basis of equality, dignity and respect for all.

That will create the very real potential to write the words of a new chapter of the peace process.

Such an opportunity must not be squandered. This will require all sides to acknowledge, uphold and protect the rights of all victims.

It will require a collective focus on healing all the wounds of the past. It will require affirmation, sensitivity and generosity. It will require thinking and actions that are not defined by sectarian, sectional, party political or self-interest. It will require political leadership.

Now is the time to engage with the past.

But it is also time to build for the future.

Michelle O'Neill is deputy leader of Sinn Fein
The tour will showcase Artificial Intelligence innovations covering AI Cloud architecture, AI technologies, AI products, and other vertical solutions, especially for Intelligent Traffic Systems.

Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd. (Hikvision) is embarking on an AI Tour across 40 countries spanning Asia, Africa, Middle East, Oceania, and Latin America until November this year.Entitled Shaping Intelligence: Hikvision AI Tour 2018 Philippines, the tour is now on its next stop in the Philippines on Oct. 18 at the Marco Polo in Ortigas, Manila. The tour will showcase Artificial Intelligence innovations covering AI Cloud architecture, AI technologies, AI products, and other vertical solutions, especially for Intelligent Traffic Systems. Iontech Inc., one of the key players in the Information Technology distribution industry in the country, has partnered with Hikvision to bring the AI tour to the Philippines. As we promote reliable computer systems and communication devices in the Philippines, we continue to look at revolutionary technologies like AI. AI is changing the world, and its enabling businesses all over the world address modern problems in an intelligent and efficient way. Were very excited to partner with Hikvision to showcase the power of AI, said Iontechs Product Group Head, Evelyn Ativo.Hikvision is the worlds leading provider of innovative security products and solutions based in Hangzhou, China. Empowered by AI and years of expertise, it is now a pioneer in intelligent video surveillance. It has created diversified products and solutions that utilize AI to address todays modern challenges: Intelligent Traffic System  Hikvision Intelligent Traffic Solution helps reduce impact from events and incidents on heavily trafficked roads and motorways. Smart Retail  Hikvision Smart Retail Solution packs video surveillance, business intelligence, and parking area data into complete end-to-end solutions for various shopping areas. See how AI technology is transforming video surveillance at the Philippine leg of the Hikvision AI Tour. Visit https://www.facebook.com/ HikvisionPhilippines/ for more details.
Indonesian military personnel unload aid from a Singapore Air Force cargo plane at the Mutiara Sis Al-Jufri airport in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Oct. 4, 2018.

Updated at 12:14 p.m. ET on 2018-10-05

Foreign cargo planes with relief goods began arriving in Indonesia on Thursday, while officials warned the death toll could climb as the fate of residents in outlying districts remained unknown almost a week after a quake and tsunami obliterated Sulawesi island.

The death toll from the Sept. 28 double disaster rose to 1,424 on Thursday while about 2,550 people have been hospitalized after suffering serious injuries, the National Disaster Management Agency said.

Most of the casualties are in the provincial capital Palu, a coastal city of about 374,000 people, but reports have emerged of dozens of bodies being recovered in the neighboring regencies of Sigi and Donggala.

With many people who lived in houses swallowed by mud in several neighborhoods still unaccounted for, the death toll is expected to climb, disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

Eleven countries are sending aircraft to deliver supplies and take part in the relief effort to alleviate the suffering of more than 70,000 displaced by the disaster.

Five aircraft were scheduled to arrive on Thursday, while 15 were expected in the coming days, Indonesian Air Force chief Yuyu Sutisna said.

An Australian Air Force plane carrying clothes, bedding, tools, tarpaulins and food arrived on Thursday, while two Singapore Hercules C-130s were on standby in the port city of Balikpapan on Borneo island, Yuyu said.

The United States will send three Hercules C-130 cargo planes, he said.

The arrival of the aircraft doesnt mean that the problem of logistics is over, because the slots at the airport in Palu are very limited, he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM) to play a major role in coordinating and extending assistance for Indonesia.

It is heartbreaking to learn about the news and, as neighbors, we do not want to be sitting and watching from the sidelines, Mahathir said during a speech in Putrajaya, Malaysias administrative capital.

The European Union has pledged around 8 million euros (U.S. $9.2 million) in humanitarian aid to Indonesia and offered water purification equipment, emergency shelters, generators and other essential supplies, officials said.

Palu residents carry chicken they bought from a market which reopened days after a powerful quake and tsunami battered Indonesias Central Sulawesi province, Oct. 4, 2018. [Keisyah Aprilia/BenarNews]

Shops reopen, provide semblance of normalcy

In Palu, about 1,500 km (937 miles) northeast of Jakarta, some shops in the Masomba traditional market reopened on Thursday, providing a semblance of normalcy amid widespread devastation.

Im grateful that the market is open, though many shops are still closed, said Jumyati, a 41-year-old housewife.

I just bought rice, fish and some spices. Its enough for home cooking, she said.

Palu has been the focus of rescue efforts since the quake spawned a tsunami and caused the earth to turn into mud, swallowing homes and causing buildings to collapse.



International aid agencies said delivery of relief goods had been hampered by broken roads, downed power lines and crippled communications.

We went to Sigi today, and this is what the road to that area looks like, Iris van Deinse, who works for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), posted on her Twitter page. The ambulance couldnt get through and the team needed to walk.

She posted photos of cracked roads and a delivery truck partially swallowed by the ground that rose several feet into the air.

Reports of more bodies found in remote areas were starting to trickle in.

Power out

Parts of Palu were without electricity almost a week after the disaster.

At a camp for the displaced outside a mosque in the citys west, survivors told BenarNews they had received food but little else.

When it gets dark people just go to sleep, because theres little else they can do without electricity, said Muhammad Fadlin, 32, a fisherman whose house was destroyed in the quake.

Mangge Alfian said he was selling fish in the Lere market near the coast of the Gulf of Palu when the magnitude 7.4 quake struck.

He ran as fast as he could to his house nearby to save his wife and his daughter, but found other houses in the neighborhood obliterated.

I panicked and got into a neighbors car, he said, teary eyed.

He later learned a tsunami following the quake destroyed the neighborhood.

When I heard the news, I resigned to myself. I dont know the fate of my wife and child. I was told that my dead bodies were found there, he said.

If theyre dead, I let them go.

On Wednesday, the Geneva-based IFRC tweeted that its volunteers were the first aid workers to reach Petobo village where they recovered 14 bodies after going through debris and thick mud.

Elsewhere, survivors have started to rebuild their lives.

Residents in the Kabonga Besar village in Donggala regency were hopeful things would get better, even though shops remained closed and essential goods were hard to find.

We have ordered rice, cooking oil, sugar, eggs from Makassar and once they arrive we will start selling, said Mastur, a shop owner at the Pasar Ganti market.

Resident Mirsan said he was grateful to receive aid, but did not want to be reliant on handouts.

I hope the market will open soon, he said.

Meanwhile, police said they had arrested 42 people who took advantage of the chaos by allegedly looting shopping malls.

They are accused of stealing bags of cacao, food, boxes of ceramics, corrugated roofing materials and other goods, police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said.

Authorities also are cracking down on social media users who spread unfounded rumors about impending disasters.

Police have arrested nine people since Tuesday for spreading messages that big earthquakes would strike in other places, including Jakarta, said police spokesman Setyo Wasisto.

Television news reports early this week showed footage of people looting a mall, but recovery was evident on Thursday as banks reopened and a major mobile phone network was back in service, Reuters said, adding fuel shipments have started arriving.

International charity group Oxfam said it was working to provide clean water, hygiene kits and shelter packs to about 500,000 people.

In many areas of Palu and surrounding towns, there is no running water and few working toilets and sanitation is a serious concern, Ancilla Bere, Oxfam manager in Indonesia, told BenarNews.

Ahmad Syamsudin in Jakarta and Ali Nufael from Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.
Police provide security for Rosmah Mansor, wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, as she leaves the Jalan Duta Court building in Kuala Lumpur after being charged with money laundering and tax fraud, Oct. 4, 2018.

The wife of former Malaysian leader Najib Razak pleaded not guilty Thursday to 12 money laundering and five tax fraud charges linked to a multibillion-dollar graft scandal that helped topple the previous government.

Rosmah Mansor, 66, and her husband, Najib, are facing a graft probe related to the billions of dollars that prosecutors said were misappropriated from the state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Rosmahs charge sheets did not mention 1MDB, but anti-grant agents arrested her Wednesday after her third round of questioning at the headquarters of the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Putrajaya, where she spent the night under detention.

Lawyers said she was questioned about the fund.

MACC prosecutors alleged that almost 7.1 million ringgit (U.S. $1.7 million) were funneled in to her personal bank account from 2013 to 2017. They also accused her of having directly engaged in transactions that involved proceeds of unlawful activity, referring to money laundering.

The charges against Rosmah, if she is found guilty, carry sentences of between five and 15 years in prison and possible fines.

The judge in the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur, where the charges were filed, allowed Rosmah to post a bail of 2 million ringgit ($482,000). She paid 500,000 ringgit ($120,690) on Thursday and has been ordered to pay the balance by Oct. 11.

The court will announce the trial date later, lawyers said.

Najib, 65, also appeared Thursday in the High Court, in the same Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in Jalan Duta, for pre-trial hearing in connection with 1MDB-related charges lodged against him. He has denied any wrongdoings.

Najib tweeted late Wednesday following Rosmahs detention that he will not cease praying and will put his trust in Allah.

The former prime minister faces a total of 32 charges related to the 1MDB corruption probe. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison for the abuse of power counts and up to 15 years for the money laundering charges, lawyers said. He is also free on 3.5 million ringgit (nearly $850,000) bail.

Rosmah lead attorney Geethan Ram Vincent told reporters the charge sheets did not make any mention of 1MDB.

However, if the prosecution wanted to relate it (in the trial later), it is up to them, he said.

Calm in court

Rosmah, wearing an orange traditional dress known as baju kurung and a headscarf, smiled when she arrived at court.

She appeared to be calm when the court interpreter read out the charges and responded by shaking or nodding her head.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, 93, revived the 1MDB probe after leading the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan to triumph in the May 9 general election and barred Najib and Rosmah from leaving the country.

Rosmah, whose lavish lifestyle and penchant for luxury Hermes Birkin bags has been subject of criticism, has been widely compared to former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos, who left behind thousands of pairs of designer shoes when she fled the presidential palace with her husband in 1986.

The charges against Rosmah were filed more than four months after Malaysian police raided a former office and residences linked to Najib and removed 567 designer handbags, hundreds of Swiss-made watches and dozens of suitcases containing cash and 12,000 pieces of jewelry. Authorities said cash seized totaled 114 million ringgit ($28.75 million) while the items seized were valued at as much as 1.1 billion ringgit ($273 million).

In August 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it was pursuing criminal action against those involved in the fraudulent diversion of funds from 1MDB, which Najib formed in 2009 ostensibly to pursue projects that would benefit Malaysian citizens.

Mahathir Mohamad told reporters that Rosmahs arrest and the filing of charges were in accordance with the law.



No one is above the law.  There is no idea about revenge or anything like that, he said Thursday morning. The law says if you take money or steal money you will be charged.

Najib and Rosmah, who arrived at the court complex separately, left the building together.
Activists protest the 46th anniversary of the 1972 martial law declaration by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Sept. 21, 2018.

Philippine police said they killed 14 suspected drug pushers and addicts Thursday in the central city of Cebu, a week after President Rodrigo Duterte admitted to extrajudicial killings in his two-year-old anti-drug campaign.

The latest deaths add to the estimated 4,500 suspects slain in alleged gun battles acknowledged by police. But rights groups claim that more than 12,000 suspects, including those slain by vigilantes, have been killed so far.

Lawmen killed one suspect each in three villages of Cebu City where they launched their operation, police investigator Antonio Din said. Six suspects who resisted arrest were killed in nearby city of Talisay while in the village of Malubong, also in Cebu, five more suspected drug pushers and addicts were killed in another police operation, he said.

I dont like to make any comment until and unless an investigation is made because its difficult that we havent heard the side of the police, said Cebu city council member Raymond Arvin Garcia. But at any rate, thats an alarming situation.

The intensified police operations came a week after Duterte for the first time admitted that extrajudicial killings had occurred in his governments drug war. Rights groups said the comment could be used by investigators studying two cases lodged against him at the International Criminal Court.

Human rights lawyer Neri Colmenares, a former member of the House of Representatives whose law firm is representing one group of complainants, said legally, the admission can be used against him as evidence.

Morally, hes a man who knows what he is doing is wrong, a sin, yet he persists in these killings and in the thousands, Colmenares told BenarNews. President Duterte is beyond salvation.

Were glad he made that admission in another of his unguarded moments as this is an evidence that the ICC should consider, he added.

He challenged Duterte to claim before the ICC that what he said was just a joke, but the ICC, he believed, would not be swayed with his recantation.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano had defended the drug war before the United Nations, saying it prevented the Philippines from becoming a narco-state.

On Thursday, Jacqueline Ann de Guia, spokeswoman of the independent Commission on Human Rights, said Duterte had clearly recognized extrajudicial killings (EJK) occurred under his presidency.

We harp again our call to address this problem by bringing all EJK cases to court and ensuring all perpetrators are made accountable and justice be given to all the victims and their families, she said.

De Guia said that amid the culture of impunity in the Philippines, the government has a duty to protect its citizens rather than downplay Dutertes pronouncement.

This insults the grief and suffering of the families of victims, devalues further the lives that were lost, and trivializes the growing plea for justice, she said. We seek to remind that the prime duty of the government is to serve and protect the people.
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
Bitcoin Time for More Action?

Bitcoin has been moving up for some time now. The path to higher values has been a rocky one and Bitcoin bulls might be getting some encouragement. Whether this translates to a bullish outlook is another question entirely.



Not all governments are hostile to Bitcoin. Actually, a lot of governments are simply not sure what Bitcoin is and how to approach it. The government of Malta stands out as an example of how officials might actually try to understand the currency and regulate it. In an article on CoinDesk, we read:



Now, in an address to the United Nation's General Assembly, Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has said he sees blockchain technology as the tool which will allow bitcoin and crypto to "inevitably" gain widespread, mass adoption and become the future of money.

Muscat has previously said he believes bitcoin and blockchain have the ability to eliminate third party service providers, giving users more freedom over information and money.()"By being the first jurisdiction worldwide to regulate this new technology that previously existed in a legal vacuum. Blockchain makes cryptocurrencies inevitable future of money. More transparent, it helps filter good business from bad business.This is a pretty interesting development. We are actually seeing one country talking about regulating Bitcoin and including it in the financial system. Is this a breakthrough? For starters, it is hard to overlook the fact that Malta is a rather small country. This means that whatever its government does, doesnt necessarily have to have any impact on the developments in the broad Bitcoin market. But we cant brush this event off either.The willingness of one government to regulate Bitcoin provides us with a hint that it might not be completely unreasonable to expect governments to regulate Bitcoin in the years to come. So, Malta gives us something to look forward to. That is, we are on the lookout for systemically important countries changing their approach to Bitcoin. For instance, any similar comments from the U.S. government could be interpreted as bullish. We are not at this point yet, though.On BitStamp, Bitcoin has been, on average, trading higher in the last three weeks. This might be encouraging for Bitcoin bulls. But is it a game-changer?In our opinion, it is not. Even though the currency has been generally trending higher, there are still other factors to consider. One of them is the fact that the most prominent moves to the upside took Bitcoin above the 50%but were stopped by the 38.2% level. Second, the currency is now back below the 50% level and this suggests that the recent move up might have broken down. Third, the recent two local tops  the last two ones formed in the last month  follow aof a lower top, which suggests that the move up might have dried up.The mentioned factorsThe action of the last three weeks looks like a correction within a more pronounced move down. The immediate level to which Bitcoin could drop is slightly above $6,000. It could turn out to be the trigger for more action to the downside.On the long-term Bitfinex chart, we are seeing a move to the upside but it is pretty clear that this move pales in comparison with other moves from the not-so-distant future.The long-term chart also provides us with an indication that Bitcoin seems to be dancing around the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement level based on the rally from around $3,000 to the all-time high around $20,000. This line seems to have coincided with the February bottom, the April one, and the currency has been moving around it since mid-June. If we see a sustained move below this line, then it mightBut theres another level quite close, which could also turn out to be the beginning of more significant declines. Namely, $6,000 is thesuggested by a different set of Fibonacci retracements (the ones based on the February rally) and by recent lows. It would seem that together, these two levels suggest that theAnd were right at the upper boarder of this area (at the moment of writing).It is entirely possible that we could see a move up from the current levels, but the signals that we see in the market suggest a bearish outlook. Any move to the upside from here might beand quickly reversed to the downside.

If you have enjoyed the above analysis and would like to receive free follow-ups, we encourage you to sign up for our daily newsletter  its free and if you dont like it, you can unsubscribe with just 2 clicks. If you sign up today, youll also get 7 days of free access to our premium daily Gold & Silver Trading Alerts. Sign up now.

Regards,

Mike McAra



Bitcoin Trading Strategist



Bitcoin Trading Alerts at SunshineProfits.com

Disclaimer

All essays, research and information found above represent analyses and opinions of Mike McAra and Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be a subject to change without notice. Opinions and analyses were based on data available to authors of respective essays at the time of writing. Although the information provided above is based on careful research and sources that are believed to be accurate, Mike McAra and his associates do not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the data or information reported. The opinions published above are neither an offer nor a recommendation to purchase or sell any securities. Mr. McAra is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Mike McAras reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Mike McAra, Sunshine Profits' employees and affiliates as well as members of their families may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Mike McAra Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




CAN REVERSAL PROGRAMMES

BEAT DIABETES?

Our modern way of life is at odds with the optimal functioning and upkeep of the human machine. Unreasonable demands on the body and mind, coupled with erratic food habits has only added to the overall deterioration of the body-mind equilibrium, leaving us with numerous lifestyle disorders, which could have been avoided with a hard reset of our erring way of life as it stands. Unfortunately, there hasnt been much of an improvement in that department and consequently we are faced with a burgeoning diabetes-affected population. Healthcare providers are in the fray to launch various diabetes reversal programmes, to tackle this calamitous national (and international) healthcare challenge. We shall try and find out just how effective and viable these programmes are.
Thorium, Uraniums Ugly Stepsister for Nuclear Reactor Fuel

Most junior resource investors know uranium, and many got in on the action when NexGen Energy and Fission Uranium made their discoveries in the Athabasca Basin of Saskatchewan, the region with the highest grades of uranium in the world. Smart, or lucky, shareholders of NXE enjoyed a cumulative share price rise of around 430% between 2014 and 2016, while Fission Energy - famous for its Patterson Lake South property that yielded the open-pittable Triple R deposit - jumped from 91 cents in November 2013 to $1.62 a share in April 2014, for a gain of 78%.

Uranium is the fuel needed to create the nuclear reaction that can either create nuclear power or nuclear weapons. To make nuclear fuel from uranium ore, the uranium is first extracted from the rock, then enriched with the uranium-235 isotope, before being made into pellets that are loaded into assemblies of nuclear fuel rods. In a nuclear reactor, several hundred fuel assemblies containing thousands of small pellets of uranium oxide are in the reactor core. The nuclear chain reaction that creates energy starts when U-235 splits or fissions, which produces a lot of heat in a controlled environment.

In a conventional nuclear reactor, the pressurized water reactor, fuel rods containing uranium pellets are placed in water. Visualized as a giant kettle, the heat generated from the pellets boils water to create steam, which turns turbines to generate electricity. But the downside of conventional nuclear power stations is the nuclear reaction also produces plutonium, which is highly radioactive, and other wastes, causing a problem for disposal. Stronium-90 and cesium-137, contained in nuclear waste, have half-lives of about 30 years, but plutonium-239 takes 24,000 years to fully decay.

When it works well, the nuclear reaction is an efficient form of energy creation. One uranium pellet weighing just 6 grams is said to produce the same amount of energy as a tonne of coal. But it also leaves a lot of radioactive waste that needs to be incinerated, encased in concrete, or buried deep underground for centuries.

When nuclear power goes wrong, the fallout is catastrophic. Nuclear meltdowns like Chernobyl in Russia, Three Mile Island in the US, and Fukushima in Japan are burned into the collective consciousness and serve as constant reminders of the dangers of nuclear power that drive the anti-nuke movement.

While nuclear energy generation will never be without risks, proponents argue these are manageable and small compared to the risk of increased greenhouse gas emissions caused by the continued burning of fossil fuels for power, that are warming the planet. For this reason, nuclear is always in the mix of energies required to make the transformation from an oil-based economy to one where renewable and nuclear energies make up a larger proportion of our global electricity. The question is, must we keep using uranium in our nuclear power plants, or is there another option? There is. Its uraniums ugly stepsister, a little-known element known as thorium.

Some scientists believe thorium is key to developing a new version of cleaner, safer nuclear power. So why hasnt thorium entered the popular and investor lexicon like uranium has? The silvery-white metal has a fascinating history, and despite taking a backseat to uranium as the primary nuclear fuel, it is making a comeback. This is the story of thorium, the wunder-fuel that wasnt, but could be.

History

Thorium is named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder. It was first discovered in 1815 by Jons Jakob Berzelius, a Swedish chemist, but a few years later it was determined that the mineral was actually yttrium phosphate. In 1828 Berzelius was given a sample of a black mineral found on an island off the coast of Norway by Hans Esmark, a Norwegian mineralogist. The mineral contained several known elements including lead, tin, iron, manganese and uranium, but 60% was an unknown substance that was subsequently named thorite. Thorium was first isolated by mixing thorium oxide with carbon, creating thorium chloride. When reacted with potassium, the result was thorium and potassium chloride, according to Chemicool. It took another 70 years for scientists to realize that thorium was radioactive. The discovery was made by Gerhard Schmidt, a German chemist, and Marie Cure, a Polish physicist, who are often credited with its discovery.

Thorium oxide (ThO2) has the highest melting point of all oxides (3300C) so its not surprising that its early applications were in lantern mantles, arc-light lamps, welding electrodes and heat-resistant ceramics. Thorium oxide is also used in camera lenses and scientific instruments.

Abundance

Thorium is actually fairly common on Earth. According to Livescience it occurs in the Earths crust at 6 parts per million - about as much as lead and three times more abundant than uranium; it is the 41st most abundant element on Earth.

However it is thought to be rare because thorium is normally found as minor constituents of metals. Interestingly though, natural thorium occurs as almost pure 232Th, the most stable thorium isotope, which has a half-life comparable to the age of the universe (14 billion years), and whose radioactive decay is the largest contributor to the Earths internal heat. Right now its estimated the planet still has about 85% of the thorium present when the Earth was formed. Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory - where the first nuclear weapons were designed as part of the Manhattan Project - think that thorium was created in the cores of supernovae (the last stages of a stars life), then scattered across the universe when the stars exploded.

Trace elements are found in rocks, soil, water, plants and animals, with higher concentrations contained within thorite, thorianite, monazite, allanite, and zircon. The element is mined mostly in Australia, Brazil and India. The rare earth mineral monazite contains between 6 and 12% thorium phosphate.

According to the World Nuclear Association (WNO) world monazite resources are estimated at around 16 million tonnes, 12MT of which are found in mineral sands deposits in India. A large vein deposit of thorium and rare earth elements is in Idaho. Recovering thorium from monazite involves leaching it with sodium hydroxide at 140C followed by a process to precipitate pure ThO2. The WNO states that under 10,000 tonnes a year of monazite are extracted per year from India, Brazil, Vietnam and Malaysia, and without commercial rare earth recovery, thorium production is not economic at present.

Use in nuclear energy

The story gets really interesting when thorium was found to be radioactive - just two years after the discovery of uranium radioactivity by French physicist Henry Bequerel. Initially thoriums radioactivity was thought to have health benefits, and was promoted as a cure for rheumatism, diabetes and even impotence. However in 1932 these uses were banned due to a federal investigation that found that people injected with thorium suffered from leukemia and abnormal chromosomes.

Attention then turned to the use of thorium in nuclear energy. During the Cold War the US looked at using 232Th to create 233U - which was being investigated as both a reactor fuel and to build nuclear bombs. But the US Military rejected a bomb built with 233U because it did not have technical advantages over uranium-plutonium bombs and especially since it it is difficult to produce pure 233U states a 1966 technical report.

Uraniums chief advantage over thorium, as a nuclear fuel, was that it could be used to produce both atomic weapons and nuclear power, while thorium, unlike uranium, is not fissile  meaning it cannot be split to make a nuclear chain reaction  and could only be applied to nuclear power.

With the United States in the early stages of an arms race against the former Soviet Union to develop a nuclear arsenal, it was easy to see which element would win out. While thorium was used in a later version of Americas first civilian nuclear power plant - headed up by Hyman Rickover, the US admiral responsible for creating the worlds first nuclear-powered submarine - it would take a back seat to uranium as the primary fuel for nuclear reactors.

Thorium nuclear reactors were developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to support nuclear-powered long-range bombers, but the program was scrapped in 1961 in favor of other technologies according to a 2009 NASA paper. This is because the liquid fluoride thorium reactors did not produce as much plutonium, needed for developing nuclear weapons, as uranium-powered reactors.

Nonetheless, the first thorium-based nuclear reactor was built at the Indian Point Energy Center, New York, in 1962.

As mentioned thorium is not able to split an atom to produce the nuclear reaction; instead, when thorium is exposed to neutrons, it eventually emerges into the isotope U-233, which splits and releases energy. In this way thorium is said to be fertile rather than fissile. Recycled plutonium can also be used with thorium.

Uranium vs thorium

Other than the fact that uranium is better than thorium in building nuclear weapons, how do the two nuclear fuels stack up against one another? According to the Royal Society of Chemistry, thoriums benefits include:

Thorium is three to four times more abundant than uranium. There is estimated to be enough thorium on the planet to last 10,000 years.

Thorium is more easily extracted than uranium.

Liquid fluoride thorium reactors (LFTR) - a type of molten salt reactor - have very little waste compared with reactors powered by uranium.

It is more efficient. One tonne of thorium delivers the same amount of energy as 250 tonnes of uranium.

LFTRs run at atmospheric pressure instead of 150 to 160 times atmospheric pressure currently needed for water cooled reactors.

Thorium is less radioactive than uranium.

The 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan soured the world on nuclear, and started scientists looking more closely at thorium as a greener alternative. While conventional nuclear plants are only able to extract 3-5% of the energy in uranium fuel rods, in molten salt reactors favored by thorium proponents, nearly all the fuel is consumed. Where radioactive waste from uranium-based reactors lasts up to 10,000 years, residues from the thorium reaction will become inert within 500. Lastly, because plutonium is not created as a waste product in a thorium reactor, it cannot be separated from the waste and used to make nuclear weapons. Although, the World Nuclear Association points out that the United States made about two tonnes of U-233 during the Cold War and detonated a nuclear weapon containing U-233. The explosive yield though was less than expected, just 22 kilotons. In 1998 India detonated a small nuclear device from U-233.

As far as disadvantages, thorium takes extremely high temperatures to produce nuclear fuel (550 degrees higher than uranium dioxide), meaning thorium dioxide is expensive to make. Second, irradiated thorium is dangerously radioactive in the short-term. Detractors also say the thorium fuel cycle is less advanced than uranium-plutonium and could take decades to perfect; by that time, renewable energies could make the cost of thorium reactors cost-prohibitive. The International Nuclear Agency predicts that the thorium cycle wont be commercially viable while uranium is still readily available.

Molten salt nuclear reactors

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) are well suited to thorium fuel, and while they were first conceived of in the 1940s, as noted above, to fuel aircraft, there has been a renewed interest in them. In the Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR), the fuel is not cast into pellets like uranium, but is rather dissolved in a vat of liquid salt.

According to ZME Science, since molten salt reactor technology was revived in the 2000s, interest has grown quickly, with four companies in the US announcing plans for MSRs, as well as in Japan, Russia, France and China. In Norway, Thor Energy started producing power from thorium at its Halden test reactor in 2013, with help from Westinghouse. The third phase of a five-year thorium trial operation got underway in January.

Indias thorium program is well advanced. The country envisions meeting 30% of its electricity demands through thorium-based reactors by 2050. With large quantities of thorium and little uranium, India wants to use thorium for large-scale energy production. It plans to construct and commission a fleet of 500 sodium-cooled fast reactors - which burn spent uranium and plutonium - in order to breed plutonium to be used in its advanced heavy water reactors that employ thorium as the nuclear fuel. A prototype of the 500-megawatt fast breeder reactor (FBR) in Kalpakkam, India was supposed to be finished in late 2017 but has been put off to later this year.

One of the main advantages of MSRs is the reactor cannot melt down, as we saw in Fukushima when electric pumps were inundated by the tsunami, failing to cool the fuel rods, which overheated and caused radiation emissions. MSRs can also be made cheaper and smaller than conventional reactors, since they do not have large pressurized containment tanks, meaning they could be used in factory settings. MSRs use molten salt instead of water as a coolant, allowing them to reach temperatures over 80C, three times hotter than a conventional nuclear plant cooled with water.

Another advantage is that nuclear waste (ie. plutonium) can be recycled to recover the fissile materials needed to create the nuclear reaction. In this way, thorium reactors not only generate less waste than conventional reactors, but also help to rectify the nuclear waste disposal problem.

Work continues

Examples of companies and countries that are testing thoriums viability as a nuclear fuel keep growing. Last summer a Dutch nuclear institute started experimenting with MSRs. NRG, the name of the facility, on the North Sea coast of the Netherlands, launched the Salt Irradiation Experiment in collaboration with the EU. New Scientist reports the researchers will use thorium as the nuclear fuel for the reactor where both the reactor fuel and the coolant are a mixture of molten salt. The experiment will also examine how to deal with the nuclear waste.

Indonesia, which has a large amount of thorium contained within monazite, signed an agreement three years ago with US company ThorCon Power, to develop molten salt reactors. A 1,000-megawatt thorium-based reactor would be used for base-load power and produce 5 gigawatts a year. The country wants around 20% of its energy mix to come from thorium molten salt reactors by 2050.

In the United States, the Department of Energy is partnering with TerraPower, Vanderbilt and the Oak Ridge National Lab, among others, to build a molten chloride fast reactor - a type of MSR - Oilprice.com reported. Southern Company in 2016 was the second firm to receive a grant from the DOE.

China, seemingly always on the leading edge of new energy, has put aside US$3.3 billion to build two molten salt reactors in the Gobi Desert, to be up and running by 2020, the South China Morning Post said in December. The reactors could spawn new uses for the radioactive element, including applications in warships and drones.

Conclusion

If there hadnt been an urgent need to develop nuclear weapons for the Cold War, theres a reasonably good chance that thorium rather than uranium would have become the nuclear fuel of choice. The ability of uranium to kickstart the nuclear reaction makes it one of the most strategically important minerals on Earth. If the world was running out of uranium, thorium demand, and the technology to make molten salt reactors, would probably be much farther advanced than it currently is. But we are not running out of uranium. According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), in 2017, world uranium production totalled 59,531 tonnes, which satisfied 92% of world demand. The top producers are Kazakhstan, Canada and Australia. Total known, recoverable uranium resources as of 2015 were 5.718 million tonnes.

Contrast this with thorium. The WNA states there are 6.555 million tonnes of thorium resources in the world - with most thorium held in India, Brazil and Australia/ the US (tied for third). Thats a bit more than total uranium resources. But how much thorium is mined? According to the USGS, in 2017, only 2.2 tons of thorium (mostly monazite) were imported into the United States; thorium compound exports were 83 tons. Obviously the tiny numbers are because there is currently no market for thorium. But if there was, there are around 6 million tonnes of resources waiting to be converted into reserves. Quite an opportunity for thorium explorers should molten salt reactors ever catch on enough to augment, let alone replace, conventional uranium-based reactors. The demand for thorium fuel, and its price, would skyrocket.

For now, thorium is a theoretical solution to our energy dilemma, but it could be much more than that. A concerted effort to develop thorium reactor technology could provide stable, clean, base-load power for millions, something that is not possible with renewables due to the intermittency factor (ie. power can only be generated when the sun shines and the wind blows) and the current early stages of renewable battery storage technology. It is safer and better for the environment than uranium, and can even use radioactive waste as feedstock for the nuclear reaction, thus killing two birds with one stone. The market isnt yet ready for thorium, but when it is, a whole new mining sector and supply chain will be born.

Thorium and its potential for resource exploration is on my radar screen.

By Richard (Rick) Mills

www.aheadoftheherd.com

rick@aheadoftheherd.com

If you're interested in learning more about the junior resource and bio-med sectors please come and visit us at www.aheadoftheherd.com

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Richard is host of Aheadoftheherd.com and invests in the junior resource sector.



His articles have been published on over 400 websites, including: Wall Street Journal, Market Oracle, USAToday, National Post, Stockhouse, Lewrockwell, Pinnacledigest, Uranium Miner, Beforeitsnews, SeekingAlpha, MontrealGazette, Casey Research, 24hgold, Vancouver Sun, CBSnews, SilverBearCafe, Infomine, Huffington Post, Mineweb, 321Gold, Kitco, Gold-Eagle, The Gold/Energy Reports, Calgary Herald, Resource Investor, Mining.com, Forbes, FNArena, Uraniumseek, Financial Sense, Goldseek, Dallasnews, Vantagewire, Resourceclips and the Association of Mining Analysts.

Copyright  2018 Richard (Rick) Mills - All Rights Reserved

Legal Notice / Disclaimer: This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. Richard Mills has based this document on information obtained from sources he believes to be reliable but which has not been independently verified; Richard Mills makes no guarantee, representation or warranty and accepts no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness. Expressions of opinion are those of Richard Mills only and are subject to change without notice. Richard Mills assumes no warranty, liability or guarantee for the current relevance, correctness or completeness of any information provided within this Report and will not be held liable for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained herein or any omission. Furthermore, I, Richard Mills, assume no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage or, in particular, for lost profit, which you may incur as a result of the use and existence of the information provided within this Report.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Egyptian policemen driving on a road leading to the North Sinai provincial capital of El-Arish on July 26, 2018 AFP/Khaled DESOUKI

CAIRO: The Islamic State group has announced the death of one of its leaders in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, where a security source said 15 jihadists were also killed separately.

The Egyptian army, which launched a major offensive against the jihadists in February, killed Abu Hamza al-Maqdisi in an air raid, IS said Tuesday in a message on Telegram.

Maqdisi, a Palestinian, had been in charge of planning and training for the jihadist group in the Sinai, IS said, without giving further detail.

A security source said that Maqdisi had been killed, but the army has yet a confirm the reports.

"Abu Hamza al-Maqdisi is one of the IS operatives who took part in their operations against the army," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The militant, who entered Egypt from the Gaza Strip, had been killed on Monday at Sheikh Zuweid, in North Sinai province, according to the source.

Advertisement

Elsewhere in North Sinai, a separate security source said police killed 15 jihadists during a raid in the provincial capital El-Arish.

The "terrorist elements" were killed in an exchange of fire at a farm, the source said on Wednesday without specifying whether the jihadists were IS members.

Jihadists have killed hundreds of police officers and soldiers in the Sinai since the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Around 300 jihadists and 30 soldiers have been killed since the launch of the military operation dubbed "Sinai 2018", according to official figures.

Journalists are not allowed to travel freely in the area although the military organised a rare visit to El-Arish for foreign media in July.



Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/is-in-egypt-s-sinai-announces-death-of-top-militant-10788110
PR Newswire

TAMPA, Florida, Oct. 4, 2018

TAMPA, Florida, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alexander Elbanna makes history with his launch of Digital World Exchange.

Digital World Exchange is now open for trading. This platform is one-of-a-kind in the fact that it is backed by ten million in Bitcoin. Users can create an account within the platform to buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies. Currently, the exchange supports the top fifteen cryptocurrencies and was built on a platform to allow for a user-friendly experience.

The CEO, Alexander Elbanna, is proud to deliver a platform which allows users to buy, sell, and trade while also having access to a digital marketplace referred to as the Amazon of cryptocurrency. Alex is looking forward to the exchange expanding across multiple countries and allowing people in isolated areas to utilize the exchange as a form of payment and/or trade. "One of the most difficult things we face in this country is the fact that our economy discriminates against the hardworking class with low wages, minimal health care, and their inability to meet financial obligations they are expected to meet," says Elbanna. "With Digital World Exchange, we will find solutions for every sector starting with agriculture, energy, financial, healthcare, housing, and education. Using our platform will give users the opportunity to gain financial growth for the first time. With our technology, we use confirmations that are instant and applicable to real life situations such as buying a cheeseburger at McDonald's, paying for gas, and swiping your card to pay for a snack. Our goal is to make a currency that can be used in daily life to help the 99.9 percent of the world."

The coin is listed as DWE, and is not an ICO. The exchange is a blockchain network with instant confirmations of transactions. Digital World Exchange is looking to be a global solution for issues that everyone in the world is facing. Digital World Exchange's mission is based upon supporting the community in a positive way which in turn will allow its community to support the exchange. "We back our exchange using BTC and 51 percent of our exchange profits daily. 51 percent of profits stay in exchange, and each month we will award bonus DWE coins based on the monthly average of coins in your DWE wallet. So you earn DWE as you hold the coins in addition to the fluctuation of the market price, making it a win/win for our community. We have a lot of plans moving forward, but will only announce them 48 hours prior to release. In this wild west world, we want to ensure your safety and security."

"DWE payments will confirm in less than a second. Our Masternodes, Instasend, and Private send have an X11 Algorithm, mining software and Proof of work / Proof of Stake. We will implement ZeroCoin protocol for anonymous transactions. This will protect your financial information. PrivateSend ensures your activity history and balances will be private. Transactions are confirmed by 200 TerraHash of X11 ASIC computing power and over 4,500 servers hosted around the world. The same transaction, paid with DWE, would cost less than $0.01. i.e. It'd almost be free. In the Bitcoin network, transactions require 10 minutes for confirmation. For a business, this is unacceptable. PIVX transactions, on the other hand, are confirmed within 60 seconds and are most often instant. We are eco-friendly as it does not require any traditional computationally demanding miners to run its network. Our blockchain was built by forking from DASH and PIVX. Our programming languages are C++ and Solidity." Signing up for a membership is free at https://digitalworldexchange.com.

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PR Newswire

CANTON, Mich., Oct. 4, 2018

CANTON, Mich., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Fusion Coolant Systems, today announced that is has raised $8 million Series C financing led by Material Impact, a Boston-based venture capital firm and Michigan Capital Advisors, a Michigan private equity firm. The round was also strongly supported by existing investors including MINTS- Michigan Investment in New Technology Startups, Amherst Fund and Invest Michigan. The capital will be used to grow the company's staff, operations, equipment and personnel.

Fusion Coolant Systems has commercialized a patented disruptive technology that uses supercritical CO2 as a cutting fluid to reduce the costs of manufacturing in large sectors such as medical, aerospace, and automotive. Founder Steven Skerlos, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan explained, "Our team has broken into some of the world's industry leading manufacturers, proving that the technology improves the profitability of material removal operations while eliminating health and environmental hazards."

"The addition of new investment firms, Material Impact and Michigan Capital Advisors, with their wealth of experience and profound domain expertise, is confirmation of the company's progress during the last several years and a testament to its current business strategy and future prospects," stated Rafael Castilla, director of investments, at the University of Michigan Investment Office, on behalf of MINTS.

"Fusion has developed an elegant technology to address the ubiquitous need for cooling whenever metal or hard polymers are machined. This transformative technology has the potential to enable higher productivity, create safer working conditions for machining workers, and improve the environment by minimizing the disposal of liquid coolants  all making a material impact to manufacturing machining operations," said Adam Sharkawy, co-founder and managing partner, Material Impact.

About

Material Impact, Boston, MA is a Venture Capital Fund that invests in building companies which transform material technologies into products that make an impact on real world problems. For more information: http://www.materialimpact.com

"MINTS"  Michigan Investment in New Technology Startups  is a direct investment program in the University of Michigan's endowment managed by its Investment Office. For more information:http:// https://www.bf.umich.edu/about/#accordion-643

Michigan Capital Advisors, Bloomfield Hills, MI is a private equity firm focused on Tier II and III Suppliers in the automotive and transportation related industries with a presence in Michigan. For more information: http://www.michigancapitaladvisors.com

Amherst Fund, Ann Arbor, MI is a privately held investment company providing capital to privately held Midwestern companies across many sectors. For more information: http://www.amherstfund.com

Invest Michigan, Detroit, MI manages an investment fund that finances technology-based companies at early stages of product commercialization. Launched in mid 2014 through the support of the Michigan Strategic Fund, Invest Michigan has completed 87 investments in 49 companies across the State of Michigan. For more information: http://www.investmichigan.org

SOURCE Fusion Coolant
Canada NewsWire

VANCOUVER, Oct. 4, 2018

Combined entity will have 3.5 million square feet of available space to produce cannabis for domestic and international markets

VANCOUVER, Oct. 4, 2018 /CNW/ - Bevo Agro Inc. (TSXV: BVO) is pleased to announce that it has signed an Arrangement Agreement dated October 4, 2018 with Sun Pharm Investments Ltd. ("Sun Pharm") for a reverse take-over of Bevo (the "Transaction").

The Transaction

The Transaction involves three main elements:

Bevo shareholders will not be granted dissent rights under the plan of arrangement. Instead, Bevo shareholders that do not wish to participate in Zenabis will have the right to exchange their Bevo shares for non-voting preferred shares of Zenabis which mature on the first anniversary of issuance, and are redeemable at any time at Zenabis' option, in each case at a price of $2.70 per share. The preferred shares are convertible back into Zenabis common shares on the basis of 0.81 of a Zenabis Common Share (representing a price of approximately $3.33 per Zenabis common share) for each preferred share.

The Transaction was unanimously approved by the board of directors of Bevo. Shareholders holding approximately 58% of Bevo's common shares have entered into voting agreements committing to vote their Bevo common shares in favour of the Transaction.

Zenabis

At the closing of the Transaction, Bevo's shareholders will hold shares of one of the world's largest cannabis companies.

Sun Pharm is currently a privately-held cannabis company which has one of the largest, federally licensed indoor medical cultivation footprints in Canada, operating two licensed production facilities in British Columbia and New Brunswick, with a third expected to be coming online shortly in Nova Scotia. These facilities encompass 660,000 square feet of indoor pharmaceutical grade cannabis production space, strategically positioned on Canada's coasts, facilitating national distribution and access to international markets. Sun Pharm has received purchase agreements for recreational cannabis from each of the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch, New Brunswick Liquor Corporation, Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation, and Yukon Liquor Corporation.

Following the completion of the Transaction, Bevo's greenhouse facilities in Langley are intended to be expanded and retrofitted to integrate advanced propagation technologies and state-of-the-art lighting and ventilation systems. On completion of the expected expansion of these greenhouse facilities, Zenabis will have 660,000 square feet of indoor space and 2.8 million1 square feet of state-of-the-art greenhouse space in three provinces  British Columbia, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Committed Financings

In connection with the Transaction, Sun Pharm has secured committed or funded financing of ~$57 million, in addition to $72 million secured since the company's founding. The $57 million financing consists of three components:

Proposed Management Team

It is currently anticipated that the management of the resulting issuer will include each of Rick Brar (Chief Executive Officer), Leo Benne (Chief Growing Officer), John Hoekstra (Chief Financial Officer), Mike McGinty (Chief Administrative Officer) and Kevin Coft (Chief Facilities Officer). The following is a brief description of the management team of Zenabis.

Rick Brar  Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Rick Brar is an experienced business leader in the cannabis, nutraceutical, beverage, consumer packaged goods, agriculture, land development and construction sectors. Mr. Brar has international expertise in emerging market sectors, having incubated and grown several companies over his career. He is experienced in sales and marketing, with demonstrated success in corporate sales growth, new market penetration, new product development, and long range planning. Mr. Brar is a proven senior manager with excellent communication, leadership skills, strategic planning, new market development and a reputation for team building, as well as the implementation of tactical sales and marketing initiatives. Mr. Brar was previously the Chief Executive Officer of International Herbs Limited, where he led one of the largest herb companies in North America for nine years.

Leo Benne  Chief Growing Officer

Mr. Leo Benne is currently Vice President and a Director of Bevo, and the General Manager of Bevo Farms Ltd., the Company's wholly owned subsidiary. Mr. Benne gained advanced knowledge of modern horticultural methods at Rijks Middelbare Tuinbouwschool in Holland. With experience in the application of computer technology to the production of healthy, high-yield plants, he has been a key figure in the development of Bevo Agro. Mr. Benne has overseen every stage of the company's operations, from planting to shipping, and has led Bevo through unprecedented growth to become the leading propagation company in North America. He has been with Bevo for over 25 years.

John Hoekstra  Chief Financial Officer

Mr. John Hoekstra is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Bevo Agro Inc., where he oversees all finance, administration and accounting activities. He joined Bevo in 2004, shortly after the Company went public. Prior to joining Bevo, Mr. Hoekstra worked as Supply Chain Manager at Air Liquide Canada, and at Unitor Ships Service as Branch Manager. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) and holds a Business Administration degree from Redeemer University.

Mike McGinty  Chief Administrative Officer

Mr. Mike McGinty has extensive experience in large-scale coordination and planning. Previously, he was a post-graduate tutor in leadership and planning for senior government and military staff from Canada and over 25 allied nations worldwide. Mr. McGinty was a senior officer in the British Army and served widely overseas, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was responsible for more than 1,000 people with $2 billion in capital assets. Mike remains an active member of the Canadian Armed Forces. He also served as the Head of Risk and Security for UBC Okanagan.

Kevin Coft  Chief Facilities Officer

Mr. Kevin Coft is an operational and supply chain professional with over 30 years of Canadian and international procurement, facility operations, and managerial experience. His industrial expertise covers a wide range of functions including navigating Health Canada's regulatory licensing, team development, facility construction, strategic analysis, import/export operations, logistics, warehousing, customer relationship management, benchmarking, and business systems analysis.

"Our primary goal with this merger is to expand Zenabis' capacity to supply high-quality cannabis for worldwide distribution. We will achieve this by taking advantage of Bevo's greenhouse growing expertise to cultivate high-quality cannabis," said Mr. Brar. "This is a unique partnership that gives Zenabis a significant advantage among Canadian producers as we continue to grow our business to meet Canadian and international demand."

"This transaction represents a positive growth opportunity for Bevo Agro, as Zenabis intends to invest up to $100 million to expand our greenhouse facility to provide state-of-the-art cannabis production capacity, while maintaining our existing propagation and floral business," said Mr. Benne. "This partnership will bring new jobs and economic opportunities to the communities in which we operate, while we continue to support the local and international food and floral markets."

Agentis Capital acted as financial advisor to Bevo regarding the RTO and the Greenhouse Transaction (as defined below). Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP acted as counsel on behalf of Bevo regarding the RTO and the Greenhouse Transaction (as defined below).

Regulatory Matters

Completion of the Transaction is subject to review and approval by the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV"), approval by the Company's shareholders to be sought at a shareholder meeting expected to be held late this calendar year, and approval of the BC Supreme Court. Prior to the meeting, the Company's shareholders will receive an information circular providing detailed information about the Transaction and Sun Pharm's business. While the Transaction is an arm's length transaction, it does constitute a "reverse take-over" under the TSXV's rules, with the result that trading in Bevo's common shares has been halted and will not resume until such time as all required documentation has been filed with the TSXV and permission to resume trading has been granted.

Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance and if applicable, disinterested shareholder approval. 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 Bevo should be considered highly speculative.

Acquisition of Additional Greenhouse Operations and Land

Bevo is also pleased to announce that it has entered into a purchase agreement with an arm's length third party to acquire 10.4 acres of greenhouse operations on 50 acres of land in Aldergrove, British Columbia (the "Greenhouse Acquisition"). Post-amalgamation, Zenabis intends to use this greenhouse acreage to ensure continuity for existing Bevo propagation customers. The Greenhouse Acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close prior to December 31, 2018.

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

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.

This news release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information may include, among others, statements regarding the future plans, costs, objectives or performance of Bevo, or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. In this news release, words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "estimate" and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at or by which, such future performance will be achieved. No assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur, including the completion of the Reverse Take-Over, Spin-Out and the Greenhouse Acquisition. Forward-looking information is based on information available at the time and/or management's good-faith belief with respect to future events and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond Bevo's control. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those described Bevo's Management's Discussion & Analysis for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, a copy of which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Bevo does not intend, nor does Bevo undertake any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information contained in this news release to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except if required by applicable laws.

About Bevo AgroBevo Agro is North America's leading supplier of propagated agricultural plants, operating approximately 53 acres of state-of-the-art greenhouse facilities on 98 acres of land in Langley, BC and 20 acres of land in Pitt Meadows, BC. The Company's main products have been the propagation of vegetable plants such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and other plants such as bedding plants, flowers and grasses. The Company markets its products to established greenhouse growers, nurseries and retail outlets throughout North America.

About Sun Pharm Sun Pharm is currently a leader in agriculture, technology, pharmaceutical sales, consumer packaged goods, international distribution and brand marketing, with cannabis and cannabis-related purchase orders from the provinces of New Brunswick, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Yukon Territory. Sun Pharm is currently a privately-held cannabis company which has one of the largest, federally licensed indoor medical cultivation footprints in Canada, operating two licensed production facilities in British Columbia and New Brunswick, with a third expect to be coming online shortly in Nova Scotia. These facilities encompass 660,000 square feet of indoor pharmaceutical grade cannabis production space, strategically positioned on Canada's coasts, facilitating national distribution and access to international markets. Sun Pharm is currently working towards globally recognized EU GMP certifications. Sun Pharm has one of the most experienced management teams in the industry, with expertise in retail consumer packaged goods, global pharmaceutical sales and manufacturing, quality assurance, and commercialized cultivation. The growing team has more than two decades of experience in organic cultivation and distribution of herbs and nutraceutical products throughout the Americas, North Africa, and the Middle East. Sun Pharm's sales team has more than two decades in product development, commercialization, and retail and pharmaceutical sales including international distribution.

About CubicCubicFarms Systems Corp. is an Ag Tech and Vertical Farming technology company that utilizes revolutionary, patented technology to cultivate high-quality produce. Founded in 2015, the company's mission is to provide farmers around the world with efficient growing systems capable of producing predictable crop yields. Using its unique undulating growing system, CubicFarms solves the two main challenges within the indoor farming industry: high electricity and labour costs. Currently, CubicFarms cultivates living lettuce, living basil and microgreens at its own facility in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia and is partnering with other farmers to establish facilities around the world.

___________________

1

Square footage includes the acquisition of additional greenhouse operations and land

SOURCE Bevo Agro Inc.
PR Newswire

BOSTON, Oct. 4, 2018

BOSTON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Stacy Young, Associate Dean of Faculty at The Virtual High School (VHS Inc.), will be speaking at the CSforALL Summit 2018, being held October 8-11 at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Young will be taking part in a panel discussion on cybersecurity education.

On October 9 at 1:30, Young will join four other presenters on a panel moderated by Kevin Nolten from the Cyber Innovation Center. "Stacy will be discussing our commitment to high school computer science (CS) education to prepare students for college and careers," said Amy Michalowski, Dean of VHS. "We believe that introducing students to CS concepts, including cybersecurity, in a rigorous but not overwhelming manner, gives students a taste of the material so they can consider if the career is something they'll pursue in the future." Michalowski continued, "We hope to add industry credentialing to our CS courses over time and we want to be a strong part of the computer science career pipeline."

The Virtual High School has embraced the CSforAll movement since its inception, and each year makes a commitment to improve computer science education for all students. This year, The Virtual High School will develop and launch a new 15-week online cybersecurity course for delivery in the 2019-2020 academic year. The course will be available to schools across the country and will also be available for individual student enrollment. A four-week companion module on cybersecurity will also be available in summer 2019. The companion module can be used as a summer enrichment or for-credit course, as a supplemental module for in-school use, and as part of a Boy's and Girl's club or other after-school program. "The goal is to get as many students as possible excited about computer science," said Carol Ribeiro, President & CEO of The Virtual High School. "We want all students, regardless of their geographic location or economic circumstances, to understand they have choices."

In addition to developing its new cybersecurity courses, VHS is offering its popular Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles course and 11 other online computer science courses this year. The VHS online AP Computer Science Principles course first ran in the 2016-2017 academic year, with VHS students earning a 94 percent pass rate on the AP exam. In the 2017-2018 academic year, VHS students achieved an even higher AP exam pass rate of 96 percent  far exceeding AP exam national averages.

Technology courses currently offered by VHS include CAD, Video Game Design, Java Programming, and Creative Programming with Scratch. VHS also offers a computer science certificate program. Students may enroll in any VHS course of their choosing, as long as they meet course prerequisites. Students have the option to enroll individually or as part of their school's participation in the VHS program.

VHS is a Massachusetts-based non-profit organization that has, for over 22 years, provided middle and high schools from 40 states and 33 countries with access to high-quality online and blended learning experiences. More than 600 schools currently use the VHS program to supplement their school's course offerings.

About The Virtual High School The Virtual High School (VHS Inc.) is an online learning pioneer. Since 1996, the organization has set the standard for quality online education. VHS prepares students for college, careers, and life through supportive, instructor-led online and blended classroom experiences. The nonprofit organization provides student courses taught in global online classrooms, as well as online professional development for educators. Custom course development and offerings can be tailored to meet each school's unique needs. The Virtual High School is accredited by both Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), and AdvancED. Courses are approved for initial eligibility by NCAA. For more information, visit http://www.vhslearning.org or call (978) 897-1900.

SOURCE The Virtual High School
PR Newswire

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2018

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Winvale, a government contracts consulting firm, is proud to announce its client Afghanistan Holding Group (AHG) has been awarded a GSA Schedule Contract for Professional Services. AHG makes history as the first company based in Afghanistan to be awarded a GSA Schedule contract. Having this contract allows AHG to easily and efficiently offer their financial management, taxation, and audit services to Federal Government buyers in Afghanistan.

"We are very excited to have this GSA contract in place, as it will allow US government customers to be able to procure our services in Afghanistan at pre-negotiated discounted rates easily. We look forward to starting to utilize this contract vehicle right away," said Sanzar Kakar, Chairman of Afghanistan Holding Group.

AHG's award could be an important step toward renewed stability in Afghanistan, a crucial goal for the U.S. military's 16 year partnership with Afghanistan. Since 2009, AHG has been working to create a sustainable service economy in Afghanistan while being socially responsible. AHG employs more than 300 Afghans and utilizes another 800 more for short term support. "Afghanistan is an extremely challenging environment and U.S. Government officials are typically not allowed out of the U.S. Embassy or military installations," said Kakar. "This makes meeting, vetting and negotiating with bidding firms very difficult, which has caused a litany of business challenges over the past 17 years."

Winvale guided AHG through GSA's eOffer requirements, working with Kakar and his team for more than two years to achieve the award. "We're proud to be a part of another GSA Schedule milestone and help bring best in class professional services to the Federal Government in Afghanistan," said Brian Dunn, Winvale's Managing Partner. "AHG's capabilities will be able to support the Federal Government in key areas and this GSA PSS contract will help shorten and simplify the acquisition process. With the Federal Government operating in locations around the world, the GSA Schedule program needs more leading international contractors like AHG."

AHG is listed under GSA's Professional Services Schedule (PSS) under contract number 47QRAA18D00FG. The base contract term is valid through September 2023, with additional option years through September 2038. To further expedite government purchases, AHG's professional services are available on GSA Advantage!, the Federal Government's electronic ordering system. GSA Schedules orders are Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) compliant when Federal buyers use FAR Subpart 8.4 ordering procedures, and do not require posting on FedBizOpps.

AHG's GSA Schedule award is a direct result of a complex process in which the General Services Administration evaluated their professional capabilities, organizational structure, performance history, financial statements and customer references, while awarding rates that are "fair and reasonable." As a result, GSA's streamlined ordering procedures allow the Federal Government to purchase AHG's services much faster than buying through open-market sources.

About Afghanistan Holding Group (AHG) Afghanistan Holding Group (AHG) provides professional business services to over 700 international organizations across Afghanistan. AHG provides step-by-step assistance with licensing, visas, payroll, taxation, audit and procurement services. Their clients range from small companies, non-profits, and corporations to development institutions and government customers. AHG's management team brings decades of experience managing programs for both the public and private sector in Afghanistan. This powerful combination of education, experience and qualification uniquely places AHG to provide the highest level of service with unparalleled integrity, efficiency and accountability. For more information, visit http://www.ahg.af.

About Winvale Winvale is a government contracts consultancy and leading advisor on the GSA Schedule program. Headquartered in Washington D.C. since 2003, Winvale provides expertise to companies seeking to conduct business with Federal, State and local governments. Winvale also offers channel-friendly reseller services designed to help companies reach government buyers quickly by allowing them to place their products and services on its existing contract vehicles. Winvale's client portfolio includes many small emerging firms as well as Fortune 500 and international companies. For more information, visit http://www.winvale.com.

SOURCE Winvale
Moroccan authorities announced that 31 illegal migrants were rescued in the sea north of Morocco, while the smuggler, a Malian national, was arrested.

On Monday, the bodies of 11 clandestine migrants were recovered. The victims drowned off the coast of Nador, in the northeast of the kingdom, following the shipwreck of their makeshift boat on its way to Spain.

Morocco has seen an influx of migrants trying to reach Europe, most of them on boats bound for Spain. According to the latest statistics released by the UN Migration Agency, 82,100 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2018 through 30 September, with 36,654 to Spain, the leading destination this year.

Deaths on the Mediterranean remain high, at 1,741. However, that figure is well below the death toll recorded at this time last year (2,676) or 2016 (3,602).

Spain, with nearly 45 per cent of all arrivals through the year, continued to receive seaborne migrants in September at a volume nearly twice that of Greece and more than seven times that of Italy, says the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Liberias central bank on Tuesday said it did not lose the $104 million newly printed notes that sparked outrage and federal investigation in the West African nation.

According to the central bank Governor Nathaniel Patray, an internal audit found that all the notes shipped from the Swedish printer between 2016 and 2018 were properly accounted for and stored in the banks reserve vaults.

The information minister said last month that two separate shipments of cash containing a total of $104 million went missing over the past year. The government had quickly launched an investigation and imposed travel restrictions on 35 people including former President Ellen Johnson Sirleafs son.

The ministry of justice has submitted requests to the UN, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union for assistance with the investigation.

Rodney Sieh, the Liberian journalist who first reported the cash scandal, said in an editorial published on Tuesday that the sudden U-turn of the central bank smells a bit fishy, particularly given that the bank and its employees are subject of the investigation.

The allegedly missing funds amount to about 5 percent of the annual GDP of Liberia, whose donor-reliant economy has been ravaged by two civil wars. The country, one of the poorest in the world, has an annual GDP per capita of $729, according to the IMF.
First Lady Melania Trump started Tuesday her first African tour by a visit to Ghana.

The First Lady will also visit Malawi, Kenya and Egypt, to promote her Be Best campaign, which she launched in May 2018.

In Ghana, the first lady visited the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, where she saw babies being weighed as part of a project aimed at promoting nutrition in children, which is supported by funding from the USAID. She offered the kids blankets and teddy bears donated by the White House.

According to the White House, Melanias solo trip will focus on maternal and new-born care in hospitals, education for children, the deep culture and history woven into each African country, and how the United States is supporting these countries on their journey to self-reliance.

In fiscal 2015, USAID and the U.S. Department of State provided more than $8 billion in assistance to 47 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

The 48-year-old First Ladys visit is expected to be one of the defining moments where Ghana would showcase its rich cultural heritage and deep-rooted history to the world.

President Donald Trump has not visited Africa since taking office in 2017, and his comments that immigrants from Africa came from shithole countries are still in memories.
The queen of Canadian crime fiction, Gail Bowen, will be making a stop in Brandon this weekend  meeting new and long-time fans and leaving them in suspense as she reads an excerpt of her latest book.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/10/2018 (1137 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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The queen of Canadian crime fiction, Gail Bowen, will be making a stop in Brandon this weekend  meeting new and long-time fans and leaving them in suspense as she reads an excerpt of her latest book.

For more than 25 years, Bowen has captivated readers with the adventures of Joanne Kilbourn, a political strategist turned university professor forced to solve murders and crimes in her home province of Saskatchewan.

POSTMEDIA Gail Bowen

On Saturday, Bowen will give a sneak peek of the 18th instalment of the series, "A Darkness of the Heart," which sends Kilbourn on yet another journey of mystery and uncovering disturbing truths about those around her.

"Its very exciting that (Bowens) coming because shes one of the really big name, Canadian authors out there," said Danielle Hubbard, programming and outreach librarian at the Western Manitoba Regional Library. "She has a big following, too. Many of our patrons are Gail Bowen fans and have expressed a lot of excitement of her coming to (the library) this weekend."

Bowen has received the Derrick Murdoch Award from the Crime Writers of Canada and was recognized with theCrime Writers of Canada Grand Master Award in 2018. She has also won the Arthur Ellis Award for best crime novel.

Its not every day an author with national and international recognition makes a stop in the Wheat City, Hubbard said, adding its a valuable experience for the community.

"It makes people in Brandon feel more connected to the broader world, and specifically to the broader literary world, cultural world and artistic world," Hubbard said.

Being a prairie author who lives in Regina, Sask., readers in the community are able to connect with Bowens work on a different level, Hubbard said.

"So much literature we read is set in the U.S. or set in Europe, so its really valuable to have someone who is a contemporary, best-selling author whose writing material is set in a setting which we can relate to," Hubbard said.

Bowen will be at the Western Manitoba Regional Library on Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Hubbard said, during which time she will read from her newest book, speak about her experience as a writer and sign books for fans.

The event is free and open to everyone, Hubbard added.

The reading is one of many free public events the library is holding this fall. For more information on upcoming events, call 204-727-6648 or email danielle@wmrl.ca.

 edebooy@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @erindebooy
Separated into two different care homes after 71 years of marriage, a Brandon couple is distraught after being told there is currently no way for them to move back in together.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 3/10/2018 (1137 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Dorothy and Al Smith pose for a photo in Dorothy's room at Fairview Personal Care Home on 13th St. in Brandon on Tuesday afternoon. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Separated into two different care homes after 71 years of marriage, a Brandon couple is distraught after being told there is currently no way for them to move back in together.

Dorothy and Al Smith were separated when Dorothys health condition began requiring long-term assisted living and 24-hour care. In August, she was moved from her residence at Riverheights Terrace, where she lived with her husband, and into Fairview Personal Care Home.

Her husband does not qualify for the same level of care and was denied tenancy because his health remains strong.

"Hes doing really well," daughter Barbara Smith said about her 95-year-old father. "He doesnt have any real dementia, he dresses himself, makes his own meals and he still drives. Its almost like his health is working against him."

Barbara is fighting against provincial legislation for her parents sake, which currently does not allow couples in their situation to live together unless their health care needs are compatible with the space.

In B.C., where Barbara resides, legislation has already been adopted which allows couples to live together in these situations, if the individual not requiring the care covers the cost of their own meals and does not use the care homes services.

"Theyre more progressive in B.C. and have already dealt with this situation. Everyone I tell the situation to is appalled that a couple married this long are being forced into involuntary separation  especially at the end of their lives."

"If they make a policy change, that would be good for everybody," Al said. "When you are married for 71 years, she is a part of you. This isnt a situation I want. Its brought about by circumstance and its not good. Some people might say good, Im of rid her  thats a fact. Same with her, she might say thank God Im done with him, but not in our case."

03102018 Al Smith takes his wife Dorothy from her room to a common area so they can visit at Fairview Personal Care Home on 13th St. in Brandon on Tuesday afternoon. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Dorothy, 92, suffered a stoke in 2009 that left her without speech.

"Mom desperately wants dad there," Barbara said. "He acts as her voice and introduces her to people. Now, she just sits in her room as stares out the window. At the end of the day he just cries and wants to be with mom."

In a recent letter to Cameron Friesen, Manitobas minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living, Barbara attempted to explain her parents situation and find a workable solution.

The Sun visited Dorothy at the care home while Al was visiting and saw that the room she was placed in would not be big enough for Al to have his own bed in the room. To make a move-in work, they would require a larger space.

"I bring these circumstances to the attention of those who have the power to make a decision that aligns with our societal values of human decency and respect," Barbara wrote in her letter to Friesen. "Therefore, I am reaching out to you for your consideration, compassion and empathy.

"All I am asking for is a space in the room so my dad can move in with my mother in what could be the last few months of their lives. Dont keep them apart."

Al makes daily trips to Fairview to visit his wife. He has a pacemaker and uses a walker, but is still able to get around on his own. Even so, he said that the energy required to make the visits is wearing him down as much as missing his wife is, and his health is declining.

"It sounds awful, but it gets to be a chore, and Im sick and tired of doing it," Al told The Sun.

Barbara has contacted Brandon West Progressive Conservative MLA Reg Helwer and representatives with Prairie Mountain Health, but despite their sympathy, it remains in the ministers hands to make the requested change in legislation.

When contacted by The Sun earlier this week, the Health ministers spokesman, Kevin Engstrom, said Friesen had just received notice of the Smiths situation and was looking into it.

"The minister has instructed departmental staff to review B.C.s legislation, as we are not unsympathetic to the needs of spouses placed in this unfortunate position. In the meantime, officials with the health region are discussing the issue directly with family," Engstrom said.

In response to a request for additional insight on this matter, Prairie Mountain Health offered The Sun the following statement: "Prairie Mountain Health will not comment on individual resident and family circumstances publicly and will continue discussions directly with the family."

While the gears of bureaucracy turn in the background, Barbara said that she plans to continue doing whatever she can to get her parents back together.

She started on online petition at change.org, which can found by searching "Supporting Spouses with Differing Health Needs in Eldercare."

As of press time on Wednesday, the petition was closing on its goal of 5,000 signatures, with almost 4,000 recorded.

Its an easy cause to get behind, Barbara said.

"To separate them is heartbreaking and cruel."

 tnett@brandonsun.com
Lawmakers in Uganda have voted to maintain a controversial tax law expected to be implemented later this year.

The ruling National Resistance Movement, NRM, dominating the chamber, voted 136 against 101 votes to maintain the tax on mobile money and social media service.

Ugandans pay a daily UGX200 tax to access social media platforms. Some platforms affected by the tax include Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, YouTube, Skype, Yahoo Messenger.

The scheme implemented by telecom companies since July 1, has met angry opposition from users, some of whom have turned to virtual private networks (VPNs) to evade the fee while others have joined sporadic street protests.

A lawsuit was also filed against the government, accused of breaching the principles of Net neutrality. The petitioners called on Ugandas Constitutional court to overturn the decision to charge the unpopular tax and declare it illegal, null and void.

President Yoweri Museveni, at a point ordered a reduction of the initial amount imposed. Data costs in Africa are already among some of the highest in the world, according to the digital advocacy group, World Wide Web Foundation.

Uganda has about 23.6 million mobile phone subscribers, 17 million of whom use the internet. Activists say the new tax will keep people, already struggling to make ends meet, off the internet.
Padraig Hoare

About 5,000 employees in 4,000 firms will be trained in cybersecurity as part of a Government-backed strategy to combat the burgeoning cyber crime industry.

The Cybersecurity Skills Initiative is backed by 18 agencies, including Skillnet Ireland, the IDA, National Cyber Security Centre and the Garda Cyber Crime Bureau.

It will see 5,000 IT-orientated people trained in cybersecurity over the next three years, with a series of workshops for individuals at all levels, as well as training programmes ranging from 12-week courses to degree and masters programmes.

There will also be a two-day foundational course provided for non-technical employees to develop an understanding of the fundamentals of cybersecurity.

Europol, the EU-wide police network, has warned that the global impact of cybercrime has risen to 2.5 trillion, making it more profitable than the global trade in marijuana, cocaine, and heroin combined.

A survey last year by British IT research firm Juniper found criminal data breaches will cost businesses 7tn over the next five years, due to higher levels of internet connectivity and inadequate enterprise-wide security. It found that SMEs were particularly at risk from cyber attacks. Skillnet Ireland chief executive Paul Healy said it was a complex and urgent challenge.

Given the ever-escalating number of cyber threats and the serious risks these pose right across our economy, Skillnet Ireland understood the strategic significance of CSI and we were pleased to provide funding to Technology Ireland to develop the initiative.
Flexible workspace provider Glandore has announced that their new coworking space is to open next month at Lapp's Quay in Cork city centre.

The 1 million facility will have capacity for over 300 desks of flexible workspace, coworking and private office space and well as social, meeting and event space.
Lakeland Dairies and LacPatrick Dairies have reached a merger agreement following the unanimous approval of both boards.

Discussions about a possible merger first began last June and the boards of the co-operative societies will recommend that shareholders to vote in favour of the merger at a Special General Meeting on October 23.

Regulatory approval will also be required.

The combined new co-operative will be the second largest dairy processor on the island of Ireland with a combined annual turnover in excess of 1bn, 3,200 milk suppliers and a collective milk pool of some 1.8bn litres.

The announcement was made jointly by the Chairman of LacPatrick Dairies, Andrew McConkey and the Chairman of Lakeland Dairies, Alo Duffy, together with Michael Hanley, CEO of Lakeland Dairies who will be appointed Group CEO of the new merged co-operative society which will adopt the name of Lakeland Dairies.

Andrew McConkey, Chairman of LacPatrick Dairies said, The Board of LacPatrick firmly believes that an amalgamation with our neighbours in Lakeland Dairies is the best thing for our milk suppliers, shareholders and customers.

"It gives our farmers the necessary security to make long term business decisions and provides stability for continuing progress in dairy farming for the next generation," he said.

Alo Duffy, Chairman of Lakeland Dairies said, This merger proposal is a once in a lifetime opportunity for both co-operatives to continue their strong progress in a very meaningful way.

"The proposed merger will uphold these values and will lead to further scale, strength and sustainability for milk producers. It will enable us to process all of the milk sent to us, including the expanding output of our dairy farming members.

It will create economies of scale and will secure our channels to global markets on a stronger, substantial and even more sustainable basis for the future.

Michael Hanley, CEO of Lakeland Dairies said, I am confident that the best interests of the shareholders and milk producers of both societies will be best served through this merger.

"The economies of scale achievable by combining both societies will create a larger, more efficient, diversified, farmer controlled, global dairy food group with a broad portfolio of value-added products and brands.

"The business will have considerable potential to increase revenues and generate the cost savings necessary to ensure competitive milk prices for our dairy farmers in the future. It will continue to ensure market access to the United Kingdom, Europe and the world," he said.

Digital Desk
By Padraig Hoare

There are potentially catastrophic consequences for firms and their customers if they do not get to grips with the threats surrounding weak IT systems, the Central Bank has warned.

Deputy governor Ed Sibley, who was speaking at the Financial Centres Summit in Dublin, said the watchdogs onsite inspection teams of financial firms has found there is a huge amount of work still to be done.

Lenders have been plagued by failures in their IT systems since the financial crash of 2008.

Central Bank governor, Philip Lane, has acknowledged that many banks IT systems are substandard, saying they became less of a focus following the crash.

Most banks say they are now investing in modern IT systems, but there has been a range of incidents fromsystems failures to customers failing to receive or make on-time payments.

Mr Sibley said since 2015, the Central Bank has had a dedicated team of onsite inspectors, focused on analysing financial firms IT infrastructure, policies and governance.

We have seen a lot of progress in the area of IT risk management and resilience, but there is a huge amount of work still to be done. Almost three-quarters of our findings from onsite inspections relate to four key areas  IT risk management, IT security, IT outsourcing, and IT continuity management.

He said there were concerns about the many findings in our work that relate to the failings of boards and senior management to understand and appreciate the significance of the IT and operational risks their firms face.

Senior management and boards of financial services firms need to own these critical risks and build resilience in their firms to be able to endure and survive operational or technology-related shocks, he added.

He said given the potential catastrophic consequences for firms and their customers, it should not take the regulator to have to tell firms what they need to do to build resilience, and the size and nature of the risk should itself be enough.

While looking at the opportunities for the future, many firms also need to continue to invest to get the basics right. Significant improvements are required across the system to manage the incumbent and growing technology risks within it.

In 2014, Ulster Bank was fined 3.5m for IT-related failures that occurred in 2012, the biggest fine ever imposed by the Central Bank for such an offence.

There has also been a swathe of fines for banks that have seen anti-money laundering measures fail under their watch.
By Ann OLoughlin

A dispute between a property company of presidential candidate Sean Gallagher and Nokia Ireland over heating and cooling systems for a Dublin premises has come before the High Court.

Counsel for Nokia told the court today Mr Gallagher had in an email threatened to close down the premises if the dispute went to court.

Mr Gallagher has insisted he made no "threat" and was merely outlining the factual situation on the ground in that architects and builders had made it clear, if an injunction threat was holding up works, they would move on to other projects.

He said that would mean fire safety issues in the building would not be remedied, it could not be safely occupied as a result and would have to be closed.

Mr Justice Tony O'Connor said he "really encouraged" the sides to sit down together to address "quite a serious situation".

The dispute concerns the provision of heating and air conditioning systems at a building in Blanchardstown owned by Clyde Real Estate Blanchardstown Ltd, of which Mr Gallagher is CEO, and where the tenant is Nokia Ireland Ltd.

About 100 employees work there and Nokia says they had complained about excessively hot and cold temperatures.

Nokia initiated proceedings last June claiming Clyde was in breach of a lease agreement of March 2015 and was required to provide heating, ventilating and air conditioning services in line with the terms of the lease.

Pending hearing of the case, Nokia sought injunctions preventing Clyde closing down, demolishing or decommissioning a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) plant.

Clyde did not dispute that, as the landlord, it was required to provide HVAC plant to serve the Nokia premises but it has argued, on a proper construction of the lease agreement, the electricity and gas consumed in operating a HVAC system was the responsibility of Nokia as the tenant.

Clyde has claimed the HVAC plant at issue is "obsolete", beyond its working life, hugely problematic", time-consuming and expensive to repair and maintain.

The plant must be replaced with a suitable alternative and Clyde had been endeavouring to do for some time, it said.

The matter had been adjourned after Clyde provided undertakings which it said reflected its obligations under the lease.

Sean Gallagher

In court on Thursday, Imogen McGrath BL, for Nokia, said temperatures had soared to 27 degrees last June and that presented considerable issues for the employees.

Conditions were such that Nokia had health and safety concerns for those working in the building, she said.

She said after Nokia informed the landlord that failure to rectify the situation would result in court proceedings, the defendant had "threatened to close down and demolish the premises if the matter went to court".

Ms McGrath said an offer had been made to put in a new HVAC system next January but that was "not sufficient" from Nokia's perspective and the system needed to be replaced much sooner than that.

There were concerns about working in the building when temperatures drop as winter approaches, she added.

The research works at the premises are dependent on appropriate temperatures being maintained, Nokia claims.

John Freeman BL, for Clyde, said this was a landlord and tenant dispute at a commercial premises.

Nokia was essentially seeking to compel Clyde to operate an "obsolete" system, Nokia itself had admitted two years ago the system was obsolete and now it wanted Clyde to operate it, he added.

Mr Justice OConnor said this was quite a serious situation and the heating system issues raised required to be investigated. He really encouraged the parties to sit down together, he said.

The judge made directions for exchange of legal documents and fixed November 27 to hear the injunction application.
By Geoff Percival

Ireland proved a strong market for Tesco in the first half of its financial year but poor performances further afield meant the British supermarket company missed profit forecasts.

Tesco reported a 12.8% year-on-year rise in group revenue, to 28.3bn (32m) for the six months to the end of August. It said a step up in the second quarter was driven by its operations in the UK and Ireland.

In Ireland, alone, Tesco said sales for the first half were up over 3% year-on-year. The company is market leader here, with a 22.1% share of the Republics grocery sector.

However, weak trading in other markets, particularly Thailand and Poland, took the shine off accelerating sales growth in Tescos core markets and dragged the companys share price down by nearly 9% at one point yesterday.

The company, being rebuilt by chief executive Dave Lewis following a 2014 accounting scandal, unsettled investors as problems in some markets compounded fears that competition in the UK would intensify with the planned merger of its closest rivals Sainsbury and Asda.

Tesco, which stuck to its medium-term targets, reported underlying operating profit of 933m which was up 24.4% on last year but short of the 978m analysts had expected.

Profit fell 29.1% in Asia and by 3.3% in central Europe, partly offsetting combined growth of 47.6% in the UK and Ireland where Tesco has benefited from its acquisition of wholesaler Booker in a 3.7bn deal.

Shares in Tesco were up 12% this year prior to the update, but fell towards their biggest one-day drop in over two years before paring back.

I dont think the market had fully factored in the Asian side [of the business] but were really encouraged by the UK, Tescos chief financial officer Alan Stewart said.

Analysts said the results showed the company was heading in the right direction with the UK and Ireland, which contribute nearly three quarters of group profit, performing well.

In Thailand [where Tesco has exited non-profitable cash and carry sales] were market leader, its still the most profitable part of the group and theres still significant growth to be had, Lewis said.

He said the difficulties in Thailand and Poland [where there are restrictions to Sunday trading] did not imperil Tescos key margin target for the group to earn 3.5p to 4p of operating profit for every pound customers spend by the end of its 2019-20 financial year.

Additional reporting Reuters
The US government has opened a criminal investigation into the flow of dirty money through the Estonian branch of Denmark's biggest bank, the lender said.

Danske Bank said it is "in dialogue" with the US Department of Justice, which had asked for information after an internal report at the bank detailed a massive amount of money laundering through its subsidiary, with some reportedly even linked to family members of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Karasin: Russia Disappointed by Georgian PMs statements

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin stated in Prague on Monday that the Russian leadership is disappointed and upset by the statements of Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze in UN, where the latter urged the withdrawal of Russian occupation forces from the Georgian territory.Karasin, whose country occupies 20 percent of historic Georgian territories, says that such hostile statements by Bakhtadze will not help the normalization of relations between Georgia and Russia in the wake of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.The deputy FM also criticized the Tatunashvili-Otkhozoria list approved by the Georgian parliament, including the people who have violated the rights of Georgian citizens in the occupied regions, and said that the list may become the precondition for the disruption of the incident prevention meetings between Georgian government members and the representatives of the occupied territories.He said that it is time Georgia to acknowledge the reality and recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent republics.Karasin said that Georgia and Russia have room to further enhance trade-economic ties and mentioned the pre-election campaign in Georgia.We hope that the pre-election campaign will not be anti-Russian. Winning of the candidate in the Georgian presidential elections will be acceptable for us, who will be acceptable by Georgian voters, Karasin stated after his meeting with Georgian special envoy to Russia Zurab Abashidze.Abashidze for his part stated that Bakhtadze made very right messengers, from the UN tribune and said that this year trade turnover between Georgia and Russia is more than 1 billion USD.The so-called Abashidze-Karasin meetings format was launched in late 2012, under the Georgian Dream leadership, and covers only humanitarian, trade and economic issues. In its essence, the format does not touch upon politics.
The company behind internet news site Unilad should go into administration, a judge has decided.

Judge Clive Jones made an order on Thursday after being told that Bentley Harrington Ltd owed more than 6 million (6.75m).

The judge had analysed evidence at hearings in a specialist Insolvency and Companies Court in London.

He heard that a creditor and company directors agreed that administrators should be appointed.

The founder of Unilad has taken legal action against current bosses.

Alex Partridge said he was owed 5 million (5.6m), promised as part of an agreement, and argued for the company to be placed into administration.

A barrister representing Mr Partridge told Judge Jones that Bentley Harrington also owed the taxman 1.5 million (1.69m).

The judge was told that HM Revenue and Customs officials were not against administrators being appointed.

Lawyers representing Bentley Harrington had initially argued against administration.

But they said today that bosses were now in favour.

The judge was told that a number of investment proposals were on the table and a lot of people were interested in the company.

Bentley Harrington director Liam Harrington had been at a hearing last week but was not in court today.

HM Revenue and Customs officials have issued a petition to wind up Bentley Harrington in separate litigation.

A judge is due to analyse that application on October 31.

PA
A wedding planner claims a priest confronted her about decorations in a church and threatened to cancel the ceremony last weekend unless they were removed.

Edel Rooney, a wedding planner with Vintage Affair, has worked on over 300 weddings in four years.

Last weekend Edel was working on a wedding in Co Wicklow when she says she encountered a very angry priest who took huge offence to the decoration and informed Edel and her team they had to remove all of the decorations immediately, that "it was not a fashion show".

Edel felt the priest spoke to her very aggressively and was pointing his finger at her and things became quite heated.

He began to say he would not partake in the wedding if they decorations were not removed.

The aisle of the church was lined with six artificial cherry blossom trees - three on either side. The trees were 6ft tall.

There were battery-operated lanterns as lit candles are not permitted.

According to Edel, the priest who was to perform the ceremony approached a member of Edel's team and began "pointing, shouting, screaming" and the staff member was left very upset.

Edel told RTE Radio 1's Liveline that the priest told her, "What I say goes. I'm not having this".

He said it was a health and safety issue.

"We took out the lanterns and everything else except for the trees."

You can call #Liveline on 1850 715 815. The photo below is an example of the cherry blossom display Edel was trying to erect in the church when the priest put a stop to it. https://t.co/EPtI37bTXK  Liveline (@rteliveline) October 4, 2018

Edel said that the priest also removed the bride and groom chairs, replacing them with the church's own chairs.

Edel was very taken aback as she has worked on three weddings in this particular church in the past.

Guests began arriving at the church and the priest rang both the bride and groom who were getting ready at home and having wedding photos taken.

The groom and his parents and were very stressed by what was taking place.

The groom arrived at the church early having received a phone call from the priest.

"He was in total distress," Edel said.

He said that they had to have the stuff as it was what the bride wanted and it had been her dream for her entire life.

The priest still refused to conduct the ceremony and the wedding planner rang the bride who was en route and told her that guests were delayed due to a crash on the M50 and that the ceremony had to be delayed by an hour.

As the weather was nice on the day, they moved the trees outside to create an aisle as the bride entered the church.

The bride, Jennie, also got in touch with Liveline while on her honeymoon to explain what happened.

"He was aware that I had a company coming to do up the church," she said.

"They had suggested a florist and I had declined the florist that they had because I had my own. The only thing we were told about the church was not to stick anything with Blu-Tac or thumbtacks to the pews, which didn't happen."

Dave, the groom, said that he received a voicemail from the priest.

"It was just like 'Dave, you have to stop what you're doing now. You need to get up to this church immediately, this is unacceptable.'," explained Dave.

Dave said that when he and his groomsmen arrived at the church, the first person they met was Edel who was in tears.

According to Dave, the priest told him he was not going to do the wedding unless the decorations were sorted and then walked away.

Jennie said that any time they had met the priest prior to the wedding ceremony he had been extremely pleasant and said that he performed a lovely ceremony.
By Ann O'Loughlin

A long-running legal battle over alleged underpayment of more than 40m in wages and benefits to 491 Turkish workers while working here on State contracts has returned to the High Court.

The workers have sued two companies - Gama Endustari Tesisleri Imalat Montaj AS (Gama Turkey) and its wholly owned Irish company, Gama Construction Ireland Ltd.

They want more than 40.3 million compensation and damages for alleged breach of contract and breach of duty and exemplary damages over how their wages were allegedly withheld and/or how their employment was terminated when they made complaints.

The defendants oppose the judgment application and have brought motions seeking to halt the claims of 160 workers and to have the court strictly case manage the others.

The cases arise as a result of the involvement from 2000 of both Gama companies in National Development Programme infrastructural works here.

Gama employed 1,066 people here in 2003 and had 927 permits for workers from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment when a dispute over wages erupted in 2005.

In February 2005, Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins told the Dail that Gama imports workers from Turkey and paid them about 2 to 3 per hour, in breach of the minimum wage law.

The workers were required to work grotesque hours, were accommodated in company barracks and their situation was a modern version of bonded labour, he alleged.

The Minister for Enterprise, who said his department had been assured by Gama Ireland all provisions of Irish employment law would be observed and the going rate would be paid to all Turkish workers, ordered its labour inspectorate to investigate the claims.

After Gama Turkey resisted publication of the inspectors report, the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in 2009 there were no powers of general publication of the report and only State bodies with a criminal prosecutorial function could see it.

The two companies had entered an appearance in the workers case only for the purpose of challenging the Irish courts jurisdiction to deal with the case.

The Court of Appeal ruled in 2015 the workers were entitled to pursue their claims in the High Court here.

In those circumstances, various pre-trial applications came before Ms Justice Pilkington on Thursday.

Patrick Kean SC, for the workers, said there is a dispute over how the settlements concerning 160 plaintiffs came about and whether those involved were coerced into settling. Issues had also been raised about the deaths of some plaintiffs, he noted.

The defendants are not following appropriate procedures and have yet to lodge a defence in the proceedings, he said.

In the circumstances, it would be inappropriate to have the defendants bid to halt the 160 claims dealt with as a preliminary issue and the claims should proceed to a full hearing, he argued.

The court could determine 12 claims representative of the 391 workers not alleged to have settled and perhaps two other claims representative of those whom the defence claimed had reached settlements, he suggested.

The delay in having the cases decided was adversely affecting the workers and their position has been worsened further by the fall in value of the Turkish lira, he added.

Mark Connaughton SC, for the defendants, said his side was not seeking to move some kind of preliminary issue point without evidence.

The very short statement of claim in this case effectively set out a summary judgment claim for 491 plaintiffs without detailing the precise components of that for each individual plaintiff, he said.

It is not possible to deliver any kind of meaningful defence until the claims are properly particularised, he said.

Ms Justice Pilkington will rule next week concerning how the cases will proceed.
Latest: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has thrown down a marker to British prime minister Theresa May by warning her there will be a Northern Ireland Brexit backstop deal "or nothing".

Mr Varadkar made the comments during a walk-through photocall in Brussels alongside European Council president Donald Tusk.

The Taoiseach is meeting Mr Tusk, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and outspoken MEP Guy Verhofstadt today to discuss the growing Brexit crisis.

And just two weeks away from the make-or-break October EU summit and as Ms May finishes her Conservatives party conference, Mr Varadkar made it clear this morning he will not back down on the border issue.

Asked if he believes there will still be a backstop deal in light of Mrs May, Boris Johnson and DUP leader Arlene Foster, Mr Varadkar paused before saying:

"There certainly will... Or nothing."

Asked the same question Mr Tusk added:

"The Taoiseach is an optimist," before shrugging his shoulders and saying "we'll see after the meeting."

Mr Varadkar is meeting Mr Tusk at a private working lunch today before both officials give statements this afternoon.

The Taoiseach said in a statement last night "time is running out" for Britain to put forward a coherent plan for a Brexit deal.

Earlier: Taoiseach warns May 'time is running out' on securing Brexit deal

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has warned British prime minister Theresa May that "time is running out" on securing a Brexit deal just two weeks out from the crunch October EU summit.

Speaking before holding a series of meetings in Brussels today with European Council president Donald Tusk and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, Mr Varadkar said London must produce a coherent plan immediately if it wants to pull Brexit back from the brink of disaster.

"The immediate focus of the Irish Government is on the pressing need for agreement on a withdrawal agreement, with an operational and legally-binding backstop.

"The withdrawal agreement must ensure that, no matter what the outcome of negotiations on the future relationship between the EU and UK, a hard border on the island of Ireland will be avoided.

"This is critically important to reinforce the stability brought about by the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement.

"The negotiations are entering a critical phase, and time is running out. But I believe that an agreement is possible, with the right political will and focus on all sides," the Taoiseach said.

Today's Brussels meetings - which will also include a private discussion with the outspoken chair of the European Parliament's Brexit steering group team, MEP Guy Verhofstadt - come as fears continue to grow over a potential crash-out no deal Brexit.

Such a situation would place immense pressure on Ireland and whether a hard border would return between the Republic and Northern Ireland.

This is why Mr Varadkar, Tanaiste Simon Coveney and other senior Government officials are insistent Britain provides shores up last December's backstop deal, potentially with a new alternative legal text wording, as soon as possible and before the now likely November EU summit.

Today's Brussels meetings also take place as the Conservatives annual conference concludes in Birmingham, where British prime minister Theresa May has attempted to portray a hardline Brexit stance, and as MP Boris Johnson and DUP leader Arlene Foster have warned of "blood red" lines in the talks.
Homeless campaigners have hit out the idea of housing homeless people on cruise ships.

Dublin City Council had been considering plans to accommodate up to 150 people on a rented ship in a bid to ease the ongoing homelessness crisis.

However, the Inner City Helping Homeless charity said there was plenty of land available for the government to build affordable homes, with campaigner Fr Peter McVerry saying that the idea is a non-runner.

He was supported by Labour senator Aodhan O'Riordan, who, speaking on the Today with Sean O'Rourke show on RTE Radio 1 this morning, said it was an "absolutely outrageous idea" and "disgusting".

"Most of the Governments targets on housing don't get achieved, but you're not going to get a cruise ship and locate it on the Liffey by Christmas," he said.

The Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy also ruled out the idea this morning, saying it is not suitable for homeless families in need while better solutions are being explored.

Despite this, there were a number more favourable of the idea, including the Minister for Children Katherine Zappone, who said the idea is worth considering, as did Paddy Smyth, a Fine Gael Councillor who is a member of Dublin City Council.

He said housing people on decommissioned cruise ships could make a dent in the number of homeless people if the plan is implemented correctly.

Also speaking on Today with Sean O'Rourke this morning, Mr Smyth said he first made the suggestion to the housing department in 2016 and it is a practice that is used in other jurisdictions.

He said this was not a perfect idea but one that should not be dismissed out of hand, while efforts were being made to build houses.

"I think it could make a dent in the numbers for people who are transitioning out of homelessness," he said.

A large cruise ship could, he said, would house thousands of people and have room for creche, recreational, in-house social workers and GP facilities.

"Whether or not it could be done in the right way, that's the question," he said.

In a statement, Dublin City Council said they had been considering using a cruise ship to accommodate single rough sleepers in Dublin, but will not be doing so this winter.

"The possibility of leasing a cruise ship to be berthed in Dublin Port in order to provide emergency accommodation for homeless single adults/rough sleepers in Dublin has been considered by the City Council/Dublin Region Homeless Executive.

"It was felt that this approach would offer a number of advantages relative to other single person emergency accommodation options including speed of delivery and access to higher quality self -contained apartment type accommodation at a competitive cost.

"However, the option is not currently being pursued as the Council/DRHE are confident they will be able to source sufficient additional emergency accommodation to address the requirement of rough sleepers this winter without the need to lease a cruise ship."

Digital Desk
By Louise Roseingrave

Unborn babies with disabilities are in the firing line of proposed abortion legislation, according to a group of concerned parents.

The Disability Voices for Life group held a protest outside the Dail calling for a clause to outlaw abortion on disability grounds.

We are parents of children with disabilities, or people living with a disability, and we are asking for an amendment to the abortion bill to ensure that abortion on disability grounds is outlawed in Ireland, spokesperson Michael ODowd said.

Newly appointed advisor to the HSE for the implementation of abortion legislation Dr Peter Boylan claimed during the referendum campaign that there would be protections for the unborn on disability grounds included in the legislation.

Dr Boylan made these claims in a Liveline interview on May 9.

Mr O'Dowd said the appointment of Dr Boylan, who campaigned to repeal the 8th amendment 'was not comforting' to them.

The group further claimed that Health Minister Simon Harris has declined to meet them and is not listening to their concerns.

Without protection, our communities will be wiped out by the same abortion rates that have led to 98% of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome being aborted in Denmark.

It is a terrible situation where terminations are targeted at those who potentially have a trait society doesnt like, Mr ODowd said.

It is a culture based on prejudice and lack of knowledge of the positive traits a person with Down syndrome brings to a family and a community.

He was among a group of 22 people, who travelled from as far away as Donegal and Cork who attended an event outside the Dail calling for an amendment to the Bill banning abortion on disability grounds.

A disability can now be detected using Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing at 10 weeks according to the National Maternity Hospital, Mr ODowd said.

In this scenario, Down syndrome is in the firing line. Research in the US show an increasing number of parents aborting at this stage without getting a confirming diagnosis.

We were promised during the campaign that abortions would not be allowed on the basis of disability but in the absence of a clause outlawing it in the proposed legislation such statements are meaningless, he said.
By Liam Heylin

A man begging on the street was caught with a knife down in his pants but he claimed the only reason he carried it was that he was sick of people taking the cup he used for begging.

Judge Olann Kelleher imposed a four-month jail sentence on Roy Edmonds, 31, of Cork Simon community, and said he did not accept that as an excuse for Edmonds carrying the knife.

Judge Kelleher said that carrying a knife in Cork city centre was too serious an offence and he imposed the jail term.

Garda Brendan Ryan encountered the accused on August 19 and there was a knife concealed in the back of his pants at Oliver Plunkett Street.

Edmonds admitted it was for his own protection and said he was sick of people taking his cup.

Three days earlier he was found to be drunk and a danger to himself at Patrick Street in the middle of the afternoon.

On September 15 he was actively begging at 4.30 p.m. on Maylor Street obstructing the passage of pedestrians on Patrick Street, Cork, by begging.

Inspector Gary McPolin said at Cork District Court that the accused had 165 previous convictions including counts for begging.

Eddie Burke said that generally the defendant gave no difficulty to gardai in their encounters with him and co-operates once arrested.

Judge Kelleher said in relation to carrying the knife, I dont accept it is a correct thing to do for your own protection.
Latest: The government has lost a vote calling for a better response to the housing crisis.

The Dail vote was lost 83 to 43 with Fianna Fail supporting the motion - which calls for the housing crisis to be declared an emergency and for rent controls to be introduced.

Opposition parties passed the motion which also says there should be an end to evictions into homelessness and an increased amount of public and affordable housing.

Myself & @bridsmithTD just signed voting sheet after our emergency housing motion in #dail was passed 83-43. big victory for 12,000 people who joined the #RaisetheRoof #HomesforAll protest- piles pressure on FG/FF to deliver money & radical change to housing policy in #budget19  Richard Boyd Barrett (@RBoydBarrett) October 4, 2018

All of the opposition parties and the Independent TDs who are not in government including Peter Fitzpatrick who was in Fine Gael at the start of the week voted with the motion.

The motion does not have to be acted on but the vote is likely to put additional pressure on the government.

However, the vote is unlikely to lead to any substantial change in government policy.

Earlier: Leo Varadkar: Housing crisis is now an emergency

There were heated exchanges in the Dail as the Taoiseach admitted that housing has become an emergency.

Leo Varadkar faced sustained questioning on the Governments record on housing and homelessness with Opposition leaders attacking him on a lack of action.

He was also challenged to meet the thousands of people who had gathered outside the Dail in protest.

Thousands of students from around the country taking part in #RaiseTheRoof rally in Dublin pic.twitter.com/NywizQhuLk  Colm Hand (@ColmHand) October 3, 2018

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin described the level of homelessness as an appalling blight on our society.

Mr Martin highlighted the farcical situation where local authorities must submit plans for any build that will cost more than 2m to the Department of the Environment.

It is also the case with any development of more than 10 houses and it takes nearly 50-odd weeks to deliver those houses.

These bureaucratic delays at local authority level are farcical and they mean local authorities have an inability to get schemes off the ground, he said.

Mr Varadkar said the Government is now spending 60m a year to put people up in emergency accommodation and has brought in a system to fast-track planning.

But he added: Calling it an emergency does not actually solve the problem. What solves the problem is building houses, new homes and new apartments that people can live in.

Nearly 20,000 new homes and apartments will be built in Ireland this year. That is up from 15,000 last year and 10,000 the year before.

Fifty thousand or 60,000 people will get the keys to a new house, be able to live in it, and free up accommodation for others. That is real delivery, said Mr Varadkar.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said the Taoiseach is living in a fools paradise and his Government had not delivered one affordable home in three years and has no affordable housing targets for next year.

That is some fact. We propose the delivery of 4,500 affordable homes and we must call a halt to the rental crisis.

We propose the introduction of a temporary tax relief for renters and a three-year emergency rent freeze, she said.

Sinn Feins housing spokesperson says the Raise the Roof housing protest 'marks the beginning of a mass movement demanding change' pic.twitter.com/wZqrkGaGE8  RTE News (@rtenews) October 3, 2018

After Mr Varadkar dismissed Sinn Feins proposals, Ms McDonald called on the Taoiseach to join her outside the gates of Dail Eireann to meet protesters and to test who has credibility on the housing issue.

Solidarity-PBP TD Brid Smith called on the Taoiseach to instruct TDs in his party who are landlords to abstain from the cross-party motion on housing which was debated in the Dail.

There are at least 30 deputies who are landlords and who benefit in no small measure from the subsidies that have grown to a shocking 700m this year, almost 1bn, and probably rising, she said.

Mr Varadkar said that the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is not a subsidy but a payment that provides housing for people who need it and until such a time as we can build enough social housing to replace that it will be necessary.

Calling on Government to accept his motion to have the right to a house enshrined in Bunreacht na hEireann, Donegal TD Thomas Pringle said: Fine Gaels reliance on the private market and refusal to intervene has led to private interests being prioritised over the needs of individuals in this State.
By Alison ORiordan

Noel Duck Egg Kirwan suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including a shot to the face, after a gunman attacked him in the driveway of his Dublin home, a Special Criminal Court murder trial has heard.

Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Linda Mulligan, today gave evidence in the trial of Jason Keating.

Mr Kirwan was sitting in his car at St Ronans Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 on the evening of December 22, 2016 when a gunman shot him six times with a Makarov handgun which was later recovered at the scene.

The 62-year-old, a long-time friend of Gerry the Monk Hutch, suffered eight gunshot wounds in total to his head, right arm, chest and abdomen.

The three-judge court has heard that the murder of Mr Kirwan arose from a "notorious feud" between two criminal factions but the deceased had no connection with either side.

The deceaseds partner, Bernadette Roe, was in the passenger seat of his Ford Mondeo at the time of the attack. They had just returned from a Christmas lunch in a restaurant in Crumlin with Ms Roes daughter.

Mr Keating (27), of Lower Main Street, Rush, Co Dublin has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Kirwan.

Dr Mulligan told prosecuting counsel Paul Greene SC that she carried out a post-mortem examination on Mr Kirwans body on the morning of December 23 at Tallaght Hospital.

Dr Mulligan agreed with Mr Greene that the deceased was shot six times and she identified eight gunshot wounds to his body. Signs of attempts to resuscitate him were present and five intact bullets were recovered at the post-mortem, she said.

The court heard there was evidence of bullet holes on his wax jacket, jumper and polo shirt which all had extensive blood-staining.

In her evidence, Dr Mulligan said Mr Kirwan was shot six times, once in the right of the face below his eye, once in the right shoulder and anterior chest, once in the anterior abdomen, two shots in the right arm and once in the right side of his body.

The fatal gunshot wound, which entered his chest via his shoulder, caused extensive damage to the main blood vessel in his body. The amount of blood loss would have led to death, she said.

The first gunshot, which entered the right of Mr Kirwan's face 4cms below his right eye, would have led to difficulty breathing and expedited death, the court heard.

Dr Mulligan also explained that an abrasion to the right side of his face was consistent with shattered glass from the drivers window of his car.

Dr Mulligan noted that his stomach contained recently digested food namely red meat, vegetables and potatoes. There was no evidence of alcohol or drugs, she commented.

There was significant heart disease present in Mr Kirwan but this was not a contributory cause to his death, she said.

In conclusion, she gave his cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds.

The statement of Dr Haroon Khan, was previously read into the record by the prosecution.

Dr Khan said he got a call from Lucan Garda Station on December 22 to attend the scene and he observed Mr Kirwan fully clothed in the driveway of his house.

Mr Khan said he was bleeding from gunshot wounds to the right side of his face, his right shoulder and chest. He pronounced Mr Kirwan dead at 6.38pm.

It is the prosecutions case that a Gotek 7 electronic tracking device had been put under his car in the weeks leading up to Mr Kirwans killing and a number of items - including an instruction manual for the same device - link Mr Keating to the attack.

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge Sinead Ni Chualachain and Judge Cormac Dunne.
New Regulations, New Life

By Levan Khutsishvili

Taxi service without a license is becoming prohibited from October 1st and unregistered taxi drivers will be fined 200 GEL for unlicensed transportation of the passengers. Registration of the taxi drivers started from August 1 in Tbilisi, and according to the official information in the administrative borders of the capital of Georgia with a small car-taxi (M1 category) transfer permit is issued for one year term;A) For a one-year permit, the driver pays 100 GEL to transport passengers.B) In the case of hybrid cars, 50 GEL.C) Permit for using electric motor mechanical vehicles as a taxi is fully free.From October 1, the third phase of periodical technical inspection of motor vehicles will be launched. In particular, inspection is mandatory for all vehicles with an engine capacity of 3,000 cubic meters or more.October 1, is the date when production and sale of polyethylene bags are becoming prohibited and punished action. Initially, prohibition will be distributed at less than 15 microns thick plastic bags. Violation of regulation will result in 500 GEL fine for the enterprise. In case of repeated actions, the enterprise will be fined 1 000 GEL and will be confiscated of relevant products.Deadline for writing the type of activities of the companies in the Registry of Economic Activities expires October 30. This concerns the companies that carry heavy, harmful and hazardous jobs that have a high risk. Companies implementing this type of work were obliged to register relevant activities in the registry of economic activities before October 1, 2018; however, this term was postponed until the end of October.Before October 1, 2018, a part of the companies will have to carry out mandatory audits. According to the law, compulsory audits should be conducted by the companies whose total value of assets is 50 million GEL, the income is 100 million GEL, and the average number of employees is 250. The mandatory audit is also related to the companies whose total value is 10 million GEL up to 50 million GEL, and income is from 20 million GEL to 100 million GEL, while employing 50 to 250 people. If these companies do not fulfill the requirement, they will be warned first, and then-fined.Beginning October, the process of taking credit for individuals is simplified. As representatives of national bank explain, when a hired employee (wage type of income) and/or other individual having another type of taxable income, applying for credit in Bank, that person will have following choices:To present documents requested by banks in order to verify revenue - a certificate of salary and bank deposit - in material form. In addition, if desired, the new system will provide the commercial bank with information about the monthly-declared income of the customer. This scheme simplifies the issuance of the loan. As a result, customers will get faster and good quality service.The last regulation is related to the standards of diesel fuel, according to the law diesel fuel standard should go closer to European norms. In particular, the standard should rise to "Euro 4". Directive means the reduction of Sulphur concentration in imported fuel.
Mumford & Sons have announced that they will play dates in Dublin and Belfast as part of their world arena tour.

The tour will kick off in Dublin's 3 Arena on November 16 with a concert that will double as an album launch for their fourth studio album, Delta.
Connacht have confirmed that they will not sign Sevu Reece.

Reece was due to move to Galway next month after completing the current season with Waikato, but that move is now off.

The province had sent a letter to a New Zealand court saying a conviction of Sevu Reece in his domestic violence case would lead to his pre-contract being rescinded.

Judge Denise Clark had confirmed that she had got the letter explaining that a conviction would result in a pre-contract agreed in May being withdrawn, so ending his opportunity to play for the club.

The 21-year-old Fijian wing appeared in court on a domestic violence charge in New Zealand on Monday and was discharged without conviction.

Connacht issued a short statement this morning saying: "Connacht Rugby and the IRFU have taken the decision, following contact with Sevu Reece in relation to the circumstances of a recent court appearance, not to proceed with a contract to play with the province.

"Connacht Rugby and the IRFU will make no further comment."

A heavily intoxicated Reece chased his girlfriend and dragged her to the ground during an argument on July 1. He pleaded guilty to the assault.

The judge, however, accepted that the victim had forgiven Reece, they were in counselling and Reece had been sober for three months because of an admitted drink problem.

The 21-year-old Fijian winger was ordered to pay his victim $750 within 28 days for harm reparation.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus E.Shestakov pays a working visit to Czechia

04-10-2018

On October 4, 2018 in the framework of the working visit to Prague, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Evgeny Shestakov, met with the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Czechia, Eduard Muricky.

The sides discussed the implementation of the agreements reached in May in Minsk during the 10-th session of the Belarusian-Czech Joint Commission on Economic, Industrial, Scientific and Technical cooperation that is co-chaired by E.Shestakov and E.Muricky, plans for holding joint events in 2019, as well as further development of bilateral cooperation.

E.Shestakov also met with the Deputy Chair of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of Czechia, Vojtech Filip. The sides discussed current state and prospects for development of the interparliamentary cooperation between Belarus and Czechia, stated a mutual interest in expansion of interaction between MPs of both countries with an emphasis on economic projects implementation.

Main subjects of the meeting between E.Shestakov and the Chair of the Czech-Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Denis Karpovich, were the implementation of bilateral economic projects and opportunities for further increasing Belarusian export to Czechia.

   

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Music streaming giant Spotify, as Frontier Touring's Michael Gudinski told Sticky this week, has helped bring the likes of Californian darlings the Eagles to a whole new generation of fans. Three generations in fact, according to the man who also started Australian music behemoth Mushroom.

Meanwhile, there's far smaller, let's call them boutique outlets, for discovering and enjoying music. In the case of Tuff Cuff Records, a new record club that deals exclusively in vinyl releases, music lovers exchange their hard earned for the rare pleasure that comes with handling and hearing music that somewhat old fashioned way, on a turntable. Not on the train, or in the car, or while jogging. This is music for cranking up at home.

Hits are Tuff Cuff Records' first release.

Launched a year ago by Melbourne-based rock 'n' roll fan Matt O'Meara and his equally addicted record collecting buddy; Tuff Cuff is unashamedly by record collectors, for record collectors. "There's a whole community of like minded music fans out there and by starting this club we've connected with some amazing people," O'Meara said this week. "It's also opened some doors we weren't expecting, collaborating with artists, designers and writers .. we've issued a special fanzine with our first release by Hits."

The debut Tuff Cuff 7" by Brisbane-based heavy hitters Hits, a previously unreleased track called Smash Hits (produced by Rob Younger) is the first of four limited releases that members will find in their letter boxes in the club's first year. Unearthing rare, never-before released, demos, live or even alternate mixes of songs is Tuff Cuff's specialty and something O'Meara hopes will appeal to folks like him.
@alextdaugherty

Republican Rep. Brian Mast pulled a TV ad featuring a retired New York City firefighter who criticized Democratic nominee Lauren Baer after TCPalm discovered that the man in the ad is an actor who admitted guilt to two felonies in Miami-Dade County five years ago for domestic battery by strangulation and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm.

The ad featured actor John Cosomano, who criticized Baer for a column she wrote in Harvard University's student newspaper in 2001 shortly after the 9/11 attacks. According to TCPalm, Cosomano retired from the New York City fire department in 1999 and lives in Miami, not in Mast's Treasure Coast district. The TV spot used Cosomano to criticize Baer for writing that the 9/11 attacks and the U.S. response was a "moment of hypocrisy" and that the U.S. has a "shameful history."

"Some people speak of wanting an America to emerge from these events that is stronger and more proud," Baer wrote. "I wish to see an America emerge that is humbler and more humane. An America that will lower its flags to half-mast when another country is struck by brutality, that will call its citizens to vigils when peace is threatened abroad, that will observe moments of silence for the worlds voiceless victims, that will muster its troops for battles of justice in someone elses home. We have the power to transform a moment of hypocrisy into a moment of truth; let our humanity not prove to be ephemeral."

Mast, a veteran who entered the U.S. military in 2000, previously criticized the comments as insensitive.

"Congressman Mast absolutely will not use this ad moving forward," campaign spokesman Brad Stewart said immediately after TCPalm asked about Cosomano. "Had we known, we absolutely would not have featured him in the ad."

Mast is running for reelection in a district that was represented by Democrat Patrick Murphy before his unsuccessful U.S. Senate run in 2016. The Treasure Coast based district favors Republicans, but Democrats are hopeful that Baer can make headway given a national environment that appears to favor Democrats in the November election.
The first anniversary of the #MeToo movement will soon be upon us: that moment when the litany of sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein prompted Hollywood womanhood - and then what seemed like all womanhood - to throw up their hands and declare: "This happened to them, this happened to me, this happens to all of us, and, frankly, we've had enough."

It has become customary for women of my fortysomething generation and beyond to roll their eyes and dismiss #MeToo in some way or other. Credit:AP

But it has become customary for women of my fortysomething generation and beyond to roll their eyes and dismiss #MeToo in some way or other. It has been criticised for limiting men's "freedom to pester" (Catherine Deneuve), for threatening to "wipe out men" (Maureen Lipman), for "pathetic" whining (Ann Widdecombe), and taking down a "good friend" (Judi Dench, speaking of Kevin Spacey).

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Well, you won't hear any of this from me. I am grateful - profoundly, tearily grateful - to these women for defamiliarising behaviour to which many of us had become so inured we no longer really saw it. These are not snowflakes, but warrior women forging a new model of society that we all badly need. The #MeToo campaign has prompted me and many other battle-worn feminists to re-evaluate our entire existences, finding them a catalogue of abuses ignored - because why pick on one, when it's merely business as usual?
Geoff Emerick, a sound engineer who recorded, among others, the Beatles, helping to shape the bands ever-evolving music on pivotal albums like Revolver and Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, died on Tuesday. He was 72.

Geoff Emerick interviewed by the ABC. Credit:ABC

Abbey Road Studios posted the news of his death on its website, though it did not specify where he died. A video posted on Emericks Facebook page said he appeared to have had a heart attack.

Given the sophistication of Sgt. Peppers, its easy to overlook the fact that Emerick had barely turned 20 when he was tasked with helping to get the Beatles vision on tape. It was, he recalled 50 years later in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, a daunting challenge.

John came into the control room on that first day and said, Were never gonna tour again and were gonna make an album thats gonna have sounds on it and things on it that no one has ever heard before.  Emerick remembered. And everyone looked at me, and I know what Ive got. Ive got nothing!
A Sydney man has been found guilty of murdering his friend, who was shot dead late on the night of his 45th birthday.

Gazi Safarjalani, 37, had pleaded not guilty to murdering his former coffee shop partner, Bill Panagakos, at a Petersham intersection in March 2014.

Gazi Safarjalani has been found guilty of murder. Credit:AAP

After a day of deliberations, a NSW Supreme Court jury on Thursday found him guilty and his bail was revoked as his supporters broke down in the public gallery.

Prosecutor Adrian Robertson had alleged Safarjalani was one of two men seen approaching Mr Panagakos at the intersection before five shots were fired at him at close range.
An investigation has begun after a man who allegedly attempted to stab a security guard and made threats about a bomb was shot by police at Nepean Hospital.

It is understood the 54-year-old, allegedly brandishing two knives, entered the busy emergency precinct at Kingswood on Thursday afternoon, forcing the hospital to close.

NSW Police said they responded to reports of a man who was threatening security guards just before 4pm. Police said the man then allegedly attempted to stab a guard and was shot by police.

Seven crews were sent to the hospital following the reports, said a NSW Ambulance spokesperson.
A child sex abuse victim is seeking $800,000 in damages for psychiatric injuries and loss of earning power he claimed to have suffered as a result of being molested by a paedophile teacher whilst attending an exclusive Brisbane private school in the 1980s.

The former Brisbane Grammar School student, who cannot be named for legal reasons, fell victim to notorious paedophile teacher Kevin Lynch during counselling sessions in the late 1980s.

A former Brisbane Grammar student is seeking $800,000 in damages. Credit:Glenn Hunt

Lynch killed himself in 1997 after being confronted by police investigating claims he abused more than 70 students during his time at the school.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court in Brisbane heard the victim received an apology from BGS and a pittance settlement of $47,000 in 2002, with no admission of liability, after months of negotiations and mediated sessions.
Phillip Strachan, the man called in to straighten out Queensland Rail in February last year, resigned as chairman on Thursday, the same week QR executives were refused bonuses on the grounds that the organisation had yet to recover from service failures.

Two other QR board members - senior finance officer Sandra Birkensleigh, who chairs QR's audit committee, and senior engineer Paul Wallis, the major project committee chair who previously worked for Arup Consultancies for 30 years - also resigned.

Queensland Rail chairman Phillip Strachan (pictured with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk) has resigned. Credit:Dave Hunt/AAP

Mr Strachan, appointed to make changes to QR after submitting a series of reports - QR's 2017 Commission of Inquiry - into the network's failings, wrote to staff yesterday that he had overseen a "major transformation in the culture and performance at Queensland Rail".
A Brisbane vet is urging pet owners to be vigilant around waterways after a little dog named Tilla swallowed a potentially lethal four-centimetre fishing hook.

The Jack Russell cross Maltese terrier is expected to make a full recovery following surgery last Friday but it could have been a close call.

Jack Russell cross maltese dog Tilla is expected to make a full recovery after a fishing hook was removed. Credit:Albion Veterinary Surgery.

Albion Veterinary Surgery head surgeon Andrew Lobb, who performed emergency surgery on the beloved pet, said she was very fortunate not to have damaged her internal organs.

When she swallowed the hook she was at significant risk of perforating her oesophagus, which could have caused damage to her lungs and prevent her from breathing, with an almost certain death.
Firefighters are battling a blaze at a factory in Melbourne's south-east.

The fire broke out at a furniture removal business in Wannan Street, Highett after 9.30pm on Thursday.

The residents of three houses across the street were evacuated and those in the surrounding suburbs have been told to take precuations against smoke inhalation.

The fire was declared Under Control after an hour and 10 minutes, but firefighters have been withdrawn from the building as its integrity was compromised.
A former teacher has fronted a Melbourne court over a string of historical child sex offences, including nine counts of rape, after police extradited him from Brisbane.

Sano Taskforce detectives, with the assistance of Queensland Police Service, arrested and charged Kevin Wilmore Myers, 72, in the Brisbane suburb of Spring Hill on Tuesday morning.

Mr Myers faces 32 charges - nine counts of rape, one of attempted rape and 22 of indecent assault - over allegations he sexually assaulted eight teenage boys between 1980 and 1982 in western Victoria.

Credit:Penny Stephens

Dressed in a red and grey jumper over a collared shirt and wearing thick glasses, Mr Myers appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor Chris King speaks to the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce at the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg on Thursday, Sept. 27.

Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Chris King didn't wait a day before responding to the latest ad by the Republican Governors Association, which has blasted his running mate Andrew Gillum's plan to raise the corporate tax rate.

"When I saw the new ad for the RGA yesterday, I think the first word that hit my mind was 'desperate,'" King said on a conference call with reporters this morning.

The Gillum-King plan would increase the corporate tax rate on the state's largest companies from 5.5 percent to 7.75 percent. According to the campaign, the tax would only apply to the largest 2-3 percent of the state's companies.

"98% of businesses would still pay no corporate income tax," said King, a Winter Park entrepreneur.

The plan would generate $1 billion in revenue for the state, and Gillum wants to spend the money raising teachers' salaries and investing in programs like early childhood education.

READ MORE: Politifact: $1 billion Florida tax hike? Andrew Gillum proposes increasing state corporate tax

On Wednesday, the RGA released another ad attacking the plan, comparing it to a car wreck that would bring the state's economy "to a sudden stop."

On Thursday's call, two businessmen said the plan to improve schools was critical to attracting new businesses to the state.

Ken LaRoe, the founder of First GREEN Bank, said his Orlando-based company would make $10 million in net profit next year. Under Gillum's plan, his company would pay an additional $200,000 in corporate taxes, he said.

He called that "a very, very small sacrifice to make" to build a good school system.

"Floridas a sh--hole," he said, repeating how it's a "sh--hole" in its programs, including programs for the developmentally disabled. LaRoe said he has a developmentally disabled child.

LaRoe later apologized for his language, expressing his frustration with the last two decades of Republican leadership in the state. He said his comments were referring to how other people perceive Florida.

"Ive entered a very profane stage of life," LaRoe said. "I love this state, and in my travels around the country and the world on business, the rest of the country, especially, is looked at disdain at the state of Florida. ... Im just sickened by whats happened in this state."

When asked about LaRoe's comments, King said he disagreed with them.

"Mayor Gillum and I dont share that view," he said. "I love Florida. Mayor Gillum loves Florida."
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is under pressure to release his industrial relations policy, as the Morrison government seizes on his failure to rule out radical changes demanded by unions and dubbed "a recipe for disaster" by business leaders.

Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O'Dwyer said ACTU secretary Sally McManus' demand that Labor commit to a return to industry-wide bargaining was "a recipe for industrial conflict and chaos not seen since the 1970s, when industrial action was 40 times higher than today".

"Industry-wide industrial action would paralyse whole sectors of the economy at once  crippling small business; shutting down essential services like schools and hospitals; seeing our farmers' exports rotting on the wharfs," Ms O'Dwyer said.

Labor leader Bill Shorten is under pressure to reveal his industrial relations policy. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

"Australians do not want a return to conflict. A strong economy is the foundation for prosperity for all Australians.
Australia has joined allies in publicly accusing the Russian government of mounting an "indiscriminate and reckless" campaign of cyber attacks against democracies.

The British government on Thursday said the GRU  the intelligence arm of Russia's military  is responsible for malicious cyber warfare targeting political, business, media and sporting institutions in violation of international law.

The campaign affected many countries and caused millions of dollars of economic harm, a statement from Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne said, pointing to advice from intelligence agencies.

The Kremlin orchestrated a campaign of global cyber attacks, according to Western allies. Credit:AP

"This is unacceptable and the Australian government calls on all countries, including Russia, to refrain from these types of malicious activities," Mr Morrison and Senator Payne said.
China secretly inserted surveillance microchips into servers used by major technology companies, including Apple and Amazon.com, in an audacious military operation likely to further inflame trade tensions between the United States and its leading source of electronics components and products, Bloomberg Businessweek reported.

The article detailed a sweeping, years-long effort to install the surveillance chips in servers whose motherboards - the brains of the powerful computers - were assembled in China. One affected company had its servers used by US government clients, including Department of Defence data centres, Navy warships and the CIA in its drone operations.

The extent of the data China collected from the surveillance chips was not clear from the report, and no consumer information was known to have been stolen. But the report said a top-secret US government investigation, dating from 2015 and involving the FBI, remains open.
A home cinema is all about getting a cinema experience at home, right? Actually you can do better than that. Ive had an OLED television in the man cave for a few weeks and it made my home cinema better than going to the movies. My wife pointed this out just as I started thinking it. But an important note here: we were both talking about home cinema; broadcast television is another matter.

We have good audio so the sound is spot on, and with the OLED sitting atop, the vision is stunning. Projection systems cannot match the definition and cant come within cooee of the contrast. And yet the OLED picture is just as gentle and easy on the eye as gold class. The brights are not washed out, the dark patches remain dark yet still carry all the detail of whats going on in there, the colours are accurate and, yep, gorgeous.

Sony OLED

This was Sonys entry-level 55-inch (139cm) A8F which, at $3499 aint cheap, but then its also far from expensive as OLEDs go. A 65-inch (164cm) A8F is $5298.

I fired up four 4K HDR movies through an Oppo disc player and the results were jaw dropping. Prometheus is spectacular. Dunkirk and Everest are almost as good and also better than I got in the cinema. Okay, 8K televisions are now operational and will be on the market reasonably soon, but one wonders how definition can get any better than this and, if it does, will we notice?
Beijing: US Vice-President Mike Pence is due to give a highly provocative speech on Thursday, US time, accusing China of "reckless harassment" of the US Navy in the South China Sea and political interference, in a step sure to worsen relations between the world's number one and two economies.

"China wants a different American president," Pence will say in his speech, according to excerpts given to US media outlets.

Beijing has mobilised covert actors, front groups and propaganda outlets to shift Americans perception of Chinese policies, Pence will say. As a senior career member of our intelligence community recently told me, what the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what China is doing across this country.

The New York Times reported there was "no hard evidence of Chinese election meddling" in the excerpts of Pence's speech provided to US media ahead of its delivery at the Hudson Institute on Thursday.
Columbia, South Carolina: Seven law enforcement officers were shot, with one killed, when a suspect opened fire on deputies attempting to serve a search warrant at a house in South Carolina.

The incident happened about 4pm on Wednesday, US east coast time.

South Carolina state troopers gather near the scene of the incident. Credit:AP

From inside the home, the man fired on the deputies, striking three of them, officials said. He continued to fire as officers from other departments arrived to assist.

The wounded were evacuated after police drove in with a bullet-resistant vehicle, while the suspect barricaded himself inside, along with a number of children.
Washington: A Peruvian Supreme Court judge has ordered the arrest of former president Alberto Fujimori after overturning a pardon he had received roughly nine months ago on health grounds.

Peru's former president Alberto Fujimori in court in March. Credit:AP

Judge Hugo Nunez accepted a challenge against the pardon that had been filed by families of victims of 1992 death squad massacres directed by Fujimori. The judge ordered Fujimori be located and sent to jail, Peru's judiciary said via Twitter.

Fujimori, who led Peru from 1990 to 2000, was sentenced to 25 years in jail in 2009 for commanding the killing of alleged terrorist sympathisers. Last December, former president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski approved the 80-year-old's release after doctors said he was suffering from a "progressive, degenerative and incurable" illness and that jail endangered his life. Opposition lawmakers accused him of releasing Fujimori to avoid impeachment, a claim which Kuczynski denied.
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

Two people have appeared in court having been charged with offences including breaking a banning order and providing false documents for home loan applications.

Mrs Shilpa Karandikar was charged with three counts of engaging in credit activities contrary to a four-year ASIC banning order against her.

It is alleged that the Melbourne-based mortgage broker had prepared and submitted home loan applications for three customers in contravention of the banning order made on 10 July 2014.

The original order was made on the basis that Mrs Karandikar had submitted false documents to secure a $243,000 home loan for a customer.

Appearing in a separate hearing, Mr Shrikrishna Karandikar was charged with three counts of giving false documents to NAB, certifying that he had completed customer identification forms in the presence of the home loan applicants, when it is alleged he had not met them.

The home loan applications were submitted to NAB through Mr Karandikar's former mortgage broking business, Siddhi Vinayak Finance Pty Ltd.

ASIC permanently banned Mr and Mrs Karandikar in December 2017 from engaging in credit activities. The basis for the permanent bannings included the continuation of credit activities after the 2014 ban and misleading and deceptive conduct.

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions is prosecuting these matters. The matter has been adjourned until 5 December 2018.
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Borough Wide

Hey, kids! Put on your thinking caps and get thee to this fun and competitive spelling bee, hosted by the Temple of Restorations Helping Hands Ministry on Oct. 6 from 6 pm to 8 pm. The bee is open to students in the ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th grades who attend local schools and after school programs.

There is also a mini bee for students in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades.

Prizes include: $1,000, a laptop computer, an iPad mini, and other cash prizes.

The bee is part of the ministrys helping hands initiative and seeks to promote life-building skills and character as well as foster social development.

Its free to enter  so dont delay.

To download the word list and register visit resto ratio ntime.com/ Spell ingBe e.php

The Temple of Restoration [490 Pacific St. at Third Avenue in Boerum Hill, (718) 7570954].

Marine Park

Walk for the cure

Don your pink trainers and caps and join the Womens Council of Realtors Brooklyn Chapter to help raise funds for breast cancer research.

Meet in the parking lot at Avenue S and E. 33rd Street at 9:30 am on Oct. 13. If you beat the crowds and register by Oct. 8 you will score an event T-shirt. Its $15 per person (checks payable to Fillmore Cares) as well as plenty of sponsorships available. So come on down and visit the Pink Tent  all proceeds will be donated to Pats Pink Party.

Contact Robin Snyder at Sweet homeb rookl yn@gm ail.com or (718) 6463600.

Vinegar Hill

Take a seat!

Welcome and bienvenue to Antonia (Toni) Yuille Williams. She has been elected chair of the Board of Directors at the Brooklyn Arts Council. Currently, Standing O pal Toni is the Director of Regional and Community Affairs, Corporate Affairs for Con Edison Company of New York, Inc. and most recently served as vice chair of the arts councils board of directors.

Were thrilled to see Toni step into this new leadership role, said Charlotte Cohen, executive director. Tonis experience, connectivity, and insight into our borough have already been invaluable, and it is both natural and fitting for her to take the helm.

Toni added her joy at the nomination and said, It is truly an honor to be elected to lead BACs Board of Directors.

Toni succeeds Dr. Thomas F. Schutte as the chairman, who will continue in the capacity of an emeritus member.

I am deeply grateful to the members of our board and staff for their incredible support, commitment and friendship, said Dr. Schutte.

Brooklyn Arts Council [20 Jay St. #616 in Vinegar Hill, (718) 6250080].

. . .

Great news!

Standing O now has its own Facebook page. Follow the O at StandingO@StandingOBKBooster.

Read Standing O every Thursday on Brook lynDa ily.com !
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Fort Greene

Strike up the band

Congrats to Tatiana Viscun, faculty member at the Brooklyn Music School. The melody-making academic will receive a Civic Award from Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo (DFort Greene) on Oct. 6, at the Brass, Pipe Organ, and the Piano concert at Hanson Place Church of SDA in Fort Greene.

Congratulations to Tatiana for this acknowledgement of her incredible talent and work. I am thrilled that her generous commitment to her craft and to her students is being recognized, said the councilwoman.

Tatiana is an extraordinary pianist and exceptional music teacher. She is an intuitive, insightful, and talented piano teacher whose dynamic sessions can integrate elements of the human body and nature into the art of the piano, said colleague Bob Martin, Ph.D.

Tatiana was born in Chelyabinsk, Russia, began playing piano, at 4 years old, studied at the Special Music School in Krivoy Rog, Ukraine, and obtained her Bachelor of Music degree at the State Music College and her Masters from the State University of the Arts in Chisinau, Moldova.

As a teacher, she strives to introduce her students to a broad range of musical possibilities, helping them develop a deep appreciation of the piano.

Brooklyn Music School [126 St. Felix St. in Fort Greene, (718) 6385660].
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Theyll fight for a ferry  come hell or high water.

The city must honor Mayor DeBlasios promise to consider putting a ferry stop in Coney Island as part of its upcoming feasibility study, locals demanded at an Oct. 3 rally sponsored by the Alliance for Coney Island on the Riegelmann Boardwalk at W. 22nd Street. A ferry stop in the Peoples Playground would help connect locals to the distant isle of Manhattan with a better  and faster  alternative than the subway, according to the unofficial Mayor of Coney Island.

For Coney Island, instead of an hour to an hour-and-a-half commute by subway, the idea that something scenic could get here from Manhattan in 20 or 30 minutes is a no-brainer, said Dick Zigun, whos also founder of the Coney Island Circus Sideshow.

At a town hall in the nabe last year, Hizzoner said the city would study the possibility of putting a ferry landing on the peninsula as part of the new study. But the Economic Development Corporation, which is spearheading the study, is instead relying on the publics suggestions to determine which sites to include in the study. New Yorkers can submit their suggestions through the online form until Oct. 15.

The study will consider factors including water depths, population density, existing transit access, and travel-time comparisons between existing travel options. The first stage of the process will also include meetings with elected officials and community board members from waterfront communities, according to the agency.

Coney Islanders have been complaining about the lack of a ferry stop on their waters since the service launched last year, with residents and pols saying the ferry would help facilitate tourism and the areas ongoing development. Zigun echoed these assertions at the rally.

Were at the end of one of the outer boroughs and we all know that theres transportation issues in New York City, he said. And its not just for tourists  theres a lot of residential housing under construction in Coney Island.

A 2012 study considered launching a ferry service to Coney, evaluating a derelict fishing pier at W. 21st Street near Neptune Avenue in Coney Island Creek, plus Steeplechase Pier and another ocean dock off of W. Eighth Street. But the city rejected the locations, saying the creek dock would be too far from the amusement district and that the oceanfront stops would be too expensive. The report also concluded that ferry ridership would be seasonal, and primarily used for recreation rather than by commuters.

But one local who said she used to trek an hour-and-a-half on the bus from the neighborhood to her job in Manhattan said she would have used the ferry to commute, adding that the ride would have offered a more scenic route for locals than the buses and subways.

Were oceanfront, and it would be nice to have a ferry, said Selena Grant.

Another local agreed that the waterfront community should get a ferry stop, adding that she currently has to rely on the citys unreliable Access-a-Ride service to get into Manhattan for her appointments, and that she would prefer a more enjoyable ride into the city.

We need another mode of transportation  every waterfront has a ferry, why not Coney Island? asked Kumali Zairee. I love the water, so Id love the ferry.

Make your suggestion for a new ferry stop at: www.nycedc.com/resources/studies/2018-ferry-feasibility-study.
Toyota Motor Corp and SoftBank Group Corp will announce a partnership on automated driving and other technology on Thursday, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The companies plan to hold a news conference later in the day. Toyota President Akio Toyoda and SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son will attend a session to be held alongside the conference, they said in a joint statement, without providing additional details. Japan's highest-profile companies will announce that they will partner up to develop self-driving vehicles and other new mobility technologies, the ...
The food writer Nik Sharma was 8 when he made his first pot of rice. It was a disaster. He found a bottle of Rooh Afza, a rose-flavored concentrated syrup popular throughout South Asia, in the studio apartment in the Bandra neighborhood of Mumbai, India, where he grew up in the late 1980s. Though Rooh Afza is typically mixed into cold water or milk, Mr. Sharma had other plans. I remember thinking, Wouldnt it be cool if you put the Rooh Afza in the rice so it smelled like roses? he said. The syrup turned the rice an atomic pink hue. It was ...
Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC), which is Facebook's lead privacy regulator in Europe, has opened a formal investigation into the fresh which affected 50 million users, that could result in a fine of $1.63 billion.

In a statement on Thursday, the DPC said: "The investigation will examine Facebook's compliance with its obligation under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the security and safeguarding of the personal data it processes."

"Investigation commenced into data breach," the DPC also tweeted.

The Spanish Data Protection Agency has reportedly said it would collaborate with the DPC on the probe.

" has informed the DPC that their internal investigation is continuing and that the company continues to take remedial actions to mitigate the potential risk to users," the commission added in the statement.

In the biggest-ever security breach after Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook last week admitted hackers broke into nearly 50 million users' accounts by stealing their "access tokens" or digital keys.

This allowed them to steal Facebook access tokens which they could then use to take over people's accounts.

Access tokens are the equivalent of digital keys that keep people logged in to Facebook so they do not need to re-enter their password every time they use the app.

US Senator Mark R Warner has also called for a full probe into the incident.
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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Amid reports of China ramping up its air defence infrastructure in Tibet, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa Wednesday said the Indian Air Force is monitoring the situation and has plans to counter any threat.

Responding to a question on the issue, Dhanoa said the government has sanctioned construction of the next generation hardened aircraft shelters in far-flung areas.

"We are monitoring the development of infrastructure," he said.

China has always been saying its airports in are coming up for regional connectivity and not for offensive operations, Dhanoa said.

"We also have initiated measures - like the government has sanctioned construction of next generation hardened aircraft shelters. On our side, we are making adequate (preparation). Also, we have a plan to counter them," he told a press conference here.

On reports about the presence of over 50 Chinese aircraft in the region, Dhanoa said it is not a threat as India also has a number of air bases on the eastern front.

"If you look at our bases, starting from Leh, Thoise... as you come down to Adampur, Halwara, Ambala, Chandigarh and carry on up to Chabwa, you work down the number of aircraft we have got. So, are only 50 aircraft in a threat? The answer is no," the IAF chief said.
Three, only three, is the number of women who have been awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics in the 117-year history of the prize. Donna Strickland, aged 59 and an associate professor at the University of Waterloo, in Canada, is the female academic who this year was awarded the holy grail recognition for her major contribution to physics.

She shares the 2018 prize with Arthur Ashkin and Gerard Mourou. The last time a woman received the Nobel Prize in Physics was 55 years ago, when Maria Goeppert-Mayer won in 1963. Before that it was the exceptional Marie Curie who won the ...
Russian arrived here Thursday on a two-day visit to hold the annual bilateral summit with Prime Minister

Putin, who is accompanied by a high-level delegation, was received by External Affairs Minister

The 19th India- Annual Bilateral Summit will take place here on Friday during which Modi and Putin are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation in the wake of the US sanctions against Russian defence majors.



The two leaders are also likely to deliberate on key regional and global issues, including US sanctions on import of Iranian

The focus during the visit will be on the S-400 Triumf air defence missile system agreement, with a top Kremlin aide saying Tuesday that Russian Putin will oversee the signing of the USD 5 billion deal.
Russian President will arrive in New Delhi on Thursday to attend the 19th India-Russia bilateral annual summit, scheduled to begin the following day. The signing of a deal for Russia's S-400 Triumf air defence system is the key feature of the visit.

Putin will arrive at the capital at around 6:30 PM and will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in an hour, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed.

On October 05, the Russian President will hold delegation level talks with Prime Minister Modi at the Hyderabad House at around 11:30 AM. The two are slated to discuss a number of key regional and global topics, including the US sanctions on Iranian oil.

Following an exchange of agreements and press statements, Putin will arrive at the ITC Maurya Hotel, where the India-Russia Business Summit is scheduled to take place at around 3:30 PM. He is also scheduled to interact with a group of talented children.

Putin will then meet his Indian counterpart - President Ram Nath Kovind, at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The Russian President will emplane for his return to Russia at around 6:00 PM in the evening.

A number of crucial energy deals are slated to be signed by the two countries during the bilateral summit. India's state-owned ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) may sign a pact with Gazprom, industry sources told Sputnik. OVL already has stakes in three operational projects in Russia.

Also, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov had earlier confirmed that a contract for the supply of five regiments of Russia's S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems to India worth $5 billion will be signed during the Russian President's visit.

The last India-Russia bilateral summit was held in Russia on June 1, 2017.
The financial squeeze on India's farmers is set to worsen because of record high fuel prices and surging costs of fertilisers, posing a challenge to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an election that must be held by May. The rise in input prices could not have come at worse time for farmers, already grappling with falling domestic product prices due to rising yields and abundant harvests. Yet, the government has few easy options to respond. Rival global producers have complained about Indian state support and falling global farm product prices undermine export ...
The newly elected first Director General of ISA, Upendra Tripathy, said the ISA also finalised five new programmes and two projects to be implemented in the member countries under its wing. Speaking to Business Standard after being elected as the DG, Tripathy said the ISA would work on two major projects for improving human resources in the solar sector and dissemination of information regarding ISA. The ISA has approved the STAR C (Solar Technology Application ...

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.



Digital Editor
The S-400 deal with Russia, comes as a mixed bag with gains at best being political. On balance it would be safe to say that militarily, despite the S-400's formidable capabilities (as advertised) will not translate into a serious game changer on the ground, and its purchase costs may be misleading as its integration may turn it into a white elephant that could bleed the military down the line.

What we need to be clear about is that on paper, the S-400 is a formidable capability against aircraft. It has very long range and ability for extreme manoeuvres, which means that most ...

Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal. They do not reflect the view/s of Business Standard.
One-sixth of Indias population lives in Uttar Pradesh. The state has more people than the UK, France, Germany and the continent of Australia. Its economic development has, however, lagged far behind all these countries.

Its per capita income is less than one-40th of the UK and half of the average per capita income of India. The funny thing is that this was not always the state of affairs. When India became independent, the average per capita income of the state was at the same level as rest of India. But growth of the state domestic product (SDP) was slow and lagged behind ...
In mid-February, a lobby group chose Chanda Kochhar, the then head of ICICI Bank, went for an interactive session with the visiting Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. A little over a month later, the toast of the town was battling allegations of impropriety that led to a multi-agency probe and an eventual forced leave-of-absence.

The 56-year-old Kochhar, who rose to occupy the corner office at the largest private sector lender, was mired in allegations of conflicts of interest, lack of disclosures and quid-pro-quo while extending loans to the now-bankrupt Industries. She, in fact, was the first woman to head a large lender in the country.

Kochhar, a favourite of the then group chairman K V Kamath, joined ICICI, an infrastructure lender in its earlier avatar, as a management trainee in 1984 and rose to play an important part in its transformation into a retail-focused lender and when it turned into a commercial bank in the early 1990s.

After the exit of the larger-than-life KV Kamath, she was chosen in 2009 to succeed the illustrious leader as the managing director and chief executive despite a strong leadership bench. Her elevation also led to the exit of ( chief), who was senior to her in ranking from the group. Before her elevation to the corner office, she was a key member of the bank's setting up, oversaw the retail business and was also a chief financial officer.

She consolidated activities at ICICI Bank, the only domestic lender to be impacted in the post-Lehman crisis, and ensured it speaks little and it is only her who does the talking all the time.

While Kamath faced many bank runs during his tenure, Kochhar's brute control on the institution has led to a complete arrest of such negative press. There was just one run-on during her tenure.

When an RBI review in 2015 found a high amount of under-reported dud assets with the bank, she announced a new strategy of concentrating only on the well-rated borrowers.

She championed many social causes but it was her inspiring rise to the top that was most admired. Yet, she perplexed many with her contrarian views that girls lack quantitative analytical skills, blaming it on the limited number of women in B-schools.

Over the years her leadership of the bank became a hyphenated relationship, wherein she came to define the bank, till it was broken Thursday with the announcement of her formal exit, six months after allegations of impropriety first cropped up against her, though she has been on an indefinite leave from May after the board was forced to appoint an external probe into the entire issue.

The reasons for her ouster pertain to the loan to and the business dalliances between its promoter Venugopal Dhoot and her husband Deepak Kochhar. Dhoot had invested in and subsequently exited a power company promoted by Deepak and did not recuse herself or disclose this when a loan was granted by ICICI Bank to as part of a consortium.

Initially, she enjoyed full backing of the board but lost support as the list of allegations kept growing with more names like an Essar group shell company of the Ruias also emerging among those with whom the Kochhar family had relationships.

However, the gains from the Ruia ties were only a fraction of Videocon's loan of Rs 32.50 billion in FY11 which soon turned dud.

These allegations led to probes by multiple agencies, including the CBI, ED and SFIO, and also questioning of the Kochhar family members.

Finally, it was a complaint by a whistleblower who is yet to be named, which proved to be her undoing.

After exonerating her initially in the face of Videocon allegations, the bank launched an independent probe by retired judge BN Srikrishna and Kochhar went on indefinite leave pending the enquiry. This led to Sandeep Bakhshi being made the chief operating officer to oversee the day-to-day operations.

Kochhar had six months to go before her current term expires in March 2019. Regulations allow private sector bank chiefs to continue till the age of 70. Her offer to resign was accepted with immediate effect Thursday and Bakhshi was elevated to succeed her. The probe against her will continue and its outcome will determine the compensation she gets, the bank said in a statement.

In the past few months, shareholders have sought clarity on the issue at annual meetings and also raised concerns over the bank's move to appoint her as the chairman of group's securities arm. Kochhar, who maintained a huge public profile, has been away from public glare since May since her forced leave.

From a performance perspective, when she took over ICICI Bank was the second largest in the system and the largest among its private sector peers. But at the end of her actual carrier at the bank it was reduced to a distant No 3 in the system and the second largest private sector lender after HDFC Bank by a wide margin.

The bank closed fiscal 2018 with advances of Rs 5.12 trillion on a deposit of Rs 56.1 trillion and net income of a paltry Rs 11.42 billion. In FY10 (her first full year at the helm), the bank had reported a net income of Rs 40.25 billion on a much smaller balance-sheet of Rs 2.02 trillion in deposits and Rs 1.81 trillion in advances.

Investors cheered the announcement, probably because of the clarity it brings in. The bank scrip closed 4.07 per cent up at Rs 315.95 on the BSE as against a 2.24 per cent plunge in the benchmark.
The US Navy's Pacific Fleet has drawn up a classified proposal to carry out a global show of force as a warning to China, according to defence officials.

The draft proposal from the Navy is recommending the US Pacific Fleet conduct a series of operations during a single week in November, CNN quoted the officials as saying on Wednesday.

The goal is to carry out a highly focused and concentrated set of exercises involving US warships, combat aircraft and troops to demonstrate that the US can counter potential adversaries quickly on several fronts.

The plan suggests sailing ships and flying aircraft near China's territorial waters in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait in freedom of navigation operations to demonstrate the right of free passage in waters.

The proposal means US ships and aircraft would operate close to Chinese forces.

The officials also emphasised that there was no intention to engage in combat with the Chinese.

While the US military carries out these types of operations throughout the year, the proposal being circulated calls for several missions to take place in just a few days.

The Pentagon, however, has not commented on the proposal, CNN said.

"As the Secretary of Defence has said on countless occasions, we don't comment on future operations of any kind," said Lt. Col. David Eastburn, a Pentagon spokesman.

Wednesday's development comes just days after what the Pentagon has called an "unsafe" encounter between US and Chinese destroyers in the South China Sea.

The said the Chinese destroyer Lanzhou came within 41 metres of the USS Decatur while the American ship was on a "freedom of navigation" operation near Chinese-claimed islands.
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 []
Several Indian companies and a few individuals from India have been barred by the World Bank from its various projects across the globe, the multi-lateral lending agency said in its new report.

In its latest annual report on Wednesday, the World Bank said Olive Health Care and Jay Modi from India have been debarred from for their fraudulent and corrupt practices. They were working on a World Bank project in

While Olive Health has been debarred for 10 years and six months, Modi has been debarred for seven years and six months, the report said.

In all 78 companies and individuals have been debarred by the World Bank. The inaugural report, the bank said, is the result of efforts by the Integrity Vice Presidency (INT), the Office of Suspension and Debarment (OSD) and the Sanctions Board to prepare a joint overview of the Bank Group Sanctions System and its activities over the past year.

India-based Angelique Limited has been debarred by the World Bank for four years and six months for their fraudulent and corrupt practices. The company had a World Bank project in and

Family Care from India too has been debarred by the World Bank for four years on similar grounds. They had projects in Argentina and

For fraudulent practices, Madhucon Projects Ltd from India has been debarred by the World Bank for two years. It had World Bank projects in India. R KD Construction Pvt Ltd has been debarred for one year and six months for the same reason. It has projects in India.

Among other Indian companies debarred by the World Bank for less than a year are Tatve Global Environment Pvt Ltd, SMEC (India) Pvt Ltd, and Macleods Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

In addition to the 78 debarments, five firms were sanctioned with conditional non-debarment, which means they remain eligible to participate in World Bank-financed projects but will be debarred if they do not meet certain agreed-upon conditions.

Each of the sanctions related to a finding that the firm or individual engaged in one of the institution's five sanctionable practices fraud, corruption, collusion, coercion or obstruction while participating in a Bank Group-funded project, the bank said.

The institution also recognised 73 cross-debarments from other multilateral development banks.

In addition to evaluating allegations of fraud and corruption, INT works to prevent corruption in ongoing Bank Group projects. INT staff identified and worked to mitigate integrity risks in 390 projects, steps that made progress in safeguarding the equivalent of $2.2 billion in project commitments, it said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday reiterated that 80 per cent beds at Guru Tegh Bahadur (GTB) Hospital will be reserved for Delhities.

The Chief Minister's comments came three days after the Delhi government implemented a system at the GTB Hospital, under which Delhiites will be given a preferance in registration for OPD and admission.

Kejriwal, after visiting the hospital, told the reporters that the emergency and the OPD will remain available for everyone, but restriction has been imposed in the IPD (inpatient department) and disbursement of free medicines.

"Emergency facility is available for anyone and OPD is free for all. Only two things have been restricted. Now people from outside Delhi will not be provided with free medicines and 80 per cent of the beds have been reserved for the residents of Delhi," the Chief Minister said.

The patients will be required to present a valid voter card for identification while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

The proposal was approved in a meeting chaired by Kejriwal at the Delhi Secretariat in August.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Assam Police has handed over seven Rohingyas to Myanmar authorities here on Thursday following the completion of deportation formalities.

This comes after the Supreme Court refused to intervene in the Centre's decision to deport them. The central government had told the apex court that Myanmar has accepted the Rohingyas as their citizens and has also agreed to take them back.

The seven Rohingyas were lodged at Silchar Detention centre in Assam since 2012 for illegally entering the country.

The main case, which is still pending before the apex court, was filed by two Rohingya immigrants-- Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir. In their petition, the two have claimed that they took refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence, and bloodshed against the community.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Small Industries Corporation Ltd. (NSIC) of India and Russian Small and Medium Business Corporation (RSMB).

NSIC is a Public Sector Undertaking of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) of India. The MoU between NSIC Limited and RSMB Corporation will be signed during the upcoming visit of the Russian President Vladimir Putin to India.

In order to promote the cooperation between the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) of the two countries, the MoU will provide a structured and enabling environment to the MSME sector of the two countries for understanding each other's strengths, markets, technologies, policies etc.

By aiding to initiate sustainable business alliances in technology transfers, joint ventures and business partnerships in the MSME sector the MoU seeks to enhance enterprise to enterprise cooperation between the two countries.

The MoU also covers cooperation in the field of capacity building, rapid incubation for entrepreneurship development and exposure to each other's market by encouraging participation in exhibitions.

It is being expected that this MoU will bring forward new opportunities for Indian MSME sector by means of joints ventures, new markets and sharing of best practices and technology collaborations among other things.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, will pay a two-day official visit to New Delhi on October 4 and 5 for the 19th India-Russia annual bilateral summit. During the same period, the Russian Export Centre (REC) will also organise a large-scale business mission featuring Russian companies in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
To make air travel hassle-free and paperless, the Centre on Thursday unveiled Digi Yatra initiative which will allow biometric based boarding for flyers using facial recognition technology. It is likely to be operational by February 2019.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation in a statement said, "Digi Yatra envisages a connected ecosystem enhancing the seamless travel experience for the passengers and simultaneously improving the security."

Speaking on the occasion, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said that the initiative will be passenger friendly, technology loaded and will reduce security concerns at the airport.

Terming the initiative a "cutting edge", Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said, "It will be operational across all airports. It ensures the privacy of a person."

A passenger can create their 'Digi Yatra identity' using a valid identification proof, including voter card, driving license, Aadhaar card, while booking a ticket and then their face will be used as a mark of identity and boarding pass.

Digi Yatra is a facial recognition based passenger processing being adopted world over as a common standard. India has an additional challenge of passenger verification process to enter the airport.

A passenger can get a Digi Yatra ID by sharing minimum details like name, e-mail ID, mobile number, etc. A passenger who creates the Digi Yatra ID has to undergo a one-time verification at the departure of the airport during his/her first travel.

At check-in counter or at the Self Bag Drop counter, the passenger will be identified by face and no other document or ID would be needed for this purpose. The passenger will gain entry to the security check area through an E-Gate by facial recognition.

Bangalore and Hyderabad international airports will be ready with pilot implementation by end of February 2019. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) intends to roll out the programme initially at Kolkata, Varanasi, Pune and Vijayawada by April 2019.

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American actor Chris Evans who is famous for his superhero role in the popular science-fiction film series 'Avengers' has wrapped up shooting for his part as Captain America.

The 37-year-old who has been playing the role for the last eight years announced that he has officially finished shooting for 'Avengers 4', writing how it had been an "emotional day" for him. Evans also thanked everyone in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in the audience, for the memories.

He has played the superhero since 2011's 'Captain America: The First Avenger'. He has starred in two sequels - 2014's 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' and 2016's 'Captain America: Civil War' - along with two 'Avengers' movies.

In an interview with The New York Times in March this year, Evans had hinted that he might retire as Captain America after 'Avengers 4'.

"You want to get off the train before they push you off," he told the publication.

It's possible that following Evans' retirement, another Captain America could rise in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Evans will make his final appearance in the currently untitled 'Avengers 4' reported The Hollywood Reporter.

Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, 'Avengers 4' will hit screens on May 3 next year.

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The Delhi High Court on Thursday acquitted a domestic help who was convicted by the trial court for life imprisonment over the murder of an 81-year-old woman in her residence in Greater Kailash-II in July 2014.

The domestic help identified as Neeraj Safi was also booked by police for raping the elderly woman when he was 21-year-old.

The judicature today freed Safi under sections 302, 375 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and stated "the evidence placed by the prosecutor has failed to prove that Safi is responsible for the crime. The case made against him need to be proved beyond reasonable doubt, the prosecution has failed to do that in this case".

Safi was put behind bars by the court after the police probing the matter stated that the domestic help first raped and then murdered her.

The police officials had also revealed that after murdering the landlady, Safi set her body on fire by using kerosene and then destroyed the evidence. He had also narrated a different story to the neighbours, the police had claimed .

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's lookalike, Abhinandan Pathak, who has been his ardent follower, has now decided to campaign against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Saharanpur native has campaigned for Modi and his party BJP on many occasions, including a door-to-door campaign during the Gorakhpur by-elections in March 2018.

"I am taken aback by seeing how the BJP is working in contrast to what Modi actually thinks and says. People have been asking me 'Acche din kb ayenge?'," he told ANI.

Pathak narrated the woes of being a look-a-like of the prime minister and stated that he has to bear the brunt of the people's wrath. "I am being cursed and beaten. It's because of all these reasons that I have decided to campaign against the BJP and for the Congress, in the upcoming 2019 elections," he said.

He further said that he has already met Uttar Pradesh Congress President (UPCC) Raj Babbar. According to Pathak, Babbar has assured him of arranging a meeting with United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi to further the discussion.

"I have made up my mind that I will now work with Congress," said a miffed Pathak. However, he added that he is not unhappy with the prime minister and is only against the party's way of working. "Prime Minister Modi has given India a better image across the globe. My grievance is with the party and not with the Prime Minister," he explained.

"The party is just focused on putting across their 'Mann Ki Baat', but is not ready to listen to what the heart of the common man says," he concluded.

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Republican (GOP) senators Jeff Flake of Arizona, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, all with a decisive say in Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination, on Wednesday denounced President Donald Trump's recent mocking of professor Christine Blasey Ford.

Collins told CNN that Trump's comments were "just plain wrong," refusing to reveal if it would have any effect on her vote for Kavanaugh.

Murkowski thought Trump's comments were "wholly inappropriate, and in my view unacceptable." She said she is "taking everything into account," when asked by CNN if the comments would affect her vote.

Meanwhile, Flake, who was the instigator behind Trump directing additional background checks on Kavanaugh with his doubts over the latter, stated, "I thought it was obviously insensitive and appalling, frankly. There's no time or place, but particularly, to discuss something so sensitive at a political rally is just wrong."

Flake also said that Trump's comments will not affect his vote.

In an election rally in Mississippi on Tuesday, Trump mocked Ford's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her not knowing answers to questions such as how she got into the part in the 1980s, where she alleges Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her.

Mimicking Ford's voice, Trump said, "I had one beer. Well, do you think it was -- nope, it was one beer. How did you get home? I don't remember. How'd you get there? I don't remember. Where is the place? I don't remember. How many years ago was it? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. What neighbourhood was it in? I don't know. Where's the house? I don't know. Upstairs, downstairs -- where was it? I don't know -- but I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember."

White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders had earlier refuted the outlook that Trump was mocking her, saying that he was just "stating the facts." She further stated that both ford and Kavanaugh were "victims" of a plot by the Democrats to wreck the nomination.

"No one is looking at whether the accusations made are corroborated. Every single bit of evidence and facts that we have seen in this moment have supported Judge Kavanaugh's case. Certainly, the testimony by Dr Ford was compelling, but you can't make this decision based on emotion," Sanders said.

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The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice to Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Government on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking stay on a Government circular that excludes non-Delhi patients from taking treatment at the Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) hospital from October 1 and onwards.

The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Rajendra Menon rebuked advocate Ramesh Singh, appearing for the Delhi Government and asked as on what grounds did the Government issued such an order "which deprives people of their right to life under articles 14,19, 21 of the Indian constitution."

"If other states also start doing it, there would be chaos in the country. Take it back or we would stay it. It cannot be allowed to stay even for a moment", Menon told the lawyer.

Advocate Ashok Agarwal, who appeared for the petitioner had told the court that the impugned order is "shocking, barbaric, and against humanity and it is liable to be stayed by the court."

The court has granted three days to the government to file a reply in the matter. The PIL is listed for October 8 for further hearing.

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Actor Tanushree Dutta who has been in the headlines since she accused veteran actor Nana Patekar of misbehaving with her, has now stated that she has been 'slapped' with two legal notices by Patekar and director Vivek Agnihotri respectively.

"I have been slapped with two legal notices. One from Nana Patekar and another from Vivek Agnihotri. Both their teams are on a smear campaign against me by constructing outright lies and misinformation on social media platforms and other public platforms," the 'Dhol' actor said in a statement.

She added, "This is the price you pay for speaking out against harassment, humiliation, and injustice in India."

The 34-year-old further revealed she has also been getting violent threats from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and that two unnamed suspicious individuals recently tried to barge inside her residence.

She said, "Violent threats are being issued against me by the MNS. Today while I was at home and the police personnel posted outside my home were on a lunch break two unnamed suspicious individuals tried getting into our home uninvited but were stopped just in time by security personnel. I'm being threatened to be dragged to the court and legal system of India as we all know can keep a woman and her supporters as well as media silent on the pretext of 'matter sub judice'."

The 'Aashiq Banaya Aapne' actor added how allegedly false witnesses supporting perpetrators conjured up to further weaken her case. "Court cases can run for decades without a hope for a conclusion. In the end, an empty shell remains with broken hopes. A life wasted, defeated- this is the age-old saga of survivors in our nation," she concluded.

Dutta has alleged that Patekar misbehaved with her on the sets of the film 'Horn Ok Pleasss'. She has accused him of harassing her while shooting for a special dance number in the movie and also claimed that dance choreographer Ganesh Acharya teamed up against her.

Many B-town celebrities have come out in support of Dutta including Priyanka Chopra, Parineeti Chopra, Arjun Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Swara Bhaskar, Shilpa Shetty, Kalki Koechlin, and Sonam Kapoor Ahuja.

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Police busted an overground module of banned terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen operating in Lolab area of Kupwara district in north Kashmir.

Acting on a specific input, the police detained two persons, Shakir Ahmad Wani and Ghulam Mustafa Sheikh, both residents of Tekipora in Lolab for questioning.

After sustained questioning, a pistol was recovered on their disclosure. The module was engaged in providing logistical support to terrorists apart from luring more youth into the path of terrorism. An FIR has been registered and further investigation is going on.

On Tuesday, the Indian Army busted a terrorist hideout and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition in Doda district in Jammu region.

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The local police on Thursday arrested the main accused in Lucknow twin murder case, wherein two brothers were killed by unknown men.

Speaking to the media, OP Singh, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police said, "We have arrested the main accused in just 24 hours of the murder that took place in Thakurganj area last night. We are yet to nab the other two accused involved in the killing of the two brothers."

Elaborating further about the case, Singh clarified that an old rivalry is the reason behind the killing of the duo. He also ensured that a thorough investigation will be carried out by the police and a strict action will be taken against the culprits.

On Wednesday night, two brothers were shot dead after being beaten up by the group of unidentified men in Uttar Pradesh's Thakurganj area. The deceased were identified as Imran and Armaan and were travelling in a car when they were attacked.

This twin murder came just a few days after Vivek Tiwari, an Apple executive, was allegedly shot by a police constable on the left side of his chin for refusing to stop his car on September 29.

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Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Thursday appealed to Home Minister Rajnath Singh to launch the panic button feature on mobile handsets in the country as soon as possible.

Women and Child Development Ministry has been pursuing the provision of 'panic button' on all mobile handsets to provide emergency response to women in distress. The facility which is still in the pipeline will be installed in the mobile handsets to send a distress signal to the nearest Police Control Room (PCR) in an emergency situation.

Moreover, it will also send signals to selected family members or friends identifying the location of the aggrieved woman through a satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS).

The facility, which underwent trials recently saw family members of the users and the nearest three volunteers receiving SMS alerts. The minimum time for police dispatch vans to reach the user's site was recorded at two minutes while the maximum time was 26 minutes and average time recorded was 8 minutes.

The trial was successfully completed in 47 districts in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

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A criminal facing trial in a police constable's murder case, tried to escape when he was being produced before the Contai court on Thursday.

Karna Bera, accused in several cases including robbery and murder, attempted to run away along with his two friends Biswajit and Munna from the court premise.

During his attempt to escape, Bera threw a crude bomb in the court premises injuring a police constable.

Though Bera was arrested shortly, the other two managed to flee the scene.

Meanwhile, the injured police constable has been admitted to hospital and is undergoing treatment.

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The police in Islamabad barred journalists from posing questions to former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif as he appeared before the Accountability Court here on Thursday.

Sharif appeared before Accountability Court-II Judge Arshad Malik, who is hearing the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investment corruption cases against him and his family, Geo News reported.

While Sharif came for the hearing, the police told scribes that they could only exchange greetings with the three-time Pakistan prime minister, but are not allowed to talk about any other issues.

The trial against the Sharifs in the corruption cases against them had started on September 14 last year.

On July 6, Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz were convicted in absentia in the Avenfield case by the Accountability Court. Apart from serving jail sentences, fines of eight million pounds and two million pounds were slapped on the father-daughter duo, respectively. Sharif's son-in-law Captain (retd.) Muhammad Safdar, on the other hand, was given a one-year sentence but was exempted from paying fine.

However, last month, the Islamabad High Court had ordered the release of the trio in the Avenfield reference case, owing to lack of evidence.

Meanwhile, Sharif's two sons -- Hussain and Hasan have been absconding ever since the proceedings began last year, with the court having declared the two brothers as proclaimed offenders.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met a group of 40 enthusiasts, who is embarking on an expedition to raise awareness on cleaning the river Ganga.

Titled 'Mission Gange', the expedition has been inspired by the Union Government's 'Namami Gange' campaign. The group includes eight mountaineers who have successfully climbed Mount Everest and is led by Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Prime Minister Modi appreciated the group members for undertaking this initiative. He underlined the importance of a clean and vibrant River Ganga and particularly urged the group to reach out to schoolchildren as part of their awareness activities in the cities they are transiting through.

The month-long rafting expedition will see the group travel through the river from Haridwar to Patna, with halts at Bijnor, Narora, Farrukhabad, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, and Buxar.

At each of these nine cities, the group will raise awareness about keeping the Ganga clean and will also undertake cleaning activities.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to India and said that he is looking forward to the deliberations, which will "further enhance India-Russia friendship".

"Welcome to India, President Putin. Looking forward to our deliberations, which will further enhance India-Russia friendship. @KremlinRussia_E," Prime Minister Modi tweeted alongside a few photographs of himself with the Russian President.

The Prime Minister also tweeted the same in the Russian language.

Putin is on a two-day state visit to India to attend the 19th India-Russia bilateral annual summit, which is scheduled to start on October 5.

The signing of a deal for Russia's S-400 Triumf air defence system is the key feature of the visit.

On October 5, the Russian President will hold delegation level talks with Prime Minister Modi at the Hyderabad House at around 11.30 am. The two are slated to discuss a number of key regional and global topics, including the US sanctions on Iran oil.

Following an exchange of agreements and press statements, Putin will arrive at the ITC Maurya Hotel, where the India-Russia Business Summit is scheduled to take place at around 3.30 pm. He is also scheduled to interact with a group of talented children.

Putin will then meet his Indian counterpart President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The Russian President will emplane for his return to Russia tomorrow evening.

The last India-Russia bilateral summit was held in Russia on June 1, 2017.

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Minister for Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar will unveil NIT, Tiruchirappalli's Strategic plan for the next five years, during a launch event on October 5th at NIT Tiruchirappalli.

NIT, Tiruchirappalli the erstwhile Regional Engineering College of Tiruchirappalli has been on a high growth trajectory in terms of research output, revenue from consultancy, academic and administrative reforms. It is ranked the best NIT in the country for the last three consecutive years as per the National Institutional Ranking Framework of the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India.

In a press meet held today in Chennai to announce the institute's plan for progress and on launch event, Dr. Mini Shaji Thomas, Director, NIT, Tiruchirappalli, said that NIT, Tiruchirappalli has found a place in the top 1000 Institutes of the world as per the Times Higher World ranking 2019. In order to improve the world ranking, the Strategic Planning Group of the Institute, chaired by her has scripted plan for the next five years which is to be unveiled by the Honorable Union Minister.

With the implementation of the strategic plan 2019-2024, Dr. Mini further added the Institute aims to be in the list of top 500 universities in the world.

Dr. Mini Shaji Thomas is very ambitious to make the Institute at par with global standards and find a place among the best Institutes of Technology in Asia. The plan is a result of a series of long brain storming sessions with experts within the Institute and outside.

It will guide the future steps towards academic excellence, research collaborations, innovation in sustainable development, and enhanced internal revenue generation. With India emerging as a global power in technologies-of-the-future, the strategic plan will help reset the governance framework in order to increase the international collaboration and internal revenue generation and thereby carve a niche in emerging areas such as Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, sustainable development including innovations in harnessing renewable energy.

The institute is gearing up to welcome more international students and faculty. The research scene will see the addition of new multi and inter-disciplinary laboratories which will be developed into Centres of Dynamic Excellence (CoDEs).

To kick start the ongoing efforts, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar will launch the first such CoDE that has been set up at the cost of Rs. 190 crores with Siemens as the technology-partner.

The centre is set-up at an estimated cost of Rs. 190 crores, in which 90% of the fund was received as a grant from Siemens in kind and 10% was funded by NIT, Tiruchirappalli.

Dr. Mini Shaji Thomas said that the new CoDE has been envisaged to provide 'Skill Excellence' for students, practicing professionals and Industries around its vicinity. This unique Centre could facilitate a multi-disciplinary learning environment across technology, engineering, science and management.

The primary focus of the Centre is to create a robust technical eco-system through its experience in industrial products and services. This Centre is intended to bridge today's gap between industry requirements and technical and provides a solution that makes technical institutes be more aligned with industry needs and make engineering graduate students industry ready.

Various learning tracks designed by Siemens are to be implemented jointly by Siemens and NIT, Tiruchirappalli for training engineering, polytechnic and ITI students of any Institute for knowledge enrichment leading to an enhanced opportunity for placement. Besides skill development courses, the Centre shall offer consultancy and R&D services to Industries in Design and Validation, Advanced Manufacturing, Test and Optimization, Automation, Electrical and Energy savings, Process Instrumentation, Mechatronics, CNC Machines, CNC Controller, Robotics, Rapid Prototyping and Internet of Things.

During his visit to the Institute, the HRD Minister will also launch the hardware hackathon competition of the NIT, Tiruchirappalli's flagship international technical festival Pragyan 2019. Pragyan is also an ISO9001 and 20121 certified techno-managerial organisation of NIT, Tiruchirappalli.

The event is designed to provide a unique platform to students for showcasing new and disruptive technological innovations to solve real-life problems.

Apart from being a springboard for ideas and digital technology innovations, the hackathon competition which spans over 5 months also aims to provide the participants with an opportunity to present their models across investors to get incubated.

"The Hardware Hackathon would provide a firm foundation to the students to solve real-time problems under particular themes by identifying, researching, analysing, prototyping and implementing a market-ready product. Sangam, the intra-collegiate technical exhibition and competition for the students of NIT, Tiruchirappalli, and Ingenium, the inter-collegiate technical exhibition and competition have been an integral part of Pragyan since its inception in 2005. The introduction of the Hardware Hackathon to the existing series will prove to be a stellar addition," opined Dr. Mini Shaji Thomas.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in New Delhi on Thursday to attend the 19th India-Russia bilateral annual summit, scheduled to begin the following day. The signing of a deal for Russia's S-400 Triumf air defence system is the key feature of the visit.

Putin will arrive at the capital at around 6:30 PM and will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in an hour, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed.

On October 05, the Russian President will hold delegation level talks with Prime Minister Modi at the Hyderabad House at around 11:30 AM. The two are slated to discuss a number of key regional and global topics, including the US sanctions on Iranian oil.

Following an exchange of agreements and press statements, Putin will arrive at the ITC Maurya Hotel, where the India-Russia Business Summit is scheduled to take place at around 3:30 PM. He is also scheduled to interact with a group of talented children.

Putin will then meet his Indian counterpart - President Ram Nath Kovind, at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The Russian President will emplane for his return to Russia at around 6:00 PM in the evening.

A number of crucial energy deals are slated to be signed by the two countries during the bilateral summit. India's state-owned ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) may sign a pact with Gazprom, industry sources told Sputnik. OVL already has stakes in three operational projects in Russia.

Also, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov had earlier confirmed that a contract for the supply of five regiments of Russia's S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems to India worth USD 5 billion will be signed during the Russian President's visit.

The last India-Russia bilateral summit was held in Russia on June 1, 2017.

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A delegation of Congress leaders on Thursday met the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Rajiv Mehrishi to discuss the alleged irregularities in the Rafale deal, for the second time in a month.

"We have brought to the CAG's attention additional developments and revelations since the last time we had submitted the memorandum," party leader Anand Sharma said.

Terming the Rafale deal the "biggest scam of the century", Sharma said, "Parliament alone has the authority then to scrutinize the CAG report and to fix accountability for this biggest scam of the century i.e. Prime Minister (Narendra Modi's) arbitrary decision to purchase 36 aircraft three times the cost which was negotiated or the price which was negotiated."

Raking up the former French President Francois Hollande's controversial Rafale comment over the offset deal, Congress said, "The former French President, who was privy to the details and development, Francois Hollande has made a statement that it was not French Government decision to keep Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) out or to select Reliance of Anil Ambani as the offset partner for Dassault but this was the Government of India and the French Government had no say in the matter. That confirms what we had said from the beginning that it was only the Prime Minister, he alone, who was privy to the fact that he is going to take a decision or inform the French President that the earlier contract that was negotiated, the agreement between the two Governments was not going to be taken forward."

On September 19, a delegation of Congress leaders had handed over a detailed memorandum to Comptroller and Auditor General over the deal and urged him to expedite investigation in to the alleged multi-crore scam.

The Rafale jets were chosen during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) tenure in 2012. Initially, India had planned to buy 18 off-the-shelf jets from France, with 108 others to be assembled in the country by the state-run aerospace and defence company HAL.

However, in 2015, the Centre led by Prime Minister Modi scrapped the UPA's plan and announced that it would buy 36 "ready-to-fly" Rafale jets instead of seeking a technology transfer from France's Dassault Aviation and making the aircraft in India. The deal was signed in the year 2016.

The Congress has been alleging that the NDA government has been procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the then UPA government.

The controversy took a new twist recently after former French President Hollande, with whom the deal was cleared, claimed that the Indian government had proposed Reliance Defence's name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

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Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Directors of DLF Ltd., Rajeev Talwar and Chairman & MD of SMC Investments and Advisors Ltd., D K Aggarwal along with Chairman and CEO of Paramount Cables, Sanjay Aggarwal have respectively taken over as the President, Senior Vice President and Vice President of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI). The Chamber has turned to its 114th year of existence.

The aforesaid new office bearers were elected to their respective positions following the conclusion of Chamber's 113th Annual Session held here on 28th of September 2018.

Prior to becoming the President of the PHD Chamber, Talwar was its Senior Vice President whereas D K Aggarwal was its Vice President. However, Sanjay Aggarwal was unanimously elected as the Vice President of the Chamber at its first Managing Committee Meeting held here on 28th September 2018.

Talwar is a post graduate and a graduate from St. Stephens College, Delhi University. He started his career in 1976, as a banker with State Bank of India as a Probationary Officer and was subsequently selected for the Indian Administrative Service in 1978.

During his tenure as an IAS officer from 1978 to 2006, Talwar held many important and critical positions in the Central & State Governments as well as Union Territories.

Aggarwal who has taken over as the Senior Vice President of the Chamber is a fellow member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) with over two decades of experience in the securities market and financial services.

Sanjay Aggarwal who has been elected as Vice President of the Chamber holds a degree of B.Com. (Hons) from the Shri Ram College of Commerce in the year 1983 and is currently the Chairman and CEO of Paramount Cables.

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The Rohingyas living in India are unsure of the future of the seven immigrants who on Thursday were repatriated to Myanmar.

Expressing deep concern over the return, Mamtaz Ul Haq, a Rohingya refugee living in Jammu told ANI, "There is no guarantee if those people will even survive."

Majority of the Rohingyas living in India claimed that they were forced to leave Myanmar as they were subjected to extreme torture by the government there including killing, burning villages, raping women and girls and so on.

"Nobody wants to leave one's own village, one's own country but everybody knows we were forced to leave Myanmar. The government there was extremely cruel towards us. The women folk and even the children were not spared," said Shabir Ahmad, a refugee, who has been living in India for past two-and-a-half years.

He further said they have built up an emotional connect with India and its public "for giving us so much love. We are extremely thankful to them."

The Rohingya refugees in India are now worried that since the Indian government has set in motion the repatriation plan, it puts a question mark on their future.

They said that they are, however, willing to go back provided the conditions there are conducive.

"Now, if you want us to leave India and go back to Myanmar, we are ready to go. But, what happens if we are again get beaten up and tortured like we were earlier?" asked Ahmad.

Supplementing Ahmad's views, another refugee Nizamul Haq said: "The condition there (in Myanmar) is just not good. If the Indian government asks us to go, we will go. I am sure they will ensure that the condition there is stable."

However, apprehensive of what awaits, Haq said: "If we won't be accepted there, it is better that we are killed here only."

He was clear about one thing that if some Rohingyas are into illegal activities then law should take its own course. But because of such people, others should not suffer. He added: "If some Rohingyas are found indulging in illegal activities, they should definitely be punished but due to the fault of those one or two persons, others should not be made to suffer.

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The of on Thursday denied relief to commentator Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, who is facing charges for his alleged derogatory remarks on Konark Sun Temple architecture and Odia culture.

The three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by of (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, said: We have seen your remarks on Sun Temple. Your comments hurt religious feelings. How are you entitled to bail?

Mitra was arrested by Police on September 20 from Delhi with the assistance of on charges of hurting religious sentiments of the people. He was later granted bail.

Responding to Mitra's counsel Nikhil Mehra's arguments that his life will be in danger if he goes to Odisha, CJI Gogoi said: "If you say you face threats, the safest place for you would be in jail. Your life will be secure.

Sibo Mishra, lawyer appearing for the state government, submitted to the that Mitras comments incited communal disharmony in the society and therefore, he was not entitled for any protection. The court was informed that there are three FIRs registered against him and he has not cooperated with the investigating agency.

Mehra while seeking extension of bail of his client submitted to the that no harm was intended and the tweet was allegedly being taken out of context.

Later Mehra said: "I respect the order of the Supreme Court. I won't file a review petition in the case. Let the law take it own course. Now it is the police to take a decision whether to arrest my client or not. I have full faith in investigation. My client will join the investigation," Mehra told ANI.

Mitra during his visit to Odisha's Sun Temple on September 16 had posted a satirical video about it and allegedly made derogatory comments over the state's and culture.

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The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere in the deportation of the seven Rohingyas, lodged in the Silchar Detention center in Assam, to Myanmar.

During hearing of the plea, which was filed on Wednesday, the Central Government told the top court that Myanmar has accepted the Rohingyas as their citizens and have agreed to take them back.

On Wednesday, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan had filed an application in an ongoing case pertaining to deportation of nearly 40,000 Rohingyas. The main case was filed by two Rohingya immigrants - Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir.

Bhushan, in his application, sought urgent hearing in view of the deportation of seven Rohingyas from Assam. The plea sought a restraint on the Centre's decision to deport them to Myanmar.

The main case is still pending before the apex court, in which the petitioners have claimed that they took refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence, and bloodshed against the community in that country.

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The Supreme Court on Thursday summoned Joint Secretary of Women and Child Development (WCD) ministry on steps being taken by the Centre relating to counselling and rehabilitation of children who are victim of sexual abuse, and framing of child protection policy.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur asked Joint Secretary of the ministry to appear before it on October 8 and assist it also on the issue relating to the need for immediate action to identify and rescue children abused inside shelter homes.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday also told the court that investigation in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case was underway and during the probe a skeleton of 15 year old girl was found from a cremation ground.

During the hearing, the bench told the Centre: "Somebody has to do something. Get involved. There has to be some action that needs to be taken (on sexual assault of girls)..."

The Apex Court has been monitoring the issue of sexual abuse of at least 34 girl inmates at the shelter home in Muzaffarpur. The incident had come to light during a social audit by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

Earlier, the top court had asked media not to "sensationalise" incidents of sexual assaults and abuse and report such cases responsibly so as not to reveal the identity of the victim. It had issued notices to the Press Council of India, Editors Guild of India, News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) and News Broadcasters Association.

On Thursday, counsel appearing for the NBSA told the court top court that guidelines have been put in place to deal with the issue relating to revealing the identity of sexual assault victims by media organisations and it has passed some orders against them.

The bench, however, asked the NBSA as NBSA counsel to file an affidavit indicating action taken by it in the year 2018. On last hearing, the bench had vacated a Patna High Court order restraining the media from reporting the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case. The court had clarified that "there can't be a blanket ban but the media needs to be cautious and diligent while reporting".

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Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi on Wednesday called for ways to increase state's share in Central taxes.

The Bihar Deputy Chief Minister said that on the basis of parameters such as 2011 socio-economic caste census, income distance, population density and green cover among others a formula should be determined with help of which, the share of all the states should be calculated.

While urging to restore Bihar's share in 15th Finance commission as recommended by 11th Finance commission, Modi also asked for a share for the states in the amount being collected by the Central Government in form of Cess, Surcharge and Non-tax revenue.

He made these demands while addressing an event organised for submitting the Bihar's memorandum to 15th Finance Commission.

Modi also asserted that in 11th Finance commission, Bihar's share was 11.589 percent which was reduced to 9.665 percent in 14th finance commission.

He added that in comparison to the 13th Finance Commission, Bihar received 136 percent more amount in the 14th Finance commission.

He also underlined that a developed state such as Kerala got 191 percent increase in its fund, where the average of this increment was 173 percent.

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Hamisa Mobetto once dated a Kenyan man and nearly settled down with him.

The Tanzanian beauty opened up about the mystery man during her recent visit to Kenya, saying that she met him after she broke up with Majey aka Majizzo, who is the father to her firstborn Fantasy Majey.

I once dated a Kenyan businessman, we nearly got married. He lived in Kenya and I would visit him after a few weeks and he would visit me in Dar es Salaam. It was beautiful. But we broke up. I dated him after I broke up with Baba FantasyI liked everything about him, Hamisa said on Mambo Mseto.

According to Hamisa, despite loving everything about him she broke up with him and hasnt looked back since.

I think its because its a Sagittarius thing, it is very easy for me to move on, she explained.

Hamisa, who recently revealed that she broke up with Diamond, did not disclose the mans identity or why they broke up.

She further revealed that her baby daddy, Majizzo, a media owner who is set to marry Bongo actress Elizabeth Lulu Michael, was her first true love.

Baba Fantasy the father of my first child is one man I loved above them all. He is composed, respectful and kind. He is in Dar, we separated because of life. I cant go into too much detail because I rarely talk about him. But we have this gorgeous baby girl that we are raising together and he is a very good dad, he is very supportive.

Also Read: Hamisa: I Dont Miss Diamond After Ending Our Relationship
As many as 27 people, including 15 children and two infants, were rescued from the capital's Shakurpur area on October 2 in a joint operation between Delhi Police, Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan.

All the rescued were trafficked from Assam, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha in the name of work through placement agency.

While conducting the rescue operation, a list was recovered with names of children who had already been trafficked. The Delhi Police is now investigating the matter.

An FIR has been lodged at Subhash Place police station.

The premise was found locked and the police had to break the lock to rescue the children. The main accused Ajay Kumar, his wife Soni Devi and Rita Kumari, who used to stay in the premise, are absconding. However, two persons have been arrested.

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Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray will soon visit Ayodhya this year.

Sanjay Raut, the senior leader of the party, told ANI that Thackeray has accepted the invitation of Janmejay Sharanji, the chief of Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, to visit the holy city in Uttar Pradesh.

"Uddhav Thackeray will visit Ayodhya not alone but with lakhs of people after this Diwali. Sharanji invited him to Ayodhya and also held a meeting with him yesterday," Raut said.

Elaborating on the meeting between his party chief and Sharanji, Raut said that the head of Janmabhoomi Trust was of the view that "without Shiv Sena's power, determination and belief Ram Temple cannot be built."

"If Ram Mandir cannot be built now, it can never be constructed again," Raut added.

The Babri Masjid, built by Mughal emperor Babur in Ayodhya in 1528, was, on December 6, 1992, pulled down allegedly by a group of Hindu activists, claiming that the mosque was constructed after demolishing a Ram Temple that originally stood there.

Since then, several hearings have been held in the Supreme Court to resolve the issue.

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After Uttar Pradesh Minister Satish Mahana and his family members names were found listed amongst the beneficiaries of Centre's biggest health insurance scheme meant for poor and deprived, state Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Thursday informed that an investigation has been ordered in the connection.

The list of beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat- Health Protection Scheme from Kanpur district includes names of Mahana, his family members, a former BJP MLA Salil Vishnoi and several other prominent city builders.

The scheme aims to provide cover of Rs 5 lakh per annum to each family, along with cashless health services.

Maurya told ANI, "We have given direction to investigate and take action against the officers who committed the mistake during 2011 survey. In future there will be many more such schemes as the governments both at Centre and State are committed for the welfare of poor and needy. Surveys will be done in future as well and if any wrong name is listed, we will take strict action against anyone responsible for the same."

"This scheme is for the welfare of the poor, needy and those who cannot afford healthcare in the time of medical emergency. Ayushman Bharat is World's biggest public funded healthcare scheme and it must not be misused," he added.

Mahana has also written a letter to District Magistrate of Kanpur city, informing the latter about the error. He has requested the DM to strike off his and his family members name from the list. The UP minister has also demanded action against the perpetrators.

Throwing light on the matter, Kanpur District Magistrate Vijay Vishwas Pant told ANI, "I have given direction to Chief Medical officer to investigate the issue. All such names will be removed from the list immediately. The error would have happened during the 2011 survey as the list of Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries has been drawn from the same. Action will be taken against anyone found guilty."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 3 had launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)- Ayushman Bharat from Jharkhand's capital Ranchi.

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West Bengal government on Thursday filed a detailed reply in the alleged killing of three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in the state.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer and counsel for the state government Kapil Sibal told the apex court division bench, headed by Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and also comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan, that the police were doing their work dutifully as they had already arrested four people in connection with the murders.

Gaurav Bhatia, the petitioner, who had knocked the doors of the top court seeking a detailed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into the case, sought four weeks time to file a counter reply to the West Bengal government's details.

The Supreme Court agreed to his plea and fixed the matter for further hearing after four weeks.

Bhatia in his petition had claimed that the three BJP workers -- Dulal Kumar, Shaktipad Sarkar and Trilochan Mahato -- were allegedly murdered in the state of West Bengal.

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On World Animal Day, World Animal Protection has urged the dairy companies to work towards ending cruelty in the dairy sector.

A World Animal Protection team visited many urban and peri-urban dairies in Delhi and found that the animals were being kept in appalling conditions. Most of these dairies failed to provide even basic welfare to their cows and buffaloes.

As a first step, dairy companies must commit to not sourcing milk or milk products from urban and peri-urban dairies which keep animals in some of the cruelest conditions.

Within urban and peri-urban dairies, animals are seen tethered round the clock and are forced to lie in their own urine and faeces, hardly room to lie comfortably and unable to turn around, move or roam. The shelter is poor and their drinking water is dirty. All this causes them immense stress plus pain associated with infections, and wounds. In absence of proper feed and nutrition, some cows and buffaloes can also be seen foraging through garbage, walking and lying in the middle of bustling roads across most urban areas in India.

The recent visits brought to light that while all dairies in India are governed by the Registration of Cattle Premises Rules (RCPR) under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, many urban and peri-urban dairies are operating outside the law as well as ignoring rules and policies set to protect animals and the

An estimated 50 million dairy animals suffer every day in India and a significant number of these suffer the worst cruelty as they live in unacceptable conditions in these urban and peri-urban dairies.

World Animal Protection has, in an earlier investigation, found disturbing evidence corroborating absence of proper management of dairy animals across six major cities in India. World Animal Protection had also commissioned a survey of citizens across those cities in 2016, with a clear finding that cruel treatment of dairy animals in urban and peri-urban dairies is unacceptable to people.

"It was shocking to see this cruelty. We are extremely concerned about the welfare of these dairy animals and want people to understand where the milk they consume may come from. Dairy companies have a responsibility towards these dairy animals as well as their consumers and they must end this cruelty," said Campaign Manager, Animals in Farming, India Dairy at World Animal Protection, Sonia Bindra.

World Animal Protection also wishes to raise concerns around the irresponsible disposal of waste by these dairies which could result in them becoming a breeding ground for disease, potential human health hazards and environmental pollution.

"These urban and peri-urban dairies are openly flouting rules. Some even operate illegally without proper registration. This should not be allowed. These animals give us milk, they serve our needs and deserve a better life. These dairy companies need to commit to not sourcing milk from urban and peri-urban dairies and also influence and invest to ensure basic welfare is provided to dairy animals in their final supply chains," said India Country Director at World Animal Protection, Gajender K Sharma.

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Larsen & Toubro rose 1.9% to Rs 1,268.15 at 10:18 IST on BSE after the company said that its wholly owned subsidiary has won oil & gas subsea project.

The announcement was made during market hours today, 4 October 2018.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 614.87 points, or 1.71% to 35,360.76

On the BSE, 1.68 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far compared with average daily volumes of 3.27 lakh shares in the past two weeks. The stock had hit a high of Rs 1,293.45 and a low of Rs 1,252.45 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 1,469.60 on 1 February 2018. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 1,124.50 on 23 October 2017.

L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering (LTHE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro, in consortium with Baker Hughes, a GE company and McDermott International, Inc. has been awarded the subsea contract for India's Oil & Natural Gas Corporation's (ONGC) largest deepwater oil & gas project, the development of block DWN-98/2 in the Krishna Godavari basin.

LTHE's scope of work encompasses fabrication engineering, procurement and coating of around 500 kms linepipes, stalk fabrication of around 300 kms linepipes and fabrication, testing a loadout of around 185 subsea structures including 6 subsea manifolds and onshore pipeline installation. The subsea award represents the largest single subsea contract awarded by ONGC. Delivery is scheduled for 2020 for the gas system and 2021 for the oil system.

On a consolidated basis, net profit of L&T rose 43.15% to Rs 1472 crore on 18.78% rise in net sales to Rs 28283.45 crore in Q1 June 2018 over Q1 June 2017.

L&T is an Indian multinational engaged in technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services with over $18 billion in revenue.

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From ONCG

L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering, a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro, in consortium with Baker Hughes, a GE company and McDermott International, Inc. has been awarded the subsea contract for India's Oil Et Natural Gas Corporation's (ONGC) largest deepwater oil & gas project, the development of block DWN-98/2 in the Krishna Godavari basin.

The integrated subsea package includes the supply of all subsea production systems (SPS), including 34 deepwater trees, and the installation of subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF) at a water depth of between 984 feet (300 meters) and 10,500 feet (3,200 meters).

LTHE's scope of work encompasses fabrication engineering, procurement and coating of around 500 kms linepipes, stalk fabrication of around 300 kms linepipes and fabrication, testing a loadout of around 185 subsea structures including 6 subsea manifolds and onshore pipeline installation. The project will further position LTHE's Kattupalli facility as a preferred fabrication base for future deepwater and ultradeep water projects on East Coast and around.

LTHE will leverage on its state of the art fabrication facility at Kattupalli, Chennai on the East Coast of India to fabricate the subsea production manifolds and SURF structures besides undertaking stalk fabrication of linepipes on the spool base. By reducing the number of interfaces across the project, the consortium aims to reduce complexity, drive speed and increase execution efficiency for ONGC.

The project is one of the first major deepwater developments in India and a milestone for realizing India's domestic energy potential. The group will offer a comprehensive solution that will also boost local manufacturing, in support of Make in India. Built on an agreement signed in 2016, LTHE and BHGE will fabricate manifolds for the first time in India as part of this project.

The subsea award represents the largest single subsea contract awarded by ONGC. Delivery is scheduled for 2020 for the gas system and 2021 for the oil system.

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For collaboration on technology research

Tata Consultancy Services and the University of Tokyo (IIS, UTokyo), one of Japan's leading research institutes for engineering disciplines, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on technology research and facilitate interpersonnel exchange.

The partnership is the latest addition to TCS' Co-innovation Network (COIN'M) which brings together the best of academia, research, tech start-ups, and alliance partners from across the world to collaborate and conceptualize innovation that helps customers in their digital transformation journeys.

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A 14-year-old was shot at here on Thursday when he was on way to a bank to deposit cash with his father. The child is out of danger and two men involved in the incident have been arrested, police said.

At around 2 p.m. the duo, residents of Delhi's Rohini area, were on their way to a bank to deposit Rs 3.5 lakh when two bike-borne men opened fire at the boy and attacked the father by throwing chilly powder in his eyes, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta said.

The boy was shot in his lower abdomen and was rushed to a hospital. He is out of danger now, he said.

The two accused -- Somveer (29) and Vikas (27) -- are from Haryana's Dadri and Sampla, respectively. A local pistol has been recovered from their possession, police said.

--IANS

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Services resumed at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital here on Thursday, a day after a medical store inside the state-run hospital was gutted in fire, leading to emergency evacuation of 250 patients.

"The daily operations at the hospital are normal. All the patients who were evacuated after Wednesday's fire have been readmitted to the respective departments. All departments in the fire affected building are functioning to their full capacity," Hospital Superintendent Asish Kumar Basu told IANS.

"There is no bar on admitting patients in any of the departments. New patients are being admitted in normal procedure according to the availability of beds," he said.

The blaze broke out at the hospital on Wednesday morning, creating panic among several patients and their relatives as thick smoke was seen billowing out of the old hospital building that has the Cardiology, Hematology and Endocrinology departments.

Fire fighters and personnel of the state Disaster Management Department managed to bring the blaze under control after nearly five hours even as chaos and uncertainty prevailed over situation of critically ill patients.

Many of them had to be carried out by the hospital staff as adequate number of stretchers were not available.

Medicine stocks worth Rs 5 crore were destroyed in the fire, the person in charge of the gutted medical store had claimed.

A senior Fire Department official had said the fire started at a place where gas cylinders, gauzes and bandages are stored but insisted that the reason of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

--IANS

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Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has once again criticised the arrest of Deputy CJ Philomena Mwilu.

In an interview with Citizen TV, the Wiper Party leader said the action by the DPP to arrest and arraign DCJ Mwilu over corruption smacked of an attempt to demean the judiciary.

According to Kalonzo, the arrest surprised President Uhuru Kenyatta, who tried to reach out to the Chief Justice David Maraga through the Attorney General Kariuki Kihara over the issue.

The President told me he was surprised, Kalonzo said.

He was responding to why he appeared in court to defend the DCJ after decades of not being an active advocate.

Because the matter was weighty, he said, adding that if you really want to deal with the Deputy Chief Justice, you dont arraign them before a magistrates court. What image are you giving to that profession?

Kalonzo said Mwilus issue should have been left in the hands of the Judicial Service Commission.

The NASA coprincipal also ruled out being a running mate in 2022 saying he will not be a politician who only supports others running for the presidency.

From where you are sitting Hussein do you expect Kalonzo to support Raila for a third time? Musyoka posed, adding: Do you think Id be in proper frame of mind?

The Wiper leader, however, stated that things could change since 2022 is still far and supporting Raila could still be an option to consider.

We will cross that bridge when we get thereright now I am concerned with issues of urgent national importance, Musyoka.
A mob of young men on Thursday thrashed a few Afghanistan nationals studying at a private university in Greater Noida on Thursday, though authorities denied any violence on the campus.

According to an eyewitness, the mob roughed up the Afghan students after dragging them out from an examination hall at the Sharda University. The attackers shouted 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and communal slurs against the foreign students and demanded they be sent back back to their country.

It was alleged that Thursday's attack was in retaliating to a scuffle among two groups of students two days ago.

"There were many students shouting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and other communal slogans. They dragged out the Afghan students and beat them up. Guards deployed on the campus shielded some of the victims by locking them inside a room... one of the students was beaten up inside a car while being whisked away by police," the eyewitness told IANS.

In a video clip shared on the social media on Monday, a group of students said to be from Afghanistan was seen roughing up a student and threatening the onlookers to disperse or else they too will be beaten up.

Interestingly, the clipping of assault on Afghan students during the day was also shared on the social media. It could not be immediately known if anyone was injured.

A senior university official denied any scuffle and maintained that students were only protesting and demanding action against certain Afghan students.

"There was no violence today (Thursday). Some students had gathered to demand to know what action had been taken against the erring Afghan students. We told them that we are yet to conclude our inquiry and will be ready with the report by Monday," Dean of School of Language and Culture Pramod Kumar Mitra said.

--IANS

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Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday said he would write to his Maharashtra counterpart objecting to a school textbook describing Assam's eminent 'forest man' Jadav Payeng as a 'nomad'.

Sonowal's conveyed his views to a Mising community delegation and assured the members that he would write to the Maharashtra government to register Assam's reservation.

Responding to the delegation's viwes that the community should be described as 'Mising' instead of 'Miri' in government documents, Sonowal said he would consider the demand.

Sonowal also assured the delegation that the government would conduct a land survey soon of the Mising inhabited areas. The meeting also discussed fund allocation in the Mising Autonomous Council areas.

--IANS

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Troubles piled up for Delhi University Students' Union President Ankiv Baisoya on Thursday, when a letter issued by the Thiruvalluvar University Registrar surfaced stating that the certificates provided by Baisoya from that university were "fake" and that he was not enrolled in the university.

In a letter on October 3 to the Principal Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Tamil Nadu government, Registrar V. Peruvalluthi stated: "I hereby submit that Mr Ankiv Baisoya has not enrolled either in our university or in any of our constituent of affiliated colleges and is not our student at all."

Taking cognisance of the news reports published regarding Baisoya's alleged fake degree, it further read: "The certificate he has produced is fake and not from our university. The Controller of Examination has issued a letter stating that the certificate is not genuine after official verification of records of the Controller of Examination office."

The letter was circulated on Thursday by the Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI), an arch-rival of the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) to which Baisoya belongs.

Baisoya has been in the dock over allegations of securing admission in Delhi University on the basis of a fake degree from the Thiruvalluvar University in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. He is currently a student of Department of Buddhist Studies at Delhi University and is the centre of an inquiry by that department.

If found guilty, he may face cancellation of his admission from the university and also the forfeiture of post of president of the university students' union to which he was elected last month.

The controversy surrounding Baisoya's certificates erupted last month when the NSUI circulated a letter issued by the Controller of Examination of the Thiruvalluvar University dismissing Baisoya's graduation mark-sheet bearing that university's stamp and logo as "fake".

-- IANS

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Protesting against the proposed merger of three public sector banks (PSBs) -- Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank and Bank of Baroda -- the bank officers' union on Thursday launched a series of agitation programme here and demanded "good banks" instead of "big banks".

"The supposed synergy that would be obtained through the merger is a myth as we have witnessed several failed mergers nationally and globally," said All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC) West Bengal unit Secretary Sanjay Das.

Bank officers said that while deciding on the proposed merger, the opinion of representatives of workmen or officers in the boards of public sector banks was not taken.

--IANS

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The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday held Bharatiya Janata Party responsible for "instigating" the EDMC sanitation workers to protest in front of his residence and said he would "directly talk" with the protesters and reveal the truth.

Since September 12, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation's (EDMC)sanitation workers have been on strike and on Thursday they protested at Delhi Chief Minister's residence demanding the Aam Aaadmi Party's government release pending salaries, pensions and clear arrears in their corporation.

Hours after the protesters clashed with police, Kejriwal tweeted: "Sanitation workers are protesting outside my house. The BJP has instigated them by telling lies. I am going to talk to them directly and will tell them the truth. Will put all the facts before them and Delhi.

"I am very concerned about the cleanliness of Delhi. The BJP government at centre and also at Municipal Corporation of Delhi have completely disturbed the cleanliness here" he said.

The Delhi Chief Minister further said he was concerned about the problems faced by the sanitation workers.

"In every two months, they have to strike work to take their salaries" he agreed.

The sanitation workers were on strike for 23 days for which residents were facing the brunt of the garbage strewn across East Delhi in areas like Pandav Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Karkardooma and other areas.

On similar demands, since 2015 the sanitation workers of the EDMC have gone on strike eight times.

--IANS

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday attacked BJP-led government and BJP-ruled Municipal Corporations of Delhi saying both were playing "dirty politics" on sanitation workers issues.

"How is it possible that the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) which could pay salaries in the year 2014 to 2015 in half the funds that it got from Delhi government then, now says it is unable to do so when it is getting almost double the amount?" Kejriwal said in a statement.

"Why was there no strike in the year 2014 to 2015 over the sanitation workers salaries? The Bharatiya Janata Party's central government and BJP-ruled MCDs are playing dirty on the issues concerning the sanitation workers," he said.

Since September 12, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation's(EDMC) sanitation workers were on strike and on Thursday they protested at the Delhi Chief Minister's residence. They also clashed with the police when the latter tried to disperse them.

The workers demanded the Aam Aadmi Party's government to release pending salaries, pensions and clear arrears in their corporation.

The sanitation workers were on strike for past 23 days for which residents were facing the brunt of the garbage strewn across East Delhi in areas like Pandav Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Karkardooma and other areas.

Kejriwal said according to the 14th Finance Commission, the central government was supposed to provide Rs 488 per person to every municipality in the country.

"Had the BJP and MCDs demanded this amount of Rs 488 per person for a municipality, they would have been entitled for at least Rs 5,000 crore, which is due to them since last five years" he said.

He also said that this amount would have "ensured" fulfilment of all demands of sanitation workers, including regularisation of their services and payment of their arrears.

Kejriwal further said that despite BJP in power at the centre and which also controls the Municipal Corporation of Delhi "was not" providing the funds to the corporations.

--IANS

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Boiron Laboratories, the Indian subsidiary of homeopathic medicines maker Boiron S.A. (France), is expanding its presence in the country and is in the process of registering its proprietary products, an official said here on Thursday.

"We had launched 480 medicines in July, 2017 and recently expanded our range introducing 150 high potency standardised homeopathic medicines in India. This expansion process will continue. We are in the process of registering our proprietary products," company's Managing Director Prashant Surana told reporters here.

The company is keen on introducing more brands in India, however, the main challenge is that "currently the branding of single-ingredient products is not allowed".

"This prevents Boiron from introducing many of the global brands such as Oscillococcinum, which is the bestselling homeopathy brand for cold and flu management around the world," he said.

"All the ailments can be covered but we will set our launching priorities based upon market needs with innovative dispensing forms," he said.

According to him, the market size for homeopathy medicines in India is currently over Rs 1,000 crore, which has been growing by 15-20 per cent annually.

For the first time, medicines from USFDA approved homeopathy manufacturing plants are available in sealed multidose tubes and single dosage tubes across India, the company claimed.

The homeopathy major is currently importing drugs from France and will evaluate setting up a plant in India as the market develops.

"At one point in time, local manufacturing will become a necessity and be beneficial for our overall development in India. This could be our first major investment, others could follow thereafter. We have good reasons to believe this could happen in the near future," said Michele Boiron, Director, Boiron France.

The homeopathy major has five production facilities, 20 distribution platforms and presence in 50 countries.

--IANS

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Two brothers were shot dead here around midnight by a few unknown attackers, police said on Thursday. One person has been arrested.

Twenty four-year-old Imran Ghazi and his brother Arman, 22, along with friend Nishant were on their way home after purcahsing medicines for their ailing father, when they were attacked near Bamba road in Thakurganj.

The Ghazi family told Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kalanidhi Naithani that the brothers had a verbal spat with some men a few days back.

One man identified as Saahil has been arrested. The police is on the lookout for the others.

Nishant, who survived the attack, said half-a-dozen assailants dragged the brothers out of the cab that Imran was driving.

They then beat them up with rods and sticks before shooting them dead at point blank range.

The friend somehow managed to escape and inform the Thakurganj police, who rushed to the spot only to find the two men lying in a pool of blood. The attackers had escaped by then.

The brothers were rushed to the Trauma Centre at the King George's Medical University (KGMU) where they were pronounced dead on arrival.

A crowd had gathered at the crime scene raising anti-police slogans and demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.

The area was tense after the killing. Reinforcements from eight police stations were deployed in the old city area. There is also heavy deployment of police where the autopsy was to take place.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China has the world's largest number of outbound tourists at 135 million and this figure is estimated to go up to 157 million in 2020, authorities said here.

A total of 135 million Chinese made outbound trips in 2016 as compared to 5 million in 1995, according to the data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

This represented an average annual increase of 17.6 per cent over 21 years.

China's outbound tourism market was estimated to increase by 5 per cent annually on average in the coming years, bringing the number of outbound tourists to 157 million in 2020, Xinhua news agency reported, citing China Tourism Academy -- a think tank under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Often called "walking wallets", because of their increased spending capacity, Chinese tourists fly to other countries for holiday, shopping and cosmetic surgery.

Many Chinese can be spotted at duty-free shops in Seoul and Tokyo buying cosmetic creams, face masks, clothes among others.

According to Chinese International Travel Monitor 2016, the per capita spending of Chinese outbound travellers hit ($3,370) in 2015.

Indian wants to tap into the Chinese outbound tourists, but has not been able to do so.

In August, India's Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons was in China for a roadshow to attract more Chinese tourists. He said that of the 144 million outbound Chinese tourists in 2017, only 300,000 came to India.

He said that India plans to get at least 14 million Chinese tourists in the next three years.

--IANS

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The Congress, for the second time in as many months, on Thursday petitioned Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Rajiv Mehrishi, urging him to audit the Rafale deal for "corruption" before a report is submitted to Parliament.

A party delegation, including former Union Ministers Jairam Ramesh and Anand Sharma, met the CAG and handed over "new details and revelations" on the deal which they claimed caused loss worth Rs 41,205 crore to the public exchequer.

"We met the CAG with new details and revelations on the Rafale deal. More revelations are bound to come up. Each and every detail and document must go through CAG's forensic audit before a report is submitted to Parliament. Once these facts come on record, Congress will insist on a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to take charge of all documents and then fix accountability,"said Sharma after their nearly half-hour meeting with Mehrishi.

During its September 19 meeting with the CAG, the Congress had submitted a memorandum detailing various alleged irregularities and claimed these had caused a huge loss to the exchequer and compromised national security.

In its latest memorandum, the Congress has cited assertions made by former French President Francois Hollande on "India imposing" the choice of offset partner as well as former Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) chief T. S. Raju's claims of the defence aircraft maker entering into a work-share agreement with Dassault Aviation, the makers of Rafale jets.

"Subsequent documents and revelations made at the highest level in India and France have exposed a deep-rooted sinister conspiracy and a clear-cut case of loss worth Rs 41,205 crore to the public exchequer.

"The public statements and assertions made by Hollande regarding the completely illegitimate influence used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government as also the public statement by Raju, calling the bluff and lies of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have unmasked the conspiracy hatched at the highest levels of the Modi government," it said in the memorandum.

The Congress also alleged that through "statements and news plants" government sources were "trying to influence" the functioning of the CAG and "obstructing and interfering" with its fair and independent authority.

The Congress told the CAG that the deal was a "clear-cut case of loss to public exchequer and rampant corruption coupled with a concerted conspiracy".

"All the contours of this conspiracy, corruption, endangering of national security and crony capitalism can only be uncovered thorough probe by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

"It is expected that the CAG in this case will undertake a forensic audit of original tender, the understanding reached between Dassault and HAL and the arbitrary decision of the Prime Minister without any mandate from Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)," the party said urging the CAG to bring all facts on record to enable Parliament to fix accountability for the "Rafale scam".

The party on September 24 had also moved the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) seeking a probe and registration of an FIR as well as seizure of relevant documents pertaining to the deal announced "unilaterally" by Modi in April 2015.

--IANS

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The Congress has termed "double-standards" the reported assurance of the Indian government to Bangladesh not to deport the non-NRC people, saying the BJP has consistently called such people infiltrators.

"If it is true that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured Bangladesh of not deporting those who names don't figure in the Assam National Register of Citizens, then it reflects BJP's of double-standards," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

"The BJP has one stand in Assam and another in Bangladesh. We do not know if Prime Minister Modi will remain silent on this issue as well much like in the Rafale scam," said Surjewala.

The Congress leader's reply was in reference to media reports quoting H.T. Imam, Political Adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as saying that Modi has "personally assured" his counterpart of not sending back to Bangladesh those who are not included in the Assam NRC.

The Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah has repeatedly said that those not figuring in the NRC were "infiltrators" and are liable to be deported.

The BJP National Executive last month had passed a resolution on the (NRC) exercise in Assam declaring that the party and government would not allow India to be used as a haven for "infiltrators" and that each of these "will be identified, stripped of citizenship rights and deported."

--IANS

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The Delhi High Court on Thursday acquitted a man of the charges of raping and murdering an 81-year-old widow in 2014 at her south Delhi residence four years ago.

The High Court however dubbed the crime as "horrific" and said that an elderly woman had been done to death in the most inhuman manner.

A bench of Justices S. Muralidhar and Vinod Goel acquitted domestic help Neeraj Safi of the charges pressed under Sections 302 (murder), 375 (rape) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code.

The High Court order to set aside a trial court's conviction order came on Safi's appeal.

"Howsoever strong a suspicion might be, it cannot constitute proof and is insufficient to return a finding of guilt. The case against the appellant had to be proved beyond reasonable doubt. The prosecution has failed to do that in the present case," the bench said.

Safi, a resident of Madhubani in Bihar, was accused of the crime at his employer's Greater Kailash-II house on July 7, 2014. On January 31 2017, the trial court convicted Safi of rape, murder and destruction of evidence.

The High Court also said that the prosecution has failed to prove the motive of the crime as nothing belonging to the deceased was in fact stolen and other household items remained untouched.

"The trial court overlooked the above legal position and erred in holding that not proving the motive was not fatal to the case of the prosecution," the court said.

The High Court also found that there are too many gaps in the chain of circumstances leading to the crime.

"Neither the forensics report nor the post-mortem conclusively establishes that it was the appellant who had any sexual contact with the deceased," the court said.

"With medical and forensic evidence ruling out the possibility of the appellant having committed the sexual assault on the deceased, the prosecution has failed to prove the motive for the crime."

Police had said that the woman's post-mortem revealed that she was beaten up, strangled with a dupatta and set on fire.

--IANS

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The European Commission on Thursday quoted ABBA lyrics to refer to the UK leaving the EU after the country's Prime Minister danced to one of the Swedish pop group's famous numbers during the annual Conservative Party conference.

Commission spokesperson Margaritis Schinas made reference to Theresa May's dance moves to "Dancing Queen" at a press conference after being asked a series of questions by a British journalist: "Voulez-vous a deal? Will you take a chance on May, or is she about to face her Waterloo? And will the winner take it all?"

"We appreciate the little dancing, it always takes two to tango," Schinas said, adding that "we prefer that the tune was 'Dancing Queen' rather than 'The Winner Takes it All'".

"What can I say, breaking up is never easy," he was cited as saying by Efe news, in reference to the 1977 ABBA's hit "Knowing Me, Knowing You".

Brexit negotiations are in a key phase, the final six months ahead of the UK's withdrawal on March 29, 2019, with agreements yet to be made on factors such as the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland or the future economic cooperation after that date.

The leaders of 27 EU members, not including the UK, would be reviewing the state of the negotiations at a working dinner at an upcoming summit on October 17.

--IANS

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A Malaysian court on Thursday charged former Prime Minister Najib Razak's wife for money-laundering related to a corruption scandal.

Rosmah Mansor, 66, faces a total of 17 counts of charges under Malaysia's the anti-money laundering laws, reports Xinhua news agency.

She pleaded not guilty to each charge.

Rosmah was arrested by Malaysia's anti-corruption body on Wednesday.

Her husband Najib has been hit with more than 30 charges including abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering related to the state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scam.

He founded the 1MDB in 2009 and presided over till 2016.

A news report in 2015 alleged that Najib had diverted $681 million from 1MDb into his personal account.

He denied the allegations, saying the money was a donation from a Saudi prince. He was cleared by Malaysian authorities while in power.

The US Department of Justice estimated that about $4.5 billion were diverted from 1MDB, of which about $1 billion could have been laundered in the US through the purchase of real estate, yachts, jewellery and works of art, among other goods.

--IANS

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What has the "fortnight of the ancestors", or pitru paksha, a lunar phase in the Hindu calendar, got to do with governance in Goa?

Plenty apparently, according to members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition, who appear to have decided to abstain from any major decision-making in the already paralysed government until the end of the pitru paksha phase, which two senior ministers say comes to a close after October 8.

Ever since the leadership crisis erupted in Goa following Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's hospitalisation in Delhi last month, Public Works Department Minister Sudin Dhavalikar and Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai have, in several conversations with media persons, said that in view of the pitru paksha, any decision on allocation of portfolios would be taken after the end of the "inauspicious period".

"I met Manohar Parrikar and he is recovering. He told me that he wants to delegate more powers and also have meeting with the cabinet ministers, which will happen after October 10," Sardesai told reporters on October 1, while acknowledging the stalling of portfolio allocation on account of pitru paksha.

Sardesai made the statement soon after meeting Parrikar at the All India Institute for Medical Sciences in Delhi, where the former Defence Minister is being treated for advanced pancreatic cancer.

Last month, when the leaders of the BJP and its ruling allies -- Goa Forward and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party -- were tinkering with the possibility of an alternative arrangement in place of the ailing Parrikar, Dhavalikar insisted that the changes could wait until the pitru paksha period ended.

"What difference would it make, if the BJP waits for another fortnight," Dhavalikar told reporters, when asked if it was alright for major decisions to be stalled on account of belief.

Both Dhavalikar and Sardesai have been haggling for major ministries, which Parrikar, according to both the ruling politicians, is expected to offload on account of his prolonged illness.

Pitru paksha (literally translated as fortnight of the ancestors) is a 16-lunar day period in the Hindu calendar, during which a large section of Hindus pay homage to their ancestors (pitrs) by offering shraddha (ritualistic food offerings to the souls of the dead).

The period, which starts immediately after the Ganesh Chaturthi festival and ends after a fortnight on a new moon night called "sarvapitri amavasya", is considered inauspicious by many.

However, the stalling of decision-making on issues related to political affairs and governance by the ruling combine appears to have even shocked astrology experts in Goa.

Vikramaditya Panshikar, a renowned astrologer based in Goa, said that issues related to governance and those which affect public lives cannot be stalled on account of pitru paksha.

"In fact, this lunar period is misunderstood. How can a period where you pay homage to your ancestors, who are responsible for our very existence, be considered inauspicious? Can all government decisions be stalled on account of a belief like this," Panshikar asked while speaking to IANS.

In fact, the Indian politicians' obsession with the superstitious belief stretches beyond the shores of Goa too. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi last month drew flak after he urged criminals to refrain from committing crimes during the pitru paksha period.

"With my folded hands I want to appeal to all the criminals to refrain from crime and indulging in criminal activities during the time of pitru paksha... during other days, you keep doing something or the other," Modi was quoted as saying while inaugurating a "pind daan" ceremony in Bihar's Gaya district on September 23.

In Goa, however, the stalling of portfolio allocation and the resultant lethargy in governance has riled the Congress, which has now said that people in Goa are suffering due to the state's ministers' belief in superstition.

"It is condemnable that decisions of the BJP-led coalition government in Goa are stalled and the lives of hundreds of thousands of people impacted by the ministers' belief in superstition. In fact, the coalition partners are jockeying for better ministries. The pitru paksha period is just being used as an excuse by them," Congress spokesperson Urfan Mulla told IANS.

(Mayabhushan Nagvenkar can be contacted at mayabhushan.n@ians.in)

--IANS

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Germany has a responsibility to remember the crimes of the Holocaust, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday during her visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial here.

Writing in the Yad Vashem visitor's book, Merkel, who began her two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday, said her country was also committed to fighting anti-Semitism, hatred and violence.

The Chancellor was then received by the University of Haifa President, Ron Robin, who will later award her with an honorary doctorate degree, Efe news reported.

Merkel and her delegation of ministers were scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for inter-governmental talks that were on hold for almost a year and a half, amid German objections to Israel's construction of settlements in the Palestinian territories.

The Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry said the talks would focus on security, scientific, economic, cultural and cyber cooperation.

--IANS

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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here and apprised him of the losses incurred by the state during the monsoon season.

He requested Modi to depute an inter-ministerial team to assess the losses, besides providing interim relief for the damage caused by the rain.

The Chief Minister also sought the construction of a defence airport in the state keeping in view its strategic location, an official statement said.

He said the Airport Authority of India has conducted a survey of the land at Naagchala in Mandi district and found the site fit for constructing an airport.

The Indian Air Force has been looking for a safe airstrip adjoining the Pathankot airbase. Thakur said the airport could also be used for civil purposes.

Modi assured Thakur of prompt action on the demands, the statement added.

--IANS

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A remote Himachal Pradesh settlement in Kangra district, where there has been an acute shortage of ration owing to closure of trekking routes following heavy snowfall in September, received relief material on Thursday.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper provided the food material at Bara Bhangal inside the Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary -- an area not accessible by road, a government spokesperson told IANS here.

Senior district officials along with a medical team on board reached the area located at an altitude of over 2,800 metres to provide the ration and help after it was cut off for almost 14 days following untimely and heavy snowfall between September 22 and 24.

The officials also conducted an aerial survey, including over the Thamsar Pass, Jalsu and Khalihani Pass, to search for people stranded, but no one was spotted.

"Fifty packets of dry ration were handed over to the government fair price shop in Bara Bhangal for distribution. There are 20-22 flocks of sheep in the areas and all shepherds are safe," he said.

The official ruled out media reports of starvation, mainly among shepherds, with the closure of pathways after the snowfall in the region.

Ahead of winter's onset, many of Bara Bhangal residents migrate to Bir in Baijnath subdivision, near Palampur town, some 250 km from here. This time the snowfall was well in advance and people were caught unaware.

"After trudging over 75 km, we managed to reach Bir in three days. Most of the area enroute is under a thick blanket of snow," Bhrigu Devi said.

Sheep and cattle rearing is the main occupation of these people who are nomads.

Akshay Jasrotia, an activist who is taking up their cause with the administration, said the situation is quite grim.

He said since most trekking routes leading to Bara Bhangal are out of bounds due to snow, the helicopter is the only mode of transportation to reach there.

Bara Bhangal is also accessible through the Thamsar Pass, located at an attitude of 4,700 metres.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar told IANS that a team of doctors accompanied the district officials who landed at Bara Bhangal for first-aid.

Additional Chief Secretary Manisha Nanda said the state on Tuesday requested the Defence Ministry to provide a helicopter for dropping the relief material as there was possibility that people might have run out of supplies.

The Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over 944 sq km at an altitude above 3,000 metres.

--IANS

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Actress Parineeti Chopra wants more women to speak out about their #MeToo experiences now that Tanushree Dutta has brought the cat out of the bag by naming veteran actor Nana Patekar for allegedly sexually harassing her a decade ago.

Parineeti spoke at the launch of "Proper patola", a song from her forthcoming film "Namaste England" along with her co-actor Arjun Kapoor and director Vipul Amrutlal Shah here on Wednesday.

Asked whether she feels that Tanushree's outburst is a start of the #MeToo movement in India, Parineeti said: "Honestly, I really hope that it's not a start of #MeToo movement because it will mean that there are a lot more stories like this and I really hope this is first and last story if it is true.

"I really hope this is not the start. Having said that, if there are any victims, especially women in the industry, then I want every woman to come out in the open and speak because if they don't speak now, they will forever be suppressed."

Citing her own example, Parineeti said: "Personally, I have never gone through such an experience, but God forbid, if it would have happened with me, then I would have never kept quiet about it. So, which is why I don't think being quiet is the solution ever.

"This is something serious that has happened to somebody and it's the worst thing that can happen to a woman. If we can't feel protected in our industry and in our country, then how can I do anything? So, I hope this is all untrue and I hope this has not happened, but if it has then we will all support her.

"I really hope this is not a start of #MeToo movement because it will be terrible if there are more stories existing in the film industry."

On his part, Arjun said: "I have two sisters who work in the industry, so as a human being who has sisters, I would want that any woman should feel safe. It happens everywhere and it's a reality and now a woman has come forward to speak the truth. If she is speaking the truth, then definitely she will win."

Arjun said people firstly need to listen to a person.

"The problem in our country is that we start heated debates after a revelation and because of that people fear about speaking the truth. She has revealed something that is so dreadful, so she deserves to be heard before people become judgmental, take sides and point fingers at each other.

"It's a question that has been raised on everybody and it happens in all parts of our country. As human beings, we have to introspect. As men, we have to give equality to women and we have to allow safer working environment to women."

--IANS

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United States First Lady Melania Trump is expected in Kenya on Friday as part of her first solo international trip as FLOTUS.

Melania Trump on Tuesday arrived in Accra, Ghana on the first stop of the African tour of Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt.

Upon arrival in Nairobi, Kenya, Mrs Trump is expected to visit State House as her first stop. She will hold a brief meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.

The US First Lady will then visit the US Embassy in Nairobi wrapping up the only closed-door engagements on her Kenyan visit.

After the talks, Melania is scheduled to watch a performance by Sarakasi dancers at the Kenya National Theater.

Preparations are underway at the theatre where the Sarakasi crew shall present a creative piece depicting a Kenyan girl growing in the ghetto who shines to stardom.

A group of children is also listed to entertain her on Friday. First Lady Margaret Kenyatta will also be in attendance.

The Kenya Wildlife Service headquarters is also anticipating a visit by Melania Trump.

Her visit shall also highlight her passion for wildlife and conservation as she takes a trip to the Nairobi National Park where she will adopt an animal in one of the animal orphanages.
India on Thursday deported to Myanmar seven Rohingya immigrants, who have been staying in Assam illegally since 2012, on their "willingness", constituting the first batch of such immigrants to be sent back to their homes.

The immigrants were handed over to Myanmar authorities in the afternoon at Moreh border post. They had entered Assam illegally and were detected and arrested in 2012. They served three months in detention in Cachar Central Jail and were subsequently lodged in a detention centre at Silchar.

Assistant Commandant Sudashu Kumar, posted with the paramilitary force in Assam, brought the immigrants to Moreh in Manipur and handed them over to Aung Myo, Deputy Director of Immigration in Myanmar, after completion of formalities.

"Upon reconfirming their willingness to be repatriated (on October 3, 2018), and with the full concurrence of the Government of Myanmar, in accordance with established procedures and laws, the Government of Assam has arranged for the repatriation of these seven individuals to Myanmar," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Kumar said the seven individuals from Rakhine State in Myanmar had been detained in 2012 for violation of the Foreigners Act and that the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Cachar at Silchar, Assam, had awarded a three-month sentence for this offence and ordered their detention pending repatriation.

In accordance with established procedures and with the assistance of the Ministry of External Affairs, the Myanmar Embassy was able to establish the identity of these individuals as residents of that country, said Kumar. The Myanmar government then issued "certificates of identity" to facilitate the travel of these individuals to their hometown in Rakhine State.

In parallel, the MEA Spokesperson said, the individuals also requested in 2016 that the Myanmar Embassy should issue them relevant travel documents to facilitate their return to their own country.

The deportation process was started after Myanmar diplomats confirmed to Indian authorities that the immigrants were residents of the Rakhine State, where Myanmarese forces had effected a crackdown on the Rohingya community forcing lakhs of them to flee to Bangladesh.

The seven immigrants -- identified as Md Jamal, Mohbul Khan, Jamal Hussain, Md Yonus, Sabir Ahmed, Rahim Uddin and Md Salam -- were apprehended on July 29, 2012. They are aged between 25 and 35 years, a Home Ministry official said.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea for a stay on the deportation of the seven illegal immigrants.

Following Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's directive, northeastern states sharing international borders with different countries had tightened security to ensure that displaced Rohingya Muslims do not enter India.

Police sources said that several Rohingya immigrants were arrested at Moreh as well as Jiribam district bordering Assam, including Rohingya girls suspected to be victims of human trafficking.

The Rohingya people are a minority Muslim community from the Rakhine state in Myanmar.

--IANS

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India will go ahead with the deal to purchase the S-400 Triumf missile defence system as well as frigates and helicopters from Russia despite the US sanctions imposed on Moscow, according to a former Indian diplomat, who is now a foreign policy analyst.

Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar told IANS in an interview here ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's official visit to India that he is also "reasonably confident" that New Delhi would be granted a waiver from the US sanctions on Iran, due to kick in from November 4, on oil purchases from the Persian Gulf nation.

"The US Congress wants to punish Russia for its actions on various counts like interfering in the American election process and the Ukraine situation," Sajjanhar said.

He pointed out that as per the procedure to grant a waiver, the US President has to certify that the specified countries are meeting the conditions required for grant of waiver from the sanctions law to be imposed following US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

"Two US Secretaries have written to the Congress strongly emphasising that countries not intended to be punished by the CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) passed last year by the US Congress should be granted the waiver," he said.

Besides targeting Iran, CAATSA imposes sanctions on some Russian companies as well as on their customers and this could impact India's $8.5 billion defence deal with Russia that includes the S-400 system and which is expected to be signed during Putin's visit.

Briefing reporters here after the first India-US 2+2 dialogue last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said that he had told the Indians "consistently that on November 4 the sanctions will be enforced, and that we will consider waivers where appropriate".

Responding to a question on India's Russian defence deal, Pompeo said: "Our effort here, too, is not to penalise great strategic partners like India, a major defence partner. The sanctions aren't intended to adversely impact countries like India. They are intended to have an impact on the sanctioned country."

Signals from Washington last week seemed to bear out the optimism of Ambassador Sajjanhar on a waiver to enable India to continue trade relations with Iran. It came in the form of a reference made by a senior US administration official to the Chabahar Port being jointly developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan.

"We very much appreciate what India has done to provide both assistance to Afghanistan, including through using Chabahar Port for the delivery of wheat," US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asia Region, Alice Wells, had said.

"We also very much appreciate what India has done to allow Afghanistan to diversify its trade relationships, and again Chabahar has played a role there. So those factors will certainly be taken under consideration."

Coming to the overall Indo-Russian relationship, Sajjanhar noted that economic relations had not kept pace with the conversion of interests and mutual trust developed through historical ties.

"Though Russia is involved in India's strategic sectors -- defence, nuclear energy, hi-tech and infrastructure -- bilateral trade is at an sub-optimal level," he said.

"The free trade negotiations with the Eurasian Economic Union need to get on fast-track, for instance, and there hasn't been much progress on building the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)."

The INSTC project has been designed to increase trade connectivity between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe through a 7,200-km-long, multi-modal network of ship, rail and road routes for moving freight between these countries.

"Dry runs of the two routes were conducted in 2014 and have shown that transit time can be cut down by 14 days and between 30-40 per cent saved on costs," the former diplomat said.

"The India-Russia partnership is a time-tested one with a high level of trust between the political leaderships. From the Soviet Union times, Russia has helped India's industrial development, while India has promoted Russia's geo-political interests," he added.

Sajjanhar pointed out that Russia is the only country to have successfully set up nuclear power plants in India, despite the problems posed for foreign suppliers by India's civil nuclear liability insurance law.

Russian state atomic energy corporation, Rosatom, is the consultant and equipment supplier for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu, which envisages the construction of six 1,000 MW reactors. While the first two units have already been commissioned, units 3 and 4 are under construction and preparatory works for units 5 and 6 are underway.

Besides, an inter-governmental agreement has been signed for Rosatom to construct another six reactors In India at a location yet to be finalised.

India is also collaborating with Russia in setting up Bangladesh's first nuclear plant at Rooppur.

Russia, India and Bangladesh have signed a trilateral agreement to cooperate in the construction of the Rooppur nuclear project. Indian companies can be involved in construction and installation works, the supply of material and equipment of a non-critical category, as well as in the training of personnel.

(Biswajit Choudhury can be reached at biswajit.c@ians.in)

--IANS

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Rome, Oct 5 (IANS/AKI) Italy's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it is channelling 2.5 million euros through the Africa Fund to support the activities of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Niger and Egypt.

The 1.5 million euro project titled "Direct Assistance to Abandoned Migrants" aims to boost the presence of the IOM in the north-eastern regions of Niger bordering with Algeria, to provide emergency assistance and medical aid to migrants and support their voluntary return to their countries of origin, according to the foreign ministry's statement.

The "Support and Increase Healthcare Access for migrants and vulnerable Egyptian host community members" project is financed with one million euros and seeks o improve the access to medical assistance of migrants and of particularly vulnerable Egyptian hosting communities by building the IOM's operating capacity in the country, the statement said.

In Niger, through the support given by Italy from 2017 to date, the IOM has assisted more than 15,000 irregular migrants to return voluntarily to their homelands "in decent and safe conditions and in the full respect of human rights," the statement said.

In Egypt, a country of origin, transit and a destination for major migration flows, the IOM is engaged in providing primary healthcare and medical services to the most vulnerable groups such as unaccompanied minors and the victims of trafficking, the statement added.

--IANS/AKI

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Actress Jacqueline Fernandez will travel to flood-affected areas in Kerala to volunteer to build homes with NGO Habitat for Humanity India.

In a bid to rebuild Kerala after the massive floods which devastated the state in August, Habitat for Humanity India is launching the second edition of Jacqueline Builds, a unique campaign featuring the actress. It will take place in December, with focus on rebuilding homes that were fully or partially damaged by the floods.

Jacqueline will also urge fans to come together to rebuild Kerala.

"The recent flood in Kerala has severely affected thousands of families and damaged homes. This is the time when the people in Kerala need our wholehearted support to bring life back on track. That's the reason why I will be coming to Kerala reconstruct homes, rebuild lives. I am looking forward to meeting people in Kerala and work with the volunteers there," the Sri Lankan beauty said in a statement.

In the first phase of the relief operations, the NGO provided First Responders' Kit, Humanitarian Aid Kit and bottled drinking water to 93,889 families. In the second and third phase, Habitat for Humanity India will be constructing and repairing homes for 6,000 flood-affected families in Pathanamthitta, Allepey, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Wayanad in Kerala to rehabilitate them.

"With Jacqueline Builds, we would like to intensify our efforts to build homes for the affected people in those regions," said Rajan Samuel, Managing Director, Habitat for Humanity India.

"We are thankful to Jacqueline for agreeing to be a part of the mission to rebuild Kerala. Previously with Jacqueline Builds, she helped us in reaching out to celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan to help flood-affected families in Tamil Nadu," Samuel added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Ram Nath Kovind would inaugurate the fourth edition of the 'India International Science Festival-2018' (IISF) in the state capital on Friday, officials said on Thursday.

The three-day festival will be dedicated to the memory of late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan told media persons.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who accompanied the Union minister in the press conference, said it was the effort of the state government to present the festival as a unique event.

"The event will provide a great platform to the youth, students and budding scientists to know what is happening around the world," the Chief Minister said.

At the meet, 600 students will work on DNA isolation while 3,000 school children will be trained in first-aid.

The theme of the event this year is 'Science for Transformation'. Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari would be presiding over the closing ceremony on Monday.

--IANS

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More than 25,000 landless poor on Thursday begun their march to Delhi from Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior town demanding land reforms.

Days after the farmers' protests in the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border area, the landless poor started their journey on foot around 10 a.m. to reach the national capital.

They have been holding discussions in Gwalior's Mela Maidan from October 2-3. On the second day, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan assured the protesters to take their demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Under the aegis of Ekta Parishad, thousands of landless poor have put up five demands in their "Jan Andolan 2018".

They are demanding for a national land reforms policy and its effective implementation, implementation of Forest Rights Act 2005 and a 1996 law regarding panchayats, setting up of special courts to take up pending land-related cases, women farmer rights act, and a law related to agricultural land rights.

Several activists including P.V. Rajagopal, Rajendra Singh, and gandhian Subbarao are leading the protesters.

Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha has shown support for the protesters. On October 6, Congress President Rahul Gandhi will reach Morena to demonstrate his support.

--IANS

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The maiden joint exercise of Coast Guards of India and Vietnam was held on Thursday in the Bay of Bengal off the Chennai coast, a Defence Ministry statement said.

Three Indian Coast Guard ships, a Dornier aircraft and a Chetak helicopter participated in the exercise named "Sahyog HOP TAC -2018", apart from Sagar Manjusa vessel of National Institute of Ocean Technology.

The exercise focused on acquainting the two Coast Guards with each other's capabilities and strengthening their working relations to rescue humans at sea and further refine their joint operational procedures.

The exercise encompassed a scenario of hijacking of an oil tanker and subsequent rescue of its crew in a coordinated anti-piracy joint operation as well as preventive efforts for marine protection.

Interdiction of pirated vessels, coordinated joint boarding operation and external fire-fighting to salvage burning ships were the other highlights of the joint exercise.

--IANS

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Maoist guerrillas raided a crusher early Thursday and set on fire two vehicles, fired in the air and beat up and injured three employees here, police said.

The unspecified number of members of the banned People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) raided Hindukush crusher at Manatu village on Ranchi outskirts and set on fire a two-wheeler and a JCB.

They also fired in the air to scare those present and thrashed the staff. Refusal to pay levy to the leftist guerrillas is said to be the reason for the incident.

An employee, Kaushik, said that a person posing as customer had delivered a letter on August 10, directing the owner and staff to contact PLFI leaders and warned of dire consequences otherwise.

"We had informed police regarding the letter," Kaushik told the media.

--IANS

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An eatery shop owner was robbed and shot at by two unknown masked attackers who escaped with Rs 50 thousand cash in south Delhi, police said on Thursday.

The incident occurred on Monday night when the victim identified as Mohammad Faiyaz had gone at a non-vegetarian eatery shop to help his cousin, Mohammad Ahsad who is also a co-owner of the shop located in Ghitorni area, police said.

"Ahsad has said in his statement that a attacker wearing white shirt and a pollution mask came at the eatery shop while he was counting the cash. He threatened me and my cousin to hand the entire cash while pointing the gun on my head. When I refused to give him money, he fired one bullet which hit the shoulder of Faiyaz," the FIR said.

"The accused took the entire cash and escaped with his accomplice who was waiting for him on a bike," it said.

"Faiyaz is undergoing treatment at AIIMS Trauma centre," a senior police officer said, adding that the incident was captured in a CCTV footage, and that efforts are on to nab the culprits.

--IANS

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A group of about 40 enthusiasts, who are embarking on a month-long rafting expedition to create awareness on cleaning the River Ganga, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

Underlining the importance of a clean and vibrant Ganga, Modi urged the group to reach out to school children as part of their awareness activities.

The group includes eight mountaineers who have successfully climbed the Everest, and is led by Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to summit the peak.

The month-long "Mission Gange" river rafting expedition would see the group travel from Haridwar to Patna, with halts in Bijnor, Narora, Farrukhabad, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, and Buxar in Bihar, an official statement said.

"At each of these nine cities, the group will raise awareness about keeping the Ganga clean, and also undertake cleaning activities," it added.

--IANS

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A Ugandan woman who allegedly killed her employer together with her child in Muhoroni in Kisumu County in June has been charged with murder.

Jackline Auma appeared at the Kisumu law courts Wednesday to answer to charges of murdering Elizabeth Achieng, 26, and her son Leonne Benedict Okoth, 3.

Dressed in a purple checkered shirt and a pink jumper, Ms Auma appeared before High Court Judge Fred Ochieng and pleaded not guilty.

She took the plea after she underwent a mental assessment and was found fit for trial.

The hearing was delayed when Ms Auma requested for the proceedings to continue in Kiganda. She claimed she can neither understand English nor Kiswahili. The accused, however, agreed to take a plea in Kiswahili after her lawyers intervention.

Through her Lawyer Joy Ayieta, the suspect requested for bail, but the judge declined.

You have a history of fleeing the country and that is a compelling reason not to be given bond, ruled the judge.

The judge further ordered the prosecution to provide the suspects defense team with all copies of the case documents for the hearing that will commence on November 6.

The accused will be remanded at Kodiaga Womens Prison where she has been since September 17, 2018, after her extradition by the Uganda police.

Ms Auma is accused of stabbing Achieng to death and strangling her son in Shauri Yako estate.

Ms Achiengs body had several knife wounds on the chest and burns on the left side of her body which her husband, Evans Otieno, said was inflicted by a hot iron box that was found beside her body.

The househelp had lived with the family for only one month.
A three-day seventh edition of the Sustainable Mountain Development Summit, representing nearly 12 Himalayan states, began at Shoolini University near here on Thursday to discuss issues relating to the region, mainly climate change.

The summit would come out with recommendations which would be placed before the conclave of chief ministers representing the Himalayan states in Shimla on Friday.

State Horticulture Minister Mahender Singh Thakur, while inaugurating the summit, said there were several challenges faced by farmers and horticulturists in the Himalayan region.

He pointed out that they faced frequent natural calamities particularly due to climate change.

Besides, he said, they face the menace of monkeys, which destroy their crops, as well as wild animals.

He pointed out that the production of fruit and vegetables has fallen considerably in Himachal Pradesh.

He emphasised the need for newer technologies and ideas to improve productivity and urged the agriculture experts to reach out to the farmers at the grassroots and to guide the governments to implement efficient policies for the upliftment of mountain farmers.

"The experts must come out with practical solutions," he added.

Former state Chief Secretary Vineet Chaudhry, who was the guest of honour, said the Himalayan region was facing serious problems.

"We must get to the root causes behind agricultural distress."

He said research was needed for efficient apple marketing and suggested a re-look at some of the central schemes.

President of Integrated Mountain Initiative Sushil Ramola said the next generation of farmers would redefine agriculture.

"The next generation of farmers are agri-entrepreneurs who are educated, tech savy and will bring scientific techniques to agriculture in the mountains for better yield with improved efficiency."

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Nepal Deputy Director General Eklabya Sharma said the Hindu-Kush Himalayas are a global asset with four out of the total 36 global biodiversity hotspots.

"We need to move from the perspective of vulnerability to adaptability to sustain the Himalayan biodiversity," he said.

Mustafa Khan, Project Leader, Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme, Swiss Development Corporation of Switzerland, said sheer diversity of crops in the mountain regions is one of the biggest strengths of mountain agriculture.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi government on Thursday rejected the requests for early release of convicts in murder cases of Jessica Lal, Priyadarshini Mattoo and Naina Sahni.

Jessica Lal murder convict Manu Sharma, Priyadarshnini Mattoo's rapist and killer Santosh Singh, and Sushil Sharma -- convicted in the tandoor murder case -- were among 86 cases which approached the government for early release and were denied permission.

Delhi government's Sentence Review Board (SRB), in a meeting headed by Home Minister Satyendar Jain, recommended 22 convicts for release on completion of their sentences.

"The SRB recommended 22 convicts for release on completion of their sentences and rejected 86 cases. The rejected cases include the three high-profile convicts, government sources said.

Santosh Singh was convicted in the rape and murder of DU student Priyadarshini Mattoo in 1996. He was convicted in 2006 and sentenced to death but the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2010 by the Supreme Court.

Manu Sharma was convicted in 2006 in Jessica Lal murder case and awarded life imprisonment and Sushil Sharma's death penalty was commuted to life imprisonment in 2013.

--IANS

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Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) R.P. Sharma on Thursday said normalcy has been restored in Puri after an episode of violent protests against introduction of a queue system at the Jagannath temple.

He appealed to the people to maintain law and order and said stern action would be taken against the persons involved in vandalism at the temple.

"Protesters have caused large-scale damage to several offices, including a police station. The police will take stern action against the hooligans," said Sharma.

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said two FIRs have been filed against the persons involved in vandalism at the temple.

SJTA chief administrator Pradipta Mohapatra said that Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae Gopal Subramanium has sought a report over the incidents of violence during the Puri shutdown against the queue system.

"The incident has brought a bad name for the temple servitors and people of Puri. A detailed report in this regard along with video footage will be submitted to the amicus curiae by tomorrow," said Mohapatra.

The 12-hour dawn-to-dusk shutdown in protest against the queue system for 'darshan' in Jagannath temple turned violent on Wednesday.

In the queue system, which was introduced on an experimental basis from October 1, the devotees have to enter through the lion gate and after having 'darshan' of the deities, they have to exit through three other gates.

The irate mob had attempted to barge into the shrine, dismantled the barricades erected near the temple and ransacked SJTA's office.

Inspector General (Central Range) Soumendra Priyadarshi said the matter has been sorted out after the district administration had a meeting with the peace committee.

It was decided that the local devotees would be allowed into the temple through the north, south and the west gates on showing the Aadhaar or other identity cards. However, the queue system will continue for the devotees coming from other places.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Japan's Naomi Osaka eased past Germany's Julia Goerges in straight sets on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the China Open in Beijing.

Osaka, the reigning US Open champion, crushed the 10th-seeded German 6-1, 6-2, reports Efe news.

After a slow start, during which Osaka saved a break point and exchanged several deuce points with Goerges, the Japanese player raced into a 5-0 lead in the first set.

The second was similarly challenging for the German, who was never able to trouble the world number six.

Osaka moves on to the quarterfinals, where she will face either Angelique Kerber or Shuai Zhang.

--IANS

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Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki has slammed the US for withdrawing from two international accords.

"Pulling out from the international accords is an escape that will not absolve it (the US) of legal accountability," al-Malki said on Thursday in a press statement, Xinhua reported.

"The US decision reaffirms again the disrespect of the administration of President Donald Trump for international law and the international law-based order," he added.

Al-Malki affirmed that the Palestinian leadership will continue defending the rights of its people against the ongoing Israeli aggression and those who back it in accordance to the international law.

He called on the international community to confront "these reckless attitudes, which threaten the world order and international peace and security."

On Wednesday, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said Trump "has decided that the US will withdraw from the Optional Protocol on Dispute Resolution to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations".

On the same day, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran.

The US move came after a Palestinian complaint last month to the International Court of Justice against the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and transferring its embassy to the disputed holy city on May 14.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived here on Thursday for the annual India-Russia bilateral summit that he will hold with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj received Putin at the airport here.

"Welcome to India, President Putin," Modi tweeted.

"Looking forward to our deliberations, which will further enhance India-Russia friendship," he wrote.

Later, Modi welcomed Putin with a warm hug at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg before the two sat down for a private meeting.

Around 20 agreements are expected to be signed between the two sides following the 19th India-Russia Bilateral Summit to be held here on Friday.

This includes India's purchase of four S-400 air defence missile systems from Russia at a cost of more than Rs 40,000 crore.

The deal has been an issue of much speculation after US President Donald Trump's administration's law -- Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) -- came into effect in January.

CAATSA targets countries doing business with Russian, Iranian and North Korean defence companies.

Russia is one of only two countries with which India holds annual bilateral summits, the other being Japan.

The India-Russia bilateral relationship was elevated to Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership in 2010.

This is the third meeting between Modi and Putin this year after the informal meeting in the Russian resort city of Sochi in May and a bilateral on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in South Africa.

--IANS

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Former BJP Minister Arun Shourie and Supreme Court Advocate Prashant Bhushan on Thursday demanded that the CBI file a case against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for alleged abuse of public office causing undue benefit worth "tens of thousands of crores" to a crony capitalist in the Rafale jet fighter deal.

The complaint, handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation Director Alok Kumar Verma, was made in relation to an alleged scam in the purchase of 36 fighter jets from the French manufacturer Dassault Aviation.

The duo also demanded that an FIR, under the Prevention of Corruption Act, be filed against the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, and industrialist Anil Ambani, whose Reliance Aerostructure Limited (RAL) was chosen under the deal as the offset partner, "for conspiring with the Prime Minister".

The complaint accused Modi of securing "undue benefit" of about Rs one lakh crore to the private company by "unilaterally cancelling the deal" struck earlier, and compelling the French defence company to choose the Indian firm in question as the offset partner.

They also charged Modi with keeping the other "public servants", including the then Defence Secretary and Defence Minister, in the dark about the changes in the deal.

-- IANS

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Dutch security services expelled four Russian intelligence officers in April over a cyber plot targeting the global chemical-weapons watchdog and an international probe into the downing of a passenger jet over Ukraine in 2014, officials here said on Thursday.

The Dutch government accused Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, of targeting the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague.

The OPCW has been probing the chemical attack on Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK. The allegations were part of an organised push-back against alleged Russian cyber attacks around the world, the BBC reported.

Hours earlier on Thursday, the UK, backed by Australia and New Zealand, blamed the GRU for carrying out a worldwide campaign of "malicious" cyber attacks on firms in Russia and Ukraine, US Democratic National Committee in 2016 and a small TV network in the UK.

The Netherlands summoned the Russian Ambassador for an explanation, reports said. Russia, on the other hand, called the accusations a "diabolical cocktail" of allegations.

Dutch officials outlined the alleged Russian operation at a joint Dutch-UK government news conference in The Hague.

Describing it "very worrying", Dutch Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld-Schouten said the four intelligence officers were expelled on April 13, the same day the plot was detected.

They had diplomatic passports and included two IT experts and two support agents, officials said. The head of Dutch counter-intelligence, Maj. Gen. Onno Eichelsheim, named them as hackers Alexei Morenetz and Yevgeny Serebriakov, and support agents Oleg Sotnikov and Alexei Minin.

According to Bijleveld-Schouten, the intelligence officers left belongings behind that also enabled the Dutch to discover that one of the agents' laptops had made connections to Brazil, Switzerland and Malaysia, trying to interfere with the investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

Addressing reporters, the Dutch counter-intelligence head gave a detailed description of what the four men were doing when their operation was disrupted.

He said that the agents arrived in the Netherlands on April 10, rented a car the following day and parked it in a hotel parking lot as close as possible to the OPCW headquarters.

They were scouting to hack into the OPCW's wifi network and the equipment in their car boot was pointed at the OPCW and was being used to intercept login details, he said.

On being intercepted, the men tried to destroy one of the mobile phones they were carrying.

Britain has blamed the GRU for the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a military-grade nerve agent in the English city of Salisbury on March 4.

UK investigators had also formally linked the attack on the Skripals to the June 30 poisoning of Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley, a couple living in Amesbury, near Salisbury. Sturgess died on July 8 after applying a substance to her wrists from a perfume bottle found by Rowley.

In September, British authorities released the names of two men -- Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov -- as suspects in Skirpals' poisoning. The UK called them GRU agents. However, Russia described the two suspects as civilians and said it found no evidence of their criminal activities.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The EDMC sanitation workers on Thursday protested near Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence demanding their pending salaries and pensions along with pending arrears.

In response, Kejriwal held Bharatiya Janata Party responsible for "instigating" the sanitation workers and said he would "directly talk" to the protesters and "reveal the truth".

Since September 12, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation's (EDMC) sanitation workers have been on strike.

Hours after the protesters clashed with police, Kejriwal tweeted: "Sanitation workers are protesting outside my house. The BJP has instigated them by telling lies. I am going to talk to them directly and will tell them the truth. Will put all the facts before them and Delhi.

"I am very concerned about the cleanliness of Delhi. The BJP government at centre and also at Municipal Corporation of Delhi have completely disturbed the cleanliness here," he said.

The Delhi Chief Minister said he was concerned about the problems faced by the sanitation workers.

"In every two months, they have to strike work to take their salaries," he said.

The sanitation workers were on strike for 23 days for which residents were facing the brunt of the garbage strewn all over East Delhi.

On similar demands, the sanitation workers of the EDMC have gone on strike eight times since 2015.

--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 Thursday refused protection from arrest to journalist Abhijit Iyer-Mitra who is faced with the prospects of arrest for making alleged derogatory remarks against Odisha's Konark Temple, Odisha culture and the lawmakers.

Declining his pleas for bail, a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice K.M. Joseph told the petitioner journalist: "You've incited religious feelings. How are you entitled to bail?"

When the counsel for the journalist told the bench that he was faced with threats and his life was in danger, CJI Gogoi said, "If your life is in danger, then what better place to stay than jail? Your life will be secure."

On September 16, Abhijit had posted a video on twitter in which he was seen criticising the Konark temple. Later, he went on making alleged defematory remarks against Odia culture.

The Odisha assembly Speaker had on September 28 constituted a House Committee to probe the alleged derogatory remarks against the state, its culture and the lawmakers by the journalist.

The committee headed by leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra has issued notice to Iyer-Mitra to appear personally before the panel on October 11 for breach of privilege as he also allegedly hurled abuses at Odisha legislators.

--IANS

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Barely a day after three people were arrested in Westlands, Nairobi with over Sh1 Billion in fake currency, police in Kisii have nabbed four suspects and recovered $380,000(Sh38 Million) in fake currency.

Nyamache OCPD Japhet Mwirichia said the money was in 100 dollars bills packed in parcels.

We found $270,000 (Sh27million) in two vehicles while $110,000 (Sh11million) was discovered at the home of an old man alleged to be a victim of the con game, he said.

The police also recovered chemicals and other equipment that the suspects were allegedly using in the illegal business.

The suspects are said to manipulate their victims into thinking they could make any amount of money for them after paying a fee. In some cases, one can be told to pay up to Sh500,000 in order to get Sh5million in return, explained the OCPD.

Three of the suspects were arrested during a raid on Tuesday night at Gionsari sub location and held at Nyangusu Police Station.

Members of the public who might have fallen prey to the suspects scam have been urged to report to the police.

The four suspects, Herbert Akuma, David Barongo, Haron Enduro, and Danvas, were on Wednesday arraigned at Ogembo Law Courts and charged with being in possession of papers of forgery contrary to Section 36(a) of the Penal Code.

They are accused that on October 2, 2018 at Gionseri trading centre in Nyamache sub-county, the suspects had in their position  without lawful authority  papers intended to resemble and pass as special papers used in making fake currency notes of $110,000 and 600,000 fake Sh1000 currency notes.

One of the suspects, Herbert Akuma, pleaded guilty before Ogembo Resident Magistrate Julius Mutai and will appear again in court on October 8, 2018 for a ruling.

The other three suspects pleaded not guilty and were granted a bond of Sh400,000 with a surety of similar amount or cash bail of Sh200,000.

The case will be mentioned on October 17, 2018 and the hearing was slated for January 24, 2019.
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to stop the deportation of the first batch of seven Rohingyas illegaly settled in Assam's Silchar since 2012 to Myanmar.

Hearing the plea by Prashant Bhushan on the deportation scheduled on the day, a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Sanjay Krishan Kaul and Justice K.M. Joseph dismissed it as the Centre informed that Myanmar has accepted them as their citizens.

Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court these seven Rohingyas were arrested for being illegal immigrants.

They were convicted and have already served their sentence. They have themselves requested to be sent back to their country.

It was upon their request that the Ministry of External Affairs got in touch with the authorities in Myanmar which confirmed them to be their nationals and said were willing to take them back, the Centre told the court.

Appearing for petitioner Mohammad Salimullah, Bhushan told the bench that it should ask the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) first to interview the refugees to know their wishes -- whether they wanted to go back.

Bhushan told the court that the Rohingya refugees face the risk of persecution and death if they are deported back to their country.

As Bhushan said it was the apex court's responsibility to protect their lives, Chief Justice Gogoi said: "You do not have to remind us of our responsibility, we are aware of it."

The Rohingyas are a minority Muslim community from the Rakhine state in Myanmar.

--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.)
A High Court division bench in Bangladesh on Thursday asked the government to immediately send jailed former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to a hospital in the capital for treatment.

Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil ordered the government authorities to commence the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson's treatment at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), a government-run medical university cum hospital.

The judges also asked the authorities to form a fresh medical team to examine Khaleda's health conditions, bdnews24.com reported.

She was sentenced to five years in jail on February 8 for embezzling donations to the Zia Orphanage Trust. Since then, the former Premier has been kept at the old Dhaka central jail.

The court's order came following a writ petition filed by Khaleda on September 9 seeking its directive to send her to a specialised hospital for her treatment.

It said that Khaleda can choose a physiotherapist, a gynaecologist, a technician and a physician outside BSMMU for her treatment subject to the approval from the medical team, according to the report.

The BNP held a rally in Dhaka on Sunday, demanding Khaleda's release before the national election slated for December.

--IANS

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Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will undertake his first state visit to Seychelles next week to strengthen diplomatic and tourism ties between the two countries, it was announced here on Thursday.

The three-day visit will begin on October 8 and conclude on October 10, according to Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry.

During his visit, Sirisena will hold talks with his Seychelles counterpart Danny Faure.

The talks will focus on health, education, tourism, environment, fisheries, maritime security and the Indian Ocean Commission.

Sri Lanka and Seychelles established diplomatic relations in 1988.

--IANS

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A suspect believed to be connected to mysterious letters sent to US President Donald Trump and top Pentagon officials has been taken into custody by federal law enforcement in the state of Utah, a media report said.

FBI tactical and hazardous material response personnel searched the subject's residence outside Salt Lake City.

Melodie Rydalch, a spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office in Utah, identified the suspect in custody as William Clyde Allen, III and said federal prosecutors had authorized the arrest.

"We anticipate filing a complaint Friday in federal court in Salt Lake City," Rydalch told CNN late Wednesday.

Allen previously served in the US Navy as an enlisted sailor. He joined the Navy in 1998 and left in 2002. He was a US Navy damage control fireman apprentice during his time in the service.

Dozens of federal and local law enforcement officials were witnessed on the scene, and an FBI public information officer in Utah confirmed an operation was underway at the Logan, Utah, residence.

According to previous reports, the suspicious envelopes were sent to Trump, Defence Secretary James Mattis and the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. John Richardson.

An informed source told CNN that based on preliminary investigative activity, the White House and Pentagon letters were believed to be connected and the substance in question was a very crude castor bean concoction that authorities were not technically calling "ricin" until further testing.

Ricin is a highly toxic compound extracted from castor beans. It can be used in powder, pellet, mist or acid form.

If ingested, it causes nausea, vomiting and internal bleeding of the stomach and intestines, followed by failure of the liver, spleen and kidneys, and death by collapse of the circulatory system.

Dana White, chief spokesperson for the Pentagon, said in a statement on Wednesday that a preliminary analysis showed the letters contained castor seeds.

"The FBI is still investigating," White's statement said.

--IANS

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Global software major (TCS) on Thursday said it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Industrial Science (IIS) at University of Tokyo to collaborate on technology research and facilitate inter-personnel exchange.

The MoU opens the prospect of and the IIS working together on fundamental research, technology validation and the real-world applications and commercialisation of technologies in the area of robotics.

The partnership is the latest addition to TCS' Co-innovation Network (COIN) which brings together the academia, research, tech start-ups, and alliance partners from across the world to collaborate and conceptualise innovation that helps customers in their digital transformation journeys.

"In a Business 4.0 world, building and leveraging a partner ecosystem is of strategic importance in creating and delivering value. This is the core idea underpinning our Co-Innovation Network that brings research and technology breakthroughs from academia to meet real-world customer needs," said K. Ananth Krishnan, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer,

The partnership also paves the way for an exchange of scholars and researchers between the two organisations, said in a statement.

"We warmly welcome this strategic partnership with TCS, and see it as one of our gateways to capitalise the wealth of technological expertise that India's finest talent has to offer," said Toshiharu Kishi, Director General, IIS, University of Tokyo.
The UK government has accused Russia's military intelligence service of being behind four high-profile cyber attacks, a media report said on Thursday.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) late Wednesday said that hackers from the GRU or Russian intelligence, operating under a dozen different names, including Fancy Bear, targeted the systems database of the Montreal-based World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), using phishing to gain passwords. A group accessed athletes' data, which was later published, the BBC reported.

They also hacked the Democratic National Committee in 2016, when emails and chats were obtained and subsequently published online. The US authorities have already linked this to Russia.

The hackers then targeted Ukraine's Kyiv metro and Odessa airport, Russia's central bank, and two privately-owned Russian media outlets - Fontanka.ru and news agency Interfax - in October 2017. They used ransomware to encrypt the contents of a computer and demand payment

Another target was an unnamed small UK-based TV station between July and August 2015, when multiple email accounts were accessed and content stolen

The NCSC said it has assessed "with high confidence" that GRU was "almost certainly responsible" for the attacks.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the GRU had waged a campaign of "indiscriminate and reckless" cyber strikes that served "no legitimate national security interest".

"The GRU's actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries; they are even prepared to damage Russian companies and Russian citizens," the BBC quoted Hunt as saying.

"Our message is clear: together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRU's attempts to undermine international stability."

--IANS

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Union Minister Smriti Irani was shown black flags on Thursday by Swarn Sena activists in Bihar's Gopalganj district, following which angry BJP and its Yuva Morcha workers severely beat up a protestor, police said.

"Some youths waved black flags at her and shouted slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party. A protesting youth was caught by BJP supporters and thrashed before police rescued him," a district police official said..

Smriti Irani had gone to Gopalganj to attend a party function. Before her arrival, Swarn Sena activists tore her posters on the walls or smeared them with black paint.

In the last 10 days, BJP leaders, including Union Minister Ashwani Choubey, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and two party MPs -- Bihar BJP President Nityanand Rai and Bhojpuri actor turned politician Manoj Tiwari -- were shown black flags by the Swarn Sena activists at different places in Bihar.

The activists of the upper castes' organisation were protesting against restoration of the provision of immediate arrest under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act that had been removed by the March 20 Supreme Court verdict.

The protesters also shouted slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and said that though the BJP was voted to power due to their overwhelming support in 2014, the party was acting against the interests of the upper castes.

--IANS

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A constable of the Uttar Pradesh police was suspended on Thursday for his support to Prashant Chowdhary, the constable accused of killing an Apple executive in the state capital last Saturday, an official said.

Constable Sarvesh Chowdhary is posted in Etah district and has been openly expressing his solidarity with the accused constable in the murder of Vivek Tiwari.

He also posted a video message on social media accusing his seniors of falsely implicating Prashant Chowdhary in the murder case.

A departmental enquiry has been initiated against Chowdhary, who was with the 25th battalion of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC). A case has been filed against him at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow.

Senior police officers have warned that policemen violating force's discipline would lose their jobs, deputy inspector general (DIG) law and order Pravin Kumar said.

--IANS

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US National Security Adviser John Bolton has said the US is withdrawing from the Optional Protocol to the Vienna Convention on dispute resolution.

Speaking on Wednesday at a White House press briefing, Bolton said that "the President (Donald Trump) has decided that the US will withdraw from the optional protocol on dispute resolution to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations", Xinhua reported.

"This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called State of Palestine naming the US as a defendant, challenging our move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," he said.

The protocol, with 29 signatories and 71 parties, entered into force in 1964. The US was also a participant of it.

"I'd like to stress, the US remains a party to the underlying Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and we expect all other parties to abide by their international obligations under the convention," he said.

--IANS

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A US aircraft has brought Marine forces to the battle against the last pocket of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour, a war monitor reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Wednesday said the aircraft landed in the vicinity of the town of Hajin, one of the last IS-held towns in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour, Xinhua news agency reported.

It said the Marine forces will participate in the battle alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against IS militants.

According to the London-based watchdog, the US move aims to intensify the anti-IS military campaign on the eastern bank of Euphrates River.

Since the battle was launched on September 10, the IS militants have been well fortified with landmines and suicide bombings, leading to slow advance of the Kurdish-led SDF backed by the US-led airstrikes.

The pro-rebel monitor also said 211 IS militants, along with 113 SDF fighters and allied militiamen, have been killed in the fighting since September 10.

The Syrian army has cleared the IS from large swathes of areas in Deir al-Zour, while the SDF is attempting to consolidate positions in the northern and northeastern countryside of the province.

Recent reports said the IS-controlled Syrian territory has shrunk to one per cent from almost half of the country a couple of years ago.

The Syrian government has slammed these operations in Syria as "illegal" since the US-led coalition entered the Syrian war in 2014, saying the United States has been trying to establish presence in eastern Syria through supporting the Kurdish-led SDF, in order to secure its interests in the country.

--IANS

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Occupying Alexandria

British landing parties entered Alexandria (in what was described as a policing action) on 13 July, two days after the bombardment. The city had been partially destroyed by fire and, following the departure of Urabi's soldiers, law and order had collapsed. That same day Khedive Tawfiq sought British protection leaving Urabi as leader of the Egyptian government. Urabi's troops were encamped outside Alexandria and the British feared for the security of the Suez Canal.

Securing the canal

Gladstone's response was to send an expeditionary force to restore order and install a new administration. Between 13 July and 6 September 1882, two armies, one (24,000-strong) from Britain and the other (7,000-strong) from India, converged on Egypt under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Garnet Wolseley. Over 40 Royal Navy warships were involved in securing the Suez Canal from both the Red Sea in the south and the Mediterranean in the north.

Battle of Tel-el-Kebir

Minor skirmishes between British and Egyptian forces took place at Zagazig and Kassassin, but it was the battle at Tel-el-Kebir (strategically placed between Alexandria, the Suez Canal and Cairo) that proved decisive. Here, the Egyptian army had prepared defences consisting of a number of deep ditches and embankments constructed out of the desert sand. The desert around Tel-el-Kebir was extremely flat, so any approach by the British would easily be spotted. As a result, the British decided to march across the desert by night and attack the Egyptian positions at dawn.

Egyptian defences at Tel-el-Kebir The British formation for attack Report on the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir - with transcript

The British army was guided by Commander Wyatt Rawson, naval aide-de-camp to Lieutenant-General Wolseley. He navigated successfully using the stars and the army moved into position silently. The Highland Brigade moved to the front of the attacking force. At about 05:00 on 13 September 1882, the Highland Brigade approached the Egyptian positions and there was a blaze of gunfire. The bagpipe players struck up and the Scots charged the Egyptian defences. The British army had approached the lines at Tel-el-Kebir in a staggered formation and so attacked in waves from left to right. The fighting was intense, but after just over an hour, the Egyptians fled.

Aftermath
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday made a strong pitch for grant of extra central assistance to the densely-populated, landlocked state citing the progress it has been making with the help of its own limited resources.

Making a presentation before the headed by Chairman N K Singh, Kumar also expressed disapproval of the doing away with the distinction between general and special category states while recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission were in force.

"The removal of such a distinction is a paradox which the should look into", Kumar was quoted as saying in an official release.

Kumar also demanded greater central assistance to the state for disaster management, underscoring that Bihar is ravaged by floods annually on account of rivers originating in the neighbouring country of Nepal and states like Madhya Pradesh and Nepal.

"Seventy per cent of the state's area gets affected by floods. In 2017, the state had to spend Rs 24 billion in providing relief to the affected families. The central help was of only Rs 5 billion. It needs to be increased", he said.

ALSO READ: Bihar CM Nitish assures support to AGP over opposition to Citizenship Bill

He also expressed displeasure over states having to make contributions towards centrally sponsored schemes and requested for funds to meet development needs like schools and infrastructure for Panchayati Raj institutions.

Observing that forest cover was being taken into account during allocation of funds by the Centre, the Chief Minister pointed out "we had set up a Hariyali Mission to increase the forest cover in Bihar which has risen to 15 per cent from the mere seven per cent in 2000 when Jharkhand was carved out".

The Chief Minister was interacting with the Commission in presence of Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi - who holds the finance portfolio - and top officials like Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar and Principal Secretary, Finance, Sujata Chaturvedi.

On the final day of its tour of the state, the Commission also held interactions with representatives of various political parties which was attended, among others, by state assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Chowdhury and leader and former state finance minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui.

The Commission was also presented with a joint memorandum of political parties and academic/professional organizations drafted by city-based think tank Asian Development Research Organization (ADRI).

The memorandum, among other things, suggested a new formula for devolution of funds which could "help Bihar and other backward states to overcome the development backlog and contribute to the overall prosperity of India."
At least two BJP candidates and one from the Congress have publicly announced their withdrawal from the urban local body polls in Kashmir.

Ghulam Hassan Bhat, who claims to be BJP's constituency president for Dooru in Anantnag district, Thursday said he has decided to withdraw from the contest and also resign from the membership of the party.

"The BJP government has been there for the last 4.5 years but none of the promises made by it have been fulfilled. The people were sold dreams of free (domestic cooking) gas connections and Mudra loans but nothing happened," Bhat said.

He said his supporters have also resigned from the party and several other BJP candidates for the Dooru Municipal Committee have withdrawn from the polls.

Mohammad Maqbool Mir, who had filed his nomination papers as a Congress candidate for the Hajin Municipal Committee in north Kashmir's Bandipora district, came all the way here to announce his withdrawal.

"There is no pressure on me, but I wanted to withdraw from the contest. I went to election office and filled a withdrawal form but the officer there kept delaying me on one pretext or the other. I was then told that my withdrawal form cannot be accepted as the deadline had lapsed," Mir told reporters here.

Mehrajuddin Raina, the BJP candidate for a ward in the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), announced his withdrawal from local bodies polls through a video message.

"I apologise to my people with folded hands and assure them that I will not repeat this mistake again," Raina said.

Militants in the Valley have threatened to target anyone who takes part in the urban local bodies and Panchayat elections, but none of the withdrawing candidates made any mention of these threats.

The threats have had a major impact on the election for the civic bodies in Kashmir as 177 wards had no candidates, while 151 wards each had just one candidate. There are no signs of any campaigning for the polls anywhere in the Valley.

Major regional players -- the National Conference and the PDP -- have boycotted the polls on the grounds that state's special status under Article 35-A of the constitution was under threat due to the legal challenge to this provision in the Supreme Court.

The boycott by these parties has come as a major boost for the BJP, which has so far seen 60 of its candidates getting elected unopposed.

The state government has said it has made elaborate security arrangements for the contesting candidates to ensure smooth, free and fair polls. Besides the existing security forces, including police, additional 400 companies of central paramilitary forces have been brought in to secure the election process.

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Two officials of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation have been suspended for alleged dereliction of duty in connection with a case of power theft by a school in Khatauli here, police said Thursday.

According to Inspector of vigilance team Jaspal Singh, during checking a school in Khatauli was found to be stealing power. A case was registered against the school manager.

SDO Manoj Kumar and Junior Engineer Niranjan Gupta were suspended Wednesday for negligence of duty in the case.

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As many as 21 countries in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Thursday adopted the Delhi Declaration on Renewable Energy, the New and Renewable Energy Ministry said.

These nations in the Indian Ocean Region adopted Delhi Declaration post the 2nd IORA Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting held at the 2nd Global Re-Invest India-ISA Partnership Renewable Energy Investors' Meet & Expo at Greater Noida, the ministry said in a statement.

The Delhi Declaration on Renewable Energy in the Indian Ocean Region calls for collaboration among IORA member states in meeting the growing demand for renewable energy in the Indian Ocean Littoral, development of a common renewable energy agenda for the Indian Ocean region and promote regional capacity building.

The declaration also calls for promotion of technology development and transfer, strengthening of public private partnerships in renewable energy and collaboration among IORA member states and the member nations of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). IORA member countries also resolved to collaborate with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Power Minister R K Singh, Dr. Nomvuyo N Nokwe, Secretary General, Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA); Thembisile Majola, Deputy Minister of Energy of South Africa, Ministry of Energy, South Africa; Md. Shahriar Alam M.P., State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh participated in the ministerial meeting. Ministerial representatives from Iran, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Yemen also spoke at the meeting.

As per the declaration adopted, IORA member nations will collaborate with the ISA member nations to exchange knowledge and share views and potential interests in the renewable energy sector; paved by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between IORA and ISA on October 3 2018, with a focus on joint capacity-building programs, research & development activities in solar energy and exchange of best practices.

The Indian Ocean Rim Association was set up with the objective of strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean Region with 21 Member States and 7 Dialogue Partners.

India, Australia, Iran IR, Indonesia Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Singapore, Mauritius, Madagascar, UAE, Yemen, Seychelles, Somalia, Comoros and Oman are members of the IORA.

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Seven researchers have been evacuated from a remote atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as a powerful hurricane headed their way, officials said Wednesday.

A research vessel picked up the seven from French Frigate Shoals, said Kate Toniolo, the acting superintendent of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

The atoll is about 800 kilometers northwest of Honolulu. Hurricane Walaka was south of the island on Wednesday and heading north with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (210 mph).

On Monday the Coast Guard evacuated four workers from a national wildlife refuge on Johnston Atoll before Walaka passed that island.

The storm hasn't threatened Hawaii's most populated islands, where the state's 1.4 million people live.

The French Frigate Shoals researchers were studying and monitoring Hawaiian monk seals and Hawaiian green sea turtles, Toniolo said.

They were due to leave the island in the middle of this month, so the evacuation accelerated their departure, she said French Frigate Shoals is where 95 percent of Hawaiian green sea turtles classified as threatened under the Endangered Species Act nest.

The turtles dig holes on the beach and lay their eggs in the sand, so there's a possibility a storm surge from the hurricane may wipe out their nests. Storm surges may also hit Hawaiian monk seals that rest on the shoreline with their pups. The seals are an endangered species.

Toniolo said researchers won't return to the island until next year. But a crew collecting marine debris in the marine monument will likely be able to stop by and check for damage before then.

Laura Beauregard of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the hurricane poses similar concerns for Johnston Atoll, which is about 825 miles (1,300 kilometers) southwest of Honolulu.

Johnston is the lone nesting spot for tens of thousands of seabirds within 1.1 million square kilometers, she said.

Some birds have ability to sense air pressure changes as a storm nears and can leave, but they may also be thrown off course, Beauregard said.

"But most of them are very tenacious parents, and they're going to stay to protect their chicks," she said.

Falling trees and flying debris could kill the birds. Birds that nest in burrows could drown.

Scientists won't be able to check on the seabirds and the island until another crew heads to the atoll in December, she said. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sends small crews to the island on six-month rotations. The evacuation cut short the current rotation by a couple of months.

Officials initially thought the workers, who included one staffer and three volunteers, could ride out the storm. The atoll has a four-story concrete structure dating to the days when it was used by the Navy that the workers could seek shelter in.

But the building is only designed to withstand a Category 4 hurricane and for a while Walaka was a Category 5 storm.

"At that point, we knew it would be prudent to have the crew evacuated off the island," Beauregard said.

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The repatriation of seven Rohingya immigrants, staying illegally in Assam, was arranged after "reconfirming" of their willingness to return and with "full concurrence" of the Myanmarese government, the Ministry of External Affairs said Thursday.

The MEA statement came after the Supreme Court allowed the first ever deportation of seven illegally-migrated Rohingyas to Myanmar while rejecting a plea made by one of the Rohingyas seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting them.

Just after the court's order, the authorities concerned deported the seven illegal immigrants, who had entered India in 2012.

Responding to queries on the issue, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "Upon reconfirming their willingness to be repatriated (on October 3, 2018), and with the full concurrence of the Government of Myanmar...the government of Assam has arranged for the repatriation of these seven individuals to Myanmar."



He said that Myanmar's Embassy here with the MEA's assistance was able to establish the identity of these individuals as residents of that country.

The Myanmarese government has also issued certificates of identity to facilitate the travel of these individuals to their home towns in the Rakhine State, Kumar said.

"The individuals also requested in 2016 that Myanmar's Embassy should issue them relevant travel documents to facilitate their return to their own country," Kumar added.

The seven individuals from Rakhine State of Myanmar had been detained in 2012 for violation of the Foreigners Act. The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Cachar in Silchar, Assam, had given a three-month sentence for this violation and ordered their detention pending repatriation.

Allowing the deportation of the seven Rohingya Muslims, the Supreme Court said they were found by the competent court as illegal immigrants and have been accepted by their country of origin as citizens.

The Indian government had informed Parliament last year that over 14,000 Rohingya people, registered with the UN refugee agency UNHCR, stay in India.

However, aid agencies estimate that there are about 40,000 Rohingya people in the country.

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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal demanded a Rs 10 per litre cut in fuel prices, hours after the Centre announced a reduction of Rs 2.5 per litre in prices of petrol and diesel on Thursday.

The Delhi chief minister said the Modi government raised excise duty on petrol from Rs 9.48 to Rs 19.48, leading to a steep rise in its price despite a sharp decline in international prices of crude oil.

"Modi government raised excise duty on petrol by Rs 10 and today reduced only Rs 2.50. This is cheating. Centre should bring down petrol prices at least by Rs 10," he said in a tweet.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari mocked the chief minister, saying his comment meant he wanted to help Delhi by reducing petrol prices by Rs 10 a litre.

"It means @ArvindKejriwal Ji wish to help Delhi by reducing Rs.10 per litre on petrol and diesel, nice gesture!! Thanks kejriwal Ji," Tiwari tweeted.

The Central government announced a Rs 2.50 a litre cut in petrol and diesel prices, factoring in excise duty reduction of Rs 1.50 per litre and asking oil companies to absorb another Re 1.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asked state governments to follow suit by cutting sales tax or VAT by a similar amount. The reduction followed petrol and diesel prices touching new highs.

Tiwari demanded the Delhi government cut VAT on petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre so that the people of Delhi may also get relief of Rs 5 per litre on the fuels as was done by governments in BJP-ruled states.

BJP's leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said the Delhi government owed "much more" to Delhiites and demanded it reduce the petrol price by Rs 10.50 and diesel price by Rs 7.92 per litre.

"Union Finance Minister asking state Governments to reduce price by Rs 2.50 is not applicable to Delhi. Kejriwal government is pocketing arbitrarily increased 12 per cent VAT on petrol and 10.5 per cent VAT on diesel," Gupta charged.

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj charged that the Centre is "fooling" people.

"For four years, the prices of petrol and diesel were increased and now the Centre is fooling people by decreasing it by Rs 2.50 per litre," he said.

This is an attempt of providing "fake relief" to the people in view of "dipping popularity" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and coming assembly elections in three states, Bhardwaj alleged.

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The Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Bholath in Punjab, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, has refused consent to disclose his degree and educational qualifications under the RTI Act, a move overruled by the Central Information Commission which noted "Caesar himself should be above suspicion".

Information Commissioner Divya Prakash Sinha found it a fit case of invoking "larger public interest" and ordered DAV College in Chandigarh to disclose the information to an RTI applicant.

After the ruling, Khaira told PTI, "The RTI Act allows a public authority to seek consent of third party. It is not mandatory that consent is given by the third party. I have no objection to disclosure of the information after the CIC order. The information is also part of my election affidavit which is available on the Election Commission's website."



The applicant, Shashi Pal, had sought details of Khaira's educational qualifications but were not provided by the college following which he filed an appeal before the commission.

When the matter came up for hearing, Sinha asked the official of DAV College the reasons behind denial of record.

"...CPIO submitted that consent of the third party was sought and based on the refusal of the said third party, information was denied to the appellant... submitted that the third party is a sitting MLA in the Punjab Legislative Assembly," Sinha pointed out.

Under the RTI Act, if an official feels that information held by him relates to a third party, he seeks consent of the person for the disclosure. However, final decision rests on the official handling the application and larger public interest in the disclosure is a key determinant factor in making the record public.

"The denial of information disclosed in election affidavit by an elected member defies the very spirit of transparency and accountability solicited from a public representative," Sinha observed.

In his assembly election affidavit in 2017, Khaira has shown his highest educational qualification to be "BA 2nd year from DAV College, Chandigarh".

Last year, another Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu had ordered inspection of academic records of BA 1978-batch of Delhi University, a year in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has passed from the university and inspection of classes 10 and 12 school records of Union minister Smriti Irani. Both the orders were stayed by the Delhi High Court.

"The present set of facts tend to the famous idiom that 'Caesar's wife should be above suspicion' as a mark of ensuring probity in public life but 'it is not enough if Caesar's wife is above suspicion, Caesar himself should be above suspicion'," Sinha noted.

The official of DAV College also told the Commission that he also apprehended the availability of this information as it pertained to the year 1984, when preparatory system was being followed, so it is not clear if the third party was part of the preparatory course or B.A Part II course.

"The public representative is reposed with the trust of his people who elect him into office based on the declarations made in the nomination papers and other verbal affirmations deeming such individual to be worthy of representing them," Sinha said.

He said the aspect of larger public interest in disclosure of the information regarding a public representative who is expected to work towards the welfare of his/her constituency yields to the protection of right to privacy.

"When a public representative is making a declaration on affidavit, there ought to be no reason why he should refuse to give his consent for disclosure of the same under RTI Act. Rather such hesitation raises a reasonable doubt in the minds of his/her constituents regarding the credibility of the representative," he said.

Terming the denial as "perturbing", Sinha noted it is established beyond any reasonable doubt that disclosure of the information sought in the instant RTI application is in larger public interest, a ground to disclose information even after denial from the person to whom it concerns.

The commission directed DAV College to provide information to the applicant after liaising adequately with the probable holder of information (Chandigarh University).

"Further, in the event, copy of degree remains untraceable and/or unavailable; the same should be stated by the CPIO (Central Public Information Officer) on an appropriately filed affidavit to be sent to the commission with its copy duly endorsed to the appellant," he said.

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Actor Sapna Pabbi has opened up about an uncomfortable experience she had while shooting for a project.

The actor, who made her feature film debut with "Khamoshiyan" in 2015, said she supports fellow actor Tanushree Dutta, who has alleged that actor Nana Patekar misbehaved with her when the two were shooting a special song for "Horn Ok Pleassss" 10 years ago.

In a lengthy statement posted on her official Instagram account, Pabbi said she was backstabbed by a female colleague who, she alleged, colluded with the director and producer. She did not, however, mention any names.

"As an actress I often experience what Tanushree has experienced on almost a daily basis. My voice silenced my words manipulated, twisted and used for the wrong reasons. I have had the opportunity to work with some incredibly talented females in all kinds of respective roles within the business," she wrote.

"Sadly I have been disappointed with the way some of these women (and others within my working environment) have remained absent during such traumatic and difficult situations and were merely witnessing if not taking advantage themselves," she added.

Recalling the incident, the actor said she was forced to wear an uncomfortable bikini for a song and dance sequence and added that she told about it to her stylist.

Pabbi said the project's producer, a male, told her that she was becoming "difficult to work with" and that she was "throwing tantrums about a poxy bra".

"I then found out that the stylist herself thought I was being demanding and laughed about it with the male director and producer. I understand that she may have been scared to raise her voice as we all are at times; but she chose to ignore me and throw me under the bus instead," she said.

Pabbi said she feels betrayed by a "fellow sister" whom she turned to for support and comfort.

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The Noida Authority said it has agreed to consider making residential property free-hold after thousands of people came out on streets to protest against its policies Thursday.

The authority said it has also agreed to remove parking lots outside industrial units up to a size of 1,800 sq metres.

The protest by resident welfare associations, Noida Entrepreneurs Association (NEA) and more than a dozen other groups saw thousands of people coming out on the city roads.

The protesters marched from Sandeep Paper Mill square to Noida Authority office in Sector 6, where the chiefs of the participating organisations addressed the protesters.

In Noida, plots or flats are sold on lease instead of free-hold basis. Under the lease system, a plot or flat is owned by buyer for 99 years and the buyer has to pay a certain amount for the property, whereas for properties with free-hold rights, no lease rent is required to be paid by a buyer.

NEA president Vipin Malhan and federations of Noida RWAs president N P Singh were among those present at the protest.

Sharma, the minister of state for culture and tourism and civil aviation, said the situation has arisen as the Noida Authority did not "developed the city in an organised manner", according to a statement by NEA.

"We have talked to the UP government to remove parking mafia and make properties freehold in Noida. The governments in the state and at the Centre have a very positive approach, support all classes of people, and agrees to all reasonable demands of citizens," he was quoted as saying in the statement.

He asked Noida Authority CEO Alok Tandon to send a proposal for free-holding of plots to its Board and within 30 days a delegation led by the NEA would meet the state government over the issue.

NEA chief Malhan said, "Freehold property and free parking are our rights. We will not tolerate any parking mafia because of whom our factory employees, buyers and suppliers are facing problems."



FONRWA president Singh said, "Since 2006, we are asking for freehold property. We held talks with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath...but nothing has been done yet."



After the protest, Tandon and other senior officials of the Authority held a meeting with office-bearers of NEA, FONRWA, and other associations and decided that parking lots would be done away with and the issue of free-holding of property rights will be taken up during the Board meeting due next Wednesday.

"They were told that consultancy firm Ernst and Young is preparing a proposal to make residential properties free-hold. After a review the proposal would be presented during the authority's Board Meeting and then presented to the government," the Authority said in a statement.

On the parking issue, it has been decided that the "parking system would be discontinued on the land next to the boundary of industrial units which are spread up to a size of 1,800 sq metres," the statement states.

There are about 8,500 industrial units in Noida which are functional now. Most of them are medium scale and small scale, according to an NEA official.

"The decision on parking system, which is likely to get implemented in a couple of days, would provide relief to employees of 90 per cent industrial units and factories in Noida," NEA media in charge Sudhir Shrivastava told PTI.

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Actor Armie Hammer has joined the cast of "Death on the Nile", Twentieth Century Fox's follow-up to "Murder on the Orient Express".

The 32-year-old actor joins "Wonder Woman" star Gal Gadot in the project, reported Variety.

Kenneth Branagh is expected to come back as the director and reprise his role of the mustachioed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, though a deal is yet to be signed.

"Murder on the Orient Express" scribe Michael Green is also coming back as the screenwriter.

Based on celebrated author Agatha Christie's novel of the same name, the follow-up will chronicle Poirots vacation in Egypt where he discovers a murder on the banks the Nile as a love triangle goes bad.

Gadot will be portraying socialite Linnet Doyle, recently married to the former fiance of a past friend.

The book has been previously adapted into a 1978 film, with Peter Ustinov as Poirot along with Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Maggie Smith, among others.

"Death on the Nile" will be produced by Judy Hofflund, Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott, Kevin Walsh and Mark Gordon.

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The Uttar Pradesh Police has booked 50 to 60 persons for allegedly "creating ruckus" at a church and breaking the lock of its entry gates, an official said Thursday.

Following the incident at the Saint Thomas Church here on Tuesday, Church of North India (CNI) Bishop Peter Baldev has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking action against those behind it.

"Nearly 50-60 unidentified men have been booked for creating ruckus at the church, breaking the lock of the entry gate, and also for threatening the members there," said BK Shukla, SHO, Dashashwamedh Police Station.

We are trying to ascertain the identity of the attackers and they will be nabbed soon, he added.

CNI Bishop Baldev wrote a letter urging Modi, who is also the Varanasi MP, to take strict action against those trying to create ruckus, vandalising properties, vitiating the peaceful atmosphere and spreading violence at religious places.

He said such anti-social elements should be identified and must be punished severely to stop repetition of such incidents.

Activists of a fringe outfit allegedly barged into the Saint Thomas Church and created ruckus accusing a pastor of trying to convert a Hindu into Christianity, an official said.

In another incident, activists of a fringe outfit allegedly beat up a man in Orderly Bazar accusing him of converting members of a Hindu family to Christianity, said police Thursday.

A case has been lodged and the matter is being probed, a senior official said.

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The Bangladesh High Court on Thursday ordered the government to shift jailed former premier and BNP chief Khaleda Zia to a specialised hospital and reconstitute a medical team for her treatment.

Zia, 73, is currently on trial for corruption charges in a makeshift courtroom inside a 19th-century British-built prison where she is the only inmate and in failing health.

The former Prime Minister recently complained to the court that she was losing feeling in her hand and in a leg.

Justice Sheikh Hasan Arif and Justice Rajik Al Jalil issued the order on Thursday in response to a petition seeking to transfer Zia to a specialised hospital, bdnews24 reported.

The court also ordered the government to reconstitute the five-member medical team formed by the government in September, the report said.

The new team will replace three physicians with as many new members.

The court said Zia can choose a physiotherapist, a gynaecologist and a technician and a physician from outside Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) for her treatment subject to the approval from the medical team.

It also directed the authorities to start Zia's medical treatment soon after her admission to hospital.

On September 16, a team of doctors had visited the old Dhaka Central Jail to examine the health condition of Zia.

Zia was jailed for five years in February after being convicted of corruption, a sentence that triggered clashes between police and thousands of her supporters.

She was granted bail in a corruption case in May but remains in jail while she fights dozens of other violence and graft charges.

Zia was found guilty then of embezzling money intended for an orphanage, a charge she dismissed as politically motivated.

She is appealing against the verdict which bars her from standing in a general election to be held in December.

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The global prices of non-ferrous metals which have witnessed a correction due to global macroeconomic concerns in the last three months is unlikely to go down further, a report said.

The global prices of non-ferrous metals have witnessed a correction in the last three months because of concerns on the global macroeconomic health, on the back of ongoing trade wars. The demand supply fundamentals, however, would not justify such a correction, as the global market of these metals are currently in deficit, Icra said here.

"As for the full year 2018, the aluminium and zinc markets are likely to remain in deficits, and the copper market too may turn only into a marginal surplus. Consequently, the risk of a further downside in base metal prices seems low as on date," Icra senior vice-president Jayanta Roy said.

The deficit in the aluminium market has progressively expanded in the last few quarters, because of capacity cut backs in China. While production in China is estimated to have increased in the current quarter, with new capacities coming on stream, the same is unlikely to result in any sharp change in the demand-supply balance.

Additionally, the trade sanctions imposed by the United States Treasury Department against UC Rusal (Rusal) which is one of the largest manufacturers of aluminium in the world, stands as on date. Icra notes that Rusal produced around 4 million metric tonne (mmt) of aluminium in CY2017 (6.3 per cent of global production), out of which 80 per cent was exported out of Russia and the CIS countries.

Hence, the sanctions may result in Rusal having to cut back a large part of its annual aluminium production, which would further result in widening of the deficit of aluminium in the world, Icra said.

On the other hand, the global zinc market has turned into a deficit after remaining in surplus in the first few months of this calendar year. The copper market, which was also in a marginal surplus of 0.12 mmt in the first three months, has turned into a deficit, impacted by the closure of 0.4 mmt copper plant of Vedanta in Tuticorin. The resulting situation is likely to support international non-ferrous metal prices, notwithstanding temporary fluctuations typical of internationally traded commodities.

In the domestic market, the sharp depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar has provided an additional support to prices, as realisation in the Indian market is determined on an import parity basis.

The impact of the shutdown of Vedanta's copper complex has resulted in a shortage of the metal in the domestic market. As a result, local downstream copper product manufacturers were adversely impacted, during the first quarter of this financial year, due to a lack of adequate primary metal in the market.

"The situation is likely to improve in this quarter as import of refined copper has started increasing from July 2018", Roy added.

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Telecom operator Bharti Airtel said its has secured full commitment from leading global banks like Bank of America, Barclays Bank and Citibank to refinance the payment of 1 billion euro notes maturing in December this year.

The debt was raised by its Netherlands-based subsidiary Bharti Airtel International (Netherlands) B.V., which handles Africa operations, in 2013 through 4 per cent Euro 1,000 notes maturing in December this year.

In a note to creditors, Airtel offered option of early repayment to subscribers of the debt instrument and said that it has received assurance from global banks for redemption of the notes on maturity.

"The company has secured and signed full and final commitments from top tier global banks including from Bank of America N.A., Barclays Bank Ltd Plc, BNP Paribas, Citibank N.A., DBS Bank Ltd., JP Morgan Chase Bank, amongst others, totalling to amounts in excess of that required for paying the said maturities in December, 2018," Airtel said.

The offer commenced from September 28.

The company had issued the notes at principal amount of 1 billion euro.

"...the Tender Offer and Repayment Notice Memorandum serves to provide Noteholders a choice of either --receiving repayment on the scheduled maturity date or...at any of the two scheduled settlement dates (as applicable)...," Airtel said.

The company has fixed date of October 5 and October 26 for expiry of the early repayment option.

"The early pay-in offer to tender is a voluntary option to early redeem 'Any and All' of the Notes held by Noteholders," the note said.

Any noteholder who chooses not to exercise the option of early repayment will have the option to settle it on the scheduled maturity date of December 10, 2018, as per the offer.

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Lawyer Prashant Bhushan and former Union minister Arun Shourie met CBI Director Alok Verma on Thursday, demanding a probe into alleged corruption in the Rafale aircraft deal and offset contract.

Along with a "detailed" complaint under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Bhushan and Shourie submitted documents buttressing their argument for the need of probe.

Alleging that the offset contract for Rafale aircraft was actually a commission to an Anil Ambani-led Reliance group subsidiary, they asked CBI Director Alok Verma to take government's permission to initiate a probe in accordance with the law.

French company Dassault Aviation, the makers of Rafale, had chosen Reliance Defence as its partner to fulfil offset obligations of the deal. Rejecting allegations of corruption, the government has been maintaining it did not have any role in selection of the offset partner by Dassault.

India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore, nearly one-and-a-half years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the proposal during a visit to Paris. The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September 2019.

In the 33-page complaint to the CBI, Bhushan and Shourie claimed that Anil Ambani-led Reliance group had incorporated its own subsidiary Reliance Defence barely a few days before the deal was to be signed in Paris.

Barely two months after the deal was signed, Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), 2013 was amended, with amendments dealing only with offset conditions, it said.

Evidently, even in August, 2015, when the main procurement contract was yet to be signed, somebody in the government was overly concerned with offsets, it alleged. "The said amendment was thereafter incorporated in DPP, 2016 verbatim, which came into effect on April 1, 2016," it alleged.

Alleging "a scam of Rs 36,000 crore", the complaint claimed that the deal was executed in "improper, dishonest, malafide, and abuse of official position".

It alleged that "no mandatory prerequisites for the deal including IAF Services Head Quarters initiating the procurement process by preparing Services Qualitative Requirements (SQRs), Categorisation Committee recommending the mode of procurement'; Defence Acquisition Council and others were taken".

"The original deal for 126 aircraft was also inclusive of weapons.... Therefore, only the cost of the new weapons could be inflated and was indeed artificially inflated," the complaint alleged.

It alleged if price had been the real concern for the government for discarding the old deal, the government would have considered Eurofighter's offer of July 12, 2014 to reduce its price by a full 20 per cent.

The "government's claims that Dassault was not satisfied with HAL are belied by the former HAL Chairman, T Suvarana Raju, who was the lead technical negotiator for the original deal, and has dared the government to put the files in the public domain," it said.

We are also aware that this will place you in the peculiar situation, of having to ask the accused himself, for permission to investigate a case against him," the duo said in the complaint to the CBI Director.

"We realise that your hands are tied in this matter, but we request you to at least take the first step, of seeking permission of the government under Section 17(A) of Prevention of Corruption Act for investigating this offence and under which, the concerned authority shall convey its decision under this section within a period of three months, which may, for reasons to be recorded in writing by such authority, be extended by a further period of one month', the complaint said.

After submitting the complaint to the CBI Director in his office at agency headquarters, Shourie, who is a vocal critic of the Modi government, said "every single element, every single fact has been documented in annexure". The government could not explain rationale behind cutting down deal for 126 aircraft to 36 aircraft, he claimed.

Shourie, who was a Union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajapee-led NDA government, has been sidelined in the party under the current BJP leadership.

"The CBI Director said he will look into it very carefully. He said he will take appropriate action," Bhushan said.

Opposition Congress has accused the government 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. It raised several questions about the deal including the rates.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said the defence procurement procedure allows a contract with a friendly government, and had rubbished allegations that government was favouring any businessman through the deal.

Sitharaman had said the cost of each aircraft along with weapon systems was much lower than what was negotiated by the UPA government.

Reliance Defence had said Dassault chose it to meet its 'offset' or export obligation in the contract and the Ministry of Defence has no role in the selection of Indian partners by the foreign vendors.

Company CEO Rajesh Dhingra had said the government-to-government deal requires all 36 aircraft to be delivered in a 'fly-away' condition which means "they are to be exported from France by Dassault" and "HAL or anyone else cannot be the production agency for the simple reason that no aircraft are to be produced in India.

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Lawyer Prashant Bhushan and former Union minister Arun Shourie met CBI Director Alok Verma on Thursday, demanding a probe into alleged corruption in the Rafale aircraft deal and offset contract.

Along with a "detailed" complaint under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Bhushan and Shourie also submitted documents buttressing their arguments for the need of probe.

They asked the agency director to take permission of the government to initiate the probe in accordance with the law.

"CBI Director said he will look into it very carefully. We will take appropriate action," Bhushan told reporters after coming out of the CBI headquarters.

Dassault Aviation, the makers of Rafale, had chosen Reliance Defence as its partner to fulfil offset obligations of the deal. The government has been maintaining it did not have any role in selection of the offset partner by Dassault.

India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore, nearly one-and-a-half years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the proposal during a visit to Paris. The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September, 2019.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bharatiya Janata Party alleged Thursday that a "mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) of "break India" forces, including Khalistani separatists, is being formed and the Congress is a part of it.

"Pakistan is the most important component of the 'mahagathbandhan', along with the Congress," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra claimed.

He cited a purported sting on three Khalistani secessionists to claim that they have been running down India and lauding countries such as China. This is something Congress president Rahul Gandhi also does, he added.

Gandhi has been claiming that freedom and jobs are not there in India and that minorities are harassed here, Patra alleged.

These separatists see Pakistan as an ally, he said and referred to Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu's praise of the welcome he received in the neighbouring country to draw a parallel.

At a press conference, the ruling party also played a video showing the comments of these separatists and those of some opposition leaders, including Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Congress's Ghulam Nabi Azad, Shashi Tharoor, Gandhi and Sidhu, under the title "Khalistan-break India nexus exposed".

He also hit out at Aam Aadmi Party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly taking support from Khalistani separatists during the Punjab assembly election.

"He should be put in the dock over it," Patra said.

Khalistani separatists have been recorded saying that they funded the AAP and campaigned for it, he claimed.

He also said the Narendra Modi government has walked the talk by deporting seven Rohingya people to Myanmar despite "support" to these illegal immigrants from the Congress and the TMC.

Asked about the reported comments of an adviser to the Bangladesh prime minister that India has assured his country that those identified as infiltrators by the National Register of Citizens exercise in Assam would not be deported, Patra said India would follow the three Ds of detection, detention and deportation.

He added that he was not aware the adviser's comments.

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A clash broke out on the outskirts of Gopalganj town in Bihar on Thursday between BJP supporters and activists of the Congress' student wing NSUI, a pro-upper castes outfit and some Left groups who waved black flags as the cavalcade of Union minister Smriti Irani passed by, police sources said.

Irani was on her way to address a 'Yuva Sankalp Sammelan' in Gopalganj's Minz stadium.

While NSUI and Left activists were holding separate demonstrations in protest against the policies of the Narendra Modi government, those owing allegiance to 'Savarna Morcha' were agitating against the SC/ST Act and reservations for Dalits, tribals and OBCs.

The clash resulted in disruption of movement of the cavalcade for some time before the clashing activists were dispersed, police said.

No arrests have been made in connection with the incident, they said.

Irani, who was flanked by the state BJP leaders like health minister Mangal Pandey and BJYM state president and MLA Nitin Nabin, went on to attend the function at the Minz stadium, followed by another one at Gandhi Maidan in the adjoining district of Siwan.

In her addresses, Irani underscored the pro-poor measures taken by the Modi government in the four years and stressed the number of families covered under the Public Distribution Scheme had risen from a mere seven lakh during the previous UPA regime to 24 lakh at present.

She also cited the 'Champions of the Earth' award conferred on the Prime Minister to assert that under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the country was making economic progress and also gaining international standing.

Taking potshots at the opposition, she said "the mudslingers should remember, lotus blooms in mud".

In Siwan, she targeted jailed RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin, without mentioning him or his party by name, and said "the people here are now breathing easy after having lived in terror for many years".

She also made a special mention of local resident Chanda Babu, whose two sons were killed over a decade ago after being drowned in acid allegedly in presence Shahabuddin, the mafia don-turned-politician. His third son, a witness of the acid attack, was shot dead later.

Shahabuddin is currently serving life sentence in connection with the acid attack.

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Britain's defence minister on Thursday condemned Russia as a "pariah state" after London accused Kremlin spies of mounting a campaign of cyber attacks on civilian bodies around the world.

Cyber experts from the UK have identified operatives from Russia's GRU military intelligence as being behind a string of high-profile incidents, including an attempted hack on the World Anti-Doping Agency in Switzerland last year.

As he arrived for talks in Brussels with his NATO counterparts, Gavin Williamson said Moscow's "reckless and indiscriminate" attacks had left it isolated in the international community.

"This is not the actions of a great power, this is the actions of a pariah state and we'll continue working with allies to isolate, make them understand they cannot continue to conduct themselves in such a way," Williamson told reporters.

Britain's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has "high confidence" that the GRU was "almost certainly" responsible for a number of attacks, including the infamous targeting of the US Democratic Party ahead of the 2016 presidential election, according to sources in London.

NATO is stepping up efforts to strengthen its resources to counter electronic warfare, with the US set to announce it is making offensive cyber capabilities available to the alliance.

Asked three times whether Britain would consider hitting back at Russia with cyber attacks of its own, Williamson said that being named and shamed was a deterrent in itself.

"We're going to make it clear where Russia acts that we are going to be exposing that action and we believe that by doing so this will act as a disincentive to act in such a way in the future," he said.

Ties between Britain and Russia are at rock bottom after a nerve agent attack targeting former Kremlin agent Sergei Skripal in the English city of Salisbury.

London has blamed Moscow for the attack, which left one person dead, and last month the British-based investigative group Bellingcat identified one of the suspects as a highly decorated GRU colonel.

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Lone Bahujan Samaj Party minister in Karnataka N Mahesh Thursday hit out at ruling coalition partners Congress and JD(S) alleging that their existence is based on caste system and inequality.

Mahesh, who holds primary and secondary education portfolio, held Congress, BJP and JD(S) responsible for economic and social inequality in the country and projected BSP as the champion for the cause of the oppressed.

"I'm saying this openly, whether it is Congress or BJP or Janata Dal, their workers will not understand the ideology that I'm speaking about.

They don't need it because untilthere is this caste system and inequality- Congress, BJP and Janata Dal will continue to exist," Mahesh said.

Addressing a BSP event at Chamarajanagar, he said "The day the caste system and inequality is eradicated, that day Bahujan Samaj Party, the party of Basavanna (12th century social reformer) will come to power."



BSP had contested the May assembly polls in alliance with the JD(S).

When the Congress-JD(S) coalition government was formed after the assembly polls threw up a hung verdict, Mahesh, the lone BSP MLA who got elected from Kollegal constituency in Chamarajanagar district, was inducted into the ministry.

BSP had a pre-poll alliance with JDS.

If Congress party had the "true intentions" to eradicatesocial and economic inequality, by now every one would havelived with equality, Mahesh said, as he pointed out that Congress ruled the country for the longest period of time.

"As they did not do it, today Bahujan Samaj Party hascome into existence," he said.

He accused BJP too of not doing enough to get rid of social and economic inequality.

"Many smaller parties like Samajwadi party, Janata Daland other regional parties also could not ensure social and economic equality," he added.

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The CBI has arrested an Income Tax inspector in Lucknow for allegedly receiving Rs 10 lakh in bribe to settle a tax case against a businessman, officials said Thursday.

It was alleged that the Income Tax Inspector had demanded an illegal gratification of Rs 25 lakh for releasing Fixed Deposit Receipts worth Rs seven crore seized during a search from a Kolkata-based private company in connection with the probe of another company, the CBI spokesperson said here.

Inspector Dharmsheel Agrawal allegedly agreed to accept Rs 10 lakh as first instalment, he said.

"CBI laid a trap and caught the Income Tax Inspector and a private person of Lucknow while accepting Rs 10 lakh from the complainant," he said.

The agency carried out searches at the residence of the officer from where it recovered about Rs 10.50 lakh in cash and documents relating to several bank accounts and investments, he said.

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Power utility CESC Ltd is mulling a business model on e-charging stations network, amid an increased thrust by the central government on electric transportation to control emissions.

The project is at a very nascent stage and the company is internally discussing its viability.

"We are evaluating a business model for e-charging stations network in our distribution area," Managing Director (Distribution) Debasish Banerjee said on Thursday, on the sidelines of a Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry event here.

If found viable, then a project of about 150 e-charging stations could be executed in a license area of 567 km of CESC, covering Kolkata and part of Howrah districts.

The Ministry of Power had written to power utilities to consider setting up electric vehicle charging infrastructure in states, Chairman of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) Ajay Mathur said.

"Many issues need to be evaluated like the commercial viability, ensuring power round-the-clock, demand and feasibility in finding suitable locations for such recharging stations," Banerjee said.

Moreover, there is also no clarity as yet on the regulatory front, he said.

Mathur said the economic viability of electric transport was proven by the price discovery in a recent tender floated by the Centre for running buses on a lease model.

"Out of the 11 states who were offered electric buses under FAME-1, five opted for the service model, with an operating cost of less than Rs 60 per km. This is the price paid by state transport departments to operators for CNG-operated buses," Mathur said.

Under the FAME-1 scheme, the Department of Heavy Industries had selected 11 cities for subsidy to procure electric vehicles on a pilot basis.

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Facing enquiry over charges of nepotism and conflict of interest, ICICI Bank managing director and CEO Chanda Kochhar Thursday quit the bank, six months before her current tenure was to end.

Kochhar, 57, has also resigned from all subsidiaries of the bank including ICICI Securities where she had sought reappointment as the chairperson.

The board elevated Chief Operating Officer (COO) Sandeep Bakhshi as the new managing director and CEO for five years until October 3, 2023, ICICI Bank said in a statement.

The bank further said that the external enquiry instituted by the board against Kochhar in May will continue and the benefits to her would be subject to the outcome of the probe.

Following the board's decision to institute an enquiry by retired Supreme Court Justice B N Srikrishna, Kochhar went on leave in May.

There are allegations of involvement of Kochhar and her family members in a loan provided to Videocon group on a quid pro quo basis.

"The enquiry instituted by the Board (against Kochhar) will remain unaffected by this and certain benefits will be subject to the outcome of the enquiry. Kochhar will also relinquish office from the Board of Directors of the Bank's subsidiaries," the statement said.

"The Board of Directors of ICICI Bank accepted the request of Chanda Kochhar to seek early retirement from the Bank at the earliest," it said.

Kochhar's current five-year tenure as CEO was to end on March 31, 2019.

After Kochhar went on leave, ICICI Bank appointed Bakhshi, who was MD and CEO of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, as the chief operating officer of the bank with effect from June 19.

Bakhshi has now been elevated as managing director and CEO.

"His appointment will be for a period of five years until October 3, 2023, subject to regulatory and other approvals. The other terms and conditions of his appointment, such as remuneration, would remain unchanged," it said.

Bakhshi, a Mechanical Engineer from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, started his career with ICICI Ltd in 1986.

He looked after the corporate clients for the Northern and Eastern regions of ICICI Limited before joining ICICI Lombard in 2002. His work responsibilities included business development, project appraisals, project monitoring and business restructuring.

Meanwhile, independent director M D Mallya too resigned from the board for health reasons.

Shares of ICICI Bank closed at Rs 315.55, up 3.94 per cent on the BSE even as the benchmark index Sensex plunged by more than 2 per cent.

There are allegations of involvement of Kochhar and her family members in a loan provided to Videocon group on a quid pro quo basis.

It was alleged that Videocon Group pumped money into NuPower Renewables, a firm owned by Deepak Kochhar, husband of Chanda Kochhar.

There are also allegations that NuPower got investments of Rs 325 crore from Mauritius-based Firstland Holdings, a company owned by Nishant Kanodia, son-in-law of Essar Group co-founder Ravi Ruia.

The investments from Ruia's son-in-law's firm into NuPower started in December 2010. Incidentally, the same month ICICI Bank was the lead banker in a consortium of Indian banks that extended a USD 530 million loan to Essar Steel Minnesota LLC on December 29, 2010. This loan was later classified as NPA.

The Reserve Bank in its 2016 investigation in the matter had raised questions over the ownership of the Mauritius-based entity, First Land Holding, which had invested Rs 325 crore in NuPower.

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China is using "debt diplomacy" to expand its global influence, US Vice President Mike Pence alleged on Thursday, citing example of a Sri Lankan port which he said could soon become a forward military base for Beijing's growing blue-water navy.

Pence said China was offering hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure loans to governments from Asia to Africa to Europe to even Latin America. Yet the terms of those loans are opaque at best, and the benefits flow overwhelmingly to Beijing," Pence said.

"China uses so-called 'debt diplomacy' to expand its influence," Pence alleged in a major foreign policy speech at the Hudson Institute, a top American think-tank.

"Just ask Sri Lanka, which took on massive debt to let Chinese state companies build a port with questionable commercial value. Two years ago, that country could no longer afford its payments so Beijing pressured Sri Lanka to deliver the new port directly into Chinese hands. It may soon become a forward military base for China's growing blue-water navy," Pence said.

Within the American hemisphere, Beijing has extended a lifeline to the corrupt and incompetent Maduro regime in Venezuela, pledging USD 5 billion in questionable loans that can be repaid with oil, Pence told the Washington audience.

China is also that country's single largest creditor, saddling the Venezuelan people with more than USD 50 billion in debt.

Beijing is also corrupting some nations' by providing direct support to parties and candidates who promise to accommodate China's strategic objectives, he said.

"Since last year, the Chinese Communist Party has convinced three Latin American nations to sever ties with Taipei and recognise Beijing. These actions threaten the stability of the Taiwan Strait and the United States of America condemns these actions," Pence said.

He said while the Trump administration will continue to respect One China Policy, as reflected in the three joint communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act, America will always believe Taiwan's embrace of democracy shows a better path for all the Chinese people.

"These are only a few of the ways that China has sought to advance its strategic interests across the world, with growing intensity and sophistication. Yet previous administrations all but ignored China's actions and in many cases, they abetted them. But those days are over," Pence asserted.

Under President Trump's leadership, the US interests have been defended with renewed American strength, he claimed.

"We've been making the strongest military in the history of the world stronger still. Earlier this year, the President signed into law the largest increase in our national defense since the days of Ronald Reagan USD 716 billion to extend our military dominance in every domain," he said.

"We're modernising our nuclear arsenal, we're fielding and developing new cutting-edge fighters and bombers, we're building a new generation of aircraft carriers and warships, and we're investing as never before in our Armed Forces.

"This includes initiating the process to establish the United States Space Force to ensure our continued dominance in space, and authorising increased capability in the cyber world to build deterrence against our adversaries," he added.

China now spends as much on its military as the rest of Asia combined, and Beijing has prioritised capabilities to erode America's military advantages on land, at sea, in the air, and in space, Pence alleged.

"China wants nothing less than to push the United States of America from the Western Pacific and attempt to prevent us from coming to the aid of our allies," he alleged.

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China wants a "different American President" and is using more "proactive and coercive" methods to interfere in America's domestic policies and politics, US Vice President Mike Pence alleged Thursday.

In an unusual and aggressive speech against China, Pence alleged that the Chinese Communist Party was rewarding or coercing American businesses, movie studios, universities, think tanks, scholars, journalists and local, state and federal officials.

"Beijing is employing a whole-of-government approach to advance its influence and benefit its interests. It's employing this power in more proactive and coercive ways to interfere in the domestic policies and of the United States," Pence said in a major policy speech on China.

"Worst of all, China has initiated an unprecedented effort to influence American public opinion, the 2018 elections, and the environment leading into the 2020 presidential elections...To put it bluntly, President Trump's leadership is working; and China wants a different American President," he alleged.

Pence's remarks came a week after Trump accused China of interfering in mid-term elections. He alleged China was meddling in America's democracy.

"As President Trump said just last week, we have 'found that China has been attempting to interfere in our upcoming 2018 [midterm] election[s]," he said.

US intelligence community says that China is targeting US state and local governments and officials to exploit any divisions between federal and local levels on policy.

"It's using wedge issues, like trade tariffs, to advance Beijing's political influence," it said.

Pence said that Beijing had mobilised covert actors, front groups, and propaganda outlets to shift Americans' perception of Chinese policies.

"As a senior career member of our intelligence community recently told me, what the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what China is doing across this country," he said.

"Senior Chinese officials have also tried to influence business leaders to condemn our trade actions, leveraging their desire to maintain their operations in China. In one recent example, they threatened to deny a business license for a major US corporation if it refused to speak out against our administration''s policies," he alleged.

And when it comes to influencing the midterms, one needs only to look at Beijing's tariffs in response to US's.

They specifically targeted industries and states that would play an important role in the 2018 election.

By one estimate, more than 80 per cent of US counties targeted by China voted for President Trump in 2016; now China wants to turn these voters against our administration, he alleged.

"China is also directly appealing to the American voter. Last week, the Chinese government paid to have a multipage supplement inserted into the Des Moines Register the paper of record in the home state of our Ambassador to China, and a pivotal state in 2018. The supplement, designed to look like articles, cast our trade policies as reckless and harmful to Iowans," he said.

Fortunately, Americans aren't buying it, he claimed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The following is the chronology of events of insolvency proceedings against Essar Steel leading to the Supreme Court on Thursday granting one more opportunity to mining major ArcelorMittal and Russia's VTB Capital-backed NuMetal to bid for the firm after clearing their Non-Performing Asset (NPA) dues in two weeks:



*May 5, 2017:Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance takes effect, authorising RBI to proceed with bankruptcy process which allowed banks to take action against defaulters.

*Jun 27:Insolvency proceedings initiated against Essar Steel in National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) after RBI identifies 12 accounts for immediate resolution under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

*Jul 4:Essar Steel challenges RBI's decision in Gujarat High Court.

*Jul 7: HC restrains NCLT from further proceedings against Essar Steel.

*Jul 17:HC dismisses Essar Steel's plea.

*Jul 18:Essar Steel seeks time in NCLT Ahmedabad to file objections.

*Aug 2:NCLT admits plea for insolvency proceedings against Essar Steel.

*Oct 2:Expression Of Interests (EOIs) invited for Essar Steel.

*Oct 28: Six firms submit EOIs-- ArcelorMittal, Numetal, Nippon & Sumitomo Metal, Tata Steel, Vedanta Group, SAIL.

*Nov 23:Section 29A introduced which bars wilful defaulter, defaulter promoters from bidding.

*Feb 12, 2018: NuMetal, ArcelorMittal submit bids.

*Mar 21:Both bids held ineligible due to NuMetal's connection with Essar Group's Ruias and ArcelorMittal's stake in an NPA account.

*Mar 20:Numetal moves NCLT challenging the rejection.

*Mar 26:ArcelorMittal challenges disqualification in NCLT.

*Apr 2: Second round of bids invited.

*Apr 19:NCLT asks Committee of Creditors (CoC) to reconsider first round of bids.

*Apr 26: Numetal, ArcelorMittal move National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) against the disqualification of first round of bids.

*Sep 7: NCLAT holds Numetal's Rs 37,000 crore in second-round bid valid, asks ArcelorMittal to clear dues of Uttam Galva and KSS Petron, worth Rs 7,000 crore in three days.

*Sep 10: ArcelorMittal moves SC against NCLAT order.

*Sep 12: ArcelorMittal tells SC it had already divested its shares in Uttam Galva Steel and KSS Petron.

*Sep 20: NuMetal tells SC NCLAT wrongly allowed ArcelorMittal to pay dues after bidding.

*Sep 27:SC reserves verdict.

*Oct 4: SC allows ArcelorMittal, NuMetal to bid for Essar Steel; asks CoC to decide the issue within eight weeks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A class 10 student allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with a country-made pistol in Vijay Nagar here, police said Thursday.

The incident took place Wednesday night when the 17-year-old boy went to his room after having dinner, SP (city) Shlok Kumar said.

The matter came to light after the boy's mother went to his room on Thursday morning.

The police reached the spot and seized the boy's mobile phone and the pistol from his room, Kumar said.

No suicide note was recovered from the spot, he said, adding that the boy's call detail records were being examined.

He said a probe into the incident was underway.

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Parents of some girl students of a private school in Lutyens' Delhi have alleged that their daughters were being bullied by a class 7 male student, police sources said Thursday.

However, no formal complaint has been made to the police yet.

According to the sources, the girl students have claimed that the boy, admitted under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category, used to throw water on them and even enter girls' washrooms.

The parents approached the school administration on Thursday and even the police were called but no formal complaint was given, the sources added.

Calls and text messages to the school principal went unanswered.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Vietnam Coast Guard ship on its maiden visit here undertook joint exercises with the Indian Coast Guard off the city coast Thursday, aimed at strengthening the working level relationship between them.

Coast Guard ships Shaurya, Arnvesh and inreceptor boat C-431 along with a Dornier aircraft and Chetak helicopter participated in the joint exercise -'Sahyog HOP TAC-2018", an official press release said.

The exercise was aimed at acquainting the coast guards of the two countries with each others' capabilities and strengthening the working level relationship to rescue lives at sea.

The highlight of the exercise was a scenario of hijacking an oil ship and subsequent rescue of its crew in the coordinated joint operation of both the countries.

The exercise was conducted under the supervision of Inspector General Paramesh Sivamani Commander Coast Guard Eastern region and was witnessed by Vietnam Coast Guard Commandant Major General Nguyen Van Son, the release added.

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23:44

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Friday accused the Congress of forging 'ties with Naxals' to remain in power in Chhattisgarh before 2003.





The BJP government in the state had succeeded in containing the Maoist menace, Shah said, addressing a tribal convention at Narharpur in the insurgency-hit Kanker district.





Targeting the Congress ahead of the state Assembly polls over various issues, he challenged the opposition party to an open debate on its development track record.





The convention marked the conclusion of the Atal Vikas Yatra campaign launched by Chief Minister Raman Singh to highlight the achievements of his 15-year rule.





"Chhattisgarh once reverberated with the sound of bullets.... I have no hesitation in saying that the earlier Congress government (before the BJP came to power in the state in 2003) had forged ties with Naxals to stay in power. We broke that nexus and cracked down on Naxals.





"Entire Chhattisgarh is gradually getting rid of Naxalism and heading on the path of development," Shah said.





When Chhattisgarh came into existence, it was dubbed as one of the 'Bimaru' (backward/sick) states and despite being in power for the initial three years, the Congress did nothing to boost its economic growth, he alleged.





The Congress did nothing to maintain law and order, curb Naxalism, eradicate hunger and uplift the forest-dwellers, despite being in power for 55 years at the Centre, the BJP chief said.





"Atalji (then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee) founded the state and Raman Singh developed it," he said.





Shah mentioned the 24-hour power supply, road connectivity in the interior villages, purchase of forest produce at a minimum support price and other development works as some of Singh's achievements in the last 15 years.





He slammed the Congress over a scandal triggered by the circulation of a 'sex CD', purportedly featuring state Public Works Department Minister Rajesh Munat.





Munat has filed a case against state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel for allegedly trying to malign his image by circulating the CD.





"The BJP will be contesting the polls under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Singh, but I want to ask Congress president Rahul Baba (Rahul Gandhi), who will lead the Congress? Will it be those who shamefully manufacture fake CDs for character assassination?" Shah asked.





"Are you (Gandhi) going ahead with a leader, who allegedly indulged in character assassination through fake CDs for seeking the mandate in Chhattisgarh?"





"Our mothers and sisters here are waiting to settle the score over the CD issue and rout the Congress," he said.





The BJP never indulged in the politics of 'chaturai' (cunningness), Shah said.





He challenged the Congress to a debate on the work done during Modi's four-year rule and Raman Singh's 15-year tenure as against the opposition party's '55-year rule'.





"People have two options in the coming polls. The first is the Congress which only talked about 'garibi hatao' (remove poverty) but removed the poor instead, while the other is the BJP, which, without raising slogans, ensured power supply to every house, provided houses for all, built toilets and gave bonus to the Tendu leave collectors," Shah said. -- PTI


The Congress on Thursday hit out at the Modi government over what it described as a "meagre" reduction in excise duty on petrol and diesel, saying it is like applying a band-aid after inflicting a thousand wounds on the people of the country.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala claimed it was a "panic reaction" by the government after facing public ire and an "imminent defeat" for the BJP in upcoming assembly elections in five states, and said the step will bring little relief to the people as it is like "reducing death sentence to life imprisonment".

Alleging over "Rs 13-lakh-crore fuel loot" through imposition of heavy excise duty on petrol and diesel and an equal amount through VAT by BJP-ruled states, he said the people "cannot be befooled" anymore by the government and demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

"Facing public ire and imminent defeat in the five election going states, Modi Government attempted to apply band aid' on the thousand wounds inflicted by it by massive profiteering in the prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene oil, cooking gas, CNG, PNG and natural gas.

"It is a panic reaction against the people's anger.

"Let Prime Minister Modi remember that he cannot befool the people of India. We challenge the PM and FM to answer to people," he told reporters.

The opposition party demanded that the fuel prices be brought to the 2014 level and that petrol and diesel be brought under the GST regime.

The Congress leader dubbed as "lies" Jaitley's claim that the tax base has risen under the NDA government and said the buoyancy in taxes is due to money collected through rise in excise duty on petrol and diesel in the last 52 months.

"Since May 2014, Modi Government has fleeced and duped the common people by draconian taxation of Rs 13 lakh crore.

"While FM Jaitley lies' again by saying that the increase in government revenue is on account of increase in tax base, he hides the Rs 13 lakh crore fuel loot' completely, which is fuelling the coffers of Modi Government.

"The prime minister and the finance minister must answer the people for this 13-lakh crore 'fuel loot'," he said.

Surjewala said the government must also answer to the people for hiking central excise duty on 12 occasions, raising the central excise on petrol by 211 pc and on diesel by 443 pc.

He said the customs duty has been increased manifold times too. When Congress demitted power in May 2014, central excise duty on petrol was merely Rs 9.23 per litre and the Modi government has raised it to Rs 19.48 per litre, he said, adding that in May 2014, excise duty on diesel was merely Rs 3.46/litre and the Modi government raised it to Rs 15.33/litre.

"Giving a paltry relief of Rs 1.50 per litre is insignificant and like a needle in the haystack," he said.

Surjewala asked why the "fuel robbery continued when the prices of crude oil reduced by 45 per cent internationally".

He said on May 16, 2014, the price of crude oil was USD 107.09 per barrel and the present price of international crude is USD 86 per barrel, with the average crude price during 52 months of Modi government being USD 58 per barrel, nearly 45 pc less than the UPA tenure. Still, the petrol/diesel prices continue to skyrocket at much higher levels during Modi government, he said.

The Congress leader also questioned why the government was selling petrol and diesel "cheaper" to 29 countries.

He said while petrol and diesel in India are sold in the range of Rs 84 to Rs 91 and Rs 75 to Rs 80 respectively (Delhi and Mumbai), an RTI reply has revealed that Modi government is selling petrol to 15 foreign countries at just Rs 34 per litre and selling diesel to 29 foreign countries at a pittance of Rs 37 only. These countries include England, Australia, America, Malaysia and Israel.

"This is how Modi government has betrayed and backstabbed the people of India and the prime minister must answer this," he said.

He also sought answers for what he called the "double loot" by way of taxes imposed both by the BJP-led central government and the states ruled by the saffron party.

"Exorbitant VAT/Sales Tax in BJP/allies ruled states is burning a hole in people's pockets," he said and asked why they were not reducing VAT.

In a statement, Surjewala alleged that states like Maharashtra "have imposed high VAT of 39.12 pc on petrol and 24.78 pc on diesel. Rajasthan has 30.80 pc (reduced 4% because of Bharat Bandh ) and 24.09 pc (reduced 4% because of Bharat Bandh) on petrol and diesel respectively and Madhya Pradesh has 35.78 pc and 23.22 pc on petrol and diesel".

The Congress leader demanded that the government explain the reasons for the rising prices of LPG and CNG.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Telangana Congress Thursday launched the partys campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state after performing pooja at the famous Jogulamba temple at Alampur, about 220 kms from here.

"The language used by KCR (as the caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is popularly known) in hitting out at the opposition leaders is not proper," the party's campaign committee chairman Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, told reporters after launching the campaign.

The temple, one of the 'Shakti Peetams' in the country, is located at Alampur in Jogulamba Gadwal district.

The Congress is engaged in talks with the TDP, CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti to forge an electoral alliance.

The Telangana Assembly was dissolved on September six, more than eight months ahead of schedule, on the recommendation of the government, paving the way for early elections. The Election Commission is yet to announce the poll schedule.

Dubbing the proposed Congress-TDP pre-poll alliance as anti-Telangana, KCR Wednesday said the opposition wants to 'hand over' the state to 'Andhra People' once again.

Lashing out at Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, he alleged that he (his Andhra Pradesh counterpart) was caught red-handed in the 'cash-for-vote' scam in 2015.

Vikramarka alleged that the caretaker Chief Minister "seems to be under depression and his language at a public meeting at Nizamabad on Wednesday proves the fact."



Claiming there was no clarity on "where the loans the state government took have gone and where the funds were spent," he said "the issue would be taken to the notice of the people during the campaign."



Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, AICC secretary and the partys Telangana in-charge R C Khuntia, and senior leaders D K Aruna and K Jana Reddy were among those who offered prayers before kicking off the campaign from the temple town of Alampur.

The party leadership decided to launch the official campaign with the blessings of the Goddess Jogulamba, Congress leaders said.

Vikramarka said the party leaders prayed for divine intervention for the welfare of the people of Telangana.

The Congress leaders later participated in a roadshow.

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Neha Choudhari would have gone into civic records as an 18-year-old who died of a natural cause but for an anonymous phone call that made the police rush to a crematorium here and pick up her body from a pyre for postmortem, which revealed that she was allegedly killed by her parents apparently over a love affair.

Malegaon police Thursday arrested three persons, including the parents and a cousin of the deceased collegian on suspicion that they strangled her at her house in Sangmeshwar locality in the city early Wednesday, a senior police official said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Ajit Hagwane said had an anonymous caller not called up and alerted the police in nick of time, Neha's death would have passed as a natural one.

"Neha was taken to at least two hospitals in the city on the night of October 2 by her parents who told doctors that their daughter was sick. She died in the wee hours of October 3. Her father and other relatives then took the body for cremation Wednesday morning," Hagwane said explaining the sequence of events.

The officer said a police team rushed to the spot after receiving a phone call and shifted the body which was placed on a funeral pyre, to the Malegaon civil hospital for autopsy.

"We received the postmortem report Thursday morning, which indicated suffocation as the cause of her death. On suspicion of murder, we arrested Neha's father Sharad Choudhari, mother Sunita and cousin Nilesh Choudhari. A case of murder was registered against them at Chhavani police station," the DySP said.

When asked about the reason behind the alleged killing, the officer said the police suspected that Neha was having an affair with a youth from her area, but her parents were strongly against the alliance.

Further investigation is underway, the officer said, adding that a case of murder has been registered.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union minister Nitin Gadkari Thursday said the country is facing lot of "economic crisis" due to crude oil imports and need to reduce imports and increase exports.

India is the third largest importer of crude oil and rising international oil prices are inflating domestic transport fuel costs in a strong demand environment. Brent, the benchmark for more than half the world's oil, is trading at a four-year high of over USD 84 per barrel.

"It is time for the country to find out import substitute products and we have great potential for the use of ethanol, methanol, CNG and electric transportation system as solutions, Gadkari said after inaugurating the 'IndiaChem - 2018' conference organised by Ficci.

"India is presently ahead in innovation, entrepreneurship, technology, research and development. There is a huge potential in Indian petrochemical sector, but we need import substitutes, pollution-free, cost-effective and indigenous ways to go ahead," he added.

While blaming OPEC countries for the current increase in oil prices, he said, "One day they will find there is no market for crude oil."



The minister added that the government had taken a decision to increase production of ethanol, which is important for the country. "As this is the time for India to find solutions for import substitutes, the chemical industry must work towards finding the solutions to curb imports of crude oil at rising prices," he said.

The minister also announced the government's plans to start a pilot project in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune and Guwahati to run electric buses on methanol derived from coal.

Gadkari urged the Indian chemical industry to see if agriculture material can be used to make chemicals. "We have the technology to produce methane and agri waste to produce ethanol," he said.

Globally, chemical industry is estimated at USD 4.7 trillion in 2017 it is also driven by demand from end use industries. Indian chemical industry is estimated to be valued at USD 163 billion in 2017 and contributes 3.4 per cent to the global chemical industry.

Commenting on the opportunities in the sector, P Raghavendra Rao, secretary, department of chemicals and petrochemicals, said, "It is the right time to invest in Indian chemical and petrochemical industry due to vast opportunities that the sector offer."



In the last seven years, production of total major chemicals and petrochemicals has grown 6.2 per cent and the same is projected to grow by 9.3 per cent by FY 2025. There are opportunities in sectors such as speciality chemicals, pharma, biotech.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Targetting the AIADMK-led government over the issue of corruption, the CPI(M) Thursday said allegations were being levelled on a daily basis and sought the resignation of Ministers facing graft charges.

Corruption charges were levelled against ministers, including Local Administration Minister, S P Velumani and Health minister Vijayabhaskar and they should step down immediately, CPI(M) Politburo member, G Ramakrishnan told reporters here.

Stating that Velumani has been accused of corruption charges, particularly in the award of contract to a French firm for water supply to the city, he said the allegations were being levelled on a daily basis against many ministers.

Vijayabhaskar is under the scanner in connection with the gutkha scam.

In view of the continued opposition to the Sterlite unit in Tuticorin district, the govenrment should prevent the reported efforts (by the company) to operate its second unit, he said.

On the heavy rain forecast for Tamil Nadu, the left party leader said the government should also take concrete steps to meet any eventualities in the coming days.

The DMK has filed complaints alleging corruption against Chief Minister K Palaniswami, his deputy O Panneerselvam, Local Administration Minister S P Velumani and Power Minister P Thangamani with the DVAC and also moved the Madras High Court alleging inaction by the vigilance.

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Concerned over its fresh recruits suffering injuries which have a lifelong impact, the CRPF has decided to "redesign" its old physical training regime to prepare tougher and agile soldiers who have to render hard duties in states hit by Naxal violence and militancy, the forces' chief has said.

The over three-lakh personnel strong force is one of the biggest recruiters of young personnel in the ranks of constabulary and officers in the Assistant Commandant (AC) ranks and thousands of cadets get trained in its various academies round the year.

The decision assumes significance as the government a few months back had announced a mega recruitment drive in the constabulary ranks of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) like the CRPF, BSF and ITBP with a hiring of a total 54,953 personnel.

Out of these, the maximum at 21,566, will be recruited by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

CRPF Director General (DG) R R Bhatnagar told PTI after witnessing a "substantial" number of personnel getting injured during the recruit training courses, the paramilitary force has decided to change the old training module.

"We saw that during basic training, a number of personnel were suffering hair line fractures or other forms of fractures. Hence, we are re-designing the whole physical training regime. The new training modules will ensure that converting a young man into a tough trooper is done slowly and with due diligence. We have also revised our physical training regime," the DG told the agency.

Bhatnagar said a team of experts was working on to see as to what all could be done so that there is no "permanent effect" of an injury on a recruit.

"Some boys have become unfit for life while some have suffered bad injuries like on the head and others.

"We are trying to see that jawans feel confident during their training days and are motivated to come out as the best from their training centres," he said.

The aim to prepare strong, agile and healthy troops for the CRPF which is deployed as the lead counter-insurgency and internal security protection force in the country, he said.

"We are making scientific changes in the training regime so that can pace him (a newly recruited personnel) better. We will now gauge the strengths and weaknesses of every person and treat them accordingly so that they do not suffer lifelong injuries and even if they do so, the injury is minimal," the CRPF chief said.

A senior official said while the physical exercises, combat drills and commando obstacle courses administered to recruits will be more or less the same, their intensity and application will be tweaked in the force now on as part of this change.

The force, which traces it roots as the Crown Representative Police (CRP) in 1939 under the British, is deployed as the lead force in three major combat theatres of the country-- the Left Wing Extremism-hit states, for anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir and counter-insurgency in the North East.

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NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday warned Russia to halt its "reckless" behaviour, after the Netherlands revealed it had foiled a Kremlin cyber attack on the global chemical weapons watchdog.

"Russia must stop its reckless pattern of behaviour, including the use of force against its neighbours, attempted interference in election processes, and widespread disinformation campaigns," he said.

Stoltenberg added that NATO fully supports moves to name and shame Russia over electronic warfare, speaking shortly after Britain and Australia blamed Russian military intelligence for recent attacks.

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The Delhi High Court on Thursday decided to set up a committee to examine and give recommendations on providing several welfare measures like provident fund, pensions and group insurance policies to clerks of lawyers.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao said the panel would comprise the Registrar General of the high court, two senior advocates, the president and secretary of the Delhi High Court Bar Association and a nominee from the clerks' association.

The court issued the direction in view of the "important" role played by the clerks in the legal system.

The bench said that the committee after examining the issues shall submit a report before the court.

It was hearing a PIL moved by an association representing lawyers' clerks seeking social security and welfare measures for them.

The bench asked the Centre, the Delhi government, the Bar Council of Delhi and the Registry of the high court to file their responses to the plea within four weeks.

The petition, by the Delhi High Court Bar Clerks Association, has sought enforcement of several welfare measures like providing for provident fund, pensions and group insurance policies.

It has claimed that several states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Odisha and Himachal Pradesh have already enacted a law to promote the welfare of clerks who have to depend on charity and donation of the advocates employing them.

The association, which represents over 20,000 lawyers' clerks working in the various courts of the national capital, has contended that its members have been deprived of their fundamental rights, including right to medical benefits to a workman.

In its petition, the association has urged the court to direct the authorities to promote, safeguard and implement the clerks' fundamental rights to social security and welfare measures.

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Denmark said Thursday it would not take in any refugees under the UN's quota system in 2018, focusing instead on integrating those recently arrived in the country.

In 2016, the Scandinavian country suspended its participation in the UN refugee quota system, and has yet to resume it.

"We're still in a situation where we're struggling to integrate the many refugees who have come to Denmark in recent years," Immigration Minister Inger Stojberg said in a statement.

So-called UN "quota refugees" are offered resettlement in a third country if the country where they first register as refugees cannot accommodate them.

A member of the liberal Venstre party in Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen's conservative government, Stojberg has orchestrated Denmark's immigration policy since 2015.

"While an increasing number of refugees have entered the labour market, there are still too many who cannot support themselves," she said.

The country registered 3,500 asylum seekers in 2017, according to the ministry, the lowest number since 2008.

For the first 10 months of 2018, some 2,600 applications have been received.

A new immigration law adopted at the end of 2017 stipulates that the number of refugees received is to be decided by the immigration ministry.

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The Indian government is conducting a "relentless smear" campaign against Rohingya immigrants and the decision to deport seven men from the community sets a "dangerous" precedent for all asylum seekers in the country, Amnesty International India said Thursday.

It said the deported Rohingya men are at "grave risk" of being subjected to human rights violations by the Myanmar government and the Supreme Court's clearance to the first-ever deportation is a "dark day" for human rights in India.

The top court Thursday cleared last-minute hurdles, leading to the deportation of seven illegally migrated Rohingya men, staying in Assam, to Myanmar by dismissing the plea which had sought to thwart the Union government's move. After the court's order, authorities deported the illegal immigrants.

The illegal immigrants were detained in 2012 and since then had been lodged in Cachar Central Jail in Assam's Silchar.

The rights body said in a statement that the seven Rohingya men were "forcibly" returned to Myanmar.

"This decision negates India's proud tradition of providing refuge to those fleeing serious human rights violations. It endangers the most persecuted population in the world and is bereft of any empathy," Aakar Patel, executive director of Amnesty India, said.

"The Indian government is conducting a relentless smear campaign against the Rohingya community in India for over two years now. This decision sets a dangerous precedent for all asylum seekers and refugees in India.

"The Narendra Modi government must work with the UNHCR so as not to renege on basic human rights commitments," he said.

The top court said these Rohingya men were convicted by the competent court under the Foreigners Act and were held to be as illegal immigrants.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K M Joseph said that even the country of their origin Myanmar has identified them and accepted them as its citizens.

Earlier this year, Amnesty International published a report detailing extensive, credible evidence implicating Myanmar's military Commander-in-Chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and 12 other named individuals in crimes against humanity committed during the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population in the northern Rakhine State.

The culmination of nine months of intensive research, including in Myanmar and Bangladesh, the report is an account of how the Myanmar military forced more than 702,000 women, men and children more than 80 per cent of northern Rakhine State's Rohingya population when the crisis started to flee to Bangladesh and other countries after August 25 2017.

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The Delhi government Thursday told the Supreme Court it wanted its petitions relating to governance of the national capital be heard soon as it did not want "stalemate to continue in administration".

The Delhi government told the top court that it wanted to know where it stands in the administration in view of the Constitution bench verdict of apex court on July 4.

A bench of justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said it understood the problem but several urgent matters such as election issues came up for hearing due to which cases in regular list were not taken up.

"We understand that the matters in regular list are also to be taken up for hearing as people have waited for their case for years. We have to look everything," it said.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for the Delhi government, said the court should fix a time for hearing and finish the matter.

"We don't want stalemate to continue in administration. We want to know where we stand at present with regard to the administration after the constitution bench judgement on the issue," Jaising said.

Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh said the Delhi government at this stage cannot ask for fixing a time limit for hearing as they have enjoyed the flexibility of arguing at length.

The bench fixed October 10 and 11 for hearing the arguments in the pending matters and asked the counsel to complete their submissions in two days.

On September 19, the Centre had told the apex court that administration of Delhi cannot be left to the Delhi government alone and emphasised that it has an "extraordinary" position by virtue of being the country's capital.

The Centre had told court that a five-judge constitution bench of the apex court had categorically held that Delhi cannot be accorded the status of a state.

The five-judge bench had laid down broad parameters for governance of the national capital, which has witnessed a power struggle between the Centre and the Delhi government since the Aam Aadmi Party came to power in 2014.

The Centre had said one of the basic issues was that whether the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) has the legislative and executive powers so far as 'services' were concerned.

"Delhi has an extraordinary position as it is the capital of the country," it had said.

It said that the national capital houses several institutions of vital importance like Parliament, the Supreme Court and foreign diplomats also resides here.

The Delhi government had earlier told the court that they have executive power to constitute a commission of inquiry.

On July 18, the AAP government had told the apex court that its functioning was "completely paralysed" and it cannot order transfer or posting of officers despite the constitution bench verdict on the national capital's administration.

The five-judge bench in the landmark verdict had unanimously held that Delhi cannot be accorded the status of a state but clipped the powers of the Lieutenant Governor (LG), saying he has no "independent decision making power" and has to act on the aid and advice of the elected government.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had been at loggerheads with incumbent LG Anil Baijal and his predecessor Najeeb Jung.

Kejriwal had accused both of them of preventing the functioning of his government at the behest of the Centre.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi University's Executive Council has decided to seek legal opinion after an internal inquiry found a professor of the varsity guilty of sexual harassment, a DU official said Thursday.

The charge against the chemistry professor was discussed for close to eight hours Wednesday in the council meeting, but several council members alleged that the move to seek legal opinion was a tactic to delay and shield the professor.

A teacher had accused the Head of Department of Chemistry of sexual harassment in December last year.

The matter was taken up by the Internal Complaints Committee, which found him guilty and the findings were submitted to the council. After deliberation, the council decided to refer the matter for legal opinion, the official said.

He said the decision was opposed by a few members, who felt that these are delaying tactics by the varsity since no deadline had been set for the matter to be resolved.

Some members also sat on a protest for close to two hours during the council meeting to protest against the issue.

In an unrelated case in DU, a professor at the Department of African Studies was found guilty of sexual harassment and a decision was made for his removal as a supervisor.

It was also decided that female students won't be placed under his supervision for five years, the official added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dutch intelligence thwarted a Russian cyber attack targeting the global chemical weapons watchdog in April and expelled four Russian agents, the government said Thursday.

The Russians set up a car full of electronic equipment in the car park of a hotel next to the Organisation for the Prohibition for Chemical Weapons in The Hague in a bid to hack its computer system, it said.

"The Dutch government finds the involvement of these intelligence operatives extremely worrisome," Dutch Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld told a conference. "Normally we don't reveal this type of counter-intelligence operation."



The Netherlands publicly identified the alleged Russian agents and said the operation was carried out by Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, Dutch officials said.

Britain helped the Netherlands with the operation, they added.

A laptop belonging to one of the four was linked to Brazil, Switzerland and Malaysia. The activities in Malaysia were related to the investigation into the 2014 shooting down of flight MH17 over Ukraine, Bijleveld added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
EDMC sanitation workers, who are on strike for the last three weeks, Thursday staged a protest near the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to press for their demands, civic body officials said.

The employees are on strike since September 12 demanding regular payment of salaries and regularisation of workers.

"Sanitation workers are protesting outside my residence. BJP has misled them. I am going to talk to them and present facts before them. I am really worried about the sanitation arrangements in the city and the workers. They have to protest every two months to get their salaries," Kejriwal tweeted.

A senior official said a meeting was underway between



between the east Delhi Mayor and a sanitation union leader to resolve the issue.

The Delhi government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that it would release Rs 500 crore within two days to civic bodies, which will help resolve the crisis that has arisen due to the ongoing strike by sanitation workers of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC).

"Sanitation workers are protesting outside CM's residence. There has been no instance of violence between protesters and police," another official said.

The EDMC has around 16,000 workers, half of whom are permanent employees.

The BJP-led EDMC on September 26 had decided to begin the process for permanent employment of contractual sanitation workers who were recruited after March 31, 1998.

The president of MCD Swachhata Karmchari Union, Sanjay Gahlot, however, had said that since, there was no assurance of this resolution reaching its desired end from the authorities side, they would continue their agitation in east Delhi.

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ministers of Afghanistan and the UAE were among other dignitaries who attended a "happiness class" Thursday at a Delhi government school with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

ministers of different countries and states were in the national capital to attend the Asian Summit on and Skills organised by the Delhi government.

"The delegation attended a happiness class at Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Rouse Avenue and was astounded by the cleanliness of the school, the dynamism of the teachers, the responsiveness of the students and the impact of Happiness Curriculum," an official statement said.

"The group spent time interacting with the students of class 6 and 7 on what is happiness for them and how do they feel about the happiness classes," it added.

The happiness curriculum, introduced by the Delhi government in July, involves a daily 45-minute class beginning with mindfulness, followed by a story-telling and activities session.

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West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi has expressed concern over the recent bomb blast at Nagerbazar in Kolkata suburbs and Wednesday's blaze at a state-run hospital, asking officials to ensure that such incidents do not recur, a statement issued by Raj Bhavan on Thursday said.

He also urged the investigating agencies to probe the blast incident from all angles.

"The law-enforcing agencies should be much more vigilant and active so that incidents, such as the one at Nagerbazar, do not recur. Besides, public awareness should be raised on the issue," the statement said quoting Tripathi.

Referring to fire breakout at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday, Tripathi stated that officials concerned should have been more careful.

The fire added to the misery of the patients and the medical college, too, faced huge losses, he said.

The state has witnessed three bridge collapses and two major fire incidents in the past one month.

"It is a matter of great concern that incidents of fire and other mishaps like collapse of bridges are happening regularly. The executives concerned should be more alert to prevent loss of life and property," the governor asserted.

A seven-year-old child was killed and nine people, including his mother, were injured in a low-intensity explosion in front of a multi-storey building at Nagerbazar in Kolkata's northern suburbs on Tuesday.

At the medical college, a fire broke out in the pharmacy department Wednesday morning, following which around 250 patients had to be evacuated.

"A high-level enquiry should be conducted into the causes of fire and adequate measures should be adopted so that similar events do not happen again," the statement quoted Tripathi as saying.

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Ignoring the role of madrassas in Pakistan and equating them with terrorism was unfair, Prime Minister Imran Khan has told the country's top clerics as he underlined that improving the system was his government's top priority.

Khan made the remarks during his first meeting with a prominent delegation of Ulema (clerics), who called on him at the Prime Minister Office to discuss madrassa reforms and other related issues, media reports said Thursday.

He said the government wanted to eradicate class-based system and introduce uniform syllabi and curriculum in the sector, which included the seminaries.

Khan said that the services rendered by the seminaries for the progress of the society could not be ignored and it was unfair to link all religious institutions with terrorism, Dawn newspaper reported.

According to reports, several seminaries in Pakistan have close ties with radical militant groups and play a critical role in sustaining the international terrorist network.

He said that the multiple education systems in the country were a dividing line and this had to be eradicated.

"It is of paramount importance that we should have a uniform education system in order to achieve prosperity," Khan said.

He said that the seminary students had the right to participate in all sectors of life and mainstreaming the madrassas was essential.

The main objective of bringing reforms in the education sector was to end discrimination and to bring students of seminaries at par with other students, he added.

The delegation headed by Mufti Muneebur Rehman included heads of madrassa boards of four mainstream schools of thoughts in the country and one belonging to the Jamaat-i-Islami.

Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood, Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri and Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi were also present at the meeting, the Express Tribune reported.

The delegation of prominent clerics congratulated Khan over his election victory and backed his government's reform agenda, it said.

Mainstreaming of the religious seminaries was part of the 20-point National Action Plan formulated in the wake of the deadly terror attack on Peshawar's Army Public School (APS) in December 2014. However, not much progress has been made, the report said.

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International experts have called on the Health Ministry to change its stand on electronic cigarettes and legalise safer alternatives to tobacco products available in India.

In a recent advisory, the Health Ministry had asked the states and Union territories to ban the use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS).

ENDS includes e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn devices, vape, e-sheesha, e-nicotine-flavoured hookah and other devices that enable nicotine delivery.

The ministry has adopted a policy on vaping that will harm the health of millions of Indians and protect and entrench smoking, Dr Alex Wodak, former president of the International Harm Reduction Association, said.

"Countries that aim to eradicate tobacco use usually get terrible results. It's much more effective to try and reduce the initiation and continuing use of tobacco products as well as encouraging less risky options," Wodak said.

Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos, a research fellow at the National School of Public Health, Greece, said nicotine, while addictive, is not particularly harmful.

"E-cigarettes and other vaping products eliminate combustion and provide nicotine in a much cleaner form," he said.

In 2014, Professor Farsalinos and co-author Professor Riccardo Polosa had published a systematic review of the evidence on e-cigarettes.

We found they are much safer than cigarette smoking. The evidence since then has convincingly confirmed this.

Professor Farsalinos said evidence shows vape products have led millions to quit smoking for good.

In 2016, I studied the data from the EU and found that vaping had led more than 6 million people to quit smoking and helped millions more cut back.

Professor David Sweanor, University of Ottawa, said Canada was among the countries that initially tried to ban vaping products but recently switched to actively encouraging smokers to switch based on the science.

We urge the Indian government to legalize and regulate safer alternatives to the tobacco products currently available in India. E-cigarettes and safer alternatives to India's high-risk tobacco options should be appropriately regulated," he said.

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The Election Commission of India claimed in the Supreme Court on Thursday that attempts were being made to malign the poll panel and get favourable order by fabricating the documents in a case filed by Congress leader Kamal Nath with regard to Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.

The top court took strong exception over the claims of the poll panel and warned that it may summon the company which has allegedly made public the data of voters and pointed out the duplication.

The Congress leader said that there is nothing wrong in the submission of the documents and the data of duplicate voters, as pointed out by a private company, has been given to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) O P Rawat.

A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan asked senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for ECI, to verify from Rawat whether such documents were given to him or were directly given in the court.

During the hearing, Singh said, "It is something serious which I want to point out to the court and the act is covered under section 193 of IPC (punishment for false evidence). Somebody should be seriously hauled up for this."



He submitted some papers with regard to voters in Madhya Pradesh and said that an impression was given based on fabricated documents that there were bogus voters.

"Some private company called 'politics.in' has published the data of voters with pictures which the ECI does not do. The petitioner herein has submitted the data relying on such fabricated documents to get a favourable order and malign the Election Commission of India," Singh said.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Kamal Nath, said that there is nothing wrong as the data was in public domain and the petitioner has submitted it to the Rawat as well.

"We have brought it to the notice of Election Commission of India and they have even replied to our representation. What's wrong in pointing it out," Sibal said.

He said that same data was carried and published by electronic and print media also as it was widely available in public domain.

The court said that if the documents were handed over to the ECI also, then it will change the course.

"You please verify with the CEC OP Rawat and inform us by October 8," the bench said and adjourned the hearing of the matter.

On September 20, the apex court had deferred the hearing on Nath's plea seeking draft voter list of Madhya Pradesh in word format, and said the issue requires substantive hearing.

The Congress leader had said that ECI had provided voter lists in word format during Karnataka and Rajasthan elections as also during Madhya Pradesh assembly polls in 2013.

ECI said it received complaints of voter profiling and to prevent the misuse of data it has taken a conscious decision to provide it in PDF format (non-editable).

Nath had said that when the ECI can provide the draft voter list in word format in other states, then what is the problem in providing the list in Madhya Pradesh.

ECI had said that they have received complaints of voter profiling and therefore a conscious decision was taken to provide the draft list in PDF format.

The poll panel said it was done to thwart any attempt of misuse of voters data.

On September 18, the poll panel in its affidavit had justified providing the draft electoral rolls in PDF format in Madhya Pradesh without any pictures of voters and said that it was done to prevent manipulation of the electors data.

It had sought dismissal of petition filed by Nath alleging duplication of names in the voters list as "not maintainable", "completely frivolous" and "an abuse of the process of court".

Referring to the rule of Manual of Electoral Roll, the ECI in its reply on the petition said the draft roll is being put in public domain at the Chief Electoral Officer's website in PDF format and it contains only text and no photographs against the elector's detail.

The poll panel had termed providing of draft electoral rolls in word format in Rajasthan as an "inadvertent error" and in contravention of rules and for the same, necessary action has been initiated by the ECI and the CEO, Rajasthan has been replaced.

With regard to the allegation of 60 lakh duplicate voters being found in draft electoral rolls in Madhya Pradesh, the poll panel said that it has already been replied to the All India Congress Committee after the receipt of field verification report carried out by the CEO of MP.

"Insofar as the allegation of 60 lakhs duplicate, multiple entries are concerned, it is revealed on verification that the complaint is based on limited parameters of common name, relation and gender. It is significant to mention that the other necessary parameters of age and photo have not been included by the complainant in reaching the said figure of 60 lakhs," it said.

The apex court had on August 23, sought reply of poll panel on the petitions filed by Nath and Sachin Pilot.

Nath in his plea, filed through advocate Varun Chopra, had also alleged that in a survey conducted by him in Madhya Pradesh, over 60 lakh fake voters have been found.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following German truck maker MAN Trucks' "abrupt" decision to exit India, automobile dealers' body Fada has urged the firm to device a "compensation formula" to help the affected dealers in settling the final accounts with the company.

The board of Volkswagen group's MAN Truck & Bus AG (MTB) in August decided to restructure its India business as part of its strategy to focus on premium segment markets.

As a result, MAN Trucks India would now become an R&D centre for excellence supporting global projects.

"Since this incident of you shutting sales in India affects all MAN dealers, they have approached us to take up the matter with you on their behalf.

"...We hence request you to kindly develop a compensation formula which will help them during their settlement with your company," John K Paul, president, Federation of Automotive Dealers Association (Fada), said in a letter to MAN Trucks India chairman and managing director Joerg Mommertz Wednesday.

There are around 41 MAN trucks dealers across the country, with a cumulative investment of over Rs 1,000 crore, who are out of business since August 10, when the company conveyed its decision to them, Fada claimed.

Of the 41 dealers, only four are into servicing, while the rest 37 are full-fledged outlets dealing with sales, service and spares.

The company has sold over 25,000 vehicles since its entry in the Indian market in 2006.

Stating that the dealers have invested huge sum of money in land, infrastructure, manpower, among others, Fada in the letter said "they have been left high and dry due to the company's abrupt decision of closing down the sales in India without even providing the (mandatory) three-month notice."



The company has a production facility at Pithampura near Indore in Madhya Pradesh, which manufactures products such as tippers for off-road and construction and haulage for regular and over dimensional cargo. Besides, it also produces special application trucks.

This facility is being acquired by Pune-based Force Motors as a part of an agreement to sell and transfer certain assets of Man Trucks India.

"We understand that you want to continue with the service support for the vehicles which have been sold in India for next five years.

"For this to happen correctly, the dealers will have to manage an entire infrastructure which will need another round of capital expenditure from their end as sales and service are entirely two different sets of businesses which needs to be looked into independently," Fada said.

For any vehicle which has been stopped selling in a country, this kind of "new" investment is not at all viable as the investment made will definitely start to nose dive from day zero itself, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UF launches bold initiative to tackle societys biggest problems

The University of Florida is committing more than $17 million to an ambitious new initiative aimed at solving some of societys most urgent problems while redefining the role of a land-grant university for the 21st century.

From restoring trust in the media and technology to putting Americans back on track toward living longer and healthier lives, the overarching goal is to improve life today on multiple fronts, said Joe Glover, UF provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

"This project is really a collection of moonshots -- really hard problems and grand challenges that rely on collaboration among colleagues from all areas of the university," Glover said. "It takes a comprehensive research university to do these things -- where the voyage and the discoveries along the way are perhaps even more important than the final goal."

The initial timeframe for the initiative is four years. That doesnt mean the problems will necessarily be solved in that time, Glover said, but the colleges working toward the goals these projects hope to achieve will be required to document their progress each semester.

David Norton, UFs vice president for research, said faculty are ready to take on the challenge.

We have some of the most talented researchers in the world right here at the University of Florida, and were harnessing those talents to tackle specific challenges that need answers now, Norton said. This initiative will enlist the UF faculty to pursue breakthroughs in areas important to the state, nation and the world.

The research projects are as follows:

iCoast: a 21st Century Coastal Monitoring Network for Action The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience will pilot a project that could serve as a model for collecting data on coastlines globally and Floridas own 1,350 miles of coastline in particular. Using advanced sensors, including new technology in development at UF, a multidisciplinary team will collect data and develop a database never before available that provides a picture of the health of coastal infrastructure  bridges and piers  and biological systems, from mangroves to aquatic creatures. The sensors will detect early signs of infrastructure failure, contaminant release, and environmental and physiological change, and the data generated will allow real-time management of threats to the natural and built environments of the coasts. The pilot will take place at the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, a UF research and teaching facility, situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway on Floridas east coast in St. Augustine.

Cancer Engineering  3D Brain Tumors for Cancer Research  The mortality rate of glioblastomas, sarcomas and hematological malignancies has remained largely unchanged over the last 50 years. One major roadblock to cancer research is the ability to test multiple therapies and drugs quickly in the laboratory, without relying on time-consuming human clinical trials or mouse models. A UF team of engineers and doctors has made progress in the last three years in manufacturing 3D soft-tissue systems, aimed at producing cancer cells and tumors in bulk, to be used as a laboratory model for cancer treatments. Using this patented technology and new equipment to allow for microscopic studies of these tumors, the team hopes to identify the critical steps and mechanisms at work in tumor growth and treatment.

Scientist in Every Florida School  About 2.6 million K-12 schoolchildren could benefit from the world-class science and research at UF with a program to put a scientist in every Florida school. Teachers and their students from three counties  Alachua, Lee and Palm Beach  will be part of a pilot study that will leverage digital and in-person access to UF researchers. The pilot will deliver content via virtual classroom visits and web-based learning, and foster scientist-teacher networking, creating an online community of practice. Scientists also will travel to schools that have limited digital access. The STEM content will focus on earth systems science  air, water, land and life. Strategic impacts will result in better-trained teachers, improved student achievement, and enhanced knowledge about STEM careers and 21st-century skills.

Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology  At a time when many surveys are finding a crisis of trust, especially in the United States, UF is uniquely positioned to bring together scholars from journalism and communications, engineering and liberal arts and sciences, to address the potential positive and negative impact of emerging technologies and platforms; develop trust-building technologies and monitoring systems; and evaluate the abilities of humans and machines to tell stories that cultivate trust.

Migration Redefined: Arts, Diaspora and Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century  Floridas large, entrepreneurial immigrant population and economically important arts and culture sector offers a unique opportunity for UF to connect artists and creatives with experts in innovation, entrepreneurship, economics, policy, science and technology, social justice and more through a new Center for Diaspora Arts and Entrepreneurship. UF will draw on the resources and expertise of faculty in the College of the Arts, including the Digital Worlds Institute and the Center for Arts in Medicine, and affiliated scholars in the centers for Latin American Studies and African Studies, and in engineering and liberal arts and sciences.

A to Z of Early Childhood: Communicating the Science of Early Childhood Development and Learning to Those Who Need It Most from a Trusted Source  The Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies will leverage strong partnerships with faculty and students across campus and networks of leaders, practitioners and policymakers at local, state, national and international levels to develop an innovative, multifaceted communications hub to help guide early childhood practice and policy. This initiative will strengthen UFs visibility as the trusted source for expertise on early childhood studies and support the broader vision of UF as a leader in efforts to ensure every child enters kindergarten healthy, socially competent and ready to learn.

Leading the Nation in Digital Literacy and Precision Learning  UF aspires to be the most digitally literate and responsible public university in the nation by developing and applying tools like virtual reality, the Internet of Things and big data to education and research endeavors. UFs iClassroom will enable education and engineering faculty to collaborate on new instructional technologies that provide precision, optimized learning experiences for learners of all ages, from early childhood through older adulthood. Faculty in the social sciences, communications and law will address how society deals with issues like privacy, security, bias and accessibility.

Creating the Healthiest Generation: For the first time in two centuries, todays generation of American children may have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. To reverse this trend, UF Health will bridge basic discovery science with clinical and translational research to develop studies across the human lifespan in which Floridas diverse communities can participate. The moonshot will focus on two themes: using precision health and data science to understand, treat and prevent disease and disparities; and advancing new therapies to enhance brain, neuromuscular and mental health for future generations. Initiatives span common and rare diseases and seek to develop novel approaches that target unmet medical needs related to brain cancer, Parkinsons disease, chronic pain, addiction, drug-resistant organisms, and resilience in aging, as well as the arts effect on health, among other areas.
Luck ran out for a fake astrologer operating online from Jalandhar in Punjab after he was arrested for allegedly cheating a man here of about Rs 13 lakh by promising a cure for his depression through poojas, police said Thursday.

The accused Akash Bhargav alias Akash Sharma (19) was brought here on a transit warrant and remanded in judicial custody, a police release said.

Acting on a complaint lodged by the victim's mother in August, police apprehended Sharma from his house in Jalandhar, the release said.

The victim, who lost his job as a techie, approached Sharma online hoping for a cure to his depression after facing issues in his office and family.

When he contacted the fake astrologer, the latter demanded an initial sum of Rs 2,000 to perform a pooja and then sought more money leading to a total of Rs 12.97 lakh which was asked to be deposited in different bank accounts, the release said.

The victim was pressured to part with a lot more money for special poojas,until his mother finally approached police.

Investigations revealed that Sharma's father was a petty astrologer, and he got the idea of making easy money by cheating people through online.

Sharma had opened eight websites and whenever any victim contacted him through e-mail or phone he would send messages seeking details about their problems,the release said.

Later, he would demand huge fees to perform poojas for the wellbeing of the victims, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Thursday said farmers from the state would be rewarded with Rs 100 crore if they won Nobel prize in natural farming.

He said the government has set a goal of achieving 100 per cent zero-budget natural farming (ZBNF) across the state by 2024.

Addressing a training programme for farmers in ZBNF, the Chief Minister said five lakh ryots have taken up cropping under this method in the state this year.

"Our aim is to bring all farmers and all cultivable land (8 million hectares) in the state to ZBNF in the next five years. In five years, every village will become a bio-village.

Our ultimate vision is to bring all 60 lakh farmers in the state into ZBNF," the Chief Minister said.

"AP farmers should become role models to the world in natural farming. We should win Nobel prize in this and whoever wins that will be given Rs 100 crore," Chandrababu added.

Noting that the average lifespan in India was 65-69 years now, the Chief Minister said it could shoot up to 85-90 years by consuming food grown through natural farming.

"ZBNF will help people live a healthy and happy life. It will also contribute to a clean environment," he added.

The Chief Minister said countries like El Salvador and Rwanda evinced interest in studying ZBNF being practiced in AP.

"I recently spoke on ZBNF at a UN Programme event. It has been noted there that ZBNF is being practised only in AP and hence several countries wanted to see this," he added.

Agriculture Minister S Chandramohan Reddy, Agriculture Principal Secretary B Rajasekhar and others attended.

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A new FBI investigation into Brett Kavanaugh found nothing to corroborate sexual assault allegations against the US Supreme Court nominee, a top Republican senator said Thursday.

"This investigation found no hint of misconduct," Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement.

"There's nothing in it that we didn't already know." The FBI, at the request of a key Republican senator, was given a week to look into allegations by a university professor that Kavanaugh attempted to rape her when they were teenagers decades ago.

Grassley said it was time to proceed to a vote by the full Senate on President Donald Trump's nominee to sit on the nation's highest court.

"I'll be voting to confirm Judge Kavanaugh," he said.

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Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan said Thursday that final contours of the proposed 'grand alliance' of opposition in the state will emerge within a month.

The next meeting of the Congress and NCP leaders to discuss alliance will be held on October 12, Chavan told PTI from Faizpur in Jalgaon district of the state over phone.

"We are keen to take Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, with us and talks are on," he said, adding that the issue of Ambedkar's insistence to include the AIMIM in the alliance will be resolved after talks.

While Ambedkar's Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh and Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen have announced a tie-up, the Congress is reportedly reluctant to join hands with the AIMIM.

"I just want to tell everyone that we should not do anything that will help the BJP," Chavan said. "Final picture of the grand alliance will emerge in a month's time," he added.

The Congress has already held talks with independent MP Raju Shetti, Loktantrik Janata Dal's Kapil Patil and leaders of the Left parties.

The decision about taking along the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will be taken by the Congress high command in Delhi, Chavan said.

Earlier in the day, Chavan, who is leading the state Congress's 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra' campaign at Faizpur, lashed out at the NDA government for use of force against agitating farmers who wanted to enter Delhi on October 2.

Addressing a gathering, Chavan said, "At least spare farmers on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary. What was the need to use force against them? The true colours of the Central government have been now exposed."



The BJP's celebration of Gandhi Jayanti was an eyewash and a "photo opportunity" for its leaders, he said.

"On one hand they celebrate Gandhi Jayanti and on the other they beat up farmers," the former chief minister said.

Marathwada and North Maharashtra are facing a serious rain deficit and twenty-six tehsils have received less than 50 per cent of normal rainfall, Chavan said at the rally.

"But Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil wants to set up a commission, wait for six months to get a report and then decide if they will declare a drought," the Congress leader said.

While the Congress government introduced Aadhaar to put money directly in people's bank accounts, the BJP tried to "spy on citizens" by linking it to mobile numbers, he alleged.

"I am grateful to the Supreme Court for not letting the BJP use Aadhaar as a tool for surveillance," he said.

Chavan told PTI that Marathwada and North Maharashtra have received about 72 to 73 per cent rainfall this monsoon.

"This is 30 per cent shortfall. The government's loan waiver has not reached the farmers. The government should declare a scarcity situation in these areas and provide relief to people," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sikkim became the latest addition to the country's aviation map Thursday as SpiceJet operated the first direct commercial flight to the Pakyong airport from Kolkata, the airline said in a statement.

The airline will operate direct flights on the Kolkata-Pakyong-Kolkata route daily under the Centre's regional connectivity scheme UDAN, the statement said.

SpiceJet's Bombardier Q400 aircraft carrying 74 people from Kolkota landed at the Pakyong Greenfield Airport Thursday, a statement issued by the Sikkim government said.

"A new avenue for transport has been opened up for the common man. This means travel and commuting for the people in Sikkim will not only be less time consuming but convenient as well," Sikim Transport Minister D T Lepcha said after the flight landed at Pakyong.

Sikkim Chief Secretary A K Srivastava said, "I believe, tourism will accelerate the economic development leading to broadening of outlook and supplying surplus scope for reselling and rebranding tourism."



"Today is a proud moment for SpiceJet and a historic one for Indian aviation as we have put Sikkim on India's aviation map," said Ajay Singh, the chairman and managing director, SpiceJet.

The first direct flight to Pakyong was flagged off from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata.

SpiceJet will launch a second flight connecting Guwahati with Pakyong from October 16, the statement said. A traditional lamp lighting ceremony was organized to mark the inauguration of the operations and the first passenger was welcomed by SpiceJet officials.

The flight was greeted with a grand water cannon salute upon its arrival at the Pakyong airport, the airline said.

The first airport at Pakyong in Sikkim was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 24. It is located around 33 km from Gangtok, the state capital.

SpiceJet is the first and only airline to connect this majestic state with the rest of the country and beyond, and will be connecting Pakyong with Guwahati from October 16, Singh said.

"Our new flights will provide a major boost to tourism and we are proud to contribute to the growth story of this vibrant state," he said.

It is a great push for tourism and has definitely enhanced connectivity to Sikkim, said Atul Dixit, the director of the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata.

"The direct flight will help in saving almost an entire day. Earlier, people had to fly to Bagdogra (West Bengal) and then drive to Gangtok," Dixit said.

The Pakyong airport, the country's 100th operational airport, is an engineering marvel situated at a height of more than 4,500 feet.

On March 10 this year, the airline had successfully operated a test flight to Pakyong making it the first civil fixed aircraft to land at the airport.

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The first chartered flight from Russia landed in Goa Thursday, marking the beginning of tourist season this year.

The coastal state witnesses maximum footfalls in the period between October to April-May every year.

"The first Chartered flight of Rossiya Airlines with 522 tourists lands in God's own Abode #GOA, marks beginning of new tourist season. Welcome. Your safety is our priority," state Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar tweeted this morning.

Goa, known for its sunny beach stretch, is a major attraction for domestic and foreign tourists.

"We are getting tourists six times that of our population. The number of tourists arriving in Goa is on the rise," said Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) chairman Nilesh Cabral.

He said the government was creating necessary infrastructure to ensure safe and comfortable stay of tourists.

Cabral said the number of chartered flights has gone down this year due to their increased capacity to carry tourists, which is resulting in more arrivals.

Goa had received more than 800 chartered flights last tourist season.

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Five teams have been set up to recover two rifles which were looted from police personnel allegedly by armed men in Uttar Pradesh, police said Thursday.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Saharanpur) Sharad Pachan told reporters here five police teams has been set up to recovered the looted rifles and they were combing the area to arrest the accused.

Armed men had looted the rifles and injured Home Guard Sanjay in an attack on Bidoli road in Shamli district Tuesday.

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India on Thursday deported seven Rohingya immigrants, who have been staying in illegally, to their country of origin Myanmar, in a first such move.

The illegal immigrants were detained in 2012 and since then they had been lodged in Cachar Central Jail in Assam's Silchar.

"Seven Myanmarese nationals have been deported today. They were handed over to the authorities of Myanmar at Moreh border post in Manipur," Additional Director General of Police (Border) Bhaskar J Mahanta told PTI over phone.

Consular access had been given to Myanmar diplomats, who confirmed the identity of the immigrants, Mahanta said.

The confirmation of the Myanmarese citizenship of the illegal immigrants came after the government of the neighbouring country verified their addresses in Rakhine State and all of them were given travel documents by Myanmar.

This is for the first time Rohingya immigrants were sent back to Myanmar from India.

Earlier in the day, the rejected the plea made by one of the Rohingya refugees seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting them to Myanmar.

Allowing the deportation of the seven Rohingya Muslims, the said they were found by the competent court as illegal immigrants and have been accepted by their country of origin as citizens.

"Having considered the prayer, we would not like to interfere with the decision taken. The petition is dismissed," a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph said.

"Even the country of their origin has accepted them as its citizens," it said.

The Centre told the apex court that the seven Rohingya illegally migrated to India in 2012 and were convicted under the Foreigners Act.

The Centre also informed the court that Myanmar has issued a certificate of identity to the seven immigrants along with one-month visa to facilitate their deportation.

The seven immigrants were apprehended on July 29, 2012, for violating the Foreigners Act.

Those who were deported include Md Jamal, Mohbul Khan, Jamal Hussain, Md Yonus, Sabir Ahmed, Rahim Uddin and Md Salam and are in the age bracket of 26-32 years.

Another official said all the Rohingya immigrants were "keen" to go back to their country and thanked the government for the treatment meted out to them during their incarceration.

The Indian government had informed Parliament last year that over 14,000 Rohingya people, registered with the UN refugee agency UNHCR, stay in India.

However, aid agencies estimate there are about 40,000 Rohingya people in the country.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims, described by the UN as the most persecuted minority in the world, fled their homes last year to escape an alleged crackdown by the Myanmarese military.

Human rights group Amnesty International has blamed Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and the country's government for "burying their heads in the sand over the horrors unfolding in Rakhine State".
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday said he would write to the Maharashtra government over "erroneous" description of 'Forest Man of India' Jadav Payeng, who is from Assam, in school text books of the western state.

Payeng, a forest department worker of Assam, planted and tendered trees on a sandbar of the Brahmaputra river turning it into a forest over the years.

An text book of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary Education reportedly "wrongly" mentioned Payeng, who was awarded Padma Shri in 2015, as a member of a nomadic tribe.

Meeting a delegation of the ethnic Mising community, the chief minister assured them that he would write to the Maharashtra government to register Assam's reservation.

Payeng belongs to the Mising tribe.

The meeting also discussed fund allocation to the Mising Autonomous Council areas.

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Police in Maharashtra's Nashik district have arrested four persons for allegedly robbing two businessmen of Rs 3 lakh.

Navanath Zurade (30), Anil Gumbade (31), Laxman Gumbade (33), all residents of Pimpalgaon Bahula in Nashik district, and Prakash Bhadale (36), resident of Mumbai, were arrested Wednesday, a senior police official said.

Another accused, identified as Yogesh Pagare, was absconding, said district superintendent of police (rural) Sanjay Darade.

Police also seized two motorcycles, mobile phones, sticks and Rs 33,000 in cash from them, Darade said.

Ricky Agrawal and Madanmohan Agrawal, residents of Sangvi, Pune, were returning after visiting the holy town of Trimbakeshwar in Nashik district on October 2 when the incident took place, he said.

Prakash Bhadale, whom they had engaged as a guide, was also travelling with them, he said.

As they stopped the car for answering nature's call at Khambale Phata on Nashik-Trimbakeshwar road, four men who came on two motorcycles attacked them with sticks and looted Rs 3 lakh in cash from them, Darade said.

Local crime branch probed the case and arrested four accused within 12 hours, he said.

Bhadale was arrested on the suspicion that he was part of the conspiracy to loot the two businessmen, a local police official said.

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Four people, including a jeweller, have been arrested for allegedly robbing ornaments worth Rs 44.87 lakh from a goldsmith in a train here in Maharashtra, police said Thursday.

Kundan Vaishnav (38), a jeweller, had boarded the Bhavnagar-Kakinada Express on September 29 at Vasai station when some persons snatched his jewellery bag and ran out of the stationary train, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Western Railway) Purushottam Karad told reporters here Wednesday.

The victim later registered a case with the Vasai railway police, alleging that he was robbed of jewellery worth Rs 44.87 lakh in the train, he said.

Acting on a tip-off, police nabbed the four accused -- Tousif Taukir Khan (23), jeweller Harish Devraj Rawal (35), Hussain Ilias Subanis (37) and Mohammad Rafique Yusuf Shaikh (32) -- from different places in the last few days, he said.

A raid was conducted at Rawal's jewellery shop in the neighbouring Mumbai city and the booty was recovered, he said.

The accused had tracked Vaishnav's movements for 15 days before committing the robbery, Karad said, adding that a search was on for three more people involved in the crime.

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The Shiv Sena Thursday joined the Opposition to condemn the "meagre" reduction in prices of petrol and diesel by the BJP-led governments at Centre and in Maharashtra.

Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale said the decision was taken by the government fearing "wrath" of common people who are suffering due to escalating fuel prices.

The state government announced the decision to reduce price of petrol by Rs 2.50 per litre, soon after the Centre announced cut in the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre.

As per the state government, the reduction will give consumers in the state a relief to the tune of Rs 5 a litre.

"The decision to cut down prices of petrol and diesel by the Centre and Maharashtra governments has been taken fearing the wrath of people. This reduction is meagre," Shewale said in a statement.

Shewale said prices of petrol should be minimum in Mumbai given that crude oil is being treated in the financial capital which is home ot a number of refineries.

Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe said the fuel price cut should have been at least one-third of the total increase in prices under the present BJP-led government.

"Prices of fuel have increased with the speed of a bullet train. However, they are being reduced at a snail's pace. This is a very meagre price cut. They should have reduced it by at least one-third of its total appreciation," she said.

The Shiv Sena is a constituent of the BJP-led governments at Centre and Maharashtra.

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Police have busted a gang of robbers who were planning to commit the crime during Navratri festival in the national capital, officials said Thursday.

The gang, named after a film 'Fukrey', had travelled by air and stole over 180 mobile phones in a single day from Ganpati Mahotsav in Mumbai.

But their run came to an end when two of their gang members were held.

The accused identified as Nadeem (38) was arrested while a minor was apprehended from Delhi as they arrived here with an intention of robbery in the wake of Navratri festival, a senior police officer said.

The gang members usually operated during festivals and other occasions, where a huge crowd is expected. Earlier, they have operated in Odisha's Puri during the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra and were involved in more than 300 cases of mobile snatching and robbery, Additional Commissioner of Police (crime) Ajith Singla said.

On September 29, gang leader Nadeem was arrested from Delhi's Rana Pratap Bagh area and 14 robbed mobile phones were recovered from him. At his instance, another gang member, a minor was also detained, he said.

On interrogation, Nadeem revealed about his involvement in more than 400 incidents of snatching and robbery in various states. He along with his gang members often flew down to their destinations, he added.

Police said the gang operated very professional. As they targeted crowds at festival, they would enjoy and dance with them and became part of the celebration. Taking advantage of the crowd, they would snatch and rob mobile phones and other valuables from the victims.

With their arrest, fourteen different cases of snatching and robbery registered at various police stations of Mumbai have been solved, the police said, adding that at least 200 similar cases would be further solved. Further investigation underway.

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The Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration Thursday said it has expelled four persons for their alleged involvement in crimes in the district, as it continued its action to check the law and order situation.

Those expelled have been identified as Premraj, a resident of Dankaur in the district, Mohit, Mahesh and Sundar



all three living in Jewar, the administration said.

The move comes 10 days after four other notorious locals faced a similar action on September 24.

"They have been expelled out of Gautam Buddh Nagar for a period of six months as part of the administration and the police's effort to check crime here," District Magistrate Brajesh Narayan Singh said.

A case under the Uttar Pradesh Control ofGoondasAct, 1970, was undergoing in the District Magistrate's court, which has ordered the expulsion of these persons, according to a statement from the district information office.

"The district administration is committed to ensuring continuous strict action against people of criminal nature. Therefore, similar action will be taken in the future against the mafia and criminals under the Gangsters Act and the Goonda Act, besides considering their expulsion from the district," Singh said.

The district administration had recently sought public help in tracking anti-social elements, who were reportedly staying in Gautam Buddh Nagar despite being expelled out under law.

Around 45 anti-social persons are officially under expulsion from Gautam Buddh Nagar at present.

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The Congress in Goa Thursday termed as "illegal" the rejection of a notice given by the party MLAs for removal of Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant and reiterated the demand for a floor test, claiming the BJP-led coalition government has lost its majority in House.

Congress leaders also alleged they had not received any response to their memorandum submitted to state Governor Mridula Sinha last month for dismissal of the government and summoning a day-long session, so that the Congress can prove its majority by virtue of being the single largest party.

The Speaker had Wednesday rejected a notice submitted last month by all the 16 MLAs of Congress seeking his removal from the post, saying it is "not maintainable".

The Congress MLAs had not specified any reason for removal of the Speaker in their notice filed on September 21.

Addressing a joint press conference here Thursday, party leaders accused the government of being "power drunk" and ignoring the Opposition. They said the government has lost its majority in the 40-member Assembly.

"Our demand to dismiss the government and invite the single largest party, i.e the Congress, to prove its majority in Assembly by calling a day-long session has not been attended to. We have not received any reply from the office of Governor till date," said Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar.

He said, "If the government has numbers, let them prove it on the floor of House. Let people also know".

Goa Congress unit president Girish Chodankar said it was surprising that the speaker decided on the notice himself which was for his removal from the post.

"What is surprising is that Speaker himself has decided on the notice against him and rejected it. We strongly condemn this illegal act," he said.

In his order disallowing the notice Wednesday, the speaker had said that such intimation has to be given either when the House is in session or the Assembly is summoned.

Chodankar said the state government's current attitude towards the Opposition is "dangerous for democracy".

Congress state unit spokesman and former Union minister Ramakant Khalap said, "as per the law, even a single MLA has the right to move a no-confidence motion against the government. In case of Congress, 16 MLAs had issued the notice against the Speaker".

Demanding a floor test, the Congress had claimed that there is no coordination among allies of the BJP.

Questions over political stability in the coastal state were raised because of ill health of Chief Minister Manoar Parrikar who is currently admitted in AIIMS in Delhi.

The BJP, which has 14 MLAs, is ruling the state with the help of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) which has three MLAs, the Goa Forward Party (GFP), NCP and three Independents. GFP has three seats and NCP has one.

The MGP Wednesday dismissed questions over political stability in Goa but expressed readiness to face mid-term polls in case the Assembly is dissolved.

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Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli Thursday expressed confidence that his government will complete the full five-year term, amid criticism from his own party.

Oli's remarks came after the senior leader of his own party and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal recently criticised the government for non performance and the deteriorating law and order situation in the country.

"The government is on the right track, doing good works, and will complete its full term," Oli said at Tribhuvan International Airport here.

"Sometimes people can vent their dissatisfaction in a poetic manner. But it is not necessary to make it a big issue," said Oli while returning from New York where he met with US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj among other leaders on the sidelines of the 73rd UN General Assembly session.

No government has completed the full five-year term after the restoration of multiparty democracy in Nepal in 1990.

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R N Ravi, the government interlocutor for talks with Naga insurgents, was Thursday appointed Deputy National Security Advisor, according to an order issued by the Personnel Ministry.

Ravi is the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC).

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved redesignating Ravi as the Deputy National Security Advisor (Internal Affairs) and as interlocutor of the government in Nagaland instead of chairman, JIC, the order said.

Ravi, a 1976-batch Indian Police Service officer (retired) of the Kerala cadre, was in August this year given an extension as the government's representative for the ongoing talks with Naga insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM).

Ravi retired as the Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau in 2012. He was in charge of the Northeast desk at the IB.

He was appointed as the chairman of the JIC, which works under the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), in September 2014, months after the NDA came to power.

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The government has imposed a fresh ban on two insurgent groups in Tripura for their violent and subversive activities, which aim at establishment of an independent nation.

In a notification, the Home Ministry said the central government is of the opinion that the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) have been engaging in subversive and violent activities, undermining the authority of the government and spreading terror and violence among people for achieving their objectives.

The ministry said the NLFT and the ATTF have, as their professed aim, establishment of an independent nation by secession of Tripura from India through armed struggle in alliance with other armed secessionist organisations of Tripura and to incite indigenous people of Tripura for such secession.

"In exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the central government hereby declares that the NLFT along with all its factions, wings and front organisations and the ATTF along with all its factions, wings and front organisations as unlawful associations," the notification said.

The rebel outfits in Tripura, formed in 1990 with the objective of "expulsion of all foreigners who entered the state after 1956", were first banned in 1997. The fresh ban will continue for five more years, an official said.

The home ministry also said both the groups have been maintaining close nexus with other unlawful associations of North East with the aim of mobilising their support, in pursuance of their aims and objectives in recent past, engaging in violent and unlawful activities which are prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India.

The central government is also of the opinion that their violent and unlawful activities include, killing of civilians and personnel belonging to the police and security forces, extortion of funds from the public including businessmen and traders in Tripura, establishing and maintaining camps in neighbouring countries for the purpose of safe sanctuary, training, procurement of arms and ammunitions, etc.

"The central government is also of the opinion that the aforesaid activities of the NLFT and the ATTF are detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India and that they are unlawful associations," the notification said.

The central government is also of the opinion that if there is no immediate curb and control of the NLFT and the ATTF they will take the opportunity to mobilise cadres for escalating secessionist, subversive, and violent activities, propagate anti-national activities in collusion with forces inimical to India's sovereignty and national integrity, indulge in killings of civilians and targeting of police and security force personnel, procure and induct illegal arms and ammunition from across the international border, extort and collect huge funds from the public for their unlawful activities.

"The central government, having regard to above circumstances, is of further opinion that it is necessary to declare the NLFT and the ATTF along with all their factions, wings and front organisations as unlawful associations with immediate effect; and accordingly, in exercise of powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section (3) of section 3 of the said Act, the central government hereby directs that this notification shall, subject to any order that may be made under section 4 of the said Act, have effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette," the notification issued Wednesday said.

The NLFT and ATTF were first banned in 1997 following large-scale ethnic riots involving tribals and non-tribals in Khowai subdivision in Tripura, in which both outfits intervened on behalf of the tribals.

Tripura shares an 856 km boundary with Bangladesh.

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Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge Thursday accused the Narendra Modi-led government of trying to polarise the society to deflect attention from issues such as the sliding rupee and spike in fuel prices.

Kharge said when the rupee fell during the previous UPA government's rule, Narendra Modi, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat, had criticised it, but now, when he is the prime minister, he is silent over it.

Petrol prices were Thursday hiked by 15 paise a litre and diesel by 20 paise, according to price notification of state-owned oil firms.

Kharge claimed the government wanted to increase the petrol price up to Rs 100 per litre and diesel to Rs 78 per litre and said the crude oil price in international market was less than what it was when the Congress-led UPA was in power.

"When the Indian currency was between Rs 45 and Rs 55 against the US dollar, Narendra Modi, then the chief minister of Gujarat, would constantly criticise us. But now he is keeping quiet. The government has collected Rs 12 lakh crore worth excise duty on petrol/ diesel," he said.

"The government is attempting polarisation in the society to deflect attention from important developmental issues," he alleged and claimed the condition of farmers, Dalits and minorities was "bad" in the country.

The AICC general secretary was speaking before the launch of second phase of the party's Jan Sangharsh Yatra here in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district.

He said the Congress had worked hard to uplift the rural economy in Maharashtra and would continue to do so.

Hitting out at the NDA government, he said now farmers who come to Delhi to seek redressal of their grievances are beaten up and tear gas shells are lobbed on them.

"Loan waiver worth Rs 72,000 crore was given to farmers during the UPA rule and now the situation of farmers is similar. But, the Modi government is doing nothing to help the cultivators in distress," the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha claimed.

Notably, Faizpur was the venue of the Congress' first convention in rural areas in 1936 and was then attended by Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, among other leaders.

Kharge, Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan and other state leaders and office-bearers paid tributes to the freedom fighters in Faizpur before embarking on the second phase of the 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra'.

As part of the yatra, the Congress leaders are touring across Maharashtra, covering almost 150 Assembly seats over three months, in what is being touted as the party's largest mass outreach campaign in the state.

The first phase of the yatra from Kolhapur to Pune across western Maharashtra, where the party had lost its grip in the 2014 polls, concluded on September 8.

During the second phase, Congress leaders will campaign across north Maharashtra till October 9, a senior party leader said.

With focus on mass outreach, the Congress leaders are touring on 'raths' equipped with LED screens and focusing on smaller gatherings for a better interaction with people and party workers.

During the first phase of the yatra, the Congress leaders showed people the past campaign videos of senior BJP leaders such as Modi, Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis, while alleging the saffron party came to power only on the back of "false promises.

During the second phase, the Congress leaders will tour Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, Nashik and Ahmednagar districts.

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In the wake of the death of 23 Asiatic lions in Gujarat's Gir forest in the last 20 days, the state government Thursday announced setting up two safari parks near here and in Narmada district to accommodate growing population of big cats.

The government would also shift some of the lions in the upcoming parks, as their population in the Gir sanctuary has gone up to 600, a minister said.

"One such park would come up near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's upcoming 'Statue of Unity' near Rajpipla town of Narmada district and another one near Ahmedabad," Minister of State for Forest Raman Patkar said at Vapi in Valsad district.

The lion population in Gujarat is 523, as per a 2015 Census. However, during the recent screening drive being conducted by Forest personnel, a total of 600 big cats were found in the Gir forest in Saurashtra region.

"Lion population is increasing. As per the last Census, there were 523 lions. But now, its more than 600. Thus, we have to provide them new habitat places. We have decided to create a new safari park near the upcoming Statue of Unity in Rajpipla and shift some lions there," Patkar said.

He said the government is also mulling over to to set up another safari park near Ahmedabad.

"This way, we will have two new safari parks," said Patkar.

In addition, people residing near Barda mountain in the eastern side of the Gir Sanctuary will be relocated elsewhere in a bid to provide a permanent habitat to lions, said the minister.

Deaths of 23 lions, all inhibiting in one area in the Gir forest, have been reported since September 12.

Infection caused by Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) and Protozoa is said to be the main reason behind the deaths.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani Thursday said in Surat that the lions have died due to a "contagious disease" spread among the big cats after eating "contaminated food".

"Lions belonging to one group got infected with a contagious disease. As per the reports, lions got infected with that disease after consuming some contaminated food. We are taking all necessary steps to save our lions," Rupani told reporters.

Stepping up their efforts to save the remaining lions, including 36 in captivity, senior officials have been deployed in the area to monitor the operations.

The officials include an officer with a rank of Chief Conservator of Forest and a Deputy Conservator of Forest.

"At present, 36 lions, which were rescued during our screening drive, are in our custody and they are doing fine," said Forest department Additional Chief Secretary Rajiv Kumar Gupta.

He said vaccines from the US would be reaching by Friday.

"We will take a call accordingly. As of now, the situation is under control. The screening drive to check health of lions on the outer limits of the Gir forest is still going on," he added.

On Wednesday, the state government had admitted that Canine Distemper Virus and Protozoa infection was responsible for death of at least 11 of 23 lions in Gir forest since September 12.

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The CBI has carried out searches at the Chennai residence of Additional Commissioner, GST, Senthil Valavaen in connection with the Gutkha scam, officials said Thursday.

Searches were also conducted at the residence of S Sridhar, former additional commissioner, System and Central Excise Intelligence, DGCEI, in Chennai.

The gutkha scam came to light in July 2017, when Income Tax sleuths raided the godown, offices and residences of a pan masala and gutkha manufacturer who was facing charges of tax evasion to the tune of Rs 250 crore.

The Tamil Nadu government had banned the manufacture, storage and sale of chewable forms of tobacco, including gutkha and pan masala, in 2013.

The gutkha manufacturer had allegedly paid bribes to a Tamil Nadu minister and officials to facilitate the production and sale.

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The Delhi Police Thursday informed a court here that it has handed over copies of all the evidence to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, accused in the death case of his wife Sunanda Pushkar.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal was told by the Delhi Police's senior public prosecutor Atul Srivastava that the copies supplied to Tharoor included electronic and documentary evidence.

Senior advocate Vikash Pahwa, appearing for Tharoor, sought time from the court for verifying the documents.

The documents included statements of various witnesses recorded in the case.

The court granted a week to Tharoor and posted the matter for further hearing on October 12.

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.

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.

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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Gwyneth Paltrow has credited former boyfriend Brad Pitt for protecting her from Harvey Weinstein's predatory behaviour and said the disgraced producer backed off as the actor "scared" him away.

In May, Paltrow had revealed that Pitt had threatened to kill Weinstein after she told him of the alleged sexual harassment she experienced at the hands of the disgraced producer.

"I am so grateful to Brad. Because he leveraged his power and fame to protect me - when I was no one - and he scared Harvey.

"And if it hadn't been for him, I don't know if I'd have gotten fired, or what. But instead, Harvey was like, 'OK, let's put it behind us'. I think he wanted to keep Brad on side," she told Marie Claire UK.

Paltrow said Weinstein had made sexual advances towards her when she was first signed on to star in "Emma" and "Shakespeare in Love".

The disgraced media mogul had asked the actor for a massage while the two were alone in a hotel room.

Pitt confronted the producer when the three attended the opening of "Hamlet on Broadway" in 1995.

Paltrow was one of the biggest names to accuse Weinstein of sexual harassment and abuse a year ago after the expose by The New York Times and New Yorker magazine.

More than 100 women have since accused Weinstein of impropriety ranging from sexual harassment to assault and rape.

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The BJP government in Haryana Thursday announced a Rs 2.50 per litre cut in petrol and diesel prices while the Punjab government has called a meeting Friday to assess the implications of the Centre's suggestions on slashing fuel prices. The announcement of both the governments came after the Centre announced a Rs 2.50 per litre cut in fuel prices.

Haryana Finance and Excise and Taxation minister Captain Abhimanyu said the state government has reduced the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre to pass on a total relief of about Rs 5 per litre to consumers.

"Considering an appeal of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Haryana government has decided to cut petrol and fuel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre," Abhimanyu said while addressing media here. "We will reduce VAT on fuel which will come into effect from midnight," he further said.

"We have made an assessment that the price of diesel will reach Rs 71 per litre and petrol at Rs 79 a litre, said Abhimanyu. "With this price cut, annual impact on Haryana exchequer will be to the tune of Rs 1,920 crore, he said.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has called a meeting of officers of excise and taxation and finance department on Friday to assess the implications and the impact of the centre's suggestion to states on reducing fuel prices, officials said. Any decision on revising fuel prices will be taken after the meeting, they further said.

Amarinder, who was in Delhi, also spoke to Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and asked him to make a presentation on this issue, officials said.

The Centreannounced in Delhi a cut in petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre, factoring in excise duty reduction of Rs 1.50 per litre.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley alsoasked state governments to follow suit by cutting a sales tax or VAT by a similar amount. The reduction followed petrol and diesel prices touching new highs.

Meanwhile,Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal while welcoming the reduction in petrol and diesel rates, asked the Congress government in Punjab to immediate reciprocate and reduce VAT on both petrol products by Rs five per litre each keeping in view the fact that petrol and diesel prices in Punjab were the highest in north India.

In a statement here, the SAD president also asked the Congress government to immediately convene a special session of the Vidhan Sabha and table a resolution to bring both petrol and diesel under the GST ambit.

This will go a long way in giving a further relief to the common man as well as farmers by effecting a major cut in VAT and other taxes on these petro products, he added.

Badal said now was also the time for the Congress government to practice what it preached.

Pradesh Congress president Sunil Jakhar has been claiming that he will impress upon the State government to effect a reduction in prices of petro-products once the centre takes the initiative. Now this has been done. Now the Punjab government must effect a substantial cut as it is collecting the highest VAT on both petro products in Northern India. If it does not do this then it will be proved that the Congress government is neither 'lok hitaishi' nor 'kisan hitaishi', Sukhbir said.

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An 82-year-old widow journalist, who was raped and killed at her South Delhi residence, was murdered in the "most inhuman manner", the Delhi High Court Thursday said but acquitted her 23-year-old domestic help saying the prosecution failed to prove the case.

The court allowed the man's appeal and set aside the trial court's order convicting and sentencing the accused for the offences of rape, murder and destruction of evidence.

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel said the crime was "indeed horrific".

"An elderly has been done to death in the most inhuman manner. The evidence placed on record by the prosecution, however, has failed to prove that it is the appellant who is responsible for the crime.

"Howsoever strong a suspicion might be, it cannot constitute proof and is insufficient to return a finding of guilt," the bench said.

It said the prosecution has failed to prove the case against accused Neeraj Safi beyond reasonable doubt.

The trial court had held Safi guilty -- the victim's servant for raping and murdering her in her Greater Kailash-II house on July 7, 2014.

The police, in its charge sheet, had alleged that he had raped the woman, who used to stay alone since her husband died in 2005, and then strangled her with her dupatta.

The man, who hailed from Madhubani in Bihar, had then set the body of the victim on fire using kerosene and dragged it to an adjacent room, the police had said.

After killing her, he tried to mislead neighbours and the police about her whereabouts stating that she had not returned from her evening walk in a nearby park, the police had alleged.

The man had denied committing the crime.

The high court, in its verdict, said the man's conduct of calling the neighbour and the victim's daughter in the US and remaining present at the spot throughout was not the conduct of a person who had committed such a serious crime.

It said the woman's son-in-law was neither a reliable nor a truthful witness and the conviction of the man cannot be based on the evidence of such witness.

"With the medical and forensic evidence ruling out the possibility of the man having committed the physical sexual assault on the deceased, the prosecution has failed to prove the motive for a crime," it said.

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The Delhi High court Thursday asked the Haryana government about the status of the repair works on the old Delhi Sub Branch Canal (DSBC), that carries water to the national capital, besides the Munak canal.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao asked the state government to file a report before the next date of hearing on November 12.

The direction from the bench came after petitioner advocate S B Tripathi told the court that the repairs were getting delayed which in turn was affecting the water supply to Delhi, especially in the sub-city of Dwarka.

Haryana had on May 24 this year told the court that it has floated tenders for the repair works and that they would be opened in June and the work was expected to be completed in four months thereafter.

Prior to that, the court had on May 10 pulled up the Haryana government for not issuing any tender for repairing the old sub-branch canal, despite payment of Rs 28.16 crore to it by the Delhi Jal Board for the work.

The court was also displeased with the fact that Haryana had till then not encashed the cheques sent in March.

The high court on March 13 had directed Haryana and Delhi governments to take steps to immediately carry out repair works on DSBC, saying any delay in commencing the work would lead to wastage of water, would be really needed by the national capital.

The court was hearing a PIL moved by Tripathi who has said that the population in Delhi was increasing each day but the raw water available was the same or even decreasing.

Tripathi has also filed an application for concrete lining of DSBC, similar to the Munak canal, claiming that due to seepage in the older canal, 50 per cent of the 330 cusec water released into it by Haryana is lost. The plea has claimed that the wastage can be brought down to 5 per cent by concrete lining.

The bench had earlier asked the Haryana government to ensure it releases the entire quantity of water required as per the undertaking given to the court.

Haryana has to release 719 cusecs of water per day into Munak canal and 330 cusecs per day in DSBC, according to the undertaking and earlier court orders.

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The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the AAP government as to why it was not able to abide by its assurance given last November that pendency of viscera and blood samples for testing in forensic labs would go down.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar said that an affidavit filed by the Delhi State Legal Services Authority indicated that the pendency has increased. It asked the Directors of the two forensic science labs (FSL) in the city to file an affidavit indicating the reasons for the rise.

The court also sought a status report from the Delhi government on why it could not abide by its statement made in November last year that the pendency would come down to zero.

The court was hearing a PIL initiated by it in 2012 after the infamous December 16, 2012 gang rape of a young woman in a moving bus. The woman later succumbed to the injuries.

It was also hearing another PIL by social activist Ajay Gautam alleging that there have been several deaths inside police stations in the city this year and the presence of functional CCTVs could act as a deterrent.

In both the matters, the court has been from time to time issuing directions with regard to increasing the number of police officers in the city, installation of CCTV cameras in police stations as well as vulnerable or crime prone areas, reducing delay in testing of samples in FSLs and ensuring speedy disbursal of compensation to victims of sexual assault.

Regarding the issue of recruiting more police personnel, Delhi Police told the court that of the 4,227 posts sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in 2016, only 705 are to be filled.

It said that all tests for the 705 posts have been conducted and the tentative date of joining would be in November.

Apart from that, of the 3,139 additional posts sanctioned by MHA in July this year, 42 have been filled by promotions and process for filling up 1,198 has been initiated.

The remaining 1,757 posts would be advertised soon, police told the court which directed that immediate steps be taken for initiating recruitment.

The bench also directed the police to file a chart indicating number of posts, the process initiated for recruitment and the stage at which it was.

On installation of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in vulnerable areas in the city, Delhi government senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra suggested that the Chief Secretary be asked to hold a meeting with the Police Commissioner and PWD department to work out an action plan.

Noting the suggestion, the bench asked the Chief Secretary to consider holding such a meeting and listed the matter for further hearing on December 13.

Mehra also told the court that CCTV cameras would be installed in all police stations and chowkis in the city by mid-December instead of the earlier deadline of mid-October.

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The Madras High Court Thursday stayed all further proceedings in a criminal defamation case against PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss in a lower court.

It also directed him to appear before a special court in two weeks and execute a bond for Rs 5,000 without surety, giving an undertaking that he would present himself for hearing in the event of his plea being dismissed by the high court.

Justice P N Prakash passed the interim orders on a petition by Ramadoss and dispensed with his appearance before the special court till its (petition) disposal.

In his order the judge said, "The Case has been transferred to the Special Court constituted exclusively for trial of cases against MP's and MLA's.

"The petitioner is directed to appear before the Special Court within two weeks from the date of receipt of this order and on such appearance he shall execute a bond for Rs 5,000 without surety Under Section 88 Cr.Pc."



Thereafter, the petitioner shall give an undertaking that he would appear before the Special Court without waiting for summons in the event of Criminal Original Petition getting dismissed, the order said.

"Thereafter the appearance of the petitioner before the special court dispensed with till the disposal of Criminal Original petition," the judge said.

The matter relates to a criminal complaint filed against Ramadoss by the City Public Prosecutor with regard to a press statement issued by him on the Tamil Nadu government's decision to transfer all the pending investigation idol theft cases to CBI.

Alleging that the statement issued by Ramadoss amounted to 'criminal defamation,' the City Public Prosecutor filed a criminal complaint in the Principal Sessions Court here.

Ramadoss then filed a criminal original petition seeking to quash the proceedings before the Principal Sessions Judge.

But as a separate Court was constituted to deal with the cases relating MP's and MLA's, Anbumani Ramadoss being an MP of Dharmapuri, the case was transferred to the Special Court.

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The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday upheld the capital punishment awarded by a session court in Mainpuri to Sovaran Singh Prajapati for murdering his wife and minor daughter.

Prajapati had brutally assaulted his wife, Mamta and daughter with a rock and a bamboo stick-- leading to their deaths-- enraged by his wife's refusal to give him money to buy alcohol.

A first information report was registered at police station Korhal in Mainpuri on June 30, 2014.

The two-judge bench of the high court comprising Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice Om Prakash-Vll dismissed Prajapati's appeal against the death sentence awarded to him by the sessions court.

Confirming the death penalty, the court said that the case was "rarest of rare" due to the manner in which the victims were murdered by the accused.

The court further observed that the killings were brutal, grotesque and diabolical.

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Minister of State for Health on Thursday administered oath to students and participants of a symposium for adopting healthy lifestyle at Vardhman Mahavir Medical College at Hospital, and stressed healthy lifestyle and were interconnected.

Inaugurating a symposium-cum-exhibition, 'Dialogue with Organs for Allied Health Force A step to enhance cognitive skills', organised by the Department of Anatomy, Patel said is one of the noblest things that one can do.

"Healthy lifestyle and are in fact interconnected. Only when one has healthy organs, can he or she lead a healthy life, and can be eligible for organ donation," she emphasised.

She also reiterated the need for empowering oneself with knowledge to attain professional competency and appreciated the unique initiative of the department.

"This platform of interaction of the eager learners with renowned experts in different fields will go a long way to create awareness and clear certain concepts in their mind," she added.

Patel stated that it was imperative to maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid habits which in the long run will pose as a health hazard.

"Only when all the members of our society will be aware of a healthy lifestyle and of the necessity of avoiding unhealthy practices, can we achieve 'Health for All'," she said.

The symposium brought together about 350 students and allied health workers from institutions in and focused on healthy lifestyle and organ donation.

The highlight of the symposium was the exhibition on pathological effect on human organs which displayed normal, preserved human organs and pathological specimen of human liver, lungs, large and small intestine to lay specific emphasis on the effects of smoking, alcoholism, drug abuse, drink-and-drive and unhealthy lifestyle displayed through scientific posters.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The year has been quite tough for the private sector banking industry which is seeing exit of three high-profile bankers, Chanda Kochhar, Shikha Sharma and Rana Kapoor, before the end of their scheduled term.

While Kochhar Thursday resigned from the post of MD and CEO of ICICI Bank with immediate effect, Sharma is leaving Axis Bank in December.

Another high profile banker and founding CEO of Yes Bank Rana Kapoor has been asked by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to quit the post by January 2019.

Kochhar, who is facing allegations of nepotism and conflict of interest, quit the bank six months before her current tenure was to end.

She also resigned from all subsidiaries of the bank including ICICI Securities where she had sought reappointment as the chairperson.

There are allegations of involvement of Kochhar and her family members in a loan provided to Videocon group on a quid pro quo basis.

Another ICICI Bank prodigy, Shikha Sharma had decided to quit the bank by the end of this year. Although she got the approval of the board for a three-year term with effect from June 1, 2018, the proposal did not find favour with the RBI. Her stint was mired in divergence of bad loans.

The private sector lender's NPAs jumped by over five-fold in recent financial years. The gross NPAs worth Rs 4,110 crore at the end of March 2015 surged to Rs 21,280 crore at the end of March 2017. During the same period, the lender's net profit halved from Rs 7,357.8 crore to Rs 3,679.2 crore.

The RBI also cut short the tenure of Kapoor and asked the private sector lender to look for his replacement by January 2019.

Kapoor, who has been managing director and CEO since the bank's inception in 2004, had sought a three-year extension till August 31, 2021. However, the sector regulator did not agree to the request and permitted him to continue only till January 2019.

The banking sector has seen increased regulatory scrutiny over the last two years as the RBI has tried to push for appropriate recognition of bad loans.

The asset quality review initiated in December 2015 has led to banks recognising an additional Rs 6 lakh crore as bad loans.

Banks were asked to disclose 'divergences' in bad loan reporting. As a result, the RBI judged gross NPAs at Rs 8,373.8 crore for Yes Bank for 2016-17 against the declared gross NPAs at Rs 2,018 crore. Thus, there was a divergence of Rs 6,355 crore or three times the reported amount.

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Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) Thursday said it will invest Rs 630 crore to set up a new assembly line in its Gujarat plant for expanding its capacity by 0.6 million units per annum to seven million.

The new assembly line will come up at its scooters-only plant at Vithalapur near Ahmedabad, and will be commissioned by 2020, the company said in a statement.

This will be the 12th assembly line for the Japanese auto major that began its independent journey in 2001.

"The new plant will expand our annual production capacity to seven million, from 6.4 million now, and will involve a capex of Rs 630 crore," HMSI, which operates four plants in the country, said in the statement.

The firm opened the scooters-only Vithalapur plant in February 2016, with a 0.6-million capacity. The capacity was doubled to 1.2 million in June 2016.

"Over the years, we've been investing and expanding our capacity to enhance our market. The additional capacity at our fourth factory reinforces our commitment to this market and serve this market faster," said Minoru Kato, president and chief executive, HMSI.

Honda set up its first plant at Manesar in Haryana, the second at Tapukara in Rajasthan and the third at Narsapura, near Bengaluru. All these plants make automatic scooters and motorcycles. It opened its fourth plant, which makes just scooters, at Vithalapur in Gujarat.

Most of the expansion came in after FY11, when it had only 1.6-million units capacity. Between FY11 and FY18, HMSI ramped up its capacity to 6.4 million units.

Honda, the second largest two-wheeler maker in the country, sells the the world's largest two-wheeler brand, Activa scooters. In August, it's CB Shine became the largest selling executive class motorcycle in the country.

Honda India contributes over 32 per cent of the global volume of the Japanese company and is the largest market for the parent firm.

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New research in Hong Kong has found that UV filters commonly used in sunscreen are polluting surrounding waters and could endanger human health, one of the city's leading universities said Thursday.

An "extensive amount" of seven common UV filter chemicals was found in Hong Kong seawater as well as in fish, shrimps and mussels on aqua-farms, scientists from Hong Kong Baptist University told reporters.

"The effect of these contaminants passing along the food chain to humans and the long-term impact on human fertility cannot be neglected," said Dr Kelvin Leung, who led the research.

Tests performed on zebrafish, which share a similar genetic structure to humans, showed the polluted water caused abnormalities and a higher mortality rate in the fish's embryos as the chemicals entered the food chain.

The university described the study as a world-first in identifying the harm caused by a combination of polluting chemicals in sunscreen.

Researchers said they would conduct further tests to learn more about the effects of UV filters on the human body.

The chemicals tested on the zebrafish study included octocrylene (known as OC), benzophenone-3 (known as BP-3) and ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (known as EHMC), which were found to be the most abundant types of chemical UV filters in Hong Kong waters.

The European Union's International Chemical Secretariat has already established BP-3 as a threat to human health and called for it to be replaced with another, safer ingredient.

Dr Leung added that these chemicals can accumulate in the human body and cannot be dissolved or diluted simply by drinking water.

There is growing international concern over the polluting effects of sunscreen. Hawaii signed a bill in July to ban sunscreens containing chemicals harmful to coral reefs, which will take effect from 2021.

But the ban raised concerns that it may deter consumers from using sunscreen to protect their skin from cancer.

Leung called for more regulations on the use of chemicals in personal care products and recommended consumers use mineral-based sunscreens such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, or wear sun-protection clothing.

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The Delhi High Court Thursday asked a senior official of the city government's Labour Department to appear before it for failing to comply with the court's direction to register private placement agencies to check human trafficking.

Justice Siddharth Mridul asked the Delhi government why it was not implementing the court's order passed on September 30, 2014 for regulating the functioning of placement agencies.

Appearing for the NGO, senior advocate H S Phoolka said the court had ordered registration of placement agencies in 2014 but none of the agencies has been registered till date.

Terming the matter as serious, the court sought the presence of the joint secretary concerned on the next date of hearing which is October 30.

The court was hearing a contempt petition by NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan in which it has alleged that there was a "complete wilful disobedience and non-compliance" of the court's 2014 order for regulating the functioning of placement agencies.

When the court asked Delhi government standing counsel Ramesh Singh whether the government has implemented its earlier order, he replied in negative.

In May this year, when the contempt petition was filed, he had told the court the government was not treating the plea as an adversarial litigation and it would place a bill regarding the issue before the legislative assembly within eight weeks.

The plea, filed through advocate Prabhsahay Kaur, has claimed that the court was moved because the labour department had completely failed in implementing the executive order of September 25, 2014 for compulsory registration of private placement agencies providing domestic workers.

The high court had in its 2014 order had asked the government to implement the executive order passed on September 25 at the earliest.

The NGO has also filed a fresh application in the pending contempt petition seeking direction to the authorities to forthwith inspect all placement agencies operating in Delhi and shut down the unregistered and unlicensed ones within six weeks.

It also sought to penalise the unregistered and unlicensed placement agencies and lodge FIR against the people responsible.

The NGO, in its plea, said it seemed the executive order was passed by the government in an attempt to hoodwink the court in closing the proceedings before it and was only intended to remain on paper.

"The non-compliance by the Delhi government is completely in the favour of the human trafficking lobby that is increasing on an unprecedented scale under the comfortable and safe swaddle of unregulated placement agencies," it alleged.

"In the absence of a regulating framework, which acts as a deterrent, placement agencies specifically employ children because they are cheaper to employ and can be easily exploited. Consequently, the phenomenon of trafficking has spread its fangs far and wide into our system, affecting the most vulnerable members of our society i.e. children and women.

"Being unregistered, these placement agencies are outside the net of the authorities concerned and hence, are not answerable to anyone unless apprehended," the plea said.

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India on Thursday deported seven Rohingya men to neighbouring Myanmar over six years after they entered the country illegally and jailed, shortly after the Supreme Court paved the way for the first such action against the community.

The move sparked criticism from rights groups with Amnesty International alleging that the Indian government is conducting a "relentless smear" campaign against Rohingya immigrants and that it sets a "dangerous" precedent for all asylum seekers in the country.

The men, who are in the age bracket of 26-32 years, were detained in 2012. They were later lodged in Cachar Central Jail in Silchar in Assam after a court convicted them under the Foreigners Act, holding them as illegal immigrants.

Indian and Myanmar security officials exchanged documents before the deportation of the men on the India-Myanmar border at Moreh in Manipur.

Rohingyas are a stateless Muslim minority who have faced persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

"Seven Myanmarese nationals have been deported today. They were handed over to the authorities of Myanmar at Moreh border post in Manipur," Assam Additional Director General of Police (Border) Bhaskar J Mahanta told PTI over phone.

Consular access had been given to Myanmar diplomats, who confirmed the identity of the immigrants, Mahanta said.

The confirmation of the Myanmarese citizenship of the illegal immigrants came after the government of the neighbouring country verified their addresses in Rakhine State and all of them were given travel documents by Myanmar, a Union Home Ministry official said. This is for the first time Rohingya immigrants were sent back to Myanmar from India, the official added.

The repatriation of the seven immigrants was arranged after "reconfirming" their willingness to return and with "full concurrence" of the Myanmarese government, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court refused to step in to stop the deportation by dismissing a plea against the government's move.

The court said these Rohingyas were convicted by the competent court under the Foreigners Act and were held to be as illegal immigrants.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K M Joseph said that even the country of their origin Myanmar has identified them and accepted them as its citizens.

"Having considered the prayer, we would not like to interfere with the decision taken. The petition is dismissed," the bench said.

The bench rejected the plea made by one of the Rohingyas, who had filed an application seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting to Myanmar the seven Rohingyas lodged in a detention centre at Silchar in Assam.

Those deported were Md Jamal, Mohbul Khan, Jamal Hussain, Md Yonus, Sabir Ahmed, Rahim Uddin and Md Salam -- all in the 26-32 year age bracket.

The top court took the case as first matter after advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner Jaffarullah, informed the court that it is an urgent issue as the seven Rohingyas were taken to the Indo-Myanmar border from where they will be deported.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre said that these Rohingyas illegally migrated to India in 2012 and were convicted under the Foreigners Act.

He said that after the conviction they were sent to a detention centre and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had contacted the Myanmar embassy for identification of these seven Rohingyas.

"Following the verification, Myanmar government issued a certificate of identity to the seven Rohingyas along with one month visa to facilitate their deportation," he said, adding that after getting the travel documents they were taken to the border.

In a statement, Amnest International said the deported Rohingya men are at "grave risk" of being subjected to human rights violations by the Myanmar government and it is a "dark day" for human rights in India.

The rights body said that the deportees were "forcibly" returned to Myanmar.

"This decision negates India's proud tradition of providing refuge to those fleeing serious human rights violations. It endangers the most persecuted population in the world and is bereft of any empathy," Aakar Patel, executive director of Amnesty India, said.

The Indian government had informed Parliament last year that over 14,000 Rohingya people, registered with the UN refugee agency UNHCR, stay in India.

However, aid agencies estimate there are about 40,000 Rohingya people in the country.

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Two agreements have been signed between India and France to foster the development of renewable energy innovations in the country, such as high-efficiency solar panels, power storage, e-mobility and smart grid management.

French Minister Brune Poirson signed two cooperation agreements between the French Development Agency (AFD), the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Bollor-Blue-Solution and their Indian partner, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), according to an official statement Thursday.

These agreements will foster the development of renewable energy innovations in India, such as high-efficiency solar panels, power storage, e-mobility and smart grid management, it said.

Poirson also visited the French stand at the RE-Invest Expo at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida to highlight the participation of French companies and encourage them.

Major French companies are particularly present in the renewable energy sector in India, such as EDF, Engie, Schneider Electric, as well as SMEs and midcaps, such as Technique solaire, which is currently developing its second solar park in Maharashtra; ECM-SEMCO, which produces solar panels; and Navalt, which produces solar-powered boats.

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India and Kazakhstan agreed to step up military cooperation, especially in the areas of defence production, as Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met her counterpart Nurlan Yermekbayev during her three-day visit to the central Asian country, a statement said Thursday.

During her Kazakhstan visit, which commenced on October 2, Sitharaman also met Minister of Defence and Aerospace Industry Beibut Atamkulov.

They discussed a wide range of issues relating to defence and military technical cooperation and took stock of the progress of the bilateral relationship, especially in the defence sector.

The two countries had renewed the Memorandum of Cooperation on defence in January 2017. Both countries are 'strategic partners' since 2009.

"Smt Nirmala Sitharaman also discussed issues relating to defence production with the Minister for Defence and Aerospace Industry. In this connection, the possibilities of joint production and/or co-production were discussed based upon the relative strengths and experience of both sides. She also discussed regional developments with the Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Mr Kairat Abdrakhmanov," the statement said.

India and Kazakhstan defence cooperation includes military-technical cooperation, military education and training, joint military exercises, bilateral exchange of visits and cadet youth exchange programs.

Over 200 Kazakh defence forces personnel have undergone military training in India till date. Both countries successfully conducted a company-level joint military exercise 'KAZIND-2018' in south Kazakhstan last month.

Sitharaman and Yermekbayev presided over the flag off ceremony of the Kazakhstan contingent that will join the Indian contingent at the United Nations International Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon.

The statement said the Kazakh contingent will join the Indian contingent at Lebanon by the end of this month.

She also invited Yermekbayev Atamkulov to visit India and to attend Aero India 2019 to be held in Bengaluru in February 2019, the statement added.

Sitharaman also visited the National Defence University where she was shown the Indian Military Art Room (IMAR), which has been established with Indian assistance.

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Ireland's data protection authority launched an investigation into Facebook, bringing stringent new European privacy laws to bear on the tech titan after a security breach exposed 50 million accounts.

Wednesday's move comes after the social media firm admitted to the data breach in a blog post last Friday, saying attackers exploited a vulnerability in the website's code in September in a way that could have given them access to people's accounts.

"The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has today, 3 October 2018, commenced an investigation... into the Facebook data breach," a DPC spokesman said in a statement.

"In particular, the investigation will examine Facebook's compliance with its obligation under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the security and safeguarding of the personal data it processes."



The Irish probe has been touted as the first major test of the reformed European regulation which came into effect in May.

GDPR gives regulators sweeping powers to sanction organisations which fail to adhere to heightened standards of security when processing personal data.

Firms can be fined up to four percent of annual global turnover if they fail to abide by the rules -- meaning Facebook faces a theoretical fine of 1.4 billion euros (USD 1.6 billion), based on its 2017 annual revenue of 35.2 billion euros (USD 40.6 billion).

But on Tuesday the EU's top data privacy official said the social media giant was unlikely to face the maximum penalty because it had adhered to rules requiring notification of the data breach within 72 hours.

This "is one of the factors which might result in lower sanctions", EU Justice and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Vera Jourova told AFP in Luxembourg. "But this is only theoretical", she added.

"We have been in close contact with the Irish Data Protection Commission since we have become aware of the security attack and will continue to cooperate with their investigation," Facebook said in a statement.

In its post on Friday Facebook said the data breach happened on September 25.

"This allowed them to steal Facebook access tokens which they could then use to take over people's accounts," VP of Product Management Guy Rosen wrote.

"We have yet to determine whether these accounts were misused or any information accessed. We also don't know who's behind these attacks or where they're based." On Monday, Ireland's DPC said staff believe that of the total profiles potentially impacted, less than 10 per cent are EU accounts.

Facebook -- which has established its international headquarters in Ireland -- is already suffering from a tainted reputation on data security following the Cambridge Analytica (CA) scandal.

In that case, tens of millions of users had their personal data hijacked by CA, a political firm working for Donald Trump in 2016.

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Over 16 lakh voters are eligible to vote in the four-phased Jammu and Kashmir urban local body polls that begin from October 8, officials said.

"As many as 982 candidates have filed their nominations for the four phases of the ULB and municipal polls in the Kashmir valley," a senior official of the state election department told PTI.

While the two major regional political parties, the PDP and the National Conference, have boycotted the polls, 982 other candidates have filed their nominations, another official said.

Officials said 179 candidates have been declared elected unopposed in the polls, which will be held in the backdrop of threats by terror groups.

In Devsar municipal polls, all the 8 candidates were declared elected unopposed, they said.

In Charar-e-Sharief (Budgam) 11 candidates were declared elected unopposed while the number of such victorious candidates was 10 in Bandipora's Hajin, they said.

Nine candidates each were declared elected unopposed to the civic bodies in



Budgam, Anantnag and Langate while 8 each were chosen without a contest in Choudra, Kokernag, Watergam, Sopore and Ashmuqam areas, they said.

Chief Electoral Officer, J&K, Shaleen Kabra confirmed it.

According to official statistics, as many as 258 candidates filed nominations and after withdrawal and checking of forms, 199 candidates were left in the fray for the first phase of polling on October 8th.

In this phase, 69candidates were declared elected "uncontested", according to officials.

For the second phase, 61candidates were declared elected uncontested while 209 others are in the fray.

Forty nine candidates were declared elected unopposed for the third phase, out of 194 candidates, who filed their nominations while the remaining will have to battle it out at the hustings, officials said.

For the fourth phase, 260 candidates have filed nomination papers and the process for scrutiny of papers and withdrawal is on, according to officials.

"As many as 16,97,291 electors will exercise their franchise in 1,145 wards across the state of J&K in four phase polls beginning October 8", a senior election department officer said.

Out of total 1,145 wards, 90 wards have been reserved for Scheduled Castes and38 wards have been reserved for Scheduled Tribes which includes 31 and 13 wards reserved for SC and ST women respectively, he said.

In addition, 322 wards have been reserved for women belonging to open category, he added. Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has the highest number of 6,63,775 electors for the city's 74 wards, he said.

The first phase of polling will be undertaken on October 8, followed by second phase on October 10, third on October 13 and the fourth and final phase on October 16, he said. Counting of the votes will be taken up on October20, the officer said.

The state's major political parties -- National Conference and PDP -- have boycotted the elections over the legal challenge to Article 35-A of the Constitution in the Supreme Court.

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Actor Javed Jaffery has joined the cast of "Jabariya Jodi" as



Sidharth Malhotra's on screen father.

The actor said he was not apprehensive about playing the role of a father as he believes it is "time to reinvent and present a diverse, fresh outlook".

"My character in the film is that of a bad-ass gangster from Bihar. It's a very interesting, real, raw and fun character which adds a great dimension to the story," Jaffery, 54, said in a statement.

Sidharth and Parineeti Chopra have already started shooting for this film in Lucknow earlier this month.

Produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shailesh R Singh, the film revolves around the a man in Bihar who has made a business out of abducting grooms.

The film is directed by debutant director Prashant Singh.

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The Janata Dal (United) would contest the Mizoram Assembly election which is due later this year, party secretary-general K C Tyagi said Thursday.

Tyagi in a press statement from Delhi, said that a delegation of JD(U) led by him is scheduled to visit Aizawl in the coming days.

"Janata Dal always stood for the rights of the Mizo people and their miseries," the statement said, adding that the party would fight the coming assembly polls to be held this year.

The JD(U), under the leadership of Nitish Kumar is committed to ensure socio-economic development for all, it said, adding that the party would also ensure that the 'Act East Policy' is revamped and accelerated to benefit the Mizo people in particular and north eastern region in general.

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The Jharkhand government Thursday reduced diesel price by Rs 2.50 per litre, an official release said here.

Chief Minister Raghubar Das asked Commercial Department Secretary K K Khandelwal to take necessary action in this regard, it said.

The Centre on Thursday announced a Rs 2.50 per litre cut in petrol and diesel prices, after it reduced excise duty by Rs 1.50 a litre and asked oil companies to absorb another Re 1.

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The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union has called for a university strike on October 5 to protest against the administration for not inviting them for the academic council meeting, the students' union said.

The JNU administration remained tight-lipped on the issue.

The JNUSU alleged it has been debarred from the academic council meeting, "where the dubious proposal of online entrance examination is being sought to be imposed".

"The online entrance examination is a policy intended to destroy, dismantle and shut down JNU. Last year's admission data with details of reservation are also being withheld by the vice-chancellor," they alleged.

They alleged the vice-chancellor wants one timetable, one syllabus and one system for JNU.

The JNUSU appealed to students to participate in the university strike on Friday.

"We cannot allow JNU VC to destroy JNU. Let's stand united and resist this Draconian move," read the message circulated by the students' union.

The students' union will be protesting outside the academic council meeting.

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Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir is set to get the state's first "highway village" having a multiplex complex, motels and baby-care rooms, as part of a first-of-its-kind plan of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Union minister Jitendra Singh said Thursday.

Singh said it's a matter of pride that one of the first such structures to be constructed under the "Highway Village" plan of the NHAI will come up at Kathua.

The entire project is expected to be completed in about 13 months and a piece of land measuring about 9 acres has been identified at a prime location near Kali Bari, Kathua, he said.

The minister said the proposed "highway village" will have a modern multiplex complex consisting of a food-court, retail arcade, provisional stores, etc.

It will also have a village haat, motels, dormitories, open-air rest areas, toilet facilities, baby-care rooms, children's play area and fuel station.

Facilities such as car washing, puncture repair, pollution check, parking and Internet will be available at cost-effective rates, he said.

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Seeking divine intervention in trying times is not unsual and cracking an examination could be one of those.

However, the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in Karnataka has not taken kindly to students making godly pleadings on answer sheets.

With quite a few examinees writing 'Om', a sacred symbol in Hinduism, or the names of Gods before attempting to answer questions, the university has in a circular to all affiliated colleges called it an examination malpractice.

The first among the eight "don'ts" mentioned in the October 1 circular issued by Registrar (Evaluation) Dr M K Ramesh is the direction on the mention of the names of Gods.

"Do not write any word/sentence - starting from page 03 like names of Gods of your faith etc.," reads the first "don't".

Writing one's name, PTO at the end of a page, irrelevant messages, numbers or sentences, signs, symbols, letter or word and tampering with answer books would also be construed as revealing the identity of the examinee and will be treated as a malpractice, it says.

Sandhya Avadhani, deputy director (pre-exam), at the university said some students try to reveal their identity to the evaluators.

"These directions have been issued to ensure the identity of students taking an exam is not revealed to evaluators," she said.

Avadhani said some examinees might be doing it unintentionally but many resort to it with the intention that when they approach an evaluator for more marks they could identify them with those signs and symbols. "It's an indication indirectly," she said.

The university official said such instructions have already been in place and the circular is only a reiteration so the students, invigilators and college managements know these exist.

"From time to time we need to keep telling people because each year new students join," said Avadhani.

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One person was killed while another was injured after a wall of a house collapsed near a private hospital in Rohini on Thursday, police police said.

The deceased was identified as Avinash (18) while Vikas (25) sustained injures on his left leg and has been admitted to Jaipur Golden hospital.

A call about the incident was received at 5.35 pm and three fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot, a senior officer from the Delhi Fire Service said.

The duo worked as labourers and were living in a rented accommodation in Vijay Vihar.

Further details are awaited.

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D D Lapang, who quit Congress, was Thursday appointed chief adviser to the NPP-led government in Meghalaya with perks and facilities as enjoyed by top political appointees in the state, an official said.

Lapang, a four-time chief minister who had been associated with the Congress for over four decades, had headed the party in the state till December when its president asked him to hand over charge to younger leaders.

The planning department secretary Pravin Bakshi in a notification issued here said The Governor of Meghalaya is pleased to appoint D D Lapang, former chief minister as chief adviser to the government of Meghalaya with perks and facilities under category A+



Under the category various political appointees who are made chairmen of government bodies are entitled two grade IV staff in the office apart from other allowances as specified by the planning department.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma had met Lapang at his residence but failed to convince him to remain with the Congress.

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had also met him at his residence requesting him to join the ruling National Peoples Party led by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.

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US giant Martin, responding to NASA's plans to renew the exploration of the moon and Mars in the next decade, unveiled a concept spacecraft able to land on the lunar surface.

The US space agency said it plans to send astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972 as the initial stage for a future trip to Mars -- part of an official US policy set by President Donald Trump.

To achieve this goal, NASA has called on industry producers to present plans to build a space station that orbits around the moon, dubbed the "Lunar Gateway," as well as spacecraft that land on the moon.

The orbiting station is supposed to be assembled, with the help of other countries, in the 2020s and be able to accommodate four people by 2026, according to a NASA calendar presented in August.

Martin's concept lunar landing craft, designed to shuttle between the moon's surface and the orbiting "Lunar Gateway," was unveiled at the World Astronautical Congress in Bremen, Germany on Wednesday.

The craft can accommodate four people, carry one metric ton of equipment, and stay on the moon for up to two weeks without refueling before returning to the orbiting the station.

At a glance, the four-legged craft looks like a taller version of the one used by the first US astronauts to walk on the moon in 1969.

Ahead of this however NASA wants to send astronauts in 2023 on an eight-day trip around the Moon aboard the Orion, a Martin spaceship. That craft will be sent into space aboard NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), still under development and designed to be the most powerful rocket ever built.

Separately, the privately-owned SpaceX is also aiming to launch its first tourist trip around the moon in 2023 aboard its own Big Falcon Rocket (BFR). Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa will be the first passenger, and he promised to invite six to eight artists to accompany him.
The Maharashtra government has announced early release 100 prisoners from various jails in the state to mark the 150th birth anniversary year of Mahatma Gandhi, an official said here Thursday.

A total of 100 prisoners would be released from various facilities, including from central prisons at Taloja (42), Yerawada (16) and Nashikroad (10), in the first out of three phases beginning October 5, he said.

The number of prisoners to be released in other two phases, including on April 6, 2019--the 89th anniversary of the Dandi march--would be known later.

"The initiative is part of various programmes organised by the state government to mark the 150th birth anniversary year of Mahatma Gandhi between October 2, 2018 to October 2, 2019," said the official.

Among the 100 prisoners are two male convicts who have completed 60 years of age and have completed half of their prescribed jail term, while rest 98 are those who have completed 2/3rd of their actual sentence and displayed good behaviour, according to the official.

He said the prisoners to be freed are liable for punishment, in case of their conviction in other cases.

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The Maharashtra government's decision Thursday to reduce the price of petrol by Rs 2.50 per litre is an "eyewash", as the rate cut would not provide much relief to people, the Opposition Congress and NCP have said.

As per the government, the reduction will give consumers in the state a relief to the tune of Rs 5 a litre.

State unit Congress president Ashok Chavan said the price cut should have been substantial enough if the government really wanted to provide relief to people.

The Maharashtra government announced the decision, soon after the Centre announced cut in the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre.

Claiming that the state government's measure is a "cosmetic" one, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said the price cut is just an eyewash.

"Current prices (of petrol) are around Rs 92 per litre. So the price cut does not make any difference. There should be a substantial reduction," Chavan told PTI when asked for his reaction.

Petrol and diesel should be brought under the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax, Chavan said.

Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam said the price reduction was just an "eye wash".

"This is too little too late. We were demanding that the government intervene by cutting excise and VAT when the fuel prices had reached Rs 70. Now with Rs 5 less, the prices (of petrol) will still be Rs 87 per litre. What is the guarantee that fuel prices won't rise in future"? he asked.

The Congress leader said the government's stand on the entire issue is "bogus".

"After the Bharat Bandh was organised over spiralling prices of fuel, Law Minister Ravishankar Prasad had said the government cannot control the rates. How did the cut happen now? The government must apologise to the people," he said.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik also echoed Nirupam.

"The decision to slash petrol and diesel rates and (the state government's) move to reduce VAT by Rs 2.50 is mere eyewash. The state government's decision is only a cosmetic exercise. If at all the government wants to reduce VAT, it should cut down the additional tax on liquor and drought cess," he said.

Earlier in the day, the Centre announced a Rs 2.50 a litre cut in petrol and diesel prices.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also asked state governments to follow suit by cutting sales tax or VAT on fuel.

The BJP-led government in Maharashtra announced reduction in price of petrol by Rs 2.50 per litre.

"Maharashtra government also decided to give additional relief of Rs 2.50 per litre on petrol to give a total benefit of Rs 5 per litre in the state," Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated.

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The Maharashtra government need not "mortgage the state" but should show willpower to construct the memorial of B R Ambedkar in Mumbai, the NCP said Thursday in response to a statement made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis a day before.

NCP state unit president Jayant Patil also said that Maharashtra has a capacity to build 10 memorials of the Dalit icon. "However, the present regime has pushed the state's economy into a precarious condition," he said.

Fadnavis had said at a function in Thane Wednesday that he would not hesitate "mortgaging" the state, if needed, for the construction of the memorial at Indu Mills land in central Mumbai.

In a statement, Patil said it did not behove the chief minister to speak the language of mortgaging the state.

"This state is committed to the ideology of Ambedkar. Therefore, there is no need to mortgage the state, but to show willpower to build the memorial", he said.

The state government has already announced that the memorial, being built on a 12.5 acre plot in now-defunct Indu Mill, would be completed by April 14, 2020. Ambedkar's birth anniversary falls on April 14.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had performed 'bhoomi pujan' of the memorial in October 2015.

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A defamation case has been filed against Bollywood actor Tanushree Dutta for her comments about Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, police said on Thursday.

The case was filed by the Kaij police in Maharashtra's Beed district on Wednesday evening after MNS district unit president Sumant Dhas lodged a complaint, alleging that Dutta had defamed his party chief, a police officer said.

"We have registered a non-cognisable offence against Dutta under Section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and are investigating the complaint. We have also asked the complainant to approach court," the officer said.

Dutta, 34, who has accused actor Nana Patekar of harassing her on the sets of a film in 2008, recently said Raj Thackeray wanted to succeed late Bal Thackeray as the Shiv Sena chief, but could not do so.

She had also alleged that the MNS was involved in vandalising her vehicle when she opted out of the 2008 film, 'Horn Ok Pleassss'.

Dutta also alleged that she had been getting threats from the MNS, adding that two persons recently tried to barge into her home.

The MNS youth wing, meanwhile, handed over a letter to the makers of the 'Bigg Boss' on Wednesday, following reports of Dutta participating in the ongoing season of the TV reality show, a party functionary told PTI.

The party workers threatened violence on the set in Lonavla if she was let in.

Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar had backed Patekar on Wednesday, saying he was an "illustrious personality" who has done tremendous work for the state and questioned the veracity of Dutta's claims.

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A man and his son have been allegedly beaten up by fellow passengers in a Malda-bound train on suspicion that they had stolen mobile phones and cash, a Government Railway Police (GRP) officer said Thursday.

Based on a complaint filed by the father-son duo, three passengers have been arrested, GRP inspector in-charge (IC) Bhaskar Pradhan said.

In their complaint, Nepal Lohar and his son said 10 passengers accused them of stealing phones and cash and beat them up in the general compartment of Bengaluru-Tinsukia Express on Wednesday evening, Pradhan said.

Lohar also said that he called up family members after the assault and the GRP office at Malda station was duly informed about their plight.

"Lohar and his son were rescued by GRP personnel after the train reached Malda around 10 pm on Wednesday. They claimed they were returning home to Rampur in South Dinajpur district from Bengaluru," the IC stated.

The victims have been admitted to Malda Railway Hospital, Pradhan said.

"We have arrested three out of the 10 accused passengers based on the complaint. They will be produced before court later in the day," the officer said.

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Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday said Russia's deployment of nuclear-capable missiles in violation of an arms treaty is "untenable" and unless Moscow changes, the US will have to match that military capability.

Speaking to reporters at the close of a NATO defense ministers meeting, Mattis said the US is reviewing its diplomatic and military options because of Russia's continued violation of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

"Russia must return to compliance with the INF Treaty or the US will need to match its capabilities to protect US and NATO interests," Mattis said in prepared remarks.

"Make no mistake: The current situation, with Russia in blatant violation of this treaty, is untenable." His comments underscored assertions made Tuesday by Kay Bailey Hutchinson, the US ambassador to NATO.

She warned that unless Russia complies with the treaty, the U.S. will be looking at ways to "take out" the system. America, she said, doesn't want to violate the treaty but Russia could force its hand.

She later said she wasn't talking about preemptively striking Russia, but making the point that Moscow needs to adhere to the treaty.

The US has argued that Russia's 9M729 system violates the Cold War-era pact that bans an entire class of weapons all nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles of intermediate range. The treaty was a landmark in arms control in the final years of the Cold War.

The US first accused Russia early last year of deliberately deploying a land-based cruise missile in order to pose a threat to NATO.

Russia has claimed that US missile defenses violate the pact. In the past, the Obama administration worked to convince Moscow to respect the INF treaty but made little progress.

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Mining-dependent people in Goa would sit on a day-long hunger strike here Friday over their demand for resumption of the industry in the state.

Goa Mining People's Forum (GMPF), an umbrella organisation of people dependent on the mining industry, has been protesting against the closure of the iron ore extraction activity since March 16 this year.

The Supreme Court had in February quashed the second renewal of 88 mining leases following which the state's key revenue generating industry came to a halt.

GMPF president Puti Gaonkar said they have been holding a 'chain hunger strike' at five places across the coastal state since last 94 days.

"We have now decided to sit on a mass token one-day hunger strike at Panaji on October 5 to highlight the plight of people dependent on this industry for their livelihood. We expect around 3,000 minng-dependents to participate in the protest," Gaonkar said.

He said people want the central government to come up with an immediate solution to the crisis by amending the existing law concerned so that mining leases could be renewed.

Gaonkar invited MPs from Goa Shripad Naik and Narendra Sawaikar (both Lok Sabha) and Vinay Tendulkar (Rajya Sabha) to support people in their protest.

The state Assembly had on July 24 passed a resolution urging the Centre to amend the Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue in August and had also written a letter to Union Minister of Mines Narendra Singh Tomar last month, requesting to amend the Act.

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An Uttar Pradesh minister, some former MLAs and prominent businessmen here figure in the list of beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat, the Centre's recently launched health insurance scheme meant for the poor and the deprived, officials said.

Among the unintended beneficiaries of the recently launched Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is the state's Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana.

Mahana has asked for a probe into the anomaly.

The ambitious scheme is expected to provide health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to about five crore people across the country.

The minister demanded stringent action against those responsible for the gross negligence.

"I came to know from some reliable sources that my name and my family members' names were on the Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Scheme website, he told PTI.

The minister said he then asked the Kanpur district magistrate to conduct an inquiry and take strict action against those found guilty.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Ashok Shukla said the list also has the names of former BJP MLA Salil Vishnoi, former Congress MLA Ajay Kapoor and his brothers Vijay Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor.

Salil Vishnoi also told PTI the names are included in the list of beneficiaries even though they are not eligible for it.

District Magistrate Vijay Vishwas Pant said the CMO has been asked to conduct an inquiry and submit a report at the earliest.

Over two lakh families in Kanpur district are listed as beneficiaries under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the CMO said.

The scheme offers cashless health services to the beneficiaries.

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A 14-year-old boy was injured after he was shot at allegedly by two men after he resisted their attempt to snatch his father's bag which had cash worth Rs 3.5 lakh, police said Thursday.

The incident took place in Rohini when Sunny Chug, the victim, was going with his father.

The accused, identified as Somveer (27) and Vikas (26), also threw chilli powder into the eyes of Sunny and his father, a senior police officer said.

While the accused persons were trying to flee, one of them was overpowered by the crowd gathered there and handed over to the police. Subsequently, the other accused was also arrested, the officer said.

Sunny suffered a gunshot injury on the right side of his lower abdomen and was admitted to the Jaipur Golden Hospital, where his condition was stated to be stable, he added.

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Located in the Dudhwa-Katarniya forest area here, 'Mowgli School' is busy giving wings to the dreams of village children, thanks to an initiative by the Special Tiger Protection Force.

The Special Tiger Protection Force, constituted for tiger conservation, have embarked on a mission to teach children living in the forest areas.

Children trek the difficult forest terrain and cover a distance of around 10 kilometres to study at the school.

"Special Tiger Protection Force was basically formed for ensuring safety of tigers and other wild animals, and for checking the man-animal conflict," Ramesh Pandey, Field Director, Dudhwa Katarniya forest told PTI Wednesday.

"Sub-Inspector of STPF, Satyendra Kumar, during his stay at Motipur range, started teaching children of the village (which comes under the said forest range) a few days ago along with the other forest department staff," he said.

Kumar started counselling the villagers and made them aware about the positive effect of education which "leads to overall betterment of children and secure their future".

"He made the villagers understand that instead of sending their children to collect firewood, they should send them to schools. He started Mowgli School and the education material is provided by the World Wildlife Fund (WFF)," Pandey said.

The official said the school was functioning from the premises of Motipur eco-tourism centre.

"The classes are held in the evening and more than 150 children are attending the classes. Some children come from as far as 10 kilometres to study here. Most of the children who study here generally assist their families in day-to-day work. They take out time to study," Pandey said.

The famous 'Jungle Jungle Baat Chali Hai...' title song of the Hindi version of Japanese anime series 'Jungle Book Shonen Mowgli' are also sung by the students at the school.

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State-owned NBCC Ltd's order book will rise by 25 per cent to touch Rs 1 lakh crore by the end of this fiscal and the company is expecting 30-40 per cent growth in revenue as well as profit in coming years, its CMD Anoop Kumar Mittal said Thursday.

NBCC, which is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, is present in three main segments -- project management consultancy (PMC), real estate development and EPC contracting.

"About 90 per cent of our revenues come from PMC business and rest 10 per cent from real estate and EPC contracting," Mittal told reporters here. The press conference was held at redevelopment project at Kidwai Nagar in South Delhi.

NBCC's CMD said the company's current order book is worth Rs 80,000 crore and the same would touch Rs 1 lakh crore by March 2019.

Mittal said the company expects to grow at a CAGR of 30-40 per cent in topline as well as bottomline in the coming years. The company's total income stood at around Rs 7,100 crore last fiscal.

Elaborating about projects bagged by the company, he said the NBCC has been appointed as land management agency by the government to manage, maintain and protect land assets of sick/loss-making public sector enterprises.

The company has got 'in-principle' approval from Air India to monetise the airline's two prime properties located at Vasant Vihar and Baba Kharag Singh Marg in the national capital.

"There is 30 acres land in Vasant Vihar and 3.5 acres at Baba Kharag Singh Marg. We will develop housing and commercial projects on these land parcels. The units will be sold in the market and the sales revenue will be utilised to develop the projects," Miittal said.

The public sector unit is also redeveloping 10 railway stations at the project cost of Rs 4,000 crore on self-revenue model. It has initiated work on Gomti Nagar railway station at Lucknow and is looking to add four more stations namely Goa, Tirupati and Puducherry by the fiscal end.

To boost housing supply, NBCC would soon develop one lakh affordable housing projects on the lands of sick PSUs across the country. It is working as land management agency for 10 CPSEs and has identified one-two land parcels to develop affordable housing.

Mittal highlighted that the NBCC has revamped Purana Quila (Old Fort), and would soon start work on Red Fort and Qutub Minar as part of its initiative to conserve, develop and maintenance of heritage properties.

With an endeavour to refurbish the magnificent edifice, NBCC adopted Purana Qila under Ministry of Tourism's 'Adopt a heritage' scheme and executed the task utilising its CSR funds.

In collaboration with ASI, NBCC worked out a comprehensive plan to restore the Old Fort, transforming the acropolis into a quintessential reception for tourists from across the globe.

"The execution of the exemplary project was implemented in three phases that commenced with basic conserving and restoring activities, deepening of the lake, revamping and extending the museum, renovating the parking facilities and finally excavating and improving the visual appeal of the structure," NBCC said in a statement Wednesday.

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The country's apex consumer commission has asked the State Bank of India to pay Rs 8 lakh compensation to a furniture dealer, saying the bank failed to share policy details with him due to which he was unable to avail of insurance benefits.

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) asked the bank to pay the compensation to the Jaipur-based Jaishree Industries for deficient service while setting aside the State Commission's order that had asked the bank to pay about Rs 36 lakhs.

"The deficiency of the bank lies in obtaining the policy without informing the complainant (Jaishree Industries) or even without getting his signatures as well as in not sharing the policy and its details with the complainant even after getting the policy document from the insurance company. The complainant had every right to know the details of the policies that were taken by the bank to secure the hypothecated stocks," presiding member Prem Narain said.

The commission said that if any repayment amount of loan is due against the complainant, it should be adjusted and the bank shall notify the same within 45 days and if part amount is to be adjusted, the remaining amount shall also be paid within the same period.

The furniture dealer took a cash credit facility from the State bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (now State Bank of India) and stocks were insured by the National Insurance Company Ltd in 2005.

In 2006, a fire broke out in his godown.

The complainant's insurance claim was rejected by the insurance company on the grounds that the risk location (location insured) mentioned in the policy is not the same where the fire broke out.

The bank had contended that it was not aware that the stocks were not kept at the risk location but at some other place.

The commission said that due to lack of enough evidence, it cannot be said beyond doubt that the bank officials knew about the change of risk location but did not purposely or knowingly intimate the same to the insurance company.

It further said that Jaishree Industries was partly responsible as he did not try to get the policy document and at no point of time did he submit an application for change of address.

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Two Nepali youth have been arrested while four others are at large for allegedly trying to rob a private bank here, police said Wednesday.

The robbery bid was made on Sunday night.

Local residents complained to the police that they saw suspicious-looking outsiders moving around the bank.

Based on the complaint, the police rushed to the scene but did not see anything unusual, but noticed gas cylinders andcutting equipment lying around the bank premises.

Closer inspection indicated that the alarm system at the bank had been cut off, the police said.

The robbers had abandoned their plan and fled upon seeing the police.

Later, CCTV camera recordings were examined and they showed some Nepali youth moving around the area, they said.

Following this, two of them were arrested and interrogation revealed that four others were also involved in the robbery bid, they added.

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A tourist from New Zealand on way to Assam was killed when his motorbike collided head on with a car in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, police said on Thursday.

Two Indian tourists and as many New Zealanders were going to Kaziranga National Park in Assam on two motorbikes when the accident occurred on Wednesday night at Birpara area of the district.

Police said 50-year-old Michael Handson was taken to a local hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. The body has been sent for postmortem examination.

The four tourists were coming from Delhi via Gangtok in Sikkim.

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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the AAP government and the Delhi University to submit within two weeks a list of buildings which have not installed rain water harvesting system.

A bench of Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore and expert member S S Garbyal passed the order noting that they have not furnished the list despite the order of the tribunal.

The tribunal's direction came on a plea filed by a city resident Mahesh Chandra Saxena seeking the implementation of November 16, 2017 order of the NGT which had directed the government as also private schools and colleges to install rainwater harvesting systems within two months at their own cost.

Despite the specific direction of the tribunal, they have not submitted the list of buildings, Saxena said.

He claimed that the government departments, educational institutions and residential societies have either not installed rainwater harvesting systems or have systems which are non-functional.

The tribunal had ordered that any institution which fails to install the rainwater harvesting system within the stipulated period would be liable to pay environment compensation of Rs 5 lakh.

It had directed schools and colleges to approach a committee constituted by it. The committee was to inspect the premises and grant permission to institutions for operating the system.

If it was not possible to install a rainwater harvesting system, the institution should approach the committee, it had said.

According to the tribunal, the institution that gets an exemption certificate will be subject to environment compensation, which would be used for setting up rainwater harvesting systems in possible nearby areas, including parks.

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The National Law University Odisha (NLUO) here has been shortlisted to conduct the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT-2019) next year, official sources said Thursday.

According to a statement issued by NLUO Vice- Chancellor Prof Srikrishna Deva, the examination is scheduled to be held on May 12, 2019.

It also said that the CLAT Core Committee Consortium at National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi took this decision on Wednesday, which was communicated to the NLUO on Thursday.

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The Ministry of Civil Aviation informed the Bombay High Court Thursday that it was conducting a thorough probe into the plane crash in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area in June this year and there was no need for transferring the investigation to the CBI or any other independent agency.

In an affidavit filed through the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the ministry informed the court that it had also taken custody from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of files relating to the said aircraft and its crew.

There was no chance of any compromise in the probe or tampering of evidence, it said.

The affidavit was filed this morning before a bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre in compliance with a previous order of the court.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by activist Yeshwant Shenoy, who had sought that either a special court of inquiry be initiated into the incident, or the probe be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

On June 29, a private chartered plane crashed in the city's Ghatkopar area. All occupants on board, including two pilots and as many maintenance engineers, along with a passerby died in the mishap.

In its affidavit, the AAIB told the bench that there was no need for transferring the probe to any other agency.

"The AAIB has senior ranking officials with adequate expertise and training. It has all powers to carry out an investigation and summon individuals irrespective of their ranks," the affidavit said.

"The person in-charge of the probe is an aeronautical engineer and has vast field experience in aviation, both in the industry and the regulatory environment," it said.

The AAIB further told the bench that a court of inquiry was set up only in "very rare circumstances".

It was done last time in 2010 to probe the Air IndiaExpress Flight crash at Mangaluru airport in which 158 people lost their lives.

It also submitted that since its inception in 2011, the AAIB had conducted probe into 98 instances of aircraft accidents.

"The AAIB has submitted 71 probe reports so far and given recommendations as required against even the DGCA, Airports Authority of India (AAI), and various airline operators and agencies, whenever lapses have been recorded.

"The aircraft owners may be rich and powerful people but this has in no way proven to be hindrance for the AAIB in conducting a fair probe," the affidavit said.

The bench is likely to conduct further hearing in the matter after four weeks.

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A Norwegian court on Thursday remanded a Russian citizen accused of spying for two more weeks in a case that triggered outrage in Moscow.

The man, identified as Mikhail Bochkarev in court documents, was arrested on September 21 at Oslo Airport after attending an inter-parliamentary seminar in the Norwegian Parliament, the Storting.

The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) seized Bochkarev after witnesses said he was behaving strangely. He is suspected of collecting data information in the parliament.

Slamming the accusations as "false" and "absurd", Russia on September 24 summoned the Norwegian ambassador to Moscow in protest.

"I participated and made recordings of the discussions," Bochkarev was quoted as saying on Thursday by the Norwegian agency NTB.

"I behaved exactly as I did at previous events," said the Russian who appealed the decision of the Oslo district court.

Norwegian officials regularly accuse Russia of attempted hacking and espionage. In April, a Norwegian man, Frode Berg, was arrested in Russia also on suspicion of spying.

Berg admitted to having helped the Norwegian intelligence services by acting as a courier several times, but said he did not know the purpose of what he was delivering.

On Monday, his detention was extended by two months pending trial. In Norway, some observers see the arrest of Bochkarev as a possible bargaining chip for Berg, but Norwegian intelligence services have declined to comment.

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The number of Chinese tourists visiting abroad every year is expected to touch 157 million by 2020, the largest in the world, an official think tank said.

China's outbound tourism market is estimated to increase by five per cent annually on average in the coming years, bringing the number of outbound tourists to 157 million in 2020, state-run Xinhua agency quoted the China Tourism Academy, the think tank under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Many countries, including India, are wooing Chinese tourists. Over 144 million Chinese tourists travelled to different parts of the world last year with an estimated spending over USD 115 billion.

Since 2012, China has been the top spender in international tourism. From 2002 to 2013, the number of Chinese outbound tourists grew by double digits as a percentage each year, according to the UNWTO report.

In August, Tourism Minister K J Alphons toured different Chinese cities, held road shows and made strong pitch to increase inflow of Chinese tourists to India.

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Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati's decision not to align with the Congress in the upcoming assembly polls should not be seen as the falling apart of the Opposition unity, Janata Dal (Secular) chief H D Deve Gowda said on Thursday.

The former prime minister asserted that there was still time to form a grand alliance to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party in the general elections, due next year, and warned against jumping to any conclusion because of Mayawati's decision.

On Wednesday, the BSP chief announced that her party would contest the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh assembly elections either on its own or in an alliance with regional parties, but not with the Congress. She had earlier formed an alliance with Ajit Jogi's party to fight the elections in Chhattisgarh.

The Dalit leader's decision to fight alone was seen as snub to the Congress, as well as a major setback on efforts to make a grand alliance against the BJP.

When asked if the Opposition's unity is falling apart after Mayawati's decision, Gowda said, "I don't think so."



"All state leaders have priority and there is still time for general elections. You cannot jump to a conclusion taking into account one event," the JD-S chief said, adding that time would tell when the parties would come together.

In May, the Opposition parties had seized the opportunity to put up a united show at the swearing-in of Gowda's son, H D Kumaraswamy, as the Karnataka chief minister, to send forth the message that an anti-BJP front was coming into force.

On the Centre's decision to cut fuel price by Rs 2.50 per litre, Gowda said, "Karnataka has already done it. the Centre is copying Karnataka.

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Pakistan Cabinet minister Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri "should have been more sensitive" while sharing the dais with 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the country's foreign minister has said as he promised that he would ask his ministerial colleague the reason behind his move.

Qadri, the Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, was seen seated near banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Saeed as he addressed an All Parties Conference organised by the Difa-e-Pakistan Council - a coalition of over 40 political and religious parties - on Sunday in Islamabad.

A banner in the background said the conference was in "defence of Pakistan", and mentioned "Kashmir" as well as "threats from India".

"I will go home and certainly ask him (Qadri) why he did that. But what I am told it was an event to highlight the situation in Kashmir," Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a Washington audience on Wednesday when asked about his Cabinet colleague sharing a dais with the LeT chief Saeed.

"It had nothing to do with Lashkar-e-Taiba. There were other political elements there. He happened to be one of them," Qureshi said in an attempt to defend his Cabinet colleague.

"I think he (Qadri) should've been more sensitive, but it wasn't that he subscribes to his (Saeed's) point of view," the visiting Pakistani foreign minister said.

"Please explain why earlier this week on Monday, your government's federal minister of religious affairs appeared side by side at a public conference with the head of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organisation banned by Pakistan?" Qureshi was asked by a member in the audience at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded think tank.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.

Saeed's Jamat-ud Dawah is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

Qadri's presence at the event with Saeed vindicated India's stand that there is no change in Pakistan's attitude towards terrorism after Prime Minister Imran Khan assumed office in August.

Qureshi asserted that Pakistan is serious in the fight against terrorism.

"We cannot surrender to terrorism. We will have to take them on and we will have to clear areas. We have successfully done that. Well it's a work in progress, we would have to continue to build on what you've achieved, but to a large extent, things have changed," he said, adding that this shift is not being recognised enough in the US.

"Cutting off training, not giving precision equipment that could've been used against terrorism, I don't know to what extent that'll help. In my view it will not help collectively," he said.

"Collectively we can achieve our shared objective. A blame game will not be productive," he said.

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Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to make his first official trip to China next month, his foreign minister has said.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a game changer for Pakistan and has taken off.

Pakistan, he said, wants an early completing of these projects and is in talks with the Chinese on how to focus on areas that are important to the new government.

"Hopefully next month in November the prime minister would be making his first official visit to China to discuss this further," Qureshi told a Washington audience when he was asked about reports of changes in the ambitious CPEC projects.

"Obviously infrastructure is required. We need roads and rail links, optic fibers and everything of that sort. We want them to help us in areas like industrial development, enhancing agriculture productivity, helping us alleviate poverty in the country," he said to a question at the US Institute of Peace.

Qureshi said the Khan government is talking about how to improve lives and livelihoods, how labour-intensive industry can be relocated into Pakistan and give jobs.

"So that is an ongoing discussion and hopefully next month in November, the prime minister would be taking his first official visit to China to discuss this further," the top Pakistani diplomat said.

When asked about increasing relationship between Pakistan and China, Qureshi said this is not at the cost of the ties with the US.

"US was, is and will remain an important global player. You are a technological, economic and military power. We recognise that. There's a history of our relationship. Let's not forget that," he said.

Noting that currently there are challenges in the US- Chinese relationship, Qureshi argued that Beijing can play an important constructive role with regard to Afghanistan and peace in the region.

"I am of the view and Pakistan is of the view that China can play a constructive role and China must be engaged. China has initiated a trilateral meeting.. they had one in Beijing and next month in December we might have the second round in Kabul," he said.

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Pakistan has ordered international charity ActionAid, which supports a range of development and women's rights projects, to shut down its operations in the country, the aid group said on Thursday.

A letter from Pakistan's interior ministry sent to ActionAid, and shared with AFP by the group, said it must cease its work within 60 days. No representative of the interior ministry was immediately available for comment.

Pakistan first told ActionAid to leave last year after its application to register under new rules for international NGOs was declined, but the group filed an appeal.

That appeal has been denied but ActionAid can apply for registration again in six months, according to the letter, which was delivered to the organisation on Wednesday.

The aid group called the latest notice "a worrying escalation of recent attacks on civil society, academics and journalists".

"We are taking legal advice on potential next steps. In the meantime we are providing support to our staff and partners on the ground," Adriano Campolina, chief executive of ActionAid International, said in a statement.

Seventeen other international aid organisations fear they will face similar action, a senior official of the Pakistan Humanitarian Forum, an alliance of international NGOs, told AFP on condition of anonymity.

In 2015, Pakistan asked all foreign aid and advocacy organisations to re-register with the government in order to enhance the monitoring of their operations.

And last year, a host of international organisations were asked to wrap up operations.

There has been increasing suspicion of foreign aid groups in Pakistan in recent years.

In 2012, a Pakistani intelligence report linked the aid group Save the Children to the CIA's efforts to locate Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

Save the Children has always denied it had any links with Afridi or the CIA.

But the charity's expat staff were forced to leave Pakistan after the accusations emerged.

Pakistan has since hardened its policies towards international aid groups, accusing them of being covers for spying operations, and has repeatedly warned them to restrict their activities.

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The Delhi Sentence Review Board Thursday rejected pleas for early release of convicts in the Jessica Lal, Priyadarshini Mattoo and Tandoor murder cases, an official said.

The panel, headed by Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain, reviewed the applications of Manu Sharma, the killer of Jessica Lal; Santosh Singh, convicted in the Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case; and Sushil Sharma, convicted in the infamous Tandoor murder case, and rejected them.

"The board has rejected early release applications of all the three convicts," the government official said.

The official also said that the board recommended release of 22 convicts on completion of their sentences and rejected 86 other cases.

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US Vice President Mike Pence Thursday asked Google to immediately end development of its "Dragonfly" app that would make it easier to track someone's internet searches, saying it will strengthen Communist Party censorship and compromise the privacy of Chinese customers.

Indicating a new policy of the Trump administration to blunt the Chinese global aggressiveness, Pence said that more business leaders are now thinking twice before entering the Chinese market "if it means turning over their intellectual property or abetting Beijing's oppression."



"But more must follow suit," he said.

"For example, Google should immediately end development of the 'Dragonfly' app that will strengthen Communist Party censorship and compromise the privacy of Chinese customers," Pence added.

In a major policy speech at the Hudson Institute, a top American think-tank, Pence said that more journalists are reporting the truth without fear or favour, and digging deep to find where China is interfering in American society. "We hope that more American, and global, organisations will join in this effort," he said.

More scholars are speaking out forcefully and defending academic freedom, and more universities and think-tanks are mustering the courage to turn away Beijing's easy money, recognising that every dollar comes with a corresponding demand.

"We're confident that more will join their ranks," he said. Across the nation, the American people are growing in vigilance, with a newfound appreciation for Trump administration's actions to re-set America's economic and strategic relationship with China, to finally put America First, he added.

"And under President Trump's leadership, America will stay the course. China should know that the American people and their elected representatives in both parties are resolved," he said.

Pence alleged that the Chinese Communist Party is spending billions of dollars on propaganda outlets in the United States, as well as other countries.

China Radio International now broadcasts Beijing-friendly programming on over 30 US outlets, many in major American cities. The China Global Television Network reaches more than 75 million Americans and it gets its marching orders directly from its Communist Party masters, he alleged.

"That's why, last month, the Department of Justice ordered that network to register as a foreign agent," Pence said.

The Communist Party, he said, has also threatened and detained the Chinese family members of American journalists who pry too deep. And it has blocked the websites of US media organisations and made it harder for US journalists to get visas. This happened after the New York Times published investigative reports about the wealth of some of China's leaders, he charged.

"But the media isn't the only place where the Chinese Communist Party seeks to foster a culture of censorship. The same is true of academia, he said.

"Look no further than the Chinese Students and Scholars Associations, of which there are more than 150 branches across American campuses. These groups help organize social events for some of the more than 430,000 Chinese nationals studying in the United States; they also alert Chinese consulates and embassies when Chinese students, and American schools, stray from the Communist Party line," the Vice President added.

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Veteran actor says writers and filmmakers need to step up and give stronger roles to older female actors.

The two-time National Award-winning actor believes cinema reflects society and that is one of the primary reasons why female actors of a certain age are not given notable roles.

"Scripts are a reflection of what is happening around. It is a male-dominated world, so there are more male characters in films. There should be more roles for older female actors. People of my age were earlier pieces of furniture in a film. But now things are different," she told PTI.

Leaving aside a few exceptions, what Sikri, 73, dislikes is that "stereotypical parts" for the character of a grandmother continue to be written even today.

"Roles like that of a dadi and nani, like a good dutiful or not-so-good, 'chalu' (cunning) person. The roles are not interesting, there are one dimensional kind of roles. Things have changed since few years, which is good, but not much. Scripts are coming in but I am always on the lookout for a good role."



The actor, popular for her performance in "Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro", "Zubeidaa" and daily soap "Balika Vadhu", says her love for cinema keeps her enthusiastic about going to the sets.

"I enjoy acting, being in front of the camera. Acting is something I would do all my life."



Sikri, who will next be seen in "Badhaai Ho", says she decided to take up the project because it had a well-written script.

The film, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sanya Malhotra in the lead, chronicles an ageing middle class couple played by Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao who accidentally conceive a baby.

"The storyline and the theme was interesting. It is a funny movie and the situations are so funny," Sikri, who plays the matriarch of the family, says.

The actor says producers and writers willing to discuss issues and subjects that are considered too taboo is a welcome change.

"Socially, one tends to think that people would have this notion that the old couple is still sexually active, it is little embarrassing. Earlier, it was like this is an embarrassing thing.

"Today the atmosphere has become more open and it is primarily due to the internet. It is about celebrating the issues. People are dealing with real situations and audiences are liking it," she adds.

The slice-of-life film directed by Amit Sharma is slated to release on October 19.
Animal rights body PETA India Thursday released eyewitness footage revealing how chickens on farms in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are confined to severely crowded cages and subjected to cruelty.

PETA India, which released the footage provided by 'Anonymous for Animal Rights' on World Animal Day, said these facilities are linked to some of the top meat and egg producers in India, including household-name brands.

Battery cages remain the most common housing method for chickens used for eggs in the country years after the government body Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) acknowledged that they are illegal and advised states that they must be phased out by 2017.

PETA India asked the government to stop the practices of battery-cage housing, mutilation, and forced moulting of chickens.

"Stuffing maimed hens into cages so tiny they cannot even spread a wing and their muscles and bones deteriorate before they're forced to endure a terrifying trip to the slaughterhouse is unacceptable.

"PETA India is calling on all kind people to reject this cruelty by keeping chicken flesh and eggs off their plates," said PETA India Associate Director of Policy Nikunj Sharma.

The eyewitness documented that egg farmers repeatedly artificially inseminate terrified hens while males, who are considered worthless to the egg industry, and other unwanted chicks are burned, drowned, crushed, ground up, suffocated, or thrown into the water on fish farms to be eaten.

It alleged that portions of female chicks' beaks are sliced off with a searing-hot blade without any pain killers, and they're shoved into cramped, dirty wire battery cages in which each bird's floor space is smaller than an A4 sheet of paper.

Some farms also starve them in a process called "forced moulting" which was also declared illegal by the AWBI in order to shock their bodies into another egg-laying cycle, the animal rights body said.

"After the hens stop producing eggs, workers pack them into crowded trucks, and many don't survive the gruelling trip to the slaughterhouse.

"At chicken-meat shops, workers hold down the birds and cut their throats or chop off their heads. At so-called 'modern' slaughterhouses, chickens are shackled and hung upside down before their throats are slit," it pointed out.

PETA India noted that confining hens to battery cages, mutilating their beaks, and starving them to force them to lay eggs have long been declared violations of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, by the AWBI and that the Law Commission draft The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Egg Laying Hens) Rules, 2017 among others.

In August 2018, a petition filed by animal-protection campaigner Gauri Maulekhi in the Uttarakhand High Court against the cruelty of battery cages led the bench to direct the central government to frame The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Egg Laying Hens) Rules, 2017, as well as The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Broiler Chicken) Rules, 2017, based on the Law Commission's 269th Report, it said.

"The court also banned the use of battery cages in the state but unfortunately, still allowed other cages," the animal rights body said.

According to it, the court said, "Sufficient space should be allowed for the housing of each egg laying hen to permit the bird to spread its wings, stand up straight, turn round without touching another bird or the side of the cage. The bird must have access to nest box."



PETA India said shortly afterwards, the Delhi High Court directed the central government to ensure that no new battery cages are allowed on farms and to act on the Law Commission's recommendations and requested a response on the matter from the Environment Ministry.

"In light of the findings, PETA India is calling on the government to stop the practices of battery-cage housing, mutilation, and forced moulting of chickens and to ensure that unwanted chicks are handled according to the methods recommended by the OIE-World Organisation for Animal Health of which India is a member country.

"PETA India is also calling on poultry firms to agree to implement "in ovo" sexing technology as soon as it becomes commercially available. This would allow chicks' sex to be determined in an early stage of embryo development and prevent the large-scale killing of males after birth," it said.

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Petrol will be cheaper by Rs 5 in Maharashtra, with the central and the state governments Thursday announcing a cut of Rs 2.50 per litre each.

The announcement was made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis soon after the central government announced cut in the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre.

"Maharashtra government also decided to give additional relief of Rs 2.50 per litre on petrol to give a total benefit of Rs 5 per litre in the state of Maharashtra," Fadnavis tweeted.

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Fadnavis said the reduction in fuel prices will give a huge relief to citizens.

Earlier, Jaitley announced in Delhi a cut in petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre, factoring in excise duty reduction of Rs 1.50 per litre.

He asked state governments to follow suit by cutting a sales tax or VAT by a similar amount.

The reduction followed petrol and diesel prices touching new highs.

Maharashtra Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told PTI that the state uses 900 crore litres every year and the decision will cause a loss of Rs 2250 crore to the state exchequer.

"Reduction of Rs 2.5 on petrol will mean we will lose a revenue of Rs 2250 annually. However we are ready to bear this if we can make people happy," he said.

An official from state finance ministry said a decision to cut the prices on diesel is being assessed with the technical team.

"The state will act upon it once the committee gives a clear picture on how much the total loss of revenue would be," the official said.

Asked about the revenue loss and its impact, the official said, With the central government bringing down the fuel price, it actually reduces the base price on which state taxes are applicable."



The Centre has brought down the base price of one litre of petrol by 38 paise, which means a revenue loss of Rs 187 crore, he explained.

"The state government has cut Rs 2.50 per litre on petrol which brings down the revenue collection by Rs 1,247 crore. Hence the cumulative loss is of Rs 1,434 crore," he added.

An official from the state's Sales Tax department said if the international prices continue to soar, the petrol and diesel prices will increase further.

"In such scenario, the current decision of Centre and the state will bring temporary relief," he added.

Maharashtra's Minister of State for Finance Deepak Kesarkar said historically, Maharashtra has always been reducing prices of fuel in accordance with the Centre.

"The government has always remained positive on the issue of reducing fuel prices. We are happy to reduce prices of fuel as much as announced by the Centre," Kesarkar said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hosted a one-on-one dinner for Russian president Vladimir Putin at his official residence here where the two leaders held a discussion on a host of issues, including bilateral cooperation and strategic issues.

Earlier, Modi received Putin at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence.

Putin, who arrived in New Delhi Thursday evening on a two-day official visit was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

The PM later hosted one-on-one dinner for Putin, official sources said.

"Welcome to India, President Putin. Looking forward to our deliberations, which will further enhance India-Russia friendship," the PM tweeted in Russian and English.

Putin, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will hold the 19th India-Russia annual bilateral summit during which the two leaders are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation in the wake of the US sanctions against Russian defence majors.

The focus during the visit will be on the S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems agreement with a top Kremlin aide saying Tuesday that Russian President Putin will oversee the signing of the "USD 5 billion deal".

"The key feature of this visit will be the signing of the agreement to deliver S-400 air defence systems," Putin's top foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov was quoted in media reports as saying in Moscow. "The value of the contract will be more than USD 5 billion," he said.

The purchase will violate sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) instituted by the US Congress on arms purchases from Russia, but American lawmakers have allowed the possibility of a presidential waiver.

There have been indications by New Delhi that it will go ahead with the deal notwithstanding the US sanctions.

Modi has hosted private dinners for world leaders in the past too, including Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met a group of nearly 40 enthusiasts who are embarking on an expedition to raise awareness on cleaning the Ganga, an official statement said.

The group included eight mountaineers, who have successfully climbed the Mount Everest, and is led by Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to reach the highest peak in the world.

The expedition, which has been inspired by the Centre's 'Namami Gange' campaign, has been named 'Mission Gange'. The month-long rafting expedition will see the group travel through the river from Haridwar to Patna, with halts at Bijnor, Narora, Farrukhabad, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Buxar.

At each of these nine cities, the group will raise awareness about keeping the Ganga clean and also undertake cleaning activities, the statement said.

Modi interacted with the group and appreciated them for undertaking this initiative. Underlining the importance of a clean and vibrant Ganga, the prime minister urged the group to reach out to schoolchildren during their awareness campaign, the statement added.

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Odisha Police has arrested the husband of woman whose body was recovered from an abandoned car in the city on October 1, a senior police officer said Thursday.

The husband of the deceased woman identified as Sangram Aich was arrested by the special squad of the police from Kolkata, Commissioner of Police, Satyajit Mohanty told reporters here.

The CP said Aich has been brought on transit remand and is being interrogated by police. Mohanty said the couple had a fight during which the husband had hit the woman's head and subsequently she died.

The postmortem report had attributed the woman P Tanujas death to heavy blow on her head.

Mohanty also said that the couple used to fight over Aich's friendship with another woman, who stays in Bhubaneswar.

Though initially it appeared that Tanuja died in an accident, her family members had alleged that she was murdered by her husband. Police had registered a murder case based on a complaint filed by the womans kin.

Replying a question, the commissioner of police said the police identified Aich from the footage of CCTV cameras of a nearby shopping mall, where the vehicle was parked, and nabbed him by tracking his phone number.

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Police on Thursday said it has busted a module of overground workers of Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit by arresting its two members in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district.

"Police busted an OGW module of banned terror outfit HM that was operating in the Lolab area of Kupwara," a police spokesman said.

Acting on a specific input, police detained two persons -- Shakir Ahmad Wani and Ghulam Mustafa Sheikh, both residents of Tekipora in Lolab -- for questioning, he said.

"The module was engaged in providing logistics support to terrorists apart from luring youth into the path of terrorism," the spokesman said, adding that "after sustained questioning of the duo, a pistol was recovered on their disclosure".

A case has been registered and investigations are on, he said.

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ABC News also added that according to another USA official, the Chinese warship was initially about 500 yards on the Decatur's port side then moved ahead of the Decatur and cut across the American destroyer's bow at a distance of 45 yards (135 feet).

"At approximately 0830 local time on September 30, a PRC LUYANG destroyer approached USS DECATUR in an unsafe and unprofessional maneuver in the vicinity of Gaven Reef in the South China Sea", said Capt. Charlie Brown, a U.S. Pacific Fleet Spokesman.

Brown said the Chinese warship "conducted a series of increasingly aggressive maneuvers accompanied by warnings for the Decatur to depart the area".

"The PRC destroyer approached within 45 yards of [the] Decatur's bow, after which [the] Decatur maneuvered to prevent a collision", he said in the statement.

That all came around the time U.S. B-52 bombers took part in a combined operation with Japan over the East China Sea, and flew through worldwide airspace over the South China Sea.

The US, which says it does not take sides in territorial disputes, has sent military ships and planes near disputed islands, calling them "freedom of navigation" operations to ensure access to key shipping and air routes. "FONOPs are not about any one country, nor are they about making political statements".

Royal Australian Navy Commodore Richard Menhinick told the Australian Broadcasting Company the photos appear to show that China was violating the International Law of the Sea.

Mike Pence, the United States vice president, will sharpen criticism of Chinese foreign policy with a blunt warning on Thursday that Washington will not back away from what it sees as Beijing's intimidatory tactics in the South China Sea.

China has built airstrips and artificial islands in the South China Sea, actions condemned by Defense Secretary James Mattis in Singapore in June.

This U.S. Navy photo, first obtained by gcaptain.com, shows the incident between the USS Decatur, left, and the Luoyang.

"With tensions elevated, China seems motivated to risk a possible collision as a means of intimidation". Two United States Air Force B-52 bombers from the 96th Expeditionary Squadron in Guam flew over the South China Sea last week and another two flew over the East China Sea.

The Chinese government claims the rights to the region and harshly opposes the entry of any foreign ships into the waterway without permission from Beijing.

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of uninhabited island of Spratlys in the disputed South China Sea, April 21, 2017.

Washington sends a destroyer to sail close to the Spratly Islands, an area in the South China Sea claimed by Beijing.

The B-52 flights came on the heels of the Chinese government's demand that the US cancel a $330 million sale of military equipment to Taiwan and then turned down a request for a port call in Hong Kong by the USS Wasp that had been planned for October.
The police Thursday seized immovable property of a Maoist in Giridih district, a senior police officer said.

The Maoist Jharilal Mahato had earned huge property in the form levy collected in the name of top naxal leaders, Superintendent of Police, Surendra Kumar Jha said.

The immovable property of Mahato were worth crore of rupees, the police said.

Among the immovable property, Mahato had land at several places in the district including Dumri, the SP said adding that Mahatos huge land was identified and seized in Dumri.

The administration have also imposed ban on sale of the land, he said.

Police had registered cases against Mahato in Pirtand police station in 1999 and 2008 under relevant sections in connection with naxal activities as well as explosive act.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Thursday held an extensive consultation with IT honchos and sought the industry's active involvement in social initiatives, ahead of Prime Minister's townhall with technology professionals slated for October 24.

The IT minister -- who chaired a two-hour meeting with IT industry stalwarts on Thursday -- said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a town hall in Delhi on October 24 with tech professionals across the country to "enthuse and inspire them" to make India's digital story, one of social inclusion.

Emerging from the meeting with IT industry leaders, Prasad said companies in technology and electronics domain have vowed to come together for "social action", and ideas thrown up during the brainstorming session include volunteering for social cause, and a co-ordinated CSR (corporate social responsibility) outreach on a common platform.

"On October 24, the PM will hold a town hall event in Delhi, where there will be thousands of IT professionals...he will also speak to CEOs and IT professionals in over a dozen locations to enthuse and inspire them to make India's digital story, one of social inclusion," the minister said.

Prasad later tweeted: "PM will launch a digital platform to share best practices, convergence of CSR initiatives and engagement of volunteers from IT companies who are keen on contributing for development works and act as agents of change."



Thursday's meeting was attended by representatives of large technology companies, including Google and Samsung, as well as apex industry bodies like Nasscom and Indian Cellular Association (ICA).

Lauding the strong performance of the Indian IT industry, the minister noted that technology companies had posted USD 168 billion in revenue and USD 127 billion in exports. He said that time has now come for the industry to work with "co-ordination and compassion" for the welfare of the society.

"There is a larger need to bring CSR into a common pool for sharing best practices. The entire industry, IT and electronics, is committed to this and many ideas were discussed at the meeting" he said.

Some of the ideas that were discussed at the meeting include companies allowing sabbatical to their employees for corporate social volunteering, undertaking social initiatives in backward and laggard districts and sharing of industry best practices on a common platform.

The meeting was attended by Debjani Ghosh (Nasscom President), Rajan Anandan (Google Vice President - South East Asia and India), TV Mohandas Pai (IT industry veteran), BVR Mohan Reddy (Cyient Executive Chairman), and Pankaj Mohindroo (Indian Cellular Association, National President) among others.

"Every single IT company is doing a lot in the CSR space, there will now be a convergence point...We have agreed that we will set up a process and indicators which can measure the impact through quarterly reports and will turn this into sustainable movement, with real impact," Ghosh said.

Pai said that IT industry spends about Rs 5,000 crore annually on CSR activities, and added that the impact of that is not fully known.

"When everything comes on one single platform, you will see what is happening, its leverage is fantastic. Another aspect will be focussing our initiatives towards aspirational districts of India," Pai added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Thursday the Indian IT industry has decided to pool its combined expertise for contributing to various social initiatives, including volunteering for social cause.

The minister also stressed that the IT sector needs to work towards coordinated CSR efforts on a common platform for the interest of backward districts.

Prasad said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a town hall in Delhi on October 24 with tech professionals to "enthuse and inspire them" to make India's digital story one of social inclusion.

The IT minister, who chaired a two-hour meeting with IT stalwarts on Thursday, said the companies in technology and electronics domain have decided to come together for "social action".

The meeting was attended by representatives of many tech companies, including Google and Samsung, as well as apex industry bodies like Nasscom and the Indian Cellular Association (ICA).

"The idea of this meeting emanated from the wish of the Prime Minister...the PM has desired, an IT industry for social action," Prasad told reporters.

Lauding strong performance of the Indian IT industry, the minister noted that technology companies had posted USD 168 billion in revenue and USD 127 billion in exports.

Time has now come for the IT industry to work, with co-ordination and compassion, for the welfare of the society, Prasad asserted.

"There is a larger need to bring corporate social responsibility (CSR) into a common pool for sharing best practices. The entire industry, IT and electronics, is committed to this and many ideas were discussed at the meeting" he said.

Some of the ideas that were thrown up at the brainstorming session include companies allowing sabbatical to employees to take up corporate social volunteering, undertaking social initiatives in backward and laggard districts and sharing of industry best practices on a common platform.

"On October 24, the PM will hold a town hall event in Delhi, where there will be thousands of IT professionals...he will also speak to CEOs and IT professionals in over a dozen locations to enthuse and inspire them to make India's digital story, one of social inclusion," he said.

Thursday's meeting was attended by Debjani Ghosh (Nasscom President), Rajan Anandan (Google Vice President - South East Asia and India), TV Mohandas Pai (IT industry veteran), BVR Mohan Reddy (Cyient Executive Chairman), and Pankaj Mohindroo (Indian Cellular Association, National President) amongst others.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Punjab government is considering a proposal to make farmers ineligible for contesting panchayat election if found guilty of stubble burning, a senior minister said Thursday.

The government is taking stringent steps to stop burning of stubble and paddy residue,Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said here.

Stubble burning is a major cause of air pollution in north India, particularly the national capital, during the winter.

The Punjab government has appointed a large number of nodal officers and issued instructions for imposing penalties and taking legal action against erring farmers, he said.

"At the same time, the government is also considering a proposal to amend the Panchayati Raj Act...to make farmers ineligible for contesting panchayat election if found guilty of stubble burning," he said.

Bajwa said that the practice of stubble burning is not only polluting but the soil is also losing its fertility day by day.

The Punjab government has launched a vigorous campaign to aware farmers about the ill-effects of stubble burning and some legal actions are also being taken to stop this, he said.

The government is also providing huge subsidies on agricultural implements to tackle stubble burning, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived here Thursday on a two-day visit to hold the annual bilateral summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Putin, who is accompanied by a high-level delegation, was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

"Long standing and time-tested friendship. Upon his arrival in India for the #IndiaRussia Annual Bilateral Summit, @KremlinRussia_E Vladimir Putin was warmly received by EAM @SushmaSwaraj #DruzbaDosti," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit will take place here on Friday during which Modi and Putin are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation in the wake of the US sanctions against Russian defence majors.

The two leaders are also likely to deliberate on key regional and global issues, including US sanctions on import of Iranian crude oil.

The focus during the visit will be on the S-400 Triumf air defence missile system agreement, with a top Kremlin aide saying Tuesday that Russian President Putin will oversee the signing of the USD 5 billion deal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived here Thursday for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after which Russia and India are expected to sign the S-400 air defence system deal and a number of other pacts in key sectors such as space and energy.

Putin, who was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on his arrival, went straight to Modi's official Lok Kalyan Marg residence where the two leaders had a one-on-one meeting. Later, Modi hosted a private dinner for the visiting dignitary.

The dinner meeting comes a day ahead of the 19th India-Russia annual summit during which the two leaders will hold comprehensive discussions on wide-ranging bilateral, regional and international issues, including US sanctions against Moscow and counter-terrorism cooperation.

The Russian President is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov among others during his two-day visit.

Ahead of his meeting, Modi tweeted, "Welcome to India, President Putin. Looking forward to our deliberations, which will further enhance India-Russia friendship." The tweet was also posted in the Russian language.

As Putin landed in New Delhi, the Russian agency TASS reported that on Friday, a number of bilateral agreements will be signed, including the USD 5 billion contract to deliver the S-400 air defence missile systems to India.

Ahead of the visit, the Russian President's aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted by media as saying that Russia and India are planning to sign more than 20 documents at the end of the Putin-Modi talks and that Putin will oversee the signing of the USD 5 billion deal.

The agreements to be signed are likely to boost cooperation in keys sectors such as defence, space, trade, energy and tourism, among others.

The spotlight will be on the S-400 missile defence system deal as, if signed, it could violate US sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) instituted by the US Congress on arms purchases from Russia.

The US has urged its allies to forgo transactions with Russia, warning that the S-400 missile defence system that India intends to buy would be a "focus area" for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking "significant" business deals with the Russians.

American lawmakers, however, have allowed the possibility of a presidential waiver.

India has already given indications that it will go ahead with the deal notwithstanding the US sanctions.

"India has maintained its sovereignty as regards to its relationship with countries. We shall maintain it in all earnestness," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told PTI recently when asked whether the US sanctions will hit India's defence ties with Russia, especially after the signing of the S-400 missile deal.

India wants to procure the long-range missile systems to tighten its air defence mechanism, particularly along the nearly 4,000-km-long Sino-India border.

S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 to procure the lethal missile system and Moscow has already started delivery of an undisclosed number of the S-400 missile systems to Beijing.

The S-400 is an upgraded version of the S-300 systems. The missile system, manufactured by Almaz-Antey, has been in service in Russia since 2007.

Russia has been one of India's key suppliers of arms and ammunition.

Sources had earlier said Modi and Putin would also deliberate on impact of US sanctions on import of crude oil from Iran.

Besides holding talks with Modi, the Russian leader will also have a meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday.

He will also interact with a group of talented children and address an India-Russia business meet.

The last annual summit was held on June 1, 2017, during the visit of the prime minister to Russia.

In May, Modi had travelled to Russian coastal city of Sochi for an informal summit with Putin during which they discussed a range of crucial issues.

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Nearly a week after disaster struck, aid workers raced Thursday to get shelter, food, medicine and other badly needed supplies to the Indonesian port city of Palu, ravaged by a powerful earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 1,400 people.

The Indonesian military was bringing in hundreds more troops to help with search and rescue efforts and keep order among survivors who have grown desperate six days after their lives were thrown into chaos.

Hundreds of the injured and other survivors lined up on the tarmac of Palu's badly damaged airport, hoping to escape aboard military aircraft.

As help and supplies began arriving, there were other signs of progress: Trucks were hauling in new electricity poles to replace broken ones and restringing the wires. Workers said they intended to repair all the damage to the networks and substations and get them reconnected to the grid within days.

The United Nations announced a USD 15 million allocation to support relief efforts, saying more than 200,000 people were in dire need of assistance.

More than 70,000 homes are thought to have been wrecked by the quake, demolished by the tsunami or engulfed by mud slides. Thousands of people are sleeping in tents or in rough shelters made from debris, unsure when they'll be able to rebuild. Many spend their days trying to secure basics like clean water and fuel for generators.

"Please tell the government and the NGOs if they're really willing to help us with some food please do not give it away through the command posts," said Andi Rusding, who was huddled with his relatives under a tarpaulin.

"It's better to go directly to each and every tent. Because sometime (the relief goods) aren't distributed evenly."



"It's really difficult to find water and we don't have a place to shower, but thank God we got some aid from the government, including a medical checkup," said Masrita Arifin, who was camped out a few hundred meters (yards) from her family's heavily damaged home.

National disaster agency spokesman Supoto Purwo Nugroho said most of the 1,424 confirmed dead had been buried. He told reporters in Jakarta that search efforts were being stepped up, including at a collapsed hotel in Palu where a South Korean is believed trapped.

The death toll is expected to rise as rescue crews dig and comb through debris after being slowed initially by impassable roads and other damage.

People and heavy machinery were struggling to unearth victims from expanses of earth that surged sideways due to liquefaction, a phenomenon in which an earthquake turns loose, wet soil into quicksand-like mud. Several communities were wiped out as homes suddenly sank into the mire, which has since hardened in the tropical sun.

Many victims might have survived with faster help, said Palu resident Bambang. He told local television he found a friend injured and trapped under debris but was unable to help him. The friend died, leaving a message to have him buried in front of his church, he said.

"He was still alive then, but he died because the evacuation was so slow," said Bambang, who like many Indonesians uses one name.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said military transport aircraft from India and Singapore had arrived to help in the relief efforts. Marsudi said 18 countries had offered help and the government was still working out arrangements with some countries, including Japan and the United States.

The aircraft will be used to transport supplies and evacuate victims, he said.

National police spokesman Brig Gen Dedi Prasetyo said security was being ramped up to ensure law and order after 92 people were arrested for looting goods such as motor oil, tires and farming equipment. Authorities earlier allowed desperate villagers to grab food supplies from shops but warned them not to take other things.

Palu has repeatedly been hit by the quakes and tsunamis that plague much of the Indonesian archipelago. The national disaster agency says more than 148 million Indonesians are at risk in earthquake-prone areas and 3.8 million people also face danger from tsunamis, with at most a 40 minute window for warning people to flee.

Among those gathered at the airport in Palu was Fitriani, one of a group of students hoping to leave for an Islamic competition in far-off Medan, on the island of Sumatra. The group of students have been practicing calligraphy and citing the Koran for months.

"We survived here," Fitriani said. "We pray we can be safe in Palu.

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Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said Thursday the details relating to the Rafale deal are not revealed in the national interest.

The Congress Thursday urged the CAG to carry out a forensic audit of the "Rs 60,150-crore" Rafale fighter jet deal and bring all "facts" on record to enable Parliament to fix accountability for the alleged scam in the contract.

"Our basic price of Rafale aircraft is nine per cent less that that decided under the UPA government. When we purchase a raw Rafale aircraft, it is only for transportation but to convert it into a potent air defence aircraft, a lot of things need to be added," the minister said.

"So if we reveal what are these additional things to media, our enemy across the border will not need to deploy a secret service agency (to find out these details) and this why, in the national interest, the information is not being divulged," Bhamre told reporters here.

Refuting the allegations of irregularities in the deal, Bhamre said all norms and procedures were followed.

Talking about the depleted number of squadrons of the Indian Air Force, Bhamre said if India needs to fight on two fronts, the air force needs a total of 42 squadrons.

"Currently we have 33 squadrons. This operational criticality is there since 2001, but the Congress, despite knowing the country's requirement, did not take any decision (to purchase new aircraft) till 2013," he said.

When the Congress-led UPA did not negotiate any deal, on what basis it was saying that the price fixed then was lower, the minister asked.

"The Modi government has an impeccable record in the last four years, and that is why the opposition is frustrated. They just need an issue before the elections," he said.

The allegations levelled by the opposition are manufactured, baseless and not in the interest of the country,he said.

Earlier Thursday, Bhamre inaugurated Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Pune Cantonment. It is the first ITI under the Ministry of Defence situated in a cantonment area.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Enforcement Directorate Thursday attached assets worth Rs 130 crore in connection with its money laundering probe in the Rose Valley ponzi scam case, officials said.

The agency said it has issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), attaching immovable and movable properties having a collective "market value" of Rs 130 crore.

With the latest action, the total value of assets seized in this case stands at about Rs 4,400 crore, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement.

The agency had registered an FIR against the firm, its Chairman Gautam Kundu and others in 2014 under the PMLA. Kundu was arrested by the agency in Kolkata in 2015. At present, he is in judicial custody.

Multiple charge sheets have been filed in the courts in Kolkata and Bhubaneswar by the ED in this case.

The group had allegedly floated a total of 27 companies for running the alleged chit fund operations out of which only half-a-dozen were active.

The agency has alleged that the firm had floated the scheme promising inflated returns on investments between eight and 27 per cent to gullible investors in various states.

The company had allegedly pledged astronomical returns to depositors on land properties and assets and bookings done in the real estate sector.

The company has also been accused of making "cross investments" in its various sister firms to suppress its liabilities towards investors.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had probed the company before the ED and the CBI registered cases against the group.

The ED has pegged the total volume of the alleged irregularities at Rs 15,000 crore, including interest and penalties.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has sent a legal notice to the Trinamool Congress for its leaders' comments that the organisation was behind the death of two students in a clash in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district last month.

A college student, Tapas Burman, and an an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) student, Rajesh Sarkar, were killed when protesters clashed with the police on September 20 over the recruitment of Urdu and Sanskrit teachers at the Daribhita High School in Islampur, police had said.

The deceased's family members, villagers and the Bharatiya Janata Party had alleged that the students were killed in police firing, a charge that was denied by the state administration and the police.

The TMC leadership had claimed that it was RSS-BJP that had hatched a conspiracy and was behind the killing.

"We have sent a legal notice to the TMC. They have to either apologise for their comments or prove whatever they had said about RSS -- blaming us for the incident -- is true," spokesperson Jishnu Basu told PTI on Thursday.

Senior TMC leaders declined to comment on the issue. A legal notice is a precursor to a case being filed in a court.

"If the TMC is so keen on bringing out the truth then it should hand over the investigation to CBI," Basu added.

The family members of the two students and the BJP had demanded an inquiry by the central investigating agency into the incident.

The state government had handed over the investigation to the CID.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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He said the United Kingdom's National Cyber Security Centre had announced it had assessed the GRU was behind this activity and the analysis was consistent with the GCSB's.

In 2016, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) was hacked and documents were subsequently published online.

The campaign affected many countries and caused millions of dollars of economic harm, a statement from Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne said.

"This pattern of behavior demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to global law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences", Foreign Secretary Hunt said.

"Cyberspace is not the Wild West". Britain believes the Russian government is responsible for the attacks.

On the campaign trail, Republican nominee Donald Trump encourages Russian Federation to "find the 30,000 emails that are missing".

Wikileaks begins releasing slightly compromising emails from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. Over a period of months, Wikileaks consistently denies allegations that its sources are Russian.

British Prime Minister Theresa May and her Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte released a joint statement vowing to "defend worldwide institutions from those that seek do to them harm", and condemning the Russian military for its "disregard for the global values and rules that keep us all safe". Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called him a "traitor" and a "scumbag". Anti-Clinton voices slam the probe as a distraction meant to discredit the now president-elect.

The British government has accused Russian Federation of directing four major cyber-attacks on Western democracies. President Putin eschews direct retaliation, saying he will wait to see how President-elect Trump's Russian Federation policies play out. He said Russian Federation had identified the pair and found no evidence of criminal activities.

"The GRU's actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries; they are even prepared to damage Russian companies and Russian citizens", British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement.

At the time, the OPCW was working to verify the identity of the substance used in the March attack in Salisbury, Britain, on Mr Skripal and his daughter Julia.

"Our message is clear - together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRU's attempts to undermine worldwide stability", Hunt said.

"Where Russia acts in an indiscriminate and reckless way, where they have done in terms of these cyberattacks, we will be exposing them", British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said Thursday at a meeting with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation defense ministers in Brussels. The GCSB's assessment found it was highly likely the Russian military General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) was behind the campaigns and that a number of cyber proxy groups associated with these incidents are actors of the Russian state.
Russia's Defence Ministry says the United States appears to be running a clandestine biological weapons lab in the country of Georgia, allegedly flouting international rules and posing a direct security threat to Russia.

The exceptional accusations made Thursday came the same day British and Dutch officials accused Russian military intelligence of new cyberattacks.

The Defence Ministry alleged in a statement that the lab in Georgia is part of a network of US labs near the borders of Russia and China.

The statement was based largely on materials from former Georgian State Security Minister Igor Giorgadze.

He says the Georgian lab is run out of the US-funded Lugar Center for Public Health Research.

US and Georgian officials rejected Giorgadze's claims last month.

The US Embassy in Georgia did not immediately comment Thursday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US has urged its allies to forgo transactions with Russia, warning that the S-400 missile defence system that India intends to buy would be a "focus area" for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking "significant" business deals with the Russians.

The US administration is required under a domestic law, Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act or CAATSA to impose sanctions on any country that has significant transactions with Iran, North Korea or Russia.

The Act primarily deals with sanctions on Russian interests such as its oil and gas industry, defence and security sector, and financial institutions, in the backdrop of its military intervention in Ukraine and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US Presidential elections.

"We urge all of our allies and partners to forgo transactions with Russia that would trigger sanctions under CAATSA," a State Department Spokesperson said on Wednesday when asked about India's plan to purchase multi-billion S-400 missile defense system from Russia.

"The Administration has indicated that a focus area for the implementation of CAATSA Section 231 is new or qualitative upgrades in capability - including the S-400 air and missile defense system," the spokesperson said.

According to a media report, India and Russia will sign a deal for the multi-billion-dollar S-400 surface-to-air missile system this week.

Moscow has been negotiating to sell the S-400 long-range surface-to-air missiles to India for months.

The signing of the deal for Moscow's most advanced air defence system will be overseen by Russian president Vladimir Putin, who is visiting New Delhi on October 4-5 for the annual India-Russia summit, the report said quoting a top Kremlin official said.

"The President is trying to develop a relationship and change that, but we've not been successful, at least to date," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told NBC in an interview.

In September, a senior administration official told reporters that purchase of major military system like multi-billion S-400 missile defense system would be considered as a "significant transaction and thus has a potential" for CAATSA sanctions.

The official emphasized that the ultimate target of these sanctions was Russia.

The CAATSA sanctions in this context are not intended to undermine the defence capabilities of any particular country.

"They are instead aimed at imposing costs upon Russia in response to its malign activities," the official had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior diplomat Sanjay Verma has been appointed as India's Ambassador to Spain, Ministry of External Affairs said Thursday.

Verma, a 1990 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is presently Additional Secretary in the ministry.

He is expected to take up the assignment shortly, the MEA said.

Also, Arindam Bagchi, a 1995 batch IFS official,has been appointed as the next Indian Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia.

He is also expected to take up the assignment shortly.

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The Maharashtra government informed the Bombay High Court Thursday that it is using the satellite mapping technology to identify illegal constructions in major cities.

Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni told a division bench of acting Chief Justice N H Patil and Justice G S Kulkarni that Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, also called satellite mapping, is being carried out in 170 cities.

Kumbhakoni also told the court that the state's Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) is planning to use a similar system to keep a check on illegal construction.

In September, the high court, hearing a petition filed by a housing society which had been declared illegally constructed, had asked the government if it can use satellite imaging (mapping) to monitor illegal construction activity.

Kumbhakoni said Thursday that as per a government resolution (GR) of May 2016, a designated officer will be appointed to handle satellite mapping.

"This officer will update the images every six months. Permissions granted to buildings will be reflected in the images. If any structure is found to be constructed without requisite permissions, it will be stopped," he said.

The bench sought to know what steps have been taken in the past two years.

"The problem is that there is no prevention. No steps are taken to stop illegal construction. Only after a building is constructed and people start residing there, the issue is raked up," Justice Patil said.

Adjourning the hearing, the court directed the state to file an affidavit on progress regarding the 2016 GR.

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The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to grant bail to Odisha-based journalist Abhijit Iyer Mitra, who has been accused of making derogatory remarks on the Sun Temple in Konark, Odisha.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi dismissed the plea of Mitra and observed that he "incited religious sentiments".

The top court also refused to entertain the submission of Mitra's lawyer that his client was facing threat to his life.

"If your life is in danger then what better place to stay than jail? Your life will be secure," said the bench, also comprising justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K M Joseph.

Mitra, who was arrested on September 20 by the Odisha police in the national capital but was granted bail by a Delhi court directing him to join the probe.

The trial court had granted relief to Mitra on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and one surety of the like amount on a plea moved by him, while directing him to join the investigation in his native state.

Odisha Assembly had adopted a privilege motion on September 20 against Mitra for his alleged derogatory remarks.

Mitra, who is made accused in the case along with former BJD-leader Baijayant Panda, was arrested near Hazrat Nizamuddin here and was produced before the Delhi court, with Odisha police seeking his transit remand for three days to take him to his native state.

Odisha police had told the court that Mitra "gave unpalatable and irresponsible remarks on Konark Sun Temple by uploading view on social media with an intention to outrage and to wound religious feeling which may create communal fraction."



It had said that the "accused took his photograph alongwith some portion of Konark Sun Temple and he tweeted against the Odiya people".

The tweets were made on September 14.

A case was filed under various sections of Indian Penal Code, including 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religion, grace, place of birth, residence, language etc) and 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).

If convicted, the accused may get a maximum of three-year jail term.

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The Supreme Court Thursday granted one more opportunity to steel and mining major ArcelorMittal and Russia's VTB Bank-promoted NuMetal to bid for Essar Steel, provided the two pay off the non-performing assets (NPAs) of their related corporate debtors within two weeks.

A bench of Justices R F Nariman and Indu Malhotra, however, held that ArcelorMittal India Pvt Ltd and NuMetal Ltd were ineligible to file resolution plans for corporate debtor Essar Steel -- which had NPAs or bad debts amounting to Rs 45,000 crore -- as per the criteria laid down in the amended Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

The top court granted one more opportunity to the two bidders keeping in mind the submission of the Committee of Creditors (CoC), led by SBI and Standard Chartered Bank, that liquidation of Essar Steel would not be beneficial as its dues may remain unrealised.

"Acceding to this request (of CoC), in order to do complete justice under Article 142 of the Constitution..., we give one more opportunity to both resolution applicants to pay off the NPAs of their related corporate debtors within a period of two weeks from the date of receipt of this judgment, in accordance with the proviso to Section 29A(c)," said the bench in its 154-page verdict.

"If such payments are made within the aforesaid period, both resolution applicants can resubmit their resolution plans dated April 2, 2018 to the CoC, who are then given a period of 8 weeks from this date, to accept, by the requisite majority, the best amongst the plans submitted, including the resolution plan submitted by Vedanta," it said.

It also said that in the event where no plan is found "worthy of acceptance" by the requisite majority of the CoC, corporate debtor Essar Steel, shall "go into liquidation".

The bench dealt in detail with Section 29A (c) of the IBC which provides as to who are the persons ineligible to bid for a corporate debtor.

It said: "The interpretation of Section 29A(c) now becomes clear. Any person who wishes to submit a resolution plan, if he or it does so acting jointly, or in concert with other persons, which person or other persons happen to either manage or control or be promoters of a corporate debtor, who is classified as a NPA and whose debts have not been paid off for a period of at least one year before commencement of corporate insolvency resolution process, becomes ineligible to submit a resolution plan."



It further said that the provision ensured that "the ineligibility can only be removed if the person submitting a resolution plan makes payment of all overdue amounts with interest thereon and charges relating to the NPAs in question before submission of a resolution plan."



The bench added that the position in law is clear that such person "must first pay off the debt of the said corporate debtor classified as NPAs in order to become eligible under Section 29A(c)".

It held IBC "lifts the corporate veil" to ascertain whether a firm has been formed to evade obligations imposed by law and this principle is applied even to group firms so that one is able to look at economic entity of the group as a whole.

As per the verdict, ArcelorMittal will qualify to bid for Essar Steel only if it clears the Rs 7,000 crore dues of two firms, Uttam Galva and KSS Petron, it was previously associated with.

With regard to NuMetal, it has not specified NPAs of its related corporate debtors which have to be paid off to become eligible to bid for corporate debtors Essar Steel.

The bench examined the resolution plan of NuMetal and said it was incorporated in Mauritius on October 13, 2017, "expressly for the purpose" of bidding for Essar Steel.

It said Aurora Holdings Ltd (AHL) and Aurora Enterprises Ltd (AEL) were also incorporated on the same day by Rewant Ruia, son of Ravi Ruia, who was the promoter of Essar Steel.

It also noted that the "entire share capital of AHL, which in turn held the entire shareholding of AEL, which in turn held the entire share capital of Numetal".

"At this stage there can be no doubt whatsoever that Rewant Ruia, being the son of Ravi Ruia, would be deemed to be a person acting in concert with the corporate debtor, being covered by Regulation 2(1)(q)(v) of the 2011 Takeover Regulations," it said.

The bench, however, did not agree to the submission that the Russian bank VTB was barred from bidding for a company in India on account of sanctions imposed by authorities in USA and the European Union.

"What will be noticed is that the sanctions that have been imposed by the authorities of both USA and the Council of EU are not on account of any misconduct on the part of VTB Bank. Rather, they have been imposed politically, because of the conduct of a particular country, i.e. Russia, which has sought to undermine Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty...," it noted.

Dealing with ineligibility of ArcelorMittal, it said it was absolutely clear that L N Mittal is "ultimate shareholder" of ArcelorMittal India Limited and one of the group firms was "a promoter of Uttam Galva" whose assets have been declared as NPAs.

"The reasonably proximate facts prior to the submission of both resolution plans by AMIPL would show that there is no doubt whatsoever that AMNLBV's shares in Uttam Galva were sold only in order to get out of the ineligibility mentioned by Section 29A(c)...," it said.

It also said there was no doubt that ArcelorMittal had a considerable stake in KSS Petron which had also been declared NPA.

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A woman, who had challenged the provisions related to restitution of conjugal rights on the grounds that she has a right to "sexually autonomy" and to be "left alone", has failed to get any relief from the Supreme Court.

The woman, an engineering graduate working in a multinational IT major, had moved the top court challenging the constitutional validity of provision of the Hindu Marriage Act 1955, after her estranged husband had filed a suit for restitution of conjugal rights.

The plea claimed that "coercive act" of state compelling sexual co-habitation infringes a woman's fundamental right to privacy, dignity, mental and physical health, personal liberty and right to equality under the Constitution.

A bench of Justices U U Lalit and M M Shantanagoudar refused to entertain her plea saying the matter was purely "pre-mature" at this juncture as at this stage, only a petition for restitution of conjugal rights was filed by her husband.

Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade and advocate Fauzia Shakil, appearing for the woman, referred to the apex court's historic judgement in the Right to Privacy matter and said that a woman has the right to sexual autonomy and to be left alone.

The petitioner had claimed that provisions related to restitution of conjugal rights violated the freedom of sexual expression under the Constitution.

"The petitioner's main grievance is that the process of law cannot compel or induce a woman to surrender her right of sexual and decisional autonomy, which is part of her fundamental right under Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty)," the plea said.

The woman also said that compelling her to go back to her husband for restitution of conjugal rights against her wishes would tantamount to marital rape.

In her plea, she claimed that her marriage was solemnised in November 2014 but soon thereafter, her husband started to harass her mentally and physically.

The woman said that she had left her matrimonial home and registered a criminal case against her husband and in-laws.

She claimed that in 2017, her husband had filed a suit for restitution of conjugal rights before a family court and the matter was pending.

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In a setback to arrested former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed his wife's plea challenging the police probe and his judicial custody in a 22-year-old case of alleged planting of drugs to arrest an advocate, and said that he could approach an "appropriate forum" for relief.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph held that it was not appropriate for the apex court to interfere in the ongoing investigation.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Gujarat government, said that Sanjiv Bhatt was arrested on September 5, in accordance with law and produced before the jurisdictional magistrate at Palanpur of Gujarat within 24 hours seeking his police custody.

He said that the assertions of the petitioner, Shweta Bhatt, that the accused was not allowed to sign the 'vakalatnama' are factually wrong, incorrect and contrary to the contemporaneous record and appear to have been made to create prejudice against the investigation.

Rohatgi said that Sanjiv Bhatt's counsel had appeared before the magistrate to oppose the plea for police remand filed by the probe agency and it was recorded in the order of September 6.

He said that everything was done in compliance with orders of the court.

On the Vakalatnama issue, Rohatgi said that during the days of judicial custody between September 6 to September 12, two lawyers Shirishbhai Modi and S B Thakore had met the accused-petitioner's husband.

The state government said that Thakore met Bhatt twice and Shirishbhai Modi met him once during his judicial custody.

The government in its affidavit said besides the lawyers even relatives of Bhatt have met him in jail and he was represented by a lawyer of his choice in the high court.

"The facts clearly show and indicate that the accused - petitioner's husband, at no point of time was prevented in any manner from either meeting his lawyers or signing Vakalatnama and/or any other documents or from meeting anyone," the affidavit said.

After perusing the affidavit, the bench dismissed the petitions filed by Shweta Bhatt.

"We do not think appropriate to interfere in the ongoing investigation. Liberty to approach the appropriate forum in accordance with law," the bench said.

On September 24, the apex court had termed as "serious" the allegations made by Shweta Bhatt that he was not being allowed to sign any document in custody to enable him approach the apex court.

The top court then asked the Gujarat government to file a reply on the allegations on or before October 4.

Bhatt and seven others, including some former policemen attached with the Banaskantha Police, were initially detained for questioning in the case. Bhatt was the Banaskantha district superintendent of police in 1996.

As per the police, the Banaskantha Police under Bhatt had arrested one Sumersingh Rajpurohit, an advocate, in 1996 on charges of possessing around one kg of drugs.

At that time, the Banaskantha Police had claimed that drugs were found in a hotel room occupied by Rajpurohit in the district's Palanpur town.

However, a probe by the Rajasthan Police had concluded that Rajpurohit was allegedly falsely implicated by the Banaskantha Police to compel him to transfer a disputed property at Pali in Rajasthan.

It had also claimed to have found that Rajpurohit was allegedly abducted by the Banaskantha Police from his residence at Pali in Rajasthan.

Following the Rajasthan Police investigation, former police inspector of Banaskantha I B Vyas had moved the Gujarat High Court in 1999 demanding a thorough inquiry into the matter.

In June this year, the high court had handed over the probe in the case to the CID while hearing the petition and asked it to complete the probe in three months.

The Gujarat cadre IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt was suspended in 2011 on charges of remaining absent from duty without permission and misuse of official vehicles and later sacked in August, 2015.

Bhatt's wife Shweta had unsuccessfully contested assembly election as a Congress party candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Maninagar constituency in Ahmedabad in 2012.

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The Supreme Court Thursday allowed the deportation of seven Rohingyas to Myanmar, saying they were found by the competent court as illegal immigrants and have been accepted by their country of origin as citizens.

"Having considered the prayer, we would not like to interfere with the decision taken. The petition is dismissed," a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph said.

"Even the country of their origin has accepted them as its citizens," it said.

The bench rejected the plea made by one of the Rohingyas, who had filed an application seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting to Myanmar the seven Rohingyas lodged in a detention centre at Silchar in Assam.

The Centre told the apex court that the seven Rohingyas illegally migrated to India in 2012 and were convicted under the Foreigners Act.

The Centre also informed the court that Myanmar has issued a certificate of identity to the seven Rohingyas along with one month visa to facilitate their deportation.

"Myanmar government gave them certificate of identity and one month visa to facilitate their deportation," Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench.

The application was filed by one Jaffarullah, who said Rohingyas should not be deported under any kind of duress as they have migrated due to "genocide" in Myanmar.

Rohingya immigrants will be handed over to Myanmar authorities at Moreh border post in Manipur on Thursday, a Home Ministry official had said Wednesday.

The interim plea, seeking urgent measures to stop the proposed deportation of seven Rohingyas, was filed on a pending PIL.

The PIL was filed earlier by two Rohingya immigrants -- Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir -- challenging the Centre's decision to deport over 40,000 refugees who came to India after escaping from Myanmar due to alleged widespread discrimination and violence against the community.

In the fresh plea, advocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for the applicant, said Myanmar government had earlier refused to accept these Rohingyas as their citizens.

He alleged that a worst kind of genocide has taken place in Myanmar in which over 10,000 people were killed.

Bhushan further argued that due to the "genocide", people were killed and their properties destroyed and several lakhs of Rohingyas migrated to Bangladesh and India.

"They are not illegal migrants, but refugees. The court should direct sending UN High Commissioner or his representative to talk to the seven Rohingyas so that they are not deported under any kind of duress," he said.

The bench said it would not like to interfere with the decision and dismissed the petition.

Bhushan said it is a matter of life and it is the court's responsibility to see that the lives of Rohingyas are protected.

However, the bench was not in agreement with his submission and said, "You don't need to remind us of our responsibilities. We very well understand our responsibilities".

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The Supreme Court Thursday took strong exception to non-appearance of any representative from the Press Council of India, the Editors Guild and the Indian Broadcasting Federation to assist it in dealing with the issue of alleged non-adherence of statutory provisions in broadcasting related to rape and sexual abuses.

The apex court also sought to know from the Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA), which was the only media body to comply with its order to appear before it, about the action taken by them against media persons who have violated the statutory requirement under relevant laws while reporting incidents of rape and sexual abuse.

On September 20, the top court issued notices to four media bodies to assist it in the matter which deals with alleged non-compliance of statutory provisions about disclosure of identity of victims of rape and sexual abuses by the media.

A bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur, S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta observed it had sought assistance of these bodies in the matter and notices issued against them have already been served.

"Only NBSA has put in appearance. There is no appearance at all from Press Council of India, Editors Guild and Indian Broadcasting Federation. It appears that they are not inclined to assist us otherwise they must have put in appearance at least," the bench said.

During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the NBSA told the court there were "ample guidelines" to deal with such issues.

"There may be thousands of guidelines. The question is of implementation. How many people are there against whom you have taken action?," the bench asked.

When the NBSA's counsel said they have taken action in several cases, the bench said, "show us one".

The counsel, while contending that action have been taken and in several cases fine were imposed, said he would place the orders passed by the NBSA in such cases.

"Tell us whether these orders have been implemented. Put it in an affidavit," the court said, adding, "Tell us about the orders passed in 2018".

The NBSA's counsel also told the bench that regulations were in place to deal with such instances.

"We have requested NBSA to inform us on an affidavit with regard to action taken against any person who has violated statutory requirements under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and the Indian Penal Code," the bench noted in its order.

The court also sought to know about the action taken by the NBSA against those who have violated the NBSA guidelines in 2018.

The counsel said he would file an affidavit giving all the details within three days.

The bench has posted the matter for further hearing on October 22.

On September 20, the court observed that there was "no mechanism" to enforce and implement legal provisions and guidelines on media reporting on rape and sexual abuse cases.

The bench, which had observed that there cannot be a blanket ban on media reporting in such cases, was informed that guidelines and statutory provisions were being "routinely violated" as the press was doing "media trial".

The court, in the "interest of all victims of sexual abuse and sexual violence", had restrained the electronic media from telecasting or broadcasting their images even in morphed or blurred form and had also asked media not to interview such victims.

The issue had cropped up when senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for a scribe who had challenged the Patna High Court order banning media from reporting on probe into the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, had said that guidelines and provisions were being violated and media was indulging in conducting independent probe in such cases.

The court had also vacated the high court's August 23 order with regard to the media reporting in the Muzaffarpur case.

Over 30 girls were allegedly raped and sexually abused at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur run by Brajesh Thakur, the chief of the state-funded NGO.

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As the suspect barricaded himself in the home with children, authorities used a mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicle - something usually associated with war zones - to get all the wounded officers to safety, Boone said.

"I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known", Heidler said, visibly overcome by emotion at the news conference. The incident has now concluded with the suspect in custody.

A Twitter post from Florence County Emergency Management says that "Due to a high priority call in ..."

There were no immediate details on the condition of the other officers, after the latest shooting involving police in the United States. After an approximately two-hour standoff, the suspect, who was not identified by officials, was arrested.

A law enforcement officer is dead and six others are injured after they were caught in an active shooter situation in Florence, South Carolina Wednesday night.

Florence city spokesman, John Wukela, gave the updated total Wednesday evening.

One city officer died from the injuries, WMBF confirmed.

According to county coroner Keith von Lutcken, one officer was killed, local media reported.

Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said three of his deputies and four police officers from the city of Florence who came to assist them were shot after authorities tried to serve a search warrant on the suspect.

The shooting occurred in the Vintage Place, a residential neighborhood in Florence, about 80 miles east of Columbia, according to the Florence County Emergency Management.

Five members of law enforcement have been shot during an incident in SC, according to a report from WMBF.

President Donald Trump tweeted that his "thoughts and prayers" are with the Florence County Sheriffs Office and the Florence Police Department.
The Congress in Maharashtra Thursday dismissed as "nautanki" (drama) the Shiv Sena's announcement that its chief Uddhav Thackeray will visit Ayodhya after Dussehra to reaffirm his party's commitment to the issue.

Senior Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil asked the Sena to implement its threat to walk out of the BJP-led coalition governments at Centre and in Maharashtra before playing on the Ram temple issue.

Sena's announcement came a day after Ram Janmabhoomi Trust chief Janmejay Sharanji Maharaj met Thackeray at the party's headquarters Sena Bhawan here.

Earlier in the day, Sena leader Sanjay Raut said only his party has the "courage" to build a Ram temple in Ayodhyha.

"The Sena had made the announcement to quit the government 235 times in the past, but still continues to remain in power with this anti-people and anti-farmer government. Sena's statement on Ayodhya is nothing but a nautanki," said the Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Assembly.

Attacking the BJP, he said the saffron party has been "attacking" Mahatma Gandhi's twin principles of truth and non-violence, but still has no qualms in celebrating his birth anniversary.

Ram temple construction in Ayodhya has been one of the core issues of the BJP, which is an ally of the Shiv Sena.

The Sena, which has resolved to go solo in the future elections, has often targeted the BJP for "delaying" the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya despite having a majority.

The Supreme Court recently declined to refer to a five-judge Constitution bench the issue of reconsideration of the observations in its 1994 judgement that a mosque was not integral to Islam which had arisen during the hearing of the Ayodhya land dispute.

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The Senate Judiciary Committee says it has received an FBI report on sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley tweeted early Thursday, "Supplemental FBI background file for Judge Kavanaugh has been received." Grassley is expected to read the FBI report on Thursday morning, followed by his colleagues. Because the report is confidential, senators will not be allowed to talk about what's in it.

Republicans agreed to ask the FBI for an additional background check on Kavanaugh after his first accuser, Christine Blasey (BLAH'-zee) Ford, testified last week that he sexually assaulted her when they were in high school. Kavanaugh denies the accusation.

Ford's attorneys have said she was not contacted for an interview. But the FBI spoke to a second woman, Deborah Ramirez, who claims Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when they were in college. Kavanaugh says that accusation is false.

The full Senate is preparing to weigh in on Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court with an initial vote on Friday.

In setting the voting process in motion, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is likely to call for a final vote over the weekend.

Allegations of sexual misconduct when Kavanaugh was in high school and college have rocked President Donald Trump's effort to put the conservative appeals court judge on the high court.

Although Kavanaugh has denied the allegations of three women, they proved so controversial that Trump directed the FBI to re-open a background investigation.

Senators are expected to begin reviewing the FBI report on Thursday in a secure room in the Capitol complex. They are not supposed to divulge the contents of the agency's background reports.

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BJP president Amit Shah will be on a day-long visit of poll-bound Chhattisgarh Friday during which he will take part in several programmes including a tribal convention in naxal-affected Kanker district.

Shah will arrive at Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur at 10.30 am, a party spokesperson said.

The BJP chief will soon leave for Sihawa Ashram in Dhamtari district where he will meet seers to seek their blessings, he said.

Shah will then participate in a programme for distribution of bonus to collectors of tendu-patta (tendu leaves) at Narharpur in Kanker district at 12 noon, the leader said, adding the BJP chief will also address a tribal convention there.

Later, Shah will travel to Charoda in Durg district at 3 pm and address a women's convention, he said.

He will meet members of the Gujarati community in Bhilai at 4.40 PM.

Assembly polls are slated to be held in Chhattisgarh later this year.

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Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar Thursday appealed to Rahul Gandhi to reconsider the Congress's alliance with the NCP for future polls, against the backdrop of party chief Sharad Pawar's "defence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rafale deal.

Ambedkar, who heads the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBP), said Pawar, with his statement, has "opposed" the Congress president who has launched a pointed attack on the prime minister over the purchase of the fighter jets from France.

Pawar had caused a flutter with his statement that the people had no doubts about the intentions of the prime minister in the Rafale deal.

However, after his statement drew flak, Pawar made a U-turn, saying he never meant to support anybody in the deal, which he termed as "looting of the country".

"The allegations made by Congress president Rahul Gandhi (in Rafale issue) were opposed by NCP president Sharad Pawar. Pawar has negated Rahul Gandhi's stand on the issue. Now, it is up to the Congress whether it wants to continue with the NCP or not," Ambedkar told reporters.

The Congress has been accusing the Modi government of favouritism and purchasing the fighter aircraft at a price higher than what was negotiated by the erstwhile UPA government.

The BJP had denied the allegations that it had chosen a particular industrialist as the offset partner of Dassault, the French maker of Rafale.

Pawar had said the Congress and the NCP would come together for the polls in Maharashtra.

The BBM and the Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) recently tied up for the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly polls, due next year.

Ambedkar said his party would not join hands with the NCP (Nationalist Congress Party).

Responding to a query on the BBM's prospective alliance with the Congress for polls, Ambedkar said he had held two meetings with leaders of that party and discussed seat-sharing.

"We have discussed (the scenario) in 12 of total 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. We are not adamant on (contesting) the 12 seats," he said.

Ambedkar said there are 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra where the Congress had lost in the last three elections. "But we are not interested in those seats," he added.

He said the BBM was willing to join hands with the Congress though that party has not communicated its stand about an alliance.

Ambedkar said he was not enthused by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's reported remarks that the latter would "mortgage the state", if needed, as a bank-guarantee to raise funds for the construction of the memorial of B R Ambedkar in Indu Mill in central Mumbai.

"If that happens, the same minister will say that the state is facing the financial crisis because of Ambedkar's statue," he said.

Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of B R Ambedkar, said he had a different perspective about the proposed memorial of Ambedkar, but refused to elaborate.

"Earlier, the state government had proposed to build a five-star hotel on the same plot," he claimed.

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A shift in the focus from product to customer is a prerequisite and that is the need of the hour in a state like Kerala endowed with a startup ecosystem, speakers at a seminar here said Thursday.

The greatest of fine products in the world has not achieved success without potential customers, experts said at 'Go to Marketing strategies for startups', organised by Maker Village, said to be the country's largest exclusive electronic incubator.

"At a time when Maker Village is showing competence on par with successful international startups across the globe, an effective marketing strategy can take it to another level of proficiency," said Prof Ruth P Stevens, Adjunct professor with Columbia University, NYU Stern University and IIM Bangalore.

"The facility, equipment and the ambience are truly world class and this could be the right kind of launching pad for creating world class products," Ruth said.

Maker Village CEO Prasad Balakrishnan Nair, speaking about organising the first-of-its-kind workshop at Kinfra Hi-Tech Park in Kalamassery, stressed the need for coming up with adept marketing strategies as a significant number of the products from the two-and-a-half-year-old Village are reaching the market.

"In the next six months, another 10 startups will reach the market. Hence, this is right time to seek more marketing, and at this point we need experts. Hence the syposium," he said.

Sanjeev Gadre, an Industry practitioner who worked with Adobe, Aricent, Uniphore and Subex as head of marketing, said marketing, like engineering, needs technical skill.

"Both need same consistency and meticulous analysis," added the expert with a quarter centurys experience in marketing.

Piyush Kumar Sinha, another expert and a faculty with IIM Ahmedabad and formerly with IIM Bangalore and XIMB, spoke on the dynamics of creating a marketing plan with focus on ground level realities.

Last month, India's first underwater robotic drone, EYEROVTUNA, developed at Maker Village that can send real-time video of ships and other underwater structures to help with their repair and maintenance, was launched and handed over to the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory of DRDO.

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Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has ordered the release of all the Tamil civilian lands held by the state in the country's Northern and Eastern provinces by December 31, the President's office said Thursday.

Sri Lanka witnessed three decades-long civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during which the military occupied civilian lands in the northern and eastern provinces for military purposes.

Since the end of the armed conflict in May 2009, a considerable part of private lands were released to the original owners.

It was not clear if the latest release instructions came from Sirisena in response to representations made by the main Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in late August.

The TNA had told Sirisena that even 9 years after the conclusion of the civil war both agricultural and residential lands continued to be in possession of the armed forces.

Pointing to the lands in Keppapilavu in the Mullaitivu district, the TNA said that 75 acres of private land owned and possessed by local people for generations and centuries was held by the Army.

Sirisena told them then that more than 85 per cent of the lands held by the military belonging to civilians had been released.

However, the TNA urged that in order to achieve reconciliation and national integration all land belonging to the people which are now in the possession of the armed forces should be released without any further delay.

Earlier this year, the Sri Lankan Government was set to return over 800 acres of military-occupied land to its original Tamil owners in the Eastern Province as part of the reconciliation process.

The decision was taken after the Resettlement Committee had received the Cabinet approval to return 818 acres of land in the Sampur area back to its original owners, the Sri Lankan government's official portal reported.

Similarly in 2017, the Sri Lankan military had said that it ended its control over a major fishing harbour it had occupied in 1990 in the former war zone of Jaffna.

According to UN estimates, up to 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed by security forces during former president Rajapaksa's regime that brought an end to the nearly three decades-long war in the country with the defeat of the LTTE in 2009.

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Taxi hailing app will soon launch a new feature wherein its customers and drivers will not be able to see each other's mobile numbers and they can talk through its application only.

"Two side of call anonymization ... is when you call driver, the driver does not get your number and when drivers call you don't get drivers number. That's the tech we are investing in ..that will go live in India soon," India and South Asia President Pradeep Parameswaran told reporters on Thursday.

He said that it has been one of the demands from riders and drivers.

This service of is already active in some of the countries including Australia and South Africa.

The head said the company is now looking to expand footprint in India to more cities.

"We feel like we are in a place where we know how to make operations work and that gives us confidence to expand. I don't have specific cities to announce at this point but expanding beyond our current footprint," Parameswaran said.

Uber has presence in 31 cities while its competitor Ola offers services in around 110 cities.

Parameswaran said India has emerged as largest "pool" ride market in the world in which people share cab with other passengers and pay less.

He said that number of rides on Uber platform continues to grow and there is large market still left to be captured for the business.

"It (rides) continues to grow. Our purpose is also to provide all modes of transport and we haven't yet started the journey on many of the new modes of transport. If you think about possibility of growth, it is highly immense," Parameswaran said.

On queries around impact rising in India and the manner in which Uber is managing taxi rates, Parameswaran said that the company has option to increase fares and in markets where price increase reduces trips dramatically the company has enough data to make decision and take corrective action when required.

He said long term answer to avoid impact of fluctuating fuel price is to "make shift from oil" to electric vehicle.

The company has entered into agreement with automobile company Mahindra & Mahindra to start pilot on electric vehicle for taxi service but is yet to start trials.

He said that India is not just fastest growing market for Uber but also one of largest provider of growth in global corporate portfolio of the company.

When asked about company's action on to curb refusal of service by Uber driver or cancellation of trips, Parameswaran said expressed displeasure on such incidence and working to check such incidents.

"It is not an ideal experience. That is not the experience we want to have. It is high on my agenda. Love of our riders is not because we are cheap, affordability is important part, but it has to be a seamless experience," he said.
PDP MLA Aijaz Ahmad Mir, who is being questioned by the police in connection with the looting of weapons from his residence, on Thursday accused a cop of abusing him and levelling "serious" allegations against his family.

Last week, a special police officer (SPO) posted at Mir's residence, Adil Bashir, decamped with seven AK rifles.

"Is this policing? How can a munshi (policeman) of Rajbagh police station abuse a legislator in front of dozens of other policemen? And then (he) went on levelling serious allegations, accusations against his (my) family as well," Mir said in a tweet.

"Is this how police probes things here by humiliating even legislators and start levelling baseless allegations?" he asked in another tweet.

Days after Bashir fled with the weapons, he joined Hizbul Mujahideen and his photos with top commanders of the terror outfit went viral on social media.

Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh had said the SPO was in touch with the terrorists before he fled and he stole the weapons on their directions.

A senior police official said a civilian, who helped Bashir in the theft, has been identified, but he has gone underground.

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A Vietnam veteran who bragged online about maintaining his target-shooting skills was being held Thursday in the shooting of seven law enforcement officers, one of whom died, as deputies tried to serve a search warrant at his home.

Authorities said Frederick Hopkins opened fire on the deputies from inside the home and held children hostage while shooting long-range at other officers who rushed to the suburban neighbourhood.

The sheriff department's armored personnel carrier was brought in to recover the wounded during Wednesday's two-hour standoff, and the shooter finally released the children as he was taken into custody, authorities said.

"Officers went there unknowing the firepower the suspect had," Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said at a conference.

"Fire was being shot all over. The way this suspect was positioned, his view of fire was several hundred yards. So he had an advantage. The officers couldn't get to the ones who were down."



Records show Hopkins, 74, is a disabled Vietnam veteran and disbarred lawyer who has faced several charges in recent years, starting with a 2014 count of disorderly conduct.

Authorities have not described what weapons were involved, but Hopkins apparently owned several guns, including an M-14 rifle.

A 2014 post on his Facebook page said he celebrated his 70th birthday at a shooting range by repeatedly firing his M-14, set up exactly like the one he used in Vietnam.

"I have been shooting competitively since 1984 and lovin' it. I just love the smell of gunpowder in the mornin's," said the post. Other posts from 2016 show images of rifles set up on what looks like a range, and say he was the "South Carolina 3-Gun Silhouette Champion for 2011."



The violence stunned people in the area, where many have been dealing with record flooding from Hurricane Florence.

Both the sheriff and police chief cried as they spoke to reporters after the standoff.

The slain officer, Terrence Carraway, 52, of Darlington, had just been honoured for his 30 years of service with the Florence Police Department.

"I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known," said his chief, Allen Heidler.

WIS-TV reported Thursday that Florence County Chief Deputy Glenn Kirby said Hopkins was hospitalised with a head injury and unable to speak with officers. WPDE-TV reports Hopkins fell at the scene.

Kirby also said that the search warrant involved an accusation that a 27-year-old person at the home sexually assaulted a foster child who lives in the home.

Three Florence County deputies were wounded while trying to serve the warrant around 4 pm Wednesday. Officers from all over arrived to help, and the suspect ultimately shot four Florence city police officers, one fatally, Heidler said.

Boone credited his department's military equipment for enabling them to pull the wounded from the field of fire.

"Thanks to our MRAP, armored personnel carrier, we made sure all the officers that were shot were protected and brought for medical attention," he said.

Officials did not identify the wounded officers or describe their conditions.

Condolences and outpourings of support rolled in.

President Donald Trump tweeted his "thoughts and prayers," saying "We are forever grateful for what our Law Enforcement Officers do 24/7/365."



"This is simply devastating from Florence," Gov Henry McMaster tweeted.

"The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real."



This is the second shooting of multiple police officers in South Carolina this year.

In January, a 47-year-old former banker shot four officers in York County, killing one, after his wife called 911 to report he beat her.

Christian McCall pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life without parole.

Florence, a city in South Carolina's northeastern corner home to roughly 37,000, sits at the convergence of Interstates 95 and 20. It's the largest city in the region known as the Pee Dee, where flooding from Hurricane Florence devastated areas to the east and south.

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami Thursday indicated independent MLA S Karunaas, elected on the AIADMK symbol, might face action for seeking the removal of Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal.

His reaction came a day after Karunaas, supporting ousted AIADMK leader TTTV Dhinakaran, Wednesday sent a notice seeking removal of Dhanapal for allegedly acting in a biased and partisan manner.

"You know pretty well what will happen if a no-confidence motion is brought against the Speaker after winning on the (AIADMK's) Two Leaves symbol... you in media know what the law says," Palaniswami said when reporters sought his response to Karunaas' notice against the Speaker.

Though Palaniswami, also AIADMK Joint Coordinator, did not elaborate, there were reports that the move by Karunaas to seek the Speaker's removal could be seen as an act of revolt against the ruling party and hence he can attract disciplinary action.

Actor-turned-politician Karunaas, who heads a caste outfit 'Mukkalathor Puli Padai', had won from Thiruvadanai in Ramanathapuram district on the AIADMK's Two Leaves symbol in the 2016 assembly polls.

The MLA is presently out on bail after his recent arrest on charges of making a provocative speech against Palaniswami and the police.

His sudden move against the Speaker came amid reports that the AIADMK was considering seeking his disqualification, besides that of three other party legislators supporting Dhinakaran, who has been vowing to oust the Palanaiswami government.

Last year, on a plea by the AIADMK, the speaker had disqualified 18 MLAs loyal to Dhinakaran, after they had petitioned the then Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao saying they had lost confidence in the Chief Minister and wanted him to be replaced.

The Madras High Court has recently reserved orders on petitions challenging the disqualifications.

Incidentally, the DMK had moved a no-confidence motion against Dhanapal last year, but it was defeated.

In his notice, Karunaas had sought to invoke Rule 68 of Tamil Nadu Assembly Rules providing for a resolution to be moved for removal of the Speaker as laid down under Article 179(C) of the Constitution.

He had requested Assembly Secretary K Srinivasan to include the resolution in the list of business for the leave of the House.

In the proposed resolution, he had alleged Dhanapal was not acting in accordance with the Constitutional and legal principles.

"He is acting in a biased and partisan manner while conducting the assembly proceedings as well as discharging his constitutional duties as a Speaker," Karunaas submitted.

To a question on the reported uncertainity over the setting up of an AIIMS facility at Thoppur in Madurai, Palaniswami assured it will come up as proposed.

The Narendra Modi government had acceded to a plea by then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on this matter, he said.

"I will meet the Prime Minister soon. I will take up the matter and insist on it with him. For sure, AIIMS will come up, let there be not any apprehensions about that," he said.

To a question on the Tirupparankundram Assembly segment here which has fallen vacant following the death of AIADMK MLA A K Bose, Palaniswami exuded confidence of retaining it in the bypoll.

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The trip to Ghana, organised by USAID, is part of Mrs Trump's "Be Best" campaign, which aims to improve child welfare, especially when it comes to online behaviour and addiction to opioids.

US First Lady Melania Trump has arrived in Nairobi on the third day of her solo trip to Africa to promote health and education. As CNN reporter Kate Bennett tweeted, a small group of protesters - who may or may not have been Americans living near the USA embassy - held up signs with #MeToo-inspired slogans as Trump drove past.

President of the United States Donald John Trump has declared that the love between his wife Melania and the African countries she is visiting is mutual.

Melania Trump, who is in Africa to promote her children's welfare programme, described her visit to the Chipala primary school as "an awesome experience". "It is a handsome thing to see".

"I am very proud to see the first lady", high school student Sharon Sibo told AFP after being among a group of welcoming pupils at the airport. First Lady Margaret Kenyatta will also be in attendance.

Later during a visit at the US embassy in Malawi, the first lady called her visit to the school an "amazing experience".

She also held talks with the Ghana's First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo and interfaced with staff of the United States embassy in Accra.

The first lady later left Malawi for Kenya.
Tracking the indoor air quality in real time can encourage people to change their behaviour and switch to activities that cause less pollution within their homes, a study has found.

Researchers from University of Utah in the US conducted a study to determine if homeowners change the way they live if they could visualise the microscopic air pollutants in their homes.

"The idea behind this study was to help people understand something about this invisible air quality in their home," said Jason Wiese, an assistant professor at University of Utah.

Researchers built a series of portable air quality monitors with Wi-Fi and connected them to a server. Three sensors were placed in each of six homes from four to 11 months in 2017 and 2018.

Two were placed in different, high-traffic areas of the house such as the kitchen or a bedroom and one outside on or near the porch.

Each minute, each sensor automatically measured the air for PM 2.5 -- a measurement of tiny particles or droplets in the air that are 2.5 microns or less in width -- and sent the data to the server.

The data could then be viewed by the homeowner on a tablet that displayed the air pollution measurements in each room as a line graph over a 24-hour period.

Participants in the study could see up to 30 days of air pollution data. To help identify when there might be spikes in the air pollution, homeowners were given a voice-activated speaker so they could tell the server to label a particular moment in time when the air quality was being measured, such as when a person was cooking or vacuuming.

Participants also were sent an SMS text message warning them whenever the indoor air quality changed rapidly.

One homeowner discovered that the air pollution in her home spiked when she cooked with olive oil. That motivated her to find other oils that produced less smoke at the same cooking temperature, researchers said.

Another homeowner would vacuum and clean the house just before a friend with allergies dropped by to try and clean the air of dust.

However, she found that this made the air much worse because more pollutants were kicked up when vacuuming and dusting.

Realising this, she started cleaning the house much earlier before the friend would visit.

Participants would open windows more when the air was bad or compare measurements between rooms and avoid those rooms more with more pollution.

"Without this kind of system, you have no idea about how bad the air is in your home," Wiese said.

"There are a whole range of things you can't see and can't detect. That means you have to collect the data with the sensor and show it to the individual in an accessible, useful way," he said.

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Three tribal student bodies in the state Thursday called for an 'economic blockade' for five days beginning October 9 as the authorities have "failed" to resolve the crisis in the Manipur University, a statement issued by them said.

The three tribal student bodies - All Manipur Tribal Students Union (ATSUM), Kuki Students Organisation GHq (KSO) and All Naga Students Association (ANSAM) - took the decision to call for the economic blockade at the meeting here, the statement said.

They demanded immediate restoration of normalcy in the Manipur University within a weeks time.

"Expressing anguish over holding of thousands of student's career to ransom by some vested interest, the three student bodies also resolved to demand a separate Hill University," the statement said.

Academic activities in Manipur University were paralysed for more than three months after the Manipur University Students Union (MUSU) and Manipur University Teachers Associaiton (MUTA) launched an agitation demanding the removal of vice-chancellor A P Pandey.

The MUSU and MUTA called off the agitation after the Union HRD Ministry set up a committee to probe the allegations against Pandey.

On September 21 police raided the campus and arrested a number of students and teacher on the basis of an FIR lodged by Prof K Yugindro, the acting vice-chancellor.

The MUSU and MUTA are demanding the release of all the arrested students and teachers and withdrawal of security forces from the university campus.

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The manifesto of the TRS for the coming assembly elections in Telangana would be unveiled this month, IT Minister K T Rama Rao said Thursday.

Making the announcement during an interaction on Twitter, Rao, son of caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, also answered questions related to infrastructure, industries development.

Our manifesto will come out later this month. Our manifesto will be a combination of all the welfare activities which were promoted in the past, he said.

Meanwhile, his father, on a campaign trail, continued his attack on Andhra PradeshChief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of plotting to halt development of Telangana.

Addressing a public meeting inNalgonda,Chandrasekhar Rao also slammed Naidu over the proposed alliance between TDP and Congress, describing him as a 'betrayer'.

He also hit out at the Congress leaders.

"TodayChandrababu Naidu wants to defeat Telangana by bringing in wrong forces... nothing will happen. If your (people) blessings are there, Naidu and Congress cannot harm Telangana. I have come to seek your blessings and want you to extend the your support..," he said.

The TRS supremo, who opted for early dissolution of the assembly last month to advance the elections due next year, wanted the public to teach a lesson to opposition parties in the coming elections.

KCR, as he his popularly known, also came down heavily on Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and former minister K Jana Reddy, accusing them of failure to ensure development of Nalgonda district and its people.

Citizens in Nalgonda suffered due to drinking water contaminated with fluoride and 'Mission Bhagiratha' of his government would address this problem by supplying purified drinking water, he said.

Quoting a recent survey, the caretaker chief minister claimed TRS would win 110 seats out of 119 assembly seats in Telangana.

Rama Rao, in his about an hour long live twitter session, said urban and rural infrastructure, healthcare and education will also be given due importance (in the manifesto).

Netizens asked several questions related to principal opposition Congress and its proposed alliance with TDP.

The Minister accused the Congress of being responsible for the loss of lives during the two phases of the Telangana movement.

On the lathi charge on farmeres in Delhi, Rama Rao condemned it and said the Telangana government had been taking a lot of measures such as the 'Rythu Bandhu' and 'Rythu Bima' insurance schemes for the welfare of the farmers in the state.

Answering a query on UAE amnesty, he said a competent delegation had been sent to bring back Telangana immigrants there through the scheme.

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A case was registered against a TRS MLA in the dissolved Telangana assembly Thursday in connection with his alleged offer of cash to vote for him and the party in the coming elections, police said.

The case against E Ravinder Reddy, also the party candidate in Yellareddy constituency, was registered under the Indian Penal Code section 171E (punishment for bribery) after a local Congress leader lodged a complaint with the Election Commission.

The action came days after a video purportedly showing Reddy offering Rs 5 lakh to a group of women if they passed resolutions to vote for the TRS and elect him unanimously in the assembly elections went viral in the social media.

Police registered the FIR against the MLA, who won from Yellareddy seat in 2014, after obtaining permission from a local court based on a complaint by a revenue official, Kamareddy District Superintendent of Police N Swetha told PTI.

This is the first election related case in poll-bound Telangana where the Model Code of Conduct has come into force after the ruling TRS opted for premature dissolution of the assembly early last month.

In the video, Reddy during an interaction in Markal village on September 26, was purportedly heard saying he will provide money to members of women self-help groups and a group of villagers and asking them to form groups, conduct meetings and vote for the TRS and him.

A woman was also heard saying this amount was small, to which a follower of the MLA says it is "initial amount".

Acting on the complaint by the Congress leader, the Returning Officer conducted an enquiry and submitted a report to the Telangana Chief Electoral Officer, who directed officials to initiate prosecution of Reddy.

The CEO had forwarded a copy of the video to the Election Commission, official sources said.

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Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will visit Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh after Dussehra, senior party leader Sanjay Raut Thursday said and criticised senior ally BJP over the Ram temple issue.

Thackeray will announce the date of his visit during the party's annual Dussehra rally to be held in Mumbai on October 19, the Rajya Sabha MP told PTI.

"The Sena has always championed the cause of Ram temple in Ayodhya. The BJP, despite being in power for four years, has not yet fulfilled its commitment of building a grand Ram temple there," he said.

Thackeray met Ram Janmabhoomi trust chief Janmejay Sharanji Maharaj at the party's headquarters Sena Bhawan here Wednesday evening, party sources said.

Sharanji Maharaj invited Thackeray to visit Ayodhya and told him that the trust needed the Sena's assistance in the construction of Ram temple, they said.

Senior Sena leader Arvind Sawant pointed out that before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the ruling NDA had given three assurances to people -- to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution, construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya and to solve the Kashmir issue.

Article 370 of the Indian Constitution accords special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

"We are not doing something which we haven't spoken of earlier. When nobody took responsibility of the Babri Masjid demolition, (Sena founder) Balasaheb did so. Now four-and-a-half years have passed (since NDA came to power) but the construction of Ram temple has still not begun and the issue is pending in court," Sawant said.

"The Sena will stand for the issue," said the Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai South constituency.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party is a constituent of the BJP-led NDA governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

The Sena, which has resolved to go solo in the future elections, has often targeted the BJP for "delaying" the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya despite having a majority.

Thackeray had recently said the BJP would once again rake up the emotive issue in the run-up to the 2019 polls.

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Amid the competing over Ram temple, the Shiv Sena on Thursday announced that its chief Uddhav Thackeray will visit Ayodhya after Dussehra to reaffirm his party's commitment to the issue.

The announcement came a day after Ram Janmabhoomi Trust chief Janmejay Sharanji Maharaj met Thackeray at the party's headquarters Sena Bhawan here.

Sharanji Maharaj invited Thackeray to visit Ayodhya, telling him that the trust needed the Sena's assistance for the construction of Ram temple, Shiv Sena sources said.

Thackeray will announce the date of his visit to Ayodhya at the party's annual Dussehra rally to be held in Mumbai on October 19, senior Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut told PTI.

He said his party has been maintaining that only the Shiv Sena has the "courage" to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The Shiv Sena is of the view that if the Ram temple is not constructed now, then it cannot be constructed ever, he added.

Thackeray had recently said that the BJP would once again rake up the emotive issue of Ram temple in the run-up to the 2019 polls.

Ram temple construction in Ayodhya has been one of the core issues of the BJP, which is an ally of the Shiv Sena.

The Sena, which has resolved to go solo in the future elections, has often targeted the BJP for "delaying" the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya despite having a majority.

"The Sena has always championed the cause of Ram temple in Ayodhya. The BJP, despite being in power for four years, has not yet fulfilled its commitment of building a grand Ram temple there," Raut said Thursday.

Sharanji Maharaj said he told the Shiv Sena chief that his father late Bal Thackeray had contributed to the demolition of the Babri Masjid (on December 6, 1992), he should now contribute to the construction of the Ram temple there.

With the Lok Sabha polls less than a year away, the pitch for contruction of Ram temple in Ayodhya has been intensifying lately within the BJP, even as the matter is sub-judice.

Senior Sena leader Arvind Sawant said that before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the NDA had given three assurances to people -to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution, construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya and to solve the Kashmir issue.

Article 370 of the Indian Constitution accords special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

"We are not doing something which we haven't spoken about earlier. When nobody took responsibility of the Babri Masjid demolition, (Sena founder) Balasaheb did so. Now four- and-a-half years have passed (since NDA came to power) but the construction of Ram temple has still not begun and the issue is pending in court," Sawant said.

"The Sena will stand for the issue," said the Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai South constituency.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party is a constituent of the BJP-led NDA governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

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The UK on Thursday accused Russian cyber intelligence officers of trying to hack into its Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) network, as the European Union revealed that Dutch military intelligence had foiled a Kremlin cyber attack on the global chemical weapons watchdog.

As part of the joint set of revelations in the Netherlands, Peter Wilson, the UK ambassador at The Hague, said intelligence officers from Russia's GRU tried to compromise Foreign Office systems with an attack in March.

He revealed that the online phishing attack took place soon after the deadly Novichok nerve agent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English town of Salisbury.

"In March, straight after the Salisbury attack, the GRU attempted to compromise UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office computer systems via a spear phishing attack, Wilson said in a statement.

The GRU can only succeed in the shadows. We are all agreed that where we see their malign activities, we must expose it to the light together, he added.

In a statement alongside Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, British Prime Minister Theresa May said the "joint operations" had shone "further light on the unacceptable cyber activities of the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU".

May said the attempted hack of the global chemicals watchdog Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) demonstrated the GRU's "disregard for the global values".

"Our action today reinforces the clear message from the international community. We will uphold the rules-based international system, and defend international institutions from those that seek to do them harm, the joint statement noted.

Dutch security services caught four GRU operatives and immediately deported them to Russia but retained their technical equipment, according to UK media reports.

The team of four GRU officers travelling on official Russian passports entered the Netherlands on April 10. On April 13, they parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague.

At that point the Dutch counter-terrorism officers intervened to disrupt the operation and the four GRU officers were ordered to leave the country.

The Dutch authorities released pictures of the Russian agents as they arrived at Schiphol airport.

The UK government has also accused the GRU of being behind four high-profile cyber-attacks whose targets included firms in Russia and Ukraine; the US Democratic Party; and a small TV network in the UK.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has identified that a number of cyber actors widely known to have been conducting cyber attacks around the world are, in fact, the GRU. These attacks have been conducted in flagrant violation of international law, have affected citizens in a large number of countries, including Russia, and have cost national economies millions of pounds, an FCO statement said on Thursday.

UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt attacked the GRU's actions as reckless and indiscriminate.

They try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries; they are even prepared to damage Russian companies and Russian citizens.

This pattern of behaviour demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to international law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences, he said.

Russia has called the latest set of accusations a "diabolical cocktail" of allegations as well as a "rich fantasy of our colleagues from Britain".

In a sign of a growing Western alliance over the issue, a statement from North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) called on Russia to halt its "reckless pattern of behaviour, including the use of force against its neighbours".

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The United Kingdom has welcomed the Supreme Court's verdict on Section 377, saying the judgment would help ensure that who a person loves do not determine how they should be treated by the society.

The British High Commission hosted a reception on Thursday to celebrate the recent judgment by the Supreme Court, which read down part of the Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and ruled that g ay sex among consenting adults was not a criminal offence.

Over 100 members of the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) community, human rights activists and lawyers came together to applaud the court ruling, hailing it as a moment to cherish in their fight to secure their basic rights.

The reception was lit up in the iconic LGBT rainbow colours, setting the scene for a vibrant and colourful celebration. The reception recognised the efforts of the groups and individuals who have worked to promote the rights of the LGBT community. It also highlighted the important progress made by both the Indian and UK government on LGBT issues.

"The UK welcomes the Supreme Court's decision to decriminalise (part of) Section 377. The judgment will help ensure that who a person loves does not determine how they are treated by society. I am delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate this historic moment with such an inspiring group of individuals," Kieran Drake, minister counsellor-political and press, said in a statement.

The UK is committed to non-discrimination amongst people on any grounds, including sexual orientation and gender identity, and will continue to promote and protect the rights of LGBT people, the statement said.

The UK supports projects globally which promote LGBT rights at through improving institutional protection against discrimination. This includes removing or amending discriminatory laws, policies and practices; and increasing their participation in political and public life, including in positions of leadership and influence, it said.

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Three under-trial prisoners on Thursday made a dramatic escape bid aided by a couple of associates when they were being taken to the Contai sub-divisional court, police said.

While one of the trio Karna Bera was later nabbed from a hideout from the terrace of a house in nearby Contai town area, the police have launched a search operation for the other two -- Sheikh Munna and Surajit Guria, East Midnapore SP V Solomon Nesakumar told PTI.

The incident happened at around noon, when four accused, arrested in an old case of dacoity, were taken to the court, he said.

"Their associates were present in the court premises. Soon after seeing the under-trial prisoners, they appeared in two bikes and started hurling bombs and fired a couple of rounds in the air to snatch the trio from the grasp of the policemen. They first tried to flee riding one bike but could not do so because the bike developed a snag," the SP said adding that the trio then ran away.

District Magistrate Rashmi Kamal said that there was no report of any GRO being shot at by the prisoners.

Preliminary reports had said that the General Register Officer (GRO) was shot at twice from close range when he resisted the under-trial prisoners from escaping.

The miscreants then hurled bombs to disperse the locals who tried to stop them from fleeing.

"Our search for the other two accused is very much on. We have informed the nearby police stations and increased police 'naka' at entry and exit points of the towns and the districts. We are hopeful of getting them in quick time," the SP said.

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Uttar Pradesh police is not trigger-happy but people-friendly, state police chief O P Singh said on Thursday, holding lack of professional training responsible for incidents such as that of the shooting of Apple executive Vivek Tiwari last week.

The DGP also said it has been decided that refresher course would be held for constables recruited between 2013 and 2017.

To a question on the killing of Tiwari (38) in Lucknow, he said, "The two constables (involved in the incident) are not brand ambassadors of the state police."



"We are not trigger-happy but people-friendly. Why did they shoot a person without a firearm? They have been arrested and dismissed (from service). A few such in the force should not be defining the culture of the force," Singh told PTI.

Vivek Tiwari was shot dead early on September 29 by a policeman when he allegedly refused to stop his car for checking in Lucknow's posh Gomti Nagar neighbourhood.

Two constables, Prashant Chowdhury and Sandeep Kumar, were arrested after an FIR was lodged on basis of a complaint by Tiwari's colleague Sana Khan, who was travelling with him.

Holding lack of profession training responsible for such incidents, Singh said, "For the past couple of years, training was not imparted properly. It was failure of leadership of that time. The training was not professional and there was no emphasis on behavioural training."



Elaborating further, the DGP said the training for constables recruited in 2013 were held in three phases.

First was for six months in which 20,166 recruitees were trained, the second was between July 1, 2016, to Dec 31, 2016, in which 15,814 were trained and in the third phase from August 20, 2016, to February, 2017, in which 3,798 recruitees were trained, he said.

"We are going to hold refresher course for these constables. It will start from October 8 in Lucknow and will be done across the state, during which besides retired and serving officers, people from other walks of life will interact with constables. Besides other aspects, our emphasis will be on behavioural training," Singh said.

When asked about reports that constables were collecting money to help their arrested colleagues and gather support on social media, the DGP said, "We have alerted our officers and close watch is being kept on social media."



The officers have been asked to interact with constable and tell them about the incident, and explain to them circumstances under which the two accused constables were arrested and dismissed, he said.

Emphasising on the need for better interaction, "direct dialogue" and friendly approach with the subordinate staff, the DGP said that he was the first one to have dinner with constables at a roadside restaurant.

"I believe in taking all along to make our force better and we are working in this direction."



After Tiwari's killing the DGP had said that such deviant, criminal behaviour was reprehensible and deserves the strictest punishment.

"We are determined to punish and wean out such rogues in uniform who hang our heads in shame, at the same time we have also embarked on systemic reforms through behavioural training and humanisation of the force," he had said.

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To advance its vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Trump Administration is building new and stronger bonds with countries in the region, including India, that shares its values, US Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday.

The US recently renamed its oldest and largest military command - the Pacific Command - to Indo-Pacific Command, in a largely symbolic move to signal India's importance.

"To advance our vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, we're building new and stronger bonds with nations that share our values, across the region from India to Samoa. Our relationships will flow from a spirit of respect, built on partnership, not domination," Pence said in a major foreign policy



speech at the Hudson Institute, a top American think-tank.

"We're forging new trade deals, on a bilateral basis, just as last week, President (Donald) Trump signed an improved trade deal with South Korea, and we will soon begin negotiating a historic bilateral free-trade deal with Japan," he said.

The US, he said, is streamlining international development and finance programs, giving foreign nations a just and transparent alternative to China's debt-trap diplomacy. To that end, President Trump will sign the BUILD Act into law in the days ahead, he added.

In July, the US had announced USD 113 million in new regional investments focused on digital connectivity, infrastructure and energy, amidst China flexing its military muscles in the Indo-Pacific region.

Next month, Pence will represent the US in Singapore and Papua New Guinea, at ASEAN and APEC.

"There, we will unveil new measures and programs to support a free and open Indo-Pacific and on behalf of the President, I will deliver the message that America's commitment to the Indo-Pacific has never been stronger," he said.

To protect US interests here at home, the administration has strengthened CFIUS the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States heightening our scrutiny of Chinese investment in America, to protect national security from Beijing's predatory actions.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the area.

China has deployed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-surface missile systems in the disputed South China Sea amid frequent forays by US naval and surveillance aircraft over the region to assert the freedom of navigation especially around the artificial islands built by China, where it has also established garrisons.

"When it comes to Beijing's malign influence and interference in American and policy, we will continue to expose it, no matter the form it takes. And we will work with leaders at every level of society to defend our national interests and most cherished ideals. The American people will play the decisive role and in fact, they already are," Pence added.

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The United States Thursday indicted seven Russian intelligence officials on charges of computer hacking, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.

According to the indictment, all officers in the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), a Russian military intelligence agency, between December 2014 and May 2018, conducted persistent and sophisticated computer intrusions affecting US persons, corporate entities, international organizations, and their respective employees located around the world, based on their strategic interest to the Russian government.

Among the goals of the conspiracy was to publicize stolen information as part of an influence and disinformation campaign designed to undermine, retaliate against, and otherwise delegitimize the efforts of international anti-doping organizations and officials who had publicly exposed a Russian state-sponsored athlete doping program and to damage the reputations of athletes around the world by falsely claiming that such athletes were using banned or performance-enhancing drugs, Department of Justice alleged.

"State-sponsored hacking and disinformation campaigns pose serious threats to our security and to our open society, but the Department of Justice is defending against them," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said.

"Today we are indicting seven GRU officers for multiple felonies each, including the use of hacking to spread the personal information of hundreds of anti-doping officials and athletes as part of an effort to distract from Russia's state-sponsored doping program," Sessions said.

The Russians, he said, in this case allegedly targeted multiple Americans and American entities for hacking, from national anti-doping agency to the Westinghouse Electric Company near Pittsburgh.

"The actions of these seven hackers, all working as officials for the Russian government, were criminal, retaliatory, and damaging to innocent victims and the United States' economy, as well as to world organizations, FBI Director Christopher Wray alleged.

The seven Russian named in the chargesheet are Aleksei Sergeyevich Morenets, 41, Evgenii Mikhaylovich, Serebriakov, 37, Ivan Sergeyevich Yermakov, 32, Artem Andreyevich Malyshev, 30, and Dmitriy Sergeyevich Badin, 27, who were each assigned to Military Unit 26165, and Oleg Mikhaylovich Sotnikov, 46, and Alexey Valerevich Minin, 46, who were also GRU officers.

The indictment alleges that defendants Yermakov, Malyshev, Badin, and unidentified conspirators, often using fictitious personas and proxy servers, researched victims, sent spearphishing emails, and compiled, used, and monitored malware command and control servers.

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The US has rejected Pakistan's plea to facilitate talks with India and pressed for the bilateral engagement between the two South Asian neighbours, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said.

Pakistan wants the US to facilitate talks with India as the two nations are not engaging bilaterally, the top Pakistani diplomat told a Washington audience Wednesday.

"When we asked the US, to play facilitating role...Why do we ask? Simply because we are not engaging bilaterally. And that bilateral disengagement isa distraction," Qureshi said in response to a question at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded top American think-tank.

"We want to focus, we want to move on the western side of the border, which we are not being able to because we have to watch our back from eastern side (of the border with India). That is not a healthy situation to be in," he said.

"Now can you (United States) facilitate (the talks)? The answer from them is no. They wanted bilaterally. But there is no bilateral movement," Qureshi said, a day after he had meetings with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, during which he raised the issue only to be pushed back by the Trump administration.

India is opposed to any third country mediation in its relations with Pakistan. Pakistan has continuously sought mediation to sort out the differences, including over Kashmir.

Qureshi warned that the absence of bilateral talks with India could lead to escalation of tension between the two countries.

"If that lack of facilitation leads to escalation and some of the statements that have come out of late have not been very helpful," the Pakistani foreign minister said in an apparent reference to the remarks by Indian leaders.

The new government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he claimed, is not shy of engaging.

Referring to the cancelling of his meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New York last month, he alleged that India backed off.

However, he quickly skipped India's reasons for this glorification of terrorists by issuing postal stamps and brutal killing of the Indian security personnel.

"If the Indians have a better option, share it with us. If disengagement, if not talking to each other will resolve and stabilise the region, fine. If that's their analysis fine," Qureshi said.

Qureshi, who left for Pakistan after his meetings with the Trump administration officials, said it is unfortunate that the two countries are not engaging.

"It's unfortunate. That's the way it is. Now. What does this government want? We want normalisation. We want co-existence. You've got to recognise the reality. Pakistan is a reality. So is India. We have issues. How do we resolve them?" he asked.

After coming to power, the first speech made by the Prime Minister Khan was "that every step you (India) take towards peace, we will take two. And he meant it. It wasn't just because it sounded good. It wasn't to please anyone. He is too blunt a person to please people. He can be very straight and he can be very blunt. But he said that because he feels that way," Qureshi said.

India has said that Pakistan created the conditions for cancellation of the talks due to issuing of postage stamps glorifying terrorists and brutal killing of its three security personnel.

The Pakistan foreign minister did not mention that in his answer and only said that the stalled dialogue process is not good for the two countries and the region.

Responding to a question on India's stand that talks and terrorism cannot go together, a view which is shared by Washington too, Qureshi referred to a statement by Khan while he was an opposition leader and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a trip to New Delhi that there would always be spoilers.

"There will always be spoilers. There will always be elements that will scuttle the process of peace. But when they do that, let re-engage to fight them. They will push us back. But we have to see what is in our interest, what is in the regional interest. What's in Pakistan's interest," Qureshi said quoting what Khan had told Modi.

Soon, he raised the Kashmir issue.

"They have to realise, and I think they were being simplistic, if they feel that everything that's wrong on the Indian side of Kashmir is all of Pakistan's making, that is an unrealistic approach," he said.

India, he said, should also revisit its policies and see why and how people have been alienated.

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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit China on October 8 to hold talks with top Chinese leaders amid escalating tension between the world's two largest economies over trade and Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Announcing Pompeo's visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement on Wednesday that China and the US will exchange views on bilateral ties and regional and international issues of common concern.

The visit comes amid reports that China has cancelled talks with US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis after the US' allegations that Chinese naval ship conducted unsafe manoeuvres near its destroyer Decatur when passed through the islands off the disputed South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation.

Hua, however, said it was Washington which proposed the postponement of the second round of their Diplomatic and Security Dialogue and refuted recent US media reports that China had proposed putting off the dialogue.

"Such an argument completely distorts the fact with ulterior motives and is extremely irresponsible," she said. "The Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction."



"The fact is the United States recently made a proposal to China that it hoped to postpone the dialogue," Hua said.

"We demand the parties concerned stop fabricating and spreading rumours," she said.

On Tuesday, Hua said China and the US had previously agreed in principle to hold the dialogue in mid-October, while the US recently proposed putting it off.

China claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea and has built islands on reefs and equipped them with military facilities such as airstrips, radar domes and missile systems.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over some of the areas claimed by China.

Pompeo's visit is aimed at lowering tensions between the two world's largest economies.

Both the countries are currently locked in a trade war slapping billions of dollars of tariffs on each other's export products.

Ties have also worsened in recent weeks with a US decision to impose sanctions on a Chinese military unit over the purchase of Russian fighter jets and surface-to-air missile equipment.

During a meeting of the UN Security Council, President Donald Trump has accused China of interfering in American elections to help his Democratic rivals.

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Describing protection as a "pressing challenge", Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the need to spread public awareness about the issue and said it is vital to encourage research and innovation on subjects relating to the

Modi, in a column published Wednesday for some dailies, said people need to talk, write, debate, discuss and deliberate as much as possible on questions relating to the

"At the same time, it is vital to encourage research and innovation on subjects relating to the environment. This is when more people will know about the pressing challenges of our times and ways to mitigate them," he said.

He said human beings and nature have a very special relationship and the first civilisations were established on the banks of rivers.

"Societies that live in harmony with nature flourish and prosper. Today human society stands at an important crossroads. The path that we take hereon will not only determine our wellbeing but also that of the generations who will inhabit our planet after us.

"The imbalances between our greed and necessities have led to grave ecological imbalances," he said.

The prime minister cautioned that people can either accept this, go ahead with things as if it is business as usual, or take corrective actions.

While the world is talking about climate change, the call for climate justice has also reverberated from India, he said.

Modi said climate justice is about safeguarding the rights and interests of the poor and marginalised sections of society who are often the biggest sufferers from the menace of climate change.

Referring to the United Nations' Champions of the Earth Award presented to him, he said while he was extremely humbled at receiving the honour, he believes that this award is not for an individual.

Instead, it is a recognition of the Indian culture and values, which have always placed emphasis on living in harmony with Mother Nature, he said.

"It was a proud moment for every Indian to see India's proactive role in mitigating climate change being acknowledged and appreciated," he wrote.

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The West unleashed an onslaught of new evidence and indictments Thursday accusing Russian military spies of hacking so widespread that it seemed to target anyone, anywhere who investigates Moscow's involvement in an array of criminal activities including doping, poisoning and the downing of a plane.

Russia defiantly denied the charges, neither humbled nor embarrassed by the exceptional revelations on one of the most high-tension days in East-West relations in years. Moscow lashed back with allegations that the Pentagon runs a clandestine U.S. biological weapons program involving toxic mosquitoes, ticks and more.

The nucleus of Thursday's drama was Russia's military intelligence agency known as the GRU, increasingly the embodiment of Russian meddling abroad.

In the last 24 hours: U.S. authorities charged seven officers from the GRU with hacking international agencies; British and Australian authorities accused the GRU of a devastating 2017 cyberattack on Ukraine, the email leaks that rocked the U.S. 2016 election and other damaging hacks; And Dutch officials alleged that GRU agents tried and failed to hack into the world's chemical weapons watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The ham-handed attempted break-in involving hacking equipment in the trunk of a car and a trail of physical and virtual clues was the most stunning operation revealed Thursday. It was so obvious, in fact, that it almost looked like the Russians didn't care about getting caught.

"Basically, the Russians got caught with their equipment, people who were doing it, and they have got to pay the piper. They are going to have to be held to account," U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said in Brussels, where he was meeting with NATO allies.

Mattis said the West has "a wide variety of responses" available.

Britain's ambassador to the Netherlands, Peter Wilson, said the GRU would no longer be allowed to act with impunity.

Calling Russia a "pariah state," British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "Where Russia acts in an indiscriminate and reckless way, where they have done in terms of these cyberattacks, we will be exposing them."



Yet while the accusations expose how much damage Russia can do in foreign lands, through remote hacking and on-site infiltration they also expose how little Western countries can do to stop it.

Russia is already under EU and U.S. sanctions, and dozens of GRU agents and alleged Russian trolls have already been indicted by the U.S but will likely never be handed over to face American justice.

Still, to the Western public, Thursday may have been a pivotal day, with accusations so extensive, and the chorus of condemnation so loud, that it left little doubt of massive Russian wrongdoing. A wealth of surveillance footage released by Western intelligence agencies was quickly and overwhelmingly confirmed by independent reporting.

The litany of accusations of GRU malfeasance began overnight, when British and Australian authorities accused the Russian agency of being behind the catastrophic 2017 cyberattack in Ukraine.

The malicious software outbreak knocked out ATMs, gas stations, pharmacies and hospitals and, according to a secret White House assessment recently cited by Wired, caused $10 billion in damage worldwide.

The British and Australians also linked the GRU to other hacks, including the Democratic Party email leaks and online cyber propaganda that sowed havoc before Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election.

Later Thursday, Dutch defense officials released photos and a timeline of GRU agents' botched attempt to break into the chemical weapons watchdog using Wi-Fi hacking equipment hidden in a car parked outside a nearby Marriott Hotel.

The OPCW was investigating a nerve agent attack on a former GRU spy, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter in Salisbury, England, that Britain has blamed on the Russian government. Moscow vehemently denies involvement.

Photographs released by the Dutch Ministry of Defense showed a trunk loaded with a computer, battery, a bulky white transformer and a hidden antenna; officials said the equipment was operational when Dutch counterintelligence interrupted the operation.

What Dutch authorities found seemed to be the work of an amateur. A taxi receipt in the pocket of one of the agents showed he had hired a cab to take him from a street next to GRU headquarters to Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. A laptop found with the team appeared to tie them to other alleged GRU hacks.

The men were expelled instead of arrested, because they were traveling on diplomatic passports.

The Dutch also accused the GRU of trying to hack investigators examining the 2014 downing of a Malaysian Airlines jetliner over eastern Ukraine that killed all 298 people on board. A Dutch-led team says it has strong evidence the missile that brought the plane down came from a Russia-based military unit. Russia has denied the charge.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US-based co-working firm WeWork Thursday launched 'WeWork Labs' in India to help early-stage startups in the country get access to investment, resources and mentorship from its global network of members to help these fledgling companies expand their business.

WeWork, which launched the initiative earlier this year globally, has expanded the offering to its co-working spaces in countries like the US, China, Korea, Brazil and Israel and others.

"India is among the largest start-up nations and is poised to continue growing at a significant pace. While there are programmes running in India that offer incubation and acceleration to start-ups, we believe the scale has to be increased manifold," WeWork Labs Senior Vice President and Global Head Roee Adler told PTI.

With its global network of over 2.68 lakh members, WeWork is confident that its "unique and no-equity startup programme" can help support Indian start-ups through their journey as they grow their ideas and business, he added.

Globally, about 1,000 start-ups are part of WeWork Labs. "We started a pilot three-four months ago at our Gurugram facility and eight startups have already become a part of WeWork Labs," Adler said.

In India, WeWork has 11 co-working spaces in Gurugram, Mumbai and Bengaluru and has over 12,000 members. The company aims to have a network of over 20 co-working spaces in the country by the end of the calendar year.

Asked if WeWork Labs would be available at select co-working locations in India, Karan Virwani, Chief WeWork Executive Officer (India), answered in the negative.

"India has a large number of start-ups that are looking at solving not just Indian but global challenges and these are located across cities, be it large metros or smaller towns like Jaipur, Indore and others. We would eventually want to take WeWork Labs to them to help them connect to the ecosystem and grow their business," he added.

Through WeWork Labs, the company will offer a number of benefits to the chosen start-ups, including subsidised monthly membership rates, weekly community events, access to other WeWork locations as well as the opportunity to network with potential new clients and investors.

Participating start-ups will also be be offered courses, lecture series, and one-on-one meetings to learn everything from accounting and marketing to hiring and pitching future investors, Adler noted.

WeWork Labs in India has brought together an advisory board consisting of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and corporate leaders to help guide the programme and support future innovators.

The advisory board includes the likes of Harsha Kumar (Lightspeed Ventures), Jitu Virwani (Embassy Group), Mohit Thukral (Vivtera), Raghunandan G (TaxiForSure), Rahul Khanna (Trifecta Capital), Rohit Bhat (Airavat Capital), Sanjay Nath (Blume Ventures), and Shalini Prakash (500 Startups) among others.

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Rosmah Mansor, the luxury-loving wife of Malaysia's former prime minister, was Thursday charged with money laundering linked to a multi-billion-dollar scandal that helped bring down his government.

The 66-year-old pleaded not guilty to 17 charges of money laundering at a court complex where her husband Najib Razak was also making a separate appearance in connection with the alleged plunder of state funds.

Rosmah was allowed to post bail of two million ringgit ($483,365) and ordered to surrender her passport. She was also barred from contacting any witness.

Prosecutors had sought 10 million ringgit in bail, citing the seriousness of the charges, which could result in Rosmah having to spend the rest of her life in prison.

Lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram told the court that Rosmah "had approached a witness with a request to give a statement in her favour".

In the first charge sheet, prosecutors said "you engaged directly in a transaction that involves proceeds of unlawful activity" in violation of laws against money laundering.

Prosecutor Gopal told court Rosmah's alleged offences were "very serious" as he justified the high bail amount sought.

Defence lawyers sought bail of 250,000 ringgit.

Rosmah, wearing an orange dress and scarf, arrived under heavy security at the court complex after being arrested Wednesday and held overnight at the headquarters of the country's anti-corruption agency, which had subjected her to three rounds of questioning.

At court on Thursday, she sat quietly in the dock and did not look at the gallery, where her family members were seated.

Rosmah's love of designer handbags, jewellery and other trappings of wealth became a target for critics ahead of last May's election, won by a disparate coalition led by former leader Mahathir Mohamad.

Rosmah became reviled for her profligate spending and imperious manner while her husband was prime minister for nine years.

While she was being charged on Thursday, her husband -- also out on bail -- made a separate court appearance in connection with some of the more than two dozen charges lodged against him.

Najib, 65, has denied any wrongdoing despite revelations that hundreds of millions of dollars ended up in his personal bank accounts.

A central issue in the May election that ousted Najib was that his family and cronies looted billions of dollars from 1MDB in a fraud ring that stretched from Singapore to Switzerland.

After the election loss, a stash of cash, jewellery and hundreds of designer handbags worth as much as $273 million was seized from properties linked to the couple in raids around Kuala Lumpur.

Rosmah is often compared to Imelda Marcos, who left behind more than a thousand pairs of shoes after her husband, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, was ousted in a popular uprising in 1986.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, 93, who came back from retirement to challenge Najib, has launched a crackdown against corruption involving people in the previous government.

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The head of the talks frequently to world leaders, including those from France, Germany, Japan and Britain, but he has never spoken to President Donald Trump, despite the intense US focus on trade.

Even so, Director-General said he agrees that the global trading system needs reforms, and soon.

But in an interview on the Freakonomics radio podcast released Thursday, he cautioned against blithe predictions that the exchange of punitive tariffs among major trading powers will not hit their economies.

Trump has relentlessly pursued a confrontational trade policy, including harsh tariffs on steel and aluminium, and on $250 billion in annual imports from China, nearly half the total from that country.

He has also accused the of treating the United States unfairly. Washington has blocked the global trade body from establishing panels to settle disputes between members.

But asked if he had ever been able to discuss the issues with Trump, Azevedo said, "Not directly, no." This is unusual since "an action that is taken by the United States has repercussions everywhere across the world."



Azevedo said "there is a lot of sympathy for some things that are said on the part of the United States," including on the overcapacity in steel and the need for better protections for technology and patents -- the issue at the heart of the US attacks on China.

However, he explained that the vast majority of job losses that have driven some of the anti-trade sentiment are actually caused by technology rather than imports.

But "for governments and for politicians, it is easier to blame, you know, the foreign for these problems which are happening inside their own economies." But leaders are finally realising that "unless we address this, these kinds of tensions that we see today in terms of trade are only going to increase." "We have to fix this situation as soon as we can," he said, or the dispute settlement system will collapse.

And he cautioned that the trade tensions would eventually hit the real

"It's amazing that I still hear people say, 'Oh, but the is great.' Of course it's great! It hasn't been affected yet!" Azevedo said.

He said tariffs and other policies must first go through "an incubation period," while politicians are looking at the very short term electoral cycle.

Many economists and the Federal Reserve say the tariffs could impact economic growth and prices but economic data do not yet reflect this.

Adam Posen, head of the Peterson Institute for Economics, said economists did not yet have a good model for calculating the potential hit from a trade war.

"It's bad but we don't know how bad," he said at a forum in Washington on Thursday.
By Mai Nguyen and Mas Alina ArifinHANOI/BANDAR LAMPUNG (Reuters) - Global coffee prices recovered but markets were subdued in Vietnam and Indonesia due to low stocks in both the countries, traders said on Thursday.In Indonesia's Lampung province, exporters quoted premiums for the grade 4 defect 80 robusta at $25 to $30 premium a tonne to London's November and December contracts, down from last week's $50 premium, a trader said.Another trader quoted the beans at $70 premiums to November and January contracts."Market prices rose in the past week, we have to cut premiums," one of the traders ...
By Eileen SorengBENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice export prices in India fell for a second week on sluggish demand, while rates in Thailand were propped up by lower supply and expectations of new orders from Philippines, Indonesia and Japan.Top exporter India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety was quoted around $367-$373 per tonne this week, down from $370-$374 last week. "Some demand is there, but not much ... Millers are now waiting for new crop arrivals to offer," said Nitin Gupta, business head of rice at Olam India. Supplies from summer-sown crop will become available for exports from next ...
LONDON (Reuters) - Comcast said it had secured over 75 percent of Sky's shares, bringing it closer to finalising the $40 billion takeover of the British pay TV group. U.S. cable company Comcast has previously said it hoped the acquisition would complete by the end of October. Last month, Comcast emerged triumphant in the long-running battle for Sky after it beat Rupert Murdoch's Twenty-First Century Fox in an auction. Comcast said in a regulatory filing on Thursday that by Oct. 9 when its acquisition of Twenty-First Century Fox's 39 percent stake completes, it will hold or have received ...
By Jennifer AblanNEW YORK (Reuters) - Jeffrey Gundlach, chief executive of Doubleline Capital, on Thursday said the 30-year U.S. Treasury bond yield has broken above a multi-year base, which should lead to significantly higher yields for financial markets."As I have been saying, two consecutive closes above 3.25 percent on the benchmark 30-year Treasury means that my statement in July 2016 that we were seeing the low - I said italicized, underlined and in boldface - is now, looking at the charts, thoroughly corroborated," Gundlach told Reuters. On Thursday, the 30-year Treasury note closed at ...
By Lawrence WhiteLONDON (Reuters) - Berlin-based digital bank N26 launched in Britain on Thursday and will open in the United States in the first quarter of next year, its Chief Executive told Reuters.The bank, which offers a suite of mobile banking services, will bring on a handful of customers at first in October before opening accounts for some of its 50,000-strong waiting list in November, Chief Executive Valentin Stalf said in an interview.Since its launch in 2015 N26 has grown to have 1.5 million customers across eighteen markets in Europe including its home base of Germany, and counts ...
By Jonathan Stempel and Sonam Rai(Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday gave Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission one week to justify their settlement to resolve securities fraud charges against the head of the electric car company.U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan said her regular practice is to have parties submit a joint letter, in this case by Oct. 11, to show why their settlement was fair and reasonable and would not hurt the public interest.Musk and Tesla agreed to pay $20 million each, and Musk agreed to step aside as ...
(Reuters) - A New York district court judge has asked Tesla Inc Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to provide a joint statement by Oct. 11 before approving the recent settlement. Judge Alison Nathan said it was a regular practice at the Southern District of New York Court to have the parties submit a joint letter explaining why the court should approve a proposed consent judgment.Tesla and Musk have agreed to pay $20 million each to the financial regulator under a settlement for a securities fraud lawsuit related to Musk's Aug. 7 tweet about taking ...
By Andrew MacAskillLONDON (Reuters) - Japanese carmaker Nissan and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) have became the latest companies to warn about damage to the economy if Britain fails to secure a trade deal before leaving the European Union.Less than six months before Britain is due to exit the bloc, Prime Minister Theresa May has yet to find a proposal for economic ties that pleases EU negotiators and both sides of her divided Conservative party.The government has stepped up planning for a so-called no-deal Brexit when the world's fifth-largest economy leaves the EU on March 29, 2019, a step ...
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak does not rule out global oil prices reaching $100 per barrel, he told the Business FM radio station on Thursday.Novak added that Russia and Iran were still considering how to make payments to one another in their national currencies in the face of upcoming U.S. sanctions against Tehran. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; editing by Andrew Osborn)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Asif Shahzad and Saad SayeedISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Aramco has agreed in principle to invest in a new oil refinery in Pakistan's Chinese-funded, deepwater port of Gwadar, the Pakistani petroleum minister said on Thursday.But a Saudi delegation visit ended with no economic lifeline for the South Asian nation's looming foreign currency crisis.Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said talks had not sought deferred oil payments, contradicting an earlier statement by the finance minister.Pakistan may need to approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for its second bailout in ...
DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco has agreed in principle to invest in an oil refinery in Pakistan, the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said on Thursday, without providing further details. State-owned Pakistan State Oil will partner with Saudi state oil giant Aramco in a new oil refinery in Pakistan's Chinese-funded deep-water port of Gwadar, Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan told reporters earlier in Islamabad. (Reporting by Asma Al Sharif ; writing by Rania El Gamal; editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a ...
DUISBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Thyssenkrupp is expected to keep a sizeable minority stake in the capital goods business it plans to spin off, a labour representative said - a move that could set the unit up for a takeover bid once the conglomerate chooses to sell out.Last week, Thyssenkrupp announced plans to split off its elevators, car parts and plant engineering divisions into Thyssenkrupp Industrials, only keeping materials and steel-related activities.As part of the plan, Thyssenkrupp - to be renamed Thyssenkrupp Materials - will keep a minority stake in the spun-off entity which it plans ...
By Teis JensenCOPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danske Bank faces a U.S. criminal investigation into a 200 billion euro ($230 billion) money laundering scandal at its Estonian branch which has rocked investor faith in Denmark's biggest lender and forced its chief executive to quit.Shares in Danske Bank have lost a third of their value this year on fears of a U.S. inquiry because of the potential for significant penalties such as fines or being frozen out of dollar funding.Danske Bank said it had "received requests for information from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in connection with a criminal ...
By Karen Freifeld(Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday issued an order finding that China's ZTE Corp violated probation imposed in March 2017 when the company pleaded guilty to illegally shipping goods to Iran despite U.S. sanctions.In his order, U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade in Dallas extended until 2022 the term of a monitor he appointed to assess the telecommunication equipment maker's compliance with U.S. export control laws. The monitorship originally was scheduled to end in 2020.The probation violation cited by the judge was the same conduct the U.S. Department of Commerce ...
Indian buyers reduced US crude purchases and loaded up on Iranian oil ahead of the restart of US sanctions next month and as the WTI-Brent differential narrowed, according to traders and shipping intelligence firm Kpler. US oil shipments to India fell to 84,000 barrels per day (bpd) last month, down 75 per cent from a record high of 347,000 bpd in June, Kpler data showed. India accounted for 12 per cent of US crude exports in June. Last month, Indian buyers lifted purchases of Iranian crude to 502,000 bpd, up 111,000 bpd over August, in "a last gasp" of purchases ...
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - An Indian court on Wednesday ordered an interim stay on the cancellation of land allotted for expansion of Vedanta's south Indian copper smelter, in a relief to the conglomerate whose unit was shut on environmental grounds.The Tamil Nadu state government ordered a permanent closure of the plant, cancelled land allocated for expansion and disconnected power supply to the smelter in May following protests that turned violent and culminated in the police opening fire, killing 13 protesters."It appears the impugned order is passed as a knee jerk reaction," the Madurai bench ...
MANILA (Reuters) - The World Bank slightly lowered its growth estimate for East Asia and the Pacific for next year as trade tensions and volatile capital flows cloud the global economic outlook.The Washington-based lender said in a report on Thursday that the region's developing economies should use the "full range" of available macroeconomic policies to cushion the impact of external shocks. Growth in developing East Asia and the Pacific (EAP), which includes China, was on track to slow to 6.3 percent this year from 6.6 percent last year, the World Bank said in its Economic Update report, ...
Some of the biggest tech companies have united against India's proposed data security bill, expressing concerns over some of the provisions like "forced localisation requirements" in the draft bill that they claim will neither benefit their business nor assure guarantee of user data. These companies believe that once the Indian government will pass the controversial data security bill, it will automatically curb cross-border transfer of information.

As per the proposed bill on data security, which will be likely presented in Parliament during the winter session, multinational companies need to ensure that the key data of Indians remain within the country. The group, representing 10 global tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, Google, Uber and Nokia, had written to the minister for electronics and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad, last week. They reportedly said if the bill was implemented, the new provisions would raise their business cost by 30-60 per cent and would also not assure that data is safe in the country.

Some of the major corporations representing these companies include the United States Chamber of Commerce, United States-India Business Council (USIBC), DIGITAL EUROPE, and Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA). The grouping says the companies have major investment interests in India and believe in free flow of data across the world.

"We believe that once India develops strong privacy protections through a data privacy law with legal conditions for cross-border transfers -- such as globally recognised transfer mechanisms like standard contractual clause -- then data do not need to be localised," said the grouping, reported the Economic Times.

To show its dominance amid the government efforts to protect data, the grouping thinks data localisation requirements in the draft bill will have "significant negative effects". Without explaining how the bill would undermine the security of Indian citizens' data, the grouping wrote the bill would not serve the government's aim to protect privacy.

Most multinational companies have been critical of the Modi government's plans to bring data processing and information flow across the border under the ambit of law.

Companies like Google, Amazon and Microsoft have sought more time to comply with the norms. During Law and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's visit to the company's headquarters in California, Google conveyed to the minister that they are ready to comply with the RBI rules but want two more months to see through the data storage rule.

Edited by Manoj Sharma
The Committee of Creditors of the beleaguered Essar Steel have been granted a final eight-week window by the apex court to finalise a bid, failing which the steel company will go into liquidation. The Supreme Court today exercised its extraordinary power under Article 142 of the Constitution to allow ArcelorMittal and Russia's VTB Capital-backed Numetal to submit fresh bids for Essar Steel provided they clear their NPA dues in two weeks.

So basically, steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal-led ArcelorMittal has to clear the Rs 7,000 crore outstanding debt of the two companies it previously held stakes in, namely Uttam Galva and KSS Petron, in order to be considered eligible to bid.

A bench comprising Justices RF Nariman and Indu Malhotra held that both the firms were ineligible to bid under amended Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) but granted them a fresh opportunity after taking note of the CoC's plea that it does not want liquidation of Essar Steel.

According to Mint, the top court also diluted the role of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), adding that they would step in only after resolution plans were approved by a majority (66%) of the CoC in the eight-week deadline.

This litigation period will be excluded from the 270-day deadline prescribed for the resolution process under the IBC.

In September, ArcelorMittal had moved the Supreme Court challenging the NCLAT's ruling that Numetal's second bid was eligible but the same by ArcelorMittal would qualify only if it clears all outstanding dues of the defaulting firms it was previously associated with.

The company argued that it was eligible for bidding as at the time of putting in its bid it was no longer promoter of Uttam Galva or KSS Petron. Furthermore, ArcelorMittal reportedly wanted the dues repayment to be dependent on bankers negotiating exclusively with it for Essar Steel.

"It's a vindication of the stand taken by the committee of creditors and one must give credit to the fact that they have stuck to their guns on this one because ultimately the Supreme Court has validated what their initial position was," Suharsh Sinha, partner at AZB & Partners, told BloombergQuint.

Numetal's first bid had been rejected by Essar Steel's lenders due to the 25% share owned by Rewant Ruia, the son of Essar Steel founder Ravi Ruia, since he was deemed a related party. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) doesn't allow the participation of bidders connected to companies that have defaulted on debt. JSW Steel bought out this contentious stake ahead of the second bidding round.

ArcelorMittal's ineligibility in the first round stemmed from the fact that it had sold its 29% stake in Uttam Galva, which was also facing insolvency proceedings, just weeks before submitting its bid for Essar Steel.

Under Section 29A of the IBC, promoters of companies which have been classified as non-performing assets for over a year cannot participate in the resolution process of any company unless the dues are repaid. Both contenders had since been challenging their ineligibility, while questioning each's others eligibility, at different courts. The latter boasts the third biggest debt pile (around Rs 49,000 crore) among the first 12 companies identified by the RBI for insolvency proceedings last June.

Last month, while challenging NCLAT's ruling, ArcelorMittal also sweetened its bid to Rs 42,000 crore. Thereafter, Numetal, which had offered Rs 37,000 crore, asked the Supreme Court for a chance to match ArcelorMittal's bid. The third contender in the race for Essar Steel, Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Group, has reportedly offered around Rs 30,000-35,000 crore.

Edited by Sushmita Choudhury Agarwal
The bloodbath on Dalal Street that has retail investors sweating and foreign investors running has reportedly erased over a tenth of the market value of the top 10 bets made by ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala. Hailed as the Warren Buffet of India and the Big Bull of D-Street, Jhunjhunwala has notched up big notional losses in portfolio stocks, especially in the midcaps space.

According to The Economic Times, the veteran investor has seen many of his portfolio stocks tumble up to 75 per cent. This has resulted in notional losses and a fall in his portfolio value below Rs 10,000 crore mark.

The BSE midcap barometer posted a steep rise in the past four years - surging 55% in 2014, 7.4-8% in the next two years and an impressive 48% in 2017 - but the trend reversed this year. The index has fallen as much as 16% this year after Sebi re-defined market-caps and mutual fund categories, as well as growing concerns over the valuations commanded by these stocks.

A study on 27 of his portfolio stocks suggested that all except three stocks have offered negative returns this year. According to BloombergQuint, in contrast to the performance of Jhunjhunwala's top bets, the benchmark Nifty 50 index has returned more than 3% gains.

Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL), which dived 53% amid worries stemming from IL&FS defaults, is the worst performing stock of the month and the year so far in Jhunjhunwala's portfolio. That cost him Rs 325 crore in just a month.

Seven more of his holdings have posted over 50% drops - Mandhana Retail Ventures (down 75%), Jaiprakash Associates (74.61%), DB realty (63%), Geojit Financial Services (61%), Aptech and Prozone Intu Properties (58%), and Bilcare (51%).

Others such as Orient Cement, TV18 Broadcast, Prakash Industries, Man Infra Construction, Autoline Industries, Ion Exchange (India), Edelweiss Financial Services, The Federal Bank, Karur Vysya Bank and Delta Corp are down between 30-50%.

Then there's Titan Company Ltd., his biggest bet, which reportedly lost Rs 418 crore this year, Jhunjhunwala's biggest loss in the year so far. However, three of his bets are in the green - FirstSource Solutions is up 51% followed by VIP Industries (up 17.63%) and Lupin (1.80%).

The above serves as a cautionary lesson against coat tailing or side car investing, a strategy where a retail investor blindly follows the investment pattern of a celebrity investor. According to experts, the biggest risk in this strategy is that stocks tend to rise on announcement of a marquee investor's moves. Therefore, retail investors enter the stock at higher price points which results in lowering of their profit prospects. Besides, star investors have much more information that may not be available in public domain; they often know when to enter and exit from a stock. But retail investors are not so fleet-footed, hence their exposure to risk is higher.

So where are the markets headed here on? Porinju Veliyath, MD of Equity Intelligence India, previously told the daily that the ongoing market correction is a short-term pain for genuine long-term investors and this shall pass soon. Indeed, despite two big corrections this year, midcaps collectively seem to be in recovery mode.

As many as a third of 950-odd midcap stocks on BSE have posted an uptick of 20% or more over their 52-week lows. Of these, 40 stocks have more than doubled their share prices and 130 others have spiked as much as 50%.

According to analysts, the retail investors with a high risk appetite may hit paydirt if they go bottom-fishing in these second-rung stocks.
A zero can make all the difference. It turns thousands to lakhs and lakhs to crores. But for the uber-rich it is 'just another zero'. On a humid Saturday afternoon in Gurgaon, a private banker-turned-entrepreneur who runs a family office relates to the writers an incident about a family which sold off one of their businesses and grew their financial assets of Rs100 crore to Rs1,000 crore. When they approached him to explore exciting investment avenues, he advised, "Your track record has been quite good for the last five years, why change it now? Follow the simple philosophy that just one zero has been added."

Another wealth manager, a Bollywood buff, when quizzed about ultra high net worth individuals (HNIs) losing money in commercial paper (CP) of debt-ridden IL&FS, brushes off the question. Without missing a beat, he quotes a popular Hindi movie dialogue: "Bade bade deshon me chhoti chhoti batein hoti rehti hain." Two days later, the Sensex slumped 1,500 points on account of liquidity crunch post-ILF&S firesale.

Money begets money, but not without some assistance. Money management for 'the haves' of the world means preserving their personal or family wealth and ensuring that it multiplies. As most nations tax the rich, this often involves a lot of balancing, finding loopholes and at times dodging taxes. A tight-knit group of professionals - from lawyers, chartered accountants (CAs) to wealth managers - help the ultra-rich stay rich.

In the 1960s and '70s there were 'munshis' to assist the rich with financial matters. Hindi movies from that era often had a subservient, bespectacled munimji with a black pouch to help the seth in money matters. Things changed with liberalisation. Lawyers and CAs became the new confidants of rich families. Now, it is private bankers and wealth managers.

But expert advice comes at a cost. A top lawyer, when probed about loopholes that help ultra-rich manage money, asks the writers for a fee in jest. "The day you have $100 million, come to me I will take $10 million to advise you," he says light-heartedly.

Though globally, the wealth management industry is organised, in India it is yet to find a firm footing. In the early years of this decade, many foreign banks wound up their wealth management businesses in India. But in recent years positive trends have been witnessed. "We see the trend changing, as the next generation has seen how wealth is managed outside the country and families have seen the importance of having dedicated wealth managers. Also, people from smaller towns are coming to organised players for aspirational reasons," says Srikanth Subramanian, Senior Executive Director, Kotak Wealth Management.

The numbers, too, are reassuring. According to a report from Credit Suisse, total wealth in India increased four-fold between 2000 and 2017, reaching $5 trillion in 2017, and is expected to reach $6 trillion in real terms by 2022. Kotak Wealth Management pegs the total number of ultra high networth households (UHNHs) in India, to be at 160,600, with an accumulated net-worth of Rs153 lakh crore. The report says that FY17's growth in the number of HNHs at 10 per cent was higher than FY16's 7 per cent.

Keeping it in the family

Besides hiring wealth managers, rich families have started showing a preference to keeping their houses in order. Many set up family offices, which help conserve family wealth but also assist in succession and investment planning. In the west, the Rockefeller and Rothschild family offices have existed for more than a century now. Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy's Catamaran, Ratan Tata's RNT Associates and Wipro Chairman Azim Premji's Premji Invest are some of the older single-family offices in India. "Indian family office space is in its nascent stage and is expected to evolve rapidly," says Aditya Gadge, founder of Priwexus, a membership community of single family offices, prominent business families and wealthy individuals. According to a report by the firm, which surveyed about 50 family offices in the country, it was found that about 43 per cent has served the same families for two generations, 28 per cent for three generations and 29 per cent for one generation.

About 16.67 per cent of these families reported more than $1 billion in assets under management (AUM) in family offices, 33.33 per cent had $100 million-1 billion as AUM, 33.33 per cent reported $25-100 million and 16.67 per cent had less than $25 million. Though the exact number of family offices in India remains unknown, it is estimated to be around 105-120.

A look at the asset allocation split of these single family offices also gives an idea about the broader HNI investment patterns in India. All families surveyed said they had invested in equity, 66.67 per cent in real estate, 50 per cent in international real estate, 83.33 per cent in alternative investment funds (AIFs), 66.67 per cent in absolute return/hedge funds, 66.67 per cent in direct venture capital and Private Equity and 83.33 per cent in fixed income.

Abhijit Bhave, CEO, Karvy Private Wealth Management, says the shift from physical assets to financial assets has mostly emerged post-demonetisation. "It is no longer gold that is charming the rich people, and the property cycle has gone down, so more of financial assets," he says.

A Karvy report reveals Indian HNIs are increasingly looking beyond plain vanilla investment options, and alternate investments such as hedge funds, infrastructure funds, and venture capital funds attracted almost double the investments in FY17 as compared to FY16. Bhave says student housing and warehousing has also emerged as popular investment avenues in India and abroad among the ultra-rich. All in all, in the debt segment, tax-free bonds, debt mutual funds and high-yield structured debt products are popular. Equity mutual funds remain core to the portfolio. People are also going for portfolio management schemes (PMS), where minimum invested amount is Rs25 lakh and Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), where a minimum Rs1 crore can be invested.

Private equity and venture capital investments are also areas of interest. Himanshu Kohli, co-founder of Client Associates, says, "Earlier, the fashion statement amongst HNIs was 'my son is an exporter', today it's 'he is an angel investor'."

With the average age of the ultra-rich falling, there is divergence in investment and spending patterns of the old and new rich. A 40-something nouveau rich, believes in a flashy lifestyle and spends on experiences. A British concierge company helped an Indian client propose to his girlfriend on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. A private banker organised a trip to NASA for the children of some Indian clients. A second generation rich person spends his money differently - on collecting wine, art, watches, stones, etc. Most third and fourth generation rich are not that flamboyant.

Investment patterns differ too. The neo-rich tend to make riskier bets and invest in structured products, PE funds, and make angel investments. Investing on international realty is a big trend amongst Indian HNIs. They are acquiring holiday homes in destinations such as Cyprus, Greece, Spain, etc. In contrast, the old rich tend to put money into capital protection debt instruments.

Foundation of Trust

For the uber-rich, succession planning not only means preserving their wealth for the coming generations, but also safeguarding their business from extravagant successors and family feuds. The Indian Trusts Acts of 1882 has been used for years but lately there is interest among Indian HNIs to form Trusts.

After the introduction of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), there was growing apprehension among rich businessmen that the authorities might take control of the firms and assets against non-performing assets (NPAs). This drove many towards Trusts and they started transferring their assets to irrevocable Trusts. Under IBC, all transfers made two years before IBC proceedings could be held void. "Many people resorted to this method to protect their assets," reveals a tax expert.

Kohli of Client Associates says his firm received 45 requests to form Trusts last year, of which about 20 were processed.

"There was a time we used to get only one or two clients a month to form Trusts. Now we get requests for almost 4-5 a month," says Prem Rajani, Managing Partner of Rajani Associates. The government's crackdown on unaccounted wealth and its Robin Hood economics has spooked the ultra-rich, and there have been news reports of bringing back estate duty tax or introducing Inheritance Tax. This, too, has made HNIs in the country to look towards Trust structures.

But for years now Trusts have been a multi-solution approach for complicated situations. According to a tax expert, spouses often transfer their wealth to Trusts before a divorce to avoid paying hefty alimony. Similarly, with families going global, Trusts have emerged as a solution for tax-efficient transfer of wealth and inheritance.

"If the successor is a green card holder in the US and inherits wealth which is to be transferred from India to the US or the UK, they will have to pay taxes as per the law of that country. If there is a Trust, better tax planning can happen. If the wealth is in a Trust, then beneficiaries don't need to pay taxes," Bhave explains.

The Grey Areas

There is more to wealth management than what meets the eye. Time and again wealth managers across the globe have been accused of adopting shady practices to help the ultra-rich dodge taxes. When prodded about this, the lawyers, tax experts and wealth managers often turn cagey. "After studying the existing tax regime, professionals think of the loopholes. There are specialised experts who do that," a lawyer confides. "It's a cat-and-mouse game, where the mouse is running faster than the cat." The government focuses on black and white but dodgers are experts at reading between the lines.

Despite the efforts of the current government to prevent money laundering, wealth is being parked at offshore destinations and being round-tripped to India. A tax expert says that new tax havens have not come up but a Delhi-based lawyer mentions a case that involves money laundered in a tiny island near Malaysia, called Labuan.

Located 8 km off the Borneo coast in East Malaysia, Labuan has its own stock market - the Labuan Financial Exchange (LFX). The world's elite are drawn to this quiet island as it taxes profits at just 3 per cent. The lawyer confirms that even Indian businessmen have companies set up in Labuan. "Labuan gives out a special kind of treatment. If a company is registered in Labuan and a third party wants to access its information, it is barred from doing so. There could be criminal prosecution," the lawyer says.

On the condition of anonymity, he shows the page of a Singapore-based wealth management site, claiming to be Asia's largest wealth manager. The company, allegedly acting as fiduciary formed a Trust for its India client, which was used to create a shell company and launder funds to Labuan. A look at the firm's website reveals that it has oversees offices and directors posted in tax havens such as British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Seychelles, Cook Islands, Hong Kong, Samoa, and Labuan.

Dubai is another route being frequently tapped. Money is sent to Ajman Free Trade Zone through hawala, and after forming a shell company, is deposited there. Since the Indian citizen is a major shareholder in the company, he can round-trip it back to India in the form of a loan. If needed in cash, the loan can be paid back legitimately, then sent to Hong Kong to a shell company and re-routed to India via Hawala at a 1 per cent fee. The Hong Kong route is also used to send hawala money to China, to pay for imports.

There are new ways to round-trip money back to India. A company is established in an offshore jurisdiction having low tax incidence and Rs100 crore is sent via hawala to that jurisdiction for depositing in that company. Now, the money can be transferred back to India in the form of loans such as external commercial borrowing (ECB), foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) or preference shares allotted to entities, which are redeemed after a certain period of time.

The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Liberalised Remittance Scheme is also being used for round-tripping. Under LRS, Indians are allowed to transfer abroad up to $250,000 per person per financial year for overseas education, travel, medical treatment, buying property, etc. However, some manage to use it for other purposes. As per RBI, a company set up in a tax haven under LRS route cannot invest in other companies, be it abroad or in India. Experts who the writers spoke to, accepted that there have been instances of overseas shell firms having made a killing by investing in Indian companies against LRS norms.

Many Indian second- and third-generation rich families are sending one family member abroad to become a foreign resident. In India capital gains on an unlisted company is 20 per cent. If an investor has to avoid paying 20 per cent, all she has to do is move abroad, where capital gains could be 10 per cent.

With growing interest in financial instruments, wealth managers now come up with bespoke structured products as well for the rich to reduce tax liability. For example, in India, short-term capital loss (STCL) can be set off against short- or long-term capital gains in the same year. Wealth managers use this via bonus or dividend stripping. Many HNIs know when a company will declare bonus shares, and buy shares before the announcement. After bonus, the value of those shares falls. Shares are sold at a loss and that loss is set off against capital gains. Dividend stripping in mutual funds is similar. Income Tax department is well aware of the loopholes, say experts, but nothing has been done so far to fix those.

The implementation of General Anti Avoidance Rules (GAAR) has instilled some fear. Under GAAR, sleuths can question the method of tax reduction if the quantum of tax advantage exceeds Rs3 crore. "What is not to be broken is the letter of the law. So, if you are earning, you should pay tax, but there is nothing wrong in arranging one's affairs in such a way that taxes are as low as possible. That's where professionals play," says Mohit Chaudhary, Managing Partner at law firm Kings & Alliance LLP.

With billions of dollars at their disposition, the rich can buy the best of minds to manage their wealth and find the gaps in regulations, multiplying wealth is just sleight of a hand.

@devikasingh29, @apri_sharma
How many have you got? No, not private jets, yatchs, jewellery or houses. We're talking about passports, the new stamp of luxury. For the 21st century jetsetters, the world is a playground and not for them the restrictions of visas to move from one country to another. Many countries, too, are eager to attract such wealthy globe trotters and billionaires, and of course, their money.

The main advantage of having certain passports is that not only do they indicate citizenship, but also offer easy access to various other countries. For instance, with an Indian passport, one can go to 78 countries without a visa. But with a passport from, say, the US, Canada or the UK, you can go to 180 plus countries visa-free. If you have one from Malta in Europe, you get instant access to Schengen countries. No wonder passports are the new must-have for the global rich.

Welcome sign

While various countries offer citizenship investment programmes, the details vary. Among the cheapest are some Caribbean countries such as St Kitts and Nevis, Vanuatu, Antigua and Barbuda, and Grenada. And among the most expensive are New Zealand, Cyprus, and Malta. Speed varies too, often depending on how much one invests. So while some countries offer citizenship within just a couple of weeks, others take longer. But for applicants with the right credentials, and deep pockets, a passport of choice is a certainty.

Malta, the smallest member state in the EU, has a popular investment based citizenship programme. To be eligible, applicants must contribute 650,000 euro to a government fund; lease property in Malta for a minimum of 16,000 euro per annum, or purchase property for at least 350,000 euro; and acquire government bonds or bonds or securities listed on the Malta Stock Exchange worth 150,000 euro. The property and the bonds or securities have a lock-in of five years. The entire process of getting citizenship takes around 12 months.

"EU member countries like Cyprus, Malta, Greece and Portugal all have investment programmes where the investment requirement is 100,000 euro to 10 million euro. In some cases, you get residency followed by passport, and in some cases, a passport," says Ajay Sharma, founder, Abhinav Outsourcings, an immigration visa consultancy in New Delhi.

Another picturesque island nation to offer investment-linked citizenship is Vanuatu, in the South Pacific. The main applicant can get citizenship in six to eight weeks, for $152,800, without living or visiting Vanuatu. The passport allows visa-free entry to over 125 countries including those in the EU, and the UK.

The pioneer in investment linked citizenship programmes, however, is the US. The EB-5 programme has been in effect since 1992. An EB-5 investor has to invest a minimum of $1 million in a new commercial enterprise that will create at least 10 full-time jobs for US citizens. The validity of the programme, however, ends by September 30, 2018, though it may be extended.

Another popular programme among Indians is the investment immigration programme of Quebec in Canada. The applicant must have legally obtained minimum net worth of CAD$1.6 million and make a government guaranteed investment worth CAD$800,000 in Quebec, which will be refunded without interest after five years. The candidate's residency will initially be for Quebec, until the grant of Canadian citizenship.

A healthy chunk

Such investment linked programmes work well for passport seekers as well as the supplying countries as these investments can be significant. For example, the Global Wealth Migration Review of the Mauritius-based AfrAsia Bank states that growth rates in Malta, Mauritius, Israel, the US, Luxembourg, Switzerland, New Zealand and Australia have been assisted by the ongoing migration of wealthy people. "Global wealth migration is accelerating. Approximately 95,000 millionaires (HNWIs) migrated in 2017, compared to 82,000 in 2016. With 7,000 outflows in 2017, India registered the second biggest HNWI outflow (after China's 10,000) in 2017," the report states.

Pankaj Joshi, Founder, Nysa Global, a professional services firm that works with families that want to move abroad, says the reasons include business expansion, and a desire for a better quality of life. "We work in countries where people actually want to move to. We have clients from smaller cities and more people are from North and West India," he says.

Wealth migration, however, need not entail migrating to that country. Antigua and Barbuda is an example. According to the Citizenship by Investment Unit of the exotic Caribbean island nation, there were seven Indian citizens among the 187 applications they received during the January-June 2017 period. To secure a passport, one has to donate $200,000 to Antigua and Barbuda's National Development Fund (NDF). The passport will be renewed after five years, provided the recipient has spent a total of five days in Antigua and Barbuda since gaining citizenship, within the five-year period. The passport holder can travel visa-free to 150 countries, including Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK and the Schengen countries. The government has recently announced a 50 per cent discount on the non-refundable NDF donation, a clear indication that competition is on the rise among nations to attract the investment of wealthy global citizens.

Most countries that offer investment-linked citizenship schemes also allow dual citizenship. This means that as long as you pay the money, and have no criminal records, you can continue to hold your original citizenship. But this does not work for Indian citizens. As long as they hold valid Indian passports, they cannot legally possess another citizenship. The law is flouted by some, while many others let go of their Indian citizenship. So, feel free to pay your way to another country's shores.

@joecmathew
Soon after Tata Steel announced its plan to acquire the one million tonne steel business of Kolkata based Usha Martin for up to Rs 4,700 crore, the founder of the wire and specialty steel maker, Basant Jhawar and his son Prashant issued a statement seeking clarity on the end-use of sale proceeds. The father-son duo have about 26 per cent stake in the company, while Prashant's cousin Rajiv Jhawar's family holds another 26 per cent. Prashant and Rajiv are at loggerheads over the control and ownership of the business, in which Rajiv is the managing director. In April 2017, the lenders removed Prashant from the role of chairman for alleged mismanagement of the company. Now the question before the father and the son is what their share of income from the sale of assets would be. They fear that Rajiv would protect only his interests. Tata Steel will have a tough time negotiating with warring promoter families.

- Nevin John
The Supreme Court verdict on petitions that challenged the Constitutional validity of Central government's 12 digit unique identity number Aadhaar reminds us of the traditional proclamation "The King is dead, long live the King!" In the same breath, the majority verdict of the five-judge bench made Aadhaar enrolment voluntary, while making it mandatory for majority of Indians - both income earning tax payers, and people with low income or no income. Your income tax filings need to be linked to your Aadhaar number. Aadhaar-linked biometric validation is mandatory for the poor who wish to avail the benefits of social welfare programmes supported through the Consolidated Fund of India. Technically, others may opt out of Aadhaar as the SC verdict quashed government directives to link Aadhaar with mobile numbers and bank accounts. But nothing prevents these service providers from luring you towards sharing your Aadhaar in lieu of instant service offers. The SC did term authentication services provided by private players as unconstitutional due to fear of commercial exploitation of individual's biometric and demographic information. But the government can always tweak the existing law to allow new emerging Aadhaar-enabled, authentication-linked businesses to flourish. The use of Aadhaar may be restricted today, but for all practical purposes, it is here to stay and hence the debate and vigil over the pros and cons of such a citizen identification tool should continue.

@joecmathew
29 Apr 2019, 4:19 PM

Anil Ambani claims TDSAT nod for sale of spectrum; to pay Ericsson Rs 550 cr

Billionaire Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications said on Wednesday that the telecom tribunal has allowed it to complete its planned spectrum sale, the proceeds from which will be used to pay Ericsson India and Reliance Infratel (RITL) minority investors. The debt-ridden firm said in a regulatory filing to the BSE that it will receive Rs 975 crore from sale of spectrum, and that it will pay Ericsson Rs 550 crore

RBI allows oil marketing firms to raise $10 billion from overseas

State-owned oil marketing companies have been allowed to raise $10 billion from overseas market to meet their working capital needs, a top finance ministry official said Wednesday. The move comes against the backdrop of rising crude oil prices in the international market which is near $85 to a barrel. As a result, petrol and diesel prices in the domestic market have also touched record high. Public sector oil marketing companies include Indian Oil Corporation, HPCL and BPCL.

India risks U.S. sanctions with $5-billion purchase of Russian missiles

According to a Reuters report, the United States has warned India against a planned purchase of S-400 surface-to-air missiles from Russia when President Vladimir Putin visits New Delhi this week, saying such an acquisition would attract sanctions under U.S. law. India's military wants the missile batteries, both as a deterrent against China and to gain an edge over traditional rival, Pakistan, as they are able to track and shoot down combat aircraft, even stealth planes, at unprecedented ranges. India and Russia will sign the missile deal, estimated at more than $5 billion, during Putin's visit for annual summit talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi beginning today.

Petrol touches Rs 84 in Delhi, diesel breaches Rs 80 mark in Mumbai; crude oil at 4-year high of $85.85

Petrol and diesel prices surged up to 23 paise on Thursday, showing no signs of respite to the common people. While petrol has touched Rs 84 per litre in Delhi, diesel prices were pushed a little further to Rs 75.45 per litre. In Mumbai, Diesel crossed the Rs 80 mark for the first time, recording 21 paise from the previous hike. Petrol is already being sold at over Rs 92 per litre in several districts of Maharashtra as well as Bihar. Despite a continuous price rise in fuel, the Centre and many state governments have refused to cut tax.

India's rescue of debt-ridden IL&FS may spell major losses for lenders say sources

India's move to take control of debt-laden Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) will only succeed if lenders agree to take substantial losses, government sources told Reuters.The government on Monday replaced the board of IL&FS, a major infrastructure financing and construction firm, after its failure to honour debt obligations sent shockwaves through Indian financial markets.The new six-member IL&FS board will prepare a revival plan, but it is becoming clear some of its lenders will need to suffer major losses, one finance ministry official said.

Softbank decides to provide free solar power to ISA of which India is also a member

Softbank, the biggest investor in many Indian start-ups, has decided to provide free solar power to International Solar Alliance (ISA), of which India is also a member, according to a report by the Financial Express. Softbank Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son has committed to providing free power to all members of the ISA after completion of 25 years of power purchase agreement (PPA) with them. Masayoshi Son also made a special presentation on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aim of 100% household electrification.

Runway at Delhi airport to be closed for 13 days; around 200 flights to be affected

Flights are likely to be disrupted at the airport in the national capital as one of the runways will be closed for repair work for 13 days starting November 15, according to a communication. The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), operated by DIAL, is the busiest aerodrome in the country and has three runways. The airport handled 63.5 million passengers in 2017-18 and has around 1,300 flight movements every day.

Amazon invests Rs 590 cr in payments arm to take on Paytm, Google Pay

Amazon, the world's biggest online retailer, has invested ? 590 crore in its digital payments arm Amazon Pay (India) Private Limited as reported by the Hindu. The company is eyeing India's booming digital payments market and planning to take on rivals such as Flipkart's PhonePe, Paytm and Google's mobile payment service Google Pay [Tez]. The competition between ecommerce brands is revving up before the start of the festive season when sales on these platforms see a significant spike. Last month, Amazon Pay unveiled card-less EMIs for selected customers.

Compiled by Rashi Bisaria
Greater Noida (UP), Oct 3 (PTI) States on Wednesday urged the Centre to provide a level-playing field for domestic investors in the renewable energy sector and categorise large hydro projects as clean energy source to give a boost to green energy projects. Chief ministers and representatives of various states at the Second Global RE-Invest Summit here demanded that subsidies and easy credit should be provided to domestic investors as well as feasible and acceptable policies. "There should be a level-playing field because foreign investors come with huge investments. Our Indian investors needs protection from the government," Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy observed during a session. The government should provide bank support and bank subsidy for harnessing clean energy sources, he stressed. States also asked the government to protect the domestic industry for improving renewable energy equipment manufacturing particulary of solar energy and reducing huge import dependence. Uttar Pradesh Minister of Additional Energy Sources Brajesh Pathak sad, "There a lot of scope of investing in solar energy in Uttar Pradesh, We will extend all support for your investments." About solar manufacturing, he said about 90 per cent of the solar manufacturing is related to assembly of imported equipment only in India. India depends on solar equipment imports largely from China, Taiwan and Malaysia for setting up of solar plants. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur suggested that all hydro power projects should be included in the category of renewable energy so that they could also avail the benefits being given to renewable energy projects. At present, hydro power projects up to 25 MW capacity are included under this category. He added that hydro power projects generate green energy which was eco friendly, if this demand was fulfilled then more investors would be attracted to the state and economy would be strengthened further. PTI KKS MRMR
The British pound rose on Thursday, bouncing off four-week lows, after a media report that Ireland is backing Prime Minister Theresa May's plan for an all-UK customs union with the European Union.

Backing from Dublin could help Britain towards overcoming one of the thorniest issues in the Brexit negotiations, a "backstop" deal on the border between Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, and EU-member state Ireland.

Ahead of an EU summit this month, Ireland is prepared to back one of May's proposals if no other solution to the Irish border issue is found - the whole of the UK to operate within a customs union with the EU, the Financial Times reported.

"The pound has not weakened as feared during the week of the Conservative Party conference. In fact, it has been overshadowed by a report from the FT which suggests that Ireland is backing PM Mays emerging plan for an all-UK customs union with the EU," MUFG analysts said in a note.

"The EU would have to provide some encouragement as well that it is warming to the idea for the pound to stage a rally in the coming weeks."

May's conference speech on Wednesday, in which she stuck to her script on Brexit and expressed confidence Britain would get a deal to avoid a sudden and disorderly exit from the EU next March, lacked anything new to shift market sentiment and the pound was little moved.

After hitting as low as $1.2922 overnight - its weakest since Sept. 10 - on the back of a surging dollar, sterling recovered to $1.2967, up 0.2 percent on the day.

Britain's currency also gained versus the euro, and was up 0.2 percent at 88.61 pence.

In her speech, May appealed to her party to unite behind her plan to leave the EU, warning critics their arguments could put Brexit in jeopardy.

May's officials are planning to rush her Brexit deal through Parliament to stave off a rebellion from her own party, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

"Somehow everything seems to be rather deadlocked at the moment, and as a result the downside risks for sterling remain in place," Commerzbank analysts said in a note to clients. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Thousands of people marched on Ireland's parliament on Wednesday in the latest angry protest over a housing shortage that has sparked sharp increases in rental costs and homelessness.

Housing has become the number one political issue ahead of a possible election in the coming months and inside the building Taoiseach Leo Varadkar defended his government's record, pointing to nearly 20,000 new homes expected to be built this year.

"There are limiting factors. There's only so much concrete, only so many service sites, only so many construction workers. We're ramping up things as quickly as we can," he said.

While Ireland was left with a surplus of houses after a property crash in 2008, it has come nowhere near providing the number needed to keep up with a rapid economic recovery, with rents in Dublin almost 20 percent above their pre-crisis peak.

While rising, supply is still short of the 35,000 new builds analysts say are needed annually just to keep up with demand.

"Everyone's struggling," said Emily Arnold, a 21-year-old computer science student who traveled from the western town of Sligo to join the protest. She plans to leave Ireland when she graduates due to the high cost of living.

"Sligo's okay, it's getting a bit more expensive. We have to work around the clock to afford it but there's no point coming to Dublin, Galway's impossible too. We're going to Toronto, it's cheaper to live out there for a year. Everyone's emigrating."

Dotted among the large groups of student protesters were workers in their 30s with unstable, short-term tenancies unable to save for a mortgage and older homeowners worried about how their children will put a roof over their heads.

"The way things are at the moment, they haven't got a hope," said Sean Murphy, a retired bricklayer in his 70s who attended the rally with two of his 13 grandchildren and one of his sons, who fears being left homeless when his rent is next increased.

"You had a hope of getting a council house (years ago) but it's far worse now. We've never had the amount of homeless that we have and I think that speaks for itself. My children and grandchildren's' generation are the working poor."

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions, one of the organizers, predicted that the protests will get larger and noisier. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
The Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen this week led Enterprise Irelands two-day trade mission to Switzerland, Irelands 5th largest merchandising trading partner, which commenced on Tuesday.

The trade mission forms part of Enterprise Irelands Brexit response, with a focus on accelerating exports to Europe by 50% by 2020. Twenty one Irish companies took part in the trade mission with a focus on diversifying into the Swiss medtech, construction services and agritech sectors.



Exports to Switzerland by Enterprise Ireland client companies increased by 8% last year to reach 330M in 2017. The trade mission programme included a visit to Roche Diagnostics, Rotkreuz where Enterprise Ireland will showcased the innovative capabilities of Irelands medtech sector.

The delegation visited the EmpaNEST Research Facility to facilitate new Swiss - Irish business relationships in the construction sector and to help unlock new business opportunities. Yesterday, the participating agritech companies visited the Swiss Future Farm Research Facility to highlight the high quality of new agricultural technologies coming out of Ireland.

Minister Breen also addressed an audience of over 100 Swiss and Irish business leaders in Zurich on Tuesday night and attended the Swiss Irish Business Network 10th Anniversary reception in Zurich on Wednesday before returning to Dublin.



Speaking ahead of the trade mission, Minister Breen said, "I am delighted to lead this Enterprise Ireland trade mission to Switzerland which will introduce 21 Irish companies to potential Swiss business partners. Trade between Ireland and Switzerland is strong, and this is an important initiative to further strengthen business relationships between Enterprise Ireland client companies and Swiss partners."

He added, "Switzerland is Irelands 5th largest goods export market and this is indicative of the strength of the Swiss economy and industry. I believe there is great potential for increased collaboration within the key sectors of medtech, construction services and agritech."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Algeria will continue to supply gas to Morocco through the Maghreb-Europe pipeline as the two countries prepare to renew a contract that will expire in 2021, Algerian Energy Minister Mustapha Guitouni told Reuters.

Morocco will take full ownership of the pipeline that channels gas to Spain in 2021, the Algerian minister said following talks with Moroccos Energy Minister Aziz Rabbah in Marrakech on the sidelines of the 11thArab Energy Conference.

The 1300 km pipeline, currently owned by Spain, channels gas from the Algerian field of Hassi Rmel to Spain.

Morocco receives royalties for the pipeline worth 0.5 billion cubic meters of gas, representing half the countrys consumption.

The Algerian and Moroccan press had speculated that the agreement may not be renewed as Algeria prepares a direct pipeline to export gas to Spain without going through Morocco.

Significant discoveries in Tindrara by Sound Energy as well as Moroccos renewable energy plan and its project to build an LNG gas terminal have also led to speculations that the country may do without Algerian gas.

The Moroccan LNG project is part of efforts to diversify the countrys energy mix and autonomy. The project includes two new combined-cycle gas turbine power plants, each with a capacity of 1200 MW, an LNG terminal and onshore regasification unit at the Port of Jorf Lasfar as well as pipelines connecting the terminal to the Maghreb-Europe pipeline.

The gas terminal will have a storage capacity of 5 billion cubic meters of LNG per year, a fitted marine jetty, regasification plants and high-pressure gas transmission pipes.

Morocco, which imports most of its energy needs, seeks to reduce its dependency on imported fossil fuels, with plans aimed at bringing the share of LNG to 13 pc of its energy mix by 2025 and generating over 50 percent of its energy from renewables by 2030.
Geopolitics has always played a role in the development of the world economy. However, in recent times, as the global power game has become more complex, its impact on international trade and investment flows has increased considerably. This is particularly the case in Asia, where the rise of China is upsetting established power patterns. Today, we deem geopolitics to be one of the most important drivers of economic growth in Asia.

Geopolitics rests on a number of tools ranging from diplomacy to military interventions. One of the tools that seems to have gained attraction amongst a number of governments is sanctions. Particularly, when problems are too intricate to be solved expeditiously, ordering the imposition of sanctions gives the impression that the government that propagates them is in control and is acting. Bearing in mind the current trend towards populism in several democracies, sanctions are useful to fool the public into believing that one is doing something, that one is in charge of things.

It is to be expected that people who are opposed to or skeptical about free trade eagerly support sanctions. However, it is surprising that people, who in general are favorably inclined towards free trade and international finance flows, support sanctions. This has to do with the emphasis on moral criteria, which are usually forwarded to promote and defend sanctions. As one is impotent to change things for the better in the target country, one consoles ones conscience by drumming up support for sanctions.

Sanctions enforcement like area bombing can be attractive as an impressive show of overwhelming force. In both cases massive damage, often afflicting masses of innocent people, can be wrecked, But in both cases the targeted opponent is usually not brought to its knees by such indiscriminate destruction. Countries and regimes that in some cases have been under sanctions for decades have not succumbed to external pressure. Telling examples are Cuba and North Korea.

The main argument brought forward by the advocates of sanctions is that if the world does not react against gross violations of basic human and civil rights, it will allow rogue regimes to spread and set examples for other fragile societies. If a government commits genocide and its crimes are reliably documented, is it not appropriate to ostracize the perpetrators of such crime? Is it not better to apply sanctions instead of declaring war and intervene in favor of a violent regime change?

We know from experience that most decisions taken by the United Nations on sanctions against a specific country are not based on unanimously agreed-upon principles. Usually there are coalitions of countries that oppose or promote sanctions. Under these circumstances decisions are biased and highly questionable. Very rarely do we see a unanimous decision to impose sanctions. Sanction busting is, therefore, the most common instrument to overcome the restrictions that have been imposed. North Korea was capable of developing its nuclear capabilities in spite of numerous sanctions.

The most convincing argument against sanctions is that they generally hit the common person and not those in power who are supposedly the main targets of the sanctions. Perversely, it is this infliction of pain that will enhance the survival chances of the targeted regime. The nation, the national dignity is at stake and in these circumstances anybody not closing ranks with the authorities is a traitor. In most cases sanctions strengthen the regime they are supposed to undermine.

The question then is: what else? Is the world community condemned to coexist for ever with rogue regimes? Is there a more efficient alternative to sanctions?

Engagement and incentives have proven to be much more useful, provided they do not pursue a hidden agenda. In the recent past China has twice demonstrated how engagement can work. The first case in point is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. When the Soviet Union collapsed and its Central Asian republics gained independence, the world was faced with huge challenges. Amongst them was the danger that Islamic extremists would fill the void after the withdrawal of the Soviet Union and that the newly independent countries with their weak governance structures would become a refuge for terrorists. It was China that speedily engaged itself in the region and exercised great responsibility in establishing useful channels for regional integration. Today the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is firmly established and plays an important role in the political and economic consolidation of Central Asia.

The second example were the Six-Party Talks on North Korea that took place in Beijing from 2003 to 2009. The talks did not lead to a successful conclusion, which does not belittle the fact that it was a valid initiative, which had a substantial potential to succeed. In fact that the talks were ultimately suspended was due to the intransigence of some participants and the understandable concern of North Korea that the United States were demanding concessions without being willing to acknowledge the sovereign existence of North Korea.

Diplomacy is often not a thankful task as it takes enormous skill and huge patience to eventually come to a satisfactory solution. There are also no guarantees that, however much time and effort is invested, diplomacy will succeed. However it is a useful tool to exercise soft power and it provides for solutions which cannot be achieved by the brute force of sanctions. China has a long history of skillful diplomacy and interaction with foreign powers. Now that a number of countries around the globe are unsettled by the erratic foreign and security policy of the United States, there should be widespread interest in a successful use of soft power making ineffectual sanction policies superfluous.

Urs Schoettli is a consultant on Asian affairs and a former Far East correspondent of the Swiss newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung.
My September Employment Preview



Goldman: September Payrolls Preview



Friday:

 At 8:30 AM, Employment Report for September. The consensus is for an increase of 180,000 non-farm payroll jobs in September, down from the 201,000 non-farm payroll jobs added in August. The consensus is for the unemployment rate to decline to 3.8%.



 At 8:30 AM, Trade Balance report for August from the Census Bureau. The consensus is for a deficit of $53.7 billion, from $50.1 billion deficit in July.



 At 3:00 PM, Consumer Credit from the Federal Reserve. The consensus is for consumer credit to increase $15.0 billion in August.



I've returned from my hiking trip in Peru. As part of the trip, my friends and I hiked the Old Inka Trail to Machu Picchu (with an amazing group of people from around the world).



It was an incredible journey, and the engineering effort to build the trail was stunning (over 500 years ago).



Here are a few pictures from my Trip. The first picture is from an overlook of Machu Picchu.



The views in every direction were amazing. Machu Picchu is at an elevation of 7,792', and is surrounded by lush vegetation and soaring peaks. We climbed the peak in the back shrouded in clouds (Waynapicchu, elevation 8,752')



For those who want to hike the trail, I recommend Alpaca Expeditions (our lead guide, Yoel, was very knowledgeable and funny)!



For those who aren't excited by hiking, you can take the train to Agua Caliente, and the bus up the hill to Machu Picchu (we took the bus down and train back). There are many other things to see in Peru (like the colonial city of Cusco, Rainbow mountain and much more)



The second photo is at the top of Dead Woman's Pass. This is the high point of the trail at 4,215 meters above sea level (about 13,800').



There are two high passes on the trail (both on Day 2), and on night 2 we slept at close to 13,000'.



This pass is named after a mountain formation that looks like a woman lying on her back, not because of some tragedy.



The third photo is of some ruins we passed along the way.



There are frequent Inka ruins along the trail; each amazing.



We had a great trip, and I'm looking forward to returning to Peru and South America.



Now back to blogging, Best to all.






The Euromed University of Fez has received over 13 million, donated by the European Union via the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the construction and equipment of its eco-friendly campus.

This world-class campus, to be built over 26 ha area, will be able to accommodate about 7,000 students and 650 staff members of diverse nationalities from the Euro-Mediterranean region and Sub-Saharan Africa. Construction works are expected to be completed by 2021.

EU ambassador to Morocco Claudia Wiedey said: we hope that several students from all horizons (Mediterranean, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe) will benefit and graduate from the Euromed University, imbued with the values of tolerance between peoples, enriched by the virtues of interculturality and equipped with the most useful skills for the local and international labor market.

EIB Representative in Morocco Anna Barone said: we are pleased to be able to contribute again, thanks to EU funds, to the development of the Euro-Mediterranean University of Fez, which plays an essential role in the field of higher education and research in Morocco.

The universitys intercultural vocation and willingness to partner with other academic institutions in the Mediterranean make it a key academic player in the region, added the European bank representative.

The Euromed University of Fes is a new regional center of excellence promoting dialogue, intercultural exchange, sharing of knowledge and cooperation in the fields of higher education, research and innovation.

It seeks to contribute to regional stability and integration. Its particular regional approach is reflected in the diversity of nationalities of the students and staff as well as in the contents of study programs, which focus on important topics for the integrated development of the Mediterranean region.

The UEMF aims at building a new generation of young people with a unique Euro-Mediterranean profile, who can play a role towards transforming the region from their future positions in an effective and cooperative way between both shores of the Mediterranean.
Viettel Cameroun S.A commit to strive for Cameroon people :: CAMEROON

VIETTEL GLOBAL INVESTMENT JOINT STOCK COMPANY, a company duly established and operating in Vietnam with headquarter domiciled at Level 39th and 40th, Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower, Hanoi, Vietnam is currently the 70% majority shareholder, in joint venture with the 30% local shareholder Bestinver Cameroon S.A (Bestcam)with its promoter Mr. Baba Ahmadou Danpullo, of the telecommunication companyViettel Cameroun S.A (whose registered brand-name is Nexttel). Being remained as an integral part of our business, Viettel Global Investment JSC and its Cameroon-based subsidiary Viettel Cameroun S.A commit to strive for Cameroon people, objecting all efforts to jeopardize the partnership, underestimate the investment and purportedly defaming our reputation.

Viettel Global Investment JSC and the Cameroon-based subsidiary Viettel Cameroun S.A commit for the benefit of the Cameroon people, bringing to this African country the advanced technologies,experienced telecommunication managerial advantages, creating jobs and respecting Cameroons laws and regulations, Viettel Global Investment JSC,General Director cum Legal Representatvie, Mr.DO Manh Hung said in a statement, responding to current misleading information about false operation of the company and its Cameroon-based joint venture.

The truth is that Viettel Cameroun S.A, having inherited from the strong, standardized and sustainable investment of Viettel Global Investment JSC, has been growing dramatically since the commencement of telecommunication service four years ago, following the Convention of Concessionentered into with the Government of Cameroon in 2012. Until December 31st 2017, Viettel Global Investment JSC has invested successfully a total amount ofFCFA 201 billioninto Viettel Cameroun S.Ain the forms of investment capital (share capital, shareholder loans) and other types of commercial supports. Establishing the third telecommunication network in Cameroon and rolling out business operation, with the great support from Viettel Global Investment JSC, Viettel Cameroun S.A has quickly and successfullybuiltthe largestinfrastructure completely throughout the nation, with 2500 2G/3G stations and 8000 kilometres of optical cables.

Our local operator, Viettel Cameroun S.A, so far, has been incredibly growing in all shape and size. This telecommunications service provider now has 4,5 million subscribers, with the coverage erea spreading to most remote rural areas in Cameroon. Viettel Cameroun S.A is also the first company to provide 3G connection with the lowest prices in both inbound and outbound services, while also being the first one to provide mobile television application. Inheriting lots of advantages from its parent company, Viettel Cameroun S.A has achieved threeASCOM awards  the nations most remarkable and reputable prize in telecommunications, namelyThe best Internet service provider (2015), The best Internet service provider (2016), and The best mobile television application (2016). These achievements benefit to not only Viettel Cameroun S.A but also the remaininglocal joint venture partner, Bestcam, as the company has been inheriting the technological, managerial advantages from the majority Vietnamese investor.

Until now, there have been approximate 100,000 Cameroonian get the stable employment by joining in the supply chains of Viettel Cameroun S.A. Among 1,000 employees working at Viettel Cameroun S.A, Cameroonian accounts for 94%, and 85% of the management team is local Cameroonian. The Vietnamese employees are working side by side with their local colleagues and trying to train and transfer technologies to the local collaborators.

Viettel Cameroun S.A employs 2000 mobile sales representatives (D2D) and possesses 80,000 sales points, with 90 authorised dealers, ensuring the most comfortable and easy access to all and every Cameroonian residents. Viettel Cameroun S.A is the network provider with the expertise and ability to transform the lives of its customers and prospects through technology innovation. Through its

aCameroon-based subsidiary,Viettel Global Investment JSC aims to provide the latest in experience and the latest technology to the people of Cameroon, which has beenflourishing the countrys economy and creating more contribution to the society.

The Minister of Cameroonian Ministry of External Affairs, H.ELejeune Mbella Mbella admitted Viettel Cameroun S.A as a symbol for the success of the bilateral cooperation. Thesubsidiary created by Viettel Global Investment JSC in Cameroon is the largest, yet the fundamental project of Vietnam in Cameroon until now. Experts say, Viettel Cameroun S.A is the service provider that owns huge ability to excel the life of consumers into the next level by digital transformation as the company is pushing towards providing the most innovative technologies to Cameroonian. Therefore, there are numerous services of Viettel Cameroun S.A being provided and operated in Cameroon such as telecommunication services, Internet and others. Besides, the project also invests in building telecommunication infrastructure, cable television and digital terrestrial television facilities in Cameroon.

As a part of Viettel Global Investment JSCs business philosophy, Viettel Cameroun S.A has been operating many corporate social responsibility projects in order to give a hand for the development of Cameroon. One of the most prominent ones is the Nexttel Healthcare Program, initiated by Viettel Cameroun S.A since 2016 until now. With the total expense up to 20 million FCFA per annum, the program aims to offer free healthcare service for all underprivileged people living across the rural area in Cameroon. For nationwide coverage, Viettel Cameroun S.A joins hand with a charitable healthcare organization with 60 doctors, along with the support from local governments to offer free health check and healthcare service for 15,000 Cameroonians until now.

All regions that Nexttel Healthcare Program sets their foot on see a real festival atmosphere - lively, hopeful and cheering, as all the residents there are offered free healthcare services, free medicine, whilst being able to help the community by activities such as cleaning up the surrounding environment. Also, they are equipped with essential information and knowledge on taking care of their own health, especially in preventing malaria. The program has been admitted to be successful in term of the humane message and effectiveness in making the good for the Cameroonian society, whilst emphasizing the brand among their audiences.

Viettel Global Investment JSC and its Cameroon-based subsidiary Viettel Cameroun S.A have been working hard and tirelessly for the benefits of the nation and the people of Cameroon. All the efforts to defame the Vietnamese investor, to jeopardize the partnership in the joint venture and threat the investment of Viettel Global Investment JSC will trample up the Cameroonian Governments effort in attracting foreign capability, especially investment from Asia, for economic recovery and social revival, and that also is a hazardous action to damage national benefits of Cameroon./.
Russia has once again distanced itself from the maneuvers of Algiers and its proxy, the Polisario, by stating that only a political solution would settle the regional dispute over Moroccos southern provinces.

President Putins Representative for the Middle East and Africa Mikhael Bogdanov has reiterated that Russia backs a political solution to the Sahara issue much to the disappointment of Algiers and its creation, the Polisario.

Bogdanov expressed Russias position following talks with a Polisario envoy to Moscow stressing the need for continuing efforts to find a fair solution to the conflict.

Much to the disappointment of the Algerian news agency, which echoes anti-Moroccan position, Bogdanov did not mention a referendum on self-determination, an option that has proven unfeasible due to disagreements over who is entitled to vote.

The UN has encouraged the parties to the conflict to seek a consensual solution describing Moroccos autonomy plan as a serious, credible and realistic solution.

Algeria for the first time has been invited to direct talks by the UN envoy Horst Kohler, a move that shows that the UN is realizing that no solution can be found without a positive involvement of Algeria, which has created, hosted, armed and funded the Polisario militias for over four decades.
news, latest-news

Busy new parents will take any extra time they can get. So when Ali and Ryan Hicks found out they could now register their new baby's birth online they jumped at the chance. Baby Sage was among the first births to be registered online in the ACT, with the service launched on Wednesday. "It was very streamlined and very user friendly," Mrs Hicks said. "It saved us having to go anywhere to do it so it was really great. "With our first daughter we had to get prepared for a day of going out and running errands and packing all the essentials. "We were able to just jump on the computer and type it in." And all of that meant more bonding time with new born Sage. Minister for Business Gordon Ramsay said the online registration would offer greater convenience and significantly reduce waiting times for documentation for parents of newborns. Parents are quick to announce the birth of their little one on social media and now they can visit the Access Canberra website immediately afterwards to formally register the birth, he said. The online birth registration form allows parents to register their newborns birth from the comfort of their home, using a smartphone, tablet or computer." The government said the process can be completed in less than 10 minutes. In the year up until August 30, Canberra has already registered 3406 births via its paper-based system. Mr Ramsay said in the coming year it was expected the majority of births would registered online. Registering a birth online will ensure more accurate information on birth certificates by reducing the possibility of mis-interpreting handwriting, he said. The online method also speeds up the registration process significantly and reduces the waiting time for a birth certificate. The paper based system will still available for those parents who dont have access to the online form. Birth registrations need to be submitted within six months of the newborns birth, and parents can also apply for a birth certificate at the same time as completing the online birth registration form. Those who register their babys birth online will receive the birth certificate in the post. Visit act.gov.au/accessCBR for more information.

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news, act-politics

Chief Minister Andrew Barr says problems within EventsACT that enabled staff to hand out more than $1.4 million worth of work without following the proper processes have been addressed with the restructure of the organisation. Documents obtained by The Canberra Times under freedom of information laws reveal EventsACT staff signed $550,000 worth of contracts without the correct authority. Staff also gave out nearly $700,000 of work without a contract and failed to get the minimum three quotes for around $160,000 worth of work. The alleged breaches of procurement laws were uncovered during an audit of the 2017 Floriade festival, which went $1.2 million over budget in part due to the issues with financial management in the organisations. There is no suggestion any of the suppliers were aware of any procurement or authorisation problems. The Canberra Liberals' spokesman for tourism Andrew Wall said the breaches warranted a system-wide inquiry into the governments procurement processes. However Mr Barr said the "big problems" with EventsACT's procurement for past events had been corrected, and those responsible had been held accountable. Most of the senior staff at EventsACT no longer work at EventsACT so yes there has been accountability for those who were responsible for going over the budget and not meeting the government's procurement requirements," Mr Barr said. "We have also outsourced significant elements of the running of these events now and that ensures a greater degree of financial management control, clearly because a lot more of that expenditure and commercial relationship sits outside government." Mr Barr later told Canberra radio station 2CC the events division had their "financial delegations wound back" as part of the restructure. He said he believed the issues related to multi-year contracts and how often they should be put back on the market for an event like Floriade. Ultimately, Mr Barr said the problems with last year's festival resulted in a better event this year. "People will have noticed this year its no longer a catered event, the food and beverage focus has moved to a more foodie gourmet experience rather than a canteen style catered process and thats one of the changes that come into fruition," Mr Barr said. A spokeswoman said the ACT government was not aware of similar cases in other directorates, but was looking at how audit, compliance and education could be stepped up to ensure all procurement complied with the law.

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Hundreds of angry Canberrans are expected to turn out at a weekend rally to demand the federal government reconsider its opposition to pill testing, as organisers label off-site drug-checking a "half-measure". Reason ACT and the Smashed Avocado Movement are coordinating the Garema Place rally, which will urge governments across Australia to roll out pill testing as a harm reduction measure. Organisers say the deaths of two people after suspected drug overdoses at the Defqon.1 festival in Sydney last month, and the National Capital Authority's subsequent refusal to allow pill testing at the upcoming Spilt Milk festival in Canberra spurred them into action. Reason ACT's Dean Barnes said he was shocked and angry to see NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian outrightly refuse to consider pill testing as part of her government's response to the Defqon deaths. "People are sick and tired, regardless of whether theyre politically connected or not, they want to protect their children, they want to protect their friends, they want to protect people who are going to these festival so they go, have a good time and come back alive," Mr Barnes said. The opposition to pill testing from the NSW government and the NCA comes despite an ACT government-supported drug-checking trial at Groovin the Moo earlier in the year, which picked up two potentially lethal substances and led two in five participants to modify their planned consumption. Health Minister Greg Hunt has also indicated he will not review his opposition to pill testing, despite an invitation from ACT Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris to meet with Chief Health Officer Paul Kelly to go over the results. Mr Black - who is the co-founder of the Smashed Avocado Movement, a political party for millennials turned umbrella organisation for progressive minor parties - said the results from Groovin the Moo were proof pill testing saved lives. "Those were two pills someone didnt take so right there you can straight away say lives were likely saved," Mr Black said. Im not here to quantify how many lives have to be saved before its important, a life was saved, thats enough." Mr Black said the prospect of testing drugs off-site during Spilt Milk to skirt around the NCA's restrictions was a "half-measure". "If that helps save lives, Im in favour of it. If thats all we can do then yes but I think we can do a lot better than that," Mr Black said. "I dont think the ACT government should be needing to have that discussion about where can we be doing this ... they should just be able to do it," Mr Barnes added. "This is a model thats sitting here, it's been done, they can do it tomorrow if they wanted to." Harm Reduction Australia co-founder and member of the STA-SAFE Consortium Gino Vumbaca said community support was critical to rolling out pill testing more widely. "This is always the trajectory things follow, there's stiff resistance and you have to keep producing evidence, arguing your case and growing your base of evidence," he said. "Community support was vital in getting the injecting room in Melbourne over the line, and it was the same with Kings Cross. In the end politicians need to represent our views so there's a responsibility on all of us to make our views clear to them." The rally comes after Greens leader Shane Rattenbury signed a Trans-Trasman Charter for pill testing on behalf of the ACT Greens, alongside the STA-SAFE consortium and the New Zealand Drug Foundation. Mr Vumbaca said the charter would lay down principles of how pill testing will be done in both countries, which was especially important in New Zealand as drug checking was still being done underground there. It states pill testing should be done front-of-house and for free, as it is a public health intervention. It also commits pill testers in both countries to share the results of their work to build a base of evidence and learn from each other's mistakes. The rally takes place at midday on Saturday, October 6 in Garema Place.

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A recent Australian National Audit Office report shines a welcome spotlight on the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity. ACLEI is a low-profile but important regulatory agency that lies at the centre of a contested issue of government policy: how to combat corruption in government? As the prospect of a federal anti-corruption commission becomes ever more likely, thanks to the Greens-led strategy of blaming every instance of impropriety by a federal politician or public servant on the absence of such a commission, ACLEI's role will come into sharper focus. As an existing federal anti-corruption commission, albeit highly circumscribed in its jurisdiction, how will it fit into a new anti-corruption regime? Does its performance carry any lessons for how a federal ICAC should be designed and resourced? Much will depend on a judgment of how effectively ACLEI has performed so far. On this question, the ANAO report avoids direct comment, ruling out assessment of the commission's operational effectiveness as well as comment on the adequacy of its funding. Instead, in line with its usual methodology, the ANAO confines itself to matters of operational efficiency, not effectiveness, concentrating on identifying issues such as identification of relevant inputs and outputs, the appropriateness of performance measures, the prioritisation and allocation of resources, and the use of benchmarks to assess relative efficiencies. Within these limits, however, the ANAO brings together useful information about ACLEI that can help assess its overall effectiveness. ACLEI has existed for just over a decade. It was established in 2006 to detect, investivate and prevent corruption in law-enforcement, concentrating on serious and systemic corruption. Its original jurisdiction included the Australian Federal Police and the then Australian Crime Commission. Customs and Border Protection was added in 2011 (since incorporated into the Australian Border Force and now the Department of Home Affairs), with further additions in 2013, including AUSTRAC (the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre), the (eventual) Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, and certain quarantine-related functions from the Agriculture Department. Of these agencies, Home Affairs (including the Border Force) and the AFP (including ACT Policing) are by far the largest and occupy the bulk of the agency's attention. ACLEI's main operations consist of investigating instances of corruption arising from its own inquiries or referred to it either by agencies under its jurisdiction or by individuals. When an issue is referred to it, the commission assesses it to decide whether to investigate it and, if so, whether to investigate on its own or jointly with another agency (more than half of the investigations are conducted jointly). In 2016-17, according to its annual report, the commission worked on more than 100 investigations and was instrumental in five successful prosecutions. ACLEI is a small agency with a budget in 2016-17 of $10.8 million and about 47 full-time-equivalent staff. Though its budget grew steadily over the past decade, including significant increases to meet periodic extensions of its jurisdiction, its capacity is still constrained considering the extent of its jurisdiction. Setting priorities about what cases to pursue and what to turn down is therefore essential. On this point, the ANAO is particularly critical. It notes that, over the last five years, ACLEI accepted for investigation a growing proportion of issues referred to it, up from about 10 per cent in 2012-13 to over 50 per cent in 2016-17. Over the same time, the proportion of investigations begun but not concluded grew correspondingly (in 2016-17, the commission began investigations of 107 corruption issues but concluded only 14). The obvious result, as the commission recognises, is that fewer resources are available for each investigation. The problem is compounded by a steady increase in the complexity of investigations and the sophistication of corrupt officers, factors that call for more, not fewer, resources per investigation. The commission is well aware of these problems of stretched resources and, as the ANAO acknowledges, has taken steps towards managing its caseload better. But, in the ANAO's view, more must be done to impose a more rational allocation of resources, which will bring its activities under better control. It suggests a "more structured" review process for individual investigations, including more formal assessments of potential risk and value in each case. It also proposes regular assessment of ongoing investigations to be triggered by pre-set times or milestones. The commission, while generally accepting the report's tenor, baulked at some of the recommendations. One relates to performance information. The ANAO, consistent with its drive to make all agencies fully adopt the performance framework set out in the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act, deplores what it sees as ACLEI's lack of adequate performance measures to indicate whether it is operating efficiently in terms of outputs produced. ACLEI, in turn, is unrepentant, arguing there are no generally accepted measures of efficiency for policing and anti-corruption agencies. It even obtained an opinion to that effect from international consulting firm McKinsey & Company. (This tactic, incidentally, is a depressing indication of the spurious authority attributed to the big consulting firms, which charge large fees for opinions to order. Why should a small, beleaguered agency spend scarce funds on questionable support for an argument that could easily stand on its own merits?) Another issue of disagreement concerned the ANAO's view that ACLEI should benchmark its performance against that of other anti-corruption agencies. To demonstrate the value of such an approach, the ANAO itself conducted a brief comparison of ACLEI with four other Australian state-based agencies, including three public sector-wide anti-corruption agencies, in Victoria, NSW and Western Australia, and NSW's Law Enforcement Conduct Commission. Comparison over the last three years for which data are available indicate that ACLEI generally took longer over initial assessments (determining whether to proceed with an investigation), though it improved significantly in the last year. In terms of actual investigations, ACLEI has a much lower ratio of concluded investigations to commenced investigations, which suggests less efficiency. In response, the commissioner, Michael Griffin, cast doubt on the comparisons' validity, pointing out that different anti-corruption agencies operate in different jurisdictions in different ways. "Complete isomorphism" between agencies that would allow unambiguous comparison was unlikely. The rebuttal was a straw-man knock-down, given the ANAO never suggested the comparisons were perfect nor that context was unimportant. One detects a whiff of the usual Canberra disdain for learning anything from analogous state and territory institutions. Making due allowance for the ANAO's zealotry over performance information, the overall impression is that ACLEI has been struggling unsuccessfully to keep abreast of the demands put upon it. Though this failure may be partly due to inefficiency in imposing priorities, some blame must also fall on successive governments for under-resourcing the agency while steadily increasing its jurisdiction. It is all very well to insist that ACLEI focus only on serious and systemic corruption, as its legislation requires. But without sufficient staff, even that goal becomes elusive. Though the ANAO explicitly avoids comment on the level of ACLEI's funding, it is hard not to draw the conclusion that resources are inadequate. One can also question an anti-corruption agency's independence when so many of its investigations are conducted jointly with the agency whose staff are under investigation. It is unsurprising that many agencies within ACLEI's jurisdiction (including ACT Policing) prefer its light touch to that of an independent service-wide anti-corruption commission. The royal commission into banking and financial services is providing a strong reminder about the dangers of regulators that get too close to their regulatees under the comforting delusion that scarce resources are better spent cooperating rather than prosecuting. There is another important lesson here as governments contemplate establishing a federal anti-corruption commission. Such a commission will fuel high hopes of dealing firmly with every instance of possible corruption that comes to light (the latest example being Peter Dutton's intervention on visas for au pairs). Will the new commission have the resources to handle issues that come within its jurisdiction promptly and effectively? How will that jurisdiction be defined? Without sensible limits, the commission's job will be impossible. But every limit guarantees disappointment for those whose complaints are rejected. For the advocates of a federal ICAC, who are now about to achieve their goal, the next important task will be to start dampening expectations. Richard Mulgan is an emeritus professor at the ANU's Crawford school of public policy. richard.mulgan@anu.edu.au

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OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Sunny skies, albeit warmer than normal temperatures, greeted what most longtime observers thought was the largest turnout ever for a Thursday as Ocean Springs welcomed Cruisin' the Coast for its three-day run in the city.

"I think it's the largest Thursday crowd we've ever had," said Ocean Springs' longtime Cruisin' coordinator Chic Cody. "We have cars all the way down (Government Street) to Handy Avenue, we've filled up both sides of Porter Avenue, and some of the side streets we normally don't have to use."

Cruisers were lined up all the way from the official Cruisin' entrance at Washington Avenue and Porter to the Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge early this morning as Cruisers anxiously awaited their chance to get a prime parking spot.

Cody said having so many wanting to come to Ocean Springs is a good problem to have, but does cause an issue for some Cruisers.

"We had cars backed up all the way to the bridge this morning," he said. "That causes a problem for those hot rod engines, because they have to keep moving to keep from overheating."

Outside of that, however, Cruisin' in Ocean Springs was running like a well-oiled machine -- as perhaps it should after 18 years as an official Cruisin' venue.

Cody credited all the volunteers who annually offer their time to help get Ocean Springs ready for the influx of thousands of Cruisers and more than 100,000 total visitors to the city.

"If I get credit for anything," he said, "it's for having good people around me to help."

Cruisin' director Woody Bailey said that, as of mid-afternoon Thursday, total registration stood at 8,284 -- just 24 shy of last year's record 8,308 -- and well on its way to the 8,500 mark Cruisin' officials were expecting.

Ocean Springs certainly appeared to be doing its part.

"It's a big crowd for a Thursday," said Ocean Springs alderman John Gill. "I think the weather, although it's a bit warm, is bringing people out. No rain, plenty of sunshine. All the shops and restaurants are packed, we've got the town looking good, and everybody seems to be having a good time."

Gill acknowledged that people seemed to more eagerly anticipate this year's Cruisin' -- perhaps due to the event ending a day early last year due to the threat of Tropical Storm Nate.

Cruisin' the Coast continues in Ocean Springs Friday, with the highlight of the three days coming with the city's annual Sock Hop and Block Party Friday night -- headlined by a performance by popular 80s band The Molly Ringwalds.

"We want everyone to have a good time," Cody said. "We hardly ever say no to anybody, if we can avoid it. We want everyone to come and enjoy Ocean Springs -- especially this Friday night."

Streets within the Cruisin' footprint will remain closed Friday from 7 a.m. until midnight, with police having the discretion to keep streets closed longer or open them earlier. They will close again Saturday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
The management programmes are the top preferred courses across the world. According to the recent ''GMAT Application Trends Survey Report 2018,'' the overall volume of applications to graduate business programs in 2018 is stable compared to 2017.

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which was founded in 1953 as a non-profit association of leading graduate business schools worldwide, has released the ''GMAT Application Trends Survey Report 2018.'' The report is prepared based on data submitted by 1,087 graduate business school programs at 363 business schools spread across the world.

6 Websites That Help International Students Aspiring To Study In Canada

Trends In The GMAT Application Trends Survey Report 2018

Applications to the management programs in the business schools located at the Asia-Pacific, Europe and Canada are up compared to 2017.

There is a drop in the volume of applications to the business schools in the United States of America.

Across all the types of business school programs that include MBA, business masters and PhD, more applications have been received for programs in Asia-Pacific, Canada and Europe.

International applications has registered a decent growth rate in the Canadian and European regions.

The management programs in Asia-Pacific have registered a growth of 8.9% increase. Canada registered 7.7% and Europe had a 3.2% increase in application demand across all program types.

According to the survey, the USA experienced a nearly 7% decline, including a 1.8% decline in domestic application volume and a 10.5% drop in international volume across all program types.

Around 65% of Canadian programs and 63% of European programs report an increase in international applications over 2017.

The volume of applications from domestic candidates is low compared to last year.

Sangeet Chowfla, GMAC president and CEO, said, "Demand for graduate management education is stable year over year. However, there are significant regional variations. Non-U.S. programs continue to thrive, highlighting the continued emergence of enhanced educational and professional opportunities outside the United States."

Chowfla added, "Several factors can help explain the lag in U.S. business school demand. A low unemployment rate means young professionals have an increased opportunity cost of leaving their jobs in pursuit of an advanced degree."

"Combined with a disruptive American political environment and the emergence over the past decade of tremendous educational and professional opportunities abroad, one can begin to understand in part why demand in the United States has dropped from previously record-high application volumes at some schools," Chowfla concluded.

Aiming For Foreign MBA? Explore The 9 Important Things About GMAT
Looks like it sure didnt take much to convince Susan Collins and Jeff Flake to go along with their party after a cursory FBI investigation. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images; Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

You had to figure prospects for Brett Kavanaughs confirmation were pretty bright when Senate Republicans followed up a perfunctory, truncated FBI investigation of allegations against the judge by scheduling the crucial procedural vote for Friday with the final vote soon to follow. Now two of the three Republican senators thought to be on the fence seem to be signaling they are satisfied with the whole dog-and-pony show, according to the New York Times:

Senators Jeff Flake of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine did not say that they will vote for Judge Kavanaugh, President Trumps second Supreme Court nominee. But after a closed-door briefing in which Republicans were told that no witnesses corroborated the accounts of Judge Kavanaughs main accusers, both made positive remarks. A yes vote from both would secure Judge Kavanaughs seat on the highest court in the land.

It appears to be a very thorough investigation, but I am going back later today to personally read the interviews, Ms. Collins said. Thats really all I have to say right now.

Mr. Flake told reporters, Weve seen no additional corroborating information.

To be clear, if Collins and Flake vote yea on Kavanaugh, then barring something unexpected, it will no longer matter how Lisa Murkowski or Joe Manchin decide to vote: hell have the 50 votes he needs, along with a tie-breaker from Mike Pence (notwithstanding Heidi Heitkamps brave decision today announcing shed vote no). Hell be on the Court where he can join Clarence Thomas in wreaking vengeance for decades on the feminists and liberals and baby-killers who momentarily obstructed his ascent.

Yes, Kavanaugh opponents will do everything imaginable to convince Collins and Flake to walk back their apparent support for the judge. And as Flake showed last week, changed positions  or at least ostensibly changed positions  are always possible. But in the end, Jeff Flake is a lifelong conventional conservative Republican who just couldnt bring himself to bend the knee to Donald Trump. Susan Collins has deluded herself (or tried to delude her pro-choice admirers) into believing Kavanaugh does not pose a threat to reproductive rights. And both of them seem to have decided for their own reasons to look the other way as Trump and Mitch McConnell rush this man through the final gauntlet of his confirmation, sure to be as controversial as Thomass in the eyes of history. Its now a very near thing.
Protesters demonstrate against Brett Kavanaugh. Photo: WIN MCNAMEE/Getty Images

Five days after the FBI began its investigation into Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the sexual-assault allegations made against him by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the probe is over. Though the White House is already exonerating him, it remains to be seen what kind of information senators can glean from the investigation. One thing that is clear, though, is that many Senate Democrats wont be satisfied with the narrow scope of the probe.

According to the Washington Post, FBI agents only spoke to six people as a part of the investigation. Five of them were connected to Dr. Ford and her story of an alleged 1982 sexual assault at the hands of Kavanaugh. Somehow, neither Kavanaugh nor Ford were among those interviewed:

Instead, the bureau interviewed three people who Ford said attended the party: Mark Judge, Patrick Smyth and Leland Keyser. The FBI also talked to two other friends of Kavanaughs who were listed as attending a gathering during the same summer that Ford alleged she was assaulted: Chris Garrett, who went out with Ford for a time, and Tim Gaudette.

The FBI has only briefly looked into the other allegations against Kavanaugh. While an interview was conducted with Deborah Ramirez, who said Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at Yale, investigators did not, as far as Ramirezs legal team knew, speak to any of the 20 people she said may be able to corroborate her story. Julie Swetnick, who implicated Kavanaugh in a pattern of sexual assaults, was also not interviewed.

Theres more: Several people who reached out to investigators to offer information said they were also left hanging. NBC News says dozens of potential witnesses have come forward to FBI field offices, but agents have not been permitted to talk to many of them. The New Yorker spoke to several people who were also unable to get an audience with the FBI despite their ability to corroborate Ramirezs story and information refuting claims Kavanaugh made during last weeks testimony.

[S]everal other former Yale classmates said that they had reached out to the F.B.I. about Kavanaugh but had not received a response. Stephen Kantrowitz, a former Yale classmate, said in a text message that, No one who lived in Lawrance Hall (so far as I know) has been contacted by the FBI What a charade.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, blamed the FBIs narrow list of interviewees on the White House. The White House confirmation that it will not allow the FBI to interview Dr. Blasey Ford, Judge Kavanaugh or witnesses identified by Deborah Ramirez raises serious concerns that this is not a credible investigation, she said in a statement.

Senate Democrats are also sure to take issue with the White Houses decision to prohibit the FBI from looking into whether Kavanaugh committed perjury during last Thursdays Senate hearing.

President Trump has insisted publicly he was not curtailing the FBI probe. But privately, the White House restricted the FBI from delving deeply into Kavanaughs youthful drinking and exploring whether he had lied to Congress about his alcohol use, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.

Of course, theres a good reason for the White House to keep the FBI from looking into whether Kavanaugh lied about his alcohol use: He quite cleary did.

This post was updated throughout.
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The FBI investigation into Brett Kavanaugh has turned out to be a fig leaf. Multiple reports tell the same story: The White House has controlled the probe, ignoring the attempts by multiple witnesses to reach investigators and wrapping up its work well before its already-tight deadline.

In the meantime, however, significant new evidence has appeared from the news media. It demonstrates beyond a doubt that Kavanaughs emotional testimony was a farrago of evasions and outright lies.

Tuesday, the New York Times delved into Kavanaughs high-school culture. It turned up several details casting serious doubt on the ancillary claims the prospective justice made. Kavanaugh wrote a letter describing himself and his friends as prolific pukers, undercutting his assurance to the Senate that his inclusion in the the Beach Week Ralph Club was a reference to a weak stomach for spicy food. His yearbook described girls from Holton-Arms  the alma mater of Christine Blasey Ford  as easy sexual conquests, contradicting Kavanaughs insistence that she would not have entered his social circle. (My friends and I spent time together at parties on weekends, it was usually the  with friends from nearby Catholic all-girls high schools, Stone Ridge, Holy Child, Visitation, Immaculata, Holy Cross. Dr. Ford did not attend one of those schools. She attended an independent private school named Holton-Arms and she was a year behind me.)

Also in his testimony, Kavanaugh evasively refused to even concede that the Bart OKavanaugh described by his best friend, Mark Judge, was a fictionalized reference to himself. Im trying to get a straight answer from you under oath. Are you Bart Kavanaugh that hes referring to, yes or no? asked Senator Patrick Leahy. Youd have to ask him. The Times found a letter written by Kavanaugh, signed Bart.

Wednesday, James Roche, a former college roommate of Kavanaughs, wrote a column for Slate expressing his incredulity at the self-portrait the judge presented before the Senate. Roche noted that Kavanaughs drinking was far more serious than he had allowed. More specifically, he contradicted Kavanaughs dubious claims that his reference to boofing meant flatulence, and Devils Triangle a drinking game. Boofing and Devils Triangle are sexual references, write Roche. I know this because I heard Brett and his friends using these terms on multiple occasions.

During his testimony, Kavanaugh piously insisted his description as a Renate Alumnius was a term of affection for a friend they regarded as one of their own, devoid of any sexual connotation. Last night, The New Yorker reported one of Kavanaughs high-school friends detailed recollections that this was a complete lie. His recollections are worth reading in detail:

But the classmate who submitted the statement said that he heard Kavanaugh talk about Renate many times, and that the impression I formed at the time from listening to these conversations where Brett Kavanaugh was present was that Renate was the girl that everyone passed around for sex. The classmate said that Brett Kavanaugh had made up a rhyme using the REE NATE pronunciation of Renates name and sang it in the hallways on the way to class. He recalled the rhyme going, REE NATE, REE NATE, if you want a date, cant get one until late, and you wanna get laid, you can make it with REE NATE. He said that, while he might not be remembering the rhyme word-for-word, the substance is 100 percent accurate. He added, I thought that this was sickening at the time I heard it, and it left an indelible mark in my memory.

Kavanaughs testimony accomplished its intended effect of forming an emotional bond between him and the Republican Party, elevating him to the status of martyr. Every conservative seems to see in Kavanaugh a reflection of the pain they have suffered from the sneering liberal elite. But we now know for certain that that testimony, all delivered in the same earnest pitch of an innocent man pleading for his good name, was filled with demonstrable lies. Many of these lies were already apparent at the beginning of the week. Now the evidence is even more damning.

To the extent conservatives have acknowledged this at all, they have processed it as somehow confirming that Kavanaugh is being persecuted. Proof that he told repeated lies about his youthful drinking and treatment of girls does not suggest to them that his other claims about his youthful drinking and treatment of girls are probably wrong. Instead they have concluded he is being subjected to some new and irrelevant test of purity. Will a full-bore investigation of adolescent behavior now become a standard part of the job interview for all senior office holders? asks Bret Stephens. What a bizarre description of reporters fact-checking Kavanaughs own testimony.

At the beginning of this process, I was willing to entertain the possibility Kavanaugh might be innocent. People can change. I believe he has grown into a better and more responsible adult than the drunken bully he was as a young man. He could have acknowledged and apologized for his misbehavior. Instead, he denied everything. Like Trump, he found a way to manipulate and exploit the emotional core of the American right, from the voters to the elites, almost all of whom now ignore or justify his lies in the greater cause of service to their party.
Bring Back the Guillotine. Bring Back Our IRS! Photo: Ted Thai/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

In the summer of 2012, Barack Obama informed Americas capitalists that they were not the sole authors of their success. If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help, the president explained. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If youve got a business  you didnt build that. Somebody else made that happen. The internet didnt get invented on its own  government research created the internet so that all the companies could make money off the internet.

The Republican donor class recoiled in horror at this declaration of class war. In fact, Obamas suggestion that the Mitt Romneys of the world hadnt built their fortunes off gumption, alone  but rather owed some portion of their wealth to the existence of publicly financed infrastructure, technology, schools, and law enforcement  struck Paul Ryans party as so manifestly outrageous and out-of-touch, they made a refutation of it the centerpiece of their national convention.

Four years later, the GOPs billionaire standard-bearer developed a (characteristically) narcissistic variation on Romneys mantra, telling crowds, over and over again, I built what I built myself.

On Monday, the New York Times revealed that this wasnt just false in the Obamanian, actually, social institutions made your entrepreneurial triumphs possible sense, but in a much more literal one: Donald Trump built what he built with $413 million of his fathers money  much of which Fred Trump effectively stole from the federal Treasury.

Drawing on a vast trove of confidential tax returns and financial records, the Times demonstrates that Trump leaned on his fathers largesse for the entirety of his career. Shortly after he was out of diapers, Donald Trump was earning $200,000 a year from the family business. By the time he was 8, the mogul was a millionaire. From that point until his fathers death, Donald used his dad as a piggy bank, financing a series of failed business ventures with loans from Fred that he only occasionally repaid. And when his father went up to the great, garish penthouse in the sky, Trump used a variety of schemes to cheat the U.S. government out of roughly $500 million in estate taxes.

The Times investigation is, first and foremost, an indictment of an individual billionaires claim to self-made status. But in moments, the report hints that Trumps approach to amassing wealth (like his approach to so much else) is just an unusually obscene variation on the one percents standard operating procedure. For example, one of the Trump familys primary methods of tax evasion was to grossly underestimate the market value of their properties. To do this, they enlisted the services of a property appraiser who was willing to baldly lie to the government on their behalf. You might guess that this individual would have been one of Donalds infamous Mob associates, or else, some sleazy mediocrity like Michael Cohen; in reality, it was Robert Von Ancken  the go-to appraiser for just about all of New York Citys big real estate families.

As Obama once noted, no billion-dollar fortune is ever fully earned by the person who amasses it. Many of our eras great entrepreneurs built their empires by finding a novel application for technologies developed by the government  and then, using Americas aberrantly strong intellectual property laws to secure themselves a gargantuan stream of rentier income. Others found ways to extract wealth through socially useless financial chicanery, or socially cancerous white-collar dope-slinging.

That said, no small amount of the one percents wealth is unearned and ill-gotten in the most colloquial, uncontroversial sense. In the 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances, Americas one-percenters reported an average inheritance of $1.47 million. And that figure is based on solely on how much one percenters admit to inheriting  which, if Trump is any guide, is likely orders of magnitude less than they actually inherited.

Meanwhile, Trump is hardly the only fat cat in the U.S. whos been dining out on the Treasury Departments rightful dimes. Thanks in no small part to the congressional GOPs tireless efforts to defund the IRSs enforcement operations, American business owners evade roughly $125 billion in taxes each year  enough revenue to finance, for example, universal public day care and a child allowance large enough to lift 3.2 million American kids out of poverty.

And wealthy individuals evade even more. As of 2013, the global superrich were storing between $21 trillion and $32 trillion worth of hidden financial assets in offshore tax havens, according to a study authored by James Henry, the former chief economist at McKinsey & Co.

In this age of right-wing populism, Republicans take pains to cultivate a downward-looking class resentment in white Middle America. Trump and his allies rail against the illegals who run roughshod over our nations laws, and the shiftless takers who live off the toil of the forgotten man and woman. But such invective better describes the residents of Mar-a-Lago, than those of ICEs tent prisons, or NYCHAs public housing. And theres reason to think that Democrats would benefit from giving Trumps reactionary plutocrats a taste of their own demagogic medicine.

In no small number of swing states and districts in the U.S., the balance of power is settled by cross-pressured white voters  ones whose (upward-looking) class resentments pull them toward Democrats, even as their racial, social, and cultural antipathies draw them toward the Trumpen proletariat. When Democrats appeal to the former resentments  as Obama did in 2012, and Congressman Conor Lamb did in western Pennsylvania earlier this year  they often win enough of his demographic to secure a majority coalition. When Hillary Clinton chose to deemphasize class antagonism in 2016, resentment of the rich became much less predictive of voting behavior, and Trump painted the Rust Belt red.

In 2012, resentment of the rich correlated with votes for Obama over Romney but that wasnt the case in 2016.



Reintroducing it as a campaign theme is smart for Democrats. https://t.co/KltNDpGaLE  Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) October 3, 2018

The best way to activate a political identity is to offer voters an outgroup they can define themselves against. When Trump decries the violence of homicidal illegals, and the treasonous globalism of the liberal elite, he activates his voters identities as proud U.S. citizens, and working-class rural dwellers. If Democrats want more white, non-coastal voters to cast their ballots on the basis of their resentment of the rich, then theyre going to have to wage a little class war.

And the true story of Trumps fortune provides a promising line of attack: Lawless takers like our president and his corporate donors run roughshod over our nations laws, take American jobs by hoarding capital that could be productively invested in new enterprises, leech off taxpayers rightful money instead of working for a living, and violate the sanctity of our nations borders by moving their ill-gotten gains illegally across it.

Encouragingly, Democratic messaging appears to be moving in this general direction:

Beyond the electoral utility of this populist rhetoric, such an appeal could also lay the groundwork for a future Democratic government to tackle the scourges of wealth inequality and mass tax evasion, head-on. Now, any serious policy for combating the latter would have to be international in scope. But the United States is still the worlds most powerful nation. If our government made cracking down on tax havens its top priority in trade negotiations (as opposed to its current priority of making life-saving pharmaceuticals less affordable for the global poor), and at various world economic summits, it could surely prevent significant amounts of revenue from escaping the public coffers. Of course, doing so would likely require the U.S. to crack down on its own internal tax havens, and cease allowing foreign oligarchs to launder money through American real estate. But thats no skin off the forgotten man or womans back.

Once the landmark, international agreement on tax enforcement is inked, Democrats can turn their attention to increasing funding for IRS enforcement (a big-government program that would genuinely pay for itself); raising taxes on capital gains, financial transactions, and estates; and equalizing the distribution of wealth on the front-end, through the establishment of a social wealth fund, baby bonds, or some other instrument that allows ordinary Americans to enjoy some of the passive wealth that we, as a society, collectively build.
Mayor creates order for all new city employees to be vaccinated

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Local Problems, Global Tech The Kenyan Embobut has long been home to the Sengwer, but the government technically owns the land. TIMBY has helped the Sengwer document government abuse and forced evictions. Photo: Courtesy of the Segwer community

Theres big money to be made in forests across Africa, says Anjali Nayar, a Canadian scientist turned journalist turned activist who founded the company TIMBY in Nairobi in 2012. With big money comes big pressure, especially on the people who live in those forests  like the Sengwer people, an indigenous community that lives in the Embobut forest in western Kenya. People get evicted, often forcefully, says Nayar. People die, and theres an uproar, then it dies down and happens again in another couple years.

TIMBY, which stands for This Is My Backyard, is an app and a platform designed to make it easy and safe for people around the world to tell their stories. That description, though, probably makes the app sound less vital than it is; what the app really is is a system that simplifies and securely encrypts evidence, like videos and photos, in a way that they can be accessed later for legal or publicity reasons.

The Embobut is a large patch of land that has long been home to the Sengwer, but not through official means. They arent the legal landowners. The Kenyan government, as well as private companies, see value in the forest: It can provide lumber, or water, or be a magnet for funding from agencies like the World Bank, which might pay to rope it off. None of this is compatible with people living there, which has led to sometimes violent conflicts. Late last year, a Sengwer man was killed, houses were burned, and livestock shot by the Kenya Forest Service as part of a forced eviction. The reason? Funding from the E.U. to conserve water.

Some of the causes are good ones, but the knee-jerk reaction to expel people from the forest is not necessarily correct. Amnesty International and the U.N. both condemned the actions, imploring the Kenyan government to make the Sengwer part of the forest conservation rather than outside of it. The actions have been declared illegal and in violation of various U.N. safeguards, but they continue because, well, money.

A Kenyan Forest Service official sets a fire to seize control of the land. Photo: Elias Kimaiyo Kibiwot

A fundamental problem for the Sengwer is in gathering evidence. Sengwer people have undertaken the long, rough trip to towns and cities to plead their cases, but, says Nayar, those testimonies turn into discussions of whether the violations actually happened, rather than how to mitigate and solve the problems.

TIMBY is an app that allows for the quick taking of photos and videos on a smartphone, which are highly encrypted. If the user has internet access, the data will be uploaded to the cloud, which means that confiscations or hacking of phones isnt really an issue. None of the files are actually viewable or deletable on the device unless you have a key. For those who dont have constant-on internet access, like the Sengwer, the app can save their footage into an encrypted ZIP file, which can be transferred to couriers  journalists, scientists, community monitors. When those couriers get back to a place with internet access, itll be uploaded, safe and sound.

TIMBY allows users to add encrypted reports of government behavior. Photo: Courtesy of TIMBY

The app is customized for each use case. For the Sengwer, the app has to be extremely direct, as most of the Sengwer, says Nayar, are semi-literate. The app has color-coded navigation for taking and sending footage directly to, for example, paralegals who can represent them in court. The TIMBY team is also working on a sort of panic feature: When a certain password is entered, the app will completely erase all local data, and send a GPS ping of the users location.

TIMBY is designed to change as the need arises; it is free, funded by various sources, including the Ford Foundation and Making All Voices Count, and the team makes it a point to learn exactly what each community needs. And now, the Sengwer can avoid the entire conversation about whether whats happening to them is actually happening. Now, says Nayar, theyre talking about something with concrete evidence, and then the conversation can be about what to do about it.
UK School Teaches 6-Y-O Kids to Write Gay 'Love Letter' for Same-Sex Marriage Assignment Christian Post Contributor | 04 October, 2018 by Samuel Smith

Last month, BBC's Radio Manchester posted a short video about a lesson that was taught to children at Bewsey Lodge Primary School in Warrington, England.

The video shows the teacher, Sarah Hopson, instructing her class of youngsters to pretend to be a fictional fairytale character named "Prince Henry" and write a love letter to the prince's servant "Thomas," telling Thomas why it would be a "brilliant idea" for them to get married.

According to BBC, the school teaches children from an early age about LGBT relationships. The video shows students being taught about same-sex marriage through the writing of a love letter.

"They are going to go out into that world and find this diversity around them and they'll find that at a young age as well," Hopson told BBC. "And the more they can be accepting at this age, you are not going to face it further on because the children will be accepting now and will be accepting this diversity around them."

The primary school, which has about 345 students, prides itself on being LGBT inclusive.

According to BBC, the school has as gender-neutral uniform policy in which students can choose which uniform they want to wear so as not to offend students who might struggle with gender dysphoria and identify as a member of the opposite sex.

Additionally, the school has all age groups take part in lessons about LGBT inclusivity.

Over the summer, Bewsey Lodge became the first school in its region to win the pro-LGBT "Educate and Celebrate" Best Practice Gold Award, which is awarded to schools that tackle "homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying."

The school runs a "Personal, Social and Health Education" Program, which is taught from nursery age to grade 6. Under the program, students are taught about "health and well-being," "relationships" and "living in the wider world."

Under the program, students are given the "opportunity to learn about the difference between sex, gender identity and sexual orientation and the terms associated with sex, gender identity and sexual orientation."

According to a PSHE guide produced by the school in 2014, students must also be given the opportunity to "challenge their own core values and how their values influence their choices."

After receiving backlash on Facebook from BBC viewers who felt that teaching an LGBT curriculum to young children takes their innocence away, headteacher Emma Wright responded.

"It is interesting to read how many people have sexualized the content of our curriculum," Wright wrote in a Facebook comment on the BBC video. "What we are trying to achieve is a culture of acceptance and respect  put simply, live and let live. We teach about love and that love comes in all shapes and sizes. What we are trying to achieve is that children leave us, armed with enough information to make their own informed choices, children who can look at another person's life/situation and say, 'This is different to my life or the way I feel or think but that's OK.'"

"We also teach about racism, extremism and religion and the same philosophy filters through it all," Wright added. "I would challenge anyone who doubts the power of what we are trying to do around lgbt+ to come and talk to some of our little people."

In 2017, the U.K. National Union of Teachers called for children to be taught about homosexuality and transgenderism as early as nursery school.

"Those generations of young LGBT people who have been failed by the system are still not told explicitly in the law that their lives are important too," NUT executive member Annette Pryce said at the time. "The NUT ... needs to ensure that SRE is inclusive to LGBT young people now and forever."

In the U.S., some schools have received backlash for their involvement with LGBT advocacy.

A Pennsylvania school district received pushback from parents and activists after students at Emmaus High School were shown four videos during LGBT "Unity Week" in April.

The videos were included in activities organized for "Unity Week" and the nationwide "Day of Silence" that were sponsored by the national LGBT lobbying group GLSEN. The four videos that were shown at the high school were sponsored by the school's Gay Straight Alliance club.

Read more about same-sex marriage and schools on The Christian Post.
Live by the super-complicated supply chain stretching across dozens of countries, die by the super-complicated supply chain stretching across dozens of countries. Photo: Damien Meyer/AFP/Getty Images

Bloomberg Businessweek has a blockbuster story up this morning, The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies. (A headline crying out for a movie option if there ever was one.) Its a pretty thrilling read, even if youve never thought about motherboards before in your life.

The story, as laid out by Businessweek, is that Amazon was looking to acquire Elemental Technologies, a firm that did video-compression work, and things quickly got hairy. As part of the acquisition process, a third party took a close look at Elementals tech, and quickly found things that set off red flags. Elemental used servers provided by San Josebased company Supermicro. And those servers motherboards had something strange on them:

Nested on the servers motherboards, the testers found a tiny microchip, not much bigger than a grain of rice, that wasnt part of the boards original design. Amazon reported the discovery to U.S. authorities, sending a shudder through the intelligence community. Elementals servers could be found in Department of Defense data centers, the CIAs drone operations, and the onboard networks of Navy warships. And Elemental was just one of hundreds of Supermicro customers.

Another major user of Supermicro chips? Apple!

One official says investigators found that it eventually affected almost 30 companies, including a major bank, government contractors, and the worlds most valuable company, Apple Inc. Apple was an important Supermicro customer and had planned to order more than 30,000 of its servers in two years for a new global network of data centers. Three senior insiders at Apple say that in the summer of 2015, it, too, found malicious chips on Supermicro motherboards. Apple severed ties with Supermicro the following year, for what it described as unrelated reasons.

The whole story is worth a read and goes down easy  it has all the thrills of a good airport page-turner. Its important to note that theres no evidence that any company was actually compromised, and the investigation by the NSA and FBI into these Supermicro motherboards remains open. But after reading the story, theres one point that remains maddeningly unresolved: Both Apple and Amazon both strongly deny that they were ever compromised by Supermicro motherboards.

Heres Amazons statement to Bloomberg Businessweek:

Its untrue that AWS knew about a supply chain compromise, an issue with malicious chips, or hardware modifications when acquiring Elemental. Its also untrue that AWS knew about servers containing malicious chips or modifications in data centers based in China, or that AWS worked with the FBI to investigate or provide data about malicious hardware.

Weve re-reviewed our records relating to the Elemental acquisition for any issues related to SuperMicro, including re-examining a third-party security audit that we conducted in 2015 as part of our due diligence prior to the acquisition. Weve found no evidence to support claims of malicious chips or hardware modifications.

And heres Apples:

Over the course of the past year, Bloomberg has contacted us multiple times with claims, sometimes vague and sometimes elaborate, of an alleged security incident at Apple. Each time, we have conducted rigorous internal investigations based on their inquiries and each time we have found absolutely no evidence to support any of them. We have repeatedly and consistently offered factual responses, on the record, refuting virtually every aspect of Bloombergs story relating to Apple.

On this we can be very clear: Apple has never found malicious chips, hardware manipulations or vulnerabilities purposely planted in any server. Apple never had any contact with the FBI or any other agency about such an incident. We are not aware of any investigation by the FBI, nor are our contacts in law enforcement.

There seem to be three options. One, Businessweek is lying or heavily shading its reporting, which is, frankly, highly unlikely; this is a big claim made on the cover of a well-respected magazine by two veteran reporters, and its hard to see any of the parties involved throwing everything away for one story.

Two, Businessweek or reporters Jordan Robertson and Michael Riley got badly led astray by the 17 sources speaking anonymously to Businessweek. This is possible but still unlikely  this is a print cover story, and would have been subject to heavy fact-checking and vetting by Businessweeks legal department. Still, it could have happened.

Three, Amazons and Apples statements are, at best, carefully worded to just skirt around admitting that they didnt get badly hacked. Both Apple and Amazon are walking very careful lines in their statements  Amazon says it never used Supermicro servers in AWS infrastructure  but not in Amazon infrastructure overall. Apple says it never found anything in any of its servers  but it could have detected that something was funky with the Supermicro chips before installing them into its own server infrastructure, thus making its statement technically true. (Apple terminated its contract with Supermicro in 2016 over firmware update security issues, a few months after Businessweek claims the hardware hacks first came to light in 2015.)

At worst, Apples and Amazons statements are outright lies. (This would be a good time to remind you that an NSA lawyer said that nearly every major tech company lied when it claimed ignorance about PRISM in 2013, the surveillance program brought to light by leaker Edward Snowden.)

Absent other information  and, to be fair, theres a lot of information missing here!  youd have to say option three is the most likely.

Update, 3:18 p.m.: So the idea that Amazon and Apple are trying to skirt around
October 4, 2018 (Morning Star News)  Police in Jambi, on Indonesias island of Sumatra, last week escorted members of a Methodist church congregation out of their building and sealed the door shut.

While church members wept, the Jambi Civil Service Police pasted a notice declaring the building was sealed due lack of a permit, as seen in a video clip on YouTube. Christian leaders said authorities closed the church building and two others on Sept. 27 to appease Muslim hard-liners preparing a protest for the next day, according to news outlet Gatra.com and social media sites.

Authorities cited lack of permits and violating public order for closing the Indonesian Methodist Church (GMI, Gereja Methodist Indonesia), Indonesia Christian Huria (HKI, Huria Kristen Indonesia) and Assemblies of God Church (GSJA, Gereja Sidang Jemaat Allah), but the general secretary of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) told Voice of America that the local government delays and rejects permits without giving any reason.

There are thousands of other places of worship that dont have permits but continue to operate, he told VOA. I just cant understand why they wont let us have our churches. I can understand if [the local government] prohibited us from having the permits if we used the buildings for criminal activities, but we used them to praise God.

The PGI issued a press release stating freedom of worship is guaranteed by Indonesias constitution. It called on all government bodies to quickly grant building permits and stated that it has sent a team to team to Jambi to resolve the conflict.

On Sunday (Sept. 30) the Methodist congregation worshiped in a tent set up on church grounds, as shown on their Facebook page. VOA showed the Assemblies church in Jambi worshipping in the open air at its property in a Facebook photo.

As far back as July, Muslim groups had sent a letter to the city complaining that churches were a nuisance, according to the PGI press statement. That led to a meeting with city officials and the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the Forum for Harmonious Religious Relations (FKUB), and the Malay Culture Institute (Lembaga Adat Melayu), but no church representatives, according to Tagar News.

Local media reported that on Sept. 26 government agencies, police, local chapters of the MUI and the FKUB decided to close the churches. VOA reported that Jambi District Spokesman Abu Bakar said the church closures were just a temporary action due to objections from area residents upset by violation of administrative issues, and that the FKUB decided to close the churches to avoid unnecessary incidents. We think its a wise decision to cool down the situation.

Bakar denied that the Islamic extremist FPI had pressured local authorities to close the churches, according to VOA.

The population of Jambi Province, including its capital city of Jambi, is estimated to be 95 percent Muslim.

Indonesia ranked 38th on Christian support organization Open Doors 2018 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to live as a Christian.

If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews. org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved.
JERUSALEM, October 3, 2018 (Morning Star News)  Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria have closed private schools administered by the Syriac Orthodox Church, which Assyrian Christians say threatens the survival of the Christian community in the region.

The schools in the Kurdish-governed northeastern region of Syria were forcefully closed for refusing to implement a curriculum that school officials say undermines their religion and culture, promotes Kurdish nationalist ideology and ignores a long and painful history of Assyrian persecution at the hands of Kurds.

The academic director of the schools, a leader of the Assyrian community, has since been beaten, and an Assyrian journalist who wrote extensively on the closings was detained. Assyrian advocates say these actions reflect a pattern of intimidation toward Christian minorities and others who oppose the policies of the Kurdish self-administration.

On Aug. 28 in Qamishli, militiamen belonging to the Kurdish-led Democratic Union Party (PYD), and members of the Sutoro, an Assyrian police force affiliated with the Syriac Military Council (MFS) and the Dawronoye, a secular, nationalist movement among Assyrians, expelled administrators and teachers from the schools. The militia expelled them because they failed to register and implement the curriculum imposed by the Kurdish-led government, according to a press statement from the Assyrian Policy Institute and local reports.

When administrators refused to turn school building keys over to officials, militiamen broke and replaced the locks, according to the institute. It reported that schools in the same Al-Hasakah governate of Syria were closed earlier in the month in Al-Malikiyya and in Al-Darbasiyah.

The school violates the provisions of law by teaching curricula that are not approved by the Education Authority.for these reasons, we are issuing this notice ordering the closure of this school within 24 hours under legal obligation, read the notice on the school of Al-Malikiyya. A similar notice was posted at the school in Al-Darbasiyah, according to the Assyrian Policy Institute.

On the same afternoon that the Qamishli school was closed, hundreds of local residents protested and broke into the schools. Some of the schools, which serve area Assyrian, Armenian, Arab and Kurdish students, are operating unofficially now, Assyrian Policy Institute board member Max Joseph told Morning Star News.

Members of the Assyrian community in the area believe two more incidents are directly related to the school curriculum controversy.

On Sept. 22, Isa Rashid, a respected Assyrian community member who is the education director for the schools, was beaten outside of his home in Qamishli, days after meetings with officials in which he refused to implement the PYDs curriculum.

On Sunday (Sept. 30), the Syrian Democratic Forces in the region arrested an Assyrian journalist and Qamishli resident, Souleman Yusph. Around 9 p.m., Yusph was arrested and his laptop and documents seized by the authorities.

Yusph was detained after writing and posting on social media about the school closings, criticizing the self-administrations policies and actions of Assyrian neighborhood police funded and controlled by the Kurdish self-administration in Syria.

The journalists whereabouts are unknown, and advocates are calling for his release.

This latest arrest is yet another attempt to quell any interest or understanding of how the Kurdish self-administration's draconian policies are harming those living under its self-imposed authority, read a statement released Sunday by the Assyrian Policy Institute.

The PYD on Aug. 29 released a statement , posted and translated into English on the PYD foreign office Twitter account, which said that minutes of a meeting published online by church leaders in Qamishli were untrue and slanderous to the government. The statement asserted that the PYD seeks to support the schools and implement the rule of law, and that the schools in question are not private but seek to serve the Syrian regime.

As for what is stated in the minutes of the meeting of the heads and priests of the churches, it is just lies, read the statement signed by Samira Haj Ali and Mohamed Saleh Abdo, the co-presidency of the Education Authority of the Al Jazira region. It is also a political statement against the Democratic Self-Administration to defame the administration in order to serve their masters, i.e. the Syrian regime.

The Christian schools, which have been in operation since 1935, offer liturgical classes in Syriac while following the Syrian governments curriculum, Joseph of the Assyrian Policy Institute said.

The Syrian governments curriculum is accredited in greater Syria, Joseph said, while the Kurdish curriculum is not.

Authorities would have allowed the school to keep its curriculum if the schools enrolled only Christian students, Joseph added, but Arab and Kurdish students attend the schools as well.

A lot of these families send their kids to schools run by Assyrians and Syrians, Joseph told Morning Star News. The reason they go there is because Arab and Kurdish families want them to go to higher education in Syria.

Assyrian critics add that the curriculum that the PYD has tried to impose since 2015 glorifies Kurdish history, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and includes idealized maps of Greater Kurdistan. This is a particularly sore spot for Assyrians and other Christians who have suffered massacres at the hands of the Kurds, some of whom cooperated with the Ottoman Empire during World War I in the genocide of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks in the area that is now Turkey. The massacres forced Assyrian refugees to settle in cities such as Qamishli.

During the conflict in Syria since 2011, abuses have persisted, Assyrian advocates say, with incidences such as checkpoint skirmishes, looting in abandoned Assyrian villages and land confiscations.

Grievances and problems are ongoing, Joseph said. So when it comes down to the school situation, it is difficult for an Assyrian family to send their kids to a school, and textbooks say, Youre in Kurdistan.

Subtle Forms of Oppression

The Kurdish government led by the PYD is backed by both Saudi Arabia and the United States, seen as the only viable allies in the region against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Islamic State (IS), Joseph said.

The PYD is the leading party in the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria, an autonomous region in northern Syria that formed after Assad surrendered the north to the Kurds during Syrias seven-year civil war.

While the Kurdish government touts Western values of being secular, egalitarian and multi-ethnic and is supported by a contingent of Assyrians, many Assyrian Christians say its Western supporters ignore the subtle forms of oppression it carries out, such as the imposed curriculum, which discourages Christian Assyrian refugees from returning to the region.

When a picture is so big, Assyrians are lost in it, Joseph said. Westerners dont want to hear it. They dont want to hear about their allies oppressing groups of peoplebut at the same time, its not a discriminatory issue, but its a hegemonic one. The Kurds control everything.

In Qamishli, founded by Assyrians after the genocide in 1915, half of the 25,000 residents who belonged to the Syriac Orthodox Church (out of a total population of 40,0000) have left since unrest began in 2011. People started leaving in 2012 and 2013, and especially in 2015, when IS kidnapped more than 200 Assyrian Christians in the villages around the Khabor River in northern Syria.

The school closings are a foreboding sign to many Assyrians that the Kurdification that happened in Iraq will also happen in Syria, said Juliana Taimoorazy founder and president of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council and senior fellow at the Philos Project.

It is very, very obvious to us what theyre trying to do, Taimoorazy said. That is why we are really nervous that the U.S.-backed YPG will be successful, and Assyrians will have to leave the homes that theyve lived in since the 1920s.

Assyrian Christians, she said, can also be strong allies of the West in the region.

If the U.S. continues to fail the Christians of the Middle East with policies, I guarantee, in the next 20 to 30 years, it will be empty of Assyrians, the indigenous people of Iraq, Taimoorazy said. If this policy of backing the Kurds blindly, blindly continues, we will not have any choice but to leave the land.

If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews. org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved.
In 2020, we were the church on our heels. A global pandemic shut down much of our world. But the church has been on the move since it was birthed; it will continue to be on the move until God makes all things new.
American Catholics have been so unsettled by the wave of allegations of decades-old sexual abuse and cover-ups spanning dioceses in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and across the country that the most vocal critics have called for Pope Francis resignation.

Their evangelical neighbors, some once enraptured by the popular pope, are also disappointed. According to two recent reports, white evangelical Protestants views of Pope Francis and the clergy have fallen even more than Catholics after the latest investigations into abuse by priests.

Evangelicals approval of Francis dropped more than twice as much as Catholics this year, according to a Pew Research Center survey released Tuesday.

Just 32 percent of white evangelicals rated the pope favorably last month, down from 52 percent in January, the most dramatic decline among religious groups.

His favorability among US Catholics fell from 84 percent to 72 percent during the same period. Pew also saw declines among white mainline Protestants (67% to 48%) and the unaffiliated (58% to 53%).

Francis now has his lowest approval rating51 percent of American adultssince he assumed the papacy in 2013.

A Gallup poll last month also found that the latest allegations have damaged views of Francis among those outside the Catholic Church more than those inside it.

Catholic approval of Francis remained relatively steady around 79 percent, according to Gallup, while his favorability among non-Catholics and Americans overall dropped by at least 10 percentage points between August and September (from 63% to 45% and 66% to 53%, respectively).

Further, Gallup reported that Protestants have come to adopt a grimmer view of the church than Catholics.

About half of Catholics give clergy high marks for honesty and ethics, and a similar proportion express confidence in the church itself (an amount that hasnt varied much over the years), Gallup noted in August 2018. However, Protestants views of clergy ethics have dropped twice as much as Catholics over the past decade-plus.

We don't know exactly why Protestants have become more negative than Catholics when asked about the honesty and ethics of the clergy, the researchers said.

It may be that Catholics are remaining loyal and defensive about criticism of their clergy, while Protestants assume the question is being asked about Catholic clergy and are more willing to be critical.

Francis famously appealed to Christians beyond Catholicism, with evangelicals in particular warming up to him (as CT noted in a 2014 cover story). He had been credited with bringing a model of humility and compassion to the Catholic Churchs highest office and spurring prayer and Bible-reading among the faithful.

But more and more, the popular pope has had to address the unfolding allegations, ultimately admitting that the Vatican had not done enough to quell decades of clergy abuse.

In a letter released in August, Francis said, With shame and repentance, we acknowledge as an ecclesial community that we were not where we should have been, that we did not act in a timely manner, realizing the magnitude and the gravity of the damage done to so many lives. We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them.
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September 27, 2018 was a low point in our country. In the morning, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified that, when she was in high school in the early 1980s, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh attempted to rape her, and that he and his drunk friend were joking about it.

All of this Judge Kavanaugh vehemently denies, and there has been no corroboration for her story. Now an FBI investigation has been opened to get to the bottom of it. I pray that they thoroughly get to the truth once and for all.

After gently probing into Dr. Ford's story before that Senate hearing, sex-crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell wrote her conclusion: "A 'he said, she said' case is incredibly difficult to prove. But this case is even weaker than that. Dr. Ford identified other witnesses to the event, and those witnesses either refuted her allegations or failed to corroborate them. For the reasons discussed below, I do not think that a reasonable prosecutor would bring this case based on the evidence before the Committee. Nor do I believe that this evidence is sufficient to satisfy the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard."

Something terrible appears to have happened to Dr. Ford. But based on everything we've seen about Brett Kavanaugh, it is not credible that he was the guilty party.

One of the things I find so ironic about this whole Kafkaesque trial of Judge Kavanaugh is the hypocrisy of those judging him.

In his statement last week, Kavanaugh noted that the Democrat members of the committee attempted to "Bork" him. But when it looked like he was going to be confirmed, "a new tactic was needed." And thus came forward the accusation that they had been sitting on for weekswhen it could easily and professionally been dealt with and properly investigated had it been brought forward in good faith.

I've noted before that to the Left, drawing from Saul Alinsky's playbook, it's okay to do these things because the ends justify the means. Power must be grabbed, whatever the cost.

The Bible says that human beings are made in the image of God. It says that we're so special that Jesus, the Son of God, died for our sins.

The Scriptures say that a human soul is more valuable than the whole world: What does it profit you if you gain the whole world and lose your soul?

But Saul Alinsky and his radical minions say: "Treat opponents not as persons, but as symbols representing interests or ideas which [the Radical] believes inimical to the welfare of the people." If you do that, then you can lie about them all you want. It's for the greater good.

Look at some of those sitting in judgment on Kavanaugh:

 Diane Feinstein sat on Dr. Ford's letter accusing Kavanaugh for several weeks, before it finally leaked, forcing Dr. Ford to have to testify (against her wishes). Reportedly, Feinstein has had a Chinese spy in her employ for 20 years, but she seems to have had no consequences for that. Cory Booker admits that as a young man he groped a woman against her will. He called Kavanaugh "evil" and said that those who support him are participants "in evil."

 Richard Blumenthal lied about his service with the military, claiming to have been in Vietnam, when he was actually serving stateside.

And on it goes. These are the Senators extending their arms with thumbs down, like the ancient Roman Caesars when a man was condemned to die in the Coliseum.

Ted Kennedy started it off in 1987. Look at how he shamelessly lied about Robert Bork (over the very same Supreme Court Justice seat that Brett Kavanaugh has been nominated to): "Robert Bork's America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions...the doors of the Federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens for whom the judiciary is often the only protector of the individual rights that are the heart of our democracy."

The attack of Senator Kennedy helped block Bork from serving on the Supreme Court---despite the fact that the former Chief Justice Warren Burger called Bork the most qualified candidate to be nominated to the Court in half a century. But as James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal might note, "Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment."

Let's be honest. This whole thing is about abortion. Abortion was the 800-pound gorilla in that Senate chamber. If Judge Kavanaugh were avowedly pro-abortion, even if nominated by a Republican president, this character assassination would never have taken place.

Those intent on destroying an innocent man's life and family because they don't agree with his politics act as if there is no God who will one day hold all of us accountable. But there is.

Jerry Newcombe, D.Min., is an on-air host/senior producer for D. James Kennedy Ministries. He has written/co-written 28 books, e.g., The Unstoppable Jesus Christ, Doubting Thomas (w/ Mark Beliles, on Jefferson), and What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (w/ D. James Kennedy) & the bestseller, George Washington's Sacred Fire (w/ Peter Lillback) djkm.org @newcombejerry www.jerrynewcombe.com
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The American feminist movement did not begin in the mid-1800s as a war against men. It began as a war for women. A war for women's equality and women's liberation and women's rights. But it was not an overt attack on men or on maleness. That has changed dramatically with the modern feminist movement. It has declared war on males.

Through much of our history, black males have been the target of discrimination and prejudice, right until today. But a new enemy has been found for special attack, and that is males in general. And in the eyes of a radical feminist, no one is guiltier than a white male, the very image of oppression and the embodiment of patriarchal rule. He must be overthrown.

These sentiments were hardly hidden before Donald Trump was elected president. But his election brought them front and center in the loudest and strongest possible terms.

He was not just a white male. He made women into sexual objects (sadly, this was true). He was a misogynist. And he was powerful. The most powerful man on the planet.

Trump, to the radical feminists, represented everything that was wrong with maleness, everything that needed to be opposed. That's why the Women's Marches were so vitriolic. (Of course, the idolatrous devotion to Roe v. Wade played directly into their fury as well. And this, in turn, is another aspect of male domination over women: only the females have to deal with unwanted pregnancies.)

That's why their rhetoric was over the top, perhaps encapsulated in Madonna's expressed desire to blow up the White House. Trump's election means war!

All this has now been exacerbated by the sexual assault charges brought against Brett Kavanaugh.

As a white male, he is presumed guilty.

As a conservative Catholic, he is obviously guilty.

And in his passionate defense of his reputation and integrity, he is without doubt guilty. Kavanaugh is the abusive, angry white male. Kavanaugh represents the enemy.

The passionate, angry speech of Lindsey Graham during last week's Senate Judiciary hearings was just icing on the cake  the very ugly cake of white male patriarchy.

As expressed by "A Z Bluemeanie" on the Blog for Arizona, "eleven privileged white male Republican senators and privileged white male Judge Brett Kavanaugh in a collective primal scream against the outrage of anyone, especially this woman, challenging their privileged white male patriarchy, nay their God-given right to rule over our us.

"It was a defense of the old world order of privileged white male patriarchy, to paraphrase William F. Buckley, Jr., 'standing athwart the tide of history and demographics yelling Stop at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it.'"

The patriarchy must be toppled! White male rule must come to an end! The Amazons must rise!

On the Nation.com, Liza Featherstone counseled a woman who asked, "How do I contain my RAGE at all these REGRESSIVE PATRIARCHAL JACKA--ES who are KILLING MY BUZZ on the DAILY?"

Liza replied, "Whatever you do, don't contain your rage. That's how we end up hurting and sabotaging ourselves. As Dr. Melfi, Tony Soprano's wise shrink, observed, 'Depression is anger turned inward.' Suppressed rage can also lead to physical ills, like high blood pressure and heart attacks. Even worse, it leaves the world's depravity untouched."

Surely the male patriarchy is part of "the world's depravity." It's time to rage against the male machine!

Rebecca Traister is the author of the new book Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger. And lest you think this is a fringe message, her book debuted on Amazon (no relationship to the aforementioned female Amazons) as the #1 Bestseller in Women in Politics. At the time of this writing (on the day of the book's release), it was #9 overall on Amazon sales, quite an achievement.

According to Traister, "The power is being gripped ever more tightly by those who have power."

More specifically, "that is what the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh is about and that is the kind of power that is gonna have a mechanical value when it comes to suppressing the insurgency. One of the purposes of shaping this court for another generation is to depress the mechanisms of change."

Even more specifically, the purpose is, "To take away votes. To take away bodily autonomy and therefore, economic, familial professional autonomy from women."

The men  especially the powerful white men  want to keep women enslaved. They will do anything to hold onto their power.

That's why Traister uses words like "revolution" and "the insurgency." This is an all-out war.

And you can be assured of this. No matter how compassionate men may be. No matter how much they protect and care for the women they love. No matter how honorably they act towards the opposite sex. No matter how much they stand against sexual harassment and assault and abuse.

If they hold to conservative moral values. If they are pro-life. If they believe in gender distinctions. If they even believe  perish the thought!  that men might be better equipped to carry certain burdens than women. If they are anything but card-carrying, radical feminist-affirming, hardcore leftists, they are the enemy. And all the more if they are white.

The sad irony in all this is that the more they succeed in the reaching their goals, the less fulfilled they will be as women. In the end, they are fighting themselves.
Human sexuality: What does the science say?

What science can tell us about human sexuality is the subject of an important day conference being held in London on December 8, 2018. This event is likely to be of interest to anyone who would like to hear some of the country's leading experts explain what the most up-to-date science has been saying about sexuality and gender questions in the context of the current church debates.

Why does it matter what science says? It wasn't so long ago that society discriminated against left-handed people. Older readers may recall stories of children being slapped with a ruler for writing with their left hand or using their left hand to cut food. Historically the left hand was often associated with the Devil, and even our word 'sinister' comes from the Latin for 'left'.

Yet over the last few decades we have come to realise that left-handedness is not a reason for discrimination. We now accept that left-handed people are not inferior or less able, but are just different from the right-handed majority. And we have also discovered that there are good scientific reasons why some people are left-handed.

It might that there are some parallels with Christian attitudes towards sexual minorities. Perhaps we think that people who find themselves attracted to people of the same sex could get rid of their same sex desires if they tried seriously, or if they prayed or received counselling about it?

Perhaps we think that same-sex attraction is more a matter of nurture rather than nature. Maybe it is a consequence of inadequate parenting, for example a distant or unengaged father in the case gay men? Or that people sometimes develop same-sex desires because of an early sexual encounter with someone of the same sex? Or that cultures which do not promote homosexuality have far fewer gay or lesbian people than those which do?

We may not think of these ideas as scientific in nature. But in fact science has a lot to say about them, and it is important that we know what it says so that when we think about the ethics of same-sex relationships we are thinking in a way that is informed rather than uninformed.

For example, did you know that if you are a man, for each older brother you have your chance of being gay increases by 33 per cent? This is known as the 'fraternal birth-order effect', and has been found to obtain across different cultures. It only applies if you share a common birth mother with your older brothers, but not if you or they have been adopted or are step-brothers  which strongly suggests that the cause has something to do with the maternal womb environment.

Or did you know that there is a strong correlation between childhood gender nonconformity  boys behaving like girls or girls like boys  and later adult homosexual orientation? This nonconformity usually emerges by preschool age, long before children are sexually aware, in family environments where they have been conventionally socialised. This finding has also been reproduced in very different cultures from our own, and again it indicates that homosexuality may be more to do with 'nature' than 'nurture'.

Examples like these  and there are plenty of others  show that assumptions about homosexuality being due to people's upbringing or life experiences may need to be rethought.

Of course if people can change their sexual orientation, questions of whether it is a product of nature or nurture might be irrelevant.

But science is now shedding some light on whether conversion therapies, which seek to eliminate unwanted homosexual desires, are actually effective or not. The science here is complex, partly due to the lack of randomised, controlled trials  the 'gold standard' of scientific verification. Yet this does not mean that we know nothing about whether they work or not. More than that, we are beginning to get a sense of just how harmful they can be.

These are the kinds of questions that will be discussed at the conference. The speakers are among the most knowledgeable in the country on the subject, and include Prof Michael King (University College, London), Dr Qazi Rahman (Kings College London), Professor Peter Hegarty (University of Surrey), and Dr Stuart Lorimer (Gender Identity Clinic, London).

Seeking out the truth is an imperative for Christians: after all, we are followers of Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And science is one of the ways God has given us to understand the truth about the world.

Of course science can't dictate to us what we should think morally about same-sex relationships or questions of gender identity. Yet the church came to accept with Copernicus that the earth goes round the sun  this has rightly informed our interpretation of Scripture. Similarly learning what science has to say about sexuality and gender doesn't shortcut biblical and theological questions about how we should respond. But it may at least help dispel some of our misunderstandings.

Professor Robert Song teaches Christian ethics at Durham University. He will be speaking at the Faith, Science and Sexuality day conference at St John's Church, Waterloo, London, on December 8, 2018. Tickets cost 20 and are available at www.eventbrite.co.uk.
More than 80 Indonesian children feared killed at Bible camp

The church where more than 80 Indonesian children were studying the Bible has moved about two kilometres from where it stood on Friday last week, before disaster struck.

A 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck the west coast of Sulawesi island caused extensive soil liquefaction, a phenomenon that turns the ground into a liquid mire that can flow and skid buildings across the land, and pull victims under.

Bodies of 35 of the children  both boys and girls studying at the 'Warrior of God' Bible camp  have been found.

On Monday, dozens of rescue workers, some using an excavator, were searching for 52 of their class mates.

'I'm not angry, what for?' said Martin Kebo, the father of one of the missing children.

'We only hope, as a community, that the victims are found. But it's been five days and they've only sent out an excavator today.'

Kebo said he had been searching for his son, Tegar, though the tangled debris and slowly drying mud, for 12 hours every day since Friday.

'My neighbours said: "Your son hasn't returned" and I said: "Yes, what can I do? God loves him more."'

The official death toll from the 7.5 earthquake and tsunami waves it triggered rose to 1,407 on Wednesday, among them the 35 children whose bodies have been recovered.

Officials fear the toll could soar, though many of the estimated hundreds of victims of soil liquefaction might never be found.

The Jono Oge church and Bible camp are just south of the small coastal city of Palu, which was hard hit by the earthquake and tsunami waves that crashed into its shorefront.

Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population but also pockets of Christians scattered across its many islands. Lying on the west coast of the island of Sulawesi, Palu is 1,500 km (930 miles) northeast of Indonesia's capital, Jakarta.

'Such perfection'

The two-storey church used to stand about 11 metres (36 feet) high, an electrician who did work for the church told a visiting Reuters news team.

Now its ruins  or half of them  stand just over 1 metre high, about two kilometres from its original spot. The other half of the church sticks out of the mud about 500 metres away.

The children were aged about 17, students from the SMA Negeri 2 Palu, a city high school.

Remnants scattered in the mud tell a story of mundane detail and faith.

The students would have been having dinner when the earthquake struck in the early evening, according to a camp timetable found by Reuters.

They were later scheduled to play 'small games', followed by 'movie time' before bed.

Religious texts with titles such as 'Water of Life', 'Moment of Peace' lay strewn among notebooks and Bibles.

A photograph of more than 40 smiling students in gray and white uniforms bore the words 'Shalom Bible Camp Edition'.

A diary with the name Julitha and only one entry, neat slanted handwriting, dated August 8, 2018, reading:

'God has created this earth in such perfection and everything has been determined.'

'Everything has its place, be it in the sea, on land or on air.'

It was not known if Julitha was among the missing or dead.
Now US National Council of Churches calls for Kavanaugh to step aside

The US National Council of Churches has made an extraordinary statement calling for the withdrawal of Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.

Kavanaugh's nomination has been dogged by controversy since Christine Blasey Ford came forward and accused him of assaulting her when they were both teenagers. Since then other women have accused him of misconduct. US senators are studying an FBI report today into his case  seen as a test of strength by President Donald Trump  but are widely expected to vote on party lines.

In its intervention, the NCC, which represents around 100,000 congregations and 45 million churchgoers, says Kavanaugh has 'disqualified himself from this lifetime appointment and must step aside immediately'.

Among its reasons are that he 'exhibited extreme partisan bias and disrespect towards certain members of the committee and thereby demonstrated that he possesses neither the temperament nor the character essential for a member of the highest court in our nation'.

The statement said the NCC was 'deeply disturbed by the multiple allegations of sexual assault' and called for a 'full and unhindered investigation'.

The FBI probe has been criticised for its brevity and it has been widely reported that witnesses wishing to give evidence had not been contacted.

The statement also said Kavanaugh's testimony before the Judicial Committee 'included several misstatements and some outright falsehoods'. It also criticised his record on 'issues of voting rights, racial and gender justice, health care, the rights of people with disabilities, and environmental protections', saying 'This leads us to believe that he cannot be an impartial justice in cases that are sure to come before him at the Court.'

The mainstream NCC is at odds with evangelicals, who largely back Kavanaugh. Pastor Robert Jeffress, one of President Trump's most loyal supporters, said on Fox & Friends on September 30: 'They realize now, conservative Christians, that the left is willing to do whatever it takes to cram their liberal agenda down the throats of Americans, including destroying the foundation of our legal system, the presumption of innocence.'
Pope opens bishops meeting in febrile atmosphere of sex abuse scandals

Pope Francis opened a gathering of bishops on Wednesday at a time of crisis in the Catholic Church over sex abuse, with one bishop boycotting the meeting and another staying home to deal with the fallout from the scandal.

Though the synod's official title is 'Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment', the worldwide sexual abuse scandal looms large in the background and many believed it would be part of the informal agenda in the discussions.

At an opening mass in St Peter's Square, the pope urged Church leaders not to let the next generation's faith be snuffed out 'by our own shortcomings, mistakes and sins'.

In signs of the extraordinary pressure the Church has come under from the scandal, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia had called for the synod to be scrapped so the Vatican could concentrate on preparing another bishops' meeting on preventing sex abuse.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, stayed home to deal with the scandal's fallout, and a Dutch bishop, Robert Mutsaerts of Den Bosch, boycotted, saying the synod lacked credibility.

More than 250 other bishops from around the world are taking part in the month-long meeting with about 40 young people invited to take part as observers.

Two of the bishops are from China, a first following the Vatican's landmark agreement earlier this month that improved ties with the Communist government. Applause broke out as the pope noted their presence in his homily of the 'ass, attended by tens of thousands of people.

The Church is enmeshed in sexual abuse crises in countries including Chile, Germany, the United States and Australia, and the Vatican knows it has to win back disenchanted young people.

The synod began a day after a new Pew Research Center survey found that confidence in the way the pope is handling the sexual abuse crisis has dwindled among American Catholics.

While seven in 10 American Catholics said the overall opinion of the pope was favorable, six in 10 said Francis was doing an 'only fair' or 'poor' job handling the abuse scandal, nearly double the figure at the beginning of 2018.

Later, in a speech at the first working session, Francis said he hoped the synod, which will result in a papal document, would 'awaken our hearts' because the Church today was laden with 'struggles, problems, burdens'.

He attacked clericalism, which he defined as a view that priests and bishops are the elite who exercise power but he branded as 'the root of many evils in the Church'.

Instead, he said, they should be humble and offer 'free and generous service' to the faithful.
Photo: Noah Fecks

Every month, the Strategist editors do their version of a haul blog, jibber-jabbering about their favorite purchases of the last four weeks. To get that same personality and taste insight (via receipts), were inviting interesting friends of the Strat to run down their own buys. For this installment of the Guest Strat Haul, Susan Orlean, a staff writer at The New Yorker and author of The Orchid Thief and the new The Library Book, tells us what she bought in September.

E.l.f. Cosmetics Contour Palette $6 I know Im the last person on Earth to try contouring, and Im not convinced Im really going to do it, which is why I got this palette from Elf, which makes really good cheap makeup. If I cant find my cheekbones, at least I wont have lost a fortune. $6 at Ulta Buy

Vivienne Westwood Tartan Wool Dungarees $735 The sales clerk who showed these to me said they were part of Westwoods drunk uncle line. I dont know that thats a look I aspire to, but I couldnt resist a pair of plaid overalls. Theyre the kind of clothing item I will either live in until they fall apart or Ill look at them in a few months and wonder what I was smoking when I bought them. $735 at Matches Fashion Buy

Moo Business Cards $20 Writers arent supposed to have business cards because  well, Im not really sure why except that they suggest a degree of corporate professionalism that is at odds with the saggy-baggy mad genius youre supposed to project as a writer (or so Im told). The trouble is, I think business cards are kind of convenient and also can be pretty cool-looking. I designed my current ones to look like a deck of cards that were all queen of hearts. $20 at Moo Buy

Lancome Tresor Eau de Parfum Spray From $62 I never buy perfume because my husband hates it, but I had three hours to kill in the Dubai Airport recently, which means  DUTY-FREE SHOPPING GALORE! I mostly just look at this pretty bottle, or wear the perfume when my husband is out of town. From $62 at Macys Buy

Canon TS6120 Wireless All-In-One Printer $59 I never appreciated how much you need a printer until we had to move into a temporary residence while our house was being renovated. My printer is in storage somewhere, along with the majority of our possessions. Most everything else we could do without, but it seemed like every day there was something we needed to print. Canon printers are little workhorses  even this one, which is about the cheapest model they make. $59 at Amazon Buy

Comme des Garcons Flyknit Racer Sneakers $435 I know, I know  who would have ever imagined this collaboration? (By the way, my son just shuddered when he read the word collaboration and told me the correct term was collab. My apologies.) I feel like a Japanese schoolgirl when I wear these, which I assume is the point. $435 at Saks Fifth Avenue Buy

Jins LMF-16A-268 Glasses $100 Jins is the Warby Parker of Japan, and theyre just expanding into the U.S. (right now theyre only in California, but I suspect they have bigger plans). They actually make your glasses while youre waiting, so you can pick up a new pair almost on a whim. Since I need distance glasses, reading glasses, and progressives (dont envy me, please), I like that Jins glasses are inexpensive and very stylish. $100 at Jins Buy

Filmstruck Membership From $7 In my dreams, I spend a month (or a year) holed up in my living room just watching the Criterion Collection movies on Filmstruck, and then moving onto, say, their James Mason movies or their Academy Award winners of the 40s. That fantasy is probably going to remain a fantasy for the foreseeable future, but at least I now have the membership. Thats a start. From $7 at Filmstruck Buy

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The Greater Houston Partnership is launching a new initiative to increase diversity and inclusiveness at all levels in the local work force.

The Houston NEXT event on Thursday brings together community and business leaders for panel discussions and sessions on such topics as gender equality in the workplace, the costs and benefits of retaining talent, and management of multigenerational workplaces.

In January, the partnership will launch a new talent resources program focused on helping human resources executives and others involved in actively changing their companies workforce demographics.

The initiative came out of months-long conversations with top-level corporate executives who wanted to increase their workplace diversity as a means to improve their bottom line, partnership president and CEO Bob Harvey said.

A 2015 McKinsey study found that companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35 percent more likely to have greater-than-the-median financial returns in their respective industries nationally. Gender diversity made them 15 percent more likely to see these results.

The study also found that for every 10 percent increase in racial and ethnic diversity at the senior executive level, earnings before interest and taxes rise 0.8 percent.

Harvey said more needs to be done to diversify the C-suite and boardrooms in Houston despite the regions diverse population  and despite local corporations promoting this diversity to attract younger workers. While theres been a slight increase in the number of women board members, he said, African-American and Hispanic representation needs more attention.

The challenge in Houston is that Hispanic leadership on all boards lags behind the Hispanic representation in the city broadly, Harvey said.

More Information Houston NEXT What: Half-day event to learn about diversity in the workplace When: 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday Where: Marriott Marquis, downtown Cost: $175 for members of the Greater Houston Partnership; $250 for nonmembers More information: houston.org See More Collapse

Hispanics make up more than 40 percent of Harris Countys population. While the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is commissioning a study to quantify the number of Hispanics serving in the top reaches of corporate Houston, chamber president Laura Murillo said that anecdotally if a company has one Hispanic on its board, they are ahead of the pack.

When talking about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, Murillo said it is often limited to boosting the number of women and minorities in entry-level roles. For Houston corporations to benefit financially and better reflect the citys makeup, she urged more attention at the top.

Its not enough to say you have Hispanics working for you, Murillo said.

She said the Hispanic Chambers annual Emerging Leaders Institute places program graduates into nonprofit and political leadership roles.

Harvey said changing the makeup of corporate boards could require a shift in perceptions of what qualifies someone for these positions. For now, the main criteria is someone with C-suite level experience, which historically has been out of reach for women and minorities.

Harvey said the partnerships ties to thousands of corporate entities in Houston should help it spur change.

We are proud that Houston is Americas most diverse city, which feeds into our culture and our way of life, and we believe increasing the diversity of our regional workforce will improve company culture and performance, Harvey said in a statement.

ileana.najarro@chron.com

twitter.com/IleanaNajarro
A Northern California man was sentenced this week to 17 years in prison for producing pornography of at least two children between 12 and 16 years old in 2016, authorities said.

Douglas Pippert, 49, previously pleaded guilty in June to recording himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct with both children while they were conscious and unconscious in March 2016.

As part of a plea deal, Pippert admitted to recording himself molesting the children, who he said frequented his California residence, and saved the images and video on a number of electronic devices, according to the Northern District Court of California in San Francisco.

Officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Bragg Police Department investigated Pipperts case.

Investigators found roughly 400,000 images and 50 hours of videos involving child pornography on Pipperts devices. He told investigators that some of the victims shown in the photos and videos were younger than 12 years old.

Investigators learned Pippert also created a fraudulent Facebook account where he pretended to be a minor female and solicited boys into sending photos of their genitals to him.

U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria handed down the 17-year sentence and ordered Pippert to 10 years of supervised release. He has been in federal custody and will begin his sentence immediately.

Pippert was initially indicted on one count of production of child exploitation and one count of possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to production of child pornography, and the possession charge was dismissed.

The maximum statutory sentence for production of child pornography is 30 years in prison and supervised release for the rest of ones life, officials said. He received 2 years more than the minimum statutory sentence for this offense.

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor
Coastal Maine can do chowder, but it can't do queso. The former President of the United States has a hankering for some good Mexican food, and can't wait to get home.

George H.W. Bush, 94, is currently spending the first few weeks of fall in Kennebunkport, Maine before returning to Houston in the next week or so, according to his spokesman Jim McGrath.

HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: From Ninfa's to The Palm, Barbara Bush the 'foodie' savored Houston's dining scene

Bush 41 left Houston for Maine back in May, just a month after his wife of 73 years, Barbara Pierce Bush, died at their west Houston home. She was 92.

Phyllis Mandola

"The 41st president has declared he wants Tex Mex food and is ready to come home to Texas, and we cannot wait to get him back in a week or two," McGrath said in a statement this week.

He will also be back in town just in time for Astros postseason action.

During the couple's decades together they were known to enjoy lunch and dinner around Houston at some of the city's best eateries, like Tony's, The Palm, and Ouisie's Table.

HOUSTON ROYALTY: How Barbara and George H.W. Bush became royalty in Houston

It was well-known that the Bushes were big fans of Tex-Mex and Mrs. Bush once ordered out for Ninfa's tacos all the way at The White House. Ninfa Laurenzo even spoke at the 1988 Republican National Convention in New Orleans in support the future president.

Courtesy photo

Houston's Molina's Cantina on Westheimer was among their favorite haunts in town to get their Tex-Mex fixes.

A spokesperson for Molina's told the Houston Chronicle earlier this year that Barbara enjoyed cheese enchiladas, black beans and a margarita. The pair were also gracious with their time at Molina's, always meeting with staff and fellow patrons. The Bushes also gladly took photos with staff and patrons whenever they dined at Molina's.

PREVIOUSLY ON CHRON.COM: George H.W. Bush writes funny letter to Houston mayor over Democrat National Convention

Owner Raul Molina Jr. told the Houston Chronicle in Dec. 1992 that Mr. Bush's go-to's at the restaurant were enchiladas, fajitas, and maybe a beer. And always chips. Sometimes too many for Barbara's liking.

"If he's hungry, he gets a little hyper, it seems to me, and Mrs. Bush says, "George, you eat too many chips.' And he says, "But I'm hungry."

True Houstonian problems. There really are never enough chips.

Craig Hlavaty covers Houston history and pop-culture. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | craig.hlavaty@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message
Crosby school officials have lifted a lockout at three campuses that was initiated after the district received an email suggesting safety threats.

The lockout was lifted about 2:45, after police investigated Crosby High School, Crosby Middle School and Crosby Elementary School, as well as Cougar Stadium. The schools are situated close together alongside FM 2100 in the northeast Houston suburb.
Returning to Houston this month for a Rocky Horror Picture Show film screening party, actor Barry Bostwick recently reflected on fond memories of working in the Clear Lake area in a starring role in the Challenger TV movie about the 1986 NASA space shuttle disaster.

Memories of NASA, Challenger role

In a telephone interview from his home in Los Angeles, Bostwick said he treasures the experience of filming Challenger in 1989 as NASA commemorated 30 years in business. NASA celebrated its 60th birthday on Oct. 1.

The three-hour movie debuted Feb. 25, 1990 on ABC-TV. It depicted how as Commander Francis R. Scobee and six other astronauts were killed on Jan. 28, 1986 when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff at Cape Canaveral, Fla. and plunged into the ocean.

It was a life-changing event for me, said Bostwick, who portrayed Scobee. Everybody at the (Johnson Space Center) was so supportive and behind the project that we were able to work with some of the original crew that got Challenger up and some of the last people to see the astronauts before takeoff.

To get really close to history like that was amazing, Bostwick said.

Kristin Bond of League City met Bostwick moments before she filmed her big scene in the Challenger movie as Caroline McAuliffe, the daughter of teacher Christa McAuliffe, who perished in the disaster.

I was only 8, said Bond, now 38 and the mother of three children.

The daughter of Tracy Bond of League City and the late Charles Bond mainly remembers that her cat gave birth to a black kitten on the night she got the phone call that she was cast in the TV movie.

Caught off-guard by Horror Show success

Kristin Bond is a former student at Purple Box Theater, which is producing The Rocky Horror Show Oct. 19-28 in Friendswood. Some actors in that show are planning to attend a Rocky Horror Picture Show film screening party Oct. 20 at the Wortham Center, which will feature Bostwick, who danced The Time Warp as Brad in the 1975 cult classic .

Bostwick will answer questions and judge a Rocky Horror costume contest at the event, hosted by the Society for the Performing Arts. Actors in the Friendswood plan to compete in the contest and ask Bostwick about his turn in the Brad role.

Bostwick didnt know he was making cinema history when he filmed The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

People always ask, Did you know it would be such a hit? he said. The answer is simple: No, how could we?

In Los Angeles, Bostwick had seen the musical on which the movie is based, but he had no inkling that it would play in Peoria, not when its main character was a mad transvestite scientist, Dr. Frank-N-Furter .

Bostwick was already a Tony Award nominee as the original Danny Zuko in Grease on Broadway. A year after filming the Rocky Horror, he won a Tony as the title character in The Robber Bridegroom on Broadway.

The films popularity led to productions in community theaters. Purple Boxs founding artistic director and owner, Cathy Holbrook, said, Everyone always asks us to do the risque Rocky Horror musical, which is a parody of science-fiction and B horror movies.

Bay Area performer Chase Harris is playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter.

The 2010 graduate of Friendswood High School thinks he could win the costume contest that Bostwick is judging at the Houston screening by wearing his costume from the Purple Box Theater production.

It's fabulous and just distasteful enough to win, for sure, Harris said.

Brandee Sibley of Seabrook, who plays Janet in the musical, said she would enter the contest in her classic Janet outfit.

White bra and panties with a half-slip, ripped slightly up the side, of course, she said. And I couldnt leave out the big hair!

In the question-and-answer session, Sibley said, she would ask Bostwick if he would play the part of Brad differently today, what he thinks makes Rocky Horror so loved by its fans and what was his favorite part of filming the movie.

Alec White of Deer Park, who plays Brad in the Purple Box show, said he would ask Bostwick, What is the craziest thing that happened behind the scenes while filming?

For more about the Oct. 20 event and SPA, call 713-227-4772 or visit www.spahouston.org.
In Cecilia Arguetas arsenal to fight breast cancer, two of her biggest weapons are her proactive stance and positive attitude.

Sometimes I feel down, she admits. Sometimes I get nervous. Sometimes I cry.

But shes quick to find something to elevate her spirits. She searches for an uplifting video on YouTube and researches the Internet for positive stories from cancer survivors.

Argueta hopes her own story will soon among those ranks and helping others. She had a mastectomy and started chemotherapy in August, and she already uses her experience as an example, urging women to get their annual mammograms.

When I talk to friends, I tell them, Take care of you, Argueta said. This is happening to me, and I dont want you to go through this.

The 56-year old Hockley resident has no family history of breast cancer, no reasons why she thought she should pay any particular attention to the disease.

Still, Argueta has been vigilant - and regularly made her mammogram appointments.

Every year was normal, so I thought everything was normal, she said.

At her most recent appointment, however, doctors located a mass they wanted to investigate further.

Argueta returned to MD Anderson Breast Care with Memorial Hermann Cypress for a diagnostic mammogram.

General surgeon Dr. Murtaza Shakir and his team scheduled an ultrasound the same day, as well as a biopsy.

We dont waste time, he said. And its all in one building. The patient is guided from one space to the next.

The goal at the center is to condense the steps and reduce the number of appointments patients have to make to ensure care is received as soon as possible.

Certain patients who see a long route of appointments sometimes give up, Shakir said. Nowadays, everyone wants things done fast and quickly.

Patients also want care thats close to home, he added.

The Houston population is shifting to the northwest, he said. There are facilities right here. You dont have to drive to the medical center.

After Arguetas biopsy revealed cancerous cells, a lumpectomy was scheduled.

About 30 to 35 years ago, the smallest cancer was treated with removal of the entire breast, Shakir said. These days, less is more. Breast cancer can be treated better, with smaller surgery. We can do less and achieve better results.

In Arguetas case, however, more cancer cells were discovered in her breast, and Shakir ended up preforming a mastectomy.

Pathology results showed invasive breast cancer, he said. It was clear that we needed to have the breast removed.

Shakirs patient recovered quickly, and he was able to implant a chemotherapy port during the mastectomy, making her ready for the therapy as soon as she healed from surgery.

This patient had a small cancer, Shakir said. Because it was a high-grade tumor and she was very young, we wanted to minimize her risks.

He explained that diligence is key. Breast cancer is the most prominent cancer in the female population, he said.

He recommends that women keep up with their self-breast exams monthly - and that they make their mammogram appointments to catch lumps before they are big enough to feel, like Argueta did.

It was too small to be felt, he said. Cecilias cancer was caught very early. The importance of mammograms cannot be overstated.

Argueta discovered her cancer before it spread to her lymph nodes, Shakir added.

Doctors will be keeping a close watch on her for the next few years. We dont want the cancer to come back, Argueta said. Im trying to get healthy, be strong and be positive. I do my best and work with a great team of doctors.

The concept of a one-stop-shop for breast cancer treatment is fairly new in Cypress.

Jessica Rivas, vice president of operations for Memorial Hermann Cypress, is credited with the concept. She said a group of physicians were brainstorming ways to have more comprehensive care in the neighborhood.

There was a big need, Rivas said. We werent able to keep our patients here in the community. They were having to go to other hospitals to have their surgeries. We wanted to meet those needs.

Team members, including surgeons and the business office, got together and determined the best approach. Memorial Hermann was able to pool all resources under one roof, from mammograms to post operation plastic surgery.

A key to seamless care was hiring employees to guide patients from one procedure to the next, Rivas added.

When youre dealing with breast cancer and biopsies, the last thing we want them to worry about is going from one place to the next, she said. We take that off their plate. Theyre already worried and concerned. We dont want them to worry about this part.

The center completed its first surgery in May and five more since then.

I cant emphasize enough how important it is for women to do self exams and get mammograms, Rivas said. Women are so rushed. Were taking care of families, and were working. But if you dont take care of yourself, youre not going to be able to take care of everyone else.
If OPEC is the central bank of oil, then the Trump administration is commanding it to run the printing presses at full speed.

The U.S. State Department took the unusual step of issuing a statement on Wednesday asking the cartel to boost production by tapping the supply buffer it maintains in case of unexpected disruptions. It even gave a figure for how much more the group could pump -- 1.4 million barrels a day.

If the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries were to fill this request -- and Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said on Thursday that it could -- the oil market would be in uncharted territory. Even during the worst crises of the past two decades, including the U.S. invasion of Iraq and Libyas civil war, the cartel has never been forced to pump flat out.

SAUDIS: Trump says Saudi king wouldn't last two weeks without U.S. help

If President Donald Trump gets what he wants from OPEC, it might not bring an end to the high oil prices hes been complaining about for months. U.S. crude futures responded on Wednesday to the news that Saudi Arabia had joined Russia in pumping at close to record levels by rising 1.6 percent to $76.41 a barrel -- the highest since 2014.

In his 30 years covering the oil market, Jefferies analyst Jason Gammel said he cant recall ever seeing anything like the State Department request.

This is the lowest level of spare capacity in the global system relative to demand that Ive ever seen, Gammel said in an interview on Bloomberg television. Spare capacity is moving to a precariously low point and $100-a-barrel crude is a realistic possibility, he said.

Its Iran, Stupid!

The U.S. is making these demands for one reason -- Iran. The sanctions Trump imposed on the country after tearing up the international nuclear deal have had a more severe impact on its oil exports than many people in the market were expecting. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin says its been the main driver of higher prices, and the situation may get worse when sanctions formally start on Nov. 4.

I dont think were reflecting the full impact of Iranian sanctions as yet in the price, said Gammel. From early November the market is probably susceptible to further upside moves in price.

SUPPLY: Saudis raise oil output to near-record

Trump has made clear that he expects OPECs largest producer, Saudi Arabia, to fill the gap in the market created by his Iran sanctions and stop prices going too high. Its the only nation that deliberately maintains a large supply buffer -- at a cost of about $2 billion a year according to Al-Falih -- and as a result holds almost all of the groups spare capacity.

The president has been putting intense pressure on the kingdom to pump more, even going as far as to threaten the military alliance between the two countries thats underpinned the balance of power in the Persian Gulf for decades.

Growing Danger

The strategy has worked in one sense.

Were doing everything we can, and then some, the Saudi minister said at the Russian Energy Week conference in Moscow on Thursday. The kingdoms production has risen from below 10 million barrels a day in the first five months of the year to about 10.7 million currently, Al-Falih said.

November will probably be higher again, he said, potentially breaking the Saudi production record set in November 2016. The kingdom is willing to tap all of its spare capacity of 1.3 million barrels a day, if necessary, Al-Falih said.

IN THE U.S.: Crude inventories jump

But promises like this dont seem to be reassuring the market. There are echoes of 2008, when prices hit an all-time high above $140 a barrel and pledges for more supply only increased the fear of disruptions.

Such a sharp oil-price increase scares us, said Lukoil PJSC Chief Executive Officer Vagit Alekperov. Its not easy for oil companies to significantly increase sales quickly after years of under-investment, he said in Moscow.

On Wednesday, crude surged higher as traders focused on the dangers posed by OPECs threadbare safety net. Futures lost a few cents on Thursday, but Brent is still up 29 percent this year.

Blame speculators if you want, but this is how oil markets work, PFC Energy analyst Roger Diwan said in a post on Twitter. Oil markets will read it that spare production is at an all time low.

--With assistance from Grant Smith.

2018 Bloomberg L.P.
Friendswood City Council has approved an expansive plan to turn downtown Friendswood into a business and activity hub.

The council on Oct. 1 unanimously approved the final draft of the Downtown District Improvement Plan, which covers cost projections and improvement projects that that would be implemented over several years.

I think this is a step in the right direction, City Councilman Carl Gustasfon said. I understand there are some cost associated with it, but I think to get the continuity and get the demarcations set up and for Friendswood to invest its portion of this  I think this is the logical next step, and Im very supportive of it.

The plan includes developing better branding for downtown district business and attractions and addressing traffic issues through measures including intersection improvements. Other parts address steps to cultivate small business, attract more restaurants, improve sidewalks, add bike trails and preserve trees.

Preliminary cost estimates include from $35,000-$85,000 to develop bike routes and from $750,000 to $1 million for intersection improvements.

The citys contribution to funding would be covered through revenue from 1/8 of a cent of the citys sales tax rate per $1 spent. That portion was approved for economic development several years ago. The city gets a total of 2 percent of 8.25 percent of the total sales tax rate paid in Friendswood.

Last month, City Council approved the Friendswood Economic Development Corp.s request to seek grant money from other sources to use on downtown projects.

While the plan is divided into sections and timelines with cost estimates attached, funding will determine which projects get pushed to the front of the list, and any expense issues will come back before council to be discussed, said Karen Capps, the citys economic development coordinator.

The Friendswood Economic Development Corp. gave approval for the plan on Sept. 11.

Said City Councilman Steve Rockey: Im pleased to see (the EDC) start to implement it.

The EDCs board is scheduled to meet for further discussion at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9 at the Friendswood Public Library, 416 S. Friendswood Drive.

In February, the EDC enlisted the services of Lauren Griffith Associates, a Houston landscape architecture firm, to create a downtown improvement plan. A series of meetings and surveys followed, resulting in more than 1,000 responses.

The first draft of the plan was presented in sections over a course of five public meetings.

yorozco@hcnonline.com
3 1 of 3 Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer / Houston Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Google Maps Show More Show Less 3 of 3





The body of an elderly man was pulled from Lake Conroe on Tuesday afternoon.

Leo Tullier, 84, was spotted by neighbors working on his boat out on the south side of the lake mid-morning Tuesday, according to the Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constable's Office.
A Cypress Ridge High School student was charged Thursday with bringing a firearm to campus.

According to the Harris County District Attorney's office, 17-year-old Dontel Parramore brought a firearm to the high school on Wednesday, and did "then and there unlawfully, intentionally exhibit and use a firearm" on the property.

The charge is a third-degree felony. On Friday morning, Parramore was released on a $2,500 bond.

Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District spokeswoman Leslie Francis said: "We work diligently to maintain a safe school environment for every student and staff member and are grateful for a parent's quick identification of a possible threat to the Cypress Ridge High School campus and to CFPD for their rapid response."

JUST THIS MONTH: Teens face criminal charges for school threat, gun possession

This is the latest in a long list of incidents of students bringing firearms to their campuses, a trend that has been on the upswing nationally, and resulted in the horrific massacre in which 10 people were murdered at Santa Fe High School earlier this year.

At Cy-Fair, the district reported that a gun was found in a student's vehicle in the Cypress Creek High School student parking during a random sweep of the parking lot, earlier this month.

"We work diligently to maintain a safe school environment for every student and staff member and are grateful to the Cypress-Fairbanks Police Department for taking a proactive approach to safety," Francis said in an official statement at that time.
A former Cypress-Fairbanks ISD police officer is in jail without bond after being accused of raping a 12-year-old Deer Park girl he met on the Meet Me dating app.

Police say that Jorge Luis Bastida, 22, sent an Uber to the girls Deer Park home to take her to Cypress late Monday, before picking her up and taking her to the Guesthouse Inn in the 10000 block of Huffmeister Road.

Bastida appeared in Harris County Probable Cause Court on Thursday morning, where a prosecutor provided details about the alleged rape at the hotel. He has been charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Deer Park police began looking for the girl after she was reported missing and found her six hours later.

LAWSUIT FILED: Woman sues Facebook for allegedly aiding in sex trafficking scheme

Officers got the mothers consent to search the girls iPad and saw messages between her and a man by the name of Jay on the dating site, police said. The officers found nude photos of the girl, as well as conversations about sexual acts, and eventually tracked the mans profile to Bastida, the prosecutor said in court Thursday.

The girls mother got a call on Tuesday from the Guesthouse Inn, and officers watched surveillance video of people, who appeared to be Bastida and the girl, checking into the hotel.

Around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, the girl exited the hotel room and told police about Jay. She said she met him on the Meet Me site, and they went to the hotel, the prosecutor said.

The girl told police that Bastida held her down by the neck and raped her, according to police records. She told him to stop, telling him she was only 12 years old, but he assaulted her again, the prosecutor said. The girl said that he filmed the entire incident on his cell phone.

The girl was transported to the hospital, where medical authorities said her injuries were consistent with an assault.

CORN MAZE NIGHTMARE: Tomball students suffer allergic reaction during class trip

Bastida admitted to talking to the girl on Meet Me, as well as receiving the nude photos and sending an Uber to pick her up, the prosecutor said. He also said they went to the hotel room, however, he wouldnt answer questions on the alleged assault.

A search warrant for Bastidas cell phone produced two of Jays profile pictures from the Meet Me app, as well as proof on his Uber account that he paid for the trip from Deer Park to Cypress, according to police records.

The prosecutor requested his bond be set at $200,000, and a public defender requested no higher than $50,000.

The judge instead set Bastida's bond at $250,000, which has since been changed to no bond, according to the Harris County District Court and Harris County Jail websites.

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The September 29 Fall art competition and show sponsored by the Conroe Art League (CAL) was marked by successes and landmark moments on many levels. The more obvious successes are the awards earned. The top award (Best of Show) was earned by Nicolee McCowen, a non-league artist from Spring, for her dramatic large-scale acrylic painting titled Divine Valor. League member Sam Baker won the Best Landscape award for his oil painting titled Sunlaced Morning, and League member Debra Riley won the Best Floral award for her oil painting titled, Symphony in Blue.

Amongst student awards, Sarah Anderson of Conroe High School, whose art teacher is Kristine Canestorp, won the high school student Best of Show award for her oil painting titled, Inner Conflict, and Reese Slack, a home-schooled student, who studies art with Sara Moons, won the elementary school student Best of Show award for her colored pencil drawing titled, Fire Dragon. All winning artwork, including those entries which earned first, second, third and honorable mention awards in five divisions and ten media categories, will be on display at CALs Gallery at the Madeley Building, 127 Simonton Street, Conroe throughout the month of October. A reception to meet all the winning artists will be held at the Gallery Saturday, October 6 from 5 to 8 pm. Samples of winning artwork can also be seen online at facebook.com/conroeartleague/

The September 29 Fall show also offered some successes and landmark moments that to some may seem less obvious. According to current President Brett Hall, with 332 entries, including those by non-league members, this was the biggest Fall Show ever. At 162, the number of young student art entries represented a significant increase in student entries for a combined CAL adult/student art competition. This year also saw an increase in the number of non-league member patrons attending a CAL Fall show. More than 160 non-league patrons attended CALs first two-day show, contributing to more than $1,000 in art sales. Lastly, Dr. Mohammad Ali Bhatti, the world-renowned artist from Houston who judged the CAL Fall competition and many, many other art competitions, was very impressed with the artwork in the September 29 competition, saying that the quality of work compares with that of any big city.

GOING BEYOND CANVAS BORDERS: NICOLEE MCCOWENS ARTISTIC JOURNEY

Nicolee McCowens artistic journey began long before winning a Best of Show award at the September 29 CAL art competition. As a child, McCowen was inspired by her mothers artistic talent, often helping her mother paint backdrops for church plays. She continued her interest in art through school art clubs and shows before going on to earn a degree in Graphic Design from the University of Central Oklahoma. Throughout McCowens art studies, she was drawn to Michelangelo's large-scale murals in the Sistine Chapel and the colors and movement of Impressionist artists like Monet and Van Gogh, but she was also drawn to the contrast and whimsy of Pop Art. As McCowens style evolved, she found herself wanting to go beyond the borders, outside of the canvas. She began painting murals and then, taking her art through the crevices and around the corners, began painting on furniture. These efforts lead to her current work as a decorative artist. Her decorative art has taken her to commercial and residential locations in Oklahoma and Texas, painting anything from whimsical children's murals, to business logos to decorative dining room tables.

Since moving to Texas with her family in 2016, McCowens decorative business has grown. McCowen credits her aunt, Conroe interior designer Garlaine Kelly, with inspiring her to love design and appreciate beautiful spaces. Many of McCowens art works have been displayed in Montgomery County Designer Show houses. Area interior designers have placed some of her paintings in upscale Houston homes. One of her large abstract paintings hangs in the new Wiesner building in Conroe. McCowens artwork was also selected this year to promote the Conroe-based Young Texas Artists competition.

While most of McCowens time is spent painting for others as a decorative artist, she does find time to paint for herself. In those times, McCowen says she is inspired by the fine details of God's creation, such as the beauty of a flower or the radiant colors of a sunset. Such inspiration was at the heart of her latest award-winning painting, Divine Valor. The painting is a large scale (48x60) close up view of an iris. Its title Divine Valor derives from terms McCowen attributes to the iris flower, suggesting godlike boldness. This godlike boldness is, according to McCowen, a quality she strives for every day. In reflecting on the style of art in Divine Valor, McCowen says it has some realism, impressionism and whimsy all in one piece. It is what McCowen ultimately calls bold realism with a modern twist. See more about McCowens artwork on Facebook at facebook.com/nicoleedecorativeartist.

CONROE ART LEAGUE WINS SECOND TCA GRANT

For the second year, the Conroe Art League (CAL) has been named a recipient of a Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) Arts Create grant. The TCA offers a series of grants called Arts Create that provide multi-year operational support for different categories of arts organizations. The 2019 grant to CAL is one that is awarded yearly to provide operational support to Texas art organizations with budgets over $50,000. CAL is one of 373 organizations in 72 Texas cities to receive a TCA grant for 2019.

The award from the TCA greatly benefits CAL and the Montgomery County area. In 2018, the grant allowed CAL to upgrade their gallery and purchase equipment for the 400 plus classes and summer camps for children that are held at the Gallery at the Madeley Building. According to CAL President, Brett Hall, The 2019 funds will help us continue to grow as a vibrant and vital part of the community. We are proud that once again TCA is supporting our mission and has recognized the work we are doing. To learn more about TCAs Art Create grants, visit the website at https://www.fresharts.org/artist_opportunity/tca-arts-create-grants. For general information about TCA, visit their website at www.arts.texas.gov.

CERAMICS, SCULPTURE AND PAINTING AT LONESTAR COLLEGE-MONTGOMERY

The members of the student run Robbys Clay Club at Lone Star College - Montgomery (LSC-Montgomery), donated over 100 ceramic bowls to an Empty Bowls Brazoria County event on September 16. The club regularly donates these ceramic bowls to area non-profits who then sell them and donate the funds to area food banks.

Robbys Clay Club will be hosting a series of sales of handcrafted ceramics and glass items, beginning on Thursday, October 4 and continuing through December, on the first Thursday of each month from 10 am to 1 pm outside Building A of the LSC-Montgomery campus. To learn more about ceramics at LSC-Montgomery or about Robbys Clay Club, contact Charles (Robby) Wood, Art Professor, via email at Charles.R.Wood@LoneStar.edu.

The Faculty Art Show, which opened on September 24, featuring an impressive display of paintings and sculpture by LSC-Montgomerys art faculty, will continue through October 19 at the Mary Matteson-Parrish Art Gallery in the Performing Arts Center, Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm. For more information about the Faculty Art Show, email Taylor Vaughan, LSC-Montgomerys Theater and Fine Arts Coordinator, at Taylor.L.Vaughan@Lonestar.edu.
Courtesy of Stantec

During the work session on Oct. 4, the Spring ISD board of trustees will discuss several key items including the property tax rate, a bid package for Middle School No. 8, and the developing Dual Language Program.

The board will consider approving a $1.51 per $100 of assessed value tax rate for the 2018 tax year, according to the meeting agenda. This would keep the tax rate equal with the previous years tax rate.
Jerry Baker, Freelance / for the Houston Chronicle

Tomball will host a special joint meeting between city council and its Planning and Zoning Commission over they citys Comprehensive Plan on Monday, Oct. 15.

Tomballs Comprehensive Plan includes strategies for keeping up with the citys growth. The plans purpose is to promote a healthy economy and quality of life for residents in the long-term, according to the city of Tomball website. The plan adresses areas like land use, the economy and parks and recreation.
After undergoing a procedure like a mastectomy, not only can the physical changes to a womans body be overwhelming, but feeling and sensation may be lost in their breast area  which could be an invisible yet devastating side effect.

Dr. Aldona Spiegel pioneered a procedure that looks to restore breast sensation for women who have needed breast reconstruction, and two doctors at the Institute for Reconstructive Surgery at Houston Methodist - The Woodlands are exploring an expansion of Spiegel's original technique in collaboration with doctors at two other Houston Methodist sites.

The expanded technique, which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for reconnecting nerves in a reconstructed hand, is only in the clinical trial phase for use with breast reconstruction.

Yet, Dr. S. Benjamin Albright and Dr. Steven Gordon, both plastic and reconstructive surgeons, have already had a few patients who have opted for this technique at The Woodlands site.

Evelyn Laryea, was the first patient that Albright worked with in this regard.

When Lareya found out her younger sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, Laryea had genetic testing done and discovered that she had a Breast Cancer 2, also known as BRCA 2, gene mutation.

This puts her at a higher risk for breast and ovarian cancer, leading her to decide to have a hysterectomy and double prophylactic mastectomy a few months ago.

Interested in learning more about this technique? The institute is hosting a breast reconstruction awareness day celebration Oct. 17 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. in the Reconstructive Surgery suite at the hospital. Both Dr. Albright and Dr. Gordon are to be available to answer questions. For more details, call 936-270-3680. See More Collapse

When it came time to decide on a breast reconstruction technique, Laryea said she didnt initially consider that she would lose sensation and feeling with her reconstructed breasts.

I was more trying to protect myself from having any health issues. My main thing was healing and not having any infections, Laryea said.

After talking with Albright about her options, she decided to pursue this new technique as an incentive to regain feeling.

Albright explained that this procedure starts with what is called DIEP flap reconstruction surgery, during which the doctor removes the existing breast tissue and replaces its volume with fat tissue from the womans lower abdominal area.

Then, the doctor takes it a step further by implementing a surgical technique to restore the sensation of the breast in addition to the shape. They intentionally bring the nerves of the breast skin and new tissue together, connecting the two by using a nerve graft that acts like a tunnel.

In a typical mastectomy, Albright said all the nerves in the breast skin area are cut, leaving a numb feeling in the entire breast. In this procedure, the doctor helps the nerves regenerate instead.

The ultimate outcome for the patient would be to not only have a breast that looks aesthetically natural and feels texturally natural, but also has the sensation of her brain interpreting (the reconstructed breast) as her own breast, Albright said.

While this option takes six to eight months to see if it is successful and is a longer surgery and recovery time, Albright said that it is a low-maintenance, long-term option. This is compared to an implant-based reconstruction.

Laryea has just one more surgery to complete the process. She said she is hopeful, and even thinks she is starting to get the sensation back at times.

Albright said that this surgery is similar to a tummy tuck because it takes tissue away from the abdomen. So, Laryea not only gets to look toward regaining feeling, but also gets to go shopping for some new clothes.

Thats the best part, Laryea said with a laugh.

Gordon said that the early results from this procedure look promising.

We know that this has worked before in extremity (hand) cases, so its a big step going forward to see if we can have the same success in the breast field, Gordon said.

If it doesnt work, Gordon said the only drawback is that the doctors have added extra time to the patients surgery.

Another patient, Stephanie Hudson, underwent the same surgeries. After finding out earlier this year that her sister had ovarian cancer, she had genetic testing done: it revealed that she had a BRCA 1 gene mutation, which also puts her at a higher risk for the female cancers.

Like Laryea, she had hysterectomy and a double prophylactic mastectomy. But, Hudson said she was considering having breast implants placed. That changed when she sat down with Albright for the first time.

It was incredible. (Albright) spent a long time going over my options. I told him I had some reservations, but he walked me through the options and recommended (the flap) reconstruction, Hudson said.

Though she knows it will take time to regain sensation in her breasts, Hudson said she is extremely hopeful.

Its a tough blow to hear that all of the parts that make you a woman need to be removed as quickly as possible. The fact that (Albright) was able to restore me back to how I wasyou can imagine how that makes me feel, Hudson said.

jane.stueckemann@chron.com
WASHINGTON - The United States and major Western allies on Thursday forcefully condemned Russia's hacking and disinformation operations, announcing indictments and describing in striking detail Moscow's targeting of top Olympic athletes, anti-doping organizations, and chemical weaponsmonitors.

In the morning, Justice Department officials unveiled charges against seven officers with Russia's GRU military intelligence agency who, authorities said, were linked to the leak of athletes' drug-test data and efforts to steal information from organizations probing Russia's alleged use of chemical weapons, including the poisoning of a former GRU spy in Britain. Three of the officers had been previously indicted in cases alleging that they conspired to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.

Hours earlier, the Dutch government outlined an operation - almost comedic in its haplessness - in which its counterintelligence forces caught the Russians as they sought to hack a chemical- weapons agency in The Hague.

The British government accused the GRU of "reckless and indiscriminate cyberattacks,'' blaming it for such operations as the hacking of Olympic athletes' medical records, disruptions on the Kiev subway system and the 2016 theft of emails from the Democratic National Committee.

Taken together, the indictments and condemnations represented a coordinated effort to further expose Moscow's ongoing, widespread campaign to discredit democracy and international institutions through disinformation and its attacks on the rule of law. Russia's aim, officials said, is to muddy or alter perceptions of the truth, even if its efforts sometimes fail spectacularly.

"Nations like Russia, and others that engage in malicious and norm-shattering cyber and influence activities, should understand the continuing and steadfast resolve of the United States and its allies to prevent, disrupt and deter such unacceptable conduct," said John Demers, assistant attorney general for national security.

A spokeswoman for Russia's foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, dismissed Britain's allegations as a delusional and "diabolical perfume blend." The ministry had no immediate comment on the U.S. indictment.

The flurry of activity on Thursday follows separate moves earlier this year stemming from special counsel Robert Mueller III's probe of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. In July, he obtained an indictment of 12 GRU members for hacking and leaking emails of Democratic officials and organizations. In February, officials announced an indictment of more than a dozen Russians who spread disinformation online and of several operatives who traveled to the United States and posed as Americans to whip up protests and stoke political divisions.

In the summer of 2016, the GRU hacked drug-test results from the World Anti-Doping Agency and leaked onto the Internet confidential information about U.S. Olympic athletes, including tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams, and gold medal gymnast Simone Biles. WADA that year called out the Russian military agency for the operation.

Now, the U.S. government is seeking to punish the cyberspies.

"We at the Department of Justice are not satisfied with merely exposing the conduct," said Scott Brady, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, where a grand jury indicted the Russians. "We seek to arrest those who broke the law. We want to bring them to Pittsburgh. We want them to stand trial. And we want to put them in jail."

Dutch security officials said they expelled four of the Russians from the Netherlands for attempting in April to hack the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), an international watchdog organization based in The Hague. All seven GRU officers are now believed to be in Russia, U.S. officials said.

Allegations in the indictment show "the defendants believed that they could use their perceived anonymity to act with impunity, in their own countries and on territories of other sovereign nations, to undermine international institutions to distract from their government's own wrongdoing," Demers said.

The GRU campaign ran from December 2014 until at least May 2018, targeting U.S. individuals, corporations and international organizations based on their strategic interest to the Russian government, officials said.

In July 2016, WADA released a report describing Russia's systematic subversion of the drug-testing process before, during and after the 2014 Winter Olympics, held in the Russian resort city of Sochi. As a result, 111 Russian athletes were banned from the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. The International Paralympic Committee imposed a blanket ban on Russian athletes for its 2016 games.

Days after WADA released its report, the indictment alleges, the GRU officers prepared to hack the networks of WADA and the United States Anti-Doping Agency, among others, from Russia. Apparently unsuccessful in the effort from afar, two of the spies flew to Rio to hack the WiFi networks used by anti-doping officials in their hotels and elsewhere, officials said. They succeeded in stealing the log-in and password for one U.S. Anti-Doping Agency official's email account, obtaining summaries of test results and prescribed medications, they said.

In September, they flew to Lausanne, Switzerland, where WADA was hosting a conference, and managed to steal the credentials of an official with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport by hacking the hotel's WiFi. Other GRU spies used the credentials to compromise the anti-doping agency's networks in Canada.

Using social media accounts and other computer sites operated by GRU Unit 74455 in Russia - one of two units implicated in July with interfering in the 2016 U.S. election - the cyberspies posed as a hacktivist group calling itself the "Fancy Bears' Hack Team."

They leaked medical information and emails stolen from officials with 40 anti-doping and sporting organizations. In some instances, WADA documents were altered, officials said. In all, the GRU spies leaked the private data of 250 athletes from almost 30 countries, officials said.

As part of its disinformation effort, the operatives in some cases paired the leaks with posts and comments that parroted themes used by the Russian government to push back against the anti-doping agencies' findings, officials said. Between 2016 and 2018, they also exchanged emails and private messages with some 186 reporters "to amplify the exposure and effect of their message," the Justice Department said.

"I also hope that responsible members of the international news media will cast a suspecting eye on future 'hack and leak' operations which seek in part to manipulate stories in furtherance of Russian state interests," Demers said.

Five defendants belong to GRU Unit 26165, the other team implicated in Mueller's July indictment. They are Aleksei Morenets, 41; Evgenii Serebriakov, 37; Ivan Yermakov, 32; Artem Malyshev, 30; Dmitriy Badin, 27. Also charged Thursday were Oleg Sotnikov, 46, and Alexey Minin, 46. They were accused of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, wire fraud and money laundering.

In April, Morenets, Serebriakov, Sotnikov and Minin traveled on diplomatic passports to The Hague and sought through WiFi connections to target OPCW computers. But Dutch counterintelligence agents were watching, and the GRU plot unraveled when authorities caught the Russians in a rental car parked just outside the agency's semicircular building. The spies were carrying taxi receipts for the trip from GRU's barracks to a Moscow airport. And one of their phones had been activated on a transmission tower near the barracks.

A laptop confiscated by Dutch authorities contained web searches for a Swiss lab that helps the OPCW in its analyses, and the Russian spies were carrying Google Maps printouts of Russian diplomatic facilities in Geneva and Bern. One man had hidden an antenna in the car's trunk that was pointed at the OPCW to try to intercept log-in information to the organization's wireless Internet network, officials said.

The Russians were carrying diplomatic passports, which may be why the Dutch authorities returned them to Moscow rather than arresting them.The Dutch released surveillance images of the men being accompanied by a Russian embassy official after landing at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.

The four had train tickets from the Netherlands to Switzerland, officials said, where they intended to target the Spiez Swiss Chemical Laboratory, which was analyzing military nerve agents, including the Novichok chemical agent that Britain said was used to poison former GRU officer Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England, in March.

OPCW independently confirmed earlier this year that the Soviet-era nerve agent was used in the Skripal attack. The Russian mission to the OPCW has declined to comment on the Dutch findings, Interfax reported. The Russian ambassador to the Netherlands was summoned Thursday to the foreign ministry, officials said.

British diplomats on Thursday said Russian military intelligence was behind six cyberattacks between mid-2015 and March 2018. At least five were newly attributed on Thursday. Although some were high-profile and obviously political, others ranged across industries.

Britain accused the GRU of hacking email accounts at a "small UK-based TV station," stealing their contents. It blamed Russia for the WADA leak. It said Russia was behind a foiled attempt in March to compromise the servers of Britain's Foreign Office. The British also blamed the GRU for the October 2017 BadRabbit ransomware attack that rendered computer systems inoperable in Ukraine and at the Russian central bank.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters in Brussels that Washington stood "shoulder-to-shoulder" with NATO allies who said they had been subject to Russian cyberattacks and pledged U.S. cyberoffense capabilities to other allies if called upon.

But he said that NATO would not necessarily respond in kind.

Governments have been cautious about attributing similar attacks, in part because their origins can be hard to trace and because they do not want to reveal how they have tracked or penetrated the groups. But Britain and its allies have pushed this year for significantly more transparency, particularly after the Skripal attack in March.

- - -

Nakashima reported from Washington. Birnbaum reported from Brussels. Booth reported from London. Anton Troianovski and Amie Ferris-Rotman in Moscow contributed to this report.
Cornell University's endowment posted a 10.6 percent investment gain, a performance that landed it at the lower end among its Ivy League peers -- but still outpaced Harvard University.

The value of Cornell's fund rose to a record $7.2 billion as of June 30, the school in Ithaca, New York, said Wednesday in a statement.

Among the eight-member Ivy League, Princeton University and Columbia University haven't reported results. Brown University, with the smallest fund in the group, leads the pack with a 13.2 percent gain. Harvard has the lowest return at 10 percent.

Cornell, like a number of schools, said its performance was boosted by investments in private equity and global equities. Stanford University's fund posted an investment gain of 11.3 percent, bolstered by private equity and public stocks, Robert Wallace, chief executive officer of the Stanford Management Co., said Thursday in a statement. The endowment reached $26.5 billion.

"Performance in illiquid asset classes, including private equity, was strong in absolute terms but trailed our expectations in relative terms," Wallace said. "Our efforts to reposition the illiquid asset classes are still in early stages and will require more time to complete."

In the past year, Cornell said its endowment has made changes to its portfolio strategy and management, including revamping its benchmarks, strategic asset allocation, managerial lineup, operational capabilities and informational systems.

"Following deep-dive reviews, we've implemented an interrelated set of initiatives aimed at improving the portfolio's strength and resiliency, and those began to come to fruition in fiscal year 2018," Kenneth Miranda, the fund's chief investment officer, said in the statement.

The median gain for fiscal 2018 was 8.3 percent gain for 143 endowments of all sizes, according to data by Cambridge Associates.
In the days since Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh mounted a passionate defense of his innocence in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee - firmly proclaiming, "I did not drink beer to the point of blacking out, and I never sexually assaulted anyone" - several of his former classmates have publicly accused the judge of lying under oath.

On Wednesday, James Roche, Kavanaugh's freshman-year roommate at Yale, broke his silence to join the chorus of voices refuting many of the statements the judge told senators during last week's explosive hearing. Kavanaugh faces allegations of sexual misconduct allegations from three women, all of whom say he had been drinking at the time of the alleged events. The judge has denied all the allegations.

"Brett M. Kavanaugh stood up under oath and lied about his drinking and about the meaning of words in his yearbook," Roche wrote in an op-ed published in Slate. "He did so baldly, without hesitation or reservation."

Roche also appeared on CNN's "AC360 Wednesday night and said, "When Brett started saying things about his drinking and his use of certain words, sexually oriented words, I knew he was lying because he was my roommate. We were in a room together, our beds were 10 feet apart for a couple of months."

He added, "Not only did I know that he wasn't telling the truth, I knew that he knew he wasn't telling the truth."

Roche is the CEO of a San Francisco-based software company named HELIX RE.

Roche's statements came just hours before news broke early Thursday that the White House was preparing to send the FBI's completed background check on Kavanaugh to senators, having reviewed it and found no reason not to. A procedural vote to advance his nomination was scheduled for Friday.

Roche had previously issued a statement ahead of the Kavanaugh-Ford hearing in which he expressed support for Deborah Ramirez, one of the accusers, and said he remembered Kavanaugh "frequently drinking excessively and becoming incoherently drunk."

In the op-ed, Roche wrote he was willing to talk to FBI investigators, but when speaking to Anderson Cooper, he said he had "never been contacted about Brett by the FBI, ever."

"As Brett's roommate, I'm in a singular position, at least of the people who are willing to talk, to say, 'Listen, I saw him do this stuff that he said under oath that he didn't do," Roche said. "'I saw him use words in a different way than he said under oath they were used.'"

In an interview with "60 Minutes" Sunday, Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who pushed to delay the vote on Kavanaugh so the FBI could investigate, said the judge would not be confirmed if the probe revealed he had lied to senators.

During the hearing, in response to questions about his drinking habits, Kavanaugh repeatedly denied that he had ever passed out or blacked out from consuming alcohol, only admitting that he "likes beer."

Roche, and others, say this is not true.

"My recollection of my experience with him was that he was drunk frequently," Roche said on CNN. "It wasn't drunk to the point of having trouble getting up every month or two, it was frequently. I would say with some confidence it was at least once, maybe twice, on the weekends. It may have even been during the week."

Kavanaugh would be "incoherent, stumbling" when he came back to their shared room, Roche said. The former roommate also said Kavanaugh had thrown up on more than one occasion after drinking.

"There were times when I did the exact same thing, so we commiserated on this issue," said Roche, who admitted to not being an "angel" himself during college. "I saw him both what I consider blackout drunk and also dealing with the repercussions of that in the morning."

Aside from how much he drank, Kavanaugh was also questioned at length by senators about his high school senior yearbook page. The entry included references to drinking and parties as well as two terms that most likely have never before been spoken aloud inside a Senate hearing room: "boofed" and "Devil's Triangle."

When asked to define terms, both of which refer to vulgar sex acts, Kavanaugh said "boofed" referred to "flatulence" and "Devil's Triangle" was a drinking game.

In Slate, Roche wrote that the words are sexual references, adding, "I know this because I heard Brett and his friends using these terms on multiple occasions."

Roche is just one of the people who have appeared suddenly in the national narrative as the drama involving Kavanaugh had unfolded. His name first started circulating in the media when he was quoted in the New Yorker story that brought Ramirez's accusations against Kavanaugh to light.

"I did not want to come forward," he wrote in the op-ed. "I was raised in a Republican family. My mother, who has since passed away, was a Republican state representative in Connecticut. My father owns a MAGA hat. . . . My involvement has and will come with personal, professional, and reputational damage."

However, Roche explained that he decided to speak because "Debbie needed someone to help her be heard." He also told Cooper he believes Ford is telling the truth.

The issue in Kavanaugh's situation, Roche said, is not that the judge might have exhibited unbecoming behavior while drunk. Drinking too much, while "terrible" and "dangerous," was common in college, he said.

"I don't think that's disqualifying," he said. "I don't think that means you can't have a strong career or even be a moral person. I don't think that's condemning. It is not taking responsibility for your actions that is condemning."

Roche concluded his op-ed on an equally scathing note.

"We are deciding if a man is suited to judge others," he wrote. "To hear with compassion and empathy the cases of the vulnerable. As a Supreme Court justice, he would be the last line of legal defense for people who need a champion with unimpeachable judgment. A man who lies effortlessly rather than taking responsibility for his own words and actions is not what we need."
During the month of October, Stephenson House commemorates a pivotal event in the life of the Stephenson familythe death of Col. Benjamin Stephenson on October 10, 1822.

During this period, special exhibits in each area of the house represent the final days in Stephensons life and the period immediately following his death.

Both nursing and funerary practices of that time varied greatly from what we would recognize.

Civilian hospitals as such did not exist. We believe, based on store records of medicine purchases in the weeks just before Stephensons death, that Stephenson was instead treated at home for an ultimately fatal case of malaria. The main bedchamber of the house is therefore set as a sick room, where and family would have cared for Stephenson in his final days.

Immediately following his passing, Stephensons body would have been prepared for respectful display and burial. Modern embalming had not been invented, and no funeral businesses are known to have existed in the Edwardsville area. In the common practice of the time, family and servants would instead have prepared the body; a coffin have been made or, in this case, ordered from a local craftsman; and the deceased been laid for visitation in the home itself. The parlor of Stephenson House has been staged to show this ritual.

Deep mourning followed the death of a family member, involving both the appearance and the public behavior of the family. Items in the main bedchamber, the childrens bedroom, and the servants quarters show the familys participation in this elaborate rite, parts of which could last more than a year.

Finally, as part of the harsh economic reality of Stephensons death, assessors intruded on the family home and conducted an exhaustive inventory of possessions, preparing for a public auction only weeks after Stephensons passing. The dining room is staged to show this process, which occurred November 25, 1822.

Join us during October to see this special exhibit, and commemorate the life and passing of Col. Benjamin Stephenson. Stephenson House is located at 409 S. Buchanan, Edwardsville Illinois. The museum is open for guided tours of the exhibit Thursday thru Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sunday, 12-3 p.m. The museum gift shop remains open until 4 p.m. Admission fees are $6 Adults, $3 children, and Free for children under 6 years old. The historic site will be closed October 6 & 7 in order to prepare for the 50/50 Antique Auction.
WASHINGTON - Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh moved closer to confirmation as the Senate prepared for a key vote Friday, with Republicans arguing that an FBI report on sexual misconduct allegations exonerated the judge.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Jeff Flake of Arizona - two decisive Republican votes - indicated Thursday that the additional FBI probe was adequate, although they both cautioned they would continue to read the secretive report. Flake also told reporters that "we've seen no additional corroborating information" to bolster the allegation from Christine Blasey Ford, who emotionally testified last week that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers.

Satisfying Flake and Collins, as well as a third Republican, Lisa Murkowski, would be enough to confirm Kavanaugh. The senator from Alaska, facing pressure from Native Americans in her state, has not said how she will vote.

Even as dozens of anti-Kavanaugh protesters descended on Capitol Hill, Republicans barreled toward end-of-the-week votes on President Trump's nominee that could cement the court's conservative majority for a generation.

"I'm sensing we're in a good place," said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 3 Senate Republican, a day ahead of a key procedural vote. Noting the handful of GOP senators who had been on the fence, Thune said the FBI probe "was sufficiently thorough to satisfy the concerns that some of them had voiced."

Democrats were nearly unanimous in their opposition. One moderate Democrat facing a tough reelection in a Republican state - Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota - announced she will oppose Kavanaugh.

That left only one potential Democratic vote for Kavanaugh - Sen. Joe Manchin - who has yet to announce his position. The West Virginia lawmaker was reviewing the FBI report in a secure room at the Capitol on Thursday afternoon and said he would return Friday to study it more.

Potentially complicating attendance matters for Republicans is that Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., announced Thursday he plans to be at his daughter's wedding back home on Saturday - the same day as the final confirmation vote for Kavanaugh.

But Daines' vote would not be needed Saturday unless one Republican defects and Democrats stay unified against Kavanaugh. In that case, a Saturday evening could be held open for hours into Sunday so Daines, who supports Kavanaugh, could return to Washington after the wedding and cast his vote.

The latest background check - the seventh in a series of investigations during Kavanaugh's public-service career - only deepened the bitter, partisan rift over his nomination since July. Democrats and Republicans offered sharply diverging assessments of the report, with Republicans arguing it cleared Kavanaugh and Democrats contending it was too limited in scope.

The sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh, which he has vehemently denied, was the focal point of Heitkamp's lengthy statement on why she will vote against Trump's second Supreme Court pick. Heitkamp said she also questions Kavanaugh's temperament after watching his combative testimony last week.

"When I listened to Dr. Ford testify, I heard the voices of women I have known throughout my life who have similar stories of sexual assault and abuse," said Heitkamp, who served as her state's attorney general for eight years. "Countless North Dakotans and others close to me have since reached out and told me their stories of being raped or sexually assaulted - and expressed the same anguish and fear. I'm in awe of their courage, too."

In Boca Raton, Florida, retired Justice John Paul Stevens, a Republican, also raised concerns about Kavanaugh's temperament, according to the Palm Beach Post.

"I thought [Kavanaugh] had the qualifications for the Supreme Court should he be selected," Stevens said. "I've changed my views for reasons that have no relationship to his intellectual ability. . . . I feel his performance in the hearings ultimately changed my mind."

Kavanaugh addressed the issue in an extraordinary op-ed in the Wall Street Journal published Thursday night, acknowledging that he was "very emotional" during his testimony and "I said a few things I should not have said."

"Going forward, you can count on me to be the same kind of judge and person I have been for my entire 28-year legal career: hardworking, even-keeled, open-minded, independent and dedicated to the Constitution and the public good," Kavanaugh wrote.

Meanwhile, Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, echoing most Senate Republicans, said Thursday that the FBI report included "no hint of misconduct," while senior Democrats called it incomplete and suggested that the White House limited the probe to protect Kavanaugh.

That anger spread to the halls of the Hart Senate Office Building, where by late Thursday afternoon hundreds of Kavanaugh opponents - including comedian Amy Schumer and actress Emily Ratajkowski - had gathered to protest his possible confirmation, according to organizers. Police also closed the central Hart atrium, barring staff and the public from entering.

Earlier in the afternoon, protesters had gathered outside the Supreme Court and marched to the Senate to stage a sit-in. Some sat in the atrium and held a circular banner reading "We Believe All Survivors." They held posters reading "Kavanaugh Lied Under Oath," "Unfit to Serve," "Cancel Kavanaugh." And others unfurled banners from balconies.

"What do we want? Justice!" the protesters roared, refusing to leave. "When do we want it? Now!"

Neither Ford nor Kavanaugh were interviewed by the FBI for what senators said was a 46-page report that delayed the roiled confirmation process by a week. Lawyers for Kavanaugh's accusers also criticized the probe, saying the FBI had declined to interview witnesses they suggested.

Grassley said he was "absolutely" satisfied with the report despite the lack of interviews with Ford and Kavanaugh: "If the FBI felt they needed to question them, they would have."

But Murkowski, one of the three closely watched GOP votes, said Thursday afternoon that she did not yet know whether the FBI had been thorough enough in its investigation or spoken to enough witnesses. "What would be helpful for me is kind of a list of those interviewed," she said. "We were not done, we're not done in there."

Senators who reviewed the report said it includes information from FBI interviews with nine witnesses. Five of the witnesses interviewed were related to the allegation from Ford, while the other four had to do with a claim from Deborah Ramirez, who accused Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her while they were students at Yale University. White House spokesman Raj Shah said Thursday morning that FBI agents contacted 10 witnesses, although nine were interviewed.

The report also included details about the mass of information that flooded into the FBI tip line, Sen. Mike Rounds. R-S.D., said. He said that about several hundred calls were reviewed by the bureau to determine whether the tips were related to the investigation.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said that nine of the report's 46 pages came from a three-hour interview with Mark Judge, a former classmate of Kavanaugh's whom Ford claims was present at the time of the alleged assault in the early 1980s. Judge has denied her claim.

"I would say there were actually some other witnesses that probably because of their relationship with Dr. Ford, were maybe more impactful," Corker said. "Generally, they were sympathetic and wishing they could [corroborate]; they could not."

Thune also said that the report showed that FBI agents had asked "pretty specific" questions, in some cases using a calendar kept by Kavanaugh. "I think they really tried to find out as much as they could, matching up dates and places." And to flesh out some key passages, Judiciary Committee staffers were reading communications between two people detailed in the report aloud, so senators could visualize the conversation, Rounds said.

Democrats were infuriated that the probe was, in their view, severely limited and lacked interviews with key witnesses.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, told reporters that "the most notable part of this report is what's not in it." And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the report prompts "even more serious doubts in my mind" about Kavanaugh's truthfulness.

"To say that this investigation exonerates Judge Kavanaugh, or to say that this is a complete investigation, is patently false," Schumer said. "Chairman Grassley's claim that there is no hint of misconduct in these documents is just not true."

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., seemed to acknowledge that there was no corroboration for Ford's charges in the FBI report, but blamed the scope of the investigation.

"You can't find what you don't look for," he said, adding that "this falls short of my expectations for this investigation."

The FBI interviewed three people who Ford said attended the gathering where she said she was assaulted, as well as two other friends of Kavanaugh's who were listed on his calendar as attending a gathering on July 1 of the same summer that Ford said she believes the alleged assault occurred.

But Ford was never focused on July 1 as the date that the assault occurred, a member of her legal team told The Washington Post this week, emphasizing that the FBI would have known that if agents had interviewed Ford.

On Thursday afternoon, attorneys for Ford released a letter they wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray, ticking off the names of eight witnesses who wanted to be interviewed about Ford's allegation. The list included Ford's husband, Russell; Jeremiah Hanafin, the former FBI agent who conducted Ford's polygraph exam; and friends of Ford's whom she confided in about her accusation.

"The 'investigation' conducted over the past five days is a stain on the process, on the FBI and on our American ideal of justice," the lawyers wrote in the four-page letter to Wray.

A lawyer for Ramirez sent a letter on Thursday to Wray making similar claims. The letter noted that Ramirez had been interviewed by the FBI for two hours Sunday in Colorado and later provided a list of 20 people who might corroborate her account of Kavanaugh's behavior.

"Fewer than four days later, however, the FBI apparently has concluded its investigation - without permitting its agents to investigate," Ramirez's lawyer William Pittard wrote. "We are deeply disappointed by this failure."

In morning tweets, Trump decried what he said was "harsh and unfair treatment" of Kavanaugh, who has undergone previous FBI background checks for other federal jobs, and accused Democrats of obstructing the confirmation process.

"This is now the 7th. time the FBI has investigated Judge Kavanaugh," Trump wrote. "If we made it 100, it would still not be good enough for the Obstructionist Democrats."

During a speech on the Senate floor, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, highlighted the way Republicans had rallied around Kavanaugh despite an onslaught of unproven allegations.

"Some commentators have called this our Atticus Finch moment," he said, referencing the white lawyer in the classic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," who defends a black man accused of raping a young white woman in Alabama in the 1930s. Despite significant evidence of his innocence, the black man is convicted and is later killed when he tries to flee his captors.

"We all remember that Atticus Finch was a lawyer who did not believe that a mere accusation was synonymous with guilt," Cornyn said. "We could learn from Atticus Finch now, during this time when there has been such a vicious and unrelenting attack on the integrity and good name of this nominee."

---

The Washington Post's Emma Brown, Josh Dawsey, Mike DeBonis, Karoun Demirjian, Tom Hamburger, Paul Kane, Gabriel Pogrund, Isaac Stanley-Becker and Erica Werner contributed to this report.
Florence, S.C.

Seven South Carolina law enforcement officers were shot Wednesday, one fatally, in a confrontation with a man who held children hostage as he fired on the officers, officials said.

The suspect was taken into custody and the children weren't hurt after a two-hour standoff in an upscale neighborhood just outside of Florence, not far from areas that were devastated by flooding from Hurricane Florence, authorities said.

The man shot three Florence County deputies from inside a home as they came to serve a warrant around 4 p.m. Wednesday, Florence County Sheriff's Maj. Mike Nunn said.

The suspect then shot four Florence city police officers, one fatally, as officers from all around the area swarmed in to help, Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler said.

A bullet-proof vehicle had to be used to rescue the wounded officers as the man held children hostage inside for two hours, Nunn said.

Officials refused to say why they were serving a warrant on the man. They also did not name him or the officers, nor did they give the conditions for the wounded.

Both Heidler and Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone had tears in their eyes as they spoke to reporters about two hours after the standoff ended.

"I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known," Heidler said, visibly overcome by emotion at the news conference.

"This is simply devastating news from Florence," Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted. "The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real."

This is the second shooting of multiple police officers in South Carolina this year. In January, a 47-year-old former banker shot four officers in York County, killing one, after his wife called 911 to report he beat her.
ABC/Randy HolmesTom Morello's upcoming solo album The Atlas Underground features a variety of guests, including Rise Against's Tim McIlrath, Mumford & Sons' Marcus Mumford and K.Flay. But it also features a nod to Morello's late Audioslave band mate, Chris Cornell, who died by suicide last year.

Speaking with the Chicago Tribune, Morello explains that for the Atlas Underground song "Every Step That I Take," which was co-written by Cage the Elephant's Matt Shultz and features Portugal. the Man, he's partnering with the organization Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, or SAVE.

"With the passing of Chris over a year ago, and the momentum towards removing the stigma from mental health issues and suicidal thoughts, it was very important to have a song from that point of view," Morello says.

"You know, you break your arm -- it's not a stigma to go to the hospital to get it set," he adds. "Hopefully we're able to start looking at suicidal thoughts and depression in the same way that can materially save lives."

The song itself, Morello explains, is about "how the dreams, and depression, and love and the lack of it on the emotional steps of the gallows are processed."

"Its just a beautiful song," he says. "One of my favorites on the record."

The Atlas Underground will be released October 12.

In related news, Morello will be participating in this year's Bowl for Ronnie, taking place October 25 in Studio City, California. The annual event raises money for the late Ronnie James Dio's Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. Other artists taking part include Tool's Adam Jones, Testament's Chuck Billy and ex-Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler.

For more info, visit DioCancerFund.org.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman will make his 2018 regular-season debut tonight against the Colts, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Edelman returned from a four-game PEDs suspension Monday and took all last season to recover from a torn ACL suffered in August 2017. His last competitive game was New England's comeback victory over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Edelman appeared in three of four preseason games this summer.

Patriots WR Julian Edelman will make his 2018 season debut tonight vs. the Colts, per league source, marking his return from a four-game suspension and the ACL he tore in August 2017.



Edelman can thank, in partthe Boston Celtics, per @wojespn.https://t.co/agXJPFwA4H  Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 4, 2018

New England received a roster exemption at the conclusion of Edelman's suspension, meaning it most clear a 53-man roster spot for him by 4 p.m. today for the wideout to officially return.

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is also expected to play against Indianapolis. He'd been listed as questionable with an ankle injury. Gronkowski and Edelman have not appeared in the same regular-season game since Nov. 27, 2016.

Kickoff from Gillette Stadium is set for 8:20 p.m.
ISTANBUL - The Turkish foreign ministry summoned Saudi Arabia's ambassador to discuss the whereabouts of veteran journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Turkey's state media reported, after he disappeared while visiting the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday.

Ambassador Walid bin Abdulkerim El Khereiji was called to the ministry Wednesday for questions about Khashoggi's location, the private broadcaster NTV reported from Ankara, the Turkish capital. The ambassador, who met with Turkey's deputy foreign minister, denied having knowledge of Khashoggi's whereabouts, Thursday's news report said.

According to NTV, Khereiji was told that "the matter should be clarified as soon as possible."

Khashoggi, a critic of the kingdom's leadership, entered the consulate around 1 p.m. Tuesday, according to his fiancee, who said she accompanied him but waited outside. The fiancee, who asked that her name be withheld, called police when Khashoggi did not emerge at 5 p.m., after the consulate had officially closed.

By midnight, there was still no sign of him, according to Turan Kislakci, a friend of Khashoggi's who stood outside the consulate. "We have talked with some Turkish authorities and the police," he said. "I think 100 percent that he is inside."

Spokesmen for the Turkish and Saudi foreign ministries did not respond to requests seeking comment on Khashoggi's possible whereabouts.

Khashoggi, a prominent commentator on Saudi affairs who writes for The Washington Post's Global Opinions section, has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since last year, when he left Saudi Arabia over concerns that he would be arrested or prevented from traveling.

"We have been unable to reach Jamal today and are very concerned about where he may be," The Post's international opinions editor, Eli Lopez, had said in a statement. "We are monitoring the situation closely, trying to gather more information. It would be unfair and outrageous if he has been detained for his work as a journalist and commentator. Jamal is a great writer and insightful political observer, deeply committed to the open exchange of ideas; we are honored to have his point of view be part of our Global Opinions. We hope that he is safe and that we can hear from him soon."

Khashoggi, who was trying to obtain documents related to a marriage license, had initially visited the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Friday, his friends said. He went to the consulate and left without incident that day, they added.

After traveling to London over the weekend, he returned to Istanbul on Monday and called the consulate Tuesday morning. He was told to visit at 1 p.m., his friends said.

Over the past year, Khashoggi has written extensively about the growing influence of Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's young crown prince, and has been critical of some of Mohammed's policies, including a campaign of arrests targeting perceived opponents and dissidents.

After Saudi authorities arrested a group of women's rights activists in May, Khashoggi wrote that the "crackdown has shocked even the government's most stalwart defenders."

In a column for The Post last month, he called on Saudi Arabia to use "its clout and leverage" to end the war in Yemen.

- - -

The Washington Post's Zeynep Karatas contributed reporting from Istanbul.
The ICICI board on Thursday appointed Sandeep Bakhshi as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank after it accepted Chanda Kochhar's request to seek early retirement. Three months ago, Bakhshi was named the Wholetime Director and Chief Operating Officer designate of the private lender. Though Bakshi will take control of the reins of the second-largest private bank, he will not get any additional remuneration for his new role as the CEO, the company said in its regulatory filing. He was also the senior-most official at ICICI after Chanda Kochhar.

"The board decided to appoint Mr Sandeep Bakhshi as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. His appointment will be for a period of five years until October 3, 2023, subject to regulatory and other approvals. The other terms and conditions of this appointment, such as remuneration, would remain unchanged," the bank said.

The ICICI Bank has been under a lot of duress of late, with its CEO Chanda Kochhar facing allegations of 'quid pro quo' in loans worth Rs 3,250 crore to Videocon Group. Multiple agencies, including CBI and markets regulator Sebi, are already probing the case.

Assuming office in turbulent times, Bakhshi has the task cut out for him. For starters, he will have to make investors, shareholders and regulators believe in the corporate governance standards, which are being questioned after the Videocon loan scam came to light. Bakhshi will also have to promptly deal with the bank's stressed assets.

Bakhshi did mechanical engineering from Chandigarh's Punjab Engineering College and pursued a masters degree in management from Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur. Bakhshi started his professional career at a computer marketing company ORG Systems in 1983. He came to ICICI Ltd in 1986 and handled the corporate clients of the company for the northern and the eastern regions. He later moved on to ICICI Lombard in 2002 where he was responsible for business development, project appraisals, project monitoring and business re-structuring.

He was appointed as MD and CEO of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company in August 1, 2010, a position he held till his latest appointment. During his tenure, the company launched its initial public offering (IPO) worth Rs 60-lakh crore, which was the first such offering by any insurance company in India.
Imran Khan could never strike any deal to facilitate Nawaz Sharif: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday said Prime Minister Imran Khan could never strike any deal to facilitate former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his cronies, including former finance minister Ishaq Dar, who have been facing corruption and money laundering cases.



During a meeting with journalists, the minister said efforts were being made to bring Ishaq Dar to the country from Britain so that he could face justice.



Prime Ministers Adviser Arbab Shahzad was also present on the occasion.



He revealed that the government had decided to remove Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Ali Jahangir Siddiqui and Pakistans High Commissioner in Canada Tariq Azeem as they were appointed on political grounds by the outgoing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government.



Repatriation of Ishaq Dar will be the first drop of rain, the minister said, giving an impression that the government will further tighten noose around the leaders of opposition parties allegedly involved in corruption.



Responding to a question whether Nawaz Sharif has been released under any deal with the Saudi government, the minister termed it an assumption and said it was totally wrong that the Saudi government had promised $10 billion monetary assistance to Pakistan with the condition of Sharifs release. Those who know Imran Khan cannot ask such questions because he is a man who cannot make such deals even if he is offered $50bn financial support, he said.



He said the nations wealth stashed in foreign countries would be retrieved and it would be started from the corrupt rulers.



According to Ishaq Dar, who always tells lies, over $220bn properties and bank accounts of Pakistanis have been detected in different foreign countries, he added.



Mr Chaudhry said 165 big tax defaulters had been traced and a stern action would be taken against them if they did not bring themselves under the tax net.

CPEC project



The minister said that although Saudi Arabia would invest in projects being carried out under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), it would not become a strategic partner of Pakistan or a part of the Joint Working Group or Joint Coordination Committee.



Not only Saudi Arabia but many other countries also have shown interest in investment in Pakistan and CPEC-related projects, he said.



Mr Chaudhry brushed aside a perception that Pakistan had not taken China into confidence regarding third-party investment by Saudi Arabia. He said Chinese authorities had been informed many times about this. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has also been apprised of Saudi investment during his recent visit to Pakistan, he added.



When a reporter suggested that the people were fed up with the polices of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government even in its first 40 days, the minister said it was a wrong impression attributed to the people, but the fact was that the people were quite satisfied and happy.



Talking about the recent increase in gas tariff, he said the decision would not affect 70 per cent people or poor as the new rate would apply to the elite class for consuming over 500 units per month.

Mega schemes



Prime Ministers Adviser Arbab Shahzad said development schemes which were launched on political motivation would be wrapped up and those which were beneficial for the country would continue.



In reply to a question about new task forces on accountability laws and national security, the adviser said these would not act as parallel bodies of the National Accountability Bureau and National Security Committee of parliament, but as a facilitator to assist the cabinet and the government in brining reforms.



About the bureaucracy, he said the prime minister had issued instructions that the bureaucracy would not be harassed, but the officials who did not perform their duties would be taken to task.



At this, Fawad Chaudhry said all bureaucrats and technocrats holding top positions in the PML-N government, including Pakistan Ambassador to the US Ali Jahangir Siddiqui and High Commissioner in Canada Tariq Azeem, will be pulled back. I think both of them should give their resignation voluntarily. Otherwise, we will pull them back, he added.
Two students in the Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District were taken into custody Thursday after incidents involving a gun and a social media threat, district officials said.

There were no injuries in either incident.

At Gentry Junior School, an eighth-grade student was taken into police custody following reports of a gun.

"Several students reported that a fellow classmate was in possession of a handgun," read a post on the school district's Facebook page. "An assistant principal confiscated the gun and the student was arrested."

WHO TO BLAME: Should parents be charged for failing to lock up guns used by their kids?

At Goose Creek Memorial High School, a student was taken into police custody after a threat was made on social media. The district reported no weapons were involved at the high school.

The incidents were announced separately, one shortly after the other. The school district has not yet said whether there was any relation between the two.

Only at HoustonChronicle.com: More guns in the classroom is not good policy [Opinion]

Both schools, in Baytown, were temporarily placed on lockdown, during which time no one was permitted to enter or exit the campus. School officials said the decision to lock down the schools were made out of an abundance of caution.

Both lockdowns were lifted after the students were taken into custody.
A fourth victim in the deadly beatings linked to the nephew of two missing Houston siblings has died, according to police in the Los Angeles area.

Ramon Escobar, 47, was captured within hours of when investigators say he bludgeoned his final victim of a three-week crime spree. The bolt cutter-wielding suspect allegedly attacked the man as he slept on a sidewalk the morning of Sept. 24. The unidentified man spent the week in a coma and died Sunday night, Lt. Saul Rodriguez said Wednesday.

The slayings of four predominantly homeless men Escobar is accused of began soon after his arrival in California. A Los Angeles Police Department captain said Escobar ditched Houston when investigators questioned him in the disappearance of his uncle Rogelio Escobar, who went missing on Aug. 26. His aunt, Dina Escobar, vanished two days later while looking for her brother.

Dina Escobars burned-out van was found near a Galveston beach soon after her disappearance.

After police interviewed Escobar on Aug. 30, he drove his Honda CRV 1,500 miles to the beach city of Santa Monica, where the brunt of the attacks took place.

Before the latest attack death, neighbors down the street from the southwest Houston home where the suspect lived with his uncle said Ramon Escobars aunt tried her best to protect him after he served six days in jail in May for punching his boss at a moving company.

Hes a mess, said Magnolia Johnson, who says she and her sister often fielded Escobars drunken requests for cigarettes.

His aunt, the one who is missing, tried to help him but he never wanted to do right. So she just washed her hands of him, Johnson said.

Another set of neighbors recalled that Escobars aunt pleaded with them to stop hosting her nephew for beers.

She was always protecting him, Rebecca White said.

White, along with several neighbors on the same block, never saw the violence Escobar is accused of unleashing in Southern California. But now that Houston investigators suspect foul play in Dina and Rogelio Escobars disappearance, White looks back on her friendship with caution.

He helped us move, did work on our car, White said. He has been in my home, hes met my kids.

Houston police still consider Escobar a person of interest in the missing persons case, but Chief Art Acevedo said investigators have not compiled enough evidence to accuse him of a crime.

We know that we have people that are probably his victims here in Houston, Chief Art Acevedo said Tuesday night at a press conference.

Houston investigators are still negotiating with detectives in Los Angeles to interview Escobar a second time in his familys disappearance.

Escobar, an El Salvador national and repeat deportee, is charged with three counts of murder and a fourth count is pending the approval of Los Angeles County prosecutors after the death of his final victim.

He has been removed from the U.S. six times since 1997, federal officials said.

nicole.hensley@chron.com

@nkhensley
A man shot twice in southwest Houston is expected to survive as police hunt for the shooter.

Houston police officers were called out to an apartment complex in the 10400 block of Sandpiper Drive around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday after several reports of gunfire in the complex.
Rising tension between US-China over trade tariffs is a good sign for Pakistan: Razaq Dawood

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the prime minister on industries and production Razaq Dawood on Wednesday said that the rising tension between the US and China over trade tariffs was a good sign for Pakistan as it would place us in a better negotiating position.



The prime minister is visiting China on Nov 4 and we will take advantage of this situation by pitching our position as a trade partner, Mr Dawood said, briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production.



He said the government wanted trade to be more bilateral with China instead of the current unilateral position. Mr Dawood stressed for rationalising import regime to reduce duties over raw material so that the finished products become cheap and competitive.



Responding to a query from the committees chairman Ahmed Khan that Pakistani firms were not competent enough to meet the modern day requirements, the adviser to PM said that the main issue regarding award of government contracts was corruption.



There is corruption and mal-intent in every deal, he said, adding that it did not mean the engineering base was weak.



The advisor also spoke about the potential benefits and risks concerning the China-Pakistan Economic Corrider (CPEC). Our industry should prepare to compete with those [risks] in the industrial zones of CPEC, but we will also ensure that our industries are adequately protected, he said.



Referring to a power plant established under CPEC, Mr Dawood pointed out that even the ladder and furniture in that power plant had been imported from China. This is not right. We need to provide opportunities for the local industry too, he added.



He also criticised the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China and said that as a result of concessions granted to China under the agreement, Pakistan was becoming a trading nation.



The committee was informed that imports from China amounted to around $15 billion whereas exports to China from Pakistan were $1.5bn.
As Texans continue to recuperate from Hurricane Harvey, some federal funding appears to be helping certain communities recover more than others.

A new report by CityLab found that Harvey aid is shortchanging cities with black, working-class residents hurt by the storm, leading to racial disparities in recovery funding.

"Across Southeast Texas, residents in a handful of small, white, affluent towns stand to reap far more Harvey recovery funds than those just a few miles away, in far more populous but poorer majority-minority cities," the report detailed.

The problematic distribution, per the report, has to do with how some federal recovery money trickles down to local county and city governments without taking into account the size of a town's population or the severity of the storm's impact.

As a result, small towns receiving recovery grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban get more money than they need while larger cities get shortchanged. And since larger cities in the area have a larger minority population, the flawed distribution creates a racial disparity in Harvey aid for white and black residents living along the gulf coast.

RELATED: Saturday is final day to comment on local Harvey recovery housing plans

For example, in Port Arthur where some 50,000 residents were affected, the city received $4.1 million in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding from HUD, which works out to about $84 per affected person.

In majority-white Taylor Landing, 15 miles away from Port Arthur, Harvey affected 22 resident and the town received $1.3 million, or about $60,000 per person from the same recovery grant program.

"The three cities [Orange, Port Arthur, and Beaumont] with the highest black populations are also the three cities with the very lowest funding," a fair housing and disaster-recovery researcher told CityLab. "And we know that those cities had a lot of people who were impacted who were extremely low income."

The CityLab study focused on only one program of federal recovery funding in three of Texas' 16 Harvey-affected counties, and its author notes that not all Harvey aid programs may suffer from similar racial disparities.

Fernando Ramirez covers Texas news and politics. Read him on our breaking news site and on our subscriber site. | Fernando.ramirez@chron.com | @fernramirez93




Dozens of students at HISD's Wheatley High School in northeast Houston walked out of class Thursday morning to protest the alleged fire/transferring of a vice-principal.

Footage from local media shows students standing outside the school in mass.

Social media posts from Wednesday night show Wheatley students planning and urging others to walk out for Sandra Walker, an assistant high school principal who was hired in 1977.

"This morning, all Wheatley High School students and staff were temporarily evacuated as a precautionary measure after a fire alarm went off," HISD said in a statement. "It was determined that several of our students exited the building as part of a walkout over a personnel matter.

"Once the Houston Fire Department cleared the building, classroom instruction and campus activities resumed," HISD said. "In an effort to address concerns, the principal and district officials met with community leaders and parents. We are continuing to monitor the situation to ensure the safety and well-being of the students. The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority."

It's not the first time students at Wheatley High School have staged a protest to defend Walker.

In 2011, Wheatley High School students walked out after the popular vice-principal was transferred.

Despite disciplinary threats from school officials at the time, the protest was successful and Walker was reinstated as assistant principal nine days after her transfer was announced.

Fernando Ramirez covers Texas news and politics. Read him on our breaking news site and on our subscriber site. | Fernando.ramirez@chron.com | @fernramirez93




A San Antonio man was found guilty Thursday of sexually assaulting a toddler whose mother tried to explain away the childs severe injuries as a dog attack.

Isaac Andrew Cardenas, 25, was convicted on charges of super aggravated sexual assault of a child. He and Crystal Herrera, his girlfriend and the childs mother, were indicted in March 2017. Herrera, 24, is out on bail and is awaiting trial. She faces a maximum of life in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.

Jurors began deliberations at 10:25 a.m. and came to their decision just after 4 p.m. Cardenas will be sentenced at a later date by Visiting Judge Philip Kazen, who presided over the trial that started Monday. Cardenas faces a minimum of 25 years to a maximum of life in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

SUBSCRIBER SITE: Jurors were in tears during the sentencing of Cardenas

According to authorities, Herrera called 911 on Dec. 31, 2016, to report that dogs had viciously attacked her daughter, who at the time was 21 months old. Herrera told the Bexar County sheriffs deputies that arrived on scene that the child had wandered away from their home in South Bexar County.

The girl was taken to University Hospital for treatment of numerous sharp injuries to her genital and anal areas.

In her closing statement, prosecutor Erica Bryant told the jury that although much of their evidence was circumstantial  no weapon was found  they could convict him based on the fact that Cardenas had care, custody and control of the girl, was in need of having sex and was home alone with the child at the time of the attack.

He knows (the baby) was in the house, and he was in control of the circumstances, she told the panel.

RELATED: SAPD: James Avery worker pawned nearly $18K in stolen jewelry

Jurors, who were shown graphic photographs of how the child was sexually mutilated by an unknown sharp object, were spared viewing the grisly images again during closing arguments.

Defense attorney Denny Callahan told the jury in his closing argument that the prosecutors case rests on a bias that a mother would not do that to a child, and that leaves him.

I caution you, dont do that (show bias), he told the panel. Youre supposed to find the truth.

He said after Herrera discovered the injuries, she was afraid she would get in trouble with Child Protective Services.

She took the child and got stuck in the sand instead of calling 911, Callahan told the jury.

He (Cardenas) didnt do that.

Testimony established that when Herrera attempted to take her daughter to get medical help, she got stuck in sand up to the frame of her car. She then spent additional time texting with Cardenas to resolve the situation before she called 911.

He told the jury to put any hidden biases aside and find Cardenas not guilty.

In his closing argument, prosecutor Leo Gonzalez apologized for the jury having to see such horrific, graphic images that he said affected everyone involved in the case  from jurors to law enforcement, medical personnel and investigators.

Theyve never seen anything like this, he told the panel. These images will never leave their minds.

He reminded the panel that a video interview shown to them after Cardenas arrest showed he had no concern for what happened to his girlfriends daughter.

Hes hungry, hes yawning, he was shaking and had slurred speech. The defendant asked for food, Gonzalez said.

As the prosecutor turned toward the defendant, he said, You had her blood in your hands.

Gonzalez reminded the jury of a text exchange where Cardenas told Herrera to go over to the house to put the baby to sleep.

He said, we can mess around all night, he said. He needed to have sex with someone that night.

This case comes down to logic and common sense, Gonzalez said before asking the jury to render a guilty verdict. Its not a dog.

Elizabeth Zavala is a courts and crime reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
WASHINGTON  U.S. Capitol Police arrested a staffer in the office of Houston Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee who allegedly posted personal information about one or more senators involved in the hearings on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Jackson A. Cosko, 27, faced charges Wednesday of making public, or "doxing," restricted information, unauthorized access of a government computer, burglary, and other violations of federal law.

Jackson Lee's chief of staff, Glenn Rushing, told the Chronicle that Cosko was an intern who had worked in their Washington congressional office for just the past month. "He is no longer with us," Rushing added.

ELECTION 2018: 'Were not bluffing... it is a serious threat,' says Cornyn of possible Cruz loss

Rushing said he could provide no other details, other than to say that others might have been involved. "It's an ongoing investigation and we're cooperating with law enforcement," he said.

Capitol Police released no more specifics. But some news outlets reported that Cosko posted the home phone numbers and addresses of at least four Republican senators, three of them members of the Judiciary Committee which voted along party lines last week to advance Kavanaugh's nomination.

According to Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's home addresses in Kentucky and Washington D.C. were added to his public Wikipedia page. The paper also reported that "the personal home addresses, home phone numbers, cellphone numbers and email addresses of Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Orrin G. Hatch and Mike Lee, both R-Utah, were added to the public Wikipedia pages from what appeared to be an IP address connected to the Capitol."

The information reportedly was added during the Kavanaugh hearings, and then sent to thousands of people through a Twitter account.

Cosko's LinkedIn profile identifies him as a "Democratic Political Professional & Cybersecurity Graduate Student" from the D.C. area. He lists a number of Senate and House positions dating back more than five years.

He also lists experience as a former Iowa field organizer for Generation Forward, a political action committee associated with former Baltimore Mayor and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, a 2016 presidential candidate.

VOTERS GUIDE: Get to know the candidates in the 2018 general election

According to Legistorm, an online service that tracks congressional staffers, Cosko has previously worked for Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire.

McConnell announced Wednesday that the FBI had forwarded the results of its "supplemental background investigation" on Kavanaugh and that the full Senate is scheduled to take a preliminary vote on the nomination on Friday.

Jackson Lee, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, has publicly opposed Kavanaugh's nomination and sided with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who testified before the committee that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her three decades ago at a teenage drinking party.
3 1 of 3 Richard W. Rodriguez, FRE / Associated Press Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Joel Martinez, MBI / Associated Press Show More Show Less 3 of 3





AUSTIN  A group of pro-public school parents is doling out political endorsements to dozens of candidates this year but is refusing to back Democrat Lupe Valdez because her campaign for governor is lacking, the groups co-founder said Thursday.

She doesnt meet our criteria for endorsement, said Dinah Miller, a Texas mom who helped form Texas Parent PAC. Youve got to have a really good campaign put together and she just doesnt have the campaign infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia agreed to set up oil refinery at Gwadar

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday agreed in principle to set up a major refinery at Gwadar and showed serious commitment to make investments in other areas of energy sector, according to federal Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan.



The minister told journalists that the two sides had agreed to set up an oil refinery at Gwadar and a summary would be moved to the federal cabinet on Thursday (today) for approval to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU).



He said the Saudi minister for energy was expected to visit Islamabad later this month for signing of the MoU. He said the visiting Saudi delegation was offered to participate in the $2bn North-South Gas Pipeline and bid for the upcoming 10 petroleum exploration blocks to be offered for auction soon. He also requested Saudi Arabia to enhance crude supplies to Pakistan.



Mr Khan was talking to journalists after holding a meeting with the Saudi delegation led by energy adviser Ahmad Hamid Al-Ghamidi.



The minister said Saudi Arabia enjoyed great respect in Pakistan and both countries had strong bilateral brotherly relations that would scale new heights under the present government. The proposed 500,000 barrels per day refinery is estimated to be completed with an investment of about $8-9bn.



On the sidelines, Pakistan updated China about the progress on engagements with Saudi delegation.



An official said that Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing on Wednesday called on Minister for Planning and Development Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar who is also focal person on CPEC.



Mr Bakhtiar told the ambassador that development of refinery would be more important for Pakistan than Saudi Arabia because it would significantly reduce Islamabads oil import bill estimated for current year at $18bn. This would also ensure that Pakistans requirement for financial support from the International Monetary Fund is minimised.



The planning minister and the ambassador also finalised plans for creation of a new joint working group on social sector and upcoming visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Beijing to attend an industry conference with a business delegation. The two sides viewed it as an opportunity to reduce the China-Pakistan trade gap.



A statement issued by the petroleum division quoted the Saudi delegation as telling the minister that they had visited Gwadar site allocated for the purpose and would like the hosts to provide a suitable piece of land for the refinery.



A senior official who was part of the consultative process said the two sides shared a wish list of around eight to nine items for Saudi investment and hoped three to four of those items would materialise over the next few months. Our priority is to focus on smaller deliverable projects of $1-2bn each in the first phase before getting into mega projects, he said.



Responding to a question, the official explained that the visit of the Saudi delegation was of fact finding nature and its level of serious commitment for investments appeared very encouraging. We have been successful in generating their strong interest and it would now also depend on our abilities to materialise some of these projects, he said.



Officials said the delegation also showed strong interest in Liquefied Natural Gas based power projects. Since these projects are currently operational, competitive bidding would be the only way to move forward, they said.
CHESHIRE  The body of a woman found in the area of Mixville Road by Marion Avenue Wednesday evening was that of a beloved Cheshire High School English teacher, state police said Thursday afternoon.

Megumi Yamamoto, 48, a former Cheshire Teacher of the Year and head of the high schools English Department, was reported missing Wednesday around 5:17 p.m.. Her body was found near where she had been reported missing, police said.

State and local police said Yamamotos body was found Wednesday night near a stream about a half-mile mile from her home. They declined to identify who called in the missing person report, but said it was not a family member.

Connecticut State Police Major Crimes detectives have assumed the case and will be working in conjunction with the Cheshire Police Department to investigate. Police spent Thursday afternoon interviewing neighbors and potential witnesses to find out how Yamamoto ended up where she was found, state police said Thursday.

Investigators were seen going house-to-house in the area near Yamamotos Mixville Road home . Her home is not far from where her body was found, in a stream near Consolidated Industries.

Investigators with tracking dogs were scouring the woods in the area around where the body was found.

As a result of the ongoing investigation, an area of Marion Avenue was closed for much of the day Thursday before investigators left the scene at around 3 p.m.. Prior to their departure, Connecticut State Police and Cheshire police insisted people living in the area had no reason to fear for their safety.

Police are not commenting on how Yamamoto died or whether there are any persons of interests .

Property records show Yamamoto owned a house on Mixville Road with her husband. Judicial records show she and her husband were in the process of getting a divorce.

Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey F. Solan said in an email to the school community Thursday only that Yamamoto had died suddenly.

Police had a heavy presence outide Cheshire High School Wednesday afternoon as classes were dismissed for the day. Most students who crossed Route 10 to get to the student parking lot in Bartlem Park didnt respond when when asked whether they wanted to talk to reporters about the teacher.

But one student, who declined to identify himself, said, Yes, but Im going to cry if I do. Then he walked away.

Jacob Simcik, a Cheshire High School senior, said Yamamoto was highly regarded by students.

I didnt know her, but when we were told, it was like we were one big family, Simcik said. It was like we were all in this together.

Simcik said he first heard rumors that Yamamoto had died via social media Thursday morning as he was going into school. School officials confirmed the news to students as classes started. They were offered time early in the day to talk about how they were feeling.

Freshman Jason Raba said Yamamoto had helped him find a clasroom he need to get to when classes started a little more than a month ago.

People who had her in class said she was very friendly and nice, Raba said. It was definitely a tough day.

Solan said Yamamoto was a friend, parent and colleague.

Understandably, after hearing this deeply unsettling news, Cheshire High School and our entire school community are grieving. Solan said in his email.

You may have known Ms. Yamamoto or her family, Solan said in his note to students. This news will affect everyone differently.

The superintendent also urged students to be sensitive about any social media posts they may make.

We know social media is a tool for communication and some turn to social media in times of grief, he said. Social media is public. Please be sensitive to the family and friends of Ms. Yamamoto and be reminded that rumor and speculation are hurtful and inappropriate at this time.

However, he told students it is normal to experience a range of emotions and that there is no right way to grieve.

Please know that our school counseling department is making themselves available if you want to talk about this or simply be with others who are processing Ms. Yamamotos passing, he said. Additionally, we will have grief counselors from Cheshire Social Services and therapy animals available at different points over the next several days. My thoughts go out to our school community.

Solan encouraged parents to talk to their children about Yamamotos death and to continue to monitor the students. He also provided information to parents who may want to access support outside of school.

It is incredibly painful to lose a member of our school family, he said. We are grateful that our community can lean on one another for support and that our extended community has made themselves available in this challenging time. I know you will join us in keeping Ms. Yamamotos family in your thoughts.

A Cheshire Board of Education open forum scheduled for Thursday evening was canceled after Yamamotos death became known, with school officials calling it a very difficult day for the Cheshire Public Schools community.
Supplementary finance bill approved in NA

ISLAMABAD: The amendment bill was under discussion in the Lower house for the last seven days. NA Speaker Asad Qaiser chaired the session as Finance Minister Asad Umer presented the supplementary finance bill. As the speaker initiated the voting process on the bill through verbal voting, opposition members challenged Clause 2 of the bill and demanded that there should be a headcount on it. The speaker approved the request and during the headcount, 158 voted in favour of Clause 2 while 120 opposed it. A clause-wise approval of the bill was then sought in the assembly.







The government on Wednesday retained a ban on purchasing property and vehicles by non-filers of tax returns as National Assembly (NA) approved the amended finance bill presented by Finance Minister Asad Umer amid several reservations by the opposition.




Canada's first Provincial Nominee Program came into being in 1998, paving way for other Canadian provinces

Manitoba has welcomed 130,000 immigrants over MPNPs 20-year history Canada's first Provincial Nominee Program came into being in 1998, paving way for other Canadian provinces

Manitoba has welcomed 130,000 immigrants over MPNPs 20-year history Canada's first Provincial Nominee Program came into being in 1998, paving way for other Canadian provinces

Manitoba has welcomed 130,000 immigrants over MPNPs 20-year history Canada's first Provincial Nominee Program came into being in 1998, paving way for other Canadian provinces Stephen Smith Eman Katem Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Manitoba is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its pioneering Provincial Nominee Program, which has welcomed more than 130,000 immigrants since its inception in 1998.

The creation of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, or MPNP, made the province the first in Canada to nominate newcomers for permanent residence through streams tailored to its economic needs and priorities.

Most Canadian provinces and territories have since followed Manitobas lead and now have a provincial nominee program, or PNP, of their own. The only province without a PNP is Quebec, which has a separate immigration agreement with Canadas federal government.

Driving population and economic growth in Manitoba

Since the MPNPs creation in 1998, immigration has been the main driver of the net positive population growth that Manitoba has experienced since 2006.

The province says its GDP would be 30 per cent lower today without the economic benefit of this immigration boom generated by the MPNP, and immigrants who entered the province through its Business streams have invested more than $308 million in the province.

According to the province, an impressive 90 per cent of immigrants are employed within their first year in Manitoba and around the same percentage stay in the province.

Discover your Canadian immigration options by completing a free assessment form.

Innovation

Over the past 20 years, Manitoba has continued to fine-tune the MPNP, introducing a nomination stream for business immigrants in 2001 and adding new skilled worker streams in the years that followed.

This innovation culminated in 2017 with a complete overhaul of the MPNP in November. A key part of this renewal program was the division of its Skilled Worker Overseas program into two immigration sub-streams, including one aligned with the federal Express Entry system.

Introduced in 2015, Express Entry manages the pool of candidates for Canadas three main economic immigration categories  the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class.

Manitobas Express Entry Stream allows the province to nominate Express Entry candidates with a strong connection to Manitoba and work experience in an occupation that the province considers in-demand, among other criteria.

The MPNP has now issued 1,155 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination to eligible Express Entry candidates since the stream became active in January 2018.

In order to be considered for Manitobas Express Entry Stream, individuals must have a valid Express Entry profile and submit an Expression of Interest to the MPNP.

To find out if you are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool, fill out a free assessment form.

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The Charity Commission has unveiled a new five-year strategy signalling a shift in its focus to operate more collaboratively but also demand higher standards of behaviour from the sector.

In a speech this evening Baroness Stowell, who became chair of the regulator earlier this year, will say that charities must do more to set a good example, otherwise they risk being complicit in its decline.

She will also commit to improving the support the regulator offers to charities and fostering a non-adversarial relationship with the sector.

Being a registered charity must mean more

This evening she will tell an audience at the Royal Society of Arts that charities must do more to show they deserve charity status.

Being a registered charity will need to amount to more than it does today if that status is to survive, let alone to thrive, she will say, and that the sector and the regulator need to promote what is special about charity, and to meet legitimate public expectations of charity, or risk being complicit in its decline.

She will call on the sector to recognise our collective responsibility as custodians of what it means to be a charity in the eyes of the public and fulfil our responsibility for making the changes needed.

Charities must be a living example of charitable purpose, charitable attitude, and charitable behaviour, she will say, and that all must behave like a charity, not just call itself a charity because of the aims it has and the work it does. Charitable aims cannot justify uncharitable means.

Stowell will say that research shows the public want to see charities being held, and holding themselves, to the highest standard of charitable behaviour.

New course for the regulator

Stowell will say that the Commission must also change and go beyond its role as a statutory regulator.

It needs to offer more, and amount to more, in the years ahead" and said we must now steer a new course, if we are to do our duty by the public we serve.

The Commission cannot afford  literally or metaphorically  to see the fulfilment of our statutory functions as the totality of its mission, she will say. We must be able to demonstrate what we stand for in ways that chime with peoples lives, concerns and interests, and to achieve this, what we stand for must be greater than simply the sum of what we do. We must be an organisation led by purpose.



She will also set out an ambition to provide more insight about charities with the data it collects.

Im not convinced that the way we gather, hold, and report information about charities is as purposeful and useful as it should be. Working with others, I want us to become less of a warehouse for charity data, and more of a curator of knowledge about individual charities, and about the sector, she will say.

Stowell believes this could help the public to have confidence in charities by giving them power.

I will avoid conflict with the sector

Charities were often frustrated by what they saw as public and unnecessary criticism of the sector by the previous chair, William Shawcross, and Stowell will say she wants to avoid an "adversarial approach".

Tonight Stowell will also promise to develop the right relationship with the charities we regulate".

I see no benefit in a deliberately adversarial approach. I will not measure my success in the number of public fights I pick. I will not feel stronger for having criticised charities," she said.

She said the Commission will be championing charitable behaviour, as much as we will be required to draw attention to shortcomings or failings.

Five core strategic objectives

The strategy includes five strategic objectives:

Holding charities to account

The document says this is about more than just compliance with the legal minimum standards and that it will do more to use its leadership role to encourage charities to act ethically.

We will use our voice more strongly to encourage the behaviour that people expect of charities, it says.

Dealing with wrongdoing and harm

The Commission says that good informaiton analysis is key to identifying and dealing with problems.

It admits that its investigations can be slow to conclude and wants to use technology better to close simpler regulatory cases more quickly.

The Commission has also committed to making sure that no complaint is ignored and even where no action is taken complaints will feed into its data trends.

Informing public choice

The Commission collects and publishes data about charities via the annual return and its online register, but it says this is not easy to access, share or compare with other datasets.

We are committed to making sure our data is truly open, it says.

Giving charities the understanding and tools they need to succeed

The Commission says that at the moment most of its guidance is aimed at all charities and limited mostly to describing the things charities should not do.

It aims to provide more targeted guidance and concentrate on the areas of highest risk.

Keeping charity relevant for todays world

The strategy promises the Commission will lead the thinking about how charities can thrive in a changing world.

It will aim to shape government agenda and speak confidently and authoritatively across government, in Parliament and on charity matters as the expert regulator, informed by our experience and our data, with the intention of supporting a stronger charity sector.

Changing the way we work

To fulfill this strategy the Commission says it needs to work in partnership with others.

It also said it will mean changing the way we work and that its staff must think differently about the way they carry out their roles to ensure we are fulfilling our purpose.

Resources

The Commissions budget was effectively halved by austerity measures and for a number of years senior figures at the regulator have been discussing the possibility of charging a levy on larger charities - a move that has raised concerns in the sector.

The strategy document says that the Commission does not have all the resources necessary".

In order to begin the consultation the Commission needs to get permission from HM Treasury and the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport. Once it has completed the consultation government would need to change the law to enable the Commission to charge a levy.

Sector reaction

NCVO: 'We accept the challenge'

Peter Kellner, chair of NCVO, said it is right to demand the highest standards and that: The great majority that maintain those standards feel betrayed when a small minority fall short. The Commission deserves support for its efforts to provide a clear regulatory framework and a focus on where things go wrong.

It is equally important to celebrate the range, diversity and impact of Britains charities. Every year they make a big difference in every community, both in what they do and how they do it. The British people continue to be generous because they appreciate the positive work that charities undertake. Indeed we should remain proud that Britains charities retain a level of trust that many other national institutions can only dream of.

Nevertheless, as Baroness Stowell says, those levels of trust have seen a modest decline. It needs to be reversed. To help achieve this, NCVO will soon publish a code of ethics for the charity sector, to build upon our popular and rigorous quality standards that already underpin many charities work. We have also helped develop a strong, clear charity governance code.

For our part, NCVO accepts the challenge to help charities do more, and do it better. We look forward to working with the Commission to build stronger charities.

Acevo: 'Welcome step but too soon to gauge what change will occur'

Vicky Browning, chief executive of Acevo said: This declaration of strategic intent is a welcome step towards the Charity Commission setting out a clear vision that articulates what it believes the role of the regulator is, what good regulation looks like and how it wants to achieve that.

She added that it is light on detail", but "I am pleased that the strategy talks about addressing some of the concerns we have heard from Acevo members in recent years, including reducing the length of time to conclude investigations and making better use of data. It is also a step change to hear the Charity Commission saying it will lead thinking about how charities can thrive in a changing world'."

These statements could be indications of a shift away from the often confrontational tone of the Commissions previous chair William Shawcross. However, an emphatic section on declining trust alongside a clear indication that there will be a consultation on charity charging, means it is too early yet to gauge what change will occur during Baroness Stowells tenure", she said.

NPC: 'Trust flows not just from avoiding wrong, but doing right'

Nathan Yeowell, head of policy at NPC, said the regulator "should be applauded for showing both realism about where the Commission is now, and ambition about the role it can take in the future".



He added that: "We believe that trust flows not just from avoiding wrong, but doing right. For charities this means having impact. We welcome the Commissions commitment to open up its data to get impact out in the open and promote collaboration and merger, but it must also be matched with a commitment to help, and in some cases compel charities to do better for the people they exist to serve."
Barnardos unfairly dismissed a marketing manager at its trading subsidiary, an employment tribunal has ruled.

Claire Vary had been a marketing manager at Barnardos Trading Ltd since 2007, originally joining as a buying coordinator in 2002.

Vary was managed by the head of Barnardos Trading Limited, Tracey Sarwar, who was ruled to have been unfairly dismissed herself in an employment tribunal in September.

Sarwar reported to the charitys director of retail, Gerard Cousins, until he moved to Mencap in January 2016.

He was replaced on an interim basis by Chris Judd and then permanently by Roy Clark from August 2016. Sarwar resinged in February 2017, but an employement tribunal has ruled that she can view herself as dismissed due to treatment by Clark.

Vary was dismissed in July 2017 for gross misconduct, which she unsuccessfully appealed internally the next month.

Her dismissal was partly due to work she had undertaken, under Sarwars instruction, for Mencap on the production of six Christmas cards and two lines of gift wrapping paper as part of their 2016 range.

Barnardos internal investigation regarded this work for Mencap, which was unpaid, as a breach of trust and confidence.

But employment judge Russell ruled that the staff members who investigated Vary did not form a view on her credibility based upon her oral answers to questions as she did not attend a disciplinary hearing due to ill health related to her having a stroke in January 2017.

A hearing to decide on a remedy for unfair dismissal will take place between November 2018 and February 2019.

A Barnardos spokesperson said: "We respect the findings of the tribunal, whilst also agreeing with the tribunal findings that Miss Vary contributed to her dismissal by her conduct.

It is clear the tribunal felt Miss Varys dismissal could have been judged as fair if further investigation had taken place.

We will now focus on preparation for the remedy hearing to mitigate financial loss to Barnardos."
President Trump called it old, boring and often told. Sarah Sanders labeled it a totally false attack, based on an old recycled news story. Charles Harder, the presidents lawyer, threatened to sue. But when Donald Trumps press secretary was asked to name anything in The New York Timess blockbuster story that was specifically inaccurate, she drew a blank.

To any objective observer, the 14,000 words of deeply investigated work that rolled off the New York Times printing presses on Wednesday morning, splashed across eight pages of the front section, were nothing short of extraordinary. David Barstow, Susanne Craig, and Russ Buettner spent more than a year digging through documents and interviewing key sources to authoritatively answer a simple question: Whats the actual truth about how Donald Trump got rich? Their conclusion, presented in painstaking detail, boils down to one major source of the presidents wealth: his father. The report details how Trump, his siblings, and their father utilized dubious tax schemes, including outright fraud, and revealed that the president is far from the self-made man he has claimed to be.

ICYMI: CJR editor says hes been irked by one common critique of the NYT Trump investigation

Despite the administrations protests, it was packed with new information, and lauded by journalists across the industry the day after it hit the Web. David Cay Johnston, the Pulitzer-winning investigative journalist whose 2017 scoop on Trumps taxes was at least partially responsible for getting the Times investigation started, tells me that the Times journalists went far beyond any previous coverage of Trumps wealth. Ive spent years on this, he said. Tim OBrien, the historian Gwenda Blair, the late Wayne Barrettweve all had little pieces of this. [But] this is light years beyond where we ever got.

CJR Editor and Publisher Kyle Pope praises the Times for embracing the long game, publishing a report that transcends the headlines of the day, focusing on an elemental, fundamental aspect of this man and this presidency that, it turns out, is even more divorced from our common understanding than we might have previously thought. It is an example of journalism as long game, a sport that more of us need to be playing.

For those who hand-wave the pieces conclusions by claiming it simply tells us things we already knew about Trumps business dealings, Pope offers a rebuttal: In fact, you didnt know it, he writes. You thought it. You believed it. You intuited it. But thats entirely different from having the raw information to back your theory up, to actually show, thanks to months of hard work, how its true and what it means.

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Explicit in the Timess story is a criticism of previous reportingincluding by the Times itselfthat was overly credulous, allowing Trump to create and burnish the fiction that his wealth was self-made, the result of a small loan from his father and years of hard work. The reckoning with previous reporting on Trump-as-deal-maker is a story that deserves more reflection, especially from outlets like the New York Post who often served as launderers for Trumps own tips. As the Times report makes clear, Trump was bailed out again and again by his father, supported to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, and aside from a handful of reporters, for decades no one seemed to care.

Barstow, Craig, and Buettner still lack one set of documents vital to telling the story of Trumps recent business dealings: the presidents own tax returns. Asked Wednesday if those documents would be released, Sarah Sanders replied, Im not aware of any plans to do so.

RELATED: NYT and The New Yorker attacked for recent scoops

Below, more on the reverberations from the Timess blockbuster report.

How it happened: Now that youve read the 14k-word piece, read how they did it. 18 months, 100,000 documents, and one locked room: Barstow, Craig, and Buettner explain how their investigation unfolded, and what questions remain unanswered. Showtime will also air a behind-the-scenes documentary of the reporting process on Sunday.

Now that youve read the 14k-word piece, read how they did it. 18 months, 100,000 documents, and one locked room: Barstow, Craig, and Buettner explain how their investigation unfolded, and what questions remain unanswered. Showtime will also air a behind-the-scenes documentary of the reporting process on Sunday. Hes not going to sue: Though Harder threatened the Times with legal action in a statement, The Washington Posts Paul Farhi writes that Trump has made such warnings before, and that he rarely follows through. Not only would Trump be unlikely to win such a claim, according to legal experts, he would be required as part of the discovery process to provide private financial documents that he has long resisted making public, Farhi writes.

Though Harder threatened the Times with legal action in a statement, The Washington Posts Paul Farhi writes that Trump has made such warnings before, and that he rarely follows through. Not only would Trump be unlikely to win such a claim, according to legal experts, he would be required as part of the discovery process to provide private financial documents that he has long resisted making public, Farhi writes. The cost of deception: Crains New York calculates that Trump and his siblings could owe New York state more than $400 million in unpaid taxes, interest, and penalties if the numbers in the Times report are accurate.

Other notable stories:

ICYMI: Are we all suffering from data breach fatigue?

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Pete Vernon is a former CJR staff writer. Follow him on Twitter @ByPeteVernon.
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
When Facebook announced in April that it would create a public database of political advertising, it seemed like a meaningful stepsomething that might make it harder for Russian trolls and other bad actors to try to manipulate public opinion using the companys self-serve ad platform. But it soon became obvious the move would cause problems for media companies: In a follow-up post, Facebook said that any news stories on political topics that were promoted or boosted to extend their reach in the News Feed would also be labeled as political ads and put in the database.

To promote political news stories, Facebook requires that publishers apply and be authorized as a political advertiserpresumably to prove that they arent a front for a Russian or Iranian troll factory. The process requires the uploading of official ID, such as a drivers license, a passport, or the last four digits of a Social Security Number, along with receipt of a registered letter at an approved US address.

For larger media outlets, these requirements might be complicated and annoying. For smaller publishers, Facebooks new rules can be so unwieldy and demandingand the definition of what constitutes a political news story so capriciousthat small newsrooms in four states told CJR they are either scaling back their Facebook usage or, in some cases, have given up on promoting their content there at all.

ICYMI: CJR editor says hes irked by common critique of NYT Trump investigation

Nick Kratsas, the digital operations director for southwestern Pennsylvanias Observer-Reporter, went through Facebooks approval process in order to promote his sites political stories; he says his company gets a significant amount of traffic and engagement from the social network. About 55 percent of its monthly visits are due to Facebook links. (Like many other publishers, the paper has seen a drop after the latest algorithm changes, a decline that Kratsas recently estimated at about 8 percent.)

Kratsas says the platforms tendency to flag any news story that mentions a politician or political topic has become so irritating that he wonders whether it is really worth the time that his company spends on it. The rest of the Observer-Reporter team hasnt gone through Facebooks authorization process, says Kratsas, and they are still finding their stories denied for allegedly political topics.

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We appeal and in some cases they have turned them back on, Kratsas says, but then by that point its days later, so now Im paying to promote something thats old news. In one case, a story rejected by the automated system was about a local woman who gained notoriety as a four-year-old following the attacks on September 11, 2001, when she was quoted by then-President George Bush. A profile of her was flagged as political advertising when Kratsas tried to promote it. When the paper managed to get through to a Facebook representative using the social networks chat function, that person confirmed mentioning Bush and 9/11 was enough to get a story labeled as political (the companys policies say content will be flagged if it refers to a current or former candidate for public office).

In another case, Kratsas says, the newspaper wrote about a shooting in which the gunman was eventually killed at a district magistrates office. Promotion of that story was denied as well, possibly because it mentioned a judge, whose identity was tangential to the story. We posted the story on Facebook with updates throughout the afternoon, and attempted to boost the posts, Kratsas says. Included with this story were school lockdowns, roads closed, and people worried about the safety of those inside and around the district magistrates office. Obviously, this was important community news we needed to share. Unfortunately, the boosts on Facebook were denied.

Sometimes, newsrooms have no idea what causes a story to be flagged. In one case, a story about a local police officer getting promoted to police chief was rejected as political. In another, a story about a local council meeting was flagged. In both cases, it was unclear to newsrooms what made Facebook label the stories as political advertising.

What makes the problem even more irritating, Kratsas and other small publishers say, is that Facebook has changed the way the News Feed algorithm works so that it is harder than ever to get content seen by an audiencewhich makes paid promotion a greater necessity for small outlets. Kratsas says his traffic has held up so far, but he thinks it is mostly because he has been spending to promote stories.

Thanks to them, we have to boost our stories or people just wont see them, Kratsas says. We dont have the option of saying we dont need this trafficits a huge chunk of our traffic and we need that. I want to be a good partner with Facebook, and I think they want to be a good partner with me as well. It just seems like an unfair way of handling a problem that they created.

A number of smaller media outlets says they havent found Facebook to be very approachable or helpful when they have problems, despite a pledge from CEO Mark Zuckerberg that the company wants to help users find more trusted sources of local news. A recent analysis by the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia found many small publishers have seen a dramatic decline in their Facebook traffic since the most recent algorithm changes took effect in January.

Facebook has so far resisted attempts by publishers, including the News Media Alliance, to convince the company not to put promoted news stories into its political ad database. Campbell Brown, the companys head of global news partnerships, responded that removing an entire group of advertisers would go against our transparency efforts and the work were doing to shore up election integrity on Facebook.

The social network recently created a separate section just for news stories within the ad database, and now allows media outlets to apply to be accredited as news publishers so that their promoted content will always appear in the news section. But publishers still have to be approved to promote them, and they still have to pay to make sure their stories are seenand they are still labeled as political advertising or sponsored content.

RELATED: The Weekly Standard and the flaws in Facebooks fact-checking program

Dylan Goforth, editor-in-chief of Oklahoma nonprofit newsroom The Frontier, says his site published a feature story about a charitable group earlier this year, based on records provided by a whistleblower, but nothing that even hinted at politics, he says. When The Frontier tried to promote the storya process that usually takes 10 or 15 minutesthe team waited for two or three hours and then got a notification that it had been denied. We went through the options on the form denial, and eventually we managed to speak to someone at Facebook and said, This is ridiculous, and eventually they overturned it, Goforth says. But it took a lot longer than it should have.

A few weeks later, the site published a story about a political action group that didnt register and lost their funding. That, too, was denied. The Frontier tried again to convince Facebook to allow it to be promoted, but was unsuccessful. I thought about going through the approval process to get verified to promote posts, but it just seemed so intrusive that I didnt want to, Goforth says. Weve boosted things since then and had no problems, but its just weird how it flags things as political sometimes and not other times. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. Like other small publishers, Goforth says he finds it more and more necessary to promote content on Facebook because of changes to the social networks News Feed algorithm. Its like we have to keep trying harder and harder to stay in the same place.

Heath Haussamen, editor and publisher of New Mexicos NMPolitics.net, says he has had so much trouble getting his promoted news stories and commentary approved by Facebook that he has given up on the platform altogether.

I run a small news organization focused on policy and politics in New Mexico, so many of the articles I post are explicitly political, but I still think they shouldnt be labeled as political advertising, he says. Most of the posts Facebook has rejected for financial boosting were issue-focused, not focused on candidates or elections. And it was happening often, on important topics like immigrant children being separated from their parents at the border. I protested, but my requests to reconsider were also rejected.

Ultimately, Haussamen says, he stopped spending money on promoting content on Facebook. It wasnt much moneymaybe $70 or $80 a monthbut the NMPolitics publisher said he thought it was an important symbolic move. Ironically, since he stopped spending money to promote posts, the amount of Facebook traffic to his site has been steady, while engagement on the sites posts has actually gone up. Whatever Facebooks intent was, from my perspective, it has backfired on them completely, he says. Im giving them less money and getting better engagement on their platform. Its been a win-win.

Candice Fortman, the marketing and engagement manager for Detroits WDET public radio station, says her newsroom recently tried to boost a story about chemicals in the Great Lakes, an important news story for the stations core audience. I had read a lot about the new political advertising rules, but it never really occurred to me that this would be seen as political advertising, she says. Then she got a message from the social network that the promotion had been denied.

Fortman says she considered going through the process of being approved to promote political ads, but decided that the process was too laborious and too personally revealing just for the occasional article. In the end, Fortman says, this has got me thinking about maybe focusing more on getting away from relying on Facebook so much, and getting back to more focusing on in-person engagement with our audience. Facebook is useful for stories where were trying to reach outside our normal audience, but Im not sure its worth it.

Jason Zaragoza, executive director of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, says he ran into Facebooks political advertising roadblock when he tried to promote a message asking the groups members to consider posting an editorial about protection of the free press. The experience has soured him on using Facebook for promotion at all. We dont promote very often on Facebook, but I thought this was worth promoting because of the importance of the topic, and I have to say I was kind of surprised when it wasnt approved, Zaragoza says. Frankly, I wasnt really interested in pursuing it. I was just disappointed, given their reach and their monopoly on attention, that they would make this decision.

The group doesnt spend much on Facebook, Zaragoza saysmaybe $100 or $200 a yearso the loss for the social network isnt huge. But for me its more the principle of the thing, he says. It wasnt really worth it to get verified or approved or whatever. I wasnt sure what was required and frankly it wasnt worth my time, so weve just used other methods to get the word out to our members. On top of that, Zaragoza says, the relationship between our publishers and Facebook is pretty fraught already, so Im a little wary of spending money with them given whats happened.

Correction: An earlier version of this story referred to the National Media Association. The correct name of the organization is the News Media Alliance.

ICYMI: A reporter writing an explosive story about torture receives an odd text with a link Its a good thing he didnt click.

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Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg.
One day last month our firm received three separate, unrelated subrogation claim files involving serious personal injury, property damage, and a death resulting from tractor-trailers whose drivers had swerved to avoid colliding with a deer on the highway. In two of the losses, the 18-wheelers overturned and were shortly thereafter struck by other vehicles, resulting in further injuries and damages. The poor deer that started it all are still presumably alive, although uninsured. A passenger in one of the vehicles which struck the truck is dead.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently conducted a study that analyzed the ever-increasing danger of deer-related vehicle accidents. Such accidents have consistently risen over the years due to increasing deer populations and rising speed limits. There is a serious deer overpopulation problem in the United States thanks to deforestation (which actually helps the deer), limited hunting and a lack of natural predators. In 1930, the white-tailed deer population stood stead at around 300,000. Today it exceeds 30 million, and not one of them obeys traffic signs or uses crosswalks.

There are over 1.5 million deer-related vehicle accidents every year, resulting in an average 10,000 serious injuries, 200 fatalities and over $1 billion in property damage. The vast majority of these occur in the Midwest, especially in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio. However, for the past 11 years, the state on top of State Farms list of the states with the highest likelihood of such crashes has been West Virginiawhere the odds of striking a deer are an astonishing 1 in 41. Compare that with Hawaii, where the odds are 1 in 6,823.

In many insurance claims involving deer collisions, the insured is struck by the swerving car or truck or it comes upon wreckage in the road that resulted from the collision. Subrogating the vehicle which swerved to avoid the deer is often an afterthought, if a thought at all. However, aggressive subrogation professionals should remember that prudent drivers who react appropriately when confronted with a deer in the headlights can usually avoid the devastation and carnage that results from acting inappropriately.

When claims professionals receive claims involving deer collisions, they must take the time to investigate a few miles downstream of the crash and look for Deer Crossing signs. Those signs are there for a reason and are placed in areas known for high deer traffic to warn motorists and truck drivers. Deer are most frequently hit during dusk and dawn. The real culprits in these collisions, however, are drivers who swerve to avoid hitting a deer. Swerving can result in vehicles moving into oncoming traffic, crashing into trees and other objects, or evening rolling over. The safest and most prudent course of action when faced with a deer in the headlights is to slow down as much as possible and let your vehicle strike the deer.

Hitting a deer can ruin your day. But it is nothing compared to the misery that could result if the driver swerves into a different lane or into oncoming traffic. While deer may cause damage to a vehicle and with smaller vehicles even injury, there is a much greater potential for serious injury and damage if the driver swerves and strikes a tree, telephone pole or another vehicle. This is especially true if a tractor-trailer or commercial truck is involved. Experts advise drivers to take their foot off the gas and maintain a straight course to reduce damage and avoid injuring himself or others. The website dmv.org succinctly says, It is best to lock the brakes, jam the horn, and (if time allows) duck low behind the dashboard. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says, the safest option is to hit the brakes and the deerIf you swerve suddenly, you can lose control and then you risk a more serious collision with another vehicle or a stationary object such as a tree or utility pole. Do not swerve is the universal consensus regarding the prudent course of action to take when a deer appears in the roadway.

The Sudden Emergency Doctrine is a doctrine of tort law which states that a driver confronted with a sudden and unexpected perilous situation not of his or her own making and who acts as would a reasonably prudent person under the circumstances will not be held liable even if later reflection shows that the wisest course was not chosen. This defense will likely be used by a driver who swerves to avoid a deer and causes other serious damage, injury, or death. However, evidence that the overwhelming consensus is that the prudent action is to not swerve can help sway a jury and a third party liability adjuster and convince them that the actions of the defendant driver were not the actions a reasonably prudent person would have taken. Facing this defense is better than no subrogation potential at all. In North Carolina, for example, the defense requires the driver to be suddenly and unexpectedly confronted with imminent danger to himself or others. If you get a statement that indicates that the driver swerved to avoid harming the poor deer, the defense might not be applicable. By comparison, the defense would never be available to a driver who swerved to avoid a squirrel. Therefore, simply by showing no appreciation for or consideration of danger to the driver you can negate the Sudden Emergency Doctrine. This is easy to do in collisions involving lower speeds. Remember, the Sudden Emergency Doctrine is only applicable when a collision or accident is shown to have occurred as the result of a sudden emergency not of a partys own making. White v. Taylor Distribution Co., Inc., 753 N.W.2d 591 (Mich. 2008).

Drivers who do not see deer until the last minute are often not paying attention. Deer Crossing signs are installed at great expense and for a very important reason. Travelling at 75 MPH half a mile after passing such a sign is usually not the action of a reasonably prudent driver. Deer are most active at dawn and at dusk. They are extremely visible from July to September when alfalfa, soybean and milo fields are mature, and food is plentiful. During the rutwhich usually begins on November 13 and lasts for 10 dayswhen breeding activity is at its highest, deer are everywhere. When investigating these accidents, pay attention to the skid marks. If they begin only a short distance from the point of losing control, the driver probably was not paying attention. An absence of skid marks indicates that the driver didnt even try to stop.

When my father taught me to drive, he talked about the big picture and the need to decide how I would react to something happening in front of you before it ever happens. He stressed that I should always anticipate the unexpected. While that sounds a little like the unstoppable force hitting the immovable object, it will play well to jurors who feel the driver could or should have simply ran into the deer. Other factors which come into play include the type and size of vehicle being driven. There is little chance that a white-tailed deer will injure the driver of a tractor-trailer. What is the size of the animal? Smaller does and fawns may evoke fond memories of the Disney classic Bambi, but it doesnt make it reasonable to endanger others around you to save the wildlife.
The Atlantics warmer waters triggered the unusual number of major hurricanes last year, according to a new study that predicts the region could see a couple of extra whopper storms each year by the end of the century.

Six major hurricanes  with winds of at least 111 mph (178 kph)  spun around the Atlantic last year, including Harvey, Irma and Maria which hit parts of the United States and the Caribbean. Since 2000, the Atlantic has averaged three major hurricanes a year. Before that the average was closer to two.

It may go up to five to eight major hurricanes a year around the year 2100, according to a study in Thursdays journal Science .

We will see more active hurricane seasons like 2017 in the future, said lead author Hiro Murakami, climate scientist and hurricane expert at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

So far this year, though, only one Atlantic hurricane, Florence, has reached major status.

Warm water acts as fuel for hurricanes. Water has to be at least 79 degrees (26 degrees Celsius) for a storm to form. The warmer the water, the more it can resist forces that would cause it to weaken, said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy, who wasnt part of the study.

Murakami found that a combination of natural conditions and man-made climate change made the waters warmer in one key area, which caused more major storms. That area is essentially a large box from south of Florida and north of South America, stretching all the way east to Africa.

Some of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes form off the coast of West Africa, then chug west toward the Caribbean and the U.S. East Coast.

Water in that large box  the main hurricane development region  averaged 0.7 degrees (0.4 degrees Celsius) warmer than normal for the entire 2017 season, which is unusual for a six-month time period, Murakami said.

Murakamis study used computer simulations to isolate different climate conditions. Although his research showed both natural and human-triggered causes from the burning of coal, oil and gas, Murakami said he couldnt separate them enough to see which was bigger.

He used the computer models to look into the future. The Atlantic is projected to warm faster than the rest of the worlds oceans. That difference is why Murakami said the number of major storms will probably increase by two or more on average.

Some outside experts had issues with parts of Murakamis study.

McNoldy said it makes sense that the unusual warm water was to blame in 2017, but he wasnt quite ready to point the finger at global warming.

Hurricane seasons dont just keep getting more active as the climate warms though. There is enormous variability, McNoldy said in an email.

Kevin Trenberth of the National Center for Atmospheric Research faulted Murakamis study for not taking into account the large increase in ocean heat in deeper areas, which he said is also due to climate change.

Princeton Universitys Gabriel Vecchi said some computer simulations dont show the Atlantic warming fastest, so its not quite as certain that there will be more major storms there in the future.

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A new report from the Insurance Research Council (IRC) estimates that Floridas third-party bad faith legal environment added an average of $106 in claim costs to every insured vehicle in the state in 2017, and resulted in a total of $7.6 billion in additional claim costs over the past 12 years. A majority of the additional claims costs can be attributed to rapid growth in the frequency of bodily injury (BI) liability clams, prompted by Floridas legal rules and standards for resolving allegations of bad faith.

The report, Third-Party Bad Faith in Floridas Automobile Insurance System, 2018 Update, compares key BI liability claim trends in Florida to trends in three other large no-fault statesNew York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The three comparison states rely primarily on administrative approaches to investigating and resolving allegations of bad faith on the part of auto insurance companies, and experienced relatively stable BI claim trends over the study period. The estimate of the effect of Floridas third-party bad faith environment on BI claim frequency and costs is based on the assumption that claim trends in Florida would have followed similar trends if Florida had also relied on an administrative approach to investigating and resolving allegations of bad faith.

The virtually unrestricted ability to file a third-party bad faith lawsuit against an insurance company continues to pose a serious threat to Floridas auto insurance system, said Elizabeth A. Sprinkel, CPCU, senior vice president of the IRC. The possibility of winning large bad faith settlements and court judgments creates powerful incentives for potential claimants and their attorneys to file auto liability insurance claims that otherwise would not be filed.

A contributing factor in Floridas growing problem with third-party bad faith lawsuits is the apparent failure of the no-fault systems tort threshold to limit access to reimbursement under the liability portion of most auto insurance policies. In other no-fault states, bodily injury liability claim frequency is relatively low because the system is designed to limit the number of liability claims that are filed. In exchange for limited access to liability-based compensation, claimants are provided ready access to no-fault reimbursement for lost wages and medical costs.

Floridas tort threshold, however, appears to have little or no effect on liability claim frequency. In 2017, Floridas bodily injury claim frequency rate (1.06 BI claims per 100 insured vehicles) was higher than the claim frequency rate in 24 tort system states (states without no-fault coverage) and was significantly higher than the liability claim frequency rate countrywide (0.81 claims per 100 insured vehicles).

Source: Insurance Research Council/The Insititutes
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- As City Council put the finishing touches on legislation establishing a citywide Community Reinvestment Area in July, two considerations had to be kept in mind, both involving Columbus.

And both have now been resolved, with the recent approval of the CRA from the Ohio Development Services Agency.

This paves the way for tax abatement incentives on new residential and remodeling construction, along with selected commercial projects.

"To be able to reach our strategic development goal of providing targeted incentives for new investment throughout the city is a game changer," City Economic Development Director Tim Boland stated in an Oct. 1 press release.

Specific terms of those incentives -- the percentage amounts and the duration of the tax breaks -- are based on the strength of the housing market at a particular U.S. Census tract level using a variety of metrics identified by the city.

The other question was the qualifying date for when the incentives would take effect, as was written into the ordinance, passed just before council's August recess.

That effective date, as approved by the state, is officially Sept. 21 for all new construction and remodeling projects going forward, with "tiered" tax exemptions ranging from five years at 25 percent up to 12 years at 100 percent.

"We anticipate that the citywide CRA will provide significant help in retaining current residents, attracting new ones, and creating new jobs and economic activity," Boland said.

Provided that they meet certain criteria, commercial projects could also be eligible for tax abatement.

But commercial abatements would also be subject to the terms of a development incentive agreement negotiated case by case with the city and the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District.

"As we convey the message that the city is 'open for business,' this gives us a leg up over many other Northeast Ohio cities," Boland said.

Taylor Tudor update

In a separate development matter still pending before the state, the city Planning Department has applied for a $12,000 grant to help seek historic district status for the "Taylor Tudor" buildings north of Cain Park.

The grant money would then be used to hire a consultant for what could be the city's 13th historic district, comprised mainly of the five buildings along Taylor Road and Superior Park Drive, known at one time as "Stadium Square."

The city already holds title to the southernmost building, turned over via sheriff's sale in January as a result of foreclosure on roughly $1 million in back taxes, with another possibly on the way.

Council held off on unanimous passage until Sept. 4, after Councilman Jason Stein requested a meeting be called for merchants, school officials and residents in the area.

Stein argued that they should not be overlooked simply because they do not have their own "Special Improvements District" like the city's larger commercial areas.

He also questioned how long a "request for proposals" process might take, as well as the need for tax credits available through the Ohio Historic Preservation Office.

City Manager Tanisha Briley said the RFP process on the city-owned Taylor Tudor building might take up to a year.

"We want to assemble and position these properties for a transformational redevelopment," Briley said. "And the historic tax credit status makes the property much more attractive."

Boland noted that after additional meetings were held, the final legislation for the consultant's grant allowed for the possibility of additional eligible properties along Superior Park Drive also being included in the new historic district.

"But we left that final determination up to the state," Boland added.

Top of the Hill status update

Also, city officials and development partner Flaherty & Collins Properties have scheduled an Oct. 10 public meeting to provide a status update on the Top of the Hill project, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Cleveland Heights Community Center.

The meeting will be conducted in an "open house" format and could include more detailed drawings of the proposed $70 million to $80 million mixed-use project than the generic "massing studies" offered at the last meeting in June.

The four-acre, city-owned site, located atop Cedar Glen Parkway at the intersection with Euclid Heights Boulevard, remains one of the city's most important development initiatives, Briley noted.

"Community engagement is a key element and a vital ingredient for a successful development," Briley stated in a press release. "Those interested in this important project are encouraged and welcome to attend this meeting."

This will be the third "placeholder" meeting in an ongoing series, as the developer enters a "detailed project design" phase with the city.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said Tuesday that his office has started bringing federal firearms charges against men with convictions for domestic violence and active protection orders obtained by their partners.

Herdman said the majority of the firearms charges his office has historically brought involve people with prior felony convictions. However, he said his office will screen more cases to try and bring more federal charges against people who committed domestic violence, including those with misdemeanor convictions.

He said his office spoke to local police, prosecutors, judges and advocates to tell them of his willingness to bring the cases. Herdman also said federal prosecutors are likely better positioned to seek a prison sentence for an offender with a previous misdemeanor domestic violence case that is convicted of a firearms crime than prosecutors in state and local courts.

"For years, domestic violence was seen as a problem that could be dealt with most successfully in state courts, in municipal courts," Herdman said during a news conference held at the Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center in Cleveland. "And I saw an opportunity for us to bring federal enforcement tools to this fight."

Appearing with Herdman at the news conference were advocacy center CEO Melissa Graves, Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association President Jeff Follmer and Kyle Walton, an Independence-based assistant special agent of charge with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

While Herdman declined to say how many specific cases his office is pulling from state and local courts, he said there are many, and that his office would identify cases where people with domestic violence convictions are most likely to use a gun.

He said they are beginning to see results. His office highlighted six cases in a news release in which men with domestic violence convictions or active protection orders were charged with seeking or possessing a gun. Three of those men have misdemeanor domestic violence convictions.

The group of cases included Edward Kennerly, a Cleveland man whom officials say tried to buy a 12-gauge shotgun from a store in Eastlake last year. Kennerly lied on paperwork to try to get the shotgun, including saying he didn't have an active protection order against him and that he didn't have a pending felony indictment for a domestic violence case, according to prosecutors.

Kennerly did not get the shotgun, authorities say.

Graves also noted that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. She said 116 people died in Ohio as a result of violence involving intimate partners between 2016 and 2017, and 85 percent of those deaths were by guns.

"What research is showing about these homicides is that in domestic violence situations, the presence of a gun makes it five times more likely that that victim is going to be killed," Graves said.

Herdman said the new push is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Justice Department program that dates back to 2001 that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has highlighted as a way to reduce violent crime.

The U.S. attorney said his office have brought more firearms and violent crime indictments in 2018 than in the previous year, an unsurprising number given Sessions' tough-on-crime mentality straight from the War on Drugs of the 1980s and 1990s.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments section.
ELYRIA, Ohio - Detectives are investigating a fire Thursday morning at an apartment building in Elyria that was the site of a fatal shooting Monday evening, according to Elyria police.

Firefighters responded about 6:15 a.m. Thursday to the Southwyck Apartments on the 1400 block of West River Road North, the fire department said.

When they arrived, firefighters saw a plastic bottle filled with a flammable liquid - probably gasoline - that was thrown into a hallway on the lower level of the building, a fire department spokesman said.

The Molotov cocktail flashed and created a lot of smoke, a part of the carpet was charred, but no one was hurt, Capt. Chris Costantino said.

"This could have been a disaster," Costantino said. "That fire would have spread, and innocent people would have gotten hurt."

Police responded to the scene about 6:20 a.m. to investigate the potential arson, Costantino said.

The same apartment building was the site of a fatal shooting Monday evening, police say. Officers arrived about 6:05 p.m. and discovered Zachary Mason, 20, lying on the ground in the parking lot area with several gunshot wounds to his torso, Costantino said.

Elyria police arrested two men Wednesday in connection to the shooting. Keeon Green, Jr. and Lance Cheers are both being held without bond in the Lorain County Jail on first-degree felony charges of aggravated robbery.

Green lives in the building where the Molotov cocktail was thrown and Mason was shot, court records show. Mason lived in the apartment building directly across the street, Costantino said.

"There's a lot of tension in that area," Costantino said.

Elyria police detectives determined that Mason was shot in the second floor landing, which is a shared common area. He was able to leave the building after he was shot before collapsing on the ground outside, Costantino said.

The Molotov cocktail was thrown in a hallway on the lower level of the building and did not spread to the second floor where Mason was shot, Costantino said.

The investigation into the shooting is also ongoing and police expect to make additional arrests, Costantino said. Green and Cheers may also face upgraded charges when the investigation is completed.

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RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- A recent fatal fire and complaints from residents about living conditions have kept the Loganberry Ridge Apartments under the magnifying glass of the city's Building Department.

At the same time, residents of several units affected by the fire are being forced to leave their homes due to poor safety conditions in the building where the fire occurred.

Building Commissioner Jim Urankar told City Council's Planning and Zoning Committee Tuesday that the apartment complex's owners have been told in recent days to make several repairs, replacements of equipment and upgrades, but have failed to do so.

It was on the afternoon of Sept. 21 that a fire began in an elevator car on the third floor of Building F at Loganberry Ridge, 26720 White Way Drive. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke in the building and rescued several people from balconies. Six people were hospitalized. One of those six -- a male that Fire Chief Marc Neumann would not identify -- died.

Neumann said on Tuesday that the cause of the fire remains under investigation. He added that the building did have working smoke detectors, which likely alerted people to escape to the balconies. A fire also occurred at Loganberry Ridge in July.

A week ago, two Loganberry Ridge Apartment residents attended a council Committee-of-the-Whole meeting, telling of the poor living conditions there, including overcrowding and clutter.

Urankar said Tuesday that he planned to begin on Wednesday morning the "de-energizing" of Building F's third and fourth floors, as repairs must be made to electrical wiring, which was melted by the fire's 1,100-degree heat. Shutting off electricity will make the floors uninhabitable.

Urankar said that most of the residents of these two floors -- about 32 units -- had already departed their dwellings as of Tuesday night.

Many have received Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority vouchers and can seek housing at other CMHA apartment buildings in the area. Residents of the first floor are being permitted to remain, as are those living on the second floor, if they are able to navigate steps without assistance.

Urankar stated that the apartments' owner, ROCO-Loganberry LLC of Bloomfield, Mich., have not been cooperative or in communication with the City of Richmond Heights.

"ROCO doesn't tell us anything," Urankar told the committee. "They barely tell their tenants anything."

In a Sept. 26 adjudication order notice requiring relocation/evacuation and repair, Urankar, using his authority to declare a building a serious hazard, ordered work to be completed. That work included repairing or replacing all exit signs and emergency lighting, and making the fire alarm system fully functional by Oct. 1.

He also ordered that all fire doors and exit and entrance doors be made functional by Oct. 15, and that all electrical systems be certified in writing to be up to code.

In addition, Urankar required a roving fire watch 24 hours per day until all remediation work is complete.

None of the above stated repairs have been completed, he said Tuesday, nor was the fire watch done in a satisfactory manner.

On Sept. 27, Urankar issued a second letter to the apartments' owners and operators, in which he stated that, due to the condition of the building's life safety systems --specifically because of the lack of a sufficient fire watch -- "the entire building is hereby ordered to be vacated by no later than Friday, Sept. 28, at 12 p.m."

Although not immediately undertaken in a sufficient manner, ROCO did go on to hire a firm to perform the fire watch, which has since proved to be sufficient.

Finally, on Oct. 1, Urankar issued another letter in which he ordered the disconnection, no later than noon Oct. 3, of the electrical services on the third and fourth floors.

Speaking about ROCO, Urankar told council: "They are absentee landlords. They don't care. They do just enough (repair work) to get (the city) to back off."

Urankar said ownership has yet to speak with him about the complex's condition, although lawyer Brian Winchester has locally represented ROCO.

Ward 1 Councilman Barry Hurst represents the Loganberry Ridge residents.

"I've been hearing complaints for months from them about the parking lot," Hurst said. Urankar confirmed that the lot's asphalt must be lifted and new asphalt applied.

Hurst called the current situation at Loganberry Ridge "disgraceful." He has stated an intention to meet with Loganberry residents and asked at-large council representatives Daniel Ursu and Juanita Lewis, and Council President Eloise Henry, to join with him in fighting for the residents.

In order for the residents to return to living on the third and fourth floors, the building must pass a city inspection. Urankar informed ROCO that "failure to vacate the building as required will cause the City of Richmond Heights to take any and all legal action necessary to gain compliance."

In response to a request for comment, ROCO Management sent to cleveland.com a news release signed by its president, Sofia Iglesias.

Iglesias believes the fire to have been a case of arson, as her statement read, "Ever since an arsonist set fire to our building, we have had contractors working to restore the situation in every section of the building we are allowed to do work in. However, since there is still an ongoing investigation as to the cause of this fire, the city has not yet released certain parts of the building back to management, so we have been unable to do any work in those areas.

"As soon as the investigation is complete, we will immediately get started on the remaining work."

Iglesias said ROCO cooperated in shutting off electricity on Wednesday, as the city demanded.

There had been reports that apartment management was knocking on doors, evicting people from the building, but Iglesias said that is not true.

"The people knocking were representatives from the city, communicating their plans (to have residents leave)," she stated.

Iglesias said that any determination that residents must leave the building is being made by the city, and that ROCO still is offering to do whatever work the city wants it to do to find homes for those made homeless.

"We remain committed to working cooperatively in the aftermath of a fire that was caused outside of our control and are taking proactive steps to maintain the health and safety of our residents.

"We have already relocated all handicapped residents from upper floors, but we simply do not have the ability to relocate all the residents," Iglesias stated.
LYNDHURST, Ohio -- Fraud, Cedar Road: At 12:50 p.m. Sept. 29, a Cleveland Heights woman, 80, reported that she had been the victim of a scam and had lost $3,000.

The woman told police that a female suspect approached her while at Huntington Bank, 25105 Cedar Road, and said she was in town because her father had died and that she was due to inherit $150,000. The suspect had with her a supposed insurance company letter that backed her claim.

The suspect said she didn't trust banks and went on to show the elderly woman a bag that the suspect said contained $10,000. The victim was convinced to write a check for $3,000, which she and the suspect cashed at the bank.

The suspect was to give back $2,700 of the $3,000, but instead said she could have the bag containing $10,000. Once home, the victim learned that the bag contained newspapers.

Curfew violation, Dalewood Road: At 12:15 a.m. Oct. 1, an officer spotted three teens walking.

Two of the teens are brothers from Richmond Heights, ages 16 and 17. These youths were taken to their home and cited for curfew violations. The third teen is an adult.

Robbery, Cedar Road: At 4:50 p.m. Sept. 30, the manager at Dick's Sporting Goods, 24545 Cedar Road, reported that, about one hour earlier, a suspect stole items and ran from the store, bumping an employee as he left.

Stolen was about $4,400 worth of Nike and Addidas brand clothing. The suspect left the lot in a car, but the manager was unable to read its license plate. The suspect has not been apprehended. Police are investigating.

Driving under suspension, Interstate 271: At 3:15 p.m. Sept. 30, an officer made a traffic stop on I-271 northbound of a car seen traveling 87 mph in a 60 mph zone. The driver, a New York man, 40, was found to have a suspended license.

After the man was cited, the car's passenger was unable to drive the car as she, too, has a suspended license. The car was towed and the man, woman and her child were taken to a nearby hotel.

Drug paraphernalia, Cedar Road:

At 9:50 a.m. Sept. 26, an officer stopped a car after it was seen making an illegal left turn. The man who was driving, 30, of Cleveland Heights, was found to be in possession of marijuana and a pipe.

The man was cited for the traffic offense and for possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Warrant arrest, Mayfield Road: At 8:10 a.m. Sept. 26, a University Heights woman, 22, who had been involved in a minor hit-skip accident, was brought to the police station to fill out an accident report. It was subsequently learned that the woman was wanted on South Euclid and Bedford Heights police warrants.

The woman was cited for hit-skip and driving with a suspended license, and was turned over to Bedford Heights police.

Theft, Mayfield Road: At 3 p.m. Sept. 25, the owner of The Produce Place, 5564 Mayfield Road, reported that a woman had left the store without paying for $70 worth of merchandise.

The woman drove from the store east on Mayfield Road. Her car was eventually stopped by Mayfield police. The woman, 58, of Wickliffe, admitted to the theft and was arrested.

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CINCINNATI, Ohio -- City Council on Wednesday approved a resolution to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, currently recognized on the calendar as Columbus Day.

The Enquirer reports council approved the measure, 6-0, with two members abstaining.

"(The resolution expresses) the city of Cincinnati's support for the recognition of Indigenous Peoples' Day to reflect upon the ongoing struggles of indigenous people of this land, and to celebrate the thriving culture and value that all indigenous people add to our city; and urging other businesses, organizations, and public entities to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day," Fox 19 reports.

Cincinnati is the first major city in Ohio to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day. Oberlin approved a resolution last year. Earlier this year, Akron adopted a resolution to celebrate North American First Peoples Day on the first Monday of October.

Several major U.S. cities now celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, including Los Angeles, Seattle and Austin, Texas, and four states also have made the day official.

"This won't change history totally, but we're at the point where we realize calling it Columbus Day is completely wrong," Councilwoman Tamaya Dennard tells the Enquirer.

Guy Jones, a member of the Lakota tribe, tells Fox 19 he is "elated" with the vote.

"I can't find the words," he said. "I just can't find the words."

Columbus Day, which marks Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas in 1492, remains a federal government holiday.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center is among several Veterans Affairs hospitals in the country that are under review for claims they are improperly canceling a large number of patients' diagnostic tests.

About 300,000 canceled radiology tests at VA medical centers across the United States since 2016 has raised questions about whether some medically important tests were canceled improperly, according to USA Today. Some facilities may not have followed correct procedures when getting rid of outdated and duplicate test orders, the newspaper said.

Cancelling necessary tests could jeopardize the care of veterans who have conditions that need to be watched closely.

The VA declined to comment, said Michael Nacincik, public affairs officer in the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

In an email, Nacincik confirmed that a national audit is ongoing to look at how radiology requests are processed and how canceled requests are managed. He also confirmed that Cleveland's VA medical center is part of that audit.

A Cleveland VA spokesperson would not elaborate on specifics of the local audit.

The nationwide audit also includes VA facilities in Bay Pines, Florida; Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Iowa City, Iowa; Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles, California; Salisbury, North Carolina; and Tampa, Florida, Nacincik said.

A statement from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs explained that starting in 2016, the national VA began to look at a backlog of about 300,000 old radiology consults or exam orders, some dating to the 1980s.

The orders accumulated because the national VA didn't have a system for cancelling tests that were no longer necessary or were duplicates, the Veterans Affairs statement said.

"VA officials at both the regional and national levels have been monitoring the implementation of this policy closely for compliance and have worked with the (Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of) Inspector General to oversee the process," a Veterans Affairs statement said.

Nationally, the VA has instituted new procedures calling for health care providers to be notified if a test has not been completed within 60 days of the clinically indicated date. The test will then be canceled, the need for the test will be reassessed, and the patient will be contacted if necessary, the Department of Veterans Affairs said.

What happened in Cleveland?



A physician-led team in Cleveland reviewed all outdated and obsolete orders and "took appropriate action" based on national guidance, said Cleveland VA public affairs specialist Sarah Jane Phillips.

Cleveland, the third-largest VA medical center in the country, handles 3,200 radiology orders weekly, Phillips added.

Cleveland had 21,657 outstanding radiology orders in January 2017, second only to Columbia, South Carolina, which had 29,512, according to Veterans Health Administration numbers published in USA Today. No further information regarding the local 21,657 outstanding orders was available from local sources.

Details are emerging about diagnostic order cancellations in Iowa City and Tampa Bay, both part of the VA's nationwide audit of radiology practices.

A spokesman for the Iowa City VA hospital acknowledged it did not follow national VA guidelines for diagnostic order cancellations, but added that only a small number of tests were affected, according to USA Today.

U.S. Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley recently wrote to the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Health Care System with questions about allegations of improperly canceled diagnostic exams, according to the Gazette newspaper in Iowa.

In July, the Tampa Bay Times reported that federal investigators were looking into allegations that the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital canceled hundreds of patient radiology exams without following safety guidelines and then tried to cover it up.

The allegations were made by four Haley radiology technicians who filed a sexual harassment and intimidation lawsuit against the hospital. The exams had been left undone for more than 60 days.
MACEDONIA, Ohio -- Former Macedonia Mayor Joseph Migliorini was indicted last week on charges accusing him of violating a protection order against his ex-girlfriend and burglary, court records show.

Investigators said Migliorini, 65, violated a protection ordered in August issued by the state of Florida after he burglarized a home in the 9800 block of Creekside Way, according to Streetsboro police.

His former girlfriend was visiting a friend, the homeowner, when Migliorini entered the home. Migliorini's girlfriend and her friend soon called police.

Migliorini later surrendered to Streetsboro police.

The former mayor is scheduled to be arraigned on the indicted charges Oct. 15 at 11 a.m. before Portage County Common Pleas Judge Laurie Pittman, according to Portage County Common Pleas court records.

The embattled mayor has struggled with criminal woes since he was re-elected in 2015. He resigned as mayor in July after he pulled his girlfriend's hair and slapped her outside a Palm Beach, Florida restaurant. Migliorini also served as mayor from 1988 to 2001.

He was charged with misdemeanor battery in the Florida incident.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 43-year-old man was pistol-whipped and robbed after someone broke into his car in a downtown Cleveland parking lot, police said.

The incident happened about 3:45 a.m. Sunday on St. Clair Avenue and between East 13th and East 17th streets.

The man told police that he walked to his car and noticed that someone shattered the front passenger window.

He looked through the car to see if anything was stolen when a man walked up to him from behind and pointed a gun in his face, according to police reports.

The man put his hands in the air as the robber rummaged through his pockets. The robber took about $300 and the man's cellphone, police reports say.

The robber struck him in the head with his pistol. The blow caused a severe cut, police said. The robber demanded the man drop his keys and run. The man did so and watched as the robber jumped in the passenger seat of a silver Chevy Malibu parked in the same lot, police reports say.

The man was treated at the scene and released. No arrests have been made in the case.

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ROOTSTOWN, Ohio -- Northeast Ohio Medical University President Jay Gershen will retire September 30, 2019, after serving nearly a decade in the role.

Gershen was the leader of the medical school through rapid expansion and a name change in 2010, where the university transitioned from the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy to NEOMED. He is 74.

Board of Trustees Chair Robert Kronk announced Gershen's retirement on Thursday.

Gershen has the longest tenure of any president currently serving in Ohio, according to a university press release. He began at NEOMED in 2009.

In a Friday morning interview with cleveland.com, Gershen said he felt a decade was the right amount of time to be effective in the role of president. He also has spent 45 years in academia and wants to spend more time with his family.

He's proud of NEOMED's transformation over the past nine years.

"(It's) transformed from a college that was really part of three universities to an independent university that has three colleges of its own," Gershen said.

NEOMED began in 1973 as the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, working with Kent State University, Youngstown State University and the University of Akron. Cleveland State University joined the partnership in 2008.

Under Gershen, NEOMED grew to have three colleges, more than 4,000 alumni, four centers of excellence, and 12 degree and certificate programs.

Enrollment neared 1,000 students and the size of campus nearly doubled under Gershen.

Recently, the university raised $44 million in a comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Before Gershen's departure, NEOMED will begin another campus expansion, including doubling the size of its simulation facilities. The STEM high school on NEOMED's campus will also grow.

Gershen said as chair of the Inter-University Council, he looks forward to using the next year to continue to promote the Forward Ohio campaign, which highlights the value of higher education in the state.

This is a developing story. This story will be updated with more information.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Ron Schwachenwald, an ardent supporter of local veterans causes and organizations, has been named to the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame, Class of 2018.

Schwachenwald, 81, of North Ridgeville, was among 20 Ohioans receiving the honor that is administered by the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, and has recognized the post-service accomplishments of state veterans since 1992.

In naming Schwachenwald, the Hall of Fame noted that he "leads by example and his personal drive and magnetism help him grow an active coterie of involved veteran community members."

Schwachenwald is an Army veteran of the war in Vietnam where he served with the 281st Aviation Co.

During his 35-year service (retiring in 1994 as a colonel), Schwachenwald received military awards including the Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal for Valor.

His professional career includes serving as a military affairs, education and industry liaison for the late Congressman Louis Stokes, and program director for the U.S. Army Aviation and Troop Command in St. Louis, and the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

He is one of the founding board officers of the Greater Cleveland Fisher House, that provides a place for families of vets being medically treated here to stay.

The Hall of Fame citation noted that Schwachenwald was involved in developing a capital campaign that raised more than $3 million for the local Fisher House, which was matched by the national foundation, enabling two facilities to be built here.

Schwachenwald served as president of the local chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA), and AUSA state president.

He was board president of the Joint Veterans Council of Cuyahoga County (JVCOCC) for two terms.

During his tenure he helped with such annual events as the JVCOCC Veteran of the Year awards luncheon, the Vietnam Anniversary Recognition event (March 29), and a Flag Day celebration held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

Schwachenwald was also commended for helping bring back a Veterans Day parade to downtown Cleveland after a 40-year absence.

He is also a past president of Purple Heart Homes of Northeast Ohio, part of a national nonprofit group that provides housing for service-connected disabled veterans.

Though he acknowledged that inclusion into the Hall of Fame was a significant honor, Schwachenwald praised the people that got him there.

"It's everybody who helped me do things, the support people, the volunteers who stepped forward," he said. "That success is based on teamwork."

He also credited his wife of 59 years, Lois, as his biggest supporter. The couple has four children, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Schwachenwald is still involved in veterans' projects, much to his own surprise.

"Everything's good. I never thought at 81 I'd still be doing this, but it's very rewarding," he said.

He and the other 19 honorees, chosen from among 119 nominations, will be recognized for their accomplishments and achievements at the 26th annual Induction Ceremony on November 9, in Dublin.

Members of the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame are honored in a permanent display at the Ohio Statehouse at Riffe Center, 77 South High Street, in Columbus.

Past Hall of Fame honorees have included astronaut Neil Armstrong, actor Paul Newman, business entrepreneur and philanthropist R. David Thomas, and surgeon and inventor Dr. Henry Heimlich.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- More than a year before her death, 4-year-old Aniya Day-Garrett told Cuyahoga County social workers that her mommy had hurt her, according to a scathing report released Thursday about the county's Children and Family Services agency.

But the social workers dismissed those statements, which the girl made while being treated for injuries in the hospital, and allowed the child to return to her home, investigators with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported.

Their report makes public the most detailed picture yet of the county's failings leading up to Aniya's death. They concluded that social workers failed to follow protocols, made few face-to-face contacts with the child, ignored two years' worth of injuries reported by Aniya's daycare provider, and didn't check whether the girl's mother attended parental counseling.

County case workers opened investigations into four reports of abuse against Aniya between February 2017 and her March 11 death from a stroke triggered by blunt force trauma to her head. Aniya's mother, Sierra Day, and Day's boyfriend, Deonte Lewis, are accused of killing the child and now awaiting trial on aggravated murder charges.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services conducted a review of the county's handling of those investigations, and released their findings on Sept. 17 to County Executive Armond Budish and Children and Family Services.

After county workers received the first abuse complaint involving Aniya in February 2017, they asked Aniya at the hospital how she was injured. Aniya told them "Mommy did it," the report states. But social workers dismissed those statements "due to the target child's age and development" and said "she could not comprehend or be interviewed," the state report says.

That same month, case workers learned of a "nearly two-year backlog of documented injuries to the child" at her day care center, the report states without naming the daycare center.

Once Children and Family Services learned of those injuries, they didn't obtain those injury reports, didn't include details of the injuries in their file on Aniya, and didn't take the injuries into consideration when determining how to address Aniya's case, investigators found.

Case workers "failed to use this documented history of injuries/suspected abuse to arrive at a final case analysis. Instead, each assessment focused on the current reported incident," the report says.

While investigating the February complaint, staff never watched Day and Aniya interact. And the case was the first one assigned to a new case worker without a mentor to assist, the report says.

In a second abuse complaint in May 2017, case workers again asked Aniya how she suffered a head injury, and Aniya told them again that her mother did it. She also said her "daddy" did it, but workers did not follow up on those statements.

Day was unable to explain the injuries to case workers, and said Aniya had been left in the care of a friend that Day never named, the report states. Social workers responded by implementing a "verbal safety plan," which the state does not recognize as an appropriate response, the report says.

County workers received a third report of abuse against Aniya in September 2017, but did not investigate it because it did not meet their criteria for an investigation, the report says.

A fourth abuse allegation was made in December 2017. Case workers were required to initiate contact with the family within 24 hours, but did not do so until about 29 hours later, the report says.

When workers visited the home five days after the complaint was made, Day wouldn't let them inside and said Aniya was visiting family until the following week.

Someone called Children and Family Services on the day of that visit and said Day was "likely delaying contact with the target child to allow bruises time to heal," the report says. Case workers didn't see Aniya until seven days after that warning, the report says.

The agency accepted another abuse report in March, but failed to categorize it as an abuse or neglect complaint, the report says. The state said that categorization was improper and didn't require case workers to make face-to-face contact with the child.

On March 6 of this year, workers contacted Day and arranged a home visit for March 12. Aniya died March 11, one day before that scheduled visit.

In three of the investigations, case workers failed to comprehensively assess Aniya's needs, the report states. Cases were closed without case workers following up to see whether Day participated in parenting support services that she was supposed to receive.

In considering ways to resolve and remedy the abuse complaints, case workers did not take into account Day's history of involvement with the agency and the presence or lack of plans in place to protect Aniya, the report states. Nor did they explore the root cause of the "ongoing pattern of injuries" Aniya suffered, the report says.

Case workers never made contact with Aniya's father. Mickhal Garrett, in three of the cases, saying that they did not have contact information. That information was in Aniya's case file and Garrett had an active case in juvenile court, the report says.

And on a broader scale, state reviewers found that Children and Family Services did away with a unit within the agency responsible for exploring strategies to combat child deaths that follow abuse complaints. The unit was formed in the late 2000s after other child deaths, but was disbanded and never reconstituted when keys employees left the agency.

County Executive Armond Budish, in response to the state's report, cited several reforms implemented at the agency following Aniya's death.

"Our goal is to do everything possible to assure that every child in this county is safe and free from child abuse and neglect," Budish said in a statement.
AKRON, Ohio -- The newest member of the University of Akron's board of trustees is a former lobbyist for White Hat Management, formerly one of the larger networks of charter schools in Ohio.

Thomas Needles, appointed by Gov. John Kasich, is a long-time advocate for school choice. He served as a top education adviser to former Gov. George Voinovich. He worked on former President George H.W. Bush's campaign and served as a special assistant to the president, according to LinkedIn.

Over the course of his 15 years in state and federal politics, he also served as the chief lobbyist for the state of Ohio in Washington D.C.

Needles' client, White Hat Management, used to be one of the largest charter-school operators in the country, but no longer exists as a corporate entity.

You can read a 2008 editorial he wrote for the Akron Beacon-Journal about school choice here.

Needles is currently a principal at Compass Consulting Group, where he's worked since 1998.

Kasich's website lists "expanding school choice" as one of his accomplishments in education.

Needles also served as the chairman of the Ohio Higher Educational Facility Commission under four Ohio governors. That commission works with independent, non-profit universities such as Case Western Reserve University on tax-exempt bonds to rehab or construct buildings.

Needles has a undergraduate degree from Walsh University and master's degrees from John Carroll University and the Catholic University of America.

He will replace trustee Warren Woolford, whose term ended in July. Woolford was appointed by former Governor Ted Strickland.

Needles' term will expire in July 2027.
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. (AP) -- President Donald Trump ignited a crowd at a campaign rally in Mississippi by mocking a woman who has claimed she was sexually assaulted by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh decades ago.

The audience laughed as Trump ran through a list of what he described as holes in Christine Blasey Ford's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. She testified that Kavanaugh pinned her on a bed, tried to take off her clothes and covered her mouth in the early 1980s, when the two were teenagers. Kavanaugh has denied Ford's allegations.

"How did you get home? 'I don't remember,'" Trump said at the rally Tuesday in Southaven. "How did you get there? 'I don't remember.' Where is the place? 'I don't remember.' How many years ago was it? 'I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.'"

Imitating Ford, he added, "But I had one beer -- that's the only thing I remember."

It marked the sharpest criticism by Trump of Ford since she came forward publicly with the allegation last month. He had previously called Ford a "very credible witness."

Ford's lawyer Michael Bromwich called Trump's attack "vicious, vile and soulless."

"Is it any wonder that she was terrified to come forward, and that other sexual assault survivors are as well?" Bromwich tweeted. "She is a remarkable profile in courage. He is a profile in cowardice."

Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake said Wednesday on NBC' "Today" that mocking "something this sensitive at a political rally is just not right."

"I wish he hadn't done it," Flake said. "It's kind of appalling." Flake is a key GOP vote in the confirmation battle, and while he said last week he would vote to confirm Kavanaugh, he also called for an expanded FBI investigation that resulted in a one-week delay. Flake has not said how he will vote if the nomination comes up this week.

The president was in Mississippi on Tuesday looking to use his influence to sway the outcome of a low-profile election that could tip the balance of the Senate.

As Republicans fight headwinds ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm election, Trump sought to rally his supporters behind GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who was appointed to fill the seat of Republican Thad Cochran, who retired in April. She faces three candidates -- Republican Chris McDaniel and Democrats Mike Espy and Tobey Bernard Bartee -- in next month's special election for the remainder of the two-year term.

"She's always had my back," Trump said. "She's always had your back. And a vote for Cindy is a vote for me."

But Trump spent much of the rally lamenting the treatment of Kavanaugh by Democrats, whose attacks, he said, had taken their toll on the judge's family.

"A man's life is in tatters," he said. Of Democrats, he added, "These are really evil people."

He even raised questions about the drinking habits of Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy in an attempt to turn the tables on Democrats who have gone after Kavanaugh's beer drinking. Trump told the crowd they should do an online search for "Patrick Leahy slash drink." Leahy's office didn't immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday.

Some Republicans and White House allies have suggested the allegations against Kavanaugh can be potent political fodder in the run-up to Nov. 6, animating GOP voters who have so far lacked the same motivation to head to the polls as their Democratic counterparts.

Republican officials and the White House expect Hyde-Smith's race to go to a runoff under the state's jungle election rules that force a showdown between the top two finishers if no candidate wins at least 50 percent of the vote on Election Day. With Republicans defending majorities in the House and Senate next month, officials cast Trump's visit as an attempt to get ahead of a potentially perilous situation.

Officials said Trump is seeking to boost Hyde-Smith as close as possible to the 50 percent threshold and lend momentum for a possible runoff. Depending on how Republicans perform on Nov. 6, the eyes of the nation could fall on a Nov. 27 Mississippi runoff in what could become an expensive and high-profile race to determine control of the Senate.

"Your vote in this election will decide which party controls the United States Senate," Trump said.

A vocal minority of the crowd Tuesday backed the other conservative in the race, McDaniel, a state senator, and booed Hyde-Smith when Trump introduced her. They launched into occasional chants of "We want Chris."

Earlier Tuesday, Trump told electrical contractors gathered in Philadelphia that his economic policies would translate into more jobs for their ranks as he highlighted a new trade deal among the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

"We're in the midst of a manufacturing renaissance -- something which nobody thought you'd hear," Trump said in a speech to the National Electrical Contractors Association Convention a day after celebrating the new North American trade deal.

In fact, North America already is a manufacturing powerhouse. The United States ranks No. 2 in the world behind China in manufacturing output. Mexico ranks 11th and Canada 13th, according to United Nations numbers pulled together by the Brookings Institution.

Trump calls the new trade agreement USMCA, for U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. "Like YMCA or U.S. Marine Corps with an A at the end," he explained.

He said he doesn't want to use the previous name, NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he contends cost American jobs and railed against during his 2016 presidential campaign. The new trade deal still must be approved by Congress.

"We are finally rebuilding our country, and we are doing it with American aluminum, American steel and with our great electrical contractors," he said.

Trump said the strong economy "means more jobs for our great electrical contractors."

Before departing the White House, Trump tweeted, "THE ONLY REASON TO VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT IS IF YOU'RE TIRED OF WINNING!"
COLUMBUS, Ohio--Democratic state Rep. Martin Sweeney of Cleveland has resigned from the Ohio House after two terms in office, according to a resignation letter published Thursday.

Sweeney was set to leave the House after this year anyway after he unsuccessfully ran for the Ohio Senate earlier this year. His daughter, Bride Rose Sweeney, is expected to be elected next month to succeed him in House District 14, which covers parts of Cleveland and suburbs such as Middleburgh Heights, Brooklyn, and Parma Heights.

"This decision was made after great reflection and was not taken lightly," Sweeney wrote in his resignation letter to House Speaker Ryan Smith, which was published in Thursday's House Journal. Sweeney's resignation took effect last Monday.

Sweeney didn't immediately answer phone calls seeking comment. However, he told Gongwer News Service that he plans to stay active in politics, though he hasn't decided on his next steps.

It's still unclear whether Ohio House Democrats will appoint someone to fill Sweeney's seat during the House's lame-duck session in November. House Democratic spokesman Jordan Plottner said House Minority Leader Fred Strahorn will discuss the issue with Smith after the Nov. 6 general election.

A former Cleveland City Council president, Sweeney's most high-profile work this session has been to introduce legislation to blow up an often-ignored state law requiring consumer-grade fireworks bought in Ohio to be transported out of state within 24 hours. That legislation, House Bill 226, passed the House last year but so far has fizzled in the Senate.

Sweeney told Gongwer he has tried to work with legislators from both parties while serving in the House. He has been one of a handful of Democratic lawmakers who occasionally votes for major GOP-sponsored legislation, such as the 2015 state budget bill.

Earlier this year, Sweeney decided to run for term-limited state Sen. Mike Skindell's Senate District 23 seat rather than run for re-election. However, after a heated race, he lost the Democratic primary in May to state Rep. Nickie Antonio of Lakewood.
SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Grants, reimbursements and a hefty tax incentive payment from CVS added up to roughly $870,000 for the city at its Sept. 24 council meeting.

Because of a recent installment of more than $371,000 from CVS, the city will not have to subsidize any of this year's collections on "payments in lieu of taxes," or "PILOTS."

And the same may go for next year, City Finance Director Bob Baker noted, explaining that debt service is generally at least $1.2 million a year annually, with $300,000 to $400,000 -- or more -- usually coming out of the General Fund.

"However, in the second half of 2018 tax collections, the city received a very large PILOT for the CVS property that may reflect back payments," Baker noted in a Sept. 17 memo.

That puts the PILOT total collected for the year at nearly $1.55 million, which well exceeds the 2018 debt service to be paid on the bonds.

Representatives from CVS requested the tax breaks back in 2009 when they moved the drugstore out of Shaker Towne Centre across the street to free-standing, new construction at the corner of Chagrin Boulevard and Avalon Road -- complete with a drive-through.



Other PILOT-qualifying projects have included Sussex Court, Avalon Station, Library Court senior housing, Compass Self-Storage and various properties in the Van Aken District.





Ground-floor commercial and retail has been opening recently below office space and residential in Shaker's Van Aken District.

Baker also noted that the city received a second-half settlement of $507,000 worth of PILOTS for the Shaker Plaza, with Van Aken developer RMS Investment Corp receiving nearly $122,000 (24 percent) and the Shaker City Schools receiving more than $386,000 (76 percent).

Sewer repairs

In other business, City Public Works Director Patti Speese announced that the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District on Sept. 20 awarded a $425,000 grant to cover half of the cost of fixing a sanitary sewer overflow activation point at Huntington and Southington roads.

These old sewer systems can result in untreated discharges into local waterways and ultimately Lake Erie, in violation of the Clean Water Act.

Councilwoman Nancy Moore commended the city for "moving ahead decisively on eradicating SSOs," with another sewer project at Parkland Drive and Fernway Road currently in the engineering phase.

On the Huntington SSO project just approved, Speese said she learned that "had we not committed to 50 percent of the cost, we never would have gotten the grant."

And to pay that local match, council approved a $425,000 application for a "zero-interest" loan through the "Issue 1" State Capital Improvement Program.

"This funding vehicle is the best we can get," Baker said of the Issue 1 zero-percent loan, which if approved would work out to repayment of $21,250 annually for 20 years.

Horseshoe Lake dam

The city also received a $50,000 reimbursement from NEORSD for emergency modifications to the Horseshoe Lake dam when a small sinkhole was discovered in June. This resulted in the water level being lowered by 3 feet.

Initial repairs ordered by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources cost the city $67,000, but Speese noted that with the reimbursement, the city only had to pay $17,000 out of pocket.

"What's not to like about this?" Mayor David Weiss said.

Smoke detectors for residents

Fire Chief Patrick Sweeney announced that the city has also received a nearly $24,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to purchase 1,000 to 1,200 smoke detectors for residents.

It will require a local match of $1,190, with Sweeney noting that the city last received a similar FEMA grant in 2013, good for about 2,500 smoke detectors.

Weiss called it one of the more popular programs in the city, with Moore attributing some of that to the fact that the batteries in these models can last 10 years.

Shaker Boulevard/Warrensville Center Road improvements

Council also approved a $200,000 grant application through the Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative (TLCI) to make improvements to the eastbound and westbound Shaker Boulevard intersections with Warrensville Center Road.

City Planning Director Joyce Braverman noted in a Sept. 24 memo that the grant funding would be used to increase pedestrian safety and improve vehicle flow.

"The modifications were selected as a top priority due to the confusing and difficult intersection geometry and the large number of students crossing Warrensville Center Road (to and from Shaker Middle School)," Braverman added.
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has a lot of questions about the American K-12 education that shes been charged with leading, and she unspooled a series of them in a speech in Huntsville, Ala., Wednesday, the first day of four-state Rethink School tour .

Why does the system pretend that every teacher and every student is the same?

Why arent parents allowed to decide the education thats right for their children?

Why arent all students allowed to pursue learning in ways that work for them?

DeVos argued in her speech at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center that next to nothing has changed in education, since 1983s landmark A Nation at Risk report, which warned that the country was falling dangerously behind foreign competitors. Some students are bored in class and others are unable to study a subject theyre interested in because their school doesnt offer it, she said.

We must do better! DeVos said, according to prepared remarks. Better means we rethink school. We means everyone. Every state, every community, every family. Everyone question everything to ensure nothing limits a student from being prepared for what comes next.

Her tour itinerary also includes stops in Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. All four states backed DeVos boss, President Donald Trump, in 2016. DeVos took a similar early-fall sweep through the Midwest last year.

The kinds of questions the secretary is asking arent likely to go over well with educators, said Mark Hlavacik, an assistant professor of communication studies at the University of North Texas in Denton and the author of Assigning Blame: The Rhetoric of Education Reform.

If I were a teacher reading them I think I would mostly feel insulted by them, said Hlavacik, who reviewed the list of questions guiding the tour released by the department ahead of the speech. Its hard to read them as positive. Theres sort of this implication that You all arent thinking arent hard enough about what you do. Its not a very friendly appeal.

In her Wednesday speech, though, DeVos seemed to be trying to appeal to educators, who she said often express frustration that they arent trusted with more autonomy; that they arent honored with more flexibility; and that they arent respected as professionals who know their students and what each of them need to learn and achieve.

Teachers, she said, need to be given more than a binary choice of staying in the classroom or becoming an administrator.



DeVos even called for the best teachers to be paid up to $250,000 a year, since union bosses make upwards of half a million dollars.

The department, though, isnt exactly putting money where DeVos rhetoric is. In both of its budget requests, the Trump administration sought to zero out the $2 billion Title II program, which helps cover the cost of teachers salaries in many districts . Congress rejected the proposal.

DeVos also used the speech to make a pitch for her favorite policy: school choice.

The family isand always will bethe first school. Parents, by their very nature, should decide what, when, where and how their children learn, DeVos said But, over time, the system has stolen decision-making power from families. Parents have the greatest stake in their childs education. Accordingly, they should have the greatest power to make sure their child gets the right education for him or her.

The Trump administrations efforts to expand choice, including a proposal for a $1 billion choice program, have largely fallen flat in Congress. Lawmakers, did however, include language in the recent tax overhaul law allowing families to use their 529 plans previously just for college savingsfor private school.

And she made a pitch in her speech for more individualized learning, in part through technology.

Students should be able to learn at their own pace and pursue the things they are interested in, not simply get batch-processed along, DeVos said.

Back to School Tour

Day One of DeVos tour included stops at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. She visited a trio of programs aimed at entrepreneurship including Project ENGAGES, which pairs students at six high schools in Atlanta, with Tech scientists, for help with real world engineering, science, and technology research projects. She also visited CREATE-X, which trains Tech students to launch start-ups, and InVenture, which hosts an innovation competition nicknamed American Idol for Nerds, after the popular singing show. She was met by protestors at Tech, according to the Associated Press.

While at Georgia Tech, DeVos demonstrated a new application that will allow students to submit or renew their Free Application for Federal Financial Aid, or FAFSA, from a mobile device

On Thursday, DeVos plans to stop off at RISE Center on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, an early-childhood education program serving both students in special education and their general education peers.

And she is slated to visit a career and technical education facility at Shelton State Community College, also in Tuscaloosa. DeVos and Trump have talked a lot about career education. But they have yet to kick additional federal resources towards it. In fact, Trumps first budget proposal sought a $168 million cut to the $1.1 billion program. (Congress did not go along with that.)

Also on Thursday, DeVos is scheduled to stop by Lexington, Miss., in Holmes Country, one of the poorest counties in the country, about an hour from the state capital in Jackson. Shell visit Holmes County High Schools Advanced Placement program, which is co-taught via SKYPE by professors at Yale University.. And she plans to hold a roundtable with homeschoolers.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and G. P. Bud Peterson, President of Georgia Tech, confer during a meeting at Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Oct. 3, where she met with students and promoted a new mobile FAFSA app thats touted to streamline the financial aid application process.

--Bob Andres/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP

Protestors chant slogans at the entrance to the Wardlaw Center at Georgia Tech University, where Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was meeting with students on Oct 3.

--Bob Andres/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP

Cant get enough of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos? Check out some of our best coverage:

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People convicted of extremism to be able to request sentence review  Fedotov

 RIA Novosti, Artem Zhitinev

10:59 04/10/2018

MOSCOW, October 4 (RAPSI)  People convicted under Article 282 of Russias Criminal Code (incitement of hatred and enmity as well as violation of human dignity), which was partially decriminalized recently, would be able to ask for review of the sentences, Chairman of the Presidential Council for Human Rights Mikhail Fedotov told RAPSI on Thursday.

Fedotov reminded that Russian criminal procedural legislation provides an option to review a case upon discovery of new facts. As such, people convicted of extremism or their lawyers would be able to follow the same procedure.

On October 3, President Vladimir Putin submitted a bill mitigating punishment for extremism and incitement of hatred and enmity to the State Duma.

Under the bill, criminal punishment would be imposed for extremist acts in public, on the Internet or media committed repeatedly within a year. The first extremist violation is to be punished in accordance with the Code of Administrative Offences by fines of up to 500,000 rubles ($7,600) for companies; and fines of up to 20,000 rubles, community service for up to 100 hours or detention for up to 15 days for individuals.

Currently, criminal punishment is applied for the first extremist violation.

In September, the Supreme Court of Russia in its Plenum resolution explained that courts considering extremism cases should proceed from a level of public danger and hazard mode.

The Criminal Code of Russia attracts a criminal sentence for incitement of enmity but not for reposts on social networks. If a publication is extremist, malice of the repost must be proven, the Supreme Courts Judge Vladimir Davydov said during a session of the Courts Plenum.
Juul wants regulators to order 18 companies to stop selling e-cigarettes that Juul claims infringe on its patents.

The company filed a complaint Wednesday with the U.S. International Trade Commission alleging these companies "blatantly emulated the distinctive design" of Juul's system. Juul wants the agency to prevent these products from being imported, distributed, sold and marketed in the U.S.

This is Juul's latest attempt to control a proliferation of lookalike products that have entered the market since it launched its e-cigarette 2015. In August, Juul filed trademark lawsuits against 30 Chinese companies for selling counterfeit products on eBay.

The move comes as Juul tries to convince regulators it can control the surge in teens using its products. Food and Drug Administration officials recently seized more than 1,000 pages of documents in a surprise inspection of e-cigarette maker Juul's San Francisco headquarters. The agency has also ordered Juul and four other e-cigarette manufacturers submit plans within 60 days to control youth use.

"Protecting consumers and preventing underage use are critical priorities, and we will take decisive action where available to restrict illegal copy-cat products that undermine our efforts," Juul CEO Kevin Burns said in a statement.

A Juul looks like a trendy piece of technology, not a clunky contraption or a mock cigarette like some other e-cigarettes. The device is about as long as a palm of a hand. It's thinner than an iPhone and weighs even less. To use it, a person simply snaps on a pod filled with nicotine liquid and inhales.

The company says in contrast to itself, new entrants "make only half-hearted attempts, if any," to prevent youth use. However, Juul finds itself is facing criticism for its role in a surge of teen e-cigarette use, which the FDA recently labeled an "epidemic."

Critics say Juul's fruit flavors like creme, formerly known as creme brulee, attract kids to its products. Yet Juul said in its complaint that many of the companies in question sell nicotine pods in flavors that have "obvious, if not deliberate, youth appeal, such as 'Bubble Bubble,' 'Apple Juice, 'Pineapple Crush,' 'Citrus Burst, 'Sour Gummy' and 'Strawberry Milk."'

Juul is the clear market leader, controlling about three-quarters of the e-cigarette market.
Constellation Brands' massive stake in cannabis producer Canopy Growth has nothing to do with the welfare of Constellation's core business, CEO Rob Sands told CNBC on Thursday.

"This has nothing to do with the core business or defending against the potential cannibalization of beverage alcohol by cannabis. There's really no evidence of that," he told "Mad Money" host in an exclusive interview. "And our core business, as we've demonstrated in the first half of the year and this quarter, is stronger than ever."

Instead, the move was a preemptive bet that the popularity of marijuana-based products would rise faster than expected, Sands said, adding that "the future is now" when it comes to cannabis.

"We're playing offense, not defense," the CEO said. "Really, what we're trying to do is take advantage of our strong position, our growth, and invest in an aligned category, which we think ... is truly a new frontier of a category that will be at least a couple of hundred billion dollars globally over the next 10 or 15 years."

Canopy Growth  off of which Constellation has already made a cool $1 billion in unrealized gains, according to Business Insider  has emerged as a leading producer of cannabis-based products.

In August, Canopy CEO Bruce Linton told CNBC he'd like his company, the largest medical marijuana producer in Canada, to become the Amazon or Google of weed.

Saying that he thought Canopy would "certainly be a leader in the industry going forward," Sands detailed some of the potential products that could come from the partnership between the pot player and his alcohol giant, parent to household names like Corona and Modelo.

"Most likely, the products that will be produced as it relates to beverages will be non-alcoholic beverages. There may be a beer analogue, there may be a champagne analogue, there may be a spirits analogue, there may be a water analogue, a tea analogue, etcetera, all containing some version of cannabis," the CEO told Cramer on Thursday.

In July, Canopy's CEO told Cramer that Canada could be the first to see marijuana-infused drinks given the country's full legalization, set to go into effect later this month.

"We expect we'll be able to make beverages and those beverages will be no calorie, they will cause you to feel upbeat," Linton said in an interview, maintaining that there were "no guarantees" in this plan. "We're talking about going into a bar and having a tweed and tonic."

Shares of Constellation Brands surged 5.38 percent on Thursday after the company reported earnings well above Wall Street's expectations and raised its full-year forecast. The stock settled at $222.10 a share.
When Jay Thornhill graduated from the University of Southern California in 2007, he a had plan. He'd spend one year in three different continents teaching English before returning to California to start his career.

More than 10 years later, he's still living in China.

In 2016, he started a company in Shanghai with two other American expats living in his building. The company, Baopals, is an e-commerce platform that allows foreigners in China to buy products in English from Chinese e-commerce sites Taobao and Tmall.

The site works by pulling data from the two Alibaba-backed platforms and translating the info to English. Baopals also offers a customer service center to help facilitate transactions and logistics. It adds a service fee starting at 5 percent for each product.

Thornhill and his co-founders, Charlie Erickson and Tyler McNew, felt shopping online was a hassle for foreigners in China. Before they launched the site, they'd often ask Chinese friends to buy products for them and then pay them.

"Figuring out the language, employment contracts and how we were going to do our taxes was tough," Thornhill told CNBC. "We weren't sure if we'd get busted running out of an apartment," he said of his early days.

They now have an office space with 40 employees  15 of which are foreigners and 25 are Chinese citizens. The company said it has sold more than two million products through its site and has passed $14 million in revenue since launching.

After the platform gained traction, Baopals was written up by local media. The team also became the first foreign-led group to win the Shanghai-government backed honor "Top 10 up-and-coming entrepreneurs in Shanghai."

Thornhill even appeared on a "Shark Tank"-like show in China, which translates to "Maker China," in which Thornhill said he was offered, but declined investor funding.

Their story was also touted as the "China dream" by multiple local outlets including at least one government media agency.

Alibaba is supportive of his company, Thornhill said, even inviting the start-up to its headquarters in Hangzhou for a tour. The tech behemoth has also featured the Baopals on its official LinkedIn page.

Since Baopals' success is entirely reliant on one company, however, its business model could potentially be upended if Alibaba launched its own English version of Taoboa or Tmall.

"We don't see any sign that that's in the works," Thornhill said. "It's such a small niche market, their platform is completely built for a Chinese audience and to do all of that for such a small market  its hard to see them prioritizing it," he said.

Currently, Alibaba has AliExpress, which is aimed at international buyers.

Alternatively, Thornhill sees other potential future plans for the company.

"Our goal is just building a better and better company and a better shopping platform and if that one day gets us a seat at the table where Alibaba is talking about an acquisition, that'd be amazing," he said. "We'd welcome those talks and see what it means for the company."

When asked by CNBC, an Alibaba representative said the company does not comment on its investment strategy.

WATCH: How to download everything Google knows about you
Beating China to the market with new technology is the best safeguard for the United States, both economically and for national security, AT&T Communications CEO John Donovan told CNBC on Thursday.

"It's really important to a country's economy and to its security that when there's a new technology coming out, that you be first," Donovan said in a "Squawk Box" interview. Staying ahead of the Chinese is going to be "the best defense we can have," he added.

Donovan  who runs the bulk of AT&T's global telecom business, which includes operations in China  spoke at a time when tensions between the U.S. and the world's second largest economy are on the boil.

In a bombshell report Thursday, Bloomberg BusinessWeek said data center equipment run by Amazon Web Services and Apple may have been subject to surveillance from China via a microchip inserted during the manufacturing process of the hardware. Apple and Amazon have disputed the report.

China is also under intense scrutiny from President Donald Trump, who used accusations of intellectual property theft by the Chinese as a core argument for tough trade restrictions on Beijing.

According to the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property, China's purported IP theft costs the U.S. $225 billion to $600 billion each year.

Meanwhile, AT&T is competing with Verizon in a big push toward 5G next generation wireless technology.

"This one is different, you know, in my 35-year career, I haven't seen one that was this game changing," Donovan said. "Networking in the 5G world is going to move to real time. It's going to fundamentally change architectures."

 CNBC's Kate Fazzini contributed to this report.
Blake Mycoskie started his shoe business Toms by accident.

Traveling to Argentina to learn polo in 2006, he met some women in a bar who were in the country to donate shoes to children and he offered to help distribute them. When he returned to the polo ranch, his teacher Alejo Nitti asked him a fundamental question: "Who's going to give them the next pair?" Kids' feet grow fast. "What (do) we have to do to continue doing this?" Nitti said, speaking to "The Brave Ones."

"I recognized in that question that was the problem with this kind of nonprofit charitable giving model, at least these women had to spend weeks getting enough shoes that would last these kids for a few months," Mycoskie told "The Brave Ones."

Then he had an idea. "What if I sold these really cool shoes that I had only seen in Argentina to my friends back in California, and every time I sold a pair, I would also make another pair to give to one of these kids? It just seemed like the simplest idea in the world," he said.
Mark Zuckerberg's philanthropy is about to reach new depths: The bottom of the ocean.

Facebook's CEO has invested more than $10 billion in a variety of causes, including a big chunk to the formation of a Bay Area-based research center called Chan Zuckerberg Biohub. Biohub, which is also backed by the Zuckerberg's pediatrician-wife Priscilla Chan, has $600 million in committed funds to invest in researchers with bold ideas.

For its next phase of investment, the group is providing $14 million in funds to several new programs ranging from aging to cardiovascular disease.

One of the coolest among them is dedicated to understanding the great mysteries of ocean.

Stephen Palumbi is one of the marine biologists with new backing from the Biohub.

Palumbi, who runs a lab at Stanford, has spent years studying the giant corals that live for more than a thousand years. He is looking to understand how they get to be as heavy as a blue whale in their long lives, while proving to be relatively resilient compared to other species.
Data center equipment run by Amazon Web Services and Apple may have been subject to surveillance from the Chinese government via a tiny microchip inserted during the equipment manufacturing process, according to a Bloomberg BusinessWeek report on Thursday. The claims in the report have been strongly disputed by the technology giants.

The chips, which Bloomberg said have been the subject of a top secret U.S. government investigation starting in 2015, were used for gathering intellectual property and trade secrets from American companies and may have been introduced by Super Micro, a Silicon Valley company that manufacturers parts for servers in China.

Apple, AWS and Super Micro dispute the report. Apple said it did not find the chips as asserted by BusinessWeek  which cited anonymous government and corporate sources. Super Micro reportedly denied that it introduced the chips during the manufacturing.

Shares of Super Micro plummeted more than 40 percent following the report. Trading of the small server company's common stock on the Nasdaq was suspended on Aug. 23 after repeatedly missing SEC filing deadlines. Super Micro shares now trade on over-the-counter markets.

Apple shares edged 1 percent lower in Thursday trading, while Amazon fell about 1.5 percent.
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia has agreed in principle to invest in a new oil refinery in Pakistans deep-water port of Gwadar, the South Asian nations petroleum minister said on Thursday.





State-owned Pakistan State Oil will partner with Saudi state oil giant Aramco on the project, Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan told reporters.

They showed an interest to immediately invest in the refinery, Khan said, describing a visiting Saudi delegation.





We sat down and held initial discussions with them and it was principally decided by both sides that it will be a government-to-government agreement.




Chipotle Mexican Grill's past food safety scandals set the company back in terms of its marketing goals, but since Brian Niccol came on as CEO, it's gotten back on track, Chipotle's chief financial officer told CNBC.

"We've always been a company that's about food  real food, real ingredients, real cooking  and people, making sure that we hire great people, invest in them so that they can run great restaurants," CFO Jack Hartung told "Mad Money" host in a joint interview with Niccol.

"We got knocked on our heels a little bit, so we stopped talking about the things that made Chipotle special," Hartung admitted. "The great thing now, ... since Brian joined and we brought a new team together, is we're back on our front foot. We're talking about our food."

Niccol echoed Hartung's remarks, saying that what he was most impressed with when he joined the fast-casual chain was Chipotle's "commitment to food safety."

But that commitment requires higher standards than companies like Taco Bell, Niccol's former stomping grounds, the new CEO said.

"What we definitely are committed to doing is real ingredients, truly fresh, and that does require different food safety standards to be in place," Niccol told Cramer.

"These wellness checks that we do and other protocols that we execute  you're not going to find that in a lot of other restaurants because we are handling fresh food and we're truly cooking every day in our restaurants," the CEO continued. "So it just demands that we have a higher level of commitment to food safety and we'll always have to be passionate about being a leader in that space."

And even with the recently announced departure of Chipotle's head of food safety, which Hartung attributed to retirement, food safety will remain a top priority for the company.

"We have world-class people on our food safety council and food safety's going to be something that's always going to be a high priority for us," Hartung said. "That's not going to change."

Chipotle's stock ended Thursday trading higher, up 2.60 percent at $447.77 a share. In June, CNBC reported on Niccol's plans to turn Chipotle around and bring it back into favor with customers  read more about his plans here.
The politics around cannabis are shifting rapidly towards legalization, Constellation Brands CEO Rob Sands, whose company has a major stake in marijuana producer Canopy Growth, told CNBC on Thursday.

In fact, the 2018 midterm elections could be pivotal for the legalization of cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, a component of the cannabis plant that is not psychoactive and widely used in medical marijuana products, Sands said.

"We expect [CBD] to become legalized potentially as soon as shortly after this election because there's a provision in the farm bill that will actually legalize CBD, the non-psychoactive component," Sands told "Mad Money" host in an exclusive interview.

Sands, whose alcohol distributor boasts popular brands including Corona and Modelo, said Constellation will work with Canopy on non-alcoholic cannabis drinks that resemble beer, champagne, spirits, water and tea.

"I think you'll see a lot of beverages introduced, probably non-alcoholic or in, I would say, most cases, non-alcoholic, to take advantage of at least the CBD legalization," the CEO said.

And while products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, could still be several years out from hitting U.S. shelves, Sands said the political scene was becoming more accepting to the idea of what could be a several hundred-billion-dollar industry.

"THC-containing cannabis, that's going to be some time off, but I would say that the political front is developing very quickly there," he told Cramer. "In the United States, we believe that it's an inevitability that cannabis will be decriminalized at the federal level. And, as we already know, a lot of states have legalized it recreationally."

Beyond that, Constellation's stake in Canopy allows the beverage producer to "play in" international markets that have moved faster on cannabis legalization than the United States, Sands said.

"You shouldn't lose sight of the international opportunity. There's huge countries  UK is looking at medical legalization. Germany has already legalized medical marijuana," the CEO said. "These are all places, given our Canopy investment, that we can play in. We think it's important to be able to play in all channels and in all segments, not just beverages and not just recreational."

Shares of Constellation Brands surged 5.38 percent on Thursday after the company well above Wall Street's expectations and raised its full-year forecast. The stock settled at $222.10 a share.
Danske Bank sign is seen at the bank's Estonian branch in Tallinn, Estonia August 3, 2018.

Danske Bank said on Thursday that it was being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice about non-resident accounts at its Estonian branch which are at the centre of a 200 billion euro ($230 billion) money laundering scandal.

The bank said in a statement it had "received requests for information from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in connection with a criminal investigation relating to the bank's Estonian branch conducted by the DOJ," and was cooperating.

Danske Bank also said it would end its share buyback program after reassessing its capital targets after Denmark's Financial Services Authority said its compliance and reputational risks are higher than previously thought.

Shares in Danske Bank fell by three percent to 160 Danish crowns, their lowest level since January 2015 and a 33 percent decline so far this year.

Last month, Danske Bank said in an internal report that payments totalling 200 billion euros, many of which it described as "suspicious", had been moved through its tiny Estonian branch between 2007 and 2015.

That scandal led to Danske Bank's chief executive stepping down and prompted regulators across the European Union to question the oversight of the bloc's financial sector.

Banks doing business in Estonia handled more than $1 trillion in cross-border flows between 2008 and 2017, the country's central bank said on Wednesday.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions makes remarks to incoming immigration judges for the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) September 10, 2018 in Falls Church, Virginia.

The Justice Department on Thursday said it has charged seven Russian intelligence officials with hacking doping agencies and other organizations, including a Pennsylvania-based nuclear energy company.

The indictment announced at a press conference by John Demers, assistant attorney general for the DOJ's national security division, alleges that Russia's military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, targeted the hacking victims because they had publicly condemned Russia's state-sponsored athlete doping program.

"The defendants believed they could use their anonymity to act with impunity in their own countries and on the territories of other sovereign nations to undermine international institutions and to distract from their government's own wrongdoing," Demers said.

"They were wrong."

The indictment alleges that the GRU agents stole information "as part of a related 'influence

and disinformation' campaign designed to undermine the legitimate interests of the victims, further Russian interests, retaliate against Russia's detractors and sway public opinion in Russia's favor."

The seven intelligence officers were all charged with computer hacking, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.

Their victims included about 250 athletes from 30 countries, along with anti-doping agencies around the world, U.S. attorney Scott Brady said at the press conference.

"The investigation leading to the indictments announced today is the FBI at its best," FBI Director Christopher Wray said in the DOJ's press release. "The FBI will not permit any government, group, or individual to threaten our people, our country, or our partners. We will work tirelessly to find them, stop them, and bring them to justice."

The charges did not appear to be directly related to special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation of Russia's interference and potential coordination with the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election.

But three of the seven defendants in the indictment announced Thursday were previously charged by Mueller, Demers said.

Mueller's probe has lodged charges against dozens of Russian nationals and Russian companies for violating U.S. laws in their alleged efforts to meddle in the election that put Trump in the White House.

Russia's representatives were suspended from the International Olympic Committee in December due to the country's systematic efforts to cheat by giving their athletes performance-enhancing drugs. The move by the Olympic Committee essentially banned Russia from competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

The Russians also targeted Pennsylvania-based nuclear energy company Westinghouse Electric Corporation, as well as European chemical makers in the Netherlands and Switzerland, according to the indictment.

The U.S. officials said that the defendants are currently located in Russia and cannot be quickly apprehended.

-- The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WATCH: This Russian hacker breaks into our computer and takes complete control in minutes
Russia's main political party performed poorly in September's local elections, losing out in four regional governor run-offs.

While not directly connected to President Vladimir Putin, United Russia (UR) is the ruling party of the Russian Federation and holds the most seats in the country's parliament, the State Duma. UR supports the president's policies and is chaired by Putin ally and prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev.

But, as the local elections revealed, the party is losing public support that it once enjoyed.

"People [in Russia] are starting to be aware more that their standard of living has gone backwards relative to 2014," Daragh McDowell, the principal analyst for Europe and Central Asia at Verisk Maplecroft, told CNBC on Wednesday.

McDowell said an ongoing sense that living standards have been slipping was enough to spark real anger when the Russian government announced changes to retirement ages earlier this year.

On Wednesday, Putin signed into law a bill that raised the retirement age for women from 55 to 60, and from 60 to 65 for men. In a country where the average life expectancy for a man is only 67, the decision has led to street protests.

McDowell said Putin himself had been forced to throw his weight behind the changes.

"There has been a political calculation that he is still the most popular politician in Russia, still the most influential, and he has to carry this ball over the line. But it is burning up a lot of his political capital," McDowell said.

The analyst added that until now United Russia and Putin were viewed as "semi-detached," but now they are linked in the public imagination as jointly driving an austerity policy.
Italy should stick to its promises and respect Europea's fiscal rules, a member of the European Central Bank told CNBC on Thursday.

The comments from Olli Rehn, governor of the Bank of Finland and member of the ECB governing council, came as Rome is preparing its future spending plans.

"It would be very much appreciated if Italy were able to stick to its promises and stick to its commitments as regards the stability and the growth pact  the set of European fiscal rules  because we all live in the euro area and every member state is expected to respect the rules," Rehn told CNBC's Annette Weisbach in Helsinki.

The Italian government sparked further tensions with its European counterparts last week after announcing that it is to increase spending in 2019, meaning that public deficit will reach 2.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

The previous government in Rome had told the European institutions that Italy's deficit would be 0.8 percent in 2019.

Such a significant increase in spending has not been well-received by some officials in Brussels. European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Pierre Moscovici said Wednesday that the 2.4 percent deficit figure risks breaking European rules.

Italy's coalition government is finalizing the details of its 2019 budget, which it has to send to the European Commission for analysis by October 15. At the moment, there is some uncertainty about the spending plans for 2020 and 2021.

"If I were an Italian, the fundamental question would be, how can you advance productive and innovative capacity of the Italian economy? There's tremendous entrepreneurial potential in Italy and the key question to my mind is how to unleash that potential for productivity purposes," Rehn told CNBC.

The newly-appointed governor also said that the ECB does not take action regarding one single country; instead, it responds to the euro zone as a whole.

"As regards the future path of discussions on the Italian public finances, that is something for the European Commission and Eurogroup," Rehn said.
"It's odd given the nature of this settlement. If there is a class action, it's common. But just for SEC enforcement action, particularly with a big fine, it's unusual," he said.

Former federal prosecutor Jay Hulings said the order was unusual, "but not unheard of."

The judge gave them a week to submit a joint letter explaining why she should approve it. Tesla's stock was down 5.4 percent in midday trading to $278.75 a share.

U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan said the court needs to make a "minimal determination of whether the agreement is appropriate" before she would sign off on the deal. She said the law requires her to determine whether the enforcement action is "fair and reasonable, with the additional requirement that the public interest not be disserved."

Tesla CEO Elon Musk 's settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission hit a snag Thursday after the federal judge charged with approving it asked them to justify the agreement.

Musk and the SEC reached a settlement on Saturday, just days after the agency filed a lawsuit alleging that Musk misled investors about having the funding necessary to take Tesla private. Both Musk and Tesla will have to pay $20 million, and Musk will be required to step down as chairman for at least three years, but he will retain a seat on Tesla's board.

Charles Elson, director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, said the delay in reviewing the case is not unusual.

But what the court will do is an open question, he said. Federal courts have rejected SEC settlements in the past if the judge thinks they're too lenient.

"The court is perfectly within its jurisdiction to throw a settlement out," he said.

Often, courts will require stricter terms to approve the settlement. For example, the court could require Musk to step down from Tesla's board entirely, which would be a good move, Elson said.

"I am a little disappointed they didn't require him to leave the board," he said. "I understand the argument for not replacing him as CEO, but I certainly don't think he should be overseeing himself."

Musk's Aug. 7 tweet saying he was thinking about taking the electric car maker private at $420 a share and had "[f]unding secured" sent the stock soaring 11 percent, near an all-time high, that day to $387.46. Tesla's lost about 28 percent of its value since then. The SEC said Musk knew he didn't have the financing lined up and misled investors.

Though the deal settled the SEC's case, the Justice Department reportedly still has an open criminal investigation. Numerous shareholder lawsuits also have been filed against the company and Musk in recent weeks.

Tesla separately on Thursday said it's going to start publishing quarterly crash and safety data.

WATCH: Three experts on the future of Tesla after Elon Musk settles with SEC
Brett Kavanaugh speaks at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, on Capitol Hill September 27, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Hundreds of Facebook employees have voiced outrage at senior executive Joel Kaplan for attending Judge Brett Kavanaugh's congressional hearing in an apparent show of support for the Supreme Court nominee, according to reports by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Kaplan, head of global policy at Facebook and a long time friend of Judge Kavanaugh, sat two rows behind the nominee as he testified regarding allegations that he sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford while in high school.

Following the appearance, many employees felt that Kaplan's presence at the hearing signaled that Facebook as a company had endorsed Judge Kavanaugh. They expressed their discontent in internal company message boards, as well as directly to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
A traveler waits in a departure lounge as an Air New Zealand aircraft stands on the tarmac at Auckland International Airport in Auckland, New Zealand.

Travelers entering New Zealand who refuse to disclose passwords for their digital devices during forced searches could face prosecution and fines of more than $3,000, a move that border officials said Tuesday made the country the first to impose such penalties.

"We're not aware of any other country that has legislated for the potential of a penalty to be applied if people do not divulge their passwords," said Terry Brown, a New Zealand Customs spokesman. Border officials, he said, believe the new fine is an "appropriate remedy" aimed at balancing individuals' privacy and national security.

In New Zealand  as in many other countries, including the United States customs officers were already legally permitted to search cellphones and other digital devices as they would luggage, and to seize devices for forensic examination if they were believed to contain evidence of criminal activity.

But the law did not previously compel travelers to open their devices for inspection, either by entering a password or using biometric data like thumbprints or facial scans.

As of this week, travelers who fail to unlock their devices risk prosecution and potential fines of 5,000 New Zealand dollars, about $3,295.

The law applies to both foreign visitors and returning New Zealand citizens.

Mr. Brown, the customs spokesman, said that once a password was supplied, "preliminary searches" would be carried out with a traveler's phone or computer set to flight mode, and officers would explore only files saved to the device, not website histories or any information uploaded to cloud-based storage.

A device could be confiscated for further examination only if the preliminary search led officials to believe that was warranted, although Mr. Brown admitted that failure to provide a password could be grounds for seizure.

The move drew criticism from civil liberties advocates, who said digital devices contain far more private information about a person than luggage does and should therefore be subject to greater protection from searches.

Katina Michael, a professor at the University of Wollongong in Australia who specializes in surveillance issues, said most countries' laws allowed officials to confiscate devices, often for a period of weeks, if passwords were not provided or illegal activity was suspected. But she said the new fines in New Zealand added a "scare factor" to pressure people, who often do not know their rights when entering a new country, to hand over their codes.

"Many of us are carrying competitive data, industry data, intelligence information or intellectual property, as well as personal items, on our phones," she said. "Smartphones have become an extension of our very selves."

Mr. Brown, from New Zealand Customs, said the new law extended protections for travelers by laying out guidelines for searches and specifying that officials needed to first reasonably suspect travelers of wrongdoing. Potential crimes, he said, include possessing objectionable material or child pornography, or committing drugs offenses or financial crimes.

But a spokesman for New Zealand's Council for Civil Liberties, Thomas Beagle, told Radio New Zealand that it was not clear what constituted "reasonable suspicion" and that there was no way for travelers to challenge a forced search of their devices.

In 2017, New Zealand border officials conducted 537 preliminary searches of devices, and customs officials said they did not expect that number to increase under the new law.

In the United States, forced searches of devices at the border have increased in recent years and have been subject to lawsuits, in which civil liberties activists claim the examinations are invasive and unlawful.

Professor Michael said there had also been an increase in digital searches and device confiscations at the Australian border.

WATCH: Here's what you need to know before you go online
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) talks with reporters as he heads for a meeting at the Capitol October 02, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said Thursday that an FBI investigation found "no hint" of sexual misconduct by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, even as Democrats called the agency's probe incomplete.

The Iowa Republican and his Democratic colleagues clashed again Thursday after seeing a report about the bureau's nearly weeklong supplemental background check into the appeals judge. A sexual assault accusation and two other claims of sexual misconduct have stalled Kavanaugh's confirmation and dragged the Senate into a partisan slugfest intensified by President Donald Trump's commentary.

Republicans are pushing to confirm Kavanaugh, who has denied all allegations, later this week. The FBI probe appeared to change few minds in the GOP, which has largely stood steadfast behind the judge.

"These uncorroborated accusations have been unequivocally and repeatedly rejected by Judge Kavanaugh, and neither the Judiciary Committee nor the FBI could locate any third parties who can attest to any of the allegations," Grassley said on Thursday morning.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., quickly disputed Grassley's comments and called for the documents to be released publicly. Judiciary Committee ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein also said "the most notable part of this report is what's not in it." The California Democrat decried an "incomplete investigation" that she said was "limited, perhaps by the White House."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has set the stage for a key procedural vote on Friday and a full confirmation vote as early as Saturday. Kavanaugh taking the seat on the Supreme Court would likely lock in a conservative majority on the bench for decades. That led the GOP to move quickly to confirm him before Democrats have a chance to flip control of the chamber in November's midterm elections.

In an angry speech Thursday morning, McConnell said "we will not be hoodwinked by those who have tried hard to smear this good man."

At least two Republicans  Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine  and two Democrats  Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia  remain undecided on Kavanaugh's nomination. If no other lawmakers oppose the appeals judge, all four would have to vote against him to sink him.

Those senators did not specifically say Thursday whether they would support Kavanaugh.

Collins told reporters that "it appears to be a very thorough investigation" and said she would personally read interviews with witnesses later in the day. Sen. Jeff Flake, a retiring Arizona Republican who joined with Democrats to force the supplemental FBI probe, said that "we've seen no new corroboration." Flake said he would support Kavanaugh on Friday.

Anger from Kavanaugh and Republicans following testimony last week from Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses the judge of sexually assaulting him when they were in high school in the early 1980s, increased partisan tensions in the Senate. While Ford's emotional testimony was widely seen as credible, Kavanaugh's forceful denials led the GOP to line up behind him.

Democrats and even some Republicans have criticized partisan language Kavanaugh used in testimony before the judiciary panel last week.

Trump drew more backlash Tuesday night, when he mocked Ford's testimony at a campaign rally in Mississippi.




Guwahati : A major disaster was averted by Assam Rifles after detecting a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Manipur's Thoubal district on Wednesday.





According to the reports, based on intelligence input, the troops of Thoubal battalion of 9 Sector Assam Rifles had detected a powerful IED weighing around 8 kg which was placed near a culvert on National Highway 102.





The IED was concealed in an aluminium vessel and suspected militants had planted it near a culvert near Wangjing area along Imphal-Moreh highway.





The Assam Rifles troops had carried out intensive search operation at the area with the help of Khongjom police and recovered the IED.





Later, the bomb squad team had safely defused the IED.





A top official of Assam Rifles said that, suspected militants had planted the IED targeting to the security personnel.




A silicon sex doll for sexual encounters lies on a bed at the 'Bordoll' brothel in Dortmund, Germany.

The city council of Houston, Texas unanimously passed an updated ordinance Wednesday that effectively blocks a proposed "sex robot brothel" from opening.

A Canadian company that already operates an "adult love dolls rent before you buy service" in Toronto had hoped to open a location in Houston and even started construction before running into permit issues that halted work.

The company, KinkySdollS, sells and rents human-like dolls that can cost more than $3,000 each.

Prior to the council's Wednesday vote, locals had organized to express their concerns; a petition speaking out against the business gained more than 10,000 signatures.

"A business like this would destroy homes, families, finances of our neighbors and cause major community uproars in the city," said Pastor Vega, one of the speakers at the meeting.

"As a woman, I am concerned and horrified to see where our society is taking us," Virginia Mireles said.

One council member said he planned to record the business' patrons entering the building and shame them online.

That council member spoke out against the business: "I know there's some people that will sit there and say, 'What does the City of Houston have to do with any of this?'" said councilman Greg Travis. "And the answer is 'We're not getting into your bedroom, but don't bring it into our district. Don't bring it into our city. This is not a good business for our city. We are not Sin City.'"

The council updated a local ordinance Wednesday to ban patrons from having sex with a device resembling a human at a business. Under the new regulation, a business could still sell the sex robots.

Turner speculated that the business might have been attracted to Houston because it remains the only major U.S. city without zoning and has a strong history of resisting regulation.

He said the council's move was not targeted at any one particular business, rather "at this type of behavior" by any businesses.

WATCH: Meet Flippy, the burger-flipping robot poised to transform fast food
"Irresponsible fiscal policy" is on the rise as governments increasingly try to appeal to angry voters, according to a chief investment officer overseeing international macroeconomic trends.

Speaking with CNBC on Tuesday, Michael Hasenstab, chief investment officer at Templeton Global Macro, a unit under Franklin Templeton Investments, called the trend a response to populism  a term with varied definitions  and emphasized that political risk had become a pressing investment consideration.

"One of the main factors that we look at throughout emerging markets and the developed markets, take Italy for example, is the rise of populism leading to irresponsible fiscal policy. Probably one of the most important political variables we have to look at," Hasenstab told CNBC's "Squawk Box."

He added, though, that such trends are not present everywhere, and "that creates an opportunity to look at the politics, and identify those countries that are not on that deteriorating path."

A new government took power in Italy this year led by a coalition formed by the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the right-wing League party. It pledged to embark on tax cuts, guaranteed basic monthly wages for the poor, and committed to other spending in the already-debt-ridden country.

Germany's mainstream political parties, for their part, have been under pressure from a rising challenge from the far-right. The country's government recently set out measures to tackle a drastic shortage of affordable housing, a problem that detractors have argued was caused by an influx of migrants.
Checkpoint soldiers are on guard at a container terminal on May 25, 2017 in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province of China.

J.P. Morgan is getting less optimistic about the trade conflict between the U.S. and China.

The firm lowered its rating for Chinese equities to neutral from overweight, predicting the escalating trade war between the countries will affect China's economy next year.

"A full-blown trade war becomes our new base case scenario for 2019," emerging market strategist Pedro Martins Junior said in a note to clients Wednesday. "There is no clear sign of mitigating confrontation between China and the US in the near term."

On Monday, White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said discussions with China over trade aren't progressing.

The White House's latest tariffs of 10 percent on $200 billion of imports from China took effect last week. President Donald Trump, in a Sept. 17 statement, said the tariffs would rise to 25 percent on Jan. 1.

Junior said China's GDP growth could be negatively impacted by 1 percentage point from the latest round of announced tariffs, assuming it "does not take countermeasures."

"Higher tariffs are squeezing Chinese manufacturing's profit margin, reducing the investment incentive and hiring, which would then drag on consumption via reduced income," he said.

As a result, J.P. Morgan reduced its year-end price target for the MSCI China index to 85 from 95, representing 9 percent upside to Wednesday's close.

 CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this story.

WATCH: A (brief) history of the world's trade wars
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell meets with Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 10, 2018. Leah Millis | Reuters

ORLANDO, Fla.  Suddenly, the fierce battle over Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court presents President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans with a peculiar conflict of incentives. By confirming Kavanaugh, the Republican-controlled Senate would cement the court majority conservatives have dreamed of. But that could also make it less likely that the Senate will remain in Republican control, strategists in both parties say. By defeating Kavanaugh, the Senate would leave the court seat open with no guarantee that Trump could install another strong conservative to replace retired swing-vote Justice Anthony Kennedy. But Kavanaugh's defeat could simultaneously diminish the odds that Democrats recapture a majority and seize control of the Senate agenda.

That's a different political calculus than existed a month ago, before Christine Blasey Ford went public with her allegation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers. (Kavanaugh vehemently denies the allegations.) Then, when the Kavanaugh nomination fight was a traditional ideological clash, Republicans saw winning as the minimum necessary to preserve morale among conservatives' base in an otherwise dispiriting midterm election season. Now, the politics of grievance has turned that around. The hearings last week, in which both Kavanaugh and defenders like Sen. Lindsey Graham raged against what they call character assassination, brought a new level of emotional intensity to the Republican campaign. In recent days, pollsters have reported rising interest in the election among rank-and-file Republicans. That has narrowed the "enthusiasm gap" that all year has benefited Democrats outraged by the Trump presidency. Emotional intensity produces voter turnout. The challenge facing Republicans is preserving it for the remaining four weeks of the campaign. Confirmation of Kavanaugh on the Senate floor in the next few days may sap that intensity. Like politicians and the news media, voters have short attention spans. But a defeat at the hands of Democrats and moderate Republican defectors would heighten the belief of conservatives that they remain under siege in American culture even as the GOP controls Congress and the White House. For Republican campaign strategists, that's political gold.

Trump's recent remarks suggest he senses that emerging dynamic as well. Ignoring advice from Senate GOP leaders, he mocked Ford at a campaign rally this week. He has also described Kavanaugh's past "difficulty" with alcohol in ways at odds with Kavanaugh's description of himself. The Kavanaugh rally appears insufficient to salvage the Republican majority in the House. The Cook Political Report now projects gains of 25-40 seats for Democrats, who need 23 to gain control. Many battleground House races take place in moderate suburban districts, where opposition to Trump among college-educated white women has given Democrats the upper hand. The Senate battleground is far different. Needing to gain two seats for control, Democrats must defend vulnerable incumbents in Trump-friendly states such as North Dakota, Missouri, Montana, Indiana and West Virginia. With most races close, an uptick in GOP turnout fueled by anger over Kavanaugh's fate could tip the balance.

Sen. Bill Nelson, left, and Gov. Rick Scott Bill Clark | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images; Getty Images
If Mark Judge ever imagined his books would sell for thousands of dollars, he probably didn't have the past few weeks in mind.

The author has become a reluctant public figure as his high school chum Brett Kavanaugh faces an embattled nomination process for Supreme Court Justice. Savvy sellers have tried to cash in on the attention, selling Judge's out-of-print memoir for hundreds and even thousands online.

Judge's '97 book "Wasted: Tales of a Gen X Drunk," chronicles the author's struggles with alcohol, including blackouts and partying while in high school. The memoir recently emerged as a key talking point when Christine Blasey Ford accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of a teenage sexual assault, citing Judge as an alleged witness.

Judge attended Georgetown Preparatory School with Kavanaugh and, according to Ford, was in the room during her alleged sexual assault. Kavanaugh has vehemently denied Ford's charges, while Judge has said that he has no recollection of the incident.

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An editor's note for the book explains the memoir was based on true events but that some names and events have been fictionalized. Still, details such as a character named "Bart O'Kavanaugh" have fueled an interest in the book. Many have sought out copies for clues as they piece together a timeline of Kavanaugh's high school years.

Third-party sellers are taking advantage of the renewed interest. For instance, as we write this, one used hardcover copy of "Wasted" is selling on Amazon for $1,899.99.

That's a far cry from previous figures. A used copy in similar condition retailed for just 1 cent in early February 2017, according to CamelCamelCamel, a site that tracks Amazon prices. The second highest price for the book was set three years ago at $32.45, one-sixtieth of the book's current selling price.

The memoir is less expensive on eBay, but still pricey. One seller is offering the book for $999, while another started bidding at $300.

Third-party sellers are able to set their own prices, according to an Amazon spokesperson. While the company does have a pricing policy for these sellers, the book's rarity could warrant higher prices.

Listing obscure used books for high prices is not an uncommon practice online. A recent article in the New York Times says third-party sellers range from big brands to entrepreneurs looking for opportunity. As one consultant explained in the article, "If I'm selling a $10 book for $610, all I need to do is get one person to buy it and I've made $600. It's just a matter of setting prices and wishful thinking."

So far, Judge has gained little from the renewed attention he has tried to shun. In a review published Tuesday, New York Times' book critic David Gardner wrote, "It is not even close to being a good book." He adds, "Judge isn't a skilled enough writer to evoke the complicated longings that alcohol can instill."

And since the sales are handled by third-party sellers, Judge likely won't receive a cut of these astronomical prices. Nor will the book be reissued. Hazelden Publishing, an arm of the addiction treatment center Judge attended, says it has no plans to reprint the memoir.

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Don't miss: How Christine Blasey Ford's vulnerability shaped her credibility
One of the country's most popular resort cities for short-term rentals is rolling out a strict new law designed to prevent widespread illegal rentals, a decision sharply criticized by Airbnb.

Miami Beach, Florida, which already imposes stiff fines for illegal short-term rentals, is now requiring online platforms to list specific business license information on their sites.

"We discovered Airbnb and the other platforms are allowing the rentals to happen in zoning districts that are patently illegal," Aleksandr Boksner, chief deputy city attorney, told CNBC on Thursday.

The new law took effect on Sept. 22, but the city has given short-term rental platforms about 30 days to institute changes that would allow a host or property owner to enter the required information.

Rentals for less than six months and one day are prohibited in the city unless the property is in a legally permissible zone, such as most of tourist-dense South Beach. Short-term rentals are largely illegal in the residential areas of the city.

Modeled after a similar regulation in San Francisco, the new law requires platforms to list the property owner's city-issued tax receipt number and the resort tax registration certificate number for each listing.

Boksner warned the city is prepared to take criminal action against anyone who falsely enters information to get around the law.

"The city ultimately did this to close the other bookend," Boksner said. "We started off with issuing violations to the property owner. The other end is now the hosting platforms."

And if a short-term rental platform discovers an illegal listing, it must report that to the city within 15 days or face criminal sanctions, he said.

Airbnb, which Miami Beach says has been responsible for the majority of illegal listings, criticized the new law.

"We are disappointed by the city's decision to double down on a law that even they admit isn't working. We stand by our position that our hosts and residents in Miami Beach deserve comprehensive short-term rental reform that addresses the fundamental flaws in the city's existing system," Tom Martinelli, Airbnb's Florida policy director, said in a statement to CNBC.

Boksner said "it's unfortunate that an entity like Airbnb continues to engage in what is clear illegal conduct." He called on them to "be good corporate citizens to work with the city of Miami Beach."

Calls to Booking.com and Expedia, the two other major short-term rental platforms, were not immediately returned.

The city already imposes stiff fines for illegal short-term rentals that start at $20,000 for the first violation. But the activity has continued despite the tough enforcement.

The new law comes on the heels of a CNBC investigation in May that found the city was trying to enforce regulations on illegal listings through fines and routine visits by code compliance. The investigation also found commercial companies leasing properties and turning them into illegal rentals, not only in Miami Beach but in other cities around the country.



Asked why Airbnb won't block illegal listings in Miami Beach on its own, Chris Lehane, the company's head of global policy, told CNBC in May, "We've worked with cities all over the country. We've put in something called a pass-through registration system. Cities can determine if something is in the permissible area or not. We've done that. We've done it all over the place. Happy to do that in a place like Miami Beach."

In May 2017, Airbnb and HomeAway, another short-term rental company, reached a settlement with San Francisco. The two platforms agreed to enforce regulations made in 2014 that require them to register all hosts.

Hosts who register can only rent out their homes for 90 days and they must live at the listed property for at least 275 days per year. The settlement also requires Airbnb and HomeAway to collect data from people who list their units for under 30 days, information San Francisco can use when determining who can register.

The goal of the agreement was to limit the number of "commercial de facto year-round hotels," according to Omar Mesry, senior analyst of the San Francisco Office of Short-term Rental Administration and Enforcement.

The new rules went into effect last September. After they went into effect, the number of listings dropped from around 10,000 to 4,000 in eight months, according to Mesry.
"Not surprisingly, the best revenue day of the year for taco shops is Cinco de Mayo," said Brad Plothow, Womply's vice president of brand and communications.

Despite the specials, Thursday won't be the biggest day of the year for the Mexican dish, according to an analysis from small business software provider Womply .

Mexican restaurants and taco joints are expected to be busy Thursday. Punchh , a marketing automation platform, found "a giant revenue peak" in taco sales on National Taco Day last year.

According to the made-up food holiday's website, NationalTacoDay.com , last year Americans ate more than 4.5 billion tacos. The site estimates that's 490,000 miles of tacos and 775 million pounds.

Oct. 4 is National Taco Day, and national and regional taco chains are marking this taco lovers' fiesta, also known as Taco Thursday this year, with free tacos or specials.

Let's talk about why Thursday is the best day to get tacos this week.

Most deals are available at participating locations and while supplies last. Some require an app or coupon. To be on the safe side, check with your closest location to confirm it's participating.

Abuelo's Mexican Restaurant: Through Oct. 29, the chain is promoting a taco Family Feast. Choose from a taco pack to-go for six people for $21.99 or $41.99 for 12 people.

Bahama Breeze Island Grille: Not a taco deal, but through Thursday, the chain has a deal on its Rum & Coke Chicken and Ribs as part of Bahama Breeze's Rumtoberfest. The event of rum-inspired dishes and cocktails goes through Oct. 28.

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Bill Miller Bar-B-Q: Get bean and cheese tacos for 65 cents each Thursday.

Bite Squad: Take $5 off orders $20 or more Thursday at www.bitesquad.com with code TACOTIME.

Bubbakoo's Burritos: The New Jersey chain has $1 tacos Thursday, limit five per person.

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California Tortilla: Buy one taco, get one free Thursday. The Blackened Fish, California Sunset, Korean BBQ and Crunchy BBQ Ranch street tacos are included in this deal and there's a limit of five free tacos per person.

Chronic Tacos: Get a free taco between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thursday with a code word, which according to a tweet is "Taco Life."

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Chuy's: Add a crispy beef taco to any order for $1 Thursday and get $1 off Modelo beers. If you visit the restaurant dressed up as a taco and post a picture on social media with #NationalTacoDay, get a free meal.

Cold Stone Creamery: While not a deal, only on Thursday, Cold Stone will sell Waffle Tacos.

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Del Taco: Buy one shredded beef taco, get one free Thursday with a coupon at www.deltaco.com.

El Pollo Loco: Get a free Chicken Taco al Carbon at participating locations Thursday and enter for a chance to win a limited-edition taco shirt that unlocks free tacos for an entire year. Find the coupon and enter at www.elpolloloco.com/tacosforayear.

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El Fenix: Get $1 beef or chicken soft or crunchy tacos Thursday. Limit three per guest.

Fuzzy's Taco Shop: Breakfast and Baja-style are $1 each Thursday. Some exclusions apply.

Green Leaf's Beyond Great Salads: Get a free Baja Street Taco Thursday at participating locations with a coupon. Sign up for the coupon and join the chain's EClub at www.greenleafsbananas.com/tacoday.

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Jimboy's Tacos: Get a free Original Ground Beef Taco with the purchase of another Thursday at participating locations in California and Nevada.

Margaritas Mexican Restaurants: Through Oct. 31, order the two pound Taco Gigante for $12.99 and finish it in one sitting win free tacos for the year. Winners get one free beef or chicken taco per week loaded on a Circle of Friends account.

Moe's Southwest Grill: National Taco Day is a four-day fiesta at the fast-casual chain. From Thursday to Sunday, members of Moe's Rockin' Rewards loyalty program, will get one free taco when they purchase two. Download the Moe's app at www.moes.com/rewards.

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On The Border: For $8.99, get unlimited tacos Thursday. Mix and match between the chain's Seasoned Ground Beef or Chicken Tinga tacos. Through Sunday, get 15 percent off Taco Buffets catering orders $200 or more with promo code TACO18.

PT's Taverns: Get $1 tacos in either seasoned ground beef or shredded chicken Thursday.

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Qdoba: Members of the Qdoba Rewards program get double or triple points depending on what tier of the program they are on. The deal is available online, mobile and in-restaurant orders, but does not apply to catering orders. Sign up at www.qdoba.com/rewards.

Red Robin: For a limited time, get the Taco Tavern Double served with Bottomless Steak Fries for $6.99.

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Rubio's Coastal Grill: Get a free Original Fish Taco with purchase of a beverage and a coupon Thursday at participating locations. Find the coupon at www.rubios.com.

Taco Bell: At participating locations Thursday, the chain has a special "National Taco Day gift set." For $5, get four tacos including the Crunchy Taco, Fiery, Cool Ranch and Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos. While supplies last.

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Taco Bueno: Get a free Texas Street Taco with any purchase Thursday.

Taco Cabana: Get a free Shredded Chicken Taco or Ground Beef Taco from 3 p.m. to midnight Thursday with a coupon on the chain's Facebook and Instagram pages. One per guest, per visit and per transaction at participating locations.

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Taco John's: Through Friday, the chain that trademarked the terms "Taco Tuesday" and "Wake Up Wednesday," is giving away free crispy beef tacos. To get the freebie each day, you need a coupon only available in the Taco John's Rewards app. Download the app at www.tacojohns.com/rewards.

Taco Time: Buy a $30 gift card online at www.tacotime.com Thursday and get a $10 bonus. The gift cards aren't valid for locations in Western Washington.

Taco Time NW (Western Washington): Get one free Crisp Taco Thursday at Taco Time restaurants in Western Washington.

Tijuana Flats: Choose a deal Thursday. Get two tacos, chips and a drink for $5.99 or a burrito or bowl with chips and a drink for the same price. Prices may vary by state.

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Torchy's Tacos: Dine in Thursday for a chance to win a gift card. Five guests at each location Thursday will have a gold paper lined basket, which they can redeem for a gift card.

More deals: Local restaurants and smaller chains will also offer specials for National Taco Day. Check social media accounts for deal announcements.

WATCH: How takeout took over America
The United States is in the middle of a traditionally weak period for natural gas demand, and production is booming, yet prices for the fossil fuel are rocketing to the highest level since January.

What gives?

The country is heading into the winter with natural gas stockpiles at their lowest in at least a decade, according to the commodities research group at Barclays. At the same time, power plants are grappling with a hotter-than-usual autumn that is keeping air conditioners running. Add a series of nuclear power plant outages to the mix, and you've got a recipe for a rally.

Natural gas prices are up about 12 percent over the last month to roughly $3.16 per million British thermal unit. On Wednesday, they hit a more-than-seven-month high, at $3.26 per mmBtu.

Prices backed down 2 percent on Thursday after government data showed a weekly increase of 98 billion cubic feet in U.S. natural gas stockpiles. However, prices are still near their highest since the dead of last winter.

Barclays expects prices to ease, but the bank warns that heading into the winter with so little gas in storage leaves the market susceptible to price spikes.

"If winter weather comes in mild, then this current storage shortfall is a speed bump on the way to a looser market in 2019. If cold weather comes to fruition, though, the tenor of the 2019 outlook is fundamentally changed and the market will spend a good portion of next year just digging out of the storage deficit," Michael Cohen, head of energy markets research at Barclays, wrote in a research note on Thursday.

The bank's weather outlook calls for natural gas prices to average $2.99 per mmBtu this winter, but if temperatures are 10 percent colder than anticipated, that estimate shoots up to $3.65 per mmBtu.

Barclay's view that natural gas prices will moderate speaks to the roots of the rally. While low stockpiles provide a bearish backdrop, it's largely the unseasonably warm weather and unplanned nuclear power outages that are to blame.

Cooling degree days, or days that were warm enough to require air-conditioning, were 20 percent higher in September than the 10-year average, according to Barclays. Meanwhile, Hurricane Florence forced power plants in the Carolinas region to shut down as much as 17 gigawatts of nuclear power, or about 10 gigawatts more than usual over the last four years.
One of the world's biggest airplane-engine manufacturers is betting on a future of electric flight.

French engine maker Safran is planning to produce engines for Zunum Aero, a hybrid-electric airplane start-up that has been backed by venture arms at Boeing and JetBlue Airways.

It is a key milestone for the airplane as engines are among the toughest pieces of technology to perfect.

Without an engine "it might as well be a cool freehand drawing," said Richard Aboulafia, a vice president at aerospace research firm the Teal Group.

Safran is planning to modify a helicopter engine for the 12-seat Zunum plane, which it is calling the ZA10. The plane would run on batteries and a gasoline-powered turbine engine.

Zunum, which is also backed by Washington state's Clean Energy Fund, said Thursday the first batch of planes will seat 12 passengers and would be available in 2022. The company conducted ground tests this year near Chicago and is planning flight tests in 2019.

JetBlue Ventures, which is backing Zunum, said it hopes the planes could be used for flights under 1,000 miles.
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., speaks during the Tribal Unity Impact Days hosted by the National Congress of American Indians in Dirksen Building on September 12, 2018.

Heidi Heitkamp, a red-state Democratic senator who faced increasingly long odds of re-election this fall, said Thursday that she will vote against confirming Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

A spokeswoman for Heitkamp's campaign confirmed the embattled senator's position on the high court nominee in a phone call with CNBC. Heitkamp first announced her position on the vote in an interview with local media outlet WDAY on Thursday.

"If this were a political decision for me I certainly would be deciding the other way," Heitkamp said in the interview. "History will judge you, but most importantly you will judge yourself."

In a statement released shortly after, Heitkamp criticized lawmakers for their handling of Kavanaugh's nomination.

"Both sides horribly handled the process around this nomination," Heitkamp said in the statement. "We must learn from these mistakes."

She also referenced her past support for President Donald Trump's prior Supreme Court pick, Neil Gorsuch, explaining that she "voted for Justice Gorsuch because I felt his legal ability and temperament qualified him to serve on the Supreme Court."




Guwahati: Journalists Forum Assam (JFA) expresses serious concern over the closure of a Bengali newspaper in Agartala and urged the concerned authority to help resume its publication at the earliest. Moreover, the scribes body asked the Press Trust of India (PTI) management to rethink about its decision to sack nearly 300 employees.





It may be noted that Daily Desher Katha (www.dailydesherkatha.net), one of the oldest vernacular daily newspapers of eastern India that also functioned as Tripura CPI(M)s mouthpiece, has not hit the stands since 2 October 2018, as its registration was canceled the previous day. The notice to the four decade-old Bengali newspaper, published from Agartala, was issued by the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI).





The RNIs letter to the newspaper management mentioned the unauthorized change of ownership of the media house that had been supported by a report from the West Tripura district magistrate. Samir Paul, editor of the popular newspaper, however denied any irregularity in the change of ownership of the daily.





We insist on continuing publication of Daily Desher Katha as it involves the livelihoods of many media employees and also thousands of readers across Tripura. The RNI ought to consider permitting resumption of its publication with necessary rectifications, said a media statement issued by JFA from its Guwahati office.





The northeast India based forum also requested the PTI management to reconsider its decision to sack nearly 300 employees. It may be mentioned that these employees, mostly long-serving and engaged in non-journalistic work, were suddenly served termination notices on the ground that there was no work for them.




Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies during the second day of his Supreme Court confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill September 5, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Senators started reviewing the FBI's supplemental background investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Thursday.

President Donald Trump last week ordered the agency to reopen its inquiry into the judge, after a number of undecided senators pressed for further investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. Since Friday, the FBI has interviewed nine people about the allegations, a source briefed on the investigation told NBC News.

There has been much debate over the scope of the inquiry, given the narrow parameters originally set by the White House. A particular point of contention has been the decision not to include interviews with Christine Blasey Ford, the first woman to come forward with an allegation against the judge. The FBI also did not interview Kavanaugh. The absence of the two from the latest review has raised alarm among some top Democrats.

Nonetheless, the White House is confident that the inquiry will bolster Kavanaugh's odds. Raj Shah, a deputy White House press secretary detailed to the Kavanaugh confirmation process, told CNN on Thursday that after senators review the FBI material, "they're going to be comfortable confirming Judge Kavanaugh."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has vowed to have a vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation this week. A procedural vote on the nomination is expected Friday. The final confirmation vote could come Saturday.

All eyes are on a handful of senators who have not indicated how they will vote. In particular, Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine are thought to be crucial. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who led the charge last week to re-open the FBI investigation, will also be closely watched.

The Senate is narrowly divided, with the GOP holding a two-vote majority. If all of the Democrats vote down Kavanaugh's confirmation, two Republicans would still be required to sink him. Vice President Mike Pence would vote in the event of a 50-50 tie.

Trump nominated Kavanaugh in July to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, who cast numerous swing votes in major rulings.
Japanese automaker Toyota and tech giant SoftBank announced Thursday that they are forming a joint venture by April 2019 that will use data to optimize supply and demand in the transportation space.

The company, called Monet Technologies, will coordinate between Toyota's information infrastructure for connected vehicles and SoftBank's so-called Internet of Things platform that collects and analyses data from smartphones and sensors, the Japanese corporations said in a joint statement.

In the first phase, Monet plans to roll out just-in-time vehicle dispatch services for Japanese public agencies and private companies to meet user demand. Those services include on-demand transportation and corporate shuttles.

By the second half of the 2020s, the joint venture will roll out an on-demand mobility service that will use Toyota's self-driving, battery-operated electric vehicle called e-Palette for various purposes. They include meal deliveries, where the food is being prepared inside the vehicle, hospital shuttles that can conduct medical examinations on board and mobile offices.

Monet will roll out its mobility services in Japan before focusing on future expansion on the global market.

Toyota launched plans for the so-called e-Palette earlier this year and described the concept as a "fully-automated, next generation battery electric vehicle" that can be customized and scaled for various mobility services.

The companies said that the joint venture will start at 2 billion yen ($17.49 million), and will be increased to 10 billion yen in future. They did not specify a timeline.

SoftBank will own 50.25 percent of the joint venture while Toyota will take 49.75 percent. SoftBank Corp representative director and CTO, Junichi Miyakawa, will be president and CEO of the new joint venture.
Nestled inside Target's Minneapolis headquarters, racks of unfinished clothes line the walls. In another area, sketches and splotches of color are hung up for inspiration. Walk down the hallway, and it looks like you've arrived at an HGTV set with bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens on display. This is the creative hub of Target's in-house brands  a key part of the retailer's turnaround. Scattered throughout, there are chemical mixing labs and an alcove with a handful of 3-D printers. About 550 employees work together to bring roughly 40 private labels, such as Goodfellow & Co. for men's clothing and Up & Up for cleaning supplies, to life. Meetings take place around a dining table in Target's Made By Design room, which is decked out with kitchen appliances and other utensils from that label. And "Targeters," as they're sometimes referred to, arrive back from fashion shows or visits to overseas shops, toting items they've collected on their journeys. Each week, so-called kid influencers are ushered in and out of the Cat & Jack room to offer feedback on clothing styles being developed for the coming year. The work taking place throughout this creative space has been key to Target's latest successes, putting the company in a stronger position following a sales slump in the early 2000s that drove Target into somewhat of an identity crisis. Battling names such as Walmart, Kroger, Kohl's and increasingly Amazon for market share, Target started to drift away from its fashion and design roots  its "cheap chic" heritage  in the wake of the Great Recession, which thrust many businesses into a rut late in '08 and '09.

The toy section of a remodeled Target store in Richmond, Texas. Target

But as the economy improved, shoppers didn't return to Target in droves. One reason for this was the company had lost what was so special about it  what made shoppers pronounce its name with a faux French accent. CEO Brian Cornell joined the retailer from PepsiCo in 2014, vowing to fix those issues. He eventually announced a plan in February of 2017 to invest $7 billion through 2020 to get back to the "Tar-Jay" days. The plan is working, but with many milestone investments behind it, Target will now have to prove it can keep the momentum going and keep growth stable in the coming years. Investors initially resisted Cornell's strategy, welcoming the news with the biggest sell-off of Target shares in nine years. "Investors beat the crap out of Target [at the start], but when the comps start to turn and the stock doubles, you end up being fine," Stacey Widlitz, president of consulting group SW Retail Advisors, told CNBC. "Lucky for them the investments were the right investments and in the end they paid off." Target shares have gained more than 37 percent from Feb. 28, 2017. That compares with the S&P 500 Retail ETF (XRT), which has traded up just 13.5 percent over the same time period.

When Cornell walked investors and analysts through his plan, he said 2017 and 2018 would be about investing and 2019 would be centered around returning to stability and growth. Key to the turnaround thus far have been the rollout of new in-house brands, such as Cat & Jack, which helped the company earn back its "Tar-Jay" nickname. Store renovations, which are ongoing, are also helping drive shoppers back into stores to see what's new. While Target hasn't mastered every category  grocery still needs work  the company is laser focused on ultimately creating a better shopping experience. This includes investing in more delivery options. "Skeptics thought he wouldn't be able to do it, but he's proven them wrong," said Robin Lewis, consultant and author of the Robin Report. "He has proven to be a turnaround leader." The retailer is coming off a quarter where it reported "unprecedented" growth in foot traffic at its stores, along with the strongest same-store sales growth in 13 years. It attributed that success to both strong macroeconomic factors  low unemployment and strong consumer confidence in the U.S.  and its investments paying off. Retail analysts agree Target's in-house brands for everything from iPhone accessories and bedroom curtains to sneakers are giving the company an identity again  a way to stand out from Amazon, Walmart, Kroger and others. Still, there's some skepticism from the financial community that Target's investments will continue to weigh on profit margins. More pressure on the bottom line could drive the stock lower in the coming years. But if Target can prove those pains are easing as sales rise, shares should continue to climb. Target needs to prove it can run a profitable business both from its stores and online.

Finding stable growth

"I think about the work we did years ago with Cat & Jack  thinking about how important it is for us to connect with babies, kids, with those moms," Cornell told CNBC earlier this month from inside one of the retailer's recently remodeled locations in downtown Minneapolis. "And now we've taken some of that learning, and the team's just gotten better and better." The company has rolled out 17 of its own brands, including A New Day for women's clothing, Heyday for electronics accessories, and Opalhouse for whimsical home decor, since the start of 2017 and is on track to add eight more by the end of 2019. Cat & Jack, arguably one of the retailer's most well-known brands today, reached $2 billion in sales just one year after its launch in 2016, selling trendy clothing for kids. "We feel great about ... the new brands that we've launched, but we're going to do a lot more in '19 and '20," Cornell said. For Target, these in-house brands and one-on-one collaborations with popular names such as Hunter and Lilly Pulitzer, more recently, also help fuel profit margins and give the retailer more control over inventory in stores. This has been especially important as Target pours more money into its supply chain to speed things like online delivery, which weighs on the bottom line. "Now we're back to Tar-Jay," Moody's analyst Charlie O'Shea told CNBC. "As a retailer today, you have to give the consumer a reason to come into your store or click on a website, and exclusive brands are No. 1 in that process. I would guess that Target's brands so far are doing better than the company thought they would."

Ramping up store remodels

Target's stores are starting to look a lot different  another boost to keep the momentum going. Like the popular Cat & Jack brand, the remodeled stores are giving people a reason to shop there over the competition. Target has said this year it will remodel about 300 stores out of its fleet of 1,800 and is on track to complete 1,100 remodels by the end of 2020. It said it typically sees sales climb between 2 and 4 percent at remodeled locations. The company is meanwhile opening smaller-format stores in urban markets, such as New York, and near college campuses, like in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It currently has 26 of those smaller shops across the U.S. open for at least 13 months. These stores saw high-single-digit comp growth, on average, during the latest quarter, Target said.

Apparel on display at the new Target store in Herald Square. Courtney Reagan | CNBC

"It's like a mini Macy's, but with better prices," one shopper said as she strolled through a newly remodeled Target store in Maple Grove, Minnesota, last month. Target's remodeled stores will have fewer aisles in the beauty department. Instead, there is a counter where a specialist lets shoppers try on items before they buy, similar to the experience one might find at Ulta or Sephora. Within the apparel category, the stores put Target's own brands on display front and center. There are more mannequins scattered across the floor encouraging customers to shop whole looks instead of individual pieces. Certain parts of the store have even shifted  maternity clothing is now next to where Target sells car seats and diapers, for example. And about 100 stores so far have received a complete facelift in the toy department, which includes life-size games and other things for kids to play with in stores, as they shop. Those stores also have a redesigned area selling children's books, which is now near where the company sells kid's clothing, instead of next to electronics. The carpeted spaces are more inviting for kids to come in, sit and read a book while their parents might be shopping a few feet away. The goal of the remodels, according to the company, is to make each category of merchandise  be it electronics, home decor or grocery  feel like it's housed within a separate "boutique" within Target. Associates in stores are meanwhile being trained to be "specialists" within certain departments, offering shoppers more knowledge on what they're shopping for. Employees assigned to beauty, for example, are asked to keep up with the latest trends in makeup. And Target has provided new training courses within the handheld devices that it gives workers to do this.

Finding a fix for grocery

To be sure, the retailer hasn't yet mastered every department within its stores. It arguably still lags behind its peers in grocery. "In terms of individual products, Target's grocery proposition is not bad," GlobalData Retail Managing Director Neil Saunders said. "However, when taken as a whole the offer is murky: it has neither the sharp prices of Walmart or Aldi, nor the quality and sense of experience of Whole Foods, Wegmans or Trader Joe's." The company is still making changes to its food offering, though the changes haven't been as extensive as those in apparel and home. It's offering a wider selection of prepared food options, such as grilled chicken strips and precut veggies, in stores. Within the past year, the company said it started delivering fresh grocery items such as avocados and apples to stores daily, as opposed to on a less-frequent basis, to try to cut back on stale food sitting on shelves.

The grocery section of a redesigned Target store in Duarte, California. Source: Target
Protesters call for an end to austerity policies which lead to underfunding and staff shortages in the NHS, and demand that it remains publicly owned and accessible to everyone. June 30, 2018 in London, England. Barcroft Media | Barcroft Media | Getty Images

When British Prime Minister Theresa May addressed Conservative Party members on the final day of her party's annual conference Wednesday, everyone wanted to know what she thought about Brexit. But it was May's pledges to "end austerity" that were her most interesting  and timely  comments, according to economist heavyweight Jim O'Neill. "I'm surprised I'm going to say it, but what I caught of the prime minister's closing speech, she positively surprised me," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Thursday. Speaking to Tory delegates Wednesday, May focused on repairing party unity, Brexit and, of course, made obligatory attacks on the oppositional Labour Party. But she also declared an "end to austerity." "A decade after the financial crash, people need to know that the austerity it led to is over and that their hard work has paid off," May said.

O'Neill, the chair of international think tank Chatham House, and the former chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, told CNBC that the pledge showed May and her advisors were attuned to public sentiment  that is, negative feeling  over public spending cuts in the U.K. that hit public services including the police and National Health Service (NHS) hard. "The country wants, seemingly, something different," O'Neill said. "She gave a very clear statement that austerity is over and, I don't know about this (forthcoming) budget, but she's basically told the country that the pipes are being opened and public spending is going to start rising."

'Cloud cuckoo land'

O'Neill is best known for coining the phrase BRICS, referring to the emerging market economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. But he is no stranger to the U.K. government, having served briefly as a treasury minister in former Prime Minister David Cameron's government, charged with overseeing a boost to the economy in the north of England. Cameron, who campaigned for Britain to remain in the European Union, resigned the day after the Brexit vote, but O'Neill stayed on as May took the reins, only to step down in September 2016 amid rumored tensions with the prime minister over her approach to China. May's rival and Brexit critic, former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, shared his vision of a post-Brexit Britain on Tuesday, during a speech in which he said the government should be cutting taxes to stimulate investment. O'Neill said ideas like that were out of "cloud cuckoo land" and were not in keeping with public feeling about the economy, including dismay at seeing corporate profits rise while wage growth remains muted, for instance. "We've had many countries trying to lower corporate tax rate for the past decade, but one common theme across every Group of Seven country's expansion is that investment never goes up," he said. "All it does is artificially boost the ability of companies to go on a borrowing spree to buy back their own shares and reporting never-ending rising profits at the same time of never-rising wages is feeding the core of why many normal human beings are pretty cheesed off with life. "So why say May's speech slightly surprised me in a positive sense is that somebody's obviously got her antenna going again for her to be sensitive to that."

Foreign secretaries
The U.S. relationship with China is "probably as poor as" it was before the Nixon administration opened up ties more than four decades ago, former Fed governor Kevin Warsh told CNBC on Thursday.

"We're at the risk of a real cold war" between the world's two biggest economic superpowers, said Warsh, who had been on President Donald Trump's short list for Fed chairman before Jerome Powell was chosen. "The last 30 years we've been living and breathing globalization as if it's an inevitable force."

Warsh was using the term "cold war" to mean an economic standoff, not the decades-long "mutually assured destruction" nuclear stalemate between the U.S. and Russia that began to thaw in the detente period that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

"We are probably on the precipice of a brand new relationship with the Chinese," Warsh said in a "Squawk Box" interview. "Could we be at the beginning of a 10- or 20-year cold war? That has huge implications for the economy."

Warsh, a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution think tank, said ties between the nations are deteriorating at the government-to-government and business-to-business levels.

"Five or 10 years from now we might see two poles: a Chinese-centric world and an American-centric world. And the [other global] economies and countries will have to plug into one or both," he said.

China has certainly been moving toward a more consumer-led economy and away from state-funded stimulus for growth. But China's brand of capitalism still has an aspect of being state-directed as its core, which is quite different from the free-market capitalism of the U.S.

Warsh said the new U.S.-China dynamic is bigger than Trump. "I think whoever is sitting in that seat will have a new relationship with China."

"Great power relationships are not about how many soybeans you're going to buy [or how] many Boeing airplanes you're going to buy. It's about your core interests," he added, suggesting the current trade war is only one part of the ideological differences between communist China and the democratic United States.

"I suspect that there will need to be between [Chinese President Xi Jinping] and President Trump a great summit, among great powers. And that requires two countries that want to have that discussion," said Warsh, who was Fed governor from 2006 to 2011 during the bursting of the housing bubble and the 2008 financial crisis.

Before his appointment to the central bank, Warsh worked as an economic advisor in the George W. Bush administration and in the mergers and acquisitions department at Morgan Stanley.
Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh organizes his desk before testifying to the Senate Judiciary Committee on the third day of his Supreme Court confirmation hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 6, 2018 in Washington, DC.

The Senate was expected to receive the report by early Thursday, two sources familiar with the matter said. Senators were to be granted access to review it during the day on Thursday.

That news comes as the FBI's report on sexual misconduct allegations against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh neared completion late on Wednesday as the battle over his selection by President Donald Trump approached a new turning point.

After filing a cloture petition, lawmakers must wait one legislative day before proceeding to the cloture vote, according to Senate rules. That means a cloture vote could come on Friday morning at the soonest.

McConnell, a Republican, filed a petition for a so-called cloture vote, which if successful would limit debate on the Kavanaugh nomination and start the clock ticking on a final 30-hour waiting period before the Senate could vote to confirm the nominee.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday set up a procedural vote for as early as Friday on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation.

While the report's conclusions were as yet unknown, there was already a partisan battle over it as Trump and the Senate Republican leadership battled to corral enough support for a majority vote for Kavanaugh in the days ahead.

Democrats were in near unanimity against Kavanaugh, a conservative federal appeals court judge.

"It's time to put this sickening display behind us," McConnell said in remarks on the Senate floor earlier in the day. "The Senate will vote on this nomination this week."

Several people with information related to allegations against Kavanaugh told Reuters they had not heard from the FBI, suggesting its report may be narrower than was desired by some of the lawmakers who demanded it just days ago.

Christine Blasey Ford, a college professor from California who accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her in 1982 when they were high school students, has not been contacted by the FBI, her attorneys said.

As Senate Republican leaders marched toward a final vote on Kavanaugh's nomination, perhaps over the weekend, the three Republicans who could be key to whether Kavanaugh is confirmed  Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski  criticized Trump for his remarks about Ford at a political rally in Mississippi on Tuesday.

Ford, who testified last week at an extraordinary Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, said she could not remember the precise date or location of the alleged assault or how she got home later, but offered a detailed account of the incident.

She said a drunken Kavanaugh pinned her down, tried to remove her clothing and covered her mouth when she screamed.

Imitating Ford's testimony, Trump, who was himself accused during the 2016 presidential race of sexual misconduct with numerous women, said: "What neighborhood was it in? I don't know. Where's the house? I don't know. Upstairs, downstairs, where was it? I don't know. But I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember."

"And a man's life is in tatters," Trump added.

Flake told NBC's "Today" show that "there's no time and no place for remarks like that, that discuss something this sensitive at a political rally ... It's kind of appalling."

Collins told reporters: "The president's comments were just plain wrong."

She did not respond when asked if his comments would affect her vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation.

Asked whether Trump's comments would affect her vote, Murkowski told reporters: "I am taking everything into account. The president's comments yesterday mocking Dr. Ford were wholly inappropriate and, in my view, unacceptable."

A day after the hearing, Trump had called Ford "a very credible witness" who provided "very compelling" testimony.

Kavanaugh has denied Ford's accusation as well as allegations by two other women, all dating from the 1980s, while accusing Democrats of a political "hit."
Source: Walgreens

Walgreens is stepping up its emphasis on beauty products and trying to appeal to millennials in a new partnership with digital beauty subscription company Birchbox. Birchbox is among a new breed of retailers that tend to appeal more to younger shoppers by sending members monthly, six-month or yearly packages of sample makeup, hair and skin products. Walgreens will experiment with adapting the concept to some of its stores, stocking shelves with more "prestige" makeup brands, dedicating 400 to 1,000 square feet of space to Birchbox and allowing customers to "build your own Birchbox" at Walgreens. "Beauty is a very important category for Walgreens, and we've been doing a huge amount of work to get ourselves ready for a partnership like this to take us to the next step," said Lauren Brindley, Walgreens' group vice president of beauty and personal care. The pilot program will start in 11 Walgreens stores in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and New York. The partnership will expand online, too, with Walgreens adding a Birchbox section to its website, Walgreens said Wednesday. It will also take a minority stake in Birchbox for an undisclosed amount.

Walgreens will partner with Birchbox to bring the digital makeup company into physical stores. Source: Walgreens

Allowing customers to fill a box with beauty products adds a somewhat experiential element to Walgreens stores that could lure more shoppers. Drugstores have seen their so-called front-of-store sales threatened as shoppers increasingly buy consumer products and household staples online or from convenience stores. Walgreens sees an opportunity to become a specialist in the beauty category and protect its business from competitors like Amazon. To do this, Walgreens has spent the past few years trying to transform its beauty aisles  and how consumers think of drugstore makeup.

Building a beauty destination

When Walgreens acquired Alliance Boots in late 2014, it gained Boots, a British drugstore chain that's also a beauty destination. The stores sell brands including L'Oreal and Chanel. Sensing an opportunity in the U.S., co-chief operating officer of the newly combined Walgreens Boots Alliance, Alex Gourlay, asked Boots' Brindley to transform Walgreens' beauty business. Brindley moved her husband and two boys to the Chicago area from London to lead the effort. During a recent interview at Walgreens headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois, Brindley said she has developed a strategy called beauty differentiation. It focuses on three key areas: new and differentiated brands, enhanced care for beauty customers and improving the shopping experience. "We felt the customer was demanding more in what products she wanted and how she was shopping. She's interested in new brands in addition to legacy brands. We felt we needed to modernize," said Brindley. Some of her first steps included importing popular Boots-owned brands Soap & Glory and No7. Walgreens has remodeled more than 3,000 stores so far and added 3,500 beauty consultants trained to help shoppers. The retailer has built a "Beauty Enthusiast" membership program. It has also dropped some brands and added more luxurious names like NYX makeup, OPI nail polish and La Roche-Posay skin care products. Partnering with Birchbox is Walgreens' next step in its evolution, Brindley said. "The time is really right now because we've done the groundwork.  It feels like we're now ready to work with a partner like Birchbox to continue to build our beauty offerings and now build into prestige and indie brands, which up until this point we weren't ready for them. Whereas I think now we're ready for it," she said.

The initial talks

Birchbox and Walgreens started talking last year. The two teams felt they were both trying to cater to a consumer that had been historically underserved. This shopper is someone who wants to feel beautiful but doesn't necessarily spend all day watching makeup tutorials on YouTube, executives said. With the Birchbox displays, Walgreens wants them to be inspirational with the latest and greatest in beauty products but still accessible. The partnership will expose consumers to higher-end and indie brands they typically can't find in drugstores. The move mirrors other retailers refining their beauty assortments based on younger shoppers' shifting preferences and bringing online brands into their stores. Target, for example, is now selling Casper mattresses, Harry's razors and Quip toothbrushes  all brands that were originally sold only online. Walmart is also selling Harry's razors in its stores, and just this week announced its acquisition of online plus-size brand Eloquii. Nordstrom has done pop-up shops within its stores with brands like Allbirds and Casper. And Ulta later this year will be selling Kylie Jenner beauty products for the first time outside of Jenner's website. Some of these retailers have also been investing in their beauty departments, further pressuring convenience store operators Walgreens and CVS as they try to do the same.

Beauty competition
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 past week has been very tough for Algerian diplomacy and the Polisario Front, which were inflicted three blows by the United Nations, the United States and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

The UN envoy for the Sahara, the German Horst Kohler, invited the four parties to the Sahara conflict to a round table in Geneva in December, in a new attempt to put the negotiation process back on track. The invitees include Algeria, which asserts its neutrality and claims, for itself and for Mauritania, a mere observer status.

The UN mediator has set for the four parties (Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and Polisario) October 20 to respond to his invitation to take part in the round table scheduled for December 5 and 6, in Switzerland.

In his communique released last Friday, Kohler made it clear that this is a round table and not direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario, as claimed by Algeria.

For its part, the UNHCR has rejected as biased the numbers of the inhabitants of the Tindouf camps, released so far by Algerian officials. The UN Refugee Agency reaffirmed, at the same time, the imperative need to register and conduct a census of these populations in accordance with the agencys mandate and relevant Security Council resolutions since 2011.

The UNHCR confirmed in a statement last Friday that the official figures it takes into account for planning humanitarian aid for the Tindouf camps remain unchanged.

The third and final blow dealt to the Polisario and its Algerian sponsors came from the US Congress, where three Congressmen have tabled, last week, a bill castigating the collusion between the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah and the Polisario Front.

Congressmen Joe Wilson, Carlos Curbelo and Gerry Connolly have tabled before the House of Representatives a bill that condemns the collusion between the Polisario and Hezbollah and the destabilizing aims of Iran in North Africa and elsewhere.

The bill also reaffirms the support of the US Congress for the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara, which it again describes as serious, credible and realistic.
Sources

Email exchange with Renee Hoagenson for Congress, Sept. 12, 2018.

Email exchange with William Buttlar, chair of MU's Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Sept. 17, 2018.

Email exchange with Hussain Bahia, director of the Modified Asphalt Research Center at the University of Wisconsin, Sept. 21, 2018.

Phone interview with Mike Schupp, area engineer for MoDOT, Sept. 18, 2018.

Phone interview with Greg DiLoreto, chair of ASCE Committee on Americas Infrastructure, Sept. 27, 2018.

PolitiFact. Georgia roads are among Americas best, state officials say, Feb. 7, 2011. https://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2011/feb/07/vance-smith/georgia-roads-are-among-americas-best-state-offici/

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Highway Statistics Series. 2015. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/abstracts/2015/

American Society of Civil Engineers. Infrastructure Report Cards by state. 2017. https://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/

Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Road Condition. Accessed Sept. 18, 2018. https://www.bts.gov/content/road-condition

Pavement Interactive. Roughness. Accessed Sept. 18, 2018. https://www.pavementinteractive.org/reference-desk/pavement-management/pavement-evaluation/roughness/

U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics, HM-63 and HM-64, available at www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics.cfm as of June 2015.

TRIP. Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in the Heartland. June 2017: Washington D.C. http://www.tripnet.org/docs/Rural_Roads_TRIP_Report_2017.pdf

Missouri Department of Transportation. Citizens Guide to Transportation in Missouri. 2017. http://www2.modot.org/guidetotransportation/.

Reason Foundation. 22nd Annual Highway Report: The Performance of State Highway Systems. Policy Study No. 448, Sep. 2016. https://reason.org/wp-content/uploads/files/22nd_annual_highway_report.pdf
Types of obituaries

The Missourian publishes two types of obituaries  family obituaries and life stories.

A family obituary is the version submitted by a funeral home or family. Please see the submission form for details on cost and deadlines. Family obituaries

A life story is a closer look at a person's life and involves a reporter contacting family and friends. Life stories are based on newsworthiness and consent of the family. Life stories.
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
Original review: Oct. 14, 2021

COVID-19 forced our family to find alternatives to brick and mortar schools. At first the advertised self paced program seemed to be appealing for our situation with special needs students. What a huge mistake. The FLVS system is NOT self paced at all. Your child will be badgered to finish 3 assignments per class per week without fail. If your child falls behind in any class, heaven help that poor kid. You will receive emails, texts and phone calls from that teacher as if you are being sold something. You will constantly be reminded that he or she is BEHIND PACE or has not turned in an assignment for the past two weeks.

I dont know how that is possible since my student does turn in something for each class each week but that is the most common phrase I hear whenever I am brave enough to answer the phone. Your child hasnt turned anything in two weeks. I am worried about your child. Your child is behind pace. Is there anything that I can do to motivate your child to finish? What time frame do you think your child can be done?" Etc, etc

This is very stressful. ADHD? Autism Spectrum Disorder? Aspergers? Forget it. IEP accommodations? Nope. But FLVS does accept government funding for IEPs somehow. Teachers use DBAs as a way to slow down and lord over stressed out kids who are trying to stay on pace for their FLVS overlords like good little slaves. You cannot advance forward and take any exams locked with a password without taking a DBA. DBAs are discussion based assessments aka phone calls with teachers to quiz them over the phone and make sure that they know the material. These can also be nerve-racking for kids with disabilities or just plain shyness issues. Even if you schedule one or attempt to attend a DBA drive through, the DBA isnt always guaranteed to happen. Which puts the poor kid even further behind.

Kids cant skip around in their coursework or they get penalized. So the kid has to wait for a DBA before moving ahead. It is a system. A broken system. All while the other coursework for other classes piles up into an avalanche of assignments and stress. When I tried to talk to the teachers about these issues or even the school guidance counselor, guess the advice that I received? Go ahead guess. I understand your frustration. Maybe your child can work on these assignments over the weekend to catch up? Are you kidding me? When are they allowed to be an actual kid? Students arent worker bees! Students arent employees in a call center! How are students expected to keep up this PACE system? I dont know if adults could accomplish it. My student is in middle school, not college.

The phone calls, texts, emails, reminders, welcome calls, live lessons, recorded live lessons, collaboration projects, writing assignments and exams will make you want to pull out your hair and find ANY OTHER SCHOOL than FLVS. I highly suspect that any 5 star reviews on this website were from FLVS staff, family and friends trying desperately to raise up their horrible ratings. I write this to warn other potential parents and students to avoid this school. I hope that accreditation agencies and government agencies take notice before funding this place. Lastly, I feel sorry for the staff, they must be job scared and stressed out to be forced to push through such a horrible system through bullying and spam just to keep their jobs during an overcrowded attendance due to COVID. Or maybe thats the ticket? Maybe its to decrease attendance numbers?
Come 2021, fliers will have a new, low-cost, tech-oriented airline pioneered by JetBlues founder David Neeleman.

His angle?

Flying hundreds of routes that the airline will likely have all to itself, according to a recent interview Neeleman did with Skift.

Most, if not all, of those routes will be U.S.to Europe and South America, concentrating on origination cities that are competition-free and leisure destinations, or where theres an abundance of flier friends or family.

As examples, he used Scranton, Pennsylvania -- a market with a metro population of 570,000 and flights that are mostly connectors to Chicago, Washington D.C., Charlotte, Chicago, and Philadelphia -- and Florida, where theres an abundance of potential fliers who have friends or family in Brazil.

Using the 130- to 160-seat Airbus A220-300, Neelemans brainchild will have the ability to take off from really short runways, and can fly for 11 hours (and) well get you there twice as fast and for half the price, he told Skift.

The Airbus plays right into Neelemans plans as a differentiator. Compared to how most of the low-cost carriers are configured, the A220 has large, rotating overhead storage bins, a wider aisle that allows for faster passenger boarding and disembarking, and the ability to have first class, lie-flat business class, and extra legroom seats if thats something Neeleman wants to make happen.

Ill just do stuff they cant do, Neeleman said, throwing down the gauntlet to the other carriers.

You dont have to speak to us

Neelemans current plans have Salt Lake City, Utah as the technical and customer service hub for the airline, but if youre a flier who depends on the human touch, you should call someone else.

You dont have to speak to us. You wont be able to speak to us, Neeleman said. You wont be able to call us because everything will be functional.

His reasoning? Neeleman makes a good point that, in todays world, a lot of consumer-to-company connecting is done via an app or a computer. He figures consumers are content with that setup since relatively few people ever call, say, Amazon or Uber.

If a customer has an issue they cant work out on their own, theyll have to use the online chat, but agents can always call the customer in a pinch. However, fliers should expect everything else -- from booking, changing, and cancelling flights to check-in to ordering meals -- to be done through the airlines app.

I dont think people want to stand in line to talk to someone, said Neeleman when asked if he feared the human element of customer service would be weakened by technology.

Are you sure you can pull this off, David?

While theres no substantiation that Neeleman can pull off all of his promises, his track record shows he has the ability to make it happen.

In 1984, he co-founded Morris Air, a low-fare charter airline, then sold it to Southwest Airlines for $130 million. He then turned Open Skies, a touch screen airline reservation and check-in systems company, into a winner acquired by Hewlett-Packard.

Next on his checklist was WestJet, now Canadas second largest airline; then he moved on to JetBlue, where he scored major customer-sensitive kudos. Most recently, Neelemans domestic carrier Azul (Portuguese for "blue") became the fourth largest airline in South America.
Operator interface devices are a crucial element of industrial automation, but many common solutions suffer from shortcomings and implementation obstacles. New options ruggedized for use on the edge of industrial and other critical applications combine the best features of classic interfaces with modern commercial technologies to meet user needs.

Industrial automation systems for machines and processes must monitor conditions, command devices, and coordinate control. Designers implement these functions by combining a wide range of industrial automation technologies, such as sensors and instruments, input/output (I/O) modules and digital controllers. Even the most advanced machines dont run by themselves, which means some form of operator interface must also be provided with the automation system.

Early operator interface solutions consisted of panel-mounted pushbuttons, switches, lights and meters. As technology progressed, these gave way to electronic and digital devices. In particular, the increasing availability and capability of PCs in the 1980s introduced a wide range of flexible options, but there were many specialized and proprietary devices, as well.

Electronic devices allowing operators to interact with automated systems became collectively known as human-machine interfaces (HMIs). Sometimes a more dedicated device built on a non-PC computing platform might be called an operator interface terminal (OIT).

Incorporating HMIs and OITs into automation systems is crucial for many reasons. They offer far more interface options than simple panel devices, and if change is required, the HMI or OIT can usually be reconfigured or reprogrammed for a lower cost than cutting holes and installing new devices in a traditional control panel.

However, this kind of increased operator interface functionality still had a few shortcomings and made HMIs costly and difficult to maintain. To address these shortcomings, the latest HMI products are engineered by learning from the past while taking advantage of the latest commercial technologies. They offer a rich user experience and familiar features while overcoming the challenges of traditional devices.

Traditional HMI, OIT challenges

First generations of HMIs and OITs focused on letting users start and stop equipment, understand how a system was operating, and make adjustments. The digital nature of these devices soon enabled them to do far more.

Alarm and event logging, historizing data and displaying trends were capabilities added over the years. HMI and OIT configurations could be copied and saved, and a new device could be deployed relatively quickly if the old one was damaged or failed. Improved networking capabilities, especially Ethernet and Wi-Fi, meant HMIs no longer had to be installed in physical proximity to machinery. Multiple HMIs could be installed at a site to provide interfaces in the control room, at the machine and in engineering offices.

These HMIs and OITs offered many benefits compared to hardwired panel devices, but also demonstrated a few downsides. These challenges included:

Limitations of proprietary hardware and software

High initial costs

Ongoing support and maintenance costs

Licensing complexity and cost

Extensive engineer and operator training

Effort required to integrate multiple platforms

Lagging technology.

Dedicated OITs are likely to employ proprietary hardware and software (Figure 1). Manufacturers offer these devices to provide an adequate control system interface experience in a relatively self-contained package. Since they are specialized for the industrial market, they dont enjoy the commercial benefits of scale provided by consumer electronics, making them more expensive on a price-performance basis. However, they are usually built to withstand the industrial environment and offer a practical, serviceable solution.

As more advanced PC-based HMIs became available, the hardware was perceived as a good value compared with prior solutions, and provided flexibility and connectivity for the user. One downside, however, was increased ongoing maintenance and support requirements including:

The operating system (OS) and other software needed periodic updates and protection against malware

Non-hardened hardware was not suited for typical industrial conditions.

PCs used as HMIs typically ran vendor-supplied software, which entailed licensing costs and periodic version upgrades. (In many ways a basic OIT is more "ready out of the box" than a PC, which requires configuring a commercial OS and the HMI software.)

Perhaps even more than PCs, the proliferation of mobile consumer devices has struck a blow against classic industrial HMIs and OITs. Smartphones, tablets, and other products have raised performance expectations. Users now expect a polished look and feel, frequent free updates, and improvements to the devices operating system and applications (Figure 2).

But innovation is somewhat slower for the industrial market because it is relatively small compared to the much larger consumer marketnot to mention being far more conservative than the cutting-edge personal electronics market. Often, end users feel HMI and OIT products are "old tech," when they have been conditioned to yearn for "new tech."

New HMI technologies

The latest generation of HMI products addresses each of these deficiencies by adapting commercial technologies, while including and building upon all the best features of previous generations of HMIs and OITs. Potential benefits include:

Economical open-source underpinnings

Affordable configuration software with no licensing fees

Ease of use  Integral controller screen providing an economical and capable local platform

HDMI connections to enable a larger local display, if needed

Networking, cloud-based connectivity, and web-based visualization to extend the reach of HMIs

Mobile devices for the ultimate in flexibility.

Lets look at these benefits in more detail.

Open source: Ideally, a modern HMI combines the robustness and ease-of-use of a traditional OIT with the power and value of a PC-based HMI. This combination becomes possible when the hardware platform is based on a real-time open-source OS like Linux, which requires no purchase or license fees. Small footprint, hot-swappable components, local LED indicators, and other practical touches can make this platform field-friendly. Designed properly, the hardware is right at home, even in a challenging industrial environment, while providing PC-level performance.

Affordable configuration: Customization is possible, but not required, because modern HMI hardware includes built-in, standard functionality to meet most needs. The PC-based HMI configuration software is affordable and there are no restrictive licensing fees. The end user can concentrate on applying the HMIs where they fit best without worrying about limiting tag counts or runtimes.

Ease of use: A suite of development options makes modern HMIs easily approachable for new developers to create basic applications, but completely extensible for advanced programmers to develop custom applications using optional secure shell access. Original equipment manufacturers often need this type of flexibility for coding machine-specialized and even proprietary algorithms in C/C++, Python and other languages. Integral screen and flexible ports: An on-board display available on some devices might be more than enough HMI for many applications, although an HDMI connection allows for a larger local display if needed. In addition, multiple Ethernet and USB ports, as well as I/O modules, facilitate connectivity to any field devices or systems.

Networking and cloud-based connectivity: Even more power can be realized from modern HMIs when users take advantage of network and cloud-based connectivity. Data can be securely shared among databases and systems, and HMI visualization can extend out to any authorized computer or mobile device capable of hosting a web browser.

Mobile devices: Mobility is another key component of modern HMIs. Once the base device is installed and configured, any mobile device can connect securely and become another HMI, which offers more flexibility for engineers and operators. Designers can focus more on what the HMI content and experience should be while being relieved of the expense and complexities of the underlying platforms. Moving from dedicated OITs and PC-based HMIs to mobile devices is seen as a natural progression by many.

New HMI examples

Advanced HMI products that help end users meet automation goals include an edge appliance, a server for Microsoft Windows and a programmable industrial controller system designed for use on the "edge" close to application measurements. These products provide a scalable way for deploying the best features of OITs and PC-based HMIs, while avoiding the costly and complex issues associated with traditional products. All three of these products include a web server for connectivity to any device capable of hosting a web browser such as a laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

The edge appliance is an Ethernet and USB plug-in device, which allows designers to build connectivity and data handling applications for automated equipment and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. It doesnt contain a screen for local viewing. Instead, it connects to other devices with screens that act as HMIs.

groov Server for Windows software offers a way to view screens on its host PC, as well as on remote devices. The system adds control programming, I/O modules, and an on-board HMI to the feature set. (Figure 3 offers an example.)

The product can be mixed and matched while enabling secure visualization on any device capable of hosting a web browser without being encumbered with limits on users or tags.

HMIs and OITs have advanced to play a vital role in automated machinery and industrial processes. While there are many benefits to implementing these products, there have been some nagging concerns related to initial and sustaining costs, proprietary hardware and software, and maintainability.

The newest generation of HMIs combine the best features of traditional products with modern open-source hardware, software, and networking technologies to address these issues.

Since these new HMIs can also be readily and seamlessly networked and deployed to any typical mobile device, end users are finding todays technology is meeting their needs at a price they can afford.

Benson Hougland, vice president of marketing, Opto 22. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com.

KEYWORDS: HMI, Edge devices

Operator interface devices have implementation obstacles.

have implementation obstacles. New edge devices can be easier to setup and use than traditional human-machine interfaces (HMIs).

can be easier to setup and use than traditional human-machine interfaces (HMIs). HMIs help connect sensors, instruments and actuators with logic.

CONSIDER THIS

Can edge-based automation devices better serve your latest applications?

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Author Bio

With 30 years experience in IT and industrial automation, Benson Hougland drives strategy for Opto 22 products connecting the real world to computer networks. Hougland speaks at trade shows and conferences, including IBM Think, ARC Forum and ISA. His 2014 TEDx Talk introduces non-technical people to the IoT.
SD&G, Ontario  Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged a former South Dundas Township resident following investigation of a suspicious death more than two and a half years ago.

On Feb. 6, 2016, members of the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (SD&G) OPP Detachment and local Emergency Medical Services responded to a call for assistance at a private residence in the Township of South Dundas. A resident  67-year-old Edward Robert Allen  was found in medical distress and shortly thereafter succumbed to his injuries.

Members of SD&G Crime Unit under the direction of Detective-Inspector Dan Nadeau of the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) commenced a lengthy investigation of the circumstances leading to the victims death. As a result of the investigation, 58-year-old Beverly Rose Thomas of Digby, NS has been charged with First Degree Murder contrary to Section 235 (1) of the Criminal Code of Canada.

The accused will be transported to Ontario and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Cornwall on Sept. 28, 2018.

The OPP gratefully acknowledges the Halifax Regional Police Service and RCMP in Digby, NS for their respective support and assistance with this investigation.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Affordable housing, lower taxes and attracting investment opportunities were major points of discussion at the mayoral debate on Wednesday, Oct. 3.

The Seaway Valley Community Health Centre hosted the debate in partnership with Centre de sante communautaire de lEstrie and St. Josephs Continuing Care Centre (SJCCC). The debate, held at SJCCC, ran from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and attracted slightly over 50 attendees.

Candidates were asked how they would contribute to the Citys poverty reduction strategy. Mayor Leslie OShaughnessy said that efforts to fulfill the Cities Reducing Poverty Charter signed in Dec. of 2016 have taken time to come to fruition.

According to OShaughnessy, the Social Development Council has held successful brainstorming sessions where information and feedback was complied and analyzed. He reinforced the importance of planning and understanding, suggesting that the council plans to adopt a strategy followed within other municipalities.

Coun. David Murphy related the question back to some of the most common themes discussed throughout the evening: increased education opportunities and affordable housing. When looking for funding for the enhancement of social housing, Murphy believes that partnerships will help to garner and attract investment opportunities.

We should bring our partners in from SDG and Akwesasne, and why not partner with the school boards as well? said Murphy.

Nicole Spahich discussed the definition of poverty, suggesting that living from cheque-to-cheque and requiring more than one job classifies as poverty. She empathized with citizens who dont receive pay for time taken off of work due to illness and alluded to how there should be guarantees monetary compensation.

Coun. Clement spoke about how the Social Development Council was created following the closure of Domtar in 2006 as the province was concerned for residents of our city. She believes that social development is conducive to economic development, thus the City must continue to work with the council to promote vibrancy and strategies that make communities resilient and better able to face poverty.

We have to have transit so people can get to work and contribute. We have to have arts festivals and music festivals so people feel connected to their community and eachother, said Clement. There is not just one answer here.

The Social Development Council held a job fair on Oct. 3 that attracted 40 different employers and 17 service providers, offering around 400 jobs. Hundreds of residents were in attendance.

Turnout at municipal elections is lower than federal and provincial. Casting your own ballot is not enough, said Hugo Rodrigues who moderated the event. He encouraged everyone to motivate five friends or family members to vote.

A livestream of the debate can be viewed on the Seaway Valley Community Health Centres Facebook page.
At present, price of a good dragon fruit is VND3,000-5,000 a kilogram while normal kind fetches VND500-700 a kilogram. Farmers said this price is lowest during two recent years.



Nobody buys diseased fruit; consequently, farmers used fruit as animal feeding.

Looking at over 3,000 plants with ripen dragon fruits, farmer Nguyen Thi An in Ham Lien Commune in Ham Thuan Bac District said that she had been on the run all day to beg traders to buy the fruit but all traders turned down my proposal; accordingly, ten tons of my familys fruits must be thrown away.

Likewise, farmer Nguyen Xuan Hoan in Ham My Commune is laughing out of the other side of your mouth because no trader proposed buying his nearly 2,000 dragon fruits.

Farmers had to cut off ripen fruits in the biggest dragon fruit lands in communes Ham Thuan Bac, Ham Thuan Nam, Ham Tan for preparation of next crop.

Some traders explained that last time, they bought the fruit at high price of VND20,000-23,000 a kilogram but low consumption leads to high inventories.

Currently, farmers are growing dragon fruits on over 27,000 hectares in Binh Thuan Province; most of them are exported to China in small amount.

By TIEN THANG - Translated by UYEN PHUONG
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.
Costa Cruises has announced that it has entered its second three-way agreement with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Changi Airport Group (CAG). Costa stated that the three-year partnership will leverage its global presence, Singapores cruise hub status and Changi Airports air hub connectivity to further enhance Southeast Asias appeal as a cruise destination.

The partnership will see joint-marketing initiatives rolled out in different countries where Costa operates worldwide. It is expected to bring in over 100,000 international fly and cruise visitors to Singapore over three years.

Costa currently has four ships deployed in Asia year round. The Costa Fortuna, which has a total capacity of 3,470 guests and is sailing in the Far East, will be homeported at Singapore from mid November 2018 to March 2019.

In 2017, Singapore welcomed 421 ship calls and logged a passenger throughput of 1.38 million. This represents an increase of 3 percent and 17 percent respectively over 2016 figures, according to Costa.
CLAIRTON, Pa. - When President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on steel imports in June, Richard Lattanzi thought of dozens of his fellow steelworkers who have for years put off badly needed repairs for their cars and homes.

"There was a lot of excitement here; there were a lot of us saying, 'It's about time someone is looking out for us,' " said Lattanzi, the mayor of this town of 7,000 and a safety inspector at the U.S. Steel plant in nearby West Mifflin. "A lot of people around here were saying, 'We're going to be OK.' "

Four months later, Lattanzi is less optimistic. Production at U.S. Steel's facilities have ramped up, and the company announced this summer that, thanks in part to the tariffs, it will see profit surge. But in an interviews in recent weeks, Lattanzi and other steelworkers said they're no longer confident they'll take part in the tariff bounty.

"It's been a little like watching the air going out of a balloon," Lattanzi said.

As he has pressed his steel tariffs, Trump has declared that the industry is "being rebuilt overnight." But the question facing the rank-and-file is whether the controversial policy - which has raised the price of inputs for many American companies and alienated allies - will translate into higher wages and better benefits.

While the impact of recent pacts - such as an agreement struck with Canada and Mexico last week to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement - may take years to be fully understood, the steel industry provides a more immediate testing ground.

The initial anticipation of the tariffs, followed by their actual imposition, led the price of the metal to soar. Now, facing less foreign competition, domestic steel companies are seeing their profits balloon. And, crediting Trump, they are making plans to open up new steel plants and hire more workers.

"The commitment that he has to steel is unprecedented," U.S. Steel chief executive David Burritt said in August, after Trump visited a U.S. Steel plant reopening in Granite City, Illinois. "He's with us and we're going to do everything we can to support him because this is not just good for U.S. Steel. This is great for the United States of America."

Yet the trickle-down effects are far harder to predict. Steel companies, while supportive of the tariffs, have seen wild gyrations in their business in recent years and can't be certain the lucrative new protections will stick around. So even in this time of sudden prosperity, some analysts say, they must be disciplined with worker pay and benefits.

Here in southwest Pennsylvania, 15 miles from Pittsburgh, the question is coming to a head because labor contracts governing 31,000 steelworkers at U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal, the largest steel company in the world, expired last month. Workers say the new contracts represent the perfect opportunity for the companies to be more generous with their workers - who had given up raises just a few years ago when times were tough.

Frustrated by the lack of progress in negotiations, about 31,000 steelworkers at the companies voted last month to authorize a strike. Though there were signs Wednesday that they could reach an agreement, if the negotiations break down, it could bring about the industry's first major work stoppage in four decades.

- - -

The steel industry was already in a period of renewal when Trump slapped 25 percent tariffs on steel imports. Trump acted in the name of national security, though he later justified the move as a way to help the steel industry rebuild.

The industry was enjoying gains driven by a strong economy, high demand to fix bridges and infrastructure after several major natural disasters, and an effort by President Barack Obama to limit steel imports from China.

The tariffs sent the price of steel surging more than 33 percent.

"We have a strong U.S. exposure; clearly we are a net beneficiary of the trade actions," Aditya Mittal, chief financial officer of ArcelorMittal, said in August, according to Bloomberg News. "It's great to see the two things come together, the improvements we have made as a company as well as the improvements in the market."

Trump has repeatedly cited the gains as one of the biggest upsides of his trade policy. After he visited the Granite City plant, video circulated of a steelworker being brought to tears by news of the plant's expansion.

"Trump has supercharged [the sector] with broad-based tariffs," said Phil Gibbs, a steel industry analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

But while the tariff boon might provide new opportunities for jobs and boost corporate bottom lines, whether it can overcome longer-term factors affecting the livelihoods of steelworkers remains to be seen.

"Any reasonable observer who just goes on the economic facts will say: 'This will not last forever,' " said Steven Kyle, an economics professor at Cornell University. "The tariff will temporarily make them more profitable. But we all know it could end at any time."

Those longer-term trends help explain why, even during one of the best periods for the steel industry in recent memory, the negotiations between organized labor and steel companies here grew tense.

In its latest offer, U.S. Steel said it would give workers an immediate raise of 4 percent, followed by 3 percent annual raises later on. By usual standards, that would be a good deal.

But at the same time, the company said it is wrestling with soaring health-care costs in the long run. The company said its health-care costs are projected to rise to $20,000 per employee by 2019 and that it needs to start asking workers to absorb some of those - namely by paying $145 per month for health care. Workers haven't paid premiums in the past.

The proposal represents "an incredible value under the Company's current proposal," said Meghan Cox, a company spokeswoman.

But to the union, it was an upsetting plan. It would reduce the overall wage increase to just about 1.7 percent over nine years.

"We have done so much for this company, and now they have the audacity to bring before us all these concessions when they are projected to profit $2 billion this year alone," said Michael Young, a maintenance technician at a U.S. Steel plant in Portage, Indiana, and a survivor of colon cancer. "I want the company to leave my health care alone."

Young and others were particularly furious because the work they do can be perilous to their health. Young ticked through the toxic substances he is exposed to while manning the production line, such as hydrochloric, sulfuric and chromic acids, as well as tin, zinc and kinds of chromium used to plate metal objects.

"The bargain has always been that we work in very dirty, very dangerous, very unhealthy places, and in exchange we get good, quality health insurance at affordable prices," said Cliff Tobey, who helps mine for iron ore at U.S. Steel's facility in Hibbing, Minnesota.

- - -

It's not clear how much leverage the workers will have. While at least temporarily protected from foreign competition, U.S. Steel is facing increased domestic competition from steel shops without unions.

The percentage of steelworkers who are in a union fell from 36 percent in 2000 to 24 percent in 2017, according to the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. Union steel jobs pay more than 10 percent more than nonunion jobs, according to the institute.

Gibbs, of KeyBanc Capital Markets, says U.S. Steel also needs to invest in upgrading its plants and facilities - new types of technologies that require fewer workers.

But many workers don't see why they shouldn't share more in an economic upswing. Back in 2015, when prices were sloping steadily downward, U.S. Steel executives declared "extreme economic times" and urged the union to freeze worker pay. Members agreed.

Jim Borkowski, a father of two, frequently works 16-hour "double shifts" in very high temperatures at the U.S. Steel plant in Clairton, overseeing oven batteries that screech and wheeze so loudly he wears both earplugs and earmuffs.

Ownership "got a huge tax cut, and the tariffs are lining their pockets," said Borkowski, 33, still gleaming with sweat in his orange flame-retardant pants. "We are ready to get our fair share."

The coming months could provide a strong indication of whether workers like Borkowski will be satisfied. The steelworkers union said Wednesday that they had seen "significant progress" in negotiations with U.S. Steel.

"We're still negotiating for a fair contract," said Lattanzi, the Clairton mayor and steelworker.
Millennials are often a point of contention in the realm of public debate. Whether it's their upbringing, work ethic or consumption of avocado toast, everyone on the internet has an opinion about the large and diverse generation born in the waning phase of the 20th century.

Now millennials are all adults -- many of them graduating and joining the workforce during the Great Recession -- and the scrutiny of financial stability and employment is more than familiar to them.
NORWALK  The same watchdog group that has challenged Bridgeport and Hartford to do a better job by students with special needs now has its sights on Norwalk Public Schools

The Center for Childrens Advocacy, along with other groups, has filed a complaint with the state Department of Education alleging that the school district is systematically and pervasively violating state and federal laws that guarantee children a free and appropriate public education.
WASHINGTON  Connecticuts senators and fellow Democrats face an uphill climb to defeat Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, with Republicans using an inconclusive FBI report to try to push through confirmation of the 53-year-old embattled judge in the Senate.

Im going to continue working and fighting against the nomination, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee that held confirmation hearings on Kavanaugh, said Thursday.

Its not over till its over, he said.

In a conference call with reporters, Blumenthal called the FBI report woefully incomplete and inadequate.

Its a story of unfollowed leads, uninterviewed witnesses, unanswered questions, he said. It is, in a word, a whitewash, smacks of a cover-up.

On the Senate floor, Sen. Chris Murphy, Blumenthals fellow Connecticut Democrat, spoke of being ushered into a secure briefing room where I was force-fed a half-baked FBI investigation that I was told I had to read and digest in no more than an hour.

It was humiliating, Murphy said. I felt like I was 9 years old.

Murphy was referring to the fact that only one copy of the FBI report on Christine Blasey Fords sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh was available in a secure room to all 100 U.S. senators.

Murphy and Blumenthal both were early opponents of Kavanaugh, based on their fear that he would, if confirmed, tip the court in a conservative direction and imperil decisions like Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion, as well as the courts 2012 affirmation of the Affordable Care Act  Obamacare.

True or not, the Ford allegation underscored the weakness of Kavanaugh as a nominee for the nations highest court, Murphy insisted.

Though I believe Dr. Ford, you frankly dont even have to be sure shes telling the truth to decide that the risk of nominating someone with these kinds of serious charges swirling around them is an unnecessary burden, Murphy said. If theres a chance he did these things, just move on to the next eligible conservative candidate.

Saturday showdown

Republicans brushed aside such reactions as the Senates GOP majority set the clock ticking toward an up-or-down confirmation vote on Saturday.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the Judiciary chairman, said the report showed no hint of misconduct by Kavanaugh, who was also accused by Deborah Ramirez, who grew up in Shelton, of exposing himself while both were undergraduates at Yale in the 1980s.

None of these last-minute allegations have been corroborated, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who set in motion a confirmation timetable that starts Friday with a crucial vote to end debate  cloture. If that succeeds, a full Senate confirmation vote would take place Saturday.

Whether McConnell has enough votes to win Kavanaughs confirmation remained uncertain Thursday, with only one of five undecided senators coming forward to announce a decision.

That senator, Democrat Heidi Heitkamp, of North Dakota, announced Thursday she would oppose Kavanaughs confirmation. That left four senators  three Republicans and one Democrat  uncommitted.

Of the Republicans, Sen. Susan Collins, of Maine, said the investigation appeared to be very thorough.

Another undecided Republican, Jeff Flake, of Arizona, said, weve seen no additional corroborating information.

Flakes qualms about the confirmation process had set the FBI report in motion last week, after a tumultuous Judiciary hearing in which Ford emotionally recounted her allegation of Kavanaugh being on top of her, trying to remove her clothing, and stifling her scream when they were in high school.

Kavanaugh, in his turn, served up an angry rebuttal, charging Democrats with destroying his legal-world reputation.

The two other undecideds, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, of West Virginia, did not play their hands Thursday.

Blumenthal told reporters he believed all the undecided senators really wanted an investigation and not a check-the-box sham, which is what we have here.

He said he would attempt to reach out to both Collins and Flake before the final vote Saturday.

Probe criticized

Blumenthal insisted the report did not exonerate Kavanaugh.

Theres more than a hint of misconduct, he said, citing the FBI interview of Ramirez that Blumenthal described as very powerful and convincing.

Blumenthal, Connecticuts former state attorney general as well as a former U.S. attorney in the state, said the FBI failed to interview dozens of witnesses whose names had been forwarded to agents, suggesting the White House deliberately constrained the investigations parameters.

The FBI did not interview either Ford or Kavanaugh, although both gave extensive sworn testimony at the follow-up Judiciary hearing on Sept. 27. But agents did interview Mark Judge, a close high school friend of Kavanaugh whom Ford identified as in the room with Kavanaugh during his alleged attack on her. Judge previously stated that he remembered neither the incident nor the social gathering at which it was alleged to have taken place.

Among those not interviewed was Kerry Berchem, of Fairfield, who was the subject of an NBC story saying that although Kavanaugh testified under oath that he learned of the Ramirez allegation when it was published in The New Yorker last month, he sent around text messages hoping to squelch her story well before that date.

Asked whether it was a contradiction to say the FBI report was inadequate while also saying it contained significant negative information on Kavanaugh, Blumenthal insisted the two were complementary, not contradictory.

There were leads that should have been followed that the FBI simply didnt follow because (agents were) straitjacketed, he said.

Republicans pooh-poohed Democratic complaints as just another installment in their months-long effort to derail Kavanaugh, starting in July, when Trump nominated him.

How did we end up where we are today? said McConnell on the Senate floor. How did we get from a chorus of expert praise and professional respect (for Kavanaugh) to wild tales of violent gangs, sexual assault rings, fistfights on boats in Rhode Island harbors and the possibility  get this!  of an argument in a college bar?

McConnell was referring to a fight at now-closed Demerys in New Haven, that erupted when Kavanaugh and friends exchanged angry words with a patron and Kavanaugh allegedly threw ice at him.

dan@hearstdc.com
BRIDGEPORT - A local man was ordered held in lieu of $450,000 bond Thursday following his arrest in connection with two robberies in Monroe.

Alvin Robertson, 55, of East Main Street, was only recently out of prison after serving two years for violating his probation on a prior robbery conviction when police said he went on a robbery spree.

On May 20, police said Robertson robbed a Subway restaurant in Ridgefield.

They said he was being sought in that case when on July 22, Robertson walked into the Subway restaurant on Monroe Turnpike in Monroe.

Police said Robertson asked an employee to make him a tuna wrap and while the man was doing that, Robertson asked him if he had ever been robbed.

When the employee answered, no, police said Robertson told the employee he had a gun and ordered him to empty the cash register into a plastic bag. Police said Robinson fled with $623 and the sandwich.

On Aug. 29, police said officers were dispatched to the Peoples United Bank branch in the Stop & Shop supermarket on Monroe Turnpike in Monroe.

Police said Robinson has handed a teller a note demanding money and no dye packs. The teller handed over $3,000 which police said Robinson stuffed in his pockets before fleeing the store.

Robinson was charged in the Monroe crimes with first-degree robbery, second-degree robbery, third-degree larceny, fifth-degree larceny and threatening.

Police said Robinson is also going to be charged with robbing a Peoples United Bank branch in Watertown on Sept. 21 and the banks Berlin branch on Sept. 25.
/ Milford Police Department

MILFORD-Police arrested a Dale Drive woman charging her with breaking into a Cherry Street business, disabling their alarm system and stealing the cash box and files.

Lily ODonnell, 26, of Dale Drive, is being held on $25,000 bond pending her appearance Thursday in Superior Court. Police used a warrant to charge ODonnell with sixth-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit sixth degree larceny, conspiracy to commit second-degree criminal mischief, conspiracy to commit third-degree burglary and failure to appear in court.
BRIDGEPORT  The school board two years ago was wrong to lay off five school police officers, and must pay for that error.

How much  and whether the funds come out of education or City Halls operating budget  are the outstanding questions.

A state arbitration panel recently concluded that the five officers  Jeffrey Babey, Jonathan Forestier, Michael Bouchard, Dwayne Harrison and Stephen Vitka  should have been protected by a concessions pact that guaranteed their job security.

As part of that 2016 deal between Mayor Joe Ganims administration and the National Association of Government Employees, NAGE union members were guaranteed their jobs until June 30, 2018, in exchange for givebacks.

The state panel ordered the officers be retroactively reinstated to their jobs and, salary-wise, made whole less any interim earnings including, but not limited to any unemployment or other earnings they may have had between Aug. 12, 2016, and the date they returned to work.

The Ganim administration declined to comment for this story, citing multiple matters pending litigation.

Superintendent of Schools Aresta Johnson and her chief financial officer, Marlene Siegel, said they are waiting for NAGE to submit the amounts of money the officers are owed.

Who will pay and how much, we do not know, Johnson said.

Siegel added, The city created the problem.

The school board, faced with a flat-funded budget, cut the five positions in June 2016 partly because of cost, partly for philosophic reasons  they were sworn police officers with arrest powers, which bothered some board members  and partly because the officers could be pulled out of the schools by the city for other police duties, among other reasons.

Though the district paid their salaries, the officers answered to the police department, although they were part of a different union than the rest of Bridgeports cops.

When the positions were cut, the Ganim administration declined to pick up their $492,000 total salaries, resulting in the five officers termination.

That dispute was among several high-profile labor actions, including concessions fights and layoffs, that marked Ganims return to City Hall in 2016. First mayor in the 1990s, Ganim was re-elected in November 2015 and, upon taking office that December, complained he had been left a $20 million deficit that forced budget cuts and labor givebacks.

According to Siegel, the state arbitration decision will not result in the board or city keeping the five officers. In fact, she said, all five were laid off a day after they were reinstated, as the NAGE members job security had expired at the end of June 2018.

The school district, however, is hardly without security. It has a small army of more than 80 school security guards.

NAGE referred questions for this story to its attorney, Douglas Hall, who did not return a request for comment.
Editors Intro: In celebration of World Teacher Day, Mercia Takavarasha, Senior Programmes Officer at Generations For Peace, examines at the components of a qualified teacher. Join her on Twitter for #Globaledchat on Thursday, October 4 at 8pm US Eastern time.

I first entered my own classroom as a fully qualified teacher in 1996. In front of me were a few dozen high school students that hailed from the families of the mining community in which the school was set, about 200 kilometres from Harare, Zimbabwes bustling capital.

I was a history teacher, but as a recent graduate myself, I remembered my own school experiences and how they had taught me, usually unintentionally, that the lessons of a classrooms subject are often not the most important taught or learned. I might have been stepping into a classroom full of students expecting to learn history, but in reality, I was expected to teach them much more.

This is a challenging and, if done correctly, fulfilling, challenge for teachers the world over. Growing up in Zimbabwe, I attended six primary and secondary schools in various settings: rural schools in locations like Chivi, a district in south-central Zimbabwe far removed from any large towns or cities; urban schools set in high-density suburbs; and a formal institution, designed as a boarding school for secondary school students.

If you remove the city names or the country in which I was raised, different students around the world will likely understand my experiences at each schoolthe first provided the fewest opportunities, as it was removed from resources that allowed for extracurriculars and important developmental opportunities; the second brought an increase in the chances to advance academically, socially, and personally, simply due to proximity to resources held in a larger city; and the third had the wealth that afforded its students the necessary measures to take part in a more holistic education.

Walking into my own classroom years later, one major fact resonated with me: the schools had impacted the quality of my education, but the teachers had changed the course of my life. Regardless of which school I had attendedwhether rich or poor, rural or urban, black or whiteeach provided examples of what to do or not to do as an educator.

This is the beauty and pressure that comes with teaching: it is up to us to make up for what a school, district, government, or region lacksand when we do, the impact we leave can last a lifetime.

After spending 18 years as teacher, I joined Generations For Peace , a youth-led peacebuilding organisation that, though based in Jordan, works in countries like my own Zimbabwe. Since 2008, I have been able to use my experience in the classroom to work alongside teachers across sub-Saharan Africa.

The lessons I have learned not just as a teacher, but in my work with teachers in multiple countries often facing challenging conflict are as broad as they are deep. But if I could summarise all that Ive learned, it would be as follows:

The quality of a teacher is not based solely on achieved academic qualification, but also on sustained personal engagement.

Proper training, while it does provide the qualifications required to teach and must be made more available on a global scale, does not necessarily create a capable or qualified teacher. The world undeniably needs more educators, but in order to inspire students to take on that role, we need teachers of good qualitythose qualified not just by their degrees, but by their actions, mindset, and perspective.

Here are five qualities to help you identify and become a qualified teacher:

Curiosity

A qualified teacher is curious about all things: new and unique ways to communicate, relevant and creative opportunities to become more deeply engaged, and perhaps most importantly, the context and situations of their students individually and as a whole.

This is something that I learned when I was a student myself, when I became a teacher in my own classroom, and when I first began interacting with teachers throughout Africa. The teachers that inspired me to pursue teaching were those who took a deep interest in the lives of their students outside the classroomwho analysed the context, conflict , and community of their students both within and outside of the school setting. My own classroom in one school at which I taught, was composed of both wealthy boarding students and the impoverished children of rural farmers nearby, providing me with the challenge of helping students find worth not just in wealth, but in passions, skills, and talents. Teachers that I work with today in Africa and around the world, work within communities that face high rates of bullying based on class, race, educational level , and more, requiring them to learn the impact of these contexts on each student and on their classroom overall.

Awareness

This curiosity leads to an awareness of the challenges facing students in their own communities - especially those communities that are vulnerable in nature. Vulnerable populations vary depending on surrounding context, but Ive found that across the board, there are heightened challenges and increased opportunity for vulnerability with girls, children with disabilities, refugee and migrant children, and poor children living in rural or remote areas. An awareness of this is key to taking action.

With classrooms around the world increasing in diversitydue to wealth, class, race, gender, ethnicity, tribe, setting, or any number of identifying factors being brought into closer proximity to one anotherthe vulnerability of students has been elevated like never before. While it is, indeed, encouraging to see increasing acceptance in some cultures and communities, we must become and remain aware that the identities of students, or those identities that they have thrust upon them, will provide a challenge for teachers, the most qualified of whom will not only be aware of them, but also know how to respond to them.

Compassion

That response? Compassion. Its no secret that teaching is not a job for the impatient. A genuine concern and care for students both on and off a schools campus is vital if teachers are to build trust in their students through compassion.

Creating a mentality of safety and trust through compassion is something I both learned as a teacher and have continued to see in my work with those still in the classroom. The teachers I work with, whether theyre in Uganda or Nigeria, Sierra Leone or Zimbabwe (and I am certain that this extends to teachers in contexts around the globe), have stressed the importance of ensuring that the classroom is a safe space one in which students feel safe expressing their thoughts, asking their questions, and being themselves.

Compassion shown by a teacher who is both curious about and aware of their students respective contexts is often what sets the tone for such an environment.

Innovation

What do you do when your schools budget doesnt allow for all students to have a textbook? What about when theres division in your classroom along lines of class, race, or religion?

The innovative mind of a teacher has the potential to solve the underlying problems inherent in a community. Budget is not under our control; nor is prejudice. How we navigate through these challenges is what sets apart a qualified teacher from one who is simply qualified to educate. In my classroom, for example, when not all students had a textbook, we used breakout sessions in which teams of students would teach the class about a particular section so that everyone could learn, even without a textbook in each hand.

Teachers around the world are constricted by many things that are out of their controlthe response they have to this and the creativity they use to address these challenges is a large part of what qualifies a teacher to leave deeper and greater impact on their students.

Unity

Finally, a teacher is responsible for bringing unity to a classroom that, especially when working with a vulnerable population, will allow students to learn and grow, both without distraction and with the benefit of understanding the varying perspectives and backgrounds that add dynamism to the classroom.

The teachers I work with today, when facing division in the classroom, have implemented innovative activities, often inspired by the Generations For Peace programming in which they are involved, to address this. The use of specially designed activities have brought unity to students across Africa and around the world, whether divided along lines of nationality , class or opportunity , and even gender .

Today, in the face of a rapidly growing youth population and an increasing need for teachers to educate them, it is more important than ever before to be a qualified teachernot just on paper, but in practice, as well. In doing so, we can inspire a quickly growing youth population to turn around and teach those behind them, building a brighter future.

Connect with Mercia , Generations for Peace , Heather , and the Center for Global Education on Twitter.
MILFORD  Connecticuts craft brewing industry is booming  growing from a dozen in 2012 to more than 80 this year.

But the industry faces challenges and setbacks including state regulations on how much beer small breweries can sell directly to consumers, high excise taxes and, now, higher production costs due to the Trump administrations tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Ned Lamont and Susan Bysiewicz, the Democratic nominees for governor and lieutenant governor, visited Tribus Beer Co. in Milford Thursday to tour the facility and announce their plans to encourage continued growth of Connecticuts craft breweries, distilleries and wineries.

The reason I want to do this is I started up a business, Lamont said. I understand small businesses, and I understand how important it is sometimes just to get the government out of the way. Clear out some of the underbrush.

Lamonts plan includes eliminating limits on beer sales and lowering the excise tax.

Connecticut is home to more than 80 operational breweries with another two-dozen in the works, employing nearly 11,500 people across all aspects of the industry from brewing to wholesale and retail. In-state business and personal taxes generated from the beer industry totaled more than $420 million, and the industry contributed a more than $745 million to the state economy in 2017, according to data from the Independent Craft Brewers Association.

But the industry is reeling from a hit by the Trump administrations tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Aluminum cans make up more than 10 percent of the cost of manufacturing beer in the United States, making it the single largest cost in beer production. The majority of beer manufactured nationwide comes in aluminum cans, and a 10 percent aluminum tariff could cost the industry around $347 million annually.

The federal government temporarily reduced the federal excise tax on craft brewers by half, but their profit margins still face a potential decrease due to the tariffs. Lamonts plan would cut the states excise tax on craft breweries by more than half from $7.20 to $3.30 per barrel to be more competitive with neighboring states, and make it easier for brewers to expand their business. Lamont said the tax savings will help offset the increased cost of aluminum due to the Trump tariffs.

Craft breweries serve as a bright spot in our states economy, Bysiewicz said. However, the continued growth of Connecticuts craft beer industry is under siege from Trumps aluminum tariffs.

Tribus is one of the states newest breweries, having just opened its doors in August and it does not yet can its beer for distribution. Tribus co-founder Matt Weichner said they are already looking at doubling the production scale and preparing for distribution, which requires purchasing expensive new equipment made from steel, which is also affected by the tarrifs.

Lamonts plan also includes lifting the 9-liter limit on retail sales, a measure that has been opposed by distributors in the state every time its come up in the legislature. Distributors argue it could turn breweries into monopolies, armed with the power to manufacture, serve and sell more of their beer.

Distributors can compete just fine, Lamont said. When I took on the cable-TV industry they didnt want me competing with them either. These guys can compete. Thats what Americas all about.

For breweries like Tribus, the limit discourages them from canning their beer for distribution.

Were already looking to expand ... and starting to can, and this 9-liter limit law is getting in the way of when we do start producing these cans, we want to sell them in-house, Weichner said.

kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt
Not something we can ignore anymore: White supremacist, extremist activity on the rise across Colorado, experts say

A nonprofit tracking hate incidents says theres been a dramatic rise so far in 2018

The Denver Post/September 20, 2018

By Elise Schmelzer

Underneath an overpass somewhere in Denver, two members of a white supremacist group painted their blue and white logo so large that they needed a ladder.



A video by Identity Evropa posted Sept. 3 shows two men in sunglasses using rollers to paint the triangle logo before posing in front of it, lit only by the flames of a torch. The video ends with white text on a black screen that reads: Rediscover Your Identity.



Its one of the latest acts in a wave of increased activity by white supremacists and other extremists in Colorado. The emboldened groups are the most active they have been in the state in recent years, and the number of known incidents of hate and bias in Colorado is rising dramatically, experts said.



The Anti-Defamation League has recorded 23 incidents of extremism or anti-Semitism in the state through July of this year, though that number is expected to rise dramatically after data about a rash of white supremacist propaganda in August and September is recorded. In 2017, the Jewish civil rights nonprofit counted 62 incidents, up from 46 the year before.



Those numbers reflect Colorado catching up with a lot of other states in the country, said Jessica Reaves, a Denver-based writer with the ADLs Center on Extremism. Colorado had remained relatively untouched until this year. Then there was a dramatic increase.



The database tracks a variety of incidents attributed to extremist groups or unaffiliated individuals, including vandalism, rallies, harassment and propaganda. The data is collected from news stories, government documents, police reports, victim statements and the extremist groups themselves.



Since 2016, the group documented at least 17 times when swastikas were scrawled on Colorado property, including one drawn on the garage door of a Jewish person in Durango and another spray painted on the Aurora home of a Jewish couple. The database also includes an incident at a Lakewood middle school where students chanted Heil Hitler and another where a Ku Klux Klan group in Grand Junction posted flyers against the LGBTQ community and race mixing. It also notes that a Jewish person was stopped on a street in Boulder and told they do not belong in the U.S. and they will be killed in a gas chamber.



The dramatic increase is not something we can ignore any more, said Scott Levin, director of the ADLs Mountain States Region.



Its a great bang for their buck



So far this year, white supremacist groups have posted propaganda in more than 50 places in Colorado, though the bulk of the flyers and stickers have appeared in communities along the Front Range, according to ADL Colorado staff members.



Last year, they counted 22. The year before: three.



Identity Evropa, a white nationalist group involved in the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., has been active along the Front Range every week since mid-July, according to its Twitter page. Members have plastered posters and stickers on Denvers 16th Street Mall and posed with banners in Civic Center park. In the past two months, they have been in Colorado Springs, Boulder, Fort Collins, Wheat Ridge, Greeley, Centennial, Arvada, Aurora and Loveland.



The group identifies itself as American Identitarians working to preserve white European and American culture from perceived threats from Muslims, immigrants and rising numbers of nonwhite people in the U.S. The group believes that ethnic diversity  is an impediment to societal harmony and that people of European heritage should retain demographic supermajorities in our homelands, according to its website. Both the ADL and the Southern Poverty Law Center identify the group as a white supremacist organization, though Identity Evropa disputes that label.



While a spokesman for Identity Evropa initially responded to an interview request from The Denver Post, he did not respond to questions that were later emailed, including whether the groups membership had grown, why there was a recent increase in activity along the Front Range and where they had painted their mural.



Many of the flyers from Identity Evropa and similar groups are subtle and an attempt to rebrand white supremacy, but their beliefs are no less racist, said the ADLs Reaves. Many reference a need to preserve white identity or advocate for the end of all immigration to the U.S.



This is not a new phenomena, Reaves said. David Duke took off his hood and put on a suit and tie to appear respectable. This is a continuation and reflection of that same kind of thinking.



Stickers and flyers have appeared on at least nine Colorado college campuses this year, part of an intentional targeting of young people searching for identity and community on campus. The propaganda is also a rebuke of perceived liberal culture on college campuses, Reaves said.



The executive director of Identity Evropa told CSUs student newspaper in March that flyering was a good way to gain members, though most of their recruiting is done via social media. Casey said his group targets college campuses because they believe universities have an anti-white agenda, the Collegian reported.



Colorado also saw an uptick in the number of active hate groups operating in the state last year. The Southern Poverty Law Center tallied 21 hate groups that operate in Colorado, the highest number ever recorded. The number hovered between 15 and 17 over the previous six years.



But a rise in propaganda does not necessarily mean the groups have more members  the number of people involved in these organizations is hard to gauge, Reaves said.



A small number of people with transportation can cover a wide range of territory relatively quickly and make it appear as if there are more people involved, Reaves said. The Ku Klux Klan used a similar tactic to incite fear, she said.



It causes a great level of anxiety and anger in communities, Reaves said. Its a great bang for their buck.



While the flyers and posters might seem minor, they normalize the presence of white supremacy in Colorado communities, said Levin, the ADL regional director.



Theyre signs theyre feeling more emboldened, he said.



This has been here all along



The recent rise in activity among extremists and white supremacists is tied to a number of complex and interacting factors, according to scholars who study white supremacy.



These groups have been in Colorado for decades, though the names of the organizations and the language they use to describe their beliefs shift with the times, said Catlyn Keenan, a professor at Front Range Community College who has studied supremacist groups.



This is an opportunity to really face the music and realize that this has been here all along, she said. White people in particular need to recognize it and speak out.



Mary Ann Grim, a history professor at the community college who has studied Nazism through the decades, said a rising fear of immigrants stoked by conservative politicians helps validate white supremacist views. A loss of working class jobs also fans a belief that immigrants will take those jobs that remain.



White men are particularly susceptible to joining the groups as the bulk of power and status they have retained for decades is distributed among other demographic groups, Keenan said.



Our young white men are in crisis, she said. Theyre really, really angry and theyre looking for a scapegoat.



The groups have also received an accepting or ambivalent reception by some local and federal government administrations, Grim and Keenan said. For example, many groups found affirmation in President Donald Trumps statements that there were good people on both sides of the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville.



In the current political climate, the alt-right has received a degree of legitimacy from the administration, both federal and locally, that we havent really seen since the 1920s when the KKK was very active, Keenan said.



The rise could also be attributed to a backlash to the presidency of Barack Obama, according to Grim and Keenan. Obama was elected as part of a social movement championing diversity and inclusion and the recent activity is a backlash to that, they said.



Grim said many of the groups are very similar to those active during the 1910s and 1920s, when the Ku Klux Klan was rebranding itself. They have their own magazines and media, an educated leadership and an ability to meet and demonstrate in public.



I wish I had a long list of things that are different, Grim said. Call it what you want  white supremacy, Nazism, white nationalism  its all the same.

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Grace Road Church: 'I lost my entire family to a cult'

RNZ, Radio New Zealand/September 20. 2018

A South Korean church which believes global famine is imminent has set up base in Fiji, where it's gained considerable influence but faced growing allegations of abuse. One woman who fled what she believes is a cult told the BBC's Yvette Tan she lost her family in the process - but has no regrets.



Seoyeon Lee had one chance to escape and she took it, running down the road in Fiji in her pyjamas and flip-flops.



"I was crying and I looked hysterical," she told the BBC.



The then 21-year-old was being pursued by members of Grace Road - including her own mother - who she says had tricked her into going to the Pacific island nation.



"I would have killed myself if they'd made me stay," she said.

'I think it's a cult'

A year earlier, in 2013, Seoyeon had come home to South Korea from the US, where she was studying, for the summer. Her mum was suffering from uterine cancer but had refused treatment.



She told Seoyeon she would only seek treatment if she went with her to Grace Road Church.



"It was very bizarre," said Seoyeon. "There were people screaming, crying, speaking in tongues and the sermon was about how the end times were coming.



"I told my mum, I think it's a cult but she didn't believe me."



Once back at university, she found her mother had still not sought treatment and would only do so on one condition - that Seoyeon quit school and went back to South Korea.



Seoyeon, whose father had died of cancer, took leave and went home.



After her mother went through surgery, she told Seoyeon that she wanted to move to Fiji to recover - and insisted that she go along with her. Eventually, Seoyeon agreed to go for two weeks to help her adjust.



"At that point, I didn't know it was an elaborate ruse," she said.



"But when I got to Fiji and saw we were driving to a commune... I was like, how could I have been so stupid?"

The 'great famine'

South Korea has a significant Christian population, and in recent decades many small, fringe churches have sprung up, some of them developing cult-like characteristics.



Grace Road, which insists it is not a cult, started out small in 2002, but now numbers about 1,000 followers, according to Professor Tark Ji-il of Busan Presbyterian University, who has closely studied Korean cults.



The church's founder and head pastor, Shin Ok-ju, believes that a great famine is imminent, and that her followers "needed to find a new home to prepare for the second coming of Jesus", said Professor Tark.



In 2014 - the same year it was classified as heretical by mainstream churches - the church uprooted to Fiji, declaring that it would be one of the few places saved by God from famine.



About 400 of its followers now live in Fiji, mostly working for the company it has set up to manage its operations, GR Group.



Seoyeon said those there have been "handpicked" by the leadership "maybe depending on how much you've donated".



"When my dad died, we were left a certain sum of money. I'm pretty sure my mum took all that and gave it to the church," she said. "They make you sell your property, quit your job, cut off your friends."



The group has built up a sizeable business empire, from construction to restaurants to agriculture.



"Farming is our original mission because we need to prepare for the famine, we need to be self-sufficient," Daniel Kim, president of GR Group and Ms Shin's son said.



The group's construction business has also won lucrative contracts, including a tender to renovate the Fijian president's residence and its State House, which Mr Kim insists was won through a legal tender process.



In an indication of his good connections, Mr Kim was pictured with Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, after the group won the Prime Minister's International Business Award.

'No choice but to stay'

But over the past year, a bleak picture has emerged of life inside Grace Road.



Five church members who had returned to South Korea accused Ms Shin of confiscating their passports and holding them against their will. They alleged the church used forced labour and issued ritual beatings so harsh that they led to the death of one follower.



In July, Ms Shin was arrested while back in South Korea on charges of assault and confinement. She was alleged to have abandoned the church members, confiscated their passports, and overseen a brutal regime.



Then in August, Fijian and South Korean authorities conducted a joint raid on the church in Fiji, arresting Mr Kim and several other senior members as part of a slavery investigation.



They were released without charge, but according to Fiji's police commissioner, investigations are "ongoing".



A documentary by South Korean broadcaster SBS last month included footage of Ms Shin beating her followers.



Chief Chun Jae-hong of the Korean National Police Agency told SBS that many had "donated their entire fortune to the church, so even if they go back they are penniless... so they have no choice [but to stay]".



South Korean police directed the BBC to the documentary when asked for comment.



Wilfred Regunamada, a spokesman for the Fiji Methodist Church, recently told New Zealand media that Grace Road members were living in fear, and called on the Fijian government to do more to explain its links with the church.



The government did not respond to requests for interviews with the BBC.



Mr Kim firmly denies wrongdoing and said of his mother: "I don't understand why they are treating her like a criminal.



"It's a very malicious attack [by those] who have run away. They say that me and other senior members are like a ruling cult. It's insane."



He insisted "no ritual beatings" had taken place. "If someone did something very wrong, they might get slapped by our pastor... [but] in a way that a mother would rebuke her child," he said. The cause of the follower's death was cancer and "there's no evidence to connect it to beatings", he said.



Mr Kim said all those in Fiji had volunteered to go, and "it doesn't matter if they bring money or not".



He evaded a question as to whether church members were paid for their work, saying they "have accommodation, food and travel all covered by the company", adding that he himself does "not receive a fixed salary every month".



And what of the allegations that the 400 church members are essentially being held against their will?



"Impossible," he said. "If we really captured their passports it's very simple, they can just go to the embassy and get an emergency passport."



That's exactly what Seoyeon had to do.

'I would have killed myself'

The day before she was due to leave, she realised that her laptop and passport were missing. Her mother admitted she had taken them to stop her leaving.



"I wanted to go back to college, I wanted to meet my friends," she said.



She tried ringing the police, but alleges that the other followers "rang them back, saying it was a joke".



"They tried to block me but I ran out to the road. I was going insane."



She found a police car which took her to the station, and eventually managed to get an emergency passport.



"They followed me all the way from the station to the embassy in a car. That was when my mum tried to break me. She told me I was adopted - that was how I found out.



"She said my entire family - my aunts, uncles, grandmother and cousins - were all moving here and our apartment had been sold. She was trying to convince me that I had nobody," said Seoyeon.



"But I would never have gotten brainwashed and joined the church. I would have killed myself if they had made me stay."



Now back in South Korea, she says she can't afford to return to studying, but has moved on and has a steady job.



"I am very happy with where I am in life now. I still love my family but as cold as this might sound, I can't really forgive them for what they've done... and after everything that's happened I can never invite them back into my life," she said.



"They are so deep in the cult that there's no way I could change their minds... if they're already in Fiji, they're a lost cause."



- BBC

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Small, effeminate, friendly and probably gullible, the attractive blond 19-year-old teenager with the engaging smile never stood a chance when two maniacal thugs targeted him one night for robbery and worse  a crime that would rock a city, a state and the nation.

October marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard, a former University of Wyoming college student who became the face of LGBT hate crime after the news of his grisly murder in 1998 spread internationally. Although he never knew anything about the controversy surrounding him in his last few last days of life, he truly did not die in vain.

The City of Laramie and the University of Wyoming are preparing to commemorate the anniversary of the openly-gay college students death with a series of events. It will include a performance of Considering Matthew Shepard by Grammy-winning choral group Conspirare at Laramie High School Theater Oct. 6, which is the anniversary of the day Shepard was found barely alive.

In announcing the plans, Laramie Mayor Andi Summerville said the international attention is drawn to Laramie in the wake of Shepards death rocked this community  absolutely to its fundamental core. The mayor was 17 at the time of Shepards death, and she described the experience of living through that time and revisiting it today as surreal.

During the prosecutions of the two men on murder charges, the world learned that the killers pretended to be gay in order to rob Shepard. After meeting him in the college-town bar and enticing him to leave, the men pistol-whipped him, stole his cash and credit cards, tied him to a wooden pasture fence and left him dying in the bitter mountain cold. Shepard died in a coma from brain injuries Oct. 12, 1998, after six days on life-support.

As Southern Poverty Law Center President Richard Cohen notes, Shepards death shook the nation alert to the reality of anti-LGBT hate crimes. His organization is the pre-eminent chronicler of hate crimes and hate groups in the U.S.

Just as the murder of Emmett Till (a 14-year-old black youth who was pistol-whipped, mutilated and tossed in a river in Mississippi in 1955) awakened America to the reality of racial violence, so the murder of Matthew Shepard awakened our country to the reality of violence against the LGBTQ community, Cohen said of the importance of Shepards case.

Like Till, whose killers got an acquittal from an all-white jury despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary because he allegedly insulted a white woman, Shepard in death inspired a revolution in attitudes toward anti-LGBT discrimination and violence. The outrage spawned by Tills death among blacks and sympathetic whites precipitated the Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott four months after his funeral. Similarly, Shepard posthumously became an icon, and the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. (a black man killed by three white supremacists in Jasper, Texas, also in 1998) Hate Crime Act was passed by Congress in 2009.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation with the support of his parents, Judy and Dennis, keeps the story and the lesson to be learned from his death alive today. After his murder, the Tectonic Theater Project in New York City went to Laramie to learn about the impact of the crime on the city. The group created The Laramie Project, a play about the heinous anti-LGBT hate crime.

The foundation bearing the victims name funds the presentation of the play across America, and the nonprofit group provides ongoing media resources and other information services to combat anti-LGBT hate crimes. The group will host a gala in Denver Oct. 20 to raise funds for its work.

In June, the foundation in cooperation with Miller Lite hosted an LGBT hate crimes works project in Orlando at the Parliament House in the wake of the mass shooting at Pulse gay nightclub in March 2017 that left 49 dead and 53 injured. The foundation previously hosted similar workshops in Fort Lauderdale and Dallas.

The reflections on Shepards death comes at an inauspicious time in American history. Despite heightened awareness about hate crimes and greater attention by law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system, the FBI documented an increase in hate crimes for 2016, the most recent year for the published results of its annual report that is released in late fall.

When the FBI releases the statistics for 2017, another increase in hate crimes is expected, according to organizations researching and analyzing the activity. The Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University San Bernadino is forecasting the new FBI report will reveal disturbing news about a resurgence of violence in targeted large cities, including Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.

We have collected new police data from 2017, ahead of the FBI totals, and performed the first analysis of that years hate crimes, with a particular emphasis on the 10 largest U.S. cities, states the report of May 2018 overseen by Criminologist Brian Levin. Our investigation found that hate crime totals for the 10 largest cities (also New York City, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, Chicago, San Jose and Philadelphia) rose for four straight years to the highest level in a decade.

The center identified the most common hate crime categories in its analysis as anti-Black, anti-Semitic, anti-LGBT and anti-Latino, except in two cities. In New York City Jews were the primary target while LGBT people were the most common victims in Los Angeles.

At the same time an increase in hate crimes is happening, the Southern Poverty Law Center is seeing an increase in the number of white supremacist groups becoming active in the nation. Leaders of the groups in Alabama and California agree that there appears to be a correlation between President Trumps bombastic, vicious rhetoric belittling minorities before and after his election and the growth of hate propaganda and violence. A spike in hate crimes, especially targeting Muslims, was seen about the time of the 2016 election and thought to be inspired by Trumps campaigns.

In Charlottesville, Virginia, white supremacists staged a rally Aug. 11-12, 2017, to protest the removal of Civil War monuments in the South, leading to violent clashes that resulted in three deaths and 33 injuries. One of the white nationalists drove his car into a crowd, killing a counter protester, and two law enforcement officers in a helicopter monitoring the activity died in a crash. Trump called both the white supremacists and the counter protesters who clashed very fine people.

It is unlikely that anything or anyone can deter President Trump from his agenda that includes a daily routine of invective meant to satisfy his arch-conservative base, including those who spread the most vitriolic messages against LGBT people and other minorities. In the wake of Shepards death protesters from the hate group Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas incredibly picketed his funeral with signs reading Matt in Hell and God Hates Fags.

The commemoration of Shepards horrific death will not soften the hearts of the hateful, but maybe it will kindle another movement to help drown out the voice of Trump and the hateful among his supporters. Ultimately, it will probably require Trump being voted out of office, barring a successful impeachment, to reverse the destructive social course the nation seems to be following now  all the more reason to commit to voting in every election so your voice will be heard.

This is a part of our LGBT History Month special package. Check out sfgn.com/historymonth2020 daily for new stories.
Kidnapped by mum: the American teenager trapped in a South Korean cult

Elise spent two months with Grace Road Church in South Korea and Fiji, after her mother destroyed her passport and refused to let her leave

The Guardian, UK/September 25, 2018

By Kate Lyons

uring the summer break after her junior year of high school, Elise* travelled to South Korea from Chicago with her mother for what was meant to be a six-week holiday.



Instead, the 17-year-old ended up trapped in Grace Road Church, a cult whose leader was arrested in August accused of depriving followers of their liberty and participating in ritual beatings. While there, Elise was forced to attend five-hour sermons, denied medication and told she would never see her father and sister again.



Elises mother organised the trip in 2013 after discovering her daughter smoked marijuana. The holiday was supposed to allow Elise  who was born in the US to Korean parents  a chance to spend time with her Korean family and have a break from her American friends.



But, after two weeks with family, Elises mother took her to stay at Grace Road Church in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul.



The church, which denies it is a cult, has branches in both South Korea and Fiji, where hundreds of church members moved in 2014 after its leader, Pastor Shin Ok-ju, said there would be a famine in Korea and Fiji was the promised land where they would survive.

Shin was arrested last month along with three other church leaders, accused of stranding followers in Fiji and subjecting them to violent rituals.



Elise and her mother started living at the church, sleeping on mats on the floor of a room they shared with as many as 12 women, above a hall where Shin gave five-hour sermons.



At the end of June she decided lets spend the weekend here, then the weekend turned into lets spend the entire week here. I thought: what the heck? This wasnt part of the plan, Elise told the Guardian.

These people are not normal

Elise realised she had effectively been kidnapped when she had been at the church for about two weeks.



She had been fighting with her mother about wanting to leave and, feeling a panic attack coming on, went to get her anti-anxiety medication. Her mother told her she had thrown it away because medicine was frowned upon by the church. Elises mother also took away her laptop and iPod  her means of communicating with her sister and friends back in the US.

Im hyperventilating at this point and Im freaking out, said Elise. It dawned on me: these people are not normal.



When Elise refused to leave the small room three members of the church half-carried, half-dragged her downstairs to the sermon. Elise says she was screaming at them not to touch her. Over her screams Elise says she could hear the pastor of the church, Shin Ok-ju, tell the congregation; Do you hear that? She has a demon inside of her and thats why shes screaming. Do you want to turn out like that?



Elise was forced to sit in the front row of the church service, directly in front of Shin.



Shes calling me out and saying how much an evil person I am and how I need to accept her word and how Im going to go to hell and how the medicine I take makes me crazy. I thought Im going to throw up, I cant escape. Im looking at my mum and signing her [to say] I need my medicine, but shes completely ignoring me. I dont know what to do, Im basically just trying not to pass out.



Since Shins arrest, church members have told how they had their passports taken from them when they arrived in Fiji and were forced to work without pay. Shocking video footage has also emerged that appears to show Shin beating her followers and encouraging them to beat one another in the church in South Korea.

Grace Road Church refused to comment for this story, but in a statement previously provided to the Guardian, said these beatings, called threshing floors are a perfectly biblical way of publicly reproving followers who have sinned.

The last time I saw my mum

Elise eventually managed to leave the compound during a service and made it to a nearby convenience store where she called her sister, who told her that she and their father would come to get her. While she was on the phone, Elises mother walked into the shop and began looking for her.



Im ducking between the aisles of the convenience store, says Elise. I feel like Im in a scary movie and the killer is on the other side of the corner and youre trying to hide from them.



The next day, Elises father, sister and uncle arrived and Elise left with them. Thats the last time Ive ever seen my mum, said Elise.



But Elise was not free. Without a passport  her mother told her she had cut it up  Elise had to go to the embassy to get a travel document. Elises father believes he was followed by church members to the embassy. The day before their flight was due to leave Korea for the US, Elises mother cancelled the ticket.

I would think what if Im not actually here, what if this is a really intense dream, just like the dream I had back in Korea, she said.



Eventually, Elise was hospitalised after she self-harmed. Her mother called her while she was in hospital and told her that people who killed themselves deserved to be in hell.



How do you say that to your child? said Elise. How do you say that to anyone, but especially to your child? She completely changed, completely changed personality, she turned on me. My mum and I were pretty close before this all happened.



The last Elise heard, her mother was still with the church and is not likely to return. Elise hopes the current investigation into Shin and Grace Road will lead to Shin being prosecuted.



I hope that pastor  fake pastor  is served justice and people come to realise stuff like this does happen.

Then came the nightmares. While at Grace Road, Elise would regularly dream that she was back in the US, going about her normal life. Once back in America she was diagnosed with PTSD.

* Names have been changed to protect the identity of the subject

To see more documents/articles regarding this group/organization/subject click here.
Teen Hackers Steal 600,000 From N. Ireland Accounts

Teenage hackers are committing cyber crimes that cost victims in Northern Ireland nearly 600,000 last year.

The average age of a cyber offender is just 17, and according to the Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF) many are video gamers with links to gaming communities.

According to the OCTF's annual report and threat assessment, online criminals are the youngest offenders.

It also said that while the average age of a cyber criminal is 17, in reality offending is likely to begin even earlier, as many only come to the attention of the authorities when aged 17.

The report showed that a total of 591,000 was lost to victims here with 331 cyber-dependent crimes being carried out during the last financial year.

Cyber-dependent crimes are crimes that require computers or networks to carry out an offence.

Cyber-enabled crimes - such as fraud or blackmail - can be conducted offline as well as online.

The report said the true scale of cyber security breaches can only be obtained if businesses report incidents, something that the PSNI say does not always happen.

The police have put this down to businesses wanting to maintain a good reputation.

Five cyber security arrests were made between April 2017 and March 2018, with 25 searches carried out by the PSNI.

Anthony Harbinson is the director of Safer Communities at the Department of Justice and said progress is being made to help protect businesses.

"Significant progress is also being made in protecting individuals and businesses against cyber crime. The new purpose-built PSNI Cyber Crime Centre is just one addition which will help enhance the PSNI's forensic and investigative capabilities," he said.

Cyphra is a cyber security firm based in Belfast. One of the company's directors, Conrad Simpson, said businesses should take time to understand the threats posed by potential breaches of security.

"When it comes to businesses having to deal with a cyber security incident, the reality is that it's not a case of 'if', but 'when' it will happen," he said.

"With the reliance on digital technologies and the importance of data for business operation and innovation, organisations need to take steps to understand and manage their cyber threats. They should ensure that their approach encompasses not only steps to protect their information, but also enables them to detect an incident when it occurs and have the processes in place to allow them to recover as quickly as possible."

Mr Simpson added that the perpetrators are becoming more savvy in their approach to committing attacks.

He added: "Everyday our customers come to us with new and wide-ranging challenges and we're seeing a sophisticated level of criminality involved. With this increase in attacks, businesses have a responsibility to ensure all staff and suppliers are cyber security aware and that their business is more cyber resilient."

Belfast Telegraph:

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Directly across the street from Lauderdale Memorial Park, 3.5 miles from where the majority of those who are HIV positive reside, lies the Broward County Health Department.

Many have dubbed it the Hell Department because of how difficult it has become to maintain their drug regimen due to the state requirement for those on ADAP (AIDS Drug Assistance Program) to travel to pick up their medications every thirty days at that location or one at equal distance in Pompano Beach.

ADAP helps those with little to no income access lifesaving medication for free, or a low affordable cost. It is a service that has been available since 1987 and one that should not be taken for granted. However, in South Florida, picking up these medications is not the easiest of processes. The majority of those that are HIV positive and on ADAP in Broward County live in or near Wilton Manors. Many of those patients do not own a vehicle to travel once a month to pick up their medication.

By bus with one transfer it can take up to two hours travel time and then possibly the same amount of time home -- an all day affair, once a month. If you bring a bicycle to cut down on time and the bicycle rack is full, you may have to wait nearly an hour for another chance at getting a ride. Public transportation is known for being pretty inconsistent to begin with. In the summer it is not a viable option to ride a bicycle from Wilton Manors to State Road 84.

If you are fortunate enough to have someone drive you to one of the locations, it would still be about a 30 minute to 1 hour drive depending on traffic. Uber is always an option except for those on a tight budget. It can be very frustrating and a deciding factor for those that might be on the fence with taking their medications.

Pete Povoli, the Managed Care Specialist at AHF on Oakland Park Boulevard explained that, "unfortunately this type of thing happens every day and people miss picking up their medication."

Povoli mentioned that a recent patient who lives in Hallandale, "now has 49 T Cells (full blown AIDS) due to not having transportation to keep up with the requirements to stay successful with her treatment and cannot travel the distance to pick up her medication." Another problem he mentioned was that, "patients today who are working to make ends meet sometimes have their ADAP expire. There are too many departments and Ryan White A/B should be combined to make it easier for the patient. Many stop taking the medications because the whole system is overwhelming for those who are dealing with dual diagnoses like depression and

other mental health illnesses."

For Brian who is 35 and living with HIV, it took him nearly two hours to arrive at the Health Department. He traveled by bus from AHF on Oakland Park Blvd. He didn't bother with the transfer because he didn't know how reliable it would be so he walked the final distance and "was caught in the rain." This being his first time picking up his medication after recently testing positive he describes the experience as, "it's like watching paint dry."

Dorothy who lives in Port Saint Lucy travels nearly two hours sometimes once every two weeks to pick up medication for her daughter who is currently living with her. Both Dorothy and her daughter believe the process at The Health Department is, "a pain in the butt and a major inconvenience."

ADAP saves lives and it is essential for lower income people to maintain their health, stay undetectable and not develop an opportunistic infection which could lead to serious illness or death. The requirement to travel to one of 2 locations is a burden for many and according to Povoli, "could possibly lead to one not complying with their drug regimen. Unfortunately this happens every day."

An experience at the Health Department Pharmacy can be a quick twenty minutes which includes taking a number, waiting for a droning robotic voice over the PA system to call your number, then to sit again waiting for your medication to be filled.

If things don't go the way you planned, expect 45 minutes to an hour or hours wait. The service at the Health Department Pharmacy has improved and the staff are polite and patient and do their best, but the customer satisfaction is not very high.

David Poole who was Administrator of Patient Care for the Bureau of HIV/AIDS and in charge of

ADAP/Ryan White (1993 - 2005) and now is AIDS Healthcare Foundation Director of Legislative Affairs Southern Bureau regrets that during his time in Tallahassee he didn't,"move the program forward and bring it into the 21st Century before leaving." Poole mentioned that, "behind the scenes the Florida Department of Health are currently in the process of updating to more pharmacies, but nothing is guaranteed depending on who wins in November. I fear that it will be forgotten."

Poole goes further and points out that, "it is safe to say that whenever you limit access, the more likely you will have issues, such as new infections, and those not getting good access to their medications could be more susceptible to illness or even death."

Missing doses can lead to resistance to the medications as well which could cause them to not be effective in fighting the HIV virus. James Colonel at AHF pharmacy in Oakland Park mentioned that if you are an AHF patient and cannot make the trip to pick up your medication, he would "provide up to five days worth until they can make the trip to the Health Department."

A very recent positive development is that clients of the Health Department are now considered eligible for 90 days worth of medication, but as of today only 214 out of 4,617 people are enrolled. There are several strict requirements. Clients must have picked up medications in 11 of the last 12 months. They must have had at least 1 Viral Load test in the past 24 months and they must have Viral Load test results of 200 or less on all Viral Load tests covering the past 24 months/two years. This latest development, still doesn't excuse

that these medications are not available at more pharmacies throughout the state. Povoli states that only about, "a third would probably be eligible."

In other major cities like Denver, Los Angeles, NYC and Washington, DC, the medications through ADAP are available at a wide variety of pharmacies. For example, Washington, DC has over twenty-five pharmacy locations available. In Los Angeles they even give you the option of having them delivered to your doorstep. That might seem extravagant compared to Florida's archaic system, but in South Florida it doesn't seem unreasonable for patients to have access to their medication at their local pharmacies and it is time the system is adjusted to meet the patient's need for better access and help more people live a

healthy life.
Possibly I live a rather dull life. I confess I have never been offered cocaine at a dinner party. Nor, so far as I am aware, have other guests on such occasions been covertly snorting the stuff.

But I am told by friends who live racier lives that it is quite a common occurrence to be offered white powder at trendy parties by respectable people who wouldnt normally dream of breaking the law.

According to the latest crime survey for England and Wales, an estimated 875,000 people used cocaine last year. Another study claims the drug is more widespread in the United Kingdom than in any other European country.

So when Sajid Javid told assembled Tories in Birmingham on Tuesday that he was going to target middle-class drug users as part of a crackdown, he was met with spirited applause.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured) speaking at the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. He told assembled Tories that he was going to target middle-class drug users

In an interview with the Mail, the Home Secretary said that those who took cocaine and Ecstasy at dinner parties were not innocent of the rise in violence sweeping the country. They were fuelling the knife and gun crime epidemic that is killing so many young people.

He added that demand for drugs has led to so-called county lines gangs  there are estimated to be more than 1,400 of them  which lure children as young as 12 into becoming couriers, and being ensnared in a web of brutality.

Mr Javid is right, of course. He could have also mentioned that the cocaine that ends up at these fashionable dinner parties has ruined, and sometimes ended, lives beyond our shores.

As Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, recently put it, cocaine users who fret about fair trade and organic food dont spare a thought for the misery inflicted on people in the supply chain. For example, workers in Colombian plantations face intimidation and violence from unscrupulous employers.

Do the well-heeled consumers of cocaine  which has more than halved in price over the past five years, and is now relatively cheap  ever think about the tragedy of the numerous young men, many of them black, killed in London over turf wars about drugs? I doubt many consciences are stirred.

How, then, are the rising number of cocaine users (up 15 per cent in a year) to be deterred? Its all very well for Mr Javid to threaten to target them, but it is hard to see how he is going to set about doing so.

The truth is that middle-class coke sniffers have almost nothing to fear from the police  and they know it. Their suppliers may sometimes be hauled in, but they themselves are most unlikely to have their collars felt.

Could they be frightened out of their wits by the consequences for their health? Possibly. Many cocaine users may be unaware of how dangerous a drug it is. There were 432 recorded deaths from cocaine last year, and it was responsible for 12,000 admissions to hospital. It can cause cardiac arrest and strokes.

Repeated of use of cocaine is also likely to lead to psychosis, depression, agitation, delirium, insomnia, respiratory problems and (if you snort it) nasal deformity. It is an extremely dangerous Class-A drug.

Perhaps if the ill-effects of the drug were more widely appreciated, people would think twice before using it. So some sort of government education programme about the dangers is doubtless a good idea.

But I suspect that only the fear of being caught, prosecuted and suffering a degree of public disgrace is going to persuade otherwise respectable middle-class people to drop their cocaine habit.

In his speech, Mr Javid promised a major review of drug use. Thats not going to serve a very useful purpose unless people believe that possession of drugs will be regarded as a serious crime.

Stephen Glover discusses Sajid Javid's (pictured) pledge to conduct a major review of drug use in the country

The trouble is that at the moment the police convey almost exactly the opposite impression. And if the cocaine user has virtually nothing to fear from the authorities, the person who smokes cannabis might as well wear a badge advertising the fact.

At least five forces in England have announced they will turn a blind eye to cannabis if it is for personal consumption. Police in Avon and Somerset, Durham, Derbyshire, Dorset and Surrey take this lenient approach, and we can be certain others are doing so less publicly.

And its not only the cannabis user who is let off. Between 2013 and 2017, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary discovered 194 cannabis farms, but brought charges against only 79 suspects. Cannabis factories with specialist heating in West Yorkshire, Suffolk, Essex and Kent have also been spared.

People such as Sir Nick Clegg campaign for the legalisation of cannabis without apparently realising that the process is already half completed, even though Parliament has not approved it.

All this has happened despite innumerable reports establishing a link between frequent cannabis consumption (particularly in its more extreme form, skunk) and psychosis.

One seven-year study in Australia found that teenagers who used the drug were five times more likely to develop depression or anxiety in later life. A New Zealand report showed that those who smoked cannabis at least four times a week end up in less skilled jobs than other members of their family.

Yet cannabis is widely deemed harmless and respectable  so much so that this week a Mayfair hotel has been the venue for an investment conference about cannabis attended by some of the UKs biggest banks and pension funds.

According to one Canadian businessman, cannabis is going to become a large global industry, bigger than global brewing. These titans of finance envisage the huge growth of cannabis as a medicine, and its near universal legalisation as a recreational drug.

In fact, the legalisation of cannabis has not proved the success its proponents claimed it would be. In California, where the drug was legalised earlier this year, there is already a vibrant black market because legislators have slapped such heavy taxes on legal sales of the drug.

Look at Colorado, where non-medicinal cannabis was legalised in 2014. The number of drivers involved in fatal crashes in the state who tested positive for marijuana has risen sharply each year, and more than doubled in four years. The incidence of violent crime rose much faster in 2015 than the average for the United States.

Moreover, legalisation is likely to increase usage. The national drugs agency in Portugal released figures last year which showed that the number of people using cannabis has risen by more than 40 per cent over the 15 years since possession was no longer deemed a crime.

Just because cocaine and cannabis are increasingly considered innocuous in respectable circles, it doesnt mean they are acceptable. Which loving parent seeing a child off to university will not worry that he or she is likely to take drugs, and possibly suffer alarming ill-effects?

Any sensible young person will ignore the fashionable embrace of these potentially harmful drugs. But that is a hard thing to do when the authorities seem not to take them seriously.

Full marks to Sajid Javid for saying he will target middle-class drugs users. But these will be empty words unless they are made to pay for their crime.
1. Soon to celebrate its 60th birthday, Blue Peter has always reflected the tastes and aspirations of British children. This may be why, over the past six decades, some critics have charted a drop in standards.

The programme has strived to be both informative and entertaining. To reflect these twin aims, the first series, broadcast in 1958, was presented by philosopher Bertrand Russell and young actress Barbara Windsor.

Hello children, began Barbara Windsor. Today Im going to show you how to make your own blouse out of a serviette, raffia and sticky-tape.

The first series, broadcast in 1958, was presented by philosopher Bertrand Russell and young actress Barbara Windsor (pictured here aged 81)

And, as for me, Im going to teach you how all mathematics is Symbolic Logic, and, in consequence, how this leads to the remainder of the principles of mathematics consisting of the analysis of Symbolic Logic itself, continued Bertrand Russell.

 . . . And together were going to show you how to do The Twist  the super new dance thats rocking the Empire! they added, in unison.

2. Following the replacement of Bertrand Russell by the more down-to-earth John Noakes, some critics complained of a drop in standards. Stung by these attacks, Noakes attempted to ape some of his predecessors intellectual rigour.

Here I am, sitting on top of the highest mountain in the British Isles  and you know what? I cant stop telling myself that the world is the totality of facts, not things. Fan-tastic! he said, breathlessly.

he very first Blue Peter (a badge is pictured) pet was neither a dog nor a cat, but an elderly manatee called Miranda

3. The very first Blue Peter pet was neither a dog nor a cat, but an elderly manatee called Miranda. Sadly, Miranda lacked get-up-and-go. A bouncy ball thrown at the start of one programme would sometimes take her up to three or four programmes to retrieve. Even then, she looked disappointed.

After a year, Miranda was elbowed out by an ambitious young puppy called Petra, who wanted to use the programme as a stepping-stone to Hollywood.

Miranda retired to a small manatee-based zoo outside Weybridge in Surrey. In retirement, she occasionally gave interviews to Sunday newspapers bitterly complaining of her dismissal.

Of course Im bloody upset, she snapped at one interviewer. I gave up everything for that show  and then they went and replaced me with a DOG! And you know what? It cant even swim underwater!

4. The first Blue Peter tortoise was Freda, who joined the show in 1963. Originally thought to be a male, she was later found to be female and renamed accordingly. Recently, she has become an icon on the transgender circuit, gaining five stars from The Guardian.

5. Jeremy Corbyn is one of a number of former Blue Peter presenters who went on to become well-known politicians.

Taking over from Christopher Trace in 1967, Corbyn was originally selected for his brightly coloured knitwear which, it was thought, would appeal to younger viewers.

6. However, he fell out with the producers after insisting that Blue Peters pet animals, which by that time included a dog, a cat, a goldfish, a gerbil and 12 butterflies, should each have an equal say in the content of the programme. When one item declared that a guinea-pig was the perfect cage-based pet, the gerbil strongly objected, and brought all the other rod-ents out on a work-to-rule.

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured last week) announced live on air that henceforth the 1967 Christmas Appeal would be on behalf of the Striking Plantation Workers of East Timor

7. Later that year, without consulting series producer Biddy Baxter, Jeremy Corbyn announced live on air that henceforth the 1967 Christmas Appeal would be on behalf of the Striking Plantation Workers of East Timor.

He also insisted on presenting Ho Chi Minh, the titular leader of the North Vietnamese, with a Blue Peter badge, and inviting Labour veteran Ian Mikardo onto the show to talk about his plans for workers to control the means of production.

Without any explanation, Corbyn was replaced three weeks later by the less politically-minded Peter Purves.

8. Over the past 60 years, successive Blue Peter presenters have driven 320 different traction engines, cooked in excess of seven tons of sticky buns and have gone through six and a half miles of sticky-back plastic.

But in recent years, there has been little take-up for these old-fashioned pastimes. Hello children! says presenter MC Baddy Bixter. Today, Im going to show you how to upgrade your smartphone to a maximum download speed of 1000Mbps, no worries!
A victim of black cab rapist John Worboys breaks down on camera as she admits she is still struggling to find closure following the ordeal in a new TV documentary.

The woman chokes back tears as she tells presenter Susanna Reid how she feels that 'maybe she could have done more' to make police take her seriously after they failed to properly investigate her report, leaving Worboys free to attack more victims.

Worboys, 60, is believed to have carried out more than 100 rapes and sexual assaults between 2003 and 2008, using and drugs to stupefy his victims.

He was handed an indeterminate prison sentence in 2009 but was recommended for the release by the parole board last month, sparking a widespread backlash.

Speaking on ITV's John Worboys: The Taxi Cab Rapist, the Parole Board chief defends its decision to recommend Worboys for release but admits one can 'never be sure' that a prisoner won't re-offend.

The documentary also hears from a senior probation officer who apologises for the fact that some victims only found out Worboys was being release when the news was published and broadcast by the media.

Scroll down for more videos

Prolific: Cab driver and former stripper Worboys, pictured, received an indeterminate prison sentence in 2009 for attacks on 12 women over a five-year period between 2003 and 2008

In one moving scene, Reid sits opposite 'Fiona', who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

The victim becomes emotional as she says: 'For my own sanity I need to put... I need to make some good out of all of this. Maybe I could have done more. Maybe I could have done more, I don't know.

'I just need to do something. I am not going to let him do this again to anybody else.'

Reid, who filmed the documentary as part of ITV's Crime and Punishment series, also interviews Parole Board chief executive for England and Wales Martin Jones, who in his first interview on the case insists it was right to recommend Worboys' release.

He says: 'There are many hearings where you see prisoners and we have a set of detailed reasons explaining our reasoning, but we are prevented by law from telling people those reasons.

Emotional: One of Worboys' victims, back of head pictured, choked back tears as she told presenter Susanna Reid how she still feels that 'maybe she could have done more' to make police take her seriously after they failed to properly investigate her report

'I dont think thats sustainable, in particular for victims. I think that needs to change so that we can explain why we make the decisions that we do.

'The Parole Board has considered his case and now we've decided he no longer represents a risk to the public.

'Most of the time we get it right. 99.5 per cent of the time people do not commit further offences after being released by the Parole Board. But of course you can never be sure.'

Cab driver and former stripper Worboys received an indeterminate prison sentence in 2009 for attacks on 12 women over a five-year period between 2003 and 2008. However it is believed his total number of victims could be more than 100.

Last month the Parole Board ruled he is now fit to be released after only a decade behind bars, causing a national controversy in which the case was raised in Parliament.

Some victims only discovered he was being released when the story was made public.

Worboy, pictured outside the High Court in London last month, has been recommended for release

Executive director of the National Probation Service, Sonia Crozier, apologises for the first time on camera and admitts the way the organisation informs victims of offenders' impending freedom needs to be modernised.

She says: 'I'm sorry some of those women heard of the news in a way I wouldn't have chosen them to hear it. I think we have a victim liaison scheme that needs modernisation to work effectively.'

She adds: 'I believe it's with absolute regret and I am sorry that some of them weren't able to engage with this and we've got to fix the scheme and make it better.'

The documentary, which features new testimony from those closely involved in and affected by the case, also features victims and people who knew John Worboys to ask whether he really is fit to be freed - or whether he remains a threat to women.

Reid also investigates whether such a prolific offender who committed such serious crimes should ever be released back on to the streets.

The programme comes on the same day as a Supreme Court ruling on a case brought forth two of Worboys' victims.

The documentary explores Worboys' life before becoming a taxi driver, including his stint as a male stripper (pictured). The programme includes new testimony from those closest to the case

The two women sued the Met saying the force's failure to properly investigate their claims was a breach of their human rights.

Britain's High Court, Appeal Court and now Supreme Court have all found in the women's favour, concluding the police are liable for the failures of their investigations.

The judgment could now open the floodgates for other victims of serious crimes to sue police forces

The two women in the case have also been given the go-ahead to challenge a Parole Board decision to release Worboys. The 60-year-old will remain in prison pending a full High Court hearing on March 13.

John Worboys: The Taxi Cab Rapist ITV 9pm tonight.

Police face paying out millions of pounds after 'landmark' Supreme Court ruling that Met breached human rights of two of John Worboys' victims by failing to properly investigate their claims

By Richard Spillett, James Fielding and Rory Tingle for MailOnline

Police forces could face compensation bills running into millions of pounds after a landmark ruling which found the Met breached the human rights of two victims of black cab rapist John Worboys.

The two women sued the Met saying the force's failure to properly investigate their claims was a breach of their human rights.

Britain's High Court, Appeal Court and now Supreme Court have all found in the women's favour, concluding the police are liable for the failures of their investigations.

Victims campaigners welcomed today's ruling, which they hope will force police to properly investigate all claims of sexual violence made to them

The judgement could now open the floodgates for other victims of serious crimes to sue police forces.

Harriet Wistrich, a solicitor for the two victims, said the cost of the case had run into the millions.

Scotland Yard suggested the judgement would mean resources are moved away from investigating crimes such as fraud and put into sexual violence probes.

One of the women in today's case, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was one of first of Worboys' 100-plus victims after she was attacked by the taxi driver in 2003.

She went to police, but reception staff failed to record relevant names, addresses and vehicle registration details before officers failed to interview a key witness and did not collect CCTV.

Judges in the Supreme Court have rejected an appeal by the police against a previous ruling

Speaking after the court ruling today, the woman told police: 'Had you done your job properly, there wouldn't be 105 victims, there would be one. I can take the one. I can't take the 105.'

Worboys is believed to have carried out more than 100 rapes and sexual assaults using alcohol and drugs to stupefy his victims before he was jailed for life in 2009.

One of the two women involved in today's case went to the Met about him in 2003, while another came forward in 2007.

What does the ruling mean for police and victims of crime? Today's Supreme Court judgement means that police could have pay compensation if they cannot be shown to have 'effectively' investigated alleged crimes. The legal avenue will not be open to all victims, as the human right law applies only to victims of 'torture, inhuman or degrading treatment'. This means cases can only be mounted in cases of serious or sexual violence. The police won't have to catch suspects in every case, merely show that have made proper attempts to track them down. Forces around the UK will now be examining their budgets and resources, potentially moving manpower from lower level crime to offences where they could be held liable for damages. Advertisement

They said the failure of police to effectively follow up their claims amounted to a breach of their human right to live free of degrading treatment.

They were previously awarded compensation of 22,250 and 19,000 respectively after the High Court found that the Met Police were liable for failures in its investigation.

One of the women in today's case, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire this morning that she was treated like 'a drunk' after she was drugged and attacked by Worboys.

She said Worboys gave her an orange liquor when he gave her a lift home. She then woke up in hospital and realised she had been raped.

But when she went to police, she said she was told she was 'not believable' because she didn't cry or shout during her interview. She offered to show police 'hand-print' bruises where Worboys had held her down, but nobody got in contact with her to photograph them.

The victim said she was left doubting her own sanity because of officers' refusal to believe her.

Giving the Supreme court's ruling today, senior judge Lord Kerr said: 'By a majority, we have held that failures in the investigation of the crimes, provided they are sufficiently serious, will give rise to liability on the part of the police.

'There were such serious deficiencies in this case. There were, of course, both systemic and investigatory failures in the case.

'But, the important point to make is that, if the investigation is seriously defective, even if no systemic failures are present, this will be enough to render the police liable.'

One of the women in the case, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire that police told her she was 'not believable'

Scotland Yard has accepted mistakes were made in the investigation and have insisted the court case was pursued to establish legal principles.

The Met said the women, who bravery they praised, would have kept their damage payouts whatever the court had decided.

Speaking after today's decision, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Craig Mackey said the force fully accepts the court's decision.

He added: 'We have always accepted that serious mistakes were made in this investigation and it was only the courage of the victims coming forward, including these two claimants, that enabled us to finally convict Worboys. '

Sir Craig added: 'We know we should have done more in the initial investigation and today, as we did following his conviction, I unreservedly apologise to the victims we failed.

'The MPS appealed, and this was supported by the Government, because police forces needed absolute clarity on the boundaries of police responsibility and liability for their investigations.

'We have always been clear that the appeal to the Supreme Court was not based on factual differences between us and the victims, but on the appropriate interpretation of European human rights law.'

He said the police may now have to considering moving extra resources into sexual violence investigations, away from other crimes, such as fraud.
An activist with a rare brittle bone disease has revealed why she hates being called an 'inspiration' - because it suggests her life with a disability is a 'worst possible scenario'.

Samantha Renke, who has Osteogenesis Imperfecta, says constantly referring to disabled people as 'inspiring' for their ability to cope encourages able-bodied people to regard them with pity - instead of seeing them as individuals who are happily living their lives.

She revealed that she had been called an 'inspiration' by strangers all her life, even before she found fame as part of a groundbreaking series of ads for Malteser chocolates that sought to change the public's perception of disabled people.

Writing for the Metro, Lancashire-born Ms Renke, 32, who is confined to a wheelchair, hit out at what she called 'inspiration porn' on social media, and said disabled people shouldn't serve as sources of motivation for the able-bodied, pointing out they do not exist to make people 'feel better about their life'.

Samantha Renke, 32, from Lancashire, (pictured) who has a brittle bone disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, has hit out at the idea that disabled people are 'inspirations', saying it makes it seem like her life is the 'worst possible scenario' of how to live

Samantha's Osteogenesis Imperfecta has resulted in her sustaining 200 fractures in her lifetime, and as a child she had to be carried around on a pillow to lower the risk of broken bones.

Despite her struggles she said she wouldn't change her body and doesn't want to be seen as inspiration to anyone else.

She explained: 'Social media is awash with inspiration porn: memes objectifying the disabled community for the benefit of the non-disabled world, making people feel guilty for being lazy or not achieving their potential.'

She continued: 'I can assure you that you never forget the first time someone comes and crouches next to your wheelchair and tells you that if they were like me they couldn't cope  or even worse they wouldn't want to live.

She revealed that she had been called an 'inspiration' by strangers all her life but doesn't want to be seen as motivation for able bodied people to live better lives. Pictured: Samantha in a picture posted to Instagram

Samantha first came into the spotlight when she starred in an advert by Malteasers during the 2016 Paralympics (pictured) which sought to change the public's perception of disabled people

Ms Renke said the comment is a 'judgement' that makes he feel like her actions or words will always be judgeed on his disability, and not on merit.

Samantha first came into the spotlight when she starred in an advert for Maltesers chocolates.

The light-hearted advert saw her recounting a story to friends about how she crushed a bride's foot at a wedding with the wheel of her chair, using a Malteser to demonstrate. The jokey commercial ended with her saying that she had still managed to leave with the best man's number.

Samantha recently said she'd consider having a designer baby so her children don't inherit her condition. Pictured: Ms Renke on ITV's Loose Women in July

She has continued to discuss matters affecting disabled people, and in July admitted that she would consider have a designer baby to avoid passing on her condition to her children.

Appearing on Loose Women, Samantha said: 'I would like to start a family one day, and I've got a 50/50 [chance] of my child being a carrier of my condition. My condition can at times be extremely, extremely painful.'

'I think I would, if I were to have a child, I would get that checked out, my eggs tested.'
Women must choose between Love Island and #MeToo because they cannot be in both camps, a top private girls school head has said.

Jane Lunnon, head of Wimbledon High in London, said the ITV dating show risks making women appear trivial and is incompatible with feminist causes.

Love Island challenges good-looking bikini-clad young women to pair up with male contestants  often resulting in them having sex on TV.

Love Island challenges good-looking bikini-clad young women to pair up with male contestants

A number of female contestants have been ridiculed for showing an appalling lack of knowledge on current affairs.

Those who support campaigns such as the #MeToo movement should be challenging these shows rather than enjoying them, Mrs Lunnon said.

Jane Lunnon, head of Wimbledon High in London says women can't like Love Island and support #MeToo

Alex and Alexandra holding a doll on Love Island. Mrs Lunnon said the ITV dating show risks making women appear trivial

She told the annual meeting of the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference in Manchester: Can we couple up  to use a Love Island term  Love Island and #MeToo?

We might have to decide which camp we are in. If we want to be taken seriously  can we also be saying [about Love Island] this trivial nonsense matters?

While her own pupils are keen to take on her message, she said other young girls appear to focus too much on their looks rather than their brains.

She said: There is so much around, How do I look, how am I presenting myself rather than, What am I saying, what are my views, what are my values.
Several college across the United States have opened up 'clothing closets' for transgender students to help them select items that fit their needs.

The introduction of spaces specifically set up for transgender students to go shopping have grown in popularity at multiple colleges as a way for the university to provide safe place where the teenager avoids judgement from others.

In an interview with NBC News, a 19-year-old Marshall University student named CJ in Huntington, West Virginia, explained why he has utilized the school's clothing closet. 'It was nice to find something that, first of all, fit me, second of all, sparks my interest, and thirdly, not get judged for it,' CJ told the news site.

Positive: Colleges across the U.S. have created 'clothing closets' for trans and non-gender conforming students for students like Dylan Miller (pictured) to turn for different styles

At the college, the 'Trans Closet' is open every weekday where students can browse for whatever items they need that fit their gender preference.

All of the items  including clothes, shoes, jewelry, makeup and chest binders  have been donated by the students, staff and community surrounding the college.

The clothing drive first started in the winter of 2017, Shaunte Polk, director Marshall University's LGBTQ+ Office, told NBC News.

After it received so much attention and success from students, the organization decided to convert a space that would later be known as the 'Trans Closet'  and it now has more than 1,500 pieces up for grabs.

Marshall University is not the only school to create a shopping space for transgender and non-gender conforming students.

Schools including University of California, Santa Cruz, and Pennsylvania State University have opened their own clothing closets to help transgender students acquire pieces that work for them.

Variety: The idea is that the clothing closets offer students a safe space to pick out clothing that they like without fear of judgement

UC Santa Cruz first started The Cantu Clothing Closet in 2016 with similar intentions as Marshall University  to provide a safe place for transgender and non-gender conforming students to shop without judgement.

It started after organizers realized there were many members of the LGBTQ community who struggled financially and were hesitant towards purchasing new clothing that fit their needs.

Now it provides a range of products all donated from the surrounding community.

Similarly, Penn State opened its own 'Clothing Transit' last year to fit the needs of its own trans students.

Like how the other closets are free of charge, the 'Penn State Clothing Transit' encourages members of the queer and trans community to exchange their items with each other.

Dylan Miller, a third-year Penn state student who identifies as trans, has utilized the closet to help cut the cost of the clothing he needed.

'I don't have as much money during the year for myself,' he told NBC News, explaining the majority of his money is used up for tuition and books.

Besides providing free clothing, Dylan is also grateful for the closet because of it's a safe space to shop.

'I have somewhere to go and turn to that I can feel comfortable and without feeling like I'm being judged for it or somebody watching or questioning what I'm doing,' Dylan said.
Two Australian ciders from a Sydney-based brewery have been declared the best on earth at the World Cider Awards 2018.

Earlier this week, a panel of highly respected international judges gathered in London to identify the creme de la creme of ciders across five categories.

Sydney Brewery took home gold for two of its original creations, their Agave Ginger Beer, awarded the World's Best Flavoured Cider, and Manly Perry which was named the World's Best Perry.

The 330ml bottles of both Agave Ginger Cider and Manly Perry are priced at $3.30 each (or $65 per carton of 24).

Agave Ginger Beer from Sydney Brewery (pictured) has been named the World's Best Flavoured Cider

The brand has its headquarters in New South Wales' Hunter Valley as well as a restaurant and bar in Sydney's Surry Hills neighbourhood.

All entries were blind tasted and scored on taste, texture and quality.

The judges awarded first prize to the Agave Ginger Cider for its 'real ginger taste' and sweet, spicy yet balanced notes.

They commended the 'vivid nose and green pear notes' of the Manly Perry, as well as its sweet but acidic taste and elegant tones of elderflower.

The best ciders in the world World's Best Flavoured Cider: Sydney Brewery, Agave Ginger Cider Tasting notes from the judges: 'Ginger tastes real and the apple gives it a nice tang. Sweet and spicy, but balanced ginger notes. Really nice.' World's Best Perry: Sydney Brewery, Manly Perry Tasting notes from judges: 'Vivid nose with green pear notes. Sweetness balanced by acids, long finish and elegant, elderflowery and light green pear. Green pear on the aromatics. Light carbonation. Quaffable.' World's Best Non-Sparkling Cider: Angry Orchard, Stone Dry (USA) World's Best Sparkling Cider: Hoila, Cider (Italy) World's Best Speciality Cider: Angry Orchard, Iceman (USA) Advertisement

The brand's Manly Perry (pictured) was awarded Best Perry for its 'vivid nose and green pear notes'

The brewery recently opened a new restaurant and bar (pictured) in Sydney's Surry Hills neighbourhood

Susanna Forbes, chair of the awards, praised the standard of competition entrants.

'The world of cider is in an exciting place, reaching out both to beer lovers and to the wine community,' she said.

'This is reflected in the quality and styles of our trophy winners which come from three different continents.

'Special praise goes to Sydney Brewery for scooping two trophies!'

'Sydney Brewery is ecstatic at being named world's best!'

The Awards coincide with the recent opening of the brands new location in Surry Hills.

Richard Feyn of the Sydney Brewery said the recognition was testament to the quality of Australian cider producers.

'The team at Sydney Brewery is ecstatic at being named 'world's best' because our brewers are passionate, the produce is outstanding and the fresh flavours we deliver provide a unique taste of Sydney.

'Our range of beers and ciders are reflective of this great city, and with summer right around the corner there is no better accompaniment to a BBQ or party.'


Sometimes I start to write a novel believing one thing and end up believing the opposite. This was certainly the case with my latest, After The Peace, about the life and times of a young woman born as the new millennium struck.

If you write about a different generation from your own you cant help seeing things from their point of view, and after immersing myself in the world of my young heroine Rozzie, that was what happened to me.

Until then, Id bought into the current myth that todays younger people were somehow degenerating into snowflakes  that theyre a hopeless lot, popularly defined as selfie-obsessed, social media junkies, all vain, spoiled, no gumption, no get-up-and-go, melting at the first sign of difficulty.

Id read about young people too tender to face the world of work, refusing to leave home in case employment damaged their mental health; of the once-revered great and good being, to use youth jargon, de-platformed (which means not allowing the oldies to speak in case they have something contentious to say). And to my shame Id thrown up my hands and mocked like everyone else.

Fay Weldon, 87, immersed herself into the world of millennials in order to create the heroine of her new novel. She revealed how her research has changed her perspective of young people

Its not just my own ancient generation (Im 87) who slag off the snowflakes. I include my own children in this  baby boomers, the lot of them.

I have four sons, the eldest now well over 60, the youngest over 40, and my stepdaughter is already relishing her free bus pass.

They, along with friends and colleagues born before the computer age, join in the joyous condemnation. Its so tempting: snowflakes seem so wimpy, ignorant and laughable.

But I ended the novel believing that theirs is the most tragic generation ever, doomed, if current trends continue, to be underpaid, overworked and deeply unhappy.

If they demand safe spaces to shield them from the thoughts of their older and betters, who should be surprised?

Why, they must think, dont their elders and betters shut up and go away  they created this mess. But the elders and betters arent listening any more. We never do. Thats the snowflakes point. The world goes to hell in a handcart and we do nothing but groan about Brexit. Boring. Old. Unwoke.

At least from the next generation down, my grandchildren  who are in their 30s, quick of ear, sound of sight and fleet of foot  theres no such opprobrium. They can still afford to be kind. The very young, it seems, cant.

I speak in generality, of course. One by one the young can, and do, love their grans and grandpas, and mourn greatly when they pass.

I am not so sure about respect  but respect has to be earned, and by and large since the Sixties, we parents have been a drunk, druggie, complacent, self-righteous, money-grabbing lot.

Research from Sun Life revealed more than half of grandparental generation want to enjoy their money now instead of passing it on to their children (file image)

This year, life-insurers Sun Life found 56 per cent of the grandparental generation want to enjoy their money now, not pass it on to the children. Wed rather go on a cruise. Let the kids fend for themselves, is a familiar cry. Not much love lost here between young and old. No realisation of just how difficult fending has become.

It took a chance meeting on a railway footbridge several years ago to convince me that the battle between the young and the old was ongoing. I was 80, he was 18. He was wheeling his bicycle up the stairs. I was lugging my suitcase down it. I was in his way. I looked at him with what I thought was silent apology. He looked at me with such hatred as he knocked me sideways into the wall that I hardly noticed the scrapes and grazes. He walked on without looking back. I had blocked his path, he had dealt with the problem, and that was that.

Of course, the old irritate the young no end. They always have. The old are so slow, the young cant get on with life. We hold them up in supermarkets, fumbling in our pockets for cash we cant find and using cash not cards, staggering about on the pavements, running them over with our mobility scooters, being paranoid about privacy and computer illiterate. We cant even call up an Uber, slobber over our food, refuse to retire even when half-witted, mislay our teeth, glasses, hearing aids, blocking promotion and hospital beds.

Do young people feel lonely? Youngsters are more likely to feel isolated than the elderly  40 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds said they were often lonely Advertisement

We look horrible, and trip them up with our walking sticks. All this was there in the young cyclists passing glance. Leave living to us, the young.

The teenager showed me no respect, but then as I now realise, we have shown very little respect to his generation.

In my book After The Peace, my heroine, Rozzie, born as midnight strikes on New Years Eve, 2000, turns out to be no snowflake at all. She has guts of steel and a heart of ice.

What she objects to is the lies shes been told. Shed been fathered by out-of-date sperm, bought in a sperm-bank sale, albeit donated decades back by the aristocratic Lord Dilberne, not by the familiar father she thought she had. No one had bothered to tell her.

More than that, shes been taught the accumulated lies of the past half-century. Her mother, perforce, went out to work leaving her to be taught by teachers prone to wishful thinking  for example that a university degree will ensure her a decent livelihood. It wont.

Fay says experiencing no respect from a teenager who hit her with his bicycle made her realize that older generations have shown little respect to young people (file image)

They let her believe one day shed own her own home, have a family and be able to retire in comfort so long as you behaved yourself and worked hard. Well now it certainly doesnt look like that. The real future looks like no jobs for the young, no money, no housing, not even babies. If youre lucky theres the bank of Mum and Dad or, if unlucky, a world of benefits stripped to the bone.

Not to mention the ghastly mental health issues affecting this generation.

Fake news comes to Rozzies generation as no surprise. Theyve been told so many lies already. Trumps tweets are no exception to the rule. Best to believe what it suits you to believe. And Facebook, Instagram and so on are a great relief.

The deeper I delved into Rozzies family past I realised what had gone on in the 50 years before she was even born, the more I saw how the dregs of all the causes we elders and betters had so fervently trusted in and seen as progress, had come together to produce the toxic world into which Rozzie found herself born.

The all you need is love flower power of the Sixties, the feminism of the Seventies, the loadsa money of the Eighties, the political correctness of the Nineties, all thrown together undigested and minced into the computer age, has produced tragedy, not utopia.

In Fay's book she portrays how past generations now stand for everything that young people can't look forward to including secure jobs and houses of their own (file image)

The flower power has degenerated into soppiness, feminism had ended up without sisterhood, just competitiveness and a falling birth rate, loadsa money into the bottom line, political correctness into free speech under threat. And into all this, Rozzie and her generation are thrown to cope.

Past generations now stand for everything they cant look forward to. Secure jobs, pensions, houses of their own. We are the guilty ones. The new generation occupy the moral high ground which makes them very powerful. Already universities and corporations bow down before them. The loos must be unisex, all must identify as whatever they want to feel they are, no one must be allowed to feel offended. How swiftly things can turn around.

Born in a present we in our folly created for them, my heroine Rozzie and her kind are all too likely to take their revenge  especially on those in their 40s and 50s, for my generation will be long gone by then. So let us apologise to the snowflakes. Lets stop being so beastly to them.

After The Peace by Fay Weldon is published by Head Of Zeus today, at 18.99.
For the wife of an ambitious politician, accompanying your husband to the pinnacle of the political year creates a sartorial dilemma.

You know that all eyes will be on you and your husband, and as a supportive partner you dont want to detract attention from him or be scrutinised for the wrong reasons.

But neither do you want to fade into the background. After all, you have an identity of your own, too  and if your husband wants to be considered as PM material, he needs to project an image thats appealing and memorable.

Its also likely that you will be middle-aged, with all the lumps and bumps that women prefer to disguise.

On Sunday, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt made an appearance at the Conservative Conference with his wife Lucia, also known as Ge, 40, dressed in emerald green

So how did Laura Javid, wife of Home Secretary Sajid, Susan Hammond, married to Chancellor Philip, and Lucia Hunt, wife of Foreign Secretary Jeremy, resolve this fashion conundrum?

By striding out in almost identikit flowing emerald green dresses. Of course, its not unusual for men to dress in a uniform for formal occasions, and Javid, Hammond and Hunt all wore similar dark suits, pale shirts, blue ties and black lace-ups for the photo calls with their spouses.

But given the broader fashion options available to women the fact that the three wives had made almost identical choices was striking and, at first glance, surprising. Yet there are good reasons why green is the perfect colour for a political wife, sending out all the right messages.

On Monday it was Chancellor Philip Hammond's turn, together with his wife Susan Carolyn Williams-Walker, 53, in a similarly emerald green dress

Colour consultant Jules Standish said the strong emerald green they chose represents strength, supportiveness and loyalty, adding: It suggests lots of good qualities in their relationships.

As a colour in the centre of the rainbow, green is a shade that will never be overpowering, so it is a good choice for a person in a supportive role.

And given current uncertainties in the Tory Party its also highly appropriate. Its the colour of harmony and balance, so it helps project a calm image, Jules said  all qualities you might look for in a leader. Jules, author of The Essential Guide To Mindful Dressing, says its a colour we associate with growth and beginnings, adding: It helps the wearer move into new possibilities and challenges.

And on Tuesday, Home Secretary Sajid Javid arrived at the conference with his wife Laura King dressed in green to match the other Tory wives

In addition, its right up to date. Green was prevalent on the catwalk this season, from Valentino gowns to Jasper Conran. Its easy to wear because it suits nearly every colouring and is particularly flattering for 40-plus complexions, which will have lost some of their youthful bloom.

Its also a politically neutral colour  for this reason red (Labour), yellow (Lib Dem) and purple (Ukip) are ruled out. Blue looks too presumptuous for a Conservative wife.

Back at the 2008 Tory Party conference, Samantha Cameron also wowed in green

Importantly, from a political point of view, green is popular on the high street  from M&S to Boden and Next. So its a fashionable look thats accessible to all.

In 45 polyester M&S, was Susan Hammond hoping to project the image of a thrifty but proudly patriotic Chancellor?

The dress is current season but already sold out, suggesting she has a canny fashion eye.

Lucia Hunt and Laura Javid, however, went more upmarket, with Lucia in a woven silk Diane Von Furstenberg shirt dress carrying a 360 price tag. A US brand, it was perhaps appropriate for the wife of the Foreign Secretary.

Laura Javid, meanwhile, wore the most expensive frock of all  a 399 Jessie dress by Libelula  a British label, making it appropriate for the Home Secretarys wife. The firm says its a dress to feel elegant and fun in.

Perhaps the biggest endorsement of the look is Samantha Camerons choice of the green Phillip Lim dress she wore to the 2008 Tory conference.
A first-time mother has told how crippling postnatal depression left her feeling so low she deleted every photo taken with her son on the labour ward and considered abandoning him on a beach.

Emma Martin, 29, from Woking, Surrey, admits she viewed her pregnancy as an 'inconvenience' and 'felt no love' for her baby after he was born.

Two years on, the mother-of-one has sought medical help and given up her high-powered job to spend more time with her family.

Bravely speaking for the first time about her two-year battle with mental health, Emma said: 'I didn't love Matteo and couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel.

Emma Martin hiding behind her 'fake smile' with baby Matteo. The first-time mum admits she viewed her pregnancy as an 'inconvenience' and 'felt no love' for her baby after he was born

Emma pictured on her due date. Shhe has told how crippling postnatal depression left her feeling so low she deleted every photo taken with her son on the labour ward

'People don't talk about mental health. Birth and motherhood are supposed to be this perfect time, but for a lot of mums it isn't.

'I want anyone suffering to know there is light at the end of the tunnel, you can fall in love with being a mum, and when you do, it's truly amazing.'

When Emma and husband Simon, 34, an engineer, met their 8 lbs 2 oz son for the first time on June 22, 2016 in Surrey's Frimley Park Hospital, the new mother says Matteo felt 'like a stranger' as she held him in her arms.

She recalled: 'The midwife put him on my chest, and the first thing I thought was, "Eugh, he looks like an alien." Really, I felt nothing but overwhelming sadness and fear.

'As my husband cooed over our newborn, I racked my brain, trying to find my mother's instinct that must have been hiding somewhere.

Emma with husband Simon and son Matteo. Bravely speaking for the first time about her two-year battle with mental health, Emma said: 'I didn't love Matteo and couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel'

'I asked the midwife, "What do I do?" She replied, "Love him, feed him and keep him warm," and I just cried and cried. I didn't know how to do any of those things.'

With her husband tending to all their baby's needs except for breast feeding, Emma realised she felt no love for her boy.

'He felt like a stranger,' she confessed. 'I felt traumatised by labour, but ashamed by my lack of love and how unnatural it felt to have a baby sucking on my chest.

'I wouldn't let anyone come and visit us in the hospital, not even our parents. I felt empty and sad.'

Emma felt her son Matteo (pictured as a newborn) looked 'like an alien'. Two years on, the mother-of-one has sought medical help and given up her high-powered job to spend more time with her family

Emma and husband Simon (pictured with baby Matteo) met their 8 lbs 2 oz son for the first time on June 22, 2016 in Surrey's Frimley Park Hospital, the new mother says Matteo felt 'like a stranger' as she held him in her arms

She was so distressed that, when her husband took photos of his wife and baby son together, she deleted them immediately.

'I deleted every single photo of myself with my son in the labour ward, only keeping photos of Simon and Matteo,' she said. 'I hated how I looked and did not want to remember that time.'

When Emma had fallen pregnant nine months earlier in 2015 - just a month after they had started trying - she was working in a high-powered job as an area manager for a cosmetics company and had no plans to slow down.

But just weeks into her pregnancy, after experiencing heavy cramping, medics feared Emma had suffered an ectopic pregnancy.

Matteo as a baby. Looking back on her first few months with him, mum Emma said: 'People don't talk about mental health. Birth and motherhood are supposed to be this perfect time, but for a lot of mums it isn't'

Emma 'glued to the sofa' with baby Matteo. Following the birth, the first-time mother was so distressed that, when her husband took photos of his wife and baby son together, she deleted them immediately

'The baby was actually fine, it wasn't ectopic, but it put a fear into me that I could lose my baby any day,' Emma recalled.

'At every scan I psyched myself up for something being wrong with our unborn child, so didn't allow myself to bond with it.'

At her 12 and 20 week scans, while the midwife was cooing over her bump, Emma felt like it was not even a part of her.

She said: 'I remember looking at the midwife in amusement as she told me to start talking to my growing bump, in order to help me bond with my baby.

'I just wanted to carry on with life as normal, working hard, managing a team of 40 people, hitting the gym and planning my three months of maternity leave with meticulous detail, and assuming that labour would be a breeze.

Baby Matteo aged ten weeks, when Emma was juggling her career with being a mum. But, returning to her job after just three months, working weekends and putting Matteo in a nursery did nothing to improve Emma's state of mind

Emma with her husband Simon. After speaking to Simon, they both thought she was suffering with 'baby blues' but they later learned she was suffering from postnatal depression

'But my pregnancy felt more of an inconvenience to me than a joy. I hated my bump, felt so unattached to it and would cover it up with long floating scarves as much as I could, so people couldn't see it.'

And when she and Simon found out the sex at 20 weeks, Emma was so convinced she was having a baby girl that when she discovered it was a boy, she sobbed in the car park.

Then, after a three day labour and an epidural Matteo - named in homage to Emma's Italian ancestry - arrived.

After being sent home after two days in hospital, Emma's mood plummeted further, with the new mother crying non-stop and barely getting off the sofa.

After speaking to Simon, they both thought she was suffering with 'baby blues.'

Emma with Matteo now. She said: 'I feel so much happier and love my boy so much. He is my best friend and so relaxed, just like his mummy now'

Emma with Matteo now. Her message to fellow mothers is: 'I want anyone suffering to know there is light at the end of the tunnel, you can fall in love with being a mum, and when you do, it's truly amazing'

But returning to her job after just three months, working weekends and putting Matteo in a nursery did nothing to improve Emma's state of mind.

Then, when her son was eight months old, Emma was finally diagnosed with postnatal depression - which affects more than one in 10 women within a year of giving birth - after filling out an online questionnaire with an online therapist.

Emma, who did not seek help at the time, said: 'I was sleeping for two hours a night and getting up for work the next day. I was sleep-deprived and felt like I was being followed around by a big black cloud. I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel.'

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF POST-NATAL DEPRESSION? A persistent feeling of sadness and low mood

Lack of enjoyment and loss of interest in the wider world

Lack of energy and feeling tired all the time

Trouble sleeping at night and feeling sleepy during the day

Difficulty bonding with your baby

Withdrawing from contact with other people

Problems concentrating and making decisions

Frightening thoughts  for example, about hurting your baby Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

And when, at 10 months, Emma and Simon took baby Matteo on a family holiday to Greece, things worsened rapidly.

She said: 'He was hardly sleeping. One day, when I took him out in his pram for a walk on the beach, I considered just leaving him there, hoping a nice waitress would take him in.

'Strangely, at the same time, I was ashamed to tell anyone what I was thinking, scared they might think I was a bad mum and take my boy away.'

Finally, at Matteo's 12-month check-up, Emma 'cracked' when the health visitor asked how she was.

'I burst into tears, said I felt like a rubbish mum, and needed some support. She got me an emergency appointment with my GP that day and I was totally honest with him,' she said.

After being prescribed anti-depressants and given counselling, Emma found sharing her thoughts made her feel far brighter.

But her true turning point came in June this year, when she decided to give up her high-powered job to spend more time with her family.

Now working part-time in a local department store, Emma has never felt better.

'I feel so much happier and love my boy so much. He is my best friend and so relaxed, just like his mummy now,' she said.

'I've set up a course for other mums to help them if they are in the same situation as me too.'
A psoriasis sufferer who hid her patches of flaky skin in photos on her dating profile finally found the confidence to share a bare-faced selfie - and found love as a result.

The stress of writing her dissertation in 2014 saw Judith Duncan, now 25 and working as a campaign manager, begin to develop unsightly dry patches on her face.

After learning she had incurable psoriasis, Judith, from Glasgow, said she was 'ashamed' of her flaking skin and so initially hid it in pictures she uploaded to dating apps.

But after realising that men who would be put off by her skin condition 'weren't for me', Judith shared bare-faced photos - and met her boyfriend, David Nisbet, who takes her psoriasis 'in his stride'.

Her confidence destroyed, particularly with men, and when she did use dating apps Judith uploaded carefully selected pictures which hid the psoriasis on her forehead.

Judith Duncan, 25, of Glasgow, censored pictures of herself so prospective dates could not see the patches of red flaky skin on her face caused by psoriasis before a make-up free selfie led to love online (Seen: One of the pictures she posted to her dating profile)

Now Judith and student David, who she met on Bumble last November, are looking forward to celebrating their one year anniversary.

Judith, from Glasgow, had put her flaking skin down to the pressures of working hard for her degree at Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University, but six months later, when it hadn't cleared up, she visited a doctor who diagnosed her with psoriasis.

Recalling her story, she said: 'When I was first on dating apps like Tinder and Bumble, I didn't put up any pictures where you could see a flare up. I was ashamed.

'We'd have to have that awkward first date conversation, where I'd tell them I have this incurable condition.

'Eventually, I realised that those men that were bothered weren't for me anyway, so I decided to upload bare-faced pictures. Even when my skin was good, I kept at least one flare up picture up.'

She continued: 'Posting bare-faced pics was a way to make sure dates weren't about my skin, they were about finding out more about me as a person.

Changing her approach and uploading a make-up free selfie to her profile led to her meeting student David Nisbet, 25, (pictured) on the dating app Bumble in November 2017- and they are soon to celebrate their one-year anniversary

'I met David through Bumble and he's been so proactive and supportive. He takes it all in his stride, and I'm very comfortable around him.'

Growing up, Judith always had problematic skin, suffering in the past with acne and rashes.

Then, in early 2014, during her final year of university, she noticed dry, flaky patches springing up on her forehead.

Believing it had been triggered by dissertation stress, she hoped it would improve once she had met her looming deadlines.

When it grew steadily worse over a six month period, she saw a doctor.

As a student in 2014 aged 21 she was diagnosed with psoriasis, an incurable condition - which researchers believe to be autoimmune - that can cause flaky patches of skin, covered in silvery scales

'I was told I had psoriasis. I'd never heard of it before,' she said. 'I was given a cream which made no difference, but because I knew so little about it, I had no idea of any other options available.'

Though her skin was getting worse, Judith tried her best to continue with normal life, still feeling relatively confident  until a stranger's insensitive comment while she was working in a high street fashion store left her ego in tatters.

She continued: 'A customer was asking me about my forehead and what had happened. Then she said, 'I thought you had to be pretty to work here.'

'I was so shocked. I thought to myself, 'Did that really just happen?'

Her confidence destroyed, particularly with men, when she did use dating apps she uploaded carefully selected pictures which hid the psoriasis on her forehead before changing her approach and uploading pictures with her condition seen (one of the pictures Judith put on her profile seen)

'I still look back at it now. I would just never do something like that do someone.'

Also battling undiagnosed depression at the time, Judith felt her self-esteem plummet.

For months, she felt incredibly down and increasingly self-conscious about her psoriasis.

'Eventually, I had a moment when I thought, "I can either dwell on that comment and hide away, or I can realise that one woman's opinion doesn't matter,'' she said.

It was a turning point for Judith, who then decided to speak out to help others.

Setting up a blog in 2015, she went public with her story for the first time but received an influx of support online (seen now)

Setting up a blog in 2015, she went public with her story for the first time.

While she was nervous about the reaction  afraid she would leave herself open to trolling  instead she was met with a surge of love and positivity.

To this day, she receives messages from other people living with psoriasis, who tell her that she has helped them to feel less alone.

'Going public was purely selfish. I did it to help me accept myself, but in doing so, I've managed to help others,' she said.

'It's made me realise how many people out there live with psoriasis, and just how much it can affect your life.'

Judith is also looking forward to celebrating her one year anniversary with David, who she met on Bumble last November

Although helping others had given her a news sense of purpose, Judith's psoriasis kept getting worse.

Then, in 2017, she was prescribed biologic injections, a type of protein-based drug, which was very effective.

But, in May 2018, on her dermatologist's advice, she took a break from medication to give her body a rest.

Since then, she has been using a non-steroid based product called Sorion, which she discovered via HelloSkin.co.uk, a website that recommends products based on an individual's symptoms.

She said: 'After finding Sorion on HelloSkin.co.uk, I use it regularly and find it works really well. It helps to prevent irritation and itching and keeps flakiness at bay.

'I'm certainly not missing being reliant on medication.'

Judith is speaking out to help empower others and shares a mix of pictures to her blog online to share both her ups and downs

Judith during a flare up- she now uses a non-steroid based cream to help cure her flare-ups

Judith is also looking forward to celebrating her one year anniversary with David, who she met last November.

She added: 'I was actually getting a little sick of online dating, and went on Bumble intending to delete the app, only to see that I'd matched with David.

'You have 24 hours to strike up conversation, so I figured that one more day wouldn't hurt. I sent a message and here we are.

'We found out we actually grew up 10 minutes apart, know all the same people and have even been at the same parties. He takes my psoriasis in his stride and wants to help in any way he can.'

Judith hopes that by sharing her story, she can inspire others to embrace their own au naturel skin

Now, Judith hopes that by sharing her story, she can inspire others to embrace their own au naturel skin.

WHAT IS PSORIASIS? Psoriasis is an immune condition that occurs when a sufferer's skin cells are replaced in just a few days rather than the usual 21 to 28 days. This causes an accumulation of skin cells that build up to form raised plaques, which can be flaky, scaly, red and itchy. Some sufferers have a family history of the condition. Triggers for flare-ups include stress, certain medication, hormonal changes and skin injury. There is no cure. Treatment usually starts with topical creams and gels. Source: Psoriasis Association Advertisement

Speaking as The World Psoriasis Happiness Report 2018 discovered the condition costs the UK economy billions every year through lost productivity, she continued: 'It's not easy to do, and it certainly took me a while, but I want people to remember that psoriasis isn't a personality trait.

'It's not your defining feature, or what people will remember you for.

'I'd also urge people to remember that what you see on social media isn't real. It's easy to compare yourself to others, especially in dark moments, but everything you see online is just a showreel. People don't Instagram their down days.

'The people I've met through the community have been amazing and helped me see I'm not alone, so I'd recommend others out there get involved too.'
The Duchess of Sussex met countless adoring fans on her visit to the county that inspired her royal title, but one certainly stood out with a touching message for Meghan's mother Doria.

Royal fan Jennifer who goes by the Twitter handle LadySassington had the chance to shake hands with the Duchess during a walkabout and asked her: 'Will you tell your Mum I love her?'.

A clearly delighted Meghan, 37, stepped closer and replied: 'Oh I will! We have that in common, don't we?'.

The Duchess of Sussex shares a strong bond with her mother Doria, 62, and even invited her to join in a royal engagement as she officially launched a charity cookbook she collaborate on at Kensington Palace last month.

Meghan, 37, received a warm welcome from royal fans in Sussex yesterday as she visited the county that inspired her royal title, and was delighted when one said how much she loves the royal's mother Doria

Meghan, pictured with her mother Doria at Cliveden House the night before the royal wedding May, told a royal fan that they have something in common after she declared her love for the royal's mother

Doria accompanied Meghan and Harry to a reception celebrating Together: Our Community Cookbook, in aid of victims of the Grenfell tragedy.

In an inverview with Glamour magazine, the former Suits star named Doria as one of the women who has changed her life.

'We can just have so much fun together, and yet, I'll still find so much solace in her support,' she said. 'That duality coexists the same way it would in a best friend.'

Meanwhile Harry referred to Doria as 'amazing' during an interview to mark the couple's engagement.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, her mother, Doria Ragland and Prince Harry took part in the launch of a charity cookbook to benefit Grenfell survivors last month

The Duchess is very close to her mother, 62, (pictured at Kensington Palace last month) and the yoga instructor is reportedly planning to move to the UK so she can spend more time with her daughter

The social worker and yoga instructor flew in from LA to join the couple at the Invictus Games closing ceremony in Toronto in October and could be seen dancing enthusiastically as Bruce Springsteen, played his hit Dancing In The Dark.

And Prince Harry broke with tradition by asking both parents for permission to marry Meghan before popping the question.

Last month it was reported that Doria is set to move to the UK to be closer to her daughter and support her as she navigates royal life.

Royal fan Jennifer shaking hands with the Duchess of Sussex and expressing her appreciation for her mother Doria during a walkabout on Meghan's royal visit yesterday

Source said she has already started to prepare for her departure to London after she quit her job as a social worker for the Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services clinic in Culver City, Los Angeles, in May.

A close friend in LA said: 'She is getting ready to move to London. I think she will be going as soon as possible. I know that she was eager to live closer to her daughter.

She also fell in love with England and told me when she got back that its somewhere she believes she too could happily live, the source added.

Another neighbour in the LA area of Windsor Hills added: Doria and Meghan have always been inseparable. Doria is beside herself with excitement at the thought of moving to London.
Prince Harry has confirmed he and Meghan have got a new dog - but the Duchess revealed that 'people keep getting her name wrong'.

Introducing himself at a youth centre in Sussex, Harry, 34, said: 'My name is Harry, I have two dogs, and my lovely American wife'.

Later, he and Meghan, 37, were presented with a drawing of their beagle Guy, when Harry commented 'No one's even seen our [new] dog.'

The Duchess of Sussex then added: 'I know, and they keep getting her name wrong.'

She seemed to be referring to the reports last month the couple had adopted a black labrador called Oz, in addition to Meghan's dog Guy.

Prince Harry has confirmed he and Meghan have got a new dog, but the Duchess of Sussex revealed that 'people keep getting her name wrong'

Meghan, 37, already has beagle Guy (front, in an Instagram snap) who flew over to the UK from Toronto. However, her other dog Bogart (back) was deemed too old to make journey

During their visit to the Survivors' Network, a charity that supports victims sexual violence in Brighton, the couple were presented with a print of Meghan's beagle Guy.

A member of staff at the centre explained: 'While you're here, we had a local artist who did an intersectional feminist print of your dog.'

The print featured a drawing of a pooch, along with the caption: 'A boy who makes every effort to dismantle the patriarchy whiles keeping in mind intersections with other forms of oppression'.

After being presented the print, Harry said 'No one's even seen our dog', to which Meghan commented: 'I know, and they keep getting her name wrong.'

Harry, 34, confirmed reports the couple had got a new dog on introducing himself at a youth centre in Sussex by saying: 'My name is Harry, I have two dogs, and my lovely American wife'

Harry also revealed 'no one has seen our [new] dog' when he and Meghan were presented with an 'intersectional feminist print' featuring Guy

The prince then spotted that the drawing appeared to be their beagle Guy, commenting 'Maybe that's Guy!'

After also being presented with a pin badge, Meghan added: 'Wow, this is really special, thank you.'

Earlier in the day, Harry confirmed reports he and Meghan had adopted a new dog while visiting a youth centre, describing how he had 'two dogs'.

Last month, it emerged the couple had adopted a new dog, in addition to Meghan's beagle Guy, who was flown over from Toronto last November.

Meghan appeared delighted with the print, which was presented to the couple during their visit to the Survivors' Network in Brighton

A source previously told the Daily Mail's Richard Eden: 'The dog is already happily ensconced at their cottage.

Like the Sussexes, the dog will divide its time between the palace and their country home in the Cotswolds.

Following the report, it was suggested the couple had given it the unusual moniker 'Oz' - although this has since been rejected by Meghan.

While Guy made the journey over to the UK, Meghan deemed her other rescue dog, Bogart, too old to make the journey from Canada, with the pooch being looked after by friends.
The wife of Star Wars and Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis has revealed how she was struck down by sepsis, meningitis and Strep B - and felt so ill, she was convinced that she was going to die.

The 47-year-old told Good Morning Britain presenter Susannah Reid that the experience was 'the best and worst of her life' because despite her brush with death, she now feels 'elated' to be alive.

The mother-of-two described how she was rushed to hospital following a back operation in July that she struggled to recover from.

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The wife of actor Warwick Davis, Sammy, 47, has been speaking out about the symptoms of sepsis following her own battle with blood poisoning over the summer. She told Good Morning Britain presenter Susannah Reid that she thought she was going to die from the illness

Actor Warwick Davis, 48, joined his wife to raise awareness saying that he took Sammy to the GP after she collapsed at home after experiencing flu-like symptoms for a week - she was advised to go straight to A&E

Warwick told Susannah that while he couldn't entertain thoughts that his wife might not pull through and lived through the condition minute-by-minute

After collapsing at home with flu-like symptoms, Sammy was taken to the GP by Warwick, 48, and the doctor the couple saw spotted that her condition needed urgent attention.

Getting emotional, Sammy described how the trio of sepsis, meningitis and Strep B left her feeling so poorly she could barely lift her head up and felt like a 'giant hand' was pressing down on her.

She said: 'For four days I cried, I didnt want to die. The fifth day I was like, "Im going and I cant do anything about it."'

The star's wife revealed that she had planned a 'bucket list' and even words for her gravestone because her condition kept deteriorating even after four days in hospital.

The drama unfolded after Sammy, who has achondroplasia, underwent decompression surgery on her back in late July. She recovered from the hospital stay but began feeling like she had flu, and her blood pressure shot up.

WHAT IS SEPSIS? Sepsis, known as the silent killer, strikes when an infection such as blood poisoning sparks a violent immune response in which the body attacks its own organs. It is the leading cause of avoidable death, killing at least 44,000 a year, and the Daily Mail has long campaigned for more awareness. If caught early, the infection can be controlled by antibiotics before the body goes into overdrive - ultimately leading to death within a matter of minutes. But the early symptoms of sepsis can be easily confused with more mild conditions, meaning it can be difficult to diagnose. Sepsis has similar symptoms to flu, gastroenteritis and a chest infection. These include: S lurred speech or confusion

lurred speech or confusion E xtreme shivering or muscle pain

xtreme shivering or muscle pain P assing no urine in a day

assing no urine in a day S evere breathlessness

evere breathlessness I t feels like you are dying

t feels like you are dying S kin mottled or discoloured Symptoms in children are: Fast breathing

Fits or convulsions

Mottled, bluish or pale skin

Rashes that do not fade when pressed

Lethargy

Feeling abnormally cold Advertisement

Sammy says the ordeal has made her calmer and realise that she needs to tell her husband and children that she loves them more

Sammy has thanked the NHS for the care she received during her illness

She told Susannah that she's now speaking about her ordeal to raise awareness of the symptoms of sepsis.

She said: 'It was the best and worst experience of my life. The best because Ive been given a second chance. The worst is the pain and the post-sepsis is really rubbish.'

Thanking the NHS, Sammy said she thought her time was up, saying: 'One day I thought this is it I'm going. And I thought about my kids and I thought, "we need more time".

She urged viewers to tell their kids 'you love them, tell your husband. Were all so busy stressed, were all working too hard and running.'

She explains: 'It's made me a better person. The kids and Warwick said Im a lot calmer. I can feel it. I just spoke to my son this morning, "Hey dude, how are you? Have a great day at school". Where normally itd be so frantic, I make a lot more time.'

Speaking about how he dealt with his wife's illness, Warwick Davis said he couldn't deal with the thought that his wife might not make it.

'I think in those situations you put those thoughts to the back of your mind and you deal with the situation minute by minute. The thing about sepsis, it comes on so very quickly.'

Sepsis strikes when an infection such as blood poisoning sparks a violent immune response in which the body attacks its own organs.

It is the leading cause of avoidable death, killing at least 44,000 a year, and the Daily Mail has long campaigned for more awareness.
A candidate on The Apprentice has been mercilessly mocked for her 'highly unfortunate' description of herself as an 'extremist'.

It was barely a minute in to the first episode of the new series, when Camilla Ainsworth, 22, explained why she had what it takes to go all the way and win the 250,000 investment from Sir Alan Sugar.

Fans had eagerly tuned in to the show only to hear the budding nut milk enthusiast announce: 'I'm an extremist. My goal is worldwide domination and I'm not going to stop until I get it.'

Viewers took to Twitter in disbelief to question her statement, with many saying she had helped the show already reach 'peak Apprentice'.

Camilla Ainsworth owns her own nut milk business and is one of the candidates on The Apprentice hoping to go all the way to the end and impress Sir Alan Sugar enough to get a 250,000 investment into her company

The 22-year-old was mercilessly mocked on Twitter by fans of the reality series as she announced that she was 'an extremist' and her goal was 'worldwide domination'

Viewers shared their thoughts on the Apprentice candidate joking that Camilla had helped it reach 'peak Apprentice' within a matter of seconds

Business owner Camilla is a self-confessed adrenaline junkie who loves to try anything new and exciting - from skydiving to swimming with sharks.

'Im a bundle of energy and creativity and certainly a one off... aint no Vanilla Camilla,' she said ahead of the show.

But viewers were baffled by her announcement: 'Cant believe someone introduced themselves on the Apprentice as an extremist whos looking to achieve world domination!'

'Apprentice candidate says she's an extremist and wants world domination. Is her business plan going to be setting up Spectre?' mused one.

'Apprentice candidate outing herself as an extremist is a fun twist on the format,' joked another.

One said: 'Peak Apprentice five minutes in. Im an extremist And were off!'

'And with the phrase Im an extremist, #TheApprentice is already peak Apprentice. And thats just the preamble,' added one viewer.

Another candidate Sian Gabbidon, 25, who is the owner of a swimwear brand, also received criticism for her own statement where she said she was the 'Beyonce of business'.

Business owner Camilla, is a self-confessed adrenaline junkie who loves to try anything new and exciting - from skydiving to swimming with sharks

Another candidate Sian Gabbidon, 25, who is the owner of a swimwear brand, also received criticism for her own statement where she said she was the 'Beyonce of business'. Right, Camilla in the opening intro

She said ahead of the show: 'Im a bundle of energy and creativity and certainly a one off... aint no Vanilla Camilla'

This year Lord Sugar ups the ante from the start of the series and tells the candidates to 'expect the unexpected'.

The business tycoon sends the candidates to Malta straight after the first boardroom, warning them: 'Remember, this is NOT a holiday.' While there, they are tasked with buying nine items at the lowest possible prices.

Lord Sugar will also be sending the candidates to Glasgow to sell art, to Birmingham to clinch deals at a Body Building Expo and back to London to launch a budget airline.

The businessman will be joined once again by aides Baroness Karren Brady and Claude Littner, who will be his eyes and ears on the tasks.

Comedian Rhod Gilbert resumes his role at the helm of sister show Youre Fired, airing each week on BBC2 straight after the main show.

The Apprentice returns next Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One, followed by Youre Fired at 10pm on BBC Two
A couple were the first to get married in the Royal Albert Hall in its 150-year history - live on TV complete with a performance by Harry and Meghan's wedding choir.

Former Marine Shane Maddison and Sarah Roustoby, who are parents to ten-month-old daughter Evelyn and have been together nearly 14 years, were named as the winners of This Morning's hunt for the most deserving pair to have their dream wedding.

They travelled to London from Hull with family and friends to enjoy the special day planned entirely by the ITV programme joined by presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.

The presenters were on hand to watch Sarah and Shane become Mr and Mrs Maddison, live on the programme as Holly broke down in tears as the choir sang, confessing: 'It totally floored me.'

It was announced this morning that The Kingdom Choir, who performed at Meghan and Harry's royal wedding in May, would be the surprise performers.

Sarah Roustoby and her partner Shane Maddison won the chance to be thrown a dream wedding by This Morning - and exchanged their vows at the Royal Albert Hall today

The couple enjoyed their first dance to Lovely Day after walking down the aisle to John Legend's All of Me - both sung by The Kingdom Choir who performed at the royal wedding in May

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were guests of honour at the ceremony, with Holly shedding a few tears as the couple said their vows to each other

Sarah and Shane threw their hands up in the air after sharing their personal words to one another in front of their family, friends and celebrity guests

The Kingdom Choir, who performed at Meghan and Prince Harry's wedding in May, were announced as the surprise performers at the This Morning live ceremony

Holly was on hand to spend a precious moment with the blushing bride moments before she was set to walk down the aisle with her father. She handed over her bouquet full of purple flowers

They exchanged rings at the altar, handed to them by Shane's best man Liam who was responsible for the honour

Sarah, a PR manager, and Shane, a smart metre fitter and former Royal Marine, first met 13 years ago and got engaged fours years ago in Las Vegas.

They caught the attention of producers with their video entry where they rapped their own version of the theme song to US TV programme The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air.

The couple shared personal vows, led by celebrant Claire Bradford, with each other, as guests of honour Phil and Holly watched from the front row.

Fellow hosts Alison Hammond and Lisa Snowdon were on hand to keep the bride and groom and their relatives calm ahead of the ceremony.

Holly was seen shedding tears during the emotional moment, before they lifted their arms and cheered in celebration after saying I do.

The couple enjoyed their first dance to Lovely Day after walking down the aisle to John Legend's All of Me - both sung by The Kingdom Choir who performed at the royal wedding in May.

Shane said when he saw his bride: 'Seeing her for the first time she was beautiful... The choir stated me off I was in bits.'

Sarah added of the ceremony: 'Its surreal its everything I've ever wanted. I was trying to concentrate on walking down the steps. But I wanted to look around and seeing that for the first time was just beautiful.'

Sarah showed off her gown in full splendour as she was helped out of the Hall by her new husband Shane as he lifted up her veil to stop it from trailing on the floor

The newlywed couple smiled for photos as Shane held on to their daughter Evelyn surrounded by their family and friends

Their family and friends were seen arriving at the venue after travelling down from Hull for the big day on a mega bus coach hired out just for the wedding party

Sarah was walked down the aisle by her father, who carefully supported her as she manoeuvred down the stairs careful not to trip as she clung on to her bouquet and dress

Shane's ring was made out of dinosaur bone and meteorite, left, and the three tiered wedding cake was lemon and vanilla covered in fresh flowers

The couple were left stunned when it was revealed they would be sent on a honeymoon to a Caribbean destination of their choice, with the newlyweds quickly settling on Barbados

It was revealed that Shane's ring was made from dinosaur bone and meteorite, which amazed Phil, and Sarah's was a simple platinum band.

Sarah was walked down the aisle by her father, who carefully supported her as she manoeuvred down the stairs careful not to trip as she clung on to her bouquet and dress.

Shane said his vows: 'As we join our lives together, let us vow to live in truth to ride lives waves and conquer all that is in store for us.'

Sarah said: 'My soulmate, my friend, my loveyou are the one I want to share all my adventures with I promise to always be there for you.

'I promise to show you unending love, because love is all we need.'

The celebrant concluded the ceremony saying said: Please give a huge round of applause for Mr and Mrs Maddison.'

The stunned newlyweds seemed to agree that Barbados was the only option.

It was revealed that the couple had been officially married the day before the ceremony in the Royal Albert Hall, before saying their special vows in front of their family and friends.

Holly Willoughby was seen on leaving the Royal Albert Hall on the back of a motorbike after the This Morning wedding during the daytime show's 30th anniversary celebrations

Holly bid farewell to a member of the This Morning team with a kiss on the cheek as she donned a thick coat that covered up her outfit for the journey

The presenter expertly hopped on the back of the two-wheel vehicle in her heels and dress as she was whisked away following her hosting duties

The wedding party posed outside the Royal Albert Hall after the ceremony in their wedding finery, with the bride and groom centre stage

Lisa Snowdon was seen arriving at the Royal Albert Hall earlier in the day. She was decked out in a pick asymmetric dress with a biker jacket juggling a suit carrier and a bouquet

It was revealed that the couple had been officially married the day before the ceremony in the Royal Albert Hall

Holly and Phil were on hand to announce the new married couple Mr and Mrs Madison and welcome them to their first dance as the Kingdom Choir sang Lovely Day

Sarah's bridesmaids carefully navigated the aisle, which was the stair well between the seats in the venue which can hold 3,000 people

Alison met with Shane as he waited patiently ahead of the ceremony, he got emotional as he spoke with the presenter about how he was feeling after seeing the venue and flowers.

'I went inside the venue I cant explain the feeling. It will be 14 years in December we've been together and this is what she deserves.'

Lisa Snowdon chatted with the mother-of-the-bride in the dressing rooms as Holly and Phil watching on live from the studio.

She said of her daughter Sarah: 'She is very nervous, she was a mess at breakfast this morning just listening to the music.'

So far This Morning have thrown weddings for Sonya Keating and Paul Brough who got married at the top of the Shard last year, and before them, Annie Cain and Gareth Lewis, who became the first couple to marry live on air.

It's the first time Royal Albert Hall as hosted a wedding, with Shane and Sarah's ceremony marking a special moment in history.

Royal Albert historian Liz Harper explained why the day was so special.

She said: 'This is the first time we have ever had a wedding, this is part of our history now. This is extra special just for Shane and Sarah, this is a one off.'

Sarah had her make-up done by This Morning make-up artist Bryony Blake and her hair put in a sweeping up do and a white bejewelled clip carefully slotted in to her bun

Lisa Snowdon joined the mother-of-bride in the dressing rooms. They were all wearing matching dressing gowns with their names and roles on the back

Alison Hammond was on hand at the venue - which has never hosted a wedding in its 150-year history - to keep the groom Shane calm ahead of his vows

The wedding was the first ever held in the Royal Albert Hall and a 'one-off' for This Morning as it was revealed another wedding would not be held there

Speaking ahead of the vows, Holly gave the pair some advice: 'Pace yourself, enjoy it remember all those small moments it goes so fast. I know its a cliche but its one of the best days of your life.'

She added to the bride: Make sure you have comfortable shoes,, confessing she spent her wedding day in bare feet  ruining the hemline of her white dress.

As Holly and Phillip left the studio to make their way to the venue, presenter Steve Wilson told the beautiful love story of how he and his wife both knew they would get married on the evening they first met.

But he admitted love didnt run so smoothly, as he forget to take her landline number.

He was so desperate to get back in touch, he went to his local newspaper in a bid to find her again. They were engaged three months later. Eva and Nik Speakman said they almost missed their own wedding.

Holly and Phil watched the preparations from the studio as Alison chatted with groom Shane who got emotional about giving Sarah 'what she deserves'

Shane and Sarah, from Hull, were announced as the winners of the This Morning wedding competition in June this year. They entered with a quirky rap video about why they deserved to win

The couple met nearly 14 years ago, during the announcement that they had been picked back in June, Sarah explained how she stood by Shane while he was in the Royal Marines, keeping in contact through letters

Shane was medically discharged from the Royal Marines in 2012 when he suffered frostbite in a training exercise

The latest couple first met nearly 14 years ago when Shane was in the Marines, he said: 'All the time she stood by me when I was away and we got to know each other through letters.'

He was medically discharged in 2012 after suffering frostbite in a training exercise.

Two years later on a life-changing trip to Las Vegas, Shane surprised Sarah by proposing in front of Planet Hollywood.

She recalled the moment she said yes during June's reveal that they were the winners: 'I couldn't have imagined ever being proposed to in that way.

'I had just given up I didn't think he was going to ask me!'

Soon after the couple began trying for a baby but after three years they found out they needed IVF, they discovered they had had a missed miscarriage.

They went through the process a second time and fell pregnant with their daughter Evelyn.

Alison chatted with the father-of-the-bride ahead of the ceremony as he showed off his smart suit while getting ready to walk his daughter down the aisle

Happy day! The couple will be the only couple ever to get married at the Royal Albert Hall

Two years later on a holiday to Las Vegas Shane popped the question to Sarah outside Planet Hollywood and the couple have been hoping to walk down the aisle ever since

Shane explained how he had been diagnosed with an auto-immune disease and worried he wouldn't be able to hold his child

The couple live with their 10-month-old daughter Evelyn in Hull, and can't wait to all share the same surname

A few years previously Shane had developed an auto-immune disease which caused severe pain in his joints, he has been able to manage this now but was worried about welcoming his new child.

'I struggled with that for a while, Sarah was pregnant and all I was thinking was what would happen when the baby comes along and I cant even pick her up.'

'The thought of what wedding This Morning can throw for us is ten times better than what we could plan,' Sarah added.

The couple's wedding was aired live on TV on Thursday which helped mark the 30th anniversary of This Morning.

This Morning airs weekdays on ITV at 10.30am
Rare jewels from the personal jewellery collection of Marie Antoinette have been revealed for the first time ahead of a historic sale at Sotheby's.

The auction house has added further pieces to its catalogue of 'incomparable' royal jewels being put up for auction in Geneva later this year.

Among them is a pair of natural pearl and diamond earrings valued at 233,000 and a single-strand natural pearl necklace, expected to make as much as 54,000.

The remarkable items, which were smuggled out of France during the Revolution, are being offered for sale as part of the $5million (3.85m) auction.

French queen Marie Antoinette was often depicted wearing pearls and was famed for her love of jewellery. Now some of her beloved jewels are going up for sale in a 3.85m auction

A pair of natural pearl and diamond earrings that once belonged to Marie Antoinette set to make up to 233,000 (left); and a diamond ring decorated with the ill-fated queen's portrait, set to make the equivalent of 9,300 when it goes up for auction next month (right)

How were Marie Antoinette's jewels smuggled out of France? The impressive ensemble of jewels to be offered this autumn has an extraordinary story. In March 1791, King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and their children began to prepare their escape from France. According to accounts written by Marie Antoinettes lady in waiting, Madame Campan, the queen spent an entire evening in the Tuileries Palace wrapping all of her diamonds, rubies and pearls in cotton and placing them in a wooden chest. In the following days, the jewels were sent to Brussels, which was under the rule of the queens sister, Archduchess Marie-Christine and which was home to Count Mercy Argentau. The count, the former Austrian Ambassador to Paris, was one of the only men who had retained the queens trust. It was he who took delivery of the jewels and sent them on to Vienna, into the safe keeping of the Austrian Emperor, Marie Antoinettes nephew. Advertisement

In 1792, the royal family was imprisoned in the Temple tower. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed by guillotine in 1793 and their 10-year old son, Louis XVII, died in captivity.

Marie Antoinette's personal collection of pearls were unveiled last month ahead of the landmark jewellery sale.

According to the auction house, the Queen's pearls have not been on public display for the last 200 years and have been kept in immaculate condition by a private owner.

Among the collection is a diamond pendant supporting 'a pearl of exceptional size', which is estimated at $1-2million (770,000 to 1.5 million).

Other items of note include a spectacular necklace featuring 300 pearls which is expected to fetch up to $300,000 (231,000).

Marie Antoinette (17551793) was both famed and despised for her enormous private collection of jewellery.

In fact, one particular necklace left her tangled in a scandal which led to her eventual execution at the hands of revolutionaries.

This beautiful six-strand pearl necklace also provides a direct link to the doomed queen of France. Its clasp - which remains unaltered today - was part of her collection, and features five large and 18 smaller natural pearls. The other pearls were added by subsequent owners

A stunning diamond brooch from the late 18th century, featuring a beautiful yellow diamond (left); and a brooch containing diamonds that once belonged to Marie Antoinette (right)

Also from Marie Antoinette is this single-strand natural pearl necklace, valued at up to 54,000. Her personal jewellery collection was smuggled out of France during the Revolution

The Queen caused uproar after the 1785 incident, known as the 'Affair of the Diamond Necklace', when she was accused of trying to defraud the royal jewellers to obtain a particularly opulent necklace.

Parisian jewelers Boehmer and Bassenge had created the 2million livre necklace ($14million in today's money) for Marie Antoinette's predecessor Madame du Barry - the partner of Louis XV.

But the piece took several years to make and by the time it was completed the king had died of smallpox and the jewellers couldn't find a buyer for the necklace.

After the Queen rejected the piece, a low ranking courtier named Jeanne de la Motte wrote letters to officials claiming to be the Queen asking for them to buy it on her behalf.

A stunning diamond pendant with a 'pearl of exceptional size' that was once owned by Marie Antoinette is part of the landmark Sotheby's sale taking part in Geneva next month

Another item once owned by the Queen was a 300-pearl necklace estimated to sell for up to $300,000 (231,000). The pearls are natural, not cultured as most are today

A model shows a diamond parure composed of 95 diamonds, including five solitaire diamonds that belonged to Marie-Antoinette. It was made for Louise of France (1819-1864), grand-daughter of Charles X, King of France

After sending a prostitute dressed up as the Queen to inspect the diamonds, De la Motte took the necklace and sent it to England to be broken up and sold - but was caught in the process.

By the time she was condemned, however, the dye was cast and many in the court believed the Queen was guilty of the crime.

Before her execution and the start of the French Revolution, however, the Queen made provision for her jewels to be sent to England.

King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's loyal servants ferried the enormous horde to safety while the King and Queen tried in vain to escape their fate.

A depiction of the execution of Marie Antoinette on October 16, 1793, after she was caught trying to escape France with Louis XVI

The infamous necklace created by the Paris jewellers Charles Bohemer and Paul Bassenge, which dragged Marie Antoinette into the 'Affair of the Diamond Necklace'

They were executed by guillotine in 1793 and the jewels passed to Marie-Therese de France, their only surviving child, after her release from prison after three years.

Marie-Therese then gifted them to her niece the Duchess of Parma in whose family they have stayed until now.

The jewels are being sold by the Bourbon-Parma family, which dates back to the Duchy of Parma in 1545.

They are set to be sold in November in Geneva in an auction collectors have already described as one of the most significant royal jewellery sales in recent memory.
A female fan was overjoyed after Prince Harry broke royal protocol to kiss her hand during his visit to Brighton.

The prince was carrying out a day of engagements in with Meghan in Sussex on Wednesday when the couple stopped for an unscheduled walkabout in the seaside town.

In touching footage captured by 18-year-old student Francesca Troon, the woman, who is just out of shot, can be heard introducing herself as Lydia as Meghan reaches over the railings to greet her.

After Lydia exclaims that Meghan looks 'so beautiful' the Duchess asks where she is from, to which she replies: 'Hastings!'

Prince charming! In this touching footage captured by a crowd member, Lydia from Hastings gets a kiss from Prince Harry during a walkabout in Brighton with Meghan

Moments later, Harry approaches his wife who introduces him to the fan who is overjoyed when he plants a smacker on her hand, giggling, 'Oh thank you!'

Clearly delighted by their exchange, the old woman is congratulated by fellow royal fans with one exclaiming: 'Well done!'

Large crowds had lined the streets of Pavilion Buildings to catch a glimpse of the couple on their first official visit to their dukedom.

Francesca Troon, who captured the footage, told MailOnline: 'They were actually on the opposite side [of the street] and heard people shouting their names out on our side.

Fairytale moment: After Lydia exclaims that Meghan looks 'so beautiful' the Duchess asks where she is from, to which she replies: 'Hastings!'

'Meghan made a beeline for this lady, she was elderly in her eighties. Meghan asked her for her name and where she came from. Then Harry came over and Meghan introduced the lady to Harry.

'The lady was so excited and she said she felt so lucky that Harry had kissed her hand.'

There is no official protocol on touching members of the royal family, but while it is certainly unusual for a prince to kiss a member of the general public, the younger generation have adopted a more tactile approach to greeting crowds.

Indeed, Princess Anne recently said the royals 'never shook hands' in the past as 'the theory was that you couldnt shake hands with everybody' - a custom that she says she has stuck to.

Hero's welcome: Large crowds had lined the streets of Pavilion Buildings to catch a glimpse of the couple on their first official visit to their dukedom on Wednesday

By royal appointment: The prince was carrying out a day of engagements in Sussex with wife Meghan on Wednesday when they stopped for an unscheduled walkabout in the town

Speaking in ITV's new Queen of the World documentary, Anne added: 'Its not for me to say that its wrong, but I think the initial concept was that it was patently absurd to start shaking hands.

'It seems to me that it's become a shaking hands exercise rather than a walkabout, so it has changed.'

However, the Queen began shaking hands with members of the public during the 1970s, and other royals - including Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the Duke and Duke of Sussex have since followed suit.

In the new Queen Of Our World documentary, Anne admitted she finds it harder to speak to members of the public due to the rise of technology.
She never puts a fashion foot wrong and has become a style icon in her country, known for her chic sartorial choices.

And Queen Letizia of Spain didn't disappoint as she stepped out in Madrid on Thursday, injecting a splash of colour into the autumnal day.

The royal consort, 45, wore her trusty black leather trousers teamed with a raspberry coat as she attended a meeting on Initiatives for Training and Employment for young people on Red Cross World Day.

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The royal consort, 45, wore a black leather-inspired ensemble teamed with a raspberry coat by Italian brand Atos Lombardini and Steve Madden shoes to match her black outfit

Proving her flawless wardrobe taste, Letizia teamed a pair of leather trousers with a black sweater, adding a pair of black Steve Madden heels with transparent panels to her look.

Brightening up the outfit, she wore a raspberry-coloured trench coat by Italian brand Atos Lombardini, hailing from the spring/summer '18 collection.

The royal was previously seen wearing the coat as she attended a journalism seminar in May of this year.

Completing the look with a pair of star-shaped diamond earrings and minimal make-up, Letizia greeted onlookers as she arrived to the meeting.

This year proceeds raised for Red Cross World Day in Madrid will go towards helping young people.

Queen Letizia is mother to Princesses Leonor, 12, and Sofia, 11, with husband King Felipe, 50, who ascended to the Spanish throne in 2014.

Letizia married King Felipe ten years ago at Cathedral Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena in Madrid.

The relationship began in November 2002 and in 2003, just months after she had been promoted to the position of anchor on the national news channel, she quit her job and days later the royal engagement was announced.

Queen Letizia of Spain didn't disappoint as she stepped out in Madrid on Thursday, injecting a splash of colour into the autumnal day as she attended a meeting on Initiatives for Training and Employment for young people on Red Cross World Day

Completing the look with a pair of star-shaped diamond earrings and minimal make-up, Letizia greeted onlookers as she arrived to the meeting

Letizia is the granddaughter of a taxi driver and the eldest daughter of Jesus Jose Ortiz Alvarez, a journalist, and first wife Maria de la Paloma Rocasolano Rodriguez, a nurse and hospital union representative.

She attended public high school and did a degree at the Complutense University of Madrid. She later gained an MA in Audiovisual Journalism at the Institute for Studies in Audiovisual Journalism.

King Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014 in favour of his son, now King Felipe VI.
Gemma Arterton has admitted she felt 'cajoled' into doing things she didn't want to as a young actress - as she reveals British stars have been hosting fortnightly Time's Up meetings.

The former Bond girl, 32, said there had been times when she 'wanted to reject something but didn't feel I could', adding that she had been 'grateful' at the time to be working in the film industry.

Gemma is now at the forefront of the Time's Up movement in the UK, explaining how she had hosted a 'previously unthinkable meeting' for 40 actresses and women in the industry at her own flat earlier this year.

She credited Emma Watson for beginning the initiative, explaining how she had held the first meeting.

Gemma Arterton (pictured at a women's march in London in March) has admitted she felt 'cajoled' into doing things she didn't want to as a young actress

Writing in the November issue of British Vogue, Gemma said: 'There have, however, certainly been times in my professional life when I've felt cajoled into doing something or wanted to reject something but didn't feel I could.

'Growing up, I never in a million years thought I'd work in the film industry, and when it happened I was very young  and very grateful.'

She explained how she had hosted a meeting at her flat in London 'for some 40 actresses and women of film' earlier this year, describing how the discussion had been about how to convince everyone at the BAFTAs to wear black.

Gemma said the meetings 'started small but has grown bigger and bigger', adding that 'we still hold fortnightly meetings.'

Gemma, 32, credited Emma Watson (above at the BAFTAs in February) who had seen that 'we needed Time's Up in the UK', adding that the Harry Potter star had held the first meeting

In her article, Gemma described the positive effect the movement has had, admitting that previously it had been difficult to speak out 'because our jobs felt on the line'.

She revealed actress Felicity Jones had been part of the meetings, while Keira Knightley has previously spoken about how she had been to two meetings in London.

The actress has been outspoken about sexism in Hollywood in the past, including campaigning vocally for equal pay.

She also revealed last year how she had been previously ordered to lose weight on a few films' by a producer.

Incredibly, the actress - size 10 at the time - said she was even told she couldnt eat dried apricots by the Hollywood producer.

Gemma (pictured at the BAFTAs in February) explained how the discussion at the meeting she hosted had been about how to convince everyone at the BAFTAs to wear black, to show solidarity with the Time's Up movement in the US

Gemma also mentioned how fellow actress Felicity Jones (left, at the Met Gala in 2017) had been a part of the meetings. Keira Knightley (right, at Paris Fashion week) has also spoken about how she attended two of the London meetings

Gemma said at the time: There was one film that I was on and we were out in Morocco and a couple of weeks went past and they literally were like We need a personal trainer - stat."

'You know when its like - Is it that f****** bad that I need an emergency... [it was as if they were] like on speed dial - Get that trainer out here now. It was so traumatic at the time.

Emma has also been vocal about the Time's Up campaign, donating 1million to the Justice and Equality Fund, a new fund for victims of sexual harassment, earlier this year.

She also displayed a temporary 'Time's Up' tattoo on her arm at the BAFTAs earlier this year in support of the movement.

See the full feature in the November issue of Vogue, available on digital download and newsstands on Friday 5th October
Even the most adventurous crisp fans might be left scratching their heads at Iceland's latest offering - crisps that claim to taste like Christmas trees.

The freezer giant has released the festive-themed snacks this month as thoughts turn to seasonal food...but almost no-one seems convinced that eating a tree-flavoured crisp might be a good idea.

Pitched as 'pine salt flavour hand cooked potato crisps', the front of the 1 packet features some rather unappetising-looking tree foliage.

The 1 packet of festive-themed crisps, which has a photo of a pine tree twig on its front, have caused a stir on social media, with many questioning what a tree 'actually tastes like?'

Broadcaster Jeremy Vine looked suspicious of the Christmas Tree flavour crisps that had arrived on his desk...asking 'Honestly?'

Part of a range that also includes 'pigs in blankets' and 'lobster cocktail', the most avant-garde of the range - the tree - hasn't gone down particularly well on social media.

Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine posted a photo of himself holding up a bag of the crisps with the word 'Honestly?' written across it - and he seems to share the view of the masses on the subject of crisps that are flavoured to taste like trees.

@eliistender10 penned: 'What is this new devilry?'

@BolshieBear added: 'What on earth does a christmas tree taste like? Though who cares? The consumerism surrounding christmas holds no bounds. Will there be bauble flavoured nibbles next?'

Elsewhere, a few actually bought into Iceland's Christmas vision. @JJMLondon wrote: 'Pine nuts go into pesto, and pine needles can also be used for flavouring. I'd guess they taste quite nice!'

@WildParkin agreed, writing: 'Weirdly, I can see the appeal. As a forager of pine nuts, and occasional brewer of pine needle tea I enjoy the many uses of our native fir trees. This, however, is the first time I've seen them as crisps! Nettle crisps, on the other hand - they're a must in the woods!'

Others were just pure bemused: @AmyJoan97 wrote: 'How do you know what a Christmas tree is supposed to taste like?'

And plenty couldn't resist the yuletide-related puns.

@JoelTaylorhack wrote: 'Fir goodness sake'. @HuishGregg quipped: 'I've been pining for them to come out...'

October may yet be young but the high street is already awash with Christmas twists on traditional food and drink.

Coca-Cola announced earlier this month that it's launching a new Coca Cola Zero Cinnamon in time yuletide.
A social media temptress is making more than 23,000 a year by posting photos of her feet on Instagram.

Gweneth Lee, 49, from London rakes in around 1,900 a month snapping pictures of her perfectly pampered feet and sharing them on social media.

As well as cash donations, the part-time dominatrix usually receives gifts worth over 3,000 a year from fans who ask her to send them pictures.

Certain admirers also ask San Diego-born Gweneth to meet up in real life, and they fork out up to 230 an hour to massage, lick and take pleasure from her feet.

In total, she claims she makes around 23,000 a year in donations and business created by her Instagram page.

Gweneth Lee, 49, from London rakes in around 1,900 a month snapping pictures of her perfectly pampered feet and sharing them on social media

Gweneth was surprised to discover that she attracted a lot of admirers by posting snaps of her perfectly manicured feet by the pool on holiday

Gweneth, a former commercial model, said: 'I never really noticed the foot fetish thing until the social media wave came along.

'I would always post pictures of my feet by the pool and it got a huge following.

'I ended up creating a new Instagram just for people who love my feet.

'I have some men who will pay me to massage my feet for an hour. They'll lick my feet, and they love playing with feet.'

As well as helping people to indulge their fetish for feet, Gweneth is a part-time dominatrix and is also winded and dined around the world by married men she meets on a dating site

Glamorous Gweneth's first foray into the adult world was during the financial crisis of 2008, when she became a part-time dominatrix and joined the married dating site IllicitEncounters.com.

The widow, who spends her time jetting around the world, hit headlines earlier this year after revealing she hooked up with 100 married men through the site.

She is regularly wined and dined by strangers who want no string attached extra-marital affairs, but also found another way to cash in after her adoring Instagram followers began requesting pictures of her feet.

Gweneth uses foot cream on her heels and my feet three times a day, always has socks or shoes on to protect her best assets

It inspired her to set up an Instagram page, @gwenethsfeet, devoted solely to feeding the popular fetish, and she now has 1,340 followers.

Gweneth spends an hour a day pampering her feet for photoshoots and posting the pictures to her feed.

What makes her feet so attractive, Gweneth believes, is that they are 'well maintained, with straight toes, a higher arch and small ankles'.

She said: 'You have to drink two to three liters of water a day to keep the skin on your feet beautiful and your cuticles hydrated.

The part-time dominatrix also arranges meet-ups with select men who hope to massage, lick and take pleasure from her feet

The foot model recommends drinking two to three litres of water a day to keep the skin on the feet smooth and the cuticles hydrated

'I use foot cream on my heels and my feet three times a day, and I tend to always have socks on or shoes just to protect them.

'I wear toe separator when I go to the gym or I go running, which is what my acupuncturist thinks is healthier for the longevity of my feet.

'I also eat a lot of fresh fish because the fish oil hydrates your cuticles..'

Gweneth, whose oil executive husband Robert passed away in 2000, has her monthly pedicure paid for by her followers and usually opts for a red shellac polish.

Gweneth, who has been modeling since her early teens, now has 1,340 followers and spends an hour a day pampering her feet for shoots

Gweneth receives cash and gifts from adoring fans and has been flown out to hotels around the world to meet admirers

Her clients range from surgeons to bankers to businessmen, but they all have one thing in common - an affinity for feet.

She said: 'I tend to get a high calibre clientele. They're educated, and they're good family men.

'People with foot fetishes in general tend to be quite gentle people. It's not a hardcore fetish.

The majority of people who admire Gweneth's feet are professionals such as surgeons and bankers and she said that they tend to be 'gentle' people

Gweneth is a part-time dominatrix but also found another way to cash in after her adoring Instagram followers began requesting pictures of her feet after she posted snaps from her holidays

'I think it's no different than men who love lingerie. They just love to see their partner dressed up in beautiful stockings, and some men love shoes.

'It's usually the businessman who's sitting around all day, and he's got a wife and three kids to care for.

'He's got a lot of pressure. If he wants to come to me on his lunch break to kiss my feet, let him do it. This is two adults making adult decisions.'

As well as payments in cash, Gweneth often receives elaborate gifts in exchange for her foot-modelling shots.

She has also been flown out to hotels around the world including in Palm Springs, New York City and London.

'One lovely client, who is a wine lover, gives me these bottles of wine that are sometimes worth 385 each.

'I've received jewellery, and I've got a gift certificate for a facial at a beautiful hotel, like the St. Regis or the Four Seasons, which has got to be worth several hundred pounds.'

Gweneth added: 'I'm amazed how many men are just really kind. Everybody has something they love, and some people just love feet.'
Over the years, local gay playwright Michael McKeever has served up award-winning comedies and dramas that have been performed by theater companies around the world. One big gap in his oeuvre is horroruntil now.

On Oct. 11, Zoetic Stage at Miamis Arsht Center will premiere McKeevers Dracula. But, if you think you know Bram Stokers classic tale of the feared Transylvanian vampireor even seen any of the theatrical adaptationsyoure in for a big surprise, compliments of McKeevers clever imagination.

Ive always wanted to do my own Dracula and put my spin on it. I grew up with the universe of monstersFrankenstein, the Mummy, Wolfman and Dracula. It was a part of my youth. The problem is there was never a reason to do it. Why do it? What would make my Dracula different? he explained.

Then the #MeToo movement happened.

McKeever elaborated, Dracula was the ultimate male predator, so I reinvented the women. Theyre all bad ass, not just victimsthey find the strength to stand up for themselves and become heroes. As that concept loomed, I started redesigning much of (the story). Van Helsing is usually an old white man, in this case, he is now a strong black women.

The playwright went back to Bram Stokers 1897 novel and went from there. Hundreds of films, plays and books that expanded on Stokers vampire legend over the past 120 years freed him to go where his characters might take him.

I wanted to keep true to it as a starting point, he said, but, I wanted my female lead to be the hero who saves the day with elements of the novel continuing to be the themes that influenced her. (Van Helsing is being played by critically-acclaimed local actress Karen Stephens.)

And it had to be scary. McKeevers husband, director Stuart Meltzer, is helming the production and he insisted that the play offer the same kinds of thrills and chills that drive audiences to movie theaters for horror films.

As he was writing, McKeever was very cognizant of the unique challenges of mounting his play in the Arsht Centers Carnival Studio Theaterwithout the benefits of multimillion dollar budgets and the computer generated special effects that filmmakers can turn to for their projects.

Its all incredibly hard to stage by nature of theatricality, the period, the special effects, fog and blood and all the new elements to deal with. Its not easy, but then theater isnt easy, McKeever said.

McKeevers job didnt stop when the script was delivered, he then stepped in to design the set. His intimate vision of the play will certainly come in handy, along with a talented creative team of lighting, props, costumes and special effects designers.

In theater, timing is everything, but the best bit of luck occurred when Zoetic was able to open its season a month early so Dracula could premiere during the Halloween season.

Zoetic Stage presents Michael McKeevers reimagined Dracula, Oct. 11  28 in the Carnival Studio Theater at the Arsht Center in Miami. Tickets are $50 at ArshtCenter.org.
Royal fans have gushed over a video showing Prince Harry playfully tickling a young boy in Sussex - saying they 'can't wait for him and Meghan to have babies'.

The Duke of Sussex, 34, was seen meeting two-year-old Tobias Henning during his walkabout in Chichester yesterday, asking him 'Are you alright?'

After giving him an affectionate pat on the head, a smiling Harry questioned 'Are you ticklish?' before proceeding to tickle him.

Social media users have been quick to gush over the clip, describing the prince as a 'natural' with kids.

Royal fans have gushed over a video of Prince Harry tickling two-year-old Tobias Henning on meeting him in Chichester

Social media users said they 'can't wait' for Harry to become a dad, commenting 'he is going to make a great feather'

One fan posted 'I cannot wait for him to be a dad!!', while another added 'Cant wait for them to have babies.'

Another commented 'Harry is gonna be a great dad. We can't wait we gonna love Harry's kids'.

Others drew comparisons with Princess Diana, suggesting Harry is 'just like his mum' when it comes to his way with children.

Harry and Meghan were seen meeting a number of youngsters during their walkabouts in Chichester and Brighton yesterday, including pupils who presented them with an A to Z of Sussex they had created.

The Duke of Sussex asked young Tobias 'are you alright?', before giving him an affectionate pat on the head

A smiling Harry then asked the toddler ' Are you ticklish?' before proceeding to tickle him

Instagram users drew comparisons with Princess Diana, suggesting Harry is 'just like his mum' when it comes to his way with children

The Duke gave the children hi-fives after discovering they were missing their double Latin lesson to be there.

During the walkabout in Chichester, a thoughtful Harry was also seen shielding an 11-month-old baby from the sun using his jacket.

It comes as speculation mounts over when he and Meghan might decide to start a family, after both hinting at their desire to have children.

When the couple made an official visit to Belfast in March, they met a couple behind Shnuggle, a range of baby products.

During the walkabout in Chichester, Harry met a group of schoolchildren who told him they were missing double Latin

The prince was also seen shielding an 11-month-old baby from the sun using his jacket while meeting members of the public in Chichester

Meghan, who has previously been hailed for her maternal instincts, also met a number of children during the visit to Sussex yesterday

When Adam and Sinead Murphy told them they could have one of their non-slip baby baths free of charge, Harry quipped: 'How many have you got?'

A laughing Meghan then chimed in with: 'I'm sure at some point we'll need the whole [lot].'

Meanwhile, fans have also previously hailed Meghan's maternal instincts, including earlier this summer when she was pictured having a sweet exchange with a little girl at the polo.

The Duchess was seen crouching down to put herself at the same height as the little girl - understood to be Mark Dyer's daughter, Isabella - and held her hands as they talked.
Following her ongoing criticism of her half-sister, Samantha Markle has now turned her attentions to the Duchess of Sussex's mother, Doria Ragland, in a new social media tirade.

The 53-year-old took to Twitter to enlighten her followers on her version of Meghan's childhood, saying Ms Ragland 'wasn't around much' for the Duchess as she was growing up.

Markle arrived in London last week claiming that she hoped to move 'forward with peaceful resolve' after her frequent outbursts against her sister - but the latest comments are unlikely to enhance any chances of reconciliation.

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Despite arriving in the UK last week hoping to make peace with her half-sister, Samantha Markle has issued fresh criticism, this time targeting Meghan's mother Doria Ragland. (Pictured: Samantha on Jeremy Vine earlier this week)

The tweets posted yesterday from Ms Markle's Twitter account; she has been a vocal detractor of her sister since the royal couple announced their engagement in November last year

Markle accused 62-year-old Doria Ragland of being absent in Meghan's formative years, saying on Twitter 'Doria wasn't around much' (Meghan pictured with her mother the day before her wedding to Prince Harry on May 18th)

Ms Markle also praised Thomas Markle for being the 'best father in the world', saying that 'everything' that Meghan is, she owes to her 74-year-old father

On Twitter last night, Markle told her 7,000 followers that Meghan owed 'everything' to her father Thomas Markle.

She wrote, replying to a tweet praising Doria and Meghan: 'Glad you love people you dont even know. But everything that you think you know from tabloids is a lie. Dad pretty much raised her most of her life on his own and Doria was not around very much.'

She followed up later praising Thomas Markle as the 'best father in the world' and reiterating the influence she feels the 74-year-old had on the Duchess' early years.

Ms Markle penned: 'The world does not know that our dad raised her most of the time without the input of her mother especially from age 12 through high school and he gave her everything she had and is.

'She was never raised as an only child. Truth kids! He is amazing and successful. And Mags lie.'

Ms Markle also accused Meghan of 'ghosting' her family, saying that's the reason she first began speaking out against her half-sister in public

Harry and Meghan stand outside St George's Chapel in Windsor after their wedding in May

Neither Mr Markle or Samantha Markle attended Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex's wedding in Windsor on May 18th this year.

There was anger too reserved for Meghan, with Ms Markle accusing her half-sister of 'ghosting' her family, saying she only began speaking to the press about family relationships when Meghan stopped talking to them after becoming involved with Prince Harry.

The 53-year-old wrote: 'She has ghosted both sides of the family she needs to earn our trust it is the other way around. You dont crap on an entire family and then run around crying that you cannot trust everyone.'

In another 'ghosting' tweet, she suggested that Doria and Meghan were close because the Duchess had shunned friends, writing: 'Doria might be her best friend now because she ghosted her best friend of 30 years. Nikki Priddy.'

Samantha Markle's message for Meghan on Channel 5 show Jeremy Vine Samantha Markle was asked on Channel 5 today if she had a message for Meghan. This is what she said: 'There is so much water under the bridge and so much has spun out of control that was never intended to. 'I think everybody was hurt by not being included or invited to the wedding. 'But I felt as though it could have all been nipped in the bud had everyone been included and we all just agreed to move forward with positive resolve, and the hurt feelings wouldn't have snowballed. 'But, believe it or not, it doesn't mean that we love you any less. 'I just think that families can be this way when there's confusion and when people are hurt. 'So, moving forward, I apologise and I wish things could be different.' Advertisement

And she added that Meghan had 'ignored' their father while he was ill in hospital after suffering a heart attack, penning to another critic: 'You have no idea what is going on behind the scenes.

'She ignored my father through a heart attack there is no excuse for it. You would be mentally ill to think that is OK. Maybe you were the one who needs the counseling.'

Earlier this week, Samantha Markle was hit by a barrage of criticism herself as she took part in a phone-in with members of the public.

The 53-year-old received a backlash from callers to Jeremy Vine's programme on Channel 5 today who said she had 'no relevance' in the UK.

Chris from Kent told Ms Markle: 'All we've seen is the hate you've spewed against your sister. If you actually love your sister I think this should have been done in private, not on social media, or going on television saying you're sorry... what you're doing is not right.'

But Ms Markle replied: 'Most of what you read in the tabloids is not true... There have been so many times I've said, in live interviews, favourable things but they were not printed.'

Lindsay from Leeds declared that Ms Markle should have been 'stopped at border control', adding: 'She's got no relevance to be here'.

However Victor from London called in to say Ms Markle was an 'absolutely lovely lady' and that should Harry and Meghan have a baby, she should be godmother.

Earlier, Mr Vine tackled Ms Markle on why she had been rude and insulting to Meghan, having called her Cruella de Vil, Duch-ass and the Duchess of Nonsense.

'(My father) was being purposely ignored,' Ms Markle replied. 'We were hoping that private channels would be used. When they failed we went public.'

Thomas Markle is father to both Samantha and Meghan. She added: 'The goal at that point wasn't just getting closer. It was also about bringing out a very important point that you don't isolate family, you are a humanitarian.'

Vine replied: 'You want to shame her - that's what it is.'

Ms Markle added: 'The public were making a mockery of the family and it had to stop. Perhaps I was frustrated. I was lashing out more at the media.'

Ms Markle said she was doubtful of being able to make contact with Meghan while she was visiting the UK. 'I was hoping that maybe we would have the chance to speak, that she would know I was here. But I don't think that's going to happen.'

She added that the whole saga could have been 'nipped in the bud' had the Markle family been invited to Meghan and the Duke of Sussex's wedding.

'I apologise to Meghan, to Harry, all the royals..' Samantha Markle was interviewed on Channel 5 today about a range of topics. Here are her answers in brief: On being in Britain 'I wanted to make the trip and sort of speak the wishes and thoughts and sentiments of my father and hopefully get a message to my sister that things aren't really what they've seen' On why Meghan hasn't been in touch with her father since the wedding 'This media madness has been quite overwhelming... I think it's been quite hurtful to our family, I can't imagine how hurtful it's been to my sister.' On why she encouraged Thomas Markle to pose for photos 'The logic behind that really is that I became so tired of him being purposely photographed in such a hurtful way, in a disparaging way.' On whether Thomas Markle had a heart attack before the wedding 'He had two actually. One earlier, and I think because of the pressure of the wedding, he really wanted to be there, he had a speech planned  he was really looking forward to it. And the doctors finally said 'you can't ignore this'.' On whether Meghan has frozen her out 'I think that perhaps she was hurt  I felt like she should know better than to believe tabloids, but I think quite frankly she probably believed what she was seeing as well.' On if she will apologise to Meghan for calling her a Duch-ass? 'To my sister, absolutely, and to Harry as well and the royal family.' On having a message for Meghan 'I just think that families can be this way when there's confusion and when people are hurt. So, moving forward, I apologise and I wish things could be different.' On Prince Harry 'He is such a gentleman and so savvy and I would say that she has found her prince. Advertisement

She admitted she should not have used the phrase 'duch-ass' - and, asked if she would apologise, said: 'To my sister, absolutely, and to Harry as well and the royal family.'

Asked by Mr Vine if Meghan had frozen her out, she said: 'I think that perhaps she was hurt  I felt like she should know better than to believe tabloids.

'But I think quite frankly she probably believed what she was seeing as well, and I guess there's also protocol that you say nothing.

'So I think that snowballed unfortunately to a lot of hurt feelings on everyone's part, and I'm hoping that we can have a happy ending.'

Ms Markle told the show that she was in Britain because she had 'always wanted to see London', but added that she hoped to 'speak the wishes and thoughts and sentiments of my father and hopefully get a message to my sister that things aren't really what they've seen'.

She continued: 'There's so much misperception and hopefully we could clear up record and move forward with peaceful resolve. '

Meghan's father Thomas pulled out of walking his daughter down the aisle at her wedding to Prince Harry due to ill health and after being caught staging photos with photographers for cash.

Asked why Meghan has not been in touch with her father since the royal wedding in May, she said: 'Honestly, I think, well you know, but if you can imagine this media madness has been quite overwhelming. And maybe it's quite powerful.

'And so when you take something as powerful as that, that goes around the world at lightning speed, larger than life, whether you say nothing or you say something it's almost always twisted, we've experienced, for negative effect to sell publications.'

She said it had been 'quite hurtful to our family, I can't imagine how hurtful it's been to my sister', adding: 'But so much of reality has been twisted, is unknown and it's been unfortunate.'

Speaking about how Thomas posed for the staged photographs, she said: 'The logic behind that really is that I became so tired of him being purposely photographed in such a hurtful way, in a disparaging way.

'I said "you know, you have a right like a business card to defend yourself and have the world and the British royal family see you as you accurately are  don't lay down and let them disparage you like that".

The Duchess of Sussex 's half sister Samantha Markle was on Jeremy Vine on Channel 5 today

Meghan's mother Doria Ragland joined her at an event in London with Prince Harry last month; Ms Markle accused the 62-year-old of being absent during the Duchess' formative years

How the media storm involving Thomas Markle has unfolded November 27 2017: Kensington Palace announces the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle December 2017: Meghan's father Thomas Markle is pictured near his home in Rosarito, Mexico, going to Walmart and buying beers April 2018: In the run-up to the royal wedding, Thomas is pictured reading a book about landmarks of Britain, looking at pictures of the couple online, and being fitted for a suit May 2018: Mail on Sunday reveals Thomas Markle staged the paparazzi photos in a bid to improve his public image and may have made up to 100,000 from them. It was later revealed to be Samantha Markle's idea May 17, 2018: Bride-to-be Meghan reveals her father will not be flying to London for the wedding, after reports he suffered a heart attack May 19, 2018: Thomas Markle watches the wedding on TV from Mexico as the Prince of Wales steps in at the last minute to walk Meghan up the aisle June 18, 2018: Meghan's father gives his first TV interview with Good Morning Britain and leaks details of his private conversations with Harry and Meghan - including their desire to have children and Harry's views on President Trump June 26, 2018: Thomas Markle tells TMZ he feels he is being frozen out by the Palace and is insulted that he has not been invited to meet the Queen July 5, 2018: The Duchess of Sussex's father tells friends he fears their relationship is 'lost' forever and he may never see his daughter again July 28, 2018: Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Thomas Markle says his daughter is ignoring him and has changed all her numbers since marrying Harry. He ominously warns he 'won't be silenced' August 14, 2018: In another interview with the Mail On Sunday, Thomas Markle claims he hung up on Prince Harry in a heated phone exchange Advertisement

'So with regards to the money and this idea of cashing in, he was turning down $50,000 (38,000) interviews.

'So clearly money was not the goal, and the small amount of money that he received, 1,500, photographers made the money  not my father. It was never a goal.'

She was also pressed on whether she regretted her idea of him posing for the photos, and said: 'I would regret more allowing paparazzi to continue to make him look like a horrible slob and do everything they could to disparage him.'

Ms Markle said it felt 'really wrong to allow that to continue', and told him: 'You cannot let yourself be seen like this, and as a representation of who you are.'

She was also asked if he had actually had a heart attack before the wedding.

Ms Markle said: 'He had two actually. One earlier, and I think because of the pressure of the wedding, he really wanted to be there, he had a speech planned  he was really looking forward to it.

'And the doctors finally said "you can't ignore this". He was literally working his speech right up to the last minute.

'He had had one earlier, and really I think like so many men was avoiding some of the signs  the stress, the shortness of breath, pins and needles.

'He really wasn't up to par, but because he wanted to be at the wedding, he ignored the signs  even though the doctors said "you had a small one earlier".

'I think he was in denial, he wanted to be tough and brave it  be able to walk my sister down the aisle.'

Asked if she blamed herself for what happened, she said: 'I don't see what the other option would be.

'No matter what, I found that certain publications make you look as bad as they can. And I think it really reflected poorly on everyone. I couldn't let that continue.'

As Prince Harry, Ms Markle said she was happy for her sister - and praised him for being 'such a gentleman and so savvy'.

She told the programme: 'I would say that she (Meghan) has found her prince.

'And, as my little sister, and being older, I would think when I get older and when I pass away you wonder will your kids and your younger siblings be left in good hands? Well, I'm thankful she is in very good hands.'

The Duchess of Sussex is pictured attending the Royal Academy of Arts in London last Tuesday

Who is Samantha Markle and how is she related to Meghan? Samantha Grant - also known as Samantha Markle - describes herself as a writer, a mental health counsellor and a 'blabbermouth'. She is the half-sister of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex from her father's first marriage. A one-time actress and model, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2008 and uses a wheelchair. Based in Florida, she is 17 years older than Markle and sells jewellery to raise money to fund the feature films she writes. Twice-divorced, she has three children - Ashleigh, Christopher and Noelle. Like her father, she once filed for bankruptcy and is estranged from her mother Roslyn - Thomas Markle's first wife - and brother Thomas Jr. Advertisement

Also known as Samantha Grant, Ms Markle has see-sawed between criticising and praising Meghan on social media.

More recently she has vented her fury, accusing the duchess on Twitter of hypocrisy and being cold and inhumane in her treatment of their father.

Since Meghan became a royal, Ms Markle has hit out at her for being 'cold', accused her of ignoring her father, branded Harry a 'wuss', and has gone as far as to say she would blame Meghan should Mr Markle die.

The length of her stay in the UK is unknown, but it is thought that she intends to confront Meghan over their father's ill-health. Meghan is believed to have last seen her father around two years ago.

The 74-year-old did not attend his daughter's wedding at Windsor Castle after suffering a heart attack in the lead up to the big day, according to his family.

Despite Ms Markle's apparent determination to see Meghan, her friends believe the Duchess will not see her half-sister.

Last month, Samantha went on a furious social media tirade about her sister and her new husband.

Branding the Duchess the 'duch-ass', she slammed Prince Harry on his 34th birthday, saying: 'Happy Birthday Harry! As you 'Mack down' on your birthday cake, think about the birthday wishes you never extended to your FATHER-IN-LAW.'
She holds the honour of being the youngest ever Nobel laureate, but even Malala Yousafzai falls short of being the model student.

The 21-year-old, who is in her second year at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, admitted that on 'many' occasions she had started an essay the night before its due date after 'overwhelming' herself with the clubs, societies and social events of university life.

The Pakistani women's rights campaigner opened up about her experiences in an interview with Vogue magazine, in which she said enrolling as a fresher was a 'big change', even for someone as accomplished and well-travelled as herself.

Student life: Nobel laureate and women's rights campaigner Malala Yousafzai, pictured on Tuesday, who is in her second year at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, admitted that on 'many' occasions she had started an essay the night before its due date in an interview with Vogue

Like many students, she was also disappointed with the quality of the dining hall food - saying it fell short of her mother's 'chicken and rice'.

She said: 'University life is a big change for any student and I was no exception. None of the food in the dining hall could compare with my mum's chicken and rice, and in the beginning I missed my parents, and sometimes even my little brothers, too.

'A few - well, many times - I started an essay at 11 pm the night before it was due. I overwhelmed myself with the possibilities of university life.

'And I'm grateful for that. I know how lucky I am to have access to an incredible education, lectures, art, sport and new perspectives.'

Busy schedule: Malala poses with fellow female PPE students at LMH after matriculating in 2017. Left to right: Nina Morris-Evans, Malala Yousafzai, Kia Williams and Emily Herbert

Distinguished: Malala Yousafzai poses with the medal and the diploma during the Nobel Peace Prize awards ceremony in Oslo in December 2014. The 21-year-old admitted she doesn't yet know what career path she will choose but knows she will advocate for girls and women

Malala, who survived being shot by the Taliban while advocating for the education of women, enrolled at Oxford to study PPE in October 2017 and has thrown herself into undergraduate life.

Opening up: Malala spoke about life at Oxford in the November issue of Vogue, pictured

She has played polo, enjoyed late-night takeaways, been elected to be in charge of college parties and has learnt how to dance to Beyonce. She has even appeared in student YouTube videos.

The activist said the 'hardest thing' is to see other young women her age with 'all the dreams and aspirations' that she holds but who are 'stuck in a situation she didn't create and unable to choose her own future'.

'Without an adequate start in life, millions of girls won't have the skills they need to succeed in today's labour market,' she said.

'They face a lifetime of low-paid low-status work, poverty and insecurity. Their untapped potential is a loss for all of us.'

Despite her breadth of experience, Malala admitted she doesn't yet know 'what career path' she will choose.

'But I know I'll keep advocating for girls and women,' she added. 'If one girl with an education can change the world, just imagine what 130 million can do.'

See the full feature in the November issue of Vogue, available on digital download and newsstands on Friday 5th October. https://www.vogue.co.uk/
A five-year-old who has suffered 90 broken bones in her short lifetime due to a genetic disorder defied the disease to go surfing with her dad.

Hadley Larson, five, has osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as Brittle Bone Disease, and has been in and out of hospital since she was born in 2012.

A lack of the protein collagen means Hadley's bones are so brittle they can shatter in an instant, and a light fall can leave her with serious injuries.

Condition: Hadley Larson, five, has osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as Brittle Bone Disease, and has been in and out of hospital since she was born in 2012

Adventure: Hadley surprised her mother when she asked her if she could try to surf with dad Eric Larsen, 38, on a day trip to Ririe Reservoir, Idaho, on July 21

She did it! Against all odds, the schoolgirl held onto her dad's legs for support and successfully surfed for the first time with not a single fracture in sight

Family: Mother Kendra Larsen, 36, is Hadley's full-time carer. She and her husband Eric Larsen, 38, also have a 13-year-old son named Parker and a 10-year-old daughter named Kinzley

So her mother Kendra Larsen, 36, says she was stunned when Hadley asked her if she could try to surf with dad Eric Larsen, 38, on a day trip to Ririe Reservoir, Idaho, on July 21.

The couple initially decided Hadley should not ride the waves because a crash could have devastating consequences, but the determined tot eventually won them over.

Against all odds, the schoolgirl held onto her dad's legs for support and successfully surfed for the first time with not a single fracture in sight.

Kendra, who is Hadley's full-time carer, caught the heartwarming moment on camera.

'Out of the blue she told her dad that she wanted to surf,' the mom recounted.

'We were like, "Do you really want to do it?" We were just so surprised. If I could have my way I would keep her in a bubble, but luckily her dad is more adventurous.

'She loved it so much. She said she was a little nervous but that she was happy she did it. Afterwards her dad told me, "I'm so glad that's over. I was so scared!"

Making her case: The couple initially decided Hadley should not ride the waves because a crash could have devastating consequences, but the determined tot eventually won them over

Thrilled: Hadley said surfing with her father is one of the funniest things she has ever done

Duo: Hadley's favorite part of her surfing adventure was getting to surf with her father

Hadley is determined to keep trying new things despite the challenges she faces, Kendra said.

Fractures: The little girl has suffered 90 broken bones in her lifetime due to her rare genetic condition

'It's a blessing, because a lot of kids with osteogenesis imperfecta might be afraid to do something like surfing  not Hadley,' the mom added.

'This is the first summer since she has been born that she had no cast. We call it our miracle summer. She's a fighter.'

Hadley said her surfing session was 'one of the funniest things I have ever done', adding: 'My favorite part was getting to do it with my dad.'

Born weighing six pounds and two ounces, Hadley was only four weeks old when Kendra and her husband Eric, a carpenter, began to suspect something was wrong.

They took her to their local hospital because she wouldn't stop crying. After a series of tests, Hadley was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta.

Fragile: A lack of the protein collagen means Hadley's bones are so brittle they can shatter in an instant, and a light fall can leave her with serious injuries

Coping: Kendra (pictured with the rest of her family) said she tries not to think about Hadley's condition otherwise she will 'worry [herself] to death'

Past: Born weighing six pounds and two ounces, Hadley was only four weeks old when Kendra and her husband Eric, a carpenter, began to suspect something was wrong

Bones: In just five years, Hadley has suffered 75 fractures in her arms and legs, as well as a decompressed skull fracture and breaks in her ribs and spine

Process: As a baby, Hadley underwent a series of tests before being diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta

Struggle: Due to her condition, Hadley has spent many moments of her life with at least one cast on her body

Growing: Hadley has had rods inserted into her tibia and her femur. She now requires operations to fix the rods every time she grows

While the disease is usually inherited, in Hadley's case it was a spontaneous mutation caused by a defect in the gene that makes collagen, the protein that gives bones their strength.

In just five years, Hadley has suffered 75 fractures in her arms and legs, as well as a decompressed skull fracture and breaks in her ribs and spine.

'When she was born she looked perfect. We didn't suspect a thing,' Kendra said.

'Two days before Christmas, we brought her into the ER and they discovered that she had four fractured bones in her body.

'A couple of weeks later, they discovered three more fractures. After doing some blood works, they diagnosed her with osteogenesis imperfecta.

'People have different mutations of the disease, but nobody else has her mutation in the whole entire world.

'Even a simple fall can be life threatening.

Worry: 'You feel like you can't help her,' Kendra said of Hadley's condition. 'She'll live with this for the rest of her life'

Treatment: Hadley has spent a significant part of her life recovering from various injuries

Spirit: Hadley is determined to keep trying new things despite the challenges she faces

Mother: 'It's just so difficult as a mom to see your daughter have something broken in her body for most of her life,' Kendra said

Cast: This summer was the first in Hadley's life that she didn't have a cast. She is pictured recovering from previous fractures

Diagnosis: Hadley (pictured when she was younger) was diagnosed after her parents took her to the hospital when she was four weeks old because she couldn't stop crying

Growing up: On to her next adventure, the girl has just started school and Kendra has been overjoyed to see her settling in

Knowledge: 'She absolutely loves school, because when it comes to learning  unlike the rest of her life  she doesn't face any limits,' Kendra said of her daughter

Bonding: Hadley (pictured with her sister) is 'amazing at making friends' according to her mom

'She has had surgeries to insert rods inside her tibia and her femur, and she needs operations to fix them every time she grows.

'It's just so difficult as a mom to see your daughter have something broken in her body for most of her life.

'To be honest, I just try not to think about it. Otherwise I would just worry myself to death.

'You feel like you can't help her. She'll live with this for the rest of her life.'

Despite her health battles, Kendra and Eric said Hadley tackles life with a smile on her face and always wants to try new things.

On to her next adventure, the girl has just started school and Kendra has been overjoyed to see her settling in.

Kendra, who also has a 13-year-old son named Parker and a 10-year-old daughter named Kinzley, added: 'Hadley is amazing at making friends.

'She absolutely loves school, because when it comes to learning  unlike the rest of her life  she doesn't face any limits.'
With Christmas only two months away, supermarket shelves will soon be stocked with new goodies for the festive season.

Coca-Cola is already getting into the spirit with the release of its limited edition cinnamon flavour of its popular Zero Sugar drink.

The fizzy drink was released yesterday and will be available in stores across the UK this week.

But those hoping to try a sip will have to act fast as it is only available until the end of the year.

Coca-Cola is already getting into the festive spirit with the release of a limited edition cinnamon flavour of its popular zero-sugar drink, pictured

Fans were quick to praise the new flavour after a post was shared on the retailer's UK Facebook page.

One follower commented: 'Two of my favourite things in one', while another added: 'Please can I have this in my Christmas stocking'.

Another tagged their friend, replying: 'Keep an eye out for this for me I love CZ, and I love cinnamon so a perfect combination... I think.'

But others weren't so sure, with one person writing: 'Another new one, this one I'll give a whirl, not sure how nice Cinnamon in coke will be.'

The fizzy drink was released yesterday and will be available in stores across the UK this week. But those hoping to try a sip will have to act fast as it is only available until the end of the year. Pictured, a can of classic Coca-Cola

Prices start at 1.45 for a 500ml bottle. A 1.25l bottle is also available.

Speaking about the new flavour, Alec Mellor, Marketing Manager at Coca-Cola Great Britain said: Since launching Coca-Cola zero sugar, weve introduced an exciting addition of new flavours to the range.

For a limited time only, we are excited to announce the launch of Coca-Cola zero sugar Cinnamon, that we hope our current fans and those looking to try a new flavour will love.

'Its a drink full of festive flavour and no sugar, perfect for the lead up to Christmas.

Fans were quick to praise the new flavour after a post was shared on the retailer's UK Facebook page, pictured

Excited followers tagged their friends and some asked that a bottle be added to their Christmas stocking. However a handful were dubious over how it would taste

This follows recent reports that Coca-Cola is said to be close to a deal that could see it infuse cans of soft drink with cannabis.

The US giant is said to be in 'serious' discussions with a cannabis producer as it looks to grab a slice of the burgeoning marijuana market.

A deal with the firm, Aurora Cannabis, could lead to Coca-Cola selling drinks infused with marijuana, which is said to have health benefits such as easing inflammation, pain and cramping.

A spokesman for Coca-Cola refused to comment on speculation but added: 'Along with many others in the beverage industry, we are closely watching the growth of non-psychoactive CBD as an ingredient in functional wellness beverages around the world. The space is evolving quickly. No decisions have been made at this time.'
Mexican fast food chain Taco Bell has announced there will be 50 new restaurants opening their doors to say 'Hola' to Australia.

The American franchise will expand Down Under after its burritos, quesadillas and nachos proved successful at their first Australian store in Brisbane's Annerley.

On Thursday, franchisee Collins Foods, which has the Australian rights to Taco Bell and KFC, confirmed the chain is set to roll out more than 50 stores across the country over the next three years.

Mexican fast food chain Taco Bell has announced there will be 50 new restaurants opening their doors to say 'Hola' to Australia (pictured the Brisbane store)

The American franchise will expand Down Under after its burritos, quesadillas and nachos proved successful in a trial store in Brisbane 's Annerley (pictured)

What is Taco Bell? Taco Bell opened its first store in California in 1962 and now has 7,000 sites across the US and serves 2billion customers worldwide. The Mexican fast food chain is famous for its bargain burritos, quesadillas and nachos. It opened a branch in Sydney in the early 1980s and in 1997 but withdrew both times. Advertisement

As timings and locations are yet to be revealed, Taco Bell has confirmed they will be heading to South East Queensland first, with restaurants opening up in Robina, North Lakes and Cleveland.

But the fast food giant has reassured its taco fans the chain will launch new restaurants in other states over a three-year period, sending foodies into a frenzy.

'We don't have specifics to share at this stage, but let's just say not all 50 [restaurants] will be opening in Queensland,' the company said.

After opening Australia's first store in Brisbane in November 2017, the popular restaurant attracted a line out the door that lasted months.

On Thursday, Collins Foods, which has the Australian rights to Taco Bell and KFC, confirmed the chain is set to roll out more than 50 stores across the country over the next three years

The fast food giant has reassured its taco fans the chain will launch new restaurants in other states over a three-year period, sending foodies into a frenzy

The franchise promises to deliver quick serving dining in Australia, with its customer-curated music playlists, free WIFI, craft beers, frozen margaritas and regular live music sessions

'We have had an overwhelming response to the launch of Taco Bell in Brisbane, and we know that the Australian market is hungry for more,' Taco Bell Asia Pacific's managing director Ankush Tuli said.

'We can't wait to give our passionate fans in Australia the chance to enjoy Taco Bell in more cities across the country.'

The franchise promises to deliver quick serving dining in Australia, with its 'epic fit-outs', open kitchens, customer-curated music playlists, free WiFi, craft beers, frozen margaritas and regular live music sessions.
Forget Santa, it seems the most exciting thing about the festive season is the Christmas sandwich.

With more than two months to go before the big day, popular food chains' Christmas specials are already cropping up on shelves - and office workers couldn't be happier to see them.

Chuffed shoppers have been sharing snaps of their festive snacks on social media after spying they'd arrived early at deli counters in branches of Marks & Spencer and Boots.

Festive fillings up for grabs this year include parsnip fritter and butternut squash, a classic turkey feast, and smoked salmon and soft cheese.

Shoppers have been sent into a frenzy after discovering that Christmas sandwiches are already in stores, three months before the big day. Blogger Sarah Howells share a snap of the turkey feast sandwich she'd bought from Marks and Spencer (top), calling it a 'great day' to eat the snack (bottom)

The Christmas sandwiches can easily be identified by their festive packaging and seasonal ingredients.

Blogger Sarah Howells proudly struck a pose holding her first Christmas sandwich of the year, which was a turkey feast from M&S.

She wrote: 'Ahhhhhhhhhh what a great day! The gluten free Christmas sandwich is BACK!!!!! #goodbyewages.'

Twitter user Mark Campion bought himself a smoked salmon and soft cheese sandwich from Boots, but thought it was much too early to be selling festive food.

Mark Campion seemed confused that his sandwich was 'wishing' him a merry Christmas (top). He opted to buy a smoked salmon and soft cheese sandwich from Boots (bottom)

He wrote: 'Why is my sandwich wishing me a Merry Christmas? It's the 4th of October!'

@SimplySophie23 seemed thrilled to buy her first Christmas sandwich, choosing to buy a turkey, bacon and stuffing one from Boots.

'Happy First Christmas Sandwich of the Year Day!!' she wrote.

Another person to get the turkey, bacon and stuffing sandwich was @TomJsays, who shared a snap of it on the shelves in Boots.

@SimplySophie23 wished her followers a 'Happy First Christmas Sandwich of the Year Day' (top) after she bought a turkey, bacon and stuffing sandwich from Boots (bottom)

@b_shents proudly shared a snap of his vegan parsnip fritter and butternut squash sandwich (bottom), saying it was his first one of the year (top)_

He posted: 'October 1st. Never too early for a Christmas sandwich, eh @BootsUK!'

@safesecs treated herself to the M&S turkey feast, admitting they are her 'weakness'.

She tweeted: 'I just bought a Christmas sandwich in M&S on the way home. These things are my absolute weakness, even though I BLOODY KNOW OK?!? Dont @ me.'

Some 8.6 million Britons have already started their festive shopping, a survey by American Express found.

Almost half (49 per cent) of people start shopping early to pick up presents in the sales, while year-on-year data shows more Britons are getting a head start on shopping - since 2016 an extra 1.1 million people have started shopping with 100 days to go, the study shows.
Most diabetics are storing potentially life-saving insulin at the wrong temperature, warns new research.

Up to four out of five people keep the hormone at either too cold or too warm a temperature in their fridge, potentially affecting the strength of their medication.

A study of 388 diabetes patients measured the temperature of their insulin when they kept it in the fridge or in a bag for carrying around.

And 79 per cent of temperature logs revealed the medicine was kept outside of the recommended range at some point  on average, insulin was stored at the wrong temperature for two hours and 42 minutes per day.

Researchers warn people may be 'unwittingly' making their insulin less effective and they should use thermometers to check it's stored properly.

People with type 1 diabetes have to inject insulin because their pancreas cannot make the essential hormone like it would in people without the condition  without insulin people's blood sugar can get so high they end up in a coma

German scientists monitored the temperature of insulin formulations stored in fridges at home and carried as a spare.

Some 388 US and EU diabetes patients put temperature sensors next to their insulin in the fridge or their diabetes bag.

Automatic temperature measurements were taken every three minutes  up to 480 times a day  for an average of 49 days.

Of 400 temperature logs, 315 (79 per cent) had periods when the insulin fell outside the recommended temperature range.

On average, insulin stored in the fridge was out of the recommended temperature range 11 per cent of the time, approximately two hours and 34 minutes a day.

Whereas insulin carried by patients was only outside recommendations for around eight minutes a day.

Dr Katarina Braune, of Charite  Universitaetsmedizin Berlin said: 'Many people with diabetes are unwittingly storing their insulin wrong because of fluctuating temperatures in domestic refrigerators.

WHY DO DIABETICS INJECT INSULIN? Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas, an organ in your body that helps with digestion. Insulin helps your body use glucose  which comes from sugar in the food and drink you consume  for muscle energy. Glucose is initially absorbed by the gut from food and passed into the blood, where the body decides what to do with it. Insulin makes this decision by regulating how much sugar moves from the blood into the blood cells, muscles or fat cells, where it can be used up or stored. But diabetes can mean the pancreas does not make any insulin, it doesn't make enough, or the insulin it does make doesn't work properly. This can lead to the levels of sugar in the blood becoming dangerously high or low  which can cause fatigue, feeling hungry or thirsty, or in extreme cases life-threatening coma. To avoid this and stop blood sugar getting too high, diabetics can inject insulin into their body as a medication to bring their blood sugar down. Source: Diabetes.org Advertisement

'When storing your insulin in the fridge at home, always use a thermometer to check the temperature.

'Long-term storage conditions of insulin are known to have an impact on its blood-glucose lowering effect.

'For people living with insulin-dependent diabetes who take insulin several times a day via injections or continuously administer insulin with a pump, precise dosing is essential.'

Insulin is needed to control blood glucose levels in those with type 1 diabetes, a condition which affects over 400,000 Brits.

Healthy people make insulin  which allows the body to use sugar from food for muscle energy  in their pancreas.

However, type 1 diabetics cannot produce insulin themselves and have to inject the hormone as a medicine to stop their blood glucose getting dangerously high.

But how it is stored can have an impact on its blood-glucose lowering effect.

Like many injectable drugs and vaccines, insulin is highly sensitive to heat and cold and can be destroyed if temperatures shift a few degrees.

Insulin should be stored between between 2C (36F) and 8C (46F) in the refrigerator, or 2C (30F) to 30C (86F) when carried around in a pen or vial.

Freezing turned out to be a big issue in the study  66 sensors, more than one in ten, recorded a temperature of below 0C.

Dr Braune added: 'More research is needed to examine the extent to which temperature deviations during domestic storage affect insulin efficacy and patient outcomes.'

The findings were presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting in Berlin.
Young doctors are being attacked on social media by patients, a leading medic has warned.

Dr Clare Gerada, former chair of the Royal College of GPs, has urged millennial medics to take themselves off Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to avoid 'vitriol' and 'hate'.

The rise in online abuse from patients and lobby groups is creating an 'increasingly cruel' working environment for young doctors, according to Dr Gerada, who is now medical director of the NHS Practitioner Health Programme (PHP).

Calls to PHP, which supports stressed and depressed doctors, have doubled in recent times, with young medics making up most of the cases, she added.

Dr Clare Gerada, former chair of the Royal College of GPs, has urged millennial medics to take themselves off Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to avoid 'vitriol' and 'hate'

Much of the trolling comes from informal forums where users are strongly opposed to certain medical practices, such as the prescription of antidepressants, Dr Gerada told The Telegraph.

Negative comments are often made in response to social media posts from doctors, she added.

'Twitter is a place where people sit waiting to be offended and doctors are more likely to tweet things that people will get upset about,' Dr Gerada, who has 42,800 followers on Twitter, said.

'I will sometimes take myself off social media for a week because people have upset me and it hurts, it hurts emotionally for people to attack you.'

Dr Gerada added the pressure of online abuse is creating an increasingly stressful working environment for medics at a time when the risk of legal and disciplinary action among junior doctors is already higher than it once was.

The PHP was established to help medics with physical and mental health problems they feel unable to discuss with their employers.

Doctors often hide conditions such as depression and alcoholism because they are concerned it may affect their careers, Dr Gerada claimed.

Medics can be referred to the PHP by the General Medical Council; medicine's official regulator.

Dr Gerada added getting confidential help is very difficult for doctors.

'Its the fear of it wrecking your career, as what tends to happen with doctors is that if they do disclose a mental illness it is never contained in just one person,' she said.

The issues will be raised at the Wounded Healer Conference in London on Thursday and Friday.

This comes after figures released earlier this year suggested three GPs a day are seeking help for 'meltdowns' as they struggle to take on the workloads of growing doctor vacancies.

Some 981 GPs referred themselves to the GP Health Service, which was set up to help doctors suffering from stress or burnout, between the end of November last year and the service's launch on January 30 2017.

'Practice meltdown' is the most common reason for self-referral, according to the service's chief executive Lucy Warner.
Stunning pictures show the remarkable transformation of a woman who was treated like a leper by stumped doctors who could not work out what was causing her red, scaly rash.

Marina Tirabassi, 23, from Ontario, started to develop itchy, raised patches on her skin while she juggled the stress of both studying and working as a retail manager.

With multiple tests coming back as negative, medics told Ms Tirabassi she had scarlet fever and even made her wear a mask to stop her infecting others.

With treatments having no effect, Ms Tirabassi's confidence took a battering when strangers would like at her with 'disgust' and colleagues even asked if she was contagious.

A month after the blemishes first appeared, she saw a dermatologist who diagnosed her with the auto-immune disorder guttate psoriasis last May.

Ms Tirabassi then made the one-and-a-half hour journey to Toronto three times a week, where she received UV light therapy.

Her skin immediately started to improve, with Ms Tirabassi being psoriasis-free ever since.

Marina Tirabassi was treated like a leper by doctors who could not work out what was causing her red, scaly rash. It first appeared when she was juggling the stress of both work and study

A month after her rash appeared, Ms Tirabassi visited a dermatologist and was diagnosed with psoriasis. She has since had UVB phototherapy to help improve her skin's appearance. Now without any flare ups, she is finally back to feeling confident in her own skin

Speaking of how her symptoms began, Ms Tirabassi said: 'In April 2017 I took a promotion at work and I was taking on more hours than I was used to, and I had a lot of responsibilities.

'Normally I wouldn't have had any issues with that, but it all happened right in the middle of my final exams, so I wasn't sleeping or eating properly.

'I then came down with strep throat as my body was so weak.'

Ms Tirabassi first noticed a red, scaly patch on her chest, which then spread to her face.

'When I went out in public I couldn't handle the looks from most people,' she said.

'The biggest challenge I had during that time was having to answer, "are you contagious?".

'The biggest thing that contributed to feeling so low was the looks of disgust that people gave me for something over which I had no control.'

But it was not until the imperfections started to appear on her abdomen that Ms Tirabassi became seriously concerned and went to see her doctor.

'When I was first diagnosed with scarlet fever I knew it was weird, but the rash looked very similar to the symptoms, so I trusted my doctor and didn't think much of it,' she said.

'I continued taking the antibiotics he prescribed and it wasn't until two weeks later when it still wasn't going away that I started to doubt the diagnosis.'

Before her diagnosis, Ms Tirabassi struggled with colleagues asking if she was infectious. She claims people would even look at her with 'disgust' whenever she left the house

Almost immediately after starting phototherapy, the redness on Ms Tirabassi's skin started to clear up (right). Now (left) she is left with just faint marks where her blemishes used to be

After multiple negative tests Ms Tirabassi took herself to hospital. While there, some medics thought it may be an allergic reaction, while another diagnosed her with scarlet fever. Ms Tirabassi was then treated like she was contagious and asked to wear a mask

WHAT IS PSORIASIS? Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that affects the skin and sometimes the joints. Around two per cent of people in the US and UK suffer from the condition. Psoriasis occurs when a person's skin replacement process takes place within days rather than the usual 21-to-28 days. The accumulation of skin cells builds up to form raised plaques, which can be flaky, scaly and itchy. Psoriasis arthritis can occur in the joints near affected skin, causing them to become tender, swollen and stiff. Anyone can suffer, but psoriasis is more common in people in their late teens-to-early 30s or those between the ages of 50 and 60. Psoriasis' cause is unclear. Flare-ups can be triggered by stress, skin injury, hormonal changes and certain medications. It is not contagious and there is no cure. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms via topical creams, gels and medication. Source: Psoriasis Association Advertisement

Growing increasingly concerned and frustrated that the prescribed medication was not working, Ms Tirabassi took herself to hospital.

'The doctors ran a whole bunch of blood tests and they were all stumped, so they just gave me Benadryl and sent me on my way,' she said.

'I felt completely defeated. I sat in the hospital for eight hours while they continued to poke at me and take my blood.

'Even the woman in triage forced me to wear a mask and everyone treated me like I was contagious. I didn't even take the Benadryl because I knew it wasn't an allergy.'

After a month of uncertainty, a dermatologist finally diagnosed Ms Tirabassi with psoriasis.

'The dermatologist knew what was wrong with me as soon as she looked at my skin and asked about the symptoms,' she said.

'As soon as she knew I had strep throat right before it happened, combined with an intense amount of stress, she knew. She didn't even have to do the skin biopsy.

'In that moment I had so many mixed emotions. I felt incredibly relieved and happy that someone could finally tell me what was going on.

'I was happy that I would finally be able to start an appropriate treatment that would actually help me.

'But I did feel incredibly low because I didn't know much about auto-immune diseases at that time.'

Ms Tirabassi also struggled to accept that the condition is incurable.

'I didn't feel like the treatment would work and I believed my skin would look this horrible and be this painful for the rest of my life,' she said.

Although down after her diagnosis, Ms Tirabassi felt empowered that she was finally able to make lifestyle changes to help ease her condition.

'I scratched my skin far too often. It's so incredibly dry and itchy, so it's very difficult to resist itching it,' she said.

'I kept trying to remind myself that if I scratched it I would leave my skin scarred.

'I tried to stay away from junk food and foods which are high in saturated fats and refined sugar which can promote inflammation.

'I also stopped drinking because alcohol is really bad for flare-ups.'

After her first three light-therapy sessions, Ms Tirabassi's skin started to improve. Although free of flare-ups for now, she is realistic stress may trigger the outbreaks again. For now, Ms Tirabassi has chosen to embrace her psoriasis as part of what makes her different

Since her skin has cleared up and her confidence returned, Ms Tirabassi feels 'like a warrior'

After her diagnosis, Ms Tirabassi started having UVB phototherapy to help improve her skin's appearance.

This involved driving an hour-and-a-half to Toronto three times a week for treatment.

'Phototherapy involves exposing the skin to ultraviolet light on a regular basis under medical supervision,' she explained.

'The results from this were pretty much immediate. I noticed changed after the first three sessions of UVB.

'It started to reduce the redness immediately and I was left with just light spots on my skin which eventually cleared away.'

Ms Tirabassi refuses to cover up saying that 'won't help spread awareness about autoimmune diseases'. Although she still gets the odd break out, they are nowhere near as itchy or uncomfortable as they were before treatment, with her striving to remain positive regardless

Before her diagnosis, Ms Tirabassi would treat her itchy, scaly skin with milk baths (pictured)

Since having phototherapy, Ms Tirabassi is psoriasis-free and finally has her confidence back.

'Although I do still have moments where I feel depressed and scared that it will return at any moment, I do my best to remain positive and to use my experience to spread awareness about autoimmune diseases,' she said.

'I feel like a warrior, and I may be fearful that it could return, but I know I can handle it.

'I haven't experienced a big flare-up since completing the treatment.

'I still get small patches here and there, but nothing that's really itchy or uncomfortable.'

Ms Tirabassi is determined to raise awareness of psoriasis via her Instragram page @psoriasis-warrior66.

'Covering up my experience won't help spread awareness about autoimmune diseases,' she said.

'We live in a society that is so corrupted by what we see in the media so when we see someone who looks different, we automatically assume it's abnormal.

'I decided to embrace my psoriasis, so I could help people understand and help others who are going through something similar.

'Treating my condition has allowed me to feel comfortable in my own skin.

'Before this, I had such an altered idea of what it means to be beautiful. Living with psoriasis has taught me patience because it takes time to heal.'
Expedition 56 Commander Drew Feustel (left) of NASA will hand over command of the station to German astronaut Alexander Gerst of ESA. Credit: NASA.

A NASA astronaut will swap command of the International Space Station with a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Wednesday at 10:10 a.m. live on NASA TV.

Expedition 56 Commander Drew Feustel will be handing the station "keys" over to German astronaut Alexander Gerst during the traditional change of command ceremony.

Expedition 57 officially starts Thursday at 3:57 a.m. EDT when Feustel and Flight Engineer Ricky Arnold undock in the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft commanded by cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev. Gerst, ESA's second astronaut to command the station, is remaining onboard to lead Expedition 57 Flight Engineers Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Sergey Prokopyev. The homebound trio will parachute to a landing in Kazakhstan at 7:45 a.m. (5:45 p.m. Kazakhstan time) just two orbits after undocking and 197 days in space.

Astronaut Nick Hague from NASA's astronaut class of 2014 and veteran station cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin will be the next crew to blast off to the space station. The duo will launch Oct. 11 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and take a six hour ride to their new home in space.

Amidst the crew departure activities today the station residents also worked space science and lab maintenance. Aunon-Chancellor worked on botany research inside the Plant Habitat located in the Columbus lab module. Gerst worked on hardware for the mobiPV study that is researching ways to increase productivity between astronauts and mission controllers. Departing astronauts Arnold and Feustel cleaned up their crew quarters.

On-Orbit Status Report

Functional Immune: The crew performed saliva collection activities as part of the Functional Immune experiment. Functional Immune analyzes blood and saliva samples to determine the changes taking place in crewmembers' immune systems during flight. The changes in the immune system are also compared with crewmembers' self-reported health information. Results are expected to provide new insight into the possible health risks of long-duration space travel, including future missions to Mars, asteroids, or other distant destinations.

Mobile Procedure Viewer (MobiPV): The crew performed the hardware checkout today. Although some issues were encountered with the user interface and connectivity, progress was made. MobiPV is intended to allow users to view procedures hands-free and aims to improve the efficiency of activity execution by giving crewmembers a wireless set of wearable, portable devices that utilize voice navigation and a direct audio/video link to ground experts. A smartphone is the primary device to interface with procedures. Images provided in procedure steps can be displayed on a Google Glass display.

Plant Hab-01: The crew performed the science carrier-2 plant thinning. In this activity, the young Arabidopsis plants were thinned from 5-6 in each location, to 1 or 2 plants in each location. This gives the remaining plants a better chance to continue their growth. Understanding how plants respond to the space environment will help crews on future missions successfully grow plants for food and oxygen generation. The Plant Habitat-1 investigation compares differences in genetics, metabolism, photosynthesis, and gravity sensing between various Arabidopsis plant lines grown in space and on Earth. This investigation is expected to provide key insights on major changes occurring in plants exposed to microgravity.

Crew Quarters (CQ) Clean: The 54S USOS crewmembers cleaned their CQs in preparation for their departure this week. During this task, the crew cleaned the intake and exhaust ducts, fans and airflow sensors. Velcro panel fasteners were installed on the Port CQ to replace the previous fasteners; the new Velcro panels will save crew time for future CQ cleanings.

H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) Rack Transfer: Today the crew transferred the Resupply Stowage Rack from Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) to HTV. After the rack transfer was complete, the crew performed hatch seal inspections on the following locations:

PMM

Node 3 - Forward and Starboard

Node 1 - Port and Forward

Lab - Aft and Forward

Node 2 - Port, Starboard, Aft, and Nadir

Columbus

Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Pressurized Module (JPM) - Starboard

HTV

Completed Task List Activities:

None

Ground Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Lab MCA Zero Calibration

Common Communications for Visiting Vehicles (C2V2) Radio Frequency (RF) Checkout Pass [Planned later today]

Two-Day Look Ahead:

Wednesday, 10/03:

Payloads

BEST experiment 3

Functional Immune (continuing)

LSG Software Load verification

J-SSOD 10 Install part 2

Systems

ER 9B and 10B umbilical mate

Change of Command

SSC Zbook Deploy

HTV Cargo Ops

54S Packing

Thursday, 10/04: 54S Undock and Landing

Payloads

Functional Immune (continuing)

METEOR laptop recovery

Systems

PMD Unpack and setup

Today's Planned Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

HRF Generic Saliva

HRF Generic Sample MELFI Retrieval And Insertion Operations

Functional Immune Saliva Collection Dry Book

Lighting Effects Sleep Log Entry

Auxiliary Computer System [] Laptops Antivirus Software Checkout and Report

MobiPV Troubleshooting Preparation

8K Setup Red Helium Camera for PLANT HABITAT-01 PLANT THINNING

Sanitary-Hygiene Status Monitoring

BIORISK. Biorisk-KM No.1 Tablet Dismantling and Transfer to stow in Soyuz 738

JEM Regenerative Heat Exchanger (RHX) Water pH testing and Wipe

Plant Habitat-01 Plant Thinning Hardware Gather

FENIKS. Dismantling Bioekologiya kits and handover for transfer to Soyuz 738

JEM System Laptop Terminal Reboot

Plant Habitat-01 Plant Thinning Procedure Review

Sanitary-Hygiene Status Monitoring

Plant Habitat-01 MWA Preparation

Soyuz 738 Samsung tablet recharging (start)

Plant Habitat-01 Door Removal

LBNP Training

Cyclops ICE Experiment Photos

Multi purpose Small Payload Rack 2(MSPR2) Microgravity Measurement Apparatus (MMA) Cable Connection

Binary Colloidal Alloy Test-Cohesive Sedimentation SB-800 Flash Battery Changeout

Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth

Plant Habitat-01 Plant Thinning Part 1

8K Recording of PLANT HABITAT-01 PLANT THINNING

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Full Fill

Glacier Ice Brick/Cold Block Retrieval

ISS Crew departure preparation

mobiPV Setup

 maintenance

PCS Battery Swap

mobiPV Checkout

Plant Habitat-01 Plant Thinning Part 2

Microbial Air Sampling

Crew Quarters (CQ) Battery Remove and Replace

mobiPV Stowage

Plant Habitat-01 Plant Thinning Glacier Insertion

Plant Habitat-01 Plant Thinning Part 3

Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth

Stowage PMM Rack Front Clear

Port Crew Quarters (CQ) Cleaning and Velcro Fastener Installation

Replacement of -2 Gas-Liquid Mixture Filter

Soyuz 738 Samsung tablet recharging, end

Soyuz 738 stowage ops for return. Note 7

Resupply Stowage Rack (RSR) Transfer from PMM1O2 to HTV-7

Public Affairs Office (PAO) High Definition (HD) Config JEM Setup

PAO Preparation

-2 Filter-Reactor R&R

Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) - JEM

Crew Quaters (CQ) Starboard Cleaning

HRF Generic Ambient Blood Collection Setup

Changeout of -2 purification column assembly []

Stowage PMM Replace

HTV-7 Rack Transfer Stowage Restow

USOS Hatch Seal Inspections after HTV-7 Rack Transfers.

Stowage of the equipment for return on Soyuz 738.

ISS HAM Service Module Pass

Crew Quaters (CQ) Starboard Cleaning

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Personal Medication Stow

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A man has revealed how he has died nine times from a condition that regularly makes his heart stop.

Jamie Poole, from Australia's Sunshine Coast and living in London, has had cardiac arrests  in which his heart suddenly stops beating  regularly since he was 20.

He has been lucky enough to survive his heart-weakening condition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but doctors say his heart may only last another five years.

Mr Poole admits his mother asks him 'Have you died this week?' when she phones, and he tries to enjoy life as much as possible despite his dangerous illness.

He calls stairs his 'mortal enemy' and has been told by doctors to avoid exercise  but has travelled all over the world and been snowboarding in the Alps.

Scroll down for video

Jamie Poole, 29, (pictured in hospital after surgery to install a device to automatically reset his heart) was born with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which a portion of the heart becomes thickened

Mr Poole was born with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which a portion of the heart muscle becomes thickened  it is thought to affect one in 5,000 people.

This makes the organ less able to pump blood properly around the body, causing sometimes fatal complications.

Some patients can live with the condition and not suffer serious effects, but Mr Poole said his is more complicated and potentially deadly.

He suffers from cardiac arrests, in which blood stops coming out of the heart  this is different to a heart attack, which happens when heart's own blood supply is cut off.

He now has an electronic device called an ICD inside his body which can restart his heart automatically when it stops.

'The first time I had a cardiac arrest was when I was 20,' said Mr Poole, who works as a creative technologist. 'They took 45 minutes of CPR to get me up.

'I woke up a week later from a coma and was told everything that happened.

Mr Poole (pictured in the Alps, where he went snowboarding) had his first cardiac arrest when he was 20 but said he is committed to living a full life despite the risk of his heart stopping at any time

'The second time I was at my cousin's. I felt dizzy and went into cardiac arrest. I remember waking up thinking "did I really go to my cousins or was it all a dream?"'

He then enjoyed a two-and-a-half year spell without trouble until suffering another four heart attacks within three weeks of each other after moving to London.

He said: 'The third time was actually not until two-and-a-half years later, my first in London, while I was walking to work.

'The fourth time was actually fourth and fifth.

'I stubbornly went straight back to work after my third cardiac arrest and, exactly one week later, I woke up at the bottom of the stairwell, before going into yet another cardiac arrest.

'The sixth time I was walking to work again, and once again exactly one week after my fourth and fifth. I probably should have taken a break.'

Mr Poole has now been fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), a device implanted inside the body to help reset the heart during a cardiac arrest

Mr Poole believes he has had every near-death experience possible, from the out-of-body experience to seeing a 'white light' and a 'golden light'.

He called it his 'eight seconds of dying', when he knows what's coming but can't do anything about it.

JAMIE POOLE'S NINE LIVES Jamie Poole, 29, who lives in London, has had nine potentially deadly cardiac arrests since he was 20 years old. These are his memories of all the times he 'died': October 2009 . His first cardiac arrest happened at the age of 20  it took 45 minutes of CPR to save him and he spent a week in a coma. February 2011 . At his cousin's house, he started feeling dizzy then woke up thinking he had dreamed the entire thing. May 2013 . Two-and-a-half years after the second incident, he had moved to London and was walking to work when he collapsed in the street. May 2013. Just one week after his cardiac arrest in the street, he remembers waking up at the bottom of the stairwell at work. May 2013. Moments after waking up at the bottom of the stairs in episode four, he had another cardiac arrest. May 2013. Just one week after episode five, he collapsed in the street while walking to work again. June 2013 . It started raining on his lunch break so he jogged to a nearby cafe to get lunch and, when he returned to the office, he had a cardiac arrest and woke up on the ground surrounded by colleagues. August 2015 . He had a cardiac arrest at an airport in Australia during a trip to renew his visa. Paramedics took his shirt off and shaved his chest in front of 300 people before attaching ECG wires to his skin. He called it 'one of the most embarrassing moments of my life'. May 2017 . On a treadmill at a hospital during an assessment for a heart transplant, doctors turned off the electronic device which resets his heart's rhythm when he has a problem. Shortly after it was switched off he had a cardiac arrest and heard the doctor call for help, before waking up to someone doing CPR on his chest. Advertisement

'The seventh time [I had a cardiac arrest was] during lunch,' he said.

'It started raining so I sort of jogged to the cafe where I got my food from.

'Once back to the office, I felt myself go into cardiac arrest and woke up to colleagues lowering my head towards the ground.'

He added: 'The eighth time was at an airport, back in Australia. I was over there to get my visa renewed.

'It's actually one of the most embarrassing moments of my life because when the paramedics got there they had to take my shirt off to put in on the ECG leads, and I got shaved in front of 300 people at the terminal which was an interesting experience.

'And then the ninth time and final time, so far, was luckily at the hospital.

'Unfortunately they turned off my ICD as they had me on the treadmill to do a transplant assessment.

'I actually remember seeing the physiologist slam the emergency stop button on the treadmill.

'He yelled out "I need some help in here" and then I collapsed and passed out at that point. I woke up to the physiologist performing CPR on my chest.'

Mr Poole has now been fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), a device implanted inside the body to help reset the heart during a cardiac arrest.

He said: 'About a year ago I had a battery replacement. So they bought me in for surgery. I was actually awake the whole time.

'Laying there on this operating table with my head to the side I could hear the doctor screwing in wrenches and laser cutting things.

'It sounded like he was working on car more than a body.'

Mr Poole's cardiologist, Dr Amanda Varnava, has even recommended Jamie stays away from exercise to avoid triggering his heart trouble.

Mr Poole said: 'It's weird advice to hear from a doctor that you shouldn't do exercise. It sort of goes against every sort of rule that you see around in society.'

Mr Poole, who lives in London, had four cardiac arrests in the space of three weeks after he moved to the city from his home country of Australia

Mr Poole (pictured in New York on holiday) has to take it easy when he is commuting to work and has to walk slowly up stairs, which he said are his 'mortal enemy'

Pictured preparing for a scan, Mr Poole's ninth and most recent cardiac arrest happened in a hospital while he was on a treadmill being assessed for a heart transplant which may be his only option in future

Mr Poole (pictured at Stonehenge in Wiltshire) said he has had various near-death experiences  from the 'out of body' experience to the 'white light' and the 'golden light'

WHAT IS HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY? Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a condition where the heart muscle becomes thickened. Around one in 5,000 people have the condition, and it most commonly develops during the teenage years or young adulthood. However, the symptoms vary depending on the severity. These include shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, dizziness and fainting attacks - most commonly during exercise. It can cause the heart muscle to become stiff, which means your left ventricle doesn't fill as easily as normal and less blood is then pumped out. It can also partially obstruct blood flow, which can make small blood clots more likely. Advertisement

Mr Poole's heart condition means he has to take everyday precautions, such as ensuring he takes his time during his busy train commute  especially on stairs.

He added: 'Stairs seem to be my mortal enemy in a way.'

However, each near death experience has been different for the creative technologist.

He said: 'I'd like to say that I have had every near death experience possible. I have had the 'out of body' experience. I have had the 'white light', the 'golden light' sort of experience.

'It's interesting, I don't believe in the after-life or any of those sort of experiences actually happening. But obviously after experiencing these first hand I can definitely understand why people believe in them.'

Despite Mr Poole's heart condition, he is determined not to let it affect the way he lives and enjoys his life.

He said: 'It's funny every time my mum calls she asks me  have you died this week? I am happy to answer  not this week.

Mr Poole (pictured at the Colosseum in Rome) said when he speaks to his mother on the phone she asks him 'Have you died this week?'

Mr Poole, pictured in hospital, has been told his heart may only last another five years and he could need a transplant to be able to survive  he called the appointment 'scary'

'I think I'm risking a little bit more just for those moments of experience.

'I think there is some level of risk I like to take to make sure that I am still experiencing an interesting, full life.

'I went snowboarding down the French Alps and it didn't even cross my mind that might actually be dangerous for my condition.'

In the future Mr Poole is looking to get a heart transplant, as doctors are unsure how much longer his heart will last.

He said: 'About three years ago I probably had the scariest doctor appointment I've ever had where Dr Varnava told me that my heart probably wouldn't last another five years.

'That was one of the most depressing points of my life. So a transplant may be the only option that can help me live a longer life.

'Who knows, I might have my custom heart built out of stem cells one day. As long as I live that long to see those kind of improvements then I am happy.

'The advice that I would give to somebody after I've had my experiences is definitely just enjoy the little things in life, don't take them for granted and cherish those moments.

'I think my other advice would be that memories are more valuable than things. Go and experience the world.'
In order to save her daughter's life, an HIV-positive mother in South Africa had to make an excruciating decision between watching her little girl die of liver disease or infecting the girl with HIV by donating her own liver.

More than seven million South Africans are living with HIV, and the country has the most widespread antiretroviral therapy program in the world.

Though the program allows many to live long and healthy lives, their organs are still outside of typical protocols.

But the worldwide shortage of organs is now as pressing an issue as HIV, and experts in the US and abroad have begun to loosen donation restrictions to save lives.

The South African woman's HIV-positive liver was the best hope for her daughter, who had no other options and little time as her own liver was quickly failing.

A year after the groundbreaking operation, the team from Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre reports that both mother and daughter have made full recoveries, and that treatment with PrEP may have kept the girl free of HIV.

For the first time ever, doctors have intentionally transplanted the liver of an HIV-positive person - a mother in South Africa - to an uninfected one - her dying daughter, a report reveals

HIV is not the death sentence it was considered in the 1980s and 1990s.

With the development of far more effective antiretroviral therapies (ART) and PrEP, the infection is exponentially more treatable and preventable than it had been in past decades.

Life expectancies for those with HIV have become nearly as long as those without the disease, and the viral load can be suppressed to the point that it is not sexually transmissible.

These momentous gains made in HIV/AIDS medicine are not mirrored in the world of transplants.

'There are shortages of organs for transplantation and often people find themselves in a situation where they very well may lose their lives for not having an available transplants,' Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), told Daily Mail Online.

There simply are not enough organs available around the world. As a result, an average of 20 people die a day waiting for organs.

To ensure that the dangerous operations are as safe as possible, there have historically been very tight regulations and requirements for organs to be accepted into transplant programs.

But as shortages only get worse, and treatment for other transmissible disease improves, health officials and organizations have slowly been relaxing some restrictions.

In the US, the HOPE Act of 2015 opened the door for organs to be transplanted from one living donor with HIV to a positive recipient.

Similarly, exclusions of organs from deceased drug users are also being reexamined.

Now, the first case of a liver transplanted from a living HIV-positive donor to an HIV-negative recipient is offering proof of concept that when a life is on the line, a manageable infection may be worth the risk.

In another first, the team at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre in Johannesburg first treated the daughter with PrEP, in an effort to lower the risks that she would be infected with HIV from the transplanted liver.

After the transplant was safely completed, the doctors at first detected HIV antibodies in the child's body, suggesting that she had been infected.

But now, a year later, the antibodies have begun to disappear.

'At the moment, we are developing new methods for testing the child, and we hope to be able to have a definitive answer to the question of seroconversion in future,' said Dr Caroline Tiemessen, a professor at the Wits Centre for HIV and STIs.

'For now the child will remain on ART until we have a more comprehensive picture.'

Even if she does remain infected, 'the potential of saving a life [in this case] was worth the risk, and it is a risk, not a definite,' Dr Fauci said.

'Clearly, the child would have died if the transplant had not occurred, and given the state of our ability to successful manage life with HIV infection for a long time, the decision to risk an infection you can control as opposed to the almost certain death of a child ... I think was appropriate.'

The child's future will remain uncertain, as the infection appears to be receding, but could return, but for now she and her mother are both living and well.

A transplant between family members - HIV-positive or otherwise - is always best with living donors, in order to ensure compatibility and lower rejection risks.

But 'there is nothing in this case that says it could only have been from a mother to a young child,' Dr Fauci says.

For the time being, such decisions will need to be made on a case-by-case basis, as the technique is 'not quite yet proven ... [and] sensitive in terms of having a medical and ethical analysis involved,' he explains.

But it does 'open up another channel in situations in which there are no other options except a donor living with HIV,' Dr Fauci added.

When faced with 'the idea of death, versus living with disease,' Dr Fauci added,'living with disease is preferable.'
The NHS will offer Australian doctors a 'relocation package' of up to 18,500 to move to the UK as it tries to hire more GPs to battle a staffing crisis.

The health service will target GPs who previously left the UK for Australia and are looking to return home, as well as Australian GPs who want to live in the UK.

NHS England's director of care says the UK is 'pulling out all the stops' as it tries to bring in doctors from a country where training and quality are as high as at home.

Figures last week revealed as many as 2.5 million patients are at risk of losing their surgeries in the next five years because so many doctors are close to retiring.

Around 10,000 GPs in the NHS are expected to quit or retire within the next ten years and the health service is now expanding the number of doctors it is trying to recruit from overseas to plug a staff shortage

Doctor recruitment is being widened to Australia after the NHS received applications from more than 1,200 GPs in Europe.

NHS England's director of primary care delivery Dominic Hardy said: 'It's no secret the NHS needs to recruit more GPs.

'So it makes sense to head to Australia where doctors' skills, training and high levels of care closely match those of their British counterparts.

'The recruitment programme is gathering momentum with interest from GPs in Europe and we also have more home-grown GPs in training than ever before.

'But why stop there when we know many Australians would welcome the opportunity to work in an English clinical practice.'

In September 2015, then-Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, pledged there would be 5,000 extra GPs in England by 2020.

But the number of full-time doctors in the workforce has fallen by more than 1,000 since then.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has long warned of a 'crisis' in the GP workforce.

It last week released figures suggesting that three-quarters are aged 55 or older and approaching retirement age.

As a result, some 762 doctors' surgeries across the UK are at risk of disappearing by 2023 because at least three quarters of their GPs are close to retiring.

NHS GP SHORTAGE IS A 'DESPERATE SITUATION' Official figures showed in February that 41 per cent of GPs  around 10,000 doctors  are 50 or over and are expected to quit within the next five to ten years. And 2.5 million patients are at risk of their local GP surgery closing because so many are relying on doctors who are close to retirement, it was last week revealed. At the same time, fewer young doctors are choosing to specialise as GPs and are opting for other career paths as surgeons or specialists. Many GPs are retiring in their 50s, moving abroad or leaving to work in the private sector, increasing the pressure on those who still work in the sector. Appointment waiting times are getting longer and more people are going to A&E for minor illnesses because they can't see a doctor. Despite an NHS a plan to recruit 5,000 extra GPs by 2021, numbers of family doctors are falling. And 762 GP practices across the UK could close within the next five years, according to the Royal College of Nursing. Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, last week told The Times: 'This is a desperate situation with potentially serious consequences for patients.' Advertisement

Figures in February showed a massive 10,000 (41 per cent) GPs are expected to quit within the next 10 years.

And there are fewer young doctors choosing careers as family doctors, in part because workloads have become so large and stressful.

Chair of the RCGP, Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard said: 'Australia is the first country we have evaluated because we know their training and experience is similar to that of the UK and there are doctors wanting to come to the UK.

'The streamlined system is intended to cut out a huge amount of bureaucracy, and bring these doctors into placements and work much quicker than before.'

NHS England said another 700 doctors have applied to join an improved recruitment scheme for GPs, including more than 200 from overseas.

Domestically-trained doctors whose membership has run out and have not practised for two years or more will be encouraged to start working again.

And they will be joined by new international doctors who are joining the NHS for the first time.

NHS England's Mr Hardy added: 'We are pulling out all the stops to solve the shortage of GPs.

'That's why we are commissioning two specialist UK recruitment agencies to target Aussie doctors and stretch our search for top talent from Europe to the other side of the world.

'Our message is that we want to encourage doctors to think about practising as a GP in England and we will support them all the way.'

Una Lane, director of registration for the General Medical Council (GMC) added: 'Overseas doctors already make a huge contribution to UK health care.

'The GMC has worked with the RCGP to streamline the process and to reduce the bureaucracy for doctors in Australia who want to work here.

'As standards in Australia are similar to our own it should be as easy as possible for doctors from there to come to the UK, while at the same time maintaining the high standards that patients rightly expect from their GPs.'
Thousands of women are feared to have been falsely told they are pregnant after taking faulty tests sold on the high street.

Officials today warned 58,000 faulty Clear & Simple digital pregnancy tests were being recalled by the Chinese manufacturer.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced a batch of the tests were giving out false positive readings.

It issued the alert about the manufacturing error this morning. But the body, which polices the safety of medical products, today admitted it received notice of the recall a month ago.

MailOnline has already been contacted by one woman, who was devastated when her 'positive' Clear & Simple pregnancy test allegedly turned out to be false.

The 22-year-old restaurant worker said her boyfriend was 'so happy' when they found out the news and added they were in the 'right situation' to start a family.

Health officials have advised women who have purchased Clear & Simple Digital Pregnancy Tests to check their product isn't affected

The body, which polices the safety of medical products, has now urged all women who have bought one of the tests to check theirs isn't affected.

Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech announced it was are recalling one lot of faulty Clear & Simple Digital Pregnancy Tests, which usually retail for between 3 and 4.

The manufacturer, based in Guangzhou in China, estimates more than 58,000 affected tests have been distributed in the UK.

In alert issued to Healthpoint, the distributor of the tests in the UK, the firm revealed how the test was producing false positive results.

Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech told the distributor an investigation showed the rib height of some test strip brackets were wrong.

It said this meant there was a large gap between the test strip bracket and the plastic enclosure of the digital pregnancy test.

In the alert, the firm added: 'Therefore, it made a change in the light path of some products which eventually led to a larger signal value resulting in false positive results.'

The alert was sent to Healthpoint on September 1. But the MHRA alert only came through today. It is unsure if tests in other countries are affected.

A spokesperson for the MHRA told MailOnline it received notice from Healthpoint on September 7.

They added: 'As soon as MHRA received the notification from the manufacturer we began our own internal processes to clarify the situation, including working out the magnitude of the issue and potential risks to public health.

'This understandably took some time.

'At MHRA we need to make sure our response to any report of device faults is proportionate and pragmatic.'

Officials issued the alert about the manufacturing error this morning. However, the body today admitted it received notice of the recall a month ago (pictured: a letter from the manufacturer to Healthpoint, the distributor of the tests in the UK)

RESTAURANT WORKER, 22, WAS LEFT DEVASTATED WHEN HER 'POSITIVE' CLEAR & SIMPLE PREGNANCY TEST TURNED OUT TO BE FALSE A restaurant worker was left devastated when her 'positive' Clear & Simple pregnancy test allegedly turned out to be false. The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, bought the test for around 2.99 from Home Bargains in July after she came off the pill and missed a period. After being told she could not get a GP appointment for the next two weeks and suffering from severe abdominal pain, she called the non-emergency number NHS 111. Concerned she became pregnant so quickly after coming off the pill, NHS workers told the 22-year-old she may be suffering from an ectopic pregnancy and urged her to go to hospital immediately. Although the woman, from Rossendale, Lancashire, and her 26-year-old boyfriend had not been trying for a baby, they had discussed starting a family in the past and were excited by the 'positive' result. 'My boyfriend was really happy, hes ready for children,' she told MailOnline. 'We both work full time, we have a mortgage, were in the right situation for it.' Once at hospital, she spent more than eight hours doing urine and blood tests before being told she was not pregnant. 'The whole thing was so nerve-racking,' she said. 'Ectopic pregnancies are so dangerous and often need surgery to be removed so it was scary.' Ectopic pregnancies occur when a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb, usually in one of the fallopian tubes. She added: 'The box said it was 99.9 per cent accurate so I expected the result to be true. I feel really let down and Ill never ever use that brand again.' Advertisement

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY PREGNANCY TEST IS AFFECTED? Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech announced it was are recalling one lot of faulty Clear & Simple Digital Pregnancy Tests. The manufacturer estimates more than 58,000 affected tests have been distributed in the UK. The MHRA said the affected Clear & Simple Digital Pregnancy Tests have the catalogue number DM-102. Officials warned they also have the lot number DM10220170710E and expire in January 2020. Why are the tests giving false positive readings? In alert dated September 1 and sent to Healthpoint, the distributor of the tests in the UK, the firm revealed how the test was producing false positive results. Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech told the distributor an investigation showed the rib height of some test strip brackets were wrong. It said this meant there was a large gap between the test strip bracket and the plastic enclosure of the digital pregnancy test. In the alert, the firm added: 'Therefore, it made a change in the light path of some products which eventually led to a larger signal value resulting in false positive results.' Advertisement

Healthpoint said the Clear & Simple digital pregnancy tests can be purchased at Bodycare and Poundworld, before the latter went bust.

The test is marketed as being 99.9 per cent accurate and giving results in just five minutes.

Home pregnancy tests detect a hormone called beta human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) found in the blood and the urine which is produced by the developing placenta.

Women who have bought an affected Clear & Simple product should use other tests to determine if they are pregnant.

Dr Duncan McPherson, MHRA's clinical director of medical devices, said any affected tests can be returned to wherever they were bought from.

He added: 'It is important people check the lot number of any Clear & Simple Digital Pregnancy Tests they have purchased to see if they have a product from an affected lot.

'If you have any questions about using digital pregnancy tests, please speak to your healthcare professional.

'Patient safety is our highest priority. We strongly encourage anyone to report any issues with this product, or more generally with any medical device, to our Yellow Card Scheme.'

The Clear & Simple Digital Pregnancy Tests that have been affected have the lot number DM10220170710E and expire in January 2020.

The MHRA has issued alerts over a string of faulty products in the past few months, including 10 batches of Durex condoms that could burst during sex.

And in July it also issued a recall of scores of faulty tourniquets that may not have stopped patients from bleeding to death.

The month before it recalled 200,000 bottles of blackcurrant cough syrups for children sold in supermarkets.
Christine Miller is petite; her oldest daughter is petite; so when her youngest, Stella, was still very little at 12 months old, she wasn't immediately concerned.

But three months later, in March, Stella was still not growing. In fact, she had lost a little weight since her 12-month appointment.

It took a month-long hospital stay for the Miller family to find out that their little girl had an extremely rare metabolic disease, called cystinosis.

Now, everything Stella consumes comes to her through a tube into the 20-month-old's belly, and some day she will need a kidney transplant.

Because her condition is so rare - and so serious - Stella's life-sustaining medications are jaw-droppingly expensive, including a bottle of eye drops that costs $2,000 a week.

And keeping up with her medications, feeding schedule and side effects has become a full time job for her family.

Stella Miller is 20 months old and has to have all of her meals as well as 10 different medications a day administered through a gastric tube due cystinosis, a rare kidney disorder

With continued proper treatment, Stella can have a reasonably normal childhood - and from her standpoint she already does.

The cherubic little girl hardly seems to notice the tube extending from her abdomen, her mother says.

Stella (right) needs 24-hour care, so Christine (center) is taking the year off of teaching second grade to take care of Stella, Christian (left) and Zava (bottom left)

'She doesn't know any other way,' Christine told Daily Mail Online.

'I don't think she remembers life before a [gastric] tube, before around-the-clock medications and weekly appointments.'

But Christine does.

She remembers waiting 28 days in the hospital with her daughter as vile after vile was filled with Stella's blood and tested for all manner of conditions - just to have them ruled out, one after another.

Christine and her husband, Nate, learned only a little bit at a time about what was happening to their daughter.

They discovered Stella had Fanconi Syndrome, which was causing her kidneys to malfunction and fail to properly absorb metabolites. Instead, components of her nutrition are washed out of Stella's body with her urine.

But doctors suspected more was going on.

Finally, a vile of Stella's blood was sent to one of only two labs in the US equipped to diagnosis cystinosis. Stella's blood had the markers of the disease.

It only affects about an estimated 2,000 people worldwide, but symptoms become evident early.

Just like Stella, children with cystinosis fail to gain weight and therefore strength to walk in their first year of life.

The Fire Department in the Miller family's hometown of Port Clinton, Ohio, held a 5K fundrasier in Stella's honor, and she attended with her father, Nate (left) and mother, Christine (right)

Christine says that she and her husband didn't realize that their daughter looked sick for the first hear of her life (left). Now, Stella is growing, looks healthier and hits milestones (right)

Her diagnosis meant that the Miller family and their medical team could get Stella back on track, but it also meant that their routine was about to radically change.

'Since May, we've been learning how to manage our new lifestyle, it's been a life-altering experience for us,' Christine says.

Stella needs 10 different medications, and because she is so young, getting her to swallow them was going to be a challenge.

And the key drug to treat cystinosis - cysteamine - is foul-tasting, so patients sometimes fail to take it.

Plus, Stella had developed 'food aversion,' so she would barely eat, and the medication side effects made it worse.

'To keep her healthy requires a very strict medication schedule. We're giving her medications 10 times throughout the day through the G-tube in her belly. She doesn't eat by mouth, so it's been life-saving,' says Christine.

Christine was a second grade teacher in Port Clinton, Ohio, where the family lives. But Stella's treatment and feeding schedules are so demanding she was hesitant to hire anyone else to look after her daughter.

Stella had to stay at the hospital for a month, awaiting diagnosis while being fed through a tube in her nose

So Christine is taking this year off from teaching.

When she's not making sure that Stella is getting her medications, Christine is fighting with the Miller family's insurance company - Aetna - to make sure they have access to the drugs in the first place.

'It's a never-ending battle,' Christine says.

She claims that Aetna has tried to argue that it isn't obligated to cover some of the most crucial things to keeping her daughter alive - like her formula, for instance.

'They say that a lot of things she's taking have over-the-counter ingredients, so they're just telling us these are over-the-counter [items],' Christine says.

'But we can't just go get them at the store, they have to be mixed in the pharmacy.'

Stella's baby formula is made by Pediasure - one of the biggest brands for over-the-counter formula - but it isn't the $10 a pack bottle you can buy at the grocery store.

A month's supply of gastric tube-formulated food is $600.

'I can't buy it in the store, I have to buy it from a medical supply company,' says Christine.

She estimates that about half of the medications that Stella needs aren't covered, costing her family $400 a month out of pocket.

Fortunately the some of the most expensive ones are paid for by Aetna - at least until the company finds a reason they shouldn't be.

Stella (center) is now 20 months and hardly lets her feeding tube slow her down, running eagerly after her brother, Christian (eight, left), and sister, Zava (five, right)

Among these are eye drops to that on their own would cost $2,000 a week.

Stella's body doesn't properly metabolize an amino acid, called cystine, so the substance builds up and forms crystals to form that could blind the little girl if her parents didn't constantly administer the drops throughout the day.

In spite of it all, Stella remains a happy child, smiling easily and chasing after her eight-year-old brother, Christian, and five-year-old sister, Zava, eager to do everything they do.

Though Stella's diagnosis brought immense change, Christine has taken comfort in being able to connect with other families of children with cystinosis, learning that these children can lead happy, active lives well into adulthood.

'I'm not really sure what to expect as she gets older,' Christine says, but she hopes that a desire to get rid of the feeding tube will encourage Stella to eat by mouth as she gets older.

'But we rally around her and make sure she has the best life she can. We've been forewarned about some things to expect' - like the kidney transplant Stella will one day need - 'but for now we're enjoying those milestones she's meeting: talking, singing, dancing,' Christine says.

'From the outside looking in, you would never guess that that little girl had such big challenges ahead, or daily struggles.'
A Nebraska woman was infected with salmonella in her breast implant after doctors say she came down with traveler's diarrhea during a vacation in Mexico.

In a case report from the journal JPRAS Open, surgeons from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha presented the case of a 34-year-old patient who underwent a breast augmentation and lift.

Five months later, she went to Cancun where she experienced abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever and was diagnosed with the illness traveler's diarrhea.

She visited her doctors at the medical center when she returned to the US, complaining of swelling and pain in her right breast. An ultrasound revealed fluid around her implant that contained cultures of the bacteria salmonella.

The doctors argue in the report that her gastrointestinal illness from her trip to Mexico passed into the bloodstream, resulting in the infection of the implant.

But Dr Stuart Linder, a plastic surgeon from Beverly Hills, California, is skeptical of this explanation and told Daily Mail Online that he believes it's more likely a trace of Salmonella entered her implant during her initial operation, and lay dormant for months.

A 34-year-old woman's breast implants became infected with salmonella after doctors say she came down with traveler's diarrhea during a vacation in Mexico. Pictured: the woman's breasts after she said her right one was in pain and swelling published in the journal JPRAS Open,

The unnamed patient underwent a breast augmentation and lift at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and went on a trip to Cancun, Mexico, five months later. Pictured: the woman before her operation published in the journal JPRAS Open

In the report, the authors wrote the woman visited the University of Nebraska Medical Center to undergo a breast augmentation and lift.

She received silicone implants for her augmentation and the surgeons wrote in the paper that the procedure went well.

One week later, she went in for a follow-up visit where physicians noted she was doing well aside from mild muscle spasms, which were treated with diazepam.

Most often marketed under the name Valium, diazepam is used to treat anxiety, muscle spasms and seizures.

Approximately five months later, she went on vacation to Cancun, Mexico.

During her time there she experienced symptoms including fever, chills, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

After the symptoms persisted upon her return to the US, doctors determined she had traveler's diarrhea.

Traveler's diarrhea is a gastrointestinal illness caused by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water.

Contrary to popular belief, food is actually the primary cause of the illness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that around 80 percent of cases are caused by bacteria, most commonly E. Coli.

Traveler's diarrhea typically goes away on its own after a few days without the need for medication.

Nine days after her return to the US, she reported that her symptoms had improved.

But, two weeks later, she visited the clinic again - this time complaining of pain and swelling in her right breast.

An ultrasound revealed there was a fluid around the implant despite no drainage from her incision.

Doctors prescribed her amoxicillin-clavulanate, a combination medicine that treats bacterial infections.

Three days later, she returned with a large abscess in the lower part of her right breast and reddened skin.

She was taken to an operating room where the abscess was incised and drained and the implant was removed.

The surgeons took cultures of the fluid that grew the bacteria salmonella.

She came down with traveler's diarrhea during her trip and later complained of pain and swelling in her right breast. An ultrasound revealed fluid around the implant (pictured, published in the journal JPRAS Open)

The implant was removed and cultures of the fluid grew the bacteria salmonella (pictured)

Salmonella infections occur after eating raw meat and eggs or foods that are contaminated with the bacteria.

Although less common, the bacteria can cause cases of traveler's diarrhea.

The authors say that past research has shown salmonella infections can occur outside the intestine due to the ability of the bacteria to live within a type of cell that absorbs bacteria, which then circulates in the bloodstream.

Dr Linder, a board-certified plastic surgeon who focuses on body work, is not convinced.

'Anything is possible but, in my 21 years of this, I've never heard of a single case of a salmonella infection in an implant,' he told Daily Mail Online.

His hypothesis is that the woman was contaminated during surgery, likely from someone who didn't wash their hand before the operation.

'I believe it was likely intraoperative. And I'm not saying it was necessarily the surgeon, it could have been the scrub tech or the assistant surgeon,' he said.

Dr Linder believes the bacteria remained dormant in the pocket created for the implant.

The bacteria could have then formed a biofilm, which is when microbial cells stick together and often to a surface.

As the patient became more active, even started working out, the biofilm may have opened up and spread - resulting in the infection.

'It's just highly unlikely that it crossed from the gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream, passed through the tissues and through the capsule,' he said.

Capsules of scar tissue, the body's self-defense mechanism in warding off antigens, form a barrier around any breast implant.

The capsule generally helps keep breast implants and place and prevents them from slipping.

'After five months, the capsule would be well-formed. It's unlikely that the bacteria would pass it and surround the implant,' Dr Linder said.

He added that only about one to two percent of breast augmentations result in an infection and that most occur 10 to 14 days after the procedure.

'Five months later? Oh, give me a break,' he said. '[The bacteria] was likely seated in there the whole time.'

Daily Mail Online reached out to the researchers, who declined to comment for this story.
Clinics are 'struggling' to cope with soaring numbers of STIs because dating apps are encouraging casual sex, an expert has warned.

Cases of syphilis rose by 53 per cent between 2016 and 2017 in Wales, according to the latest official figures. The figures mirror the rise across the rest of the UK.

A senior doctor has blamed hook-up and dating mobile apps for making it harder to contact people's past partners and stop the spread of infections.

Apps like Tinder and Grindr, on which people can find and arrange to meet sexual partners online, have repeatedly been blamed for spreading STIs.

Mobile dating apps could be contributing to the rise of STIs in the UK because they make it easier for people to have casual sex and it can be more difficult for them to notify ex-partners when they're diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection

Dr Olwen Williams, president of the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV, said show a 'genuine rise' in STIs - rather than just more people getting tested.

He told the BBC: 'The frequency of app hook-ups and dating apps used as a sort of medium to access sexual activity seems to have increased significantly.

'What we can say about sexual mixing and sexual networking is that things have changed considerably.

'We're seeing a genuine rise in STIs. If we were just seeing an increase in testing then our figures would look slightly different, but it feels that way.

'Certainly in my career I've never seen so much gonorrhoea or syphilis in my area, ever.'

Case of gonorrhoea also rose by 21 per cent between 2016 and 2017, Public Health Wales revealed.

ENGLISHMAN CURED OF DRUG-RESISTANT GONORRHOEA An Englishman who caught the 'world's worst' case of super-gonorrhoea was cured in April 2018 with a last-ditch antibiotic. In the first recorded case worldwide, the unidentified man caught a version of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) that was resistant to two crucial drugs. Health officials revealed he caught it from a one-night stand with a woman during his travels to south east Asia earlier this year  despite having a girlfriend in the UK. Public Health England (PHE) issued a warning over the the STI, which is resistant to ceftriaxone and azithromycin - the two drugs recommended for gonorrhoea. But the Government agency revealed the man was cured with the antibiotic ertapenem and said he had not spread it in the UK. World Health Organization (WHO) experts raised fears two years ago the STI, once known as the 'clap', could become immune to antibiotics in a 'matter of years'. Advertisement

Chlamydia, HIV and herpes are all on the rise in the country as well, but the number of new cases of genital warts fell during the same period.

Young people  those between 15 and 24 years old  have the most new cases of STIs.

When people are diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections they are advised to tell their current and past partners and suggest they get tested, too.

This can help people get diagnosed earlier and limit the spread of infections.

But apps which allow fast, easy meetings with strangers can make it more difficult for people to get in touch with people they've had sex with in the past.

Dr Williams said earlier this month: 'What we are finding is its a little bit more difficult to get partners in because they can often be anonymous people who they met on Tinder and Grindr.

There have been warnings that a lack of Government funding could be affecting how well STI clinics are run.

Dr Williams added: 'Our biggest issue is around our staffing because we really do struggle to do outreach, to actually do partner notification [and] if we're not doing that then all we'll do is see an increase in STIs in Wales.

'I think services will struggle if we don't get investment.'

The same comments have been made about the rest of the NHS, with fewer people getting tested for STIs but a higher proportion of patients testing positive.

Helen Donovan, of the Royal College of Nursing said in May: 'This is a worrying picture of understaffed services going to extreme lengths to try to cope, even turning people away  the last thing a health professional ever wants to do.

'If people are not able to access services then serious STIs could go undiagnosed and untreated  it is a major risk to public health.'

Syphilis and gonorrhoea infections are also rising in England, with an average of 794 new STI diagnoses per 100,000 people last year.

Council leaders warned last month sexual health services in England are stretched to the limit as a record 3.3million people visited clinics last year.
A potent compound found in red wine kills lung cancer cells and even protects against tumours, research suggests.

Resveratrol, abundant in grapes, reduced the number of cancerous cells in mice by almost half, a study found.

The compound even prevented the disease developing when given to rodents exposed to a cancer-causing chemical in cigarette smoke.

However, drinking large glasses of red wine will not give you any protection against cancer, the University of Geneva scientists said.

This is because resveratrol only reaches the lungs when it is inhaled via the nose - and the mice were given it nasally.

A compound found in red wine kills lung-cancer cells and protects against tumours (stock)

The Swiss researchers analysed mice who had been exposed to a cancer-causing chemical in cigarette smoke.

Some of the rodents developed lung cancer and were given resveratrol over 26 weeks. Others diseased animals received no treatment.

These were compared against mice who were also exposed to the chemical but were cancer-free, some of which were given resveratrol.

Results, published in the journal Scientific Reports, showed resveratrol reduced the number of cancerous cells in the disease-ridden mice by 45 per cent.

These animals also had fewer tumours and the tumours they did develop were smaller than their untreated counterparts.

Of the mice who were given resveratrol but did not have cancer at the start of the treatment, 37 per cent went on to develop the disease.

DO YOU DRINK A GLASS OF WINE EACH DAY? YOU'RE AT HIGHER RISK OF BREAST CANCER Drinking just one small glass of wine a day raises a woman's risk of breast cancer, a major report concluded in May 2017. It means even following safe drinking guidelines of 14 units a week could be enough to endanger health. A review of 119 studies, involving 12million women, found a daily glass of wine raises the risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer by 5 per cent and post-menopausal breast cancer by 9 per cent. The authors, from the World Cancer Research Fund, estimated 12,000 cases of breast cancer could be prevented in the UK each year if nobody drank alcohol. They based their calculations on consumption of 10g of alcohol a day, the amount in 100ml of 12 per cent strength wine  less than a standard 125ml small glass. That is equivalent to 8.75 units a week, which is well within the 14 a week limit advised by the Government. Advertisement

This is compared to 87.5 per cent of the animals who were untreated.

'Resveratrol could therefore play a preventive role against lung cancer,' study author Professor Muriel Cuendet said.

When taking orally as a tablet, resveratrol is broken down within minutes, before it has the chance to reach the lungs.

'This is why our challenge was to find a formulation in which resveratrol could be solubilised in large quantities, even though it is poorly soluble in water, in order to allow nasal administration,' lead author Aymeric Monteillier said.

'This formulation, applicable to humans, allows the compound to reach the lungs.'

When inhaled via the nose, the concentration of resveratrol in the mice's lungs was 22 times higher than when it was when swallowed.

The compound is thought to kill tumours by triggering cancer cell 'suicide' in a process known as apoptosis.

The scientists are planning to create a test that determines who may be eligible for preventative treatment with resveratrol.

Due to the compound already being used in food supplements, resveratrol is known to be safe.

It would therefore not require safety studies before it could be approved as a preventative lung-cancer treatment.

Professor Cuendet added, however: 'This discovery is unfortunately of little economic interest to pharmaceutical groups.

'The molecule is indeed simple and non-patentable and cancer prevention studies require a follow-up over many years.'

Resveratrol has previously been found to protect against cancers of the digestive tract, such as bowel, stomach and oesophagus.

Research released last June suggested resveratrol stops the formation of protein clumps that are found in 50 per cent of tumours.

The scientists, from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, hope the finding will lead to the development of a drug that prevents such protein clusters.
Its long been said that 'sleeping on it' can help you make challenging decisions.

But now a scientific experiment has confirmed the theory  having a snooze really can help you make clearer choices.

Researchers measured changes in the brains and reaction times of 16 participants before and after a brief nap.

The results suggest a period of sleep may help weighing up pros and cons or gain insight before making a tough choice.

Its long been said that 'sleeping on it' can help you make challenging decisions. But now a scientific experiment has confirmed the theory  having a snooze really can help you make clearer choices

Bristol University scientists, who conducted the study, branded their findings remarkable.

All the participants, who were aged between 20 and 91, were hooked up to an EEG to measure the electrical activity in their brain.

They were asked to carry out two tasks for Dr Liz Coulthard and her teams experiment, published in the Journal of Sleep Research.

In the first, they were asked to describe whether they thought a chain of words were either 'good' or 'bad'.

ARE NAPS AS GOOD AS CAFFEINE? The benefits of having a nap during the day are similar to those experienced after consuming caffeine, according to a sleep expert back in January. By having a snooze instead of a coffee or tea the side effects of dependence from a stimulant, including disrupted sleep at night time, can be avoided. That's according to Dr Nicole Lovato, postdoctoral research fellow, from AdelaideInstitute for Sleep Health, Flinders University. Her research also found those who regularly nap report feeling more alert after a brief nap in the afternoon when compared to those who only nap occasionally. Advertisement

And in the second, volunteers were quizzed on whether they thought they saw a red or blue square dozens of times on a screen.

Participants practiced the tasks and then either stayed awake or took a 90-minute nap before repeating the same challenges.

Reactions time were much quicker in the subjects who had slept  but only in the first task, which required more thought.

Participants who napped took 590ms, on average, to complete answers on the first task. In comparison, it took them 643ms before their sleep.

However, for those who stayed awake for an hour-and-a-half before repeating the tasks showed no difference in the first challenge.

It is already known the process of memory is strengthened during sleep.

But the study suggests information acquired during wakefulness may potentially be processed in some deeper, qualitative way during sleep

Dr Coulthard said: The findings are remarkable in that they can occur in the absence of initial intentional, conscious awareness.
Human body parts are among hundreds of tonnes of waste from NHS hospitals which have been allowed to pile up by a disposal company.

Healthcare Environment Services Ltd has failed to incinerate the waste within the time limit - meaning it is in breach of its permits at five sites in England.

A criminal investigation has been launched into the debacle, the Environment Agency said.

The Health Service Journal (HSJ) reported that amputated limbs and pharmaceutical waste were among the matter which had been allowed to mount up.

Affected trusts are on standby to follow emergency measures to store their waste at hospitals in specialist trailers - although these plans have not been enacted yet.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock chaired an emergency COBRA meeting last month and ordered 1million to be earmarked to help up to 50 NHS trusts.

But news of the scandal has only broken today. The authorities scrambled to reassure the Britons that there is no risk to public health.

But Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the revelations are 'staggering' and demanded to know why MPs were not informed about the major incident when it first emerged.

Healthcare Environment Services Ltd has breached its permits at five sites. Above: The site in Normanton, West Yorkshire

He said: 'These are staggering revelations and given the number of NHS Trusts involved, along with wider environmental health implications, I'm disappointed the Health Secretary didn't inform Parliament last month.

'We need a statement in the Commons next week from ministers detailing when the Government was first informed of this stockpiling, what support is now available to Trusts and what contingency plans are in place for the future.'

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said there is 'absolutely no risk' to public health as the waste is being stored securely.

The company has allowed a 350 tonne mountain of waste to pile up across five of its sites - far higher than its a 70 tonne limit.

HES is in breach of its environmental permits at five of its six sites and had its permit suspended at one of its locations which has the biggest pile-up.

It is reportedly attempting to export 750 tonnes of pharmaceutical waste to Holland.

The Environment Agency was first alerted to the problem in March this year and hit the company with a series of warning notices and enforcement orders giving them deadline to get rid of the waste.

How did the human body part wast scandal unfold? Here is a timeline of how the human body waste scandal unfolded: March 2018 The Environment Agency was first alerted to the fact that Healthcare Environment Services Ltd had a backlog of waste - including body parts - building up. March - October: Healthcare Environment Services Ltd was hit with a series of warnings and enforcement notices giving the firm deadlines by which the waste must be incinerated by. July 2018: The Environment Agency alerts Government ministers to the problem. September 2018: New Health Secretary Matt Hancock chairs an emergency COBRA meeting to discuss the scandal. He sets aside 1million to help affected hospitals. October 4 2018: The Environment Agency announced that it has found the firm in breach of its permits at five of its six sites. It also says it is launching a criminal investigation into the debacle. Advertisement

But the company failed to meet the deadlines, and the agency alerted the Government to the problem in July.

A COBRA meeting was held in September where emergency funds were allocated to help hospitals affected.

Despite the scandal, the company is still allowed to operate as it has a responsibility to get through its backlog of waste.

But the Healthcare Environment Services has said the blame lies with Britain's creaking incinerator system.

The company said it has been warning the authorities for years that 'ageing infrastructure' and 'prolonged breakdowns' mean that firms which dispose of clinical waste cannot get through it quickly enough.

But the Environment Agency dismissed the accusation - saying they had carried out an audit of the sector and no other company had reported similar problems.

It said the UK had experienced 'reduced incineration capacity' over the last year, which it had repeatedly highlighted to authorities.

An Environment Agency spokeswoman said: 'The Environment Agency has found Health Environmental Services to be in breach of its environmental permits at five sites which deal with clinical waste.

'We are taking enforcement action against the operator, which includes clearance of the excess waste, and have launched a criminal investigation.

'We are supporting the Government and the NHS to ensure there is no disruption to public services and for alternative plans to be put in place for hospitals affected to dispose of their waste safely.'

A Government spokesman said: 'We are monitoring the situation closely and have made sure that public services - including NHS Trusts - have contingency plans in place. There is absolutely no risk to the health of patients or the wider public.

'Our priority is to prevent disruption to the NHS and other vital public services and work is under way to ensure organisations can continue to dispose of their waste safely and efficiently.'

Dr Kathy McLean, chief operating officer and executive medical director of NHS improvement said: 'The NHS has contingency plans in place for clinical waste and patients should be assured that their care will be unaffected.'

Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth (file picture) has said the revelations are 'staggering' and demanded answers from ministers about it

A spokesman for Healthcare Environmental Services said: 'Healthcare Environmental has highlighted the reduction in the UK's high-temperature incineration capacity for the last few years.

'This is down to the ageing infrastructure, prolonged breakdowns and the reliance on zero waste to landfill policies, taking up the limited high-temperature incineration capacity in the market.

'Over the last year, this reduced incineration capacity has been evident across all of the industry and has affected all companies.'

It added that it had 'consistently highlighted' the issue to environmental regulators, and there has been no disruption to services to customers.

HSJ reports the affected trusts were Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust, Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole FT, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, and East and North Hertfordshire Trust.

It said they have all been told to stop paying HES for contacts, if their stockpiling has breached the limits.
Brussels, October 03, 2018 (SPS) -Vice Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET), Anders Primdahl Vistisen highlighted the non-recognition of Moroccos sovereignty over Western Sahara under the debate on the EU-Morocco draft agreement aiming at broadening tariff preferences to products from Western Sahara.

This agreement does not imply recognition of Moroccos sovereignty over Western Sahara, affirmed Danish EU MP Vistisen in his draft opinion submitted to the Committee on International Trade of the European Parliament.

EUs position remains that of supporting UN efforts to secure a fair, lasting and mutually acceptable settlement of the Western Sahara conflict, on the basis of the right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people and in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions, wrote Vistisen.

The text also recalls some fundamental principles in favour of the Sahrawi cause, namely the need to give guarantees regarding respect for international law, including human rights, in the territories concerned.

In the same connection, Vistisen takes good note of the exchange of letters and acknowledges the efforts of the Commission and the EEAS in trying, within the remit of their competences, to evaluate the benefit for the population and to ascertain their consent to this agreement.

It is worth recalling that in addition to the European Parliament's Agriculture and Foreign Affairs Committees, the Fisheries Committee will give its opinion soon.SPS

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An outbreak of hepatitis A in New York has been traced back to a pizza restaurant.

Officials say a cook employed at Doino's Pizzeria Bar & Grille in Cheektowaga, as well as four customers, tested positive for the virus.

The Erie County Department of Health issued a release on Tuesday warning that anyone who ate at the restaurant between August 20 and September 3 may have been exposed.

This is the second time health officials in Erie have had to warn the public about a hepatitis A scare as figures show the number of cases in the county have skyrocketed by more than 400 percent this year.

Video courtesy of WIVB

Officials say a cook employed at Doino's Pizzeria Bar & Grille (pictured) in Cheektowaga, New York, tested positive for the virus and as well as four customers

Hepatitis A is a virus that attacks the body through liver inflammation. It is highly contagious and is typically spread through sexual contact, needle sharing, or by consuming food that has been contaminated by someone infected with the virus.

Those who are at risk of developing hepatitis A include drug users, men who have sex with men and homeless individuals.

Symptoms - which include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and dark urine - can take anywhere from two to seven weeks after exposure to appear.

What is hepatitis A and how can it be treated? Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease that can have both minor and severe symptoms for the person infected. It is primarily spread when a person who isn't vaccinated ingests food or water that has been contaminated with feces of an infected individual. The virus is one of the most frequent causes for foodborne infections. Symptoms The incubation period of hepatitis A is normally 14 to 28 days. People can experience: Fever

Loss of appetite

Diarrhea

Nausea

Dark-colored urine

Jaundice

Acute liver failure Who is at risk? Anyone who has not been vaccinated or has never been infected with the hepatitis A virus is at risk. Other factors that increase risk include: Poor sanitation

Lack of clean water

Recreational drug use

Living with an infected person or having sexual relations with one

Traveling to areas with high risk without a vaccination Treatment There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A. It may take some people a couple weeks to a couple months to recover from the symptoms. Doctors recommend everyone to get a vaccination to help prevent the risk of getting infected by the virus. Source: World of Health Advertisement

Although many who are infected show no symptoms, it can take a few months for the illness to pass.

According to Department of Health Commissioner Gale Burstein, the male cook was feeling sick and visited a medical facility where he was diagnosed with hepatitis A.

However he didn't tell health officials he worked at the restaurant until they followed up with him three weeks later, reported The Buffalo News.

It was therefore too late for emergency vaccinations to be effective for diners who at at Doino's in August or September.

Burstein said that even though not everyone who contracts the disease develops symptoms, signs would appear by October 23 at the latest.

The Buffalo News also reported that Burstein said inspectors found three 'noncritical' violations on Wednesday.

The violations were for inadequate hand-washing facilities, insufficient ventilation and fruit flies at the bar. Burstein said an exterminator has been hired.

'We've tried everything we can to make [the restaurant] the way it is,' Doino's co-owner Eileen Doino told WIVB.

'And all of us here are fine, nobody's sick, and I'm sorry that it happened, obviously. We would just like everybody to know we're safe.'

The restaurant remains open and has no plans to close, the Department of Health said.

Doino's did not immediately return Daily Mail Online's request for comment on Thursday afternoon.

This is the second time Erie County health officials have had to issue a warning about a health scare at a local restaurant, according to WIVB.

In February, the Health Department warned patrons who had eaten at either Al-E-Oops Restaurant in Lancaster or Brookdale Senior Living in Williamsville to be tested after a food handler who works at both locations tested positive for hepatitis A.

According to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, there are usually only between two and four cases of the virus in the county per year.

This year, there are already 20 reported cases - a nearly 400 percent increase over t the previous year.

Since January 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued hepatitis A alerts in Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Utah and West Virginia.

The agency says the best way to prevent the spread of infection is to practice good personal hygiene, such as washing your hands, and to receive the hepatitis A vaccine, which is given as two shots that are six months apart.

In the US, there are three FDA approved hepatitis A vaccines: Vaqta, Havrix, and Twinrix.
Glinty-eyed Swiss boulevardier Arki Busson

Glinty-eyed Swiss boulevardier Arki Busson's hedge fund is in deep schtuck. Lumx has filed losses of $4.5 million for the period toward the end of June, putting it $37 million down over the past three years. Financial News says UK fund manager Artemis wants rid of its 6 per cent stake. By contrast, Busson's ex, Aussie supermodel Elle Macpherson, seems to be going great guns with her lifestyle business WelleCo. It opened its first US store last week.

Chirpy ITV chairman Sir Peter Bazalgette's decision not to bid for Endemol Shine rules out a return to his old manor. Baz was previously the production company's creative director. Some felt British TV hit a nadir on his watch when 2004 show The Farm showed David Beckham's saucy friend Rebecca Loos pleasuring a pig.

Three-Martini lunches are a thing of the past on Wall Street we are often told  but is a new trend emerging? From the finger-on-the-pulse New York magazine: 'How to pair wine with your breakfast sandwiches.'

Controversial former Halliburton chairman Dick Cheney is the subject of an entertaining-sounding biopic, starring the combustible Welsh actor Christian Bale. Known for famously being committed to his many high-profile movie roles, Bale, 44, has shaved his head, bleached his eyebrows and put on nearly three stone to portray the former US vice-president, 77. Wonder if he also waterboarded the crew members between takes?

Marks & Spencer is struggling and faces an uncertain future, says the New York Times, an overly harsh assessment of a firm which is healthily in profit. The Old Gray Lady seems to enjoy talking Britain down. The paper recently claimed London restaurants were until a decade ago still serving 'porridge and boiled mutton', while a doom-laden anti-Brexit piece last year  'Will London Fall?'  made out Londoners were practically hurling themselves into the Thames over the referendum result.

Is Tesco Bank panicking about the fallout from the 16 million fine the Financial Conduct Authority imposed for its 2016 cyberattack? It has commissioned a poll to find out how people perceive it.
BRANSON DELIGHT Sir Richard Branson has welcomed the first commercial flight  a Virgin Atlantic arrival at Gatwick  powered partly by a new form of biofuel made from industrial waste gases.

TEAMING UP Oil giant BP and Norwegian explorer Aker BP are to develop technology, such as robots and seismic products, to improve the industrys discoveries and environmental efficiency.

ROBOT SCEPTICS Nearly three-quarters of UK employees dont believe robots will make them more productive though 71 per cent spend at least one day a week on repetitive tasks, which could be managed by robots, a survey says.

Sir Richard Branson has welcomed the first commercial flight  a Virgin Atlantic arrival at Gatwick  powered partly by a new form of biofuel made from industrial waste gases

FINANCE ROLE The Gym Group has appointed Mark George as its new finance chief.

BLOCK SALE Property firm Great Portland Estates is to sell an eight-storey office block in Westminster for 65.5 million.

LOAN DEFENCE Massive loans to private equity firms have been defended by Swiss lender Credit Suisse. It gives huge amounts of money to buyers of private firms and has hit out at warnings that the market is increasingly risky.

START-UP CASH Tech investor Balderton Capital is raising 112 million to buy stakes in start-up companies from their existing shareholders. Most rivals buy newly issued stock in start-ups and join, rather than take on, current owners stakes.

HEADING OFF The finance chief of broadcaster STV Group, George Watt, 50, is to leave the company after 20 years, on March 31.

PROFITS UP Morrisons-owned Safeway boosted profits by 12 per cent to 145 million in the 26 weeks to August 5. Revenues were up 0.9 per cent to 4.2 billion.

Uranium hope Investment vehicle Yellow Cake, which is buying uranium with plans to sell it when the price rises, said the value of its stockpile rose 29.6 per cent to 177 million.

SNACK SWOOP Bradford-based Seabrook Crisps has been bought by the UK arm of Japanese snack giant Calbee. It employs around 160 people, while Calbee has around 80 staff in North Wales.

SOLID STATS Pawnbroker Ramsdens is on track for a solid half-year performance with jewellery set for double-digit sales growth over the first half to September 30.
Tesco boss Dave Lewis declared his turnaround of the supermarket chain was bang on track as he stepped up his battle with Aldi and Lidl.

Reporting the best sales figures for a decade, the 53-year-old said he is close to completing a total revamp of the budget food range as he takes on the German discounters.

The former Unilever executive also said he was happy with the performance of the two new Jack's stores Tesco opened last month.

Tesco boss Dave Lewis declared his turnaround of the supermarket chain was bang on track as he stepped up his battle with Aldi and Lidl

So far the supermarket has overhauled more than 5,000 out of 10,000 of its own-brand products, which it says are cheaper than those at Aldi and Lidl.

Lewis said: 'We are now more than halfway through the biggest own brand relaunch in our nearly 100-year history, including a significant investment in over 300 new 'Exclusively at Tesco' products at market-leading prices.

'It's taken us three years to get our corporate brand, our supplier relationships and our own label ready to be able to execute the brand in the way we're now doing and you'll see it come to life in the next couple of weeks.'

But shares fell 8.6 per cent, or 20.2p, to 215p, wiping 2 billion off its value, after profits for the first half of the year came in lower than expected.

On Jack's, Lewis said: 'Consumer feedback is really very good,' said Lewis. 'So far, so very, very good.' Two more of the stores open in Liverpool today

Operating profits rose 24 per cent to 933 million in the 26 weeks to August 25. Investors were hoping for 978 million.

Analysts said investors had been too harsh.

Neil Wilson, at Markets, said: 'This looks rather like expectations had maybe been set a little too high, rather than Tesco underperforming.

'Dave Lewis should probably pat himself on the back  the turnaround and his focus on core retailing is working.'

Tesco said same-store sales in the UK and Ireland grew 4.2 per cent in the second quarter, its best performance for a decade.

It marked Tesco's 11th quarter in a row of rising same-store sales and put a rocket under group revenues which climbed 12 per cent to 31.7 billion.

Wholesaler Booker, bought by Tesco for 3.7bn this year, saw sales jump 14.7 per cent.

But Tesco took a 32 million hit from its business in Poland after the country banned almost all shops from opening on Sundays.

It also struggled in Thailand, its most profitable division after the country banned welfare cards for the poor being used at international stores.

On Jack's, Lewis said: 'Consumer feedback is really very good,' said Lewis. 'So far, so very, very good.' Two more of the stores open in Liverpool today.
'Collusion and cover-up': Miner ENRC has raised concerns about wrongdoing in investigation

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is set to bring in an independent judge to review parts of its long-running corruption probe into miner ENRC.

It comes after ENRC raised concerns about wrongdoing in the investigation including 'themes of collusion and cover-up'.

ENRC says a key notebook belonging to a former SFO investigator Keith McCarthy covering a period in 2011 when claims against it were coming to light, is missing from SFO archives and that McCarthy felt there was no basis for action against it.

It marks the latest setback for the probe into ENRC over allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption around mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo started in 2013.

ENRC denies the allegations and no corruption charges have been made. The SFO declined to comment.
The new tank set for the British Army is to be faster and use thermal cameras (stock image)

Weapons-maker BAE has lifted the lid on its plans for the next battle tank for the British Army.

Its vehicle, dubbed Black Night, would be faster, use thermal cameras to find targets and automatically respond to incoming missiles.

BAE is bidding to update the army's Challenger 2, with designs developed at its base in the West Midlands.

BAE's Simon Jackson said: 'The army has our commitment that we will deliver the most capable upgrade possible, and the best value for money.'
Regulators have given Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group the green light to plough ahead with its 1.7billion takeover of Virgin Money.

Shares in Virgin Money are up 2.51 per cent or 9.25p to 378.35p, while CYBG shares are up 1.20 per cent or 3.7p to 313.3p.

The combined group will be branded as Virgin Money and have around six million customers.

Step forward: Regulators have given Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group the green light to plough ahead with its takeover of Virgin Money

Virgin Money shareholders will receive 1.2125 new CYBG shares for every Virgin Money share held, and will own about 38 per cent of the merged business.

Shares to Virgin Money will be issued by 15 October when they begin trading on the London Stock Exchange.

Investors in both firms voted overwhelmingly in favour of the deal last month.

The boards of both CYBG and Virgin Money believe the deal will create Britain's 'first true national banking competitor'.

In a statement, the companies said: 'The offer was made subject to the... receipt of the relevant approvals from the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

'Virgin Money and CYBG are pleased to confirm that, on 3 October 2018, the FCA and the PRA gave written notice to CYBG, Virgin... of their approval of the acquisition.'

CYBG's David Duffy will stay on as chief executive, leaving Virgin Money boss Jayne-Anne Gadhia to serve in a consultancy role as his senior adviser.

While Virgin Money's investors approved the tie-up, they baulked at an amendment to the company's pay policy which will allow Gadhia, 56, to take home 1.8million in cash as a redundancy package. That is on top of her 1million cash-and-share bonus for 2018 and other share rewards worth around 5million at current market prices.

Though 13.1 per cent of investors voted against the change, the rebellion was well short of the 50.1 per cent required to rule it out.
Two separate deadly diseases have swept through a pride of Asiatic lions in India, killing 23 of the endangered species in just three weeks.

There are only some 500 Asiatic lions, also known as Persian lions, left in the world and they are all restricted to the 1,400 square-kilometre Gir sanctuary in India's Gujarat state.

Authorities at the Gir park confirmed Tuesday that at least four of the lions have died from CDV (canine distemper virus) - the same infection that killed around 1000 lions at Tanzania's Serengeti National Park in 1994.

Asiatic Lions lounge in the shade of a tree near the village of Sasan on the edge of Gir National Park

The Gir sanctuary in Gujarat is home to India's entire population of Asiatic lions, believed to be just below 600

CDV attacks the gastrointestinal, respiratory and nervous system and leads to fevers and eye inflammation. It is almost always fatal.

At least 17 other lions succumbed to tick-borne babesiosis, a parasitic infection that affects red blood cells, causing weakness, lethargy and sometimes paralysis of the hind legs.

The Times of India reported that the 23 Asiatic lions who have so far died all belonged to the same 26-member pride. The last three lions are said to be 'battling for life', meaning the pride is likely to be entirely wiped out.

Asiatic Lion 'Ambar' in May 2016. Two separate deadly diseases have swept through a pride of Asiatic lions in India, killing 23 of the endangered species in just three weeks

The diagnoses of CDV, which can spread from wild dogs, have been confirmed by India's National Institute of Virology, said Gujarat environment minister Ganpat Vasava.

At the last official lion census in 2015, there were 521 Asiatic lions in the Gir sanctuary, but authorities said earlier this year that there were now more than 600.

However, the new deaths since September 21 will hamper the conservation efforts and mean the number may not have improved since the last census when the next count takes places in 2020.

The lions are also popular with tourists, who visit the sanctuary just to see the rare animals up close.

The CDV deaths have prompted authorities to run further tests on the 11 lions that died last month, according to D.T. Vasavada, Gujarat's chief conservator of forests.

'A team of experts is working to ascertain the reason for the viral infection. Since all 21 lions have died in one Sarasiya grassland, it is a matter of concern,' Vasavada added.

Local officials said another 31 lions from the same part of the sanctuary are being kept under medical observation, though they have not shown any signs of illness so far.

The Times of India said an action plan including vaccinating against CDV, implementing tick control measures and determining whether the virus came from wild hyenas or leopards was necessary to save the rest of Gir's lion population.

Video from the YouTube channel Contemporary Nomad shows a pair of male Adriatic lions close up to a safari vehicle

Janki, an Asiatic lioness, whose species is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and are found as an isolated population in the Gir Forest of India's Gujarat state

Some conservationists suggest relocating some of the cats to another sanctuary.

Just 7 months ago, Gujarat's chief minister Vijay Rupani hailed the success of a major conservation campaign to save the Adriatic lion, which once roamed southwest Asia but was listed as 'critically endangered' in 2000 after a relentless onslaught of human poaching, hunting and encroachment on its habitat.

In the late 1960s, there were thought to be just 180 surviving Asiatic lions on the planet.

They are the cousins of the larger African lion and are believed to have split away around 100,000 years ago. Asiatic lions also have a distinctive fold of skin along their bellies.
These are the first photos of the brand new hotel given a 500,000 facelift by hell-raising rocker Pete Doherty and his band The Libertines.

Doherty and his band bought one of Britain's worst hotels in the seaside town of Margate, Kent, where guests described it a 'truly ghastly' - and planned to turn it into a three-story guesthouse with music playing all day long.

Famous for his wild days of drug taking and dating Kate Moss, Doherty has now turned his attention to revamping a hotel that was once considered worse than Fawlty Towers.

These are the first photos of the brand new hotel given a 1million facelift by hell-raising rocker Pete Doherty and his band The Libertines

Doherty and his band bought one of the UK's worst hotels in Margate where guests described it a 'truly ghastly'. The band has been uploading YouTube videos of their building work

They have transformed the once shabby seaside hotel and have ambitious plans to turn it into a trendy music-themed guesthouse with recording studios in the basement (pictured)

Doherty and his bandmates including Carl Barat, 40 (pictured red hooded top) are pictured at the hotel where they have been revamping it for several months ahead of opening next year

The Palm Court Hotel, which closed last year, was one of the country's worst guesthouses with shocking reviews.

Before being purchased for 500,000 by The Libertines last year, 4the hotel earned just one star out of five on TripAdviser from unhappy guests.

Put off by the garish decor and distasteful patterned bedspreads, one guest complained about bedbugs while another blasted: 'This is a 'truly ghastly place to stay we would have had better facilities if we had camped out.'

Another holidaymaker complained: 'I would rather of slept on the beach!'

Since then Doherty and his bandmates including Carl Barat, 40, have spectacularly revamped the hotel's exterior giving it a trendy black and gold look, and renamed it The Albion Rooms.

Building work was estimated to have been finished by the end of the summer - but seems some way to go before the renovation is completed.

The Palm Court Hotel, which closed last year, was one of the country's worst guesthouses with shocking reviews by unhappy guests on TripAdviser

Before being purchased for 500,000 by The Libertines last year, the hotel, with its badly patterned bedspreads, earned just one star out of five on TripAdviser

Put off by the garish decor, one guest complained about bedbugs while another blasted: 'This is a 'truly ghastly place to stay we would have had better facilities if we had camped out'

A friend of the band has posted a series of YouTube videos of the building work in April, July and September showing how far the project has got to go.

A recording studio being built in the basement and bars throughout look almost finished while other areas look some way off completion.

The group bought the five-storey hotel early last year and needed at least the same amount for extensive renovation work, which has been ongoing since the start of the year.

According to approved plans submitted to Thanet District Council, the first, second and third floor will remain and the hotel will have seven en-suite rooms.

The biggest difference is on the ground floor and basement, where there used to be hotel rooms and a dingy restaurant area for serving breakfast and evening meals.

Now the ground floor will have one large and one small recording studio, both with control rooms, an isolation booth and a reception area.

A new ground floor, single storey extension will house a bar with seats and tables.

The band have also been given permission to use the site for music from 8am to midnight, Monday to Saturday, and until 9pm on Sundays, which may concern some of the neighbours.

A council environmental health report stated as such, saying: 'This appears to be a change of use from a building connected to a hotel to a music studio.

My immediate concerns over this transfer are around noise transfer to surrounding residential.' Despite noise fears, planning consent was still given.

Councillor for Cliftonville West, Emma Dawson, says that people shouldn't be scared of the band taking over the hotel.

She says: 'It's really a good thing that artists who are famous are calling Margate their home. We're pretty tolerant in this area, people don't mind who they are, we need to have the new energy.

'Property is cheaper down here, it's right by the sea, they've got a lovely outlook - what better setting to write songs? They have that freedom, the weather is better than anywhere else.

'People shouldn't be scared, obviously, we don't want to hear them until two or three in the morning. But I understand recording studios are cushioned and you can't hear anything on the outside. There's a few studios now in the area, it's becoming trendy and acceptable.

Since purchasing the guesthouse, Doherty has spectacularly revamped its grotty exterior (pictured) giving it a trendy black and gold look, and renamed it The Albion Rooms

Gone is the tired, old look and fans have been kept updated with their progress with a series of videos. According to approved plans submitted to Thanet District Council, the first, second and third floor will remain and the hotel will have seven en-suite rooms

The band have also been given permission to use the site for music from 8am to midnight, Monday to Saturday, and until 9pm on Sundays, which may concern some of the neighbours

'My only fear is that the roads won't be able to handle all the traffic, that's what makes residents really angry. And we have more fans coming down to try and see the band, we're going to get jams, there needs more space for car parks.

'The Thanet area is on the up and up. We already have the Turner prize exhibition and, when they announce the winner in 2019, then there's going to be 250,000 extra people come to the area.'

The Libertines along with their long term associate Jai Stanley have set up a real estate company called Spaniel, Spaniel, Lombard & Rowntree Ltd.

Although Doherty made the headlines for his wild beahviour in the past, he has proved himself to be an astute businessman in the last few years, making over half a million in the past 12 months.

His company Arcadian Endeavours turned a profit of 353,421 in 2017 while the Libertines Touring partnership was in the black by 265,107.

His bandmate Barat also did well, his company Warbenghast Ltd made 149,991 last year.

When the group initially announced their plans in a press release in January, it stated that the rooms were to be 'inspired by the celluloid cohabitation antics of the Beatles and the Monkees.'

Before adding: 'Carl, Gary, John and Peter had been looking for a creative home: a living art space, a Warholian factory, with guest rooms, a bar and studio.

Although originally the plan was to open in the summer, Barat says that it'll 'hopefully all be ready by the beginning of the New Year.'
Two women arrested with Stormy Daniels at a strip club have sued Columbus vice detectives for conspiring against the adult film actress.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was arrested in July for grabbing a female undercover officer's backside at Sirens Gentleman's Club.

Club employees Miranda Glass and Brittany Walters also were arrested.

Their suit claims that officers conspired to retaliate against Daniels, 39, for her sex allegations concerning Donald Trump before he became president.

Ohio strip club employees, Miranda Glass (left) and Brittany Walters (right), who were arrested in July alongside Stormy Daniels, have sued Columbus vice detectives for conspiring against the adult film actress

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was arrested (pictured) in July for grabbing a female undercover officer's backside

A week after their arrest, Columbus city attorney Zach Klein, said the law used to arrest the women was 'glaringly inequitable' and should not be enforced.

Daniels' attorney said the arrests were politically motivated, a claim denied by a police union official.

The lawsuit seeks a minimum of $50,000 damages.

Misdemeanor charges against the women were dismissed. A message seeking comment was left with Klein's office Tuesday.

Daniels had been performing at the Sirens Gentleman's Club in Columbus, Ohio, when she was arrested in July.

She was also accused of illegally rubbing undercover police officers' faces against her breasts during a performance.

Their suit claims that officers conspired to retaliate against Daniels, 39, for her sex allegations concerning Donald Trump before he became president. The lawsuit seeks a minimum of $50,000 damages

Daniels (pictured, performing in Florida) has been embroiled in a lawsuit with the Trump since early March, to get out of a non-disclosure agreement relating to an alleged affair she had with him in 2006

The former porn star was captured on video being marched into Jackson Pike Correctional Facility.

Within 24 hours prosecutors dropped all charges against Daniels.

Prosecutors said they were dropping the case because Ohio's law against physical contact between strippers and customers applies only to someone who 'regularly' performs at a club.

Her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, said at the time that his client was 'set up' in a police sting operation, calling it an 'absurd use of law enforcement resources'.

Daniels has been embroiled in a lawsuit with the Trump since early March, to get out of a non-disclosure agreement relating to an alleged affair she had with him in 2006.

Before the election she was allegedly paid $130,000 in hush money.

She is hoping to have the non-disclosure agreement thrown out on the grounds it is invalid because Trump never signed it.

A defamation lawsuit was also filed in April, alleging the president tried to tarnish her reputation and credibility by dismissing her claim a man threatened her in 2011, when she was ready to go public about her alleged affair with Trump.
The powerful team of Dave Palone and trainer Ron Burke flexed their muscles Wednesday (Oct. 3) at The Meadows when they won five races, including the co-feature, a $13,000 fillies and mares conditioned pace, with newcomer Percy Bluechip.

A recent acquisition by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Purnel & Libby and Donald Emond, Percy Bluechip had been racing in Canada, where the three-year-old daughter of Shadow Play and Advantest compiled a bankroll of $468,755. Facing older mares, she powered to the front from post 6 and held off the late charge of the pocket-sitting Camera Lady, downing her by a neck in a sharp 1:52. Shesasmokinlady completed the ticket.

In the companion feature, a $13,000 fillies and mares conditioned trot, Glidinthruparadise also scored on the front end with a 1:54.2 triumph for Brian Zendt, trainer Ed Zubkoff, Jr. and Brookside Stables. The five-year-old daughter of Yankee Glide and Chowda lifted her lifetime earnings to $222,473.



Jack Killeen rallied from off the pace with Dreamers Delight to earn his first United States driving win Jack Killeen rallied from off the pace with Dreamers Delight to earn his first United States driving win

Elsewhere on the card, 18-year-old Jack Killeen, a resident of Dublin, Ireland who is stateside for several months to learn the American approach to the business, collected his first U.S. win when he brought Dreamers Delight from 7-1/2 lengths back to prevail in 1:56.3 for trainer Paul Corey and owner Diane Coe.

(The Meadows)
The oldest son of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been ordered to spend a year in custody after being disqualified from the therapeutic Veterans Court as a result of new assault allegations.

Veterans Court District Attorney Rick Allen asked the court to discharge Track Palin, 29, after he was arrested over the weekend for an attack on his ex-girlfriend and resisting arrest.

He has been accused of three attacks on people close to him over the past few years, the most recent coming last week against his ex Jordan Loewe.

Palin, an Army veteran who served a year in Iraq, entered a program intended to rehabilitate veterans after he was arrested in an assault on his father last December when he broke into his parents' home, attacked his father and left him bleeding from cuts on his head.

Anchorage District Court Judge David Wallace told Track Palin that he violated conditions of a plea agreement in the earlier case and must report to a halfway house at month's end.

Track Palin, 29, was accused of three attacks on people close to him over the past few years, the most recent coming last week against a female acquaintance

Anchorage District Court Judge David Wallace told Track Palin that he violated conditions of a plea agreement in the earlier case

The Department of Corrections will determine if he serves time at the halfway house or behind bars. Anchorage District Attorney Richard Allen said jail time is unlikely.

The judge could have chosen to let Palin remain in Alaska Veterans Court, which gives eligible former service members the option of enrolling in mental health treatment instead of a traditional sentence.

Before Wallace issued his decision, Palin said he appreciated the opportunity to participate in the program in Anchorage. He acknowledged it was a challenge taking part because he had to come in from the Mat-Su Valley, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) away.

The Department of Corrections will determine if he serves time at the halfway house or behind bars

Anchorage District Attorney Richard Allen said jail time is unlikely

Palin attended the hearing with his father, Todd Palin, who also spoke briefly in court, saying he wished his son would be allowed to remain in veterans court.

Asked if they wanted to comment before the hearing, Todd Palin declined. Track Palin said, 'Pay me, I will.'

Track Palin was arrested Friday night after ex-girlfriend Jordan Loewe arrived at Track's home on Friday night to drop off their son. She claims to have begun leaving when Track demanded that she hug him.

Trouble: Track was booked in the early morning hours of Friday on charges of Assault IV, Interfering with Report of a DV, Resisting Arrest and Disorderly Conduct (Palin and ex Jordan Loewe above)

Loewe, whose protective order against Track was just lifted in late August, was then told by Track that she could not leave, at which point she pulled out her phone and stated: 'If you don't let me leave I'm going to call the police.'

That is when Track allegedly took her phone and began hitting her, even as she tried to remove their son from her ex's home.

The woman said the pair wrestled over the phone and that Palin let her leave after she screamed for help, according to an affidavit by Alaska State Troopers. They said Palin told them that the two were arguing over how they said goodbye and that any injuries the woman had she did to herself.

Victim: Charging documents claim that he beat his ex Jordan Loewe on Friday, hitting her in the head and butt as she tried to flee his house with their son (Loewe above with the couple's child)

Loewe was eventually able to get their son buckled into the car and wrestle her phone away from Track, saying that she believed her screaming worried him enough that he handed over the cell.

Once she had made her way safely to a nearby gas station she called authorities.

Authorities say Track also kicked over a table and threw his head back at a trooper as he was arrested. Palin is in jail facing misdemeanor charges including assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Track's father is pictured above with daughter Willow at her wedding over the weekend

Track Palin's arrangement in relation to the attack on his father had called for him to serve 10 days in jail if he completed the therapeutic program and a year behind bars if he didn't.

Palin also was accused of punching his then-girlfriend in 2016, court documents said. He pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm while intoxicated, and the other charges were dismissed.

Sarah Palin indicated that post-traumatic stress disorder might have been a factor in that case.
As politicians embark on their final days of campaigning for Bosnian elections on Sunday, there is one small corner of the country where they cannot pass: Podgora, a poor hamlet fed up with the government's broken promises.

"You've been lying to us for years. No party is welcome in Podgora," reads a white banner strung across the main square of the 700-person village, which lies some 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the capital Sarajevo.

Sunday's general elections will fill Bosnia's highest political offices, from a three-person presidency down to district assemblies.

But few are expecting significant change in a nation that has been paralysed for decades, in part because of unresolved conflicts dating back to the ethnic conflicts that engulfed Bosnia in the 1990s.

"You've been lying to us for years! No party is welcome in Podgora!": residents of the small Bosnian village of Podgora make their feelings known ahead of Sunday's elections

The war killed 100,000 and split the country into two largely autonomous regions linked by a weak central government.

Like huge swathes of the population, the people of Podgora are disillusioned by a political class known chiefly for corruption and dysfunction.

"Enough lies!" Adi Silajdzic, 47, told AFP when asked why he supported the village's politician blockade.

"We're fed up that every time they come they tell us stories and make promises to ensure votes."

"And every time, on the day after the elections, it is as if nothing had happened, as if they did not even come to see us," said the unemployed father.

- Old pipes, dirt roads -

A few political campaigners did not heed the warning and put up posters inside Podgora, which is home to Bosnian Muslims.

Locals say they are fed up with politicians making "empty promises" to draw voter support

But locals quickly ripped them down. To underscore their point, someone scrawled another message on the back of the banner with a spray can: "Did you read it? People have had enough."

Families pitched in to pay for the 50-euro ($58) banner -- a hefty sum in a community where most are unemployed, living off of small vegetable farms and livestock.

Sitting around a wooden table in the shade of a plum tree, a group of local men said Podgora has been neglected by authorities ever since the war, which left lasting damage on Bosnia's economy and infrastructure.

"We are the ones who replace bulbs for the street lights," said Silajdzic.

"We do not have a single garbage container, there is no bus, and the drinking water supply system was constructed before the war with asbestos cement pipes that were not replaced," he explained.

Osman Hasic, a 56-year-old pensioner, joked: "They have promised so many times to pave the streets that the cement should be at least one metre thick by now."

The village's dirt roads turn into a muddy mess as soon as the rains start in autumn, he added.

After three years of work municipal, authorities last month celebrated paving 900 metres (yards) of a local road.

It had "nothing to do" with the election campaign, according to the municipality of Breza, in charge of Podgora.

But the ribbon-cutting was held before the final layer of cement was applied, the villagers said, stoking scepticism.

- 'All the same' -

Less than 20 percent of the people trust their political parties, according to a study in May from the Bosnian Association of Journalists.

The country's decentralised government and sprawling bureaucracy have halted development on many fronts, including economic reforms.

Residents of Podgora accuse authorities of neglecting the poor hamlet since the 1990s war, which left lasting damage on Bosnia's economy and infrastructure

High unemployment -- around one third of the population officially -- has driven large waves of emigration in recent decades, especially among youth.

"They have to leave, they have nothing here," said Hasic, the pensioner, who used to work for a steel mill.

Around 170,000 Bosnians have left since 2013, when a census put the population at 3.5 million, according to the Union for Sustainable Return NGO.

Those who remain are eager for change. But many in Podgora see politics as a dead end.

"We changed, voted for one (party), then for others, but it's still the same," said Vedad Silajdzic, 43, a construction worker.

"They are all the same. They fight for the armchair and once in it, they do not think about people anymore," Hasic added.
The mother of the 15-year-old hacked to death with a machete in the Bronx, New York, claims a scam artist has been raising money in her son's memory.

The mother of Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz stood beside a local city council member at a meeting on Monday and said that Reynold Gregg, who also goes by R.A. Gregg, has been seeking financial contributions on her son's behalf under a non-profit, non-governmental organization called 'New York City Council Community Affairs Bureau'.

Leandra Feliz said Gregg presented himself to the family as a government official and tried conning them into signing documents.

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Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz was beaten and hacked to death with a machete by a gang in June

Junior's mom Leandra (pictured on the right with Lesandro) claims a man named Reynold Gregg approached her about signing documents to represent a foundation in her son's name

Councilman Ritchie Torres said Gregg has been presented a cease and desist order for trying to make a buck out of the murdered teenager's name.

'He pretends to be someone he is not,' Torres said.

'He uses the council insignia in a clear attempt to make the public think that he is a government official, but has no relationship with government agencies.'

The local Bronx politician also said Gregg switched the name of his so-called non-profit to the New York State Community Affairs Bureau, and assigned himself the title of 'commissioner' while 'pretending to be an entity of state government'.

Reynold Gregg, who also goes by R.A. Gregg, allegedly sought financial contributions on behalf of Junior

He added: 'He had the indecency to go inside the home of Junior Guzman and try and have his family sign under false pretenses a document authorizing him to raise funds in Junior's name.'

According to comments published by El Diaro NY, Gregg said: 'We have never tried to take advantage of these people nor will we do it.'

Junior's mom said: 'I feel very bad to know that these things are happening. I met him at an event celebrating the Dominican Heritage and he told me that he wanted to represent an organization I wanted to do in honor of my son to fight against violence among young people.

'But I never gave him an authorization nor does the organization exist.'

Security cameras captured five members of the Trinitarios gang dragging the teen out of a Bronx bodega and viciously stabbing him to death with a machete on June 20.

The Dominican gang is believed to have murdered the teen in a case of mistaken identity after confusing him with a man from a rival faction gang who had sex with one of the Trinitarios' girlfriends.

Investigators have arrested 14 members of the group, and charged 13, in relation to the his killing

A resident in Torres' 15th district received an email requesting $50 for an application fee and an additional $50 to cover the expense of a background check.

Gregg's organization also allegedly requested one time licensing fee of $150 for a shield and $35 for business cards.

A polo shirt was being sold for $50.

According to Gregg's Linkedin account, he received a doctorate degree, although it does not state which institution he attended.

His profiled describes him as someone who 'enjoys helping to transform and revitalize lives as well as taking on the contradictions of society through preaching, teaching and through public advocacy'.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Gregg for comment.




Asia Argento has filed a police report against Rose McGowan's partner, Rain Dove, accusing her of fraud and deception, DailyMailTV can reveal.

She went to police in Italy to accuse Dove after the release of messages in which Anthony Bourdain's lover discussed sex with Jimmy Bennett and paying off the former child actor.

She also disclosed to DailyMailTV a text message from Dove which Argento says shows the model claiming to be attempting to bribe court officials in McGowan's upcoming trial on a charge of cocaine possession.

The 43-year-old actress and director made her report in Rome on Monday evening, she said.

Dove, a model who identifies as non-binary, uses the pronoun they, but Argento calls Dove 'she'.

Argento said: 'I reported Rain Dove to the police for deception.

'I believe she released private text messages out of context with the purpose of destroying my reputation. The police are investigating.'

Hitting back: Asia Argento has filed a police report against Rose McGowan's partner Rain Dove for 'deception' in Rome. She broke her silence over Anthony Bourdain's death, her own grief and her feud with McGowan and Dove in a searing DailyMailTV interview

Argento has accused McGowan's partner (right) of 'deception' and releasing her private text messages in an attempt to destroy her reputation

She also disclosed to DailyMailTV a text message from Dove which Argento says shows the model claiming to be attempting to bribe court officials in McGowan's upcoming trial on a charge of cocaine possession

Feuding friends: McGowan, who bonded with Argento through their shared trauma of being sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein, publicly turned on the Italian following child actor Jimmy Bennett's allegations that she had sexually assaulted him back in 2013 when he was 17 and she was 37

Argento lives in Rome and communicated with Dove while she was there, giving her an opening to make the report to police there, although Dove is not an Italian resident.

The police report marks a new twist in the feud between Argento and McGowan, which came in the wake of Argento losing her lover Anthony Bourdain when he took his own life in a French hotel room in June.

Argento alleges that in her grief over Bourdain, Dove deceived her into handing over text messages showing her and the CNN host discussing how to deal with a demand for money from Bennett.

The texts later leaked and were widely published, with Argento saying they left her reputation in tatters.

McGowan has denied having any part in the sale of the texts.

Both Dove and McGowan also alleged that Argento had received nudes from Bennett from the age of 12, which Argento vehemently denies.

Argento broke her silence over the scandal in the searing DailyMail TV interview, in which she told of her never-ending grief over the suicide of her late boyfriend whom she dated for two years.

Argento says that she was actually Bennett's victim, telling DailyMailTV in an exclusive interview last month that he 'jumped' her and that Bourdain advised her to pay him - with the chef's cash - to get him 'out of their lives', not as an admission of criminality.

McGowan and Dove have issued public apologies retracting the damaging allegations of receiving nudes but for Argento it is too little, too late, and she has not accepted them.

Dove's apology continued to accuse her of sexual assault on Bennett, which she denies.

She is moving forward with legal action against both. She said: 'Rain Dove and Rose McGowan have caused me nothing but heartache. The shame of what she has done has caused me unbearable distress.

'These consequences have led to me losing my job on X-Factor Italy as well as other work opportunities and has had an unspeakable impact on my two young children.'

She added: 'Rain Dove especially must be held accountable for her actions. The matter is far from over.'

According to Argento: 'The pair of them cannot be allowed to carry on as though they are above the law.'

And Argento has also revealed that Dove, 28, sent her text messages in which they e boast of having secured a 'bribe sponsor' for McGowan's forthcoming trial on a charge of drug possession.

There is no suggestion McGowan is aware of the claim or in any way attempting to interfere in the trial.

She said: 'Rain Dove sent me a text message alleging bribery in Rose McGowan's forthcoming cocaine case. It defies belief.'

The 45-year-old is currently awaiting trial at Loudon County General District Court, Virginia having been accused of possession after leaving her wallet with cocaine inside it on a plane at Dulles International Airport in January last year.

She denies the charges. If convicted McGowan faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Dove's representative for comment.

THE APOLOGIES ASIA HAS REJECTED

How Rose McGowan apologized - which Asia Argento does not accept

Sorry, not sorry: Rain Dove's statement which partially apologized by withdrawing the allegation that Argento was sent nudes by Bennett - but she is going to police over the texts
Prosecutors urged a judge Wednesday to sentence the promoter of a botched, highly publicized music festival in the Bahamas to over 15 years in prison.

In a written filing in Manhattan federal court, prosecutors said Billy McFarland was 'far more interested in the fame and notoriety generated by the festival than he was in paying back investors and his employees.'

The 2017 Fyre Festival, promoted as an ultra-luxurious event and 'the cultural experience of the decade,' was supposed to take place over two spring weekends on the Bahamian island of Exuma.

Customers who paid $1,200 to over $100,000 hoping to see Blink-182 and the hip hop act Migos arrived to learn music acts were canceled.

Their luxury accommodations and gourmet food consisted of leaky white tents and cheese sandwiches.

Billy McFarland is seen above leaving federal court in Manhattan after pleading guilty to fraud on March 6, 2018

Customers lashed out on social media with the hashtag #fyrefraud.

The bust was an embarrassment to some famous people after it was promoted on social media by models and celebrities including Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski.

McFarland has twice pleaded guilty to charges.

First, he admitted earlier this year he defrauded investors in the Fyre Festival.

Then, weeks later, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a ticket-selling scam that occurred after his initial arrest.

Prosecutors said McFarland should not receive leniency, in part because he 'brazenly dreamed up a new scheme targeting the same victims' while he was free on bail after his initial arrest.

The 2017 Fyre Festival, promoted as an ultra-luxurious event and 'the cultural experience of the decade,' was supposed to take place over two spring weekends on the Bahamian island of Exuma. But 'luxury accommodations' consisted of leaky white tents and cheese sandwiches

Models (left to right) Elsa Hosk, Emily Ratajkowski, Bella Hadid, Lais Ribeiro, Gizele Oliveira and Rose Bertram were invited to the island in December 2016 'to give feedback' on the festival launch

The government also cited examples of lies McFarland told over 80 investors to get them to pour over $26million into his schemes.

For instance, it said McFarland claimed in early 2017 that his company had booked thousands of acts representing tens of millions of dollars when it had only 60 bookings totaling $57,000 in the preceding year.

It also said McFarland embellished his own wealth, telling investors he owned $2.5million in shares in a public company when he owned only $1,499 worth of shares.

Prosecutors said he used money from investors to live lavishly, including maintaining a Manhattan residence, hiring a private driver of a luxury vehicles and taking frequent trips by private plane while polishing his image through charitable contributions and gifts to friends.

Prosecutors said when he learned he was being investigated for new crimes, he urged witnesses not to speak to the FBI and then made false statements to the government about his conduct.

'So far, the criminal justice system has utterly failed to get the defendant's attention,' prosecutors wrote.

They said the public needed to be protected 'from McFarland's next scam.'

His lawyer last month urged leniency, saying McFarland suffers from mental illness that includes delusional beliefs that his talents will lead to 'fame and fortune.'
An Australian private school boy jailed in Bulgaria for training to become a terrorist has failed to show up at his parole hearing.

John Ivan Zahariev, 22, was arrested in Bulgaria in September 2016 and accused of training as a jihadi with the intention of committing an act of terrorism.

He was convicted in June 2017 and has served two years of his four-year sentence.

Australian private school boy John 'Ivan' Zahariev (pictured), jailed in Bulgaria for training to become a terrorist, has failed to show up at his parole hearing

Zahariev is now eligible for parole but he failed to show up at Sofia City Court yesterday, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Despite previously protesting his innocence, he told the court that he did not wish to be considered for early release at this time.

Zahariev did not explain his reasoning to the court but will have future opportunities to seek parole.

A dual Australian-Bulgarian citizen, Zahariev had a Christian upbringing in Australia but later converted to Islam.

Sofia's Special Criminal Court accused Zahariev of training at shooting ranges in Bulgaria with the intention of going to Syria to join jihadi groups.

Zahariev denied the charges. After the verdict, he said he had been subjected to a 'show trial' and that no evidence connected him to the Islamic State group.

At the time, Zahariev said he would discuss with his lawyer whether it was worth appealing the verdict.

Zahariev has served two years of his four-year sentence and is now eligible for parole, however he told the court that he did not wish to be considered for early release at this time

Zahariev had previously denied all charges against him and was intending to appeal

He was arrested in Sofia, Bulgaria at the home of his father, who has since died, following a tip-off from Australian authorities.

A number of books were seized from the apartment but Zahariev previously told Nine News that he was not a terrorist.

'What kind of terrorist am I? When they raided my apartment they found nothing, just religious material which even a previous expert said is actually normal religious material,' he said.

During his trial he admitted to travelling to Syria in 2013, but said it was for humanitarian reasons as he was there to support the Free Syrian Army opposition.

He had appealed for assistance from the Australian government and hoped to serve his sentence in Australia.

Zahariev had previously attended Waverley College in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly says a 1983 letter a teenage Brett Kavanaugh wrote to his friends as he planned a 'Beach Week' drinking trip shows how 'responsible' he was.

Kelly came to Kavanaugh's defense during her NBC talk show on Wednesday saying that the two-page letter was impressive.

'If you read this whole letter you will be so impressed at the responsibility of this young man, saying to his roommates this is when the lease needs to be paid. It has to be paid in cash, do it upfront. You have to be respectful. ... These are the rules of the house,' she said, reading off some of Kavanaugh's handwritten notes.

Megyn Kelly came to Brett Kavanaugh's defense saying that a letter he wrote as a teen to his friends while planning a drinking getaway shows how 'responsible' he was

In the letter, Kavanaugh outlines what needs to be done before him and his friends head to Ocean City, Maryland for a trip consisting of drinking and partying

Kavanaugh signed the letter 'FFFFF Bart' and added a note telling his friends it would be a good idea to warn the neighbors that 'we're loud, obnoxious drunks with prolific pukers among us'

In the letter, unearthed and published by the New York Times, Kavanaugh outlines what needs to be done before him and his friends head to Ocean City, Maryland for a trip consisting of drinking and partying.

Kavanaugh reminds his pals that they need to give the landlord the remaining payment, bring their own bed sheets and towels and control who stays at the house and who must leave.

At one point in the letter, Kavanaugh writes: 'Our problem down there might be too many people. We're going to have to decide while we are there who we want and don't want. ... If half of Gonzagg/St. John's start coming, we might have to give the boot or else we might get it ourselves.'

'I think we are unanimous that any girls we can beg to stay there are welcomed with open ... Anyway I think we're all set,' he continues. 'Remember that the eight of us are in charge.'

Kavanaugh signed the letter 'FFFFF Bart' and added a note telling his friends it would be a good idea to warn the neighbors that 'we're loud, obnoxious drunks with prolific pukers among us'.

Kelly said the letter was 'a joke' and unearthing it doesn't 'help anyone's case'.

Kavanaugh wrote the letter in 1983. Kelly said if you read the entire thing you will be 'so impressed' with how responsible he was

Kelly dismissed Kavanaugh's third accuser Julie Swetnick (pictured) saying she is not credible and her claims are a 'hot mess'

'The New York Times, they should not be focused on that,' she added.

Kelly later said she thinks the focus should be on whether Kavanaugh assaulted someone or not, before dismissing the judge's third accuser Julie Swetnick.

'The third woman, Julie Swetnick, who I don't even have time to get into her hot mess of a testimonial, but I'm no longer even including her in the accusers,' Kelly said.

'Honestly, her allegations have gone so far off the rails and her credibility issues are so severe I think we should stop talking about her.'

Swetnick is not accusing the Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault, but said he was at a party where she was allegedly gang raped.

'I was shoved into a room and I'm having my clothes torn in different directions I was touched everywhere, I was physically assaulted in every way you could possible assault a woman, it was horrible,' Swetnick recalled to MSNBC in an interview that aired on Monday.

Swetnick couldn't confirm Kavanaugh was one of the guys who allegedly assaulted her, but told MSNBC that he was a 'very aggressive, a very sloppy drunk, a very mean drunk'.

Kavanaugh's first and second accusers Christine Blasey Ford (left) and Deborah Ramirez (right)

Kavanaugh has previously denied Swetnick's claims saying he does not know her and her allegations are 'ridiculous and from The Twilight Zone'.

Kelly said Swetnick's interview and her background shows she has 'severe credibility problems'.

'Let's just stop talking about her,' Kelly said. 'Let's just focus on (Christine Blasey) Ford who showed up, who was credible. You can find holes in her story but she deserves our ear'.

Ford, the first woman to launch allegations against Kavanaugh, testified in front of the senate last week on claims he allegedly tried to sexually assault her at a party when they were teenagers.

Ford said Kavanaugh pinned her down on a bed, tried to remove her clothes and covered her mouth when she tried to scream.

Kavanaugh has denied Ford's allegations, as well as allegations made by his former classmate Deborah Ramirez who said he allegedly exposed himself to her.
School leavers have wreaked havoc in a series of out-of-control 'Muck up Day' pranks.

Year 7 students have been cling wrapped to poles, teachers' cars have been covered in plastic and classrooms trashed in wild scenes at schools across the nation.

One Year 12 Sydney student was suspended for a week over a comment he posted to a Facebook group calling for younger students to be targeted during 'Muck up Day'.

Year 7 students have been cling wrapped to poles as school leavers wreaked havoc in a series of out-of-control pranks

It followed on from a post to a Facebook group calling on school leavers to duck tape students to a pole. The students who penned the post was suspended

The suspension prompted other students to post the message, with the addition of 'Continue reposting... they can't suspend us all'

Post-it notes were slapped across vehicles, which were also wrapped in plastic

'Can everyone on their "Muck up Day" grab a year 7 kid and duck tape them to a pole. Put some fear back into the little s****,' the post read.

The boy later said he had his suspension reduced to just one day following a review.

A New South Wales Department of Education spokesman told The Daily Telegraph the school had 'reminded all students that this sort of threatening behaviour and use of social media was inappropriate and will have consequences'.

The boy's suspension came after a mother complained to the student's school to say her daughter was distraught after seeing the message, according to posts on the Facebook group.

The suspension prompted other members of the group to write similar posts with the line 'Continue reposting, they can't suspend us all'.

Other school leavers uploaded photos of students being cling wrapped to a pole, with one adding the caption 'We did it fellas' and another 'Got the kid with flour as well'.

Students resorted to grabbing garbage bins from across the school playground and piling them up, before taking photos and uploading them to social media

School leavers uploaded images of students being cling wrapped to a Facebook group

Classrooms were trashed by Year 12 students in their final week of school before final exams begin

Some students took goats to schools, 'For Sale' signs were placed outside school gates and younger peers were chased with whipper snippers in other 'Muck up Day' pranks which school leavers boasted about online.

One told how he 'Broke into school at 10pm to put eels outside the cafeteria'.

A number of students resorted to grabbing garbage bins from across the school playground and piling them up, while chairs and tables were also piled up in classrooms, which were strewn with toilet paper.

Toilet cubicle doors were removed and soap dispensers tampered with in other incidents.

Some schools had resorted to issuing warnings to students to behave during their final week of school in a desperate attempt to avoid chaos, with the hiring of security guards considered.

In some cases, students were threatened with suspension and being stripped of their end-of-year prizes if they did the wrong thing.

Other schools banned 'Muck up Day' altogether because pranks had got out of hand in previous years.
Asbestos has been found in 3,500 Chinese-made imported rail carriages - a serious breach of Australia's ban on asbestos-contaminated products.

The carriages were imported by Fortescue Metals Group, Australia's Perth-based mining giant and the fourth largest iron ore producer in the world.

The rail carriages were imported to Australia between the years 2007 and 2014. However the asbestos was only discovered last year.

Asbestos has been found in 3,500 Chinese-made imported rail carriages, in a serious breach of Australia's ban on asbestos-contaminated products

The rail carriages were imported to Australia between the years 2007 and 2014

The asbestos was discovered in a component contained in the wheel chassis of an ore car.

All the materials containing asbestos within the carriages are now set to be replaced by next year. Employees are not believed to have been affected by the asbestos.

The Australian government imposed a total ban on asbestos in December 31, 2005, deeming it illegal to make, use it or import it from another country.

Despite this, no action will be taken against the Perth-based Fortescue mining giant.

A spokesman for the Department of Home Affairs told The Australian that 'a prosecution has not been pursued in this instance.'

Fortescue CEO Elizabeth Gaines confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that the asbestos was detected as a component contained in the wheel chassis of an ore car in September 2017.

'At the time, Worksafe was immediately advised and all necessary precautions taken to ensure the safety of our people and operations as we carried out further investigations,' Ms Gaines said.

Fortescue said they have engaged licensed asbestos removal services to replace all affected components in line with Worksafe requirements.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to the Department of Home Affairs for further comment.
An Alabama high school teacher was arrested on Wednesday in relation to a whopping dozen sex-related charges involving three students.

Ashley Nicole 'Nikki' Maddox, 31, was charged with two Class C felonies and 10 Class A misdemeanors, according to Chilton County Chief Deputy District Attorney CJ Robinson.

Chilton County High School administrative personnel had begun investigations on Maddox but soon a school resource officer was notified that criminal acts were alleged.

Ashley Nicole 'Nikki' Maddox, 31, was charged with two Class C felonies and 10 Class A misdemeanors

Students began coming forward with their own allegations once the Clanton Police Department began looking into the claims, AL.com reports.

The students alleged that Maddox 'disclosed Nikki Maddox had subjected them to inappropriate and illegal sexual contact,' Robinson stated.

Three different students were said to have been victims in the crimes that ranged over the last few months.

Maddox is married and mother to a son. She graduated from the University of Montevallo, according to her bio on the Chilton County High School website.

The woman had been a special education teacher in Chilton and Shelby. She was currently teaching Algebra I and Algebraic Essentials.

Three different students from Chilton High School were said to have been victims in the crimes that ranged over the last few months

The charges against her include: two counts of a school employee having sexual contact with a student under 19, two for soliciting a sex act with a student under 19, four for distributing obscene material to a student and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Maddox was booked into the Chilton County Jail on Wednesday but posted a $17,500 bond.

A court date has not been set yet.

'These are serious offenses and while we pray things like this don't happen, unfortunately sometimes they do,'' Robinson asserted. 'When the public trust is betrayed, we want to act as swiftly but as thoroughly as possible.'

'The investigators on this case have worked tirelessly to uncover the truth. I hope we have found all there is to find. 'If there are more victims out there, please know that you are not alone and coming forward is the right thing to do. '

'We have so many honorable people in Chilton County who have devoted their lives to being the best teachers they can be. Bringing those who use their position to victimize students to justice is the first step in rebuilding the trust of the public.
It seems that every couple of years there are news reports of planes landing unexpectedly at racetracks, training centres, breeding facilities or farms with racehorses. The most recent instance just occurred on Wednesday (Oct. 3).

According to an article by The Sentinel-Record, a small plane was forced to make an emergency landing in the infield of a Thoroughbred training track in Arkansas during the afternoon.

Onlookers close to the Double M Stables in western Garland County saw the plane coming, and at least some figured that it would be making an impromptu landing somewhere on the stables grounds.

The article has quoted John Ward, the owner of The Crawfish Hole, a nearby establishment, as saying that he was out back of his restaurant, checking on the honeybees in his orchard, when the plane came by just sputtering, and sputtering, and sputtering  close enough, that, according to him, he could almost touch the wheels.

The piece explains that Ward phoned a friend that works at Double M Stables and told him to expect a plane in the infield.

No injuries were reported from the incident.



A shot of the scene after a plane made an emergency landing at a Thoroughbred training facility (Image courtesy The Sentinel-Record / Richard Rasmussen)

As aforementioned, items about planes landing at horse racing-related facilities are somewhat common  albeit periodic  in the mainstream media.

In 2009, a small, single-engine plane that was attempting to make an emergency landing on Brittany Farms property crashed. Fortunately, the pilot and his passenger left the plane with no apparent injuries. For more information, click here.

In 2010, at Sam Beegles Ginger Tree Farm outside New Holland, Pennsylvania, a plane landed on the track unexpectedly. For more information, click here.

In 2012, the pilot of a crop duster made a miraculous escape after the plane he was navigating crash-landed on the property of a Standardbred farm. For more information, click here.

In 2014, a pilot was able to escape injury after he was forced to make an emergency landing onto the infield of a former racetrack. For more information, click here.

Earlier this year, in February of 2018, a group of Down Under horsepeople saw a small plane make an emergency landing at Stonewall Stud in South Auckland. For more information, click here.

(With files from The Sentinel-Record)
Woolworths and Coles have come under fire from dairy farmers, who have described the supermarket giants' drought milk levy as a 'con job'.

Coles announced a 30-cent levy on its home-brand three-litre bottles of milk last month while Woolworths' special drought relief range of two and three-litre bottles will be on shelves later this month.

But that's not enough, according to struggling dairy farmers, who say they will only get an extra half-a-cent to 1 cent per litre from the supermarket' levies, well short of the 10 cents per litre being called for.

Coles imposed a 30-cent levy on its home-brand 3-litre milk (pictured bottom) last month and says 100 per cent of the levy will go to struggling dairy farmers

The Queensland Dairyfarmers' Organisation has called for a 10 cent per litre levy on the cost of all milk sold in supermarkets, which would make a big difference to dairy farmers doing it tough.

Vice president Matthew Trace accused the supermarket giants of being 'not really on board' and described their drought milk levies as 'a little bit of a trick'.

'What's really happened is they've done a bit of a con job on the public and they've put the levy on a small volume  of milk, only on a couple of lines,' Mr Trace told the ABC.

'The farmers are absolutely devastated because they realise there's been a con job on the public and, of course, the public support it and Coles and Woolies have just abused that trust, really, of their customers.

'I know farmers that have had real estate agents out today because they just think this is our best chance to fix the mess in this industry, and they feel it's gone now.'

Woolworths directed Daily Mail Australia to its original press release when asked for a response to Mr Trace's comments.

The Queensland Dairyfarmers' Organisation claims dairy farmers are devastated about the 'con job' on the public by supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths (stock image)

'We're clear this won't solve the wider structural issues facing the dairy industry, given Woolworths branded milk accounts for less than five percent of Australia's total milk production,' Woolworths director of fresh food Paul Harker stated on September 20.

'Drought relief milk is about easing some of the immediate pressure brought on by drought, while government and industry work through the long-term reform agenda needed to ensure future generations of dairy farmers can prosper.'

Daily Mail Australia also contacted Coles for comment. The supermarket giant told the ABC that 100 per cent of the levy on its three-litre milk will go to dairy farmers.

'The farmers are absolutely devastated because they realise there's been a con job on the public and, of course, the public support it and Coles and Woolies have just abused that trust,' Queensland Dairyfarmers' Organisation vice president Matthew Trace (pictured) said

The Queensland Dairyfarmers' Organisation launched a change.org petition a month ago as part of its nationwide appeal, which collected more than 100,000 signatures before Coles and Woolworths announced drought levies on their own brands of milk.

'While there is no doubt that all agricultural industries are hurting, the dairy industry faces a tougher challenge than most,' the petition states.

'To produce milk, dairy cows need to be in peak health and their food quality and quantity maintained. So the increasing scarcity and the price of freighting in fodder has hit the dairy industry hardest.'

The Queensland Dairyfarmers' Organisation's plea to the supermarket giants has collected more than 106,000 online signatures

The petition states dairy farmers across Australia, not just those in drought-affected NSW and Queensland need the 10c/litre drought levy as scarcity has led the price of grain and feed to record highs in all states.

'Combined with lower than sustainable farm gate prices in both states, we are imploring consumers to get behind a petition to all supermarkets, in particular, Coles and Woolworths, to increase the price on all milk by 10 cents per litre and for processors to guarantee that the full amount will go directly back to the farmers,' the petition states.
A homeowner got an unexpected shock after she found a sneaky snake hiding in her very cluttered sewing room.

Snake Catchers Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich and Gold Coast were called out to the Sherwood property in Brisbane's southwest on Wednesday.

'We got called out to a snake that had made itself quite comfortable here in a sewing room,' the Queensland snake catcher said on Facebook.

A homeowner got a shock after she found a sneaky snake hiding in her very cluttered sewing room

Snake catcher Jasmine Zeleny identified the unwelcome guest as a coastal carpet python that measured at least 2 metres in length.

'They can reach as long as three metres,' she said.

'They're a non-venomous species, and they do very well in an urban environment.'

She added that it was one of the most commonly caught snakes in Brisbane that fed on things like rats and possums.

As to how the python managed to get inside, Ms Zeleny had her suspicions.

'Sometimes it's as simple as leaving the door to the room open.'

The snake catcher group posted the photo of the snake to their Facebook page, and teased viewers to see if they could spot the serpent.

The social media post has since lit up with comments from bemused Facebook users.

'That gives me the heebie jeebies' one person said.

Another said: 'This is not a sewing room. It is a storage area in need of help.'



The unwelcome reptile was found coiled on the top shelf, squeezed between boxes
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Labour's John McDonnell joined dozens of McDonald's, Deliveroo and Wetherspoons workers in a noisy protest as part of a day of action in disputes over pay and working conditions.

Staff from several branches of McDonald's and TGI Fridays restaurants, as well as two Wetherspoons pubs in Brighton, some Uber Eats and Deliveroo couriers and Uber drivers, took part in protests in Leicester Square, London today.

Supported by the shadow chancellor and union leaders, they demanded a minimum wage of 10 an hour and an end to 'precarious' contracts.

The demands were at odds with 80 per cent of McDonald's workers who have chosen to remain on zero hours contracts because of the flexibility they offer. Wetherspoons said it has handed out payrises totalling 27million this year.

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A rally was held in Leicester Square, London, where the workers chanted their demands for a minimum wage of 10 an hour and union recognition

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell is pictured speaking at a rally about disputes over pay and union recognition in Leicester Square, London

A McDonald's spokesman said that all of its restaurants remained open as usual today 'despite frustrating attempts by protesters at a handful of locations to impact our customers'

Fast food workers staged coordinated walkouts across the UK today demanding 10 an hour minimum wage, union recognition, full sick pay and abolition of zero hour contracts

TUC general-secretary Frances O'Grady and shadow chancellor John McDonnell addressed the rally, offering support from the Labour and trade union movement.

Mr McDonnell said Labour MPs had been urged to join picket lines, adding: 'Our message to exploitative employers is that we are coming for you.'

Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin told The Mirror: 'They obviously feel very strongly about this and it's important for us to look into the issues which are being raised, which we're happy to do.

'Whether it's right to use that type of gunboat diplomacy is another matter. We've got 40,000 employees and 19 are going on strike.'

TGI Fridays worker Lauren Townsend said a change in tips policy earlier this year was costing waiting staff hundreds of pounds a month.

'The company decided to reallocate 40 per cent of tips to kitchen staff - taking from one set of low-paid workers to give to another.'

Action has also taken place in cities including Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle, Plymouth and Southampton.

The day of action has been organised by War on Want, Unite and the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union.

Action has also taken place in cities including London (pictured), Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle, Plymouth and Southampton

The McDonald's, TGI Fridays and Wetherspoons workers are demanding better working conditions across the hospitality sector, pay of 10 an hour and an end to 'precarious' contract

Unite members at TGI Fridays restaurants in Milton Keynes and two in London will stage their eighth walkout since the tips row started.

Unite national officer Rhys McCarthy said hospitality workers were 'finding their voice', adding: 'These workers have had enough of low pay and insecure work.

'They are leading a growing movement against low pay and insecure work in the hospitality sector and across the gig economy.'

Ms O'Grady said the protest showed workers were prepared to fight back over poor pay and conditions

'Workers are not asking for the moon - they just want a fair wage and guaranteed hours,' she said.

Scores of workers took part in the rally, joined by officials from unions in France and the United States representing hospitality staff involved in similar disputes.

They later stood outside a TGI Fridays restaurant in Leicester Square chanting their demands.

Protesters demonstrate outside a McDonald's restaurant in Brixton in support of striking fast food workers today (pictured)

The day of action (pictured, Brixton) has been organised by War on Want, Unite and the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union

A McDonald's spokesman said: 'All restaurants remain open as usual today despite frustrating attempts by protesters at a handful of locations to impact our customers, and our restaurant teams. This is the third attempt at action; and according to our records none of our people are on strike today.

'Any suggestion this activity is widespread and growing is not accurate - fewer restaurants, fewer employees involved and less support for the union from our people.

'This is against a backdrop of more people choosing to join our business, with over 1,700 new employees since May (the last attempted industrial action).

As a growing and successful organisation we, along with our franchisees, will continue to invest in our people and create quality jobs and opportunities for all.

'We will also continue to offer people a choice between fixed and flexible contracts; as our people have told us they want to make the decision for themselves and choose what works for them.

'Since offering the choice to our people 80% have made the decision to stay on a flexible contract.'

JD Wetherspoon has previously said it had handed out pay rises worth 20million last year and 27million this year.

Unite national officer Rhys McCarthy said: 'These workers have had enough of low pay and insecure work. They are leading a growing movement against low pay and insecure work in the hospitality sector and across the gig economy.'

Steve Garelick, of the GMB union, said: 'The continued attacks made on workers from rate reduction without consultation to gratuities being hived off show that there is nothing wholesome in the service and gig economy sector.'

Fast food workers in the United States are also on strike this week over pay.

Customers of the chains were less than impressed, with one posting this joke on Facebook
An Asian police sergeant has won a 95,000 payout after complaining that his white colleagues did not take him seriously when he was called the N-word.

Zaheer Ahmed, 54, complained of a catalogue of racially motivated snubs during his 23 years with North Yorkshire Police, claiming he was constantly blocked as he tried to climb the career ladder.

In one case an officer who had previously been sacked from the force for racially abusing a doorman was reinstated, rose to the rank of Chief Inspector and was allowed to preside over one of Mr Ahmed's promotion applications.

Zaheer Ahmed, 54, complained of a catalogue of racially motivated snubs during his 23 years with North Yorkshire Police, claiming he was constantly blocked as he tried to climb the career ladder

The tribunal heard the Chief Inspector awarded Mr Ahmed the second lowest mark possible in the evaluation.

Mr Ahmed also claimed that he was also told by white colleagues that a prisoner was 'not being serious' when he called him a 'n*****' at a station's custody desk.

North Yorkshire Police have issued a public apology and agreed to pay Mr Ahmed 95,000, which a spokeswoman said was 'made up of compensation and a contribution towards legal costs'.

Mr Ahmed, who has now retired from the force, was subjected to 'unconscious race discrimination', plus two instances of 'direct discrimination', the tribunal found.

The panel decided that a white police sergeant who had passed his or her Inspectors' exams would have faced fewer obstacles to progression to the role of Inspector than Mr Ahmed experienced.

He told the tribunal last month that he applied for a custody sergeant role, but was told he was not suitable as he did not have enough experience.

In one case an officer who had previously been sacked from the force for racially abusing a doorman was reinstated, rose to the rank of Chief Inspector and was allowed to preside over one of Mr Ahmed's promotion applications

He then claimed other 'less experienced, less qualified, white' colleagues were assisted in applying for the role.

Mr Ahmed said a further application for a promotion was rejected in 2016, due to concerns with his performance, which he said was a 'shock and a blow'.

Chief Constable Lisa Winward said: 'I would like to take this opportunity to apologise publicly to Mr Ahmed for the unconscious discrimination he suffered whilst an officer at North Yorkshire Police, and for the handling of a historic incident where Mr Ahmed was subjected to a racial slur by a detainee in custody, that was not then properly investigated.

'I am committed to providing a positive working environment for every member of our workforce, and to tackling discrimination wherever it is found in our organisation.

'As well as offering my sincere apology, I would like to give my thanks to Mr Ahmed for his service, contribution and for bringing these matters to our attention. I wish him well in his retirement. It has been well-earned.'

The tribunal, held at Teesside magistrates court, ruled: 'The tribunal has concluded that a white police sergeant who had passed his or her inspectors' exams and was seeking promotion would not have been treated in the same way the claimant was to the extent that the various obstacles would not have been placed in that officer's way

Mr Ahmed said he was grateful the force had 'acknowledged what happened and given me an apology'.

He said: 'I have accepted that the discrimination was unconscious, and I do think that the force has moved on from the days when discrimination was ignored.

'North Yorkshire Police has shown it is trying to tackle unconscious bias, and I think this is a positive step. I met some outstanding individuals whilst working in the force, and I am proud of my service and the contribution I made as a police officer.

'It is vital for the police and the public that people from black and minority ethnic communities are strongly represented in the police workforce, and given the work North Yorkshire Police is now doing to support that, I encourage people from BAME communities to serve at North Yorkshire Police.'

The tribunal, held at Teesside magistrates court, ruled: 'The tribunal has concluded that a white police sergeant who had passed his or her inspectors' exams and was seeking promotion would not have been treated in the same way the claimant was to the extent that the various obstacles would not have been placed in that officer's way.

'The tribunal is satisfied that the reason why this claimant was treated that way was as a result of unconscious race discrimination because of the claimant's protected characteristic of his Pakistani ethnic origin.'

The North Yorkshire force came in for sharp criticism from Mr Ahmed, who was supported by the Black Police Association, for its lack of diversity, with no black officers on the force and only three officers from black and minority ethnic backgrounds progressing over the rank of sergeant.

Mr Zaheer left the force after hitting a 'glass ceiling' in September last year when he was passed over several times for promotion.

He began working for the force in June 1994 and was promoted to sergeant in 2006 but was unable to progress further for the next 11 years.

He told the tribunal that one of his most disturbing moments as an officer came at Selby Police Station in in April 2014.

He said a prisoner was drunk and swearing before he walked to the front of the custody desk.

Mr Ahmed said: 'whilst stood in front of me and looking at me he called me a n*****.

'An investigation was held by DS Stephen into this racial hate incident I received while at work.'

In July 2014 he was told by Roland Burnett, one of those chosen to investigate, that it was not being pursued because a white colleague, Liz Hartley, felt the prisoner was 'not being serious.'

Mr Ahmed said: 'She thought the prisoner was not being serious when he called me a n***** so it didn't go any further.

'It is distressing to me that you can be called a n***** in an aggressive and intimidating manner, humiliatingly in front of all your colleagues and then told that it wasn't being pursued.'

He later discovered the incident had been 'NFA'd' (no further action) in May 2014 but he had not been told.

Mr Ahmed told the hearing that he was assessed for a temporary inspector post by a Chief Inspector who had previously been involved in a racialy aggravated incident in York.

He said: 'My application for the temporary inspector posts in York was assessed by Chief Inspector Bloxham and Chief Inspector John Wilkinson. My application was unsuccessful. I received a score of 3/14. The lowest score that could be received was a '2.

'Chief Inspector Wilkinson was dismissed from the force due to allegedly racially abusing a doorman in York in June 1998. It was stated that he had brought discredit on the reputation of the force or of the police service.

'He appealed the finding to the Secretary of State.'

He said a document put before the tribunal states the punishment was upheld by the Secretary of State but that he was reinstated on October 3rd 2000 and went on to become a Chief Inspector.

Two white officers were given the temporary inspector roles.

In his witness statement, Mr Ahmed said: 'North Yorkshire Police are concerned with appearing as though they care about tackling the issue of lack of diversity, but their actions do not support this.

'As of March 31, North Yorkshire Police did not have a single black officer on its force.'

Mr Ahmed said a further application for a promotion was rejected in 2016, due to concerns with his performance, which he said was 'a shock and a blow'.

The tribunal found that Zaheer Ahmed had suffered racial discrimination in seven of the 16 claims he made.

The panel slammed the 'abject failure' to launch a proper investigation into the prisoner calling him a 'n*****.'

They also found the 'underrepresentation of BME officers within the respondent police force' was a relevant factor in making its findings.

On the lack of a proper investigation into the 'n*****' slur the tribunal found: 'There was an abject failure to investigate this incident or to deal with the claimant's later request for information.

'This was a race specific issue. The racial abuse in question could not have been made to a white officer. In the overall factual matrix, this is relevant to the approach to the matter of race.'
A grammar school house captain killed in a horror three vehicle crash on Tuesday has been described as a 'young woman with immense talent and creativity' by her principal.

Olivia Harwood, 17, died in the crash on the Warrego Highway at Oakey, west of Brisbane, at about 9.15am.

The house captain from Rockhampton Girls Grammar School, who was in her final year, was a passenger in her family's sedan when a truck, followed by a semi-trailer, collided with the vehicle.

Olivia Harwood, 17, died in a three vehicle crash on the Warrego Highway at Oakey, west of Brisbane in Queensland at about 9.15am on Tuesday

School principal Christine Hills described Olivia as a 'young woman with immense talent and creativity' who was 'gifted at art', in an interview with WIN News Central Queensland.

The grammar school principle said Olivia was 'involved heavily in the school, high achieving, talented and delightful'.

'We send our thoughts and prayers to the family of this beautiful young lady...' Toowoomba Regional Councillor Carol Taylor said.

Tributes for Olivia have also been posted on social media by her friends.

'Rest In Piece beautiful girl. You were taken far too soon and words can't describe how heartbroken we all are to hear this news,' wrote one girl.

Another friend said the Oakey community will 'stick together' to help family and friends through this tough time.

Investigations suggest a semi-trailer travelling east along the highway collided with a utility going in the same direction, which then collided into the sedan, reports The Courier Mail.

The 17-year-old, who driving was with her mum and dad, were headed home from a family holiday.

Ms Harwood's parents Allan, 48, and Beverley, 44, were both flown to a Brisbane hospital and are undergoing medical treatment.

The driver of the utility, a 36-year-old man from Oakey, is being treated at Toowoomba Base Hospital.

The house captain from Rockhampton Girls Grammar School, who was in her final year, was a passenger in her family's sedan when a truck, followed by a semi-trailer, collided with the vehicle

The driver of the semi-trailer, a 35-year-old man from Victoria, was not injured in the incident.

Investigations indicate the collision occurred at the Brimblecombe Road intersection of Warrego Highway.

'At this stage (of) inquiries conducted (are) one vehicle was travelling east, another vehicle travelling west, another vehicle (was) waiting to turn right into Brimblecombe Road and as a result, an accident has occurred,' said Acting Inspector Matt Howard said.

Further investigations into the multi-vehicle collision are still being investigated by emergency crews.
A no-deal Brexit would be better for France than a compromise, one of Emmanuel Macrons ministers declared last night.

Nathalie Loiseau, Frances minister for European affairs, said no deal would be better than a bad deal, but added that she hoped an agreement with Britain could still be struck.

A good deal is still possible, but time is running out, Mrs Loiseau said. Her comments came as Frances government unveiled a bill that would allow the country to be ready in the case Brexit negotiations ended in failure.

The plan would allow the French government to pass emergency measures by decree if necessary when Britain leaves the European Union  which it is due to on March 29 next year.

Nathalie Loiseau, Frances minister for European affairs, addresses media representatives after the weekly cabinet meeting at The Elysee Palace in Paris yesterday. She said that no deal would be better than a bad deal

Mrs Loiseau said she hoped a successful Brexit agreement is possible but that nevertheless, we must prepare ourselves for all the scenarios, including a no deal. One measure would grant British citizens living in France reciprocal rights along with French citizens in the UK, while others concern the movement of goods and people.

Mrs Loiseau said the bill might change, depending on the outcome of Brexit negotiations. The plan follows EU recommendations to member states to be prepared for all eventualities.

It is not the first time Mrs Loiseau, who leads withdrawal negotiations for France, has courted controversy.

After Theresa Mays mauling at the Salzburg summit last month when she was ambushed by EU leaders, it emerged Mrs Loiseau claimed that divisions over Brexit meant it had become Britains equivalent of the infamous Dreyfus Affair.

This was the 19th-century spy scandal that dominated French politics for decades and divided families, parties and regions.

Nathalie Loiseau (left) and French government's spokesman Benjamin Griveaux (right) address media representatives at The Elysee Palace in Paris

Emmanuel Macron (pictured at the Paris auto show this week) has previously said Britain would 'for sure' be allowed to reverse the Brexit decision

She made the claim to an audience at the French ambassadors residence in Kensington, west London, which caused outcry among Brexit-supporting MPs.

During an open question and answer session while appearing at the international affairs think-tank Chatham House last month, Mrs Loiseau also claimed France could stop Eurostar trains travelling into Paris from London in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

She told the audience that services from London would be rejected if unilateral deals were not struck before March 29. She also suggested UK planes could be turned back mid-air and that No Deal chaos could continue for years.

 Theresa May was warned by Northern Ireland MPs not to cross their blood red lines by signing any Brexit deal that threatens the unity of the United Kingdom.

DUP leader Arlene Foster, whose party is propping up Mrs Mays minority government, said in her strongest language yet that she will not accept Northern Ireland being treated differently to the rest of the UK after leaving the European Union.

She said: There cannot be a border down the Irish Sea  a differential between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. The red line is blood red.
Julie Bishop has posted a heartwarming throwback photo celebrating being voted into federal parliament on election night 20 years ago.

The picture shows a beaming Ms Bishop, posing with her parents and her sister, in front of a Liberal banner promoting her for the seat of Curtin in Western Australia.

Ms Bishop posted the photo to her social media on Wednesday, marking the 20 year anniversary of her election victory.

The picture shows a beaming Ms Bishop, posing with her parents and her sister, in front of a Liberal banner promoting her for the seat of Curtin in Western Australia

The 62-year-old year resigned from her position as Foreign Minister on August 26 ths year following a Liberal Party leadership spill that claimed Malcolm Turnbull's Prime Ministership

Comments flooding in have supported the former front bencher - with one user telling her, 'You're getting better with age!'

Comments flooding in have supported the former frontbencher, with one user telling her, 'You're getting better with age!'

The 62-year-old year resigned from her position as Foreign Minister on August 26 this year following a Liberal Party leadership spill that claimed Malcolm Turnbull's Prime Ministership.

Leaked WhatsApp messages revealed last month show Ms Bishop was a contender for the top job but infighting between her Liberal colleagues scuttled her bid.

She said she would remain on the backbench 'as a strong voice for Western Australia' but has made no decision regarding the next election.

Ms Bishop was appointed Foreign Minister after the coalition won the 2013 federal election and was reportedly, along with newly appointed Prime Minister Scott Morrison, internally regarded as the best performing minister in the Government.

Ms Bishop posted the photo with a caption saying it was an 'honour' to represent her electorate

Supportive comments to the photo have flooded in with many praising the former Foreign Minister
The widow of one of four pedestrians killed when terrorist Khalid Masood ploughed into them on Westminster Bridge has paid loving tribute to her husband in her first interview on camera since the horrific attack last year.

Melissa Cochran suffered a severely broken leg, broke three ribs, as well as her back in three places, and lacerations to her head and thigh but survived the attack after Kurt Cochran pushed her out of the way of the oncoming truck.

The US tourist opened up about her loving husband in an interview today, revealing he would have sacrificed his life bravely for anyone.

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Melissa Cochran suffered a severely broken leg, broke three ribs, as well as her back in three places, and lacerations to her head and thigh but survived the attack after Kurt Cochran pushed her out of the way of the oncoming truck

Mr Cochran was the hit and killed by the speeding Hyundai Tucson, which propelled him over the bridge and onto the pavement below.

In an interview with the BBC she said Mr Cochran would have acted instinctively to protect her, or anybody else who was in danger.

She said: 'I recall hearing an engine revving and I quickly looked over and remember just seeing the hood of this car but I don't recall anything else.'

Adding: 'He (Kurt) pushed me out of the way... basically he sacrificed his life for mine.'

Mr Cochran (pictured right) was the hit and killed by the speeding Hyundai Tucson, which propelled him over the bridge and onto the pavement below

'It isn't surprising, really,' she continued, 'Kurt would have done that for anyone, honestly. The fact that it was me standing next to him - if it had been a complete stranger Kurt would have been that kinda guy.'

Despite the loss of her husband, Mrs Cochran says she feels sorry for killer Masood.

Speaking from her home in Utah, Ms Cochran said she 'can only imagine the heartbreak' they feel at the murders the terrorist committed.

'I want to express my deepest love and compassion to all of the (victims') families, to all of those who helped in any way that they could after the attack,' she said.

In an interview with the BBC she said Mr Cochran would have acted instinctively to protect her, or anybody else who was in danger. She said: 'I recall hearing an engine revving and I quickly looked over and remember just seeing the hood of this car but I don't recall anything else'

Speaking from her home in Utah, Ms Cochran said she 'can only imagine the heartbreak' they feel at the murders the terrorist committed

'I want to express love and compassion to those who had to relive those events by testifying, I know that was very hard for some people. I also want to express love and compassion for Masood's family.

'From what I understand they didn't share his belief system and this was not something that any of them obviously wanted to happen, they were obviously shocked when it did happen.

'I want to express my deepest love and compassion to all of the (victims') families, to all of those who helped in any way that they could after the attack,' she said (pictured on the day of the attack)

'I can only imagine the heartbreak they are feeling knowing that their father or their husband or son committed such atrocities.

'I just know in my heart that love and compassion and kindness wins over.'

The couple had been visiting London as part of a trip to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

It comes after the widow of PC Keith Palmer said her husband had been 'left to die' during the Westminster terror attack after an inquest found his murder could have been prevented.

Michelle Palmer criticised police chiefs for leaving her unarmed husband to guard one of the world's most iconic buildings  and 'top terrorist targets'  without firearms officers beside him.

Coroner Mark Lucraft QC ruled that PC Palmer could still be alive today if police marksmen had been at the front gates at the time of the atrocity. Instead, they were 80 yards away.

The inquest also heard that firearms officers had been stationed at the entrance PC Palmer was guarding 'seven or eight' years ago  but were subsequently told to carry out roving patrols.

Michelle Palmer (pictured with Pc Keith Palmer) says that her husband was let down by a failure to protect him and said his family were let down by a failure to properly investigate his death

Numerous security reviews, including one just two years before, had found the front gates were particularly vulnerable to attack.

In the wake of Mr Lucraft's damning verdict, Mrs Palmer said no one at Scotland Yard had taken responsibility for the 'lax security' that left him 'unprotected' during the assault by terrorist Khalid Masood.

She said she had been 'let down' and that the hardest part of her husband's murder was having to tell their six-year-old daughter, Amy, that her 'daddy was gone'.

PC Palmer, 48, was guarding the Carriage Gates at the Palace of Westminster in March last year when Masood embarked on his rampage.

Murdered PC Keith Palmer pictured with his wife Michelle. PC Palmer, 48, was guarding the Carriage Gates at the Palace of Westminster in March last year when Masood embarked on his rampage

Emergency services are pictured at the scene of the Westminster attack giving medical treatment to the terrorist

After mowing down and killing four pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, he rammed into the Houses of Parliament and burst out with a carving knife and a hunting knife.

Armed only with a baton and CS spray, PC Palmer was held down by Masood and repeatedly stabbed in the face, neck and back after trying to intervene in his deadly assault.

His body armour did not protect him and he died from his wounds just minutes later while witnesses tried to save him.

Masood was finally shot by two close protection officers who only happened to be at Parliament because they were guarding then-defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon. The two armed officers on duty at Parliament on the day of the attack had not gone near the gate for almost an hour beforehand.

They were 80 yards away when PC Palmer was stabbed and could not see the attack unfold.

Masood killed four civilians and a police officer during his car and knife rampage. He was pictured smiling at a hotel shortly before the attack

John Frade, the widower of mother-of-two Aysha who was killed in the attack, said he hoped 'lessons will be learned' to prevent similar tragedies

Receipts from a trip to Tesco in Birmingham show Masood buying essentials such as bodywash, whilst he also purchased two carving knives

Since PC Palmer's death, Scotland Yard has been accused of unfairly blaming the junior officers to hide systematic security failings.

The marksmen insist they were simply following orders by focusing their attentions on another entrance at Parliament that was commonly used by MPs and ministers.

Yesterday, following a four-week inquest, Mr Lucraft said that had the armed officers been stationed at the Carriage Gates, 'it is possible they may have been able to prevent PC Palmer suffering fatal injuries'.

In the wake of his verdict last night, Mrs Palmer said: 'How could Keith have been left alone, unarmed, guarding an open gate at one of the most iconic buildings in the world and one of the country's top terrorist targets? He was left at a vulnerable location with no protection to die.

Attacker Khalid Masood is given medical treatment outside Parliament after he was shot following his murderous rampage in which he killed four pedestrians and stabbed PC Palmer

Retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes (left) and Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea (right) were both killed in the attack

'Nobody wants to take responsibility for leaving one of their own officers there unprotected when they knew that police officers were at risk of attack at this vulnerable location.

Security risk was flagged up years ago A security review two years before PC Keith Palmer's death concluded that the gate where he was stationed was 'vulnerable' because it was manned by unarmed officers. But the Houses of Parliament threat assessment was never passed on to police on the ground, the inquest heard. On the day of Khalid Masood's attack, no firearms officer was seen near Carriage Gates for almost an hour before PC Palmer was knifed. Instead, marksmen prioritised the Members' Entrance which was used by ministers and MPs to attend Prime Minister's Questions. A tactical assessment published in early 2015 found that armed officers should be able to quickly respond to an attack at Carriage Gates. But PC Lee Ashby, one of the firearms officers on duty that day, said he was unaware of the concerns raised. He said it was impossible to provide effective cover for all the gates on his patrol and admitted the system left unarmed officers unprotected 'more often than not'. He said he would have shot Masood if he had been at the gate. Firearms officers used to be stationed behind Carriage Gates until 2012. PC Ashby said he had to cover three other entrances and the fence line, admitting he could not be at 'more than one place at a time'. Advertisement

'What makes it even worse is that this lax security had been carrying on for years and it has taken what happened to Keith for things to change. [Scotland Yard] let Keith down by failing to protect him and let us down by failing to investigate his death properly.'

In a particularly emotional statement, she said the hardest part of her husband's murder was having to tell their six-year-old daughter Amy that her father had died.

'The hardest thing was having to tell Amy that her daddy was gone,' she said. 'They were the best of friends and he was her world. Bed times were the hardest for her as that's when Keith would usually be around to help.'

Her damning assessment of police chiefs came as the inquest into the five victims of the Westminster attack ended yesterday.

Mr Lucraft ruled that PC Palmer and the four pedestrians  Kurt Cochran, 54, Leslie Rhodes, 75, Aysha Frade, 44, and Andrea Cristae, 31  who died on Westminster Bridge were 'unlawfully killed' by Masood.

In other developments:

Scotland Yard finally apologised for the 'possibility' they lost the chance to save PC Palmer.

Mrs Frade's husband John accused the MI5 of missing a series of chances to prevent the attack.

The coroner called for 'distressing' pictures of the victims to be removed from the internet.

The inquest heard marksmen had been stationed at PC Palmer's gate 'seven or eight' years ago but were then ordered to carry out roving patrols  leaving the Carriage Gates vulnerable to attack.

Several security reviews found the entrance to be 'one of the weakest points in the physical perimeter' of Parliament.

Another assessment was carried out in 2015 shortly after the UK's terror threat level had been raised to severe.

Once again major flaws were revealed and instructions published telling officers to make regular checks at Carriage Gates.

Most firearms officers were unaware of the new tactics and said they had been verbally ordered to continue with roving patrols.

Aysha Frade (left) and Kurt Cohran (right) were also killed in the terror attack that struck Westminster, central London

Chief coroner Mark Lucraft said there were 'shortcomings in the security system' in New Palace Yard, where PC Palmer was attacked

After the attack junior officers said they had been 'hung out to dry' by police chiefs who attempted to blame them for their actions on the day.

Giving his findings at the Old Bailey inquest, Mr Lucraft said: 'Due to shortcoming in security system  the armed officers were not aware of a requirement to remain in close proximity to the gates.

'Had they been stationed there, it is possible that they may have been able to prevent PC Palmer suffering fatal injuries.'

Last night PC Palmer's parents John and Sylvia Curtis and his sisters Angela Clark and Michelle Palmer welcomed the coroner's findings but said he should have been tougher in his criticism of the Metropolitan Police.

In a statement, they said: 'We expected the Met to welcome an open and transparent examination of this horrific attack on its own officer and members of the public, yet instead senior officers seem to have closed ranks.'

'They let Keith down by failing to protect him': Widow's full speech Michelle Palmer, widow of Pc Keith Palmer, said: 'How could Keith have been left alone, unarmed, guarding an open gate at one of the most iconic buildings in the world and one of the country's top terrorist targets? 'He was left at a vulnerable location with no protection to die. 'The fact there were no firearms officers there for nearly an hour is hard to believe. I truly believe that if they had been there he would still be here today and Amy wouldn't have lost her daddy. 'What is so disappointing is that the police haven't been very open about their investigation in relation to the security arrangements at the Palace of Westminster. They have been very slow to get to the bottom of how this was allowed to happen. 'Nobody wants to take responsibility for leaving one of their own officers there unprotected when they knew that police officers were at risk of attack at this vulnerable location.' Police officers lined the streets of London for PC Palmer's funeral last April Mrs Palmer continued: 'What makes it even worse is that this lax security had been carrying on for years and it has taken what happened to Keith for things to change. 'I am pleased that the coroner found that there were shortcomings in the security system by the senior command of the Metropolitan Police but it won't bring Keith back. 'They let Keith down by failing to protect him and let us down by failing to investigate his death properly. Now we have to live with the consequences of their failure.' In a joint statement released through their lawyers, PC Palmer's parents and siblings, John and Sylvia Curtis, Angela Clark, Michelle Palmer and John Curtis said: 'The inquest has been traumatic and extremely difficult for our family. 'We welcome the fact that the Chief Coroner has recognised some of the Met's failings  and their consequences  but believe he should have gone further. 'We fought hard to try and get answers to the many questions which have arisen through this process. Unfortunately there are many which are still unanswered.' His funeral cortege passed the Palace of Westminster where he was killed The family statement continued: 'We expected the Met to welcome an open and transparent examination of this horrific attack on its own officer and members of the public, yet instead senior officers seem to have closed ranks. 'What message does this send to ordinary officers bravely reporting for duty every day, to keep us all safe? 'We have been deeply reluctant to speak out about our experiences but have done so only in the hope that future Coroners will take note of our experience and put questions from the bereaved families at the heart of the process, so the full truth can emerge. Otherwise what is the point of an inquest? 'We would like to say how proud we are of Keith. We now have an even clearer picture of just how brave and courageous he was in that terrible moment. We love and miss him every day, but we are very glad that we had him in our lives. 'Our family would like to thank everyone who has supported us during this difficult time and express our huge thanks to our legal team for their incredible support, kindness and hard work both before, and during, this inquest process.' Advertisement

Pc Palmer's parents and siblings speak out on their 'traumatic' loss John and Sylvia Curtis, Angela Clark, Michelle Palmer, and John Curtis said in a statement today: 'The inquest has been traumatic and extremely difficult for our family. 'We welcome the fact that the Chief Coroner has recognised some of the Met's failings  and their consequences  but believe he should have gone further. 'We fought hard to try and get answers to the many questions which have arisen through this process. Unfortunately there are many which are still unanswered. 'We expected the Met to welcome an open and transparent examination of this horrific attack on its own officer and members of the public, yet instead senior officers seem to have closed ranks. 'What message does this send to ordinary officers bravely reporting for duty every day, to keep us all safe? 'We have been deeply reluctant to speak out about our experiences but have done so only in the hope that future Coroners will take note of our experience and put questions from the bereaved families at the heart of the process, so the full truth can emerge. Otherwise what is the point of an inquest? 'We would like to say how proud we are of Keith. We now have an even clearer picture of just how brave and courageous he was in that terrible moment. We love and miss him every day, but we are very glad that we had him in our lives. 'Our family would like to thank everyone who has supported us during this difficult time and express our huge thanks to our legal team for their incredible support, kindness and hard work both before, and during, this inquest process.' Advertisement

Melissa Cochran was pushed aside by her husband Kurt (pictured together just before he died) as the used his 4x4 car as a weapon in the shadow of Big Ben last March.

The couple were the first to be attacked by Khalid Masood in the devastating attack last March

Melissa Cochran attended the Service of Hope at Westminster Abbey in London in April last year
A Green Party MP has inadvertently used a highly-offensive swear word during a live television interview.

New Zealand conservation minister Eugenie Sage was being interviewed on TV One's Breakfast show on Thursday morning discussing the cull of 6,000 Himalayan tahr from the country's South Island.

While mentioning the various groups involved in limiting the animal's population, Ms Sage mistakenly used the c-word.

New Zealand conservation minister Eugenie Sage was being interviewed on TV One's Breakfast show on Thursday morning

'There will be control work done between now and mid-November. Further meetings of the tahr liaison group and the c***ers (hunters) too have committed to doing a big educational to doing a big educational effort so that they shoot the female tahr, not just the bulls,' Ms Sage said.

'It's a more collaborative process going forward.'

Ms Sage continued to answer questions from host Daniel Faitaua, with both seeming to ignore the minister's accidental profanity.

Crew members could be heard trying to hide their laughs off camera.

Some hunters took offence to Ms Sage's slip of the tongue, believing it to be a Freudian slip.

'She [knew] what she was saying alright. She paused beforehand and afterwards,' one person posted on the NZ Hunting and Shooting Forum.

Others suggested it was an innocent mistake.

'It would be extremely stupid and pointless for a politician to call anyone c***s on national television which presumably someone watches,' one person said.
When Tennessee quickly implemented a wholesale change to its teacher-evaluation system in 2011, the backlash was swift.

Teachers said the process was opaque and frustrating , and they argued that the time required of them to prepare for observations was unreasonable. Other critics said that the new system had been rushed through, without a thorough enough evaluation of a pilot program.

But now, most teachers feel differently about these evaluations. Annual statewide surveys conducted by the states education department have shown a continued increase in positive teacher opinionin 2018, about three-quarters of teachers said the evaluations improved their practice . And a recent study from Brown University researchers found that teacher improvement in the state has been more pronounced in recent years .

How did Tennessee see these successes in teacher improvement, given such precarious beginnings? And whats responsible for the shift in teacher opinion? A new report from the education policy think tank FutureEd attempts to answer these questions.

The report, based on interviews with teachers, administrators, and state level leaders, chronicles the changes to the evaluation system since 2011 and the development of teacher training and leadership initiatives.

It concludes that continuous improvement to teacher training and evaluation systems, driven by data and educator feedback, was key to sustainable change. The report also highlights the teacher-leadership networks that the state used to scale training and adapt initiatives to local contexts.

But despite teachers more favorable outlook on the evaluation system, and gains in student achievement measured by scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, educators are still concerned about the role value-added measures play in the teacher-evaluation process.

We Should Have Trained the Teachers

The original teacher-evaluation system, put in place after the state won federal Race to the Top funding in 2010, based half of a teachers score on observations, 35 percent on student achievement, and 15 percent on other measures. Principals were required to observe teachers at least four times a year, and the results of those evaluations were tied to the awarding of teacher tenure.

Kevin Huffman, who was Tennessees new education commissioner in 2011, acknowledged in the report that the state should have communicated better about the system at the outset. We should have trained the teachers, not the principals, or we should have trained both, he said, quoted in the report. And we should have done it all in-house, and with Tennessee people leading the way.

After outcry from the states educators, Tennessees general assembly directed the department to conduct an internal review of the evaluation system. The state opened up an electronic helpline, organized meetings and presentations that reached 7,500 teachers, met with superintendents, and surveyed teachers across the state, according to the report.

The resulting changes to the process, based in part on educator feedback, saved the system and became a hallmark of how the state department would approach implementation going forward, the report argues.

Among the modifications: Fewer observations for high-scoring teachers, and about one-third of districts were allowed to customize their evaluation plans. The report also says shining a spotlight on the quality of instruction helped lead to Tennessees 2013 NAEP gains.

The state applied lessons learned in the battle over teacher evaluations to other initiatives, said Lynn Olson, a senior fellow at FutureEd and the reports author. When they started to roll out state standards, they actually recruited teachers who were already doing good work in their classrooms to lead that effort, and train them to teach other teachers, she said. They understood that teachers trust teachers most.

Teachers and principals are both much more comfortable and familiar with the observation process now, Josh Arrowood, a history teacher at Nolachuckey Elementary School in Greeneville, Tenn., said in an interview with Education Week. Principals across his district also created resources to support teachers success, like lesson plan formats that would help them meet the scoring objectives, he said. It seemed like at first it was a learning curve for everybody.

But the scoring system can still be confusingly opaque, said Arrowood. He thinks observers may sometimes score a teachers lesson based on how well they think her students will do on the test, so that the full evalution looks consistent, rather than objectively evaluating performance in the moment.

Pushback on Value-Added

When first implemented, the states evaluation system used schoolwide growth to evaluate teachers in untested subjects and gradesa choice that many teachers found unfair. For teachers in these grades and subjects, the state reduced the weight given to growth data from 35 to 25 percent of the evaluation score, and also allowed teachers to use student portfolios as measures of student growth instead.

Last year, kindergarten and 1st grade teachers started using this portfolio system, and complaints echoed many of the same concerns that Tennessee saw when it first implemented new evaluations in 2011: Teachers found the system overly complicated and felt they hadnt gotten enough training in how to use it, the Tennessean reports .

And some teachers in untested subjects are still having schoolwide data used as a measurement of their performance, a part of the evaluation system that remains unpopular, said Arrowood. "[Teachers] feel like they have really minimal impact on what their scores are, he said.

The Tennessee Value Added Assessment System, known as TVAAS, measures teacher performance through growth on student standardized test scores, and is used for the student growth portion of the teacher evaluation.

In 2014, the Tennessee Education Association filed a lawsuit alleging that the states use of value-added models for teacher evaluations was unfair , which the report notes.

Most teachers dont trust the TVASS scoring, because we have never really been told how that works, how they actually measure growth, said Arrowood. What Arrowood perceives as a lack of transparency in the system, combined with recent testing snafus, have led him and other teachers he knows to lose faith in the assessment process, he said.

Over the past three years, implementation problems with Tennessees online testing system prevented thousands of students from submitting or finishing their tests. As a result, the state has given districts some flexibility in how the data are used and instructed that teachers not face consequences for low student scores.



In a 2018 survey by the department, 61 percent of teachers said the information gleaned from the tests wasnt worth the time and effort it took to administer them.

Thomas Toch, the director of FutureEd, cautions against making the perfect the enemy of the good when it comes to teacher evaluations. Before the new system was put in place, tenured teachers were observed once every five years. Were much better off with the system that we have now, despite its shortcomings, he said. And the evidence from teacher surveys in Tennessee suggest that teachers and principals agree.

There arent easy lessons when it comes to using value-added measures as part of evaluations in the state, said Olson. She thinks its an issue that the department will continue to evaluate.

Image: FutureEd
A mystery banker's wife who spent an average of 1.6m a year at Harrods for a decade has been ordered to explain how she can afford a luxury lifestyle which includes British property worth 22m.

The woman, who is married to a jailed former head of an unnamed country's state bank, was told to disclose the source of her money by the National Crime Agency (NCA), which has been given the power to issue so-called unexplained wealth orders.

She appealed to the High Court but has now lost the case and must say where the cash is from.

In addition to the UK properties, the woman also enjoyed using a private jet, drank fine wines and spent 150,000 on jewellery at Harrods in a single day.

Between 2010 and 2016, she has spent 16m on luxury items from the department store in a decade using 35 credit cards issued to family members and charged to a state bank her husband chaired in their native country outside Europe.

She owns at least one London home worth 7.5million after putting down a deposit of 4million and paying off the mortgage in five years.

In addition to the UK properties the woman also enjoyed using a private jet, drank fine wines and spent 150,000 on jewellery at Harrods in a single day

In addition to the UK properties the woman also enjoyed using a private jet, drank fine wines and spent 150,000 on jewellery at Harrods in a single day (stock image)

Her husband, known only as Mr A, was the chairman of a bank outside Europe, in which the state had a controlling stake, from 2001 until his resignation in 2015. Pictured: Harrods

The NCA cannot understand how she came to have so much cash. She argues he made the money through work as a commercial banker.

But if the woman is now unable to explain the source of the wealth, she risks having her houses seized.

Mrs A was the subject of the first two UWOs, which were obtained by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in February in relation to two properties worth a total of 22 million.

Her husband, known only as Mr A, was the chairman of a bank outside Europe, in which the state had a controlling stake, from 2001 until his resignation in 2015.

Mrs A's lavish lifestyle 22million worth of property A private jet Fine wines 150,000 on jewellery in one day 35 credit cards 16million spent in Harrods over 10 years Advertisement

He was subsequently convicted of fraud and embezzlement, sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment and ordered to pay the bank approximately 39 million US dollars.

Mrs A's husband's official salary was between 22,000 and 54,000 but somehow his net worth was estimated at $56million.

Mrs A took the NCA to the High Court in London to discharge one of the two UWOs, which was made against an 11.5 million property purchased in 2009 by a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.

The NCA, which considers that the source of the funds to purchase the properties is unexplained, has the power to seize assets if officials believe the owner is a politically exposed person (PEP) - someone from outside the European Economic Area in a position of power that makes them liable to bribery or corruption - or someone with suspected links to serious or organised crime, and they are unable explain the source of their wealth.

At the High Court on Wednesday, Mr Justice Supperstone dismissed Mrs A's application to discharge the UWO, and also discharged an anonymity order preventing the identification of the couple, the non-EEA country, the bank, the two properties and Mr A's lawyers in the non-EEA country.

Mrs A used 35 credit cards issued to family members and charged to a state bank her husband chaired (stock image)

Mrs A argued that her husband is not a PEP, but the judge ruled against her.

Mr Justice Supperstone also noted that 'independent of the conviction there is evidence which provides some corroboration for the allegations made against him relating to the misuse of the bank's funds of which he was found guilty'.

What is an Unexplained Wealth Order? The 'unexplained wealth order' was introduced in January this year to help officials identify and seize British property suspected of being bought by dirty money laundered by corrupt foreign criminals. A UWO is an investigation order issued by the High Court on satisfaction of a number of tests. A UWO requires a person who is reasonably suspected of involvement in, or of being connected to a person involved in, serious crime to explain the nature and extent of their interest in particular property, and to explain how the property was obtained. A UWO can also be applied to politicians or officials from outside the European Economic Area, or those associated with them i.e. Politically Exposed Persons. Boris Johnson, at the time the foreign secretary, said that the use of the orders 'would be intensified' in response to the novichok attack in Salisbury. The establishment of UWOs, as part of the Criminal Finance Act, will enable the authorities to freeze and recover property if individuals are unable to explain how they acquired assets in excess of 50,000. Agencies which can apply for a UWO include: the National Crime Agency, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Serious Fraud Office, or the Crown Prosecution Service. Advertisement

He stated that 'three separate loyalty cards were issued to Mrs A' by department store Harrods, where she spent more than 16 million between September 2006 and June 2016.

The judge also said he was 'not satisfied' that it was 'in the interests of justice that non-disclosure of the identity of Mrs A or her husband is necessary in order to protect their interests'.

He concluded that 'identification of Mrs A and her husband, the non-EEA country involved and the state-owned enterprise that employed him are all matters of very real public interest'.

He directed that the anonymity order stay in place until noon on October 10, pending the outcome of an application for permission to appeal over both the ruling on the UWO and on the anonymity order.

James Lewis QC, for Mrs A, said the case raised 'clearly important issues' which 'should be put before the Court of Appeal'.

Mr Justice Supperstone rejected Mr Lewis's application to appeal. Mr Lewis indicated that Mrs A would pursue the case to the Court of Appeal.

Donald Toon, NCA director for economic crime, said: 'I am very pleased that the court dismissed the respondent's (Mrs A's) arguments today. This demonstrates that the NCA is absolutely right to ask probing questions about the funds used to purchase prime property.

'We will continue with this case and seek to quickly move others to the High Court. We are determined to use the powers available to us to their fullest extent where we have concerns that we cannot determine legitimate sources of wealth.'

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: 'The Government has dragged its feet on implementing these orders. We now need swift large-scale action to tackle the use of the City of London as the money-laundering capital of the world.

'Dirty money is undermining the standing of our financial sector and the Government needs to get its act together to use the UWOs much more extensively and effectively.'
Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy have been given an international travel perk which no other living former prime minister receives.

His Liberal successor Scott Morrison granted the entitlement in September as the former PM holidayed in New York.

Under the deal, Mr Turnbull would be given the 'provision of resources' when he is 'undertaking international travel as approved by the prime minister in writing from time to time', Fairfax Media has revealed.

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Malcolm Turnbull (left) and his wife Lucy (right) have been given an international travel perk which no other living former prime minister receives

His Liberal successor Scott Morrison (right) granted the entitlement in September as the former PM holidayed in New York

PERKS OF FORMER PRIME MINISTERS Australia's five other living former prime ministers, who are no longer in parliament, are entitled to claim domestic airfares, a chauffeur driver, private car expenses, office administration costs and telephone bills. Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, John Howard, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard cost Australian taxpayers $225,000 from April to June 2018. Mr Howard was the biggest spender, claiming $64,600 for office facilities, which was double the amount claimed by every other ex-PM. Even surviving former first ladies cost the public purse, with Tamie Fraser and Nancy Gorton costing $369 during that time. Source: Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority Advertisement

Even the former prime minister, who has an estimated net worth of $200million, seemed baffled by the arrangement telling The Sydney Morning Herald he hadn't requested the perk.

While former PMs rarely claim overseas travel on the public purse, they can be called to represent Australia at official occasions such as state funerals of world leaders.

Mr Turnbull is the wealthiest Australian ever to have become prime minister and lives at a harbour-side Point Piper mansion, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, when he isn't staying in his New York apartment overlooking Central Park.

His living predecessors who are no longer in parliament - Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, John Howard, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard - are entitled to domestic airfares and office expenses but none of them claim international travel, Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority records showed.

Mr Morrison's office said he had 'simply formalised what has been an informal arrangement', with his spokesman adding it was 'standard practice for the international travel work expense to be extended to the spouse'.

Mr Turnbull (right in New York with wife Lucy) would be given the 'provision of resources' when he is 'undertaking international travel as approved by the prime minister in writing'

'It is not uncommon for former prime ministers to travel overseas on government business,' he said.

In April 2013, John Howard represented Australia at the state funeral of former British Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher in London.

In February last year, Mr Turnbull axed the gold pass entitlement for former PMs, which provided free travel to retired members of parliament.

A by-election is being held on October 20 in Mr Turnbull's old seat of Wentworth, which takes some of Australia's wealthiest suburbs including Vaucluse and the world-famous Bondi Beach.
Mitchell Langbert, an associate professor of business, says the Democratic Party is full of tutu-wearing pansies for their opposition to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh

A professor at Brooklyn College has come under fire from students for writing a blog post asserting that whoever has not been accused of sexual assault is not a member of the male sex.

Mitchell Langbert, an associate professor of business, also accused the Democratic Party of being tutu-wearing pansies for their opposition to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Langbert wrote the comments in a blog post from last week, but they received renewed attention in light of the contentious Senate hearings.

The Kavanaugh hearing is a travesty, and if the Republicans are going to allow the sissy party to use this travesty to stop conservatism, then it is time found a new political party, Langbert wrote in his blog.

In the future, having committed sexual assault in high school ought to be a prerequisite for all appointments, judicial and political.

Those who did not play spin-the-bottle when they were 15 should not be in public life.

The blog post also slams Brooklyn College for a perceived leftist slant while calling Democrats totalitarian sissies who lack virility, a sense of decency, or the masculine judgment that has characterized the greatest civilizations

The Kavanaugh hearings have become a sharply divisive topic in politics after it emerged that at least three women have come forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct decades ago. Kavanaugh is seen above during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on September 27

The Kavanaugh hearings have become a sharply divisive topic in politics after it emerged that at least three women have come forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct decades ago.

Last Thursday, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford gave sworn testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee in which she accused Kavanaugh of attempting to rape her.

Kavanaugh also appeared before the committee and offered an impassioned defense while denying the allegations.

The provocative blog post has been the talk of Brooklyn Colleges campus, with students and faculty demanding that Langbert be fired.

His statements are genuinely dangerous, Corrinne Greene of the Young Progressives of America told the New York Post.

They clearly advocate for participating in violent crimes, and generally in discrimination against women, who are already in serious danger, statistically, on college campuses and in broader society.

Alison Schur, who graduated from Brooklyn College, told the Post: I was dumbfounded when I saw this.

The very first sentence advocates for sexual assault. You can have an opinion on the Kavanaugh case all you want.

But to advocate for sexual assault in beyond mind-boggling.

Langbert told the Post that if Brooklyn College fires him, he will sue the school. The Brooklyn College campus is seen in the above stock image

Langbert told the Post that if Brooklyn College fires him, he will sue the school.

The left uses defamation and lies about manufactured events or events that are exaggerated to blacken the names of people they disagree with, he said.

Langbert says that he is glad his blog post has angered people on campus.

Students are indoctrinated in socialism in this school and theyre trained to demand that anyone who disagrees with them should be fired, he said.

Its a travesty - and there are times you have to fight back against the totalitarian bigotry that Brooklyn College represents.

Greene, however, says that Langbert went too far.

An institution with a commitment to diversity cannot employ anyone who publicly supports and calls for sexually based violence, she said.

Brooklyn College must immediately cut ties with Professor Langbert. We call for a full investigation and for his termination.

Anne Lopes, the college provost, said the professors blog post was gender-biased and homophobic.

She wrote in a statement: I view the post as offensive, obviously abhorrent, and contravening the fundamental values and practices of our community.

It is not known, however, if the school plans to pursue disciplinary action.
Australian banks are under threat from the same North Korean hackers responsible for fleecing more than $1.54billion from 16 global financial institutions.

Banks in at least 11 countries have been the target of cyber attacks by a group dubbed APT38, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and the US, over the past four years.

Investigations executed by US cyber security firm FireEye have now found Australian SWIFT banking codes and IP addresses listed in the malware used by the hackers, The Age reported.

Most Australian banks, including ANZ, NAB, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac, utilise SWIFT, an international network used to facilitate payments and prevent fraud.

Australian banks could be under threat from the same North Korean hackers responsible for fleecing more than $1.54 billion from 16 global financial institutions (stock photo)

FireEye senior analyst Jacqueline O'Leary said while there was no immediate danger for those with Australian accounts, there was still reason to remain vigilant.

'We have seen indications that APT38 may have attempted to target organisations in Australia based on a few factors including that they included hardcoded business identifier codes associated with specific banks in Australia in a particular piece of malware,' Ms O'Leary said.

'While targeting [of Australia] isn't confirmed, there definitely seems to be interest in entities within the country.'

Researchers said APT38 was one of several hacking cells under a larger group known as 'Lazarus' with unique skills and tools to carry out large-scale global cyber heists.

Forensic evidence showed North Korean hackers had cherry-picked people with access to SWIFT systems of targeted institutions.

They would then deploy malware that inserts fake transactions - rorting stolen funds into other banks where they can be extracted by hacking groups.

Hackers then delete traces of their activity using disk-wiping viruses, making them unidentifiable and unable to be tracked.

Cyber security exert Tom Uren, based in Canberra, said the hacking activity was consistent with recent patterns out of North Korea.

At least 11 countries have been cyber attacked by a group dubbed APT38, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and the US, throughout the past four years (stock photo)

'It seems that the North Koreans are strapped for cash and are really doing anything they can to get money. They'll attack banks wherever they find opportunities, so all banks, including Australian ones, will be on their radar,' Mr Uren said.

APT38 was found to use techniques allowing it to monitor a company network for five months, to get insight on its inner workings, before stealing any funds.

Mr Uren was confident Australian banks were aware and well-resourced in the face of cyber hackers.

'I'd be more worried about the smaller financial institutions in Australia; they are simply less well resourced to deal with this problem.'

'If [APT38] can find weaknesses in Australian banks they'll definitely try to take advantage of them.'
Plans to dump 300,000 tons of nuclear mud in the sea off one of Britains biggest cities could pose a deadly threat to health, campaigners are warning.

EDF Energy began removing mud from the construction site of the Hinkley Point C power station in Somerset last month and disposing it off the coast of Cardiff.

But scientists say the material could be contaminated with plutonium and uranium in waste from the decommissioned Hinkley A and B reactors near the site and has not been properly tested for radioactivity.

EDF Energy began removing mud from the construction site of the Hinkley Point C power station (pictured) in Somerset last month

Hundreds of thousands have signed online petitions calling for tests, while activists have vowed to blockade the dumping site with a peoples flotilla.

The campaigners  led by Cian Ciaran, keyboard player with Welsh rock band Super Furry Animals  withdrew a High Court challenge on Tuesday after the Welsh Assembly agreed to hold a debate on whether to suspend the dumping.

Keith Barnham, emeritus professor at Imperial College London, said the mud needs to undergo two more types of testing to be sure that it is safe.

Neil McEvoy, an independent member of the Welsh Assembly, said: Nuclear scientists have said particles of weapons-grade plutonium could be in the mud.

EDF has been dumping the waste off the Cardiff Coast, causing concern to campaigners

If you are unlucky enough to be exposed to these particles you are going to get cancer in 15 to 20 years. All we are asking is for EDF to test the mud.

EDF Energy maintains the mud was fully tested by independent experts and is no different to mud found anywhere else.
Tesla has broken into the top 10 of bestselling US sedans with the Model 3, despite Elon Musk's recent difficulty with the SEC that forced him to resign as chairman.

The company said on Tuesday that it had produced 53,239 of its Model 3 sedans in the third quarter and delivered 55,840 of the vehicles to customers.

Those numbers made the Model 3 the number five selling sedan in the US for the quarter ended September 30, and the only electric vehicle in the top 10, according to a Bloomberg analysis.

The Chevrolet Malibu, which was the tenth bestselling sedan for the first half of the year, was bumped to number 11 by the Model 3's rise in the rankings.

The top ten selling sedans for the third quarter are seen above, with sales by thousands of cars

Tesla's Model 3 is seen on display in a showroom earlier this year. Tesla said on Tuesday that it had delivered 55,840 of the vehicles to customers in the quarter ending September 30

In a release, Tesla touted the quarter's delivery numbers as record setting.

'To put this in perspective, in just Q3, we delivered more than 80 percent of the vehicles that we delivered in all of 2017, and we delivered about twice as many Model 3s as we did in all previous quarters combined,' the firm said in a statement.

It signals good news for Tesla, even as CEO Elon Musk wrapped up a tumultuous feud with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Musk announced he would step down as chairman of Tesla as part of his settlement with the SEC.

The SEC lawsuit accused Musk of securities fraud over his infamous 'funding secured' tweet, which surrounded his now-defunct plans to take the company private.

Elon Musk (above) recently announced he would step down as chairman of Tesla as part of his settlement with the SEC

In another recent controversy, eagle-eyed internet sleuths spotted thousands of unclaimed Teslas in parking lots around the US, stoking analysts' concerns that it could be due to sluggish demand or continued delivery issues.

Since July, Tesla has been parking anywhere from a couple of dozen to a few hundred cars at a lot in Burbank, California.

It's a similar story in the town of Lathrop near San Francisco where Tesla has 400 cars at an industrial site according to the New York Times.

Hundreds more have been located in in Antioch, northeast of San Francisco.

Several locations around the country contain parking lots full of the Tesla cars, raising concerns about distribution issues. A lot in Lathrop, California is pictured here

Last week, the newspaper reported that another batch of 100 Model 3s cars in Bellevue, Washington with further batches in Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.

The sleuths are betting that Tesla's share price will fall and suggest Elon Musk has not been truthful about the company's current situation, particularly its sales numbers.

A Tesla spokesman, Dave Arnold, said by email to the Times that the large lots of vehicles were 'logistics transit hubs' and added, 'Anyone observing those lots will see a change from one day to the next.'
Town halls will be given significant extra borrowing powers to build tens of thousands more council homes across the country, the Prime Minister pledged yesterday.

In a major announcement, Theresa May said she would lift the cap on the amount councils can borrow against the income they receive from tenants rents.

It means local authorities will be able to borrow more to fund the construction of new affordable homes. It is thought the extra investment in housing could reach 1billion a year but this is dependent on how many councils decide to borrow.

In a major announcement, Theresa May said she would lift the cap on the amount councils can borrow against the income they receive from tenants rents. Therefore boosting the amount of money they have available to spend on housing (pictured stock image)

Rupert Harrison, former aide to George Osborne, tweeted that Mrs May had imposed the plan on an unwilling Philip Hammond. This is a big deal. Treasury will hate it so TM has clearly imposed it on No11. This will add to the deficit even if it is in theory borrowing to create an asset, he said.

The plan was praised by the Campaign to Protect Rural England. Policy adviser Lois Lane said: This announcement is welcome news for rural communities in particular, who have long required a step change in the delivery of social housing.

There are currently more than 191,000 households on rural local authority waiting lists, but last year only 990 new homes for social rent were built in those areas.

The move is part of Mrs Mays efforts to make property more affordable.

It comes weeks after the Prime Minister said people who live in council houses should be made to feel proud of their homes. She announced more money to build new homes in England, in an attempt to remove the stigma of social housing.Yesterday she told the Conservative conference it was her personal mission to fix the broken market of housing.

We will only fix this broken market by building more homes, she said.

Solving the housing crisis is the biggest domestic policy challenge of our generation. It doesnt make sense to stop councils from playing their part in solving it. So we are scrapping that cap.

Lifting the borrowing cap has long been opposed by the Treasury, which does not trust local authorities to borrow wisely.

But it has been clear that the cap had prevented councils building enough homes.

Downing Street points out that in the 1980s, under Margaret Thatcher, councils were building around 10,000 homes a year. But now that total has fallen to a trickle.
Theresa May vowed to clamp down on 'loyalty penalties' that cost the public 4billion a year.

The Prime Minister devoted a large section of her conference speech to fixing 'broken markets' so they work in the interests of ordinary people.

She warned: 'Companies charging their customers a 'loyalty penalty' should know: We will take action.'

The Prime Minister (pictured) devoted a large section of her conference speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham to fixing 'broken markets' so they work in the interests of ordinary people

It comes after a review was announced last week into ending rip-off fees for long-standing customers, who often pay more than those who switch suppliers regularly. It will examine whether the public could in future switch energy and phone providers just by using mobile apps which show them the best offer.

Describing Labour's approach of nationalising utilities as 'bad', Mrs May said her party had to offer an alternative and make sure customers got a fair deal, highlighting the announcement of an energy price cap which will take effect this winter.
Commuters will find it easier to get a refund if their train is delayed or cancelled under new proposals.

Disgruntled travellers would only have to go through a 'one-click' process to receive their money rather than write lengthy complaints, Mrs May said.

Customers would only need to register their details once with train operators. These would be saved for future claims. However this will only be a requirement for companies bidding for future rail franchises, meaning it could take years to come into effect nationwide.

Customers would only need to register their details once with train operators (pictured stock image) in order to make future claims

Theresa May announced the proposal during her speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham yesterday

The Prime Minister said: 'On some routes the service has not been good enough. We will fix that.

'And while we do so, we will build in a new system of auto-compensation, so that when your train is late you won't have to waste more getting your money back.'
When she needed it most, Theresa May yesterday delivered the best and most important speech of her time as Prime Minister.

By far the best. And much the most important. Indeed it was more than a speech. It was an event.

This was one of the rare pieces of oratory which genuinely transform the political landscape. In little less than an hour, Mrs May went a long way to rebuilding her faltering reputation as Prime Minister.

In little less than an hour, Mrs May went a long way to rebuilding her faltering reputation as Prime Minister

In the process, she struck a series of wounding blows against her enemies inside and outside the Conservative Party.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had such a strong conference last week that there was increasingly talk that he could lead the next government. Mrs May demolished him in a few crisp and devastating paragraphs.

Of more immediate importance, Mrs Mays strong performance makes a leadership challenge less likely in the coming months.

Even if Boris Johnsons Brexiteers do manage to assemble the 48 signatures required to call a vote of no-confidence in the Prime Minister when Parliament returns, it wont do them much good.

Strong

Mrs May would win any contest hands down, and thereby cement her authority yet further. And that simple fact is pregnant with a much wider significance.

For the past three months, an existential battle has raged inside the Conservative Party to decide on what terms Britain should quit the EU in six months time.

Mrs May and her allies have pushed for the so-called Chequers solution, meaning that Britain would retain strong trading links to Europe in return for surrendering an important element of national sovereignty, such as remaining under the aegis of the European Court of Justice.

But her Conservative opponents have promoted the so-called Canada Plus alternative, meaning a looser trading relationship with the compensating advantage that Britain takes full control of all our own laws.

Until yesterday, it looked as if Mr Johnson and Canada Plus were winning, while Mrs Mays Chequers deal was being written off as defunct and terminally useless by many observers.

As recently as Tuesday, in a charismatic speech, Boris Johnson gained huge applause from an enthralled audience of Conservative activists when he demanded that the Government should Chuck Chequers.

Mr Johnson threw down the gauntlet to Mrs May. Yesterday, the Prime Minister picked it up and hurled it back.

If Boris Johnsons Brexiteers do manage to assemble the 48 signatures required to call a vote of no-confidence in the Prime Minister when Parliament returns, it wont do them much good

She used a certain amount of sleight of hand. She did not use the word Chequers once in her speech, perhaps fearing the reaction in the hall.

Crucially, however, she did not make a single substantive concession to her Tory opponents over her negotiating plans.

Indeed, she eloquently defended her commitment to no border controls in Ireland, and also frictionless trade for British manufacturing goods with Europe. It was a remarkable achievement to make these unpopular arguments and still get a standing ovation from the Tory conference.

I believe that from now on, voters are likely to look very differently at the Prime Minister. In recent months she has too often looked more and more like a hapless victim rather than the architect of events.

No longer. Indeed Mrs May has been through so much and been written off so often that she is now gaining self-assurance and respect because she is a grizzled survivor.

Yesterday also helped remedy another long-term problem which she has until now been unable to solve: her seeming shortage of any definitive political personality.

That was remedied when she displayed her humanity with a deeply moving passage describing the death of a goddaughter from cancer.

Assurance

As for her dance up to the podium to the tune of Abbas Dancing Queen, that will never be forgotten. As with her two dance performances in Africa during the summer, there was a cheerful acknowledgement that she is not a slick or cool political performer, and never will be.

But her willingness to gamely send herself up has endeared her to many. Mrs May has announced herself at long last.

Admittedly, there were dull passages, which lost momentum long before the end. I also believe she was wrong to announce the end of austerity, which played into Labour hands by subliminally reminding people of the Lefts mantra that the Tories are the party of savage cuts.

The fact is that austerity never truly happened in Britain  and certainly nothing like on the scale of continental Europe  and Jeremy Corbyn will see yesterdays announcement of various spending splurges as a vindication of Labour calls for extra public borrowing.

It is not clear where the money is coming from, and it places constraints on Chancellor Philip Hammond ahead of his Budget later this month. Nevertheless, this speech was a great improvement on everything that has come before. There was a new wisdom and assurance.

Whereas two years ago she notoriously attacked citizens of nowhere, yesterday she spoke a different language, urging moderation and patriotism, not nationalism.

Whereas last year she launched an assault on business worthy of Corbyn, this was a robustly pro-business speech in the Conservative Party tradition.

If she had been able to put in as strong a performance before, todays political environment would be very different.

Up till now there has been a tendency to view Theresa May as a stop-gap Prime Minister  think Gordon Brown after Tony Blair. But yesterday she took a giant step to being viewed as a genuine premier in her own right.

Of course there is a long way to go. Next months negotiations with Europe will be brutal. There is no guarantee at all that European leaders will sign up to Theresa Mays vision of Britain post-Brexit.

Moreover, it is important to remember that the most dangerous time for Tory leaders has never been the annual party conference. The grassroots are generally too loyal and even deferential.

The truly dangerous time comes in late October and November when Parliament has returned.

Remember how Maggie Thatcher was greeted by powerful chants of ten more years at the 1990 conference  but voted out of office by her own MPs in the Commons a mere six weeks later. And Mrs May still has to work out how she will get her plan for Europe through Parliament.

Despite yesterdays success, she still cant rely on the support of all her own MPs  far from it. The Brexiteers are still out there and waiting to make their move.

Her leaders speech did contain a fascinating clue to the strategy that she may yet be obliged to adopt, and the problems that lie ahead.

It contained more praise for Labour figures than any Tory conference speech by any Tory leader. There were tributes for Neil Kinnock, Jo Cox, Jim Callaghan, Clem Attlee.

Even Labours clueless Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott was the recipient of blandishments. So were Labour backbenchers who refuse to serve in the Shadow Government in what was dubbed the Jeremy Corbyn party.

Undefeated

Mrs May is making an icy political calculation. She reckons that she may well have to rely on Labour votes in the Commons when her Chequers deal comes to the crunch in two months time. She is preparing the way by sucking up to them in public.

Nevertheless, the Prime Minister has crossed one massive hurdle in her battle to take Britain out of Europe. Ahead of this weeks Tory conference, even loyalists such as former leader Michael Howard were doubting her prospects of survival, while some in Downing Street were in despair.

Now Mrs May is making plans to hold a Festival of Britain in 2022  the year the next election is due to be fought. This is a signal she plans not only to see through Brexit, but also to fight the next election.

If she has her way this battle-hardened, bruised but so far undefeated Prime Minister aims to be around for a great deal longer than her critics have bargained for.
Homophobic letters from a person claiming to be 'Jesus' have been sent to residents in gay-friendly suburbs.

Residents living in Darlinghurst, an inner-city suburb of Sydney just minutes away from Oxford Street's lively gay party scene, received the questionable letter this week.

The letters appeared in multiple mailboxes in the area, in envelopes addressed to the 'resident'.

Homophobic letters (pictured) have been sent to residents in gay-friendly suburbs this week, claiming to be from 'Jesus'

Addressing the letter to 'Sydney', it begins with an explanation that 'Jesus' dried up New South Wales because of same-sex marriage.

The hostile letter boasts about being responsible for the removal of the 'wicked' former Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull.

The author also issues a warning that Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, should 'humble herself'.

Not only does the letter condemn same-sex marriage, it also suggests some serious threats to the city.

'Ban remarriage and unjustified divorce, or I will bring hail in a violent form of destruction and death and delight to brake your pride' it reads.

Local resident Nick Smith posted an image of the letter to Twitter, with the caption: 'Got some post from Jesus and he seems PISSED'.

The letters were distributed in Darlinghurst, just minutes away from Oxford Street - where the Mardi Gras is held yearly

Talking to Junkee, he said he laughed off the letter, and that it was clear the author was 'clearly unhinged'.

'I opened it because the envelope was hand addressed to 'resident' which is rare,' Mr Smith said.

He said that the style of writing suggested the author was in their 70's.

'It was a not great reminder of the postal survey last year and the sort of views which were aerated at the time' he said.
A white woman who rushed to defend two Spanish speaking women while they were being accosted by a racist shopper is being hailed a 'Shero.'

A viral video posted on Monday shows the Good Samaritan threatening to alert the police as the racist woman keeps harassing the two women.

'You don't harass people,' the woman can be heard stating in the brief clip. 'Hey, get out of here! Now!'

A viral video posted on Monday shows the Good Samaritan threatening to alert the police as the racist woman harasses the two women for speaking Spanish

The racist - wearing an off-white shirt with jeans - wags her finger as she tries to talk over the irate woman, but the defender refuses to let her speak.

'Do not. I am calling the cops,' the woman asserts. She is wearing yoga pants with a purple workout shirt and a fleece.

She adds: 'You leave these women alone. Get out. Go!'

The racist tries to tell her that she comes 'from a different generation,' but the ally is not having it, retorting that she has 'respect and it does not matter'

'This woman needs to be escorted out of here,' the ally exclaims as they make their way to the front of the store. 'You do not harass Hispanic ladies!'

The racist tries to tell her that she comes 'from a different generation,' but the ally is not having it, retorting that she has 'respect and it does not matter.'

'You will lose it. You will lose it. You will lose this country,' the other woman warns as she begins making her way back to her shopping cart.

But she is followed by the Good Samiritan, who chastises her for harassing the women.

Faby VelSa, one of the Spanish-speaking women from the video, shared on Facebook that the woman came and verbally harassed them for not speaking English

The two continue their way to the front of the store and can be heard bickering as they get further away.

The racists informs the woman that she will 'lose this country' again but her words are barely tangible as she is shouted over.

'This woman needs to be escorted out of here,' the ally exclaims. 'You do not harass Hispanic ladies!'

Faby VelSa, one of the Spanish-speaking women from the video, shared on Facebook that the woman came and verbally harassed them for not speaking English.

She shared that the two Hispanic women did not know the other woman but that she did call the police on the racist. VelSa also claimed that police arrested the woman.

The video has quickly gone viral, with more than 482,000 views since it was posted on Monday.

Many on social media have commented in disgust at the racist woman but a majority of the comments have praised the white woman for stepping in for the others.

It is unknown exactly where the video was filmed, however.
A woman who mowed down a 'hero' granddad as he crossed the road pushing a child in a stroller will not spend a day in jail.

Ruwanmalee Perera, 42, of Doncaster East, pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing death, which carries a maximum jail term on 10 years in Victoria.

Her victim, 66-year old grand dad Qimin Zhang, had been crossing the road on a green walk signal at the corner of Springvale Rd and Springfield Rd, Nunawading in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, when Mrs Perera ignored signals and ran him down.

Doting grandfather Qimin Zhang was killed while protecting his young grandson

Seeing the car coming, the doting grand father pushed his grandson out of the way and took the full brunt of Perera's Mazda SUV.

Perera, a mother of two who works in child care, walked free on Wednesday from the County Court of Victoria on a community corrections order requiring her to perform just 150 hours of community work.

Her licence was also cancelled for 18 months.

Mr Zhang's traumatised wife Yunan Jiang had pleaded with Judge Frank Gucciardo to throw the book at her husband's killer.

But the Judge claimed Perera had suffered enough already from post traumatic stress brought on by her own careless actions.

'The consequences of the driving have left you significantly impacted upon to a severe extent amounting in my view to extra-curial and consequences,' Judge Gucciardo said.

Paramedics converged at the scene in Nunawading, but Mr Zhang was unable to be saved

'Guilt and shame effects the whole of your life. I accept any imprisonment would make your condition likely worse.'

The senseless incident happened on the afternoon of November 30, 2016.

Mr Zhang was legally crossing the road with a green signal and a sign warning motorists to 'give way to peds' was lit.

The deadly intersection at Springvale and Springfield Roads in Nunawading

The court heard Perera failed to check for pedestrians at the 'tricky' intersection and struck Mr Zhang, sending him flying head first onto the road, fracturing his skull.

He died later in hospital.

Judge Gucciardo described Mr Zhang as a hero.

'Mr Zhang indeed was valiant and showed great courage in the moment of the collision, pushing the stroller away from him to protect his grandson from injury. This was a courageous and selfless act,' Judge Gucciardo said.

The little boy suffered only minor facial injuries in the incident, but carries 'deep emotional scars'.

Judge Frank Gucciardo believed killer Ruwanmalee Perera had suffered enough

Judge Gucciardo - who once famously carried out a conversation in open court with furniture icon Franco Cozzo - described Perera's offending as at the 'lowest end' for its type because she was not drunk, speeding, on the phone or tired.

He further praised Perera for her good character, solid work history and for being a good mum.

'Although dangerous driving causing death is considered a manifestation of negligence in the sense of carelessness, it can, as it does in this case, encompass momentary inattention which may attract suitably less condemnation,' Judge Gucciardo said.

His words offered little comfort to Mr Zhang's devastated wife, who had provided a gut-wrenching victim impact statement to the court pleading for an appropriate jail sentence for her husband's killer.

Ms Jiang told the court her life had been effectively ruined by Perera's actions.

She described her husband as a deeply devoted, loved and caring family man.

Ms Jiang wrote of her anguish and suffering at the hands of Perera and described her heartbreak, depression and insomnia at losing her husband.

In sentencing, Judge Gucciardo noted the victim's family remained 'unforgiving' of Perera and sought the 'maximum possible redress from the court'.

But he could not be swayed.

'I have taken these powerful and emotional statements into account ... it should be understood that such considerations, though understandable, cannot overwhelm the proper exercise of the sentencing principles properly to be applied,' he said.




This is the shocking moment a tattooed man does a burnout inside a city apartment as his mates cheer him on.

The footage was said to have been captured in Melbourne and shows the man revving a motorbike for several seconds.

He then drifts swiftly from side-to-side, leaving thick black tyre marks on the apartment's living room floor.

A man has been captured on camera doing a burnout through a Melbourne apartment, leaving thick black tyre marks on the living room floor

The rider continued to proceed through the apartment as smoke from the burnout filled the living room.

But the burnout resulted in the fire alarm being set off, forcing the rider and his mates to flee the apartment.

A video of the burnout was recently posted online, leaving viewers bewildered.

'When all the girls go out for a Friday night together, that leaves all the boys at home to play,' a caption accompanying the video said.

'When those boys have motorbikes, it can get a bit hectic.'

One viewer posted 'Why?', which prompted another to add 'Exactly what I was thinking'.
Jetstar is giving away free return legs on flights to Japan, dropping the price of a trip to Tokyo to less than $150 each way.

The half-price airfares for flights to Japan are on offer from May 13 to June 26, 2019.

Jetstar is giving away free return legs on flights to Japan, dropping the price of a trip to Tokyo to less than $150 each way

A fare from Cairns to Tokyo starts from $299, which equates to $149.50 each way

A fare from Cairns to Tokyo starts from $299, which equates to $149.50 each way.

Return flights to Tokyo's Narita Airport start from $329 from the Gold Coast, $343 from Sydney, $348 from Brisbane and $375 from Melbourne.

Return flights to Osaka start from $299 from Cairns, $404 from Sydney and $424 from Adelaide.

Earlier in the year, Skyscanner Australia noted that bookings to Japan were 35 per cent higher than the first half of 2017.

Figures from the Japan National Tourism Organisation show that the country is one of the fastest-growing holiday destinations for Australians this year.

Earlier in the year, Skyscanner Australia pointed out that bookings to Japan were 35 per cent higher than the first half of 2017

Japan National Tourism Organisation added to the narrative that Japan is one of the fastest growing holiday destinations for Australians this year

Its data showed a 170 per cent hike in trips to Japan by Australians over the last five years.

It is believed the bookings have eclipsed places like Bali or Thailand in some cases.

'Japans strength and appeal as a travel destination lies in our difference,' Japan National Tourism Organisation in Sydney Executive Director Kana Wakabayashi said.

'We can offer experiences that cant be found anywhere else in the world, like eating yakitori in a lane-way bar and chatting with locals, soaking in a natural hot-spring with a view of Mt Fuji or even hiking along an ancient trail and visiting beautifully preserved post towns.'

Eager passengers have until midnight (AEST) October 7 to make the bookings.

Data showed a 170 per cent hike in trips to Japan by Australians over the last five years

National Tourism Organisation in Sydney Executive Director Kana Wakabayashi said, 'Japans strength and appeal as a travel destination lies in our difference'
Andy Williamson is the former head of Wilmington Grammar School for Boys in Dartford, Kent and shared what he'd noticed

Several head teachers have revealed that parents are sending older children to sit grammar school tests on behalf of their 11-year-old siblings.

Some schools have even introduced photo IDs to stop children much older than 11 sitting the tests.

There are 163 grammar schools in Britain and they remain extremely popular among parents, with some even moving miles to secure a place for their child.

Andy Williamson, the former head of Wilmington Grammar School for Boys in Dartford, Kent, revealed how he came across a case of a struggling student who seemed to be below the level of his school.

He recalled how he suspected the boy of not having sat the 11-plus exam and was vindicated when he compared the boy's handwriting to his supposed exam paper and realised the answers had been written by different people.

He told the Times: 'By then he was a pupil at my school, struggling and unable to keep up with his classmates.

'I raised it with Kent county council but they decided to take no further action.

'If you had a family from outside the area coming to take the exam, without verified photo ID, it could well be a sibling sitting the exam for another.'

Families are known to send their children miles away from their home to sit the test, as some grammar schools allow children from any part of the country to try and pass the entrance exam.

Children travel to grammar schools from all over the country as some leave their entrance exams open to all. This makes it hard to verify who is sitting the test (stock photo)

This makes it easy for siblings or other relatives to sit the test in place of the 11-year-old.

Other cases of cheating include a tutor who claimed that siblings or cousins of some candidates in Slough used to sit the test in their place, prompting the introduction of a photo ID system.

The Slough consortium of grammar schools has the following rule on its website: 'Registrations will not be complete unless the photograph of your child is uploaded.'

Meanwhile, Edward Wesson, head of The Skinners' School, in Tunbridge Wells, also claimed that the grammar school system could be abused by imposters.

He revealed how, during the last set of exams, 170 candidates came from outside of the local area which made it hard to identify them.

However, some people have warned that ID cards or passports may prove to disproportionately affect children from a poor background who might not necessarily have those documents.

Jim Skinner, chief executive of the Grammar School Heads' Association, has suggested that a special form co-signed by the child's primary school that includes a photo would be the best solution.

A spokesman for Kent county council said: 'We must consider the impact of any actions on children sitting the test. We believe that it would be disproportionate to require children to present some form of ID.

'Those from poorer families may not have passports or other photo ID and even if these were available, they last for several years and may not present as a likeness to the child and may also look like older siblings.

'Handwriting is unique. A place would be withdrawn if it was felt it had been secured fraudulently.'
British shoppers are being urged by a marine conservation charity to opt for more pollock and less squid in an attempt to ease pressure on threatened stocks.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has published data today to its Good Fish Guide, detailing the most sustainable fishes to eat in the UK.

The report also said supermarkets and fishmongers should go to greater efforts to signpost whether their choice is sustainable and be up to date on seafood advice.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has published data today to its Good Fish Guide, detailing the most sustainable fishes to eat in the UK. The report also said supermarkets and fishmongers should go to greater efforts to signpost whether their choice is sustainable and be up to date on seafood advice

Squid, a popular choice on restaurant menus and widely available on seafood counters and in supermarket freezer sections , is described as a 'mixed bag' for buyers

Squid, a popular choice on restaurant menus and widely available on seafood counters and in supermarket freezer sections , is described as a 'mixed bag' for buyers.

Squid is flourishing in UK waters are sea temperatures continue to rise, however the method in which they are caught outside of the UK means customers are urged to avoid it.

Haddock remains a fish and chip staple while Alaskan pollock, used in the McDonald's Filet O Fish meal is rated as one of the best fish to eat in terms of sustainability and ethical sourcing.
Australian finance giant AMP has maintained its stance that charging dead people for life insurance is not an offence, despite coming in for heavy criticism from the banking royal commission.

During the sixth round of hearings at the commission, AMP refuted the various allegations made by counsel assisting, Rowena Orr QC.

The insurer said it was 'inevitable' and 'appropriate' to charge customers until it was informed of a death, when it is then policy to refund the money charged.

Australian finance giant AMP has maintained its stance that charging dead people for life insurance is not an offence, calling it 'inevitable' and 'appropriate' (stock image)

In its submission, AMP said it is reliant upon a member's estate making contact to inform the company of a customer's passing.

'Often, this notification process is not instantaneous and it may be that AMP is unaware of a member's death for some time,' the submission read.

However, last month AMP was found to have charged more than 4,600 dead superannuation customers for life insurance, despite already knowing they were dead.

AMP refuted the various allegations made by counsel assisting, Rowena Orr QC (pictured)

The fees owing to members amounted to $1.3 million, AMP executive Paul Sainsbury revealed at the time.

AMP did admit that an issue with how their refunds were 'calculated and processed' had arisen earlier this year.

'The issue did not concern whether AMP would refund the premiums, as it has always been AMP's policy to do so,' the submission read.

Life insurance firms ClearView, CommInsure and TAL also came under fire during the hearing for a range of similar misconduct accusations.

TAL admitted to breaking the law for its treatment of a nurse who was trying claim on an income protection policy, but denied it had a 'systematic problem' with assessing claims.

ClearView refuted claims that its cold-calling of customers was in breach of criminal law, but admitted that sales practices at ClearView Direct were 'unacceptable'. It has since been shut down.

Last month, AMP was found to have charged more than 4,600 dead superannuation customers for life insurance, despite already knowing they were dead (stock image)

Commonwealth Bank accepted that its life-insurance arm CommInsure might have breached criminal laws for misleading customers in the advertising of its heart attack policy.

Royal Commissioner Kenneth Hayne's interim report last week blamed 'rampant corporate greed and lazy regulators' for misconduct throughout the financial system.

The report did not cover superannuation and life insurance firms, which are due to be dealt with in his final report in February.
A man who allegedly raped a young boy only hours after first meeting him through a gay dating app has been allowed to walk free on bail.

Moud Ul Hasan Nuri, 40, allegedly attacked a 13-year-old boy in the front yard of the teenager's family home at Blacktown, in Sydney's north-west, on Friday evening.

The pair are believed to have met through dating app Grindr and exchanged photos and personal details before the youngster deleted the app and cut contact with Nuri.

Police will allege that an angry Nuri then drove to the boy's family home, pushed him over and sexually assaulted him in the front yard.

Nuri, an I.T expert and app developer, only stopped his alleged attack when the boy's mother rushed to her son's aid - at which point he ran to his car and fled the scene.

Moud Ul Hasan Nuri (pictured), 40, allegedly raped a 13-year-old boy in the front yard of the teenager's family home at Blacktown, in Sydney's north-west, on Friday evening

Nuri, an I.T expert and app developer, allegedly only stopped his attack when the boy's mum ran to her son's aid - at which point he ran to his car and fled the scene

After being arrested at his home in Kellyville Ridge last week, Nuri appeared before a magistrate in Penrith Local Court on Thursday morning.

Despite the seriousness of Nuri's alleged crime police did not oppose his application for bail and he was again allowed to walk free.

A small crowd gathered outside court hurled abuse at Nuri as he drove away.

'What are you doing out?' one woman asked, while another called the accused rapist a 'dog'.

The I.T expert proudly boasts on social media about several online businesses selling everything from electronic products to kids toys.

It is also believed Nuri was an app development tutor at tertiary colleges in the area.

Despite the seriousness of Nuri's alleged crime police did not oppose his application for bail on Thursday and he was allowed to walk free from Penrith Local Court (pictured)

A small crowd gathered outside court hurled abuse at Nuri (pictured) as he left the courthouse

Police allege Nuri (pictured) pushed the boy to the ground and sexually assaulted him without consent about 6.45pm on Friday, September 28

LOCALS ABUSE ACCUSED BOY RAPIST: As he walked free from Penrith Local Court. Nuri was abused by a crowd of locals gathered outside. 'You dog,' one woman shouted, while another yelled: 'What are you doing out?' Nuri was granted strict bail conditions including not being allowed within 500 metres of the boy's home. He is due back in court in December. Advertisement

Police allege Nuri pushed the boy to the ground and sexually assaulted him without consent about 6.45pm on Friday, September 28.

After police were called to the scene the boy was taken to The Children's Hospital at Westmead for examination.

An investigation by the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad led to him being arrested at his home on Sunday and taken to Riverstone Police Station for questioning.

He was charged with sexual intercourse without consent and initially refused bail.

But during a bail hearing at Parramatta Bail Court on Monday he was allowed to walk free on strict conditions which were continued in Penrith Local Court on Thursday.

An investigation by the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad led to him being arrested at a home in Kellyville Ridge, western Sydney, on Sunday

It's alleged Nuri and the teenager had met through a social media app just hours earlier when they began sharing images and personal details (Stock image)

Under his bail conditions Nuri must report to police every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

He is also banned from going within 500 metres of the boy's home at Doonside, nor is he allowed to contact the victim or any witness.

Nuri also had to surrender his passport to police.

The matter is due to reappear before Blacktown Local Court on December 13.

In the wake of the attack police have urged parents and guardians to speak with their children about staying safe online, particularly during the school holiday period.
The Trump White House said in the wee hours of Thursday morning that it is 'fully confident' Judge Brett Kavanaugh will win final confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court when the Senate holds a vote. That could happen as soon as Saturday.

The final week in an unusually long and rancorous process reached its climax Thursday morning with the FBI's delivery of its findings from a new round of background-check interviews. They were conducted at the White House's request after amoderate Republican senator, Jeff Flake of Arizona, said he would be unwilling to support Kavanaugh without it.

Kavanaugh found himself at the receiving end of a steady drip of sexual assault allegations last month, all of them dating back decades and each meeting with his stern denial. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell invoked a parliamentary maneuver called cloture on Wednesday night, setting in motion the process of stopping debate and moving toward a final roll call.

Mitch McConnell sets key procedural vote for Kavanaugh for Friday, setting the stage for a final vote this weekend

Brett Kavanaugh's final confirmation vote could happen as early as Saturday evening

'The White House has received the Federal Bureau of Investigations supplemental background investigation into Judge Kavanaugh, and it is being transmitted to the Senate,' Principal Deputy White House Press Secretary Raj Shah said in a statement. 'With Leader McConnells cloture filing, Senators have been given ample time to review this seventh background investigation.'

'This is the last addition to the most comprehensive review of a Supreme Court nominee in history, which includes extensive hearings, multiple committee interviews, over 1,200 questions for the record and over a half million pages of documents. With this additional information, the White House is fully confident the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.'

McConnell's quick action after the FBI signaled it was finished with its work set the stage for a full Senate vote on the nominee this weekend, possible as early as Saturday.

In the complicated rules governing the Senate legislative process, there is a requirement for an 'intervening day' to pass between when the GOP leader files for cloture and when the Senate votes on that motion.

Under Senate rules, McConnell's motion will 'ripen' one hour after a gavel begins Friday's session, meaning he can call a vote that day.

Assuming the motion passes, the clock will start ticking on a final 30-hour period of debate before the crucial vote that will determine Kavanaugh's future. McConnell is unlikely to call that vote unless he's confident he knows what the outcome will be.

White House spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement while most of the nation slept that the president's team is 'fully confident' Kavanaugh and his Senate backers will prevail

The 30-hour debate period could end as soon as Saturday evening, following an extended-play showing of impassioned speeches from both sides of the aisle.

The timetable will leave senators one day to examine the FBI's findings.

'There will be plenty of time for members to review and be briefed on this supplemental material before a Friday cloture vote,' McConnell said on the Senate floor Wednesday evening.

He must have 51 votes to pass cloture on Friday, a move that could still be a question mark for the GOP.

Senate Republicans only have a two-seat majority, so they can afford just one defector if every Democrat votes no on Kavanaugh.

Should a vote result in a 50-50 deadlock, Vice President Mike Pence would break the tie.

Key Republican senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski have not said how they will vote, noting they are waiting to see the FBI's report first.

Additionally two Democratic senators running for re-election in states Trump won in 2016, Joe Manchin in West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota, have not said how they will vote. Both cast votes to confirm Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch.

Senators began to examine the FBI's findings Thursday morning.

Republicans are placing strict restrictions on its availability to avoid leaks. Only one copy will be available, kept in a locked safe with a log reflecting who checks it out to read it.

Senators have to take turns examining the findings: Republicans will get it for one hour, then Democrats the next hour with the two parties switching back and forth throughout the day, The Hill reported.

And the report will be held in one of the most secure areas of the Capitol complex: the Senate SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility), a classified area in the basement of the Capitol Visitors Center where lawmakers must leave electronic devices at the door.

Only senators will be able to read the details of the FBI findings on the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh. None of their staff will be permitted to see them, and the documents will not be made public.

But 10 staffers on the Senate Judiciary Committee will have access to the report in hard copy so they can brief senators who have not have time to read it for themselves.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley was the first to see the report at 8:00 a.m. Thursday; ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein's appointed time was 9:00 a.m.

The other Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee will get it at 10:00, and the remaining committee Democrats can see it at 11:00.

Others senators will have access to it after that.

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Sen. Chuck Grassley (pictured above) is chairman, arranged for senators to view the FBI report on Kavanaugh on Thursday. Grassley will be first to see the report

Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin complained that is not enough time to read the report

McConnell made it clear Wednesday morning that the protesters chasing lawmakers through the hallways and out of Washington D.C. restaurants will not intimidate senators and vowed they 'will vote this week' on Kavanaugh.

He railed on the Senate floor against the delays in confirming Kavanaugh, including those caused by protesters confronting senators. He slammed Democrats, who he claims are moving the goalposts to demand ever-greater concessions on the fight over President Donald Trump's nominee.

'I want to make it clear to these people who are chasing my members down the hall here, or harassing them at the airport or going to their homes, we will not be intimidated by these people,' he said.

More uniformed officers have been visible in the Senate amid mounting protests, and senators have been escorted by uniformed officers.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said lawmakers would not be intimidated by protesters against Brett Kavanaugh

Police presence: Security has been tightened in the Senate because of the presence of protesters with uniformed officers seen guarding Lisa Collins (left) and Mitch McConnell (right)

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer challenged McConnell to 'man up' and call a vote

'There's no chance in the world they're gonna scare us out of doing our duty. I don't care how many members they chase, how many people they harass here in the halls. I want to make one thing perfectly clear, we will not be intimidated by these people,' McConnell said.

Protestors have filled the hallways of the Senate office buildings as Kavanaugh's confirmation has struggled toward the finish line amid questions about his drinking habits and allegations of sexual assault.

Republican Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Ted Cruz, and Lindsey Graham are among those who have been target by victims of sexual assault who are protesting Kavanaugh's confirmation.

On Friday, a moment when two female protestors trapped Flake in an elevator and berated him after he announced he was voting to confirm Kavanugh went viral and ultimately resulted in Flake calling for a delay in the confirmation vote in order for the FBI to investigate the allegations against Kavanaugh.

One of the women shouted to Flake, through tears: 'Don't look away from me! Look at me and tell me that it doesn't matter what happens to me.'

This is the dramatic moment that two female protesters, and alleged rape victims, trapped Sen. Jeff Flake in an elevator

Demonstrators surrounded Ted Cruz and his wife Heidi in Fiola, an Italian restaurant, shouting 'We believe survivors', which prompted them to leave on Monday night

Cruz was also confronted in an elevator in the Senate and chased out of Washington D.C. restaurant last week.

Demonstrators ambushed Cruz and his wife at Fiola, an Italian restaurant near the White House, and chanted: 'We believe survivors! We believe survivors!'

Protestors also gathered outside the offices of multiple senators to urge them to listen to the stories of sexual assault survivors.

Actress Alyssa Milano was among those leading the protests and was seen crying at some of the stories.

McConnell claimed the mass protests were 'all part of the organized effort to delay, obstruct and intimidate.'

Kavanaugh's confirmation has been in limbo since an FBI investigation was ordered on Friday to look into the multiple sexual assault allegations against him.

Christine Blasey Ford has accused Kavanaugh of pinning her to a bed, trying to rip off her clothes and covering her mouth when she screamed while they two of them were teenagers at a party in the 1980s.

Debra Ramirez claims Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a dorm party at Yale University, thrust his penis in her face and forced her to touch it when she pushed him away.

Julie Swetnick claims Kavanaugh and his Georgetown Prep pal Mark Judge were part of a group of guys who drugged and gang raped women.

Kavanaugh has denied all allegations.

Actress Alyssa Milano led protesters in the Senate on Wednesday against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh

Activists hold signs up outside the office of Maine Senator Susan M. Collins in support of Kavanaugh's chief accuser Christine Blasey Ford

The FBI had been given a deadline of Friday to end its new background investigation although there is speculation agents could be done as soon as Wednesday.

But on Wednesday Ford's attorneys revealed she and witnesses she has offered have not been spoken to by the FBI.

Agents have spoken to at least six people involved in the allegations.

One of those is Mark Judge, the high school friend of Kavanaugh who was accused of being in the room when the nominee allegedly tried to rape Ford, while the other is Debbie Ramirez, the second accuser.

They have also spoken to Patrick 'P.J.' Smyth and Leland Keyser, both of whom Ford said were present, and to Tim Gaudette, whose home Kavanaugh's calendars showed he partied at on July 1, 1982, under the term 'skis'.

And they have spoken to 'Squi' or 'Squee', real name Chris Garrett, who Ford said she dated and who Kavanaugh's calendar put at the July 1 party.

Questioned: Tim Gaudette, whose house was where a party similar to the one described by Christine Blasey Ford took place, has been interviewed by the FBI. So has Leland Keyser, Ford's longtime friend, and P.J. Smyth, a PWC executive who was named as being at the party by Ford and is named as partying at 'Tobin's' in Kavanaugh's calendars

The FBI has interviewed Mark Judge and completed its questioning Tuesday, his attorney said

McConnell has been expressing his frustration all week with the delays in getting Kavanaugh on the high court. Republicans originally wanted the conservative Kavanaugh - who was nominated to place retiring swing-vote Justice Anthony Kennedy - on the court by the time it began its new session on October 1.

On Wednesday, after railing against the protestors, McConnell then turned his fury toward Democrats, repeating his accusation that they are trying to move the goalposts on confirming Kavanaugh.

'Democrats may be trying to move the goal posts every five minutes, but their goal has not moved an inch. They will not be satisfied unless they have brought down Judge Kavanaugh's nomination,' McConnell said.

'If my friends across the aisle had their way the goalposts would move the vote to another time zone,' he noted.

He also dismissed Democrats' concerns about Kavanaugh's judicial temperament after his angry testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday.

Democrats are saying he's disqualified because he got 'a little testy,' McConnell said, 'after they dragged him through the mud.'

'I don't want to meet he man or woman who wouldn't be frustrated,' he added.

'Democrats have made it clear they will never ever be satisfied. Not ever,' he raged.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IN BRETT KAVANAUGH'S CONFIRMATION The Senate is currently engaged in an unlimited period of debate on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, meaning they have the option to talk about him on the Senate floor should they so choose. When Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is ready to call for a confirmation vote, he must make a motion to end the debate, a process known as cloture. Senate rules require an intervening day to pass between when a GOP leader files for cloture and when the Senate votes on the cloture motion. So if McConnell were to file for cloture on Wednesday evening, the cloture vote would 'ripen' to allow this to happen on Friday. If he waits until Thursday morning to file for cloture, then that vote would take place Saturday. For cloture to be invoked for the nomination, 51 votes are required, under the 'nuclear option' rules change pushed through by Senate Republicans before the confirmation of Justice Neil Gorsuch during Trump's first year as president. Once the cloture is invoked, that starts the clock on the final 30 hours of debate on Kavanaugh. Senators can only vote sooner if they are able to reach unanimous agreement to do so. Once those 30 hours are up, Senators will vote on whether or not to confirm Kavanaugh. It takes a simple majority of 51 senators to confirm a nominee. But since Republicans only have a 51 seat majority, they can afford to lose only one senator if all Democrats vote no on Kavanaugh. Should it be a 50-50 vote, Vice President Mike Pence would break the tie to confirm Kavanaugh. Advertisement

McConnell then repeated his vow to hold a vote on Kavanaugh this week.

'The Senate will vote on this nomination this week,' he said and repeated his message in case it wasn't clear: 'The Senate will vote on this nomination this week.'

McConnell's double down on Trump's Supreme Court nominee came amid uncertainty about the timing of the FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh, which he has denied. It remains unclear when the bureau will finish its probe and when senators will see the results.

He called Kavanaugh one of 'the most impressive' nominees in history, citing his 'sterling academic credentials,' his work on the bench and his 'proven commitment' to fairness.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer then went onto the floor and challenged McConnell to 'man up,' call a vote and stop blaming a delay on Democrats that was actually caused by GOP senators.

'Be a man - man up and say it's your decision and not ours,' Schumer said.

(left to right) Christine Ford, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick have all accused Judge Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct; he has flatly denied all the charges

Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation is in limbo

As Senate leader, McConnell controls the Senate floor schedule and when votes are called.

He delayed a Kavanaugh vote by a week after three key Republican senators - Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski - said they wanted an FBI investigation into the sexual assault allegations.

Schumer claimed McConnell was being hypocritical to blame Democrats on a delay when he was he one that held up the confirmation on Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee who never got a vote in the Senate.

'It is galling, appalling to hear day after day the Majority Leader get on his high horse about delay, when he almost invented the word when it comes to judicial nominations,' Schumer said.

'To say Democrats are causing delay are coming from the same man who delayed the nomination of Supreme Court justice Merrick Garland for over 300 days without a shrug of his shoulders? Give me a break,' he noted.

Republican Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski are undecided votes

Democratic Senators Heidi Heitkamp and Joe Manchin are also undecided votes

Schumer pointed out McConnell as 'the sole power' to determine when Kavanaugh is voted on and noted he was 'so tempted to use the L word but he's my friend.'

He also called on McConnell to hold an all-senators briefing with the FBI agents who investigated Kavanaugh and repeated Democrats' call to make the findings public.

'This is not the usual practice but it's been done in the past,' Schumer noted of releasing the report.

McConnell can call for a vote at anytime and will soon need to start the complicated procedural process required to bring Kavanaugh to a final vote this week.

He must first make a motion to end the debate on Kavanaugh, a process known as cloture.

But Senate rules require an intervening day to pass between when a GOP leader files for cloture and when the Senate votes on the cloture motion.

In order to pass, cloture requires 51 votes.

If it passes, that starts the clock on the final 30 hours of debate on Kavanaugh.

Once those 30 hours are up, Senators will vote on whether or not to confirm him.

It takes a simple majority of 51 senators to confirm.

But Republicans only have 51 seats, meaning the party can only lose one senator if all Democrats vote no on Kavanaugh (letting Vice President Mike Pence be the tie breaking vote).

And it's uncertain McConnell has the 50 senators he needs.

Flake, Collins and Murkowski have been mum on their final vote, saying they want to see the outcome of the FBI investigation.

Only two Democratic senators - Heidi Heitkamp and Joe Manchin - are undecided. All other Democrats have said they will vote no.
The troubled Sydney CBD light rail project has been delayed yet again with the firm building the line to the eastern suburbs claiming it warned the NSW government about the fresh delay months ago.

Acciona Infrastructure Australia managing director Bede Noonan told a state parliamentary inquiry on Thursday the $2.1billion project won't be completed until May 2020.

His evidence suggested the government had known of the latest delay for two months.

The troubled Sydney CBD light rail project has been delayed yet again with the firm building the line to the eastern suburbs (pictured) claiming it warned the NSW Government about the fresh hold-up months ago

Acciona Infrastructure Australia managing director Bede Noonan told a state parliamentary inquiry on Thursday the $2.1billion project won't be completed until May 2020

The project was originally meant to be completed by early 2019 before it was pushed back to March 2020

'I don't want to answer on behalf of the government but it is quite clear that we notified in August,' Mr Noonan told the inquiry.

Acciona provides updates through the project consortium ALTRAC's monthly reports to the government.

The project was originally meant to be completed by early 2019 before it was pushed back to March 2020.

Mr Noonan put the latest delay down to Ausgrid's 'failure' to perform essential works to move overhead electricity wires in Kensington and Kingsford underground.

'That is a project we are unable to do. It has to be done by Ausgrid,' he said.

Ausgrid has been contacted for comment.

Mr Noonan says Acciona was presented with new conditions about moving Ausgrid electricity pits after the contract was signed in February 2015.

The inquiry heard Acciona advised the government in March 2015 the project was at risk of not meeting the original 2019 completion date.

Acciona is locked in a court battle with the NSW government with lawyers for the Spanish group claiming the government misled the company on the complexity of the utilities works.

Acciona Infrastructure Australia managing director Bede Noonan put the latest delay down to Ausgrid's 'failure' to perform essential works to move overhead electricity wires in Kensington and Kingsford underground

Acciona is locked in a court battle with the NSW government with lawyers for the Spanish group claiming the government misled the company on the complexity of utilities works

Other big names involved in the project - which runs from Sydney's CBD to the eastern suburbs - will also face the inquiry on Thursday.

James Bramley - who is chairman of the ALTRAC consortium directly responsible for managing construction - is also scheduled to appear at the inquiry as are several Transport for NSW bureaucrats.
The Denver Zoo was forced to close down and evacuated thousands of visitors after someone threatened to crash a plane into the facilities on Wednesday, officials stated.

Shortly after 3pm, zoo personnel received a call that an 'unidentified individual' was planning on crashing a plane at the zoo and it was believed to be a 'credible threat.'

'We immediately contacted Denver Police and other government agencies, initiated an evacuation of all guests and staff on the premises and moved animals to safety,' the zoo said in a statement on Facebook.

Shortly after 3pm on Wednesday, zoo personnel received a call that an 'unidentified individual' was planning on crashing a plane at the zoo

The threat was believed to be credible up until 4.45pm

'Denver Police quickly responded to help secure the grounds and investigate the threat.'

Police reached out to several airports in the area but what was found from those contacts is unknown, CBS 4 reports.

Families were evacuated from the zoo for about an hour, held in the parking lots as the zoo rushed to take care of the animals.

'Less than two hours lateraround 4:45 p.m.Denver Police determined that the threat was not credible and allowed Zoo patrons to return to their vehicles so they could leave the area,' the zoo added on Facebook.

About 1,000 guest were evacuated from the zoo grounds, explained Denver Zoo CEO and president Bert Vescolani

About 1,000 guest were evacuated from the zoo grounds, explained Denver Zoo CEO and president Bert Vescolani.

On their social media pages, the zoo stated that it would reopen on Wednesday and will look for ways to compensate those who were forced to leave the grounds.

The 23rd Avenue and roads leading into the park were reopened for guest.

'Our top priority is the safety and comfort of our guests, staff and animals,' the zoo said in a statement. 'We take every threat very seriously and consistently review and practice our procedures to maintain the utmost safety standards.'
Donald Trump is continuing to publicly show his support for his SCOTUS pick Brett Kavanaugh, tweeting late Wednesday night that he thinks the judge is a 'fine man'.

'Wow, such enthusiasm and energy for Judge Brett Kavanaugh,' Trump posted.

'Look at the Energy, look at the Polls. Something very big is happening. He is a fine man and great intellect. The country is with him all the way!'

Trump's Twitter post has been re-tweeted more than seven thousand times and includes just as many comments - with most people disagreeing with him.

Donald Trump posted a tweet Wednesday night showing his support for his SCOTUS pic Brett Kavanaugh

In the tweet, Trump called Kavanaugh a 'fine man and great intellect'

The president's comment comes one day after he mocked Christine Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh's first accuser.

Ford alleged that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her as a teen while at an high school party when he pinned her to a bed and tried to take her clothes off.

During a Mississippi rally on Tuesday night, Trump mocked Ford's testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee because there were details of the assault she could not remember.

'"I had one beer." Well do you think it was "Nope. It was one beer." Oh good. How did you get home? "I don't remember." How did you get there? "I don't remember." Where is the place? "I don't remember." How many years ago was it? "I don't know. I don't know. I don't know."'

Three women have come forward accusing Kavanaugh of either sexual misconduct of assault, which he denies

Kavanaugh's first and second accusers Christine Blasey Ford (left) and Deborah Ramirez (right)

Kavanaugh's third accuser Julie Swetnick alleged that he was at a party where she was allegedly gang raped

As the crowd cheered and laughed, Trump continued: 'What neighborhood was it in? "I dont know." Wheres the house? "I dont know. Upstairs. Downstairs. I dont know. But I had one beer thats the only thing I remember."'

Trump later told the crowed that Kavanaugh was a deserving nominee.

'I dont even know him. I met him for the first time a few weeks ago. Its not like I want to protect my friend,' he said.
First Daughter Ivanka Trump passed out food to a number of families in North Carolina on Wednesday, extending a helping hand to those impacted by Hurricane Florence.

Ivanka Trump, 36, spent roughly 40 minutes meeting with relief workers and handing out food at the Hyde Park Baptist Church in Robeson County.

President Donald Trump's senior adviser arrived at the site just after 4pm. The church has been deemed a relief site for hundreds of victims and is being utilized by the NC Baptists on Mission and the Red Cross, the Fayetteville Observer reports.

Ivanka Trump, 36, spent roughly 40 minutes meeting with relief workers and handing out food at the Hyde Park Baptist Church in Robeson County

Lending a helping hand! The mother-of-three spent approximately 12.5 minutes handing out food to folks driving in cars in the North Carolina county

The mother-of-three spent approximately 12.5 minutes handing out food to folks driving in cars.

Trump was clad in black pumps and trousers that were paired with a white blouse, keeping her look simple.

She posed for photos with numerous families and met with Lumbee Tribal Chairman Harvey Godwin, along with Lumberton Mayor Bruce Davis and Baptist group leader Paul Hooker.

Godwin informed the adviser of the efforts his tribe had make in federal recognition and shared that the tribe had been working with the Red Cross to get meals to more victims.

She posed for photos with numerous families and met with Lumbee Tribal Chairman Harvey Godwin, along with Lumberton Mayor Bruce Davis and Baptist group leader Paul Hooker

Trump was clad in black pumps and trousers that were paired with a white blouse, keeping her look simple as she handed out food

'We're still continuing that fight,' Godwin said. 'Our message is broadening.'

Ivanka also visited the NASCAR Technical Institute to learn more about the school's skills training programs.

The 36-year-old first daughter opted for a business casual look, sporting a $2,595 khaki Michael Kors trench coat over her ensemble for the meet-and-greet with NASCAR drivers and Hurricane Florence responders.

First Daughter, Ivanka Trump poses with Lead Pastor Jeff Blackburn and his family

Ivanka hands out food to a family passing by

Trump took to Twitter to share photos of her brief helping stint and to salute the first responders
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Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull visited a New York City hair removal salon before he bought pillows at a nearby homewares shop.

The multi-millionaire former Liberal Party leader, who turns 64 in less than three weeks, was spotted leaving the European Wax Center on 57th Street, four blocks from Central Park on Wednesday, as he carried his smart phone.

The visit to a body waxing and beauty clinic occurred as it was revealed Mr Turnbull had been granted a new taxpayer-funded travel entitlement which no former Australian prime minister had previously received.

The grandfather, who also owns a nearby apartment overlooking Central Park, was later captured on camera carrying pillows from the Bed Bath and Beyond homewares shop in the Lincoln Square part of New York.

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Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has been seen visiting a New York City wax clinic before buying pillows at a nearby homewares shop

The multi-millionaire former Liberal Party leader, who turns 64 in less than three weeks, was spotted leaving the European Wax Center on 57th Street, four blocks from Central Park

Mr Turnbull and his wife of 38 years Lucy fled to New York in late August after his right-wing former immigration and home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, had launched two failed leadership challenges within three days.

Tomorrow will mark the six-week anniversary of Scott Morrison replacing him as Liberal prime minister, and becoming Australia's fifth national leader in five years.

Mr Turnbull, a grandfather-of-four who until recently was Australia's most powerful man, was alone without any security guards or his wife, on Wednesday afternoon New York time, as he stocked up on comfort items.

The former PM, worth an estimated $200million, appeared to be deep in thought as he checked his receipt as soon as he stepped outside of the hair removal and beauty salon in the United States.

It occurred as it was revealed his successor Scott Morrison in September had granted him the 'provision of resources' when he is 'undertaking international travel as approved by the prime minister in writing from time to time'.

While former PMs rarely make any claims for overseas travel, Fairfax Media reported that Mr Morrison had formalised an allowance for the ex-prime minster were he to represent Australia at an event like a state funeral for a world leader.

The European Wax Center, based in Florida, is the United States's biggest hair removal chain, with 14 franchises alone within a 6km area of Manhattan island

The European Wax Center, headquartered in Florida, is the United States's biggest hair removal chain, with 14 franchises alone within a 6km area of Manhattan island.

It specialises in body hair removal and eyebrow sculpting.

Australia's 29th prime minister was 16,000km away from Sydney as the Liberal Party he once led campaigned to maintain his former eastern suburbs electorate of Wentworth, ahead of an October 20 by-election.

The former merchant banker PM was seen buying beauty and homeware products a day after pre-poll voting opened on his home turf a 21-hour flight away.

Australia's 29th prime minister was 16,000km away from Sydney as the Liberal Party he once led campaigned to maintain his former eastern suburbs electorate of Wentworth

He was seen buying beauty and homeware products a day after pre-poll voting opened on his home turf a 21-hour flight away

The former PM, who owns a nearby apartment overlooking Central Park, was seen carrying pillows from the Bed Bath and Beyond homewares shop in the Lincoln Square part of New York

It is not known when the former prime minister will return from the United States but so far, he hasn't indicated that he would be campaigning for the Liberal Party in his old seat

As Liberal candidate Dave Sharma campaigned to replace him, Mr Turnbull was absent from his Point Piper mansion on Sydney Harbour.

Instead he has been spending time in his luxurious apartment a short walk from the Hudson River, on the west side of Manhattan and walking the streets of New York wearing transition sunglasses, that automatically darken in the sunlight.

It is not known when the former prime minister will return from the United States but so far, he hasn't indicated that he will be campaigning for the Liberal Party in his old seat.

He forayed into Australian politics this week by telling a youth leadership group in New York that former PMs Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott were 'miserable ghosts'.
Will Rainford (above), the dean of National Catholic School of Social Service, was suspended by the university president

A senior administrator at Catholic University of America has been suspended for a tweet criticizing an accuser of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

Will Rainford, the dean of the universitys National Catholic School of Social Service, was suspended by the president, John Garvey, for demonstrating a lack of sensitivity to the victim.

Rainford apologized on Thursday and deleted his social media accounts after igniting outrage for suggesting that a woman who accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct should herself be prosecuted.

Julie Swetnick was the third woman to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

She alleges in a sworn statement released last week by her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, that she witnessed Kavanaugh consistently engage in excessive drinking and inappropriate contact of a sexual nature with women in the early 1980s.

In the statement, which was provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Swetnick said she had been sexually assaulted at a party attended by members of Kavanaugh's social circle, but did not accuse him of assaulting her.

Rainford apologized on Thursday after igniting outrage for suggesting that a woman who accused Brett Kavanaugh (left) of sexual misconduct should herself be prosecuted. Julie Swetnick (right) was the third woman to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct

Two other women have publicly accused Kavanaugh of sexually abusing them.

On his official Twitter account, Rainford posted a message calling into question Swetnicks claims.

Swetnick is 55 y/o, Rainford posted on his official Twitter account last Wednesday.

Kavanaugh is 52 y/o. Since when do senior girls hang with freshmen boys?

If it happened when Kavanaugh was a senior, Swetnick was an adult drinking with&by her admission, having sex with underage boys.

In another universe, he would be victim & she the perp!

Swetnick is 55 y/o, Rainford posted on his official Twitter account last Wednesday. Kavanaugh is 52 y/o. Since when do senior girls hang with freshmen boys?'

Another tweet by Rainford read: Riddle me this. Why would the accuser of Kavanaugh take a polygraph, paid for by someone else and administered by private investigator in early August, if she wanted to remain anonymous and had no intention of reporting the alleged assault?

The second tweet referred to Kavanaughs first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, who says that Kavanaugh tried to rape her when she was 15 years old and he was 17.

The tweets prompted scores of graduates of the School of Social Service to write letters to the universitys president, provost, and board of trustees urging them to demand Rainfords resignation, according to The Washington Post.

On Friday, Catholic Universitys president released a statement calling Rainfords comments on social media 'unacceptable.'

'Rainford has led the National Catholic Social of Social Service since 2013,' the statement read.

'It is my desire that he continue to lead the school.

'But in light of these recent actions I have suspended him as dean for the remainder of this semester.

'Rainford understands and accepts this decision.'

Rainford apologized to the provost and sent a letter to the School of Social Work which read: 'My tweet suggested that [Swetnick] was not the victim of sexual assault.

'I offer no excuse. It was impulsive and thoughtless and I apologize.'

Rainford said he believes that 'victims who suffer assault and abuse need to be heard, respected, and provided treatment and justice.'

He said the angry responses to his social media posts made him reconsider his words.

'I am aware that many of you are angry, frustrated, and hurt,' he wrote.

'For this I am truly sorry.'
A brave little boy who suffered horrific burns in a house fire three months ago will be finally allowed to leave hospital in the coming weeks.

The big problem is Cody Smailes and his family currently have nowhere to return home to.

Cody celebrated his sixth birthday this week in Sydney's Westmead Hospital, which has been his temporary home since he suffered severe burns to a third of his body in a house fire in Singleton in the New South Wales Upper Hunter Valley region in July.

Cody Smailes (pictured) suffered severe burns to a third of his body in a house fire in July

Brave Cody (pictured) will finally be allowed to leave hospital in the coming weeks

He also lost eight fingers in the blaze which destroyed the rented home he and his family were living in.

As the family has been based more than 200 kilometres away in Sydney since the fire, Cody's mother Jade Goldsworthy and her partner Brendon are still frantically hunting for a place to move into when Cody leaves hospital in the next two to three weeks.

With time against them, she submitted at least 20 online applications last week and is yet to receive any good news.

Making things worse is that the family lost their identification and personal documents in the blaze, which they need to apply for rental properties.

'I've just been putting applications in because I don't have time to go back and forward from Cody. It's not like we're not trying,' Ms Goldsworthy told the ABC.

'It is a family of six, but my mum will be staying with me for a while to help so we can get things going and get used to it all because it's pretty new to us doing this, with Cody. We just really need a home.'

Cody, pictured with one of his presents, celebrated his sixth birthday in hospital this week

Cody (pictured in hospital following the fire) is now on the mend and will be able to go home soon

Adding to the problem is the 'very, very tight' rental market in Singleton, located in the heart of the NSW Hunter Valley coalfields.

'Since January 2016, we've seen the thermal coal price rise and increased activity in the coal mining industry and more people moving back here in the mines,' LJ Hooker Singleton director Michael Cruickshanks told the ABC.

Cody will have to wear a skin suit full-time for the next few years as his body recovers from the serious burns, and he has just started walking again unassisted.

'We just really need a home,' Jade Goldsworthy, pictured with son Cody, said

Currently based 200 kilometres away in Sydney, it's been hard for the family to find a place to occupy when they return to Singleton

A GoFundMe fundraising page set up in August has since raised almost $14,500.

'Thank you to all of the Westmead Hospital team for making us stronger and saving our little man,' we are all traumatised,' Ms Goldsworthy posted on the page.

Her daughter Sophie took to social media this week to pay tribute to her brother Cody on his birthday.

Jade Goldsworthy and her family have been based in Sydney since July while her son Cody recovers

'You're grown up to be the strongest little boy I know and I couldn't be any prouder, I still remember the day you were born I was/am so proud to call you my brother,' Sophie posted.

'I can't wait to watch you grow up to be the smart, strong & funny boy you are. You've always made me proud and still do. I love you so very much, Sissy is so so proud of you!'
Health authorities are refusing to tell residents which building was responsible for a legionnaires disease outbreak.

Five people were hospitalised last month after contracting the disease following a visit to Lidcombe, in Sydney's west.

A water cooling system at a building in the suburb was then decontaminated after legionella bacteria was discovered.

But authorities will not say which building it was, angering the New South Wales state opposition, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Five people were hospitalised after contracting legionnaires disease following a visit to the Lidcombe area in Sydney's west last month (stock image)

Opposition health spokesman Walt Secord demanded the name of the site be made public.

'It is customary for NSW Health to report the location of the incidents as part of their full investigations to protect the wider community,' he told the publication.

Mr Secord said it was important for residents to know the location of the contaminated site 'because if someone shows symptoms then they can seek urgent medical advice'.

New South Wales Health said contaminated sites are not routinely named and no one site had been visited by all five patients.

'As legionella bacteria can spread across kilometres, knowing the site of suspected contamination does not assist the public to know if they have been potentially exposed,' public health unit director Dr Shopna Bag said.

Dr Bag added the state's Chief Health Officer had now determined there was no ongoing risk to public safety from the Lidcombe outbreak.

Authorities had also advised the opposition the affected site was cleaned immediately, 'controlling' any risk.

In the year-to-date, 98 cases of legionnaires disease have been recorded in New South Wales (pictured is a 3D illustration of legionella pneumophila bacteria)

Of the five people who were hospitalised, two are still in a stable condition and the remaining three have since been discharged.

A woman in her 80s and a man in his 70s were among those hospitalised.

The Western Sydney Local Health District had issued a warning to anyone who had visited the suburb to be wary of symptoms including fever, chills, a cough and shortness of breath.

'All five cases contracted the infection from breathing in Legionella pneumophila bacteria, which is found in water sources such as cooling towers,' Dr Bag said in a statement after the fifth case was reported.

The disease does not spread between humans.

In the year-to-date, 98 cases of legionnaires disease have been recorded in New South Wales.
A tick bite on a man's forearm has swollen into a large red ring shaped rash, and resulted in a Lyme disease hotspot being declared in Australia.

Photos of the unique bulls-eye shaped rash were posted to social media on Tuesday, after the man was bitten in the Hunter region of New South Wales, north of Sydney.

The images were posted with the caption: 'This needs to get out there now, especially if you live in the Hunter Region. This is a tick bite around 5-7 days after being bitten.'

A woman has posted images to social media appearing to show a tick bite on a man's forearm that had swollen into a large red ring shaped rash

The photos, posted to social media on Tuesday, show the man's forearm with a unique bullseye shaped rash

Lyme Disease Association of Australia added the location to a map on their showing current hotspots where cases of Lyme like symptoms have been reported by members of the public

Lyme disease has caused controversy in the past, with the government and medical authorities saying there is no evidence it exists in Australia.

But a number of different organisations and members of the public have been lobbying for recognition of the disease for years.

The Lyme Disease Association of Australia has added the location to a map on their website showing current hotspots where cases of Lyme like symptoms have been reported by members of the public.

'We are heading into summer and our inbox is full with people emailing in with photos of rashes after tick bites,' Sharon Whiteman CEO of Lyme Disease Association of Australia told Daily Mail Australia.

'Australians have great difficulty getting care for symptoms associated with tick bites even if they were bitten overseas,' Ms Whiteman said.

The association has been active since 2010 in lobbying the government and medical organisations for recognition of the condition.

The disease is caused by Borrelia bacteria, spread by ticks, and the most common symptom is the unique rash that appears about a week after the bite.

This rash is present in about 70 and 80 per cent of cases, however, not all cases develop this symptom.

The rash is present in about 70 and 80 per cent of cases, however, not all cases develop this symptom

The disease is caused by Borrelia bacteria, spread by ticks, and the most common symptom is the unique rash that appears about a week after the bite

It is generally recognised as occurring in the northern hemisphere and other symptoms include headaches, joint pain, neck stiffness, and facial paralysis.

Ms Whiteman said that current blood tests for Lyme Disease only test for certain strains of bacteria, however, there is growing evidence that up to 30 pathogens could make humans sick after tick bites.

'The Australian Government cannot support the diagnosis of locally acquired classical Lyme disease... without the causative organism... being identified in Australia. However, the Government does recognise that a group of patients are experiencing debilitating symptom complexes that some patients attribute to ticks,' the Department of Health said in a statement.

A Government senate enquiry was held last year titled 'Inquiry into the growing evidence of an emerging tick-borne disease that causes a Lyme-like illness for many Australian patients.'

As a response the Government announced a grant of $3 million to be made available for research into 'Debilitating Symptom Complexes Attributed to Ticks'.

The images were posted with the caption, 'This needs to get out there now, especially if you live in the Hunter Region. This is a tick bite around 5-7 days after being bitten'




A sign reading 'Metro' is hung ahead of a set of escalators, but its not a train line

The entry passage looks certain to cause added confusion for visitors to the area

Locals fear a new sign outside a train station will confuse overseas tourists thanks to the construction of a new supermarket.

The Woolworths store is likely to please locals in Kings Cross, in Sydney's inner city, but its entrance looks certain to cause problems for visitors.

Suspended above two escalators is a sizable sign reading 'Metro' accompanied by Woolworths' trademark apple logo.

Commuters may be slightly puzzled when searching for the train heading out of an inner Sydney suburb thanks to the construction of a new supermarket (pictured)

In this instance the sign refers to the supermarket giant's smaller city stores, tourists may be more likely to relate the term to a train network.

Fortunately, the entrance to the actual train line is a mere 50metres up the road, but strangely with no such indication of what lies beyond a set of escalators.

A photo of the new entrance was shared online Thursday prompting locals to point out the comical coincidence, some taking aim at the council for poor planning.

'It's a cunning plan by Woolies to lure in public transport users,' someone suggested.

Fortunately, entrance to the actual train line (pictured) is a mere 50 metres up the road, but strangely with no such indication of what lies beyond a set of escalators

Another thought the sign should include stating it was not 'THAT kind of Metro'.

'To further confuse, hopefully they rename the aisles platforms,' someone else said.

One local made fun of the predicament, jokingly asking, 'So can we pay for the groceries with our opal cards?.'

Someone empathised with future European visitors, writing: 'Imagine being French and coming from Paris, you wouldn't be wrong to think it might be the metro tunnel for Sydney but end up down a food aisle and not a platform.'

Cities including Melbourne, Paris and Madrid operate Metro train systems.
RBS boss Ross McEwan (file image) has said a no-deal Brexit could lead to recession

The boss of the partly taxpayer-owned Royal Bank of Scotland has said a no-deal Brexit could lead to recession.

Ross McEwan, appointed CEO in October 2013, said any dip in growth would affect the bank's profits and share price.

The Bank of England and the Treasury have warned of turbulence during Brexit and most forecasts predict a worse outcome if the exit is disorderly.

Mr McEwan told the BBC: 'We are assuming 1-1.5 per cent growth for next year but if we get a bad Brexit then that could be zero or negative and that would affect our profitability and our share price.'

He added that the bank was becoming more cautious with its lending  and large companies were delaying investment decisions.

He said: 'Big businesses are pausing, they are saying that in six months time I'll have another look at the UK and I might come back, but if it's really bad I'll invest elsewhere  that's the reality of where we are today.'

UK Government Investments holds a 62.4 per cent of RBS shares after the 2008 bailout and subsequent disposals.

Last month, the potential consequences of a no-deal Brexit were spelled out by Bank of England governor Mark Carney at a special meeting of the Cabinet when he warned ministers of a 35 per cent crash in house prices over three years in a worst-case scenario.

Speaking in Dublin after the meeting, Mr Carney said the Bank had used its 'stress test' to ensure UK banks could continue to function in the event of a 'disorderly' Brexit.

'The Bank of England is well prepared for whatever path the economy takes, including a wide range of potential Brexit outcomes,' he said.

Ms McEwan added RBS was becoming more cautious with its lending  and large companies were delaying investment decisions

Bank Governor Mark Carney (file) has ordered banks to make sure they are ready for a catastrophic recession as a contingency for any down turn triggered by Brexit

Best for Britain champion and Labour MP Ian Murray said: 'RBS has laid out the devastating reality of a no-deal Brexit. In cities like Edinburgh and London, with huge financial services sectors, this could decimate local economies and lead to job losses.

'If businesses run away from the UK, that means opportunities are lost and it means less money for the government, leading to deeper austerity.

'Theresa May may talk a good game about being pro-business, but by careering towards a hard Brexit she is choosing an anti-business path. We need a people's vote on the deal with the choice of remaining in the EU to prevent this catastrophe and the possibility of a crippling recession.'
Sean Laughlin, a longtime Las Vegas entertainer, spent 18 days in jail after being mistaken for a man with his same name who was wanted for burglary in 2016. The 56-year-old is now suing two Nevada counties for violating his constitutional right to due process

A Las Vegas entertainer is suing two Nevada counties for holding him in jail illegally for 18 days after he was arrested in a bizarre case of mistaken identity.

Sean Laughlin's 'Kafkaesque' nightmare began when a state trooper stopped the 56-year-old over for a minor traffic offense in Carson City in December 2016.

A routine warrant check indicated Laughlin was wanted for failure to appear in court for a burglary in Pahrump, some 385 miles away.

However, that warrant turned out to be for a different Sean Laughlin accused of stealing $3,800-worth of jewelry, used women's clothing, DVDs, a camper and an electric screwdriver.

Laughlin was arrested despite insisting that he had no criminal record, had never been to Pahrump and had never received a summons.

According to Laughlin's lawyer, Terri Keyser-Cooper, the unusually high bail the bench warrant set at $450,000 'mysteriously' rose to $675,000 when he was booked into jail.

Eighteen days later, severely depressed and borderline suicidal, he was set free with no explanation without ever seeing a judge.

While incarcerated, the longtime Vegas performer, comedian and juggler missed his cruise from Australia and was subsequently fired.

Eighteen days after he was booked into Lyon County Jail in Yerington (pictured) Laughlin was set free with no explanation without ever seeing a judge

Keyser-Cooper filed a lawsuit against Lyon and Nye counties on Laughlin's behalf Tuesday, alleging that they violated her client's constitutional right to due process by failing to let him see a judge within 72 hours.

'It is a story straight from hell and right out of Kafka,' the attorney wrote, citing parallels to two Franz Kafka stories about ordinary people thrown into worlds they don't understand and can't explain.

In 'The Trial' (1925) a bank clerk is unexpectedly arrested in one by unidentified agents from an unspecified agency for an unspecified crime.

In 'The Metamorphosis (1915), a traveling salesman awakes in the other to find himself inexplicably transformed into a huge insect struggling to adjust to his unfathomable condition.

Throughout incarceration, Laughlin protested almost daily to deputies, inmates  'anyone who might listen,' the lawsuit claims.

But they refused to check out his story. He had 'no idea what was going on.'

The lawsuit seeks unspecified general, special and punitive damages. It accuses the counties and others to be named of 'participating in the unlawful conduct or acting jointly and in concert with others who did,' resulting in his 18-day incarceration.

'This false arrest, made with callous and deliberate indifference, almost ruined Laughlin's life,' Keyser-Cooper told The Associated Press.

A lawsuit filed this week claims that the extensive time in jail left Laughlin severely depressed. He is pictured left with fellow performers on a 2014 cruise

While incarcerated, Laughlin missed his cruise from Australia and was subsequently fired. A cruiseliner he had previously worked on is shown above (file photo)

District attorneys in Nye and Lyon counties didn't respond to repeated requests for comment.

Laughlin's arrest apparently stemmed from confusion between Laughlin, who lived in Silver City, and another Sean Laughlin in Pahrump.

The trooper found a warrant for the latter matching his height and weight on his driver's license, but disregarded the address discrepancy.

At gunpoint, the patrolman ordered Laughlin to his knees, handcuffed him and searched his vehicle unsuccessfully for weapons and drugs. He issued a traffic warning then sent him to Lyon County Jail in Yerington.

Finally, on December 21 Laughlin spoke for the first time to an attorney who started explaining the situation to Nye County Deputy District Attorney Christi Kindel, pleading for reasonable bail. But Kindel declined to investigate further, the lawsuit said.

With no arraignment in sight, his then-lawyer told him the next day it was doubtful anything could be done before the new year because most county workers would be on vacation.

It is a story straight from hell and right out of Kafka. -Terri Keyser-Cooper, Laughlin's attorney

On Christmas Eve, he was called from his cell hopeful of being released but instead transported to Nye County Jail in Pahrump. He was able to telephone his fiancee in Australia for the first time Christmas Day and told her to contact his agent about the cruise ship he missed the week before. He feared 'he would remain in jail forever.'

Suddenly on December 29, to his 'amazement, without warning, without explanation,' Laughlin was released without ever seeing a judge. A Nye County justice of the peace entered an order dismissing the charges.

Laughlin, who had performed since the 1980s at casinos, in movies, on television and at national comedy clubs, spent most of 2017 depressed and unemployed before getting a job this year as a basic laborer.

'He's never been a laborer in his life,' Keyser-Cooper told the AP on Wednesday. 'It's crazy what this poor guy went through.'

If he'd seen a judge as required, he could have shown he was the victim of misidentification, had been overseas when the burglary occurred and never received a summons  which was mailed to the other Sean Laughlin in Pahrump but returned to sender undeliverable, the lawsuit said.

'The judge would have immediately known the bail in the amount of $675,000 was unreasonable and absurd.'
The emergency text message that President Donald Trump sent to the nation on Wednesday was met with hilarious responses on social media.

Every smartphone in America received a Presidential Alert  a service via Wireless Emergency Alert System that Trump is using in case of national emergency.

The message went out to smartphones at 2:18pm ET Wednesday, as the US President tested how it will work in a new collaboration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

It's very similar to Amber Alerts, however unlike the noisy notifications that warn people in a particular area of a child abduction, people cannot opt out of this one.

Congrats to Tiffany Trump, who just received her first ever text from her dad! tweeted one Twitter user.

Tiffany Trump is the presidents daughter whom he had with his second wife, actress Marla Maples. Trump and Maples divorced in 1999.

Oh my god the president cut off my wedding planning call! tweeted Lizzie OLeary.

The emergency text message that President Donald Trump sent to the nation on Wednesday was met with hilarious responses on social media - like the one above

Congrats to Tiffany Trump, who just received her first ever text from her dad! tweeted one Twitter user

'Somebody hacked Donald's phone. Everything's spelled correctly,' quipped one Twitter user

The official Twitter handle of Comedy Centrals The Daily Show tweeted a screen grab of a smart phone with the Presidential Alert which read: MISSING PERSON - I HAVENT SEEN MELANIA IN MONTHS!

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost the election to Trump in 2016, threw shade at the president

Another Twitter user tweeted a similar alert which read: HOT SINGLES NOW AVAILABLE IN YOUR AREA

Another Twitter user posted a screen shot of a different text message he received from the president.

U up? the tweet read.

The official Twitter handle of Comedy Centrals The Daily Show tweeted a screen grab of a smart phone with the Presidential Alert which read: MISSING PERSON - I HAVENT SEEN MELANIA IN MONTHS!

Another Twitter user tweeted a similar alert which read: HOT SINGLES NOW AVAILABLE IN YOUR AREA.

This new Presidential Alert system is actually pretty useful, tweeted the Twitter user.

One Twitter user who says he didn't receive the text tweeted: 'I didn't know getting ghosted could ever make me this happy'

Jennifer Mendelsohn tweeted: My brother just texted me "It's like an Amber alert except it's used when someone has abducted your country"

This Twitter user used a popular meme to make fun of the president

Another Twitter user posted a screen shot of a different text message he received from the president. U up? the tweet read

Another Twitter user wrote: Hello, Id like to report a sexual predator sending unwanted text messages to 150,000,000 women.

Twitter user Ed Krassenstein posted a graphic which read: Presidential Alert: The Clintons are coming! The Clintons are coming!

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost the election to Trump in 2016, threw shade at the president.

On her Twitter feed, she linked to an article about the test alert adding the caption: Making sure this works.

Jennifer Mendelsohn tweeted: My brother just texted me "It's like an Amber alert except it's used when someone has abducted your country".

Every smartphone in America received a Presidential Alert at 2.18pm. Trump is seen above speaking in Mississippi during a rally Tuesday

Anyone within range of a working cell tower and with a mobile device that is switched on received the message on their screens whether they liked it or not.

'THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System,' the message stated.

'No action is needed.'

It's the same kind of message that warns people of critical situations, including dangerous weather, but the test was put on hold due to a real emergency last month.

Trump's message was initially planned for September 20 but was postponed due to Hurricane Florence.
Quick-thinking dog parents saved the life of their beloved Jack Russell Cross, Tilla, who swallowed a piece of fishing line with a hook still attached.

The couple were walking Tilla along a waterway in Brisbane when they noticed a piece of wire hanging out her mouth and quickly rushed her to Albion Veterinary Surgery, north of the city.

Tilla underwent emergency surgery after an X-ray revealed the 4cm sharp object lodged into the lining of her stomach - fortunately the vet removed it just in time.

Quick-thinking dog parents saved the life of their beloved Jack Russell Cross, Tilla (pictured), who swallowed a piece of fishing line with a hook still attached

Tilla underwent emergency surgery after an X-ray revealed the 4cm sharp object lodged into the lining of her stomach (pictured) - fortunately the vet removed it just in time

Veterinarian Dr Andrew was able excise the hook, repair the damage and surgically stabilise Tilla, but the close-call prompted the surgery to issue an important warning.

'Radiographs were taken immediately and it was found to be a large 4cm fishing hook with barb that had become embedded within Tilla's stomach lining,' the business shared to Facebook.

The business said the 'perforation and secondary infection' could have killed the 3kg pooch if it had gone undetected.

Veterinarian Dr Andrew was able excise the hook (pictured), repair the damage and surgically stabilise Tilla, but the close-call prompted the surgery to issue an important warning

The business said the 'perforation and secondary infection' could have killed the 3kg pooch if it had gone undetected

'Please remember to take all of your left over fishing gear with you this summer when you're done. If not for the safety of our native birds and wildlife, for our fur babies too!,' the business warned.

The vet confirmed Tilla would make a full recovery thanks to her parent's quick thinking and her emergency surgery.

'Whilst she was our catch of the day and has caught our hearts, we just wanted to share her case to highlight the importance of keeping our beautiful waterways tidy.'
A man who allegedly raped a school boy he met through a dating app has been verbally abused outside a Sydney court.

Moud Ul Hasan Nuri, 40, was walking out of Penrith Local Court, in Sydneys west, on Thursday when a group of people began hurling insults at him.

Nuri, an IT expert who runs multiple online businesses, was granted bail after being charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy in the front yard of the teenagers Blacktown home, on Sunday night.

Dirty paedophile, one person yelled at Nuri.

Youre a doghand yourself in, another screamed.

Moud Ul Hasan Nuri (pictured), 40, allegedly raped a 13-year-old boy in the front yard of the teenager's family home at Blacktown, in Sydney's north-west, on Friday evening

Nuri, an I.T expert and app developer, allegedly only stopped his attack when the boy's mum ran to her son's aid - at which point he ran to his car and fled the scene

Police said Nuri and the teenage boy met through dating app Grindr and exchanged photos and personal details before the youngster deleted the app and cut contact with Nuri.

Police will allege that an angry Nuri then drove to the boy's family home, pushed him over and sexually assaulted him in the front yard.

Nuri only stopped his alleged attack when the boy's mother heard her son screaming and rushed to his aid - at which point he ran to his car and fled the scene, according to police.

After being arrested at his home in Kellyville Ridge last week, Nuri appeared before a magistrate in Penrith Local Court on Thursday morning.

Despite the seriousness of Nuri's alleged crime police did not oppose his application for bail and he was again allowed to walk free.

A small crowd gathered outside court hurled abuse at Nuri as he drove away.

'What are you doing out?' one woman asked, while another called the accused rapist a 'dog'.

The I.T expert proudly boasts on social media about several online businesses selling everything from electronic products to kids toys.

It is also believed Nuri was an app development tutor at tertiary colleges in the area.

Despite the seriousness of Nuri's alleged crime police did not oppose his application for bail on Thursday and he was allowed to walk free from Penrith Local Court (pictured)

A small crowd gathered outside court hurled abuse at Nuri (pictured) as he left the courthouse

Police allege Nuri (pictured) pushed the boy to the ground and sexually assaulted him without consent about 6.45pm on Friday, September 28

LOCALS ABUSE ACCUSED BOY RAPIST: As he walked free from Penrith Local Court. Nuri was abused by a crowd of locals gathered outside. 'You dog,' one woman shouted, while another yelled: 'What are you doing out?' Nuri was granted strict bail conditions including not being allowed within 500 metres of the boy's home. He is due back in court in December. Advertisement

Police allege Nuri pushed the boy to the ground and sexually assaulted him without consent about 6.45pm on Friday, September 28.

After police were called to the scene the boy was taken to The Children's Hospital at Westmead for examination.

An investigation by the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad led to him being arrested at his home on Sunday and taken to Riverstone Police Station for questioning.

He was charged with sexual intercourse without consent and initially refused bail.

But during a bail hearing at Parramatta Bail Court on Monday he was allowed to walk free on strict conditions which were continued in Penrith Local Court on Thursday.

An investigation by the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad led to him being arrested at a home in Kellyville Ridge, western Sydney, on Sunday

It's alleged Nuri and the teenager had met through a social media app just hours earlier when they began sharing images and personal details (Stock image)

Under his bail conditions Nuri must report to police every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

He is also banned from going within 500 metres of the boy's home at Doonside, nor is he allowed to contact the victim or any witness.

Nuri also had to surrender his passport to police.

The matter is due to reappear before Blacktown Local Court on December 13.

In the wake of the attack police have urged parents and guardians to speak with their children about staying safe online, particularly during the school holiday period.
The hunt for a man who posed as a Good Samaritan before horrifically sexually assaulting a woman by the roadside has escalated.

A composite picture of a man police would like to speak with following the attack on Tuesday evening has now been released as officers step-up their investigations.

The woman revealed to reporters a day later how she drifted in and out of consciousness while a man pummelled her head and ripped her clothes off.

The 22-year-old woman, who asked to remain anonymous, was driving on Rose Street in Warwick, Queensland's south-east, when her car broke down.

Queensland Police have released a composite image (pictured) of a man officers would like to speak with as they investigate the assault of a woman

A woman (pictured) was driving in Warwick, south-east Queensland, on Tuesday evening when she was attacked by a man

Police said she pulled her Nissan Patrol to the side of the road on the outskirts of the country town at about 6.15pm.

The man, who was driving a white ute with a silver tray, then stopped in front of her car and offered to help.

She told him not to worry and that her dad would 'check it' before moving to the back of the vehicle.

It was then the man got hold of her head and slammed it into the car, knocking her out cold.

She regained consciousness to find her clothes torn, her pants taken off and the man on top of her before he once again knocked her out.

The man is described as Caucasian in appearance, aged between 30 to 40, with a chubby build, short dark hair and full dark beard and about 175cm tall.

Police say the woman pulled to the side of Rose Street (pictured) on the outskirts of the Queensland town of Warwick at about 6.15pm on Tuesday when her car started to break down

He was wearing a dark blue tradie shirt with sleeves rolled up, matching shorts and tradie style boots.

'Please note comfit images are computer generated "likenesses" and not actual photographs,' a statement from Queensland Police said.

The woman on Wednesday told Nine News about the horrific attack, saying 'When I came too (it) he was gone and all I thought was I just need to get home'.

'I want him to be put away, I don't want him to be able to hurt someone else,' she said.

The victim received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries at Warwick Hospital.

Anyone who may have noticed the vehicles on Rose Street or has any information which could assist with investigations is urged to contact police.
There are growing calls for internet access to be classified as an essential service like electricity and water.

Consumer and tenancy groups are lobbying for change so renters have more equitable access, instead of struggling with high fees and long waiting times for connection to the internet every time they move.

Tenants' Union of NSW senior policy officer Leo Patterson Ross is among those leading the calls.

There's hope that internet access will one day be classified as an essential service like electricity and water (stock image)

'Over the last 100 years, we've seen electricity and water go from luxuries to things no one would argue that every home needs to have,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'The sooner we have this conversation, the better it will be for society and the economy.'

While there are connection standards for water and electricity, there's nothing regarding internet access, according to domain.com.au.

'There's more to internet access than playing games and downloading movies,' Mr Patterson Ross told Daily Mail Australia.

'People need the internet to access information on health and safety. More and more people are working from home. It also allows people with disabilities better engagement with the economy.'

Consumer and tenancy groups are lobbying for improved access to internet connection for renters (stock image)

'Over the last 100 years, we've seen electricity and water go from luxuries to things no one would argue that every home needs to have,' Tenants' Union of NSW senior policy officer Leo Patterson Ross (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia

He hopes state and federal governments, along with telecommunications authorities, will start seriously considering internet access as an essential service within the next five years.

'It's a big conversation that has a lot of inroads to be made but it needs to get started,' Mr Patterson Ross told Daily Mail Australia.

'The sooner we have this conversation, the sooner this issue to internet access can be addressed, which will have real economic benefits.'

Australian Communication Consumer Action Network chief executive Teresa Corbin (pictured) called for a similar model to the electricity supply for renters

The Australian Communication Consumer Action Network called for a similar model renters have for electricity supply applied to internet access.

'Currently, tenants around the country have to incur expensive connection costs and face potentially lengthy connection times to get internet up and running in a property, despite the previous tenant going through the same process previously,' chief executive Teresa Corbin told Daily Mail Australia.

'We believe that a working internet connection should be a minimum requirement for tenants to move into a property. Currently, the universal service obligation requires you to have reasonable and equitable access to a standard telephone service and payphones, regardless of where you live or carry on business. We would like to see this extended to broadband access for all Australians.

Canstar editor and spokesman Simon Downes also echoed calls for rentals to get a fairer deal.

'Unfortunately consumers who opt for monthly, rolling contracts, as opposed to one or two-year agreements, are penalised with high set-up fees that can total $200 or more,' he told domain.com.au.

'It's another financial penalty for those who don't have the luxury of owning their own home.'
Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner admitted that the sexual harassment claims made against him by a former writer were 'the most affecting' when trying to prepare for the launch of his new show.

Matthew Weiner's 'The Romanoffs' is slated for an October 12 release but the showrunner shared that the 'attitude' described by writer Kater Gordon is something he never has in his writers' rooms.

Back in November, Gordon claimed that her boss made an inappropriate remark to her after he brought her on to co-write the second season finale of the show.

Matthew Weiner shared that the 'attitude' described by writer Kater Gordon is something he never has in his writers' rooms

'He told me that I owed it to him to let him see me naked,' Kater Gordon told The Information of the request Weiner made to her while the two were working on the script for 'Meditations In an Emergency.'

But Weiner asserted that he really didn't remember making the charged comment, adding that he believed he didn't say it.

'I mean, Kater and I were in a room together nine hours a day for six months, six days a week, and I just dont remember having that attitude,' he explained to the New York Times. 'I didnt feel that way about her. I was surprised that so many years later, I was being told about that. We worked together for a year, and it did not work out.'

Back in November, Gordon claimed that her boss made an inappropriate remark to her after he brought her on to co-write the second season finale of the show (pictured in 2009, after the third season)

Weiner eventually fired Gordon just a few months after the pair were honored by the Television Academy. The writer was fired just ahead of the fourth season, via phone call.

He added: 'In the end, she was not asked back, which is how we do it in TV. I really remember she was supposed to come down [to the office] to have that conversation with me, and she knew what it was about.

Soon after Gordon's comments were published, Marti Noxon, another writer and former consulting producer on the series, backed up her claims in a social media post, calling Weiner an 'emotional terrorist'

'Who would want to come down for that? So it was done over the phone. We did have a conversation that I really regret, the way it went. It was a lot of questions and a lot of answers, and it was not polite, and I never did it that way again.

Weiner further clarified that his phone conversation with Gordon was extremely bitter and awkward for the two.

'It was really mean,' he stated. 'I dont want you to work here anymore, and these are the reasons. Its something you should do in person.

'It was heated, and it was not what I wanted. I had not been the boss very long. I had watched a lot of people do it, and I think that I was very casual about my responsibility to have higher standards of language, of humor, of everything.

Soon after Gordon's comments were published, Marti Noxon, another writer and former consulting producer on the series, backed up her claims in a social media post, calling Weiner an 'emotional terrorist.'

'I believe her,' Noxon tweeted. 'I was at work with her the day after what she described transpired. I remember clearly how shaken and subdued Kater was  and continued to be from that day on.'

The 53-year-old found himself surprised by Noxon's remarks, adding that the consulting producer was 'very interested in how I worked'

The 53-year-old found himself surprised by Noxon's remarks, adding that the consulting producer was 'very interested in how I worked.'

He continued: 'She was very instructive to me on how to use the room, because I didnt want to go in the writers room. I couldnt deal with the pressure all the time of going in there and not hearing what I needed to hear and having to come up with stuff on my own. I was a very demanding boss.'

Gordon would leave the industry after her time on Mad Men.

Back when the allegations first surfaced in November, Weiner defended himself in front of an audience in Los Angeles.

Weiner has had a busy year as he prepares for the release of 'The Romanoffs,' which debuts October 12 on Amazon

'The allegations are not true, and (this) is a very important topic and a topic that I have devoted  it has been an obsession of mine, in my work and in my life, for like 92 hours of the show; we wanted people to be having this conversation,' the at-the-time 52-year-old said. 'It's great that we're having it. It's a very serious issue.'

Weiner has had a busy year as he prepares for the release of 'The Romanoffs,' which debuts October 12 on Amazon.

Each episode of the new show will take place in a different part of the world and follows characters who believe that they are descendants of the Russian royal family.

The first two episodes will have a 90-minute run time.
A person has been shot during an altercation at a major hospital in Sydney's west.

The shooting occurred just after 4pm at the Nepean Hospital in Kingswood when a man pulled a knife as he was walking into the emergency department.

Daily Mail Australia understands the man threatened self harm moments before he was shot by police officers after he lunged at them with the weapon.

Nepean Hospital went into emergency lockdown after a police shooting on Thursday

Nepean Hospital was in lockdown on Thursday after a man was shot by police

People outside the entrance to the Nepean Hospital after it was in lockdown following a police shooting on Thursday

The bomb disposal squad was also called out to the scene after the man claimed he had a bomb in his car parked adjacent to the emergency entrance.

A New South Wales Ambulance spokesman confirmed crews were called to the location after a person was injured.

Hospital staff at the scene treated the man, who is understood to have suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

He is also under police guard.

Nepean Hospital was in full emergency lockdown after a patient was shot this afternoon by police

Nepean Hospital in western Sydney in lockdown following the shooting of a patient on Thursday afternoon

Police outside Nepean Hospital after a patient was shot by police after brandishing a knife on Thursday afternoon

There are no reports of any other injuries at this stage, the NSW Ambulance spokesman said.

The hospital is in lockdown and surrounding streets have been closed.

Patients have been crammed into small rooms while the emergency situation continues to unfold.

Doctors and visitors were quickly evacuated.

Terrified hospital staff barricaded themselves in small rooms following the incident and are still believed to be at the scene.

A witness at the hospital said police are 'everywhere' and telling people to 'move and run'.

There are reports of a shooting at Nepean Hospital in Kingswood (pictured)

Ambulances are being redirected from the hospital, 9News reported.

Streets surrounding the hospital are also in lockdown, with residents unable to return home.

Today isn't the first security breach at Nepean Hospital.

Two years ago Luke Warburton, a police dog squad officer, was shot in an emergency room at the venue.

He was shot in the leg with his own weapon while attempting to control a man who was threatening staff while armed with scissors.
Footage has emerged of Pentecostal PM Scott Morrison praying for the victims of the Indonesian tsunami and earthquake, as well as Australian farmers.

Mr Morrison rarely discusses his Christian faith, but the footage  captured by an avid listener  showed the PM addressing an audience at a Planetshakers City Church in Melbourne.

Lord, we just pray for your spirit and your presence there, that youll bring comfort to despair, youll bring insight to confusion, that youll be with President Widodo, and youll give him what he needs to comfort his people and to steer their way through this terrible, terrible crisis, he is heard saying.

Footage has emerged of Pentecostal PM Scott Morrison in a rare moment of prayer for the victims of the Indonesian tsunami and earthquake, as well as Australian farmers

Last Friday, nearly 1350 people were killed following an earthquake and tsunami in central Sulawesi, Indonesia.

The tragedy has left almost 200,000 people in need of urgent help as survivors battle thirst and hunger, and local hospitals become overwhelmed.

Australia has allegedly pledged to send more than 50 medical professionals to the scene.

We pray for your blessing on them this morning, the PM continued.

Mr Morrison then hands the microphone back to the host as the congregation prepares for a group prayer.

A few moments later however, the PM reappears on stage, having remembered a second prayer.

Sorry, Ive got another prayer, I meant to pray for this too, I really did, he said.

Mr Morrison: Lord, we just pray for your spirit and your presence there, that youll bring comfort to despair, youll bring insight to confusion, that youll be with President Widodo, and youll give him what he needs to comfort his people and to steer their way through this terrible, terrible crisis

Mr Morrison's last statement in particular received noises of approval from the congregation who applauded the PM as he left the stage

Lord, we pray for our farmers, we pray for our rural communities, our Indigenous communities. Lord we pray thats youll bring light, that youll bring hope, that you will bring encouragement, and that you will bring rain.

The last statement in particular received noises of approval from the congregation who applauded the PM as he left the stage.

The Planetshakers City Church in Melbourne is the brainchild of partners Russell and Sam Evans.

The church has an international reach with churches set up around the world at places like South Africa and Singapore.
The phenomenon, which is hard to predict and elusive, has shown up at El Porto in Manhattan Beach and Marina del Rey this week.
Conjoined twins are undergoing a series of tests to establish if they are fit for delicate separation surgery which includes splitting the girls shared liver.

Nima and Dawa, who are 14-months-old and joined at the stomach, underwent a series of tests at Melbournes Royal Childrens Hospital on Thursday.

The surgery is estimated to cost $250,000 and will be paid by Victorian taxpayers, although nearly $95,000 has been raised by the Australian public after a plea for donations.

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Conjoined twins will be tested ahead of their separation surgery which includes splitting the girls shared liver

A number of tests and scans had to be carried out because doctors had little information on the girls' condition before the arrival of the twins and their mother in Melbourne from Bhutan in the Himalayas on Tuesday.

Doctors who have carried out assessments on the girls say specialists are happy at this stage to progress with the surgery.

An exact operating date will be confirmed after more test results are obtained.

Well be very keen to make a date and plan for surgery in the future. So far, so good, said anaesthetist Ian McKenzie.

Test results such as the girls level of nutrition are needed and their condition means they cannot be weighed separately.

A number of tests and scans had to be carried out because doctors had little information on them before the arrival of the twins and their mother from Bhutan in the Himalayas to Melbourne on Tuesday

Test results such as the girls strength and level of nutrition are needed - and their condition means they cannot be weighed separately

Theyre pretty skinny, they havent been able to practice crawling the way normal kids would, so maybe their muscles havent developed so well but we want to just double check everything is alright, generally, said Mr McKenzie.

Doctors expect to have a better idea whether and when surgery, estimated to take up to eight hours, can proceed.

They look like happy healthy girls who are reacting quite well with one another, said Hospital head paediatric surgeon Joe Crameri.

So far, everything is going along the pathway that weve been hoping for, he said.

Mum would like this to happen soon so the girls can go on with a normal life and thats our aim.

The same surgical team that will operate on Nima and Dawa also separated Bangladeshi conjoined twins Trishna and Krishna in 2009.

Nima and Dawa, who were born by cesarean section on July 13 last year, are believed to be Bhutans first recorded conjoined twins.
A company director's wife hanged herself after a severe bout of post-natal depression that left her wrongly fearing the authorities would take away their newborn baby, an inquest heard yesterday.

Former beauty therapist Magdalena Honour, 30, had been 'blooming' in the days before her daughter was born but after the birth began to worry she couldnt cope when breastfeeding her.

Mrs Honour was given anti-depressant medication, but her family claimed healthcare professionals were either 'dismissive' or regarded her a 'nuisance' and she began to self-harm.

Former beauty therapist Magdalena Honour, 30, (left, and right, with her husband Tom) had been 'blooming' in the days before her daughter was born but became depressed afterwards

Polish born Mrs Honour met her husband through friends in 2010 and married six years later

Last February 24, just seven weeks after the child was born, she was found hanged in the bathroom of her home in Bredbury, Greater Manchester, by her mother-in-law.

At the time her husband Tom, also 30, who runs a powder coating company, was serving as best man at a friend's wedding. He was too upset to attend the inquest.

Polish born Mrs Honour met her husband through friends in 2010 and married six years later.

Louise Honour, her mother-in-law, told the Stockport hearing: 'She was an extremely positive, warm and generous person who loved to travel and was very family orientated, and loved her family.

Louise said Mrs Honour had a 'wonderful time' during the pregnancy' and 'really looked forward' to having her baby.

'On 6th January her daughter was born and there were no physical problems with the pregnancy and they were allowed back home the next day,' she said.

WHAT IS POSTNATAL DEPRESSION? Postnatal depression is a form of the mental-health condition that affects more than one in 10 women in the UK and US within a year of giving birth. As many men can be affected as women, research suggests. Many parents feel down, teary and anxious within the first two weeks of having a child, which is often called the 'baby blues'. But if symptoms start later or last longer, they may be suffering from postnatal depression. Postnatal depression is just as serious as others form of the mental-health disorder. Symptoms include: Persistent sadness

Lack of enjoyment or interest in the wider world

Fatigue

Insomnia

Struggling to bond with your baby

Withdrawing from others

Difficulty concentrating and making decisions

Frightening thoughts, such as hurting your baby Sufferers should not wait for their symptoms to just go away. Instead they should recognise that it is not their fault they are depressed and it does not make them a bad parent. If you or your partner may be suffering, talk to your GP or health visitor. Treatments can include self-help, such as talking to loved ones, resting when you can and making time to do things you enjoy. Therapy may also be prescribed. In severe cases where other options have not helped, antidepressants may be recommended. Doctors will prescribe ones that are safe to take while breastfeeding. Postnatal depression's cause is unclear, however, it is more common in those with a history of mental-health problems. Lack of support from loved ones, a poor relationship with the partner and a life-changing event, such as bereavement, can also raise the risk. Source: NHS Advertisement

'For the first couple of days Magdalena was just tired due to having a new baby - but she got more anxious and hyper vigilant.

'Initially she was breast feeding and thought she was doing it for too long or not enough. She would be sitting upright and couldn't relax. She had a look of worry on her face at all times.'

After a few days, Mrs Honour stopped communicating with friends and was given anti-depressants by her GP.

But after her condition deteriorated, Louise phoned the GP to organise another appointment.

'I voiced my concerns about her deteriorating mental state,' she said. 'They give her some tablets to sleep as she was absolutely exhausted.

'The GP said "get her to see me sooner" but he was dismissive of my concerns. I wasn't listened to.'

The inquest heard Mrs Honour cut her wrist on February 18 and was referred to a RAID mental health team, which referred her to a psychiatrist over fears for her wellbeing, while also starting a course of 'home treatment'.

But this had little impact on her wellbeing, according to Louise.

I think she had lost insight into how she was. Her beliefs became very fixed, about being able to look after her daughter, she said.

She was concerned she would be taken from her, and me and Tom would be in trouble.

'A health visitor did come after she cut her wrist but came only once that week - it was grossly inadequate.'

Mrs Honour then phoned the health visitor herself in a 'very distressed state' and said she was 'underfeeding and over-feeding her baby'.

'The heath visitor was trying to get her off the phone like she was a nuisance. She was unable to relax at all - she looked tormented,' Louise continued.

'Her beliefs were getting very fixed over a delusional matter and she wasn't making sense.

'We talked about bottle feeding and she had to stop breast feeding due to medication.

'She was very worried about things being contaminated. She started to talk about that she wasn't sleeping but she was.'

Mrs Honour was given diazepam and more tablets to help her sleep.

During the night Mr Honour was away at the wedding, Louise agreed to stay over.

'I told her that there's no way we could manage without her and we have got a beautiful little girl,' she said.

Mrs Honour (seen with Tom) was given anti-depressant medication, but her family claimed healthcare professionals were either 'dismissive' or regarded her a 'nuisance'

The inquest heard Mrs Honour cut her wrist on February 18 and was referred to a RAID mental health team, which referred her to a psychiatrist over fears for her wellbeing

'I said her sister-in-law was coming from Poland on the Tuesday and we would get her through this.'

But in the morning, Louise found her dead after she became concerned about the length of time she was in the bathroom and used a 5p piece to open the lock.

GP Robert Beardsell told the hearing: 'Magdalena was very anxious about the baby and kept checking she was breathing. I would agree she was in a hyper vigilant state.

'Her sleeping was very poor but at the time I had no concerns over her harming herself.

'She was suffering with post-partum depression with anxiety known as baby blues but I was concerned enough that she needed treatment.

'I gave her medication to help but she didn't want to take it because of the breast feeding.'

Dr Beardsell said he spoke on the phone with Mrs Honour on February 16.

'She told of her anxiety and the lack of sleep but there was no information about suicidal thoughts. I believe I did listen,' he said.

'The bond is important from breast feeding so I felt it was important for her to continue. I didn't get a strong sense that she was suffering with psychosis or illusions.'

Health visitor Hazel Wilson said: 'There were no concerns from me about weight gain or feeding but she needed more support to settle the baby and needed reassurance about her ability with the baby, and suffering with depression and anxiety.

Mrs Honour and her husband Tom - who is a company director - sit down together during an event

'I invited her to a baby clinic and breast feeding group. It was to reassure her that she was caring for the baby effectively. I was concerned that she was suffering with post-natal depression but the training I have in mental health is not what the home service can offer.'

Anna Roy, a doctor in the home treatment team assessed Mrs Honour four days before her death, said: 'She had a cut on her wrist but she was answering all questions appropriately.

'She was glad to be alive and a very stupid thing that she did on her wrist. I thought she was depressed but did not pose as suicidal and did not seem at risk of further self-harm. The immediate strategy was to help her cope at home.'

And Michael Hughes a care coordinator in the Stockport RAID team added: 'I was under the opinion that she presented as an ongoing risk to herself, but the strong family support network she had was good.

'There was no violent risk to the child, we just wanted to help her which in turn would help the child. We referred her to a psychiatrist.'

Recording a verdict of suicide, Coroner Chris Morris said Mrs Honour was a 'vibrant and energetic person who had lots to live for'.

'She looked forward to life as a mother and having a family,' he said. 'I am quite sure for the same amount I have heard about her she would have made a brilliant one. I can't imagine how devastating this must have been.'

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.
Donald Trump's 'dubious' tax dealings were unwittingly revealed by his sister when she filed papers to the Senate to become a federal judge.

A New York Times investigation revealed details of how the president's family used tax schemes which significantly increased his inheritance from his father's wealth.

Tax officials in New York said they are probing the allegations that Trump received at least $413 million from his father over decades by dodging tax during the 1990s.

This revelation came to light when disclosures made by Maryanne Trump Barry during her senate confirmation hearing as a federal appellate judge in 1999 were examined.

Documents unearthed by the New York Times discovered that as part of her submission she revealed the family made a $1 million contribution from an obscure family-owned company called All County Building Supply & Maintenance.

Donald Trump, Maryanne Trump, and brother Robert Trump during opening of Donald's Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City in 1990

Donald Trump with sister Maryanne after visiting the family house in Tong, on the Isle of Lewis off the coast of Scotland, where his mother was brought up before she emigrated to the US

Maryanne Trump Barry (right) with her sister Elizabeth Trump Grau at the Mar-a-lago Club in Palm Beach in 2009

Unlike the many documents the judge filed during her career on the bench, this one was not redacted, and was found simply by searching Google for 'Trump' and a term known as 'mortgage receivable'.

The investigators dug into the fortune of the president's father, Fred C. Trump, a New York City construction tycoon who died in 1999, and the millions of dollars he passed on to his surviving children - Donald Trump, Maryanne Trump Barry, Robert Trump and Elizabeth Trump Grau.

The main focus was the years between 1995 and 2005. Donald Trump reported a loss in 1995 of almost $1 billion and then a $150 million profit in 2005.

One of the reporters who made the discovery said she thought, 'what the heck? That was the first inkling we had that, hey, there's something to do with this company that we need to figure out'.

The discovery of the Trump family's tax dealings was unearthed when Maryanne submitted papers to the Senate during her confirmation as a federal judge

Donald Trump (far left) with his brother, Fred Jr, brother Robert, sister Maryanne, and sister Elizabeth

Donald Trump and father Fred Trump on the roof of a Trump Village building in Coney Island. Tax officials are probing the elder Trump's alleged tax dodges before his death

After this finding reporters began talking to those who knew Fred Trump and his construction empire and discovered the little-known company was used to move cash to his children.

The firm would buy building supplies such as boilers and cleaning products and bill Fred's buildings with a 20 to 50 per cent mark up so the children could pocket the difference.

This enabled the siblings to receive millions in untaxed gifts from their father, avoiding a 55 per cent tax on gifts over a certain value.

Fred Trump's own tax returns show countless efforts to enrich the future president and set him up to be the successful businessman and public figure that he became.

Donald Trump reportedly tried to change his sick father's will so 'he could use dad's empire for collateral as his big projects went bust' but his sister Maryanne Trump blocked the move

How Donald Trump's sister rose to become a federal judge and unwittingly revealed tax dealing in financial disclosures Maryanne Trump Barry is a senior judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, where she has a tough reputation on the bench. She was nominated to the post in 1999 by President Bill Clinton, and was previously chosen by Republican Ronald Reagan as district judge for New Jersey in 1983. In 1989, while a district court judge in Newark, New Jersey, she turned down a plea bargain deal that would have freed two detectives accused of protecting a drug dealer, and forced the case to trial where both me were jailed. She also presided over the conviction of Louis Manna - the Genovese crime family boss accused of plotting to assassinate rival gangster John Gotti in 1989. Judge Trump Barry is known to drink single malt scotch and drive a red Jaguar. Now aged 81, she is the oldest of the four Trump children and is said to be close to her brother, Donald. Maryanne Trump Barry has a reputation for being a tough judge on the bench When she had foot surgery in 1993, she fondly said her brother went 'that extra yard' to visit her in hospital. She said: 'Once would have been enough - the duty call. That's how love shows, when you go that extra yard.' Maryanne also said she 'knew better even as a child than to even attempt to compete with Donald'. Although she is said to be a Republican, she was appointed as a federal judge by Democrat Bill Clinton. She has also expressed views supporting pro-choice abortion rights and spoken positively about immigration. During one deportation case in 2006 she said: 'It's a hallmark of the American system in a country built on the dreams and accomplishments of an immigrant population.' Since her brother's inauguration in February last year she has taken an inactive role in the Court of Appeals. She has one son with her first husband, David Desmond. Her second husband, John Barry, who was also a lawyer, died in 2000. Advertisement

Fred Trump, Donald Trump and Mary Anne Trump in New York in 1982. Trump reportedly used tax avoidance schemes to increase the amount of his father's wealth he in and his siblings inherited

Donald Trump (far left) and his family including dad Frederick Trump, brother Fred Trump Jr, mother Mary Anne MacLeod Trump and sister Maryanne Trump Barry

The elder Trump was said to have made his vast wealth accumulation possible by steering resources into his son's hands through a variety of dubious 'dodges' by vastly undervaluing real estate values, obscuring gifts, and avoiding taxes entirely.

Many of the transfers were made in secret, often in financially advantageous ways in 'sham corporations' that saved Trump and his siblings hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the deeply reported analysis which the Times called 'dubious tax schemes... including instances of outright fraud'.

In one Fred Trump tax return documents claimed 25 apartment complexes with 6,988 apartments were worth only $41 million, but less than a decade later in 2004, banks valued them at $900 million.

Oldest of the four Trump children, Maryanne is best known as a senior judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, where she has a tough reputation.

She was nominated to the post in 1999 by Democrat President Bill Clinton, and before that was chosen by Ronald Reagan as District Judge for New Jersey in 1983.

Although she is considered a Republican, she had expressed pro-choice abortion views and spoken positively about the effects of immigration on America.

At the age of three, Trump was said to be earning $200,000 a year in 2018 dollars from his dad's business empire, becoming a millionaire by the age eight, according to the Times report.

In 1962 Fred Trump transferred land in Queens to his children, then build an apartment building there and gave them the revenues and ownership and Donald even received revenue from coin laundries in his dad's apartment buildings.

At the age of three Trump was said to be earning $200,000 a year in 2018 dollars from his dad's business empire, becoming a millionaire by the age eight

Trump also reportedly tried to change his sick father's will so 'he could use dad's empire for collateral as his big projects went bust' but his sister Maryanne Trump blocked the move.

After reviewing the Times article, Fred Slater, a CPA who has advised real estate professionals for more than 40 years, said he estimates Trump and his siblings could owe New York state more than $400 million in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties.

Yesterday New York City Democrat mayor, Bill de Blasio, warned Trump that the authorities will squeeze him for back taxes he might owe on money and other assets he got from his father.
An Indian woman has been brutally raped by two men who dragged her out of the holy River Ganges and took turns in sexually assaulting her.

The rapists filmed their assault of the 45-year-old woman in Patna, Bihar, in northeast India, and later posted the shocking video on social media.

The disturbing footage sees the woman pleading with her attackers to consider the 'sanctity' of the river.

Shocking: The video, posted on social media by the rapists themselves, shows the woman pleading with her attackers on the banks of the Ganges to consider its 'sanctity'

In Hinduism, the River Ganges is the Goddess Ganga descended to earth, and the sacred river is often referred to as 'Mother'.

The unnamed victim had been bathing in the Ganges, a religious Hindu cleansing ritual, when she was attacked.

The video shows one of the men dragging her from the water before raping her on the riverbank.

The woman was eventually released by her attackers and able to get to a police station, NDTV reports.

Disturbing: The woman was reportedly raped by the two men on the riverbank in Patna, India, where they took turns in sexually assaulting her and filming each other

Several local news outlets have claimed that when the woman first reported the rape to police, officers refused to take action.

However, once the video went viral on social media, police tracked down both culprits.

Both men have been arrested by local police and remain in custody pending the investigation.
Paris is expanding its car-free zones to include most of the city-centre, in a move to combat air pollution and open up more space to pedestrians.

Cars will be banned in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th arrondissements for the first Sunday of every month, beginning this weekend on October 7.

The French capital, which already holds an annual car-free day, is the most polluted city in Western Europe, according to Numbeo. Out of Europe as a whole, it ranks 13th, while London was 25th.

A fountain bears the sign 'let's put the car back in its place' during the vehicle-free day in Paris on September 16. Cars will be banned in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th arrondissements for the first Sunday of every month, beginning this weekend on October 7

The new measure banning all non-essential cars in Paris city-centre will be enforced between 10am and 6pm on the first Sunday of the month

A study released in May by the Wuppertal Institute in Germany found that Paris is lagging far behind its rival European capitals in terms of air quality. Of the 13 major cities surveyed, only Moscow's air was more polluted.

The new measure, which will be enforced between 10am and 6pm, gives pedestrians and people on scooters or bikes full run of the roads.

Some exceptions will be made for delivery vans, taxis, local residents and carers, but they will have to come and go via designated access points and obey a 20km/h speed limit.

People ride bicycles, monowheel and walk as they enjoy a vehicle-free day in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris

People ride their bicycles on the Seine river banks on September 16 - the third year that Paris has held a car free day in an attempt to ease air pollution

The city mayor, Anne Hidalgo, is spearheading the Paris Respire (Paris breathes) campaign to clean up the air in the French capital, where car-bans are already enforced in certain, highly polluted areas.

Mayor Hidalgo, a member of the Socialist Party, said: 'This measure, eagerly awaited by the inhabitants, is the fruit of an important partnership between the prefecture of police, mayors of the district and neighbourhood associations.'

Christophe Najdovski, deputy mayor of Paris, added: 'It will cover most of the streets, with the exception of major roads such as Boulevard Sebastopol, which will remain open to traffic.'

Europe should hold an annual car-free day in a bid to ease air pollution, the mayors of Paris and Brussels said on September 15

Hidalgo has long been an advocate of cleaner air solutions and believes the best way to boost air quality is simply to reduce the number of cars on Paris's streets.

In March, she announced she would commission a study into free city-wide public transport and is currently pushing to create new, safer bike lanes.

'To improve public transport we should not only make it more extensive, more regular and more comfortable, we must also rethink the fares system,' she said at the time.

Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo waves after speaking during the opening plenary of the Global Action Climate Summit Thursday, September 13. Hidalgo, of the Socialist Party, is the face of Paris campaign to clean up its air

Some delivery vans, taxis, local residents and carers will be exempt from the car ban, but they will have to come and go via designated access points and obey a 20km/h speed limit

Hidalgo is also the chair of C40 Cities - a global group of cities who have joined forces to measure emissions and committed to finding new ways to reduce them.

Last year, it was announced that a ban on diesel vehicles, which produce more toxic fumes than petrol motors, will come into effect in 2024 - the year Paris will host the summer Olympic games.

Individuals were offered up to 6,000 in subsidies to swap their diesel cars for cleaner models.

Paris's push for more car-free travel has resulted in a 6% fall in inner-city traffic so far in 2018 compared to the same time in 2017, as well as a reduction in air pollution.

The trend does go back further than Hidalgo's tenure, however. Vehicle use in Paris has fallen by almost half (45%) since 1990, according to France 24.
A suspected 'paedophile cannibal' has been detained in Russia accused of axing a 21-year-old man to death then cooking and eating his body parts.

Detained with him was a 12-year-old girl, who is accused of taking part in the murder and dismembering of the body.

The 22-year-old suspect admitted a sexual relationship with the child, who he described as his 'girlfriend', potentially a victim of online grooming.

Accused: The 22-year-old man admitted to raping a 12-year-old girl who is also accused of murdering and dismembering victim Alexander Popovich

She had been reported missing by her parents ten days earlier in her home city of Sochi some 1,500 miles away, say police.

The unnamed pair had 'cooked the brains' of householder Alexander Popovich whose severed head was found in the oven of an apartment in Novinka village, 60 miles from St Petersburg, where the victim lived.

A shocking video released by the Russian Investigative Committee - in charge of probing serious crime - showed the messy bloodstained ground floor flat and the victim's body parts covered in a white quilt.

When the runaway girl was reported missing ten days ago, she was described as looking older than her age, around 15 or 16.

Murdered: The dismembered remains of Alexander Popovich was found in his home in a village 60 miles from St. Petersburg

Paedophile: The 22-year-old unnamed man referred to the 12-year-old girl as his 'girlfriend'

Evidence: The pair had reportedly tried to cook the brains of the victim and covered up his body with a white quilt

Missing: The girl had been reported missing by her parents ten days earlier in her home city of Sochi some 1,500 miles away, say police

The 12-year-old girl, seen here on CCTV, has been taken into care and placed at an institution called Centre for Underage Criminals of St Petersburg

It is unknown how and where she met the axeman but she posted a message on her social media saying: 'I love one stalker.

'I won't give him away to anyone, he is only mine. I do not need anybody else.'

A report in the macabre killing by Russian police stated: 'A man and an underage girl are suspected of the cruel murder and dismembering a 21-year-old citizen of Novinka village of Leningrad region.

'The investigators are also checking the information about suspects eating body parts of the killed man.'

The man and girl told police: 'There was nothing else to eat.'

Police said the the man had been beheaded and his arms were cut off.

Axe wounds were visible on his chest and parts of his heart and abdominal organs had been removed. An axe was found near the body.

'The contents of the frying pan did not look like the fresh meat found at a supermarket,' said one officer.

The pair were detained after they tried to set the flat on fire, according to police.

The pair were living with the victim in his flat as lodgers, it was reported.

Brutal: Police say Alexander Popovich had been murdered with an axe which had been used to mutilate his body

Officials report that the 22-year-old and the 12-year-old were living with the victim in his flat as lodgers

Mess: Vide footage from the scene of the crime shows logs piled high

Neighbours saw smoke then the alleged killers climbing out of a window of the flat in a wooden village house.

The victim's brother said: 'I climbed inside through a window.

'It was a mess there, as if the apartment had been robbed. Then I saw something covered with a blanket and in blood.

'I did not know it was him, I rushed out. I was in panic. My only thought was  please don't let it be him.

'I called a neighbour, and he forced open the door. With two neighbours, a man and a woman, we got inside. I immediately understood that it was my brother there.'

The suspected paedophile axeman told police that the 12 year old was his 'girlfriend' and he admitted they had sexual relations.

The detained man will face charges of murder and dismembering the body, with a maximum 15 years in jail.

Police say he was also be tried for having sex with an underage child, which carries a ten year maximum sentence.

The girl is under the age of criminal responsibility in Russia.

She has been put into care at the Centre for Underage Criminals of St Petersburg.
Charnjit Singh, also known as Mike Singh, groomed two girls aged 11 and 13 over Instagram. Police believe he may have used the app to target other victims

A man who groomed two girls aged 11 and 13 online before abducting them has been jailed for more than two years.

Charnjit Singh, 28, from Leicester, contacted the young girls on Instagram and encouraged them to meet him.

After meeting the pair in May, Singh drove them around in his car keeping them out all night. The victims' families reported the girls missing to police.

Singh, who is also known as Mike Singh, is believed to have contacted other young girls on Instagram and Leicestershire police are appealing for any other victims to come forward.

After pleading guilty to child abduction charges, Singh was handed a 27-month jail term for each count. He has also banned from driving for 27 months and issued with a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order at Leicester Crown Court.

Trial judge Robert Brown also ordered Singh hand over his mobile phone which was due to be destroyed.

He was also handed two further three-month sentences for breaching two restraining orders in connection with an unrelated incident.

He was also given an unlimited restraining order.

The three-month jail term for breaching the restraining order will run consecutively to the child abduction offences.

PC Tim Grigg of Leicestershire Police's Child Sexual Exploitation team said: 'Evidence uncovered during the investigation revealed Singh was grooming young girls under the age of 16 using social media. In this case Singh took the victims out without their parents permission and bought gifts and food.

'We are pleased Singh has pleaded guilty to the offences and spared the young victims the ordeal of giving evidence in court.

'We believe there may be other victims of Singh. On social media he has been known to use the name "Mike Singh" - if you recognise the defendant or have been approached in a similar way we would ask that you contact us.

'Staying safe online is important to stop you from being a target. You should never give out your personal details online to people you dont know. You should never agree to meet up with someone that youve met online, particularly in a private place or without your family knowing. Doing so can make it possible for an online groomer to hurt you.

'If you talk to the police we will work alongside social workers to support you so you can tell us what happened. We have specially trained officers who will listen to what you have to say. They will then explain to you what will happen next and make sure that youre happy with it. We wont make you do anything you dont want to. But we will always take action to make sure you or another child is safe.

'If theres an adult you trust, a parent, carer, friend or a teacher, talk to them first about whats happening. You can contact the police on 101, alternatively contact a school nurse by texting 07520 615 387 or ChildLine on 0800 1111.'

An NSPCC spokesman said: 'This case is a disturbing reminder of how easily predators like Singh can groom young and vulnerable children on social media.

'Social networks also have a responsibility to keep children safe, which is why the NSPCCs Wild West Web campaign is calling for them to offer safe accounts for children and proactively search for, and stop, child grooming on their platforms.'
A second British woman has died after a Brazilian 'butt lift' operation, it has emerged.

The victim, who is in her late twenties but who has not been named, underwent the surgery earlier this year.

An inquest into her death is expected to take place in the coming months.

It has sparked fresh warnings over the risks of the operation in which fat us taken from another part of the body and injected into the buttocks.

In August 29-year-old Leah Cambridge died while undergoing the 3,000 procedure at a clinic in Turkey.

In August 29-year-old Leah Cambridge died while undergoing the procedure at a clinic in Turkey

She suffered three heart attacks on the operating table at the Elite Aftercare Clinic in Izmir, which is popular among reality stars like those from The Only Way is Essex.

In light of the second death, The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) issued guidance that all BBL procedures should be paused.

Dr Aamer Khan from the Harley Street Skin Clinic told MailOnline: 'They gave the advice that we should cease all BBLs.

'That's the advice they are giving out but we need to think about it carefully. If we stop people seeking butt lift surgery in the UK they will go overseas.

'People are lured by the lower cost and is it still very risky. One in 3,000 are dying worldwide and it is far too much.'

He said people looking for cheaper surgery abroad ran safety risks.

'Unfortunately, when things become popular we tend to trivialise them so I must take this opportunity to stress cosmetic surgery should not be looked on as a "bargain hunt" to get the cheapest price one can.

'There are highly experienced and safe cosmetic surgeons and cosmetic doctors in the UK who carry out these procedure frequently in regulated theatres, thus minimising the risks involved.'

Gerard Lambe, consultant plastic surgeon and Baaps, told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show that it is the most dangerous cosmetic procedure to undergo.

There is a risk that fat injected into large veins can travel to the heart or brain, leading to severe illness of death.

'It has the highest death rate of all procedures due to the risk of injecting fat into large veins in the buttocks, that can travel to the heart or brain.'

Miss Cambridge died after having the procedure at the Elite Aftercare clinic in Turkey, pictured

Photos from the Elite Aftercare clinic showing the results after surgery

One 23-year-old woman from Wales - who did not want to be named - said she had been left scarred for life after having BBL surgery in February in Turkey.

Three months after the procedure, infected holes appeared on her bum cheeks and she couldn't walk properly.

She said her bum was leaking for three months, soaked her clothes and she had to bandage it up every day.

The woman told the BBC: 'I honestly wish I could go back.

'I was happy with my body before. And now I paid a stupid amount of money to look like this.'

WHAT IS A BRAZILIAN BUTT LIFT? A Brazilian Butt Lift uses fat transferred from other areas of the body, such as the love handles, hips or stomach, to provide patients with a fuller derriere. Clinics report the procedure, which costs between 6,500 and 10,000, has seen more than a 50 per cent increase compared to five years ago. The procedure's nickname was coined in 1996 after Dr Leonard Grossman was filmed performing fat transfer surgery on a patient from Brazil. The surgery takes anywhere from one to two hours to perform. The amount of downtime ranges from one to three weeks, plastic surgeons claim. HOW IT WORKS: 1. Liposuction to remove fat from abdomen/hips/thighs 2. Fat is 'processed' 3. Fat is injected into buttocks BBL STYLES: Upside-down heart, or 'A-shape': Much smaller waist and larger buttocks towards the bottom

Round: emphasis on increasing the size of the butt, not pulling in the waist or thighs HOW TO PREPARE: Don't smoke (increases infection risk and blood clot risk)

Don't gain weight (when you lose it again, your butt will change) RISK OF DEATH: Higher than most operations - 20 in 100,000 compared with 1 in 100,000. There are two major risk factors that can make a BBL fatal: Blood clots travel to lungs

Accidental injection of fat to blood vessel RECOVERY: 1. Don't work for 10 days 2. Don't sit for 6 weeks 3. Sleep on stomach 4. Final shape will take months or a year to form Advertisement

Baaps also estimates that the NHS is paying up to 13,000 per patient for people seeking treatment as a result of the surgery going wrong.

The numbers of women also seeking legal action is rising, as many are forced to take time off work or suffer psychological issues.

Cheryl Palmer Hughes, a solicitor from Irwin Mitchell specialising in claims arising from cosmetic surgery abroad, told the BBC: 'Before this year, we had maybe one or two in the three to five years before that.

'But since March this year our specialist team at Irwin Mitchell had had 12 inquiries about this specific procedure, carried out abroad, where it has gone wrong.

'Mostly people suffer from infection, sepsis, they have had abscesses, ongoing pain, mobility issues, and psychological problems.'

Miss Cambridge's partner of ten years said at the time of her death in August that she was paranoid about excess weight after having three children.

He said: 'I told her she was beautiful how she was but she really wanted it for her own confidence.

'I didn't think this would ever happen - or could happen to her.'

He believes Leah's operation went wrong after fat was deposited into her blood stream and her oxygen levels dropped.

He says she was brought back to stable but she then had three heart attacks.

He said: 'Leah was under anaesthetic and complications happened due to fat getting deposited into her blood stream and her oxygen levels dropped.

'She was brought back to stable but had a further three heart attacks and there was nothing they could do after.'

Last month the cosmetic surgery clinic where she had the operation declared it is 'open for business.'

In a statement it told how it was 'devastated' at her death but insisted 'preliminary investigations have not raised any concerns over surgical competence or standards of care' - and so it remained open.

It said the death had caused 'a great deal of thought, reflection and consideration' and it was 'taking all reasonable steps to protect and reassure our clients'.

It was claimed last week that the Turkish surgeon who carried out the operation told other patients he always made them as big as he could.

A TV crew captured Dr Ali Uckan boasting to another patient who asked him to make her bottom as big as possible, saying: 'That's what I do every time.'

On its website the Turkish clinic states that the 'butt lift' operation, which usually takes 'one or two hours' is a 'perfect and most natural way to enhance and shape the buttocks via surgery, sculpting your waist and resulting in a desirable hourglass-like shape.'

In the 'frequently asked questions' section of the website it asks 'how safe is the procedure?' Potential patients are told: 'Any type of surgery should not be taken lightly as there are risks in all procedures.

'The safest aspect of the Brazilian Butt Lift is that it lets your surgeon use your own body tissue to augment your buttock. This avoids the need for any foreign material or implants.

Miss Cambridge with her partner of 10 years Scott Franks, who told how she underwent the procedure because she was paranoid about excess skin after having three children

'Complications can rarely occur. The vast majority of complications are related to the liposuction portion of the procedure and can usually be managed with additional liposuction.

'Although uncommon, areas of concern can include; bleeding, infection, anaesthesia problems, fat necrosis and decreased sensation.'

Given the nature of the tragedy a full inquest into Miss Cambridge's death is likely to be held in the UK at a later date.

The British medical authorities are unlikely to investigate the incident, although the coroner may request evidence from medical experts.

An Elite Aftercare statement said: 'The recent tragic incident has precipitated a great deal of thought, reflection and consideration here at Elite Aftercare. We are devastated that one of our clients has passed away during surgery.

'We also understand how worrying this news is to all our clients who are currently booked in for surgery and also potential new clients who are considering surgery.

'We are saddened and disappointed that, before the cause of death has been officially established, there has been significant unfounded speculation in the press and in the media's coverage of this story.

'However, we understand that an official post-mortem will be undertaken shortly, which it is hoped will objectively establish the cause of Leah's death.

'Rest assured that we are treating this matter with the seriousness and gravity that it deserves and are taking all reasonable steps to protect and reassure our clients.

'We can wholeheartedly assure you that all our preliminary investigations have not raised any concerns over surgical competence or standards of care.

'We therefore remain open for business and fully engaged with the investigation to ensure that our clients' needs remains at the centre of what we do so that can be assured that surgical competence and the standards of care that are offered by Elite Aftercare remain of the very highest order.'

The clinic is run by Caraline Douglas, 38, and Gina Korkmazer, 29, two sisters who were set to star in their own reality show about their cosmetic surgery lifestyles.

'The death rate from a Brazilian 'bottom lift' is one in three thousand - considerably higher than any other form of plastic surgery': Expert warns procedure is 'one of most dangerous you can have'

Women have been driven to have the procedure to look like celebrities, including Kim Kardashian (pictured)

Women from across the globe are dying from complications of Brazilian 'bottom lift' operations, prompting an international task force of plastic surgeons to warn against the procedure.

Driven to fame by the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, plastic surgeons performed 18,487 such 'bottom lifts' in 2015.

But the procedures comes with serious risks.

Nottingham plastic surgeon Dr Mark Henley warns the procedure 'is one of the most dangerous that you can have'. He added: 'The death rate is one in three thousand which is considerably higher than any other form of plastic surgery.'

In the last five years, plastic surgeons have seen a 150 percent increase in the Brazilian 'bottom lift' business.

Plastic surgery, as a field, is fairly low risk, with average mortality rates across all such procedures hovering around one in 55,000.

But some surgeries are far more dangerous than others, with the 'bottom lift' carrying the highest death rate of any aesthetic operation, according to the MultiSociety Gluteal Fat Grafting Task Force.

They have called for plastic surgeons to reevaluate their techniques 'urgently' as they clamour to identify why it carries such a high risk.

The MSGFGTF, which represents five societies, was set up following three deaths in Florida last year from Brazilian butt lifts.

It has since urged surgeons to 'stay as far away from the gluteal nerve as possible' when trying to achieve a peachy posterior.

In a 'shocking' report, the taskforce said: 'The death rate of approximately one in 3,000 is the highest rate for any aesthetic procedure.

'Every surgeon performing Brazilian butt lifts should immediately reevaluate his or her technique.'

The taskforce, which represents the American Society of Plastic Surgeons among others, said the deaths were presumed to be from tears in the large gluteal veins allowing fat to block major arteries.

But autopsies of some patients who have died have also suggested surgeons have injected fat deeper than they intended to.

It added patients who want a super-sized behind should have the procedure carried out in stages, rather than all at once.

'The risk of death should be discussed with every prospective Brazilian butt lift patient,' the MSGFGTF added in its report.
Dr Christine Blasey Ford's sister-in-law has revealed how President Donald Trump mocking the college professor's testimony has affected their family.

Sandra Mendler told CNN's Cuomo Prime Time on Wednesday night that it was 'really terrible' to see Dr Ford's testimony misrepresented by Trump.

The president mocked Dr Ford and her sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday night.

He slammed her story of the alleged attack and imitated her by saying: 'But I had one beer - that's the only thing I remember.'

During the interview, host Chris Cuomo dubbed Trump's attack on Dr Ford as a 'shame campaign,' adding: 'I didn't even see that coming.'

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Dr Christine Blasey Ford's sister-in-law Sandra Mendler said it was 'really terrible' to see Dr Ford's testimony misrepresented by Donald Trump

Medler replied: 'Yeah well, it was really terrible and I think that it's painful to have these difficult experiences shared and processed publicly.

'And then it's really terrible to be challenged and have the key points misrepresented.

'I think for everybody who listened, there was a lot of discussion about how memory works in somebody who has experienced trauma.'

She said 'there is a very strong consensus of how people retain memories after a traumatic event' and Trump was 'choosing to not take in that information.'

She added: 'It's really a shame and a lost opportunity because this is, really, I think, very disappointing.'

Responding to how Dr Ford and her family have been affected by the whole thing, Medler said: 'It's very difficult. Life has been put on hold and turned upside down.

'And I think for a lot of people, too. People are watching and are reflecting on their own experiences and I think it's a moment when there's a lot of disruption.'

The president mocked Dr Ford, who has accused his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, during a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday night. He slammed her story of the alleged attack, imitated her and then told the laughing crowd: 'She had one beer, yet can't remember anything'

Her rebuke came amid criticism of Trump from key Republicans in the confirmation battle after the president ignited a crowd at a rally by mocking Dr Ford.

The audience laughed as Trump ran through a list of what he described as holes in Dr Ford's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

She testified last week that Kavanaugh pinned her on a bed, tried to take off her clothes and covered her mouth in the early 1980s, when the two were teenagers. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations.

'How did you get home? `I don't remember,'' Trump said at the rally Tuesday in Southaven.

'How did you get there? `I don't remember.' Where is the place? `I don't remember.' How many years ago was it? `I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.''

Imitating Ford, he added, 'But I had one beer - that's the only thing I remember.'

It marked the sharpest criticism by Trump of Dr Ford since she came forward publicly with the allegation last month. He had previously called her a 'very credible witness.'

Dr Ford (pictured) testified last week that Brett Kavanaugh pinned her on a bed, tried to take off her clothes and covered her mouth in the early 1980. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations

Dr Ford's lawyer Michael Bromwich called Trump's attack 'vicious, vile and soulless.'

'Is it any wonder that she was terrified to come forward, and that other sexual assault survivors are as well?' Bromwich tweeted.

'She is a remarkable profile in courage. He is a profile in cowardice.'

Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake also slammed Trump, saying on NBC's Today show on Wednesday that mocking 'something this sensitive at a political rally is just not right.'

'I wish he hadn't done it,' Flake said. 'It's kind of appalling.'

Flake is a key GOP vote in the confirmation battle, and while he said last week he would vote to confirm Kavanaugh, he also called for an expanded FBI investigation that resulted in a one-week delay.

Flake has not said how he will vote if the nomination comes up this week.

Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham, said of Trump's Tuesday night tirade: 'I would tell him, knock it off. You're not helping.'

Trump has lamented the treatment of his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (above) by Democrats, whose attacks, he said, had taken their toll on the judge's family

The president was in Mississippi on Tuesday looking to use his influence to sway the outcome of a low-profile election that could tip the balance of the Senate.

As Republicans fight headwinds ahead of the November 6 midterm election, Trump sought to rally his supporters behind GOP Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, who was appointed to fill the seat of Republican Thad Cochran, who retired in April.

'She's always had my back,' Trump said. 'She's always had your back. And a vote for Cindy is a vote for me.'

But Trump spent much of the rally lamenting the treatment of Kavanaugh by Democrats, whose attacks, he said, had taken their toll on the judge's family.

'A man's life is in tatters,' he said.

Of Democrats, he added: 'These are really evil people.'
Theresa May's former leadership rival Andrea Leadsom has warned 'politics is a short term game' when challenged to back the PM to lead the Tories into the next election.

Mrs Leadsom, the leader of the House of Commons, said Mrs May had a 'fantastic day' at her conference yesterday.

But in a warning Mrs May is far from out of danger, she said: 'A week changes a lot.'

The Prime Minister received a sobering reminder of the political threats against her as long-term critic James Duddridge filed a letter of no confidence against her minutes before her conference speech began.

Theresa May's former leadership rival Andrea Leadsom (pictured last night on the Peston show) has warned 'politics is a short term game' when challenged to back the PM to lead the Tories into the next election

Mrs Leadsom was pressed on the PM's future by ITV's Robert Peston last night.

She said: 'I just think politics is a short-term game. A week changes a lot.

'I think she's had a fantastic day today. She's shown some enormous priorities around future cancer prevention through housing supply and absolutely her commitment to getting a good Brexit.

'And I think we should all be backing her.'

Asked when she should stand down, Mrs Leadsom insisted it was a 'a matter for her'.

After a gathering in Birmingham marred by civil war over her Brexit blueprint, the PM used her speech yesterday to urge Tory activists to put aside their differences.

She warned failure to do so risked hard-Left Labour seizing power and the process of leaving the EU being stopped altogether.

After a gathering in Birmingham marred by civil war over her Brexit blueprint, the PM (picured at her speech yesterday) urged Tory activists to put aside their differences

But Mrs May also delivered a stark warning to Brussels that the UK is 'not afraid' to leave without a deal if it does not compromise.

Trying to show she has a positive vision of the country's future to match that of her bitter rival, she pointed to a new 'global' immigration system, crackdown on property investors from abroad, and fuel duty freeze as evidence that she can make the country work for ordinary people - adding that it was time for austerity to end.

A Cabinet source told MailOnline the speech 'was a very strong statement of mainstream Conservative values', adding: 'Where others may seek to divide, she set out a vision to unite both party and country. She has done the job for now.

Mr Duddridge said he was normally a 'loyalist' but said failing to remove Mrs May would consign the Tories to defeat at the hands of Jeremy Corbyn. He said the tipping point for him was Boris Johnson yesterday outlining an alternative Brexit plan in a noisy appearance at the Tory conference.

If 48 of the letters are received by the 1922 committee's chairman Graham Brady he is obliged to call a formal vote of confidence in Mrs May

The Prime Minister received a sobering reminder of the political threats against her as long-term critic James Duddridge (pictured yesterday on Sky News) filed a letter of no confidence against her minutes before her conference speech began

In his letter Mr Duddridge blasted he was 'normally' a loyalist but said: 'However, there comes a point that blind loyalty is not the right way forward.

'We need a strong leader, someone who believes in Brexit and someone to deliver what the electorate voted for.

'The Prime Minister seems incapable of doing this.'

Mr Duddridge said he knew of no MP who thought Mrs May would lead the next election campaign.

And he said: 'We will fail to cut through on issues other than Brexit until we are beyond Brexit, yet the can is kicked further and further down the road.

'I write this with heavy heart, however we now need a proper leadership election and to move on.'
Bradley Tout, 20, jumped over the dock at Worcester Crown Court and managed to escape from prison guards

A rapist escaped from court after he was convicted of a 'seedy' and 'sordid' sex attack on a teenage girl.

Bradley Tout, 20, jumped over the dock at Worcester Crown Court and managed to evade prison guards and barristers.

Just moments before his escape, Tout and co-defendant Kulin Odedra, 28, had been unanimously convicted of rape.

The rapes took place at County Hall in Worcester and and another near Warndon Villages, on the outskirts of the city, on December 27, 2016.

Ahead of his dash for freedom, there had been crying in the public gallery. As he escaped, a member of Tout's family shouted 'he's innocent!'

In his absence today, Tout was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years at a young offenders institute.

Tout is described as white, 5ft 8ins, with short brown hair, and was wearing a white top and dark trousers.

Superintendent Paul Moxley said: 'We have launched a thorough search for Tout and would urge the public if they see him to contact police immediately.

'Anyone who is knowingly assisting Tout or harbouring him should also expect to be arrested.'

Tout's father urged his son to hand himself in to police and said the family planned to appeal his rape conviction.

His father Matthew, 38, said: 'I don't know where my son is but of course I want him to hand himself in.

'I don't want him to do or say anything which could jeopardise any future appeal.'

Writing online, he said: 'Today the court convicted my son of rape if overwhelming evidence showing he hadn't done it.

'The girl first statement to the police saying she agreed to have sex with him.

'The day after the alleged rape brad text her saying did she enjoy last night.

'She text (sic) back saying yes.

'Then she texted him 12 days after asking if he wanted to meet again

'Also she admitted going to the same place as the alleged rape and had sex up to 5 times.

'There's loads of lies and differences on her statements and the jury was only out for an hour and half how can they say they had no reasonable doubt on that and that's only a little of the evidence he had.'

The rapist managed to vault over the three-foot dock, before he crashed into a wall and sprinted through a narrow corridor and out of the courtroom.

He was then able to avoid security officers and sprint through the metal detectors. Witnesses suggested staff at the main entrance were not aware of the convictions of Tout and Odedra and could not respond to the situation.

One dock officer who emerged from the cells in the court ran the wrong way, with a barrister urging him to run right.

Three dock officers returned to the courtroom breathless after failing to find Tout. He remains on the run and an active police manhunt to apprehend him is underway.

Tout was at hearing at Worcester Crown Court when he managed to escape from the dock

Judge Nicolas Cartwright told the jury he had 'never seen anything like that' happen before.

Tout, of Ronkswood, was convicted of a single count of rape. Odedra, 28, also of Ronkswood, was convicted of two counts of rape, one of attempted rape and one assault by penetration.

The two defendants and another man, Kaasim Multani, were cleared of paying for sexual services of a child using alcohol. Odedra was found not guilty of attempting to sexually exploit a child under the age of 18.

During sentencing today, Judge Nicolas Cartwright condemned the two rapists.

A judge blasted rapists Tout and Odedra, saying they regarded women as 's****'.

Addressing Odedra, who was surrounded by four prison guards in the dock, Judge Nicholas Cartwright said: 'You and Bradley Tout regarded sex as a commodity to be obtained for your pleasure regardless of the impact upon the victim or anyone that you ended up coming into sexual contact with.

'Bradley Tout knew she was 16. Odedra did not care what age she was.

'It is clear you regarded the victim as nothing more than an object, her feelings did not come into it.

'As far as Bradley Tout is concerned he is someone who is plainly prepared to lie and manipulate this young girl before and after the events of December 27, 2016.

'You regarded women generally as 'slags' - your words - to be used and discarded.'

The sex attacks happened in Tout's car after he parked it behind a skip in County Hall. He then carried out another attack in what was described as an isolated location near Warndon Villages in Worcester.

The case was prosecuted by Steven Bailey who said in his opening: 'This case is about the sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old girl. You will hear evidence of pretty seedy, sordid behaviour. There are no hearts and flowers in this case. Romeo and Juliet it isn't.'

The defendants claimed the victim was 'up for it' and wanted a 'threesome'.

Yet the girl said she did not consent to sex with Tout in front of Odedra, who was a stranger to her. She said she repeatedly had to stop Odedra's attempts by pushing his hand away.

She said: 'I felt upset that I had been used. They were just passing me around just like I was this piece of meat.'

The victim took photographs of her body after the attack which revealed bruising. She claimed they were sustained as Odedra slapped her as she was raped by Tout.

The court heard how Odedra had previous convictions, including possession of an offensive weapon on school premises and wounding. Tout had convictions for criminal damage, driving offences, assaulting a constable and battery.

The prosecution argued the starting sentence should be up to 13 years behind bars, before adding that there was a higher degree of culpability due to the level of planning behind the attacks.

Sexual harm prevention orders will be imposed on Tout and Odedra, which will prohibit contact with the victim and any contact with a child under the age of 18, including being in a car with people under 18.

The sentence of Tout and Odedra is scheduled to take place today. The judge said if Tout had not been apprehended by then he would be sentenced in his absence.
Amber Heard's attorney has slammed Johnny Depp's interview with GQ in which the actor denied abusing her as 'outrageous.'

In his first interview about his 'volatile' marriage to the actress, Depp claimed his ex-wife's allegations had turned him from 'Cinderella to Quasimodo' in Hollywood.

He told the magazine that he felt people looked at him differently after Heard alleged he 'violently attacked her' at their Los Angeles penthouse, allegations he denies.

But in a statement to Page Six in response to the piece, Heard's attorney accused Depp of 'shamefully continuing his psychological abuse' of the actress.

'It is outrageous that GQ never spoke to any of the multiple witnesses to Mr. Depp's physical abuse of Ms. Heard prior to publishing its article,' it said.

'If GQ had done even a basic investigation into Mr. Depp's claims, it would have quickly realized that his statements are entirely untrue.'

Amber Heard's attorney has slammed Johnny Depp's interview with GQ in which the actor denied abusing her as 'outrageous.' Pictured, Heard and Depp in January 2016

The statement also accused Depp of disregarding the confidentiality agreement between the pair and claims he has refused to allow Heard to respond to his 'baseless' allegations, despite repeated requests.

The statement added: 'Mr. Depp is shamefully continuing his psychological abuse of Ms. Heard, who has attempted to put a very painful part of her life firmly in her past.

'One need only look at the physical evidence to draw the proper conclusion.'

In a statement to MailOnline, Depp's attorney said: 'In his GQ interview, Mr. Depp is simply defending himself against Ms. Heard's lingering false abuse accusations.'

He added: 'Regarding the confidentiality agreement of which Ms. Heard's counsel complains, Ms. Heard started violating it before the ink dried, first with a statement, and soon after with a domestic violence PSA asking 'how is this happening to me?' purporting to give advice to real victims. More breaches followed.

'The only 'shameful psychological abuse' stems from Ms. Heard's continuing cynical manipulation of the important #metoo movement and its real victims, that she has used to pursue her own ends.'

Depp broke his silence for a cover story in GQ, telling the magazine that the past three years have 'felt like a perverse situation that was inicted on me.'

Also in the extraordinary interview, Depp accused Hollywood 'power-mongers' of 'trying to shut him up' and said he is prepared to quit if what he calls a conspiracy against him continues.

But he insisted that ultimately the truth 'will come out' and his reputation as a Hollywood hero will be restored.

After her allegations, photos emerged of Heard with bruises on her face - but Depp denied ever hurting her

Depp and 32-year-old actress Heard divorced in January 2017 after she applied for a temporary domestic violence restraining order the year before. This was later lifted.

She claimed the couple had an explosive row and he threw an iPhone in her face, bruising her eye and cheek.

Explaining his side of the story for the first time, Depp told GQ: 'It hurts. The thing that hurt me is being presented as something that you're really as far away from as you could possibly get, you know? But to... To harm someone you love? As a kind of bully? No, it didn't, it couldn't even sound like me.

The November issue of GQ will be released in print on Thursday

'So, initially, I just kept my mouth shut, you know? I knew it was going to stick on me and it would get weirder. Keep going, you know? Go nuts. I ain't going to get into a pissing contest with someone about it. Spit out what you need to spit out and, you know, my attorneys will take care of the rest. I never went out and spoke about the sh*t.'

The Pirates of the Caribbean star said he felt his reputation crumbling beneath him as his failing marriage became increasingly public.

Comparing his fall from grace to the plight of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame protagonist, he said: 'Listen, I know I was never going to be Cinderella  I know this and accept it.

'But it felt like within a very, very short period of time that suddenly this version  for lack of a better word  of Cinderella had been immediately turned into the beast. He's Quasimodo. I could feel people look at me differently, because of the accusations towards you.

'And then people start putting things in magazines: 'He's insane. He needs to take a sanity test...' You know, ludicrous stuff. But the only thing that I could do was know what I still know.'

After the $5.5million divorce, Depp was sued by his managers for $18million over an unpaid loan. Management Group claimed he blew his $500million fortune on luxury homes, private jets and a 23,000-a-month wine habit.

Depp (pictured in July) said he felt people looked at him differently after Heard alleged he 'violently attacked her' at their Los Angeles penthouse, allegations he denies

Heard (pictured with Depp at The Danish Girl premiere in 2015) filed a restraining order against Depp in 2015

He was also sued, unsuccessfully, by his former lawyer who claimed he had failed to pay legal bills and, more recently, by a crew member of his yet-to-be-released film, City Of Lies, who accused him of 'forcefully punching' him in a drunken row, which Depp denies.

'Big money was being thrown about,' the 55-year-old said. 'People suing me at every opportunity. I mean, it's all so obvious.'

In an echo of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's words at his Senate hearing last week, Depp called the Hollywood film industry 'this vile f****** circus.'

He accused Hollywood power-mongers of 'trying to shut him up' and said he is prepared to quit if he has to.

'I know the truth and if I had to walk away from all of it today, the job, the career, all of it, and go toodle-oo, then ne.'

But Depp insisted his reputation will one day be restored: 'Ultimately, the truth will come out in all of this and I will be standing on the right side of the roaring rapids.'

Depp, who will next month appear as dark wizard Grindelwald in JK Rowling's Harry Potter spin-off series Fantastic Beasts, was accused of violence against Heard in May 2016.

'I know I was never going to be Cinderella': Johnny Depp's fascinating interview with GQ On the last three/ four years The last three or four years has felt like a perverse situation that was inicted on me. It hurts. On the Hollywood film industry 'This vile f****** circus', as the actor calls it. But did it stop all the power mongers in Hollywood who were interested in shutting me up? Big money was being thrown about. People suing me at every opportunity. I mean, it's all so obvious. Listen, I know I was never going to be Cinderella  I know this and accept it. But it felt like within a very, very short period of time that suddenly this version  for lack of a better word  of Cinderella had been immediately turned into the beast. He's Quasimodo. I could feel people look at me differently, because of the accusations towards you. And then people start putting things in magazines: 'He's insane. He needs to take a sanity test...' You know, ludicrous stuff. But the only thing that I could do was know what I still know. Ultimately, the truth will come out in all of this and I will be standing on the right side of the roaring rapids. I hope other people will be too. I know the truth and if I had to walk away from all of it today, the job, the career, all of it, and go toodle-oo, then ne. On being considered a violent man The thing that hurt me is being presented as something that you're really as far away from as you could possibly get, you know? But to... (long pause) To harm someone you love? As a kind of bully? No, it didn't, it couldn't even sound like me. So, initially, I just kept my mouth shut, you know? I knew it was going to stick on me and it would get weirder. Keep going, you know? Go nuts. I ain't going to get into a pissing contest with someone about it. Spit out what you need to spit out and, you know, my attorneys will take care of the rest. I never went out and spoke about the sh*t. Advertisement

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp kiss at the Black Mass premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015

In a restraining order request, Heard alleged that Depp 'violently attacked' her in their Los Angeles penthouse apartment and threw a cellphone that struck her in the face with 'extreme force'.

Photos later emerged of Heard with bruises on her face - but Depp denied ever hurting her.

Depp's two children with French actress Vanessa Paradis - model Lily-Rose, 19, and John, 16 - both supported him in the face of Heard's allegations.

The pair reached an out-of-court settlement and Heard withdrew her claims.

They released a joint statement, saying: 'Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm.'

The full feature in the November issue of GQ will be available on digital download and newsstands on Thursday.

Seventy collectible guitars, 200 Warhol artworks and $700,000 a month on wine: How Johnny Depp 'blew his fortune' over two decades

Depp (pictured in 2017) allegedly spent $2million a month

Johnny Depp's lavish spending - including $3 million to blast author Hunter S. Thompson's ashes from a cannon - led him to the brink of financial ruin, according to an explosive lawsuit filed after his divorce in 2017.

Over the best part of two decades, the 55-year-old actor has been spending $2 million a month, according to The Management Group (TMG), which was suing the star in Los Angeles for an unpaid loan.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor is alleged to have forked out $75 million on 14 homes, including a 45-acre (18-hectare) French castle, a chain of Bahaman islands, several Hollywood homes, penthouse lofts in downtown LA and a horse farm in Kentucky.

Since 2000, the Oscar-nominated actor has spent $18 million on a yacht, bought 45 luxury cars and shelled out almost $700,000 a month on wine, private planes and a staff of 40 people, according to the lawsuit.

Beverly Hills-based TMG said Depp has accrued more than 200 artworks by Warhol, Klimt and other masters, 70 collectible guitars and a Hollywood memorabilia collection so extensive it is stored in 12 locations.

Depp filed his own $25 million suit on January 13, 2017 which claimed negligence, fraud and theft, accusing TMG of mismanaging his finances, taking out loans without his approval, and concealing his ruinous finances.

'Over 17 years, The Management Group did everything possible to protect the actor from himself,' TMG attorney Michael Kump said in a statement.

Since 2000, the Oscar-nominated actor has spent $18 million on a yacht, bought 45 luxury cars and shelled out almost $700,000 a month on wine, private planes and a staff of 40 people, according to a lawsuit

'In fact, when Depp's bank demanded repayment of a multimillion-dollar loan and Depp didn't have the money, the company loaned it to him so that he would avoid a humiliating financial crisis.'

TMG said it repeatedly warned Depp over his 'wanton' overspending, but he responded by rebuking his business managers, increasing his spending and demanding they find some way to pay for it.

The firm, fired by Depp in 2016, said it is owed $4.2 million and was forced to launch foreclosure proceedings on Depp's property.

'The only reason Depp filed this lawsuit was to interfere with TMG's ongoing efforts to be repaid on the loan they had made to bail him out,' TMG said.

A spokesperson for Mr Depp said: 'Johnny Depp is pleased to have achieved a settlement agreement with The Management Group following the legal action he took against the company in January 2017.

'The lawsuit taken out against The Management Group  and the subsequent settlement - is a further demonstration that Johnny is determined to take firm action to protect his personal and artistic reputation in the interests of his family and his career.

'Johnny extends his most sincere thanks and appreciation to the true supporters that have shown their loyalty to both him and his family over recent years.'

The case was settled in July 2018.
Susanna Reid struggled to hold back tears on Good Morning Britain today as hero Tory MP Tobias Ellwood told how he thought he had failed PC Keith Palmer.

Mr Ellwood was first on the scene to help the officer after he was stabbed during the Westminster terror attack in March 2017, but was unable to save him.

The MP told of his devastation at his death, and revealed how difficult it was to hand over the rescue effort to paramedics.

Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid (middle) was visibly held back tears as Tory MP Tobias Ellwood told of his attempts to save PC Palmer today

A visibly emotional Susanna said: 'You had to be told to step away because you would not let go of the possibility of rescuing him. That moment, must have been incredibly difficult?'

Mr Ellwood replied: 'It was, it was extremely difficult, It went very quiet after that other attacks had happened so they [the paramedics] left and a few of us were left with PC Keith Palmer.

'We felt we'd failed and again another message is there is training, anyone we can all do it. I would hate for anyone to be in a position to say, 'Why didn't I know a bit more about first aid?''

The MP, who served in the Royal Green Jackets, went on to claim Britons had become too 'risk averse' and overly reliant on emergency responders in the wake of incidents, including terror attacks.

The inquest into the deaths of PC Palmer and four other victims yesterday heard that many onlookers filmed casualties on their phones rather than doing anything to help.

'I know it's controversial but there will always be good people who will step forward. They will want to get involved and challenge what is going on,' he said.

'We've become too risk averse, we're giving space for antisocial behaviour to take place if it goes unchallenged and for violence to take place.

'Who are the first responders? It's not the police we call them that but it's the public.'

Mr Ellwood (left) was first on the scene to help the officer after he was stabbed during the Westminster terror attack in March 2017, but was unable to save PC Palmer (right)

The inquest into the death of PC Palmer and four civilians is due to conclude today at the Old Bailey.

On Tuesday the court heard closing submissions, with Jonathan Hough QC, for the coroner, saying the inquests should conclude all five victims were unlawfully killed.

'It's difficult to show personality in politics': Tobias Ellwood on Theresa Mays dancing On GMB, Mr Ellwood also reacted to Theresa May's conference dance moves, saying it is difficult to show your personality in politics. He said of her ABBA-themed entrance: 'Politics is a difficult game. You're going to get criticised whatever you do. 'One of the difficult things in politics is to actually allow your personality to come across, let who you are shine. 'She's [Theresa May] actually a wonderful person individually as well as taking one of the toughest jobs that there is.' Of Brexit and the chance of a no deal, he said: 'I'm sure that we will actually get a deal. We then must move forward. Britain is so strong in so many areas.' Advertisement

He said: 'Each was murdered in a terrorist atrocity which was no less brutal for its lack of sophistication.'

Masood drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge on March 22 last year, killing American tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, Aysha Frade, 44, and Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31.

He then stormed through gates near the Houses of Parliament and fatally stabbed Pc Palmer with two knives.

In his closing argument, Gareth Patterson QC, for families of victims on the bridge, urged the coroner to make a report on the circumstances of the case to 'protect the public'.

On the role of MI5, whose knowledge of Masood has been heavily scrutinised, he said: 'We do think there is room for improvement in terms of decision-making.'

He suggested security services should look again at when to investigate suspects and when to stop, and to take account of violent backgrounds.

Mr Patterson also called for the Government to 'try again' with tightening rules for hiring cars.

Dominic Adamson, representing Pc Palmer's widow Michelle, said that there was 'a systematic failure' in protecting unarmed officers on guard at the Palace of Westminster.

Mr Ellwood tries to resuscitate PC Palmer after he was stabbed by Masood on March 22

Mr Adamson told the coroner: 'In my submission it is very clear that you can be satisfied that as a result of those failures the consequences for Pc Palmer were that there was a substantial loss of the opportunities for him to be saved.'

No firearms officer had been near Carriage Gates, where Pc Palmer was on duty, for nearly an hour before Masood's attack.

Susannah Stevens, representing the officer's family, said: 'If there had been authorised firearms officers present at that time, in our submission, on the balance of probabilities they would have been able to prevent a loss of an opportunity of saving Pc Palmer's life.

'Or to put it another way, on the balance of probabilities, their absence contributed to Pc Palmer's death.'

The court will hear further closing submissions today, before the coroner begins giving his conclusions.
Michael Gove has once again been ridiculed for his bizarre clapping during the Conservative party conference.

The secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs was filmed donning his seal like clap during a speech at the conference, which was held in Birmingham from September 30 to October 3.

Gove had been clapping as he applauded Prime Minister Theresa May as she delivered her keynote speech at the Conservative Party's annual conference, at the International Convention Centre in the city.

Poised in position and ready to clap, Gove applauded Theresa May during her speech

Gove has once again been mocked for his clapping whilst attending the party conference

One user urged others on social media to throw Gove a fish, implying that his clapping was like that of a seal

In the video, the politician can been seen looking relatively straight faced and staring straight ahead whilst firmly clapping.

Social media users have come out in full force to ridicule Gove, as many joked that his clap was back from hiatus.

One user, with the Twitter handle @Dave_Tweets13 said: 'Michael Gove is that incompetent that he cant even clap correctly.'

Another user with the Twitter handle @Hyades_51 compared Gove to a character from a sci fi movie.

Gove looked content as he stared at the screen, as Theresa May's speech was being heard

Gove was seen clapping as he applauded the Prime Minister's speech at the Tory party conference in Birmingham.

Twitter users came out in force after clips of Gove clapping were circulated on social media

'Someone teach the thing that lives inside Michael Gove's skin how to clap properly. It's like watching the scene in Terminator 2 when it tried to smile.'

This is while @PhilJDore said that perhaps Gove would benefit from some clapping lessons.

He said: 'I think Michael Gove may need a choreographer to teach him to clap conviningly. #CPC18'

Twitter users mocked the MP for his strange clapping method

Cabinet ministers (left to right) David Gauke, Matt Hancock, Esther McVey and Michael Gove listen and clap as Prime Minister Theresa May delivers her keynote speech at the Conservative Party annual conference

Gove's strange clapping had spurred social media users to ridicule the MP

The clapping was first spotting by ITV News journalists Amber De Botton, who tweeted out a short clip of Gove clapping. The tweet was then retweeted over 100 times. One user Ken Davies, also tweeted back and said: 'As a conservative supporter it would make life a lot easier if we could try a little bit harder to be normal.'

Other users compares his clapping to a 'virulent strain of an STD', while others pleaded that Gove needed lessons in order to be able to clap correctly.

But this isnt the first time the outspoken politician has been mocked for his clapping method. At the Conservative party conference in 2013 he was filmed clapping four different ways as well as pulling strange faces to accompany each clap.

Some Twitter users highlighted that Gove's clapping hadn't come across as sincere

Gove looks fixated on the speech as he sits next to work and pensions secretary, Esther McVey

Gove has already been criticised this week following his speech at the conference where he hinted at a crackdown on disposable nappies.

He also slammed the Labour party for destroying the economy and said: We inherited a deficit out of control, rocketing unemployment and young lives wasted.

But now, thanks to the steps we took, we have a dramatically reduced deficit, three million new jobs created and youth unemployment is at a record low.

Gove clapping was spotted by journalist Amber de Botton who tweeted out a short clip of him clapping, which was re-tweeted over 100 times

Gove seemed pleased at the end of the conference, even if social media users were not amused with his clapping skills

He also touched upon the UKs exit from EU and said it was a personal issue for him, as one of the policies set to be rectified is the EU Common Fisheries Policy.

And outside the European Union we can also right another historic wrong. We can at long last reverse the tragic decline of our fishing industry.

And yes, for me this is personal. My dad worked in the fish trade and 35 years ago his small business had to close, as the fishing industry suffered inside the EUs Common Fisheries Policy.

@0Calamity responded to Amber de Botton's original tweet and said 'The Gove Clap sounds like a rather virulent strain of an STD'
North Dakota Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp said Thursday that she will cast a 'no' vote when the full Senate convenes to decide on Judge Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination.

'The process has been bad,' Heitkamp told her home-state WDAY-TV. 'But at the end of the day you have to make a decision, and I've made that decision.'

'I will be voting no on Judge Kavanaugh.'

In a statement minutes later, Heitkamp said that '[i]n addition to the concerns about his past conduct, last Thursday's hearing called into question Judge Kavanaugh's current temperament, honesty, and impartiality.'

Senate Republicans and Democrats engaged in angry clashes Thursday over the quickly completed FBI background investigation into sex assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh. The rushed investigation didn't appear to change any minds, but it will provide midterm election campaign fodder until November 6.

Heitkamp's decision complicates her re-election efforts in a state where President Donald Trump romped over Hillary Clinton, winning by nearly 36 percentage points.

It also brings the total of 'no' votes to 48, all Democrats. Republicans have the same number of 'yes' votes in their pocket. One Democrat and three Republicans are still undeclared.

The one undeclared Democrat, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, indicated there would be no decision from him before Friday.

He told reporters in the Capitol on Thursday afternoon that he'll return to read more of the FBI report on the Kavanaugh allegations Friday morning.

'Heidi made her decision, I'll make mine,' he told CNN.

If half of those four vote in Kavanaugh's favor, the GOP will have enough to Vice President Pence's tiebreaker to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by Justice Anthony Kennedy's summer retirement.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters Thursday afternoon that the FBI report 'did not corroborate any of the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh.'

He complained about the Democrats stalling for time, saying that 'there's no way anything we did would satisfy the Democrats. They've always got a reason why the goalposts have got to be moved farther down the field.'

'They're dug in,' he claimed.

North Dakota Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp said Thursday that she will cast a 'no' vote on Judge Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination; she first announced her decision on WDAY-TV in Fargo

The FBI completed a background check into claims that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford at a gathering in the 1980s, delivering findings that both Senate Democrats and Republicans believe bolsters their positions

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, told reporters that a hotly contested FBI report 'did not corroborate any of the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh'

Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley scolded the press, saying that when reporters came to his office to interview protesters, they only sought to speak to activists who opposed Kavanaugh.

'That's a bias that none of you should be proud of!' the normally calm Iowan boomed.

Protesters swamped the Capitol again on Thursday, holding anti-Kavanaugh demonstrations inside and outside U.S. Senate buildings.

Some Republican senators have expressed unease over protesters who have confronted them inside their offices, restaurants, airports and even outside their homes. They discussed security matters behind closed doors earlier this week at a private lunch.

United States Capitol Police have arrested dozens of protesters in recent days and stepped up their presence in Capitol hallways. The impassioned fight over Kavanaugh's nomination has also led to heightened security at the Capitol, with some senators using police escorts to shield them from protesters.

Elevators have become potential flashpoints after Sen. Jeff Flake was successfully confronted in one last Friday morning by two sexual assault survivors. The experience led to one of the most dramatic twists in the Kavanaugh saga, with Flake saying just after that he wouldn't be comfortable with a vote until the FBI had conducted an investigation into assault allegations.

Grassley said Thursday that the Kavanaugh confirmation process had gone quickly downhill when Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pledged early on that 'we're going to do everything we can to stop this nomination.'

'They just about destroyed a good person,' he complained.

They just about destroyed a good person. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley

Texas Sen. John Cornyn insisted that at the conclusion of the FBI's probe, 'there has been no one to corroborate the allegations make by Dr. Ford or Ms. Ramirez,' the second Kavanaugh accuser.

And Orrin Hatch, a committee Republican from Utah, blasted Democrats for putting Kavanaugh 'through this type of a mess just because they are unhappy that Donald Trump had the right to appoint him.'

Senate Democrats said their fears had been realized after the FBI delivered documents to the chamber. They demanded everything be made public.

They fumed it was 'limited' and 'incomplete' and accused the White House of constraining agents from questioning both Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, whose own attorneys called it a 'stain on the FBI.'

'Republicans have already declared there wasn't a 'hint' of misconduct' documented by the FBI, said California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committee's ranking Democrat..

'But based on our briefing and review of the documents, despite the obvious restrictions that were placed on the investigation, that is not true.'

Protesters hold up signs during a protest against Kavanaugh outside the Supreme Court on Thursday

Protesters swamped Capitol Hill on Thursday, holding anti-Kavanaugh demonstrations inside, outside and near U.S. Senate buildings

Massive presence: This was the scene in the courtyard of the Hart Office Building, one of the areas where senators have their offices on Capitol Hill

Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley blasted reporters for seeking to interview only anti-Kavanaugh activists holding sit-ins in his office: 'That's a bias that none of you should be proud of!'

FINAL FOUR: The senators who remain undeclared on Judge Kavanaugh's nominationinclude (clockwise from top left) Arizona Republican Jeff Flake, West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin, Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski and Maine Republican Susan Collins

After accessing the FBI report Thursday morning, several Democrats questioned the investigation's thoroughness.

'I read the FBI report. This whole thing is a sham. This stunted, strangled investigation was designed to provide cover, not to provide the truth,' Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley told NBC News.

Democrats have repeatedly questioned why more witnesses weren't interviewed by FBI agents, who were reported to have only spoke to nine people in their five-day review of allegations against Kavanaugh.

Democratic Sen. Ed Markey charged that the White House and Senate Republicans orchestrated a halfhearted FBI probe to protect Kavanaugh.

'It's obviously a cover-up,' Markey told CNN. 'The Trump White House, working with the Republican leadership in the Senate, have deliberately circumscribed this investigation.'

But Republicans shot back there was no witness list on their part and the FBI could interview whoever it pleased.

'We did not come up with a list of people who the FBI should interview. The FBI was requested to conduct an investigation into any and all credible, current accusations of sexual misconduct by Judge Kavanaugh and the FBI made the decision as to who to interview,' said GOP Sen. Mike Lee.

The White House, however, has repeatedly kicked the can to Senate Republicans, saying they directed the FBI investigation according to their wishes.

'My White House is doing whatever the senators want,' Trump said on Monday, a message he repeated as the week went on.

WATCH YOUR STEP: A deidcated security guard was traveling with Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday

ns of protesters in recent days and stepped up their presence in Capitol hallways. The impassioned fight over Kavanaugh's nomination has also led to heightened security at the Capitol, with some senators using police escorts to shield them from protesters

The officer traveling with Collings stood watch as she and Sen. Corey Booker of New Jersey boarded an elevator in the Capitol on Wednesday, as well

A demonstrator is detained as activists rally inside the Senate Hart Office Building during a protest in opposition Kavanugh on Thursday

But Lee nudged that can back down the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, reminding reporters in the Capitol on Thursday that all requests in the investigation stemmed from the White House.

'Our request was to the White House. The White House then made the request of the FBI to conduct a supplemental investigation into current credible accusations of sexual misconduct. They did that,' he said.

GOP leadership and the White House proclaimed the FBI had given Kavanaugh a clean bill of health. President Trump tweeted: 'This is now the 7th time the FBI has investigated Judge Kavanaugh. If we made it 100, it would still not be good enough for the Obstructionist Democrats.'

Kavanaugh has been a political football for weeks, with both parties trying to woo the few undecided centrists who held his fate.

While most of them played coy and ran from TV cameras, their partisan leaders on Capitol Hill made the most of the attention the stalemate provided.

Democrats played for time, hoping the final vote would slide ever-closer to Election Day and put intensifying pressure on Republicans who are wearying of President Trump's short coattails.

Republicans had a starker message, portraying their adversaries as swamp-infected dirt-slingers who were willing to doom a family in order to establish a sustainable bullying posture.

'A vote against judge Kavanaugh tomorrow will be a vote for abusing the confirmation process and a good person,' Cornyn huffed Thursday, 'and it will be a vote for the shameful intimidation tactics that have been employed as part of an orchestrated smear campaign.

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch complained that Democrats opposed Kavanaugh solely because they were angry President Donald Trump had won the 2016 election, and the right to appoint Supreme Court justices

'It appears to be a very thorough investigation,' said Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins

The Republicans who spoke Thursday said they believe Kavanaugh is a good man who was 'smeared' by Democrats playing dirty politics

Heitkamp said Thursday that she wanted to see senators 'take politics out of the Supreme Court as much as possible.'

'Both sides horribly handled the process around this nomination,' she declared. 'We must learn from these mistakes.'

A red-state senator considered among the most endangered Democrats, she said she sided with Christine Ford, praising her courage for testifying in a closely watched hearing a week ago.

'Dr. Ford gave heartfelt, credible, and persuasive testimony. It took great courage and also came at great personal cost. She had nothing to gain and everything to lose by coming forward with her deeply personal story,' she said.

'It was clear that she was testifying not because she wanted to, but because she felt it was her civic duty. When I listened to Dr. Ford testify, I heard the voices of women I have known throughout my life who have similar stories of sexual assault and abuse.'

Trump was in North Dakota on June 27, the day Kennedy announced his retirement. 'Heidi will vote 'no' to any pick we make to the Supreme Court,' he warned then.

Key Republican Susan Collins declared the probe 'very thorough' in a good sign for the embattled nominee. With Republicans holding just a 51-vote majority, the approval of Collins on how the process was conducted is a pivotal development.

Another holdout, Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, said the FBI reports provided 'no additional corroborating information'  a possible indication he could find his way to a 'yes' vote with the final roll call expected Saturday night.

The fate of Kavanaugh's nomination now lies in the hands of a quartet of senators: Collins, Flake, Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski and West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin.

The three Republicans viewed the report at the same time early Thursday afternoon.

The fast pace of the FBI's investigation, under terms Democrats charge were set by the White House, led to still more angry recriminations on and off the Senate floor as the Kavanaugh nomination edged toward a vote despite a bitter row over sexual assault allegations.

'We had many fears that this was a very limited process that would constrain the FBI from getting all the facts,' said Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer just outside his Senate office hours after the documents were first made available for one-by-one review.

Democrats demanded that the 'very limited' FBI background investigation of Kavanaugh and sexual assault allegations be made public in a redacted form

'Having received a thorough briefing on the documents, those fears have been realized,' Schumer complained.

'I disagree with Senator Grassley's statement that there was no hint of misconduct,' Schumer said, referencing a pronouncement by Judiciary Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley, who was the first to get a look at the FBI materials. Schumer did not elaborate on the materials, which are meant to be kept confidential.

But potentially far more relevant than the fury of the minority was the apparent satisfaction by Collins, who Kavanaugh critics have long feared and suspected would provide support for the nominee, despite seeking assurances that the precedent of Roe v. Wade be preserved.

'It appears to be a very thorough investigation. But I'm going to go back to personally read the interviews,' Collins said Thursday morning.

Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, who helped demand the additional FBI check, said Thursday morning: 'We've seen no new, credible corroboration - no new corroboration at all.'

Senate watchers took the comment as a sign she was gaining more comfort with voting for the nominee, despite complaints that other potential witnesses who reached out to the bureau had not been contacted.

The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary, Dianne Feinstein, voiced her own concern, as she went back to complaining about document production issues that dominated Kavanaugh's initial confirmation hearing weeks ago.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is on the verge of installing Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, having previously shepherded conservative Neil Gorsuch there and prevented President Obama from filling a vacancy

'It looks to be a product of an incomplete investigation that was limited, perhaps by the White House, I don't know,' Feinstein complained. 'But the White House certainly blocked access to millions of documents from Judge Kavanaugh's record, I know that,' she said.

WHO THE FBI ARE KNOWN TO HAVE QUESTIONED IN THE KAVANAUGH PROBE Accuser Debbie Ramirez She says Kavanaugh exposed himself during a dorm party in their freshman year at Yale. Her attorney says she gave a list of 20 potential witnesses to the FBI Kavanaugh friend Mark Judge Man who Christine Blasey Ford says was in the room when Kavanaugh tried to rape her. His attorney said his interview spread over Monday and Tuesday. Judge, a recovering alcoholic, has denied being present at any such event and said he believed his high school friend's innocence. He also denied claims that he and Kavanaugh spiked drinks with drugs and were present during third accuser Julie Swetnick's alleged gang rape Kavanaugh friend Tim Gaudette His house was the venue for a mid-week 'skis' (beers) party on July 1, 1982, according to Kavanaugh's calendars. Ford described a party with an almost identical list of attendees. His attorney confirmed an interview but did not say what Gaudette told agents. Kavanaugh friend P.J. Smyth He was named by Ford as being at the party downstairs when she was sexually assaulted, and featured on the July 1 'skis' night list of attendees. Has previously said he did not recall such an event. Kavanaugh friend Chris 'Squi' Garrett Has been named by Ford as someone she was dating in the summer of 1982, and is on the list of attendees of the 'skis' party. His attorney says he spoke to the FBI but did not disclose his evidence. Ford friend Leland Keyser Ford said her longtime friend was at the party where she alleges she was assaulted and was downstairs at the time. Has denied any memory of such an event but Ford said Leland sent a text message saying she believed her. Advertisement

'What I can say is that the most notable part of this report is what's not in it. As we noted by the White House, the FBI did not interview Brett Kavanaugh, nor did the FBI interview Dr. Blasey Ford,' Feinstein continued.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell delivered his own angry statement on the Senate floor Thursday, his voice cracking as he said: 'It's time for us to stand up to this kind of thing.'

He complained about 'smears' against Kavanaugh and senators being shouted down as they went about their lives, and said voting down Kavanaugh would set a 'fundamentally unAmerican precedent.'

'Is that what the Senate's going to be known for? Your nomination comes up here and we destroy your reputation,' he said. 'Are we going to allow this to happen  in this country?'

President Trump has been briefed on the FBI report reviewing allegations of sexual misconduct against Brett Kavanaugh by aides but has not pored over the information himself.

It was unclear on Thursday morning as the White House barreled ahead with the judge's Supreme Court nomination whether the president had spoken to Kavanaugh since the report came out by phone.

A spokesman for the president and Kavanaugh couldn't say when the last time they spoke was and whether they had talked face-to-face since the judge was accused of sexually assaulting at at least three women, including Christine Blasey Ford.

Rah Shah said that White House officials who had read the FBI's supplemental background check report were confident that Kavanaugh would be seated on the bench when the Senate takes a vote this weekend.

Shah was asked if the considered the new materials not to corroborate sexual misconduct allegations:

'I want to be guarded against characterizing it in too much depth....There are a lot of restrictions on how the White House can talk about this information,' he responded, citing privacy act regulations and years-old memorandums from the White House counsel's office and the Justice Department. 'We are fully confident after review this information senators will be comfortable voting yes.'

Shah pushed back against a flurry of claims from former classmates about Kavanaugh's college drinking, which critics say could impugn his testimony about other matters if he wasn't truthful before the Senate.

'And to be clear also, a lot of people are coming forward with claims about his high school and college drinking which the Senate hasn't asked us about, but also more importantly, he has already admitted in his testimony that he drank in high school, drank in college, sometimes drank too much, drank underage,' said Shah.

'He said he liked beer. I don't really know what folks who are demanding an open-ended fishing expedition into those areas want other than delay, delay, delay,' he added.

'We stand 100 percent with Brett Kavanaugh,' White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders declared on Fox News two hours later.

She indicated that the president still hadn't read the report yet continues to back his nominee based on his aides' description of it. 'Let's put this to a vote and do it quickly,' she said.

A single copy of the report was sent to senators to read on Thursday morning, in a secure room in the U.S. Capitol's basement, ahead of an expected final vote on Kavanaugh's nomination on Saturday.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said after a briefing from staff on its contents that his support for Kavanaugh remains unflinching.

If other senators draw the same conclusions from the report as the White House, they will mostly be left in the same position as last week - weighing contradictory and heartfelt testimony from two individuals about an incident that allegedly took place more than 35 years ago.

The report finds no corroboration to Ford's claims that Kavanaugh pinned her down, tried to pull her clothes off, then covered her mouth as she called out, sources say

HOW SENATE IS READING THE KAVANAUGH FBI REPORT The Senate received the results of the FBI 'supplemental background investigation' into Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh early Thursday. Republican lawmakers took part in the initial review of the restricted, single copy report between 8am-9am, with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Chuck Grassley going first. By 9am, Democratic senators accessed the report, with California Senator Dianne Feinstein to start, as the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee/ No photographs are allowed of it and any notes made from it have to stay in the room. Secure room: Behind these doors is the Secure Compartmentalized Information Facility - known as a SCIF - where senators will read the report. Following initial review, all 100 senators will alternate. Alternating one copy of an FBI report between senators is typical for judicial nominees, Republican aides said in a statement. Also briefed on its contents are 10 Senate staffers who can then brief other senators. Senators are not permitted to discuss the specific contents of the document with anyone who has not seen it. The review of the 302 form takes place in a Sensitive Compartmentalized Information Facility in the basement of the Capitol. Having the single copy viewed in a secure room will supposedly help to stop leaks, which are expected to hit within seconds of the document arriving in the building, if not before. Advertisement

The vote will decide the make-up of the nation's highest court for years to come. Kavanaugh's confirmation will cement conservative control of the judicial system, giving Trump's party the upper hand in legal disputes that will define the next generation.

The FBI finished its investigation late Wednesday, two days ahead of schedule, and distributed it in the wee hours of Thursday morning.

Shah said in a statement just after 2:20 am EDT that the White House had received the report and it was being transmitted to the Senate.

'This is the last addition to the most comprehensive review of a Supreme Court nominee in history, which includes extensive hearings, multiple committee interviews, over 1,200 questions for the record and over a half million pages of documents,' the White House spokesman said.

'With this additional information, the White House is fully confident the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.'

Grassley told reporters on Thursday morning: 'I've now received a committee staff briefing on the FBI's supplement to Judge Kavanaugh's background investigation file. There's nothing in it that we didn't already know.

WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK ME ABOUT BELLIGERENT BRETT, ASKS HIS SUITE MATE Brett Kavanaugh's college suite-mate is among multiple potential witnesses who have contacted the FBI seeking to be interviewed but who have not heard back  as the bureau rushed to assemble just nine interviews and hand them off to the Senate. The FBI's hurried five-day background investigation into sex assault allegations against the Supreme Court nominee is drawing outrage for failing to bring in more than 25 potential witnesses. Debbie Ramirez, who did speak to the FBI, says she provided a list of 20 potential witnesses. Kavanaugh's college roommate, James Roche, claims Kavanaugh lied under oath and was 'frequently, incoherently drunk' in college. As of a Wednesday evening op-ed he published about it, the FBI had not contacted him. James Appold, who claims Kavanaugh was 'frequently, incoherently drunk,' told the New Yorker he reached out to the FBI last week but has yet to hear back. Appold went on the record with the New Yorker in a story published Wednesday night, after earlier vouching for the character of Ramirez but while requesting anonymity. 'There were two sides to Brett,' he said. The future Appeals Court judge could be studious. 'That was true part of the time, but so are the other things that have been said about him. He drank a lot, and when he was drinking he could be aggressive, and belligerent.' Advertisement

'These uncorroborated accusations have been unequivocally and repeatedly rejected by Judge Kavanaugh, and neither the Judiciary Committee nor the FBI could locate any third parties who can attest to any of the allegations. There's also no contemporaneous evidence,' he said.

'This investigation found no hint of misconduct and the same is true of the six prior FBI background investigations conducted during Judge Kavanaugh's 25 years of public service.'

Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer slapped back at a Democratic news conference, telling reporters he disagreed that there 'was no hint' of misconduct in the FBI's limited report.

'The fact that there is only one document in there for 100 senators is another example of constraining the ability of all senators and the American public to see the whole truth and nothing but,' Schumer said.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein lit into the White House at the presser, saying, 'It now appears that they also blocked the FBI from doing their job.'

Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said her party believes that the scope of the FBI investigation should be limited.

'We do not agree that the White House should tie the FBI's hands,' she said.

The California Democrat swatted back at Trump's press team and said 'it is simply not credible' to say that testimony from Ford and Kavanuagh is a substitute for FBI interview.

'In my view, from what I saw, the interview was very limited, and it will be interesting after all of the members have an opportunity to read the documents,' she said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell remarked on the Senate floor that nomination had went way off the rails, with 'wild tales of violent gangs' and 'fist fights' in high school and college.

He accused Democrats of 'an outrageous smear' campaign and a blatantly undermine the 'presumption of innocence no longer applies in this country.'

'Brett Kavanaugh is stunningly and totally qualified for this job,' he said, calling his academic and legal credentials 'second to none.'

He attended Yale, had three clerkships on the court and worked in the White House counsel office, McConnell said. He said he'd have reacted the way that Kavanaugh did to the allegations, as well.

'I'd be shocked if it were not done in an aggressive fashion, for goodness sake,' McConnell said.

Five senators riding the fence will determine Kavanaugh's fate; their counterparts have already announced their positions on the nomination. It wasn't clear on Thursday whether Trump had talked

Aside from the sexual assault allegations brought by Ford and other women, Democrats say that Kavanaugh lied to senators about his drinking during his Judiciary Committee hearing.

Republicans have meanwhile poked holes into Ford's claims, including her assertion she developed claustrophobia as a result of her alleged assault and had to delay her testimony because she has a related fear of flying on planes.

Trump ripped into Ford at a rally on Tuesday for fuzzy testimony that didn't nail down the location of the party at which she says she was nearly raped.

Imitating the university professor and Kavanaugh accuser, Trump said, 'I had one beer. Well, do you think it was? Nope, it was one beer.'

'How did you get home? I don't remember. How'd you get there? I don't remember. Where is the place? I don't remember. How many years ago was it? I don't know,' Trump said.

The impression roiled senators, including three Republicans that Trump was supposed to be courting.

Sen. Jeff Flake said he was 'appalled' by the president's conduct. Swing-voting Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski also indicated that they were offended.

Sanders said that the White House has been 'in close contact with the Senate' without confirming that the president had talked to any of the three about their reservations.

She suggested that he hadn't talk to the wavering Republicans or two red-state Democrats who voted for his last Supreme Court nominee. Sen. Manchin could still vote with Republicans.

Democrats like Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, added the Trump impression to a growing list of problems they have with the proceedings.

They say that the FBI did not speak to enough witnesses and that all the sexual assault accusations against the D.C. Circuit court judge should be probed.

They have also alleged that Kavanaugh does not have the temperament to be on the court after last Thursday's hearing, where he became outwardly emotional.

During a testy exchange with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the judge denied drinking to excess and barked at her, 'You're asking about a blackout? I don't know, have you?'

The White House put forward character witnesses for Kavanaugh such as old friends and women who have worked with him. Two former classmates, one of whom was a college roommate, attested that they had never seen Kavanaugh black out.

On Wednesday a former roommate of Kavanaugh's, James Roche, accused him of showing 'contempt for the truth, for the process, for the rule of law, and for accountability' during his hearing.

Roche and Kavanaugh shared a three-person room at Yale College for several months in 1983, when he claims the freshman 'regularly' drank until blacked out.

The report will be forwarded to senators on Thursday with Mitch McConnell promising a vote on Kavanaugh's nomination some time this week

Democrats are now expected to focus their attentions on whether Kavanaugh lied during his hearing, after Jeff Flake - who helped order the probe - indicated he would vote 'no' if it could be proved he was untruthful

Chad Ludington, Liz Swisher, and Mark Krasberg, former Yale students who knew the now-judge, have also indicated that he lied about his past drinking.

Meanwhile Kerry Berchem, another Yale alum, claims to be in possession of texts that show Kavanaugh knew about allegations from another sex accuser - Deborah Ramirez - days before they were made public.

In sworn testimony, Kavanaugh said he didn't know about the claims until after they were published in the New Yorker.

Democrats have also raised concerns that the probe was not thorough enough amid concerns that the White House limited its scope.

FBI agents contacted 10 people and interviewed nine of them, the New York Times reports, though it is not clear why the tenth was not interviewed.

Senators will be allowed to review the report from 8am in a secure room at the Capitol, or else be briefed by select members of staff.

A preliminary vote is then expected to take place on Friday, before a final vote as early as Saturday.

Roche, Ludington, Swisher, Krasberg and Berchem say they were not contacted by the FBI, despite going public with their claims against Kavanaugh.

Meanwhile two other anonymous figures told CNN that they contacted the FBI with evidence - including the names of people who may have witnessed Kavanaugh allegedly exposing himself to Ramirez at a party.

However, both those people say they were brushed off by the agency.

Democrats have already raised concerns that the White House limited the FBI investigation and that key suspects were not interviewed (pictured, protesters outside the Supreme Court)

Dems are also expected to attack Kavanaugh on wider concerns that he lied to senators during sworn testimony (pictured, protesters in Washington DC)

Ramirez is the only one of Kavanaugh's three named accusers to have been interviewed by the FBI, who did not speak with Ford or Julie Swetnick.

Swetnick claims she witnessed Kavanaugh behaving inappropriately to women at parties while drunk.

President Trump has denied that he ordered the FBI to limit its probe, saying he instructed agents to question whoever the wish.

Democrats have asked to see a copy of the directive that was sent to the bureau for the sake of transparency, but have been brushed off.

Mitch McConnell has also said the report will not be made public, as is typical for such background checks.

However, colleagues across the aisle have argued that the extraordinary nature of this case warrants full disclosure.

McConnell has insisted that a vote to confirm Kavanaugh will take place this week.
A Kentucky judge has dropped a child porn charge against Scott L Phillips (pictured) who ordered child sex dolls

A Kentucky judge has dropped a child pornography charge against a man who ordered sex dolls resembling an infant and a 6-to-8 year-old girl.

Judge Douglas Grothaus dismissed the charge against Scott L Phillips on Wednesday.

According to court documents, police tracked a package from China to Phillips' home.

Police already knew that Phillips had purchased the sex dolls, but they waited to make sure he accepted the delivery.

Authorities then served a search warrant and found the anatomically correct female dolls.

But the judge dismissed the charge of having an item portraying a sexual performance by a minor, saying there was no actual child involved.

Kenton Commonwealth Attorney Rob Sanders says he may appeal the case, which he says is a first for his office.

Sanders told WCPO: 'We think a doll can represent an actual child especially when you can order a childs baby doll to look like your child, you can order these child sex dolls to look like a specific child as well.'

He is now calling on Kentucky legislators to pass a law that categorizes a child sex doll as child porn.

Kentucky State Rep Adam Koenig told the station that he agrees with Sanders.

The dolls were found inside Phillips' home (pictured) after police tracked the sex dolls there. They found dolls resembling an infant and a 6-to-8 year-old girl

'We just need to look at it and make it clear that we really dont want the selling or the ownership of these child sex dolls in Kentucky,' Koenig said.

Federal legislation called the Curbing Realistic Exploitative Electronic Pedophilic Robots Act (the CREEPER Act) would ban child sex dolls and is also being considered.

The act is currently being referred to a Senate committee.

Phillips was also charged with marijuana possession. He will appear in court for that charge on October 18.
Heartwarming footage shows a wild grey seal hugging and tenderly stroking a diver.

Ben Burville, 49, was exploring the coast of the Farne Islands, Northumberland, last month when he had the captivating encounter.

The British doctor looks astonished as the creature snuggles into his chest and flips over to have its stomach tickled like a playful puppy.

The affectionate seal can be seen patting Ben's arm and sniffing him, seemingly fascinated by his diving gear.

As he leans forward, the seal brings its nose up to his face and at one point it wraps its flippers around him as he strokes its back.

It also taps its nose against his goggles before clambering over his head and caressing his face.

Ben, a full-time GP in the coastal town of Amble, has dived for more than 32 years.

He is also a visiting researcher at Newcastle University's marine biology department, studying grey seals and white beaked dolphins.

'I realise that I am incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity and insight into their world that this facilitates,' he said.

'Having dived and observed grey seals for over 18 years, they have shown me how to dive with them in a way that they feel at ease.

Ben Burville, 49, being hugged by the wild grey seal while he was exploring the coast of the Farne Islands, Northumberland, last month

The affectionate creature snuggles into his chest during the captivating underwater encounter

The seal swims over the top of Ben's diving gear. At one point it pushes off his goggles

The seal taps its nose against Ben's goggles. It appears fascinated by his diving equipment

'When they hug you or hold your hand it is hard to describe the feeling - time stops.

'You are 100 percent aware of being in that very moment, peaceful, calm, and I suppose the term is mindful.'

He added: 'There is something about being with nature that is magical.'

Ben says the seals try to play games and remove his diving gear - as if they have an awareness of what he needs to stay alive underwater.

At one point in the clip, the seal pushes off his goggles.

'They do so very gently and never hurt me,' he said.

Ben and the seal pose together above water. He has been diving with grey seals for more than 18 years

Ben says the seals try to play games and remove his diving gear - as if they have an awareness of what he needs to stay alive underwater

But he also points out that they are not tame, have long claws and harbour numerous bacteria in their mouths - so it is generally not advisable to touch them.

The British Isle's population of grey seals has increased by 140 per cent since dropping to just 500 in the early 20th century, according to The Wildlife Trust.

They believe the grey seals in Britain now represent 40 per cent of the total number of grey seals in the world.
A shirtless man armed with a hunting bow who went on a wild rampage and fired arrows at a construction crew in broad daylight has been arrested.

Police were called to Carrington Road, Randwick in Sydney's eastern suburbs about 12pm on Thursday after they received reports of a man wielding a bow and arrow.

The 47-year-old man emerged from a house on the busy road about midday armed with the bow in one hand and a beer in the other, 9News reported.

A shirtless man armed with a hunting bow (pictured) has been arrested after he went on a wild rampage and fired arrows at a construction crew in broad daylight

Footage of the man shows him allegedly take aim with the high-powered firearm and shoot at a range of targets on the street, including a mobile crane and fence.

In the video, the man is first allegedly seen firing arrows in the direction of a street sign, and laughter can be heard in the background.

The 47-year-old then brazenly turns towards a building site on the other side of the road and begins crossing the street, hurling abuse at construction workers.

'You're s------- yourself hey. You f------ ----. You're ---- s---- yourself,' he said.

One of the construction workers is then heard saying: 'Oi, don't shoot it bro'.

Witness Lyall Maloney told 9 News he first thought the man's strange behaviour was a joke, but he then realised it was all ego-driven.

After taking a few shots, the man brazenly turned towards a building site (pictured) on the other side of the road and began hurling abuse at construction workers

'At the beginning he was really really angry and then afterwards he was just like, being a hero like it was just ego,' Mr Maloney said.

When police finally arrived on the scene a short time later, the 47-year-old was arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station for questioning.

Officers also seized the compound bow and a number of other items.

While no one was hurt in the incident, police are urging anyone with information or footage to come forward.

Police investigations are still underway.
Concessions from Theresa May on the Irish border make a Brexit deal 'possible', EU sources have revealed today.

The proposals - thought to involve the UK matching customs union rules - are said to be a 'step in the right direction' by EU negotiators.

Mrs May appears set to promise Brexiteers the agreement would be replaced in time by a comprehensive trade deal but are needed to fulfil the 'backstop' until then.

The Prime Minister will have to convince her DUP allies it does not put a border down the Irish Sea and Brexiteers it will not be a permanent solution that stops Britain signing trade deals.

An EU source told Reuters it is 'a step in the right direction' and 'make finding a compromise possible'.

DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds warned last night his party would rather have a no deal Brexit than accept any version of what the EU is currently offering, the party's Westminster leader warned today.

Concessions from Theresa May (pictured yesterday at Tory conference) on the Irish border make a Brexit deal 'possible', EU sources have revealed today

Nigel Dodds (pictured last night on Peston) said failure to strike an agreement would be better than adding a customs or regulatory border down the Irish Sea

What is the possible solution on the Irish border? Why is there a dispute about the Irish border? Britain's only land border is with Ireland. It is currently open to people and goods because of the EU's single market and the older UK-Ireland single travel area. What is the 'backstop'? The EU is concerned that Brexit means it will have an open border into the single market into which goods which do not match market rules can enter. Britain says this can be resolved by the final trade deal but this cannot be negotiated until after Brexit happens. In the draft divorce deal last year, Theresa May agreed Britain would negotiate a 'backstop' agreement to make sure there is an interim solution. What is the problem? The EU believes the easiest solution is to leave Northern Ireland inside EU rules even after Brexit. The Government says this breaks up Great Britain and Northern Ireland and is completely unacceptable. What is Britain's new solution? Britain is offering that the entire UK will match customs union rules while Northern Ireland will also follow single market rules - but only until a full trade deal is agreed. Britain had wanted this to be time limited after transition ends in 2020 but appears to be conceding this point. Brexiteers fear without a time limit, the EU has no incentive to negotiate a trade deal. Advertisement

The Prime Minister is starting a two week diplomatic offensive today ahead of a crucial EU summit on October 18 that is meant to secure a deal.

The Telegraph said today her concession is to keep Britain de facto in the customs union and allowing Northern Ireland to follow single market rules.

When a full trade deal is finalised the agreement would cease, according to the proposal, as it is only intended to meet the 'backstop' clause of the divorce deal.

Getting the plans through will be politically difficult as Mr Dodds said failure to strike an agreement would be better than adding a customs or regulatory border down the Irish Sea.

But Mr Dodds told ITV's Robert Peston the idea would not work - despite rumours Britain is prepared to make concessions to get closer to the EU position.

He said: 'No deal is better than a bad deal. A catastrophic deal for us would be a border down the Irish Sea, which over a period of time could lead to a continuing divergence between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

'That's catastrophic in economic terms for our economy, never mind the constitutional and political implications of all of that.'

Brexiteer Steve Baker told MailOnline: 'Any ''backstop'' which threatened the future of either the Union or our independent trade and regulatory policy would be unacceptable.

'We can give guarantees to the people of Northern Ireland unilaterally without committing to damaging treaty law.'

Mr Dodds' leader Arlene Foster insisted protecting the Union was a 'blood red line' for the DUP during Tory conference.

Despite the difficulties on her own side, Mrs May is embarking on a round of calls to all EU leaders ahead of the crucial summit.

Mr Dodds' leader Arlene Foster (pictured in Birmingham on Tuesday) insisted protecting the Union was a 'blood red line' for the DUP during Tory conference

The Prime Minister routinely makes calls to EU leaders before meetings but the ticking clock on the Brexit talks is adding to the pressure.

One Cabinet minister involved in the negotiations told The Sun: 'We need some very fancy footwork to get the Withdrawal Agreement wrapped up by the October council.

'But deadlines always concentrate minds.

The PM will be hitting the phone hard and we think it's just about doable.'
A kind-hearted driver in east China assisted an elderly man to cross a busy road by giving him a piggyback.

Surveillance footage shows the motorist getting out of his car to offer the pedestrian a helping hand after seeing him struggle at a crossing in the city of Suzhou.

The video emerged just a few months after a police officer in south-west China was widely praised for carrying a frail pensioner across a junction.

The pensioner (circled) struggles to move as he stands in the middle of the road in China

A driver (circled) gets out of his car to offer the elderly man who has been stuck in traffic

According to the local Jiangsu Public Channel, the heart-warming incident took place recently outside a hospital on Renmin Dong Road.

The report on Tuesday said the elderly man was standing in the middle of the road with the help of his walking stick.

He was apparently having difficulties moving forward as he had been staying still amid traffic for about a minute, a traffic police officer told the TV channel.

Passing cars slowed down and carefully drove around the pensioner.

After talking to him briefly, the driver starts to assist the pensioner to walk by holding his arm

A few seconds later, the young driver squats down to offer the elderly man his back

Upon seeing the situation, one driver stopped his car in front of the crossing. The motorist, unidentified, got out of his car and jogged towards the pensioner. The two talked briefly and the driver started helping the pensioner to walk.

A few seconds later, the driver squatted down to pick up the pensioner. He piggybacked the pensioner until they reached the other side of the road safely.

Lu Bo, a traffic policeman from Suzhou, praised the passing drivers for waiting and helping the pensioner that day.

Officer Lu also stressed that drivers could receive a financial penalty as well as demerit points if they fail to stop at crossings for pedestrians.
Igor Gieci, 55, from Blackpool, was jumped by three teenagers who kicked and punched him before tearing his tent up and hitting him with his own crutches in a 20-minute attack

A homeless man who was beaten to a pulp by a gang of youths was given a haircut, medicine, glasses and even a home by appalled locals.

Igor Gieci, 55, from Blackpool, was jumped by three teenagers who kicked and punched him before tearing his tent up and hitting him with his own crutches in a 20-minute attack.

Outraged locals heard about the brutal assault and launched an online fundraising page to get him off the street while he recovers.

And in just two days kind-hearted strangers had rallied round to take him for a haircut, buy him some prescription glasses and take him to the pharmacy to get his prescriptions.

A property developer even gave him a flat to temporarily sleep in, and strangers have donated more than 1,000 towards a more permanent home.

Heartwarming photos show the recovering homeless man beaming as he receives help from kind strangers, who hope to set him up with enough cash for six months' rent.

Meanwhile police are appealing for information to track down the yobs who left Mr Gieci with a broken eye socket and a severely bruised face and stomach.

Mr Gieci is pictured before the attack, and right, after. Police are appealing for information to track down those who gave him a broken eye socket and a severely bruised face and stomach

The campaign is being led by 49-year-old Mark Butcher.

Mark, an advertising design agency owner, said: 'This is the most vicious attack I have ever seen. It completely left me in tears.

'I think it's barbaric. I'm perplexed. I just don't understand because he's such a gentleman and has a nice personality.

'We have rallied around together and we have bought him reading glasses and given him food, a haircut, and medicine while a property developer has given him the use of a flat for free.

Homeless Mr Gieci is pictured at Blackpool Victoria Hospital being treated for his injuries

'Igor was so happy he could not believe it. He was so happy. We just plan to let him rest, feed him, and try to get him healthy.'

During the attack on Monday, Igor, who has been in the UK for 15 years, said he begged the teenagers to stop and said: 'Please, stop it, stop it, me no problem.'

But he said the boys, who had their hoods up, punched and kicked him before the trio just 'walked on like normal'.

After the attack, Igor fled to the tourist information centre and was admitted to Blackpool Victoria Hospital where he was treated for significant facial injuries.

In just two days kind-hearted strangers rallied round to take him for a haircut, buy him some prescription glasses and take him to the pharmacy to get his prescriptions.

Lancashire Police has launched an investigation.

After being discharged, he was left struggling to walk or eat because of injuries to his stomach.

Mark is hoping to raise 3,000, which would pay six months' rent upfront.

Mark said: 'In the short term we want to get his health back, but the mid-term plan is to get him back to work because that's the only way he can sustain himself.

'We are looking for an employer and a landlord.

A property developer even gave Mr Gieci a flat (pictured) to temporarily sleep in

'This poor guy has been beaten to a pulp by youths and had all of his stuff stolen once again. He deserves to live in safety and not be abused like this any longer.'

After receiving his flat, Igor hugged Mark and said: 'Thank you, my friend. Good man. Thank you.'

Igor, came to Blackpool in 2016 after previous stays in Bradford, Birmingham, Northampton and Wolverhampton and lived in a private let flat.

Abbie Butcher, Mr Gieci and homeless campaigner Mark Butcher

But after falling into financial difficulty he was evicted and has been homeless for the last six to eight months.

Since September 18, Igor has been sleeping outside the Metropole hotel on the Promenade in Blackpool town centre.

Cllr Gillian Campbell, deputy leader of Blackpool Council, said: 'I am horrified to hear that this attack has taken place and I urge anyone with information to speak to the police.*'

Detective Constable Adam Weaver, from Blackpool CID, said: 'This was a brutal and sustained assault on a vulnerable man and I would appeal to any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward and speak to us.'
Thousands of children have been told to stay home today after a council closed four schools - because they were invaded by Britain's deadliest spiders.

Newham Council in east London has evacuated two primaries and two secondary schools to treat the invasion of False Widow Spiders 'immediately, before the eggs start hatching'.

Parents told of their shock and frustration that their children's school have closed their doors following infestations.

False Widow Spiders, the UK's most poisonous arachnid, are dark-coloured with globular bodies and range from 9.5 to 14 mm in size

Pupils in the borough now face up to a month out of lessons while pest control experts scour the schools in a bid to curb the killer menace.

The schools closed are Rokeby Secondary school and Star Lane Primary in Canning Town, Lister Community School in Plaistow and Ellen Wilkinson Primary in Beckton.

Tonight parents of youngsters at Star Primary School told of their shock and frustration at the situation.

Mother-of-three Jane Masey told MailOnline: 'It's real aggravation if you have to go to work but I understand that the school have to do it.

'The safety of the children must come first.

'I only found out on Tuesday afternoon when I picked up my two boys from Star. It was a total shock.'

A notice on the Lister Community School website from the headteacher Anthony Wilson

Ms Masey's two son Jonnie, eight, and Thomas, four, are pupils at the Star Primary School. She also has an eight-month-old baby daughter, Lottie.

She added: 'I work two days a week and I've had to rely on family and friends. I've had to juggle childcare, we all have.

'My mum already looks after the baby, but now she's been lumbered with all three of them. It's hard on her.

Lister Community School. It has closed its doors after advice from the local council

'My Jonnie is in the final year at Star [Primary School] and so he's got his SATS, so it's worry about him having time off learning.

'But I've looked up these spiders on the internet and it says they are a danger to under-5s and my Thomas is four, so the school has to get rid of them.'

Another mother, who has three children at the Star Primary School, told how her son had complained about spiders crawling over him in his classroom.

Ellen Wilkinson Primary School headteacher Sue Ferguson said the infestation needs to be 'treated immediately before the eggs start hatching'

Eva, 40, told MailOnline: 'My son came out of school saying 'mummy, mummy, there were spiders crawling all over me.' He hates spiders. And he said there were a lot of spiders in the classroom.

'But shutting the school is making life very difficult for working mothers. We've all had to take time off work and the boss is not happy. How are we going to pay the bills if we can't work.

'It's ridiculous that the authorities have closed the school in term time. They had six weeks to do all of this in the summer holidays. Isn't that the time to do a deep clean?

Ellen Wilkinson Primary school in Beckton announced that the school will be closed for this week and 'most of next week'

Mother of two Danielle Mooring added: 'I've had to delay starting a new job because the school has been shut down. I've got two boys who go there, aged six and eight.'

The parents say they have no idea when the school, housed in a Victorian building in the heart of the East End of London, will open again.

However they hope to learn more about the fumigation tomorrow afternoon [Friday].

Star Primary School said they are 'exploring the possibility of using alternative venues next week as a possible solution'

Rokeby school is due to remain closed until October 29.

In a letter to parents headteacher Charlotte Robinson said it would take three weeks to get rid of the spiders.

She wrote: 'We have engaged a company to deal with and eradicate this pest, they have estimated that this will take up to three weeks.

'The safety and wellbeing of students and staff must be our priority so whilst I understand that this may be very inconvenient for you it is in your child's best interest to remain at home and not at school.'

One parent, whose son goes to the school wrote on social media: 'My son's school Rokeby has been shut down as it's now infested with them after huge nest was found this morning.

'Now I'm checking his bags and uniform lol.'

Mother-of-five Anne-Marie Cullen from Canning Town, east London was left fuming after her 11-year-old was sent home from Rokeby Secondary School.

She said: 'My son Mitchell, his school was the worst hit out of the lot. We got a phone call from the school saying there was a spider infestation.

'There was no apologies, it was very matter of fact.

Although named because of its physical similarity to the killer black widow spider, the species' bites rarely cause death but can be very painful

'It is a worry - my friend was bitten by a false widow and he was in hospital for two days with pus and blisters.

'What could have happened if the children had been bitten? It's scary, can you imagine.'

Ann-Marie immediately took measures to make sure her son was safe.

She said: 'The first thing I did was check him for spiders. My husband John checked his bag and blazer.

'I had to make sure he was safe, this was an automatic response and I feared for the worst.

'My 10-year-old daughter was absolutely horrified - she has not been able to sleep and has had nightmares.

'The spiders like warm dark places so I've searched the whole house.

'My Mitchell has been in school for just five weeks, he is in year seven - he's gutted.

Rokeby school is due to remain closed until October 29

'We have had no updates - and the council has not given out a statement to us, we're left in the dark.

'I would like a bit more contact, how long have the spiders been there and how many of them were there? It is quite worrying.

'The school sent staff home - we are getting homework by email - but without a classroom how can it be marked?

'They say the school will stay closed until October 29, Mitchell is devastated, he really was enjoying his first weeks at school.

'Mitchell is missing his education, this whole thing could've been prevented.

'Even so, why have they not dealt with it, the local school had a wasp infestation, it took them one day to clear it.

'They say this will take weeks, it is a disgrace, I think closing for that long is health safety gone mad.'

Another parent, whose eight-year-old son attends Star Primary School which has also been closed, said: 'Why can't this be dealt with in a week, or a few days.

'It's put everything out now, summer was long enough.

'I want my child safe but there has to be a solution to having that time off.

'But as long as he is safe, that's all I really care about.'

False Widow Spiders, the UK's most poisonous arachnid, are dark-coloured with globular bodies and range from 9.5 to 14 mm in size.

Although named because of its physical similarity to the killer black widow spider, the species' bites rarely cause death but can be very painful.

Symptoms include severe pain radiating from the bite and fever - but could prove fatal if a young and vulnerable child was bitten in an especially sensitive location.

Star Primary School is another of the four schools that have been closed because of a false widow infestation

Sue Ferguson, headteacher for Ellen Wilkinson School, said treatment needs to begin 'immediately' before the eggs start hatching.

She said: 'I want to reassure all members of our community that these are precautionary measures and that we are very lucky to have found out in time to take action to remove them for the continuing safety and well-being of pupils, staff and all site users.

'I do regretfully have to inform you that I am advised the school treatment plan which started today, will happen in two phases. Unfortunately this means that the school will be closed for most of next week too.

'I can only imagine the impact that this will have on all our parents and pupils and I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this is causing you. I have met with the SLT today in order to arrange further work for children to complete at home.

'We are also actively exploring the possibility of using alternative venues next week.'

Lister Community School head teacher Anthony Wilson said he hoped his school would open by Friday.

He added: 'Investigations suggest that there may be some of these spiders on our site, and we are therefore following advice from the local authority and will be closing the school as a precaution to allow full investigation.'

WHAT IS THE FALSE WIDOW SPIDER AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET BITTEN False widow spiders are distinctive for their shiny, black flesh, bulbous bodies, thick legs and skull-like patterns. Millions of false widows, Britain's most venomous spider, have been found across the UK and the population is believed to be growing. The species has a brown bulbous abdomen with cream markings that look like a skull. They have long legs and can reach about 15mm in size. Also known as steatoda nobilis, the spider is frequently confused for the black widow, which has deadly venom. The false widow was first spotted in the UK in Torquay, Devon, in 1879, and it is understood that it may have made its way to these shores from Madeira or the Canary Islands in a shipment of bananas. The Natural History Museum says that warmer summers mean the spider is spreading northwards through the UK, having been found mainly in southern England. False widow spiders are distinctive for their shiny, black flesh, bulbous bodies, thick legs and skull-like patterns IF YOU GET BITTEN... The first thing you should do is wash the area thoroughly with soap and water to prevent infection - and don't scratch, as if you break the skin there's more chance for bacteria to get in. Cover bites with a plaster and apply an antihistamine sting cream to calm any inflammation or itching, says Stuart Hine, from the Natural History Museum's identification and advisory service. Any redness, pain or swelling should subside after three days. Be alert to potential signs of infection, such as weeping blisters or painful swelling, that continue to get worse after a few days. If this happens, seek advice from your GP. Advertisement

Headteacher at Star Primary, Lisle Von Buchenroder, said the school was forced to close so pest control can exterminate the eggs before they start hatching.

She wrote to parents on Wednesday, and said: 'I am writing to update you regarding the current school closure.

'It was with much regret that I had to make the decision to close the school yesterday as the safety and well-being of pupils and staff is always our number one priority.

'I was made aware of an infestation of noble false black widow spiders which was discovered during a routine check by Newham's Environmental Team.

'They believe that the infestation is contained to the outside of the building and that this needs to be treated immediately before the eggs start hatching.

'I want to reassure all members of our community that these are precautionary measures and that we are very lucky to have found out in time to take action to remove them.

'After speaking to the Environmental Team this morning, I do regretfully have to inform you that I am advised the school treatment plan will happen in two phases, starting tomorrow.

'We will update you next week as to when we expect the school to reopen.'

A spokesman for Newham Council said the schools  which are all within a two-mile radius - were closed after the false widow spiders were discovered.

She added: 'The spiders only bite if mishandled or provoked. The venom is not particularly potent.

'The schools are being treated and fumigated and we are working with the schools to ensure that children can continue to receive an education whilst their school is closed. Pupils are being set work via the schools and will remain in contact with schools.

'We are asking all our schools and nurseries to proactively check their premises carefully for these spiders and if they see any signs, then contact environmental health or pest control.'
The last words a Swedish teenager ever said to his father have convinced him his son is still alive, more than a decade after he vanished.

Max Vidar Castor, 19, was on the trip of a lifetime, travelling across Australia with two friends in 2005, until he was last seen en route to Victoria's Great Ocean Road.

A chilling letter sent to his father, Rolf, along with his passport and return plane ticket is the last correspondence Max had with his family.

But despite the letter, in which Max farewells his father, Rolf still believes his son is alive and well.

Swedish backpacker Max Vidar Castor (pictured) was last seen in regional Victoria in 2005

Max paid $250 to send a package consisting of his passport, return flight ticket and a chilling letter to his father, which read: 'Now I am vanishing... no tears'

'Something strange has happened to me and I don't know how to cope with it,' Max's note reads.

'I am tired of myself but there is still so much beauty in the world. Now I am vanishing  no tears.'

Rolf has come to accept that he may never see his son again, but still holds hope that he has started a family.

'I believe he has found some type of other community and could be living off the land, maybe even with a wife and kid I wouldn't be the least bit astonished,' he told Seven News.

He believes Max has started a life for himself on the Far North Coast, a region close to the ocean in New South Wales, because his fellow travellers told him his son was attracted to the easygoing lifestyle there.

Max was backpacking to Victoria's Great Ocean Road (pictured) when he was last seen

Max's (pictured) father, Rolf, has come to terms with the fact he may never see his son again but still holds out hope that he is alive and well

More than 100 possible sightings of Max have been made all over Australia.

He was last seen at the local store in Wye River in far-southwest Victoria in 2005.

He told the shopkeeper he was planning on heading north, and has since reportedly been sighted across regional Victoria and NSW.
This is the shocking moment a man performs a vicious roundhouse kick on a woman as she takes part in a peaceful protest against abortion.

The irate stranger targeted Marie-Claire Bissonnette, 27, after she accused him of vandalising pro-life activists' signs and clothing with permanent marker pens.

Jaw-dropping footage shows the seemingly unprovoked assault at the annual Life Chain street demonstration in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday.

Miss Bissonnette took out her phone and filmed as the man became increasingly aggressive and challenged her views on abortion rights for rape victims.

When she replied 'it's a baby' and abortion was 'killing', the man spun round and kicked her in the shoulder - knocking her phone to the floor.

The thug then tried to justify his actions by claiming he had been aiming for her phone and hit her by mistake, before fleeing the scene.

Toronto Police Service confirmed it is investigating. No arrests have been made.

The attacker has been named locally as Jordan Hunt and he has reportedly been fired from his job as a hair stylist after footage of the assault went viral.

In a statement on Instagram, his former employer Noble Studio 101 said: 'It has been brought to our attention that Jordan Hunt has been caught on camera assaulting an innocent bystander at a pro-life rally.

'We don't condone his actions and he has been let go.

'We believe that everyone has a right to an opinion and the right to voice their opinion without fear of physical violence.'

Jordan Hunt menacingly approaches the woman at the annual Life Chain street demonstration in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday

He sticks out his tongue and adopts a fighting stance as she responds to his argument about rape

He then performs a vicious roundhouse kick on the woman, knocking her phone to the floor

Footage shows the attacker initially apologising to another activist after allegedly ruining her new jacket.

A counter-protester warns that he is being filmed and urges him to calm down.

But the thug then turns to face Miss Bissonnette and becomes agitated.

He says: 'If somebody gets raped by somebody and they're like "I'm a 16-year-old and I can't have this baby", think you should keep it?'

He then makes a patronising thumbs up then thumbs down gesture.

She replies: 'It's a baby. If someone is raped and she gave birth then she decided to kill her child.'

Marie-Claire Bissonnette, who was roundhouse kicked by Hunt

Without warning the man suddenly adopts a fighting stance and delivers a fierce roundhouse kick to his victim, knocking the phone out of her hand.

She shouts 'do not touch me' and urges witnesses to call the police as the fleeing suspect cries: 'I meant to hit your phone.'

Miss Bissonnette escaped with minor injuries to her shoulder but was left distraught following her ordeal.

In a statement she said: 'I've participated in many public pro-life activities throughout my life. This isn't the first time I've been attacked.

'Rocks have been thrown at me. I've been spat upon multiple times and pushed.

'Men have aggressively asked how I would like it if they raped me and forced me to have an abortion.

'There is a media-driven narrative that pro-life activists are violent and a danger to women. This is a bald-faced lie.

'The only violence or aggression I've witnessed in my many years in the pro-life movement comes entirely from pro-abortion activists, and yet it's rarely, if ever, reported.

Hunt tried to justify his actions by claiming he had been aiming for her phone and hit her by mistake, before fleeing the scene

Hunt talking to pro-choice activists before he carried out the vicious assault

'I want to be clear that I empathise with any girl or woman who's experienced the trauma and invasion of sexual assault.

'I can't imagine what it's like but the thought alone is abhorrent and painful. I in no way want to diminish or dismiss the torment of that experience or the gravity of the crime.

'And becoming pregnant through that awful experience puts a girl or woman in a very tough situation which forces upon her a decision that will have lifelong effects.

'But the reality is that a woman who has conceived in rape has become a mother, and I cannot support a procedure that would make her the mother of a dead child.'

A Toronto Police Service spokesman said: 'A woman attended a peaceful protest in the Keele Street and Bloor Street area when an unknown man approached the protesters and was very disruptive.

'During the interaction the man performed a roundhouse kick on the woman and fled before police attended. Her injuries were non-life-threatening.

'The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made at this time.'
This is the bizarre moment a British pensioner was arrested after stealing his next door neighbour's mattress.

Sydney Edward, 72, and wife Phensako Nasok, 45, broke into the room in Pattaya, Thailand, while the owner - who had also been their friend - was on holiday.

The victim, identified only as Stephen, 66, returned home from a trip to Cambodia and was stunned to find his bed had been nabbed - along with 126,000 Baht (3,000) in savings that he had hidden.

Scroll down for video

The couple broke into the apartment in Pattaya, Thailand and carried off the victim's double mattress. The wife later said she 'didn't think he would mind'

Sydney, who is British and Phensako, who is from Thailand, said the took the mattress because they were sleeping on the floor

Sydney Edward, 72, (right) and wife Phensako Nasok, 45, (centre) stole 3,000 of cash and a mattress from their friend, identified only as 66-year-old Stephen, while he was on holiday in Cambodia

Staff at the apartment block checked CCTV and immediately identified Sydney and his wife, who were arrested and taken on a crime re-enactment on Wednesday.

The couple told police they were desperate for money and stole the mattress because they had been sleeping on the floor.

Sydney said: 'We needed the mattress because we have nothing to sleep on.

Staff at the apartment block checked CCTV and immediately identified Sydney and his wife, who were arrested and taken on a crime re-enactment on Wednesday

'I haven't spent any of the money and we can return it. I'm sorry that we did this.'

Phensako told police the couple had been friends with the neighbour and she 'didn't think he would mind'.

She added: 'We do not want to have a problem with him. We don't have any money and we knew he has a lot.'

The couple initially denied the theft but confessed when they were shown CCTV of them breaking the door open then dragging out the double mattress.

The couple were caught on the apartment block CCTV working as a team to break in and then making off with their friends cash

The couple (pictured seated) initially denied the theft but confessed when they were shown CCTV of them breaking the door open then dragging out the double mattress

The couple (pictured masked) have been charged with theft after admitting the crime, THai Police said

Lieutenant Colonel Apichai Krobtech, head of the police force in the popular tourist city, said the couple acted as a team while committing the burglary.

He said: 'The wife was checking down the corridor while the man broke the door open then stole the mattress and cash from the victim.

'This crime is unacceptable. The offenders were shown evidence of their theft and they confessed. They will be charged with theft.'
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A shrine celebrating activist and author Oscar Wilde has gone on display in London, with visitors being able to take part in marriage ceremonies and vow renewals at the chapel.

The new installation has hopes of raising funds for homeless LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people in the city.

In a Victorian south London church, the Oscar Wilde Temple is the first London show from artist Peter McGough and long-term artistic and former romantic partner, David McDermott.

The exhibition has been described as one of the most ambitious commissions in the gallery. The alter with the statue of Oscar Wilde is set to be used for a wide variety of ceromonies

Oscar Wilde (pictured) was an Irish writer, poet and prominent aesthete. The new exhibition is a homage to his life and work

The installation is more than an art show, as visitors will be able to use the temple for LGBT rites of any kind, including marriages, vow renewals and transgender naming ceremonies.

The installation had originally been mounted in New York last year and the immersive experience is now set to take over over the premises of the non-profit arts organisation Studio Voltaire, which is located in a former chapel, where it will remain for the next six months.

It was in 1985 that Wilde had been imprisoned on charges of sodomy and gross indecency following accusations made by the father of his lover, Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas.

Now both McGough and McDermott want to present his suffering and help raise awareness with the new instalation, the New York Times reported.

McGough said: 'Wilde stood up for himself in the courts, he went to jail and then he was destroyed.

'What he went through was very Christlike.'

The exhibition includes an altar that surrounds a wooden rendering of the 19th-century Irish playwright and poet.

Gay rights and the AIDS crisis have been constant themes in the pair's work and feature throughout the exhibition.

While the 'Oscar Wilde Temple' is a step forward for progress, it is also a politically charged move.

The wall of the temple is filled with colourful paintings and tasteful decor. One painting entitled 'A Friend of Dorothy, 1943' features various names the artists have been called

The painting 'A Friend of Dorothy, 1943' features slurs that the artists have been called.

Another, showing a luminous spiral radiating from the center of the canvas, bears the title 'Advent Infinite Divine Spirit,' offering an alternate meaning for the acronym AIDS.

Both works date from the '80s. There are also contemporary pieces which are displayed on either side of the altarpiece, including 12 oil paintings of what McDermott and McGough identify as modern-day martyrs.

The converted chapel is complete with an alter and plenty of seats and is set to be used for transgender renaming ceremonies

The figures include icons of queer culture such as Harvey Milk and Alan Turing and lesser-known figures like Xulhaz Mannan, the founder of Bangladesh's first LGBT magazine, and Jody Dobrowski, a London bar manager, both of whom were killed in hate crimes.

The artists have restored the exhibition space back to its former Victorian glory, by adding purple votive candles, heavy chandeliers and geometric floral wallpaper from the 1880s. In addition to the hand-carved Wilde statue at the altar, in true homage to Wilde, the temple is complete with new stained-glass windows depicting sunflowers and green carnations (a nod to a key prop in Wilde's play 'Lady Windermere's Fan').

Paintings of archival newspaper cartoons of the author's trial are displayed to mimic the stations of the cross found in a traditional Catholic church.

Sunflowers surround the statue of Oscar Wilde who the two artists believe played a key role in the gay movement

Proceeds from exhibition will go to the Albert Kennedy Trust, a charity that helps the LGBT homeless.

The world we live in today is a stark contrast to the one in which Wilde would have had to deal with, and McGough said it's clear that Wilde played a key role in the gay revolution.

'He knew how to stand up to the crowds mocking him,' McGough says of Wilde as he looks up at the statue. 'He was the figure and the forefather of the gay revolution.'

The original idea of the exhibition was thought of more than 20 years ago and the artists set about designing the temple

The original idea for the shine first manifested more than 20 years ago and McGough and McDermott designed the space to be a temple of love and acceptance.

'I thought, let's give some comfort to my kind and my community,' says McGough. 'A celebration of who we are.'

The 'Oscar Wilde Temple' is on view from Oct 3 2018 through March 21 2019 at Studio Voltaire, 1A Nelsons Row, London, for more information visit studiovoltaire.org.

Modern day art is met with classic literature in the chapel and one framed painting displayed celebrates queer culture
Houston Police Department has launched an internal investigation after one of their officers was filmed secretly taking a photograph of a woman's backside at a Drake concert.

Footage taken by a concert-goer showed the grey-haired policeman taking sneaky pictures of the oblivious woman on his mobile phone while standing at the side of the dance floor.

He then flicked through and admired the photos he'd just taken while the woman stood just yards in front of him, enjoying the concert at the Toyota Center.

A Houston police officer was caught taking a photo of a woman's backside at a Drake concert

Footage taken by a concert-goer showed the grey-haired policeman taking sneaky pictures of the oblivious woman

Chalice Williams said she was 'stunned' after catching the officer on film.

She claims the policeman was zooming in on the woman's backside even before she got the chance to start recording.

A second video from Chalice then shows the brazen policeman admiring his handy work.

He then admired his new image for several seconds while the woman danced along to the music at the Toyota Center

Houston Police Department said it had launched an internal investigation. Here the officer is seen lining up the image (left) before admiring it once it had been taken (right)

It's thought the policeman was supposed to be supervising the crowd in the Toyota Center (shown) in Houston

Houston Police Department confirmed on Wednesday October 3 they had launched an internal investigation.

A spokesman said: 'We are aware of a video that shows actions of one of our officers at a concert last evening.

'Although HPD has not received a formal complaint, we have launched an internal investigation.'

Canadian rapper Drake was performing in the arena on Tuesday when the incident took place
Uber driver Rahman Ullah, 38, repeatedly struck 34 year-old estranged wife Raja with the heel of his shoe, inflicting two black eyes and mimicked stabbing her with a kitchen knife while he held it in his hand

An Uber driver live-streamed footage showing him beating his wife to relatives in Pakistan, boasting: 'I'm going to kill her today'.

Rahman Ullah, 38, repeatedly struck 34 year-old estranged wife Raja with the heel of his shoe, inflicting two black eyes and mimicked stabbing her with a kitchen knife while he held it in his hand.

The father-of-two pleaded guilty to assaulting his Tesco-manager wife, causing actual bodily harm, at their former matrimonial home in Croydon on May 9.

Sentencing him to 14 months imprisonment, Recorder Tom Forster told him: 'You were engaged in a WhatsApp video call to Pakistan, informing them you were going to kill her.

'Not content with your boorish behaviour you pursued her to the communal hallway and by her hair dragged her back into the flat.

'She was understandably tearful and you tormented her with a knife, repeatedly making stabbing motions towards her and said you were going to kill her.

'She got two very visible black eyes and obvious bruising to the sides of her face. You gave her a brutal beating.

'You used the heel of a shoe as a weapon and used a knife as a weapon to threaten and filmed the whole thing on a phone.'

Prosecutor Faye Rolfe told Croydon Crown Court the couple had been married for thirteen years until splitting twelve months before the attack.

When Ullah arrived to drive their daughter to school he tricked her into handing over the front door key and let himself in.

'His wife was shocked to see him and he was on his phone, making a WhatsApp video call to his mother and brother.

While holding the phone in a self-style he said: 'I'm going to kill her today. He hit her with the heel of his shoe ten to fifteen times.'

Raja fled the flat barefoot, but only made it to the communal hallway.

Prosecutor Faye Rolfe told Croydon Crown Court the couple had been married for thirteen years until splitting twelve months before the attack

'He dragged her back down the hallway by her hair and she hit her head on the floor,' added Ms Rolfe.

'She is thrown onto the couch and Ullah goes to the kitchen for a knife and makes a stabbing motion towards her.

'He said: I'm going to stab you and she genuinely thought she was going to be killed and this was still being filmed.

The fact that hit was filmed makes it more humiliating for the victim.'

Afterwards Raja said: 'I've not been sleeping well. I'm aching all over and have a bruise to my head, where I was dragged by the hair.

'I'm scared to sleep in case my husband gets back in the house to kill me. I took a week off work because I did not want to be seen in that state.'

Ullah initially told police his wife was the aggressor and attacked him until eventually admitting his guilty and also being made subject to an indefinite restraining order.
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Russian hackers waged a four-year disinformation campaign against the west in which they obtained sensitive information from weapons watchdogs and anti-doping sports bodies, it emerged today.

Seven Kremlin agents working for the GRU are accused of hacking the records of 250 athletes from 30 countries as they travelled across the globe using the intelligence obtained to spread fake news designed to bolster President Vladimir Putin's position on the world stage.

The targets included FIFA, the World Anti-Doping Agency and the 2016 US presidential race that resulted in the election of Donald Trump.

Spies also attempted to hack computers at the UK Foreign Office and the Porton Down military research facility days after assassins tried to murder the Skripals in Salisbury. The unit - nicknamed 'Sandworm' - tried and failed to infiltrate UK IT systems as part of a series of attacks across Europe this year.

American intelligence identified the spies as working for the GRU's Unit 26165, which it has emerged created the fake 'hacktivist' group Fancy Bears to disseminate the material along with misleading statements designed to exonerate Russia of doping allegations and instead level them at the US.

And when Dutch authorities caught four of the suspects in The Hague trying to hack the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) as it investigated the Salisbury novichok attack, they had to send them back to Russia on account of their diplomatic passports. The OPCW was also due to conduct analysis of the chemical weapons attack in Douma on April 7.

But despite their 'sophisticated' operation from 2014-2018, the bungling spies were today revealed to have left a trail including a taxi receipt for a journey from GRU headquarters to Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport the very day that four agents arrived in Amsterdam. One of the group even kept selfies from previous operations including one taken at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil where Russian athletes' doping samples were tampered with and US athletes' medical records leaked.

The US today charged seven Russian military intelligence officers over hacking attacks around the world. The group are accused of a range of attacks on institutions and individuals around the world. The attacks are linked to Russian attempts to spy on investigations into doping in sport, politics in the Ukraine and the US, and the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in the UK

Dutch authorities released images of four Russian agents who tried to hack into the global chemical weapons watchdog a month after the Salisbury novichok attack. CCTV shows them when they arrived in the Netherlands

CCTV images show Alexey Minin (left), while Oleg Sotnikov (right) is pictured on a photo recovered from a phone. They are both alleged to be members of the GRU's hacking squad, who were unmasked today

After the Dutch named four men it caught hacking The Hague, US authorities released images of Artem Malyshev, 30, Ivan Yermakov, 32, and Dmitriy Badin, 27 (pictured, left to right), who it named as GRU hackers

Russian president Vladimir Putin waves to spectators prior to boarding a car after his arrival in New Delhi as the GRU's campaign of cyber warfare against the west was today exposed

These images, made available by the Dutch Ministry of Defence today, are said to show the hacking equipment that four Russian intelligence officers used for a cyber attack on the OPCW

'Hardly James Bond' Russian spies arrested as they walked out of a hotel lift in The Hague without force and with 'no James Bond involved', the manager said Thursday. Dutch security forces said they seized the men as they tried to carry out a cyber attack on the world chemical weapons watchdog while parked at the Marriott Hotel next door. But there were 'no guns, no handcuffs or force', as police arrived at the hotel in the city's upmarket Statenkwartier district in broad daylight, said general manager Vincent Pahlplatz. 'The police went to the front desk and said we would like to talk to a few of your guests,' Pahlplatz said. 'At that very same time, the four men came out of the elevator into the lobby, coincidentally.' There was no showdown. 'The police officers simply told the men: "Will you please follow me" - and they did,' said Pahlplatz, who was in the lobby at the time with the Dutch security agents. 'They followed the police outside and never returned. Some people were checking in and they didn't even notice what was going on.' The hotel is next door to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and is across the road from Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's official Catshuis residence. Police then came with an official warrant to search the room where the Russians were staying 'and we gave them access', the manager said. 'Of course, we had a million questions, but police said because of their investigation they could not share them - until today.' 'It sounds like James Bond but there was no James Bond involved,' said Pahlplatz. 'No Aston Martins, no revolving number plates, nobody sky diving from the rooftop. It's a very dull James Bond story,' he laughed. Dutch officials said on Thursday that the men had been trying to hack into the OPCW's computer system. They were expelled immediately after their arrest. Advertisement

Today the UK accused Russia's GRU intelligence agency of being behind hacks on the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), transport systems in Ukraine and democratic elections, such as the 2016 US presidential race. Britain has warned Russia it could face new sanctions, with foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt saying the disclosures were 'hard evidence' of the activities of the 'unacceptable' of Russian intelligence.

Then, Dutch authorities revealed they had caught a team of Kremlin agents rigging up computers, phones and an antenna in the boot of a car to try and hack into the global chemical weapons watchdog in The Hague.

The spies were apprehended after setting up at the Marriott Hotel next door, with general manager Vincent Pahlplatz saying the spies were 'no James Bond'.

This afternoon, the US Justice Department announced it has charged seven Russian military intelligence officers with hacking anti-doping agencies and other organizations.

The Kremlin was left trying to hold back a growing flood of evidence of its hacking activities around the world, spread over four years.

The US indictment lists Russian nationals: Aleksei Morenets, 41, Evgenii Serebriakov, 37, Ivan Yermakov, 32, Artem Malyshev, 30, and Dmitriy Badin, 27, from the GRU's Unit 26165, and Oleg Sotnikov, 46, and Alexey Minin, 46, who were also GRU officers.

The FBI indictment lists a series of allegations against the seven wanted men. It says:

As early as November 2014, Yermakov performed reconnaissance of Westinghouse Electric Company's (WEC) in Pennsylvania, a company involved in the supply of power to the Ukraine.

In July 2016, Yermakov and Malyshev used 'spoofed domains' to unleash 'spearphishing' attacks on WADA and United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) employees.

Also in 2016, Morenets and Serebriakov, with the support of Yermakov, went to Rio to target wifi networks used by anti-doping officials at the Olympic Games.

In mid-September 2016, Morenets and Serebriakov compromised the wifi network of a hotel hosting a WADA anti-doping conference in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In December 2016 and January 2017, the group successfully compromised the networks of International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and football's governing body FIFA, targeting computers used by each organization's top anti-doping official. Among the data stolen from officials were anti-doping policies, lab results, and medical reports.

In April 2018, Morenets, Serebriakov, Sotnikov, and Minin travelled to The Hague to try and hack into the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) during the investigation in the Salisbury novichok attack. The case against these four was also set out by the Dutch Defence ministry today.

It came after the British National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said the GRU were behind at least four hacking attacks around the world:

A hacking strike on Wada in August 2017.

A 'BadRabbit' attack in October 2017 that caused disruption to the Kiev metro and Odessa airport in the Ukraine.

The NCSC also stated that the GRU was 'almost certainly' to blame for hacking the Democratic National Committee during the US presidential election in 2016.

The agency pointed the finger at the GRU for accessing email accounts at a small UK-based TV station in 2015.

As Russia's hacking activities around the world were exposed, Dutch authorities detailed how they caught four GRU agents in The Hague, trying to hack into the chemical weapons watchdog's computers at a time the body was investigate the Sergei Skripal novichok poisoning in Salisbury

Surveillance footage shows the moment Dutch intelligence officers descended on the scene and caught the four men outside the chemical weapons agency

A briefing in The Hague was shown pictures of each of the men's passports. Alexey Minin, from Perm, to the north west of Moscow, was named as one of the men

One of the men was named as Evgeny Serebriakov and his passport of photo was released

Another of the men was named as Oleg Sotnikov, said to have been born in Oeljanovsk

The passport numbers of the men were released, including Aleksei Morenets, from Murmansk

The FBI later released this copy of the passport of Dimitry Badin who is accused of hacking related to the 2016 US elections

Laptop belonging to Russian spies was also used to hack MH17 investigation in Malaysia The Russian intelligence officers expelled from the Netherlands after the Dutch government thwarted a major cyber attack had targeted the investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. A laptop belonging to one of the four Russian spies caught trying to hack into the global chemical weapons watchdog OPCW in the wake of the Salisbury Novichok attack could also be placed in Brazil, Switzerland and Malaysia. Data found on the laptop of the GRU intelligence agency officer put it as having been in use in Kuala Lumpur, and linked it to the MH17 investigation. It had been used to specifically target Malaysian police and the country's attorney general, Dutch authorities announced at a press conference in the Hague today. Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in July 2014, killing 298 people, with an four-year investigation finding Russia responsible earlier this year. British ambassador to the Netherlands Peter Wilson said there was proof of 'malign activity' in Malaysia, stating: 'This GRU operation was trying to collect information about the MH17 investigation. 'And targeted Malaysian government institutions, including the attorney general's office and the Royal Malaysian Police.' Advertisement

The three governments' public expose of the operation will reignite hostilities between Putin's regime and the West, following tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions in the wake of the Salisbury attack.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the new hacking accusations from the Netherlands and UK as 'big fantasies'.

The Dutch Defence Ministry said the team of GRU officers - travelling on official Russian passports - entered the Netherlands on April 10, just a month after the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

Three days later, they parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in the The Hague, where the novichok attack was being investigated.

However, before they could initiate the hacking attack, Dutch counter-intelligence officers descended on the vehicle and seized the men, who were then kicked out of the country.

The hacking attempt - described as a 'close access' attack due to the attempt by the group to get close to the building - followed a longer-range earlier 'spearphishing attack' on the OPCW headquarters.

A laptop belonging to one of the four Hague hackers was linked to Brazil, Switzerland and Malaysia, with the activities in Malaysia related to the investigation into the 2014 shooting down of flight MH17 over Ukraine, Dutch Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld told a news conference.

At a joint press conference in The Hague, British ambassador to the Netherlands Peter Wilson said: 'This disruption happened in April. Around that time the OPCW was working to independently verify the United Kingdom's analysis of the chemical weapons used in the poisoning of the Skripals in Salisbury.'

In a joint statement Theresa May and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said: 'We have, with the operations exposed today, further shone a light on the unacceptable cyber activities of the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU.

'This attempt to access the secure systems of an international organisation working to rid the world of chemical weapons, demonstrates the GRU's disregard for the global values and rules that keep us safe.

'Our action today reinforces the clear message from the international community: we will uphold the rules-based international system and defend international institutions from those that seek to do them harm.'

Meanwhile NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned Russia to halt its 'reckless' behavior amid a series of global cyberattacks blamed on Moscow.

Surveillance pictures show the men at the scene on the day of the thwarted hacking attack

A map released by the Dutch authorities shows how close the group managed to park their rental car to the OPCW headquarters, where chemical weapons are investigated

Pictures show the cache of equipment seized from the men. They attempted to smash up some of the phones (inset) when they realised authorities were on to them

GRU's links to the 'Fancy Bears' hackers group revealed GRU hackers operate under a dozen different names, with the most well-known being 'Fancy Bears' group, according to allegations announced over the last 24 hours. A Fancy Bear hack obtained confidential medical records for international athletes from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in August last year. British cyclists Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome were among those who had records released on their use of banned substances for a legitimate medical reasons. Another attack, outlined by UK authorities this morning, was made on the US Democrat party, which was targeted by Fancy Bear in 2016 when documents from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) were published online. Advertisement

In a statement issued during a meeting of NATO defense ministers today, Mr Stoltenberg said: 'NATO allies stand in solidarity with the decision by the Dutch and British governments to call out Russia on its blatant attempts to undermine international law and institutions.'

He said that 'Russia must stop its reckless pattern of behavior, including the use of force against its neighbors, attempted interference in election processes, and widespread disinformation campaigns.'

The 29 NATO allies are discussing cybersecurity at talks in Brussels, with the US, Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands due to announce that they will provide offensive cyber-capabilities for use by NATO.

The revelations will further strain relations with Russia after Britain blamed Moscow for the nerve agent attack in Salisbury last March which left one person dead.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Russia could face further sanctions in the wake of the latest 'hard evidence'.

Mr Hunt said: 'The first thing we are doing is to expose it and the words matter because there are countries all over the world that are hearing both sides of the story - they're hearing what the Russians say as well.

'This is the evidence that what we are getting from Russia is fake news, and here is the hard evidence of Russian military activity.

'But of course it will go beyond that, and that is why we will be discussing with our allies what further sanctions should be imposed.

'We will also be discussing how we need, working with our friends and allies, to counter this pattern of cyber attacks, which is the new type of attack that the whole world is having to deal with.'

Dutch authorities released images of the huge amount the cash found on the men. Sotnikov had 20,000 euros and 20,000 dollars on him

The men took their own rubbish - including several beer cans - out of their hotel room, presumably because they were concerned about an investigation

Incredibly, a taxi receipt found on the one of the men named the street in Moscow where the GRU has its headquarters

How did Russians' hacking operation in The Hague unfold? On April 10, the Russians took a taxi from a GRU base in Moscow to the city's Sheremetyevo airport. Some of their mobile phones were activated near the GRU's HQ.

The men travelled to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on Russian diplomatic passports.

On April 11, they hired a Citroen C3 and scouted the area around the OPCW - all the time being watched by Dutch intelligence.

They set up in the Marriott Hotel next door to the OPCW and took photos, while parking the car at the hotel with the boot facing the OPCW. In the boot was electronic equipment to intercept the OPCW's Wifi and log in codes.

Dutch spies intervened and sent them back to Russia. Advertisement

UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, attending a Nato summit in Brussels, said Moscow was targeting organisations with no military value.

He told Sky News: 'What we are seeing is that Russia is quite willing to use such weapons such as cyber attacks against these organisations, and here at Nato we stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies in unity against such actions.

'What we have made clear is that we are not going to be backward leaning. We are going to actually make it clear where Russia acts that we are going to be exposing that action.

'And we believe that by doing so this will act as a disincentive for acting in such a way in the future.'

Details were revealed on Thursday after the UK Government accused the GRU of a wave of other cyber attacks across the globe.

He added: 'The Russian government needs to know that if they flout international law in this way, there will be consequences, they will be exposed, and people will see the Russian government for what they are; which is an organisation that is trying to foster instability throughout the world and that is totally unacceptable.'

The NCSC associated four new attacks with the GRU, on top of previous strikes believed to have been conducted by Russian intelligence.

Dutch Minister of Defence Ank Bijleveld, director of Netherlands Defence Intelligence Onno Eichelsheim and British Ambassador to the Netherlands Peter Wilson revealed details of the thwarted hacking attempt at a briefing in The Hague today

Russia's GRU intelligence agency targeted the global chemical weapons watchdog, the OPCW, whose headquarters are in The Hague, Dutch authorities revealed today

Security expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon said the cyber attacks in The Hague and at Porton Down showed Putin was bent on disrupting the investigation into the novichok attack in Salisbury.

Mr de Bretton-Gordon said: 'It shows how the Russians did everything they could to undermine and disrupt the novichok investigation and try to make it fall apart. It is completely cynical and they didn't care at all'.

He added: 'Britain asked the OPCW to help and then soon afterwards Russian agents target them in The Hague and in Switzerland. It is no coincidence'.

The intervention by Britain, The Netherlands and the US today will put pressure on Putin to curb his cyber warfare.

But his spies' failure to kill Sergei Skripal and being caught trying to hack the OPCW 'will hurt him more', Mr de Bretton-Gordon said.

He added: 'The British secret services may have considered the GRU as equals but the past few months have shown they are amateurish and the West is now one step ahead of them. Putin will not like that and there will be a lot of anger in Moscow about some of these recent bungled missions'.

Russian spies launched cyber attack from boot of rented Citroen using 'basic' hacking method... but left trail of clues including taxi receipts and cans of Heineken in an Aldi bag

The GRU used a laptop, Wi-Fi dongle and a rudimentary battery pack stored in the boot of a rented Citroen C3 in its botched cyber attack on the global chemical weapons watchdog, it was revealed today.

Using a technique from the early days of Wi-Fi, they attempted to break into the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons's network in The Hague by tricking staff into logging into their fake router.

They parked the car at a local hotel and disguised the Wi-Fi antenna hidden inside the router, so staff would login. The laptop then stole their username and password, allowing the agents to get into the OPCW's network.

The boot of a car filled with hacking equipment in the Citroen rental car which was being used by the four Russian officers

Authorities released a picture of the car which was rigged up with hacking equipment

Hackers' visit to Rio Olympics exposed by a selfie with female friend One of the team of hackers unmasked today unwittingly bolstered the evidence against him when he took a selfie at the Rio Olympic Games. Evgenii Serebriakov was pictured clutching a female friend dressed in a Russia athletes T-shirt in the crowd at the Olympics. Investigators have since exposed his cyber attacks on doping officials at the games. The FBI say Serebriakov hacked into wifi networks used by anti-doping officials and helped access a medical database. Evgenii Serebriakov was among four Russians trying to hack chemical weapons inspectors and his laptop contained this selfie at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil - revealing one of more than a dozen GRU missions across the globe Advertisement

Through the network they could spy on operations within the building, including investigations into the Salisbury Novichok attack.

It also emerged today that Russia's bungling GRU agents left a trail of clues that helped authorities link them to the string of cyber attacks.

Among the items revealed at an extraordinary briefing in The Hague today was a mobile phone one of the men was caught with having been activated near the Russian military intelligence's headquarters in Moscow.

Also discovered on one of the spies was a taxi receipt showing a journey from a street next to the GRU base to Moscow Airport on April 10, the day that the four agents later arrived at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

The team of four GRU officers travelling on official Russian passports entered the Netherlands on April 10  but it turned out that two of them were carrying documents with consecutive passport numbers.

On April 11, they hired a Citroen C3 and scouted the area around the OPCW - all the time being watched by Dutch intelligence.

The agents, who stayed at a Marriott Hotel next to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, were also found to have used public WiFi hotspots to conduct their operations in the Netherlands.

And they were photographed performed reconnaissance of the OPCW headquarters, where the nerve agent sample was being independently verified.

One of the many phones belonging to four Russian GRU officers is seen after they tried to destroy it when they were arrested

What the Russians had in the back of the rental car WiFi panel antenna - This would have projected a fake network, known as an 'evil access point', into the building. The chemical weapons analysts would have tried to connect to this access point thinking they were connecting to their own WiFi network. When staff logged into the fake router the laptop stole their username and password, allowing agents to break into the OPCW's computer network. Using the network they could spy on operations within the building, including staff investigations into the March 2018 Salisbury Novichok attack. The directional antenna were pointing specifically at the OPCW offices which means the fake network would have had a stronger signal than the real signal. This would have lured the devices away from the real network. Smartphone (4G) - The hackers may have created a hotspot using their mobile. This was then projected into the building using the antenna. Computer - Using the computer they would have been able to siphon off staff login details. A laptop belonging to one of the four was linked to Brazil, Switzerland and Malaysia, with the activities in Malaysia related to the investigation into the 2014 shooting down of flight MH17 over Ukraine. Bag with battery - The battery would have been for powering the computer because when these attacks are mounted the device is left running for a long time. 'That was just to power the computer, and ancillary equipment', Professor Woodward told MailOnline. 'When you mount these attacks you often leave the device in situ running for a long time so it needs a hefty battery and most of those need to have their voltage converted to run, say, laptops.' Transformer - The battery voltage would need to be converted in order to run the computers and phones. Advertisement

When leaving The Hague, the men took all the rubbish from their room - including empty cans of Heineken beer and what appeared to be an empty cold meat packet in an Aldi bag - in a further bid to cover their tracks.

On April 13, the GRU officers were said to have parked a rental car with specialist hacking equipment outside the OPCW's headquarters to breach its systems  but British and Dutch intelligence thwarted the operation.

And when the men were arrested, they were caught with 20,000 (17,000 or $23,025) and $20,000 (15,000) in cash. The group also tried - and failed - to destroy a mobile phone, and they were caught with incriminating laptops.

A researcher has revealed that the rudimentary technique they used to hack into the OPCW is common - though it has never been used in such a high-profile case.

Professor Alan Woodward, a computer scientist at the University of Surrey, said the Russians likely used an ordinary laptop attached to a directional antenna, which was pointed at the OPCW building.

He said unlike more common remote hacking techniques, the GRU agents needed to park close to the site in order for the WiFi signal to be strong enough.

Looking at the equipment in the boot of the car it appears they were attempting to intercept login credentials as people tried to connect to the WiFi network at OPCW, Professor Woodward said.

'A classic way of doing this is to set yourself up as what is known as an 'evil access point', he told MailOnline. 'You pretend to be the network they are attempting to connect to and steal their login details as their computer or phone tries to connect.'

The cyber security expert said it was unusual for high level intelligence officials to use such a rudimentary form of attack. '[The technique] has been around as long as WiFi has,' he told MailOnline.

'Attacks have evolved as security in WiFi has evolved. But it's so basic that most enterprise style organisations are well protected. Hence the high profile cases tend to be from some more remote source.'

Foreign Office and computers at Porton Down research facility were hacked by Russian spies from GRU cyber unit 'Sandworm' in wake of Salisbury novichok attack

Russian spies attempted to hack computers at the Foreign Office and the Porton Down military research facility days after assassins tried to murder the Skripals in Salisbury.

Moscow's feared GRU cyber unit nicknamed 'Sandworm' tried and failed to infiltrate UK IT systems as part of a series of attacks across Europe this year.

They carried out an unsuccessful 'spearfishing' attack on the Foreign Office in March as the police, MI5 and MI6 were trying to find out who attacked Sergei and Yulia Skripal with novichok.

At the same time they targeted computers at Porton Down in April, Britain's top military research facility where experts were testing for the nerve agent.

Computers at Porton Down were targeted by Russian spies at a time when British experts inside were testing for novichok

British intelligence helped thwart the operation, which was launched in April, a month after the Salisbury Novichok poisoning.

Details were revealed on Thursday after the UK Government accused the GRU of a wave of other cyber attacks across the globe.

At a press conference in The Hague, British ambassador to the Netherlands Peter Wilson said: 'The disruption of this attempted attack on the OPCW was down to the expertise and the professionalism of the Dutch security services in partnership with the United Kingdom.

'The OPCW is a respected international organisation which is working to rid the world of chemical weapons.

'Hostile action against it demonstrates complete disregard for this vital mission.'

Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the UK's Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, tweeted: 'The catalogue of evidence shows why the Dutch are excellent partners and that the decades of theft have stripped Russia's intelligence of the skills they once had. Putin's corrupt greed has turned the GRU into an amateurish bunch of jokers.'

Dutch authorities released a diagram showing how the hacking equipment was set up in the boot of the car. Right: Some of the haul of electronic kit found in the group's possession

Russia's GRU intelligence agency targeted the global chemical weapons watchdog, the OPCW, whose headquarters are in The Hague, Dutch authorities revealed today

Russia 'interfered in three elections' as it targeted Britain, Macedonia, U.S. and Ukraine in string of 'brazen' cyber attacks aimed at destabilising democracies around the world

Russian spies launched a global cyber war to interfere with three elections, the Olympics, the MH17 investigation and the hunt for the men behind the Skripal attack in Salisbury, it was revealed today.

The Kremlin has been accused of using its agents to 'foster instability' in democracies around the world as their operations over the past three years were laid bare.

Targets included the metro and airports in Ukraine, police in Malaysia investigating claims the Russians shot down MH17 killing 300 passengers and even the emails of a small UK TV station.

Russian president Vladimir Putin appeared untroubled the growing storm over Russian hacking as he met India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today

Timeline: Putin's cyber army's worldwide missions 2015: Hacker sent to Kuala Lumpur targets the Malaysian investigation into the shooting down of flight MH17 over Ukraine. He targeted Malaysian government institutions, including the attorney general's office and the Royal Malaysian Police 2015: The GRU accesses email accounts at a small UK-based TV station 2015-2016: Russia hacks the Danish defence ministry and gained access to employees' emails May 2016: Russia accused of being behind a series of cyber attacks on German state computer systems June 2016: Hackers accessed the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 US presidential campaign. August 2016: Agent photographed posing at the Brazil Olympics where confidential US athlete medical data was hacked and leaked September 2016: GRU officers connected to WiFi at the Alpha Palmiers Hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland, where a WADA conference was taking place August 2017: Agents try to interfere and influence the Macedonian elections and GRU 'Fancy Bears' again attack WADA in August 2017 October 2017: The GRU behind a 'BadRabbit'attack that caused disruption to the Kiev metro and Odessa airport March 2018: The GRU attempted to compromise UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office computer systems in London via a spear phishing attack April 2018: GRU intrusions targeted both the computers Porton Down in Salisbury and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague May 2018: GRU hackers sent spear phishing emails which impersonated Swiss federal authorities to target OPCW employees in Holland Advertisement

Their hacking missions were inadvertently revealed by the four bungling spies caught trying to hack into computers used by chemical weapons inspectors investigating Russian attacks in Salisbury and Syria at their Dutch headquarters.

Cyber expert Evgenii Serebriakov's laptop was seized at The Hague and revealed he kept selfies from previous operations including at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil where Russian athletes' doping samples were tampered with and US athletes' medical records leaked.

His laptop also linked the men to cyber attacks in Switzerland, America, Denmark and Germany.

Two of the officers were planning to travel on to Switzerland where the OPCW - which was at the time investigating the Salisbury attack and a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria - has laboratories.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has said a number of hackers known to have launched attacks have been linked to the GRU.

The NCSC associated four new attacks with the GRU, on top of previous strikes believed to have been conducted by Russian intelligence.

Among targets of the GRU attacks were the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), transport systems in Ukraine, and democratic elections, such as the 2016 US presidential race, according to the NCSC.

The centre said it was 'almost certainly' the GRU behind a 'BadRabbit' attack in October 2017 that caused disruption to the Kiev metro, Odessa airport and Russia's central bank.

Britain's cyber security chiefs say they have 'high confidence' Russian intelligence was responsible for a strike on Wada in August 2017.

The NCSC also said the GRU was 'almost certainly' to blame for hacking the Democratic National Committee during the US presidential election in 2016.

And the agency pointed the finger at the GRU for accessing email accounts at a small UK-based TV station in 2015.

The hackers were planning to travel on to the Spiez Laboratory, where the OPCW was studying chemical weapons

Theresa May and the Dutch PM blast the Kremlin for 'unacceptable' cyber attacks and warn Russia is showing a total 'disregard for the global values and rules that keep us safe' Theresa May today tore into Russia for its 'unacceptable cyber activities' and vowed to hit back to defend the international order against their strikes. In a joint statement with the Dutch Prime Minister, she said the Kremlin is showing flagrant 'disregard' for the global values which keep the world safe. And she warned that Britain and its allies will stand up to the Russian aggression to ensure that Western institutions are protected from the onslaught of attacks ordered by Moscow. She issued the stern rebuke in a joint statement with the Dutch PM Mark Rutte after the two countries today revealed Russia's GRU intelligence agency tried to hack into the global chemical weapons watchdog a month after the Salisbury attack. Theresa May (pictured left at her party conference in Birmingham yesterday) and Dutch PM Mark Rutte (pictured at the UN Assembly in September today tore into Russia for its 'unacceptable cyber activities' and vowed to hit back to defend the international order against their strikes The Dutch Defence Ministry this morning took the extraordinary step of naming and picturing four Russian agents involved in the attack on the OPCW in April. The two leaders said: 'We have, with the operations exposed today, further shone a light on the unacceptable cyber activities of the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU. 'This attempt to access the secure systems of an international organisation working to rid the world of chemical weapons, demonstrates the GRU's disregard for the global values and rules that keep us safe. 'Our action today reinforces the clear message from the international community: we will uphold the rules-based international system and defend international institutions from those that seek to do them harm.' Advertisement
Eleanor Wilson said she was wearing size 10 hiking boots and black jeans - making it 'impossible' to have sex on the plane. Pictured: Ms Wilson leaving Bristol Crown Court yesterday

A physics teacher who allegedly became pregnant after having sex with a schoolboy on a plane told the court she was wearing hiking boots which would have made the act 'impossible'.

Eleanor Wilson said she was 'sickened' at the allegations and denied luring the then 16-year-old into a toilet on a BA flight home from a school trip in Africa.

The 29-year-old is on trial at Bristol Crown Court for sexual activity with child by a person in a position of trust.

The 6ft 2in teacher said she was wearing size 10 hiking boots and black jeans - making it impossible to take her trouser leg off over her shoe as the boy claimed had happened before they allegedly had sex.

She told the court: 'There is no truth whatsoever [about intercourse] - you'd have to take boots off first to get trousers off.'

She recalled sitting on a ledge outside the toilet on the plane - the stage in which the boy, who had been drinking, claimed their sexual interaction started.

She said: 'He said "What's going on, why are you sitting here?" thinking it was something exciting.

'He was stood in front of me - people were coming and going to the toilet.

'He was there for 10 to 15 minutes and we spoke about what he was looking forward to when we got home.

'He sat next to me but not on me. I would never touch or kiss him.'

It is said Wilson, aged 26 at the time of the incident, kissed and hugged the boy before 'beckoning' him to the toilet where they had sex.

She said the claims by the teenager were lies and told police the boy's story 'sounds like a description of a weird porn film' and there was 'no truth whatsoever' in the claims

On allegations she was in a relationship with the boy, she said: 'I was horrified someone could say that because I wasn't.

She is also accused of seeing the boy away from school, where they allegedly kissed and cuddled on three separate occasions.

The jury today heard her interview with police after her arrest.

Wilson is accused of having unprotected intercourse with the teenager on the British Airways flight home from a school trip to Swaziland, southern Africa

When quizzed about the boy's detailed account, she said: 'The amount of detail has come from his imagination and I don't know why he was saying that,' Wilson said.

'They are very good at imagining stuff and thinking of... it seems like some weird porn film.'

She added: 'I think it is something that is scripted. It is not a memory.'

Referring to the alleged incident in the toilet cubicle, she said: 'I was on my period and that's the last thing I was thinking of.

'You had kids that were sick and I didn't want the parents thinking that we were not looking after them.'

She added: 'It makes me feel sick, the idea of it.'

She told the court: 'I value my job. I would not have jeopardised going to prison.'

Her trial at Bristol Crown Court has heard she contacted him 339 times over eight months - but she said they were just 'mates'.

Wilson said they went to Tintern Abbey in Wales during the summer holidays because she wanted a day out.

She also confirmed the pair had been on a day trip to Ashton Court to talk where they ate bacon sandwiches and drank tea or coffee. They went for a walk and the boy said he was struggling with his studies and had broken up with his girlfriend.

'He was really the only person I had that was a friend. He was the only person I would talk to apart from Andy [her boyfriend at the time],' Wilson told police.

'I was lonely and I wanted to spend a day out with someone. He was my only friend.'

Wilson denied holding hands or kissing the teenager in his bedroom after dropping him home from a meal at Nando's or during the days out at Tintern Abbey and Ashton Court.

The 6ft 2in teacher told police: 'I don't hold hands with my boyfriend, it's just not me.

'I didn't hold hands - I am massive compared to him. I don't think he can even reach.

'I am not a very physical person. Me and my boyfriend had a good relationship but it was not my style to hold hands and kiss in public. Andy would say that I am really a prude - it's just not what I do.'

Wilson told police she confided in the boy that she was pregnant during a conversation in her office at the school, and would be having an abortion.

'I didn't want to tell Andy about it and (the boy) was the only person I spoke to,' she said.

'He seemed to just care. He was kind of worried and asked whether I wanted him to come with me and I said no because I knew that wouldn't be right.

'I saw (the boy) as a mate rather than a pupil. It had become casual and totally blurred because I didn't teach him any more.

'I am quite naive and I do believe the best in people. I thought (the boy) was a caring person who needed help and a bit of guidance and needed a friend.

'I have a really good relationship with Andy and I don't want to lose that.'

The physics teacher broke the news about her pregnancy to the pupil a month after the alleged plane incident, and said she had booked an abortion.

Wilson is accused of having unprotected intercourse with the teenager on the British Airways flight home from a school trip to Swaziland, southern Africa.

Wilson's ex-boyfriend Andrew Hall told a court he was having sex with her once every six months at the time, meaning it was highly unlikely she would become pregnant with his child.

Jurors were told that the teacher was eight weeks' pregnant when she rang her GP on September 10, 2015. She had an abortion 14 days later.

Wilson, 29, has pleaded not guilty to abuse of position and sexual activity with a child and is on trial in Bristol

Mr Hall told the court he was unaware that Wilson was pregnant and had had an abortion until a detective investigating the allegations against her broke the news to him in December 2017, more than two years after the termination.

Wilson's defence barrister had suggested that the unborn baby was his, and not the boy's.

Mr Hall also only learned about his ex-girlfriend's alleged sexual encounters with the pupil when they were reported by the media in July 2017, a year after he ended their relationship.

The couple's relationship had hit the rocks at the time of the allegations in the summer of 2015, the court heard.

Giving evidence yesterday, Mr Hall said they were having sex only once every six months and that their sex life 'couldn't have been any worse.'

He said he broke up with Wilson a year after the alleged tryst with the schoolboy because their relationship had become 'dysfunctional and aggressive'.

Prosecutor Virginia Cornwall suggested their lack of intercourse around the time of the Swaziland trip meant the baby was likely to have been the pupil's and not his.

Mr Hall said: 'In the last 18 months of our relationship we very rarely had intercourse and we never had unprotected intercourse.

'It would be incredibly unlikely for her to get pregnant - we were having sex every six months. Our sex life couldn't have got worse.'

Mr Hall said he knew Wilson had been dismissed from her school in May 2016, but he had no idea her dismissal was linked to an alleged affair with a student.

It also emerged that Wilson exchanged 339 texts, calls and multimedia messages with the pupil when she was still seeing Mr Hall - most of which were deleted before police could retrieve them.

In his evidence, Mr Hall recalled the day when Wilson was collected from an abortion clinic by a colleague.

He said she had lied to him that she was suffering from bleeding and had gone to have a 'blockage' removed.

The first he heard about her alleged affair with a schoolboy was in June last year, when the outcome of her teacher disciplinary hearing was reported by the national press.

Mr Hall said: 'She suggested it had all been blown up by the media. It made me very upset. It demonstrated that she had been dishonest with me on more than one occasion.'

The court also heard a written statement from the pupil's father, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

He told how 'alarm bells' rang when his son started meeting Wilson after the trip to Swaziland - once after lunch at a Nando's restaurant, and twice during day trips to Tintern Abbey in South Wales and Ashton Court Estate in Bristol.

His wife, the teenager's step-mother, said she met Wilson some six months earlier, but described her as 'fluffy and possibly a bit immature'.

She said she thought it was odd that her son had come off the flight from Johannesburg with his clothes stained with red wine.

She also noted that the teenager had started referring to Wilson by her first name.

The parents thought it strange that Wilson didn't come to their front door when she came to pick up the teenager. The pupil later told them she was 'embarassed and wouldn't know what to say'.

Wilson, of Dursley, Gloucestershire, denies four charges of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust between August and September 2015.

She was a respected teacher and head of Key Stage Four at her secondary school in Bristol, which cannot be named for legal reasons.

The trial continues.
Senator Dianne Feinstein says she is concerned the FBI's re-opened investigation into Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is not 'credible' because the bureau didn't interview him or his accuser.

The FBI didn't interview Kavanaugh or his accuser Dr Christine Blasey Ford because it didn't have clear authority from the White House to do so, Bloomberg reports, citing two people with knowledge of the matter.

In fact, the bureau only contacted 10 people and interviewed nine of them - the New York Times reports - amid claims that the White House placed limits on the probe.

The White House indicated that Kavanaugh and Dr Ford's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week is sufficient, they said.

The revelation prompted Feinstein, the top Democrat on the committee, to question what other restrictions may have been imposed on the probe.

The lack of interviews with Dr Ford, Kavanaugh and other witnesses 'raises serious concerns that this is not a credible investigation and begs the question: What other restrictions has the White House placed on the FBI?' she said in a statement to Bloomberg.

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Senator Dianne Feinstein (pictured) says she is concerned the FBI's re-opened investigation into Brett Kavanaugh is not 'credible' because the bureau didn't interview him or his accuser

Earlier, Feinstein blasted President Donald Trump as 'cruel' for mocking Dr Ford's testimony at a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday night.

'He sent a clear message to victims of sexual assault that they should not be believed,' she said.

It comes as the Senate braced for a crucial initial vote on Friday on Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed a motion on Wednesday night setting up a Friday vote on whether to limit debate on Kavanaugh's nomination and move forward.

That came several hours before the FBI delivered to an anxious Senate the potentially fateful report on claims that Kavanaugh sexually abused women.

On Tuesday, Feinstein said she thought a Friday vote would not give senators enough time to evaluate the FBI probe of sexual misconduct allegations against him.

'Well, I believe it is. I believe it's too soon,' Feinstein told reporters at the Capitol. 'It's Tuesday and we have to put all the facts together.'

Trump bowed to pressure from moderate members of his Republican Party on Friday and ordered the probe after Dr Ford detailed her allegations at a Senate hearing that Kavanaugh assaulted her in 1982, when the two were in high school.

The FBI didn't interview Kavanaugh or Dr Christine Blasey Ford (pictured) because it didn't have clear authority to do so from the White House, Bloomberg reports

The stunning reversal capped two weeks of allegations, followed by furious denials, that roiled prospects for Trump's nominee, a conservative federal appeals court judge once expected to easily become the second Trump nominee to win a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.

Kavanaugh has denied Ford's accusation, as well as those of two other women.

Separately, the Senate Judiciary Committee made public late on Sunday a previously unreleased interview with Kavanaugh from September 26, before a public hearing with Ford, in which he denied all the allegations against him and committee Democrats declined to ask questions, saying they felt the FBI should investigate the allegations.

Republicans, who are trying to retain control of Congress in November elections, are seeking to balance their desire for another conservative justice on the court with sensitivity about how they handle sexual misconduct allegations amid the reverberations of the #MeToo movement.

It did not take long, however, for the FBI probe to become an object of partisan division.

Dr Ford detailed her allegations at a Senate hearing that Brett Kavanaugh (pictured) assaulted her in 1982, when the two were in high school. He denies the allegations

A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters, the White House defined the parameters of the probe for the FBI and that the investigation would start with interviews with only four people.

It came after multiple outlets, including the New York Times, previously reported that the White House was constraining the investigation, prompting Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee to express concern.

Feinstein wrote to White House counsel Donald McGahn and FBI Director Christopher Wray and asked that the committee be provided with a copy of the written directive the White House sent to the FBI, as well as the names of any additional witnesses or evidence if the probe is expanded.

The administration denied it was trying to control the probe, which the Judiciary Committee said on Friday 'would be limited to current credible allegations' and wrapped up within a week.

Trump vowed on Saturday that the FBI could interview 'whoever they deem appropriate.'

On Sunday, he criticized Democrats for expressing concerns about the length and scope of the probe. 'For them, it will never be enough!' he wrote on Twitter.

Trump mocked the college professor accusing his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault at a political rally in Mississippi on Tuesday night

The FBI questioned Deborah Ramirez, who said Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party when both were students at Yale University.

It also question Mark Judge, a friend of Kavanaugh who Dr Ford said witnessed the assault, and Leland Keyser and P.J. Smyth, who she said were at the gathering.

A third accuser, Julie Swetnick, was not on the initial list of witnesses to be interviewed.

Senate Republicans compiled the list of four witnesses and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell shared it with the White House, the official and another source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The New York Times, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the White House asked the FBI to share its findings after the initial interviews and that Trump and his advisers would then decide whether the accusations should be investigated further.

Lawmakers were planning to begin reading the FBI report Thursday morning, with senators and a small number of top aides permitted to view it in a secure room in the Capitol complex.

Senators are not supposed to divulge the contents of the agency's background reports.
The Russian intelligence officers expelled from the Netherlands after the Dutch government thwarted a major cyberattack had targeted the investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

A laptop belonging to one of the four Russian spies caught trying to hack into the global chemical weapons watchdog OPCW in the wake of the Salisbury Novichok attack could also be placed in Brazil, Switzerland and Malaysia.

Data found on the laptop of the GRU intelligence agency officer put it as having been in use in Kuala Lumpur, and linked it to the MH17 investigation.

It had been used to specifically target Malaysian police and the country's attorney general, Dutch authorities announced at a press conference in the Hague today.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in July 2014, killing 298 people, with an four-year investigation finding Russia responsible earlier this year.

Data found on a laptop belonging to one of the four Russian spies, pictured together at Schipol Airport, placed it in Kuala Lumpur and linked it to the MH17 investigation

Speaking about attempts to hack the MH17 crash investigation, Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld said: 'We have been aware of the interest of Russian intelligence services in this investigation and have taken appropriate measures.'

She added that 'We remain very alert about this.'

British ambassador to the Netherlands Peter Wilson said there was proof of 'malign activity' in Malaysia, stating: 'This GRU operation was trying to collect information about the MH17 investigation.

'And targeted Malaysian government institutions, including the attorney general's office and the Royal Malaysian Police.'

The investigation into the downing of MH17 has been carried out by a special team, known as the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), comprising police and criminal justice authorities from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine.

Russian intelligence officers Aleksei Morenets and Evgenii Serebriakov were both identified as 'cyber operators' for the GRU during the press conference in the Hague today

A part of the BUK-TELAR rocket that was fired on the MH17 flight is displayed on a table during the conference of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), in May this year

In May this year, investigative journalists at Bellingcat published a report which they claimed established involvement of a high-ranking GRU officer in the downing of MH17.

They revealed that the mystery Russian officer at the centre of the MH17 investigation known as 'Andrey Ivanovich' or 'Orion' was in fact GRU officer Oleg Vladimirovich Ivannikov.

Bellingcat said it had 'identified conclusively' that Ivannikov had been in charge of Russian military operations in eastern Ukraine when the MH17 on July 17, 2014.

In the same week, the JIT concluded that the Russian-made BUK missile which downed the plane heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur had been fired by a Russian military brigade in the southwestern city of Kursk.

The Netherlands and Australia directly blamed Russia for the attack, who furiously denied any responsibility.

Just two weeks ago, Moscow said it was releasing fresh evidence that the missile which downed MH17 was fired by Ukrainian government forces.

At a defence ministry briefing on September 17, officials claimed the BUK missile in question had been transported to the Ukraine in the Soviet era and had never returned to Russian territory.

Moscow said the information was classified 'top secret', and would be shared with the Netherlands.

They also claimed that the video footage used by the JIT showing the BUK missile being transported into rebel-held eastern Ukraine was 'faked'.
Strangers have left flowers at a Sydney playground where a woman's semi-naked body was dumped, as police say they still have no idea of her identity.

A council worker mowing the lawns made the grisly discovery near children's play equipment at Buffalo Creek Reserve in Hunter's Hill, in Sydney's lower north shore, at 7.30am Wednesday.

On Thursday, police conducted an autopsy but are still unsure of how the woman died, and her identity still remains a mystery, according to Seven News.

One tearful resident, Emily McDonald, said it was heartbreaking that 'there's nobody' at the crime scene.

'Its like somebody dropped a mattress and the council came and cleaned it up. But it was a young womans life,' she said.

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Strangers have lay flowers at a Sydney playground where a woman's semi-naked body was dumped, as police say they still have no idea of her identity

Flowers left at the Hunters Hill (pictured) park where the body of a woman was found

The body had been partially concealed under a dark-coloured cloth, but beneath the covering the woman was semi-naked with a studded collar around her neck.

She also had massive injuries to her head and her hands were bound with tape. Her body was hidden with leaves.

The women's toilet block at the playground was also forensically examined and is no longer a crime scene.

But police won't reveal what happened inside, and detectives have been questioning residents if they had seen or heard anything suspicious.

One tearful resident, Emily McDonald (pictured), said it was heartbreaking that 'there's nobody' at the crime scene

These are the chilling drag marks which went on for 30 metres and led to the mutilated body of a murdered woman

Forensic police photograph the body of a woman which was discovered by a council worker in the early hours of Wednesday morning

The drag marks up to 30 metres in length suggest the victim may have been killed elsewhere before she was dragged to the park and dumped just metres from swings and a slide, according to 9 News.

The murder could have occurred between the late night Tuesday and between the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Police say the death is 'definitely suspicious' and detectives have been scouring the scene for evidence throughout the day.

Shocked neighbours told Daily Mail Australia the incident was out of character for the quiet area, in the exclusive Sydney suburb.

'It's devastating because it's such a quiet little area,' the local said.

'Every weekend that park is packed full of kids playing and families having barbecues, it's a lovely spot normally.

'A council worker comes and opens the gates at sunrise and closes them at sunset, and I believe he found the body.'

It's believed the council worker was driving this orange ride-on lawn mower when they spotted the body

The body was discovered at Buffalo Creek Reserve (pictured) in Hunters Hill on Sydney's lower north shore on Wednesday morning

The park was roped off with crime scene tape and closed to the public while the police investigation was carried out

An orange ride-on lawn mower remains parked just metres from where the body lies.

It's believed the vehicle belongs to the horrified council worker who discovered the corpse and called police.

Homicide detectives were seen in deep discussion as officers scoured the area for evidence and forensic police photographed the body.

Emergency services were called to the Pittwater Road park at about 7.30am on Wednesday.

A crime scene has been established, and an investigation into how the woman died is underway.

One man who stopped there on his way to visit family said the secluded park had long needed cameras and lighting.

He said his parents had once encountered a "terrified" girl walking there alone late at night, and had given her a lift to the safety of nearby shops.

The park is popular with local families in the area and contains a newly renovated playground

A council worker arrives to pick up the belongings of the person who found the woman's body

A NSW Police spokesman said they were unable to confirm if the body - which was clothed when it was discovered - was a man or a woman.

The spokesman said the body was found in the park near the main road, and they are yet to confirm a cause of death.

'We are already canvassing the area, we will widen the search once the crime scene investigation has been completed.' he said.

The park is popular with local families in the area and it features a newly-renovated playground.

The park was roped off with crime scene tape and closed to the public while the police investigation is carried out.

Drag marks up to 30 metres long were seen near the body and the death is being treated as suspicious by police
Dramatic footage shows an enraged security guard brawling with a shoplifter he caught with three legs of lamb stuffed in his jacket.

The guard puts an end to the man's meat heist at Morrisons in Wood Green, London - pinning him to the floor and fishing the joints out of his clothing one by one.

But after retrieving all the stolen lamb, he grabs the thief by the shoulders and shoves him against a wall outside the store as the pair trade insults.

A colleague tries to calm him down, shouting: 'Let him go! Don't get personal!'

Bewildered shoppers stop to watch as the guard pushes the shoplifter towards the exit.

He then shouts 'You're going to get banged! F***ing p****!' while being held back by colleagues and members of the public.

As the empty-handed shoplifter saunters off, the guard yells after him: 'Coming up into my store and rob, you mad?!'

He then makes him way back into the store shouting: 'I don't give a f*** bruv'.

An elderly man can be seen congratulating the guard on his efforts to stop the thief.

The security guard fishes three joints of lamb out of the shoplifter's clothing and hands them to a colleague outside Morrisons in Wood Green, London

The shoplifter is pinned against the wall before the meat is discovered (left). He trades insults with the security guard while leaving the store (right)

An elderly man congratulates the security guard on his successful efforts to stop the thief

The clip was posted to The Yorkshire Bible Facebook page on Tuesday and was viewed thousands of times.

Many praised the guard for his success in getting back the stolen goods.

'Good job done,' wrote one person.

Others were critical of his response to the thief.

'He needs the sack! Soo unprofessional and clearly got his security training passed from under the table!' commented one person.

A Morrisons spokeswoman said: 'The guard works for a security company who are looking at the video.

'It appears that he was recovering our lamb joints in a difficult situation and then reacted to provocation from the shoplifter'.

A spokesman from the Metropolitan Police said the incident had not been reported to them.
Russian spies attempted to hack computers at the Foreign Office and the Porton Down military research facility days after assassins tried to murder the Skripals in Salisbury.

Moscow's feared GRU cyber unit nicknamed 'Sandworm' tried and failed to infiltrate UK IT systems as part of a series of attacks across Europe this year.

They carried out an unsuccessful 'spearfishing' attack on the Foreign Office in March as the police, MI5 and MI6 were trying to find out who attacked Sergei and Yulia Skripal with novichok.

They then targeted computers at Porton Down in April, Britain's top military research facility, where experts were testing for the nerve agent.

The cyber attacks were revealed in an unprecedented fight back by the Dutch, British and US authorities who outed four GRU spies detained in The Hague this year.

They were caught trying hack into the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons' WiFi network by parking outside its headquarters with a cache of high-tech equipment inside the boot.

Computers at Porton Down were targeted by Russian spies at a time when British experts inside were testing for novichok

These four GRU spies - already nicknamed the 'Schiphol Four' after being caught on CCTV in Amsterdam airport - were outed today

Russia's GRU intelligence agency targeted the global chemical weapons watchdog, the OPCW, whose headquarters are in The Hague, Dutch authorities revealed today

The Dutch and British authorities released CCTV images of the four men arriving at Schipol Airport as well photographs of their passports.

They were named in them as Alekski Morenets, described as a cyber operator, Evgenii Serebriakov, also a cyber operator, Oleg Soktnikov, described as humint (human intelligence) support and Alexey Minin, also humint support.

Russian intelligence service, the GRU, has been accused of launching a cyber attack on the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

Officials in the Netherlands where the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is based said four Russians had been expelled in the wake of the alleged cyber strike.

British intelligence helped thwart the operation, which was launched in April, a month after the Salisbury Novichok poisoning.

Details were revealed on Thursday after the UK Government accused the GRU of a wave of other cyber attacks across the globe.

At a press conference in The Hague, British ambassador to the Netherlands Peter Wilson said: 'The disruption of this attempted attack on the OPCW was down to the expertise and the professionalism of the Dutch security services in partnership with the United Kingdom.

'The OPCW is a respected international organisation which is working to rid the world of chemical weapons.

'Hostile action against it demonstrates complete disregard for this vital mission.'

Mr Wilson said: 'This disruption happened in April. Around that time the OPCW was working to independently verify the United Kingdom's analysis of the chemical weapons used in the poisoning of the Skripals in Salisbury.'

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the new hacking accusations from the UK as 'big fantasies'.

A briefing in The Hague was shown pictures of each of the men's passports. Alexey Minin, from Perm, to the north west of Moscow, was named as one of the men

One of the men was named as Evgeny Serebriakov and his passport of photo was released

Another of the men was named as Oleg Sotnikov, said to have been born in Oeljanovsk

The passport numbers of the men were released, including Aleksei Morenets, from Murmansk

Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the UK's Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, tweeted: 'The catalogue of evidence shows why the Dutch are excellent partners and that the decades of theft have stripped Russia's intelligence of the skills they once had. Putin's corrupt greed has turned the GRU into an amateurish bunch of jokers.'

The team of four GRU officers travelling on official Russian passports entered the Netherlands on April 10.

On April 13 they parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in the The Hague.

At that point the Dutch counter-terrorism officers intervened to disrupt the operation and the four GRU officers were ordered to leave the country.

The 'close access' hacking attempt, just a month after the Salisbury nerve agent attack, followed an earlier failed 'spearfishing attack' on the OPCW headquarters.
Manuel Miguel Alves giving evidence at the inquiry today

A refurbishment which residents had no say over introduced exposed gas pipes into the building's only means of escape, survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have claimed.

Dorinda Encarnacion Suarez-Chans and her husband Jose Costa Cotelo, who lived on the 13th floor of Grenfell Tower, both said in their written statements to the inquiry that the refurbishment led to concerns about exposed pipework.

Mrs Suarez-Chans said: 'As part of the refurbishment, new pipes were installed for all of the utilities so there were new water pipes, new electricity pipes, new gas pipes and these ran both in our flat but then also outside into the public areas of the building and down the stairwell.

'We were always very concerned that we could get trapped if one of these gas pipes burst and caused a fire on the stairs.

'On our floor, which did say that lifts should not be used in the event of a fire, we were always very concerned that these gas pipes, if there was a problem with them, would potentially block our only means of escape in the event of a fire.'

Their son Ivan Costa Suarez, who also lived in the flat on the 13th floor, said in his statement that he thought pipes that were fitted near the flat's only fire exit were 'dangerous'.

Antonio Roncolato, who was the first survivor to give evidence to the inquiry on Wednesday, echoed the family's claim and said that residents of buildings like Grenfell Tower should be consulted regarding renovation.

He said: 'Because we were living in a big tower, high-rise building, council estate, social flats, what my suggestion is, is that residents living in these conditions... should not accept things imposed by local authorities from above, but should be part of any decision-making.

'If you have to do a work or renovation or refurbishment, which is welcome, and you do it in our homes, in our houses, we should be part of that committee or decision-making committee, and we have to be happy as well.

'Because after all, we are paying our dues, and it is our lives that could be at risk, like it happened with Grenfell.

'Therefore, the reason I'm saying this is because obviously we do not know absolutely never, ever again anything like this to happen to no one.'

Residents also said in their evidence that the building's concierge was removed following the refurbishment, which led to a petition in the building to have the position reinstated.

The written statements from victims of the fire also praised the helpfulness of volunteers but said it was difficult to receive help from council staff.

Mr Alves lived on the 13th floor of the tower block and was one of the first to discover the fire

In his written statement, Mr Cotelo said: 'It seemed that you had to answer an awful lot of questions From them before they would give you any help.

'It was far easier to get help from the volunteers at the Portobello Rugby Club.'

Mr Alves said after the block was refurbished he began to hear conversations from people in the flats above and below his.

He said in his statement: 'Before then we did not hear it but after the cladding was fitted noise travelled more easily.

'It seemed there was a gap between the cladding and the wall, and this carried the sound of people.

'For 19 years I had not heard people, then once the cladding came it changed.

'It was now possible to hear wind running along and a slight whistling sound.'

A survivor of the disaster who was one of the first to discover the blaze told how his daughter sat her chemistry GCSE the next day - and got an A.

Manuel Miguel Alves, who lived on the 13th floor, saw the early stages of the fire on the fourth floor as he was going up to his flat in a lift shortly before 1am.

He then decided to head up to his home to warn his children, and ignored fire safety notices that advised residents to stay inside their flat.

Mr Alves also told the inquiry in central London that he believed there would have been enough time for the fire brigade to evacuate the high-rise.

His daughter Ines, fled with just her revision notes, and despite reeling from the events the night before, came away with an A.

He said in a statement: 'I am so proud of her and how she overcame the horror of that night and was able to take her exam.'

Explaining why he ignored the advice, he said: 'I think on my mind it was to save myself, because if [the] fire is on the 4th floor, I'm on the 13th floor, why should I be in the trap when I have the opportunity to come out?

'In the event of the fire, if they spread they will go worse. I don't know why we would wait in the trap, we should come out.

'Every minute it was worse inside the tower at that time.'

Mr Alves knocked on the door of the five other flats on his floor despite fearing that they may be annoyed to be woken up.

When he left the tower in the early hours of June 14 last year, he told his wife that he had alerted their neighbours.

Mr Alves says he ignored fire safety advice to 'stay put' as the blaze took hold. Pictured: Police man a security cordon around the tower on the night of the blaze

He said: 'She asked 'why did you do that?' No-one thought it was a serious thing.'

Mr Alves then watched in horror as flames spread from the bottom to the top of the tower 'within about 15 minutes'.

He said burning cladding was falling 'like plastic rain', and the noise was 'horrific'.

He continued in the statement: 'Looking at the fire on Grenfell Tower, it seemed clear that the fire brigade should have gone to the top of the tower, knocked on all the doors and got people out.

'There was still enough time to evacuate the building and it was clear the fire could not be stopped and that this was the only choice.

'It was out of control within minutes and I could see the fire hoses could not reach high enough and could not stop it.'

Mr Alves continued: 'The police started to push us back and they could see that the fire was out of control.

'They started to say that 'the building could fall down'.

'I remember thinking that if this is what they thought, then they should have entered the building, and moved people out.'

Mr Alves phoned his friend, Marcio Gomes, who was on the 21st floor with his heavily-pregnant wife and two young daughters.

He phoned him at around 1.30am to 1.35am, telling him he had to leave immediately.

He said: 'He did not leave and said he was waiting for the fire brigade, who had told him to stay in the flat.

'I said that there was no way for him to stay and he had to get out. I was terrified for him and his wife. She was eight months pregnant.

'I spoke to him in Portuguese and kept saying if he stayed there he was going to die.'

Mr Alves described how he struggled to phone Mr Gomes back, fearing it may be the last time he would speak with his friend.

'I was thinking about Marcio and his wife. I just could not phone him.

'I did not know if he was still inside and if he did speak to me, whether they might be his final words.'

Mr Alves tried to ring again after being persuaded to make contact with his friend by his wife.

He said: 'When I did the phone rang but there was no answer.

The burnt out shell of the tower block. Mr Alves lived on the 13th floor of the block

'Strangely this gave me hope that he was alive and just maybe they had been able to leave and could not answer because he was coming out.

'The next day I heard the news that many were dead, although later found out that Marcio and his family were alive in hospital.'

Later in a written statement to the inquiry Ines Alves told how she played music as she revised to block out the screaming from trapped residents.

Ms Alves, then 16, said that after she woken by her father and escaped, she remembered she had 'no doubt' the fire would be brought under control.

She said the only thing she felt stressed about was her upcoming exams.

But when she was outside, the scale of the fire began to sink in, and Ines began hyperventilating and shaking.

She was taken to a family friend's house nearby, but could not sleep, and instead tried to read through her notes.

She said in her statement: 'I laid down and it all felt like a horrible dream. I kept hoping that if I went to sleep and woke up, it wouldn't be true.

'I closed my eyes but I could still hear things going outside.

'I could hear people on the street outside. I wasn't sure if they were residents or passers-by, but they were commenting on the fire and how bad it was.

'I could hear panic in their voices. I could also hear the crackling of the fire. I started hyperventilating and shaking again.

'I tried to control how I was feeling but just couldn't.

'People on the streets began to scream and I knew then that I was not going to be able to sleep.

'After about 10 or 15 minutes, I decided that I wasn't going to be able to sleep so I may as well try to revise. I went back into the sitting room.

'Filip lent me some headphones and I plugged them into my phone to listen to music. I hoped that would drown out the horrible noises outside.

'I sat on their sofa and tried to revise.'

Shortly after, she watched the fire reach her parents' bedroom and was filled with 'a weird sense of relief'.

She said: 'I was now free of the anxiety that had plagued me all night, wondering if we would have a home to go back to. I no longer felt this deep apprehension. There was no hope left.'

Despite her ordeal, Ines said she 'never considered' not doing the exam, and went in to school on autopilot in a bid to 'maintain some normality'.

In a state of shock and struggling to concentrate, she sat the exam, bursting into tears as teachers collected her paper.

Ines was disappointed with her A, and later found out she was a few marks off an A*.

Inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said it was 'astonishing' that she had managed to sit the exam.

Since the fire, Ines said she has struggled with her studies, and has decided to retake a year at Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School.

She said: 'If I don't understand something, I will skip it, whereas before I would always search for the answer.

'I don't seem to care as much as before and have lost the passion I used to have.'

A total of 72 people died in the blaze on June 14 last year, with another resident dying in January.

The inquiry is hearing from survivors, relatives and friends of those who died and nearby residents, at Holborn Bars in Central London.
Russia today described British accusations that its spies were behind global cyber attacks as 'a diabolical perfume of lies'.

The Russian Foreign Ministry's phrase referred to the Salisbury poisonings earlier this year which saw the novichok nerve agent disguised in a fake perfume bottle.

Its spokesman Maria Zakharova said the new hacking allegations were unworthy and part of a disinformation campaign designed to damage Russian interests.

Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova gives a briefing in Moscow today on British accusations that her country's spies were behind global cyber attacks (left) as president Putin (right) met with Narendra Modi

Ms Zakharova said the new hacking allegations were unworthy and part of a disinformation campaign designed to damage Russian interests.

It comes after Russian intelligence service the GRU was accused of launching a cyber attack on a global chemical weapons watchdog probing the Salisbury attack.

Officials in the Netherlands where the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is based said four Russians had been expelled after a cyber strike.

UK intelligence helped thwart the operation, which was launched in April, a month after the Salisbury Novichok poisoning - which Russia also denies responsibility for.

Russian president Vladimir Putin waves to spectators prior to boarding a car after his arrival in New Delhi as the GRU's campaign of cyber warfare against the west was today exposed

But Ms Zakharova said today the accusations were the product of someone with a 'rich imagination', adding: 'It's some kind of a diabolical perfume cocktail.'

And a Foreign Ministry representative added: 'Western spy mania is gathering pace.'

Asked about the UK's accusations, a spokesman for the Russian embassy said: 'This statement is reckless. It has become a tradition for such claims to lack any evidence.

Russia's phrase of 'a diabolical perfume of lies' referred to the Salisbury poisonings earlier this year which saw the novichok nerve agent disguised in a fake perfume bottle (above)

Russian president Vladimir Putin waves to spectators upon his arrival today in New Delhi, India

Ms Zakharova is pictured with President Vladimir Putin in January 2017, receiving a medal

'It is yet another element of the anti-Russian campaign by the UK Government.

'In December 2017 during the then-foreign secretary Boris Johnson's visit to Moscow, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proposed to launch expert consultations on cybersecurity in order to address UK's concerns, if any.

'The offer was turned down. The only reasonable explanation is that the UK has no facts for a substantive discussion.

'Thus, such statements by the Foreign Office are nothing but crude disinformation, aimed at confusing the British and world public opinion.

'By the way, it is hardly a coincidence that these accusations appear exactly at the time of Nato defence ministers meeting in Brussels and announcements of creating special cyber-attack military units in several western countries.'

Four GRU officers who entered the Netherlands at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on April 10

Pictures released at a briefing in The Hague show the cache of equipment seized from the men

Details of the alleged cyber attack were revealed this morning after the British Government accused the GRU of a wave of other cyber attacks across the globe.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the GRU was carrying out 'indiscriminate and reckless' cyber strikes targeting political institutions, businesses, media and sport.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, attending a Nato summit in Brussels, said Moscow was targeting organisations with no military value.

The National Cyber Security Centre said that a number of hackers known to have launched attacks have now been linked to the GRU.

UK authorities believe two Russians, using the aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, smeared novichok on a door handle at former Kremlin agent Sergei Skripal's home

Police Community Support Officers stand outside Mr Skripal's home in Salisbury in March

The revelations will further strain relations with Russia after Britain blamed Moscow for the nerve agent attack in Salisbury last March which left one person dead.

Britain's relations with Russia have been in the deep freeze since the Salisbury attack in March which targeted former Kremlin agent Sergei Skripal.

UK authorities believe two Russians, using the aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, smeared novichok on a door handle at Mr Skripal's home on March 4.

The attack left Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia critically ill, and Dawn Sturgess, 44, who was later exposed to the same nerve agent, died in July.
These tourists had a miracle escape after an angry bull elephant charged their safari truck forcing the driver to jump for his life to avoid being gored to death on its lethal tusks.

The group of European and Japanese tourists were driving through the African bush when the safari guide behind the wheel points out the tusker on the right of the vehicle.

As he is seen recording it on a cell phone and iPad the elephant suddenly flares its ears up and then flattens them and begins to charge as the guide shouts to try and deter it.

A group of European and Japanese tourists were on a safari tour in South Africa when an elephant attacked their truck

As they were driving through the African bush, the animal flared its ears up and charged the the vehicle

The tourists who were in an unknown location in South Africa all begin screaming frantically as the elephant crashes into the side of the truck with its two-foot long ivory tusks.

The terrified woman filming the footage loses a few moments of footage as she turns away and when she resumes filming the elephant the driver is gone but the attack continues.

The elephant which could be heard trumpeting as it charged begins to smash up the dashboard and the driver's side of the truck with its tusks in an attack that last 20 seconds.

When the safari guide spotted the elephant he pulled out his phone to try and film it

But the animal crashed into the side of the truck with its ivory tusks and ripped through the vehicle with its trunk

The front of the truck was left in a crumpled metal heap (pictured) following the attack

The angry elephant is then gone as quickly as it appeared and the driver can be heard saying 'are you ok people' and a relieved woman answers breathlessly 'we are ok yes'.

Elephants are usually seen as docile animals until they are provoked or protecting their young and an estimated 500 people are gored or trampled to death by the mammals each year.

An adult African elephant can be 11 feet tall and 21 feet long and can weigh 6 tons.

The video was posted on the Facebook page of South Africa Live but it is unclear how much damage was caused or if the driver was injured or exactly where the footage was taken.

It is not known where the attack took place or what happened after and if any injuries were incurred.

The video has since been shared over 300 times and has gained over 24,000 views on Facebook

It's not known where the attack took place or what happened after and if any injuries were incurred. The video has since been shared over 300 times and has gained over 24,000 views

Last week two German tourists were involved in separate attacks in Zimbabwe with one fatal.

In the first attack a 49-year-old German woman was trampled and died later of her injuries after getting out of her vehicle to try and photograph elephants at Mana Pools National Park .

Two days later a German man in his 50's was trampled and seriously injured after approaching elephants to take photo's at the Victoria Falls National Park and is recovering in hospital.
More than 1,200 law professors signed a letter urging the Senate to reject Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court.

The letter said Kavanaugh 'did not display the impartiality and judicial temperament' required for the Supreme Court at the Judiciary Committee hearing last week.

It also says Kavanaugh gave 'intemperate, inflammatory' responses and was 'discourteous' to senators.

It was shared in a New York Times op-ed on Wednesday and will be sent to the Senate on Thursday.

Early on Thursday morning, the letter had been signed by 1,272 professors from more than 160 law schools.

At least 17 are from Yale Law School, Kavanaugh's alma mater.

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More than 1,200 law professors signed a letter urging the Senate to reject Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court

They said Kavanaugh 'displayed a lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for any court, and certainly for election to the highest court of the land.'

During the hearing, Dr Christine Blasey Ford testified that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her decades ago when the two were in high school.

He has steadfastly denied her claims.

In the letter, the professors said: 'We regret that we feel compelled to write to you, our Senators, to provide our views that at the Senate hearings on Sept. 27, Judge Brett Kavanaugh displayed a lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for any court, and certainly for elevation to the highest court of this land.

'The question at issue was of course painful for anyone.

The letter also says Kavanaugh gave 'intemperate, inflammatory' responses and was 'discourteous' to senators. Pictured, Senator Amy Klobuchar during the hearing

'But Judge Kavanaugh exhibited a lack of commitment to judicious inquiry.

'Instead of being open to the necessary search for accuracy, Judge Kavanaugh was repeatedly aggressive with questioners.

'Even in his prepared remarks, Judge Kavanaugh described the hearing as partisan, referring to it as 'a calculated and orchestrated political hit,' rather than acknowledging the need for the Senate, faced with new information, to try to understand what had transpired.

'Instead of trying to sort out with reason and care the allegations that were raised, Judge Kavanaugh responded in an intemperate, inflammatory and partial manner, as he interrupted and, at times, was discourteous to senators.'

The letter continues: 'As you know, under two statutes governing bias and recusal, judges must step aside if they are at risk of being perceived as or of being unfair.

Dr Christine Blasey Ford testified that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her decades ago when the two were in high school

'As Congress has previously put it, a judge or justice 'shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned.'

'These statutes are part of a myriad of legal commitments to the impartiality of the judiciary, which is the cornerstone of the courts.

'We have differing views about the other qualifications of Judge Kavanaugh.

'But we are united, as professors of law and scholars of judicial institutions, in believing that he did not display the impartiality and judicial temperament requisite to sit on the highest court of our land.'
Attorney Michael Avenatti slammed the FBI for finishing its investigation into sexual misconduct by Brett Kavanaugh without interviewing two of his clients.

The lawyer, who represents third accuser Julie Swetnick, emerged Wednesday night with a sworn statement from a second woman alleging inappropriate conduct by Kavanaugh at high school parties.

Despite the 11th-hour accusation, the FBI has closed its investigation and submitted a confidential report to the Senate early Thursday.

Avenatti reacted to the news that this clients would not be offered the chance to speak with FBI investigators in a tweet: 'The FBI investigation was no investigation at all. @realDonaldTrump,@senatemajldr and @Chuck Grassley ensured that numerous key witnesses, including six very damaging witnesses I am aware of, were never even interviewed.

'Their conduct is a disgrace - they never wanted the truth.'

Avenatti's criticism echoed that of the lawyers for Kavanaugh's primary accuser Christine Blasey Ford, who on Wednesday revealed that neither their client nor witnesses who could corroborate her account had been interviewed in the probe.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed a motion last night setting up a Friday vote on whether to limit debate on Kavanaugh's nomination and move forward.

Attorney Michael Avenatti expressed outrage that his clients were not given the opportunity to interview with investigators regarding their allegations against Brett Kavanaugh in a tweet (above) hours before the FBI handed over its final report to the Senate Thursday morning

Avenatti (left) represents third Kavanaugh accuser Julie Swetnick (right), who claims the nominee was part of a group of Georgetown Prep buddies who drugged and gang raped women. Swetnick was reportedly not contacted for an interview with FBI agents

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, a Republican of Iowa, tweeted that the final report had been provided to the Senate at around 4am EST Thursday, writing: 'Supplemental FBI background file for Judge Kavanaugh has been received by @senjudiciary.

'Ranking Member Feinstein & I have agreed to alternating EQUAL access for senators to study content from additional background info gathered by non-partisan FBI agent.'

Avenatti reacted to the announcement by tweeting directly to Grassley: 'You should be embarrassed to call yourself the chairman of the judiciary committee. Your irresponsibility & partisan conduct in controlling the scope of a bogus investigation will likely forever damage the image of the committee and the SCOTUS in the eyes of the world. #Disgrace.'

Avenatti slammed Grassley again in a later tweet replying to the Judiciary Committee Chair's announcement that the final report had been handed over to the Senate

Hours earlier the attorney had tweeted a statement from his second client, who was not named but described herself as a 1983 graduate of a Washington, DC-area high school.

The woman said: 'During the years 1981-82, I witnessed firsthand Brett Kavanaugh, together with others, "spike" the "punch" at house parties I attended with Quaaludes and/or grain alcohol.

'I understood this was being done for the purpose of making girls more likely to engage in sexual acts and less likely to say "no".'

Avenatti wrote in the tweet: 'She is prepared to meet with the FBI today and disclose multiple facts and witnesses.'

Avenatti produced a new accuser against Kavanaugh on Wednesday night. The woman charged the nominee with being part of a group of teenage boys who spiked drinks at parties 'with Quaaludes and/or grain alcohol'

The sworn statement from the woman, whose name was redacted, is shown in full above

Investigators are believed to have limited the scope of the re-opened background check to interviews with just four people involved in the allegations against Kavanaugh.

One of those witnesses is Mark Judge, the high school friend of Kavanaugh who was accused of being in the room when the nominee allegedly tried to rape Christine Blasey Ford, while the other is Deborah Ramirez, the second accuser.

The New York Times over the weekend reported the other two witnesses would be Leland Keyser, a high school friend of Dr Ford's whom she said attended the party but was not told of the assault; PJ Smyth, another party guest.

Not included in the interviews was Swetnick, who claims Kavanaugh and Judge were part of a group of Georgetown Prep buddies who drugged and gang raped women.

Kavanaugh has been accused of sexual misconduct and assault by at least three women

Dr Ford's lawyers also slammed the FBI's reopened investigation in a statement on Wednesday night, revealing that no interviews were conducted with their client or with witnesses they say corroborate her testimony.

For that reason, they say, it cannot be called an investigation.

Dr Ford's lawyers go on to say they are 'profoundly disappointed' that those directing the probe 'were not interested in seeking the truth.'

'An FBI supplemental background investigation that did not include an interview of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford - nor the witnesses who corroborate her testimony - cannot be called an investigation,' the statement said.

'We are profoundly disappointed that after the tremendous sacrifice she made in coming forward, those directing the FBI investigation were not interested in seeking the truth.'

Lawyers for Dr Christine Blasey Ford (pictured) slammed the FBI's reopened Kavanaugh investigation in a statement on Wednesday night

All 100 senators, and a handful of Senate staff, will be able to read the FBI's new report on sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh - but it's unclear if the public will see it.

Background checks are a routine part of any nominee's vetting process and are generally delivered to the Senate without much fanfare.

But this background check, requested by a trio of senators who are undecided on Kavanaugh's confirmation, will be different.

It's expected that many senators will want to read or be briefed on the supplemental background check.

The report will review allegations from Dr Ford and from Kavanaugh's Yale classmate Deborah Ramirez, who says he exposed himself to her at a party when both were freshmen. Kavanaugh has denied their accusations.

To accommodate the senators, and to guard the sensitive information, the FBI's report is expected to be held in a secure room normally reserved only for classified matters.

There are several of these rooms in the Capitol complex, but senators usually use one in the basement of the Capitol Visitor Center just off the Senate side.

The rooms are called SKIFs, or Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (pictured) filed a motion on Wednesday night setting up a Friday vote on whether to limit debate on Kavanaugh's nomination and move forward

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley is expected to read the report first, followed by his colleagues either individually or possibly in groups.

According to a preliminary schedule, Republicans will read the first hour, starting Thursday morning, and Democrats will read the hour after that, according to a person who was briefed on the plan.

There are nine staff members - both Republicans and Democrats - who have access to the report and can brief members who don't want to read it in detail.

No copies will be made of the report, as is standard, so senators will have to go to the room to learn what is in it. And because the report is confidential, they will be expected not to repeat what they learn.

'None of that stuff's public,' Grassley told reporters on Wednesday.

'If you want people to be candid when they talk to the FBI, you ain't going to make that public.'

The rules for keeping investigations confidential and closely held were laid out in an agreement with the governing background checks dating from the Obama administration.

It's unclear whether there will be a public summary of the information, or whether the White House would be allowed to release portions of the report.
A shocking one punch attack has seen the brother of a rugby league legend sentenced to 12 months in jail.

Joshua Civoniceva, the 25-year-old brother of former Brisbane Broncos' prop Petero Civoniceva, was found guilty on Thursday of coward punching a stranger outside a Brisbane bar in January.

The attack was over cigarettes but left a 22-year-old missing two teeth and forced to wear dentures for the rest of his life.

The incident took place out the front of Brisbane's Down Under Bar in the late hours of January 13.

CCTV footage reveals how the attack played out, showing Thorpe asking Civoniceva's girlfriend for a cigarette.

When she offered him one, he took two.

She pursued Mr Thorpe, demanding he give the cigarette back.

He did, but that didn't stop Civoniceva intervening, striking Thorpe in the face and knocking out two of his teeth.

The brutal one punch attack (pictured) left a 22-year-old victim missing two of his teeth

'You hear about how one punch can kill but never think that it could be you on the receiving end,' Mr Thorpe said in a statement to Nine News.

'It was crazy how something so harmless turned into something so extreme that quickly.'

Thorpe said he considers himself lucky to only be missing two teeth following the brutal hit.

At only 22-years-old, he now wears dentures.

Petero Civoniceva is an anti-violence campaigner and he was not in court to support his brother.
A Florida woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for poisoning her newborn daughter with Tylenol.

Shauna Dee Taylor, 40, was convicted in August of aggravated child abuse and child neglect.

Taylor, who has 10 children, was also sentenced to 15 years of probation after her release from prison.

In 2013 Taylor began poisoning her baby girl with Tylenol both at her Jacksonville home and at the Wolfson Children's Hospital.

Tylenol is an over-the-counter analgesic used to treat minor aches and pains, and reduce fever.

Shauna Dee Taylor, 40, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for poisoning her baby daughter with Tylenol. She is pictured here in court this week

Taylor had given birth to the premature child in November 2012 and the baby girl was released into her care in February 2013.

But Taylor then returned to the children's hospital on three separate occasions and exaggerated or falsified symptoms of her daughter's health.

In the first hospital visit, Taylor claimed her baby's breathing monitor had tripped 113 times, according to WJXT. Doctors found no evidence of breathing issues.

She then brought her daughter back because of 'increased apnea and loose watery stools'. Once again, tests found there was nothing wrong with the child.

In 2013 Taylor began poisoning her baby girl with Tylenol both at her Jacksonville home (pictured) and at the Wolfson Children's Hospital

MUNCHAUSEN BY PROXY Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) is a mental health problem in which a caregiver makes up or causes an illness or injury in a person under his or her care, such as a child, an elderly adult, or a person who has a disability. Because vulnerable people are the victims, MSBP is a form of child abuse or elder abuse. The caregiver with MSBP may: Victims are most often small children. They may get painful medical tests they don't need. They may even become seriously ill or injured or may die because of the actions of the caregiver. Children who are victims of MSBP can have lifelong physical and emotional problems and may have Munchausen syndrome as adults. This is a disorder in which a person causes or falsely reports his or her own symptoms. Doctors aren't sure what causes it, but it may be linked to problems during the abuser's childhood. Abusers often feel like their life is out of control. They often have poor self-esteem and can't deal with stress or anxiety. The attention that caregivers get from having a sick child may encourage their behavior. Caregivers may get attention not only from doctors and nurses but also from others in their community. For example, neighbors may try to help the family in many ways-such as by doing chores, bringing meals, or giving money. SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Advertisement

On the third visit, just a month later, Taylor said her daughter had eating issues. It was on this visit that the child went into liver failure.

Tests showed the girl had high levels of iron as well as liver abnormalities.

While Taylor's daughter was undergoing treatment, several anonymous tips were made to the child abuse hotline.

The source claimed that Taylor had Munchausen by proxy and was poisoning her little girl.

Munchausen by proxy is a mental illness and a form of child abuse in which the caretaker creates fake symptoms - or causes real symptoms - to make their child appear sick.

It often leads to potentially dangerous and unnecessary medical treatment.

Baker County Sheriff's Office Sgt Tracie Benton said it was also discovered that Taylor had a GoFundMe page and another fundraising website where she was posting the baby's photo and 'trying to get people to donate money'.

'I worked the case, spoke with her, she was something special,' Benton said.

'You could tell right off the whip, something was wrong.'

Investigators then discovered that Taylor was poisoning her daughter inside the hospital.

'While the child was admitted to the hospital, she would be there with the child and while she was there she would administer the Tylenol to continue the abuse,' Benton said.

The girl's iron levels and liver function returned to normal while under hospital observation. She is now doing well, according to Benton.

Taylor's parental rights for all 10 of her children have since been revoked.

Investigators found that she had a history of medical abuse and a slew of court cases in California and Arizona where she lost custody of several of her children.

They also discovered that she was diagnosed with Munchausen by proxy.

Benton said it was the 'greatest feeling ever' after Taylor was convicted.

'Justice is being served,' she said. 'She is being punished for torturing children.'

'Someone has to speak up for the children.'
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An army officer's harrowing account of an ill-fated attempt to liberate British troops including Robert Baden-Powell during the Siege of Mafeking has come to light at a flea market 119 years later.

In the nine page letter, Major Kenneth McLaren describes leading a force of 200 men to liberate the South African city which was besieged by the Boers in October 1899.

One of those 2,000 surrounded men was Colonel Baden-Powell, who went on to form the Scout movement 11 years later.

In the nine page letter, Major Kenneth McLaren describes leading a force of 200 men to liberate the South African city which was besieged by the Boers in October 1899. Pictured is one of the pages

However, en route Major McClaren and his men they were confronted by a large Boer force and, despite their best efforts, succumbed to the greater numbers of the enemy, with 40 of his men killed or injured.

He tells of the harrowing moment a fellow soldier was killed by his side, moments before he too was seriously injured and left lying in the same spot for 16 hours.

He writes: 'We advanced on Mafeking hoping to draw the Boers away from there and give Colonel Robert Baden-Powell a holiday. They were too strong and gave us a very warm time.

'We only had 200 mounted men and they killed or wounded 40 of us. I was very sorry to have my subaltern killed by my side.

Transcription of the letter extract About three months before the war in South Africa broke out the British government sent 8 officers out by the mail Steamship 'Norman'. These officers were of Special Service and were to receive further instructions on arriving at Capetown. On Friday at the latter place orders were were received to proceed at once to Bulawayo, and there to raise a volunteer regiment in order to keep the Boers out of Rhodesia, and to quell any rising of the natives in the [unclear] Hills and other native states bordering the Transvaal. Early in August the 8 officers arrived in Bulawayo, after a 6-days journey in the train covering a distance of over 1300 miles. It is worth noting that during the railway journey from Capetown to Bulawayo, five Boers with bicycles got in the train with us at Kimberley and came to inspect the large railway bridge at [unclear] Streams which they destroyed as soon as the war broke out. The Boers sent out with us on board the Steamship Norman a spy named [unclear...] On arrival at Bulawayo, the 8 officers found they had to organise, equip and [unclear] a force of volunteers to be enlisted from the many unemployed in Bulawayo. Chiefly men who had gone out from home in search of gold an failed to find it. The force to commence with had us and [unclear] our guns, our rifles, and our equipment. The horses were soon brought chiefly out of the Orange Free State [...] Advertisement

'Besides being a great friend he had shown himself to be a most reliable officer and full of pluck and judgement.

'I was able to give him no assistance as 10 minutes afterwards I was severely wounded in three places and left on the Veldt from 5pm one day till 11am the next.

'The Boers came along and took me and two other prisoners 16 miles over rough Veldt to the hospital.'

The letter, entitled 'from Bulawayo to Mafeking', also tells of his time in a Boer hospital during which he was tormented by a traitorous spy who had travelled down to South Africa on the same ship as him.

He writes: 'I was well treated at the hospital, but much annoyed at meeting the Boer spy who came out with us in the steamship Norman.

'He was most disagreeable and tried to depress me as much as possible by telling me of English reverses which were lies as Lord Roberts was all the time advancing steadily up the Free State.'

Maj McLaren then describes the frightening moment his hospital was mistakenly shelled by a British gunman.

He writes: 'A British shell burst through the roof of the hospital where I was lying, our gunman having mistaken the hospital flag for the Transvaal flag.'

Maj McLaren, a pupil at Harrow and Sandhurst, was a captain of the 13th Hussars during the Boer War.

He was a close friend of Col Baden-Powell and in later years helped him form the scouting movement.

The account, which was consigned for sale by a private collector, is being sold by Dickins Auctioneers, of Middle Claydon, Bucks, alongside photos of Maj McLaren and Col Baden-Powell.

Louise Gostelow, expert at Dickins, said: 'The letter was bought in to us from a collector who found it at a flea market.

'It is fantastic to have a first hand account of such a major event as the Siege of Mafeking. What he has written is very personal, especially when speaking of his fellow soldier's death.'

The Siege of Mafeking made the reputation of Robert Baden-Powell, who is seen left in his British Army uniform and right on a polo horse. Both photos are undated

A typical street victory celebration scene in Piccadilly, London after the relief of Mafeking, in 1900. The celebrations after the successful battle coined the word mafficking, meaning celebrating

Siege of Mafeking: A glorious British triumph against the odds The Siege of Mafeking was a battle for the British-occupied military outpost of Mafeking in South Africa during the Second Boer War. The British stood firm against a much larger Boer force for 217 days, from October 1899 to May 1900, which was long enough to allow reinforcements to arrive. Among those liberated was Lord Edward Cecil, the son of the Prime Minister, while the siege also cemented Col Baden-Powell's status as a national hero. He deployed cunning strategies like planting fake minefields and getting his soldiers to pretend to avoid non-existent barbed wire while moving between trenches. On one occasion, he loaded an armoured locomotive with sharpshooters and sent it down the rails into the heart of the Boer encampment and back again in a successful attack. The relief of Mafeking was a morale boost for the struggling British, and the rejoicing in cities back home produced the word mafficking, meaning celebrating. Advertisement

Boer War: A long slog to victory against a much smaller enemy The Boer Wars in South Africa resulted from more than a century of conflict between the British Empire and the Boers, who were farmers descended from the original Dutch settlers. The First Boer War took place between 1880 and 1881, and the Second Boer War between 1899 and 1902. At one time there were as many as 500,000 British soldiers in South Africa, while the Boers could only muster some 88,000. The Boers formed two republics, the Transvaal and The Oranje Vrijstaat or Orange State, which they attempted to keep independent of British Colonial rule. Large numbers of British armed forces were engaged first in open warfare, and subsequently in a long and bitter guerrilla campaign which ended with the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging on 31 May 1902. British military service records show high losses, with more than half caused by illness, especially typhoid fever, rather than enemy action. 22,000 British soldiers were killed, out of a total of nearly 100,000 deaths. Advertisement

The Siege of Mafeking was a battle for the British-occupied military outpost of Mafeking in South Africa during the Second Boer War.

The British stood firm against a much larger Boer force for 217 days, from October 1899 to May 1900, which was long enough to allow reinforcements to arrive.

Among those liberated was Lord Edward Cecil, the son of the Prime Minister, while the siege also cemented Col Baden-Powell's status as a national hero.

He deployed cunning strategies like planting fake minefields and getting his soldiers to pretend to avoid non-existent barbed wire while moving between trenches.

On one occasion, he loaded an armoured locomotive with sharpshooters and sent it down the rails into the heart of the Boer encampment and back again in a successful attack.

The relief of Mafeking was a morale boost for the struggling British.

The letter is tipped to sell for 300 tomorrow.
It has been a year since Harvey Weinstein was first accused of sexually assaulting and harassing a slew of women in Hollywood, and the disgraced mogul is celebrating his first anniversary with the traditional gift of paper.

That paper comes in the form of a new lawsuit, filed on Friday by Travelers Casualty and Surety Co., which is now the fourth insurance company seeking a ruling that would allow the company to deny any requests to cover Weinstein's many pending legal battles.

The lawsuit is a bit of a surprise given that Weinstein had coverage from the plaintiff while working at The Walt Disney Company from 1993 to 1998, shortly after the corporate giant acquired his production company Miramax.

An even bigger surprise, which also suggests more paper for Weinstein in the future, is the revelation in the lawsuit that an additional five women have filed pre-claims that could become lawsuits in the near future.

In total, there are 22 lawsuits and claims pending against Weinstein at this time, and a dwindling number of insurers willing to cover legal costs or any settlements in these cases.

Weinstein has 'vehemently' denied ever committing any criminal acts.

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Last chance Harvey: Travelers Casualty and Surety Co. filed a complaint on Friday asking a judge to allow the compoany to deny coverage to Harvey Weinstein (abive in June outside criminal court in NYC)

Adding up: The disgraced mogul's lawyers had written about to the company seeking funds to cover Weinstein's legal fees as he faces 22 lawsuits and claims at this time (one prer-claim above)

The first of the pre-claim suits mentioned in the filing from Traveler's is C.C. v. Harvey Weinstein.

'On February 21, 2018, C.C. asserted a claim against Weinstein. The claim alleges that C.C. had been subjected to a hostile and sexually abusive workplace during her time as an employee of The Weinstein Company (from June 2012 to July 2017 while performing her duties in London, New York and around the world,' states the filing.

'C.C. alleges that she was subjected to regular and pernicious sexualized behavior including penetrative sex and other sexual acts by Weinstein.'

While not identified, the timeline for those allegations do line up with one of the three victims whose alleged assault led to criminal charges for Weinstein.

Next is an alleged victim known only as R.P.

'On October 14, 2017, R.P. asserted a claim against Weinstein alleging that she was sexually assaulted by Weinstein in or around December, 2006, when they met to discuss business,' states the complaint from Travelers.

'R.P. also alleged that Weinstein threatened and touched her in an aggressive manner during a 2014 meeting.'

Next was the pre-claim filed by B.Q. 'alleging that Weinstein sexually assaulted her at the Montage Hotel on February 28, 2017.'

This is one of the most recent allegations against Weinstein, occurring at a time when he allegedly knew that stories about him were in the works thanks to his lawyer Lisa Bloom.

The fourth claim is one of the older, and more graphic, to have emerged in the court documents.

'On July 17, 2018, P.R. asserted a claim against Weinstein that she was sexually assaulted and abused by Weinstein in the summer of 1995 in Dublin, Ireland,' states the filing.

'P.R. alleged sexual assault, rape, battery and trespass to the person.'

Fall from garce: These were revealed just days before the one-year anniversary of the exposes which first alleged that Weinstein was a serial abuser of women in Hollywood (David Parfitt, Dianna Gigliotti, Weinstein, Edward Zwick, and Marc Morman with their Best Picture Oscar in 1999)

New allegations: Five of those are pre-claims which had never been revealed before, and three of them accuse Weinstein of rape while the other two claim sexual assault (assault claim above)

The last of the five pre-claims was filed by a woman known only as K.W., who 'asserted a claim against Weinstein alleging sexual assaults and batteries by Weinstein in 2009, 2010 and 2017.'

This filing comes on the heels of similar suits which were submitted to the court by Chubb Indemnity Insurance Company, Steadfast Insurance and Axis Surplus Insurance Company.

'This lawsuit arises from Weinstein's claim for insurance coverage under certain primary liability policies (the 'Aetna Primary Policies'), excess indemnity policies (the 'Aetna Excess Indemnity Policies') and umbrella liability policies (the 'Aetna Umbrella Policies') issued by Aetna to TWDC for policy periods beginning on June 30, 1993 and ending on June 30, 1998,' explains the complaint.

It goes on to provide a number of arguments as to why Travelers has no responsibility to indemnify Weinstein.

This only came about after Travelers was contacted by the defendant via his legal counsel.

'Weinstein, through his attorneys, notified Travelers on various dates of the Underlying Claims and requested that Travelers defend and indemnify Weinstein under, inter alia, the Aetna Policies,' states the complaint.

Among the reasons for refusing Weinstein's request ninth complaint are:

Weinstein's wife Georgina Chapman is in the process of seperating from the mogul

'These alleged acts were not performed in the course and scope of Weinstein's employment or in performance of any of Weinstein's duties as an employee, officer or director of TWDC.'

'No coverage is available under the Aetna Policies for any 'bodily injury' or 'personal injury' unless it was fortuitous. The Underlying Claims allege that all of the damages sought are the non-fortuitous results of intentional and non-fortuitous acts by Weinstein.'

'The Aetna Policies provide coverage for 'bodily injury' caused by an 'occurrence', defined as 'an accident.' The alleged sexual assaults and harassment perpetrated by Weinstein were not accidents and, therefore, cannot constitute 'occurrences' as defined in the Aetna Policies.'

'There is no coverage under the Aetna Policies for any 'bodily injury' that was 'expected or intended' from the standpoint of the Insured. The Underlying Claims allege that all of the damages sought are the intended results of intentional acts by Weinstein.'

'No coverage is available under the Aetna Policies for any "bodily injury" that took place outside their respective policy periods. Many of the Underlying Claims are based on alleged 'bodily injury' that took place prior to the inception of or after the expiration of the policy periods of one or more of the Aetna Policies. The Aetna Primary Policies include an Abuse or Molestation Exclusion Endorsement, which excludes 'bodily injury' and 'personal injury' arising out of '(a) the actual or threatened abuse or molestation by anyone of any person while in the care, custody or control of any insured.' There is no coverage under the Aetna Primary Policies for any 'bodily injury' arising out of the actual or threatened abuse or molestation by Weinstein of any person while in the care, custody or control of any insured.'

In the beginning: Ashley Judd (above in March) was one of the first women to come forward and share details of Weinstein's alleged harassment

Allegation: B.Q. had one of the most recent allegations against Weinstein, occurring at a time when he allegedly knew that stories about him were in the works

Weinstein was set to begin his trial in the criminal case against him that is being head by Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance, but that was pushed back to November, as was the case being brought against him by Attorney General Barbara Underwood.

HARVEY WEINSTEIN'S 2017 STATEMENT ON ALLEGATIONS 'I came of age in the 60s and 70s, when all the rules about behavior and workplaces were different. That was the culture then. I have since learned its not an excuse, in the office - or out of it. To anyone. 'I realized some time ago that I needed to be a better person and my interactions with the people I work with have changed. I appreciate the way Ive behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it. Though Im trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go. That is my commitment. My journey now will be to learn about myself and conquer my demons. 'Over the last year I've asked Lisa Bloom to tutor me and she's put together a team of people. I've brought on therapists and I plan to take a leave of absence from my company and to deal with this issue head on. I so respect all women and regret what happened. I hope that my actions will speak louder than words and that one day we will all be able to earn their trust and sit down together with Lisa to learn more. 'Jay Z wrote in 4:44 "I'm not the man I thought I was and I better be that man for my children." The same is true for me. I want a second chance in the community but I know I've got work to do to earn it. I have goals that are now priorities. Trust me, this isn't an overnight process. I've been trying to do this for 10 years and this is a wake-up call. I cannot be more remorseful about the people I hurt and I plan to do right by all of them. 'I am going to need a place to channel that anger so I've decided that I'm going to give the NRA my full attention. I hope Wayne LaPierre will enjoy his retirement party. I'm going to do it at the same place I had my Bar Mitzvah. I'm making a movie about our President, perhaps we can make it a joint retirement party. 'One year ago, I began organizing a $5 million foundation to give scholarships to women directors at USC. While this might seem coincidental, it has been in the works for a year. It will be named after my mom and I won't disappoint her.' -Harvey Weinstein, Oct. 5, 2017 Advertisement

Weinstein filed a motion to dismiss the criminal charges against him back in August that contains a number of emails sent by one of his accusers between 2013 and 2017.

That woman, whose alleged rape by Weinstein in 2013 resulted in charges of rape in the first degree, rape in the third degree and predatory sexual assault, wrote in the emails that Weinstein 'is the bar' for the movie industry and comments on his 'smile and beautiful eyes.

In one email, sent in 2014, the woman wrote: 'There is no one else I would enjoy catching up with that understands me quite like you.'

Two weeks later, the woman wrote to accept Weinstein's invitation to bring her mother along for a drink, saying: 'She would love to meet you, plus you can see how good my genes are.'

Brafman argues that emails like that and the others he submitted along with the motion, should have been seen by members of the grand jury.

At the same time, he is also asking that the charge of Criminal Sex Act should be tossed because of inconsistencies.

'Mr. Weinstein was indicted for an alleged act of forcible oral sex by someone who claims she does not remember when it occurred and asserts only that it was purportedly sometime during a three-month period in 2004, nearly fourteen years ago,' reads the motion.

'He was also indicted for the rape of [email accuser], whose extensive communications and contact immediately following the now claimed forcible rape instead reflect a consensual, intimate relationship with Mr. Weinstein in an exchange of more than 400 warm, complimentary and solicitous emails with an alleged rapist for more than four years after the alleged rape, never once in those 9 communications claiming to have ever been harmed by Mr. Weinstein.'

The final email, from 2017, is less effusive than the others submitted by Weinstein, reading: 'I love you, always do. But hate feeling like a booty call.'

That came in response to an email from Weisntein in which he tried to schedule a meeting with the woman before heading off to a redacted city.

He wrote that he could meet in the afternoon, and when the woman responded to ask the address Weinstein replied with the name of a hotel, even though he was in New York at the time.

Accusers divided: Rose McGowan and Asia Argento (above in March) both alleged that they were raped by Weinstein in the first exposes on Weinstein

Repeat offender:

Weinstein was married to his now estranged wife Georgina Chapman during the time that all 40 emails were sent.

He was indicted by a grand jury in June after declining to testify on his own behalf.

Brafman complained at the time that Weinstein had been 'unfairly denied access to critical information about this case that was needed to defend him before the Grand Jury.'

Brafman cited the fact that he and Weinstein did not know who the accusers were in this case as part of the issue, saying they only learned who the charges were linked to on the day of Weinstein's arrest.

This despite the fact that both women shared their stories with The New Yorker.

That is when Brafman told reporters after a court meeting that the woman who alleges she was raped by Weinstein multiple times during a 2013 incident in a midtown hotel was having a decade-long affair with the producer.

'This is an extraordinary case in my judgement where the only rape victim that Mr. Weinstein is accused of raping is someone with whom he has had a 10-year consensual sexual relationship - both before and after the alleged incident,' stated Brafman.

He also called the woman's allegations 'absurd.'

Brafman also said he had concerns about his client being able to get a fair trial.

'The ability for people to keep an open mind is of concern to me,' remarked Brafman.

'Demanding an indictment or prosecution is inappropriate pressure. It is unprecedented. It troubles me and I want to make those matters known to the court.'

He then noted: 'I'm not certain that there's any remedy but I wanted to make clear I was unhappy with those issues.'

Weinstein is facing six charges in total, with three new charges added last month: Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree for a forcible sexual act against a woman in 2006 as well as two counts of Predatory Sexual Assault.

Predatory Sexual Assault carries a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life behind bars.

Weinstein has been charged with Predatory Sexual Assault for for allegedly committing the crimes of Rape, Criminal Sexual Act and Aggravated Sexual Abuse in the first degree on two occasions in New York.

'A Manhattan Grand Jury has now indicted Harvey Weinstein on some of the most serious sexual offenses that exist under New Yorks Penal Law,' said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance at the time.

'This indictment is the result of the extraordinary courage exhibited by the survivors who have come forward. Our investigation continues. If you are a survivor of the predatory abuse with which Mr. Weinstein is charged, there is still time to pursue justice. Please call us at 212-335-9373.'

Those new charges were added to the three charges the disgraced executive was already facing: Rape in the First and Third Degree and Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree.

Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual assault by over 20 women, was arraigned on those initial three charges back in June. He entered a plea of not guilty.
A Tennessee man has been arrested on assault charges after police say he attacked his neighbor with an ax because he believed the man's dog had either killed or eaten his chickens.

Garret Ankney, 54, of White Creek, landed behind bars on Tuesday on one felony count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two misdemeanor counts of assault.

Court documents reveal that Ankney and his neighbor, who has not been named, had been feuding all evening on Tuesday over the fate of the suspect's feathered pets.

Violent row: Garret Ankney, 54, is accused of attacking his neighbor with an ax because he believed the man's dog had either killed or eaten his chickens

The verbal spat took a violent turn at around 10pm, when, according to the documents, Ankney grabbed an ax and headed over to his neighbor's home, where he confronted him face-to-face, reported The Tennessean.

According to police, the 54-year-old swung the hatchet at his neighbor, who put up his arms to protect his head from the blade and sustained lacerations on both his forearms,

Two Good Samaritans rushed to the victims aid and restrained Ankeny. One of those men later told police that the suspect was pulling on his hair and hitting him in the head while he was being held down.

Ankney also allegedly knocked a passerby off her feet as he tried to flee, reported WKRN.

The neighbors' quarrel took place Tuesday night in White Creek, Tennessee, and left the victim with cuts on his forearms

The injured neighbor was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released on Wednesday.

Ankney's bond was set at $6,000. Records indicate that the 54-year-old has a lengthy criminal history, which dates back to 1999 and includes more than a dozen arrests.
President Donald Trump said Thursday in a tweet that the Washington rancor over Judge Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation is motivating his base.

White Houe spokesman Raj Shah had expressed confidence hours earlier that Kavanaugh will pass his final test when the Senate votes, likely sometime Saturday.

'The harsh and unfair treatment of Judge Brett Kavanaugh is having an incredible upward impact on voters,' Trump tweeted.

'The PEOPLE get it far better than the politicians. Most importantly, this great life cannot be ruined by mean & despicable Democrats and totally uncorroborated allegations!'

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders warned Democrats could face significant political consequences in the midterm elections next month.

'People are outraged at the way the Democrats have totally made this process into a partisan battle, and they've created something that should never have happened,' she said.

President Donald Trump says the Washington rancor over Judge Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation is motivating his base.

The president tweeted that he's seen 'an incredible upward impact on voters' as the vicious nomination process has unfolded

Judge Brett Kavanaugh's road to the Supreme Court hit a giant pothole last week when a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on unsubstantiated claims that he had pinned a teenage girl to a ned anf groped her when he was 17 and she 15

'They've upended our judicial system. And what they have done is energize Republicans, and the president is feeling that energy in all of the locations he's been.'

'You've seen polling come out in the last day that has Republicans up in -=- or closing the gap -- in Montana. Up in North Dakota [and] West Virginia. And I think the message is very clear: Democrats, you made a mistake here, and it's going to show up in November,' Sanders claimed.

Interview summaries from the FBI's latest dig into Kavanaugh's past were made available to senators on Thursday morning after the White House reviewed them

Shah told reporters Thursday that Trump had not personally reviewed the material, but the White House is insisting that they contain no corroboration of Christine Blasey Ford's claims about an alleged sexual assault in 1982.

Senators will be back where they started if that's true, facing heartfelt testimony from two people who contradict each other about events 36 years ago.

Shah tweeted overnight, saying: 'The White House has received the Federal Bureau of Investigation's supplemental background investigation into Judge Kavanaugh, and it is being transmitted to the Senate.'

'This is the last addition to the most comprehensive review of a Supreme Court nominee in history, which includes extensive hearings, multiple committee interviews, over 1,200 questions for the record and over a half million pages of documents.

'With this additional information, the White House is fully confident the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.'

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday morning that Democrats will pay a political price next month in the midterm elections

So far there has been no corroboration of Ford's claims that Kavanaugh pinned her down, tried to pull her clothes off and covered her mouth as she cried out

Democrats could still attempt to thwart Kavanaugh's confirmation by emphasizing their belief that he lied during Judiciary Committee he'arings.

Jeff Flake, the Republican senator who insisted the FBI reopen its investigation as a condition of his support, has left open the possibility of opposing Kavanaugh if that's proven.

During a testy exchange with Sen. Amy Klobuchar last week, Kavanaugh denied ever drinking to the point of blacking out, and said he didn't have 'a drinking problem.'

But Kavanaugh's former college roommate James Roche accused him on Wednesday of showing 'contempt for the truth, for the process, for the rule of law, and for accountability.'

Roche and Kavanaugh shared a three-person suite at Yale for several months in 1983, when he claims the freshman 'regularly' drank until he blacked out.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is promising a vote on Kavanaugh's nomination sometime this week, likely Saturday

Democrats are focusing their attentions on whether Kavanaugh lied during his hearings

Chad Ludington, Liz Swisher, and Mark Krasberg, former Yale students who knew the future judge, have also indicated that he lied about his past drinking.

Yale alumna Kerry Berchem claims to have text messages showing Kavanaugh knew about allegations from another sex accuser  Deborah Ramirez  days before they were made public.

In sworn testimony, Kavanaugh said he didn't know about Ramirez's story of him exposing himself to her during a drinking game until after they were published in The New Yorker.

Democrats have also raised concerns that the probe was not thorough enough amid concerns that the White House limited its scope.

FBI agents contacted 10 people and interviewed nine of them, the New York Times reports, though it is not clear why the tenth was not interviewed.

Senators will be allowed to review the report from 8am in a secure room at the Capitol, or else be briefed by select members of staff.

A preliminary vote is then expected to take place on Friday, before a final vote as early as Saturday.

Roche, Ludington, Swisher, Krasberg and Berchem say the FBI never contacted them, despite going public with their claims against Kavanaugh.

Two other anonymous figures told CNN that they contacted the FBI with evidence, including the names of people who may have witnessed Ramirez coming face to face with Kavanaugh's genitals.

Both said the FBI brushed them off.

Democrats have already raised concerns that the White House limited the FBI investigation and that key suspects were not interviewed (pictured, protesters outside the Supreme Court)

Dems are also expected to attack Kavanaugh on wider concerns that he lied to senators during sworn testimony (pictured, protesters in Washington DC)

Ramirez is the only one of Kavanaugh's three named accusers interviewed by the FBI, which did not speak with Ford or Julie Swetnick. Ford testified under oath in her Semate hearing, a setting considered to have more weight than an FBI interview.

Swetnick claims she witnessed Kavanaugh behaving inappropriately to women at parties while drunk. She has backtracked on key elements of her story in recent days.

President Trump has denied that he ordered the FBI to limit its probe, saying he instructed agents to question whomever they wish.

Democrats have unsuccessfully sought a copy of the directive the West Wing sent to the Bureau.

Mitch McConnell has said the report will not be made public, a typical step for background checks.

Democrats argue that the extraordinary nature of the Kavanaugh case warrants full disclosure.
On one of the world's busiest streets, road barriers are made up with humans.

In Shanghai's iconic waterfront area, junctions become so busy during the holidays soldiers are using their bodies to form movable 'Great Human Walls' in order to ensure road safety.

As if two giant zips, the soldiers 'seal off' the extremely crowded junctions once every minute, 12 hours a day, to prevent people jaywalking and help cars pass quickly.

Two rows of soldiers close off the road when the green light is on for the pedestrians to pass

When the red light is on, they guard the pavements to stop people from jaywalking in Shanghai

The special scene can be sighted in downtown Shanghai during China's week-long National Day holiday.

Soldiers are stationed at two crossroads on Nanjing Dong Road, a bustling pedestrian street near the city's river-side boulevard known as the Bund.

Hundreds of thousands of people have swarmed to the area each day since the country's 'Golden Week' started on Monday.

The viral video was filmed at the T-junction at the end of pedestrian street when it meets another thoroughfare Henan Zhong Road.

In the video, the soldiers are divided into four groups.

When the green light is on, they march in four straight lines to 'seal off' two sides of the junction, ensuring the pedestrians can cross the road properly.

When the red light is on, the soldiers march back towards the pavements to allow vehicles to pass smoothly.

Visitors throng the Bund, Shanghai's iconic waterfront, on the second day of the National Day 'Golden Week' holiday on October 2. More than 250,000 people went to the Bund on Monday

Nanjing Dong Road is a popular pedestrian street in Shanghai flanked by department stores

The Shanghai authority has started using the 'Great Human Walls' to control holiday traffic since 2014. A stampede took place on the Bund during the New Year Countdown that year, killing 36 and injuring 49.

Li Ning, one of the soldiers on duty, told the local Xinmin Evening News that compared to the past, the road was particularly busy this holiday.

Statistics show that at one point on Monday evening, 80,000 people swarmed to the mile-long Bund simultaneously.

Another solider, Li Liu, said that soldiers were posted at the crossroads for 12 hours a day, and each of them would need to be on duty for at least six hours, marching back and forth once every minute or so.

The Bund (pictured) receives hundreds of thousands of people each day in holiday season

Videos showing the unique traffic-controlling method have become a trending topic in China. The public have expressed their admiration to the dedicated officers on social media platforms.

One clip alone has been viewed 1.5 million times and received more than 20,000 comments on video platform Douyin since Monday.

One user commented: 'This is the most special crossroad I have even seen.'

While another one expressed his gratitude to the soldiers, saying 'the soldiers are so hard-working'.

The 'Golden Week' is a peak season for Chinese people to go on domestic and international trips. It's the country's second largest annual human migration after the Spring Festival.

About 122 million people travelled around the country on Monday, the National Day. The figure is a 7.54 per cent year-on-year growth, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in a news release.
Britain's 39billion Brexit Bill could go up after an official report revealed that the EU's spending has risen dramatically.

Auditors today warned that the Brussels budget is facing 'significant pressure' because the bloc has committed to spending tens of billions more euros.

Theresa May has said that Britain will pay all its legal obligations into the bloc and a chunk more to trade with it during the transition period.

The Government has said that the bill will stand at 39bn and be paid over many decades - ending in 2064.

But EU auditors today released their assessment of the Brussels budget and warned that spiraling spending and pensions contributions means the pictured is strained.

And they have also described the contribution member states such as the UK must cough up as 'moveable' because they are linked to the commitments of the bloc.

Britain's 39billion Brexit Bill could go up after an official report revealed that the EU's spending has risen dramatically (pictured, Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab with the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels in August)

The statement accompanying the report states that 'the EU budget continues to face significant pressure owing to the value of payments committed for future years.

'Measures to increase the flexibility of the budget were helpful, say the auditors, but may not be sufficient.

'The combination of high commitments and low payments increased outstanding budgetary commitments to a new high of 267.3 billion (236.56bn).'

EU says British concessions on Irish border makes a Brexit compromise 'possible' Concessions from Theresa May on the Irish border make a Brexit deal 'possible', EU sources have revealed today. The proposals - thought to involve the UK matching customs union rules - are said to be a 'step in the right direction' by EU negotiators. Mrs May appears set to promise Brexiteers the agreement would be replaced in time by a comprehensive trade deal but are needed to fulfil the 'backstop' until then. The Prime Minister will have to convince her DUP allies it does not put a border down the Irish Sea and Brexiteers it will not be a permanent solution that stops Britain signing trade deals. An EU source told Reuters it is 'a step in the right direction' and 'make finding a compromise possible'. DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds warned last night his party would rather have a no deal Brexit than accept any version of what the EU is currently offering, the party's Westminster leader warned today. Advertisement

The Prime Minster has promised to stop sending vast amounts of money to Brussels and said this Brexit dividend will contribute to he pledge to pump another 20bn into the NHS over five years.

Many Brexiteers are furious that Britain has agreed to pay the EU 39bn as part of its bid to thrash out a deal with the bloc.

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has warned the EU that the UK will pay less money to the bloc if Britain crashes out without a deal.

And he has urged the EU to match Britain's bold ambition to get a deal before the end of the year as the clock rapidly ticks down on the negotiations.

The British public may never know exactly how much money the country pays Brussels after Brexit as the figures are based on complex and opaque calculations.

The UK's public spending watchdog, the National Audit Office, has described the Treasury estimate of up to 39bn as 'reasonable'.

But it said there is uncertainty about how much the figure will actually be because of the unpredictability of future events.

Figures released by the European Court of Auditors lay bare the bloc's ballooning spending.

Spending promises hit a record 267bn in 2017, up from 239bn the previous year, and almost twice the size of the EU's annual budget.

President of the European Court of Auditors Klaus-Heiner Lehne said: 'The European Union, when they collect the membership fees, they do not put it into a bank account and wait for the interest.

Theresa May (pictured at the Tory party conference yesterday in Birmingham) has said that Britain will pay all its legal obligations into the bloc and a chunk more to trade with the bloc during the transition period

'They only ask the member states to pay as much as they need. This is more or less an obligation, but it has a moveable size, depending on what is needed.'

A UK Treasury spokesperson said: 'These accounts are based on historical information, and do not determine the size of any financial settlement.

'We will honour commitments made while being part of the EU, and we have negotiated a settlement that is fair to UK taxpayers. This is unchanged.

'The UK cannot be made to pay for additional spending beyond what it has signed up to as a member.'
EU chief Donald Tusk tried to exploit Tory splits over Europe last night by demanding that Theresa May abandon Chequers and accept a Canada-style trade deal.

The President of the European Council triggered a furious Government backlash with a cynical appeal to hardline Brexiteers who want the PM to abandon her blueprint.

Taunting Mrs May on Twitter after she accused EU leaders of not respecting the UK, Mr Tusk wrote: From the very beginning, the EU offer has been a Canada+++ deal. Much further reaching on trade, internal security and foreign policy cooperation.

This is a true measure of respect. And this offer remains in place.

Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and other Brexiteers who oppose Chequers immediately seized on Mr Tusks remarks, urging Mrs May to change tack.

Donald Tusk (pictured today in Brussels) repeated his offer of a Canada-style trade deal between Britain and the EU today in a boost for Brexiteer rebels against Theresa May

But No10 hit back, saying there was nothing new in the offer which would involve annexing Northern Ireland to the EU  a prospect that is not remotely acceptable. The European Council leader also lashed out at Jeremy Hunt for likening the EU to the Soviet Union, calling the Foreign Secretarys comparison as unwise as it is insulting.

However, he faced accusations of sexism after describing the Prime Ministers response to the collapse of the Salzburg summit as emotional.

Helen Whately, Tory vice-chairman for women said: This language just plays to outdated stereotypes about women. I wonder whether President Tusk would have used that emotional phrasing about a male prime minister?

Speaking alongside Irish PM Leo Varadkar today (pictured) the EU Council President provocatively insisted he 'respects' Britain despite rejecting Mrs May's Chequers plan and adopting the language of her critics

The acrimonious exchanges on the Brexit negotiations showed the two sides were no closer to an agreement, with time running out to secure a deal.

Just last month, Mr Tusk mocked Mrs May, tweeting a photo of the two of them as the PM helped herself to cake at the Salzburg summit, with the caption, A piece of cake perhaps? Sorry, no cherries  a reference to a speech in which he said the UK could not cherry pick parts of the single market it liked.

The UK is poised to make an improved offer on the so-called Irish backstop, which is designed to avoid a hard border in Ireland if the two sides cannot agree an almost frictionless trade deal before the end of the transition period in December 2020.

A Canada-style deal would leave Britain legally much more distant from the EU than the proposals the Prime Minister (pictured at conference yesterday) has presented

The new British offer would see Great Britain and Northern Ireland remaining in a customs arrangement with the EU, but with Northern Ireland more closely aligned to some single market rules than the rest of the UK.

It could also involve some regulatory checks on goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland to ensure they are aligned with EU standards.

Such checks already exist for some agricultural products, but the proposal is likely to enrage the Democratic Unionist Party, whose votes Theresa May relies upon.

The EUs proposal for a backstop would simply see Northern Ireland stay in the customs union and parts of the single market, thereby effectively moving the blocs border with Britain to the Irish sea. The EU has also offered a Canada-style free trade deal that would again see Northern Ireland remain in the customs union. Mrs May has already ruled out both scenarios because they would amount to the breaking-up of the UK. Yesterday, a No10 source said: This means annexing Northern Ireland and it is not remotely acceptable.

Two weeks ago, Mr Tusk ambushed the PM at the Salzburg summit, saying Chequers would not work. Speaking in Brussels yesterday, he kept up the EUs hardline stance, saying it would not give up its fundamental values and key interests, and appeared to align himself with Mrs Mays opponents by reiterating the offer of a Canada+++ deal.

He added pointedly: Emotional arguments that stress the issue of dignity sound attractive but they do not facilitate agreement.

He said both sides were continuing to try to find a solution to the vexed issue of the Irish border and a workable backstop.

Committed Brexiteers, who believe they can negotiate a Canada-style deal and solve the Irish border question with technology, welcomed Mr Tusks remarks.

Boris Johnson, who called for a Canada-style deal in his Tory conference speech, tweeted that Mr Tusks offer was a superb way forward, claiming it would solve the Irish border problem and deliver a free trade based partnership that works well for both sides.

Jacob Rees-Mogg said: It is very encouraging as it shows the route to a good deal that could unite the country is available.

Britain has been told the outline of a divorce deal must be in place by October 15, just two days before the EU summit starts.

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
The scandal-mired former leader of a tiny Caribbean nation has laid bare his steamy six-month fling with Omarosa Manigault-Newman - telling DailyMailTV: 'She would have made a great First Lady'.

Michael Misick, the controversial ex-Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, says he wooed the fired White House aide with yacht parties, champagne soaked dinners and five-star hotels.

The pair hooked up more than a decade ago when Misick was in charge of the British colony and famed vacation haunt for the likes of Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas.

And he admits he was so impressed with the former Apprentice contestant's political instincts he even sought her advice on decisions effecting the chain of 40 islands an hour's flight from Miami.

Misick's tenure in the Turks and Caicos ended in notoriety when he was accused of corruption by the British government who forced him to stand down in 2009 and imposed direct rule.

The 52-year-old was put on trial in December 2015 for fraud, bribery and money laundering in a case that has been dragging on ever since, costing its citizens an estimated $1 million every month.

'Omarosa is a powerful, opinionated and strong black woman - the complete package of beauty and intellect,' Misick told DailyMailTV in his first exclusive interview about their affair.

Michael Misick, the controversial ex-Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, has laid bare his steamy six-month fling with Omarosa Manigault-Newman - telling DailyMailTV: 'She would have made a great First Lady'

The two met in 2005 and Misick said he wooed the fired White House aide with yacht parties, champagne soaked dinners and five-star hotels. He said: 'She was amazing, very satisfying. In the islands we don't kiss and tell, but there were no complaints in that department'

Misick says their relationship fizzled out because of the long distance and he began dating the actress and model LisaRaye McCoy (pictured together in 2006), whom he married the next year. He says they broke off ties for good after McCoy spotted him chatting to Omarosa at an NAACP event and angrily demanded they end their friendship

'She would always give me sound advice. In fact I wish I had taken more of her advice - some things would have been different.'

Omarosa has never publicly disclosed the fling with Misick, which he says took place in 2005 after she divorced her first husband, Aaron Stallworth.

She was a rising reality TV star at the time, having achieved infamy one year earlier as the villain of the first Season of The Apprentice.

The well-connected pair first crossed paths at a charity function in New York when they were introduced by a mutual friend.

'Clearly there was chemistry. We chatted for a very, very longtime. She's a beautiful and amazing woman. I was attracted to her,' the ex-Premier recalled.

Misick was in the US to court celebrities and well-heeled tourists in a bid to bring wealth and glamour to his sun-drenched archipelago, southeast of the Bahamas.

But the smooth-talking statesman said he would end up spending the entire weekend with Omarosa, touring Manhattan and enjoying intimate nights at his suite at the plush Four Seasons Hotel.

'I knew who she was and she knew who I was. What struck me about her was her intellect. She was highly intelligent which is not the first thing that comes to mind with a reality star,' Misick said.

'She was highly knowledgeable about politics and world affairs. We had a very interesting, stimulating conversation.

'We were obviously mature, consenting adults who were both single at the time and we were smitten with each another. So, yes, we did spend an amazing time together.'

Misick would fly back to New York just a week later with the fledgling couple enjoying a romantic dinner date at Sylvia's Harlem restaurant, famed for its soul food and celebrity clientele.

The two began their romps in 2005, meeting at a charity function in New York after the Apprentice villain divorced her first husband, Aaron Stallworth (pictured together in 2004)

Misick's tenure in the Turks and Caicos ended in notoriety when he was accused of corruption by the British government who forced him to stand down in 2009 and imposed direct rule

Omarosa's first 'White House': Misick said Omarosa was a regular visitor to the Turks and Caicos during their six month tryst. Pictured: Misick's former $8 million mansion, nicknamed the 'White House'

Weeks later she would accompany him to Dubai, where he slipped away from official functions to entertain her at the One and Only Royal Mirage Hotel, where suites cost $6,000 a night.

'We were dating, to use the American term,' said Misick, who has been married three times and has six children by five different women.

'I wouldn't say that we were monogamous - that question never came up. We were dating, we were getting to know each other and having fun.

'She was amazing, very satisfying. In the islands we don't kiss and tell, but without kissing and telling, there were no complaints in that department.'

Omarosa was a regular visitor to the Turks and Caicos during the six month tryst, sometimes taking along her mom Theresa - who calls herself Momarosa - to enjoy the swank resorts and restaurants laid on by Misick.

'Her and her mother have a special relationship and they were really nice people,' he said, sitting down with DailyMailTV on the island of Providenciales, the archipelago's principle tourism hub.

'She was highly intelligent which is not the first thing that comes to mind with a reality star,' Misick said. Pictured: Omarosa around the time of their tryst in 2005

The lovebirds were seen together at official functions and attended the South Caicos Regatta, where Misick recalls they were caught out by the tides and got stuck on a sandbar for hours.

'We just chilled and enjoyed the moment,' he said with a smile. 'We would have had catering on the boat, strawberries, grapes, fruits, champagne, beer, whiskey. And seafood - fish, conch, lobster.'

He added of their time together: 'Most of the time it would be three or four days or a long weekend. We would either stay at a resort or my residence.

'Omarosa enjoyed the water. She loved the beach, she loved to swim, she loved boating.

'She was not a big drinker but of course everyone loves champagne. She respected the office that I had so she never did anything improper while she was with me.

'She was a fun person but she wasn't a wild, party crazy type of woman. I've clearly dated those types as well, but she was not one of those.

'I never saw her indulge in over-drinking or drugs or anything like that. I think she could have made a good First Lady.'

Misick, who married this year for the third time, says he was impressed by Omarosa's networking skills and contacts in the world of celebrity and politics.

The Howard University alumnus had previously worked in the office of Vice President Al Gore during the Clinton administration, though she was later panned by her former administrator as the 'worst hire we ever made'.

Determined to transform the Turks and Caicos into the 'Monte Carlo of the Caribbean', Misick asked Omarosa to help raise his profile in the US, particularly among his key tourism demographic of wealthy African Americans.

'I would ask her the best way to market our destination,' he said. 'She's a very strong, powerful and opinionated woman. I'm not intimidated by a strong women, I embrace strong women.

'She would give her advice and sometimes it was strong but ultimately as the person who was the leader of the country, it was my decision to make.'

Trump and Omarosa have fallen out bitterly since her abrupt departure from the White House, with Omarosa aiming a series of barbs at her former boss in her best-selling memoir, Unhinged

Misick said he believed Omarosa and Trump were 'friends' with a 'love hate relationship'. He added: 'Clearly something happened and he wanted her out of the White House so maybe the circumstances made her change her loyalty'

Misick told DailyMailTV he also discussed Omarosa's time on The Apprentice with her - and her relationship with Donald Trump, who would later appoint her director of communications for the White House Office of Public Liaison.

The pair have fallen out bitterly since her abrupt departure from the White House, with Omarosa aiming a series of barbs at her former boss in her best-selling memoir, Unhinged.

She also alleges that tapes exist dating back to their time together filming The Apprentice in which the President is caught on mic using the N-word.

'They were friends. They seemed to have a love hate relationship. She was a Democrat at that time and maybe he was at the time as well, I don't know,' recalled Misick.

'I was not surprised he chose her to be part of his government. She clearly is controversial and there seems to have been mixed feelings even amongst the African American community, but she's very competent from my standpoint.

'I know her to be a loyal person but even loyalty sometimes changes. Clearly something happened and he wanted her out of the White House so maybe the circumstances made her change her loyalty.

He added: 'I can't recall whether she ever told me that Mr Trump used the n-word. I know Mr Trump as well, I've gone to events at his estate, Mar-a-Lago.

'At one stage we were talking to them about hosting the Miss Universe pageant. In all my interactions with him he's been very respectful and I've certainly not heard him use the N-word.'

Misick says his relationship with Omarosa fizzled because of the long distance between them and he began dating the actress and model LisaRaye McCoy, whom he later married in 2006 but divorced two years later.

He says they broke off ties for good after McCoy spotted him chatting to Omarosa at an NAACP event and angrily demanded they end their friendship.

'We were dating, to use the American term,' said Misick, who has been married three times and has six children by five women. The lovebirds were seen together at official functions and attended the South Caicos Regatta, where Misick recalls they were caught out by the tides and got stuck on a sandbar for hours

Last year Omarosa married Florida-based pastor John Allen Newman (pictured together in 2016) and became First Lady of his downtown Jacksonville church

Omarosa subsequently began dating Green Mile actor Michael Clarke Duncan who died of a heart attack in 2012. Last year she married Florida-based pastor John Allen Newman and became First Lady of his downtown Jacksonville church.

Misick, meanwhile, was linked to a string of high-profile US actresses and celebs including Rocsi Diaz, best known as the co-host on the BET show 106 & Park, and Nicole Murphy, ex-wife of comedian Eddie Murphy.

He also built himself a sprawling $8 million mansion, nicknamed the 'White House,' which the British government now accuses him of funding through graft.

Misick was appointed Premier of the Turks and Caicos in 2003, taking charge of a country with limited infrastructure and few modern amenities.

His supporters say he oversaw a period of massive growth, developing hotels, resorts and establishing it as an A-list vacation spot.

But after a landslide second election win in 2007 he demanded the island's British-appointed Governor begin the process towards a referendum on independence from the UK.

British officials responded by launching an investigation into Misick that accused him of ushering in massive corruption and 'a palpable climate of fear'.

They also questioned how someone with declared assets of $50,000 when he came into power could be living a playboy lifestyle complete with Presidential-style mansion and leased private jet.

Misick was put on trial in December 2015 for fraud, bribery and money laundering in a case that has been dragging on ever since, costing its citizens an estimated $1 million every month

In 2009 the UK declared a national emergency, suspending the constitution and taking back control of the island.

Misick and other ministers were accused of financing lavish lifestyles by acquiring publicly-owned land and selling it to developers.

Before charges were brought, Misick moved to Brazil where his claim for asylum was rejected and he was handed over to Interpol to be returned to the Turks and Caicos.

He has spent the last three years on trial in a court case which is estimated to be costing the country of just 31,000 inhabitants around $1 million a month.

'I just couldn't accept that you can get elected and then you have some civil servant from England come and dictate to you how you should run your country,' he told DailyMailTV.

'I found that offensive then and I still find that offensive. We know what's best for our country - we want to be free.'

Misick has described his nation's official status as a British Overseas Territory as a 'relic' of colonialism and alleges his prosecution is a racially-driven political witch-hunt.

'As a matter of fact, the then-governor in a cable to London said, 'we have to stop Misick now because he's popular and he wants independence. And unless we stop him now, nothing will stop him.'

Misick also hopes to add Omarosa's Unhinged to his reading list in the coming weeks. 'I haven't read her book as yet. I'm waiting for an autographed copy,' he joked

'So they used that as an opportunity to make these allegations of corruption. I resigned from office in 2009 and I've had the last, almost ten years fighting these alleged charges,' he said.

The prosecution is Misick's trial is due to rest its case in the next few weeks when his legal team will argue there is no case to answer.

He has sold the White House and remains on bail.

The globe-trotting former politician is not allowed to leave the Turks and Caicos without the permission of the courts.

A short-lived attempt at a political comeback ended in failure in December 2016 when Misick stood as an independent candidate in the general election but received less than 6 percent of the vote.

He plans to have another go 'when, and not if' he is cleared.

'I have never solicited or accepted a bribe from anyone. And I intend to do whatever it takes to clear my name and defend myself until the last breath is in my body,' he vowed.

Misick also hopes to add Omarosa's Unhinged to his reading list in the coming weeks.

'I haven't read her book as yet. I'm waiting for an autographed copy,' he joked.
Jeremy Corbyn (pictured today in Leeds) today said he wants 'positive relations' with Russia - but admitted there should be a 'diplomatic confrontation' with Vladimir Putin over its cyber attacks

Jeremy Corbyn today said he wants 'positive relations' with Russia - but admitted there should be a 'diplomatic confrontation' with Vladimir Putin over its cyber attacks.

It emerged today that Russian military agents were exposed for trying to hack into the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in April.

The foiled strike came as the international body was investigating the Cold War nerve agent Novichok used in the Salisbury poison attack.

The Labour leader sparked fury after he took months to admit Russia was behind the attack despite British intelligence saying all the evidence pointed to Moscow.

And he even suggested a sample of the Novichok was sent to Russia for testing, despite the state waging a massive disinformation campaign to cast doubt over its role in the attack.

But speaking today after news of the latest Russian strike emerged, Mr Corbyn denied he had taken far too long to point the finger of blame at the Kremlin.

And he defended his own strident criticisms of Nato - Britain's main military alliance.

Asked on a visit to Leeds how he thinks the UK should respond to Russia, he said: 'Being critical of Nato and critical of Russia are perfectly sustainable positions.

'What I want is positive relations with Russia but that does mean diplomatically confronting them with the evidence both of what happened in Salisbury and of course the more recent cyber issues that come up.

'Listen, any country or any organisation that undertakes cyber attacks against any of us needs to be confronted with that.'

He admitted that all the evidence now points to Russia being behind the attacks - which Theresa May has warned are a threat to the world rules that keep people safe.

He said: 'First of all confront Russia with the evidence, remove any diplomats that clearly are not diplomats and are masquerading as something else and confront Russia with it, but also strengthen international organisations and their protections such as the UN and the Organisation for Prevention of Chemical Warfare.

The Labour leader (pictured on a climbing wall in Leeds today) sparked fury after he took months to admit Russia was behind the attack despite British intelligence saying all the evidence pointed to Moscow

'The evidence is clearly against Russia on both the Salisbury attack and of course on the latest cyber attacks so there has to be a confrontation, a diplomatic confrontation, with Russia on this.'

And he furiously denied that he had been too slow to blame Russia for the Salisbury atack.

Britain warns Russia could face fresh sanctions over cyber attack Jeremy Hunt (pictured today)warned Russia it could be slapped with more sanctions after its intelligence agents were expose for trying to hack he chemical weapons organisation Britain today warned Russia could face fresh sanctions for its chemical weapons cyber attack and warned Moscow 'they will regret doing this'. Theresa May today tore into Russia for its 'unacceptable cyber activities' and vowed to hit back to defend the international order against their strikes. In a joint statement with the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, she said the Kremlin is showing flagrant 'disregard' for the global values which keep the world safe. While Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned Moscow that Britain and its allies will not take the naked aggression 'lying down'. He said: 'If they think they can get away with flouting international law, trying to destabilise the way democracies go about their business, sending agents in to use chemical weapons on British soil for the first time in our history. 'If they think we are just going to lie down and accept that they are wrong. There will be consequences and they will regret doing this.' Advertisement

Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were left fighting for their lives after they were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok.

While British mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess was killed after she reportedly found the discarded perfume bottle which had been used to carry the Novichok in.

Mr Corbyn said: He said: 'What I said was there was evidence, but the evidence had to be clear, had to be accurate and had to be effective.

'The police have done a very thorough investigation.

'Clearly the evidence now is very, very strong on Russia, I said so in fact in my speech to the Labour Party conference.

'All the evidence points again to Russia on the cyber attacks and the Dutch are clearly involved in this investigation as well, but I think we have to make clear that we have to make everything protective against cyber attacks from any state or from any organisation because clearly cyber security is going to become more and more important as the years go on.'

The British government today warned Russia could face fresh sanctions for its chemical weapons cyber attack and warned Moscow 'they will regret doing this'.

Theresa May tore into Russia for its 'unacceptable cyber activities' and vowed to hit back to defend the international order against their strikes.

In a joint statement with the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, she said the Kremlin is showing flagrant 'disregard' for the global values which keep the world safe.

While Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned Moscow that Britain and its allies will not take the naked aggression 'lying down'.

He said: 'If they think they can get away with flouting international law, trying to destabilise the way democracies go about their business, sending agents in to use chemical weapons on British soil for the first time in our history.

'If they think we are just going to lie down and accept that they are wrong. There will be consequences and they will regret doing this.'
Brett Kavanaugh's college suite-mate is among multiple potential witnesses who have contacted the FBI seeking to be interviewed but who have not heard back  as the bureau rushed to assemble just nine interviews and hand them off to the Senate.

The FBI's hurried five-day background investigation into sex assault allegations against the Supreme Court nominee is drawing outrage for failing to bring in more than 25 potential witnesses.

Debbie Ramirez, who did speak to the FBI, says she provided a list of 20 potential witnesses. Kavanaugh's college roommate, James Roche, claims Kavanaugh lied under oath and was 'frequently, incoherently drunk' in college. As of a Wednesday evening op-ed he published about it, the FBI had not contacted him.

Debbie Ramirez, who did speak to the FBI, says she provided a list of 20 potential witnesses

James Roche says he reached out to the FBI and discussed Kavanaugh's college drinking habits, while Mark Judge did speak to the FBI

'Neither the Judiciary Committee nor the FBI could locate any third parties who can attest to any of the allegations' against Kavanaugh (above), said Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Sen. Chuck Grassley (pictured above) is chairman, arranged for senators to view the FBI report on Kavanaugh on Thursday. Grassley got briefed on the report Thursday morning

James Appold, who claims Kavanaugh was 'frequently, incoherently drunk,' told the New Yorker he reached out to the FBI last week but has yet to hear back.

Appold went on the record with the New Yorker in a story published Wednesday night, after earlier vouching for the character of Ramirez but while requesting anonymity.

'There were two sides to Brett,' he said.

The future Appeals Court judge could be studious. 'That was true part of the time, but so are the other things that have been said about him. He drank a lot, and when he was drinking he could be aggressive, and belligerent.'

'He wasn't beating people up, but there was an edge and an obnoxiousness that I could see at the hearings. When I saw clips' of Kavanaugh's angry and emotional Senate testimony last week, 'I remembered it immediately,' he said.

WHO THE FBI ARE KNOWN TO HAVE QUESTIONED IN THE KAVANAUGH PROBE Accuser Debbie Ramirez She says Kavanaugh exposed himself during a dorm party in their freshman year at Yale. Her attorney says she gave a list of 20 potential witnesses to the FBI Kavanaugh friend Mark Judge Man who Christine Blasey Ford says was in the room when Kavanaugh tried to rape her. His attorney said his interview spread over Monday and Tuesday. Judge, a recovering alcoholic, has denied being present at any such event and said he believed his high school friend's innocence. He also denied claims that he and Kavanaugh spiked drinks with drugs and were present during third accuser Julie Swetnick's alleged gang rape Kavanaugh friend Tim Gaudette His house was the venue for a mid-week 'skis' (beers) party on July 1, 1982, according to Kavanaugh's calendars. Ford described a party with an almost identical list of attendees. His attorney confirmed an interview but did not say what Gaudette told agents. Kavanaugh friend P.J. Smyth He was named by Ford as being at the party downstairs when she was sexually assaulted, and featured on the July 1 'skis' night list of attendees. Has previously said he did not recall such an event. Kavanaugh friend Chris 'Squi' Garrett Has been named by Ford as someone she was dating in the summer of 1982, and is on the list of attendees of the 'skis' party. His attorney says he spoke to the FBI but did not disclose his evidence. Ford friend Leland Keyser Ford said her longtime friend was at the party where she alleges she was assaulted and was downstairs at the time. Has denied any memory of such an event but Ford said Leland sent a text message saying she believed her. Advertisement

Of the six witness known to have been interviewed, most are connected to the original Kavanaugh accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, who testified in the Senate last week in her own emotional appearance, where she said she was '100 per cent' certain it was Kavanaugh who groped her and covered her mouth at a house party decades ago.

Stormy Daniels lawyer Michael Avenatti, who represents a third accuser, Julie Swetnick, has fumed that the FBI has failed to interview her despite her sworn statement she witnessed Kavanaugh at a house party where she alleges she was gang raped.

'The FBI investigation was no investigation at all,' he tweeted. He said President Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley 'ensured that numerous key witnesses, including six very damaging witnesses I am aware of, were never even interviewed. Their conduct is a disgrace - they never wanted the truth.'

Avenatti tweeted Wednesday night: 'We still have yet to hear anything from the FBI despite a new witness coming forward & submitting a declaration last night. We now have multiple witnesses that support the allegations and they are all prepared to be interviewed by the FBI. Trump's 'investigation' is a scam.'

NBC reported that the FBI turned over nine interviews to the Senate, and reached out to 10 people during a probe that could not have begun before Friday late afternoon at the earliest.

Grassley issued a statement Thursday after getting a briefing from staff, who were allowed to look at the single copy of FBI interviews being held in a secure room, under terms set up by the Senate Republican majority, presumably to control leaks.

'I've now received a committee staff briefing on the FBI's supplement to Judge Kavanaugh's background investigation file. There's nothing in it that we didn't already know,' Grassley said.

'These uncorroborated accusations have been unequivocally and repeatedly rejected by Judge Kavanaugh, and neither the Judiciary Committee nor the FBI could locate any third parties who can attest to any of the allegations. There's also no contemporaneous evidence. This investigation found no hint of misconduct and the same is true of the six prior FBI background investigations conducted during Judge Kavanaugh's 25 years of public service.'

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, in an interview on Fox News, Wednesday, pushed back at criticism by attorneys for Ford that she should have been interviewed in the recent background process. She cited Ford's Senate testimony, and put the burden on Democrats for failing to 'step up' and ask questions.

'I cant get into who was or who wasnt interviewed. But I can tell you that the whole world watched as Dr. Ford was interviewed for hours by the individuals that have to make the decision  thats the senators themselves,' Sanders said.

'They had ample opportunity to ask any question they wanted of Dr. Ford. And if they didnt get enough that was their own fault because they didnt step up to the plate and ask the questions that they needed answers to. The idea somehow that the FBI now needs to interview her again is ludicrous,' Sanders added.

Lawyers for Debbie Ramirez wrote FBI director Chris Wray to complain that after agents interviewed Ramirez for two hours, they failed to follow up on leads she provided.

'Fewer than four days later, the FBI apparently has concluded its investigation  without permitting its agents to investigate... We can only conclude that the FBI  or those controlling its investigation  did not want to learn the truth behind Ms. Ramirez's investigation,' they wrote.
Horrifying footage shows a man being burned alive by a bloodthirsty mob - as punishment for stealing a car.

More than 800 people gathered in a square in the Peruvian town of Santo Tomas to watch the alleged thief be doused in petrol then set alight.

A flaming object was thrown at Vicente Pimentel Huaicho, 41, and screams rang out in the crowd as the fire engulfed his body.

Huaicho is accused of stealing a vehicle and the alleged crime prompted his attempted public lynching on Tuesday afternoon.

Some onlookers can be seen running towards him and hitting him with clothing after he goes up in flames.

Huaicho miraculously survived. He was left with third degree burns on 45 per cent of his body.

After the fire was put out, he was carried to the police station where he will reportedly be investigated for the alleged theft.

Vicente Pimentel Huaicho, 41, is set alight by a bloodthirsty mob of 800 people as punishment for allegedly stealing a car

A flaming object is thrown at Huaicho, who had been doused in petrol, and the crowd screams as the blaze erupts

Police officers were later reportedly in a six-hour standoff with residents who gathered around the police station demanding that he be executed.

It is not clear if anyone involved in the incident has been arrested.

Spectators watch him burning in a square in the Peruvian town of Santo Tomas
The decision not to oppose the bail of an IT worker charged with the alleged rape of a teenage boy has been defended by senior police officers.

Moud Ul Hasan Nuri, 40, walked out of Sydney's Penrith Local Court on Thursday after being granted bail over charges of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy.

He was arrested on Sunday night, only hours after police allege he raped the teenager in the front yard of his Blacktown home.

After being held in custody overnight, Nuri was granted bail on Monday in Parramatta Local Court.

But he reappeared in court on Thursday afternoon, with police declining to contest his bail and adjourning the case until December.

Moud Ul Hasan Nuri (pictured), 40, allegedly raped a 13-year-old boy in the front yard of the teenager's family home at Blacktown, in Sydney's north-west, on Friday evening

Senior police have defended their decision not to oppose Nuri's (pictured) bail

Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad commander Detective Superintendent John Kerlatec threw his support behind the officer in charge of the case, the Daily Telegraph reports.

'Now I can't say if that would be a position I would personally take, but I have to accept that the person who did that was well informed and considered the situation very seriously,' Supt Kerlatec told the publication.

'They understood all the circumstances about that matter and had a thorough understanding and based on their belief presented certain advice to the prosecutor.'

He also said that the officers on the case were highly trained and made an informed decision not to oppose bail.

Had police unsuccessfully contested bail, it's understood they would have lost the right to recommend bail conditions.

Under strict bail conditions, Nuri has to report to Riverstone Police Station three times every week.

He is not to go within 500m of the boy's home and he is not to try to contact the alleged victim or any witnesses.

Nuri has had to surrender his passport and phone, and he must inform police if he gets a new one.

Nuri, an I.T expert and app developer, allegedly only stopped his attack when the boy's mum ran to her son's aid - at which point he ran to his car and fled the scene

Walking out of Penrith Local Court on Thursday, Nuri was met by a group of people who began hurling abuse at him.

'Dirty paedophile,' one person yelled at Nuri.

'You're a doghand yourself in', another screamed.

Police said Nuri and the teenage boy met through dating app Grindr and exchanged photos and personal details before the youngster deleted the app and cut contact with Nuri.

Police will allege that an angry Nuri then drove to the boy's family home, pushed him over and sexually assaulted him in the front yard.

Nuri only stopped his alleged attack when the boy's mother heard her son screaming and rushed to his aid - at which point he ran to his car and fled the scene, according to police.

Despite the seriousness of Nuri's alleged crime police did not oppose his application for bail on Thursday and he was allowed to walk free from Penrith Local Court (pictured)

Despite the seriousness of Nuri's alleged crime police did not oppose his application for bail and he was again allowed to walk free.

A small crowd gathered outside court hurled abuse at Nuri as he drove away.

'What are you doing out?' one woman asked, while another called the accused rapist a 'dog'.

The I.T expert proudly boasts on social media about several online businesses selling everything from electronic products to kids toys.

It is also believed Nuri was an app development tutor at tertiary colleges in the area.

Police allege Nuri (pictured) pushed the boy to the ground and sexually assaulted him without consent about 6.45pm on Friday, September 28

LOCALS ABUSE ACCUSED BOY RAPIST: As he walked free from Penrith Local Court. Nuri was abused by a crowd of locals gathered outside. 'You dog,' one woman shouted, while another yelled: 'What are you doing out?' Nuri was granted strict bail conditions including not being allowed within 500 metres of the boy's home. He is due back in court in December. Advertisement

Police allege Nuri pushed the boy to the ground and sexually assaulted him without consent about 6.45pm on Friday, September 28.

After police were called to the scene the boy was taken to The Children's Hospital at Westmead for examination.

An investigation by the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad led to him being arrested at his home on Sunday and taken to Riverstone Police Station for questioning.

He was charged with sexual intercourse without consent and initially refused bail.

But during a bail hearing at Parramatta Bail Court on Monday he was allowed to walk free on strict conditions which were continued in Penrith Local Court on Thursday.

An investigation by the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad led to him being arrested at a home in Kellyville Ridge, western Sydney, on Sunday

It's alleged Nuri and the teenager had met through a social media app just hours earlier when they began sharing images and personal details (Stock image)

Under his bail conditions Nuri must report to police every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

He is also banned from going within 500 metres of the boy's home at Doonside, nor is he allowed to contact the victim or any witness.

Nuri also had to surrender his passport to police.

The matter is due to reappear before Blacktown Local Court on December 13.

In the wake of the alleged attack police have urged parents and guardians to speak with their children about staying safe online, particularly during the school holiday period.
A wealthy Canadian developer shouted 'run, baby, run' to his beauty queen wife when he realized their lives were in grave danger in 2005.

Little did he know that she was the one who had ordered his death and used $3m of his money to pay a hit man to stab him death.

Now the former Puerto Rican pageant winner- and mother-of-three faces the rest of her life behind bars for orchestrating his cold-blooded murder 13 years ago.

Aurea Vazquez-Rijos, who in 1997 was a finalist for Miss Puerto Rico Petite, was found guilty Wednesday in a federal court in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for hiring a hit man to assassinate Abe Anhang outside a restaurant on September 22, 2005.

The jury, comprised of seven men and five women, also found her sister, Marcia Vazquez-Rijos, and an ex-boyfriend of hers, Jose Ferrer-Sosa, guilty in the case.

Aurea Vazquez Rijos (right), who was accused in 2008 for the murder of her husband, Canadian Adam Anhang (left) in 2005, was found guilty on Wednesday

Canadian businessman Adam Anhang, pictured with his wife Aurea Vazquez-Rijos, was assassinated in 2005 after the couple met at a San Juan restaurant to discuss their divorce

Former beauty queen, Aurea Vazquez-Rijos, was found guilty of plotting the death of her rich Canadian husband, Adam Anhang, more than a decade ago

The Canadian developer and his stunning wife split up just six months after getting married. Up until this point, generous Anhang showered Vazquez-Rijos with lavish gifts including a car, an apartment and a business in Old San Juan called 'The Pink Skirt.'

The couple agreed to sign a prenup just before the wedding,with Anhang's value estimated at more than $24million and Vazquez's at nearly $62,300. If Anhang died, it was agreed his wife would receive $8million.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Puerto Rico, Aurea Vazquez-Rijos along with her sister and and sister's boyfriend had a meeting with hit man Alex Pabon-Colon a day before Anhang's murder.

In 2013, Spanish law enforcement agents acted on the FBI's wanted notice of fugitive beauty queen Aurea Vazquez-Rijos (pictured above) and arrested her as she got off a plane in Madrid

Marcia Vazquez-Rios was also found guilty for her involvement in the 2005 assassination of Adam Anhang, her sister's millionaire husband. She could spend life in prison

Investigators were able to crack the 2005 case of murdered Canadian millionaire Adam Anhang when Dereck Osterman Kim (pictured) told police who the real killer was

The trio offered him $3million to kill Anhang.

Aurea Vazquez-Rijos then set a trap for her husband, arranging to meet him at a restaurant located in the vibrant, historical Old San Juan neighborhood.

Pabon-Colon then received the green light from Ferrer-Sosa and was given the restaurant location where he lay in wait for the young millionaire

After the married couple had finished their meal at the restaurant called Dragonfly, Aurea Vazquez-Rijos accompanied Anhang to a nearby parking garage before Pabon-Colon repeatedly stabbed and bashed the victim's head with a cobblestone at the corner of San Justo and Luna streets.

Anhang tried in vain to fight off the hired assailant.

On October 12, 2005, Jonathan Roman-Rivera was arrested at the Pink Skirt Club after a witness picked him out.

Aurea Vasque- Rijos is pictured with Adam Joel Anhang, who was her husband of six months before she allegedly conspired to murder him

He was found guilty on or about October 2007, and sentenced to 105 years in prison.

However, another witness later came forward and pointed out Pabon-Colon as Anhang's real killer.

In June 2008, Roman-Rivera was released from prison and Pabon-Colon was arrested and confessed to investigators. On June 4, 2008, a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico indicted Aurea Vazquez-Rijos and Pabon-Colon, who pleaded guilty on June 13, 2008.

Jonathan Roman-Rivera spent eight months in jail for the murder of Canadian millionaire Adam Anhang, a crime he did not commit

Jose Ferrer-Sosa also participated in setting up the 2005 murder of Adam Anhang, a Canadian businessman who was married to his girlfriend's sister. He was found guilty Wednesday

Police in San Juan, Puerto Rico, survey the 2005 murder scene were Adam Anhang, a Canadian businessman, lay dead after he was brutally assassinated

Aurea Vazquez-Rijos did not comply with the investigation into her husband's death, instead she filed a $1million civil lawsuit seeking damages against Anhang's family, as well as millions more from his estate.

Charged by a United States grand jury for her millionaire husband's death, Aurea Vazquez-Rijos fled to Italy in 2008, where she sought residency that would have protected her because Italy does not extradite suspects who face the death penalty.

Her relationship with an air-conditioner contractor in Florence resulted in the August 18, 2008 birth of her now 10-year-old twin girls.

She would lose custody of her twin daughters once their father and his family got news that she was wanted to the murder of her husband.

In 2013, Aurea Vazquez-Rijos flew to Madrid where she was arrested by Spanish law enforcement agents.

As part of the extradition process, a spokesperson with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Puerto Rico told the DailyMail.com that the Spanish government agreed to turn the Puerto Rican beauty queen on the condition that she wouldn't be subjected to the death penalty.

Prosecutors solidified their case based on the key testimony of Dereck Osterman-Kim, Pabon-Colon's best friend, who tearfully said in court that his buddy called in for a favor, asking him to pick him up before he confessed to the murder.

'He told me he had killed a person. I kept driving around. It is not easy because it caught me by surprise. He told me he was going to be rich,' Osterman-Kim said in court during a September 13 hearing, according to a statement published by El Vocero de Puerto Rico.

'He wanted to make sure that person would be dead  He wanted me to see what happened on San Justo street.'

After a two year wait, Aurea Vazquez-Rijos was handed over.

Her co-conspirators could also spend life in prison.

All parties are due back in court January 31, 2019.
A snake catcher was left bleeding after he was bitten while trying to remove five aggressive carpet pythons from a terrified homeowner's ceiling.

Tony Harrison made an emergency call to a house in Bilinga on the Gold Coast about 8pm on Wednesday, after the owner suspected a snake might be lurking in the roof.

But when the reptile remover investigated the strange rumblings in the roof, he was surprised to find that five carpet pythons had become trapped in the ceiling cavity.

Footage of the daring retrieval, which resulted in Mr Harrison being bitten on the hand, was posted to the Facebook page Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher.

In the video, the snake catcher is seen holding three unhappy carpet pythons in his hand when, all of a sudden, one of the serpents takes a bite out of his hand.

Surprised by the sudden attack, Mr Harrison lets out an almighty scream, as he tries to regain control of the snake, and a second person asks, 'did he get ya?'.

After the snake catcher single-handedly takes control of the situation, he shows his bloodied finger to the camera, while restraining the reptiles.

He then hands over the three snakes to this counterpart, who places them in a bag, before the duo discover another pair of pythons nestled in a corner.

As Mr Harrison and his assistant climb out of the darkened roof, they reveal the hour-long retrieval resulted in three boy snakes and two girls in total.

In the video, the snake catcher (pictured) is seen holding three unhappy carpet pythons in his hand when, all of a sudden, one of the serpents takes a bite out of his hand

After the snake catcher posted the video on Facebook, it garnered plenty of interest on Facebook, with some people sharing their comments on the daring rescue.

'I would seriously die if that was my house!!!!!!!'' one person wrote.

'How do they get in our roof spaces? I'm freaking out now!' another person said.

A third person added: 'Your guys are amazing great work.'

While Mr Harrison explained how snakes love to nestle in ceilings - especially as the weather starts to get warmer, it's not the only place the love to linger.

Another snake catcher, who once pulled a snake out of a toilet, urges people to 'always check before you sit down', Yahoo7 reported.
A Tennessee town is on lock down as cops close in on a heavily armed murder suspect who has been on the run for nearly a week.

Montgomery County authorities are searching for Kirby Wallace, 53, who is wanted for two murders in the area, three home invasions, burglaries and arson.

Residents reported sightings at two Woodlawn homes Wednesday and police now say they are closing in on the suspect with the help of helicopters, thermal technology, search dogs and more than 100 officers.

Residents have been told to call police if they want to leave or return to their house and children are being escorted to and from school while Wallace remains at large.

A massive manhunt is underway for Kirby Wallace, 53, in Woodlawn, Tennessee

A store in Woodlawn hung a sign on their door that says they will be closing at dusk until the 'psycho' is caught

A map shows the spots between Woodlawn and Indian Mound where Wallace has been seen or committed his string of violent crimes

Kirby Wallace's string of violent crimes began Sunday September 23 with a deadly home invasion in Indian Mound.

Wallace is suspected of two murders, burglaries, arson and home invasions

Teddy and Brenda Smith, 63, came home from church that day to find Wallace burglarizing their house.

Wallace allegedly stabbed Teddy three times and shot him in the head, grazing his scalp.

He then stabbed Brenda once before hogtying the couple and setting the house on fire.

Teddy miraculously survived while Brenda later died from her injuries.

Wallace got away with between $5,000 and $20,000 cash he stole from the home.

Four days later a woman was attacked by Wallace, tied up and had her car stolen.

Police suspect Wallace is also behind the deadly morning shooting of a man Monday October 1.

The victim has not been identified, but police say Wallace was later seen driving the man's stolen truck.

The truck was recovered Monday and investigators now believe the suspect is on foot.

Wallace is thought to be armed with a magnum revolver, semi-automatic long rifle, 12 gauge shotgun and a hunting rifle.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol warns residents not to confront Wallace but instead call 911 and wait for law enforcement to arrive.

The Montgomery Sheriff's Office is now on its sixth day of the manhunt for Wallace

Authorities have been searching in the woods in hot conditions and on rugged terrain, making the search that much more difficult

Residents are unable to leave their homes while some areas are being searched, pictured is a search area throughout Woodlawn and Indian Mount, Tennessee

Wallace is wanted on charges of first-degree murder, felony murder, aggravated arson, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and theft of property.

Investigators are using thermal imaging equipment to scour a wooded area where they believe Wallace could be hiding in a cave or a tree.

More than 100 law enforcement officers from across Tennessee, search dogs, and deputies in Montgomery and Stewart counties have joined the massive search.

Neighborhoods have been closed off, leaving residents unable to return home as police search the area.

A store in Woodlawn hung a sign on their door that says they will be closing at dusk and until the 'psycho' is caught.

Stan Hembree, of Woodlawn, Tennessee, was alarmed when found a dry sleeping bag and blanket on his 100-acre farm while on a perimeter check with authorities this week.

He told MSN he hasn't gotten sleep in two days since the evidence of Wallace was found on his property.

'Everything is locked up,' he said. 'My wife is staying in the house. I've been up two days straight.'

At least 100 officers, search dogs and helicopters have joined the search

A reward of $7,500 is being offered for information leading to Wallace's capture. Anyone who spots him is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND

Residents say they are armed in the event of a Wallace sighting.

'I wish he'd come into my yard. I'd shoot him,' area resident Rich Grossman said.

Debbie Castro, also of Woodlawn, said she couldn't return to her home for hours Wednesday.

'I couldn't come home! I called my friends I said 'I'm homeless,' Castro told News Channel 5.

'I had my son in law wait out here so I could water the plants,' she added. 'This guy is elusive as a butterfly.'

Susan Niland with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation suggests to contact friends and relatives within the search area.

'If you haven't heard from them in the past 24 hours, please contact them and check on them,' she said.

A reward of $17,500 is being offered for information leading to Wallace's capture. Anyone who spots him is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.




Jean-Claude Juncker has called on Europe to combat 'small-minded nationalism while there is still time' as next year's European Parliament elections draw closer.

Far-right and populist parties could make strong gains at the 2019 elections following a series of recent successes including in Italy, Germany and Sweden.

In a speech in Vienna today the European Commission chief recalled the rise of Hitler during the 1920s and 1930s and said: 'We must stand up'.

'The danger looming from the right can easily gain ground when mindless populism and small-minded nationalism are paving the way,' he said.

Jean-Claude Juncker, pictured today, has called on Europe to combat 'small-minded nationalism while there is still time' as next year's European Parliament elections draw closer

'We must stop it while there is still time,' he said, during a visit to Vienna to mark the centenary of the Republic of Austria's founding.

Juncker said he understood Eurosceptics, saying: 'There are plenty of people who aren't opposed to Europe in principle, but who have legitimate questions about it.'

The European Commission chief said it was necessary to hold debates and discussions and to exchange views with people, rather than ignore their concerns.

'We must remember that democracy in its noblest sense requires fight, rebellion and commitment,' he said.

Millions of people in 27 countries will go to the polls in May next year, although the UK will not take part because of its departure from the EU.

Juncker said last year he would not seek a second term as head of the Commission, who is chosen indirectly through the European Parliament.

Earlier this week Juncker issued a fresh warning to Theresa May that there must be agreement on the Irish border if she wants a Brexit deal.

Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg he said the EU still wanted an agreement but would not compromise on key principles.

He said: 'We will have an interesting meeting as far as Brexit is concerned. We want to have a deal.

'Those who think a no-deal would be a better solution are not aware of the difficulties such a scenario would imply.

'When it comes to the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, we are sticking to the point of view we have expressed so many times - Ireland first.'
Cher's Malibu mansion was a major drug den - but the pop icon had no idea.

Police arrested Donovan Ruiz, the 23-year-old nephew of one of her longtime assistants. Ruiz lives in Cher's mansion.

Authorities found narcotics and drug paraphernalia on Ruiz and in his room at the home, as well as .22 caliber bullets, according to TMZ.

Officers allegedly found 1.3 grams of fentanyl powder in his pants, in addition to a Xanax pill, an unidentified white pill, tin foil, and a pink straw with brown residue.

Cher's Malibu mansion was a major drug den - but apparently the legend had no idea. Authorities arrested Donovan Ruiz, the 23-year-old nephew of one of her assistants

Officers found 1.3 grams of fentanyl powder in Ruiz's pants, in addiction to a Xanax pill, an unidentified white pill, tin foil, and a pink straw with brown residue

Authorities found narcotics and drug paraphernalia on Ruiz and in his room at the mansion (pictured during the arrest)

Also inside Ruiz's room were 16 yellow pills marked '215', two pink pills marked 'K40', four fentanyl patches, and a Gucci box containing burnt foil and a straw.

Witnesses told TMZ that several patrol cars were at Cher's mansion, as were a fire truck and an ambulance.

The police allegedly called paramedics because they feared violence might break out during the arrest.

Authorities have also since revealed that Ruiz was on his way to Los Angeles International Airport for a flight to Australia, where Cher is currently on tour.

Ruiz is suspected of selling fentanyl to Kevin Cunningham, a 26-year-old Thousand Oaks resident who overdosed and died in September.

He has been charged with supplying narcotics to someone who dies, a felony.

Ruiz is suspected of selling narcotics and heroin to a Los Angeles resident who overdosed and died in September

Also inside Ruiz's room were 16 yellow pills marked '215', two pink pills marked 'K40', four fentanyl patches, and a Gucci box containing burnt foil and a straw

California Highway Patrol Officer Matthew Winter said Ruiz admitted to dealing drugs and selling fentanyl to Cunningham on the night of his death on September 14.

And authorities said Ruiz is suspected of being 'the source of supply of Fentanyl to many users in Ventura County'.

Ruiz is being held at Ventura County Jail on $500,000 bail for his recent arrest and $90,000 bail for an unrelated 2017 case.

Winter revealed in a motion to increase Ruiz's bail that he has 'access to large amounts of money and private plans through his aunt and family friends.'

This isn't the first time Ruiz has gotten in trouble with the law.

Ruiz was arrested in February 2017 and charged with battery. He pleaded no contest and was released on $20,000 bail, according to Radar.

On Friday he was charged with a slew of new felonies related to the 2017 incident, including possession of cocaine base for sale, selling/transporting controlled substances, and unlawful possession of a billy club.

Ruiz was arrested in February 2017 and charged with battery. He was convicted in 2014 for grand theft auto

Ruiz pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. If convicted he could face a maximum state prison sentence of 15 years and eight months.

Ruiz was also arrested in 2014. He was charged with grand theft auto and sentenced to 36 months probation. He spent one day in jail.

Cher is currently in Australia on her Here We Go Again Tour. She was not home at the time of the arrest.

Ventura County Sgt Eric Buschow confirmed that Cher, 72, had nothing to do with the incident.

The Mamma Mia star will remain in Australia until the end of October and then return to Las Vegas to continue her $60million residency at Caesars Palace.

She has not yet commented on the arrest.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said he's been briefed on the FBI report on the sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh and 'there's nothing in it that we didn't already know.'

'Neither the Judiciary Committee nor the FBI could locate any third parties who can attest to any of the allegations,' Grassley said in a statement Thursday morning. 'There's also no contemporaneous evidence. This investigation found no hint of misconduct and the same is true of the six prior FBI background investigations conducted during Judge Kavanaugh's 25 years of public service.'

His statement kicks off the start to a pivotal day in Kavanaugh's confirmation process.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said he was briefed on the FBI report on the sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh and 'there's nothing in it that we didn't already know.'

The FBI report examined a sexual assault allegation from Christine Blasey Ford made against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh

It's unclear if Kavanaugh has the votes to be elevated to the Supreme Court and several senators have said they will make their final decision after reading the FBI's report on him.

Lawmakers will be going back and forth all day to a locked, secure room in the basement of the Capitol to read the one copy of the FBI's findings being made available to them.

Grassley was the first senator to receive the report, which was sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee early Thursday morning and became available to other lawmakers at 8 a.m.

In his statement, Grassley made a plea for Kavanaugh's confirmation by reminding senators that 'no one is on trial and the Senate is not a courtroom. But our nation's tradition of fairness still applies. A presumption of innocence is how the American justice system works, and it should remain our guidepost in the Senate. Abandoning that principle would cut a sad path for the Senate as an institution.

The FBI investigation was triggered last Friday when Republican Senator Jeff Flake joined Democrats in calling for one. He was soon backed up by fellow GOP Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. All three are key votes in confirming Kavanaugh.

Grassley noted the independent FBI investigation can be trusted.

'I trust that the career agents of the FBI have done their work independent of political or partisan considerations. That's exactly what senators from both sides asked for,' he said.

Grassley reiterated he will be voting for Kavanaugh and urged other senators to do the same.

'We senators ought to wipe away the muck from all the mudslinging and politics and look at this nomination with clear eyes. Judge Kavanaugh is one of the most qualified nominees to ever come before the Senate,' he said.

But Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer pushed back against Grassley's assertion, arguing the FBI report was too limited in its scope.

'I disagree with Senator's Grassley's statement that there was no hint of misconduct,' he said Thursday.

'We had many fears that this was a very limited process that could constrain the FBI from getting all the facts. Having received a thorough briefing on the documents those fears have been realized,' Schumer noted.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the report was notable for 'what's not in it.'

'The FBI did not interview Brett Kavanaugh nor did the FBI interview Dr. Blasey Ford,' she said.

She charged the White House with tying the FBI's hands on the investigation.

'It now appears that they now appears they choked the FBI from doing its job,' she said.

'Democrats agreed the investigation scope should be limited. We did not agree the White House should tie the FBI's hands,' she said.

The White House is pushing for the Senate to vote.

'It's now time for the Senate to take that information and make a decision on whether or not to support Judge Kavanaugh,' White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Fox News on Thursday morning. 'Let's put this to a vote and do it quickly.'

Grassley's Statement 'I've now received a committee staff briefing on the FBI's supplement to Judge Kavanaugh's background investigation file. There's nothing in it that we didn't already know. These uncorroborated accusations have been unequivocally and repeatedly rejected by Judge Kavanaugh, and neither the Judiciary Committee nor the FBI could locate any third parties who can attest to any of the allegations. There's also no contemporaneous evidence. This investigation found no hint of misconduct and the same is true of the six prior FBI background investigations conducted during Judge Kavanaugh's 25 years of public service. 'I trust that the career agents of the FBI have done their work independent of political or partisan considerations. That's exactly what senators from both sides asked for. Now it's up to senators to fulfill their constitutional duty and make a judgment. 'No one is on trial and the Senate is not a courtroom. But our nation's tradition of fairness still applies. A presumption of innocence is how the American justice system works, and it should remain our guidepost in the Senate. Abandoning that principle would cut a sad path for the Senate as an institution. 'Here is what we know: Judge Kavanaugh's former clerks, colleagues and friends from high school to the present acclaim his personal integrity and character. His neighbors and community members recognize his positive contributions to their schools and churches. And his fellow members of the legal profession know him to be a thoughtful and respectful jurist. His judicial record shows that he is fair and rules impartially and without prejudice. 'Fundamentally, we senators ought to wipe away the muck from all the mudslinging and politics and look at this nomination with clear eyes. Judge Kavanaugh is one of the most qualified nominees to ever come before the Senate. He's served with distinction for twelve years on the nation's most important circuit court and dedicated himself to serving the American public. We know that he will be an excellent justice because he's been an excellent judge. 'It's time to vote. I'll be voting to confirm Judge Kavanaugh.' Advertisement

But the FBI's hurried background investigation - completed in less than a week - is drawing outrage for failing to bring in more than 25 potential witnesses.

A reported nine people were interviewed and most are connected to the original Kavanaugh accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, who testified in the Senate last week in her own emotional appearance, where she said she was '100 per cent' certain it was Kavanaugh who groped her and covered her mouth at a house party decades ago.

His second accuser, Debra Ramirez, who did speak to the FBI about her allegation of Kavanaugh exposing himself to her at a college dorm party, says she provided a list of 20 potential witnesses.

Lawyer Michael Avenatti, who represents a third accuser, Julie Swetnick, has fumed that the FBI has failed to interview her despite her sworn statement she witnessed Kavanaugh at a house party where she alleges she was gang raped.

Kavanaugh has denied all allegations against him.

And Ford's attorneys said Wednesday night they were 'profoundly disappointed' she was not interviewed by the FBI.

'An FBI supplemental background investigation that did not include an interview of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford  nor the witnesses who corroborate her testimony  cannot be called an investigation. We are profoundly disappointed that after the tremendous sacrifice she made in coming forward, those directing the FBI investigation were not interested in seeking the truth,' they said.

Senators are spending Thursday taking turns examining the FBI's findings: Republicans will get it for one hour, then Democrats the next hour with the two parties switching back and forth throughout the day.

And the report will be held in one of the most secure areas of the Capitol complex: the Senate SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility), a classified area in the basement of the Capitol Visitors Center where lawmakers must leave electronic devices at the door.

Only senators will be able to read the details of the FBI findings on the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh. None of their staff will be permitted to see them, and the documents will not be made public.

But 10 staffers on the Senate Judiciary Committee will have access to the report in hard copy so they can brief senators who have not have time to read it for themselves.

President Donald Trump has been briefed on the report but has not read it, according to a White House spokesperson.

Rah Shah said that White House officials who had read the FBI's supplemental background check report were confident that Kavanaugh would be seated on the high court when the Senate takes a vote this weekend.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, second from right, and Senate Judiciary Committee Chuck Grassley, center rear, arrive to view the FBI report on Thursday morning

Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein heads for a secure meeting space to read the report

'This is the last addition to the most comprehensive review of a Supreme Court nominee in history, which includes extensive hearings, multiple committee interviews, over 1,200 questions for the record and over a half million pages of documents. With this additional information, the White House is fully confident the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court,' Shah said in a statement early Thursday morning.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McMcConnell filed a motion on Wednesday, setting in motion the process of stopping debate and moving toward a final roll call.

On Friday, the Senate would hold a procedural vote known as cloture to end debate on Kavanaugh.

In the complicated rules governing the Senate legislative process, there is a requirement for an 'intervening day' to pass between when the GOP leader files for cloture and when the Senate votes on that motion.

Under Senate rules, McConnell's motion will 'ripen' one hour after a gavel begins Friday's session, meaning he can call a vote that day.

Assuming the motion passes, the clock will start ticking on a final 30-hour period of debate before the crucial vote that will determine Kavanaugh's future. McConnell is unlikely to call that vote unless he's confident he knows what the outcome will be.

The 30-hour debate period could end as soon as Saturday evening.

(left to right) Christine Ford, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick have all accused Judge Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct; he has flatly denied all the charges

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McMcConnell has set in motion the process of stopping debate on Kavanaugh and moving toward a final roll call on confirmation

McConnell must have 51 votes to pass cloture on Friday, a move that could still be a question mark for the GOP.

Senate Republicans only have a two-seat majority, so they can afford just one defector if every Democrat votes no on Kavanaugh.

Should a vote result in a 50-50 deadlock, Vice President Mike Pence would break the tie.

Key Republican Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski have not said how they will vote, noting they are waiting to see the FBI's report first.

Additionally two Democratic senators running for re-election in states Trump won in 2016, Joe Manchin in West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota, have not said how they will vote. Both cast votes to confirm Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch.
A rescue team has detected a person believed to still be alive under the rubble of an Indonesian hotel, nearly a week after it was hit by a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake and tsunami.

French rescuers in central Sulawesi island, said the team's high-tech sensors 'detected the presence of a victim' in the wreckage of the four-storey Mercure Hotel in Palu but were not able to say if the person is conscious.

Philip Besson, a member of the French organisation Pompiers de l'urgence, said they only had a hand drill that was not strong enough to reach the victim, who was trapped under thick concrete, and had to abandon digging as night fell.

He said rescuers will bring heavy equipment early tomorrow to try and rescue the person.

French member of the International Emergency Firefighters and locals search for survivors in the badly damaged Mercure hotel in Palu in Indonesia

A member of a search and rescue team (right) tries to calm Indonesian woman Hadija, who is waiting for news on her brother outside the badly damaged Mercure Hotel

Search operation: France rescuers search for bodies of tsunami victims under the rubble

Filipinos stand beside the heavily damaged Mercure Hotel after the massive earthquake and tsunami struck the region

Rescue efforts since last Friday's quake, which killed more than 1,400 people, have been greatly impeded by a shortage of heavy equipment.

A disaster agency official said the body of a South Korean was among eight dead pulled from the wreckage of another hotel, the Roa Roa, which collapsed sideways in a heap of cement and steel.

As the search for victims continued, aid workers raced to get shelter, food, medicine and other badly needed supplies to survivors.

The Indonesian military was bringing in hundreds more troops to help with search and rescue efforts and keep order among survivors who have grown desperate six days after their lives were thrown into chaos.

Hundreds of the injured and other survivors lined up on the tarmac of Palu's badly damaged airport, hoping to escape aboard military aircraft.

A total of 1,411 people have been confirmed dead and over 2,500 injured after the monster earthquake struck on September 28

French members of the International Emergency Firefighters and locals search for survivors in the badly damaged Mercure Hotel

Members of a search and rescue team clear a way to remove victims from the badly damaged hotel

As help and supplies began arriving, there were other signs of progress as trucks were hauling in new electricity poles to replace broken ones and restringing the wires. Workers said they intended to repair all the damage to the networks and substations and get them reconnected to the grid within days.

Electricity was restored and some shops reopened in the stricken city of Palu today, but the fate of many thousands of people in outlying districts was still unknown nearly a week after the disaster struck.

District police chief Andi Samsudin Effendy said: 'We discovered eight bodies with the rescue team but we haven't been able to bring them out because we don't have the right equipment.'

The United Nations announced a $15 million allocation to support relief efforts, saying more than 200,000 people were in dire need of assistance.

More than 70,000 homes are thought to have been wrecked by the quake, demolished by the tsunami or engulfed by mud slides.

Thousands of people are sleeping in tents or in rough shelters made from debris, unsure when they'll be able to rebuild.

Indonesian and France rescuers search for bodies of tsunami victims under the rubble

Indonesian soldiers carry a dead body from the ruins of houses in Balaroa - one of the neighbourhoods where hundreds are missing - after an earthquake hit the city of Palu

A boy injured during the tsunami is carried by his relative at a makeshift hospital in Palu today

Many spend their days trying to secure basics like clean water and fuel for generators.

Andi Rusding, who was huddled with his relatives under a tarpaulin said: 'Please tell the government and the NGOs if they're really willing to help us with some food please do not give it away through the command posts.

'It's better to go directly to each and every tent. Because sometime (the relief goods) aren't distributed evenly.'

National disaster agency spokesman Supoto Purwo Nugroho said most of the 1,424 confirmed dead had been buried.The death toll is expected to rise as rescue crews dig and comb through debris after being slowed initially by impassable roads and other damage.

People and heavy machinery were struggling to unearth victims from expanses of earth that surged sideways due to liquefaction, a phenomenon in which an earthquake turns loose, wet soil into quicksand-like mud.

Several communities were wiped out as homes suddenly sank into the mire, which has since hardened in the tropical sun.

Masrita Arifin, who was camped out a few hundred yards from her family's heavily damaged home: 'It's really difficult to find water and we don't have a place to shower, but thank God we got some aid from the government, including a medical checkup.'

Many victims might have survived with faster help, said Palu resident Bambang.

A French member of the International Emergency Firefighter looks at a device before entering the badly damaged Mercure hotel search and rescue operations in Palu

A damaged mosque leans to one side in Palu today following the tsunami and earthquake

Damaged cars lies in a tsunami-devastated area in the Petobo neighbourhood of Palu

He told local television he found a friend injured and trapped under debris but was unable to help him.

His friend died, leaving a message to have him buried in front of his church, adding, 'he was still alive then, but he died because the evacuation was so slow'.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said military transport aircraft from India and Singapore had arrived to help in the relief efforts.

Marsudi said 18 countries had offered help and the government was still working out arrangements with some countries, including Japan and the United States.

The aircraft will be used to transport supplies and evacuate victims, he said.

National police spokesman Brig Gen Dedi Prasetyo said security was being ramped up to ensure law and order after 92 people were arrested for looting goods such as motor oil, tires and farming equipment.

Authorities earlier allowed desperate villagers to grab food supplies from shops but warned them not to take other things.

Indonesian soldiers carry a dead body from the ruins of houses after the earthquake struck

Damaged cars sit in a tsunami-devastated area at Petobo today, six days after the earthquake

A sofa is seen among the ruins of a house after the earthquake and tsunami struck Balaroa

Palu has repeatedly been hit by the quakes and tsunamis that plague much of the Indonesian archipelago.

The national disaster agency says more than 148 million Indonesians are at risk in earthquake-prone areas and 3.8 million people also face danger from tsunamis, with at most a 40 minute window for warning people to flee.

Among those gathered at the airport in Palu was Fitriani, one of a group of students hoping to leave for an Islamic competition in far-off Medan, on the island of Sumatra. The group of students have been practicing calligraphy and reciting the Koran for months.

'We survived here,' Fitriani said. 'We pray we can be safe in Palu.'

Hundreds have been buried in mass graves as overwhelmed authorities race to avert a disease outbreak from corpses rotting in the tropical heat.

Around 1,000 people are still missing in the neighbourhoods of Petobo, Balaroa and Sigi near the city of Palu which was wrecked by the disaster, Sky News reported.

Today armed police were standing guard outside petrol stations to ensure order in long queues after tracks carrying supplies were ransacked en route to Palu.

Police have been rounding up dozens of suspected looters and the military warned that soldiers will fire on anyone caught stealing.

Indonesian soldiers prepare to dock down a military ship with evacuees from earthquake and tsunami-hit Palu on board at Soekarno Hatta port in Makassar

Indonesian children access usable water at a temporary camp in Palu on Thursday

Residents walk at an area hit by the earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Electricity was restored and some shops began reopening today but efforts to get aid to hungry and thirsty victims, many now homeless and sleeping in evacuation camps, were slow to get off the ground due to severed transport links.

Some banks reopened and a major mobile phone network was back in operation in the stricken city of Paluk, 370,000

Australia and New Zealand are sending air force transport planes to Indonesia carrying tarpaulins, generators and water containers.

Palu airport, badly damaged in the twin disaster, finally re-opened to all flights Thursday, allowing the international aid effort to ramp up.

The Indonesian government initially refused to accept international help, insisting its own military could handle the response.

But as the scale of the disaster became clear President Joko Widodo reluctantly agreed to allow in overseas aid.
Pictured: Fred Hopkins, 74, has been identified as the man accused of killing a police officer in a dramatic shoot out on Wednesday night

The man accused of shooting seven police officers in a dramatic South Carolina stand off has been identified as 74-year-old Fred Hopkins.

Hopkins, who served in the Vietnam War, allegedly fired at the officers with a high powered rifle from a second story window as they tried to serve a search warrant in an upscale Florence neighborhood on Wednesday, killing one and leaving the others injured.

Florence County Chief Deputy Glenn Kirby said Hopkins is currently hospitalized with a head injury and unable to speak with officers.

He is believed to have fallen at the scene.

Hopkins is a disbarred lawyer who has had multiple run-ins with police in recent years.

In 2014, he was charged with disorderly conduct, and has two charges from 2015 and 2017 for 'running at large' - not restraining one's animals.

Public records show he's the husband of Florence divorce attorney Cheryl Turner-Hopkins. Family members have said on Facebook she was not present at the time of the shooting.

Officers were trying to serve a warrant involving an accusation Seth Hopkins, 27, sexually assaulted a foster child in the home when the dramatic shooting began, NBC reported.

Fred Hopkins has been identified as Seth Hopkins' father.

Police said Seth Hopkins was shot and in surgery. It is not known whether he was shot by his father or police.

Hopkins is a disbarred lawyer with a criminal record. He married divorce attorney Cheryl Turner-Hopkins in 2011, but she was not present at the time of the shooting

Fred Hopkins is an avid gun lover, who posted often about being a competitive marksman and taking his children shooting with him on his social media accounts.

Images captured from his Facebook show comments he made in 2014 talking about taking his 12-year-old to a shooting range and firing an M-14 rifle 'set up exactly like one I used in Viet Nam in 69-70.'

'I just love the smell of gunpowder in the mornin's,' he wrote in the post to commemorate his 70th birthday. The post also says he had been 'shooting competitively since 1984 and lovin' it.'

Other posts, from 2016, show images of rifles and say he was the 'South Carolina 3-Gun Silhouette Champion for 2011.'

His hobby might help to explain the firepower police were greeted with on Wednesday as they arrived at Hopkins' home to execute the warrant.

Police told the New York Times Hopkins had a distinct advantage when the gunfire broke out.

'Fire was being shot all over,' they said. 'The way the suspect was positioned, his view of fire was several hundred yards. He had an advantage.'

Injured police had to be pulled from the scene in a military-style vehicle, and State Senator Hugh K Leatherman Sr, revealed Hopkins had used a 'high-powered rifle' to shoot from a second story window.

'Fire was being shot all over,' said Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone in a statement.

Pictured: The home where seven police officers were shot by a competitive rifleman pointing a high powered rifle out a second story window

First responders swarmed the exclusive neighborhood as Hopkins shot out of his window

Fred Hopkins also allegedly held children hostage for two hours while he opened fire.

Officer Terrence Carraway, 52, who was with the Florence County Sheriff's Department for 30 years, succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday night.

Eight people were shot in total during the incident - the officers and 27-year-old Seth Hopkins. The extent of the injuries of the others was not immediately known, but Seth required surgery.

Officers first responded to the scene when calls came in from neighbors reporting they heard gunfire inside the multi-million dollar home.

Shortly after the first team of officers arrived, an officer was shot around 4.55pm, at which point first responders were called to the scene.

The shooter was in custody by 5.30pm after a shoot out that lasted more than 30 minutes.

Officer Terrence Carraway, who was with the Florence County Sheriff's Department for 30 years, succumbed to his injuries Wednesday night

Seven South Carolina police officers have been shot, one fatally, near Florence

Video courtesy of WMBF News

The official account of Florence County Emergency Management tweeted: 'The active shooting situation is over and the suspect is in custody.

'We are asking everyone to stay away from Vintage Place as there is still an active crime investigation in progress.'

President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday night: 'My thoughts and prayers are with the Florence County Sheriff's Office and the Florence Police Department tonight, in South Carolina.

'We are forever grateful for what our Law Enforcement Officers do 24/7/365.'

Dispatch obtained by DailyMail.com reveals a call went out to all first responders asking them to report to the residence after an officer was shot.

There was also a warning that the shooter was behind the residence and still firing at that time, with the dispatcher urging those headed to the scene to 'use precaution'.

South Carolina state troopers gather at the scene where several law enforcement officers were shot

Officers first responded to the scene when calls came in from neighbors reporting they heard gunfire inside the multi-million dollar home

President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday night: 'My thoughts and prayers are with the Florence County Sheriff's Office and the Florence Police Department tonight, in South Carolina. We are forever grateful for what our Law Enforcement Officers do 24/7/365'

Chief Deputy Glen Kirby, with the Florence County Sheriff's Office, said Hopkins surrendered to deputies after talking with a negotiator.

The surviving officers and Hopkins are now all being treated at McLeod Regional Medical Center.

The nearby West Florence High School reportedly went into lockdown.

State Rep. Jay Jordan, R-Florence spoke at the South Carolina State House asking that everyone take a moment of silence for the police officers.

Chief Deputy Glen Kirby, with the Florence County Sheriff's Office, said Hopkins surrendered to deputies after talking with a negotiator and has been taken to the hospital for treatment
A Koi Carp fish has sold an auction in Japan for a record 1.4 million - 1 million than the previous highest bid.

The 3ft 3ins long red and white fish was bought by a collector from Taiwan after a fierce bidding war at the Saki Fish farm in the city of Hiroshima.

The female Koi, which has the name S Legend, is of the Kohaku variety and the most recognisable among the many varieties of carp that can be bought.

Miss Yingying from Taiwan emerged the successful bidder, buying the fish from breeder Kentaro Sakai for 203 million Yen.

She plans to leave the nine-year-old fish to compete in the All Japan Koi Show where it is expected to win for a second year running.

The 3ft 3in long red and white Koi Carp was bought by a collector from Taiwan after a fierce bidding war at the Saki Fish farm in the city of Hiroshima

The female Koi, which has the name S Legend, is of the Kohaku variety and the most recognisable among the many varieties of carp that can be bought. Pictured: The sale lot in which S Legend was bought for 1.4 million

After a tense battle, Miss Yingying from Taiwan emerged the successful bidder, buying the fish from breeder Kentaro Sakai for 203 million Yen

Although there is no prize money for winning, the prestige of taking the title two years in a row will only enhance the reputation of the fish, according to British Koi expert Tim Waddington.

He said news about the record 1.4m sale quickly spread among Koi Carp dealers in the UK.

He told Mail Online: This is a record price paid for a single Koi Carp. At 101cm it is very large and from the favoured Kohaku variety.

'Not much is known about the woman who bought the fish other than she is called Miss Yingying and is from Taiwan.

Photos from the auction  and the winning bid  were posted on the Facebook page of the world-famous Saki Fish farm which has been breeding Koi for over 100 years.

Fans and collectors of Koi Carp will travel from all over the world to get a glimpse of the 1.4m fish.

Mr Waddington, 43, from Warrington, Cheshire, has visited Japan over 60 times to source Koi Carp for clients in the UK.

He will be travelling to see the most expensive Koi in early 2019 when it is expected to be in Tokyo for the All Japan Show.

Although there is no prize money for winning, the prestige of taking the title two years in a row will only enhance the reputation of the fish, according to British Koi expert Tim Waddington

The new owner will have the opportunity to breed the fish which has the potential produce up to 500,000 eggs, of which no more than 5,000 will be of the right quality to sell

The new owner will have the opportunity to breed the fish which has the potential produce up to 500,000 eggs, of which no more than 5,000 will be of the right quality to sell.

Mr Waddington said: Koi can live up to the age of 25 but it is likely with this one that it will continue to compete in shows for another two years.

'People in the Koi carp world are very excited by the sale as it is an incredible price for a single fish. The previous best price was around 400,000.

'It really is a crazy world.'

Koi Carp, which originated in Japan, come in more than a dozen varieties and are distinguished by their colouring, patterning, and scalation.

The Kohaku variety is a white-skinned koi, with large red markings on the top. To be the perfect Kohaku the white has to be pristine without any discolouration of yellowing.

Translated into English the name means red and white and Kohaku was the first ornamental variety to be established in Japan.

While 1.4 million is a record sale collector of Koi collectors can fill their ornamental ponds with other varieties that can cost as little as 12.50.

Larger Koi and with near perfect colouring can sell for up to 2,000 with the higher quality going for 20,000.

Japan remains the biggest producer of Koi with 90 per cent of production destined for export.

In 2016, Japan exported a record 295 tonnes of koi carp bringing in revenue of over 28 million.
Delores and Tony Amaral, a couple in their 80s from Tennessee, got in their car last week to drive to a hospital 40 minutes away.

Five days later, the pair were found in Atlanta, Georgia, some 250 miles away from home, after they got lost and were unable to find their way back.

According to the Amarals' daughter, Lisa Oelerich, on Friday, her father had suffered a fall at their Sevrieville home, as WBIR first reported.

American Odyssey: Delores and Tony Amaral, a couple in their 80s from Tennessee, lost their way and ended up driving for five days across three states

The couple got in their Gold PT Cruiser and headed to University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, located about 30 miles away from their house.

But somewhere along the way, the Amarals drifted off course and ended up in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Unable to find their way home, Tony and Delores continued driving until they crossed into Kentucky.

The Amarals started out in Sevierville, Tennessee, got lost along the way, reached Chattanooga, later arrived in Middlesboro, Kentucky, and ended up in Atlanta Friday

From there, the Amarals made their way to Atlanta, Georgia, where on Tuesday they were found safe by police.

Oelerich said her parents' impromptu road trip came to an end when her father spotted an on-duty cop, walked over to her and asked for directions.

The couple's daughter said neither one of her parents had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or dementia, but she said they will now likely have to hand over their car keys.

'The car will go away and weve got to figure out what kind of help they need and what kind of help they will allow us to give them,' said Oelerich.
An angry mother took to social media to post inappropriate pictures of the father of her child before mowing him down in her car, a court heard.

Candess Peters, 36, is accused of sharing private sexual photos of James Doyle, who she has a 15-year-old son with.

Candess Peters talks on the phone as she leaves Westminster Magistrates Court after her hearing

Westminster Crown Court heard that Peters also set out to go to Mr Doyle's property, where she noticed him on the drive way and continued to mow him down.

Peters of Watermans Quay, William Morris Way, Fulham, has been charged with three counts of criminal damage.

One count of disclosing private sexual photographs with intent to cause distress, one count of assault, one count of driving dangerously, one count of driving a vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence, and one count of driving a vehicle without third party insurance.

She admits driving a vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a full licence, and she also admits to one count of driving a vehicle without third party insurance.

She was bailed ahead of a plea and a trial preparation hearing at Isleworth Crown Court on November 1.

Peters was charged at Westminster Magistrates Court (pictured) earlier today

Candess Peters leaving Westminster Magistrates Court




Khalid Masood, 52, was shot dead after stabbing Pc Palmer, 48, to death and ploughing into four pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in a rented 4x4.

The Westminster Bridge terrorist was shot three times in the chest after he ignored warnings from armed police, an inquest heard.

Khalid Masood, 52, killed four pedestrians using a 4x4 before crashing into gates at the Palace of Westminster and drawing knives to kill PC Keith Palmer.

Shocked jurors placed their heads into their hands as they watched the attack which was captured on CCTV.

The footage showed Masood running towards the Houses of Parliament before he was gunned down with a Glock pistol by a close protection officer.

As PC Palmer, 48, lay dying Masood was taken to St Thomas' Hospital and was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.

The incident began at 2.40pm and Masood was dead 82 later seconds later.

The Chief Coroner for England and Wales, Mark Lucraft QC told jurors: 'On 22 March 2017 at 2.40pm, Khalid Masood drove a car across Westminster Bridge his vehicle mounted the pavement and struck a number of pedestrians, killing four of them, Kurt Cochran, Leslie Rhodes, Aysha Frade and Andrea Christea.

'The vehicle went on to crash into rails on the perimeter of the Palace of Westminster, Masood then left the vehicle.

'He attacked PC Keith Palmer with knives causing fatal injuries, Masood was then confronted by plain clothed armed officers and shot.'

Detective Chief Inspector John Crossley told jurors: 'They shouted a warning at him, he continued towards them and having been warned, they fired on Khalid Masood.

'Khalid Masood was struck, he fell to the floor and was tended to by medical personnel.'

Pc Nick Carlisle earlier told the Old Bailey how he attempted to launch a 'rugby tackle' on knifeman Masood when he saw him setting upon his colleague Pc Keith Palmer (pictured)

Passer-by 'stops to take a selfie' in front of victims of the Westminster terror attack. At the inquest today an off-duty police officer mentioned 'huddles of people along the footpath' and said she remonstrated with a man who had been told by another officer to stop filming

Masood was handcuffed with guns trained at his head while paramedics treated him.

The inquest heard how crowds fled in terror after Masood crashed his Hyundai Tucson into railings and lumbered towards the Palace of Westminster gates armed with two large knives.

Pc Keith Palmer was on duty at the Carriage Gates and stepped forward to confront him.

The officer was driven back and stumbled by a low wall where he was repeatedly stabbed by Masood.

He managed to get away when a colleague distracted the knifeman but collapsed nearby in a pool of blood.

Massod used this knife during his fatal attack on PC Keith Palmer who died at the scene

Jurors at the inquest heard Masood's attack lasted less than 90 seconds from mounting the pavement until he was shot dead by two body guards

Meanwhile, two armed bodyguards had rushed to the scene and shouted a warning for Masood to stop.

When he failed to comply, one of the close protection officers opened fire.

Detective Superintendent John Crossley played CCTV footage capturing the events of the afternoon of March 22 last year.

Grim-faced jurors appeared shocked when they saw people thrown into the air as Masood swerved on to the pavement to hit them on the bridge.

Some held their heads in their hands on seeing Mrs Frade being struck from behind and sent flying into the path of a bus.

Jurors were also shown the dramatic moment Masood was fatally shot in New Palace Yard.

Images of the close protection officers were blurred out to protect their identities but their guns were clearly visible.

Mr Crossley said an extensive investigation involving more than 1,300 officers and the collection of thousands of hours of CCTV footage had concluded Masood acted alone.

Jurors today saw dramatic footage of Masood being shot and handcuffed by police

Earlier, Chief Coroner Mark Lucraft QC told jurors they would be required to come to conclusions about the identity of the deceased, when, where and how he died.

But he warned: 'You are not allowed to express an opinion on other matters.

'Nobody is on trial here - and inquest does not decide matters of criminal liability. There is no question of attributing blame.'

He added: 'Please keep an open mind. Do not jump to conclusions.'

Witnesses will include the close protection officers, who will give evidence anonymously, as well as people involved in Masood's medical care after he was shot.

Before being sworn in, the coroner pointed out the press sitting in the dock of Court One of the Old Bailey.

There were wry smiles from journalists as he told jurors: 'Don't worry about the ladies and gentlemen in the dock. They are not defendants. They are the press. They are just sitting there for convenience.'

Jurors have been shown distressing images of the beginning of Masood's attack on the bridge.

The coroner outlined four main questions for jurors: 'Who was the deceased, when did he come by his death, where did he die and how did he come by his death?'

The 'last question is the most significant', he said.

Masood was killed after ramming the hired Hyundai 4x4 into at least 35 people on the bridge.

Emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster, London, where Pc Keith Palmer was fatally stabbed by Khalid Masood

Spanish teacher and mother-of-two Aysha Frade, 43, from London, US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, and Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31, all died of their injuries.

Yesterday the coroner highlighted shortcomings in security at the Palace of Westminster.

He said PC Palmer's death could have been prevented if armed police had been present at the Carriage Gates.

The inquest continues.
Educated, older women are most likely to put their babies at risk by drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

A 15-year research project published on Friday also shows pregnant women with low educational attainment are inclined to drink alcohol at higher-risk levels.

Since the findings were released, advocates have demanded the Australian government introduce mandatory pregnancy warning labels on alcohol products, AAP reported.

Educated, older women are most likely to put their babies at risk by drinking alcohol during pregnancy

Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education chief executive Michael Thorn said the existing system for alcohol labeling has ultimately been a dismal policy failure.

Mr Thorn said more than half of alcohol products did not carry pregnancy warnings.

'It is astounding that in Australia alcohol companies are still not legally required to include pregnancy warning labels on their products,' he said.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can risk miscarriages, stillbirths, low birth weights and Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Mr Thorn said it was absurd everyday items including batteries, dish washing tablets and potting mixes all carried bold, visible warnings about the potential for harm but alcohol did not.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can risk miscarriages, stillbirths, low birth weights and Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

He is calling on Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie, who chairs the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation, to champion the change when the group next meets.

'Enough is enough - this upcoming meeting of food ministers must be a line in the sand,' Mr Thorn said.

Researchers at La Trobe University have mapped trends in alcohol consumption during pregnancy from 2001 to 2016.

The report found alcohol consumption during pregnancy decreased during the 15-year period but there were some troubling trends.

'Our research concluded that health promotion campaigns should focus on older, more highly educated women who appear less likely to refrain entirely from drinking during pregnancy,' report co-author Sarah Callinan said.

'And on those with lower education levels who appear to be more likely to drink at higher-risk levels during pregnancy.'
A lover's argument, drunken quad bike injury and wild NRL Grand Final celebration led to a teenager stabbing two men to death in self-defence, police believe.

Candice Locke, 29, was hysterical when she knocked on the door of 19-year-old Dean Webber in the small north Queensland town of Alva Beach on Sunday night.

Ms Locke, who had drunkenly dislocated her shoulder on a quad bike at the beach, begged the scrawny Air Force cadet to let her in so she could call an ambulance.

But just moments later two men - her new long-distance boyfriend Tom Davy, 27, and father-of-three Corey Christensen, 37 - tore the door open and stormed inside.

The bizarre events that transpired that night which led her to the quiet house on Topton street before it became a bloody crime scene can now be revealed.

Scroll down for video

Candice Locke, 29, was in 'hysterics' when she knocked on the door of a teenage boy after badly injuring her shoulder in a drunken quad bike accident

According to a police source who spoke to the Courier Mail, Ms Locke and Mr Davy had attended a grand final after-party with locals near the town's surf club.

Dean Webber, 19, an Air Force cadet, acted in self-defence when he allegedly stabbed two men who broke into his home after letting in Ms Locke and calling her an ambulance

It was there that the pair met local man Mr Christensen.

The couple, who had been dating for just three months, argued about going home before the after-party but ended up drinking with locals into the night.

Later on in the evening, an intoxicated Ms Locke is understood to have badly dislocated her shoulder after falling off a quad bike.

The two men told her not to call for help for fears she would be charged with drink-driving, the publication reported.

But the injured former Townsville RSPCA worker ran off down the street, desperately looking for somewhere she could call an ambulance from.

She came across Mr Webber's lit-up home - where the young Air Force cadet was house-sitting alone - and banged on the door as the two men followed after her.

Sources close to the investigation told The Australian a terrified Ms Locke had screamed: 'Don't let them get me. They are very bad people.'

The thinly-built teenager dialed triple-0 for an ambulance and police, only to be told the nearest station was unable to send an officer as he had people in custody.

As many as seven people arrived at the home moments later, with three 'ripping (the front door) off it's tracks' before storming the home.

He couldn't see anything, so he didn't know he had even stabbed anybody, let alone killed them, until he saw the blood on his hands later Source close to the investigation

According to the publication, Ms Locke hid herself in the kitchen while Mr Webbe, who had hastily grabbed a small kitchen knife to protect himself, was set upon.

He then allegedly 'thrashed' blindly in the darkness of his home with the knife in self-defence, reportedly overpowered and outnumbered by the group.

'He couldn't see anything, so he didn't know he had even stabbed anybody, let alone killed them, until he saw the blood on his hands later,' the source told The Australian.

'The fact that lives were taken has just destroyed him. He is totally devastated.'

One of the men died in the house while the other limped outside before collapsing on the street.

Mr Webber suffered a stab wound to his own leg during the struggle, explaining his limp as he led police officers through the crime scene the next day.

Corey Christensen (left) was allegedly stabbed to death during the altercation. His heartbroken wife Jaye (right) sobbed as she begged for answers on Thursday

Tom Davy was a relatively new partner of Candice Locke from a long-distance relationship and had reportedly argued with her earlier in the night over when they would leave a party

Mr Christensen's heartbroken wife Jaye sobbed as she begged for answers on Thursday, and remembered her husband as a loving father.

'This week, two families lost a son, a brother, an uncle,' she said.

'I have lost my husband and best friend, and our three sons have lost their daddy.'

'We've been unable to comprehend the situation or understand the reason he lost his life in such a way.'

Supported by two other family members, Mrs Christensen was in tears from her first words and needed to pause several times as she sobbed.

'Corey was a gentle, kind-hearted, loyal, and fun-loving man - he'd never hurt anyone.'

'Anyone who knew Corey loved him. Our boys are so lucky to have the most amazing dad anyone could wish for. He was so proud of his boys and did everything with them.'

'Unfortunately not all the pieces are falling into place and the answers for the truth of what happened may be with Corey and Tom,' she said.

'We are hoping that those who are able to speak for themselves are truthful and give Corey and Tom's family, friends and the Burdekin community a better understanding as to why their lives had to end this way.'

A terrified Ms Locke had reportedly screamed: 'Don't let them get me. They are very bad people' when she knocked on Mr Webber's door

Mr Davy, 27, and Mr Christensen, 37, arrived at Mr Webber's address and tried to force themselves in. Forensic investigators dusted for fingerprints on Thursday

Mr Webber, 19, was heroically protecting Ms Locke when he blindly stabbed at the men who had stormed his house, police sources said

Police are investigating whether Mr Webber  who was released without charge after a night of questioning  acted in self-defence when the men stormed his house.

Ms Locke is daughter of former North Queensland Cowboys star and successful builder Martin Locke.

She remains in hospital being treated for a shoulder injury, although police are unsure whether this occurred before or after she fled to Mr Webber's house.

The teenager's uncle Paul Webber admitted his nephew was understandably deeply affected by what happened.

'He's pretty upset as you'd imagine, our whole family is devastated,' he said from his home in nearby Ayr.

Chilling photographs taken at the Webber home on Thursday show blood drops staining the concrete veranda of Webber's family home

Paul Webber, the uncle of Dean Webber, pictured outside his Ayr home, says his nephew is upset

'I've only seen him for a few minutes, I gave him a hug and that's about it

'I don't really know how it all happened, I've been trying not to think about it.'

Detective Inspector Chris Lawson said police had not yet ruled out laying charges over the incidents.

'It's a case of the kind I've never come across before, and hopefully will never deal with again,' he said.

'We still have to sit down and go through all of the evidence, and make sure all of the evidence lines up before we make a decision either way.'

The scene of the tragedy outside Dean Webber's home on Topton Street, Alva Beach




A father has revealed the chilling phone call he received moments after the horror plane crash which killed his daughter and 14 others on board.

The crash, considered one of Australia's worst aviation disasters, led to the deaths of 15 people in 2005 after a plane struck a ridge in the Lockhart River, Queensland.

Grieving families of the passengers are still asking for answers after a Coroner's Inquest and Senate inquiry failed to conclusively reveal what caused the crash.

Constable Shane Urquhart, whose daughter Sally was one of the passengers on the plane, has revealed the haunting words he heard immediately after the crash.

Shane Urquahart (pictured) revealed the haunting words he heard after the devastating crash

The policewoman (left) was due to marry Trad (right) four months after the incident, but instead her fiance and family were left with the heartbreaking task of burying her

'The phone rang and when I answered it it was Sally's fiance Trad and I'll never forget the words...He just very, very quietly said ''Shane, Sally's plane is missing'',' he told A Current Affair.

Since the devastating incident, loved ones have been looking for answers to what happened on the plane which caused it to crash.

Mr Urquhart said there's 'no such thing as closure' and all the families' victims deserve answers.

'They don't deserve or didn't deserve what happened to them.'

The policewoman was due to marry Trad four months after the incident, but instead her fiance and family were left with the heartbreaking task of burying her.

An inquiry into the crash found 19 different factors led to the fatal collision, with the main one being pilot error.

But Mr Urquhart does not accept this, saying the inquest took the easy decision to blame someone who is not around to defend themselves.

'In aviation accidents where everybody has not survived, who are they going to blame? The pilots, because no-one is available to tell the story and it's very, very easy to do that,' he told the network.

An inquiry into the crash found 19 different factors that led to the fatal crash, with the main one being pilot error

Sally Urquhart, was one of the passengers on board the plane which crashed into Lockhart River, in Queensland

The victims' families lawyer Patrick Noona alleged there was something already wrong with the aircraft, revealing they would be taking legal action against the plane's owners in the United States.

The insurers are fighting to stop the legal proceedings but nothing will occur until the case appears in the Brisbane Supreme Court next month.

If the families win then a wrongful death lawsuit will be heard in Missouri next year.

Mr Urquhart said his daughter would be cheering on the families saying, 'don't let the bastards win'.
All today and into the night, US senators with the most thankless task in modern democracy are filing (one at a time) into a secure basement room to read the only copy of an FBI report into the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

This hastily assembled document has become most controversial bit of paper in the USA - and everyone from the President to the man or woman in the street is hoping it will answer one simple question. Did a respectable right wing senior Republican- this carefully coiffed and expensively suited family man- clumsily sexually assault a fellow student at a drunken party back in 1982?

Christine Blaney Ford is 100 per cent adamant that Kavanaugh tried to forcibly rip off her swimsuit, and her evidence to the committee reviewing the Judge's appointment was so compelling that a rebel Republican member forced the White House to ask the FBI to conduct further investigations.

US President Donald Trump speaks during a Make America Great Again rally at Landers Center in Southaven, Mississippi on Tuesday

But it only gave the FBI a week, hardly enough time to alter the course of history. As the days have passed, more of Kavanaugh's college pals have cast doubts on whether the Judge's saccharine description of his youthful drinking habits and circle of friends is correct. Two more women have alleged inappropriate sexual behaviour. Only one has been interviewed for the FBI report, another cause for recriminations.

President Trump has gone from sounding laid back about developments to steaming with rage when it became obvious that his man wasn't a shoe-in. By Tuesday the President could no longer hold his tongue, lashing out at Dr Ford's testimony at a Republican rally, alleging it was full of 'I don't know' disclaimers.

Even by Trump's pretty base standards, this outburst was disgusting and inappropriate for someone in high office. It reveals more about Trump's well-documented fear of females than it does about Mr Kavanaugh and Dr Ford and what might have occurred in a college bedroom decades ago.

This is no longer just a battle along party lines, a contest between left and right to control the highest court in the US for decades to come - it's degenerated into a stone-age battle of the sexes, something worthy of Fred Flintstone and Wilma. Ape-man Trump has dragged it into the gutter.

Dr Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Brett Kavanaugh of a sexual assault in 1982, is sworn in to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing last week

Put simply, he can only cope with one kind of woman- compliant, one who conforms to his Neanderthal requirements in both the looks and the attitude department.

Dr Ford presents a problem for the President. A successful professional, she's intelligent, and yes - she might have voted for the Democrats but she's not a big donor or party activist. In short, Dr Ford is pretty straightforward, the kind of female a lot of other women can relate to - unlike many of Mr Weinstein's glamorous, showbizzy accusers of the #MeToo movement.

I salute Dr Ford for her bravery. When a woman has the guts to stand up and speak out about an event that has cast a pall over her life, she doesn't do so lightly, or because she's a man-hater. She weighs up the invective and the sneering she will attract. Dr Ford didn't need to do this. She called out her (alleged) assailant because what she says happened in that bedroom represents a big gaping wrong in her life, a huge bit of unfinished business that the MeToo movement has brought to the front line.

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington

Forget the whimpering of naive actresses who say they went up to expensive hotel bedrooms alone only to discover Mr Weinstein starkers in the shower or (surprise surprise) demanding a quick blow job before dinner.

Dr Ford's testimony rang true - it bore the hallmarks of a life-changing bit of nastiness, one that this carefully dressed, sensible woman thought she could deal with, just the way she had managed her career. But then, one day she couldn't. That's the impact of unwanted and unexpected sexual aggression. And why should the perpetrator be allowed to sit in judgment over others? Where's the justice in that?

A smart American friend of mine says she despairs of Trump - and she's a Republican. Why couldn't he have shut up until the report had been considered? As far as she is concerned, a grope at a party is something many women will have experienced - she described being assaulted in a nightclub in Paris in her twenties when she was stupid enough to go out in a tight dress with no underwear. As far as my friend was concerned, the women who are coming out of the woodwork are weeping and moaning about unpleasant experiences that are all part of the rough and tumble of life.

Most men would agree with her - and so do quite a few women.

But the majority of young women, in particular, have no truck with that position. They are furious that Dame Judi Dench spoke up for her friend Kevin Spacey the other day. They say all unwanted sexual attention should be called out, and perpetrators should be brought to account.

In some ways this is as unhelpful as Mr Trump's futile put-downs of Dr Ford. All he managed to do, by attempting to belittle her, was drive a bigger gap between the sexes, one that has been growing since the Weinstein accusations started flying.

We can't let Donald Trump define the rules of engagement. His attitudes to sex are stuck back in the days of Bunny girls. And he married, Ivana, Marla and Melania, for god's sake.

Instead of descending into open warfare, men and women have to learn a new way to talk to each other, to start trusting each other.

Because, however we much we drive each other mad, we are stuck with each other.
Two key Republican senators agree the FBI report on the sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh is very thorough but they are refusing to say how they will vote on his confirmation to the Supreme Court.

Both Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Jeff Flake of Arizona were waiting on the FBI to make a final decision on elevating Kavanaugh to the highest court in the land.

The two senators sounded positive notes on Thursday morning after they left a briefing on the report for Republican lawmakers without making a firm commitment to support Kavanaugh.

If they are both yes votes, Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation is guaranteed to make it through the Senate as they will give him 50 votes and Vice President Mike Pence can break the time.

Sen. Susan Collins heads to the 'sensitive compartmented information facility,' or SCIF, where she can view the FBI report on Kavanaugh

Sen. Jeff Flake, with his wife Cheryl Flake, walks to the Senate floor on Wednesday

'It appears to be a very thorough investigation, but I am going back later today to personally read the interviews. That's really all I have to say right now,' Collins told reporters in the Capitol on Thursday.

Flake agreed with his colleague it was 'thorough.'

'We've seen no additional corroborating information' against Kavanaugh, he told reporters but added he was going to make an additional review of the findings.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McMcConnell filed a procedural motion on Wednesday, setting in motion the process of stopping debate and moving toward a final roll call on Kavanaugh that could happen as early as Saturday.

Both Flake and Collins have only been briefed on the report, which is said to run over 1,000 pages.

But they and Murkowski were all together in the SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility), a classified area in the basement of the Capitol Visitors Center where lawmakers must leave electronic devices at the door, on Thursday afternoon, going over the report.

During the GOP briefing Thursday morning, which lasted nearly an hour, Republican aides went through 46 pages of interview reports, nine of them devoted to a single witness: Mark Judge, according to The New York Times.

Both Flake and Kavanaugh have specifically said they were concerned they hadn't heard from Judge, Kavanaugh's pal from Georgetown Prep.

Christine Blasey Ford charged Judge was in the room when she claims Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, groped her and covered her mouth when she screamed during a high school party in the 1980s.

Judge said in a statement he did not remember the incident but FBI agents spoke to him for three hours during their investigation.

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski is another key vote

Democratic Senators Heidi Heitkamp and Joe Manchin are also undecided votes

His testimony is something the two senators would likely be interested in reading.

With a 51-seat majority in the Senate, Republicans can only afford to lose one vote should all the Democrats be a no on Kavanaugh.

Three GOP senators hold Kavanaugh's fate in their hands - Flake, Collins, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

If Flake and Collins are a yes, that would push Kavanaugh over the line.

Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota, who's running in a tough re-election race in a state Trump carried in 2016, announced Thursday she is a no vote.

'The process has been bad but at the end of the day you have to make a decision and Ive made that decision,' she told WDAY an ABC affiliate in her home state. 'I will be voting no on Judge Kavanaugh.'

That leaves Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in West Virginia as the only Democrat who has not announced how he'll vote on Kavanaugh. He voted to confirm Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch.

Heitkamp was avoiding reporters in the Capitol building who tried to query her about her stance on Kavanaugh. A poll out Wednesday had her trailing her GOP opponent by 12 points in November's election.

The FBI has interviewed Mark Judge, who senators wanted to hear from

Manchin sounds like he's leaning toward voting yes, Politico reported, but he doesn't want to be the 50th deciding vote for Kavanaugh, but would rather be the 51st or 52nd.

President Donald Trump has personally lobbied Manchin to vote for Kavanaugh.

Manchin said he doesn't want to downplay the sexual abuse allegations against Kavanaugh, which he called 'terrible.'

But he also expressed sympathy for the nominee.

'I can understand also a person who from 22 to 53, how he's conducted his life, how he took care of his family, how he basically approached his job in a responsible manner,' Manchin said. 'I'm not hearing anything from the 30 years as an adult, in his professional life.'

Ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Dianne Feinstein and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed concern the FBI report was too limited

Christine Blasey Ford was the first to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual assault, which he has denied

The Democratic leadership in the Senate, meanwhile, said the FBI investigation was too limited.

'We had many fears that this was a very limited process that could constrain the FBI from getting all the facts. Having received a thorough briefing on the documents those fears have been realized,' Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, charged the White House with tying the FBI's hands on the investigation.

'It now appears that they now appears they choked the FBI from doing its job,' she said, noting neither Kavanaugh nor Ford were interviewed.

'Democrats agreed the investigation scope should be limited. We did not agree the White House should tie the FBI's hands,' she said.

A reported nine people were interviewed and most are connected to the original Kavanaugh accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, who testified in the Senate last week in her own emotional appearance, where she said she was '100 per cent' certain it was Kavanaugh who groped her and covered her mouth at a house party decades ago.

(left to right) Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick have also accused Judge Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct; he has flatly denied all the charges

Brett Kavanaugh has denied all allegations against him; the Senate could vote on his Supreme Court confirmation as early as Saturday

His second accuser, Debra Ramirez, who did speak to the FBI about her allegation of Kavanaugh exposing himself to her at a college dorm party, says she provided a list of 20 potential witnesses.

Lawyer Michael Avenatti, who represents a third accuser, Julie Swetnick, has fumed that the FBI has failed to interview her despite her sworn statement she witnessed Kavanaugh at a house party where she alleges she was gang raped.

Kavanaugh has denied all allegations against him.
US Representative Keith Ellison has admitted to having called his ex-girlfriend Karen Monahan a 'b****' during an argument about finances, but says the domestic abuse allegations she's levied against him were motivated by jealousy.

Monahan alleges the Minnesota Democrat physically abused her during their six-year relationship, and claims to have a tape that shows Ellison dragging her off the bed while screaming 'F*** you b****' and telling her to 'get the f*** out' of his house.

After her allegations came to light in August, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party asked an attorney to investigate Monahan's claims.

A report on the investigation leaked earlier this week details an interview in which Ellison discloses that he called Monahan a 'b****' during a 2013 fight over a purchase she'd made but categorically denies the more serious abuse allegations.

Following the release of the report, which ultimately found Monahan to be not credible, state Democratic officials asked law enforcement to conduct an objective investigation.

The Minnesota Police Department denied that request on Wednesday, citing a 'conflict of interest' because Ellison's son serves on the city council.

Embattled Democratic Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison has admitted to calling his ex-girlfriend Karen Monahan a 'b****' during an argument but denies having ever physically abused her, according to an investigation ordered by officials in the politician's party

Minneapolis City Attorney Susan Segal already cited the conflict of interest and subsequently asked Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom to review the case.

Backstrom said Tuesday that he would, but only if police investigated first .

Ellison's attorney, Carla Kjellberg, said in a statement Tuesday that law enforcement has no jurisdiction because Monahan never made a police report.

Monahan's attorney, Andrew Parker, has said his client would cooperate with any investigation.

The preliminary probe ordered by the DFL Party was compiled by attorney Susan Ellingstad, whose firm has allegedly donated some $50,000 to Ellison's campaign since 2004.

'An allegation standing alone is not necessarily sufficient to conclude that conduct occurred, particularly where the accusing party declines to produce supporting evidence that she herself asserts exists,' Ellingstad wrote in the report.

'She has thus repeatedly placed the existence of [a] video front and center to her allegations, but then has refused to disclose it.'

'Mr. Ellison recalled only one time in 2013 where he called Ms. Monahan a 'b****,' following an argument over purchasing something that he thought was too expensive.'

Later in the report she adds: 'He feels this jealousy and belief that he was not faithful to her is motivating the current allegations.'

Reports of the alleged abuse broke on August 11 when Monahan's son shared a Facebook post in which he claimed to have seen a video on his mother's computer of her being dragged off a bed by a screaming Ellison.

Monahan (left) in August accused Ellison (right) of dragging her off a bed by her feet while screaming obscenities at her during an argument in August 2016. Ellison denies the allegations against him and denies the existence of a tape showing such an incident

Monahan has since released some text exchanges with Ellison, but has refused to release the video in question.

According to texts that appear to be between the couple, the Congressman expressed his concerns to her about her son reaching out to him regarding their relationship.

Ellison was first elected to his Minneapolis congressional district in 2006 and emerged as a leader among liberal Democrats, including co-chairing the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

He and Monahan, who is a political organizer in Minneapolis, dated for several years but broke up before she accused him of physical abuse.
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This is the magical moment a rare white buck was spotted roaming a London park.

The enchanting fallow deer was spotted in Bushy Park this month by photographer, Max Ellis.

The 46-year-old, who has been visiting the park for the past 15 years to photograph the deer, said it was unusual to see a white buck.

He said: 'I think the white deer are quite magical. Almost like fairytale creatures. They're certainly a rarity.'

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Max Ellis was lucky enough to see more than one white deer in the park (two are pictured here). A buck is a male deer and is distinctive because of its antlers

Bushy Park is famed for its deer - with around 320 in the area - but it's not often you would see a white deer grazing on the land

Although the park is famed for its deer, it's not often you would see a white deer grazing on the land.

Bushy Park is said to contain around 320 deer - both red and fallow. The deer are allowed to roam freely throughout the park, as they did in the time of Henry VIII.

It is thought the white appearance is caused by leucism - partial loss of pigmentation caused by a reduction in multiple types of pigment, not just melanin.

A small number of deer are albinos and are identifiable because of their pink eyes.

The British Deer Society confirmed the deer in the park was a fallow deer buck but played down the rarity of coming across one.

The British Deer Society confirmed the deer (pictured) was a fallow deer buck but said it was not that unusual to see a white one in a park. It is more unusual in the wild

White fallow (pictured) are not true albinos as their eyes are a dark normal colour rather than pink or red

A spokesman said: 'The white deer is quite normal as this is recognised colour variety for this species although they are not seen as often in the wild as the other three colour types, the common, menil and black.

'They are, however, popular in deer parks where they are more commonly seen.'

The spokesman also addressed whether the deer was albino or if its appearance was caused by leucism.

He said: 'White fallow are not true albinos as their eyes are a dark normal colour rather than pink or red.

'For all of the other deer species found in Britain, white animals are very unusual although they do occur on rare occasions.'
This is the shocking moment a police officer calmly walks away from rioting protesters with a massive arrow sticking out of his eye.

The incident took place in the Pegunungan Bintang Regency in Papua, Indonesia's eastern province.

According to local media, five residents were injured during the riot while at least 10 buildings were burned to the ground.

Reports also said that another police officer was shot in the leg with a long arrow similar to the one seen in the cop's eye in the footage.

Angry clashes have taken place since April this year, with locals opposing the leadership of local regent ConstansOktemka.

The man walks away from the conflict in Papau with a metre-long arrow in his eye

The community council has passed a vote of no confidence in Oktemka's regency following the first two years of a five-year term.

During violent outbreaks in the district of Oksibil on 2nd October, a beefy cop was hit in the eye with a large arrow.

In the video footage, the unnamed officer is seen calmly walking away from rioters with the arrow protruding out of his right eye.

The unnamed officers is seen calmly walking away from rioters with his war wound

The well-built officer salutes a colleague and then uses his raised hand to gingerly check his eye wound.

Then, with a spring to his step, the hard-as-nails cop continues strolling along the road as the fighting continues in the background.

Policeman Krishna Murti shared the clip on Instagram, where it has been viewed nearly 290,000 times, calling his colleague 'a hero' and 'strong'.

The injured cop was transferred to Jayapura for emergency surgery and there have been no further updates on his condition.

Another officer was shot in the leg with an arrow similar to the one seen




Juan Romero, a hotel busboy who came to the aid of Robert F Kennedy after the New York senator was shot in Los Angeles, has died. He was 68 years old.

He died Monday of a heart attack in Modesto, California, according to longtime family friend Rigo Chacon.

Romero was just 17 years old when Kennedy was shot in the head while walking through the Ambassador Hotel kitchen after his victory in the California presidential primary in June 1968.

He held the mortally wounded Kennedy, struggling to keep the senator's head from hitting the floor.

Romero then placed Rosary beads he had in his pocket in Kennedy's hand and reassured him that everything would be all right.

Juan Romero, a hotel busboy who came to the aid of Robert F Kennedy after the New York senator was shot in Los Angeles, has died. He was 68 years old

Romero (pictured in May) died Monday of a heart attack in Modesto, California, according to longtime family friend Rigo Chacon

'Is everybody OK?' Kennedy asked him.

'Yes', Romero replied.

'Everything will be okay,' Kennedy said before losing consciousness. He was pronounced dead at a hospital hours later at age 42.

The moment, captured on film, became an iconic image that haunted Romero for most of his life because Kennedy had stopped to shake his hand just moments before he was shot.

For many years, Romero blamed himself for Kennedy's death - wondering if he could have done something to prevent the shooting or if Kennedy might have survived if he had not stopped to shake his hand.

As his photo was seen around the globe, Romero received letters from people congratulating him for what he did.

Others asked why he didn't do something to prevent Kennedy from being assassinated.

Romero was 17 years old when Kennedy was shot in the head while walking through the Ambassador Hotel kitchen after his victory in the California presidential primary in June 1968

Romero (pictured in May) then placed Rosary beads he had in his pocket in Kennedy's hand and reassured the senator everything would be all right. He is pictured here after an emotional visit to RFK's grave in 2010

Ambassador guests would stop Romero at the hotel and ask for photographs, so he eventually moved to Wyoming before returning to California and settling in San Jose.

Romero only recently began to celebrate his birthday, refusing to for decades because it fell on the same month as the anniversary of RFK's assassination.

He also went to an RFK memorial in a downtown San Jose park ever year to mark the senator's death, always leaving flowers at the monument.

Earlier this year, Romero told The Associated Press in a rare interview that Kennedy inspired his lifelong commitment to racial equality.

'I still have the fire burning inside of me,' Romero said while publicizing the Netflix documentary Bobby Kennedy for President.

Born in the small town of Mazatan in the Mexican state of Sonora, Romero moved to Baja California until his family received permission to bring him to the US as a 10-year-old.

The family lived in blue-collar East Los Angeles and he attended Roosevelt High School the year that Chicano students started organizing walkouts to protest discrimination against Mexican-American students.

Romero feared he'd face trouble at home if he took part in the protests.

Romero met RFK the night before he was shot after the California primary, recalling how the senator looked him in the eye and thanked him. RFK is pictured here campaigning in LA

Kennedy was photographed here just moments before his death, as he waved goodbye to his supporters at the Ambassador Hotel ballroom before exiting through the kitchen

He got a job at the Ambassador Hotel as a dishwasher and later a busboy. He met Kennedy the day before the California primary, when the senator and his aides ordered room service.

Romero was on duty and came into the room with a group of other busboys. He saw Kennedy toward the back - one hand holding a curtain and the other gripping a phone. Kennedy put down the phone and waved Romero to come forward.

'All I remember was that I kept staring at him with my mouth open,' Romero said. Kennedy grabbed Romero's hand with both hands and said, 'Thank you.'

For a moment, there was silence.

'I will never forget the handshake and the look...looking right at you with those piercing eyes that said, "I'm one of you. We're good,'''Romero recalled.

'He wasn't looking at my skin, he wasn't looking at my age...he was looking at me as an American.'

Voters went to the polls the next day, and that night Kennedy thanked supporters in the hotel's Embassy Room before leaving through the kitchen, where gunman Sirhan Sirhan opened fire.

Romero was on duty and came into the room with a group of other busboys when Kennedy was shot and killed by Sirhan Sirhan (pictured during his arrest)

News photographers captured images that would be seen all over the world.

When Romero visited RFK's grave with Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez in 2010, he broke down in tears and apologized to Kennedy.

Five years later, Romero told Lopez he was finally coming to terms with his place in history thanks to a kind stranger on Facebook.

The woman told Romero that she saw a brave young man in those iconic photos, one who ran toward danger to help Kennedy when others turned away.

Her words were echoed by Maria Shriver, Kennedy's niece, who personally asked Lopez for an address to send a thank you note to Romero.

'I've always felt a great deal of empathy for him because of how difficult it was for him to move past that,' she said after hearing news of his death.

'It's kind of hard to know why someone gets put into a situation that they're locked in forever. But as I see it, he was locked into an image of helping someone.'
A Brazilian man, who had just been released from prison for sexually assaulting his sister-in-law, is now being hunted for the deadly stabbing of his 13-year-old daughter.

Horacio Nazareno Lucas, 28, was arrested on June for the 2012 sexual assault of his mentally-ill sister-in-law.

As police in the small town of Mailasque were escorting him to jail, his daughter Leticia Tanzi Lucas broke her silence and told officers about how she too allegedly suffered at his hands.

On Wednesday morning he tried to get his daughter to recant her story, but when she refused he stabbed her to death in front of his six-year-old son and escaped the family home.

She was buried Thursday morning during an emotional ceremony attended by over 100 people.

Leticia Tanzi Lucas (left) filed a claim with Brazilian authorities that her dad (right) had sexually abused her. He tried to get her to recant her story and killed her Wednesday when she refused

According to police reports obtained by Brazilian outlet G1, the family was advised to file another report into the alleged sexual assault claims being made by the daughter.

Lucas eventually was sentenced to eight years in prison for the rape of his wife's sister, and was jailed in July.

However, after participating in the investigation over his daughter's allegations, a Brazilian court freed him Tuesday so that he could appeal his case, according to Peruvian media outlet, La Republica.

The enraged father-of-two showed up around dawn Wednesday looking forward to persuading his wife and daughter to withdraw the charges.

Leticia Tanzi Lucas was laid to rest Thursday at a cemetery in Brazil, a day after her father killed her because she wouldn't dismiss the sexual assault accusations she levied against him

His mother, who was unnamed in a report by G1, revealed Lucas was calm but became upset when the teenage girl refused tochange her mind.

"He wanted her to lie to her, to tell her that he had not done anything to her,' his mother claimed.

Lucas flew into a rage and beat his wife, striking her in the nose. The accused sex offender tried grabbing her but she managed to flee the home and sought help from a neighbor.

A police report detailed how Lucas then took his six-year-old son and locked him in a room, and then repeatedly stabbed his daughter in the same room before fleeing.

The young boy stepped outside the home and alerted a police cruiser that was on its way to investigate a separate domestic violence incident in the same community.

Paramedics transported the wounded girl to a hospital where she died.
A 'disturbed and violent' man has been jailed for six months after punching a woman in Paris when she told him to 'shut up' for shouting lewd comments at her.

The homeless man of Tunisian origin was caught on camera hitting student Marie Laguerre, 22, shortly after he left hospital where he was receiving psychiatric treatment.

He said her red dress 'suited her really well' but she took his remarks 'really badly' and he slapped her 'to teach her a lesson about life', the man told a court today.

The 25-year-old was found guilty of 'violence with the use or threat of a weapon'. He was jailed for six months and also given a six-month suspended sentence.

Outrage erupted in France after a man attacked a young woman, Marie Laguerre (pictured in the red dress), when she responded to lewd noises he made at her outside a Paris cafe

Laguerre, 22, was punched by a passer by (left) when she told him to 'shut up' after he wolf-whistled at her

The man, described as disturbed and violent and 'capable of hitting his mother', was not convicted of sexual harassment after prosecutors dropped the charge due to 'insufficient grounds'.

'Symbolically, it's a harsh blow, a real disappointment,' Ms Laguerre told Liberation.

She added: 'My assailant won't be able to understand the misogynist and sexist nature of what he is accused of.'

'We are missing out on teaching him a lesson and to making him aware that it's no longer possible to treat women like pieces of meat.'

The offender, who has eight prior convictions including three for violence, was told to pay Ms Laguerre 1,770 in damages and will have to attend a course on violence against women.

Miss Laguerre wrote on Facebook last month that she was returning home when a man started making lewd comments. She told him to 'shut up' and kept walking away, while the man went in the opposite direction.

Laguerre has received praise from the French public and abroad for her courage in standing up to her aggressor. She has created a website 'Nous Toutes Harcelement' (We are all harassed) for other victims of sexual harassment to recount their stories

In surveillance video provided by the cafe, the man is then seen grabbing an ashtray from a table on the cafe's patio and throwing it at her. He then returns and strikes Laguerre across the face.

She filed a complaint with police and later posted the video, writing that 'we must no longer keep quiet'.

Since her video went up on Facebook, Laguerre received messages from around the world from women sharing their own experiences as well as from men offering their support.

In the days that followed, France outlawed sexual harassment on the streets, leaving cat-callers and aggressively lecherous individuals facing potential on-the-spot fines of more than 650.
The father responsible for a car explosion which killed him, his two-year-old son and an older man who he had a shadowy friendship with did so after writing angry letters to police and his family taking credit for the killings.

Jacob Schmoyer, 26, killed himself, his two-year-old son J.J. and his' friend' David Hallman, 66, by setting off a homemade bomb in his car in Allentown, Pennsylvania, last September 29.

It remains a mystery specifically why Schmoyer wanted to take his own life let alone those of his son and Hallman, a 66-year-old grandfather. Neither man's family has been able to explain their friendship and police are being tight lipped on how they knew each other.

On September 29, Schmoyer picked Hallman up outside his home and within seconds of the older man sitting down in the passenger seat, the car blew up.

Jacob Schmoyer (left), 26, killed himself, his two-year-old son J.J. (left) and 66-year-old David Hallman (right with his own adult son) by detonating a homemade bomb in his car when Hallman got in the passenger seat on September 29 in Pennsylvania. It remains unclear beyond that fact why Schmoyer carried out the killings or how he knew Hallman

Before the explosion, he sent letters to his relatives and to the Allentown Police Department taking credit for it and explaining, somewhat, why.

Police have refused to disclosed what exactly he said in those letters but said they were 'full of anger and vitriol'.

His relationship with Hallman, who neighbors say watched over their neighborhood, remains a mystery.

Members of his immediate family told DailyMail.com they had never heard Schmoyer speak about the older man.

The letters were received by their various recipients after the explosion. In addition to confessing to the setting up the explosion, Schmoyer confessed to a number of other crimes including petty theft and burglary.

Video footage taken by surveillance cameras at a business near the incident shows Hallman getting into Schmoyer's car at 9.31pm.

This is what remains of the vehicle. The explosion was caused by a homemade bomb which Schmoyer placed under or near the passenger seat

The passenger seat and driver seat are shown. J.J. was in a carseat in the back of the vehicle

Schmoyer was in the driver's seat, Hallman was in the passenger seat and J.J., who was two, was in a carseat behind his father.

Police will not say what Schmoyer, who lived 10 miles from where the explosion happened, used to make the bombs.

On Thursday, his grandmother revealed that she had received one of the letters and was devastated to learn it was not, as the family thought it was, a 'freak accident'.

'I really did believe he would never do this, maybe in my heart I knew he would do it to himself, but never to JJ,' she told WFMZ.

Harrowing video footage of the aftermath of the explosion shows what remains of the car on fire in the street on Saturday night. It remains unclear why it was targeted

The crime scene remained extremely active on Monday as authorities tried to piece together what happened. A third man, David Hallman, 66, also died. He was friends with Schmoyer, according to police

Authorities at the scene on Monday. Police said from the beginning that the explosion was deliberate and that the person who intended for it to happen died in the crash but they have not yet revealed whether that was Hallman or Schmoyer

It remains unclear how Schmoyer and Hallman knew one another. None of their relatives say they'd heard them speak about one another

Schmoyer is pictured, left, with his partner Jasmine. Authorities say there were problems in his family life when he died but they would not give further details

Authorities have not yet revealed what his motive for killing his son and his friend was.

'He was miserable. The four letters describe a miserable life, he was unhappy with himself, he was, I don't know if shame is too strong a word but he admitted to a number of criminal acts, he didn't think he would get any better.

'There was a lot of hatred there, some directed at Mr. Hallman. Hatred in him that caused this act. This despicable act,' John Gallagher , Chief of the Allentown branch office of the US Attorney's Office, said at a press conference.

Before his murderous actions were revealed, Schmoyer's sister Tina told DailyMail.com that he was a loving father who, she said, would never have hurt his son.

'My brother was a wonderful father, son, and brother...he adored his son and would never do anything that would harm him,' she said.

This is the exterior of Hallman's home where Schmoyer picked him up. It was on this street that the explosion happened, seconds after the older man got into the car

She said she had never heard him speak of Hallman, who was more than double his age, and had no idea what the nature of their relationship was.

'Never once did my brother speak of this 66-year-old-man. I have never seen this man nor even knew this man existed I do believe this was a freak accident,' she said.

Hallman's family were equally stunned his death. His niece paid tribute to him as a happy, 'silly' man who loved his dog. The dog was injured in the explosion but was not in the car at the time. It survived.

On social media, Hallman said he worked as a 'machine professional' but it is unclear what industries he specialized in.

J.J's mother has not commented on their deaths.

On Thursday, police would not be drawn on the dynamics of their home life but they indicated there were domestic problems.

'There's a lot of stuff going on in the family. There's a lot of anger, there's a lot of vitriol in the letters,' they said.

How he organized delivery of the letters is also unclear but, the police said, he wanted them to receive them after the fact.

'He was very meticulous about wanting to make sure we knew how he put this thing together,' he added.
A gran-of-three had a chilling miss after a block of ice thought to have fallen from a plane gouged a hole in her roof.

Rose Rendle, 81, was listening to the radio at her house last Saturday afternoon when she heard a massive crash from above.

Rose, who has motor neurone disease, didn't realise what the huge thump was until her son William arrived at the house that evening.

Rose Rendle, 81, pictured above holding the lump of ice, was listening to the radio at her house last Saturday afternoon in Cramond, Edinburgh, Scotland, when she heard a loud crashing noise. She uses a whiteboard to communicate after losing her ability to talk to motor neurone disease

When William arrived he discovered slabs of ice and pieces of tiles on his mum's driveway.

He fetched a ladder from his home and returned to his mother's on Monday to survey the roof and found a 'one metre by one metre' hole through it.

The 58-year-old from Merchiston, Edinburgh, says the lump of ice, which he believes may have fallen from a passing plane, could have killed his mum.

He said: 'If she'd been underneath that it would've killed her. But she's survived bombs in the war so she can live through a chunk of ice.

Rose, above, holds the lump of ice, left, and the roof tile, right. She will be visited by staff at Edinburgh Airport, who are now investigating the incident

'My sister's grandchildren and I take turns to take care of her and I went around at about 7pm.

'I noticed ice on the pathway and I thought it was a bit weird- maybe somebody had been defrosted a freezer or something.

'I got in the house and we were having a cup of tea later on and my mum told me she heard a massive bang about 4.30pm.

'So I went back out for a proper look around and there was a load of tiles so I thought something had hit the roof.'

The offshore worker said he could not believe the size of the hole on the roof.

He said: 'There was a hole in the roof about one metre by one metre.

'It might not have been that big a piece of ice but if it'd fallen from 200 metres, it'd still cause damage.'

Rose has lived in her terraced bungalow in Cramond, Edinburgh, alone since her husband died in 2013.

The grandmother-of-three uses a whiteboard to communicate after losing her ability to talk to motor neurone disease.

William explained: 'There've never been any problems before.

'She obviously knew the airport was there and has double glazing [for the noise].

'I suppose there is more traffic now and I wonder if this type of thing happens more often but it just falls in a hedge or something.'

Rose and her son are now waiting on a quote from a roofer to fix the damage while pieces of a wooden beam have chipped off into her bath directly below the impact site.

William has also lodged a complaint with the airport and has been told its community action group is looking into the matter.

When William arrived he discovered the ice and broken tiles, pictured above. Ice is known to form on aircraft when cruising in subzero temperatures at high altitude

Rose and her son are now waiting on a quote from a roofer to fix the damage while pieces of a wooden beam have chipped off into her bath directly below the impact site. Rose has lived in her terraced bungalow in Cramond, Edinburgh, alone since her husband died in 2013

Ice is known to form on aircraft when cruising in subzero temperatures at high altitude and chunks can break away and fall to the ground during descent into warmer air.

Contrary to popular belief, modern aircraft dispose of toilet waste after landing, rather than while airborne.

But there have been reported incidents of faulty hose valves used to empty the aircraft leaking fluid which has frozen at altitude.

This usually results in discoloured ice and is commonly referred to as 'blue ice'.

Staff at Edinburgh Airport are now investigating and have vowed to visit Rose in an effort to get to the bottom of the incident.

A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: 'We have received Mr Rendle's email and will be sending one of our community engagement team out to visit the property.'
In what can only be described as an act of sheer foolishness, a woman attempted to pass off fake US currency branded with bright pink Chinese lettering as the real deal.

Des Moines police were called to a Washington Safeway on Wednesday morning after the woman allegedly tried to buy a $5,000 prepaid Visa card.

She allegedly chipped in only $100 of her own money and used $4,900 in fake notes.

Staff members were able to easily spot the fraud because of the pink Chinese lettering, and also because every note had the same serial number.

'Although the counterfeit currency is of fair quality, there are markings on the bills making one realize the funds are not legit,' Sargent Dave Mohr told KOMO News.

A Washington woman tried to pass off thousands of dollars in counterfeit notes (pictured) at a grocery store on Wednesday

The notes looked fundamentally different than a genuine note (pictured), which does not typically have pink Chinese lettering on it

The money was confiscated and laid out by police, who used the notes to educate residents on how to spot fraudulent bank notes.

'Despite the objection from the person with this fake [money], we took it and provided a lesson,' they wrote on Twitter.

1) American [money] has more than one serial number. 2) American [money] isnt written in Chinese. 3) American [money] doesnt have pink writing.

'Youre welcome!'

Police have not said if the woman will be charged, but say they will investigate further.

Des Moines Police say they have confiscated the money (pictured) but did not say if the woman has been charged

The blatantly fake notes are not new. They have been spotted both around the US and overseas before.

In October last year, a $50 note with the exact same lettering, only blue, was found in Australia.

While the bright blue contrasted heavily with the golden color of the note, it was not realized until too late.

Local police asked for business owners to search their registers for any more fake notes, and sympathized with workers who had accepted the note before.

'The counterfeit notes have obvious indicators that they are not legal tender, but when handed to a busy cashier among other notes, they may be overlooked,' they said.

DailyMail.com has contacted Des Moines police for comment.
Dr Michael Dick, 31, has been convicted of three counts of harassment involving female patients at his practice in Decatur, Alabama

An Alabama doctor accused of sexual misconduct by at least 10 women has been convicted on three counts of harassment involving female patients.

Dr Michael Dick was arrested in January after multiple former patients filed warrants alleging that he had behaved inappropriately while treating them at Alabama Medicine and Rheumatology clinic in Decatur.

The physician, who pleaded guilty to two counts after having been convicted of the first one, was sentenced on Friday to a $500 fine and 30 days in jail in each of the three counts.

Dick has denied all allegations against him and has submitted the case for appeal.

Ten women filed a sexual misconduct and harassment lawsuit against Dick, whose practice at Alabama Medicine and Rheumatology is pictured above

Dick's first conviction stemmed from allegations by former patient Ashley Newcom, who said the doctor had touched her face innappropriately and told her she was beautiful.

A second accuser, Cheree Jordan, told AL.com that Dick kissed her on the mouth while she was in the exam room seeing him for arthritis-related problems.

In early September, Dick's defense team introduced a motion to conceal details of the case from the public.

The motion claimed that releasing information could put nurses who are said to have witnessed the alleged abuse at risk.

'The accusations plaintiffs make in this case are scandalous and pose a serious threat of harassment and particularized harm to the (nursing staff),' according to lawyer Joel Williams.

'These accusations create the appearance that (the nursing staff) have condoned and facilitated offensive sexual acts against other women.'

Many of the ten women who filed a suit against Dick earlier this year alleged that nurses were in the exam room when the sexual misconduct and harassment occurred.

The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners is investigating the accusations against Dick to determine whether his license should be suspended or revoked

Dick has continued to run his practice since being arrested, but that could change following last week's conviction.

The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, which oversees investigations into physician behavior, is now in the process of determining whether his license is suspended or revoked.

'Dr. Michael Dick has been and remains under investigation by the Board, and we have been in communication with law enforcement throughout that process,' general counsel Wilson Hunter told AL.com.

'Today's convictions permit the Board to act, if it chooses to, without compromising the criminal investigation. We expect to be able to present our own findings to the Board at its next meeting.'

Hunter added that the Board is committed to protecting patients who come forward with abuse allegations.

'When a doctor violates the trust that every patient has a right to expect, we want to hear about it,' he said.

'We are dependent on patients speaking up to prosecute these cases. Alabama law provides immunity from retaliation if a patient complains against a doctor for violating that trust relationship, and the Board can and does make every effort to protect patients in such cases.'

AL.com also reported that Dick was arrested in 2011 after a female patient accused him of harassment, but the charge was later dropped.
Theresa May has warned her Cabinet ministers that Emmanuel Macron is a major s tumbling block to a Brexit deal as he thinks it can be stopped.

The Prime Minister told her senior team that the French President thinks a second referendum could be held which stops the UK quitting Brussels.

Her warning, reported in The Times, will fuel concerns that France is the major stumbling block to getting a Brexit deal thrashed out in time.

France's Europe minster Nathalie Loiseau yesterday said the country would prefer Britain crash out of the bloc without a deal rather than accept a compromise which undermined the EU.

She said that 'no deal would be better than a bad deal', and warned that 'time is running out' for Mrs May to strike a deal with Brussels.

Theresa May has warned her Cabinet ministers that Emmanuel Macron (pictured in Paris today) is a major s tumbling block to a Brexit deal as he thins it can be reversed.

The Prime Minister is facing a race against time to get a deal thrashed out amid a Tory backbench mutiny and EU opposition to her Chequers Brexit plan.

She has to show that she has made substantial progress by the tie a crunch EU summit is held in just a fortnight's time.

And there are signs today that she is preparing to make further concessions to Brussels in a bid to unblock the Brexit talks.

She is reportedly drawing up a new plan on the Irish border backstop to try to win EU leaders over.

The proposals - thought to involve the UK matching customs union rules - are said to be a 'step in the right direction' by EU negotiators.

Mrs May appears set to promise Brexiteers the agreement would be replaced in time by a comprehensive trade deal but are needed to fulfil the 'backstop' until then.

The Prime Minister will have to convince her DUP allies it does not put a border down the Irish Sea and Brexiteers it will not be a permanent solution that stops Britain signing trade deals.

An EU source told Reuters it is 'a step in the right direction' and 'make finding a compromise possible'.

DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds warned last night his party would rather have a no deal Brexit than accept any version of what the EU is currently offering, the party's Westminster leader warned today.

Concessions from Theresa May (pictured yesterday at Tory conference) on the Irish border make a Brexit deal 'possible', EU sources have revealed today

Nigel Dodds (pictured last night on Peston) said failure to strike an agreement would be better than adding a customs or regulatory border down the Irish Sea

The Prime Minister is starting a two week diplomatic offensive today ahead of a crucial EU summit on October 18 that is meant to secure a deal.

The Telegraph said today her concession is to keep Britain de facto in the customs union and allowing Northern Ireland to follow single market rules.

When a full trade deal is finalised the agreement would cease, according to the proposal, as it is only intended to meet the 'backstop' clause of the divorce deal.

Getting the plans through will be politically difficult as Mr Dodds said failure to strike an agreement would be better than adding a customs or regulatory border down the Irish Sea.

But Mr Dodds told ITV's Robert Peston the idea would not work - despite rumours Britain is prepared to make concessions to get closer to the EU position.

He said: 'No deal is better than a bad deal. A catastrophic deal for us would be a border down the Irish Sea, which over a period of time could lead to a continuing divergence between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

'That's catastrophic in economic terms for our economy, never mind the constitutional and political implications of all of that.'

Brexiteer Steve Baker told MailOnline: 'Any ''backstop'' which threatened the future of either the Union or our independent trade and regulatory policy would be unacceptable.

'We can give guarantees to the people of Northern Ireland unilaterally without committing to damaging treaty law.'
MI5 agents have secretly been given authorisation to participate in murder, torture and sexual assault on British soil without fear of prosecution, a tribunal heard yesterday.

It emerged that the security service has been giving its informants and agents the freedom to commit grave criminality for almost 30 years.

Yet no police officer or prosecutor has ever been told of their criminal activities, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal in London heard.

A secret letter from former prime minister David Cameron was made public yesterday. This effectively gave MI5 agents a licence to kill, campaigners claim

A secret letter from former prime minister David Cameron was made public yesterday. This effectively gave MI5 agents a licence to kill, campaigners claim.

The bombshell document emerged during a legal challenge by privacy campaigners, who want know what crimes have been committed in the name of MI5 since the 1990s and whether they were lawful.

In November 2012, Mr Cameron wrote to retired judge Sir Mark Waller acknowledging that there was a long-standing secret policy to let security service agents break the law.

He instructed Sir Mark, who was at the time the Intelligence Services Commissioner, charged with overseeing the conduct of MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, to have oversight of the policy.

The bombshell document emerged during a legal challenge by privacy campaigners, who want know what crimes have been committed in the name of MI5 since the 1990s and whether they were lawfu

In November 2012, Mr Cameron wrote to retired judge Sir Mark Waller acknowledging that there was a long-standing secret policy to let security service agents break the law

But the then-prime minister told him not to rule on whether it was legal, and said he need not express any views as to whether any cases should be referred to prosecutors.

Privacy campaigners claim the letter effectively handed MI5 agents a licence to break the law with immunity.

The timing of the letter is said to be highly significant as just two weeks later Mr Cameron admitted there was state collusion in the 1989 murder of Belfast solicitor Patrick Finucane.

Mr Finucane, who represented several high-profile Republicans, was shot dead in front of his family by loyalist gunmen. After his death it emerged that the loyalist paramilitary intelligence officer responsible for directing Ulster Defence Association attacks, Brian Nelson, was an agent controlled by the British Armys Force Research Unit. No one has been prosecuted for the murder.

But the then-prime minister told him not to rule on whether it was legal, and said he need not express any views as to whether any cases should be referred to prosecutors

Privacy campaigners claim the letter effectively handed MI5 agents a licence to break the law with immunity

Mr Cameron wrote in the newly disclosed letter: In the discharge of their function to protect national security, the security service has a long-standing policy for their agent handlers to agree to agents participating in crime, in circumstances where it is considered such involvement is necessary and proportionate in providing or maintaining access to intelligence that would allow the disruption of more serious crimes or threats to national security.

The timing of the letter is said to be highly significant as just two weeks later Mr Cameron admitted there was state collusion in the 1989 murder of Belfast solicitor Patrick Finucane

Official MI5 guidance entitled guidelines on the use of agents who participate in criminality was also made public yesterday for the first time. The policy states that an officer is empowered to authorise the use of an agent participating in crime.

Ben Jaffey QC, representing an alliance of human rights groups, told the tribunal that Mr Camerons letter demonstrated that no police or prosecutor would ever hear about the cases involved.

Sir James Eadie QC, representing the intelligence agencies, the Home Office and the Foreign Office, told the tribunal that details of MI5s conduct had to be kept secret and he asked that the hearing go into private to hear his reasons.

Reprieve director Maya Foa said: We want to know if its government policy to let MI5 agents get away with serious crimes such as torture and murder.

While our intelligence agencies have an important role in keeping this country safe, it does not follow that agents can be permitted to break the law without limits.
Terry Carter is seen in this 2014 driver license photo

Marion 'Suge' Knight has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for injuring one man and killing another when he hit them with his truck four years ago on the set of the movie 'Straight Outta Compton'.

The former rap mogul, 53, stood and gave the court a long, cold stare as he received the sentence on Thursday in Los Angeles.

Prior to the sentencing, family members of victim Terry Carter presented tearful victim impact statements to the judge.

Carter was killed and Cle 'Bone' Sloan was injured when Knight rammed into them with his Ford pickup outside a burger drive-thru in south Los Angeles in January 2015 after an argument on the set of a commercial for the film Straight Outta Compton turned violent.

Knight pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter last month, a downgraded charge from previous murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run charges that could have landed him in jail for life.

Knight appeared expressionless throughout the proceeding Thursday, even as Terry Carter's family members entered emotional victim impact statements

Suge' Knight has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for injuring one man and killing another when he hit them with his truck four years ago on the set of the movie 'Straight Outta Compton'. Pictured in court Thursday

He is seen sitting in his car at the Four Seasons Hotel in LA in May 2014

Knight looked expressionless throughout the proceeding Thursday, even as family members voiced their anger and sadness over the Carter's death, which was caught in chilling video.

Carter's niece told the court through tears: '[Knight] never got out of the car, to see if my uncle was okay. This has to be in my family forever. Nothing will be the same. Not even an apology, condolences have been made to my family.'

After Judge Ronald S Coen expressed his sympathy, members of Carter's family could be heard choking out a weak 'thank you'.

Judge Coen then formally handed down the sentence agreed upon in the plea deal: 22 years for voluntary manslaughter and another six years because it is a third strike violation.

Judge Coen then formally handed down the sentence agreed upon in the plea deal: 22 years for voluntary manslaughter and another six years because it is a third strike violation. The crash is seen above

According to reports at the time of the hit-and-run, Knight turned up to the set despite not being welcome due to a long-running feud with Dr Dre, who was there that day. A grab from footage of the crash is seen above

After Judge Ronald S Coen expressed his sympathy, members of Carter's family could be heard choking out a weak 'thank you'. Knight's truck is seen above

According to reports at the time of the hit-and-run, Knight turned up to the set despite not being welcome due to a long-running feud with Dr Dre, who was there that day.

Knight was told to leave by Sloan, who was a consultant for the film, and the pair got into an argument before Knight left.

Carter, a businessman and record producer, became involved and agreed to help smooth things over, before suggesting the men meet at a nearby burger joint for truce talks.

Carter and Knight were seen exchanging friendly words in the drive-thru parking lot before Sloan arrived and a fist fight broke out with Knight.

While trying to escape, Knight clipped Sloan with his car, knocking him to the ground, before running over Carter, killing him.

Knight, who co-founded Death Row Records with Dr Dre, has always denied intentionally hitting either man.

Knight was once a key player in the gangster rap scene that flourished in the 1990s

Delays, detours and drama marked the run-up to Knight's trial, which was expected to begin October 1 under tight security and secrecy.

Court officials had said no witness list would be released ahead of the trial, and some witnesses might not be identified by name during the case.

Knight collapsed during one court hearing, two of his former attorneys were indicted on witness-tampering charges, and his fiancee pleaded no contest to selling video of Knight hitting the two men with his truck.

His attorney Albert DeBlanc Jr., appointed by the court five months ago, was his 16th, and Knight tried to fire him and get yet another lawyer just a day before the deal was reached. DeBlanc declined comment Thursday.

While awaiting trial, Knight was also accused of threatening 'Straight Outta Compton' director F. Gary Gray.

Knight is pictured on the day he entered his plea of no context last month in Los Angeles

Knight would frequently, against the advice of Coen and his attorneys, speak extensively during hearings, complaining about jail conditions, his attorneys and his health issues.

While Coen read legal language about the plea and told Knight he was subject to deportation if he was not a citizen, Knight said: 'ICE is coming to get me?' to a smattering of laughs - including from the judge.

The 53-year-old was a key player in the gangster rap scene that flourished in the 1990s, and his label once listed Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg among its artists.

Knight lost control of the company after it was forced into bankruptcy. He has prior felony convictions for armed robbery and assault with a gun.

He pleaded no contest in 1995 and was sentenced to five years' probation for assaulting two rap entertainers at a Hollywood recording studio in 1992.

He was sentenced in February 1997 to prison for violating terms of that probation by taking part in a fight at a Las Vegas hotel hours before Shakur was fatally wounded in a drive-by attack as he rode in Knight's car just east of the Las Vegas Strip. Shakur's slaying remains unsolved.

Knight had faced life in prison if convicted of murder for killing Carter.
Maps will no longer be able to show Shetland in a box after a new law outlawed the practice, forcing cartographers to include an extra 125 miles of empty sea.

The move, which has been dubbed 'boxit' by some, comes after years of campaigning from islanders who were 'irritated' by the box.

Tavish Scott, the islands' MSP, has hailed the introduction of the new law, saying there is 'no excuse' now to put Shetland in a box.

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In many maps the Shetland islands are boxed and brought closer to mainland Scotland. But now public bodies will have to ensure maps give a geographically accurate representation

Maps have featured Shetland in a box for hundreds of years (left and right) but the Islands Bill means this is no longer permitted. Instead maps will have to produce a geographically accurate representation of the islands

The Islands Bill was welcomed by the islands' MSP, Tavish Scott who said there was now 'no excuse for the Scottish government, its agencies or others to put Shetland in a box'

The new law was made possible through the Islands Bill, which was unanimously approved by MSPs in May.

In only certain circumstances will a box around Shetland be permitted.

Not everyone has taken kindly to the new law, however. It has caused quite a stir on Twitter, with some mocking it.

One user, called Joseph Moed, said: 'Shetland will not be boxed in any longer. They have officially exited the box. Boxit is upon us.'

The remote islands have been placed in boxes for hundreds of years, but locals were irritated by this 'convenient' solution.

The islands are actually much further away from mainland Scotland than they appear on maps.

Islanders instead want a geographically accurate representation - which give justice to the 125 mile distance between mainland Scotland and the islands.

How the Shetland islands should appear on a geographically accurate map. The edge of mainland Scotland is a whopping 125 miles (201 kilometres) from Shetland

But mapmakers claim boxes help 'avoid publishing maps which are mostly at sea', the BBC reports.

The Islands Bill was welcomed by the islands' MSP, Tavish Scott.

He told the Shetland Times: 'There is no excuse now for the Scottish government, its agencies or others to put Shetland in a box. The box is closed.

'It doesn't exist, whether that be in the Moray Firth or east of Orkney. Shetland is now in the right place. It is ridiculous that I had to change the law to make this happen but so be it.'

But some just can't get over the fact it is now law.

Writing on Twitter, Berni Hinn said: 'Great to see the Scottish Government has spent time on getting the Shetland Box sorted out.

'I was a bit worried that they wouldn't find things to do as they've sorted out education, the health service and the emergency services.'

While Dave Laister said: 'This Shetland out of the box map issue is beyond a farce. It is there to make life easier.'

Steve Groves made a joke at the expense of the Shetland islands, saying: 'Just to be clear, I can legally still put Shetland in an actual box, just not one on a map.

'Otherwise all those years of planning will be wasted'.

The Shetland Islands (pictured is Selchie Geo, Shetland Islands) has a population of around 22,000 with many moving to the area to soak up the stunning scenery on offer. People have been taking to Twitter to share their thoughts on the new rule (below)

Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, welcomed the new law saying the box had 'irritated' residents for years

The archipelago has a population of around 22,000 and the islands minister Paul Wheelhouse said the box had 'irritated' residents for years.

Speaking to the Shetland Times, he said: 'On a more visual front, it [the act] ensures Shetland will no longer be 'boxed off' on maps which has been a cause of irritation to those living in Shetland.

'When producing a map of Scotland, the Shetland Islands must therefore be displayed in a way that accurately and proportionately represents their geographical location in relation to the rest of Scotland.'

The bill will now require the islands to be 'displayed in a manner that accurately and proportionately represents their geographical location in relation to the rest of Scotland.'

Several broadcasters, including the BBC, do not currently show the Shetland islands in a box during their forecasts.

So the new law will not come as too much of a shock. But physical travel maps are likely to have to make changes.
A white woman who was arrested for harassing two Mexican shoppers for speaking Spanish inside a Colorado grocery store has been identified.

Linda Dwire, 64, was booked into Garfield County Jail on Monday night and charged with two counts of bias-motivated harassment after shocking video of the confrontation surfaced.

The footage shows her lecturing Fabiola Velasquez and Isabel Marin in the aisle of a City Market in Rifle after asking if they lived in the US.

She kept berating the pair and insisted they should be speaking English until Kamira Trent rushed to their defense and told the her to stop, or she would call the cops.

'You don't harass people,' Trent can be heard saying. 'Get out of here! Now!'

Linda Dwire (seen left) was booked into Garfield County Jail, Colorado, on Monday night and charged with two counts of bias-motivated harassment after shocking video of the confrontation surfaced. She berated two Mexican women for speaking Spanish in a store

The clip showing Trent intervening has gone viral, with more than 800,000 people view on Facebook as of Friday afternoon.

Dwire has since been released from jail and is due back in court in November.

Velasquez told BuzzFeed News that the confrontation began when Dwire interrupted their conversation and told them they needed to learn English.

'You're in America. You're in my country. You can't speak Spanish here. You need to speak English if you're going to be in America,' she told the pair.

Velasquez, who has been in the US for eight years, was in the market with her son and two daughters.

She said Dwire kept wagging her finger in their faces until Trent stepped in.

After Trent threatened to call the cops, Dwire says: 'You come from a generation that's destroying this country.

Dwire (pictured in her mugshot) defended her right to freedom of speech when cops asked her what happened. She also insisted in an interview that the confrontation was nothing to do with race and was a 'patriotic thing'

'No I do not. I have respect. You do not harass people,' Trent says in response.

'You will lose your country. You know what, you will lose this country,' Dwire adds.

'You do not harass Hispanic women!' Trent is then heard saying while walking out of the store.

Trent told BuzzFeed that she decided to intervene when she saw Dwire wasn't going to leave the helpless women alone.

Dwire defended her right to freedom of speech when she was asked for her take on the incident by the cops who arrested her.

She told one officer the pair 'didn't have the respect to speak English,' and she was offended they were speaking Spanish in the store.

She told BuzzFeed: 'It has nothing to do with race. It's a patriotic thing,' Dwire said. 'When people come to my country, they need to love it enough to speak English.'

Dwire was criticized on social media and dubbed a 'racist; but many others praised Trent for her actions.

One person said: 'Thank you for this young lady with such a caring heart'.

The clip shows Dwire (above) confronting Good Samaritan Kamira Trent, who stepped in when she overheard the confrontation

'You don't harass people,' Trent can be heard saying in the clip. 'Hey, get out of here! Now!' 'You do not harass Hispanic women!' Trent is then heard saying while walking out of the store

Trent (above) said she decided to intervene when she realized Dwire wasn't going to leave the helpless women alone
Saga Vanecek posing with her the sword which she found in a lake while swimming with her family in Sweden. Experts believe the weapon is pre-Viking and could date back to the 5th or 6th century

An eight-year-old girl has pulled an ancient sword from a lake, prompting locals to dub her the Queen of Sweden.

Saga Vanecek came across the rusted relic when swimming with her family at the Vidostern lake in Tanno, Sweden earlier this summer.

She told VN.se 'I felt something with my hand and thought it was a stick and then I lifted it up and it had a handle that looked like it was a sword and then I lifted it up and shouted at Dad: Daddy I found a sword!'

The finding of the historic blade has parallels with King Arthur who was given a divine right to rule after being given the legendary Excalibur by the Lady of the Lake.

The eight-year-old has now jokingly been referred to as the Queen of Sweden by locals, who are excited by the fascinating find.

According to experts at the Jonkopings Lans Museum the weapon may be pre-viking in origin and is thought to be more than 1,000 years old and possibly date back to the 5th or 6th century.

It is approximately 85 centimetres in length and still has preserved wood and metal surrounding it.

After a further search of the lake a brooch was also found, with archaeologists excited about what else they may be able to uncover.

Saga Vanecek, eight years old, was swimming in the lake with her family when she found the historical artifact

The eight-year-old's father, Andy Vanecek told Local: 'Why it has come to be there, we don't know,'

'When we searched a couple of weeks ago, we found another prehistoric object; a brooch from around the same period as the sword, so that means  we don't know yet  but perhaps it's a place of sacrifice.

'At first we thought it could be graves situated nearby the lake, but we don't think that any more.'

Saga initially only told her best friend about the stunning find, but has now told the rest of her classmates, prompting a small party.

The blade is approximately 85 centimetres in length and still has preserved wood and metal surrounding it

The inquisitive eight-year-old only moved to the country last summer and her father is an avid Minnesota Vikings fan, whose daughter has now found a viking sword

After a further search of the lake a brooch was also found. Archaeologists are hoping for other significant finds

Unfortunately anyone hoping to get a closer look at the artifact is going to have to wait a year.

Mikael Nordstrom from the museum said: 'The conservation process takes quite a long time because it's a complicated environment with wood and leather, so they have several steps to make sure it's preserved for the future.'

The inquisitive eight-year-old only moved to Sweden last year from Minneapolis in the US so they could be closer to her mother's family.

Her father added: 'The cool thing is that I'm a huge Minnesota Vikings fan, and this looks just like a Viking sword!'
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The iconic Flying Scotsman train made its first trip to Devon in more than 15 years today.

A smattering of bystanders lined the streets near the Dawlish Sea Wall, Devon, where members of the public could see the train in all its glory.

This would not have been possible just four years earlier, with parts of the railway line almost destroyed by winter storms.

The train left Somerset and travelled through Devon to Plymouth; via Newton Abbot and the southern edge of Dartmoor.

The engine will stay in Plymouth until Saturday morning when it is on the move again.

On Saturday, the train will cross the River Tamar into Cornwall, for the first time in its history.

The Scotsman has had a 4.2million restoration back in 2016 and has since returned to the British mainline.

It was first built in Doncaster for service on the London and North Eastern Railway in 1923.

It has a top speed of 100mph.

Crowds watched the train go past Dawlish sea wall at 60mph, and embraced the iconic engine in its awe.

The Flying Scotsman, pictured, passed through the town of Dawlish as a smattering of train enthusiasts watched on. The train was first built in 1923 for use in Doncaster

The Flying Scotsman climbs Dainton Bank near Newton Abbot in Devon during its journey through Devon and Cornwall

Crowds lined Dawlish station to see the Flying Scotsman, first built in 1923, in all its glory. The locomotive underwent a 4.2million restoration project

The Flying Scotsman climbs Dainton Bank near Newton Abbot, having gone over the River Teign during its journey through Devon and Cornwall. The train left Somerset and travelled through Devon to Plymouth; via Newton Abbot and the southern edge of Dartmoor

The train passes over the Dawlish sea wall in Exeter, Devon. This would not have been possible just four years earlier, with parts of the railway line almost destroyed by winter storms

Crowds, above, watched the train go past Dawlish sea wall at 60mph, and embraced the iconic engine in its awe. On Saturday, the train will cross the River Tamar into Cornwall, for the first time in its history

A smattering of bystanders lined the streets near the Dawlish Sea Wall, Exeter, where members of the public could see the train in all its glory. The Flying Scotsman made its first trip to Devon in more than 15 years today
A USPS worker dumped hundreds of letters on the side of a road in New Jersey before handing in their resignation.

The discarded mail was found Sunday in the 3900 block of River Road in Pennsauken by a local resident who shared the photo on Facebook.

'If your looking for your mail it maybe on river road by 36st station...share this post ppl information is out on the street,' the post shared by Positive Energy Bennett read.

A USPS worker dumped hundreds of letters on the side of a road in New Jersey before handing in their resignation. The discarded mail was found Sunday in Pennsauken after leaving a Philadelphia post office on August 8

Bennett's post, which shows a dozen bins stuffed with mail and other items, has more than 3,500 shares on Facebook.

According to NJ.com, the mail was dated August 8 and had been out for delivery from the Roxborough Station Post Office in Philadelphia.

Special Agent Scott Balfour, of the USPS Office of Inspector General, said authorities tracked down the employee who threw the mail out, but the person had already quit.

Officials said the individual, who has not been identified, left the agency on September 8.

No charges have been filed against the worker, and police said they do not 'anticipate any further action at this time'.

Balfour said the Roxborough Station Post Office will deliver the mail.
Republicans see Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation saga as a shot in the arm to their efforts to maintain control of the Senate, claiming their base is being energized by the Democrats' treatment of the Supreme Court nominee.

'The more outrageous our Democratic colleagues treat this nomination of Judge Kavanaugh, the more energized Republican voters are becoming, because they realize what the alternative is,' Republican Sen. John Cornyn told Politico. 'I think the extent to which people view this confirmation proceeding for Kavanaugh as being hijacked by partisan operatives, I think that's going to energize independents and Republicans.'

Red state Democrats - those senators seeking reelection in states President Donald Trump carried in 2016 - are those most endangered from the Kavanaugh fallout.

Republicans see Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation saga as helping their election efforts

The two most endangered incumbent Senators this cycle are Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota for Democrats and Dean Heller of Nevada for Republicans

And a new poll out Wednesday showed the Democratic enthusiasm advantage that has led the midterm campaigns has all but disappeared, something Republicans credit to the treatment of President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee.

In July, there was a 10-point gap between the number of Democrats and Republicans who said the midterm election was 'very important.'

Now, that is down to 2 points, which is a statistical tie, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.

Democrats were already fired up about November but the Kavanaugh confirmation fight has rallied the GOP base.

'The result of hearings, at least in the short run, is the Republican base was awakened,' Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted the poll, told NPR.

But polling numbers indicate the GOP should be cautious as Republicans don't have the upper chamber locked up.

At least six contests are too close to call at this point in the election as Republicans defend their 51-seat majority in the Senate.

The math was seen on their side this year with 10 Democrats running in states Trump carried in 2016.

But some of these red-state Democrats, particularly Claire McCaskill in Missouri and Joe Donnelly in Indiana, haven't been knocked down in the polls as far as Republicans would like them to be at this point in the cycle.

Democratic Senators Claire McCaskill and Joe Donnelly, both running for reelection in states President Trump won, haven't been knocked back by their GOP competition as much as Republicans would like to see

Additionally Democratic candidates Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona and Phil Bredesen in Tennesee are holding their own in GOP-held states

And Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in Florida is holding firm against a strong challenge from outgoing Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who is also a probably figure in the state.

Additionally, Democratic candidates Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona and Phil Bredesen in Tennessee are holding their own in bids for seats held by the GOP.

And Republican Sen. Dean Heller is struggling in his reelection bid but he was always seen as the most endangered GOP incumbent this cycle as he's the only Republican running in a state carried by Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Plus there's the surprise strength of Democrat Beto O'Rourke against incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas. O'Rourke has harnessed the power of social media to bring an energy - and $23.6 million in donations - to his campaign.

But while Kavanaugh's confirmation process has caused a headache for Republican leadership in the Senate, the pain could be worth it if causes them to shore up their majority after November.

His final confirmation vote could come as early as Saturday.

Democrats argue the controversial nominee who has been accused of sexual assault - allegations he has denied - will be a boon for them, rallying women and Independents to their side.

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, who represents the red state of West Virginia, is the only Democrat who has not said how he will vote for Kavanaugh's confirmation

Democrat Beto O'Rourke has run a surprisingly strong campaign against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas

Thus far, out of 49 senators who caucus with Democrats, only one senator has not announced how he'll vote on Kavanaugh.

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, who represents the red state of West Virginia, is the lone hold out. He voted to confirm Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch.

Manchin sounds like he's leaning toward voting yes.

'If [Manchin] votes yes, the race goes away,' one senior Republican operative told Politico.

The senator told reporters in the Capitol on Thursday afternoon he's undecided and will return Friday morning to read more of the FBI report on the allegations against Kavanaugh.

'Heidi made her decision, I'll make mine,' he said.

Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, who's considered the most vulnerable member of her party, announced Thursday she is a no vote.

'The process has been bad but at the end of the day you have to make a decision and I've made that decision,' she told WDAY an ABC affiliate in her home state. 'I will be voting no on Judge Kavanaugh.'

Heitkamp was avoiding reporters in the Capitol building who tried to query her about her stance on Kavanaugh. A poll out Wednesday had her trailing her GOP opponent by 12 points in November's election.

Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana, another red-state Democrat, has said he will vote no on Kavanaugh.

Both he and Heitkamp supported Gorsuch.

Fellow red-staters Jon Tester of Montana, Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Bill Nelson of Florida are also no votes on the Supreme Court nominee.
A small town in Georgia has been left with a mountain of questions after a beloved teacher and former beauty queen went missing.

Tara Grinstead, 30, an Irwin County High School history teacher, was last seen on October 22, 2005, when she left a cookout and said she was going straight home.

Two days later, she was reported missing when she didn't show up to teach history.

More than a decade after Grinstead vanished, NBC's Dateline has taken a deep dive into the case, interviewing those who were close to her, including her ex-boyfriend Marcus Harper and her best friend Maria Harber.

In a clip shared exclusively with DailyMail.com, Harber reveals to anchor Andrea Canning in chilling detail about something she found at the crime scene on the day Grinstead was reported missing: a latex glove.

That detail and many others unearthed in the Dateline segment airing on Friday could finally lead to a break in the cold case nearly 13 years on.

Maria Harber, the best friend of missing Georgia teacher Tara Grinstead, shares new details about the former beauty queen's disappearance in an episode of NBC's Dateline airing Friday

Harber, left with Grinstead, claims that her friend was silently struggling in the days before her disappearance in October 2005

Grinstead left the town of Ocilla, Georgia, with dozens of questions after she vanished

In the new Dateline segment, Harber details the moment she rushed over to Grinstead's home in Ocilla after trying and failing to reach her by phone.

'Every scenario is runnin' through your brain. You know, where could she have gone? who would she go shoppin' with, or anything,' she described to host Andrea Canning.

Police were already at the home when Harber arrived.

'When I got to her house I knew that it was not good,' she said.

Harber said her immediate fear was that Grinstead had committed suicide as the woman whose life looked picture-perfect on the outside had been silently struggling in the days prior.

'Just- she was just a little unstable. And I was just really worried about her emotionally,' she said.

Police found no trace of Grinstead at the home, which had been left locked with no signs of forced entry.

Harber described the panic she felt as she rushed over to Grinstead's home in Ocilla after trying and failing to reach her by phone two days after she was last seen at a barbecue

There was no sign of Grinstead at her home (pictured) which had been locked and had no signs of forced entry, according to police

Harber would soon come to suspect foul play as she noted several strange details at the scene, where Grinstead was nowhere to be found.

Looking around the bedroom Harber noticed that Grinstead's bed was unmade and her phone had been left on the charger, indicating that she had been there after leaving the barbecue.

The teacher's car was also left in the driveway unlocked, which struck Harber as very out of the ordinary.

'She was so adamant about her car,' Harber said. 'When she came to my house, and she would just come in my house for five or ten minutes, she locked her car.'

The most disturbing discovery, however, was a latex glove just feet from the car.

'What did you think when you saw that?' Canning asked.

Harber replied: 'The worst.'

Harber said she began to suspect foul play when she noticed Grinstead's bed was unmade, her phone left on the charger and car left unlocked in the driveway

Harber noticed a single latex glove sitting near the car and immediately thought 'the worst'

Harber's interview is merely a piece of Dateline's dig into Grinstead's mysterious disappearance, which made national headlines at the time and inspired the podcast 'Up and Vanished'.

The segment airing at 10pm EST Friday comes two months after new court documents claimed that two weeks after Grinstead vanished, two of her ex-students told friends at a party they had killed her and burned her body.

It wasn't until 2017 that those students, Ryan Alexander Duke and Bo Dukes, were arrested, despite having been identified as suspects in 2005.

In April 2017, a grand jury indicted Duke on six counts, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, burglary and concealing the death of another.

Authorities said that Duke allegedly burglarized the teacher's home, and used his hands to kill her inside the residence, according to warrants that were read at a court hearing when his arrest was announced. He then supposedly removed her body from the home with the intent of concealing her death, the warrants said.

In June 2017, Dukes was indicted on charges including concealing a death, tampering with evidence, and hindering apprehension of a criminal.

Dukes is the nephew of the owner of a pecan farm where authorities believe they found evidence linked to Grinstead's murder.

Ryan Alexander Duke (left) was arrested and indicted on multiple charges including felony murder in 2017. Authorities said he burglarized the teacher's home and killed her with his hands. Bo Dukes (right) was indicted in 2017 on charges including concealing a death

Attorneys for Duke and Dukes filed a motion in August to have all but the murder charges against them dropped given that it took more than a decade for police to arrest them.

'It is undisputed that Irwin County law enforcement knew of these crimes within months of the disappearance of Tara Grinstead,' a court motion states. 'In fact, a search of the area where Ms. Grinstead's body was allegedly burned was conducted ...'

'Duke and Dukes were identified as suspects and known to law enforcement in 2005,' the motion states. 'By a generous application of the statute of limitations of four years, the statute would have run (expired) near December of 2009.'

The Dateline segment airs Friday at 10pm EST on NBC
Could the next President of the United States be the colorful  and controversial  technology entrepreneur John MacAfee?

By his own admission, his chances of being elected are essentially zero. But that hasnt stopped the businessman from continuing on with his Presidential bid, dismissing those who view it as nothing more than a publicity stunt and vowing to use his national platform to promote a new technology he believes will ultimately save the United States.

But just who is John McAfee? Heres a look at who he is, including his recent Presidential campaign announcement.

John McAfee recently announced his second bid for the United States Presidency on Twitter

Who is John McAfee?

John McAfee is a computer programmer and entrepreneur best known as the founder of McAfee, LLC, the security software company thats among the largest computer security firms in the world.

He was born in Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England on September 18, 1945 on a US Army base. His father was an American stationed on the base during World War II while his mother was of British descent.

Raised in Salem, Virginia, he graduated from Roanoke College in 1967 with a degree in mathematics and later worked as a programmer in New York City for NASAs Institute for Space Studies from 1968 to 1970 before working for Univac and Xerox to work in software design and operations.

McAfee later worked for Computer Sciences Corporation starting in 1978 and the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton from 1980 to 1982.

While employed by the Lockheed Corporation in the 1980s, he began developing his own antivirus software after receiving a copy of the infamous Brain computer virus.

Shortly afterwards, he founded McAfee Associates, known today as McAfee LLC, in 1987 to develop computer security software. McAfee soon quit working at the Lockheed Corporation in 1989 to focus on the company full-time, which he first ran from his Santa Clara, California home.

The computer security firm was incorporated in Delaware in 1992 and experienced rapid growth with the dramatic expansion of the information technology sector of the US economy in the 1990s. McAfee ultimately resigned from the company in 1994.

After leaving the company, he founded Tribal Voice, which developed the early instant messaging service PowWow, and joined the board of directors of the software security company Zone Labs in 2000.

Unfortunately, a series of unfortunate business investments and the impact of the Great Recession caused McAfees wealth to plunge after 2008, forcing him to sell many of his assets and relocate to Belize, known for its low cost of living.

In November 2012, he was sought as a person of interest for the murder of American expatriate Gregory Viant Faull in Belize. McAfee fled to Guatemala to seek asylum but was arrested and deported to the United States.

Since then, authorities in Belize have not further sought his imprisonment for any alleged crimes and he currently resides in Lexington, Tennessee.

More recently, McAfee sought the Libertarian Party nomination in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election and later announced his 2020 bid for the White House in June 2018.

How old is John McAfee?

John McAfee is 73 years old.

He was born on September 18, 1945.

Who is John McAfees wife?

McAfees wife is Janice Dyson, whom hes been married to since 2013.

What is John McAfees net worth?

Per Celebrity Net Worth, John McAfees net worth is believed to be about $4 million (3m).

How does John McAfee make his money?

McAfees wealth is the result of his most successful business venture McAfee Associates, now known as McAfee LLC, which produced the worlds first commercial antivirus software. McAfee ran the company from its founding in 1987 until his resignation in 1994.

Notably, McAfees wealth was much higher, believed to be more than $100 million (76.7m) in 2007, until a series of ill-fated investments, including a large share of Lehman Brothers bonds, and the 2008 financial crash caused his wealth to quickly plummet.

The collapse of his net worth forced McAfee to sell off many of his assets, including his Cessna private jet, mansion in Hawaii and ranch in New Mexico. He was also forced to sell his $25 million (19.1m) luxury mansion in Colorado for just $5.7 million (4.3m).

John McAfee presidential run

On June 3, 2018, McAfee announced via Twitter that he would be running for US President in 2020, vowing to run either as a nominee for the Libertarian Party or to create his own political party.

In spite of past refusals, I have decided to again run for POTUS in 2020. If asked again by the Libertarian party, I will run with them. If not, I will create my own party. I believe this will best serve the crypto community by providing the ultimate campaign platform for us.  John McAfee (@officialmcafee) June 3, 2018

Interestingly, McAfee openly admitted that he had no chance of being elected, instead vowing to change the process of regular Presidential campaigns and to tell the truth to the American people.

Don't think that I have a chance of winning. I do not. But what truly changes America is not the president, but the process of creating one. If my following is sufficient I get to stand the world's largest stage and talk to the everyone, as I did last time, to tell the truth.  John McAfee (@officialmcafee) June 4, 2018

On October 3, 2018, after announcing more details about his Presidential campaign, including that Rob Loggia would be his campaign manager, McAfee doubled down on his previous statement that he had no chance of being elected and instead expressed a desire to use the national platform his Presidential run would give him to promote blockchain technology and cryptocurrency for their promise of economic freedom, believing it was the only way to save the United States.

Let's be real. No sane person could believe I could ever become President. That's not my goal. I want access to the National Stage for 18 months to promote what I believe is the only thing that can save us: The Blockchain, CryptoCurrency and the economic freedom they will bring.  John McAfee (@officialmcafee) October 3, 2018

In another recent tweet on October 4, 2018, McAfee also dismissed criticisms that his Presidential campaign was nothing more than a publicity stunt and that he was twice as committed to his 2020 bid.

Those who believe my presidential run is a publicity stunt take note: I ran a serious campaign in 2016 under the Libertarian banner, at great cost in time and resources. I am twice as committed this time. Anyone who thinks otherwise does not know me.https://t.co/2XJ5Eixxql  John McAfee (@officialmcafee) October 4, 2018

McAfees 2020 Presidential bid represents his second run for the White House, as he previously ran for President in the 2016 election.

He initially announced his 2016 Presidential bid on September 8, 2015 as a candidate for the newly-formed Cyber Party.

However, he later announced on December 24, 2015 that he would instead be seeking the Presidential nomination for the Libertarian Party, though former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson was later chosen as the partys nominee.

Politically, McAfee reportedly identifies as a Libertarian, supporting cannabis decriminalization, a free market economy and a US foreign policy based on noninterventionism.
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Scores of protests were staged in numerous cities across the United States on Thursday as the nation braces for the final 36 hours before it is learned whether Judge Brett Kavanaugh will be confirmed to the Supreme Court.

Protesters hit the Capitol Thursday by holding an anti-Brett Kavanaugh demonstration inside one of the Senate's satellite offices.

Dozens of anti-Kavanaugh activists sat down in protest in the courtyard of the Hart Building on Capitol Hill, while outside hundreds mobbed the Supreme Court to proclaim their opposition to Donald Trump's nominee for it.

The impassioned fight over Kavanaugh's nomination has led to heightened security at the Capitol, with some senators using police escorts to shield them from protesters.

United States Capitol Police have arrested dozens of protesters in recent days and stepped up their presence in Capitol hallways.

Some Republican senators have expressed unease over protesters who have confronted them at their Senate offices, restaurants, airports and even their homes.

Republicans discussed security matters behind closed doors earlier this week at a private lunch.

Inside the Senate buildings: Protesters were dealt with by Capitol Police as they entered the Hart Office Building Thursday

Anti-Kavanaugh: Protesters in the Hart Office building were holding up placards as police moved in

Get ready for the arrests: Police with quick cuffs started rounding up protesters holding a sit-down demonstration in the Senate office building

Massive presence: This was the scene in the courtyard of the Hart Office Building, one of the satellite facilities on Capitol Hill used by the Senate

Sit down protest: Demonstrators inside the courtyard of the Hart Office Building launched a sir-down protest

Perimeter: Police formed a barricade around parts of the courtyard of the Hart building, one of the satellite offices used by the Senate, (top right) to prevent demonstrators getting further into the complex

Support: Staffers in one senator's office - possibly one of the Washington State delegation - posted a message to demonstrators

Supreme injustice: Anti-Kavanaugh protesters also flooded the area outside the Supreme Court making references to Brett Kavanaugh's now notorious yearbook reference to 'devil's triangle', which he claimed was a drinking game

Satire: Demonstrators had a mock judge to make their way towards the Supreme Court

Targeted message: One woman was directing her case towards Maine Republican senator Susan Collins who is one of the four swing votes which will decide Kavanaugh's fate

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a floor speech Wednesday that senators will not be intimidated from doing their jobs, declaring: 'There is no chance in the world they're going to scare us out of doing our duty.'

McConnell took to the Senate floor Wednesday morning to rail against the delays in confirming Kavanaugh, including protesters who have confronted senators, and slamming Democrats, who he claims are moving the goalposts on President Donald Trump's nominee.

'I want to make it clear to these people who are chasing my members down the hall here, or harassing them at the airport or going to their homes, we will not be intimidated by these people,' he said.

More uniformed officers have been visible in the Senate amid mounting protests, and senators have been escorted by uniformed officers.

Elevators have become potential flashpoints, with Jeff Flake being confronted in one last Friday in one of the most dramatic twists in the Kavanaugh saga.

On Wednesday Cory Booker and Collins were guarded in one on their way from the Senate subway - and Lindsey Graham said he had been confronted too.

'This is dangerous. I had somebody that wouldnt let an elevator shut. An Iraq War veteran. I appreciate his service, but I just have a different opinion of Judge Kavanaugh. I tried to make that clear,' Graham said.

Closely guarded: Uniformed Capitol Police officers were deployed to guard key swing senator Susan Collins, whose office had previously been targeted

Flashpoint: Elevators have been used by protesters to corner senators and Cory Booker and Susan Collins were escorted off one by a Capitol Police officer to prevent that scenario on Wednesday

Police presence: Security has been tightened in the Senate because of the presence of protesters with uniformed officers seen guarding Lisa Collins (left) and Mitch McConnell (right)

Watching brief: Republican Kansas senator Pat Roberts was interviewed with an officer looking on

Ready for protests: Officers equipped with quick cuffs were on patrol in the hallways of the Senate in case of large numbers of protesters

Keeping watch: The Senate subway had an officer on board when Susan Collins traveled in it

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer challenged McConnell to 'man up' and call a vote

'There's no chance in the world they're gonna scare us out of doing our duty. I don't care how many members they chase, how many people they harass here in the halls. I want to make one thing perfectly clear, we will not be intimidated by these people,' McConnell said.

Protestors have filled the hallways of the Senate office buildings as Kavanaugh's confirmation has struggled toward the finish line amid questions about his drinking habits and allegations of sexual assault.

Republican Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Ted Cruz, and Lindsey Graham are among those who have been target by victims of sexual assault who are protesting Kavanaugh's confirmation.

On Friday, a moment when two female protestors trapped Flake in an elevator and berated him after he announced he was voting to confirm Kavanugh went viral and ultimately resulted in Flake calling for a delay in the confirmation vote in order for the FBI to investigate the allegations against Kavanaugh.

One of the women shouted to Flake, through tears: 'Don't look away from me! Look at me and tell me that it doesn't matter what happens to me.'

Cruz was also confronted in an elevator in the Senate and chased out of Washington D.C. restaurant last week.

Demonstrators ambushed Cruz and his wife at Fiola, an Italian restaurant near the White House, and chanted: 'We believe survivors! We believe survivors!'

Protestors also gathered outside the offices of multiple senators to urge them to listen to the stories of sexual assault survivors.

Actress Alyssa Milano was among those leading the protests and was seen crying at some of the stories.

McConnell claimed the mass protests were 'all part of the organized effort to delay, obstruct and intimidate.'

Kavanaugh's confirmation has been in limbo since an FBI investigation was ordered on Friday to look into the multiple sexual assault allegations against him.

Christine Blasey Ford has accused Kavanaugh of pinning her to a bed, trying to rip off her clothes and covering her mouth when she screamed while they two of them were teenagers at a party in the 1980s.

Debra Ramirez claims Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a dorm party at Yale University, thrust his penis in her face and forced her to touch it when she pushed him away.

Julie Swetnick claims Kavanaugh and his Georgetown Prep pal Mark Judge were part of a group of guys who drugged and gang raped women.

Kavanaugh has denied all allegations.

A protester holds a gavel with a picture of Brett Kavanaugh in New York on Thursday

Hundreds of people rallied in front of Trump Tower then walked to Times Square to protest Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh

One person is seen above holding a sign that reads 'Revolution is coming' while another sign reads 'End Christian White Supremacist Patriarchy Now'

A woman is seen above holding a sign in front of Trump Tower in New York City on Thursday

A protester in front of Trump Tower holds a sign that reads 'You are right to fear our rage' above a picture of Kavanaugh

Protesters are seen above during the procession march from Trump Tower to Times Square in New York City on Thursday

Angry protesters hold signs saying 'Believe survivors' and 'I still believe Anita Hill.' Hill is the woman who accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment after he was nominated to the Supreme Court in 1991

Protesters in New York City braved the rain and took to the streets to denounce Kavanaugh on Thursday

The FBI had been given a deadline of Friday to end its new background investigation although there is speculation agents could be done as soon as Wednesday.

But on Wednesday Ford's attorneys revealed she and witnesses she has offered have not been spoken to by the FBI.

Agents have spoken to at least six people involved in the allegations.

One of those is Mark Judge, the high school friend of Kavanaugh who was accused of being in the room when the nominee allegedly tried to rape Ford, while the other is Debbie Ramirez, the second accuser.

They have also spoken to Patrick 'P.J.' Smyth and Leland Keyser, both of whom Ford said were present, and to Tim Gaudette, whose home Kavanaugh's calendars showed he partied at on July 1, 1982, under the term 'skis'.

And they have spoken to 'Squi' or 'Squee', real name Chris Garrett, who Ford said she dated and who Kavanaugh's calendar put at the July 1 party.

McConnell has been expressing his frustration all week with the delays in getting Kavanaugh on the high court. Republicans originally wanted the conservative Kavanaugh - who was nominated to place retiring swing-vote Justice Anthony Kennedy - on the court by the time it began its new session on October 1.

On Wednesday, after railing against the protesters, McConnell then turned his fury toward Democrats, repeating his accusation that they are trying to move the goalposts on confirming Kavanaugh.

'Democrats may be trying to move the goal posts every five minutes, but their goal has not moved an inch. They will not be satisfied unless they have brought down Judge Kavanaugh's nomination,' McConnell said.

'If my friends across the aisle had their way the goalposts would move the vote to another time zone,' he noted.

He also dismissed Democrats' concerns about Kavanaugh's judicial temperament after his angry testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday.

Democrats are saying he's disqualified because he got 'a little testy,' McConnell said, 'after they dragged him through the mud.'

'I don't want to meet he man or woman who wouldn't be frustrated,' he added.

'Democrats have made it clear they will never ever be satisfied. Not ever,' he raged.

McConnell then repeated his vow to hold a vote on Kavanaugh this week.

'The Senate will vote on this nomination this week,' he said and repeated his message in case it wasn't clear: 'The Senate will vote on this nomination this week.'

McConnell's double down on Trump's Supreme Court nominee came amid uncertainty about the timing of the FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh, which he has denied. It remains unclear when the bureau will finish its probe and when senators will see the results.

He called Kavanaugh one of 'the most impressive' nominees in history, citing his 'sterling academic credentials,' his work on the bench and his 'proven commitment' to fairness.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer then went onto the floor and challenged McConnell to 'man up,' call a vote and stop blaming a delay on Democrats that was actually caused by GOP senators.

'Be a man - man up and say it's your decision and not ours,' Schumer said.

As Senate leader, McConnell controls the Senate floor schedule and when votes are called.

He delayed a Kavanaugh vote by a week after three key Republican senators - Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski - said they wanted an FBI investigation into the sexual assault allegations.

About 30 people gathered on the Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart, Florida to protest Kavanaugh's potential confirmation

Protesters held signs saying 'Believe women', 'Stop Kavanaugh,' and 'I believe Christine'

There were dozens of other demonstrations around the country - most of them staged by protesters opposed to Kavanaugh's elevation to the Supreme Court

Schumer claimed McConnell was being hypocritical to blame Democrats on a delay when he was he one that held up the confirmation on Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee who never got a vote in the Senate.

'It is galling, appalling to hear day after day the Majority Leader get on his high horse about delay, when he almost invented the word when it comes to judicial nominations,' Schumer said.

'To say Democrats are causing delay are coming from the same man who delayed the nomination of Supreme Court justice Merrick Garland for over 300 days without a shrug of his shoulders? Give me a break,' he noted.

Schumer pointed out McConnell as 'the sole power' to determine when Kavanaugh is voted on and noted he was 'so tempted to use the L word but he's my friend.'

He also called on McConnell to hold an all-senators briefing with the FBI agents who investigated Kavanaugh and repeated Democrats' call to make the findings public.

'This is not the usual practice but it's been done in the past,' Schumer noted of releasing the report.

McConnell can call for a vote at anytime and will soon need to start the complicated procedural process required to bring Kavanaugh to a final vote this week.

He must first make a motion to end the debate on Kavanaugh, a process known as cloture.

But Senate rules require an intervening day to pass between when a GOP leader files for cloture and when the Senate votes on the cloture motion.

In order to pass, cloture requires 51 votes.

If it passes, that starts the clock on the final 30 hours of debate on Kavanaugh.

Once those 30 hours are up, Senators will vote on whether or not to confirm him.

It takes a simple majority of 51 senators to confirm.

But Republicans only have 51 seats, meaning the party can only lose one senator if all Democrats vote no on Kavanaugh (letting Vice President Mike Pence be the tie breaking vote).

And it's uncertain McConnell has the 50 senators he needs.

Flake, Collins and Murkowski have been mum on their final vote, saying they want to see the outcome of the FBI investigation.

Only one Democratic senator - Joe Manchin of West Virginia - is undecided. All other Democrats, including Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, have said they will vote no.

The protests against Kavanaugh have stretched across the country.

In Williamsport, Pennsylvania, about a dozen people protested outside a federal courthouse against Kavanaugh's potential confirmation

In Portland, Oregon, a group of protesters lied down in the street in downtown near a federal courthouse, KATU-TV reported.

The protesters were sprawled across the asphalt and twisted their bodies in order to spell 'STOP HIM' - a reference to Kavanaugh.

In Stuart, Florida, some 30 people lined the Roosevelt Bridge to protest Kavanaugh's possible elevation to the Supreme Court, CBS12 TV reported.

One of the protesters, Wanda Rodriguez, said that she cried as she watched Ford's testimony last week.

'I started crying with her,' she said.

Rodriguez said Ford's testimony reminded her of her own experience when she was nearly sexually assaulted decades ago.

'Its a trauma that stays with you,' Rodriguez said. 'That you carry forever.'

Almost 40 years ago, Rodriguez was in New York walking along an isolated street when she was approached by a man in his car.

'I saw a car stopped by me. I refused [his advances],' she said.

Although she made it clear to the man she wasn't interested, she said he persisted.

'The man was coming running, exposed, and he was coming after me. I had to run for my life,' Rodriguez said.

While fleeing, Rodriguez begged a stranger to allow her into her home in order to escape.

'I was just at the door showing her the man, so she could understand that that man was going to grab me,' Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez was joined by more than two dozen other protesters who demanded that Kavanaugh's confirmation be voted down.

In Williamsport, Pennsylvania, about a dozen people protested outside a federal courthouse against Kavanaugh's potential confirmation, WNEP-TV reported.
An LGBTQ icon of Queens, New York, has been found dead at a beach.

Osvaldo Gomez, 64, known as Ms Colombia by the community, was found around 3.30am Thursday in the waters off Jacob Riis Park - an area of Rockaway Beach.

Police say there were 'no obvious signs of trauma' and Gomez is believed to have drowned.

Gomez was known for wearing eccentric outfits, often accessorized with a live bird, and was 'an iconic figure' in the community.

The body of Osvaldo Gomez, 64, was found in the waters off Rockaway Beach early Thursday morning

Gomez was an LGBTQ icon in Queens, known for wearing colorful and eccentric outfits

City Council member Daniel Dromm said: 'She was beloved by all who saw her in the streets, at parks and in the neighborhood wearing her colorful outfits and a bird on her shoulder.'

'Her cheerfulness and ability to bring a smile to the faces of all who met her will be missed by all New Yorkers,' Dromm said in a statement.

Gomez, an immigrant from Medellin, Colombia, marched in the very first Queens Pride Parade in 1993 and other parades across New York City.

'While life did not always treat Ms. Colombia with all the respect she was due, New Yorkers will remember Ms. Colombia as a hero to everyone,' Dromm told the Jackson Heights Post.

Police say there were 'no obvious signs of trauma' and believe he drowned

Gomez was in a 2015 documentary called No Your City where he revealed that he was a lawyer and moved to New York in 1975 from Colombia.

After being diagnosed with HIV in the 80s, Gomez said he decided to live 'day by day'.

'I like to be free They ask me, are you homo? Are you gay, are you lesbian? And I say, no, I am human being from another planet,' he said in the documentary.

Councilmember Dromm's office is now reaching out to community organizations to plan a vigil for their beloved Ms Colombia.
A 1992 cold case in the murder of a elementary school teacher was solved thanks to an amateur DNA sleuth, and a popular wedding DJ in Pennsylvania is now facing murder charges.

Christy Mirack, 25, had been beaten and raped before she was strangled to death in her Lancaster County apartment in December, 1992.

Raymond Charles Rowe, a 49-year-old also known as 'DJ Freez', was arrested last week after DNA sleuth CeCe Moore broke the decades old cold case in just a few days from her living room.

In an interview with 20/20 airing on Friday, Moore, whose a mother to a 13-year-old boy, will tell how she broke the case using DNA found at the crime scene, a genealogical website and her own expertise with family trees to identify Rowe as a potential suspect.

CeCe Moore (left) an amateur detective and DNA sleuth, found a match through a genealogical website and her own expertise with family trees to identify Charles Rowe, 49 (right in mugshot) as a near identical match with DNA found at the Christy Mirack's murder scene

Elementary school teacher, Christy Mirack, 25 (pictured) was brutally raped and murdered in 1992 in her home, her case is now likely solved thanks to Moore who used a genealogical website and found an identical match with DNA found at the murder scene

Authorities surreptitiously collected the DNA of Rowe, confirming he was a near perfect match to the DNA left at the crime scene which led to Rowe's arrest.

In an interview with 20/20, Harry Goodman, who was the former principal at Mirack's school, says he found her body back in 1992, and speaks with Moore about what he saw that day and how she was able to zero in on the alleged killer.

In his first ever interview, Goodman details how Mirack did not show up to work that day and was not answering her phone.

When he drove to her home, he found a disturbing scene.

Mirack, dressed and ready for her day of work, was dead. She had been raped, strangled and beaten in her home.

After new broke last April of how a genetic genealogy website led to an arrest in the Golden State Killer crime spree, Christys case heated back up.

Using the same techniques employed in that case, Moore concluded she had found a potential suspect with an almost identical DNA match.

Rowe, who is a husband and father, was arrested and charged with criminal homicide and sexual assault and a trial is expected to begin in May 2019.

A wooden cutting board, believed to have been used to attack her, was found by her body. An autopsy found wounds to her neck, back, upper chest and face.

'We never let this case go,' but investigators had run out of suspects, said Lancaster District Attorney Craig Stedman.

DNA match: DJ Raymond Charles Rowe, 49, has been arrested over the murder of elementary school teacher Christy Mirack, 25, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in December, 1992

Breakthrough: Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman announces that Raymond Charles Rowe, 49, has been charged after a DNA match was made on an ancestry website

'This has not been easy. But one of the reasons we've stuck with it and never forgotten it is it's so disturbing.'

The DNA left at the crime scene by the assailant never triggered a match, and Rowe had not been a suspect during years of investigation, Stedman said.

In December 1992, Rowe lived about 4 miles from the apartment Mirack shared with a roommate, but it is unclear if they knew each other.

'This killer was at liberty from this crime, this brutal crime, for longer than Christy Mirack was on this earth alive,' Stedman said at a news conference.

After the suspect's DNA was found to be a close match of one of Rowe's relatives who had registered on a genealogy website, detectives launched an undercover operation at an elementary school where Rowe was performing on May 31.

This produced a water bottle and gum he had used, and state police subsequently established an alleged genetic match.
Peter Flur was just trying to go on a pleasant bike ride with friends when something horrific happened.

A deer suddenly ran straight into the road and got hit by a car, its body flying right past him.

And the entire scene was captured on the tiny video cameras mounted on Flur's bike.

The footage showed the exact moment the deer ran out from a wooded area in Matthews, North Carolina and into the two-way road.

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Peter Flur was just trying to go on a pleasant bike ride with friends when a deer suddenly ran straight into the road and hit was by a car in Matthews, North Carolina

The entire horrific scene was captured on the tiny video cameras mounted on Flur's bike

It crossed right in front of Flur's friend Missie Mansfield before it was struck by a sedan traveling in the opposite direction just a second later.

The poor deer goes flying right past Flur's head as he screams 'Holy s**t!'.

'What happened?' one of Flur's friends can be heard asking in the footage.

'It was a deer! Oh my god!' he replies.

'I look up and see this thing flying at us,' Flur later told the Charlotte Observer. 'For a few seconds, I didn't even know what it was.'

'It happened so that, at that very instant, we just didn't know.'

The footage showed the exact moment the deer ran out from a wooded area and into the road

The deer crossed right in front of Flur's friend Missie Mansfield before it was struck by a sedan traveling in the opposite direction just a second later

As they headed back to the Brace Family YMCA to complete their 45-mile ride, Mansfield realized Flur's camera had probably captured everything.

The $460 camera, which Flur purchased to provide evidence in case a motorist ever put his life at risk, immediately starts recording a bike ride after it's activated.

'I never know exactly what it's gonna get. You know, if I'm pointed right, it won't get the oncoming traffic,' he explained.

'So I had no idea what I was going to see when I got home. All I kept thinking about was the scene in the movie Twister, when Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton are in the truck and the cow flies over them.'

'That's exactly what it looked like in my mind's eye.'

The poor deer goes flying right past Flur's head as he screams 'Holy s**t! Oh my god!'

'What happened?' one of Flur's friends can be heard asking in the footage. 'It was a deer! Oh my god!' he replies

Flur uploaded the footage onto his computer and couldn't believe how clear it was.

After discussing it with his friends, Flur decided to post the footage on YouTube, where it has since been viewed nearly 15,000 times.

Flur decided to post the video to show people the crazy things that cyclists see on their rides.

'It's still so shocking to me to think that we actually saw that and caught it on video,' he said.

'We all realize how incredibly lucky we are that no humans got hurt. I didn't know until I saw the video how close it came to us or that it had horns.'

'That could have been so bad.'
Jackson Cosko, 27, has been arrested and charged with sharing the private details of Republican senators online; police say he threatened to expose medical records and Social Security Numbers of senators' children

A Capitol Hill intern who is charged with publishing the private contact information of at least one Republican senator during last weeks' contentious Supreme Court confirmation hearing is also accused of threatening to expose health information about senators' children.

Jackson Cosko, 27, from Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with seven counts including witness tampering, identity theft and second-degree burglary.

He worked in the offices of at least three Democratic lawmakers. Capitol Hill Police say he snuck into the office of New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan, where he worked until he was fired recently, and logged in to a computer with someone else's credentials.

Police Captain Jason Bell said in a sworn statement that Cosko left after a staffer confronted him, and later emailed a threat from the email address 'livefreeorpwn@gmail.com.'

'If you tell anyone I will leak it all,' the email read, according to Fox News. 'Emails[,] signal conversations[,] gmails. Senators childrens health information and socials.'

A Hassan spokesperson told Fox that the Democratic senator 'strongly denounces the alleged actions.'

'Socials' is likely a reference to Social Security Numbers, not social media.

Cosko had also worked for Texas Democratic Sheila Jackson Lee in the past, along with California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee that held the Kavanaugh hearings, and former California Sen. Barbara Boxer.

In total, Cosko is charged with making public restricted personal information, witness tampering, threats in interstate communication, unauthorized access of a government computer, identity theft, second-degree burglary and unlawful entry.

But police on Capitol Hill say their probe is ongoing and further charges are possible.

Personal information of Lindsey Graham, Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch was posted to their Wikipedia pages as Kavanaugh spoke in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.

In the case of Graham a phone number was listed for him on the Wikipedia page which was in fact the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League.

Cosko was working for Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee (center) at the time of the alleged crime, and had previously worked for Dianne Feinstein (left)

While it is not clear if Cosko is being accused of posting all of their details online, the charges are though to be linked to at least one of them.

All three are members of the committee and have said they believe Kavanaugh is innocent of sex assault claims brought by Christine Blasey Ford.

Sources told Fox that police are looking into the possibility that two other senators were also targeted.

It comes amid efforts by left-wing protesters to target Republican politicians in their personal lives.

Ted Cruz was hounded by sexual assault survivors as he ate dinner with wife Heidi in Fiola in Washington DC over his support for Kavanaugh's nomination.

The senator was forced to hide in the kitchen until police arrived to remove the demonstrators, after which he returned to finish his meal.

Since then, owner Fabio Trabocchi has revealed his staff have faced death threats and he has been forced to hire security guards.
Harvey Weinstein may soon be facing only five charges in his upcoming criminal trial.

The New York Daily News, citing unnamed sources whose connection to the Weinstein case is not explained, reports that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office informed the disgraced mogul's defense team that information in a personal log that was kept by Lucia Evans contradicts information she shared about her alleged assault.

There are no specifics as to what information that may be or how it contradicts Evans' claims.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Harvey Weinstein may soon be facing only five charges in his upcoming criminal trial after Lucia Evans' personal log reportedly contradicted her story

This Daily News report comes on the heels of a TMZ story that also claimed the criminal sex act charge would likely be dropped in the case but for a different reason.

That report also cited unnamed sources.

The report alleged that the lead detective on the case did not reveal that Evans had told a casting director that she willingly performed the sex act on Weinstein.

That casting director was not named, and the story did not identify which of the two lead detectives on the case, Sgt. Keri Thompson or Det. Nicholas DiGaudio, had withheld information.

It was further claimed that the detective was under investigation for witness tampering as a result of this action, though it is unclear how the unnamed individual might be charged with that offense.

In a statement to DailyMail.com, Deputy Commissioner Public Information Phillip Walzak said: 'The NYPD, working with its partner DANY, is fully confident in the overall case it has pursued against Mr. Weinstein. The evidence shows that the criminal case against him is strong. The NYPD will continue to assist the prosecution any way it can to ensure justice is achieved for these brave survivors.'

These stories were both published just hours after Daily|Mail.com revealed that five additional woman had filed pre-claims accusing Harvey Weinstein of rape and sexual assault, citing official court documents.

Evans, who was one of the first accusers to go public, has alleged that Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him back in 2004 after luring her to his office under the false guise of meeting a casting director.

She is also the only one of the three women in the criminal case against Weinstein who has identified herself, with the other two women having orders of protection that prohibits Weinstein and the defense from revealing their identities.

Evans spoke about her decision to come forward in an interview with The New Yorker earlier this year, saying: 'At a certain point, you have to think about the greater good of humanity, of womankind.'

The criminal charges mark the culmination of an almost year-long investigation by NYPD and the Manhattan DA, who both released statements back in May after Weinstein was booked and charged in court.

'Today, at the NYPDs 1st Precinct, Harvey Weinstein was arrested, processed and charged with rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women,' said the NYPD in a statement.

'The NYPD thanks these brave survivors for their courage to come forward and seek justice. The arrest and ensuing charges are the result of a joint investigation between the NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorneys Office. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.'

Vance also released a statement that day, saying: 'Todays charges reflect significant progress in this active, ongoing investigation.

'I thank the brave survivors who have come forward, and my Offices prosecutors who have worked tirelessly on this investigation. I would also like to thank Commissioner James ONeill and our dedicated partners at the NYPD.'
Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, a lifelong Republican, has said he is opposed to Judge Brett Kavanaughs elevation to the highest court in the land.

The 98-year-old Stevens told a crowd of retirees in Boca Raton, Florida on Thursday that he believes Kavanaugh lacks the appropriate temperament necessary for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.

Stevens came out against Kavanaughs confirmation even though he previously praised the federal judge for his ruling in a case about campaign contributions.

In the 2014 book Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution, Stevens wrote glowingly of Kavanaugh.

At that time, I thought (Kavanaugh) had the qualifications for the Supreme Court should he be selected, Stevens said in comments reported by the Palm Beach Post.

Ive changed my views for reasons that have no relationship to his intellectual ability...I feel his performance in the hearings ultimately changed my mind.

Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens (seen left on Thursday in Boca Raton, Florida), a lifelong Republican, has said he is opposed to Judge Brett Kavanaughs elevation to the highest court in the land

The 98-year-old Stevens told a crowd of retirees that he believes Kavanaugh lacks the appropriate temperament. Kavanaugh is seen last Thursday testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C.

Stevens, who was appearing at an event hosted by a retirement group, said that he agrees with critics who say that Kavanaughs testimony during last Thursdays Senate Judiciary Committee hearing showed a partisan bias that is disqualifying.

I think theres merit to that criticism and I think the senators should really pay attention that, Stevens said.

Stevens was referring to Kavanaughs angry statement last Thursday in which he accused Democrats of waging a smear campaign to derail his confirmation.

Another former Republican judge - Robert S. Smith - told MSNBC on Thursday night that he does not support Kavanugh's nomination, having previously admired him.

Smith said that he was 'unhappy' with Kavanaugh's testimony, and in particular his weak denials about comments written in his yearbook.

'I was particularly upset with the one that someone referred to earlier: The idea that you use a girls name with the word "alumnus" as a caption to a group of football players, and he tried to sell the idea that this was a respectful display of platonic friendship. I just dont buy it.

'Its upsetting because, it suggests that if hell deny that, what wont he deny?'

Former Judge says he no longer supports Kavanaugh nomination, citing the reason Kavanaugh gave for "Renate Alumnus"



"It's upsetting because, it suggests that if he'll deny that, what won't he deny" pic.twitter.com/LNDfuDBCQU  The Beat with Ari Melber on MSNBC  (@TheBeatWithAri) October 4, 2018

Robert S Smith, another retired Republican judge and former supporter of Kavanaugh, has also said that he no longer supports his nomination

While Smith said Kavanugh's poor behavior isn't necessarily disqualifying in and of itself, his refusal to accept it should be.

Smith described claims by Christine Blasey Ford, who says Kavanaugh sexuall assaulted her at a party in the 1980s, as: 'A credible allegation, not credibly denied.'

Kavanaugh has vehemently denied allegations of sexual misconduct after three women came forward to accuse him of acts he committed decades ago.

One of the women, Christine Blasey Ford, gave sworn testimony before the committee last Thursday before Kavanaugh gave his own statement.

She said that when she was 15 years old, Kavanaugh, who was 17 then, tried to rape her after drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.

In 2010, Stevens retired from the bench after serving for 35 years - one of the longest tenured justices in history.

Stevens' seat was filled by Elena Kagan, who was appointed by President Barack Obama.

Stevens was appointed to the bench in 1975 by President Gerald Ford.

Stevens, whose confirmation was unanimous, lamented the highly partisan atmosphere in Washington that has also engulfed the judiciary.

Though he was appointed by a Republican and is a lifelong member of the GOP, Stevens has at times sided with liberal justices on key issues.

In 2010, Stevens (seen in front row second from left) retired from the bench after serving for 35 years - one of the longest tenured justices in history. Front row left to right: Justices Anthony Kennedy, Stevens, John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, and Clarence Thomas. Back row left to right: Justices Samuel Alito, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, and Sonia Sotomayor

Stevens was appointed to the bench in 1975 by President Gerald Ford. He is seen above in Washington, D.C. in April 2014

Stevens was one of three justices who offered dissenting opinions in the Bush v. Gore case which effectively halted the Florida ballot recount in the 2000 presidential election.

The decision effectively handed the presidency to George W. Bush.

Although we may never know with complete certainty the identity of the winner of this years presidential election, the identity of the loser is clear, Stevens wrote in his dissent.

It is the nations confidence in the judge as impartial guardian of the rule of law.

Stevens says that the courts have been unable to restore the nations confidence that it is an impartial referee.

Since retiring, Stevens has staked out liberal positions on some issues, like gun control.

But he has also maintained that flag burning should be illegal.

Stevens said that during his time on the bench, justices were not as beholden to the presidents who appointed them as they are today.

Meanwhile, there are indications that Kavanaugh will eventually win confirmation.

President Donald Trumps fellow Republicans gained confidence on Thursday that his nominee Kavanaugh would win Senate confirmation after two wavering lawmakers responded positively to an FBI report on accusations of sexual misconduct against the judge.

The report, sent by the White House to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the middle of the night, was denounced by Democrats as a whitewash that was too narrow in scope and ignored critical witnesses.

Thousands of anti-Kavanaugh protesters rallied outside the Supreme Court and entered a Senate office building, holding signs such as 'Believe Survivors' and 'Kava-Nope.'

But Republicans moved forward with plans for a key procedural vote on Friday and a final vote on Saturday on confirming the conservative federal appeals judge for a lifetime job on the top U.S. court.

Comments by two crucial Republican senators - Jeff Flake and Susan Collins - indicated the FBI report, which was the latest twist in the pitched political battle over Kavanaugh, may have allayed their concerns about Kavanaugh.

Flake, a frequent Trump critic, was instrumental in getting the president to order the FBI investigation last Friday.

Trump, himself accused by numerous women during the 2016 presidential race of sexual misconduct, wrote on Twitter that the FBI report showed that the allegations against Kavanaugh were 'totally uncorroborated.'
Megyn Kelly has suggested that former Today host Matt Lauer would not return to the eye after his sexual harassment scandal.

The former Fox anchor said she knew more than she could let on, telling US Weekly: 'I know too much that others don't know.'

The cryptic comment came after Kelly was asked if she had faced some backlash for her interview with one-time Today production assistant Addie Zinone , shortly after Lauer was fired last November, to discuss the relationship they had when she was 24.

Asked if she received internal pushback for the segment, she replied with a 'no comment.'

Megyn Kelly has suggested that former Today host Matt Lauer would not return to the eye after his sexual harassment scandal. Pictured: Matt Lauer and Megyn Kelly on the show on November 2

Before adding of any negative comments about the segment, she said: 'All I'm going to say is that I feel very strongly about the #MeToo coverage, the importance of doing it without fear or favor.

'I didn't let anyone stop me at Fox, and I'm not going to let anyone stop me at NBC.'

But the 47-year-old doesn't believe that all men accused of harassment should have a blanket ban on returning to work.

Kelly, who said she was harassed by former Fox boss Roger Ailes, explained: 'I feel it's a case-by-case basis.'

'I don't think we need to see Harvey Weinstein in polite society ever again, but I don't think that's true of everyone. I think, for some of these guys, there's a way forward. I happen to believe it starts with a full-throated apology, and not just this paper statement of, 'I did some things wrong and I'm sorry.'

She said that women wanted to see, not just punishment, but that they had changed and grown.

'I think Americans are very forgiving, and I am very forgiving,' she said.

'I think these guys who want to completely skirt around it and just reappear and re-emerge in their old roles are kidding themselves,' she added. 'Women are feeling too empowered to allow that.

The former Fox anchor, pictured with Lauer in May last year, said she knew more than she could let on, telling US Weekly: 'I know too much that others don't know'

'They don't want to just see punishment, they want to see that you get it. And the ones that we've covered publicly had immense positions of power, so they absolutely should not be allowed to return to those until we understand there's been a sea change in their thinking and behavior.'

Meanwhile, Kelly has been focused on keeping her own job safe amid her show's tanking ratings, executives at NBC News tell DailyMailTV exclusively.

The former Fox News host launched her much-hyped show Megyn Kelly Today last September after securing a three-year contract for a staggering $69 million.

Despite NBC heavily promoting the 47-year-old's show, her ratings have been abysmal, with viewers changing the channel when the Today show ends over to rival ABC's Live with Kelly and Ryan.

Megyn began extensively covering the #MeToo movement in a bid to carve out a place for her show, even covering her own colleagues at the network who had been accused or fired over allegations of sexual misconduct, most notably Matt Lauer and Tom Brokaw.

Multiple top executives at NBC tell DailyMailTV they believe she has strategically positioned herself as a champion of #MeToo in case her show is cancelled, paving the way for a potential suit for being fired for speaking out against her employer.

Megyn began extensively covering the #MeToo movement in a bid to carve out a place for her show, NBC executives tell DailyMailTV, as a strategic plan in case her show is cancelled, paving the way for a potential suit for being fired for speaking out against her employer

A high-ranking source at NBC told DailyMailTV: 'Everyone has had enough and they want Megyn out.

'It's like she's the Manchurian candidate of NBC News - someone put inside the network to take it down from within.

'Her strategy is the talk of 30 Rock. As soon as her show became a dumpster fire she actively positioned it as the only place on network television that it is ''MeToo'' continually.

'By aggressively reporting on every male accused of sexual misconduct at the network, it would make her much harder to fire.

'If NBC did fire her, she'll argue she was terminated for speaking up, when in fact she is an opportunist who latched on to an important movement when nothing else was working for her.

'Let's be frank - a woman determined to support other women wouldn't have launched her show by asking Jane Fonda about her plastic surgery.'

NBC president Andy Lack, who has been accused of turning a blind eye towards sexual misconduct claims at the network, is said to be 'annoyed' by Megyn's attempts to turn her show into a forum for the movement, including her coverage of claims against Brokaw and Lauer.

An NBC News spokesperson responded in a statement: 'None of this is true. NBC News is thrilled that Megyn is on our team and extremely proud of her work including her coverage of the #MeToo movement since her earliest days at the network.

'We are also very pleased with her 9am show, which is substantive, empowering and engaging.'

Megyn has positioned herself as a champion of #MeToo, even covering her own colleagues at the network who have faced sexual misconduct claims, such as Matt Lauer and Tom Brokaw

After Lauer was fired from the Today show in November 2017 following reports of sexual harassment, Megyn was the first to have a TV interview with Addie Collins Zinone (pictured), who had an affair with Matt Lauer

After Lauer was fired from the Today show in November 2017 following reports of sexual harassment, Megyn was the first to have a TV interview with Addie Collins Zinone.

Zinone had a month-long affair with Lauer in 2000 when she was just a 24-year-old production assistant at Today.

While Zinone said the relationship was consensual, she added that the power dynamics had made her later regret the relationship.

Kelly's show hit its one year anniversary this month and she donned a little black dress and leopard heels, celebrating the milestone that many thought she wouldn't see, considering her disappointing ratings.

ABC's rival show Live with Kelly and Ryan, starring Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, has been trouncing Megyn's show, consistently beating her out in viewership.

A top NBC brass added to DailyMailTV: 'The ratings show that when Megyn comes on, the audience leaves and switches over to Kelly and Ryan on ABC.

'Here is the highest paid on air personality actively tearing down the network at 9am every morning.

'The anchors, producers and executives all share the same opinion - Megyn Kelly needs to leave NBC!'

An NBC News spokesperson pointed to research that shows Megyn averaged 2.4 million viewers in September - the highest it has been since February.

Despite NBC backing Megyn's show, her ratings have been abysmal, with viewers quickly changing the channel when the Today show ends over to rival ABC's Live with Kelly and Ryan

For Megyn's low ratings, her hefty salary of $23 million a year - $69 million over the course of three years - is seen as a 'mistake' by senior NBC executives.

At the time of her deal, Lauer, who had been the network's shining star for more than a decade, was estimated to be earning $25 million a year - just $2 million more than Megyn, NBC's gamble on a newcomer.

A network executive said to DailyMailTV: 'Her salary is also unfair - why should she be paid more than Savannah and Hoda combined.

'Two talented anchors who are loved by the audience and who viewers actively choose to watch.

'How is she worth more than Al Roker, Kathie Lee Gifford or Jimmy Fallon - all beloved household names that hold far greater star power at NBC and beyond.'

Insiders say NBC has already mapped out a scenario for Kelly's exit where they could actually break even.

By terminating her, NBC would be obligated to pay out the remainder of her contract. But they would be able to replace a very expensive hour of television with one that gets better ratings and is almost free to produce.

NBC would immediately be able to replace Kelly in the 9am hour of Today by bringing back Al Roker to that hour, possibly combining him with Dylan Dreyer, a duo who executives expect will increase the 9am hour's ratings by 15-20 percent, thereby grow the hour's advertising revenue.

More importantly, NBC would be able to bring the hour back to Studio 1A and drastically cut costs.

Before Kelly arrived, NBC ran the 9am hour of Today at minimal expense, using the same studio and control room crew that produced Today's earlier hours and severely limiting costly taped pieces and food segments. Kelly's show, by contrast, is done in a separate studio and has a whole separate staff and spends lavishly on production. NBC could save even more money by terminating those staffers.

And Megyn is dealing with chaos behind the scenes of her show, as earlier this year the morning program's head writer claimed it was a 'completely toxic' environment.

Fired Kevin Bleyer sent an email describing a culture where staff including young female assistants were 'abused and harassed' by executives who 'scapegoat' and launch f-word tirades.

And although Megyn claims to back the #MeToo movement, often referring to being sexual harassed by former chairman of Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes, she has made the case that Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's claims of sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as being 'not a regular ''Me Too'' allegation.'

While hosting a panel on her show earlier this week, Megyn fired up and said the whole situation involving Kavanaugh had become 'completely political'.

Megyn argued that Dr Blasey Ford was represented by 'Democratic operatives', saying that while all women must get a fair trial when making sexual assault allegations, she pointed out that some women do lie.
Pascha Thomas (pictured) says her daughter was sexually assaulted in the school bathroom by a student who was only able to be there because of a policy allowing gender fluid and transgender students to use whichever bathroom they chose

The Department of Education's Civil Rights division is investigating after a five-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a boy in her class in November last year.

A complaint filed by the girl's mother alleges the child had gone to the bathroom, and the boy had been able to follow her because he identified as gender fluid and was, under school policy, allowed to be there.

The mother, Pascha Thomas, further alleges when she made a complaint to the school, she was told no action would be taken, and then child services was called on her.

When child services arrived at her door, a day after Christmas, Thomas says authorities told her the school had filed a report, but had named her as the responsible party.

'How do you, in your right mind, do something like that to a parent,' she said in a video filmed by conservative Christian group Alliance Defending Freedom [AFD].

'Their child has been sexually assaulted, then you turn around and paint them as the villain.'

Thomas joined forces with AFD before filing her complaint. The organization are well known for their stance against allowing transgender and gender fluid people to choose what bathroom or change room they use.

The five-year-old girl told her mother she was pushed against a wall and digitally penetrated through her pants, but Thomas says the school has taken no action

Her daughter, who told her mother she was pushed against a wall and digitally penetrated through her underwear by the other student, has not been named, and is referred to in legal documents as NT.

The complaint, filed by attorney Vernadette Broyles under Title IX law, alleges the district: 'created a hostile environment for girls by eliminating their expectation of privacy from the opposite sex (in the very facilities intended to protect privacy), and have exhibited deliberate indifference towards that hostile environment for girls'.

A school district spokeswoman appeared to dismiss Thomas' accusations and interpretation of the situation.

Speaking to Politico, she said the district was 'aware of the unfounded allegations', and 'we fully disagree with her characterization of the situation'.

'City Schools of Decatur is committed to supporting all students. We are aware of the unfounded allegations made by the Alliance Defending Freedom,' she said.

'We fully disagree with their characterization of the situation and are addressing it with the Office of Civil Rights. As this is a pending legal matter, we have no further comment at this time.'
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has taken to Twitter to mock the Securities and Exchange Commission, which recently moved to force him out as chairman of the electric car company over security fraud charges stemming from a prior tweet.

'Just want to [say] that the Shortseller Enrichment Commission is doing incredible work. And the name change is so on point!' Musk wrote in a tweet on Thursday, as a federal judge mulls his settlement with the SEC.

Musk has often previously vilified short sellers, who bet that the price of a stock will go down, blaming them for spreading bad press and negative analysis on Tesla's prospects.

His extraordinary slap at federal regulators comes as U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan said on Thursday that Musk and the SEC would have one week to justify their settlement to resolve securities fraud charges against the CEO.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk mocked the SEC in a tweet on Thursday calling the agency the 'Shortseller Enrichment Commission'

Musk and Tesla agreed to pay $20 million each, and Musk agreed to step aside as Tesla's chairman for three years, to settle charges that Musk misled investors in a series of tweets on August 7.

Those tweets claimed that Musk had 'funding secured' to take Tesla private at $420 a share, sending the company's stock briefly soaring and forcing a halt in trading.

Tesla was not charged with fraud. The settlement was announced on September 29, two days after Musk was charged.

Judge Nathan said the parties would have until October 11 to submit a joint letter explaining why their settlement was fair and reasonable and would not hurt the public interest.

Nathan 'may want to know why Tesla is paying a fine because the CEO doesn't know when to shut up,' said Adam Pritchard, a University of Michigan law professor and former SEC lawyer.

The SEC and Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Shares of Tesla extended earlier losses after a judge issued an order to review the settlement, and were down $12.97, or 4.4 percent, to $281.83 at the closing bell on Thursday.

Coincidentally or not, Musk's mocking tweet came about 15 minutes after the closing bell, making it less likely to be accused of violating regulations on corporate communications.

Some judges have complained about being viewed as rubber stamps for SEC settlements.

Among them was Nathan's colleague Jed Rakoff, who had objected to the SEC's decades-old policy of letting some corporate defendants settle without admitting or denying wrongdoing, as Musk did.

But in 2014, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Rakoff's rejection of a $285 million settlement between the SEC and Citigroup Inc, saying he should have given 'significant deference' to the regulator.

The 2nd Circuit has jurisdiction over Nathan's court, and Pritchard said the Citigroup decision likely foreshadows approval of Musk's settlement.

'I do not think there is any serious chance of the settlement being rejected, based on 2nd Circuit precedent,' Pritchard added. 'This is just a hoop to be jumped through.'

Separately, Tesla, which has long objected to media coverage of its vehicles' crash records, said data show its vehicles have accidents or near misses far less often than other vehicles, including when driven in Autopilot mode.
This is the dramatic moment first responders rescue an Oklahoma man who fell into a canal and was suddenly electrocuted as he grabbed onto broken wires when he tried to get out.

The horrific fall took place on Sunday after 8pm when Wesley Seeley, 23, was leaning on a light post - also called a light bollard - that toppled over, causing him to fall into the Bricktown Canal in Oklahoma City.

As he tried to pull himself out by grabbing wires hanging off of the broken bollard he was electrocuted. He died from his injuries soon afterwards.

Good Samaritan Brandon Gann, 31, didn't know the victim but jumped into the canal to rescue Seeley, but was shocked by the wires as well and didn't resurface from the water.

On Sunday Wesley Seeley was leaning on a light pole fell into the Bricktown Canal in Oklahoma City and was electrocuted as he grabbed onto the wires of the broken pole to get out. Brandon Gann leapt into the water to save him but was shocked as well and didn't resurface

The dramatic paramedic rescue was caught on bodycam footage released on Thursday and shows officers pull a victim out of the water and perform CPR on him

Officers used a pipe pole, pictured above, to fish a victim out of the water following the fall

Paramedics are seen pumping the chest of a victim, pixelated above, following the accident

Bystanders called police for help and tried to help the men out of the water.

'A guy was taking a picture, his girlfriend was taking a picture of her boyfriend. And he was holding on a lamp and he fell in the river, and the lamp fell with him and he got electrocuted. He's not conscious. He's on the ground. And he's not waking up,' a 911 caller told authorities on Sunday, according to KFOR.

'He stopped and leaned up against one of the lighting bollards, and the bollard fell into the canal and took the man with him. And as he was trying to get out of the canal, he grabbed onto the bollard and the wires and thats when the electrocution, from what I understood, took place,' Kristy Yager, with the City of Oklahoma City, said.

In the heart-pumping video footage released on Thursday, paramedics are seen running to the victims and pulling one of the water using pipe poles and performing CPR on him.

Bystanders are heard screaming and shrieking as parademics ask for a heart monitor.

Fire officials said one man was already pulled out of the canal by bystanders when they arrived.

Oklahoma man Wesley Seeley, 23, died after he fell into the canal after posing for a photo leaning on the light post. Brandon Gann, 31, jumped into save him and is now in critical condition

According to Gann's social media he got married just one day prior to the accident on Sunday

'They were even getting shocked as they tried to grab the first individual and try to pull him out, so they were not able to do that. Thats how we knew we were dealing with an electrical current in this water,' said Battalion Chief Benny Fulkerson, with the Oklahoma City Fire Department.

The two men were in full cardiac arrest when they were rushed to nearby hospitals, according to Newsok.

Seeley, of Tuttle, died from his injuries and Gann, a personal trainer from Crawford County, Arkansas, is in a medically-induced coma at University of Oklahoma Medical Center.

According to social media, Gann had gotten married just one day before the incident took place.

A GoFundMe page has already raised more than $6,175 for his medical expenses.

Gann is being treated at an intensive-care unit in Oklahoma City, according to a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $4,500 for the personal trainer.

The devastating fall took place at the Bricktown Canal in Oklahoma City, pictured above. Following the incident the city inspected all 80 bollards along the canal

'Those of us who know Brandon personally are not surprised that he would place himself in harms way to help a complete stranger. That is just the kind of person he is...Any and all support we can give to help this brave young man and his new bride get through this trying time will make a big difference,' the page says.

City officials say that the bollard was around 20 years old and all 80 bollards along the canal were inspected afterwards to avoid another incident.

According to Fox 25, 18 bollards need to be fixed, 16 are loose and two are irreparable and have been removed following the evaluation.

'We just have never had an incident like this occur along the Bricktown Canal. So it's just tragic,' Oklahoma City spokesperson Yager said.
A retired military veteran was detained by police on his front lawn after he was seen moving a wide-screen television into his Kansas home.

At around 2.30am on August 19, 61-year-old Karle Robinson was approached by a Tonganoxie police officer who believed that he was a burglar.

Robinson shared that he had identification inside his home and could prove that the house was his but the officer handcuffed the man instead, and forced him to wait for roughly eight minutes.

At around 2.30am on August 19, 61-year-old Karle Robinson was approached by a Tonganoxie police officer who believed that he was a burglar

Robinson shared that he had identification inside his home and could prove that the house was his but the officer handcuffed the man instead

'If I'd been a white man, you know that wouldn't happen,' Robinson explained to the Kansas City Star as he watched video of the incident. 'I'm being handcuffed right here on my own damn property.'

The veteran concedes that it was a strange hour to be moving in his possessions, but Robinson shared that he had been embarking on the project for the past 12 hours.

In video of the incident, Robinson can be heard asking the responding officer for help with the TV.

But the officer just proceeded with cuffing the man until back-up could arrive.

According to Tonganoxie Police Chief Greg Lawson, the officer was keeping a proper balance of courtesy and respect while keeping himself and Robinson safe.

Video shows the moment Robinson is forced to wait eight minutes while backup comes and assist the officer, eventually corroborating his evidence

'If I were on that call, by myself, no matter the race of the person, they would have been handcuffed,' he said, adding that the nature of Robinson's activity at that hour looked suspicious.

Throughout the video, Robinson remained calm, at one point asking: 'Is this all necessary?'

The officer claimed that it was and stated that there had been a number of burglaries in the area, something Robinson claims was a 'lie' after speaking with his own neighbors.

The military veteran had been moving in a new television and had been moving into his new residence over the course of 12 hours

But Lawson claimed that their had been roughly 10 to 12 car burglaries in the area, over the summer.

Robinson still thinks his race played a factor in the incident unfolding the way it did.

'They're thinking I'm stealing,' he added. 'I've been hearing this for 40 years  getting pulled over, being searched. I'm not going to let this go.'

Backup arrives in the footage, and police are seen in a van used to transport suspects to jail. Robinson stated that his exhaustion from the long day kept him from reacting more hostilely.

'If it had been two in the afternoon, there would've been a fight.'

Eventually officers would enter the man's house and corroborate the details that he shared. They came out, apologized, and asked that the veteran understand where they were coming from.

They also helped the man get the television inside the house, and the video ends with them assisting.

Robinson - who is also a DJ - filed a complaint with the department and spoke with Lawson, but left feeling dejected and didn't buy the officer's explanation.

He shared his belief that if he had been white, the officer would have let him go inside his home and grab the identification that he had.

'Anyone who thinks we're in a post-racial world, should refer to that,' he said of the police video, adding that at least his neighborhood is nice and accommodating.
A massive rain bomb has exploded over the east coast of Australia, but it will not be enough to save the crops of drought-hit farmers inland.

Sydney was hit with a month's worth of rain over the last 24 hours and the Bureau of Meteorology said region could see a further 40mm on Friday.

But inland areas of New South Wales like Bathurst and the Central Tablelands have missed out, with the former receiving just 10mm on Thursday.

Scroll down for video

Zhi-Weng Chua, duty forecaster at the BoM, said: 'We're expecting heavy rainfall in the Sydney basin area on Friday, but that's not really going to affect areas further west'

Parts of the east coast are bracing for wild weather heading into the weekend accompanied by strong winds

Mr Chua said western parts of the state would remain largely dry on Friday and predicted only isolated showers in the northern tablelands

Zhi-Weng Chua, duty forecaster at the BoM, said western parts of the state would remain largely dry on Friday and predicted only isolated showers in the northern tablelands.

'We're expecting heavy rainfall in the Sydney basin area on Friday, but that's not really going to affect areas further west,' Mr Chua said.

He added, though, that Armidale in the central tablelands could see around 10mm of rain on Friday.

NSW saw some of its heaviest rainfall of the year, with Ivanhoe in the state's west receiving 40.2mm on Thursday.

Sydney's deluge of 70mm in 24 hours was more than the entire month of rain for October in 2017.

But farmers in Bathurst were left still desperate for rain.

Motorists have been advised to drive carefully with many roads waterlogged, as Sydney braced flash flood warnings overnight on Thursday.

Cattle farmer Dan Owens said it could be as much as two weeks before his cattle have grass to feed on.

Sydney braced flash flood warnings overnight on Thursday - with up to 40mm of rain forecast in the Sydney basin area and Central Coast on Friday

Sydney (pictured) was hit with downpours over the last 24 hours bringing rains of up to 70mm, and the Bureau of Meteorology said the NSW capital and the central coast could see a further 40mm on Friday

Those in Queensland's southern inland areas were celebrating, meanwhile, after overnight rains reaching 30mm lashed the regional town of Hebel

'It looks green but under that grass there is no moisture and the rain just runs off,'he told The Daily Telegraph.

'You have to at least hope for average rain ... it's all you could hope for.'

Thunderstorms have stirred up heavy dust in outback New South Wales, as much-needed rain begins to fall on drought-stricken farms.

Those in Queensland's southern inland areas were celebrating, meanwhile, after overnight rains reaching 30mm lashed the regional town of Hebel.

The BoM said 12mm of rain fell overnight in the town, with St George (pictured) receiving the most rain in the region with 25mm recorded

Thunderstorms stirred up dust in Broken Hill, New South Wales on Wednesday before the downpours began

The BoM said 12mm of rain fell overnight in the town, with St George receiving the most rainfall in the region with 25mm recorded.

Hebel Hotel barman Mitchell Cummings told ABC News the rainfall over the past few days had doubled what they had received all year.

He said his bar had received 30mm of rain on Thursday.

He said: 'It's been fairly dry, so far here at the pub we've had 18 millimetres for the whole of the year up until today.'

Having just endured the driest September on record, many parts of eastern Australia are now receiving a drenching due to a low-pressure trough pushing east.

The small town received 33.4mm of rain on Wednesday evening - more than they had all year

Parts of the east coast are bracing for wild weather heading into the weekend - accompanied by strong winds

New South Wales had its driest start to any year with the exception of 1902 and 1965, with the state declared to be entirely in drought

Broken Hill, in far west NSW, endured a dust storm before the downpours began - with the town receiving 33.4mm of rain on Wednesday evening, the most it has had all year.

NSW has had one of its driest starts to the year on record, with the entire state declared to be in drought.

Meteorologist Phil Mew said the previously dry conditions caused the dust storms.

'When we get a dry system coming through and you get strong winds, you get a dust storm due to the wind picking up small dust particles,' he told Weatherzone.

Areas further south and west of Sydney including Goulburn, Young and Nowra are also expected to be receive a heavy soaking throughout the weekend.

Having just endured the driest September on record, the country will receive a drenching over the weekend due to a low-pressure trough pushing east

There's a likelihood of more rain heading into next week with a 40 per cent chance of rain Monday and 50 per cent chance on Tuesday.

Brisbane residents can expect the rain to continue into next week with the worst to hit on Saturday, when 10 to 30mm is forecast.

Those on the west coast also have a wet week ahead, with light showers in Perth expected until Saturday.

Conditions will stay predominantly clear in South Australia with temperatures hovering in the low to mid twenties in Adelaide.

Slightly cooler weather is expected in Hobart as showers ease and cloud cover is forecast to stick around well into next week.

The top end of the country will stay warm and dry, with a top of 34C expected in Darwin this weekend and the beginning of next week.

Cold, windy and rainy weather is expected in the country's capital city, but the sun is expected to reappear over Canberra by Sunday.
The Transylvanian countess Elizabeth Bathory reputedly bathed in it, slaughtering enough young virgin girls to fill a tub in the 16th century. Pope Innocent VIII had it poured into his mouth as he lay in a coma.

Count Dracula, of course, preferred to transform from a vampire bat, mesmerise a young maiden with his unearthly stare and then sink his fangs into her throat. A little theatrical, but it did the trick.

Since ancient times, man has believed not only that our blood is an almost magical elixir but, rather more controversially, that the blood of the young can rejuvenate the old.

Since ancient times, man has believed not only that our blood is an almost magical elixir but, rather more controversially, that the blood of the young can rejuvenate the old

'Young blood' has long been seen as shorthand for a positive, invigorating change.

And the idea is far older than the Victorian gothic horror novel that spawned Dracula.

The Roman historian Pliny the Elder recorded how spectators would rush madly into arenas to drink the blood of fallen young gladiators, hoping to be infused with their vigour.

In the 15th century, Marsilio Ficino, an influential Italian Renaissance philosopher, recalled how in ancient times certain witches known as 'screech owls' sucked the blood out of infants as a means of growing young again.

'Why shouldn't our old people likewise suck the blood of a youth? A youth who is willing, healthy, happy and temperate,' he asked.

And yet scientists and philosophers recoiled in horror.

In the centuries before blood transfusions were developed, drinking the blood of the young and healthy like leeches seemed just too close to cannibalism.

In the centuries before blood transfusions were developed, drinking the blood of the young and healthy like leeches seemed just too close to cannibalism

Yet Dracula may have been on the right track.

Egged on by a new generation of multi-billionaires obsessed with prolonging their existence, scientists are increasingly focusing on the possibility that young blood really could be the elixir to nourish the failing bodies of the old.

Not for ever  nobody is yet promising a vampiric vision of eternal life. But researchers do aim to conjure a sanguine potion that will significantly prolong the human lifespan and make our final years far more active and free of ill health.

In the latest issue of the scientific journal Nature, Linda Partridge, a British geneticist and expert on ageing, outlines a future in which the transfusion of young blood into old bodies could play an important role.

Professor Partridge, based at University College London's Institute of Healthy Ageing, anticipates that, just as average life expectancy in developed countries has doubled in the past 200 years, and will continue to grow, human 'healthspans'  the span of our healthy lives  will also improve dramatically.

She points out that tests on laboratory mice and killifish (a large family of freshwater fish comprising more than 1,000 different species) have shown that the blood and gut microbes of young animals can extend the lifespans of older ones.

Experiments in which the blood systems of mice were conjoined showed that impaired stem cells in aged tissues 'could be slowed or even reversed', she says.

Another experiment known as parabiosis sounds more Frankenstein than Dracula, and involved the stitching together of the flanks of two mice  one old and infirm, the other young and healthy  so they develop a single shared circulatory system, like conjoined twins. The macabre week and month-long experiments showed not only that the older mice got younger and healthier, but the younger mice aged prematurely.

California's Stanford University found a protein in young human blood can improve brain function in old mice

Additional research by California's Stanford University found a protein in young human blood can improve brain function in old mice.

The tests, using blood plasma collected from the umbilical cords of baby mice, provided further evidence that infusions of 'young blood' can reverse ageing symptoms, such as memory loss, decrease in muscle function and loss of bone density.

The older mice were, for instance, better at negotiating mazes and learning to avoid areas of their cages that delivered electric shocks. Perhaps more importantly, it also demonstrated the rejuvenating properties of young blood went beyond mouse-to-mouse transfers.

Professor Partridge's optimism, shared by other scientists, comes amid a plethora of new ventures into swapping young blood for old that would put some colour into any vampire's cheeks.

In the most drastic example, in California, a new company called Ambrosia (named after the food of the immortal Greek gods) sells teenage blood plasma to rich, ageing customers.

Founded by Dr Jesse Karmazin, the company has been offering 2.5-litre transfusions of plasma, the liquid part of blood, to patients with a median age of 60.

Treatment is spread over two days and two-thirds of the recipients have so far been men.

Each batch contains blood from several donors and costs $8,000 (6,100). Customers reportedly include Silicon Valley billionaires.

Egged on by a new generation of multi-billionaires obsessed with prolonging their existence, scientists are increasingly focusing on the possibility that young blood really could be the elixir to nourish the failing bodies of the old

Ambrosia's scientists say they found that the levels of proteins involved in cancer and Alzheimer's disease in their customers fell. Dr Karmazin also claims the young blood could improve the recipient's appearance, heart function and memory.

'We're seeing people look better after just one treatment,' he said. 'It's like plastic surgery from the inside out.'

But while sceptics say we cannot know whether what has happened with mice will necessarily happen with people, the first stages in clinical trials on humans give reason for optimism.

Last year, U.S. biotechnology company Alkahest conducted a trial giving infusions of blood from young donors twice a week for four weeks to people suffering mild to moderate Alzheimer's.

They didn't suffer any ill-effects and there was a general improvement in their ability to perform daily activities, such as food shopping and cooking.

Another recent study found a further link between young blood and brain development.

A protein in the brain, Tet2, declines with age, but tests showed that old mice whose brains were joined to young mice experienced an increase in Tet2, which can improve muscles, organs and, in particular, the brain.

In the most drastic example, in California, a new company called Ambrosia (named after the food of the immortal Greek gods) sells teenage blood plasma to rich, ageing customers

In Massachusetts, Elevian, a new research company backed by scientists at Harvard University, is investigating a protein, GDF11, with regenerative effects found in the blood.

The protein  which is more prominent in younger mice appears to regenerate muscles and other tissue in the brain and heart.

But while scientists may be rubbing their hands with excitement, the ethics of what they're doing remains a moot point.

They publicly talk up the potential of young blood infusions to tackle problems such as Alzheimer's and heart failure

While they publicly talk up the potential of young blood infusions to tackle problems such as Alzheimer's and heart failure, much of the research is being driven by perfectly healthy tech barons whose motives are essentially selfish.

Sensing the clock ticking on the years they have left to enjoy their vast fortunes, they simply don't want to die.

Professor Tony Wyss-Coray, who led the pioneering research on mice at Stanford, says he was later contacted by 'many healthy, very rich people' asking if it could help them live longer.

Among those pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into research are Peter Thiel, the founder of PayPal, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who talks of extending the human lifespan by decades and one day 'curing death'.

Thiel has announced he intends to live for ever and at one time reportedly spent more than 120,000 a year on regular blood transfusions from 18-year-olds.

They're in questionable company. In his declining years, the late North Korean dictator Kim Il-sung had blood transfusions from people in their 20s.

And after staff at Kim's 'Longevity Centre' suggested happiness would also keep him young, he devoted hours to watching children do comical things in the hope it would make him laugh. Kim wanted to live to 100, but only made it to 82.

Others didn't do so well, either.

Pope Innocent VIII never survived his blood transfusion, and nor did the three boys who were reportedly paid to have their veins opened as donors.

Elizabeth Bathory ended up dying in a walled-up prison cell  while a stake in the heart proved even Dracula wasn't quite as immortal as he'd claimed.
One hundred senators are sharing one copy of the FBI's report into the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, resulting in staffers having to read aloud the document in order to save time.

'There were four of us in a corner,' Republican Bob Corker of Tennessee told Bloomberg News, reading sections of the report while other senators listened to the report being read in full by staffers with the proper security clearances.

The report itself includes 45 pages of interview summaries, 1,600 extra pages of information that the FBI included as coming into their tip line, CNN reported.

Ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Dianne Feinstein waves as she walks into the SCIF

Sen. Lisa Murkowski is surrounded by reporters on her way to the SCIF

There was no synopsis included by the FBI and only a standard background information coversheet.

Complicating matters is that senators are reviewing the findings in shifts, Republicans for one hour, Democrats for an hour, and so for.

Additionally the SCIF - a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility - located in the underground visitor's complex in the Capitol, where the document is being held in a safe under armed guard to prevent leaks, closes at 8 p.m. Thursday night.

It will reopen Friday morning for senators to continue their reading.

The heavy security measures are being done in an effort to keep the document from leaking to the public.

The room opened at 8 a.m. on Thursday with Republicans getting the first hour.

During that time, Republican aides went through 46 pages of interview reports, nine of them devoted to a single witness: Mark Judge, according toThe New York Times.

Christine Blasey Ford charged Judge, Kavanaugh's friend from Georgetown Prep, was in the room when she claims Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, groped her and covered her mouth when she screamed during a high school party in the 1980s.

Judge said in a statement he did not remember the incident but FBI agents spoke to him for three hours during their investigation.

A reported nine people were interviewed in the FBI's five-day investigation.

Despite the limitations, senators could return to the room multiple times - and some did.

No electronic devices are allowed inside and the report is only available as a hard copy, no emails or PDF's.

Sens. Jeff Flake and Susan Collins - two Republican key votes who are undecided - returned to the SCIF several times Thursday to review the document.

Sen. Patrick Leahy leaves the SCIF on Thursday

Sen. Joe Manchin said he would return to the SCIF on Friday to finish reviewing the documents

Sen. Bob Corker greets journalists after he leaves the SCIF

Sen. Lisa Murkowski - the other undecided Republican - joined them in there at one point, meaning the three lawmakers holding Kavanaugh's fate in their hands were in the room at the same time.

Sen. Joe Manchin, the only Democratic senator undecided, said he had to leave the SCIF to make room for Republicans and would return Friday morning to finish reading the report. He said he made it about halfway through the material.

Reporters staked out the hallway outside the SCIF all Thursday, surrounding lawmakers as they came out to query them about the report's contents.

Most lawmakers were tight-lipped on details with Republicans calling it a 'thorough' investigation and Democrats saying not enough witnesses were interviews.

Only senators will be able to read the details of the FBI findings on the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh. None of their staff will be permitted to see them, and the documents will not be made public.

But 10 staffers on the Senate Judiciary Committee will have access to the report in hard copy so they can brief senators who have not have time to read it for themselves.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McMcConnell filed a procedural motion on Wednesday, setting in motion the process of stopping debate and moving toward a final roll call on Kavanaugh that could happen as early as Saturday.
Malcolm Turnbull made his fortune after inheriting $2million in 1982 after his publican father Bruce died in a plane crash, back when a house even in expensive parts of Sydney could be bought for less than $100,000.

He invested wisely and in 1994 put $450,000 into an internet start-up OzEmail with his former colleague at The Bulletin magazine, Trevor Kennedy.

That same year, Mr Turnbull and his wife Lucy paid more than $5.4 million for their Point Piper mansion in Sydneys eastern suburbs, which they bought from socialite Klara Saunders.

Mr Turnbull, who was chairman of OzEmail, and his two business partners sold the start-up to American giant WorldCom in 1998 for $120million, in a deal which netted the future PM $40million.

A year later, the millionaire businessman and his wife Lucy in snapped up a neighbouring Point Piper property for $7.1 million.

In May 2009, the Business Review Weekly magazine estimated he was worth $178 million making him Australias 182nd richest individual.

Mr Turnbull made the BRW Rich List again with his net worth estimated at $186million, putting him at No. 197 among Australia's wealthy elite.

While he hasn't featured in the top 200 list since, he is estimated to be conservatively worth $200million, following returns from his existing investments.
The Senate received the results of the FBI 'supplemental background investigation' into Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh early Thursday.

Republican lawmakers took part in the initial review of the restricted, single copy report between 8am-9am, with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Chuck Grassley going first.

By 9am, Democratic senators accessed the report, with California Senator Dianne Feinstein to start, as the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee/

No photographs are allowed of it and any notes made from it have to stay in the room.

Secure room: Behind these doors is the Secure Compartmentalized Information Facility - known as a SCIF - where senators will read the report.

Following initial review, all 100 senators will alternate. Alternating one copy of an FBI report between senators is typical for judicial nominees, Republican aides said in a statement.

Also briefed on its contents are 10 Senate staffers who can then brief other senators.

Senators are not permitted to discuss the specific contents of the document with anyone who has not seen it.

The review of the 302 form takes place in a Sensitive Compartmentalized Information Facility in the basement of the Capitol.

Having the single copy viewed in a secure room will supposedly help to stop leaks, which are expected to hit within seconds of the document arriving in the building, if not before.
A Russian space capsule carrying three men has safely landed in remote Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

The Soyuz MS-08, carrying Russia's Oleg Artemyev alongside NASA's Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold, touched down at 5.44pm Kazakh time (1144 GMT) on Thursday.

Their descent was located 146 km south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan.

Earthed: Russia's Oleg Artemyev alongside NASA's Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold

Team: Feustel, Arnold, and Artemyev are returning after 197 days in space where they served as members of the Expedition 55 and 56 crews onboard the International Space Station

The two Americans performed three space walks to carry out maintenance during their 197-day stay at the orbiting lab.

Artemyev conducted one spacewalk together with a fellow Russian.

A NASA astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut are due to launch next week to join three astronauts who remain in the orbit.

The returning capsule could be seen plunging towards Earth while anchoring a huge orange and white parachute, which slowed its death-defying approach.

Upon landing, Russian recovery crews rushed to the scene in a helicopter.

Moments later, the men emerged in good spirits and conversed with staff as they readjusted to gravity after months in orbit.

Artemyev was first to surface. He wrote 'spasibo' (thank you) and signed his name on the craft in chalk.

His US counterparts followed soon after. Together, they were presented with mobile phones, which they used to contact family-members. They were also given fresh fruit.

Medical checks were also undertaken as they rested on recliners.

Home safe: Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev speaks on the phone shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule

Reflection: U.S. astronaut Andrew Feustel rests after the completion of his epic mission

Mission accomplished: U.S. astronaut Richard Arnold gestures to the awaiting media and crew

The landing came with Russian and US officials investigating the appearance of a mysterious hole in a Russian space craft docked at the orbiting station.

Detected in August, the hole caused an air leak on the ISS but was quickly sealed up.

This week the outspoken chief of the Russian space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, said investigators believed the small hole had been made deliberately and was not a manufacturing defect.

The official, who was placed under US sanctions over the Ukraine crisis in 2014, also bemoaned 'problems' in the Russian space agency's cooperation with NASA that he attributed to interference from unnamed American officials.

Last month, the Russian daily Kommersant reported that an investigation had probed the possibility that US astronauts deliberately drilled the hole in order to get a sick colleague sent back home - something Russian officials later denied.

ISS commander Feustel has called the suggestion that the crew was somehow involved 'embarrassing' and NASA on Wednesday expressed doubts over the theory that the hole was the result of sabotage.

Return: Soyuz MS-08 space capsule descends 146 km south-east of Kazakh town Dzhezkazgan

Impact: The capsule can be seen making contact with Earth in an area free of civilians

Assistance: Russian recovery crews attend the scene of the landing in a helicopter

The US space agency said that ruling out defects 'does not necessarily mean the hole was created intentionally or with mal-intent.'

ISS astronauts are planning a spacewalk in November to gather more information on the hole.

The ISS is one of the few areas of tight Russia-US cooperation that had until now remained unaffected by the slump in ties, including after Washington's sanctions against Russia over Ukraine and other crises.

Earlier the ISS hosted the usual emotional goodbyes as the returning trio left Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Roscosmos' Sergey Prokopyev waiting for the next three-person crew's arrival.

The next launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan is scheduled for next Thursday.
The rings of Saturn are raining down up to 10,000 kg (22,000 pounds) of frozen material on the gas giant every second.

Astronomers discovered that the rings are dropping ten times more hail to the planet's surface than was previously thought.

Data from the kamikaze Cassini spacecraft, which plunged into the planet in September 2017, revealed the complexity of the trademark rings.

Scientists say the findings could redefine what we know about how planetary rings form and revolutionise our understanding of the solar system's mechanics.

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Saturn (pictured) is the second largest planet in our solar system and has a series iconic rings around its equator. Scientists now believe , thanks to data from the Cassini mission, that up to 10,000 kg of frozen material on the gas giant every second

'Turns out, ring rain is more like a ring downpour,' said Dr. Hunter Waite, the paper's lead author and principal investigator of Cassini's Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS).

The team found the rings to be composed of water, methane, ammonia, carbon monoxide, molecular nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

'While INMS was designed to investigate gases, we were able to measure the ring particles because they hit the spacecraft at such high velocities they vaporised,' said Dr Waite.

'Water ice, along with the newly discovered organic compounds, is falling out of the rings way faster than anyone thought - as much as 10,000 kilograms of material per second.'

The variety of compounds found in the space between the planet's atmosphere and its rings surprised the researchers.

'Molecular hydrogen was, as expected, the most abundant atmospheric constituent,' said Dr Kelly Miller, who coauthored the paper published today in the journal Science.

'But the downpour coming from the rings included plenty of water as well as molecules like butane and propane - the kind of chemicals you might use for a grill or camping stove.'

Cassini was a Nasa mission which spent 20 years in space and 13 years in the Saturn system.

In the twilight of its operational lifespan the probe was running out of fuel and the space agency decided to use its last orbits to analyse the upper atmosphere and skirt the edge of the inner rings.

These final 22 orbits allowed instruments on board Cassini to measure the composition of Saturn's upper atmosphere and its chemical interactions with material originating in the rings.

After this part of the mission was complete the spacecraft plunged into Saturn' and was destroyed by the planet's dense atmosphere.

'For its final adventure, Cassini dove into the unknown region between Saturn's rings and its atmosphere,' explained Dr Kelly Miller, who works for the Southwest Research Institute in Texas.

'Based on previous work, scientists expected water was raining from the rings into Saturn's atmosphere, so the spacecraft used its radio antenna as an umbrella to protect it from debris.'

Cassini was travelling at such rapid speeds compared to Saturn's atmosphere that it allowed the analysis to take place.

This immense velocity also complicated the interpretation of the data, the scientists reveal.

Molecules and particles would likely shatter upon impact with the detector so the various organic compounds detected by INMS are likely fragments.

The observations also suggest that regions in Saturn's innermost D ring are materially variable, either over time or by locality.

'While INMS was one of the last instruments collecting data to the mission's end, getting these results was not easy,' said Rebecca Perryman, the paper's second author.

'The large mass of infalling material has implications for ring evolution, hinting that material from the C ring repeatedly replenishes the neighbouring D ring,' Dr Waite said.

Astronomers also discovered that the rings are dropping ten times more hail to the planet's surface than was previously thought. They say the findings could redefine what we know about how planetary rings form and our understanding of the solar system's mechanics

Researchers say this infalling material may also change the carbon and oxygen content of the atmosphere.

'This is a new element of how our solar system works,' said Thomas Cravens, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Kansas and co-author of the paper.

'Two things surprised me. One is the chemical complexity of what was coming off the rings - we thought it would be almost entirely water based on what we saw in the past.

'The second thing is the sheer quantity of it - a lot more than we originally expected.

'The quality and quantity of the materials the rings are putting into the atmosphere surprised me.'

Dr Cravens says the team fully expected to discover the rings were made of water, but some of the other compounds they detected were very unexpected.

'What was a surprise was the mass spectrometer saw methane - no one expected that.

'Also, it saw some carbon dioxide, which was unexpected.

'The rings were thought to be entirely water. But the innermost rings are fairly contaminated, as it turns out, with organic material caught up in ice.'

Data from the kamikaze Cassini mission has revealed the complexity of Saturn's rings (pictured) and what they are made from. The team found the rings to be composed of water, methane, ammonia, carbon monoxide, molecular nitrogen and carbon dioxide

WHAT DID CASSINI DISCOVER DURING ITS 20-YEAR MISSION TO SATURN? Cassini launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 1997, then spent seven years in transit followed by 13 years orbiting Saturn. An artist's impression of the Cassini spacecraft studying Saturn In 2000 it spent six months studying Jupiter before reaching Saturn in 2004. In that time, it discovered six more moons around Saturn, three-dimensional structures towering above Saturn's rings, and a giant storm that raged across the planet for nearly a year. On 13 December 2004 it made its first flyby of Saturn's moons Titan and Dione. On 24 December it released the European Space Agency-built Huygens probe on Saturn's moon Titan to study its atmosphere and surface composition. There it discovered eerie hydrocarbon lakes made from ethane and methane. In 2008, Cassini completed its primary mission to explore the Saturn system and began its mission extension (the Cassini Equinox Mission). In 2010 it began its second mission (Cassini Solstice Mission) which lasted until it exploded in Saturn's atmosphere. In December 2011, Cassini obtained the highest resolution images of Saturn's moon Enceladus. In December of the following year it tracked the transit of Venus to test the feasibility of observing planets outside our solar system. In March 2013 Cassini made the last flyby of Saturn's moon Rhea and measured its internal structure and gravitational pull. Cassini didn't just study Saturn - it also captured incredible views of its many moons. In the image above, Saturn's moon Enceladus can be seen drifting before the rings and the tiny moon Pandora. It was captured on Nov. 1, 2009, with the entire scene is backlit by the Sun In July of that year Cassini captured a black-lit Saturn to examine the rings in fine detail and also captured an image of Earth. In April of this year it completed its closest flyby of Titan and started its Grande Finale orbit which finished on September 15. 'The mission has changed the way we think of where life may have developed beyond our Earth,' said Andrew Coates, head of the Planetary Science Group at Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London. 'As well as Mars, outer planet moons like Enceladus, Europa and even Titan are now top contenders for life elsewhere,' he added. 'We've completely rewritten the textbooks about Saturn.' Advertisement

Saturn's innermost ring, known as the D ring, is the main culprit for expelling hailstones on to the planet and the researchers observed proof of another phenomena.

Cassini's mass spectrometer showed large amounts of chemicals from Saturn's D ring is flung into the planet's upper atmosphere.

This happens because the ring is spinning faster than the planet's atmosphere itself.

'We saw it was happening even though it's not fully understood,' Dr Cravens revealed.

'What we saw is this material, including some benzine, was altering the uppermost atmosphere of Saturn in the equatorial region.

'There were both grains and dust that were contaminated.'

Dr Cravens said the findings could cast new light on mechanisms underpinning our solar system as well as other solar systems and exoplanets - and also prompt a host of new scientific questions.

'This could help us understand, how does a planet get rings? Some do, some don't,' he said.

'What's the lifetime of a ring? And what's replenishing the rings? Was there a time when Saturn didn't have rings? How did that composition get into there in the first place? Is it left over from the formation of our solar system? Does it date back to proto pre-solar nebula, the nebula that collapsed out of interstellar media that formed the sun and planets?'

According to the researchers, because the rings are expelling matter at a higher-than-expected rate, the experts believe the lifespan of the ring may be briefer than previously thought.

Dr Cravens said: 'We know that it's bumping material out of the rings at least 10 times faster than we thought.

'If it's not being replenished, the rings aren't going to last - you've got a hole in your bucket. Jupiter probably had a ring that evolved into the current wispy ring, and it could be for similar reasons.

'Rings do come and go. At some point they gradually drain away unless somehow they're getting new material.'
The NASA spacecraft that explored Pluto has adjusted course as its next target looms.

New Horizons fired its thrusters late Wednesday way out in our solar system's so-called Kuiper Belt, or Twilight Zone.

That puts the spacecraft on track for a New Year's Day flyby of a frigid world dubbed Ultima Thule.

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FILE - This illustration provided by NASA shows the New Horizons spacecraft. On Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2018, New Horizons fired its thrusters to make course adjustments for a New Year's Day 2019 flyby of a teeny, frigid world dubbed Ultima Thule, 1 billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond Pluto. (NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI via AP)

The name comes from medieval maps and literature.

Lead scientist Alan Stern is tweeting, "YEAH! Go Baby Go!"

New Horizons became the first spacecraft to visit Pluto in 2015.

Its next target is 1 billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond Pluto and a whopping 4 billion miles (6.4 billion kilometers) from us.

The news was met with jubilation from NASA controllers, including Alan Stern

So 13 years after rocketing from Florida, New Horizons will break its own record for humanity's most distant tour of a cosmic object.

NASAs New Horizons spacecraft has spotted its next flyby target from more than 100 million miles away.

The veteran craft is on its way to a Kuiper Belt object known as Ultima, which its expected to approach on Jan. 1, 2019.

Using its Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), however, New Horizons has caught its first glimpse of the faraway object, suggesting its on the right path toward its orbit.

NASAs New Horizons spacecraft has spotted its next flyby target from more than 100 million miles away. In the image, Ultima is enveloped in countless stars, appearing as just a tiny speck amidst the bright spots. The yellow box shows its predicted location

A composite image of photos captured on August 16 and transmitted through NASAs Deep Space Network shows the position of Ultima as it corresponds to its predicted location.

This is the teams first attempt to find it with New Horizons cameras.

In the image, Ultima is enveloped in countless stars, appearing as just a tiny speck amidst the bright spots.

The image field is extremely rich with background stars, which makes it difficult to detect faint objects, said Hal Weaver, New Horizons project scientist and LORRI principal investigator from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab.

It really is like finding a needle in a haystack. In these first images, Ultima appears only as a bump on the side of a background star thats roughly 17 times brighter  and easier to see  as the spacecraft gets closer.

Over the next four months, New Horizons will get closer and closer until Ultima, before reaching its minimum distance on January 1.

When it completes the flyby, it will be the first-ever close investigation of a Kupier Belt object and the furthest planetary body ever studied.

New Horizons previously set this record when it studied Pluto.

It remains unclear if Ultima is a single body, a binary pair, or a system of many objects. The veteran craft is on its way to the Kuiper Belt object, which its expected to approach on Jan. 1, 2019. Artist's impression pictured

WHERE IS NEW HORIZONS? The spacecraft that gave us the first close-up views of Pluto now has a much smaller object in its sights. New Horizons is now track to fly past a recently discovered, less than 30-mile-wide object out on the solar system frontier. The close encounter with what's known as 2014 MU69 would occur in 2019. It orbits nearly 1 billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond Pluto. Nasa and the New Horizons team chose 2014 MU69 in August as New Horizons' next potential target, thus the nickname PT-1. Like Pluto, MU69 orbits the sun in the frozen, twilight zone known as the Kuiper Belt. This illustration provided by NASA shows the New Horizons spacecraft. The probe whipped past Pluto in 2015 and is headed to 2014 MU69 for an attempted 2019 flyby of the tiny, icy world on the edge of the solar system MU69 is thought to be 10 times larger and 1,000 times more massive than average comets, including the one being orbited right now by Europe's Rosetta spacecraft. On the other end, MU69 is barely 1 percent the size of Pluto and perhaps one-ten-thousandth the mass of the dwarf planet. So the new target is a good middle ground, according to scientists. The spacecraft was recently approved for its extended mission, allowing it to continue on its path toward the object deeper in the Kuiper Belt. It's expected that New Horizons will make its approach to the ancient object on January 1, 2019. Advertisement

Our team worked hard to determine if Ultima was detected by LORRI at such a great distance, and the result is a clear yes, said New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern, of the Southwest Research Institute.

Ultima, initially dubbed Ultima Thule, got its nickname earlier this year after the space agency solicited suggestions from the public.

Its official name is 2014 MU69.

The nickname comes from medieval literature and refers to a distant, unknown world.

After the flyby, however, it will likely receive another, more formal name.

It remains unclear if Ultima is a single body, a binary pair, or a system of many objects.




One of Waymo's self-driving minivans crashed into a median after its lone human driver fell asleep at the wheel.

The crash occurred on a freeway outside of Google-owned Waymo's Mountain View, California-based office in June, but has just now been made public in a report by The Information.

While driving on a route that Waymo uses to test autonomous vehicle software, the human safety driver 'appeared to doze off' after being the car for about an hour.

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One of Waymo's self-driving minivans crashed into a median after its human driver fell asleep at the wheel. The crash occurred on a freeway near Waymo's Mountain View office in June

It was then that the driver accidentally turned off the car's autonomous software by touching the gas pedal.

The driver failed to take over the wheel and ignored warnings that the self-driving software had been disengaged.

The Pacifica minivan then crashed into the highway median.

No one was injured in the crash and no other vehicles were involved in the incident.

The driver was able to return the car to Waymo's offices. However, he no longer works for Waymo, according to the Information.

An incident report filed with California regulators says the 'driver disengaged from autonomous mode and let the vehicle drift out of its lane.'

While driving on a route that Waymo uses to test autonomous vehicle software, the human driver 'appeared to doze off' after being the car for about an hour. It then crashed into a median

The report also notes that the vehicle had some 'moderate damage to its tire and bumper.'

A Waymo spokesperson told the Information in a statement: 'We have a strong culture of safety at Waymo.

'Weve been testing in Mountain View for nearly 10 years, and we are constantly improving our best practices, including those for driver attentiveness, because the safe and responsible testing of our technology is integral to everything we do.'

It comes as Waymo has been scaling back its human drivers in anticipation of launching fully autonomous robo-taxis before the end of the year.

The company is eyeing the launch of a taxi service without human drivers in Phoenix by the end of 2019, but that process has reportedly been slower and more challenging than they anticipated.

Not long after a self-driving Uber's fatal crash, Waymo CEO John Krafcik (pictured) said the incident would not have occurred with his company's technology

HOW DOES WAYMO TEST ITS SELF-DRIVING CARS BEFORE PUTTING THEM ON PUBLIC ROADS? Waymo built 'Castle,' a hidden mock city that can quickly be configured to test different scenarios. It's located north of the Merced metro area where the Castle Air Force Base used to be an has been rented by Google since 2014. As part of the initial two-year lease, the firm rented 80 acres from Merced Country for $456,000, being paid in $19,000 monthly installments. It has different driving environments including residential streets, expressway-style streets, cul-de-sacs, and parking lots. The Waymo test site is located north of the Merced metro area, where the Castle Air Force Base used to be At Castle, the roads are named after famous cars, such as DeLorean, Bullitt, Thunderbird, Fury, and Barbaro. For the structured testing, Waymo looks at how self-driving cars perform on real roads to determine how they need to practice - then they build what's required at Castle. The fake city has no buildings except one - a converted military dorm Waymo employees sleep in when they're too tired to make it back to San Francisco. It's hidden, and you need GPS coordinates to find it. Castle is located north of the Merced metro area where the Castle Air Force Base used to be, 2.5 hours from the company's headquarters. There, Waymo is testing several types of self-driving cars, including Chysler Pacificas minivans Advertisement

What's more, a separate report from The Information in August found the firm is still struggling to teach its self driving cars basic driving maneuvers.

'The Waymo vans have trouble with many unprotected left turns and with merging into heavy traffic in the Phoenix area, especially on highways,' the Information said.

It also says the vans 'don't understand basic road features, such as metered red and green lights that regulate the pace of cars merging onto freeways.'

Self-driving vehicles have come under intense scrutiny after a self-driving Uber struck and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona in March.

In that case, the Uber's lone human driver was found to be streaming The Voice on her phone at the time of the impact.

At the time of the crash, Waymo CEO John Krafcik said the incident would not have occurred with his company's technology.

'At Waymo, we have a lot of confidence that our technology would be able to handle a situation like that,' John Krafcik told a car dealership conference in Las Vegas on Saturday.

He added that Waymo's vehicles had clocked more than eight million kilometers (4.9 million miles) on routes frequented by pedestrians since 2009 without being involved in a fatal accident.

As companies such as Uber, Google, GM, Ford and others increase their focus on the technology, many have pointed out that there need to be greater safeguards for human drivers.

This might include limiting how long their shifts are allowed to be, or requiring each vehicle to have at least two human safety drivers.
Police in a small northern Minnesota community have been taking some strange calls about birds that seem to be intoxicated.

Citizens in Gilbert on the state's Iron Range have reported the birds flying into windows, cars and acting confused.

In a Facebook message , the police department says there's an easy explanation: The birds are eating berries that have fermented earlier than usual this year because of an early frost.

National Parks Service ranger Sharon Stiteler told KMSP-TV that robins (pictured) and waxwings feast on fruit such as crabapples, and that the sugar in those fruits can turn into alcohol as they lose moisture

'The Gilbert Police department has received several reports of birds that appear to be 'under the influence' flying into windows, cars and acting confused,' it wrote.

'It appears that some birds are getting a little more 'tipsy' than normal.

Generally, younger bird's livers cannot handle the toxins as efficiently as more mature birds.

There is no need to call law enforcement about these birds as they should sober up within a short period of time.

Citizens in Gilbert on the state's Iron Range have reported the birds flying into windows, cars and acting confused. The full statement from the local police is shown

The police department says there's an easy explanation: The birds are eating berries that have fermented earlier than usual this year because of an early frost

Police went on to ask that people only call if they spot 'Woodstock pushing Snoopy off the doghouse for no apparent reason' or 'Angry Birds laughing and giggling uncontrollably and appearing to be happy.'

'The reason behind this occurrence is certain berries we ave in our area have fermented earlier than usual due to an early frost, which in turn has expedited the fermenting process.'

GILBERT POLICE STATEMENT ON DRUNK BIRDS 'Many birds have not migrated south so it appears to be more prevalent than in past year. It appears that some birds are getting a little more 'tipsy' than normal. Generally, younger bird's livers cannot handle the toxins as efficiently as more mature birds. There is no need to call law enforcement about these birds as they should sober up within a short period of time. However, we could like you to call if tyou see the following: Heckle and Jeckle walking around being boisterous or playing practical jokes

Woodstock pushing Snoopy off the doghouse for no apparent reason

The roadrunner jumping in and out of traffic on Main street

Angry Birds laughing and giggling uncontrollably and appearing to be happy

Tweety acting as it 10 feet tall and getting into confrontations with cats

Any other birds after midnight with Taco Bell items Advertisement

National Parks Service ranger Sharon Stiteler told KMSP-TV that robins and waxwings feast on fruit such as crabapples, and that the sugar in those fruits can turn into alcohol as they lose moisture.

Stiteler says 'drunk birds are totally a thing.'

The police department says there's no need to panic, the birds will eventually sober up.




An 8-year-old girl skipping rocks at a lake in Sweden earlier this summer made a remarkable discovery that now has many locals joking she should be crowned the new queen, in a nod to tales of King Arthur.

While wading in Vidostern lake in Tanno, Smaland, Saga Vanecek stumbled upon what she thought was 'some kind of stick'  but, it turned out to be a sword dating back more than 1,000 years to the pre-Viking era.

Experts are now working to preserve the delicate relic before it's eventually put on display at the Jonkopings Lans Museum.

While wading in Vidostern lake in Tanno, Smaland, Saga Vanecek stumbled upon what she thought was 'some kind of stick'

It turned out to be a sword dating back more than 1,000 years to the pre-Viking era

Though Vanecek found the sword months ago, the news was kept under wraps until this week to give researchers time to scour the area for any other artefacts that could be nearby, according to The Local.

And in doing this, they found an ancient brooch from the same time period, as well as an 18th century coin.

The 8-year-old Swedish-American girl, whose family just moved back to the country from Minneapolis last year and are huge Minnesota Vikings fans, came upon the submerged treasure entirely by chance as she played in the shallow water on her way to retrieve a buoy.

The 8-year-old Swedish-American girl, whose family just moved back to the country from Minneapolis last year and are huge Minnesota Vikings fans, came upon the submerged treasure entirely by chance as she played in the shallow water on her way to retrieve a buoy.

It measures 33 inches (85 cm) long and has components made from metal and wood.

'I was outside in the water, throwing sticks and stones and stuff to see how far they skip, and then I found some kind of stick,' she told The Local.

'I picked it up and was going to drop it back in the water, but it had a handle, and I saw that it was a little bit pointy at the end and all rusty.

The 8-year-old Swedish-American girl, whose family just moved back to the country last year, came upon the submerged treasure entirely by chance as she played in the shallow water on her way to retrieve a buoy

'I held it up in the air and I said 'Daddy, I found a sword!' When he saw that it bent and was rusty, he came running up and took it.'

The museum estimates the sword can be traced back to the 5th or 6th century.

It will eventually be displayed to the public, but researchers say it will be several months before this happens.

'The conservation process takes quite a long time because it's a complicated environment with wood and leather, so they have several steps to make sure it's preserved for the future,' Mikael Nordstrom from the museum told The Local.

An 8-year-old girl skipping rocks at a lake in Sweden earlier this summer made the remarkable discovery of a pre-Viking era sword

Though Vanecek found the sword months ago, the news was kept under wraps to give researchers time to scour the area for any other artifacts that could be nearby. And in doing this, they found an ancient brooch from the same time period, as well as an 18th century coin

The 8-year-old Swedish-American girl's family are huge Minnesota Vikings fans,

'Why it has come to be there, we don't know. When we searched a couple of weeks ago, we found another prehistoric object; a brooch from around the same period as the sword, so that means  we don't know yet  but perhaps it's a place of sacrifice.'

Not only is the discovery exciting for its historical significance, but for the family, it's also a reminder of home.

'The cool thing is that I'm a huge Minnesota Vikings fan, and this looks just like a Viking sword,' her father told The Local.
The future of smartphones might not be flashy technology like augmented reality, but a device that actually takes a page from the real world - at least, if one researcher has his way.

Marc Teyssier, a PhD student at the University of Paris-Saclay in France, has developed the 'MobiLimb,' a robotic finger that turns into a phone accessory when it's plugged into a USB port.

It serves as a literal helping hand, functioning as a phone stand, extra grip to hold onto your phone or a way to act out emojis.

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HOW DOES IT WORK? The robotic finger is fitted with a series of actuators and sensors that allow it to move and interact with users. Actuators, or motors, are mounted in each link of the finger to give it a full range of motion. Sensors under the shell on the back of the device can detect when the user is touching MobiLimb. A 3D-printed base then attaches the finger to your smartphone. Advertisement

Other functions are a bit more sentimental. It can transform your smartphone from a cold, hard brick into a friend with a finger that strokes your hand every so often.

The robotic finger's basic design is a black silicon material. But Teyssier has also created a 'finger-like skin with a high degree of realism,' making it seem straight out of Black Mirror or a Mutant Toy from Toy Story.

'This texture is made of painted Plastil Gel-10 silicon used in the movies industry to make fake limb and skin,' Teyssier's website notes.

'Using a humanlike skin with the phone illustrates changes the perception of the mobile device from an inanimate object to an "almost" human entity.'

If human skin isn't your thing, Teyssier also created a bizarre fur cover that turns the finger into a delightful tail.

Even more convenient, Teyssier's website shows yet another cover that looks like a scorpion stinger.

Teyssier details what the finger can be used for in a paper set to be presented at the Berlin User Interface Software and Technology conference in October.

The robotic finger is fitted with a number of actuators and sensors that power its haptic feedback capabilities.

The robotic finger's basic design is a black silicon material. But there's also a 'finger-like skin with a high degree of realism,' making it seem straight out of Black Mirror

It serves as a literal helping hand, functioning as a phone stand, extra grip to hold onto your phone or a way to act out emojis. It can also serve as a joystick for controlling video games

Teyssier describes how smartphones are limited by the fact that they can only remain static and motionless.

'In the spirit of human augmentation, which aims at overcoming human body limitations by using robotic devices, our approach aims at overcoming mobile device limitations (static, passive, motionless) by using a robotic limb,' according to the paper.

They propose using the robotic finger as a way to animate your smartphone, allowing it to drag your smartphone across a surface, crawling toward your hand.

In other cases, the finger will move up and down when a user receives a notification.

If human skin isn't your thing, Teyssier also created a bizarre fur cover that turns the finger into a delightful tail. Yet another cover makes the device look like a scorpion stinger

The researchers propose using the robotic finger as a way to animate your smartphone, allowing it to drag your smartphone across a surface, crawling toward your hand

For gamers, it could be used as a controller or joystick to manipulate virtual objects, such as a character in a video game.

And if Apple's Heartbeat feature, which sends a heart emoji and haptic feedback to your friends or family's device, wasn't enough, the MobiLimb adds an extra layer.

When users send someone an emoji, the robotic finger can mime the emoji's emotion on your hand.

For example, if someone sends a smiling emoji, the robotic finger will stroke the back of your hand.

Teyssier details what the finger can be used for in a paper set to be presented at the Berlin User Interface Software and Technology conference in October

'In real life, we use touch to convey emotions,' Teyssier told New Scientist.

'A robotic extension like MobiLimb would be capable of transmitting a remote touch from someone.'

It's unclear if the average consumer wants their smartphone to be able to come crawling back to them, but should they want it to, MobiLimb is the perfect device for that.
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Hundreds of turtles get caught in abandoned fishing nets drifting around the Maldives each year - and if they're not found in time they succumb to starvation, exhaustion or asphyxiation.

It's heartbreaking - but there's a beacon of light for these gentle creatures, in the form of Dr Claire Petros.

She's a bright 29-year-old from London with a mission - and a seemingly permanent grin - to rescue as many turtles as she can and rehabilitate them on a far flung island in the Maldives. In these parts, she's known as 'the turtle woman'.

Dr Claire Petros, aged 29, from London, rescues turtles and rehabilitates them on a far-flung island in the Maldives

Hundreds of turtles get caught in abandoned fishing nets drifting around the Maldives each year and if they're not found in time, they succumb to starvation, exhaustion or asphyxiation

The Maldives is home to five of the seven turtle species, including leatherbacks, loggerheads, hawksbills, greens and olive ridleys. All of them are listed as endangered or vulnerable on the ICUN's red list of threatened species

Many of the turtles Dr Petros finds have one or more of their flippers entangled in twine.

If the circulation has been cut off for some time, amputations are required.

'Turtles are a bit like cats and dogs, they can manage perfectly well with three limbs,' Dr Petros explains.

Operations on turtles found in the Maldives are carried out at a facility Dr Petros helped set up on Dhuni Kolhu island in the Baa Atoll area.

The marine turtle rescue centre was funded by the Olive Ridley Project - a UK-based turtle-focused charity - in collaboration with the Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu Resort, which also occupies the island.

Dr Petros - who studied biology at Oxford University and took her veterinary masters at Bristol - applied for a job with the Olive Ridley Project in 2016 after spotting an advert on Facebook. Within three months, she was out in the Maldives.

Operations on turtles found in the Maldives are carried out at a facility Dr Petros helped set up on Dhuni Kolhu island, pictured, in the Baa Atoll area

Many of the turtles Dr Petros finds have one or more of their flippers entangled in twine

Amputations on entangled turtles are sometimes required if the circulation has been cut off for some time. Dr Petros transports one of her patients in a wheelbarrow, right

She says it took a while to adapt to resort life culture and out of 200 staff, there were just ten women on the island.

With the tiny spit of sand measuring around 2,620 feet by 656 feet, Dr Petros kept active in the ocean with sessions out on her paddle board and swimming in the turquoise waters.

After weeks of sourcing building supplies and equipment, including an X-Ray machine, the veterinarian soon saw the turtle rescue centre come to life.

Now the animal hospital has seven small salt water swimming pools where injured turtles are rehabilitated.

The Maldives is home to five of the seven turtle species, including leatherbacks, loggerheads, hawksbills, greens and olive ridleys. All of them are listed as endangered or vulnerable on the ICUN's red list of threatened species.

Along with turtles caught in discarded fishing gear, Dr Petros also receives patients which were kept illegally as pets and no longer wanted

'Turtles are a bit like cats and dogs, they can manage perfectly well with three limbs,' Dr Petros explains

Asked what her favourite part of the job is, Dr Petros replies: 'The turtles all have personalities and I love interacting with them. I remember their stories and where they're from'

Along with turtles caught in discarded fishing gear, Dr Petros also receives patients which were kept illegally as pets and no longer wanted.

Some however aren't lucky enough to get a second chance. Turtle meat and eggs are still delicacies in some parts and the shells are used to make jewellery and other decorative items.

Asked what her favourite part of the job is, Dr Petros replies: 'The turtles all have personalities and I love interacting with them. I remember their stories and where they're from.

'But the best bit has to be releasing them back to the ocean.'

Dr Petros now splits her time between London and the Maldives and her hope is to get more resorts involved in the Olive Ridley Project's rescue mission to keep the turtle species alive.

'It's amazed me how many people love turtles. It would be good to share this joy with generations to come,' she concludes.

Dr Petros stitches up a turtle with her colleagues on hand to help. Dr Petros studied biology at Oxford University and took her veterinary masters at Bristol

Dr Petros now splits her time between London and the Maldives and her hope is to get more resorts involved in the Olive Ridley Project's rescue mission
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Ptuj was recently revealed in a survey as being the world's hardest city for British holidaymakers to pronounce.

The picturesque Slovenian settlement is so phonetically baffling for Brits, we reported, that 92 per cent of those polled said it incorrectly.

But help is now at hand in the form of true pronunciation experts  the locals.

Ptuj, pictured, is so phonetically baffling for Brits that 92 per cent of those polled said it incorrectly

The Ptuj tourist information board filmed a selection of inhabitants saying the name for the benefit of holidaymakers who might be put off visiting a town they cant pronounce. Pictured is Mr Peter Vesenjak, who introduces the video. He is the manager and owner of the boutique historical Hotel Mitra in the Ptuj old town area

After seeing MailOnline Travels story the Ptuj tourist information board filmed a selection of inhabitants saying the name for the benefit of holidaymakers who might be put off visiting a town they cant pronounce.

The tricky part for the British is that tuj is pronounced too-ee, so its P-too-ee.

A list of the 15 hardest-to-say tourist destinations was drawn up using the survey results.

After Ptuj, the rest of the top 15 most difficult-to-say cities list is made up of Guimaraes in Portugal (second, 88 per cent), Rijeka in Croatia (third, 84 per cent), Skopje in Macedonia (fourth, 80 per cent), Oaxaca in Mexico (fifth, 76 per cent), Sitges in Spain (sixth, 72 per cent), Bloemfontein in South Africa (seventh, 65 per cent), Ljubljana in Slovenia (eighth, 61 per cent), Gstaad in Switzerland (ninth, 55 per cent), Taormina in Italy (tenth, 48 per cent), Llanelli in Wales (11th, 46 per cent), Wroclaw in Poland (12th, 44 per cent), Lesotho in South Africa (13th, 41 per cent), Tijuana in Mexico (14th, 37 per cent) and Taipei in Taiwan (15th, 33 per cent).

Landmarks also feature with the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull (Ay-uh-fyat-luh-yoe-kuutl-uh)  stumping 98 per cent.

And after the Icelandic volcano, the top 10 most difficult-to-say famous landmarks list comprises Chao Phraya River (second, 74 per cent), Park Guell (third, 68 per cent), Khaosan Road (fourth, 57 per cent), Burj Khalifa (fifth, 55 per cent), Sagrada Familia (sixth, 53 per cent), Machu Picchu (seventh, 48 per cent), Arc de Triomphe (eighth, 45 per cent), Louvre (ninth, 37 per cent) and the Eiffel Tower (10th 35 per cent).

This map shows the full top 15 hardest-to-say cities, which has entries from Mexico to South Africa via Wales

A selection of difficult-to-say places, what the mispronunciation often is - and how to say it revealed

WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE: HOW TO SAY THE HARDEST CITIES TO SAY 1. Ptuj - P-too-ee 2. Guimaraes - Gi-mareiz 3. Rijeka - Re-yeh-kah 4. Skopje - Skohp-ee-ay 5. Oaxaca - Waa-haa-kuh 6. Sitges - Seet-chehs 7. Bloemfontein - Bloom-fun-tayne 8. Ljubljana  Loob-lee-yah-nah 9. Gstaad - Shtahd 10. Taormina - Ta-or-mina 11. Llanelli - La-neth-lee 12. Wroclaw - Vrot-slav 13. Lesotho - Luh- soo-too 14. Tijuana - Ti-waa-nuh 15. Taipei - Ty-pay Advertisement

The study, by the Bolsover Cruise Club, polled 2,000 people, and they were also asked about food and phrases that they struggled to pronounce.

It turns out that the Greek language is the hardest for Brits to master, closely followed by Slovene, Swedish, Dutch and Croatian.

Problematic pronunciation continued amongst international foods, with the French classic bourguignon (bur-gen-yon) found to be the hardest, followed by prosciutto (pro-shoot-toe) and quinoa (keen-wah).

Forty two per cent, meanwhile, admitted to struggling at tourist information centres abroad due to mispronunciations.

Michael Wilson, Managing Director at Bolsover Cruise Club, commented on the findings: 'Mastering the national language when heading abroad is always a great way to impress the locals, however, it seems many of us don't always get it right!

'With languages in South-Eastern and Central Europe catching people out the most, this study reveals the irony that so many people can't pronounce some of the most popular cities and landmarks to visit, no matter how close to home.

'It was interesting to discover Greek topped the list as the most difficult language for tourists to speak, however that shouldn't deter would-be travellers.

'Trying to speak the local dialect will always contribute to cultural immersion, and with foreign language education declining in England, it's important that holiday-goers do continue to make the effort when they head abroad.'
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Boasting fine leather seats, a marble bathroom, plush bedroom and state-of-the-art BBQ, this is no ordinary speedboat.

Istanbul-based Mazu Yachts' luxury Bond-style vessel - the 52 - debuted at the Monaco Yacht Show last week, with a 788,023 (890,000) price tag attached.

The 52-foot-long boat is described as being the 'ideal cruiser or a megayacht tender for short trips'. That's underselling it somewhat. Because it's stunning.

Boasting fine leather seats, a marble bathroom, plush bedroom and state-of-the-art BBQ, this is no ordinary speedboat

Istanbul-based Mazu Yachts' luxury Bond-style vessel - the 52 - debuted at the Monaco Yacht Show last week, with a 788,023 (890,000) price tag attached

The 52-foot-long boat is described as being the 'ideal cruiser or a megayacht tender for short trips'

But the designers have more to say: 'It has the distinctive muscular cheeks, rough edges and linear long windows that emphasize a powerful and beasty, yet minimalistic and elegant exterior look.'

Newly released images show how there's room for three passengers to join the captain in watching the boat charge towards the horizon.

Should they tire of that, then they can retire to the big deck for sunbathing.

The boat is nicely set up for entertaining, too. Aside from the huge cooking station, there's a spacious dining area and a bar inside.

On the outside deck there is plenty of room for sunbathing. Plus there's a dining area and cooking station. It's nicely set up for entertaining

Commenting on its overall look, the designers note: 'It has the distinctive muscular cheeks, rough edges and linear long windows that emphasize a powerful and beasty, yet minimalistic and elegant exterior look'

Hungry to impress: The cooking station outside features storage compartments, a sink and grilling pad

The slick master bedroom in the bow, meanwhile, is one of the most striking elements.

The bed frame features a woven leather covering, with the headboard finished in the same material.

Soft lighting and slim horizontal windows add to the room's charm.

Completing the cabin area is a wardrobe and grand shower room clad with marble and dark wood.

Passengers should make the most of the luxurious interior because journeys will be quick. The 52 can achieve a top speed of 40 knots or 46 miles per hour thanks to two Volvo Penta IPS 800 engines (600hp each).

Commenting on the new model, Mazu Yachts CEO Halit Yukay said: 'The idea was to develop a 52-footer with the space, performance, and interior comfort and finish of a much bigger boat.

'Combined with her carbon construction and low centre of gravity for optimal stability and seakeeping, we believe this new addition to the Mazu fleet represents excellent value in terms of quality and price.'

The Mazu Yachts 52 can achieve a top speed of 40 knots or 46 miles per hours thanks to two Volvo Penta IPS 800 engines (600hp each)

Naturally there is a lounge area inside where guests can relax and watch TV or indulge in a cocktail

The boat features a striking red bar. After all, living in the lap of luxury is thirsty work
The Bachelor's Brooke Blurton has revealed that she believes it will be Brittany Hockley who wins the Honey Badger's heart.

On Wednesday, the indigenous youth worker, 23, explained she thought it would the Port Macquarie radiographer who receives the last rose from Nick Cummins.

Speaking to WHO magazine, Brooke was adamant Brittany would the last woman standing in the finale.

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'I have said this from the start!' The Bachelor's Brooke Blurton reveals why she believes Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins will pick Brittany Hockley

'I think Britt and I have said this from the start,' Brooke said, when questioned on who would be the eventual winner.

Explaining the reason behind her decision, Brooke said it was obvious that Nick and Brittany had great chemistry together.

'I think her and Nick have such a strong connection and a lot in common, so I think Britt is my winner,' she added.

The winner: 'I think her and Nick have such a strong connection and a lot in common': Brooke said she has always thought the radiographer would steal Nick's heart and win the series

A clear frontrunner from the start, Brooke's own time in the mansion came to an end after her dramatic walk off on Wednesday night's episode.

After a racy body painting session, the ex-Wallabies star was unable to 'reassure' Brooke of his feelings, which saw her dramatically leave the competition.

On Thursday, Brooke told The Daily Telegraph that she wasn't 'in love' with Nick while filming the series and admitted she needed more time and consistency.

Rival: After Brooke's dramatic exit on Wednesday night, Nick will now choose between Brittany Hockley, 30, and Sophie Tieman, 25, (above) on Thursday's finale of the show

Multiple publications, however, have floated Brooke as a possible new contender for the new season of The Bachelorette.

Nick will now choose between property valuer Sophie Tieman, 25, and radiographer Brittany, 30.

According to betting agency Sportsbet, Brittany remains the frontrunner to win Nick's heart, with her odds currently sitting at $1.36.

Blonde beauty Sophie trails behind with odds at $3.
She wed her beau of four years Brad Falchuk in a star-studded ceremony in the Hamptons on Saturday.

And Gwyneth Paltrow has spoken about her marriage to the American Horror Story executive producer in a candid interview with Marie Claire UK.

The Oscar-winning actress, 45, also discussed her then boyfriend Brad Pitt's confrontation with shamed movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, saying the Seven actor protected her from him.

Newlywed: Gwyneth Paltrow has spoken about her marriage to Brad Falchuk in a candid interview with Marie Claire UK

Speaking in this week's issue of the magazine, the Shakespeare In Love star said of her new union with Brad: I think that marriage is a really beautiful, noble and worthwhile institution, pursuit and endeavour.

'Because I dont think you get married and thats it  I think its the beginning. You create this third entity, this third being that you have to nourish and look after.

The Sliding Doors star said Brad had changed her views on marriage, after previously doubting whether she would tie the knot again, following her split from Coldplay's Chris Martin.

She said: 'For a while, I thought, I dont know if Id ever do it again. I have my kids  whats the point? And then I met this incredible man, who made me think, no, this person is worth making this commitment to. Im very much the marrying kind. I love being a wife. I love making a home.

Candid: The Oscar-winning actress, 45, also discussed her then boyfriend Brad Pitt's confrontation with shamed movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, saying the Seven actor protected her from him

Glow: Speaking in this week's issue of the magazine, the Shakespeare In Love star said of her new union with Brad: I think that marriage is a really beautiful, noble and worthwhile institution, pursuit and endeavour

Wed: The Sliding Doors star said Brad had changed her views on marriage, after previously doubting whether she would tie the knot again, following her split from Coldplay's Chris Martin

The blonde beauty also revealed that her ex-boyfriend Brad Pitt, who she dated from 1994-1997, had confronted and 'scared' Harvey Weinstein.

Weinstein is accused of sexual harassment and assault by nearly 80 women, turning him into the catalyst of the #MeToo movement. Weinstein has denied allegations on non-consensual sex.

She said: I am so grateful to Brad, because he leveraged his power and fame to protect me  when I was no one  and he scared Harvey.

'And if it hadnt been for him, I dont know if Id have gotten fired, or what. But instead, Harvey was like, OK, lets put it behind us. I think he wanted to keep Brad on side.

Discussion: The blonde beauty also revealed that her ex-boyfriend Brad Pitt, who she dated from 1994-1997, had confronted and 'scared' Harvey Weinstein

Interview: She said: I am so grateful to Brad, because he leveraged his power and fame to protect me  when I was no one  and he scared Harvey

Out now: To read the feature in full, see the November issue of Marie Claire, out today

The star also discussed reaching the dizzying heights of fame at a young age, saying the benefits of being an A-lister restricted her growth as a person.

She said: I was just believing my own hype, thinking that I was super-awesome. And [my Dad] was like, Youre getting weird  youre acting like a dick.

When you achieve the kind of fame that I did by the time I was 25 or 26, the world starts removing all your obstacles because youre now a special person. You dont have to wait in line at a restaurant, and if a car doesnt show up, someone else gives you theirs.

'There is nothing worse for the growth of a human being than not having obstacles and disappointments, and things go wrong. All of my greatest achievements have come out of failure.

To read the feature in full, see the November issue of Marie Claire, out today.

Gwyneth and Brad became engaged in January of this year when he presented her with a large ring.

Their joint statement read: 'We feel incredibly lucky to have come together at this juncture in our lives, when our collective successes and failures can serve as building blocks for a healthy and happy relationship, the couple said, according to Good Morning America.

In April they threw a large engagement party in Los Angeles with Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston and Kate Hudson in attendance.

She also had a bachelorette party in Mexico with several friends, including Stella McCartney.

Gwyn and Brad met when she guest starred on Glee and started dating in 2014 after she had split from Coldplay rocker Martin.

Brad has two children - Brody and Isabella - with ex-wife Suzanne Falchuk, who he was wed to from 1994 until 2013.
The premiere episode of A Million Little Things definitely brought the tears, but this weeks episode is all about hidden secrets. Though all of these characters have grown closer through tragedy, they also have a lot of skeletons in their closets.

The theme of this episode, and possibly the series, is that 'everything happens for a reason'. But what was the reason for Jon killing himself?

The episode begins with Gary (James Roday) showing up at Maggies (Allison Miller) door for a hookup. They are clearly into one another, but are both afraid to commit to something serious.

Maggie still hasnt told Gary her cancer has returned, which is clearly going to be a big problem in the future.

Jon's friends and family are still trying to come to terms with his death and the huge question still hangs over them: Why did he do it?

Delilah (Stephanie Szostak) finds Eddies (David Giuntoli) necklace he used to wear all the time in Jon's side table and thinks he knew about her affair with Eddie

Rome (Romany Malco) heads back to Jons office to take a look at the crime scene. While staring out towards the balcony from inside, he pictures what it would be like to jump off

Meanwhile, while rummaging through Jons (Ron Livingston) side table, Delilah (Stephanie Szostak) finds Eddies (David Giuntoli) necklace he used to wear all the time. Delilah beings to believe Jon knew about her affair with Eddie  duh Delilah, he definitely knew!  and is afraid it may have been why he killed himself.

Rome (Romany Malco) heads back to Jons office to take a look at the crime scene. While staring out towards the balcony from inside, he pictures what it would be like to jump off. Though he was open with his friends about his suicidal thoughts during last weeks episode, its clear hes still deeply struggling.

In fact, when everyone gathers at Delilahs house for a brunch the next day, Gary threatens to tell Romes wife Regina (Christina Moses) about his depression if he doesnt first.

Gary also helps Jons son Danny (Chance Hurstfield) come to terms with his sexuality. When Danny wonders if hes to blame for his dads passing, Gary assures him that Jon would love him no matter what. Cue the tears!

Gary also helps Jons son Danny (Chance Hurstfield) come to terms with his sexuality, after Danny wonders if hes to blame for his dads passing

Elsewhere, Jons daughter Sophie (Lizzy Greene) is sad because she has a daddy-daughter dance recital she was supposed to attend with Jon

We find out that Delilah and Eddie's affair began at Sophie's softball game, when Jon was being dad of the year, his best friend was swopping in on his wife

As the pair give each other lovey dovey eyes, they decide to go for dinner together without their partners

Elsewhere, Jons daughter Sophie (Lizzy Greene) is sad because she has a daddy-daughter dance recital she was supposed to attend with Jon.

Upset and frustrated about her dads passing, Eddie, Gary, and Rome decide one of them will dance with Sophie instead. But, before they have a chance to pick, Sophie asks Eddie  who is her guitar lesson teacher  to dance with her. Little does she know about Eddies affair with her mother. Yep, thats going to cause problems.

The drama really starts to pick up when Ashley (Christina Ochoa), Jons secretary, opens up the letter he left for Delilah. She finds an envelope with Rutledge written on the front and inside is a packet for a life insurance policy.

The catch? The beneficiaries include Gary, Eddie, Rome, and a woman named Barbara Morgan. We cant be the only ones who yelled at our TVs, Who the heck is Barbara Morgan?! We're sure it won't be long until we find out.

Rome decides to go visit Maggie at work, and though she doesnt agree to be his therapist  since, you know, shes having sex with his best friend  she does listen to him.

Rome finally tells Maggie he's been having suicidal thoughts and she refers him to a therapist

When Eddie backs out at the last minute at Sophie's recital, Rome steps in and saves the day

The good news is that when Rome steps in, he reveals to Sophie that Jon actually practiced with him to get the steps down so he's a perfect partner

They both end up attending Sophies recital together, which is when Eddie decides to bail on the whole thing at the literal last minute because he doesnt feel like he can be Jon. Real cool Eddie, real cool.

He certainly didn't have any problem 'being Jon' when he moved in on his wife, which we find out happened during one of Sophie's softball games when Jon was playing with his daughter and basically being daddy of the year. Eddie and Delilah decide they should go for dinner together, just the two of them, and the rest is history.

The good news is Rome steps in, revealing to Sophie that Jon actually practiced with him to get the steps down. Eddie, who had been waiting to play the voicemail that Jon had left for him, finally plays it before Sophie and Romes dance.

I just need you to do me a favor. Love each other, Jon says in the message. Sounds like hes known about their little fling all along.

Eddie, who had been waiting to play the voicemail that Jon had left for him, finally plays it before Sophie and Romes dance

I just need you to do me a favor. Love each other, Jon says in the message. Sounds like hes known about their little fling all along

Though some of the secrets are starting to reach the surface, there is still a lot to uncover. Judging by the preview for next week, it sounds like Eddies wife Katherine (Grace Park) may find out about his affair. The jurys still out on whether this show lives up to the hype, but the potential is there!
Tupac Shakur is still alive, according to the son of imprisoned Death Row Records owner Marion Suge Knight.

Suge J. Knight took to Instagram Tuesday with a series of posts raising the idea that the fatal September 7, 1996 shooting in Las Vegas of the rap icon was a hoax, and that Shakur is alive and well in Malaysia.

He posted a quote that read, 'Tupac is alive,' followed by an exchange of texts in which someone wrote to him, 'You said [too] much. Time for you to go.'

Bold claims: Tupac Shakur is still alive, according to Suge J. Knight, the son of imprisoned Death Row Records owner Marion Suge Knight (R), who shared a shot of a man who looked like an older incarnation of the California Love rapper posed in a selfie Wednesday

He added shots that showed a man who looked like an older incarnation of the California Love rapper posed in a selfie, as well as with artists such as 50 Cent and Beyonce, with both of the latter in current day forms.

Suge J. Knight made numerous references to the involvement of the Illuminati with the alleged cover-up, and said he was 'not on drugs' in raising the jarring allegations.

He posted a quote that read: 'Beware of fake accounts. Their job is to distract you. The Illuminati are all about power. This is why you see powerful names getting locked up.'

He added in a caption, 'Dont be fooled. We can do it. They will say Im on drugs and etc. Im not.'

Short and sweet: The son of the imprisoned rap mogul took to social media with a strong claim

Surprise: He shared this shot of Beyonce in her current day form posed with a man who appeared to be an older incarnation of the rapper

In addition: Another shot showed the purported older Tupac posed with 50 Cent

A source with the Los Angeles Police Department told People last year that Shakur's killing was and act of 'gang retaliation' against the elder Knight, who had inked the rapper to his Death Row Records label a year before.

That pact came as Shakur was in prison in connection with a sex abuse conviction, with Knight offering to pay for an appeal for the rapper if he made three records for his label.

The police source told the outlet Shakur 'wanted to get out of jail and he basically signed his life away to Suge,' adding, 'He didn't want to do it, but when he does that they own him.'

Also: The son of the rapper continually claimed the Illuminati was on his trail

Knight's affiliation with the gang Mob Piru put Tupac in the cross-hairs of a rival gang, the Compton Crips, the police source said.

Tupac clashed with Crip gang member Orlando Anderson at the MGM Grand casino earlier on the day he was killed, which the police source - paraphrasing info he received from a Crip leader - said led up to his murder.

'It was simple retaliation: you mess with one of ours, we will mess with one of yours,' the police source said. 'If Orlando had never been jumped in the hotel, they never would have killed Tupac that night.'

Last month, Suge Knight Sr., 53, received a 28-year prison sentence for a voluntary manslaughter conviction in a January 2015 incident in Compton, California in which he hit two people with his vehicle, leaving one person dead.
At least 14 people attending a Backstreet Boys concert were injured before they had even taken to the stage in August.

And on Wednesday the boy band announced on Facebook they will not make up the doomed show any time soon.

'Regrettably, we wont be able to reschedule our show in Thackerville at WinStar World Casino and Resort,' the group said in the post.

Near tragedy: The Backstreet Boys cancelled their Oklahoma show were fans were hurt at the venue; 'Regrettably, we wont be able to reschedule our show in Thackerville,' the boy band posted on Facebook on Wednesday

Heavy rain, 80mph winds and lightning forced the concert staff to begin evacuating fans from the outdoor venue, which is about 70 miles northwest of Dallas, before the show that also featured 98 Degrees had even kicked off.

WinStar spokeswoman Kym Koch Thompson said that around 150 people in line 'did not heed staff's warnings.'

Scary: Heavy rain, 80mph winds and lightning knocked down metal trusses holding up the entryway to the venue, which in turn, hit multiple people

The storm caused the metal trusses holding up the entryway to fall to the ground and hit multiple people.

About 14 were taken to the hospital for their resulting injuries.

On that fateful day, attendee Linda Tesfatsion tweeted: 'Giant metal entrance structure, portable toilets, blew over. A handful of people left in ambulances.'

Boys club: The tour also features fellow boy band 98 Degrees, above

Shortly after, the band officially cancelled the gig and tweeted that they would attempt to reschedule the show. That is not happening in the foreseeable future, but they are planning to perform in Dallas and Tulsa next year.

Refunds for the Thackerville performance will be honored at point of purchase.

'Stay tuned for additional information as we want to make this up to all of our fans in the area,' the band ended with in the Facebook announcement.
She's the Gold Coast based Instagram model with two million followers.

Now Pia Muehlenbeck, 26, has shared some insight into the biggest event she'll attend this year - her wedding to fiance-of-one-year Kane Vato.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday, the brunette beauty said she's 'excited' for her big day which will be held in Byron Bay in December.

EXCLUSIVE: 'The Instagram wedding of the year!' Pia Muehlenbeck revealed she will marry influencer boyfriend Kane Vate in a stunning Byron Bay ceremony

'Its going to be a few days of celebration, and the theme will be summery, natural, rustic and a Byron Bay sort of theme,' she revealed.

With the big day just around the corner, Pia admits there's still a lot to do but she's not concerned about it not getting in time.

'Wedding planning is going! It's literally 64 days away, which feels like I should have planned that a lot earlier but Im one of these last minute people,' she said at Fenty Beauty by Rihanna's first anniversary event in Sydney.

'But weirdly it's coming together quite nicely, Im not stressed anymore, Im excited about it!'

Chic: 'Wedding will be in Byron Bay, its going to be a few days of celebration, and the theme will be summery, natural, rustic and a Byron Bay sort of theme' she said

Flawless: 'Wedding planning is going! it's literally 64 days away, which feels like I should have planned that a lot earlier but Im one of these last minute people'

Posing at the Fenty Beauty event, the social media star looked effortlessly chic.

She opted for a sporty ensemble - pairing a black strapless crop top with baggy white trousers.

To dress up the sultry look, Pia wore a bright orange bum bag and gold hoop earrings.

Her makeup was bronzed and luminous, and she finished with a statement dark brown lipstick.

'Rihanna's makeup artist Priscilla Ono did my makeup tonight, she is amazing,' the stunner said.

Surprise: It comes after Kane surprised Pia with an unexpected proposal in Paris last October

It comes after Kane surprised Pia with an unexpected proposal in Paris last October.

And although the 26-year-old chose not to share the news with her 2,000,000 followers, her boyfriend's friends were told via his Facebook account.

The low-key announcement took the form of a simple Facebook relationship status update, which read: 'Kane Vato got engaged to Pia Muehlenbeck.'

Pia and Kane have been dating for several years before he popped the question.
He is the new man in her life - and now the new man on her show.

Stassi Schroeder revealed on her Instagram page Wednesday that her boyfriend Beau Clark will be appearing on her Bravo series Vanderpump Rules.

The 30-year-old blonde posted a photo of herself lounging in a red dress with her man at SUR Restaurant, where the show is largely set.

'Baby's first credits': Stassi Schroeder revealed on her Instagram page Wednesday that her boyfriend Beau Clark will be appearing on her Bravo series Vanderpump Rules

'Baby's first credits #pumprules,' Stassi captioned, possibly suggesting that she and Beau were filming a new version of the title sequence.

Stassi has been a series regular on the reality show since it started in 2013 - with the exception of season four, when she was recurring.

She had a turbulent relationship with her co-star Jax Taylor, and more recently had a longtime relationship with one Patrick Meagher before they broke up last August.

Stassi swung by Watch What Happens Live this February and confessed she had a new man, though she admitted to Andy Cohen she was 'bashful' on the subject.

Throwback to 2013: Stassi has been appearing on the reality show since it started in 2013, and had a turbulent relationship with her co-star Jax Taylor (left)

Katie Maloney and Kristen Doute, two of Stassi's Vanderpump Rules co-stars, 'introduced us,' Stassi revealed on the talk show.

According to Life And Style, Beau said on Stassi's podcast that he was initially hesitant about dating her when they were first matched up.

'I just scanned through [her Instagram], and I was like: "The bleach-blond hair, she's probably got Botox, she's probably got fake boobs  She probably goes to Nightingale and gets table service, bottle service, whatever you call it."'

The way they were: The New Orleans native more recently had a longtime relationship with one Patrick Meagher before they broke up last August

When the lovebirds actually had a 'conversation,' though, things changed, with Beau feeling: 'I don't think I've laughed as hard ever with anybody.'

Vanderpump Rules follows the lives and loves of people who work at a SUR Restaurant And Lounge in West Hollywood, California.

The show gets its title from the fact that the eatery and bar is owned by Real Housewife Of Beverly Hills Lisa Vanderpump and her husband Ken Todd.

SUR stands for Sexy Unique Restaurant, which means that the full name of the establishment is the actually Sexy Unique Restaurant Restaurant And Lounge.
Gal Gadot and director-star Kenneth Branagh are getting some company in their movie of Death On The Nile.

Armie Hammer, 32, has been set as the male lead in the adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1937 book of the same name, according to Deadline.

Since the role of iconic detective Hercule Poirot already belongs to Kenneth, it is likely the 'lead' role Armie has is that of Simon Doyle.

Headed for the Nile: Armie Hammer, pictured here in Milan in September, has come aboard to star in Death on the Nile, a follow-up to 2017's Murder on the Orient Express

The book was previously made into a 1978 movie with a top-line cast featuring Mia Farrow, Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury and Bette Davis.

In the original novel, an heiress called Linnet and her husband Simon find themselves being stalked by his jilted ex-fiance Jackie.

Jackie follows the married couple onto a steamship traveling the Nile, and shortly thereafter, Linnet is discovered dead.

Hercule and his trusty sidekick Colonel Race are on the ship and begin investigating the crime, coming up with multiple potential culprits.

Throwback: Armie will likely be playing Simon Doyle, a role played by Simon MacCorkindale (far left) in the 1978 film adaptation of the novel directed by John Guillermin

But the bloodshed is far from over, and as body after body is found on the vessel, Hercule discovers a situation far more tangled that it had initially seemed.

British director John Guillermin helmed the 1978 version, which starred Peter Ustinov as Hercule, Lois Chiles as Linnet, Mia as Jackie and David Niven as the Colonel.

The formidable cast included Jane Birkin, Jon Finch, Olivia Hussey and George Kennedy, with Simon MacCorkindale as Simon.

Kenneth directed himself as Hercule in last year's Agatha Christie adaptation Murder On The Orient Express, and will be resuming both jobs for the new Death On The Nile.

Star status: Wonder Woman leading lady Gal Gadot will be playing Simon's heiress wife Linnet, who is discovered murdered on a vessel traveling the Nile

The way she was: Lois Chiles played Linnet in the 1978 film (pictured), which featured her amid a cast including Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury and Maggie Smith

Blade Runner 2014 co-writer Michael Green, who penned the screenplay for the 2017 Murder On The Orient Express, is back at the writing desk for Death On The Nile.

Judy Hofflund, Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott, Kevin Walsh and Mark Gordon are producing the new film, which is eyeing a mid-2019 production start.

Last year's Murder On The Orient Express earned $352.8 million worldwide from a $55 million budget.

Kenneth led an ensemble cast that also included Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Judi Dench and Michelle Pfieffer, to name just a few.

New movie: The 32-year-old actor will next be seen in On the Basis of Sex, starring alongside Felicity Jones (pictured)

20th Century Fox has already set a December 20, 2019 American release date for the picture, which will bow on New Year's Day 2020 in Britain.

Hammer will next be seen in the upcoming biopic On The Basis Of Sex, where he plays Marty Ginsburg, the husband of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones).

The actor is coming off the critically-acclaimed Sorry To Bother You, and he also has Hotel Mumbai with Jason Isaacs and Dev Patel coming next year.

He is also slated to return as Oliver in an untitled sequel to last year's Best Picture nominee, Call Me By Your Name.
He's a father of three and loving husband.

And Kevin Hart opened up about how being a family man shapes his life in a brand new issue of Haute Time out Wednesday.

'Family is my priority,' the Night School star, 39, told the publication. 'Nothing comes before them.'

Family man: Kevin Hart spoke about the importance of family in the latest issue of Haute Time

He continued, explaining how his family motivate him in every aspect of his life.

'They are the reason why I work; they are the reason why I give it 110 percent every day.'

'Im trying to leave a legacy behind that can create a comfortable lifestyle for the generations that come after me. No matter how crazy my schedule gets, I always have to make sure I set aside quality time to be around my loved ones.'

Top priority: 'Family is my priority,' the Night School star, 39, told the publication. 'Nothing comes before them'

Dad: Kevin is a father of three, sharing 13-year-old daughter Heaven and 10-year-old son Hendrix with ex Torrei and 11-month-old son Kenzo with wife Eniko Parrish

Kevin is a father of three, sharing 13-year-old daughter Heaven and 10-year-old son Hendrix with ex Torrei.

He also has a 11-month-old son named Kenzo with wife Eniko Parrish.

Though dedicated, Hart's journey hasn't been without its struggles.

The other woman: Last year the comedian faced scandal after a woman attempted to blackmail the star following a tryst between the two

Last year the comedian faced scandal after a woman he had an affair with attempted to blackmail the star to keep a sexually explicit video under-wraps.

Later he publicly admitted to cheating on wife Eniko during her pregnancy.

Coming clean about the affair back last December, he told New York's Power 105.1 radio's The Breakfast Club he confessed: 'I'm guilty, regardless of how it happened and what was involved.'

He continued, adding: 'That's Kevin Hart in his dumbest moment. That's not the finest hour of my life. With that being said, you make your bed, you lay in it.'
A week after announcing her separation from husband Pasquale Rotella, the Girls Next Door alum Holly Madison donned a somber, all-black outfit to shop for groceries solo in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The 38-year-old former Playboy Playmate appeared downcast while dressed down in a Lollapalooza tank top, skinny jeans, and high-top Converse sneakers for her errand.

The New York Times bestselling author looked a bit pale without any colorful make-up on her face, and she was not joined by her daughter Rainbow Aurora, 5; or son Forest Leonardo Antonio, 2.

On her own: A week after announcing her separation from husband Pasquale Rotella, the Girls Next Door alum Holly Madison donned a somber, all-black outfit to shop for groceries solo in Los Angeles on Wednesday

Holly later sported a hoodie featuring A Nightmare Before Christmas character Jack Skellington and she 'calmed down' by sipping a hot beverage from a Disneyland mug (where she was married in 2013).

Madison - who boasts 4M followers - also Insta-storied a snap of her flipping over the Tarot card of 'justice' signaling the future legal proceedings involved in her divorce.

Meanwhile, the 44-year-old Insomniac CEO Insta-storied a blue-hued snap from Las Vegas where he was hanging out with a mystery woman and a guy pal on Tuesday night.

According to TMZ, it was the Electric Daisy Carnival mastermind who 'amicably' filed for divorce from the Oregon-born blonde on August 31 because the couple 'had been having trouble for some time.'

Downcast: The 38-year-old former Playboy Playmate dressed down in a Lollapalooza tank top, skinny jeans, and high-top Converse sneakers for her errand

Mother-of-two: The New York Times bestselling author looked a bit pale without any colorful make-up on her face, and she was not joined by her daughter Rainbow, 5; or son Forest, 2

No more wedding ring: Holly later sported a hoodie featuring A Nightmare Before Christmas character Jack Skellington and she 'calmed down' by sipping a hot beverage from a Disneyland mug (where she was married in 2013)

'First and foremost, we are forever partners and parents to two beautiful children, and are fully committed to raising them in an environment filled with love and positivity,' Pasquale wrote on September 25.

'Holly is a talented woman and a beautiful soul. We remain the best of friends while co-parenting and continuing to support one another in our respective passions in life.'

Rotella added: 'Though it was not a decision we made hastily or take lightly, Holly and I welcome this next chapter in our relationship, and have every confidence that the future will bring only the best for us and our kids. We will always be family. Thank you all for your continued love and support.'

'Libra moon': Madison also Insta-storied a snap of her flipping over the Tarot card of 'justice' signaling the future legal proceedings involved in her divorce

'Viva Las Vegas!' Meanwhile, the 44-year-old Insomniac CEO (M) Insta-storied a blue-hued snap from Las Vegas alongside a mystery woman and a guy pal on Tuesday night

Moved on? It was the Electric Daisy Carnival mastermind who 'amicably' filed for divorce from the Oregon-born blonde on August 31 because they 'had been having trouble for some time'

The estranged Game of Thrones fans - who originally began dating in 2011 - will now have to divide their reported $5M and $10M respective fortunes and homes in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Holly has been focusing solely on motherhood since Dey Street Books published her second 288-page memoir - The Vegas Diaries: Romance, Rolling the Dice, and the Road to Reinvention - back in 2016.

Madison hasn't actually had an onscreen gig since competing against Dita Von Teese, Joey Lawrence, and Matthew Moy on a 2016 episode of Food Network's Cupcake Wars titled 'Can You Spell Cupcake?'

Pasquale wrote on September 25: 'We are forever partners and parents to two beautiful children, and are fully committed to raising them in an environment filled with love'
He likes to keep his personal life out of the spotlight.

But during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Wednesday, Jamie Dornan shared a little insight into his family.

The Fifty Shades star, who shares two young daughters with wife Amelia Warner, chatted with the daytime host about how he got drunk while dressed up as Tigger at his eldest child's birthday party.

Funny: Jamie Dornan revealed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Wednesday that he once got drunk while dressed as Tigger at his daughter's Winnie The Pooh-themed birthday party

The Irish actor, 36, explained that for two years in a row he and his wife have held Winnie The Pooh-themed parties for Dulcie who will turn five in November.

Ellen showed a photo of Dornan indeed dressed as Tigger at one of those parties prompting a confession from the actor.

'Im drunk in that picture. Thats not early on, thats after the kids [had left],' he admitted.

'Theres always lots of other Tiggers there  invariably, a lot of the other little kids are Tiggers  but Im the biggest Tigger,' he added.

Candid: The Fifty Shades star likes to keep his personal life out of the spotlight. But during his chat with host and comedienne Ellen, he shared a little insight into his family

Family man: Dornan shares two young daughters with wife Amelia Warner - Dulcie, who turns five in November, and Elva, who's two. He and Amelia, pictured in May, married in 2013

This year, though, Dulcie wants a different theme for her fifth birthday party.

Dornan revealed: 'This year, were doing disco...... now shes into disco.'

In addition to Dulcie, Dornan is also dad to two-year-old Elva with Warner whom he wed in 2013.

Next month, Dornan will be back on the big screen in Robin Hood, in which he stars as Will Scarlet, the half-brother of Robin who's played by Taron Egerton.
She recently wed her beau Alex Bowen in a picturesque Essex wedding, making them the first ever Love Island couple to tie the knot.

And Love Island's Olivia Buckland appeared to be reveling in newlywed bliss as she continued to soak up the sun on her idyllic Maldives honeymoon.

Treating her Instagram followers to a glimpse of her getaway, the 24-year-old posed up a storm as she slipped her gym-honed frame into an array of scanty bikinis.

Va-va-voom! Love Island's Olivia Buckland appeared to be reveling in newlywed bliss as she continued to soak up the sun on her idyllic Maldives honeymoon

Showing off her perky posterior in one snap, the TV personality donned a personalised white thong bikini, embellished with 'Mrs. Bowen' on her skimpy bottoms.

The reality star went on to laud 27-year-old husband for his stellar photography skills, captioning the snap: 'He knows my angles now and tbh thats husband goals (sic).'

The reality star ensured she fit right in with her scenic views of the Asian country as she sported a tropical print two-piece.

Sizzling hot! Treating her Instagram followers to a glimpse of her getaway, the 24-year-old posed up a storm as she slipped her gym-honed frame into an array of scanty bikinis

Killer curves: The reality star ensured she fit right in with her scenic views of the Asian country as she sported a tropical print two-piece

Boasting an enviable wardrobe during her break, Olivia accentuated her curvaceous silhouette in a lilac crop top and biker shorts as she enjoyed a day at the spa.

In another show-stopping snap, the blonde, who revealed her holiday was coming to an end with the caption 'last night', oozed glamour in a ruched white dress, tied in with vixen red lipstick.

During her time on her getaway, Olivia revealed she had a lump in her breast removed after four years.

Smitten: The reality star went on to laud 27-year-old husband for his stellar photography skills, captioning the snap: 'He knows my angles now and tbh thats husband goals (sic)'

The star explained that she found a lipoma - a benign tumor made of fat tissue - on her chest and ' finally plucked up the courage' to get it taken out before her wedding.

Taking to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, she wrote: 'So pleased with how my scar is healing. Extra suncream on that little bit though.'

She went on: 'For anyone that is new, it's nothing to worry about! I found a lump and had it checked. It turned out to be a lipoma.

Relaxation mode: Boasting an enviable wardrobe during her break, Olivia accentuated her curvaceous silhouette in a lilac crop top and biker shorts as she enjoyed a day at the spa

Turning heads: In another show-stopping snap, the blonde oozed glamour in a ruched white dress, tied in with vixen red lipstick

'Had it for a good four years and finally plucked up the courage before the wedding to have it removed!

'It was cut out and it was about 3X3 inches. Best decision ever to have it removed, I wish I had done it sooner.'

Olivia and Alex tied the knot in the first ever Love Island wedding in front of friends, family and reality TV co-stars in Essex last month.

They held the ceremony at Gosfield Hall, which boasts 10 acres of elegant grounds, in the blonde beauty's native Essex on September 15.

In her column for New Magazine, Olivia revealed the boozy mishaps had resulted in an extremely sore head the next day.

The boozy bride penned: 'I was so hungover the day after my wedding as you can see from this picture!

'I stayed up until 3am and got McDonald's the next day. We didn't move for two days.'

Good move: During her time on her getaway, Olivia revealed she had a lump in her breast removed after four years

The reality TV pair initially jetted off to Sri Lanka just hours after their lavish reception in Essex, before moving onto the second leg of their honeymoon in the Maldives.

The couple first met on the 2016 series of Love Island, in which they starred alongside the likes of Cara De La Hoyde, Nathan Massey, Zara Holland, Tina Stinnes, Malin Andersson and the late Sophie Gradon.

Olivia and Alex came in second place behind Cara and her fiance Nathan Massey, and moved in together in Essex in August 2016.

Alex popped the question during a romantic trip to New York that December after just five months of dating.
Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins will apparently present his winning contestant with a diamond ring in The Bachelor finale on Thursday night.

And it emerged this week that the rugby star, 30, was personally involved in designing the custom-made 18ct rose and white gold ring with Larsen Jewellery.

Senior jeweller Kate Reid told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday that she worked closely with Nick to design the bespoke ring for his chosen lady.

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REVEALED: The $20,000 custom-made diamond ring Nick Cummins (right) will give the winner in The Bachelor finale. Left: Brittany Hockley, who is understood to win the show

Bling ring! Described as a 'commitment ring', the sparkler from Larsen Jewellery is an 18ct rose and white gold ring set with a stunning 6.75ct rectangular cushion-cut Malaya garnet, accentuated by two trilliant-cut diamonds

Described as a 'commitment ring', the sparkler is an 18ct rose and white gold ring set with a stunning 6.75ct rectangular cushion-cut Malaya garnet, accentuated by two trilliant-cut diamonds. There are also 14 round, brilliant cut diamonds which evenly border the trilliant diamonds.

'We worked closely with Nick to design and custom make the perfect ring. Nick was extremely enthusiastic about the design process with our team, wanting the ring to encompass the emotional and spiritual journey that he has been through during the show,' Kate said.

'Nick is deeply spiritual and invested in the power of gemstones and peoples individual energy, so these were elements which he wanted to incorporate into the ring.'

It was previously reported that the ring was worth more than $20,000.

'He wanted the ring to encompass the emotional and spiritual journey he has been through': Nick was involved in designing the bespoke ring, according to Kate Reid of Larsen Jewellery

It's the second time Larsen Jewellery has been involved with The Bachelor, after supplying Matty Johnson's promise ring to Laura Byrne last year.

However, it is unclear if the ring was contractually repossessed after Nick split with the show's winner, who is understood to be Brittany Hockley.

On the US version of The Bachelor, there is reportedly a clause in the contestants' contracts that states the complimentary ring must be returned to official jewellers Neil Lane if the winning couple splits within 18 months.

Awkward! However, it is unclear if the Larsen ring was contractually repossessed after Nick split with the show's winner, who is understood to be Brittany Hockley (right)

Will Larsen do the same? On the US version of The Bachelor, there is reportedly a clause in the contestants' contracts that states the complimentary ring must be returned to official jewellers Neil Lane if the winning couple splits within 18 months. Pictured: Nick's ring

Daily Mail Australia contacted Larsen Jewellery and Warner Bros. for comment.

A production source confirmed to Daily Mail Australia last month that Nick had split with the winner shortly after filming the finale in New Caledonia.

The Bachelor concludes Thursday at 7:30pm on Network Ten
Maria Menounos arrived in Athens on Wednesday for her second wedding to Keven Undergaro that has been planned by her father.

The 40-year-old TV personality told Us Weekly that it was going to be a 'wild journey'.

'Trying to plan something internationally when your dad's running the show is a reality show,' she added.

Second wedding: Maria Menounos arrived in Athens, Greece on Wednesday for her second wedding to Keven Undergaro

Maria said her father Constantinos ' Costas' Menounos was 'crazy' and offered up wacky wedding ideas including having the bride ride to church on a horse.

'So I just have decided I'm gonna drink heavily to get through. By the time I land, I'm gonna be nip queen,' she said.

Maria arrived in casual style at Athens International Airport in a red track suit with white trim along with a scoop neck white T-shirt.

She completed her comfortable outfit with white trainers and accessorized with a simple necklace and stud earrings.

Casual style: The 40-year-old TV personality arrived in casual style in Athens

Popular figure: Television news crews clamored for interviews with Maria upon arrival

Drinking plan: Maria said that she planned to 'drink heavily' during the wedding planned by her father Costas

Going strong: Keven and Maria, shown in June in New York, got married in December 2017

Maria had her short brown hair straight down around her shoulders and beamed upon arrival.

She was greeted with a bouquet of flowers, fans and news stations clamoring for interviews.

Maria also told Us that she and Keven, 50, hope to start a family after their second wedding.

Wedding planner: Constantinos 'Costas' Menounos, shown in March 2014 in New York City, planned the second wedding for his daughter

She also admitted to some hesitations.

'I'm enjoying being free, and I'm like, ''Really, is this a good idea right now? Maybe we need to put this on the backburner for a minute','' she said.

Maria and Keven got married on December 31, 2017 during a Fox live broadcast.
She's celebrating the 20th anniversary of her first cookbook How To Eat.

And Nigella Lawson appeared on the BBC's The One Show on Wednesday to promote the Vintage Classic edition of her debut recipe book.

The British celebrity chef, 58, stunned in a flattering white blazer over a fitted black blouse and chic black trousers to round out the ensemble.

Elegant: Nigella Lawson appeared on the BBC's The One Show on Wednesday to promote the Vintage Classic edition of her debut recipe book

She accentuated her natural beauty with a smattering of rosy blush adorning her cheeks and a flicker of eyeliner.

Adding to her sophisticated look, the author showcased her brown tresses in tousled waves which framed her face.

Speaking on the programme about writing her first cookbook, the TV personality said: 'For me it was really important to sort of stand up for the home cook.'

When asked by presenters Alex Jones and Matt Baker about her special personal connection to the book, Nigella revealed that it was her late husband John Diamond, who died from cancer in 2001, that encouraged her to write it.

Memories: Speaking on the programme about writing her first cookbook, the TV personality said: 'For me it was really important to sort of stand up for the home cook.'

Greetings: The British celebrity chef (pictured with Alex Jones), 58, stunned in a flattering white blazer over a fitted black blouse

Class: She accentuated her natural beauty with a smattering of rosy blush adorning her cheeks and a flicker of eyeliner

'I think I use to drive him a bit mad,' she explained, 'Id be saying "Why are people putting this sauce with this? Why is it so fancy? This is ridiculous"'

And her husband would reply: 'You know, you should really write about food because youve got confidence in your views and a lot of people haven't,' the chef recalled.

Nigella's late husband was also the one to create her title How To Eat.

Throwback: Earlier this week, the former journalist posted a sweet shot of herself and last husband John

Earlier this week, the former journalist posted a sweet shot of herself and John, with the caption: 'This time 20 years ago, I was at the launch party for my first book, How To Eat.

'Looking at this photo makes me happy, but also very sad. I wish I could be in Johns arms now.'

Nigella's How to Eat: Vintage Classics Anniversary Edition will be available from October 4.

Preparation: The presenters Alex Jones and Matt Baker on-set on Wednesday in London
They're both doting parents, having welcomed their second child last year.

But model Erin McNaught and her rapper husband Example enjoyed a night off from parenting duties on Wednesday when attending The Arts Club Frieze Party.

The former Miss Universe, 36, opted for a stylish over-sized t-shirt dress which showcased her enviably-lean legs.

Glam: Model Erin McNaught, 36, opted for a stylish over-sized t-shirt which showcased her enviably-lean legs

She boosted her already impressive height with a pair of staggering black heels while sporting a cute matching bag over her shoulder.

The mother-of-two looked effortlessly glam without any accessories as she wore statement red nail varnish.

She left her locks loose and free flowing, but sported shiny foundation and a dewy pink lip.

Love: Erin and her rapper husband Example enjoyed a night off from parenting duties on Wednesday when attending The Arts Club Frieze Party

Party: Example and his wife Erin were joined by pals Professor Green and John Newman for the event

Friends: Example - who has been married to Erin for five years - opted for a sporty vibe

Meanwhile, Example - who has been married to Erin for five years - opted for a more sportier vibe.

The British-born musician, 36, donned a bright red and blue tracksuit top with black track pants.

Showering his wife with affection, the couple looked loved up as they posed for snaps at the star-studded event.

Bros: The British-born musician, 36, donned a bright red and blue tracksuit top with black track pants

Musical star: The pair were in good company with DJ Goldie also joining the party

DJ mixer: Goldie treated guests to a performance when at The Arts Club Frieze Party

The pair were in good company with musician Professor Green and DJ Goldie also joining the party.

Erin gave birth to her second child, Ennio, last September and has hit headlines for quickly snapping back into shape.

The starlet, who also has son Evander, told Daily Mail Australia that exercise was more about retaining her sanity, as opposed to regaining her physique.

Dashing: Professor Green opted for a snake-skinned styled blazer when attending the event

Cheerful: Mark-Francis Vandelli was also captured enjoying himself at the occasion

'Working out for me, that 20 or 30 minutes a couple of times a week, it was like my church,' she revealed.

'After I had my baby [Ennio], the workout aspect really was more for my own sanity.

'You sacrifice everything, really. You are so relied upon on from these little humans that you barely have any time for yourself. So working out was time that I had that was completely and utterly mine and mine alone.'

Erin said she primarily went to the gym for the physical and mental health benefits, but added: 'If that translates to my figure then great, but that's not why I was doing it.'
She's been quite the busy bee after making a glamorous appearance at Paris Fashion Week.

And Cara Delevingne proved there's no rest for the wicked as she arrived in Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California on Wednesday.

The model-cum-actress, 25, exuded sophistication as she sported a longline tuxedo blazer, while managing to incorporate her signature kooky style with a pair of bright teal joggers.

Busy bee: Cara Delevingne proved there's no rest for the wicked as she arrived in Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California on Wednesday following her appearance at PFW

Tying in her airport style, the Paper Towns star slipped her statuesque frame into a oversized yellow top, embellished with a dog painting.

Cara nailed sporty chic in the footwear department as she rocked a pair of multi-coloured box-fresh trainers, and accessorised with a pair of circle-framed sunglasses.

The Anna Karenina actress displayed her famously radiant complexion as she went make-up free, which worked well with her tousled pixie cut.

Chic: The model-cum-actress, 25, exuded sophistication as she sported a longline tuxedo blazer, while managing to incorporate her signature kooky style with a pair of bright teal joggers

Cara's display comes after she made a cosy departure with her rumoured actress girlfriend Ashley, 28, from the Balmain show during Paris Fashion Week, in France on Friday.

The British model put on an energetic display as she showed off her twerking skills while storming the runway in the heart of the French capital.

Rumoured couple Cara and Ashley did nothing to dispel the claims they are dating when the pair stepped out into the bustling streets of the city of love.

Turning heads: Tying in her airport style, the Paper Towns star slipped her statuesque frame into a oversized yellow top, embellished with a dog painting

It recently appeared that the Pretty Little Liars star had confirmed her relationship with Cara after commenting 'mine'  and sharing suggestive emojis  under a sultry shot of the catwalk queen at the Toronto Film Festival.

However, the screen beauty claimed that her account was hacked, as she shared a snap of herself on Instagram posing at an airport on Tuesday with the caption: 'When you just get off a flight with no WiFi and find out your Instagram got hacked.'

Revealing that she already had somebody on the case to deal with the problem, she added: 'Thank god for @remi.franklin fixing it.'

Rumours of their romance first began in April after they were spotted holding hands together during a late night in New York.

Are they an item? Cara's display comes after she made a cosy departure with her rumoured actress girlfriend Ashley, 28, from the Balmain show during PFW on Friday




She is the Love Island champion who is known for her edgy style displays.

And Dani Dyer showed off her signature style as she celebrated the launch of her fashion range with In The Style in Mayfair, London on Wednesday.

The brunette beauty, 22, flaunted her taut midriff in a lacy white crochet cardigan, which parted to show off her trim waist.

Chic: Dani Dyer showed off her signature style as she celebrated the launch of her fashion range with In The Style in Mayfair, London on Wednesday

Drawing the eye to her toned legs, the daughter of EastEnders actor Danny Dyer, slipped into a denim mini skirt.

She added height to her look with nude peeptoe ankle boots.

Her glossy brunette tresses were styled in soft waves while her pretty features were enhanced with a smoky shadow, fluttery lashes and a coral gloss.

Fashion forward: The brunette beauty, 22, flaunted her taut midriff in a lacy white crochet cardigan, which parted to show off her trim waist

Love Islander: Drawing the eye to her toned legs, the daughter of EastEnders actor Danny Dyer, slipped into a denim mini skirt

Brunette beauty: Her glossy brunette tresses were styled in soft waves while her pretty features were enhanced with a smoky shadow, fluttery lashes and a coral gloss

Radiant; The star oozed confidence as she attended the event

Earlier in the day Dani donned chic Nineties-inspired co-ords while launching her collaboration with the online retailer.

The reality star dazzled in her quirky red two-piece as she joined forces with fellow Islander, Samira Mighty, at the bash in London.

Dani certainly turned heads in her cropped oversized jacket, which she teamed with a matching thigh-grazing skirt.

Stylish: Dani looked happy as she celebrated the launch of her collaboration with the brand

Finishing touches: The star showcased her honed physique at the launch

Revealing: Dani's top revealed a hint of her toned abs as she posed for photos at the event

Check her out!Earlier in the day Dani donned chic Nineties-inspired co-ords while launching her collaboration with the online retailer

She layered a simple black top underneath and boosted her height with a pair of peep-toe suede boots.

Styling her glossy raven tresses in tumbling waves, the Love Island winner framed her features with taupe lipstick and smoky shadow.

The brunette beauty seemed to be in great spirits as she posed alongside a pink double-decker bus emblazoned with images of her in an In The Style campaign.

Looking good: Her fellow Islander, Samira Mighty, dazzled in a pink checked miniskirt and statement heels

Chic: Dani certainly turned heads in her cropped oversized jacket, which she teamed with a matching thigh-grazing skirt

The mane attraction: The daughter of EastEnders star Danny Dyer styled her glossy raven tresses in tumbling waves

Dani's outing comes after she caused shockwaves with her cheeky engagement prank.

The stunner took to Twitter on Tuesday to share a snap of her dazzling diamond ring as she stunned fans with the news - yet revealed all was not as it seems shortly before she was spotted out and about while flashing her bare hand.

Appearing on Capital Radio, Roman Kemp dared the star to trick her fans with the snap - in which she posed with a dazzling ring on her finger.

Dani and Jack were the original couple on this year's Love Island and walked away victorious after winning the hearts of fans.

Preened to perfection: The Love Island winner framed her features with taupe lipstick and smoky shadow

Having a whale of a time: The brunette beauty seemed to be in great spirits as she posed alongside a pink double-decker bus emblazoned with images of her in an In The Style campaign

Their trick comes after a number of former stars have welcomed children and become engaged - while Alex Bowen and Olivia Buckland were the first couple to tie the knot in an idyllic ceremony earlier this month.

After leaving the villa, Jack confirmed he had it in his sights to tie the knot with the daughter of TV hardman Danny.

He said: 'Were getting married next year, 100 per cent. Like my mum said to me so many times: "When you know about someone, you just know... And now I know what shes talking about. I just know thats what we want to do"...

Had everyone fooled! Dani sparked a social media meltdown after claiming she was engaged to Love Island beau Jack Fincham in an elaborate prank on Tuesday

Quite the joker! Dani didn't tell Jack she was going to go through with the prank and Jack woke up inundated with confused messages from friends and family

Prank: The stunner shared a snap of her dazzling diamond ring on Twitter as she stunned fans with the news

Backing his plans, Dani said: 'It aint about planning when were gonna have kids. Its about enjoying a bit of time outside the villa now. And when were both ready, we will talk about it. Right now Im just happy to be with him.'

In this week's Now Magazine, Jack continued to voice his marriage plans as he said: 'We definitely want marriage and kids in the future but we want to buy a house first... We want a big wedding! I want a fun one that she'll remember'.

The news comes after fans were sent wild at the prospect of a Dyer reality show earlier this month.

And it seems dreams are set to become a reality as Dani revealed on Wednesday that filming was underway for the show - which will no doubt prove explosive.

Smoke and mirrors: She then revealed all was not as it seems shortly as she flashed her bare hand shortly after

Big plans: After leaving the villa, Jack confirmed he had it in his sights to tie the knot with the daughter of TV hardman Danny

Following her success on the dating show, the stunner will now take the lead on the show - however she confesses it is 'hard work' if not extremely exciting for the family and her boyfriend Jack.

While she is shooting the new show, her romance with beau Jack Fincham has been going for strength-to-strength - including moving in together.

She said: 'Its a massive change, aint it? I never thought at 22 Id be living with someone, but I love it. I love it. Its good'.

The show was first hinted at during the TV Choice Awards earlier this month when dad Danny confirmed plans following the huge success of Dani and Jack.

Taking centre-stage: Samira, meanwhile, rocked a cropped white sweatshirt with her tiny skirt

Working her angles: The West End actress completed her Clueless-inspired ensemble with a blue leather bag

Keeping it casual: Dani rocked boyfriend jeans teamed with a shearling trim aviator jacket earlier that day
He's the model and actor who's spent the past few days celebrating his birthday with his father Arnold Schwarzenegger in Munich, Germany, for Oktoberfest.

And Patrick Schwarzenegger was back to his routine on Wednesday, spotted out in New York City heading out for a gym session.

The 25-year-old was dressed in activewear and even found a moment to give his fans a little wink on the sidewalk.

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Back to the routine: After spending the past few days in Munich, Germany, celebrating his 25th birthday with his dad Arnold at Oktoberfest, Patrick Schwarzenegger returned back to NYC and headed for a gym session

Patrick was dressed in a grey Nike T-shirt that drew attention to his bulging biceps.

He teamed the look with navy colored shorts and sneakers to match the look.

The son of former California State Governor, Arnold, wore a cap on his head and was seen carrying around a bottle of juice.

Time for a workout: Patrick was dressed in a grey Nike T-shirt that drew attention to his bulging biceps

Ready to train: The son of former California State Governor, Arnold, wore a cap on his head and was seen carrying around a bottle of juice

Always stylish: He teamed the look with navy colored shorts and sneakers to match the look

His appearance comes after he celebrated his 25th birthday in Germany with his dad for Oktoberfest.

Prost. Oktoberfest mit meinem Vater,' he captioned in German - which translated read: 'Cheers. Oktoberfest with my father'.

'Seriously one of the best experiences Ive ever had,' he added.

Made a name for himself: He's the model and actor who's spent the past few days celebrating his birthday with his father Arnold Schwarzenegger in Munich, Germany, for Oktoberfest

Ready to sweat: Arnold was spotted around New York City and carried a round a towel in his shorts pocket

Famous parents: Patrick is the son of TV journalist Maria Shriver and the former Governor Of California Arnold Schwarzenegger

Patrick, the son of TV journalist Maria Shriver, is currently dating fellow model, Abby Champion.

And he's not the only Schwarzenegger sibling to be in a relationship with an A-lister.

Sister Katherine, is currently in a relationship with Anna Faris' ex-husband, Chris Pratt, 28.

Love: Patrick is currently dating fellow model, Abby Champion

Bonding! His appearance comes after he celebrated his 25th birthday in Germany with his dad for Oktoberfest

Patrick's most recent acting accomplishment was his leading role in Midnight Sun featuring Bella Thorne.

The movie charts the story of 17-year-old Katie Price, played by Thorne, who lives a sheltered life due to a life-threatening sensitivity to sunlight.

But her longtime crush Charlie, played by Schwarzenegger, begins to meet her for nighttime adventures and the couple become faced with whether Katie can live a normal life.
Tom Cruise hasn't seen daughter Suri for years, according to a new report in UsWeekly.

The magazine, quoting an anonymous source, alleges that the Hollywood star is allowed to visit the 12-year-old up to 10 days a month but 'chooses not to because she is not a Scientologist.'

Cruise and third wife Katie Holmes divorced in 2012 after six years of marriage with the actress being granted primary custody of their daughter.

Family: UsWeekly claimed Wednesday that Tom Cruise, left, has not seen daughter Suri, who lives with his ex-wife Katie Holmes, 'for years' because she is not a Scientologist

Cruise has not been photographed with Suri since 2013, the magazine article noted.

He has been a devotee of Scientology for decades after being introduced to the organization by first wife Mimi Rogers. Following his divorce from Rogers in 1990, he married Nicole Kidman.

The couple adopted two children - son Connor and daughter Isabella and when they split in 2001, the kids remained with their father and continued to be raised within Scientology.

'Katie and Nicole have moved on from their time with Tom and are leading their own lives outside of the church,' Scientology critic Tony Ortega told UsWeekly.

Cruise and third wife Katie Holmes divorced in 2012 after six years of marriage with the actress getting primary custody of their daughter. Cruise is seen with his daughter in 2008

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Tom and Katie for comment.

Last month, former Scientologist Leah Remini, who was a guest at Cruise and Holmes's wedding in Italy in 2006, claimed that the actress is not allowed to have a meal with her because it might cause her to lose custody of Suri.

'We used to be close friends,' Remini said in an interview with LaPalme magazine. 'Its quite sick, really.'

The former King of Queens star currently stars in and produces the A&E series, Leah Remini: Scientology And The Aftermath

Tom adopted two children, Connor and Isabella, with second wife Nicole Kidman, pictured in 1996. The kids stayed with him and grew up Scientologists after the couple divorced in 2001

In response to Remini's claims, The Church of Scientology issued a statement.

Their response read: 'Ms. Reminis ridiculous rants are unending and the myths and tales she and her co-producer spread are grown more bizarre by the day...

'They hire producers to rehash tired, preposterous myths invented and spread by the same handful of former Scientologists motivated by greed and anger'.
He's creating an origin story for DC Comics villain The Joker under the direction of filmmaker Todd Phillips.

And on Wednesday, Joaquin Phoenix cut a solitary figure as he filmed scenes for the movie on location in New York City.

The actor, dressed in character as Arthur, sat on a bench outside the Metropolitan Hospital in Manhattan smoking a cigarette before getting up and pacing up and down.

Lonely: He's creating an origin story for DC Comics villain The Joker and Wednesday, Joaquin Phoenix cut a solitary figure as he filmed scenes for the movie on location in New York City

His character wears a brown cardigan over a shirt along with a hooded light brown jacket and trousers with socks and shoes.

The actor, 43, has grown a shaggy hair style and appears to have lost weight for the role which explores how the comic book villain came to be.

In photos taken on set since principal photography began, Phoenix as Arthur seems to be a man who is worn down and sad and living a solitary existence.

The actor, dressed in character as Arthur, paced up and down puffing on a cigarette outside the Metropolitan Hospital in Manhattan.

Filming: For one shot, he was seen walking up to an 'exit only' glass door of the hospital

Focused: In between takes, Phoenix was seen chatting with an assistant as crew members set up the shot inside the emergency room

Earlier this month, Phillips, whose credits include The Hangover movies and Due Date, shared an equally moody shot of himself to announce that principal photography was beginning on The Joker.

The origin story - which is due for release on October 4, 2019 - sees Joaquin in the titular role despite Jared Leto most recently playing The Joker in Suicide Squad.

The movie has Martin Scorsese as one of its producers and Robert De Niro is set to be in the movie as 'a talk show host who is somehow instrumental in the Jokers origin', according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Deadpool 2 actress Zazie Beetz plays 'a single mother who catches the interest of the man who will become the clown prince of crime,' THR.com also reported.

Revealed: On September 24, director Todd Phillips posted to Instagram the first look of Phoenix in full makeup as the Joker
Cardi B's baby girl Kulture was seen in public for the first time on Wednesday.

The Bodak Yellow rapper was spotted on a balcony in Miami snapping shots of her daughter dressed in a multi-colored tutu.

The proud 25-year-old welcomed Kulture with her husband Offset two months ago and the couple have been extremely private about sharing pics of the tiny tot.

First look: Cardi B's baby girl Kulture was seen in public for the first time on Wednesday during an impromptu photo session on a balcony in Miami

During the impromptu photo session, Cardi B wore a white robe with her hair pulled back as she used her phone to take the pictures.

A helper carried the adorable Kulture in her arms to aid with the al fresco event.

Even from a distance, the newborn looked happy and healthy.

Back in August, the famous couple - who wed in a secret ceremony in September - gave a small glimpse of Kulture as the top of her head appeared in a photo.

Prod mama: The Bodak Yellow rapper was spotted on a balcony in Miami snapping shots of her daughter dressed in a multi-colored tutu

Happy and healthy! Even from a distance, the newborn looked happy and healthy

And in an Instagram story Cardi B posted, an extreme close-up of Kulture's lips were revealed.

The outing comes a day after Cardi B turned herself in to police for allegedly ordering an assault on female bartenders at a New York strip club.

She is accused of ordering an attack against the employees at Angels Strip Club in Queens after claiming one of the girls had slept with Offset.

Support: A helper carried the adorable Kulture in her arms to aid with the al fresco event

TMZ claim in late August, the new mother was watching Offset perform at the club with rap trio Migos when she confronted the barmaids, sisters named as Jade and Baddie Gi.

The rapper, who grew up in New York's tough South Bronx, reportedly 'ordered' members of her entourage to attack the two girls with bottles and chairs, resulting in both needing medical attention.

The star will reportedly be charged with reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct - although she will not be arrested. A court summons will follow.

Cardi, who was involved in a separate brawl with Nicki Minaj during New York Fashion Week, recently dismissed claims that she ordered the attack in an explosive Instagram tirade.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the world's premiere research institutions.

And Padma Lakshmi looked like she fit right in as she stopped by the vaunted school to talk about her MeToo moment.

The 48-year-old Top Chef hostess toured several laboratories on the campus, and donned a classic white lab coat for the occasion.

A real pro! Padma Lakshmi looked like she fit right in as she stopped by the vaunted MIT to talk about her MeToo moment

Later, she took the stage of the Endoscopy Forum 2018 to talk about her recently revealed MeToo revelation.

'When last (Friday's tweets) happened, there was just something very deep in me that felt really angry  not on a political level.'

'If we don't share our stories with each other, we don't get to the truth,' she told the small crowd and Boston Herald.

Ready to get her hands dirty! The 48-year-old Top Chef hostess toured several laboratories on the campus, and donned a classic white lab coat for the occasion

Looking closely: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the world's premiere research institutions

She continued to discuss the situation, revealing that 'over the weekend, I had second thoughts (about writing it). I had decided to write it and then actually pulled back and I said, "You know, I don't think I can do this. This is so horrible.''

Apparently putting her eight-year-old daughter Krishna to bed inspired her to proceed however.

'When I think back on the things that I regret in my life  luckily there are not too many  they're never the things that I've done. They're always the things I should have done, that I would have done, that I wish I had had the guts to do.'

Brave: Later, she took the stage of the Endoscopy Forum 2018 to talk about her recently revealed MeToo revelation

Advice: 'If we don't share our stories with each other, we don't get to the truth,' she told the small crowd

'I haven't processed yet what happened this week, but I am very glad that I did it. And the stories that women and men  fathers  have shared with me have become some of the most moving things that I've read, felt, discussed in my life,' admitted the Bravo star.

And she expressed just how hopeful she was, proclaiming 'to me, that's what sharing our stories is about; It's about finding meaning, giving larger, greater, deeper context.'

Of course Padma was giving the talk about her horrifying experience when she was raped at the age of 16 by her boyfriend who was 23-years-old at the time.

She wrote about the experience in a recent New York Times op-ed piece which was published last Tuesday.

Lakshmi also recounted another frightening situation when she was only age seven and her stepfather's relative 'touched me between my legs and put my hand on his erect penis.'
Ali Oetjen allegedly slept with her ex-fiance's brother prior to getting engaged.

Ali's former boyfriend Grant Kemp, who also accused the new Bachelorette earlier this year of cheating on him, claimed this week that she once confessed to sleeping with one brother before getting engaged to the other.

Grant told Who magazine on Thursday that Ali, who got engaged in 2015 to a former flame, told him about the situation while they were still dating.

'She accidentally confessed to me': Grant Kemp (right) has made a shocking claim that his ex-girlfriend Ali Oetjen (left) had sex with a man then got engaged to his BROTHER

'Ali had been engaged for, like, three months before going on Bachelor in Paradise so once the show finished I asked her to explain the situation, like why did they break up?' Grant claimed.

'She kind of ended up accidentally spilling to me that she had met her ex-fiance because she used to have sex with his older brother [prior to meeting her ex].'

He continued: 'I was like, "Are you joking? You were sleeping with this dude's older brother and now you're going to marry him?"'

Scandal: Grant told Who magazine on Thursday, '[Ali] kind of ended up accidentally spilling to me that she had met her ex-fiance because she used to have sex with his older brother [prior to meeting her ex].' Ali is pictured here in a trailer for The Bachelorette

Grant also accused Ali of once getting 'so drunk' that she 'punched' a glass out of her own hand in the middle of an Adelaide bar, leaving him 'completely embarrassed.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ali Oetjen and Network Ten for comment.

It comes after Ali revealed for the first time what really happened in the days leading up to the house party in LA where she allegedly cheated on Grant.

'It was so confronting': It comes after Ali revealed for the first time what really happened in the days leading up to the house party in LA where she allegedly cheated on Grant

Ali travelled to Los Angeles in March to spend time with Grant after they fell in love on Bachelor in Paradise last year, but she claims she felt deceived upon her arrival.

'It was so confronting,' Ali told TV Week magazine.

'I went to Los Angeles and he wasn't who he described himself to be, nor did he live the lifestyle he said he did.'

Bombshell: 'I went to Los Angeles and he wasn't who he described himself to be, nor did he live the lifestyle he said he did,' Ali told TV Week. Pictured: Grant Kemp on Bachelor in Paradise

Grant's version of what happened in Los Angeles was described in graphic detail on The Kyle and Jackie O Show back in May.

'I had left to go and find my friends,' he said. 'I came back inside [my house] and [a man] was going down on her on my stairs. So I kicked her out that night.'

Ali told NW on Monday that the media coverage of Grant's allegations left her 'physically, mentally and emotionally broken.'

Describing the weeks after Grant levelled the cheating accusations as 'one of the darkest periods of [her] life', she said: 'We all have those exes that don't go away.

'Without a doubt, Grant was a waste of my time. He just wasn't the person he said he was. And yes, it was disappointing and crushing, but I learnt from this.'

She insisted, however, that she would 'never give up on love'.

The Bachelorette premieres next Wednesday at 7:30pm on Network Ten
His position at the Today show is reportedly hanging in the balance, following claims he is facing the sack due to poor ratings.

And more explosive allegations about Karl Stefanovic surfaced this week that suggest his days at Channel Nine could be numbered.

Speaking on the Woman's Day Uncensored podcast on Wednesday, Woman's Day editor-in-chief Fiona Connolly claimed that Today co-host Georgie Gardner, 48, was told by Nine executives that she only has to 'wait it out until the end of the year' before Karl, 44, is given the boot.

Bombshell claims: Karl Stefanovic (pictured) will reportedly 'leave the Today show within seven weeks' as it's claimed it was Channel Nine staffers who first tipped off the media about his romance with Jasmine Yarbrough

'We're talking seven weeks left of Karl,' said Fiona.

Media experts have traced Karl's downfall back to the moment his relationship with fiancee Jasmine Yarbrough, 34, was made public in February 2017.

That month, The Sunday Telegraph splashed photos of the pair getting intimate and sipping champagne aboard a multi-million dollar yacht in Sydney Harbour.

Media insiders: Speaking on the Woman's Day Uncensored podcast on Wednesday, editor-in-chief Fiona Connolly claimed that Today co-host Georgie Gardner (right) was told by Nine executives that she only has to 'wait it out until the end of the year' before Karl is given the boot

Woman's Day editor-at-large Phillip Koch claimed on the podcast that it was Channel Nine staff members who tipped off the media about the couple's romance - setting off a chain reaction of negative publicity.

Phillip said: 'I understood that Channel Nine tipped News Limited off about Karl being on the boat with Jasmine, which was the first pictures we ever saw of them together.

'They must have thought this was a great opportunity to put his marriage split [with ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn] behind him. They probably thought, "This is a fresh start, we can make him over in this mold of the 'in love' guy". And of course it's backfired spectacularly.'

Whoops! Woman's Day editor-at-large Phillip Koch also claimed on the podcast that it was Channel Nine staff members who tipped off the media about Karl's romance with Jasmine Yarbrough (left), setting off a chain reaction of negative publicity. Pictured in November 2017

The latest claims by media insiders come after the Today show suffered some of its worst ratings ever in recent weeks.

Last month, it was even reported that Karl could soon be losing his job as a result of the plummeting figures.

Despite Karl having a contract with Nine believed to be worth almost $3million and not set to expire until the end of 2020, he is 'likely to be replaced in the New Year'.

'Top-level sources at Channel Nine's Willoughby studios say the embattled Today host is officially "gone",' The Sunday Telegraph claimed.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Karl Stefanovic's management for comment.

Listen to Woman's Day Uncensored here or download and stream wherever you listen to podcasts
She announced her engagement to David Waldeck in 2015, after placing third in the first season of The Bachelor.

And Ali Oetjen revealed this week why she ended her two-year engagement before returning to the franchise for Bachelor In Paradise in 2017.

Ahead of her debut as 2018's Bachelorette, Ali told OK! on Thursday there was an issue she 'wasn't willing to compromise on' that ultimately led to their split.

'I gave the ring back!' The Bachelorette Ali Oetjen has revealed why she ended her previous engagement to fiance David Waldeck before appearing on Bachelor In Paradise. Pictured wearing her old engagement ring

'I definitely gave [the ring] back. I couldn't keep it,' the 32-year-old account manager said of her decision to return the engagement ring to David.

Ali added that her ex-fiance was reluctant to share his feelings, which caused problems in their relationship.

'I found it really hard,' she said. 'We both tried for a long time to work things out between us. I had to put myself first before another person.'

In happier times! Ali, 32, announced her engagement to David Waldeck (left) in 2015, after placing third in the first season of The Bachelor starring Tim Robards

While the exact timeline of Ali and David's engagement is unclear, it was confirmed she was single again in late 2017 when she joined the cast of Bachelor in Paradise.

Just a month before filming began in November, she was still wearing a ring on her wedding finger.

Also during her chat with OK!, Ali claimed she didn't have a dream engagement ring in mind because 'a ring symbolises love, so I don't really care what it looks like'.

Coming soon! The Bachelorette Australia debuts next Wednesday at 7.30pm on Network Ten

However, it seemed Ali was sufficiently concerned with the appearance of her first engagement ring from David to have it upgraded a few months after the proposal.

She even admitted to wearing a 'substitute ring' until she found the perfect Sapphire stone she wanted.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted David Waldeck for comment.

The Bachelorette Australia debuts next Wednesday at 7.30pm on Network Ten
She was portrayed as the 'villain' on Married At First Sight, giving audiences some of the most controversial scenes ever seen on reality TV.

But out of all the contestants from the Channel Nine show, it appears Davina Rankin's life has turned out the least dramatic.

Speaking to Who Magazine, the 27-year-old revealed she's 'the happiest she's ever been' despite some of her co-stars struggling to come to terms with life outside the MAFS bubble.

'I'm the happiest I've ever been!': MAFS Davina Rankin reveals how her life is different to when she appeared on the reality show... as co-stars Tracey Jewel attempts suicide and Dean Wells 'couldn't return to his job'

While she was subjected to 'brutal' cyber bullying after the show, Davina now has a thriving business.

Her events company We Love Brunch Co - which put on VIP lunch parties around Brisbane - has grown from strength-to-strength, with the brunette hosting several sold-out events, including a charity brunch for farmers affected by the drought.

Her love life is also flourishing, as she has now moved in with her partner of eight-months, Jaxon Manuel, who she calls 'caring, uplifting and gorgeous' and the couple are even contemplating marriage.

Davina has even turned down more TV opportunities, shunning Love Island Australia in order to focus on her romance with Jaxon.

Happy Couple: Davina is now living with her partner of eight-months, Jaxon Manuel, (pictured left) who she calls 'caring, uplifting and gorgeous'

But despite her lucky-run, Davina is very aware that her fairy tale ending hasn't exactly eventuated for some of the other Married At First Sight's stars.

'Tracey (Jewel) really suffered and struggled post-show,' she told Who magazine.

Earlier this year, Tracey attempted suicide in Berlin, Germany and later admitted that she was 'broke and unemployed' before seeking help at a mental health facility for treatment.

Tragic: Earlier this year, Tracey Jewel attempted suicide in Berlin, Germany and later admitted that she was 'broke and unemployed' before seeking help at a mental health facility for treatment

Unemployed: Dean Wells (pictured) 'couldn't return to his old job' once he completed filming Married At First Sight, Davina told Who

Davina also mentioned Dean Wells, whose portrayal on the show affected his career.

While she says she'll never do a show like MAFS again, the budding entrepreneur acknowledged the platform the program has given her.

'It did bring me to where I am now and it is the happiest I have ever been in my life, so you have to take the good with the bad,' she said.
She celebrated her eight-year wedding anniversary with Stuart Webb last month.

And this week, Kate Ritchie spoke candidly about the public scrutiny surrounding her marriage to the retired NRL player, 38.

The former Home and Away star told The Australian's Women's Weekly on Thursday that although at times she is 'not sure' what is going on in her life, she and Stuart are happy and committed to their marriage.

'There are times I am not sure what's going on': Kate Ritchie has addressed the public scrutiny surrounding her marriage to Stuart Webb. The couple are pictured last month

'Of course [split rumours] are wrong... it is baseless. But I don't want to say any more about it because it will breathe life into it again,' the 40-year-old said.

'When you ask me how does that affect me, the truth is I have had to learn how to not let if affect me.'

She continued: 'Firstly, I think good luck to anybody who thinks that they know what is going on in my life because there are times when I am not sure - and I don't mean that in a negative way.'

Committed to their marriage: 'Good luck to anybody who thinks they know what is going on in my life because there are times when I am not sure - and I don't mean that in a negative way,' Kate told The Australian Women's Weekly on Thursday. Pictured with Stuart

Kate clarified that she meant she is 'just putting one foot in front of the other' and is focused on enjoying life.

In 2016, Kate and Stuart, who share a four-year-old daughter Mae, sparked divorce rumours after New Idea claimed they were living apart.

At the time, the magazine claimed the retired St. George player moved into a newly-purchased home in the NSW Southern Highlands, while Kate stayed with Mae in Randwick.

Mama's girl: The actress and the former NRL star share a four-year-old daughter Mae

'It's rare for Kate and Stu not to wear their wedding rings, and they have been spending a bit of time apart as well,' an insider claimed at the time.

'So we're all naturally worried.'

The couple also inadvertently fuelled split speculation when they were pictured without their wedding rings that same year.

Awkward! In June this year, Kate and Stuart looked strained while engaging in awkward PDA in a Sydney park

In June this year, Kate and Stuart looked strained while engaging in awkward PDA in a Sydney park.

Last December, Kate addressed rumours of marriage trouble in an interview with Stellar magazine.

'[The speculation] doesn't hurt my feelings, not anymore,' she said at the time.

Still going strong! Kate and Stuart embarked on a romantic getaway in the Margaret River region last week

'I think in the old days it did. There's no point in getting bogged down about what other people think is happening in my life.'

Kate also claimed that she and Bec Hewitt, her former co-star on Home and Away, would often joke about which one of them makes it into the gossip magazines.

'The only positive in having the magazines write about my love life is that I know the Hewitts are getting a week off,' she joked.

Love story: Kate and Stuart married in an intimate country-style wedding in 2010, a year after getting engaged while on holiday in Europe. Pictured in Sydney on September 15, 2011

Kate and Stuart married in an intimate country-style wedding in 2010, a year after getting engaged while on holiday in Europe.

In August 2014, they welcomed their daughter Mae.

Having a child inspired Kate to write her first children's book, I Just Couldn't Wait To Meet You. She has also written a new children's book titled It's Not Scribble To Me.
Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman participated in an event in Los Angeles on Wednesday in support of their new joint book, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, sitting down for a chat with Lena Dunham.

The actress, 59, wore a burgundy velour suit over a black T-shirt with an Ice-T graphic, with her auburn locks parted in the middle and down.

The Emmy award-winning Will & Grace star rounded out her ensemble with white boots.

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Funny love: Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman participated in an event in Los Angeles on Wednesday in support of their new joint book, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

Parks And Recreation star Offerman, 48, wore a camouflage coat over a tan shirt with dark blue jeans and orange sneakers. He sported a shaved head and brawny beard at the gathering in Southern California.

The couple, who have been wed since 2003, have been on the promotional trail for the new book, appearing on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon this week, where they read excerpts from the romantic, upbeat read.

In the appearance, Megan said that they were spurred on to do a book together after demand from their fans on social media.

'It seemed like people were rather enamored of us as couple,' she said, 'and I said, "Hey, why don't we write a book about our [relationship] ... and then finally we did.'

Stylish: Megan wore a burgundy velour suit with her auburn locks parted in the middle and down

Dual effort: Much of the content in the book comes from conversations the TV stars had in bed, Megan said earlier this week

Ready for battle: Parks And Recreation star Offerman, 48, wore a camouflage coat over a tan shirt with dark blue jeans and orange sneakers

Megan said the content in the book was drawn from conversations in bed with a tape recorder: 'It is literally conversations between Nick and I.'

The new tome 'describes their passionate marriage, acknowledges their non-traditional views of life and celebrates their ability to make it all work in Hollywood,' according to a review from the AP's Lincee Ray.

The book deals with their family relationships growing up in very diverse backgrounds, and 'is packed with hilarious, honest and wacky details about their sex life, religious beliefs and rise to stardom.'

Classic: Megan opened her coat to reveal her retro-inspired Ice-T shirt

Coming soon: Megan reprises her role as Karen Walker on Will and Grace, which premieres its new season Thursday

The couple also goes into their professional lives, explaining how they have each made sacrifices for the other's career.

'The affection that Megan and Nick have for each other is the recipe for an amazing love story,' Ray wrote. 'Some might argue it's the greatest one ever told.'

The book is available now, while Megan can be seen on Will & Grace, which airs Thursdays on NBC at 9/8c.
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He is a big Hollywood star and also a doting father.

And on Wednesday night, Ben Stiller attended a screening in New York of the movie First Man with his 16-year-old daughter Ella.

The dad and daughter duo have been a regular fixture on red carpets following Ben's split from Ella's mom Christine Taylor in May 2017.

Dad and daughter date: Ben Stiller attended a screening in New York of the movie First Man with his 16-year-old daughter Ella on Wednesday night

The Meet The Parents and Night At The Museum star wore a navy t-shirt with blue jeans and a black bomber jacket.

Ella opted for a sleeveless black outfit.

The teen accessorized with a couple of fine necklaces and pendant earrings.

In addition to Ella, Ben also shares son Quinlin, 13, with his ex.

Mingling: The pair were seen chatting with the film's director Damien Chazelle at the reception

Social whirl: Ben and Ella have been a regular fixture on red carpets following the actor's split from Ella's mom Christine Taylor in May 2017. They're seen with Jake Gyllenhaal last week

Ben, 52, and Christine, 47, were married for 17 years until their separation.

In announcing their decision to split, the emphasized their two children would remain their priority going forward.

'With tremendous love and respect for each other....we have made the decision to separate,' they said in a statement. 'Our priority will continue to be raising our children as devoted parents and the closest of friends.'
TOWIE's Yazmin Oukhellou enjoyed a boozy night on the town on Wednesday in the midst of her battle with severe depression.

The 24-year-old bleary-eyed reality star was joined by her boyfriend James Lock and his best friend Pete Wicks for a night at London's swanky Novikov restaurant, after which she was assisted out by her beau and in to a waiting cab.

Her night out comes after her return home from a retreat in Ibiza to help recover amid her recent emotional battle, which has seen her struggling and even breaking down on camera amid battles with pals.

Heading home: TOWIE's Yazmin Oukhellou enjoyed a boozy night on the town on Wednesday in the midst of her battle with severe depression

Following her getaway to work on her emotional state, she seemed overjoyed to be reunited with her beau during the night on the town.

Looking as though she had let her hair down, Yazmin appeared slightly bleary-eyed as she headed out of the swanky eatery with her co-star boyfriend.

While it is unknown if the brunette beauty was indulging in a drink on the night out, Pete shared various snaps on Instagram as he discussed his need for a drink.

Last week, Yazmin was pictured breaking down in tears as she visited the Holistic Bootcamp in Marbella with a source exclusively telling MailOnline that her mental health struggles are so bad she 'hasn't wanted to get out of bed.

Off we go: The 24-year-old bleary-eyed reality star was joined by her boyfriend James Lock and his best friend Pete Wicks for a night at London's swanky Novikov restaurant, after which she was assisted out by her beau and in to a waiting cab

Heading home: Her night out comes following her return home from a retreat in Ibiza to help recover amid her recent emotional battle, which has seen her struggling in recent weeks and even breaking down on camera amid battles with pals

Off we go: After helping her into the taxi, the couple sped off in their plush cab

Tough times: Last week, Yazmin was pictured breaking down in tears as she visited the Holistic Bootcamp in Marbella with a source exclusively telling MailOnline that her mental health struggles are so bad she 'hasn't wanted to get out of bed

They added that she has had the full support of James, as well as friends and family.

Only recently Yazmin had an explosive row with co-star Amber Turner, which saw her brand the brunette beauty 'disgusting' and 'pathetic' when she tried to apologise.

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.

Night out: She was clutching a stylish Louis Vuitton handbag and showing off her abs as she headed home

Out and about: While it is unknown if the brunette beauty was indulging in a drink on the night out, Pete shared various snaps on Instagram as he discussed his need for a drink

'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 (Lock) her boyfriend is behind her 100% and like her friends and family, just wants her to back to her old self and well again.'

If you've been affected by Yazmin's issues, please call Mind on 0300 123 3393 or text 86463.
She's married to one of the world's most famous comedians and likes to tap into her own humorous side on occasion.

And Isla Fisher certainly showed off her quick wit when she took to Instagram to pen a cheeky caption alongside a selfie with stunner Shanina Shaik, 27.

On Thursday, the 42-year-old actress gleefully posed beside the Victoria's Secret model for a black-and-white photo.

'I always like to pose next to someone fugly': Actress Isla Fisher shares a very cheeky selfie with Victoria's Secret model Shanina Shaik

'Instagram tip 1: to make myself look hot, I always like to pose next to someone fugly,' Isla jokingly wrote in the caption.

In the photo, The Now You See Me star candidly laughed as she cuddled up to Shanina, who looked stunning wearing a statement necklace.

Both beauties were pictured sporting flower crowns amid their curled tresses.

Celestial beauty: In another selfie posted earlier in the day, the mahogany-haired bombshell was pictured clad in a goddess-inspired ensemble while striking a sultry pose

A team of young men were seen posing behind the pair.

Earlier in the day, Isla took to Instagram to share another picture of herself at the event.

While striking a sultry pose and pouting her lips, the mahogany-haired bombshell was pictured clad in a goddess-inspired ensemble.

The Wedding Crashers star wore a white and royal purple dress teamed up with a sensational golden necklace.

'I just had my lips, nose and hand enlarged,' she comically wrote beside the post.

Funny! 'I just had my lips, nose and hand enlarged,' she comically wrote in the caption

The Australian actress is married to British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, 46.

The couple, who met in 2002 at a party in Sydney, Australia, wed in Paris in 2010.

Sacha and Isla share three childrenOlive, 10, and Elula, eight, and Montgomery, three.
Faye Tozer, 42, admitted she's got an unfair advantage on Strictly Come Dancing during her appearance on Lorraine on Thursday.

Also on the chat show, Giovanni Pernice  who appeared alongside his partner  begged 'confident' Theresa May to sign up to Strictly because she's got what it takes.

While Giovanni insisted Strictly is different to dancing for Steps, Faye confessed she could pick up routines more easily than her rivals who have less experience.

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'I have an advantage': Strictly's Faye Tozer admitted she's got an unfair advantage with her dance experience on Thursday... as Giovanni Pernice begged Theresa May to sign up to show

She confessed: 'Well do you know what I have an advantage to picking up routine. One, I'm so so glad they took me on the show because it's my dream.

'Two, the audience will let you know who they want to see. There will always be a few of us who have experience. I'm so chuffed to do it.'

Giovanni countered: 'When you dance on Strictly, it's completely different with feet and timing.'

The professional dancer also used his opportunity on the chat show to appeal to Theresa May after she was seen dancing onto the stage on Wednesday.

Hilarious: The professional dancer also used his opportunity on the chat show to appeal to Theresa May after she was seen dancing onto the stage on Wednesday

Dreams! Asked about the PM's moves, Giovanni said: 'Theresa May! I mean look at her, she's definitely got the walks! She's confident. Theresa, see you on Strictly!'

Challenges: While Giovanni insisted Strictly is different to dancing for Steps, Faye confessed she could pick up routines more easily than her rivals who have less experience

Asked about the PM's moves, Giovanni said: 'Theresa May! I mean look at her, she's definitely got the walks! She's confident. Theresa, see you on Strictly!'

Giovanni is a master of the dance, having sailed through to the final with both Debbie McGee and his ex love Georgia May-Foote.

Faye has proved to have a great track record on the showing having secured joint top place on week one and wowing judges with her Viennese Waltz on week two.

The Steps star bagged 31 points for her spine-tingling dance to a Man's Man's Man's World by Seal in her sexy scarlet number over the weekend.

Spine-tingling: Faye has proved to have a great track record on the showing having secured joint top place on week one and wowing judges with her Viennese Waltz on week two

Hard work: The Steps star bagged 31 points for her spine-tingling dance to a Man's Man's Man's World by Seal in her sexy scarlet number over the weekend

Skills: Giovanni is a master of the dance, having sailed through to the final with both Debbie McGee and his ex love Georgia May-Foote

Tough times: As well as her time in Steps, Faye has had pole dancing lessons for a theatre production but she claimed it was hard work

At the time, Bruno declared: 'Thriller of the week! After The Bodyguard, this was the most dramatic thing between a man and a woman on television. You acted it. You really acted it beautifully.'

As well as her time in Steps, Faye has had pole dancing lessons for a theatre production but she claimed it was hard work.

She said: 'I thought I was fit. I did a theatre show which is based around a pole dancing class. That's where the experience came from. I take my hat off to anyone who pole dances.'



Faye laid bare the catalogue of her Strictly injuries as she claimed she has got a number of bruises and her neck was suffering from 'whiplash'.

On the prowl: Faye cut a trendy figure in her leopard print skirt and heels when she posed up a storm at Lorraine

Looking suave: The professional Strictly dancer looked incredibly handsome when he arrived at the studios in his stone coloured suit

Keep going: She said: 'We've had a good start. It's been really exciting. We've worked so hard. Everything is ridiculous. I've got bruises. My neck is suffering from whiplash!'

She said: 'We've had a good start. It's been really exciting. We've worked so hard. Everything is ridiculous. I've got bruises. My neck is suffering from whiplash!'

Giovanni added: 'She's doing really really well! She worked hard. That's what the show is about commitment 100 per cent.'

Faye elaborated: 'Nothing but strictly. Six hours a day. Literally exercising all day and I've not drank so much coffee in my life. It's the hardest thing I've done, definitely.'

The couple will be dancing the Quickstep to Grease's You Are The One I Want for the famed movies themed dance at the weekend.

Exciting times ahead: The couple will be dancing the Quickstep to Grease's You Are The One I Want for the famed movies themed dance at the weekend

Stepping out: Faye and Giovanni were in high spirits as they left the ITV studios following their televised interview on Lorraine

Good times: The dancing duo gave a thumbs up to onlookers as they headed back
Victoria Lee turned heads at the unveiling of a brand new floor dedicated to shoes at David Jones in Sydney on Thursday.

The 27-year-old revealed her enviable figure in a pink mini dress that featured statement shoulder detail.

While sharing her fashion and beauty secrets at the event to Daily Mail Australia, the model said that her 'style is constantly evolving'.

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'My style is constantly evolving': Victoria Lee, 27, revealed her fashion and beauty secrets to Daily Mail Australia on Thursday, as she stunned in a pink mini dress at David Jones' shoe launch

Victoria posed in the slim-fit frock in front of a stunning floral display.

The blonde beauty's locks were styled in voluminous waves which cascaded down her delicate shoulders.

For makeup, she opted for bold lashes, a subtle hint of pink blush on her cheeks and a peach nude lip.

Luscious waves: Victoria's blonde tresses were styled in voluminous waves which cascaded down her delicate shoulders

Simply stunning: For makeup, she opted for bold lashes, a subtle hint of pink blush on her cheeks and a peachy nude lip

While at the event, Victoria shared her five must-have beauty products with Daily Mail Australia.

The catwalk queen swears by The Beauty Chef's Inner Glow Beauty Powder, Biologique Richerche Lait U Cleansing Milk, Equal Beauty Moisture Veil Mask, Sisley Paris Black Rose oil and Dermalogica's SPF 50+ Dynamic Skin moisturiser.

When it comes to her off-duty look, Victoria is a fan of 'comfortable Levi's 501 denim jeans, paired with a soft white T-shirt, sneakers and a cool pair of sunglasses'.

And in terms of current shoe trends, Victoria is 'obsessed' with the 'chunky sneaker trend', the 'modern take on the classic lady-like heel' and a 'loafer with the use of embellishments and updated shapes'.

Ambassador duties: Victoria was announced as an ambassador for high-end department store David Jones

But while she has her fashion staples, the David Jones ambassador says that her 'style is constantly evolving'.

Victoria emerged in the spotlight after walking for lingerie giant Victoria's Secret at the 2017 Shanghai Fashion Show.

Soon after starring in the show, Victoria was announced as an ambassador for high-end department store David Jones, following in the footsteps of Megan Gale and Miranda Kerr.

Speaking about her new role, she told The Daily Telegraph at the time: 'They're such inspirational women that I've looked up to.'
She gave birth to her first child with husband Jose Antonio Baston three months ago.

And Eva Longoria looked absolutely glowing as she made a glamorous statement at the Global Gift Gala red carpet at St Regis hotel in Mexico on Thursday.

The actress, 43, turned heads on the red carpet in her glittering gown with an extra layer of material lining the side of her figure.

Eyes on her! Eva Longoria, 43, looked absolutely glowing as she made a glamorous statement at the Global Gift Gala red carpet at St Regis hotel in Mexico on Thursday

Eva showed off her A-list style on the red carpet as she slipped her sensational physique into the eye-catching number.

The dress boasted glittering gold detailing atop a black semi-sheer underlay and extended to the sides for an added impact.

Proving strapless in design, the garment put focus on her sensational decolletage.

Glitzy: The actress turned heads on the red carpet in her glittering gown with an extra layer of material lining the side of her figure

Turning heads: The dress boasted glittering gold detailing atop a black semi-sheer underlay and extended to the sides for an added impact - with Ricky Martin

Sexy: Proving strapless in design, the garment put focus on her sensational decolletage

Eva's brunette tresses were styled back into a casual ponytail, while a few loose tendrils framed her striking features which were enhanced with smokey eyeshadow and bronzed cheekbones.

Eva and husband Jose, who married in May 2016 in Mexico, welcomed their first little bundle of joy, a boy named Santiago, in June.

'Just going on a new journey with him and being a witness to his life is pretty exciting,' she told E! News back in August.

Gorgeous: Eva's brunette tresses were styled back into a ponytail, while a few loose tendrils framed her features which were enhanced with smokey eyeshadow and bronzed cheekbones

Pals: The beauty was joined at the event by Ricky Martin who made for a very handsome display in a slick monochrome ensemble

Handsome: Ricky teamed a white blazer and matching shirt with black trousers, as well as a snazzy black bow-tie

Glamorous: Eva and Ricky posed alongside stunning Alina Gutierrez Peralta

Eva is the acting ambassador of the Global Gift Foundation- a charity that works to raise funds for foundations, charities and organisations that share its vision and aims.

Through events such as the various galas and fundraisers the charity funds several projects, including The Eva Longoria Foundation.

The charity, founded in 2012, aims to help Latinas build better futures through education and entrepreneurship, and confront the issue of poverty in their culture.

Beauties: Alina Peralta (L) and Chantal Torres (R) stunned in glamorous Princess style dresses

Edgy: Michelle Salas added to her white Grecian style gown with a deep grungy lip

Take the plunge: Sofia Castro (L) and Cecilia Suarez (R) opted for ensembles with a plunging neckline

Meanwhile, Eva was joined at the event by Ricky Martin who made for a very handsome display in a slick monochrome ensemble.

Ricky teamed a white blazer and matching shirt with black trousers, as well as a snazzy black bow-tie.

There was a whole host of other stylish attendees, including Chantal Torres, Michelle Salas and Daniela Magun.

Summery: Daniela Magun (L) and Esmeralda Pimentel (R) brought some colour to the red carpet

Statement: Martha Debayle opted for a unique outerwear with her black gown




She shares twin sons, Tom and Darcy, two, with her husband Chris Judd.

And Rebecca Judd, 35, had fans scratching their heads when she posted a picture on Instagram and asked her followers if they could 'spot the difference' between the two.

The picture saw the AFL WAG seated on a couch and cradling her adorable youngsters on her lap.

Can you spot the difference? Rebecca Judd, 35, shared a photo of her identical twin sons Tom and Darcy, 2, to Instagram on Thursday, and hilariously asked fans if they could work out their identities

Drawing attention to their same facial expressions, and obviously their remarkable similarities as twins, Rebecca hilariously wrote in the picture's caption: 'Spot the difference'.

Followers took to the comments section offering their thoughts, with most suggesting Darcy was pictured on the right and Tom on the left.

Her pride and joy: Rebecca often shares precious photos of Tom and Darcy to Instagram

Rebecca welcomed Tom and Darcy in September 2016.

The brunette beauty and retired AFL player Chris, are also proud parents to son Oscar, seven, and daughter Billie, four.

Working as a model, television presenter, author and brand ambassador, Rebecca told Who magazine in July how she juggles a career with motherhood.

Youngsters: Rebecca welcomed Tom and Darcy with husband Chris Judd, 35, in September 2016

Husband and wife: Rebecca told Who magazine in July how she juggles a career with motherhood: 'I have made sure I have two days in my week every week, during the Monday to Friday, that I have got off'. Pictured with husband Chris

'I have made sure I have two days in my week every week, during the Monday to Friday, that I have got off that I can do life errands, chill with the kids, do a bit of exercise,' she told the publication.

Rebecca added that she was working for almost seven days a week at one point - but has now reduced it to three.

'When I resigned from weather [presenting on TV] a few years ago, I was working weekends - and I never want to work weekends again. I need to prioritise weekends,' she said.
Jessica Hart has posed for a stunning, unretouched photo shoot for P.E Nation's latest collaboration with The Woolmark Company.

In the images released on Thursday, the 32-year-old former Victoria's Secret model showed off her flawless physique while posing in the stylish activewear.

The Australian beauty looked fit and fabulous as she modelled the 100 per cent natural, renewable and biodegradable Merino wool fibre clothing.

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Fit and fabulous! Victoria's Secret model Jessica Hart has flaunted her incredible physique in a campaign for activewear brand P.E Nation's latest collaboration with The Woolmark Company

The blonde glamazon flaunted her toned stomach and slender arms as she posed in a crop top and leggings.

Jessica's own cosmetics line Luma, which she founded in 2014, was the exclusive makeup partner for the photo shoot.

She sported a glowing complexion which appeared to consist of dewy foundation.

Glamazon: The Australian model looked sensational as she modelled the 100 per cent natural, renewable and biodegradable Merino wool fibre clothing

Jessica's starring role in the campaign comes after she revealed the surprisingly cheap beauty products she can't live without.

'[My routine] stays the same whether I'm travelling or not,' Jessica told Who in July.

As for her affordable essentials, she removes her makeup with Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Cleanser ($29.99), before washing her face with her own product, Luma Fresh Start Cleansing Gel ($29.95).

Unretouched: She showed off her toned stomach and slender arms in a crop top and leggings

Next, she spritzes her face with Nu Skin NaPCA Moisture Mist ($21.50) and applies Luma Brighten Up Beauty Serum ($39.95).

To complete her regimen, Jessica adds Lepaar Skin's Lip Balm ($45.00) to hydrate and protect her lips.

In terms of her everyday makeup essentials, the model is apparently 'really low maintenance'.

Collaboration: Jessica's own cosmetics line Luma, which she founded in 2014, was the exclusive makeup partner for the photo shoot

Radiant: She sported a glowing complexion which appeared to consist of dewy foundation

All natural: The photo shoot was completely unretouched

'One thing I always use is an eyelash curler,' she said, adding that she's not fussy about which brand so long as it does the trick.

As for how she achieves natural-looking eyelashes, Jessica explained that she holds the curler close to her eyelid and gives it a few 'pumps'.

As an advocate of natural beauty, she explained that she lives by the mantra of adding radiance and enhancing features, rather than concealing them.
Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins set off to New Calendonia to profess his love to either Brittany Hockley or Sophie Tieman during Thursday's grand finale.

And as the 30-year-old made his way to his Air Calin flight, eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice he had brought along with his ukulele.

Plenty of viewers took to Twitter to slam the Ex-Wallabies star for the move, including one who tweeted, 'Seeing Honey Badger with a ukulele has confirmed his w****r status.'

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'Seeing him with a ukulele confirms his w****r status!' Viewers have slammed Nick Cummins for bringing his ukulele with him to The Bachelor grand finale in New Caledonia

'I think I speak for everyone when I say: f**k off with your departure lounge ukulele, mate,' another added.

Someone else shared, 'What a d**k.'

'I don't want to speak for everyone, but I feel confident that a very large segment of the population would find someone loudly playing a ukulele on the moving walkway at the airport extremely unsexy,' wrote another.

'Umm whats with the ukulele?': Eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice he had brought along with his ukulele. Plenty of viewers took to Twitter to slam him for it, including one who tweeted, 'Seeing Honey Badger with a ukulele has confirmed his w****r status'

'The only thing worse than a crying baby on a international flight would be a ukulele,' another said.

Another Twitter-user pointed out how awkward he looked, and wrote, 'Just hanging at the airport with my Akubra and Uke.'

As someone else shared a similar sentiment, 'Umm whats with the ukulele???'.

Backlash: Plenty of viewers took to Twitter to slam him for it, including one who tweeted, 'Seeing Honey Badger with a ukulele has confirmed his w****r status'

Nick's ukulele first made an appearance on the show during his one on one time with former flame Cass Wood at a cocktail party.

She whisked him away to a candle-lit, Hawaiian set-up with two deck chairs and ukuleles on each seat.

The pair donned Aloha shirts and floral Leis, and sat down to an improvised song writing session that lead off-key singing.
Fans were left devastated when The Bachelor's Brooke Blurton dramatically exited the show during Wednesday night's episode.

But it seemed that the shock departure left the Queensland Police frustrated as well.

Taking to Twitter, the hilarious bunch seemingly mocked Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins by posting a comical drawing of the former Wallabies star.

WANTED! 'For serious errors of judgment and questionable facial hair': Queensland Police hilariously mocked Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins on Twitter

'Wanted: For serious errors of judgement and questionable facial hair,' The Queensland Police wrote on their official Twitter account.

Revealing their favourite contestant, they added the hashtag '#TeamBrooke'.

The drawing represented a man almost identical to Nick - sporting a suspiciously familiar mustache and curly mane.

Humorous side: Taking to Twitter, the hilarious bunch seemingly mocked Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins by posting a comical drawing of the former Wallabies star

'Do you recognise this man?' The Queensland Police penned alongside the sketch.

They hilariously added: 'Known alias: 'Honey Badger'.

Thousands of Australians gathered around television screens to watch the highly anticipated finale of The Bachelor on Thursday.

'Do you recognise this man? Known alias: 'Honey Badger,' The Queensland Police penned alongside the sketch

However, Nick has continued to ignore the finale while walking the Kokoda track in Papua New Guinea.

The Australian Kokoda Tours have been sharing blog posts from the groups in the jungle every day and Thursday evening's update failed to mention The Bachelor.

Despite the third update going live minutes before the finale started airing, it surprisingly didn't feature any message from Nick.
He's been keeping busy looking after his one-month-old daughter Isla, his first child with wife Ali Astall.

And it seemed like the sleepless nights are getting to Declan Donnelly, who looked a tad weary as he walked to work in London with pals on Wednesday.

The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! presenter, 43, went for a low-key look in a black sweater and jeans for the relaxed outing.

Sleepless nights getting to you? Declan Donnelly hid behind sunglasses during a stroll in London on Thursday... one month after birth of first child with Ali Astall

The Saturday Night Takeaway host completed his look with trainers and hid his eyes behind square-frame sunglasses.

Last week, Dec celebrated his 43rd birthday and was paid a visit by his best friend, as well as co-presenter, Ant McPartlin.

The Geordie entertainer also revealed he had received a birthday card from his daughter on Twitter that day.

He wrote: 'Ive had the loveliest of birthdays. I got a card from my 3 week old daughter, shes very advanced.

Sweet: Ant and Dec's official Twitter page confirmed Isla's birth earlier this month with a sweet snap their newborn daughter delicately holding her proud dad's hand

Keepoing it casual: The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! presenter, 43, went for a low-key look in a black sweater and jeans for the relaxed outing

'Although her handwriting looks suspiciously like that of the dog (I suspect he wrote it really) Anyhoo, thank you all for the lovely birthday messsges, youre bloody great D xx.'

Ant and Dec's official Twitter page confirmed Isla's birth earlier this month with a sweet snap their newborn daughter delicately holding her proud dad's hand.

An accompanying caption read: 'Ali and I are thrilled to announce the arrival of our baby girl, Isla Elizabeth Anne, who was born just after 9 o'clock this morning. Mother and daughter both doing well, Dad is head over heels! D x'

Dec confirmed he and Ali were to become parents in March with a sweet message shared on Twitter.

Cute couple: Ant and his Australian manager wife Ali, 40, welcomed Isla Elizabeth Anne in the beginning of September

Addressing pregnancy rumours at the time, the television host said: 'Just wanted to say thank you for all the lovely messages.

'The news has sneaked out a little earlier than we had hoped but Ali and I are delighted to be expecting our first child. Thanks for the love, we really appreciate it.'

Dec and Ali tied the knot in a stunning ceremony in his Newcastle hometown back in 2015 - just one year after the pair struck up a romance and moved in together.
She said she was 'devastated' after discovering her ex-boyfriend had sent explicit messages to other girls while they were dating.

And following their explosive split, Shelby Tribble and Pete Wicks look like they are set to come face-to-face as they headed to Sugar Hut to film scenes for TOWIE in Brentwood on Thursday.

The Plymouth beauty, 25, had moral support for her inevitable meeting with Pete, 29, walking into the club with best pal Clelia Theodorou.

Scorned ex: Shelby Tribble and Pete Wicks look like they are set to come face-to-face as she headed to Sugar Hut with Clelia Theodorou to film scenes in Brentwood on Thursday

Ahead of filming, Shelby rocked a pair black leggings and grey dappled t-shirt, which sheathed over her curves, while leather boots added a boost to her slim frame.

Opting for a glamorous make-up look, the reality star added extra volume to her brunette tresses with the help of a roller.

Clelia cut a casual figure in a grey oversized coat, skinny blue jeans and white trainers.

Awkward run-in: The pair narrowly missed arriving at the same time as Pete, who was in his signature garb, donning a grey cap and blue denim shirt for the occasion

Here come the girls: The Plymouth beauty, 25, had moral support for her inevitable meeting with Pete, 29, walking into the club with best pal Clelia

The pair narrowly missed arriving at the same time as Pete, who was in his signature garb, donning a grey cap and blue denim shirt for the occasion.

And it looks like Pete could be in for a tough time as Sam Mucklow was spotted heading to the Oktoberfest festivities.

The pair clashed after The Island star imitated the TOWIE newcomer, leaving Sam riled for not talking to him face-to-face.

Shelby and Pete's run-in comes after she admitted she was 'devastated' to find out that Pete had been sending sexually explicit messages with up to ten women.

Love rat: Shelby and Pete's run-in comes after she admitted she was 'devastated' to find out that Pete had been sending sexually explicit messages with up to ten women

Enemies: It looks like Pete could be in for a tough time as Sam Mucklow was spotted heading to the Oktoberfest festivities

Getting glammed up: Ahead of filming, Shelby rocked a pair black leggings and grey dappled t-shirt, which sheathed over her curves, while leather boots added a boost to her slim frame

Speaking candidly with The Sun, the reality star said: 'I was devastated, I thought he was The One but after reading those texts I was left heartbroken.'

She continued: 'He was sexting another girl and talking about joining the Mile High Club with her.

'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.'

Pete, who did the same thing while with ex Megan McKenna, had been messaging the women on Instagram, and Shelby found out about their exchanges when she looked on his phone before they left for their trip.

Shelby didn't hold back on TOWIE either, as she blasted her former beau and co-star for his actions.

Talking to her pals, Clelia and Yazmin Oukhellou, during a girls' lunch, the model revealed that he had sent 'disgusting' messages to other girls and that he even 'used her' before their explosive split.

Broken-hearted girl: Speaking candidly about the break up, the reality star said: 'I was devastated, I thought he was The One but after reading those texts I was left heartbroken'

She said: 'I've not heard from him since the festival. That night, I heard he went to a strip club.'

An upset Shelby added: 'I just feel like he's used me. Those messages are disgusting. I don't care if he says we weren't official. We've been seeing each other for five months, we've been inseparable for five months.'

While Yazmin expressed her shock over the revelations, as she said: 'I don't know what the hell is wrong with him at the minute.'

Stylish: Clelia cut a casual figure in a grey oversized coat, skinny blue jeans and white trainers

Meanwhile , Pete revealed to close friend Chloe Sims that there was 'something' missing between him and Shelby, despite her being the type of woman he'd like to settle down with.

And after the conversation, the TOWIE veteran decided to meet up with Shelby to talk things over, which resulted in an explosive row between the pair.

With Pete revealing: 'I cannot give you want you want' and that there was 'something missing' between them.

And Shelby did not react well to her former beau's choice of words as she told him he was 'selfish', to 'grow the f**k up' and that they were done.
She is set to put on her skates and take to the rink after signing up to the upcoming series on Dancing On Ice.

And Gemma Collins proved she had already embraced the sequins and glitter as she dressed-up her boutique for Christmas on Thursday.

The TOWIE star, who cut a glamorous figure in a black cape, was left shocked when Kim Kardashian's BFF Jonathan Cheban, 44, made a surprise visit to the store to help film scenes for TOWIE.

Gemma Collins proved she had already embraced the sequins and glitter as she dressed-up her boutique for Christmas on Thursday

Gemma dressed her curvaceous figure in the all-black ensemble, teasing a glimpse of her ample cleavage in the low-cut black top.

The reality star proved she had expensive taste, donning a pair of 200 pink Givenchy sliders while toting a 950 Louis Vuitton grey checkered shopper bag.

Styling her platinum blonde locks in a tumbled curls, Gemma amped up the glamour with a smoky black eye-shadow, dramatic eyelashes and a pink lipstick.

The TOWIE star, who cut a glamorous figure in a black cape, was left shocked when Kim Kardashian's BFF Jonathan Cheban, 44, made a surprise visit to the store

Glam: Gemma dressed her curvaceous figure in an all-black ensemble, teasing a glimpse of her ample cleavage in the low-cut black top

Festive mood: The star was busy behind the till as she set up the shop for Christmas, much to Jonathan's annoyance it seems

Going, going, gone! Jonathan made his arrival known as he dropped a Christmas tree outside of her boutique

Personalised: Jonathan showed off his signature style with a waxwork jacket with his Instagram name 'Food God' emblazoned on the back

Reunited! Sharing a snap of Kim Kardashian's BFF on her pink glittery counter, she wrote,; 'When the @foodgod surprises you @gemc_boutique'

It's October! Jonathan surprised Gemma with the visit but seemed annoyed she had already dressed the shop up in Christmas decorations

Gemma took to Instagram to share her amazement at Jonathan popping in to see her shop in her hometown of Brentwood.

Sharing a snap of Kim Kardashian's BFF on her pink glittery counter, she wrote,; 'When the @foodgod surprises you @gemc_boutique'.

Gemma and Jonathan met on the 2016 series of Celebrity Big Brother, yet their friendship hasn't always been plain sailing as she previously put him on a 'time out' as he failed to spend any time with her last time he was in the UK.

Designer gear: The reality star proved she had expensive taste, donning a pair of 200 pink Givenchy sliders and toted a 950 Louis Vuitton grey checkered shopper bag

In her element: The Masterchef contestant chatted away to a shopper inside the store

Friendship: Gemma and Jonathan met on the 2016 series of Celebrity Big Brother

The surprise visit comes after Gemma was spotted putting on a loved-up display with boyfriend James 'Arg' Argent on Wednesday as they filmed festive TOWIE scenes at her boutique.

The Masterchef contestant could barely keep her hands off her 30-year-old man as they beamed outside her store for the Christmas filming, after Arg made the surprise revelation that she was prettier than ex Lydia during an appearance on Your Face Or Mine.

The couple's romance looks to be going from strength to strength after they reunited following a slew of on-again off-again breakups.

Falling-out: Their friendship hasn't always been plain sailing as she previously put him on a 'time out' as he failed to spend any time with her last time he was in the UK.

Getting to know the scene: Earlier in the day Jonathan was spotted out and about in Essex

Just weeks ago Gemma exclusively told MailOnline about her romance with Arg, saying: 'You know what, he is also doing so so well, I cant tell you. We are very happy, we've just come back from a wedding and holiday in Mallorca, we have had the most wonderful time.'

She added: 'Im very in love and very happy, honey, were in a great, great place. Hes doing really well, we are stronger than ever.

'You know what, Im really happy if Im being honest, Im in love. Its all worth it when you come out the other side, you know.'

'Obviously we have to take a day at a time, Ive got to say, hes really trying and he's doing absolutely amazing. We're just so in love, its like were kids againit's the first time in a very long time that I'm very happy at the moment.'

In love: The surprise visit comes after Gemma was spotted putting on a loved-up display with boyfriend James 'Arg' Argent on Wednesday

Catching up: The pair, who have both appeared on Celebs Go Dating, were deep in conversation

Hugging it out: The CBB pals were in high spirits as they said goodbye to one another

Stepping out: Georgia Kousoulou was putting on a stylish display in a denim and tweed jacket
She celebrated the launch of her new chocolate collaboration at her London flagship store on Wednesday evening.

And Victoria Beckham revealed just how much she had creating the tasty range as she shared a playful clip of herself larking around with renowned Belgian chocolatier Pierres Marcolini on Instagram on Thursday.

The fashion designer, 44, cited Forrest Gump's famed 'life is like a box of chocolates' line and even made a saucy innuendo as she attempted to whisk up a batch of the 35 a box delicious treats with Pierres' help.

Victoria Beckham revealed just how much she had creating her new chocolate range as she shared a playful clip of herself larking around with renowned Belgian chocolatier on Instagram on Thursday

Scrubbing down the surfaces, Victoria proclaims: 'Life is like a box of chocolates you never know what you're gonna get.'

The clip then cuts to the former Spice Girl voicing concerns that her mixture isn't looking quite as smooth as Pierres', quipping: 'I'm whisking. I've noticed mine's much more frothy than yours.'

Advising her to adopt a more gentle approach, Victoria cheekily retorts: 'I was a bit too rampant.'

'I was too rampant': The fashion designer, 44, cited Forest Gump's famed 'life is like a box of chocolates' line and even made a saucy innuendo as she whisked up the treats

The duo have created a limited-edition box of 16 low-sugar chocolates, which retail at a pricey 35, with the heart-shaped treats being as easy on the eye as they are the taste buds.

Chocolatier Pierres prides himself on meticulously sourcing ingredients from local producers all over the world and that's certainly evident in his collaboration with Victoria.

The chocolates are made from the finest of cocoa beans, with mandarin pulp and passion fruit vinegar being among the other exotic ingredients used.

Name that movie! Scrubbing down the surfaces, Victoria proclaims: 'Life is like a box of chocolates you never know what you're gonna get'

Delcious: The duo have created a limited-edition box of 16 low-sugar chocolates, which retail at 35, with the heart-shaped treats being as easy on the eye as they are the taste buds

The treats, which are available at Victoria's Dover Street store and Pierres' website, are just one of the many ways the star is marking the tenth anniversary of her fashion line.

She captioned the clip: 'More #VBSince08 10th Anniversary celebrations! So excited to have partnered with the amazing @pierremarcolini to design a limited-edition box of 16 (low sugar!) chocolate hearts in Paris.

'Pierre Marcolini Les Coeurs De Victoria Beckham to mark our birthday - available to purchase at #VBDoverSt and on marcolini.com tomorrow xx Kisses VB.'

Only the best! Chocolatier Pierres prides himself on meticulously sourcing ingredients from local producers all over the world and that's certainly evident in his collaboration with Victoria
She's used to modeling the finest clothes from luxury brands.

But Irina Shayk was caught in a considerably more casual moment before getting to work on a photo shoot in New York Wednesday.

The partner of Bradley Cooper, 32, looked comfortable in a plush white robe and matching slippers as she walked around the Midtown location with assistants and stylists in tow.

Under wraps: Irina Shayk hid a designer outfit underneath a cozy robe while out in New York Wednesday

But underneath the white robe, Irina was hiding a sparkling black dress, likely under wraps for the sake of the photoshoot.

It appeared like one of her people had a matching jacket ready for when the cameras clicked.

While her outfit was still being styled, the Russia-born was in full glam.

Relaxing: The Russian beauty looked comfortable in a plush white robe and matching slippers

Hidden treasure! Underneath the white robe, Irina was hiding a sparkling black dress

Tying it all together: It appeared like one of her people had a matching jacket ready for when the cameras clicked

Beauty: While her outfit was still being styled, the Russia-born was in full glam

Best tressed: Her light brown locks were twisted into a loose chignon for a touch of subtle elegance

She glowed with a natural beauty look which featured well-groomed brows and pouty nude lips.

Her light brown locks were twisted into a loose chignon for a touch of subtle elegance.

During a few quiet moments before the shoot the she was seen texting.

Mobile: During a few quiet moments before the shoot the she was seen texting

Squad: The partner of Bradley Cooper, 32, walked around the Midtown location with assistants and stylists in tow

Then she was ready for her close-up, carrying a bottle of coconut water under her arm while heading off.

While the mother-of-one makes her money in front of the camera, she admitted she doesn't think about being a 'supermodel' during a chat with People in September.

'It means nothing. I'm just a human being,' she said.

Super what? While the mother-of-one makes her money in front of the camera, she admitted she doesn't think about being a 'supermodel' during a chat with People in September

'I don't wake up in hair and makeup and high heels. I literally love to wear the most comfortable clothes ever and sometimes when my agent sees me, he's like, "Irina, this is not okay." And I'm like, "This is me."

'I don't wake up and say, "Oh my god I'm so perfect." I wake up and say, "Maybe it's time to go to the gym, I have cellulite."

'I'm very critical of myself,' the beauty continued.

Understated: 'I don't wake up in hair and makeup and high heels. I literally love to wear the most comfortable clothes ever and sometimes when my agent sees me, he's like, "Irina, this is not okay." And I'm like, "This is me."

It's a sign! 'I feel like once you get too comfortable that's the day you go down. I'm a Capricorn so I love to push myself to do better'

'I feel like once you get too comfortable that's the day you go down. I'm a Capricorn so I love to push myself to do better.'

Irina's partner Bradley Cooper is just about to release his directorial debut.

A Star Is Born comes out Friday October 6 in the US and UK.
Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas has stripped naked to pose with a shark as she joins several other stars in a campaign against overfishing.

The 29-year-old model had her incredible physique on full display in the artistic black and white snap with the smooth-hound shark.

Joining Cressida in the campaign are Downton Abbey star Elizabeth McGovern and Michael Jackson's daughter Paris, who also appear alongside the underwater creatures in the environmental campaign.

Supportive: Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas has stripped naked to pose with a smooth-hound shark as she joins several other stars in a campaign against overfishing

Speaking about the campaign, Cressida told the Evening Standard she believes it's important to raise awareness of overfishing, as it continues to bring an end to a variety of marine life.

She said: 'Unsustainable fishing practices are not only destroying our beautiful marine life, but also hurting coastal communities, jobs and the people that depend on our oceans.

'I'm very proud to be part of this Fishlove campaign to raise awareness for the cause and to do my small part to try to put an end to overfishing, before it's too late.'

The smooth-hound shark is currently ranked as a vulnerable species in regards to conservation, and can grow to a staggering size of two metres.

Meanwhile 20-year-old Paris shows off an array of edgy tattoos as she poses in full colour alongside the opah fish, which is considered one of very few fish to be warm-blooded.

Important: Michael Jackson's daughter Paris also showed off her edgy sense of style as she embraces a giant opah fish in the campaign

And Downton Abbey star Elizabeth, 57, showed off her ageless beauty as she posed face-to-face with a mackerel, which has long been considered an at risk fish thanks to its mass sale in food production.

Plenty of stars have got involved in the campaign against over-fishing, pushing the European Union governments to end destructive fishing practices across the world by 2020.

Other actors pledging their support include Sean Penn and Josh Brolin and actress Greta Scacchis daughter Leila George.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 60 per cent of fish stocks are currently fished to their maximum sustainable limit.

This is the photo campaign's 10th year in circulation, and has previously seen other stars pledge their support such as Gillian Anderson, Sir Richard Branson and Helena Bonham Carter, who famously posed naked with a 27kg tuna in 2015.
Kylie Jenner has a new line of colors from Kylie Cosmetics just in time for Halloween.

And on Thursday the 21-year-old self-made billionaire shared the new vampy looks - which go on sale October 12 - that she modeled herself in a series of slick images.

The mother to Stormi Webster took to social media to present the photos which are some of her more startling in recent months.

Show time! Kylie Jenner has a new line of colors from Kylie Cosmetics just in time for Halloween. And on Thursday the 21-year-old self-made billionaire shared the new vampy looks that she modeled herself in a series of slick images

An October mood: The mother to Stormi Webster took to social media to present the photos which are some of her more startling in recent months

Kylie posed in a strapless black top with a sweetheart neckline that showed off plenty of her chest.

And the Calabasas, California native slicked back her light pink locks with dark roots to show off her face well.

The Life Of Kylie star had on yellow eye shadow with pink by the brow line, plenty of mascara and heavily filled in eyebrows, which made her look ready for a Halloween party.

The lipstick was a light matte pink that went with her blush.

Thrilled with it all: The siren's caption read: 'HALLOWEEN COLLECTION 18 thank you so much for the love! its such an amazing feeling working on something for so long and to finally show you guys and you LOVE it!!'

Trick or treat? The Life Of Kylie star had on yellow eye shadow with pink by the brow line, plenty of mascara and heavily filled in eyebrows, which made her look ready for a Halloween party

Plenty of fall shades: There were orange, green, yellow, purple and peach colors

Large gold hoop earrings screamed glamour.

The siren's caption read: 'HALLOWEEN COLLECTION 18 thank you so much for the love! its such an amazing feeling working on something for so long and to finally show you guys and you LOVE it!! this have been such a fun collection to create!! check it out if you havent already in my stories! launching 10/12.'

This comes after she shared a bikini photo for her fans in Miami on Tuesday. The girlfriend of Travis Scott revealed a very slender and toned bikini body.

Two piece: Jenner was enjoying some time off with her daughter Stormi in Miami on Tuesday. She shared this image in the late afternoon

Her caption was a lighting rod and a cloud.

The beauty, who now has blonde/pink hair, wore a beige or olive green two piece that consisted of a bandeau top and high-waited briefs.

Jenner added unusual looking sunglasses that looked to be inverted cat eyes. Kylie had on a diamond ring, a gold ring and a bracelet.

Behind her were cumulus clouds with a light blue sky.

Earlier it was all about Stormi.

The reality star watched the sunset while cradling her seven-month-old daughter and shared the moment to Instagram with three photos.

'you are my happy place' the 21-year-old star captioned the snaps.

Happy mommy: Jenner shared a special moment with daughter Stormi on Monday night enjoying a Miami sunset

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star is seen with her pink-blonde locks loose as she pulls Stormi in close for a cuddle.

The duo appear to be standing on a balcony overlooking a beach with baby Stormi wearing a pink T-shirt and pants set.

In one snap, showing the mother-daughter duo from behind, Stormi wears a white bib hinting that the snap was taken just after dinner.

Meanwhile Kylie's mother Kris Jenner revealed she helped deliver Stormi back in February.

Tender moment: The doting mom snuggled her little girl as they stood on a balcony overlooking the ocean
Paris Hilton and finance Chris Zylka are heading out of town, but they didn't leave without her beloved Chihuahua Diamond Baby.

Hilton, 37, and Zylka, 33, were spotted at the airport on Wednesday night, with the couple seemingly traveling light.

While Zylka pulled their luggage behind him, Hilton carried her beloved pooch, wrapped in a small blanket.

On the go: Paris Hilton and fiancee Chris Zylka are spotted at the airport with beloved chihuahua Diamond Baby

Hilton was wearing a blue and red dress, with black shoes and stylish shades, with a dark blue purse dangling from her arm.

Zylka sported a more casual look, wearing a loose navy blue hoodie, black jogging pants and grey shoes.

The Leftovers star was also wearing a hat from his old stomping grounds, Howland High School near his hometown of Warren, Ohio.

Paris and Chris: Hilton was wearing a blue and red dress, with black shoes and stylish shades, with a dark blue purse dangling from her arm

While the happy couple were originally planning on getting married on November 11, Hilton told People in August that they are pushing the wedding to 2019.

'The 11/11 thing was never a set date,' Hilton said, adding the date was picked because she always says to make a wish at 11:11 for good luck.

When both Hilton and Zylka realized they're going to be 'working nonstop till New Year's,' they decided to push the wedding into next year.

Smile for the camera: While the happy couple were originally planning on getting married on November 11, Hilton told People in August that they are pushing the wedding to 2019

Page Six reported in August that the wedding was pushed to May 2019, giving Hilton more time to plan, but no date has been officially announced yet.

Hilton will he heading to Australia in November to launch her 24th perfume, dubbed Platinum Rush.

Zylka stars in the drama The Life and Death of John F. Donovan, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

Hilton posted a photo of Zylka on Instagram in September, stating she was, 'proud to be with you here at The Toronoto Film Festival for the premiere of your new film #TheDeathAndLifeOfJohnFDonovan.'

The socialite also posted a photo of herself with a camel on Instagram Wednesday, stating, 'I love Dubai.'

On Thursday, she posted a #TBT video from her time in Germany at Oktoberfest.
The great and good of the celebrity world descended in London to support Breast Cancer Care's annual fundraising fashion show.

And Claudia Winkleman was dressed to impress as she arrived at the charity event which was held in association with Dorothy Perkins on Thursday.

The presenter, 46, was the picture of elegant chic as she stepped out in the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel in an all-blue ensemble.

Elegant: Claudia Winkleman looked chic in blue as she joined Dawn O'Porter at Breast Cancer Care's charity fashion show on Thursday

Claudia tucked in a sleek button-up shirt into matching navy suit trousers, while she completed her look with a pair of pointed suede heels.

The Strictly Come Dancing host styled her brunette locks into a messy, straight style while her bold fringe framed her face well.

She highlighted her sunkissed skin with a glamorous palette of make-up, and wore smokey eye shadow and a nude lipstick for a stunning look.

Dressed to impress: Claudia tucked in a sleek button-up shirt into matching navy suit trousers, while she completed her look with a pair of pointed suede heels

Stylish: The Strictly Come Dancing host styled her brunette locks into a messy, straight style while her bold fringe framed her face well

For a good cause: The annual fundraising fashion show saw 32 models who were recently diagnosed with breast cancer step out onto the catwalk in dazzling ensembles

Dawn O'Porter showed off her eccentric taste in fashion as she stepped out in an off-white jumpsuit that was adorned with unicorns.

She paired her striking ensemble with a pair of white slip-on shoes, and kept her accessories to a minimum.

The presenter styled her cropped brunette locks into a sleek bob, and wore a slick of black eyeliner to make her brown eyes pop.

Unique: Dawn O'Porter showed off her eccentric taste in fashion as she stepped out in an off-white jumpsuit that was adorned with unicorns

Looking good: The presenter styled her cropped brunette locks into a sleek bob, and wore a slick of black eyeliner to make her brown eyes pop

Striking: Victoria Derbyshire dazzled in a blue reflective fown, which had a light pink trim across the sleeves and hem

Sparkle: She accentuated her sparkling attire with a pair of silver heeled sandals, while she offset her bright attire by wearing dark red nail polish

Empowering: Victoria seemed to be giving a powerful speech as she hosted the event

Victoria Derbyshire dazzled in a blue reflective fown, which had a light pink trim across the sleeves and hem.

She accentuated her sparkling attire with a pair of silver heeled sandals, while she offset her bright attire by wearing dark red nail polish.

Denise Lewis looked sensational in a satin wrap-front dress, which she paired with a fuchsia coat and matching shoes.

While Gogglebox star Amy Tapper also made a glamorous entrance at the event in a halterneck black gown.

Pretty in pink: Denise Lewis looked sensational in a satin wrap-front dress, which she paired with a fuchsia coat and matching shoes

Glam: While Gogglebox star Amy Tapper also made a glamorous entrance at the event in a halterneck black gown

Suited and booted: Danielle Armstrong looked stunning in a form-fitting waistcoat and white trousers which had a black racer stripe on the sides

Pretty: TOWIE star Lydia Bright looked striking in a pink cable-knit mini dress, which she paired with a heart-shaped bag and purple peep-toe heels

TOWIE star Lydia Bright looked striking in a pink cable-knit mini dress, which she paired with a heart-shaped bag and purple peep-toe heels.

X Factor winner Joe McElderry stepped out onto the runway to give a powerful performance for the guests.

The show then went into full swing as 32 models, who were recently diagnosed with breast cancer, stepped out onto the catwalk in dazzling ensembles.

Singing away: X Factor winner Joe McElderry stepped out onto the runway to give a powerful performance for the guests

Powerful: Cassidy Janson also sang her heart out on stage at the event

Boyband: The Overtones showed off their musical prowess at the event

Dazzling: One model looked stunning in her sparkling pink gown

Florals: Another model looked stylish in her black and red dress, which had a poppy design
She's a multi-award winning actress who first found fame when she was still a teen.

And now, Keira Knightley has revealed that she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after having a mental breakdown aged 22, admitting that she found leaving the house a 'battle'.

The actress - now 33 - was speaking to The Hollywood Reporter's podcast when she opened up about the extent to which the unremitting interest in her daily life had affected her health.

Candid: Keira Knightley, 33, has revealed that she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after having a mental breakdown aged 22

The Pirates Of The Caribbean star spoke candidly of her experience adjusting to life under paparazzi flashlights, while still a teenager.

Keira admitted that, even at a young age, she was painfully aware that photographers would get bigger paychecks for snaps of female stars - or their loved ones - reacting negatively to their constant presence.

'It was big money to get pictures of women falling apart,' she said, later adding: 'So there was a sense of battle every day leaving the house.'

Keira also opened up about having a mental breakdown, suffering with panic attacks, and being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after struggling with the overwhelming pressures of fame at such a young age.

Therapy: The actress revealed that she underwent hypnotherapy ahead of for her 2008 BAFTAs red carpet appearance (pictured) to ensure that she wouldn't have a panic attack

Honest: She said: 'I did have a mental breakdown at 22, so I did take a year off there and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder because of all of that stuff'

The Love Actually actress revealed that she underwent hypnotherapy ahead of for her 2008 BAFTAs red carpet appearance, where she was nominated for Atonement, to ensure that she wouldn't have a panic attack.

She said: 'I did have a mental breakdown at 22, so I did take a year off there and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder because of all of that stuff.

What is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events. People with PTSD often suffer nightmares and flashbacks to the traumatic event and can experience insomnia and an inability to concentrate. Symptoms are often severe enough to have a serious impact on the persons day-to-day life, and can emerge straight after the traumatic event or years later. PTSD is thought to affect about one in every three people who have a traumatic experience, and was first documented in the First World War in soldiers with shell shock. People who are worried they have PTSD should visit their GP, who could recommend a course of psychotherapy or anti-depressants, the NHS say. Combat Stress operate a 24-hour helpline for veterans, which can be reached on 0800 138 1619. Advertisement

'I went deep into therapy and all of that, and she [the therapist] said, "It's amazing  I normally come in here and have people that think people are talking about them and they think that they're being followed, but actually they're not. You're the first person that actually that is happening to!"'

Knightley first came to national attention as Jules Paxton in the film Bend It Like Beckham in 2002, when she was just 17.

The next year, she firmly cemented herself as an international star as she took on leading roles in Pirates of the Caribbean alongside Johnny Depp and Love Actually, which also starred Hugh Grant.

Keira's most recent film project is the upcoming biopic Colette - in which she plays the titular author - set for release in UK cinemas on 25 January 2019.

The movie, directed by Wash Westmoreland, from a screenplay by Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer, based upon the life of the French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette.

Her husband, Henry Gauthier-Villars, portrayed by Dominic West in the film, introduces Colette to bohemian Paris, and upon discovering her talents persuades her to write the Claudine series of novels under his name.

The phenomenal success of their novel launch Willy and Colette into stardom, becoming the first modern celebrity couple - but it comes with a price.

With the lack of recognition eating away at Colette, she decides to take matters into her own hands - both emotionally and artistically.

Fame: In 2003 she firmly cemented herself as an international star as she took on a lead roles in Pirates of the Caribbean alongside Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom (pictured)

Leading lady: The same year, Keira also appeated in Love Actually, which starred Hugh Grant (Pictured with co-star Chiwetel Ejiofor)

Exploring her sexuality and gender, Colette enters into a steamy tryst with socialite Georgie Raoul-Duval, played by Poldark's Eleanor Tomlinson.

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January ahead of a TIFF screening this week.

Wash Westmoreland co-wrote the film with his late partner/husband Richard Glatzer. The film also stars Fiona Shaw, Denise Gough, Elinor Tomlinson and Aiysha Hart.
Chris Evans has said Avengers 4 has wrapped filming - and confirmed he will no longer be playing Captain America.

The 37-year-old actor - who starred as Steve Rogers and his crime fighting alter-ego in the Marvel ensemble movie franchise - took to Twitter on Thursday to reveal the fourth and last of the series has officially wrapped filming.

Chris also shared an emotional note to his fellow cast mates, which include Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffallo as The Hulk, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.

Done: Chris Evans has said Avengers 4 has wrapped filming - and confirmed he will no longer be playing Captain America. Seen in 2016

Early days: The actor, 37, in full costume for Avengers - Age Of Ultron in 2015

Evans said it was an 'honour' to play the role for almost a decade.

He wrote on his social media account: 'Officially wrapped on Avengers 4. It was an emotional day to say the least.

'Playing this role over the last 8 years has been an honor. To everyone in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in the audience, thank you for the memories! Eternally grateful.'

The actor had previously eluded to having retired the character in an interview earlier this year, which quoted him as saying: 'You want to get off the train before they push you off.'

A tough role: Evan is seen here in Avenger's Infinity War with Danai Gurira, Chadwick Boseman, Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan, which was released earlier this year

Chris first played Captain America in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger, before reprising the role in two sequels.

And he did the previous three Avengers movies, as well as several cameo roles in the stories of other Marvel superheroes.

Meanwhile, Hemsworth recently revealed Avengers 4 will be 'even more shocking' than Avengers: Infinity War.

The family: Andy Serkis, Jeremy Renner, Paul Bettany, Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Evans, Elizabeth Olsen, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo in 2015

He said: 'If you were shocked by [Infinity War], I think the second one is even more shocking, for other reasons entirely.

'That's what kind of blew me away the first time I read both scripts, is how they managed to orchestrate so many different characters but give them each their own separate shot and moments, and have it be elevated and feel fresh and unique - not just like a messy, thrown-together assembly of these guys.'
Ben Affleck has broken his silence after completing 40 days in rehab for alcohol addiction.

The 46-year-old actor - who was seen heading to a therapy session with a friend in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon - shared a statement to his 4m followers on Instagram about his battle to remain sober.

'This week I completed a forty day stay at a treatment center for alcohol addiction and remain in outpatient care,' he wrote. Ben then thanked his family for their support as he battles his 'illness.' And the Live By Night star made it clear that he will always be in treatment and it's a 'full-time commitment.'

Trying his best: Ben Affleck was seen in LA on Thursday before he broke his silence about his 40-day visit to rehab

Sincere: The Batman v Superman actor shared the long and heartfelt statement on social media

Ben added, 'I am fighting for myself and my family.' And he made it clear he is 'grateful' to those who are there for him.

'So many people have reached out on social media and spoken about their own journeys with addiction. To those people, I want to say thank you. Your strength is inspiring and is supporting me in ways I didn't think was possible.

'It helps to know I am not alone. As I've had to remind myself, if you have a problem, getting help is a sign of courage, not weakness or failure.'

He ended his statement with: 'I hope down the road I can offer an example to others who are struggling.'

It was his estranged wife Jennifer Garner who took him in for help in August. Together they have three children: Violet, 12, Seraphina, nine, and Samuel, six.

Committed: 'This week I completed a forty day stay at a treatment center for alcohol addiction and remain in outpatient care,' he wrote. He then thanked his family for his support as he battles his 'illness'

His mate: Just before Ben released his statement, his girlfriend Shauna Sexton was seen flashing her sports bra as she went hiking in Los Angeles. The 22-year-old Playboy model looked very fit.

On Thursday, the Argo director looked more muscular than usual as he filled out a khaki safari shirt and black leather jacket.

Affleck also had on beige slacks with black sneakers and aviator sunglasses while holding onto a Dunkin' Donuts soda.

The Oscar winner was also walking with another man who wore a plaid shirt and dark slacks.

They were seem in a parking lot and both wore serious expressions.

His best: And he made it clear that he will always be in treatment and it's a 'full-time commitment'

He wants to be an example: He ended his statement with: 'I hope down the road I can offer an example to others who are struggling'

Just before Ben released his statement, his girlfriend Shauna Sexton was seen flashing her sports bra as she went hiking in Los Angeles.

The 22-year-old Playboy model looked very fit.

It seems Ben and Shauna have been dating since he split from SNL producer Lindsay Shookus.

This post from Ben comes after Garner filed new documents to speed up the divorce process with the hopes of having all the paperwork settled by the end of the year, according to TMZ.

They are civil: Ben and Jennifer seen on Wednesday in LA with their three kids; she has asked for her divorce to be sped up

Garner has asked that the divorce be taken out of the court system, which has been reportedly 'moving slowly.'

And she would like the case to be handled by a private judge, who can move it along faster, it was claimed.

But the real reason the divorce has been moving so slowly is not the court's fault, it was but claimed, but rather has to do with the family.

Sources tell the site that Jennifer has not sped up the divorce because she did not want to deal with custody issues of their children while Ben was still drinking.

The insider was not very specific about when Affleck was drinking, but it appears to have been on and off with the Batman v Superman star for years.

Ben now he appears to be doing well after his rehab visit as he has shown off a much more fit physique.

And now that the Good Will Hunting star is doing better, Garner thinks it's the perfect time to settle their divorce, it was alleged.

His old love: Ben has already moved on romantically. He was dating Lindsay Shookus, a producer at SNL, for about one year. They split this summer. Seen in 2017 with Jeff Garlin, Charissa Thompson and Larry David

Good lady: She also spends time on charitable causes, like visiting children that have been at a disadvantage. Earlier this week she spent time with Save The Children

She wants the divorce to be finalized by the end of the year, it was claimed.

The Alias vet filed for divorce in April 2017 but they have been separated since June 2015.

Garner does not appear to have dated anyone and seems to be focusing on parenting as well as her career: her last film was the action-packed drama Peppermint.

She also spends time on charitable causes, like visiting children that have been at a disadvantage. This weekend she spent time with Save The Children.

Ben and Jennifer seem to be on good terms; on Sunday they were seen with their kids attending church services in Los Angeles.
She launched her now successful modelling career as a teenager.

So it's no wonder Adriana Lima commanded attention as she filmed a Maybelline commercial in New York City on Thursday.

The catwalk queen, 37, had all eyes on her as she worked her magic in a head-turning pair of nude PVC trousers and matching turtleneck.

Turning heads! Adriana Lima dazzled as she filmed a Maybelline commercial in New York City on Thursday

Adriana had passerby in the palm of her hand as she strutted down the street in a pair of sexy nude sling backs while flinging her matching coat over her shoulder.

The star's jet black hair were worn down in loose, cascading waves, and her complexion popped out with a smoky coat of shadow and blush.

Even though the catwalk queen was hard at work, it's clear Adriana was having a good time.

The star looked giddy as she jumped up into the air and joyfully raised her arms up.

Work! The model rocked a pair of nude PVC trousers and a matching turtleneck

City girl: The 37-year-old cut a chic and sophisticated figure in her all-nude look

Jump for joy! The star looked giddy as she jumped up into the air and joyfully raised her arms up

With her stunning looks and incredible physique, it's clear to see why Adriana was named the spokesperson for Maybelline back in 2003.

She worked for the brand from 2003 to 2009, but rejoined in 2014.

Adriana has recently announced another new partnership - this time with sports wear company Puma.

Strike a pose! Lima put on a head-turning display as she posed up a storm outdoors

All hands on deck! The filming crew followed Lima around during the shoot

New role: Adriana is the new women's training ambassador for Puma

Packing a punch! The star captioned one of the snaps, 'say hello to my new sparring partner!!'

The model is the company's new women's training ambassador.

Adriana took to Instagram to help announce her new role, and posted two photos of herself rocking the sportswear clothing.

'say hello to my new sparring partner!!' she captioned one of the snaps.

In a statement, Adriana explained: 'Supporting, encouraging, and empowering women is important to me; this is one of the reasons I wanted to partner with Puma. Theyve worked so hard to encourage women to be themselves and to show them that by working hard, you can accomplish anything.

'People have seen me on runways and magazine covers  with this new partnership with PUMA, I want to share my personal training journey and what it takes for me to achieve a healthy balanced life.'

Breaking a sweat: Lima showcased her toned torso as she rocked a bedazzled Puma sports bra

Mirror, mirror: The VS Angel gave a seductive expression as she posed in front of the mirror
Netflix has released the first full trailer for Daredevil season three, which features the return of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) to Hell's Kitchen.

Murdock was last seen in last year's The Defenders, which brought together Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, where he nearly died.

Now, after being missing for several months, Murdock is back in his hometown, just as his old enemy Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) is released from prison, and as a new, strikingly familiar villain emerges.

Home sweet home: Matt Murdock returns to Hell's Kitchen, where he finds Wilson Fisk released from prison and a new villain in the Daredevil Season 3 trailer

The trailer begins with Murdock perched atop the church, wearing his original all-black crime-fighting attire from Season 1, saying he was 'trying to help people.'

But he ultimately realized that he was merely kidding himself, since 'darkness only responds to darkness.'

The trailer then offers a glimpse at Kingpin, still behind bars, admitting that he has, 'made many mistakes,' although he 'accepts the debt' he's paying because of them.

Good to be back: Murdock was last seen in last year's The Defenders, which brought together Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, where he nearly died

Vigilante: The trailer begins with Murdock perched atop the church, wearing his original all-black crime-fighting attire from Season 1, saying he was 'trying to help people'

Kingpin ends up striking a deal with the FBI and gets released from prison, and while he claims to have 'changed' in prison, but Murdock knows better.

Kingpin ultimately tells Murdock that the last time they spoke, he threatened him, which 'is something I cannot forgive.'

This sets the stage for Daredevil and Kingpin doing battle once again, with Fisk adding that there is only one way to stop him, by killing him.

He's back: Kingpin ends up striking a deal with the FBI and gets released from prison, and while he claims to have 'changed' in prison, but Murdock knows better

While Kingpin doesn't think the Daredevil has what it takes, he responds simply with, 'Are you sure about that?'

While Murdock has always been averse to killing, he is certainly a changed man, and his stance on killing may have changed as well.

Fisk also goes public, waging a campaign to turn the city against Daredevil, with the trailer revealing the brand new villain at the very end, a 'new' Daredevil.

Good to be back: Kingpin ultimately tells Murdock that the last time they spoke, he threatened him, which 'is something I cannot forgive'

Take cover: While Murdock has always been averse to killing, he is certainly a changed man, and his stance on killing may have changed as well

The final moments see Matt, wearing his original Season 1 costume, encountering a man wearing a version of his Season 2 costume, who says 'I'm Daredevil.'

While we only see him briefly, this person is believed to be a character from the comics named Benjamin Poindexter, a.k.a. Bullseye, played by Wilson Bethel.

The trailer also offers a brief glimpse at another new character Joanne Whalley's Sister Maggie.

Netflix is bringing Daredevil to New York Comic Con this weekend with a panel presentation on Saturday, October 6, ahead of the October 20 premiere on Netflix.

Back home: The final moments see Matt, wearing his original Season 1 costume, encountering a man wearing a version of his Season 2 costume, who says 'I'm Daredevil'
Olivia Culpo sure knows how to make a black dress look anything but boring.

The actress struck a glamorous pose in a plunging black gown with a sweetheart neckline on Wednesday.

The former Miss USA was at the launch party for the new Pandora Reflextions Collection at Chateau Saint Georges in the South of France.

Stunning: Olivia Culpo was at the launch party for the new Pandora Reflextions Collection at Chateau Saint Georges in the South of France on Wednesday

BFFS: Also there was model Winnie Harlow was pretty in purple. In two Instagram images Olivia and Winnie are seen posing together at a dinner table

East to use: The Reflexions Collection, a new charm bracelet concept which is available to purchase in store and online, debuted on Thursday

The star dazzled in the number which came in at the waist and had several tiers of fabric.

It looked as if crystals had been sewn into the dress.

Culpo pulled her hair back and wore dramatic makeup. And she was bedecked in several bracelets from Pandora.

Also there was model Winnie Harlow was pretty in purple.

In two Instagram images Olivia and Winnie are seen posing together at a dinner table.

A 10: Ashley Benson also attended the fun event as she modeled a tasteful black top with lace and ruffles down the sleeves as well as a tie in front

Lovely lady: And model Suki Waterhouse looked polished in a colorful jacket and mini skirt

Top brass: The party was hosted by Pandora Creative Directors, Francesco Terzo and Filippo Ficarelli

Ashley Benson also attended the fun event as she modeled a tasteful black top with lace and ruffles down the sleeves as well as a tie in front.

The star also had on several Pandora bracelets.

And model Suki Waterhouse looked polished in a colorful jacket and mini skirt.

She wore one gold Pandora bracelet on her right wrist.

Morning delight: Olivia was also seen having lunch in France as she showed off her jewelry

Posing away: And she showed off her legs in this fun dress with silver heels

So many friends: Ashley and Suki both had on beige outfits

The party was hosted by Pandora Creative Directors, Francesco Terzo and Filippo Ficarelli.

The Reflexions Collection, a new charm bracelet concept which is available to purchase in store and online, debuted on Thursday.

Reflexions is the hero piece from the AW18 collection and marks a change in creative direction for Pandora.

The bracelets are a contemporary new take on their classic design and can be locked together to create statement cuffs and chokers.

The bracelets come in three metals (sterling silver, rose and yellow gold) and retail from 55.
She's the TOWIE star known for her bold words and bold outfit choices.

And on Thursday night, Chloe Sims put on an eye-popping display in a plunge-neck bodycon dress as she arrived at Nobu Hotel in Shoreditch, London to celebrate Love Island star Kaz Crossley becoming a Boohoo ambassador.

The mother-of-one, 35 - who took a swipe at Love Island stars earlier that day - ensured that all eyes were on her surgically-enhanced assets as she posed for photos at the event in the white ribbed frock.

Wow! On Thursday night, Chloe Sims, 35, put on an eye-popping display as she arrived at Nobu Hotel in Shoreditch, London for the Kaz Crossley BooHoo Ambassador dinner

Chloe attempted to cover up with a long-line faux fur jacket draped around her elbows, and slipped into a pair of silver stilettos emblazoned with the words: 'Allover you.'

The make-up artist sported a deep tan and accentuated her features with a heavily contoured base and sparkly bronze eye-shadow.

She styled her blonde tresses into worn-out curls and posed alongside TOWIE co-star Georgia Kousoulou, 27, who stunned in a black mini-dress teamed with a white tuxedo jacket.

Georgia styled her locks straight and sleek and added a touch of classic glamour with a bold red lip.

Co-stars: Chloe posed alongside her TOWIE co-star Georgia Kousoulou, 27, who stunned in a black mini-dress teamed with a white tuxedo jacket

Subtle: The mother-of-one - who took a swipe at Love Island stars earlier that day - ensured that all eyes were on her surgically-enhanced assets as she posed for photos at the event

Stunning: Kaz Crossley, 23, donned a vibrant yellow frock for her dinner, which elegantly displayed her ample chest

Kaz Crossley, 23, donned a vibrant yellow frock for her dinner, which elegantly displayed her ample chest.

The Love island star added a dash of sass with a pair of animal print stilettos and a pillar-box red mani-pedi.

The make-up artist styled her blonde locks into effortless curls and opted for shimmering eyes and a pink lip to finish her look.

Kaz was joined by her boyfriend Josh Denzel - who stepped out in a noticeably casual ensemble - and newly single co-star Ellie Brown, 20, who looked sensational in a classic LBD.

Putting in an appearance: Love Island's Ellie Brown was taking her mind off her recent split from Charlie Brake

The Newcastle-born beauty oozed glamour in the bodycon pencil dress, which she teamed with a pair of nude sky-scrapers and an embellished mini-bag.

Ellie opted enhanced her natural beauty with a classic red lip, and styled her hair extensions into voluminous sweeping waves.

In her latest Star magazine column, Essex-born Chloe took a swipe at Love Island stars joining TOWIE, amid rumours that 2017 winner Amber Davies is set to sign up.

Chloe - who has appeared in the reality show since its second series in 2011 - lashed out, admitting she is 'fed up' of non-Essex cast members joining the show.

Still going strong: Kaz was supported by boyfriend Josh Denzel, proving they're one of the most genuine couples to come out of the show

She raged: 'I don't know what is going on between Chris Clark and Amber Davies, but I hope she doesn't come on Towie.

'She's definitely not from Essex and I'm fed up of people not from here joining us.'

Chloe's comments come just days after another Love Island 2016 winner Kady McDermott made her debut in The Only Way Is Essex, as she was revealed as Myles Barnett's new girlfriend.

Kady - who originally from Hertfordshire - isn't the only cast member from elsewhere, with best friends Shelby Tribble and Clelia Theodorou who are both from Plymouth recently joining the show.
Model Emily Ratajskowki took to social media after her arrest for protesting against Brett Kavanaugh in the U.S. Capitol, proudly telling her followers why she demonstrated.

Ratajskowki was arrested along with Amy Schumer while protesting against Supreme Count nominee Brett Kavanaugh outside the Hart Senate Office building on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. In total Capitol Police arrested 302 protesters Thursday.

She took to Instagram after she was detained writing: 'Today I was arrested protesting the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, a man who has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault.

'Men who hurt women can no longer be placed in positions of power.'

She goes on to say that Kavanaugh being confirmed as a justice on the Supreme court is a message to women in the US that they do not matter.

Ratajkowski concluded: 'I demand a government that acknowledges, respects and supports women as much as it does men.'

Not backing down: Emily took to social media to explain what had happened as she wrote 'I demand a government that supports women as much as men'

Dynamic duo: The two stars looked unafraid of the consequences

The duo are pictured protesting. They starred together in Schumer's recent movie I Feel Pretty

The 37-year-old actress and 27-year-old model know each other after starring alongside one another in Schumer's movie I Feel Pretty.

There was a video of Schumer's detainment posted onto social media as an officer asked if she wanted to be arrested as the comedienne answered with a swift 'yes'.

Schumer also took to Instagram after her arrest sharing snaps from the day and captioning them 'This today, then #ERA'.

Amber Heard was another celebrity exercising her right to free speech as she was also in the nation's capital.

She also took to social media to share a snap with the message: 'Proud to be here with so many incredibly brave survivors and proud people who care about this nation in such an important time.'

She later added a photo of her holding the American flag and wrote: 'Thank you to those brave enough to consider how we look at survivors when they come forward and to be strong enough to do so despite partisan politics #believesurvivors.'

Schumer took to Instagram after her arrest sharing snaps from the day and captioning them 'This today, then #ERA'

Empowered: Amber Heard was another celebrity exercising her right to free speech as she was also in the nation's capital

Making a stand! Amy Schumer and Emily Ratajskowki were among those arrested while protesting against Supreme Count nominee Brett Kavanaugh in Washington DC

Dozens of anti-Kavanaugh activists sat down in protest in the courtyard of the Hart Building on Capitol Hill, while outside hundreds mobbed the Supreme Court to proclaim their opposition to Donald Trump's nominee for it.

The impassioned fight over Kavanaugh's nomination has led to heightened security at the Capitol, with some senators using police escorts to shield them from protesters.

United States Capitol Police have arrested dozens of protesters in recent days and stepped up their presence in Capitol hallways.

Some Republican senators have expressed unease over protesters who have confronted them at their Senate offices, restaurants, airports and even their homes.

Ouch: There was a video posted on social media of the 37-year-old comedienne agreeing to an arrest

Exercising her First Amendment rights! The 32-year-old actress posted this snap with an empowering message

She later added a photo of her holding the American flag and wrote: 'Thank you to those brave enough to consider how we look at survivors when they come forward and to be strong enough to do so despite partisan politics #believesurvivors'

Kavanaugh's confirmation has been in limbo since an FBI investigation was ordered on Friday to look into the multiple sexual assault allegations against him.

Christine Blasey Ford has accused Kavanaugh of pinning her to a bed, trying to rip off her clothes and covering her mouth when she screamed while they two of them were teenagers at a party in the 1980s.

Debra Ramirez claims Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a dorm party at Yale University, thrust his penis in her face and forced her to touch it when she pushed him away.

Julie Swetnick claims Kavanaugh and his Georgetown Prep pal Mark Judge were part of a group of guys who drugged and gang raped women.

Kavanaugh has denied all allegations.
She is a doting mom who welcomed her second child a little over a month ago.

And Claire Danes was getting back into her fitness routine Thursday as she looked after the newest addition to her family while power parking through Hudson River Park in New York City.

The actress, 39, got in a workout as she pushed her baby son in his stroller.

Hitting her stride! Claire Danes was getting back into her fitness routine Thursday as she looked after the newest addition to her family while power walking through Hudson River Park in New York City

The Homeland star was plugged into her music as she jogged alongside the waterfront in a blue tank top, grey yoga pants, and blue trainers.

Her hair was pulled up into a high bun, with a few loose strands flying about freely as she made her way through the park.

When Claire wasn't gazing at her one-month-old child, the actress looked deep in thought as she perused her surroundings.

The Golden Globe winner and her husband Hugh Dancy, 43, welcomed her second child in mid-August.

Tuned in! Danes was plugged into her earbuds as she as she pushed her little one in his stroller

The name of the child has not yet been revealed.

Speaking of her pregnancy cravings in June, the actress revealed: 'Not really. Just all of the food. I welcome all of the food,' People reported.

'I get to retire for a little while and just be pregnant...which feels like a huge luxury. When I was pregnant with my first son, I worked until I was in my eighth month, so this feels like a huge gift, to have a chance to kick my feet up a little bit.'

Let's go! The Romeo and Juliet actress was focused on her workout and newborn child

Sporty: The actress rocked a blue tank top, grey leggings, and trainers

Claire recently celebrated her ninth wedding anniversary with Hugh, who she tied the knot with in a secret ceremony in France in 2009.

The acting duo originally met playing love interests on the 2006 set of Lajos Koltai's Evening.

The actress will have the next few months off to spend time with her son, before getting back to work on the final season of Homeland.

Showtime confirmed in August that the hit drama series was being renewed for an eighth and final season, slated to debut in June 2019.

Production is slated to begin in early 2019 on the 12-episode season in an 'undetermined location, but fans recently got a hint at said location last week.
Alyssa Milano has claimed she was sexually assaulted during a concert when she was a teenager.

The 45-year-old actress was one of the figures responsible for spearheading the #MeToo movement last year following her allegations of sexual harassment against disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein.

Now she has claimed her experience in Hollywood hasn't been the only time she's faced assault, as she alleges she was once attacked during a concert when she was just 19 years old.

Traumatic experience: Alyssa Milano has revealed she was sexually assaulted at a concert when she was 19

Speaking in a video posted to social media on Wednesday, the Charmed actress said: 'When I was 19 years old, I was at a concert of a very famous pop star who told the crowd to get closer to her.

'This resulted in a stampede. People were smashed against each other. I couldn't breathe. I thought I was gonna die. From behind me, I felt a hand up my skirt, and I was punched repeatedly in the vagina.

'I couldn't turn around. I looked to the stage, and I looked to the security guards, and I said, "Please help me." And they couldn't help me. They shook their head. I managed to break free, and I climbed up the stage to get away from my predator.'

Speaking in a video posted to social media on Wednesday, the Charmed actress made the announcement in the office of Senator Susan Collins

Speaking out: The 45-year-old was surrounded by other activists as she told the story of how she was attacked at the concert of a famous pop star

Emotional: Alyssa then spoke through tears as she revealed she kept the incident a secret because she 'didn't know who to tell'

Alyssa then spoke through tears as she revealed she kept the incident a secret because she 'didn't know who to tell', and spoke in defense of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who recently gave a testimony against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, accusing him of historical sexual assault.

She added in the video: 'And I turned around, and I didn't know which one it was. And I looked to the sea of people, and I couldn't find him. And I couldn't report because I didn't know who it was to report. And I didn't tell anybody because I didn't know who it was to tell on. And I kept the secret just like Dr. Ford kept her secret for decades.'

The Insatiable actress filmed the video inside the office of Senator Susan Collins, after bringing several of her constituents together to tell their stories.

She captioned the video on Twitter: 'I told one of my #MeToo stories in @SenatorCollins office. I was with her constituent. We asked to speak with Senator Collins. She hid.

'Here's my story through a 'human microphone'. I'll never know if she heard me. *Trigger Warning* (sic)'
Freedom Insurance has suspended sales, its CEO is leaving and it will cut staff following damaging revelations at the banking royal commission.

The life insurance distributer announced on Tuesday night that chief executive Keith Cohen had left the company while chief financial officer Jenny Andrews also intended to depart following a review of its operations.

Freedom also immediately suspended sales of direct insurance products and planned to reduce its staff to approximately 90 employees.

Craig Orton, who joined the company in February, will take over as the new chief executive, the company said in the statement.

The company's 350,000 customers should be unaffected by the changes, the statement said.

Freedom said the restructure would cut annual operating expenses by at least $15 million.

The insurer was found to have engaged in dodgy tactics during the royal commission, including pressuring a man with Down syndrome into buying insurance over the phone.

The company encouraged the sales agent involved to sell aggressively, the inquiry heard.

Senior counsel assisting the royal commission Rowena Orr QC recommended several misconduct findings against Freedom over its dealing with vulnerable consumers.

The company was accused of using "extremely heavy-handed" retention strategies to hold on to customers, the inquiry heard.
Parents and role models are being urged to consider what children might learn from their words and actions as part of a national campaign aimed at reducing domestic violence.

The first instalment of a "Stop it at the Start" campaign to reduce violence against women and children has been viewed more than 43 million times since 2016.

Research suggests more than two-thirds of adults who saw the campaign took action and started to change their attitudes towards abuse.

A second phase is now being launched on the sidelines of a two-day national summit in Adelaide looking at practical ways to stop family violence.

Minister for Women Kelly O'Dwyer said the campaign was crucial to understanding the link between disrespect and shocking rates of violence against women.

One in six women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or former partner since the age of 15.

The figure increases to nearly one-in-four women when violence by boyfriends, girlfriends and dates is included.

Disturbingly, one-in-four young people say they are prepared to excuse violence from a partner.

"This is a cycle of violence that starts with disrespect," Ms O'Dwyer told AAP on Wednesday.

"Throwaway comments like 'it's just boys being boys' or 'he did it because he likes you' can make young people think disrespect is a normal part of growing up.

"We need to ask ourselves - is that what we meant?"

Ms O'Dwyer said it was important to remember how much of a powerful influence adult behaviour could be on young people.

Almost eight women were hospitalised each day from assaults by current or former spouses or domestic partners in 2014-15, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Minister for Families Paul Fletcher said the human cost of violence against women and children was incalculable.

"Each of us can play a role by intervening when we see disrespectful behaviour, or talking to our kids about respectful relationships," Mr Fletcher said.

The national advertising campaign will air across various platforms from this Sunday.

Union officials used the first day of the Adelaide summit to call for the federal government to introduce 10 days of paid leave for domestic violence.

The coalition government has proposed five days' leave, but with no pay.

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Australia is working with Indonesia on how to best help after Friday's devastating and deadly earthquake and tsunami in central Sulawesi.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says $500,000 has been given to the Indonesian Red Cross for the most obvious emergency aid needs, such as tarpaulins.

But Australia's ambassador to Indonesia is consulting with the country's government on more support, with announcements due soon.

"Australia has expertise, it has resources in particular areas," Mr Morrison told reporters in Perth on Tuesday.

"We're looking to see how we can best fit the need to ensure that we can do whatever we can to support our Indonesian friends and neighbours in this time of very genuine need."

At least 1200 people have died as a result of Friday's disaster.

The prime minister said it was a "very, very significant crisis" and Australia's support won't only be aimed at short-term relief.

"The sort of responses we are going to be making, won't just deal with what is needed right today, but over some period of time as well," he said.
A 24-year-old French national will face court charged over an alleged early morning BASE jump off a crane in Sydney.

Jonathan Perherin, 24, is alleged to have parachuted over a busy motorway and Darling Harbour before landing on Darling Drive in Pyrmont in the early hours of Tuesday.

Police say there were tears in his parachute and he could have died during the stunt.

But Perherin, who was charged over the incident, says he has no regrets.

"No, because I do what I like, I know this is forbidden, but I don't regret because I'm alive," he told Network Ten.

Perherin is scheduled to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on October 17.
Firefighters battling a large bushfire burning for two weeks in north Queensland will have their hands full, with temperatures predicted to rise in coming days.

The blaze, which began on September 17, is burning on two fire fronts in the Herberton area, around 100 km southwest of Cairns.

The Bureau of Meteorology says the strong 35km/h winds that have fanned the blaze are easing but temperatures are set to rise.

By Friday the maximum temperature is predicted to be around 30C, up from 23C on Tuesday.

"Which is not that great for firefighters," meteorologist Lauren Pattie told AAP.

Residents were evacuated from the small town of Irvinebank on Monday after firefighters lost control on the western front of the blaze during gusty conditions.

One home and two sheds were burned in the Walsh River community a day earlier on the eastern fire front.

That blaze is now burning north of the Herberton township and travelling in a north-westerly direction, the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said.

Motorists are advised to use extreme caution following reports of falling trees in the area.
Two businesses have been fined more than $200,000 combined after a worker fell two storeys on a Sydney construction site and suffered "horrific injuries".

Better Regulation Minister Matt Kean said Deicorp Pty Ltd had been fined $75,000 and Rock Form Group Pty Ltd $127,500 in the NSW District Court for breaching health and safety laws.

"This worker didn't have the proper safeguards in place and as a result, fell two storeys, sustaining horrific injuries including multiple broken ribs, and a fractured leg and ankle," Mr Kean said in a release on Wednesday.
Australia's e-safety commissioner has called for all students to be taught about cyber safety at school after the latest data showed one in five young people are victims of online bullying.

Julie Inman Grant also says online awareness should begin at home after the agency's research showed 42 per cent of two-year-olds have been given a device with internet.

"The minute we hand over a device is when we need to start talking to our kids abut respect, responsibility, but also let them know they can come to us if something goes wrong," she told ABC radio on Wednesday.
Scott Morrison says Australia will aim to provide a calming influence on rising tensions between the United States and China in the South China Sea.

The prime minister said he wanted to see stability and prosperity in the region continue, after reports a Chinese navy destroyer launched a challenge to a US warship.

"We're cool heads in this situation. Times of uncertainty are exactly that and it's our job to work with everybody to reduce that uncertainty - that's what we're doing," Mr Morrison told 6PR on Wednesday.
One of Queensland's most well known sex offenders will remain under the supervision of authorities after the state government won a court appeal.

A supervision order against Robert John Fardon was due to expire on Wednesday but a Court of Appeal decision means he will now remain under constant monitoring until his initial order is extended.

Justice Phillip Morrison said he was satisfied Fardon could be considered dangerous enough without constant observation, and that ongoing management was needed.

Lawyers for Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath lodged an urgent appeal against a Supreme Court judge's ruling in August that the 69-year-old's risk to the community had faded with age.

Ms D'Ath has welcomed the court's decision but declined to comment further as the matter is ongoing.

Fardon's assaults against several women and girls as young as 12 stretch back to the 1960s.

He has been constantly monitored and undergoes regular counselling as part of a Dangerous Prisoner (Sex Offender) Order.

There are restrictions on where he can live and he is also subject to curfews.

Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnston says the court's decision is a win for children and families, but ultimately believes Fardon should still be behind bars.

"He shouldn't be out of jail ... unless you've got a police officer sitting on his lap 24/7 it's never going to be monitored sufficiently," she said.

The Queensland government passed laws last month to make sure anyone on an order like Fardon's would be watched for the rest of their lives even if a court ruled a stop to their surveillance.
A Sydney teacher accused of sex offences against young girls has had more than half of his charges dropped.

Simon William Phillips, from Russell Lea, faced Burwood Local Court on Wednesday where crown prosecutor Jennifer Jayasuriya confirmed 13 charges of aggravated indecent assault of a victim under his authority had been withdrawn.

The 52-year-old, who is on strict conditional bail, will return to court on October 17 when a date will be set for a three-week hearing relating to 12 offences of indecent assault of a person under 16 years of age.

The attacks were allegedly committed against three 12-year-old girls on Sydney's north shore between January and November 2017.

Phillips' lawyer, Chaddy Mardini, told the court a number of young witnesses are expected to be called to give evidence at the hearing via video link.
Police are searching for a number of people who trespassed on a property in Tennant Creek and wounded a dog by slashing it with a weapon in what was described as a case of animal cruelty.

The offenders broke into the yard on Sunday where they were confronted by the owner's pet dog.

During the confrontation the trespassers attacked the dog with an edged weapon and slashed it several times causing multiple lacerations to the dog's body.

The offenders then fled by climbing over a neighbour's fence.
The 10 per cent tax on tampons and pads will be removed in less than three months after states and territories unanimously agreed to exempt feminine hygiene products from the GST.

After an 18-year public campaign which began when the GST was introduced in 2000, the consumption tax on women's products will be ditched from January 1.

The tax impost on sanitary items - which also extends to menstrual cups, maternity pads and leak-proof underwear - has long been described as unfair because products including condoms and Viagra are exempt.

Both major parties recently changed their policies to extend the exemption to feminine hygiene products.

Federal Minister for Women Kelly O'Dwyer says efforts to remove the tax have endured a "tortured history" and she is glad the time has finally come.

"We're really delighted that everyone's come on board to scrap what is an unfair tax," Ms O'Dwyer said on Wednesday.

"Millions of women right across the nation will be very thankful for it."

Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen said the GST should never have been put on sanitary products in the first place.

"We welcome the fact that this discriminatory tax has been lifted," he told reporters in Sydney.

The move will cost states and territories $30 million in revenue per year, but Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says they are already making more money through GST being added to online purchases in July.

Greens senator Janet Rice said the move had come after 18 years of campaigning.

"People power has made it happen," she told reporters on Wednesday.

"The politicians have finally realised how much support in the community there has been to end the unfair and sexist tax."

Rochelle Courtenay, from homeless women's charity, Share the Dignity, is very pleased.

"We're really excited that this day has come ... where Australian women are not having to fight for what should be a human right," Ms Courtenay said.

State and territory treasurers backed the change during a meeting with federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the change as "a bit of common sense".

"It had always been our view that we wanted to see it changed," he told Perth radio station 6PR.
AFTER A MEETING OF STATE, TERRITORY AND FEDERAL TREASURERS, HERE'S WHAT SOME OF THEM HAD TO SAY:

GST REFORM:

* "We don't want to run a separate set of books. We want to run a new system which will be bedded down in legislation." - federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg

* "At the very least live up to the words of the paraphernalia, the documentation, that you've put into the public domain and make sure your guarantee is a real one and not just a set of economic baloney." - Tim Pallas, Victoria

* "It is only fair as a result of any change to the GST that no state or territory be worse off and the only way that can occur or that we can have confidence in that, is in circumstances where that clause has been put through legislation." - Dominic Perrottet, NSW

* "There is a real risk that if the changes (which) are articulated in legislation from the Commonwealth government are brought into existence without a guarantee, then some jurisdictions will be worse off under certain conditions." - Jackie Trad, Queensland

* "We need to be able to plan for our budgets and stability in terms for our revenues and importantly a guarantee would provide us with that certainty moving forward." - Peter Gutwein, Tasmania

* "South Australia will not support the Commonwealth's legislation unless there is an amendment to put the guarantee in place." - Rob Lucas, South Australia

AXING THE TAMPON TAX

* "Common sense has prevailed and this reform led by the federal government is long overdue." - federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg

* "All the states and territories have agreed to remove the GST from female hygiene products ... that is something we've supported for some time and that has been a very successful outcome." - Dominic Perrottet, NSW

* "As an Australian woman I am very ecstatic that the treasurers of this nation decided to remove GST from women's sanitary products. This is a move that's long overdue." - Jackie Trad, Queensland
A former police officer and the son of Sydney shock jock Ray Hadley is applying for his drug possession charge to be dealt with on mental health grounds.

Daniel Hadley, 28, was off-duty when he was allegedly busted with a small amount of cocaine at a pub in Rouse Hill in Sydney's northwest on August 3.

His arrest followed a NSW Police professional standards investigation focused on prohibited drugs allegations.

At Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday his matter was adjourned until December 12 so an application could be made for the charge to be dealt with under the Mental Health Act.

The act allows a magistrate to dismiss charges against people with a mental health disorder or intellectual disability.

Hadley resigned as a senior constable after being charged.

Ray Hadley was brought to tears while addressing media in August saying he felt inadequate as a father for not addressing his son's mental health struggles.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has raised funds for the Liberal party's depleted coffers, campaigned in three of WA's top four battleground electorates and spruiked his GST fix during a three-day visit to the state.

Mr Morrison went to Stirling, Swan and Hasluck within the first 24 hours of the trip, and while he didn't make it to Pearce, he made sure he was flanked at the first event by the MP for the outer metro seat, Attorney-General Christian Porter.

Hasluck is the Liberals' most at-risk seat, held by Ken Wyatt with a margin of just 2.1 per cent.

Both Pearce and Swan, held by Steve Irons, have a 3.6 per cent margin, and while Michael Keenan holds Stirling with a bigger margin of 6.1 per cent, the seat is considered potentially in peril.

One MP who didn't need the prime minister to lift her profile was Julie Bishop, who holds the very safe seat of Curtin with a whopping 18.2 per cent margin.

But she still appeared alongside him in the Henderson shipbuilding district on Wednesday, when he congratulated her for her 20-year anniversary in office - a somewhat awkward moment given Ms Bishop refused to be part of his cabinet after last month's leadership spill.

As usual, Mr Morrison spent most of the trip talking about GST reform.

It's only known to an exclusive few, however, what he told a fundraiser breakfast run by the conservative 500 Club.

The event raised much-needed cash for the Liberals, who cried poor in deciding not to contest the recent Perth and Fremantle by-elections.

The decision was criticised by many in the party - including Senator Dean Smith, who appeared alongside Mr Morrison at several events this week - but it certainly freed up resources for sandbagging those other four vulnerable seats.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull is not expected to remain the party's most generous donor.
A restaurant owner hit by repeated break-ins this year by itinerants stealing alcohol says a New York-inspired zero tolerance crackdown on crime is needed.

Chris Higgins, general manager of restaurant owners Boutique Venues, arrived in Darwin last week from Brisbane to find the group's upmarket Char Restaurant had been broken into for the fifth time this year.

A $4500 glass panel was smashed and alcohol stolen and a man, 30, who was arrested had previously broken into the venue, Mr Higgins said.

He had lodged three current insurance claims and several years ago was broken into 12 times in a week.

The Northern Territory government is under increasing pressure to deal with the large number of itinerant people sleeping rough in Darwin's CBD and associated crime, violence and alcohol problems.

Popular restaurant Tramontana recently shut with owner Franz Frohlich blaming break-ins and difficult economic times.

Hanuman owner Jimmy Shu considered closing his restaurant after it was hit three times in a night before the brazen thief walked in again while Mr Shu was talking to police, who arrested the man.

Businessmen John Anictomatis and Jason Hanna also criticised the government after numerous break-ins costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars, saying it had lost control of crime.

Mr Higgins, a former police officer, said the behaviour in the CBD was damaging Darwin's reputation and economy when it should be a beautiful, tropical destination.

"New York years ago had similar issues with itinerant street crime," he told AAP.

"When (Rudolph) Giuliani took over as mayor he eradicated and cracked down on street crime and alcohol and all the bigger stuff just kind of falls into place.

"New York turned from a mecca of violence and crime into the foremost tourist destination in the world."

While crime rates in New York dropped under Giuliani's policies, known as "broken windows" policing, experts are divided and some say better economic times reduced offences.

NT Police Minister Nicole Manison said work was being done to tackle the anti-social behaviour and causes of homelessness among the itinerants, who have usually left their homes in indigenous communities.

"There's work happening right now, itinerants and anti-social behaviour is a very big point of frustration for us and we are doing more work in this space," she told Mix FM radio.
Queensland councils are threatening to pass on the costs of applying the state government's waste levy to households, despite being given money to pay for it.

The Local Government Association of Queensland has warned councils could choose to cover the cost of the levy, which they estimate at around $10 million, by hiking rates for households.

But Treasurer Jackie Trad says councils had already been allocated more than the full cost of enacting the levy and rate rises would be the responsibility of councils.
Trump was welcomed by a troupe of traditional drummers and dancers

US First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday kicked off her first major solo trip in Ghana's capital Accra, aiming to cast a positive light on her embattled husband's administration.

A relaxed-looking Trump smiled and waved as she stepped off an overnight flight from Washington to be met on the red carpet by her Ghanaian counterpart Rebecca Akufo-Addo.

She beamed as she was welcomed by a troupe of traditional drummers and dancers. "Thank you very much," she said with a smile.

The former model, whose choice of clothing is keenly watched, changed from a safari-inspired departure outfit of suede trench coat and leopard print heels to a red and white striped dress with white pumps by the time she arrived in West Africa.

She is scheduled to visit a hospital in Accra to learn about newborn health and also have tea with Mrs Akufo-Addo at the presidential residence, Jubilee House.

The 48-year-old is promoting her Be Best initiative, her official agenda unveiled in May designed to improve children's well-being.

She left Washington in a safari-inspired departure outfit of suede trench coat and leopard print heels

Her office said it will also "showcase" the work of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), even at a time when her husband's government is looking to slash US aid across the world.

But unlike her predecessors, her visit will be followed closely to see if she can build bridges after the president reportedly dismissed Africa as a collection of "shithole countries".

In addition to Ghana, she is due to visit Malawi, Kenya and Egypt before returning to Washington early on October 7.

- 'Rorschach test in Louboutins' -

The enigmatic US first lady has typically stayed out of the spotlight since her husband became president yet she has made headlines for rare public appearances.

In June, she made a surprise visit to Texas to visit detained children at the Mexican border, wearing a jacket emblazoned with the words "I really don't care. Do U?"

Trump is due to visit a hospital in Accra

No one knew who the message was intended for, leaving it -- and her -- up for interpretation.

This ambiguity has led some pundits to describe her as a "Rorschach test in Louboutins" after the interpretative ink blots used in psychoanalysis and the luxury shoes.

But as Melania Trump attempts to step out of her husband's shadow, this trip has been seen as an attempt for her to carve her own diplomatic path.

She has previously travelled alone to Canada and joined her husband on several foreign visits.

Spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said the Africa tour is close to her heart. "This is her trip, her initiative," she said.

That hasn't stopped Donald Trump from weighing in last week, when he told journalists that his wife was "making a big trip to Africa".

The Obamas visited Ghana's former slavery outposts

"We both love Africa. Africa is so beautiful, the most beautiful part of the world, in many ways," he added.

The US president has yet to travel to Africa since taking office.

Melania Trump's visit to Ghana will inevitably draw comparisons to when former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle visited Ghana in 2009.

During that visit, Barack Obama gave a speech to parliament saying "Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions".

He also toured the Cape Coast Castle, a former slavery outpost, with his family.

Ghana is seen as a haven of stability in an often turbulent region but despite the interest back home, the first lady's visit did not appear to have generated similar fervour locally.

Unlike the Obamas' visit, the roads from the airport were not packed with onlookers while there was little fanfare in the local media, according to an AFP reporter on the ground.
A woman is treated in the Yemeni coastal city of Hodeida, which has seen cases nearly triple in the past three months alone as conflict helps to spread the disease

The World Health Organization said Tuesday it was helping Yemeni authorities with a second round of vaccination against cholera in three hard-hit districts, as cases surged across the war-ravaged country.

More than 2,500 people have died of the waterborne infection since the worst cholera outbreak in Yemen's history began in April 2017, while nearly one million more suspected cases have been reported across the country.

Children under the age of five make up nearly a third of all suspected cases.

Yemen's cholera epidemic had seemed to lull for a while, but WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic warned of a new escalation.

"We have been seeing the number of cholera cases increasing in Yemen since June, and this increase has been even more important in the last three weeks," he told reporters in Geneva.

During the first eight months of the year, Yemen registered nearly 155,000 suspected cholera cases, including 197 deaths.

But in the last week of August alone, 9,425 suspected cholera cases were recorded across the country, and just a week later, the number of suspected cases recorded soared to 11,478, WHO said.

WHO has warned Yemen faces a third cholera epidemic as autumn rains have increased the risk of infection after already being hit by two major cholera outbreaks in less than two years.

In a bid to prevent a "third wave", WHO, UNICEF and other partners began helping the government on September 30 to provide a second dose of the two-dose oral vaccination in three of the most vulnerable districts, he said.

In August, nearly 390,000 out of the more than 500,000 people targeted in Al-Hali and Al-Marawiah districts in Hodeida governorate and in Hazm Al Udayn in Ibb governorate received the first dose.

The three districts "were assessed to be most vulnerable to an escalation of cholera," Jasarevic said.

He said the same population would be targeted again, with the aim to vaccinate 540,000 people. Those who did not receive a first dose in August will need to get another dose down the line.

Cholera, which causes potentially deadly diarrhoea, is contracted by ingesting food or water contaminated with a bacterium carried in human faeces and spread through poor sanitation and dirty drinking water.

Left untreated, it can kill within hours.

Yemen's brutal conflict, which since 2015 has left some 10,000 people dead and eight million on the brink of famine, has created the perfect environment for cholera to thrive.

Save The Children warned Tuesday that Hodeida, the Yemeni port city on the front line between a pro-government alliance and rebels, had seen cases nearly triple in the past three months alone.
Saudi Arabia faces longstanding criticism over the male guardianship system which allows men to exercise arbitrary authority over their female relatives

A Saudi woman has lost a judicial battle to marry the man of her choice as a court deemed him "religiously" unfit because he plays a musical instrument, a Saudi newspaper reported Tuesday.

The ultra-conservative kingdom requires women to seek permission from male "guardians" -- their fathers, husbands or other male relatives -- to travel, get married and other tasks.

In some parts of the kingdom, a man who plays a musical instrument is considered of inferior status and having a bad reputation.

Two years ago the suitor, a teacher, asked for the hand of the woman, a 38-year-old bank manager from the ultra-conservative region of Qassim, north of the capital Riyadh, Okaz newspaper said.

But her family objected, saying he was not "religiously compatible" with her because he played the oud, the oriental lute which is popular across the Arab world.

The woman, who was not named, took her case to the courts.

A lower court weighed in on the side of the family, saying the marriage could not go through.

The oud is a stringed instrument also known as the oriental lute which is very popular across the Arab world

"Because the suitor plays a musical instrument he is unsuitable for the woman from a religious point of view," the court said, according to Okaz.

An appeals court ratified the verdict, making it final, the newspaper added.

The woman told Okaz she will seek intervention from the country's "highest authorities" -- a reference to the royal court.

The bank manager, who holds a masters degree and is responsible for more than 300 employees, said she was determined to marry her suitor, describing him as "very pious and with a good reputation".

Saudi Arabia, a major US ally, has introduced a string of reforms over the past year aimed at improving the kingdom's image, including ending a longstanding ban on women driving.

But it continues to face criticism over the male guardianship system which allows men to exercise arbitrary authority to make decisions on behalf of their female relatives.
Around 700,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar's western Rakhine state have fled across the border to Bangladesh since August last year following a military campaign that allegedly involved murder, rape, torture and razing villages

Myanmar's neighbours in Southeast Asia have urged the country to hold those responsible for the Rohingya crisis "accountable", Singapore said Tuesday, in a rare call for justice from within the region.

Around 700,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar's western Rakhine state have fled across the border to Bangladesh since August last year following a military campaign that allegedly involved murder, rape, torture and razing villages.

The UN has accused Myanmar's military of committing "genocide" against the Muslim minority.

As global pressure has mounted over the atrocities, Myanmar formed an "Independent Commission of Enquiry", which is chaired by former Philippine deputy foreign minister Rosario Manalo -- but gave no details of the commission's remit, powers or how long it would take to complete its investigation.

Critics have blasted the commission for its toothlessness after Manalo said her commission will not be "blaming" or "finger pointing" anybody.

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said he and his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met on September 29 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York and discussed the situation in Rakhine.

"We expressed our grave concern with these alleged acts of violence that have led to loss of lives, injuries, destruction of homes and displacement of large numbers of people," he said in parliament.

"To be brutally honest, this is a man-made humanitarian disaster and something which should not be happening in this day and age."

He said the ministers told Myanmar that the commission "should be given a full mandate to investigate and to hold all those responsible fully accountable".

Myanmar's military has denied nearly all wrongdoing, justifying its crackdown as a legitimate means of rooting out Rohingya militants.

But after a fact-finding mission, the United Nations set up a panel to prepare indictments against Myanmar's army chief and five other top military commanders for crimes against humanity and genocide.

Much of Myanmar's majority Buddhist society regards the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and has for decades systematically stripped them of their rights.

Balakrishnan noted that Myanmar cannot be compelled by ASEAN to act as the 10-nation grouping makes decisions by consensus, which effectively gives each member veto powers.

The bloc however can influence Myanmar through "persuasion, through transparency and keeping this on the agenda" of their annual meetings, he said.

ASEAN members typically steer clear of openly criticising each other's domestic policies.

Singapore, the current chair of ASEAN's rotating leadership, will host a summit of the group's leaders in November.

The bloc's other members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Pakistan in recent years launched a series of military operations along the northwestern border with Afghanistan, but militant groups are still able to carry out deadly attacks

Pakistani security forces killed seven militants in a firefight after insurgents crossed the Afghan border into Pakistan's restive tribal region, the military said Tuesday.

Officials said the clashes erupted late Monday when militants attacked a Pakistani border post in North Waziristan tribal district.

"During (the) exchange of fire seven terrorists (were) killed while three (were) injured," the military said in a statement.

Violence in Pakistan has declined dramatically in recent years following a series of military operations along the northwestern border with Afghanistan, but militant groups are still able to carry out deadly attacks.

Pakistan's army launched a massive operation in 2014 to wipe out militant bases in North Waziristan and end the near decade-long insurgency that has cost thousands of lives.

The operation intensified after the Taliban massacred more than 150 people, the majority of them children, at a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar in December 2014.

In 2016, the Pakistani army claimed to have cleared the last militant stronghold in the country's northwest after a three-month long operation.

But analysts have long warned that Pakistan is not tackling the root causes of extremism, and that militants retain the ability to carry out spectacular attacks.

A suicide blast in the southwestern province of Balochistan on July 13 killed at least 149 people during a campaign rally -- one of Pakistan's worst-ever terror attacks -- underscoring continuing security challenges in the country following years of dramatic improvements.
A Palestinian woman walks in front a mural painted on a wall of the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Gaza City on October 2, 2018

Workers for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees went on strike Tuesday to protest job cuts due to a funding crisis sparked by US President Donald Trump's aid cancellation.

The agency's operations were largely paralysed in the impoverished and blockaded Palestinian enclave, where its schools, health care centres and food distribution offices play an important role.

UNRWA, as the agency is known, runs more than 270 schools with some 280,000 students in the strip, where Islamist movement Hamas is in power.

The strike that follows more than 250 job cuts in Gaza and the occupied West Bank is to continue on Wednesday.

More than 500 full-time roles have also become part-time.

Even before the strike, laid-off employees had been preventing international and local staff from accessing UNRWA's headquarters in Gaza City.

On Monday, the agency pulled part of its international staff out of the Gaza Strip due to security concerns, it said.

A source with knowledge of the situation said six foreign staffers remained out of the 19 who are usually present.

Amir al-Mashal, head of the UNRWA employees union in Gaza, pledged "an intensification of union actions" in the coming weeks.

Palestinian employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) take part in a sit in, in front of the agency's headquarters in Gaza City on October 2, 2018

Adnan Abu Hasna, an UNRWA spokesman in Gaza, called on the union to "return to the negotiating table immediately."

A Hamas official said on condition of anonymity on Tuesday that "no harm has been done to any Arab or foreign staff," while adding that the Islamist movement supports the employees' demands.

"The agency's crisis has been invented for political reasons," he said. "No one can take way refugees' right of return."

The United States has traditionally been UNRWA's largest contributor, providing around $350 million (300 million euros) a year, but Trump has cancelled all support.

His administration as well as Israel opposes how the agency operates and how the number of refugees is calculated.

Palestinian leaders accuse the White House of blatant bias in favour of Israel and of adopting the Israeli government's positions.

More than 750,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation.

They and all their descendants are deemed by the UN agency to be refugees who fall under its remit.

Created in 1949, UNRWA supplies aid to more than three million of the five million eligible Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian territories.

Around 13,000 people work for UNRWA in Gaza, where more than two-thirds of the roughly two million residents are eligible for aid.

Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008.
The crest of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's most notorious Yakuza crime syndicate, on a website the group launched in 2014

The US Treasury took aim Tuesday at Japan's largest Yakuza organized crime syndicate, placing four senior officials of the Yamaguchi-Gumi on its sanctions blacklist as well as two companies tied to the gang.

"We are ramping up pressure on this dangerous Japanese crime syndicate and local gang leaders who profit from everything from sexual exploitation, to weapons smuggling, and extortion," said Sigal Mandelker, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

The two companies placed on the sanctions list were Yamaki KK, which owns the land under the Yamaguchi-gumi headquarters in Kobe, and Toyo Shinyo Jitsugyo KK, which manages the headquarters as well as other real estate used in the syndicate's diverse businesses.

The individuals hit with sanctions were Utao Morio, manager of the headquarters and former chief executive of Yamaki; Chikara Tsuda, current Yamaki CEO; Yasuo Takagi, chief executive of Toyo Shinyo Jitsugyo; and Katsuaki Mitsuyasu, the latter company's former chief.

The sanctions freeze any assets of those named that are under US jurisdiction and prohibit US individuals and companies from dealing with them.

"By exposing this broad network of front companies and individuals supporting the Yamaguchi-gumi Yakuza syndicate we intend to disrupt the global financial infrastructure of this illicit transnational criminal organization," said Mandelker in a statement.
A handout picture realeased by the Turkish Armed Forces shows Turkish soldiers patrolling near Manbij

Troops from NATO allies Turkey and the United States have started training together ahead of conducting joint patrols around the northern Syrian city of Manbij, a US official said Tuesday.

The move comes even as relations between Washington and Ankara have soured in recent months over a number of issues, including Turkey's potential purchase of a Russian air-defense system.

Manbij, once in the hands of the Islamic State group, is now held by a US-backed alliance dominated by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).

Ankara considers the YPG "terrorists" and had previously threatened to attack the city.

US support for the YPG has strained relations with Turkey, which fears the emergence of an autonomous Kurdish region on its southern border.

Under an agreement with the United States to reduce tensions, Turkey started military patrols around Manbij in June, while the US conducted its own patrols.

Now troops from both countries are training together in Turkey to conduct joint patrols, US Army spokesman Colonel Sean Ryan said.

"Right now, they are still operating independent, coordinated patrols but they are also starting... the joint training," Ryan told Pentagon reporters. He did not say when the joint patrols would begin.

The Turkish and US troops are studying communications, rules of engagement and are undergoing medical training.

Fueling tensions, Turkey is embroiled in a dispute with Washington over the detention of a US pastor, and is in talks with Russia to buy the S-400 missile system.

President Donald Trump in August signed a defense authorization act that prohibits the delivery of F-35 stealth aircraft to Turkey if it goes ahead with the S-400 purchase.
Musk said at the time he hoped the Shanghai plant would be 'completed very soon'

Tesla Motors said Tuesday it was accelerating plans to open a Shanghai factory in light of the ongoing US-China trade fight, saying new tariffs put its vehicles at a disadvantage on the Chinese market.

The electric automaker, which has been shaken by CEO Elon Musk's recent antics and legal woes, also announced it had met a key auto production target.

The company said the higher deliveries came despite a 40 percent tariff imposed by Beijing on US cars.

The difficult economics make for "a challenging competitive environment, given that China is by far the largest market for electric vehicles," Tesla said in a statement.

"To address this issue, we are accelerating construction of our Shanghai factory."

Tesla unveiled plans for the Shanghai factory in July. Musk said at the time he hoped the plant would be "completed very soon."

Tesla reported total third-quarter deliveries of 83,500, up from 26,137 in the year-ago period. Production of Tesla's Model 3 vehicles came in at 53,239, in line with the company's forecast and a number closely watched by Wall Street.

The report came three days after Musk reached a settlement with US securities regulators over fraud allegations connected to Musk's claims about a short-lived effort to take the company private.

The settlement required Musk to step down as chairman and pay a $20 million fine but he was permitted to remain chief executive.

Shares of Tesla fell 1.5 percent to $306.00 in late-morning trading.
This handout picture obtained from the Russian Defence Ministry's official Facebook page on November 26, 2015 shows Russia's S-400 air defence missile systems at the Hmeimim airbase in the Syrian province of Latakia

Russian President Vladimir Putin will oversee the signing of a $5 billion deal this week to supply Delhi with S-400 air defence systems, a top Kremlin aide said on Tuesday ahead of Putin's trip to India.

"The president is leaving for India on October 4," Putin's top foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov told reporters.

"The key feature of this visit will be the signing of the agreement to deliver S-400 air defence systems," he said. "The value of the contract will be more than $5 billion."

Moscow has been negotiating to sell the S-400 long-range surface-to-air missiles to India for months.

The sale has irked India's defence partner Washington, which has wanted to wean India off Russian technology, and a senior Pentagon official said in August that sanctions against India would come under consideration if its purchase goes through.

India has signalled it will ask Washington for a special waiver from sanctions, though a US official last week said there is no guarantee it would do so.
Cannabis-infused drinks, which Pepsi CFO has said the company is looking into "very critically," have been seen as a potential growth area for soda and spirits companies that have had trouble boosting sales

PepsiCo on Tuesday joined the growing list of big companies to confirm potential interest in making drinks with cannabis.

Hugh Johnston, chief financial officer of the soda and snacks giant, acknowledged the company's interest in an interview with CNBC.

"We will look at it very critically," Johnston said of cannabis on an interview with CNBC.

"But I am not prepared to share any plans that we may have in the space right now."

Johnston noted that cannabis is still illegal under federal law throughout the United States, even though some states have legalized it. But he said the company would "turn over every stone to look for growth."

The remarks come two weeks after PepsiCo's archrival Coca-Cola said it was studying "wellness beverages" that could include cannabidiol, or CBD, a non-psychoactive component in cannabis that is sold in a growing variety of consumer products.

Molson Coors is also working with a Canadian company on cannabis-infused non-alcoholic beverages, while Constellation Brands has announced a hefty $4 billion investment in Canada's Canopy Growth in exchange for a 38 percent stake in Canopy.

Cannabis-infused drinks have been seen as a potential growth area for soda and spirits companies that have had trouble boosting sales.

Canada is set to legalize cannabis on October 17 after both houses of Parliament voted to make the drug available for recreational use.

That move has been seen as a potential prelude to further legalization in the United States, even though recreational use of marijuana is still only permitted in a handful of states.
US Defense Department personnel, wearing protective suits, screen mail as it arrives at the Pentagon

Mail addressed to President Donald Trump and the Pentagon was suspected of containing the deadly poison ricin, officials said Tuesday.

The US Secret Service said it had obtained a "suspicious envelope" addressed to Trump on Monday, the same day at least two suspicious packages were intercepted at a screening center for Pentagon mail, according to a Defense Department spokesman.

"The envelope was not received at the White House, nor did it ever enter the White House," the Secret Service said.

"We can confirm that we are working jointly with our law enforcement partners to fully investigate this matter."

Chris Sherwood, a Pentagon spokesman, said authorities at its screening site "recognized some suspicious packages," noting they were "suspected to be ricin."

He stressed that authorities were still waiting for confirmation that the packages contained ricin. Pentagon police referred the matter to the FBI for investigation.

A defense official told AFP the packages were addressed to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Navy chief Admiral John Richardson.

While located on the Pentagon campus, the mail facility is not within the main building itself. Employees wear white protective suits in order to examine mail suspected of containing ricin, which has been used in terror plots.

The White and Pentagon pieces of mail were likely linked and contained a crude substance made from castor bean that authorities were not technically calling "ricin" until further testing, CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the joint federal investigation.

Produced by processing castor beans, ricin is lethal in minute doses if swallowed, inhaled or injected. It is 6,000 times more potent than cyanide, with no known antidote.

Highly toxic, it can cause nausea, vomiting, internal bleeding and difficulty breathing, leading to death from organ failure or the collapse of the circulatory system.

"FBI Special Agents took possession of two suspicious envelopes that had been screened at the Pentagon mail facility. Those envelopes are currently undergoing further testing," the FBI said in a statement.

Colonel Rob Manning, a Defense Department spokesman, said all mail received at the Pentagon's screening facility Monday was "placed under quarantine and poses no threat to Pentagon personnel."

Pentagon authorities showed reporters the secure area where mail is received. Defense Department workers in white protective suits screen every piece of post that comes in, about 500,000 items per year, officials said.

Earlier, two people were hospitalized in Houston, Texas after being exposed to a white powdery substance found in letters addressed to Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, US media reported.
President Donald Trump, who has accused Big Tech firms of political bias, wants to host a meeting of major technology firms this month at the White House

President Donald Trump has called for a meeting this month at the White House with major US technology companies as well as some critics of Silicon Valley, economic advisor Larry Kudlow said Tuesday.

Kudlow told reporters the president wants to hold the session with "the big internet companies, the big social media companies, search companies, and some who are dissatisfied with those companies."

Kudlow said no date had been set but that he expects the session in mid-October.

Asked if Google, Facebook and Twitter would be included, the Trump aide said, "That is our hope."

The news comes after a series of claims by Trump and his allies that Big Tech firms were biased against conservatives and suppressing conservative voices.

Google, Twitter and Facebook have all denied using their platforms for political purposes and have noted that many conservatives including Trump have a strong presence on social media.

Following Trump's criticism, the US Justice Department said it would meet with state officials to discuss competition concerns and the "stifling (of) the free exchange of ideas."

The Justice Department offered no specifics but its statement suggested officials were considering an antitrust investigation or some form of regulatory action.

Trump last month said in a tweet that "Social Media Giants are silencing millions of people."

Days later, he wrote: "Google & others are suppressing voices of Conservatives and hiding information and news that is good. They are controlling what we can & cannot see. This is a very serious situation-will be addressed!"

Tech industry analysts say there is little evidence internet firms are filtering content for political reasons, but that the companies would have constitutional protections against any government effort to regulate their algorithms.
The United Nations has 96,000 peacekeepers serving in 14 missions worldwide

A Nigerian policeman who served as a UN peacekeeper in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been sent home and barred from peacekeeping after an investigation found he had sexually exploited a woman, a UN spokesman said Tuesday.

The allegations against the Nigerian national date back to February and March 2017, but the woman later withdrew her complaint to the MONUSCO peace mission.

UN investigators "found that the allegation of sexual exploitation was substantiated and that the victim had been paid off by the alleged subject to withdraw her complaint," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq.

The policeman, who had since moved on to serve in the UN mission in South Sudan, was recently sent home and UN officials have asked Nigeria to report on any disciplinary or legal action taken against him.

UN peacekeeping missions are facing a damaging wave of allegations of sex abuse and sexual exploitation of civilians that they are mandated to protect in conflict zones worldwide.

Under UN rules, it is up to the troop- or police-contributing country to take action against their nationals in cases of misconduct in peacekeeping missions.

That has led to complaints that peacekeepers have not been held accountable in their countries for sexual abuse and exploitation of civilians while serving under the UN flag.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has vowed to toughen the response to allegations of misconduct by the peacekeepers.

Last month, the Security Council adopted a US-drafted resolution aimed at reinforcing measures such as repatriating peacekeepers and withholding UN payments to soldiers involved in misconduct.

The United Nations has 96,000 peacekeepers serving in 14 missions worldwide.
Indian school children brought their own solar lamps to the International Solar Alliance meet in New Delhi

An India-led coalition to harness solar energy will eventually replace the OPEC oil cartel, India's premier predicted Tuesday, as he opened the International Solar Alliance's first assembly with UN chief Antonio Guterres.

"The role of the oil wells today will be that of the Sun's rays tomorrow," Narendra Modi said at the meeting in New Delhi.

"In the coming years, when the world discusses initiatives for the welfare of humanity in the 21st century, ISA's name will be at the top. We have prepared everyone to ensure climate justice through this ISA forum," he said.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries pumps around a third of the world's oil and over decades has been able to influence the global energy market by controlling the price of crude.

The ISA, launched by Modi and then French president Francois Hollande in 2015 and based in India, is an alliance of countries mostly between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn that receive plentiful sunshine.

It aims to reduce the costs of financing solar power and the required technology, and to mobilise more than a trillion dollars to build solar facilities and infrastructure by 2030.

"The International Solar Alliance represents exactly what needs to be done and represents the future," Guterres said at the event.

"We know what we need to do, and by large, we have the tools to do it. What we still lack, fortunately not here in this room... is the political commitment to make the transformative decisions that will lead us onto a safer path," he said.

With only a single degree Celsius of warming so far, the world has seen a climate-enhanced crescendo of deadly heatwaves, wild fires and floods, along with superstorms swollen by rising seas.

India's population of 1.3 billion is particularly vulnerable to climate change. In August, once-a-century rains pounded the southern state of Kerala, displacing 1.3 million people, with climate scientists warning that worse is to come if global warming continues unabated.

The ISA's first assembly, involving member countries, banks, development funds, the corporate sector and civil society groups, is due to run until Friday.
Under a previous U.S. State Department policy, visas were issued to same-sex partners regardless of their marital status

The United States is denying visas to the partners of more than 100 gay diplomats unless they get married, officials said Tuesday.

The move comes as President Donald Trump's administration chips away at protections of the LGBTQ community, although officials cast the decision as motivated by legal reciprocity rather than an anti-gay agenda.

Under the new guidelines, diplomats regardless of sexual orientation will need to be married in order for their partners to receive visas.

Under a previous policy implemented by former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, the United States issued visas to same-sex partners regardless of their marital status.

Around 105 families are affected by the decision, of whom 55 are posted at the United Nations or other international organizations, a State Department official said.

Diplomats can still obtain visas for their partners if they get married, including if they do so while in the United States.

The Human Rights Campaign, the leading US gay rights group, called the decision "unnecessary, mean-spirited and unacceptable."

"This is an unconscionable, needless attack on some LGBTQ diplomats from around the world, and it reflects the hostility of the Trump-Pence administration toward LGBTQ people," said the group's government affairs director, David Stacy.

A US official countered that the policy creates the same conditions for visas that the State Department sets for its own diplomats serving abroad in light of the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage across the United States.

"It is not meant to be an attack. It is not meant to be punitive. It is a recognition and a codification of the fact that same-sex marriage is legal in the United States," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

The official said the United States was aware that many gay couples faced a lack of acceptance in their home countries but that the United States wanted to "ensure equal treatment and reciprocity."

Most diplomats affected come from countries where same-sex marriage is legal, another official said, without providing numbers.

A UN spokesman said that about 10 staff members in New York were affected and have been asked to show marriage certificates by the end of the year.

"This is a US policy, and as with other national policies in countries where staff is based, we will have to comply with it," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq.
Seven Rohingya men held since 2012 in prison in Assam state on charges of illegally entering India are due to be sent back to Myanmar on October 3

A United Nations legal expert has voiced concern over India's plan to deport on Wednesday seven Rohingyas to Myanmar where the army is accused of ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority.

The men have been held in prison in Assam state on charges of illegally entering India and are due to be sent back on October 3, the UN Special Rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume, said Tuesday.

"Given the ethnic identity of the men, this is a flagrant denial of their right to protection and could amount to refoulement," the law professor said in a statement.

"The Indian government has an international legal obligation to fully acknowledge the institutionalised discrimination, persecution, hate and gross human rights violations these people have faced in their country of origin and provide them the necessary protection."

Achiume said New Delhi was obliged to refer Rohingyas under its custody to the UN refugee agency to assess their protection needs.

More than 700,000 ethnic Rohingya fled an offensive by Myanmar troops launched nearly a year ago in reprisal for attacks on border posts by Rohingya rebels who took up arms against the ill-treatment of the stateless minority.

The United Nations has termed the repression "ethnic cleansing" and "genocide".

Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents.

The UN expert said she was "appalled" at the amount of time the seven men from Kyauk Daw township in central Rakhine state had been detained.

"Prolonged detention of this kind is prohibited," Achiume said. "It could be considered arbitrary, and could even fall under the category of inhuman and degrading treatment."

The scheduled deportations follow an Indian government order last year to return Rohingyas, but the Supreme Court is still considering a petition challenging the order on the grounds it was unconstitutional.

The UN expert said nearly 200 Rohingyas are known to be detained in India on charges of illegal entry.

"We urge the government of India to abide by the international norm of non-refoulement and protect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees including Rohingyas," she said.

While successive waves of Rohingyas have fled into Bangladesh, small numbers have found their way to India and Nepal while a small community has also been established in Pakistan.
IAEA chief Yukiya Amano insisted that the agency's independence was "of paramount importance" for its work

The UN's nuclear watchdog Tuesday refused to "take at face value" Israel's claims that Iran is harbouring a secret atomic warehouse, fending off pressure to inspect the allegedly suspect site.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the claim in front of the UN General Assembly last week.

Without explicitly referring to Netanyahu's claim, IAEA chief Yukiya Amano insisted that the agency's independence was "of paramount importance" for its work.

The IAEA "uses all safeguards-relevant information available to it but it does not take any information at face value," Amano said in a statement.

Netanyahu accused Iran of operating a "secret atomic warehouse for storing massive amounts of equipment and material from Iran's secret nuclear weapons programme".

He urged the IAEA to inspect the site in Turquzabad -- which was reiterated in a statement released by his office on Tuesday.

"There is no reason to wait. The IAEA must inspect the site and immediately dispatch monitors with Geiger counters and the prime minister's words will be seen as verifiably true," Netanyahu's office said.

Amano said the IAEA would not be told how to do its work.

"All information obtained, including from third parties, is subject to rigorous review," he said.

He said the IAEA's work "must always be impartial, factual, and professional."

Under a 2015 deal, Iran agreed to scale down its nuclear activities and submit to IAEA inspections in exchange for relief from sanctions.

Israel bitterly opposes the deal and congratulated US President Donald Trump for walking away from it earlier this year.

The IAEA has repeatedly said that Iran is continuing to meet its commitments under the deal.

Amano said on Tuesday that evaluations of Iran's compliance were "ongoing".
White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right clash with counter-protesters on August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia

US authorities charged four members of a white supremacist movement Tuesday with inciting violence over the deadly "Unite the Right" march in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017.

The event culminated in a man driving a car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing a woman and injuring 19 other people.

President Donald Trump infamously took 48 hours to respond only to blame "both sides" despite overwhelming evidence that neo-Nazis were the principal source of violence.

Benjamin Daley, Michael Miselis, Thomas Gillen and Cole White were arrested after being identified in pictures and video attacking counter protestors during the march, which resulted in serious injuries, an indictment issued Tuesday said.

All four were members of the southern California-based "Rise Above Movement," which prosecutors described as a militant white supremacist and anti-Semitic group.

The four "traveled to Charlottesville to encourage, promote, incite, participate in and commit violent acts in furtherance of a riot," according to a criminal complaint filed in Charlottesville federal court.

The complaint said they had already attended political rallies in Huntington Beach and Berkeley, California in 2017 where they attacked other protestors.

Their own "extensive" social media presence documented their violent actions in the California protests and at the August 11-12 "Unite The Right" protest in Charlottesville, said district attorney Thomas Cullen.

Each was charged with multiple counts of inciting to riot, which Cullen said could bring a maximum 10 years in prison.

Cullen said the investigation was aided by information in a joint investigation by the ProPublica investigative journalism group and PBS television's Frontline show.

- 'Very fine people' -

The protests saw hundreds of neo-Nazi sympathizers, some carrying firearms, yelling white nationalist slogans while wielding flaming torches in scenes eerily reminiscent of racist rallies held in America's South before the Civil Rights movement.

They had gathered to protest efforts to remove statues of Confederate leaders, including the Confederacy's top general, Robert E Lee.

On the second day, August 12, fighting broke out between neo-Nazi supporters and anti-fascists from a black-clad group called Antifa.

Heather Heyer, 32, was killed and 19 others were injured when 20-year-old James Fields allegedly drove into a crowd of protesters.

Fields has been charged with murder and hate crimes.

Addressing reporters two days later, Trump appeared to blame the right and the left equally, drawing widespread scorn.

"You had some very bad people in that group, but you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides," he said.

That drew tough criticism from his predecessor in the White House, Barack Obama.

"How hard can that be, to say that Nazis are bad?" Obama said.
Bahram Ghasemi, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, speaks to AFP during an interview in the capital Tehran on October 2, 2018

Tehran called on Tuesday for talks with Paris to clear "misunderstanding" over an alleged bomb plot targeting an exiled opposition group near the French capital.

"If there is a misunderstanding... about a thing that does not exist, be it a conspiracy by others or a mistake, we can sit down and talk about it," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told AFP in an interview.

The only way to overcome the issue was through "the art of diplomacy," he said. "We know of no other way."

French authorities on Tuesday accused Iran's intelligence ministry of being behind a foiled plot to bomb a meeting of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran (MEK), according to a French diplomatic source.

Tehran considers the MEK a "terrorist group".

France also announced it was freezing the assets of two suspected Iranian intelligence operatives and those belonging to Iran's ministry of intelligence and security.

One of the operatives is an Iranian diplomat who was arrested in Germany.

"This extremely serious act envisaged on our territory could not go without a response," France's interior, foreign and economy ministers said in a rare joint statement.

Ghasemi, however, said that "I vehemently deny" all these accusations "completely and forcefully."

"When the base issue is wrong and no more than an allegation, basing other hypotheses on such a claim is totally useless and wrong," he said.

"You cannot accuse the intelligence ministry or anyone else working at it of being involved in an unconfirmed thing.

"Iran can definitely cooperate to fix any misunderstanding between France and Iran, or any other country in the region or Europe," said Ghasemi.
US President Donald Trump, speaking as he departed the White House, said that his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh who faces sexual misconduct allegations "has been very brutally treated"

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday the reaction to decades-old allegations of sexual assault against his Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh makes it "a very scary time" for young men in the United States.

His remarks came as he responded to questions about allegations against the conservative jurist by three women who say Kavanaugh drunkenly sexually abused or harassed them when they were students in the 1980s.

"It's a very scary time for young men in America, where you can be guilty of something that you may not be guilty of," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House.

Trump said Kavanaugh -- who denies the allegations and is adamant he did not drink to the point of blacking out, despite enjoying beer in his younger years -- has been treated unfairly.

"My whole life, I've heard you're innocent until proven guilty. But now you're guilty until proven innocent," Trump said.

The FBI is conducting a Senate-requested probe into the sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh, whom Trump described as "a great judge" who "has been very brutally treated."

Trump was more prudent however when asked about the outcome of the upcoming Senate vote on whether to approve Kavanaugh for the highest US court.

That "is going to depend on what comes back from the FBI," Trump said. "The FBI is working very hard and let's see what happens."

In an extraordinary Senate hearing on Thursday, Kavanaugh said the confirmation process had become a "national disgrace," adding that the accusations had "destroyed my family and my good name."

Senators, including Republican Jeff Flake, struck a deal the following day that gives the FBI one week to conduct an investigation and deliver a report.
Russia blamed Israel for the loss of a military IL-20M jet to Syrian fire last month, which killed all 15 servicemen on board

Russia has sent S-300 air defence systems to the Syrian military, its defence minister said Tuesday, in line with new security measures after a Russian military plane was mistakenly shot down by Syria's Soviet-era missile.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting of the Russian security council that the military on Monday "finished the deliveries of S-300 systems" including a total of four launch platforms.

Russia announced last week that it would boost security measures in Syria following the downing of a Russian military plane by an S-200 missile by mistake, which Moscow blamed on nearby Israeli planes.

Shoigu said it will take three months to train the Syrian military to operate the new air defence systems.

Fifteen Russian troops were killed when the Il-20 surveillance plane was shot down.

Moscow said Israel's F-16 planes carrying out strikes on Latakia province were using it as "cover" which resulted in the deadliest case of friendly fire since Russia intervened in the Syrian conflict in 2015.

Shoigu added that Moscow has added equipment for "radioelectronic warfare" and now "controls" the airspace in the area used for strikes on Syrian soil.

Moscow had announced that Russia would begin jamming radars of hostile warplanes in regions near Syria over the Mediterranean Sea to prevent a similar situation from harming its troops.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, is preparing his fourth trip to North Korea, where he will meet leader Kim Jong Un

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will pay a fresh visit to North Korea on Sunday and meet leader Kim Jong Un as the administration's hopes rise of a denuclearization deal, the State Department said.

The rare advance announcement of a meeting with the young strongman came hours after North Korea raised the stakes in negotiations, saying it would not give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for a peace treaty.

Pompeo, who is trying to arrange a second summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump, will also head to US allies Japan and South Korea, as well as North Korea's chief ally China with which the United States is engaged in escalating trade and diplomatic disputes.

It will be the fourth trip by Pompeo to longtime US pariah North Korea as the Trump administration looks to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

"I think it shows forward progress and momentum that the secretary is making his fourth trip in less than a year," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters.

"Everyone recognizes that we have a ways to go and a lot of work that is left to be done," she said.

"But obviously these conversations are going in the right direction and we feel confident enough to hop on a plane to head there to continue the conversations."

Pompeo has already met twice with Kim, including once when he headed the CIA. But Pompeo did not meet Kim on his last visit in July, when the North Korean leader instead was photographed touring a potato farm.

Another visit by Pompeo was announced in August but was abruptly canceled by Trump.

- Trump 'in love' with Kim -

Kim, who as leader has rarely traveled outside of North Korea, met in June in Singapore with Trump in the first-ever summit between the two countries that have never signed a formal treaty to end the 1950-53 Korean War.

On Saturday, Trump lavished praise on Kim -- considered by human rights groups to be one of the world's most repressive leaders -- and said they had fallen "in love" after an exchange of letters.

If the love is reciprocated, Kim is more reticent in his words.

His foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho, on Saturday told the United Nations General Assembly that there was a "deadlock" in the denuclearization talks as the United States "relies on coercive measure that are lethal to trust-building."

The official Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday said that a peace treaty "can never be a bargaining chip," calling an end to war "not just a gift from one man to another."

Nauert played down the remarks, saying: "Other countries sometimes will say things that are more colorful than the United States will, and that's just fine, too."

Trump paints rapprochement with North Korea as a signature foreign policy achievement, although critics question whether Kim would really give up nuclear weapons which his dynasty has defiantly pursued for decades.

- Consulting allies and China -

The United States has insisted on maintaining tight UN sanctions against North Korea during the diplomatic drive, while Beijing has said it is time to start easing sanctions.

The top US diplomat announced last week that he was ready to return to North Korea after meeting Ri, his counterpart, at the United Nations.

Pompeo will open his trip on Saturday in Tokyo, where he will meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has long championed a hard line on North Korea but recently said he was willing to meet Kim.

After the talks in Pyongyang, Pompeo will head later Sunday to Seoul, where he will meet President Moon Jae-in, a dove who has helped spearhead the reconciliation efforts with North Korea.

Nauert said Pompeo would head afterward to Beijing for meetings with unspecified officials.

Trump last week slapped $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods and has accused Beijing of interfering in the upcoming US election because of his hard line on trade.
US President Donald Trump helped his parents dodge millions of dollars in taxes, The New York Times reported

Donald Trump helped his parents dodge millions of dollars in taxes and received far more money from his father's real estate empire than he has claimed in the past, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Trump "participated in dubious tax schemes during the 1990s, including instances of outright fraud, that greatly increased the fortune he received from his parents," the newspaper said.

Trump has stated on numerous occasions that he received little help from his father, New York property developer Fred Trump, in building his fortune.

But the newspaper said its exhaustive investigation of a vast trove of tax returns and confidential records found this was not true.

It said that Trump received the equivalent of $413 million in today's dollars from his father's real estate activities.

"By age 3, Mr. Trump was earning $200,000 a year in today's dollars from his father's empire," the Times said. "He was a millionaire by age 8.

"Soon after Mr. Trump graduated from college, he was receiving the equivalent of $1 million a year from his father," it said. "The money increased with the years, to more than $5 million annually in his 40s and 50s."

"Much of this money came to Mr. Trump because he helped his parents dodge taxes," the Times said.

"He and his siblings set up a sham corporation to disguise millions of dollars in gifts from their parents," it said.

Trump also "helped his father take improper tax deductions worth millions more," the newspaper added.

"He also helped formulate a strategy to undervalue his parents' real estate holdings by hundreds of millions of dollars on tax returns, sharply reducing the tax bill."

The Times said Trump's parents, Fred and Mary Trump, who died respectively in 1999 and 2000, transferred more than $1 billion in wealth to their children.

This could have produced a tax bill of at least $550 million but the Trumps paid a total of just $52.2 million, the Times said, citing tax records.

Trump declined to comment on the article but Charles Harder, one of his lawyers, issued a statement to the newspaper.

"The New York Times's allegations of fraud and tax evasion are 100 percent false, and highly defamatory," Harder said. "There was no fraud or tax evasion by anyone. The facts upon which The Times bases its false allegations are extremely inaccurate."

"President Trump had virtually no involvement whatsoever with these matters," Harder added.

"The affairs were handled by other Trump family members who were not experts themselves and therefore relied entirely upon the aforementioned licensed professionals to ensure full compliance with the law."

Breaking with the practice of past presidents, Trump has refused so far to release his tax returns.
JUUL has grown from two percent of the electronic cigarette market in 2016 to 29 percent in December 2017, according to data published in the JAMA journal

In just three years, electronic cigarette maker JUUL has come to dominate the American market with its vaping devices that look like thumb drives, a business success that has brought a public health dilemma for authorities in the US, and elsewhere.

On the one hand, e-cigarettes expose users to significantly lower levels of potentially toxic substances, except for nicotine, the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine said this year.

Converting conventional cigarette smokers to vaping would therefore reduce the number of cancer cases.

At the same time, numerous parents and high schools say teenagers are using JUUL, raising fears that a new generation is being exposed to nicotine, which is addictive but not cancerous.

The US Food and Drug Administration has denounced "an epidemic of regular nicotine use among teens," and confirmed to AFP that its agents made a surprise inspection Friday of JUUL's San Francisco headquarters, seizing more than a thousand pages of documents on its marketing practices.

The startup wasn't the first on the market, but it quickly dethroned tobacco giants, including British American Tobacco, which markets e-cigarettes using a different technology.

JUUL has soared from a two percent market share in 2016 to 29 percent in December 2017, according to data published Tuesday in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

By September of this year, JUUL had reached almost 73 percent of the market, according to Nielsen data provided to AFP by JUUL.

The e-cigarette market remains a fraction of overall tobacco sales but is growing fast.

"Like many Silicon Valley technology startups, our growth is the result of a superior product disrupting an archaic industry -- in this case, one whose products are the number one cause of preventable death," JUUL told AFP in a statement.

It added that the company "has helped more than one million Americans switch from cigarettes."

CEO Kevin Burns said the company is cooperating with the FDA to "keep JUUL out of the hands of young people," and has turned over 50,000 pages of documents to the federal health regulator since April.

JUUL is also available in Britain, Canada and Israel, although the latter country has forbidden sale of the strongest doses of nicotine.

Others, including Australia and Japan, have limited sales of the product to medical use only.

- 'No big deal' -

An electronic JUUL cigarette box includes a rechargeable device and cartridges containing nicotine as well as the flavoring that alarms regulators

JUUL costs around $20 for the device and $30 for four refills, each containing the equivalent in nicotine of a packet of cigarettes.

They are available in a range of flavors from "Virginia tobacco" to creme brulee and mango.

The company states that JUUL is not appropriate or intended for youth, but in well-off schools the product has an image of something innocent.

"JUUL is no big deal," said a student at an upscale suburban Washington high school.

The number of high and middle school students who vape increased between 2011 and 2017, according to the latest national survey on tobacco and youth, although the number of smokers fell at the same time.

But the market is evolving very quickly and the central question is whether tobacco consumption, by vaping device or cigarette, rose among youth in 2018.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb suggested in September that the answer is "yes" when he said: "None of the other metrics that we track when it comes to kids and tobacco are moving in a favorable direction.

"Not the number of kids using traditional cigarettes, or cigars or chewing tobacco."

He warned of an "epidemic" of vaping among the youth and said regulators are considering an immediate ban on flavored e-cigarettes.

The FDA prohibited e-cigarette sales to minors in 2016, meaning they cannot be sold to people under 18. In some states, buyers must be 21.

JUUL has ceased its marketing on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and forbids on its website the sale to anyone under age 21.

Buyers must provide a Social Security number or upload another form of identification.

Nonetheless, the company remains in the sights of Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

"By the time they pulled the social media campaign, JUUL already had become the dominant product in high schools across the country," he said.

Myers recognized that the product is, for now, popular only among well-off youth, but warns that manufacturers are working on making e-cigarettes cheaper.

"And as soon as that happens, then the risk you run is it filters down," he said.

His organization wants a complete prohibition on online sales, as is effectively the case for cigarettes.

Myers -- along with the entire vaping sector and health professionals -- is now waiting to see how far the administration will go in the next few months.
Protesters gathered in September outside Chicago's Leighton Criminal Court Building to remember Laquan McDonald on what would have been his 21st birthday, during the trial of a white police officer charged with murder for shooting McDonald 16 times

A white Chicago police officer testified Tuesday at his high-profile murder trial that he shot dead an African-American teen because he came too close and would not drop his knife.

In the politically-charged case that has set America's third-largest city on edge, officer Jason Van Dyke shot Laquan McDonald 16 times in October, 2014.

A police dash-cam video captured the incident.

The 17-year-old's killing has become emblematic of decades of police abuse in Chicago, and is one in a series of fatal encounters in recent years between US police and African Americans, who formed the Black Lives Matter Movement in response.

Van Dyke faces 23 charges including first-degree murder.

On the video, McDonald appears to be walking away from officers when Van Dyke begins firing his gun. He continues to shoot McDonald after he falls to the ground.

At the trial which opened on September 17, defense lawyers have argued that the video does not show Van Dyke's perspective.

Taking the stand in his own defense Tuesday, the 40-year-old testified that he began shooting McDonald because he raised his knife and "never stopped" advancing towards the officer.

"His face had no expression. His eyes were just bugging out of his head. He had these huge white eyes just staring right through me," the officer said.

"I was yelling at him to drop the knife," Van Dyke said, at times appearing to wipe away tears. "He got probably about 10 or 15 feet (three or four meters) away from me."

Van Dyke said he fired a second round of bullets because the teen was still clutching his knife while on the ground and appeared to be trying to get up.

"I just kept on looking at the knife and I shot at it. I just wanted him to get rid of the knife," Van Dyke said.

None of the other nine officers at the scene fired their weapons.

Prosecutors said the video -- recorded at night from some distance and pointing at the teen's back -- did not capture McDonald raising his knife or trying to get up.

The highly-anticipated trial has led to fears of possible violence in the Midwestern city if the officer is acquitted.

Van Dyke was not charged until the day the video was released in 2015 -- a year past the incident and only after city officials were compelled by a judge to make it public.

Protesters demonstrated for months, alleging a cover-up and demanding resignations. Chicago's then-police chief and top prosecutor both lost their jobs.
French police arrested three in a dawn raid on the Zahra Centre religious association at Grande Synthe near Dunkirk, one of France's biggest Shiite centres, citing terror prevention

France accused Iran's intelligence ministry on Tuesday of being behind a foiled plot to bomb an exiled opposition group near the French capital in a move that risks straining already complicated ties between Paris and Tehran.

The French government announced it was freezing assets belonging to two suspected Iranian intelligence operatives, as well as others belonging to Iran's ministry of intelligence and security.

France's decision to take retaliatory measures and go public with the accusations was taken three months after the alleged plot to bomb a meeting of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran (MEK) in a suburb of Paris.

"This extremely serious act envisaged on our territory could not go without a response," France's interior, foreign and economy ministers said in a rare joint statement.

"In taking this decision, France underlines its determination to fight against terrorism in all its forms, particularly on its own territory."

A French diplomatic source told AFP that the security forces had concluded that "the head of operations at the (Iranian) intelligence ministry ordered it".

Iran immediately denied any involvement, as it did in July when the MEK accused it of being responsible.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told AFP in an interview that Tehran rejected the French complaint "completely and forcefully", but said the door for discussion was open.

"If there is a misunderstanding... about a thing that does not exist, be it a conspiracy by others or a mistake, we can sit down and talk about it," he said Tuesday.

- Raids across Europe -

The alleged bomb plot came to light two days after thousands of Iranian opposition supporters gathered at an exhibition centre outside Paris on June 30.

The meeting was attended by two allies of US President Donald Trump, former House speaker Newt Gingrich and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The People's Mujahedeen was formed in the 1960s to overthrow the Shah of Iran and it continues to organise opposition to the current leaders of the Islamic republic who took power following the 1979 revolution.

Belgium announced in July that it had arrested a couple in a Brussels suburb who were suspected of preparing to drive a car packed with explosives to the French rally.

A total of six people were then detained in coordinated raids by European police.

One of the detained men was an Iranian diplomat based in Vienna who was stopped by German police.

The diplomat, Assadollah Asadi, was targeted by the asset freezes announced by French authorities Tuesday, along with Saeid Hashemi Moghadam, who the French diplomatic source said was head of operations at the intelligence ministry.

Asadi is set to be extradited to Belgium to face trial, German authorities announced on Monday.

"We deny the accusations and forcefully condemn the Iranian diplomat's arrest, and call for his immediate release," a statement from the Iranian foreign ministry said earlier Tuesday.

- Diplomatic strains -

The measures announced Tuesday come as French President Emmanuel Macron and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani are at odds over a host of issues.

Macron, who hoped to improve ties with Tehran at the start of his presidency last year, has allied with Iran over the 2015 nuclear deal which limits the Islamic Republic's atomic programme.

While US President Donald Trump has pulled out of the agreement and denounced it, Macron has been a vocal supporter and has worked to keep the accord alive despite US sanctions.

But Macron is at loggerheads with Rouhani over the wars in Syria and Yemen, in which Iran is a major player, and has raised concerns about the country's ballistic missile programme.

The US considers Iran to be the world's biggest state sponsor of terrorism because of its links with a host of armed groups, particularly the powerful Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian territories, as well as other networks in Iraq and Yemen.

Iran has been blamed in the past for carrying out attacks in countries as far afield as Argentina, India and Thailand.

The French diplomatic source said Iran was suspected of carrying out "several" assassinations of opposition figures in the European Union since 2015.

Also Tuesday, around 200 French police launched a dawn anti-terror raid on one of the biggest Shiite Muslim centres in France, the Zahra Centre France, as well as on the homes of its directors.

Two of three people arrested were released, according to sources close to the inquiry, while the centre's treasurer will face a hearing on Wednesday for the illegal possession of firearms.

The Zahra Centre France was founded in 2009 by Yahia Gouasmi, a pro-regime activist and religious figure who has spoken in support of Hezbollah.

Gouasmi is also the founder of the Anti-Zionist Party in France and an associate of controversial comedian Dieudonne M'bala M'bala, a convicted anti-Semite.

burs-adp/kjl/klm/rma
Judge Brett Kavanaugh, pictured appearing before the US Senate Judiciary Committee in September 2018, has denied allegations of sexual abuse and harassment

US President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has given up a teaching position at Harvard Law School, a spokesman said Tuesday, as he contends with sexual assault and harassment allegations.

No reason was given for the conservative jurist's decision to pull out but the announcement follows a petition for his ouster signed by hundreds of alumni.

Administrators at the prestigious college emailed students late Monday to say Kavanaugh "indicated that he can no longer commit to teaching his course in January Term 2019, so the course will not be offered."

A Harvard Law School spokesman confirmed that Kavanaugh would not return to teach.

The federal appeals court judge had taught the three-week course, entitled "The Supreme Court since 2005" at what is one of the most distinguished law schools in the United States, for around a decade.

An online letter, begun last Friday and on Tuesday morning signed by more than 860 Harvard Law School alumni, asked the college to rescind his appointment as lecturer and bar him from teaching.

"We believe that Judge Kavanaugh's appointment as an HLS lecturer sends a message to law students, and in particular female students, that powerful men are above the law," it says.

"Judge Kavanaugh is not leadership material and he is not lectureship material. HLS would be tarnished to have him on campus in any position of authority. We ask that you rescind his lectureship."

Three women say the conservative jurist drunkenly sexually abused or harassed them when they were students in the 1980s.

In an extraordinary Senate hearing last Thursday, Kavanaugh denied the abuse allegations and was adamant he did not drink to the point of blacking out, despite enjoying beer in his younger years

"In addition to the substance of these allegations, Judge Kavanaugh's comportment and testimony during the appointment process have cast further doubt on his fitness to serve on the Supreme Court," said the alumni letter.
Donald Trump has stated on numerous occasions that he received little help from his father, New York property developer Fred Trump, in building his fortune

The New York state tax department said Tuesday it is investigating reports that President Donald Trump helped his parents dodge millions of dollars in taxes and received far more money from his father's real estate empire than he has claimed in the past.

Earlier, The New York Times said its own exhaustive probe of a vast trove of tax returns and confidential records showed Trump had engaged in suspect tax tactics, including "outright fraud" that greatly inflated the funds he received from his parents.

Trump has stated on numerous occasions that he received little help from his father, New York property developer Fred Trump, in building his fortune.

"The Tax Department is reviewing the allegations in the NYT article and is vigorously pursuing all appropriate avenues of investigation," New York state Taxation and Financing spokesman James Gazzale told AFP.

The Times said Trump received the equivalent of $413 million in today's dollars from his father's real estate activities -- having earned $200,000 a year in today's dollars by age three. By age eight, he was already a millionaire.

Trump was receiving the equivalent of $1 million a year from his father shortly after his college graduation, it added, noting that the funds grew to more than $5 million per year when he was in his 40s and 50s.

The Times said the bulk of the funds owed to tax evasion tactics that Trump helped devise, including a "sham corporation" he and his siblings created to hide millions of dollars in gifts from their parents.

There were also millions of dollars in improper tax deductions and Trump helped further reduce his parents' tax bill by undervaluing their real estate holdings by hundreds of millions of dollars on tax returns, according to the Times.

Trump helped his parents dodge millions of dollars in taxes, The New York Times reported

The newspaper said Trump's parents, Fred and Mary Trump, who died respectively in 1999 and 2000, transferred more than $1 billion in wealth to their five children.

This could have produced a tax bill of at least $550 million but the Trumps paid a total of just $52.2 million, the Times said, citing tax records.

- Trump lawyer issues denial -

The New York Times said Trump's tax-hating father used "relentless and creative" ways to funnel his wealth to his children and shield it from the Internal Revenue Service

One of Trump's lawyers, Charles Harder, decried the newspaper's allegations as "100 percent false, and highly defamatory."

"There was no fraud or tax evasion by anyone. The facts upon which The Times bases its false allegations are extremely inaccurate," he added.

"President Trump had virtually no involvement whatsoever with these matters."

Harder insisted the matter was mostly handled by other relatives who relied "entirely" upon licensed professionals to "ensure full compliance with the law."

The White House, meanwhile said that "Many decades ago, the IRS reviewed and signed off on these transactions."

Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders instead shifted blame onto the Times itself, saying "Perhaps another apology from The New York Times, like the one they had to issue after they got the 2016 election so embarrassingly wrong, is in order."

The Times said Trump's tax-hating father used various methods to funnel his wealth to his children and shield it from the Internal Revenue Service, some of which tax experts said was improper or possibly illegal.

Among the tactics, Fred Trump gave ownership of most of his real estate empire to his children a year and a half before his death.

The properties were valued at just $41.4 million although they were sold off over the next decade for more than 16 times that amount, it said.

The New York Times report said Trump and his siblings set up a sham corporation to disguise millions of dollars in gifts from their parents

The Times said Trump got a cut of $177.3 million, or $236.2 million in today's dollars, from the sale.

Breaking with the practice of past presidents, Trump has refused so far to release his tax returns.

Citing tax experts, the Times said Trump was unlikely to face criminal prosecution for helping his parents evade taxes but could face civil fines for tax fraud if the matter is pursued by the authorities.
Suu Kyi's international reputation has been tarnished by her refusal to call on the Burmese army to put an end to the atrocities committed against the Rohingyas, which Canadian MPs described as "genocide" in a resolution passed in September

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi became the first person to be stripped of honorary Canadian citizenship on Tuesday over her refusal to call out atrocities by her nation's military against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

The move was made official after Canada's Senate voted to revoke the symbolic honor.

The lower house had already approved a motion to the same effect last week.

The House of Commons granted the privilege to Suu Kyi in 2007, but her international reputation has since been tarnished by her refusal to call on the Burmese army to put an end to the atrocities committed against the Rohingya.

Canadian lawmakers described the violence against them as a "genocide" in a resolution passed in September.

The ethnic group are treated as foreigners in Burma, a country that is more than 90 percent Buddhist.

A brutal military campaign that started last year drove more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh, where they now live in cramped refugee camps -- fearful of returning despite a repatriation deal.

Many have given accounts of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and arson.

Canada has granted honorary citizenship only to five other personalities, including Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and Malala Yousafzai.
Quake survivors strugle to get live chickens being distributed from a police truck outside a makeshift camp in Palu in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi

The death toll in Indonesia's twin quake-tsunami disaster rose to nearly 1,400 Wednesday, with time running out to rescue survivors and the UN warning of "vast" unmet needs.

Authorities set a tentative deadline of Friday to find anyone still trapped under rubble, at which point -- a week after this devastating double disaster -- the chances of finding survivors will dwindle to almost zero.

Government rescue workers are focusing on half a dozen key sites around the ravaged seaside city of Palu -- the Hotel Roa-Roa where up to 60 people are still believed buried, a shopping mall, a restaurant and the Balaroa area where the sheer force of the quake turned the earth temporarily to mush.

Almost 200,000 people need urgent help, the UN's humanitarian office said, among them tens of thousands of children, with an estimated 66,000 homes destroyed or damaged by the 7.5-magnitude quake and the tsunami it spawned.

Despite the Indonesian government urging foreign rescue teams to "stand down" because the crisis was in hand, residents in hard-hit, remote villages like Wani in Donggala province say little help has arrived and hope is fading.

How the Palu tsunami amplified as it travelled

"Twelve people in this area haven't yet been found," Mohammad Thahir Talib told AFP.

"In the area to the south, because there hasn't been an evacuation we don't know if there are bodies. It's possible there are more," the 39-year-old said.

In Geneva, the United Nations expressed frustration at the slow pace of the response.

"There are still large areas of what might be the worst-affected areas that haven't been properly reached, but the teams are pushing, they are doing what they can," Jens Laerke, from the UN's humanitarian office, told reporters late Tuesday.

The World Health Organization has estimated that across Donggala, some 310,000 people have been affected by the disaster.

Survivors are battling thirst and hunger, with food and clean water in short supply, and local hospitals are overwhelmed by the number of injured.

Rescue efforts have been hampered by a lack of heavy machinery, severed transport links, the scale of the damage, and the Indonesian government's initial reluctance to accept foreign help

Officials on the ground said that while the government was now inviting offers of help, there is still no "mechanism for this to be implemented".

Landing slots at Palu airport are snapped up by the Indonesian military, although it was expected to be open to commercial flights from 7:59am on Thursday.

Palu's port, a key transit point for aid, has been damaged.

Signs of desperation are growing, with police officers forced to fire warning shots and teargas on Tuesday to ward off people ransacking shops.

Six of the Indonesian social affairs ministry's trucks laden with supplies were reportedly looted enroute to Palu.

In the main route north out of the city, an AFP journalist saw youths blocking the road and ask for "donations" to clear the way.

Widodo, who faces reelection next year, insisted the military and the police were in full control. "There is no such thing as looting," he said on a visit to Palu.

- Body bag shortage -

As survivors pick through the shattered remains of their neighbourhoods, the death toll continues to rise.

A quake survivor makes his way past debris and a beached passenger ferry in Wani, Indonesia's Central Sulawesi

"The death toll is now 1,374, 113 missing," Willem Rampangilei, head of Indonesia's national disaster agency, told reporters in Palu on Tuesday.

"And there are still a few bodies trapped under the rubble. We don't know how many. Our priority is still to find and save people," he added.

The Indonesia-based ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance said that more body bags were "urgently" needed as fears grow that decomposing corpses could provide a breeding ground for deadly diseases.

Rescue efforts have been hampered by a lack of heavy machinery, severed transport links and the scale of the damage.

In yet another reminder of Indonesia's vulnerability to natural disasters, the Soputan Volcano in Sulawesi erupted Wednesday, spewing volcanic ash up to 4,000 metres above the crater.

The state disaster agency warned people to stay at least four kilometres (two and a half miles) away, but said there was no need to evacuate for the time being.

International aid offers have picked up since Jakarta's belated request for help, with the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund announcing late Tuesday that it was releasing $15 million in aid.

On Wednesday, Australia said it was sending a medical team to the disaster zone and providing an additional $5 million in aid.

- 'There's no toilet' -

With power returning to some parts of Palu late Tuesday and phone networks back up and running, there were some signs of things getting back to normal.

But for most, daily life has changed beyond all recognition.

Palu residents crowded around daisy-chained power strips at the few buildings with electricity, or queued for water, cash or petrol being brought in via armed police convoy.

Queues to get a few litres of petrol lasted more than 24 hours in some places.

Sanitation is also a growing problem. "People everywhere want to go to the toilet but there's no toilet. So we do it along the road at night," said 50-year-old Armawati Yarmin.

Indonesia sits along the Pacific "Ring of Fire", the world's most tectonically active region, and its 260 million people remain hugely vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.
One year after the #MeToo movement sprang up from the lurid allegations of abuse and harassment against Hollywood mega-producer Harvey Weinstein, McDonald's employees and other low-wage and blue-collar workers, are seeking to join the movement

Kim Lawson took a second job at McDonald's last year in Kansas City, Missouri, to help make ends meet as a single mother to a three-year-old girl.

It did not take long before two co-workers -- one a manager -- began sexually harassing her, the 25-year-old says.

One would repeatedly brush up against her. The other made suggestive comments about her body, telling her "You can talk to me when your boyfriend is not around."

Her complaints to management did not stop the harassment.

"I felt helpless," Lawson told AFP. "I was ashamed that it was happening to me."

One year after the #MeToo movement sprang up from the lurid allegations of abuse and harassment against Hollywood mega-producer Harvey Weinstein, McDonald's employees and other low-wage and blue-collar workers are seeking to join the movement.

Lacking celebrity wattage or political might, they are turning to public displays, such as protests, legal battles, and teaching each other about their rights.

Lawson's allegations are detailed in a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) -- the US agency tasked with investigating worker discrimination claims -- filed in concert with nine other McDonald's workers in May.

They range from a 36-year-old cook in Los Angeles who claimed a co-worker "spanked my butt" multiple times and asked her what sexual positions she preferred, to a 15-year-old girl who alleged an older male co-worker repeatedly made "offensive, sexual comments" and advances.

"He said he liked my breasts and that they were 'plump,'" the girl claimed in a filing.

The Chicago-headquartered company says it has policies in place at its corporate-owned stores and will increase training

The official complaints are part of a campaign to pressure McDonald's to improve sexual harassment training and boost worker protections.

The Chicago-headquartered company says it has policies in place at its corporate-owned stores and will increase training.

- Economically vulnerable -

In mid-September, McDonald's workers made a very public example of their company by staging a one-day protest in 10 US cities

In mid-September, McDonald's workers made a very public example of their company by staging a one-day protest in 10 US cities.

They claim the company is not doing enough to address a culture of impunity for those who harass and abuse employees.

And they hope that McDonald's -- with 235,000 employees worldwide -- might have a major impact, if it gets tougher on harassment.

McDonald's workers' stories of mistreatment are not new nor limited to the burger giant.

In the restaurant industry as a whole, 40 percent of female fast-food workers say they have experienced sexual harassment, according to a 2016 survey by Hart Research Associates, a Washington-based public opinion firm.

The problem also is not confined to restaurants.

Female construction workers have alleged decades of animus and harassment from male colleagues, often in efforts to keep them away from male-dominated fields.

Women workers at a Chicago-area Ford plant have sued over widespread harassment, also dating back decades. The automaker apologized in December and promised changes.

- Modest victories -

"These workers themselves don't have the power of celebrity," said Mary Joyce Carlson, a lawyer with Fight for $15, a union-backed campaign to increase wages and workplace protections for low-income workers.

Lacking celebrity wattage or political might, McDonald's workers are turning to public displays, such as protests, legal battles, and teaching each other about their rights

"They have economic vulnerability and they are more easily exploited than women who have celebrity or power," Carlson told AFP.

A year into the #MeToo movement, low-wage and blue-collar workers have scored some modest victories.

Among the most notable came in September, when five major US hotel chains agreed to distribute 'panic' buttons to housekeeping staff to protect them from guests who harass them -- a long-time complaint.

And, the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund -- set up to provide attorneys to workers who can't afford one -- has collected $21 million since its inception in January to help fight sexual harassment.

About 3,500 people so far have asked for help, according to the fund's director Sharyn Tejani.

The fund is representing workers in a variety of industries -- police officers and paramedics, restaurant and construction workers, and home health care providers.

"Certainly, people are feeling like they can speak up more," she told AFP. "Our intakes are not slowing down."

McDonald's employees' public campaign has put the burger giant on the defensive.

The company says it already provides anti-harassment information to workers and training for managers at its owned and operated stores. It also has a hotline for reporting complaints.

The company promised "new mandatory training for corporate-owned restaurant general managers and staff" and an updated harassment and discrimination policy with "input from third party experts."

"We take employees' safety and well-being seriously, and will not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind at McDonald's owned and operated restaurants," it added in a statement.

But McDonald's only owns nine percent of its locations. The other stores -- more than 34,000 worldwide -- are independently-owned by franchisees.

McDonald's relies on those independent operators to comply with legal requirements regarding harassment and discrimination.

Some workers have complained that there is little to no anti-harassment training at franchisee-owned stores, and little recourse if someone is abused.

Lawson, the Kansas City worker who filed an EEOC complaint, is not waiting for McDonald's to act.

She recently helped lead a worker-organized sexual harassment training session for fast-food workers employed at McDonald's and elsewhere.

The workers are planning more training sessions in 2019.

Lawson said she heard many stories of mistreatment, and many workers did not know their rights.

"I just always feel sad," she said. "It's really sad that we work for these companies, but they don't really care about us. If they cared about us, they would protect us."
Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood Mogul, entering Manhattan criminal court June 5, 2018 with his lawyer, Ben Brafman

Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein is accused of sexual harassment and assault by nearly 80 women, turning him into the catalyst of the #MeToo movement and potentially one of the worst sexual predators of the modern age.

Criminal investigations have been conducted against him in New York, Los Angeles and London but, for now, only three accusations of assault from three different women have resulted in charges: all in New York.

An alleged rape in March 2013 and two forced acts of oral sex in 2004 and 2006, which could see him spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.

Most of the accusations are too old to be prosecuted, but he is also the target of multiple lawsuits by women who hope to claim financial damages. A criminal conviction would bolster their chances.

Weinstein says all his sexual relationships were consensual. He has hired one of America's most famous criminal defense attorneys, Ben Brafman, who got sex charges dropped against Dominique Strauss-Kahn in 2011.

Here are the main planks of the defense so far, as evidenced by Brafman's public remarks, court arguments and public filings.

- Hollywood 'casting couch' -

"Mr Weinstein did not invent the casting couch in Hollywood," Brafman told reporters in May. "Bad behavior is not on trial."

The argument seems to be that while Weinstein may have behaved badly, it did not amount to criminal conduct and was in the vein of what was considered acceptable in Hollywood at the time.

Criminal defense lawyer Julie Rendelman says it's a "polarizing" remark in the #MeToo era because it "minimizes and justifies Weinstein's actions."

"If he wants to win over a jury at the end of the day, it's likely he will avoid such comments in the future," Rendelman said.

Undercutting the accusers

In early August, Brafman sensationally asked the court to dismiss the charges, revealing dozens of emails between Weinstein and the woman accusing him of rape, which seem to suggest they had a long-standing affair.

"I love you, always do. But I hate feeling like a booty call. :)," she apparently emailed him in 2017, four years after the alleged attack.

The judge is expected to rule at the next hearing on November 8.

Brafman says the prosecutor did not show these emails to the grand jury, which met behind closed doors to determine that there was enough proof to charge Weinstein, and claims it was unfair to his client.

No one knows, however, what is presented to the grand jury as such things are secret. Pace Law School professor Bennett Gershman says nothing in the law requires the prosecution to share the emails with the grand jury.

Prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon says nothing in the emails contradicts the accusation of rape.

- Consensual or coerced? -

Nevertheless the emails, which relate to key questions of consent and credibility, are "right now the biggest issue," says Rendelman.

Even if the case goes to trial, Brafman can still use the emails to bolster the argument that Weinstein's encounters were consensual, experts say.

"While there is no question that an individual can have a consensual sexual relationship with another and still be raped, these emails... may undermine her credibility," acknowledges Rendelman.

"In addition, any undermining of one complainant's veracity can end up undercutting the entirety of the prosecution's case."

Brafman insists he can get the case dropped. But Gershman says there's a strong chance that the defense will end up accepting a plea deal, allowing Weinstein to escape with a lighter sentence.

"It's much more difficult today (to get acquitted) than 20 or 30 years ago and the defense knows it," Gershman says.

The recent conviction and sentencing of Bill Cosby serves as a potent example.

"My sense is, if Weinstein goes to trial, he will get convicted," Gershman adds.
Women have come a long way says Canada's Nobel physics laureate Donna Strickland seen here at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario

Canada's Donna Strickland, the first female Nobel Prize winner in physics since 1963, said Tuesday that women have "come a long way" since the previous laureate, Maria Goeppert Mayer.

"When I get on my soapbox if I'm teaching them, I talk about Mary. I did cite her in my own thesis," she told a briefing from the University of Waterloo where she teaches.

"I will also admit, sorry, I actually called her he in my thesis. Except, one of the people reading the thesis said 'shame on you, Donna' and changed it to she. And I did not know that she was that she," Strickland said.

In 1939, Maria Goeppert Mayer had "predicted that an atom could absorb two photons," says Strickland.

"It was a woman who thought of it -- and changed the way we do the science.

"And yet, she just followed her husband from job to job while he became a professor and went up the ranks and moved to universities to do that as a chemist," she went on, noting that the work she cited Goeppert Mayer on was from 1939.

"Obviously, women have come a long way. I felt like all along I have always been paid and treated the same," she said with a smile.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that "with her colleague Dr. Gerard Mourou of France, Dr. Strickland was awarded one half of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics for the development of a new technique to create short, intense laser pulses.

"Their innovative work can be found in applications including corrective eye surgery, and is expected to have a significant impact on cancer therapy and other physics research in the future."

He thanked Strickland "for inspiring other women and young girls to dream without limits and pursue the careers of their choice."

The other half of this years prize was awarded to Dr. Arthur Ashkin, who also won for his work revolutionizing laser physics.
US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani faced off at the UN in September

The UN's top court ordered the United States Wednesday to lift sanctions on humanitarian goods for Iran in a stunning setback for US President Donald Trump.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague handed Iran a major victory, saying that the stinging economic sanctions put Iranian lives at risk.

The ruling is likely to rile Trump, who reimposed the sanctions in May after pulling out of Iran's international nuclear deal to the dismay of his allies.

But it was unclear whether the judgment will be anything more than symbolic, because both Washington and Tehran have ignored them in the past.

The ICJ judges ruled that the sanctions on some goods breached a 1955 "Treaty of Amity" between Iran and the US that predates Iran's Islamic Revolution.

"The court finds unanimously that... the United States of America... shall remove by means of its choosing any impediments arising from the measures announced on 8 May to the free exportation to Iran of medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities" as well as airplane parts, chief judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said.

Iran: key dates since the US withdrawal from nuclear agreement

The court said sanctions on goods "required for humanitarian needs... may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran."

US sanctions also had the "potential to endanger civil aviation safety in Iran and the lives of its users."

- 'In the right' -

Iran's foreign ministry hailed the shock judgment as proof that Tehran was "in the right".

Ahead of the decision, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the sanctions were a form of "psychological warfare" aimed at regime change.

Trump slapped a first round of sanctions on Iran in August after pulling out in May of the international deal aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions, to the dismay of his European allies. A second round of punitive measures is due in November.

Iran dragged the US to the ICJ in July, and during four days of hearings in late August, its lawyers accused Washington of "strangling" its economy.

Washington however forcefully told the court that it has no jurisdiction to rule on this case as it concerns a matter of national security.

Wednesday's ruling is in fact a decision on so-called provisional measures ahead of a final decision on the matter, which may take several more years, experts said.

Rulings by the Hague-based ICJ, which rules on disputes between United Nations members are binding but it has no mechanism through which it can enforce its decisions.

The International Court of Justice is housed in the Peace Palace in The Hague

In 1986 Washington disregarded the courts finding that it had violated international law by supporting the pro-US Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Iran in turn ignored the ICJs ruling in 1980 to release hostages taken during the Iran hostage crisis.

- Nazi disposition -

There was no immediate reaction from the United States, but Trump has previously shown his disdain for overarching international organisations that limit US sovereignty, including the UN.

He recently heavily criticised the separate International Criminal Court in The Hague over a probe into alleged US abuses in Afghanistan.

The 2015 nuclear deal saw Iran agree to limit its nuclear programme and let in international inspectors in return for an end to years of sanctions by the West.

But Trump argues that funds from the lifting of sanctions under the pact have been used to support terrorism and build nuclear-capable missiles.

European allies have pledged to keep the deal alive, with plans for a mechanism to let firms skirt the US sanctions as they do business with Iran.

Despite that, France alleged on Tuesday that the Iranian intelligence ministry was behind a foiled plot to bomb an exiled opposition group near Paris.

Despite their 1955 Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations, Iran and the United States have not had diplomatic ties since 1980

US-Iran relations have plunged to a new low since Trump's election in 2016, even as the US president reaches out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over his nuclear programme.

Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani faced off at the UN in September, with Rouhani denouncing leaders with "xenophobic tendencies resembling a Nazi disposition".

Despite their 1955 Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations, Iran and the United States have not had diplomatic ties since 1980.

The case is the second brought by Tehran against Washington since 2016. That year it brought a suit at the ICJ against the freezing of around $2 billion of Iranian assets abroad which US courts say should go to American victims of terror attacks.

Hearings in that case are due to start next week.
Artisanal miners hunt in DR Congo's Ituri Province for gold, just one of a host of mineral riches in a country which nevertheless remains one of the world's poorest

"A Land of Many Potentials" is how DR Congo's investment promotion agency touts the mineral-rich nation of 80 million people, just weeks away from crucial elections.

Yet the business community's wish list is frighteningly long in a country that is synonymous with corruption, according to its Transparency International profile, which ranked it 161 out of 180 countries last year.

The gap between potential and the current state of affairs poses a daunting challenge for whoever succeeds President Joseph Kabila in the December 23 presidential poll.

Major progress is needed on all fronts from agriculture, electricity, roads, customs tariffs and fiscal policy to tackling endemic corruption.

Business leaders say people are crying out for a savvy leader in a country ranked 176 on the Human Development Index by UNDP.

"He must learn to manage the country like a business. We have excelled in political politics rather than a realistic economic policy producing wealth," businessman Yves Kabongo told a recent investment forum as the nation approaches the end of the Kabila era that has stretched almost two decades.

The next head of state must "avoid making political arrangements and instead choose expertise", insisted Alain Kahasha, managing director of the Congolese branch of Indian telecoms operator Airtel.

DR Congo is blessed with an abundance of mineral riches and fertile land but is one of the world's poorest nations. Annual economic output totals just $457 dollars per person -- or $1.25 per day.

- Change mindset -

Economist Al Kitenge said a change in mindset is required.

"It's time to think beyond the golden age of the mines," he said.

The mining and export of cobalt, as well as copper, tantalum and gold, have been the biggest creators of wealth in the country.

Map of DR Congo, showing conflict zones, the country's huge mineral wealth, UN bases, food insecurity and refugees, with close-up on restive North and South Kivu

But those riches have been a factor fuelling devastating conflicts and had "a perverse effect on all sectors", said Kabongo.

He said country needs instead to focus on agriculture, which could help provide jobs for many more than the mining industry ever could and help reduce hunger.

The government estimates that a vibrant agriculture sector could provide jobs for more than two-thirds of the population, but at the moment only 10 percent of land is used for farming.

Staples such as rice, maize, manioc and other crops grow profusely in the lush tropical climate.

Yet the state shells out more than $1 billion year to import basic foodstuffs. And many Congolese are very lucky if they manage to eat three good meals a day.

"Food self-sufficiency" has to be the goal, said Kahasha.

But here as well there is a problem.

"You can talk about agriculture, but if you don't have the infrastructure to transform and transport what is produced then there's no point," he said.

- Creaky infrastructure -

DR Congo's road network is so insufficient that farmers and traders often have to make a two-week trip in decrepit boats down the Congo river to sell their produce.

Kabila recently told lawmakers that the vast nation that is around two thirds the size of Western Europe has just 27,877 kilometres (17,322 miles) of roads. France alone has more than a million kilometres.

President Joseph Kabila, seen last week at the UN General Assembly, steps down in December but whoever succeeds him faces a daunting challenge given the gap between potential and the current state of affairs in a poverty-stricken nation of 80 million

Ruling party lawmaker Patrick Muyaya estimated that authorities "must build 90,000 kilometres of (national) roads" and 150,000 kilometres more of rural feeder roads.

Electrification must also be high up on the list of priorities as barely 17 percent of the population have access and that too mainly in the urban areas, according to the World Bank.

And that is despite huge generating potential from the Congo river and its many tributaries estimated at 100,000 megawatts.

Sharing nine borders with its neighbours, the sprawling country also has to work on customs deals.

"We must cut tariffs," said Polycarpe Ndivito Kikwaya, who heads the FEC business association in Butembo, a major trade point near the Ugandan border.

Investor Yves Kabongo said the country had to cut "one of the continent's most complex" investment systems riddled with red tape.

"We must end all this administrative hassle for those who take the risk of investing in DRC, be they Congolese or foreigners," Kabongo said.
Thousands of tourists descended on Thailand's Maya Bay daily before the Ban

The glittering Thai bay immortalised in the movie "The Beach" will be closed indefinitely to allow it to recover from the impact of hordes of tourists, an official said Wednesday, as a temporary ban on visitors expired.

Maya Bay, ringed by cliffs on Ko Phi Phi Ley island, was made famous when it featured in the 2000 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

It was initially shut for four months in June due to beach erosion and pollution as the white-sand paradise sagged under pressure from thousands of day-trippers arriving by boat.

But a survey of the problem during the temporary ban made clear that the short-term fix was not going to work and that the damage was worse than originally thought.

"We have evaluated each month and found out that the ecological system was seriously destroyed from tourism of up to 5,000 people daily," Songtam Suksawang, director of the National Parks office, told AFP.

"It's very difficult to remedy and rehabilitate because its beach was completely destroyed as well the plants which cover it," he said, adding it was "impossible" for recovery to occur in the allotted time.

Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation announced the indefinite closure in a royal gazette published on October 1.

It said that the restrictions on tourism would not be lifted until the ecosystem "fully recovers to a normal situation".

Besides beach erosion, heavy traffic around the azure waters can also damage sensitive coral reefs, already vulnerable to rising sea temperatures and climate change.

Countries across the region from the Philippines to Indonesia are waking up to the problem of beach tourism overload and the plastic waste and degradation that can come with it.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte announced in April a six-month closure of the popular Boracay beach resort, calling the destination a "cesspool".

And Indonesia declared a "garbage emergency" last year along a stretch of the resort island of Bali, after coastal pollution was highlighted in a viral video that showed a diver swimming through waters full of trash.
A question before the US Supreme Court: Can a man who suffers dementia and cannot remember his crime or conviction be put to death?

Vernon Madison killed an Alabama police officer in 1985, and was convicted and sentenced to death nine years later.

But after two debilitating strokes while in prison, his lawyers say he can't remember the crime he committed or why he is to be executed.

The US Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case that will likely have much broader meaning than for just one person: it could apply to the large population of aging inmates in American prisons facing execution.

The eight judges of the high court who heard Tuesday's arguments must weigh whether capital punishment for the 68 year old Madison, already delayed several times, is ethical and legal, based on the US Constitution's prohibition of "cruel and unusual punishment."

Critical could be who fills the ninth seat: conservative nominee Brett Kavanaugh's approval has been stalled as he faces sexual abuse allegations.

- Inmate with dementia faces execution -

Madison shot a policeman in the head twice when the officer tried to intervene in a domestic dispute in 1985 in the city of Mobile. But it took nine years to gain a final verdict, after the initial verdicts in his first two trials were overturned over procedural issues.

In 2015 and 2016, Madison suffered two severe strokes. Today he is almost blind, cannot walk without assistance, and suffers from incontinence.

His memory is so impaired that he can no longer recite the alphabet and frequently requests visits from his mother, who has been dead for years.

He does not remember his crime or the trials he underwent that placed him on death row.

If someone is fragile and confused, under the Constitution's 8th amendment "it is simply not humane to execute him," Madison's attorney Bryan Stevenson told the high court Tuesday.

- Growing problem -

"Not remembering your crime is not enough," argued Alabama deputy attorney general Thomas Govan.

Conservative Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh could be the deciding vote in the Madison case if he is approved by the Senate

"He is able to understand the nature of the criminal proceeding," said Govan.

If the state stops executing people who don't remember their crimes, he added, "no inmate would ever admit committing a crime."

The case raises a legal issue the Supreme Court has yet to rule upon.

While the high court has ruled in the past against executing people found insane, it has not considered specifically the issue of lack of memory of the crime or trial.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor questioned what is the meaning of a sentence "if you can't rationally appreciate why you are put to death."

Justice Stephen Breyer said it is an important issue beyond Madison's case, given the number of advanced-age convicts awaiting execution.

In 2011 nearly four percent of the death row population was over 65, around 100 individuals.

"Many detainees are in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and possibly 80s and have been on the death row for 20, 30, 40 years. This will become a more common problem," Breyer said.

- Kavanaugh could determine ruling -

More broadly, the case could test the court's longstanding tilt toward protecting criminals from punishments that can be considered "cruel and unusual."

In several key rulings, former justice Anthony Kennedy, a moderate who retired in July, sided with the court's four liberals in broad interpretations of the 8th amendment.

Kavanaugh, if approved, is expected to side with the four current conservatives and turn the court solidly to the right. If he votes on the case, Madison might not gain a reprieve.
Australia has finally scrapped its 'tampon tax' which was branded as sexist by campaigners

After almost two decades of political wrangling Australia on Wednesday finally agreed to scrap its so-called "tampon tax".

When Australia introduced a Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2000, health products such as condoms and sunscreen were exempt from the 10 percent charge, along with most foods.

But tampons and other women's hygiene products were not.

Since then, the "tampon tax" has drawn widespread fire, branded as "sexist" by campaigners, and a regular source of bickering between Canberra, and state and territory governments, which receive revenues from the GST.

Australia's health minister in 2000 Michael Wooldridge set a dark trajectory for the tax when he suggested tampons should not be exempt as they did not "prevent illness".

"As a bloke, I'd like shaving cream exempt, but I'm not expecting it to be," he told national broadcaster ABC, sparking a sharp public backlash.

Years of outcry followed, with "stop taxing my period!" campaigns and staunch activism from groups like the "menstrual avengers".

Leaders on both sides of politics flirted with the exemption, while others shied away, passing the buck onto state and territory governments.

But on Wednesday a meeting of state and territory treasurers agreed unanimously to scrap the tax as of January, agreeing to forgo the reported Aud$30 million (US$21.5 million) in revenue it raised each year.

"There has been a long and tortured history on GST when it comes to tampons and feminine hygiene products," the federal minister for women, Kelly O'Dwyer, told reporters.

"I'm very happy to report that today we have been successful, the states and territories have come on board, and millions of Australian women will benefit as a result."

The move came at a precarious time for the conservative governing coalition, as it seeks to increase its appeal to women amid complaints of bullying and intimidation from female MPs in its ranks.

The complaints reached a crescendo last month during a party revolt which led to the ouster of moderate prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, and the resignation of foreign minister Julie Bishop, the highest-ranking woman in government.

New Prime Minister Scott Morrison has resisted calls for his Liberal party to set a quota for women candidates in future elections, insisting the party selects "the best candidate" for the job.

About 20 percent of Liberal MPs are women, compared to about 45 percent for the opposition Labour party, which maintains a quota for female participation.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur in the South China Sea

The bitter trade dispute between China and the US is increasingly spilling into the military domain, with a risky incident in the South China Sea highlighting the dangers of souring relations.

In what the US Navy has called an "unsafe and unprofessional" encounter, a Chinese warship sailed within just 45 yards (41 meters) of a US destroyer Sunday as it passed by Chinese-claimed features in the South China Sea, forcing the American vessel to take evasive action.

The close call capped days of tit-for-tat military moves that came as President Donald Trump ramped up his trade war with China.

"The close encounter between the Chinese destroyer and the USS Decatur was the closest one yet," Timothy Heath, senior international defense research analyst at the RAND Corporation, told AFP.

It "may reflect in part the growing US-China tensions. But it also appears to reflect a growing willingness by Beijing to test the Americans in the South China Sea," he added.

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Beijing reacted furiously after the incident, saying America's "freedom of navigation" operation threatened China's sovereignty and security, and damaged military relations between the two powers.

The encounter followed a string of other military incidents.

Last week, plans for a Beijing meeting between US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe fell through after China declined to make Wei available.

Days earlier, China nixed a planned port visit of a US warship to Hong Kong, and canceled a meeting between the head of the Chinese navy and his American counterpart.

That all came around the time US B-52 bombers took part in a combined operation with Japan over the East China Sea, and flew through international airspace over the South China Sea.

The Chinese defense ministry denounced the flyovers as "provocative" actions.

Mattis this week acknowledged "tension points" between the US and China, but told reporters he did not "see it getting worse."

- Code of conduct -

The US and Chinese militaries in 2014 agreed on a code of conduct for unplanned encounters at sea, aimed at helping the two navies avoid mishaps.

It was unclear whether Sunday's manoeuver came at Beijing's request -- or was initiated by the Chinese ship's captain --- but political motivations were likely a factor in forcing a close call.

Disputed claims in the South China Sea

"With tensions elevated, China seems motivated to risk a possible collision as a means of intimidation. There is a real risk of miscalculation," Heath said.

Trump's trade war has infuriated Beijing, as did his authorization of a $1.3 billion arms sale to Taiwan, which China considers a rebel province.

Washington last week enacted new tariffs against China covering another $200 billion of its imports.

And Washington has placed financial sanctions on China for its recent purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missile systems.

- Earlier encounters -

US-China military relations have been strained before.

Military exchanges between the countries, including port calls, were temporarily suspended following a mid-air collision between a US EP-3 spy plane and Chinese fighter in 2001 off the south China coast that sparked a major diplomatic row.

The Chinese fighter pilot was killed in the collision and the EP-3 was forced to make an emergency landing in China's Hainan Island, with the crew detained for 11 days before being released.

Chinese shipping containers at the Port of Long Beach in Los Angeles County

Current military tensions are likely to persist, said Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, as they suit Trump's political objectives.

The president last week slapped $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods and has accused Beijing of interfering in the upcoming US election.

"This looks like a strategy from the president," Glaser told AFP.

"He just wants to double down on putting as much pressure on China as possible."

Noting that such actions violated established rules, Glaser added the encounter in the South China Sea represented a "different level of interfering" in a US freedom of navigation operation.
Nick Kyrgios flickered into life for just long enough to dispatch wildcard Yoshihito Nishioka 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) in the first round of the Japan Open

Former champion Nick Kyrgios flickered into life for just long enough to dispatch wildcard Yoshihito Nishioka 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) in the first round of the Japan Open on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon finalist Kevin Anderson survived a scare against Kyrgios's fellow Australian Matthew Ebden, winning in three sets to avoid the same fate as top seed Marin Cilic who flopped at the first hurdle in Tokyo a day earlier.

Kyrgios appeared a little distracted at times but the controversial Aussie became a different animal after his Japanese opponent, who won his maiden ATP tour title at last week's Shenzhen Open, forced a tiebreak in the second set.

Kyrgios unleashed a string of monstrous shots to take the breaker 7-3 for a straight-sets win.

The 23-year-old, who has complained that playing the late season tour in Asia makes him feel depressed and lonely, fired 20 aces and sealed victory with a flamboyant backhand overhead smash after 73 minutes to book a place in the last 16.

Kyrgios has been fined for "tanking" matches in Shanghai the past two years but captured one of his four career titles in Tokyo two years ago, beating Belgium's David Goffin in the final.

He faces eighth seed Richard Gasquet for a place in the quarter-finals.

Second seed Anderson came through a tough opener 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-2 as the South African goes in search of a fifth career title.

The world number nine, runner-up to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon this year, struggled against Ebden until recovering his mojo in the second-set tiebreak, surrendering just one point.

An early break in the decider broke the Australian's resistance and Anderson closed out the match with a thumping serve down the centre line. He plays American Frances Tiafoe in the last 16.

Earlier, Australia's Alex De Minaur beat France's former world number six Gilles Simon 6-7 (1/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.
A Turkish troop convoy passes through the rebel-held Kammari district of Syria's Aleppo province late on October 2, 2018 as the deadline for establishing a Russian- and Turkish-monitored buffer zone between rebel and government forces draws closer

A Turkish military convoy entered rebel-held northwestern Syria early on Wednesday, an AFP correspondent reported, as the deadline for establishing a buffer zone between rebel and government forces draws closer.

At least 40 vehicles, including trucks and armoured personnel carriers, were seen moving slowly south along a main highway under the cover of darkness.

The troops they were carrying are expected to be deployed at "observation posts" Turkey has already set up in rebel-held areas of Idlib and Aleppo provinces.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the vehicles were heading to Turkish monitoring posts, including in the southwestern parts of Idlib.

There was no word from Turkey on any reinforcements to the area. It last sent a similar troop column into northern Syria just over a week ago.

Wednesday's convoy entered as the deadline for implementing a Turkish-Russian accord on the future of Syria's last major rebel bastion draws closer.

Last month, Moscow and Ankara agreed to set up a demilitarised zone ringing rebel territory to avert a threatened government offensive.

All factions in the zone must withdraw heavy weapons by October 10, and radical groups must leave by October 15. It will then be monitored by Turkish troops and Russian military police.

The region's dominant armed group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an alliance led by jihadists of Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, has still not officially responded to the accord.

Turkey's main rebel allies, the National Liberation Front, gave the deal a cautious welcome before objecting to its provisions for a Russian troop presence inside the zone.

The main Turkish-backed rebel group in northwestern Syria, the National Liberation Front, has voiced misgivings about parts of a truce deal Ankara reached with government ally Moscow, saying a planned buffer zone eats too much into its territory

The NLF says it is still hammering out the details of the agreement's implementation with Ankara, and is wary that the current proposals would eat into their territory too much.

In an interview aired Tuesday, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said he hoped the deal would prove to be a "step towards the liberation of Idlib."

Muallem told Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen television he was confident in Turkey's ability to fulfil its side of the deal "because of its knowledge of factions" on the ground.

Fighters from the area would be allowed to stay, he said, while those from other areas would go home and foreigners would leave through Turkey.
Rosmah Mansor was arrested in relation to money laundering investigations, while husband Najib Razak has already been hit with a string of charges including corruption

Rosmah Mansor, the flamboyant wife of Malaysia's former prime minister, was arrested Wednesday by the country's anti-graft agency over a multi-billion-dollar scandal.

"Rosmah has been arrested," her lawyer K. Kumaraendran told AFP after she was questioned for hours at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Her husband Najib Razak, 65, has already been hit with a string of charges including corruption and money laundering and is out on bail following his spectacular fall from power in May elections.

The MACC in a statement said it arrested Rosmah, 66, in relation to money laundering investigations after getting approval from state prosecutors.

"Following this, Rosmah will face a number of charges," it said, adding she will be brought to court early on Thursday to be charged.

She is expected to spend the night at the MACC headquarters located in the administrative capital Putrajaya outside Kuala Lumpur.
Pope Francis is hosting is hosting a synod of bishops focusing on the role of young people in the Catholic Church

Pope Francis on Wednesday offered a "warm welcome" to two Chinese Catholic bishops attending a synod for the first time following a landmark deal between China and the Vatican.

"Today, for the first time, we have also with us two bishops from mainland China," the pontiff said in a speech to kick off the month-long advisory body meeting on the role of young people in the 1.2 billion-member church.

"We offer them our warm welcome: the communion of the entire episcopate with the successor of Peter is yet more visible thanks to their presence," he said.

On September 22, the Vatican and China reached a provisional agreement under which Pope Francis recognised seven clergy initially ordained by Beijing without the Vatican's approval.

The accord could pave the way for the normalisation of ties between the Catholic Church and the world's most populous country.

One of those recognised, Bishop Joseph Guo Jincai, is attending the synod along with Bishop John Baptist Yang Xiaotin, another member of the Patriotic Catholic Association (PCA), a body created by the Chinese government to administer the church.

Francis said he hoped the synod would help "broaden our horizons, expand our hearts and transform those frames of mind that today paralyse, separate and alienate us from young people, leaving them exposed to stormy seas".

The meeting of more than 300 church officials, outside experts and youth delegates is taking place in the shadow of an existential crisis in the Church over cases of widespread sexual abuse of minors by clergy and lay officials in a number of countries.
Veteran Iraqi politician Adel Abdel Mahdi, regarded as an independent in his country's fractious infighting, has been given the tough task of forming the next government as prime minister-designate

Veteran Iraqi politician and now prime minister designate Adel Abdel Mahdi Wednesday began the tough task of forming the next government, seeking to overcome sharp differences and unite fractious political parties.

In a surprise move late Tuesday, new President Barham Saleh handed Abdel Mahdi -- seen as an independent -- the difficult responsibility only hours after being elected.

It comes as several different blocs in the Iraqi parliament are jostling for power following the May elections -- in-fighting which had so far stymied the formation of a new government.

The largest bloc traditionally appoints the prime minister and presides over the formation of the next government.

But the exact contours of a new governing coalition are yet to be drawn.

Outgoing prime minister Haider al-Abadi threw in the towel last month after deadly unrest in the southern city of Basra cost his fragile alliance the support of populist Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr.

Deadly protests in Iraq's main southern city of Basra last month cost outgoing prime minister Haider al-Abadi his fragile alliance with populist Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, whose bloc is the largest in parliament

Sadr's list won the largest share of seats in the May polls. And after dumping Abadi, it swung behind the pro-Iran bloc led by Hadi al-Ameri's Conquest Alliance -- a coalition of anti-jihadist veterans close to Tehran.

A spokesman for Conquest Alliance, Ahmad al-Assadi, told reporters late Tuesday that "the largest coalition resolved the issue by naming the prime minister" hinting his bloc had supported Abdel Mahdi's nomination, but without offering up any concrete evidence.

- Power-sharing system -

Iraq has a proportional system designed to prevent a slide back into dictatorship following the 2003 ouster of late dictator Saddam Hussein.

The largely ceremonial role of president, now taken by the 58-year-old Saleh, has been reserved for the Kurds since Iraq's first multi-party elections in 2005.

Under the power-sharing deal, the post of prime minister is held by a Shiite, while the speaker of parliament is Sunni Arab -- a post filled last month by Mohammed al-Halbusi.

The 76-year-old Abdel Mahdi, a former Iraqi vice president, has proven political credentials and is seen in Iraqi circles as an independent.

Iraqi prime minister designate Adel Abdel Mahdi, seen here leaving parliament after his nomination on October 2, 2018, now has just 30 days to navigate the conflicting interests of rival factions and form a government

In a country long a political battleground between the United States and Iran as they fight for influence, he is regarded as a rare figure of consensus.

An economist by training, he was once a senior member of a party close to Iran. But he has also won the backing of US and European leaders.

In 2014, Abdel Mahdi took up the post of oil minister under Abadi before resigning two years later.

Now he has just 30 days to navigate tangled Iraqi politics and form a government. If he fails, then another candidate will have to be chosen to pick up the baton.

A Shiite and native of Baghdad, he is nonetheless credited with having good relations with a number of Kurdish leaders. This could be crucial, coming a year after a disastrous referendum in which Iraqi Kurdistan voted overwhelmingly for independence.

- Kurdish ties -

The vote triggered a punishing backlash from Baghdad, which imposed economic penalties and sent federal troops to push Kurdish forces out of oil fields vital for the region's economy.

Under a tacit accord between the region's two main factions, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the PUK hold the federal presidency and the KDP the post of Iraqi Kurdistan president.

But the Iraqi Kurdish presidency has been left vacant since KDP leader Massud Barzani's mandate ended following the September 2017 referendum that he championed.

In a bitter dispute for power, Barzani had backed for president Fuad Hussein, his 72-year-old former chief of staff and veteran of the opposition to Saddam.

Iraq's new President Barham Saleh, a Kurdish moderate who has served in both the federal and the Kurdish regional governments, addresses parliament after he defeated the candidate of veteran nationalist leader Massud Barzani on October 2, 2018

But in a blow to Barzani, the post went to Saleh, a moderate who has served both as Iraqi deputy premier and Kurdish prime minister.

He was part of an interim authority put in place by the United States following the 2003 invasion that ousted Saddam.

He later became deputy prime minister under Nuri al-Maliki then returned to the Kurdish regional capital Arbil in 2009 to become head of the Kurdistan government.

Meanwhile, results are also due late Wednesday after Sunday's polls for the Kurdish parliament.
US pastor Andrew Craig Brunson faces up to 35 years in a Turkish jail if convicted on terror-related charges

A lawyer for the US pastor whose two-year detention in Turkey led to a bitter row with Washington said on Wednesday he had appealed to the constitutional court for the American's release.

Pastor Andrew Brunson has been under house arrest at his home in the western city of Izmir since July and was previously held in jail after being detained in October 2016 on terror-related charges.

His lawyer, Cem Halavurt, told AFP that he had applied to the court on Tuesday afternoon, although he previously said he would apply on Wednesday morning.

The next hearing in Brunson's case is on October 12 and there are growing expectations that he will be permitted to return to the United States.

Halavurt said the constitutional court "procedure can take a few months" after making the application via a court in Istanbul.

Brunson, who ran a small evangelical Protestant church in Izmir and lived in Turkey for since 1993, is at the centre of tensions between Ankara and Washington.

He faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted on charges of carrying out activities on behalf of two groups deemed by Turkey to be terror organisations -- one led by US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara says was behind the failed 2016 coup and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Brunson and US officials insist he is innocent of all charges.

Relations were further strained after he was put under house arrest and Washington's decision to impose sanctions on two Turkish ministers, and double steel and aluminium tariffs in August, sparking a dramatic fall in the value of the Turkish lira.

But there have been signs that tensions could ease after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was hopeful Turkey would release the pastor while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said he hoped Ankara could rebuild relations with its NATO ally.
Cameroon's President Paul Biya (C), accompagnied by his wife Chantal Biya, at Maroua airport during an electoral visit in the far north region of Cameroon on September 29

President Paul Biya, the 85-year-old Cameroonian leader who will seek a seventh term on Sunday, has developed an effective system to stay in power despite long overseas absences.

One of Africa's longest serving leaders, he has made Yaounde's Etoudi presidential palace his home since 1982.

"Those who want power don't last, it's those who can (rule)" he told journalists in 2015, making a rare remark about his long time in charge of Cameroon.

One aspect of his time in office is the "subtle balance of forces" which Biya has created in the country, in a region where leadership changes are often accompanied by force, according to International Crisis Group's (ICG) Hans de Marie Heungoup.

Cameroon's system was "designed so that everyone polices themselves and maintained inter-generational and ethnic rivalries," Heungoup said.

"No one can move an active (security force) unit without the say-so of the president," he added, emphasising the importance of the balance between the regularly army, the rapid intervention force, and the presidential guard -- the last two of which report directly to the president.

The president's appointment of loyalists to key posts has also assured his long rule.

- 'Go against Biya, you'll be crushed' -

The speaker of the National Assembly, the head of the army and the head of the state-run oil and gas company are all confidants of the president, and have each held their jobs for more than 15 years.

The system has been strengthened through "a mix of resigned acceptance and patronage among certain elite leaders who rally behind the regime," said Fred Eboko, a researcher at the French Institute for Research and Development (IRD).

Biya's primary motivation since coming to office has been "to stay in power," he added.

"The system is built on a single individual and this individual is identified with the job," said Titus Edzoa, a former confidant of the president who was secretary general of Biya's presidency between 1994 and 1996 and held ministerial posts on several occasions.

"If you try to go against Biya, you'll be crushed," he said.

- 'In power for 35 years... that's talent' -

He should know. After resigning as a health minister in 1997 to stand in elections, he was arrested and accused of stealing millions of CFA francs. He spent 15 years behind bars.

Now a free man, he warns that by centring the system on Paul Biya's personality "not only could the system implode, but so too could the whole of Cameroon" in the near future.

"Whether you want him or not, he's still human and you have to think of the future," he said.

"How do you look back on the story of a people dominated by an individual?"

Osvald Baboke, the deputy director of the presidency, wrote in a book published in September that "Biya's fate seemed pre-determined" and "an opportunity given by God".

"Being in power for 35 years and standing again, that's talent," added Edzoa.

His repeated long absences from Cameroon, mostly in Switzerland or in his home village in his country's south, have been bitterly criticised.

According to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a consortium of investigative journalists, Biya spent "at least four-and-a-half years of his 35 years in power on private visits" abroad.

But for the final leg of the campaign, which concludes on Saturday, Biya did at least make a rare public appearance, visiting the far-north which has been engulfed by Boko Haram jihadist violence -- his first trip there since 2012.
South African Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene says he was previously sacked from the post for resisting corruption

South Africa's finance minister testified Wednesday that he was sacked from the post by former president Jacob Zuma for refusing to back policies that would profit the Gupta business family at the heart of a corruption scandal.

The Guptas are accused of fraudulently benefitting from government contracts and energy and transport deals during Zuma's presidency. He was ousted earlier this year amid multiple corruption allegations.

Nhlanhla Nene was sacked by Zuma in 2015 in a move that shocked many South Africans and foreign investors. It fuelled allegations that Zuma and the Guptas were overseeing rampant state corruption.

Nene was re-appointed as finance minister by the new president, Cyril Ramaphosa. He has vowed to crack down on graft and to revive growth in South Africa, the continent's most advanced economy.

"I do believe that I was removed from office due to my refusal to toe the line in relation to certain projects," Nene told a judicial inquiry into state corruption.

"Those projects may have benefitted the Gupta family and other close associates of the then president... for instance the nuclear deal and the SAA (South African Airways) strategy."

Nene, speaking on oath at the hearings in Johannesburg, said that his then deputy Mcebisi Jonas was offered his job after Nene refused to back a huge nuclear expansion programme that the Guptas were set to benefit from.

"It makes sense that those who wish to pursue a systematic strategy to raid the public coffers... would attack the role or credibility of the national treasury," Nene said in hours of testimony that piled accusations of misconduct on Zuma.

Nene said pressure was applied on the treasury to access government funding or "to conceal dubious or irregular procurement."

Jonas has previously told the inquiry that one of the Gupta brothers threatened to kill him after Jonas refused to accept a $40 million bribe.

The inquiry, which opened in August, is probing allegations that Zuma organised systematic corruption in a scandal known as "state capture".

Zuma was forced to resign in February over allegations centred on the Guptas, who were reportedly able to choose some of Zuma's cabinet ministers.

Ramaphosa faces elections next year. The ANC party, which has ruled since Nelson Mandela came to power in 1994 after the end of apartheid rule, faces falling public support.

Both Zuma and the Guptas deny any wrongdoing.

Zuma, 76, has also been charged with 16 counts of graft linked to an arms deal from before he became president. He will next appear in court on November 30.
US First Lady Melania Trump visits Cape Coast Castle, a former slave trading fort in Ghana

US First Lady Melania Trump visited a former slave trading fort in Ghana on Wednesday, the second day of her maiden solo tour of Africa promoting her children's welfare programme.

"Akwaaba (Welcome) to Cape Coast," read a sign hung from the whitewashed walls of the Cape Coast Castle, some 145 kilometres (90 miles) from the capital, Accra.

But there were signs that the soft diplomatic push was yet to take off locally, as comparisons were drawn to the visit of former US president Barack Obama and his family in 2009.

"The interest is very, very muted and subdued. There are a lot of people (in Ghana) who are extremely indifferent about this visit," political commentator Etse Sikanku told AFP.

A relaxed and smiling Melania Trump arrived in Accra from Washington on Tuesday to a red-carpet welcome of traditional dancing and flag-waving schoolchildren.

In a day of engagements as part of her "Be Best" campaign in education and healthcare, she handed out teddy bears to newborns and met her Ghanaian counterpart, Rebecca Akufo-Addo.

Cape Coast Castle was a major outpost on the Atlantic slave trading route

The highlight of Wednesday's itinerary was the tour of Cape Coast Castle, a major outpost on the Atlantic slave trading route, where she also met members of the local Fante tribe.

The imposing fort on the windswept coast, where untold numbers of people were kept in dark dungeons before being shipped overseas, is now on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

It has seen a steady increase in visitors since Obama and his family toured the site.

Obama -- whose photo now adorns the wall of a hall renamed in his honour -- said at the time that the cells were a reminder that "sometimes we can tolerate and stand by great evil even as we think that we are doing good".

- Carve her own path -

The first lady's visit to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt has been seen as an attempt to carve her own path and emerge from her husband's shadow and his divisive presidency.

It also comes after another turbulent week for the Trump administration, with controversy about his pick for the US Supreme Court, who has been accused of sexual assault.

On Tuesday, President Trump openly mocked the university professor who made the allegations, drawing scorn from critics who said such taunts deterred survivors of assault.

US First Lady Melania Trump visited a hospital in Ghana's capital Accra on the first day of her Africa tour

In Africa, interest in Melania Trump's visit is being watched to see if she can mend fences after her husband's reported comment that the continent contained "shithole" countries.

Those who met her on Tuesday said they found the enigmatic former model "warm" and "gentle", although she made no speech and on Wednesday was heard largely thanking local dignitaries.

Overall, there were doubts the visit would radically alter existing ties.

The first lady wants to highlight the work of the US Agency for International Development, even as her husband looks to slash aid and restrict it to perceived friendly nations.

The president has shown little interest in Africa since coming to power but tweeted about his wife's meeting with new mothers: "Proud of our great First Lady - and she loves doing this!"

- Obama contrast -

Photographs of the two first ladies featured on the front pages of major newspapers in Ghana while the visit was talked about on morning radio shows.

But there were complaints about children being taken out of school to welcome her as well as the choice of visiting the newly built and well-equipped Greater Accra Regional Hospital.

Some presenters said it would have been more accurate to show a more under-resourced hospital.

Shared photos on Twitter showed just a handful of people at the side of the road as Trump's official convoy passed.

Sikanku said comparisons with Obama's visit were inevitable and contrasted the "pomp and pageantry" surrounding his arrival and the interest generated by his Kenyan heritage.

"It was like a big party, everybody was into it, people stood on rooftops, everybody wanted to see Barack Obama, the son of Africa," said Sikanku, author of "The Afrocentric Obama and Lessons on Political Campaigning".

But for Melania Trump, "you wouldn't know about it unless you were following the news", he said.

str-pool-phz/sf/txw
A picture released by the Iraqi parliament shows prime minister-designate Adel Abdel Mahdi seated in the assembly between two other politicians on October 2, 2018

Adel Abdel Mahdi, the veteran tapped to become Iraq's next prime minister, is seen as an independent capable of bringing together rivals on the country's fractious political scene.

A Shiite and native of Baghdad, the 76-year-old has been handed the difficult task of navigating Iraq's tangled politics to form a government within 30 days.

With a burly physique and a face framed by spectacles and a thin moustache, Abdel Mahdi is an economist by training who has served as oil minister.

He will be able to call on years of experience as a regular on Iraq's diplomatic scene for the balancing acts he is expected for perform.

Abdel Mahdi has the blessing of both Iran and the United States, a required consensus in the country caught between its two major allies who are foes.

He also has good relations with many Kurdish leaders, a major advantage in normalising ties with the autonomous region of Kurdistan whose people voted overwhelmingly to split from Iraq last year.

The son of a minister of during Iraq's monarchy, which met a bloody end in 1958, Abdel Mahdi joined the Baath party, which brought Saddam Hussein to power in the late 1970s.

He became a leading opponent of the dictator, first as a communist and then as an Islamist, before fleeing Iraq, only to return after Saddam's overthrow in the US-led invasion of 2003.

- 'Heavy responsibility' -

Abdel Mahdi later became a senior figure in the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, a Shiite movement close to Iran.

A member of the interim authorities set up by the US military command who briefly served as finance minister, he became Iraqi vice president after the country's first multiparty elections in 2005.

While he was vice president, he was lightly wounded in 2007 when a bomb exploded inside the public works ministry.

In 2014, he was appointed oil minister under Haider al-Abadi, the man he is set to succeed as premier. He excelled in the role, deftly negotiating with Kurds over oil before resigning after two years.

A francophone who attended university in France, he also has an excellent command of English.

Abdel Mahdi will have to deal with many figures whose paths he has already crossed as he seeks to hammer out a new government.

Among them is Hadi al-Ameri, the head of the Conquest Alliance close to Iran, former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki and populist Shiite cleric Moqtadr Sadr.

Responding to a message of congratulations from Abadi, he showed he was wary of the task ahead, referring to it as "a heavy responsibility".
Jamal Khashoggi is a contributor to the Washington Post

The Turkish fiancee of a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical of the Riyadh government was anxiously waiting for news Wednesday after his disappearance.

Jamal Khashoggi, who writes opinion pieces for the Washington Post, has not been seen since entering the Saudi consulate building in Istanbul on Tuesday where he was to receive an official document for the couple's marriage.

"I haven't received any news from him since 1 pm (1000 GMT) on Tuesday," 36-year-old Hatice said outside the consulate, which was sealed off by barricades.

She said Khashoggi had left his mobile phone with her.

"We want to know his whereabouts. Where is Jamal?" Hatice said, constantly looking at her phone, as journalists from local and international media also waited outside the consulate.

Khashoggi, a former government adviser who went into self-imposed exile in the United States last year to avoid possible arrest, has been critical of some of the policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen.

"We want him to come out of the consulate safe and sound," Hatice, who declined to give her family name, told AFP. "The same way as he came to Turkey."

- 'Very concerned' -

The Washington Post's international opinions editor Eli Lopez said in a statement on Tuesday that the newspaper was "very concerned" about Khashoggi.

Missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee Hatice (left) says she has had no news of him since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2

"We are monitoring the situation closely, trying to gather more information. It would be unfair and outrageous if he has been detained for his work as a journalist and commentator."

The US State Department said it was investigating the matter.

Hatice appealed to the Turkish government to use all diplomatic channels to find her fiance. "It is a problematic country," she said, referring to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia, which ranks 169th out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index issued by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), has embarked on a modernisation campaign since the 2017 appointment of Prince Mohammed as heir to the throne.

But the ultra-conservative kingdom, which won plaudits in June for finally lifting a ban on women driving, has drawn heavy criticism for its handling of dissent.

Saudi Arabia, which ranks 169th out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index issued by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), has embarked on a modernisation campaign since 2017

"He is a well-known writer, an internationally recognised writer not only in the United States but in Germany, Britain and the European Union," said Hatice.

Khashoggi once said that before he left the kingdom, the Saudi government banned him from Twitter "when I cautioned against an overly enthusiastic embrace of then-president-elect Donald Trump".
An Iranian employee at a drugstore at the Nikan hospital in Tehran on September 11, 2018, before the International Court of Justice ruled on October 3 that the US should suspend sanctions to allow 'the free exportation to Iran of medicines'

"Talk of sanctions on Iran reemerged, and my essential medicine was no longer available," said Masoud Mir who suffers from thalassaemia, a genetic blood disease common in Iran.

Mir, 36, is one of many patients in the Islamic Republic who not only have to deal with their disability, but also the consequences of trade sanctions reimposed in August by the US, as well as a battered economy with a free-falling currency, a foreign drug shortage and price hikes.

His essential medicine, a Swiss-made anti-iron overload drug, is now rationed by the government and can only be freely purchased at exorbitant prices on the black market.

The same is true for other crucial drugs for treating multiple sclerosis, cancer and cardiac problems and even simple anaesthetics required for surgery.

On Wednesday, the UN's top court stepped in, and ruled in favour of Iran which had called for the US sanctions to be suspended.

Judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague unanimously ruled Washington should remove barriers to "the free exportation to Iran of medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities" as well as airplane parts.

Official Iranian statements acknowledge the shortage of medicines and say imports of certain drugs are no longer subsidised.

"We are currently short of 80 pharmaceutical items," Mohammad-Naeem Aminifard, a member of parliament's health commission, told semi-official news agency ISNA.

Iranians shop at a drugstore at the Nikan hospital in Tehran on September 11, 2018 before the International Court of Justice ruled on October 3 that the US should suspend its sanctions and allow the free exports of medicines

"The government and insurers have removed the support for foreign drugs that have a domestic equivalent which intensifies the pressure on patients."

Iran produces 96 percent of the drugs it uses, according to the Syndicate of Iranian Pharmaceutical Industries, but imports more than half the raw materials to make them.

The double-whammy of banking sanctions and a collapse in the value of its currency make total self-sufficiency difficult if not outright impossible.

- Battered economy hits patients -

For others with family health concerns, sanctions are adding to their burden.

Ali, an electrical technician in his mid-30s, was fired from one job for spending too much time on hospital visits for his son.

His next company went bankrupt, and his current employer, a Dutch-Iranian firm, is stalled because they cannot import equipment and has stopped paying staff.

He spoke to AFP outside the busy 13 Aban pharmacy in central Tehran, where he had been hoping to buy a medicine for fungal infections caused by his son's cancer treatment.

"They're not giving me any because of insurance problems," he said.

An Iranian man shops at a drugstore at the Nikan hospital in Tehran on September 11, 2018 before the International Court of Justice ruled on Wednesday October 3 that the US should suspend sanctions and allow free exports of medicines

"They said even if they could it's less than I need due to rationing. My son could die if his medicine is delayed for even a day."

Managers at the pharmacy, a state-owned outlet focusing on rarer diseases, declined to comment.

But others in central Tehran said there was "a notable shortage" in some anticoagulants, beta-blockers or drugs to treat blood pressure problems.

"The local versions are cheaper, but not as effective," one pharmacist told AFP. "Things will get worse if sanctions continue."

Many patients cannot afford black market prices and risk side effects from locally-made equivalents, the head of Irans thalassaemia society, Meysam Ramezani, told the conservative Tasnim news agency recently.

Seven thalassaemia patients died in March alone, he said, blaming "either a lack of injections or low-quality drugs."

- Who's to blame? -

Iranians on social media are blaming many people: the US for its crippling sanctions, government economic mismanagement, and pharma firms for skyrocketing prices.

Surgeon Hamidreza Vafayi said the refusal of international banks to work with Iran was the biggest challenge.

The United States pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions targeting key parts of Iran's economy including international banking ties and transactions in US dollars.

Mohsen Mohebi, representative of Iran, is pictured during the opening of the case between Iran and the United States at the International Court of Justice in the Hague, August 27, 2018 as Iran called for the suspension of US crippling sanctions

"As far as I know, there is no official statement on sanctioning medicine trade with Iran," Vafayi told AFP.

"Yet when we cannot have banking ties (with the world) we are in fact under an undeclared medicine sanction regime. The truth is that no company would sell us drugs now."

Sanctions are having even more direct effects, he said.

Danish insulin-maker Novo Nordisk has cancelled a 70 million-euro production plant it had announced with much fanfare in 2016, hoping to serve Iran's large number of diabetes patients.

The company did not return a request for comment.

Thalassaemia patient Masoud Mir also angrily recalled that when sanctions were imposed between 2010 and 2016, pharmaceutical firms exploited the situation by hoarding goods and manipulating prices. The same thing is happening today, he claimed.

Medicine importers get subsidised currency rates from the government, but their names are not publicly available, making it difficult to hold them to account if drugs do not appear in state-owned pharmacies.

"In 2011, they kept saying that there was none (of his drug) in the market because of sanctions. But I could just walk out of the pharmacy and buy some from a street dealer at crazy prices," he said.

"Not everyone can pay that, so they may face a slow death."
The ship came loaded with humanitarian aid to be distributed to those still suffering after Friday's quake

Some 1,600 survivors from Indonesia's earthquake and tsunami were whisked to safety by a Navy warship Wednesday, providing much-needed relief for a lucky few after five days marked by shortages and grief.

The KRI Makassar docked at the devastated city of Palu in central Sulawesi to take families, the elderly and the infirm to the relative safety of Makassar in the island's south.

The ship came loaded with humanitarian aid "which will be distributed in Central Sulawesi, especially Palu and Donggala" said Palu Navy base commander Tommy Herlambang.

In anticipation of the return voyage, old women on wheelchairs were lifted aboard the vessel as military doctors examined patients and parents distracted children with lollipops and toys.

In the cargo bay, clusters of families sat around on blankets as if picnicking in the park.

"We want to find safety, because we heard the mud has started to move again," said Rusella, one of the evacuees.

Friday's quake reduced buildings to rubble around Palu and left over 1,400 people dead.

A further 200,000 people in the vicinity of the quake need urgent assistance, according to the UN's humanitarian affairs office.
Prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is seen at a press conference in Bahrain's capital Manama on December 15, 2014

Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi journalist who has gone missing after entering his country's consulate in Istanbul, has been an outspoken critic of the ultra-conservative kingdom's government.

The Washington Post contributor has called for public debate and defended both freedom of expression and Islamist groups.

He went into self-imposed exile in the United States in 2017 after falling from grace with Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince.

He described a new Saudi era of "fear, intimidation, arrests and public shaming" in an article published in the Post that year.

He had previously served as an advisor to the Saudi government.

Khashoggi, who turns 60 on October 13, is a vociferous critic of Prince Mohammed's policies in both the Arab and Western press, with editorials in the Washington Post and The Guardian.

In a March 6 Guardian editorial co-authored with Robert Lacey, Khashoggi wrote: "For his domestic reform programme, the crown prince deserves praise. But at the same time, the brash and abrasive young innovator has not encouraged or permitted any popular debate" on the changes.

"He appears to be moving the country from old-time religious extremism to his own 'You-must-accept-my-reform' extremism, without any consultation -- accompanied by arrests and the disappearance of his critics."

Khashoggi fled the country in September 2017, months after Prince Mohammed was appointed heir to the throne and amid a campaign that saw dozens of dissidents arrested, including intellectuals and Islamic preachers.

A flag flies over Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul on October 3, 2018 following the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi after he entered the complex

Khashoggi said he had been banned from writing in the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat, owned by Saudi prince Khaled bin Sultan al-Saud, over his defence of the Muslim Brotherhood which Riyadh has blacklisted as a terrorist organisation.

The writer said Saudi authorities banned him from using his verified Twitter account after he said the country should be "rightfully nervous about a Trump presidency."

US President Donald Trump has expressed support for Crown Prince Mohammed.

Khashoggi has also criticised Saudi Arabia's role in Yemen, where Riyadh leads a military coalition fighting alongside the government in its war with Iran-backed rebels.

The writer opposes a Saudi-led boycott of Qatar, a tiny Gulf emirate that has found itself isolated over its allegedly close ties to extremist groups and Iran.

Khashoggi was born in the western Saudi city of Medina, revered in Islam as the burial place of the Prophet Mohammed.

He has done business with billionaire Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal.

After a youth spent studying Islamic ideology, Khashoggi later embraced more liberal ideas.

He began his career as a journalist with Saudi dailies in the 1980s, covering the Afghanistan conflict for the Saudi press.

Authorities came to see Khashoggi as too progressive and he was forced to resign as editor-in-chief of the Saudi daily Al-Watan in 2003.

Khashoggi has retained ambiguous ties to Saudi authorities, having held advisory positions in Riyadh and Washington -- including to Prince Turki Al Faisal, who ran Saudi Arabia's intelligence agency for more than 20 years.
(FILES) In this file photo taken on February 14, 1950 German-born Swiss-US physicist Albert Einstein, author of the theory of relativity, declares his opposition to the "H" bomb and to the arms race between the USA and the USSR in a conference in Princeton during a TV broadcast which created a considerable stir in the United States and all over the Western World. A handwritten letter from Albert Einstein about his thoughts on God, religion and his search for meaning is to go on sale in New York, valued at up to $1.5 million, Christie's said October 3, 2018. Written a year before the legendary physicist died in 1955, his name synonymous with genius, Einstein writes in German from Princeton, New Jersey to German philosopher Eric Gutkind."The word God is for me nothing but the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of venerable but still rather primitive legends," writes the physicist, best known for his theory of relativity.

A handwritten letter from Albert Einstein about his thoughts on God, religion and his search for meaning is to go on sale in New York, valued at up to $1.5 million, Christie's said Wednesday.

Written a year before the legendary physicist died in 1955, his name synonymous with genius, Einstein writes in German from Princeton, New Jersey to German philosopher Eric Gutkind.

"The word God is for me nothing but the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of venerable but still rather primitive legends," writes the physicist, best known for his theory of relativity.

"No interpretation, no matter how subtle, can (for me) change anything about this."

The one-and-a-half-page letter will go on sale on December 4, estimated by Christie's to fetch between $1 million and $1.5 million.

The letter was previously offered at auction in 2008, bought by a private collector for $404,000, Christie's said.

"It is one of the definitive statements in the religion vs science debate," says Peter Klarnet, senior specialist in books and manuscripts at the auction house.

The son of secular Ashkenazi Jews and forced to flee Germany after Adolf Hitler took power, Einstein did not exclude Judaism from his critique.

"For me the unadulterated Jewish religion is, like all other religions, an incarnation of primitive superstition," he writes to Gutkind.

"And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong, and in whose mentality I feel profoundly anchored, still for me does not have any different kind of dignity from all other peoples.

"As far as my experience goes, they are in fact no better than other human groups, even if they are protected from the worst excesses by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot perceive anything 'chosen' about them."

Last October, a note that Einstein had given a courier in Tokyo briefly describing his theory on happy living sold at auction in Jerusalem for $1.56 million, Winner's auction house said.

"While Einstein letters and manuscripts appear with some frequency at auction, those of great importance and significance do not," said Klarnet.

"In the broadest sense, it is similar to Einstein's 1939 letter to (US president) F.D.R. warning of German efforts to build the bomb that we sold for $2 million in 2002," he added.

The letter, already been shown in Shanghai, goes on public view in New York from November 30 to December 3, Christie's said.
South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (R) greets US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after the United Nations Security Council meeting on North Korea, September 27, 2018, in New York

An end to the Korean War in return for the verified dismantling of its major North Korean nuclear facility: South Korea's foreign minister on Wednesday proposed this tradeoff to unblock stalled negotiations between the United States and North Korea.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump held a groundbreaking summit in Singapore in June, where they reached a vague agreement to denuclearize the Korean peninsula, but there has been little movement since.

The North, which is under United Nations sanctions, has carried out six nuclear tests and says it has missiles that can hit the United States.

"What North Korea has indicated is they will permanently dismantle their nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, which is a very big part of their nuclear program," Seoul's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said in an interview with The Washington Post.

Her comments came ahead of a visit on Sunday by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to North Korea, where he will meet strongman Kim Jong Un in an effort to further the denuclearization effort.

During a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in September, Kim expressed his readiness to close the Yongbyon facility, which is capable of uranium enrichment, if Washington took "corresponding measures."

"If they do that in return for America's corresponding measures, such as the end-of-war declaration, I think that's a huge step forward for denuclearization," Kang told the Post.

Trump, who has sounded optimistic about holding a second summit with Kim, has not ruled out declaring an end to the 1950-1953 war, which concluded only with an armistice.

Pompeo has refused to comment on the declaration option.

Referring to a previous verification effort in 2008, Kang said that demanding an inventory of North Korea's nuclear assets risks, at this stage, derailing the process.

"I think the last time things broke down precisely as we were working out a detailed protocol on verification after we had gotten the list," she said.

"We want to take a different approach," she said.

"We will have to see an inventory at some point, but that some point can be reached more expeditiously by action and corresponding measures that give the two sides sufficient trust."

At the same time, she dismissed fears of those who think that a formal end to the war will open the door to US disengagement from South Korea, where it bases around 30,000 troops.

Kang told the Post that a declaration would be a purely "political" document and "not a legally binding treaty."
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves to the crowd in an address to tens of thousands of voluntary forces (Basij) at Azadi Stadium in the Iranian capital Tehran

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed Thursday "never" to allow the Islamic republic to bow to the demands of its enemies, at a time of increased tensions between Tehran and Washington.

"To entertain the idea, as desired by the enemy, that the only solution is to hand ourselves over to the enemy, is the worst act of treason towards the Iranian nation, and that will not happen," Khamenei said in an address to tens of thousands of members of the Basij, an Islamic volunteer militia, broadcast live on state television.

"With God's help, so long as I am alive and retain my capacities and with your help, I will never allow such a thing to happen," he said in the speech at Tehran's Azadi stadium.

For Iran's clerical establishment, enemy refers firstly to the United States which is dubbed the "Great Satan" and with which relations have been severed since the aftermath of its 1979 Islamic revolution.

Khamenei played down the impact of economic sanctions reimposed on Iran by the United States in August after Washington pulled out of the 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and world powers.

"Our national economy can overcome the sanctions, and, with the help of God, we will overcome them, and this defeat will signal the defeat of America and a new slap for America from the Iranian nation," he said.

On Wednesday, Tehran hailed its "victory" after the International Court of Justice ruled that sanctions reimposed after President Donald Trump pulled out of a nuclear deal put Iranian lives at risk.

But the United States insisted it was already allowing humanitarian exemptions to sanctions and, accusing Iran of seeking a "propaganda" win, announced it was terminating a treaty on which the case was based.
About half of young Americans expect to be financially better off than their parents, according to a new poll, a sign that the dream of upward mobility is alive but somewhat tempered.

The poll, by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and MTV, found that half of 15- to 26-year-olds think they will eventually be better off than their parents in terms of household finances. About 29 percent expect to do as well as their parents, and 20 percent expect to be worse off.

Parents were slightly more optimistic: 60 percent think their children will do better than they did, a view that held true for parents across all income groups. Overall, only 12 percent of parents said that they felt their children might do worse.

It's no longer a guarantee that children will achieve upward income mobility. About half of the Americans born in 1984 earned more at age 30 than their parents, down from 92 percent in 1940, according to the study by famed economist Raj Chetty and others that was released in 2016.

Jennifer Narvaez, 23, is among those who anticipates her financial future will be a bit brighter than that of her parents. Narvaez said she expects to have more opportunities as a college graduate to get a job and own a home than her parents, who grew up in Nicaragua and immigrated to the United States. The Miami resident holds an undergraduate degree in biology and is planning on attending medical school to become a cardiologist.

Narvaez is less certain about the prospects of the U.S. economy, particularly as the nation appears to be marching into a trade war with China.

"It's a weird time," she said. "I feel like it's hard to predict what will happen because of the kind of administration we have."

Alex Barner, 20, also felt optimistic that he might fare better than his mother, who had him at age 18 and raised him as a single mother. He is attending college in New Mexico and is considering a future career in business management.

While Barner is hopeful he will do well in life, he also has some concerns about the trajectory of the nation and its economy. Like Narvaez, he's concerned by the trade policy of President Donald Trump's administration.

Barner also said he feels politicians need to focus more on matters that affect people in the here and now, such as health care and student loan relief.

Respondents were divided about how they expect the nation's economy will fare in the year ahead. About 29 percent of young people expect the economy to improve, 30 percent expect it to get worse and 41 anticipate it will stay the same. Similarly, 35 percent of parents expect improvement, 27 percent expect conditions to get worse and 38 percent expect the economy to stay as is.

___

The Youth Political Pulse poll was conducted Aug. 23 to Sept. 10 by the AP-NORC Center and MTV. The poll was conducted using NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. It includes 580 young people ages 15-26 and 591 parents of children in the same age group. The margin of sampling error for all young people is plus or minus 6.6 percentage points, and for parents it's plus or minus 7.5 percentage points.

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Online:

AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research: http://www.apnorc.org
JOHANNESBURG (AP) - American conservationist Esmond Martin researched the illegal ivory trade in Myanmar shortly before he was killed in Kenya this year. Now the research has been released in a report that says the illegal flow of ivory from Myanmar to neighboring China is continuing "largely unabated."

Save The Elephants, a Kenya-based conservation group, released the study on Tuesday, saying raw and worked ivory from Asian and African elephants is being smuggled in increasing quantities into China, the world's biggest consumer.

China banned its domestic market as of the beginning of this year.

The report says an "unknown murderer" killed Martin on Feb. 4. His body was found in his Nairobi home.
NEW YORK (AP) - Quinn Kelsey is singing a key role in The Metropolitan Opera's production of Verdi's "Aida," even though his character doesn't have much time onstage.

The Hawaiian baritone plays the heroine's father, Amonasro, and says his appearance "definitely puts a nice little wrench into things."

As the Ethiopian king whose people have been conquered by the Egyptians, he persuades his daughter to find out the enemy's military strategy - even though that means betraying her lover.

"Aida" will be broadcast live in HD to movie theaters worldwide on Saturday.

The Metropolitan Opera is a company based in New York City.
GENEVA (AP) - The World Health Organization says smoking not only kills about 7 million people every year, but has a devastating impact on the environment - contributing to deforestation, water and soil damage and acidification.

In a new report released on Tuesday, experts warned that the environmental footprint left by tobacco production is comparable to that of entire countries. It said producing the 6 trillion cigarettes made every year hurts the planet more than the mass production of food crops.

Nicholas Hopkinson, one of the report's authors, said cigarettes should be considered an "unethical product" given its toll on the environment.

Experts calculated that a single person smoking a pack of 20 cigarettes per day for 50 years is responsible for 1.4 million liters of water depletion.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and allegations of sexual misconduct against him (all times local):

10:30 p.m.

Lawyers for two women who accuse Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct say they fear the FBI is not conducting a thorough investigation, as Republican leaders steer toward a decisive vote on the nomination this week.

Attorneys for Christine Blasey Ford, who says she was sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh at a party when they were teenagers, wrote a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray asking why the FBI hasn't contacted their client after she offered to cooperate in the FBI's reopened background investigation of Kavanaugh.

An attorney for another accuser, Deborah Ramirez, says he's seen no indication that the FBI has reached out to any of the 20 people who Ramirez told them may be able to corroborate her account that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when they were Yale freshmen.

__

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, joined by, from left, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks to reporters about the political battle for confirmation of President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, following a closed-door GOP policy meeting, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

5:19 p.m.

Lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford say in a letter to FBI Director Chris Wray that they've received no response from anyone involved in the FBI's reopened background investigation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Ford, a California professor, has said she was sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh at a party when they were teenagers. He denies that allegation.

In a letter Tuesday to Wray and his general counsel, Ford's lawyers say it is "inconceivable" that the FBI could conclude its investigation without interviewing either her, Kavanaugh or all of the other witnesses whose names she has provided.

In the letter, the lawyers ask for a call with Wray or the supervisory special agent in charge of the investigation.

____

4:50 p.m.

An attorney for a woman who alleges Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party in the 1980s says he's concerned the FBI "is not conducting - or not being permitted to conduct - a serious investigation."

Deborah Ramirez's lawyer, John Clune, says he provided the FBI with the names and contact numbers of 20 additional witnesses who may be able to corroborate her account after she was interviewed Sunday.

But Clune says he's not aware of the FBI "affirmatively reaching out" to any of the potential witnesses.

President Donald Trump ordered the FBI to reopen Kavanaugh's background investigation Friday. Trump said he wants the FBI to do a comprehensive investigation.

Several women have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. He has denied the allegations.

__

2:30 p.m.

Senate Democrats want to hear directly from the FBI about the results of its background investigation into Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader from New York, says the Senate should be briefed by the FBI at least 24 hours before an initial procedural vote on Kavanaugh's nomination.

He says it's important that senators have a chance to ask directly about what the FBI investigated, what evidence they collected and who they interviewed.

Schumer made his request in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. McConnell has said the Senate will be voting on Kavanaugh this week.

At the request of senators, President Donald Trump ordered the FBI to conduct a background investigation this week into the sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh. The agency has been interviewing witnesses.

Kavanaugh has denied the allegations.

____

1:26 p.m.

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a key undecided vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, downplayed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's timeline for taking action on the nomination.

McConnell has promised a floor vote this week, even as the FBI continues to probe Kavanaugh's background.

Asked about McConnell's pledge to move forward with the vote, Murkowski told The Associated Press that McConnell "talked about a vote a last week, too."

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, another undecided Republican, was riding with Murkowski on an underground Senate train. Collins smiled and told her colleague, "Good answer."

Murkowski and Collins both say they are satisfied with the scope and pace of the FBI's probe.

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1:15 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he wants to "see what happens" with the FBI investigation into his embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

But Trump told reporters on the White House lawn Tuesday that he supported Kavanaugh, who has been accused of sexual misconduct.

He said that it was "a scary time for young men" who could become subject of false accusations. He suggested it was troubling that people were found "automatically guilty" and had to prove their innocence.

Trump added that he felt that the cause would be "a rallying cry" for Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said a vote would happen on Kavanaugh's nomination by the end of the week.

__

12:08 p.m.

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was accused of throwing ice at a man during an altercation at a bar while in college.

A report released Tuesday by police in New Haven, Connecticut, says Kavanaugh was questioned after the 1985 incident, but wasn't arrested.

The report says 21-year-old Dom Cozzolino told police that Kavanaugh threw ice at him for "some unknown reason." Cozzolino said he then got hit on the ear with a glass.

A witness told police the man who threw the glass was Chris Dudley, Kavanaugh's close friend. Chad Ludington, another Yale classmate, told The New York Times the altercation happened while they were drinking at a bar after a concert.

Dudley and Cozzolino didn't immediately return messages on Tuesday.

The White House noted that Kavanaugh wasn't arrested or charged and questioned the incident's relevance.

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10:47 a.m.

Mark Judge, a high school friend of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, has completed his interview with FBI agents.

His attorney, Barbara "Biz" Van Gelder, wouldn't say Tuesday when the interview concluded or what Judge was asked. Judge is one of multiple people the FBI has already interviewed as part of its reopened background investigation into Kavanaugh.

On Monday, Van Gelder said her client had been questioned by the FBI but the interview was "not completed."

Christine Blasey Ford, a California college professor, has said Judge was in the room when a drunken Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers in the early 1980s. Judge has denied the allegations, as has Kavanaugh.

Two other people who Ford said attended the same party have also been interviewed by the FBI.

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10:30 a.m.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Democrats have opened "the flood gates of mud and muck" against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The Kentucky Republican says Senate Democrats have been opposed to President Donald Trump's nominee from the very start. McConnell says accusations against Kavanaugh of sexual abuse in the 1980s have been uncorroborated and are unbelievable. And he says those accusations have been seized on by "the far left that has been so eager to stop this nomination."

McConnell says Democrats are practicing the politics of personal destruction. But he says anew that the Senate will vote on Kavanaugh this week.

McConnell spoke as the FBI continues its renewed background check of claims by three women that they were victims of sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh three decades ago. Kavanaugh denies the allegations.

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9:55 a.m.

Police say nine women who refused to leave a West Virginia senator's office during a protest over Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have been charged with trespassing.

News outlets report the women staged a sit-in at Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin's campaign office in Charleston and were charged early Tuesday. The protesters wanted Manchin to commit to opposing Kavanaugh's potential confirmation to the court.

Manchin declined, saying in a statement he will continue to listen to residents on the issue but will base his decision on facts.

The action came days after California college professor Christine Blasey (BLAH'-zee) Ford testified under oath in a Senate committee hearing Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school in the 1980s. Kavanaugh denies the allegation.

Charleston Police Department Lt. Autumn Davis confirms nine people were charged but declines to comment further.

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9 a.m.

Harvard Law School says U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will not return to teach in January.

The announcement was made in an email from administrators to law students on Monday. The email says, "Judge Kavanaugh indicated that he can no longer commit to teaching his course in January Term 2019, so the course will not be offered."

A Harvard Law School spokeswoman confirmed Kavanaugh's decision to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Kavanaugh was scheduled to teach a three-week course called The Supreme Court Since 2005. He has taught at the law school for about a decade.

The FBI has reopened a background investigation to examine allegations of sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh dating to when he was in high school and college. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations.

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8:25 a.m.

Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst says that barring any new information from the FBI she intends to vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Ernst is among six Republican women in the Senate. She told "CBS This Morning" on Tuesday that California college professor Christine Blasey (BLAH'-zee) Ford's sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh lacks corroboration.

Kavanaugh strongly denies the accusation, but President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans have instructed the FBI to investigate it and any other "credible allegations" against him.

Ernst says if no corroboration is turned up she "will continue to support Judge Kavanaugh based on the information" she has.

She adds, "What message that sends to women in America is that we are innocent until proven guilty in this country."

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12:25 a.m.

In a switch in tactics, Democrats are raising new questions about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's truthfulness when he testified to Congress last week.

The Senate's Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, says Kavanaugh seems willing to mislead senators about matters big and small to ensure his confirmation. He says there is mounting evidence that the appeals court judge isn't credible.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pledging that senators will begin voting on Kavanaugh's nomination this week, and criticized what he called "endless delay and obstruction."

Democrats have seized on Kavanaugh's indignant, emotional testimony before the Judiciary Committee to question whether he has the temperament for a lifetime appointment on the nation's highest court.

Kavanaugh has denied the claims of sexual misconduct by three different women.

From left, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Sen.Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the assistant Democratic leader, face reporters about the political battle for confirmation of President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, following a closed-door Democratic policy meeting, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)
QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) - A Pakistani official says a roadside bomb has hit a security convoy in the country's southwest, killing three members of a provincial paramilitary force and wounding eight.

Ahmed Jan, a senior official of the force, says Tuesday's explosion took place in the Awaran district of Baluchistan province.

Jan says the bomb was remotely detonated. The Baluchistan Levies is a force in charge of maintaining law and order in the tribal areas of the insurgency-plagued province.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Similar attacks in the past were claimed by Baluch separatists fighting a low-level insurgency for over a decade. Islamic militants also operate there.

Meanwhile, the military says troops killed seven "terrorists" and wounded three who fired at them from across the Afghan border in North Waziristan.
FLINT, Mich. (AP) - The Latest on protests by fast-food workers demanding a $15 per hour minimum wage (all times local):

5:25 p.m.

Authorities say members of a group protesting in Flint for a higher minimum wage and the right to form unions were not wearing reflective gear when struck by a pickup truck just before dawn on Tuesday.

The Flint Journal reports Police Chief Tim Johnson said it was dark and wet when the crash occurred about 7 a.m. near a fast-food restaurant. Johnson also said the protesters did not have flashlights.

Eight people were taken to the hospital. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening.

Johnson said earlier that he didn't believe the crash was intentional. It remains under investigation.

People gather to tend to a protester in the street after a truck collided with into protesters calling for the right to form unions Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Flint, Mich. Police said the collision appears to be an accident. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP)

The protest was organized by Fight for $15, a national movement seeking to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour for fast-food, child care, airlines and other workers.

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2:45 p.m.

A U.S. House candidate is among 18 people arrested for disorderly conduct during a protest in Detroit for a higher minimum wage and the right to form unions.

Democrat Rashida Tlaib was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon for blocking a traffic lane. She faces candidates from the Green and Working Class parties for the 13th District House seat.

The protest was organized by Fight for $15, a national movement seeking to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour for fast food, child care, airlines and other workers. The group also wants the right to start unions or join existing ones. Several hundred people marched before protesting in front of a Midtown McDonalds.

Deputy Police Chief Elvin Barren said those arrested would be ticketed and released later Tuesday.

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11:30 a.m.

A union official says some of the people struck by a pickup truck during a protest to demand a $15 per hour minimum wage in Michigan are being released from a hospital.

Police say eight people were hospitalized Tuesday morning after the pickup collided with the protesters in Flint.

Service Employees International Union President Mary Kay Henry told The Associated Press that three of those injured remain under observation in the hospital. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening.

Police don't believe the driver intended to hit the protesters.

Fast-food workers in Detroit are planning to walk off the job and join a demonstration Tuesday afternoon. Walkouts also are expected Wednesday in Milwaukee and Thursday in Chicago.

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8:20 a.m.

Police say a pickup truck collided with a group of protesters calling for the right to form unions in Flint, Michigan, injuring several people.

Police Chief Tim Johnson says he doesn't believe the crash Tuesday morning near a near a fast-food restaurant was intentional and that the driver "seemed pretty shaken up." Johnson initially said four or five people had non-life-threatening injuries, but later said eight were hospitalized. The pickup was later hit by a utility truck.

Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer was among those participating in the protest. She wasn't injured and a post on her Twitter account says she's "incredibly sad that so many people were hurt."

The Flint Journal reports that Johnson says those who were struck were at the end of a group of protesters walking along a street. He says the driver "acted like he didn't see them."

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1:10 a.m.

Michigan candidates for governor and the U.S. House are expected to join fast-food workers and others walking off the job in protest over the right to form unions.

The protests are part of an effort to elect pro-union candidates in the November general election. Walkouts also are expected Wednesday in Milwaukee and Thursday in Chicago.

Workers are seeking union rights for fast-food restaurants, airports, downtown businesses, hospitals, in-home care and child care.

Democrat Gretchen Whitmer will join striking cooks and cashiers Tuesday morning in Flint. Whitmer and Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican, are battling for governor.

Democrat Rashida Tlaib will join fast-food workers Tuesday afternoon in Detroit. Tlaib faces candidates from the Green and Working Class parties for the 13th House seat.

Two protestors share an embrace after one was injured when a truck collided with into protesters calling for the right to form unions Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Flint, Mich. Police said the collision appears to be an accident. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP)

A protester lies on a backboard in the street after a truck collided with into protesters calling for the right to form unions Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Flint, Mich. Police said the collision appears to be an accident. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP)

Protesters shout out at the police as they work to get several people into ambulances safely after a truck collided with into protesters calling for the right to form unions Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Flint, Mich. Police said the collision appears to be an accident. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP)

Protesters stand behind police tape, watching as police and first responders tend to the scene after a truck collided with into protesters calling for the right to form unions Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Flint, Mich. Police said the collision appears to be an accident. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP)

Protesters walks along Dort Highway after a truck collided with into protesters calling for the right to form unions Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Flint, Mich. Police said the collision appears to be an accident. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP)

Light from police vehicles shine on protesters as they walk around police tape after a truck collided with into protesters calling for the right to form unions Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Flint, Mich. Police said the collision appears to be an accident. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP)

People gather to tend to protesters after several people were hospitalized when a truck collided with into protesters calling for the right to form unions Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Flint, Mich. Police said the collision appears to be an accident. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP)
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Dunkin' Donuts has fired workers who poured water on a homeless man in upstate New York and posted the video online.

The company that owns the Dunkin' location says it was "disturbed" by the employees' behavior, which it says "goes against our core values as an organization."

Jeremy Dufresne says he was at the Dunkin' in Syracuse Sunday night to charge his phone to call his mom when one of the workers dumped water on his head.

The worker laughed, and a video of the interaction was posted to Facebook shortly afterward.

According to the Post Standard, Dufrense says the worker likely had "personal problems of his own," and "he took it out on someone else, like me."

Prosecutors say they are considering filing harassment charges against the workers.
MAYS LANDING, N.J. (AP) - A man has been convicted in the slaying of a New Jersey radio show host in an alleged plot to prevent her from exposing a drug ring.

Jurors deliberated for two hours Tuesday before convicting Ferdinand Augello of murder, conspiracy, racketeering and other counts in the 2012 shooting of April Kauffman.

Atlantic County prosecutors say Augello and the woman's husband, Dr. James Kauffman, wanted to stop her from exposing a drug ring allegedly run by the doctor and a motorcycle gang.

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Seth Levy Levy told jurors that Augello used his former co-defendants to protect and enrich himself.

Defense attorney Mary Linehan questioned the reliability of the state's witnesses. She says the state's evidence points to their star witness, Andrew Glick, a former gang official turned informant.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - A ferry stranded in the Baltic Sea for about six hours with an estimated 300 people on board safely reached its destination Tuesday night, the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda, port authorities said.

The ferry, operated by Copenhagen-based DFDS Seaways, was in international waters off Kaliningrad, a Russian coastal enclave between Poland and Lithuania, when the engine stopped working.

Smoke poured out of the engine room and triggered the fire extinguisher inside the room, the ferry operator said. The breakdown paralyzed the boat for about six hours.

Port spokeswoman Dovile Ringis told reporters the ferry reached Klaipeda at 9:30 p.m. powered by its own engines despite strong wind and waves. It was escorted by Lithuanian navy ships that were dispatched as a precaution.

Emergency crews were on hand at the port, she said.

Earlier, passengers had assembled at muster stations in preparation for a possible evacuation, and rescue ships were scrambled as a precaution. But an evacuation order never came, and there were no reports of injuries.

The undated photo provided in the photo library on the website of DFDS shows the vessel Regina Seaways. The ferry with 294 passengers on board was stranded in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018 after an engine breakdown. The malfunction aboard the Regina Seaways produced smoke, which triggered the ship's fire extinguishing system in the engine room, DFDS said in a statement. (DFDS A/S via AP)

"We are talking about a malfunction in the engine room that caused a lot of smoke," DFDS spokesman Gert Jakobsen said.

The ferry, which also carried cars and trucks, was traveling from Kiel, Germany, to Klaipeda, which is north of Kaliningrad. The crossing normally takes about 20 hours.

"On these kinds of crossings we have people from Germany, the Baltic countries and Russia. We cannot say now who was on board," Jakobsen said.

The ship was about 85 kilometers (50 miles) from Klaipeda when it became stranded, said Vaidas Klumbys, another DFDS spokesman.

He said that on Tuesday afternoon "we received the information from the ship that it was undergoing vibrations and smoke rising from the engines."

Russian state news agency Tass quoted Andrei Permyakov, head of the sea rescue coordination center in Kaliningrad, as saying that rescuers from Lithuania, Russia and Poland had responded.

Lithuanian navy helicopters and vessels were dispatched to the site in case an evacuation was necessary. The regional news agency, Baltic News Services, quoted Klumbys as saying "the weather conditions are not good."

Forecasts for the southeastern part of the Baltic Sea said there were gale force winds, rain showers, poor visibility and risk of thunderstorms in the region.

The Regina Seaways was built in 2010 and can carry up to 500 passengers.

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David Keyton in Stockholm, Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Jim Heintz in Moscow, contributed to this report.

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A previous version of this story was corrected to show that Kiel is in Germany, not Lithuania.
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Palestinian schoolchildren in a West Bank hamlet slated for destruction are asking German Chancellor Angela Merkel to intervene on their behalf.

The pupils held posters of Merkel on Tuesday in Khan al-Ahmar pleading with her to pressure Israel to halt demolition plans for the encampment of corrugated shacks outside an Israeli settlement east of Jerusalem.

Merkel is set to arrive Wednesday for meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel says the village was illegally built and offered to resettle residents a few miles away. But Palestinians and other critics say the demolition is aimed at displacing Palestinians in favor of settlement expansion. Israel's Supreme Court recently rejected a final appeal against the plans.

Israel has come under heavy criticism, with major European countries urging it to avoid such actions.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - American Airlines wants to move its flight to Havana from Charlotte, North Carolina, to its main Latin American hub at Miami International Airport.

Citing an airline statement, The Charlotte Observer reports the change, if approved, would allow the airline to offer six daily flights from Miami to Havana.

Charlotte was one of 10 cities to receive a route to Havana after the Obama administration relaxed travel restrictions for U.S. citizens in 2016. But the Trump administration again tightened travel restrictions last year.

According to Sept. 28 filings with the U.S. Department of Transportation, those restrictions mean fewer passengers are flying from or through Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The daily flight was on average half-full during the first half of 2018.

The newspaper didn't include comment from the Department of Transportation.

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Information from: The Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotteobserver.com
A little mindfulness is part of the collection at many American art museums, which are offering yoga, meditation and other wellness programming as part of the art-viewing experience.

In New York City, the Brooklyn Museum offers yoga and meditation sessions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art last year featured workouts taught by professional dancers. And the Museum of Modern Art has long offered "quiet mornings," when museum-goers can enjoy the art in a more contemplative atmosphere, without the usual ambient chatter.

Doing physical exercise or meditation in a museum is a far different experience than doing those activities in studios or on treadmills, says Dawn Eshelman, head of programs at the Rubin Museum of Art, which features both yoga and meditation programming. Combining those activities with viewing art enhances both, museum officials say.

And it seems to be catching on. Elsewhere in New York, The Asia Society offers meditation classes. In California, the San Diego Museum of Man offers "Yoga in the Rotunda." The Philadelphia Museum of Art offers yoga, too.

The Children's Museum of Green Bay, Wisconsin, meanwhile, has featured a "Yoga with Goats" program to help spark kids' imaginations.

"Museums are one of the very few secular spaces where, when visitors enter, they make a conscious effort to slow down and to absorb their surroundings," says Boon Hui Tan, director of The Asia Society.

This Jan. 20, 2017 photo provided by the Rubin Museum of Art shows yoga participants in "Swear In, Breathe Out," a special yoga class offered in response to Inauguration Day at the Rubin Museum in New York. The class was taught by Sarah Platt-Finger, accompanied by live music from Aya & Tyler. (Asya Gorovits/Rubin Museum of Art via AP)

"So meditation is actually a very natural thing to do in a museum," he says, adding that in the case of The Asia Society, it is also a way of helping visitors connect with the cultures to which the museum is dedicated, in which practices like meditation have a long history.

Eshelman, at the Rubin, in New York, agrees that part of the popularity of such programs is because "museums are contemplative spaces, so it makes sense that visitors pursue contemplative practices here."

She says museums in general are looking at ways to increase their value to the public, and so are opening up to new ideas and activities.

"Any public institution worth its salt will ask itself, 'What does my community need and what can I do to connect with that?'" she says.

Yoga programming is a natural, she explains, at the Rubin, which focuses on the art and cultures of the Himalayas, India and neighboring regions, where yoga originated.

"It's not every day you can do a warrior pose beside a work of art depicting a deity doing the same pose," she says. "There's a lot of symbolism in the gestures and poses of yoga, and you get to experience them in a more tangible way here."

At other museums, offerings like yoga are seen as a way to diversify a museum's audience and help visitors engage more fully with the works on view. People come to museums not just to learn about art but to learn about themselves, Eshelman says.

"If you can find a way to engage people physically and emotionally, that's a great gift," she says.

This Sept. 15, 2018 photo provided by the Rubin Museum of Art shows 100-year-old yoga teacher Tao Porchon-Lynch leading a yoga class at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York. The event was part of an all-day "Art and Yoga Urban Retreat" which took over the entire museum and was co-presented with New York Yoga + Life Magazine. (Chas Kimbrell/NY YOGA + LIFE/Rubin Museum of Art via AP)
BOSTON (AP) - A member of the MS-13 gang who helped lure a 15-year-old Boston boy to his death through a fake Facebook page has been sentenced to 36 years in federal prison.

Prosecutors say 21-year-old Carlos Melara was also sentenced Monday to five years of probation and is subject to deportation to his native El Salvador upon release. He was convicted in April of racketeering conspiracy.

Authorities say Melara and other gang members engaged in a "catfishing" scheme to entice the victim to an East Boston beach in September 2015 by posing as a girl on Facebook who wanted to meet him. Melara, pretending to be the girl's friend, picked up the victim on a scooter and drove him to the beach, where several gang members beat and stabbed him.
CHICAGO (AP) - Authorities say the driver of a speeding car who failed to stop for police caused a multi-vehicle crash on Chicago's South Side, killing a 3-year-old boy from Indiana and two men.

Chicago police say the driver fled the scene on foot Monday night. He hasn't been caught.

Police say officers in a marked vehicle saw the car speeding, turned on emergency lights and followed the vehicle, but they stopped the pursuit and the car kept going. Police say the speeding car ran a red light and crashed into a vehicle that then hit two more vehicles in the city's Englewood neighborhood.

The Cook County medical examiner's office on Tuesday identified the dead as 3-year-old Cabari Turner of Gary, Indiana; 25-year-old Chrishawn Turner of Chicago; and 24-year-old Antonio Cowan of Chicago.

A 2-year-old girl and two women also were injured.

In this Monday, Oct. 1, 2018, photo, Chicago police investigate the scene of a fatal car crash in Chicago. Authorities said the driver of a speeding car who failed to stop for police caused a multi-vehicle crash. (Tyler LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)
BERLIN (AP) - Suspended Audi CEO Rupert Stadler is leaving the company, more than three months after he was arrested as part of a probe into parent company Volkswagen's manipulation of diesel emissions controls.

Volkswagen said Tuesday it has reached an agreement with Stadler that will see him leave with immediate effect. It said in a statement that Stadler "wants to concentrate on his defense."

Stadler was arrested in mid-June. Audi temporarily relieved him of his duties at his own request and named sales chief Abraham 'Bram' Schot interim CEO.

German prosecutors ordered Stadler's arrest due to fears he might try to evade justice. A week earlier, authorities had searched his private residence on suspicion of fraud and indirect improprieties with documents.

The emissions scandal has rocked Volkswagen since 2015.
NEW YORK (AP) - The country's poet laureate, Tracy K. Smith, is launching a weekly podcast and radio program called "The Slowdown."

Smith said in a statement Tuesday that she wanted to inspire listeners to "make a daily space for poetry" in a world dominated by breaking news events.

"The Slowdown" will begin on podcast platforms on November 26 and will be offered to public radio stations in January 2019. Smith, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, will read works by other writers and will explore the role of poetry in the contemporary world. Her other projects include "American Conversations: Celebrating Poems in Rural Communities," for which she has traveled around the country.

"The Slowdown" is being funded by the Chicago-based Poetry Foundation. It's also receiving support from the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center.
PHOENIX (AP) - The Latest on heavy rain in the U.S. Southwest from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rosa (all times local):

5:30 p.m.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has declared a state of emergency in advance of potential flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rosa.

The National Weather Service on Tuesday issued a flash-flood watch for much of Utah as what remains of the storm moves across the state.

Herbert says communities near burn scars created by recent wildfires are at increased risk for flash flooding and debris flow.

On Monday, Herbert mobilized about 200 National Guard soldiers to prepare for potential flooding south of Salt Lake City.

A parking lot full of cars at a business complex is covered with flood waters during a flash flood as a result of heavy rains from tropical storm Rosa Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The soldiers planned to build flood berms and erect barriers and sandbags.

The tropical storm drenched parts of the desert Southwest on Tuesday, trapping drivers on swamped Phoenix streets as authorities prepared for possible flash flooding in Arizona, central Utah and elsewhere.

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3:40 p.m.

Record-setting rainfall that has flooded streets and given metro Phoenix a hefty soaking is dissipating.

National Weather Service forecasters say there were still scattered showers from remnants of Tropical Storm Rosa by Tuesday afternoon but they were far less widespread.

Meteorologist Jaret Rogers says Phoenix received more than 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain, making it the city's second wettest October day on record.

However, he cautioned that even a little rain could produce more flooding.

Rogers says the moisture from the storm is expected to move out of Arizona by Wednesday afternoon and bring rain to Utah and Colorado.

Flash flood watches are in effect in parts of Utah and western Colorado.

Rosa, which was a hurricane until last Sunday, has already brought heavy rains to northwestern Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula.

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12:45 p.m.

Hurricane Sergio has grown to major hurricane status in the Pacific, though it poses no immediate threat to land.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm now has sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph), making it a Category 3 storm.

It's centered about 870 miles south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula and has been heading west at 13 mph (20 kph).

Forecasters say they expect it to keep moving out to sea.

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11:30 a.m.

Phoenix firefighters have rescued at least six people including a small child from vehicles trapped in a flooded intersection caused by rain from the remnants of a tropical storm.

The rescues broadcast on TV Tuesday morning showed firefighters slogging through nearly waist-deep water and carrying people one at a time to a firetruck.

A nearby riverbed that is normally dry overflowed, spilling muddy water onto the street. About 10 vehicles including a bus were at a standstill in the water or trying to drive through it.

Some streets and schools were closed in the metro Phoenix area after more than 2 inches (5 centimeters) fell.

There was also flooding reported around Tucson.

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11:05 a.m.

Heavy rain and flooding from the remnants of a tropical storm has forced several schools in metropolitan Phoenix to close.

Severe flooding shut down four Phoenix-area schools Tuesday. Several busy intersections also have closed.

The region is getting drenched from Rosa, a hurricane that turned into a tropical storm and is now a tropical depression.

The National Weather Service says Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has received more than 2 inches (5 centimeters) of ran so far Tuesday. It has warned of possible flooding in urban areas, including highways and underpasses.

Forecasters say that even if the rain dwindles later in the day, some roads and washes will likely keep flowing.

Flash flood watches are effect in parts of Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah.

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7:45 a.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for the Phoenix area after remnants of Tropical Storm Rosa dropped heavy rain, slowing the morning commute.

The weather service Tuesday said flash flooding was expected after up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain fell in metro Phoenix by midmorning, with more rain expected.

Trooper Kameron Lee of the Arizona Department of Public Safety said rain "played a factor" in numerous car accidents during the morning Phoenix commute, but there were no reports of serious crashes.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert mobilized about 200 National Guard soldiers Monday to prepare for potential flooding in areas where recent wildfires left burn scars that could increase runoff.

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7 a.m.

Rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rosa slowed the Phoenix area's morning commute traffic as authorities prepared for potential flooding across the desert Southwest.

Flash flood watches were in effect for parts of Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah due because of Rosa, which had been downgraded to a tropical depression.

The Maricopa County Flood Control District reported no immediate reports Tuesday morning of flash flooding in the county that includes most of metro Phoenix. But the National Weather Service warned that heavier rain was expected Tuesday afternoon.

Forecasters said 1-2 inches (3 to 5 centimeters) of rain were expected in central and southern Arizona, with up to 3 inches (8 centimeters) possible in higher elevations.

Trooper Kameron Lee of the Arizona Department of Public Safety said rain "played a factor" in numerous car accidents during the morning Phoenix commute, but there were no reports of serious crashes.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert mobilized about 200 National Guard soldiers Monday to prepare for potential flooding in areas where recent wildfires left burn scars that could increase runoff.

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9:15 p.m.

After soaking northwestern Mexico with heavy rains as it neared the Baja California Peninsula and reportedly claiming at least one victim, Tropical Storm Rosa is expected to drench the U.S. Southwest.

From Arizona to Utah, some residents filled sandbags in anticipation of heavy rainfall forecasts and potential flooding.

The center of Rosa, which was a hurricane until late Sunday, was expected to hit Baja California and Sonora by early Tuesday, bringing 3 to 6 inches (7.5 to 15 centimeters) of rain, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

It's then expected to move quickly northwestward as it weakens, bringing 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) of rain to central and southern Arizona and 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) to the rest of the desert Southwest, Central Rockies and Great Basin. Isolated areas might see even more precipitation.

Vehicles wait to get towed from a flooded street during a flash flood as a result of heavy rains from tropical storm Rosa Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

A tow truck driver eyes a flooded section of a road during rain in Tucson, Ariz., Monday, Oct. 1, 2018. Tropical Storm Rosa soaked northwestern Mexico with heavy rains as it neared the Baja California Peninsula on Monday and was projected to extend into a drenching of the U.S. Southwest. (Rick Wiley/Arizona Daily Star via AP)

Workers from the Tucson Department of Transportation load sandbags for residents during rain in Tucson, Ariz., Monday, Oct. 1, 2018. Tropical Storm Rosa soaked northwestern Mexico with heavy rains as it neared the Baja California Peninsula on Monday and was projected to extend into a drenching of the U.S. Southwest. (Rick Wiley/Arizona Daily Star via AP)

A man tries to dislodge debris from a wash behind homes during rain in Tucson, Ariz., Monday, Oct. 1, 2018. Tropical Storm Rosa soaked northwestern Mexico with heavy rains as it neared the Baja California Peninsula on Monday and was projected to extend into a drenching of the U.S. Southwest. (Rick Wiley/Arizona Daily Star via AP)

Tracey Salomon, left, office manager at Johnson Mortuary & Desert Lawn Memorial Park, and Jorge Lopez, cemetery manager, examine a Eucalyptus tree that was blown over during Sunday's wind and rain storm, in Yuma, Ariz., Monday, Oct. 1, 2018. (Randy Hoeft/The Yuma Sun via AP)

Four-year-old Deliahl Garcia, left, and her brother, 7-year-old Angel Garcia, help their mother, Crystal Garcia, background, fill sand bags in the Yuma Civic Center parking lot in Yuma, Ariz., Monday, Oct. 1, 2018. Tropical Storm Rosa soaked northwestern Mexico with heavy rains as it neared the Baja California Peninsula on Monday and was projected to extend into a drenching of the U.S. Southwest. (Randy Hoeft/The Yuma Sun via AP)
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - The Latest on stranded ferry in the Baltic Sea (all times local):

9:30 p.m.

A ferry stranded in the Baltic Sea with about 300 people on board has reached a port in Lithuania with a navy escort.

The Regina Seaways ferry, operated by Copenhagen-based DFDS, got stuck Tuesday after a malfunction that led to smoke pouring from the engine room. The crew was able to restart the main engine after more than four hours.

A spokeswoman for the port of Klaipeda, Dovile Ringis, told reporters the ferry managed to reach Klaipeda at 9:30 p.m. powered by its own engines despite strong wind and waves.

Ringis says emergency crews were ready to help the vessel's passengers and crew.

The undated photo provided in the photo library on the website of DFDS shows the vessel Regina Seaways. The ferry with 294 passengers on board was stranded in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018 after an engine breakdown. The malfunction aboard the Regina Seaways produced smoke, which triggered the ship's fire extinguishing system in the engine room, DFDS said in a statement. (DFDS A/S via AP)

The ferry started its journey in Kiel, Germany,

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7:35 p.m.

Lithuania's Defense Ministry says that the crew of a ferry stranded in the Baltic Sea with about 300 people on board has managed to restart the main engine and the vessel is now heading toward its original destination.

The Regina Seaways ferry, operated by Copenhagen-based DFDS, got stuck after a malfunction that led to smoke pouring from the engine room. The crew had prepared the ferry's passengers for evacuation, but in the end that wasn't necessary.

The ferry, which started its journey in Kiel, Germany, is now heading to the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda.

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4:50 p.m.

Finnish and Swedish weather forecasts for the southeastern part of the Baltic Sea say there are gale force winds, rain showers, with poor visibility and risk of thunder storms in the region.

Lithuanian broadcaster LNK says it might take up to 20 hours for the ferry to reach its destination of Klaipeda, Lithuania's port city north of Kaliningrad.

Danish ferry operator DFDS has several ferry routes in Europe, mainly in the Baltic Sea, including the Kiel, Germany to Klaipeda crossing. Its Regina Seaways ferry with around 300 people on board was stranded in the Baltic Sea after the ship experienced engine failure. There were no injuries and an evacuation wasn't immediately necessary.

The ship was in international waters off Kaliningrad, Russia's Baltic Sea exclave between Poland and Lithuania.

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4:30 p.m.

A spokesman for Russia's Federal Agency for Sea and River Transport says that the crew of a stranded ferry in the Baltic Sea with about 300 people onboard is trying to make one of the ship's malfunctioning engines work again.

Alexei Kravchenko has told the Interfax news agency that the crew has asked to be taken to Lithuania. He says that a Russian tugboat and ships from Lithuania, Estonia and Sweden are approaching the ferry to provide assistance.

The Copenhagen, Denmark-based operator DFDS Seaways said the Regina Seaways was stranded in the Baltic Sea after the ship experienced engine failure.

No injuries have been reported and the company said that an evacuation wasn't immediately necessary.

The ship was in international waters off Kaliningrad, Russia's Baltic Sea exclave between Poland and Lithuania. The ferry was traveling between the ports of Kiel, Germany, and Klaipeda, Lithuania.

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3:10 p.m.

Danish ferry operator DFDS says that 294 passengers have been stranded after one of its ships had an engine breakdown in the Baltic Sea.

The company says that the malfunction aboard the Regina Seaways produced smoke, which triggered the ship's fire extinguishing system in the engine room. No passengers or crew members have been injured, according to a statement.

DFDS said Tuesday that passengers were assembled at muster stations in preparation for a possible evacuation, but it wasn't necessary because the "situation is under control."

The statement said that the extent of the damage wasn't yet fully known, and it is not yet clear whether the ship can continue on its own or with tugboat assistance.

The ferry was traveling between the ports of Kiel, Germany, and Klaipeda, Lithuania.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - The Philippine military chief has testified that an opposition senator formally applied for amnesty for his involvement in past military mutinies, contradicting the reason given by the president for revoking the 2011 amnesty in August.

Military chief Gen. Carlito Galvez told a Senate hearing Tuesday that a military officer said she administered an oath to former navy officer Antonio Trillanes IV when he applied for the amnesty. Trillanes later ran for a Senate seat and became President Rodrigo Duterte's fiercest critic.

Duterte has said he voided Trillanes's amnesty and ordered his arrest because the senator failed to file a formal amnesty application and acknowledge guilt.

Galvez said Trillanes's amnesty papers may have gone missing due to "some lapses."
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Authorities have raised a giant, iconic Mexican flag to half-mast in Mexico City's main square in commemoration of the 1968 massacre of student protesters by army troops 50 years ago.

Students and surviving leaders of the 1968 student democracy movement are planning marches Tuesday to mark the anniversary of an event that caused such revulsion it helped spur long-term political reforms.

It is unclear how many died in the nearby Tlatelolco plaza. Estimates range from the official version of 25 dead to a more recent investigation that identified 44. Activists at the time claimed hundreds, saying large numbers of bodies were carted off in garbage trucks.

The government at the time feared the students might try to disrupt the Olympic games held in Mexico City a few weeks later.
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - An appearance by Garrison Keillor, former host of "A Prairie Home Companion," at a Vermont book festival has been canceled after public outcry.

Burlington Book Festival Founding Director Rick Kisonak confirmed to Vermont Public Radio that the Oct. 14 fundraising event would not take place.

Festival organizers have faced criticism over the scheduled appearance of the 76-year-old public radio personality accused of sexual harassment.

Last November, Minnesota Public Radio severed ties with Keillor over the accusations.

Keillor has denied the allegations.

Festival founding director Rick Kisonak wrote in an email that "the unexpected reaction on social media made it apparent some people viewed his booking as our condoning of sexual harassment." He says "nothing could be further from the truth."
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - It's not just the U.S. Supreme Court.

The bitterly partisan fight over President Donald Trump's nominee for the nation's highest court, and the questions it has raised about the judiciary's independence, mirror what voters around the country are seeing in state supreme court races.

Outside groups are spending millions of dollars in those races trying to sway voters with attack ads and mailers.

Some of the same national groups that backed the nomination of federal judge Brett Kavanaugh are spending big hoping to reshape state courts that will decide cases on redistricting, voting rights, abortion restrictions and other issues.

"I think we're at a moment, depending on what happens in the United States Supreme Court, where these state courts are about to gain even more importance, both in reality and in appearance," said Douglas Keith, counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice, which tracks spending in judicial races. "I think that will only increase the temperature on who sits on them."

Voters in 29 states will cast ballots in November for state supreme court justices. The heated campaigns for some of those seats, in Arkansas, North Carolina, West Virginia and elsewhere, have already rivaled those for Congress or governor in their intensity.

FILE - In this Friday, May 18, 2018, file photo, Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Courtney Goodson speaks to reporters at the Pulaski County Courthouse in Little Rock, Ark. Goodson is being challenged by David Sterling, the chief counsel for the Department of Human Services, for the nonpartisan state Supreme Court seat. (AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo, File)

In Arkansas, outside groups earlier this year spent more than $1.6 million in an effort to unseat a justice who drew the ire of conservatives for past rulings on voter ID laws and tort reform.

Two years after similar attacks sunk her bid for Arkansas chief justice, Justice Courtney Goodson is portraying her campaign for re-election as a referendum on the influence of so-called "dark money" spent by national groups that do not reveal their donors.

"I think the judiciary is under attack and, not only that, it's the independence of the judiciary that is at stake here," she said.

In an unusual move, an Arkansas judge last spring prohibited several television stations from running a group's ad attacking the incumbent justice over gifts from donors and a pay raise the court received. The 30-second spot came from the Judicial Crisis Network, a Washington-based group that also has spent millions on television ads supporting Kavanaugh's confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The group spent more than $600,000 two years ago targeting Goodson during her unsuccessful bid for chief justice.

Goodson is being challenged by David Sterling, a former Republican candidate for attorney general who cites his membership in the Federalist Society and the National Rifle Association in his campaign literature. Sterling has said he is not connected to the attack ads, but also will not denounce them.

"As someone who's running as a constitutional conservative, I don't want to put myself in a position of having to tell them what they can and can't say," Sterling said. "To me, that's just a dispute between my opponent and these outside groups. It has nothing to do with me."

The Republican State Leadership Committee said it is closely watching judicial races in several states as it considers where to spend ahead of November's election.

In Arkansas, the group ran ads on behalf of Sterling that parallel national Republican talking points. They promoted him as a "strong conservative" and railed against the "fake news media," while images of CNN's Anderson Cooper and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi flashed onscreen.

Spending by outside groups in recent years has dwarfed that of candidates themselves in virtually all hotly contested judicial races. It is allowed even in the two states - New Mexico and West Virginia - that have public financing of judicial races.

Outside groups spent more than $27 million on state supreme court races nationwide during the 2015-16 election cycle, according to the Brennan Center and the National Institute on Money in State Politics.

The vast majority of states, 38, use elections in some way for their supreme courts, and in just three states governors appoint justices to life terms.

Some of the biggest supreme court battlegrounds this year are in states where the court has clashed with the legislature.

In North Carolina, where the races are now officially partisan, one Democrat and one Republican are trying to unseat the incumbent justice, a Republican.

Democrats hold a 4-3 majority on the court and could expand it further in November. More than $5.4 million was spent on a seat for North Carolina's high court two years ago, most of it from outside groups.

Twenty candidates are running for two Supreme Court seats in West Virginia, where four justices were impeached by the Republican-led House following questions about costly renovations that evolved into accusations of corruption, incompetence and neglect of duty.

The spending has become campaign fodder for some candidates, with one hopeful bragging that his office desk and chair cost $8.

"Yes they are nonpartisan elections," said Greg Bowman, dean of West Virginia University's law school. "That doesn't mean party politics won't play a role in how campaigns evolve and how voters make their decisions."

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Associated Press writers John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, and Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this report.

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Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ademillo

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FILE - In this May 21, 2014, file photo, David Sterling is interviewed in Little Rock, Ark. Sterling, a former Republican candidate for attorney general who cites his membership in the Federalist Society and the National Rifle Association in his campaign literature, is challenging Arkansas state Supreme Court Justice Courtney Goodson for a seat on the state's highest bench. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)
LONDON (AP) - Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May says the government will change the law so opposite-sex couples can enter into civil partnerships.

The decision was announced Tuesday at a conference of May's Conservative Party. It followed a U.K. Supreme Court ruling that not making heterosexual couples eligible for civil partnerships was "incompatible" with human rights laws.

The ruling came in a case involving a couple that wanted to avoid the "patriarchal baggage" of marriage. Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan argued that limiting the partnerships to same-sex couples was discriminatory.

Same-sex couples have been able to form civil partnerships in Britain since 2005, giving them the legal protections, adoption and inheritance rights as married heterosexual couples.

The country legalized same-sex marriage in 2014.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The Latest on the impeachment trial of West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Beth Walker and jury selection for the federal trial of suspended Justice Allen Loughry (all times local):

6:20 p.m.

A federal jury has been selected for the criminal trial of West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry.

The jury of 10 women and two men was chosen Tuesday. They'll listen to opening arguments Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Charleston.

A 25-count indictment includes allegations that Loughry repeatedly lied about using his office for personal gain. He's also charged with making personal use of a state vehicle and credit card, and of trying to influence an employee's testimony and a federal grand jury investigation. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier.

The indictment accuses him of "creating a false narrative" about an antique desk and leather couch he had transferred from the Supreme Court offices to his home, and that he repeated the false narrative to an FBI special agent during a March interview.

West Virginia House Judiciary Chairman John Shott, right, back to camera, questions Supreme Court Justice Beth Walker, center, during her Impeachment trial in Charleston, W.Va. A West Virginia Supreme Court justice says her impeachment trial should never have happened. Walker testified Monday she thinks impeachable offenses include stealing, lying and corruption. She says, "I don't think I've done any of those things." (Kenny Kemp/Charleston Gazette-Mail via AP)

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1:05 p.m.

West Virginia senators have voted to allow impeached state Supreme Court Justice Beth Walker to remain in office.

The 32-1 vote Tuesday followed a two-day impeachment trial. A two-thirds majority was required to remove Walker, whose 12-year term expires in 2028.

Walker was accused of abusing her authority. The charge stated that Walker and other justices failed to control office expenses and maintain policies over matters such as working lunches and the use of state vehicles and office computers at home.

The vote came on the same day jury selection began in the federal trial of suspended Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry. A 25-count indictment includes allegations that Loughry repeatedly lied about using his office for personal gain.

The House of Delegates in August impeached Loughry, Walker and justices Margaret Workman and Robin Davis.

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11 a.m.

The West Virginia Senate has started pondering the fate of impeached Supreme Court Justice Beth Walker.

Closing arguments were held Tuesday in Walker's impeachment trial before senators voted to go into a closed session to begin deliberations.

A two-thirds majority of the 34-member Senate is required to remove Walker from office.

Walker is accused of abuse of authority, a charge also levied against three other impeached justices. It states they failed to control office expenses and maintain policies over matters such as working lunches and the use of state vehicles and office computers at home.

House judiciary committee chairman John Shott served as the lead prosecutor in Walker's Senate trial. He urged senators to sustain the impeachment article if they doubt that keeping her on the bench will help restore the public's trust and confidence in the judicial branch of government.

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6:50 a.m.

The federal trial of a suspended West Virginia Supreme Court justice is starting a day after a colleague's impeachment trial began in the state Senate.

Jury selection is set to get under way Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Charleston for Justice Allen Loughry. He also has a Senate impeachment trial scheduled in November.

The 25-count federal indictment includes allegations that Loughry repeatedly lied about using his office for personal gain.

The House of Delegates in August impeached him and justices Beth Walker, Margaret Workman and Robin Davis. The cases targeted spending, including lavish office renovations, and also raised questions about corruption, incompetence and neglect of duty earlier this decade.

Walker's impeachment trial in the Senate started Monday and is set to resume Tuesday.

FILE - This combination of photos shows West Virginia state Supreme Court justices, from left, Robin Davis on Oct. 3, 2012, Allen Loughry on Oct. 3, 2012, Beth Walker on March 16, 2016, and Margaret Workman on Dec. 29, 2008. The four justices were impeached by the House of Delegates in August 2017. The cases targeted spending, including renovations to the justices' offices, and also raised questions about corruption, incompetence and neglect of duty. Walker's trial is set to start Monday, Oct. 1, 2018, in the state Senate. (Courtesy of the Charleston Gazette-Mail and The Daily Mail via AP, File)

Evan Jenkins takes the oath of office Monday, Oct. 1, 2018 for the West Virginia Supreme Court in Charleston, W.Va. Jenkins and former House Speaker Tim Armstead have been appointed to serve as temporary justices until a Nov. 6 special election to replace Ketchum and Davis. Jenkins and Armstead are among 20 total candidates seeking those seats. (Kenny Kemp/Charleston Gazette-Mail via AP)
PARIS (AP) - A Paris appeals court has confirmed a ruling ordering an American couple to return a Camille Pissarro painting to the descendants of a Jewish family that owned the art work before it was seized during World War II.

The couple, prominent Philadelphia collectors Bruce and Robbi Toll, loaned Pissarro's "La Cueillette des Pois" ("Picking Peas") to a Paris museum for an exhibition last year.

But the painting was placed in temporary escrow after one of the French heirs recognized it and sued to get it back.

The Tolls, who are Jewish, said they did not know when they bought the Pissarro that it had been stolen by France's war-era Vichy regime from Jewish collector Simon Bauer.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A former New Hampshire prep school student who lied to a grand jury investigating sexual misconduct at the school has been sentenced to community service.

The 28-year-old woman pleaded guilty Monday to two misdemeanor charges. A judge sentenced her to two six-month jail sentences, which won't be imposed if she completes 500 hours of community work.

Prosecutors say the woman lied about her contact with former St. Paul's teacher David Pook and hindered a broader criminal investigation into the Concord prep school's handling of sexual misconduct and assault allegations going back decades. Last month, the attorney general's office reached a settlement with the school that includes greater oversight in lieu of criminal charges.

Pook is serving four months in jail for telling the former student to lie about their relationship.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawyers for two women who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct are casting doubt on the thoroughness of the FBI investigation of their clients' allegations, even as the Senate Republican leader is looking beyond the probe, steering toward a decisive vote this week.

Attorneys for Christine Blasey Ford, who says she was sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh at a party when they were teenagers, wrote a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray asking why the FBI hasn't contacted their client after she offered to cooperate in the FBI's reopened background investigation of Kavanaugh.

Also Tuesday, an attorney for another accuser, Deborah Ramirez, said he's seen no indication that the FBI has reached out to any of the 20 people who Ramirez told them may be able to corroborate her account that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when they were Yale freshmen. The attorney, John Clune, said Ramirez was interviewed by the FBI on Sunday and provided agents with the witnesses' contact numbers.

Clune said he is concerned that the bureau "is not conducting - or not being permitted to conduct - a serious investigation."

Demonstrating that the investigation is credible is crucial as the White House and Senate Republican leadership look to win the support of several wavering senators - including three Republicans - who will determine whether the 53-year-old conservative judge is confirmed to the lifetime post.

One Republican official said he'd been told it was possible the FBI investigation could be completed as soon as Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, but it remained unclear. The official revealed the private conversations only on condition of anonymity.

Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Tom Williams/Pool Image via AP)

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters that "I can tell you with certainty" that the FBI report will be finished and the Senate will vote this week, though he didn't specify when. Underscoring the GOP effort to vote on Kavanaugh quickly - and stuff a cork on the chances for fresh allegations to emerge - he said "it shouldn't take long" for lawmakers to read that report.

"That will not be used as another reason for delay, I can tell you that," he said. Because of procedural steps, a final confirmation vote was unlikely until late in the week, perhaps over the weekend.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he wants senators to receive an FBI briefing on its findings at least 24 hours before the chamber takes its first procedural vote on Kavanaugh, which could be midweek.

McConnell has denounced Democrats, who have questioned Kavanaugh's truthfulness and temperament, for hurling "mud and muck" at the judge.

A comment by President Donald Trump, who nominated Kavanaugh, spotlighted the gulf between #MeToo-era voters who've rallied against sexual abuse and conservatives who say the nominee is entitled to a presumption of innocence against uncorroborated allegations.

"It's a very scary time for young men in America when you can be guilty of something that you may not be guilty of," Trump said at the White House.

When Trump ordered the FBI investigation last week under pressure from a handful of Senate Republicans, he set a deadline of this Friday for the probe's completion.

Details were scant about precisely who the FBI was interviewing and the scope of the probe, but agents are known to have interviewed at least four people.

They include Mark Judge, who Ford has said was in the bedroom where, she says, a drunken Kavanaugh sexually attacked her at a 1982 high school gathering. Also interviewed were two other people Ford said were present but in a different room: Patrick "P.J." Smyth and Leland Keyser. Judge, Smyth and Keyser say they don't recall the incident described by Ford.

Kavanaugh has denied the accusations by Ford and Ramirez and those by a third woman, Julie Swetnick, who has alleged she was victimized at a party attended by Kavanaugh friends.

McConnell singled out Swetnick's accusations, for which he said "there conveniently happened to be zero witnesses." She is represented by Michael Avenatti, who McConnell called a "tabloid lawyer." Avenatti also represents adult film actress Stormy Daniels in her claim that Trump paid her for silence about an alleged 2006 affair.

One undeclared senator, Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., expressed concerns about Kavanaugh's "sharp and partisan" responses to Democratic senators during last week's gripping confirmation hearing at which the nominee and Ford gave opposing accounts. A fuming Kavanaugh sparred frequently with Democrats, responding to a question by one about whether he'd ever blacked out while drinking by shooting back, "Have you?"

"We can't have this on the court, we simply can't," Flake said at an event sponsored by The Atlantic magazine.

Two other undeclared senators, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, said they are satisfied with the scope and pace of the FBI investigation. But asked about McConnell's pledge to move forward with a vote this week, Murkowski told The Associated Press that McConnell "talked about a vote last week, too."

Collins, who was riding with Murkowski on a Senate shuttle, told her colleague, "Good answer."

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., facing a competitive re-election this fall, said he's awaiting the FBI report.

Meanwhile, a report released Tuesday by police in New Haven, Connecticut, says Kavanaugh was accused of throwing ice at a man during an altercation at a bar while in college. It comes as Democrats have questioned whether he has been forthright about his drinking habits in his youth.

Kavanaugh was questioned after the 1985 altercation but wasn't arrested. The report says 21-year-old Dom Cozzolino told police that Kavanaugh threw ice at him for "some unknown reason." Cozzolino said he then got hit on the ear with a glass.

The White House noted that Kavanaugh wasn't arrested or charged and mocked the incident as irrelevant.

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Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Padmananda Rama, Matthew Daly and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

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For more coverage of Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination, visit https://apnews.com/tag/Kavanaughnomination .

President Donald Trump gestures while answering questions from members of the media before walking across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, to board Marine One helicopter for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., en route to Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

In this image from Senate Television, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., speaks on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Monday, Oct. 1, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Senate Television via AP)
WALKER, Mich. (AP) - A former Michigan nursing home aide who has served nearly 30 years in prison for smothering five patients in a pact with her lover has been granted parole, though a relative of one victim said he plans to appeal the decision.

Catherine Wood, 57, is scheduled to be released Oct. 24, WOOD-TV reported . She was sentenced to serve 20 to 40 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 1987 slayings at the Alpine Manor Nursing Home in Walker, a Grand Rapids suburb that's about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.

John Engman, the son-in-law of victim Mae Mason, said the family plans to file an appeal in Kent County Circuit Court. He said he believes Wood is "dangerous to society."

"This woman should not be out until the last day on her 40-year sentence," Engman said.

The victims ranged in age from 60 to 97 years old and most suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Their deaths initially were attributed to natural causes and no autopsies were performed, but police began investigating after Wood's ex-husband told them she had confessed.

As part of her plea deal, Wood told police she sometimes acted as a lookout or diverted supervisors' attention while her lover, Gwendolyn Graham, suffocated the patients. As the prosecution's key witness at Graham's trial, Wood testified that the killings were part of a pact the two hoped would bind their love. She said Graham told her the killings helped her "relieve tension."

Tom Freeman, a retired Walker police detective who investigated the murders, said Wood's testimony was essential in the case.

"I feel that she served her time and I feel she's not a menace to society or could harm society at this stage," Freeman said. "I really believe that."

Graham, 55, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance for parole. She is housed at the Huron Valley Women's Prison near Ypsilanti.

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Information from: WOOD-TV, http://www.woodtv.com
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A lawsuit filed by the family of an Australian woman who was fatally shot by a Minneapolis police officer last year has been put on hold while a criminal case against the officer proceeds.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Tony Leung ruled Tuesday that the $50 million civil rights lawsuit filed by the father of Justine Ruszczyk Damond will be delayed until the state's case against Mohamed Noor is resolved through a dismissal, an acquittal or a sentencing.

Noor is charged with murder and manslaughter in connection with the July 15, 2017 shooting. Prosecutors say he shot Damond after she called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home.

He is scheduled to go to trial in April .
"The Forgotten: How the People of One Pennsylvania County Elected Donald Trump and Changed America" (Little, Brown and Co.), by Ben Bradlee Jr.

There have been many books, studies and feature stories on the rise of the alienated white voters who came out in large numbers to elect President Donald Trump in 2016. But letting these voters speak without judgment while also questioning their views about race remains a challenge for reporters.

"The Forgotten: How the People of One Pennsylvania County Elected Donald Trump and Changed America" by Ben Bradlee Jr. trots this delicate dance by examining one key swing county in Pennsylvania - a state Trump surprisingly won.

Using quick but intricate vignettes, Bradlee allows a hair salon owner, a Vietnam War veteran, a retired detective, a flashy real estate investor, even a white nationalist from Luzerne County talk through their evolution to Trump amid fear, anger, anxiety and hopeless. Almost all are former Democrats who came from union families connected to the shuttered coal mines or now-closed factories.

Bradlee writes that he chose the northeastern Pennsylvania county that sits between Philadelphia and New York City because it was once a reliable Democratic stronghold that twice went for Barack Obama. In 2016, Trump won the county by nearly 20 percentage points.

Trump's reference to his supporters as the "forgotten people" wasn't an homage to George I. Sanchez's 1940 book, "Forgotten People," about poor Hispanics in New Mexico. It was specifically an allusion to whites living to economically struggling communities - like Luzerne County - that both parties appeared to ignore, Bradlee writes.

The vignettes allow voters to speak for themselves and explain why Trump's views on trade and immigration resonated. "I used to be the most liberal person you could imagine," hair salon owner Donna Kowalczyk, 60, told Bradlee, a former Boston Globe editor. "Then you're exposed to unsavory people. ... These people come in from out of town ... getting all kinds of benefits I never got."

Some of those unsavory people described by those interviewed, Bradlee writes, turned out to be Hispanic immigrants who transformed Hazleton, the county's second largest city, to a minority-majority city almost overnight.

Bradlee allows residents to speak and explain their reality without judgment, but is quick to point out how statements once considered racist have been turned into complaints centering on white victimization. "The new arrivals sparked not just a yearning for a whiter yesterday, but an inclination - implicitly encouraged by Trump - to make clear that they preferred to be among their own race and social group."

Bradlee has shown sensitivity in writing about race in previous work. For example, in his 2013 biography of Ted Williams, "The Kid," Bradlee detailed how the late Boston Red Sox slugger shunned his Mexican-American family and concealed his ethnic background for decades.

With "The Forgotten," Bradlee adds to the body of emerging studies about white Trump voters that is sensitive but honest amid a demographically changing, divided nation.

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Associated Press Writer Russell Contreras is a member of the AP's race and ethnicity team. Follow Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras
MADRID (AP) - Catalan regional president Quim Torra has issued an ultimatum to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Torra says he could deny Sanchez the votes he needs to approve the national budget unless the government proposes by next month an independence referendum in Catalonia.

Torra, a leading secessionist, said in a speech Tuesday that Catalan separatist parties "won't help ensure any stability" in Spain's parliament if their demand for a vote on self-determination is not met.

That ultimatum was aimed directly at Sanchez's growing predicament over the center-left Socialist government's spending plans for 2019.

The minority government holds just 84 of the 350 seats in the country's lower house. That means it is relying on the expected support of other parties, including those supporting Catalan secession, to pass its state budget.
BERLIN (AP) - German authorities say they have arrested an eighth man on suspicion of forming a far-right terrorist organization that planned to attack foreigners and political enemies.

Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that the 28-year-old German was arrested late Monday in the Chemnitz area of eastern Germany.

The man, who was identified only as Maximilian V. in line with German privacy rules, is alleged to have joined seven others in founding the group "Revolution Chemnitz ."

Prosecutors had already announced the arrest of six other men Monday and another last month.

Several of the suspects are alleged to have been involved in an attack on a group of migrants in the center of Chemnitz on Sept. 14.

Authorities intercepted communication between the men indicating that they were trying to obtain firearms.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from an Oklahoma man who was sentenced to death for the 1992 murder of a convenience store owner during a robbery.

Emmanuel Littlejohn had asked the court to consider whether his sentence was unconstitutional because jurors didn't hear of how brain damage could have explained his actions, The Oklahoman reported . The 46-year-old has admitted to taking part in the robbery, but he denies that he fired the shot that killed Kenneth Meers.

Littlejohn's attorney, Randy Bauman, wrote in a brief to the court that a lack of impulse control and organic brain damage could explain how the killing happened.

Littlejohn and Glenn Bethany robbed an Oklahoma City convenience store in 1992. Meers, 31, was killed after approaching the men with a broom. Bethany was sentenced to life in prison, while Littlejohn was sentenced to death.

"I am not the shooter. The state knows this, the witnesses have said it. Yet I sit on death row facing a state-sponsored, state-endorsed execution," Littlejohn wrote to newspaper in January.

Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Crabb said Littlejohn's attention deficit disorder, impulse control disorder and personality traits don't account for his criminal behavior. Crabb said Littlejohn presented "no compelling reason" for the court to review the case.

This Feb. 5, 2018 provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections shows Emmanuel Littlejohn in McAlester, Okla. The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from Littlejohn, who was sentenced to death for the 1992 murder of a convenience store owner during a robbery. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP)

Littlejohn has now exhausted his appeals and is eligible for execution.

Oklahoma has 18 inmates on death row who are eligible for execution, though no dates have been set as the state works on a new execution protocol using nitrogen gas.
CHICAGO (AP) - The Latest on the trial of a white Chicago police officer charged with murder in the shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald. (all times local):

2 p.m.

A white Chicago police officer charged with murder in the shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald is telling the jury that he opened fire when McDonald kept "advancing" at him waiving a knife.

Officer Jason Van Dyke Tuesday that said he kept firing because he was not certain that he had struck the teen until the teen fell to the ground.

Van Dyke at times became emotional and wiped tears from his cheeks during his testimony.

In a clear but sometimes halting voice, he said McDonald never let go of the knife even after the 17-year-old fell to the ground. He said that to this day he can still see the teen holding the knife, saying, "I just wanted him to get rid of that knife."

Dr. Laurence Miller testifies on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, during Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke's first degree murder trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. Miller testified as an expert in police psychology. (Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool)

He said that before firing, he shouted over and over again for McDonald to drop the knife.

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1:15 p.m.

A white Chicago police officer charged with murder in the shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald has taken the stand to testify at trial.

Police Officer Jason Van Dyke began testifying Tuesday afternoon before a technical problem forced a recess at the trial.

McDonald was shot after police were called to a report of someone breaking into vehicles. The 17-year-old had a knife. Testimony shows responding officers called for help and were waiting for someone to arrive with a Taser.

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12:15 p.m.

A psychologist says that a white Chicago police officer charged with murder in the death of Laquan McDonald had told him that he had thought he would have to shoot the black teenager even before he got to the scene.

Dr. Laurence Miller interviewed Officer Jason Van Dyke for defense attorneys. McDonald was shot after police were called to a report of someone breaking into vehicles. The 17-year-old had a knife. Testimony shows responding officers called for help and were waiting for someone to arrive with a Taser.

Miller testified that Van Dyke's shooting of McDonald was a "reasonable response" to what he perceived as a deadly threat.

But under questioning from prosecutors, Miller said Van Dyke had told him that he had told his partner on the way to the scene that he thought they would have to shoot the teen. Miller says Van Dyke also wondered why other officers had not already done so.

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11:35 p.m.

A psychologist says white Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke's shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald was a "reasonable response" to what he perceived as a deadly threat posed by the teen.

Dr. Laurence Miller testified Tuesday during Van Dyke's murder trial in the 2014 shooting of McDonald.

Miller says he interviewed Van Dyke for the officer's attorneys. He concluded that the officer responded in a way consistent with his training. Miller noted that Van Dyke knew that McDonald had punctured the tires of a squad car with a knife and that the 17-year-old had not followed officers' orders to drop the knife.

Defense attorneys have been presenting their case that the shooting was justified for more than a week. One big question is whether or not Van Dyke will testify.

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12:25 a.m.

The murder trial of Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke will likely resume after an unexpected day off.

Van Dyke's attorneys are expected to continue calling witnesses on Tuesday after Monday's testimony was called off by the judge because a juror was ill.

The defense team is believed to be getting close to calling its final witnesses and it remains unclear whether Van Dyke will testify about the night he shot Laquan McDonald 16 times in October 2014.

Prosecutors have contended that the white officer was not justified in shooting the black teenager. However, Van Dyke's attorneys maintain that he acted properly when confronted with McDonald, who had failed to drop the knife he was carrying after police had ordered him to do so.

Dr. Laurence Miller, testifies on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, during Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke's first degree murder trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. Miller testified as an expert in police psychology. (Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool)

Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke listens during during his first degree murder trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018 in Chicago. (Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court appears willing to extend protection from capital punishment to people with dementia who can't recall their crime or understand the circumstances of their execution.

The justices heard arguments on Tuesday in the case of Alabama death row inmate Vernon Madison. He killed a police officer in 1985, but has suffered strokes that his lawyers say have left him with severe dementia.

The high court has previously said the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment means that people who are insane, delusional or psychotic cannot be executed.

A ruling for Madison probably would mean a new hearing in state court, not a determination that rules out his execution.

Chief Justice John Roberts and the court's four liberal justices seemed most willing to rule for Madison.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Authorities at a Pentagon mail screening facility found two envelopes suspected of containing ricin, a poison made from castor beans, and turned them over to the FBI for further analysis, officials said Tuesday.

One envelope was addressed to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who is traveling in Europe this week, and the other to the Navy's top officer, Adm. John Richardson, a defense official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to speak publicly ahead of FBI release of its findings.

Neither envelope entered the Pentagon. The mail screening facility is on the Pentagon grounds but separate from the main building.

Pentagon spokesman Chris Sherwood said the envelopes had been found on Monday.

Another Pentagon spokesman, Col. Rob Manning, said all U.S. Postal Service mail received at the screening facility on Monday is under quarantine and "poses no threat to Pentagon personnel."

Ricin is part of the waste "mash" produced when castor oil is made. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if it is made into a partially purified material or refined, ricin can be used as a weapon capable of causing death under certain circumstances.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - The Latest on arrests in connection with a white nationalist march and rally in Charlottesville, Virginia (all times local):

9:45 p.m.

A magistrate judge has denied bail for one of four men arrested on charges related to last year's violent rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, saying he poses a threat to the community.

Judge Jean Rosenbluth ordered Michael Paul Miselis held without bail at a hearing in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The detention hearings for two other defendants were postponed and a fourth is set for Wednesday.

During the hearing, prosecutors said Miselis and other members of their group traveled to Germany and the Ukraine to meet with violent white supremacy groups and that he had thousands of rounds of ammunition for assault-style weapons stored in his home.

Rosenbluth cited video appearing to show Miselis assaulting a person on the ground in Charlottesville and the seriousness of the allegations in denying Miselis' release.

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8:10 p.m.

A member of a militant white supremacist group from California made his initial court appearance following his arrest on charges related to last year's violent rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Thomas Walter Gillen appeared in a California court Tuesday afternoon. He wore a blue T-shirt, chewed gum and yawned several times as his detention hearing was waived until Thursday.

Two other defendants are scheduled to appear in court later Tuesday, while a fourth is due in court Wednesday.

When Judge Jean Rosenbluth asked Gillen if he understood what the government was accusing him of, Gillen said, "For the most part, yeah."

Pressed further, Gillen responded: "I generally understand what I'm being charged with, your Honor."

Gillen is accused of traveling to Charlottesville to incite a riot and attack counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally that turned deadly.

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1:15 p.m.

Four members of a militant white supremacist group from California have been arrested on charges they traveled to Virginia last year to incite a riot and attack counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally that turned deadly.

An affidavit unsealed Tuesday says the men are part of the Rise Above Movement. The affidavit says they attended a torch-lit rally and a larger gathering in downtown Charlottesville the next day where they committed "multiple acts of violence" against counterprotesters.

Court documents say the four men have been arrested and are awaiting their initial hearings. It wasn't immediately clear if they have attorneys who could comment on their behalf.

Federal prosecutors said earlier in the day that multiple arrests have been made in connection with the events of Aug. 11 and 12 last year. A news conference was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon to announce charges.

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11 a.m.

Federal prosecutors in Virginia say multiple arrests have been made in connection with a white nationalist torch-lit march and rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last year.

U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon to announce the charges.

Violence first broke out Aug. 11, 2017, as a crowd of white nationalists marched through the University of Virginia campus carrying torches.

The following day, more violence erupted between white nationalists and counterprotesters during the "Unite the Right" rally.

A woman was killed and dozens of others were injured when a speeding car plowed into a group of counterdemonstrators. The suspected driver, James Fields Jr., has been charged with federal hate crimes in the death of Heather Heyer. Fields also faces state murder charges.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Driven in part by family tragedy, San Francisco Mayor London Breed has long pledged to open what could be the first supervised drug injection site in the country.

However, California Gov. Jerry Brown made the promise tougher to keep when he vetoed legislation over the weekend that would have given San Francisco some legal cover to open a site under a pilot program.

The veto leaves Breed, who was elected in June, in the position of going it alone to deliver on a promise that she says will save lives and taxpayer money, as well as clean up streets littered with used syringes and slumped-over addicts.

"We're not going to give up, but at the same time, what's most important is there are other people who are involved," she said Tuesday. "I want to make sure I'm not putting other folks at risk if I do this."

The site would provide space for people to inject drugs and a "chill" room where they could recover. Medical care, counseling and treatment services would also be available.

Before moving forward, Breed said, she wants to make sure nonprofits and workers operating such a facility would be protected from federal prosecution. She declined to set a deadline.

File - In this June 13, 2018 file photo, London Breed speaks to reporters outside of City Hall in San Francisco. California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed legislation late Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, that would have given San Francisco permission to test-open supervised drug injection sites. San Francisco's mayor, London Breed, has promised to open such a site. Breed, who was elected in June, lost a sibling to drug overdose and acknowledges that she has grappled with the idea. (AP Photo/Lorin Eleni Gill, File)

San Francisco has an estimated 22,000 intravenous drug users and in recent years has reported about 200 overdose deaths a year, largely from opioids.

Breed grew up around drug users and lost a younger sister to an overdose. The idea of providing a place for addicts to use drugs initially struck her as wrong, but over the years she has come to believe current laws aren't helping the problem.

Injection sites remain illegal under federal law, and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has vowed to sue any city that opens one. Philadelphia and Seattle have also expressed support for opening such sites.

Breed's effort in San Francisco comes as the nation is struggling with an opioid epidemic. The painkiller fentanyl is cheap, strong and sometimes mixed into street drugs without buyers' knowledge, leading to overdose deaths.

In his veto, Brown essentially agreed with the Trump administration, which argues that taxpayers should not be endorsing illegal drug use.

"Enabling illegal and destructive drug use will never work," Brown said, calling it irresponsible to expose local government and health workers to potential criminal charges from the federal government.

Breed said she was disappointed the governor rejected an option supported by two-thirds of residents surveyed by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

"People want me to get needles off the streets. They don't want to see people shooting up in public," she said. "They don't want people dying."

San Francisco has defied state and federal law over the years by allowing drug needle exchanges and medical marijuana.

Breed said she once opposed the idea of injection sites.

"I felt really strongly that it wasn't fair to then, all of a sudden, provide a facility for people, to make it more easy for folks to have a place to be to shoot up," she said before she was elected in June.

But then she wondered if people she had lost to drugs might have been saved if they had been around trained medical staff.

"I would do anything to have them still alive today," Breed said.

AB186 would have protected staff and participants from state prosecution related to illegal narcotics. But it gave no legal cover from federal laws, including a "crack house" statute that makes it a felony to knowingly maintain a place for using a controlled substance.

California Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat, said legislators plan to introduce the measure again during the next session. If approved, it could go into effect in January 2020 - if it's signed by the next governor.

Wiener said he would fully support Breed if she decides to move forward now without state permission.

Other advocates said it will take political bravery and creative thinking.

"It's not for me to say what she has to do, but I'm hopeful that we can make it happen one way or another," said Lauren Kahn, a spokeswoman for Healthright 360, which provides substance abuse and mental health services.

File - In this Aug. 29, 2018 file photo, Linda Montel shows off supplies on a check in desk at Safer Inside, a realistic model of a safe injection site in San Francisco. California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed legislation late Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, that would have given San Francisco permission to test-open supervised drug injection sites. San Francisco's mayor, London Breed, has promised to open such a site. Breed, who was elected in June, lost a sibling to drug overdose and acknowledges that she has grappled with the idea. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

File - In this Aug. 29, 2018 file photo, volunteer Rachele Huennekens sits at a booth injection station during a demonstration at Safer Inside, a realistic model of a safe injection site in San Francisco. California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed legislation late Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, that would have given San Francisco permission to test-open supervised drug injection sites. San Francisco's mayor, London Breed, has promised to open such a site. Breed, who was elected in June, lost a sibling to drug overdose and acknowledges that she has grappled with the idea. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Times says it shouldn't have assigned a writer who criticized Brett Kavanaugh on social media to its news story about the Supreme Court nominee's alleged involvement in a bar fight in 1985.

The newspaper said Tuesday that it stands by the story published a day earlier, which said Kavanaugh was questioned by police in New Haven, Connecticut, accused of throwing ice at another bar patron. Kavanaugh, who was not arrested, was attending Yale University.

One of the story's authors, Emily Bazelon, wrote on Twitter in July when President Trump nominated Kavanaugh that she strongly disassociated herself from any praise of the judge.

Given that Twitter remark, the White House has questioned the Times' motivation in writing the story.
BEIRUT (AP) - The Latest on the Syria conflict (all times local):

9 p.m.

Russia's defense minister says the delivery of S-300 air defense systems to Syria has been completed.

Sergei Shoigu said in televised remarks Tuesday that Russia has delivered four S-300 launchers along with radars and support vehicles. He says it will take three months to train Syrian personnel to operate the system.

Russia announced last month that it would provide the S-300s after the downing of a Russian plane by Syrian forces responding to an Israeli air strike, a friendly fire incident that stoked regional tensions.

Shoigu says the Russian military has also significantly strengthened its electronic warfare systems in Syria. He says the integration of Russian and Syrian air defense assets will be completed by Oct. 20.

In this photo released on Monday, Oct. 1, 2018, by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, missiles are fired from city of Kermanshah in western Iran targeting the Islamic State group in Syria. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said Monday it launched ballistic missiles into eastern Syria targeting militants it blamed for a recent attack on a military parade. (Sepahnews via AP)

Russia is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and its intervention in the civil war, beginning in 2015, turned the tide in his favor.

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1:30 p.m.

Syrian foreign minister says Iranian ballistic missiles that targeted militants in eastern Syria the previous day are part of "legitimate" cooperation between the two countries to combat terrorism.

Walid al-Moallem told the Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV the strikes were coordinated with Syria's government.

His comments were broadcast Tuesday, a day after the missiles targeted the Islamic State group in Deir el-Zour province.

Iranian officials said the strikes were in retaliation for an attack on a military parade in Iran last month.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war in Syria, said the strikes killed eight people.

The Syrian government and its allies, as well as the U.S-led coalition are separately battling IS, which still controls a sliver of land along Syria's border with Iraq.
HOUSTON (AP) - A spokeswoman for Republican Sen. Ted Cruz says a package addressed to Cruz's Houston campaign headquarters caused a lockdown, which was later lifted.

The Houston Fire Department says two people were taken to a hospital Tuesday after apparently being exposed to a "white powdery substance," though it didn't provide details about the two people or say whether they are fine.

Cruz's spokeswoman, Catherine Frazier, says no one from Cruz's staff was taken to the hospital.

The fire department tweeted that tests for hazardous substances were negative after the building floor where Cruz's office is located was evacuated.

Frazier says the package was opened in the lobby, and that the authorities locked down the lobby and elevator for a couple of hours.

It comes on the same day that authorities at the Pentagon say they found at least two packages believed to contain ricin, a deadly white powdery poison made from castor beans.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Immigration officials were not prepared this summer to manage the consequences of a "zero tolerance" policy at the Southwest border, which resulted in the separation of nearly 3,000 children from their parents, Homeland Security's watchdog said in a report made public on Tuesday.

The resulting confusion along the border led to misinformation among separated parents who did not know why they had been taken from their children or how to reach them, longer detention for children at border facilities meant for short-term stays, and difficulty in identifying and reuniting families. And backlogs at ports of entry may have pushed some into illegally crossing the U.S-Mexico border, the report found.

While the Trump administration had been widely criticized for the policy, the criticism previously came mostly from political opponents and not from independent, nonpolitical investigators.

Investigators with Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General compiled the report after speaking with about 50 immigration employees, plus 17 detainees and parents who had been separated from their children and later released. They also reviewed documents and data. Homeland Security is the umbrella department for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Homeland Security officials say the report illustrates how difficult it is to enforce broken and poorly written immigration laws. The inspector general, they said, wrongly mixed up what happens to migrants caught crossing illegally between borders with migrants who come to legal ports of entry seeking asylum.

"This administration will no longer turn a blind eye to illegal immigration and will continue to refer illegal border crossers for prosecution. We are committed to enforcing the rule of law and ensuring that there are consequences for illegal actions," Homeland Security spokeswoman Katie Waldman said.

FILE - This July 26, 2018, file photo shows people lining up to cross into the United States to begin the process of applying for asylum near the San Ysidro port of entry in Tijuana, Mexico. Homeland Security's watchdog says immigration officials were not prepared to manage the consequences of its "zero tolerance" policy at the border this summer that resulted in separation of nearly 3,000 children from parents. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

Illegally crossing the U.S. border had already been a criminal charge, but authorities had previously avoided large-scale family separation. But the Trump administration has made curbing immigration a major focus, working to harden what administration officials say are lax laws.

In May, officials began criminally prosecuting anyone caught crossing the border illegally. Children were separated from their parents as the adults went through criminal proceedings.

The move prompted international outrage and President Donald Trump eventually signed an executive order stopping the separations. A lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of parents, and a judge ordered the families reunited. That process is ongoing, though the government has said it has reunited all eligible parents with children.

"Thousands of children are living with trauma because of the Trump administration's family separation fiasco," said Lee Gelernt, lead lawyer on the ACLU case. "Some parents may never see their children again. This report shows not just the cruelty of the Trump administration's actions, but also its ineptitude and historic failure of foresight in comprehending the devastating effects and fallout from this policy."

Children are only supposed to be held for 72 hours before being transferred to the custody of officials with Health and Human Services, which manages the care of migrant children and must adhere to strict policies governing their welfare. But, at least one child was held for 25 days in a Border Patrol facility.

During the weeklong period of fieldwork by the inspector general's office, the average time children spent in a Border Patrol facility was 65 hours - but one child remained for 12 hours. The delay meant Border Patrol officers couldn't focus on their work.

"Instead of patrolling and securing the border, officers had to supervise and take care of children," the report said.

Immigration officials also struggled to identify, track and reunify families because agency systems were not properly integrated, according to the report. Three different agencies were involved: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials police the borders and ports where migrants come. Adults are turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement where their asylum claims are reviewed, and children must be turned over to U.S. Health and Human Services.

Border Patrol agents also didn't ensure that children who were too young or otherwise unable to talk could be correctly identified with a wrist bracelet or other identifier. Most children weren't photographed -- any easy way to link them with parents.

Some parents were not properly advised of what was happening, and lacked access to communicate with their children, the report found, though some facilities worked to change that.

At the same time zero tolerance was being enforced, Border Protection saw a rise in asylum seekers coming to ports of entry, filling holding facilities to capacity. As a result, some officers told asylum seekers to go back and wait for space to open up, and that may have pushed some families to cross illegally, the report found.

Democrats said the report was damning.

"The report confirms that the Administration outright misled Congress and the American people for months about its cruel family separation policy," Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi said.

A separate inspector general report on the conditions at border patrol facilities found that despite some being unclean, detainees had proper access to food, bathrooms and clean bedding. The report found no issues with temperatures inside the facilities, though migrants often complain of freezing temperatures.

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Associated Press writer Nomaan Merchant in Houston contributed to this report.
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) - Armenia's prime minister has called a rally to protest what he called a "counterrevolution" by his opponents in parliament.

Nikol Pashinian, who took office in May after spearheading weeks of protests that forced the resignation of his predecessor, has pushed for an early parliamentary election in a bid to unseat his political foes who have maintained a majority in parliament.

They responded Tuesday by giving preliminary approval to a bill that would essentially make it impossible for Pashinian to disband the parliament and call a new election.

Pashinian called on his supporters to protest the move that he denounced as "counterrevolutionary" and several thousand quickly gathered outside parliament. Pro-Pashinian lawmakers blocked the exits to prevent his opponents from leaving the building.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A man who spent nearly two months in jail after being accused of shooting at a Louisiana police officer was freed Tuesday, as evidence indicated that only the officer fired a gun.

Raheem Howard, 21, had faced a charge of attempted murder of a Baton Rouge police officer. But, about three weeks after the arrest, a prosecutor later said there was insufficient evidence for the charge. The Advocate reported that - although the officer claimed Howard fired first - audio from the police car's rear camera and a neighbor's surveillance video supported Howard's claim that only one gunshot was fired after the Aug. 7 traffic stop.

Nobody was injured.

Howard remained in jail until Tuesday because his probation was revoked in two separate, prior cases, in which he had pleaded guilty to flight from an officer and simple assault.

The officer who fired the only shot in the Aug. 7 incident, Yuseff Hamadeh, was initially placed on paid administrative leave, but later returned to desk duty. Police did not immediately respond Tuesday afternoon to an emailed query about his status. The newspaper reported that Hamadeh fatally shot a man in June 2017 after a traffic stop. In that incident, police have said, Hamadeh shot Jordan Frazier after Frazier exited the car and turned and pointed a weapon at officers.

Howard said he ran from the officer in the August incident because the officer had yelled that he would kill him.

"I ran for my life," Howard said.

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Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com
BAGHDAD (AP) - The Latest on Iraq's election of a new president, a step toward forming a new government following May elections (all times local):

11:15 p.m.

Iraq's new president has tasked veteran Shiite politician Adel Abdul-Mahdi with forming a new government nearly five months after national elections were held.

Abdul-Mahdi, who was tapped to be the next prime minister late Tuesday, is an independent who previously served as vice president, oil minister and finance minister. He is not allied with either of the two Shiite-led blocs that each claim to have the most support after May's elections, in which no party won an outright majority.

He was tasked with forming a new government by Barham Salih, a Kurdish politician who was elected to the largely ceremonial role of president in a parliament vote earlier Tuesday.

Under an unofficial agreement dating back to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, Iraq's presidency - a largely ceremonial role - is held by a Kurd, while the prime minister is Shiite and the parliament speaker is Sunni.

The prime minister-designate will have 30 days to submit his cabinet to parliament.

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9:30 p.m.

Iraqi state TV says parliament has elected a veteran Kurdish politician as the country's new president, a step toward forming a new government.

It says Barham Salih, of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, won 220 votes out of the 273 lawmakers who attended Tuesday's session. He was among 20 candidates for the post, including one from the rival Kurdistan Democratic Party. The two parties have dominated Kurdish politics for decades.

Under an unofficial agreement dating back to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, Iraq's presidency - a largely ceremonial role - is held by a Kurd, while the prime minister is Shiite and the parliament speaker is Sunni.

Iraq held elections in May. The new president will have 15 days to task the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc with forming a new government. The prime minister-designate will have 30 days to submit his cabinet to parliament.

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5:45 p.m.

A meeting of Iraq's parliament to choose a new president has been delayed due to a dispute between the two main Kurdish parties.

Under an unofficial agreement dating back to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, Iraq's presidency - a largely ceremonial role - is held by a Kurd, while the prime minister is Shiite and the parliament speaker is Sunni.

Shiite lawmaker Hamid al-Moussawi said Tuesday that lawmakers were supposed to meet in the early afternoon. He says the session was delayed because the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan are unable to agree on a single candidate.

Iraq held elections in May. The new president will have 15 days to task the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc with forming a new government.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Environmental groups opposing the site of an oil refinery being developed near Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota want a judge to reconsider his recent recommendation that state regulators dismiss the groups' challenge.

The Environmental Law and Policy Center and Dakota Resource Council say Davis Refinery developer Meridian Energy didn't update the state Health Department about its decision to lower the refinery's capacity. They say that might indicate the project might end up being larger than the company says.

Company CEO William Prentice has signed an affidavit saying it won't be. And Meridian maintains it had no reason or requirement to update the Health Department because the revision won't result in higher emissions.

The environmental groups question that. They say a decrease in capacity could result in less efficiency.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Jason Kander, a rising star in Democratic politics who narrowly lost a 2016 Senate bid, is dropping out of the race for mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, citing post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from his stint in the military.

Kander, who is 37, announced his decision Tuesday. The former Army intelligence officer said in a statement that he continues to feel the impact of PTSD, 11 years after leaving the military.

Kander says he contacted the Veterans Administration for help about four months ago but his condition worsened. He says he recently called a VA crisis line to say he has had suicidal thoughts.

Kander was seen as a likely favorite in the 2019 mayoral race. He was defeated by incumbent Republican Roy Blunt in Missouri's 2016 Senate race.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Most of the roughly 400 guns that were stolen from a United Parcel Service facility in Tennessee have been recovered in the Chicago area, federal authorities said Tuesday.

Authorities seized about 365 Ruger .22-caliber and .380-caliber firearms after police officers responded to a call about suspicious activity in the southern Chicago suburb of Midlothian on Sunday afternoon - about 12 hours after the guns were taken from a UPS facility in Memphis, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent said in court documents.

ATF had said the guns being shipped from a Ruger factory in North Carolina were taken by two men in a U-Haul truck. ATF spokesman Michael Knight said the truck was recovered along with the guns.

Court documents said officers found the truck at a store parking lot in Midlothian and questioned 24-year-old Roland Jackson of Chicago and 18-year-old Taveyan Turnbo before they both ran away.

Turnbo was arrested hours later and faces federal charges of possessing stolen firearms. He was scheduled for an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon in Chicago. Court documents said he denied taking part in the theft at the UPS facility.

Jackson faces federal charges of being a convicted felon illegally possessing firearms. The AFT said he remained at large Tuesday.

The estimate of 400 stolen firearms makes it one of the largest single gun thefts the ATF has investigated, Knight said.

Turnbo told investigators he and Jackson had sold at least three of the guns for a total of $400, according to court documents.

UPS said it is cooperating with law enforcement.

ATF had asked the public to send social media posts, photos or any other information related to the theft. A $5,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.

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This story has been corrected to show that court documents say the guns were found Sunday, not Tuesday.
MIAMI (AP) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency is being faulted for inadequate oversight of debris removal operations after Hurricane Irma.

The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General released a management alert Tuesday saying auditors observed "virtually no debris oversight in Florida," limited monitoring in Georgia and overstated debris loads in both states.

A lack of oversight leaves FEMA vulnerable to fraud and waste. The report said debris removal costs after Irma totaled roughly $1.5 billion in both states.

FEMA concurred with OIG recommendations for the agency to clarify its guidelines for monitoring removal operations and to verify debris loads claimed for reimbursement.

The report did not address debris removal costs in the Florida Keys that are being reviewed separately at the request of Florida's Democratic members of Congress.
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is heading back to North Korea for another round of talks aimed at getting Kim Jong Un to give up nuclear weapons.

This will be Pompeo's third visit to North Korea since spring. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters Tuesday that the secretary expects to meet with Kim in Pyongyang.

President Donald Trump said last week that he hopes to meet again soon with the North Korean leader. They held the first-ever summit between a U.S. and a North Korean leader in June.

Pompeo will be pushing for progress on achieving the goal of denuclearization that Trump and Kim agreed to only in vague terms at their summit in Singapore.

North Korea says it first wants relief from punishing international sanctions.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Education Department is unveiling a mobile program intended to make it easier for students to apply for federal financial aid.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos rolled out the myStudentAid app on Tuesday. She says applicants will now have the necessary tools to apply for loans and grants "in the palm of their hand."

Students and parents have long complained that the standard paper-based application form is long and cumbersome and could deter many from seeking federal aid and thus going to college.

The department said the "engaging and user-friendly" app allows applicants to compare information about schools of their choice and electronically transfer their tax data from their tax returns.

Every year, the Education Department awards about $120 billion in student aid in grants, federal student loans, and work-study programs.
A White House drug office official has offered assurances that a marijuana policy panel will be objective and dispassionate as it examines the impact of legalization in some states, a Colorado senator said.

The vow came after BuzzFeed reported in August that the panel intended to portray marijuana as a national threat and criticize state efforts to legalize it drug.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet disclosed the assurances Monday after he asked the Executive Office of the President's Office of National Drug Control Policy to respond to the report.

BuzzFeed said the committee had asked 14 federal agencies and the Drug Enforcement Administration to submit "data demonstrating the most significant negative trends" about marijuana and its national "threats."

The online news site based its reporting on documents it had obtained.

James Carroll, deputy director of the drug office, told the senator the committee would use scientific data in its study of the drug, which is broadly legal in Colorado, Bennett said.

FILE - In this July 4, 2017 file photo, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, of Colorado, is seen through cutouts in a wooden chair as he speaks to a small group of journalists at a hotel during a visit to Mexico City. Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet on Monday, Oct. 1, 2018, disclosed the assurances after he asked the Office of National Drug Control Policy to respond to a news report that its marijuana policy co-ordination committee aimed to counter growing public support for the drug. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

The drug office's media relations representatives didn't respond to an email seeking comment late Tuesday.

Colorado was one of the first two states to legalize marijuana and it now has a growing cannabis industry.

"In Colorado, we've made a deliberate effort to ensure fact-based data informs our marijuana policies," Bennet said. "Government-sponsored propaganda shouldn't undermine that effort."
MOSCOW (AP) - Ukraine's Health Ministry says five people have been hospitalized with suspected anthrax and are thought to have contracted the disease while slaughtering cattle.

The ministry said in a statement Tuesday that the patients slaughtered cattle in the village of Minialivka, in the southern Odessa region.

It said the village was put under quarantine and medical teams were checking if other local residents came into contract with the infected cattle.

Anthrax spores can survive for a long time in soil and endanger grazing livestock. Ukrainian officials have reported a few cases of anthrax in several regions over the past decade.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration has muscled Canada into joining a revamped North American trade deal, sealed a pact with South Korea and coaxed a reluctant Japan into agreeing to one-on-one trade talks.

All in the past two weeks.

To President Donald Trump and his allies, the results vindicate his drive to upend traditional trade policy and deploy import taxes - real and threatened - as a cudgel to bully concessions out of America's trading partners.

"Without tariffs," Trump bold declared Monday after his team announced that Canada had followed Mexico in agreeing to a revamped North American deal, "we wouldn't be standing here."

Some likeminded business groups agree that Trump's in-your-face style, a far more confrontational stance than his predecessors deployed, deserves credit.

"Aggressive unilateral action is making deals more possible," said Michael Stumo, CEO of the Coalition for a Prosperous America, which supports a combative U.S. trade policy.

White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow gestures as he answers questions for members of the media outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. Ludlow answered questions about the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. It replaces the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, which President Donald Trump had called a job-killing disaster. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Negotiating without a credible threat of trade sanctions, Stumo argued, "leaves no incentive for other countries to agree to anything new."

Critics, though, contend that Trump's apparent breakthroughs appear much more impressive than they actually are. What's more, they say, the backlash the administration could face in the future from formerly friendly trade partners could diminish whatever gains have been achieved.

"You set a bunch of fires ... you put them out and you call yourself a hero," said Philip Levy, senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a White House economist under President George W. Bush.

The critics say the recent trade deals have produced few concrete gains and offer scant reason for optimism about the administration's riskiest gamble of all: The trade war it's ignited with China, the world's second-biggest economy after the United States.

Trump entered the office vowing to reduce America's gaping trade deficit - $553 billion last year - with the rest of the world by tearing up trade agreements and confronting abusive practices by China and other countries. In March, he began imposing taxes on steel and aluminum imports. Four months later, he threatened to target foreign autos and auto parts - imports that amounted to $340 billion last year.

Trump justified the moves by arguing that the imports posed a threat to U.S. national security. Many trade analysts dismissed that rationale as preposterous. Most of the targeted imports, after all, come from U.S. allies - Canada, the European Union and Japan.

Whatever the legitimacy of his tariffs, by imposing and threatening them on national security grounds, Trump created leverage for himself. He upped the ante by threatening to abandon a regional pact with Canada and Mexico - and thereby imperil supply chains that crisscross borders - unless he could get what he considered an acceptable rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

America's trading partners began to buckle under the pressure.

To avoid the steel and aluminum tariffs, South Korea agreed to a rewrite of a 2012 trade deal with the United States. Under the revamped version, Seoul submitted to quotas on its steel and aluminum exports to the United States and modestly opened South Korea's auto market to U.S. automakers, among other things.

Japan managed to halt the threat of U.S. auto tariffs by reluctantly agreeing last month to bilateral trade talks with the United States. Tokyo had resisted Trump's entreaties, preferring a broader trade pact, like the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiated by the Obama administration. But Trump had abandoned the TPP on his third day in office.

Negotiations on NAFTA 2.0 began in August 2017 and inched ahead for months. Mexico gradually began to yield to the risk of losing access to America's market. It reached a deal with the administration in August that was intended, among other things, to shift some manufacturing and investment away from low-cost Mexico to the United States.

Left out, Canada was forced to negotiate its way back into the North American trade bloc. Facing a U.S.-imposed deadline of midnight Monday, the two sides reached a deal that preserved a three-country agreement, renamed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Mickey Kantor, a former U.S. trade representative who is a partner at the Mayer Brown law firm, praised the negotiators for updating a pact that hadn't been changed in 24 years, to reflect the rise of the digital economy.

But for Trump's America First trade policy, said Jacob Kirkegaard of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the "returns are pretty paltry."

Canada agreed to modestly open its protected dairy market to American farmers. But that concession wasn't much more than Ottawa had agreed to in the TPP. Indeed, much of Trump's new North American pact comprises leftovers from the old NAFTA and the TPP, noted Daniel Ujczo, a trade attorney at the Dickinson Wright law firm.

Duncan Wood, director of the Mexican Institute at the Wilson Center think tank, said he doubts the new NAFTA will do much to reduce America's trade deficit with Mexico ($69 billion last year) or to shift investment bound for Mexico to the United States. And, he suggested, any gains for the United States have come at a cost.

"What was lost along the way here," Wood said, "was political good will on the part of Mexico and Canada. It's been a bruising period."

Yet America's allies had powerful incentives to reach an accord with Trump. Besides exporting cars and other industrial products to the U.S., South Korea and Japan rely on America's military protection. The U.S. market absorbs 80 percent of Mexico's exports and 76 percent of Canada's.

As America's strategic competitor, China seems far less likely to yield to pressure. Even so, Trump has imposed tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese imports. Beijing has counterpunched with import taxes on $110 billion of American products.

At issue are the policies China is using to try to overtake America's technological dominance. These tactics, the U.S. charges, include cyber-theft and pressure on foreign companies to hand over technology in exchange for access to the Chinese market. Analysts say China won't likely give up policies meant to secure its long-term prosperity.

In regard to Beijing, Kantor said, "I don't think we can use the same hammer."

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AP Economics Writer Josh Boak contributed to this report.

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Follow Paul Wiseman on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PaulWisemanAP
MOSCOW (AP) - Russia has completed the delivery of S-300 air defense systems to Syria, the Russian defense minister said Tuesday.

Sergei Shoigu said in televised remarks that Russia has delivered four S-300 launchers along with radars and support vehicles. Speaking during a Security Council meeting chaired by President Vladimir Putin, Shoigu said it will take three months to train Syrian personnel to operate the system.

Russia announced the S-300 delivery to Syria after the Sept. 17 downing of a Russian reconnaissance plane by Syrian forces responding to an Israeli air strike, a friendly fire incident that stoked regional tensions.

Russia is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and its intervention in the civil war, beginning in 2015, turned the tide in his favor.

Shoigu said the integration of Russian and Syrian air defense assets into a single automated system will be completed by Oct. 20.

He added that the Russian military has also significantly strengthened its electronic warfare systems in Syria. "We now control a close zone of up to 50 kilometers (30 miles) and the far zone of 200 kilometers (124 miles) from where attacks on the Syrian territory were launched," Shoigu said.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said she could not confirm that Russia had delivered the system to Syria but said it would be a "concern" if it had.

"I hope that they did not," Nauert told reporters in Washington when asked about the Russian announcement. "That would be sort of a serious escalation."

The Russian plane's downing threatened the close security ties between Russia and Israel. Earlier in the war, Russia had suspended the delivery of S-300s, which Israel feared Syria could use against it.

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.

The Israeli military blamed Syria for the Russian plane's downing, saying that its own fighter jets were targeting a Syrian military facility involved in providing weapons to Hezbollah. The Israeli military said it warned Russia of the coming raid in line with de-confliction agreements.

But the Russian Defense Ministry said the Israeli warning came less than a minute before the strike and said one of Israeli F-16 fighter jets was flying close to the much larger Russian plane, resulting in the Syrian missile homing in on the bigger target.
Requirements for firefighter job

In order to apply for a position with the Paris Fire Department, an applicant must:

 Be a citizen of the United States.

 Be at least 21 years old and less than 36, or at least 18 with 60 semester-hours at an accredited college or university or an honorable discharge from U.S. military service (after at least two years of service).

 Be of good moral character with no felony convictions and no Class B Misdemeanor convictions within the last 10 years.

 Be a high school graduate or have passed the GED test.

 Be able to read and write the English language.

 Possess at least a valid Texas Class C and be able to obtain a Texas Class B Exempt drivers license.

 Not have been discharged from any military service under less than honorable conditions.

 Be able to successfully pass a Civil Service entrance examination; a physical assessment; medical physical; and a drug screen.

 Pass an oral interview board.

 Meet all requirements for certification as a firefighter through Texas Commission on Fire Protection.

 Meet all requirements for certification as an Emergency Medical Technician through Texas Department of State Health Services.
NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Tuesday:

PepsiCo Inc., down $1.99 to $108.72

The soda maker trimmed its profit forecast because of the strong U.S. dollar.

Stitch Fix Inc., down $15.69 to $28.94

The online clothing company reported disappointing sales and user totals.

Newmont Mining Corp., up 82 cents to $31.17

Mining and basic materials companies rose as metals prices increased.

Papa John's International Inc., up 88 cents to $50.15

Private equity firm Legion Partners disclosed a 5.5 percent stake in the pizza chain.

Delta Air Lines Inc., down $1.91 to $54.69

The airline said it took a $30 million hit from Hurricane Florence and is paying more for fuel.

RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd., up $6.47 to $138.90

Shareholder TimesSquare Capital Management said the reinsurance company should consider selling itself.

Ford Motor Co., down 12 cents to $9.20

The automaker said its sales fell 11 percent in September compared to the year before.

Alliant Energy Corp., down 71 cents to $43.12

High-dividend utility companies rose Tuesday as bond yields fell.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A 31-year-old Texas man has been sentenced to life in prison for a 2015 assassination attempt on a state judge outside her home.

U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel sentenced Chimene Onyeri in Austin on Tuesday, months after a jury found Onyeri guilty of multiple counts of fraud, racketeering and other charges.

Trial evidence showed Onyeri, as part of a racketeering enterprise, shot state District Judge Julie Kocurek as she was in a vehicle returning to her home in Austin.

Federal prosecutors say Onyeri wanted her dead to avoid going to prison on a probation violation. Onyeri testified that he only intended to damage her SUV.

Kocurek underwent more than 20 surgeries and lost a finger after the attack.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A Minnesota prosecutor says he'll review allegations of domestic abuse against U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison only if a formal complaint is first investigated by law enforcement.

An ex-girlfriend of Ellison alleged in August that the Democratic congressman dragged her off a bed by her feet in 2016. On Monday, a draft report by an attorney with links to the Democratic party found that Karen Monahan's claims were unsubstantiated.

In a letter dated Tuesday, Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said the Minneapolis City Attorney asked him to review the case, citing a conflict of interest. Ellison's son is on the Minneapolis City Council.

Backstrom said he would, but only if a complaint is filed with law enforcement.

Monahan's attorney, Andrew Parker, says his client welcomes a fair investigation. He hasn't talked to Monahan about filing a criminal complaint.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Puerto Ricans who claim that the island's power company overcharged them by more than $1 billion just got a boost in federal court.

A judge has granted class certification for a lawsuit filed in February 2015 against companies including Petrobras and Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority.

The lawsuit accuses 20 people of receiving kickbacks and payments for colluding to raise fuel oil prices and passing the cost to consumers.

Defense attorney Elizabeth Fegan told The Associated Press on Tuesday that damages sought could top $1 billion.

A spokesman for Puerto Rico's power company did not immediately return a message for comment. The public utilities company is one of the biggest in the U.S. and is more than $9 billion in debt.
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Montana's Crow Indian Tribe misused $4.8 million intended for water system improvements and can't account for an additional $7.8 million that the tribe said it paid to subcontractors and vendors, according to a U.S. government audit released Tuesday.

The findings mark the third time in recent years that the tribe has come under scrutiny for its handling of federal money.

The Interior Department's inspector general also faulted federal officials with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for not properly overseeing the money. It was awarded to the tribe under a $460 million settlement of historical water rights claims.

During the audit, investigators examined $13.8 million in water project contract costs claimed by the tribe between October 2014 and March 2017.

Of those, Crow officials could not provide adequate invoices and other documentation to explain $7.7 million in expenses, investigators found.

Separately, the tribe kept $4.8 million intended for the water project contracts and used the money to pay "business expenses unrelated to the contracts." The report did not specify the nature of the unauthorized expenses.

FILE - This April 10, 2006 file photo shows a sign along Interstate 90 on the Crow Indian reservation near Crow Agency, Mont., with the tribal word for the community as part of an effort to share the tribe's story with travelers. Government investigators say Montana's Crow Indian Tribe can't account for $12 million meant for water system improvements and that it misused much of the money on unauthorized expenses. The findings are in a U.S. Interior Department inspector general's audit released Tuesday. It marks the third time in recent years that the tribe has come under scrutiny for its handling of federal money. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)

Representatives of the Inspector General's office did not immediately return a request for further comment.

When the tribe was asked to return the money to a specially-designated water projects account, tribal officials "asked to be put on a repayment plan," according to the audit. Details on how the tribe will repay the money were still being worked out.

Tribal officials did not have an immediate comment on the findings, according to Crow spokesman Jared Stewart. Former Tribal Chairman Darrin Old Coyote, who left office in December, 2016, could not be immediately reached.

Investigators previously faulted Crow officials in June for failing to account for $14.5 million in transportation grants and in 2016 for diverting $2 million from a transit grant to the tribal budget.

Crow Chairman A.J. Not Afraid has previously pinned the blame on Old Coyote and past administrations. After the problems with the transportation grants surfaced, Not Afraid said he was appointed to head the tribe's finance department in 2013 but resigned because of the policies of the Old Coyote administration.

Old Coyote has denied any federal funding was unaccounted for during his administration. He blamed the problems with the transportation grants on a contractor in the tribe's finance department.

The Bureau of Reclamation to date has set aside about $260 million for projects related to the 2011 water rights settlement. As of March 2017, the tribe had withdrawn about $45 million of that amount.

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Follow Matthew Brown on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MatthewBrownAP .
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The Latest on an investigator's report on an alleged "scheme to defraud" by Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker on property tax breaks on a Chicago mansion (all times local):

4:20 p.m.

The Democratic nominee for Illinois governor says he will repay the Cook County treasurer more than $330,000 worth of property-tax breaks he received in what an investigator called a "scheme to defraud" taxpayers.

The Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday that campaign officials for J.B. Pritzker say the billionaire will repay the county by the end of next week. He will pay nearly $133,000 for refunds for 2012, 2013 and 2014. He will also pay nearly $199,000 for additional tax savings for 2015 and 2016.

The Chicago Sun-Times first reported on Monday that Cook County Inspector General Patrick Blanchard alleges in a report that Pritzker family members and an associate made "false representations" in sworn affidavits about the condition of a Chicago mansion the Pritzkers own. The report says the candidate's wife M.K. Pritzker asked contractors to remove toilets so it could be deemed "uninhabitable" before a property-value reassessment.

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FILE - In this April 6, 2017 file photo, JB Pritzker speaks with the media in Chicago. Pritzker, the billionaire Democratic candidate for governor, engaged in a "scheme to defraud" taxpayers when he removed toilets from a Chicago mansion as part of a property tax reassessment that saved him $330,000, according to media reports citing a local government report. The review by Cook County Inspector General Patrick Blanchard, first reported Monday, Oct. 1, 2018 by the Chicago Sun-Times, also found that family members and associates made "false representations" to the county assessor about the condition of the Chicago mansion that sits adjacent to another Pritzker owns. (Max Herman /Chicago Sun-Times via AP File)

10:05 a.m.

The inspector general for Cook County says that Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker engaged in a "scheme to defraud" taxpayers to get $330,000 in property tax breaks on a Chicago mansion.

Patrick Blanchard's findings involved the Pritzkers removing toilets in a Gold Coast mansion to have it deemed uninhabitable. The confidential report was first disclosed by the Chicago Sun-Times Monday.

Blanchard says there were "false representations" made to the Cook County Assessor's office to get the tax breaks.

He recommends that the county recover the money from the billionaire. Pritzker says he will "follow whatever the recommendations" are.

Pritzker faces Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in the November election. He says the report was leaked to embarrass him. Rauner campaign spokesman Will Allison says it shows "J.B. Pritzker is a fraud."

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (center), Illinois gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker and his running mate Juliana Stratton participate in a roundtable discussion with 10 female high school students from across Chicago about the importance of leadership at EvolveHer, Monday, Oct. 1, 2018. (Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) - An animal welfare group says an elephant named Happy who has lived alone since her mate was fatally injured is being "unlawfully imprisoned" by a New York City zoo.

In a legal petition filed Tuesday in Orleans County, the Nonhuman Rights Project says Happy has similar rights to a human being and should be relocated from the Bronx Zoo to a larger private sanctuary.

Bronx Zoo Director Jim Breheny says the lawsuit is based on "ludicrous legal arguments and lies."

Happy was paired with another elephant named Grumpy for 25 years. Grumpy died in 2002 after he was injured during a confrontation with two other elephants. She was then paired with Sammy, who died in 2006.

Zoo officials say Happy is content, not isolated and might suffer from a transfer.

Bronx Zoo elephant "Happy" strolls inside the zoo's Asia display, Tuesday Oct. 2, 2018, in New York. An animal welfare group has brought a legal action against the Bronx Zoo on behalf of Happy, who was separated from the zoo's two other elephants after they fatally injured her mate, arguing that the animal has similar rights to a human being and is being "unlawfully imprisoned." (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Bronx Zoo elephant "Happy" strolls in a habitat inside the zoo's Asia display, Tuesday Oct. 2, 2018, in New York. An animal welfare group has brought a legal action against the Bronx Zoo on behalf of Happy, who was separated from the zoo's two other elephants after they fatally injured her mate, arguing that the animal has similar rights to a human being and is being "unlawfully imprisoned." (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Special counsel Robert Mueller is shedding more attorneys.

Two prosecutors detailed to the Russia investigation are returning to their duties in other parts of the Justice Department. The moves come after two other attorneys left the team over the summer.

They are the latest signs that Mueller's team is wrapping up parts of his investigation and focusing his efforts on only the most important remaining strands, including an active grand jury probe of longtime Trump associate Roger Stone.

Mueller spokesman Peter Carr says prosecutor Brandon Van Grack has already returned to the Justice Department's national security division. He says prosecutor Kyle Freeny will end her detail to the special counsel later this month.

Van Grack and Freeny were on the teams prosecuting Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
LAUDERHILL, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say a 9-year-old boy brought a loaded gun to his Florida school and aimed it at three classmates.

News outlets report the boy was arrested Tuesday at Lauderhill Paul Turner Elementary School, near Fort Lauderdale.

Police say the boy made threatening comments to his classmates, and one of the students told school officials. A school resource officer responded and took the handgun.

Police were trying to determine where the boy found the gun and what prompted him to bring it to school.

The boy was taken to the county's juvenile detention facility. He faces charges of possession of a firearm on school property and three counts of aggravated assault.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina environmental officials say sludge washed from buried coal-ash pits by Hurricane Florence's flood waters hasn't polluted a neighboring river with heavy metals at levels concerning to human health.

State officials say water samples taken from three sites near Duke Energy Corp.'s closed H.F. Lee power plant in Goldsboro more than a week after Florence hit the state, found arsenic, mercury and three other metals within acceptable levels.

But a Duke University coal ash expert cautioned Tuesday the initial tests for contamination of the Neuse River don't tell the full story. Water quality professor Avner Vengosh says that's because neither the state nor environmentalists have measured pollutants that may have dropped to the river bottom and are likely to linger in the sediment.

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Biesecker reported from Washington, D.C.
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WASHINGTON (AP) - After years of sluggish pay gains, the economy may be starting to work for America's low-wage workers.

Amazon's announcement Tuesday that it will raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour will intensify pressure on other companies to lift their pay levels as well. Among the most likely to do so: Amazon's rival retailers and warehouse operators, many of which are facing the prospect of staff shortages as they ramp up for the holiday shopping season.

"This is going to be a big deal for very low-wage workers," said Ben Zipperer, an economist at the liberal Economic Policy Institute. "It's going to compel other businesses to raise wages as well."

Low-wage workers typically receive higher pay from an expanding economy only after higher-income people have benefited, economists note. Now, with the unemployment rate near a 50-year low and the number of job openings exceeding the number of unemployed, more lower-income Americans are finally receiving meaningful raises.

Low-paid workers "get kicked the most in the recession, and they generally benefit more later in the boom," said David Neumark, an economist at University of California, Irvine.

Accordingly, retailers, who employ a sizable share of the nation's lower-paid workers, have been stepping up pay increases. Average hourly wages for retail workers, excluding managers, rose 4 percent in August compared with 12 months earlier.

FILE- In this Aug. 3, 2017, file photo, workers prepare to move products at an Amazon fulfillment center in Baltimore. Amazon's announcement Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, that it will raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour will intensify the pressure on other companies to also lift their pay levels, particularly retailers and warehouse operators that are looking to staff up for the holidays. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Amazon's announcement will likely embolden labor activists and unions that have been pressing large fast-food and retail chains to raise pay, provide more reliable work schedules, and allow for union representation.

Among the critics Amazon has faced over its pay and work conditions, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has noted that some of its workers receive food stamps and other benefits that are geared for the poor, while its owner Jeff Bezos has become the world's wealthiest person.

"Now that activists have succeeded, they can now take that demand to other employers," said Marshall Steinbaum, a fellow at the Roosevelt Institute. "You say you can't afford this, but your competitor obviously can."

Indeed, shares of retail companies fell sharply Tuesday in a sign that investors expect them to have to raise pay to compete with Amazon, a step that would potentially slow their profits. Best Buy's share price dropped nearly 5 percent; Kohl's Stores fell 3.9 percent.

Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, also said Tuesday that it will lobby to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour, though it did not say what figure it would push for. The impact of a higher federal wage, though, would likely be modest, because more than 20 states have minimum wages above the federal level.

A higher federal minimum wage could intensify pressures on smaller businesses that don't have the financial resources that Amazon has to raise pay significantly.

Historically, large companies have been a driving factor in pushing up the minimum wage, Steinbaum said. Once they start to raise pay in response to competitive forces, they typically lobby to push others to follow suit, to prevent other companies from undercutting them.

Darren Moscato, who owns an Express staffing agency in Buffalo, New York, where Amazon has built a warehouse, said the higher pay offered by Amazon "will make it harder for local businesses to compete for workers."

Moscato noted that smaller companies typically spend more on labor than does Amazon, which uses more automation.

"This is why Amazon is also pushing for a higher national minimum wage," Moscato said. "It will give them a competitive advantage."

Other retailers and shipping companies are likely to feel the brunt of Amazon's decision as well, analysts said. The pay increases would apply to about 100,000 Amazon seasonal workers. That's equal to roughly 16 percent of the 623,800 retail jobs that the economy added in October and November last year.

"We've already seen just how much pressure there is - I think this is only going to increase it," said Judy Conti, director of government affairs at the National Employment Law Project.

An advocate for higher minimum wages, Conti added that Amazon would likely benefit if $15 an hour became the new baseline. Any small businesses that compete with larger companies by providing better service rather than by matching every price cut should also manage fine, she said.

Companies like UPS, FedEx and XPO Logistics typically hire tens of thousands of seasonal workers to meet the crushing demands of online shopping during the winter holidays. Amazon plans to add 100,000, many of them at the higher $15 wage, which takes effect Nov. 1.

"The crisis in warehouse and shipping personnel is very real, and there's going to have to be a meaningful increase in wages to attract and increase talent," said Steve Barr, consumer markets leader at PwC.

Iesha Townsend, who works as a McDonald's cashier in Chicago, said she hopes other companies follow suit. Townsend, 32, plans to demonstrate for higher pay on Thursday as part of the Fight for $15 movement.

"Why shouldn't we get it too?" she said, referring to Amazon's raise. "We work so hard, and we get less."

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AP Writers Anne D'Innocenzio in New York and Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.
CLOVIS, N.M. (AP) - Authorities say a teenager who opened fire at a rural New Mexico library last year has signed an agreement saying he will plead guilty. The August 2017 shooting killed two librarians and injured four others.

District Attorney Andrea Reeb said Tuesday that 17-year-old Nathanial Ray Jouett, of Clovis, has agreed to plead guilty to 30 counts listed in an indictment filed against him, including two counts of first-degree murder.

Jouett's attorney says he agreed to plead guilty to avoid a lengthy trial that would have further traumatized victims.

Defense attorney Stephen Taylor also says he has filed a motion advocating for Jouett to be sentenced as a juvenile.

The Associated Press, which generally does not name juveniles accused of crimes, is identifying Jouett because of the seriousness of the crime.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A woman who accused a Southern California Democratic congressional candidate of sexual harassment has withdrawn the claim, saying it was a misunderstanding.

The announcement by Gil Cisneros' campaign followed a barrage of Republican-backed ads in the 39th District spotlighting the accusation.

Former state Assembly candidate Melissa Fazli said in May that Cisneros made sexually suggestive comments to her at a Democratic state convention and during a later phone call.

After meeting this weekend, Fazli and Cisneros said in a joint statement Monday that it was a misunderstanding.

In an interview Tuesday, Fazli says the ads used "massive dramatic licensing" and misrepresented what she had said.

Cisneros faces Republican Young Kim in a November race widely considered a toss-up. The district includes parts of Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
NEW YORK (AP) - As sex abuse scandals continue to buffet the Roman Catholic Church, Catholics in the U.S. are steadily losing confidence in Pope Francis' handling of the crisis, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center.

The survey, released Tuesday, found that 31 percent of U.S. Catholics felt the pope was doing an excellent or good job in addressing the issue, down from 45 percent in January and 55 percent in 2015.

Sex-abuse scandals have plagued the Catholic church worldwide for decades, but events this year - several with direct U.S. connections - have elevated the issue to crisis-level at the Vatican and sown discord among church leaders in the U.S. In August, a grand jury report in Pennsylvania detailed decades of abuse and cover-up in six dioceses, alleging that more than 1,000 children had been abused over the years by about 300 priests.

In July, Pope Francis removed U.S. church leader Theodore McCarrick as a cardinal after church investigators said an allegation that he groped a teenage altar boy in the 1970s was credible. Subsequently, several former seminarians and priests reported that they too had been abused or harassed by McCarrick as adults.

The Vatican has aggravated that scandal by refusing to respond to claims by a retired ambassador, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, that Francis and other Vatican officials before him covered up for McCarrick.

For the survey, Pew conducted telephone interviews with 1,754 American adults, including 336 Catholics, from Sept. 18-24. Among the public as a whole, about half said they viewed the pope favorably - the lowest rating Francis has received in a Pew survey since he became pope in 2013.

Among U.S. Catholics, 72 percent said they viewed Francis favorably overall. But 62 percent said he was doing an "only fair" or "poor" job handling the sex abuse scandals, including 36 percent who said his efforts have been poor. That's nearly double the share who said he was doing a poor job at the beginning of this year.

Until now, Francis has generally earned higher favorability ratings from Americans than his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. In the new survey, Francis' favorability rating is on par with the typical ratings for Benedict.

Pew said the survey's margin of error was plus or minus 2.7 percentage points for the full sample, and 6.2 percentage points for the responses of U.S. Catholics.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A man who claims he was sexually abused decades ago by his parish priest said Tuesday he is suing all Catholic bishops in California and the Archdiocese of Chicago, seeking to compel church officials to release records on clergy abuse.

The filing Monday in Los Angeles by Thomas Emens claims a civil conspiracy among church officials to cover up clergy sexual assault and move offending priests to other parishes.

Emens said at a news conference that he was abused for two years starting in 1978 when he was 10 years old by Monsignor Thomas Joseph Mohan. The priest, who is deceased, arrived at St. Anthony Claret Catholic Church in Anaheim in the early 1970s from Chicago, according to the lawsuit.

Attorney Jeff Anderson said the goal of the so-called "nuisance" lawsuit is to force the church to reveal the names of all priests accused of child molestation. He said church documents would reveal a "playbook" among bishops and other officials to protect offending clergy by keeping files under wraps and moving the priests across the country and, in some cases, out of the U.S.

The lawsuit asks a judge "to abate the continuing nuisance" of abuse by ordering each diocese to name all accused priests, detail their history of alleged assault and identify their last known addresses.

A call seeking comment from officials at the California Catholic Conference of Bishops, which oversees the state's 12 dioceses, was not immediately returned. A call to the Archdiocese of Chicago was also not returned Tuesday.

Tom Emens, right, who was sexually abused by a priest, stands behind a list of accused clergy Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Los Angeles. Survivors of clergy sex assault announced the filing of a nuisance lawsuit against California Roman Catholic bishops for covering up abuse. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The court filing invokes both public and private statutes of nuisance law in California. Such laws generally involve behavior that negatively affects a community or interferes with the use and enjoyment of private property, said John Nockleby, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

Alleging nuisance violations in relation to past sexual abuse by a single priest is a "creative approach" by Emens' lawyers, said Nockleby, adding that it will be very difficult to prove in court.

Criminal charges are not feasible in this case because they would fall outside California's statute of limitations.

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Tom Emens, left, who was sexually abused by a priest, speaks on his experience next to attorney Jeff Anderson, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Los Angeles. Anderson is holding a photograph of Emens as a boy next to the priest who abused him, Monsignor Thomas Joseph Mohan. Survivors of clergy sexual assault announced the filing of a nuisance lawsuit against California Roman Catholic bishops for covering up abuse. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Attorney Jeff Anderson, center, speaks in front of a podium next to survivors of clergy sexual abuse Joelle Casteix, left, and Tom Emens, second fro left, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Los Angeles. Survivors of clergy sex assault announced the filing of a nuisance lawsuit against California Roman Catholic bishops for covering up abuse. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Tom Emens holds a picture of himself as a boy with, Monsignor Thomas Joseph Mohan, the priest who sexually abused him in the late 70s during a press conference Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Los Angeles. Survivors of clergy sex assault announced the filing of a nuisance lawsuit against California Roman Catholic bishops for covering up abuse. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Tom Emens holds a picture of himself as a boy with, Monsignor Thomas Joseph Mohan, the priest who he claims sexually abused him in the late 70s during a press conference Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Los Angeles. Survivors of clergy sexual assault announced the filing of a nuisance lawsuit against California Roman Catholic bishops for covering up abuse. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - U.S. regulators have approved a modernized version of a decades-old antibiotic used to treat a number of infections.

Paratek Pharmaceuticals' Nuzyra (noo-ZAHY'-ruh) was designed to overcome the problem of resistance to tetracycline, an antibiotic widely used until recent years.

The company said late Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration approved Nuzyra for treating bacterial pneumonia and severe skin infections.

Paratek plans to launch the antibiotic early next year, initially for use in hospitals. It hasn't disclosed the price.

Boston-based Paratek estimates its drug could eventually treat nearly 900,000 hospitalized U.S. patients annually.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Authorities were investigating two envelopes suspected of containing a suspected poison that were addressed to top military chiefs and a third with unknown contents sent to President Donald Trump.

In a statement Tuesday evening, the Secret Service confirmed that a suspicious envelope had been sent to the president on Monday, but was not received at the White House, nor did it ever enter the White House. The agency did not disclose any details about what was in the envelope or where it was received. The White House had no comment.

Authorities at a Pentagon mail screening facility were investigating two envelopes suspected of containing a poison, ricin, made from castor beans. Those letters were addressed to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who is traveling in Europe this week, and the Navy's top officer, Adm. John Richardson, a defense official said.

They were turned over to the FBI for further analysis. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to speak publicly ahead of FBI release of its findings.

Neither envelope entered the Pentagon. The mail screening facility is on the Pentagon grounds but separate from the main building.

Pentagon spokesman Chris Sherwood said the envelopes had been found on Monday.

Another Pentagon spokesman, Col. Rob Manning, said all U.S. Postal Service mail received at the screening facility on Monday was under quarantine and "poses no threat to Pentagon personnel."

Ricin is part of the waste "mash" produced when castor oil is made. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if it is made into a partially purified material or refined, ricin can be used as a weapon capable of causing death under certain circumstances.
Vehicle sales are slowing down despite a run on big SUVs.

Major automakers said Tuesday that their U.S. sales fell 7 percent in September and 4 percent for the June-through-September quarter, compared with the same periods last year.

Weaker numbers for September and the third quarter wiped out a 1.8 percent gain during the first half of the year, and left auto sales on pace with 2017. Some analysts had cautioned that the first-half gains were driven by incentives and low-margin sales to fleet buyers like rental car companies.

Industry officials blamed the recent weakness partly on hurricanes - in both 2017 and 2018.
CONNEAUTVILLE, Pa. (AP) - A tornado struck a nursing home in northwestern Pennsylvania, blowing a roof off one building and causing moderate to heavy damage, authorities said. No serious injuries were reported.

Meteorologist Mike Griffin of the National Weather Service office in Cleveland said the EF-2 twister packing winds up to 115 mph struck Rolling Fields Elder Care Community in Conneautville, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Erie, at about 2:40 p.m. Tuesday.

Rolling Fields said in a statement that all residents were being evacuated, and there were no serious injuries, although "two residents have been hospitalized for unrelated concerns."

"At this point our main priority is the elders (residents), care-partners (employees) and all others on site," said Lisa Haglund, vice president of marketing and development.

The American Red Cross opened a reception center for the community's 162 residents at Conneaut Valley Middle School.

David Peterman, 67, told the Erie Times-News that he saw the storm that uprooted 10 large trees on his property.

A tornado damaged the main building and villa at Rolling Fields Elder Care in Conneautville on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, causing 162 residents to be transported from the facility. No serious injuries were reported. (Shannon Roae/Meadville Tribune via AP)

"I saw the twister coming and I could see the debris flying in a circle," he said. "I went in the house and told my wife to get down into the cellar. She got about halfway down the steps and the lights went out. It was only a couple of minutes and it came right through our property."

Peterman said the storm did some damage to the mobile home his niece owns across the road, knocking down a couple of trees and blowing off everything on her deck.

Chief Randy Boyle of Hayfield Township Volunteer Fire Department said the storm downed trees and limbs and damaged roofs of several buildings, but there were no reports of injuries.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Texas Rangers right fielder Nomar Mazara won't need surgery on his sprained right thumb after being examined by a hand specialist.

The Rangers said Tuesday that Dr. Thomas DiLiberti determined that the ligament in the thumb was "a little swollen but fully stable." The doctor said the swelling should subside in the next few weeks with rest, and that no other treatment was necessary at this time.

Mazara missed a month on the disabled list because of the sprained thumb that still bothered him after he returned to the lineup in mid-August. The 23-year-old outfielder didn't homer in his last 22 games, and hit .258 overall in 128 games. He finished with 20 homers for the third year in a row.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee gubernatorial candidate Karl Dean said he supports making pre-kindergarten education universally available in the state as he took part in the first debate of the governor's race.

Dean, a Democrat, faced Republican businessman Bill Lee in the debate held at the University of Memphis in Shelby County, the state's largest by population. It was the first of three gubernatorial debates scheduled before the Nov. 6 election.

Dean has said he would like to see state-funded pre-K expanded. He mentioned his support of universal pre-K during the debate and said afterward that he would make it a priority if elected because "pre-K plays an enormous role in kids' success in schools."

Lee said after the debate that pre-K must be "quality and effective" before it is expanded and funded.
DENVER (AP) - About 1,000 people had to cut short their visit to the Denver Zoo after someone threatened to crash an airplane into the facility.

Police spokesman Sonny Jackson tells KUSA-TV someone phoned in the threat Tuesday afternoon, and the zoo was immediately evacuated. During the investigation, visitors gathered in surrounding City Park just east of downtown, and some roads were blocked off.

Jackson says investigators have since determined that the threat was not credible.

Denver Zoo CEO Bert Vescolani says "any time we get any kind of call in, we're going to take it seriously" and that the zoo will beef up its security when it reopens Wednesday.

No other information was released.

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Information from: KUSA-TV, http://www.9news.com
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Republican incumbent Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke will take part in another hour-long debate as their U.S. Senate race nears Election Day.

The debate will be the second between the pair and will be televised at 8 p.m. Oct. 16 from KENS-TV to San Antonio viewers. It will also air live in 10 of the state's largest markets.

The topics are expected to focus on domestic and foreign policy issues.

Cruz and O'Rourke discussed domestic policy issues during a Sept. 21 debate at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. However, a scheduled debate last Saturday in Houston was canceled as Senate Republicans considered voting on Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court. That vote was delayed.
WANI, Indonesia (AP) - He survived the earthquake and tsunami, yet days have passed since. Taking refuge on the shaded porch of an empty house, Darjan didn't feel relief as he looked out at the mix of broken concrete and shattered lumber that littered the narrow street cutting through his village.

"No help has come at all," he seethed.

Residents of smaller villages suffering from the lack of food, medical attention, fuel and shelter are angry that aid hasn't arrived in the days since Friday's earthquake and tsunami. Indonesia's government has struggled to help those who need it after such a large-scale disaster, and relief efforts have focused on the city of Palu, the provincial capital. For days authorities acknowledged they had little idea about the plight of those in three outlying regencies, home to some 1.2 million people.

In the fishing village of Wani, 33-year-old Darjan, who uses one name, said he and his family were safe, but they had lost their home.

"This banana is all we have left," he said Tuesday, nodding at the half-eaten piece of fruit in his hand.

As information from Donggala, Sigi and Parigi Muntong regencies has started to trickle in, residents in their cutoff townships and villages - many closer to the quake's epicenter - are pleading for help and saying they are being overlooked by rescuers focusing their efforts on the city.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, file photo, a ship rests near houses after it was swept ashore during Friday's tsunami at a neighborhood in Donggala, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Five days after Indonesia's earthquake and tsunami devastated villages on Sulawesi island, residents hoping that help would soon arrive are angry because it hasn't. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, File)

"Pay attention to Donggala, Mr. Jokowi. Pay attention to Donggala," one resident in Donggala town yelled in footage broadcast on local television, referring to Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. "There are still a lot of unattended villages here, not only Palu. There are lots of villages in Donggala."

Yet even in Palu there was desperation, with signs propped along roads reading "We Need Food" and "We Need Support" and children begging in the streets.

Overwhelmed by the crisis, Jokowi has authorized for the country to accept international help. The government said it has nearly 6,400 rescue personnel taking part in the operation and said it still needs time to take care of all of the problems.

Donggala is a sprawling regency that sits on both sides of a narrow bay, where the shores were devastated by tsunami waves as high as 6 meters (almost 20 feet). Officials have said that assessing the damage there has been made difficult by downed communication lines and impassable roads.

In Wani, villagers said the seawater receded after the earthquake and was quickly followed by an "extraordinary wave" that hit the shore. Buildings along the coast appeared to have either disappeared, with their tin roofs flattened to the ground, or been obliterated into ruins.

The waves washed fishing boats ashore and a large passenger ship sits on dry land pinned against a building. A green-roofed mosque stands intact, surrounded by wreckage from destroyed homes.

Darjan estimated at least 30 people in Wani have died. The official toll of at least 1,234 dead is acknowledged to be low and not yet include those from the outlying, harder-to-reach localities.

He said there was an urgent need for food and medicine in Wani, to which another resident, Muhamad Tofik agreed, saying many children were hungry and sick because there was no milk or medicine.

"We feel like we are stepchildren here because all the help is going to Palu," the 38-year-old said.

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Ng reported from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, file photo, a man carries recovered items from the wreckage of Friday's tsunami at a neighborhood in Donggala, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Five days after Indonesia's earthquake and tsunami devastated villages on Sulawesi island, residents hoping that help would soon arrive are angry because it hasn't. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, file photo, people survey the massive damage of a warehouse after Friday's tsunami at a neighborhood in Donggala, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Five days after Indonesia's earthquake and tsunami devastated villages on Sulawesi island, residents hoping that help would soon arrive are angry because it hasn't. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, File)
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) - Canada's Parliament has formally stripped Aung San Suu Kyi of her honorary Canadian citizenship for complicity in the atrocities committed against Myanmar's Rohingya people.

The Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to strip Suu Kyi, Myanmar's civilian leader, of the symbolic honor bestowed on her in 2007.

The upper house's move follows a similar unanimous vote in the House of Commons last week.

Suu Kyi is the first person to have her honorary Canadian citizenship revoked.

A United Nations fact-finding mission reported last month that the Myanmar's military has systematically killed thousands of Rohingya civilians, burned hundreds of their villages and engaged in ethnic cleansing and mass gang rape. It called for top generals to be investigated and prosecuted for genocide.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Across the Middle East, countries locked out of purchasing U.S.-made drones due to rules over excessive civilian casualties are being wooed by Chinese arms dealers, who are world's main distributor of armed drones.

The sales are helping expand Chinese influence across a region crucial to American security interests and bolstering Beijing's ambitions to lead in high-tech arms sales.

U.S. drones were first used in Yemen to kill suspected al-Qaida militants in 2002.

The drone that fired a missile that killed Saleh al-Samad, a top Shiite Houthi rebel official, in April was not one of the many American aircraft that have been buzzing across the skies of Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. It was Chinese.

The U.S. still holds a technology advantage. China wins on price.

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2015, file photo, Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi, center, inspects a first Chinese drone to be used by the Iraqi Air Force before sending it to bomb Islamic State group positions at an airbase in Kut, 160 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq. Across the Middle East, countries locked out of purchasing U.S.-made drones due to rules over excessive civilian casualties are being wooed by Chinese arms dealers, who are world's main distributor of armed drones. The sales are helping expand Chinese influence across a region crucial to American security interests and bolstering Beijing's ambitions of being a world leader in high-tech arms sales. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018, file photo, a model of the Wing Loong II weaponized drone hangs above the stand for the China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corp. at a military drone conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Across the Middle East, countries locked out of purchasing U.S.-made drones due to rules over excessive civilian casualties are being wooed by Chinese arms dealers, who are world's main distributor of armed drones. The sales are helping expand Chinese influence across a region crucial to American security interests and bolstering Beijing's ambitions of being a world leader in high-tech arms sales. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018, file photo, a model of the Wing Loong II weaponized drone hangs above the stand for the China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corp. at a military drone conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Across the Middle East, countries locked out of purchasing U.S.-made drones due to rules over excessive civilian casualties are being wooed by Chinese arms dealers, who are world's main distributor of armed drones. The sales are helping expand Chinese influence across a region crucial to American security interests and bolstering Beijing's ambitions of being a world leader in high-tech arms sales. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell, File)
CUZCO, Peru (AP) - The Huasao wetland in the heart of the bygone Incan Empire languished for years as a wasteland that locals used as their dump. Cleaned up and given a second life, it's now attracting droves of tourists lured by magical figures plucked straight from Hollywood movies.

Towering statues of Ents - trees that walk and talk in the "Lord of the Rings" movies - and a smaller reproduction of Groot from the "Guardians of the Galaxy" series are set amid the woodsy landscape and glassy lagoons. They're drawing crowds eager to pose for selfies.

Although it's a small area, environmentalists cite its recovery as part of a global battle to reverse the trend of filling or draining wetlands to make way for new farmland, industry and neighborhoods. Experts say such developments have already devoured a third of the world's wetlands.

Those behind the restoration say they included the eye-catching statues to target young people, while hoping to spark their appreciation of nature.

"I thought it made sense to focus on children, to stir their enthusiasm for the environment," said Jeancarlo Pacheco, a Peruvian agronomist who led the recovery effort.

The wetland covering 5.5 hectares (14 acres) sits a short drive from Cuzco, the historic capital of the Inca empire high in the Andes mountains.

In this Aug. 4, 2018 photo, a woman touches a sculpture of comic book superhero Baby Groot, next to a sign that reads in Spanish "Do not touch the sculptures," at a public wetland in Cuzco, Peru. The environmentally sensitive wetland that for decades was used as a trash dump is regaining prominence as a tourist attraction after being adorned with five large-sized sculptures inspired by comic book and Tolkien characters. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

For decades, locals used the wetland to dispose of animal carcasses, construction waste and any kind of trash, including non-biodegradable plastic.

A group of environmentalists recently set out to reclaim it. They won $1.3 million in backing from Peru's government and the Development Bank of Latin America. That covered the cleanup and construction of walkways, channels and an island surrounded by small lagoons that capture water streaming down the mountains.

Next came the statues - five of them. Some of the tree-like figures tower 5 meters (16 feet) tall, with branch-like hands dramatically reaching out. A less menacing Groot, a pop culture icon from the Marvel movie, wears an inviting smile.

It opened on May 1, and the next day got a surprise boost from afar when "Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn tweeted photographs of the statues.

Roughly a thousand people now visit each week, mostly locals under age 30, officials say.

Jose Luis Venero, a Peruvian biologist and wetlands expert, said snapping selfies with the statues is fine, but he really wants visitors to walk away having learned the vital role wetlands play as habitat for birds and bees as well as cleaning water and preventing floods.

Some 58 bird species build their nests at this wetland, including the yellow-crowned night heron, one of many that migrate from the southeastern United States. These herons have been spotted four times recently at the rejuvenated wetland.

"Wetlands are the airports of migratory birds, where no one shows a passport upon landing," Venero said. "If we don't care for these wetlands, many of these migratory birds could go extinct."

In this Aug. 4, 2018 photo, a a group of friends pose for a photo in front of a sculpture of an Ent character from the "Lord of the Rings" movies, at an public wetland in Cuzco, Peru. The Huasao wetland in the heart of the bygone Incan Empire languished for years as a wasteland that locals used as their dump. Cleaned up and given a second life, it's now attracting droves of tourists lured by magical figures plucked straight from Hollywood movies.(AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Aug. 4, 2018 photo, locals rest on the shore of a lagoon at an public wetland in Cuzco, Peru. For decades, locals used the wetland to dispose of animal carcasses, construction waste and any kind of trash, including non-biodegradable plastic.(AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Aug. 4, 2018 photo, a boy touches the hand of a sculpture of an Ent, a tree that walks and talks in the "Lord of the Rings" movies, at a public wetland in Cuzco, Peru. Although it's a small area, environmentalists cite the wetland's recovery as part of a global battle to reverse the trend of filling or draining wetlands to make way for new farmland, industry and neighborhoods. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Aug. 4, 2018 photo, a group of residents stand near a sculpture of Groot, a comic book superhero, at a public wetland in Cuzco, Peru. The wetland opened on May 1, and the next day got a surprise boost from afar when "Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn tweeted photographs of the statues. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

In this Aug. 4, 2018 photo, birds stand on water plants of a lagoon at an public wetland in Cuzco, Peru. Some 58 bird species build their nests at this wetland, including the yellow-crowned night heron, one of many that migrate from the southeastern United States. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
GOP senators await FBI report in anxiety-filled Capitol

WASHINGTON (AP) - Senators nervously awaited the arrival of a new FBI report on sexual allegations that could make or break Brett Kavanaugh's tottering Supreme Court nomination Wednesday as aggressive protesters and an unusually strong security response added to a feeling of high anxiety inside the U.S. Capitol.

As lawmakers anticipated the report, three key GOP senators who could decide the conservative jurist's fate rebuked President Donald Trump for mocking one accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, by mimicking her responses to questions at last week's dramatic Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Their reactions left Republicans concerned that Trump had complicated their effort to cement Kavanaugh's support in a chamber where the GOP holds a razor-thin 51-49 majority. Depending on when the FBI report arrived, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was expected to trigger a process that could lead to a crucial initial vote Friday and a climactic confirmation roll call over the weekend.

Inside the Capitol, mounting political strains over the approaching election-season showdown were mirrored by growing anxieties over senators' security following frequent and at times aggressive demonstrations by anti-Kavanaugh protesters. Unusually large numbers of Capitol Hill Police officers restricted movements in corridors and formed wedges around senators walking through hallways. Some lawmakers also complained of being confronted outside their homes.

McConnell, R-Ky., claimed on the Senate floor that the protesters were "part of the organized effort" to derail Kavanaugh's nomination and said, "There is no chance in the world that they're going to scare us out of doing our duty."

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Trump's evolving statements on Christine Blasey Ford

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's public statements on Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, have swung dramatically since Ford and Kavanaugh delivered testimony last week before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

A look at his evolution from calling Ford a "very credible witness" to openly mocking gaps in her memory:

'VERY CREDIBLE WITNESS'

"I thought her testimony was very compelling and she looks like a very fine woman to me. A very fine woman. And I thought that Brett's testimony, likewise, was really something that I haven't seen before. It was incredible. It was an incredible moment, I think, in the history of our country. But certainly she was a very credible witness. She was very good in many respects. And I think that - I don't know if this is going to continue onward or are we going to get a vote. ... But I think it will work out very well for the country. I just want it to work out well for the country. If that happens, I'm happy." - Sept. 28, Oval Office comments to reporters.

'UNANSWERED QUESTIONS'

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Probes of Trump taxes carry potential for millions in fines

NEW YORK (AP) - Though President Donald Trump insists he did nothing wrong on his taxes, experts say he could be on the hook for tens of millions of dollars in civil fines if state and federal authorities substantiate a New York Times report that found he and his family cheated the IRS for decades.

The statute of limitations for bringing criminal charges has long run out, but civil cases have no such limits, and the financial penalties could be staggering. Civil fraud charges for intentionally underpaying taxes, as the Times alleged the Trump family did, could include a penalty of up to 75 percent of the unpaid federal taxes and double the unpaid state amount, experts said.

The penalties "could be substantial, and if the allegations are proven in court, they should be levied," said Norman Eisen, chairman of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and former chief ethics counsel in the Obama administration.

The New York tax department said it is studying the Times' 15,000-word report and "vigorously pursuing all appropriate avenues of investigation." New York City also said it would investigate. A spokesman for the Internal Revenue Service declined to comment.

Trump tweeted that the newspaper did "a very old, boring and often told hit piece on me."

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APNewsBreak: DEA's Colombia post roiled by misconduct probes

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - New turmoil has roiled the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's high-profile office in Colombia, where at least three agents have left in recent months amid investigations into alleged misconduct, including accusations that one passed secrets to drug cartels and another used government resources to hire prostitutes.

The DEA's top-ranking official in South America, who was brought in three years ago in the wake of a scandal involving agents participating in sex parties with prostitutes, is under investigation after the agency received an anonymous complaint saying he directed Colombian drivers working for the U.S. Embassy in Bogota "to procure sex workers," according to a copy of the complaint obtained by The Associated Press and one current and one former law enforcement official. The officials spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation.

Richard Dobrich, a regional director who is retiring from the DEA next month to take a private sector job, said in a statement and interview with the AP that the complaint is without merit and he would have to be a "complete idiot" to have anything to do with prostitution given the office's history. He also denied his departure has anything to do with the accusation.

"There is nothing to this - zero," Dobrich said of the anonymous complaint, adding he wants another probe into how it got out. Dobrich said he believes this "attempted assassination on my reputation" is a setup, perhaps by a disgruntled former DEA employee.

Dobrich said investigators from the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General interviewed him at his office in Colombia last month and seized his phone as a matter of routine. Dobrich said he was later told by an investigator that no misconduct was found, but neither the OIG nor the investigator named by Dobrich would comment on the status of the investigation.

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US Navy veteran arrested in Utah in suspicious mailings

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A U.S. Navy veteran in Utah was arrested Wednesday in connection with suspicious envelopes that were sent to President Donald Trump and top military chiefs.

William Clyde Allen III, 39, was taken into custody in in the small northern Utah city of Logan, said Melodie Rydalch, a spokeswoman for the state's U.S. attorney's office.

The arrest comes after authorities confirmed an investigation into two envelopes once thought to contain ricin and later found to be castor seeds, the substance from which the poison is derived. They can cause injury if swallowed.

The FBI said there were potentially hazardous chemicals involved with their operation in Utah on Wednesday, but declined to give additional details. No attorney was immediately listed for Allen.

The envelopes addressed to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and the Navy's top officer, Adm. John Richardson, were isolated at a mail screening facility and sent to the FBI. No one was injured, and neither envelope entered the Pentagon. Mattis is traveling in Europe this week.

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Officer killed, 6 other officers wounded in South Carolina

FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) - Seven South Carolina law enforcement officers were shot, one fatally, in a confrontation with a suspect who held children hostage in a home and fired on deputies, officials said. The suspect was taken into custody after a two-hour standoff.

Spokesman John Wukela in the city of Florence, where the deadly encounter occurred, gave an updated total Wednesday evening of officers felled by gunfire, speaking at an emotional news conference.

Major Mike Nunn, with the Florence County Sheriff's Department, said officers were serving a warrant when the suspect began shooting, wounding three deputies. The deputies had to be removed using a bulletproof vehicle.

Then, four Florence police officers were shot while trying to respond to the initial gunfire, said Allen Heidler, the Florence police chief. It was one of Heidler's officers who was killed during the confrontation.

"I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known," Heidler said, visibly overcome by emotion at the news conference.

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NKorea said to have stolen a fortune in online bank heists

WASHINGTON (AP) - North Korea's nuclear and missile tests have stopped, but its hacking operations to gather intelligence and raise funds for the sanction-strapped government in Pyongyang may be gathering steam.

U.S. security firm FireEye raised the alarm Wednesday over a North Korean group that it says has stolen hundreds of millions of dollars by infiltrating the computer systems of banks around the world since 2014 through highly sophisticated and destructive attacks that have spanned at least 11 countries. It says the group is still operating and poses "an active global threat."

It is part of a wider pattern of malicious state-backed cyber activity that has led the Trump administration to identify North Korea - along with Russia, Iran and China - as one of the main online threats facing the United States. Last month, the Justice Department charged a North Korean hacker said to have conspired in devastating cyberattacks, including an $81 million heist of Bangladesh's central bank and the WannaCry virus that crippled parts of Britain's National Health Service.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned of the use of malware by Hidden Cobra, the U.S. government's byword for North Korea hackers, in fraudulent ATM cash withdrawals from banks in Asia and Africa. It said that Hidden Cobra was behind the theft of tens of millions of dollars from teller machines in the past two years. In one incident this year, cash had been simultaneously withdrawn from ATMs in 23 different countries, it said.

North Korea, which prohibits access to the world wide web for virtually all its people, has previously denied involvement in cyberattacks, and attribution for such attacks is rarely made with absolute certainty. It is typically based on technical indicators such as the Internet Protocol, or IP, addresses that identify computers and characteristics of the coding used in malware, which is the software a hacker may use to damage or disable computers.

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Chemistry Nobel for using evolution to create new proteins

STOCKHOLM (AP) - Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for using a sped-up version of evolution to create new proteins that have led to a best-selling drug and other products.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Science said their work has led to the development of medications, biofuels and a reduced environmental impact from some industrial processes.

Frances Arnold of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena was awarded half of the 9-million-kronor ($1.01 million) prize, while the other half was shared by George Smith of the University of Missouri and Gregory Winter of the MRC molecular biology lab in Cambridge, England.

Arnold is only the fifth woman to win a chemistry Nobel since the prizes began in 1901.

The winners "have taken control of evolution and used it for purposes that bring the greatest benefit to humankind," the Nobel committee said.

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Emergency alert test sounds off on mobile phones nationwide

WASHINGTON (AP) - Electronic devices across the United States sounded off Wednesday as the Federal Emergency Management Agency conducted its first-ever national wireless emergency alert test.

The tone went off at 2:18 p.m. EDT. The subject of the alert read: "Presidential Alert" and text said: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."

FEMA officials estimated that about 225 million devices would receive the alert at about the same time, but the message was broadcast by cell towers for 30 minutes so some people got it later than others. Some got as many as four alerts on their phones; others didn't get any.

In a real emergency, devices would get the alert at the same time or as close to the same time as possible.

A second alert on television broadcast and radio went off at 2:20 p.m. EDT. The TV and radio alert has been tested for several years.

___

China orders actress Fan Bingbing to pay massive tax fine

BEIJING (AP) - Chinese tax authorities have ordered "X-Men" star Fan Bingbing and companies she represents to pay taxes and penalties totaling $130 million, ending speculation over the fate of one of the country's highest-profile entertainers three months after she disappeared from public view.

Of the total amount, Fan is being personally fined around $70 million for tax evasion, according to an announcement carried Wednesday by China's official Xinhua News Agency, citing tax authorities.

Fan would not be investigated for criminal responsibility for tax evasion as long as the taxes, fines and late fees amounting to nearly 900 million yuan ($130 million) are paid on time, the report said.

The announcement gave no indication of Fan's whereabouts but indicated her agent is being held by police for allegedly obstructing the investigation.

Fan has starred in dozens of movies and TV series in China and is best known internationally for her role as Blink in 2014's "X-Men: Days of Future Past," a cameo in the Chinese version of "Iron Man 3," and star turns on the red carpet at Cannes as recently as May. Before her disappearance, she had been booked to star with Penelope Cruz in the Hollywood film "355." She has a role in the upcoming Bruce Willis-Adrien Brody feature "Air Strike."
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - The wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was arrested Wednesday by the anti-graft agency and is expected to be charged in a scandal involving the 1MDB state investment fund, a government official said.

The official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Rosmah Mansor was arrested after she was questioned by the agency for a third time over alleged theft and money laundering at the fund.

Rosmah's lawyer, K. Kumaraendran, confirmed her arrest but declined to give details. The agency was expected to issue a statement soon.

Wearing a bright green traditional dress, Rosmah smiled at reporters but didn't speak as she arrived at the agency's building. She was first summoned by the agency on June 5 and again on Sept. 26, when she was questioned for nearly 13 hours. Local media have reported that she could face up to 20 charges, mostly related to money laundering.

Former Prime Minister Najib has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of money laundering, corruption, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust in the scandal and is to face trial next year.

Earlier Wednesday, Najib was questioned by the police commercial crime office over the 1MDB scandal. He dodged reporters waiting for him outside the building.

Rosmah Mansor, wife of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, arrives at the Anti-Corruption Agency for questioning in Putrajaya, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Rosmah is to be questioned by the country's anti-graft agency for the third time as investigators prepare possible charges against her including money laundering in the multi-billion-dollar scandal. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Rosmah, 66, is widely reviled for her opulent lifestyle and penchant for expensive jewelry and designer Birkin bags that led to her being compared with former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos and her extravagant collection of shoes.

Police found hundreds of luxury handbags, jewelry and cash - worth more than $266 million - during raids on apartments linked to the family shortly after Najib's shocking electoral defeat in May. Seized were 567 handbags, 423 watches and 12,000 pieces of jewelry, including 1,400 necklaces, 2,200 rings, 2,800 pairs of earrings and 14 tiaras. Najib has said the items were mostly gifts to his family.

In a biography in 2013, Rosmah said it was common for a prime minister's wife to receive expensive jewelry and gifts. She also said she had earned millions of ringgit from her own music album, which wasn't released to the public but was bought by government ministers who were fans of her singing talent.

Najib set up the 1MDB fund when he took power in 2009, but it accumulated billions in debts and is being investigated in the U.S. and several other countries. U.S. investigators say Najib's associates stole and laundered $4.5 billion from the fund from 2009 to 2014, some of which landed in Najib's bank account. They say $27.3 million was used to buy a rare diamond necklace for Rosmah.

Public anger over the scandal eventually led to the ouster of Najib's long-ruling coalition in May 9 elections that ushered in the first change of power since Malaysia's independence from Britain in 1957.

New Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad reopened investigations into 1MDB that were suppressed under Najib's rule. He has also banned the couple from leaving the country.

Police have said investigations show that $972 million was transferred into Najib's bank accounts from three companies linked to 1MDB. Najib, 65, has accused Mahathir's government of seeking political vengeance against him and his family.

Rosmah Mansor, center, wife of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, arrives at the Anti-Corruption Agency for questioning in Putrajaya, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Rosmah is to be questioned by the country's anti-graft agency for the third time as investigators prepare possible charges against her including money laundering in the multi-billion-dollar scandal. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. (AP) - President Donald Trump ignited a crowd at a campaign rally in Mississippi by mocking a woman who has claimed she was sexually assaulted by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh decades ago.

The audience laughed as Trump ran through a list of what he described as holes in Christine Blasey Ford's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. She testified that Kavanaugh pinned her on a bed, tried to take off her clothes and covered her mouth in the early 1980s, when the two were teenagers. Kavanaugh has denied Ford's allegations.

"How did you get home? 'I don't remember,'" Trump said at the rally Tuesday in Southaven. "How did you get there? 'I don't remember.' Where is the place? 'I don't remember.' How many years ago was it? 'I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.'"

Imitating Ford, he added, "But I had one beer - that's the only thing I remember."

It marked the sharpest criticism by Trump of Ford since she came forward publicly with the allegation last month. He had previously called Ford a "very credible witness."

Ford's lawyer Michael Bromwich called Trump's attack "vicious, vile and soulless."

President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Landers Center Arena, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Southaven, Miss. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

"Is it any wonder that she was terrified to come forward, and that other sexual assault survivors are as well?" Bromwich tweeted. "She is a remarkable profile in courage. He is a profile in cowardice."

The president was in Mississippi on Tuesday looking to use his influence to sway the outcome of a low-profile election that could tip the balance of the Senate.

As Republicans fight headwinds ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm election, Trump sought to rally his supporters behind GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who was appointed to fill the seat of Republican Thad Cochran, who retired in April. She faces three candidates - Republican Chris McDaniel and Democrats Mike Espy and Tobey Bernard Bartee - in next month's special election for the remainder of the two-year term.

"She's always had my back," Trump said. "She's always had your back. And a vote for Cindy is a vote for me."

But Trump spent much of the rally lamenting the treatment of Kavanaugh by Democrats, whose attacks, he said, had taken their toll on the judge's family.

"A man's life is in tatters," he said. Of Democrats, he added, "These are really evil people."

He even raised questions about the drinking habits of Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy in an attempt to turn the tables on Democrats who have gone after Kavanaugh's beer drinking. Trump told the crowd they should do an online search for "Patrick Leahy slash drink." Leahy's office didn't immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday.

Some Republicans and White House allies have suggested the allegations against Kavanaugh can be potent political fodder in the run-up to Nov. 6, animating GOP voters who have so far lacked the same motivation to head to the polls as their Democratic counterparts.

Republican officials and the White House expect Hyde-Smith's race to go to a runoff under the state's jungle election rules that force a showdown between the top two finishers if no candidate wins at least 50 percent of the vote on Election Day. With Republicans defending majorities in the House and Senate next month, officials cast Trump's visit as an attempt to get ahead of a potentially perilous situation.

Officials said Trump is seeking to boost Hyde-Smith as close as possible to the 50 percent threshold and lend momentum for a possible runoff. Depending on how Republicans perform on Nov. 6, the eyes of the nation could fall on a Nov. 27 Mississippi runoff in what could become an expensive and high-profile race to determine control of the Senate.

"Your vote in this election will decide which party controls the United States Senate," Trump said.

A vocal minority of the crowd Tuesday backed the other conservative in the race, McDaniel, a state senator, and booed Hyde-Smith when Trump introduced her. They launched into occasional chants of "We want Chris."

Earlier Tuesday, Trump told electrical contractors gathered in Philadelphia that his economic policies would translate into more jobs for their ranks as he highlighted a new trade deal among the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

"We're in the midst of a manufacturing renaissance - something which nobody thought you'd hear," Trump said in a speech to the National Electrical Contractors Association Convention a day after celebrating the new North American trade deal.

In fact, North America already is a manufacturing powerhouse. The United States ranks No. 2 in the world behind China in manufacturing output. Mexico ranks 11th and Canada 13th, according to United Nations numbers pulled together by the Brookings Institution.

Trump calls the new trade agreement USMCA, for U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. "Like YMCA or U.S. Marine Corps with an A at the end," he explained.

He said he doesn't want to use the previous name, NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he contends cost American jobs and railed against during his 2016 presidential campaign. The new trade deal still must be approved by Congress.

"We are finally rebuilding our country, and we are doing it with American aluminum, American steel and with our great electrical contractors," he said.

Trump said the strong economy "means more jobs for our great electrical contractors."

Before departing the White House, Trump tweeted, "THE ONLY REASON TO VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT IS IF YOU'RE TIRED OF WINNING!"

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally at the Landers Center Arena, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Southaven, Miss. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally at the Landers Center Arena, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Southaven, Miss. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally at the Landers Center Arena, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Southaven, Miss. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Attendees at a President Donald Trump rally pose for a photograph prior to the start of the event, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Southaven, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss., left, watches as President Donald Trump shakes hands with Gov. Phil Bryant, R- Miss., after arriving for a campaign rally in Southaven, Miss., at Memphis International Airport Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump puts on a hard hat given to him before speaking to the National Electrical Contractors Association Convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump speaks to the National Electrical Contractors Association Convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Electrical Contractors Association convention in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

President Donald Trump pumps his fist after putting on a hard hat given to him before speaking to the National Electrical Contractors Association Convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump speaks to the National Electrical Contractors Association Convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Electrical Contractors Association convention in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Electrical Contractors Association convention in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

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ATLANTA (AP) - Seven decades ago, members of a Georgia grand jury heard 16 days of testimony but declared they were unable identify or indict anyone involved in the brazen lynching of two young black couples on a country road. Now a historian is fighting to find out what happened in that grand jury room.

A car carrying the four sharecroppers was stopped by a white mob at Moore's Ford Bridge, overlooking the Apalachee River, in July 1946. They were pulled from the car and shot multiple times along the banks of the river, a little more than 50 miles east of Atlanta.

The lynching captured national attention, and President Harry Truman sent the FBI to rural Walton County. Agents investigated for months and identified dozens of possible suspects. But a grand jury convened in December 1946 failed to indict anyone in the deaths of Roger and Dorothy Malcom and George and Mae Murray Dorsey.

Anthony Pitch, author of a 2016 book on the lynching, wants the transcripts from the grand jury proceedings unsealed. But the federal government argues that grand jury proceedings are secret and the records should remain locked away.

A federal judge last year granted Pitch's request to unseal the records, but lawyers with the U.S. Department of Justice appealed. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is set to hear arguments in the case Wednesday.

Roger Malcom, 24, had been jailed after stabbing and gravely injuring a white man, Barnett Hester, during an argument. Witnesses told authorities Malcom suspected Hester was sleeping with his wife.

FILE- This Feb. 22, 2018 photo shows a bridge that spans the Apalachee River at Moore's Ford Road where in 1946 two young black couples were stopped by a white mob who dragged them to the riverbank and shot them multiple times in Monroe, Ga. The brazen mass lynching horrified the nation that year but no one was ever indicted and investigations over the years failed to solve the case. More than 70 years after a grand jury failed to indict anyone in the lynching of two young black couples in rural Georgia, a historian is seeking the transcripts from the grand jury proceedings. A federal appeals court is set to hear arguments in the case Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

A white farmer, Loy Harrison, paid $600 to bail Malcom out on July 25, 1946. He was driving the Malcoms and Dorseys home, he told investigators, when he was ambushed by a mob.

Harrison was unharmed and told authorities he didn't recognize anyone in the mob, which the FBI numbered at 20 to 25 people. An FBI report noted Harrison was a former Ku Klux Klansman and well-known bootlegger. The months-long FBI investigation identified many possible suspects, some merely because they were Hester's relatives, friends or neighbors, or because they had no alibis. But no one was charged.

When people came forward promising new information in the 1990s, law enforcement revisited the case, but investigators still said they couldn't prosecute. Then-Gov. Roy Barnes in June 2000 ordered the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to reopen the case. That investigation closed in January, shortly after the FBI concluded its latest review.

Journalists, students, cold case groups and historians hoping to find clues or to coax people into talking have visited the bridge and surrounding towns, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Atlanta, particularly in recent decades.

Pitch was working on a book, "The Last Lynching: How a Gruesome Mass Murder Rocked a Small Georgia Town," when he petitioned a federal judge to unseal the grand jury transcripts in January 2014.

Government lawyers argued that they weren't aware of any such records, that they'd likely been lost or destroyed. But even if the records did exist, they argued, they shouldn't be released because grand jury proceedings are secret.

The government said historical interest does not outweigh the rule that says grand jury material should remain secret.

U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell in August 2014 denied Pitch's request, saying there was no evidence that the records existed.

Pitch again asked Treadwell in January 2017 to unseal the transcripts, saying his investigation had determined that the records were held at the National Archives in Washington.

Pitch argued the records appear to be the sole remaining source of information that could enhance the historical record, spur academic discussion and improve the public's understanding of an important historical event. He cited other historically significant cases in which grand jury records had been released decades later.

Treadwell ordered the government to submit the records to him under seal. In August 2017, he sided with Pitch and ordered the records released.

"Indeed, it is difficult to imagine a more suitable case for the application of a historical exception to the rule of grand jury secrecy," he wrote.

FILE- This Feb. 12, 2005 file photos shows Rosa Ingram, Roger Malcom's aunt, reading the Georgia Historical Society marker for the Moore's Ford bridge lynching, outside Monroe, Ga. The brazen mass lynching horrified the nation that year but no one was ever indicted and investigations over the years failed to solve the case. More than 70 years after a grand jury failed to indict anyone in the lynching of two young black couples in rural Georgia, a historian is seeking the transcripts from the grand jury proceedings. A federal appeals court is set to hear arguments in the case Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Ric Feld, File)
AURORA, Colo. (AP) - Mary Bazel has given up on Rep. Mike Coffman.

The 70-year-old retired civilian staffer at the Defense Department is a registered Democrat in suburban Denver who prides herself on not blindly voting for her party. She's regularly voted for Coffman, welcoming his moderate stance on immigration and his military service record.

But Coffman's streak with Bazel has run out thanks to President Donald Trump. The congressman may differ with Trump sometimes, but Bazel yearns for Democrats to control the House so they can launch investigations and provide a check on the president.

"I just feel like we've got to have a change to get rid of this awful person, before our democracy is destroyed," Bazel said, referring to Trump.

If there are enough Mary Bazels here and in suburban congressional districts across the country, Democrats could be well on their way to gaining the 23 seats they need to flip control of the House. It's a reversal of fortune for lawmakers like Coffman, whose occasional bucking of the GOP has long been a selling point to voters. But in the partisan turmoil of the Trump era, it could turn into a vulnerability if voters in critical swing districts reject anyone with an R by their name to send a message to the president.

Even some Republicans are concerned.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016, file photo, Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., makes a point during a debate in Denver. Coffman's reputation for occasionally bucking his party has long been a selling point to voters. But in the partisan turmoil of the Trump era, it could turn into a vulnerability if voters reject anyone with an R by their name to send a message to the president. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

"There are going to be some candidates who are unavoidably going to be swept up because of feelings toward the party," said David Flaherty, a Republican pollster in Colorado. "It doesn't matter how good your constituent services are, how much you did for your district."

As his district grew more Democratic over the years, Coffman kept winning. An Army and Marine veteran who served in both Iraq wars, Coffman initially was elected to a comfortably Republican district in 2008. But just before the 2012 elections, his district shifted to one evenly divided between Democrats, Republicans and voters who don't register with either party. Once a supporter of legislation that would allow English-only ballots, Coffman learned Spanish, softened on immigration and became a fixture at Ethiopian church services, Hindu festivals and Salvadoran celebrations in his new district, where 1 in every 5 residents was born in another country.

Coffman comfortably beat back three Democratic challenges - debating one opponent in Spanish - even as his district leaned more and more to the left. In 2016, as Hillary Clinton won the district by 9 percentage points, Coffman ran ads promising to oppose her and Trump. Coffman won by 8 points.

Now he's fighting for his political life against Democrat Jason Crow, himself a former Army Ranger. Coffman's being outspent nearly 3-1 on the airwaves as gun control groups pour in money and hope to make an example of the Republican and his pro-gun stance in a district that includes the site of the Aurora theater shooting and abuts Columbine High School. The financial picture got grimmer last week when the political group tied to House GOP leadership canceled $1 million in ads they had planned to air to support Coffman. The congressional arm of the GOP is trying to help by increasing its ad spending by $270,000.

Coffman shrugs off the risk. On a recent Sunday night, he was brushing ashes off himself moments after lighting a bonfire in a park to celebrate an Ethiopian religious festival. His speech to the crowd moments earlier had climaxed with the congressman imploring people to fill out a survey Ethiopian Airlines is circulating to determine whether they should start direct flights from Denver. Asked if this campaign was different than his previous ones, he answered: "No, not really."

His work ethic is legendary - he's been videotaped doing push-ups while waiting at the Denver airport for his flight to Washington, and is notorious for burning through staff with his nonstop schedule. He contends he's better prepared for a Democratic wave because he's used to fighting uphill re-election battles, unlike some other House members who could be caught by surprise. Coffman acknowledges he's at a new disadvantage now because of all the Democratic money targeting him, but dismissed their attacks tying him to Trump.

"I work with this administration when I agree with them and I stand up to them when I don't agree with them," Coffman said.

Though Coffman has voted for some GOP priorities like the recent tax bill, he highlights when he disagrees with the administration. He sponsored a bill to restore net neutrality after the administration revoked it and voted against the final bill to roll back President Barack Obama's health care plan. He's criticized Trump for using a vulgarity to describe immigrants from some African countries, for separating families that cross the border and for ending an Obama administration program to prevent deportation of people brought to the U.S. illegally.

It's the last issue that Democrats frequently highlight to argue that Republicans like Coffman are all talk.

Coffman and other moderates vowed to defy their own leadership in the House, executing a parliamentary maneuver to force a vote on legislation to provide legal residency to people brought to the country illegally as children after Trump rescinded the program that prevented their deportation, known as DACA. The bill would have passed the House on a bipartisan vote, but in the end the moderates withdrew it as part of a deal with GOP leadership.

To Democrats, it's an example that, as long as Coffman lets Republican leaders control which bills get voted on in the House - and the committees that would otherwise investigate the president - what he says doesn't matter.

"We live in a very different world than we did two years ago, and so does Mike Coffman," Crow said in a recent interview in the basement of a VFW hall, where he had just finished an event with former Rep. Gabby Giffords and her gun control group. "He's spent his entire career positioning himself as the check on the party in power and he can't do that anymore."

That's the theme of the Democratic House campaign operation's first television ad against Coffman, which quotes him promising to stand up to Trump and then says he's voted with the president 96 percent of the time. The statistic is from the political website 538. Coffman says it's misleading, but Republicans used a similar percentage from the same site in 2014 as the centerpiece of their campaign to oust Democratic Sen. Mark Udall for voting too often with Obama.

Ruth Gonce, 63, is a Democrat who never was won over by Coffman.

"He's very good at standing up there with an immigrant and saying, 'I'm for these people,' and then he goes back to Washington and he votes with Trump," the retired real estate agent said as she waited at the Crow event.

Coffman's hope is there are enough people left like Neb Asfaw, an Ethiopian-American community organizer and active Democrat who accompanied the congressman at the religious festival and still supports him because of his service to the community.

"Nationally, I'd certainly like the Democrats to take the House," Asfaw said, "but at the end of the day, all politics are local."
WASHINGTON (AP) - To some, Brett Kavanaugh is clearing his name. To others, he's veering into conspiracy theory.

But in blaming "revenge on behalf of the Clintons" for the sexual misconduct allegations against him, the Supreme Court nominee is drawing new attention to his time on the Kenneth Starr team investigating Bill Clinton. And in doing so, he's shown he can deliver a Trump-like broadside against detractors even if it casts him in a potentially partisan light.

As a young lawyer, Kavanaugh played a key role on Starr's team investigating sexual misconduct by then-President Bill Clinton, helping to shape one of the most salacious chapters in modern political history.

Kavanaugh spent a good part of the mid-1990s jetting back and forth to Little Rock, Arkansas, digging into the Clintons' background, according to documents that were made public as part of his nomination to the Supreme Court.

It was Kavanaugh who pushed Starr to ask Clinton, in graphic detail, about the nature of his sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. In a memo from 1998, Kavanaugh wrote that Starr should ask Clinton whether he engaged in phone sex and specific sexual acts with her.

Starr took Kavanaugh's advice. His resulting report ultimately presented evidence that Clinton, in denying the affair, lied under oath. The report became the grounds for Clinton's impeachment.

In this Sept. 27, 2018, photo, Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh gives his opening statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Kavanaugh is blaming the Clintons for the sexual misconduct allegations against him. In doing so, the judge is drawing new attention to his time on the Kenneth Starr team investigating Bill Clinton's sexual misconduct in the 1990s. And he's shown he can deliver a Trump-like broadside against detractors even if it casts him in a potentially partisan light. (Saul Loeb/Pool Image via AP)

Now it's Kavanaugh who is facing sexual misconduct allegations, including from Christine Blasey Ford, who said he groped her at a party when they were teens and tried to remove her clothes. And it's Kavanaugh who was pushed to speak publicly in personal, painful detail.

In his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Kavanaugh forcefully denied ever sexually assaulting Ford or anyone else. In an emotional statement, he put the blame for the accusations against him partly on the Clintons.

"This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit," Kavanaugh testified. The 53-year-old said it was being fueled by "pent-up anger" over President Donald Trump's 2016 election victory and outside groups stoking fear about his judicial record. He also said it was revenge on behalf of the Clintons.

The "revenge" line has reverberated this week as senators await the results of an FBI background check investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh. Democrats have called the comment a breathtaking breach of judicial impartiality that should be disqualifying on its own, while Republicans have defended the tenor of his remarks, saying he had every right to be upset. GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah calls it "righteous anger."

Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who was in Congress during Clinton's impeachment, acknowledged Tuesday that Kavanaugh's "lock-her-up grace note may be appealing to some." But, he said, "it speaks volumes about this judge and how he would serve."

At an event Tuesday, Hillary Clinton scoffed, "Boy, I'll tell you, they give us a lot of credit."

Clinton tried to run the logic of Kavanaugh's claim during an event hosted by The Atlantic. "It would've had to have happened 36 years ago," she said, "and that seems a stretch, even for the vast right-wing conspiracy stories about me."

At last week's hearing, Democratic senators on the dais were stunned.

"Is it your testimony - that the motivation of the courageous woman who sat where you did just a short time ago was revenge on behalf of a left-wing conspiracy or the Clintons?" asked Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

Others welcomed Kavanaugh taking a page from the playbook of the man who nominated him, President Donald Trump.

It wasn't quite a "Lock her up!" Trump rally cry, but Kavanaugh's allies appreciated a hard-hitting defense of his own name and character that name-checked the Clintons. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. backed him up.

"Would you say you've been through hell?" Graham asked the judge.

"I've been through hell and then some," Kavanaugh testified.

While Kavanaugh's role in the Starr investigation is a part of the appellate court judge's resume that may have received short shrift during days of confirmation hearings, plenty of players from that era remain central to today's confirmation fight.

Graham had been a chief House prosecutor during Clinton's impeachment trial. Other senators on the dais straddle both eras. Clinton has been making media rounds. Starr has recently published a new book about his experience.

A former top aide to Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, Brian Fallon, leads the outside group Demand Justice that Kavanaugh was likely referring to in his outburst. Fallon said Tuesday that Kavanaugh's "unhinged, partisan rant last week is just another reason he is not fit for a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court."

Democrats had tried to portray Kavanaugh as a partisan warrior from the moment he was nominated, but failed to gain much traction with it. But the Clintons' revenge theory revealed a different side of Kavanaugh that won't be forgotten if he makes it to the high court.

Julian Zelizer, a professor of history at Princeton University, said Kavanaugh "has been fighting the Republican war since the 1990s."

"He revealed a great deal about who he is and what drives him," he said.
PALU, Indonesia (AP) - The Latest on the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia (all times local):

2 p.m.

The death toll from an earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia has increased to 1,407.

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon that 519 of the bodies had been buried.

The magnitude 7.5 earthquake and the tsunami it generated devastated the city of Palu and nearby communities in Central Sulawesi province.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo visited the city Wednesday and said aid was starting to arrive.

A police K9 unit continues to search for victims in the wreckage following earthquakes and tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi Indonesia, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Aid was slowly making its way into areas devastated by the earthquake and tsunami that struck a central Indonesian island, with one neighborhood's residents clapping, cheering and high-fiving in their excitement Wednesday at seeing a stopped truck laden with supplies. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

___

1245 p.m.

Indonesia's military chief says soldiers and other forces have been deployed to the stricken port city of Palu to guard key infrastructure, fuel depots and the airport and stop any attempts at looting.

Chief Air Marshall Hadi Tjahyanto said Wednesday outside a collapsed hotel in the city that his forces were taking steps to ensure that security will be enforced. He spoke as many of the city and region's residents scrambled to get food, water and other supplies - with many resorting to taking things from shops and markets.

"Military personnel have been deployed to fuel depots, ATMs, markets and the airport to ensure that economic activities are running. It will give the sense of security to the people so hopefully there will be no more looting," he said, adding that all supply convoys into the city will be escorted by armed soldiers.

__

12:30 p.m.

Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has arrived in a hard-hit city to see damage and recovery from the earthquake and tsunami that struck a central island last week.

Widodo was expected to tour various areas and visit a hospital Wednesday. The government has said hundreds of people were severely injured in Friday's disasters. And the official toll of 1,234 dead is expected to grow as more bodies are recovered in the damaged areas.

He said foreign aid is starting to reach the area. President Donald Trump called Widodo on Tuesday to offer assistance with both the emergency phase and reconstruction.

Widodo said there's still a lot of work to be done, but he added that conditions are improving.

"Logistics are in and continue to spread, there are places that we haven't reached," he said. "I've instructed the governor to recommend the markets to be re-opened, we want to start reviving the economy."

___

9:30 a.m.

Aid was trickling into areas crippled by the devastating earthquake and tsunami on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, with residents in one neighborhood clapping, cheering and high-fiving at the arrival of a supply truck.

A man named Heruwanto said he was happy while clutching a box of instant noodles. "I really haven't eaten for three days."

Food, water, fuel and medicine had yet to reach the hardest-hit areas outside Palu, the largest city heavily damaged. Many roads in the earthquake zone are blocked and communications lines are down five days after the magnitude 7.5 earthquake and tsunami struck.

The official death toll reached 1,234, while scores of uncounted bodies could be buried in collapsed buildings.

The U.N. humanitarian office said people urgently require shelter, clean water, food, fuel and emergency medical care.

___

5:50 a.m.

Australia will send more than 50 medical professionals to Indonesia to help with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake and tsunami as part of a 5 million Australian dollar ($3.6 million) aid package.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne told reporters in Washington: "We will be working very closely with the Indonesian government to make sure that the support we are providing is highly targeted."

She says: "Australia is considering further support for the disaster, with the death toll expected to rise and millions affected by the crisis."

Payne says she has been in contact with her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is continuing talks with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo about possible further support.

___

12:50 a.m.

The U.N. says its humanitarian office is reporting that "needs are vast" following the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia, with people urgently requiring shelter, clean water, food, fuel and emergency medical care.

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Tuesday that U.N. and relief agencies are on the ground or en route. He said the agencies are working closely with the government to provide technical support.

Haq told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York that water is the main issue because most of the water supply infrastructure has been damaged.

He says the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs has asked the U.N. children's agency, UNICEF, to send social workers to the affected area to support children who are alone or became separated from their families.

Haq says the World Health Organization is warning that a lack of shelter and damaged water sanitation facilities could lead to outbreaks of communicable diseases.

A police K9 unit continues to search for victims in the wreckage following earthquakes and a tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi Indonesia, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Aid was slowly making its way into areas devastated by the earthquake and tsunami that struck a central Indonesian island, with one neighborhood's residents clapping, cheering and high-fiving in their excitement Wednesday at seeing a stopped truck laden with supplies. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A man sits in the shade of a sheet of a corrugated tin surrounded by earthquake debris in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Aid has yet to reach the hardest-hit areas around Palu, the largest city heavily damaged in the earthquake and tsunami that hit on Friday, Sept. 28. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
BRUSSELS (AP) - Acting to counter Russia's aggressive use of cyberattacks across Europe and around the world, the U.S. is expected to announce that, if asked, it will use its formidable cyberwarfare capabilities on NATO's behalf, according to a senior U.S. official.

The announcement is expected in the coming days as U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis attends a meeting of NATO defense ministers on Wednesday and Thursday.

Katie Wheelbarger, the principal deputy assistant defense secretary for international security affairs, said the U.S. is committing to use offensive and defensive cyber operations for NATO allies, but America will maintain control over its own personnel and capabilities.

The decision comes on the heels of the NATO summit in July, when members agreed to allow the alliance to use cyber capabilities that are provided voluntarily by allies to protect networks and respond to cyberattacks. It reflects growing concerns by the U.S. and its allies over Moscow's use of cyber operations to influence elections in America and elsewhere.

"Russia is constantly pushing its cyber and information operations," said Wheelbarger, adding that this is a way for the U.S. to show its continued commitment to NATO.

She told reporters traveling to NATO with Mattis that the move is a signal to other nations that NATO is prepared to counter cyberattacks waged against the alliance or its members.

FILE - In this Feb. 12, 2009 file photo, the Pentagon is seen from Air Force One. The Pentagon says the U.S. is offering to put its cyber-warfare capabilities to use on behalf of its NATO allies. Officials planned to announce it in the coming days as U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis attends a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

Much like America's nuclear capabilities, the formal declaration of cyber support can help serve as a military deterrent to other nations and adversaries.

The U.S. has, for some time, considered cyber as a warfighting domain, much like air, sea, space and ground operations. In recent weeks the Pentagon released a new cybersecurity strategy that maps out a more aggressive use of military cyber capabilities. And it specifically calls out Russia and China for their use of cyberattacks.

China, it said, has been "persistently" stealing data from the public and private sector to gain an economic advantage. And it said Russia has use cyber information operations to "influence our population and challenge our diplomatic processes." U.S. officials have repeatedly accused Moscow of interfering in the 2016 elections, including through online social media.

"We will conduct cyberspace operations to collect intelligence and prepare military cyber capabilities to be used in the event of a crisis or conflict," the new strategy states, adding that the U.S. is prepared to use cyberwarfare along with other military weapons against its enemies when needed, including to counter malicious cyber activities targeting the country.

The document adds that the Pentagon will "work to strengthen the capacity" of allies and partners.

NATO has moved cautiously on offensive cyber capabilities. At the Warsaw Summit in 2016, allies recognized cyberspace as a warfighting domain. It has said that a computer-based attack on an ally would trigger NATO's commitment to defend its members. And last year the alliance agreed to create a new cyber operations center. But the focus has always been on defending NATO networks and those of its members, not offensive cyberwar.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that the defense ministers will have a working session this week to address cyber and other risks, and how allies can cooperate to counter such threats. He did not provide details.
PALU, Indonesia (AP) - "Awesome Indonesia," a young man shouted sarcastically as a crowd of people, some pushing their arms elbow deep into a jumbled pile of sodden food and debris, searched for anything edible in the shell of a warehouse that tsunami waves had pounded.

Clamoring over the reeking pile or staking out a patch of territory, the people pulled out small cartons of milk, soft drinks, rice, sweets and painkillers. One man digging out packets of biscuits had half submerged himself in the mess.

They had come from devastated neighborhoods and elsewhere in the remote Indonesian city of Palu, which was hit by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake and powerful tsunami on Friday. They were young and old, middle class and poor, university students and sullen young men.

"We came here because we heard there was food," said Rehanna, a 23-year-old student, wearing a bright red motorcycle helmet. "We need clean water, rice."

She pulled out a prize - a packet of red rice wedged beneath a plank.

She'd come from Balaroa, a neighborhood of several hundred houses in Palu that was turned upside down by the quake and where residents still remain buried beneath the rubble.

A boy sits with items salvaged from the ruins of a family member's house in the Balaroa neighborhood in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. Desperation was visible everywhere Tuesday among victims receiving little aid in areas heavily damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami, four days after the disaster devastated parts of Indonesia's central Sulawesi island. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

"I'm very angry," she said about the lack of aid. "I know the assistance is coming, but the distribution is very bad."

Officials say more than 1,200 people were killed in the twin tragedies that hit Palu and the surrounding district of Donggala on Sulawesi island. The death toll is expected to rise.

Search and rescue personnel are overwhelmed by a multitude of hard-hit areas, including a neighborhood that was swallowed by the earth when the ground liquified during the quake. Aid is only trickling in, and five days after the disaster, the region remains without power. Indonesia, in a rare move, has appealed for international help.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo visited Palu for a second time Wednesday, visiting a collapsed hotel where search and rescue workers are still searching for victims. The focus on the hotel has angered some in Palu, who wonder why their own neighborhoods, such as Belaroa, are being neglected. Aid being distributed in Palu on Wednesday included red and white bags - the colors of the Indonesian flag - marked as being supplied by the president's office.

A stretch of Palu's coastline once occupied by warehouses, but now a tangled unrecognizable mess, was being picked over by hundreds of people for anything salvageable. People carried away corrugated iron, wood, pipes and other materials, hoping to build shelters or sell them for cash.

Furniture maker Khairul Hassan said he was working nearby when the quake hit and ran to hills behind the warehouses. He said he saw women and children swallowed by the tsunami waves and trapped warehouse workers swept out to sea.

In the shells of a row of buildings still standing, word had spread that there was a cache of food, and dozens milled about.

"I'm looking for this for my kids," said Andi Arif, holding a bottle of syrup. "There is some aid, but we never got it."

Fifty-year-old Rosminah sat on the pile, a plastic shopping bag bulging with muddied packets of food next to her, chatting as she picked through the debris.

"There's no support. Our house was destroyed," said Rosminah, who like many Indonesians uses one name. "We came here to search for food. There's no assistance. We have to find it by ourselves."

Outside, Sofiyan, a farmer, was guarding an icebox and buckets stuffed with bottles of syrup, condensed milk, engine oil and pest killer.

"We really need fuel for a generator so we can boil water for drinking and washing," he said.
BAGHDAD (AP) - Former beauty queen, fashion model and social media star Tara Fares won fame in conservative, Muslim-majority Iraq with outspoken opinions on personal freedom. Last week, she was shot and killed at the wheel of her white Porsche on a busy Baghdad street.

Her death, along with the slaying of a female activist and the mysterious deaths of two well-known beauty experts have shocked Iraq, raising fears of a return to the kind of attacks on prominent figures that plagued the country at the height of its sectarian strife.

Iraq is still recovering from its bloody fight against Islamic State militants. The country has been without a government since national elections in May, and riots have repeatedly broken out in the south over the authorities' failure to provide basic services.

In this Monday, Oct. 1, 2018 photo, fans of slain former beauty queen, fashion model and social media star Tara Fares left flowers and candles at her gravesite, in Najaf, Iraq. Fares won fame in conservative, Muslim-majority Iraq with outspoken opinions on personal freedom. Last week, she was shot and killed at the wheel of her white Porsche on a busy Baghdad street. The violence reverberated across Iraq and follows the slaying of a female activist in the southern city of Basra and the mysterious deaths of two well-known beauty experts. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil)

FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018 file photo, an Iraqi activist covers her face to hide her identity during a protest in Basra, Iraq. Former beauty queen, fashion model and social media star Tara Fares won fame in conservative, Muslim-majority Iraq with outspoken opinions on personal freedom. On Sept. 27, she was shot and killed at the wheel of her white Porsche on a busy Baghdad street. The violence reverberated across Iraq and follows the slaying of a female activist in the southern city of Basra and the mysterious deaths of two well-known beauty experts. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018 file photo, family members of slain activist Soad al-Ali load her coffin onto a vehicle before burial, in Basra, Iraq. Former beauty queen, fashion model and social media star Tara Fares won fame in conservative, Muslim-majority Iraq with outspoken opinions on personal freedom. On Sept. 27, she was shot and killed at the wheel of her white Porsche on a busy Baghdad street. The violence reverberated across Iraq and follows the slaying of al-Ali and the mysterious deaths of two well-known beauty experts. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani, File)

In this Monday, Oct. 1, 2018 photo, a fan of slain former beauty queen, fashion model and social media star Tara Fares follows the news after her assassination, at a shop in Baghdad, Iraq. Fares won fame in conservative, Muslim-majority Iraq with outspoken opinions on personal freedom. Last week, she was shot and killed at the wheel of her white Porsche on a busy Baghdad street. The violence reverberated across Iraq and follows the slaying of a female activist in the southern city of Basra and the mysterious deaths of two well-known beauty experts. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

FILE - In this Sept. 18, 2018 file photo, Hajar Youssif, an Iraqi activist and volunteer medic, who was kidnapped, beaten and threatened for attending protests, sits with protesters in Basra, Iraq. Former beauty queen, fashion model and social media star Tara Fares won fame in conservative, Muslim-majority Iraq with outspoken opinions on personal freedom. On Sept. 27, she was shot and killed at the wheel of her white Porsche on a busy Baghdad street. The violence reverberated across Iraq and follows the slaying of Soad al-Ali, a prominent activist in the southern city of Basra and the mysterious deaths of two well-known beauty experts. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018 file photo, people gather at the scene of the assassination of Iraqi activist Soad al-Ali, who has been involved in organizing protests demanding better services in Basra, Iraq. Former beauty queen, fashion model and social media star Tara Fares won fame in conservative, Muslim-majority Iraq with outspoken opinions on personal freedom. On Sept. 27, she was shot and killed at the wheel of her white Porsche on a busy Baghdad street. The violence reverberated across Iraq and follows the slaying of al-Ali and the mysterious deaths of two well-known beauty experts. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani, File)

In this Monday, Oct. 1, 2018 photo, a man reads a newspaper with the front-page news of slain former beauty queen, fashion model and social media star Tara Fares, in Baghdad, Iraq. Fares won fame in conservative, Muslim-majority Iraq with outspoken opinions on personal freedom. Last week, she was shot and killed at the wheel of her white Porsche on a busy Baghdad street. The violence reverberated across Iraq and follows the slaying of a female activist in the southern city of Basra and the mysterious deaths of two well-known beauty experts. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

In this Monday, Oct. 1, 2018 photo, human rights activist Hana Adwar speaks with The Associated Press as she follows online news of the the assassination of Tara Fares, in Baghdad, Iraq. Fares won fame in conservative, Muslim-majority Iraq with outspoken opinions on personal freedom. Last week, she was shot and killed at the wheel of her white Porsche on a busy Baghdad street. The violence reverberated across Iraq and follows the slaying of a female activist in the southern city of Basra and the mysterious deaths of two well-known beauty experts. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May told her fractured Conservative Party on Wednesday to abandon dreams of a "perfect" Brexit and back her as divorce negotiations with the European Union enter their "toughest" final phase.

May used a punchy speech to lay down a challenge to her detractors, a day after her rival Boris Johnson trashed her Brexit plan and challenged her authority with a crowd-pleasing speech of his own.

May ended the governing Conservatives' annual conference with a call for the party to show that it "delivers on the issues (voters) care about and is comfortable with modern Britain in all its diversity."

Warning party members about Brexit, she said divorce negotiations with the European Union were entering the "toughest phase" and urged Conservatives to back her plan for a future trade deal.

"If we all go off in different directions in pursuit of our own visions of the perfect Brexit, we risk ending up with no Brexit at all," she said.

She said that "leaving without a deal - introducing tariffs and costly checks at the border - would be a bad outcome for the U.K. and the EU" - though she refused to rule it out.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May dances as she arrives on stage to make her speech at the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham, England, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)

Just six months before Britain leaves on March 29, negotiations with the EU have ground to a halt and May is caught between Brexiteers like Johnson and those who want to keep close economic ties with the bloc, Britain's biggest trading partner.

The four-day conference has been dominated by divisions over Britain's impending departure from the European Union, with pro- and anti-EU camps both criticizing the prime minister's negotiations with the bloc.

Johnson, who quit as foreign secretary in July, drew cheers from 1,500 delegates on Tuesday when he called May's proposal for close post-Brexit economic ties an "outrage" that would leave Britain manacled to the EU and unable to strike new trade deals around the world.

May acknowledged that Johnson's speech had made her "cross" but said she was sticking to her Brexit blueprint, which would keep Britain aligned to many EU rules in return for remaining in the bloc's single market for goods.

She argues that her plan is the only way to avoid customs checks along the currently invisible border between the U.K.'s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland - a development that would be troublesome for residents and businesses on both sides, and could undermine Northern Ireland's peace process.

But the EU is demanding new proposals from Britain before it signs a deal - and many Conservatives are in no mood to compromise.

May has had a tough year since a disastrous 2017 conference speech, when she was her plagued by a cough and interrupted by a prankster while parts of the backdrop fell down as she was speaking.

Wednesday's speech was considerably smoother. May even poked fun at her robotic public image - cemented when her awkward dance moves on a trip to Africa went viral - by busting a move as she took the stage to Abba's "Dancing Queen."

In a nod to voters who are tired of stagnating wages and spending cuts, May said that from next year the government would end the austerity policies introduced after the 2008 global financial crisis and put more money into public services.

She painted an optimistic picture of post-Brexit Britain, saying "I passionately believe that our best days lie ahead of us and that our future is full of promise."

Her own future remains full of uncertainty. Johnson's speech was a leadership pitch in all but name, and many Conservatives expect May to face a party coup soon after Brexit day - or even before, if there is no progress toward a deal.

Conservative lawmaker James Duddridge on Wednesday called the Brexit negotiations "an absolute disaster" and said Johnson's speech had been "inspirational."

"We need a strong leader and we haven't got that at the moment," Duddridge told the BBC.

"My support for her is wearing thin to the point of being invisible."

Conservative Party Leader and Prime Minister Theresa May dances as she arrives on stage to address delegates during a speech at the Conservative Party Conference at the ICC, in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, Oct. 3 , 2018. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Anti Brexit protesters stand outside the International Convention Centre in Birmingham during the Conservative Party Conference at the ICC, in Birmingham, England, Tuesday Oct. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

British Conservative Party Member of Parliament Boris Johnson speaks at a fringe event during the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre, in Birmingham, England, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Conservative Party Leader and Prime Minister Theresa May addresses delegates during a speech at the Conservative Party Conference at the ICC, in Birmingham, England, Wednesday, Oct. 3 , 2018. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
California has become the first state to require publicly traded companies to include women on their boards of directors. The measure requires at least one female director on the board of each public corporation headquartered in California by the end of next year. By the end of 2021, the law requires to two female directors if a corporation has five directors, and three female directors if it has six or more directors.

Here's a look at how many women serve on the board of top 20 California-based companies on the Fortune 500 list:

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Source: FactSet, S&P Global Market Intelligence, corporate websites.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - The lawyer for an American pastor held in Turkey on spying and terror charges says he has petitioned Turkey's highest court for his release.

Ismail Cem Halavurt told The Associated Press he filed a Constitutional Court appeal Wednesday on behalf of Andrew Craig Brunson, who was arrested following a failed coup in 2016 and is currently under house arrest. Brunson faces up to 35 years in prison if he is convicted.

In his petition, Halavurt argued that Brunson has been unjustly held for almost two years and that there is no risk of him tampering with any evidence.

U.S President Donald Trump has demanded Brunson's release. Amid the conflict, Trump in August doubled tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum imports, which helped deepen a Turkish currency crisis.
BAGHDAD (AP) - A veteran Kurdish politician assumed office on Wednesday as Iraq's new president after tapping an independent Shiite politician for the post of prime minister, ending nearly five months of political deadlock.

Barham Salih, 58, who previously served as Iraq's planning minister and the prime minister of the self-ruled Kurdish region, was elected president by parliament and sworn in on Tuesday. He then tapped Adel Abdul-Mahdi, 76, an independent Shiite politician and former vice president, to form the next government.

Under an unofficial agreement dating back to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, Iraq's presidency - a largely ceremonial role - is held by a Kurd, while the prime minister is Shiite and the parliament speaker is Sunni. Both Salih and Abdul-Mahdi are longstanding members of the political class that has dominated Iraqi politics since then.

On Wednesday, State TV broadcast a formal handover ceremony at the presidential palace in Baghdad's Green Zone, where Salih was saluted by an honor guard and received by former President Fuad Masum.

Abdul-Mahdi emerged as a compromise candidate after two Shiite-led blocs each claimed to have majority support in parliament. He had strong backing from Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose followers won the most seats in the May elections and who formed a bloc with the current prime minister, Haider al-Abadi.

The other bloc, which is dominated by politicians and militia leaders close to Iran, initially rejected Abdul-Mahdi but then agreed to support him after Sunni and Kurdish parties rallied to his side, according to a Shiite politician who took part in the discussions. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief media.

Iraq's new President Barham Salih, center right, walks with new Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, center left, in the parliament building in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. Iraq's new president has tasked veteran Shiite politician Abdul-Mahdi with forming a new government nearly five months after national elections were held, state TV reported late Tuesday. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

The politician said Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's top Shiite cleric, had made it clear through mediators that the job of prime minister should not go to someone who had held the post before and had urged consensus.

"The opinion yesterday was to have Abdul-Mahdi tasked quickly in order not to delay the process any further," the politician said.

Abdul-Mahdi, an economist by training who comes from a prominent Shiite tribe based in southern Iraq, spent several years in exile in France, where he worked for think tanks and edited magazines in French and Arabic.

He joined Iraq's Community Party in the 1970s, but later switched to the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, an exiled opposition group established in neighboring Iran. He remained with SCIRI, which emerged as a powerful religious party after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, until the party split last year, when he became an independent.

After the invasion, he served as vice president, finance minister and oil minister.

He has 30 days to submit his cabinet to parliament for approval.

Newly elected Iraq President Barham Salih, center, leaves the parliament building in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. Iraq's parliament elected a veteran Kurdish politician as the country's new president on Tuesday, a step toward forming a new government nearly five months after national elections. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
CAIRO (AP) - An international rights group is urging Egypt to reveal the whereabouts of a rights lawyer who went missing after being detained.

An Egyptian court ordered the release of Ezzat Ghoneim and another lawyer, Azzoz Mahgoub, on Sept. 4 pending investigations, but the two have not been seen or heard from since Sept. 13.

Human Rights Watch says Wednesday Egyptian police have "forcibly disappeared" Ghoneim, who has been held since March on charges of plotting against the government.

It quotes Ghoneim's wife, Rasha, as saying that she last saw her husband in custody at al-Haram police station, south of Cairo, on Sept. 13.

Egypt's Interior Ministry did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Both Ghoneim and Mahgoub supported victims of alleged police torture, the disappeared and their families in Egypt.
HELSINKI (AP) - A Finnish icebreaker has conducted an oil spill response exercise in the Baltic Sea, testing a new, inbuilt oil recovery system - a first for an icebreaker.

The vessel, Polaris, can collect 1,400 cubic meters (49,000 cubic feet) of oil, even in harsh and icy weather conditions. The Polaris operates mainly in the Baltic but can also reach large parts of the Arctic Ocean during the summer months.

Shipping is increasingly venturing into the Arctic - for tourism, trade and in search of untapped deposits of minerals and fossil fuels - so the potential for oil spills from platforms and vessels operating in remote locations is a major cause for concern among environmentalists.

In this photo taken taken Thursday Sept. 27, 2018, the Finnish icebreaker Polaris is moored in Helsinki after an oil spill response drill testing an in-built recovery system, a first for an icebreaker. The vessel can collect 1,400 cubic meters (49,000 cubic feet) of oil, even in harsh and icy weather conditions. (AP Photo/David Keyton)

In this photo taken taken Thursday Sept. 27, 2018, Pasi Jarvelin, the master of Polaris, monitors an oil spill response drill off the coast of Helsinki from the bridge of the Finnish icebreaker Polaris. The vessel can collect 1,400 cubic meters (49,000 cubic feet) of oil, even in harsh and icy weather conditions, and is the first icebreaker with an in-built system. (AP Photo/David Keyton)

In this photo taken taken Thursday Sept. 27, 2018, staff onboard the Finnish icebreaker Polaris monitor the deployment of an oil spill recovery system, a first for an icebreaker. With the vessel positioned in the path of an oil spill, large booms trap pollutants, pushing them into hull of the ship. A skimmer with brushes then separates seawater from the oil, which is stored in large tanks. (AP Photo/David Keyton)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - The Latest on the arrest of the wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (all times local):

5 p.m.

Malaysia's anti-graft agency says the wife of former Prime Minister Najib Razak will be charged under the anti-money laundering act.

The agency says Rosmah Mansor was detained at its headquarters in the Putrajaya government administrative center about four hours after she arrived for a third round of questioning over alleged theft and money laundering at the 1MDB state investment fund.

It said in a brief statement Wednesday that Rosmah will be taken to court on Thursday to face "several charges" related to money laundering, without giving details.

Former Prime Minister Najib has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of money laundering, corruption, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust in the scandal and is to face trial next year. Rosmah was first summoned by the agency on June 5 and again on Sept. 26, when she was questioned for nearly 13 hours.

Rosmah Mansor, center, wife of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, arrives at the Anti-Corruption Agency for questioning in Putrajaya, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Rosmah is to be questioned by the country's anti-graft agency for the third time as investigators prepare possible charges against her including money laundering in the multi-billion-dollar scandal. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

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3:20 p.m.

A government official says the wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been arrested and is expected to be charged in a graft scandal involving the 1MDB state investment fund.

The official says Rosmah Mansor was arrested by the anti-graft agency on Wednesday after it questioned her for a third time over alleged theft and money laundering at the fund. The agency is expected to issue a statement soon.

Former Prime Minister Najib has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of money laundering, corruption, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust in the scandal and is to face trial next year. Rosmah was first summoned by the agency on June 5 and again on Sept. 26, when she was questioned for nearly 13 hours.

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11 a.m.

The wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is being grilled by the anti-graft agency for the third time over a massive graft scandal involving the 1MDB state investment fund.

Rosmah Mansor smiled at reporters but didn't speak as she was escorted into the agency's building. Her presence at the agency for the second time in a week fueled speculation that she could soon face criminal charges like her husband.

At the same time Wednesday, Najib turned up at the police commercial crime office, where he was summoned to answer further questions relating to the 1MDB scandal. He dodged reporters waiting for him outside the building.

Najib has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of money laundering, corruption, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust over the scandal and will face trial next year. Rosmah was first summoned by the agency on June 5 and again on Sept. 26, when she was questioned for nearly 13 hours.

Rosmah Mansor, wife of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, arrives at the Anti-Corruption Agency for questioning in Putrajaya, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. Rosmah is to be questioned by the country's anti-graft agency for the third time as investigators prepare possible charges against her including money laundering in the multi-billion-dollar scandal. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
JOHANNESBURG (AP) - South African artist Thokozani Mthiyane told dozens of children from a Brooklyn school to close their eyes and imagine "the worst scenario that you can."

Then he told his hushed audience at a Johannesburg art gallery to "find a way out," through imagined trees and sky, to "where we would like to be."

That was his enigmatic answer to a question about why he is an artist, delivered during a workshop for visiting American students from low-income families at the Ember Charter School in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Bed-Stuy is known for its African-American heritage, and the trip is a chance to expose the children to African cultures and South Africa's journey from racial tension to reconciliation.

The children also visited the Constitutional Court building, constructed in part from bricks that were originally part of a prison during white minority rule known as apartheid.

"We have an opportunity to explode their minds," said school founder Rafiq Kalam Id-Din.

Mthiyane told the dozens of children, many in their early teens, about his eclectic influences - artists Mark Rothko and Jean-Michel Basquiat, poet Langston Hughes - and encouraged them to find inspiration within themselves.

A girl from the Ember Charter School in Brooklyn, N.Y. draws her own face during an art workshop in Johannesburg on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Dozens of students from a Brooklyn charter school are visiting South Africa to explore African cultures and South Africa's journey from racial tension to reconciliation. (AP Photo/Christopher Torchia)

"How do you feel?" he asked after a drawing exercise.

"It made me feel excited to see what the outcome would be," one student said to applause.

A student asked: "Did you live through apartheid and if so, what was that like?"

Yes, Mthiyane replied. He said the system that ended in 1994 with all-race elections made him ask "taboo" questions about why it existed.

Apartheid, he said, was bad not just for the people it ostracized but also for "the person who's exercising that power over you."

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Follow Christopher Torchia on Twitter at www.twitter.com/torchiachris
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - The United Nations' highest court has ordered the United States to lift sanctions on Iran that affect imports of humanitarian goods and products and services linked to the safety of civil aviation.

President Donald Trump moved to restore tough U.S. sanctions in May after withdrawing from Tehran's nuclear accord with world powers. Iran challenged the sanctions in a case filed in July at the International Court of Justice.

In a preliminary ruling in the case, the court said Wednesday that Washington must "remove, by means of its choosing, any impediments arising from" the re-imposition of sanctions to the export to Iran of medicine and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities and spare parts and equipment necessary to ensure the safety of civil aviation.

The U.S. is expected to challenge the court's jurisdiction in a future hearing.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - At least nine Afghan police officers were killed in attacks by insurgents on checkpoints in three different parts of the country, provincial officials said Wednesday.

Wali Ahmad Sarih, police spokesman in southern Nimroz province, said Taliban fighters attacked a checkpoint late Tuesday, killing four police and wounding two others. He said four insurgents were killed and six wounded in the ensuing gunbattle.

Aziz Ahmad Azizi, spokesman for the governor of southern Kandahar province, reported a similar attack in which the Taliban killed three police and wounded six, also late Tuesday.

Meanwhile, in another attack carried out by insurgents in northern Faryab province, two policemen were killed and two others wounded, said Karim Yuresh, spokesman for the provincial police chief.

Yuresh said Taliban fighters targeted a police checkpoint Tuesday night and the ensuing battle continued till early Wednesday in the Khoja Sabezposh district. Six Taliban insurgents were killed and around 10 others were wounded in the fighting, he said.

The Taliban, who have seized districts across Afghanistan and carry out near-daily attacks, claimed the assault in Kandahar and Faryab, and are known to be active in Nimroz province.
GAUHATI, India (AP) - Indian police say they plan to send seven Rohingya Muslims back to Myanmar, in the first deportation of members of the Myanmar minority group since the Home Ministry ordered state authorities last year to identify and deport them and other illegal immigrants.

Senior police officer Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta says the seven were arrested in 2012 for entering India illegally and have been held in an Assam state prison.

Mahanta said the seven are likely to be handed over to Myanmar border guards on Thursday.

An estimated 40,000 Rohingya have taken refuge in various parts of India. Less than 15,000 are registered with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

About 700,000 other Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh to escape a brutal campaign of violence by Myanmar's military.
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Hugh Jackman and Emily Blunt are among the stars being awarded at the 21st annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival.

The Savannah Morning News reports that Jackman will receive the Savannah College of Art and Design festival's Legend of Cinema Award; Blunt, its Icon Award.

Also being recognized are Maggie Gyllenhaal with the Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award for Acting and Producing; Armie Hammer with the Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award; Stephan James and KiKi Layne, the Discovery Award; John Krasinski, the Vanguard Award; Shailene Woodley, the Spotlight Award; and Amandla Stenberg with the Rising Star Award.

A total of 164 films, including 33 narrative films, 16 documentary films and 115 shorts, will be screened from Oct. 27 through Nov. 3 in what SCAD calls the nation's largest university-run film festival.

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Information from: Savannah Morning News, http://www.savannahnow.com
ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Greek banking shares are down sharply amid investor fears over lenders' needs to reduce their large stock of bad loans resulting from the financial crisis.

The index of bank stocks was down 10 percent in Athens on Wednesday. Piraeus Bank led the losses, at about 27 percent, after reports said it and the National Bank of Greece have pledged to reduce their bad loans more aggressively in coming years. Reducing bad loans can mean writing off assets and booking losses.

On average, over four out of ten loans issued by Greece's banks are soured.

Greek banks needed to be propped up with money from Greece's bailout loans since 2010. On Monday, the government lifted restrictions on bank withdrawals imposed in 2015.
By Trend





The Export Promotion Fund for Small Businesses and Private Entrepreneurship under the National Bank of Uzbekistan has registered its representative office in India, UzDaily.uz reported.

The representative office of the fund will conduct marketing research and find foreign partners.

The representative office of the fund will promote the brands of Uzbekistan and organize the participation of entrepreneurs of Uzbekistan in international exhibitions, fairs, tenders and other events.

The representative office will assist in obtaining international certificates, licenses and other permits.

The representative office of the fund has already assisted Ozbekiston Shampani company to conclude a contract with the Indian ADITYA EXPORTS LTD. company in the amount of $1 million.

The Uzbek company will begin deliveries of wine products to India from December 2018.
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) - The Latest on British Prime Minister Theresa May's speech at her party's annual conference (all times local):

1 p.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May says her Conservative government plans to scrap years of cost-cutting austerity policies introduced after the 2008 global financial crisis.

May says that government debt- and deficit-cutting policies have worked, but after a decade of stagnating wages and spending cuts, "the British people need to know that the end is in sight."

She told the Conservative Party conference on Wednesday that next year, after Britain leaves the European Union in March, "we will set out our approach for the future," with spending on public services going up.

May said "a decade after the financial crash, people need to know that the austerity it led to is over."

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip May arrive at the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham, central England, Wednesday Oct. 3, 2018. (Aaron Chown/PA via AP)

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12:40 p.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May says divorce negotiations with the European Union are entering the "toughest phase" as she urged her divided Conservative Party to stop bickering over Brexit and back her plan for a future trade deal.

Addressing the annual party conference a day after her rival Boris Johnson attacked her Brexit plan, she said Britain's proposals are "very challenging for the EU."

She warned critics who want a harder break with the bloc that "if we all go off in different directions in pursuit of our own visions of the perfect Brexit, we risk ending up with no Brexit at all."

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12:30 p.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May says leaving the European Union without a divorce deal would be "tough at first" for Britain, and "a bad outcome" for both sides.

May is urging her fractious Conservative Party to unite and help her seal a deal with the bloc.

With just six months to go until Britain leaves the bloc on March 29, talks are stalled and a powerful pro-Brexit faction in May's party is urging her to be tough and, if need be, walk away without a deal.

In a speech to the party's annual conference Wednesday, she says "leaving without a deal - introducing tariffs and costly checks at the border - would be a bad outcome for the U.K. and the EU" - though she refused to rule it out.

She says it would be tough at first but Britain's "resilience and ingenuity" would see it through.

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9:10 a.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May is urging her fractured Conservative Party on Wednesday to unite behind "decent, moderate and patriotic" policies, a day after her rival Boris Johnson trashed her Brexit plan and challenged her authority with a crowd-pleasing speech of his own.

May is ending the governing Conservatives' annual conference with a call for the party to show that it "delivers on the issues (voters) care about and is comfortable with modern Britain in all its diversity."

The four-day conference has been dominated by divisions over Britain's impending departure from the European Union, with pro- and anti-EU camps both criticizing the prime minister's negotiations with the bloc.

Just six months before Britain leaves on March 29, negotiations with the EU have ground to a halt and May is caught between Brexiteers like Johnson and those who want to keep close economic ties with the bloc, Britain's biggest trading partner.

Johnson, who quit as foreign secretary in July, drew cheers from 1,500 delegates on Tuesday when he called May's proposal for close post-Brexit economic ties an "outrage."

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May dances as she arrives on stage to make her speech at the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham, England, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham, central England, Tuesday Oct. 2, 2018. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)

Anti Brexit protesters stand outside the International Convention Centre in Birmingham during the Conservative Party Conference at the ICC, in Birmingham, England, Tuesday Oct. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
LONDON (AP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May arrived on stage at the Conservative Party conference to the strains of ABBA's "Dancing Queen," taking a spin around and having a brief laugh at her own expense before a key speech.

May awkwardly pumped her arms in the air Wednesday, poking a bit of fun at herself as she showed off her very limited dance moves - a nod to her much-mocked boogie during a trip to Africa earlier this year.

The Conservative Party crowd in Birmingham roared and cheered.

May also joked about her disastrous speech to the conference last year, in which she couldn't stop coughing and a sign fell behind her. But she quickly switched to a somber tone, taking on the task of staying in power in light of her troubled Brexit policy.
BERLIN (AP) - Germany's top diplomat is launching a yearlong, multimillion-dollar publicity campaign to woo Americans, as Berlin tries to figure out its rocky relationship with the Trump administration.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived in Washington for talks Wednesday with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during which they'll discuss the nuclear deal with Iran and relations with Russia.

Germany and the United States have clashed on those and other issues in recent months, straining the two nations' traditionally good ties to the point where Maas has called for Berlin to "reposition" itself.

While taking a more assertive diplomatic tone in Washington, Maas will also be kicking off a charm offensive, called "Wunderbar Together," that's aimed at winning over regular Americans with hundreds of Germany-focused events across the United States.
BEIRUT (AP) - President Bashar Assad has told a little-known Kuwaiti newspaper that Syria has reached a "major understanding" with other Arab states after years of hostility over the country's civil war.

The interview in the Al-Shahed newspaper, published Wednesday, was Assad's first with a Gulf newspaper since the war began in 2011.

He does not name the Arab countries, but says Arab and Western delegations have begun visiting Syria to prepare for the reopening of diplomatic and other missions.

Syria's membership in the 22-member Arab League was suspended in the early days of the war, and Arab countries later imposed economic sanctions.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have supported opposition groups fighting to overthrow Assad.
WASHINGTON (AP) - North Korea's nuclear and missile tests have stopped, but its hacking operations to gather intelligence and raise funds for the sanction-strapped government in Pyongyang may be gathering steam.

U.S. security firm FireEye is raising the alarm over a North Korean group it says has stolen hundreds of millions of dollars by infiltrating the computer systems of banks around the world since 2014. It says the group is still operating and poses "an active global threat."

That is part of a wider pattern of malicious state-backed cyber activity that has led the U.S. to identify North Korea as one of its main online threats.

Last month, the Justice Department charged a North Korean hacker said to have conspired in cyberattacks, including against Bangladesh's central bank.

North Korea has denied involvement in cyberattacks.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A group of Tennessee publishers and broadcasters is asking the state Supreme Court to overturn precedent and strengthen protections for the press.

The request comes in a defamation case against Nashville television reporter Phil Williams. At issue is whether accurately reporting on a court case protects Williams from prosecution.

Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk claims Williams' defamed him by reporting that Funk was accused in a lawsuit of soliciting bribes.

Williams' attorneys argue he's protected by Tennessee's fair report privilege.

In filings with the Tennessee Supreme Court, Funk says the privilege does not apply if Williams' motives were malicious.

The Associated Press and other media have filed a brief arguing Funk's interpretation is inconsistent with the First Amendment.

The Tennessee Supreme Court hears arguments Thursday.
BEIRUT (AP) - The Latest on the Syrian conflict (all times local):

10:55 p.m.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has strongly urged the EU to help rebuild Syria.

Speaking after Wednesday's talks with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in St. Petersburg, Putin called for international assistance on reconstruction efforts, arguing that it would encourage refugees to return to their homes.

Around half of Syria's pre-war population of 23 million has been uprooted - nearly 6 million fled abroad, while 6.6 million are displaced within Syria - and entire cities lay in ruins.

Russia helped turn the tide of the seven-year war in Syrian President Bashar Assad's favor and pushed the West to help with reconstruction. Putin criticized the Western reluctance to provide assistance to areas under Assad's control, arguing that "people shouldn't suffer just because they live on a territory under control of certain political forces."

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his meeting with Austria's Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in the State Hermitage museum in St.Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, Pool)

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10:20 p.m.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin says a deal with Turkey to set up a demilitarized zone in Syria's Idlib province is being successfully implemented, making any large-scale military operations unnecessary.

The Turkey-Russia deal reached last month calls for the removal of all members of Syrian radical groups and heavy weapons from a demilitarized zone in Idlib to be established by Oct. 15. That zone will be 15-20 kilometers (9-12 miles) deep, with troops from Russia and NATO-member Turkey conducting joint patrols.

Putin, speaking Wednesday after talks with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in St. Petersburg, said the deal is being successfully enforced with Turkey persuading the radical groups to leave the area. He added that the successful implementation of the deal means that "there will be no large-scale combat action.

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3:10 p.m.

President Vladimir Putin says Russian troops will leave Syria when the war is over if the Syrian government asks them to.

Russia entered the Syrian civil war in 2015 to back its longtime ally President Bashar Assad, helping the government retake most of the territory held by rebels. Russia currently operates an air base and a naval base in Syria.

The Kremlin has criticized U.S. military involvement in Syria, saying it is not authorized by the United Nations or by the Syrian government.

Speaking at an energy conference in Moscow, Putin said that all foreign troops should leave Syria when hostilities cease. Asked if Russia would be willing to leave as well, Putin said Russia would withdraw its troops if the Syrian government asks it to.

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3 p.m.

President Bashar Assad has told a little-known Kuwaiti newspaper that Syria has reached a "major understanding" with other Arab states after years of hostility over the country's civil war.

The interview in the Al-Shahed newspaper, published Wednesday, was Assad's first with a Gulf newspaper since the war began in 2011.

He does not name the Arab countries, but says Arab and Western delegations have begun visiting Syria to prepare for the reopening of diplomatic and other missions.

Syria's membership in the 22-member Arab League was suspended in the early days of the war, and Arab countries later imposed economic sanctions.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have supported opposition groups fighting to overthrow Assad.
CAIRO (AP) - The U.N. children's agency has suspended cash transfers to 9 million of Yemen's most impoverished citizens.

UNICEF says the decision, which entered into effect Wednesday, came after it was unable to set up a call center to get feedback from beneficiaries, without providing further details.

Two individuals familiar with the program say the Houthi rebels who control northern Yemen hindered the launch of the call center because they feared it might reveal their manipulation of the cash transfers. The two spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals from the rebels.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition since March 2015. The rebels have repeatedly been accused of diverting aid to their supporters.
MADRID (AP) - Spain's Supreme Court has confirmed a 4-year prison sentence for former International Monetary Fund head Rodrigo Rato for misusing a Spanish bank's corporate credit card.

A judge of the lower court will now need to order the imprisonment in the next few days of Rato, who was IMF chief from 2004 to 2007 and previously a leading figure in Spain's conservative Popular Party and Spanish economy minister.

The National Court last year convicted Rato of unlawful misappropriation of funds during his 2010-12 leadership of Bankia, a bank that was later bailed out.

Rato had denied that the credit cards were used for irregular and undeclared expenses.

Rato received the severest sentence among the 64 defendants in the case.
CHICAGO (AP) - Illinois Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, battling to keep his job, attacked Democrat J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday as a "trust fund baby" and a tax cheat who "represents everything that's wrong in Illinois."

Pritzker accused Rauner of being slow to act after he learned a suburban Chicago company where he once had a business interest was emitting cancer-causing gas, and of covering up a deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak at a western Illinois veterans' home.

"For three years he failed to protect them," Pritzker said. "Fourteen people died."

The candidates met for their first two-way debate as polls show Pritzker with a sizable lead over the first-term incumbent . The gubernatorial race pits Rauner, a multimillionaire former businessman, against Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune. Together they've put roughly $200 million into their campaigns, and the contest could set a new record for spending in a U.S. governor's race.

Wednesday's debate at ABC7 Chicago started shortly after a spokeswoman for Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan said the office has launched a criminal investigation of how Rauner's administration handled the Legionnaires' crisis at the veterans' home in Quincy.

The investigation includes whether residents, their families and staff were informed of the outbreak in a timely manner. Emails obtained by WBEZ Chicago show officials in Rauner's office opted to hold off from making a public statement in 2015 even after more than a dozen people had become ill.

Gubernatorial candidates left, republican incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner, and right, democratic challenger JB. Pritzker, before their televised debate at the ABC 7 studios, in Chicago, on Wednesday Oct. 3, 2018. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool)

Rauner insisted there was no deliberate attempt to hide what was happening, saying "we took action immediately to protect our veterans." He said his team needed to get all the facts and ensure there was "no panic or misinformation put out."

He attacked Pritzker for ripping the toilets out of a home to get a $330,000 property tax break - a move the Cook County inspector general recently called a "scheme to defraud taxpayers." Rauner said it was corrupt and "may involve criminal behavior."

"This is the fundamental self-dealing that's rotted our state at its core," Rauner said.

Pritzker said he's repaying the money and that the confidential report was leaked for political purposes.

Rauner also worked to distinguish his wealth and background from Pritzker's, noting several times that the Democrat inherited his fortune, while he was a "middle-class kid" who worked his way through school and built his own wealth.

"He is trying to buy political office," Rauner said. "He's trying to buy the governorship to be something for the first time in his life because if he wasn't a trust fund baby, he would be nothing."

Pritzker noted Rauner swamped Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn in campaign spending during their 2014 race, spending millions of his personal fortune to help him win in a state that typically elects Democrats to statewide office.

Rauner has put more than $50 million into his campaign fund for the November election. Pritzker has given his campaign more than $146 million.

The Democrat said "it's worth it" to wrest control of the state from Rauner, under whose leadership Illinois endured a roughly two-year state budget impasse that devastated social services and higher education, and almost led the state to a "junk" credit rating.

Rauner acknowledged he clashed with Democrats who lead the Legislature and was unable to achieve most of his pro-business agenda.

"It's been hard," he said. "I'm asking you to help me finish the job."

Conservative Party candidate and state Sen. Sam McCann and Libertarian Grayson "Kash" Jackson also are on the November ballot but weren't allowed to participate Wednesday because they didn't reach a 10 percent polling threshold set by the debate hosts.

The debate was sponsored by ABC7, the Illinois League of Women Voters and Univision.

Gubernatorial candidates left, republican incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner, and right, democratic challenger JB. Pritzker, before their televised debate at the ABC 7 studios, at 190 N. State St., in Chicago, on Wednesday Oct. 3, 2018. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool)

Gov. Bruce Rauner, before the start of a debate with democratic gubernatorial challenger J.B. Pritzker, at the ABC 7 studios, in Chicago, on Wednesday Oct. 3, 2018. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool)
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Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting Oct. 3 devoted to the analysis of the state of affairs in the electric power industry, as well as defining additional measures for the industrys development, Uzbek media reported.

The electric power industry is a locomotive of the economy, it is impossible to imagine socioeconomic development and our life as a whole without it, said Shavkat Mirziyoyev. In our country there are capacities for generating a total of 14,000 megawatts of energy, 86 percent of which accounts for thermal power plants.

However, 84 percent of the capacities of thermal power plants were commissioned almost half a century ago, and the existing capacities are used only by 83 percent. If in developed countries, 240-260 grams of fuel is consumed to produce 1 kilowatt of energy, fuel is consumed twice as much at some power plants in Uzbekistan.

Special attention at the meeting was paid to the fact that presently, the share of electrical grids with a service life of more than 30 years is 62 percent, 57 percent of the lines on power distribution networks and 39,600 transformers need to be updated.

In accordance with the program designed for 20172021, this year it is required to modernize 34,000 kilometers of power lines and 7,000 transformers, and in 2019 it is required to modernize 7,000 kilometers of power lines and 2,000 transformers.

In this regard, the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan, the ministries of finance and economy, as well as Uzbekenergo JSC were instructed to provide sources of stable funding for the events envisaged in the program.
MILAN (AP) - Venice's mayor wants to make example of four university students who were captured on camera vandalizing a landmark lion statue by making them do community service.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said Wednesday that the city of Venice was demanding an apology from the four for painting the lion's eyes red. Brugnaro was quoted by ANSA as saying that acts of vandalism have become common in cities and that he wanted to send the message to copycats that "they will be caught and they will be made an example of."

The vandals stuck one of two red marble lions that stand guard on the side of St. Mark's Basilica last week. Police said that video cameras captured them in the act.
BEIRUT (AP) - A prominent rights group Wednesday called on Lebanese authorities to amend a nearly 100-year-old law that discriminates against Lebanese women married to foreigners, denying their children citizenship.

Human Rights Watch's deputy Middle East director Lama Fakih said the 1925 law has "caused untold hardship" for thousands of families, such as denying kids and spouses national health insurance, limiting access to jobs and requiring them to apply for residency every 12 to 36 months.

A Lebanese father married to a foreigner can give his children his nationality, and so can a Lebanese mother with a child of unknown paternity, but not a Lebanese woman married to a foreigner. This also leaves many at risk of being stateless, the New York-based organization said.

Continuous campaigning to amend the law has resulted in some steps allowing children and foreign spouses of Lebanese mothers access to work and public education. But the work permits for professions reserved for Lebanese citizens are discretionary and Lebanese children have priority in enrolling in schools.

The government in 2013 accepted a proposal to grant some privileges to people born to Lebanese mothers but didn't amend the law. HRW said since then the government has prioritized citizenship for those living outside the country over children and spouses of Lebanese women living in Lebanon. In 2015, the government passed a law granting citizenship to members of the Lebanese diaspora, again excluding the descendants of Lebanese women.

"Recent steps to provide access to basic rights like education and work to the children and spouses of Lebanese women are steps in the right direction, but confusing and piecemeal measures are no substitute for equal citizenship," Fakih said.

Many children born to Lebanese mothers know no other home and some have even competed in international competitions representing Lebanon, yet they are still considered foreigners.

Rochana Atmeh, the Lebanese mother of an 8-year-old girl born to a Swedish father, said the family almost missed an Abacus competition in South Africa because the airline stopped them and asked for an English translation of the girl's birth certificate. Issued in Lebanon in Arabic for her Swedish daughter, the document is the only proof Atmeh is her mother.

After tears and searching, a translator came through at midnight to help with the documents and Atmeh and her daughter Jennifer Maria Hektor made it to Johannesburg, where she won first-runner up in her category.

It is a typical experience but this time it almost cost the daughter her prize.

"She's born in Lebanon. She lives in Lebanon with a residency and every three years I have to apply for residency. Nothing on her passport says I am her mother," Atmeh said.

Hektor was photographed with the Lebanese flag in Johannesburg. The Lebanese team won more than 50 places of the 300 competitors and a row broke out at the airport welcoming the team back in Beirut.

"When she was asked (as a winner) where she was from, she said she was Swedish but loves Lebanon," Atmeh said.

Lebanon is behind other countries in the region, including Algeria, Egypt and Yemen, who provide equal citizenship rights to the children of both men and women.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Pakistan's top diplomat is urging the Trump administration's envoy for reconciliation in neighboring Afghanistan to be more sensitive to Pakistani opinion than he has been as a private citizen.

The recent appointment of veteran U.S. diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad has raised hackles in Pakistan. Khalilzad is a former ambassador to Afghanistan. He's previously called on the U.S. to declare Pakistan a terrorist state unless it stops harboring insurgents.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a Washington think tank on Wednesday that there's been a negative reaction in the Pakistani press to the appointment because Khalilzad "has made statements in the past which have not been, to put it mildly, very friendly to Pakistan."

Qureshi says that to be seen as an "honest broker" the envoy needs to be more restrained.
PALU, Indonesia (AP) - The Latest on the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia (all times local):

1:15 a.m.

Indonesia's disaster agency says the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami that struck central Sulawesi island a week ago has surged past 1,500.

The agency, which earlier Thursday says the death toll was 1,424, updated the number of dead to 1,558 on Twitter later the same day.

The disasters struck Palu and surrounding districts in Central Sulawesi province last Friday.

8.15 p.m.

Indonesian military personnel distribute relief aid at the Mutiara Sis Al-Jufri airport to evacuate the earthquake and tsunami-damaged city of Palu, Central Sulawesi Indonesia, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018. Life is on hold for thousands living in tents and shelters in the Indonesian city hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, unsure when they'll be able to rebuild and spending hours each day often futilely trying to secure necessities such as fuel for generators. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A French rescue worker says his team, using high-tech scanners, has detected a person believed to be still alive under the rubble of a hotel in the Indonesian city of Palu, nearly a week after it was struck by a powerful earthquake and tsunami.

Philip Besson, a member of the French organization Pompiers de l'urgence, said the team "detected the presence of a victim" in the wreckage of the Mercure Hotel but wasn't able to say if the person is conscious.

Besson said the team was unable to reach the victim, who was trapped under thick concrete. The team only had a hand drill and stopped digging as night fell. Besson said it will bring heavy equipment early Friday to try and rescue the person.

More than 1,400 people were killed in last Friday's earthquake and tsunami.

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7.45 p.m.

Indonesian national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says the body of a South Korean missing since last Friday's earthquake and tsunami in central Sulawesi has been found.

Local television reported that rescuers pulled out the bodies of the South Korean and an Indonesian from under the wreckage of the Roa Roa Hotel in the city of Palu, where most of the 1,424 deaths have been. The report said the two were paragliding athletes taking part in an event in the area.

Nugroho confirmed that rescuers found the body of the South Korean, making him the only foreigner known to have perished in the disaster. He earlier said that 120 foreigners were reported to be in the disaster-struck zone, but 119 have been rescued and evacuated.

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6.30 p.m.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi says military transport aircraft from India and Singapore have arrived to help in relief efforts in central Sulawesi, which was hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami.

Marsudi says 18 countries have offered help, and agreements have been reached with some of them. She told reporters that the government is still working out arrangements with other countries including Japan and the U.S.

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said 11 transport aircraft have been pledged, including two each from Singapore, South Korea, the U.K. and Malaysia, and one from India. He said Japan and Qatar are waiting for clearance to send planes.

He said the aircraft will be used to transport supplies and evacuate victims.

More than 1,400 people were killed in last Friday's earthquake and tsunami.

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3 p.m.

Australia's first delivery of urgent supplies will arrive soon in Indonesia to help up to 10,000 people displaced by the earthquake and tsunami.

Royal Australian Air Force Capt. Bryan Parker says the military transport plane will reach central Sulawesi late Thursday from Darwin.

The plane was loaded with what he described as family kits - clothing, bedding, food-making equipment, tarpaulins and tools for building shelters.

Parker says Australian officials are ready to help the Indonesians transfer the aid further in the disaster zone. He says how many plane loads of aid fly from Darwin will depend on future Indonesian requests for help.

The aid is part of a $3.6 million relief commitment, including more than 50 medical professionals, that Australia made on Wednesday.

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2:45 p.m.

Indonesia's disaster agency says the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami that struck a central island last week has increased slightly to 1,424.

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho provided the updated figure Thursday at a news conference in Jakarta.

The disasters struck Palu and surrounding districts in Central Sulawesi province last Friday.

Nugroho said other victims still are buried in the mud and debris and have not yet been recovered.

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2 p.m.

Indonesian police say 92 people have been arrested for looting goods in areas devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in Central Sulawesi province.

National police Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo said Thursday security will be increased to ensure law and order in Palu, the largest city in the disaster zone.

Local television reported the 92 people detained were caught with goods including motor oil, tires, ceramic tiles, and farming equipment. They were from Palu and the surrounding districts struck by the disasters last Friday.

Aid has been slow to reach survivors, and desperate villagers have stormed into shops to grab food supplies. Authorities have said villagers should only take food and that shops can be compensated later.

Prasetyo noted that the president has encouraged economic activities to restart but that businesses can't do that without security.

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1 p.m.

An airport damaged by the earthquake in central Indonesia is expected to re-open to civilian traffic later Thursday.

Indonesian officials expect Palu's airport to re-open later in the day as the Indonesian military is bringing in more troops to assist with security and the search effort.

Lt. Col. Agus Hariyanto said 100 marines landed Thursday at Palu airport and 200 more were on their way. The military planes are also being used to evacuate injured people and other survivors from Palu, the biggest city in the earthquake-hit region.

Several non-governmental groups were also arriving. Taiwan's Tzu Chi Foundation sent a 10-person team consisting of doctors and nurses from Jakarta with more to arrive later. They will help evacuate several injured patients waiting at the airport.

Among those leaving are a group of students attending an Islamic competition in the Sumatran city of Medan. Fitriani, a student from Palu who goes by one name, said his group survived the disaster but wasn't sure they could attend the competition until they were told they could board the military plane.

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10 a.m.

Life is on hold for thousands living in tents and shelters in the Indonesian city hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami.

They are unsure when they'll be able to rebuild and spend hours each day often futilely trying to secure necessities such as fuel for generators.

Residents whose homes had been destroyed had little but uncertainty on the seventh day since the disasters. But they also had hope more aid would pour into the city of Palu and the surrounding Donggala district on the island of Sulawesi.

The official toll has surpassed 1,400 deaths with thousands injured and 70,000 residents displaced. The death toll was expected to increase, but officials said rescue crews had reached all affected areas.

The U.N. announced a $15 million allocation to bolster relief efforts.

Indonesian military personnel help distribute relief aid at the Mutiara Sis Al-Jufri airport to evacuate the earthquake and tsunami-damaged city of Palu, Central Sulawesi Indonesia, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018. Life is on hold for thousands living in tents and shelters in the Indonesian city hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, unsure when they'll be able to rebuild and spending hours each day often futilely trying to secure necessities such as fuel for generators. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A man walks past remains of cars that were destroyed in the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018. Life is on hold for thousands living in tents and shelters in the Indonesian city hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, unsure when they'll be able to rebuild and spending hours each day often futilely trying to secure necessities such as fuel for generators. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A man walks past the remains of structures at a park after it was destroyed in the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018. Life is on hold for thousands living in tents and shelters in the Indonesian city hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, unsure when they'll be able to rebuild and spending hours each day often futilely trying to secure necessities such as fuel for generators. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A child eats some breakfast at a temporary shelter in Palu, Central Sulawesi Indonesia, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018. Life is on hold for thousands living in tents and shelters in the Indonesian city hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, unsure when they'll be able to rebuild and spending hours each day often futilely trying to secure necessities such as fuel for generators. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A girl fills water jugs at a temporary shelter in Palu, Central Sulawesi Indonesia, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018. Life is on hold for thousands living in tents and shelters in the Indonesian city hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, unsure when they'll be able to rebuild and spending hours each day often futilely trying to secure necessities such as fuel for generators. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A boy sleeps inside a tent at a temporary shelter in Palu, Central Sulawesi Indonesia, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018. Life is on hold for thousands living in tents and shelters in the Indonesian city hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, unsure when they'll be able to rebuild and spending hours each day often futilely trying to secure necessities such as fuel for generators. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - A 51-year-old Russian parliamentary official who is held in Norway suspected of spying for Russia has had his pre-trial detention extended for two more weeks.

Mikhail Bochkarev was arrested last month after attending a conference at Norway's Parliament on strengthening cooperation between Europe's parliamentary administrations. Moscow strongly denied the charges, calling it an example of "spy mania around Russia" and demanded his release.

An Oslo court ruled Thursday that he should continue to be detained based on evidence presented by Norway's intelligence service. No details were released.

Bochkarev has denied any wrongdoing and immediately appealed the ruling.

Norwegian media have reported that the man is a Russian parliamentary IT adviser whose behavior at the two-day conference prompted parliamentary officials to contact PST.
MOSCOW (AP) - A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

The Soyuz MS-08 carrying Russia's Oleg Artemyev and NASA's Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold touched down at 5.44 p.m. Kazakh time (1144 GMT).

The two Americans ventured outside the space station for three space walks to carry out maintenance during their 197-day stay at the orbiting lab. Artemyev conducted one spacewalk together with a fellow Russian.

A NASA astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut are due to launch next week to join three astronauts who remain in the orbit.

U.S. astronaut Richard Arnold, gestures while smiling shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)

A Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule lands about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)

A Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule lands about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)

A rescue helicopter lands next to a Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule upon its landed about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)

Ground personnel carry U.S. astronaut Andrew Feustel shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)

Ground personnel carry Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev speaks on the phone shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. astronaut Andrew Feustel rests shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-08 space capsule about 150 km (80 miles) south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 . A Russian space capsule with three men onboard has safely landed in a barren steppe in Kazakhstan after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)
The parents of a teenager who died after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret A Manger sandwich said companies should not wait for a law change on food labelling before doing the right thing.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, from Fulham, south-west London, collapsed on board a flight in July 2016 after eating an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette she had bought at Heathrow Airport.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said the Government will look at companies responsibilities in relation to food labelling, while Environment Secretary Michael Gove said he had instructed civil servants to investigate a law change after the teenagers death highlighted the importance of acting urgently.

Family handout photo of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, with her brother Alex and parents Nadim and Tanya (Family handout/PA)

Natashas parents say, while they welcome the Governments efforts, food companies should not wait.

Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse said: We see that yet another day has dawned without any commitment from Pret to label individual products with allergen warnings.

We welcome the Governments efforts but food companies should not wait for a bad law to be changed before doing the right thing.

In a statement, a Pret spokesman said Pret is committed to leading the changes required across our industry.

The coroner at Natashas inquest last week said she died of anaphylaxis after eating the Pret sandwich containing sesame, which she was allergic to.

Asked whether the Government would bring in a Natashas law to try to prevent further deaths of this kind, Mrs May told BBC1s Breakfast: Obviously, this was an absolutely tragic case and our thoughts are with her family and friends over what happened.

We have obviously to look at this issue, we have to look at the responsibility of individual companies as well.

This is something that has been an absolute tragedy and our sympathies and condolences are with her family and friends.

Mr Ednan-Laperouse said she died because of inadequate food labelling laws, and joined the rest of her family in calling for a change in the law to save lives.

Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, with their son Alex (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Mr Gove said the family was absolutely right to say the law needs to be changed, and added: I think their case is compelling and we need to act quickly in order to ensure that we have the best possible protection in place.

Currently, non-prepackaged foods do not have to a have a specific allergen label attached.

Jill Paterson, of law firm Leigh Day, who represents the Ednan-Laperouse family, said: We continue to work with Natashas family to explore their legal options to make Natashas Law a reality and ensure a lasting legacy for Natasha.

We are pleased that the Government has taken note of this tragic case and has vowed to make change, we hope that they follow through with this promise and make the changes swiftly and decisively to prevent any other family having to suffer as Natashas family did.

We believe that it is important that allergy sufferers be involved in any consultation, not just industry.

When its a matter of life or death, everyone should be able to have confidence that they know what allergens are in the food that they buy.

Pret said: We are deeply sorry for Natashas death and cannot begin to comprehend the pain her family have gone through and the grief they continue to feel.

We have heard everything the Coroner and Natashas family have said this week and we are committed to leading the changes required across our industry.

Pret has always operated in accordance with UK laws relating to food labelling. Clearly, these laws are inadequate for severe allergy sufferers.
The Scottish Government has been urged to publish its plans to cut delayed discharges in hospital as official figures revealed the problem is increasing.

Statistics show a 15% year-on-year increase in the number of patients well enough to be discharged but unable to leave due to health and social care reasons, such as a care package not being in place.

At the August census point 1,165 (75%) patients with delayed discharge, also known as bed blocking, were for health and social care reasons, up from 1,015 at the same time last year and 1,100 the previous month.

More than a fifth, 263 (22%) were due to complex needs and 36 (3%) for patient and family-related reasons.

A total of 43,913 days were spent in hospital due to delayed discharge in August, up 5% on the same month the previous year.

When patients are trapped in hospital, sometimes for hundreds of nights on end, their condition can worsen and opportunities to rebuild their lives are lost, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said.

Delayed hospital discharges have risen, new figures show (Peter Byrne/PA)

That is why the Health Secretary should set out the Scottish Governments plans for reducing avoidable delayed discharges and the progress they expect to be made tackling it over the coming months.

The Scottish Greens are calling for Scottish Ministers to speed up action on social care staffing, including boosting pay to aid worker recruitment and retention.

The partys health spokeswoman Alison Johnstone said: Too many people are stuck in hospital waiting for a care package, home or transport adaptation, or place in a care home, causing them and their families added stress.

The Scottish Government is moving too slowly on the integration of health and social care, and needs to speed up action to tackle the lack of staff, which the Tories Brexit crisis isnt helping.
Boris Johnson has denounced Theresa Mays Chequers plan for EU withdrawal as an outrage that would leave the UK locked in the tractor beam of Brussels.

In an explosive intervention at the Conservative conference in Birmingham, the former foreign secretary warned that the only winners from a Chequers-style Brexit would be the far-right and far-left in British politics.

And he urged Tory delegates to persuade the Prime Minister to chuck Chequers and return to the hard Brexit blueprint she first set out in her Lancaster House speech, when she said she would take the UK out of the customs union, single market and jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

Speaking on the fringe of the conference, the former foreign secretary  who quit Mrs Mays Cabinet in July in protest at the Chequers plan  won an enthusiastic reaction on a scale not seen so far inside the main hall.

Mr Johnson even won loud applause when he suggested that the PM risked being prosecuted under a 14th century law saying that no foreign court or government shall have jurisdiction in this country.

Stanley Johnson and Rachel Johnson prepare to watch Boris speak (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

He rejected as total fantasy the idea that it would be possible to bodge Brexit now and then negotiate a better deal after leaving in March 2019.

And he warned that if a deal based on Chequers was agreed with the EU, it would embolden those calling for a second referendum  something he said would be disastrous for trust in politics.

Mr Johnson said that Mrs Mays blueprint  which ties Britain to a common rulebook with the EU for trade in goods  would be politically humiliating for a 2 trillion economy and would prevent the UK from making its own laws and subject it to the directives of Brussels.

This is not pragmatic, it is not a compromise. It is dangerous and unstable  politically and economically, he said.

Mr Johnson urged Mrs May to go ahead with her original plan (Victoria Jones/PA)

My fellow Conservatives, this is not democracy. This is not what we voted for. This is an outrage.

This is not taking back control: this is forfeiting control.

And he warned: If we get it wrong  if we bottle Brexit now  believe me, the people of this country will find it hard to forgive.

He was loudly clapped and cheered as he said: For one last time, I urge our friends in Government to deliver what the people voted for, to back Theresa May in the best way possible  by softly, quietly, and sensibly backing her original plan.

And in so doing to believe in conservatism and to believe in Britain.

Because if we get it wrong we will be punished. And if we get it right we can have a glorious future.

Mr Johnson was mobbed by reporters as he arrived for his speech (Victoria Jones/PA)

This Government will then be remembered for having done something brave and right and remarkable and in accordance with the wishes of the people.

A Lancaster House-style Brexit would be a win-win for both Britain and the EU, Mr Johnson said.

But he warned: If we cheat the electorate  and Chequers is a cheat  we will escalate the sense of mistrust.

We will give credence to those who cry betrayal, and I am afraid we will make it more likely that the ultimate beneficiary of the Chequers deal will be the far-right in the form of Ukip, and therefore the far-left in the form of Jeremy Corbyn.
Taylor Swift will open the 2018 American Music Awards in her first awards show performance in nearly three years.

The 28-year-old, who made the announcement on ABCs Good Morning America, will sing I Did Something Bad from her Reputation album.

Swift will compete for artist of the year alongside Drake, Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons and Post Malone.

.@taylorswift13 will OPEN the #AMAs with her first awards show performance in almost 3 YEARS...



...and she's performing "I Did Something Bad." ONE WEEK at 8/7c on ABC. #TaylorSwiftAMAs pic.twitter.com/qi4Dq9V7RT  American Music Awards (@AMAs) October 2, 2018

Rap is dominating this years awards, with Drake and Cardi B earning eight nominations each.

Sheeran and Malone each earned six nominations, while Camila Cabello is up for five honours.

The fan-voted AMAs will be held on October 9 at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles.
More than 100 female professionals in the Saudi financial services sector attended Bloomberg's annual Women in Finance Network event held in Riyadh this week.

Building on last years successful event, it brought together experts from the United Kingdom and the kingdom to discuss the most relevant issues facing women in finance today.

Topics were wide-ranging, including everything from the impact of reforms on the Saudi economy, and more specifically, the kingdoms insurance sector, and career tips on how to succeed in financial services.

A number of Bloomberg representatives from London and the Middle East spoke at the event, led by Stephanie Flanders, senior executive editor for economics, while Katherine Garrett Cox CBE - CEO and MD, Gulf International Bank (UK) delivered a keynote address.

Other notable speakers included Muneera AlDossary - CEO, Mulkia Investment; Ghadah Mazi, founder and CEO - Mashurah; and Maria Al Zahrani, group manager of investor relations - Almarai. - TradeArabia News Service
Theresa May has been put on notice to chuck Chequers after Brexiteers said Boris Johnsons speech demonstrated the strength of opposition to her plan in Tory ranks.

Iain Duncan Smith, a former leader of the party, said Tory chiefs had to recognise when the membership is saying something to you.

Former cabinet ministers Owen Paterson and John Redwood said Mrs May had to understand that mainstream opinion in the party was bitterly opposed to her plan.

Iain Duncan Smith, Priti Patel and Stanley Johnson were on the front row for Boris Johnsons call to `chuck Chequers (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Mr Johnsons call to chuck Chequers in his speech at a fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference received a thunderous ovation.

Mr Duncan Smith, who was in the 1,500 capacity hall for the event, said: This is a message to the Government.

With Mrs Mays keynote conference speech due tomorrow, Mr Duncan Smith said: This hall could have been filled half again by people wanting to hear an upbeat message about who we are and where we are going.

I have to tell you, I want the Prime Minister to reflect that tomorrow. We tried  she sent Chequers to the EU and they said they didnt like it.

She needs to tell them now: OK, great, if you want free trade you have got to break the backstop nonsense, otherwise we are going to WTO.

She will get a standing ovation.

The former party leader urged Mrs May to pay heed to Mr Johnsons words (Victoria Jones/PA)

The country will back her because they want to get out, thats what they voted for.

Mr Duncan Smith, who was ousted as leader in 2003 after little more than two years, said the Tory party knows when it has to make a change, it gets to that point and it discovers that actually the partys collective intelligence is telling the leadership you are in the wrong place'.

Sometimes  and I have stood as leader myself  you need to recognise that they are saying something to you and you need to bear that in mind, because not just them but vast swathes of the country are saying: Be proud, we are British, we dont need to be on bended knee to the EU.'

He added: I have a very strong view that the Prime Minister is listening and I believe that you will see a move in due course over the way the Chequers deal is being pushed and in fact we will end up with a free trade arrangement with the EU.

Other former ministers who were in the audience for Mr Johnsons speech were also clear about the message his address  and its enthusiastic reception  sent to Mrs May.

Former environment secretary Owen Paterson said: She must chuck Chequers and go back to her manifesto, on which she won the second largest number of votes since John Major.

A new vision for Conservatism  the Party of higher pay and lower taxeshttps://t.co/WImmCVpVM3  John Redwood (@johnredwood) October 2, 2018

He said the attendance at Mr Johnsons speech was a massive political statement and we are the mainstream.

Mr Redwood said: She has got to listen to it because this is the heart of the nation, the heart of the party.

He added: This is not some fringe element, this is where the country is, this is what 17.4 million people voted for.

Turns out there is a plan. That plan is Boris. #brexit  James Duddridge MP (@JamesDuddridge) October 2, 2018

Tory MP James Duddridge said: Turns out there is a plan. That plan is Boris.
DUP leader Arlene Foster says she has concerns over the Chancellors claim that there may have to be a hard border in Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Philip Hammond is reported to have told a Tory conference fringe event that in the event of no deal, London, under World Trade Organisation rules, would have to reinstate checks.

Ms Foster, speaking at a DUP fringe event, said any extra checks would cause difficulty and added that she would be reiterating her position on the border issue to the Prime Minister.

The DUP event, held inside the main conference centre in Birmingham, was attended by dozens of Tory members and by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley and Chief Whip Julian Smith.

Ms Foster was greeted with applause after telling the crowd she would not allow Northern Ireland to become a semi-detached part of the UK.

She said: We are not going to allow the United Kingdom to be broken up by Brussels or by anybody else, Northern Ireland is not about to become a semi-detached part of the United Kingdom.

We are not bluffing on this issue, we are very clear, our job is to protect the union, our job is to do what is right for Northern Ireland and you can be assured that we will do that.

Asked about the Chancellors reported remarks that if the UK operates on WTO terms, checks at the border will be required, Ms Foster said: I have concerns.

She added: Thats news, because of course up until now we have been saying that it will not be the UK that will be enforcing any borders. If the European Union feel that they need to have a border in Ireland thats a matter for them if they feel they have to protect their single market in a particular way.

So Philip Hammond talking about a border is something new, something we want to explore as well, because certainly thats not my understanding.

Philip Hammond speaking at the Conservative Party conference (Aaron Chown/PA)

Ms Foster was also asked about negotiations with the EU, and said: I would welcome clarity. We wait to see the text, words on a piece of paper, in relation to any proposals that are being put forward. I think its important we see that because we do remember what happened last December when we hadnt seen the text.

Ms Foster was later asked if she would like to see a change in Prime Minister, in light of Boris Johnsons sustained attack on Theresa Mays Brexit plan.

She said: I have said very clearly, it is a matter for the Conservative Party. I wouldnt take very kindly to people coming to my party and saying who they wanted to be leader.

In our confidence and supply agreement it is between the two parties, not reliant on any particular leader.

Later at the fringe event DUP chief whip Sir Jeffrey Donaldson gave tongue-in-cheek approval for Mr Johnsons Brexit bridge plan.

He said: Brexit shouldnt be about a border in the Irish Sea but Id quite like a bridge in the Irish Sea.

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds wound the event up with a stern message that he and his party would not be signing up to any backstop arrangement.

He said: The danger of this Irish backstop has the potential to not only separate Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom and any future diversion there may be from it, but it also has the potential to shackle the United Kingdom for generations to come in its relationship with Europe.

The DUP will not be signing up to any backstop unless we ensure that every line of it complies with our requirements.

He also took a pot shot at the Chancellor, revealing he had told the Government that Mr Hammonds next Budget needed to reflect optimism, adding: We have had enough doom and gloom.
Scotland health secretary has said delayed discharge performance needs to improve after as official figures revealed the problem is increasing.

Statistics show a 15% year-on-year increase in the number of patients well enough to be discharged but unable to leave due to health and social care reasons, such as a care package not being in place.

At the August census point 1,165 (75%) patients with delayed discharge, also known as bed blocking, were for health and social care reasons, up from 1,015 at the same time last year and 1,100 the previous month.

More than a fifth, 263 (22%) were due to complex needs and 36 (3%) for patient and family-related reasons.

A total of 43,913 days were spent in hospital due to delayed discharge in August, up 5% on the same month the previous year.

When patients are trapped in hospital, sometimes for hundreds of nights on end, their condition can worsen and opportunities to rebuild their lives are lost, Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has said delayed discharge needs to improve (Peter Byrne/PA)

That is why the Health Secretary should set out the Scottish Governments plans for reducing avoidable delayed discharges and the progress they expect to be made tackling it over the coming months.

The Scottish Greens are calling for Scottish Ministers to speed up action on social care staffing, including boosting pay to aid worker recruitment and retention.

The partys health spokeswoman Alison Johnstone said: Too many people are stuck in hospital waiting for a care package, home or transport adaptation, or place in a care home, causing them and their families added stress.

The Scottish Government is moving too slowly on the integration of health and social care, and needs to speed up action to tackle the lack of staff, which the Tories Brexit crisis isnt helping.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: There are 11 partnerships who record standard delays of over three days in single figures.

While this is encouraging we must also recognise that some partnerships are not performing as well, with five accounting for around half the total number of delays.

I am clear that delayed discharge performance needs to improve, and we are working with the boards who are facing the most significant pressures.

She said integration of health and social care would help make long-term sustainable progress in reducing delayed discharge and the government had transferred nearly half a billion pounds from the NHS to social care and integration this financial year.
London Fire Brigade staff have been giving evidence for 42 days of the Grenfell Tower public inquiry.

Eighty witnesses  from a firefighter still on probation to LFB Commissioner Dany Cotton  attended the inquiry to give their account of the fire.

Here are the key points that have emerged.

Firefighters spray water over Grenfell Tower (Victoria Jones/PA)

 The building

One watch manager said fire crews lost the battle in the high-rise block.

The absence of a working fire lift meant crews clogged the narrow stairwell  Grenfells only escape route  hampering efforts to fight the fire and conduct rescues, another watch manager said.

There was also no safe place to set up a dry riser  a dry main that requires crews to pump water from their engine into a hollow pipe running through the building.

Problems with the smoke extraction system and activating the buildings manual fire alarm also plagued efforts.

A key fob system automatically locking the foyer door hampered entrance, with a firefighters helmet used to prop it open.

 The cladding

Firefighter Charles Batterbee told the inquiry he would never in a million years have expected to find sandwich panels on a residential block.

Crews would not have been able to keep up with its rapid spread no matter how many more boots were on the ground, one watch manager said.

This view was echoed by those at the highest level at the brigade.

One firefighter compared the tower to a Roman candle, while another said it looked as though there was petrol on its exterior.

Firefighters at the ground floor of Grenfell Tower (PA)

 999 calls

The control room received an overwhelming 344 emergency calls.

More than 60 residents were said to have been saved as a result of information passed to crews.

Officers recalled being forced to make impossible decisions for those on the other end of the line.

One phone operator said he tried to scare people into fleeing because he believed it was their only chance.

Another said he advised a father to go back and look for his children, despite fearing he would not make it out alive.

 Stay-put policy

The LFB has been criticised for initially telling residents to remain in their flats despite the speed and ferocity of the fires spread.

The basis of the stay-put policy is that fire should not spread between compartments, so a person in an unaffected part of the building should be able to remain in their flat and await rescue safely.

This was changed almost two hours after the fire started following a conversation between senior LFB staff in the control room.

The incident commander at the scene reached the same decision at roughly the same time.

Around an hour before, watch manager Norman Harrison said he told senior managers in a very direct and unequivocal manner that an evacuation was needed but was not acknowledged.

Deputy assistant commissioner Adrian Fenton said a chance glimpse of the tower ablaze on TV was an influencing factor in changing the policy.

Ms Cotton denied the policy could have been changed sooner. She said crowding the narrow stairwells would have impeded rescue efforts.

London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton giving evidence at the inquiry (PA)

 Acts of bravery

Firefighters put their own breathing masks over the faces of babies, ran down their air supplies to dangerously low levels and feared they would die in the burning building.

One pair went up to the 20th floor in a desperate bid to rescue a 12-year-old after being handed keys to the flat by her distressed sister.

Another crew waited in a flat, as smoke filled the lobby outside, for extra air supplies so they could guide a mother and daughter to safety.

Crews were forced to exit the building under riot shields and gave children their helmets to protect against flaming debris that was raining down.





Urban search and rescue officers from London Fire Brigade inside Grenfell Tower (David Mirzoeff/PA)

 Rescues

The inquiry heard some firefighters were unable to carry out their missions after encountering residents trying to flee the building.

Others did not have enough air to reach those on the highest floors.

Instead, they guided, dragged and carried casualties of varying degrees of consciousness from the smoke-filled corridors and down the stairwell.

One escape was enabled after crews trained a hose on an area above a trapped man for hours, effectively preventing the fire from reaching him.

It was also hard to get accurate information from crews as they left the building as some were suffering from heat stress and low on air.

Little information about what was being done to reach those trapped was communicated back to the control room.

 Equipment

Falling debris pierced hoses and meant an aerial ladder had to be moved back, while crews reported issues with water pressure.

Crews struggled to make themselves heard on the radio due to too much traffic and poor reception.

Standard breathing apparatus only gave firefighters around half an hour of air when more was needed to reach the higher floors, alert residents and carry out rescues.

As a result, some firefighters flouted policy by coming off air inside the building to conserve supplies.

A command support system which records messages sent to and from the scene crashed multiple times.

The fire spreading up Grenfell Tower (PA)

 Communication

Staff were forced to improvise by writing details of those trapped inside the building on the walls because of the volume of information.

There was no time to relay information about the conditions back to the control room, which hampered operators ability to give callers accurate information.

The crew attempting the rescue of Jessica Urbano Ramirez, who spent 55 minutes on the phone to the control room, were not told she had left her flat to take refuge on the top floor.

They searched her flat but were unaware that there was another family awaiting rescue next door.

A miscommunication between senior fire officers meant attempts to rescue residents on the highest floors stopped for an hour.

 Prior training

All witnesses were asked about training.

Michael Dowden, who led the initial response, said he had received no training on evacuating tall buildings with a stay-put policy.

He would not have been able to spot a cladding fire at the time of Grenfell, he said in evidence.

Ms Cotton revealed she had not received training on revoking stay-put orders or on fire-spread over the facade of a high-rise residential block or on cladding.

But she said the Grenfell fire would have been deemed an unrealistic scenario.

She told the inquiry: I wouldnt develop a training package for a space shuttle to land in front of the Shard.

It also emerged that a training programme designed to highlight the unrealistic expectations of fire survival guidance policy was ditched because it was not deemed necessary or relevant.
A man has died after being hit by what appeared to be a window that had fallen from a luxury block of flats in central London.

Scotland Yard said officers were called by London Ambulance Service at around 10.40am on Tuesday to reports of a man injured in Albert Embankment, central London.

An image taken from The Corniche on the south bank of the River Thames by a resident shows a large window unit, complete with metal frame containing glass, on top a male figure.

The body, lying in the road outside the property and covered by a sheet, is surrounded by wooden pallets and substantial splatters of blood, as emergency services survey the scene.

A Met Police spokesman said: The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Inquiries are under way to trace his next of kin.

At this early stage in the investigation, it is believed he was hit by something falling from a building.

The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.

London Ambulance Service confirmed it was called to the incident, and dispatched two motorcycle responders, a car and an ambulance.

Sadly, a person was dead at the scene, the spokesman said.

At the scene a section of window from one of the penthouse properties could be seen to be missing from the structure.

Property developer St James said it was investigating the incident at The Corniche building.

A spokesman said: It is with great sadness that we learnt of an incident at our Corniche development on Albert Embankment this morning, in which a man suffered fatal injuries.

We extend our deepest sympathies to his family at this incredibly difficult time.

We are investigating this incident as a matter of urgency and working with the emergency services to establish what happened.

The Corniche is listed as an exclusive riverside address of 252 two, three, and four bedroom apartments which overlook a number of London landmarks.

Designed by Foster + Partners, it is the same company responsible for the Gherkin, and properties within the development come with a price tag between 2.7 million and 6.25 million.
A ferry with around 300 people on board is stranded in the Baltic Sea after the ship experienced engine failure, the Danish operator said.

No injuries were reported and an evacuation was not immediately necessary.

The breakdown aboard the Regina Seaways produced smoke, which triggered the ships fire extinguishing system in the engine room, Copenhagen-based DFDS Seaways said.

The vessel was in international waters off Kaliningrad, Russias Baltic Sea exclave between Poland and Lithuania.

We are talking about a malfunction in the engine room that caused a lot of smoke, DFDS spokesman Gert Jakobsen said.

Right now we are inspecting the engine room to find out whether the ship can sail on its own or needs to be tugged.

The Regina Seaways vessel (DFDS A/S via AP)

He said passengers had assembled at muster stations in preparation for a possible evacuation, but the situation is under control.

The ferry, which also had cars and trucks on board, was travelling between the ports of Kiel, Germany, and Klaipeda, Lithuania.

On these kinds of crossings we have people from Germany, the Baltic countries and Russia. We cannot say now who was onboard, Mr Jakobsen said.

The ship is about 85 kilometres (50 miles) from Klaipeda, said Vaidas Klumbys, another DFDS spokesman.

He said that on Tuesday afternoon we received the information from the ship that it was undergoing vibrations and smoke rising from the engines.

Russian state news agency Tass quoted Andrei Permyakov, head of the sea rescue co-ordination centre in Kaliningrad, as saying that rescuers from Lithuania, Russia and Poland responded.

Lithuanias navy said one of its helicopters and three navy vessels were sent to the site in case an evacuation was necessary.

The regional news agency Baltic News Services quoted Mr Klumbys as saying the weather conditions are not good.

Mr Jakobsen was not aware of any rescue operation, saying there was no evacuation.

But in this kind of situation, everyone steps in, he said.

The Regina Seaways was built in 2010 and can carry up to 500 passengers.
A man has died after he was hit by a window that fell from a luxury block of flats in London.

Scotland Yard said a man was pronounced dead at the scene in Albert Embankment after they were called at around 10.40am on Tuesday.

Scrap metal dealer Paddy Riley said he was driving past shortly after the incident when he saw the victim laying on his back, and the pane of glass had taken half his head away.

There was lots of blood everywhere and other stuff  it was very, very distressing, the 59-year-old told the Press Association.

There was a lot of labourers standing looking and pointing up at the window and down at him but no one was going near him.

A sheet covers a body outside The Corniche on the Albert Embankment (PA)

Describing the victim as a middle-aged white man, he said at first he thought someone had fallen, but realised they would not have been blown that far.

He said a gust of wind must have caught the pane and blown it towards the base of Embankment Park Plaza where the victim was killed.

His family have got to hear about it now. Thats the worst thing  they probably dont even know whats happened, Mr Riley added.

An image taken from The Corniche building on the south bank of the river by a resident shows a large window unit, complete with metal frame containing glass, on top of a male figure.

The body, lying in the road outside the property and covered by a sheet, is surrounded by wooden pallets and a substantial amount of blood, as emergency services survey the scene.

A Met Police spokesman said: The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Inquiries are under way to trace his next of kin.

At this early stage in the investigation, it is believed he was hit by something falling from a building.

The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.

London Ambulance Service confirmed it was called to the incident, and dispatched two motorcycle responders, a car and an ambulance.

Sadly, a person was dead at the scene, the spokesman said.

A section of window from one of the penthouse properties could be seen to be missing from the structure.

Property developer St James said it was investigating the incident at The Corniche.

A spokesman said: It is with great sadness that we learnt of an incident at our Corniche development on Albert Embankment this morning, in which a man suffered fatal injuries.

We extend our deepest sympathies to his family at this incredibly difficult time.

We are investigating this incident as a matter of urgency and working with the emergency services to establish what happened.

The Corniche is listed as an exclusive riverside address made up of 252 two, three, and four-bedroom apartments which overlook a number of London landmarks.

Designed by Foster + Partners, it is the same company responsible for the Gherkin, and properties are priced between 2.7 million and 6.25 million.
The Good Friday Agreement is not up for negotiation, Irelands premier has said, after DUP leader Arlene Foster claimed the peace deal was not sacrosanct.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the 1998 accord between the UK and Irish Governments cannot be changed by one political party or one government.

His comments come after Mrs Foster suggested the terms of the agreement could be altered in efforts to strike an EU exit deal.

Mr Varadkar, however, said the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) was not up for negotiation in the Brexit talks.

Speaking in the Irish parliament on Tuesday, the Fine Gael leader said: The government stands by the GFA and we will defend its primacy.

We see our role as the Irish government as the co-defenders of that agreement.

It is not a piece of British legislation, it is an international agreement between the British and Irish governments, as well as a multi-party agreement among the various parties.

While it may be factually correct to say that the Good Friday Agreement, just like any international treaty, could be changed, it can only be changed with the agreement of British and Irish governments and can only be changed with the consent of the people of Northern Ireland and indeed across cross-community consent.

It is not something that can be changed by any one political party or by any one government.

It is certainly, as far as this government is concerned, the Good Friday Agreement is not up for negotiation in these talks over Brexit.

Critics of Brexit on the island of Ireland have warned of its potential to undermine aspects of the international treaty, including its provisions for cross-border co-operation and rights protections.

The DUP campaigned against the Good Friday Agreement when it was resoundingly endorsed in referenda on both sides of the border in 1998.

Elements of the deal have been altered by subsequent political agreements in Northern Ireland, such as the 2006 St Andrews Agreement.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mrs Foster said: It has been deeply frustrating to hear people who voted Remain and in Europe talk about Northern Ireland as though we cant touch the Belfast Agreement. Things evolve, even in the EU context.

There has been a lot of misinterpretation, holding it up as a sacrosanct piece of legislation.

Mr Varadkars comments come after Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald accused the DUP leader of using dangerous and reprehensible comments about the GFA.

Speaking in the Dail, she said: They reveal a reckless disregard for the peace process, for prosperity and for progress.

The latest row between the DUP and Sinn Fein comes amid the ongoing political impasse in Northern Ireland following the collapse of the powersharing institutions in early 2017.

The Good Friday Agreement was endorsed by the vast majority of people north and south, said the Sinn Fein president.

It is the peoples agreement and not a chip to be bargained with as part of any Tory/DUP Brexit deal.

Brexit is incompatible with the Good Friday Agreement. The actions of the DUP and their deal with the Tories is bad for our economy and undermines the rights of citizens.

The DUP should commit to the full implementation of the Good Friday, and other agreements, rather than seeking to undermine them.

This would unlock the pathway to re-establishing the political institutions and safeguarding the interests of all the people in the north.

The Good Friday Agreement (also known as the Belfast Agreement) enshrines the consent principle that Northern Irelands position within the UK can only change if a majority of the regions citizens vote for it.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Robin Swann claimed Mrs Fosters comments potentially undermined that principle.

Arlene Fosters comments on the Belfast Agreement are strategically shortsighted, he said.

The DUP may have been happy to corrupt the 1998 agreement for their own ends at St Andrews, but I cannot believe the DUP leader has been so careless as to throw it open in such a haphazard way which is of no benefit to unionism.

The reality is that the principle of consent is what binds us to the United Kingdom, it is the best settlement for unionists and should be sacrosanct.

Irelands deputy premier Simon Coveney called Mrs Fosters comments wrong.

He tweeted: I have respect for Arlene, but she is wrong on this. GFA was voted for by overwhelming majority in NI & IRL, has helped to end violence + provided for the most prolonged period of peace+stability in NIs history. We will defend+ protect it through #Brexit.
Scotlands public spending watchdog has expressed serious reservations about the finances of two health boards which could both require to be bailed out with 22 million of government cash.

Auditor General Caroline Gardner spoke about the significant financial challenges that both NHS Highland and NHS Ayrshire and Arran face.

NHS Highland needs to make more than 50 million in savings, but has an increasing number of high earners amongst its staff, Audit Scotland said.

It could need a brokerage loan from the Scottish Government of between 19 and 22 million to balance the books for 2018-19, while NHS Ayrshire anticipates it will require 22.4 million in brokerage  although the spending watchdog warned it might require more.

Ms Gardner said: Both NHS boards face significant financial challenges, and I have serious reservations about their ability to make the changes needed to achieve financial balance in future.

.@AuditorGenScot reports today on significant and ongoing financial challenges at two NHS boards: https://t.co/MkeZl95LsY pic.twitter.com/PHB5D9fdcM  Audit Scotland (@AuditScotland) October 2, 2018

The Audit Scotland reports were published days after senior medics in NHS Highland complained of a long-standing culture of bullying, although the medical director there insisted he did not recognise this.

The report said NHS Highland had eight clinical staff employed with a salary of more than 200,000 a year, including two earning in excess of 400,000.

Annual reports and accounts showed the number of clinical staff earning a salary of greater than 200,000 per annum has risen to eight individuals (previously four) and of these eight, two are earning in excess of 400,000, Audit Scotland said.

The health board board needs to make cuts of 52 million in 2018-19, with the report warning of a significant risk that bosses will fail to meet this target, with only 30 million of savings having been identified by August this year.

As a result it said NHS Highland would need brokerage cash of between 19 and 22 million in 2018-19  adding it was increasingly likely further assistance will be required to help it break even over the next three financial years.

The board faces continuing challenges that the savings identified and delivered will be one-off in nature contributing to the long-term difficulties in ensuring financial sustainability, the report said.

Meanwhile NHS Ayrshire and Arran anticipates it will need a 22.4 million brokerage loan from the government this year.

Auditor General Caroline Gardner (Scottish Parliament/PA)

This was after it came under financial pressures in 2017-18, when it also required 23 million from the Scottish Government.

Audit Scotland said key cost pressures which led to this situation were keeping hospital beds open to manage demand that was not budgeted for, along with unachieved efficiency savings and underlying financial pressures which were carried forward from 2016-17.

The board needs to make savings totalling 26.1 million this year, but almost 10 million of these have still to be found or are classed as high risk.

Spending on hopsital services was 11.5 million over budget last year, mainly as a result of meeting the demand for unscheduled care arising from increasing emergency admissions as well as a high number of patients who are fit for discharge remaining in acute hospital beds, Audit Scotland said.

The watchdog warned: There is a high risk that NHS Ayrshire and Arran will not achieve its financial plans for 2018-19 and will require more than the anticipated 22.4 million brokerage from the Scottish Government.

John Burns, chief executive of NHS Ayrshire and Arran, stressed the board was committed to delivering safe, sustainable services.

He stated: Financial sustainability has been an increasing challenge over recent years. This has been due to increasing unscheduled care demand, which has required extra hospital beds to be opened, as well as cost pressures, including new drugs and agency medical costs to sustain services. However, 2017-2018 was the first year we received financial brokerage.

Mr Burns added that the board was now going through a transformational change programme which would redesign services, but said it could take several years before the benefit is seen in terms of operating costs.

A spokeswoman for NHS Highland said: NHS Highlands financial challenges have been widely reported and we continue to work closely with the Scottish Government as we develop plans to return to financial balance.
Sajid Javid has downplayed the realism of BBC drama Bodyguard, saying fictional home secretary Julia Montague didnt even do the power stance.

The Home Secretary opened his main stage speech at the Conservative Party conference on Tuesday by touching on the popular television series, which starred Keeley Hawes and Richard Madden.

Sajid Javid was not convinced (Aaron Chown/PA)

Speaking in Birmingham, Mr Javid said: Now I know the question on your mind so lets just deal with it upfront  yes, I did watch Bodyguard.

No, it wasnt very realistic. For a start, my codename is not Lavender  and she didnt even do the power stance.

Mr Javid is among a number of Tory politicians who have been mocked for adopting an unusually wide stance for photographs.
The lower prices of properties, driven down by supply in the lead up to Expo 2020, coupled with government incentives for investors and retirees, will open options to UAE real estate investors who seek to capitalise on a wide selection of units to grow their portfolio, an expert has said.



According to Cityscape Globals data partner, Property Monitor, their index on the 12-month average price performance for apartments and townhouses sits at a 3.4 per cent decline, and the average sales prices for Q3 were Dh1.2 million ($326,650) and Dh1.9 million (517,196), respectively.



Market analyst Reidin suggests this decrease is due to a reduction in project launches by the developers and end-users focusing more with ready properties.



"Based on developer announcements and the current materialisation rate of 40 per cent, 11,500 units are expected to enter the market for the rest of 2018. As per developer launches, we are expecting more than 100,000 units in the next couple of years," remarked Shruti Jain from Reidin.



"As this trend of supply continues, we will witness a huge influx of supply towards the build up to Expo2020, meaning investors will be spoilt for choice," noted Jain.



"The market is moving towards being more value driven and what we opine is price is king. Investors are going to put their money where they get a distinct price advantage, regardless of the off-plan market," she added.



Additionally, the five-year renewable residency visa that was announced for expatriate retirees could benefit the overall economy, particularly the real estate sector. The result of this, however, will only be visible after it has been implemented, added Jain.



Providing clarity on challenges faced by investors, the new Cityscape Business Hub, which ran on the exhibition floor throughout the event, created a platform linking international and local decision makers across a wide selection of organisations involved in the real estate market.



Through exclusive sessions put on by experts at the Business Hub educated and informed guests on a number of topics that are pivotal in shaping the industry for developers, investors and professionals.



Dr An Naas Rawoo, an investment specialist for Smart Multi-Property Developments who attended the Business Hub believes Dubais strength lies with its continuous development and reactive change to accommodate international investors.



"I was thinking about Canada or Australia but the new law of 10 year residency and 100 per cent ownership made me think about Dubai seriously. As an investor, I feel the government is creating an environment for foreigners to feel safe and encouraged when buying a property," remarked Dr Rawoo.



"I predict we will see an influx of investors coming to Dubai because of Expo 2020 because of the governments preparation, introduction of new laws, and the emirates unique location as a central hub for surrounding countries, we will see a thriving culture for investors," he added.



Highlighting the best of the UAEs real estate industry, the Cityscape Awards for Emerging Markets announced its winners on Tuesday evening and saw top developers, architects and professionals come together to celebrate the best projects in the country, said the organisers.



The UAE secured itself as the leading country, picking up five of the 15 categories including the awards for best future commercial project, best built and future leisure and hospitality project, best future medium to high rise residential project and the affordable housing project.



Other countries to be honoured included Saudi Arabia, Turkey, China, Malaysia and the Maldives, it added.-TradeArabia News Service


Melania Trump has opened her first big solo international trip as US first lady with a wave, a smile and a baby in her arms, aiming to promote child welfare during a five-day tour of Africa.

She arrived in the West African nation of Ghana after an overnight flight from Washington and quickly made her way to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital.

Melania Trump arrives at Kotoka International Airport in Accra (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

The first lady saw how babies are weighed  they are placed in sacks that are then hung from a hook attached to a scale.

She also watched a nurse demonstrate how vitamins are administered to babies by mouth and toured the neonatal intensive care unit.

Mrs Trump also cradled an infant and declared the baby a beautiful boy as she handed him back to his mother.

Melania Trump holds a baby at Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Mothers at the hospital for her visit received gifts of teddy bears nestled in white baby blankets, personally handed out by the first lady, according to her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham.

The items carried the logo of Be Best, the child well-being initiative Mrs Trump launched last May.

With the Africa visit, the first lady aims to take Be Best and its focus on opioid abuse and online behaviour to an international audience.

Melania Trump visits mothers and their babies in hospital (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

The first lady also had a private tea and gift exchange with her Ghanaian counterpart, Rebecca Akufo-Addo.

They exchanged gifts: a Chippendale silver tray embossed with an image of the White House inside a leather case signed by First Lady Melania Trump for Ms Akufo-Addo, and Kente cloth and artefacts for Mrs Trump, according to Ms Grisham.

The first ladies met privately for about half an hour at Jubilee House, Ghanas presidential palace.

First lady Melania Trump is greeted by Ghanas first lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

The two first met last week in New York at a reception on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where Mrs Trump spoke about her upcoming trip.

Mrs Trumps visit opened in low-key fashion.

Several Ghanaians interviewed said they knew little about it.

Melania Trump and Rebecca Akufo-Addo watch dancers during an arrival ceremony at Kotoka International Airport in Accra (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Did you say President Trumps wife just arrived in Accra? street vendor Awo Yeboah asked.

I dont think I have ever heard her name, Melania.

Other locals said they knew about the visit but did not know what Mrs Trump was doing.

Mrs Trump landed in the capital Accra on Tuesday morning after a more than 12-hour journey from Washington.

She was welcomed at the airport with dancing and drumming, schoolchildren waving mini US and Ghanaian flags and the gift of a flower bouquet.

Children wave American and Ghana flags during an arrival ceremony for first lady Melania Trump (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Ms Akufo-Addo was at the airport to welcome her.

Mrs Trump also plans to visit Malawi, Kenya and Egypt.
Opposition parties fear families could face a wait of up to three years for a childrens ward to fully reopen.

The paediatric ward at St Johns Hospital in Livingston, West Lothian, has been closed to out of hours inpatients since July 2017 due to staff shortages.

In a parliamentary statement last week, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said reopening the ward was the highest level of priority but refused to give a target date.

Now, NHS Lothian board papers reveal in August officials believed putting the agreed safe staffing model in place to enable the ward to return to a round the clock service could take up to three years.

The health board said since the meeting their timelines have become more optimistic but could not put a figure to them.

Families across West Lothian want answers from SNP Ministers on when St. Johns childrens ward will reopen to out-of-hours inpatients. @ScotTories have secured a statement in Parliament today to secure a commitment from the SNP that the ward will return to a 24/7 service. pic.twitter.com/ZFJOhzlBOx  Miles Briggs MSP (@Miles4Lothian) September 27, 2018

Minutes from the Acute Hospitals Committee meeting on August 21, due to be agreed at the board meeting on Wednesday, state: The new model at St Johns would be a mix of doctors and advanced nurse practitioners with a shift of the focus to nurses.

A childrens hospital ward may not fully reopen for three years, MSPs fear (Gareth Fuller/PA)

It was expected to take two to three years to reach the proposed position. There was currently one advanced nurse practitioner employed at this level, two would have completed training in one year and there were another two new applicants.

In the meantime, transfers from the hospital to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh will continue.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs claimed the ward had been downgraded.

He added: The people who know best are telling us it could be three years before this vital service fully reopens.

That jars with the gloss the SNP put on it last week by suggesting progress could be quicker.

The ongoing shambles at St Johns is a direct consequence of the SNPs disgraceful approach to workforce planning.

Labour MSP Neil Findlay added: Forcing families to endure travelling and delays to Edinburgh for up to a further three years is simply not acceptable.

The health secretary said last week that re-opening the ward would be of the highest level of priority, that cannot be true if it will take another 36 months.

In a statement last week, NHS Lothian deputy chief executive Jim Crombie said the board is committed to fully re-opening the ward as soon as possible.

He said he expects the three advanced nurse practitioner trainees appointed in August to be able to participate in the out of hours rota in late 2019 to early 2020, depending on progression through their training.

The health boards chief officer of acute services, Jacquie Campbell, said: The meeting paper referred to was written before we held the interviews for the trainee advanced nurse practitioners posts.

Now that we have met, assessed and employed our new recruits, our timelines are more optimistic.

She added: We have communicated with our staff and patients throughout the course of the last year and reassured them that we will not reinstate inpatient paediatric services at St Johns Hospital until it is safe and sustainable to do so.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: It is unfortunate that the timescales used here are out of date. Our recent discussions with NHS Lothian, and the Cabinet Secretarys statement to Parliament, made clear that NHS Lothian fully share the Health Secretarys commitment to reinstating the inpatient service at St Johns as soon as possible.

Since these papers were produced, NHS Lothian have completed the successful recruitment of three trainee advanced paediatric nurse practitioners to work on the paediatric ward at St Johns, an important part of the strategy to reinstate the inpatient service.

The Cabinet Secretary will update Parliament on NHS Lothians progress and will meet with elected representatives and families to discuss their concerns.
A gangland killer who faked illness to be sprung from jail while on a hospital visit has been told he must serve another eight years behind bars.

Shaun Walmsley, 29, was already serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years behind bars when two men, armed with an Uzi submachine gun and a knife, threatened to shoot and cut his three prison guards, before snatching him outside Aintree Hospital in the city in February 2017.

Walmsley spent 18 months on the run from HMP Liverpool before he was captured in a pre-planned operation by armed police in Leeds in August.

After he was repeatedly tasered and dragged out of a car he told the officers Good job boys!, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

He was given a minimum 30 years in June 2015 for the brutal stabbing of rival drug dealer Anthony Duffy, 33.

After receiving news his appeal had been refused Walmsley hatched the prison escape by deliberately losing weight and feigning illness.

Shaun Walmsley was already serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years behind bars (Merseyside Police/PA)

Walmsley had a consultation at the hospital on February 8 last year, where he was told he would undergo a minor endoscopy procedure on February 21  and was able to plot his bid for freedom.

The defendant on Tuesday pleaded guilty to a single count of escape from custody.

Judge Clement Goldstone, Recorder of Liverpool, told the defendant if he thought another sentence would make no difference as he was already serving life, you could not be more wrong.

He was told although he is only eligible for parole in June 2047 after that sentence finishes, he must serve another eight years  half of it in jail  before release.

The judge added: After undergoing your procedure you were, to use the vernacular, sprung by two men who had parked a car nearby.

Each was armed one with a machine gun the other a knife and gas canister.

I have no doubt over the months you began to think by a combination of disguise, re-location and friends in low places you had become above the law and would remain at large indefinitely.

But Merseyside Police had other ideas. Eventually the joint and perfectly co-ordinated operation with West Yorkshire Police led to your arrest.

Earlier Henry Riding, prosecuting, told the court Walmsley was one of four men sentenced to life for the murder of Anthony Duffy, who was stabbed 28 times in Aintree in May, 2014.

He began losing weight and complained of bowel problems and bleeding before being taken to the hospital with the follow up appointment planned.

Mr Riding said: Subsequent to that, information from the hospital indicates tests show he had no condition of any kind. Theres every reason to suppose his, condition was effectively a sham.

Mr Riding said his escort was three prison officers, taking him to hospital in a private hire taxi.

The prisoner was at all times handcuffed to a prison officer, even when he underwent the procedure at the hospital.

But outside as they went to get in a taxi back to the jail two men approached threatening to shoot and stab them if they did not unlock his handcuffs.
Trucks carrying food for desperate survivors of the earthquake on Indonesias Sulawesi island have rolled in with a police escort to guard against looters as the death toll soared past 1,200.

Four days after the magnitude 7.5 earthquake and tsunami struck, supplies of food, water, fuel and medicine had yet to reach the hardest-hit areas outside Palu, the largest city that was heavily damaged.

Many roads in the earthquake zone are blocked and communications lines are down.

We feel like we are stepchildren here because all the help is going to Palu, said Mohamad Taufik, 38, from the town of Donggala, where five of his relatives are still missing.

There are many young children here who are hungry and sick, but there is no milk or medicine.

The death toll reached 1,234, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in Jakarta, the capital.

Hundreds of other people were injured and scores of uncounted bodies could still be buried in collapsed buildings in Sigi and Balaroa under quicksand-like mud caused by Fridays quake.

More than 25 countries have offered assistance after Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo appealed for international help.

(PA Graphics)

Little of that, however, has arrived in the quake zone and increasingly desperate residents grabbed food and fuel from damaged shops and begged for help.

An aircraft carrying 12,000 litres of fuel had arrived and trucks with food were on the way with police escorts to guard against looters.

Many petrol stations were inoperable either because of quake damage or from people stealing fuel, Mr Nugroho said.

The frustration of waiting for days without help has angered some survivors.

Pay attention to Donggala, Mr Jokowi. Pay attention to Donggala, yelled one resident in a video broadcast on local television, referring to the president.

There are still a lot of unattended villages here.

A woman walks past the wreckage of cars (Dita Alangkara/AP)

The towns administrative head, Kasman Lassa, all but gave residents permission to take food  but nothing else  from shops.

Everyone is hungry and they want to eat after several days of not eating, Lassa said on local TV.

We have anticipated it by providing food, rice, but it was not enough. There are many people here. So, on this issue, we cannot pressure them to hold much longer.

Nearly 62,000 people have been displaced from their homes, Mr Nugroho said.

Most of the attention has been focused so far on Palu, which has 380,000 people and is easier to reach than other hard-hit areas.

More aid was being distributed but we still need more time to take care of all the problems, Mr Nugroho said.

Teams continued searching for survivors under destroyed homes and buildings, including a collapsed eight-storey hotel in Palu, but they needed more heavy equipment to clear the rubble.

Many people were believed trapped under shattered houses in the Palu neighbourhood of Balaroa, where the earthquake caused the ground to heave up and down violently.

I and about 50 other people in Balaroa were able to save ourselves by riding on a mound of soil which was getting higher and higher, resident Siti Hajat told MetroTV, adding that her house was destroyed.

A man in Balaroa neighbourhood, which was flattened by Fridays earthquake (Dita Alangkara/AP)

SaAdon Lawira, who lost a grandchild, was angry that rescue efforts focused so quickly on places such as the Palu hotel where tourists were staying.

Why did the search and rescue agency and others prioritise the search for victims in hotels? he said, holding back tears as he spoke.

Neighbourhoods like this should take precedence because the bodies of residents are buried, but there are no rescuers who have searched for them.

Near the coast, the tsunami shattered buildings, uprooted concrete and thrust boats inland.

A ship rests on land after it was swept ashore during Fridays tsunami in Donggala (Tatan Syuflana/AP)

The deadly wave reportedly reached as high as six metres (nearly 20ft) in places.

In Palus Petobo neighbourhood, the quake caused loose, wet soil to liquefy, creating a thick, heavy quicksand-type material that resulted in massive damage.

Hundreds of victims are still believed to be buried in the mud there.

Liquefaction of soil can be compared to walking on a sandy beach.

If you walk across some wet sand a little back from the waters edge, it is usually firm walking, even though you might leave footprints, said Adam Switzer, an expert at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

However, if you stand still and wiggle your toes and feet, you will probably sink a little as the sand around your feet becomes soft and unstable. This is similar to what happens during liquefaction.

Mr Nugroho said 153 bodies were buried on Monday in a mass grave in Palu and that the operation continued on Tuesday.

He said generators, heavy equipment and tents are among the most-needed aid items.

A boy sits with items salvaged from the ruins of a family members house in the Balaroa neighbourhood in Palu (Dita Alangkara/AP)

The countries that offered assistance include the United States and China, he said.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government has given 360,000 dollars to help victims and is in talks with Indonesian authorities about a second round of aid.

The initial funds are to go to the Indonesian Red Cross for the most obvious emergency aid needs, such as tarpaulins.

Mr Nugroho said only two of the 122 foreigners in the area remained unaccounted for  one from South Korea and the other from Belgium.

Indonesia is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because of its location on the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

A powerful quake on the island of Lombok killed 505 people in August, and two moderate quakes near an eastern island on Tuesday reportedly damaged a bridge.

The vast archipelago is home to 260 million people on more than 17,000 islands that stretch a distance similar to that between New York and London.

Roads and infrastructure are poor in many areas, making access difficult in the best of conditions.
Boris Johnson has denounced Theresa Mays Chequers plan for EU withdrawal as a constitutional outrage that would leave the UK humiliated and unable to reap the economic benefits from Brexit

In an explosive intervention at the Conservative conference in Birmingham, the former foreign secretary warned that voters would not forgive the party for bottling Brexit.

He won a thunderous standing ovation as he urged Tories to persuade the Prime Minister to chuck Chequers and return to the hard Brexit blueprint she set out at Lancaster House in 2017, when she said she would take the UK out of the customs union, single market and jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

The former foreign secretary  who quit Mrs Mays Cabinet in July in protest at the Chequers plan  was mobbed by reporters as he arrived to speak to a packed 1,500-seater hall on the fringe of the Tory conference.

Inside, he was given a rapturous reaction on a scale not seen so far inside the main hall.

Welcoming committee of Brexiteers for @BorisJohnson at #cpc18 - he ignores my question about whether his presence here is undermining @theresa_may pic.twitter.com/t22paaBzjd  David Hughes (@DavidHughesPA) October 2, 2018

But Mrs May declared herself cross with her former Cabinet colleague, accusing him of being ready to tear up her guarantee to Northern Ireland that there would be no customs border in the Irish Sea.

The Prime Minister said she did not watch Mr Johnsons address, preferring to talk with activists.

But she told the BBC: There are one or two things that Boris said that Im cross about. He wants to tear up our guarantee to the people of Northern Ireland.

We have a guarantee for the people of Northern Ireland and we are upholding that. Our Chequers plan does that. It is the only plan on the table at the moment that does.

Mrs May said that Boris always puts on a good show, but pointedly noted that he was a key part of the discussions at her country residence which ended with the plan being agreed in July.

Boris Johnsons father Stanley Johnson and sister Rachel Johnson watch him speak (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Mr Johnson said that Mrs Mays Chequers blueprint  which ties Britain to a common rulebook with the EU for trade in goods  would be politically humiliating for a 2 trillion economy and would subject the UK to European directives and rules.

Like a spaceship in a sci-fi film forced off its captains preferred route by hostile technology, the UK would be locked in the tractor beam of Brussels, he warned.

This is not pragmatic, it is not a compromise. It is dangerous and unstable  politically and economically, said the former foreign secretary.

My fellow Conservatives, this is not democracy. This is not what we voted for. This is an outrage.

This is not taking back control: this is forfeiting control.

And he warned: If we get it wrong  if we bottle Brexit now  believe me, the people of this country will find it hard to forgive.

Mr Johnson urged Mrs May to go ahead with her original plan (Victoria Jones/PA)

A Lancaster House-style Brexit would be a win-win for both Britain and the EU, Mr Johnson said.

But he warned: If we cheat the electorate  and Chequers is a cheat  we will escalate the sense of mistrust.

We will give credence to those who cry betrayal, and I am afraid we will make it more likely that the ultimate beneficiary of the Chequers deal will be the far-right in the form of Ukip, and therefore the far-left in the form of Jeremy Corbyn.

Mr Johnson rejected as total fantasy the idea that it would be possible to bodge Brexit now and then negotiate a better deal after leaving in March 2019.

And he warned that if a deal based on Chequers was agreed with the EU, it would embolden those calling for a second referendum  something he said would be disastrous for trust in politics.

He even won loud applause when he suggested that the PM risked being prosecuted under a 14th century law saying that no foreign court or government shall have jurisdiction in this country.

He was loudly cheered as he said: For one last time, I urge our friends in Government to deliver what the people voted for, to back Theresa May in the best way possible  by softly, quietly, and sensibly backing her original plan.

And in so doing to believe in conservatism and to believe in Britain.

Because if we get it wrong we will be punished. And if we get it right we can have a glorious future.

Mr Johnson was mobbed by reporters as he arrived for his speech (Victoria Jones/PA)

Business minister Claire Perry urged Tories to back Chequers, telling Sky News that the alternative of a no-deal Brexit would be a recipe for a catastrophic series of consequences (and) a way of crashing the economy and doing great damage to our most productive industries.

Her comments appeared to conflict with Mrs Mays often-repeated mantra that no deal is better than a bad deal.

The PM acknowledged that withdrawal without a deal would cause some short-term disruption.

But she told Sky: We are all focused  as Claire is and the whole Government is  on making sure we get a good deal from the EU.

What is important is that Government puts in place measures that make sure we can make a success of Brexit, regardless of the deal we get from the EU.
US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was accused of throwing ice at a man during an altercation at a bar while in college, it has emerged.

A report released by police in New Haven, Connecticut, said Mr Kavanaugh was questioned after the 1985 incident but was not arrested.

The report said 21-year-old Dom Cozzolino told police that Mr Kavanaugh threw ice at him for some unknown reason.

Mr Cozzolino said he then got hit on the ear with a glass.

A witness told police the man who threw the glass was Chris Dudley, Mr Kavanaughs close friend.

Chad Ludington, another Yale classmate, told The New York Times the altercation happened while they were drinking at a bar after a concert.

US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (Andrew Harnik/AP)

The White House noted that Mr Kavanaugh was not arrested or charged and questioned the incidents relevance.

Meanwhile, Mark Judge, a high school friend of Mr Kavanaugh, has completed his interview with FBI agents.

His lawyer, Barbara Biz Van Gelder, would not say when the interview concluded or what Mr Judge was asked.

Mr Judge is one of multiple people the FBI has already interviewed as part of its reopened background investigation into Mr Kavanaugh.

On Monday, Ms Van Gelder said her client had been questioned by the FBI but the interview was not completed.

Christine Blasey Ford, a California college professor, has alleged Mr Judge was in the room when a drunken Mr Kavanaugh allegedly sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers in the early 1980s.

Mr Judge has denied the allegations, as has Mr Kavanaugh.

Two other people who Ms Ford said attended the same party have also been interviewed by the FBI.
Families of children with special educational needs are fighting a High Court battle against local authority cuts of more 21 million.

Five children, whose mothers are bringing the case on their behalf, are challenging Surrey County Councils decision to reduce its Schools and Special Educational Needs (SSEN) budget.

They said the council made the decision without consulting families and are asking two High Court judges to find the budget cut was unlawful.

Sarah Jones, 40, is bringing the case on behalf of her four-year-old son Kyffin Carpenter, who has a neuro-muscular disorder and communicates mostly through sign language.

She said: I think theres a real strength of feeling among families in Surrey about the need for them (the council) to actually improve their provision for children with special educational needs.

So when we heard that they were actually planning to make savings of 21 million, that provoked a strong reaction amongst lots of families.

Sarah Jones (left) and Alicia McColl, the parents of children with special educational needs (SEN), outside the Royal Courts of Justice, where the families of four children are bringing a High Court case against Surrey County Council over its decision to reduce its Schools and SEN budget by 21 million.

My son has just started at a mainstream school and he has got quite a lot of support needs. I dont want it to get harder for kids to be included in mainstream schools.

Alicia McColl, 44, whose 14-year-old son Kian Hollow is another of the claimants, with a range of needs including autistic spectrum disorder, said children would suffer if crucial support was withdrawn.

She said: Inability to communicate leads to behavioural issues, social issues and exclusion.

Both women said they and two other mothers  Debbie Butler and Catriona Ferris  were bringing the case on behalf of families across the UK who were facing difficulties because of cuts to support budgets.

Ms Butler is also joining the case on behalf of her children Zoe, 15, and Sean, 12, and Ms Ferriss son is 15-year-old Dominic.

Jenni Richards QC, representing the families, told the court their witness statements revealed the importance of the support they receive.

She said: They show the vital importance of special educational needs (SEN) services to the children with such needs and their families, and show the importance from those families perspectives of consultation, involvement and being able to have their say.

Ms Richards said the claimants accept local authorities are under real financial pressure and may have to make difficult decisions.

But she added: The decision to make such a substantial reduction in funding in the defendants area was made with little or no information as to, or consideration of, how savings might be made, what the impact might be, or how disabled children and others with protected characteristics might be affected.

The four women were supported at the High Court by other parents of children with special educational needs.

Lawyers for the council argued that the claimants case that the 21 million in savings was a global and indiscriminate cut to SEN services was simply incorrect.

They said there were eight specific areas where reductions were made and these were the result of previous council decisions which were properly impact-assessed and consulted upon at the time and have never been challenged.

Jonathan Moffett QC, for the council, told the court the claimants case ignored the fact that the savings identified were not set in stone.

The case is being heard by Lady Justice Sharp and Mrs Justice McGowan, who are expected to reserve their ruling to a later date.
Here are five things we learned at the Conservative Party Conference on Tuesday:

 Boris Johnson pulled in the biggest crowd so far at the conference as he swept in to Birmingham.

The former foreign secretary demonstrated his ability to woo grassroots members with a tub-thumping speech, which some of his supporters tried to suggest was supportive of Theresa May, but it did little to dampen talk of his leadership ambitions.

The Prime Minister delivers her speech on Wednesday, with comparisons expected to be drawn with Mr Johnsons fringe speech efforts.

 Mrs May remains committed to her target of cutting net annual immigration despite struggles to achieve it over recent years.

The PM outlined the Torys long-awaited immigration plans linked to Brexit.

But her target remains in place  and the doubts about meeting it persist.

 Mrs May will not get any respite from her minority government allies the DUP over Brexit.

Arlene Foster kept up the pressure over post-Brexit proposals for the Irish border by expressing concerns over Chancellor Philip Hammonds claims on the potential for a hard border if there is no Brexit deal.

Ms Foster said the DUP would not allow Northern Ireland to become a semi-detached part of the UK.

 Sajid Javid outlined his vision for how Britain should develop post-Brexit  in what is likely to be the latest main stage speech to be interpreted as the beginnings of a leadership pitch.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid speaks at the Conservative Party conference (Aaron Chown/PA)

The Home Secretary touched on his personal rise and tried to adopt a welcoming but firm approach on immigration, particularly in the wake of the Windrush scandal and criticism of the Governments hostile environment policy.

Whether or not a fresh British values test for those seeking UK citizenship will be any more successful than those used before remains to be seen.

 Inspiration to become an MP can arrive at any time  including when on your honeymoon.

A discussion about how to encourage more women into politics saw Helen Whately reveal her watershed moment on her journey to eventually becoming MP for Faversham and Mid Kent.

She told members: It was the first time for a few years, a really busy life working and campaigning, and I thought you know what, I think I want to stand for Parliament, I think I want to be an MP.
Northern Irelands Attorney General has urged a fresh investigation into the deaths of six men killed in shootings involving British soldiers 45 years ago.

The Public Prosecution Service is considering the referral from John Larkin in relation to shootings of the so-called New Lodge Six in north Belfast.

The six Catholic men, including three unarmed IRA members, were shot during a night of violence in February 1973.

The Army originally acknowledged it was involved in the incidents, insisting soldiers were engaged in a gun battle with the IRA. There were also suspicions loyalist paramilitaries had a role in the killings.

Families of the men had asked Mr Larkin to order a new inquest into the deaths, claiming the original coroners probe did not investigate properly.

The Attorney General has gone further and asked Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Herron to consider whether the case merits a probe by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

Northern Ireland Attorney General John Larkin

Relatives believe a controversial Army unit known as the Military Reaction Force (MRF) was involved in some of the shootings.

PSNI detectives are already investigating allegations that the MRF carried out random and unjustified shootings elsewhere in Belfast during the early 1970s following a previous direction by the PPS.

The six men shot in the New Lodge were 19-year-old IRA members James Sloan, James McCann and Tony Campbell, as well as Catholic civilians John Loughran, 35, Brendan Maguire, 32, and Ambrose Hardy, 26.

A spokeswoman for the PPS said: The Director of Public Prosecutions recently received a referral from the Attorney General in relation to the fatal shooting of six men in the New Lodge area of Belfast in February 1973.

The Attorney General has asked the director to consider using the power set out under Section 35 (5) of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 to require the chief constable to ascertain and provide information on the circumstances of the deaths.

This referral is under consideration.

Referrals to the PPS can come from sources including the Attorney General, Appeal Court judges and coroners.

In the last six years, there have been 25 referrals, 11 in Troubles-related cases.

Rosaleen Beatty, whose brother Mr Hardy was killed, told the BBC: I would just like to see justice done.

They have got away with it so far and we are glad to say that we are getting a wee bit closer maybe to the truth and we hope they do get to the truth.

We know that they were innocent and they were unlawfully killed.

We want them to accept and we want the people who did it to be brought to justice.

The night that he was shot he was in the Circle Bar and he waved a white flag because there was a bit of a lull and he thought, well, I will wave a white flag and let people know that we are coming out.

But when he put his head out, when he was waving the flag, they shot from the top of the Victoria Flats there, they shot him in the back of the head and he was killed outright.
British experts are helping co-ordinate the international response to the deadly earthquake in Indonesia.

A team of five advisers arrived in the capital Jakarta on Tuesday and another humanitarian specialist has been deployed to the country.

#UKaid is already supporting the earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia through our funding to the International Red Cross movement (@federation): https://t.co/Lp9n4eRWOh pic.twitter.com/qR1nWLwXzZ  DFID (@DFID_UK) October 2, 2018

More than 1,300 people are feared to have died after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake and tsunami struck on the island of Sulawesi on Friday.

Hundreds more were injured and thousands have been left homeless.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt made an initial 2 million of UK aid available for the relief effort.

The British experts will assess the situation and decide if further support is needed.

Some of the team hope to go to affected areas including Palu  the largest city that was heavily damaged.

Earthquake damage in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia (Dita Alangkara/AP)

It has been difficult for supplies of food, water, fuel and medicine to reach some of the worst-affected areas.

Save the Children has warned that survivors are facing growing health risks with an increasing chance of disease outbreaks.

The charity said clean water supplies are running low and thousands of families are living in makeshift shelters and cramped evacuation centres.

Tom Howells, programme implementation director, described the situation as a recipe for disaster.

There is debris and rubbish everywhere, and its difficult for families to maintain hygiene standards, quite apart from getting access to food and clean drinking water for children and babies.

Were really concerned that we could start seeing a growing number of children getting sick with illnesses like diarrhoea.

The destruction and loss are absolutely heart-wrenching, and the suffering on a scale thats hard to fathom. It will be a long recovery process.

A team of staff from Save the Childrens partner charity Yayasan Sayangi Tunas Cilik (YSTC) are in Palu, the capital of central Sulawesi and epicentre of the crisis.

The government of Indonesia is leading the response and more than 25 other countries have offered assistance.

Blankets, sleeping mats, water containers and ambulances are being sent to the worst-affected areas as part of the relief effort.

UK aid is already supporting relief efforts through funding to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, which has 175 volunteers and staff on the ground.
Shaker Group, the sole distributor for LG Air Conditioners in Saudi Arabia, has inaugurated the expansion of its integrated LG Air Conditioning Academy.



The academy, funded by LG Air Conditioners, is located at Shaker's premises in Riyadh. The event was attended by the top management and representatives of LG and Shaker, said a statement.



The academy embraces a wide range of LG commercial air-conditioning solutions demonstrating pre-sales solutions with the ultimate goal of providing industry-leading after-sales services, it said.



Azzam Saud Almudaiheem, chief executive officer at Shaker Group, said: The launch of the academy establishes the parallel strategic directions of Shaker & LG as they endeavour to provide the best Product Knowledge and education about advanced technologies in LG air-conditioning products.



The training sessions are designed to support our business partners in maintaining their best practice standards. Over the years, LG and Shaker Group have dedicated their efforts to improving the quality of life for all customers by delivering ground-breaking, energy-efficiency solutions, he said.



The academy has been implemented to ensure that the best practical training support and skills are being provided to young Saudi professionals in the market. The academy covers a diverse range of topics, ranging from LG Multi V (VRF) system selection, installation practices and comprehensive servicing for all products.



The innovative new platform, delivered using the unique experiences of the academys professional staff, encompasses Application Showroom, Lecture Room, and industry-leading practical Training Room facilities, which incorporate the latest technological advancements in the market.



Kevin Cha, LG regional headquarters president, said: The demand for best practice installation training has increased due to significant technological advancements in the air conditioning market.



Our company is proud to sponsor and collaborate with Shaker Group in launching the LG-Shaker Air Conditioning Academy here in Saudi Arabia, he said.



We have a deeply rooted commitment to provide our workers with high-level training to mirror the best practices for the industry at a state-of-the-art facility, he added.



Trainees will gain valuable first-hand experience in the implementation processes of the products' installation, operation, and centralised network solution under the guidance of professional experts. The Application Showroom, however, has also been equipped to illustrate the different applications of LG Multi V products across a variety of targeted HVAC sectors.



The academy recognises that separate zones reflect the Multi V implementation across residential, hotel, schools, and office applications.



The academy project is part of the Shaker and LG development plans for the Saudi market, with the overall aim to enhance the depth and breadth of HVAC solutions.



Through expanding sector growth, Shaker and LG strive to improve the capabilities of young Saudi professionals and educate them on the availability of Energy Efficiency Solutions in line with the Saudi Vision 2030, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
The UKs major broadcasters have formally complained to Downing Street about Theresa May refusing to grant interviews at the Conservative Party Conference.

In a letter to the Prime Ministers communications chief Robbie Gibb, senior figures from BBC News, ITV News, Channel 4 News, Channel 5 News, Sky News and ITN said it was vital to hold party leaders to account.

In a reference to Donald Trumps administration in the US, they noted that we have already seen attempts to exclude some journalistic organisations in America from press conferences, attempts which were resisted by the solidarity of the broadcasters who refused to allow it.

Veteran Channel 4 News anchor Jon Snow was among journalists at the Conservative Party Conference to complain about the lack of access to the Prime Minister.

Thatcher, Major, Blair, Brown, Cameron, May. For 29 years at @Channel4News I have interviewed the @10DowningStreet Prime Minister of the day at their party conference - until today. @theresa_may has refused to appear on @Channel4News tonight; unprecedented & disappointing pic.twitter.com/jIc0FSN8Kg  Jon Snow (@jonsnowC4) October 2, 2018

He said she had steadfastly refused to speak to Channel 4 News, something he said was unprecedented and disappointing.

Snow later empty chaired the Prime Minister on the evening bulletin, saying: If youre listening, Prime Minister, we would love to hear from you and there will always be a chair here for you on Channel 4 News.

Piers Morgan, host of ITVs Good Morning Britain, suggested the Prime Minister was scared of being interviewed by him.

What are you scared of, Prime Minister @theresa_may - tricky questions? https://t.co/XMOhWICeMJ  Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 2, 2018

Andy Bell, political editor at Channel 5 News, said he was very disappointed that for the first time in too many years to count he had been refused an interview.

Just to say very disappointed that for the first time in too many years to count @5_News (along with @Channel4News) have been refused an interview with PM at conference pic.twitter.com/d1Am7GQFTp  Andy Bell (@andybell5news) October 2, 2018

In the letter, the broadcasters wrote to formally complain about the unprecedented circumstances surrounding interviews with the Prime Minister at the conference in Birmingham.

The party conferences are the biggest scheduled political events in the calendar year, where members and leaders gather to discuss and debate policies and for which they receive blanket coverage for their speeches.

For a functioning democracy it is vital that in turn the politicians and in particular the leaders and even prime ministers are also questioned and held to account in one-to-one interviews.

The letter sent by broadcasters to Number 10 communications chief Robbie Gibb

They urged Downing Street to make Mrs may available for interview with all the UKs national broadcasters.
David Silva struck a late winner as Manchester City finally got their Champions League campaign up and running with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Hoffenheim.

After defeat to Lyon a fortnight ago, it had looked like being another frustrating night for City in Group F until Silva pounced on a defensive mistake three minutes from time.

Pep Guardiolas side had got off to a dreadful start, conceding after just 44 seconds when Ishak Belfodil opened the scoring, but Sergio Aguero quickly equalised.

Leroy Sane was controversially denied a penalty in the second half but City otherwise found the going tough against the determined Germans.

City, with Aymeric Laporte at left-back, were rocked in the first minute. Nicolas Otamendi and Vincent Kompany both seemed unsure of their positioning as Belfodil raced onto a brilliant through-ball from Florian Demirbay and lashed home.

City looked ragged but responded quickly as Silva released Sane. The German, perhaps with a point to prove in his home country after recent criticism, pulled back for Aguero and the striker, fit after a foot injury, made no mistake.

David Silva won it for Manchester City (Michael Probst/AP)

Hoffenheim were not fazed and continued to run at the City defence. Pavel Kaderabek burst down the left and went down under pressure from Kyle Walker but Slovenian referee Damir Skomina dismissed his penalty appeal.

City turned defence into attack quickly as Silva played Raheem Sterling through but the England forward was denied by the legs of Oliver Baumann, who also made a brilliant save to keep out Agueros attempt to find the top corner.

Despite giving the ball away on numerous occasions, City dominated for a spell and Kompany threatened at a corner, only to be penalised for a push. Aguero missed the target with an acrobatic effort after another good run by Sane and also shot narrowly over following a long Ederson punt.

Guardiola  only just back from a touchline ban  was spoken to by Skomina for protesting when Silva was prevented from taking a quick throw. Yet that was little compared to the frustration Guardiola felt when Laporte allowed Belfodil through after under-hitting a back pass. It required a good save from Ederson to rescue City.

City also made an uncertain start to the second half as Florian Grillitschs long-range effort flew just over and they survived another scare when Ederson missed a header attempting to clear a long ball from Baumann. Sane got back to prevent former Leicester striker Andrej Kramaric shooting into an empty goal.

Fernandinho did fire at Baumann but City lacked control and Walker was booked for a bad challenge on Kaderabek.

Bernardo Silva came off the bench to give City another dimension but Aguero headed straight at Baumann from a cross from the Portuguese.

City felt they should have had a penalty 18 minutes from time when Sane appeared to be caught by Baumann after Bernardo Silva again opened Hoffenheim up but, much to their frustration, nothing was given.

Time began to run out for the visitors but David Silva lifted their spirits by smashing home after Stefan Posch failed to clear Bernardo Silvas cross.
Sajid Javid has said he is not sad his bus driver father would have been turned away from the UK under the Governments new immigration proposals.

The proposals, announced by the Home Secretary in his conference speech, will mean high-skilled workers are given priority in visa applications over those with low skills.

Mr Javids father arrived in Britain in the 1960s from Pakistan and first took work in a cotton mill in Rochdale before becoming a bus driver.

Asked at a Tory conference fringe event whether he was sad his late father could not have taken the same journey to the UK today, he said: I thought about that, I think its a perfectly good question and the answer is when my dad came to Britain in the 1960s there was a route that was set out by the British Government because the Government wanted, it needed, a route for low-skilled migration.

He added: No it doesnt make me feel sad, I actually feel with todays policy it makes you very optimistic about our future because what I have set out is that we will remain the global and outlooking nation that welcomes people from across the world.

Mr Javid, who was at an event hosted by the Guardian, was also asked about the Windrush scandal and whether he was surprised by the public backlash.

Sajid Javids father arrived in Britain in the 1960s from Pakistan (Aaron Chown/PA)

He said: I wasnt actually, I think that when it became clear what had been happening over many years and we now know, at the time it looked like it was only happening over the last three or four years, we now know that goes back under successive governments.

The British public have a real strong sense of decency and when they realised what was happening there was uproar  there should have been, given what had happened.
A man who saved two people from being hit by a speeding train and a woman who prevented a neighbour from being murdered have been recognised with bravery awards.

Alistair Hunter and Lillian Hood were among 60 members of the public, emergency service workers and volunteers presented with Brave@Heart awards by the First Minister at Edinburgh Castle on Tuesday night.

Lillian Hood was given a posthumous St Andrews Award for intervening when her neighbour was stabbed in his home in Edinburgh last year.

She was threatened but managed to contacted the emergency services and administered first aid until help arrived.

Ms Hood has since died, unrelated to the incident, and the St Andrews award was collected by her sons.

Alistair Hunter also received a bravery award for rescuing two people at Broughty Ferry train station.

Sixty members of the public, emergency service workers and volunteers have been recognised for their bravery in a ceremony at Edinburgh Castle (David Cheskin/PA)

When one man stumbled on to the tracks and a friend struggled to help him, Mr Hunter managed to get them out the way of a high speed train passing through the station.

The First Minister said: It is a humbling experience being able to recognise those individuals that have demonstrated such heroism and exceptional bravery.

Many of those recognised go to work each day and risk their lives to ensure the safety of the wider public, and there are also private individuals recognised who have intervened to assist fellow citizens who were in danger or distress. This is our opportunity to give them our heartfelt thanks  they are an inspiration to us all.

Panel chair Philip Jones said: Brave@Heart award winners represent the very best of Scotland  we take great pride in serving the public and the winners are stand-out examples of this. Their heroic acts have protected others who have been in desperate and perilous situations.

It would be all too easy for these selfless acts to pass us by but the awards make sure that doesnt happen. The winners also remind us that thousands of people in Scotland are working to protect others every day. Its so important that their contributions are celebrated because they set an example to us all.
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has labelled manager Jose Mourinho an embarrassment  and is surprised the Portuguese was not sacked following Saturdays defeat at West Ham.

United host Valencia in the Champions League on Tuesday night following a string of indifferent displays which have put Mourinhos position under scrutiny.

Scholes won some 11 Premier League titles as well as the Champions League twice under Sir Alex Ferguson, including the Treble in 1999.

The 43-year-old former England international has been a stern critic of Mourinho, who in turn has hit back at the one-time United stalwart.

On Tuesday night, Scholes used his pundit role during BT Sports build-up for the Valencia match to launch another tirade at the under-fire United manager.

I am sat here actually surprised he survived after Saturday, the performance was that bad, Scholes said on BT Sport.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has seen his position come under scrutiny. (Martin Rickett/PA Images)

Hes coming out in press conferences and constantly having a go at players, he is having a go at people above him because hes not getting what he wants.

I think his mouth is probably out of control and I think he is embarrassing the club.
Nicola Sturgeon has said she may have to wait until November or even December to give an update on her plans for a second Scottish independence referendum.

The Scottish First Minister said the lack of detail surrounding the UKs departure from the European Union meant she was unable to make a judgment on whether to call for another independence vote.

She insisted this was the case despite fears that Britain could be heading for a genuinely disastrous Brexit outcome  and even warned that Theresa Mays almost dysfunctional government could lead to a snap general election.

The SNP leader said: It may be this government is not far away from being unable to govern, I say that in seriousness.

She noted the circus that is unfolding at the Tory party conference in Brimingham, where there has been speculation that the Prime Minister could face a leadership challenge.

Nicola Sturgeon described the Conservative conference as a `circus (Victoria Jones/PA)

Ms Sturgeon added: We are talking about a party in government that is not far away, I think, from being dysfunctional, in terms of being able to govern at all.

I certainly dont think we should rule out the fact that there might be a general election.

However she was clear that more detail is still needed on the UKs future relationship with the EU before she can decide on whether to press for another vote on Scottish independence.

Ms Sturgeon had previously indicated her willingness to fight a second referendum following the Brexit result in 2016, when Scotland voted to remain part of the EU but the UK as a whole opted to leave.

However she pulled back from that position after the SNP lost a number of Westminster seats in the 2017 general election  at the time pledging to set out her thinking on the issue in October.

Speaking at the 50th anniversary of the Europa Institute at Edinburgh University, the First Minister said that while Scotland must retain the option to choose a different course as an independent member of the EU, she said that would be when there is greater clarity about the terms of Brexit than exists today.

The Rt Hon @NicolaSturgeon delivered an exceptional lecture on Scotlands Future in Europe for the Europa Institutes 50th Anniversary @EdinburghUni @uoessps @UoELawSchool pic.twitter.com/TyC2IuFaZq  Edinburgh Europa Institute (@EuropaInstitute) October 2, 2018

She said the decisive moments of the negotiations were now approaching, adding that the Scottish Government would publish a further document ahead of the key EU Council meeting in October setting out the case for compromise and common sense.

Ms Sturgeon stressed her administration would continue to make the case for the UK to remain in both the single market and the customs union  even though this has been repeatedly ruled out by Westminster.

The First Minister was asked directly by a member of the audience if she would call for a second independence vote if the UK crashes out with no deal.

But she responded that she would set out her thinking when there is sufficient information on the UKs future relationship with the EU.

The First Minister said that she would wait until we are at this phase of the negotiations before effectively sharing my view on what I think where we are at that stage means for Scotland and the question of an independence referendum.

She continued: The end of this period of negotiation, I previously thought that would be October. It is now looking like that is more likely to be November, perhaps with a vote in the House of Commons in December.

So I will take a judgment depending on where we get to, set out some views on where I think were heading if we dont change course, and have more to say on that that point.
A man has been stabbed at a London station during rush hour.

British Transport Police (BTP) said officers were called to the serious stabbing at Hackney Central Overground station shortly after 6pm.

Officers said one man had been arrested, while the victim was taken by ambulance to hospital to be treated for his injuries.

His condition is not thought to be life-threatening.

Travellers described chaos at the east London station, and commuter Nick Renaud-Komiya said he saw a man with a knife.

There was a sea of people running in my direction, it took me a couple of seconds to register that something wasnt right, the 28-year-old said.

British Transport Police are investigating (Anthony Devlin/PA)

I saw a guy with a knife in his hand walking towards me, he was shouting a lot but I couldnt get any of what he was saying.

The police arrived really quickly and they grabbed him and had him up against the police car.

London Overground said services on the route resumed with severe delays shortly before 8pm, but the station remained closed.

A BTP statement said: Police are asking that anyone who was at Hackney Central Overground station and saw anything suspicious to please get in touch.
President Donald Trump has said it is a scary time for young men who could become subject of false accusations.

He suggested it was troubling that people were found automatically guilty and had to prove their innocence.

But Mr Trump told reporters on the White House lawn he supported Brett Kavanaugh, who has been accused of sexual misconduct.

The president said he wants to see what happens with the FBI investigation into his embattled Supreme Court nominee.

Mr Trump added he felt the cause would be a rallying cry for Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said a vote would happen on Kavanaughs nomination by the end of the week.
A ferry stranded in the Baltic Sea for about six hours with an estimated 300 people on board has safely reached its destination, port authorities say.

The ferry, operated by Copenhagen-based DFDS Seaways, was in international waters off Kaliningrad, a Russian coastal enclave between Poland and Lithuania, when the engine stopped working.

Smoke poured out of the engine room and triggered the fire extinguisher inside the room, the ferry operator said.

The breakdown paralysed the boat for about six hours.

Port spokeswoman Dovile Ringis told reporters the ferry reached the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda at 9.30pm, powered by its own engines despite strong wind and waves.

It was escorted by Lithuanian navy ships dispatched as a precaution with emergency crews on hand at the port, she said.

The Regina Seaways vessel was built in 2010 and can carry up to 500 passengers (DFDS A/S via AP)

Earlier, passengers had assembled at muster stations in preparation for a possible evacuation, and rescue ships were scrambled as a precaution.

But an evacuation order never came, and there were no reports of injuries.

We are talking about a malfunction in the engine room that caused a lot of smoke, DFDS spokesman Gert Jakobsen said.

The ferry, which also carried cars and trucks, was traveling from Kiel, Germany, to Klaipeda, which is north of Kaliningrad.

The crossing normally takes about 20 hours.

On these kinds of crossings we have people from Germany, the Baltic countries and Russia. We cannot say now who was onboard, Mr Jakobsen said.

The ship is about 85 kilometres (50 miles) from Klaipeda, said Vaidas Klumbys, another DFDS spokesman.

He said on Tuesday afternoon: We received the information from the ship that it was undergoing vibrations and smoke rising from the engines.

Russian state news agency Tass quoted Andrei Permyakov, head of the sea rescue co-ordination centre in Kaliningrad, as saying that rescuers from Lithuania, Russia and Poland responded.

Lithuanias navy said one of its helicopters and three navy vessels were sent to the site in case an evacuation was necessary.

The regional news agency Baltic News Services quoted Mr Klumbys as saying the weather conditions are not good.

Mr Jakobsen was not aware of any rescue operation, saying there was no evacuation.

But in this kind of situation, everyone steps in, he said.

The Regina Seaways was built in 2010 and can carry up to 500 passengers.
Britain will send military experts and a transport aircraft to Indonesia to help with the relief effort following the recent earthquake tsunami, the Ministry of Defence has said.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has agreed to deploy an RAF A400M aircraft stationed in the Middle East and a small team of UK military experts to assist with the aid mission.

It is thought there are more than 1,500 people dead, missing, or injured after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake and tsunami struck the island of Sulawesi on Friday.

Thousands have been left homeless.

Mr Williamson said on Tuesday evening: Britain stands united with Indonesia as they recover from this devastating tragedy.

An RAF transport aircraft and her crew will provide vital supplies to those who are in need.

This shows that once again Britain and her allies across the globe can depend on us to provide support and assistance no matter the time, no matter the place, and no matter the problem.

Earlier on Tuesday, a team of five advisers arrived in the Indonesian capital Jakarta and another humanitarian specialist has been deployed to the country.

#UKaid is already supporting the earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia through our funding to the International Red Cross movement (@federation): https://t.co/Lp9n4eRWOh pic.twitter.com/qR1nWLwXzZ  DFID (@DFID_UK) October 2, 2018

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt made an initial 2 million of UK aid available for the relief effort.

The British experts will assess the situation and decide if further support is needed.

Some of the team hope to go to affected areas including Palu, the largest city that was heavily damaged.

Earthquake damage in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia (Dita Alangkara/AP)

It has been difficult for supplies of food, water, fuel and medicine to reach some of the worst-affected areas.

Save the Children has warned that survivors are facing growing health risks with an increasing chance of disease outbreaks.

The charity said clean water supplies are running low and thousands of families are living in makeshift shelters and cramped evacuation centres.

Tom Howells, programme implementation director, described the situation as a recipe for disaster.

There is debris and rubbish everywhere, and its difficult for families to maintain hygiene standards, quite apart from getting access to food and clean drinking water for children and babies.

Were really concerned that we could start seeing a growing number of children getting sick with illnesses like diarrhoea.

The destruction and loss are absolutely heart-wrenching, and the suffering on a scale thats hard to fathom. It will be a long recovery process.

A team of staff from Save the Childrens partner charity Yayasan Sayangi Tunas Cilik (YSTC) are in Palu, the capital of central Sulawesi and epicentre of the crisis.

The government of Indonesia is leading the response and more than 25 other countries have offered assistance.

Blankets, sleeping mats, water containers and ambulances are being sent to the worst-affected areas as part of the relief effort.

UK aid is already supporting relief efforts through funding to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, which has 175 volunteers and staff on the ground.
US-based Fluor Corporation has announced that a plant which the company helped build has won the Award of Merit in the 2018 Global Best Projects Awards by Engineering News-Record magazine.



The award was won by the German chemical company BASFs new automotive coatings plant in Caojing, China.



Fluor provided front-end engineering and design, engineering, procurement and construction management on the project, which is an expansion of the existing facility. With a fast-track, 15-month construction schedule, Fluor managed more than 1,200 craft workers at peak.



The project, which was recognised in the power/industrial category, was completed safely, on schedule and under budget, said a statement from Fluor.



Sandeep Nibber, president of Fluors energy and chemicals business in Asia-Pacific, said: This project, which we completed safely, with quality, on schedule and under budget, exemplifies the creativity and commitment that our employees bring to all of our projects.



BASFs state-of-the-art facility plays a key role in the growing automotive market in China and Asia-Pacific and we are proud that Engineering News-Record has recognised the teams contributions, he added.



The BASF and Fluor team maintained stringent quality standards during the project execution to ensure the quality of the coatings that will be produced in the facility. Working alongside the existing operating facility, the project team completed construction with no disruptions to operations.



Engagement of the entire project team through daily safety meetings, hazard identification and mitigation, trainings and safety observations created a strong safety culture at the site.



This culture resulted in more than 3.6 million work hours without a recordable or lost-time incident.



BASFs new, state-of-the art facility produces thinners, primers, clear coats and waterborne basecoats for the Chinese automotive manufacturing market.



Engineering News-Record selected winning projects based on safety performance, innovations, overcoming challenges, and design and construction quality, with a focus on the global nature of the project.



The project team was featured in the October 1, issue of Engineering News-Record and honoured at an awards ceremony in New York City on October 2, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has spoken to Mohamed Salah about his frustrations in front of goal, but insisted big talks were not necessary.

The Egypt international has scored three times in nine matches this season, but has just one in the last six, compared to six in his first nine 12 months ago.

He does not look close so far to replicating the form that brought him 44 goals and a new Premier League record of 32 in a 38-game season.

It seemed in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea at the weekend that his desperation to return to the scintillating form which kicked in about a year ago was affecting his decision-making.

Liverpools Mohamed Salah, foreground left, trains with his team-mates ahead of the Napoli clash (Ciro Fusco/AP).

But Klopp said, ahead of Wednesdays Champions League clash with Napoli: The only thing that is obvious, and I only have to say that to Mo, is that it was absolutely clear that we would stand in a situation like this here and talk about it.

Even Harry Kane. They talk about this and now he scored last week two goals, but before that, he was, Not even half he was last year, that is what people were saying, stuff like that.

For us, it is completely cool. If the player is not happy with it  that is clear. If you have a chance, you want to score.

It is completely normal, all good. As long as we perform like we have, everything will be fine.

With Mo (against Chelsea) first shot too close, second shot too far, so position-wise with the feet it is easy to explain.

In these situations going through them there is no advice, you can not give it, because the experience, they make themselves.

They know, I didnt score, I didnt score so next time I pass, but it is about judging the situation again, Can I shoot? Yes. Score.

So there are not big talks necessary, just a completely normal situation it is absolutely easy to expect, because if you dont score in your first seven games 10 goals, then everybody asks if

you can do it again.

Even Ian Rush didnt score 40 goals in 10 seasons, season after season after season. Thats not how it works.

You have to be a proper threat. As an offensive player you have to work hard. At the end of season it depends how much success we have as a team if it is successful or not.

There is no personal success possible. All awards are for everyone. We do what we do best.

Liverpool themselves have also failed to so far hit the high standards they set themselves last season on their way to a top-four finish and a place in the Champions League final.

Liverpools players looked in good spirits ahead of the Napoli clash (Ciro Fusco/AP).

They are lacking the explosive moments when they would blow teams away in a 10 or 20-minute spell.

That is also something which does not concern Klopp yet.

They never happen because you want them to happen, they happen in a game, he added.

You do the things you have to do constantly. You do and do it good  I dont have a better word  but then it is one moment probably clicking.

We have scored so many goals in much more difficult situations than we this season didnt score. That is all about performing.

 Happy birthday Bobby Firmino! 



Best celebration in the #UCL? We know Sadio Mane likes it...  pic.twitter.com/SiuzHVj3wW  UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 2, 2018

You cannot say we have to score three or four or five in whichever game it was, you have to take like it is at moments, and that is what consistency is about.

As long as we create these moments and dont create a fuss about it, these things will happen. Everything is fine, but, Now you have to. It is not like that.

There was one game when there was a lot of discussion  I think it was Tottenham  when Sadio (Mane) should have passed, now Mo should have passed (at Chelsea).

I told them, No, because last season they scored in exactly the same situations. Sadio got us three points at Burnley and Mo I dont know how often in this situation, he scored goals.
In one of the most important speeches of her political career, Theresa May will seek to rally her fractious party behind her by declaring that Britains post-Brexit future is full of promise.

The Prime Minister will make a direct appeal to mainstream Labour voters disillusioned by Jeremy Corbyns left-wing agenda to switch to the decent, moderate, patriotic Tories.

And she will borrow the Labour leaders For the many, not the few slogan as she declares that Conservatives are a party not for the few, not even for the many, but for everyone who is willing to work hard and do their best.

Mrs May takes to the stage at the Conservative Conference in Birmingham on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after 1,500 delegates gave a thunderous standing ovation to Boris Johnson as he branded her Brexit plans a constitutional outrage that would humiliate Britain.

Boris Johnson won rapturous applause as he called on Mrs May to `chuck Chequers (Victoria Jones/PA)

Mr Johnsons demand for the PM to chuck Chequers has echoed around the corridors and fringe meetings at a gathering riven by profound differences over the best approach to Britains EU withdrawal.

But he stopped well short of a direct challenge to her leadership, urging Tories to back (her) in the best way possible, by encouraging her to ditch the plan agreed at her country residence and return to her earlier hard Brexit blueprint.

Mrs May said she was cross with her former foreign secretary, accusing him of being ready to tear up her guarantee to the people of Northern Ireland that there would be no customs border down the Irish Sea.

But in her keynote speech in Birmingham, she will focus on her hopes for a brighter future after Brexit.

I passionately believe that our best days lie ahead of us and that our future is full of promise, she will say.

Dont let anyone tell you we dont have what it takes: we have everything we need to succeed.

The Prime Minister putting the finishing touches to her crucial conference speech (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The crucial address comes one year, almost to the day, since her catastrophic conference speech in Manchester, where she suffered stage invasion by a comedian, a persistent cough and a collapsing backdrop.

Observers will keep a close eye on whether she makes any reference to that calamitous performance, which led to speculation over how long she could last as Conservative leader.

She has already said she has taken steps to ensure she speaks strongly this time round.

In a speech entitled Our Future Is In Our Hands, Mrs May will tell delegates that countries across the world stand ready to trade with the UK.

And she will promise that at this moment of opportunity the Conservatives will always act in the national interest and put the needs of hard-working people first.

In an appeal to Labour voters to consider switching, Mrs May will say: Millions of people who have never supported our party in the past are appalled by what Jeremy Corbyn has done to Labour.

They want to support a party that is decent, moderate and patriotic. One that puts the national interest first. Delivers on the issues they care about. And is comfortable with modern Britain in all its diversity.

We must show everyone in this country that we are that party.

A party that conserves the best of our inheritance but is not afraid of change. A party of patriotism but not nationalism. A party that believes in business but is not afraid to hold businesses to account.

A party that believes in the good that government can do but knows that government will never have all the answers. A party that believes your success in life should not be defined by who you love, your faith, the colour of your skin, who your parents were, or where you were raised  but by your talent and hard work.

Above all a party of Unionism, not just of four proud nations, but of all our people.

A party not for the few, not even for the many, but for everyone who is willing to work hard and do their best.
Flights in Ireland have been disrupted because of a radar problem.

There were cancellations from Shannon and Cork airports following the fault at Air Traffic Control in Shannon on Tuesday evening.

Inbound flights were facing cancellation or predicted delays of up to three hours.

A number of flights due to land at Shannon were diverted to Dublin Airport.

UPDATE: The IAA is aware of a technical issue in Shannon ATC. The issue is currently being investigated. As a precaution the flow of traffic has been restricted. We will provide an update shortly pic.twitter.com/l92WqDbmvE  Shannon Airport (@ShannonAirport) October 2, 2018

Cork Airport said on Twitter: There is a significant systems failure with a radar in the west of Ireland resulting in a zero flow rate in Irish aerospace at present. Dublin Airport is exempt due to proximity to UK air traffic control.

Cork Airport apologises for the obvious inconvenience this is causing.

There were cancellations from Shannon (Niall Carson/PA)

Shannon Airport warned the disruption could last until morning, writing on Twitter: Air Traffic Control at Ballcasey, Shannon are experiencing issues with their flight radar. Work underway to rectify the situation. Arrivals and Departures at Shannon have been suspended until the radar is fully operational.

We would advise passengers travelling in the morning to check the status of their flights with the airlines due to tonights issue with the flight radar.

The Irish Aviation Authority said: IAA is aware of a technical issue at Shannon ATC. The issue is currently being investigated. As a precaution the flow of traffic has been restricted.
President Donald Trump received at least 413 million dollars from his father over the decades  much of that through dubious tax dodges  including outright fraud, according to the New York Times.

The 15,000-word report contradicts Mr Trumps portrayal of himself as a self-made billionaire who started with just a one million dollar loan from his father.

The Times says Mr Trump and his father, Fred, avoided gift and inheritance taxes by setting up a sham corporation and undervaluing assets to tax authorities.

It says the report is based on more than 100,000 pages of financial documents, including confidential tax returns from the father and his companies.

A lawyer for Mr Trump, Charles J Harder, told the Times there was no fraud or tax evasion and the facts cited in the report are extremely inaccurate.

The New York state tax department said it is reviewing the allegations in the Times and is vigorously pursuing all appropriate avenues of investigation.

The department typically refers findings to the state attorney generals office.

The Times says the Trump family hid millions of dollars of transfers from the father to his children through a sham company owned by the children called All County Building Supply & Maintenance.

Set up in 1992 ostensibly as a purchasing agent to supply Fred Trumps buildings with boilers, cleaning supplies and other goods, the father would pad invoices with markups of 20% or even 50% thereby avoiding gift taxes, the newspaper reports.

The Times says that before Fred Trump died in the late 1990s, he transferred ownership of most of his real estate empire to his four living children.

A newspaper cutting showing Donald Trumps mother Mary and his sister Mary Anne (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The value of the properties in tax returns summed up to 41.4 million dollars, vastly less than the Times says they were worth.

The same properties would be sold off over the next decade for more than 16 times that amount.

In total, the presidents father and mother transferred over one billion dollars to their children, according to the Times tally.

That should have produced a tax bill of at least 550 million dollars, based on a 55% tax on gifts and inheritance at the time.

Instead, the children paid 52.2 million dollars, or about 5%.

Tax experts cited in the report say Mr Trump is unlikely to face criminal prosecution in helping his parents evade taxes because the maneuvers occurred long ago and are past the statute of limitation.

The presidents brother Robert Trump said all appropriate gift and estate tax returns were filed, adding in a statement: Our family has no other comment on these matters that happened some 20 years ago and would appreciate your respecting the privacy of our deceased parents, may God rest their souls.

The Times report says documents it reviewed show the future president was earning 200,000 a year in todays dollars at the age of three.

By the time Mr Trump had graduated from college, the report says, he was getting the equivalent of one million dollars a year from his father.

When he was campaigning, Mr Trump repeatedly boasted of his ability to turn a small loan from his father into his fortune.

My father gave me a very small loan in 1975, he said, and I built it into a company thats worth many, many billions of dollars.
Microsoft has unveiled new versions of its Surface Pro tablet and Surface Laptop as the tech firm looks to take on Apples Mac line of computers.

The new Surface Pro 6 is the latest version of the tablet-laptop hybrid device, which combines a tablet computer with a keyboard and case.

Having stepped away from smartphones in recent years, the Surface line-up of laptops and tablets have become Microsofts flagship hardware products.

The new Pro was announced alongside the new Surface Laptop 2  the firms second generation laptop, as well as a new Surface Studio desktop PC and the first-ever Surface Headphones.

The technology giants chief product officer Panos Panay said the Surface Pro 6 was the most powerful version of the device the company has ever made and claimed it was faster than Apples MacBook Air laptop.

It comes with a 13.5-inch screen and Intels latest 8th generation Quad Core processor.

The new Surface Pro 6 is the latest version of the tablet-laptop hybrid device (Microsoft)

Mr Panay also said the new Pro 6 was also 67% faster than the previous generation Surface Pro device.

Weve redesigned Surface Pro 6 to pack in power but keep the portability, versatility and all-day battery we know our fans love, he said.

The Surface Laptop 2 will be 85% faster than its predecessor and Mr Panay claims it will offer up to 14.5 hours of battery life on a single charge, a figure the Microsoft executive claimed was more than any Apple laptop.

The tech company confirmed both new devices will go on sale on October 16.

At an event in New York, a refreshed version of the Surface Studio desktop PC was also announced, alongside a pair of wireless, noise-cancelling headphones.

Unveiling the headphones, Mr Panay said they had been created to help users cut out distractions while they work.

We built Surface Headphones to complete the Surface experience. To help you get into your flow, wherever you are, he said.

Whether youre in an open workspace, a cafe or on the go, Surface Headphones help tune out or tune in wherever you are.

Away from its new hardware, Microsoft also confirmed its latest update to the Windows 10 operating system  the October 2018 Update  was now available.

It includes a new app call Your Phone, which enables users to connect their Android smartphone to their computer and access send texts from their PC as well as drag-and-drop photos taken on their phone to their computer.
A shortage of nursing staff is hampering the delivery of a comprehensive mental health service at a Scottish prison, it has been found.

Inspectors said much has been done to improve the situation at HMP & YOI Grampian in Peterhead since its standard of health and well-being was graded poor after an inspection in November and December 2015.

They said the enduring shortage of mental health nurses was of particular concern, however, and suggested Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership and NHS Grampian may need to consider alternative ways of delivering care in the prison.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS) made a return visit to the prison on June 11 to 13 this year to assess what progress had been made since 2015.

The report said despite staffing issues there has been a striking improvement in the morale of the healthcare team since the last inspection, with staff saying they now enjoyed working in the establishment.

HMIPS said: What was immediately evident on our return was the effort that had been made by Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership and HMP & YOI Grampian to address the concerns raised in 2015.

A shortage of nursing staff is hindering delivery of a comprehensive mental health service at a prison in Aberdeenshire, inspectors have found. (Victoria Jones/PA

An increased staffing complement had been agreed following the 2015 inspection. However, the healthcare team was still operating with fewer permanent staff than deemed necessary.

Of particular concern was the enduring shortage of mental health nurses, an issue that we understand affects the wider NHS Grampian board area.

Given that the shortage of mental health nurses has existed for a number of years and appears to be a board-wide issue, it may be that Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership and NHS Grampian needs to consider alternative delivery models for mental health services within HMP & YOI Grampian.

The report noted the ability to deliver a comprehensive mental health service continued to be hindered by not having the full complement of nursing staff.

HMIPS added: Although there is still considerable work to do, inspectors saw demonstrable evidence of how the actions taken since 2015 had had a positive impact on the service being delivered.

Mark Simpson, Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership (AHSCP) Partnership Manager North, said: This is a really good inspection report and I am very proud of the work that our staff have done to turn things around within the healthcare centre at HMP Grampian.

Yes, we have issues in recruiting mental health nurses, however, as stated in the report this is a Grampian-wide problem and as a partnership we have worked closely with the Scottish Prison Service to ensure that our healthcare staff within HMPG are well supported and that the working environment is a positive one.

We have already put in place a number of changes, such as offering flexible working and part-time work, to how we recruit in order to attract more staff and we will continue to look at every available option when recruiting healthcare staff to HMP Grampian.
Political fireworks in Birmingham make headlines on Wednesday after Boris Johnson addressed the Tory faithful ahead of Theresa Mays big speech to the Conservative Party conference.

The Daily Mail says Mr Johnsons intervention, in which he branded the Prime Ministers Brexit blueprint an outrage and accused her of cheating the electorate, amounted to a public audition for her job.

Mrs May hit back at the former foreign secretary, saying his proposals for a Canada-style arrangement would tear up the UK, the i reports.

The PM will use her closing speech today to reaffirm her belief that Britains best days lie ahead, the Daily Express reports.

She will say the future is full of promise and appeal to her party to seize the moment of opportunity, The Times says.

Tomorrow's front page: May insists best days are still to come for Britain #tomorrowspapertoday pic.twitter.com/7L8Fh00gdL  The Times (@thetimes) October 2, 2018

Mrs May will also declare that the Tories can represent decent, moderate and patriotic Britons, The Guardian says.

What the papers say - October 3

The speech is titled The Future Is In Our Hands, according to the Metro.

As for her own future, Mrs May is under pressure to set out a timetable for when she will step down, the Daily Telegraph reports.

She faces a struggle to reassert her authority with the speech, The Independent says.

In other conference news, the PM will announce a further freeze in fuel duty, The Sun says.

Tomorrow's front page: Theresa May freezes fuel duty AGAIN in victory for The Sun in a bid to stay PM https://t.co/meyYAlde17 pic.twitter.com/PVcMyCwupJ  The Sun (@TheSun) October 2, 2018

Elsewhere, a student Conservative society has been criticised over a university night out, the Daily Mirror reports.

A university has banned clapping to prevent stress, according to the Daily Star.

And the Financial Times leads with Amazon raising its minimum wage for workers in the US and UK.
The Court of Appeal is to rule on a charitys legal battle against the Government over the number of unaccompanied child refugees allowed into the UK.

Help Refugees challenged the Home Offices decision to cap the number of child asylum seekers to be accepted, under an amendment moved by Labour peer Lord Dubs, at 480.

Last year the charity sought orders to force then home secretary Amber Rudd to abandon the cap and reopen what it said was a defective consultation, so consideration could be given to allowing more children in.

Lord Dubs put forward the amendment on allowing unaccompanied child refugees into the UK (Yui Mok/PA)

But judges at the High Court in London ruled against the charity in November, saying they were not persuaded its case was made out.

Challenging that ruling at an appeal hearing in July, the charity argued the figure did not accurately reflect the capacity of local authorities to provide children with places because it was arrived at following a confusing consultation process.

Lawyers for the charity argued the consultation question caused, or at least encouraged a misunderstanding which led to just six places being offered across the whole of Scotland.

They said responses given by local authorities in percentages were not included in the final figure and there was confusion over the closing date of the consultation.

Migrants and refugees on the island of Kos, Greece (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Nathalie Lieven QC, representing Help Refugees, also argued that children who were assessed in Calais and refused a place in the UK should have been given short written reasons for the refusal.

She said the ability of those children to challenge the refusal was already impeded by formidable barriers including their youth, lack of English or French, unfamiliarity with the UK legal system and, in many cases, trauma.

Lawyers for the Home Office argued the High Court reached the right decision and urged Court of Appeal judges to dismiss the case.

Our #DubsNow appeal regarding the closure of the Dubs scheme has now begun. We have packed out the courtroom and want to send our thanks to everyone in court today, and the thousands of people have supported the appeal over the last 2 years. Together we hope we can win this case! pic.twitter.com/1qR0y8vy66  Choose Love (@chooselove) July 25, 2018

The Dubs Amendment was to the 2016 Immigration Act and, from May last year, required the Home Secretary to make arrangements to relocate a specified number of vulnerable refugee children from Europe based on feedback from local authorities.

The Government increased the number of children to be relocated under the scheme from 350 to 480 in February last year.

Lord Justice McCombe, Lady Justice King and Lord Justice Hickinbottom are due to announce their decision on the case on Wednesday morning.
The former boyfriend of reality TV star Ferne McCann is challenging the 20-year jail sentence he received after carrying out an acid attack in a packed nightclub.

Arthur Collins hurled the corrosive substance over a crowd on the dance floor at Mangle E8 in Dalston, east London, in what a judge described as a despicable act.

Collins, of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, was sentenced at Londons Wood Green Crown Court in December by Judge Noel Lucas.

Three judges at the Court of Appeal in London will hear a bid by Collins, now 26, to win a reduction in his jail term at a hearing on Wednesday.

Ferne McCann (Ian West/PA)

Sixteen people suffered chemical burn injuries and three people were temporarily blinded.

Collins, the father of Ms McCanns baby daughter Sunday, told his trial he did not know the bottle contained acid, claiming he believed it contained a liquid date rape drug which he had snatched from two men after overhearing them planning to spike a girls drink.

But a jury convicted him of five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent and nine counts of actual bodily harm.

Collins told his trial he had been out celebrating the news of Ms McCanns pregnancy, which they had announced to her family the previous day.

After the incident, he went on the run and was not caught until several days later hiding out in a house in Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire.

He has previous convictions including threatening words, possession of cocaine and assault, and was still subject to a suspended sentence for punching a man at a nightclub when he carried out the acid attack.

In January, he was jailed for another eight months for using a smuggled mobile phone to call Ms McCann from his prison cell.
British soldiers have joined forces with their Japanese counterparts for the first time on their soil as part of a fortnight-long exercise.

Fifty soldiers from the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) have been deployed to the slopes of Mount Fuji where they met with the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Defence, the aim of Exercise Vigilant Isles is to strengthen the relationship between the two forces and share tactics and surveillance techniques.

Soldiers from the Honourable Artillery Company @HACRegiment conduct joint helicopter drills alongside the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF) at Fuji training base in #Japan



This is the first time British troops have exercised in Japan. pic.twitter.com/4lJcPFfpD7  British Army (@BritishArmy) October 2, 2018

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Lt General Patrick Sanders said: Japan remains one of our most important strategic partners in the Asia-Pacific region and we welcome the opportunity to develop strong bi-lateral ties as well as demonstrate the UKs approach to joint exercises.

No nation operates alone and we want to assure Japan that they will not have to fight alone either.

Stability in Asia is essential to stability around the world and the UK is opposed to any change in the status quo by force. This exercise is designed to promote peace and stability in the region with our natural partners whose values of respect and democracy we share.

The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) have been taking part in exercises in Japan (Anthony Devlin/PA)

The HAC have been practicing helo drills and safety procedures on JGSDF CH-47 (Chinook) Helicopters prior to deploying on the ground. The UK and JGSDF HQs have also conducted a joint planning exercise on Ex VIGILANT ISLES 18. #findwhereyoubelong @BritishArmy @ArmyInLondon pic.twitter.com/pvZo9Xa7LX  HAC Regiment (@HACRegiment) October 2, 2018

Prime Minister Theresa May spoke of a need to form closer defence ties between Britain and Japan during a visit to Tokyo last August, telling her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe that his country can count on the UK as a dependable partner in the face of an increasingly aggressive Pyongyang.
EcoDataCenter, a leading Swedish developer of climate-positive data centres, has taken a global lead in this segment and is launching the first carbon positive data centre in the world, in Falun, central Sweden.



With data centres expected to consume as much as 20 per cent of the worlds energy within only a few years, the deployment of energy efficient data centres is crucial.



Increased digitalisation will lead to data processing at data centres using one-fifth of the worlds total energy production as early as 2025, as calculations from several researchers and experts show.



Since fossil fuel sources are responsible for two-thirds of the worlds production of electricity, data centres risk becoming one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions.



Swedens EcoDataCenter, a provider of colocation data centre solutions, is ready to give the central Swedich city of Falun the worlds first climate-positive data centre. After four years of development efforts, EcoDataCenter has managed to create a data centre that is integrated with the surrounding energy ecosystem to reuse the heat generated and create the worlds first climate positive data centre.



Being climate positive means that not only are there no carbon emissions, but that during operation it even promotes the reduction of total carbon emissions.



Carbon-positive operation is achieved through green electricity and using the surplus heat from the centre in Falu Energi och Vattens local district heating networks and a wood pellet factory. During the warmer months, the surplus energy in the district heating network is used for cooling the data centre. The facility will have a total capacity of 1.9 mW and will be put into operation in the autumn of 2018.



Lars Schedin, chief executive officer, EcoDataCenter, said: The technical design of the data centre will be a crucial issue going forward, since it has a tremendous impact on both environment and costs, and we see a very large market for our technology.



The steadily increasing need for processing data in the wake of 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence are what lie behind the expected rise in the energy consumption of data centres. According to Gartner, a leading Internet analyst, there will be more than 20 billion connected objects by 2020, a figure that in the opinion of some commentators could increase to a full 100 billion as early as 2025.



Schedin added: Most of us, however, are likely unaware of the fact that our daily digital habits have a serious impact on the environment.



Naturally, one person watching a video on the Internet has a marginal impact, but when several million do it several times, the total energy consumption is very large  something most of us barely think about, he said, citing the example of the video for the megahit Despacito, which has now been shown more than 5 billion times on YouTube.



This means that viewing this video alone has consumed energy equivalent to an estimated 850 GWh. If we start from the fact that it has been viewed around the globe, it is reasonable to assume that this in turn has involved emissions of approximately 360,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide  as much as 220,000 taxis release in an entire year, he added.



Data centres consist of a large number of data servers that process data, something that uses a lot of energy since the processing in itself requires energy, but also because the servers must be constantly cooled in order to function. Energy consumption constitutes one of the largest operating costs in a data centre, and a facility with lower energy consumption will thereby have less of an impact on the environment and offer lower costs  something that is extremely attractive for both data companies and their customers.



As a result of its low energy prices, Sweden is already an attractive country for investments in new data centres, which is why several major players  Facebook and Google among them  have chosen to establish centres in Sweden.



EcoDataCenter expects that their technology for carbon-positive data centres will further strengthen Swedens position in the industry.



Lars Thunell, chairman of EcoDataCenters board of directors, said: Interest in the facility in Falun is enormous, and we have had visits from customers around the world even though its not really ready.



Everything points to it being a major success, and we are therefore counting on the need to build a large number of facilities of this type, both in Sweden and abroad, to successfully meet interest and demand, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
All eyes may be on Theresa May as she addresses the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham on Wednesday  but many of the papers column inches are dedicated to a fellow top Tory: Boris Johnson.

Mr Johnson, the former foreign secretary, packed a 1,500-seater hall on the fringe of the conference and delivered a speech in which he said Mrs Mays Brexit blueprint was not taking back control but forfeiting control.

The Daily Mail said Mr Johnson staged a public audition for Mrs Mays job, saying the pair were at daggers drawn.

Inside, the paper spoke of how Mr Johnson plunged the knife in, and a leader column said that while the speech pressed all the right buttons, its content was deeply disloyal to the Prime Minister and profoundly unrealistic.

The very timing of his speech, on the eve of the Prime Ministers keynote address, was calculated to upstage her and cause her maximum embarrassment, the paper said.

In the Times, Patrick Kidd wrote that Borismania is back, contrasting the excitement about Mr Johnsons ovation compared to the vibe elsewhere in Birmingham.

On the speech, Mr Kidd said: It was a muted challenge but perhaps a more effective one.

He had not parked his tank on her lawn but on a nearby street so that she can see it whenever she goes to the shops.

The Daily Mirror, perhaps unsurprisingly, was less kind towards the member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

The opening line of Kevin Maguires piece referred to Mr Johnson as a deceitful charlatan and a deflating Tory windbag.

It continued: By publicly pretending to back Theresa May after verbally chucking her under the bus, he showed himself as a yellow-bellied coward.

In Birmingham, he robbed me and hundreds others of more than half an hour of our lives with a dishonest, tedious ramble.

Boris Johnson spoke to an audience of 1,500 (Victoria Jones/PA)

The Daily Telegraph, which counts Mr Johnson among its contributors, said he brought much-needed vigour to what has been a somewhat lacklustre party occasion.

Its leader column said that he should be praised for having an appeal which stretches beyond typical Tory heartlands.

Leaving aside whether Mr Johnson is preparing a leadership bid or has passed his political sell-by date, as some of his erstwhile colleagues suggest, his speech showed why his party needs him in a front-line role, it said.
Donald Trump has mocked the woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted by the presidents Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh decades ago.

A campaign rally audience laughed as Mr Trump ran through a list of what he described as holes in Christine Blasey Fords appearance before the US Senate Judiciary Committee.

She testified that Mr Kavanaugh pinned her on a bed, tried to take off her clothes and covered her mouth in the early 1980s when the two were teenagers.

Mr Kavanaugh has denied Ms Fords allegations.

How did you get home? I dont remember,' Mr Trump said imitating Ms Ford at the rally in Southaven, Mississippi.

He added: How did you get there? I dont remember. Where is the place? I dont remember. How many years ago was it? I dont know. I dont know. I dont know.'

Imitating her, he said: But I had one beer  thats the only thing I remember.

It marked the sharpest criticism by Mr Trump of Ms Ford since she came forward publicly with the allegation last month.

He had previously called her a very credible witness.

Ms Fords lawyer, Michael Bromwich, called Mr Trumps attack vicious, vile and soulless.

Christine Blasey Ford appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday (Pool Image via AP)

Is it any wonder that she was terrified to come forward, and that other sexual assault survivors are as well? Mr Bromwich tweeted.

She is a remarkable profile in courage. He is a profile in cowardice.

The president was in Mississippi on Tuesday looking to use his influence to sway the outcome of a low-profile election that could tip the balance of the Senate.

All signs suggest Democratic women are energised by opposition to Mr Trumps presidency and the primary season yielded record numbers of female candidates.

The message from Mr Trump and his allies looks to channel the frustration and anxieties of the partys core voters  white men  just weeks before an election.

The president said: Its a very scary time for young men in America when you can be guilty of something that you may not be guilty of. You can be somebody that was perfect your entire life and somebody could accuse you of something  and youre automatically guilty.

Mr Trump also pretended to be a son asking his mother how to respond to an accusation.

Brett Kavanaugh also appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee (Pool Image via AP)

Mr Kavanaughs confirmation battle and the national soul-searching over sexual consent it has provoked threaten only to further motivate liberal female voters, leaving Republicans searching for a counterweight.

In his warning, Mr Trump echoed some of his allies.

Steve King, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives from Iowa, said: If Kavanaugh is not confirmed, every man is subject to seeing their lifes work and their reputation destroyed by an unsubstantiated allegation.

Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana declared: This is no country for creepy old men. Or young men. Or middle-aged men. But this is no country at all.

And Mr Trumps oldest son, Donald Trump Jr, told the Daily Mail this week: Ive got boys, and Ive got girls. And when I see whats going on right now, its scary, adding that at the moment he fears more for his sons.

A vicious, vile and soulless attack on Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Is it any wonder that she was terrified to come forward, and that other sexual assault survivors are as well? She is a remarkable profile in courage. He is a profile in cowardice. https://t.co/UJ0bGxV1EZ  Michael R. Bromwich (@mrbromwich) October 3, 2018

The rising frustration came as Mr Kavanaughs confirmation process played out before the country, with him and Ms Ford appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week to discuss her accusation.

His confirmation continues to hang in the balance as the FBI investigates the allegation, which Mr Kavanaugh has forcefully denied.

With the midterm elections just weeks away, Republicans risk losing the House and possibly the Senate as they face an energised Democratic party  particularly educated, suburban women and minorities.

They also have to confront a wave of Republican retirements, as well as the presidents sagging approval ratings and the tide of controversy around his White House.

Polls show Republicans are more likely to be sceptical of the #MeToo movement, which has spurred women to come forward with their stories of sexual assault and harassment, and to believe it has gone too far.

Republicans argue the Kavanaugh debate will drive enthusiasm among men and women.
Theresa May is due to announce a freeze on fuel duty for the ninth year in a row during her speech at the Conservative Party conference.

Chancellor Philip Hammond has said the duty freeze comes at a significant cost to the Exchequer but that the Government was easing the burden on families.

At Autumn Budget, we froze fuel duty for an eighth year in a row. #SpringStatement pic.twitter.com/1JceKja7ff  HM Treasury (@hmtreasury) March 13, 2018

Here are answers to questions on fuel duty:

What is fuel duty and how much is it?

Fuel duty  as the name suggests  is a tax placed on most fuels, and has stood at 57.95p per litre since the March 2011 budget.

Is that the only tax on fuel?

Theresa May is due to announce a freeze on fuel duty in her Tory Party conference speech (PA)

Value Added Tax  currently at 20%  is then added to the total price at forecourts.

How much does fuel duty bring in for the Treasury?

The Office for Budget Responsibility said it will bring in 28.2 billion in 2018-19, equivalent to 1,000 per household and 3.6% of all income.

How much of the cost of fuel is tax and how has it changed?

According to the RAC Foundation, 59.6% of the pump price of diesel and 61.2% of unleaded is made up of tax. The charitys data, which runs from 2004, shows this peaked at 77% for unleaded and 75.6% for diesel in that year, and reached a low of 52.9% for diesel and 57.1% for unleaded in 2008.
A survivor of the Westminster attack has described the sick reaction of bystanders who stopped to take gory pictures rather than help.

The images taken with mobiles and selfie sticks were then posted on social media, compounding the misery of victims families, the Old Bailey heard.

Gareth Patterson QC, representing families of the victims on the bridge, said graphic pictures of Aysha Frades body beneath the wheels of a bus caused real distress to the family.

He said it showed a rather shocking disregard for the dignity of casualties, adding: Despite efforts to have them taken down because of the distress caused, to this day there are images on the internet.

Chief coroner Mark Lucraft QC is due to give his conclusions at the Old Bailey on the deaths of the four civilians and police officer Keith Palmer who were murdered by terrorist Khalid Masood.

People also took snaps of Romanian interior designer Andreea Cristea as she lay face down and unconscious in the Thames for five minutes, the inquest was told.

As well as the four fatalities on the bridge, 29 others suffered serious injuries from being struck by Khalid Masoods hired SUV.

Travis Frain, 20, a student at Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, in Lancashire, was among the injured not called to give evidence at the inquest.

In an interview with the Press Association, he said: I remember almost immediately after I was hit by the car there were lines of people in the windows of the bus filming and taking pictures and video.

It was not nice. I would like to think most people would help but I think in this day and age the natural reaction for a lot of people is to get out your camera and start filming.

Its a bit of a sick reaction. Its not everyone. There were some amazing people who ran over to help us and the people on the bus would not have been able to get off the bus.

I think personally I would not just sit there as a spectator taking videos.

Travis Frain received abuse after footage was posted online (PA/ Peter Byrne)

Mr Frain also received death threats and abuse from online trolls, apparently sparked by footage of him hobbling away, despite suffering a broken leg.

He said: Over the course of the last year and a half I received a number of messages from different people, different accounts.

The worst ones were at the start. I received a couple of death threats saying they were going to hang me and they know where I live.

Some said the attack was fake and we were all paid actors and some said the attack was real.

(PA Graphics)

Another was sent to my place of work, saying, this man has faked being in a terror attack. Im going to release the evidence soon. If you do not fire him it will affect your business relations. It would look bad.

I have consistently told people that after being hit by the car I got up and walked off. Paramedics put it down to adrenaline. I had a broken leg and I just hobbled off.

Mr Frain said he reported the death threat to police but no-one had been charged.

On the effect of the abuse, he said: Colleagues just came up to me and said jokingly it looks like youve got a bit of a nut job here, we felt you ought to see it anyway.

It does feel uneasy. People are probably not going to believe them but what if somebody does question it?

The history and politics student said he had made reports to Facebook and blocked abusers on Twitter, although the material was still out there.

Lawyer Jill Greenfield, head of personal injury at Fieldfisher, is representing Ms Cristeas boyfriend Andrei Burnaz and others whose lives have been shattered by the events of March 22 last year.

She said: What has, at times, been the most despicable behaviour illustrates the worst side of social media by providing a platform to air derogatory comments.

Such comments and the arbitrary use of personal information perpetuates the trauma for those already suffering the atrocity of terrorism.

Terrorism works on enough levels of harm without social media adding to that pain.

She added: Our client Andrei Burnaz was extremely upset when the press ransacked his and Andreeas Facebook accounts and published personal pictures and information.

None of the graphic CCTV or pictures shown at the Old Bailey inquest was released to the public.
Vehicles are involved in an average of 46 potentially dangerous incidents at railway crossings in England every week, figures show.

Lorries are the most common type of vehicle involved (32%), followed by cars (28%) and farming vehicles (13%).

The data was published by Network Rail, which also commissioned a survey of 1,600 UK drivers that found one in nine (11%) would drive over a level crossing if they had checked the timetable and believed no train was coming.

This is despite freight trains and other services not listed on the public timetable often reaching speeds of up to 100mph.

In the past five years, six people have died in vehicles at level crossings.

Allan Spence, head of public and passenger safety at Network Rail, said: Its clear that there is a lack of knowledge around how dangerous railway crossings can be.

A car and pedestrian wait at a level crossing (David Davies/PA)

We are seeing drivers take risks at level crossings every day  putting themselves and others in danger.

Nothing is worth risking your life over, just to save a few minutes of time.

Inspector Becky Warren, from British Transport Police, said: Failing to stop when the lights come on, or worse still when the barriers start to come down, not only puts you and others in danger but these are also offences which will lead to you being prosecuted.
The fatal shooting of a 22-year-old former beauty queen, fashion model and social media star has shocked Iraq.

Tara Fares, who won fame as much for her outspoken social media comments on personal freedom as her daring outfits in the conservative, Muslim-majority country, was shot dead at the wheel of her Porsche in Baghdad.

She was killed last week in broad daylight by a man who leaned into her car and opened fire before escaping on a motorcycle with an accomplice.

Tara Fares had gathered millions of social media followers (AP)

The shooting, caught on security camera video, followed the killing of a female activist in the southern city of Basra and the mysterious deaths of two well-known beauty experts.

The violence has raised fears of a return to the kind of attacks on prominent figures that plagued the country at the height of its sectarian strife.

Iraq is still recovering from its fight against Islamic State militants. The country has been without a government since national elections in May, and riots have repeatedly broken out in the south over the authorities failure to provide basic services.

Iraqi human rights activist Hana Adwar said: These harrowing crimes are worrying us.

There are groups that want to terrify society through the killing of popular women and activists  and to tell other women to abandon their work and stay at home.

A protest takes place at the scene of the assassination of Iraqi activist Soad al-Ali (AP)

It is not clear whether the deaths of the women are connected, and reports that they knew each other could not be confirmed.

Ms Fares, who had an Iraqi father and a Lebanese mother, first became famous in 2015 when she won an unofficial Baghdad beauty pageant organised by a social club.

She became a social media darling, attracting 2.2 million followers with bold posts and photos of herself wearing make-up, jeans and blouses that showed off her tattoos.

A YouTube channel drew more than 120,000 followers in addition to those on Instagram, where she shared make-up tips.

She gave details of a brief marriage at 16 to an abusive husband who posted intimate photos of her on social media and took away their now three-year-old son. Fares said the experience taught her strength  and how not to let anyone control me in anything.

Ms Fares also spoke out occasionally against religious, tribal and political leaders.

While many young Iraqis shared her videos and pictures, others criticised her lifestyle as provocative and un-Islamic.

An Iraqi activist covers her face in Basra (AP)

She lived in Iraqs self-ruled Kurdish region with her family, visiting Baghdad from time to time. In a TV interview this year, she said her family had converted to Islam in 2002.

Hours after she was gunned down on September 27, a video on social media showed her body being carried away by a group of young people, with her face and white shirt stained with blood.

She was buried in the Shia holy city of Najaf.

In August, Dr Rafeef al-Yassiri, a plastic surgeon labelled Iraqs Barbie who also posted images of herself on social media, died under mysterious circumstances. Authorities initially called it a drug overdose but have not offered an update in over a month, leading to rumours she might have been poisoned.

A week after her death, Rasha al-Hassan, the owner of a well-known beauty centre in Baghdad, was found dead in her home. Authorities initially said she had suffered a heart attack.

Ms Fares was buried in Najaf (AP)

On September 25, a gunman killed Soad al-Ali, a prominent activist in the southern city of Basra. Ms al-Ali had organised protests demanding better services and jobs and decried the growing influence of Iran-backed Shia militias in the area.

Police said the killing was purely personal and had nothing to do with the protests.

Last weekend, another former beauty queen, Shaimaa Qassim, posted a video on Instagram in which she tearfully said she had received threats through social media.

Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered an investigation into what he called well-planned kidnappings and killings.

He said organised groups are carrying out a plan to destabilise the security situation under the pretext of fighting perversion.

Security agencies have not yet commented on the investigation into Ms Fares death and no group has claimed responsibility.
A panel of judges with a majority of women is to hear a case at the countrys highest court, for the first time in English legal history.

Three female and two male judges will rule on a Supreme Court case beginning on Wednesday.

The hearing is to decide whether a 19-year-old man was deprived of his liberty when he was moved from a psychiatric hospital into a home where he was under constant supervision and control when he was 16.

Women have been able to practise as barristers since 1920.

Lady Brenda Hale (John Stillwell/PA)

The judges on the panel are Supreme Court President Lady Brenda Hale, Lady Justice Mary Arden, Lady Jill Black, Lord Robert Carnwarth and Lord David Lloyd-Jones.

The UK legal sector is one of the least diverse in the world, according to a report by human rights charity Justice.

Just three of the 12 Supreme Court judges are female. Lady Mary Arden became the third after she was sworn in on Monday following the retirement of the courts former deputy president Lord Jonathan Mance, who is her husband.

Earlier this year Lady Hale, the countrys most senior judge, said there are now more women than men studying law and entering the legal profession in the UK.
US president Donald Trump has said Saudi Arabias King Salman might not be there for two weeks without US military support.

Mr Trump is seeking to put pressure on the close American ally over rising oil prices.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Mississippi, Mr Trump said: I love the king, King Salman, but I said: King, were protecting you. You might not be there for two weeks without us. You have to pay for your military, you have to pay.'

Mr Trump is looking to press Saudi Arabia over rising oil prices (AP)

Mr Trump did not elaborate on when he spoke to the Saudi monarch. Mr Trump and Salman last shared a reported telephone call on Saturday.

Benchmark Brent crude oil prices are close to 85 dollars a barrel  a four-year high  and analysts say it could reach 100 dollars. US petrol prices have gone up ahead of November mid-term elections.
A volcano has erupted on the same central Indonesian island devastated by an earlier earthquake and tsunami, prompting warnings for air services over volcanic ash in the air.

Mount Soputan in North Sulawesi province spewed ash nearly 20,000ft into the sky, although there have been no evacuation orders so far.

(PA Graphics)

A government volcanologist said it is possible the eruption was accelerated by the 7.5 magnitude earthquake which struck Central Sulawesi on Friday.

It could be that this earthquake triggered the eruption, but the direct correlation has yet to be seen as there had been an increase in the Mount Soputan activity, Kasbani, the head of Indonesias Vulcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation agency, told online news portal Tempo.

Kasbani, who uses one name, said volcanic activity had been increasing at Soputan since August and began surging on Monday.

Authorities are continuing to search for possible survivors (AP)

Nazli Ismail, a geophysicist at University of Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, on Sumatra island, stressed there is no concrete evidence to show the events are linked.

He said: People talk about the butterfly effect. The concept is that when a butterfly flaps its wings, it can cause a catastrophe.

So it is possible for the earthquake to trigger the volcano eruption, but its not conclusive. This needs to be further investigated.

Mr Nazri said the Soputan volcano eruption is not surprising as Indonesia sits on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, and Soputan is one of the most active volcanoes on the island.

Hundreds of people were killed in the quake and tsunami (AP)

The death toll from last weeks quake and tsunami has increased to 1,407.

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said 519 of the bodies had been buried.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo has visited the city and said aid is now starting to arrive.

Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 250 million people and government seismologists monitor more than 120 active volcanoes.
Pret a Manger has said that full ingredient labelling, including allergens, will appear on products after a teenager died from an allergic reaction to one of the chains sandwiches.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, from Fulham, south-west London, collapsed on board a flight in July 2016 after eating an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette she had bought at a Pret outlet in Heathrow Airport.

The coroner at her inquest last week said she died of anaphylaxis after eating the Pret sandwich containing sesame, which she was allergic to.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse fell ill on a flight from London to Nice (Family handout/PA)

Natashas father Nadim said she died because of inadequate food labelling laws, and joined the rest of her family in calling for a change in the law to save lives.

Pret has announced that full ingredient labelling will be introduced to all products that are freshly made in its shop kitchens, and labels will list all ingredients, including allergens.

The food company said it will start trialling full ingredient labelling on product packaging from next month, adding that this will be rolled out to all UK shops as quickly as possible.

Clive Schlee, Pret chief executive, said: I want to say again how deeply sorry we are for the loss of Natasha.

I said we would learn from this tragedy and ensure meaningful changes happen.

Clive Schlee speaks to the press outside West London Coroners Court (Jonathan Brady/PA)

I hope these measures set us on course to drive change in the industry so people with allergies are as protected and informed as possible.

Nothing is more important to Pret right now.

Pret said it is committing to working with others, including the Government, regulatory authorities, charity groups and industry peers to secure the legislative changes necessary to better protect people with allergies.

The company said that in the coming weeks it will ensure that prominent allergen warning stickers are placed on all individual freshly made products.

It has committed to ensuring that additional allergen warning signs are displayed in shops, and full ingredient information, including allergens, for all products is made available online and in shops.

All of us at Pret are devastated by the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse and our heartfelt thoughts go out to her family. Heres the statement our CEO, Clive Schlee, made after the inquest today. pic.twitter.com/Gv0daqzdKs  Pret (@Pret) September 28, 2018

On Monday, Natashas parents Nadim and Tanya said companies should not wait for a law change on food labelling before doing the right thing.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said the Government will look at companies responsibilities on food labelling, while Environment Secretary Michael Gove said he had instructed civil servants to investigate a law change after the teenagers death highlighted the importance of acting urgently.

On Tuesday, Natashas parents said they welcomed the Governments efforts, but companies should not wait for a law change before doing the right thing.

Mr Gove said the family was absolutely right to say the law needs to be changed, and added: I think their case is compelling and we need to act quickly in order to ensure that we have the best possible protection in place.

Currently, non-prepackaged foods do not have to a have a specific allergen label attached.

Asked whether the Government would bring in a Natashas law to try to prevent deaths of this kind, Mrs May told BBC1s Breakfast on Tuesday: Obviously, this was an absolutely tragic case and our thoughts are with her family and friends over what happened.

We have obviously to look at this issue, we have to look at the responsibility of individual companies as well.

This is something that has been an absolute tragedy and our sympathies and condolences are with her family and friends.

Natasha had been on her way to a four-day break in France with her father and best friend when she fell ill on the British Airways flight from London to Nice.

Video footage released by her family shows Natasha smiling, putting her thumbs up to the camera and holding hands with her friend moments before she fell ill.
Delegates from across the South East Asian region featured in-depth discussions and panel debates focused on the terminal market, International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2020 regulation and technological innovations in the industry at the recently concluded Tank Storage Asia.



The event, an exhibition and conference dedicated to the Asian tank terminal and storage industry, was held on September 26 and 27, in Singapore.



Companies in attendance included Oiltanking, Shell, Horizon Terminals, Vopak, Jurong Port Tank Terminal, Stolthaven Singapore, Alkion Terminals and United Terminal Korea to name just a few, with the highest percentage of representatives being senior management level and above. Among these job titles were CEOs, owners, directors, terminal managers and operators, investors, senior engineers, business development managers and procurement managers, said a statement from the organisers.



The exhibition culminated in the signing of a number of high-profile deals and partnerships, it said.



Among these exhibitors, Darren Hughes, international business development manager of Concrete Canvas was keen to reflect on their success at the show: Returning year on year allows us to strengthen relationships with major customers such as Shell, Exxon Mobil and Vopak.



We have received direct orders as a result of exhibiting since 2014, from companies that found our material technology at these events and have subsequently specified it for their projects, he added.



The exhibition was very highly received by exhibitors with over 65 per cent already rebooking their attendance for next year, it added.



Stuart Sharp, head of sales at Scanjet, said: This is a great event to meet buyers in a regional market and we have already booked our stand for next year.



Michael Yu, general manager at Full Most Taiwan, said: We exhibit here in order to increase our brand awareness, showcase products and meet new clients that we otherwise would not have met.



The high-level conference played stage to over 20 international speakers across both commercial and technical disciplines. These included Sharul B A Rashid, principal engineer at Petronas; Bernard Ong, director of operations at Vopak Terminals Singapore; Luc Bonami, managing director at Anno Chemicals NV; and Konrad Jar, vice president head of downstream consulting, Asia Pacific, Wood Mackenzie.



Among the delegates was Muhammad Eusoff Idris, SHE officer at Jurong Rock Caverns, said: The speakers were very experienced individuals with great knowledge in their respective sectors. The conference provided some wonderful and extremely useful insights into the industry.



Nick Powell, divisional director of Tank Storage Asia, said: The conference has played host to a significant number of industry professionals from not only Singapore but across the South East Asian region.



We also hosted exhibitors from a trade mission organised by the Welsh government  highlighting the influence of the Tank Storage Asia event on a global scale, he added.



Overall the event was a resounding success, with delegates doing real business and sharing knowledge and exhibitors generating significant leads for the year ahead. Deals have already been agreed and signed off, a testimony of the influence of the event, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
An American tourist whose husband died saving her life in the Westminster Bridge attack has sent love and compassion to the family of his killer Khalid Masood.

Speaking to the Press Association from her home in Utah, Melissa Cochran said she can only imagine the heartbreak they feel at the murders the terrorist committed.

I want to express my deepest love and compassion to all of the (victims) families, to all of those who helped in any way that they could after the attack, she said.

I want to express love and compassion to those who had to relive those events by testifying, I know that was very hard for some people. I also want to express love and compassion for Masoods family.

From what I understand they didnt share his belief system and this was not something that any of them obviously wanted to happen, they were obviously shocked when it did happen.

I can only imagine the heartbreak they are feeling knowing that their father or their husband or son committed such atrocities.

I just know in my heart that love and compassion and kindness wins over.

CCTV image of Kurt and Melissa Cochran walking on to Westminster Bridge (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Mrs Cochran and her husband Kurt were on a European sightseeing trip to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary when they visited London on March 22 last year.

They had walked across Westminster Bridge and were planning to sit on a bench by the water and people watch before returning to Westminster Abbey for a tour. But instead they were caught up in carnage.

Passionate musician Kurt was hit by a hire car driven by Masood and killed.

Mrs Cochran, who was injured in the attack, remembers little of what happened.

She said: From what I have read and heard from the testimonies, Kurt saw the car coming, which I didnt until the very last second, and he pushed me almost completely out of the way.

I did get hit by the car, but just enough to save my life. In Kurt doing so he stepped in front of the car and was killed.

She said it was typical of her partner to have instinctively acted to protect her.

He was such a compassionate, caring person, Id like to think it was only me he would have done that for, simply from how much he loved me, but he would have done that to a complete stranger. He just really had such compassion for his fellow human beings.

It doesnt surprise me in the least knowing that he did that. Obviously hes my hero.

It was a fairytale relationship to every cliche extreme. People write about it in books but I was living it. We just had such a great relationship and wed had such a great time on our travels through Europe, we were just in such a good place.

The wonderful father-of-two, whose sons are 28 and 32, had more than 25 nieces and nephews.

Mrs Cochran said: Obviously every aspect of our lives has changed. Theres not a day that goes by that we dont think about him. His death left a huge gaping hole in our hearts and in the fabric of our family, even in the fabric of our community.

We certainly cling to our loved ones a little more closely nowadays. Life is precious. We prioritise things that really matter and things that dont.

Her leg was badly injured in the attack, and the flight to London for the inquest caused problems with the limb.

In a cruel twist of fate, this meant she had to go back to St Marys Hospital, where she had been treated after the attack.

While in the capital she also bravely went back to Westminster Bridge.

I was with my sister (Angela Stoll) and we just held hands and walked across the bridge. We cried but I felt very calm and peaceful. I cant explain that really, except that I could just feel love and it was OK. It was obviously very difficult but I needed to do it for my healing.

She thanked the coroner and his legal team for their work, and said she has found the inquest process informative, although it will be a relief when it is finished.

Its something that I think about every day as I get out of bed and feel my leg and not have Kurt here with me.

Its been something thats kind of being looming over all of us and over our lives so I think finally having the recommendations we will be able to move forward in our lives into the next chapter of our lives.

Everyone from London, all over the world, London especially, have been so gracious and kind and loving to me and Im just eternally grateful for all of the support that Ive had from so many people.

Its hugely difficult but its a lot easier knowing theres so many people out there who are wishing me well and the other victims and their families.
Instagram users were unable to access the social media platform due to an apparent technical fault.

Both the website and the app were failing to load, with users around the world hit by the outage on Wednesday morning.

Expect a worldwide baby boom in 9 months time...@instagram is down and people might actually have to talk to each other!!!! Thank God @Twitter is still working   Jennie Gow (@JennieGow) October 3, 2018

The website displayed the error message 5xx Server Error and the app failed to load photos or profiles of users.

Some Instagram users posted on other social media platforms to find out if others had been affected by the fault.

On Monday the co-founders of Instagram Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger announced they will leave the company.
Tesco has become the latest supermarket to warn over stockpiling as grocers ramp up contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit.

Chief executive Dave Lewis said ensuring uninterrupted transport of fresh food across borders was the single biggest challenge for supermarkets if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal.

He said the group was making contingency preparations for a no-deal scenario, but was still in wait and see mode until the outcome of negotiations becomes clearer.

Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis said `all our attention will focus on ensuring fresh food supplies are not disrupted after Brexit (Joe Giddens/PA)

He said: The biggest single challenge will be in a no-deal scenario and what happens with fresh food.

The possibility of stockpiling fresh food is very, very limited.

He stopped short of confirming if Tesco was actively stockpiling, but said it was a possibility with dry food.

He added that plans to ensure fresh food transport is not held up is where all our attention will be in the lead-up to Brexit, with contingency planning stepping up after Christmas if a deal is still not struck.

The comments come after German discounter Aldi said on Monday that it had considered stockpiling food as part of its preparations for Brexit.

But its UK boss, Giles Hurley, added that Aldis increased fresh food range would make this more difficult.

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said in July that the Government is making plans to secure food supply in the event of no deal being struck (Aaron Chown/PA)

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said in July that the Government is making plans to secure food supply in the event of no deal being struck.

But he said it was wrong to describe it as the Government doing the stockpiling, indicating that industry would need to take the lead.

Research last week revealed that food retailers face a mammoth 9.3 billion cost in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

According to Barclays Corporate Banking, higher tariffs and customs costs could hit supermarkets and their supply chains hard.

The report also warned that shoppers would take on some of the extra cost in the price of their groceries.

Without a deal, Barclays said that food and drink from the EU would be slapped with an additional 27% tariff under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, compared with between 3% and 4% on non-food items.
French prime minister Edouard Philippe has assumed responsibility for Frances domestic security after the interior minister resigned in an apparent act of defiance towards President Emmanuel Macron.

In a cold handover ceremony, Mr Philippe said his main focus would be to ensure the highest security level in the country.

Mr Philippe is in charge until Gerard Collombs successor is appointed.

Edouard Philippe, left, Emmanuel Macron and Gerard Collomb (Francois Guillot, Pool via AP)

Mr Macron accepted Mr Collombs resignation late on Tuesday, after initially refusing it the previous day.

Mr Collomb insisted he wanted to leave to be able to run for mayor of the city of Lyon in 2020.

The 71-year-old was one of Mr Macrons closest political allies.

His decision comes amid a string of bad news events for the French president, who has reached record low popularity in polls since his election in May 2017.
The Duke of Cambridge is to give the keynote speech at an international conference on tackling illegal wildlife trade.

The Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference is being hosted by the UK Government in London next week to try and find ways to address the criminal trade, which is worth billions of pounds a year.

Illegal trade in animals, body parts, plants and timber is the fourth most lucrative transnational crime after drugs, weapons and human trafficking.

It endangers important wildlife, from elephants killed for their tusks to rare trees illegally cut down for their valuable timber, and damages the security and prosperity of countries, preventing them from developing sustainably, it is warned.

William will help various bodies discuss the international response to the crisis (Anthony Devlin/PA)

The conference, attended by heads of states and officials, wildlife charities, academics and businesses, is focusing on building coalitions, tackling the trade as an organised crime and shutting down markets for illegal products.

It is the fourth international meeting on the issue, after events in London in 2014, Kasane, in Botswana, in 2015 and Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2016.

William will also join an evening reception with his brother the Duke of Sussex, at St James Palace to officially open the conference.

He will hold meetings with political leaders and attend a meeting of the Elephant Protection Initiative, which is the response by African governments to the elephant poaching crisis.

He has recently completed a seven-day visit to Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya to visit projects and highlight issues around illegal wildlife trade.
A major action movie will be filmed in Glasgow later this month.

It is understood the Universal Pictures production may involve car chases in the city centre.

The name of the film has not yet been released.

Around 200 crew are set to be involved in the production, which will see a number of streets including George Square and St Vincent Street cordoned off.

Brad Pitt on set during the filming of World War Z near George Square in 2011 (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Glasgow City Council said the production will have a significant positive impact on the areas economy.

Local residents and businesses have been advised on the logistics.

The councils Glasgow Film Office has attracted a number of major productions to the city since it was established in 1997.

These include World War Z starring Brad Pitt, Fast & Furious 6, Outlaw King starring Chris Pine, and the recently-released The Wife, starring Glenn Close.

Top television shows Outlander, Shetland and The Cry are also among productions filmed in the city.

In November last year, Benedict Cumberbatch was in Glasgow to shoot scenes for Melrose (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Filming is estimated to have generated around 300 million for the citys economy.

Glasgow council depute leader David McDonald said: It is great to see another major film production coming to Glasgow, another example of the confidence the industry has in the citys ability to host shoots of this size.

The councils Glasgow Film Office has been working closely with the production to identify locations and making sure the shoot goes as smoothly as possible, while minimising the impact on the daily life of the city.

Major productions such as this bring a great boost to the local economy.

Glasgow loves cinema, and it is good to know that we will see the streets of the city shown all over the world when this film is released.
Tesco shares have tumbled despite the supermarket giant posting rising halfyear profits and its best sales hike for more than a decade.

Britains biggest retailer saw shares drop more than 8% as a 24.4% surge in group-wide half-year earnings to 933 million missed market expectations.

But Tesco hailed a good start to the year after UK and Ireland like-for-like sales rose 3.8% in the first half to August 25, with a marked improvement to 4.2% over the last three months.

In the UK alone, comparable sales were up 2.3% in the second quarter.

Tesco boss Dave Lewis recently unveiled the new discount format, Jacks (Joe Giddens/PA)

It marked the groups 11th quarter in a row of rising like-for-like sales and the first time sales have risen past 4% for more than 10 years.

The recently-acquired cash-and-carry business Booker also provided a boost, with first-half sales in the chain powering 14.7% ahead.

In the UK and Ireland, Tesco notched up a 47.6% jump in underlying operating profits to 685 million, 97 million of which was linked to Booker.

However, Tesco saw statutory earnings fall 6.5% to 819 million as it booked exceptional costs linked to the closure in July of its non-food online business Tesco Direct.

Statutory group pre-tax profits rose 2% to 564 million, or 2.2% higher on a constant currency basis.

Tesco CEO Dave Lewis: We are continuing to improve the quality and value of our offer for customers in all of our markets  Tesco News (@tesconews) October 3, 2018

Chief executive Dave Lewis said: We have made a good start to the year.

The step up in the second quarter is driven mainly by the UK & Republic of Ireland and delivers our 11th consecutive quarter of growth.

At the same time, we have made further strategic progress. We completed our merger with Booker in March and are delighted with performance so far.

Tesco finalised the 3.7 billion deal earlier this year, and the group has been moving quickly to integrate the two businesses.

The group also recently launched a new discount store format  Jacks  as it aims to take on German discounters Aldi and Lidl, which have eaten into the market share of Britains so-called big four supermarkets.

Mr Lewis said it was so far, so very very good for the two Jacks stores opened, with two more to launch on Thursday in Edge Hill and St Helens in Liverpool.

Tesco finalised the 3.7bn merger deal with Booker earlier this year (Joe Giddens/PA)

It is one of a number of initiatives Mr Lewis has launched to retain market dominance, including a buying alliance with French giant Carrefour in July, which goes live in October, and a major refresh of its own brand ranges.

Mr Lewis added that the group was preparing contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit, with worries over fresh food supply disruption the single biggest challenge.

He said stockpiling of dry food was a possibility, but that this option was very, very limited for fresh food.

Bruno Monteyne, a retail analyst at Bernstein, said Tescos first-half figures showed strong sales momentum in Booker and UK food retail, but soft on profitability.

Richard Hunter, head of markets at interactive investor, said: The supermarket behemoth continues, for the most part, to fend off its competition.

However, it is not all plain sailing. The proposed Sainsbury/Asda merger would add another level of competition within the sector, the discounters continue to pile on the pressure and Amazon also casts its own long shadow.
The United Nations highest court has ordered the United States to lift sanctions on Iran that affect imports of humanitarian goods and products and services linked to the safety of civil aviation.

The ruling by the International Court of Justice is legally binding but it remains to be seen if the administration of President Donald Trump will comply.

Mr Trump moved to restore tough US sanctions in May after withdrawing from Tehrans nuclear accord with world powers.

Iran challenged the sanctions in a case filed in July at the International Court of Justice in the Hague in the Netherlands.

In a preliminary ruling, the court said Washington must remove, by means of its choosing, any impediments arising from the reimposition of sanctions to the export to Iran of medicine and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities and spare parts and equipment necessary to ensure the safety of civil aviation.

The delegations of the US, front left, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, front right, rise as judges enter the International Court of Justice (Peter Dejong/AP)

While imposing the so-called provisional measures, the courts president Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf stressed that the ruling does not prejudge the ultimate outcome of the case or establish that the court has jurisdiction.

Iranian state television trumpeted the courts decision in a scrolling graphic at the bottom of TV screens: The victory of Tehran over Washington by the Hague Court.

The US is expected to challenge the courts jurisdiction in a future hearing.

At hearings in August, Tehran sought the suspension of the sanctions while the case challenging their legality is being heard  a process that can take years.

US lawyers responded that the sanctions are a legal and justified national security measure that cannot be challenged by Tehran at the world court.

In its decision, the court said the US sanctions have the potential to endanger civil aviation safety in Iran and that sanctions limiting sales of goods required for humanitarian needs such as food, medicines and medical devices may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran.

The court said the Trump administration must ensure that licences and necessary authorisations are granted and payments not restricted if they are linked to the humanitarian and aviation goods.

It also told both the United States and Iran to refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute.

Mohammed Zahedin Labbaf, third left, of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the US delegation, right, listen to the ruling of the judges (Peter Dejong/AP)

Iran alleges that the sanctions breach a 1955 bilateral agreement known as the Treaty of Amity that regulates and promotes economic and consular ties between the two countries.

The treaty was signed when the US and Iran were still allies following the 1953 revolution  fomented by Britain and the US  that ultimately cemented the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Diplomatic relations were severed following the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran and takeover of the US embassy and ensuing hostage crisis.

However, the treaty remains in force.

Wednesdays ruling could set up another clash between the Trump administration and a Hague-based court.

Last month, Mr Trumps national security adviser John Bolton denounced the International Criminal Court (ICC)  a separate and unrelated institution based just a few miles away from the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The ICC prosecutes people accused of war atrocities while the ICJ settles disputes between nations.

Mr Bolton said last month that for all intents and purposes, the ICC is already dead to us.
No decision can be made on planning permission for a Co Tyrone gold mine until a minister is available, a Stormont department has said.

Dalradian Gold owns the Curraghinalt site near Gortin and has submitted an application for official approval.

There is no suggestion that preparatory work for the final decision, not expected for some time, has been disrupted by the impasse at Stormont.

A judge earlier this year found that the civil service had overstretched its powers in making another regionally significant decision on a waste incinerator in Co Antrim without ministerial approval.

That has had massive implications for other major decisions across the civil service.

Karen Bradley (Aaron Chown/PA)

In relation to the gold mine, an official at the Department of Infrastructures strategic planning division wrote: The department will not take any further decisions on regionally significant applications while the appeal process is under way.

The letter was written before the conclusion of court proceedings in recent months, which have confirmed officials are unable to take decisions in the absence of ministers.

Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley has promised to bring greater clarity around civil service powers soon.

Fieldwork underway in Donegal on the Inishowen #Gold Project.



Inishowen comprises 12 blocks & the targets are similar (mesothermal veins) and hosted in the same geology as the Dalradian Supergroup deposits at Galantas Mine & at the Curraghinalt Project. https://t.co/lATrsXSA8t pic.twitter.com/IUeRVRWItS  Arkle Resources PLC (@ArkleResources) September 17, 2018

Campaigners are opposing plans to build a gold mine at Dalradians site.

The firm has submitted a planning application to operate the mine for 25 years, supporting 350 jobs.

The planning process is expected to take up to two years and may be the subject of a public inquiry.

Opposition has focused on environmental grounds.

It follows years of exploratory work by Canadian firm Dalradian in the Sperrin mountains near Greencastle.

Dalradian said the mine would transform the economy of the area.

This is such a magical area where my paternal family has lived for hundreds of years and still resides. I have laid stones at its summit. It would be a travesty to destroy this wonderful mountain. D https://t.co/piNBThrJFv  antanddec (@antanddec) September 29, 2018

Meanwhile, Declan Donnelly, part of the Ant and Dec presenting team, has tweeted his opposition to plans for unrelated mining at Slieve Gallion in Co Londonderry.

He said: This is such a magical area where my paternal family has lived for hundreds of years and still resides.

I have laid stones at its summit.

It would be a travesty to destroy this wonderful mountain.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have greeted wellwishers in the county that inspired their royal titles on their first joint official visit.

Harry and Meghan started a busy day of engagements on an eagerly anticipated whistle-stop tour of Sussex.

The couple kicked off their trip at Edes House in Chichester, the county town of West Sussex.

Meghan meets locals during a walkabout at Edes House (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Meghan was wearing a camel Armani coat, a dark green Hugo Boss skirt and a shirt from And Other Stories paired with nude suede stilettos.

Arriving before 10.45am, the duke and the US-born former actress met crowds of cheering people.

They will view a rare copy of the American Declaration of Independence at Edes House.

It is one of only two contemporary handwritten ceremonial manuscript copies. The other is the signed copy at the National Archives in Washington DC.
The French Pavilion at Expo 2020 will be dedicated to mobility and held under the theme of Lumiere, Lumieres or Light, Enlightenment.



The French Pavilion will be celebrating Dubais ambitious visions of mobility bridging the latest technology to universally connect the world, innovate and revel in the art-de-vivre, said a statement.



The state-of-the-art projects that will be unveiled at the French Pavilion will showcase the ingenuity and expertise of the French economy's flagship digital transformation and sustainable urban development, it said.



The "Smart City a la Francaise" model will demonstrate how major global connectivity issues in the 21st century can be solved, it added.



Erik Linquier, general commissioner of the French Pavilion at Expo2020, said: We are very excited to unveil Frances plans for Expo 2020. Since Dubai was announced as the host, we have been working tirelessly to create a French Pavilion unlike any other.



We will be highlighting all the wonderful things France has to offer from products, technologies, innovations and ideas. Our presence will be a vehicle to connect with the world at this epic event, he said.



In honour of the expo a special logo has been designed by Richard Attias & Associates in collaboration with their creative partner Hands Agency to represent Frances three messages of Radiance, Speed and Light.



? Radiance: The "A" in the word France is also the Eiffel Tower, an iconic French symbol and deeply associated with the history of world expos since its construction, revealed when Paris hosted the World Expo in 1889. This emblem aims to enlighten and guide as a beacon, as well as to share ideas.



? Speed: The colour gradients on the spokes of the Eiffel Tower represent movement, mobility and speed. They also symbolise networks, flow and connections.



? Light: The rays springing from the summit of the tower evoke the light. They highlight the French influence abroad and the dissemination of ideas.



During the six months of the expo, the French Pavilion will be promoting the countrys expertise in solving issues with key themes of health, artificial intelligence, research, education, culture, science at the forefront of the initiatives.



The pavilion will illustrate the opportunities of creating the conditions for a better world for this generation and the ones to come. Leaders from these key industries will be on the ground to offer insights and to share their expertise.



Linquier said: Expo 2020 will offer France the opportunity to express its vision on climate change initiatives and to create ecological and environmental solidarity on an international level. In the spirit of the One Planet Summit, France will continue to support the advancement of social wellbeing and justice across the world while also using digital accelerators to develop smart cities of the future.



Expo 2020 will create great opportunities for France and a chance to exchange ideas and meet with the expected 25 million visitors from over 180 countries. The French Pavilion will showcase Frances public policies, the support for innovation and sustainable development and will highlight the new technologies by private and public entities and partners.



The French Pavilion will also offer the opportunity for Frances rich heritage and contributions to humanity come to light in the form of philosophy, art, culture, entrepreneurship, technology and scientific advancements  further positioning the country as an ideal country for tourism and business development, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
A charity has scored a partial victory in the Court of Appeal against the Home Office over its handling of unaccompanied child refugees.

Following a challenge by Help Refugees, senior judges ruled that a number of child asylum seekers assessed for transfer to the UK under an amendment moved by Lord Alf Dubs, were given patently inadequate reasons for being refused entry to the UK.

However, the number of UK places for child refugees will remain capped at 480 after the charity failed to convince the court that the Governments consultation with local authorities was defective.

Lord Dubs put forward the amendment on allowing unaccompanied child refugees into the UK (Yui Mok/PA)

Last year the charity sought orders to force then home secretary Amber Rudd to abandon the cap and reopen the consultation, so consideration could be given to allowing more children in.

But judges at the High Court in London ruled against the charity in November, saying they were not persuaded its case was made out.

That ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal, with Lord Justice Hickinbottom ruling the consultation was not unlawful.

However, the judge, sitting with Lord Justice McCombe and Lady Justice King, said those children refused places in the UK were given patently inadequate reasons for the refusal.

Lord Alf Dubs said: For two years, we have fought tooth and nail for the rights of these vulnerable children.

Today, Im relieved to say that it was worth it.

Every unaccompanied child we have turned away deserves an explanation and a chance to appeal the decision, and were delighted to courts have agreed with us on that.

The decision gives some hope to thousands of vulnerable child refugees in Europe.

Our #DubsNow appeal regarding the closure of the Dubs scheme has now begun. We have packed out the courtroom and want to send our thanks to everyone in court today, and the thousands of people have supported the appeal over the last 2 years. Together we hope we can win this case! pic.twitter.com/1qR0y8vy66  Choose Love (@chooselove) July 25, 2018

The Dubs Amendment was to the 2016 Immigration Act and, from May last year, required the Home Secretary to make arrangements to relocate a specified number of vulnerable refugee children from Europe based on feedback from local authorities.

The Government increased the number of children to be relocated under the scheme from 350 to 480 in February last year.
Unilever is facing further opposition to its move from London to Rotterdam as another shareholder signalled its intention to vote against the plan.

Royal London Asset Management has joined a chorus of investors in opposing the proposal, which will see the Ben & Jerrys owner scrap its Anglo-Dutch dual listing and relocate its headquarters to the Netherlands.

Mike Fox, head of sustainable investments at Royal London Asset Management, said: Many UK Unilever shareholders voting for the upcoming resolution are effectively voting for forced divestment of their holding.

Unilever might be able to convince European shareholders that the move makes sense for the company and for them as investors in the long term, but its hard for a UK investor to see an incentive to vote in favour.

We think that Unilever is a high-quality company, both in its own right and as a key constituent of a number of UK indices, and have therefore decided to vote against the upcoming resolution.

The asset manager owns 0.72% of Unilever, worth approximately 360 million.

Unilever plans to move its headquarters from London to the Netherlands (Tim Ireland/PA)

Royal London also warned that, should the motion succeed, it would be forced to sell its holding in Unilever across a number of funds, something not in the interest of its clients.

A growing number of shareholders have come out against the move in recent weeks, setting up a showdown for when investors vote on the plans on October 25 and 26.

Those voicing their disdain include Columbia Threadneedle, Legal &General Investment Management, Aviva Investors, Lindsell Train, M&G Investments, and Brewin Dolphin.

Unilever first announced plans to simplify the business from two legal entities into a single one, incorporated in Rotterdam, in March.

It dealt a major blow to the UK Government and its efforts to uphold Britains status as a centre for business after Brexit.

But Unilever has insisted the move to Rotterdam has nothing to do with Brexit.

It also said at the time that its 7,300 workers in the UK and 3,100 in the Netherlands will be unaffected by the changes.

Unilever, which is behind well-known household brands such as Ben & Jerrys ice cream and Lipton teas, employs around 169,000 people around the world.

If the firm goes ahead with the restructure, Unilevers shares are unlikely to continue trading in the FTSE 100 in the wake of the move.

Without a UK headquarters, Unilever is expected to fall short of requirements which would allow a listing on the FTSE 100, where its shares currently trade.

The shares would continue to trade on the London Stock Exchange, but would no longer be listed on a benchmark index.
Police have caught one of Frances most wanted men in his home town in a pre-dawn raid, three months after his spectacular helicopter escape from prison.

Redoine Faid was arrested in Creil, north of Paris, without resistance, justice minister Nicole Belloubet said.

Numerous clues were acted on so the arrest could be made, Ms Belloubet said on Europe 1 radio.

She said the criminal  infamous for twice escaping from behind bars  would be jailed in a high-security prison with extremely tight surveillance.

He will be prosecuted for his latest prison break, she added.

Faid, 46, who had a long career as a serial robber, was serving 25 years for the 2010 death of a young police officer killed in a botched robbery.

Redoine Faid prior to a 2010 interview with French all-news TV channel LCI (SIPA via AP)

He escaped from Reau prison on July 1 with the help of armed, masked men who took a helicopter pilot hostage, forced him to land in the prison yard, used power tools to break through the prison doors and hustled Faid to freedom.

BFMTV and the newspaper Le Monde reported that two men, including Faids brother, and a woman were also arrested.

BFM showed scenes of the dishevelled interior inside the fifth-floor apartment, and reported that a revolver and automatic pistol were seized at the scene.

Some 80 police officers descended on the small apartment in Creil to make the arrests, various French media reported.

In late July, police spotted Faid in a car and launched a chase that ended in a car park of a shopping centre in Sarcelles, a northern Paris suburb.

Faid and another man abandoned their car and fled.

Fake explosives inside the vehicle and fake licence plates added to a growing stack of clues leading to his capture.

Faid had escaped from behind bars before  the previous time using explosives hidden in tissues.

In the 1990s, he led a gang involved in robbing banks and armoured vans and became known as Frances best-known gangster.
Theresa May suffered a blow less than an hour before her crucial speech to Conservative activists as one of her own MPs called for her to be removed as party leader.

Rochford and Southend East MP James Duddridge submitted a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister, saying that she was incapable of providing the strong leadership the party needs.

The move is the latest setback for Mrs May in a week which has seen 1,500 activists at the party conference in Birmingham give a standing ovation to Boris Johnson after he declared her Brexit plans a constitutional outrage.

Mrs May is set to make a bid to rally the party behind her in what is seen as possibly the most important speech of her political career, in which she will say that Britains post-Brexit future is full of promise.

In his letter to the chairman of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee, Mr Duddridge  who served as a whip and junior minister under David Cameron  said the Conservatives need a strong leader, someone who believes in Brexit and someone to deliver what the electorate voted for.

And he added: The Prime Minister seems incapable of doing this. I have not met a single MP who thinks she will lead us into another election after the last disastrous snap election.

He said: I write this with heavy heart, however we now need a proper leadership election and to move on.

James Duddridge has submitted a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister (PA Archive/PA Images)

Sir Graham is required to call a no-confidence vote in Mrs May if he receives 48 letters from MPs. It is not known how many he has so far received.

In any contest, Mrs May would need to secure the backing of half her parliamentary party  158 MPs  to continue as leader. If she fell short, a leadership contest would be called in which she would not be able to stand.

In her crucial conference speech, the PM will make a direct appeal to mainstream Labour voters disillusioned by Jeremy Corbyns left-wing agenda to switch to the decent, moderate, patriotic Tories.

She will borrow the Labour leaders For the many, not the few slogan as she declares that Conservatives are a party not for the few, not even for the many, but for everyone who is willing to work hard and do their best.

And she will attempt to win over blue collar Tories with a fuel duty freeze, saying she will carry the policy into its ninth year as it is vital for hard-working families  not just for their pockets, but for their quality of life.

Boris Johnson won rapturous applause as he called on Mrs May to `chuck Chequers (Victoria Jones/PA)

The PM will say that for millions of people, their car is not a luxury, its a necessity.

Mr Johnsons demand for the PM to chuck Chequers has echoed around the corridors and fringe meetings at a conference gathering riven by profound differences over the best approach to Britains EU withdrawal.

But he stopped well short of a direct challenge to her leadership, urging Tories to back (her) in the best way possible, by encouraging her to ditch the plan agreed at her country residence and return to her earlier hard Brexit blueprint.

Mrs May said she was cross with her former foreign secretary, accusing him of being ready to tear up her guarantee to the people of Northern Ireland that there would be no customs border down the Irish Sea.

But in her keynote speech in Birmingham, she will focus on her hopes for a brighter future after Brexit.

I passionately believe that our best days lie ahead of us and that our future is full of promise, she will say.

Dont let anyone tell you we dont have what it takes: we have everything we need to succeed.

Theresa May faces one of the most important speeches of her career (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The crucial address comes one year, almost to the day, since her catastrophic conference speech in Manchester, where she suffered a stage invasion by a comedian, a persistent cough and a collapsing backdrop.

Observers will keep a close eye on whether she makes any reference to that calamitous performance, which led to speculation over how long she could last as Conservative leader.

She has already said she has taken steps to ensure she speaks strongly this time round.
Stormonts Justice Department received less than half the extra Brexit funding it bid for.

Extra money was allocated for Northern Ireland as part of a formula for adjusting cash provided by the Treasury for public services.

Ulster Unionist Mike Nesbitt discovered the department, which oversees services like prisons and policing, sought almost 2 million for Brexit planning.

The amount allocated was 850,000, with 300,000 handed to the PSNI, an official letter to the Strangford Assembly member disclosed.

Stormonts justice department is making preparations for Brexit (Steve Parsons/PA)

The money was used for staffing costs, and spending is under review to ensure the funding is put to best use, the response added.

Mr Nesbitt said: It must be assumed that if the Department of Justice bid for 1.96 million then it is needed, so it is concerning to find they were allocated just 0.85 million, with an initial 0.3 million going to the PSNI.

In his correspondence to me, permanent secretary Peter May makes clear that the bid included preparation costs for Brexit planning in the DoJ and PSNI.

I will be writing to him to ask what the implications will be of them receiving such a small fraction of what they bid for.

Chief Constable George Hamilton has made it clear that justice could be dramatically affected by Brexit.

That includes the potential loss of the European Arrest Warrant, which could make extradition problematic, or even impossible at least in the short term, Mr Nesbitt added.

So it is really concerning that the department didnt receive anything like what they asked for to assist in scoping out these issues.

According to a briefing to the voluntary sector, the Justice Departments priorities included participation in the European Arrest Warrant, maintaining the Common Travel Area of people between the UK and Ireland, and continued co-operation on cross-border criminal justice.

Another aim is ensuring effective reciprocal enforcement of civil and family court orders, allowing the placement of a child from Northern Ireland in another EU state.

A Justice Department statement said: The department and PSNI received funding for activities relating to EU exit preparations this year.

Funding to meet the future demands of delivering EU exit will be included as part of budget discussions going forward.
A veteran Kurdish politician has assumed office as Iraqs new president after backing an independent Shiite politician for the post of prime minister, ending nearly five months of political deadlock.

Barham Salih, 58, who previously served as Iraqs planning minister and the prime minister of the self-ruled Kurdish region, was elected president by parliament and sworn in on Tuesday.

He then backed Adel Abdul-Mahdi, 76, an independent Shiite politician and former vice president, to form the next government.

Newly elected Iraq president Barham Salih arrives for the inauguration ceremony in Baghdad (Khalid Mohammed/AP)

Under an unofficial agreement dating back to the 2003 US-led invasion, Iraqs presidency  a largely ceremonial role  is held by a Kurd, while the prime minister is Shiite and the parliament speaker is Sunni.

Both Mr Salih and Mr Abdul-Mahdi are longstanding members of the political class that has dominated Iraqi politics since then.

On Wednesday, state TV broadcast a formal handover ceremony at the presidential palace in Baghdads Green Zone, where Mr Salih was saluted by an honour guard and received by former president Fuad Masum.

Barham Salih inspects a guard of honour (Khalid Mohammed/AP)

Mr Abdul-Mahdi emerged as a compromise candidate after two Shiite-led blocs each claimed to have majority support in parliament.

He had strong backing from Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose followers won the most seats in the May elections and who formed a bloc with the current prime minister, Haider al-Abadi.

The other bloc, which is dominated by politicians and militia leaders close to Iran, initially rejected Mr Abdul-Mahdi but then agreed to support him after Sunni and Kurdish parties rallied to his side, according to a Shiite politician who took part in the discussions.

The politician said Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraqs top Shiite cleric, had made it clear through mediators that the job of prime minister should not go to someone who had held the post before and had urged consensus.

Newly elected Iraq president Barham Salih listens to the national anthem during the inauguration ceremony in Baghdad (Khalid Mohammed/AP)

The opinion yesterday was to have Abdul-Mahdi tasked quickly in order not to delay the process any further, the politician said.

Mr Abdul-Mahdi, an economist by training who comes from a prominent Shiite tribe based in southern Iraq, spent several years in exile in France, where he worked for think tanks and edited magazines in French and Arabic.

He joined Iraqs Community Party in the 1970s, but later switched to the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, an exiled opposition group established in neighbouring Iran.

Mr Abdul-Mahdi remained with SCIRI, which emerged as a powerful religious party after the 2003 US-led invasion, until the party split last year, when he became an independent.

After the invasion, he served as vice president, finance minister and oil minister.

He has 30 days to submit his cabinet to parliament for approval.
A mother has described to an inquest the moment her five-year-old daughter was swept out to sea by a freak wave while walking at the Durdle Door beauty spot.

Rose Carter, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, was with her sister and her mother, Sofia Carter, at the Dorset beach on April 18 when the youngster was hit by the 8ft wave.

The Coastguard was alerted and a military vessel helped rescue her, but she was pronounced dead at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester.

Mrs Carter, who did not attend the Bournemouth hearing, said in a statement that the sea was rough but she did not think it was dangerous as they walked along the edge of the beach with Rose about 10ft behind her.

Witnesses described desperate attempts to rescue the child (John Walton/PA)

She said: I saw a really big wave that went over her head and knocked her off her feet.

Mrs Carter said a second wave then also knocked her into the water and she added: When I stood up I could no longer see Rose.

Rose was beyond the breaking waves and I was aware a lady called 999 and a military boat was there within minutes.

A man with binoculars directed the boat to where Rose was. Rose was taken from the sea.

She added: Rose was a strong child and happy in the water and was able to swim with doggy paddle and had previously swam lengths.

Witness Lucy Seviour described how she had been taking part in coastal climbing nearby when she was hit by the wave.

She said: I saw Rose had been knocked flat by the waves and was being pulled in by the riptide and was half or three-quarters of the way down the beach and that was within a second.

Ms Seviour, who used to do triathlons, said that she went into the water in an attempt to rescue Rose but was swept back to the beach by the waves that fractured one of her ribs.

She said: I could see Rose for half a second and she was only half a metre away but I tried to move and was washed up on the beach.

Ms Seviour said that she then tried to stop Mrs Carter from going into the water but added: Obviously its her kid so she went straight back in.

She said that Roses sister was terrified.

Another witness, Gordon Cobb, said he heard Mrs Carter screaming: My daughter, my girl or my baby, and added: I could see a little girls head sticking out of the wave, physically there was no way she could have got through the wave.

I had to watch her drift out to sea.

The wave was around 8ft high according to witnesses (John Walton/PA)

Describing the wave as 8ft high, he added: The sea was very dangerous that day and the wave that hit the girl was a freak wave and came out of the blue, and no other wave was like it before.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, coroner Brendan Allen said the cause of death was drowning, and added: Tragically Rose and her family were walking along the beach at the same time the freak wave crashed up the beach and washed Rose off her feet.

Its not something that could have been foreseen by anyone, its a tragedy that this has happened in these circumstances.

Grandmother Jen Carter said: From the evidence I think it was exactly that, a tragic accident.
The former boyfriend of reality TV star Ferne McCann has lost a challenge against his 20-year jail sentence for carrying out an acid attack in a packed nightclub.

Arthur Collins hurled the corrosive substance over a crowd on the dance floor at Mangle E8 in Dalston, east London, in what a judge described as a despicable act.

Collins, of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, now 26, was sentenced at Londons Wood Green Crown Court in December by Judge Noel Lucas.

Three judges at the Court of Appeal in London rejected his bid for a sentence reduction at a hearing on Wednesday.

Lord Justice Simon, announcing the decision, said: We accept that this was a severe sentence, but these were exceptionally serious offences, and the severe sentence was fully justified.

Ferne McCann (Ian West/PA)

Sixteen people suffered chemical burn injuries and three people were temporarily blinded in the attack.

Collins, the father of Ms McCanns baby daughter Sunday, told his trial he did not know the bottle contained acid, claiming he believed it contained a liquid date rape drug which he had snatched from two men after overhearing them planning to spike a girls drink.

But a jury convicted him of five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent and nine counts of actual bodily harm.

Collins told his trial he had been out celebrating the news of Ms McCanns pregnancy, which they had announced to her family the previous day.

After the incident, he went on the run and was not caught until several days later, hiding out in a house in Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire.

He has previous convictions including threatening words, possession of cocaine and assault, and was still subject to a suspended sentence for punching a man at a nightclub when he carried out the acid attack.

In January, he was jailed for another eight months for using a smuggled mobile phone to call Ms McCann from his prison cell.
MP James Duddridge has submitted a letter calling for Theresa May to quit. But what does it take to topple the Tory leader?

How would it begin?

To trigger a vote of confidence, 15% of Tory MPs  48 in total  must write to the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady.

How many have sent letters so far?

About 50 MPs discussed ways of getting rid of Mrs May at a gathering of the European Research Group in September, the Press Association understands.

But it is not known how many have gone a step further and submitted letters.

What if they do reach the 15% threshold?

Mrs May would need the support of more than 50% of Conservative MPs  currently 158  in the confidence vote to stay in office.

15% of Tory MPs must write to Sir Graham Brady to trigger a no-confidence vote

What would happen if she wins?

She can stay on as leader, however a narrow victory could seriously undermine her authority and may lead her to question whether it was right to carry on.

What if she loses?

If the PM lost the vote she would not be able to stand in the subsequent leadership contest arranged by Sir Graham.

What would the contest look like?

Candidates for the leadership must be nominated by two Conservative MPs. If only one candidate comes forward, he or she becomes leader.

If a number of would-be leaders are nominated, the list is whittled down to a shortlist of two in a series of votes by MPs.

The final pair then go to a postal ballot of all party members, with the position of leader going to the victor.

The Queen with Theresa May, where she invited the former Home Secretary to become Prime Minister in 2016 (PA)

How long would all that take?

Sir Graham would be responsible for overseeing the contest and setting a timetable for the campaign, which would be expected to last around 12 weeks.

Mrs May could remain in post during the campaign period.

Have we not been here before quite recently?

The resignations of David Davis and Boris Johnson as Brexit secretary and foreign secretary respectively over the so-called Chequers Brexit plan sparked fevered speculation a leadership contest could be triggered in July.

Such a challenge did not materialise and MPs disbanded for the summer recess.

They returned to Westminster last week.
A British pioneer of laboratory-produced monoclonal antibodies used in some of the most advanced medicines today has won a share of this years Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Professor Sir Gregory Winter, from the University of Cambridge, was awarded a quarter share of the nine million Swedish krona (770,000) prize money.

The honour recognises his work using a technique called phage display to produce new pharmaceutical drugs.

The process involves harnessing viruses that infect bacteria, known as bacteriophages, to evolve novel proteins.

BREAKING NEWS:

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the #NobelPrize in Chemistry 2018 with one half to Frances H. Arnold and the other half jointly to George P. Smith and Sir Gregory P. Winter. pic.twitter.com/lLGivVLttB  The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 3, 2018

Antibodies are used in a host of ways to neutralise toxins, counteract autoimmune diseases and tackle spreading cancer.

Sir Gregorys American co-laureates are Professor Frances Arnold, from the California Institute of Technology, and Professor George Smith, from the University of Missouri.

Prof Arnold, who picks up half the award, conducted the first directed evolution of enzymes  proteins that catalyse chemical reactions.

US biochemical engineer Frances Arnold (Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva/AP)

Prof Smith developed the technique of phage display later adopted by Sir Gregory.

The awards were announced at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm.

In its citation, the Nobel committee said: The 2018 Nobel Laureates in chemistry have taken control of evolution and used it for purposes that bring the greatest benefit to humankind.

Enzymes produced through directed evolution are used to manufacture everything from biofuels to pharmaceuticals.

Antibodies evolved using a method called phage display can combat autoimmune diseases and in some cases cure metastatic cancer.

Sir Gregory, the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, has followed a research career based almost entirely in Cambridge at the Medical Research Councils Laboratory of Molecular Biology and the Centre for Protein Engineering.

He also founded three Cambridge biotech companies based on his discoveries: Cambridge Antibody Technology, Domantis and Bicycle Therapeutics.

Immunologist Professor Dan Davies, from the University of Manchester, said: This is thrilling. The use of phage display to create new antibodies has been exceptionally important in science and medicine.

As one example, Humira, developed with this technology, is used by thousands of people for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.

With this medicine, far fewer people with rheumatoid arthritis are forced to use a wheelchair.
One of UAEs most luxurious homegrown brands  Carter & White  has launched its new bespoke yacht bedlinen and bath linen collection called Made to Measureat the glamorous Cannes Yachting Festival.

With its participation at the event, Carter & White become the first Dubai label to represent the emirate at the event.

Since 1977, the Cannes Yachting Festival has taken place every September in elegant, luxurious surroundings in a sparkling bay of the French Riviera. As the first show in the boating season, the festival is Europes leading in-water boating event and the major players in pleasure yachting arrive to launch the show season by showcasing their new worldwide models.

Carter & White's new Made to Measure enables clients to choose the fabric, the embroidery and even add their initials as a personal touch to the linens. The collection is available for both yachts and the home.

"We are very happy that we were part of the revered Cannes Yachting Festival; it is an honour to be the first to represent Dubai in this beautiful show, said Marwan Al Serkal, Carter & Whites Founder.

We met with visitors from around the world, from China to Mexico, all of whom were passionate about yachting. I believe Carter & White did very well in this event as we were able to show the level of quality people are looking for. Our designs are based on simplicity: basic white with different stitching colours, which was very attractive to a lot of the visitors. Plus, the fact that we provide custom-made products was appealing to those who desire exclusivity.

One of the esteemed visitors to the Carter & White exhibition stand was Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, Director General, Dubai Information Department, who showed his support for his native brand.

On the back of the event, Carter & White is currently in talks with two large Italian shipyards  Benetti and Sanlorenzo  to supply boat owners with Carter & White collections.

Carter & White products are exclusively made using Egyptian Giza cotton with a generous thread count that ranges from 400 to 1,200 depending on a customers request.

Established in 2016 in Dubai, Carter & White specialises products ranging from T-shirts, undershirts, boxers, socks, to more recently bed and bath linens. The companys Founder and Director is Marwan Bin Yousef Al Serkal, an Emirati entrepreneur with global business experience in several markets, including finance.

Carter & White clothing is currently available in premium retail locations such as Le BHV Marais in City Walk and Galeries Lafayette in Dubai and some stores in the UK and US. Carter & Whites line is also available for purchase online. - TradeArabia News Service
One of the last survivors to escape the Grenfell Tower fire told a public inquiry he did not realise how serious the blaze was until he received a photo of the burning tower from his son outside.

Antonio Roncolato, the first survivor to give evidence to the public inquiry into the blaze, said he was asleep in his 10th floor flat when he woke up to a call from his son Christopher at 1.40am.

In his written statement, he said that although he was shocked at what was happening, he did not feel in too much danger as he could not see the magnitude of the fire.

He made an initial attempt to leave the flat but thick black smoke billowed into his face when he opened the front door.

After receiving the photograph of the building engulfed in orange flames from his son by around 2am, Mr Roncolato said he then realised the importance of getting out.

His written statement said: I was stunned at this photo and how advanced the fire appeared to be.

I then really started to focus on how to get out of the tower alive. I knew that one mistake would be fatal.

The former resident described getting dressed and packing his rucksack with his laptop, passports and documents before his first attempt to leave his flat.

His statement said: The entire communal landing was full of smoke and I could not see anything. The smoke was very smelly and hot. It was suffocating.

I immediately closed my front door again and pulled the chain across to lock it.

Survivors of the tower fire will give evidence over a month (Victoria Jones/PA)

When describing this to the public inquiry, he said: You cannot see, you cannot breathe, you lose your bearing, you lose your senses. It was really scary.

Mr Roncolatos son called him again after sending the photo and he passed on his location to a fire marshal, who told him to stay put as the fire was not near his flat.

Mr Roncolato told the inquiry: He (the fire official) was very determined in his words not to try anything risky basically, saying they were aware I was there and they will come and get me.

At around 2.30am, Mr Roncolato said he was shocked at the speed with which smoke started to fill his living room, using wet towels to stem the flow.

He said in his written statement he could see there was fire above him and noticed flames crawling down the left side of Christophers bedroom window.

He tried to leave his flat again at about 4.30am, but was stopped by the thick black smoke outside his front door.

Dozens of people died in the disaster last June (Natalie Oxford/PA)

After this second attempt, he phoned the emergency services and said he did not want to risk anything or try to do something heroic to get outside.

He told the operator there was plenty of smoke but that the flames he had previously seen crawling down Christophers bedroom window were gone.

Asked what he would have done if the phone operator had told him to get out, he said: I would have assessed again if I was in a condition to go out, but obviously she would have taken a big responsibility to do so on her behalf because she wouldnt know how bad the conditions outside were.

I knew; she did not. She wouldnt know.

Firefighters in breathing apparatus led Mr Roncolato out of the blazing tower (Natalie Oxford/PA)

In a final call, at 5.46am, he told his son he needed to speak to someone in charge, and was passed to a fire marshal, who told him firefighters were coming to get him and to be ready.

Minutes later, Mr Roncolato heard a knock at his door and two firefighters in breathing apparatus entered the flat.

They told him they would walk behind and in front of him when they attempted to descend the stairs, and Mr Roncolato put on a pair of his sons goggles to protect his eyes.

One of the firefighters put a wet towel on Mr Roncolatos head and another placed a wet towel over his mouth and nose before they escaped the flat.

Some 72 people died in the blaze on June 14 last year, with a further resident dying in January.

Mr Roncolatos evidence begins a gruelling month of statements from survivors, relatives and friends of those who died and nearby residents, at Holborn Bars in Central London.
Melania Trump has visited a former slave holding facility on the coast of Ghana and said she will never forget it.

She called Wednesdays visit to Cape Coast Castle very emotional and said it is really something that people should see and experience.

The US first lady spent about an hour on a guided tour of the 17th-century castle, where slaves were held before they were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean.

Melania Trump walks through the Door Of No Return with Cape Coast Castle museum educator Kwesi Essel-Blankson (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Mrs Trump spent 10 minutes inside the cramped male slave dungeon and walked through the infamous Door Of No Return.

She laid a wreath and signed the guest book.

Mrs Trump is visiting Africa on her first extended solo international tour as first lady and has stops planned in Malawi, Kenya and Egypt.

She arrived on Tuesday and toured a baby clinic.
The chief coroner has called for distressing pictures of victims of the Westminster attack to be removed from the internet.

The inquest has heard how bystanders used selfie sticks and mobile phones to take snaps of the dead and injured on March 22 last year.

Graphic video and pictures were posted on social media, with some remaining in circulation more than a year later, compounding the anguish of loved ones.

They included images of the body of Aysha Frade, who was trapped beneath the wheels of a bus after being hit by Khalid Masoods hire car.

Aysha Frade (Metropolitan Police/PA)

In his concluding remarks, coroner Mark Lucraft QC said: From some of the CCTV footage it is clear some people took photographs and moving footage.

Some of that footage was sent to the police to assist with the investigation.

Sadly, some people, for whatever reason, have put some of that material on the internet. Some of that material is very distressing to the families and I would encourage that it is removed.

Masood, 52, drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing Ms Frade, 44, American tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, and Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31.

Khalid Masood (Metropolitan Police/PA)

He then stormed through gates near the Houses of Parliament and fatally stabbed Pc Keith Palmer with two knives.

Mr Lucraft praised the great dignity of the victims families throughout the inquest.

He said Masood had driven a hired SUV at an average speed of 30mph to 42mph with clear murderous intent into pedestrians on the bridge, killing four people and seriously injuring 29.

The coroner praised the quite overwhelming response from medics at St Thomas Hospital and members of the public who tried to help after the carnage.

He said: Im sure what they did has been a great comfort to the families who could not be with their loved ones at that time.
A teenager has appeared in court charged with murdering an 87-year-old man who died after a burglary at his home.

Jason Wilsher, 19, appeared before magistrates in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, on Wednesday accused of killing Arthur Gumbley.

Mr Gumbley died in hospital from injuries he suffered three weeks earlier during a break-in at his home in Endwood Drive, Sutton Coldfield, in November.

Arthur Gumbley died after being robbed in his own home (Staffordshire Police/PA)

Wearing a grey jumper, Wilsher was not required to enter any pleas in a short hearing at North Staffordshire Justice Centre.

He spoke only to confirm his name, address, date of birth and nationality before being remanded into custody.

In a statement after his death, Mr Gumbleys family said: He truly was a person that, not only us as a family, but the people that knew him, looked up to and respected.

Words cant express the extent of our loss.

Wilsher, of Barlestone Road, Bagworth, will appear at Stafford Crown Court on Friday.
The family of a teenager who died from an allergic reaction to a Pret A Manger sandwich have cautiously welcomed the chains move to introduce full ingredient labelling on products.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, from Fulham, south-west London, collapsed on board a flight in July 2016 after eating an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette she had bought at a Pret outlet in Heathrow Airport.

The coroner at her inquest last week said she died of anaphylaxis after eating the sandwich containing sesame, to which she was allergic.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse fell ill on a flight from London to Nice (Family Handout/PA)

Pret has announced that full ingredient labelling will be introduced on all products that are freshly made in its shop kitchens, and labels will list all ingredients, including allergens.

The food company said it will start trialling full ingredient labelling on product packaging from next month, adding that this will be rolled out to all UK outlets as quickly as possible.

Natashas parents, Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, said: We cautiously welcome the decision by Pret A Manger, and we hope this will quickly lead to improved labelling across all their stores.

Pret says it has recognised there is much more it can do; we agree. We will be inviting them to meet with us to outline how we think they can contribute to genuinely meaningful change.

Jill Paterson, from law firm Leigh Day, who is representing Natashas family, said: The decision by Pret A Manger concerning labelling on all their products is to be welcomed, but deeds mean more than words.

We will be working closely with our clients to arrange a lasting legacy for Natasha, not just new legislation but also meaningful change for all people with allergies.

Mr Ednan-Laperouse said Natasha died because of inadequate food labelling laws, and joined the rest of her family in calling for a change in the law to save lives.

Pret A Manger chief executive Clive Schlee speaks to the press outside West London Coroners Court (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Pret A Manger chief executive Clive Schlee said: I want to say again how deeply sorry we are for the loss of Natasha.

I said we would learn from this tragedy and ensure meaningful changes happen.

I hope these measures set us on course to drive change in the industry so people with allergies are as protected and informed as possible.

Nothing is more important to Pret right now.

Pret said it is committed to working with others, including the Government, regulatory authorities, charity groups and industry peers to secure the legislative changes necessary to better protect people with allergies.

The company said that, in the coming weeks, it will ensure that prominent allergen warning stickers are placed on all individual freshly made products.

It has also committed to ensuring that additional allergen warning signs are displayed in shops, and full ingredient information, including allergens, for all products is made available online and in shops.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: We welcome the news that Pret have announced they will be introducing full ingredient labelling, including allergens on all their products. However, following the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, there is a clear need to review food labelling.

That is why we are currently reviewing our approach to give consumers more information. A critical part is looking very closely at how we can improve and strengthen domestic regulations to make sure all UK consumers have the protections required.

All of us at Pret are devastated by the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse and our heartfelt thoughts go out to her family. Heres the statement our CEO, Clive Schlee, made after the inquest today. pic.twitter.com/Gv0daqzdKs  Pret (@Pret) September 28, 2018

Natashas parents said earlier this week that companies should not wait for a change in the law on food labelling before doing the right thing.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said the Government will look at companies responsibilities on food labelling, while Environment Secretary Michael Gove said he had instructed civil servants to investigate a law change after the teenagers death highlighted the importance of acting urgently.

Currently, pre-packaged foods do not have to a have a specific allergen label attached.

Natasha had been on her way to a four-day break in France with her father and best friend when she fell ill on a British Airways flight from London to Nice.

Video footage released by her family shows Natasha smiling, putting her thumbs up to the camera and holding hands with her friend moments before she fell ill.
Theresa May has declared the age of austerity over with a message to voters that there are better days ahead.

In her crucial keynote speech to the Conservative conference in Birmingham, Mrs May said next years post-Brexit Spending Rreview will set out a programme of increased investment for public services, as a mark that the decade of cuts following the financial crash is coming to an end.

And she announced a new cancer strategy to increase early detection of the illness and save 55,000 lives a year by 2028, along with a ninth successive annual freeze in fuel duty.

Admitting that the housing market is broken, she announced she was lifting the cap on councils borrowing to fund new developments, with the aim of building the homes this country needs.

In a speech designed to rally her party behind her following a conference riven by differences over Brexit, Mrs May warned that squabbling over the details of EU withdrawal might mean ending up with no Brexit at all.

Standing firmly by the Chequers plan which was denounced by Boris Johnson as a constitutional outrage, Mrs May promised: If we stick together and hold our nerve, I know we can get a deal that delivers for Britain.

She made no mention of the former foreign secretary, who won thunderous applause from 1,500 activists on Tuesday as he called on her to chuck the Brexit plan agreed at her country residence in July.

But she delivered a stinging riposte to his reported f*** business comment, saying the business community should know that there is a four-letter word to describe what we Conservatives want to do to you  it has a single syllable, it is of Anglo-Saxon derivation, it ends in the letter K. Back businesses.

Less than an hour before taking the stage in Birmingham, Mrs May was hit by a call for her removal from former minister James Duddridge, who said she was incapable of providing the leadership Tories need.

But she did her best to appear carefree as she sashayed on to the stage to the Abba hit Dancing Queen  a reference to the much-shared video of her dancing on a trip to Africa  and joked about the coughing fit and collapsing stage backdrop which marred her calamitous conference speech in Manchester last year.

James Duddridge has submitted a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister (PA Archive/PA Images)

In an upbeat message to activists and voters, she declared: If we come together, there is no limit to what we can achieve. Our future is in our hands.

She launched a ferocious assault on Jeremy Corbyns Labour, describing the takeover of the party by the left as a national tragedy and his policies of nationalisation and shares for workers as bogus solutions that would makes things worse.

In a clear pitch for mainstream voters turned off by Mr Corbyns left-wing economic agenda and rows over anti-Semitism, she said she wanted the decent, moderate and patriotic Conservatives to be a party for the whole country.

She made a grab for traditionally Labour territory by saying that the NHS embodies our principles as Conservatives and boasting of the presence in the Tory front ranks of immigrants son Sajid Javid, former Barnardos girl Esther McVey and lesbian mother-to-be Ruth Davidson.

In the face of Labours appeal to those suffering from the effects of austerity, Mrs May said Tories must defend free markets, because it is ordinary working people who benefit.

But she acknowledged that, a decade after the 2008 crash, the after-effects were still being felt by many households.

Prime Minister Theresa May danced as she arrived on stage (Victoria Jones/PA)

Some markets are still not working in the interests of ordinary people, she said.

Employment is up but too many people havent had a decent pay rise. The deficit is down but achieving that has been painful. And our economy is growing but some communities have been left behind.

This is why some people still feel that our economy isnt working for them.

Our mission as Conservatives must be to show them that we can build an economy that does.

She promised to make markets work in the interests of ordinary people again, citing Government initiatives to toughen corporate governance rules, provide protection for gig economy workers and cap energy prices.

And she warned she was ready to take further action against utility firms which punish loyal customers with higher prices.

Acknowledging voter weariness with belt-tightening, Mrs May said: The British people need to know that the end is in sight.

And our message to them must be this  We get it. We are not just a party to clean up a mess, we are the party to steer a course to a better future.

To applause from activists, she said: Sound finances are essential, but they are not the limit of our ambition.

Because you made sacrifices, there are better days ahead.

So when weve secured a good Brexit deal for Britain, at the spending review next year we will set out our approach for the future.

Debt as a share of the economy will continue to go down, support for public services will go up.

Because, a decade after the financial crash, people need to know that the austerity it led to is over and that their hard work has paid off.

Mrs May received a standing ovation as she concluded her 64-minute speech with an appeal to Tories: Together, lets build a better Britain.
A man is set to be extradited from Pakistan and charged with the murder of eight members of the same family who died in a house fire.

Shahid Mohammed, 36, will be formally charged with the murder of five children and three adults who died in 2002, West Yorkshire Police said.

The charges relate to a house fire which devastated the Chishti family in Birkby, Huddersfield.

Shahid Mohammed faces murder charges (West Yorkshire Police/PA)

Mohammed, formerly of Huddersfield, has been held in prison in Pakistan since being located and arrested in Rawalpindi on January 22 2015.

Detective Superintendent Nick Wallen, of West Yorkshire Police, said: This is a significant development in our investigation.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all agencies here in the UK and in Pakistan who have worked tirelessly and supported West Yorkshire Police to ensure that this process has run smoothly to extradite him.

Eight members of the same family were killed in the fire (John Giles/PA)

DS Wallen paid tribute to the Chishti family, who had lost eight members of their family during the fatal house fire and have shown such dignity since the tragedy occurred in 2002.

Mohammed is due to appear before Leeds Magistrates Court on Thursday morning after being flown in from Islamabad International Airport, the force added.
Scotlands first post-graduate course for doctors is an accessible option for those considering a career in medicine, the Health Secretary has said.

Jeane Freeman was speaking as she met some of the 55 students on the new four-year ScotGEM course, which is being taught in St Andrews and Dundee.

It is one of the components in Scottish Government plans to recruit 800 more family doctors across the country over the next 10 years  with the principal of St Andrews University saying it would produce doctors with a passion for general practice.

The course, which is open to those who have a degree other than medicine, will focus on producing new GPs and doctors for remote and rural locations.

Eligible students will have their tuition fees paid for by the Scottish Government, and can also receive a bursary of 16,000  4,000 a year over the duration of the course  if they commit to working in the NHS after graduation.

Ms Freeman told how Scottish ministers are taking a number of steps to create the sustainable health and social care workforce needed for the future, including the commitment to increase the GP workforce.

She added: ScotGEM is one of the components of these efforts, and Im absolutely delighted to be in St Andrews today to meet some of the students and staff involved.

The course gives graduates the opportunity to convert to medicine, regardless of their original degree.

There is a focus on GP and rural working  giving students the chance to experience these rewarding career paths  and the 16,000 bursary available over the four years makes it an accessible option.

The new course is open to graduates with a degree other than medicine (Chris Radburn/PA)

The new course is being run by the medical schools at St Andrews and Dundee universities, in partnership with the University of the Highlands and Islands and NHS Scotland.

Professor Sally Mapstone, principal and vice-chancellor at St Andrews University, said it would widen access to medicine as well as producing doctors with a passion for a career in general practice.

She said: ScotGEM has enabled St Andrews to make another step-change in our approach to clinical training and, together with our partners, we are glad to be educating a new generation of medics with skills across the interface between health and social care.

Scotlands first graduate entry programme will widen access to medicine, increase diversity in the profession and produce more doctors with a passion for a general practice career.

Sir Pete Downes, principal and vice-chancellor at the University of Dundee, said: ScotGEM continues our long history of delivering innovative medical education to healthcare professionals here in Scotland and around the world.

This is a partnership that ultimately can make a significant difference to provision of health and social care in communities right across Scotland.
Sinn Fein has branded as absolutely bizarre Arlene Fosters description of her Brexit red line as blood red, claiming the DUP leader has lost the run of herself.

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill accused Mrs Foster of being out of touch after the former Stormont first minister made clear she would not support any increase in regulatory checks across the Irish Sea as a means to break the deadlock over the Irish border.

Stressing the partys unwillingness to give ground on the issue, the DUP leader said: The red line is blood red, it is very red.

Meeting with Prime Minister just ended. NO border in the Irish Sea will ever be acceptable to unionists throughout the UK . . . regulatory or otherwise. pic.twitter.com/VCvzO2uEdD  Arlene Foster #WeWillMeetAgain (@ArleneFosterUK) October 2, 2018

Mrs Foster has insisted that Prime Minister Theresa May needs to show her any new proposals on the Irish border before presenting them to the EU, but she declined to state whether her party would vote against the Government if she considered any proposals unacceptable.

She told BBC Radio Four: I think we are selling the Prime Minister short, she understands where we are at in all of this and therefore I need to give her that space to share that information with me.

Her comments came amid reports  denied by senior Conservatives  that the Government was considering allowing more regulatory differences between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK to ensure a free-flowing Irish border is maintained on the island.

Michelle ONeill (David Young/PA)

The DUP has made clear it will not countenance any move that would create divisions between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UKs internal marketplace.

Mrs ONeill said Mrs Fosters remarks at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham showed the DUP was not speaking for the majority view in Northern Ireland, a region that voted Remain.

I think it demonstrates once again that he DUP have lost the run of themselves, she said.

I think the comments themselves are bizarre. They are bizarre in the context that people are worried about their future, their future prosperity, their jobs, the economy, students are worried about how they are going to study across Europe, our rights in terms of the future and what that means for all of us.

So I think the comments are absolutely bizarre in the context of the serious consequences which there are in regard to Brexit.

When I look at the last few days and the behaviour of the DUP in England, particular in relation to the Tory party conference, they purport to speak for the people of the North, they do not speak for the people of the North.

Mrs ONeill suggested Mrs Foster was attempting to take the focus off a public inquiry into a botched green energy scheme in Northern Ireland, which has seen the actions of senior DUP figures come under intense scrutiny.

I think the DUP would rather have us talking about blood red lines and everything else to avoid us talking about the calamity that is RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) and the calamity that is Brexit, she said.

Sinn Feins Stormont leader also reiterated her view that the DUPs confidence and supply deal with the Conservative Party was standing in the way of restoring powersharing in the region, 21 months after the devolved executive collapsed.

The biggest fault line in getting an executive up and running is the fact there is a supply and confidence deal between the DUP and the Tories, she said.

And I think the DUP are demonstrating it day on day that they are more interested in propping up the Brexiteers than they are in the economic interests, the cultural interests, and the rights of citizens here in the North  that has been demonstrated time and time again.
The Irish Government has sat on the sidelines during the housing crisis, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said.

She urged Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to double capital investment in building properties and introduce a rent freeze to help around 10,000 people who are homeless.

Mr Varadkar said his Government was accelerating the building of all types of housing as he accused Sinn Fein of playing politics with the issue.

Ms McDonald said: You have been timid, you have been a lackey to private landlords.

You have sat on the sidelines in the vain hope that the market will sort it all out, even though all of the evidence tells you that the market is not sorting this out, that the state has to do the heavy lifting and that any government worthy of the name needs to intervene in an emergency fashion.

That means doubling your capital investment, it means being bold, it means having ambition, it means ditching your pathetic excuse for dealing with rent control and introducing a rent freeze.

It is ensuring that you stop the despicable practice of landlords turfing families out to get vacant possession of properties that the state insisted these people buy.

The homelessness issue dominated questions to the Taoiseach in the Irish parliament, the Dail, as crowds gathered for a massive demonstration outside.

Mr Varadkar said millions of euro were spent this year providing emergency accommodation.

Emergency powers have been brought in to fast-track planning.

Measures have been introduced to control rent, for the first time in decades.

The Taoiseach said declaring a housing emergency did not build any more houses.

In many ways that sums up the Sinn Fein policy around housing, it is to make declarations and to make speeches and to play politics but not put forward solutions that are workable, or in many cases affordable.

A homeless man sits surrounded by protesters, during a Take Back the City group organised demostration in Dublin.

Sinn Fein really has no credibility when it comes to housing.

According to the Simon Community, 200,000 people are homeless in Northern Ireland, he noted.

Of course, we see Sinn Fein councillors all over the country voting down social housing proposals and affordable housing proposals, in city council and in South Dublin.

So in Northern Ireland, where there is a housing crisis, they walk out of office over a renewable heat initiative and they wont go back in.

The truth is, Sinn Fein does not want to solve this problem, they want it to get worse, because they believe they can benefit from it politically, and that is a real shame.
Hyundai Motor, a leading automotive company, said it is presenting its newest product portfolio and technology initiatives at the ongoing 2018 Paris Motor Show, in France.



The event which opened today (October 4) will run until October 14, at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre.



This year Hyundais booth highlights will be the world premiere of the new i30 Fastback N, a preview of the i30 N N Option show car and the eco-mobility line-up with the All-New Kona Electric and Nexo.



Under the concept of Hyundai Motor Studio Paris, the booth comprises three distinctive zones, representing the companys European brand strategy based on three core pillars: Assurance, Progress and Performance.



The i30 Fastback N made its world premiere at the ongoing motor show. It is Hyundais second high-performance model in Europe and combines sophisticated and elegant design with the proven N fun-to-drive factor. The first five-door hot coupe in the C-segment carries the trademark characteristics of the successful i30 N five-door hatchback, integrated into the unique coupe body style of the i30 Fastback.



One week ago, the new vehicle demonstrated its high-performance capabilities in a world record race. Professional Hyundai Motorsport drivers Gabriele Tarquini and Thierry Neuville pushed the car to its limits in the fastest drive from Rome to Paris  in Denmark. Tarquini won the race by a fraction of a second, setting a world record time of 8:18.49 minutes.



Another world premiere highlight at the booth is the newly-unveiled i30 N Option show car, presenting a possible outlook on high-quality exterior and interior individualisation options for Hyundai owners. Together with the New i30 N Line, it extends the offer for customers who want to spice up their i30 with more style and performance. Hyundai also showcases its world-leading Motorsport vehicles: the i20 Coupe WRC and i30 N TCR.



Hyundais eco-car line-up at the motor show, including the new Kona Electric and Nexo, as well as the Ioniq, demonstrates the companys pioneering spirit in the field of future mobility. With these progressive models, Hyundai offers the broadest range of electrified powertrains in the industry.



During the recent IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 in Hanover, Germany, Hyundai announced world-first plans to commercialise fuel cell electric trucks. In cooperation with H2 Energy, Hyundai will provide 1,000 fuel cell electric trucks to the Swiss commercial vehicle market between 2019 and 2023. With the introduction of the worlds first fuel cell electric truck fleet, Hyundai will further expand its global leadership in fuel cell technology.



Celebrating its debut at this years Geneva Motor Show, Hyundais Le Fil Rouge concept car takes the stage for its French debut. It is the proof that Hyundais past, present and future designs are connected by a common thread. This concept car embodies the brands latest approach in design. The Sensuous Sportiness theme will be incorporated in all future Hyundai vehicles, ranging from sedans to SUVs, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Tram staff in Edinburgh are being balloted for industrial action after union members claimed a damaging culture of blame leaves them fearing for their jobs.

The Unite union is holding a consultative ballot and alleges disciplinary action taken against some of its members has been unreasonable and unjust.

Union members raised a collective grievance in August claiming management were inconsistent in disciplinary matters, and said since then one member has been dismissed and others disciplined.

Edinburgh Trams said it has confidence in its internal processes.

Unite regional officer Lyn Turner said: The management culture within Edinburgh Trams shows a pattern where the assumption of blame is the first choice of some managers.

The management at Edinburgh Trams must know that workers cannot be motivated through blame or fear.

Unite union members at Edinburgh Trams are being balloted for industrial action (Danny Lawson/PA)

Unite accepts that safety is the primary concern at all times. However the decision by management to escalate what we see as a few incidents that did not compromise safety to disciplinaries and sacking offences is simply unreasonable and unjust.

These matters could have been dealt with quickly and fairly. Instead management have raised the bar and meted out punishment well beyond what was necessary, which has led to the decision to ballot our members for industrial action.

We now have a situation where, because of the lack of rational decision-making by management, the trams may stop running.

An Edinburgh Trams spokeswoman said: We take the responsibility of the safety of our customers and staff seriously, and we are confident in our internal processes.

We are disappointed that Unite are not willing to allow the necessary time for these processes to formally conclude. We are not prepared to comment publicly on confidential staff matters.

This is not a legal ballot, and we are surprised that Unite have chosen to take this action.

Our communication channels remain open as we aim to identify and resolve their concerns.

The spokeswoman said trams would run as normal in the meantime.
The Queen has sent a message of support to the president of Indonesia after a powerful earthquake and devastating tsunami rocked the island of Sulawesi.

More than 1,500 people are thought to be dead, missing or injured after the 7.5 magnitude tremor and wave last Friday.

In a short message to Joko Widodo, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh sent their sincere condolences to all those affected by the disaster.

The Queen said: I was extremely sorry to hear about the terrible earthquake and tsunami in Sulawesi at the end of last week, particularly given these events happened so soon after the recent earthquake in Lombok.

The Queen has sent the following message to the President of Indonesia following the earthquake and tsunami in Sulawesi last week: https://t.co/FowjteutkV  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 3, 2018

Thousands of people have been left homeless and in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of the earthquake and wave, which slammed into the coastal city of Palu.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that British military experts and a transportation aircraft would be sent to help in the relief effort.

The damage following earthquakes and a tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia (Rifki/AP)

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson agreed to deploy an RAF A400M aircraft stationed in the Middle East and a small team of UK military experts to assist with the aid mission.

He said: Britain stands united with Indonesia as they recover from this devastating tragedy.

JFHQ personnel now deployed to #IndonesiaEarthquake alongside @DFID_UK and @foreignoffice colleagues to help coordinate the UKs support to the Government of Indonesia. pic.twitter.com/TIkTalFEJv  John Ridge (@JohnHRidge) October 3, 2018

An RAF transport aircraft and her crew will provide vital supplies to those who are in need.

This shows that once again Britain and her allies across the globe can depend on us to provide support and assistance no matter the time, no matter the place, and no matter the problem.

It comes as a volcano on the same island, Mount Soputan, spewed a massive column of ash more than 19,700ft (6,000m) into the sky on Wednesday.

No evacuations were immediately ordered, and an Indonesian government volcanologist said it is possible the eruption was accelerated by the earthquake last week.
Theresa May took a swipe at Boris Johnson from the conference stage and mocked his foul-mouthed attack on business.

The former foreign secretary caused anger in the corporate world earlier this year when he dismissed concerns over Brexit and reportedly said f*** business.

Mocking Mr Johnson, whose leadership ambitions have again dominated the annual autumn Tory gathering, the Prime Minister insisted the Tory party is firmly behind business.

She told activists: To all businesses, large and small, you may have heard that there is a four-letter word to describe what we Conservatives want to do to you.

It has a single syllable. It is of Anglo-Saxon derivation. It ends in the letter k.

Back business. Back them to create jobs and build prosperity. Back them to drive innovation and improve lives.

Theresa May insisted the Tory party was firmly behind business (Victoria Jones/PA)

Back them with the lowest corporation tax in the G20.

Britain, under my Conservative government is open for business.

Mr Johnson addressed a rapturous crowd of 1,500 conference-goers on the fringes on Tuesday in a move that was widely seen as an attempt to undermine the Prime Minister and set out his leadership pitch.

Ahead of Mrs Mays speech, one of the former Cabinet ministers allies criticised the premier and called for a no-confidence vote.

James Duddridge, a former minister, submitted a letter to the backbench Tory 1922 Committee, saying: I have not met a single MP who thinks she will lead us into another election.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex viewed a rare copy of the American Declaration of Independence as they toured the county that inspired their royal titles.

Harry and Meghan had a busy day of engagements on their first joint official visit to Sussex on Wednesday.

The couple were greeted by excited crowds when they kicked off their tour in Chichester, the county town of West Sussex.

Meghan is given a flower as she arrives at Edes House in Chichester (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

The duke and the US-born former actress saw a rare copy of the American Declaration of Independence at Edes House.

It is one of only two contemporary handwritten ceremonial manuscript copies. The other is the signed copy at the National Archives in Washington DC.

Meghan was vocal in her interest, saying: My goodness, wow, what are the chances? Thats amazing.

Meghan was wearing a camel Armani coat, a dark green Hugo Boss skirt and a shirt from And Other Stories paired with nude suede stilettos and a small green bag (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

Before she left, she spoke about the rarity of the document being in Sussex, saying: I just cant believe it.

The couple were greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex, Susan Pyper, and mayor of Chichester Martyn Bell.

But they spent most of their time speaking to crowds, including hordes of schoolchildren.

Meghan signs the visitors book at Edes House (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

Both were visibly delighted at meeting several younger children.

Harry patted the head of a baby and Meghan greeted a blonde child eating an apple who was held up to the barriers.

Nine-year-old Tilly Palmer, standing outside The Prebendal School, where she is a pupil, said: Meghan asked me what we were doing today. I said netball, and she said they dont have that in the USA.

Harry makes a new friend in Chichester (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

We said: Welcome to Sussex, and she shook our hands. She was lovely and very pretty.

Meghan was wearing a camel Armani coat, a dark green Hugo Boss skirt and a shirt from And Other Stories paired with nude suede stilettos and a small green bag.

Harry was dressed in a grey suit and white shirt.

The Duke and Duchess also visited the University of Chichester, Bognor Regis (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

The couple also visited Bognor Regis, where they officially opened the University of Chichesters Engineering and Digital Technology Park.

The duke and duchess both donned safety goggles to watch an experiment in one of the laboratories.

They listened to the student chamber orchestra play a piece from Vivaldis Four Seasons while technology students practised filming and recording the performance in the state-of-the-art sound stage.

Harry and Meghan were delighted to meet youngsters during the visit (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

The couple chatted with cellist Laura Ritchie, who is originally from Chicago, and joked that she has lost her accent.

The 44-year-old, who is professor of learning and teaching in the music department, said it was fantastic, really wonderful and such a privilege to meet the royals.

They joked that Ive lost my accent, Americans think I sound British, she added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called Sergei Skripal, the ex-spy who was poisoned with a military grade nerve agent in Britain, a traitor and a scumbag.

It was the first time Mr Putin has directly condemned Mr Skripal, who spent weeks in hospital with his daughter Yulia after both were poisoned in the city of Salisbury in March.

Britain put the blame squarely on Russia but Moscow has denied any role in the incident.

PCSOs stand outside the Salisbury home of Sergei Skripal (Ben Mitchell/PA)

Asked about sanctions on Russia triggered by the attack, Mr Putin called the ex-spy just a scumbag who betrayed his country.

He reiterated Russias claim that it has nothing to do with the poisoning.

Mr Putin said the former agent was of no interest to the Kremlin since he was tried in Russia and exchanged in a spy swap in 2010.
A rare bottle of whisky has sold for a world record 848,750 at auction.

Described by experts as the Holy Grail of whisky, the bottle of the 1926 Macallan Valerio Adami attracted attention from some of the worlds most serious collectors.

It fetched a hammer price of 700,000 plus a buyers premium of 148,750 in the auction at Bonhams in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

It had been expected to fetch between 700,000 and 900,000.

The whisky sale in Edinburgh attracted interest from around the world (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The whisky is officially described as a 60-year-old, having been created in 1926 and bottled in 1986.

Martin Green, Bonhams whisky specialist in Edinburgh, said: I am delighted at this exceptional result. It is a great honour to have established a new world record, and particularly exciting to have done so here in Scotland, the home of whisky.

The Macallan 1926 60-year-old has been described as the Holy Grail of whisky.

Its exceptional rarity and quality puts it in a league of its own, and the worlds most serious whisky collectors will wait patiently for many years for a bottle to come on to the market.

Bonhams said the previous world record was set by the auction house in May this year when another bottle of The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 was sold for 814,081.

Whisky expert Charles MacLean examines the bottle ahead of the sale (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Macallan commissioned two Pop Artists  Valerio Adami and Peter Blake  to design labels for a very limited edition of 24 bottles. Twelve carried the Adami label and 12 had the Blake design.

It is not known how many Adami bottles still exist.

One is said to have been destroyed in an earthquake in Japan in 2011, and it is believed at least one of them was opened and drunk.

The bottle sold on Wednesday was bought by the seller direct from the Macallan distillery for an undisclosed sum in 1994.

In May, Bonhams Hong Kong sold a bottle of The Macallan Peter Blake 1926 60-year-old for 751,703.
A Cabinet minister electrified the Tory party conference with a booming rendition of a John Milton speech ahead of the Prime Ministers address.

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox brought Tory activists to their feet in the main conference hall in Birmingham after quoting lines from Miltons 17th century Areopagitica speech to Parliament.

Mr Cox was drowned in applause as he called on the party to unify behind Theresa May and allow her to deliver the prize that millions voted for in the referendum.

The Prime Minister will not flinch from her duty, he said.

Mr Cox was the `warm-up for Mrs May (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

He added: As a lawyer I have negotiated many agreements over the years and as Dom (Raab) has said, I know that the nature of the negotiation is  with apologies to The Rolling Stones  that you cant always get what you want.

We have to be grown up about it and we have now reached a critical moment.

I am convinced we must resolve to put aside our differences and unite behind the Prime Minister to ensure that the decision of June 23 2016 is not set at nought by those who would have us remain with the European Union.

He added: So let us say with Milton: Methinks I see in my mind a noble and puissant nation rousing herself like a strong man after sleep, and shaking her invincible locks.

Methinks I see her as an eagle mewing her mighty youth, and kindling her undazzled eyes at the full midday beam.

Ladies and gentleman, let us seize that prize.
After having a baby in India and moving back to Kuwait to finally commence life as a family of three, we decided that the three of us had earned a vacation and began to plan a five-day trip to Tbilisi  Georgia's capital city.

When the family learnt of this plan, we were bombarded with questions like, "Why Georgia of all places?" and "Why not go someplace more interesting?"

Despite admittedly not knowing much about Georgia  except some good reviews from friends who had recently visited  we decided to take the plunge and made bookings. Its proximity to Kuwait by air had also clinched the decision. Travelling too far with a baby was a no-go.

Between packing of diapers and other essential travel impedimenta, and being a victim to that immersive motherhood that comes with parenting a new baby without help, I had not had the time to wash my hair, let alone spend time on the internet researching Tbilisi. Relying on my limited knowledge of the country's Soviet past, I assured myself that half the charm would be in the discovery of the unknown.

Little did I know how understated would that thought prove to be.

We landed in Tbilisi to sublime, pleasant weather and clean, crisp air. Kuwait had been as hot as a sauna room in comparison. As our Uber approached and we braced ourselves  luggage, baby, stroller and all  but the cabbie emerged from his seat and tucked us all in before we knew it. We welcomed the refreshments that awaited us inside with open arms.

Freedom Square, Old Town, Tbilisi. (Photo: Shaira Mohan)

"Please," he offered with a glance in the rear-view mirror and a warm smile. "Welcome to Tbilisi." We returned his warm smile with thanks and exchanged happy ones with each other.

The car ride to our hotel in central Tbilisi revealed greenery ensconced in manicured parks and trees lining pavements of those familiar cobbled streets that were an old favourite of mine and dotted the banks of the Kura River along which the city was built.

The architecture was a rich and intriguing mixture of medieval, neo-classical, Stalinist and modern-era structures  a telling depiction of its diverse history. One is overcome with a strong sense of deja vu of many other cities in the world, while walking through the streets of Tbilisi.

Mt Mtatsminda Amusement Park. (Photo: Shaira Mohan)

There was Moscow with its widening roads as you approached its main thoroughfare flanked with Soviet-styled parks and shops lining the streets. There was St Petersburg, its other estranged cousin after the breakup of the Soviet Union, in its greenery and European style buildings. Then there was a bit of Zurich as we crossed the Bridge of Peace that overlooked the Kura River and as we took the right turn towards the elevated city centre with its cobbled streets leading through graduated galis lined with pubs, bars and cafes a strong whiff of quaint towns in France like Nice came to mind.

As we sat in a cafe overlooking the river and the sunset overhead, we reflected on a bit of history.

This was the Old Town of Tbilisi, which was reconstructed during the 1970s and 1980s. This was also home to the famous towering Freedom Square, where numerous anti-Russian demonstrations occurred and it acquired its name on the occasion of its liberation from the Russian empire in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Freedom Bridge. (Photo: Shaira Mohan)

Owing to the tug of war for Georgia that ensued over centuries before that between the Persians, Turks and Russians, a significant influence of these countries  and more recently Arabic influences  can be seen in their food, culture, language and even goods being sold in the local shops.

Interestingly, Freedom Square is also where, in 2005, a grenade was thrown at President George W Bush who was addressing a crowd of 1,00,000 people at the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate him.

The diversity of culture in Tbilisi shines through like a brooch of pride as if to say, "Wherever you are from, you are welcome here." This vibe was mirrored in the disposition of the locals as well.

With a baby and a stroller in tow in a city that has staircases and ramps every few hundred yards, we had some physical labour cut out for us. But it was another testament to the kindness and hospitality of the people of Georgia that each time I bent down to help my husband with the stroller, a bunch of four or five gentleman would rush and do the needful. No questions asked. Only our surprised and profuse thank yous that were met with warm smiles and "enjoy your day" greetings. This continued throughout the trip. Once it was a pair of local policemen who each grabbed one leg of the stroller and ran up the stairs with smiles for the baby.

View of Kura River and the graduated city around from a cafe. (Photo: Shaira Mohan)

It was clear by now that being unable to speak the same language was hardly an impediment to kindness because after all, actions spoke louder than words. The Georgians were a relaxed and unconditionally friendly bunch who had won our hearts and we knew we would be returning for seconds.

As we climbed into a taxi once again to commence the trek back to the airport, we rode in silent contentment of the last few days. Our taxi driver asked us if we wanted to hear some Bollywood music. We said no, thank you. What transpired next, undeniably, was the icing on our Georgian adventure. "Jan Gan Man" began to play in the music system of the car!

As our eyes shot upwards in disbelief and met his own in the rear-view mirror, he smiled and said, "Do come again soon."

Also: Indian woman's angry FB post on how she was harassed at Georgia airport
The Ministry of External Affairs announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit India on October 4 and 5, 2018 for the 19th Annual Bilateral Summit to be held in New Delhi. The upcoming summit has acquired further salience as it is taking place at a sensitive moment  mainly, the arrangement of interests between the two countries is challenged, which, until today, had been immune to pressures from external factors.

The sharpening of tensions between Russia and the United States, and the US unilateral actions, such as Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), is likely to impact India which shares long-standing diplomatic relations with both Russia and the US.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit India on October 4 and 5, 2018 for the 19th Annual Bilateral Summit to be held in New Delhi.

The 18 bilateral summits held so far between the two countries is proof that relations between India and Russia are indeed a "special and privileged" partnership.

In this vein, the 19th Bilateral Summit will focus on vital interests and concerns between India and Russia that include regional economic integration and connectivity, energy, nuclear commerce, defence and military technical cooperation, establishment of a polycentric world system, multilateral engagements, cyber security, banking and financial sectors, counter-terrorism and enhancing soft power quotient.

The focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Putin would therefore be to communicate mutually acceptable leeways to strengthen the strategic partnership, despite the challenges.

Considering the above-mentioned spheres of cooperation, nuclear energy will be a key focus of the summit  it has assisted Russia achieve monopoly in Indias nuclear market.

The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) has become one of the biggest success stories of India-Russia cooperation; as Unit 1 and Unit 2 start commercial operation, the process for reactor buildings of units 3 and 4 have already begun. The two countries also signed the general framework agreement for construction of Unit 5 and 6 in 2017. During the 15th Annual Summit, India and Russia agreed to build 12 new nuclear plants. India, Russia and Bangladesh also signed a trilateral agreement in March, 2018, for the construction of a NPP in Rooppur, Bangladesh.

Kudankulam has been one of the biggest success stories shared by India and Russia .

Energy diplomacy will be another major focus of the summit, as Russia, an export-oriented energy country, will aim to leverage its energy card with India, an import-oriented energy market.

During the 17th Annual Bilateral Summit, the largest outbound deal by a Russian company was made between Rosneft and its partners which bought Indias Essar Oil in an all-cash deal. As per the agreement, Rosneft would get 49 per cent stake in Essar Oil and the two partners  Netherlands-based Trafigura and a Russian fund United Capital Partners  will hold another 49 per cent in equal parts. Minority shareholders would hold the remaining 2 per cent once the company is delisted.

This year, GAIL managed to renegotiate the terms originally signed in 2012 with Gazprom, to an adjustment to the price and volume of LNG supply. As part of Indias new energy sourcing strategy, the first LNG cargo  under the long-term contract between GAIL and Gazprom Marketing & Trading Singapore (GMTS) of Russia  arrived at the Dahej LNG Terminal in Gujarat in June, 2018.

The two countries also strive to bring in, together, energy regimes in Eurasia  in which Iran is an integral part, given its strategic location and the projects undertaken by India, such as the Chahbahar Port.

Both India and Russia have friendly ties with Iran. How long that resists us pressure is the challenge.

While economic cooperation has been the weakest link in the bilateral relations, bilateral mechanisms such as the annual summit has led to a positive development in this sphere of engagement. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov cited official statistics demonstrating 20 per cent growth in Russian-Indian trade in 2017. India's participation as a guest country in St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in 2017 has manifested stronger economic cooperation between the two countries.

India and Russia are the only partners to have inter-governmental commissions taking stock of the progress of bilateral cooperation especially in the economic sphere. The India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical & Economic Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC), for instance, is a standing body that annually meets and reviews ongoing activities of bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, science and technology, culture and other issues of mutual interest.

To further expand the domain of economic cooperation, Eurasian integrity, regional cooperation, free trade agreements, connectivity and trade corridors have gained utmost importance in the annual bilateral summits. The International North South Transport Corridor and the Eurasian Economic Union, for instance, have emerged as immediate priority areas for strong economic cooperation between the two countries.

The Russian Far-East is another region for potential economic engagement.

Indias presence in the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) is focused for developing an "energy bridge" including trade, commerce, and investment, railway infrastructure, steel plants, defence, space, ports and shipping.

A key focus area could be exploring the prospects of attracting an agricultural workforce in the region, given Indias huge potential record in the agricultural sector. India, for instance, has been host to one of the largest farmers emigration to Canada, which too has a bleak climate such as the Russian Far-East.

India is progressing towards strengthening its foothold in the Indo-Pacific region through a strategic partnership with the US, but the economic engagement with Russia in the region will further enhance its geo-economic interests overall.

Meanwhile, India-Russia defence co-operation has achieved new capacities through acquisitions and joint development of weapons and military equipment, which include the induction of INS Vikramaditya, the launching of own IAC- INS Arihant and the successful development of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to name a few.

Successfully inducted: INS Vikramaditya is another symbol of India-Russia friendship.

India still remains the largest client for Russian military equipment (69 per cent) and joint production initiatives.

In the 17th Annual Bilateral Summit 2016, India and Russia agreed to construct four frigates under Project 11356, one is to be built in Russia and three in India. A tripartite joint venture, established between Rosoboronexport, Russian Helicopters and HAL, to manufacture 200 Kamov Ka-226T light utility helicopters for the Indian Army. Of these, 60 would be manufactured in Russia and the balance in India. Purchase of the S-400 Triumf air defence missile system was also agreed during this summit.

The upcoming summit is expected to see the finalisation of the S-400 anti-missile deal  despite the US displeasure towards India which has been committed to go ahead with the deal with Russia. The finalising of the S-400 missile defence system agreement between India and Russia comes under the purview of the sanctions as Almaz-Antey Air and Space Defence Corporation, which makes the S-400 missile defence system face sanctions under the Act.

In fact, during the 2+2 talks between India and the US held in September 2018, one of the key points on the agenda of discussions was the likely impact of CAATSA sanctions on Indias military modernisation process  69 per cent of its defence purchases are from Russia.

Apart from Indias large dependence on Russias state-of-the-art weapons systems, Indias predictable resistance to external pressures, especially the US, is based on two core factors  a) its strategic autonomy is being challenged and b) Russias rebirth as a military power in recent times is conducive to Indias interests and domestic initiatives such as the Make in India project.

In recent times, an important highlight of the bilateral summits has been the advocacy of multi-polarity.

Both India and Russia are part of non-Western organisations such as SCO and BRICS which has gained geopolitical significance in recent years. Both India and Russia, along with other member states, strive towards the establishment of a bloc free geopolitical architecture.

Through annual bilateral summits, the two countries have expressed their readiness to continue consultations and coordination in multi-polar global fora, such as the G-20, EAS and BRICS.

Alongside, the strengthening of soft power quotient has gained prominence in the bilateral talks between India and Russia.

In 2017, India agreed to provide an annual grant of $10,000 to fund the study of Indology at the Centre for Regional and International Studies at Far-East Federal University.

During this 19th Annual Summit, President Putin and PM Modi will participate in a Russian-Indian business forum and meet with students of Russias Sirius educational centre and a group of talented Indian children. The visits agenda also includes the Russian presidents meeting with President of India Ram Nath Kovind.

The year 2017 marked 70 years of diplomatic relations between Russia and India.

Over the years, the partnership between the two countries has blossomed both at the bilateral and global level. However, in recent times, given the realities of the dynamism of international affairs, the progress of the partnership is not moving along as smoothly as desired. Some factors that have become a cause of concern in the partnership are the growing proximity between India and the US and Russias rapprochement with China and Pakistan in particular.

In conclusion, today the interests and concerns of both India and Russia have nevertheless moved further towards a more "shared diversified" ones. But, despite the hiccups in relations, both Russia and India have maintained a durable partnership for decades, and share a long history, their relations being based on goodwill and friendship.

So, both India and Russia will have to proceed very delicately while pursuing their individual foreign policy interests without rocking the boat and undermining each others grand strategy and national interests.

The upcoming 19th Annual Bilateral Summit is therefore an important mechanism to assist both India and Russia to continue to invest in the partnership.

Also Read: Why India must talk with Pakistan
This has been a landmark year for women breaking into traditional male bastions. In February, an IAF pilot became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter jet solo and just three months later, in May, a six-member Indian Navy crew became the first Indian women to circumnavigate the globe.

Their unique achievements go down in the hall of fame for a country that already has more women commercial pilots than any other, and where women who are successful politicians, sport stars and CEOs now don't attract a second look. But there is one glass ceiling that keeps women out  religion. The doors of a large number of shrines are still closed to women. This bastion too is now being challenged.

On September 28, the Supreme Court paved the way for women of all ages to enter the Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, Kerala. Four of the five judges on the constitution bench said the temple ban violated the fundamental rights of Hindu women.

These entry barriers are really a metaphor for what is essentially a settled patriarchal and male-dominated religious order, which has continued unchallenged for centuries. Patriarchy, or the power of men over women, continues into the religious spaces when it denies agency or autonomy to women.

In Hinduism, male gods are incomplete without their female consorts. But women are deemed unclean when they menstruate and, hence, kept out of kitchens and temples like Sabarimala. In different ways, the practices of every major global religion reflect an inherent patriarchy. The clergy are largely a men-only club. This is why the Supreme Court verdict on September 28 is ground-breaking, because it highlights the skewed relationship between women and religion.

The judgment by the four Supreme Court justices recommends abandoning 'the dualism that persists in religion by glorifying and venerating women as goddesses on one hand and by imposing rigorous sanctions on the other in matters of devotion'.

This is one in a series of enormously significant Supreme Court judgments upholding women's rights. Last August, the court held that triple talaq had no legal validity. Earlier this year, it ruled that the legitimacy of an adult woman's marriage by her choice could not be questioned. In another landmark judgment, it upheld the right of daughters to claim an equal share in their ancestral property.

Our cover story, 'Sexist Gods', looks at why men still call the shots in all of India's religions and why religion discriminates against women. Our galaxy of guest writers who have closely looked at this peculiar religious patriarchy  authors Pavan K Varma and Devdutt Pattanaik, the historian Uma Chakravarti, literary historian Rakhshanda Jalil, lawyer Flavia Agnes and women's rights activist Syeda Hameed - explain why it is now untenable.

India Today cover story, Sexist Gods, for October 15, 2018.

We also have profiles of women who have swum against the religious tide. Mahant Devyagiri of Lucknow's Mahakameshwar temple, the only woman head priest of a major Hindu temple. Noorjehan Safia Niaz of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, who got the court to allow women to visit the inner sanctum of Mumbai's Haji Ali dargah, and Gulrukh Contractor Gupta, who is fighting for equal rights for Zoroastrian women.

I believe if religion is to remain relevant, it has to keep up with the times. The various faiths must reflect the society where they are practised while adhering to their core beliefs. Women's emancipation and gender equality has been a movement for over a century and still continues.

Women form half our population and cannot in today's age be denied their fundamental freedoms. Most importantly, they should have the freedom to choose. After all, if women can fly fighter jets, surely they can be allowed the same access to places of worship as men, or even become priests. The world will be a better place for it.

(India Today Editor-in-Chief's note for cover story, Sexist Gods; for October 15, 2018)

Also read: Sabarimala temple verdict: Bravo, My Lords! But what about these?
GP Global (formerly Gulf Petrochem Group) has announced the expansion and strengthening of its global bunkering operations with 12 strategic appointments to senior roles across its key international offices.



The new appointments cover GP Globals offices in Geneva, Switzerland; London and Hull, UK; Sharjah and Dubai in the UAE; Mumbai, India and Singapore, said a statement.



David Matthews, bunker trader, West of Suez, London, UK; Steven Taylor, lead  physical supply, West of Suez, Hull, UK; Susan Needham, trading operator  physical supply, West of Suez, Hull, UK; Amit Dingwani, lead oil trading operator  GCC, Sharjah, UAE; Christopher Morgan, lead  bunker credit management, Global UAE and Rotterdam; Thanasis Baxevanis, trading manager  Marine Lubricants, GCC, UAE; Eric Toh, bunker trader, APAC, Singapore; Suman Chatterjee, lead  industrial sales, Mumbai, India; Ankita Batra, bunker trader, GP Global Energy, Mumbai, India; Basile Collenberg, junior bunker trader, West of Suez, Geneva, Switzerland; Sumesh Ramadasan, bunker trader, West of Suez, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Nishmith Chowta, bunker trader, West of Suez, Singapore, it said.



Prerit Goel, group director at GP Global, said: Following the recent re-branding of the group, our efforts are now focused on consolidating our business across all key international markets and these appointments of experienced professionals is the next step in making this happen.



Our bunkering division has witnessed exponential growth over the past year as a result of our expanded footprint in the ARA and APAC market with other global offices. We believe that investing in the right talent is the key driver to ensuring our organisations continued progress. They bring a wealth of expertise in the bunkering business that will accelerate our growth as a global organisation, helping to add even better value for our customers, he said.



The knowledge and skills that the new team members bring is an asset to our company that will enable us to gain significant industry leadership by assuring our customers with strong market insights, he added.



Goel continued: The bunker market is something we feel has a lot of challenges short, mid and long-term but equally these present a fascinating opportunity for those able to add genuine value throughout the supply chain as GP Global is always looking to do.



The upcoming IMO 2020 restrictions on burning high sulphur marine fuels will radically alter the landscape in bunkering, not just for supplying and trading the product but for credit, technical and compliance as well. We are very much looking forward to seeing what the future holds in store and are very confident that the team we have built and are continuing to augment will go from strength to strength. It is a very exciting time, he said.



The raft of new executive appointments across the globe by GP Global reflects the success the company has experienced across all business units, including the bunkering sector, in the face of the challenging global economic climate.



Chris Todd, head of bunkering, West of Suez at GP Global, said: The month of October will see us increase our bunker barge fleet to capitalise on opportunities we see in the ARA market. With this in mind our recent hires, who are well versed and experienced in the ARA market allows us to competently handle the increase in volumes we expect to see.



Further, as the group continues to perform well its only natural we continue to add talented individuals to our team, he said.



Anil Keswani, head of bunkering, East of Suez at GP Global, added: As far as our East of Suez business is concerned, our physical location in Fujairah has grown from one barge to three.



We will add one more barge to our fleet by the end of this year. Apart from our physical supply, we have grown our back to back to sales and are exploring the marine lubricants sector too, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
The government is likely to finalise a revival package for debt-laden Air India in 10 to 15 days, a senior official said Thursday.

Earlier this year, efforts for strategic disinvestment of the airline failed to take off. The national carrier is estimated to have a debt burden of more than Rs 50,000 crore.

Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey said the government is likely to finalise Air India revival package in 10-15 days.

The difficult situation in the airline sector is mainly on account of high crude prices and depreciation of the rupee, he told reporters after his meeting with Economic Affairs Secretary S C Garg.

The government has been looking at ways, including sale of non-core assets, to bolster the carrier's fortunes.

Air India is staying afloat on a bailout package extended by the previous UPA regime in 2012.

Earlier in the day, Choubey said the impact of increase in fuel prices and fall in the rupee have not significantly impacted air fares.

"There is good competition in the market and airlines are absorbing the increased costs. Now, how long can they absorb and when will they increase their ticket prices, that is a commercial decision," he added.
Time-tested, all-weather and special are evocative terms applied to India-Russia relations but going forward its time to get real as the two nations will pursue independent strategic interests that may not converge

Reset seems to be the reigning buzzword, and strategic autonomy the operative mantra in Indias diplomatic lexicon. In fact, it is set to be the year of diplomatic reset for India with three of its key strategic partners and major global players, including the US, Russia and China. Amid a rapidly mutating geo-strategic environment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan in April, paving the way for a new phase of post-Doklam stability in India-China relations. With the US, India held its first 2+2 dialogue in September, which underlined growing strategic connect between the worlds leading democracies.

The reset with Russia, amid mutual misgivings sparked by third country relationships, started with Prime Minister Modis first informal summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the resort city of Sochi in May. Building on the Sochi understanding, India is now rolling out the red carpet for President Putin, a trusted and time-tested friend.

Amid concerns in Moscow about New Delhis tilt towards Washington, Modis annual summit meeting with President Putin in New Delhi on October 5 is set to reaffirm the pivotal importance of India-Russia special and privileged strategic partnership in the foreign policy calculus of New Delhi. The multifarious outcomes during President Putins visit will not only galvanise multi-faceted India-Russia ties across the spectrum, but will also underline Indias strategic autonomy and sovereignty against the backdrop of mounting concerns in Moscow about New Delhis deepening strategic connect with Washington.

S-400 dilemma: India has been under pressure from the US to curtail and roll back its robust defence partnership with Russia, especially regarding the planned purchase of the S-400 missile system. The S-400 missile system could potentially be targeted by secondary sanctions under Countering Americas Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) as there is no categorical statement by the US yet on a waiver for India. Given Indias high stakes in its relations with two of its leading strategic partners, US and Russia, its not an easy decision to make. But in a delicate diplomatic tightrope walk, the Narendra Modi Government has already taken an overarching strategic decision to go ahead with this crucial acquisition.

Ahead of Putins visit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has expressed hope that India will make a sovereign decision on Russian defence purchases, which are facing possible US sanctions. Going by the latest developments, India is set to pass this sovereignty test. India is also hopeful of a waiver by US President Donald Trump for the S-400 purchase as it has been made clear to the US that the missile system is needed to bolster Indias deterrence.

For a rising power, faced with a host of security challenges in its periphery, its not possible to keep all its partners happy at all times. In situations which are fraught with competing interests, national security interests will prevail. Indias decision to buy S-400 system has, therefore, become synonymous with an assertion of sovereignty and independent foreign and security policy.

The S-400 and other new defence deals worth around $8-10 billion, that are expected to be sealed during Putins visit, will revalidate and consolidate Russias status at the top supplier of weapons to India for the next two decades. Russia already accounts for over 60 per cent of Indias high-end weaponry.

Balancing act: Moving ahead with these defence deals in the face of the US pressure has been underpinned by larger strategic calculation by Indias diplomatic-political leadership that no other country, including the US, can replace Russia as far as Indias vital national interests are concerned.

Also, India will continue to pursue a balancing act in its relations with the US and Russia as well as with other major power centres, like China and Japan, which remain hostile to each other. This balancing act is part of the larger foreign policy paradigm of multi-alignment pursued by the Modi Government, which entails forging multi-pronged relations with major global power centres without allowing these relationships to become zero sum games.

Similarly, India will find a way to skirt the US sanctions to continue importing oil after the November 4 deadline imposed by Washington for reducing imports of Iranian oil to zero. Any such dramatic reduction is simply not viable and will severely hurt Indias economy and energy security. Given their strong relations with a beleaguered Tehran, Russia and India are also expected to explore a strategy to deal with the US sanctions on Iran. Be it defence purchases from the US or imports of Iranian oil, India will continue to assert its strategic autonomy and underline that it cant be dictated to by Third countries when it comes to its vital security and economic interests.

All eyes will be on defence deals, especially the S-400, but Putins India visit will not be just about military hardware. The annual India-Russia summit will not only buttress key pillars of India-Russia strategic partnership, namely defence, nuclear energy and space, but will also seek to address the economic deficit in the India-Russia relationship as it has remained heavily security-centric. This economic focus will be crystallised in the big-ticket meeting of around 100 CEOs of India and Russia will brainstorm to forge an action plan to upscale economic partnership. New energy deals in areas of civil nuclear energy and hydrocarbons are expected to be sealed during the visit.

Partnering in third countries: Given their convergent interests and expanding global footprints, India and Russia are also expected to firm up plans for advancing their cooperation in third countries. India and Russia are already partnering in setting up of a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh. Similarly, there is an enormous potential for forging India-Russia collaboration in regions ranging from Afghanistan and Central Asia to Africa. Although there is some disconnect between New Delhi and Moscow over the latters enthusiasm about reconciliation with the Taliban, this should not deter the two countries from pursuing joint projects in the violence-torn country.

Get real: The future outlook for India-Russia relations is largely positive and optimistic but one should try to resist the temptation of romanticising this relationship. Time-tested, all-weather, special and privileged  these evocative expressions applied to India-Russia relations still remain resonant, but going forward, its time to get real as India and Russia will pursue their independent strategic interests and Third country relationships, which may not exactly converge. But even allowing for minor notes of dissonance, the sheer scope and range of India-Russia strategic partnership, encompassing frontier areas of science and technology, space, defence,nuclear power and hydrocarbons, cant be surpassed.

The two partners are setting their sights high for this mutually empowering and energising partnership. Russian collaboration in Gaganyaan, Indias first planned manned space mission, which was announced by Prime Minister Modi during his Independence Day address this year, could be another soaring moment in this enduring friendship that is set to grow stronger amid geopolitical shifts.

(The writer is Editor-in-Chief of India and World magazine, and a commentator on international affairs)
Indian businesses in South Africa have cautiously welcomed the new visa regime change for India and China that South African authorities plan to implement by the end of this month.

Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba recently announced measures to make it easier for tourists, business people and academia to come to South Africa, including a visa on arrival process for business travellers from India and China.

Business travellers from BRICS partners India and China will now be issued a 10-year multiple entry visa, within five days of application.

"This is a very positive step in the right direction, but we will have to study the requirements in detail first," said the chairman of the India-South Africa Business Forum, Jitin Bhatia.

"We have been asking for a relaxed visa regime for Indian business travellers for a long time and this is a very welcome move which our members are very excited about. But there are also other visa issues which need some attention to support our view that the current trade and investment of USD 5 billion can be boosted to triple that within the next three to four years if some other steps are implemented," he said.

Bhatia said these included easing current visa requirements for Indian companies who want to bring top executives to South Africa to spend more time here.

"Currently only inter-company transfers with the proviso of transferring skills are allowed, with a maximum stay of four years per visa. But we need to have a visa regime where executives such as CEOs and CFOs are allowed to stay longer to build up the companies, and also recognition that such skills cannot easily be transferred," Bhatia said.

High Commissioner for India Ruchira Kamboj also welcomed the new South African visa requirements.

"We will be meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs and hope to soon sign a bilateral agreement with South Africa on the visa arrangements," Kamboj said.

"We are also in negotiations to start the next step in boosting business between the two countries, which is the reintroduction of direct flights between India and South Africa," she added.

Business travellers in both countries have long lamented the lengthy travel via other countries to reach South Africa as a barrier in trade and investment.

"Over 100 Indian companies represented in South Africa currently employ about 18,000 South Africans and this can be upped as well with the steps to ease movement between our two countries, in line with the objectives being shared globally currently by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa," Kamboj said.

The diplomat said she had also met Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom last week to discuss boosting tourism between their nations.

Hanekom has been at the forefront of calling for stringent travel requirements for children to be eased, which has now also been announced by Gigaba.

Local travel agents specialising in tourism from India earlier said that numbers had fallen due to these requirements and expressed hope that Indians would now come to South Africa in greater numbers.
Britain's Communities Secretary James Brokenshire embarked on a three-day visit to India on Thursday to promote business and technology ties of the country with the Midlands region of England.

The UK Cabinet minister, who is also the British government's Midlands Engine Champion, is set to bring together senior British and Indian officials and businesses to re-affirm a post-Brexit commitment to the Midlands-Maharashtra Technology Partnership.

The Midlands and Maharashtra are thriving tech hubs in their own right, and by bringing these two great regions together we are strengthening our technological and economic ties to the benefit of our people and businesses, Brokenshire said in a statement.

Whether it's manufacturing the latest car model or sharing ground-breaking research, there is a lot to be gained and I'm determined we make the most of the opportunities, particularly as we prepare to leave the European Union, he said.

The Midlands-Maharashtra Technology Partnership has been described by the UK government as the regional element of the UK-India Technology Partnership announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Theresa May during his visit to the UK in April.

The Indian and British governments had committed to increasing partnerships in technology through the industry, government, science and research, and by fostering trade and investment opportunities in both directions.

Brokenshire will begin his engagements in New Delhi by holding talks with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Anant G Geete, Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Sector Enterprises, as well as Sir Dominic Asquith, British High Commissioner to India.

In Maharashtra, the minister will hold talks with Indian advanced manufacturing giant Bharat Forge. He is joined on the Indian trade mission this week by the Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, and Chair of the Midlands Engine partnership, Sir John Peace.

The UK government is also using the opportunity to encourage British companies to participate in the India-UK Future Tech Festival in New Delhi in December. The festival is being pitched as a thought-leadership summit which will bring together business, policy makers, venture capital, scientists and entrepreneurs.

It will drive trade, investment and partnerships across key sectors, and promote and celebrate the UK and India as major technology innovators and trading partners, the UK government said.
No other verification method allowed, MEA told; 7 Rohingyas deported after SC nodRajesh Kumar n

Myanmar has conveyed to India that Rohingyas will have to be identified only on the basis of a separate bi-lingual nationality verification form provided by it and not through any other means.

The Embassy of Myanmar has told the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) that it would not entertain any other verification method which does not match with its own data on Rohingyas.

The development comes even as India on Thursday deported seven Rohingya immigrants, who have been staying in Assam illegally, to their country of origin  Myanmar  in a first such move with regard to the people from the Rakhine province of the neighbouring country.

The illegal immigrants were detained in 2012 and since then were lodged in Cachar Central Jail in Assams Silchar. The confirmation of the Myanmarese citizenship of the illegal immigrants came after the Government of the neighbouring country verified their addresses in Rakhine State and all of them were given travel documents by Myanmar.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court rejected the plea made by one of the Rohingya refugees seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting them to Myanmar.

On Myanmars condition for taking back Rohingyas, the Ministry of Home Affairs has asked all State Governments to identify them strictly as per the Myanmar verification form. The MHA also advised the States to capture Rohingya immigrants personal particulars in the new bilingual nationality verification form and got signed by such illegal immigrants and their guardians.

The Ministry has also prepared a list of non-government organisations (NGOs) providing assistance to Rohingyas in Delhi.

On the repatriation of seven Rohingya immigrants staying in Assam, the MEA has stated that their repatriation was arranged after reconfirming their willingness to return and with full concurrence of the Myanmarese Government.

The MEA has stated that Embassy of Myanmar has provided them a separate nationality verification form and will not entertain any other form.

The new form includes some additional identifiers not included in the form circulated by the home ministry in October, 2017. MEA has requested to provide completed personal data in new bilingual form in duplicate with two photographs to enable them to forward the forms for verification to the Embassy of Myanmar, the MHA said in the letter.

The letter further stated, There are differences in the figures or data on Rohingya population mentioned by some of the State Governments and those supplied to the Home Ministry by the Central Security Agencies. The State Government may reconcile the data with the figures supplied by the Ministry while capturing the personal particulars of illegal Rohingya migrants, it said.

Sources in the Home Ministry said the data on illegal Rohingya immigrants captured by the State Governments was shared with MEA to take up the confirmation of their nationality with the Myanmar Government. It was also found that most of the data of Rohingya migrants did not match with the records of the Myanmar Government, said the sources.

The Home Ministry had earlier reviewed the Rohingya migrants issue in the country. It was found that figures of Rohingya mismatch with some of the State Governments and those supplied to MHA by security forces. The Joint Secretary (Foreign) has made it clear that the instructions have already been issued to the UIDAI for not issuing Aadhar card to illegal migrants.

It was also apprised that India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention relating to status of refugees and the 1967 protocol thereon. As such UNHCR cards have no relevance to the issuance of Aadhar cards which can be issued only to legal residents in India, the minutes of the meeting on Rohingya said.

According to a reply in the Rajya Sabha by the Government, the Rohingya population has increased to 40,000 in the past two years.
The State Governments health scheme Bju Swathya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) is better than the Centres Ayushman Bharat in all respects.

This was stated by State Health Minister Pratap Jena on the sideline of a meeting held here on Thursday the occasion of a function of weekly newspaper Orissa Jana Morcha. Jena said that under the Pradhan Mantri Jana Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), the Ashman Bharat scheme would have benefited 60 lakh people of Odisha, but the BSKY would benefit 70 lakh people.

For the PMJAY, the State had to bear 40 per cent of the expenditure. While both Central and State schemes cover medical expenses up to Rs 5 lakh, under the BSKY a woman would get a cover up to Rs 7 lakh against centres flat Rs 5 lakh for everyone, said Jena.

The PMJAY bears the expenses after admission into an empanelled hospital, but a person covered under the BSKY would get the benefit from outdoor treatment itself till discharged, he claimed, comparing both the schemes.

Baleswar MP RK Jena, who was a guest at the newspaper function, observed that the non-BJP and non-Congress vote share would decide the political future of India.

He stated that the non-BJP and non-Congress vote share is around 14 per cent to 15 per and this would be the deciding factor for forming Government.
The Delhi Police on Thursday arrested three people from Mehrauli in connection with murder of a 34-year-old Rupesh, a resident of Taimoor Nagar.

The accused are identified as Ajay, Akash and Suraj. The three were arrested in another case of robbery in the area. During interrogation Akash and Ajay confessed to the killing of Rupesh in Taimoor Nagar on 30 September night , said Vijay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, (DCP) South district.

During interrogation the accused also told police official that they had stolen Honda city car from Jangpura area and after committing the crime they dumped the car in Lajpat Nagar, said the DCP.

The entire incident was captured in CCTV camera installed at a nearby house. After the incident on the same night locals staged protests and accused police of being hand in glove with the accused. Enraged locals even burned two motorcycles and pelted stones at the police personnel who were trying to manage the crowd. A policeman was injured in the attack.

Locals had also alleged that Rupesh was shot at by two men, suspected to be linked to drug peddlers. His family claimed that he had opposed the sale of drugs in the area and that is why he was attacked, they added.

Residents alleged that illegal immigrants from Bangladesh residing in the nearby JJ cluster were involved in drug trafficking and petty crimes in the area.
Chhattisgarh had been ranked among top three states in the Eastern zone National Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018 commissioned by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. The other two states are West Bengal and Jharkhand.

The districts of Surajpur and Surguja had been among top three districts at the level among Hazarbagh in Jharkhand.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave awards to top Ranked State, District and State with maximum citizen participation based on the National Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018 commissioned by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. The awards by Prime Minister were given at the concluding session of Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention at Rahtrapati Bhawan Cultural Centre, in New Delhi on Thursday.

Haryana was ranked as the best State while Satara District of Maharashtra was ranked as the best district as per the ranking undertaken by Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018. Uttar Pradesh was rewarded for maximum citizens participation.Later, Uma Bharti, Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation gave awards at Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra, New Delhi to top three States and Districts from all the zones of the country.

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation had commissioned Swachh Survekshan Grameen-2018 (SSG 2018) through an independent survey agency to develop ranking of all districts of India on the basis of quantitative and qualitative sanitation (Swachhata) parameters. This ranking was done based on a comprehensive set of parameters including surveys of public places like schools, Anganwadis, PHCs, Haat/ Bazaars, Panchayat and citizens perception of Swachhata and their recommendations for improvement of the program and data from the SBM-G IMIS.

As part of Swachh Survekshan Grameen, 6786 villages in 685 Districts across India were covered. A total of 27,963 public places namely schools, Anganwadis, public health centres, haat/ bazaars/religious places in these 6786 villages were visited by an independent agency for survey.

Around 182,531 citizens were interviewed for their feedback in villages on SBM-G related issues. Also, citizens were mobilised to provide feedback on sanitation relation related issues online using an application developed for the purpose. The collection of data from Direct Observation were based on physical observation of the sanitation status in public places by the survey agency. The survey agency used maps and simple handheld device/recording formats to record their observations and findings along with Photographs/videos, wherever necessary.

Feedback from people were obtained using Community wide open meetings,Personal Interviews and Focussed Group Discussions. FGDs were conducted in each village. More than 1.5 crore people participated in the SSG 2018 and provided their feedback.

The SSG 2018 turned out to be massive mass mobilisation exercise with communities in each village undertaking special drives to improve the general cleanliness in their villages. Gram Panchayats invested funds from their local area development fund to augment the sanitation situation in public places.
The Twin City Commissionerate police on Thursday claimed to have cracked the case of Tanuja Aichs death. Her body was found in a SUV at Sriram Nagar under the Lingaraj police station in the city on October 1 and police arrested the deceaseds husband from Kolkata.

The arrested Sangram Aich was brought on a transit remand and was being interrogated by police.

The postmortem report of Tanuja revealed that she suffered multiple injuries on her body and brain. Police said the reason behind the death could only be ascertained after interrogation of Sangram.

Earlier, police had seized the CCTV footages from a nearby mall which showed Sangram leaving the car in which Tanujas body was found.

Family members of Tanuja have alleged that Sangram was torturing her for the last three to four years and had even threatened to marry another woman. As per the relatives of Tanuja, Sangram had illicit relationships with other women and the couple was going through a rough patch.
Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur Managed by Banyan Tree - the first hotel property under the Pavilion Group - will officially open on December 1.



Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur stands 13 floors above Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, the award-winning six-storey shopping centre, adjacent to the Couture Precinct extension.



Right in the heart of the capital of Malaysia, hotel guests have easy access to popular shopping hotspots and attractions  from well-known street markets such as Bukit Bintang to the best dining and nightlife experiences such as Jalan Alor and Changkat Bukit Bintang. They can also explore world-renowned landmarks such as Kuala Lumpur Tower, Petronas Towers and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, all within walking distance.



Impeccable service and unrivalled experiences await guests at Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur. The hotel features 325 rooms and suites decked in contemporary decor for the discerning traveller in need of an urban getaway. These include 115 City Oasis rooms, 60 Courtyard Oasis rooms and 45 Grand Oasis rooms.



For guests who enjoy a bit more exclusivity, the hotel has four dedicated club floors, including 59 Club City Oasis rooms and 20 Club Grand Oasis rooms. Club room guests have exclusive access to the Club Lounge located on Level 14, relaxing with a delectable breakfast spread, light bites or cocktails while taking in the magnificent view of Kuala Lumpurs cityscape.



There are also 26 contemporary suites available for an extra touch of luxe and space: 16 Urban Studio Suites, eight Urban Suites, one Pavilion Suite and one Presidential Suite.



In the world of dining, guests are in for a treat with a dedicated and skilful food and beverage (F&B) team. Level 8 houses The Courtyard, the hotels all-day dining restaurant that offers a mouth-watering smorgasbord of Southeast Asian-inspired cuisine. Guests can also dine at Ebisu, a restaurant and bar space featuring an array of Japanese cuisine with a twist. On Level 7M, the Whisky Cove is the place to unwind with a wide selection of whiskies and blends from around the world.



Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur also offers a range of meeting and event facilities suitable for all occasions. The total event space measures 1,298-sq-m, with a ballroom that can accommodate up to 500 persons, a crescent-shaped venue that sits 120 persons in banquet setting and five fully-equipped meeting rooms that can accommodate 40 persons per room.



The urban escapade is not complete without a rejuvenating experience at the award-winning Banyan Tree Spa. A selection of Asian-inspired treatments are available and with highly-skilled therapists who have undergone a minimum of 350 hours of training at Banyan Tree Spa Academy, guests are in for a pampering time.



The Sky Gym and Rooftop Infinity Pool are located on Level 18, offering an unparalleled view of Kuala Lumpur. Guests can shop at Banyan Tree Gallery, the hotels dedicated retail outlet offering a collection of handicrafts, resort apparels and signature spa amenities.



This effervescent and cosmopolitan city is filled with vibrant beauty and diversity. With the flourishing business landscape that Kuala Lumpur possesses, this charming city has become a mecca of sorts for both tourists and business travellers around the world. In addition, some of the best shopping malls in the world, as well as modern and historical landmarks  are within a stones throw away. Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur is in an ideal hotel destination for business travellers and holidaymakers -- and even locals looking for a pampering staycation, said Anders Dimblad, general manager of Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur and Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur.



To celebrate the opening of Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur, the hotel is launching an opening celebration package where guests can book a room from MYR498++ ($120.2++) per night and enjoy daily buffet breakfast for two and 15 per cent savings on dinner at The Courtyard. In addition, guests will enjoy 30 per cent off full body massages and 15 per cent off treatment packages at Banyan Tree Spa and 15 per cent off Banyan Tree Essentials products. - TradeArabia News Service



The offer above is valid from October 15 till March 31, 2019  for stays from December 1 till March 31, 2019. - TradeArabia News Service
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday trashed the allegations being levelled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled East Delhi Municipal Corproration (EDMC) that his Government was not sanctioning required funds to pay salaries of the municipal staff. Kejriwal accused BJP led municipal corporation of playing dirty politics on sanitation workers issues.

The Delhi Government spokesperson said the Government has provided Rs 770 crore to East MCD alone so far this year. East MCD getting double the amount now than what it got in BJP rule during 2014-15 then MCDs are silent on Rs 5,000 crore they can get from the Central Govt? CM Kejriwal said in a Press statement.

Earlier, Kejriwal met representatives of several unions of sanitation workers and placed facts related to funds released by the Delhi Government to the MCDs till date.

Clarifying facts on funds disbursed to MCDs, the Government in its official statement sated that in 2014-15, when BJP was controlling Delhi in Presidents rule, the fund given to East MCD was Rs 396 crore, and Rs 45 crore was deducted as recovery of loan and in comparison, during 2017-18, Delhi Government provided Rs 724 crore to EDMC and no interest on outstanding loan was deducted by the Delhi Government.

How is it possible that the EDMC which could pay salaries in 2014-15 in half the funds that it got from Delhi Government then and

now unable to do so when it is getting almost double the amount? the Government official asked. Why was there no strike in 2014-15 over the sanitation workers salaries?, he asked.

It may be noted, EDMC sanitation workers, were on strike for the last three weeks and on Thursday staged a protest near the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for their demands.

The employees are on strike since September 12 demanding regular payment of salaries and regularisation of workers. Sanitation workers are protesting outside my residence. BJP has misled them. I am going to talk to them and present facts before them. I am really worried about the

sanitation arrangements in the city and the workers. They have to protest every two months to get their salaries, Kejriwal tweeted.

Explaining further on the release of funds to civicagencies, the Government official said that for the current financial year, the Delhi government has already released Rs 440 crore to East MCD within first six months, and the excuse is being given that they dont have money to pay salaries?

On Wednesday, Delhi government informed to Supreme Court that it is providing an additional Rs 330 crore to EDMC alone to enable it to pay salaries of sanitation workers. From the facts of funds provided to East MCD, it is clear that money is being diverted for payment of contractors and sanitation workers are not being paid their salaries, the official alleged.

Pertinently, as per the 14th Finance Commission, the central government is supposed to provide Rs 488 per person to every municipality in the country.

It is beyond any reasonable understanding that given the fact that when there is a BJP government at the Centre and this party also controls the MCDs, then why is the Centre not providing this amount to the MCDs ? asked the spokesperson.
A day after the State Congress announced to demonstrate in Dehradun on Sunday when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives to inaugurate the Investors Summit, the State Congress president Pritam Singh said on Thursday that the party is not against the summit as is being projected by the ruling BJP. Things are being distorted by the saffron camp.

Our only objective is to make the Prime Minister to reply on two important questions-the price the country is paying for Rafale fighter jets and the spike in prices of essential commodities when he arrives here, he said. Notably, the State BJP leaders dubbed the demonstration programme as reflecting the anti-development mindset of the opposition party. The PM owes an answer to the nation on these two issues. We are not opposed to the investors summit, the State party chief said while addressing a meeting of the party leaders at the State Congress office on Thursday. The meeting was convened to make the proposed sit-in the party would stage at Gandhi Park on October 7 a major success.

The party leaders have been given responsibilities regarding the upcoming stir during the meeting, the party sources said.

The meeting was attended among others by the former Ministers Navprabhat and Dinesh Agarwal, former MLA Ambresh Kumar and PCC vice-president Surya Kant Dhasmana.
In another embarrassment to the police, already under attack over the sensational killing of a multinational company executive in an encounter in Lucknow, a policeman forcibly confined a Dalit boy and sodomised him in Hathras district.

The accused policeman is reportedly absconding since the incident was brought to the knowledge of senior officers.

The victim was sent for medical examination at the district hospital where the doctors reportedly confirmed the unnatural act of the cop.

A case has been registered in this connection.

Reports said that constable Sanjesh Yadav, attached to the Dial-100 vehicle of UP Police in Hathras, forcibly took the Dalit boy to his quarter at the police outpost under Kotwali police station for cooking his food.

The boy was working at a roadside tea stall. While taking the boy with him, the constable had threatened to book the tea stall owner for employing child labourer if he objected to the boy going with him or informed anyone about it.

Later, the constable forcibly sodomised the boy for several days in his quarter and threatened him with dire consequences if he told anyone about it.

After over a fortnight, when Yadav went to his native place on leave, the boy mustered courage and informed other cops posted in the area about the inhuman act of the constable. Subsequently, a constable took the boy to district police chief Jai Prakashs office where he revealed his trauma.

On the intervention of Prakash, the Kotwali police registered a case against Sanjesh Yadav and got the boy medically examined.

Prakash said they had placed Sanjesh Yadav under suspension and ordered his arrest but he was absconding.

Circle officer Suman Kannaujia has been asked to probe the incident. Departmental action will be taken against the erring cop after the CO submits the report.
State Development Council has decided to go in a planned manner for building a new Jharkhand and to outline its contribution to new India with 2022 vision. A detailed work plan and roadmap would be prepared for the next three years by a two-member panel constituted in this regard.

The panel would be headed by Padma Shri recipient Ahsok Bhagat and retired bureaucrat T Nandkumar. The decision was taken during the second meeting of the Council that took place in the chairmanship of Chief Minister Raghubar Das where whole lot of MPs, MLAs and top officials of all the Departments brainstormed on various issues.

The Chief Minister during the meeting blamed improper and inadequate planning for the under development Jharkhand has seen during its lifetime so far. Lack of advanced planning was the reason why Jharkhand could not develop as much as it should have been after coming into existence. The panel has been assigned the job to prepare the roadmap for the next three years. A vision document would come up outlining the contribution of Jharkhand in the vision of new India 2022 when the country would be celebrating its 75th year of independence, said Das.

He also encouraged contributions and suggestions coming from all quarters and said that inputs gathered would be incorporated properly. Jharkhand was formed to bridge the regional inequality existed but still after so many years of its formation 19 out of 24 districts are into aspirational district list. Six of those are the most backward. Those areas have to be pulled out of backwardness. The Government has especially allocated Rs 50 crore each of those districts, the CM added.

He during the meeting stressed over greater role of IT in rolling out right to services for the people and also underlined the good works done in the State in the field of healthcare and education sectors.

People representatives should play active role in overseeing implementation of developmental schemes and in ensuring that benefits of the schemes are reached to the actual beneficiaries. Wherever it has been done result of the schemes has been good. Now we have additional 30 per cent of the mining royalty which would be used in taking piped drinking water to villages, he said. His Cabinet colleagues Saryu Roy and Amar Kumar Bauri were also present in the meeting.

The CM on the occasion also reiterated the pledge of the Government to double income of the farmers and underlined the role of animal husbandry, horticulture, fishery and dairy in that direction. He also went on mentioning about the exercise done in water conservation by digging dovas and renovation of ponds across the State. The CM directed officials to provide a network of health and wellness centers under the Ayushman Bharat and making Saubhagya scheme, meant to provide electricity connection to every household, a grand success.

JMM MLA JP Patel and JVM legislator from Latehar Prakash Ram tendered their suggestions in the meeting which was also attended by Chief Secretary Sudhir Tripathi. Development Commissioner DK Tiwari presented Jharkhand Vision for 2021 stressing on inclusive development. The document talked extensively about education, potable water, energy, job oriented growth, houses for all, food security, irrigation and several other sectors. He also informed the members about achievements of the State in terms of building road and power infrastructure and in the field of skill development.
Under the aegis of Bharat Vikash Parishad, Ayodhya and Savarkar Branch, an inter-school patriotic song competition was held at Career College Conference Hall. On this occasion Tapan Bhowmick, Chairman of MP Tourism was present as the Chief Guest and NR Edkie Ex-Executive Director BHEL Haridwar was present as the Guest of Honour.
The Delhi Police has arrested five people, including a 40 year-old woman suspected to be the kingpin of gold smuggling gang, operating at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.

The woman identified as Urmila was revealed by a passenger, who had arrived from Dubai on Sunday and was caught trying to smuggle gold into the country weighing around 2.8 kg with market value of Rs 86.58 lakh at THE Delhi airport, said Dr Amandeep Singh, Additional Commissioner of Customs.

During interrogation, the woman passenger told customs officers that she was allegedly used as a carrier in lieu of money by Urmila. It was also claimed that she was the kingpin of a gold smuggling racket, said Dr Singh.

Based on the womans claim, the customs officers decided to carry out search at the residential premises owned by Urmila. Once the team reached the premises, Urmila started abusing the officers and assaulted the team following which additional personnel from IGI airport and police assistance was simultaneously requisitioned, said Dr Singh.

Some people pelted stones at customs officials vehicles to deter them from carrying out their duty. We have registered a complaint in the Maurya Nagar police station, Dr Singh added.

The incident occurred on Sunday. We have filed a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). We have also arrested five people, including Urmila. The other four arrested are relative of Urmila. They were produced before a local court that sent them to 14 days in judicial custody, said the senior police official.
The National Law University Odisha (NLUO) here has been shortlisted to conduct the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT-2019), said a press release issued by NLUO Vice-Chancellor Prof Srikrishna Deva Rao on Thursday. The examination is scheduled to be held on May 12, 2019.

The release said that the CLAT Core Committee Consortium at the National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi took this decision on Wednesday, which was communicated to the NLUO on Thursday.
With the Government of India cutting petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre, the Uttarakhand Government has also followed suit and slashed petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre. The Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat informed the media about this decision in a hurriedly called Press conference here on Thursday evening.

Rawat said, I am happy to state that the Government of India has slashed petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre. The State Government too has done the same, decreasing the price of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre. With this, these fuels will cost about Rs 5 per less per litre from Thursday midnight onward. We have taken this decision to reduce the financial burden on the public. This decision will result in a Rs 325 crore annual burden on the State.

However, transportation and goods carriage would become cheaper and provide relief to the public. About 40 crore litres of petrol and 90 crore litres of diesel are used in the State per year, he added.

When asked about how the State Government would try to tackle the financial burden resulting from reduction in fuel prices, the CM said that the State had increased its revenue from mining. In the near future, with investments expected to rise and industrial activity too will increase. This will also help us enhance revenue, he said.

It is pertinent to mention here that petrol costs Rs 83.79 per litre and diesel costs Rs 75.92 per litre in Uttarakhand, both of which will now cost Rs 5 less from Thursday midnight onward.
SAD president Sukhbir Badal on Thursday asked the Congress-led Punjab Government to immediately reciprocate and reduce VAT on both petro products by Rs five per litre each keeping in view the fact that petrol and diesel prices in the state were the highest in North India.

Sukhbir also asked the Congress government to immediately convene a special session of the Vidhan Sabha and table a resolution to bring both petrol and diesel under the GST ambit. This will go a long way in giving a further relief to the common man as well as farmers by affecting a major cut in VAT and other taxes on these petro products, he added.
The hunger-strike of the Utkal University Teachers Association (UUTA) entered its third day on Thursday.

After the failure of the Vice-Chancellor to fulfil the demands by August 31, the university teachers resumed its protest on Gandhi Jayanti with a relay hunger strike.

UUTA joint secretary Dr Siba Sankar Mohanty and executive member Dr Priya Ranjan Dash among others were present.

The demands of the association include immediate implementation of Career Advancement Scheme (CAS), 7th Pay scale Revision Committee recommendations, immediate repair of residential quarters, confirmation of faculty members, advance increment for MPhil/PhD holders, redesignation of Readers, recruitment of non-teaching staff, NPS arrears and insurance schemes.

The association alleged that since his joining as the Vice Chancellor in July last year, the VC has remained absent in his office on most occasions and because of his inaction, many important files are not getting the administrative approval. UUTA secretary Prof KB Panda demanded that the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar be removed.
Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) celebrated the arrival of the last A320ceo plane in Jeddah, coming from Toulouse, France, completing the deal signed in 2015 in a record time of 21 months since the arrival of the first aircraft in December 2016.



During a ceremony held at the King Abdulaziz International Airport, the director general of the Saudi Airlines, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, said: "Between the Saudi Airlines and Airbus is a historical relationship that began more than three decades ago and developed into a strategic partnership with the signing of the agreement to receive 50 aircraft, including 20 A330-300."



The deal was signed under the auspices of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense during his visit to France in 2015 and holding talks with the French President Macron.



"These aircraft have boosted Saudi Arabia's operational capabilities and added more than six million seats on the domestic flights network, contributing to new international destinations as well as existing destinations," said Al Jasser.



"Saudia is the first of its kind to operate such models in the world," Al-Jasser added.



"The first fleet of A320neo aircraft will arrive soon and will be a new and powerful addition to the fleet of Saudi Airlines, which is witnessing the largest programme to modernise and develop its fleet to enhance the capabilities of the national carrier," he added. - TradeArabia News Service


Out of 23 Asiatic lions in Gir National Park, some died due to Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) which finds its connections in East Africa; however, the virus can be restrained by using the available CDV vaccinations, confirms Indian Council of Medical research (ICMR) report. The report was submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change by ICMR on Thursday.

We tested 24 samples of 12 Asiatic lions for CDV and five samples were found positive. Out of these 12 lions, three were already dead, eight were under treatment and one had already recovered. Samples were found positive in three dead lions, one which recovered and one which was under treatment, said a senior scientist of ICMR.

The samples were received by ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune after investigations were done by Department of Veterinary, Pathology and Animal Husbandry, the scientist added.

According to the report, the samples were collected between September 19 and September 24 2018 and were received by NIV on September 26. Further on October 2, 22 more samples were tested for the disease and were found to be negative, suggested the report.

Till date no complete genome of CDV is reported from India. For the first time a complete genome of CDV was recovered by ICMR-NIV, Pune. The sequence was compared to available CDV sequences and it was found to be related to the East African strains, stated the report.

In India, only a few reports are available regarding the detection of CDV in captive wild carnivores which included tigers and red panda, the report added.

Stating the cure, the report further said, It is felt that the existing CDV vaccine should work as a protective intervention for lions during the current CDV outbreak. Vaccination of lions with CDV should be taken up on an urgent basis, added the report. The report was sent to the union environment ministry by the institute on Thursday. In a letter sent to the ministry by ICMR headquarters along with the report said, Full genome sequencing has been carried out at ICMR-NIV. The genome is closely related to the East African strains of CDV. Hence, we assume that the currently available CDV vaccine should be effective in this outbreak. As of now, 23 lions have been reported dead in Gir National Park, Gujarat.
Amid the resentment among members of Sikh community over the cancellation of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattars scheduled visit to a Gurudwara in Karnal, he made it clear that he would not visit any Gurudwara which has the photo of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the Khalistan ideologue.

Although I have a deep respect for Gurughars but I would not visit any Gurudwara as has the photo of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. We would never allow to disturb the peaceful situation in Haryana, said the Chief Minister while talking to the mediapersons here, when asked to comment over the protest by members of Sikh community following the cancellation of his scheduled visit to a Gurudwara in Dachar village last week.

Sensing protest by members of the Sikh community over the same issue, Manohar Lal had on Tuesday also cancelled his visit to another village  Dabri- of his Karnal constituency.

Manohar Lals decision had added to the anger of residents in Sikh dominated villages of his constituency, who had announced to boycott BJP leaders, until the Chief Minister tenders his apology at the Gurudwara in Dachar village.

On Thursday, he clarified that during his visit to 13 tiraths (pilgrim places) falling under 48 kos parikarma recently, he was invited to the Gurudwara falling in district Karnal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived here Thursday for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after which Russia and India are expected to sign the S-400 air defence system deal and a number of other pacts in key sectors such as space and energy.

Putin, who was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on his arrival, went straight to Modi's official Lok Kalyan Marg residence where the two leaders had a one-on-one meeting. Later, Modi hosted a private dinner for the visiting dignitary.

The dinner meeting comes a day ahead of the 19th India-Russia annual summit during which the two leaders will hold comprehensive discussions on wide-ranging bilateral, regional and international issues, including US sanctions against Moscow and counter-terrorism cooperation.

The Russian President is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov among others during his two-day visit.

Ahead of his meeting, Modi tweeted, "Welcome to India, President Putin. Looking forward to our deliberations, which will further enhance India-Russia friendship." The tweet was also posted in the Russian language.

As Putin landed in New Delhi, the Russian news agency TASS reported that on Friday, a number of bilateral agreements will be signed, including the USD 5 billion contract to deliver the S-400 air defence missile systems to India.

Ahead of the visit, the Russian President's aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted by media as saying that Russia and India are planning to sign more than 20 documents at the end of the Putin-Modi talks and that Putin will oversee the signing of the USD 5 billion deal.

The agreements to be signed are likely to boost cooperation in keys sectors such as defence, space, trade, energy and tourism, among others.

The spotlight will be on the S-400 missile defence system deal as, if signed, it could violate US sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) instituted by the US Congress on arms purchases from Russia.

The US has urged its allies to forgo transactions with Russia, warning that the S-400 missile defence system that India intends to buy would be a "focus area" for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking "significant" business deals with the Russians.

American lawmakers, however, have allowed the possibility of a presidential waiver.

India has already given indications that it will go ahead with the deal notwithstanding the US sanctions.

"India has maintained its sovereignty as regards to its relationship with countries. We shall maintain it in all earnestness," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told PTI recently when asked whether the US sanctions will hit India's defence ties with Russia, especially after the signing of the S-400 missile deal.

India wants to procure the long-range missile systems to tighten its air defence mechanism, particularly along the nearly 4,000-km-long Sino-India border.

S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 to procure the lethal missile system and Moscow has already started delivery of an undisclosed number of the S-400 missile systems to Beijing.

The S-400 is an upgraded version of the S-300 systems. The missile system, manufactured by Almaz-Antey, has been in service in Russia since 2007.

Russia has been one of India's key suppliers of arms and ammunition.

Sources had earlier said Modi and Putin would also deliberate on impact of US sanctions on import of crude oil from Iran.

Besides holding talks with Modi, the Russian leader will also have a meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday.

He will also interact with a group of talented children and address an India-Russia business meet.

The last annual summit was held on June 1, 2017, during the visit of the prime minister to Russia.

In May, Modi had travelled to Russian coastal city of Sochi for an informal summit with Putin during which they discussed a range of crucial issues.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived here Thursday on a two-day visit to hold the annual bilateral summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Putin, who is accompanied by a high-level delegation, was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

The 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit will take place here on Friday during which Modi and Putin are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation in the wake of the US sanctions against Russian defence majors.

The two leaders are also likely to deliberate on key regional and global issues, including US sanctions on import of Iranian crude oil.

The focus during the visit will be on the S-400 Triumf air defence missile system agreement, with a top Kremlin aide saying Tuesday that Russian President Putin will oversee the signing of the USD 5 billion deal.
The US has rejected Pakistans plea to facilitate talks with India and pressed for the bilateral engagement between the two South Asian neighbours, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said.

Pakistan wants the US to facilitate talks with India as the two nations are not engaging bilaterally, the top Pakistani diplomat told a Washington audience on Wednesday. When we asked the US, to play facilitating role...Why do we ask?

Simply because we are not engaging bilaterally. And that bilateral disengagement isa distraction, Qureshi said in response to a question at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded top American think-tank.

We want to focus, we want to move on the western side of the border, which we are not being able to because we have to watch our back from eastern side (of the border with India). That is not a healthy situation to be in, he said.

Now can you (United States) facilitate (the talks)? The answer from them is no. They wanted bilaterally. But there is no bilateral movement, Qureshi said, a day after he had meetings with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, during which he raised the issue only to be pushed back by the Trump administration.

India is opposed to any third country mediation in its relations with Pakistan. Pakistan has continuously sought mediation to sort out the differences, including over Kashmir.

Qureshi warned that the absence of bilateral talks with India could lead to escalation of tension between the two countries. If that lack of facilitation leads to escalation and some of the statements that have come out of late have not been very helpful, the Pakistani foreign minister said in an apparent reference to the remarks by Indian leaders.
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By Auqib Javeed, TwoCircles.net

Srinagar:  Do you have the courage to quantify the pain of parents who apart from receiving the coffins, receive mangled bodies? Can you feel the pain of a mother who didnt get closure by hugging her dead son one last time? Imagine the horror of a mother who received her sons body in parts, for whom she nurtured all her life, whose lips dried praying for her sons safety!

Sarah (name changed on the request of the family) is neither angry nor does she hold any grudge against the Indian army; however, what has left her shattered to the very core is the fact that her sons body was charred beyond recognition. What she received were a few mangled, burnt pieces. She never thought of such humiliation to the bodies.

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Majid Zargar, 26, last visited his home to meet his mother in a south Kashmir village back in 2012. Zargar, a secondary school pass-out from St Lukes Convent school, Anantnag, was an active militant for the last four years. He joined Lashkar-e-Taiba, climbing its ranks to become the district commander for Kulgam.

In December 2016, Majid and his colleague Rahil Amin Dar alias Asif, a resident of Vesu-Qazigund, were killed in a 42-hour-long fierce gunfight between militants and security forces at Arwani in South Kashmirs Anantnag district. According to reports, the bodies of the duo were charred beyond recognition.

A resident of Zargars Village in South Kashmir, who wishes anonymity said, There were no bodies, just lumps of flesh and bones. We couldnt recognise them, we just buried those lumps.

The forces used heavy mortars against the militants, locals said, adding that Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were planted, razing the house down where the militants were hiding to dust.

It was a fierce encounter that lasted for many hours, five other houses in the vicinity were also damaged due to the usage of heavy explosive material, the local added.

The villagers followed the funeral when Ghulam Mohudin Zargar, father of the slain militant Majid recognised some parts of his body.

On Jun 23, 2017, three teenagers: Shakir Ahmad Gogjoo, 18, Majid Ahmad Mir, both natives of Kakapora town in Pulwama and Irshad Ahmad Dar (Sheraz) of Aghanjipora- Padgampora in Awantipora area were killed in a gunfight in Kakapora. According to family members, the bodies of the trio they received were charred beyond recognition.

Aadil Ahmad, a cousin of Shakir says, One thing we will always regret is that we could not see his face one last time as his entire body was charred. We buried a few pieces of flesh.

Aadil says that they distributed the pieces of flesh into three families to be buried in their native graveyards just to get some remote sense of closure. He says people came from far to catch the last glimpse of the rebels, which is a regular procedure in Kashmir, but there was nothing to show. We just had a hushed funeral followed by a quick and early burial, he added.

On June 2017, Junaid Mattoo, who had succeeded Majid Zargar as district commander of Lashkar-i-Toiba (LeT) was killed along with his associate in South Kashmir. According to reports, the bodies were charred beyond recognition as the forces set the houses ablaze, where the militants were taking shelter, after dousing it in petrol.

Such incidents are neither new nor uncommon. Eighteen years ago, personnel of the 7 Rashtriya Rifles (7RR) of Indian Army carried out an operation to take down five foreign militants in the forests of Pathribal in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir. The army claimed that the slain men were responsible for shooting 36 Sikh men on March 20, 2000, in what is now known as the Chittisinghpora massacre. It later emerged that the five men who were killed by the Army were actually residents of villages around Pathribal, who had been abducted by army and police before the encounter. Apart from being shot dead, the bodies of the five men were also burnt beyond recognition.

On February 08, 2004, the Indian Army allegedly dragged bodies of five of its porters in Chitty Banday, Bandipora area of North Kashmir in a forest. The Army later claimed that they were killed in the encounter when militants opened fire on them. Khurram Parvez, a Kashmir-based human rights defender while taking the example of this incident says, When we questioned the Army that if they were your own men and obviously they would have been without booby traps then why did you drag them, they had no answer. The reason is it was a Kashmiris body and the Army couldnt care less about respecting them. We still have pictures of the porters with us.

Indian Armys Modus Operandi

The Indian Army usually, with the help of local intelligence and other sources, gets a tip-off about the presence of militants in a particular house or place, and then they launch a Cordon and Search Operation. During a couple of gunfights with militants, it has been noticed, that security forces first blow up the houses where the militants are holed up with explosives and then set it on fire to kill any chances of the militants escaping alive.

According to sources, the security forces are using such tactics as they have their reasons. The forces are more likely to suffer casualties if the gunfight lasts for long. Moreover, they also fear being attacked by the locals who usually rush to save the trapped militants.

Khurram Parvez argues that it is not an isolated case, (while referring to the recent viral picture of a militants body being dragged by security forces that sparked outrage in Kashmir) where this kind of dehumanising treatment was meted out with the dead bodies of militants, We have had so many cases where bodies of militants were dragged or mutilated, he says.

According to Parvez, When a soldier is working in a hostile situation, he has to face psychological problems and he needs something to vent out his anger which is why you see such incidents where rapes become a tool to spread fear, civilians getting tortured, and dead bodies are disrespected. But what is shocking is when people justify it. Moreover, the ongoing hatred among Indians has a direct impact on its soldiers as that they are connected.

The pictures of a dead militant, supine and facedown with army soldiers pulling the chain tied to his legs, in Reasi district of Jammu went viral on social media last week and attracted widespread condemnation.

By taking selfies with the dead bodies, they treat them as trophies or vile tools that they can use to deliberately provoke the people of Kashmir. It is the extreme manifestation of sadness and hatred in India, Khuram says.

The gunfight also drew Hindutva activists to the spot to pose for pictures. One such picture circulated on WhatsApp showed Rakesh Sharma, the vice president of the Hindutva outfit Bajrang Dal in Jammu, close to a dead body at the site of the gunfight. The photo seems to have been taken by Sharma himself.

The Indian Army, already facing a raft of allegations over human rights violations in the insurgency-hit state, refused to speak on the latest controversy.

However, talking to Two.circles.net, Lt General Ata Hasnain who served in Kashmir in many capacities during his career in the Army said, It was not necessary to drag the body of the killed militant. If it is suspected that the body may be booby-trapped, then an entire procedure is followed to isolate and secure the area with a bomb disposal squad or other trained personnel. A 30-feet rope could be used to disturb the body to set off any switches to detonate explosives if attached. The dragging of the body with a short rope in the presence of the media is against all rules of the Army. I would suggest that troops be better instructed and trained in post operations management of situations. They should read and understand the Army instructions and then follow them. Our Army is the most disciplined force in the world; we follow the principle of fairness and humanity; we have never believed in the desecration of dead bodies of our enemies unlike what they do.

When asked about the burning of bodies of militants in Kashmir valley after the encounter he said, This is the wrong allegation against the Army; militant bodies often get charred inside the houses when they are targeted with rockets and bombs. The charred remains are then shown to project the Army incorrectly. The Indian Army is one of those armies which have even rescued terrorists during natural disasters.

Lieutenant General (retired) Mohinder Puri, who fought in Kargil war in 1999, says, Our tradition has been to respect the dead bodies, we buried over around 160 dead bodies of Pak army with due respect during the Kargil war. Enmity gets over when you kill your enemy and then you have to respect the corpse. In this case (referring to the dragging of militant in Jammu), as reportedly I have heard that it might be the case of bobby trap if that is a reason for dragging the body then it completely changes the narrative of the story. As per the Geneva Convention, you have to respect the dead body of your enemy.

According to the Geneva Convention, the prohibition of mutilating dead bodies in international armed conflicts are covered by the war crime of committing outrages upon personal dignity under the Statute of the International Criminal Court. Each party to the dispute must take all possible measures to prevent the dead from being despoiled.

For close to three decades, since armed resistance intensified in the disputed region, the Indian army has frequently faced allegations of human rights violations in the valley.

In June this year, The UN human rights chief called for an international investigation into abuses in Kashmir, as his office released its first-ever report on alleged rights violations committed by both India and Pakistan in the disputed territory.
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The following companies are subsidiares of Sherwin-Williams: Acquire Sourcing LLC, CTS National Corporation, Comex North America Inc., Compania Sherwin-Williams S.A. de C.V., Contract Transportation Systems Co., Dongguan Lilly Paint Industries Ltd, Duron, EPS (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., EPS B.V., Geocel Holdings, Geocel Limited, Guangdong Valspar Paints Manufacturing Co Ltd., Inver East Med S.A., Inver France SAS, Inver GmbH, Inver Industrial Coating SRL, Inver Polska Spoka Z O.O, Inver Spa, Invercolor Bologna Srl, Invercolor Ltd, Invercolor Roma Srl, Invercolor Torino Srl, Invercolor Toscana Srl, Isocoat Tintas e Vernizes Ltda, Isva Vernici Srl, Leighs Paints, M.A. Bruder & Sons, Omega Specialty Products & Services LLC, Oy Sherwin-Williams Finland Ab, PT Sherwin-Williams Indonesia, PT Valspar Indonesia, Paint Sundry Brands, Pinturas Condor S.A., Pinturas Industriales S.A., Piton Paints Limited, Plasti-Kote Co. Inc., Plasti-kote Limited, Productos Quimicos y Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Quest Automotive Products UK Limited, Quetzal Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Ronseal (Ireland) Limited, SWIMC LLC, SWIPCO  Sherwin Williams do Brasil Propriedade Intelectual Ltda, Sherwin Williams Colombia S.A.S., Sherwin-Williams (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Belize) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Caribbean) N.V., Sherwin-Williams (Ireland) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams (Nantong) Coatings Technology Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Nantong) Company Limited, Sherwin-Williams (S) Pte. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Shanghai) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Vietnam) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (West Indies) Limited, Sherwin-Williams Argentina I.y C.S.A., Sherwin-Williams Aruba VBA, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Mexico S.de R.L.de C.V., Sherwin-Williams Balkan S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Bel Unitary Enterprise, Sherwin-Williams Benelux NV, Sherwin-Williams Canada Inc., Sherwin-Williams Cayman Islands Limited, Sherwin-Williams Chile S.A., Sherwin-Williams Coatings India Private Limited, Sherwin-Williams Coatings S.a r.l., Sherwin-Williams Czech Republic spol. s r.o, Sherwin-Williams Denmark A/S, Sherwin-Williams Deutschland GmbH, Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands Limited, Sherwin-Williams France Finishes SAS, Sherwin-Williams Italy S.r.l., Sherwin-Williams Norway AS, Sherwin-Williams Paints Limited Liability Company, Sherwin-Williams Peru S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Pinturas de Venezuela S.A., Sherwin-Williams Poland Sp. z o.o, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings, Sherwin-Williams Realty Holdings Inc., Sherwin-Williams Services (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams Spain Coatings S.L., Sherwin-Williams Sweden AB, Sherwin-Williams UK Coatings Limited, Sherwin-Williams do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., Spanyc Paints Joint Stock Company, Syntema I Vaggeryd AB, Taiwan Valspar Co. Ltd., The Sherwin-Williams Acceptance Corporation, The Sherwin-Williams Headquarters Company, The Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Company, The Sherwin-Williams US Licensing Company, The Valspar (Asia) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Australia) Corporation Pty. Ltd., The Valspar (Finland) Corporation Oy, The Valspar (France) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (France) Research Corporation SAS, The Valspar (Malaysia) Corporation Sdn Bhd, The Valspar (Nantes) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (Singapore) Corporation Pte. Ltd, The Valspar (South Africa) Corporation (Pty) Ltd, The Valspar (Spain) Corporation S.R.L., The Valspar (Switzerland) Corporation AG, The Valspar (Thailand) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar (UK) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Vietnam) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar Corporation, The Valspar Corporation Limitada, UAB Sherwin-Williams Baltic, Valspar (India) Coatings Corporation Private Limited, Valspar (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Valspar (Uruguay) Corporation S.A., Valspar (WPC) Pty Ltd, Valspar Aries Coatings S. de R.L. de C.V., Valspar Automotive (UK) Corporation Limited, Valspar Automotive Australia Pty Limited, Valspar B.V., Valspar Coatings (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Valspar D.o.o Beograd, Valspar Industries (Ireland) Ltd., Valspar Industries (Italy) S.r.l., Valspar Industries GmbH, Valspar LLC, Valspar Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Valspar Paint (Australia) Pty Ltd, Valspar Paint (NZ) Limited, Valspar Powder Coatings Limited, Valspar Rock Company Limited (Japan), Valspar Specialty Paints LLC, and ZAO Sherwin-Williams.
SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF shares reverse split before market open on Monday, March 30th 2020. The 1-10 reverse split was announced on Monday, March 23rd 2020. The number of shares owned by shareholders was adjusted after the closing bell on Friday, March 27th 2020. An investor that had 100 shares of SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF stock prior to the reverse split would have 10 shares after the split.
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

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The following companies are subsidiares of Vodafone Group: 360 Connect S.A., [email protected] Telecom, A-ccelerator B.V., A-ccelerator Holding B.V, AAA (Euro) Limited, AAA (MCR) Limited, AAA (UK) Limited, Acorn Communications Limited, Africonnect (Zambia) Limited, Ag Mercantile Company Private Limited, Al-Amin Investments Limited, Amsterdamse Beheer- en Consultingmaatschappij B.V., Apollo Submarine Cable System Limited, Array Holdings Limited, Asian Telecommunication Investments (Mauritius) Limited, Aspective Limited, Astec Communications Limited, Autoconnex Limited, Aztec Limited, BelCompany BV, Bluefish Apac Communications Pte. Ltd, Bluefish Communications, Bluefish Communications Limited, Business Serve Limited, C&W Worldwide Nigeria Limited, C.S.P. Solutions Limited, CCII (Mauritius) Inc., CGP India Investments Ltd., CGP Investments (Holdings) Limited, COOP Mobil s.r.o, CT Networks Limited, CWGNL S.A., CWW Operations Limited, Cable & Wireless Access Limited, Cable & Wireless Americas Systems Inc., Cable & Wireless Aspac Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless CIS Services Limited, Cable & Wireless CIS Svyaz LLC, Cable & Wireless Capital Limited , Cable & Wireless Communications Data Network Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Communications Starclass Limited, Cable & Wireless Communications Technical Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd (Beijing Branch), Cable & Wireless Europe Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless GN Limited, Cable & Wireless Global (India) Private Limited, Cable & Wireless Global Business Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Global Holding Limited, Cable & Wireless Global Telecommunication Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Holdco Limited, Cable & Wireless Networks India Private Limited, Cable & Wireless Trade Mark Management Limited, Cable & Wireless UK Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless UK Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Waterside Holdings Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Pension Trustee Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Services Limited, Cable & Wireless Worldwide Voice Messaging Limited, Cable & Wireless a-Services Inc, Cable & Wireless a-Services Limited, Cable and Wireless (India) Limited, Cable and Wireless (India) Limited Indian Branch Office, Cable and Wireless Nominee Limited, Cable and Wireless Worldwide South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Cavalry Holdings Ltd, Celfocus  Solucoes Informaticas Para Telecomunicacoes S.A, Cellops Limited, Cellular Operations Limited, Central Communications Group Limited, Central Telecom (Northern) Limited, Centurion GSM Limited, Chelys Limited, City Cable (Holdings) Limited, Cobra do Brasil Servicos de Telematica ltda., Commnet Cellular Inc., Complete Network Technology, Connect (India) Mobile Technologies Private Limited, Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Limited, Dataroam Limited , Device Insight, Digital Island (UK) Ltd, Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, East Africa Investment (Mauritius) Limited, Emtel Europe Limited, Energis (Ireland) Limited, Energis Communications Limited, Energis Holdings Limited, Energis Local Access Limited, Energis Management Limited, Energis Squared Limited, Erudite Systems Limited, Esprit Telecom B.V., Eudokia Limited, Euro Pacific Securities Ltd., Eurocall Holdings Limited, Europolitan Holdings AB (now Europolitan Vodafone AB), FB Holdings Limited, FM Associates (UK) Limited, FinCo Partner 1 B.V., FireFly Networks Limited, Flexphone Limited, GS Telecom (Pty) Limited, Gateway Communications Africa (UK) Limited, Gateway Communications Tanzania Limited, General Mobile Corporation, Generation Telecom Limited, Ghana Telecommunications, Ghana Telecommunications Company Limited, Global Cellular Rental Limited, Globe Limited, GrandCentrix GmbH, Grupo Corporativo ONO S.A.U., H3ga Properties (No 3) Pty Limited, HBO Nederland Cooperatief U.A., HBO Netherlands Channels sro, HBO Netherlands Distribution B.V., Hellas Online, How2 Telecom Limited, Hutchison Essar Ltd, Indus Towers Limited, Intercell Communications Limited, Internet Network Services Limited, Invitation Digital Limited, Ipergy Communications NV, Isis Telecommunications Management Limited, Jaguar Communications Limited, Jaykay Finholding (India) Private Limited, Jupicol (Proprietary) Limited, KABELCOM Braunschweig Gesellschaft Fur BreitbandkabelKommunikation Mit Beschrankter Haftung, KABELCOM Wolfsburg Gesellschaft Fur BreitbandkabelKommunikation Mit Beschrankter Haftung, Kabel Deutschland, Kabel Deutschland Holding, Kabel Deutschland Holding Erste Beteiligungs GmbH, Kabel Deutschland Holding Zweite Beteilgungs GmbH, Kabel Deutschland Neunte Beteiligungs GmbH, Kabel Deutschland Siebte Beteiligungs GmbH, Kabelfernsehen Munchen Servicenter GmbH & Co. KG, LG Financing Partnership, LGE HoldCo V B.V., LGE HoldCo VI B.V., LGE HoldCo VIII B.V., LGE Holdco VII B.V., LLC Vodafone Enterprise Ukraine, Le Bunt Holdings Limited, Legend Communications Limited, Liberty Global, Liberty Global Content Netherlands B.V., London Hydraulic Power Company, M-PESA Foundation, M-PESA Holding Co. Limited, ML Integration Group Limited, ML Integration Limited, ML Integration Services Limited, MV Healthcare Services Private Limited, Mannesmann AG, MetroHoldings Limited, Mezzanine Ware Proprietary Limited (RF), Mirambo Limited, Misrfone Trading Company LLC, MobiFon S.A., Mobile Commerce Solutions Limited, Mobile Phone Centre Limited, Mobile Wallet VM1, Mobile Wallet VM2, Mobile by Sainsburys Limited, Mobiles 4 Business.com Limited, Mobileworld Communications Pty Limited, Mobileworld Operating Pty Ltd, Mobilvest, Motifpros 1 (Proprietary) Limited, Multi Risk Indemnity Company Limited, Multi Risk Limited, ND Callus Info Services Private Limited, Nadal Trading Company Private Limited, Nat Comm Air Limited, National Communications Backbone Company Limited, Navtrak Ltd, Netforce Group Limited, Netgrid Telecom SRL, Number Portability Company (Proprietary) Limited, ONO, Omega Telecom Holdings Private Limited, Oni Way  Infocomunicacoes S.A, Oskar Mobil S.R.O., Oxygen Solutions Limited, P.C.P. (North West) Limited, PPL Pty Limited, PT Network Services Limited, PTI Telecom Limited, Peoples Phone Limited, Pinnacle Cellular Group Limited, Pinnacle Cellular Limited, Plex Limited, Plustech Mercantile Company Private Limited, Prime Metals Ltd., Project Telecom Holdings Limited, Quickcomm Software Solutions, Radio Opt GmbH, Rian Mobile Limited, SBC SMART CITY 1517 B.V., SMMS Investments Pvt Limited, Safaricom Limited, Safenet N.P A., Sarmady Communications, Scarlet Ibis Investments 23 (Pty) Limited, Scorpios Beverages Pvt. Ltd, Silver Stream Investments Limited, Singlepoint (4U) Limited, Singlepoint (4U) Ltd., Singlepoint Payment Services Limited, Siro Limited, Spar Aerospace (Nigeria) Limited, Sport TV Portugal S.A, Starnet, Stentor Communications Limited, Stentor Limited, Storage Technology Services (Pty) Limited, T.W. Telecom Limited, T3 Telecommunications Limited, TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern Beteiligungs GmbH, TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG, TNAS Limited, TSM NZ Limited, Talkland Airtime Services Limited, Talkland Australia Pty Limited, Talkland Communications Limited, Talkland International Limited, Talkland Midlands Limited, Talkmobile Limited, Tele2 Italia SPA, Tele2 Spain, Telecom Investments India Private Limited, Telecommunications Europe Limited, Ternhill Communications Limited, The Cobra Group, The Eastern Leasing Company Limited, The Old Telecom Sales Co. Limited, Thus Group Holdings Limited, Thus Group Limited, Thus Limited, Thus Profit Sharing Trustees Limited, TnT Expense Management LLC, Tomorrow Street GP S.a r.l., Tomorrow Street SCA, Torenspits II B.V., Townley Communications Limited, Trans Crystal Ltd., UMT Investments Limited, UPC Nederland Holding I B.V., UPC Nederland Holding II B.V., UPC Nederland Holding III B.V., Unified Communications, Uniqueair Limited, Urbana Teleunion Rostock GmbH & Co.KG, Usha Martin Telematics Limited, VAPL No. 2 Pty Limited, VBA (Mauritius) Limited, VBA Holdings Limited, VBA International (SL) Limited, VBA International Limited, VEI S.r.l., VM SA, VND S.p.A, VSSB Vodafone Shared Services Budapest Private Limited Company, Verwaltung Urbana Teleunion Rostock GmbH, Victus Networks S.A., Vizzavi Finance Limited, Vizzavi Limited, Voda Limited, Vodacall Limited, Vodacash s.p.r.l., Vodacom (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Business (Angola) Limitada, Vodacom Business (Ghana) Limited, Vodacom Business (Kenya) Limited, Vodacom Business Africa (Nigeria) Limited, Vodacom Business Africa Group (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Business Africa Group Services Limited, Vodacom Business Cameroon SA, Vodacom Business Cote Divoire S.A.R.L., Vodacom Congo (RDC) SA, Vodacom Financial Services (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Group Limited, Vodacom Insurance Administration Company (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Insurance Company (RF) Limited, Vodacom International Holdings (Pty) Limited, Vodacom International Limited, Vodacom Lesotho (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Life Assurance Company (RF) Limited, Vodacom Payment Services (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Properties No 1 (Proprietary) Limited, Vodacom Properties No.2 (Pty) Limited, Vodacom Tanzania Limited Zanzibar, Vodacom Tanzania Public Limited Company, Vodacom UK Limited, Vodafone (NI) Limited, Vodafone (New Zealand) Hedging Limited, Vodafone (Scotland) Limited, Vodafone 2, Vodafone 4 UK, Vodafone 5 Limited, Vodafone 5 UK, Vodafone 6 UK, Vodafone Albania Sh.A, Vodafone Alternatif Telekom Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Americas 4, Vodafone Americas Virginia Inc., Vodafone And Qatar Foundation L.L.C, Vodafone Asset Management Services S.a r.l., Vodafone Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Automotive Deutschland GmbH, Vodafone Automotive Electronic Systems S.r.L, Vodafone Automotive France S.A.S, Vodafone Automotive Iberia S.L, Vodafone Automotive Italia S.p.A, Vodafone Automotive Japan K.K, Vodafone Automotive Korea Limited, Vodafone Automotive SpA, Vodafone Automotive Technologies (Beijing) Co Ltd, Vodafone Automotive Telematics Development S.A.S, Vodafone Automotive Telematics S.A, Vodafone Automotive UK Limited, Vodafone Belgium SA/NV, Vodafone Benelux Limited, Vodafone Bilgi Ve Iletisim Hizmetleri AS, Vodafone Business Services Limited, Vodafone Business Solutions Limited, Vodafone Canada Inc, Vodafone Cellular Limited, Vodafone Central Services Limited, Vodafone China Limited (China), Vodafone China Limited (Hong Kong), Vodafone Connect 2 Limited, Vodafone Connect Limited, Vodafone Consolidated Holdings Limited, Vodafone Corporate Limited, Vodafone Corporate Secretaries Limited, Vodafone Czech Republic A.S., Vodafone DC Pension Trustee Company Limited, Vodafone Dagitim Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Data, Vodafone Distribution Holdings Limited, Vodafone Egypt Telecommunications S.A.E., Vodafone Elektronik Para Ve Odeme Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Empresa Brasil Telecomunicacoes Ltda, Vodafone Empresa Mexico S.de R.L. de C.V., Vodafone Enabler Espana S.L., Vodafone Enterprise Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Austria GmbH, Vodafone Enterprise Bahrain W.L.L., Vodafone Enterprise Bulgaria EOOD, Vodafone Enterprise Chile SA, Vodafone Enterprise Communications Technical Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Corporate Secretaries Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Denmark A/S, Vodafone Enterprise Equipment Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Europe (UK) Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Europe (UK) Limited  Czech Branch, Vodafone Enterprise Europe (UK) Limited  DubaiI Branch, Vodafone Enterprise Finland OY, Vodafone Enterprise France SAS, Vodafone Enterprise Germany GmbH, Vodafone Enterprise Global Businesses S.a r.l., Vodafone Enterprise Global Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Global Network HK Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Global Network Pte. Ltd., Vodafone Enterprise Hong Kong Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Italy S.r.L, Vodafone Enterprise Korea Limited, Vodafone Enterprise Luxembourg S.A., Vodafone Enterprise Netherlands BV, Vodafone Enterprise Norway AS, Vodafone Enterprise Regional Business Singapore Pte.Ltd., Vodafone Enterprise Singapore Pte.Ltd, Vodafone Enterprise Spain S.L.U.  Portugal Branch, Vodafone Enterprise Spain SLU, Vodafone Enterprise Sweden AB, Vodafone Enterprise Switzerland AG, Vodafone Erste Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Vodafone Espana S.A.U., Vodafone Euro Hedging Limited, Vodafone Euro Hedging Two, Vodafone Europe B.V., Vodafone Europe UK, Vodafone European Investments, Vodafone European Portal Limited, Vodafone Finance Limited, Vodafone Finance Luxembourg Limited, Vodafone Finance Sweden, Vodafone Finance UK Limited, Vodafone Financial Operations, Vodafone Financial Services B.V., Vodafone Fixed Ltd, Vodafone Foundation, Vodafone Foundation Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Gestioni S.p.A, Vodafone Ghana Mobile Financial Services Limited, Vodafone Global Content Services Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise (Hong Kong) Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise (Italy) S.R.L., Vodafone Global Enterprise (Japan) K.K., Vodafone Global Enterprise (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Vodafone Global Enterprise Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise Russia LLC, Vodafone Global Enterprise Taiwan Limited, Vodafone Global Enterprise Telecommunications (Hellas) A.E., Vodafone Global Network Limited, Vodafone Global Network Limited  Slovakia Branch, Vodafone Global Services Private Limited, Vodafone GmbH, Vodafone Group (Directors) Trustee Limited, Vodafone Group Pension Trustee Limited, Vodafone Group Services GmbH, Vodafone Group Services Ireland Limited, Vodafone Group Services Limited, Vodafone Group Services No.2 Limited, Vodafone Group Share Trustee Limited, Vodafone Hire Limited, Vodafone Holding A.S., Vodafone Holdings (Jersey) Limited, Vodafone Holdings (SA) Proprietary Limited, Vodafone Holdings Europe S.L.U., Vodafone Holdings Luxembourg Limited, Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Limited, Vodafone Hutchison Finance Pty Limited, Vodafone Hutchison Receivables Pty Limited, Vodafone IP Licensing Limited, Vodafone India Digital Limited, Vodafone India Limited, Vodafone India Services Private Limited, Vodafone India Ventures Limited, Vodafone Institut fur Gesellschaft und Kommunikation GmbH, Vodafone Intermediate Enterprises Limited, Vodafone International 1 S.a.r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone International 1 S.a r.l., Vodafone International 2 Limited, Vodafone International Holdings B.V., Vodafone International Holdings Limited, Vodafone International M S.a r.l., Vodafone International Operations Limited, Vodafone International Services LLC, Vodafone Investment UK, Vodafone Investments (SA) Proprietary Limited, Vodafone Investments Australia Limited, Vodafone Investments Limited, Vodafone Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Vodafone Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone Ireland Distribution Limited, Vodafone Ireland Ltd., Vodafone Ireland Marketing Limited, Vodafone Ireland Property Holdings Limited, Vodafone Ireland Retail Limited, Vodafone Italia S.p.A., Vodafone Jersey Dollar Holdings Limited, Vodafone Jersey Finance, Vodafone Jersey Yen Holdings Unlimited, Vodafone Kabel Deutschland Field Services GmbH, Vodafone Kabel Deutschland GmbH, Vodafone Kabel Deutschland Kundenbetreuung GmbH, Vodafone Kenya Limited, Vodafone Leasing Limited, Vodafone Libertel B.V., Vodafone Limited, Vodafone Luxembourg 5 S.a r.l., Vodafone Luxembourg 5 S.a r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone Luxembourg S.a r.l., Vodafone Luxembourg S.a r.l. Luxembourg Zweigniederlassung Bern, Vodafone M-PESA SH.P.K., Vodafone M-Pesa S.A, Vodafone M.C. Mobile Services Limited , Vodafone Magyarorszag Mobile Tavkozlesi Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Vodafone Malta Limited, Vodafone Marketing UK , Vodafone Maroc SARL, Vodafone Mauritius Ltd., Vodafone Mobile Commerce Limited, Vodafone Mobile Communications Limited, Vodafone Mobile Enterprises Limited, Vodafone Mobile NZ Limited, Vodafone Mobile Network Limited, Vodafone Mobile Operations Limited, Vodafone Mobile Services Limited, Vodafone Multimedia Limited, Vodafone Nederland Holding I B.V., Vodafone Nederland Holding II B.V., Vodafone Nederland Holding III B.V., Vodafone Net Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Network Pty Limited, Vodafone New Zealand Foundation Limited, Vodafone New Zealand Limited, Vodafone Next Generation Services Limited, Vodafone Nominees Limited1, Vodafone ONO S.A.U., Vodafone Oceania Limited, Vodafone Old Show Ground Site Management Limited, Vodafone Overseas Finance Limited, Vodafone Overseas Holdings Limited, Vodafone Panafon International Holdings B.V., Vodafone Panafon UK, Vodafone Partner Services Limited, Vodafone Payment Solutions S.a r.l., Vodafone Portugal  Comunicacoes Pessoais S.A., Vodafone Procurement Company S.a r.l., Vodafone Property Investments Limited, Vodafone Pty Limited, Vodafone Qatar Q.S.C., Vodafone Retail (Holdings) Limited , Vodafone Retail Limited, Vodafone Roaming Services S.a r.l., Vodafone Romania S.A, Vodafone Romania M - Payments SRL, Vodafone Romania Technologies SRL, Vodafone Sales & Services Limited, Vodafone Satellite Services Limited, Vodafone Servicios SL.U, Vodafone Servizi E Tecnologie S.R.L, Vodafone Servicos Empresariais Brasil Ltda., Vodafone Shared Services Romania SRL, Vodafone Specialist Communications Limited, Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland Gemeinnutzige GmbH, Vodafone Technology Solutions Limited, Vodafone Teknoloji Hizmetleri A.S., Vodafone Tele-Services (India) Holdings Limited, Vodafone Telecel-Comunicates Pessoais S.A., Vodafone Telecommunications (India) Limited, Vodafone Telekomunikasyon A.S, Vodafone Towers Limited, Vodafone UK Content Services Limited, Vodafone UK Investments Limited , Vodafone UK Limited1 , Vodafone US Inc, Vodafone Ventures Limited1 , Vodafone Vierte Verwaltungs AG, Vodafone Worldwide Holdings Limited, Vodafone Yen Finance Limited , Vodafone m-pesa Limited, Vodafone-Central Limited Vodaphone Limited, Vodafone-Panafon Hellenic Telecommunications Company S.A., VodafoneZiggo Group Holding B.V, Vodata Limited , Vouchercloud SA (Pty) Ltd, Wataneya Telecommunications S.A.E, Waterberg Lodge (Proprietary) Limited, Wayfinder, Wheatfields Investments 276 (Proprietary) Limited, Wireless Interactions & NFC Accelerator 2013 B.V., Woodend Cellular Limited, Woodend Communications Limited, Woodend Group Limited, Woodend Holdings Limited, XB Facilities B.V, XLink Communications (Proprietary) Limited, Your Communications Group Limited, ZUM B.V., ZYB, Zelitron S.A., Zesko B.V., Ziggo B.V., Ziggo Bond Company B.V., Ziggo Deelnemingen B.V., Ziggo Finance 2 B.V., Ziggo Financing Partnership, Ziggo Holding B.V., Ziggo Netwerk B.V., Ziggo Netwerk II B.V., Ziggo Services B.V., Ziggo Services Employment B.V., Ziggo Services Netwerk 2 B.V., Ziggo Zakelijk Services B.V., and Zoranet Connectivity Services B.V..
WestJet Airlines Ltd. provides scheduled airline services and travel packages. The company offers scheduled flights, as well as cargo and charter services. It also operates WestJet Vacations that provides air, hotel, car, and excursion packages; WestJet Encore, a regional airline with a fleet of turboprop aircraft in a network of destinations in Canada and the United States; and Swoop, an ultra-low-cost carrier for air transportation. As of December 31, 2018, it operated a fleet of 115 Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft, 11 Boeing MAX 737 aircraft, 47 Bombardier Q400 aircraft, and 4 Boeing 767-300 ERW aircraft for approximately 100 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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Worldpay, Inc., through its subsidiary, Worldpay Holding, LLC, provides electronic payment processing services in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australasia. It operates in two segments, Technology Solutions, Merchant Solutions, and Issuer Solutions. The company offers merchant acquiring and payment processing services, such as authorization and settlement, customer service, chargeback and retrieval processing, and interchange management. It also provides value-added services, such data analytics and information management solutions, foreign currency management, and various funding options; and security solutions, including point-to-point encryption and tokenization at the point of sale and for e-commerce transactions. In addition, the company offers card issuer processing, payment network processing, fraud protection, card production, prepaid program management, automated teller machine driving, portfolio optimization, data analytics, and card program marketing, as well as network gateway and switching services. Further, it provides card and statement production, and collections and inbound/outbound call centers. The company serves merchants and financial institutions comprising regional banks, community banks, credit unions, and regional personal identification number networks through direct sales forces and referral partners. The company was formerly known as Vantiv, Inc. and changed its name to Worldpay, Inc. in January 2018. Worldpay, Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. is a supplier of precision instruments and services. The firm manufactures weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial, packaging, logistics, and food retailing applications. It also manufactures several related analytical instruments and provides automated chemistry solutions used in drug and chemical compound discovery and development; and also, metal detection and other end-of-line inspection systems used in production and packaging and provides solutions for use in certain process analytics applications. Its operations are conducted by the following segments: U. S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations and Other. The U.S. Operations segment represents certain of the company's marketing and producing organizations located in the United States. The Swiss Operations segment includes marketing and producing organizations located in Switzerland, as well as extensive R&D operations that are responsible for the development, production, and marketing of precision instruments, including weighing, analytical, and measurement technologies for use in a variety of industrial and laboratory applications. Th

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iShares MSCI Canada ETF's stock was trading at $23.42 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWC stock has increased by 70.8% and is now trading at $40.00.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. The firm specializes in early stage, acquisition, distressed investments, short-term financing to mid-market companies, corporate carve-outs, recapitalizations, convertible, senior and mezzanine financings, operational and capital structure restructuring, strategic re-direction, turnaround, and under-performing midmarket companies. The firm invest in attractive businesses through the public debt and equity markets or by providing financing. The firm invest in Business services, Industrials and Residential sectors. Through its subsidiaries, the firm invests in the property, power, and infrastructure sectors. Its property business includes owning and managing office properties, developing master planned residential communities, and offering clients bridge and mezzanine lending, alternative assets funds, and financial and advisory services. Through its subsidiaries, the firm operates hydroelectric power facilities, interconnections and transmission facilities in Northeast North America, and development of wind power in Canada. Through its subsidiaries, it invests in specialty funds including private equity and makes direct investments in real estate, energy, and resource assets. The firm launches and manages equity and fixed income mutual funds. It also manages real estate and hedge funds. The firm invests in equity and fixed income markets across the globe. It also invest in British Columbia, United States, Brazil, Australia, Chile, Uruguay, New Zealand. It prefers to invest between $2 million and $500 million in its portfolio companies. The firm also prefers to take both minority and majority stakes in its companies. It was formerly known as Brascan Corp. Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is based in Toronto, Canada with additional offices in Bogota, Colombia, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Calgary, Canada, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Gatineau, Canada, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, London, United Kingdom, Melbourne, Australia, Montreal, Canada, Mumbai, India, New York City, Perth, Australia, Shanghai, China, and Sydney, Australia.

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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 Colgate-Palmolive: 887357 Ontario Inc., COLGALIVE S.A., CP GABA GmbH, CP International Holding C.V., CP West East Investment Limited, Cleaning Dimensions Inc., Colgate (BVI) Limited, Colgate (Guangzhou) Company Limited, Colgate (U.K.) Limited, Colgate Business Services of the Americas S.C., Colgate Flavors and Fragrances Inc., Colgate Global Business Services Private Limited, Colgate Holdings, Colgate Inc., Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals Inc., Colgate Palmolive Ghana Limited, Colgate Palmolive Holding S.Com.P.A., Colgate Palmolive Nouvelle Caledonie Sarl, Colgate Palmolive Tanzania Limited, Colgate Sanxiao Company Limited, Colgate Venture Company Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (America) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Asia) Pte Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive (Blantyre) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Brunei) Sdn Bhn, Colgate-Palmolive (Central America) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Central America) Inc. y Compania Limitada, Colgate-Palmolive (Centro America) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (China) Co. Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive (Costa Rica) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (Dominica) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Dominican Republic) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (East Africa) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Eastern) Pte. Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Egypt) S.A.E., Colgate-Palmolive (Far East) Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive (Fiji) Pte Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Gabon) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (Guyana) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (H.K.) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Hellas) S.A. I.C., Colgate-Palmolive (Hong Kong) Holding Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Kazakhstan) L.L.P., Colgate-Palmolive (Latvia) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive (Middle East Exports) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Myanmar) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (New York) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive (Proprietary) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Research & Development) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Romania) SRL, Colgate-Palmolive (Thailand) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (UK) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Uganda) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Vietnam) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Zambia) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Zimbabwe) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive A.B., Colgate-Palmolive A/S, Colgate-Palmolive Adria Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Argentina S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Asia Pacific Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Asia Pacific Treasury Services Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Belgium S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Bolivia Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Canada Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Caricom Service Co. Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Central European Management Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Chile S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Cia., Colgate-Palmolive Comercial Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Commercial (Hellas) SP LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Commerciale S.A.S., Colgate-Palmolive Commericale S.r.l., Colgate-Palmolive Compania Anonima, Colgate-Palmolive Company Distr. LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Company GmbH, Colgate-Palmolive Cote dIvoire S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Cyprus Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Development Corp., Colgate-Palmolive East West Africa Region (Pty) Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive Enterprises Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Espana S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Europe (Holdings) Sarl, Colgate-Palmolive Europe Sarl, Colgate-Palmolive Finance (UK) plc, Colgate-Palmolive Global Trading Company, Colgate-Palmolive Holding Argentina S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Holding Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Hungary Kft Limited Liability Company, Colgate-Palmolive IHQ Services (Thailand) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Inc. S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Industrial Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Industriel S.A.S., Colgate-Palmolive International Holding LLC, Colgate-Palmolive International LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Investment Co. Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (BVI) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (PNG) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (UK) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Investments Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Israel Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Italia S.r.l., Colgate-Palmolive JSC, Colgate-Palmolive Lanka (Private) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Latin America Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Manufacturing (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive Marketing Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive Maroc S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Mocambique Limitada, Colgate-Palmolive NJ Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Nederland B.V., Colgate-Palmolive Norge A/S, Colgate-Palmolive Participacoes e Investimentos Imobiliarios Lda., Colgate-Palmolive Peru S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Philippines Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Pty Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive Retirement Trustee Limited, Colgate-Palmolive S.A. de C.V., Colgate-Palmolive S.p.A., Colgate-Palmolive Senegal S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Services (Hellas) LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Services (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive Services CEW GmbH, Colgate-Palmolive Services S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Slovensko s.r.o., Colgate-Palmolive Support Services, Colgate-Palmolive Temizlik Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticart S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Transnational Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Ukraine LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Unipessoal Lda, Colgate-Palmolive de Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Colgate-Palmolive de Puerto Rico Inc., Colgate-Palmolive del Ecuador S.A.I.C., Colgate-Palmolive del Peru (Delaware) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Eeska republika spol. s r.o., Colpal CBS S de R. L. de C. V., Consumer Viewpoint Center Inc., Cotelle S.A., Dimac Development Corp., Dominica Coconut Products Limited, EKIB Inc., ELM Company Limited, Elta MD Holdings Inc., Elta MD Inc., EltaMD, Filorga Americas Inc., Filorga Asia Limited, Filorga Benelux SA, Filorga Cosmetiques Polska, Filorga Middle East DMCC, Filorga Portugal Unipessoal Lda., Filorga RU Limited Liability Company, GABA Europe Holding GmbH, GABA International, GABA International Holding LLC, GABA Schweiz AG, GABA Therwil GmbH, Gamma Development Co. Ltd., Global Trading and Supply LLC, Hamol Ltd., Hello Products, Hello Products LLC, Hills Funding Company, Hills Pet Nutrition (NZ) Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Asia Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Canada Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Denmark ApS, Hills Pet Nutrition Espana S.L., Hills Pet Nutrition GmbH, Hills Pet Nutrition Holding B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Indiana Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Italia S.r.l., Hills Pet Nutrition Korea Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Manufacturing B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Manufacturing s.r.o, Hills Pet Nutrition Norway AS, Hills Pet Nutrition OOO, Hills Pet Nutrition Pty. Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition S.p.A., Hills Pet Nutrition SNC, Hills Pet Nutrition Sales Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition South Africa Proprietary Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition Sweden AB, Hills Pet Nutrition Switzerland GmbH, Hills Pet Nutrition Taiwan Ltd, Hills Pet Nutrition Trading (GZ) Co. Ltd, Hills Pet Nutrition de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hills Pet Nutrition de Puerto Rico Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition s.r.o., Hills Pet Products (Benelux) S.A., Hills Pet Products Inc., Hills Veterinary Companies of America Inc., Hills-Colgate (Japan) Ltd., Hopro Liquidating Corp., Hygiene Systemes et Services SA, IES Enterprises Inc., Inmobiliaria Colpal S. de R.L. de C.V., Inmobiliaria Hills S.A. de C.V., Innovacion Creativa S.A. de C.V., Kolynos Corporation, Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques Espana S.L.U., Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques Italia S.R.L., Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques S.A., Laser Brand Toothpaste, Lournay Sales Inc., Mennen Company, Mennen Interamerica Ltd., Mennen Limited, Mennen South Africa Ltd., Mennen de Chile Ltd., Mennen de Nicargua S.A., Mission Hills Property Corporation, Mission Hills S.A. de C.V., Norwood International Incorporated, Olive Music Publishing Corporation, PCA SKIN, Paramount Research Inc., Penny LLC, Pet Chemicals Inc., Physicians Care Alliance LLC, Productos Halogenados Copalven C.A., Purity Holding Company, Purity Music Publishing Corporation, Refresh Company Limited, Samuel Taylor Holdings B.V., Sanex, Sanxiao Company Limited, Services Development Co. Ltd., Societe Generale de Negoce et de Services (GENESE) S.A., The GDN - The Global Distributive Network SAS, The Lournay Company Inc., The MPDP - The Medical and Pharmaceutic Distributive Platform SAS, The Murphy-Phoenix Company, Tom's of Maine, Toms of Maine Holdings Inc., Toms of Maine Inc., Veterinary Companies of America Inc., Vipont Pharmaceutical Inc., and XEB Inc..
The following companies are subsidiares of Crown: Adularia Inversiones 2010 S.L., Angleboard Sweden AB, Bates Cargo-Pak ApS, Butimove, CMB Machinery and Technology (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CROWN AP (Thailand) Company Limited, CROWN Aerosols & Promotional Nederland, CROWN Aerosols Italia Srl, CROWN Aerosols Nederland BV, CROWN Aerosols UK Limited, CROWN Americas LLC, CROWN Arabia Can Company Ltd, CROWN Asia Pacific Holdings Pte. Ltd., CROWN Asia Pacific Investments (T) Limited, CROWN Bevcan Espana S.L., CROWN Bevcan France SAS, CROWN Bevcan Slovakia s.r.o., CROWN Bevcan Turkiye Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, CROWN Bevcan and Closures (Thailand) Company Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans (Cambodia) Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans (Dong Nai) Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Beijing Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Changchun Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Danang Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hangzhou Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hanoi Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Heshan Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Hong Kong Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Huizhou Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Malaysia Sdn Bhd, CROWN Beverage Cans Nanning Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Putian Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Saigon Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Shanghai Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Sihanoukville Limited, CROWN Beverage Cans Singapore Pte. Ltd., CROWN Beverage Cans Ziyang Limited, CROWN Beverage Packaging LLC, CROWN Beverage Packaging Puerto Rico Inc., CROWN Cans Ghana Limited, CROWN China Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited, CROWN Commercial Belgium BVBA, CROWN Commercial France SAS, CROWN Commercial Germany GmbH & Co. KG, CROWN Commercial Hungary Kft, CROWN Commercial Netherlands B.V., CROWN Commercial Vermogensverwaltung GmbH, CROWN Cork & Seal USA Inc., CROWN Embalagens Metalicas da Amazonia S.A., CROWN Emballage France SAS, CROWN Emirates Company Limited, CROWN Envases Mexico S.A. de C.V., CROWN Famosa S.A. de C.V., CROWN Food Packaging (Thailand) Public Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan (Hat Yai) Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan (Nakhon Pathom) Company Limited, CROWN Foodcan Germany GmbH, CROWN Foodcan GmbH, CROWN Imballaggi Italia Srl, CROWN Imgallaggi Italia Srl, CROWN Italy Finance srl, CROWN Khmer Beverage Cans Limited, CROWN Maghreb Can, CROWN Magyarorszag Csomagoloipari KFT, CROWN Metal Packaging Canada Inc., CROWN Metal Packaging Canada LP, CROWN Middle East Can Co. Ltd., CROWN Packaging (Barbados) Limited, CROWN Packaging Holdings LLC, CROWN Packaging Investment (H.K.) Limited, CROWN Packaging Ireland Ltd, CROWN Packaging Jamaica Limited, CROWN Packaging Polska Sp.z.o.o., CROWN Packaging Technology Inc., CROWN Packaging Trinidad Limited, CROWN Packaging UK Limited, CROWN Promotional Packaging UK Ltd, CROWN SIEM, CROWN Senegal, CROWN Societe Malgache d'Emballages Metalliques, CROWN Speciality Packaging BV, CROWN Speciality Packaging Investment Pte. Ltd., CROWN Specialty Packaging UK Ltd, CROWN TCP Beverage Cans Company Limited, CROWN Verpakking Belgie NV, CROWN Verpakking Nederland B.V., Caretex Asia Ltd., CarnaudMetalbox Engineering Ltd, CarnaudMetalbox Food South Africa (Pty) Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Group UK Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Overeseas Limited, CarnaudMetalbox Overseas Limited, Cierres Hermeticos S.A. DE C.V., Constar International, Crown Americas Capital Corp., Crown Americas Capital Corp. II, Crown Americas Capital Corp. III, Crown Americas Capital Corp. IV, Crown Americas Capital Corp. V, Crown Americas Capital Corp. VI, Crown Brasil Holdings Ltda., Crown Canadian Holdings ULC, Crown Closures Spain S.L., Crown Colombiana S.A., Crown Comercial de Envases S.L., Crown Commercial Italy Srl, Crown Commercial Polska Sp. z.o.o., Crown Consultants Inc., Crown Cork & Seal Company (DE) LLC, Crown Cork & Seal Company Inc., Crown Cork & Seal Deutschland Holdings GmbH, Crown Cork & Seal Receivables (DE) Corporation, Crown Cork & Seal de Portugal Embalagens S.A., Crown Cork Kuban, Crown Cork and Seal Receivables II LLC, Crown Developpement SAS, Crown European Holdings, Crown Food Espana S.A.U., Crown Foodcan Turkey Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Crown Hellas Can Packaging SA, Crown Heshan Trading Company Limited, Crown Holdings Italia Srl, Crown Holdings Spain S.L., Crown International Holdings B.V., Crown International Holdings Inc., Crown Luxembourg Holdings, Crown Mexican Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., Crown Overseas Investments B.V., Crown Packaging Commercial UK Limited, Crown Packaging Distribution UK Limited, Crown Packaging European Division GmbH, Crown Packaging European Division Services SAS, Crown Packaging European Holdings GmbH, Crown Packaging Lux I S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Lux II S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Lux III S.a.r.l., Crown Packaging Manufacturing UK Limited, Crown Packaging Maroc, Crown Receivables III, Crown Services Iberia, Crown UK Holdings Limited, Crownway Insurance Company, Dacro B.V., EMPAQUE, Fabricas Monterrey S.A. de C.V., Form Koruyucu Ambalaj Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Foshan Continental Can Co. Limited, Foshan Crown Easy-Opening End Co. Limited, Glass & Silice S.A. DE C.V., Globoplastt s.r.o., Gunther S.A.S., Haloila Bulgaria EOOD, Interstrap B.V., Josef Kihlberg AB, Kiwiplan GmbH, Kiwiplan Inc, Lachenmeier ApS, Liljendals Bruk AB, Litec France S.A.S., Mezger Heftsysteme GmbH, Mima Films S.a.r.l., Mima Films Sprl, Mima Packaging Systems S.A.S., Mivisa, Nordic S.A.S., Norsk Signode AS, Oy M. Haloila AB, PT CROWN Beverage Cans Indonesia, Package Design and Manufacturing, Prolatamex S.A. DE C.V., Quandel Verpackungs- und Foerdertechnik GmbH, SMB Schwede Maschinenbau GmbH, SMP Schwede Maschinenbau Weischlitz GmbH, SPG Denmark, SPG France Holdings SAS, SPG Germany Service Management GmbH, SPG Industrial Packaging S.a.r.l, SPG Netherlands B.V., SPG Packaging Ireland Limited, SPG Packaging Systems GmbH, SPG Packaging UK Ltd, Scybele S.A.S., Shippers Europe S.p.r.l., Signode BVBA, Signode Brasileira Ltda, Signode Hong Kong Limited, Signode Industrial Group, Signode Industrial Group AB, Signode Industrial Group Colombia S.A.S., Signode Industrial Group GmbH, Signode Industrial Group Holdings Lux S.a.r.l., Signode Industrial Group Holdings US Inc, Signode Industrial Group Lux S.A., Signode Industrial Group Mexico, Signode Industrial Group Sweden AB, Signode International Holdings LLC, Signode International IP Holdings LLC, Signode International Investment LLC, Signode Kabushiki Kaisha, Signode Korea Inc, Signode NZ Limited, Signode Netherlands B.V., Signode Packaging (Qingdao) Co., Signode Packaging (Shanghai) Co., Signode Packaging Espana S.L., Signode Packaging Group (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Signode Packaging Group Australia Pty Ltd, Signode Packaging Group Canada ULC, Signode Packaging Group NZ, Signode Packaging Systems Limited, Signode Pickling Holding LLC, Signode Polska sp. Z.o.o., Signode Singapore Pte. Ltd., Signode Sweden Holdings AB, Signode System GmbH, Signode System Packaging GmbH & Co. KG, Signode Systems (Thailand) Ltd., Signode US IP Holdings LLC, Silice De Veracruz S.A. DE C. V., Silice Del Istmo S.A. DE C.V., Silices De Veracruz, Societe Civile Immobiliere Rousseau-Ivry, Societe Civile Immobiliere des Baquets, Societe de Participations CarnaudMetalbox, Stopak India Pvt. Ltd, Strapex Austria GmbH, Strapex Embalagem L.d.a., Strapex Holdings Limited, Strapex S.A.S., Strapex Srl, Superior Investments Holdings Pte. Ltd., Superior Multi-Packaging Limited, TopFrame LLC, V.A.C. B.V., Vichisa S.A. de C.V., and Warehouse Automation Iberia S.L..
DX (Group) plc, through its subsidiaries, provides parcel freight, secure, courier, and logistics services in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It operates through two divisions, DX Freight and DX Express. The DX Freight division collects and delivers larger and heavier products, including those with irregular dimensions and weight to business and residential addresses nationwide. The DX Express division offers collection and express delivery of time sensitive, mission critical, and high value items for B2B and B2C customers. It serves customers in e-commerce, retail, health, optical, pharmacies, public sector, legal, and financial industries. The company was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Datchet, the United Kingdom.

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The following companies are subsidiares of 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..
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.
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.

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Goldman Sachs Hedge Industry VIP ETF's stock was trading at $54.68 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, GVIP stock has increased by 92.7% and is now trading at $105.3425.

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KBR, Inc. engages in the provision of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program life-cycle within the government services and hydrocarbons industries. It operates through the following segments: Government Solutions, Technology Solutions, Energy Solutions, Non-strategic Business, and Other. The Government Solutions segment provides full life-cycle support solutions to defense, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies. The Technology Solutions segment combines KBR's proprietary technologies, equipment, and catalyst supply and associated knowledge-based services into a global business for refining, petrochemicals, inorganic, and specialty chemicals as well as gasification, syngas, ammonia, nitric acid, and fertilizers. The Energy Solutions segment provides full life-cycle support solutions across the upstream, midstream and downstream hydrocarbons markets. The Non-strategic Business segment represents the operations or activities which the company intends to exit upon completion of existing contracts. The Other segment includes corporate expenses and general and administrative expenses not all

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The following companies are subsidiares of Lloyds Banking Group: A G Finance Ltd, A.C.L. Ltd, ACL Autolease Holdings Ltd, ADF No.1 Pty Ltd, Addison Social Housing Holdings Ltd, Alex Lawrie Factors Ltd, Alex. Lawrie Receivables Financing Ltd, Amberdate Ltd, Anglo Scottish Utilities Partnership 1, Aquilus Ltd, Automobile Association Personal Finance Ltd, BOS (Ireland) Property Services 2 Ltd, BOS (Ireland) Property Services Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland) No. 2) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland) No. 3) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland)) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 1 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 2 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 3 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 4 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 5 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 6 plc, BOS (USA) Fund Investments Inc., BOS (USA) Inc., BOS Edinburgh No 1 Ltd, BOS Mistral Ltd, BOS Personal Lending Ltd, BOSSAF Rail Ltd, Bank of Scotland (B G S) Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland (Stanlife) London Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Branch Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Central Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Edinburgh Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Equipment Finance Ltd, Bank of Scotland Foundation, Bank of Scotland LNG Leasing (No 1) Ltd, Bank of Scotland London Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Nominees (Unit Trusts) Ltd, Bank of Scotland P.E.P. Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Structured Asset Finance Ltd, Bank of Scotland Transport Finance 1 Ltd, Bank of Scotland plc, Bank of Wales Ltd, Barents Leasing Ltd, Barnwood Mortgages Ltd, Birchcrown Finance Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Financial Services Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Land Development Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Mortgage Services Ltd, Black Horse (TRF) Ltd, Black Horse Executive Mortgages Ltd, Black Horse Finance Holdings Ltd, Black Horse Finance Management Ltd, Black Horse Group Ltd, Black Horse Ltd, Black Horse Offshore Ltd, Black Horse Property Services Ltd, Boltro Nominees Ltd, British Linen Leasing (London) Ltd, British Linen Leasing Ltd, British Linen Shipping Ltd, C.T.S.B. Leasing Ltd, CBRail S.A.R.L., CF Asset Finance Ltd, CF1 Ltd, CM Venture Investments Ltd, Cancara Asset Securitisation Ltd, Capital 1945 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 12 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 3 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 5 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 9 Ltd, Capital Bank Property Investments (3) Ltd, Capital Personal Finance Ltd, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation 2018-1 Plc, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation 2019-1 Plc, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Cardnet Merchant Services Ltd, Cashfriday Ltd, Cashpoint Ltd, Caveminster Ltd, Cedar Holdings Ltd, Celsius European Lux 2 S.A.R.L., Central Mortgage Finance Ltd, Chariot Finance Ltd, Cheltenham & Gloucester plc, Cheltenham II Securities 2020 DAC, Cheltenham Securities 2017 Ltd, Chepstow Blue Holdings Ltd, Chepstow Blue plc, Chester Asset Options No.2 Ltd, Chester Asset Options No.3 Ltd, Chester Asset Receivables Dealings Issuer Ltd, Chester Asset Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Chester Asset Securitisation Holdings No.2 Ltd, Chiswell Stockbrokers Ltd, Clerical Medical Finance plc, Clerical Medical Financial Services Ltd, Clerical Medical International Holdings B.V., Clerical Medical Investment Fund Managers Ltd, Clerical Medical Managed Funds Ltd, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Guadalix Hold Co BV, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Guadalix Spanish Prop Co SL, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Megapark Hold Co BV, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Megapark Prop Co SA, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Property Company S.A.R.L., Cloak Lane Funding S.A.R.L., Cloak Lane Investments S.A.R.L., Conquest Securities Ltd, Corbiere Asset Investments Ltd, Create Services Ltd, Credit Card Securitisation Europe Ltd, Dalkeith Corporation, Deva Financing Holdings Ltd, Deva Financing plc, Deva One Ltd, Deva Three Ltd, Deva Two Ltd, Dunstan Investments (UK) Ltd, Edgbaston RMBS 2010-1 plc, Edgbaston RMBS Holdings Ltd, Elland RMBS 2018 plc, Elland RMBS Holdings Ltd, Eurolead Services Holdings Ltd, First Retail Finance (Chester) Ltd, Fontwell Securities 2016 Ltd, Forthright Finance Ltd, France Industrial Premises Holding Company, General Leasing (No. 12) Ltd, General Reversionary and Investment Company, Gresham Nominee 1 Ltd, Gresham Nominee 2 Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 1) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 10) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 11) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 12) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 13) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 14) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 15) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 16) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 19) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 20) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 21) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 22) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 23) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 24) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 25) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 26) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 27) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 28) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 29) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 3) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 30) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 31) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 32) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 33) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 34) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 35) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 36) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 37) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 38) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 39) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 40) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 41) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 44) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 45) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 46) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 47) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 48) UK Ltd, Guildhall Asset Purchasing Company (No 3) Ltd, Guildhall Asset Purchasing Company (No.11) UK Ltd, HBOS Covered Bonds LLP, HBOS Final Salary Trust Ltd, HBOS Financial Services Ltd, HBOS Insurance & Investment Group Ltd, HBOS International Financial Services Holdings Ltd, HBOS Investment Fund Managers Ltd, HBOS Social Housing Covered Bonds LLP, HBOS UK Ltd, HBOS plc, HSDL Nominees Ltd, HVF Ltd, Halifax Credit Card Ltd, Halifax Financial Brokers Ltd, Halifax Financial Services (Holdings) Ltd, Halifax Financial Services Ltd, Halifax General Insurance Services Ltd, Halifax Group Ltd, Halifax Investment Services Ltd, Halifax Leasing (June) Ltd, Halifax Leasing (March No.2) Ltd, Halifax Leasing (September) Ltd, Halifax Life Ltd, Halifax Loans Ltd, Halifax Ltd, Halifax Mortgage Services Ltd, Halifax Nominees Ltd, Halifax Pension Nominees Ltd, Halifax Premises Ltd, Halifax Share Dealing Ltd, Halifax Vehicle Leasing (1998) Ltd, Heidi Finance Holdings (UK) Ltd, Hill Samuel Bank Ltd, Hill Samuel Finance Ltd, Hill Samuel Leasing Co. Ltd, Home Shopping Personal Finance Ltd, Horizon Capital 2000 Ltd, Housing Association Risk Transfer 2019 DAC, Housing Growth Partnership GP LLP, Housing Growth Partnership LP, Housing Growth Partnership Ltd, Housing Growth Partnership Manager Ltd, Hyundai Car Finance Ltd, IBOS Finance Ltd, ICC Enterprise Partners Ltd, ICC Equity Partners Ltd, ICC Holdings Unlimited Company, Inchcape Financial Services Ltd, Intelligent Finance Financial Services Ltd, Intelligent Finance Software Ltd, International Motors Finance Ltd, Kanaalstraat Funding C.V., Katrine Leasing Ltd, LB Healthcare Trustee Ltd, LB Motorent Ltd, LB Quest Ltd, LB Share Schemes Trustees Ltd, LBCF Ltd, LBG Brasil Administracao LTDA, LBG Capital Holdings Ltd, LBG Equity Investments Ltd, LBI Leasing Ltd, LDC (General Partner) Ltd, LDC (Managers) Ltd, LDC (Nominees) Ltd, LDC GP LLP, LDC I LP, LDC II LP, LDC III LP, LDC IV LP, LDC Parallel (Nominees) Ltd, LDC V LP, LDC VI LP, LDC VII LP, LDC VIII LP, LTGP Limited Partnership Incorporated, Legacy Renewal Company Ltd, Leicester Securities 2014 Ltd, Lex Autolease (CH) Ltd, Lex Autolease (VC) Ltd, Lex Autolease Carselect Ltd, Lex Autolease Ltd, Lex Vehicle Finance 2 Ltd, Lex Vehicle Leasing (Holdings) Ltd, Lex Vehicle Leasing Ltd, Lime Street (Funding) Ltd, Lingfield 2014 I Holdings Ltd, Lingfield 2014 I plc, Lloyds (Gresham) Ltd, Lloyds (Gresham) No. 1 Ltd, Lloyds (Nimrod) Specialist Finance Ltd, Lloyds America Securities Corporation1, Lloyds Asset Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Branches) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Colonial & Foreign) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Fountainbridge 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Fountainbridge 2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (I.D.) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (International Services) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Stock Exchange Branch) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Asset Finance Ltd, Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Ltd, Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Scotland Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (HP) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.3) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.4) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets Wertpapierhandelsbank GmbH, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds (LM) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds LLP, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 7) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 9) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Financial Services (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales, Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands, Lloyds Bank General Insurance Holdings Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Insurance Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 11) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 17) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 20) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 3) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 5) Ltd, Lloyds Bank GmbH, Lloyds Bank Hill Samuel Holding Company Ltd, Lloyds Bank Insurance Services Ltd, Lloyds Bank International Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing (No. 6) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing (No. 8) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Bank MTCH Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 10) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 13) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 17) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No.16) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Offshore Pension Trust Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pension ABCS (No. 1) LLP, Lloyds Bank Pension ABCS (No. 2) LLP, Lloyds Bank Pension Trust (No. 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pension Trust (No. 2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pensions Property (Guernsey) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Properties Ltd, Lloyds Bank Property Company Ltd, Lloyds Bank S.F. Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Subsidiaries Ltd, Lloyds Bank Trustee Services Ltd, Lloyds Bank plc, Lloyds Banking Group Pensions Trustees Ltd, Lloyds Capital GP Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Properties Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Property Investments Ltd, Lloyds Corporate Services (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Development Capital (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Engine Capital (No.1) U.S LLC, Lloyds Far East S.A.R.L., Lloyds General Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Group Holdings (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Holdings (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Hypotheken B.V., Lloyds Industrial Leasing Ltd, Lloyds International Pty Ltd, Lloyds Investment Bonds Ltd, Lloyds Investment Fund Managers Ltd, Lloyds Investment Securities No.5 Ltd, Lloyds Leasing (North Sea Transport) Ltd1, Lloyds Leasing Developments Ltd, Lloyds Nominees (Guernsey) Ltd, Lloyds Offshore Global Services Private Ltd, Lloyds Plant Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Portfolio Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Premises Investments Ltd, Lloyds Project Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No. 3 Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No. 4 Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No.5 Ltd, Lloyds Secretaries Ltd, Lloyds Securities Inc., Lloyds TSB Pacific Ltd, Lloyds UDT Asset Leasing Ltd, Lloyds UDT Asset Rentals Ltd, Lloyds UDT Hiring Ltd, Lloyds UDT Leasing Ltd, Lloyds UDT Ltd, Lloyds Your Tomorrow Trustee Ltd, Loans.co.uk Ltd, London Taxi Finance Ltd, London Uberior (L.A.S. Group) Nominees Ltd, Lotus Finance Ltd, MBNA, MBNA Direct Ltd, MBNA Europe Finance Ltd, MBNA Europe Holdings Ltd, MBNA General Foundation, MBNA Global Services Ltd, MBNA Indian Services Private Ltd, MBNA Ltd, MBNA R & L S.A.R.L., MBNA Receivables Ltd, Mainsearch Company Ltd, Maritime Leasing (No. 19) Ltd, Membership Services Finance Ltd, Mitre Street Funding S.A.R.L., Molineux RMBS 2016-1 plc, Molineux RMBS Holdings Ltd, Moor Lane Holdings Ltd, NFU Mutual Finance Ltd, NWS Trust Ltd, Nominees (Jersey) Ltd, Nordic Leasing Ltd, Ocean Leasing (July) Ltd, Oystercatcher Nominees Ltd, Oystercatcher Residential Ltd, PIPS Asset Investments Ltd, Pacific Leasing Ltd, Penarth Asset Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Penarth Funding 1 Ltd, Penarth Funding 2 Ltd, Penarth Master Issuer plc, Penarth Receivables Trustee Ltd, Pensions Management (S.W.F.) Ltd, Peony Eastern Leasing Ltd, Peony Leasing Ltd, Peony Western Leasing Ltd, Permanent Funding (No. 1) Ltd, Permanent Funding (No. 2) Ltd, Permanent Holdings Ltd, Permanent Master Issuer plc, Permanent Mortgages Trustee Ltd, Permanent PECOH Holdings Ltd, Permanent PECOH Ltd, Perry Nominees Ltd, Prestonfield Investments Ltd, Proton Finance Ltd, R.F. Spencer And Company Ltd, Ranelagh Nominees Ltd, Retail Revival (Burgess Hill) Investments Ltd, SARL Coliseum, SARL Hiram, SAS Compagnie Fonciere De France, SCI Astoria Invest, SCI De LHorloge, SCI Equinoxe, SCI Rambuteau CFF, SW Funding plc, SW No.1 Ltd, SWAMF (GP) Ltd, SWAMF Nominee (1) Ltd, SWAMF Nominee (2) Ltd, Saint Michel Holding Company No1, Saint Michel Investment Property, Saint Witz 2 Holding Company No1, Saint Witz 2 Investment Property, Salisbury II Securities 2016 Ltd, Salisbury II-A Securities 2017 Ltd, Salisbury III Securities 2019 DAC, Salisbury Securities 2015 Ltd, Sandown 2012-2 Holdings Ltd, Sandown 2012-2 plc, Sandown Gold 2012-1 Holdings Ltd, Sandown Gold 2012-1 plc, Savban Leasing Ltd, Scotland International Finance B.V., Scottish Widows Administration Services (Nominees) Ltd, Scottish Widows Administration Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Annuities Ltd, Scottish Widows Auto Enrolment Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Europe, Scottish Widows Financial Services Holdings, Scottish Widows Group Ltd, Scottish Widows Industrial Properties Europe B.V., Scottish Widows Ltd, Scottish Widows Pension Trustees Ltd, Scottish Widows Property Management Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth (ACD) Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Wealth Holdings Ltd, Scottish Widows Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Trustees Ltd, Scottish Widows Unit Funds Ltd, Scottish Widows Unit Trust Managers Ltd, Scottish Widows Fund and Life Assurance Society, Seabreeze Leasing Ltd, Seaspirit Leasing Ltd, Share Dealing Nominees Ltd, Shogun Finance Ltd, Silentdale Ltd, St Andrews Group Ltd, St Andrews Insurance plc, St Andrews Life Assurance plc, St. Marys Court Investments, Standard Property Investment (1987) Ltd, Standard Property Investment Ltd, Sussex County Homes Ltd, Suzuki Financial Services Ltd, Swan Funding 2 Ltd, Syon Securities 2019 DAC, The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation Plc, The British Linen Company Ltd, The Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, The Mortgage Business plc, Thistle Financing Holdings Ltd, Thistle Investments (AMC) Ltd, Thistle Investments (ERM) Ltd, Thistle Leasing, Three Copthall Avenue Ltd, Tower Hill Property Investments (10) Ltd, Tower Hill Property Investments (7) Ltd, Tranquility Leasing Ltd, Trinity Financing plc, UDT Budget Leasing Ltd, UDT Sales Finance Ltd, Uberior (Moorfield) Ltd, Uberior Co-Investments Ltd, Uberior ENA Ltd, Uberior Equity Ltd, Uberior Europe Ltd, Uberior Fund Investments Ltd, Uberior Infrastructure Investments (No.2) Ltd, Uberior Infrastructure Investments Ltd, Uberior Investments Ltd, Uberior Nominees Ltd, Uberior Trading Ltd, Uberior Trustees Ltd, Uberior Ventures Australia Pty Ltd, Uberior Ventures Ltd, United Dominions Leasing Ltd, United Dominions Trust Ltd, Universe The CMI Global Network Fund, Upsaala Ltd, Vine Street IX LP, WCS Ltd, Ward Nominees (Abingdon) Ltd, Ward Nominees (Birmingham) Ltd 1, Ward Nominees (Bristol) Ltd 1, Ward Nominees Ltd 1, Waverley  Fund II Investor LLC, Waverley  Fund III Investor LLC, Waymark Asset Investments Ltd, West Craigs Ltd, Wetherby II Securities 2018 DAC, Wetherby III Securities 2019 DAC, Wetherby Securities 2017 Ltd, Wood Street Leasing Ltd, and Zurich Insurance Group - UK Workplace Pensions and Savings Business.
1 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust in the last twelve months. There are currently 1 hold rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "hold" SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in SPY, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

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The following companies are subsidiares of AMETEK: AMETEK CTS GmbH, AMETEK Germany GmbH, AMETEK Hong Kong Private Limited, AMETEK Instruments Group UK Limited, AMETEK Italia S.r.l., Amekai Singapore Private Ltd., Amekai Taiwan Co. Ltd., Haydon Linear Motors (Changzhou) Co. Ltd., SPECTRO Analytical Instruments Inc., Tubes Holdco Limited, AEM Limited, AIP/MPM Funding Inc., AIP/MPM Holdings Inc., AMESP USVI LLC, AMETEK (Barbados) SRL, AMETEK (Bermuda) Ltd., AMETEK (GB) Limited, AMETEK (Thailand) Co. Ltd., AMETEK Aegis Inc., AMETEK Aerospace & Defense Group UK Ltd, AMETEK Aerospace & Power Holdings Inc., AMETEK Aerospace LLC, AMETEK Aircraft Parts & Accessories Inc., AMETEK Airtechnology Group Limited., AMETEK Ameron LLC, AMETEK Arizona Instrument LLC, AMETEK B.V., AMETEK CTS Europe GmbH, AMETEK CTS US Inc., AMETEK Canada 2 ULC, AMETEK Canada 3 ULC., AMETEK Canada Limited Partnership, AMETEK Co. Ltd., AMETEK Commercial Enterprise Shanghai, AMETEK Costa Rica Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, AMETEK Customer Service S. de R. L. de C.v., AMETEK DE LLC, AMETEK DELCO Inc., AMETEK Denmark A/S, AMETEK Do Brasil Ltda., AMETEK EMG Holdings Inc., AMETEK Elektromotory s.r.o, AMETEK Engineered Materials Sdn. Bhd., AMETEK Europe L.L.C., AMETEK European Holdings GmbH, AMETEK European Holdings Limited, AMETEK Finland Oy, AMETEK Global Tubes LLC, AMETEK Grundbesitz GmbH, AMETEK HSA Inc., AMETEK Haydon Kerk Inc., AMETEK Holdings B.V. also registered as AMETEK Holdings B.V. Delaware Inc.1, AMETEK Holdings SARL, AMETEK Holdings de Mexico S. de R.L., AMETEK Hughes-Treitler, AMETEK Industrial Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., AMETEK Instrumentos S.L., AMETEK Instruments India Private Limited, AMETEK Korea Co. Ltd., AMETEK Lamb Motores de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., AMETEK Land Inc., AMETEK Latin America Holding Company S.a r.l., AMETEK MRO Florida Inc., AMETEK Material Analysis Holdings GmbH, AMETEK Mexico Holding Company LLC, AMETEK Motors Asia Pte. Ltd., AMETEK Nordic AB, AMETEK PIP Holdings Inc., AMETEK Precitech Inc., AMETEK Programmable Power Inc., AMETEK S.A.S., AMETEK S.r.l., AMETEK SCP (Barrow) Limited, AMETEK SCP Inc., AMETEK Singapore Private Ltd., AMETEK Taiwan Co. Ltd., AMETEK Technical & Industrial Products Inc., AMETEK Thermal Systems Inc., AMETEK d.o.o. Subotica., Abaco Systems, Advanced Industries, Advanced Measurement Technology Inc., Aero Components International Corp., Airtechnology Pension Trustees Limited, Akron Standard Bestry (Guangzhou) Measurement Equipment Co. Ltd., Amekai (BVI) Ltd., Amekai Meter (Xiamen) Co. Ltd., Ameron Global Inc, Ametek Advanced Industries Inc., Ametek-Reading Alloys Inc., Amptek Inc., Antavia SAS, Atlas Material Holdings Corporation, Atlas Material Testing Technology (India) Private Limited, Atlas Material Testing Technology BV, Atlas Material Testing Technology GmbH, Atlas Material Testing Technology L.L.C., Atlas Material Testing Technology LLC, Atlas Netherlands AcquisitionCo Cooperatief U.A., Avicenna Technology Inc., Avtech Avionics & Instruments LLC, B&S Aircraft, Brookfield Engineering, CAMECA Instruments Inc., CAMECA SAS, Cameca, Chandler Instruments Company L.L.C., Chandler Instruments Company LLC, Cognex - Surface Inspection Systems Division, Coining Holding Company, Coining Inc., Controls Southeast Inc., Crank, Creaform, Creaform Inc., Creaform Shanghai Ltd., Creaform Software Inc., Creaform U.S.A. Inc., Crystal Engineering Corp, Crystal Engineering Corporation, Direl GmbH, Direl Holding GmbH, Drake Air, Drake Air Inc., Drexelbrook Engineering Company, Dunkermotoren GmbH, Dunkermotoren Taicang Co. Ltd., Dunkermotoren USA Inc., EDAX Inc., EDAX LLC, EGS Automation, EMA Corp., EMA Finance 1 LLC, EMA Finance 2 LLC, EMA Holdings LLC, EMA Holdings UK Limited, EMA MX LLC, EMtest, ESP Holdco Inc., ESP/SurgeX, Electronic Systems Protection Inc., FMH Aerospace Corp., FMH Holdings Corp., FMH Intermediate LLC, Fine Tubes Limited, Forza Silicon Corporation, Frameflair Limited, GS Electric, Gatan, Gatan Inc., Gatan Service Corporation, Gatan U.K. Limited, Glasseal Products Inc., Global Tubes, Grabner Instruments Messtechnik Gesellschaft m.b.H., HCC Industries Inc., HDR Power Systems LLC, HS Foils Oy, Hamilton Precision Metals Inc., Hamilton Precision Metals of Delaware Inc., Haydon Kerk Motion, Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions Inc., Hermetic Seal Corporation, High Standard Aviation, Imago Scientific Instruments, IntelliPower Inc., Land Instruments International Ltd., Laserage Technology Corp, Luphos GmbH, MCG Acquisition Corporation, MOCON Europe A/S, MOCON Inc., Magnetrol International, Micro-Poise Industrial Equipment (Beijing) Ltd., Micro-Poise Measurement Systems LLC, Micro-Poise Measurement Systems LLC, Milmega Limited, Mocon, Motec GmbH, Motec GmbH, Motion Control Group, Muirhead Aerospace Limited, NSI-MI Technologies, Newage Testing Instruments Inc., Nu Instruments Asia Ltd., Nu Instruments Limited, Nu Instruments Ltd, O'Brien Corp, OBCORP LLC., OOO AMETEK, Pacific Design Technologies Inc., Patriot Sensors & Controls Corporation, PennEngineering Motion Technologies, Petrolab L.L.C., Powervar, Powervar Deutschland GmbH, Powervar Inc., Powervar Mexico S.A. de C.V., Precitech, Quizix Inc., RETE Holding GmbH, Rauland-Borg, Rauland-Borg Corporation, Rauland-Borg Corporation of Florida, Reichert Inc., Reichert Technologies, Responder Systems Corporation, Rotron Inc., Rotron Incorporated, SPECTRO Analytical Instruments (Pty) Ltd, SPECTRO Analytical Instruments GmbH, SSH Non-Destructive Testing Inc., Sealtron Inc., Six Brookside Drive Corporation., SkyBitz Inc., SkyBitz Petroleum Logistics LLC, SkyBitz Tank Monitoring Corporation, Solartron Group Ltd., Solartron Metrology Limited, Solidstate Controls Inc. de Argentina S.R.L., Solidstate Controls LLC, Solidstate Controls LLC, Solidstate Controls Mexico S.A. de C.V., Sound Com Corporation, Southern Aero Partners Inc., Southern Aeroparts Inc, Spectro Analytical Instruments Inc., Spectro Holdings Inc., Spectro Inc., Spectro International Holdings Inc., Spectro Scientific, Spectro Scientific (Beijing) Inc., Spectro Scientific Inc., Sterling Ultra Precision Inc., Sunpower, Sunpower Inc., Superior Tube Company Inc., TPM Russia Inc., Taylor Hobson Holdings Limited, Taylor Hobson Inc., Taylor Hobson Limited, Taylor Hobson Trustees Limited, Technical Manufacturing Corp, Technical Manufacturing Corporation, Technical Services for Electronics Inc., Telular Corporation, Telular Corporation, Teseq AG, Thelsha Technical Services, Tritex Corporation, Unispec Marketing Pvt. Ltd., Universal Analyzers Inc., VTI Instruments Corporation, VTI Instruments Private Limited, VTI Integrated Systems Private Limited, Vision Research Europe B.V., Vision Research Inc., Vision Research srl, Zemetrics Inc., Zygo Corporation, Zygo Pte Ltd., Zygo Richmond Corporation, and ZygoLamda Metrology Instrument (Shanghai) Co. Ltd..
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.
Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. provides banking, financial products and services to retail, small business, corporate and institutional clients. It operates its business through the following segments: Australia Retail and Commercial; Institutional; New Zealand; Pacific; and Technology, Services and Operations and Group Centre. The Australia segment comprises the retail and corporate and commercial business units which provides products and services to consumer and private banking customers in Australia via the branch network, mortgage specialists, the contact centres, a variety of self-service channels and and third party brokers; and banking services including traditional relationship banking and financial solutions through managers focusing on privately owned small, medium, and large enterprises as well as the agricultural businesses. The Institutional segment refers to the transaction banking, loans and specialised finance and markets solutions. The New Zealand segment refers to the retail and commercial business units. The Pacific segment offers products and services to retail customers, small to medium-sized enterprises, institutional customers and governments loc

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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.
Fraport AG operates airports in Germany, rest of Europe, Asia, and the United States. The company primarily focuses on the operation of Frankfurt Main airport. It operates through four segments: Aviation, Retail & Real Estate, Ground Handling, and International Activities & Services. The Aviation segment operates landside and airside infrastructure, which covers the area of airport charges. The Retail & Real Estate segment engages in retail activities, including marketing of real estate properties and land. This segment also manages buildings and facilities, and parking and retail areas; and rents advertising space. The Ground Handling segment provides loading, baggage, and passenger services through airmail and luggage transport to freight handling. The International Activities & Services segment acquires, operates, maintains, develops, and expands airports and infrastructure facilities. This segment also offers integrated facility and corporate infrastructure management, airport expansion south, and information and telecommunication services. Fraport AG was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

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The following companies are subsidiares of UnitedHealth Group: 1031387 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, 1070715 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, 1st Avenue Pharmacy Inc., 310 Canyon Medical, 310 Canyon Medical LLC, 4C MSO LLC, 4C Medical Group PLC, 5995 Minnetonka LLC, ABCO International Holdings LLC, ACN Group IPA of New York, ACN Group IPA of New York Inc., ACN Group of California, ACN Group of California Inc., AHJV, AHJV MSO, AHN Accontable Care Organization LLC, AHN Central Services LLC, AHN Target Holdings LLC, AMIL International, AMIL International S.a.r.l., APS  Assistencia Personalizada a Saude Ltda., ARC Infusion, ASC Holdings of New Jersey LLC, ASC Network LLC, ASI Global, ASI Global LLC, Access Administrators Inc., Access HealthSource Administrators Inc., Access HealthSource Inc., Access I.V., Administradora Clinica La Colina S.A.S., Administradora Country S.A., Administradora Medica Centromed S.A., Advanced Care, Advanced Care Pharmacy, Advanced Pharma Inc., Advanced Surgery Center of Clifton LLC, Advanced Surgical Hospital LLC, Advantage Care Network Inc., Advocate Condell Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate Sherman Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate Southwest Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate-SCA Partners LLC, Alere Health, Alere Health Improvement Company, Alere Healthcare of Illinois, Alere Wellbeing, Alere Wellology, Alere of New York, Aliansalud Entidad Promotora de Salud S.A., All Savers Insurance Company, All Savers Life Insurance Company of California, Alliance Surgical Center LLC, Aloha Surgical Center LLC, Ambient Healthcare, Ambient Healthcare Inc., Ambient Healthcare of Central Florida, Ambient Healthcare of Georgia, Ambient Healthcare of Northeast Florida, Ambient Healthcare of S. Florida, Ambient Healthcare of West Florida, Ambient Holdings, Ambient Holdings Inc., Ambient Nursing Services, AmeriChoice, AmeriChoice Corporation, AmeriChoice Health Services, AmeriChoice of Connecticut, AmeriChoice of New Jersey, AmeriChoice of New Jersey Inc., American Health Network of Indiana Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Indiana II LLC, American Health Network of Indiana LLC, American Health Network of Ohio Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Ohio II LLC, American Health Network of Ohio LLC, Amico Saude Ltda., Amil, Amil Assistencia Medica Internacional S.A., Amil Lifesciences Participacoes Ltda., Antelope Valley Surgery Center L.P., Analisis Clinicos ML S.A.C., Apothecary Holdings Inc., Apothecary Shop of Phoenix Inc., AppleCare Medical Management, AppleCare Medical Management LLC, Aquitania Chilean Holding SpA, Arise Physician Group, Arizona Physicians IPA, Arizona Physicians IPA Inc., AssuranceRx, AssuranceRx LLC, Athens ASC Holdings LLC, Audax Health Solutions, Audax Health Solutions LLC, Austin Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Avella Patient Access Program Inc., Avella Specialty Pharmacy, Avella of Austin Inc., Avella of Columbus Inc., Avella of Deer Valley Inc., Avella of Denver Inc., Avella of Gilbert Inc., Avella of Las Vegas II Inc., Avella of Orlando Inc., Avella of Phoenix III Inc., Avella of Sacramento Inc., Avella of Scottsdale Inc., Avella of St. Louis Inc., Avella of Tampa LLC, Avella of Tucson II Inc., Avella of Tucson Inc., Aveta Arizona, Aveta Health Solutions Inc., Aveta Inc., Aveta Kansas City, Aveta Tennessee, AxelaCare Health Solutions, AxelaCare Intermediate Holdings, AxelaCare Intermediate Holdings LLC, AxelaCare LLC, B.R.A.S.S. Partnership in Commendam, Banmedica Colombia SpA, Banmedica Internacional SpA, Banmedica S.A., Beach Surgical Holdings III LLC, Behavioral Healthcare Options, Behavioral Healthcare Options Inc., Belleville Surgical Center Ltd. an Illinois Limited Partnership, Benefit Administration for the Self Employed L.L.C., Benefitter Insurance Solutions Inc., Birmingham Outpatient Surgical Center LLC, Blackstone Valley Surgicare GP LLC, Blue Ridge GP LLC, Bordeaux (Barbados) Holdings I SRL, Bordeaux (Barbados) Holdings II SRL, Bordeaux (Barbados) Holdings III SRL, Bordeaux Holding SpA, Bordeaux International Holdings Inc., Bordeaux UK Holdings I Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings II Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings III Limited, Bosque Medical Center Ltda., Brandon Ambulatory Surgery Center LC, BriovaRx, BriovaRx, BriovaRx Infusion Services, BriovaRx Infusion Services 102 LLC, BriovaRx Infusion Services 200 Inc., BriovaRx Infusion Services 204 Inc., BriovaRx Infusion Services 209 Inc., BriovaRx Infusion Services 305 LLC, BriovaRx Infusion Services 402 LLC, BriovaRx Infusion Services Inc., BriovaRx Specialty LLC, BriovaRx of California, BriovaRx of California Inc., BriovaRx of Florida, BriovaRx of Florida Inc., BriovaRx of Georgia, BriovaRx of Georgia LLC, BriovaRx of Hawaii, BriovaRx of Indiana, BriovaRx of Louisiana, BriovaRx of Louisiana L.L.C., BriovaRx of Maine, BriovaRx of Maine Inc., BriovaRx of Massachusetts, BriovaRx of Massachusetts LLC, BriovaRx of Nevada, BriovaRx of New York, BriovaRx of New York Inc., BriovaRx of Texas, BriovaRx of Texas Inc., CDC Holdings Colombia S.A.S., CLISA  Clinica de Santo Antonio S.A., CMO  Centro Medico de Oftalmologia S/S Ltda., CMS  Central de Manipulacao e Servicos Farmaceuticos S.A., CNIC Health Solutions Inc., COI Participacoes S.A., COI  Clinicas Oncologicas Integradas S.A., Cabin Enterprises LLC, Cabin Holdings LLC, California MedTrans Network IPA LLC, California MedTrans Network MSO LLC, California Medical Group Insurance Company Risk Retention Group, Camp Hill-SCA Centers LLC, Capital City Medical Group L.L.C., Cardio Management, Cardio Management Inc., Care Improvement Plus Group Management, Care Improvement Plus Group Management LLC, Care Improvement Plus South Central Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus Wisconsin Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus of Texas Insurance Company, Casa de Saude Santa Therezinha Ltda., Casa de Saude Santa Therezinha S.A., Castle Rock SurgiCenter LLC, Catalyst360, Catalyst360 LLC, Catamaran Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Catamaran Health Solutions, Catamaran Holdings I, Catamaran IPA III, Catamaran Mail, Catamaran PBM of Illinois II, Catamaran PBM of Puerto Rico, Catamaran PD of Pennsylvania, Catamaran PD of Puerto Rico, Catamaran Rebate Management, Catamaran S.a.r.l., Catamaran Senior Services, Catamaran of Pennsylvania, Cedar Park Surgery Center LLC, Cemed Care - Empressa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Cemed Care  Empresa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Central Indiana Care Organization LLC, Central Ohio Care Organization LLC, Central de Compras SpA, CentriHealth Corporation, CentriHealth UK Limited, CentrifyHealth LLC, Centro Medico Hospitalar Pitangueiras Ltda., Centro Medico Odontologico Americano S.A.C., Centro Medico PJ Ltda., Centro de Entrenamiento en Reanimacion y Prevencion Limitada (CERP), Centro de Servicios Compartidos Banmedica S.A., Centromed Quilpue S.A., Centros Medicos y Dentales Multimed Ltda., Centurion Casualty Company, Channel Islands Surgicenter L.P., Channel Islands Surgicenter Properties LLC, Charleston Surgery Properties LLC, Charlotte-SC LLC, Childrens Surgery Center LLC, ChinaGate (Hong Kong) Limited, ChinaGate Company Limited, Citrus Regional Surgery Center L.P., Clinica Oftalmologica Danilo de Castro Sociedade Simples, Clinical Partners of Colorado Springs LLC, Clinica Alameda S.A., Clinica Bio Bio S.A., Clinica Ciudad del Mar S.A., Clinica Davila y Servicios Medicos S.A., Clinica Medico Cirurgica de Santa Tecla S.A., Clinica San Borja (La Esperanza del Peru S.A.), Clinica San Felipe S.A., Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Clinica Sanchez Ferrer S.A., Clinica Vespucio S.A., Clinica del Country S.A., Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare, Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare Inc., Coalition For Advanced Pharmacy Services, Coalition for Advanced Pharmacy Services Inc., Coastal Physicians Management Inc., Collaborative Care Holdings, Collaborative Care Holdings LLC, Collaborative Care Services, Collaborative Care Services Inc., Collaborative Care Solutions, Collaborative Realty, Collaborative Realty LLC, Colmedica Medicina Prepagada, Colonial Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Colorado Innovative Physician Solutions Inc., Colorado Springs Surgery Center Ltd., Comfort Care Transportation, Comfort Care Transportation LLC, Commonwealth Administrators, Connecticut Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Connecticut Surgery Properties LLC, Connecticut Surgical Center LLC, Connextions, Connextions HCI, Constructora e Inmobiliaria Magapoq S.A., Consumer Wellness Solutions Inc., Country Scan Ltda., Crescent Drug Corp., Cypress Care, Cypress Care Inc., DBP Services of New York IPA, DBP Services of New York IPA Inc., DTC Surgery Center LLC, DWIC of Tampa Bay, DWIC of Tampa Bay Inc., DaVita Magan Management Inc., Danbury Surgical Center L.P., Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company, Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company LLC, Definity Health, Dental Benefit Providers, Dental Benefit Providers Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of California, Dental Benefit Providers of California Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois, Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois Inc., Derry Surgical Center LLC, Diagnostico Ecotomografico Centromed Ltda., Diasnostico por Imagenes Centromed Ltda., Dilab Medicina Nuclear Ltda., Diplomat Pharmacy, Distance Learning Network, Distance Learning Network Inc., Doctor + S.A.C., Dry Creek Surgery Center LLC, Dublin Surgery Center LLC, Duncan Printing Services, Duncan Printing Services LLC, E Street Endoscopy LLC, ELG FZE, EP Campus I, EP Campus I LLC, East Brunswick Surgery Center LLC, Electronic Network Systems, Electronic Network Systems Inc., Elual Participacoes S.A., Empire Physician Management Company, Empire Physician Management Company LLC, Employers Health Choice PPO Inc., Empremedica S. A., Endoscopy Center Affiliates Inc., Enterprise Life Insurance Company, Equian, Equian LLC, Equian Parent Corp., Esho  Empresa de Servicos Hospitalares S.A., Etho  Empresa de Tecnologia Hospitalar Ltda., Evercare Collaborative Solutions, Evercare Collaborative Solutions Inc., Everett MSO Inc., Excellion Servicos Biomedicos Ltda., Excellion Servicos Biomedicos S.A., Excelsior Insurance Brokerage Inc., Executive Health Resources, Executive Health Resources Inc., Executive Surgery Center LLC, Eye Clinic Oftalmologia Clinico Cirurgica e Diagnostico Ltda., FMG Holdings, FMG Holdings LLC, FOR HEALTH OF ARIZONA, Family Health Care Services, Family Home Hospice, Family Home Hospice Inc., First Rx Specialty & Mail Services, Florida MedTrans Network LLC, Florida MedTrans Network MSO LLC, For Health, For Health Inc., For Health of Arizona Inc., Fortified Provider Network Inc., Fortify Technologies Asia LLC, Fortify Technologies LLC, Foundation Financial Services Inc., Franklin Surgical Center LLC, Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, Freeway Surgicenter of Houston LLC, Frontier MEDEX Limited, Frontier Medex Tanzania Limited, FrontierMEDEX, FrontierMEDEX (RMS), FrontierMEDEX (RMS) Inc., FrontierMEDEX Government Services, FrontierMEDEX Government Services LLC, FrontierMEDEX Inc., FrontierMEDEX Kenya Limited, FrontierMEDEX US, FrontierMEDEX US Inc., Fundacion Banmedica, GRANTS PASS SURGERY CENTER LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center Ltd., Gainesville Surgery Center L.P., Gainesville Surgery Properties LLC, Genoa, Genoa Healthcare Inc., Genoa Healthcare LLC, Genoa QoL Wholesale LLC, Genoa Technology (Canada) Inc., Genoa Technology Inc., Genoa Telepsychiatry Inc., Genoa of Arkansas LLC, Glenwood Surgical Center L.P., Glenwood-SC Inc., Golden Outlook, Golden Outlook Inc., Golden Rule Financial Corporation, Golden Rule Insurance Company, Golden Triangle Surgicenter L.P., Grapevine Finance LLC, Greater Hartford ASC LLC, Grove Place Surgery Center L.L.C., Guardian Health Systems Limited Partnership, H&W Indemnity (SPC), H&W Indemnity (SPC) Ltd., H.I. Investments Holding Company LLC, HCP ACO California LLC, HCP ACO Nevada LLC, HCentive Technology India Private Limited, HMI NewCo LLC, Harken Health Insurance Company, Hayes-Strub LLC, Health Business Systems, Health Care-ONE Insurance Agency Inc., Health Inventures Employment Solutions LLC, Health Inventures LLC, Health Net Insurance of New York, Health Net Services (Bermuda) Ltd., Health Plan of Nevada, Health Plan of Nevada Inc., Health Technology Analysts Pty Limited, HealthAllies, HealthAllies Inc., HealthCare Partners ASC-LB LLC, HealthCare Partners Management Services California LLC, HealthCare Partners RE LLC, HealthFirst IPA Inc., HealthMarkets Group Inc., HealthMarkets Inc., HealthMarkets Insurance Agency Inc., HealthMarkets LLC, HealthMarkets NewCo Inc., HealthMarkets Services Inc., HealthSCOPE Holdings Inc., HealthScope Benefits Inc., Healthcare Partners Plan of Nevada Inc., Healthcare Solutions Inc., Heartland Heart and Vascular LLC, Help S.A., Help Service S.A., Highlands Ranch Healthcare, Highlands Ranch Healthcare LLC, Home Care I.V. of Bend, Home Infusion With Heart, Home Medical S.A., Hospice Inspiris Holdings, Hospice Inspiris Holdings Inc., Hospitais Associados de Pernambuco Ltda., Hospital Alvorada de Taguatinga Ltda., Hospital Ana Costa S.A., Hospital Maternidade Promater Ltda., Hospital Samaritano de Sao Paulo Ltda., Hospital Santa Helena S.A., Hospital de Clinicas de Jacarepagua Ltda., Humedica, Humedica Inc., Hygeia Corporation, Hygeia Corporation (Canada), Hygeia Corporation (DE), Hygeia Corporation (Ontario), INOV8 Surgical at Memorial City LLC, INSPIRIS of New York IPA, INSPIRIS of New York Management, INSPIRIS of New York Management Inc., INSPIRIS of Texas Physician Group, IRX Financing I LLC, Illinois Independent Care Network, Imed Star  Servicos de Desempenho Organizacional Ltda., Impel Consulting Experts, Impel Consulting Experts L.L.C., Impel Management Services L.L.C., Indian River Surgery Center Ltd., Indian River Surgery Properties LLC, Indiana Care Organization LLC, Infusource, Ingram & Associates, Ingram & Associates LLC, Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3001 S.A., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3600 Ltda., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo S.A., Inmobiliaria Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Inmobiliaria Vinamed Ltda., Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Alameda S.A., Inspiris, Inspiris Inc., Inspiris Services Company, Inspiris of Tennessee, Instituto do Radium de Cammpinas Ltda, International Psychological Services Pty Limited, Inversiones Clinicas Santa Maria S.A., Isapre Banmedica S.A., Isapre Vida Tres S.A., Johnston Surgicare L.P., Joliet Surgery Center Limited Partnership, LHI, Laboratorio ROE S.A., Laboratorios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., LifePrint Health, LifePrint Health Inc., LifeStyles Marketing Group Inc., LifeWell Ltd. Co., Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization, Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization LLC, Lifeprint East, Lifeprint East Inc., Logistics Health Inc., Lotten-Eyes Oftalmologia Clinica e Cirurgica Ltda., Louisville S.C. Ltd., Louisville-SC Properties Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook Inc., Lusiadas - Parcerias Cascais S.A., Lusiadas A.C.E., Lusiadas S.A., Lusiadas SGPS S.A., MAMSI Insurance Resources, MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Company, MD Ops, MD Ops Inc., MD-Individual Practice Association, MD-Individual Practice Association Inc., ME AHS UC LLC, MEDEX Insurance Services, MEDEX Insurance Services Inc., MGH/SCA LLC, MHC Real Estate Holdings, MHC Real Estate Holdings LLC, MIAMI SURGERY CENTER LLC, MSLA Management LLC, MXMD Centros De Cancer, Mamoeco  Mamografia e Ecografia Centro de Diagnostico, Managed Physical Network, Managed Physical Network Inc., March Holdings, March Holdings Inc., March Vision Care, March Vision Care Inc., Marin Surgery Holdings Inc., Maryland Ambulatory Centers, Maryland-SCA Centers LLC, Massachusetts Assurance Company Ltd. PIC, Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center LLC, Mat-Rx Development, Mat-Rx Fort Worth GP, MedExpress Development, MedExpress Development LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Alabama LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Inc. - Ohio, MedExpress Urgent Care Maine Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care New Hampshire Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach, MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach LLC, MedSynergies, MedSynergies LLC, MedSynergies North Texas, Medalliance Net Ltda, Medalliance Net Ltda., Medica Health Plans of Florida, Medica Health Plans of Florida Inc., Medica HealthCare Plans, Medica HealthCare Plans Inc., Medical Clinic of North Texas PLLC, Medical Hilfe S.A., Medical Preparatory School of Allied Health, Medical Support Los Angeles Inc., Medical Surgical Centers of America Inc., Medical Transportation Services, Medical Transportation Services LLC, Medication Management Systems Inc., Melbourne Surgery Center LLC, Memorial City Holdings LLC, Memorial City Partners LLC, Memphis-SC LLC, Memphis-SP LLC, Mesquite Liberty LLC, Metro I Stone Management, Metropolitan Medical Partners LLC, Metropolitan Medical Transportation IPA LLC, Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of Tennessee, Midwest Center for Day Surgery LLC, Mile High SurgiCenter LLC, Mississippi Surgery Holdings LLC, Mississippi Surgical Center Limited Partnership, Mobile Medical Professionals, Modern Medical Inc., Monarch Management Services, Monarch Management Services Inc., Montgomery Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Mountain View Medical Group LLC, Mt. Pleasant Surgery Center L.P., Multiangio Ltda., Muskogee Surgical Investors LLC, Mustang Razorback Holdings, Mustang Razorback Holdings Inc., My Wellness Solutions LLC, NAMM Holdings, NAMM Holdings Inc., NSC Fayetteville LLC, NSC Greensboro LLC, NSC Lancaster LLC, NSC Seattle Inc., NSC Upland LLC, Nashville-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., National Foundation Life Insurance Company, National MedTrans LLC, National Pacific Dental, National Pacific Dental Inc., National Surgery Centers LLC, Neighborhood Health Partnership, Neighborhood Health Partnership Inc., Netwerkes, Netwerkes LLC, Nevada Medical Services LLC, Nevada Pacific Dental, New Orleans Regional Physician Hospital Organization L.L.C., New West Physicians Inc., Newton Holdings LLC, North American Medical Management - Illinois, North American Medical Management California, North American Medical Management California Inc., North Puget Sound Center for Sleep Disorders LLC, North Puget Sound Oncology Equipment Leasing Company LLC, Northern Nevada Health Network, Northern Nevada Health Network Inc., Northern Rockies Surgicenter Inc., Northwest Surgicare LLC, Northwest Surgicare Ltd., Nutritional/Parenteral Home Care, Nutritional/Parenteral Home Care of Huntsville, OC Cardiology Practice Partners LLC, OSB  Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Ltda., Omesa S.A., OmniClaim LLC, Oncocare S.A.C., OneNet PPO, OneNet PPO LLC, Optimum Choice, Optimum Choice Inc., Optum, Optum Bank, Optum Bank Inc., Optum Biometrics, Optum Biometrics Inc., Optum Care Inc., Optum Care Services Company, Optum Clinical Services, Optum Clinics Holdings, Optum Clinics Holdings Inc., Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings, Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings Inc., Optum Digital Health Holdings LLC, Optum Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Global Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Global Solutions (India) Private Limited, Optum Global Solutions (Philippines), Optum Global Solutions (Philippines) Inc., Optum Global Solutions International B.V., Optum Government Solutions, Optum Government Solutions Inc., Optum Growth Partners LLC, Optum Health & Technology (Australia) Pty Ltd, Optum Health & Technology (Hong Kong) Limited, Optum Health & Technology (India) Private Limited, Optum Health & Technology (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Optum Health & Technology (UK) Limited, Optum Health & Technology (US), Optum Health & Technology (US) LLC, Optum Health & Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Health & Technology Holdings (US), Optum Health & Technology Holdings (US) Inc., Optum Health & Technology Servicos do Brasil Ltda., Optum Health Services (Canada) Ltd., Optum Health Solutions (Australia) Pty Ltd, Optum Health Solutions (UK) Limited, Optum Health and Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Healthcare of Illinois, Optum Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services, Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services LLC, Optum Inc., Optum Infusion Services 100 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 101 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 103 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 201 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 202 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 203 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 205 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 206 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 207 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 208 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 301 LP, Optum Infusion Services 302 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 308 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 401 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 403 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 404 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 501 Inc., Optum Insurance of Ohio, Optum Insurance of Ohio Inc., Optum Labs, Optum Labs Dimensions, Optum Labs Dimensions Inc., Optum Labs Inc., Optum Labs International (UK) Ltd., Optum Life Sciences (Canada) Inc., Optum Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Optum Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Optum Networks of New Jersey Inc., Optum Nevada Accountable Care Organization LLC, Optum Operations (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas Inc., Optum Perks LLC, Optum Pharmacy 701 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 702 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 703 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 705 LLC, Optum Public Sector Solutions, Optum Public Sector Solutions Inc., Optum Rocket, Optum Rocket Inc., Optum Senior Services LLC, Optum Services, Optum Services (Ireland) Limited, Optum Services (Puerto Rico) LLC, Optum Services Inc., Optum Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Optum Solutions do Brasil  Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Ltda., Optum Technology, Optum Technology LLC, Optum UK Solutions Group Limited, Optum Women's and Children's Health, Optum Women's and Children's Health LLC, Optum of New York Inc., Optum360, Optum360 LLC, Optum360 Services, Optum360 Services Inc., Optum360 Solutions LLC, OptumCare ACO Florida LLC, OptumCare ACO Holdings LLC, OptumCare ACO New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Clinical Trials LLC, OptumCare Colorado ASC LLC, OptumCare Colorado LLC, OptumCare Colorado Springs LLC, OptumCare Endoscopy Center New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Florida CI LLC, OptumCare Florida LLC, OptumCare Health Plan of California Inc., OptumCare Holdings Colorado LLC, OptumCare Holdings LLC, OptumCare Holdings New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Management LLC, OptumCare New Mexico LLC, OptumCare New York IPA Inc., OptumCare South Florida LLC, OptumHealth Care Solutions, OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, OptumHealth Financial Services, OptumHealth Financial Services Inc., OptumHealth Holdings, OptumHealth Holdings LLC, OptumHealth International B.V., OptumInsight, OptumInsight Holdings, OptumInsight Holdings LLC, OptumInsight Inc., OptumInsight India Private Limited, OptumInsight Life Sciences, OptumInsight Life Sciences Inc., OptumRx, OptumRx Administrative Services, OptumRx Administrative Services LLC, OptumRx Discount Card Services, OptumRx Discount Card Services LLC, OptumRx Group Holdings, OptumRx Group Holdings Inc., OptumRx Health Solutions LLC, OptumRx Holdings, OptumRx Holdings I LLC, OptumRx Holdings LLC, OptumRx Home Delivery of Illinois, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio LLC, OptumRx IPA III Inc., OptumRx Inc., OptumRx NY IPA, OptumRx NY IPA Inc., OptumRx PBM of Illinois, OptumRx PBM of Illinois Inc., OptumRx PBM of Maryland, OptumRx PBM of Maryland LLC, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx PBM of Puerto Rico LLC, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin LLC, OptumRx PD of Maryland, OptumRx PD of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx Pharmacy, OptumRx Pharmacy Inc., OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada, OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada Inc., OptumRx of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumServe Technology Services Inc., Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., OrthoNet Holdings, OrthoNet Holdings Inc., OrthoNet LLC, OrthoNet New York IPA, OrthoNet New York IPA Inc., OrthoNet Services, OrthoNet Services Inc., OrthoNet West, OrthoNet West Inc., OrthoNet of the Mid-Atlantic, OrthoNet of the South, OrthoNet of the South Inc., Ovations, Ovations Inc., Oxford Benefit Management, Oxford Benefit Management Inc., Oxford Health Insurance, Oxford Health Insurance Inc., Oxford Health Plans (CT), Oxford Health Plans (CT) Inc., Oxford Health Plans (NJ), Oxford Health Plans (NJ) Inc., Oxford Health Plans (NY), Oxford Health Plans (NY) Inc., Oxford Health Plans LLC, P2 Lower Acquisition, P2P Link LLC, PCCCV, PCCCV Inc., PCN DE Corp., PHC Subsidiary Holdings, PHC Subsidiary Holdings LLC, PHYS Holding Corp., PHYSICIANS DAY SURGERY CENTER LLC, PMI Acquisition, PMI Acquisition LLC, PMSI, PMSI Holdco II, PMSI Holdings, PMSI Holdings LLC, PMSI LLC, PMSI Settlement Solutions, PMSI Settlement Solutions LLC, POMCO Inc., POMCO Network Inc., PPH Holdings LLC, PacifiCare Health Systems, PacifiCare Life Assurance Company, PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company, PacifiCare of Arizona, PacifiCare of Arizona Inc., PacifiCare of Colorado, PacifiCare of Colorado Inc., PacifiCare of Nevada, PacifiCare of Nevada Inc., Pacific Casualty Company Inc., Pacifico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud, Paoli Ambulatory Surgery Center, Paoli Surgery Center L.P., Parkway Surgery Center LLC, Pasteur Plaza Surgery Center GP Inc., PatientsLikeMe, PatientsLikeMe LLC, Patrimonio Autonomo Nueva Clinica - PANC., Payment Resolution Services, Payment Resolution Services LLC, Peoples Health, Peoples Health Inc., Pharmaceutical Care Network, Pharmacy Review Services, Pharmacy Software Holdco Inc., PhyServe Holdings, Physician Alliance of the Rockies LLC, Physician Care Partners, Physicians Health Choice of Texas, Physicians Health Choice of Texas LLC, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland Inc., Physicians Plaza Holdings LLC, Plano de Saude Ana Costa Ltda., Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico, Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico Inc., Plus One Holdings, Plus One Holdings Inc., Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes, Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes Multiestrategia, Polo Holdco, Polo Holdco LLC, Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Precision Dialing Services Inc., Preferred Care Partners, Preferred Care Partners Holding, Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., Preferred Care Partners Inc., Preferred Care Partners Medical Group, Preferred Care Partners Medical Group Inc., Premier Choice ACO, Premier Choice ACO Inc., Premier Surgery Center of Louisville L.P., Prime Health, Prime Health Inc., PrimeCare Medical Network, PrimeCare Medical Network Inc., PrimeCare of Citrus Valley, PrimeCare of Citrus Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Corona, PrimeCare of Corona Inc., PrimeCare of Hemet Valley, PrimeCare of Hemet Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Inland Valley, PrimeCare of Inland Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Moreno Valley, PrimeCare of Moreno Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Redlands, PrimeCare of Redlands Inc., PrimeCare of Riverside, PrimeCare of Riverside Inc., PrimeCare of San Bernardino, PrimeCare of San Bernardino Inc., PrimeCare of Sun City, PrimeCare of Sun City Inc., PrimeCare of Temecula, PrimeCare of Temecula Inc., ProHEALTH Fitness of Lake Success, ProHEALTH Fitness of Lake Success LLC, ProHEALTH Medical Management LLC, ProHealth Medical Management, ProHealth Physicians, ProHealth Physicians ACO, ProHealth Physicians ACO LLC, ProHealth Physicians Inc., ProHealth Proton Center Management, ProHealth Proton Center Management LLC, Procura Management, Procura Management Inc., Progressive Enterprises Holdings, Progressive Enterprises Holdings Inc., Progressive Medical, Progressive Medical LLC, Progressive Solutions, Promotora Country S.A., Pronetics Health Care Group, Pronounced Health Solutions Inc., Prosemedic S.A.C., Prospero Management Services LLC, Pueblo-SCA Surgery Center LLC, Pulse Platform LLC, QoL Acquisition Holdings Corp., Quality Software Services, QuarterMaster Newco LLC, R&H Family Fitness Unlimited LLC, Rally Health, Rally Health Inc., Real Appeal Inc., Recaudacion y Cobranzas Honodav Ltda., Redlands Ambulatory Surgery Center, Redlands-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., Reliant MSO LLC, Research Surgical Center LLC, River Valley ASC LLC, Riverside Electronic Healthcare Resources Inc., Riverside Medical Management, Riverside Medical Management LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Meadowlands LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Newark LLC, Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization Incorporated, Rocky Mountain HealthCare Options Inc., SC Affiliates LLC, SCA Alaska Surgery Center inc., SCA Athens LLC, SCA Austin Holdings LLC, SCA BOSC Holdings LLC, SCA California Surgical Holdings LLC, SCA Capital LLC, SCA Cedar Park Holdings LLC, SCA Clifton LLC, SCA Danbury Surgical Center LLC, SCA Development LLC, SCA EHSC Holdings LLC, SCA EWASC Holdings LLC, SCA Hays Holdings LLC, SCA Heartland Holdings LLC, SCA HoldCo Inc., SCA Holding Company Inc., SCA Holdings Inc., SCA IEC Holdings LLC, SCA Indiana Holdings LLC, SCA Nashville ASC LLC, SCA Pacific Holdings Inc., SCA Pennsylvania Holdings LLC, SCA Premier Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, SCA ROCS Holdings LLC, SCA Rockledge JV LLC, SCA SSC Holdings LLC, SCA SSSC Holdings LLC, SCA Sage Medical LLC, SCA Sage Medical MSO LLC, SCA Southwestern PA LLC, SCA Specialists of Florida LLC, SCA Stonegate Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Center of Cullman LLC, SCA Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Partners LLC, SCA Surgicare of Laguna Hills LLC, SCA Teammate Support Network, SCA eCode Solutions Private Limited, SCA of Clarksville Inc., SCA-Albuquerque Surgery Properties Inc., SCA-Alliance LLC, SCA-Anne Arundel LLC, SCA-Applecare Partners LLC, SCA-Bethesda LLC, SCA-Blue Ridge LLC, SCA-Bonita Springs LLC, SCA-Brandon LLC, SCA-Castle Rock LLC, SCA-Central Florida LLC, SCA-Charleston LLC, SCA-Chatham LLC, SCA-Chevy Chase LLC, SCA-Citrus Inc., SCA-Colorado Springs LLC, SCA-Connecticut Partners LLC, SCA-DRY CREEK LLC, SCA-Davenport LLC, SCA-Denver LLC, SCA-Denver Physicians Holdings LLC, SCA-Derry LLC, SCA-Doral LLC, SCA-Downey LLC, SCA-Dublin LLC, SCA-Encinitas Inc., SCA-Eugene Inc., SCA-First Coast LLC, SCA-Florence LLC, SCA-Fort Collins Inc., SCA-Fort Walton Inc., SCA-Franklin LLC, SCA-Frederick LLC, SCA-Freeway Holdings LLC, SCA-Ft. Myers LLC, SCA-GRANTS PASS LLC, SCA-Gainesville LLC, SCA-Gladiolus LLC, SCA-Grove Place LLC, SCA-Hagerstown LLC, SCA-Hamden LLC, SCA-Hilton Head LLC, SCA-Honolulu LLC, SCA-Houston Executive LLC, SCA-IT Holdings LLC, SCA-Illinois LLC, SCA-JPM Holdings LLC, SCA-Kissing Camels Holdings LLC, SCA-MC VBP Inc., SCA-Main Street LLC, SCA-Marina del Rey LLC, SCA-Mecklenburg Development Corp., SCA-Memorial City LLC, SCA-Merritt LLC, SCA-Midlands LLC, SCA-Midway Management LLC, SCA-Mobile LLC, SCA-Mokena LLC, SCA-Mokena Properties LLC, SCA-Morris County LLC, SCA-Mt. Pleasant LLC, SCA-ND VBP Inc., SCA-Naperville LLC, SCA-Naples LLC, SCA-New Jersey LLC, SCA-Newport Beach LLC, SCA-Northeast Georgia Health LLC, SCA-PORTLAND LLC, SCA-Palm Beach LLC, SCA-Palm Beach MSO Holdings LLC, SCA-Paoli LLC, SCA-Phoenix LLC, SCA-Pocono LLC, SCA-Practice Partners Holdings LLC, SCA-River Valley LLC, SCA-Riverside LLC, SCA-Riverside Partners LLC, SCA-Rockville LLC, SCA-Sacred Heart Holdings LLC, SCA-San Diego Inc., SCA-San Luis Obispo LLC, SCA-Sand Lake LLC, SCA-Santa Rosa Inc., SCA-Shelby Development Corp., SCA-Somerset LLC, SCA-South Jersey LLC, SCA-Sparta LLC, SCA-Spartanburg Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis LLC, SCA-St. Lucie LLC, SCA-SurgiCare LLC, SCA-Swiftpath LLC, SCA-VERTA LLC, SCA-Wake Forest LLC, SCA-Western Connecticut LLC, SCA-Westover Hills LLC, SCA-Wilmington LLC, SCA-Wilson LLC, SCA-Winchester LLC, SCA-Winter Park Inc., SCA-Woodlands Holdings LLC, SCAI Holdings LLC, SCP Specialty Infusion, SCP Specialty Infusion LLC, SHC Atlanta LLC, SHC Austin Inc., SHC Hawthorn Inc., SHC Melbourne Inc., SPINETRACK 20/20 Inc., SRPS LLC, SXC Comet, Sacred Heart ASC LLC, Saden S.A., Salem Surgery Center LLC, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy Inc., Sand Lake SurgiCenter LLC, Santa Cruz Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Helena Assistencia Medica S.A., Santos Administracao e Participacoes S.A., Savvysherpa Administrative Services LLC, Savvysherpa Asia Inc., Savvysherpa LLC, Scanner Centromed S.A., ScripNet, ScriptSwitch Limited, Seisa Servicos Integrados de Saude Ltda., Senate Street Surgery Center LLC, Senior Benefits L.L.C., Senior Care Partners, Serquinox Holdings LLC, Serquinox LLC, Servicios Integrados de Salud Ltda., Servicios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Servicios Medicos Bio Bio Limitada, Servicios Medicos Ciudad del Mar Ltda., Servicios Medicos Santa Maria Limitada, Servicios Medicos Vespucio Ltda., Servicios de Entrenamiento en Competencias Clinicas Ltda., SharedClarity LLC, Shelby Surgery Properties Inc., Sierra Health Services, Sierra Health Services Inc, Sierra Health Services Inc., Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company, Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc., Sierra Health-Care Options, Sierra Health-Care Options Inc., Sierra Home Medical Products, Sierra Home Medical Products Inc., Sierra Nevada Administrators, Sierra Nevada Administrators Inc., Sirona Infusion, Sistema de Administracion Hospitalaria S.A.C., Small Business Insurance Advisors Inc., Sobam  Centro Medico Hospitalar S.A., Sociedad Editorial para la Ciencia Limitada., Sociedad de Inversiones Santa Maria S.A., Somerset Outpatient Surgery L.L.C., Southwest Medical Associates, Southwest Medical Associates Inc., Southwest Michigan Health Network Inc., Southwest Surgery Center LLC, Southwest Surgical Center of Bakersfield L.P., Space Coast Surgical Center Ltd., Specialists in Urology Surgery Center LLC, Specialized Pharmaceuticals Inc., Specialty Benefits, Specialty Benefits LLC, Spectera, Spectera Inc., Spectera of New York IPA, Spectera of New York IPA Inc., Spotlite, Spotlite Inc., St. Cloud Surgical Center LLC, StoneRiver P2P Link, StoneRiver Pharmacy Solutions, Stonegate Surgery Center L.P., Streamlines Health LLC, Summit Home Infusion, SunSurgery LLC, Surgery Center Holding LLC, Surgery Center at Cherry Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Kissing Camels LLC, Surgery Center of Boca Raton Inc., Surgery Center of Clarksville L.P., Surgery Center of Colorado Springs LLC, Surgery Center of Des Moines LLC, Surgery Center of Easton LLC, Surgery Center of Ellicott City Inc., Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, Surgery Center of Maui LLC, Surgery Center of Muskogee LLC, Surgery Center of Rockville L.L.C., Surgery Center of Southern Pines LLC, Surgery Center of Spokane LLC, Surgery Center of Summerlin LLC, Surgery Center of The Woodlands LLC, Surgery Center of Vero Beach Inc., Surgery Center of Wilmington LLC, Surgery Center of Wilmington Properties LLC, Surgery Centers of Des Moines Ltd. an Iowa Limited Partnership, Surgery Centers-West Holdings LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates, Surgical Care Affiliates LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates Political Action Committee, Surgical Care Partners of Melbourne LLC, Surgical Center of South Jersey Limited Partnership, Surgical Center of Tuscaloosa Holdings LLC, Surgical Health LLC, Surgical Health of Orlando LLC, Surgical Hospital Holdings of Oklahoma LLC, Surgicare LLC, Surgicare of Belleville LLC, Surgicare of Jackson LLC, Surgicare of Joliet Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Inc., Surgicare of Minneapolis LLC, Surgicare of Mobile LLC, Surgicare of Oceanside Inc., Surgicare of Owensboro LLC, Surgicare of Salem LLC, Surgicenters of Southern California Inc., Symphonix Health Holdings, Symphonix Health Holdings LLC, Symphonix Health Insurance, Symphonix Health Insurance Inc., THE SURGICAL CENTER OF THE TREASURE COAST L.L.C., TeamMD Holdings Inc., TeamMD Iowa Inc., TeamMD Physicians of Texas Inc., TeamUP Insurance Services Inc., Tecnologias de Informacion en Salud S.A., The Advisory Board (Chile) SpA, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company, The Lewin Group, The Lewin Group Inc., The Magan Medical Group, The Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head LLC, The Polyclinic MSO LLC, Thomas Johnson Surgery Center LLC, Thousand Oaks Endoscopy Center LLC, Three Rivers Holdings, Three Rivers Holdings Inc., Three Rivers Surgical Care L.P., Tmesys, Tmesys LLC, Topimagem Diagnostico por Imagem Ltda., Touchpoint Health Plan, Trails Edge Surgery Center LLC, Travel Express Incorporated, TriMed LLC, Trinity Infusion, Trio Motion LLC, Tucson Arizona Surgical Center LLC, U.S. Behavioral Health Plan, U.S. Behavioral Health Plan California, UHC Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, UHC Global Health Services BC Ltd., UHC International Services, UHC International Services Inc., UHC of California, UHCG Holdings (Ireland) Limited, UHCG Services (Ireland) Limited, UHCG  FZE, UHG Brasil Participacoes S.A., UHIC Holdings, UHIC Holdings Inc., UICI Funding Corp. 2, UMR, UMR Inc., USHEALTH Academy Inc., USHEALTH Administrators LLC, USHEALTH Advisors L.L.C., USHEALTH Career Agency Inc., USHEALTH Funding Inc., USHEALTH Group Inc., USMD Administrative Services, USMD Administrative Services L.L.C., USMD Affiliated Services, USMD CT (Mo), USMD Cancer Treatment Centers, USMD Cancer Treatment Centers GP, USMD Diagnostic Services, USMD Holdings, USMD Holdings Inc., USMD Inc., USMD PPM, USMD PPM LLC, USMD of Arlington GP, Ultima Rx, Unidad Medica Diagnostico S.A., Unimerica Insurance Company, Unimerica Life Insurance Company of New York, Unison Administrative Services, Unison Health Plan of Delaware, Unison Health Plan of Delaware Inc., United Behavioral Health, United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A., United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A. Inc., United Group Reinsurance Inc., United Health Foundation, United HealthCare, United HealthCare Services Inc., United Management Services Inc., United Resource Networks IPA of New York, United Resource Networks IPA of New York Inc., UnitedHealth Advisors, UnitedHealth Advisors LLC, UnitedHealth Group Finance Inc., UnitedHealth Group Global Healthcare Services Limited, UnitedHealth Group Global Services, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, UnitedHealth Group Information Services Private Limited, UnitedHealth Group International Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, UnitedHealth Group International GP, UnitedHealth Group International L.P., UnitedHealth International, UnitedHealth International Inc., UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services, UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services LLC, UnitedHealth UK Limited, UnitedHealthcare, UnitedHealthcare Benefits Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas L.L.C., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service (Beijing) Co., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service (Beijing) Co. Ltd., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare Global Canada Limited, UnitedHealthcare Global Medical (UK) Limited, UnitedHealthcare Inc., UnitedHealthcare India Private Limited, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Designated Activity Company, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services Inc., UnitedHealthcare International Asia, UnitedHealthcare International Asia LLC, UnitedHealthcare International I B.V., UnitedHealthcare International I S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International II B.V., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III B.V., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International V S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VI S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VIII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International X S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley Inc., UnitedHealthcare Service LLC, UnitedHealthcare Services Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits LLC, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arizona, UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas, UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Colorado, UnitedHealthcare of Colorado Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Florida, UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Georgia, UnitedHealthcare of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky, UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky Ltd., UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana, UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi, UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New England, UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico, UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New York, UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc., UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina, UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Ohio, UnitedHealthcare of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma, UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oregon, UnitedHealthcare of Oregon Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania, UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Texas, UnitedHealthcare of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Utah, UnitedHealthcare of Utah Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Washington, UnitedHealthcare of Washington Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin, UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic, UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands, UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest, UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest Inc., UpFront Insurance Agency LLC, Upland Holdings LLC, Upland Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Urgent Care Holdings, Urgent Care Holdings Inc., Urgent Care MSO, Urgent Care MSO LLC, Urology Associates of North Texas, Urology Associates of North Texas P.L.L.C., VERTA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC, Valley Hospital L.L.C., Valley Physicians Network, Valley Physicians Network Inc., Vida Tres Internacional S.A., Vidaintegra S.A., Vivify Health Canada Inc., Vivify Health Inc., WESTMED Practice Partners LLC, Wauwatosa Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Wayland Square Surgicare Acquisition L.P., Wayland Square Surgicare GP Inc., WebInsure Benefits LLC, WellMed Medical Management, WellMed Medical Management Inc., WellMed Medical Management of Florida, WellMed Medical Management of Florida Inc., WellMed Networks  DFW, West Coast Endoscopy Holdings LLC, Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgical Center LLC, WillowB Labs LLC, Wilmington ASC LLC, Winchester Endoscopy LLC, Winter Park LLC, XLHealth Corporation, XLHealth Corporation India Private Limited, Your Health Options Insurance Services, Your Health Options Insurance Services Inc., Your Partner in Health Services, divvyDOSE, eCode Solutions LLC, gethealthinsurance.com Agency Inc., hCentive Inc., inPharmative, inPharmative Inc., and ppoONE.
The following companies are subsidiares of BorgWarner: B80 Italia S.r.l., BERU AG, BW El Salto S.A. De C.V., BWA Receivables Corporation, BWA Turbo Systems Holding LLC, Borg Warner Europe Holdings (PDS) B. V., BorgWarner (China) Investment Co. Ltd., BorgWarner (Reman) Holdings L.L.C., BorgWarner (Thailand) Limited, BorgWarner Aftermarket Europe GmbH, BorgWarner Alternators Inc., BorgWarner Arden LLC, BorgWarner Arnstadt RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Asia Inc., BorgWarner Automotive Asia Limited, BorgWarner Automotive Components (Beijing) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Brasil Ltda., BorgWarner Chungju Co. LLC, BorgWarner Comercial e Distribuidora de Pecas para Veiculos Automotores Ltda., BorgWarner Comercializadora PDS S. de R.L. de C.V., BorgWarner Componentes PDS S. de R.L. de C.V., BorgWarner Cooling Systems (India) Private Limited, BorgWarner Cooling Systems GmbH, BorgWarner Diversified Transmission Products Services Inc., BorgWarner Drivetrain Engineering GmbH, BorgWarner Drivetrain Management Services de Mexico S.A. de C.V., BorgWarner Drivetrain de Mexico S.A. de C.V., BorgWarner Electric Motors L.L.C., BorgWarner Emissions Systems (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Emissions Systems (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Emissions Systems Holding LLC, BorgWarner Emissions Systems India Private Limited, BorgWarner Emissions Systems LLC, BorgWarner Emissions Systems Portugal Unipessoal LDA, BorgWarner Emissions Systems Spain S.L.U., BorgWarner Emissions Systems of Michigan Inc., BorgWarner Emissions Talegaon Private Limited, BorgWarner Engineering Ketsch RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Engineering Kibo RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Esslingen GmbH, BorgWarner Europe GmbH, BorgWarner Europe Holding S.a. r. l., BorgWarner Gateshead Limited, BorgWarner Germany Holding GmbH, BorgWarner Germany Holding Services GmbH, BorgWarner Germany REH GmbH, BorgWarner Germany REM GmbH, BorgWarner Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, BorgWarner Global Holding S.a. r. l., BorgWarner Heidelberg I RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Heidelberg II RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Heidelberg REH GmbH, BorgWarner Heidelberg REM GmbH, BorgWarner Holding Inc., BorgWarner Holdings Limited, BorgWarner Hungary Kft., BorgWarner IT Services Europe GmbH, BorgWarner India Holdings Inc., BorgWarner Investment Holding Inc., BorgWarner Ithaca LLC, BorgWarner Ketsch Plant RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Ketsch REH GmbH, BorgWarner Ketsch REM GmbH, BorgWarner Kft., BorgWarner Kibo RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Korea Holdings (PDS) B.V., BorgWarner Korea Holdings LLC, BorgWarner Korea LLC, BorgWarner Limited, BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH, BorgWarner Ludwigsburg RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Markdorf Plant RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Markdorf REH GmbH, BorgWarner Markdorf REM GmbH, BorgWarner Massachusetts Inc., BorgWarner Mauritius Holdings Ltd., BorgWarner Mexico Holding BV, BorgWarner Mexico Holdings II LLC, BorgWarner Mexico Holdings LLC, BorgWarner Morse Systems India Private Limited, BorgWarner Morse Systems Italy S.r.l., BorgWarner Morse Systems Japan K.K., BorgWarner Morse Systems Mexico S.A. de C.V., BorgWarner Muggendorf RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner NW Inc., BorgWarner Netherlands Holdings (PDS) B.V., BorgWarner Oroszlany Kft., BorgWarner PDS (Anderson) L.L.C., BorgWarner PDS (Changnyeong) LLC, BorgWarner PDS (Indiana) Inc., BorgWarner PDS (Livonia) Inc., BorgWarner PDS (Ochang) LLC, BorgWarner PDS (Thailand) Limited, BorgWarner PDS (USA) Inc., BorgWarner PDS Brasil Produtos Automotivos Ltda., BorgWarner PDS Irapuato S. de R.L. de C.V., BorgWarner PDS Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., BorgWarner PDS Technologies L.L.C., BorgWarner Poland Sp. z o.o., BorgWarner Pyongtaek LLC, BorgWarner Romeo Power LLC, BorgWarner Rzeszow Sp. z o.o., BorgWarner Shenglong (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner South Asia LLC, BorgWarner Southborough Inc., BorgWarner Spain Holding S.L.U, BorgWarner Sweden AB, BorgWarner Systems Lugo S.r.l., BorgWarner Thermal Systems Inc., BorgWarner Thermal Systems of Michigan Inc., BorgWarner TorqTransfer Systems Beijing Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Tralee Ltd., BorgWarner Transmission Products LLC, BorgWarner Transmission Systems Arnstadt GmbH, BorgWarner Transmission Systems GmbH, BorgWarner Transmission Systems Korea LLC, BorgWarner Transmission Systems Tulle S.A.S., BorgWarner Trustees Limited, BorgWarner Turbo & Emissions Systems France S.A.S., BorgWarner Turbo Systems Engineering GmbH, BorgWarner Turbo Systems GmbH, BorgWarner Turbo Systems LLC, BorgWarner Turbo Systems Worldwide Headquarters GmbH, BorgWarner Turbo Systems of Michigan Inc., BorgWarner Turbo and Emissions Systems de Mexico S.A. de C.V., BorgWarner UK Financing Ltd., BorgWarner UK Holding and Services Ltd., BorgWarner US Holding LLC, BorgWarner USA Industries L.L.C., BorgWarner United Transmission Systems Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Waterloo Inc., BorgWarner Wrexham Limited, Cascadia Motion LLC, Creon Insurance Agency Limited, Delphi Technologies, Dytech ENSA, Gustav Wahler GmbH u. Co. KG, Haldex, Kuhlman LLC, Kysor Europe Limited, M. & M. Knopf Auto Parts L.L.C., NSK-Warner (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., NSK-Warner K.K., NSK-Warner Mexico S.A. de C.V, NSK-Warner U.S.A. Inc., New PDS Corp., Old Remco Holdings L.L.C., Old Remco International Holdings L.L.C., Remy International, SeohanWarner Turbo Systems LLC, Sevcon, Sevcon New Energy Technology (Hubei) Company Limited, and Transmission Systems AutoForm LLC.
The updated sedan looks edgier than ever and gets a set of new petrol and diesel engines.

BMW has unveiled the seventh-gen 3 Series at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. The updated sedan looks edgier than ever and gets a set of new petrol and diesel engines. While we will have to wait almost a year (India launch expected end-2019), let us take a look at what all has changed in the seventh-gen sedan.

Dimensions

The seventh-gen 3 Series is longer, wider and taller than its predecessor. It also has a longer wheelbase.

Despite its increased dimensions, BMW claims that the new sedan is 55kg lighter than its predecessor.

Design

The new 3 Series looks sportier and more aggressive than its predecessor. Special mention goes to the bumper here, which looks particularly edgy compared to the rather sober front bumper of the existing model.

The dual-barrel LED headlamps are also new and feature a kink at the bottom. Unlike the headlamps on the existing 3 Series that stretch horizontally to reach the kidney grille, the new units merge into the grille.

The two-part kidney grille of the existing model is out and in comes a single-piece kidney grille. It also appears flared and big, like on most new BMW cars, compared to the outgoing model.

The horizontally stretched tail lamps with those sleek L-shaped LED lights remind one of the 8 Series. The two-part tail lamps of the existing model are not as sleek.

The new 3 Series has a long bonnet, like its predecessor, and its shoulder line goes right below the window line, just above the door handles. In the outgoing model, the shoulder line appears to be more prominent and the door handles are placed on the shoulder line.

Like the outgoing model, the new 3 Series also rides on 17- and 18-inch alloys. Size will depend on the variant.

Interior and Features

The new 3 Series M Sport that has been showcased features an all-black cabin, like in the current M Sport version. We expect more upholstery options going forward when BMW announces market-specific models.

The all-black cabin of the 3 Series M Sport features more silver-coloured inserts than on the current model. The inserts find their way to the central console, dashboard, AC vents and door trims.

The instrument cluster is now bigger, with the screen size (MID) increased from 2.7-inches to 5.7-inches. The infotainment system is also larger: 8.8-inch screen size compared to 6.5-inch before. This time BMW is also offering BMW Live Cockpit Professional with the 3 Series as optional. It includes a fully digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster and 10.25-inch Infotainment screen.

The steering is also new and features a panel of buttons for light functions.

In terms of features, the new 3 Series is equipped with LED interior lighting and Radio Professional with six speakers, three-zone climate control and powered front seats as standard. Ambient lighting, Harman Kardon surround sound system with 16 speakers and telephony with wireless charging are optional

Also Read: 2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Facelift vs BMW 3 Series vs Audi A4 vs Jaguar XE: Spec Comparison

For driver assistance, the new 3 Series gets Collision and Pedestrian Warning with Braking function and Lane Departure Warning system as standard. Optional driving assistance features include Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, Steering and lane control assistant (which helps guide the car through narrow channels), Lane Change Warning system, side collision protection, evasion aid, Cross-Traffic Alert, Priority warning and Wrong-way warning systems

The heads-up display now has 70 per cent larger projection compared to the existing HUD on the 3 Series

The 3 Series is also available with Parking Assistant with automated longitudinal and lateral guidance, Reversing Assistant, parking sensors, rear view camera and 360-degree cameras, depending on the variant

This time the 3 Series is also equipped with BMW Digital Key for accessing the car and starting the engine via smartphone.

Although not confirmed, the new 3 Series should continue to get six airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system, dynamic stability control, corner brake control, rain sensing wipers and automatic headlamps like the outgoing model.

Engine

At launch, the new 3 Series will be available in the following 6 engine iterations: 320i, 330i, 318d, 320d, 320d xDrive and 330d.

The 320i and 330i will be powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission but in different states of tune. In the 330i, the engine will produce 258PS/400PS and in the 320i, it will produce 184PS/300Nm. In India, the outgoing 3 Series is available in the 330i version only, powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that makes 252PS/350Nm. So, the 330i variant sees an increase in power and torque.

The 118d, 320d and the 320d x Drive, on the other hand, will be powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission

Like the petrol engine, the diesel engine will also be available in two states of tune. In the 118d, the engine will make 150PS/320Nm. In 320d and 320d xDrive it will generate 190PS/400Nm, like the outgoing model. As the name suggests, the 320d xDrive is a AWD variant of the 320d.

Apart from these two 4-cylinder engines, BMW will also offer a more powerful six-cylinder diesel engine in the 330d variant. This engine produces 265PS/580Nm with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

In 2019, the German carmaker will introduce (globally) two more variants of the 3 Series Sedan: 330e and M340i xDrive

The 330e will be a plug-in hybrid variant powered by a combination of an electric motor and a petrol engine with power output ranging from 251PS to 292PS mated to an 8- speed automatic transmission. It will have an all-electric range of 60km.

The M340i, on the other hand, will be an M performance version of the standard sedan. It will be powered by six-cylinder petrol engine producing 374PS and 500Nm with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Like the 320d xDrive the M340i will also be a 4WD variant.

Also Read: 2019 BMW Z4 Unveiled, Gets An M Variant For The First Time

Launch and Price

The new 3 Series will go on sale in international markets from 9 March 2019. So, expect it to launch here soon after that

When launched, the new 3 Series is expected to be priced at a slight premium over the current version, which is priced from Rs 39.80 lakh to Rs 47.30 lakh (ex-showroom pan-India).

It will continue to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, Jaguar XE and the upcoming Volvo S60.

Also Read: 2019 Volvo S60 Revealed, Will Rival A4, C-Class And 3 Series

Disclaimer: This article has not been edited by Deccan Chronicle and is taken from a syndicated feed. Photos: CarDekho.
At present, insurance behemoth LIC holds 7.98 per cent stake in the debt-ridden public sector bank.

New Delhi: IDBI Bank board on Thursday approved a proposal for issuance of preferential shares in favour of LIC with a view to increase the share of insurer in the bank up to 51 per cent.

The government has already approved the proposal of LIC to increase the stake in IDBI Bank.

The bank's board in a meeting on Thursday approved the proposal for preferential allotment of equity shares to LIC aggregating up to 51 per cent of post issue paid up capital of the bank, IDBI Bank said in a BSE filing.

Besides, the board approved increasing authorized capital of the bank from Rs 8,000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore.

The meeting also cleared a proposal for re-classification of LIC as promoter of the bank post acquisition of 51 per cent stake in IDBI Bank, it said. The board also approved alterations in Articles of Association of the bank.

Union Cabinet on August 1 cleared a proposal for purchase of 51 per cent controlling stake in IDBI Bank by LIC.

The bank's board on Thursday also approved allotment of 33.98 crore equity shares to LIC at a price of Rs 61.73 per share inclusive of premium amount of Rs 51.73 per share aggregating up to Rs 2,098.19 crore through preferential issue. The allotment of nearly 34 crore shares will increase LIC's stake to about 15 per cent.

At present, insurance behemoth LIC holds 7.98 per cent stake in the debt-ridden public sector bank.

The bank, in which the government holds 85.96 per cent stake, had posted a net loss of Rs 2,409.89 crore in June quarter of this fiscal. It had gross non-performing asset (NPAs) of about Rs 57,807 crore.

The board of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) in June permitted LIC to increase its stake from 10.82 per cent to 51 per cent in IDBI Bank.

As per current regulations, an insurance company cannot own more than 15 per cent stake in any listed financial firm.

LIC has been looking to enter the banking space by acquiring a majority stake in IDBI Bank as the deal is expected to provide business synergies despite the lender's stressed balance sheet.

With culmination of the deal, LIC will get about 2,000 branches by which it can sell its products, while the bank would get massive funds of LIC.

The bank would also get accounts of about 22 crore policy holders and subsequent flow of fund.
The new company will be called "Monet" - short for "mobility network" - and will be 50.25 per cent owned by Softbank, with the remainder held by Toyota.

Tokyo: Japanese car giant Toyota and conglomerate Softbank on Thursday announced they would create a joint venture to provide "new mobility services" including autonomous vehicles for services such as meal deliveries.

The new company will be called "Monet" -- short for "mobility network" -- and will be 50.25 per cent owned by Softbank, with the remainder held by Toyota.

Monet would be created by April 2019 and would have an initial capital injection of 2.0 billion yen ($17.5 million), rising eventually to 10 billion yen, said the new firm's CEO Junichi Miyakawa. By the second half of the next decade, the new firm would be rolling out autonomous services using Toyota's battery electric vehicles.

"Possibilities include demand-focused just-in-time mobility services, such as meal delivery vehicles where food is prepared on the move, hospital shuttles where onboard medical examinations can be performed, mobile offices," said the two firms in a statement.

Toyota's president Akio Toyoda has pledged to transform the auto behemoth "from a car manufacturer to a mobility company" to face what he described as a "once-in-a-century challenge" to an industry undergoing "profound change".

Under tycoon CEO Masayoshi Son, SoftBank, which started as a software firm, has increasingly been seen as an investment firm, ploughing funds into a broad range of companies and projects outside its core business. In recent years it has completed deals with the likes of French robotics firm Aldebaran and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.

"Softbank alone and Toyota alone cannot do everything so we should maybe team up," said Miyakawa.

He acknowledged that rivals in the United States, China and Europe were "further down the road" but stressed: "We're not giving up. We believe we can catch up."
The Commerce Ministry has given time till April next year to Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and governments of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu to complete the exports process of Red Sanders wood.

New Delhi: The Commerce Ministry has given time till April next year to Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and governments of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu to complete the exports process of Red Sanders wood.

"Time up to April 30, 2019, has been allowed to Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the state governments of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu to finalise the modalities and complete the process of export of respective quantities of red sanders wood," the directorate general of foreign trade said in a notification.

The wood is an endangered species of flora protected under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna. It is illegal to possess and sell the same. Red sander is found mainly in the Seshachalam hill ranges spread across Kadapa, Chittoor and Kurnool in the Rayalaseema region and parts of Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh.

The wood has huge demand abroad, especially in China and Japan, where it commands a good price. As per a media report, the wood fetches Rs 25 lakh a tonne in the international market. It is a valued item in traditional medicines and woodcraft across China, Myanmar, Japan and East Asia.
The Kapoor family, who ruled over, and in fact, got Bollywood into being, is currently going through a trying time.

It first began with sudden news of Raj Kapoors iconic RK studios all set to be sold off soon, then to Rishi Kapoor tweeting that his health condition is not good and hence he is taking a break in US, to the shocking demise of the very loving Krishna Raj Kapoor.

While Krishna jis prayer meet will be held today evening, Rishi, along with his family Neetu Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, has been absent from the whole scenario, leading to major speculations about him becoming a target of third stage cancer.

Randhir, however, in an interview with ET Times, said, "We don't know yet what is the exact nature of his ailment. Rishi himself doesn't know what he's suffering from. He has not even started undergoing tests there; how can people speculate that he has cancer and that too, one that has escalated to advanced stage."

"Let him undergo tests peacefully; whatever the results, we will let everyone know. He only reached America two-three days ago and so far, he was being prepared for the tests that he has to undergo. Depending on what the results are, his line of treatment, medication and other modalities will be decided upon. It's not fair to speculate things just like that," added Kareena and Karisma Kapoors father.

Meanwhile, Ranbir will fly back to Mumbai to fulfil his commitments and Riddhima will join the family there. Rishis movie with Juhi Chawla, which was set to go on floors, has been put on hold till the actor returns from the treatment.
Apparently Tom Cruise has not seen his daughter, Suri Cruise, in years, reports Daily Mail.co.uk. Quoting anonymous sources, reports have alleged that the Hollywood star is allowed to visit the 12-year-old up to 10 days a month but chooses not to because she is not a scientologist.

Cruise and his third wife Katie Holmes divorced after six years of being married in 2012, after which Katie was given primary custody of their daughter. Cruise was last photographed with Suri almost five years back in 2013.

Suri Cruise

Before Katie, Cruise was married to Nicole Kidman, with who he adopted two children  son Connor and daughter Isabella  and after the couple split, the children stayed with Cruise and have been following scientology ever since.

Recently, former scientologist Leah Remini, claimed that Katie Holmes could lose custody of her child if she spoke with Leah Remini. In response to Reminis claims, The Church of Scientology issued a statement, saying, Ms Reminis ridiculous rants are unending and the myths and tales she and her co-producer spread are grown more bizarre by the day.

An outspoken critic of Scientology, Tony Ortega, also told a news outlet, Katie and Nicole have moved on from their time with Tom and are leading their own lives outside of the church.

HT20
Nowadays, people try to be as creative as they can possibly be with the invitation cards. (Photo: Pixabay)

New Delhi: When you are in the midst of planning a wedding, browsing through websites and going through wedding magazines just to keep yourself updated with the current trends, becomes a daily ritual. It's mostly because you want the wedding to be perfect and unique at the same time.

Well, now you can take a deep breath and relax because we have got it all covered for you.

Here are some of the latest, fresh-from-the-oven trends that you might want to execute for a fabulous wedding experience.

Wedding invitation: You know how they say the first impression is the last one, well, that's what wedding invites are all about. It's like a little teaser to your wedding, and you want it to be as fancy as the actual ceremony would be.

Physical invites: Gone are the days when people used to invite the guests with just a card, now it's about accessorising the invite. While the trend started with adding just a simple box of sweets to the invitation cards, mostly Boondi ke laddu, it sure did not end there.

Nowadays, people try to be as creative as they can possibly be with the invitation cards.

Keepsake boxes: More and more people are going for keepsake boxes these days because when you spend time on choosing the perfect box for your invitation, the last thing you want is people throwing it away.

These boxes can contain absolutely anything from incense stick to handmade soaps to chocolate to dried fruits, depending on your choice.

Hansa, a Delhi based wedding card designer said, "We come up with a new flavour for every season. For summer, we go for more fruity flavours like mango and peach and for winters, we go for flavours like honey, jaggery, and flavoured sesame seeds. We use organic glue to keep the edible items away from any kind of chemicals."

Video Invites: It's exactly what it sounds like, an invite in the form of a video. Emailing and WhatsApping the invite is so last season, these days people are going for video invites. Designers create slides for all the information you would put in a physical wedding card and present it in continuation with background music of your choice.

While some people like to send video invites in addition to the physical invites, there are people who go for only video invites, thus saving a lot of money and paper.

"There are couples who come to us saying they want their video invite to tell their love story, and we do it," Hansa said.

Makeup trends: A bride should look nothing less than a princess on her wedding day. And makeup gives her that flawless touch to keeps other people from stealing her thunder on her big day..

Gone are the days when brides used to arrive at the venue all caked up in makeup. Today, women are going with a more minimal look. Makeup artists have switched to high definition makeup and air brush techniques for a more natural, subtle and fresh look.

Explaining this, Vanya Arora, a makeup artist said, "We call it 'Second skin look', if you look at the bride, you won't be able to make out if she is wearing makeup, it's that natural."

All matt look has been replaced by dewy look, which makes the bride look fresh and gives her skin a healthy finish. Ditching the whole 'red lips for brides look' stereotype, brides are also leaning towards softer, more neutral and soothing pastel colours and ivory shades.

A lot of these trends come from Bollywood. "When Anushka Sharma married Kohli, women used to ask for the same look. The same happened when Sonam Kapoor got married," said Vanya.

Wedding day: One of the biggest days of your life can be nothing less than fabulous! It should be everything you ever imagined it to be. So, be as creative as you want to.

Themed Entry: It's your wedding and you are the show stopper of the night, so enter like one. Entering with your friends by your side with slow classical music playing in the background is a thing of the past. Couples, these days, are going for themed entries. This can range anywhere from entering with background dancers to entering in Cinderella's pumpkin carriage.

Selfie Booth: A beautifully decorated area at the wedding venue, exclusively meant for clicking selfies. Your friends and family members invest a lot of time and thought into getting ready for your wedding and you don't want them to roam around in search of a perfect background for a glamorous picture.

People these days like to keep props in the selfie booths so that the guests can have a fun photo session and get some perfect pictures for their Instagram.

Hangover kit: Just in case the night gets too wild and you wake up with a hangover. It's a small kit that contains a painkiller, lemonade, water bottle, a little snack, mouthwash and other things to help you fix that hangover.

Abhyank Tiwari, a Noida based wedding planner said, "Cocktail party is fun during the night but leaves everybody with a terrible hangover the following morning. Keeping this in mind, people ask us to keep the kits ready so that their guests can continue to enjoy all the ceremonies."

Broaches: The 'Betiwale' and 'Ladkewale' broaches are in trend these days. Some people prefer distributing these it at the wedding venue itself while others send them with the wedding invitations. You can even play with the designs and get customized broaches.

Photography: Photographs area an inseparable part of a wedding, it's the best way to document one of the happiest moments of your life.

While pre-wedding photo shoot is still trending, with the prevailing tradition of arranged marriages, not all Indian families are comfortable with the idea of letting the newly engaged couple get photographed holding hands and posing intimately. So, the couples who miss the pre-wedding photo shoots are going for post-wedding shoots.

However, the pre-wedding photo shoot is successfully maintaining its charm. But unlike before, when photographers would click some random pictures of the to-be bride and groom at a pretty location, couples now want these photos to tell their love story.

Saurabh, a Delhi based photographer said, "Pre-wedding photo shoots are getting more and more personal these days. People come to us with their own love stories and we recreate it in form of series of pictures. This way they can relive all the moments that are close to their hearts."

To avoid the pain of looking for a stranger every time they want a decent picture while sightseeing, couples these days also hire photographers on their honeymoon destination.

Since we have you covered, go on and nail the latest wedding trends like a boss!
On reports about the presence of over 50 Chinese aircraft in Tibet region, he said it is not a threat as India also has a number of air bases on the eastern front. (Representational image | AP)

New Delhi: Amid reports of China ramping up its air defence infrastructure in Tibet, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa on Wednesday said the Indian Air Force is monitoring the situation and has plans to counter any threat.

Responding to a question on the issue, the Air Force chief said the government has sanctioned construction of a next-generation hardened aircraft shelters in remote areas.

"We are monitoring the development of infrastructure," he said.

China has always been saying its airports in Tibet are coming up for regional connectivity and not for offensive operations, Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa said.

"We also have initiated measures -- like the government has sanctioned construction of next-generation hardened aircraft shelters. On our side, we are making adequate (preparation). Also, we have a plan to counter them," he told reporters in New Delhi.

On reports about the presence of over 50 Chinese aircraft in Tibet region, he said it is not a threat as India also has a number of air bases on the eastern front.

"If you look at our bases, starting from Leh, Thoise... as you come down to Adampur, Halwara, Ambala, Chandigarh and carry on up to Chabwa, you work down the number of aircraft we have got. So, are only 50 aircraft in Tibet a threat? The answer is no," the Air Force chief said.
Assam Police hands over the 7 Rohingyas to Myanmar authorities after deportation formalities were completed. (Photo: Twitter | ANI)

New Delhi: India on Thursday deported seven Rohingya immigrants, who have been staying in Assam illegally, to their country of origin Myanmar, in a first such move with regard to the people from the Rakhine province of the neighbouring country.

The illegal immigrants were detained in 2012 and since then they were lodged in Cachar Central Jail in Assam's Silchar.

"Seven Myanmarese nationals have been deported today. They were handed over to the authorities of Myanmar at Moreh border post in Manipur," Assam Additional Director General of Police (Border) Bhaskar J Mahanta told news agency PTI over the phone.

Consular access had been given to Myanmar diplomats, who confirmed the identity of the immigrants, Mahanta said.
CBI officials, along with the Forensic Science Laboratory team, at the site where the skeleton was found in the district's Sikandarpur area. (Photo: ANI)

Muzaffarpur: In the latest development in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team probing the case found a human skeleton at a cremation ground in district's Sikandarpur area.

The case which came to light five months ago, revealed that over 40 girls were sexually exploited and one was allegedly killed and later buried to hush up the murder.

The CBI officials, along with the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team, reached the cremation site on Wednesday afternoon and monitored the excavation.

The skeleton exhumed from the cremation ground has been taken by the investigating team for further examination.

Earlier this year, Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) had uncovered the Muzaffarpur shelter home case in Bihar, in which over 40 inmates were allegedly sexually exploited.

As many as 11 employees of the shelter home were arrested later, including prime accused Brajesh Thakur, and a further investigation is being carried by CBI.
Writing one's name, PTO at end of a page, irrelevant messages, numbers or sentences, signs, symbols, letter or word and tampering with answer books would also be treated as a malpractice. (Representational Image)

Bengaluru: Seeking divine intervention in trying times is not unusual and cracking an examination could be one of those. However, the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in Karnataka has not taken kindly to students making godly pleadings on answer sheets.

With quite a few examinees writing 'Om', a sacred symbol in Hinduism or the names of Gods before attempting to answer questions, the university has in a circular to all affiliated colleges called it an examination malpractice.

The first among the eight "don'ts" mentioned in the October 1 circular issued by Registrar (Evaluation) Dr M K Ramesh is the direction on the mention of the names of Gods. "Do not write any word/sentence - starting from page 03 like names of Gods of your faith etc.," reads the first "don't".

Writing one's name, PTO at the end of a page, irrelevant messages, numbers or sentences, signs, symbols, letter or word and tampering with answer books would also be construed as revealing the identity of the examinee and will be treated as a malpractice, it says.

Sandhya Avadhani, deputy director (pre-exam), at the university said some students try to reveal their identity to the evaluators. "These directions have been issued to ensure the identity of students taking an exam is not revealed to evaluators," she said.

Avadhani said some examinees might be doing it unintentionally but many resort to it with the intention that when they approach an evaluator for more marks they could identify them with those signs and symbols. "It's an indication indirectly," she said.

The university official said such instructions have already been in place and the circular is only a reiteration so the students, invigilators and college managements know these exist. "From time to time we need to keep telling people because each year new students join," said Avadhani.
CHENNAI: Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday will launch NIT (National Institute of Technology) Tiruchys ambitious five-year strategic plan to revamp research and teaching to prop up the institute among top 500 institutes in the world.

The top-ranked institute among 31 National Institutes of Technolgy in the country in NIRF rankings, is currently ranked 800 to 1000 in world rankings.

The strategic plan 2019-2024 is aiming to revamp teaching, research, collaboration with industry and infrastructure facilities, NIT Tiruchi director Mini Shaji Thomas told reporters here on Wednesday.

Institute currently boasts the strength of 6,500 students including 600 foreign students.

One of the key parameters for world rankings is foreign faculty and foreign students. As of now, there is no provision to recruit the foreign faculty members, she said.

The minister will also launch the first Centre of Dynamic Excellence (CoDEs) that has been set up at the cost of `190 crores with Siemens as the technology partner.

The centre would facilitate a multi-disciplinary learning environment across technology, engineering, science and management. It is intended to bridge the gap between industry requirements and technical education, she added.

It will impart training for engineering, polytechnic and ITI students leading to job placements. It also can offer consultancy and research and development services to industries including in design and validation, advanced manufacturing, automation, mechatronics, robotics and electrical and energy savings, Mini Shaji Thomas said.

Of the total cost, Siemens will give 90% of the fund and NIT Tiruchi will give the 10% of the total budget.

During the event, a hardware hackathon competition also will be launched.

The institute also plans to develop a full-fledged research park to incubate the start-up companies.
Jessica Lal was shot dead in a south Delhi restaurant by Manu Sharma in 1999. (Photo: File | AP)

New Delhi: Manu Sharma, convicted for killing Jessica Lal in 1999, will not get an early release from jail.

The Delhi Government's Sentence Review Board on Thursday rejected the early release application of Manu Sharma, who is serving life term in the Tihar jail.

Manu Sharma had shot dead Jessica Lal in a south Delhi restaurant in 1999.

The early release of Tandoor murder case Sushil Sharma and Priyadarshini Mattoo rape and murder convict Santosh Kumar Singh was also rejected.

The three cases were among 49 such requests lined up for consideration of the panel chaired by Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain.
'We are not inclined to interfere on the decision taken,' the apex court said. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday allowed the deportation of seven Rohingyas, who have illegally immigrated to Assam in India, to their country of origin Myanmar.

It said the seven Rohingyas were found by the competent court as illegal immigrants and Myanmar had accepted them as its citizens. "We are not inclined to interfere on the decision taken," the apex court said.

The Centre told the apex court that the seven Rohingyas have illegally migrated to India in 2012 and they were convicted under Foreigners Act.

The Centre also informed the court that Myanmar has issued a certificate of identity to the seven Rohingyas along with one month visa to facilitate their deportation.

The order was passed by a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph.

An application was moved Wednesday seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting to Myanmar seven Rohingyas lodged in a detention centre at Silchar in Assam.

Rohingya immigrants will be handed over to the Myanmar authorities in Moreh border post in Manipur on Thursday, a Home Ministry official had said Wednesday.

The interim plea, seeking urgent measures to stop the proposed deportation of seven Rohingyas, was filed in a pending PIL.

The PIL was filed earlier by two Rohingya immigrants -- Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir -- challenging the Centre's decision to deport over 40,000 refugees who came to India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination and violence against the community.
Triple Tigers RecordsScotty McCreery and Marty Stuart will set this years holiday season in motion, kicking off a Blue Christmas at Graceland on Thursday, November 15.

Scotty and Marty will flip the switch to light hundreds of blue lights along the drive, as well as a life-sized Nativity scene, plus Santa and his sleigh, all originally displayed by Elvis Presley at his Memphis, Tennessee home during his lifetime. Scotty will also perform during the ceremony as well.

Immediately afterwards, former Nashville star Eric Close will be on hand for the world premiere of the Hallmark Channel movie he directed, Christmas at Graceland. It features Kellie Pickler, as well as True Bloods Wes Brown.

The festivities at Graceland start at 6 p.m. CT on November 15th, with Kellies new Christmas movie set to premiere on Hallmark this season.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Chief Secretary to the AP government, Mr Anil Chandra Punetha issued the GO of transfer orders.

Vijayawada: Four IPS officers were transferred in the state on Thursday. The government issued GO Rt No: 2141, transferring the four high-ranking police officials  D. Nagendra Ku-mar, G. Srinivas, Kanthi Rana Tata and J. Prabhakar Rao.

Mr Nagendra Kumar, IPS (SPS:2003), joint commissioner of Visakhapatnam City, has been transferred and posted as DIG, Kurnool Range. Mr Srin-ivas, IPS (SPS:2003), has been posted as DIG, Law & Order and Co-Ordination Office of DGP. Mr Kanthi Rana Tata, IPS (RR:2004), joint commissioner of police in Vijayawada City has been transferred and posted as DIG, Anantapur Range. Mr Prabhakar Rao, IPS (SPS: 2002) working as DIG Ananta-pur has been posted as DIG, CID, in the existing vacancy.

Chief Secretary to the AP government, Mr Anil Chandra Punetha issued the GO of transfer orders.
Ghat areas of Tamil Nadu and adjoining parts of Kerala are likely to experience isolated extremely heavy falls around October 7. (Representational Images)

Chennai: The Indian Meteorological Departments National Weather Forecasting Centre has issued a red alert to Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, warning of Heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy falls at isolated places on October 7 due to the severe storm in the Arabian Sea.

A low-pressure area is very likely to form over Southeast Arabian Sea by Friday. It is very likely to concentrate into a depression during the subsequent 36 hours and move northwestwards. It is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm and move towards Oman coast, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Chennai, S. Balachandran told reporters here.

Although the communication received by the TN government did not mention any specific areas, the IMDs weather bulletin said, Ghat areas of Tamil Nadu and adjoining parts of Kerala are likely to experience isolated extremely heavy falls around October 7.

The bulletin also warned of widespread rain ranging from heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places during the next four or five days in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep.

Usually, a red alert is given for severe cyclonic storms and disasters like a tsunami. After the devastating Kerala floods in August, the union government is taking no chances and issued a red alert urging the state governments to take precautionary steps.

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday alerted all district collectors and first responders to keep the vigil on vulnerable areas and to keep the relief camps ready. Fishermen in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have been warned not to venture into the sea for the next few days.

Commissioner of Revenue Administration K.Satyagopal said the state government is fully prepared to face the monsoon rains. Chief Minister Edappadi K.Palanisami is likely to chair a review meeting in Chennai on Friday to monitor the preparedness of state machinery in the wake of the heavy rainfall warning.

Rains lashed several parts of the state, including Chennai, Cuddalore, Tiruchy districts and Puducherry on Thursday. In view of the rains, the district collectors of Tiruvarur, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai and Salem declared a holiday for schools on Thursday.

In Tamil Nadu, Kattummannarkoil in Cuddalore district and Kullambady in Tiruchy recorded the highest rainfall of 11 cm each in the last 24 hours.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said these seven individuals had themselves requested the Myanmar Embassy in New Delhi in 2016 to issue them relevant travel documents so that they were able to return to their country. (Representational Image | AP)

New Delhi: India on Thursday deported seven Rohingya men to neighbouring Myanmar over six years after they entered the country illegally and jailed, shortly after the Supreme Court paved the way for the first such action against the community.

The Indian government on Thursday said seven Myanmar nationals from its (strife-torn) Rakhine state (Rohingyas) were being repatriated to Myanmar as per law and with the consent of these individuals. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said these seven individuals had themselves requested the Myanmar Embassy in New Delhi in 2016 to issue them relevant travel documents so that they were able to return to their country.
ISLAMABAD: Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan Ajay Bisarias speech at a training institute in Lahore was cancelled at the last minute on Thursday. Mr Bisaria was scheduled to deliver a speech at the Lahore campus of National School of Public Policy, an institution for training of civil servants in Pakistan. The event was organised by Civil Services Academy in Pakistan and the invitation was sent last month. The institute however, withdrew the invitation and maintained that the event had been cancelled due to scheduling constraints.

Recently, Mr Bisaria was also stopped visit Gurdwara, despite securing prior permissions. The foreign ministry claimed the Sikh pilgrims from India did not want to meet the Indian envoy. This month, India cancelled the proposed foreign ministers meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said that talks with Pakistan have begun many times. However, the only thing the stopped India was Pakistans behaviour.

Pak-India ties turned frosty after the Pathankot attack in January 2016 and another strike on an Army camp in Kashmirs Uri area in September that year. The nuclear armed neighbours have fought three wars since gaining independence from the British in 1947. The two countries also regularly trade allegations of harassment and espionage against diplomats.

Reports said the cross-border clashes had reached the highest levels in 15 years. Hundreds of people have been killed or wounded in the clashes. The Line of Control and the Working Boundary had remained relatively peaceful after the 2003 ceasefire agreement but recent skirmishes have heightened the tension.
Thiruvananthapuram: With the search for vice-chancellors for three universities in the state going on, Deccan Chronicle finds out that the state had no Dalit VC in its 62 years of existence.

The only Malayali to occupy the post was former vice-president K.R. Narayanan, who was the third VC of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) from January 3, 1979, to October 14, 1980.

During the period of the previous UDF government, Kerala University had its only Dalit pro-VC, N. Veeramanikandan. Prominent economist M. Kunhaman, a professor at School of Rural Development of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Tuljapur campus, said though the state masquerades itself as progressive, it is essentially feudalist.

The narrative about the progressiveness of the state is built in half-truth and untruth. The exclusion of Dalits from higher education institutions is successfully hidden under this garb of progressiveness, said Mr Kunhaman, Dr V. Bijukumar, associate professor, Centre for Political Studies, JNU, New Delhi, said there was a problem with the construction of social justice.

Even after 62 years, most of the institutions, including the higher educational institutions, the representation of the Dalit are meagre in number. Dalits did not develop capital and institutions of their own in the state and thereby could not influence political power, said Mr Bijukumar.

Social Activist V.B. Ajayakumar, executive director of RIGHTS, Thiruvananthapuram, said the real problem was that there was a mindset that did not approve of Dalit scholarship. Thats why there were no Dalit vice-chancellors even while we had internationally acclaimed sch-olars like M. Kunhaman and P. Sanal Mohan, said Ajayakumar.
The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a red alert to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, warning of Heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy falls at isolated places on October 7 due to the severe storm in Arabian Sea.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has decided to request the Central Water Commission to issue directions to Tamil Nadu to open the shutters of all dams under their control in the state in advance given the heavy rainfall forecast by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

The state on Thursday started releasing waters from some of the dams as rains intensified in their catchment areas, though the IMD withdrew the red alerts earlier issued for Thrissur and Palakkad districts for Sunday.

The red alert remains for Idukki and Malappuram districts for Sunday.

The executive committee of the KSDMA that met here also asked the water resources department and Kerala State Electricity Board to submit a water control framework for dams under their control considering the current level, long-term storage and rain forecast.

Executive engineers controlling dams have been directed to keep in touch with district collectors and not to open the shutters without the permission of the district administration.

Many dams in the state have reached their maximum storage capacity. Four shutters of Malampuzha dam would be raised following the increase in the water level. Two shutters of Mattupetty dam in Idukki were also opened. Shutters of three dams in Thrissur district, Chimminni, Peechi and Peringalkuthu, were also opened.

The authority warned people living on the coasts of Kalpathy River and Bharathapuzha of rising water levels. Control rooms have been opened near all the dams under KSEB as a precaution following the direction from the KSDMA. The KSEB said the water-level of all its dams are in control.

As 82 per cent of the maximum capacity of Idukki dam got filled, the water level reached 387.74 feet while that of Mullaperiyar reached 127.5 feet. The water level has reached maximum capacity in Anayirankal. Coast guard ships and Dornier aircraft in the Arabian Sea were used for making announcements warning fishers to return and advising others not to venture into the sea.
KOLLAM: The fuel price rise has hit the fisheries industry in the state hard. The small scale boat owners find the business least profitable with high fuel costs. The fishermen want the government to intervene and control prices.

Most of the local fishing boats use kerosene as fuel, and they consume about 150 litres a day. The Matsyafed is giving a subsidy of 140 litres per month for boats having a capacity of 9.9 hp and 190 litres for 25 hp. The 9.9 hp boats get 250 litres, and the 25 hp, 600 litres without subsidy, Subhash Kalavara, Kerala Pradesh Anubandha Matsya Thozhilali Congress president told DC.

"An ordinary fishing boat requires some 180-250 litres of kerosene per day for its operation. There is also a black market providing kerosene for Rs 78 per litre while the market rate on Thursday was Rs 79.85."

The fishermen say they didn't get the fuel subsidy for the last six months. Many boats lay anchored here owing to high fuel prices. Meanwhile, the National Fishworkers Forum is meeting in Goa to discuss the issue.

We'll decide on protests to be carried out at the meeting on Sunday, said T. Peter, NFF general secretary. According to local fishers, they need a sum of Rs 18,000 to 20,000 per day for operating a fishing boat. They also demand Matsyafed to provide sufficient kerosene required for operating the boats.
Hyderabad: The Congress-TDP alliance will give people of Telangana the chance to kill two birds with one shot, Minister K.T. Rama Rao said on Twitter on Thursday. In a 35-minute live session on Twitter, he answered questions related to infrastructure, industries development and the present political situation in the state.

With elections around the corner, netizens asked a lot of questions related to the principal opposition the Congress and its alliance with the TD. Mr Rama Rao said, These two parties and their dilly-dallying and flip-flops caused innumerable suicides and we cannot quantify the pain they have inflicted on the people of Telangana. Through this coalition, these parties allowed people to vote out two parties with one vote.

While he said that his party will win convincingly with 100 seats in the assembly, he feels sorry for the Congress and the TD.

Commenting on the Election Commission stalling the distribution of Bathukamma sarees, Mr Rama Rao said, We respect the EC's decision. The Opposition has tried to stall a lot of activities and this is one more in the series. They have complained to Election Commission about these sarees. This distribution will be done once election is over, as we are confident of a win.

On the TRS election manifesto, he said, Our manifesto will come out late this month. Our manifesto will be a combination of all the welfare activities which were promoted in the past. He added that the TRS will not support the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as there is a strong difference of opinion.
Hyderabad: TRS president and caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday tried to compare himself with Lord Shiva, warning his AP counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu that he would open the third eye. Referring to Lord Shiva reducing evil forces to ashes by opening his third eye, Mr Rao said, If I open my third eye, you should think what your fate would be. Once you tried to take chances with Telangana through cash for vote. The result was that people threw you out of Hyderabad and you fell in Vijayawada.

He was addressing a public meeting in Gadwal as part of partys campaign for Assembly polls. In his bid to attack the grand alliance comprising the TD and Congress, Mr Rao appears to be losing his temper and indulging in abuse, which was in full display in the public meetings that he addressed in Nizamabad on Wednesday followed by Gadwal on Thursday.

Mr Rao hurled abuses at Mr Naidu, TPCC chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and other Congress leaders. He said Mr Naidu licked the armpits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for four years. Mr Rao urged the people of the state to reject the unholy and shameless alliance between the TD and the Congress which is aimed at making Telangana a ghulam again before Andhra and Delhi rulers and defeat the very purpose for which Telangana state was achieved.
The future policing will be mainly with the help of technology, especially robotics," Inspector General Manoj Abraham, the nodal officer of Cyber Dome, told DC.

Kochi: Robots will soon receive you at police and traffic stations in Kerala. Giving a glimpse of what's in store, Inkar Sabot, a robot, will inaugurate Cocon-2018, the two-day annual international cybersecurity, data privacy and hacking conference here on Friday.

The future policing will be mainly with the help of technology, especially robotics," Inspector General Manoj Abraham, the nodal officer of Cyber Dome, told DC.

"Weve decided to use robotics systems at reception counters of certain police stations as an experimental basis. They will perform simple tasks such as greeting visitors and receiving complaints. The Chinese-made robot is already being used for various purposes and has proven its artificial intelligence quotient.

The inauguration session of the eleventh edition of the conference will also showcase live hacking of a driverless car on the move. Such cars will be in use in large numbers. Along with the numerous benefits, it also poses a problem  the possibility of attacks by hackers. We want to make the public aware of the whole thing, the officer said.

The conference, dealing with latest trends in information safety, cybersecurity and hi-tech crimes, aims at providing a common platform for security forces, government, industrial leaders, startups, students and professionals to get hands-on exposure to the latest technological advancements in the field. The 2018 event, to be held at Hotel Grand Hyatt, Bolgatty, features eminent speakers from different police and security forces and many private players and technology experts from around the globe, mainly speaking on the challenges and solutions of todays cyberspace security and data privacy.
The two oil-exporting countries were on a collision course when it came to oil and a border dispute. Recently, the Minister of Oil, Electricity and Water of Kuwait, Bakhit al-Rashidi, discussed these issues with his Saudi counterpart, Khalid al-Falih, who came to Kuwait on a delegation of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al Saud.

Asia Times in the article Saudi, Kuwait fail to reach oil output deal writes that Saudi Arabia has been silent, while Kuwait was flooded by rumors and accusations in the wake of a shortened visit by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman that left the Kuwaitis wondering whether the two neighbors can maintain positive relations. Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman was supposed to land in Kuwait and meets its ruler Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah last Saturday for a two-day visit, but instead arrived to Kuwait late Sunday. The visit was reduced to a matter of hours, according to multiple political and media sources, amid speculation that the two oil-exporting countries were on a collision course when it came to oil and a border dispute.

Kuwait has succeeded in keeping its army away from being dragged into the Saudi-led war in Yemen and at the same time has managed to balance diplomatic relations with Qatar, under a tight political and economic blockade from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt since June 2017. Although King Salman of Saudi Arabia, and his son Crown Prince Mohammed, have not publicly criticized the Kuwaiti policies concerning Yemen and Qatar, a number of senior Saudi officials including prominent advisors to the crown prince have expressed their frustration.

Trouble in the Neutral Zone

Against this backdrop, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait failed to reach a deal on exploiting shared oil fields during the latest visit, according to several informed sources in Kuwait. Two sources, Saudi and Kuwaiti, said Crown Prince Bin Salman had sought to gain concessions from the Kuwaiti emir on Khafji and Wafra, two jointly-owned border fields that together have the capacity to produce about 500,000 bpd of crude oil. The two oil fields are subject to a 50-year-old agreement between the two counties in what is called the Neutral Zone. Producing oil from Khafji and Wafra was halted three years ago, after a gradual deadlock in negotiations. Bin Salman was hoping to resolve the dispute, but demanding hard concessions from the Kuwaiti Emir, according to several Kuwaiti and Saudi sources.

Reuters also reported that Bin Salman was planning to discuss the resumption of oil output from the Neutral Zone with the Emir of Kuwait when they met late Sunday. But several sources have summarized the meeting as a total failure.

Abdol Hamid Dashti, a former Kuwaiti member of parliament, said on Twitter he expects Saudi Arabia to restart pumping oil from the Khafji field very soon, without consulting Kuwait.

Fares, a Saudi Twitter account with a wide following, claimed that Bin Salman had demanded the annexation of the divided area, Wafra, al-Khairan and port al-Zour, and the signing of the concession by the Emir of Kuwait, or that Kuwait should pay 20 billion Kuwaiti dinar (US$60 billion) to Riyadh.

No official announcement was made by either Kuwait or Saudi Arabia about any signed agreements.

After rumors of disagreement spread, the foreign ministry of Kuwait reaffirmed the importance of brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia and denied the false information on social media.

The Emir and the crown prince exchanged cables of thanks after the end of the visit. Notably, Bin Salman made no public statement during his shortened visit or even after leaving Kuwait.

Preventing an oil shortfall

The visit was held as Saudi Arabia faces embarrassing pressure from US President Donald Trump to lower oil prices and prevent a global shortfall, even as American sanctions on Iranian petroleum are set to kick in on Nov. 5. Speaking at a West Virginia rally last Saturday, Trump criticized the kingdom. When you have wealthy countries like Saudi Arabia, like Japan, like South Korea, why are we subsidizing their military? asked Trump. Theyll pay us. The problem is nobody ever asks.

The American president said he spoke to King Salman the same day: I spoke with him this morning. I said, king, you have got trillions of dollars. Without us, who knows whats going to happen  With us they are totally safe. But we dont get what we should be getting, he said. The official media reported that Trump and Salman discussed efforts to maintain supplies to ensure the stability of the oil market and growth of the global economy, plus the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Helping Trump control oil prices demands much higher production, even as the kingdom, the worlds top crude exporter, works to reach full production capacity. According to Arabian Business, a Dubai-based business website, Saudi Arabia has posted budget deficits totaling more than $260 billion since the 2014 crash in oil prices.

An OPEC source told Reuters on Friday that Saudi oil production in August rose to more than 10.4 million barrels per day.

While Brent crude has surged above $83 a barrel, the imminent second round of US sanctions on Iran is adding tension to the oil markets.

The shared oil fields between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait may have helped ease an oil shortfall, which OPEC sources have said the kingdom will not do on its own, but a deal between the two neighbors now appears further off than ever.

In his speech at the United Nations on Sept. 25, Trump said: OPEC and OPEC nations, are, as usual, ripping off the rest of the world, and I dont like it  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.
Tirupati: Minister for IT & Panchayat Raj, Nara Lokesh has said, The TD governments aim is to make the state the number one in the country by 2029 in IT and electronics sectors, in which Chittoor, Nellore and Anantapur districts would be developed at par with China as an electronics manufacturing hub.

Before leaving for the inauguration ceremony of Dixon Technologies India factory at Vikruthamala in Yerpedu Mandal near Tirupati, he held a review meeting with district officials of Nellore and Chittoor at the Padmavathi guest house in Tirupati on Thursday.

Addressing the officials, Nara Lokesh said that the infrastructure being provided by China to the companies was playing a pivotal role in their industrial sector development.

Likewise, if we develop such infrastructure in Tirupati that could provide more facilities to the companies, Tirupati may soon become a venue for many IT and electronics industries, he elaborated.

Before touring China, my aim was to bring at least 100 companies to AP, but after the visit and seeing their industrial corridors, I made up my mind to bring 1000 more companies to our state by developing basic infrastructure here, he added.

Claiming that AP had no competition in the country, Nara Lokesh said, In the past, many industrialists showed interest to set up their industries in Noida, but except Samsung no other prominent companies set up their units in recent times.

Since four years, all the prominent players were lined up to set up industries in AP, and in the near future, our state will host top mobile manufacturing and consumer electronics industries along with MNCs such as Reliance Jio, Holitex, Flextronics, TCL etc, he explained.

In a bid to develop the state in the electronics sectors, Nara Lokesh said, We have constituted a promotions team comprising 25 experts and also contemplating to set up desks in Europe, Taiwan and other countries to attract investments and major industries to the state, he said.

Lokesh further maintained that the AP government had sanctioned Rs 600 crores in order to facilitate subsidy to the industries and if needed it would be increased to Rs 1000 crores.

Later, he added that the AP Chief Minister was planning to put a demand before the Centre to sanction bullet trains, linking five states of the southern part of the country, so that it could help the development of electronics and IT sectors in the state.
Going by political responses immediately after Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati announced her decision to go solo in the Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan Assembly polls, weeks after announcing her pact with Ajit Jogis fledgling outfit in Chhattisgarh, it appeared that the glee of the BJP and its leaders was more intense than the Congress worries at this development. The BJPs delight stems from the assessment that this is a huge setback for the Congress and the Oppositions efforts to cobble up a Mahagathbandhan for 2019 and consequently, a major shot in the arm for the saffron brigade.

This conclusion arises from an understanding that views the impending state elections through the prism of the Lok Sabha polls. But such analysis is flawed because unless either the incumbent or the challenger is able to create an all-India political reasoning which unites voters across states, the electoral narrative will be different in the two situations and people will vote with different motivations. It is only rarely that trends in state polls have been maintained in the parliamentary elections, and this happens only in wave elections like in 2014, when the BJPs sweep of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh the previous year was repeated during the Lok Sabha polls. At the moment, however, neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor anyone from the entire pantheon of Opposition leaders appears to be moving towards creating a upsurge in favour of their parties. As a result, the Assembly polls in the states where the BJP faces a serious challenge must be delinked from 2019 and the BSPs decision must be evaluated separately in each state because the potential impact varies.

The BSPs previous electoral performance, especially its voteshare in 2013 of 6.29 per cent and four seats (in MP) and 3.37 per cent and three seats (in Rajasthan), has been cited as the main raison detre for the Congress to reach out to Mayawati for the alliance. But the political context in 2013 was markedly different than now. Moreover, recent byelections in Rajasthan demonstrated that the Congress is on the upswing. Additionally, it has been argued that being accommodative in these states would ensure a good deal for the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, where it is at best the third most significant anti-BJP party after the BSP and the Samajwadi Party but ahead of Ajit Singhs Rashtriya Lok Dal. However, only the politically naive would believe that being adjusting in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan would ensure a sweet deal in Uttar Pradesh. In politics, promises are to be honoured only till one is negotiating a deal. Undertakings for the future are rarely honoured because no party ever relents on the principality of personal interest. History shows that parties come together because of a unifying idea, but when it comes to negotiations, no one yields even one inch.

Among the possible steps the BJP can take for improving its chances in the parliamentary polls, the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah combines first effort would be to retain at least two of the three states  MP and Chhattisgarh being the states where it can still remain optimistic. Ms Mayawatis decision to plough the lonely furrow dents the Congress chances in these two states, if not in Rajasthan. Within the larger picture, however, possible BJP victories in these two states would have little impact on the Lok Sabha elections excepting buoying the enthusiasm of the party cadre. It appears that Ms Mayawati has broken the Oppositions ranks with the intention to hurt the Congress in the state polls with the aim of securing a better deal in the parliamentary polls.

But this strategy may backfire for two reasons. First, the political context has altered, and from a situation where it was considered perfectly normal for all parties to woo the representative of dalits, after the Supreme Court verdict on the SC/ST Atrocities Act and the subsequent amendment in the law, there has been a considerable backlash from the upper castes. This had forced the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in MP to commit to nullifying the amendment in the state. Second, despite the several attacks on dalits across India, the community has not articulated any pan-Indian collective sentiment which has translated into votes.

Additionally, many new forces have emerged within the dalit community  Chandrasekhar Azad in UP and Jignesh Mewani in Gujarat being the most prominent, as a result of which Ms Mayawatis claims of providing political representation to the community is no longer valid. Because of the altered political reality, the BSP has a lesser capacity to contribute to the table in these three states. Consequently, the Congress was nonchalant in forging an alliance. Before parting, Ms Mayawati served notice of going on her own if she was not made a decent offer. That the Congress did not bow to her tune means the party is aware of the limited value of a BSP alliance. She had obviously demanded more than was merited.

Among the three states, the Congress has the least of problems in Rajasthan because the party unit is working more cohesively than in MP. Despite disagreements, Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot are working harmoniously and are focused on the first round only, that is till the state elections. Other issues, on who would be chief minister if the party wins, and second, the partys strategy for the Lok Sabha polls, are to be decided later.

Ms Mayawati is possibly the only Opposition leader anxious for a pan-Indian Opposition front, while the others are mostly looking ahead on a state-to-state basis. Ms Mayawatis anxiety to strike alliances in other states besides UP stems from the BSP being one of the seven national parties  as recognised by the Election Commission  and her worry that it may lose this label if the party does not perform creditably in at least four states. Given her kind words for Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, this is clearly not a final parting but a tactical shock to the Congress. But she should be worried that it could well be her party which gets short-circuited in the process.
After BSP supremo Mayawati chose to skip allying with the Congress in Chhattisgarh, favouring Congress discard Ajit Jogis micro-local party instead, it was evident that she would have little to do with the Congress even in Madhya Pradesh or Rajasthan. Her Thursday announcement thus comes as no surprise.

Ms Mayawati fumed at the Congress as much as the BJP, yet she singled out Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi for a positive mention, hinting that the chances of a tieup with the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls was still open.

But this neednt be taken at face value with an extremely flexible politician like the BSP supremo. Her final decision may in the end depend on the election results in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh.

If her party can improve its vote percentage in these states from its current status of being very small, she is likely to adopt one kind of posture in the Uttar Pradesh negotiation with the Congress for the general election. If her voteshare slips and the Congress cuts into the dalit vote in the states going to the polls shortly, an apparently weakened BSP may choose another way in UP. For some time the Congress has been left with a very small core vote in UP. Even the Gandhis will be happy to keep the BSP and Akhilesh Yadavs Samajwadi Party, both of whose social base will matter at Rae Bareli and Amethi, on their side for the Lok Sabha polls.

Therefore, it should be seen if the Congress can make an offer to Ms Mayawati she cannot refuse over Rajasthan, although the BSP leader has spoken of no tieup with the Congress in the Assembly polls anywhere. Mr Yadav has also hinted to the Congress that they choose this road when he asked the Congress to show greater magnanimity to regional parties.

The SP leader is apt to worry that if the BSP is totally alienated from the Congress in the coming state polls, Ms Mayawati could be a potential NDA partner after the Parliament election in case the NDA does well. In that scenario it is not unlikely that the BSP will drive a hard bargain with the SP in UP, upsetting SP cadres. That will work to the advantage of the BJP, which is expected to be in serious trouble only if the SP and BSP are able to reach an understanding amicably. Taking steps to avert that outcome will be very much on the minds of BJP president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Which way the coming Assembly polls go will be a good barometer to gauge the prospects of Opposition unity for the Lok Sabha election in crucial northern states where the BJP had pretty much picked up everything in its path.
Indias move to deport seven Rohingyas detained in Assam to Myanmar will only hit the image of a nation that has prided itself on welcoming people fleeing from danger. To send back seven of around 40,000 Rohingyas, of whom about 14,000 are registered with UNHCR, seems like tokenism but thats not so. This is backed by a deliberate policy that discriminates against refugees on the basis of religion, even if in the case of Rohingyas it is camouflaged by the perception that they are a security risk. Hindu and Sikh refugees are welcomed while people of other religions are seen suspiciously as infiltrators.

The UNs stand on this and international law prohibiting sending back refugees to face persecution in their homeland are relatively less germane to this issue. Such laws are anyway ignored or flouted by other countries. The point is the same kind of image hit which affected Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi for not speaking out against the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya Muslims by the military junta will apply to India too. The deportation was set in motion even before the Supreme Court decided to uphold the move, even if it did so only because the Myanmar government accepted these seven as its citizens. There has been too much of an unseemly hurry about this deportation.
Through diligent research, and by taking stock of the successes and failures on the way. If the right lessons are learnt and a course correction is done.

It may be late in the day to think of an indigenously designed and manufactured fighter jet for the Indian Air Force, as much time has been lost over the decades, but things are still not  yet  beyond redemption. Its still possible to make up for the time lost. Through diligent research, and by taking stock of the successes and failures on the way. If the right lessons are learnt and a course correction is done.

But in the long run, it would be best to start avoiding acquiring foreign-made fighters at the drop of a hat, in the belief that we are acquiring the latest technology, because the entire business of latest technology could be a misnomer. A veritable trap. To keep India under a permanent foreign yoke, make the nation a prisoner of its past follies and mistakes, paving the way to conmen in the nations capital to dupe our 1.25 billion people.

Ever since 1947, many defence ministers have come and gone, but the permanent fixtures of Lutyens Delhi  the conmen, the middlemen and the fixers  have just grown and flourished. Had that not been the case, by now India would definitely have produced fighter aircraft of its own, as the new government of Free India under Jawaharlal Nehru had at least made a promising start. How can I say so with such confidence? One just has to turn the pages of Janes All the Worlds Aircraft 1975-1976, indisputably the worlds most credible almanac of global aviation since 1909. India occupied six pages (99 to 104), while China barely three pages (30 to 32). India was on a roll. China was trailing. The Indian Air Force had two types of indigenous fighter aircraft in its inventory  the Marut HF-24 and Ajeet  along with various types of the Soviet-origin MiG-21/F/PF/FL/MF/88/U, which were operating after the victorious war of 1971.

The Marut HF-24, designed by German engineer Kurt Tank, who was responsible for the World War II era Focke Wulf FW-190 aircraft, was the only twin-engine fighter to be developed by a developing nation. India stood out: Indias neighbour Pakistan had nothing; and China had the Soviet-origin MiG-19 (Shenyang F-6) and MiG-21 (Shenyang F-8).

This unfolding scenario was being closely monitored by the United States. Gen. George S. Brown, in a military posture statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee, declared that the Chinese are developing a new supersonic all-weather interceptor of Chinese design and that China has a number of years of R&D effort invested in this aircraft... We had expected the production of the MiG-19 to terminate, but we now believe it will continue until the new interceptor is introduced.

In contrast, the first series production HF Mk-I (HF-022: BD-844) had already flown on November 15, 1967, and this version equipped numbers 10, 31 and 220 squadrons of the IAF, which used its Marut successfully, without loss, in the December 1971 war with Pakistan. A total of about 110 Marut had been built by early 1975.

Compare this squeaky-clean combat performance of the Made in India twin-engine Marut HF-24 against the Pakistan Air Forces foreign fighters, as reported on page 30 of Janes All the Worlds Aircraft 1975-1976: The capability of Chinas aircraft industry has been revealed most openly by a study of the F-6 (which is actually a China-made Soviet-origin twin-engine MiG-19). The single-seat day fighters supplied to Pakistan equipped three frontline squadrons of the Pakistan Air Force (numbers 11, 23, 25) at the time of the 1971 war with India. They were credited with the destruction of 12 enemy aircraft  one MiG-21, eight Sukhoi-7s and three Hunters  for the loss of three F-6s. How glorious the combat record of the indigenous fighter produced by HAL could be? Does anyone remember?

What happened then? Why did production of the Marut HF-24 Mk I (129 built) and Mk IT (18 built), instead of being upgraded, abruptly halt in 1977? Who was the Prime Minister and the defence minister then?

What was the reason for the indigenous fighter programme being suddenly shelved? No doubt 1977 was an year of tumult, with a new leadership in charge of the nation. But it was also the year where fingers were raised towards a prominent Indian leader being a foreign agent!

To make matters worse, soon after the shocking stop production order in 1977 under the new government (which fell in December 1979) was concluded with electrifying speed the import contract of 40 (with a further 45) Anglo-French Jaguar in 1979. Not that the Jaguar was a bad choice. It was good; but with the end of the twin-engine Indian aircraft arrived a twin-engine European product. What is important is that a new era of mega-corruption had penetrated the Government of India.

From then on, the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd shifted from its pioneering role to playing second fiddle in screwdriver technology  imported fighters, transfer of dated technology, assembly, test, trial and induction of fighters into the operational squadrons of the IAF, which till date continues to be 100 per cent IAF, though with a different connotation: the wags call it Imported Air Force!

One feels sorry for the Indian Air Forces personnel. Despite their thorough professionalism, they all have to wait years to be battle-ready without any timely replacement of frontline fighters. Being totally at the mercy of Lutyens landlords, they wait and wait. The Jaguar corruption could be likened to that of the Mahabharat blind king-emperor Dhritarashtras fatal gripping and groping of the dummy (iron and steel) Bhim, the Pandav prince, identified as the killer of oldest son Duryodhana, the blind king of Hastinapur, the capital of Hindustan.

The new Indian government of 1980, however, tried its best to restore defence acquisitions as the 1977 election defeat appears to have had some sobering effect on governance. Indeed, the 1980-1984 did constitute an era of efficient and effective defence handling. From Kashin-class destroyers to fighter jets, the defence forces saw a trend of positive capital expenditure (money spent on equipment) without hiccups.

The 1980-1984 period also saw the most serious and earnest attempt made by the government towards the revival of the indigenous fighter programme (in 1983). Thus was conceived the single-engine indigenous light combat aircraft, known as Tejas today. Thirty-five years have gone by since then, and yet the programme faces obstacles from foreigners who will lose Indias multi-billion-dollar fighter aircraft market.

What then is the way out  as unlike China, India today is nowhere near Beijings fighter indigenisation variety! The superior India and inferior China of 1975-1976 have undergone a complete role reversal. Four things come to mind. First, India has the best of foreign fighters in the IAF squadrons. First, take two operational aircraft (of each type) out to be handed over to a research and development team  scientists, engineers, designers and pilots (like China).

Second, go for a full time Cabinet minister in charge of the war production of capital goods; naval ships, warplanes and main battle tanks; with a dedicated combination of experts drawn from all branches of the defence service and civil servants with aptitude. Third, give a boost to R&D. And finally, the IAFs flight safety and operations wings must get deeper into HAL programme, and set up a joint IAF-HAL command and control structure for each concept to commission fighter aircraft mission. India must do it today.
Qadri was seen seated near Hafiz Saeed as he addressed an all-party meet organised by the Difa-e-Pakistan Council in Islamabad on Sunday last. (Photo: Twitter)

Washington: Pakistan cabinet minister Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri "should have been more sensitive" while sharing the dais with 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, Pakistan's foreign minister has said, acknowledging the mistake committed by his ministerial colleague this week.

"I will go home and certainly ask him why he did that. But what I am told it was an event to highlight the situation in Kashmir," Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a Washington audience on Wednesday when asked about the cabinet minister for religious affairs sharing a dais with the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba's chief at a meeting in Islamabad.

"It had nothing to do with Lashkar-e-Taiba. There were other political elements there. He happened to be one of them," Qureshi said.

"I think he (Qadri) should've been more sensitive, but it wasn't that he subscribes to his (Hafiz Saeed's) point of view," the Pakistani foreign minister said.

Qadri's presence at the event with Hafiz Saeed vindicated India's stand that there is no change in Pakistan's attitude towards terrorism.

A member of the audience from the US Institute of Peace, funded by the American government, told the Pakistani foreign minister to explain why earlier this week their country's cabinet minister appeared side by side with "the head of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organisation banned by Pakistan."

Qadri was seen seated near Hafiz Saeed as he addressed an all-party meet organised by the Difa-e-Pakistan Council in Islamabad on Sunday last.

Difa-e-Pakistan Council is a coalition of over 40 Pakistani political and religious parties that advocate conservative policies.

Qureshi said Pakistan is serious in the fight against terrorism. "We cannot surrender to terrorism. We will have to take them on and we will have to clear areas. We have successfully done that..." he said, adding Pakistan's efforts are not being recognised by the US.
From the Paro Valley, hundreds of tourists looked up with trepidation. Will the mist be cleared to get a view of the golden peak of the iconic Taktsang Monastery (Tigers Nest) situated on a steep cliff at 3500 mts high? The sun peeped out through the mist and clouds and that was a motivation for us to embark on the three and half hour hike to visit that marvellous beauty redolent with Buddhist motifs.

I was on a trip to Bhutan, through Yatra Tour agent. Bhutan is a land-locked little country with scenic hills and valleys, stunning Dzongs, magnificent stupas and statues of Buddha.

On the first day of my trip, we landed at Paro airport. It is in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains. From there, a two and half hour journey to Thimphu gave us breathtaking views of the hills and valleys and gurgling rivers. It was interesting to know that the rivers are termed as male and female; like Pochu (male) and Mochu (female).

At Thimphu, we enjoyed the beauty of the valley and hills and also watched the national game of Bhutan, archery. We ate at a local hotel where it was interesting to see the male hotel staff dressed in the traditional Gho, a knee-length robe with a traditional long belt, and young women dressed in Kira.

Our next destination was Changangkha Lhakang, a temple perched like a fortress on a ridge, dedicated to a deity who protects newborns.

Another must-visit place is the gigantic bronze statue of Buddha (177 feet) atop a mountain. It is three storied with several chapels covered in bronze. The National Memorial Chortem, a stupa, is also an example of incredible Bhutanese architecture.

The next day, we went to Punaka, known for beautiful Dzongs. Dzong architecture is a unique feature of Bhutan with towering exterior walls surrounding courtyards, temples, offices and monks accommodation. Among all the Dzongs we visited, the most beautiful was Punaka Dzong. It is built on the banks of a confluence of two rivers and has three-layered golden domes.

Next on the itinerary was Do chu La Pass. Looking around the pass was a treat to our eyes  you get an amazing sight of the 108 glittering stupas built in honour of 108 Bhutanese soldiers who died in a 2003 military operation.

The stupas stand majestically, patterned with white, brown and golden colours on a lush green hill in sylvan surroundings, representing values of chivalry, patriotism, integrity and self-pride.

Next, we went to the National Museum which encapsulates the rich culture and history of Bhutan. Then we proceeded to Paro.

The visit to Taktsang Monastery (Tigers Nest) was the icing on the cake. Tigers Nest lies about 3500 mts above sea level, on a steep cliff.







It takes a three and half hour arduous hike to reach there but is worth it as you get to see the bewitching beauty of the mountain with lush green oaks and rhododendrons, cascading waterfalls, awe-inspiring caves and the man-made wonder, the temple.

The architecture is made up of four temples, uniquely designed to rest on the mountainside.

On the hike along the steep cliff, covered by verdant foliage and home to rhododendrons and oaks, we were greeted by prayer flags and prayer wheels, immersing us into the religious and spiritual essence of the mountain.

The hike ends at the foot of the 700 steep steps to the temple and the high waterfall tumbling down a precipice with a resounding crash and vanishing into the crevices of the hills.

We had an eyeful of the beauty and serenity of the place; soaked in the mystical legends narrated by our affable guide and began hiking down the cliff.

How to get there:

Take a Bhutan Airways flight either from Kolkata or Delhi to Paro,the only international airport of Bhutan. Citizens of India are allowed to travel to Bhutan by getting an entry permit.

Places to stay:

There are hotels and resorts at affordable prizes. Indian currency is accepted in Bhutan. Bhutans currency is Nu and the rate of exchange is 1:1.
Ignoring flak from different quarters over the killing of an Apple executive by one of their colleagues in the state capital allegedly after the former failed to stop his car, Uttar Pradesh cops have sought ''bravery award'' for the accused constable and also decided to observe 'black day' on Friday to protest action against him.

A leader of an association of the state police on Thursday said that a meeting of the constables would be held at Allahabad on Saturday in which the issue would be discussed at length and the future strategy would be chalked out.

''More than 300 police constables from different parts of the state are likely to attend the meeting,'' the leader said here.

He said that the constables could also decide to go en masse on a day's casual leave and wear black badges to register their protest against the arrest and dismissal of Prashant Chaudhary, who had shot Apple executive Vivek Tiwari dead last week.

''Chaudhary should be given bravery award... he could have been crushed to death had he not fired,'' said the leader.

A campaign had already been launched on the social media for collecting funds to help Chaudhary and another cop, who too was sacked, for meeting legal expenses in fighting the case in the courts.

UP police chief O P Singh, however, rejected reports that there was any resentment in the police force over the sacking of the two cops. ''Ours is a disciplined force... they will not do anything which is illegal,'' he said.

Vivek Tiwari, who was an executive with Apple, was shot dead by a cop early on Saturday morning in the posh Gomti Nagar extension area in the state capital, while he was on way to drop one of her female colleagues home.
India and Russia are set to ink a pact for cooperation between small and medium enterprises of the two countries after the summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled on Friday.

A meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister on Wednesday approved the Memorandum of Understanding between National Small Industries Corporation Limited of India and JSC Russian Small and Medium Business Corporation (RSMB Corporation) of Russia. The Union Cabinet also approved another MoU for cooperation between India and Russia in road transport and road industry.

Putin will arrive in New Delhi on Thursday for a two-day visit. He will have a one-to-one meeting with Modi shortly after his arrival in New Delhi. Prime Minister will host a dinner in honour of Russian President at his residence at Lok Kalyan Marg in the national capital on Thursday.

Modi and Putin will hold the 19th annual summit at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Friday.

The two MoUs approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday are among the several pacts lined up for signing after the summit between the two leaders.

The MoU for bilateral cooperation in road transport and road industry will develop and establish formal platform for cooperation in transport and highways sector. The MoU on small and medium enterprises is aimed at promoting cooperation between the two countries in the sector.
The U.S. is seeking to eliminate the border between Iraq and Syria and merge the territories invaded by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorists, which it has deemed its land forces, to exploit underground resources, starting from Iraqs Kirkuk to Mosul and all the way to Syrias Raqqa, Turkish Yeni Safak writes in the article entitled 'US seeks to merge regions in Iraq, Syria to exploit oil, gas resources'.

Raqqa Local Council Member Ekrem Dede spoke exclusively to Yeni Safak daily and unveiled the striking details about the U.S.-led energy corridor in the region, stating that American, French and British companies have queued up for the drilling and export of hundreds of billions of dollars worth of oil and gas. He stressed that the number of officials in these oil-rich territories, including private companies, who came to inspect the site in last two months alone has exceeded 400.

The feasibility studies of the U.S. are currently in progress. In parallel to this project, the number of U.S. officials has been doubled in the last six months in the countryside of Syrias Hasakah, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. A significant number of these figures work in the oil and construction field, he added.

Underlining the alliance between the Kurdistan Workers Party ( PKK) terror organization and Washington administration, U.S.s oil shipments to the regime refineries in the regions occupied by PKK terrorists have stopped and all the petroleum has been transferred to Iraq. The U.S. is now using the same route for its oil shipment, the one they used for weapons deliveriesy to PKK terrorists in the past. There is a clandestine pipeline in this region that was built in former Iraqi President Saddam Husseins era. On the other hand, they will construct an overt oil pipeline in near future in this region,, Dede said.

He also said that France and the U.S. demanded $600 million from Gulf countries for the reconstruction of Raqqa where they took part in its destruction. They seek to undertake both the operation and the construction of the cities they destroyed.

U.S. Defense Secretary Mattis also reported that the number of U.S. diplomats in Syria has doubled under the pretext of fighting Daesh but a specific number is still unknown. "Our diplomats there on the ground have been doubled in number. As we see the military operations becoming less, we will see the diplomatic effort now able to take (root)," U.S. Defense Secretary Mattis said on Tuesday.

The Iraqi Turkmen Front's representative in Turkey Hicran Kazanc also evaluated the developments and asserted that the U.S. is seeking autonomy for Kirkuk that is based on separating it first from the central government and later handing it over to the Barzani administration. He said that the U.S.s first aim is to abolish the border between Iraq and Syria and create a single zone by merging Raqqa, Hasakah Deir ez- Zor, Kirkuk, Tal Afar, Arbil and Sulemaniyah. Kazanc stated that this initiative is not only political, it also has a covert aim to exploit the underground resources of the region.
A fire broke out in the dispensary of the state-run Medical College and Hospital here Wednesday following which around 250 patients have been evacuated from the premises, fire officials said.

No one has been injured in the the blaze that broke out at 8 am in the dispensary located on the ground floor. Ten fire tenders have been engaged for taming the fire, the officials said.

Some of the evacuated patients have been shifted to other state-run hospitals.

The Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, commonly referred to as Calcutta Medical College, was established in 1835 and is the second oldest medical college in India after Ecole de Medecine of Puducherry.

Thick smoke was seen billowing from the ground floor of the hospital's main building where the dispensary is housed. Medicines stocked in the dispensary have been reduced to ashes.

A senior fire official said the fire has been brought under control.

"Fire broke out at the medicine counter at around 8 am. Since this is a huge medical facility and so many patients come here everyday, we did not want to take any chance," a senior fire official said.

A disaster management team of the Kolkata Police, fire officials and senior officials are on the spot.

"I have been told that patients have been evacuated. We are looking into the incident," Mayor Sovan Chattopadhyay said.
Finland, which partnered with Karnataka last year to exchange information and expertise in the fields of science, research, innovation and skill development, has now proposed to extend the trade agreement to other sectors including industries, education and energy.

Nina Vaskunlahti, ambassador of Finland to India who called on Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy here on Thursday, is said to have held a detailed discussion regarding the MoU signed between the two parties last September.

According to a statement released by the chief ministers office (CMO), Vaskunlahti, impressed by the progress made, had proposed to broaden the scope of the agreement.

The ambassador, who spoke about the 5G development centres set up by Finnish company Nokia in Bengaluru, also discussed the support to tech startups that the company was providing.

She said the Minister for Trade and International Co-operation of Finland would visit the Bengaluru Tech Summit in November. The CMO said Kumaraswamy promised the governments support to the collaboration.
The Delaware County Common Pleas Court is bringing in an outside judge to hear arguments from Concord Township and resident David Cleary about the availability of certain documents related to a decades-old zoning issue.

A Sept. 17 letter to Cleary and township Solicitor Hugh A. Donaghue from Civil Court Administrator Nicole M. Brungard indicates visiting Senior Judge John L. Braxton will oversee the case, beginning with Clearys response to a pending petition filed by the township in Common Pleas Court in August.

The dispute stems from a legal, non-conforming use designation provided to some businesses operating in the township in residential areas, specifically Cappelli Excavating Co. Inc., which previously operated at 139 Schoolhouse Lane.

The business was owned by Dominic Cappelli, brother of Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Cappelli. It has since been sold to another similar business that continues to operate at the location.

Common Pleas Court President Judge Kevin F. Kelly said the Civil Court Administrators Office brought the case to his attention when the petition was filed and identified a potential conflict, suggesting it might be improper for any Delaware County judge to hear the matter.

Kelly determined it was appropriate for the Delaware County board of judges to recuse itself and requested the Supreme Court to assign an out-of county judge to hear the case.

Donaghue explained that around the turn of the millennium, some businesses that had historically operated in residential areas of the township were granted variances to continue on as long as the business remained essentially the same.

He said that these variances effectively allowed a chicken or mushroom farm to remain operational, but that same parcel could not later be developed for a different commercial use such as a retail business or big box store, for example.

Cleary, who also lives on Schoolhouse Lane, began requesting records related to the former Cappelli property in March, including all (township) files, documents and records that reflect zoning changes or variances, as well as any records indicating any lawful uses of the property outside of its designated residential zoning.

He also sought all documents and records generated by the township solicitor referencing a 1999 Commonwealth Court opinion that found Cappelli could not operate his business at that location under then-current zoning regulations. That opinion overturned a 1994 Common Pleas Court opinion that found Cappelli had not violated the zoning ordinance and had a vested right to use the land as a commercial enterprise.

Concord Township is not able to provide any credible document that says whether the business operations ceased or how they went and got a zoning variance or appropriate documentation, said Cleary.

Donaghue declined comment on the current issue due to its ongoing status, but did provide a June 2010 letter to him from attorney Kenneth D. Kynett, who had been retained by Cappelli in 2000 to work with the township in responding to the Commonwealth Court order.

The letter notes the township amended its code in December 2001 to permit a historic resource dwelling, barn, outbuilding or other building as defined by the historical resource map  to continue any use in existence for a continuous period of not less than 25 years.

Kynett opined that because the property met those requirements, its commercial use had become legally permitted under the township code.

The township notified Cleary that the records he had requested in March were available for inspection May 2 and he visited the township offices May 4 to review the file, according to court records.

But Cleary was unsatisfied with the response and filed an appeal with the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records. The OOR allowed both parties to supplement the record and later requested that the township provide additional evidence.

Donaghue provided several letters from 2010 and 2011 documenting Concords responses to similar prior requests from Cleary, a copy of the 2001 ordinance passed in response to the Commonwealth Court opinion and a printout of docket entries in that case, according to the OOR order.

Township Secretary and Right to Know Officer Amanda Serock also submitted a supplemental affidavit indicating she had found a legal file containing several documents from 1999, including a letter from former Concord Supervisor Howard Gallagher to other supervisors; a letter from an attorney representing Cappellis neighbors in the Commonwealth Court case to former Concord Solicitor John Wellman; a letter from Wellman to the township manager at the time; and a copy of a proposed agreement between Concord Township and Cappelli.

The township argued that these documents were not public because they dealt with internal discussions, were of a noncriminal matter, or were covered by attorney-client privilege. The OOR disagreed, however, and ordered that the file be made available to Cleary.

Concord then petitioned the Common Pleas Court for a judicial review of the OOR order, arguing it was not supported by any substantive or probative evidence. The petition claims the OOR violated due process considerations in deciding the appeal and requested a full briefing before the court.

The Sept. 17 letter from Brungard indicates Clearys response to the petition will be due to Braxton by Oct. 9 and Concord Townships brief is due Oct. 30. Clearys brief will be due on Nov. 20.
HAVERFORD  Several incidents documented in a report released earlier this year by the Havertown-Area Community Action Network (H-CAN) have led to an upcoming meeting to discuss racial issues and racial understanding in Haverford Township and the Haverford Township School District.

The Haverford Human Relations Commission plans a town hall meeting Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. at the township administrative building to discuss issues revealed in the report.

The H-CHAN report cites first-person examples including a May 2017 incident in which an 11-year-old African-American child was riding his bike to the middle school when a white male man yelled out to him from a passing car, Just because you have a new bike doesnt mean youre not a poor n. Other examples include a swastika scrawled on the trash can of a Jewish resident and an immigrant family photographed at the Manoa Elementary playground then posted to social media with a false story accusing the family of being potential child abductors.

The report uses census figures and township reports including police reports documenting that 29 percent of police stops involve African Americans in a township where only 3.3 percent of the residents are African American. The African-American population is 21 percent in Delaware County as a whole.

The report states that animus in the community spills over into schools. In January, the networks Racial Action Group held an event at the township library in which attendees shared experiences with racism in schools. One parent said a substitute teacher announced to my African-born black child and to the class in general that he would call my child cave man as he thought his the name sounded similar to that of a hominoid recently discovered in South Africa.

Sarah McCafferty, a member of the H-CAN Racial Justice Action Group, said, It was hard to hear a lot of what was said. I was surprised  Its hard information to hear for a lot people.

But she believes dialogue in the community is needed to address the issue.

Its really wonderful the HRC has taken this and is trying to have some type of action and community conversation about it, said McCafferty. Online discussions or on Facebook isnt the same. Were glad the township is responding.

Haverford Schools Superintendent Maureen Reusche reached out to me and she was very concerned.

Her group has hosted talks with parents and families, she said. But she did not want school district officials there since people might be intimidated, she said. Instead, we met Dr. Reusche and some principals and shared some of the broader finings and outlined some of the same broad concerns.

Meanwhile, some families have left the school district, either for more diverse areas or private schools, McCafferty said.

The report includes personal testimonies approved by the families that things happened to. We made the decision not to but any identifying information. We didnt want to make them a target for any more harassment. Some people were willing speak on the record but we didnt want anybody to take the heat for any potential backlash.

Meanwhile, the HRSD is taking steps to address racial problems, said Anna Deacon, a spokeswoman. Reusche will be attending the Oct. 14 HRC meeting.

A group of students, teachers and administrators called Belonging and Sociocultural Identities in Schools originally formed to deal with transgender issues has broadened its responsibilities to examine identity and inclusivity, according to a May 17 presentation to the school board. Over the summer, the district sent staff and students to a training program on racial literacy at the University of Pennsylvania and a consultant has been hired.

Theres a lot weve been trying to do. Its ongoing work, said Deacon. Parents have also been included in the process, she said. At both the middle school and high school, students have led activities.

Along with school personnel, police and township officials are expected to attend the HRC meeting to discuss how they are remedying racial bias and increasing diversity and inclusion in their systems, said McCafferty. The H-CAN report will be presented and members of the public will be allowed to speak, she said.

I think its a really important conversation for our township to have, said McCafferty. Im hoping some people who are really important change-makers will attend.
Over the course of my career as an attorney, I have had my share of experience with sexual assault cases. In 2015, I was a junior member of a four-person legal team that served a client named Bill Cosby. Yes, that Bill Cosby. I was a part of a team that aimed to protect a nondisclosure agreement entered into years ago, before I was even a lawyer.

I have served hundreds of clients in my time as an attorney, some innocent, some guilty, and some somewhere in between. Every person who stands accused of a crime is entitled to legal counsel, and that constitutional right is something I take very seriously.

As an assistant district attorney, I protected victims of assault and prosecuted the perpetrators of those crimes. Ill never forget one Tuesday morning as I sat in a conference room holding an assault victim in my arms as she shook with fear about the testimony she was about to give in open court before her attacker. Ill never forget her pain, or her bravery.

I have had a lot of time to reflect about the role I want to have in protecting victims of sexual assault and harassment, whether as a father, a husband, an educator, a legislator, or a private citizen.

I have watched in awe over the past year as victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment have taken ownership of their stories to enact real, systemic change for current and future victims. Im moved and inspired by their efforts to reclaim their autonomy. They deserve a better system and society than what we currently offer to them.

The power that survivors have created for themselves should be amplified, not questioned. It should be supported, not undermined by failed policies, unfunded mandates, and false tropes about their victimization in the news media.

On college campuses, women are at an elevated risk of sexual assault, through absolutely no fault of their own. According to the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network, 11.2 percent of all students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation. The risk for college-age students skyrockets whether or not they attend college, but we send our kids to expensive college programs to potentially be raped by their classmates, their neighbors, or their professors. We adults have done very little to stem the tide of this epidemic.

We can start when our kids are young, incorporating consent into things like play time and ensuring that consent is at the core of any sexual education class that is provided in our schools. We can communicate with our children about lots of awkward conversations so that when they find a romantic partner, they feel empowered rather than ashamed to advocate for what they want, when they want it, and nothing more or less.

Domestic violence is at the core of criminal legal work, of police work, and the work of counseling professionals, and weve done so little to protect victims of domestic violence. Every Thursday in Delaware County, victims flock to the courthouse in Media to seek a protection from abuse order from a judge. There is an entire courtroom dedicated to this purpose, every week. Some of these plaintiffs have children, and all of them are terrified of what might happen if this piece of paper doesnt ultimately protect them. Sometimes that piece of paper does nothing, and too many of them will die at the hands of current or former romantic partners. Many of them speak up and do hundreds of things to get the help they need, and we fail them every day.

We need to stop promoting false narratives that have no basis in reality. Rape and sexual assault survivors are brave and powerful, and they come in all genders, in all sexual orientations, in all ages and can have their autonomy snatched from them in any variety of settings. Although men are so often the culprits of this horrific behavior, women and gender non-binary people can be the culprits and men can be the victims. Survivors of this abuse sometimes come forward right away and sometimes never come forward. Their experiences are no less real if they do not come forward. When a survivor doesnt come forward, that should be a signal to all of us that we can create better systems to reestablish the trust they deserve. It should not be a cue to paint them as liars. Our policies should address the disparities among the impoverished, the LGBTQ community, and people of color so that all victims are served.

We are at a crossroads in this work. There has never been a time where sexual violence has been more on display for us to address than right now. We have a president who brags openly about sexually assaulting women while simultaneously erasing the experiences of victims as if this doesnt happen every day. Trump is working to give a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court to someone who has been credibly accused of sexual assault by multiple women. In both chambers of the state legislature I am running to join, there are men credibly accused of sexual harassment, sexual assault, forcible rape, and threats of attempted murder, who sit in those hallowed halls without any real consequences. There isnt a single day I dont think about the weight of that, of the survivors in my district, in my family, on my staff, who walk around in a world where their experiences are not recognized, where their humanity is not made whole.

We need to talk about solutions, and that is what I will continue to do for the rest of this campaign. We have had far too few solutions enacted in Harrisburg, and I promise to fight for you, in office or as your neighbor.

We have so much more to do. Lets get to it.
The Russian Energy Week international forum kicked off yesterday in Moscow's central exhibition hall Manezh, during which the ministerial meeting titled "The Effectiveness of Energy Regulation: General Approaches and Divergence between Countries" was held. The organizers of the meeting proceeded from the fact that the energy sectors of various countries need to respond to shared challenges arising from the climate agenda and the current technological revolution. Nations need to identify ways to limit greenhouse gas emissions, establish their position on the development of nuclear power, and solve issues caused by a deficit in infrastructure at a time marked by digitalization and a new wave of electrification. Naturally, when tackling these challenges, regulators consider aspects specific to each country: the structure of the economy, the availability of resources, environmental and social requirements, and others. At the same time, they need to strike a balance between the interests of consumers and producers with regards tariffs, and solve issues related to long-term energy security and environmental safety.

Qatars Minister of Energy and Industry Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, Serbia's Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antic, Minister of Energy of Belarus Viktor Karankevich, Russia's Minister of Energy Alexander Novak, Equatorial Guinea's Minister of Mines, Industry and Energy Minister Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Economic Relations and Foreign Affairs Peter Siyarto, as well as Azerbaijan's Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov answered the followed questions: Which of the regulators solutions have proved to be the most effective from the point of view of investment attractiveness, energy security, and public spending? What other parameters can be used to assess the effectiveness of government policy in the energy sector? Which new factors (the spread of electric cars, trade wars, technological equality etc.) may influence a change in government policy? Could government policy be used to prepare for a potential sea change in global energy?

The head of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy told about the main achievements of the republic in the energy sector and developments in the field of renewable sources.

"Over 15 years, the economy of Azerbaijan grew by more than 3.5 times. More than $250 billion was invested, half of which - foreign direct investment. As many as $95 billion was invested in the oil and gas sector. We have rather seriously diversified our routes - we have different means of delivery in different directions, mainly oil and gas pipelines. Our last achievement in the field of energy is the implementation one of the largest gas projects in the world - the Southern Gas Corridor. The length of this pipeline, which will deliver gas to Georgia, Turkey, as well as to European countries and the Balkan countries, including Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, and the south of Italy, is more than 3,500 km. In total, we will initially carry up to 16 billion cubic meters of Caspian gas per year," Parviz Shahbazov said.

According to him, Azerbaijan has proved to be a very reliable partner in all energy projects: "We have huge investments in the energy sector, primarily in oil and gas. Today, we plan to develop the renewable energy sector. We have a great potential for that. We intend to create a separate serious legislative base for the development of renewable energy sources. At the same time, we want to create incentive mechanisms in this sector. No matter how this sphere develops, governments support is always needed. Now we are optimizing our projects on power lines that we were able to take the necessary electric power, which we intend to generate from renewable energy sources."

According to Parviz Shahbazov, a large reform program is being implemented within the strategic road map in Azerbaijan since 2016. "One of the main parts of these reforms is related to the energy sector. Therefore, taking all this into account, I want to address representatives of many countries from here and invite them to Azerbaijan to jointly implement new projects. International cooperation for Azerbaijan in the energy sector has always been a priority. Almost everything we have achieved (and the energy sector is the engine of Azerbaijans economy), we have achieved due to a very high level of international cooperation."
SALT LAKE CITY  Prepare to spin The Wheel of Time.

What happened: Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television ordered Robert Jordans best-selling fantasy series The Wheel of Time to be made into a television show for Amazon Prime, according to Variety.

Jennifer Salke, the head of Amazon Studios, announced the decision on Tuesday.

The Wheel of Time is endlessly fascinating and resonates hugely with fans as one of the best-selling global book franchises, and we were drawn to its timely narrative featuring powerful women at the core, Salke said. Were thrilled to extend our relationship with devotees whove found the book series transformative and welcome new ones by bringing it to life on Prime Video for viewers worldwide.

Salke first hinted at the series back in June, when she told Deadline that she was reading scripts for the show.

The show will be an hourlong drama.

What the show is about: The Wheel of Time series will follow the character Moiraine, who works for an all-women organization called Aes Sedai, as she searches for five young men and women across a world in which only women can use magic.

Moiraine focuses on those five people because she believes one of them might be the reincarnation of an incredibly powerful individual, who prophecies say will either save humanity or destroy it, Amazon said in a statement.

The series will use European and Asian culture influences, including Buddhism and Hinduism.

Amazon understands adapting the 14-book epic might be a troubling task.

Developing and producing Robert Jordans beloved 14-books series for TV is a big undertaking, and we dont take it lightly, said Sharon Tal Yguado, head of event series for Amazon Originals. We believe that Rafes personal connection to the material and soulful writing will resonate with the books passionate fans.

Chuck and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. writer Rafe Judkins will serve as the showrunner. Robert Jordans widow, Harriet McDougal, will be a consulting producer.

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to produce 'The Wheel of Time' with our friends at Amazon, said Sony Pictures Television Co-President Chris Parnell. In Rafe Judkins, weve found a brilliant visionary that is a true fan of the books and ready to bring Robert Jordans world to life.

Theres a Utah connection: Though Jordan died before completing the series, Utah author Brandon Sanderson took on the project and completed it. He talked about the series in an interview with the Deseret News last year.
The new campus crisis: How anxiety is crippling college kids across the country

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. 

The day before his junior year at the University of Michigan, George Orley loaded his car and kissed his mom goodbye before starting the 45-minute drive to school.

Days later, police told his parents that George  popular, funny and blessed with loving family and boundless charm  had taken his own life just outside Ann Arbor and the university.

George, 20, had lived with depression for 18 months and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder shortly before he died. Plus, hed been managing diabetes and recuperating from hip surgery that set him back a semester. Hed also stopped taking medication because he didnt like how it made him feel.

Nearly four years later, Georges mom, Diane Orley, says her son couldnt see past the sheer weight of his emotions at the time.

He was far from alone in his struggles.

Record numbers of college students feel weighed down by mental health challenges according to a host of studies. It's almost as if a Help Wanted sign hangs on the Ivory Tower as U.S. colleges scramble to meet needs of students like Orley.

Experts describe a burgeoning crisis. The number of students seeking help for mental health has exploded in the past five years and the search for mental health experts with new ideas and strategies has become no less important than competing to hire prestigious faculty.

Ben Locke, executive director of The Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Pennsylvania State University, says demand for mental health services is growing five to six times faster than enrollment. Since enrollment largely funds services, colleges are hard-pressed to meet need.

Anxiety is the chief complaint, often alongside other mental illness. The Center says 70 percent of students seeking services at campus mental health centers have anxiety, and for one-fourth thats the sole concern, based on 160,014 students at 160 colleges last year.

A 2017 American College Health Association Survey of 63,000 college students found 2 in 5 described being so depressed they struggled to function, while 3 in 5 felt overwhelming anxiety during the previous year. Another study suggests 1 in 5 college students are so stressed they consider suicide.

College counseling centers across the nation are pretty much at capacity, says Nance Roy, who teaches at Yale School of Medicine and is chief clinical officer for The JED Foundation, which has 200-plus universities in its college suicide-prevention program. She calls the challenge double-edged, noting more students are seeking help because stigma has declined. But its hard to keep up.

Dozens of experts confirm anxietys increase  and college students may have a unique vulnerability because mental illness often appears amid the transition from childhood to adulthood. Of those struggling, some brought anxiety to college and others began to flounder there.

Experts call it the perfect storm: Young people are stepping into new, more independent roles, often miles from home, trying to define themselves, navigate relationships and make career and other decisions with potential lifelong impact. Meanwhile colleges, never designed as mental health centers, are inundated with mental health demands.

Sheer volume isnt the only challenge. As students seek help for anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD and other mental illnesses, their symptoms appear to be growing more severe, says Daniel Eisenberg, professor of health management and policy at the University of Michigan and director of the Healthy Minds Network, which researches teen and young adult mental health. His data suggests nearly half of students with serious need arent treated. Monthslong waiting lists and inadequate resources thwart efforts.

Students may not accurately assess their needs, either. Healthy Minds surveys routinely show students underestimate symptom severity, classifying as normal indicators a clinician would diagnose as mental illness.

While research in Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry says 20-36 percent of college students exhibit serious psychological distress, just a third of those receive treatment.

At stake is whether struggling college students break through to healthy adulthood or break down. The ripples are far-reaching.

READ MORE: 8 things you can do to help your student have positive mental health

Considering that students are a key population for determining the economic success of a country, colleges must take a greater urgency in addressing this issue, says Randy P. Auerbach of Columbia University, lead author of a study published by The American Psychological Association finding other nations grapple with mental illness on campus, too.

Two facts jump out at Locke. He believes Americans are oversold on the idea that any form of emotional distress requires professional help. Conversely, though, We are seeing debilitating levels of anxiety that are more and more common  where, by the time they get to college, students are so worried about different aspects of their lives it can be a real problem. Students struggling with very severe symptoms who dont get treatment are likely to have consequences.

Dreadful toll

As they grieved their terrible loss, Diane Orley and her son Sam, a high school senior when George died, searched for a way to help other college students address mental illness and prioritize mental health. They found a UM peer-to-peer network in its infancy.

Grid View University of Michigan senior and Wolverine Support Network Executive Director Jordan Lazarus walks on campus at the school in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The peer-to-peer group is designed to empower students to create a safe community in support of mental well-being and identity development. Rod Sanford for the Deseret News

University of Michigan students and Wolverine Support Network members talk together on campus at the school in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The peer-to-peer group is designed to empower students to create a safe community in support of mental well-being and identity development. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

Scenes from the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Mich., Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Record numbers of college students feel weighed down by mental health challenges, studies show. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

University of Michigan students and Wolverine Support Network members talk together on campus at the school in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The peer-to-peer group is designed to empower students to create a safe community in support of mental well-being and identity development. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

Diane Orley listens as students in the Wolverine Support Network talk together on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Diane's son George took his own life when he was a student at the school. Diane and her son Sam got involved with the fledgling peer-to-peer Wolverine Support Network after George's death. Diane helped raise money for the group, while Sam became a member, then a leader and finally the executive director his senior year. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

University of Michigan professor Daniel Eisenberg, director of the school's Healthy Minds Network, talks about student mental health and service use in college populations Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

Scenes from the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Record numbers of college students feel weighed down by mental health challenges, studies show. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

University of Michigan professor Daniel Eisenberg, director of the school's Healthy Minds Network, researches student ental health and service use in college populations, in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

Diane Orley holds a photograph of her son, George, on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018.. George took his own life when he was a student at the school. Diane and her son Sam got involved with the fledgling peer-to-peer Wolverine Support Network at University of Michigan after George's death. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

University of Michigan senior and Wolverine Support Network Executive Director Jordan Lazarus walks on campus in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The peer-to-peer group is designed to empower students to create a safe community in support of mental well-being and identity development. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

University of Michigan senior and Wolverine Support Network Executive Director Jordan Lazarus talks with other members of the group at the school in Ann Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The peer-to-peer group is designed to empower students to create a safe community in support of mental well-being and identity development. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

Lucas Henke, university coordinator of Peer Support Initiatives and Wolverine Support Network advisor, speaks with gathered members of the group on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The peer-to-peer group is designed to empower students to create a safe community in support of mental well-being and identity development. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

University of Michigan seniors Stefan Santrach, left, and Josh Felsher, right, take part as Wolverine Support Network members talk together on campus in Ann Arbor, Mich. The peer-to-peer group is designed to empower students to create a safe community in support of mental well-being and identity development. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

Lucas Henke, university coordinator of peer support initiatives and Wolverine Support Network advisor, speaks with gathered members of the group on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

Wolverine Support Network member and University of Michigan Junior Noah Gassman, left, senior Stefan Santrach, center, and junior Jackson Gray, right, gather on campus in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The peer-to-peer group is designed to empower students to create a safe community in support of mental well-being and identity development. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

University of Michigan students and Wolverine Support Network members gather for a photo on campus in Ann Arbor, Mich. The peer-to-peer group is designed to empower students to create a safe community in support of mental well-being and identity development. Photographed Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, are (front row, from left) senior Josh Felsher, senior Gabriela Hirschler and senior Jordan Lazarus; (back row, from left) senior Stefan Santrach, junior Jackson Gray, junior Noah Gassman, advisor Lucas Henke and senior Hudson Ling. Rod Sanford for the Deseret News

Diane Orley stands on the University of Michigan campus in in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Orley's son, George, took his own life when he was a student at the school. Diane and her son Sam got involved with the fledgling peer-to-peer Wolverine Support Network at University of Michigan after George's death. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

Diane Orley stands on the University of Michigan campus in in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Orley's son, George, took his own life when he was a student at the school. Diane and her son Sam got involved with the fledgling peer-to-peer Wolverine Support Network at University of Michigan after George's death. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

Scenes from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Record numbers of college students feel weighed down by mental health challenges, studies show. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

A mural in the University of Michigan Public Health Building complex in Ann Arbor, Mich., photographed Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

University of Michigan professor Daniel Eisenberg, director of the school's Healthy Minds Network, talks about student mental health and service use in college populations on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

University of Michigan professor Daniel Eisenberg, director of the school's Healthy Minds Network, photographed in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

Diane Orley stands on the University of Michigan campus in in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, with a photo of her son, George, who took his own life when he was a student at the school. Diane and her son Sam got involved with the fledgling peer-to-peer Wolverine Support Network at University of Michigan after George's death. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

Wolverine Support Network member and Michigan junior Noah Gassman speaks to the group as they gather on campus in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

Wolverine Support Network member and Michigan senior Gabriela Hirschler speaks to the group as they gather on campus in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

University of Michigan students and Wolverine Support Network members talk together on campus at the school in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The peer-to-peer group is designed to empower students to create a safe community in support of mental well-being and identity development. Senior Stefan Santrach, center, junior Noah Gassman, left, and junior Jackson Gray, right, take part. Rod Sanford for the Deseret News

Scenes from Ann Arbor, Mich., and the University of Michigan, on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

The University of Michigan Public Health Building in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday Sept. 12, 2018. Rod Sanford, For the Deseret News

Then-studentbody president Bobby Dishell says a handful of students had recently taken their lives, but people were reluctant to discuss personal mental health. Still, he noticed when they talked individually about mental illness, they were engaged and open.That was eye-opening to Dishell, who struggled himself with anxiety and depression. It reminded him of Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, where hed grown up. It had a popular peer-led and facilitated program.

That inspired the network he, a few other students and administrators were trying to launch. They wanted to offer students small groups of strangers who could become friends, who would listen, console and buoy each other.

They called it Wolverine Support Network, after the Michigan mascot.

Sam Orley became a founding member of the network, which launched its first small groups in winter 2015. Meanwhile, Diane Orley and a friend, Linda Aikens, raised $100,000 so the program would have money to spend for activities.

On a huge campus like the University of Michigan, with 30,000 undergrads and 16,000 graduate students, it could be easy to feel lost, even with campus clubs and other efforts to foster a sense of belonging. For students struggling with loneliness, mental illness, fledgling independence or rigors of a tough academic schedule, the network is designed to be an anchor forged of fellow students  a place to listen and be heard, to learn about resources and build community.

Its not a mental illness program, says Sam Orley, executive director last year, before graduating. Its a holistic mental health and well-being effort thats spreading to other universities.

College is hard

Kelly Davis thinks parents and others minimize college students struggles. Theres a lot of condescension  dismissal of how hard that period of life is, says Davis, who directs peer advocacy, supports and services for Mental Health America.

Its not just the challenging life stage. College life  the world, for that matter  has changed greatly in just a generation, she says, adding doubters should consider events just since the year 2000.

If you wonder what worries college students, ask them. Thats what the Deseret News did last spring. For nearly two hours, students in one of social work professor David Derezotes classes at the University of Utah talked about their anxiety and fears: Fear of being seen, imperfections and all. Fear of being invisible. Feeling uncertain and helpless with issues as diverse as environmental degradation and political discord. Fear of missing out. Fear of failure. Job competition. Substance abuse. Fear of being judged or excluded. Too many demands for time, for money, for success in its assorted definitions. Constant change. The cost of everything, from tuition to housing. Personal safety, including sexual assaults and school shootings. Peer pressure. Parental expectations. Inability to handle adversity. Social media comparisons. With the professor as scribe, the list blanketed the whiteboard spanning a wall in the spacious classroom.

At the end, a student looked at the list and sighed aloud. The bar is just so high for everything, she said, while another noted shyly that shes grateful no one sees the chaos in her mind. Several students nodded sympathetically.

Anxiety and depression, paired or alone, are part of being human, says Kate Sweeny, psychology professor at University of California Riverside. Anxietys often helpful, a motivator and warning system to ward off danger. Its trouble, though, if it cant be made productive or overexaggerates a situation  common for highly anxious young adults.

Many college students have pondered Am I good enough? since they were children, especially if theyve been propelled or pushed themselves toward particular universities. Parents often helicopter or snowplow, protecting children from failure. Without a chance to fail at small things, experts say children dont build resilience for when stakes are higher, like during college. They say students also need to learn to live with some discomfort.

One can thrive despite a very rocky road, says Maggie Musso, 25, a member of Mental Health Americas peer leadership network. She was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder at 13, near the end of her freshman year in high school. When she started having panic attacks several times daily at Notre Dame as an undergrad, she asked for a semesters leave, but was forced to take a full year off, per standardized policy at the time. When she returned to school, she got involved in mental health issues and helped convince administrators to decide cases individually. Shes now a third-year medical student at Loyola, studying psychiatry, and still active in campus mental health.

Colleges try to ace this

Students arrive at college with varying degrees of eagerness to transition to adulthood. The realities of academics, finances and relationships may leave them lonely or overwhelmed. Even without mental illness, college students may have challenging lives. Some are chronically hungry, broke, sometimes even homeless.

Michael L. Sulkowski, psychologist and associate professor at University of Arizona, notes the pace of life is getting faster, and technology means what happens anywhere is an internet click away. Were all inundated with things that stress us out and cause anxiety. Add to that facets of youth  less life experience and maturing but not fully developed brains  and souped-up stress among students is no surprise, he says. Colleges arent necessarily built to provide mental health services as part of their mission statement.  I think theyre doing the best they can with the fact theyre under-resourced and deal with a huge systemic problem daily.

Colleges arent necessarily built to provide mental health services as part of their mission statement.  Michael L. Sulkowski, psychologist and associate professor at University of Arizona

More young people than ever are in college, including students whose mental health struggles might have kept them out in the past, says Roy. But rising enrollment doesnt explain the precipitous climb in mental health needs, says Lauren Weitzman, staff psychologist and director of the University of Utah Counseling Center. A year ago, 27 students were hospitalized for mental illness. It used to be two or three a year, she says.

Parents and incoming students need to know the campus' capabilities to deal with mental health issues, says Locke, who calls it "uneven." A community college might have one counselor for 20,000 students, which he calls a disaster. Small private liberal arts colleges might be able to provide robust services to lots of students.

Colleges coast to coast are beefing up counseling staff, promoting mindfulness practices and training faculty campuswide to watch for significant stress in their classrooms. The need is so great that some schools, like the U., earmark a few dollars from each students fees to bolster treatment services, while others, including UM and University of Illinois, have physically placed some of their mental health providers throughout campus on the theory that locating a therapist in a department makes services more accessible to those students.

Because resources are always in too-short supply, campus therapy and mental health services are often short-term. Many schools now task case managers with what psychologist Luke Henke, coordinator of peer initiatives for UMs Counseling & Psychological Services, calls a warm hand-off to community professionals when students needs more than the university can provide. But insurance limitations, cost and student reluctance or inability to accept and manage outside help may form formidable barriers to care, he adds. And in some communities, waiting lists and therapist shortages are a fact of life.

What happens if students dont get needed help? Someone with public speaking phobia could potentially be pretty successful but still have great distress in specific situations  and theyll probably avoid it, Henke says. Someone experiencing generalized anxiety disorder and most days pretty high levels of distress will probably see negative impact in relationships, in work, at school. At the very least, it just plain hurts.

Small groups, big impacts

Its the second week of fall quarter at Michigan, and Henke and a half-dozen Wolverine Support Network leaders sit in a circle under shade trees on this storied campus as hundreds of students bustle through the quadrangle yards away. Diane Orleys there, too, and theyre discussing what they hope this year will bring. They expect 600 members, maybe more.

They hope students see value in building community, seeing different perspectives, learning skills, and being OK with who they are, no apologies, no pretense. Students spend too much time curating their identities, an activity experts know amps up anxiety.

WSNs 69 facilitators and seven directors have risen through the ranks, as did new executive director Jordan Lazarus, 21, a senior from California studying cellular and molecular biology.

Henke and other mental health experts have trained these young adults to get the conversation in small group meetings rolling and to nudge it along if talk lags. Theyve learned listening strategies and know campus resources, so they can help students in crisis find help.

Watching them, a stranger gets a sense of what the weekly hourlong gatherings might be like: Just six to 10 people talking, a chance to speak and really be heard. The intent is genuine conversations with people outside their usual social  or unsociable  lives. Groups are formed based only on handy time and place, so they include people with different ideas, politics and backgrounds. The goals to become a small community where you can think through problems, stretch and also celebrate good news.

Its not just for mental health: People who are lonely form connections. Those who are anxious can be directed to stress reduction and mental health resources. People who want to kick back have a different social outlet.

Aside from my co-leader, I prefer not to have any prior relationship with my members, says Jackson Gray, 20, an organizational studies major from Illinois. I want to be comfortable sharing and not be worried that any prior relationships or opinions will come into play. Open and authentic.

Says psychologist Henke, who meets weekly with group leaders to plan, You dont have to be any version of yourself that anyone thinks you should be or expects. You can just be yourself.

Josh Felsher, 22, a senior studying economics and history from Missouri, joined the network to boost his mental and physical well-being. I felt overwhelmed academically and socially. I felt like I was being pulled in several different directions and I could not truly discuss these feelings or issues with my friends and family. He hoped hed meet people with different thoughts and attitudes than his; the network didnt disappoint.

READ MORE: 8 things you can do to help your student have positive mental health

Anyone can join a network group walk Sundays or hang out at the no-alcohol Kickback Fridays twice a month  anything from bowling or laser tag to karaoke or bingo and burritos. Some activities are packed, other times, the crowd is small. Gabriela Hirschler, 21, a communications and psychology major from California, remembers when just one member showed up. But I think his life might have been saved, she says earnestly. Shes benefited from the network. Sometimes the simple act of being able to vocalize my stresses has helped me manage the anxious feelings that have stemmed from being on a college campus.

The structure itself is special, says Noah Gassman, 20,a junior from New York majoring in psychology and political science. The deliberately loose, casual tone makes it truly organic and great for fostering genuine conversation.

Hudson Ling, 22 is a senior business major from California who likes the multiple perspectives networks offer. His father died when he was young and a peer network diverted me from a bad path. He joined the Wolverine group because this is when Im happiest, healthiest and when other people are, too.

Psychologist Eric Endlich founded Top College Consultants to help students gain admission to the right college for them. Hes not surprised a peer-driven network helps students. Psychotherapy studies suggest therapist-client relationship may be even more important than the actual therapy techniques involved. While peer support programs arent true psychotherapy, they do have the critical component of a caring relationship, he says. He thinks anxious people often feel isolated and different; peer relationships can greatly reduce those feelings.

The support group is not intended to be therapy. Lazarus says the job is facilitating vulnerability  helping each other feel free to share in a physically, mentally safe space.

The network is growing in size and reach, spreading into other universities as The Support Network. The University of Cincinnati has Bearcat Support Network; Michigan States home to Spartan Support Network. The board offers guidance, but WSN director of program development Stefan Santrach, 21, a senior and business major from nearby Novi, Michigan, is quick to quash any notion of monetary gain. We want them to have money for their goals, not ours.

Sam Orley now works in the San Francisco area and serves on the board of the newly incorporated nonprofit The Support Network. He thinks his brother George might still be here, if only the network had been around when he was struggling. His moms not sure of that, but she is absolutely certain the group helps college students every day by linking them to peers.
On October 25-28, Moscow will host the 10th international festival of family dynasties 'Faith. Hope. Love' and the 'Family in Multinational Russia' forum, which will bring together about two hundred participants. President of the Revival and Hope Foundation Irina Bogacheva told Vestnik Kavkaza about Caucasian families going to the festival.

- Will representatives of the republics of the North Caucasus attend the festival?

- Of course! The Republic of Dagestan is represented by several families. Everything related to Rasul Gamzatov is important to us here. In addition, the 'Ozornye luchiki' team from the 'Zabota' orphanage visit us for the second year in a row. We try to support them, to develop their creative abilities, many have been delegated to the Golden Ball Award.

Bogatyrev's wonderful large family will come from Kabardino-Balkaria. Bogatyryov himself has been appointed director of the school. He brings up quite unusual children in his school.

From the Chechen Republic, I can single out the Tsakayev family, who work with children with disabilities and lead the youth team of the Zamankho chorus. They demonstrate high professionalism, an interesting vision of dance an excellent organization of work with young men, girls, with children. I'm thankful that the head of the republic support this family and help them come to us for three years. This is really a role model - their history, traditions, culture of the family.

The Bazorkin family from Ingushetia has seven children. They even organized their own festival. This is really great. I would also like to mention the Murzakayevy-Medovy family...

- Are there any orphanages in Dagestan?

- I was also surprised when I learned about it. Therefore, we came up with idea to organize their participation in our large competitive programs. Thanks to the director of the organization 'Dagestan without orphans' Raisat Osmanova, we learned that talented families live in every village.

You will see all the participants at a large charity national culture concert, which will be held on October 27 in the Bauman Moscow State Technical University's hall of 1,200 seats.

- Will there be participants from the South Caucasus?

- Yes. Azerbaijan is represented by the Shyukurov family. This family makes a great contribution to the development of friendship between nations in the framework of the work of the Center of Russian-Azerbaijan Friendship and help children to develop their creative abilities. They have three sons. Their Caucasian dances are full of life, they charge the entire audience with energy - everyone starts dancing. They are flamboyant and unusual.

There will be the Bojgua family from Georgia. The promotion of their talent and creativity in Russia has started from us. These are unique people, they also have a large family, and they make magic happen on the stage.

An Armenian family will come here - they are wonderful, unique people, their songs and costumes unusual.

- What is the message of this festival?

- The most important message is to show a worthy example of the Russian family, show its civil and existential position, its joyful, happy life. Participants of the festival are a role model of a happy family life. Each family has its own note of happiness, and this note of happiness they bring to our festival. When people see a family that is not just creative, but also in demand in their region, it is worth a lot. We want to show examples of a decent family life, love for each other. This is the most important thing.

The connection between generations is also important - grandfathers, grandmothers, mothers, fathers, grandchildren - all gather in one place. We have 11 competitive programs, and each of these programs provides an opportunity to each family member to show his creativity. This is a 0+ festival. Even families with little babies come here.

Families communicate with each other after visiting our festivals. I know, for example, that the Alekseev family visited the Tsakayev family.

In addition, every ordinary citizen can personally ask a representative of the executive and legislative authorities a question at our festival. Everyone here can share their experiences, their pain points. We also have psychologists here.

Last year, thanks to Boris Grachevsky, they were making a movie here titled 'Children writing to God'. It turned out that children with parents and orphans have different perceptions of God. The question to God predetermines what is valuable to man. Dzhambulat Tagirbekov from Makhachkala's 'Zabota' orphanage said: "I just want everyone to be happy. I don't expect they will adopt me, but I want to enjoy the life that fate has given me."

People come to the festival and make friends. We have an extraordinary space here, where you can feel the beauty of life. When people visit us, they change their lives. They can no longer live as they lived before, because they understand that dreams come true, that if you want something you can achieve a lot.
SALT LAKE CITY  For artists, a sight line is a geometric form that extends from the viewers eye to its final destination. Outside of the art world, sight lines are an invisible line from one's eye to something that they can see, with no visual impediment.

But for a group of 27 artists and educators in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Utah, "site lines" mean something else altogether: A lens through which many conceptual and artistic possibilities arise. The groups mesmerizing new exhibition, "Site Lines: Recent Works by University of Utah Art Faculty" which runs through Jan. 6, 2019, at the Utah Museum of Fine Art, features their more than 40 artistic contributions.

Museum traditionalists might be surprised at the unorthodox nature of the exhibition, but it's this diversity of medium that makes these artists' efforts so impressive. Those expecting still lives or portraits will instead find mixed media, installations, collages and video intermixed with the more familiar mediums of painting, sculpture and photography. But even in the latter category, these works fail to resemble anything most art patrons have seen before.

Which takes us back to the exhibition's title and concept. Guest curator Felicia Baca considers sight lines as fundamental to the artistic process, which through their placement in visual works evoke diverse ideas about borders, brinks, divisions, paths and dualities across different sites  from the natural landscape to manmade sculptures to the human form, she said in a press release.

Indeed, many of the show's works grapple with divisions that separate or confine vision and experience. For Baca  the manager of visual arts programs for the Utah Division of Arts and Museums  a metaphorical connection exists between the physical or geographical line and the art of teaching. To her, the faculty participants serve an important role in helping students navigate the lines and barriers that confront them.

Educators have a critical task in fostering open dialogue in their field and examining the role of the arts in an increasingly complex world, Baca said in a press release.

Sculptor HeidiMoller-Somsen, an adjunct assistant professor of ceramics, was keenly aware of her students when selecting her work for the show.

I feel like this show is a kind of extension of my teaching  it is in close proximity to the art building and I know that many of my students will see it. With this in mind, I intentionally chose works which were a struggle to create  both physically and intellectually. If the work challenges me, I am guessing that it will also challenge the viewers, she said in an interview.

In Your Memory is Already Fading, U. of U. assistant professor of intermedia sculpture Windy Wischer crafts a remarkable sculpture depicting endangered plant forms. The sculpture sprouts from the ground upward, and through Wischers use of white acrylic resin, hovers in museumgoers' line of sight in a hauntingly, ethereal fashion.

The tree and plants are on endangered lists around the globe. The glasslike material references the fragility of these plants while at the same time giving them a ghostlike quality, she said in an interview.

In other works, artists Edward Bateman and Sandy Brunvand use unique processes  photography and ink drawing respectively  to showcase the vastness of artistic possibilities.

Every three years, the UMFA brings the U.'s art faculty together for an exhibition. However, this years show is receiving particularly high praise, due to both the participating artists' remarkable contributions and Bacas vision.

Lewis Crawford, a mixed media photographer and one of the shows participants, said that while Baca provided a compelling overarching theme to the exhibition, she also left room for participants to share their most recent experiments and research. Crawfords pieces in the show include three images from his newest series, the result of him pushing my exploration of visual perception further, he said.

In "Site Lines," museumgoers will get a chance to see some of the state's finest artists and art educators pave a path for a new generation of artistic minds  all under Baca's inspired direction, said Crawford.

I think Felicia did an amazing job organizing the work. It is a really strong show and something the Department of Art and History should be proud of.

If you go 

What: "Site Lines: Recent Works by University of Utah Art Faculty"

Where: 410 Campus Center Drive

When: Through January 6, 2019; Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

How much: $12.95 for adults, $9.95 for youth (6-18) and seniors, free for children and U. of U. students

Phone: 801-581-7332

Web: umfa.utah.edu
Schedules and other facts for the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which will be held in the Conference Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City.

When

Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 6-7, 2018.

The Saturday, Oct. 6, general sessions will be held at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. MDT. Sunday, Oct. 7, sessions will be held at 9:30 a.m. (which includes "Music and the Spoken Word") and 2 p.m.

The general women's session will be held Saturday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m. The general priesthood session is now held once a year as part of the church's annual general conference in April.

To attend

Tickets are required for admission to all sessions in the Conference Center. To obtain tickets, contact your local priesthood leader. Visitors from outside the United States and Canada must also request tickets from their stake or district president, as tickets will no longer be distributed at the Conference Center Ticket Office.

Standby seating may be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The standby line is formed at the north gate on Temple Square approximately two hours before each session.

Admission to the Conference Center is limited to those ages 8 or older for each session. No babies, please. Sunday dress is encouraged.

Wheelchair seating is available. Patrons who require such seating should inform Guest Services when they arrive. American Sign Language interpretation is available. Patrons who require this service should inform an usher when they arrive at the Conference Center. A limited number of language translation headsets are available in the foyer area of the Conference Center. Patrons should ask an usher for assistance if needed.

Service dogs are not allowed in venues where meetings and events are being broadcast or recorded. Ushers will direct those who require them to overflow viewing rooms where service dogs are allowed.

For general conference sessions, the Conference Center doors open 90 minutes before the session start time. Those with tickets should be in their seats 30 minutes before the session start time. Photos during the event are not allowed, and neither are selfie sticks.

Parking

Parking options in downtown Salt Lake City may be limited on Saturday. Conference attendees are invited to carpool or use public transportation to relieve downtown traffic congestion. Attendees can visit rideuta.com to plan their downtown routes.

Those driving are encouraged to allow extra time for travel, locating a parking spot and being seated in the Conference Center.

Disability parking is located at the West Temple lot just north of North Temple, the entrance to which is accessible when traveling south on West Temple.

If you do not have a parking permit or pass, the Triad Center lot, The Parking Place lot, Regent Street lot and Eagle Gate Terrace Lot might have open spots to park in. Visit lds.org for more parking details.

Conference attendees should avoid parking in front of homes in downtown residential areas. Cars parked on neighborhood streets may be ticketed or towed at the owner's expense. Public parking is not available at the Conference Center lot.

Security

New security procedures have been introduced for this conference.

North Temple will be closed between West Temple and Main streets two hours before and immediately after each session to allow for pedestrian crossing. North Temple will reopen with limited access during the session and about two hours after general conference sessions end.

Large personal items such as large purses, backpacks, shopping bags, suitcases, coolers and food items are no longer allowed to be stored on church property. Weapons will not be allowed in the building, nor will metal drinking bottles. Conference attendees should instead bring clear plastic water bottles. Small handbags and umbrellas will still be permitted.

Attendees should plan to walk through metal detectors and allow security personnel to screen small bags and purses.

Watch, listen

General conference is broadcast via satellite to church meetinghouses throughout the world and is available through television, radio, the internet and other media.

Go to bonneville.info and click "Continue" under the General Conference section for a complete list of TV, radio or satellite reception options for all 50 states, plus Canada and Bermuda.

On Salt Lake-area TV: All four general sessions will be broadcast live on KSL/Ch. 5 and on cable/satellite channel BYUtv. The general women's session will also be broadcast on BYUtv. DirecTV customers who currently do not have access to KSL/Ch. 5 can view conference via deseretnews.com or any of the other listed outlets.

KBYU/Ch. 11 will repeat the morning sessions at noon and the afternoon sessions at 4 p.m. both days.

On the radio: All four general sessions will air on KSL Radio (AM-1160/FM-102.7), KBYU (FM-89.1) and BYU-Radio (Sirius XM-143). BYU-Radio will also air the general priesthood session.

Visit bonneville.info to find stations outside Utah and the Salt Lake area that will air conference.

On satellite and other TV stations: The church will provide an analog signal and digital signal for broadcasters and home satellite dish owners.

Check local program listings for other cable or TV availability in your area, or visit bonneville.info, byutv.org or ksl.com for more information.

On the web: A live broadcast will be available on deseretnews.com, lds.org, YouTube, BYUtv and BYUtv International, as well as through the Mormon Channel (YouTube, apps, website and Roku). A summary of each talk will be posted to ldschurchnews.com throughout the weekend.

Post-conference downloads: Audio and video files of the session are available within one to seven days after the conference ends. Text files of the talks are available within two to 20 days after general conference. Click here for more information.

Social media

Follow twitter.com/ldsconf on Twitter for live updates during all sessions.

Members are encouraged to discuss and share their thoughts with others on social media using the new hashtag #GeneralConference. For a full list of the recommended hashtags, click here.

Join us to hear messages of light, hope, comfort, and truth. Share what you're learning using #GeneralConference. pic.twitter.com/7Cy7aRaUvM  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (@LDSchurch) September 27, 2018

Programming

KSL/Ch. 5 will broadcast some special programs for general conference weekend:

Saturday, Oct. 6: 9:30 a.m.  "History of the Saints"; noon  "Road to Recovery"; 12:30 p.m.  "President Russell M. Nelson: Brilliant Mind, Gentle Heart"; 1:30 p.m.  "Miracles from Elsie"; 4 p.m.  "LDS World Report."

Sunday, Oct. 7: 9 a.m.  "Voices of Strength"; 9:30 a.m.  "Music and the Spoken Word"; noon  "A Global Ministry"; 1 p.m.  "In God We Trust"; 1:30 p.m.  "Kids in Kenya

BYUtv will also broadcast special programs:

Saturday, Oct. 6:1 p.m.  "LDS World Report

Sunday, Oct. 7: 9:30 a.m.  "Music and the Spoken Word"; 1 p.m.  "Significant Moments: Reyna Aburto's Story
SALT LAKE CITY  The 10 finalists in the American Dream Ideas Challenge announced Wednesday include a "strike team" to help address Carbon and Emery counties' challenges with economic contraction and opioid abuse as well as a proposal to share living arrangements among single parents.

The challenge, hosted at the University of Utah and sponsored nationally by Schmidt Futures, received 152 proposals from across the state to boost prosperity in Utah.

The ideas must have the potential to increase net income by 10 percent for 10,000 middle-class households in Utah by 2020.

Courtney McBeth, project director and special assistant to U. President Ruth Watkins, said the top 10 teams came from all areas of the state and include entrepreneurs, students, faculty, university staff, nonprofit organizations and government agencies.

Each finalist will receive $10,000 to further develop their proposal.

Next month, an advisory board led by Watkins and Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox will select the three best ideas among the 10 finalists.

"Each of these ideas reflects our state's innovative, creative and collaborative mindset," Watkins said. "Utahns from across the state have rallied to come up with great ideas to help fellow citizens gain and keep a foothold in the American dream."

The top three teams will receive $30,000 each to further develop their ideas and they will be eligible to compete at the national level for up to $1 million from the Alliance for the American Dream.

Utah has a history of innovation, a history of leading out, and I think that it is very fitting that the University of Utah was one of only four institutions that was chosen across the nation to participate in this American Dream challenge. The country is looking to Utah for leadership and guidance in many different areas, but especially in this one," Cox said.

The three other universities serving as inaugural partners in the challenge are Ohio State University, Arizona State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The Alliance for the American Dream is an initiative of Schmidt Futures launched in April 2018. The alliance is a network of communities, each anchored by a public research university, that provides access to capital and access to market for new ideas to support distressed communities locally.

Schmidt Futures seeks to "advance society through technology, inspiring breakthroughs in scientific knowledge, and promoting shared prosperity," according to its website.

Eric Schmidt, its founder, is a technical adviser to Alphabet Inc., a member of its board of directors and its former chairman. Alphabet Inc. is the parent company of Google. He lived in Utah during the 1990s.

The Alliance for the American Dream will provide up to $1 million for additional support to the best ideas.

Natalie Gochnour, director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the U., leads the Coal Country Strike Team, a group made up of academics, government officials, educators, business owners and others.

"It was a really humbling thing for a public policy institute. This is our craft. This is what we do. How do we lift these people? How do we help them? So we came up with the strike team and we're going after a bunch of interventions we think can help. If we can't help them, it's like shame on us," Gochnour said.

Since 2010, job growth has increased 16 percent in Utah statewide. But in Carbon and Emery counties, jobs have contracted by 17 percent, she said.

Moreover, Carbon County "has more retail opioid prescriptions than people," Gochnour said, noting that is the case in three other Utah counties as well.

The 10 finalists include:

 Autism Futures: Expand employment and services for adults on the autism spectrum through a platform that connects them with employers, focuses on raising the income of these newly hired employees and supports families in transitioning youth with autism to the workforce.

 Coal Country Strike Team: Create a strike team to work with community leaders to pursue a five-pronged policy platform in Utahs rural coal country, focusing on Emery and Carbon counties, to address problems (such as the opioid crisis) and promote opportunities in health care, tourism, employment and economic development training, technology and housing.

 Community Design Innovation Hub: Design and implement a community hub in one of Salt Lake Citys westside communities as part of a public-private housing development to connect residents to innovative educational and career pathways.

 DASH Digital Pathways: Develop in-demand digital skills for educators, entrepreneurs and early career professionals. DASH, which stands for Design, Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, aims to help participants build skills and earn verified credentials that support relevant, sustainable careers in Utahs classrooms and high-tech economy.

 Debt-free Middle Class: Develop an app that creates a new culture of saving money by helping individuals and families restructure payments to get out of debt faster and make smarter financial decisions.

 Developing Skills and Rural Businesses in the Gig Economy: Increase gig-economy employment in rural Utah through education and outreach to enhance freelance worker success and expand freelance opportunity throughout rural southern Utah.

 Leveraging Value to Convert Healthcare Premiums to Income: Through a partnership with regional health plans, implement medication value assessment, value-based insurance design and outcomes-based contracting to decrease health care premium costs.

 Mobility as a Service: Save middle-class citizens significant transportation-related expenses through a new mobility-as-a-service pilot that encourages use of and integrates public transportation options  transit, ride hailing, bike sharing, etc. and reduces automobile ownership and use.

 Neighbor: Allow Utahns with unused space in their homes or apartments to rent their RV pads, basements, sheds, closets, attics, etc. to other Utahns in need of self-storage, both reducing costs and providing income.

 Single Parent Shared Living: Encourage shared living arrangements among single-parent families through the development of an app that matches interested parties, reducing living costs and, potentially, child care costs.
SALT LAKE CITY  The 4th Congressional District race between Republican Rep. Mia Love and Democratic Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams is now a toss-up, a key national political rating entity announced Wednesday.

The Cook Political Report, an independent, nonpartisan newsletter widely viewed as authoritative, shifted the race from lean Republican to toss-up, noting President Donald Trump's "dismal Utah numbers make this a highly competitive race."

Utah's 4th District, which includes portions of Salt Lake and Utah counties, was one of eight congressional districts around the country that analyst David Wasserman moved toward Democratic wins in the November midterm election.

"Party strategists are arguing over what's the bigger factor in Love's re-election math: drag from President Trump's unpopularity, or a life from Mitt Romney's Senate bid" in Utah, Wasserman posted.

He said either way, the contest between Love and McAdams "looks likely to go down to the wire," citing a late August poll for UtahPolicy.com that gave the congresswoman only a 3-point lead in the race, within the margin of error.

Wasserman says McAdams "has built a unique brand as a wonky, nerdy Mormon Democrat and cultivated relationships with Republican mayors," while Love has "worked hard to change her initial reputation from 2012 as a spotlight seeker."

The two-term congresswoman lost her first run for Congress in 2012, to then-Rep. Jim Matheson, the last Democrat to represent Utah in Washington. Love won the seat in 2014 after Matheson retired and again in 2016.

McAdams tweeted the news, saying the Cook Political Report "must be seeing the same incredible enthusiasm and support for our campaign that Im seeing from Republicans, independent and Democrats on the ground here in Utah!"

Love's pollster, Scott Riding, said in a statement that two years ago, "Cook rated this race as 'lean Republican' and the congresswoman won by 13 points. Other handicappers disagree with Cooks assessment of Utah, and so do we."

Riding said both Sabato's Crystal Ball, from the University of Virginia Center for Politics' Larry Sabato, and the Washington, D.C.-based Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, rate the race as leaning Republican.

And Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight site gives Love an 84.3 percent chance of winning, Riding said.

None of the other three Utah congressional races are seen as competitive. A rating entity that aggregates polling, RealClearPolitics.com, has had the 4th District race in the toss-up category.

Trump's popularity has long lagged in Utah, one of the nation's most Republican states. A recent statewide UtahPolicy.com poll showed a majority of Utahns don't want a second term for the president.
LAYTON  More charges were filed Wednesday in connection with a fatal shooting at a Layton trailer home, including charges against a 16-year-old boy and two people who lived with the victim.

Anthony Child, 26, was shot Sept. 27 in a trailer at 2500 N. Lane at Lakeview Estates, in Layton. He insisted, however, that his friends drive him to a hospital in Preston, Idaho, rather than a closer facility, allegedly to hide the marijuana and psychedelic mushroom growing operation in the trailer. Child died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Prosecutors say Angel Christopher Abreu, 22, of Ogden, and a 16-year-old boy entered the trailer with the intention of robbing the occupants. Child was shot twice in the back after the gunman fired 13 rounds from a rifle.

Abreu was charged in 2nd District Court with aggravated murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated burglary, all first-degree felonies. He is also charged with obstructing justice, a second-degree felony.

Wednesday, 16-year-old Brandon Martin Hinojosa, of Ogden was charged as an adult in 2nd District Court with murder, aggravated burglary and aggragated kidnapping, all first-degree felonies. He was also charged with obstructing justice, a second-degree felony.

But in an unexpected twist to an already bizarre incident, charges were also filed against Kevin Wener Content, 35, and Devon Allan Miller  two of the people who lived with Child in the trailer.

Content is charged with the same counts as Hinojosa, including the a murder charge.

Miller, 22, was charged with drug production and obstructing justice, second-degree felonies; possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony; drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, class B misdemeanors.

Surveillance video from a neighbor's house shows Content "speaking for several minutes to one of the armed assailants on the porch of the home being attacked during the incident" as well as being able to "freely come and go from the residence during the incident," according to charging documents.

When confronted about that by police, he "finally admitted that he was present during the shooting and that he knew the shooter, but claimed that he was held at gunpoint on the porch by the shooter, with the gun pointed at him," according to court documents.

But after Abreu was arrested, he told detectives that Content "had helped coordinate the robbery to pay a debt that he owed the shooter. The shooter also provided two hand-written maps of the residence which he reported were drawn by (Content) to assist in the robbery," the charges state.

Content was also the one who ordered the others to clean up the crime scene before police arrived, according to the charges, including telling others to use hydrogen peroxide on all the blood spots. He also collected all 13 shell casings and took them out of the trailer before police arrived, the charges state.

Correction: A previous version incorrectly stated Brandon Martin Hinojosa and Kevin Wesner Content were each charged with aggravated murder. They were charged with murder.
SALT LAKE CITY  Wyoming may have beat Utah by a few months in giving women the right to vote, but Utah is the first state where women first cast a ballot.

In honor of that historic event in 1870, Utah released a new license plate design Wednesday celebrating the state's women being the "first to vote" in modern American history.

The new women's suffrage recognition plate design was unveiled during an announcement in front of the state Capitol. The plates are available for new or existing car registrations at Division of Motor Vehicles offices or on the Utah Motor Vehicle Portal website.

The license plate was spearheaded by Better Days 2020, a new movement to "popularize Utah women's history," the group's to co-founder, Neylan McBaine, said during the event.

The year 2020 will mark the 150th anniversary of the first women voting in Utah and the centennial of the 19th amendment, which assured women the right to vote nationwide.

McBaine recognized that women, such as Susan B. Anthony, attempted to vote before 1870, and others may have even disguised themselves as men to successfully vote, but Salt Lake City was where women first "legally cast ballots in the modern nation."

The new license plates are one of the group's efforts leading up to the anniversary to celebrate women's accomplishments in Utah.

Better Days 2020 was also a driving force behind a plan to put a statue of Martha Hughes Cannon in the U.S. Capitol. Cannon was the first woman in the country elected as a state senator, and, McBaine noted, she even ran against her own husband.

The group has also organized an education initiative, providing lesson plans and other resources for Utah and U.S. history classes.

Better Days 2020 is also working on a walking tour of suffrage sites, including areas where Utahns protested the federal government revoking women's voting rights as "punishment" for polygamy, McBaine said, and the Salt Lake Tabernacle, where Susan B. Anthony visited and spoke to suffragettes twice  once after the first female ballots were cast, and again after Utah's Constitution was ratified to include women's suffrage.

Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, who also spoke at the event, said he loves how Better Days 2020 gives women a "chance to show what they can do.  That's what the American dream is about  no guarantees of outcome for success, but a guarantee of opportunity."
SALT LAKE CITY  Covering costs of tuition and a place to live can be difficult for college students, but especially so for those just who are just leaving the foster care system.

For Kareem Balance, 22, managing rent and fees has been an uphill battle, he told a legislative committee at the state Capitol on Wednesday. He has bounced from his foster father's home to a friend's couch, to a transitional housing program in Salt Lake County in recent years.

His college career also has ping-ponged. As a computer science major at Salt Lake City's Westminster College, he received a surprise $14,000 bill and dropped out of the program, then began again at Weber State University before scholarships there ran out. He now works at a temp agency and still owes the Westminster payment.

Balance didn't know which employees on campus could help him navigate the hurdles, he told Utah lawmakers on the Child Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel.

"Having that support system on campus would have been a tremendous help," he said.

Balance's experience is not uncommon, said Crystal Vail, adolescent services program administrator for the Utah Division of Child and Family Services. Many colleges have the resources, but students aren't sure where to find them.

No bill has been filed to address the issues raised at the meeting. But one lawmaker on the committee, Rep. Sandra Hollins, D-Salt Lake City, said she is planning to speak more with Balance, Vail and others about how to make sure that those graduating from foster care have the same opportunities as other young adults.

"I want them to have the same access," she said, "and be able to have that same start in life."

Currently, more teens in foster homes are attending college with financial help from federal Pell grants and other funding sources, Vail said.

"Were getting them into higher education," she said, "but we're not seeing as many graduate and complete the programs."

Making sure they have stable housing also remains a challenge. A September survey of 21-year-olds who spent some amount of time in Utah's foster care system revealed more than 20 percent reported they didn't have a permanent place to stay after leaving the state's care, Vail said.

Several coordinators around the state help youths in foster care hash out a job and housing plan, she added, but none is dedicated just to education. And while a housing voucher program in Salt Lake County provides assistance to Balance and other former foster children, no such program exists in more rural parts of the state.

Those in the foster system age out when they turn 21, she told the panel, but some head out on their own at age 18, depending on the circumstances.

Balance said much of his childhood was positive and included several trips to the zoo, but he entered foster care after repeated abuse from his stepfather. School was the one constant while he was growing up, he said. And though he is not taking classes right now, he is committed to eventually finishing the computer science degree.

"Education," he said, "is the gateway to freedom and success."
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SALT LAKE CITY  The Rev. Kimal James says the Gospel According to St. Mark, in the New Testament, makes it "powerfully apparent how important healing care is in Jesus' ministry."

"Jesus healed a man who had an unclean spirit. Then he healed Simon Peter's mother-in-law who had a fever," the Rev. James, the pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Marriott-Slaterville, recounted.

"Later, the community brought to Jesus all who were sick or possessed with demons, and he healed them. Jesus then healed many who were sick with various diseases, and after some prayer, Jesus healed a leper."

She then added with a smile, "That was just Chapter 1."

The Rev. James and several other Utah religious leaders teamed up at a press conference in the courtyard of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City on Wednesday to make their case for passing Proposition 3, the state's Medicaid expansion ballot initiative, saying there are compelling humanitarian and ethical reasons to vote for it.

"It's a basic truth about Jesus that healing the sick occupied a great deal of his time and attention," she said.

"There is no such thing as Jesus without healing. Jesus and healing go hand in hand. That was true in the first century and it's true in the 21st century. If we want to be followers and disciples of Jesus then we must also be involved in this ministry of providing health care to more and more people."

The Rt. Rev. Scott Hayashi, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah, said he believes Utahns' decision on Proposition 3 amounts to a moral choice.

"As a person of faith, as a person of belief that all people have dignity, because they have been made by a creator, I believe that doing this is not only the good thing to do, but the right and the moral thing to do for Utah," Bishop Hayashi said.

The ballot initiative would increase the state sales tax from 4.7 to 4.85 percent in order expand Medicaid coverage to all Utahns earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, bringing eligibility to an estimated 150,000 people who otherwise do not qualify.

The ballot initiative campaign, Utah Decides Health Care, estimates the tax increase would bring in $91 million in state funds, unlocking about $800 million in matching federal money.

Supporters of the initiative say expanding Medicaid would fill a critical need for those who fall in a "coverage gap" by virtue of earning too much income to be eligible for the federal insurance program, but earn too little to be eligible for plans sold on the federal health exchange or to reasonably afford employer-sponsored plans.

Efforts to expand Medicaid eligibility to 138 percent of the federal poverty level have fallen short in recent years at the Utah Legislature, where opponents have said they are concerned about the long-term sustainability of federal Medicaid matching rates, and worry about whether an expanded program may at some point overwhelm the state budget.

But Utah lawmakers agreed to pass a smaller scale Medicaid expansion this year, bringing eligibility for the programs to all Utahns earning less than 100 percent of the federal poverty level. That form of expansion, which its supporters say would contain significantly fewer budget concerns than the ballot initiative, would make an estimated 70,000 to 90,000 Utahns newly eligible for Medicaid.

The legislature-approved expansion is subject to a significant federal approval process, and has not yet received that approval.

The Most Rev. Oscar A. Solis, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, described some of the help Utah religious organizations give to the poor, but said they "cannot do it alone."

"They need the help of the government, to help support this wonderful service to the underprivileged and those who are poor," Bishop Solis said.

He added that in order to protect the "dignity and sanctity of life, we need to provide for the basic needs of people, and that includes health care."

The Rev. Curtis Price of the First Baptist Church said that, in light of recent efforts to expand Medicaid falling short in Utah, "it's time for us together to fix this, it's time for we the people to stand together."

"Without access to health care, people in poverty have to make choices between food and a doctor visit, between shelter and medical care," the Rev. Price said. "Without access to health care, people die  not because we lack the resources, but because we lack the will."

Imam Shuaib Din, of the Utah Islamic Center, said he believes voting for Proposition 3 is "a win win in that it is a win for us in this world, and it is a win for us in the afterlife."

Added Eric Biggart, chairman of the LDS Caucus of the Utah Democratic Party, "we have been commanded to offer comfort, not judgement on the least of us."

The Rev. James said expanding Medicaid also expands the opportunities of Utah's low-income families.

"Sick people can't work and care for their families. Healthy people can," she said. "Please vote yes (to) Proposition 3. I believe this is what Jesus would have us do."
SALT LAKE CITY  Between 30 and 40 protesters convened in downtown Salt Lake Wednesday evening to say "Kava-no."

For Virginia Lee, a Salt Lake attorney, the issue feels personal.

"I was raped by a man who became a judge," she said during the rally in front of the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building in Salt Lake, held to show objection to Judge Brett Kavanaugh's potential confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Lee gathered with others under an overcast sky to wave signs with slogans including "Hear us," "I believe Dr. Ford," and "Vote no for Kavanaugh." As they chanted "Kava-no," passing drivers often honked their car horns.

"Men will be predators when they can, disregarding women who complain about being sexually assaulted or raped and  saying that complaining is character assassination is intended to shut women up more and allow men more freedom to rape and assault at will," Lee said.

According to organizers, the rally was one of 135 similar demonstrations held Wednesday around the U.S. to protest Kavanaugh's confirmation.

Organizer Ashley Weitz, with her 4-year-old son in tow, said Wednesday was her 89th straight day of protesting over recent concerns raised during the President Donald Trump's time in office. She says she started amid anxiety over families separated at the border.

"Right now in the U.S. in the last few weeks, in the last few months, during this administration, really, it has become abundantly clear that it is difficult to exist as a woman, as a survivor, as an ethnic or cultural minority, religious minority, gender and sexual minority. Frankly, it has become difficult to exist as anything but a healthy, wealthy white man," Weitz said.

She said she believes those in power are showing that a woman's voice "can always be silenced."

"And we're here to say, 'Listen to us. Listen to all of Utah.' The statistics on domestic and sexual violence in Utah and in the U.S. are alarming," Weitz said.

Craig Provost, of Salt Lake, said he attended the rally because he believes women deserve to be heard.

"I have six sisters, a daughter, a daughter-in-law and three granddaughters. And I believe Dr. Ford and that our women should be listened to. And I also believe that (Kavanaugh) lies, that he didn't answer the questions in testimony before the Senate, and got angry at the people interviewing him," Provost said.

"And that's inappropriate for a job applicant, much less someone applying for the Supreme Court."

Jill Merritt, of Salt Lake City, also called Kavanaugh "unfit to serve."

"Brett Kavanaugh was a terrible choice to begin with.  We have this horrible display of anger and self-victimizing from him that makes him unfit to serve. And as President Trump said, you can't lie to Congress."

"It's really time for men to see the way women have had to live for so long and wake up," Merritt said.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation has announced another protest of Kavanaugh in the same location Thursday evening.

Correction: A previous version misspelled event organizer Ashley Weitz's first name as Ashleigh.
The Armenian government announced October 11 and 12 non-working days because of a Francophonie summit to be hosted by Yerevan.

Armenia'd Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan said more than 40 heads of state and government will take part in the summit, "which is unprecedented for Armenia."

He added that for ensuring their security and movement, it will be necessary to close central streets of the capital city for traffic, otherwise there will be obstacles for the movement of citizens and unnecessary traffic jams in the center of the capital. Instead Armenian citizens will be working on the following two Saturdays, ARKA reported.

Secretary General of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vahagn Melikyan, who heads a working group set up to handle the event, said the festive events as part of the summit will start on October 7.

Delegations from more than 80 countries and organizations, including 25 heads of state, will arrive in Armenia for the summit.

The summit includes the 105th session of the Permanent Council of Francophonie, the 35th session of the Ministers Council and the summit of the organization. The event will be wrapped up by a gala concert in the Republic Square.
SALT LAKE CITY  Two political candidates for Salt Lake County's top prosecutor offered starkly different views of the office in a Wednesday evening debate that at times became boisterous.

Democratic incumbent Sim Gill said he has stuck to his budget and adapted to the evolving role of a prosecutor  seeking to address lopsided jail and prison terms among those who are black, Latino and poor  while making treatment for offenders a priority as he has served as Salt Lake County district attorney.

"It's no longer about simply going to court. It's about the broader issues that confront us in the criminal justice system," Gill said in the debate at the University of Utah.

In the view of Republican challenger Nathan Evershed, a toxic environment in the office has forced talented prosecutors in the district attorney's office and other employees to quit, and has held back female attorneys in particular. He said partnerships with police have headed south, public trust has plummeted, and the office is now "broken."

"I believe I'm qualified and prepared to fix it," he said.

Evershed, a homicide prosecutor in the county, and Gill, his boss, disagreed about the rate of turnover in their office, which Evershed said has risen to 25 percent.

"It's true!" a man in the audience shouted in response.

Gill, for his part, countered it is about 6 percent, saying his opponent put forward false information. Evershed said he also would make sure women in the office have a future and a voice, adding that many female prosecutors aren't in jobs that lead to promotions, but Gill said he has hired women and they remain.

Evershed criticized the unsuccessful public corruption prosecutions under Gill's tenure of former Republican Utah attorneys general John Swallow, who was acquitted, and Mark Shurtleff, whose charges were dropped, saying they have led the public to believe the charges were motivated by politics.

"That perception that's out there is quite damaging to the public's trust in this office," Evershed said.

"Our job is to try sometimes the difficult cases," Gill countered, saying not every charge leads to a conviction, "but that doesn't mean we don't prosecute the next one."

Gill emphasized his support for a November medical marijuana ballot initiative, saying he opposes recreational use but believes the proposition is "an indictment of the failure of the Legislature to listen to its citizens."

Evershed supports use of the drug for medical reasons but believes the initiative is flawed, in part because it could hinder prosecution of a driver who causes a crash and has THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, in their system.

The candidates agreed that the death penalty should be seldom-used, with Evershed saying the decision to pursue capital punishment is "gut-wrenching." Gill agreed, saying he has struggled with it, but stopped short of saying he opposes it.

"In a civilized society, this is something we need to revisit with great urgency," including at the Utah Legislature, he said.

While Evershed said some investigations of police-involved shootings have taken too long, Gill said he has made the reports public and successfully advocated for an independent board to investigate them.

Evershed emphasized that he's a political novice, having spent his career in courtrooms.

"What I will do is change the culture," he said.

Gill responded that the job is inherently political, in part because it involves negotiations with policy makers over salaries of attorneys and other employees. He said he has pushed for full Medicaid expansion in Utah, saying low-income Utahnns who don't have health coverage often wind up in the courts.

The audience in a nearly full auditorium at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at times applauded each candidate, with standing ovations for both at the end, and whistles for Evershed in particular.

The election is Nov. 6.
MILLCREEK  A man who police say attacked an employee inside a Starbucks was shot in the chest by another customer Thursday.

Benjamin S. Overall, 37, of Salt Lake City, was then hit by officers with a Taser as he ran from the coffee shop. He was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Doctors later upgraded him to "satisfactory," according to Unified police.

The wild series of events began about 6:10 a.m. when three Unified police officers were called to a 7-Eleven at 904 E. 3900 South on a report of a man who was being verbally aggressive with the store clerk and causing problems, said Unified detective Ken Hansen.

The officers found the man in the parking lot and approached him to talk to him. That's when the man took off running, Hansen said.

The man sprinted to the Starbucks across the street, 3898 S. 900 East, ran inside, and then went behind the counter where he began assaulting a woman, he said.

That woman, Shelby Hamilton, 24, told the Deseret News the attack seemed random.

"Like, I didn't really know him, and he didn't really say anything. He just came in the door and  hit me in the back of the head from behind," Hamilton said. "I was the first one he saw."

At first, he punched her in the head.

Then, he stopped and asked her, "Do you know who I am?" she said

"I said, 'No, I don't know who you are.' And it made him very upset, and he started to continue to hit me with his fists," Hamilton said.

As she tried to get away, Hamilton said the man grabbed a metal basket and hit her on the side of the head with it. She got onto the ground in the fetal position, and he "stomped on" her back and continued to hit her with the basket, she said.

While her impulse was to get away, she says her coworkers froze during the attack.

"They were all just kind of stammering around. And once I got down to the ground I think is when they ran out the door asking for help," Hamilton said.

But the man finally threw the basket and left, Hamilton recalled.

She then heard her coworkers yelling outside, followed by the sound of a gunshot.

A customer  believed to be in his late 60s to early 70s, according to police  is a regular patron at the store and knows the clerk. He saw what was happening and started moving toward the attacker, the detective said.

Details about whether anything was said, whether the alleged attacker was still holding a weapon, or what caused his attention to be diverted were not immediately known. But Hansen said as the man started moving toward the customer  who has a concealed weapons permit  the customer fired one round, striking the man in the chest.

As the injured man ran out of the store, the Unified officers who were at the 7-Eleven were just arriving. An officer deployed his Taser on the man to stop him, Hansen said. That's when they discovered he had also been shot.

The concealed weapons holder was being interviewed Thursday by police. Hansen said evidence will be collected and turned over to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office to determine if any charges are warranted.

Thursday afternoon, Hamilton said she was "pretty banged up," with a black eye, swelling on the right side of her face, cuts on the back of her head and bruising.

Of the "regular" customer who shot the man, Hamilton said, "He's always been very sweet. He's always been very patient."

"And so I was surprised, but also very grateful that he was there. And I'm glad it's somebody that we see regularly so that hopefully in the future I can thank him."

Overall was convicted of intoxication in May in Salt Lake Justice Court, according to court records. In that incident, he attempted to go into a hotel room that was not his, according to a police affidavit. Overall "could not stand or walk on his own (and) stated that he had drank too much," according to the affidavit.

Contributing: Liesl Nielson
SALT LAKE CITY  Following more than a year of a seemingly insurmountable divide and sometimes embittered debate over the future of medical marijuana in Utah, several key players announced a comprehensive compromise on the issue Thursday which they hope to get passed into law.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert called for a special session of the Utah Legislature following the election in November to discuss a new "shared vision" for medical cannabis policy.

LIVE: Marijuana initiative press conference at Capitol Gov. Herbert and opposing sides of the marijuana initiative are announcing a 'shared vision' at press conference Posted by KSL 5 TV on Thursday, October 4, 2018

The Deseret News first reported the agreement Tuesday following recent private talks involving legislative leaders and others. Herbert formally announced that compromise Thursday, flanked at the state Capitol by legislators and the very groups that have been so sharply at odds over the merits of Proposition 2.

Proposition 2 remains on the ballot and cannot be amended before Election Day. In November, voters will have a chance to say yes or no to the measure as it currently stands.

Those for and against the initiative continue to disagree on whether Proposition 2 should pass, but suggested that regardless of the Election Day results, the policies agreed to as part of a wide-ranging compromise should ultimately be passed by the Legislature in the special session.

Hebert confirmed the special session will be held regardless of whether Proposition 2 is passed by voters.

"Whether it passes or fails, we're going to arrive at the same point and conclusion, which is going to be (of) benefit to the people of Utah," the governor said.

Leaders of both the House and the Senate said they believe they have the votes to pass the compromise in the special session.

The Utah Patients Coalition also announced Thursday it would no longer purchase media advertisements promoting Proposition 2, though it still favors the measure passing. On the other side of the issue, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Utah Medical Association said they would do the same and not actively fight for its defeat, despite remaining opposed to it.

Others present to support Thursday's announcement included Connor Boyack, president of Libertas Institute, the initiative campaign's largest in-state donor; the Rt. Rev. Scott B. Hayashi, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah; and Mark Madsen, a medical marijuana advocate and a former state senator who sponsored a failed legalization bill in the Utah Legislature in 2016.

Compromises

Among the proposed compromise policies, which were written in the form of a bill, are changes to Proposition 2's provisions over how medical marijuana can be ingested, where and how it would be sold, and what is considered a qualifying condition for a medical cannabis card.

The compromise language limits the forms in which a person can use medical marijuana to a tablet, capsule, concentrated oil, liquid suspension, topical substance, skin patch, sublingual pill, chewable or dissolvable cube, or unprocessed marijuana flower broken up into a blister pack in which each blister, or pocket, does not exceed 1 gram. In limited circumstances, a marijuana resin or wax could also be used.

Each of those methods of treatment would be required to be broken up into "single dosage form" and contain "a specific and consistent  content."

Unlike with the compromise language, Proposition 2 doesn't require unprocessed flower be sold in a blister pack. Marijuana edibles could also be sold under Proposition 2, but not under the compromise language.

The compromise text does not allow for a person to grow their own plants for personal use. Proposition 2, by contrast, permits a person to grow up to six of their own plants if they live more than 100 miles from a dispensary.

Also under the compromise, marijuana sellers would be known as pharmacies rather than dispensaries, and a licensed pharmacist would be required to work at the facility.

A single state-owned central fill pharmacy would be established and local health departments would be utilized as places where a medical marijuana order could be picked up. Five pharmacies would be permitted statewide, unless unforeseen demand arises. By contrast, Proposition 2 would allow for at least one in every county and more for the most populous counties, including up to eight in Salt Lake County.

The compromise text also makes small changes to qualifying conditions that allow a person to get a medical cannabis card, specifying that a person's post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis must come from a psychiatrist, for example.

The compromise language keeps protections barring landlords from penalizing or removing a tenant for lawfully using medical marijuana, and keeps protections for doctors who recommend its use  provisions that had drawn ire in a recent lawsuit filed by Drug Safe Utah, a political issues committee formed to defeat Proposition 2.

The compromise text also proposes that doctors who wish to recommend cannabis, and the pharmacists who would dispense it, be required to comply with certain continuing education requirements.

Pulling back

Michelle McOmber, CEO of the Utah Medical Association, which has long been critical of the proposition, said Thursday the association has "stepped back" since the compromise was reached and "won't do media buys" campaigning against Proposition 2. However, McOmber said the organization's position has not changed that the initiative should not be passed.

Some advertisements the association has already purchased will still run, she said.

"We believe (the compromise) has addressed most of the medical community's concerns," McOmber said.

DJ Schanz, director of the Proposition 2 medical marijuana legalization initiative campaign called the Utah Patients Coalition, said he would still like to see Proposition 2 pass in order to "send a message" that Utahns "stand with patients."

But "as far as the framework and concepts, those are ironed out," Schanz said, adding that the Utah Patients Coalition will also refrain from purchasing advertisements pushing for the proposition.

"We're committed to de-escalating any media buys," Schanz said.

Elder Jack N. Gerard, General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who has helped spearhead the church's efforts urging Utahns to vote no on Proposition 2 while also pushing the state to legalize medical marijuana under certain stricter conditions, made the same commitment.

"While the church remains opposed to Proposition 2, and we've encouraged folks to vote against it  in the same spirit expressed by (Schanz), we'll de-escalate our activities in opposition to Proposition 2," Elder Gerard said.

Elder Gerard said the compromise "creates a framework that is good for patients, their caregivers, it was good for children."

Jim Jardine, advisor for Drug Safe Utah, said he was not yet sure whether the political issues committee will also stop advertisements against the measure. He said "there are members in our coalition who may want to press forward," and there is an understandable hesitation "to slow down until you know there's a deal."

Recent talks

House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper, said he wanted to get different sides of the issue to the same table after he recently "heard a lot of what I thought (was) a lot of overlap" from opposing groups.

With that mindset, Hughes first brought those groups together for private talks last month. Those involved included The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, Libertas Institute, the Utah Medical Association, and the governor's office.

"If we could find that common ground, we could grow from there. So we did. We went through this exercise and it was slow going," Hughes said.

Hughes said the group quickly learned to put compromises in statutory language in order to be absolutely sure they were in agreement on certain points.

Still, Hughes said the agreement is "not necessarily going to make everyone happy."

"(But) to the families, to the patients, to those that we represent, to those that we advocate for, I think we're trying to strike a strong middle ground," he said.

Elder Gerard praised Hughes "for bringing us together."

Boyack praised the long process that led to a compromise, as well as the result, saying that "during over 40 hours of these discussions we found common ground."

"Patient access is preserved while resolving opponents' concerns about the potential misuse of cannabis," Boyack said.

Madsen, the former state senator whose effort to legalize medical marijuana fell short, said he felt "compelled to express my hurt and frustration" at other stakeholders' "refusal to sit and reason together for years while patient suffered."

But Madsen said "Utah politics will have improved for having gone through this experience."

Hughes and Niederhauser both said they are confident they have the necessary votes in their legislative bodies to get the agreed-upon compromise passed in November.

Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, who has been heavily involved in Utah medical marijuana legislation, said the doctors he has spoken to in the House of Representatives are "ecstatic" about the compromise, and that he expects the rest of the House will follow their lead.

The Marijuana Policy Project, a national group that helped draft Proposition 2 and the campaign's most lucrative donor, said in a statement "this deal is undoubtedly a victory for Utah patients and their families."

Criticisms of deal

Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, told the Deseret News she is frustrated with the deal after so many Utahns agreed to what was in Proposition 2. She sees the compromise as "a form of voter suppression" subverting the will of those who signed it.

"People have worked so hard to get this on the ballot," Romero said.

Christine Stenquist, the founder of the patient group Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education, told the Deseret News "we're just skeptical, and we need time to look at the 128 pages."

"There are trust issues that remain with this legislative body," Stenquist said, and as a result she believes supporters should not forfeit the leverage they have over state lawmakers by failing to pass Proposition 2.

"I don't think they should give up their power just because of a promise," she said.

Walter Plumb, president of Drug Safe Utah, said he was disappointed with the compromise, but that within the coalition of organizations who have opposed Proposition 2, "I appear to be in the minority right now."

"I still say this is just the first step toward the real goal of recreational marijuana," Plumb said, clarifying that he was speaking only for himself.
SALT LAKE CITY  The 2018 election is still a month away, and yet candidates are already lining up to challenge Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski in 2019.

Former Salt Lake City Councilman Stan Penfold, who had been critical of Biskupski before leaving office last year, announced Thursday his bid to succeed her when her term ends next year.

"What we really need in Salt Lake City is leadership that listens and leadership that really cares," Penfold said before of a crowd of supporters in front of Publik Kitchen on Tuesday. "My campaign for mayor will look different because, frankly, I'm different. I know how to listen, I want to listen."

Penfold, who was council chairman in 2017, chose not to seek a third term on the council last year. Since then, he never ruled out a campaign to be mayor of Utah's capital city and said he was "seriously considering" a run.

But Thursday, standing near 900 South and Harvey Milk Boulevard  the road Penfold helped rename in honor of the fallen gay-rights activist  the former councilman officially launched his campaign with a focus on bringing people of all walks of life together and attention to neighborhood impacts.

"I know how to partner, and I know how to help people come together and do impossible things, like rename 6 miles of a street in Salt Lake City," Penfold said. "I know how to bring people together because I've done it. I believe firmly that the job of Salt Lake City is to serve the people of Salt Lake City."

Penfold, along with former Councilwoman Lisa Adams, who also did not seek re-election, criticized Biskupski for not collaborating well with the council as they ended their terms last year. Both were supporters of former Mayor Ralph Becker, who narrowly lost to Biskupski in 2015.

But Thursday, Penfold didn't directly attack Biskupski and maintained an air of optimism, aimed at expressing a desire to hear from constituents in their neighborhoods and how issues like affordable housing and air quality impact them day to day.

"Things will fall out during the campaign, I'm sure," Penfold said about clashes with Biskupski. But above all, "I really want to focus on what opportunities we have and how we can really work together to make the best city we can possibly make. And I think people are there, they want to see us moving forward, so that's my hope."

Biskupski in a prepared statement did not address Penfold's challenge, but listed her accomplishments as mayor.

"For the last two and a half years I have focused on the critical issues Salt Lake City residents care about most," Biskupski said. "Every major initiative I have put forward, including an affordable housing plan, clean energy plan, transit master plan, infrastructure plan and fiscally responsible budgets have been adopted unanimously by the council.

"I will continue to work toward these goals to bring real and lasting change to the capital city," the mayor said.

Penfold's announcement means the 2019 race will include a contest between two of Salt Lake City's most prominent LGBT community members. While Biskupski became Salt Lake City's first openly gay mayor, Penfold became the Salt Lake City Council's first openly gay member when he was elected in 2009.

Penfold also served as executive director of the Utah AIDS Foundation since 1999. Previously, he engaged in Salt Lake City issues in the early '80s and eventually became chairman of the Greater Avenues Community Council.

Penfold so far is the second person to confirm a 2019 bid against Biskupski. Last month, well-known Democrat and business consultant David Ibarra told the Deseret News he was planning a run for mayor, though he has not yet formally announced it.

David Garbett, executive director of the Pioneer Park Coalition, and outgoing state Sen. Jim Dabakis, D-Salt Lake City, have also told the Deseret News they're "seriously" considering a run against Biskupski.

Penfold joked "everyone says its early" for him to announce his campaign, but he said "the big election"  the primary  isn't far off.

Penfold said he expects several "challenging, qualified" people to enter the race for a crowded primary, and noted that perhaps that will be "the biggest challenge for me."

A recent poll found Biskupski may be facing an uphill battle for re-election. The Utah Policy poll released last month found 56 percent of 203 likely Salt Lake voters said it was either "definitely" or "probably" time to elect a different mayor.

In her almost three years in office, Biskupski has faced numerous controversies  clashing not just with last year's council, but also with this year's.

Those controversies include her handling of her transition to mayor when she asked for resignation letters of nearly all department heads, to the selection of sites for homeless resource centers, and most recently Biskupski's refusal to endorse council negotiations with state leaders to make changes to the bill that created the controversial Utah Inland Port Authority.
You had better be stone cold sober if you want to understand whats happening with Utahs medical marijuana initiative, Proposition 2.

In a few days, Utah voters will receive ballots asking them to vote up or down on this initiative. And yet, at a press conference Thursday, coalitions both for and against it announced they were ready to lay down arms and sing "Kumbaya."

They are joining in support of a compromise  a bill that would change some of the parts that had the Utah Medical Association, law-enforcement officials and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, among others, upset.

Voters wont get to vote on this version. But sometime after Election Day and before Christmas, the governor will call a special legislative session to pass the compromise. At least, thats the plan.

Voters do still get to have their say on Proposition 2, however. But leaders of the two coalitions have agreed to stop fighting for their cause. Other parties not affiliated with the agreement may still buy ads, but things may become noticeably quiet in your living room and on your car radio leading up to Election Day.

That doesnt mean one side still wont want you to vote yes and the other side want you to vote no. Nor does it mean your vote will be entirely meaningless.

The Legislature still is a political body, after all. Even a lame-duck Legislature will keep an eye on how constituents vote on the initiative.

But all sides are promising a special legislative session no matter how you vote.

Any questions?

Amid the looming ballot box confusion, two things may be said with some degree of certainty.

The first is that this ought to serve as a textbook illustration of the strengths and weaknesses of the initiative lawmaking process, something that exists in only 21 states.

Utah, whether the rest of the nation appreciates it or not, is developing a reputation for finding unique solutions to vexing problems.

When people or interest groups gather signatures to put an initiative on the ballot, voters have little choice but to vote yes or no on someone elses idea. Normal lawmaking involves public hearings, the give-and-take of competing interests among elected representatives, and compromises. Competing interests get a say and usually win a concession or two.

But when voters approve an initiative, it takes on an air of sanctity that may not be fully deserved. Few lawmakers want to alter the will of the people.

On the other hand, the initiative process can force lawmakers to confront subjects they would rather avoid, which seems to be the case here.

The second thing is that Utah, whether the rest of the nation appreciates it or not, is developing a reputation for finding unique solutions to vexing problems. In the rest of the country, this seems to be as rare as a blade of grass on the salt flats. Nationally, political arms are atrophying from an unwillingness to do any heavy lifting.

In 2011, Utah passed a compromise on immigration, allowing guest workers to legally live here. In 2015, the Utah Compromise brought leaders of both The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the LGTBQ community together on a bill that walked the tight rope between gay rights and religious liberty.

In both cases, political leaders thought they had done something that would serve as a template for the rest of the nation. They underestimated the power of self-interest and fundraising.

Now we have another unique Utah compromise on an issue that ought to have kept all sides benefiting from a firm determination to dig with their heels.

And so, if all goes as planned, up to five licensed dispensaries will exist statewide to sell exact dosages, from tablets to topical oils to gelatin-based cubes and other varieties of cannabinoid products in between. Even unprocessed marijuana flowers will be available in dosages not to exceed one gram.

If passed, the law would contain a list of qualifying illnesses and conditions. Gone would be the initiatives provisions allowing people to grow their own marijuana if they live more than 100 miles from a dispensary. Gone would be the free samples, local governments inability to control where dispensaries go and the inevitable confusion between legal and illegal weed.

In would be a help for people who suffer, and general agreement on how that would be done without taking a big step toward recreational marijuana.

It may be confusing at the ballot box, but the outcome, if all goes as planned, would be good.

If only the rest of the nation would pay attention.
ODFW to host second facilitated meeting with Wolf Plan stakeholders Oct. 9 at Oregon Dept of Forestry in Salem

Thursday, October 04, 2018

SALEM, Ore.ODFW will host the second facilitated meeting with Wolf Plan stakeholders Tuesday Oct. 9 in Salem at the Oregon Department of Forestry Headquarters, Tillamook Room, Bldg C 1st Floor, 2600 State Street.

Stakeholders deeply involved with the Wolf Plan update have been invited to attend. The meeting starts at 9 a.m., see the meeting agenda at https://bit.ly/2xYQvsz

Professional facilitator Deb Nudelman with Kearns & West will facilitate the meeting which is about the Wolf Plan review and update. Earlier this year, Fish and Wildlife Commissioners decided to postpone final Wolf Plan adoption and conduct additional facilitated outreach in hopes of getting more consensus from stakeholders.

No formal decisions or rule modifications will be made during the facilitated meeting. But products from this and any future facilitated meetings will be incorporated into the Wolf Plan update for adoption by the Fish and Wildlife Commission at a future date.

The meeting will be open to the public, though seating is limited. A public comment period is scheduled for 3:30-3:45 p.m.

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Its been around 20 months HMD Global has been in existence and the way the company has resurrected the Nokia brand is nothing but phenomenal. In less than three years of coming back to the smartphone industry, Nokia is one of the top ten highest selling smartphone brands globally. In Europe, its in the top five and in the UK, its in the top three. While the company still has some ground to catch up against Xiaomi, Samsung and the likes, Nokias 2018 lineup has been quite impressive. The Nokia 7.1( 11199 at flipkart) that launched today in Europe encapsulates that all the things that made Nokias Android phones successful  A robust, durable design that lasts and software thats the latest. Its all anybody would want from a smartphone and the company has figured it out quickly enough.

Design that stands out

Its easy to spot the Nokia 7.1 among a crowd of other phones. It takes the design refinements of the Nokia 6.1 Plus and makes it better. Its sturdy and cannot be easily bent. The chassis is built out of a block of 6000 Series aluminium, covered in glass on both sides. While thats common on quite a lot of phones in the price-range, its the diamond-cut anodised chamfers that make the Nokia 7.1 stand out. The phone is offered in two variants  Gloss midnight blue and gloss steel variants and my moneys on the latter. It simply stands out with the thin copper accents around the phone and the subtle steel colour that shines as light reflects off it. Its something Ive been seeing in mid-range phones of late where manufacturers are focusing on the design more to stand out from the competition.

HDR10 supported display

HDR in displays is something reserved for expensive flagships. Its a highlight feature in the LG G7+ ThinQ thats priced at Rs 40,000, but never before has a mid-range phone touted support for HDR playback. The Nokia 7.1 does. The spec-sheet claims its HDR10 supported and has a million to one contrast ratio. Further theres a dedicated chip in the phone to process 500 million pixels per second to generate smooth and accurate HDR videos. For the limited period of time I used the phone, the 5.84-inch FullHD+ display certainly seemed bright and vibrant. However, there was no HDR video stored in the phone for me to experience. Interestingly, the same chip tasked to process HDR videos can also upscale standard videos to HDR. HMD said the phone relies on algorithms from Pixelworks to do this. Pixelwork is a US-based company that provides end-to-end solution to deliver HDR videos.

While HDR compatibility certainly sounds impressive, theres very little HDR content to choose from these days as the standard still isnt as pervasive as Nokia would like you to believe. The display also supports adaptive brightness, blue-light filter and the ability to adjust the colour temperature and the likes. The importance of having a rich, vibrant display cannot be stressed enough and its good to see Nokia bring that to more affordable smartphones.

Dual Zeiss Cameras

The brand names of Zeiss and Nokia used to be taken under the same breath when Nokias Lumia phones were still popular, and since last year, Nokia has rekindled that relationship. The result is phones like the Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus and the new Nokia 7.1 all have Zeiss certified optics. On the Nokia 7.1, theres a 12+5MP dual camera unit at the back, raised slightly from the body. Up front is an 8MP sensor. The phone relies on the Pro Camera app to take photos, which has been proclaimed as one of the best to shoot photos from a smartphone. The pro camera controls slide up with one flick of the shutter button and all the other features are easily accessible.

Theres also some improvements in Nokias Bothie feature which is their term for the ability to shoot from both the front and the rear cameras simultaneously. You can ask Google Assistant to take a bothie. Furthermore, you can now adjust the size of each frame of the bothie and even freeze one of them.

The Nokia 7.1 also has the popular bokeh mode powered by AI. It seems to work all right from what I saw in the few minutes I had the phone with me. The photos otherwise turn out quite good with ample details and sharpness.

Reliable, but aged hardware

If you were thinking the Nokia 7.1 is an upgrade over the Nokia 7 Plus, its not. While the Nokia 7 Plus treaded the line between a mid-range and high-end with a Snapdragon 660 chipset, the Nokia 7.1 stays satisfied with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset. Its the chipset that powers the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and also the Nokia 6.1 Plus. Im assuming the raw performance of the Nokia 7.1 wont be very different from them, and thats alright. Thats because the Nokia 7.1 runs on a barebones, stock Android build. Its Android One certified and is almost the AOSP version of Android. That makes the UI lightweight and doesnt require a lot of horsepower to run smoothly. Based on the limited time I used the phone, it seemed quite fast and responsive. The Nokia 7.1 also promises regular updates. It already runs with the latest Android security patch, has Google Play Protect and promises an update to Android 9 Pie within a month. Nokias track record for pushing out updates have been nothing less than stellar. It started off with the promise of regular updates and has remained unchanged in its principles so far. The Nokia 7.1 comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage with support for expandable storage via a hybrid microSD slot. One of the variants have support for Dual-SIM as well. The battery on the phone is 3,060mAh and charges through a fast charger that comes out of the box.

First Impressions

The Nokia 7.1 stays loyal to the companys philosophies and comes off as an impressive offering in the upper mid-range segment. It cannot be called as an upgrade to the Nokia 7 Plus though as the chipset powering the phone is hierarchically lower than the Snapdragon 660. However, the phone felt quite smooth and fast for the limited time I used it. The highlight of the phone is of course the unique glass design and the HDR10 compliant display which are sure to pique the interests of a sophisticated user and perhaps, thats exactly what Nokia is aiming for with the Nokia 7.1.
In the next five years, over a billion smartphones will sold and by 2022, the number of smartphone users in India will cross the 700 million mark, market research firm Counterpoint Research has said. It also expects that mid-range smartphones, those with wholesale prices in the range of $200-$400, will grow 20 percent year-on-year (YoY) in 2018 and by almost four times during the next five years to make it one of the most important smartphone segments.

The sales volume sweet spot is moving from sub-US$150 segment towards mid-tier as many features and capabilities common among flagship models, progressively diffuse through to these lower price bands. Features such as full-screen displays, dual-cameras, biometric security and support for artificial intelligence are beginning to make in-roads to the mid-range. They will become widespread over the next few years. Several of these are said to be enabled and enhanced through the evolution of System-on-Chip (SoCs) and other components, the firm said in a report.

India is the second largest smartphone market in the world after China and is recently surpassed the 400 million smartphone users mark. Reliance Jio has catalysed a rapid shift toward 4G LTE with accessible data pricing, meanwhile the broader availability of attractive and capable smartphones from a wide variety of competing mobile handset brands has played a major role in achieving this number. As a result, the market is registering a double-digit growth (13 percent YoY) and seeing users migrate from feature phones to smartphones and from entry-level smartphones to more sophisticated devices.

We have seen volume growth across all price bands due to the steady diffusion of users towards higher price points as they become more sophisticated and demanding. Mid to upper-mid segment ($200-$400) grew faster than the overall smartphone market (18 percent) in Calendar Year 2017 and captured 13 percent of the total smartphone sales by volume and 25 percent by value. With competition in mid to upper-mid segment growing in India, brands are looking to keep a balance between flagship level features and pricing to drive profitability and it will likely continue to be the sweet-spot segment for the next two years, the market research firm notes.

The mid-tier smartphone segment, which is one of the fastest growing market segments in India, likely becomes more competitive during 2018. The growth of the segment will be driven by affordable flagship smartphone launches that attract second or third-time smartphone buyers, it claims, adding, that the increase in GDP per capita will empower consumers to spend more on smartphones. The competition among distribution channels is driving down the cost of ownership through a range of attractive offers.

Counterpoint Research also claims that the top five brands contributed to 92 percent share of the mid-tier segment in India. Samsung, Vivo, Apple, OPPO and Huawei were the leading brands in the first half of 2018. It is expected that the competition will increase in the segment with the entry of more brands like Xiaomi, Asus, Nokia (HMD Global) and others. Currently there are 12 OEMs competing in the mid to upper-mid segment and the number is expected to reach 20 by the end of 2018 as OEMs look to cash-in on this fast-growing smartphone segment, the firm said.
Chief of Armenian Police Valeriy Osipyan has signed a decree to appoint a new head of the Yerevan City Police Department.



Garik Ghukasyan, a member of the Police Advisory Body, will be in charge of the central headquarters starting from October 4.

He earlier served as a deputy chief in operational investigations at the City Police, Tert reported.



Artak Poghosyan, the former chief of Yerevan Police, was dismissed from office under an earlier decree.
It's easy to get scammed when you're new to an area and when you are too trusting. It happens all the time. It happened to the fella in this podcast you're going to be listening to next. Talking with John Wayne in Medellin Colombia: "I think we got scammed!"
The heads of the construction-developer company Sveti have been arrested today on charges of fraud, misappropriation of funds and abuse of authority, the Investigation Service of Georgia's Ministry of Finance said.

"We would like to underline that on the basis of an application lodged by the future owners of the construction-developer company Sveti on 29 May 2018 an investigation was initiated into a case of the misappropriation of funds by the abovementioned company, which was paid by citizens to purchase residential apartments," the press release by the Investigation Service says.

"Evidence obtained by the investigative activities confirm that the indictees G.J. and T.J., were intentionally using their official positions to deliberately take possession of large amounts of money belonging to citizens. For this purpose, construction-development company Sveti announced the commencement of large-scale housing construction projects in the beginning of 2016 In order to acquire large amounts of money, active advertising campaigns, including on social networks, were conducted to attract local and foreign residents interested in purchasing a flat, the press release added.

The investigation revealed that G.J. and T.J. fraudulently acquired 3,356,385 GEL, Agenda.ge reported.
Take off your jacket, leave your ego at the door. Its time to disband those single malt allegiances as youre no longer in whisky town. Today its all about gin, one of the most prolific spirits available on the market today.

Whether its a classic Martini, a Gin and Tonic or a Negroni, a ripper cocktail demands a better gin to truly standout on the palate. The problem: how does one pick a good gin?

Weve hit up two of Australias hottest names in the gin industry to find out exactly that. Krystal Hart is the national ambassador for the Diageo World Class Bartending Competition (she ranked top 10 herself in 2012 and 2013) whilst Dave Withers is the Master Distiller of the award-winning gin label, Archie Rose Distillery.

Get your swill on.

What Makes A Good Gin

The most important thing to arm yourself with when exploring the vast world of gins is knowledge. Both Krystal Hart and Dave Withers agree that juniper, the berries used as the primary base of all gins, need to stand on their own for a great gin.

Withers says:

Great gins are all about the juniper up front  they need to reflect the place theyre from

In Australia we try to use unique native ingredients like lemon myrtle to produce a distinctive tasting gin

Theres diversity in gin so explore the range and look for things you enjoy

Theres many flavour profiles out there from the fruity end to the herbal end to the spice driven end

A good quality gin is one that shows up in the way you drink it. In a Gin & Tonic, it needs to shine in that drink. The way to determine a bad gin is through the cocktail  a bad gin wont show up in the final serve.

Hart says:

Picking a good gin from the mundane ones comes down to the final taste profile

If youre a London dry drinker then Tanqueray and Bombay Sapphire are your go-tos

Dont be afraid of the new world style gins which can have the appearance and taste of a less refined gin and vice versa

Generally the decisiveness on what botanicals are being used is often the mark of a great quality gin.

Does A Complex Blend Equal Better Gin?

Not at all, according to both our experts.

Just as there are award-winning single malt whiskies and award-winning blended whiskies, the same also goes for gins with varying levels of blend complexity.

The more ingredients you have in a gin the more complex it is to manufacture, but I dont think thats a sign of quality, explains Withers.

Hart provides an even simpler explanation through a nice analogy.

Gin is like a great perfume at the shops. You walk past a series of perfumes, some are repulsive and some are exactly what youre looking for.

The way gin is made, most distilleries and distillers will approach their process the same way as crafting a perfume. If you were to take a perfume that had everything in there, youd find that it wouldnt smell nice.

Whilst the decisiveness on what botanicals are being used is often the mark of a great quality gin, Hart says that you dont need to have everything in a gin to make it expensive or carry quality.

Often its an understanding of how to use those botanicals. Part of this is understanding the craft and what gin is.

As a quick case study, the process for making Archie Roses signature gin involves:

14 select botanicals, 100 percent NSW wheat

Standard gin makers offering more affordable options will tend to distill all their ingredients and botanicals at once

Archie Rose distills each botanical individually (14 distillations) before cross blending them back together

This makes it more complicated and time consuming but the goal is quality through respecting native ingredients used

Some of these native ingredients can come from spectacular provenances which requires an urban forager to source specific botanicals

This can play into the final products flavour and price

When we manufacture things, we do it for absolute quality, says Wiithers.

Not about efficiency but final flavour. There are good gins at lower prices but were fortunate enough to be able to put quality first.

The process for the Scottish-made Tanqueray is also very similar.

For their standard gin offering which retails around the $25 mark, all of the botanicals are macerated in and distilled just once in the production process.

If you take Tanqueray No. 10 which is the brands premium offering at the $60 mark, youll find:

Full fresh citrus botanicals distilled in separate stills

Tanquerays core DNA is added and then its all back blended

Its a more laborious and arduous process that can absolutely mark up price, explains Hart.

The gin making process can then get even more expensive if distillers are sourcing ingredients from overseas or getting creative with their blends.

Most Australian manufacturers will purchase their junipers from Macedonia and the difference between that produce and Bulgarias can affect the aroma and the taste.

If theyre doing things like introducing cucumber, you need to create a really clever production process to extract cucumber.

Hart says that if you get the creativity part wrong, the blend could turn out smelling rancid and give off qualities that dont attribute to a quality gin.

The take away message of a quality gin: Blend with balanced ingredients, not en mass.

Rarity & Availability

Its a fact that gin can be produced a lot faster and cheaper than whisky which has been flooding the market.

Thats not to say that theres no rarity in gin  its just not on the same scale as whisky is.

Quick facts from Withers:

Gin isnt aged

It is a fresh distillant which requires a small rest period

This resting period lasts a couple of weeks after manufacturing

Some gins do barrel aged versions but its essentially a fresh product

Rarity in gin is instead achieved through the difficult-to-source ingredients used which can affect the gins final price.

From my own experience with rare ingredients youre bound by small seasons. You may only be able to do certain amounts in certain period, says Withers.

But if youre going to go for rare ingredients, the actual flavour has to pay off for the rarity of those ingredients.

Theres no point distilling gold leaf just because its rare. It wont taste like anything. It has to stand up to the price point youre commanding.

Hart thinks that gins availability is quite profound.

When we talk about quality its more the expression driven gins hitting the market.

These are gins which:

Challenge the alcohol percentage (higher proof gins)

Use rarer botanicals

Showcase great profiles with few ingredients

Target a more discerning palate

Simple Marketing

Finally theres the aspect of discretionary marketing  or the price at which a gin makers value their product.

The average gin drinker will look for gins that theyve tried in a bar and those bottles usually sit around the AU$70 to $80 mark.

Hart explains that gins in the AU$30 to $50 range can still be fantastic quality even though theyre cheaper.

Theyve been producing it for so long that theyre able to do it efficiently and at a lower cost versus more of these new expression-led gins hitting the market.

And its these new wave gins that are using rare botanicals and taking longer to make that allows them to sit at the pricier end.

RELATED: The Difference Between Cheap & Expensive Whisky, Explained By Experts
US may torpedo India-Russia S-400 missile deal with its CAATSA

United States is trying to impose its law, Countering Americas Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), to pressurise India to abandon its S-400 air defence system deal with Russia.

India and Russia are expected to sign defence deals worth $10 billion, including a $8.5 billion deal for the S-400 missile defence system, during Putins visit next month.

The US has warned that the S-400 missile defence system that India intends to buy would be a focus area for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking significant business deals with the Russians.

The Act primarily deals with sanctions on Russian interests such as its oil and gas industry, defence and security sector, and financial institutions, in the backdrop of its military intervention in Ukraine and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US Presidential elections.

"We urge all of our allies and partners to forgo transactions with Russia that would trigger sanctions under CAATSA," a US state department spokesperson said on Wednesday when asked about India's plan to purchase multi-billion S-400 missile defense system from Russia.

"The administration has indicated that a focus area for the implementation of CAATSA Section 231 is new or qualitative upgrades in capability - including the S-400 air and missile defense system," the spokesperson said.

India and Russia were expected to sign a deal for the multi-billion-dollar S-400 surface-to-air missile system, Russias most advanced air defence system, during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who will reach New Delhi today for the annual India-Russia summit on 4-5 October.

Moscow has been negotiating to sell the S-400 long-range surface-to-air missiles to India for months.

Last month, the Donald Trump administration had imposed sanctions on China under Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act or CAATSA for buying fighter jets and missile defence system from Russia. CAATSA was signed into law last August. The CAATSA aims to counter Russias malign activity around the world.

On Wednesday, the union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between National Small Industries Corporation Ltd (NSIC) - a public sector undertaking under the ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) and JSC-Russian Small and Medium Business Corporation (RSMB Corporation). The MoU will be signed during the upcoming visit of Russian President to India.

The MoU aims at enhancing enterprise to enterprise cooperation and help initiate sustainable business alliances in terms of technology transfers, joint ventures and business partnerships in MSME sector between the two countries. Cooperation in the field of capacity building, rapid incubation for entrepreneurship development, exposure to each other's market by encouraging participation in exhibitions are also envisaged in this MoU.

The cabinet also approved an MoU between India and Russia on bilateral cooperation in the road transport and road industry to be signed during the upcoming visit of the Russian President.
In a first, India deports 7 Rohingyas to Myanmar

India, which normally closes its eyes on the aliens entering the country through its porus borders, has, for the first time, deported seven Rohingyas who entered the country illegally.

But, in a first, police have caught seven Rohingya Muslims and sent them through bus to the border on Wednesday to be deported to neighbouring Myanmar for illegal entry, officials and activists said.

An estimated 40,000 Rohingyas, a largely stateless Muslim minority, live in India after having fled violence and persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmars Rakhine state over the years. The seven men being sent back had been held in prison since 2012 for illegal entry.

The Indian government hardly does anything to end the illegal entry of people from neighbouring countries although several of these, including the Rohingya immigrants, are posing a threat to national security.

Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, additional director general of police in Assam, said the seven men would be handed over to Myanmar authorities.

This is a routine procedure, we deport all illegal foreigners, Mahanta said.

While the United Nations and some rights groups consider forcible return of the Rohingya was a violation of international law, the Indian government and authorities in border states do nothing to prevent the influx.

Hardly 200 Rohingya are reported to be detained in India on charges of illegal entry, according to the UN.
US abandons international accords, after ICJ orders lifting of some Iran sanctions

The Trump administration on Wednesday pulled out of two international agreements after the International Court of justice in The Hague ruled in favour of Iran on a plea to delay US sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

The ICJ order comes on complaints filed by Iran and the Palestine authority on the changes in Washingtons policies.

Speaking to reports US National Security Advisor John Bolton said the US will withdraw from the Vienna protocol and the 1955 `Treaty of Amity and slammed the UN court as politicised and ineffective. He said the United States would review all international agreements that could expose it to binding decisions by the ICJ.

On Wednesday, the ICJ had ordered the United States to ensure that sanctions against Iran, due to be tightened next month, do not affect humanitarian aid or civil aviation safety.

Tehran had argued that the US sanctions imposed since May by the Trump administration violated the terms their 1955 Treaty of Amity, a little-known agreement that was signed long before Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution that turned the two countries into arch enemies.

The ICJ, based in The Hague, in the Netherlands, is the United Nations venue for resolving disputes between nations.

In the nearly two years after assuming Presidency, Donald Trump has taken the United States out of a six-power nuclear agreement with Iran, pulled out of a global climate accord, left the UN cultural agency, and threatened NATO military allies that the United States would go its own way if members did not spend more on defence.

Bolton, citing what he called Irans abuse of the ICJ, said the United States would also withdraw from the optional protocol under the 1961 Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations.

We will commence a review of all international agreements that may still expose the United States to purported binding jurisdiction, dispute resolution in the International Court of Justice, Bolton said on Wednesday. The United States will not sit idly by as baseless politicized claims are brought against us.

The decision to withdraw from the optional protocol follows a complaint brought by the Palestinians in September, which challenged Washingtons decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
GITAM University founder and MLC MVVS Murthy killed in road accident in US

GITAM University founder-director and member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council MVVS Murthy was killed in road accident in the United States along with three others around 3 pm on Tuesday after the car they were travelling collided with a truck.

Another person who was also in the car sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.

Mathukumilli Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Murthi, popularly known as MVVS Murthi, died in a car accident in Alaska, in the US while he was on his way to a wildlife safari in Alaska.

Reports said the car in which they were travelling collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction near Anchorage.

He was in the USA to attend GITAM alumnus function in California.

Murthy, an MLC in the AP state legislative council, had also served as Member of Parliament from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency twice - in 1991 and 1999.

The other deceased have been identified as Basava Punnaiah, Veeramachineni Sivaramakrishna and VBR Chowdary.

MVVS Murthi, 80, was born in an affluent agricultural family in Konaseema area of Moolapolam Village, Ainavilli Mandal, East Godavari District on 3 July 1938. After formal schooling at his native place, he moved on to Kakinada for higher studies and graduated in Economics from PR Government College. He obtained Masters Degree in Politics & Public Administration, B L, and also a Ph.D. in Economics from Andhra University.

Murthi is a multifaceted personality imbibing the qualities of an industrialist, educationist, politician and philanthropist. After a brief stint as an advocate in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, he shifted to business and established Visakha Bottling Company (VBC) in 1967 with a modest investment. VBC was a phenomenal success in manufacturing of soft drinks.

Murthi then started Womens Government Junior College at Amalapuram and also established Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Junior College at Vadlapudi in Visakhapatnam and Sri Seetarama Degree College in Poosapatirega, Vizianagaram District and MPM Trust Junior College for weaker sections at Moolapolam Village, Ainavilli Mandal, East Godavari District, his birthplace.

To realize his dream of providing quality in Technical and Higher education, he started Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) in the year 1980. Recognising the quality in higher education provided by the Institute, union ministry of human resources development granted deemed university status to GITAM in the year 2007 under section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956. GITAM University with its main campus at Visakhapatnam and off campuses at Hyderabad and Bengaluru is a leader in imparting higher education in diverse fields.

Murthi was one of the founder members of the now ruling Telugu Desam Party along with the late N T Rama Rao. He was also the chairman of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) between 1987 and 1989. The Green Visakha concept was his idea and VUDA was in forefront of plantations in the entire country.

Visakhapatnam's tourist attraction and iconic landmark, Kailasagiri park, was initiated during his tenure and he was also instrumental in expanding the VUDA Park.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and a host of TDP leaders from AP and Telangana condoled the death of Murthi in the road accident.
There is sadness in the tightly-knit community of Laghey in south Donegal at the tragic end of a search for Rhonda O'Loughlin who went missing last month.

Gardai confirmed on Tuesday evening that a body found at Ballybulgan near Bridgetown was that of Ms O'Loughlin (34).

The discovery was made in a field at around 4pm on Tuesday close to where Ms OLoughlin had been last seen at around 1.30pm on Sunday, September 23.

The circumstances of the death are not being treated as suspicious.

Originally from Beragh in Co Tyrone, she had been living in the Bridgetown area for a number of months.

She worked as a nurse in London before returning home a number of years ago and resided at the family home before moving to Bridgetown.

Dozens of people from the Bergah area had joined the wider family circle in the search.

Gardai thanked the public for their assistance in the search which also involved army personnel, members of the Civil Defence. Gardai made door to door inquiries in the local area and appealed to property owners and farmers to check empty buildings, sheds, and outhouses.

A member of the OLoughlin family in Laghey thanked everyone who took part in the search and supported Ms OLoughlins partner Martin and her family in Tyrone.

Local councillor Micheal Naughton, who lives in the area, said the discovery of the body was a tragic outcome.

It is a very sad day for the OLoughlin family. It's a tragedy and our thoughts go out to her extended family. It is very sad for the area that something like this happened. It is a tight-knit community and everyone knows everyone.

Anyone with any concerns about themselves or a loved one can contact the Pieta House suicide helpline, 1800 247 247, or by texting Help to 51444, or contact the Samaritans on the free number, 116 123, or by texting 087 260 9090.

Both services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People are also advised to make an appointment with their local GP during office hours. During evenings, nights or weekends, from 6pm to 8am, people can contact an out-of-hours GP service at NowDoc, 1850 400 911.
Relations between Azerbaijan and Russia are successfully developing in all areas based on the principles of good neighborliness and mutual respect in the context of strategic partnership, deputy head of the foreign relations department of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev said.

He noted that the meetings between President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Russia Vladimir Putin in Sochi and Baku in September also testify to that.

Hikmet Hajiyev stressed that sincere dialogue and regular meetings of the presidents, based on trust and friendship, are of particular importance in the comprehensive development of partnership ties.

"The fact that bilateral relations are also successfully developing in the format of interregional relations testifies to the high level of trust and mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries," AzerTAc cited him as saying. "The 9th Azerbaijan-Russia Interregional Forum, opened by the presidents, where they delivered speeches, promises new perspectives and opportunities for further development of cooperation," the deputy head of the foreign relations department of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration said.

"Cooperation between our countries, based on traditional friendly relations, continues multilaterally," Hikmet Hajiyev concluded.
The Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT styling has been inspired from its larger sibling, the V-Strom 1000. However, the 650 version also comes with its fair share of features and equipment. Suzuki has launched the more off-road capable XT version in India, among the two variants available globally.

Satoshi Uchida, MD, Suzuki Motorcycle India, said, "We are delighted to offer the ultimate adventure-tourer Suzuki V-Strom 650XT ABS to Indian customers as a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) unit, assembled in India."

He further added, "With its all-round capabilities, the V-Strom 650XT ABS is the apt motorcycle for adventure enthusiasts who want to be able to ride the same motorcycle for daily usage as well."

The Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT is powered by a 645cc, V-Twin engine. It produces 70bhp and 62.3Nm of torque, while being mated to a six-speed gearbox tuned for long-distance riding.

The ADV-tourer rides on premium anodised wire-spoke rims with Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40 tubeless tyres. The suspension on the V-Strom 650 is handled by conventional telescopic front forks and a monoshock at the rear, with preload and rebound adjustment.

While braking is through dual 310mm and single 260mm discs at the front and rear, respectively with ABS as standard.

Other features on the Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT: three-way height adjustable windscreen, easy start system, digital-analogue instrument cluster borrowed from the larger V-Strom 1000 and a three-stage traction control.

Thoughts On The Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT In India

The Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT is one of the most affordable ADV-tourer offerings from the Japanese brand in India. It is also the second middle-weight motorcycle offering after the GSX-S750. The V-Strom 650 takes on competition from the likes of the Kawasaki Versys 650 in India.
Universitys Malawi mission to aid African science

Published On Thu 4 Oct 2018 by Jonathan Watson

The work of scientists in some of Africas remotest communities is about to be transformed by the University of Dundee.

A team from the Universitys Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research (WCAIR) will travel to Malawi this week with crates of apparatus to be distributed to local researchers.

Part of an ongoing initiative by the Universitys School of Life Sciences to support scientists in the developing world, four members of staff from the WCAIR will fly out to Africa on Thursday.

While primarily travelling to teach a Masters course in Traditional Herbal Medicine, Suze Farrell, WCAIR Training Manager who is leading the team, said that the trip was a great opportunity to support science in Malawi.

The work we do here in Dundee places great emphasis on developing therapies for Neglected Tropical Diseases, such as Leishmaniasis, which affect countries in the developing world.

As well as this, we also welcome trainees from these countries to help them learn more about the work we do. However, we want to sustain these relationships after our trainees leave Dundee, and providing equipment is one way in which we can do this.

The items that we are taking to Malawi will transform the working capability of the scientists operating out there, some in what are extremely basic conditions. This trip highlights our commitment to our trainees in countries like Malawi, and our determination to promote further research into rare and tropical diseases.

The process of shipping the crates of equipment began last week. The team will spend a fortnight in Malawi, teaching and delivering the equipment, further establishing links within the country.

Scientists in Malawi have huge problems to overcome, continued Suze.

Obtaining new equipment is very expensive and there are also logistical issues that mean that the progress of a scientists work can take much longer than here in Dundee.

Those who come here from other countries are amazed at the facilities that we have and if we are able to help chemists or biologists by replicating just a small part of our working environment in Malawi then that will benefit their work immeasurably.

For media enquiries contact:

Jonathan Watson

Media Relations Officer

University of Dundee

Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN

Tel: +44 (0)1382 381489

Email: j.s.watson@dundee.ac.uk
Australian women will no longer have to pay GST on tampons and sanitary pads, after the states and territories finally agreed to abolish the tax on feminine hygiene products.

After an 18-year public campaign which began when the GST was introduced, the 10 per cent tax on womens products will be ditched from January 1.

The tax impost on sanitary items  which also extends to menstrual cups, maternity pads and leak-proof underwear  has long been described as unfair because mens products like condoms and Viagra are exempt.

Minister for Women Kelly ODwyer says efforts to remove the tampon tax have endured a tortured history and she is glad it is finally gone.

Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen says the GST should never have been put on sanitary products in the first place.

We welcome the fact that this discriminatory tax has been lifted.

The move will cost states and territories $30 million, but Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says they are already making up for it through unexpectedly high GST revenues in other areas.

State and territory treasurers backed the change during a meeting in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the unanimous agreement as a bit of common sense.

It had always been our view that we wanted to see it changed, he said.

Dynamic Business spoke with small business owners about the abolishment of the tampon tax.

Mia Klitsas, Co-founder / Director, Moxie products:

To say the decision was overdue is an understatement; weve waited 18 years since the introduction of the GST for our government to recognise that it was an unequitable tax and that sanitary hygiene products are in fact a necessity. Its certainly been a long battle, but its such a relief that we finally got it across the line. I think its a huge step forward in the march towards equality in Australia but it will also really benefit those who have in the past struggled to afford sanitary products.

Modibodi spokesperson:

At Modibodi, we welcome the news that the Australian Government has finally recognised this unfair and biased tax on our bodies and that sustainable and reusable hygiene products such as Modibodi Leak-Proof Underwear has been recognised under this tax exemption. We are excited about the prospect of being able to offer our customers a GST free product and introducing more people to the future period management that is convenient, comfortable and will make a positive impact on the environment.

Julie Mathers, Founder & CEO, Flora & Fauna:

Its great news that its axed and about time, its taken too long. I now hope that this includes all sanitary items such as reusable menstrual cups, reusable pads and period underwear. I also hope that this GST saving is passed on to the customer in all instances.
The law on amendments to the pension legislation signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday was posted on the official web portal of legal information.

On October 3, the Russian Federation Council had voted for endorsing the changes in the national pension system that envision an increase in retirement age and also criminal proceedings for unjustified dismissal of soon-to-retire employees. The pension age is to be increased to 65 years from 60 years for men and to 60 years from 55 years for women.

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. It was said that the age hike is necessary because rising life expectancy in Russia could exhaust pension resources if the eligibility age remains the same.

But the Russian president announced plans to amend government-backed legislation. He proposed reducing the pension age increase for women to 60 and allowing early retirement for mothers of three or more children, among other measures.

Men will have the right to receive old-age social pensions upon turning 70 years old and women, upon turning 65. Until now, men turning 65 and women turning 60 could receive this type of pensions.

In addition, the bill enables men who have an employment record of 42 years and women with an employment record of 37 years to retire before they reach the official retirement age.

Another amendment says that mothers are allowed to retire earlier if they have more than three children.

The bill reaffirms the current norms for getting funded pensions. Women have an opportunity to request them upon turning 55 years old and men, upon turning 60. It also stipulates that citizens who have worked more than 30 years in agriculture will receive additional support.


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ShipBob, which offers Amazon-type fulfillment services to small and mid-sized businesses, on Thursday announced it had raised US$40 million in a Series C funding round led by Menlo Ventures.

Existing investors Bain Capital Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners, Hyde Park Angels and Y Combinator also participated in the round.

Menlo Ventures partner Shawn Carolan will join ShipBob's board of directors.

ShipBob's end-to-end fulfillment solution involves a drop-ship model that lets clients deliver packages in one to two business days.

Partners include Amazon, BigCommerce, Shopify and other e-commerce platforms that fully integrate into its proprietary software platform, which runs its fulfillment centers.

The centers -- in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco -- provide clients with same-day delivery at ground shipping prices.

"We love how ShipBob lets smaller, creative merchants affordably offer fast shipping across the country," Menlo Ventures' Carolan said.

ShipBob has "a great product and a smart approach to the market," said Ray Wang, principal analyst at Constellation Research.

"SMBs have a dire need to compete head-on with the Internet tech giants," he told the E-Commerce Times.

ShipBob on Thursday also announced the opening of its largest fulfillment center to date, with 105,000 square feet of space, in Chicago. Located next to the BNSF rail yard, the new facility is six times the size of ShipBob's current Chicago location, and more than double the size of its other fulfillment centers.

The center will store more than 3 million units -- a unit is a single item -- for thousands of customers by December. It will continue to offer same-day shipping to select merchants' customers in the greater Chicagoland area.

Where the Money Goes

The fresh funds will be used to "hire more people in various departments that will help us create tools commerce merchants need to run their business," said ShipBob COO Divey Gulati.

ShipBob will add more capacity to its fulfillment centers, he told the E-Commerce Times.

"Amazon has set the customer expectations for two-day and same-day delivery," Gulati noted. ShipBob will launch new fulfillment centers to house inventory close to customers nationwide, "so we are able to provide same-day and two-day shipping at reasonable costs."

The company also will expand its proprietary software platform, which combines order and inventory management, customer communication, predictive data and insights, and optimized shipping across multiple sales channels for e-commerce companies.

"Fulfillment alone cannot make e-commerce businesses more successful," Gulati said. "They need more tools for managing their business."

ShipBob will create tools to make merchants more successful, "and fulfillment is just the beginning," he added. "We are a customer-obsessed company, not a competition-obsessed one."

The company has shipped more than 4 million packages since it was founded in 2014, and its business has grown 300 percent from last year, according to Gulati.

"Prior to that it was five times," he said. However, he declined to supply additional details.

"You can't have successful e-commerce without fulfillment," Wang pointed out. "Campaign to commerce is the front end; order to cash is the back end."

ShipBob's revenue reached eight figures last year, and its headcount has grown from 60 employees since its Series B funding round last summer to more than 400 employees, almost all full-time, Gulati said.

He would not say whether the company was profitable.

Speed Is the E-Commerce Black

Speedy delivery has become increasingly important.

Seventy-eight percent of logistics companies expected to provide same-day delivery by 2023, and 40 percent expected the delivery window to be two hours by 2028, in a worldwide survey Zebra conducted last year. More than 2,700 professionals in transportation and logistics, retailers and manufacturers responded to the poll.

Mobile online shopping has made three-day delivery standard, and those looking to provide a premium service must be even faster, noted Evan Tennant, national director of ecommerce at Adtaxi.

As "the speed of shopping increases, the speed of delivery needs to increase, in the consumer's mind," he told the E-Commerce Times. "Google recommends retailers try a 90-second checkout test. Can shoppers checkout in 90 seconds on your site?"

Recently, searches for products nearby "have seen a drop after increasing hundreds of percent in the last two years," Tennant pointed out. "I view that drop as the consumer mindset reaching the point where they don't even think they need to search for [an item] near them because it will be shown to them. Mobile has made that a reality."

Same-day delivery will become commonplace in the next 18 months," Tennant predicted. Merchants will shift that responsibility to third parties, and "a hybrid of showroom and warehouse is one trend I think we'll see materialize. Variety and the ability to offer the logistical setup for same-day delivery will become more common."

Same-day turnaround for last-mile delivery is the expectation, Constellation's Wang observed, but "Getting to two-hour delivery windows requires both density and volume. This will be possible in the next seven to 10 years."

ShipBob's Potential

ShipBob will fare well, Tennant suggested. "As this [faster delivery] trend takes hold, many retailers will need to shift resources to growing their inventory offering or expediting internal processing, leaving space for a third party to handle more inside and outside logistics."

"The big powers in shipping won't be far behind, but having that technology in place could put ShipBob in a position to be bought, or corner the market on new solutions and new expectations," Tennant said. "The pitch will be, 'you get the products and the people to sell it and get it out the door in one hour -- we'll take it from there."

ShipBob's customers "help us shape how we dominate this market," said Gulati, "where a true end-to-end solution doesn't exist that helps promote commerce merchants' own brand identity."

Richard Adhikari has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2008. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, mobile technologies, CRM, databases, software development, mainframe and mid-range computing, and application development. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including Information Week and Computerworld. He is the author of two books on client/server technology. Email Richard.


On World Animal Day, we celebrate all the furry, scaly, winged and finned creatures that inhabit our planet.

On this international day of action, participants aim to "raise the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe," according to organizers at the UK-based charity Naturewatch Foundation. The occasion was first celebrated in 1925 and is observed annually on Oct. 4.

Roughly 1,000 World Animal Day events, including educational workshops, adoptions, marches and fundraisers, will be held across 100 countries. Folks around the world are also making pledges, such as using cruelty-free products or going vegetarian or vegan to help make a positive difference.

At EcoWatch, animal conservation is a major priority. Animals not only inspire wonder and awe, but as important parts to the ecosystems they inhabit, biodiversity loss puts the environment and human well-being at risk.

The following list shows some of our most popular animal-related content in the past year. These five stories highlight the threats faced by creatures great and small, from pollinator deaths to "trophy" hunting. On a positive note, the list features conservation success stories, brave feats of activism and includes ways you can help protect animals in your everyday life.

1. EPA Considers Allowing Bee-Killing Pesticide to Be Sprayed on 165 Million Acres of U.S. Farmland. This Dec. 2017 article by the Center for Biological Diversity reported that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had considered allowing the bee-killing pesticide thiamethoxam to be sprayed on the most widely grown crops in the U.S. This harmful neonicotinoid pesticide has long been known to pose serious harm to bee populations, as well as birds of all sizes and aquatic invertebrates.

What you can do to help: The Xerces Society, a non-profit invertebrate conservation society you should consider supporting, has a number of recommendations to protect pollinators from neonicotinoids, from avoiding pesticide use around your home and asking your local nursery to stop selling the products.

2. Against All Odds, Mountain Gorilla Numbers Are on the Rise. A census of mountain gorillas showed that their population rose from 480 animals in 2010 to 604 as of June 2016, thanks to dedicated conservation efforts. The mountain gorilla subspecies is the only great ape known to be increasing in number.

What you can do to help: The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund recommends asking your lawmakers to continue to support the Great Ape Conservation Fund, as well as recycling cell phones and electronics, as they contain metals that are mined from gorilla habitat in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The fund also suggests looking for sustainable palm oil, wood and other eco-friendly products, as gorilla forest habitats in Asia are being deforested for their resources.

3. Father and Son Charged With Killing Mother Bear and 'Shrieking' Cubs in Den. In April, a father and son from Palmer, Alaska shot and killed a mother black bear and her two "shrieking" newborn cubs in their den. The hunt took place on state land but the topic of trophy hunting has reignited under the Trump administration, which is proposing to overturn an Obama-era rule that protects iconic predators in Alaska's national preserves. The plan would allow hunters to go to den sites to shoot bear cubs and wolf pups, lure and kill bears over bait, hunt bears with dogs and use motor boats to shoot swimming caribou.

What you can do to help: The proposed rule, which is posted in the federal register, is still accepting comments until 11:59 p.m. EST on Nov. 5, 2018. Make your voice heard!

4. Notorious Toothfish Poacher Arrested by Liberian Coast Guard, Assisted by Sea Shepherd. In March, an infamous Antarctic and Patagonian toothfish poaching vessel was arrested in Liberia with the assistance of Sea Shepherd, a marine conservation group.

What you can do to help: Donate to Sea Shepherd, which has been patrolling the high seas and enforcing conservation law worldwide for more than 40 years. There are countless other non-profits such as Ocean Conservancy, Oceana and Surfrider Foundation that help protect our oceans and save the lives of aquatic life, dolphins, seals, whales and fish.

5. House Republicans Launch Extinction Bills to Cripple Endangered Species Act. Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives initiated yet another attack on the Endangered Species Act. The Center for Biological Diversity reported that the move was among the 75-plus legislative attacks that have been launched against the Endangered Species Act ever since Trump took officeand more than 300 since 2011, when Republicans took over the U.S. House of Representatives.
Conon Gillis wants his students to know that voting is their civic responsibility. To drive that message home, hes running for state legislature .

In 2016, Gillis, who teaches government and history at Neosho High School in Missouri, had spent the fall semester getting his students engaged in the upcoming electionand it was working. Students were watching the presidential debates and were paying attention, despite being too young to vote.

But when Gillis, 29, printed off a sample ballot so they could see what it looks like, students were shocked that in the state-level races, there was consistently one name in each spot. His students began to wonder: What is the point of voting if one person is automatically going to win?

Everything I had taught them and everything they already were excited about was gone in an instant, Gillis said. That hurt.

Gillis kept thinking about their reactions, and later, he looked through Missouris secretary of state website and noticed that people had been running unopposed in his areawhich is 30 minutes from Joplin and located on the western edge of the statefor the last decade-plus.

It just made me really angry, he said. Ive taught all of these students, and Ive gotten them to think democracy is important, and Ive gotten them to buy into the importance of votingits almost like Im feeding them lies when theres only one name on the ballot.

He decided to file to run for state Senate in the district that encompasses Neosho High School, so his students would see his campaign. Gillis, who is running as a Green Party candidate, filed when a Republican state representative was the only contender for the seat, but a Democrat has since filed as well. (The seat is currently held by a Republican, who is unable to run for re-election because of term limits.)

Gillis is one of nearly 160 current classroom teachers who have filed to run for their state legislatures this year. According to an analysis by Education Week, 100 have advanced past the primary elections . Candidates have attributed this unprecedented wave of teacher activism to a growing sense of frustration among educators that led to the six statewide walkouts and protests in the spring .

Gillis said improving education is a main part of his platform with goals that include reducing the emphasis on high-stakes standardized testing, expanding a state scholarship program, and putting more state resources toward school counselors, special education programs, and English-as-a-second-language programs.

Civics in the Classroom

Gillis isnt the only one trying to bring civics lessons to life for his studentsEducation Week has found two dozen social studies teachers around the country who are running for office. While Gillis is prohibited by the school from talking about his political beliefs with his students, he can share with them the experience of campaigning. For example, he has talked about the process of filing to run and what it was like to participate in a candidate forum.

When students took a test on their knowledge of the Missouri constitution, they knew the minimum age requirement for state Senate right off the bat: 30 years old. Gillis will turn 30 about a week before the election, which he says makes him the youngest person to run for state Senate in Missouris history.

And win or lose, Gillis said he thinks the campaign will help him bring the real world into the classroom. Hes already met several legislatorsincluding his Republican opponentwho have offered to come and talk to his students.

Outside of the classroom, several current and former students have volunteered on Gillis campaign. Emily Evans, who is 17 and a senior at Neosho High School, said she has marched in a parade and staffed booths at festivals, passing out cards and buttons that say Vote for Gillis. She had Gillis as a government teacher last year, and said he was one of her favorite teachers. So when it came time for Evans to pick a community service project for the National Honor Society, she wanted to volunteer with his campaign.

This is my first time doing anything in politics. ... Ive never known anyone who is running for office, she said. Ive always been kind of politically engaged, I watch the news, [but] Ive never been very invested where I volunteered to help a specific political [campaign]. But its an experience Ive really enjoyed.

Gillis said he doesnt ask current students to volunteerbut students have found his campaign Facebook page, which occasionally posts requests for volunteers.

And theres a lot of support for Gillis at school, Evans said, adding that several of her friends have volunteered as well.

I wont be able to vote in November, but I can help support him [this way], she said, adding that she has been inspired by how Gillis and his staff are running the campaign. They want to help peopleits not just about winning or getting money.

Still, Gillis said, hes a government teacher at heart: When students tell him theyre going to vote for him, he tells them to do their homework first. I encourage [them] to look up every candidate, he said.
After Kevin Lane watched the Beatles play on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964, he knew he needed to get his hands on a record player.

Lane, age 5 at the time, hounded his parents, who eventually gave in. He listened to the performance over and over, cataloging the different sounds in his memory: the guitar, the bass line, the voices harmonizing. He remembers asking an adult whether he might be able to make something like that, and being told no. Only special people get to go to recording studios, was the message that stuck with him, he said.

Now an elementary music teacher himself, Lane gives students at Woodstation Elementary School in Rock Spring, Ga., the opportunity he wished he could have had at their age: time to create and record in a studio of their own.

In Lanes classes, students use iPad tablets to record themselves, mix arrangements, and play and replay their work.

Without digital technology, we wouldnt be able to do this, said Lane.

Teachers say tech tools give young students more creative freedom in music classes, and offer older students who havent participated in band or choir an entry point into the subject. Integrating digital instruments and audio software has changed the landscape of music education, teachers say, broadening course offerings beyond ensemble performance and encouraging students to become authors of their own musical experiences.

Historically, you were either a performer, a composer, or a listener, said David Williams, the associate director for the School of Music at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Technology in the music classroom is starting to blur those lines.

Creative Exploration

Even though Lane weaves tech throughout his instruction, his students dont start the year looking at screens. Im very old-fashioned when it comes to teaching the basic skills of singing and movement, he said. His students begin by learning about rhythm and clapping along to call-and-response songs.

The big tech-related project in Lanes class comes in the spring. After learning how to play chords on the ukulele over the course of the year, his 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders arrange and record their own original jazz songs in GarageBand, a digital audio platform for Mac and iOS devices.

With digital tools, students dont need to know how to play scales on the piano or coax notes out of the clarinet before they can experiment and compose. The good sound, the quality sound, comes out of the digital instrument from the start, said Williams, from the University of South Florida. What the teacher is allowed to do, then, is work with students as creative music-makers, not so much as a technician to make the instrument work.

First, students in Lanes classes record themselves playing a short set of chords on the ukulele, and upload it to the digital platform. A loop of this piece forms the foundation of their song. Once the recordings are in GarageBand, the students have the option to add in riffs with other digital instruments. Exploring the platform is like walking into a recording studio, said Lane, with virtual basses, drums, guitars, and pianos all at students fingertips.

Lanes students dont actually know how to play these other instruments, let alone play chords on them. Playing chords on a ukulele is different than playing them on the piano. Instead, they use GarageBands Smart Instruments. If students want to include piano in their song using this tool, they wont see a keyboard. The screen displays a set of vertical bars, labeled with individual chords. Clicking on one will play that piano chord, or a pattern of notes from that chord, which students can then add into their songs.

Creating and exploring with music is a shift from how the subject has long been taught in U.S. public schools, with a focus on traditional Western ensembles, like band, choir, and orchestra, said Williams.

Centering music education on these offerings has excluded countless students over the years, said Anne Fennell, a music teacher and the creative arts department chair at Mission Vista High School in Oceanside, Calif., who is known in the field for her work with innovation in music education.

The idea that students cant participate or create until theyve mastered technical skillslike how to play an instrument, or how to read sheet musicis an old mindset, said Fennell, who teaches three levels of music composition, including one for beginners.

And while lots of subjects offer courses for students at different proficiency levels, few require prior knowledge as a prerequiste for studying the subject at all. Math does not get to audition their students, said Fennell. Why should music be any different?

Digital Production vs. Ensemble Performance

Cost is often a barrier to using tech for this kind of differentiated instruction, in any subject. But integrating music production software can cost less than outfitting a band or orchestra with instrumentsespecially if the school already uses laptops or tablets for other courses.

Starting a music tech program isnt as expensive as some people might think, said Williams. Most music-production software, like Ableton or Pro Tools, can be downloaded using schools existing technologydevices for a 1-to-1 initiative or desktops in a media center. And some platforms, like GarageBand and Audacity, are available for free.

But new music teachers often dont have experience using digital production software, or even composing in a classroom setting, said Brian Meyers, an assistant professor in the department of music at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, who works with preservice music educators: Theyre coming from high schools that are very traditional: Sit down, practice, leave.

In Meyers introductory music education course, first-year education students explore and learn how to use composing software and platform-based music games, and they practice remixing recordings with digital tools.

Some current music teachers are wary of this new model, said Meyers, and he can understand why. Funding for music programs, and arts education in general, can be tenuous, and music teachers often feel as if their jobs are on the line. If schools implement music-tech programs, some teachers worry, their expertise in leading ensembles might be deemed irrelevant, said Meyers.

But introducing digital composing courses doesnt necessarily put ensemble teachers out of work, said Williams. In fact, tech-infused courses can engage students who wouldnt otherwise be interested in the subject, he said.

Giving Students Options

When Richard Maxwell started working at Arcadia High School in Phoenix as a band teacher almost two decades ago, he realized that his class was off-limits to students who hadnt taken music in middle school. And if students were interested in music, but didnt want to play an instrument, there werent many other options for them. In his band class, we were always recreating somebody elses art, he said.

So in 2008, he proposed a new music program through his schools career-and-technical-education track: an exploration of the music industry that would be open to any student, regardless of prior experience.

The Creative Musical Arts and Sciences program functions as the schools own record label, allowing students to take on the role of artist, producer, or music marketer. Some compose music across genrescountry, pop, rock, electronic dance musicrecording their own albums and participating in performances. Others learn how to run a sound stage or produce in the studio.

Students can work in groups and get feedback from each other, but they also have the opportunity to pursue independent projectssomething that isnt really possible in an ensemble class, said Maxwell. If I pull my trumpet section from my band, were going to have a problem at our next concert.

The school still has orchestra and band classeslast school year, Arcadias marching band won a state title. Theres some overlap in the students who participate in ensembles and take the creative musical courses, said Maxwell, but the variety of options mean that students can pursue different passions.

For Maxwell, exactly how kids engage with music isnt so important. What we need to focus on more is, What are you interested in musically? Lets start there, he said.
Mexico City, Oct 4 (EFE).- A coastal town in the southwestern Mexican resort state of Guerrero officially became home to the region's first inclusive beach this past week.

Bahias de Papanoa, in Tecpan de Galeana, some 170km (1.6 mi) from Acapulco, is now the state's first beach to offer disabled tourists the facilities required to make their stay comfortable and safe.

"We had been pushing for an inclusive beach for people with disabilities, because it is very hard for us to go to the beach," Lucia Morales Sanchez, one of the beneficiaries of the project, told EFE.

The beach features amphibious furniture to cater to visitors, including oceanic chairs for children and adults, beach beds, and sand-ready walkers, as well as rescue stretchers, lifesavers and inflatable jackets, in addition to the regular beach resort amenities.

Authorities say that the project is set to benefit some 18,600 people with disabilities.

"It is a good initiative and I hope it spreads to more beaches (in Guerrero), because it is a bit far from where we live," Sanchez said, added that she and her family live in Acapulco, a city that lacks the facilities needed to provide service to handicapped visitors.

Near the beach, the city also experienced a few changes, such as Braille directories, street signs and restaurant menus, as well as accessible restrooms, access ramps and a rescue buoy system.

"Most beaches in this area are not open to the sea and many are very far away," Alex Justino Pineda, another beachgoer, said, adding that such recreational areas typically lack the proper facilities to accommodate handicapped visitors, such as ramps and restroom facilities.

The beach also has highly-trained staff on site to make sure that visitors get the help and attention they require to enjoy a safe stay.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a nationally televised address this morning, a day after the International Court of Justice handed the Islamic Republic a victory and the United States abrogated a friendship treaty with Iran.

Khamenei said that U.S.President Donald Trump had recently told some European leaders that Irans Islamic establishment would be toppled in 2-3 months, adding that such comments are nothing new.

"However, almost 40 years into the Revolution, the Islamic Republic has only grown more powerful," Khamenei said. "The enemy of the Iranian nation has failed to gain an understanding of the Revolution and the revolutionary spirit; this wrong analysis has misled it [the enemy] in the course of these years," PressTV cited him as saying.

The USs enmity towards the Iranian nation is not merely due to 'Death to America' chants, Khamenei said. "They [the Americans] are afraid of Islamic power and the Revolutions might," he stressed.
A study from the Thoracic Oncology Research Group (TORG), Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Medical University of South Carolina, aimed to examine the adherence to annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening after baseline LDCT within the Veteran Health Administration Lung Cancer Screening Demonstration Project (LCDSDP). The study will be presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting 2018 in San Antonio, and a discussion highlighting the latest updates made since the CHEST Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines will take place.

The original project was conducted from July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2015, at eight geographically diverse veterans affairs hospitals. Screening was performed in current and former smokers (quit within the past 15 years) ages 55-80 with at least a 30-pack year smoking history. Researchers utilized data generated from the LCDSDP and 18 months following its completion stored in the BHA Corporate Data Warehouse. Adherence to screening was defined as it was in the National Lung Screening Trial as having undergone a follow-up LDCT within 15 months from baseline scan.

A total of 2,106 veterans underwent a baseline LDCT across all sites; 60 percent had scans negative for nodules greater than or equal to 4 mm in size and repeat annual LDCT was recommended. In this group with a negative baseline scan, 149 were considered no longer eligible for screening because they had been diagnosed with lung cancer, were undergoing evaluation for cancer, no longer met the target age or years of cessation, were considered to have other life-limiting disease or were no longer interested in participating. Of the 1,120 remaining eligible for repeat annual LDCT, 880 went on to undergo the follow-up scan, yielding a 77.6 percent adherence rate from annual screening in those with a normal baseline scan.

"Our study demonstrates that even within the context of a well-designed, implemented and guideline-adherent LDCT screening program, adherence is not optimal and does not reach the reported 95 percent of the NLST when the baseline scan is negative," says lead researcher Dr. Paul B. Brasher. "Both mortality benefit and cost-efficacy are likely to suffer without better adherence."

Further results from these two studies will be shared at CHEST Annual Meeting 2018 in San Antonio on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 8:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Centre, Room 207A. The study abstracts can be viewed on the journal CHEST website.

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ABOUT CHEST 2018

CHEST 2018 is the 84th annual meeting for the American College of Chest Physicians held Oct. 6 to Oct. 10, 2018, in San Antonio, Texas. The American College of Chest Physicians, publisher of the journal CHEST, is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication and research. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000 members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. For more information about CHEST 2018, visit chestmeeting.chestnet.org, or follow CHEST meeting hashtag, #CHEST2018, on social media.
Achieving fellow status in medical societies is an important benchmark for academic success. A study presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting 2018 shows that women are underrepresented as Fellows in CHEST but that the numbers of women applying for CHEST Fellow are increasing.

Medicine has historically been a field dominated by men, particularly for physicians.

Women in medical professions face a number of unique obstacles, such as societal biases, stereotyping and an unequal division of household labor that make the field of medicine unwelcoming to women. These challenges are barriers to academic advancement and may contribute to the difficulties in academic advancement within medical societies. Researchers aimed to describe the relationships between gender and academic advancement as defined by membership in a medical society fellowship.

Researchers compared shared data regarding demographics and certain professional characteristics of current CHEST Fellows as well as the gender of the 2017 applicants to Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) and the gender of corresponding letter of recommendation authors.

In 2017, 13 percent of the Fellows of the American College of Chest Physicians were women (n=1469 of 10,910). Within the cohort of CHEST Fellows, there were significant differences in gender by specialty; pediatrics had the most women (23 percent), while there were significantly less women in internal medicine (14 percent), allergy and immunology (7 percent), surgery (7 percent), anesthesiology (5 percent) and thoracic surgery (4 percent). There were no differences in gender between United States and non-United States-based fellows. In the cohort of applicants to fellow in 2017, 20 percent were women. When examining the letters of recommendation, 75 percent of the sets of letters of recommendation were both from men, while only 3 percent were both from women and 23 percent had one of each gender.

Female applicants had at least one letter from another woman 38 percent of the time, while men had a letter from at least one women 21 percent of the time, although this was not statistically significant (OR 2.26; 95 percent CI 0.81-6.28). Male applicants had two letters from men 79 percent of the time compared with 62 percent of women having both letters from men.

The proportion of female Fellows within the CHEST organization (13 percent) is low and below the national average of women physicians (30 percent) and pulmonary and critical care physicians (18-33 percent). However, there is a higher proportion of women in the 2017 applicants to Fellow of CHEST. Both applicant genders were more likely to receive letters of recommendations from male physicians.

"The data highlight how far we have to go toward improving representation of women in the highest level of medicine and in medical societies," says Dr. Roozehra Khan. "It also identifies gaps in leadership opportunities and provides a possible opportunity to cultivate change by encouraging women to mentor other women in academic medicine."

Further results from these two studies will be shared at CHEST Annual Meeting 2018 in San Antonio on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Centre, Exhibit Hall. The study abstracts can be viewed on the journal CHEST website.

ABOUT CHEST 2018

CHEST 2018 is the 84th annual meeting for the American College of Chest Physicians held Oct. 6 to Oct. 10, 2018, in San Antonio, Texas. The American College of Chest Physicians, publisher of the journal CHEST, is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication and research. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000 members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. For more information about CHEST 2018, visit chestmeeting.chestnet.org, or follow CHEST meeting hashtag, #CHEST2018, on social media.

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Over a dozen international researchers from the Ocean Solutions Initiative*--including scientists from the CNRS, IDDRI**, and Sorbonne University--have evaluated the potential of thirteen ocean-based measures to counter climate change. Their findings are published in Frontiers in Marine Science. They hope their analysis will inform decision-makers gathering in Katowice, Poland, for the COP24 conference in early December.

The ocean regulates global warming. But it does so at the cost of far-reaching changes that affect its physical and chemical processes, marine ecosystems, and the benefits it offers humankind. In their article, the Ocean Solutions Initiative researchers present an unprecedented, comprehensive review of thirteen ocean-based measures--some local, others global--to lessen and adapt to the impact of climate change. These measures were selected on the basis of the frequency with which they are addressed in the scientific literature.

They may be grouped under four different headings according to the strategies adopted:

reduction of causes of climate change--for example by developing renewable marine energy sources or restoring and conserving marine plant life to capture and store carbon

preservation of ecosystems--by creating marine protected areas, reducing pollution, and prohibiting the overexploitation of resources

protection of ocean from solar radiation--by altering cloud or ocean reflectivity

direct manipulation of the biological and ecological adaptability of species--by their relocation, for example

The researchers, in their analysis, contrast these solutions in terms of respective risks and benefits. For example, renewable marine energy sources offer many advantages, and they are not very difficult to implement. On the other hand, measures based on the control of solar radiation are very controversial among members of the scientific community because of the many technological unknowns and the risks these pose.

In summary, the Ocean Solutions Initiative team demonstrates that the various solutions described are not equally realistic, effective, or even appropriate, but they do constitute concrete actions that merit study by government and society in unison. However, the researchers stress that many of the global measures still lack sufficient scientific support. The international community should therefore exercise caution in considering them.

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Video about the Ocean Solutions Initiative: http://bit.ly/2Q8ipcn

More on the Ocean Solutions Initiative: http://bit.ly/2xJ3EV6

* The Ocean Solutions Initiative is concerned with the future of the ocean. It is coordinated by the CNRS, IDDRI, and Sorbonne University, and it receives support from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Veolia Foundation, the IAEA Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre, the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM), and the Monegasque Association on Ocean Acidification.

** IDDRI = Institut du Developpement Durable et des Relations Internationales (Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations)
Researchers have sequenced the genomes of over 140,000 women in China, the largest-scale genetic analysis of Chinese people to date, using data from non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) to assemble a representative sample of the whole population. The proof-of-concept analysis, still underway, could reveal new information about migration patterns, traits under selective pressure, and disease risk in Chinese populations. The work, from BGI-Shenzhen, appears October 4 in the journal Cell.

In the past, it has been prohibitively expensive to sequence enough people's DNA to study the genetic makeup of the large Chinese population. While studies of tens of thousands of individuals have been done, getting data from hundreds of thousands or millions of people has not been possible.

Meanwhile, NIPT--a test that sequences small amounts of a mother's cell-free DNA to screen for fetal trisomy--has been growing in popularity. It has been administered to approximately 6 to 7 million Chinese women and an estimated 10 million women worldwide.

"Even in the beginning of this clinical testing, we were already trying to see how we could use this kind of opportunity. Although non-invasive prenatal testing is low-pass sequencing, capturing approximately 6%-10% of the whole genome randomly, there's still a chance that using this data with a large population size will help us to have a much broader vision of what the Chinese genetic population looks like. NIPT is such a unique opportunity for us to access a large population size," says co-senior author Xun Xu of BGI-Shenzhen, a genome sequencing center based in China.

The current study looks at 141,431 participants from 31 of the 34 administrative provinces of China and comprising 36 of China's 55 ethnic minority groups. "We're excited about the volume: our participants represent 1/10,000 of the Chinese population, so it really is large sampling and a good reflection of the entire population," says co-senior author Xin Jin of BGI-Shenzhen and South China University of Technology.

There are some limitations to the data: it can't tell us much about the individual and there is about 20% of the genome where there aren't enough data to do analyses. But previous research had suggested that given a fixed budget, low-pass genome sequencing from many individuals could actually say more about a population than more thorough sequencing data from a smaller group. And the researchers believe that their data support that principle.

Their proof-of-concept analyses allowed them to identify patterns in the evolutionary history of China's different ethnic groups, to pinpoint novel genetic loci linked to phenotypes like height and BMI, and to identify viral DNA distributions specific to the Chinese genome. "We found that this really works. We can study specific phenotypes of disease at huge volumes. We can better understand the Chinese population history," says Jin.

As NIPT gains popularity, the researchers also believe it represents an unparalleled opportunity to examine more diverse phenotypes, compare the genomes of different populations, and better understand disease epidemiology. "We show that we can solve many classical population genetic and medical problems by analyzing NIPT data. As the testing is going to be undertaken by millions worldwide, it's more and more important to establish collaborations so that it is more possible to obtain the informed consent of patients and to properly manage medical records," says first author Siyang Liu, a senior research scientist in BGI-Shenzhen.

"For me, this is a very exciting new model for biology research," says Xu. "It provides powerful tools and a platform for future study. Here, we show proof of concept that these data, and the structure and the methods, could be used to study a lot of things. It's just the beginning."

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This research was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China, Funds for Distinguished Young Scholar of South China University of China, and Innovation Fund Denmark.

Cell, Liu et al.: "Genomic analyses from non-invasive prenatal testing reveal genetic associations, patterns of viral infections, and history in Chinese populations" https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(18)31032-8

Cell (@CellCellPress), the flagship journal of Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that publishes findings of unusual significance in any area of experimental biology, including but not limited to cell biology, molecular biology, neuroscience, immunology, virology and microbiology, cancer, human genetics, systems biology, signaling, and disease mechanisms and therapeutics. Visit: http://www.cell.com/cell. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.
Early signs of type 2 diabetes can be identified more than 20 years before diagnosis, according to new research presented at this year's European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting in Berlin, Germany (1-5 October).

The Japanese study tracked over 27,000 non-diabetic adults (average age 49 years) between 2005 and 2016 and found that increased fasting glucose, higher body mass index (BMI) and impaired insulin sensitivity were detectable up to 10 years before the diagnosis of diabetes as well as prediabetes.

"As the vast majority of people with type 2 diabetes go through the stage of prediabetes, our findings suggest that elevated metabolic markers for diabetes are detectable more than 20 years before its diagnosis", says Dr Hiroyuki Sagesaka from Aizawa Hospital in Matsumoto, Japan who led the research, along with Professor Mitsuhisa Komatsu, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan and colleagues.

Previous research suggests that risk factors like obesity and elevated fasting glucose may be present up to 10 years before someone is diagnosed with diabetes. However, the time point at which individuals who go on to develop diabetes and those who don't first become substantially different from each other was not known until now.

Sagesaka and colleagues assessed the trajectories of fasting blood glucose, BMI, and insulin sensitivity in individuals who developed diabetes and prediabetes separately. At the start of the study, 27,392 non-diabetic individuals had a fasting glucose and average blood glucose (HbA1c) measured and were followed until a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, or the end of 2016, whichever came first.

Over the study period, 1067 new type 2 diabetes cases were identified. Findings showed that on average, several risk factors were more common among individuals who went on to develop type 2 diabetes compared with those who didn't. In particular, BMI, fasting glucose, and insulin resistance were increased up to 10 years before diagnosis, and these differences widened over time.

For example, mean fasting glucose: 10 years before diagnosis - 101.5 mg/dL developed diabetes vs 94.5 mg/dL those who didn't; 5 years before diagnosis - 105 mg/dL vs 94 mg/dL; and 1 year before - 110 mg/dL vs 94 mg/dL.

Of 15,778 individuals with normal blood glucose at the initial health exam, 4781 went on to develop prediabetes over the study period, and the same abnormalities, although to a milder degree, were present at least 10 years before diagnosis of prediabetes.

The research has important implications given that an estimated 425 million adults (aged 20-79 years) were living with diabetes in 2017, and this is predicted to rise to 629 million by 2045.

"Because trials of prevention in people with prediabetes seem to be less successful over long term follow up, we may need to intervene much earlier than the prediabetes stage to prevent progression to full blown diabetes. A much earlier intervention trail, either drug or lifestyle related, is warranted," says Dr Sagesaka.

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This is an observational study, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, and the authors point to several limitations including that the length of time between diagnosis of prediabetes and diabetes is not known, so the entire timeline of diabetes evolution remains to be clarified.
Cosmic accelerator in the Milky Way could help explain more extreme events at the centers of distant galaxies

LOS ALAMOS, NM, October 4, 2018--The first-ever detection of highly energetic radiation from a microquasar has astrophysicists scrambling for new theories to explain the extreme particle acceleration. A microquasar is a black hole that gobbles up debris from a nearby companion star and blasts out powerful jets of material.

"What's amazing about this discovery is that all current particle acceleration theories have difficulties explaining the observations," said Hui Li, a theorist in Los Alamos National Laboratory's Theoretical Division who served on the team. "This surely calls for new ideas on particle acceleration in microquasars and black hole systems in general."

The team's observations, described in the Oct. 4 issue of the journal Nature, strongly suggest that particle collisions at the ends of the microquasar's jets produced the powerful gamma rays. Scientists think that studying messages from this microquasar, dubbed SS 433, may offer a glimpse into more extreme events happening at the centers of distant galaxies.

The team gathered data from the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov Gamma-Ray Observatory (HAWC), which is a mountain-top detector in Mexico that observes gamma ray emission from supernova remnants, rotating dense stars called pulsars, and quasars. Los Alamos, funded by Department of Energy Office of High-Energy Physics, helped build HAWC, which was completed in 2015.

Now, the team has studied one of the most well-known microquasars, which is about 15,000 light years away.

Quasars are massive black holes that suck in material from the centers of galaxies, rather than feeding on a single star. They actively emit radiation visible across the universe. But most are so far away that the majority of the detected quasars must have their jets aimed at Earth, making them easier to spot, like looking directly into a flashlight. In contrast, SS 433's jets are oriented away from Earth, which makes them more difficult to observe. However, HAWC was able to detect similarly energetic light when viewed from the side, allowing the full length of the jet to be visible."

"The new findings improve our understanding of particle acceleration in jets of microquasars, which also sheds light on jet physics in much larger and more powerful extragalactic jets in quasars," said Hao Zhao, of Los Alamos National Laboratory's Physics Division.

HAWC, located roughly 13,500 feet above sea level near the Sierra Negra volcano in Mexico, catches the fast-moving rain of particles with a detector composed of more than 300 tanks of water, each about 24 feet in diameter. When the particles strike the water, they produce a shock wave of blue light, called Cherenkov radiation. Cameras in the tanks detect this light, allowing scientists to compile the origin story of the gamma rays.

The HAWC collaboration examined data taken from more than 1,017 days of observation and saw evidence that gamma rays were coming from the ends of the microquasar's jets, rather than the central part of the star system. Based on their analysis, the researchers concluded that electrons in the jets attain energies that are about 1,000 times higher than can be achieved using earth-bound particle accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider. The jet electrons collide with the low-energy microwave background radiation that permeates space, resulting in gamma ray emission. This is a newly observed mechanism for getting high-energy gamma rays out of this kind of system and is different from what scientists have observed when the jets are aimed at earth.

Until now, instruments have not seen such detailed information about SS 433 because, according to the existing sky maps, this microquasar is tucked up into a bright supernova remnant that also emits gamma rays. But HAWC's wide field of view and long baseline looks at the whole sky every night. This feature enabled the detector, analogous to a camera with a long exposure and wide-angle lens, to resolve the microquasar's distinct features, even though it is obscured by the surroundings.

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Publication reference:

"Very high energy particle acceleration powered by the jets of the microquasar SS 433," Nature (2018), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0565-5.

Funding:

This work was supported by: the US National Science Foundation; the US Department of Energy Office of High-Energy Physics; the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program of Los Alamos National Laboratory; and Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia, Mexico.

About the Collaboration

The HAWC collaboration is funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF); the US Department of Energy Of?ce of High-Energy Physics; the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program of Los Alamos National Laboratory; Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia, Mexico (grants 271051, 232656, 260378, 179588, 239762, 254964, 271737, 258865, 243290, 132197, and 281653) (Catedras 873, 1563); Laboratorio Nacional HAWC de rayos gamma; L'OREAL Fellowship for Women in Science 2014; Red HAWC, Mexico; DGAPA-UNAM (Direccion General Asuntos del Personal Academico-Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico; grants IG100317, IN111315, IN111716-3, IA102715, 109916, IA102917); VIEP-BUAP (Vicerrectoria de Investigacion y Estudios de Posgrado-Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla); PIFI (Programa Integral de Fortalecimiento Institucional) 2012 and 2013; PRO-FOCIE (Programa de Fortalecimiento de la Calidad en Instituciones Educativas) 2014 and 2015; the University of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation; the Institute of Geophysics, Planetary Physics, and Signatures at Los Alamos National Laboratory; Polish Science Centre grant DEC-2014/13/B/ST9/945 and DEC-2017/27/B/ST9/02272; and Coordinacion de la Investigacion Cienti?ca de la Universidad Michoacana. The content of this article does not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.

About Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, BWXT Government Group, and URS, an AECOM company, for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.
[TORONTO] A team of astronomers has detected the sonic boom from an immensely powerful cosmic explosion, even though the explosion itself was totally unseen.

For years, astronomers have been hunting all over the sky for an example of this strange phenomenon, known as an "orphan afterglow." At last, now they've finally found one.

The titanic eruption, known as a Gamma Ray Burst (GRB), was generated by the collapse of a massive star in a galaxy nearly 300 million light-years from Earth. In the process, the star collapsed into either a dense star called a magnetar, or more likely, a black hole.

Typically, GRBs release a prodigious amount of energy, as much as the Sun would release over ten billion years.

The blast generates two jets of gamma rays which travel out from the collapsing star in opposite directions at nearly the speed of light. When these jets are pointed at Earth, astronomers see these focused outpourings of energy as intense flashes of gamma-rays.

But, GRB jets are very narrow, and because the jets from this particular collapsing star weren't pointed at us, the GRB itself was completely undetectable.

However the GRB's jets crashed into the gas that surrounded the original star, producing a huge shock wave akin to a sonic boom. This heated up the gas, producing a glow that radiated radio energy in all directions.

"This is the first time anyone has been able to capture the sonic boom from an unseen GRB explosion," says Bryan Gaensler, a co-author on the paper describing the observation. "In the past, people have either seen the explosion and then seen the boom, or on one or two occasions have seen the boom and then looked back and recovered the explosion after the fact. But here we have seen the boom, and yet the preceding explosion seems to be completely missing as viewed from Earth."

Gaensler is Director of the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto. The paper, whose lead author is Casey Law, University of California at Berkeley, is being published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Gaensler, Law and their colleagues made the discovery by comparing data from previous radio surveys of the sky with data from the Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS), being conducted with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in New Mexico.

"We compared images from old maps of the sky and found one radio source that was no longer visible today in VLASS," says Law. "Looking at the radio source in other old data shows that it lived in a relatively nearby galaxy, and back in the 1990s, it was as luminous as the biggest explosions known, gamma-ray bursts."

The source's brightness, as well as its evolution over the decades, were clues that it originated from a GRB. Another was that it was found where astronomers expected to find GRBs: in a relatively small galaxy, of a type known as "dwarf" galaxies.

The discovery provides crucial new insight into the nature of GRBs and their jets. Given that GRBs are pointed in random directions relative to us, the fraction we see from Earth depends on how narrow or wide the jets are. "By comparing the number of 'orphaned' afterglows to those with GRBs preceding them," says Law, "we can measure that fraction much more precisely than before."

The analysis also promises a far more accurate GRB census, made possible using today's modern astronomical radio surveys that scan large portions of the sky. For example, over the next 7 years, the VLASS will make three complete scans of 80 percent of the entire sky.

Says Gaensler, "This shows the exciting capabilities of the new generation of wide-field radio surveys. There are dramatic and dynamic explosions and flares happening out there, but we can only find them if we can constantly patrol the sky to see what's changing."

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For full text and images: https://www.dunlap.utoronto.ca/astronomers-discover-sonic-boom-from-powerful-unseen-explosion/
Lawrence Paul Lewis and Linda Hansen were recognized for their contributions to infrastructure security and nuclear nonproliferation, among others, at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretarys Honor Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on August 29.

Lawrence Paul Lewis, leader of the Technology Implementation Program in the Decision and Infrastructure Sciences division at DOEs Argonne National Laboratory, received the Secretary of Energys Achievement Award for his support of the Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Infrastructure Protection following the hurricanes that devastated Puerto Rico in 2017. His work toward long-term recovery planning included analysis of lifeline infrastructure systems (e.g., energy, water, communications and transportation) around Manati, Puerto Rico and identification of opportunities for long-term reinvestment strategies. This effort resulted in the development of a web-based geographic information system application that identified key infrastructure assets and their first- and second-order dependencies.

Principal Nonproliferation Policy Analyst Linda Hansen, of Argonnes Strategic Security Sciences division, was also awarded the Secretary of Energys Achievement Award. DOE recognized Hansen for her exceptional service and leadership in support of U.S. initiatives to advance international adherence to the International Atomic Energy Agency Additional Protocol, a critical component of the international nuclear nonproliferation regime. Hansens work is sponsored by the Office of International Nuclear Safeguards/International Nuclear Safeguards Engagement Program.

DOE bestows the Secretarys Honor Awards on employees or contractors who accomplish significant achievements on behalf of the Department. Award recipients receive a certificate signed by the Secretary of Energy.

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Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nations first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance Americas scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energys Office of Science.

The U.S. Department of Energys Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit the Office of Science website.
The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the recipient of six awards from DOE's Office of Science aimed at accelerating quantum information science (QIS), a burgeoning field of research increasingly seen as vital to scientific innovation and national security.

The awards, which were made in conjunction with the White House Summit on Advancing American Leadership in QIS, will leverage and strengthen ORNL's established programs in quantum information processing and quantum computing.

The application of quantum mechanics to computing and the processing of information has enormous potential for innovation across the scientific spectrum. Quantum technologies use units known as qubits to greatly increase the threshold at which information can be transmitted and processed. Whereas traditional "bits" have a value of either 0 or 1, qubits are encoded with values of both 0 and 1, or any combination thereof, at the same time, allowing for a vast number of possibilities for storing data.

While in its infancy, the technology is being harnessed to develop computers that, when mature, will be exponentially more powerful than today's leading systems. Beyond computing, however, quantum information science shows great promise to advance a vast array of research domains, from encryption to artificial intelligence to cosmology.

The ORNL awards represent three Office of Science programs.

"Software Stack and Algorithms for Automating Quantum-Classical Computing," a new project supported by the Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research, will develop methods for programming quantum computers. Led by ORNL's Pavel Lougovski, the team of researchers from ORNL, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, University of Southern California, University of Maryland, Georgetown University, and Microsoft, will tackle translating scientific applications into functional quantum programs that return accurate results when executed on real-world faulty quantum hardware. The team will develop an open-source algorithm and software stack that will automate the process of designing, executing, and analyzing the results of quantum algorithms, thus enabling new discovery across many scientific domains with an emphasis on applications in quantum field theory, nuclear physics, condensed matter, and quantum machine learning.

ORNL's Christopher M. Rouleau will lead the "Thin Film Platform for Rapid Prototyping Novel Materials with Entangled States for Quantum Information Science" project, funded by Basic Energy Sciences. The project aims to establish an agile AI-guided synthesis platform coupling reactive pulsed laser deposition with quick decision-making diagnostics to enable the rapid exploration of a wide spectrum of candidate thin-film materials for QIS; understand the dynamics of photonic states by combining a novel cathodoluminescence scanning electron microscopy platform with ultrafast laser spectroscopy; and enable understanding of entangled spin states for topological quantum computing by developing a novel scanning tunneling microscopy platform.

ORNL's Stephen Jesse will lead the "Understanding and Controlling Entangled and Correlated Quantum States in Confined Solid-State Systems Created via Atomic Scale Manipulation," a new project supported by Basic Energy Sciences that includes collaborators from Harvard and MIT. The goal of the project is to use advanced electron microscopes to engineer novel materials on an atom-by-atom basis for use in QIS. These microscopes, along with other powerful instrumentation, will also be used to assess emerging quantum properties in-situ to aid the assembly process. Collaborators from Harvard will provide theoretical and computational effort to design quantum properties on demand using ORNL's high-performance computing resources.

ORNL is also partnering with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Berkeley Laboratory, and the University of Michigan on a project funded by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences titled "Embedding Quantum Computing into Many-Body Frameworks for Strongly-Correlated Molecular and Materials Systems." The research team will develop methods for solving problems in computational chemistry for highly correlated electronic states. ORNL's contribution, led by Travis Humble, will support this collaboration by translating applications of computational chemistry into the language needed for running on quantum computers and testing these ideas on experimental hardware.

ORNL will support multiple projects awarded by the Office of High Energy Physics to develop methods for detecting high-energy particles using quantum information science. They include:

"Quantum-Enhanced Detection of Dark Matter and Neutrinos," in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin, Tufts, and San Diego State University. This project will use quantum simulation to calculate detector responses to dark matter particles and neutrinos. A new simulation technique under development will require extensive work in error mitigation strategies to correctly evaluate scattering cross sections and other physical quantities. ORNL's effort, led by Raphael Pooser, will help develop these simulation techniques and error mitigation strategies for the new quantum simulator device, thus ensuring successful detector calculations.

"Particle Track Pattern Recognition via Content Addressable Memory and Adiabatic Quantum Optimization: OLYMPUS Experiment Revisited," a collaboration with John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory aimed at identifying rare events found in the data generated by experiments at particle colliders. ORNL principal investigator Travis Humble will apply new ideas for data analysis using experimental quantum computers that target faster response times and greater memory capacity for tracking signatures of high-energy particles.

"HEP ML and Optimization Go Quantum," in collaboration with Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Lockheed Martin Corporation, which will investigate how quantum machine learning methods may be applied to solving key challenges in optimization and data analysis. Advances in training machine learning networks using quantum computer promise greater accuracy and faster response times for data analysis. ORNL principal investigators Travis Humble and Alex McCaskey will help to develop these new methods for quantum machine learning for existing quantum computers by using the XACC programming tools, which offer a flexible framework by which to integrate quantum computing into scientific software.

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for DOE's Office of Science. The single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit https://science.energy.gov/.

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Moscow plans to continue its cooperation with Iran even if new sanctions are slapped on Tehran, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on the sidelines of the Russian Energy Week forum.

"If new sanctions are imposed, we will continue our cooperation," TASS cited the minister as saying.

"We are interested in continuing our cooperation with Iran, which is our long-term economic partner. Certainly, we need to further find the forms of cooperation to fulfill joint projects," he stressed.

According to the minister, he constantly maintains contact with Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Namdar Zangeneh.
Lugano, 4 October 2018: Reporters are invited to follow the ESMO 2018 Congress, (1) the leading international oncology event in Europe, 19-23 October at the Messe Munchen (2) in Munich, Germany. Journalists will have access to the latest research in oncology and to leading cancer experts from around the world.

The Opening Press Conference (3) will take place on Friday 19 October, 10:45-11:30, and will set the scene of the Congress tagline "Securing access to optimal cancer care".

There will be four other press briefings (4) presenting clinical trials in:

Breast cancer - Saturday 20 October, 08:15-09:00

Ovarian cancer - Saturday 20 October, 11:15-12:00

Prostate and kidney cancers - Sunday 21 October, 08:15-09:00

Head and neck cancers - Monday 22 October, 08:15-09:00

A wrap up Q&A session for reporters, (3) with ESMO experts from different specialties, is scheduled for Tuesday 23 October at 08:15 and will be the opportunity to ask any unanswered questions.

Other studies to look out for, not included in press briefings, will address, among others:

Is immunotherapy safe for HIV patients with cancer?

Do women and men experience the same side effects from chemotherapy?

Is Twitter a reliable source for cancer patients?

What are the barriers for participation in free governmental cancer screening programmes?

How do young breast cancer patients really feel about pregnancy after remission?

Are adolescents and young adults fairly represented in clinical trials?

A total of 2051 abstracts will be presented during ESMO 2018 covering a wide range of topics including among others: The latest in immunotherapy, technologies of the future, biomarkers, basic and translational research, prevention.

ESMO 2018 will host EONS11, (5) the annual congress of the European Oncology Nursing Society. (6) Two days dedicated to discussing symptom management, patient safety for a better all-round patient care approach and to improve patient outcomes through doctor-nurse collaboration.

The fully integrated ESMO Patient Advocacy track, (7) also starting on Friday at 14:30 with a session on Knowledge is power: Educating patients and advocates, (8) emphasises the central role of patients in the Society's collective efforts aimed at securing access to optimal cancer care.

Online programme and press activities

All abstract titles are available via the online programme (9) and the ESMO events app (10)

Publication schedule for accepted abstracts and Press activities information (11)

Media registration

ESMO welcomes media interested in reporting from the ESMO events and on cancer issues in general. Media representatives are required to observe and abide by the ESMO Media Policy. (12)

To register for the event, please fill out the Complimentary Media Registration Form. (13) Media registration in advance is strongly recommended (deadline: 12 October 2018).

On-site staff will be ready to assist and facilitate one-on-one interviews with researchers and key opinion leaders.

Meeting venue and accommodation

The ESMO 2018 Congress will take place at the Munich Messe. (2)

Please be aware of fraudulent websites offering Accommodation Services for the ESMO 2018 Congress. K.I.T. Group GmbH is the only accommodation agency authorised by ESMO to book rooms for ESMO 2018. (14)

We look forward to welcoming you in Munich!

The ESMO Press Office Team

media@esmo.org

Please make sure to use the official name of the meeting in your reports: ESMO 2018 Congress

Official hashtag: #ESMO18

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References

1 ESMO 2018 Congress: https://www.esmo.org/Conferences/ESMO-2018-Congress

2 Messe Munchen: https://messe-muenchen.de/de/

3 Opening Press Conference: https://www.esmo.org/Press-Office

4 Press briefings: https://www.esmo.org/Press-Office

5 EONS 11: http://www.cancernurse.eu/communication/eons11.html

6 European Oncology Nursing Society: http://www.cancernurse.eu/

7 ESMO Patient Advocacy track: https://www.esmo.org/content/download/126437/2388528/file/ESMO-2018-PAWG-Track-Programme.pdf

8 Knowledge is power: Educating patients and advocates: https://cslide.ctimeetingtech.com/esmo2018/attendee/confcal/show/session/6

9 Online programme: https://www.esmo.org/Conferences/ESMO-2018-Congress/Programme

10 ESMO events app: https://www.esmo.org/Conferences/ESMO-Events-App

11 Publication schedule for accepted abstracts and Press activities information: httpshttps://www.esmo.org/Press-Office

12 ESMO Media Policy: https://www.esmo.org/Press-Office/ESMO-Media-Policy

13 Complementary Media Registration Form: http://esmo.formstack.com/forms/media_registration_form_esmo_2018

14 Book rooms for ESMO 2018: https://www.esmo.org/Conferences/ESMO-2018-Congress/Accommodation

About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)

ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With 18,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 150 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. ESMO is committed to offer the best care to people with cancer, through fostering integrated cancer care, supporting oncologists in their professional development, and advocating for sustainable cancer care worldwide.Visit http://www.esmo.org
The trick: they incorporate layers of organic molecules into the solar cell. These layers utilise a quantum mechanical process known as singlet exciton fission to split certain energetic light (green and blue photons) in such a way that the electrical current of the solar cell can double in that energy range.

The principle of a solar cell is simple: per incident light particle (photon) a pair of charge carriers (exciton) consisting of a negative and a positive charge carrier (electron and hole) is generated. These two opposite charges can move freely in the semiconductor. When they reach the charge-selective electrical contacts, one only allows positive charges to pass through, the other only negative charges. A direct electrical current is therefore generated, which can be used by an external consumer.

The team around HZB researcher, Prof. Klaus Lips, gives now a solution to build the solar cell in such a way that certain high energy photons are used to generate two pairs of charge carrier simultaneously. The effect they used resides in some organic crystals and is known as "singlet exciton fission" (SF). In order for this multiplier effect to be possible, charge carrier pairs have to fulfill certain quantum physical conditions: all their spins have to be parallel meaning charge carrier pairs called triplet exciton.

These triplet excitons are quite durable and very strongly bound together. The challenge was to split apart them at an interface to silicon. This unbinds the positive and negative charge carriers, permitting them to contribute to the solar cell's current.

In a pioneering experiment the researchers have shown the splitting to be possible. "With implementing this concept successfully, we can make a silicon solar cell with a maximum quantum efficiency of 200 percent (double the normal limit), and a theoretical efficiency limit of around 40 percent," says Dr. Rowan MacQueen, an Australian researcher who joined the HZB team two years ago and is realizing the charge carrier multiplier solar cell at the HZB.

In the recently-reported work, the HZB researchers integrated a 100 nanometer thick layer of singlet fission-capable tetracene crystals into the surface of a silicon solar cell. Using spectroscopic investigations, triplet charge carrier pairs in the thin tetracene layer were detected, a signature of singlet fission. "The challenge was to separate the triplet pairs at the silicon interface without significantly disrupting the current flow of the silicon solar cell," explains Klaus Lips, since a poorly conducting organic layer borders on the well conducting silicon layer, a situation that could greatly impede the current flow.

The splitting succeeds with an additionally introduced organic conductor called PEDOT:PSS meaning another organic layer is necessary. "The interfaces play a special role in this structure," says Dr. MacQueen, which is why the researchers used X-ray light from the BESSY II@HZB synchrotron to study the interface properties. They then fabricated a series of working tetracene-silicon solar cells. A key finding was that the addition of the organic layer did not impede the electrical performance of the silicon cell, which is critical for producing an efficient device.

The electrical performance of the first silicon singlet fission solar cell showed that tetracene absorbs the blue-green portion of the light, while low-energy photons are absorbed by the silicon. Using a simulation, the researchers were able to estimate that currently about 5-10 percent of the triplet pairs generated in the tetracene layer could be added to the output power.

For Klaus Lips this is a great success but he is already considering follow-up experiments: "With this solar cell structure, we have shown that the approach works in principle, and delivered a workhorse design. And we already know what we have to do to increase the yield of separated triplet excitons to up to 200 percent".

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Further Information:

The race for the best efficiencies in silicon technology

Despite many new developments, silicon is currently the material of choice in solar cell production. The production technologies are mature, the best solar cells today reach efficiencies of around 25 percent. The theoretical maximum efficiency of the semiconductor of 29.3 percent is almost reached. Research groups worldwide do not want to settle for this. They are looking for different ways to increase the limit.

Most of the loss is due to converting some of the incident light energy into heat and thus losing it. Only part of the light spectrum can be used to actually generate electrical power. A frequently used approach for reducing heat losses is therefore the so-called tandem solar cell. It combines silicon with an additional material that can utilize other areas of the light spectrum than silicon. Promising are currently silicon perovskite tandems, which HZB is also researching in.

For example, see this report:

Perovskite - silicon solar cell research collaboration hits 25.2 percent efficienca

Klaus Lips and his team are taking different paths and want to work without incorporating a new solar cell material. A few years ago, they showed experiments on so-called photochemical upconversion. Here are two low-energy photons, which actually remain ineffective in the solar cell, bundled into a high-energy photon, which then contributes to the output power.

The singlet fission approach presented here is a new, promising method of quantum physics that can give photovoltaic technology a new boost.

Published in Materials Horizon (2018): Crystalline silicon solar cells with tetracene interlayers: the path to silicon-singlet fission heterojunction devices
Males and females mate to produce offspring, but their relationships are not always cooperative. The conflict between the sexes when they behave selfishly can be negative for the whole group. A group of Japanese researchers found that when males of a species compete, the burden this places on females can cause a drop in reproductive ability and a decrease in population size. These findings were published in Evolution on October 4 (ET).

The research team was led by Associate Professor Yasuoki Takami (Kobe University Graduate School of Human Development and Environment), Professor Jun Yokoyama (Yamagata University Faculty of Science) and Professor Masakado Kawata (Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences).

When the stronger male in breeding-related competition between males is an inappropriate partner who hinders breeding, this is known as sexual conflict. Sexual conflict is a "relationship that cannot be optimized" in which males and females each try to maximize their own reproductive success. It has drawn attention as a driver of evolution, but the impact it has on important ecological processes such as changes in population size has not been closely studied.

In the object of this study, the ground beetle Carabus insulicola, the male genitalia has a fish-hook shaped hook, and the female genitalia has a pocket to receive the male genitalia. After facilitating the mating of beetle pairs with varying lengths of genitalia, the research team found that males with long genitalia caused females to wastefully release unfertilized eggs. Unfertilized eggs made up roughly 20-40% of the eggs laid by these females - eggs that would have been fertilized later by mating with other males. This can be a selfish action by the male, who tries to ensure his reproductive success relative to rival males. Because of this competition between males, the finite resources of eggs are wasted, and the reproductive success of the female is sacrificed.

Meanwhile, the team also showed that females with long reproductive pockets are more resistant to this sort of male harassment, and are able to maintain a higher ratio of egg fertilization. When they looked at the relationship between genitalia length of males and females and population size in multiple wild populations, they found that populations were smaller if they had characteristics that promote harassment (long male genitalia and short female genitalia).

This is a pioneering result that proves that antagonistic male-female relationships can have a negative impact on wild populations. Self-serving acts by individuals can damage the sustainability of society as a whole by draining resources - the so-called "tragedy of the commons". This study shows that such acts occur in wild populations through sexual conflict.

Associate Professor Takami comments: "We hope that by introducing the perspective of sexual conflict, we will be able to improve our methods of gauging the survival chances of animal populations".

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LONDON, ON - In a new study from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, researchers have found that mutation of a gene called ATRX may lead to increased risk of developing pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer in females. The study marks the first time a sex-specific genetic risk factor for pancreatic cancer has been identified.

The research team examined the effects of ATRX mutation in the adult pancreas using preclinical models. They deleted the ATRX gene and then studied its effect on susceptibility to pancreatic cancer. The team discovered that deleting the gene in females increased susceptibility to pancreatic damage associated with pancreatitis and increased progression to pancreatic cancer. In males, the mutation did not increase the risk of pancreatic injury and actually reduced progression to cancer.

The teams preclinical results were compared to human samples from the International Cancer Genome Consortium database, which includes whole genome sequence analysis for 729 patients. The research team found that 19 per cent of patients carried a mutation along the length of the ATRX gene, including non-coding regions, and that 70 per cent of them were female. While most of the mutations do not appear to disrupt ATRX protein sequence, those that predict an effect on ATRX function occur almost exclusively in females.

"Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease that's often diagnosed very late. Patients don't often respond to available therapies and the average life span of patients is less than six months after diagnosis," says Chris Pin, PhD, a Lawson scientist and associate professor at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. "We need to catch the disease much earlier."

Pancreatitis, a disease characterized by inflammation of the pancreas, is one of the most significant risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer. While further research is needed, females with pancreatitis could one day be identified as a high risk population that should be screened for this genetic mutation.

"For every patient and for every cancer, there's a specific set of gene mutations and environmental conditions that make it very unique. Identifying those differences is very important because it will affect how we treat the disease," explains Pin. "Understanding the role of ATRX in pancreatic cancer could result in new female-specific targets for therapy and the development of new markers for early detection."

In a follow-up study, Dr. Pin will collaborate with researchers in France to study patient tumour samples in new preclinical models. Their goal is to better understand the mechanisms of ATRX mutation as a sex-specific risk factor.

"While the mutation might increase a female's risk of pancreatic cancer, it doesn't mean she will automatically develop the disease," says Pin. "We need to better understand the role of the mutation and how it interacts with other risk factors like inflammation to promote cancer. Only then can we harness our knowledge to develop better diagnosis and treatment methods for females carrying this mutation."

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The study, "The loss of ATRX increases susceptibility to pancreatic injury and oncogenic KRAS in female bot not male mice," is published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Heptaology. The research was funded with support from the Cancer Research Society and the Rob Lutterman Memorial Fund.

A video of Pin explaining the research can be found at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emeTwhkjrH8

MEDIA CONTACT: Robert DeLaet, Communications and External Relations, Lawson Health Research Institute, t. 519.685.8500 ext. 75664, c. 519.619.3872, robert.delaet@lawsonresearch.com

ABOUT LAWSON HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE

As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care London, and working in partnership with Western University, Lawson Health Research Institute is committed to furthering scientific knowledge to advance health care around the world.

ABOUT WESTERN

Western delivers an academic experience second to none. Since 1878, The Western Experience has combined academic excellence with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social and cultural growth in order to better serve our communities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western attracts individuals with a broad worldview, seeking to study, influence and lead in the international community.

ABOUT THE SCHULICH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE & DENTISTRY

The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University is one of Canada's preeminent medical and dental schools. Established in 1881, it was one of the founding schools of Western University and is known for being the birthplace of family medicine in Canada. For more than 130 years, the School has demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence and a passion for scientific discovery.
Even after 40 years of recovery, secondary forests remain species and carbon-poor compared to undisturbed primary forests, a new study reveals.

Even after 40 years of recovery, secondary forests remain species and carbon-poor compared to undisturbed primary forests, a new study reveals.

However these secondary forests - forests regrowing in previously deforested areas - are still vitally important to biodiversity conservation and carbon storage, argue scientists.

Housing much of Earth's carbon and biodiversity, tropical forests are, arguably, the planet's most important ecosystems. Yet, they continue to be destroyed by humans at an alarming rate, with devastating implications for climate change and the world's species.

An international team of scientists from Europe, Brazil and Australia, measured carbon and surveyed more than 1,600 plant, bird and dung beetle species in 59 naturally regenerating secondary forests and 30 undisturbed primary forests in the eastern Amazon.

Their study, published today in the leading journal Global Change Biology, shows that primary forests contain more biodiversity and carbon than even mature regenerating forests. The study authors argue this means protecting primary forests should be a conservation priority.

Despite this, the study provides compelling evidence that recovering secondary forests may also play a critical ecological role.

"We found that the carbon and biodiversity of secondary forests recovered to more than 80 per cent of levels found in undisturbed primary forests," said lead author Dr Gareth Lennox from Lancaster University in the UK. "This is undoubtedly good news for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. Nevertheless, the regions we assessed provide very favourable regeneration conditions, with greater than 50 per cent remnant primary forest cover and, consequently, large populations of forest species that can colonise secondary forests.

"Even in this situation, secondary forests cannot substitute for undisturbed primary forests, which must remain a priority of conservation efforts."

The growth of secondary forests

As economies in the forested tropics grow, rural populations are attracted to cities. This leaves fewer people to engage in traditional farming practices. Forests then regenerate in areas that are - at least temporarily - no longer used for agriculture, potentially counteracting losses of tropical primary forests, an area of which equal to the size of Austria continues to be felled each year.

In Brazil, these forces have led to a rapid expansion of secondary forests: in the last 30 years, the area of the Brazilian Amazon occupied by secondary forests has grown from less than 30,000 km2 to over 170,000 km2 - more than twice the size of Austria.

"Brazil has made bold forest restoration commitments," study co-author Dr Joice Ferreira from The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) said. "Through the Bonn Challenge and Initiative 20 x 20, Brazil has pledged to restore an additional 120,000 km2 of forest by 2030. But there remains considerable uncertainty whether secondary forests can meet minimum ecological standards and whether natural regeneration or active planting is the best restoration strategy.

"Our results show that novel secondary forests can deliver a range of high-value ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, habitat provision, and the suite of services linked to biomass resilience, such as soil conservation and the maintenance of water systems. Importantly, we show that these services can be provided through natural regeneration, which is vastly less expensive than active restoration alternatives."

The relationship between carbon and biodiversity

The scale of the climate and biodiversity crises facing humanity is unprecedented. However, funding to meet internationally agreed conservation targets is much less than needed. As a result, discovering areas where biodiversity and carbon can be protected and enhanced simultaneously is a key conservation goal.

Dr Toby Gardner, co-author of the paper from Sweden's Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), explained what the team's results reveal about the relationship between carbon and biodiversity.

"International initiatives, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and REDD+, seek to protect and enhance tropical biodiversity and carbon stocks, in part through forest regeneration," he said. "In contrast to other areas of the tropics, we found that biodiversity recovers at least as quickly as carbon. Secondary forests in the eastern Amazon may therefore present the win-win scenario in which conservation investments can alleviate climate change and protect tropical species at the same time."

Recognizing the importance of secondary forests

Despite the potential ecological and socio-economic significance of secondary forests, they are frequently re-cleared and so do not provide any long-lasting conservation gains.

Professor Jos Barlow, study co-author from Lancaster University, explained, "In the Brazilian Amazon, the average time before secondary forests are deforested again is just five years. Moreover, across the tropics, secondary forest management regimes are beset by legal uncertainties, inconsistent decision-making, and the chronic undervaluation of these important ecosystems."

"For secondary forests to achieve the socio-ecological potential we uncover, where sites have been regenerating for up to 40 years, they must be incorporated as key elements of landscape management and conservation planning."

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The article, Lennox et al. (2018), Second rate or a second chance? Assessing biomass and biodiversity recovery in regenerating Amazonian forests, will appear online at Global Change Biology on 4th October 2018. Authors are available for interviews in both English and Portuguese; see contact information below.
New research suggests that protecting the Amazon rainforest from deforestation may just be shifting the damage to a less renowned neighbor. The unintended consequences are profound.

Efforts to rein in agriculture activities in the Amazon have led to an 80 percent reduction in rainforest destruction between the early 2000s to 2015. Yet in this month's Journal of Geographic Sciences Michigan State University (MSU) researchers show that farming and ranching have caused 6.6 times more destruction of natural vegetation in the nearby Tocantins State of the Cerrado in central Brazil, without a corresponding uprising of concern.

"We are not saying reducing rainforest destruction in the Amazon shouldn't get attention," said Yue Dou, a research associate in MSU's Centers for Systems Integration and Sustainability (CSIS). "But attention has to be paid in the major destruction of another area which also has significant biodiversity."

Cerrado is a Brazilian savanna of varied, wooded grasslands that cover more than 20 percent of the country. Amazon's rainforest terrain of towering, ancient broadleaf trees, has a wide appeal and international fascination. The Cerrado, though a global biodiversity hotspot, hasn't commanded the same attention. Both areas of Brazil have been farmed aggressively. Two supply-chain agreements placed bans on purchasing soybeans grown on Amazonian lands after 2006 or beef raised on Amazon land deforested after 2009 vastly slowed deforestation. Researchers calculated that the policies reduced deforestation from 22,766 square miles to 11,013 square miles in the Amazon.

Yet destruction in the Cerrado surged as soybean farmers and cattle ranchers sought new places to produce highly demanded foods. In the state of Tocantins alone the conversion to agricultural land increased from 465 square miles to 3,067 square miles from 2007 to 2015.

The authors of "Spillover effect offsets the conservation effort in the Amazon" note that the reasons behind the hidden impacts are complex and can be difficult to understand - so it's hard to realize success in one part of the country can be spilling over with setbacks in a neighboring area. Colonization, road building, available infrastructure and effectiveness of law enforcement are among the many moving parts that cause people to cut down natural vegetation and farm. Comparing rainforest to Cerrado also is challenging.

That's why scientists worked with the telecoupling framework capable of examining many different factors. Telecoupling framework integrates many different scientific disciplines to allow scientists to holistically understand ecological and socioeconomic interactions over distances.

"In our increasingly complex world, we need to look at problems in new ways that can reflect subtleties and truths that are counterintuitive," said Jianguo "Jack" Liu, CSIS director and co-author. "Progress in sustainability must be genuine and we can't allow ourselves to be blinded by success in one place at the expense of invisible impacts on other places. The telecoupling framework helps to bring together many different kinds of information to fully understand important change in our telecoupled world."

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In addition to Dou and Liu, Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva of the State University of Campinas, Brazil, and Hongbo Yang of CSIS authored the paper. The work was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Sao Paulo Research Foundation.
When Tropical Storm Leslie strengthened into a hurricane, the Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite passed overhead and analyzed the rates in which rain was falling throughout the stronger storm.

Although Leslie is in the Central Atlantic Ocean, it's strong enough to generate dangerous ocean swells that will continue to affect portions of the southeastern coast of the United States, Bermuda, and the Bahamas during the next few days. Swells are expected to increase near the coasts of New England and Atlantic Canada by the end of the week.

The GPM core observatory satellite passed above Hurricane Leslie on Oct. 3, 2018 at 7:33 a.m. EDT (1133 UTC). GPM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency or JAXA.

At the time GPM passed overhead, Leslie had just been upgraded to a hurricane by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) instruments collected data that revealed light to moderate convective rainfall in Leslie's clearly evident eye wall. Very little precipitation was shown by GPM in the center of the hurricane's nearly circular eye. Algorithms developed by NASA's Precipitation Measurement Missions (PMM) science team indicated that rain was falling at over 1.8 inches (45.7 mm) per hour within storms located in the northwestern side of the Leslie's eye wall.

At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. a 3D animation of the storm was created that showed the estimated heights of storms within hurricane Leslie at the time of the GPM satellite pass. Storm top heights are based on data observed by GPM's Dual Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR Ku Band) blended with estimates based on geostationary satellite cloud top temperatures.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) noted at 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC), the center of Hurricane Leslie was located near latitude 31.4 degrees north and longitude 57.1 degrees west. That's 455 miles (735 km) east of Bermuda.

Leslie is moving toward the north near 8 mph (13 kph), and this motion with an increase in forward speed is expected through tonight. A reduction in speed is forecast on Friday and Friday night, with Leslie accelerating toward the east or east-southeast over the weekend. Maximum sustained winds are near 80 mph (130 kph) with higher gusts. Gradual weakening is forecast during the next several days.

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For updated forecasts on Leslie, visit: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

By Harold F. Pierce / Rob Gutro

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Horns have evolved independently multiple times in scarab beetles, but distantly related species have made use of the same genetic toolkit to grow these prominent structures, according to a study publishing October 4, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS Genetics by Teruyuki Niimi at the National Institute for Basic Biology in Okazaki, Japan, and colleagues.

There are over 35,000 species of scarab beetle (Scarabaeidae), and many scarab beetles grow horns on the head and/or upper body. Horns are considered to be independent radiation in rhinoceros beetles and their distant relatives dung beetles. Rhinoceros beetles include some of the largest insect species on earth, such as the famous Atlas and Hercules beetles. To investigate the genetic mechanisms that control horn development in these distant groups, the team examined gene expression and function in early horn cells in developing larvae of the Japanese rhinoceros beetle (Trypoxylus dichotomus), and compared this with published data for dung beetles.

From the high-throughput sequence analysis, they identified 49 genes that indicated possible involvement in horn development of the rhinoceros beetle, and used RNA interference to deactivate each gene to measure the effect on adult horn size and shape. Eleven genes expressed during larval development showed measureable effects on horn formation in the rhinoceros beetle. They found that these eleven genes include head and appendage patterning genes, and the same category of genes have also been linked to horn development in dung beetles. The results suggest that (1) horns developmentally derive from the similar head regions, and that (2) the same set of ancestral genes were co-opted repeatedly in distinctly originated horns between rhinoceros and dung beetles. This study reveals deep parallels in development between independently evolved horns, but it is also possible that the ancestor of the Scarabaeidae family had horns that were subsequently lost in the evolution of the majority of modern scarab beetles. A wider taxon-sampling is required to clarify whether horns originate single or multiple times, and this study provides a promising way to discover horn formation genes in a species.

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In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS Genetics:

http://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1007651

Citation: Ohde T, Morita S, Shigenobu S, Morita J, Mizutani T, Gotoh H, et al. (2018) Rhinoceros beetle horn development reveals deep parallels with dung beetles. PLoS Genet 14(10): e1007651. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1007651

Image Credit: Takahiro Ohde and colleagues

Funding: TN was supported by MEXT KAKENHI (The Ministry of Education,Culture,Sports,Science and Technology; http://www.mext.go.jp/en/) (23128505, 25128706, 16H01452 and 18H04766)and NIBB Cooperative Research Programs (18-433). DE was supported by NSF IOS (Integrative Organismal Systems, National Science Foundation; https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=IOS) (0919781). RZ was supported by an NSF/JSPS EAPSI fellowship (East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students; https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13593/nsf13593.htm) (1311025) and an NIH PERT Post-doctoral fellowship (NIH-Training Program: Postdoctoral Excellence in Research and Teaching; http://cis.arl.arizona.edu/Pert/postdoctoral-positions-available-research-associate-arizona-research-laboratories-university) (2K12GM000708-16). LL was funded by NSF IOS (Integrative Organismal Systems, National Science Foundation; https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=IOS) (0919730) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Hatch Project (1001738). The roles of these funders are the study design, data collection and analysis and preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
DNA testing of more than 6,000 dogs has revealed that a duplication on canine chromosome 18 is strongly associated with blue eyes in Siberian Huskies, according to a study published October 4, 2018, in the open-access journal PLOS Genetics by Adam Boyko and Aaron Sams of Embark Veterinary, Inc., and colleagues. Embark is a dog DNA startup company headquartered in Boston, MA, and Ithaca, NY, and research partner of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. According to the authors, this represents the first consumer genomics study ever conducted in a non-human model and the largest canine genome-wide association study to date.

Consumer genomics enables genetic discovery on an unprecedented scale by linking very large databases of genomic data with phenotype information voluntarily submitted via web-based surveys. But the promise of consumer genomic data is not limited to human research. Genomic tools for dogs are readily available but the genetic underpinnings of many important traits remain undiscovered. Although two genetic variants are known to underlie blue eye color in some dogs, these do not explain the trait in some other dogs, like Siberian Huskies.

To address this gap in knowledge, Boyko, Sams and colleagues used a diverse panel of 6,070 genetically tested dogs with owners that contributed phenotype data via web-based surveys and photo uploads. They found that a 98.6-kilobase duplication on chromosome 18 near the ALX4 gene, which plays an important role in mammalian eye development, was strongly associated with variation in blue eye color, primarily in Siberian Huskies but also in non-merle Australian Shepherds. One copy of the variant was enough to cause blue eyes or heterochromia (blue and brown eyes), although some dogs with the variant did not have blue eyes, so other genetic or environmental factors are still involved. Future studies of the functional mechanism underlying this association may lead to the discovery of a novel pathway by which blue eyes develop in mammals. From a broader perspective, the results underscore the power of consumer data-driven discovery in non-human species, especially dogs, where there is intense owner interest in the personal genomic information of their pets, a high level of engagement with web-based surveys, and an underlying genetic architecture ideal for mapping studies.

Aaron J. Sams adds: "Using genetic data from the pets of our customers, combined with eye colors reported by customers for those same animals, we have discovered a genetic duplication that is strongly associated with blue eye color. This study demonstrates the power of the approach that Embark is taking towards improving canine health. In a single year, we collected enough data to conduct the largest canine study of its kind. Embark is currently pursuing similar research projects in a range of morphological and health-related traits and we hope to continue to use our platform to move canine genetics and health forward in a very real way."

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In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS Genetics:

http://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1007648

Citation: Deane-Coe PE, Chu ET, Slavney A, Boyko AR, Sams AJ (2018) Direct-to-consumer DNA testing of 6,000 dogs reveals 98.6-kb duplication associated with blue eyes and heterochromia in Siberian Huskies. PLoS Genet 14(10): e1007648. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1007648

Image Credit: Jamie Leszczak

Image Caption: Embark dog, Lakota, shows off bright blue eyes.

Funding: This study was funded by Embark Veterinary, Inc. and the participants that provided DNA and phenotypic information via Embark's web-based platform. ARB, co-founder and part owner of Embark Veterinary, Inc. participated in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, and preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: PED, ETC, AS, ARB and AJS are employees of Embark Veterinary, a canine DNA testing company which will offer commercial testing for the variant described in this study. ARB is co-founder and part owner of Embark.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Lessons in the Latin roots of words may help Spanish-speaking students who are learning English bridge the gap between the two languages.

In a study, researchers found that teaching English Learners -- students who aren't fluent in English and often come from homes where a language other than English is spoken -- the Latin roots of words helped them problem solve the meaning of unfamiliar words.

"The idea is that Latin roots can be helpful for learning sets of academic words in English," said Amy Crosson, assistant professor of education at Penn State. "Spanish-speakers may also be at an advantage because they can use home language resources to help learn Latin roots and see more cross-linguistic connections."

For example, the Latin root of the English word "innovate" is "nov," which means "new." Crosson said that because "nuevo" also means "new" in Spanish, students can build on their home-language knowledge to learn both the Latin root and the meaning of "innovate."

"Another example is the word 'gradual,'" Crosson said. "Spanish speakers will know that 'grada' means 'step' in Spanish. This can help them learn and remember that the Latin root 'grad' also means 'step.' That in turn will help build the meaning of the target word, 'gradual,' which means 'little by little' or 'step by step.'"

English Learners make up nearly 10 percent of the school-age population, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The researchers said that while this population is one of the most quickly growing groups in U.S. schools, it's also one of the most vulnerable, with disparities in academic achievement and low graduation rates.

Crosson said that while educators sometimes encourage these students to learn English as quickly as they can, possibly at the risk of losing their native language, emerging research is showing the benefits of bilingualism. She added that teachers should encourage students to develop and build on their home languages while they are developing academic English.

"New research, some coming out of Penn State's Center for Language Science, is looking at the cognitive benefits of bilingualism from a neurological perspective," Crosson said. "One of the things they're finding is that there are benefits around executive function development. And across education research, we are beginning to find that executive function is associated with achievement in mathematics and literacy. Our project makes contact with this exciting line of research."

Crosson said she was interested in finding a way to help English Learners embrace their native languages while also boosting their literacy and academic vocabulary.

"I've been looking at helping bilingual kids build the vocabulary they need to fully participate in academic, disciplinary learning," Crosson said. "For example, words like 'innovative' and 'analyze,' which tend to be abstract but carry a lot of meaning. They're going to encounter these words whether they're in a math class or social studies or language arts, so they're very important."

For the study, 84 English Learner students were split into five classes in a large school district in the northeastern U.S. The researchers designed two sessions: one that instructed students on the Latin roots of words, and one that focused on teaching students targeted academic words without instruction in Latin roots.

All students received both sessions, but half took the Latin roots class first, with the other half taking the vocabulary class without instruction in Latin roots first.

The researchers found that while both sessions were equally good at teaching students the set vocabulary words, the session that taught the Latin roots was better at helping students with word analysis.

"For those students, we saw that when they encountered words they didn't know, it better positioned them to analyze those words to make inferences about what those words might mean when words are unfamiliar, and that's really critical," Crosson said.

In addition to providing the Latin-roots lesson plan and materials to teachers interested in using them, Crosson said she's hoping the study -- recently published in the journal Reading and Writing -- will help transform the way vocabulary is taught.

"There's still a tendency to teach vocabulary by relying on memorizing definitions," Crosson said. "But we know that to really build word knowledge, it's about multiple encounters over time, analyzing the word, a lot of active processing, and then this important element of analyzing word parts and doing morphological analysis for growing vocabularies. Latin roots and building on connections to students' home languages should be part of this."

In the future, the researchers will continue to collaborate with students and teachers to test and refine the academic vocabulary and Latin roots curriculum for bilingual learners. They are also looking to extend this work in discipline-specific ways to science and mathematics learning in middle school.

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Margaret G. McKeown, University of Pittsburgh; Debra W. Moore, University of Pittsburgh; and Feifei Ye, RAND Corporation, also participated in this project.

The Spencer Foundation and Institute of Education Sciences helped support this work.
Several hundred people are rallying in a city in Russia's North Caucasus, protesting a land swap deal with a neighboring region.

The regions of Ingushetia and Chechnya last week signed a deal to exchange what was described as unpopulated plots of agricultural land.

Russian media reported that several hundred protesters, some of them on horseback, gathered in the Ingush capital of Magas to protest a vote at the local legislature to ratify the agreement.

The region's Constitutional Court ruled earlier today that the agreement should be put up to a vote at a referendum, the New York Times reported.
Women sexually abused in childhood and adolescence who suffer from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder benefit significantly from Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Trauma, according to a Rutgers researcher.

The study appears in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

In the study, researchers compared the results of treating depressed women with sexual abuse histories with either Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Trauma or traditional clinic psychotherapy. Interpersonal Psychotherapy is a time-limited therapy that focuses on reducing psychological distress by resolving interpersonal conflicts and strengthening social relationships. Such women constitute more than 20 percent of female patients in publicly funded community mental health centers.

The study, which included 162 women, found that Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Trauma reduced symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and improved social health when clinicians followed up 8 and 20 months later.

Paul Duberstein, professor at Rutgers School of Public Health, conducted the study while at the University of Rochester with Rochester professor Nancy Talbot.

Sexual abuse is all too common, affects girls and boys and is typically shrouded in secrecy. In the study, one in five women seeking treatment in the community mental health center had a history of sexual abuse before age 18, with some as young as five. The therapy was modified for women who had histories of trauma, few social resources and who faced stigma for seeking mental health care.

"We need to make sure that community mental health centers are aware of these therapies, especially for the disenfranchised and those living in poverty," Duberstein said. "The good news is that Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Trauma can easily be integrated into community mental health clinics by training the existing clinical staff."

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LA JOLLA, CALIF. - Oct. 4, 2018 - For children born with Saul-Wilson syndrome, and their parents, much of their lives are spent searching for answers. First defined in 1990, only 14 cases are known worldwide. And the cause of the syndrome--characterized by short stature, microcephaly (small head), hearing loss and early developmental delays--remained unknown. Today, these individuals have answers.

"This is the news I have been waiting for my whole life," says Monica Zaring, who has Saul-Wilson syndrome. "A diagnosis with Saul-Wilson syndrome is just that--a name. I feel so grateful for all the doctors who never gave up, even when they didn't have answers, and I hope this information will help more people in the future."

Scientists from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), in collaboration with researchers and clinicians at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), the University of Edinburgh, the University of Oregon, and the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, have uncovered the cause of Saul-Wilson syndrome: an alteration in the gene that codes for a protein that is part of a component that controls and maintains the cell's protein packager, the Golgi complex (pronounced gol-je). The study published today in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

"Children with Saul-Wilson syndrome and their parents live with many unanswered questions," says Carlos R. Ferreira, M.D., medical geneticist at the NHGRI. "Knowing the underlying cause of the condition is a major step forward for these indviduals and could help scientists find a treatment for the syndrome. This finding also advances our understanding of the genome and Golgi complex's impact on human health, which may help us understand more skeletal disorders."

Proteins, the workhorses of our body, are transported inside of our cells via packages called vesicles. These packages travel from one cellular organ, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), to the Golgi complex, which resembles a stack of pancakes. Keeping the Golgi in working order relies on a protein complex called COG, which has eight subunits.

"The Golgi complex is where proteins 'get ready for the dance,'" says co-first author Zhijie Xia, Ph.D., postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Hudson Freeze, Ph.D., co-senior author of the paper and director and professor of the Human Genetics Program at SBP. "Here, proteins are modified in a variety of ways--such as sugars being added or removed--which affects their ultimate function in the body."

Using the latest genetic technology, the scientists analyzed 14 people with Saul-Wilson syndrome. All the individuals had the very same change in just one copy of the gene that codes for COG4 protein, which is part of the Golgi complex. This change in the COG4 gene arose spontaneously (de novo), meaning each parent did not have the mutation. As a result, one amino acid, the building block of proteins, was swapped for another. Specifically, glycine was replaced by arginine.

Further study revealed that in the cells of people with Saul-Wilson syndrome, packages of proteins moved slowly from the ER to the Golgi complex, but then rapidly returned--similar to a delivery truck that drives slowly to your home but speeds back to the warehouse. The size of the Golgi complex was halved. The scientists also found the Golgi complex's ability to add sugars to one protein, decorin, was altered. This protein travels out of the cell and helps support the collagen in skin.

"With the advent of genetic sequencing, we are learning of more conditions that are caused by de novo changes, including autism and epilepsy. Additionally, we are finding more disorders that are caused by heterozygous mutations--which are found only on one gene, versus both genes," says Freeze. "Studying cases of heterozygous, de novo mutations could provide insights into additional mysterious conditions. Our lab is already undertaking a more comprehensive study to understand the impact of the COG4 mutation on protein production and stability."

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Additional co-first authors of the study are Mariska Davids, Ph.D., of the NHGRI; Aurelie Clement, Ph.D., of the University of Oregon; David A. Parry, Ph.D., of the University of Edinburgh; and Fulya Taylan, Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institutet.

Co-senior authors of the study are Andrew Jackson, Ph.D., of the University of Edinburgh; Monte Westerfield, Ph.D., of the University of Oregon; Michael B. Bober, M.D., of the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children; and William A. Gahl, M.D., Ph.D., of the NHGRI. The study's DOI is 10.1016/j.ajhg.2018.09.003.

Research reported in this press release was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants U54NS093793, NIHR01DK99551, HHSN268201700060P, NIHHD22486, P41GM103490 and R21 AI129873. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Additional support was provided by The Rocket Fund, Stockholm County Council, Karolinska Institutet, Kronprinsessan Lovisas and Axel Tiellmans Minnesfond, Barncancerfonden, Hjarnfonden, Samariten, Sallskapet Barnavard, Promobilia Foundations, Stiftelsen Frimurare Barnhuset, ERC Starter grant 281847, Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit grant U127580972, the Scottish Genomes Partnership, the Potentials Foundation and the Walking With Giants Foundation. The Scottish Genomes Partnership is funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates [SGP/1] and The Medical Research Council Whole Genome Sequencing for Health and Wealth Initiative (MC/PC/15080).

About Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) is an independent nonprofit medical research organization that conducts world-class, collaborative, biological research and translates its discoveries for the benefit of patients. SBP focuses its research on cancer, immunity, neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders and rare children's diseases. The Institute invests in talent, technology and partnerships to accelerate the translation of laboratory discoveries that will have the greatest impact on patients. Recognized for its NCI-designated Cancer Center and the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, SBP employs nearly 900 scientists and staff in San Diego (La Jolla), Calif. For more information, visit us at SBPdiscovery.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/SBPdiscovery and on Twitter @SBPdiscovery.
SMU ENGINEERING PROFS RECEIVE NSF GRANT TO BUILD MULTI-DIMENSIONAL DRONE COMMUNICATION FRAMEWORK

DALLAS (SMU) - Faculty and students in SMU's Lyle School of Engineering will use an $849,839 grant from the National Science Foundation to improve unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) communications, with the potential to enable the next wave of drone applications ranging from delivery of consumer goods to supporting autonomous combat and search and rescue efforts.

The award to Joseph Camp and Dinesh Rajan in the Electrical Engineering Department began funding their work Oct. 1, 2018 and will extend through Sept. 30, 2021. The objective is to build infrastructure for Multi-Dimensional Drone Communications Infrastructure (MuDDI) to address research issues related to three-dimensional (3-D) connectivity, distributed antennas across a drone swarm and 3-D swarm formations that optimize the transmission to intended receivers.

MuDDI will allow the SMU team to rent and equip indoor space relatively close to campus for repeatable experimentation. "This will allow us to run our experiments in a controlled environment with the ability to precisely measure the wireless transmission characteristics," Camp said.

The project will include:

Building a programmable drone platform that can dynamically switch across multiple antennas with various positions and orientations on the drone that increase signal from a particular drone to direct transmissions across the extremes of physical dimensions

Experimental analysis of the various channel feedback mechanisms that have been identified but have yet to be evaluated on drones with in-flight vibrations and mobility patterns and various swarm formations

Constructing and incorporating large-scale antenna arrays over the surface of the ceiling and surrounding walls in the test facility to capture various multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) transmission patterns of a single drone seeking 3-D connectivity, distributed drone swarm creating various formations, and a massive-MIMO ground station

Integrating a massive-MIMO control station that can direct transmissions to, and track the mobility of, in-flight systems enabling research on the various beam widths and multi-user beam patterns that may be simultaneously allocated among large antenna arrays

"When you start to think about drones, the communication issues are not 2D anymore - they are 3D," Camp said. "When we built a drone platform at SMU in Taos last summer, we put the antennas on top of the drone so they wouldn't interfere with landing gear. What we then found out was when the drone got to a certain height, it could only communicate from side-to-side, not directly below it."

"When drones are required to talk to other drones, the communication, by definition, can be in any direction at any point in time," Camp said. "We make the assumption that radios are expensive in terms of power, weight, and cost and that a switching mechanism from these radios to a greater number of antennas could significantly lower the resource consumption of a drone communications platform. In addition, if carefully designed, multiple drones could team to form a large antenna array to improve communication range."

The research being directed by Camp and Rajan could have far-reaching applications for the future of UAV communications, including increasing Internet connectivity during natural disasters as well as commercial and military applications, all of which require coordination of multiple entities across various altitudes, from in-flight to ground-based stations. Potential applications also include deploying WiFi in underserved, low-income neighborhoods.

A warehouse in close proximity to campus currently is being outfitted to the specific dimensions required for faculty and students to analyze data and applications for this project. In addition, interested students can join Camp each June at SMU's campus in Taos, NM, where he teaches an "Introduction to Drone Communications" class where students learn the fundamentals of experimentation research for the purposes of design novel measurement studies for drone communications.

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Camp is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Engineering in SMU's Lyle School of Engineering. He joined the SMU faculty in 2009 after receiving his Ph.D. in ECE from Rice University. He received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2012.

Rajan is Cecil and Ida Green Endowed Professor of Engineering. He has served as professor and chair of the Electrical Engineering Department in the Lyle School, and received an NSF CAREER Award in 2006. He joined SMU in 2002 and earned his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Rice University.

About SMU

SMU is a nationally ranked private university in Dallas founded 100 years ago. Today, SMU enrolls approximately 11,000 students who benefit from the academic opportunities and international reach of seven degree-granting schools.

About the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering

SMU's Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering, founded in 1925, is one of the oldest engineering schools in the Southwest. The school offers eight undergraduate and 29 graduate programs, including master's and doctoral degrees, through the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Computer Science and Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Engineering Management, Information, and Systems; and Mechanical Engineering. Lyle students participate in programs in the unique Deason Innovation Gym, providing the tools and space to work on immersion design projects and competitions to accelerate leadership development and the framework for innovation; the Hart Center for Engineering Leadership, helping students develop nontechnical skills to prepare them for leadership in diverse technical fields; the Caruth Institute for Engineering Education, developing new methodologies for incorporating engineering education into K-12 schools; and the Hunter and Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity, combining technological innovation with business expertise to address global poverty.
While liver biopsies are powerful and reliable, they are also invasive, painful, limited and subject to complications. These effects may soon be a thing of the past for some patients thanks to new research showing PET imaging with the 18F-FAC radiotracer can be used as a non-invasive substitute. The study is featured in the October issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Sometimes immune cells work a little too hard, leading to attacks on our organs, especially in instances of organ transplant. What results is a lifetime reliance on immunosuppressant drugs, which need to be carefully administered to ensure they are working as intended without dangerous side effects. Physicians look for T cells to determine whether an organ is under attack, requiring a biopsy to sample tissues. Now, PET imaging might offer a non-invasive alternative in the case of immune cell attack on the liver.

A team of researchers created a preclinical mouse model, testing the use of PET imaging to image T cells in the liver. The study shows that PET with the 18F-FAC radiotracer can be used to image T cells as they attack the liver or during treatment with an immunosuppressive drug.

"The personalized treatment of patients suffering from immune attack on the liver will require precise and quantitative methods for measuring T cells in the liver," said Peter Clark, PhD. "Our work describes in a preclinical model one such way of doing this. We envision that if this approach is translated into the clinic, it could lead to fewer liver biopsies and more precise treatment of patients with immune-related liver disease."

The team said they hope this study and others open the possibility of using molecular imaging to diagnose and manage chronic liver diseases as they become increasingly prevalent around the world.

"We and others are working to identify where and how molecular imaging and nuclear medicine could be used to improve the diagnosis and treatment of liver disease," Dr. Clark said. "Our study is just one example of this, but it adds to growing literature that suggests an important role for PET in the liver field."

Authors of "18F-FAC PET Selectively Images Hepatic Infiltrating CD4 and CD8 T Cells in a Mouse Model of Autoimmune Hepatitis" include Jessica Salas, Bao Ying Chen, Alicia Wong, Dongui Cheng, Owen Witte and Peter Clark, University of California, Los Angeles, and John Van Aram, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

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Please visit the SNMMI Media Center to view the PDF of the study, including images, and more information about molecular imaging and personalized medicine. To schedule an interview with the researchers, please contact Sarah Schlieder at (703) 652-6773 or sschlieder@snmmi.org. Current and past issues of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine can be found online at http://jnm.snmjournals.org.

About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, vital elements of precision medicine that allow diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.

SNMMI's more than 17,000 members set the standard for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine practice by creating guidelines, sharing information through journals and meetings and leading advocacy on key issues that affect molecular imaging and therapy research and practice. For more information, visit http://www.snmmi.org.
Now everyone can become co-creator and co-user of the largest detector of cosmic ray particles in history - as well as a potential co-discoverer. All you need is a smartphone and the CREDO Detector application turned on overnight. Under development for over two years, the CREDO project is entering the era of its maturity. Today, at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Cracow, the "first light" of the detector was presented, that is, the first data of scientific value, collected by the smartphones of project participants from around 20 countries.

At the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN) in Cracow, CREDO Week 2018 is in progress, a week-long series of lectures, workshops and meetings of scientists and enthusiasts involved in the building of the Cosmic Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO) global particle detector. The first sub-group of detectors operating within the CREDO Observatory comprises smartphones equipped with the CREDO Detector application for Android. It transforms smartphones scattered all over the world into a single research device with unique detection capabilities. Currently, after a period of testing, the dispersed CREDO infrastructure has matured to the point where it has become possible to begin reliable observations. The first data of scientific value were presented today at the headquarters of the IFJ PAN.

"Contemporary science faces challenges of exceptional technical complexity. With the cost of construction of current accelerators and detectors running into billions of euros, often taking decades to build, any alternative, well thought out design is worth our attention. That is why, together with our partners, we have become involved in the creation of CREDO, a project that is not only cheap and relatively easy to implement but, above all, with social commitment, able to provide exceptional data on the most fundamental aspects of our physical reality", says Prof. Marek Jezabek, director of IFJ PAN.

The CREDO Detector application, available for smartphones with the Android operating system, is being developed as part of an international initiative initiated and coordinated by scientists from the IFJ PAN. The maintenance and development of this app is supervised by the Cracow University of Technology, and the Academic Computer Centre Cyfronet of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow supervises the collection and processing of data. The project is co-financed by the governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through the Visegrad Grants programme as part of the International Visegrad Fund (IVF).

"Several thousand users participated in the earlier CREDO project tests. In turn, the data and graphs presented today are the result of the involvement of several hundred science enthusiasts from around 20 countries. The more of us there are, the greater the chance of valuable discoveries", says Dr. Piotr Homola (IFJ PAN), managing the CREDO project.

Measurements using smartphones involve registering and comparing particle detection times. Currently, it is assumed that high-energy particles arriving from space reach the Earth randomly and relatively homogeneously from all directions. However, in 1983, over a period of five minutes, a network of cosmic ray detectors observed 32 cases of large atmospheric showers over Manitoba, i.e. cascades of secondary particles initiated by high-energy cosmic rays interacting with the Earth's atmosphere. It was statistically a very distinct deviation from the expected number of detections (only one atmospheric shower was expected in this time interval!). Quantum Gravity Previewer, an experiment currently being carried out by CREDO, is looking for similar deviations, detected using smartphones in various places on Earth. Confirmation of the existence of clusters of events, which are additionally slightly dispersed in time, could, for example, indicate that particles with different energies interact in different ways with the quantum structure of space-time.

"The graphs being presented today are based on raw data. Some show certain deviations from a homogeneous distribution, however, due to the small statistics, these may be only ordinary fluctuations. We will have to wait for groundbreaking conclusions", says Dr. Homola and points out: "This is what the CREDO project is all about. We are not a scientific factory, providing the public with ready, fully formulated results. With us, science takes place live, in front of the users. What's more, they can actively participate in this process, and even using the latest data they can conduct their own analyses. So with us, reaching a scientific discovery is a bit like preparing a pizza in front of the client: before we can delight in the final product, all the stages of its preparation can be clearly seen."

Researchers have made efforts to ensure that the participants' contributions to scientific achievements are not left anonymous. On the project website, you can see the main graph of the experiment being currently implemented. You can assess whether the experiment is already at the level of 5 sigma accuracy required to declare a discovery. At the same time, on their sub-page, all users can check the contribution of their device in the result of the experiment. Currently, the data collected from smartphones are updated once a day, ultimately it will be presented in near real-time.

Capturing out the correlations between events recorded by various detectors, mainly smartphones, would make it possible to obtain new data not only about events involving extremely energetic particles of ordinary matter, but perhaps also about the properties of dark matter particles, the nature of quantum gravity, and potentially even the deepest structure of space-time itself.

The CREDO project software, including the CREDO Detector application, will be made available to everyone on the MIT licence, which means that it can be developed and used in other scientific, school and even commercial projects.

The Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics (IFJ PAN) is currently the largest research institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The broad range of studies and activities of IFJ PAN includes basic and applied research, ranging from particle physics and astrophysics, through hadron physics, high-, medium-, and low-energy nuclear physics, condensed matter physics (including materials engineering), to various applications of methods of nuclear physics in interdisciplinary research, covering medical physics, dosimetry, radiation and environmental biology, environmental protection, and other related disciplines. The average yearly yield of the IFJ PAN encompasses more than 600 scientific papers in the Journal Citation Reports published by the Thomson Reuters. The part of the Institute is the Cyclotron Centre Bronowice (CCB) which is an infrastructure, unique in Central Europe, to serve as a clinical and research centre in the area of medical and nuclear physics. IFJ PAN is a member of the Marian Smoluchowski Krakow Research Consortium: "Matter-Energy-Future" which possesses the status of a Leading National Research Centre (KNOW) in physics for the years 2012-2017. The Institute is of A+ Category (leading level in Poland) in the field of sciences and engineering.

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CONTACTS:

Dr. Piotr Homola

The Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences

tel.: +48 12 6628341

email: piotr.homola@ifj.edu.pl

SCIENTIFIC PAPERS:

"Possible Observation of a Burst of Cosmic-Ray Events in the Form of Extensive Air Showers"

G. R. Smith, M. Ogmen, E. Buller, S. Standil

Physical Review Letters 50, 2110, vol. 5, no. 26, 1983

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.50.2110

LINKS:

https://credo.science/

The website of the Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO).

http://www.ifj.edu.pl/

The website of the Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences.

http://press.ifj.edu.pl/

Press releases of the Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences.

IMAGES:

IFJ181004b_fot01s.jpg

HR: http://press.ifj.edu.pl/news/2018/10/04/IFJ181004b_fot01.jpg

The CREDO Detector transforms your smartphone into an important element of the largest particle detector in history. (Source: IFJ PAN)

IFJ181004b_fot02s.jpg

HR: http://press.ifj.edu.pl/news/2018/10/04/IFJ181004b_fot02.jpg

The CREDO Detector begins to collect scientific data. Users can see their contribution (green color) to the results of the current experiment (red color). (Source: CREDO Collaboration)
ADELPHI, MD. (October 4, 2018) - Professor Frances Arnold won a 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for research initially funded by the U.S. Army in new enzyme production that led to the commercial, cost-effective synthesis of biofuels tested on the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters in 2013, and are now approved by the aviation standards body for use in commercial aviation.

Arnold is only the fifth woman to win the prize in its 117-year history.

Gerard Mourou, a French scientist and pioneer in the field of electrical engineering and lasers, won a 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics for Army-funded research in fundamental physics that led to new developments high-intensity, ultrashort laser pulses, which led to a number of commercial advancements from masonry, i.e., drilling tiny holes, to medicine's Lasik eye surgery.

With a modest single investigator grant from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory's Army Research Office in the 1990s, Arnold demonstrated the ability to modify an enzyme that provided robust native activity but at higher temperatures. Through a process of protein sequence alteration and selection, directed evolution stretches the boundaries of enzyme activity and function beyond what nature provides.

During this grant period, Arnold also developed a computational algorithm called SCHEMA which provides a means of improving molecular evolution searches toward targeted protein sequence alterations. Through SCHEMA, she demonstrated that this algorithm can be used to design variations of a model protein that confers functional diversity (e.g. enhanced activity, enhanced thermal stability, altered substrate specificity).

In 2003, the Army began funding Arnold through the Army's Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies (AICB) in Santa Barbara. There, Arnold has utilized SCHEMA to design novel activities for a broad host of enzymes including activity and stability improvements in enzymes capable of degrading cellulosic biomass toward renewable fuel synthesis and developed new machine learning tools to enhance the selection of novel engineered enzymes.

Most notably, as a transition of Army basic research funding, Arnold co-founded a start-up company (Gevo) in 2005 that received its initial funding through the AICB applied research program. Gevo's business goal was to scale-up processing systems that utilize SCHEMA-designed enzymes incorporated into microorganisms for the cost-effective synthesis of biofuels. From these beginnings, Gevo developed into a business that is the world's only commercial producer of renewable isobutanol and in 2013, the US Army successfully flew the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter on a 50/50 blend of Gevo's ATJ-8 (Alcohol-to-Jet).

"This recognition validates the way ARO pursues basic research," said ARL's Dr. Robert J. Kokoska, program manager in microbiology.

"Twenty years ago, an ARO program manager recognized a potentially unique and exciting approach that could change the way biology can be used to expand the possibilities and range of biochemical synthesis. As Prof. Arnold successfully pursued her vision in large part through this modest initial investment and then through the AICB, the Army can take great pride in knowing that it helped nurture this ground-breaking research which has provided valuable tools for enhancing the creativity of biologists and engineers within the Army research enterprise and the research community at-large. The exciting Army-impactful industrial biofuel transition further validates ARO's basic research investments," Kokoska said.

Arnold is the Linus Pauling professor of chemical engineering, bioengineering and biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology.

The Nobel Prize in Physics winner, Mourou, was initially funded while he was at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. There, he created ultrashort, high-intensity laser pulses, called chirped pulse amplification, that were used to develop a positron source for positron spectroscopy. According ARO program manager Dr. Richard Hammond, this research will lead to new kinds of directed energy sources for the Army. Mourou continues his research at the Ecole Polytechnique, public institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, a suburb southwest of Paris.

"It is good the world recognizes the value of the research funded by ARO," Hammond said.

"This research opened the door to an entirely new kind of physics, both in spectroscopy to and high intensity physics interaction leading to directed energy include X-rays, neutron beams and beta rays. This work could lead to developments in new detection mechanisms of future failure of rotors in helicopters, finding voids in materials for electronic and photonic devises, and in radiation therapy," Hammond explained.

Arnold shares the prize in chemistry with George Smith, who developed a method known as phage display, where a bacteriophage - a virus that infects bacteria - can be used to evolve new proteins.

Mourou shares the prize in physics with Dr. Donna Strickland, of Canada, who is only the third woman to win the prize in physics.

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The U.S. Army Research Laboratory is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to ensure decisive overmatch for unified land operations to empower the Army, the joint warfighter and our nation. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.
Recent observations create a puzzle for astrophysicists: since the big bang, less galaxy clusters have formed over time than was actually expected. Physicists from the university of Bonn have now confirmed this phenomenon. For the next three years, the researchers will analyze their data in even greater detail. This will put them in a position to confirm whether the theories considered valid today need to be reworked. The study is part of a series of 20 publications which appear in the professional journal "Astronomy and Astrophysics".

Nearly 13.8 billion years ago, the big bang marked the beginning of our universe. It created space and time, but also all the matter of which our universe consists today. From then on, space expanded at a terrifying rate and so did the diffuse fog in which the matter was nearly evenly distributed.

But not completely: at some places the fog was a little bit denser than in others. As a result, these regions exerted a slightly stronger gravitational pull and slowly attracted material from their surroundings. Over time, matter concentrated more and more within these condensation points. At the same time, the space between them gradually became emptier. Over 13 billion years, this resulted in the formation of a sponge-like structure: big "holes" devoid of matter, separated by small areas within which thousands of galaxies agglomerate - the galaxy clusters.

Six parameters explain the whole universe

The standard model of cosmology describes this history of the universe, from the first seconds after the big bang to the current day. The beauty of it: the model manages to explain, with only six parameters, everything we know today about the birth and evolution of the Universe. Nonetheless, the model may now have reached its limits. New observational evidences point to the fact that the matter is distributed today in a different way than the theory predicts", explains Dr. Florian Pacaud from the Argelander-Institut fur Astronomie of the University of Bonn.

It all started with the measurements of the Planck satellite, which was launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) to measure the cosmic background radiation. This radiation is, to some extent, an afterglow of the big bang. It conveys crucial information on the matter distribution in the early universe; showing the distribution as it was only 380.000 years after the big bang.

According to the Planck measurements, this initial distribution was such that, over cosmic time, more galaxy clusters should have formed than we observe today. We have measured with an X-ray satellite the number of galaxy clusters at different distances from ourselves", explains Dr. Pacaud. The idea behind it: the light from remote galaxy clusters has traveled for billions of years before reaching us, and so we observe them today as they were when the universe was still young. Nearby clusters, on the contrary, are observed as they appeared much more recently.

Our measurements confirm that the clusters formed too slowly", said Dr. Pacaud. We have estimated to which extent this result conflicts with the basic predictions of the standard model." While there is a large discrepancy between the measurements and predictions, the statistical uncertainty in the present study is not yet tight enough to really put into question the theory. However, the researchers expect to obtain substantially more constraining results from the same project within the next three years. This will finally reveal whether the standard model needs to be revised.

The dark energy - a constant?

The study also supplies a glimpse into the nature of the dark energy. This mysterious constituent of the Universe acts as a kind of interstellar baking powder which cause the cosmic expansion to accelerate. The "amount" of dark energy - the cosmological constant - should have stayed the same since the big bang; or so assumes the standard model of cosmology. Many observations seem to point in this direction. Our measurement also supports this thesis", explains Dr. Pacaud. But here again we shall obtain more precise results in a near future."

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The study is a part of a large-scale project with the appropriate name of 'XXL Survey', in which more than 100 scientists all around the globe cooperate. The 20 new publications from the collaboration, gathered in a special issue of Astronomy & Astrophysics, only provide a taste of the project's full power. The current analysis is based on a sample of 365 clusters, from which (so far) only 200 are used for the statistical analyses. By the end of the project - planed for 2020 - this database will double to some 400 to 500 clusters. Details can be found under http://irfu.cea.fr/xxl. An ESA press release associated with the 20 publications can also be found on the net: http://sci.esa.int/xmm-newton/60686.

Publication: F. Pacaud et al.: The XXL Survey XXV. Cosmological analysis of the C1 cluster number counts; Astronomy and Astrophysics; Internet: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201834022

Contact:

Dr. Florian Pacaud

Argelander-Institut fur Astronomie

University of Bonn

Tel. 0228/736788

E-mail: fpacaud@astro.uni-bonn.de
Analysis of the world's largest set of genome data from pregnant women, totaling 141,431 expectant mothers from across China, has uncovered unsuspected associations between genes and birth outcomes, including the birth of twins and a woman's age at first pregnancy.

The analysis also allowed researchers to reconstruct the recent movement and intermarriage of different ethnic groups in China, and promises to help identify genes that make people susceptible to infectious diseases.

"It's amazing that this is even possible -- that you can take these massive samples and do association mapping to see what the genetic variants are that explain human traits," said co-author Rasmus Nielsen, a professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley, who oversaw the computational analysis performed by researchers at BGI in Shenzhen, China.

It's even more amazing because the researchers sequenced, on average, only 10 percent of each mother's genome, relying on large numbers of poor-quality genomes so as to leverage cheaper tests to discover new genetic links.

The mothers-to-be had provided blood samples to be tested for fetal chromosomal abnormalities, primarily Down syndrome. This technique, called cell-free fetal DNA testing, a form of non-invasive prenatal testing, is possible because mothers have DNA from their unborn child floating in their bloodstream. With rapid shotgun sequencing, labs can break up all the free-floating DNA in the blood and sequence just enough of the bits to diagnose Down syndrome.

Though not yet widespread in the United States, non-invasive prenatal testing is common in China: 70 percent of such tests worldwide have been performed in China. Sampling the mother's blood can be done early and risk-free, whereas standard prenatal testing in the U.S. involves amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, both of which require obtaining fetal cells from inside the uterus and risk harming the unborn child.

BGI was paid by maternity hospitals to conduct these tests, but obtained informed consent from each mother to also analyze the partially sequenced genomes for research purposes, maintaining anonymity. All the analyses were performed in China and the data is hosted in the China National GeneBank.

The data analysis revealed, for example, that variation in a gene called NRG1 is linked to a greater or lesser incidence of twins. One variant of the gene is more common in mothers with twins and is associated with hyperthyroidism, tightening a link between thyroid function and twinning that had previously been seen in mice.

A variant of another gene, EMB, was associated with older first-time mothers.

The analysis also pulled out several genes that had not previously been associated with height and body mass index.

Perhaps most interesting, Nielsen said, is what sequencing of all the DNA in maternal blood tells us about viruses circulating through the body, and thus the link between viruses and genes that determine susceptibility to disease.

A variation in one gene, for example, was associated with a higher concentration of herpesvirus 6 in a mother's blood. Herpesvirus 6 is the most common cause of the relatively benign baby rash called roseola, but a high "viral load" correlates with more severe symptoms. People with Alzheimer's disease also have higher levels of herpesvirus 6 in their brains.

"Most people are infected by herpesvirus 6 at some point in their life, but some people seem to be less affected than others. We have now found a human genetic variant that helps control the severity of the infection," Nielsen said. "This is quite interesting because we don't know much about the genetic variants that control why some people seem more susceptible to viral infection and not others."

More correlations remain to be discovered. The BGI team to date has sequenced genomes from more than 3 million pregnant women, much of it accompanied by information on the mothers' and babies' health that can be used to find genetic associations.

"If you have these genotypes and compare them to phenotypes, that is, something you can measure, you can find genetic variants that explain human traits," said Xun Xu, a leader of the BGI team and the study's lead author.

Nielsen, Xu, Siyang Liu and other BGI colleagues will report initial findings from the analysis on Oct. 4 in the journal Cell.

Sequencing by imputation

To find genes associated with human traits - height and weight, for instance - researchers typically sequence thoroughly a small number of genomes - hundreds to thousands - and scan the genomes for variations in the sequence that are more common in people with the trait. The gold standard now is to sequence each genome 60 times to insure accuracy given inherent errors in the sequencing process. Even if each genome is sequenced a mere 20 times, which is good but not great, it still gets expensive.

The new study relies on only partial genomes - which are cheaper to get - but massive numbers of them. On average, about one-tenth of each mothers' genome was sequenced, because that is all that is necessary for a doctor to diagnose a chromosomal anomaly in the fetus. For example, Down syndrome, or trisomy 21, is caused by three rather than two copies of chromosome 21. A single cycle of sequencing is enough to determine whether some genes are 50 percent more common than normal, indicative of one extra chromosome.

But partial genomes can tell researchers a lot too, Nielsen said.

Think of reconstructing a lost book from thousands of error-prone copies, complicated by the fact that you have only about 10 percent of each copy. By looking for overlaps and inferring words from context - called imputation - you could reconstruct a lost manuscript.

In reconstructing partial genomes, scientists have another important data set: all the complete human genomes sequenced to date, with all their individual variations.

Proof that imputation using more than 141,000 partial genomes works is that the reconstructed geographical distribution in China of minority groups and the dominant Han Chinese reflect known population movements in the country over the last 100 years.

"Because the sample size is so large, we can get at recent population movements, including relocations as a consequence of China's governmental policies," Nielsen said. Many populations of Han Chinese in western China are more closely related to the populations of large cities on the East Coast, for example, reflecting relocation of large numbers of people into the sparsely populated countryside.

The researchers also found that many Chinese had genetic variants common among Indians, Southeast Asians and, along the route of the old Silk Road, Europeans.

Nielsen is currently working with his BGI colleagues to analyze the genomes of 1 million Chinese women who underwent non-invasive prenatal testing.

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Nielsen and Xu's main collaborators are Siyang Liu, Xin Jin and Jian Wang of BGI in Shenzhen and Anders Albrechtsen of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. The work was funded by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China, University of China and Innovation Fund Denmark.
Art often imitates life, but when University of Cincinnati anthropologist and geologist Kenneth Tankersley investigated a 2000-year-old carved statue on a tobacco pipe, he exposed a truth he says will rewrite art history.

Since its discovery in 1901, at the Adena Burial Mound in Ross County, Ohio, archaeologists have theorized that the the 8-inch pipe statue -- carved into the likeness of an Ohio Valley Native American -- represented an achondroplastic dwarf (AD). People with achondroplasia typically have short arms and legs, an enlarged head, and an average-sized trunk, the same condition as Emmy Award-winning actor Peter Dinklage from HBO's "Game of Thrones."

"During the early turn of the century, this theory was consistent with actual human remains of a Native American excavated in Kentucky, also interpreted by archaeologists as being an achondroplastic dwarf," says Tankersley.

This theory flourished in the scientific literature until the turn of the 21st century when Tankersley looked closer.

"Here we have a carved statue and human remains, both of achondroplasia from the same time period," says Tankersley. "But what caught my eye on this pipe statue was an obvious tumor on the neck that looked remarkably like a goiter or thyroid tumor."

Early theory up in smoke

Tankersley collaborated with Frederic Bauduer, a visiting biological anthropologist and paleopathologist from the University of Bordeaux in Paris, to ultimately dispel previous academic literature claiming the sculpture as portraying achondroplasia.

The results of the research were published in the recent issue of the journal Medical Hypotheses titled "Evidence of an ancient (2000 years ago) goiter attributed to iodine deficiency in North America."

"In archaeological science, flesh does not survive, so many ancient maladies go unnoticed and are almost always impossible to get at from an archaeological standpoint," says Tankersley. "So what struck me was how remarkably Bauduer was using ancient art from various periods of antiquity to argue for the paleopathology he presented."

Using radiocarbon dating on textile and bark samples surrounding the pipe at the site, the Adena pipe dates to approximately 2000 years ago, to the earliest evidence of tobacco.

Traditionally, tobacco is considered a sacred plant to Native Americans in this region, and smoking tobacco played an important role in their ceremonies, but he points to tobacco smoking as being long associated with an increased prevalence of goiter in low iodine intake zones worldwide.

From a medical perspective, Bauduer found the physical characteristics, such as the short forehead and long bones of the upper and lower limbs, simply not adding up as an achondroplastic dwarf.

"We found the tumor in the neck, as well as the figure's squatted stance -- not foreshortened legs as was formerly documented in the literature -- were both signs and symptoms of thyroid disease," says Tankersley.

"We already know that iodine deficiencies can lead to thyroid tumors, and the Ohio Valley area, where this artifact was found, has historically had iodine depleted soils and water relative to the advance of an Ice Age glacier about 300,000 years ago."

Tankersley says the Ohio Valley region, before the introduction of iodized salt in the 1920s, was part of the so-called U.S. "goiter belt" where goiter frequency was relatively high -- five to 15 incidences per thousand.

The lower limbs on the statue, previously documented in the literature as short in stature, are actually normal size in bone length, according to Baudeur. Upon closer inspection, both Bauduer and Tankersley agree that the figure is also portrayed in a tilted squat, a common gait anomaly found in people with hypothyroidism.

The figure has what appears to be an abdominal six-pack, but both researchers say the detailed physical features indeed portray a normal physique except for the telltale signs of thyroid disease.

"The fact that the bones of the figure are all normal size leads us to believe the squat portrays more of an abnormal gait while likely in the stance of a typical Native American ritual dance," says Tankersley, who is one-quarter Native American himself and regularly attends ceremonial events throughout Ohio and Kentucky.

"The regalia the figure is wearing is also strongly indicative of ancient Native Ohio Valley Shawnee, Delaware and Ojibwa to the north and Miami Nation tribes in Indiana.

"The traditional headdress, pierced ears with expanded spool earrings and loincloth with serpentine motif on the front and feathered bustle on back are also still worn by local Native tribes during ceremonial events today."

Artistic clues

In addition to figures found in South America and Mesoamerica, Tankersley says the Adena pipe is the first known example of a goiter depicted in ancient Native North American art and one of the oldest from the Western Hemisphere.

"The other real take here is that a lot of people ask, 'What is the value of ancient art?'" asserts Tankersley. "Well, here's an example of ancient art that tells a deeper story. And similar indigenous art representations found in South America and Mesoamerica strengthen our hypothesis."

Tankersley is interested in looking deeper for pathologies and maladies portrayed on other ancient artifacts from Native Americans thousands of years ago here in the Ohio Valley and elsewhere.

"Art history is beginning to help substantiate many scientific hypotheses," says Tankersley. "Because artists are such keen students of anatomy, artisans such as this ancient Adena pipe sculptor could portray physical maladies with great accuracy, even before they were aware of what the particular disease was."

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This study was made available online in June 2018 ahead of final publication in print in September 2018.
As occupants of the lowest lying state in the nation, residents of Delaware face the danger of roadway flooding regularly. Consequentially state agencies like the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) have made it a priority to monitor the status of roads, issuing flood warnings and closing roads that might prove dangerous to drivers.

The conventional sensors that track flood levels across the state are expensive to install and maintain. Because of that cost, DelDOT has had to prioritize the monitoring of only areas with the highest risk of flooding. But the University of Delaware's Center for Environmental Monitoring and Analysis (CEMA) is looking to change that.

DelDOT has worked with CEMA on several projects in the past and knew it had the expertise to address this flood monitoring challenge, so the state agency provided a grant to the center to experiment with potential solutions. Using that funding, several low-cost flood sensors that could be used to augment DelDOT's current flood-monitoring system were developed by CEMA Associate Director Kevin Brinson; CEMA Research Associate David Huntley; Matt Shatley, CEMA's research computing specialist; and Sean Hudson, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Geography. The devices could cost as little as $150 each and require minimal maintenance, which could allow DelDOT to monitor roads that flood less regularly as well as the regular trouble spots, providing the agency with a more comprehensive monitoring system to keep Delaware drivers safe and informed.

CEMA tested several simple but effective means of sensing the flood levels of roads. Each utilizing a different type of technology (sonic, optical or resistance), the sensors all relied on a relatively cheap yet efficient microcontroller called an Arduino. These mini computers are versatile, with the capacity to do much more than simply detect water levels, and are often used in environmental sensing, home automation and other applications by hobbyists and professionals alike.

All three of the tested technologies were found to be successful in the field, though Brinson noted that certain methods may be more appropriate for certain environments. He emphasized that the intent with this field test was not to find a single cost-effective method of sensing floods, but rather multiple. By having several methods at their disposal, government agencies like DelDOT can implement a sensor most appropriate to the environment in need of monitoring.

To use the low-cost sensors to expand flood monitoring, a network of multiple sensors in an area would transmit information wirelessly to DelDOT. These transmissions would likely range from periodic connections to indicate the system is still functioning to potentially three simple notifications: water is approaching the roadway, water has covered the roadway and roadway flooding has reached a dangerous depth.

In pursuit of cutting costs even further, Brinson is looking to road signs and other roadway structures as potential installation points. Their abundance along road sides could not only provide convenient, pre-existing installation structures, but could also minimize vandalism.

"No one notices sign posts, they just drive right past them," Brinson said. "We could put our sensor box on the back of it, and you would never know it was there."

Regarding the future of this technology, the project manager of the low-cost flood sensing project at DelDOT, civil engineer Silvana Croope, indicated that she hopes to have it further tested and out in the field by summer 2019 at the latest.

"We will start discussions on this comprehensive implementation plan at the end of the fall," Croope said. "But because we already have an initial strategic study that CEMA put together, we actually already have a road map for us to start the deployment."

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will make an official visit to Georgia in March of next year, a source in the Defense Ministry of Georgia said, TASS reported.

This will be Stoltenberg's third trip to Tbilisi as the NATO Secretary General.
Long-term exposure to periodontal disease bacteria causes inflammation and degeneration of brain neurons in mice that is similar to the effects of Alzheimer's disease in humans, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The findings, which are published in PLOS ONE, suggest that periodontal disease, a common but preventable gum infection, may be an initiator of Alzheimer's, which currently has no treatment or cure.

"Other studies have demonstrated a close association between periodontitis and cognitive impairment, but this is the first study to show that exposure to the periodontal bacteria results in the formation of senile plaques that accelerate the development of neuropathology found in Alzheimer's patients," said Dr. Keiko Watanabe, professor of periodontics at the UIC College of Dentistry and corresponding author on the study.

"This was a big surprise," Watanabe said. "We did not expect that the periodontal pathogen would have this much influence on the brain, or that the effects would so thoroughly resemble Alzheimer's disease."

To study the impact of the bacteria on brain health, the Watanabe and her colleagues -- including Dr. Vladimir Ilievski, UIC research assistant professor and co-author on the paper -- established chronic periodontitis, which is characterized by soft tissue damage and bone loss in the oral cavity, in 10 wild-type mice. Another 10 mice served as the control group. After 22 weeks of repeated oral application of the bacteria to the study group, the researchers studied the brain tissue of the mice and compared brain health.

The researchers found that the mice chronically exposed to the bacteria had significantly higher amounts of accumulated amyloid beta -- a senile plaque found in the brain tissue of Alzheimer's patients. The study group also had more brain inflammation and fewer intact neurons due to degeneration.

These findings were further supported by amyloid beta protein analysis, and RNA analysis that showed greater expression of genes associated with inflammation and degeneration in the study group. DNA from the periodontal bacteria was also found in the brain tissue of mice in the study group, and a bacterial protein was observed inside their neurons.

"Our data not only demonstrate the movement of bacteria from the mouth to the brain, but also that chronic infection leads to neural effects similar to Alzheimer's," Watanabe said.

The researchers say these findings are powerful in part because they used a wild-type mouse model; most model systems used to study Alzheimer's rely on transgenic mice, which have been genetically altered to more strongly express genes associated with the senile plaque and enable Alzheimer's development.

"Using a wild-type mouse model added strength to our study because these mice were not primed to develop the disease, and use of this model gives additional weight to our findings that periodontal bacteria may kick-start the development of the Alzheimer's," Watanabe said.

The researchers say that understanding causality and risk factors for the development of Alzheimer's is critical to the development of treatments, particularly when it comes to sporadic, or late-onset disease, which constitutes more than 95 percent of cases and has largely unknown causes and mechanisms.

While the findings are significant for the scientific community, Watanabe said there are lessons for everyone.

"Oral hygiene is an important predictor of disease, including diseases that happen outside the mouth," she said. "People can do so much for their personal health by taking oral health seriously."

###

Additional co-authors on the paper are Paulina Zuchowska, Stefan Green, Peter Toth, Michael Ragozzino, Khuong Le and Haider Aljewari of UIC, and Neil O'Brein-Simpson and Eric Reynolds of the University of Melbourne.
The University of Illinois at Chicago is one of eight universities awarded funding by the National Institutes of Health to prevent and treat sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, among adolescents and young adults in Africa and Brazil. Collectively, the international projects are known as Prevention and Treatment through a Comprehensive Care Continuum for HIV-affected Adolescents in Resource Constrained Settings (PATC3H).

As one of the PATC3H participants, UIC received a two-year, $1.2 million grant to tailor a sexual education and skills-building program designed to help reduce the incidence of new sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and increase HIV testing and linkage to care among South African adolescent girls and their female caregivers. In a randomized controlled study in Chicago, the program, called IMARA for Informed, Motivated, Aware, and Responsible about AIDS, reduced the risk of new STIs by 45 percent among black girls aged 14 to 18 years old compared to the control group.

"With this new grant, we will adapt IMARA to take into account the unique contextual factors and culture of South Africa," said Geri Donenberg, professor of medicine and psychology at UIC and principal investigator on the grant.

The IMARA program includes education about sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, as well as communication skills that are designed to strengthen the mother/female caregiver-daughter bond. It also focuses on the importance of healthy peer and romantic relationships, effective parental monitoring, developing positive decision-making skills, and encourages participants to consider how the media and its portrayal of young black women influences their behavior, and how those behaviors may affect health outcomes.

"When this primary relationship in a young girl's life is strong and positive, and communication is open, it has positive effects on the health of both of them, including, as we have shown, reducing the likelihood of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection," said Donenberg, who is also director of the UIC Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science. "In many cases, the female caregiver is the mom, but it can also be another family member, like an aunt."

In the first year of the grant, Donenberg, together with Dr. Linda-Gail Bekker, the chief operating officer of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation and deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the University of Cape Town and a co-principal investigator of the grant, will enroll 48 pairs of adolescent girls and their female caregivers to participate in focus groups to help the researchers modify and tailor the IMARA program so that it is most relevant to their needs.

In the second year, the researchers will pilot-test the modified IMARA program with 50 female caregiver-daughter pairs at the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation to ensure feasibility and acceptability of the adapted program. Participants who acquire sexually transmitted infections will be linked to care and provided treatment at the center.

At the conclusion of the pilot study, the investigators will work with policymakers to promote the potential benefits of IMARA and obtain support for broader scale-up should the program prove effective and cost-effective in the subsequent randomized controlled trial in years three to five of the study. "We are focused on building relationships with other medical centers and community organizations so that if the new IMARA program proves effective, we can rapidly scale it up to reach more people," Donenberg said.

Based on the success of the first two years of the program, and hitting specific targets, Donenberg and her colleagues will receive an additional three years of funding from the National Institutes of Health to continue to evaluate the program in a randomized controlled trial with 525 daughter-female caregiver pairs. Participants will be tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections at the beginning of the study, and at six and 12 months after enrollment in the study. HIV testing and counseling and PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) will be offered at each assessment, and participants interested in PrEP or who test positive for a sexually transmitted infection/HIV will receive treatment at the Foundation.

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, an estimated 1.6 million people ages 15 and older worldwide were newly infected with HIV in 2017. South Africa has the world's largest HIV epidemic and adolescent girls and young women acquire HIV at twice the rate of their male peers.

"As new infections continue to outpace access to and availability of drugs to prevent and treat HIV, primary prevention remains the most viable strategy to prevent new infections," Donenberg said.

Erin Emerson, Aerika Brittian Loyd, Sally Freels, and Surrey Walton at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Millicent Atujuna and Dr. Katherine Gill at the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation are co-investigators on the grant.

The IMARA program was supported by grant R01 MD006198 from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities and is currently supported by grant H79SP021757 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

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A pioneering study by the University of Kent on the effects of relocating adders due to development has found that males will disperse from their release site - with one even going so far as to return to his original home.

A pioneering study by the University of Kent on the effects of relocating adders due to development has found that males will disperse from their release site - with one even going so far as to return to his original home.

All native reptiles are protected by law, which means that animals found to be present on sites scheduled for development are often moved to alternative habitats. Reptiles are frequently the targets of these translocations but there is little information on their fate or how their behaviour compares to individual animals that are left where they are.

For the study, researchers Darryn Nash and Professor Richard Griffiths from Kent's Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, tracked adders (Vipera berus) translocated from a development site in Essex (UK) in 2014.

Some of the snakes were fitted with external radio tags and tracked for a period of 10 days during the spring and summer. The movements of the translocated adders were compared to those of 'resident' snakes already present at the release site.

Translocated males exhibited significantly greater average daily movements than the resident ones. Furthermore, all translocated males undertook long-distance, unidirectional movements away from the release site.

One of the males even returned to the site from which it had been moved, a distance of over half a kilometer which involved crossing large areas of unsuitable short grassland habitat. This could have exposed the snake to predators.

Furthermore, the research also showed a significant difference between how male and female adders reacted to being moved. Translocated males had significantly larger total ranges of movement than resident animals. In contrast, all translocated females remained within 50 m of the point of release.

Professor Griffiths said: 'It is clear that moving adders due to development is not as helpful to their conservation as people think. Our research suggests the dispersal of male snakes from the release site may increase the risk of mortality of snakes that have been moved from development sites and reduces the likelihood of establishing a new population. It may be time for a new approach. Encouraging the establishment of new home ranges within the boundaries of release sites may need mechanisms to prevent dispersal immediately following release.'

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Ranging behaviour of adders (Vipera berus) translocated from a development site by Darryn J. Nash & Richard A. Griffiths, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, is published in the Herpetological Journal:

https://www.thebhs.org/publications/the-herpetological-journal/volume-28-number-4-october-2018/1852-04-ranging-behaviour-of-adders-i-vipera-berus-i-translocated-from-a-development-site

For further information or interview requests contact Sandy Fleming at the University of Kent Press Office.

Tel: 01227 823581

Email: S.Fleming@kent.ac.uk

News releases can also be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/news

University of Kent on Twitter: http://twitter.com/UniKent Notes for editors

Established in 1965, the University of Kent - the UK's European university - now has almost 20,000 students across campuses or study centres at Canterbury, Medway, Tonbridge, Brussels, Paris, Athens and Rome.

It has been ranked 22nd in the Guardian University Guide 2018 and in June 2017 was awarded a gold rating, the highest, in the UK Government's Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

In the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2015-16, it is in the top 10% of the world's leading universities for international outlook and 66th in its table of the most international universities in the world. The THE also ranked the University as 20th in its 'Table of Tables' 2016.

Kent is ranked 17th in the UK for research intensity (REF 2014). It has world-leading research in all subjects and 97% of its research is deemed by the REF to be of international quality.

In the National Student Survey 2016, Kent achieved the fourth highest score for overall student satisfaction, out of all publicly funded, multi-faculty universities.

Along with the universities of East Anglia and Essex, Kent is a member of the Eastern Arc Research Consortium (http://www.kent.ac.uk/about/partnerships/eastern-arc.html).

The University is worth 0.7 billion to the economy of the south east and supports more than 7,800 jobs in the region. Student off-campus spend contributes 293.3m and 2,532 full-time-equivalent jobs to those totals.

Kent has received two Queen's Anniversary prizes for Higher and Further Education.
Oct. 9, 2018 -- You can't see nasty microscopic air pollutants in your home, but what if you could?

Engineers from the University of Utah's School of Computing conducted a study to determine if homeowners change the way they live if they could visualize the air quality in their house. It turns out, their behavior changes a lot.

Their study was published this month in the Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies. The paper also is being presented Oct. 9 in Singapore during the "ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing." The paper can be viewed and downloaded here.

"The idea behind this study was to help people understand something about this invisible air quality in their home," says University of Utah School of Computing assistant professor Jason Wiese, who was a lead author of the paper along with U School of Computing doctoral student Jimmy Moore and School of Computing associate professor Miriah Meyer.

During the day, the air pollution inside your home can be worse than outside due to activities such as vacuuming, cooking, dusting or running the clothes dryer. The results can cause health problems, especially for the young and elderly with asthma.

University of Utah engineers from both the School of Computing and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering built a series of portable air quality monitors with Wi-Fi and connected them to a university server. Three sensors were placed in each of six homes in Salt Lake and Utah counties from four to 11 months in 2017 and 2018. Two were placed in different, high-traffic areas of the house such as the kitchen or a bedroom and one outside on or near the porch. Each minute, each sensor automatically measured the air for PM 2.5 (a measurement of tiny particles or droplets in the air that are 2.5 microns or less in width) and sent the data to the server. The data could then be viewed by the homeowner on an Amazon tablet that displayed the air pollution measurements in each room as a line graph over a 24-hour period. Participants in the study could see up to 30 days of air pollution data. To help identify when there might be spikes in the air pollution, homeowners were given a voice-activated Google Home speaker so they could tell the server to label a particular moment in time when the air quality was being measured, such as when a person was cooking or vacuuming. Participants also were sent an SMS text message warning them whenever the indoor air quality changed rapidly.

During the study, researchers discovered some interesting trends from their system of sensors, which they called MAAV (Measure Air quality, Annotate data streams, and Visualize real-time PM2.5 levels). One homeowner discovered that the air pollution in her home spiked when she cooked with olive oil. So that motivated her to find other oils that produced less smoke at the same cooking temperature.

Another homeowner would vacuum and clean the house just before a friend with allergies dropped by to try and clean the air of dust. But what she found out through the MAAV system is that she actually made the air much worse because she kicked up more pollutants with her vacuuming and dusting. Realizing this, she started cleaning the house much earlier before the friend would visit.

Participants would open windows more when the air was bad or compare measurements between rooms and avoid those rooms more with more pollution. "Without this kind of system, you have no idea about how bad the air is in your home," Wiese says. "There are a whole range of things you can't see and can't detect. That means you have to collect the data with the sensor and show it to the individual in an accessible, useful way."

Researchers also learned that circumstances that made the air pollution worse differed in each home. Vacuuming in the home, for example, would cause different reactions to the air quality. They also learned that if homeowners could visualize the air quality in their home, they always stayed on top of labeling and looking at the data.

Wiese says no known manufacturers make air quality systems for the home that allow residents to visualize and label the air quality in this way, but he hopes their research can spur more innovation.

The study involves engineering in collaboration with other University of Utah scientists, including biomedical informatics and clinical asthma researchers. It was funded as part of a larger National Institutes of Health program known as Pediatric Research using Integrated Sensor Monitoring Systems (PRISMS), launched in 2015 to develop sensor-based health monitoring systems for measuring environmental, physiological and behavioral factors in pediatric studies of asthma and other chronic diseases.

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Research reported in this publication was funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U54EB021973. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

This news release and photos may be downloaded from unews.utah.edu.
A new University of Virginia Cancer Center initiative will empower Southwest Virginia residents to lead projects to better detect and prevent cancer in the region. The effort has earned $244,589 in funding from the Eugene Washington Engagement Award Program at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

With the funding in hand, the UVA Cancer Center Without Walls team is now seeking Southwest Virginia residents who will be trained to guide these cancer research projects.

Their goal is to address two cancer disparities in the Appalachian counties of Southwest Virginia:

the lack of early screening and detection

high death rates (between 15 and 36 percent higher compared with urban non-Appalachian residents) caused by later detection and lack of access to treatment and support programs

Building Community Involvement

This new initiative grew out of a community advisory board formed in 2013 for the UVA Cancer Center Without Walls, which works to improve cancer care for residents of Southwest Virginia. "The advisory board has been a sounding board for researchers," said Jamie Zoellner, PhD, RD, co-director of the Cancer Center Without Walls. "We hadn't sat down at the table with [the advisory board members] and said, 'What are your research priorities?'"

So over the past year, UVA Cancer Center team members met with the community advisory board to determine the board's priorities - which ended up centering on early detection and prevention - and to refine the application for funding through a PCORI contract.

"Mountain Empire Older Citizens is excited to serve on the Cancer Center without Walls Community Advisory Board and provide to leadership for the Early Detection Community Action Team, said Michael Wampler, executive director of Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc. "We are eager to help identify cancer-related priorities in southwest Virginia and expand community-based research opportunities."

###

How to Get Involved

The UVA Cancer Center Without Walls is seeking residents from the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe, along with the cities of Bristol, Galax and Norton, to join the existing advisory board members in forming community action teams. The initiative is specifically seeking to add patients with cancer, cancer survivors and caregivers for cancer patients to the community action teams. The initiative also aims to involve more oncologists, clinicians, researchers and policy makers who serve this region.

To learn more about the initiative, please contact Betsy Grossman at elg6y@virginia.edu or 276.376.3437.

About PCORI

PCORI is an independent, nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 2010 to fund comparative effectiveness research that will provide patients, their caregivers, and clinicians with the evidence needed to make better-informed health and healthcare decisions. PCORI is committed to seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work.
If a sales agent brings their customer a small gift, the customer is much more likely to make a purchase, a study by the university of Zurich has shown. This works particularly well when the person receiving the gift is the boss. The fact that even small gifts can result in conflicts of interest has implications for the debate about where the line should be drawn between tokens of appreciation and attempted bribery.

The offering of a gift - a sign of gratitude for a good business relationship, or a bribe? It's a fine line that is often hard to judge. In many industries and companies there are guidelines on the size and value of presents that employees are allowed to accept. Such limits are based on the assumption that small gifts are unproblematic but more valuable gifts lead to conflicts of interest for the recipients and influence their decisions. A box of chocolates? No problem. A seat in a box at a Formula 1 race? Perhaps not.

Even small gifts influence behavior

In a controlled field experiment carried out in pharmacies and drugstores, Michel Marechal and Christian Thoeni of the universities of Zurich and Lausanne investigated whether small presents in business relationships really had no influence on the behavior of the recipient. In the experiment, sales representatives gave some of their customers six tubes of toothpaste worth a total of around 10 francs. This seemingly insignificant token led to orders that were on average almost twice as high.

Effect depends on the relationship

This effect only occurred, however, if there was an existing business relationship, meaning the giver and recipient already knew each other. If a gift was given at the first encounter, it was more likely to have the opposite effect: The amount ordered in this case tended to be lower than when no gift was given. "Turning up with a gift right at the beginning of a business relationship may seem calculating and is therefore counter-productive," remarks UZH Professor Michel Marechal on the finding. "But if there is already a relationship, the customer perceives the gift as a token of thanks and an indication that the relationship is appreciated."

Effect is biggest with the boss

Distributing small presents may therefore be a profitable strategy for sales reps. This is especially true if they are handed over personally to the boss. In the experiment, if the gift was given directly to a shop manager, the value of the order increased more than four times, from an average of 61 francs to 271 francs. With ordinary employees, however, no effect was seen. This can be explained by the fact that the managers generally have greater decision-making powers and can make larger orders without having to ask someone else. "They also bear the most risk, however, which makes it surprising that they were willing to order so many products," says Christian Thoeni of the University of Lausanne. The two authors of the study believe that the effect could be even more increased if employees have decision-making power but at the same time bear little risk.

Are limits of any use?

Marechal and Thoeni's findings offer new insights in the debate about the extent and purpose of limits on gift-giving in business relationships. "Our study shows that the type of relationship between the business partners plays an important role and that even small gestures can be interpreted as personal favors which one repays with a return favor," summarizes Marechal. "The debate about regulations and industry guidelines to tackle corruption has so far not sufficiently taken into account the effects of such small gifts."

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In 2009, BEF-China began as a unique forest biodiversity experiment in collaboration between institutions in China, Germany and Switzerland. The large-scale project investigated the importance of tree species richness for the good functioning of forest ecosystems. Stands of trees comprising different numbers of species were planted - from monocultures to highly species-rich plots with 16 different tree species on an area of 670 square meter.

After eight years, such species-rich forest plots stored an average of 32 tons of carbon per hectare in aboveground biomass. By contrast, monocultures averaged only 12 tons of carbon per hectare - less than half as much. During photosynthesis, the plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert the carbon to biomass. When a forest stores more carbon, this helps reduce greenhouse gases and at the same time also indicates high forest productivity.

Biodiverse forests are more productive

The fact that biodiversity increases productivity had previously been demonstrated through experiments in grassland ecosystems in Europe and the USA. By contrast, since it was assumed that all tree species occupy similar ecological niches, a minimal effect of biodiversity was conjectured for forests. Evidently, however, this assumption was wrong. "In the forest biodiversity experiment, biomass increased just as quickly with species richness as it did in the meadow ecosystems. As a result, even after just four years, there were clear differences between the monocultures and the species-rich forests," explains Prof. Helge Bruelheide of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, co-director of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), which together with the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Adacemy of Sciences oversaw the field experiments. These differences grew continuously over further four years.

"These findings have great ecological and economic significance," says Prof. Bernhard Schmid of the University of Zurich, senior author in the more than 60-strong writing team of the current publication in Science. A previous study already found a positive correlation between biodiversity and carbon storage. However, it was based on simple comparison of natural plots varying in species richness. "Therefore, it was impossible to conclude that higher biodiversity was the cause of the higher productivity. But now we have reached the same conclusion with an experiment under controlled conditions: a forest with a large number of tree species is more productive than a monoculture," adds Prof. Dr. Keping Ma of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and co-manager of the project.

Higher productivity, better climate protection

Worldwide, there are plans for major reforestation programs with the aim of protecting the climate through the planting of new forests. In China alone, between 2010 and 2015, 1.5 million hectares of new forest were planted each year, although mainly with fast-growing monocultures. "Our new study shows that forests are not all the same when it comes to climate protection: monocultures achieve not even half of the desired ecosystem service. The full level of carbon sequestration and thus mitigation of global warming can only be achieved with a mix of species. In addition, species-rich forests also contribute towards protecting the world's threatened biodiversity," ex-plains Bernhard Schmid. "Unfortunately, there's still a widespread misconception that productivity and biodiversity are mutually exclusive, but the opposite is true." Species-rich forests are also less vulnerable when it comes to diseases or extreme weather events, which are becoming increasingly frequent as a result of climate change.

If the effects observed in the experiment are extrapolated to the world's existing forests, it can be concluded that a 10% decline in tree species would lead to production losses of 20 billion US dollars, worldwide, per year. This result shows that, according to the researchers, reforestation with a mix of different species also pays off economically.

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Literature:

Yuanyuan Huang et al.: Impacts of species richness on productivity in a large-scale subtropical forest experiment, Science, 5 Oktober 2018. DOI: 10.1126/science.aat6405

BEF-China

Through the BEF-China project, scientists are investigating the significance of biodiversity of trees and shrubs in forests in China. BEF stands for Biodiversity-Ecosystem Functioning, that is, the correlation between biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems. The BEF-China project is the first forest biodiversity experiment to be established in the exceptionally species-rich sub-tropics. In BEF-China, over 30 hectares of forest were newly planted in a mountain area 400 kilometers to the west of Shanghai in 2009 and 2010. The more than 500 plots were planted with different combinations of tree species so that they could be compared later. Each plot is 670 square meters in size. This makes BEF-China the largest experiment of its kind worldwide. Working with such a large area makes it possible to measure a wide variety of ecosystem func-tions, especially those from which we humans benefit; the so-called ecosystem services such as carbon storage, timber production and prevention of soil erosion.

More than 20 Chinese, German and Swiss universities and institutes are involved in the project. The research is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the Swiss National Sci-ence Foundation (SNSF) and the EU.

http://www.bef-china.de
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The construction of the sea part of the Turkish Stream pipeline will be completed in two months, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said.

The construction of the Turkish Stream pipeline is underway," TASS cited him as saying. "The construction of the sea part will be completed in two months," Miller added.

Turkish Stream is a natural gas pipeline currently under construction from Russia to Turkey. It would run from Russkaya compressor station near Anapa in Krasnodar Region across the Black Sea to Kykoy on the Turkish Thrace coast. The length of the sea part of the pipe exceeds 900 km. The first line will be intended for the Turkish market, the second - for gas supply to the countries of South and South-Eastern Europe. The capacity of each line reaches 15.75 bln cubic meters of gas per year. The first gas flow is expected to start in December 2019.

The executive vice-president of NewTech Services, professor of the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, Valery Bessel, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the progress of the project's construction suggests that its commissioning in the near future is guaranteed. "Like Nord Stream 2, this construction is primarily needed by our partners, in this case Turkey. Turkish companies will earn at the expense of the Turkish Stream at least three times more money than Gazprom," he noted.

In addition, the future of the Turkish Stream is guaranteed by the fact that Gazprom is the most reliable and largest supplier of cheap gas in the macro-region. Europe has no place to take gas, its own reserves have decreased by 40% over the past 10 years, Valery Bessel noted.

"U.S. gas reserves, according to the latest BP data, are four times lower than in Russia. Iran, which has the same reserves as Gazprom, is shut down due to U.S. sanctions. Therefore, Europe does not have a real alternative to the Turkish stream and the Nord Stream 2," the professor of the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas stressed.

A senior analyst of 'Uralsib', Alexei Kokin, also noted that the first line of the pipeline is protected from any political and economic upheavals, and sooner or later Gazprom and Europe will return to the issue of the second line. "Continuation of the pipeline to Europe is still on the agenda, although negotiations are not underway. There are problems associated with issues of how the second line will be implemented and under what conditions, but probably Gazprom will return to it in the future," the expert believes.
From: American Evaluation Association (AEA) For Immediate Release: Dateline: Washington , DC Thursday, October 4, 2018

Sue Hoechstetter, lead developer and keeper of advocacy capacity assessment tools at Alliance for Justices Bolder Advocacy program. I want to share with you about a new project to investigate and use advocates experiences to help evaluators, advocates, and funders better assess nonprofits efforts to speak their truths to policy decision-makers.

In these challenging times, nonprofits are incorporating advocacy strategies into their work more than ever before. But do they have the advocacy capacity to do it? How effective are they in their advocacy? And how are groups adapting their work to meet changing times? Those of us who help organizations and their funders answer these questions through evaluation can up our game by learning more from the people doing the advocacy.

Evaluators are increasingly assessing nonprofit advocacy work and providing resources that groups can use to self-assess. But do we really understand what works best for nonprofits? It is often a struggle to make evaluation resources meaningful and user-friendly for advocates, as evidenced by survey findings on the limited use of evaluation tools by groups engaging in advocacy.

Now is a good time to research and develop appropriate resources to facilitate advocate effectiveness, and to support advocate/funder/evaluator communications.

Drs. Annette Gardner and Claire Brindis, both of the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), and I plan to help do this by raising up and integrating the perspective of advocates on evaluation. To this end, we will conduct a survey of their advocacy evaluation successes and needs (complementing a 2014 survey by the Aspen Institute and UCSF to gauge evaluator advocacy evaluation expertise). We will then develop advocate-friendly resources that bridge the divide that too often exists between evaluators (often working for funders) and nonprofits about how to measure success. (Hint: We suspect that one of the greatest barriers might be overuse of jargon and evaluation speak by evaluators; stay tuned!)

This project is an opportunity to expand evaluator and funder understanding of the challenges that limit advocate opportunities for learning as well as to develop tailored resources that meet advocates where theyre at, in language and concepts that make sense to them. We look forward to updating you in the future!

Rad Resource: Our Bolder Advocacy team supports advocates objectives through legal expertise and advocacy evaluation tools. To promote more advocacy assessment, in June 2018 we updated our free



The American Evaluation Association is celebrating Nonprofits and Foundations Topical Interest Group (NPFTIG) Week. The contributions all this week to aea365 come from our NPFTIG members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the

About AEA The American Evaluation Association is an international professional association and the largest in its field. Evaluation involves assessing the strengths and weaknesses of programs, policies, personnel, products and organizations to improve their effectiveness. AEAs mission is to improve evaluation practices and methods worldwide, to increase evaluation use, promote evaluation as a profession and support the contribution of evaluation to the generation of theory and knowledge about effective human action. For more information about AEA, visit www.eval.org. Hi, Im, lead developer and keeper of advocacy capacity assessment tools at Alliance for Justices Bolder Advocacy program. I want to share with you about a new project to investigate and use advocates experiences to help evaluators, advocates, and funders better assess nonprofits efforts to speak their truths to policy decision-makers.In these challenging times, nonprofits are incorporating advocacy strategies into their work more than ever before. But do they have the advocacy capacity to do it? How effective are they in their advocacy? And how are groups adapting their work to meet changing times? Those of us who help organizations and their funders answer these questions through evaluation can up our game by learning more from the people doing the advocacy.Evaluators are increasingly assessing nonprofit advocacy work and providing resources that groups can use to self-assess. But do we really understand what works best for nonprofits? It is often a struggle to make evaluation resources meaningful and user-friendly for advocates, as evidenced by survey findings on the limited use of evaluation tools by groups engaging in advocacy.Now is a good time to research and develop appropriate resources to facilitate advocate effectiveness, and to support advocate/funder/evaluator communications.Drs. Annette Gardner and Claire Brindis, both of the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), and I plan to help do this by raising up and integrating the perspective of advocates on evaluation. To this end, we will conduct a survey of their advocacy evaluation successes and needs (complementing a 2014 survey by the Aspen Institute and UCSF to gauge evaluator advocacy evaluation expertise). We will then develop advocate-friendly resources that bridge the divide that too often exists between evaluators (often working for funders) and nonprofits about how to measure success. (Hint: We suspect that one of the greatest barriers might be overuse of jargon and evaluation speak by evaluators; stay tuned!)This project is an opportunity to expand evaluator and funder understanding of the challenges that limit advocate opportunities for learning as well as to develop tailored resources that meet advocates where theyre at, in language and concepts that make sense to them. We look forward to updating you in the future!Our Bolder Advocacy team supports advocates objectives through legal expertise and advocacy evaluation tools. To promote more advocacy assessment, in June 2018 we updated our free Advocacy Capacity Tool (ACT!) with several improvements including one that allows nonprofit Tool users to choose when they want to reassess their advocacy capacity, be reminded to do so, and view their old and new capacity scores side by side to more easily track their progress.The American Evaluation Association is celebrating Nonprofits and Foundations Topical Interest Group (NPFTIG) Week. The contributions all this week to aea365 come from our NPFTIG members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org . aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators.


Head of the State Dumas Committee for Financial Markets Anatoly Aksakov proposed to set up an offshore zone on the Crimean peninsula. At the same time, he noted that it will not happen in the near future.

Aksakov noted that Kaliningrad and Primorsky Krai have actually become offshore zones.

If this is a successful experience, then I think that this experience can be applied to Crimea, and some will take advantage of this opportunity, including foreigners, RIA Novosti cited the PM as saying.

Speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, Anatoly Aksakov noted that the idea to set up an offshore zone in Crimea appeared in 2014. When sanctions were imposed against Crimea, there was an idea that the Russians, as well as, perhaps, foreigners, at least from the East, could start working in Crimea if an offshore and favorable legal environment were created there. Now, since there are already two offshore companies set up in the Primorsky Territory and in the Kaliningrad region, we can see how it works. It is possible that we will offer to apply the experience of these two offshore companies to Crimea," he stressed.

The deputy also explained that the government rejects the projects of a Crimean offshore due to their incompleteness. "The idea is completely realizable, and if we manage to provoke the government's interest in the project, it is quite possible that it will be supported," Aksakov said.

The head of the department of stock markets and financial engineering of the Faculty of Finance and the Banking Business of RANEPA, former deputy chairman of the Central Bank of Russia Konstantin Korischenko, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, drew attention to the rapid obsolescence of offshore practices. "In itself, the creation of offshore zones does not promise anything but a headache. The whole world, including Russia, is actively fighting the offshore practice, and its difficult to talk about the future of a Crimean offshore without having the details of the project. In general, I think that Crimea is not good as an offshore location, because according to all world jurisdictions, Crimean's territory has a controversial status," he stressed.
This weeks last-minute NAFTA rewrite may have solidified President Donald Trumps support from the farmers and ranchers who made up a large part of his voting base.

Even before the annoucment of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, the agricultural industry was feeling optimistic.

In early August  before Trump announced a deal with Mexico that squeaked by a deadline for Congress to take it up before incoming leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador takes office  farmers polled by one of the nations leading agricultural news services expressed the highest levels of optimism about their current situation since surveying began in 2010.

I think this agreement is what weve been hearing from readers and from farmers out there, which is the opinion or the feeling that things are going to work out, that we will get agreements, said Greg Horstmeier, The Omaha, Nebraska-based editor of DTN/The Progressive Farmer, which has more than 2 million news and data customers and polls farmers and agribusinesses three times yearly.

READ ALSO: Trump promised farmers deals, now has to bail them out

Sixty-two percent of rural voters turned out at the polls for Trump in 2016. Even before winning election, the Manhattan billionaire appointed a team of advisers to help shape agricultural policy.

The value of U.S. agricultural trade with Canada and Mexico exploded under the North American Free Trade Agreement, with U.S. exports jumping from $8.7 billion in 1992 to $38.1 billion in 2016. So preservation of a three-way pact was a top concern.

A big piece of news had dropped just before the pre-harvest poll. As predicted in the agricultural press months earlier, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was without need for congressional approval able to secure billions of dollars to subsidize losses to farmers from retaliatory tariffs.

It was widely criticized as a bailout to make up for markets cut off by Trumps own move to slap heavy duties on aluminum and steel. Commodity groups cried for markets and not payments. But the July 24 announcement gave small and medium-sized producers in particular peace of mind.

Soybeans are a prime example. With a bumper crop and dim hopes of buyers to replace their share of the $34 billion Chinese market, Horstmeier said farmers at least know theyve got cash coming in.

The fate of USMCA is far from certain. It still has to be ratified by the governments of all three countries, and the makeup of one or both houses could tip Democrat after the Midterm elections.

Its so hard to tell, said Belinda Roman, adjunct professor of economics at St. Marys University. I mean, its such a contentious political environment at the moment and with these elections and post elections it seems like theres a lot of maneuvering. Certainly I think in San Antonio that we want them to support, it but I guess we just dont know.

The San Antonio Chamber of Commerce was among trade organizations and politicians issuing a flurry of news releases praising the survival of a pact that President Donald Trump once campaigned against. NAFTA was ceremonially signed in San Antonio and is seen as key to the economic development in the city as well as the rest of Texas.

READ ALSO: Texas farmers see new source of green in legal hemp

In fact, Texas sells $27 billion in goods and service to Canada, with top exports being oil and machinery, both of which closely affect our local economy, said Chamber CEO Richard Perez. This Chamber has been advocating for an updated NAFTA for more than two years, and it looks like a trilateral agreement will finally become a reality.

While the Chamber also supported the bilateral agreement with Mexico announced on Aug. 27, there was doubt a pact without Canada would pass muster with northern state Democrats.

Trump on Monday said a key win for U.S. negotiators was increased access to Canadian dairy markets under the USMCA, something sorely wanted by northern dairy states amid a glut of production. The National Milk Producers Federation estimated the cost of tariff conflicts could cost the industry more than $1.5 billion by the end of this year.

In the dairy industry weve enjoyed bipartisan support to address the Canadian dairy policy and make modifications to it to create more of a level playing field, said Michael Dykes, CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association. New York Gov. (Andrew) Cuomo, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Speaker Paul Ryan from Wisconsin have all been in support in and urging the administration to address the Canadian policy issues whenever they renegotiate the NAFTA agreement.

The dairy deal provides additional market access to up to 3.59 percent of the Canadas dairy market and phases out milk classifications seen as underselling foreign producers.

Pierre Lampron, president of the Ottawa-based Dairy Farmers of Canada, bemoaned it, saying We fail to see how this deal can be good for the 220,000 Canadian families that depend on dairy for their livelihood.

READ ALSO: Farmers to get $4.7 billion in first round of U.S. farm aid

A Bank of America Merill Lynch Global Research report said this will increase exports to Canada by $70 million, a small amount considering U.S. dairy exports were $5.5 billion in 2017.

Dykes said maintaining exports to Mexico, the top buyer of American dairy exports, was crucial.

Twenty-five percent of our exports go to Mexico, he said. So we need to get our agreements solidified and remove any of the uncertainty in the marketplace.

Texas is the nations sixth leading producer of dairy, most in Central and Northern regions less subject to summer heat and humidity.

But its main agricultural exports Mexico and Canada include cotton, corn, grain and feed, rice and beef.

It just brings a lot of certainty on the main markets and the main trading partners for the U.S., said Luis Ribera, an agricultural economist with Texas A&M University . We produce cotton that we send to Mexico, we send corn, we send rice for sure, sorghum.

Its not just whats produced in Texas, Ribera said, but what comes through it. Grains come through Texas by rail and truck, and a huge complex of cold storage and trucking infrastructure for Mexican produce has been a boon for cities on the Texas side of the border.

A closer look at the hundreds of pages of text and side notes in the newly minted USMCA showed provisions that could be key to the border region and San Antonio, such as smoothing glitches at border crossings and opening service sector opportunities in all three countries.

One of the chapters in this big story is about customs and trade facilitation, in other words moving the goods through those border areas more quickly, Roman said. That has implications for us in San Antonio because were such a logistics hub.

The United States vast trade in services  as of 2016 the U.S. had a $24 billion services trade surplus with Canada and a $7.5 billion services such as banking, legal, customs brokerage and information technology  also could see a boost, Roman said.

So I think in that respect were seeing kind of a dynamic change, she said. Theyre trying to open up into other areas besides our traditional agriculture.

As for the nations farmers, a DTN/The Progressive Farmer Zogby Analytics poll in August had similar results to one taken weeks before the election in 2016, when Trump led candidae Hillary Clinton by nearly 2-to-1.

In the new poll, rural residents remained satisfied with Trumps win by a margin of 54.4 percent to 35.2 percent, with more than 70 percent saying they wouldnt have cast their votes differently. With the Midterm elections closing in, more than 72 percent of respondents said policies affecting their farms are more important than party.

Definitely more (supportive) than the last president, because he is visiting and talking about rural America, respondent Jeff Wuebker, a Versailles, Ohio, farmer who is past chairman of the Ohio Soybean Association said of Trump. The world is run by those who show up.
City Council members took one step closer Wednesday to regulating short-term rental properties leased through sites like Airbnb and HomeAway.

San Antonio, I think, once again, were getting used to this, has taken on a very difficult issue with people on polar opposite sides and has, I think, provided a template and a pathway for a balanced and reasonable regulatory system that gets as close to a win-win as possible, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said at Wednesdays City Council meeting.

The citys zoning laws dont currently allow short-term rentals through companies such as Airbnb and HomeAway, which travelers often use as a cheaper alternative to hotel rooms and property owners use to supplement their income.

Local officials have wrestled for nearly two years with how and whether to regulate the nascent industry. They must strike a balance between respecting property rights and home values, guaranteeing safety for short-term guests and neighbors, ensuring operators pay their share of taxes, and avoiding legal trouble.

The proposal advanced by council members Wednesday would require operators of short-term rental properties to register with the city for a fee, pay hotel occupancy taxes and limit how many type 2 rentals  properties where the owner doesnt live rented out on a short-term basis  are allowed in a given area, among other rules.

Related: City searches for the regulatory sweet spot with short-term rentals

City Council is tentatively scheduled to vote on the proposed ordinance Nov. 1.

Representatives for Airbnb and HomeAway praised the citys proposal and the exhaustive 21-month-long process, which involved dozens of meetings with stakeholders and policymakers, to arrive at the proposal.

The phrase model legislation is often used in policy discussions, HomeAway spokesman Philip Minardi said in a statement. But far too infrequently do we discuss what a model process looks like. In light of the comprehensive and exhaustive process the city went through to reach this point, it is fair to say San Antonio will be viewed as a city that has gotten the process right.

Airbnb spokeswoman Molly Weedn said the San Francisco company looks forward to the next steps as the council considers rules that ensure hosts have the right to share their homes while balancing the needs of the community, adding that the company is still committed to finalizing a collection agreement with the city to help collect and remit transient occupancy taxes.

In April, City Council sent a draft ordinance back to the drawing board after members raised concerns about legal pushback and how such properties could reshape neighborhoods.

Council members Wednesday still raised concerns about the proposed ordinance but were urged to move the proposal forward in order to limit the number of properties grandfathered into the policy and enact an ordinance before the Texas Legislature convenes next year.

We know that this industry is here and, yes, we want to encourage new industries but also not at the sake of our legacy neighbors and our legacy homeowners and our legacy neighborhoods, District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran said.

Related: Texas Supreme Court rules in favor of San Antonio-area homeowner in short-term rental case

Many council members expressed concern that allowing the industry would work against the citys efforts to boost the areas housing stock. The Mayors Housing Policy Task Force released its final report in August outlining policy proposals to make housing in San Antonio more affordable. City Manager Sheryl Sculley set aside $25 million for affordable housing programs in her $2.8 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2019.

These rentals are taking homes that people may want to buy and live in as a working family or taking homes that people may want to rent at the cost of a working family simply off the marketplace in many places in San Antonio, District 9 Councilman John Courage said.

As drafted now, the ordinance would limit the density of type 2 rentals to one in a multifamily development with fewer than eight units. It also would limit the percentage allowed on a residential block or in a larger multifamily development.

Property owners who rent out their homes to visitors on a short-term basis would have register with the city and pay a $100 fee, down from the initially proposed $200 fee. Owners would also pay a $100 renewal fee every three years.

City officials first sought to subject short-term rental properties to an initial safety inspection by the city. Now, the city would allow property owners to self-inspect, only stepping in upon suspicion or receiving complaints.

Under the revised ordinance, properties that have received city housing incentives would be barred from operating as type 2 short-term rentals, Michael Shannon, director of the citys Development Services department, told council members Wednesday.

Operators would also be barred from using the properties as event spaces or providing food and beverage service to guests.

Related: Hotel pros weigh in on the 'Trump slump,' paid sick leave, San Antonio's airport and a River Walk festival that never happened

Owners of short-term rental properties would also have to pay local hotel occupancy taxes. The citys finance department currently collects hotel occupancy tax, at a rate of about 9 percent, from 363 short-term rental owners out of the 1,600 the city estimates are operating in San Antonio, according to a memo attached to Wednesdays agenda item.

Short-term rental property owners could wind up paying a hotel occupancy tax rate of 16.8 percent  which includes city, county and state taxes  if council members ultimately approve the measure. Officials estimate the city would receive $260,000 in revenue within four years if the ordinance passes.

Short-term rental operators in Texas and cities that regulate them have run into legal trouble.

The Timberwood Park Owners Association sued a homeowner who bought a house in the subdivision in 2012 but began renting it to short-term guests when his employer transferred him to Houston, alleging that he violated deed restrictions. In May, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of Kenneth Tarr, the homeowner.

Austins rules restricting short-term rentals by landlords who dont live in the residence drew a legal challenge from the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened in the lawsuit in 2016.

State lawmakers are expected to take up the short-term rental issue during the 2019 legislative session. Two bills filed during the 2017 session would have limited how Texas cities could regulate short-term rentals and prevent them from banning the practice, but neither made it to Gov. Greg Abbotts desk.

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
As a teenager growing up on San Antonios South Side in the 1970s, Robert Chavez looked longingly at the clothes in the Frost Bros. department store at North Star Mall.

I was in awe, he said. Of course, I couldnt afford it.

Today, Chavez is the president and CEO of Hermes of Paris, where he oversees business operations and represents the 181-year-old luxury brand on a global scale. This week he returned to San Antonio to speak at Burbank High School, wearing an orange tie to reflect his alma maters colors. Chavez was the valedictorian and the ROTC colonel in the class of 1973 and used to walk down Edwards Street to and from school every day.

In a million years, I never dreamed that Id be where I am today, Chavez told a room of about 100 students on Wednesday. I was sitting in your chair 45 years ago.

Though he had an interest in retail and fashion from an early age, Chavez never intended to pursue a career in those fields. He wanted to be a third grade teacher because he loved Mrs. Rodriguez, his third grade teacher at Hillcrest Elementary School, and planned to attend an in-state university after graduation.

The farthest Chavez anticipated going was the University of Texas at Austin until a teacher persuaded him to try for the Ivy League. The day he received his acceptance letter from Princeton University, he ran from his familys home on Hawthorne Street back to Burbank to tell the teacher. Chavez credited the educators at Hillcrest and Burbank with encouraging him to work hard, dream big and expand his horizons.

I was very fortunate because I had great teachers here who really pushed me and inspired me to go and do beyond what I thought that I could, he said. Dont underestimate your teachers.

But the news was bittersweet: Chavezs father died during his junior year, and he worried about leaving his mother and younger brother alone. His mother ultimately persuaded him to go. They couldnt afford a plane ticket, so Chavez spent two days on a Greyhound bus  scariest thing I ever did in my life traveling from San Antonio to Philadelphia.

The first year at Princeton was hard, and Chavez earned his first C-minus. At a dinner one evening, Chavez recalled his classmates talking about high school graduation gifts. One girl had received an Audi from her parents, and Chavez had no idea what an Audi was and had to ask her. It was an experience he said he learned from.

I dont have to be embarrassed, I dont have to be ashamed just because my family didnt have money, he said. You realize that everybody brings something different to the table.

Chavez moved to New York City after graduation to work in an executive training program for Bloomingdales. He planned to spend a few years working before enrolling in graduate school to become a professor  his undergraduate degree was in romance languages and literature  but got hooked on retail. Over the years he rose through the ranks, working for Macys and Etienne Aigner before joining Hermes in 2000.

Though the Internet has transformed the industry, any retailer must change to remain relevant, Chavez said. With around 300 stores, Hermes has a limited distribution, which has helped the company control client experience and add a personal touch, he said.

Though Chavez didnt end up becoming a teacher, he said the profession isnt completely divorced from his job at Hermes. He works with people in every position, from those who got their start in the stockroom like he did to company executives.

I find myself being able to teach people, whether its from my past experience or from all the things that Im able to bring to the table, Chavez said. I love to see people do things that they didnt think they could do  to help them realize that they have so much more potential than perhaps they thought that they did.

Chavez, who is in his early 60s, encouraged the students to broaden their horizons, explore new possibilities, follow their dreams and travel. Pursue a career youre interested in, because otherwise you wont be passionate about and motivated by it, he said. Dont let anyone tell you theres something you cant do, and dont desert your roots even when you move on.

Dont ever forget where you came from, he said. Thats something that I always live by.

The speech was eye-opening, said Adriana Garcia, an 18-year-old senior at Burbank. Garcia hopes to pursue a career in international business and travel. One of her takeways was not to give up.

Another senior, 17-year-old Jose Chavarria, is an aspiring pilot who plans to join the Air Force after college. Chavez was inspiring, he said.

If we push ourselves, we can do more than we think we are capable of, Chavarria said.

madison.iszler@ express-news.net | @madisoniszler
When Rich Aste approached the McNay Art Museum team about the possibility of presenting Pop America, 1965-1975, an exhibit taking a Pan-American look at Pop art, the vote was unanimous.

It was a universal yes, said Aste, the museums director, adding that the citys history was a key argument for bringing the exhibit here.

We had hosted HemisFair here during the parameters of this show and that very tumultuous year, 1968, and so much of the work here is actually from that year, he said. This is the 50th anniversary of 1968, the year defined by social unrest across the Americas.

The exhibit was curated by Esther Gabara, who teaches romance studies, art, art history and visual studies at North Carolinas Duke University, home of the Nasher Museum of Art.

Pop America is premiering at the McNay before traveling to the Nasher and then to the Block Museum at Northwestern University in Illinois.

On ExpressNews.com: Peek-in gallery up and running

The dynamic exhibition features more than 100 pieces, including works by artists across Latin America as well as a few by such U.S. Pop art icons as Andy Warhol  yes, there is a soup can screenprint in the mix and Roy Lichtenstein. There is a single Texan represented in the show: The late San Antonio artist Mel Casas, whose Humanscape 62 is featured. (McNay visitors who want to see more of Casas work can check out a small exhibit of his work downstairs.)

Pop America is billed as the first exhibit to take a Pan-American view of Pop art.

What we say is that this exhibition and the catalog are redefining what we think of as modern American art  especially the word American, Aste said. Whats so beautiful is this shows really challenging how we define America and how we should really unify the Americas as one American moment.

Pop is often closely associated with the United States, Gabara said, though it wasnt exclusive to this country.

There have been other shows that have looked at Pop art in its global sense  the Tate (Modern in England) had a show, the Walker (Art Center in Minneapolis) had a show, she said. Pop has its origins in England in some ways, but since then, its indelibly tied with some idea of America - of American dreams, of American freedom.

On ExpressNews.com: SAMA spotlights Marilyn Lanfear

The final gallery in Pop America, she noted, is titled Liberating America. It includes pieces that raise questions about what it means to be an American.

The shows title comes from a piece in the first gallery that evokes Lichtensteins signature style. Chilean artist Hugo Rivera-Scotts Pop America is a 1968 collage on cardboard in which the word Pop seems to burst from the panel. A similar 1967 work by Lichtenstein  Explosion from Portfolio 9, depicting an eruption in orange, red and yellow  is displayed on the same wall. In the middle between the two works is a Robert Indiana poster for HemisFair 68, creating a bridge between the United States and Latin America via San Antonio.

The centerpiece of the poster is a V, which Gabara sees as standing for Viva, but, she added, its also pointing south (toward Mexico). Which I think is really compelling.

Displaying the other two works in proximity to each other illustrates connections and also casts Lichtenstein and the work of other U.S. Pop artists in a new light.

Roy Lichtenstein was actually, they say, thinking about the Cuban Missile Crisis when hes doing this explosion (in the piece), Gabara said. Rather than say Pop art from Latin America is political and U.S. Pop art is not, actually, if we look at American Pop in its full expression, we understand Lichtenstein in a different way.

And when you see familiar pieces like Warhols Mao and Birmingham Race Riot, theyre part of this story. So its not to say, Oh, Latin Americans and Latinos did that in opposition. This is America. This is all of us.

On ExpressNews.com: Warhols almost tie to HemisFair 68

Theres a lively energy to the show, and thats intentional. Gabara titled each gallery with active verbs, underscoring the idea that the Pop movement was not simply about displaying art  it was about doing things, too.

That included happenings, including Marta Minujinss Academy of Failure in Buenos Aires.

She had events, happenings, live events, where she had nurses performing, who would give you an inoculation, a vaccine, against success, Gabara said. This was where you could get a certificate, a diploma, as a failure. So this is a really interesting response to this moment where everyone is succeeding and consumering and modernizing, and she said, I want to create an academy that certifies you as a failure.

A few test papers for the academy, including questions in Spanish and English, are displayed in a case. There also is video of a happening.

There are a few works almost certainly to land in many a San Antonio social media page. Judith F. Bacas Las Tres Marias features portraits of two women on either side of a mirror, allowing the visitor to place him or herself inside the piece. And a runway has been outlined on the floor beside a display of Nelson Leirners zippered dresses on mannequins, allowing visitors to snap themselves as models.

One of the first pieces inside the exhibition space is Marisol Escobars playful Mi mama y yo (My Mother and I), a sculpture in which a scowling little girl stands on a park bench holding an umbrella over her beaming mother. Near the rear is Rubens Gerchmans Lute (Fight), in which the title is spelled out in giant, bright red letters.

Kate Carey, the museums head of education, pointed out that the work is similar to a Robert Indiana piece on the McNays patio, said Rene Paul Barilleaux, head of curatorial affairs.

She was making this connection to our Love outside, Barilleaux said. She was saying, Robert Indiana connected the letters of love and these are separate, theyre fragmented.

Gabara, who worked on the show for about five years, said she was guided in all of her choices by a desire to make sure that the exhibit was accessible to one and all. Shes also hoping that the show will shake up long-held perceptions.

I wanted it to be something that anyone, whether they have an expertise in art or not, will walk in and say, This is a kind of visual language that I understand. Im welcomed into. Im attracted by, she said. And then, hopefully, the experience is matched by getting close to each art work and going, This isnt what I know. This is a different America, this is a different understanding of consumerism, this is a different understanding of how the media works  how do I adapt what I know about America - or America  based on what these incredible artists were doing in this crucial decade?

Pop America runs through Jan. 13 at the McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels. Admission ranges from $10 to $20. Info, 210-824-5368; mcnayart.org.

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
Note: This is a full Taste Test review, with a star rating based on multiple visits.

As the food of the American South enjoys its moment in San Antonio at places like Clementine and Meadow Neighborhood Eatery, it seems right that Southern India should be enjoying a moment of its own at Madurai Mes.

Named for a city in the Southern state of Tamil Nadu, Madurai Mes translates simply to My Madurai. Its an invitation as much as a name, an invitation to explore Indian food beyond the tandoori chicken, fried samosas and tikka masala of San Antonios more prevalent Northern Indian restaurants.

On ExpressNews.com: Review: Simis India Cuisine makes all-you-can-eat look good

Tucked into the elbow of an office park in the Medical Center area on Fredericksburg Road, Madurai Mes could be confused for a warren of drab conference rooms. But even this dim, undecorated dining hall was on a wait for a weekday lunch  and not for a buffet. Madurai Mes doesnt play the buffet game.

People waited for thali platters, with steaming side dishes orbiting like satellites around a big bowl of basmati rice. For tiffin combos laid out like a salesmans sampler case of finger foods. And for a made-to-order menu of Southern Indian specialties you wouldnt find among the steampans of saag paneer on a buffet built for speed and economy.

The gadget guy in me has always admired the stacked, interlocking metal lunchpails of India called tiffins. Madurai Mes pays homage to the tiffin with a combination plate built around a crispy rolled dosa crepe.

Flanking that dosa was a crisp and light lentil doughnut called medu vada, a rice and lentil cake called idli and a mound of pongal as smooth and firm as custard made with rice, split mung beans and clarified butter called ghee.

Theyre all made made for scooping and sopping the same way a biscuit loves gravy. Madurai Mes obliged with a tangy vegetable stew called sambar and a trio of fresh chutneys  coconut, tomato and peanut  each one like a homemade salsa with sweetness and heat.

Rice lay at the heart of a Bombay thali lunch sampler. Thalis the name for the steel tray, lined with a banana leaf. Launching pad would be a better name for all the flavors rocketing around the little bowls of sparky cumin broth, astringent pickles, curried eggplant, buttery chicken and cheese curds, yogurt raita, chile-fried bites of chicken and coconut rice.

Related: Review: Meadow Neighborhood Eatery salutes the South

Madurai Mes ** 5152 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 125, 210-524-8161, madauraimes.com Quick bite: Southern Indian food in a spare office park setting Hit: bombay Thali, tiffin sampler, mor kuzhambu with okra Miss: Indo-Chinese dishes, vegetable salna, ambiance Hours: Lunch: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday-Friday; noon-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Dinner: 5:30-10 p.m. Monday and Wednesday-Thursday; 6-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 6-10 p.m. Sunday. Closed Tuesday. Price range: Appetizers, $5.99-$11.99; soups, $3.99-$8.99; breads, dosas and sides, $1.99-$14.99; entrees, $8.99-$14.99; desserts, $4.99. Alcohol: None **** Superior. Can compete nationally. *** Excellent. One of the best restaurants in the city. ** Very good. A standout restaurant of its kind. * Good. A restaurant that we recommend. (no stars) We cannot recommend this restaurant at this time. Express-News dining critics pay for all meals. See More Collapse

If those sampler plates seem like the lazy way to explore Northern Indian food, forgive me. The menu here is 100 dishes long, and its organized more like a puzzle than a list, with appetizers and entrees weaving in and out of vegetarian and meat subcategories with nonlinear abandon.

For example, I ordered a watery vegetable stew called salna twice because it went by different names at lunch and dinner. Its really just a sop for the paratha served with it  a wheat bread with the elastic soul of a flour tortilla and the pull-apart layers of a boulangerie croissant.

If nothings sounding familiar, dont worry. Theres toasted naan, moist chicken tandoori and sweet chicken tikka masala to feed the Northern Indian appetite.

But I cant recommend the tame, dry lamb vindaloo. And I cant even fathom the need for a separate Indo-Chinese menu, but there it was, with a lame chicken Manchurian in runny red chile broth and a bitter fried rice with garlic and shrimp that were more shell than meat.

Beyond that, Madurai Mes rewards exploration. You wouldnt know how vibrant a dish called cut mirchi could be until you ordered these jalapeno slices fried in chickpea batter. Or that utthappam looked like the blossom of a Dr. Seuss tree, with red onions swirled over a fluffy pancake of rice and lentil flour.

Mor kuzhambu? No worries. Think of okra afloat in a butter-fortified yogurt so rich it rolled my eyes back. Chettinad? Its the name applied broadly to food from Madurais home state, and here its used specifically to describe a powerfully spicy brown curry, one thats especially good with tender bites of goat.

Seppankizhangu? Nevermind that one. Greasy slices of fried taro root, like spicy french fries but not worth the guilt.

Even goat gets a twist at Madurai Mes with mutton chops masala. Muttons a fluid term in India, used more often to mean goat instead of sheep. Call it mutton or goat (its goat), but call it an elegant plate of long bones and lean meat made tender by a thick, hot masala gravy sweetened with tamarind.

Tamarind, jalapenos, chile powders, tortilla-style flatbread, chutney with the swagger of salsa. At Madurai Mes, Southern India doesnt sound so different from South Texas. Its not the fanciest place, but its some of the best Indian food Ive found in San Antonio.
The words out of Sen. Elizabeth Warren's mouth, at a Holyoke, Mass., town hall last week, sounded like a call to battle and an "all-but" declaration of candidacy.

"It's time for women to go to Washington to fix our broken government and that includes a woman at the top," said Warren. "So here's what I promise. After November 6, I will take a look at running for President."

We're long past the time, which I still remember, when Washington, D.C., pundits dismissed early women candidates for President -- Republican Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, Democratic Rep. Shirley Chisholm -- as "throwing her bonnet into the ring."

A look at Warren, 69, going back a few years, suggests a candidate with potential to appear not limited to the Democrats' liberal base.

She came on her own dime to political bloggers' annual NetRoots Nation gathering. She wasn't in the Senate then, but a law professor facing stiff headwinds while fighting for a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as part of financial reform legislation.

She drew on her own background, describing the kind of folks to be protected. She grew up in Oklahoma, saw her family fall on hard times after her father suffered a heart attack. She began waiting tables at age 13, later dropped out of college to marry young.

The autobiography was delivered in good humor, but used to describe how the pins can be knocked out from beneath a middle class family.

Warren was not content to perform, but stayed around NetRoots to kibbitz. She raised her hand from the back of the room, and asked questions of panels. She gently deflected people effusing over her.

Warren was making a national name for herself as a critic of Wall Street excess that caused the Great Recession. She was a law professor who could talk lucidly to the audience on Dr. Phil, and be a not-too-grim truth teller on The Daily Show.

She brought down the house at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, saying: "People feel like the system is rigged against them, and here's the painful part. They're right."

Obama feared a confirmation fight in the Senate, and did not name Warren as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

So, she ran for the Senate. The upper chamber of Congress, where Warren has resided the last six years, can be a head turning experience. People call you "Senator," staff is present to ease life's hassles, you can become a celebrity, you take flak and start taking on scar tissue.

Sen. Warren has shown signs of becoming a bit regal, and sensitive to controversy over whether she is even remotely of Native American ancestry. In her 2012 campaign, the Boston Globe found that she had been listed as a racial minority in an Association of American Law Schools biography, and as a "woman of color" by the Harvard Laws School.

The Globe has since investigated, finding this year that Warren's claim of Cherokee heritage played no role in her hiring at Harvard Law School.

Still, Donald Trump has taunted her with the racist moniker "Pocahontas" at his rallies. The bully tactic is sure to tail her in the 2020 race. Sneering sarcasm, sculpted by political consultants, is a basic tactic of the political right -- broadly deployed.

The Republicans know how to fuzzy-up backgrounds. With a boost from his father, Donald Trump was earning $200,000 a year by the time he was two years old, and became a millionaire on paper by the time of his eighth birthday.

Warren has a very difficult resume, of balancing babies with law school. She has fought for accountability in the financial world, while the Trumps applied every trick in the books -- and off the books.

What manner of candidate will Warren be?

Inspiring and formidable, if America sees the person who came to NetRoots Nation a few years back. Vulnerable to labeling, if she comes across as an absorbed U.S. Senator. Compelling if she uses her life in bringing to life middle class pain. Oft-putting if she repeats left mantras to left audiences.

"It gets down to authenticity," ex-Secretary of State John Kerry said over beers during a recent bookselling foray into Seattle. Kerry knows. The Republicans defined him in 2004 as an out-of-touch rich guy, vastly different from the person who once shared war experiences with Vietnam vets at Kells in the Market.

The Democrats may have not one, not two, but three women running for their nomination in 2020. Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., showed competence and moxie at the Kavanaugh hearings.

So, starting early, Warren will need to prove that she is the authentic leader who can pierce the glass ceiling, and rid the nation of the gross demagogue who calls her Pocahontas.
Maysarah Mikail, a field engineer for the Houston oilfield services company Halliburton, spent the summer in the Permian Basin, working 12-hour days in temperatures of up to 120 degrees. But it wasnt just the searing West Texas heat that made her uncomfortable in her heavy, flame-retardant coveralls.

The coveralls, designed for men, just didnt fit right, no matter how Mikail tried to adjust, whether rolling the sleeves up to elbow or washing the coveralls repeatedly in the hope they would shrink. As she went about her job supervising a team of three engineers, she worried about loose clothing getting caught in machinery, such as oil pumps, or on handrails as she climbed ladders.

Theres a lot of safety concerns that may be out there, Mikail said.  I need to eliminate as many distractions as possible so I can stay focused on the job.

Mikail doesnt have to worry about clothing distractions anymore as Halliburton has introduced coveralls designed and made specifically for women. Working with a West Texas manufacturer and the apparel design department of Texas Tech University, Halliburton has tackled a problem that has bedeviled women since the days of Rosie the Riveter, when women flocked to factories during World War II and had to make do with ill-fitting coveralls made for men.

Some 75 years later, womens workwear is still largely mens clothing shrunk to womens sizes, ignoring the differences in the bodies of the two sexes, said Tyneal Buckner, chief customer officer of Halliburtons manufacturing partner, RPS Solutions of Wolforth. As Halliburton and other companies begin to refashion coveralls for the women in their workforce, its part of an increasing recognition that energy companies need to do more to recruit and retain women in an industry that remains dominated by men.

Jessica Ozoude

In the United States, women account for only about 13 percent of workers in oil exploration and production, down from about 17.5 percent a decade ago, and 14 percent in energy services, up slightly from 13 percent in 2008, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Internationally, women account for as little as 10 percent of the technical positions and jobs in the field that typically lead to roles as top executives, according to a 2017 study by the Boston Consulting Group, a management consulting firm, and World Petroleum Council, an industry group based in London.

Sabrina Fang, a spokeswoman for the American Petroleum Institute, a trade group, said that diversifying the workforce has become a key priority for the industry, which has issued studies and emphasized the need to bring more women into the workforce at industry events. The industry expects women to fill at least 290,000 job openings out of a projected total of 1.9 million through 2035, and more than half of those jobs would be management and technical positions.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Energy companies are forgetting the lessons of the great crew change

Halliburtons trademarked red coveralls have long been part of the companys identity, worn with pride by the thousands of employees who work in oilfields around the world. For women, however, that pride was tempered by bulky collars, baggy sleeves and pant legs that were too long. On a visit to the Permian Basin last year, Halliburton CEO Jeff Miller learned of the coverall issues while talking with employees.

Miller turned to senior human resources manager Sharla Watkins, charging her with finding a coverall more suitable for the 7,000 women who work for Halliburton at drilling and fracking sites around the world.

Starting from scratch

Watkins began by putting together a focus group of about 10 women who work in oil fields, listening to their likes and dislikes, and pleas for more precise sizing. With that information, she began seeking manufacturers willing to come up with a design specifically for women  rather than just tweaking mens coveralls  and eventually hired RPS Solutions. RPS then partnered with Texas Tech to help remake coveralls in the image of women.

The mens size does not really apply to the womens size, said Su Jeong Hwang Shin, director of Texas Techs apparel design and manufacturing program.. The reason is a womans body has a certain curvature, proportions made in a womans body shape and proportions are so different.

Shin began by using a 3-D body scanner to take detailed measurements of Halliburtons female employees. Designing the coveralls, she explained, required a more comprehensive analysis of the wearers body because they use a non-stretch, flame-retardant woven fabric with less flexibility.

One of the most significant alterations is an adjustable waistline resting mid-torso. It allows the wearer to cinch the waistband to her preferred fit, a feature designed by Jessica Ozoude, a recent Texas Tech graduate.

Now Playing: Maysarah Mikail, a Halliburton senior technical professional, talks about the gender-specific coveralls at Halliburton on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, in Houston. Video: Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle

The Texas Tech design did away with the traditional collar and its pointy leaves and replaced it with a rounded Mandarin collar, similar to that of a blouse. The four front pockets on the basic coveralls were raised to make it easier for women to reach, and two back pockets were added.

That change was welcomed by Mikail, who uses the pockets to store gloves, two-way radios, calculators, notebooks, pens, tally books, tools, water bottles and, occasionally, pieces of equipment.

I am actually very excited that they have not as deep a pocket, Mikail said. Its easier to pull out whatever I need to pull out.

As the design took shape, the manufacturer and Texas Tech hosted focus groups in Houston, Lubbock and Brownsville, surveying approximately 150 women. All told, they came up with at least six prototypes before settling on the final design. The process took about 14 months.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Breaking the glass ceiling is still not enough

Women who work in the field in the United States now have the choice of receiving four coveralls available in five sizes. The employee name is stitched in script on an upper right chest patch, an American flag patch on the left arm and Halliburton emblazoned on the back.

Katie Mehnert, CEO and founder of Pink Petro, an advocacy group for female energy industry professionals, said Halliburtons new coveralls show energy companies are listening to the women and taking steps to keep them as competition for workers heightens in both the industry and broader economy. Oil and gas companies are not only competing with each other, but also with companies in technology, financial services and health care.

The industry is stepping up its efforts (to recruit women) significantly as the war for talent has become real tight across all industries, Mehnert said. It is another game changer and one companies should take very seriously.

Dressed for success

As a result, new companies specializing in womens workwear are springing up. SeeHerWork launched Sept. 18 in Houston to outfit tradeswomen with personal protective equipment it designs. It principally caters to construction workers, but will soon debut fire-resistant coveralls to go along with safety vests designed for womens chest and waist proportions bras made of polyester that protect from flying debris and embers, said founder Jane Henry, a management consultant for energy companies.

Jaime Glas, a former petroleum engineer for Chevron, started her own line of womens oil field workwear last year. HauteWorks coveralls come in three different styles designed by Glas and are available in 14 different colors. Better fitting coveralls, Glas said, not only make women safer and more comfortable, but also more confident. And that makes them more effective.

People do better at work when they feel better about themselves, Glas said. No one feels good having a day at work when theyre dressed like a slob.

Just ask Mikail.

Whenever I reach out and talk and shake someones hand (the sleeve) doesnt fall down, she said.  It looks very professional. I love it.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

twitter.com/jrgzztx
It seems like every day, I open up Twitter to find that my generation is being blamed for killing yet another cultural norm.

Napkins? Dead.

Cereal? Dead.

Mayo? Need you even ask?

Were being painted as an entire generation of cultural assassins. Not even the traditional way to buy a home stands a chance against us: The share of first-time homebuyers who are unmarried couples has doubled since the early 1990s. And it seems our latest victim, according to a new article from Bustle , is corporate dress codes.

READ ALSO: Generation Zers say they're ready to buy homes. Here are some San Antonio options.

And honestly? While I can definitely do without all the millennial bashing that takes place when a cultural norm bites the dust there are some cultural norms Im not sad to see go  like the Big Mac, which honestly, brought its pain on itself, and office dress codes. Because working in leggings that make you feel comfortable is way better than spending multiple paychecks on clothes that make you feel like youre just faking it til you make it. And really, thats what the website, for and largely by millennial women, is getting at here in its think piece:

For the generation raised on the ideals of authenticity, individuality and the right to self-expression, personal style can seem less like a workplace perk than a fundamental right. This is partly because millennials grew up in the era of overnight startup millionaires clad in hoodies and sneakers, who proved that you dont have to look like a CEO of yesteryear to build a lucrative business. We  yes, I count myself among this cohort  are comfortable with the idea that what you wear and what you do dont have to be entwined: Its totally possible to be a #girlboss while wearing a crop top.

But heres the thing about millennials. Were the biggest generation in the country. And were also the most diverse. So blaming us as a whole for the habits of a section of people who can do without cereal, but drink more rose than the industry can handle is toxic broad-brush projection at best. Wed rather be allowed the same free-market freedoms enjoyed by Boomers and Gen Xers to decide what we do and dont like on an individual basis.

What we wear to work included.

So no, millennials arent really killing the corporate dress code. Were redefining it for the new 21st century office  one that will be less dominated by white, male Baby Boomers and the norms theyve instituted.

And thats pretty cool.
A former high-ranking member of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club who helped federal authorities convict the top two leaders of the biker gang received 15 years without parole Wednesday, making a tearful apology and promising to continue to cooperate.

Im remorseful for what Ive done. I apologize to the family of Anthony Benesh, Johnny Romo, 48, told the judge, crying.  I took a mans life. Its been a heavy burden on me for many years. Now I have to live with it.

Romo, known as Downtown, rose to become a sergeant-at-arms in the Bandidos national chapter in 2005 before he turned informant several years later and became a key prosecution witness in this years three-month trial of former national president Jeffrey Fay Pike of Conroe and then-vice president John Xavier Portillo of San Antonio.

The two were sentenced last week to life in prison without parole for leading the Bandidos racketeering conspiracy.

On ExpressNews.com: SA businessman, a top Bandidos leader, gets life without parole

San Antonian Romo faced up to life in prison without parole in the 2006 murder of Benesh, a member of Hells Angels. But because he provided substantial assistance, prosecutors filed a motion seeking a reduction in sentence. Senior U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra accepted the motion.

Romos cooperation came with a price.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Fuchs told Ezra that Romo was the top-ranking cooperator in their racketeering case and now has a green light over his head. The feds recovered a letter from Portillo discussing the authorized hit on Romo, Fuchs said.

Despite that threat, Romo said he would testify again if necessary.

I will continue to cooperate with the government if they ever need an expert witness on an outlaw motorcycle gang, Romo told the judge.

Ezra called Romos criminal conduct terrible but noted Romo was the linchpin of the governments racketeering case. Romo had a direct line to the top leaders, especially the well-insulated Pike, and knew how its criminal rackets operated, including a drug supply pipeline from Bandidos in Colorado to members in Texas.

To get into the heart of an organization and bust it open from the inside out, you need to have an inside cooperator, Ezra said.

Over two days on the stand in March, Romo testified about the inner workings of the biker club. He also testified that Portillo, a national Bandidos sergeant-at-arms at the time, passed down a directive from Pike that Romo was to put a squad together to kill Benesh, who had planned to start a Hells Angels chapter in Austin. The beef was over territory. Texas is considered the Bandidos homeland and turf.

On ExpressNews.com: Hells Angels founder contradicts Bandidos hit story

Romo said he picked full-patch members of the Bandidos and his own brother, Robert Romo, who was trying to join the club. They took the information Portillo had provided about Benesh, watched for their quarry for two days at his house and followed him as he went to eat at a pizza restaurant in northwestern Austin.

On a Saturday evening in March 2006, Benesh was killed by a rifle bullet in front of his girlfriend and two sons.

According to testimony from the Romos, Robert Romo delivered the fatal shot from a scope-fitted hunting rifle as Johnny Romo, in a separate car, gave him instructions over a two-way radio.

Johnny Romo testified that the hit made him Pikes go-to person for carrying out beat downs and other similar enforcement tasks. His jobs included revoking the patches of Bandidos members in Central American chapters during a period of infighting within the biker club, which had chapters worldwide.

Romo began cooperating with federal authorities in spring 2014 after a drug arrest. Years later, he wore a wire to record Portillo and other members of the organization making incriminating statements.

But Romo also withheld information that hed been involved in Beneshs killing. He didnt mention it until agents confronted him after hed already been sentenced to 24 months in prison on drug charges  far less than the 60 months he originally faced, testimony showed.

The Romos pleaded guilty in September 2017 to murder and firearm charges in aid of racketeering in connection with Beneshs killing. Two members of the Bandidos San Antonio Centro Chapter, Norberto Hammer Serna Jr., 37, and Jesse James Kronic Benavidez, 41, pleaded guilty in September 2017 to discharging a firearm during murder in aid of racketeering because they were part of the Benesh hit crew.

During the sentencing Wednesday, Johnny Romo shed tears and paused twice when his voice broke as he apologized for killing Benesh.

He was a father to his children that I took away, Romo said. He was somebodys son, a brother, an uncle, a cousin, and a friend to someone. Everyone is suffering for what Ive done.

I apologize to the court and society. I apologize to my family here for letting (them) down.

Robert Romo is scheduled for sentencing today.

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
More than 2,000 potential voters in Texas had their voters registration applications unfairly rejected by the Texas Secretary of State, a national advocacy group said Wednesday.

Those voters will be barred from voting on Nov. 6 unless they re-submit updated applications with new signatures on them, according to the Secretary of States office, which will send affected voters the paperwork by mail. It must be resubmitted to the state within 10 days.

Vote.org, a nonpartisan group, said it helped 2,400 Texans from Dallas, Bexar, Cameron and Travis counties submit voter registration applications that use digital photographs of their signatures.

On Express-News: Get informed with our general election voter guide

State officials say the applications submitted by the group do not comply with Texas law. Voter registration applications must include a handwritten signature, and that signature cannot be a copy, digital signature or photograph of a signature, according to a spokesman for the Texas Secretary of State.

Our Elections Division instructed Vote.org to change their process immediately in order to comply with state law and avoid misleading Texas voters into submitting invalid registration forms, said Sam Taylor, a spokesman for the Texas Secretary of States office.

The deadline for voters to register for the Nov. 6 election is Oct. 9. But those being directed to resubmit their paperwork via mail with corrected signatures will still have 10 days to do so, Taylor said.

More Information How to Register to Vote in Texas ONLINE: - Fill out a voter registration form via the Texas Secretary of State: https://www.votetexas.gov/index.html - Mail it to the local County Voter Registrar (That can be the Tax Assessor-Collector in many counties, or the County Clerk in others). IN PERSON: - You can register in person at the county Voter Registrar's office. (In most Texas counties, the Tax Assessor-Collector is also the Voter Registrar. In some counties, the County Clerk or Elections Administrator registers voters.) - Or you can register by mail by obtaining an application from your county Voter Registrar's office or pick up applications at libraries, government offices, or high schools. See More Collapse

Texas election law is not clear as to whether a handwritten signature is necessary. It calls for a voter registration to be submitted by personal delivery, by mail, or by telephonic facsimile machine and states that it must be in writing and signed by the applicant.

Lawyers for Vote.org disagree with the Secretary of States interpretation and say they reserve all rights to challenge it. They say there is nothing in the election code requiring a handwritten signature. Still, they are changing the way they help Texas voters sign up by directing them to mail in a form that includes a handwritten signature.

KAVANAUGH BATTLE: Sheila Jackson Lee intern arrested for 'doxing' GOP senators

Raven Brooks, chief operating officer for Vote.org, said the states actions are frustrating and explain why Texas has some of the worst voter registration and voter participation rates in the nation. He says the Secretary of States office throws up roadblocks to that participation.

Brooks said hes worried that some of the potential voters who tried to register with help from his group are not going to see their mail in time or just not follow through with another step to get registered.

Texas is already reporting a record surge in voter registration heading into the midterm elections. The state last week reported 15.6 million voters are registered for the 2018 midterm elections  about 1.6 million more than the last midterm election in 2014. Just since March, Texas has seen the voter rolls grow by about 400,000.

Texas is one of 12 states that do not allow online voter registration, which is allowed in 38 states plus the District of Columbia.

This election season, Vote.org was working directly with the four counties to boost registration. Brooks said the plan was to see how those registration efforts went and then expand the program to other counties.

Vote.Org officials said the online tool they created enabled Texans to register to vote under the provision of the Texas Election Code that allows registration by fax with a copy of the application sent by mail within four business days. With the tool, voters were able to capture their signatures electronically, submit their forms by fax, and initiate the printing and mailing of a copy of their form to county officials.

Taylor said the problem was that Vote.org was affixing voters' digital signatures to the applications for the voters, which is not only illegal in Texas but also creates a risk for fraud and abuse.

This is hardly the first time rules in Texas on voter registration signatures have created a problem. Civil rights groups sued the state in 2016, arguing that the different systems for online and in-person registrants violates the federal National Voter Registration Act, often called Motor Voter. While the state accepts electronic signatures from people who go to a Texas Department of Public Safety Office to change a voter registration, it does not accept changes submitted through the states online drivers license system.

The Texas Civil Rights Project says the states practices create confusion for potentially thousands of voters who think theyve changed their voting information, but in fact have not.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com
AUSTIN  Strict penalties for possessing marijuana in Texas could soon go up in smoke.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott recently announced hes open to dropping the maximum punishment for possession of less than 2 ounces of the drug from 180 days in jail to a fine. The shift drew excitement from advocates and state lawmakers who have lobbied for years to decriminalize marijuana, which records show leads to more than 60,000 possession arrests in Texas each year.

You have a certain idea of what members want to achieve going into the next session, I think thats at the top of the list of many members, said Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth.

But, its far from certain. Past efforts by Texas House members to reduce penalties have failed. None has made it before the more conservative state Senate.

Any proposal would likely meet resistance from law enforcement groups.

RELATIVE: 2 million US teens are vaping marijuana

There needs to be some reasonable penalties, because we still view marijuana as an absolute gateway into the drug scene, said AJ Louderback, sheriff of Jackson County and member of the Sheriffs' Association of Texas. We just have to look at each of these proposals as they come about.

Texas lawmakers have resisted past efforts to loosen marijuana laws. The state is one of roughly 28 that has not decriminalized small amounts of marijuana, though recent polls show more than half of Texas residents would support it. Some counties have implemented their own policies to divert certain low-level marijuana users away from jail and into others programs, including in Harris, Bexar and Travis counties.

Texas medicinal marijuana program, signed by Abbott in 2015, is one of the most restrictive in the nation. It allows only cannabidiol with low levels of THC  the component that gives pot users a high  to treat serious forms of intractable epilepsy.

Theres a push to expand its availability to more patients in the 2019 legislative session. But Abbott has said he is less open to that idea, even after talking with veterans, parents of autistic children and others who made a very strong compelling case about legalization of medical marijuana.

I have seen, however, in other states that authorize that, abuses take place that raise concerns, Abbott said in last weeks debate with Democratic challenger Lupe Valdez. I am still not convinced yet.

RELATIVE: San Antonio activists promote recreational and medical marijuana

Valdez  the former sheriff of Dallas County  said she is open to more sweeping changes in marijuana policy. During the debate, she voiced support for reducing the penalties for marijuana possession and expanding medical marijuana. She called for a referendum to allow recreational use of the drug in Texas.

"The people need to decide whether that's going to be in Texas or not, she said.

Abbotts stance on decriminalizing the drug may be shifting with popular opinion. More than half of Texans support reducing penalties for possessing the drug, according to a recent poll from the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Tribune.

Right now, people caught with less than 2 ounces can face up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. Abbott said hes open to talking with the Legislature about reducing the penalty to a class C misdemeanor, punishable with a $500 fine and no jail time.

One thing I dont want to see is jails stockpiled with people who have possession of small amounts of marijuana, he said.

Abbott has opposed the loosening of state marijuana laws in the past. In 2015, when signing the therapeutic cannabis bill, Abbott emphasized opposition to any broader medical marijuana legalization or allowing it for recreational use.

Heather Fazio, with the Texas Marijuana Policy Project, said shes thrilled the governor is talking about reducing penalties. But she and some lawmakers want to reduce it further  making the offense for low-level possession a civil infraction instead of a criminal charge. The Texas Republican Party adopted that stance in its platform over the summer.

Theres no threat of arrest, jail time or a criminal record, Fazio said. Those are the three things were trying to eliminate to save valuable public resources.

More than 60,000 Texans were arrested for possessing marijuana in 2016, according to most the recent Texas Department of Public Safety crime report. Nearly 4,500 were juveniles and 45,000 more were between the ages 17 and 24, records show.

Criminal convictions for low-level pot possession can restrict peoples ability to get a job, serve in the military or finance their college education, Fazio said.

Enforcement for possessing small amounts of marijuana varies widely across the state.

Small rural counties accounted for the highest drug possession arrest rates in Texas, according to a 2016 report from Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union. In Kenedy County, population 407, police made 329 arrests for drug possession from 2010 to 2015, the report said.

Allie Morris is a staff writer in Austin. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | amorris@express-news.net | Twitter: @MorrisReports
Like many, I found Christine Blasey Fords testimony very credible, including who was involved, and Brett Kavanaughs response much less so. I doubt the FBI investigation will change anyones mind since its designed not to, so my argument against Kavanaugh is based on his performance last week.

He did not tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth while under oath. Even more egregious was his out-of-control, partisan attack on Democrats, who he believes are part of some left-wing conspiracy against him going back to the 1990s.

He clearly is not the sober, honest, nonpartisan umpire we require on the Supreme Court. Or any court.

We need better.

John Fehlauer

Presumed innocent

I am disgusted with what happened during the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on Friday. There are members of this committee who hate Judge Brett Kavanaugh and will do anything to stop the nomination. As an independent woman, I dont know how anyone can stand for this grandstanding power politics. We all live in the United States where everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

From my female vantage point, its very apparent these women and men dont care about Dr. Christine Blasey Ford at all. Dr. Ford wanted anonymity, but the people around her broke this trust. She seemed totally surprised when Rachel Mitchell informed her she was offered a hearing in California, in private, so she wouldnt be subjected to testifying in front of the committee and all the TV cameras, reporters, etc.

The people around her totally used her, broke a bond of trust and victimized her with additional trauma. Then Sen. Jeff Flake was bullied, and he fell for it.

Not only did the Senate Judiciary Committee not help the women in their lives, especially female victims of sexual assault, they did not help the men in their lives. Strong, honest men who love the women in their lives. If your son, brother, husband, father or male friend were accused of a vicious act with zero evidence, how would you be reacting?

The FBI is now investigating Judge Kavanaugh for a seventh time. Would you even be able to pass one FBI investigation, let alone seven?

Frances Booker, Boerne

Frat life explained

Having listened to the hearing proceedings last Thursday, it is apparent why Donald Trumps base would support Brett Kavanaugh.

Trumps base consists of the privileged white and the non-college educated. The privileged see themselves in Kavanaugh, and the less educated may have not been exposed to the frat life and terms such as FFFF, pulling a train, boofing, and devils triangle. Judge Kavanaughs explanation of the latter as a drinking game would not fool a university attendee.

Nancy Powlas
NEWS FLASH

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The French Program in the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures at the University of South Carolina is currently accepting applications for its MA and MAT in French, PhD in Comparative Literature and PhD in Linguistics with an array of funding opportunities.

Degree Programs

The French Program provides the opportunity to participate in the intellectual and social life of a vibrant department while obtaining an advanced degree. Students will work with renowned scholars to experience firsthand how new ideas are created through the research process. They may pursue the MA in French or MAT in French and the PhD in Comparative Literature with a focus on French literature or the PhD in Linguistics with a focus on French linguistics. The faculty in French possess expertise in applied linguistics, Atlantic & Caribbean studies, childrens literature, cultural history, digital humanities, film studies, historical linguistics, linguistics, literary theory, sociolinguistics, theatre, translation studies, travel literature and womens & gender studies.

Financial Support

Graduate assistantships are available for students admitted to graduate degree programs on the basis of merit and availability. All graduate assistants undergo training in order to prepare them to teach beginning French courses, tutor and lead extracurricular activities. Fellowships are available through the Graduate School. Graduate students may apply for financial support to attend academic conferences.

Professionalization Activities

The French Program and the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures offer a wide range of professionalization opportunities, including the French House and French Club, French Day, a Tutoring Center, the French Literature Series & Conference, Les Comediens Carolingiens, a French film festival (Cinecola), study abroad, several awards, as well as a Graduate Organization and Conference.

100% of our recent graduates have been placed in teaching positions in secondary schools, colleges and universities, both nationally and internationally.

Meet the Faculty

Find out about current faculty research interests by clicking through our profiles to see what weve been up to!

Contact Information

Graduate Advisor: Daniela Di Cecco, dpdicecc@mailbox.sc.edu

Program Director: Jeanne Garane, garanej@mailbox.sc.edu

Follow us on social media!

Facebook: Gamecoq French

Twitter: @GamecoqGaspard

Additional Information:

Website: https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/dllc/index.php

Graduate School: http://gradschool.sc.edu/prospective/
STAMFORD  Nearly three years after the slaying of a mother of five in a West Side park, one of the men charged in the murder has pleaded guilty.

Morris Moore, 27, of Stamford, pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree manslaughter with a firearm and will be sentenced in December to 20 years in jail.

Moore and two others were arrested shortly after 43-year-old Maxine Gooden was struck by stray gunfire in Lione Park in November 2015.

Moores attorney, Francis OReilly, declined to comment on the case after the hearing. Moore was given a 10-year suspended sentence that he can be forced to serve if he violates his five years of probation when hes released from jail.

OReilly told Judge Gary White that his clients plea was not contingent on any cooperation with the state.

The man police believe to be the shooter, Johonel Telemin, 24, also of Stamford, declined a plea agreement to the same charge that would have kept him in jail for 25 years.

Supervisory Assistant States Attorney Paul Ferencek then rescinded the offer and Telemins case appears headed for trial next year.

Telenins attorney, Robert Bello, declined to comment as he left the courthouse.

Deshawn Hayes, 27, the third man charged in the murder, was given another week to consider the same offer Moore accepted. His attorney, Darnell Crosland, said he did not have enough time to talk to Hayes about the plea agreement after Moore took the deal.

A lot of work goes into these cases, especially one like this when there are three defendants, said Sgt. Paul Guzda, the lead police investigator in the case. We are happy with this outcome and we feel this is a victory and I trust the family of Maxine Gooden feels the same way.

The shooting occurred around 10 p.m. on Nov. 2, 2015. Several gunshots rang out in the park and Gooden, standing next to two of her daughters, dropped to the ground and was pronounced dead at Stamford Hospital a short time later.

Two witnesses chased the shooter and another man back to a Jeep parked on Delaware Avenue. The witnesses followed the Jeep and notified police of the license plate number.

Officer Nicole Petrenko spotted the SUV and other officers arrived to help pull the three men out of the vehicle. Ferencek said officers found a gun hidden in the dashboard that was consistent with the bullets found at the scene. All three men in the car tested positive for gunshot residue, Ferencek said.

We have the evidence, we have good witnesses and good physical evidence, Guzda said. We feel good about everything.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com
iShares MSCI Austria ETF's stock was trading at $15.26 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWO stock has increased by 70.8% and is now trading at $26.07.

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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.

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iShares MSCI Chile ETF's stock was trading at $25.05 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, ECH shares have increased by 8.6% and is now trading at $27.20.

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iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Switzerland ETF's stock was trading at $26.50 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, HEWL stock has increased by 13.3% and is now trading at $30.02.

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Nabors Industries Ltd. engages in the provision of platform work over and drilling rigs. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. The U.S. Drilling segment includes land drilling activities in the lower 48 states and Alaska, as well as offshore operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment consists of land-based drilling rigs in Canada. The International segment focuses in maintaining a footprint in the oil and gas market, most notably in Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Argentina, Colombia, Kazakhstan, and Venezuela. The Drilling Solutions segment offers drilling technologies, such as patented steering systems and rig instrumentation software systems that enhance drilling performance and wellbore placement. The Rig Technologies segment comprises Canrig, which manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools. The company was founded by Clair Nabors in 1952 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

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Farmers and ranchers spent most of last month hoping the U.S. Department of Agricultures recent crop estimates would be proven wrong and President Donald J. Trumps plan to fix the worlds worst trade deals ever would be proven right.

September, however, disappointed them on both counts. On Sept. 12, USDA reported that the already big 2018 corn and soybean crops were getting bigger, not smaller. Total corn production was estimated at 14.8 billion bu., the second largest ever, while soybean production was pegged at a record 4.7 billion bu.

High yields

The bin-busting crops pushed USDA to lower the estimated 2018-2019 average price for both: $3.50 per bu. for corn, $8.60 per bu. for beans. Shortly after that tough news, the Trump administration imposed a new 10 percent tariff on $200 billion more of Chinese exports to the U.S. Beijing immediately retaliated with $60 billion in new tariffs on U.S. exports to China.

Neither the thinning market prices nor the thickening trade tariffs arrived as a surprise. Huge planted acres (89.1 million for corn, 89.6 million for soybeans) coupled with better than average weather usually brings record crops and, soon enough, record-challenging low prices.

Thats exactly what is happening. Similarly, populist campaign rhetoric coupled with a grave misunderstanding of trade economics (U.S. tariffs hit Americans, not foreigners; a trade deficit between two nations is evidence of economic growth, not growing debt) usually brings an enormous policy mistake.

Again, thats exactly what is happening. Now what?

Looking ahead

Now it gets worse  and theres no before it gets better in sight  for two reasons. First, as most farmers know, Big crops get bigger. That means todays low prices are going nowhere fast. Second, farmers and ranchers are starting to realize that there is no grand Trump plan to fix U.S. trade.

In fact, the Trump Administration has been winging its choppy, confounding, and reactionary approach to U.S. trade policy since Inauguration Day. For example, there was no independent analysis done to support its third-day-in-office exit of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

It just did it

Now, however, the administration eagerly wants to talk trade with several of the pacts remaining 11 nations to get a deal nearly identical to what it and U.S. farmers could have had 20 months ago. Good luck.

Even more unplanned is the bitter NAFTA scrum the Trump administration has opened up with Canada over  of all things  milk, despite the clear fact that America imports $137 million of Canadian dairy products and exports $470 million of dairy goods to its northern neighbor.

Even worse

Its even worse than that, Tony Fratto, an American free trade advocate and George W. Bush White House veteran, told the New York Times Sept. 26.

Opening up Canadas very tiny dairy industry is a pretty tiny gain to risk blowing up the most advantageous trade agreement in history. It wont make a dimes bit a difference to jobs and standards of living in either country. Try to fix these things? Sure. Blow up NAFTA over them? Thats crazy.

Actually, its even crazier than that, added the Times.

Ironically, lowering Canadas dairy barriers had already been ironed out over years of arduous negotiations that led to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a sweeping trade agreement.  that Mr. Trump withdrew the United States from

Thats the honest reality the White House chooses to ignore, however, even as it continues to push its Our Way or the Highway trade strategy on almost every key American ag trading partner  China, Mexico, Canada, the European Union, and Japan  with little to nothing to show for it now, or to plausibly gain later.

Worse, when the president isnt attacking our paying customers, hes threatening to outright withdraw the U.S. from the World Trade Organization, a foolproof recipe for global trade collapse.

None of this should be a surprise in farm and ranch country. Candidate Trump promised todays Twitter-littered approach to trade over and over during the 2016 presidential race.

He said hed do it and, with no plan in-hand and no end in sight, hes doing it.

If theres any surprise at all here, its that sometimes you get exactly what you vote for.
ADA, Ohio  A state legislative committee heard additional testimony about the Lake Erie water quality issue, and the governors executive order that seeks to declare farms in that part of the state as watersheds in distress.

Known as the Toward a Cleaner Lake Erie Working Group, the lawmakers entertained nearly three hours of testimony from agricultural stakeholders, as well as Ohio EPA Director Craig Butler, Oct. 3 at Ohio Northern University.

The working group is a separate body from the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission, which is legally required to review Gov. John Kasichs order and decide whether the watersheds should be declared distressed. Both groups are weighing similar concerns.

Too soon

Farmers and conservation leaders said Kasichs order is ahead of itself, and will cause undue economic stress on an already hurting agricultural sector. They said it could be cost prohibitive for every farmer to develop a nutrient management plan, which can cost as much as $15 an acre spread across 2 million acres.

The county conservation districts would also incur a cost to get the plans implemented in each county, and state conservation leaders do not believe they have enough funding nor personnel to make the goal doable.

With a large scope and limited resources in place for this designation, I feel that the SWCDs would not be able to meet its goals and the plan will fail, said Kris Swartz, Wood County SWCD supervisor and past president of the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Swartz, who also farms, said he thinks the Ohio SWCD Commission does have the ability to put a plan in place that provides the same depth found in the executive order, but he said doing so would require stakeholder support.

Clear data

Director Butler, however, said the data clearly shows that the bulk of the phosphorus runoff is coming from nonpoint, farm sources, and that the state needs to move from random acts of conservation and demonstrations to something more targeted and data driven.

Even with just five years of data it is really, undeniably and understandably clear to us where the phosphorus predominantly comes from, Butler said. It is from nonpoint sources and it is led predominantly by agricultural nonpoint sources.

He said the state cant wait until the issue is perfectly understood before acting. He argued that enough is already known to begin a process of adaptive management, or acting on what is known, and monitoring and adjusting along the way.

If youve got a crisis here, you cant wait until, frankly, you have all of the answers, before you go implementing some and seeing whether or not youre being successful, Butler said.

The timing of the designation is one of the biggest issues on farmers minds, and whether state regulators are acting too soon.

Practices being developed

Duane Stateler, a grain and hog farmer who is also one three farmers participating in the Blanchard River Watershed Demo Farms, said best management practices are still being developed and put to the test, with only a couple years of data to show what is working.

He argued that more time is needed because each year of farming is different, and the best management practices are still evolving.

The notion that there is some easy regulatory solution that farmers like me will implement and we will quickly fix our water quality challenges is simply false, he said.

Mike Poling, an Ohio Farm Bureau Federation trustee and farmer from Delphos, Ohio, said hes frustrated by the speed of the executive order, and doubts the state has the resources to write and carry out that many nutrient management plans anytime soon.

Poling, who also is a Technical Service Provider who writes nutrient management plans, said the governors order is impractical.

It is frustrating to say the least, to then see an executive order proposing to declare eight watersheds in distress using data that is unclear and without identifying the time and resources to implement a plan for two million acres and 7,000 farms.

Political timing

Concern was also raised over the political ramifications of declaring the watersheds in distress.

Butler said that with the current data, state leaders have the chance to do something positive for their constituents, that will be recognized across Ohio and in other states.

Its (the data) there for our taking and availability, Butler said, reminding the panel of the states commitment to meet a 40 percent reduction in phosphorus loading by 2025.

There is also some uncertainty what the next Ohio governor may do, related to Lake Erie and the executive order. Kasich is serving the final three months of his two-term position.

Kasich was also a presidential contender in 2016, and has hinted toward another run, in interviews with national media.

According to Poling, farmers want to be involved with finding the water quality issue, but they want the process to stay realistic.

We will continue to be the leaders on this important undertaking, but we insist that practicality, not politics, shape our states efforts, Poling said.

The legislative group is planning another meeting, sometime after the November elections. The group is chaired by Republicans Brian Hill, state representative from Zanesville, and Sen. Bob Hackett, of London.

They said they are holding the work group meetings to hear from farmers and hear their thoughts on the distressed watershed designation.

Hackett said the ag community and the Legislature have worked well on the water quality issue so far, and he wants to continue making sure they continue to do so.

Related coverage:
Farming bodies have teamed up with employers to develop the next generation of farmers with the help of three new apprenticeship schemes.

The AHDB and NFU, along with industry employers, have joined forces to set standards for the schemes.

The green light has now been given for two new standards for apprenticeships as either a Crop Technician or a Stockperson, using feedback from some of the largest and most productive employers in the industry.

Now created, the new standards  known as Trailblazers  offer the opportunity for colleges and employers to work together to develop the next generation of skilled workers.

The schemes will increase knowledge and skills, and also build behaviours, which can help workers to be successful in the future.

AHDB Senior Skills Manager, Tess Howe said improving skills is a key part to unlocking productivity gains on farm.

"These new standards will help ensure that even the newest recruits to farming and growing businesses can support the drive to improve performance while they work," Ms Howe said.

Over the past three years, weve worked closely with the industry and we now need more employers to step forward and work with training providers to bring new entrants into their businesses.

She added: "The flexible nature of the new Trailblazers schemes also means that they can be used as a structured way of upskilling existing workers.

Increasing productivity

Equipping workers with core technical and business skills has been identified as a strategic priority by AHDB to drive productivity in UK agriculture, which typically has an aging workforce  with around a third of all business holders being aged 65 years and over.

A third standard, for a Packhouse Line Leader, is also nearing completion and is focused on supervisory staff.

Guy Smith, Deputy President at NFU, said: These new apprenticeship standards will play a huge role in attracting new talent to our industry, and allow us to develop our skills.

Apprenticeships which provide training to an industry agreed standard, offer farmers and growers an excellent way to recruit new people and develop them while they work, helping to ensure businesses can continue to be productive, profitable and progressive.

He added: We would encourage our members who are interested in providing an apprenticeship to speak to their local land-based college or private provider, and find out more about how they can get involved, either for existing employees or for a new post which they would like to advertise.
The veterinary industry has warned that new immigration proposals set out by Number 10 must consider the UKs high proportion of EU vets.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has responded to the governments proposals for a post-Brexit immigration system.

Under the proposals, unveiled by Home Secretary Sajid Javid, EU citizens will not necessarily receive preferential treatment over non-EU citizens coming to the UK, and some curbs on lower-skilled migration will be introduced.

These changes echo recommendations in the Migration Advisory Committees immigration report published in September.

The new system will be put in place from January 2021, after the UKs transition out of the EU is complete.

Responding to the plans, Simon Doherty, BVA President said careful consideration is needed to prevent changes having a disproportionate impact on the veterinary profession, given its high reliance on the EU for workforce supply.

Nearly half of vets registering to work in the UK every year come from the EU, so its all the more important that any changes protect capacity rather than introducing new layers of bureaucracy or restrictions on flexible movement between roles, Mr Doherty said.

We are also concerned that parts of the sector will be particularly affected if the Immigration Skills Charge is extended to the recruitment of EU workers.

This impact would be most keenly felt in the abattoir industry, where 95 per cent of Official Veterinarians are from overseas, predominantly the EU, he said.

Figures recently released by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the veterinary professions regulator, show 44% of EU vets living in the UK are fearful about what the future holds.

Two in five vets are saying they are now more likely to leave, and 18% are actively looking for work outside the UK.
NFU Cymru is urging farmers to make their voices heard by responding to the Welsh Governments Brexit consultation, with the deadline now just under a month away.

Farmers have until the 30th October to contribute to Welsh Government's 'Brexit and our Land' consultation on the future of Welsh farming.

It is seen as the most significant and important Welsh Government consultation on the future of the agricultural industry for a generation.

The consultation provides the opportunity for the industry to make its voice heard and to shape Welsh Government thinking.

NFU Cymru said it is "vital" that the industry gets the message across that food production is at the heart of everything farmers do.

NFU Cymru President, John Davies said: NFU Cymrus vision for a future Welsh agricultural policy is built firmly on three cornerstones: productivity, volatility and the environment.

Although this consultation considers in detail productivity measures and environment measures, it appears to suggest that volatility measures are not required.

The case for maintaining stability measures as a strong element of any future agricultural policy has, in fact, never been more compelling if we are to ensure the continued supply of safe, quality, affordable food," Mr Davies added.

New schemes

The Welsh Government has already proposed new schemes which will replace Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), Glastir and other parts of the Rural Development Programme after the UK leaves the EU.

The programme will consist of the Economic Resilience Scheme, which will provide investment to farmers and their supply chains to increase competitiveness and make improvements in food productivity.

The second fund, the Public Goods Scheme, will provide a new income stream to farmers delivering public goods from the land.

According to the Welsh government, the current BPS is "insufficiently targeted" to respond to challenges as it is solely an income support scheme.

But some in the industry have attacked the Government's new thinking, with the Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) calling the proposals as having "huge potential flaws".

Both FUW and NFU Cymru are concerned that the new proposals will hamper farmers' ability to produce food due to the end of direct payments and coupled with severe weather, trade wars and increasing protectionist polices.
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Reportedly, Bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta has now received legal notices from Nana Patekar and filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri in the much-debated harassment case. Tanushree calls it her price for speaking out as she accused Nana of harassing and threatening her on the sets of Horn OK Pleassss a decade ago. Vivek Agnihotri, on the other hand, allegedly asked her to remove her clothes to 'help' co-star Irrfan Khan get the scene right during the making of 2005 release Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets.Nana is busy shooting for Housefull 4 in Jaisalmer. His lawyer informed that a legal notice has been sent to Tanushree Dutta in the case demanding her apology. Today in a statement, Tanushree said, I have been slapped with two legal notices. One from Nana Patekar and another from Vivek Agnihotri. Both their teams are on a smear campaign against me by constructing outright lies and misinformation on social media platforms and other public platforms. She further added, This is the price you pay for speaking out against harassment, humiliation, and injustice in India.Just like Nana, Vivek too has denied all allegations against him. His lawyer Nidhish Mehrotra said in a statement that they have sued the actress for the same. He said, The allegations levelled against my client Vivek Agnihotri by Tanushree Dutta for misbehaviour and/or harassment are absolutely false, frivolous and vexatious. These allegations are deliberate and have been borne with an intent to attract publicity and wreak personal vendetta against my client with mala-fide intentions. On the instruction of my client, we have served a legal notice to initiate defamation action against her.The former Miss India Universe even alleged that violent threats have been issued against her by the MNS and that two unnamed suspicious individuals tried getting into her home uninvited, who were stopped in time. Latest reports also suggest that Nana and choreographer Ganesh Acharya will hold a press conference regarding Tanushrees allegations.Tanushree has garnered support from various Bollywood celebrities including Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor, Hansal Mehta, Twinkle Khanna, Ayushmann Khurrana, Swara Bhasker amongst others.
Shilpa On Dating Salman

"We didn't go out on a date as such. In those days, actors shared a great camaraderie. Salman is a very humble, loving and grounded human being," said Shilpa.

Salman Used To Visit Shilpa's House At Midnight

She also reveals how close Salman was to her family and revealed, "I remember, he would come to my house even at midnight sometimes, and by that time I'd already be asleep. Then Salman and my dad would sit down and drink a few pegs together."

When Shilpa Saw Salman Crying

"I remember, when my dad passed away, Salman came home, went straight to the bar table, laid his head down on it and cried," asserted Shilpa.

Shilpa Also Revealed How She Met Her Mr. Right Raj Kundra

"Mr Kundra had a few things of mine, and he flew all the way from London to Mumbai to give them to me. On the first day, he sent me a colourful bag, and the next day, he sent me another bag.

I immediately picked up the phone and made it clear to him that nothing could happen between us as I was not interested in shifting base from Mumbai to London."

And.. Here's How The Love Blossomed Between Them

"At that point, I was planning to settle down, and he told me that he was planning to settle down as well. He gave me his Mumbai address and asked me to meet him. That's how I ended up going on my first date with Mr Kundra."

Shilpa Shetty On Facing Heartbreaks

Apparently, she was hinting at her ex-boyfriend. She said, "I will have to dig it out from the grave."

Later, Shilpa also revealed about her blind-dating and said, "There was this boy who would call me up every evening. I was in college at that time, and which girl wouldn't like the attention at that age? In those days, we just had a landline, and I would wait for him to call every evening."

She Further Added...

"As soon as my father would get home, I would disconnect the phone. The boy would call himself Mr X, and this blind-dating continued for nearly three or four months.

One fine day, I asked him to meet me at a bus stop, but he never showed up. I decided to break up with him after that."

Who's More Romantic - Shilpa Or Raj?

When asked about the same, Shilpa was quick to take her hubby's name and said, "Obviously, Raj is more romantic."
Pumpkin Village Open at Discovery Park

Oct. 03, 2018

By Oct. 03, 2018

The 2018 version of McDonalds Pumpkin Village is now open at Discovery Park of America in Union City.



This year McDonalds Pumpkin Village features hundreds of pumpkins, gourds and hay structures displayed throughout the Settlement area of the park. McDonalds Pumpkin Village is designed and created by the Discovery Park of America grounds crew, and a new addition this year is a giant hay bale maze designed as a childrens play area.



Pumpkin Village kicks off a month that is full of activities and fun things to do at Discovery Park. With many area schools having Fall Break, the park is offering a $2 discount for student admission on Tuesday - Friday in October.



A featured exhibit at the park is "Thomas and Friends Ride the Rails," featuring a giant Thomas and friends railway that inspires hours of free play for children ages 2 through 7. Another special exhibit, "TOYS: 100 Years of Fun," is very nostalgic and interesting for kids of all ages. Admission for "TOYS" is included in the $5.00 featured exhibit price.



On October 13th, theres a Family Education Series class called, Vampires, and on October 14th theres Pumpkin Painting in the Settlement from 1:00 until 4:00 pm. This activity comes complete with pumpkins and all supplies and it is free with park admission. The children can take their pumpkin home with them.



Closer to Halloween, children ages 12 and under who come to compete in the Halloween Costume Contest on October 29 will enjoy free admission to the park.



CEO Jim Rippy said that he hopes people from near and far will enjoy the beautiful fall weather and fun events and activities at Discovery Park this October.



We especially want to invite our senior groups to come back out now that we have added trollies to help people get around the park, he added.



For a complete list of events, classes and activities at the park, you can visit the parks website at www.discoveryparkofamerica.com and click on the calendar. Discovery Park of America is open 10:00 am until 5:00 pm Tuesday through Sunday.
Rating: 4.0 /5 Star Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan, Zakir Hussain Director: Sriram Raghavan

Andhadhun PUBLIC REVIEW: Ayushmann Khurrana - Tabu      Reaction | FilmiBeat

Right from the first frame itself, Sriram Raghavan's AndhaDhun drags you straight into its twisted world where every character comes with a shade of a grey. The film starts on a rather perplexing note with a hunting game where you witness a hare hopping across a cabbage field, nearly evading the armed assailant who repeatedly misses the target. A resounding gunshot and boom, the screen goes black! That's just the tip of an iceberg when it comes to the number of surprises in AndhaDhun.

Akash (Ayushmann Khurrana) is a blind pianist who is in search of a perfect 'dhun'. He has a black-and-white cat for company who occasionally even doubles up as a listener for his musical pieces. Till one fine day, he literally crashes into the winsome Sophie (Radhika Apte) by 'accident'. Sparks fly; but at the same time, some terrific revelations are made to the audience.

On the other hand, Pramod Sinha aka Pammi (Anil Dhawan) is a a yesteryear Bollywood star who has actual movie posters of his past films lining his room and who derives guilty pleasure from scrolling through YouTube videos of his films and admiring the comments underneath them. His much-younger wife Simi (Tabu) harbours aspirations of her own.

As the events unfold, Aakash finds himself playing a cheerful melody on the piano with a dead body lying in the same room. The more he tries to go away from the it, the more he gets entangled in the mess and the morals go for a toss with treachery and trickery walking hand-in-hand.

Sriram Raghavan picks up just a thread from the French short film L'Accordeur or The Piano Tuner (2010) by Olivier Treiner and weaves a compelling story which is a perfect mix of pulp and contemporary. With clever usage of visual motifs and references, he makes sure that the underlying theme isn't lost in chaos. Of course, the delicious touch of humour even in the most intense situation adds more to the thrills.

On the flip side, AndhaDhun loses some of its steam at few places in the second half. Having said that, Sriram Raghavan succeeds in making those glitches a faded memory by wrapping the film with an exhilarating climax which pulls off the rug underneath your feet.

Speaking about the performances, AndhaDhun is Ayushmann Khurrana's best shot and he hits it straight out of the park. Radhika Apte lends her own distinct shade to the plot. Tabu or the 'Lady Macbeth' delivers a knock-out performance as a lady who is charm and deadly in equal quantities. Anil Dhawan as the fading 60s superstar laces his character with a sense of eccentricity which makes AndhaDhun even more gripping.

Manav Vij, Chaya Kadam, Ashwini Kalsekar and Zakir Hussain leave an indelible impression.

The team of writers which include Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, Pooja Ladha Surti and Yogesh Chandekar need to be applauded for their razor-sharp writing which manages to evoke the right emotions in the audience.

Pooja Ladha Surti's editing adds a certain crispiness to the film. K.U Mohanan's top-notch cinematography sucks you in, in the crazy world of AndhaDhun. Amit Trivedi's music leaves you spellbound particularly the piano pieces which linger for long.

Sriram Raghavan scores a winner in AndhaDhun with his brisk writing, masterly performances and an intoxicating background score. I am going with 4 stars.
Kalidas Jayaram has a beeline of projects lined up and he will be seen working with some of the top film-makers of the Malayalam film industry. The young actor, who made his big debut as a lead hero with the movie Poomaram, will be next seen in Jeethu Joseph's upcoming directorial venture. The Pooja ceremony of the film was held a couple of weeks ago and the shoot of the film is currently underway.

Meanwhile, director Jeethu Joseph took to his official Facebook page to send out a photo from the location of the movie. Jeethu Joseph can also be seen in this nicely captured still, featuring the young brigade of actors of the movie. Kalidas Jayaram, Ganapathy, Vishnu Govind, etc., can be seen in this new photo shared by the film-maker. They can be seen striking a pose and the photo rightly suggests that the movie will be a refreshing story of youngsters.

Kalidas Jayaram has sported a different look from that of his previous movie Poomaram. The young actor's new getup with long hair and trimmed beard is sure to be loved by one and all.

In the Facebook post, Jeethu Joseph has mentioned that the team will be announcing the title of the movie soon. Earlier, reports were doing the rounds that the film has been titled as Master Rowdy. However, let us wait for an official announcement from the makers regarding the same.
Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - October 3, 2018) - The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed an emergency action and obtained an asset freeze against two individuals and their companies in a scheme that generated more than $165 million of illegal sales of stock in at least 50 microcap companies. SEC investigators unraveled the multi-year scheme with the assistance of more than a dozen international regulators and sophisticated analysis of nearly 400 bank and brokerage accounts.

According to the SEC's complaint unsealed today, U.K. citizen Roger Knox and his Swiss-based company Wintercap SA helped microcap securities holders evade federal securities laws that restrict sales by large shareholders. The complaint charges that Knox and Wintercap, formerly Silverton SA, helped sellers conceal their stock ownership and provided anonymous access to brokerage accounts to sell the shares in the U.S. market. For three specific issuers detailed in the complaint, Knox sold the stocks when their price and trading volume were inflated by promotional campaigns. Michael T. Gastauer allegedly aided and abetted the fraud by establishing several U.S. corporations and allowing Knox to use their bank accounts to disburse the proceeds of his illegal stock sales.

"Investors can help protect themselves from microcap fraud by using the tools and resources on Investor.gov," said Paul Levenson, Director of the SEC's Boston Regional Office. "The allegations here should put investors on guard that spikes in trading volume may be a mirage produced by insiders secretly dumping their shares."

"Fraudsters must not be allowed to profit at the expense of retail investors by concealing the true nature of their interests and activities and trading through foreign countries," added Raquel Fox, Director of the SEC's Office of International Affairs. "With the timely and robust assistance of our foreign counterparts, we acted quickly to secure illegal profits abroad with the goal of returning assets to investors."

The SEC's complaint, filed in federal district court in Boston, charges Knox and Wintercap with violating the antifraud and registration provisions of the federal securities laws and with acting as unregistered broker-dealers, and charges Gastauer and his entities with aiding and abetting Knox's violations of the antifraud and registration provisions. The complaint also names as relief defendants two family members of Gastauer and a U.K. entity Gastauer controlled. In addition to the asset freeze and other temporary relief obtained yesterday, the SEC seeks permanent injunctions, disgorgement of allegedly ill-gotten gains plus interest, penalties, and penny stock bars.

In a parallel criminal case, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts today announced criminal charges against Knox.

The SEC's investigation was handled by Trevor Donelan, Jonathan Allen, Eric Forni, J. Lauchlan Wash, Rebecca Israel, David Scheffler, and Amy Gwiazda in the Boston Regional Office with assistance from Paul Hopker in the Miami Regional Office, Alex Lefferts in the Office of Market Intelligence, and staff in the Office of International Affairs and the Microcap Fraud Task Force. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Argentinian Comision Nacional de Valores, Alberta Securities Commission, British Columbia Securities Commission, Ontario Securities Commission, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, Bundesanstalt fur Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin), Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, Latvian Financial and Capital Market Commission, Malta Financial Services Authority, Mauritius Financial Services Commission, Mexican Comision Nacional Bancaria y de Valores, New Zealand Financial Markets Authority, Panamanian Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Dubai Financial Services Authority, UAE Securities and Commodities Authority, and Liechtenstein Financial Market Authority.
SAN JOSE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 19, 2018 / Altigen Communications, Inc. (OTCQB: ATGN), a Silicon Valley based provider of Hosted Skype for Business and Contact Center solutions, will announce its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2018 financial results after the close of regular market trading on Wednesday, November 28, 2018. The Company will also hold a conference call to discuss the results at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. ET).

What: Altigen Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2018 Conference Call.

When: Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. ET).

Who: Jeremiah Fleming, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Carolyn David, Vice President of Finance.

How: Dial (877) 407-8031 (domestic) or (201) 689-8031 (international) to listen in to the call. A live webcast will also be made available at www.altigen.com. A telephonic replay will be available approximately one hour after the call through December 28, 2018. To access the replay, dial (877) 481-4010 (domestic) or (919) 882-2331 (international), account #286 conference ID # 41368. A web archive will be made available at www.altigen.com for 90 days following the call's conclusion.

About Altigen Communications, Inc.

Altigen Communications, Inc. (OTCQB: ATGN), a leading Microsoft Cloud Solutions provider, delivers fully managed Unified Communications services, combining Hosted Skype for Business, Advanced Cloud PBX, and Innovative Cloud Contact Center applications with seamless integration to Office 365. With thousands of customers around the world, Altigen solutions are designed for high reliability, ease of use, seamless integration to Microsoft infrastructure technologies, and are built on a scalable, open standards platform. Altigen's worldwide headquarters is in Silicon Valley, California. For more information, call 1-888- ALTIGEN or visit the web site at www.altigen.com.

Contact:

Carolyn David

Vice President of Finance

Altigen Communications, Inc.

(408) 597-9033

SOURCE: Altigen Communications, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/528476/Altigen-Communications-Inc-to-Announce-Fourth-Quarter-and-Fiscal-Year-2018-Results
- 98% of UK employees think learning is essential in deciding to stay with their employer

- 66% of UK companies think learning and development are key for strong business performance

- 75% of companies don't have a learning culture and 66% don't have a digital learning strategy

- 53% of staff don't have a clear understanding of how they contribute to company goals

LONDON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Too many organisations don't prioritise employee development, have not implemented digital learning strategies, and have either inadequate or inconsistent review processes, a new study shows.

Research from Bridge in collaboration with Two Heads Consulting, finds that most businesses in the UK are struggling to engender a culture that prioritises learning and development. Only 25% of HR staff say their organisations have a learning culture. In comparison, three quarters of companies don't have one at all (11%), are still trying to establish one (59%) or report it is not a priority (5%).

Furthermore, despite recognising its importance, 60% of UK companies don't measure the impact of learning on business performance.

"While most employers recognise that good learning and development will positively impact business performance, our research shows that many are failing employees by not having the right tools in place to achieve this," said Kenny Nicholl, General Manager, EMEA at Instructure. "The good news is that employees are hungry to learn, but organisations need to provide more effective and measurable employee development to foster a more engaged, loyal and productive workforce."

In the face of a well-documented skills shortage, organisations in the UK will need to spend an extra 527 million1 to attract the right talent over the next year. Bridge's study shows that there is a real opportunity for companies to capitalise on employees' desire to learn, as seven in ten workers (70%) say that development opportunities are a decisive factor in choosing where to work.

However, the report also uncovers a significant disconnect between employees' learning and their organisation's strategic goals. While almost two in three (64%) UK workers understand what their company does, more than half (53%) don't know how they contribute towards company goals.

The research shows that organisations are split in their approach to developing digital learning strategies. While more than a third (35%) of companies already have one in place, three in ten (30%) are in the process of developing a strategy, and one in three (35%) organisations currently don't have a plan for using digital learning tools.

Performance Review Process Ineffective at Most UK Companies

When it comes to performance reviews, many employees feel they are not adequately served by either their company's policies or their line managers. One in three (32%) workers never have any review meetings at all, and the same proportion (32%) only an annual appraisal.

Many employees who are engaged in a review process are often left feeling that it is not being taken as seriously as it could. Approaching a quarter (23%) of employees feel that their boss sees their appraisal as a "tick box" exercise, and one in seven (14%) say their line manager does little preparation or follow-up. One in ten (10%) say their supervisor 'doesn't have time' for the process, while one in twelve (8%) say their reviewer is 'directive' and tells them what to do.

The research finds that many employees have a hunger for development, with more than seven in ten (72%) feeling that they need to learn more in order to do their job well and around the same proportion (70%) stating that learning is an essential motivating factor in choosing where to work.

However, they want their organisations to be flexible in their approaches to upskilling. Six in ten (60%) employees want to control how and when they learn, compared to just one in six (16%) who want their training and development to be dictated by the company and a quarter (24%) who want to undertake training on their own time.

Click here to download the report: 'Improving Employee Engagement, Retention & Performance.'

Notes to Editors

Bridge and Two Heads Consulting surveyed 500 employees and 200 senior HR and L&D professionals from leading organisations across the UK in the summer of 2018, and the results offer a representative cross section of attitudes on learning, development and performance management. We combined these findings with insights gained from conversations with HR practitioners in order to produce the research and report.

About Bridge

Bridge is an employee development software suite that helps you better develop employees that stick around longer. Bridge gives your people the tools they need to grow in their jobs, mastering critical skills and learning from managers and mentors, all of which helps you attract, develop and retain the best talent. Find out more at www.GetBridge.com .

About Instructure

Instructure, Inc. (NYSE: INST ) is a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology company that makes software that makes people smarter. With a vision to help maximize the potential of people through technology, Instructure enables organisations everywhere to easily develop, deliver and manage engaging face-to-face and online learning experiences. To date, Instructure has connected millions of instructors and learners at more than 4,000 educational institutions and corporations throughout the world. Learn more at www.Instructure.com .

About Two Heads Consulting

Two Heads Consulting is a collaboration between Mervyn Dinnen and Matt Alder, joint authors of the book ' Exceptional Talent ,' who provide research and insights into the changing world of work.

For further information please contact:

Third City

Cathy Farmer / Dan Thompson / Emily Goodbrand Dillon

E: Instructure@thirdcity.co.uk

D: +44 (0)20 3657 9773

M: +44 (0)7805 754904 / +44 (0)7771 520872 / +44 (0)7720 397747

1https://www3.open.ac.uk/media/fullstory.aspx?id=31527

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/623938/Bridge_INST_Horizontal_Logo.jpg
Novartis International AG / Sandoz Healthcare Access Challenge (HACk) returns, seeking digital solutions to local healthcare access challenges . Processed and transmitted by West Corporation. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Despite major advances in modern medicine, universal access to healthcare remains the largest unmet medical need

Building on the inaugural Sandoz HACk, this year's competition expands to seek broader digital solutions to local healthcare access challenges

Three shortlisted entrants will attend South by Southwest (SXSW), where Sandoz will work with them to create scalable solutions that could improve people's lives

The digital press release with multimedia content can be accessed here:

(https://novartis.gcs-web.com/Sandoz-Healthcare-Access-Challenge-HACk-returns-seeking-digital-solutions-to-local-healthcare-acces-challenges)

Holzkirchen, October 4, 2018 -Sandoz, the Novartis generics and biosimilars division, today announces the launch of the second Sandoz Healthcare Access Challenge (HACk).

The Sandoz HACk is a global competition that invites entrepreneurs and innovators in the field of digital technology to submit inspirational ideas with the potential to complement - or even positively disrupt - established approaches to driving access to healthcare. Sandoz HACk opens for entries today (October 4), closing on November 30, 2018.

Universal access to healthcare (https://www.sandoz.com/stories/access-healthcare/making-access-happen-key-sustainable-global-healthcare-all) is still arguably the largest unmet medical need and, while great strides continue to be made globally, access challenges vary hugely across geographies and communities. Therefore, a major step towards improving healthcare access globally is to identify and understand the specific needs of local communities.

"There are still two billion people in this world not getting the medicines they need. This is why we are launching Sandoz HACk as we aim to inspire and embrace the brave and innovative thinking of entrepreneurs and visionaries to improve access to healthcare around the world", said Richard Francis, Division Head and CEO of Sandoz.

Francis added: "Building on the inaugural Sandoz HACk (https://www.sandoz.com/news/media-releases/sandoz-announces-winners-inaugural-healthcare-access-challenge-sandoz-hack), this year we are broadening the competition to anyone, anywhere, with an idea that uses digital technology to help address a local healthcare access challenge. By collaborating, we hope to create ambitious-yet-practical digital solutions that, with scale, could have a significant impact on people's lives."

Digital innovation promises cost-effective and practical solutions with the power to transform access. Last year, Sandoz HACk focused on m-health (mobile health). This year's theme is 'Leveraging Digital Technologies to Solve Healthcare Access Challenges' (https://www.sandoz.com/sites/www.sandoz.com/files/sandoz-hack-white-paper-2018.pdf): encouraging ideas that can drive patient access or help healthcare providers to reach more people.

Three shortlisted entrants, to be announced in January 2019, will receive support from Sandoz experts to develop their ideas and transform potential into real impact. Our three finalists will travel to the world's leading forward-focused gathering of creative minds, South by Southwest (https://www.sxsw.com/) (SXSW; Austin, Texas) in March 2019, to explore, network and discover the latest innovative trends. Following in-person selection, one winner will be chosen and awarded seed funding and support from Sandoz, to help bring their idea to life.

For more details on how to enter the competition and terms and conditions, see here (https://www.sandoz.com/making-access-happen/sandoz-hack).

To view this year's video, see here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-J3CkhOS1w&feature=youtu.be).

Join the conversation on Twitter (https://twitter.com/sandoz_global) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/sandozglobal/) using SandozHACk.

About Sandoz HACk

As the global leader in biosimilars, generic antibiotics and generic oncology medicines, Sandoz aims to play a leading role in making access happen for people around the world. Through Sandoz HACk we will use our expertise to bring access ideas in these areas, and beyond, to life. We believe that small ideas can spark big change and that, together, we can co-create ambitious-yet-practical solutions that break down access barriers around the world.

About Sandoz

Sandoz is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars. As a division of the Novartis Group, our purpose is to discover new ways to improve and extend people's lives. We contribute to society's ability to support growing healthcare needs by pioneering novel approaches to help people around the world access high-quality medicine. Our portfolio of approximately 1000 molecules, covering all major therapeutic areas, accounted for 2017 sales of USD 10.1 billion. In 2017, our products reached well over 500 million patients. Sandoz is headquartered in Holzkirchen, in Germany's Greater Munich area.

Sandoz is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Sandoz_global at http://twitter.com/Sandoz_Global (http://twitter.com/Sandoz_Global).

Follow our blog at www.sandoz.com/makingaccesshappen (http://www.sandoz.com/makingaccesshappen)

For further details visit www.sandoz.com/makingaccesshappen



(https://www.sandoz.com/makingaccesshappen)

###

Novartis Media Relations

Central media line: +41 61 324 2200

E-mail: media.relations@novartis.com (mailto:media.relations@novartis.com)

Eric Althoff

Novartis Global Media Relations

+41 61 324 7999 (direct)

+41 79 593 4202 (mobile)

eric.althoff@novartis.com (mailto:eric.althoff@novartis.com) Chris Lewis

Sandoz Global Communications

+49 8924 476 1906 (direct)

+49 174 244 9501 (mobile)

chris.lewis@sandoz.com (mailto:chris.lewis@sandoz.com)





Media release (PDF) (http://hugin.info/134323/R/2219235/867985.pdf)


LUXEMBOURG, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The International Life Plan is a pure protection solution for High Net Worth clients

This solution has been exclusively designed to cover a range of circumstances including liquidity on death to cover Inheritance Tax liabilities and key person risks

Cover can be offered on international lives and risks written in multiple currencies including: GBP, EUR, USD or CHF

Lombard International Assurance, a global leader in wealth planning solutions for high net worth individuals and institutions, has today announced the launch of the International Life Plan. This sophisticated protection solution offers High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) the ability to protect and preserve key parts of their personal, family and business legacies, by providing liquidity to meet estate planning needs.

Families are increasingly looking to protect against the associated risks of longer term succession planning, especially where family assets are held in multiple jurisdictions. For example, the UK recently introduced legislation that brings both directly and indirectly held residential property within the scope of inheritance tax (IHT) for non-domiciled individuals, whether they are UK resident or not. Additionally, following the German Inheritance Tax Reform of 2016, a growing number of German family owned businesses (German Mittelstand) are exposed to IHT, which could cause disruption following the death of the principle. In worst case scenarios the family owned business may have to be sold in order to cover IHT. As a result of these growing fiscal obligations, a growing number of international families require solutions to help meet their liabilities while protecting their assets for future generations.

Lombard International Assurance has designed the International Life Plan specifically for HNWIs facing these challenges, to efficiently manage their fiscal and other obligations, while ensuring that their financial legacies remain intact. The solution is particularly relevant for international individuals who require a higher level of cover, whose planning needs are more complex, and so require highly bespoke solutions.

In addition to covering obligations associated with succession, the International Life Plan can be used as a risk management tool to address a broad range of needs such as family security, personal and business debt repayment, partnership protection and key person risk protection.

Axel Horger, Chief Executive Officer of Lombard International Assurance, said:" At Lombard International Assurance, we understand the importance of highly sophisticated, long term wealth planning for high net worth clients. These individuals have significant responsibilities and so providing liquidity at the right time is essential to ensure that their legacies continue. Our unrivalled expertise means that we are uniquely placed to offer such a solution."

"As pioneers in unit-linked life insurance, the International Life Plan reinforces our ongoing commitment to remain at the forefront of innovation in developing the best solutions for our clients. We intend to further develop our range of sophisticated protection products over the coming months."

The solution is currently available to UK and German residents and to UK non-domiciliaries with UK obligations. It has been designed as either a fixed term or whole of life solution in the UK and with defined term options in Germany ranging from 10 years, to term to age 99, which on the death of the life assured will pay a fixed death benefit. Joint lives assured can also be accepted on either a first or second death basis. Cover is offered on International Lives and risks written in Sterling GBP, Euro, USD or CHF.

Lombard International is reinsured by RGA, a leading life reinsurer, to ensure the highest confidence in Lombard's future claims-paying ability and the long-term sustainability of the International Life Plan.

Lombard International Assurance administers one of largest unit-linked life insurance portfolios in Europe. The International Life Plan leverages its existing in-house technical expertise in cross-border wealth solutions to maximise clients' security and serve even their most complex and demanding wealth planning requirements.

Notes to Editors

About Lombard International

Lombard International is a leading life insurance-based wealth solutions provider with over 25 years' experience. We have the strength and expertise to provide wealth structuring solutions using unit-linked life insurance to ultra-high net worth individuals, their families and institutions around the globe.

The global group, Lombard International, launched to market in September 2015. With head offices in Luxembourg and Philadelphia, and serving over 20 markets across the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America, we are able to provide multi-jurisdictional wealth planning solutions on a global basis with a deep understanding of local cultures and attitudes.

Global assets under administration are in excess of 41.2bn as of 31 December 2017. Our global team of approximately 600 includes more than 60 technical experts specializing in multiple jurisdictions.

Funds managed by Blackstone own Lombard International. Blackstone Group L.P. is one of the world's leading investment firms with $434 billion in assets under management as at December 31, 2017.

For further information about Lombard International visit: http://www.lombardinternational.com
Frankfurt (ots) - International Federation of Robotics presentsWorld Robotics Report 2018:- Press conference - October 18th (Thursday) at 10:00 in Tokyo -IFRPresident, Junji Tsuda- IFR Vice President, Steven Wyatt- IFR Statistical Department, Gudrun LitzenbergerIndustrial robots are the crucial part of digitalization of themanufacturing industry around the world. The new World RoboticsReport by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) shows that arecord of 381.000 units have been shipped globally - plus 30 percent.Sales value increased by 21 percent to a new peak of US$16.2 billion.At the same time total number of professional service robots soldrose by 85 percent.The new World Robotics Report 2018 shows where Asia, America andEurope now stand in the automation race. How will the conquest ofindustrial robots progress in the automotive and electronics sectorsor even completely new fields of application until 2021 and how doesthe service robots sector evolve?The International Federation of Robotics invites journalists to apress conference for the publication of the World Robotics Report2018:When: Thursday, October 18th 201810:00-11:30 Tokyo local timeWhere: Tokyo Big Site Conference Tower, room 606.3-11-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0063, JapanThe Speakers:- Junji Tsuda, President of IFR (Yaskawa Electric Corporation)- IFR Vice President, Steven Wyatt (ABB)- Gudrun Litzenberger, IFR Statistical DepartmentThe Topics:- World Robotics Report - Industrial Robots: The global automationrace in numbers- World Robotics Report - Service Robots: successstory for professional & private use- Robotic trends and new fields of application in the futurePlease register with Carsten Heer:email: newsroom@econ-news.com Telephone: +49 40 82244 284World Robotics Report - Industrial Robots: This unique reportprovides global statistics on industrial robots in standardizedtables and enables national comparisons to be made. It containsstatistical data from around 40 countries broken down into areas ofapplication, industrial sectors, types of robots and other technicaland economic aspects. Production, export and import data is listedfor selected countries. It also describes the trends in relation torobot density, e.g. the number of robots per 10,000 employees inrelevant sectors.World Robotics Report - Service Robots: This unique reportprovides global statistics on service robots, market analyses, casestudies and international research strategies on service robots. Thestudy is jointly prepared with our partner Fraunhofer IPA, Stuttgart.The International Federation of Roboticshttp://www.ifr.orgGudrun LitzenbergerInternational Federation of RoboticsOriginaltext: The International Federation of RoboticsDigitale Medienmappe: http://www.presseportal.ch/de/nr/100057154Medienmappe via RSS: http://www.presseportal.ch/de/rss/pm_100057154.rss2Kontakt:econNEWSnetworkCarsten HeerTel. +49 (0) 40 822 44 284E-Mail: redaktion@econ-news.de
LONDON, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

BE OPEN, the humanitarian think tank founded by international philanthropist and entrepreneur Elena Baturina, and the Society for British & International Design (SBID) are facilitating an important link between creative education and business through their new 'Designed for Business' competition. In a bid to showcase emerging talent across five creative sectors - Art, Fashion, Interior Design, Product Design and Interior Decoration - the competition connects students with 16 prestigious industry experts, providing inspiration through their differing routes to business.

The competition's panel of judges came together on 18 September to asses and nominate entries, with the category winners being announced on 29 October. The five category winners will be given 1,000 each at the awards ceremony that will be held at the House of Commons on 29 November, when the overall winner will be announced and presented with a prize of 30,000.

The prestigious panel of judges comprises figures from companies including Sebastian Conran Associates, Amazon UK, Christie's Education, John Lewis, Amara, HG Designworks, X+Q Art and VitrA.

A selection of the judges have provided insight into their own personal route to business and offered advice for young creatives starting out on their path today.

Sam Hood, Founder & Creative Director of Amara: "I discovered my passion for interiors later on in my career. That led me to re-design my own home which turned into a business which was initially run from my kitchen table, then onto a retail space. We soon saw the possibility as an online only retailer and that's when Amara.com was officially launched."

Diana Celella, Founding Director of The Drawing Room & President of SBID: "My advice to a young graduate would be to listen and learn from experienced designers. To be successful in the creative industries you have to be passionate about design, it is more than a job, it is all encompassing. You need to live, love and breath design."

Jane Hay, International Managing Director of Christie's Education: "Immerse yourself in the creative hub in your city, live where the creative people live and work, and insert yourself into their world. Spend six months listening to the conversation before you start selling yourself - you will learn a lot. Any job is better than no job - it's about being there and gaining visibility."


Satuit Technologies, Inc., a global leader in software solutions for the professional investment market, is pleased to announce that Long Harbour Ltd. has chosen SatuitCRM for their firm's Client Relationship Management (CRM).

Long Harbour Ltd. is a real estate and asset backed investment manager headquartered in London. It was established in 2009 to help bridge the gap between illiquid asset classes, and institutional investors seeking to deploy capital into long-term income generating assets. The firm had outgrown the limits of its previous CRM solution, so the management at Long Harbour Ltd. sought a CRM system that would enhance fund raising capabilities and investor communications.

Christophe de Taurines, Senior Advisor at Long Harbour Ltd., sponsored the CRM project. The team evaluated many CRM solutions ranging from the generic to those that are tailored specifically for the asset management market. Christophe commented: "We chose Satuit because the software was clearly tailored to our business needs out of the box. A key decision point was also the fact that the software was intuitive and very easy to use."

"Growth in the alternative asset management space is a key goal for us. We continue to develop new features to meet the demands of clients like Long Harbour," said Satuit CEO, Karen Maguire.

ABOUT LONG HARBOUR LTD.

Long Harbour is an established UK real estate and asset backed investment manager headquartered in London. It was established in 2009 to help bridge the gap between illiquid asset classes, often with high barriers to entry, and institutional investors seeking to deploy capital into long-term income generating assets.

ABOUT SATUIT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Satuit Technologies, Inc. is the premier provider of CRM, reporting and portal software solutions for the asset management, hedge fund, wealth management, private equity, and real estate markets. Satuit has offices in the United States and the United Kingdom, and serves clients in more than thirty-five countries. Satuit Technologies is certified as a women's business enterprise by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). For additional information, visit www.satuit.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005086/en/

Contacts:

Satuit Technologies, Inc.

Tegan Folsom, 781-378-4158

tfolsom@satuit.com


Moody's Analytics, a leading provider of financial intelligence, announced today that its technology has been selected by PRO BTP Insurance Group (PRO BTP), a non-profit, jointly managed insurer. PRO BTP will use the Moody's Analytics RiskIntegrity Proxy Generator solution to assess the impact of economic shocks and different asset allocations on the company's capital position and balance sheet.

PRO BTP, an existing client of the Moody's Analytics Economic Scenario Generator (ESG), has chosen the RiskIntegrity Proxy Generator for its ability to model their complex liabilities over multiple time-step projection horizons. By automating the creation of proxy functions, insurers can manage hundreds of functions within a single solution across their enterprise.

"PRO BTP's decision to use the Moody's Analytics RiskIntegrity Proxy Generator was driven by the breadth of the functionality available in a single business solution," said Gilles Garnier, Chief Investment Officer at PRO BTP. "The flexibility of the solution and the automated integration with the Moody's Analytics ESG will allow PRO BTP to tailor the production of proxies to their own liabilities, and will accelerate production of the large number of simulations required."

"We are delighted that PRO BTP has selected RiskIntegrity Proxy Generator to address a wide range of modeling needs, including valuation, capital calculation, and strategic asset allocation," said Colin Holmes, Managing Director of Insurance Solutions at Moody's Analytics.

Click here to learn more about the Moody's Analytics RiskIntegrity Proxy Generator.

About Moody's Analytics

Moody's Analytics provides financial intelligence and analytical tools to help business leaders make better, faster decisions. Our deep risk expertise, expansive information resources, and innovative application of technology help our clients confidently navigate an evolving marketplace. We are known for our industry-leading and award-winning solutions, made up of research, data, software, and professional services, assembled to deliver a seamless customer experience. We create confidence in thousands of organizations worldwide, with our commitment to excellence, open mindset approach, and focus on meeting customer needs. For more information about Moody's Analytics, visit www.moodysanalytics.com.

Moody's Analytics is a subsidiary of Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO). Moody's Corporation reported revenue of $4.2 billion in 2017, employs approximately 12,300 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 42 countries.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005259/en/

Contacts:

Tracey Scott

Moody's Analytics Communications

044.207.772.5207

Moody's Analytics Media Relations
VODNJAN, Croatia, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The WAS #8 Event will be held in Rovinj

Infobip, global communications platform for businesses is hosting GSMA's conference for the organization's Wholesale Agreements and Solution Group (WAS).

The WAS group is responsible for Operator-to-Operator and Operator-to-Hub interoperability (including interworking and roaming) to provide GSMA members with a consistent, reliable GSM service for members to offer their customers. The Wholesale Agreements and Solutions Group have two face-to-face events per year, the last event was held in Dubai in March this year, and this is the first time the conference is held in Croatia.

The WAS#8 event is taking place October 8-11 in Rovinj, Croatia, a renowned tourist and conference destination in the region of Istria. Infobip's HQ Campus Pangea is located in the nearby town of Vodnjan.

"We are welcoming mobile operators and telecom solutions vendor from around the world to beautiful Istria for a productive and inspirational WAS conference. Infobip is proud to host this prestigous event right near the birthplace of our global company and we would like to extend our gratitude to GSMA for the cooperation in bringing WAS to Croatia," said Silvio Kutic, CEO of Infobip.

The WAS#8 event will take place in the Old Tobacco Factory in Rovinj. It will include an exhibition area, engaging panel discussions and a networking area. It is open to GSMA members and associate members.

"Infobip has been a member of GSM for a decade now and we are proud to have Infobip sponsor the WAS working group and host the conference. We are looking forward to productive days together, bringing the expertise of the international Wholesale Agreements and Solutions Group together in Croatia," said Gregory Geodjenian, Senior Director of Membership at GSMA.

About Infobip

Recently awarded world's best A2P SMS vendor by ROCCO, Infobip was founded over a decade ago. The company grew into an international business with 59 offices on six continents offering in-house developed messaging platform with the capacity to reach over six billion mobile devices connected to over 800 telecoms networks.

Infobip innovates at the intersection of Internet and telecoms technologies, creating new ways and opportunities for businesses and their end users to interact over mobile devices. The company serves and partners with leading mobile operators, messaging apps, banks, social networks, tech companies, and aggregators.



Tina Loncaric

Global Public Relations Director, Infobip

Tel: +385-99-4699-343


Treatment with NT-814 resulted in immediate improvements in bothersome post-menopausal symptoms~

Phase Ib/IIa data showed rapid and significant reductions in the frequency and severity of hot flashes and the number of night time awakenings~

KaNDy Therapeutics, a UK clinical-stage biotech company, announces the presentation of new clinical data from the Phase Ib/IIa proof of concept clinical trial with its lead non-hormonal drug candidate, NT-814, at The North American Menopause Society 2018 Annual Meeting taking place from 3-6 October 2018 in San Diego, US.

Data from the Phase Ib/IIa RELENT-1 study, presented by Dr Steve Pawsey, Chief Medical Officer at KaNDy Therapeutics, demonstrate compelling evidence that NT-814, a novel, once-daily, oral neurokinin-1,3 receptor antagonist, being developed to provide a safe and effective alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), produces a rapid and profound reduction in debilitating symptoms of the menopause including vasomotor symptoms (VMS), also known as hot flush or flash (HF), and night time awakenings.

The effects of treatment with NT-814 were immediate in onset, being both statistically significant and clinically relevant as soon as the first day of treatment. In contrast, studies with HRT have shown onset is within weeks or months.

The Phase Ib/IIa data also demonstrated that treatment with NT-814, taken once daily for two weeks at the most effective dose evaluated, resulted in rapid and significant reductions in:

the frequency of HF, with a reduction of 62% from baseline in the number of moderate and severe HF vs 24% for placebo in Week 1 (p<0.0014) and an 84% reduction from baseline vs 37% for placebo in week 2 (p<0.0002)

of HF, with a reduction of 62% from baseline in the number of moderate and severe HF vs 24% for placebo in Week 1 (p<0.0014) and an 84% reduction from baseline vs 37% for placebo in week 2 (p<0.0002) the severity of HF, with a reduction of 23% from baseline in average HF severity vs 9% for placebo in week 1 (p<0.015) and a 50% reduction from baseline vs 16% for placebo in Week 2 (p<0.0004)

of HF, with a reduction of 23% from baseline in average HF severity vs 9% for placebo in week 1 (p<0.015) and a 50% reduction from baseline vs 16% for placebo in Week 2 (p<0.0004) the number of night time awakenings, with a reduction of 58% from baseline vs 17% for placebo in Week 1 (p< 0.0022) and an 81% reduction from baseline vs 32% for placebo in Week 2 (p< 0.0005).

NT-814 was found to be well-tolerated and no safety concerns were identified in the study.

Commenting on the data, Dr Steve Pawsey, Chief Medical Officer at KaNDy Therapeutics said: "These data presented today provide very compelling evidence to support the use of NT-814 to treat bothersome symptoms of the menopause. The fact that the effects of treatment are seen from the first day is extremely promising and positions NT-814 as a real alternative to HRT which can take weeks or months to be fully effective. We are looking forward to progressing this candidate through clinical development, in order to make this treatment commercially available as soon as possible."

Dr Hadine Joffe, Paula A. Johnson Associate Professor of Psychiatry in the Field of Women's Health, Harvard Medical School, Executive Director of the Connors Center for Women's Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Scientific and Clinical Advisor to KaNDy Therapeutics added: "The results generated thus far are indeed promising. HRT is effective and has a number of safety concerns and is slow in onset, so there is a real need for a safe, non-hormonal treatment option which acts quickly to relieve symptoms. This study has shown that NT-814 not only results in rapid and significant reductions in both hot flashes and night-time awakenings, but also that the effects of treatment are immediate. I believe NT-814 could be a potentially breakthrough non-hormonal option for the millions of women who suffer with debilitating symptoms related to menopause."

Based on these results, KaNDy Therapeutics intends to advance NT-814 into a fully powered Phase IIb definitive dose-ranging study in patients suffering from debilitating symptoms of the menopause. The Phase IIb trial is expected to begin later this year.

The full abstract can be viewed on The NAMS website: https://www.menopause.org/annual-meetings/2018-meeting/meeting-abstracts

About the RELENT-1 Study: The Phase Ib/IIa RELENT-1 study was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted at three clinical pharmacology units (CPU) in the US. Seventy-six women aged 41 to 64 years experiencing 7-20 moderate or severe HFs per day were recruited into the study and randomized to receive one of four escalating doses of NT-814 or placebo in four cohorts. Study drug was taken once daily in the morning for 14 days, the first seven of which were resident in the CPU. Subjects completed diaries twice daily for the two weeks before and throughout treatment and underwent routine safety assessments periodically throughout the trial. Further information on the study design can be found on www.clinicaltrials.gov and full results of the study will be published at scientific congresses and in peer-reviewed journals over the coming months.

NT-814 is an orally administered, potent and selective small molecule dual antagonist of both the neurokinin-1 and 3 receptors under development by KaNDy as a therapy for a range of Women's Health conditions. NT-814 addresses VMS by modulating a group of oestrogen sensitive neurones in the hypothalamus in the brain (the KNDy neurones), that, because of the absence of oestrogen in menopausal women, become hyperactive and consequently disrupt body heat control mechanisms resulting in the debilitating vasomotor symptoms of HF.

KaNDy Therapeutics is a clinical-stage company focused on optimizing the potential of NT-814 in the treatment of common, chronic debilitating female sex-hormone related conditions. These conditions, such as post-menopausal VMS, are debilitating for women often over many years and associated with significant healthcare and economic costs.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005277/en/

Contacts:

KaNDy Therapeutics

info@kandytherapeutics.com

or

Consilium Strategic Communications

Mary-Jane Elliott/ Lindsey Neville/ Carina Jurs

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700

KaNDyTherapeutics@consilium-comms.com
October 4, 2018 - Aker Solutions has been awarded a five-year agreement to supply brownfield modifications, maintenance and operations support for BP's Greater Plutonio and PSVM fields offshore Angola.

The scope of work covers the supply of engineering, procurement, and construction services for brownfield projects on the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels located at each field. This includes support for upgrades to process, chemical and marine support systems, as well as refurbishment of ageing piping and equipment.

"We are delighted to support BP in Angola, an important market for Aker Solutions," commented Luis Araujo, chief executive officer at Aker Solutions. "We have a strong record of successful delivery in Angola, having provided subsea support to key projects such as Dalia and Kaombo. We are now pleased to expand this offering to include topside maintenance, modifications and operations services in West Africa."

This new contract will benefit from an extensive local training program that Aker Solutions has been driving, developing strong in-country engineering competence for both subsea lifecycle services and topside maintenance, modifications and operations. This ongoing commitment will help secure vital skills for the future of the energy industry in Angola.

Aker Solutions has been working in Angola since 1998 and currently has more than 270 employees in Luanda.

The order will be booked in the third quarter 2018.

ENDS

Media Contact:

Colin Ross, tel: +44 1224 750550, e-mail: colin.d.ross@akersolutions.com (mailto:colin.d.ross@akersolutions.com)

Investor Contact:

Fredrik Berge, tel: +47 22 94 62 19, mob: +47 450 32 090, e-mail: fredrik.berge@akersolutions.com (mailto:fredrik.berge@akersolutions.com)

Aker Solutions is a global provider of products, systems and services to the oil and gas industry. Its engineering, design and technology bring discoveries into production and maximize recovery. The company employs approximately 14,000 people in about 20 countries. Go to http://akersolutions.com (http://akersolutions.com/) for more information on our business, people and values.

This press release may include forward-looking information or statements and is subject to our disclaimer, see http://akersolutions.com (http://akersolutions.com/)

Note to editors: The Greater Plutonio FPSO is located in Angola's Block 18 comprising five fields spread over an area of 5,000 sq. kilometers and in water depths of up to 1.600m.The PSVM FPSO is located in Block 31 comprising four fields spread over an area 34 kilometers wide and in water depths of up to 2,000m.

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: Aker Solutions ASA via Globenewswire


The voice-enabled App to help Caregivers track Abbott's FreeStyle Libre and FreeStyle Libre Pro glucose sensor readings, effortlessly.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ambrosia Systems, a fast-growing medical technology company, today announced the launch of its Voice app, Follow BluCon , to monitor glucose levels of diabetics patients around the world. The App, which is integrated with Amazon Alexa, can be activated by a simple Voice command. This makes it easier for Caregivers of Abbott's FreeStyle Libre and FreeStyle Libre Pro Sensor users to know the glucose levels of their loved ones without contacting them or accessing a mobile app for periodic readings.

Ambrosia has built an entire eco-system for Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) -- right from its own electronic device for transmitting sensor readings, to building a mobile app and now a Voice app. Users can now quickly access glucose reading using a simple voice command. The FollowBluCon app not only shows glucose readings every 5 minutes but also provides trend data.

"We're always looking for new ways to make it easy for Caregivers to keep track of the glucose levels of their loved ones," said Piyush Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, Ambrosia Systems. "With the new Alexa skill, we're thrilled to offer added convenience to our users," he said.

Disclaimer:

FreeStyle Libre is a trademark of Abbott Diabetes Care Inc. Ambrosia Systems Inc. does not have any kind of relationship with Abbott Diabetic Care or Abbott Laboratories.

About Ambrosia Systems

Ambrosia Systems is a fast-growing medical technology company focused on building easy-to-use and affordable technology solutions. We make devices which can read many different types of Near Field Communication (NFC) tags and transmit information to mobile devices or phones over a Bluetooth connection. Our products work equally well over iPhone, Android phone, iPod, Apple Watch or Android Watch.

In the Healthcare space, our product and apps work with Abbott's NFC-based FreeStyle Libre sensor to help patients continuously monitor their glucose levels on their mobile phone every 5 minutes. The low cost NightRider BluCon is currently in use in more than 100 countries around the world. To learn more, visit www.ambrosiasys.com or follow us @Ambrosia_Sys.

Media Contacts:

United States

Mia Flaherty

Ambrosia Systems

Phone: +1-415-293-8242

Email: mia.flaherty@ambrosiasys.com

India

Sandhya Rao

Ambrosia Systems

Phone: +91 7022998647

Email: Sandhya.Rao@ambrosiasys.com
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

Zecotek Photonics Inc. ("Zecotek" or the "Company") (TSX-V: W1I) (ZMS: W1I) (Frankfurt: W1I), a developer of leading-edge photonics technologies for healthcare, industrial and scientific markets, is pleased to announce its has now closed on the previously announced divisional equity financing of $2 million. The financing, announced on July 18, 2018, was completed by selling a 2% equity interest in the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Zecotek Imaging Systems Pte. Ltd. to an industrial business group based in China for net proceeds of $2 million.

"The funds raised in this divisional equity financing will be used to continue the manufacturing of the new generation series of solid-state micro-pixel avalanche photo diodes and transistors (MAPD/T)," said Dr. A.F. Zerrouk, Chairman, President, and CEO of Zecotek Photonics Inc. "We have partnered with the Malaysian Institute of Microelectronics Systems and are moving to full production and commercialization. Medical imaging, high energy physics and other industrial applications, such as agriculture, genomics and LIDAR for autonomous cars, recognize the significant performance advantages of our MAPD/T. We are working with experts on a revised strategy to better reflect the values built at the subsidiaries level in our existing markets and industries. We will leverage the competitive advantages of our sensing and scanning technologies to establish new standards and benchmarks for product quality control essential to the industries associated to the newest Canadian market trends."

The divisional financing was based on the appraised pre-commercialized value of Zecotek Imaging Systems of approximately $100 million. Recent M&A activity in the photo detector manufacturing marketplace is a clear indication of the increasing market interest and valuations of new generation solid-state micro-pixel avalanche photo diodes technologies. More and more organizations are adopting solid-state photo diodes and transistors and are increasingly moving away from photomultiplier tubes.

Zecotek's patented MAPD/T offers significant performance-cost advantages over competing photomultiplier tubes (PMT) and other solid-state, silicon-based photo detectors known as SiPM. The new generation MAPD/T have low manufacturing cost, excellent timing resolution and photon detection efficiency - key characteristics for the new configurations of high resolution PET medical scanners. Solid-state MAPD/T also offer superior recovery time, unique radiation hardness and display of the highest possible linearity making them prime components for the improved detector designs required in high energy experiments at the Chinese Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) and CERN. Zecotek's pioneering MAPD technology can also be used to manufacture two-dimensional arrays of solid-state photo detectors, which allows for the manufacture and implementation of both very large-area detectors and compact position-sensitive arrays.

About Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems

MIMOS is Malaysia's premier Applied Research and Development Centre in Information and Communications Technology, Industrial Electronics Technology and Nano-Semiconductor Technology. As a strategic agency under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), MIMOS contributes to raising Malaysia's competitiveness by pioneering market creation for Malaysian technopreneurs through patentable technology platforms, products and solutions. Over the past 12 years, MIMOS has filed more than 2,000 Intellectual Properties in various technology domains and across key socio-economic areas. Serving a central role in Malaysia's transformation journey and ICT Vision, MIMOS endeavors to create a culture of innovation by nurturing relationships with internal and external stakeholders, in the spirit of smart partnerships and inclusive growth models and strategies. For more information visit: http://www.mimos.my .

About Zecotek

Zecotek Photonics Inc (TSX-V: ZMS; Frankfurt: W1I) is a photonics technology company developing high-performance scintillation crystals, photo detectors, positron emission tomography scanning technologies, 3D auto-stereoscopic displays, 3D metal printing, and lasers for applications in medical, high-tech and industrial sectors. Founded in 2004, Zecotek operates three divisions: Imaging Systems, Optronics Systems and 3D Display Systems with labs located in Canada, Korea, Russia, Singapore and U.S.A. The management team is focused on building shareholder value by commercializing over 50 patented and patent pending novel photonic technologies directly and through strategic alliances with Hamamatsu Photonics (Japan), the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Switzerland), Shanghai EBO Optoelectronics Technology Co. (China), NuCare Medical Systems (South Korea), the University of Washington (United States), and National NanoFab Center (South Korea). For more information visit http://www.zecotek.com and follow @zecotek on Twitter.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results and trends may differ materially from what may have been stated.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. If you would like to receive news from Zecotek in the future please visit the corporate website athttp://www.zecotek.com

For Additional Information Please Contact:

Zecotek Photonics Inc.

Michael Minder

T: +1(604)783-8291

ir@zecotek.com


Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 4, 2018) - Aurania Resources Ltd. (TSXV: ARU) ("Aurania" or the "Company") reports that significant copper mineralization has been discovered by two separate regional exploration teams in the Lost Cities - Cutucu Project ("Project") in Ecuador. The discoveries are approximately 20 kilometres (14 miles) apart: the first target is called "Jempe" and the other, "Kirus." The discoveries were made during exploration of two of the many magnetic targets identified from the geophysical survey conducted over the Project.

Aurania Chairman and CEO, Dr. Keith Barron commented, "We are delighted to have linked outcropping copper mineralization with geophysical targets for the first time in our Project area. This gives us confidence that the numerous geophysical features that have been identified as prospective porphyry copper targets in the Project area have real potential."

Jempe Target:

Copper mineralization has been found in outcropping volcanic rock that was routinely sampled during reconnaissance stream sediment sampling. The samples, which contain conspicuous green malachite and blue-grey chalcocite, returned a maximum value of 3% copper and up to 47g/t silver (Figure 1). This copper mineralization is significant because it:

Occurs in an area of weak magnetism (defined in data from the geophysical survey that was flown last year); and

Occurs in tuff (hardened volcanic ash) that is typically deposited above, or lateral to, the copper-rich core of porphyry systems.

These features, along with the low molybdenum content of the tuff, suggests that the copper mineralization found at Jempe does not lie in the core of the mineralized system: the core is likely to be associated with either or both areas of strong magnetism that flank the magnetic low evident in the geophysical data (Figure 2A).

Kirus Target:

Final assays have not yet been received from routine rock-chip sampling that was done during the stream sediment sampling of the Kirus geophysical target. However, initial results show in excess of 1% copper and up to 59g/t silver - final copper results will be reported when they are received from the lab. As with the Jempe target, the host rock to the copper-silver mineralization at Kirus is finely banded tuff (Figure 3).

The copper mineralization encountered in the first reconnaissance of Kirus lies on the northern edge of an area of anomalously strong magnetism that is approximately 4 km in diameter (Figure 2B and 2C).





Figure 1. Copper mineralization (2.97 % Cu, green is malachite - a copper carbonate mineral) in sandy-textured tuff from the Jempe target. The black layers are secondary biotite alteration of hornblende crystals. Biotite alteration is typical of porphyry systems.



To view an enhanced version of this Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2477/40152_a1538595086176_38.jpg





Figure 2. Map showing the magnetic feature in the geophysical data from the Jempe (A.) and Kirus (B. & C.) targets. The colour range on the map is dark blue for the areas of weakest magnetism through to pink for the most highly magnetic areas. The location of the rock chip samples is also shown.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2477/40152_a1538595086301_48.jpg

Aurania's President, Dr. Richard Spencer, noted, "I was involved with the initial discoveries of the San Carlos, Panantza and Mirador copper porphyry deposits in Ecuador that are currently being developed. The discovery of this initial copper mineralization at surface at Kirus and Jempe on Aurania's property approximately 25 kilometres to the north of San Carlos and Panantza and approximately 75 km to the north of Mirador, is more impressive in the samples taken to date. It is also important to note that our copper mineralization occurs in tuffaceous rocks versus the occurrence in granitic rocks at San Carlos, Panantza and Mirador. This would suggest that we may have the full porphyry system preserved with little to none eroded off."

The geophysical signature of the Kirus target is similar to that of porphyry systems elsewhere in the world where copper mineralization is concentrated near the magnetic core of granitic bodies. Most porphyry systems have characteristic alteration zoning from magnetite-biotite at the core - formed under the highest temperature - through concentric bands of lower-temperature minerals that form further from the core. Three features of the rock-chip samples from Kirus suggest that they are from the outer parts of a porphyry system:

The pervasive alteration mineral is white clay - suspected to be illite-smectite - that forms in the outer and upper periphery of porphyry systems. It is unusual to have high-grade copper so far from the core of a copper porphyry;

The host rock is a volcanic tuff - again, typically found outward of the core of porphyry systems that are usually centered on intrusive stocks of broadly granitic composition; and

The molybdenum values of the rock chip samples are relatively low in comparison to porphyry copper deposits such as Mirador, San Carlos and Panantza that lie along-trend in the Cordillera del Condor. Molybdenum is concentrated in the core of those deposits.

The conclusion of this early-stage work is that both the Kirus and Jempe targets represent the upper parts of porphyry systems, and the porphyries are expected to lie at relatively shallow depth beneath, and lateral to, the reconnaissance sample positions.





Figure 3. Copper mineralization (green is malachite - a copper carbonate mineral) in tuff from the Kirus target.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2477/40152_a1538595086410_87.jpg

Next Steps:

The plan is to complete the stream sediment sampling program over the geophysical targets and to cover the catchment areas that are enriched in copper and associated metals, with ridge and spur soil sampling to refine the location and shape of the target. It is anticipated that Jempe and Kuris will join the list of targets being ranked for near-term scout drilling.

About Aurania

Aurania is a junior exploration mining company engaged in the identification, evaluation, acquisition and exploration of mineral property interests, with a focus on precious metals and copper. Its flagship asset,

The Lost Cities - Cutucu Project, is located in the Jurassic Metallogenic Belt in the eastern foothills of the Andes mountain range of southeastern Ecuador.

Information on Aurania and technical reports are available at www.aurania.com and www.sedar.com, as well as on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/auranialtd/, Twitter at https://twitter.com/auranialtd, and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurania-resources-ltd-.

For further information, please contact:

Carolyn Muir

Manager - Investor Services

Aurania Resources Ltd.

(416) 367-3200

carolyn.muir@aurania.com

Dr. Richard Spencer

President

Aurania Resources Ltd.

(416) 367-3200

richard.spencer@aurania.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.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking information that involves substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, most of which are beyond the control of Aurania. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe Aurania's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that Aurania or its management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to Aurania, Aurania provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, Aurania's objectives, goals or future plans, statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the corporation's portfolio, treasury, management team and enhanced capital markets profile, the estimation of mineral resources, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, failure to identify mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves, the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, regulatory, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, inability to fulfill the duty to accommodate indigenous peoples, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, and those risks set out in Aurania's public documents filed on SEDAR. Although Aurania believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Aurania disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.
Joint Venture with Zhongliang Real Estate To Develop 430 Units in Established In-Fill Location with Improving Infrastructure and Retail, Educational and Recreational Amenities

DALLAS and BEIJING, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Century Bridge Capital announced today that it has invested $5.6 million in a joint venture real estate development for a middle-income, residential project in Huai'an, a Tier 3 city in northern Jiangsu Province, China. The investment will be made through a joint venture with Zhongliang Real Estate Group.

Commenting on the investment Century Bridge CEO, Tom Delatour, noted, "Market dynamics in this Huai'an submarket are attractive at this point in time with strong housing demand and low inventory forecast for the short and medium term. This current imbalance in demand and supply, along with disposable income growth that has outpaced housing price growth, and the resulting increased affordability of housing in Huai'an, are among the key characteristics we look for when assessing risk and upside potential for new investments.

"Given these elements we believe the project has the essential ingredients for a successful joint venture residential development. In addition to the favorable dynamic between affordability and home prices it is in an in-fill site located in a mature submarket benefiting from expanding infrastructure and stable economic growth as well as a significant growing, unfulfilled demand for middle class housing."

Century Bridge President, Wei Deng, commented, "This is our second joint venture with Zhongliang Real Estate Group, with whom we have an effective and collaborative relationship on our Xuzhou development project which we announced in May. Zhongliang has been developing projects in China for 26 years and is ranked as a top 25 real estate developer nationwide by the State Council Research & Development Center and China Index Academy. Their focus on projects in Tier 2 and 3 cities, their history developing real estate in China, and our current working relationship with them in Xuzhou make them an ideal partner for the Huai'an investment. A key component of Century Bridge's strategy is the development of long-term relationships with our local partners, and we are pleased to be commencing our second joint venture with Zhongliang."

KEY FACTS

Huai'an - A vibrant Tier 3 city which benefits from steady infrastructure investment and stable economic growth. GDP grew 7.4% in 2017 and the city has experienced steady population growth for the past five years, supporting consistent long-term demand for residential housing.





Established in-fill location - The project will be located in an in-fill location close to the local county government facilities and amenities.





Transportation Infrastructure and Economic Growth - Two new high-speed railway stations currently under construction will connect the city with the high-speed rail system extending from Shanghai to Beijing . Huai'an Airport which began operations in 2010 is currently undergoing its first expansion. As one of the cities within the Yangtze River Delta region, Huai'an and the Huai'an Economic Development Zone are a part of the business cluster that supports many global enterprises as their global manufacturing base.





to . Huai'an Airport which began operations in 2010 is currently undergoing its first expansion. As one of the cities within the Yangtze River Delta region, Huai'an and the Huai'an Economic Development Zone are a part of the business cluster that supports many global enterprises as their global manufacturing base. Amenities - Located in the center of Huai'an, elementary and high schools are within walking distance of the project. The location also provides easy access to medical facilities and bus stations as well as nearby retail and commercial facilities. A large shopping mall is located to the southeast and a park located to the south of the project. The Lianshui High-speed Railway Station, scheduled to open in 2020, is a 20-minute drive from the Project and the Huai'an Lianshui Airport is a 25-minute drive away.





Personal Income Growth - Average per capita disposable income in Huai'an has grown at an annual rate of 9.5% from 2012 reaching RMB 24,935 in 2017. During the same period, housing prices have increased at a CAGR of 3.3% resulting in improved housing affordability (NBS). with price-to-income ratio of 5.6 in 2017





in 2017. During the same period, housing prices have increased at a CAGR of 3.3% resulting in improved housing affordability (NBS). with price-to-income ratio of 5.6 in 2017 Joint Venture Partner - The project is being developed by a joint venture of Century Bridge and Zhongliang Real Estate Group.





Development - The $48 million project includes above ground gross floor area of 56,718 square meters/610,513 square feet on a site of 31,150 square meters/339,174 square feet.





project includes above ground gross floor area of 56,718 square meters/610,513 square feet on a site of 31,150 square meters/339,174 square feet. Residential - Will comprise approximately 97% of the above ground gross floor area of the project with 55,128 square meters/591,213 square feet that will be developed into 272 high-rise units, 94 low-rise units, and 64 multi-story units (approximately 430 units).

Century Bridge is a private equity firm with offices in Beijing, China and Dallas, Texas. The firm is focused exclusively on investment in the middle-income, residential real estate sector in China's growing Tier 2 and 3 cities.

www.centurybridge.com

PRESS CONTACT: COMPANY CONTACT: Guy Lawrence Jeff Tucker Ross & Lawrence Century Bridge Capital 212-308-3333 214-270-2121 gblawrence@rosslawpr.com jtucker@centurybridge.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/753256/Century_Bridge_Capital_Huaian_Aerial_View.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/348507/century_bridge_capital_logo.jpg
Dunnedin to Host a Webinar on Thursday October 11th @ 11:00am PST

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 4, 2018) - Dunnedin Ventures Inc. (TSXV: DVI) (the "Company" or "Dunnedin") today announced new diamond results from the kimberlite pipe KD900 and the completion of summer/fall field work at its 100% owned Kahuna Diamond Project in Nunavut, Canada. As noted in its July 19, 2018 news release, the Company has drill-tested two historic kimberlite pipes (KD900 and KD230) and in addition, discovered a new pipe (KH10-11). All three kimberlites were tested using rotary air-blast ("RAB") drilling during the summer and approximately one tonne of representative material was sent to CF Mineral Research Ltd. ("CFM") in Kelowna, British Columbia for analysis. Further diamond results on KH10-11 and KD230 will be reported as received, with the next tranche of results expected later this fall. Any significantly diamondiferous kimberlite will require further drill-testing and possibly mini-bulk sampling to determine kimberlite geometry, diamond grade and size frequency distribution.

Highlights include:

Initial results from 133.32 kilograms of KD900 include 18 diamonds larger than the 0.106 mm sieve size. Diamond recovery results are presented in Table 1.

Indicator minerals from KD900 confirm that while this pipe is diamondiferous, it is not the sole source of high-quality diamond indicator mineral ("DIM") chemistry present in the Josephine Target Area ("JTA").

DIM chemistry and indicator dispersion in the JTA suggest undiscovered kimberlites with the potential to host larger diamonds occur near KD900 and up-ice.

Claudia Tornquist, President of Dunnedin, said, "We are pleased to be able to confirm the historic diamond content of KD900, and further work on this pipe is warranted. Importantly, these initial results from KD900 will now allow us to compare indicator minerals from a known diamond source in the Josephine Target Area to the abundant high-quality diamond indicator minerals present in till in this area. Our work suggests that these indicator minerals are sourced from further yet-to-be discovered kimberlites and the results from KD900, together with the till samples collected this fall will help us define source areas and prioritize the many targets at Josephine for our next drill program in early 2019."

Table 1: Caustic fusion results for kimberlitic material recovered from KD900

KD900 Number of Diamonds per Endecott Sieve Size (mm Square Mesh Sieve) Total Sample Weight

(kg) +0.106

-0.150 0.150

-0.212 0.212

- 0.300 0.300

-0.425 *Total

Stones 133.32 6 6 5 1 18

*Note: The RAB drilling method produces a large component of rock fines during sampling. Consequently a number of diamonds smaller than the 0.106 mm cut-off size are not included in the reported results.

Historic kimberlite KD900 was tested in order to confirm the diamond content and evaluate indicator minerals from source rocks in the JTA. Hole 18-RAB-019 was drilled vertically to 118.87 metres depth, where it stayed continuously in kimberlite below 13.72 metres overburden to a depth of 114.29 metres. Diamond results reported herein from KD900 represent a 7.62 metre sample of kimberlite intersected between 105.15 and 112.77 metres. The sample tested a distinct phase of KD900 having garnets and possible mantle xenoliths. Details of the drilling at KD900 and a map are in the Company news release dated July 19, 2018.

The Company notes that the newly discovered kimberlite pipe KD10-11 also contains garnets and possible mantle xenoliths in approximately 100 metres of continuous kimberlite drilled. Results are expected from this kimberlite pipe in a matter of weeks.

Ongoing Exploration at Kahuna

The Company has identified a 45 square kilometre area called the Josephine Target Area, or JTA. The JTA is a discreet area of abundant high-quality DIMs that are interpreted to be sourced from multiple undiscovered kimberlites. As part of 2018 diamond exploration at Kahuna, the Company completed a till sampling campaign during the month of September across the JTA. The purpose of this program was to in-fill indicator mineral results to date, in order to prioritize a number of potential kimberlite pipe targets for follow-up drilling. Approximately 1,200 till samples were collected, focusing on pipe-like geophysical signatures and defining source areas of abundant, high quality DIMs. Approximately one hundred samples essential to future drill targeting in the JTA were prioritised and airlifted to the laboratory for immediate processing. In addition, portions of kimberlites drilled in 2018 are also being processed for indicator mineral content in order to supplement the priority till sampling done this fall. All till samples are being shipped to CF Mineral Research Ltd for processing and analysis.

Webinar

Dunnedin will host a webinar to discuss the Company's recent results and future exploration plans. The webinar will take place on Thursday, October 11th at 11:00am PST/2:00pm EST. Management will be available to answer questions following the presentation. Online access and dial-in numbers are as follows:

Readytalk Platform (access at the time of event):

http://www.readytalk.com/join

Access code: 5147677

Dial-In Numbers:

Canada: +1-647-722-6839

United States: +1-303-248-0285

Access Code: 5147677

For further information please contact Mr. Knox Henderson, Investor Relations, at 604-551-2360 or khenderson@dunnedinventures.com.

Technical Data - QA/QC

Diamond results reported herein are from RAB holes drilled during the summer of 2018. RAB samples were shipped to the CF Mineral Research Ltd. ("CFM") laboratory in Kelowna, BC for processing and caustic fusion analysis. The material was treated through an autogenous mill-fusion circuit with a lower size cut-off of 0.106 mm. Unlike other microdiamond recovery methods, the circuit can recover nearly all diamonds present in a kimberlite to a predetermined cut-off size, along with associated indicator minerals. Quality assurance protocols include industry standard chain of custody and security procedures during sampling and transport. CFM operates using reference standards, internal quality assurance protocols, security and operating procedures for processing, recovery and reporting of diamond results. The CFM laboratory is accredited and audited for international quality standards through the International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 17025:2005, which includes ISO 9001:2015 specifications.

Jeff Ward, P.Geo, Vice President Exploration and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Dunnedin Ventures Inc.

Chris Taylor

Chief Executive Officer

Claudia Tornquist

President

About the Kahuna Diamond Project

Dunnedin Ventures Inc. (TSXV: DVI) is focused on its 100% owned, advanced-stage Kahuna Diamond Project in Nunavut which hosts a high-grade, near surface inferred diamond resource and numerous kimberlite pipe targets. The Company holds diamond interests in 1,664 km2 of mineral tenure located 26 kilometres northeast of Rankin Inlet and adjacent to Agnico Eagle's Meliadine gold mine. To define and prioritize kimberlite pipe targets Dunnedin has evaluated an extensive historic data set and recovered diamonds and indicator minerals from a series of kimberlite and till samples over three seasons of field work. Working with advisor and largest shareholder Dr. Chuck Fipke, the Company has used the same till sampling and mineral screening protocols employed during Dr. Fipke's discovery of Canada's first diamond mine at Ekati, NWT, but improved by over 20 years of additional diamond data and experience. The Kahuna Diamond Project has an Inferred Resource Estimate of 3,987,000 tonnes at an average grade of 1.01 carats per tonne, totalling over 4 million carats of diamonds (+0.85 mm) (see news release dated March 31, 2015). The largest diamond recovered from the property to date is a 5.43 carat stone from the Kahuna dike which was a piece of a larger diamond that had been broken during the sample preparation process and was reconstructed as having an original size of 13.42 carats. Based in Vancouver, Dunnedin is backed by a world-renowned team of diamond experts with decades of combined experience in Arctic exploration and significant capital market strength.

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.

Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 4, 2018) - Global UAV Technologies Ltd., (CSE: UAV) (OTC: YRLLF) (FSE: YAB2), (the "Company" or "Global UAV"), a diversified, vertically integrated drone technology company, is pleased to announce that it has been selected to join the Southwest Innovation Cluster ("SWIC") as a drone technology partner. In addition, the Company has been selected to participate in the Subterranean ("SubT") Project along with other partners including representatives from the US Army, The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command ("SPAWAR"), Ardent Eagle, Max Robotics and ADS Inc.

"The collaboration with SWIC and SubT are exceptional opportunities for Global UAV, both of which add significant immediate and future value to the Company. Global UAV's selection as a partner for both groups is a powerful testament to our level of diverse operational capacity and management expertise as a leading drone technology company. In addition, it highlights our diversification and value as an innovative technology developer with access to the defense marketplace. We are extremely proud to join SWIC as a partner amongst companies such as Raytheon, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman", said Mike Burns, CEO of Global UAV.

About Southwest Innovation Cluster

Formed in 2010, the Southwest Innovation Cluster (SWIC) is a resource networking and business management entity that focuses on autonomous unmanned systems related to providers and suppliers of Battlespace Awareness, Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) technologies, alternative power and propulsion. It also provides high performance computing access to small and medium-sized businesses, and resource support for cyber-security, augmented and virtual reality services.

SWIC is hosted by National University. It has a working relationship with corporations, government agencies and such organizations as the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, the Scripps Institute and the national network of supercomputers. SWIC also collaborates with such institutions as North Dakota University, Mississippi State University, the University of California, San Diego, and San Diego State all supporting the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Small Business Administration. Other partners include Raytheon, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman.

About the Subterranean Project

The Subterranean project aims to develop innovative technologies that would augment operations underground. The SubT project collaboration will explore new approaches to rapidly map, navigate, search, and exploit complex underground environments, including human-made tunnel systems, urban underground, and natural cave networks. Global UAV is the sole UAV technology partner involved in the collaboration.

About Global UAV Technologies Ltd.

Global UAV Technologies Ltd. is a diversified, vertically integrated drone technology company within the commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ("UAV") sector. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries - Pioneer Aerial Surveys Ltd., High Eye Aerial Imaging Inc., UAV Regulatory Services Inc., and NOVAerial Robotics Inc.- Global UAV Technologies Ltd. provides a full spectrum of UAV-based services and products including drone research and development and manufacturing, flight services and regulatory compliance. Global UAV Technologies Ltd. will continue its growth through technology development, expanding the business of its current divisions and the continued evaluation of potential acquisitions. Global UAV is well positioned for growth as a vertically integrated drone technology company.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Michael Burns"

Michael Burns

CEO & Director

For additional information please contact:

Global UAV Technologies Ltd.

Investor Information

Telephone: 1 888-905-7011

Email: ir@globaluavtech.com

www.globaluavtech.com

We invite all shareholders and stakeholders to join the Global UAV Technologies Ltd. portal on 8020 Connect. Connect here http://bit.ly/GlobalUAV

Neither Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statement

Statements in this press release, other than purely historical information, including statements relating to the Company's future plans and objectives or expected results, may include forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties inherent in public markets, service industries, manufacturing and the UAV Sector. As a result, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.
AerCap Holdings N.V. ("AerCap") (NYSE:AER) has announced its major business transactions during the third quarter 2018:

Signed lease agreements for 62 aircraft , including 9 widebody aircraft and 53 narrowbody aircraft.

, including 9 widebody aircraft and 53 narrowbody aircraft. Purchased 12 aircraft , including 6 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft, 2 Airbus A350s, 2 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 2 Boeing 787-9s.

, including 6 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft, 2 Airbus A350s, 2 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 2 Boeing 787-9s. Executed sale transactions for 13 aircraft , including 4 Airbus A320 Family aircraft, 2 Airbus A330s, 1 Airbus A340, 1 Boeing 737NG, 1 Boeing 757, 2 Boeing 767-300ERs, 1 Boeing 777-200ER and 1 Boeing 777-300.

, including 4 Airbus A320 Family aircraft, 2 Airbus A330s, 1 Airbus A340, 1 Boeing 737NG, 1 Boeing 757, 2 Boeing 767-300ERs, 1 Boeing 777-200ER and 1 Boeing 777-300. Signed financing transactions for $750 million

About AerCap

AerCap is the global leader in aircraft leasing with, as of September 30, 2018, 1,457 owned, managed or on order aircraft in its portfolio. AerCap has one of the most attractive order books in the industry. AerCap serves approximately 200 customers in approximately 80 countries with comprehensive fleet solutions. AerCap is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (AER) and has its headquarters in Dublin with offices in Shannon, Los Angeles, Singapore, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Seattle and Toulouse.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain statements, estimates and forecasts with respect to future performance and events. These statements, estimates and forecasts are "forward-looking statements". In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "predict," "potential" or "continue" or the negatives thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements and are based on various underlying assumptions and expectations and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. As a result, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate or correct. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future performance or events described in the forward-looking statements in this press release might not occur. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results and we do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not undertake any obligation to, and will not, update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For more information regarding AerCap and to be added to our email distribution list, please visit www.aercap.com and follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/aercapnv.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005035/en/

Contacts:

AerCap Holdings N.V.

For Investors:

Joseph McGinley, +353 1 418 0428

Head of Investor Relations

jmcginley@aercap.com

or

For Media:

Gillian Culhane, +353 1 636 0945

Vice President Corporate Communications

gculhane@aercap.com
Digital Shadows also reveals the rise of BEC 'as a service' advertised on the dark web with hacked accounts available from $150, delivered within a week

Digital Shadows, the leader in digital risk management and relevant threat intelligence, has today announced the findings of new research revealing the diversity of methods used to infiltrate company emails. The FBI has estimated that scams resulting from business email compromise such as fake invoices and wire fraud have cost businesses $12bn globally over the last five years.

While phishing is a common means of attack, the research reveals criminals are resorting to a wide variety of methods to access business email accounts. But in many cases, companies are inadvertently making it easy for cybercriminals. Digital Shadows discovered entire company email inboxes exposed over 12 million email archive files (.eml, .msg, .pst, .ost, .mbox) publicly available across misconfigured rsync, FTP, SMB, S3 buckets, and NAS drives. By improperly backing up these archives, employees and contractors are unwittingly exposing sensitive, personal and financial information Digital Shadows discovered 27,000 invoices, 7,000 purchase orders, and 21,000 payment records.

Finance professionals, in particular, are in the firing line. 33,568 finance department email addresses have been exposed in third-party breaches and are circulating on criminal forums. Of these, 83% (27,992) have passwords associated with them. Digital Shadows detected criminals specifically searching for company emails that contained common accounting domains such as "ap@," "ar@", "accounting@," "accountreceivable@," "accountpayable@" and "invoice@." These credentials are considered so valuable that one individual is offering up to $5,000 for a single username and password pair.

For criminals looking to outsource their work, Digital Shadows noted that business email compromise 'as a service' is widely available for as little as $150 with results available in a week or less. Alternatively, some cybercriminals are offering a percentage revenue share of the total earnings in return for access to inboxes. As an example, one cybercriminal specializing in the construction sector, engaged with Digital Shadows via the Jabber instant message service offering a 20% cut of the total proceeds that could be harvested from exploiting email vulnerabilities.

Rick Holland, the Chief Information Security Officer at Digital Shadows comments: "Phishing continues to be a very serious problem associated with business email compromise but unfortunately, we discovered that is far from the only risk, especially as barriers to entry for this type of fraud are coming down. Millions of companies are already exposed through misconfiguration issues or finance department emails and passwords circulating online. With the right knowledge it is relatively easy for cybercriminals to find whole email boxes and accounting credentials indeed we found criminals actively looking for them.

Holland continues: "Naturally as the return on investment from acquiring such sensitive information are so high, we also found cybercriminals actively collaborating with each other to target specific companies. Organizations can never mitigate these issues entirely; however, it is within their power to at least tighten up on their own processes to ensure that their data exposure is kept to a minimum."

Digital Shadows recommends these seven steps for organizations that want to reduce their risk:

Update security awareness training content to include the Business Email Compromise (BEC) scenario Include BEC within incident response/business continuity planning Work with wire transfer application vendors to build in manual controls, as well as multiple person authorizations to approve significant wire transfers Continuously monitor for exposed credentials. This is particularly important for finance department emails Conduct ongoing assessments of executives' digital footprints threat actors will perform their reconnaissance on high-value targets. Start with using Google Alerts to track new web content related to them Prevent email archives being publicly exposed Businesses should be aware of the risks of their contractors who back up their emails on Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices. Users should add a password and disable guest/anonymous access, as well as opt for NAS devices that are secured by default.

The full report entitled 'Pst! Cybercriminals on the Outlook for Your Emails' is available to download at: http://bit.ly/BECresearch

A blog with further context is available at: https://info.digitalshadows.com/BECResearchReport_Reg-Blog.html

ABOUT DIGITAL SHADOWS

Digital Shadows enables organizations to manage digital risk by identifying and eliminating threats to their business and brand. We monitor for digital risk across the widest range of data sources within the open, deep and dark web to deliver tailored threat intelligence, context and actionable remediation options that enable security teams to be more effective and efficient. Our clients can focus on growing their core business knowing that they are protected if their data is exposed, if employees or third parties put them at risk, or if their brand is being misused. To learn more, visit http://www.digitalshadows.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005045/en/

Contacts:

Digital Shadows

Susan Helmick

media@digitalshadows.com
Industry leaders honored with Best Practices Awards for groundbreaking developments and inspiring innovations

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan honored distinguished Awardees at its 2018 Growth, Innovation & Leadership Awards Gala held on Wednesday, October 3, 2018, at Paradise Point Resort and Spa in San Diego, CA.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/751651/Frost_And_Sullivan_Growth_Innovation_And_Leadership_Gala_2018.jpg

Frost & Sullivan's Best Practices Awards are presented each year to companies that are predicted to encourage significant growth in their industries, have identified emerging trends before they became a marketplace standard, and have created advanced technologies that will catalyze and transform industries in the near future.

"There is no substitute for passion. It is the key ingredient in success. Our Award recipients possess a positive energy, and take great pride in their accomplishments," said Art Robbins, President of Frost & Sullivan's Global Consulting Practice and Global Head of the Business and Financial Services Practice.

Awarded companies included:

Bloom Energy - 2018 Global Data Centre Infrastructure Solutions Technology Innovation Award

CenturyLink - 2018 North American VoIP Access and SIP Trunking Services Growth Excellence Leadership Award

D-Fend Solutions - 2018 North American Counter-drone Solutions Enabling Technology Leadership Award

Evoqua Water Technologies - 2018 Global Water Technology Solutions Company of the Year Award

Filament - 2018 North American Automotive Enterprise and Industrial Internet of Things Visionary Innovation Leadership Award

Kareo - 2018 United States Ambulatory EHR Enabling Technology Leadership Award

Lumeta Corporation - 2018 North American IoT Cybersecurity Technology Innovation Award

Martello - 2018 Global NPM and APM Price/Performance Value Leadership Award

McAfee - 2018 Global Cloud Access Security Broker Enabling Technology Leadership Award

Mersoft - 2018 North American Public Safety Video Surveillance Solutions Technology Innovation Award

Mitchell 1 - 2018 North American Automobile Repair Software Solutions Customer Value Leadership Award

Profusa - 2018 Global Continuous Biochemical Sensors Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award

Rapid7 - 2018 Global Vulnerability Management Market Leadership Award

Reltio - 2018 North American Data Management Platform for Life Sciences Product Leadership Award

ShieldSquare - 2018 Global Bot Risk Management Customer Value Leadership Award

Symantec - 2018 North American Authentication Technology Leadership Award

Telestax - 2018 North American Communications Platform as a Service Enabling Technology Leadership Award

Trilliant Networks, Inc - 2018 North American Smart City Solutions Enabling Technology Leadership Award

Vital Motion - 2018 North American Fibromyalgia Therapy New Product Innovation Award

Zonar Systems - 2018 North American School and Transit Bus Telematics Company of the Year Award

Frost & Sullivan's Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices.

For further information about the Awards Gala, please contact a member of the Best Practices Team.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, collaborates with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that could make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, Frost & Sullivan has been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector, and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:

Samantha Park

P: 210.247.2426

F: 210.348.1003

E:samantha.park@frost.com
- New collaboration center to provide support from pre-clinical through full-scale production in a non-GMP environment

- Hands-on customer access to Merck's product portfolio, technical expertise

SAO PAULO, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck, the vibrant science and technology company, today officially opened a state-of-the-art M Lab Collaboration Center in Brazil, serving the Latin America region. The center will provide Life Science customers with a shared, exploratory environment where they can closely collaborate with Merck scientists and engineers to solve their toughest challenges and accelerate development and production of new therapies.

"With a rapidly growing biopharmaceutical industry in Brazil and Latin America, and demand for novel and cost-effective therapies worldwide, there is a need for full end-to-end process development support," said Udit Batra, member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO, Life Science. "At our M Lab Collaboration Center, customers will benefit from Merck's deep technical expertise to develop processes for manufacturing drugs faster, safer and more effectively than in the past."

The 1,000-square meter lab facility includes non-GMP pilot and bench scale labs for customers to engage in process development support, troubleshooting, demonstrations and hands-on training. It is one of nine such centers around the world, each of which allows pharmaceutical manufacturers to explore new ways to increase productivity, improve processes and mitigate risks. Each year, more than 1,500 customers visit Merck's M Lab Collaboration Centers, where they work alongside Merck's team of experts and get access to sizing and simulation tools and methodologies as well as analytical and modeling support. Formal bioprocessing courses are also available, including traditional classroom-style training and interactive, hands-on sessions. Other M Lab Collaboration Center locations include China, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, India, France and the United States.

Merck opened its ?rst customer-facing laboratory in 1995 in Massachusetts, USA. The global network has steadily grown over the years, not only to meet the training and process development needs of customers in local regions, but also to allow and ensure successful technology transfer between countries for global customers. In 2015, Merck began reimagining these labs as the M Lab Collaboration Centers with a focus on customers.

Follow Merck on Twitter @Merckgroup, on Facebook @merckgroup and on LinkedIn.

All Merck news releases are distributed by email at the same time they become available on the Merck website. Please go to www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service.

About Merck

Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 53,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life - from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2017, Merck generated sales of 15.3 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck holds the global rights to the "Merck" name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/752710/MilliporeSigma_M_Lab_Brazil.jpg
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.
BusinessID technology rapidly, efficiently and accurately identifies business data on an organisation-wide basis

DocAuthority, a leader in data management and protection, today announces it has been included as one of five "Cool Vendors" in the September 2018 Cool Vendors in Information Innovation report* by Gartner.

Cool Vendors in Information Innovation identifies "up-and-coming providers of 'data marketplaces' that help data and analytics leaders monetize their own, and others' information assets as well as other solutions that evaluate, categorise and align data, content and algorithms to business processes, risks and value."

Gartner added that, "When information is catalogued, classified and prioritised, organisations can more quickly and confidently establish access rights, and other policies, and prepare for and demonstrate regulatory compliance to data management, especially the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation and others related to PII).

"Also, information architects can improve the design of information flows, life cycles and storage platforms to improve the protection and reduce the chance of sensitive information leakages," the Gartner report continues.

"We are thrilled to be named in this report by Gartner," says Steve Abbott, CEO of DocAuthority. "Businesses cannot leverage, or secure, sensitive information that they cannot see, or that they don't even know exists. There is a desperate need for technology that can discover and automatically, accurately and rapidly categorise business files and documents, for a business to meet the challenges contemporary businesses face. We believe our inclusion in this report underlines this business requirement and the overall importance of data identification."

The full September 2018 Cool Vendors in Information Innovation report can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/2zJcqoU

Gartner Disclaimer

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, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

NOTE: This document, while intended to inform our clients about the current data privacy and security challenges experienced by IT companies in the global marketplace, is in no way intended to provide legal advice or to endorse a specific course of action.

About DocAuthority

DocAuthority is a leading document control solutions company. It offers organisations a broad, yet business-friendly, security policy utilising AI to help automatically discover and accurately identify unstructured and unprotected sensitive documents to help prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. DocAuthority works with enterprise-size organisations in all sectors including the healthcare, retail, technology, energy, public sector, telcos, services and financial services sectors to help these businesses understand the risk they face and design an effective mitigation plan to improve the security of sensitive data. Founded by Ariel Peled and Itay Reved in 2013, DocAuthority is a global company headquartered in Raanana, Israel and is managed by the people who pioneered DLP.

To learn more about DocAuthority, visit www.DocAuthority.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005148/en/

Contacts:

General enquiries:

DocAuthority

Mike Quinn

mike.quinn@docauthority.com

or

Media enquiries:

Waters Communications

April Burghardt

docauthorityuspr@waterscomms.com
Data security company to showcase Code42 Forensic File Search

Code42, a leading data security company, today announced it will be exhibiting at it-sa 2018, Europe's leading trade fair for IT security. Focused on trends and innovations in the IT security sector, it-sa 2018 takes place Oct. 9-11 at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg in Nuremberg, Germany.

At the conference, the company will showcase Code42 Forensic File Search. The company's newest product is designed to immediately save time for security teams dramatically cutting the time it takes to investigate, respond to and recover from data security incidents. The product can search billions of file events in seconds across cloud services and endpoints even if they are offline.

Attendees can see a demonstration of Code42 Forensic File Search in Booth #333 in Hall 9 during event hours:

Oct. 9: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CEST

Oct. 10: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CEST

Oct. 11: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CEST

About Code42

Code42, a leading data security company, secures the ideas of more than 50,000 organizations worldwide, including the most recognized brands in business and education. Because Code42 collects and indexes every version of every file, the company offers security, legal and IT teams total visibility and recovery of data wherever it lives and moves. With real-time alerts and forensics, these teams can easily detect, investigate and rapidly recover from any data incident, such as ransomware, lost or stolen devices, and insider threats. Supported by a global state-of-the-art cloud infrastructure, the Code42 platform safeguards hundreds of petabytes of data and helps organizations comply with evolving regulatory requirements.

Founded in 2001, the company is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and backed by Accel Partners, JMI Equity, NEA and Split Rock Partners. For more information, visit code42.com, read Code42's blog or follow the company on Twitter.

Code42 and the Code42 logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Code42 Software, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other marks are properties of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005101/en/

Contacts:

Code42

Gerri Dyrek, 844-333-4242

Vice President Corporate Marketing

gerri.dyrek@code42.com
DETROIT, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report on Harmonic Filter Market by Type (Active Harmonic Filter and Passive Harmonic Filter), by Voltage Level Type (Low-Voltage Harmonic Filter, Medium-Voltage Harmonic Filter, and High-Voltage Harmonic Filter), by Phase Type (Single-Phase Harmonic Filter and Three-Phase Harmonic Filter), by End-User Type (Manufacturing, Metal Processing, Pulp & Paper, Data & IT Center, Oil & Gas, and Others), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW) Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2018-2023.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660595/Stratview_Research_Logo.jpg )



This report, from Stratview Research, studies the harmonic filter market over the trend period of 2012 to 2017 and forecast period of 2018 to 2023. The report provides detailed insights on the market dynamics to enable informed business decision making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities present in the market.

The Global Harmonic Filter Market: Highlightsfrom the Study

Harmonics are periodic, sinusoidal and integer multiples of the fundamental frequency (50Hz or 60Hz), current or voltage components, present in the non-sinusoidal waveform. Non-linear loads are the root cause for the generation of harmonics. Heavy industrial applications, such as arc furnaces, large variable frequency drives (VFDs), and heavy rectifiers for electrolytic refining, generate a lot of harmonics due to significant non-linear loads. Harmonic filter is the most suitable component that safeguards electronics and improves power quality factor. Nowadays, apart from industrial, various commercial applications, such as data & IT centers, hospitals, and commercial complexes, are also creating a huge concern for mitigating harmonic distortions.

As per Stratview Research, the global harmonic filter market is projected to grow at a healthy rate over the next five years to reach an estimated value of US$ 1,059.1 million in 2023. Increasing use of power electronics that basically operates through electronic switching, increasing levels of harmonic distortions of voltage and current waveforms in power systems, increasing usage of variable frequency drives (VFDs), rising demand from data centers and IT industries, increasing number of metal arc furnaces worldwide, increasing concern for potential damage from power frequency variations, and increasing use of sensitive electronics in industrial automation process are some of the factors burgeoning the growth of harmonic filters worldwide.

Based on the filter type, passive harmonic filter is likely to remain the most dominant filter type in the market during the forecast period. Passive filters are best suitable for constant loads, as they eliminate or bypass lower order fixed harmonics of current or voltage by tuning passive filters at the resonance frequency. However, active harmonic filter is likely to be the faster-growing filter type in the market, owing to its superior harmonic elimination factor as it doesn't get easily overloaded even if reaches its limit.

Three-phase harmonic filter is projected to maintain its dominance in the market over the next five years. The segment is also likely to grow at an impressive rate in the market in the same period, owing to its diversified usage in high-end industrial applications, such as manufacturing and metal processing, as well as in commercial applications, such as data and IT center, malls, and airports.

Based on the end-user type, the manufacturing segment is likely to remain the most dominant end-user type in the market during the forecast period. The segment majorly includes cement, pharmaceutical, power plants, steel, foundries, and chemical industries. Industrial sector is the major generator of variable speed drives (VSDs) in which manufacturing is a big contributor. VSDs inject harmonics and create a power-quality problem in industrial power-supply distribution.

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In terms of regions, North America is projected to remain the largest harmonic filter market during the forecast period. The USA is the growth engine of the North American market, driven by the presence of major players of harmonic filters as well as end-use industries. Asia-Pacific is likely to be the fastest-growing harmonic filter market in the same period, driven by China, India, and Japan.

Some of the key companies supplying harmonic filters are ABB Ltd., Schneider Electric SA, Eaton Corporation Plc, Danfoss Group, Schaffner Holding AG, Siemens AG, TDK Corporation, AVX Corporation, Comsys AB, and TCI, LLC. Advancement in harmonic filters and regional expansion are some of the key strategies adopted by the major players in order to quickly gain market share.

Report Features

This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report:

Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis.

Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis.

Market trend and forecast analysis.

Market segment trend and forecast.

Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc.

Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities.

Emerging trends.

Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players.

Key success factors.

This report studies the global harmonic filter market and has segmented the market in five ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. Following are the five ways in which the market is segmented:

Harmonic Filter Market, By Filter Type

Active Harmonic Filter ( Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW )

) Passive Harmonic Filter (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Harmonic Filter Market, By Voltage Level Type

Low-Voltage Harmonic Filter (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Medium-Voltage Harmonic Filter (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

High-Voltage Harmonic Filter (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Harmonic Filter Market, By Phase Type

Single-Phase Harmonic Filter (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Three-Phase Harmonic Filter (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Harmonic Filter Market, By End-user Type

Manufacturing (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Metal Processing (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Paper & Pulp (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Data & IT Center (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Oil & Gas (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Others (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Harmonic Filter Market, By Region

North America (Country Analysis: The USA , Canada , and Mexico )

Europe (Country Analysis: France , Germany , the UK, Russia , and Rest of Europe )

Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: China , Japan , India , and Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Rest of the World (Country Analysis: Latin America , the Middle East , and Others)

Stratview Research has several high value market reports in the chemicals and materials industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports:

Click Here for Other Reports from Stratview Research in the Chemicals & Materials Industry

Related premium market reports in the advanced materials industryare:

Global Below-Grade Waterproofing Market by Material Type, by Membrane Type, by Position Type, by Application Type by End-User Type, and by Region, Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2018-2023

About Stratview Research

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We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies.

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 4, 2018) - Jaxon Mining Inc. (TSXV: JAX) (FSE: OU31) (OTC: JXMNF) is pleased to announce that, as of this week, it has commenced Phase One of a 2,000 to 2,200 metre diamond drilling program on the Backbone gold-bearing tourmaline breccia zone at its Red Springs project, located on part of its 44,000-hectare Hazelton property in the Skeena Arch area of northwest British Columbia, Canada.

In a previous news release dated September 20, 2018, Jaxon identified the Backbone as a gold-bearing tourmaline breccia zone with a 1000-metre long strike, up to 15 metres wide. This zone, per previously released assay results, indicates the mineralization existence of high-grade gold up to 25.86 g/t with cobalt, copper, antimony and silver credits (Figure 1).

Drill Program Highlights:

Apex Diamond Drilling of Smithers, B.C. (Figure 2), is engaged to commence a Phase One diamond (core) drilling program on the Backbone tourmaline breccia zone consisting of 8 drill holes (HQ/NQ-size) totalling approximately 2,000 to 2,200 metres at two drilling pads.

Drilling in the Phase One program will test an up to 15-metre wide surface high sulphide, quartz-carbonate-tourmaline breccia zone using the shallow and lower dip angle holes such as BB18-01, BB18-03, BB18-06 and BB18-07p (Figure 3).

Other deep holes with higher dip angles such as BB18-02, BB18-04-05 and BB18-08p will focus on either high IP chargeability or lower-resistivity anomalies which are interpreted to be associated with sulphide mineralisation (Figure 3).

Recent channel samples believed to be related to these anomalies returned values such as 13 metres grading 2.86 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, including a 2-metre interval grading 8.96 grams per tonne (g/t).

Recently completed Induced Polarization (IP) geophysical surveys indicate extensive high-chargeability and low-resistivity anomalies from surface to a depth of approximately 350 metres. These anomalies are interpreted to be related to sulphide-rich material.





Figure 1- Backbone high grade gold-bearing tourmaline breccia zone at Red Springs Project

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/881/40178_a1538657910628_20.jpg

Tony Guo, Jaxon's COO, commented: "We are fortunate the weather in the Smithers area in October of this year is still good to drill this significant high-grade gold-bearing quartz-carbonate-tourmaline breccia mineralization zone which was found to be coincident with high chargeability and low-resistivity anomalies in the Backbone area."

The first batch of samples is expected to be delivered to the lab for assay by early November of 2018. The drilling program is expected to be completed by the end of October, 2018.

The objective of the Phase One drilling program is to determine the width, continuity and grade of gold-bearing tourmaline breccia mineralisation at depth. A further objective is to demonstrate the viability of IP geophysics as an exploration tool for the mineralisation at the Red Springs project and will provide the opportunity for further down-hole geophysics to better define the geometry of any mineralisation intersected during the program. In addition, it is anticipated that the results will add to Jaxon's knowledge of the nature of the tourmaline breccia mineralisation and its controls.

The Company will provide further information as it becomes available and will release updates on the progress of drilling over the coming weeks, including posting videos and photos on its website at www.jaxonmining.com.





Figure 2 - Portable Hydraulic Rig from Apex Diamond Drilling Inc. at Jaxon's Red Springs Project

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/881/40178_a1538657911003_87.jpg

Figure 3 - 2D Resistivity and 2D IP Chargeability Anomalies at Backbone Tourmaline Breccia Zone

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit::

http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/881/40178_a1538657911065_77.jpg

Sample Preparation and Analyses:

Prospecting samples were collected in the field by experienced, professional prospectors and geological staff. The samples were numbered, described and located in the field for follow-up. Numbered rock samples tags were placed inside each bag which was securely closed for transport to Jaxon's secure cold storage locked facility in Smithers, B.C. Representative sample slabs were cut from large specimens and halved rock samples so that portions of select samples could be saved for Jaxon's rock library, descriptive purposes and petrographic study. Bureau of Veritas Commodities Canada, Metallurgical Division of Richmond, B.C. received the Rice Bag shipments after secure transport from Smithers and they prepared the samples by crushing, grinding and pulverizing to a pulp with barren material washing between each sample at the crush and pulverizing stages. Then 30 grams of pulp were used for the gold assay using code A0368AUAA1 Au by fire assay, AAS finish in grams per metric tonne (g/mt) and over limit gold using code A0364AU Au FA/Gravity in g/mt. Tellurite assay using code AMA270TE_R ICP ES/MS_Multi Acid. Other elements assay using code ICPMA270 ICP ES/MS_ Multi Acid.

Qualified Person

Yingting (Tony) Guo, P.Geo., COO for Jaxon Mining Inc., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the drilling program, prepared the scientific and technical information and verified the data supporting such scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

About Jaxon Mining Inc.

Jaxon is a precious and base metals exploration company with a regional focus on Western Canada. The Company is currently focused on advancing its Hazelton Project in north-central British Columbia and the More Creek Project (consolidating the Wishbone and Foremore properties) in British Columbia's Golden Triangle.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

JAXON MINING INC.

"John King Burns"

John King Burns, Chairman

For Head of Capital Markets for Jaxon Mining Inc., please call 778-938-4459, for Investor Relations enquiries, please call 604-609-6152, and for Corporate enquiries, please call 604-608-0400, or Toll free: 1-877-608-0007.

This news release may contain forward-looking information, which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release may include, but is not limited to, the Company's objectives, goals or future plans. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, those risks set out in the Company's public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames, or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. Neither TSX Venture exchange nor its Regulations 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.
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - October 4, 2018) - NetworkNewsAudio announces the Audio Press Release (APR) titled "The Lithium Boom Has Only Just Begun," featuring Quantum Minerals Corp. (OTC Pink: QMCQF) (TSXV: QMC) (FSE: 3LQ).

To hear the NetworkNewsAudio version, visit: http://nnw.fm/arTY1

To read the full editorial, visit: http://nnw.fm/zgLP1

QMC's Irgon Lithium Mine Project is strategically located in the prolific Cat Lake-Winnipeg River rare-element pegmatite field of southeastern Manitoba, Canada. This area is rich in spodumene-bearing pegmatite occurrences, also known as the source for hard-rock lithium mineralization, that often contain large amounts of lithium and other rare-element-bearing minerals. Once surveys and sampling have been completed, hard-rock pegmatite deposits are much faster to mine than salt brines, and production is more reliable. QMC is already ahead of the curve with all the previous work done and should be able to move forward to mining the riches quickly. The region's abundant mineral resources are further substantiated by the mining activities of neighboring specialty materials behemoth Cabot Corp. through its Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada (TANCO) rare-element pegmatite deposit.

Like the Irgon Lithium Mine Project, QMC's 100 percent-owned Namew Lake District Property is also exceptionally well located. The 23,000-hectare property encompasses the Rocky Lake Discovery in the Flin Flon Belt, a world-class mining district in Northwestern Manitoba. QMC's geophysical and drill programs at the Rocky Lake Project identified significant geophysical conductors, and assays from the drill holes showed evidence of gold, copper and zinc mineralization. This project represents a massive resource with strong future potential, but with lithium in such demand, QMC is focused on bringing the Irgon Property into production first.

About QMC Quantum Minerals Corp.

QMC is a British Columbia-based company engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of resource properties. Its objective is to locate and develop economic precious, base, rare metal and resource properties of merit. The Company's properties include the Irgon Lithium Mine project and two VMS properties, the Rocky Lake and Rocky-Namew, known collectively as the Namew Lake District Project. Currently, all of the company's properties are located in Manitoba. For more information, visit the company's website at www.QMCMinerals.com

About NetworkNewsAudio

NetworkNewsAudio (NNA) , a NetworkNewsWire (NNW) Solution, allows you to sit back and listen to market updates, CEO interviews and a Company AudioPressRelease (APR). These audio clips provide snapshots of position, opportunity and momentum. NetworkNewsAudio (NNA) can assist your company by cutting through the overload of information in today's market, NNA brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is where news, content and information converge. NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is a comprehensive provider of news aggregation and syndication, enhanced press release services and a full array of social communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and distribution company with an extensive team of journalists and writers, NNW has the unparalleled ability to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public with an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the nation.

For more information, visit: www.NetworkNewsAudio.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the NetworkNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by NNW, wherever published or re-published: http://NNW.fm/Disclaimer.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should review carefully various risks and uncertainties identified in this release and matters set in the company's SEC filings. These risks and uncertainties could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.

Corporate Communications Contact:

NetworkNewsWire (NNW)

New York, New York

www.NetworkNewsWire.com

212.418.1217 Office

Editor@NetworkNewsWire.com
VODNJAN, Croatia, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The WAS #8 Event will be held in Rovinj

Infobip, global communications platform for businesses is hosting GSMA's conference for the organization's Wholesale Agreements and Solution Group (WAS).

The WAS group is responsible for Operator-to-Operator and Operator-to-Hub interoperability (including interworking and roaming) to provide GSMA members with a consistent, reliable GSM service for members to offer their customers. The Wholesale Agreements and Solutions Group has two face-to-face events per year, the last event was held in Dubai in March this year, and this is the first time the conference is held in Croatia.

The WAS#8 event is taking place October 8-11 in Rovinj, Croatia, a renowned tourist and conference destination in the region of Istria. Infobip's HQ Campus Pangea is located in the nearby town of Vodnjan.

"We are welcoming mobile operators and telecom solutions vendor from around the world to beautiful Istria for a productive and inspirational WAS conference. Infobip is proud to host this prestigous event right near the birthplace of our global company and we would like to extend our gratitude to GSMA for the cooperation in bringing WAS to Croatia," said Silvio Kutic, CEO of Infobip.

The WAS#8 event will take place in the Old Tobacco Factory in Rovinj. It will include an exhibition area, engaging panel discussions and a networking area. It is open to GSMA members and associate members.

"Infobip has been a member of GSMA for a decade now and we are proud to have Infobip sponsor the WAS working group and host the conference. We are looking forward to productive days together, bringing the expertise of the international Wholesale Agreements and Solutions Group together in Croatia," said Gregory Geodjenian, Senior Director of Membership at GSMA.

About Infobip

Recently awarded world's best A2P SMS vendor by ROCCO, Infobip was founded over a decade ago. The company grew into an international business with 59 offices on six continents offering in-house developed messaging platform with the capacity to reach over six billion mobile devices connected to over 800 telecoms networks.

Infobip innovates at the intersection of Internet and telecoms technologies, creating new ways and opportunities for businesses and their end users to interact over mobile devices. The company serves and partners with leading mobile operators, messaging apps, banks, social networks, tech companies, and aggregators.



Contact details

Tina Loncaric

Global Public Relations Director, Infobip

Tel: +385-99-4699-343


Kinestral Technologies, Inc. today announced that the company has begun shipping Halio smart-tinting glass from its first large-scale factory located in Miaoli, Taiwan. Built to meet global demand, the new factory is producing the fastest tinting and most versatile electrochromic product available today. The first shipments are headed to customers in North America and Europe.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005428/en/

Kinestral Technologies, Inc. has begun shipping Halio smart-tinting glass from its first large-scale factory located in Taiwan. (Photo: Business Wire)

Halio smart-tinting glass looks like natural clear glass until it tints to darker neutral grays to block solar heat and reduce glare automatically or on demand. Available in sizes up to 5 feet x 10 feet, Halio is being designed into commercial and residential buildings from facades to skylights to interior walls and partitions. There are two variants: Halio blocks 98% of visible light, while Halio Black blocks 99.9% to deliver privacy and eliminate glare. To achieve Halio's optical characteristics and unmatched performance, Kinestral developed new, now-patented technologies and processes.

"How we manufacture Halio is as innovative as the product itself," said S.B. Cha, CEO of Kinestral Technologies. "By building upon proven methods used in the flat panel display industry, we will achieve similar production yields, enabling us to very quickly have the capacity to fulfill our mission to see Halio in every building and every home around the globe."

Halio is available exclusively from Halio North America and Halio International, joint venture companies created by Kinestral and AGC, the world's largest flat glass manufacturer. Architects and builders requesting a demo or pricing should visit halioglass.com.

About Kinestral Technologies

Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Kinestral Technologies, Inc. develops technologies that transform glass into responsive, intelligent, and beautiful architectural elements. The company has a growing global patent portfolio in manufacturing, device processing, and smart window control systems. Halio smart-tinting glass is the company's flagship product. Learn more at www.kinestral.com, and follow us @Kinestral and on LinkedIn.

Note to Editors: Factory photos available upon request.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005428/en/

Contacts:

for Kinestral Technologies

Cynthia Traina, 415-418-0541

cynthia@trainapr.com

or

Myrna Nickelsen, 650-243-9804

mnickelsen@kinestral.com
SpendEdge, a global procurement market intelligence firm, has announced the release of their Global Dextrose Category Procurement Market Intelligence Report

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005455/en/

Global Dextrose Category Procurement Market Intelligence Report. (Graphic: Business Wire)

This report summarizes the key market developments and drivers that are shaping the outlook of the dextrose market. By implementing a comprehensive qualitative and a quantitative research methodology, our procurement experts have determined the strength, weakness, opportunities, and the potential threats for the market. Read the free sample and get more actionable insights into the market's overview.

The food and beverage industry is the largest end-user of the dextrose products; however, market saturation will consequently lead to a slowdown of the demand for dextrose. However, the growth of this category is favored by the longer shelf-life of dextrose, which will make it one of the most sought-after sweetening agents.

"The buyers must select the suppliers who provide reverse logistics facilities. This is useful during instances when some of the procured products must be returned. It enables the suppliers to reduce TATs while sending back the rejected lot to the supplier's location," says SpendEdge procurement expert Angad Singh.

Our procurement experts at SpendEdge have further highlighted the following KPIs as crucial for developing an optimal procurement strategy and ensuring business continuity:

Plant utilization rate is an important parameter for buyers to evaluate the supplier's capability in meeting the MOQ

The category managers must utilize sourcing analysis solutions to identify the best cost sourcing locations for the procurement of raw materials.

Purchase the full report and unlock your full market potential.

SpendEdge is now offering limited-time discounts on report purchases. Buy two reports and get the third one for free

SpendEdge's procurement market intelligence reports for the agro commodities and raw materials category offer information on category pricing strategies to help the buyers achieve significant cost-savings. The reports also offer information on supplier performance benchmarking criteria to help buyers reduce spend and establish better SLAs. Additionally, SpendEdge's reports offer insights into the sustainability and procurement best practices for the category.

Report scope snapshot: Dextrose market

Category ecosystem

Market favorability index for suppliers

Competitiveness index for suppliers

Threat of new entrants

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Category management enablers

Procurement organization

Category enablers

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Category definition

Category hierarchy

Category scope

Category map

To view this report's table of contents, Download a FREE sample

Do you purchase multiple reports in a year? Our subscription platform, SpendEdge Insights, provides ready-to-use procurement research reports for multiple categories. Now access latest supplier news, innovation landscape, markets insights, supplier tracking, and much more at the click of a button. Start your 14-day FREE trial now.

Related Reports:

Global Hops Category Procurement Market Intelligence Report

Global Stevia Category Procurement Market Intelligence Report

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. To know more, https://www.spendedge.com/request-free-proposal

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005455/en/

Contacts:

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Consultant

US: +1 630 984 7340

UK: +44 148 459 9299

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us
BRADENTON, Florida, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Med X Change, Inc, (CEO: Seth Kardos) today announced the launch and Production availability* of the 4Klear, a 4K Camera & Medical Video Recorder All-In-One Solution for surgical microscopes (i.e. Leica Microsystems, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Haag-Streit Surgical, Alcon, Mitaka Kohki, Takagi, Topcon). Two products in one; simplifies use, reduces cost, delivers unparalleled Native 4K image quality.

"The 4K detail and resolution from this camera is absolutely spectacular and the best I have ever seen!" Said Dr. Ike Ahmed, head of the Ophthalmology Division at Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario.

To learn more about the 4Klear Medical Camera, click here: https://medxchange.com/project/4klear

This first to market native 4K medical camera starts with a True 4K 1/2" backlit CMOS chip that produces 4K UHD 50/60hz video at state-of-the-art BT.2020 10 Bit 4:2:2 color gamut with multiple video outputs (12G-SDI, HDMI 2.0, Quad-SDI & 3G-SDI, DP 1.2 *).



True 4K video is just the start! This product is packed with features such as:

Integrated 4K Recording & Still Capture

Recording & Still Capture Image Management workflow with physician preferences

Unlimited camera scene files for each specialty

Integrated 12.7cm multi-touch screen for camera/recorder controls

Options for DICOM integration and live video over ip streaming (rtsp)

Medxstream Plus *, an iOS App that allows the user to wirelessly control the camera and functions via encrypted connection

an iOS App that allows the user to wirelessly control the camera and functions via encrypted connection HIPAA & GDPR cyber security compliance

Medical certifications:

IEC 60601-1:2012 (Ed. 3.1)



IEC 60601-1-2:2014 (Ed. 4.0)



No. U8 18 05 74193 030

The 4K CMOS chip delivers high-sensitivity, low-noise, vivid color and unmatched resolution at all magnification levels that are demanded by todays surgeons and staff. By using a 1/2" 4K60hz CMOS chip, the 4Klear delivers a wider field of view vs. traditional 1/3" chips, producing closer to what the surgeon sees through the microscope oculars which has a direct benefit to the entire Operating Room staff. With a native 4K chip, this produces four times the pixels of HD but further delivers the higher color bit depth of 10bit for unmatched image quality.

For product / distribution / private labeling / OEM Board level inquiries, please contact sales@medxchange.com

CNS 2018 booth #: 2038

AAO 2018 booth #: 2673

* Production units are shipping late October / November

* Medxstream Plus will be released in Apple iTunes store

* DP 1.2 will be active with future software release

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/753530/4Klear_Native_4K_Camera.jpg
Invesco Perpetual Select Trust plc

Result of AGM

Result of the Annual General Meeting of Invesco Perpetual Select Trust plc held on

4 October 2018:

All of the resolutions put to shareholders at the Meeting were decided by poll and were passed. The poll results were as follows:

.

Resolutions applicable to all share classes, with voting rights based on the net asset values of the respective share classes at close of business on 2 October 2018:

Resolution Votes For

(including votes at

the discretion of

the Chairman) Votes Against Votes Withheld

Ordinary resolutions:

1. 18,146,625 100.0% - - - 2. 18,039,116 99.4% 105,006 0.6% 2,502 3. 18,041,618 99.4% 105,006 0.6% - 4. 18,045,143 99.4% 101,481 0.6% - 5. 18,047,361 99.5% 97,496 0.5% 1,767 6. 18,047,361 99.5% 99,264 0.5% - 7. 18,049,128 99.5% 97,496 0.5% - 8. 18,049,128 99.5% 97,496 0.5% - 9. 18,094,996 99.7% 50,893 0.3% 735

Special resolutions:

10. 18,072,992 99.7% 54,878 0.3% 18,754 11. 18,074,414 99.7% 54,685 0.3% 17,525 12. 18,074,349 99.6% 72,275 0.4% -

Total Voting Rights were 144,327,292.

Resolution 13 was applicable only to the UK Equity Share class, with voting rights being one vote per share:

Resolution Votes For

(including votes at

the discretion of

the Chairman) Votes Against Votes Withheld

Ordinary resolution:

13. 3,256,932 100.0% - - -

Total Voting Rights applicable for this resolution were 34,757,443

Resolution 14 was applicable only to the Global Equity Income Share class, with voting rights being one vote per share:

Resolution Votes For

(including votes at

the discretion of

the Chairman) Votes Against Votes Withheld

Ordinary resolution:

14. 3,973,732 100.0% - - 602

Total Voting Rights applicable for this resolution were 32,410,667.

As portended in the annual financial report Sir Michael Bunbury retired from the Board at the conclusion of the meeting.

.

The full text of the resolutions passed is as follows:

Ordinary Resolutions applicable to all share classes:

The following Ordinary Resolutions were passed at the Annual General Meeting held on 4 October 2018:

1. To receive the Annual Financial Report for the year ended 31 May 2018.

2. To approve the Directors' Remuneration Policy.

3. To approve the Annual Statement and Report on Remuneration.

4. To elect Graham Kitchen a Director of the Company.

5. To re-elect Victoria Muir a Director of the Company.

6. To re-elect Patrick Giffordf a Director of the Company.

7. To re-elect Alan Clifton a Director of the Company.

8. To re-appoint Grant Thornton UK LLP as Auditor to the Company and authorise the Audit Committee to determine the Auditor's remuneration.

9. THAT:

the Directors be and they are hereby generally and unconditionally authorised, for the purpose of section 551 of the Companies Act 2006 as amended from time to time prior to the date of passing this resolution ('2006 Act') to exercise all the powers of the Company to allot relevant securities (as defined in sections 551(3) and (6) of the 2006 Act) up to an aggregate nominal amount equal to 1,000,000 of UK Equity Shares, 1,000,000 of Global Equity Income Shares, 1,000,000 of Balanced Risk Allocation Shares and 1,000,000 of Managed Liquidity Shares, provided that this authority shall expire at the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company or the date falling fifteen months after the passing of this resolution, whichever is the earlier, but so that such authority shall allow the Company to make offers or agreements before the expiry of this authority which would or might require relevant securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot relevant securities in pursuance of such offers or agreements as if the power conferred hereby had not expired.

Special Resolutions:

The following Special Resolutions were passed at the Annual General Meeting held on 4 October 2018:

10. THAT:

the Directors be and they are hereby empowered, in accordance with sections 570 and 573 of the Companies Act 2006 as amended from time to time prior to the date of the passing of this resolution ('2006 Act') to allot Shares in each class (UK Equity, Global Equity Income, Balanced Risk Allocation and Managed Liquidity) for cash, either pursuant to the authority given by resolution 9 set out above or (if such allotment constitutes the sale of relevant Shares which, immediately before the sale, were held by the Company as treasury shares) otherwise, as if section 561 of the 2006 Act did not apply to any such allotment, provided that this power shall be limited:

(a) to the allotment of Shares in connection with a rights issue in favour of all holders of a class of Share where the Shares attributable respectively to the interests of all holders of Shares of such class are either proportionate (as nearly as may be) to the respective numbers of relevant Shares held by them or are otherwise allotted in accordance with the rights attaching to such Shares (subject in either case to such exclusions or other arrangements as the Directors may deem necessary or expedient in relation to fractional entitlements or legal or practical problems under the laws of, or the requirements of, any regulatory body or any stock exchange in any territory or otherwise);

(b) to the allotment (otherwise than pursuant to a rights issue) of equity securities up to an aggregate nominal amount of 35,536 of UK Equity Shares, 32,756 of Global Equity Income Shares, 6,229 of Balanced Risk Allocation Shares and 4,700 of Managed Liquidity Shares; and

(c) to the allotment of equity securities at a price of not less than the net asset value per Share as close as practicable to the allotment or sale

and this power shall expire at the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company or the date fifteen months after the passing of this resolution, whichever is the earlier, but so that this power shall allow the Company to make offers or agreements before the expiry of this power which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after such expiry as if the power conferred by this resolution had not expired; and so that words and expressions defined in or for the purposes of Part 17 of the 2006 Act shall bear the same meanings in this resolution.

11. THAT:

the Company be generally and subject as hereinafter appears unconditionally authorised in accordance with section 701 of the Companies Act 2006 as amended from time to time prior to the date of passing this resolution ('2006 Act') to make market purchases (within the meaning of section 693(4) of the 2006 Act) of its issued Shares in each Share class (UK Equity, Global Equity Income, Balanced Risk and Managed Liquidity).

PROVIDED ALWAYS THAT

(i) the maximum number of Shares hereby authorised to be purchased shall be 14.99% of each class of the Company's share capital at 4 October 2018, the date of the Annual General Meeting, being 5,210,140 UK Equity Shares, 4,858,359 Global Equity Income Shares, 916,634 Balanced Risk Allocation Shares and 706,001 Managed Liquidity Shares;

(ii) the minimum price which may be paid for a Share shall be 1p;

(iii) the maximum price which may be paid for a Share in each Share class shall be an amount equal to 105% of the average of the middle market quotations for a Share taken from and calculated by reference to the London Stock Exchange Daily Official List for five business days immediately preceding the day on which the Share is purchased;

(iv) any purchase of Shares will be made in the market for cash at prices below the prevailing net asset value per Share (as determined by the Directors);

(v) the authority hereby conferred shall expire at the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company or, if earlier, on the expiry of 15 months from the passing of this resolution unless the authority is renewed at any other general meeting prior to such time; and

(vi) the Company may make a contract to purchase Shares under the authority hereby conferred prior to the expiry of such authority which will be executed wholly or partly after the expiration of such authority and may make a purchase of Shares pursuant to any such contract.

12. THAT:

the period of notice required for general meetings of the Company (other than Annual General Meetings) shall be not less than 14 days.

Ordinary Resolution applicable only to the UK Equity Share Class:

13. To approve the UK Equity Share Class Portfolio dividend payment policy as set out on pages 33 and 34 of the 2018 annual financial report.

Ordinary Resolution applicable only to the Global Equity Income Share Class:

14. To approve the Global Equity Income Share Class Portfolio dividend payment policy as set out on page 34 of the 2018 annual financial report.

Invesco Asset Management Limited

Corporate Company Secretary

4 October 2018
Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 4, 2018) -White Metal Resources Corp. (TSXV: WHM) ("White Metal" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an exploration update on its channel sampling program at its Gunners Cove Gold Property (the "Property") in Newfoundland. The Company is awaiting assay results from 696 channel rock samples (733 inclusive of standards and blanks) collected from five priority zones (from north to south): (1) East Gunners; (2) Mossberg; (3) Gunners Hidden Pit; (4) Stevens Zone; and (5) Bazooka Island (see news release dated September 27, 2018).

The Company has posted to its website www.whitemetalres.com numerous new location maps which provide an overview and some detail for the channel sampling at the five priority areas. The Company will report the assay results as soon as they have been reviewed and analysed by their technical team.

The Gunners Cove Gold Project is a new unexplored gold system that has now been traced intermittingly for 18km along strike (N-S) and from 1.3 to 3.0km in width (E-W). To date, 15 new areas of gold mineralization have been discovered of which five have been sampled and mapped in detail.

Since the initial gold discovery in September 2017, the Company has had excellent success not only in making new discoveries, but extending the area of gold mineralization substantially at the Gunners Cove Gold Project. Evaluation of the geological controls of the known gold mineralization can be summarized as follows:

Anomalous to moderate grade gold assays associated with pyrite nodules, discontinuous stringers, fragments, and cubic crystals.

Gold zones are hosted in a geological distinctive unit of chaotic, multi-lithic breccia with a predominately graphitic and mudstone matrix. This unit is interpreted to be associated with regional thrust faulting and is referred to as a melange.

Higher pyrite content appears to be associated with well-foliated (sheared) graphitic melange.

Melange is mappable over horizontal widths of up to 1.3km, however the full extent of the melange is not understood as yet. Melange appears to be located at the base of a sedimentary-ultramafic package and has been mapped as a discontinuous unit over an area of approximately 18km by 3km.

Anomalous silver, copper and molybdenum are also associated with gold mineralization.

Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (P.Geo.), Vice President Exploration and a Director of White Metal, who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by the National Instrument 43-101.

For more information with respect to to the Gunners Cove Gold Property please visit the Company's Web Page at www.whitemetalres.com.

About White Metal Resources Corp (TSXV: WHM):

White Metal Resources Corp. is a junior mineral exploration company exploring for gold in Canada.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of White Metal Resources Corp.

"Jean-Pierre Colin"

Jean-Pierre Colin, President, CEO 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 NEWS RELEASE.

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements."

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projection

For further information contact:

Michael Stares

684 Squier Street

Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, P7B 4A8

Phone: (807) 628-7836 Fax (807) 475 7200
Indianapolis, Indiana (ots) -- Querverweis: Bildmaterial ist abrufbar unter http://www.presseportal.de/bilder -FileWave, the multi-platform endpoint management solution for apps, devices, and configurations for Mac, Windows and mobile, today announces the appointment of Rolf Anweiler as CEO at its annual Alliance Conference in Indianapolis. Anweiler brings 19 years of marketing, sales and startup experience in the B2B software industry to FileWave. Nurdan Eris, founder and former CEO, will stay on as Chairman of the Board.Anweiler previously served as the Senior Vice President of Marketing and member of the global senior leadership team for Mapp Digital, the world's largest privately-held marketing software technology provider. At Mapp Digital, he was responsible for global marketing strategy and demand generation, establishing and positioning the company's brand and building its sales and marketing infrastructure from the ground up."Rolf's strong experience leading company growth in the B2B software industry is an ideal fit for the future of FileWave," said Nurdan Eris, FileWave Founder. "Rolf will play an integral role helping FileWave take advantage of the great market opportunity in front of us.""FileWave is an amazing company with great customers that is well-positioned for growth in the rapidly-expanding UEM market," said Anweiler. "I look forward to further developing strategies to capitalize on the success FileWave has already achieved."With a Master of Science in industrial engineering and management and a breadth of professional marketing and sales experience, Anweiler brings an analytical, process-driven mindset to FileWave.About FileWaveA pioneer in multi-platform endpoint management, FileWave was founded in 1992. Offering a single management solution for apps, devices, and configurations for Mac, Windows, and mobile, FileWave gives IT the ability to proactively and automatically provision and maintain every device. FileWave makes endpoint management simple. For more information, please visit www.FileWave.com.Originaltext: FileWave digital press kits: http://www.presseportal.de/nr/106331 press kits via RSS: http://www.presseportal.de/rss/pm_106331.rss2Contact: Christian Fabricius +49 (0)89 9938 8731 filewave@hbi.de
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer, overseeing the landmark Volkswagen Dieselgate lawsuits, issued an order allowing the RICO and state law claims of consumers who sold their affected vehicles prior to the disclosure of the fraud to continue, according to Hagens Berman.

The order upholds the claims of tens of thousands of prior owners of affected diesel vehicles that Bosch and Volkswagen participated in a conspiracy to create and implement an emissions cheating defeat device in nearly 600,000 cars sold in the United States. The Dieselgate fraud, plaintiffs state, harmed all purchasers of affected vehicles (whether or not they still owned the cars when the fraud was disclosed) because they: (1) paid a premium and/or financing fees for features that they never received; and (2) the premiums caused their vehicles to depreciate more than cars without the premium diesel features would have depreciated over the same period of ownership. Judge Breyer agreed, finding that Plaintiffs had adequately alleged Article III standing to bring their claims.

In his order, Breyer stated that the claims on behalf of prior owners were based on a "novel twist" and that plaintiffs "plausibly alleged that Bosch partnered with Volkswagen to implement the defeat device in the affected vehicles, and by doing so participated in the conduct of a years-long enterprise to defraud U.S. regulators and consumers." Judge Breyer rejected Bosch's arguments that its actions were not a direct and proximate cause of Plaintiffs' injuries and concluded: "Plaintiffs' allegations are sufficient to support that Bosch engaged in racketeering activity in violation of RICO, and that Plaintiffs suffered a concrete injury to their property 'by reason' of this activity. The RICO claims against Bosch are well pled."

Judge Breyer also rejected Volkswagen's arguments that federal law preempted the state law claims against it for misrepresenting the virtues of its diesel cars and concealing the defeat devices. While the Court ordered Plaintiffs to replead their misrepresentation claims with more particularity, Judge Breyer held that the omission-based claims would go forward as pled.

"Judge Breyer's latest order is a resounding rejection of Volkswagen and Bosch's attempt to unjustly escape compensating tens of thousands of former owners of VW and Audi cars for the harm caused by purposefully cheating on emissions," said Steve W. Berman, the lead attorney representing car owners in the case.

"We intend to hold Volkswagen and Bosch fully accountable for the harm their fraud and criminal enterprise caused all deceived VW buyers, even those who sold their cars before Volkswagen admitted its fraud. Until and unless Volkswagen and Bosch agree to fair compensation for these victims of their fraud, we will vigorously pursue these RICO claims."

Steve Berman is a leading consumer-rights attorney and co-founder of Hagens Berman. He was appointed to the plaintiffs' steering committee in the nationwide consolidated class-action lawsuit against Volkswagen and is also pursuing claims on behalf of Volkswagen's franchise dealers. Hagens Berman has filed multiple nationwide lawsuits against Bosch for its alleged participation in similar diesel emissions racketeering schemes with other carmakers, including Daimler (Mercedes), Fiat Chrysler, General Motors and Ford.

About Hagens Berman

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is a consumer-rights class-action law firm with 10 offices across the country. The firm has been named to the National Law Journal's Plaintiffs' Hot List eight times. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at https://www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005608/en/

Contacts:

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP

Ashley Klann, 206-268-9363

ashleyk@hbsslaw.com
Chief Executive Officer addresses global asset management audience at EMEA Regional Client Conference

Charles River Development (Charles River), a State Street Company and provider of the Charles River Investment Management Solution (Charles River IMS), held its 2018 EMEA Client Conference this week in London. More than 170 attendees representing over 40 firms from 14 countries participated in the event, the first Charles River Client Conference since its acquisition by State Street Corporation (NYSE: STT) was completed on October 1, 2018.

Charles River's newly appointed chief executive officer, John Plansky, addressed attendees and outlined the strategic rationale for the acquisition and his vision for the future. Plansky previewed plans to combine Charles River's front and middle office Software as a Service (SaaS) capabilities with State Street's complementary services to deliver a comprehensive, interoperable front-to-back Buy-Side platform.

"State Street and Charles River Development always shared a common focus on helping our clients grow, respond and adapt to industry trends," said Plansky. "Together, we are creating the industry's first-ever global interoperable platform from a single service provider that connects the front, middle and back office something our clients have been asking for. We are excited at the opportunity this presents to help our clients manage their business, investments and data more effectively and efficiently. We are committed to working closely with Charles River's clients and increasing our investments to strategically enhance capabilities across the front office, middle office, data management and integration of liquidity providers, insights and the back office."

The client conference covered a wide range of topics for business line executives, fixed income and equity portfolio managers and traders, compliance and risk personnel, operations, and technology managers. In more than 20 presentations and networking sessions, Charles River managers, clients and industry partners discussed current trends impacting buy-side firms in EMEA and globally, as well as Charles River's product road map.

"The conference gives us critical insight into the challenges clients are facing as they launch more innovative revenue generation options, including digital channels, to optimize the fast-moving cross-asset trading environment whilst responding to ongoing margin pressure and keeping up with ongoing regulatory change," said Gavin Lavelle, managing director, EMEA, Charles River. "We are focused on providing our customers the necessary services to generate growth whilst optimizing and simplifying middle and back-office processes. Our cloud-based enterprise solution and data services further reduce cost and maximise results for their business users. Combining with State Street provides a unique and comprehensive solution to our clients' current and future needs."

About Charles River, A State Street Company

Institutional, wealth, asset owner and alternative investment firms use the Charles River IMS to manage more than $25 Trillion in assets. The major components of the Charles River IMS include portfolio decision support, order management, trading, compliance, post-trade settlement, IBOR, performance measurement/attribution, risk, collateral management, data provisioning, data management and others.

Headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, Charles River supports over 300 clients in more than 40 countries with 750 employees in 11 regional offices. For more information, please visit www.crd.com.

About State Street Corporation

State Street Corporation (NYSE:STT) is the world's leading provider of financial services to institutional investors including investment servicing, investment management and investment research and trading. With $33.9 trillion in assets under custody and administration and $2.7 trillion* in assets under management as of June 30, 2018, State Street operates globally in more than 100 geographic markets and employs over 38,000 worldwide. For more information, visit State Street's website at http://www.statestreet.com/platformforgrowth.

* Assets under management include the assets of the SPDR Gold ETF and the SPDR Long Dollar Gold Trust ETF (approximately $33 billion as of June 30, 2018), for which State Street Global Advisors Funds Distributors, LLC (SSGA FD) serves as marketing agent; SSGA FD and State Street Global Advisors are affiliated.

The whole or any part of this report may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted, or any of its contents disclosed to third parties without State Street's express written consent.

Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal.

The material presented herein is for informational purposes only. The views expressed herein are subject to change based on market and other conditions and factors. The opinions expressed herein reflect general perspectives and information and are not tailored to specific requirements, circumstances and or investment philosophies.

Expiration Date: October 30, 2019

2018 State Street Corporation All Rights Reserved

State Street Corporation, One Lincoln St, Boston MA 02111

2264037.1.1.GBL.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005663/en/

Contacts:

Charles River Development

Mary Masi-Phelps, +1 781-425-6155

marymasi-phelps@crd.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 4, 2018) - WPC Resources Inc. (TSXV: WPQ) ("WPC" or the "Company") is pleased to report Zara Kanji, CPA, CGA, has joined the Company as its new Chief Financial Officer and Mike C. Stewart, P.Eng has joined WPC as its Corporate Secretary, effective October 1, 2018.

In 2004, Ms. Kanji founded Zara Kanji & Associates. Zara is experienced in financial reporting compliance for junior listed resource companies, taxation, general accounting and reporting and value-added operational consulting services for individuals and private and public companies. Prior to starting her accounting practice, Zara served as a controller for a marketing company, served as an accountant in public practice for a CA firm, a CGA firm and served as an analyst for a pension fund. In addition to providing accounting and financial compliance services, Zara has also served as director and officer for several listed issuers and has been part of teams that have facilitated several financings and acquisition transactions. Zara is a Member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of BC and Canada and previously the Certified General Accountants Association since August 2003. Zara holds a Bachelors of Technology in Accounting (Honors) and a Diploma in Corporate Finance (Honors) from the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

Mr. Stewart is a partner at the British Columbia-based ATAC LAW Corporation where he practices law. Mr. Stewart is also a professional engineer in the provinces of British Columbia and Ontario, with experience in the oil and gas, mining and forestry sectors. Mr. Stewart is a former adjunct professor in Applied Science at the University of British Columbia and currently serves on several committees as Senator of the University of British Columbia.

Stephen Wilkinson, WPC's President and CEO, stated, "We are most pleased to welcome such capable and experienced professionals to our WPC team. Zara and Mike will undoubtedly be contributing in a major way as the Company advances its gold projects on the Ulu mining lease and the Hood River Concessions."

About WPC Resources Inc.

WPC is a Vancouver-based gold exploration company focused on mineral exploration and development within Nunavut, Canada. The Company through its subsidiary, Inukshuk Exploration Inc., owns the highly perspective 8,015 ha Hood River gold property located contiguous to the Ulu mining lease. WPC has a definitive agreement to acquire the Ulu, an advanced exploration project. The Company has 130.9 million shares issued and is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange with the trading symbol: WPQ. The Company website is: www.wpcresources.ca.

For additional information, please contact:

Stephen Wilkinson, President and CEO

Telephone: (778) 379-1433

E-mail: info@wpcresources.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the Policies of the TSX-Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this Release.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking information. All information included herein, other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements and involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information.
NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, on World Animal Day, The Body Shop and Cruelty Free International brought 8.3 million signatures against cosmetic animal testing to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to create a global framework to end animal testing while advancing the United Nations' sustainable development agenda.

The celebration of these signatures is a culmination of more than 30 years of advocacy between The Body Shop, the first international beauty brand to campaign against animal testing in cosmetics, and its long-time campaign partner Cruelty Free International, the first global, non-profit organization dedicated to ending cosmetic product and ingredient testing on animals. The joint effort is the most ambitious campaign ever against cosmetic animal testing and serves as a model to inspire action from businesses, governments and citizens to advance Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG12): Responsible Consumption and Production.

Lise Kingo, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, joined The Body Shop at the UN to discuss how businesses can do more to engage and mobilise consumers in support of the SDGs.

The petition signatures, collected from supporters around the world in just 15 months, call on the countries of the UN to formalize an international framework to end cosmetic animal testing, everywhere and forever.

Cosmetic animal testing is cruel, old-fashioned, expensive and inefficient. Today, there are more reliable alternatives. The Body Shop and many other cruelty-free companies use innovative and effective cruelty-free ingredients in all their products, all tested through non-animal methods.

Although there has been sizable progress, 80 percent of countries still have not made it illegal to test cosmetics on animals. Cruelty Free International estimates that more than 500,000 animals each year are used in cosmetics testing.

A global framework is the only way to eliminate animal suffering and create a level playing field around the world.

Harmonizing safety testing requirements globally would allow companies to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy and test duplication when accessing international markets. Not only would a global framework give confidence to companies that they are producing safe and effective cosmetics while meeting consumer demand for truly cruelty-free products, but also, the global framework would align with the United Nation's vision of a world in which, "humanity lives in harmony with nature and in which wildlife and other species are protected."

"In just 15 months more than 8 million people signed their names in recognition that cosmetic animal testing is outdated and unnecessary," said David Boynton, CEO of The Body Shop. "We are determined to finish what Dame Anita Roddick started back in 1989, and today we are at the United Nations to call for collaboration among the cosmetic industry, civil society and governments to finally to end cosmetic animal testing everywhere."

"This campaign demonstrates that consumers around the world want to see real change," said Jessie Macneil-Brown, Global Head of Activism at The Body Shop. "We look forward to working with UN leaders to make this a reality."

"A global framework is the only way to truly eliminate animal suffering," said Michelle Thew, CEO of Cruelty Free International. "The petition demonstrates that across the globe, people want this practice to end."

"This initiative shows the potential for brands to engage and mobilize consumers at scale in support of the SDGs, and how, by combining business innovation, enabling policies and consumer power, real change can be achieved," Lise Kingo said. "The SDGs are everybody's business, and we look forward to working with The Body Shop to build and share industry knowledge and insights on how to harness consumers and drive collective action."

Consumers can get involved with the campaign by joining the online rally at www.thebodyshop.com/against-animal-testing, and can show their support by using, ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/754556/The_Body_Shop_Cruelty_Free_International.jpg
Underground mining company Macmahon Holdingshas reached an agreement to settle the class action proceedings that started against them in the Federal Court of Australia in November 2015.The proceedings related to market disclosures by Macmahon in 2012 regarding a construction project in that year.Macmahons Chairman, Mr Jim Walker, said: The decision to settle was a purely commercial matter, taken in the best interests of our shareholders.He said Macmahon continues to deny any wrongdoing in this matter and it is important to note that the settlement is not an admission of any liability, nor a finding against the company or any individuals."Macmahon will pay $6.7 million in full and final settlement of the proceedings, inclusive of interest and the applicants legal costs.Shares in Macmahon Holdingsare trading 1.89 per cent higher to 27 cents.
By Jessica Resnick-Ault NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brent crude rose nearly 2 percent after hitting a four-year high on Wednesday as the market focused on upcoming U.S. sanctions on Iran while shrugging off the year's largest weekly build in U.S

By Jessica Resnick-Ault

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brent crude rose nearly 2 percent after hitting a four-year high on Wednesday as the market focused on upcoming U.S. sanctions on Iran while shrugging off the year's largest weekly build in U.S. crude stockpiles and reports of higher Saudi Arabian and Russian production.

"Nothing matters between here and Nov. 4," said Bob Yawger, director of futures at Mizuho in New York, referring to the date when U.S. sanctions take full effect. "You just had the biggest build this year, and the market rallied right through it."

U.S. crude inventories jumped 8 million barrels last week, quadruple analysts' expectations and the biggest build since March 2017, the Energy Information Administration said.

Brent crude rose $1.49, or 1.8 percent, to settle at $86.29 a barrel, after hitting $86.74, its highest since Oct. 30, 2014. U.S. crude settled $1.18, or 1.6 percent, higher at $76.41 a barrel, after touching a session high of $76.90.

Both benchmarks dipped briefly after the U.S. government released inventory figures, then resumed their climb.

"The speculative community took an opportunity to buy on the dip," Yawger said.

Earlier in the session, crude had been pushed lower as Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdom had raised output to 10.7 million barrels per day in October and would pump more in November. The record high for Saudi output is 10.72 million bpd in November 2016.

Russia and Saudi Arabia struck a private deal in September to raise oil output to cool rising prices and informed the United States before a meeting in Algiers with other producers, four sources familiar with the plan told Reuters.

Iran, however, accused Saudi Arabia and Russia of breaking OPEC's agreement on output cuts by producing more crude, adding that the two countries would not be able to produce enough oil to make up for a reduction in Iranian exports.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies have been limiting supply since 2017 to get rid of a glut. They partially relaxed the cut in June, under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to cool prices.

One analyst said the Saudi plan to pump more would not change much.

"Saudi is still very timid, the market wants to see something more proactive," said Petromatrix analyst Olivier Jakob. "That's why the market is not reacting very much to the different headlines."

(Additional reporting by Alex Lawler and Henning Gloystein; Editing by Marguerita Choy and David Gregorio)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
On Thursday, ICICI Banks shareholders appeared to be more than happy with their beloved chief executive officer (CEO) calling it a day in the bank

On Thursday, ICICI Bank shareholders appeared to be more than happy with Chanda Kochhar announcing her resignation from the bank. The private banks shares spiked by more than 4 percent on bourses in afternoon trade the moment the news of Kochhars resignation hit the trading terminals. This was not the kind of farewell Kochhar would have hoped for after a 34-year long career with the bank.

Kochhar had joined ICICI back in 1984 as a management trainee when the bank was still a non-banking financial company (NBFC) called the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India which later became the ICICI bank.

Over the years, Kochhars growth in ICICI Bank was steady and a model for any aspiring banker; she rose through the ranks and played an instrumental role in building the entity to one of the biggest banks in the country, particularly its retail portfolio.

Videocon controversy

Everything changed for Kochhar and her image took a big hit when the Videocon loan controversy broke out raising questions after questions about her role in it. A probe on this is not yet concluded.

It is no secret as to why the investors cheered the resignation of one of the longest-serving executives at ICICI bank. The Kochhar issue was heavily weighing on the banks shares and no one who had put their money on the table liked the brewing controversy.

From its recent peak , ICICI Bank shares have lost 12.73 percent from Rs 362 to Rs 316 while BSE Sensex is down by 2.69 percent. Investors desperately wanted the uncertainty to vanish and clarity to emerge on a succession plan. This was the reason why large investors such as the mutual funds met ICICI non-executive chairman M K Sharma in April to discuss the CEO succession plan.

The ICICI board loved Kochhar with its whole heart, till the last moment. Even when the world questioned the logic of her continuation and raised questions on the corporate governance standards of the bank, they stood by their beloved CEO. Even an independent enquiry was pushed to the last moment after the board was pushed to a corner by regulators and investors.

Timing of Kochhar's resignation

The timing of Kochhar's early exit is interesting because the outcome of a major internal probe by a panel headed by former supreme court judge Justice Srikrishna is pending. This is with respect to the alleged connection and conflict of interest regarding a Rs 3,250 crore loan given to the Videocon group and the business dealings of Deepak Kochhar, Chanda's husband with Videocons Venugopal Dhoot.

In a media release, ICICI Bank said Kochhar's exit will not impact the ongoing investigation and certain benefits to Kochhar will be subjected to the probe outcome.

But the question is, Why did the board accept her resignation before the probe was over? Couldn't it have waited till the issue to be cleared? After all, it is the same board which gave a clean chit to Kochhar immediately after the allegations became known to the public. Or does her quitting before the probe is complete give an indication that the board is pre-empting the outcome of the probe and wants to avoid an embarrassing situation if the probe indicts Kochhar?

ICICI Bank Boards handling of the Kochhar issue

The Board of ICICI Bank could have handled the Kochhar issue better. The writing was on the wall for Kochhar ever since the allegations first came to light. The charges against her and her family members pertaining to the misuse of the CEOs office were serious in nature. Whether there is truth in the charges or not; the board and Kochhar should have tread cautiously considering that the bank's first commitment is to its depositors and shareholders, not to one of its top management employee.

As mentioned above, the probe announcement happened with many delays. This complicated the whole issue given that the allegations pointed out fingers at big names such as the Videocon group, the Essar Group, Chanda's husband Deepak and her brother-in-law Rajiv Kochhar. Secondly, it didnt ask Kochhar to step down from the beginning pending the probe.

Anyone could have alleged that her continuance at the powerful office could influence any internal probe in some way. Kochhar was finally sent on leave in June but this decision was too late; the image of the bank, with respect to safeguarding the corporate governance standards it represented at one point had by then suffered much damage.

Throughout the episode, the bank board was supportive of Kochhar and an independent probe was ordered after pressure mounted from regulators and the media.

At this stage, Kochhar's 'early retirement appears to be nothing but a face-saving exercise for the bank to avoid an embarrassing situation should the probe lead to an indictment of Kochhar in the the Videocon case.
Bakhshi has been with the ICICI Group for 32 years and has handled various assignments in ICICI Limited, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, ICICI Bank and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance

ICICI Bank Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Chanda Kochhar resigned on Thursday with immediate effect.

The board of the bank accepted the request of Kochhar to seek early retirement.

The board has decided to appoint Sandeep Bakhshi as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Bakhshi's appointment will be for a period of five years until 3 October, 2023, subject to various approvals.

Here is all you need to know about the new ICICI Bank chief:

A mechanical engineer from the Punjab Engineering College, Bakhshi has a post-graduate degree in management from XLRI, Jamshedpur, according to the bank.

Bakhshi's first job was at a computer marketing company, ORG Systems, in 1983, according to News18.

He joined ICICI Ltd in 1986 and looked after the firm's corporate clients for the northern and the eastern regions before joining ICICI Lombard in 2002.

Unlike most senior leaders in ICICI Bank who began their careers from the headquarters in Mumbai, Bakhshi joined the lender in Delhi, according to The Times of India.

While Kochhar was known for keeping family and work separate, Bakhshi admits to carrying work home, said the report.

He has been with the ICICI Group for 32 years and has handled various assignments in ICICI Limited, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, ICICI Bank and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance.

He then served as the deputy managing director of the bank before going to head the group's life insurance business, in 2010. During his tenure, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company became one of India's top private life insurance providers. He is also credited with taking the first Indian insurance company public.

Bakhshi is part of the ICICI culture. So, from that perspective, he is the right choice as the senior-most person within the ICICI umbrella after Kochhar, Shriram Subramanian, founder of proxy advisory firm InGovern, had told Firstpost when Bakhshi was appointed as the chief operating officer (COO) of the lender.

With inputs from agencies
Kochhar joined ICICI, an infrastructure lender in its earlier avatar, as a management trainee in 1984 and rose to play an important part in its transformation into a retail-focused lender

Mumbai: In mid-February, a lobby group chose Chanda Kochhar, the then head of ICICI Bank, for an interactive session with the visiting Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. A little over a month later, the toast of the town was battling allegations of impropriety that led to a multi-agency probe and an eventual forced leave-of-absence.

The 56-year-old Kochhar, who rose to occupy the corner office at the largest private sector lender, was mired in allegations of conflicts of interest, lack of disclosures and quid pro quo while extending loans to the now bankrupt Videocon Industries. She, in fact, was the first woman to head a large lender in the country.

Kochhar, a favourite of the then group chairman KV Kamath, joined ICICI, an infrastructure lender in its earlier avatar, as a management trainee in 1984 and rose to play an important part in its transformation into a retail-focused lender and when it turned into a commercial bank in the early 1990s.

After the exit of the larger-than-life KV Kamath, she was chosen in 2009 to succeed the illustrious leader as the managing director and chief executive despite a strong leadership bench. Her elevation also led to the exit of Shikha Sharma (Axis Bank chief), who was senior to her in ranking from the group. Before her elevation to the corner office, she was a key member of the bank's setting up, oversaw the retail business and was also chief financial officer.

She consolidated activities at ICICI Bank, the only domestic lender to be impacted in the post-Lehman crisis, and ensured it speaks little and it is only her who does the talking all the time.

While Kamath faced many bank runs during his tenure, Kochhar's brute control on the institution has led to a complete arrest of such negative press. There was just one run-on during her tenure.

When an RBI review in 2015 found a high amount of under-reported dud assets with the bank, she announced a new strategy of concentrating only on the well-rated borrowers.

She championed many social causes but it was her inspiring rise to the top that was most admired. Yet, she perplexed many with her contrarian views that girls lack quantitative analytical skills, blaming it on the limited number of women in B-schools.

Over the years her leadership of the bank became a hyphenated relationship, wherein she came to define the bank, till it was broken Thursday with the announcement of her formal exit, six months after allegations of impropriety first cropped up against her, though she has been on an indefinite leave from May after the board was forced to appoint an external probe into the entire issue.

The reasons for her ouster pertain to the loan to Videocon and the business dalliances between its promoter Venugopal Dhoot and her husband Deepak Kochhar. Dhoot had invested in and subsequently exited a power company promoted by Deepak and Chanda Kochhar did not recuse herself or disclose this when a loan was granted by ICICI Bank to Videocon as part of a consortium.

Initially, she enjoyed full backing of the board but lost support as the list of allegations kept growing with more names like an Essar group shell company of the Ruias also emerging among those with whom the Kochhar family had a relationships.

However, the gains from the Ruia ties were only a fraction of Videocon's loan of Rs 3,250 crore in FY11 which soon turned dud.

These allegations led to probes by multiple agencies, including the CBI, ED and SFIO, and also questioning of the Kochhar family members.

Finally, it was a complaint by a whistleblower who is yet to be named, which proved to be her undoing.

After exonerating her initially in the face of Videocon allegations, the bank launched an independent probe by retired judge BN Srikrishna and Kochhar went on indefinite leave pending the enquiry. This led to Sandeep Bakhshi being made the chief operating officer to oversee the day-to-day operations.

Kochhar had six months to go before her current term expires in March 2019. Regulations allow private sector bank chiefs to continue till the age of 70. Her offer to resign was accepted with immediate effect Thursday and Bakhshi was elevated to succeed her. The probe against her will continue and its outcome will determine the compensation she gets, the bank said in a statement.

In the past few months, shareholders have sought clarity on the issue at annual meetings and also raised concerns over the bank's move to appoint her as the chairman of group's securities arm. Kochhar, who maintained a huge public profile, has been away from public glare since May, since her forced leave.

From a performance perspective, when she took over ICICI Bank was the second largest in the system and the largest among its private sector peers. But at the end of her actual carrier at the bank it was reduced to a distant No 3 in the system and the second largest private sector lender after HDFC Bank by a wide margin.

The bank closed fiscal 2018 with advances of Rs 5.12 trillion on a deposit of Rs 56.1 trillion and net income of a paltry Rs 1,142 crore. In FY10 (her first full year at the helm), the bank had reported a net income of Rs 4,025 crore on a much smaller balance-sheet of Rs 2.02 trillion in deposits and Rs 1.81 trillion in advances.

Investors cheered the announcement, probably because of the clarity it brings in. The bank scrip closed 4.07 per cent up at Rs 315.95 on the BSE as against a 2.24 per cent plunge in the benchmark.
Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, ICICI Bank, has sought early retirement from the bank, according to a filing to the exchanges.

ICICI Bank, in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange on Thursday, said that its board of directors has accepted the request of CEO and MD Chanda Kochhar "to seek early retirement" with immediate effect while the ongoing "enquiry instituted by the Board will remain unaffected".

"The Board of Directors of ICICI Bank Limited, accepted the request of Ms Chanda Kochhar to seek early retirement from the Bank at the earliest. The Board accepted this request with immediate effect. The enquiry instituted by the Board will remain unaffected by this and certain benefits will be subject to the outcome of the enquiry. Ms Kochhar will also relinquish office from the Board of Directors of the Bank's subsidiaries. The Board decided to appoint Mr. Sandeep Bakhshi as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer. His appointment will be for a period of five years until October 3, 2023, subject to regulatory and other approvals. The other terms and conditions of his appointment, such as remuneration, would remain unchanged. Separately, due to health reasons Mr MD Mallya, Independent Director, resigned from the Board and the same was accepted," according to the statement.

This is post the outcome of the meeting of the Board of Directors of ICICI Bank held on 4 October. The note said: The Board of Directors of ICICI Bank Limited, accepted the request of Ms Chanda Kochhar to seek early retirement from the Bank at the earliest. The Board accepted this request with immediate effect.

Following the announcement, the stock soared 5.69 per cent to Rs 320.90 on BSE. On NSE, shares of the company jumped 5.77 percent to Rs 321.25.'

The enquiry instituted by the Board will remain unaffected by this and certain benefits will be subject to the outcome of the enquiry. Ms Kochhar will also relinquish office from the Board of Directors of the Bank's subsidiaries.

N Vaghul, former CMD of ICICI Bank said he is happy with the Board's decision to accept Kochhars resignation. The impasse ends with Kochhar's resignation, ending uncertainty, he said, according to CNBC-TV18.

The Board decided to appoint Sandeep Bakhshi as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. His appointment will be for a period of five years until 3 October, 2023, subject to regulatory and other approvals.

The other terms and conditions of his appointment, such as remuneration, would remain unchanged.

Separately, due to health reasons MD Mallya, Independent Director, resigned from the Board and the same was accepted.

Earlier in June, Kochhar had decided to go on leave till the completion of an external enquiry into alleged conflict of interest in extending loans to some corporates like Videocon and named Sandeep Bakhshi as the chief operating officer, the bank announced.
COPENHAGEN/TALLINN (Reuters) - Banks doing business in Estonia, which has been at the centre of a money-laundering scandal involving Danske Bank, handled more than $1 trillion in cross-border flows between 2008 and 2017, according to the country's central bank. The European Union member country of just 1.3 million people has been rocked by revelations that banks there laundered money from Russia, Moldova and Azerbaijan via non-resident bank accounts.

COPENHAGEN/TALLINN (Reuters) - Banks doing business in Estonia, which has been at the centre of a money-laundering scandal involving Danske Bank, handled more than $1 trillion in cross-border flows between 2008 and 2017, according to the country's central bank.

The European Union member country of just 1.3 million people has been rocked by revelations that banks there laundered money from Russia, Moldova and Azerbaijan via non-resident bank accounts. The scandal has forced lenders in Estonia and neighbouring Latvia to shut down.

The data on cross-border flows, first reported by Bloomberg, suggests that the scale of the money laundering through the small Baltic country may have been larger then previously thought. The news sent Nordic banking shares sharply lower.

The central bank said that between 2008 and 2017, cross-border transactions totalled 1.1 trillion euros ($1.27 trillion). The number includes all flows, including resident and non-resident transactions, a spokesman said.

Estonia's entire economic output came to about $25 billion last year - roughly the same as that of Uganda or Nepal - suggesting that much of the money flow was not directly linked to economic activity in the country.

The central bank did not say whether it considered any of the flows suspicious.

Bloomberg on Wednesday reported figures from the central bank saying that Estonia handled about 900 billion euros in non-resident cross-border transactions between 2008 and 2015.

The central bank later said the figure in the Bloomberg report doesn't relate specifically to non-resident transactions but to all flows in and out of the country, including imports and exports and routine financial transactions such as securities purchases.

Estonia's imports and exports totalled 232 billion euros between 2008 and 2017, official data showed.

The central bank said in a statement that non-resident flows "only make up one part of the sum," adding that it does not collect separate data for those transactions.

"This is a surprising figure," said Copenhagen-based expert on money laundering Jakob Dedenroth Bernhoft. "This indicates that the Danske case is not a one-off affair and that the problem related to other banks as well."

Sweden's SEB and Swedbank, which both have banking operations in Estonia, were trading 3.3 percent and 5.8 percent lower, respectively. The region's biggest bank Nordea was trading 2.9 percent lower, while Danske Bank, whose shares have lost one-third of their value since March, was down 1.5 percent.

A trader says this is "clearly not good news in the light of Danske Bank, and the numbers they are talking about look to be bigger."

Another trader notes Nordic banks are "very well owned" - seen as the best of a bad bunch among European financials  and therefore vulnerable to bad news.

Swedbank's Baltic operations account for nearly one-fifth of its total operating profit, with Estonia its biggest market.

"We have worked continuously through the years together with authorities as well as correspondent banks to ensure that we have solid systems and processes concerning the fight against money laundering," a Swedbank spokesman said.

"Let me underline that we do not recognise ourselves in Bloomberg's reporting. We are a retail bank with low risk," he said.

Sweden's Swedbank is the largest bank in Estonia following its acquisition of Hansabank in 2005. It has 800,000 private customers and around 140,000 business customers in the country, according to its website.

Its Nordic rival SEB also has major operations in the Baltics after acquisitions in the late 1990s. It had 920,000 private and 99,000 corporate customers according to its 2017 annual report.

"We have very few if any customers that are not based in the Baltic countries," an SEB spokesman said. "We feel satisfied that our process concerning these issues works."

Figures reflecting the possible scale of money-laundering through Estonia have been emerging gradually over the last few months.

In May, data from Estonia's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) showed that more than $13 billion had been laundered through banks in the country from 2012 to 2016, with at least 7.3 billion of that going through non-resident bank accounts.

Last month, Denmark's Danske Bank said in an internal report that payments totalling 200 billion euros, many of which it described as "suspicious", had been moved through its Estonian branch between 2007 and 2015.

That scandal led to Danske's chief executive stepping down and prompted regulators across the European Union to question the oversight of the bloc's financial sector.

($1 = 0.8667 euros)

(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Teis Jensen in Copenhagen, Tarmo Virki in Tallinn; Additional reporting by Helen Reid, Stine Jacobsen, Johannes Hellstrom, Simon Johnson, Tommy Lund, Terje Solvik; Editing by Toby Chopra and Hugh Lawson)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Unless the farmer gets a fair price for his produce, he will remain exploited.

There is a sadder side to the farmer agitation. The distress that farmers experience is far greater than most people imagine. They have been exploited by both politicians and the markets for too long. Nothing shows this up better than a Nabard report which was released last month (See table 1)

The distress farmers face is a lot greater than people think. Just look at some other numbers put out by Nabard. These relate to average farm incomes in each state of this country (see table 2).

States where farmers get even lower incomes than the national average include Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh  all of them in North India which is Indias most populous region. And while Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have been able to wrest themselves out of the BIMARU states, the plight of farmers in other states is terribly painful. Clearly, the northern parts of this country  excluding some states like Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh  have a lot to be sore about. Expect agitations to erupt once again.

Meaningless offerings

But hasnt the government just agreed to double farm incomes? Shouldnt the farmers be happy about that? Yes. And no as well. Any additional money for farm produce is certainly most welcome. But doubling household income from Rs.3,000 to Rs.6,000 cannot be considered a bonanza. In many cases, farmers earn less than Rs.2,000 per month. Raising that to Rs.4,000 isnt exactly a solution.There are other problems.

Take the soya producers for instance. They would have grown more. But for the past three decades, the government reduced import duties on edible oil. Result: Oilseed crushing units lost money. And the farmers got little money for their crop. So for a country that met over 70 percent of its edible oil requirement through domestic oilseed production.

India today depends on imported oil for 90 percent of its needs. It is only recently that the government finally decided to marginally increase the import duties on edible oil. Then there is a policy vacuum when it comes to agriculture. Growing of GM or genetically modified oilseeds are banned in India, but import of edible oil, which has been extracted overseas from GM seeds has been allowed. There appears to be no clarity on this front as well. This is what happened with pulses as well two years ago.

Despite the government knowing that the area under pulses cultivation had gone up and a bumper harvest was expected, Indias policymakers allowed import of pulses causing domestic prices to crash. Result: growers of pulses were up in dire straits. Some committed suicide, some went on the warpath. And the government made clucking noises.

Little income growth

And this takes us to another chart by India Ratings, a leading ratings agency (see chart 3). Compare the growth in farm incomes with the package increases Indias legislators awarded themselves, and the irony of the situation becomes clear.

So, what is the solution?

The solution lies is moving away from the MS Swaminathan formula of giving farmers 50 percent more than the cost of farming. It also means abandoning the idea that doubling farm incomes is the best solution. The first solution runs the risk of bureaucrats craftily calculating permitted costs to arrive at the 50 percent surplus. That is an exercise that India has seen both in agriculture and in industry (remember the BICP which controlled industrial costs and prices once upon a time?).

The second solution of doubling farm incomes is not a solution when farm incomes are under R .3,000 per household. The answer lies in adopting the Verghese Kurien model which ensured that the farmer got a percentage of the market price of his produce. Kurien insisted on giving farmers a minimum of 50 percent of the market price for milk. He succeeded in giving them 70 percent and today the Gujarat cooperatives give farmers almost 80 percent (plus a 5 percent bonus) of the market price of milk.

Compare this with what farmers get. In Mumbai you will see customers pay 10 times more than the price that is given to the farmer. Obviously, the trade does not take 90 percent. It is agencies controlled by extortionist politicians that take almost 50 percent of the market price of the produce, leaving the wholesale and retail trade with barely 40 percent of the price difference. In fact, both together should be getting less than 50 percent of the market price. Only then will the farmer be able to get integrated with the markets. But that would mean reducing the easy money available to agencies close to politicians, isnt it? That is why they do not like the model Kurien introduced and are loath to extend it to other crops.

Unless the farmer gets a fair price for his produce, he will remain exploited. And the weak hit back only when the time favours them  just before elections.It is a sad cynical cycle India has seen play out again and again and again. Unless some way is found out of it, the farmers will continue to suffer, and middlemen will continue to fatten themselves.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is concerned over the rising fuel prices in light of the Rabi season

Careening fuel prices to the north at a time when farmers are busy with the cultivation of Rabi crops has left Prime Minister Narendra Modi concerned leading him to hold consultations with BJP president Amit Shah and economic ministers, PMO sources told Firstpost.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan are also in consultation with the PMO, sources said.

Prime Minister @narendramodi concerned over rising fuel prices in light of rabi season, learns @ShereenBhanpic.twitter.com/EgXidUh04y  CNBC-TV18 News (@CNBCTV18News) October 4, 2018

The prime minister is exploring possibilities to mitigate distress in farmers due to the oil price rise. Hectic parleys have been on since morning on price rise and its impact on farmers.

PM concerned over rising fuel prices in light of the Rabi season, holds consultations with party president @AmitShah & economic ministers on plight of farmers: Sources pic.twitter.com/qNiOxetKvi  CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) October 4, 2018

Meanwhile, fuel prices continued to be aflame on Thursday. Petrol touched Rs 84 per litre in Delhi while diesel prices shot up 20 paise to Rs 75.45 per litre. In Mumbai, petrol prices were up 14 paise at Rs 91.34 per litre while diesel crossed the Rs 80-mark for the first time, recording a 21 paise rise from the previous hike. Petrol is already being sold at over Rs 92 per litre in several districts of Maharashtra as well as Bihar.
By Nick Carey and Paul Lienert WARREN, Mich (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co Ltd will invest $2.75 billion and take a 5.7 percent stake in General Motors Co's Cruise self-driving vehicle unit, to jointly develop autonomous vehicles for deployment in ride services fleets around the world. Honda's partnership comes months after Japan's SoftBank Group made its own multibillion-dollar commitment to Cruise.

By Nick Carey and Paul Lienert

WARREN, Mich (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co Ltd <7267.T> will invest $2.75 billion and take a 5.7 percent stake in General Motors Co's Cruise self-driving vehicle unit, to jointly develop autonomous vehicles for deployment in ride services fleets around the world.

Honda's partnership comes months after Japan's SoftBank Group <9984.T> made its own multibillion-dollar commitment to Cruise. That puts Cruise in a league with Alphabet Inc's Waymo unit in terms of resources and aggressive plans to launch commercial services.

Honda, which has lagged behind many of its rivals in developing self-driving vehicles, is paying $750 million upfront for the equity stake in GM's Cruise and will contribute another $2 billion over 12 years in development work and fees, the companies said on Wednesday.

The deal, which calls for Honda to provide engineering expertise, extends cooperation between the two automakers in a technology that has enormous costs and risk but no market-ready products.

Other global automakers are forging similar alliances to share the uncertainty and huge price of developing technologies that have yet to gain widespread consumer acceptance.

GM shares were up 3.1 percent in early afternoon trade.

In May, SoftBank said it would buy stakes in Cruise totalling 19.6 percent for $2.25 billion.

Where SoftBank is primarily a financial partner, "we view Honda as a strategic investor," sharing in vehicle, systems and business development with GM, wrote RBC analyst Joseph Spak in an investor note.

In a blog post early Wednesday, Cruise Chief Executive and co-founder Kyle Vogt joked: "Honda is joining the party. Theyre bringing chips, dip, and $2.75 billion."

Vogt told Reuters that Cruise and Honda would design a vehicle intended to be autonomous, rather than the modified sedan with a steering wheel and driver controls that it is working on now.

"We're still shooting for 2019 to have the first version or first wave of vehicles that come out on our own platform. This is what comes after that," he said.

Honda's investment boosts the value of Cruise to $14.6 billion - about a third of GM's $48 billion market cap. GM acquired the San Francisco-based startup in March 2016 for a reported $1 billion.

By comparison, analysts have pegged the value of Waymo as high as $175 billion. Honda has had discussions for two years with Waymo about possible collaboration, but no deal has been announced.

In a media briefing on Wednesday, GM President Dan Ammann said 2019 remains the goal for GM Cruise to launch a self-driving ride services fleet. He added: The longstanding relationship we have with Honda will allow us to move very quickly in ramping up our efforts.

In January, GM filed a petition seeking U.S. government approval for a fully self-driving car - one without a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator pedal - to enter the automakers first commercial ride-sharing fleet in 2019.

Ammann declined on Wednesday to provide a more specific timeline for the vehicle.

GM has been very selective in our approach to investors in Cruise and we will evaluate other investment opportunities as they come along, he said.

Ammann later told analysts: "We're moving as quickly as we can to get to the point where we can initially deploy the technology and then scale it ... This is an effort that requires very, very significant resources to pull off."

Ammann said Honda will contribute its engineering know-how and will help GM Cruise build a global ride services business.

GM Cruise and Waymo are often described as leading the pack of technology and auto companies competing to create self-driving cars and integrate them into ride services fleets.

Honda executive Seiji Kuraishi said: This investment is based on a shared vision and their (GMs and Cruises) superior technologies in this area.

GM Cruise has a test fleet of more than 100 self-driving versions of the Chevrolet Bolt, rebadged as Cruise AV.

GM CEO Mary Barra said the automaker is still focused on testing self-driving vehicles in San Francisco before expanding to other markets.

Waymo has agreements with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Jaguar Land Rover [TAMOJL.UL] to buy and equip tens of thousands of vehicles with its self-driving systems.

Other automakers are exploring similar tie-ups to help mitigate risk and cost, according to Autotrader analyst Michelle Krebs, who said the GM-Honda deal "demonstrates that global partnerships like these ... are necessary to take on these expensive ventures that likely will not return a profit in the near-term."

BMW , which has a development partnership with suppliers Intel Corp , Aptiv PLC and Magna International , expects some rivals and ride services companies to join its consortium for developing self-driving cars as auto industry profits come under increasing pressure, board member Klaus Froehlich said on Tuesday.

At the Paris Auto Show on Wednesday, the heads of Daimler AG and Renault said the two companies may expand their cooperation to batteries, self-driving vehicles and mobility services.

The GM-Honda announcement extends a partnership that includes joint development of electric vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells that are expected to go on sale in 2020. In June, Honda also said it would buy advanced batteries from GM in a move that could significantly reduce the cost of future electric vehicles at both automakers after 2020.

(Reporting by Nick Carey in Warren, Mich.; additional reporting by Arunima Banerjee in Bengaluru; Paul Lienert and Ben Klayman in Detroit; David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Tom Brown)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
ICICI Bank was the top gainer among the blue chips on both the key indices during the afternoon trade.

New Delhi: Shares of ICICI Bank surged nearly 6 percent Thursday after its Managing Director Chanda Kochhar resigned from the bank with immediate effect.

Following the announcement, the stock soared 5.69 percent to Rs 320.90 on BSE.

On NSE, shares of the company jumped 5.77 percent to Rs 321.25.

The stock was the top gainer among the blue chips on both the key indices during the afternoon trade.

The board of the bank has accepted the request of Kochhar to seek early retirement, according to a regulatory filing.
The shareholding of LIC in IDBI Bank will increase to up to 51 percent after the preference share issue.

New Delhi: State-owned IDBI Bank said on Wednesday it has received approval from market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for issuance of preference shares to Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).

The shareholding of LIC in IDBI Bank will increase to up to 51 percent after the preference share issue.

"This is to inform that on an application being made by IDBI Bank, SEBI, vide its approval letter dated 3 October 2018, has acceded to our request to use method of issuance of equity shares to Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) directly on Preferential Basis ... to comply with Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) requirements," IDBI Bank said in a filing to stock exchanges.

"The letter also states that the above approval shall not be treated as precedent and that the approval is subject to the bank obtaining due approvals of its shareholders, Reserve Bank of India and Government of India," it said.

IDBI Bank board will meet on Thursday to consider preferential allotment of up to 51 percent shares to LIC.

Last month, the LIC board had taken a decision on the modalities and timeline for increasing stake in IDBI Bank to 51 percent. The bank, in which the government holds 85.96 percent stake, had posted a net loss of Rs 2,409.89 crore in the quarter ended June 2018. It had posted a gross non-performing asset (NPA) of about Rs 57,807 crore.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) in June had permitted LIC to increase its stake from 10.82 percent to 51 percent in the IDBI Bank. As per current regulations, an insurance company cannot own more than 15 percent in any listed financial firm.

LIC has been looking to enter the banking space by acquiring a majority stake in IDBI Bank as the deal is expected to provide business synergies despite the lender's stressed balance sheet.

With the culmination of the deal, LIC will get about 2,000 branches through which it can sell its products, while the bank would get massive funds of LIC.
LONDON (Reuters) - Iran accused Saudi Arabia and Russia on Wednesday of breaking OPEC's agreement on output cuts by producing more crude, adding that the two countries would not be able to produce enough oil to make up for a reduction in Iranian exports. Reuters reported on Wednesday that Russia and Saudi Arabia struck a private deal in September to raise oil output to cool rising prices and informed the United States before a meeting in Algiers with other producers.

LONDON (Reuters) - Iran accused Saudi Arabia and Russia on Wednesday of breaking OPEC's agreement on output cuts by producing more crude, adding that the two countries would not be able to produce enough oil to make up for a reduction in Iranian exports.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that Russia and Saudi Arabia struck a private deal in September to raise oil output to cool rising prices and informed the United States before a meeting in Algiers with other producers.

U.S. sanctions on Iran's petroleum sector are set to take effect next month after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May.

Washington wants to cut Irans oil exports to zero by November, and is encouraging producers such as Saudi Arabia, other OPEC members and Russia to pump more to meet the shortfall.

"If Iran is under sanctions, the price of oil would rise and Russia and Saudi Arabia cannot do anything to supply additional oil to the market," Irans OPEC governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili was quoted as saying by SHANA, the oil ministrys news agency.

Kazempour Ardebili, Iran's representative on OPEC's board of governors, said that U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil were "impossible", and called on Trump to return to the nuclear deal with Tehran.

"Mr Trump is very angry with some countries for not being able to replace the Iranian oil and has expressed this anger in his remarks to the Saudi king and to OPEC for not increasing output," he said.

If we look at the two countries rise of production in comparison to their commitments in the Declaration of Cooperation, we see Saudi Arabia and Russia have had respectively a 346,000 and 250,000 BPD output rise, and this production rise is a violation to the (OPEC) agreement on output cut, Kazempour Ardebili said.

Since the meeting in Algiers, Reuters has reported that Riyadh planned to lift output by some 200,000 bpd to 300,000 bpd from September to help fill the gap left by lower Iranian output due to the sanctions.

Russian output rose 150,000 bpd in September.

Trump made an undiplomatic remark about close ally Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, saying he warned Saudi Arabia's King Salman he would not last in power "for two weeks" without the backing of the U.S. military.

(Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Adrian Croft)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
The Maharashtra government announced reduction in prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre, which will give consumers in the state a relief to the tune of Rs 5 a litre.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Thursday announced reduction in prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre, which will give consumers in the state a relief to the tune of Rs 5 a litre.

The announcement was made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis soon after the central government announced cut in the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre.

"Maharashtra government also decided to give additional relief of Rs 2.50 per litre on petrol to give a total benefit of Rs 5 per litre in the state of Maharashtra," Fadnavis tweeted.

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Fadnavis said the reduction in fuel prices will give a huge relief to citizens.

Earlier, Jaitley announced in Delhi a cut in petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre, factoring in excise duty reduction of Rs 1.50 per litre.

He asked state governments to follow suit by cutting a sales tax or VAT by a similar amount.

The reduction followed petrol and diesel prices touching new highs.

Maharashtra's Minister of State for Finance Deepak Kesarkar said historically, Maharashtra has always been reducing prices of fuel in accordance with the Centre.

"The government has always remained positive on the issue of reducing fuel prices. We are happy to reduce prices of fuel as much as announced by the Centre," Kesarkar said.
Arun Jaitley press briefing LIVE updates: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will hold a press briefing today where he is likely to address a number of issues including the rising fuel prices especially after a last-minute meeting with oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan last evening

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"The govt's borrowings programmes have been cut by Rs 70,000 cr. We have authorised OMC to raise $10bn through foreign currency oil bonds. We have announced series of restraint import steps. In order to allow Indian entities to raise masala bonds, we have exempted them from withholding tax. Coupled with this we find several macro economic factors indicating stable results," says Jaitley

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced a cut of R s 2.50 percent in fuel prices. "Oil marketing companies will absorb Rs 1 from the central govt cut on 2.50 relief on petrol and diesel," he said.

Announcing a Rs 2.5 cut in petrol and diesel prices, finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday that the Central Government is not going back on deregulation. "We have to react to the situation and give relief without impacting fiscal deficit. We cannot do it at the cost of fiscal position and give it when it can absorb it," he said.

Following Union finance minister Arun Jaitley's announcement of cut in oil prices, share prices of oil marketing firms besides upstream companies tanked in the Bombay Stock Exchange.

"The maket was anyway going down. it is a tough situation.Overall ICICI bank was in control of situation. The sentiment is fairly bad. Let us look at crude and rupee. Unless these two parameters change," a stock market analyst said.

Soumya Kanti Ghosh, group chief economic advisor, SBI said, "I would like to cut same amount if not more. The amount of incremental revenue is between Rs 30,000 crore to Rs 35,000 crore due to fuel and this wont be impacted much."

Sudeep Bandopadhyay, Indiatrade Capital, Group Chairman said, "It is unrealistic to expect that OMCs would be allowed to continue with the margins they were enjoying. The govt will continue to take these kind of measures in overall interest."

'Govt to continue with measures like this in overall interest'

In the National Capital Region (NCR), petrol is being sold at Rs 84 per litre, diesel is being sold at Rs 75.45 per litre. Petrol rates increased by Rs 0.15 per litre and diesel rates increased by Rs 0.20 per litre on Thursday.

Uttar Pradesh will also reduced the fuel price by Rs 2.5 per litre giving a relief to consumers.

Till now, Tripura, Assam, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have reduced fuel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre.

Yogi Adityanath announced a cut of Rs 2.50 per litre in price of petrol and diesel and hailed the Centre's move as "great relief to common man".

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday demanded that the Centre slash fuel prices by at least Rs 10 per litre and that it withdraw the cess on petroleum products. "This government at the Centre is not bothered about the well-being of the masses... They are only interested about their party," Mamata said while addressing a programme in Siliguri.

Haryana finance minister Captain Abhimanyu told ANI the state has also decided to give additional relief of Rs 2.5 litres on petrol and diesel.

Till now, Tripura, Assam, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have reduced fuel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre.

Thanks to PM @NarendraModi & FM @ArunJaitley , consumers have been provided relief by the slashing of Petrol and Diesel prices by Rs 2.50/litre. I congratulate CM @Dev_Fadnavis & CM @VijayRupaniBJP for further reducing prices by Rs 2.50/litre, giving a total relief of Rs 5/litre.

Petrol and diesel should be brought under the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax, Chavan said.  PTI

"Current prices (of petrol) are around Rs 92 per litre. So the price cut does not make any difference. There should be a substantial reduction," Chavan told PTI when asked for his reaction.

The reduction of Rs 2.50 per litre in petrol and diesel prices announced by the Maharashtra government would not give much relief to people, state Congress chief Ashok Chavan has said.

BJP president Amit Shah also said that all BJP states have decided to cut fuel prices.

"Uttar Pradesh is the country's biggest state. This is why for many years, UP government has not put any additional tax on this," Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said.

According to CNN-News18, Madhya Pradesh has cut fuel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre.

Reduction in #fuel prices is too little too late. When the #petrol price is about to cross 92 per litre,Govt has reduced 5 per litre.This decision should have been taken long back. What is the guarantee that it will not cross 90 again.? #FuelpriceJumla

Yogi Adityanath announced a cut of Rs 2.50 per litre in price of petrol and diesel and hailed the Centre's move as "great relief to common man".

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday demanded that the Centre slash fuel prices by at least Rs 10 per litre and that it withdraw the cess on petroleum products. "This government at the Centre is not bothered about the well-being of the masses... They are only interested about their party," Mamata said while addressing a programme in Siliguri.

Haryana finance minister Captain Abhimanyu told ANI the state has also decided to give additional relief of Rs 2.5 litres on petrol and diesel.

Arun Jaitley press briefing LATEST updates: Till now, eight states have reduced fuel prices. But the Congress has said that the move is like a 'band aid on a deep wound'.

Assam, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have also reduced fuel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre.

P Chidambaram called the cut in fuel prices 'belated' action taken by the government.

The Maharashtra government announced reduction in prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre, which will give consumers in the state a relief to the tune of Rs 5 a litre.

The announcement was made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis soon after the central government announced cut in the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced a cut of Rs 2.50 in fuel prices in a press briefing held on Wednesday. Announcing the price cut on Thursday, Jaitley said that the cut in Rs 2.50 in fuel prices, include a Rs 1.50 reduction in excise duty while OMCs will have to bear the cut of Re 1.

The press briefing had taken place after a last-minute meeting with oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan last evening.

Jaitley had met Pradhan to look at options to mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices on the economy, sources aware of the discussion said.

The two ministers met last evening amid concerns of high fuel prices adding to farmers' distress, particularly in the upcoming Rabi crops season, sources said.

Diesel, which is being sold at record high prices, is the most used fuel in the farm sector. Tractors tilling the soil to irrigation pump sets - all use diesel, and a spike in its prices is bound to add to the cost cost of farming.

The two ministers are believed to have discussed options to mitigate the impact of rising international oil prices and rupee dipping to new lows.

Among other topics, the increase in gross tax collections of the first half of the financial year, which were released earlier today, is likely to be a key focus of the the finance minister briefing.

According to the ministry, provisional figures of direct tax collections up to September, 2018 (Half-yearly figures) show that gross collections are at Rs 5.47 lakh crore, which is 16.7 percent higher than the gross collections for the corresponding period of last year.

Direct Tax Collections for the Financial Year 2018-19 up to September, 2018 (Half-yearly figures) show that gross collections are at Rs. 5.47 lakh crore which is 16.7% higher than the gross collections for the corresponding period of last year.  Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) October 4, 2018

The briefing has also come on the day when the finance ministry reported increase in the credit growth figures for the first quarter of the current financial year 2018-19 as well as a 16.7 percent growth in gross tax collections, which were released earlier today. According to the ministry, the Indian banking industry witnessed a credit growth of 13.5 percent with 12.5 percent increase in growth in lending to the agriculture sector and a 10.5 percent increase in growth in lending to MSMEs.

There is considerable increase in overall Credit Growth in Q1 of the Current Financial Year 2018-19 including in Agriculture and MSME Sector : pic.twitter.com/iZ9RVzIMPd  Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) October 4, 2018

With the newly constituted IL&FS board meeting being held today for the first time to thrash out a turnaround plan, the minister is likely to Face questions on that as well.

The government had seized control of the debt-trapped company Monday in a Satyam Computer style takeover and superseded its board and appointed a new one led by banker Uday Kotak. An official at the finance ministry had told PTI that the the priority for the board will be to assess the company's financial situation and report the same to the government over the next 15 days.

The government has also ordered an investigation by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office into the affairs of group and its over 160 subsidiaries, the source added.

The official further said the board will look into long-term debts of the company and find out options to restructure the same.

"There is a need to take a look at the short-term and long-term debt of IL&FS and the viability of servicing them. The board will take a holistic view and offer a viable resolution plan," the official said.

One of the focus areas for the board will be to find ways to raise cash by selling assets, said another source.

Even lenders to the debt-laden company are awaiting the outcome of the board meeting to take a decision on providing further funds to the company.

The city-headquartered engineering and long-term infra lending conglomerate owes over Rs 91,000 crore to lenders but has been on a defaulting spree since 27 August.

With inputs from PTI
'At TCS we have zero tolerance towards any act which goes against our core values. The employee has been relieved with immediate effect,' TCS said in an emailed response. It did not offer any details on the matter.

New Delhi: IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has sacked an employee who was allegedly sending rape and death threats to women on social media platforms.

According to sources, TCS started an investigation in the matter after screenshots of abusive messages went viral. They added that the employee had admitted to having sent the threatening messages.

"At TCS we have zero tolerance towards any act which goes against our core values. The employee has been relieved with immediate effect," TCS said in an emailed response. It did not offer any details on the matter.

The messages that went viral did not reveal the identity of the woman. The sacked employee also seems to have deleted his social media account.

The sources added that the company is unlikely to take legal recourse against the sacked employee, as the messages were sent in the personal capacity by the accused.
Nearly a fortnight after he was jailed in a cheque bounce case, a 64-year-old debt-ridden farmer collapsed in a prison in Bhiwani and died, officials said on Wednesday.

Bhiwani: Nearly a fortnight after he was jailed in a cheque bounce case, a 64-year-old debt-ridden farmer collapsed in a prison in Haryana's Bhiwani and died, officials said on Wednesday.

Ranvir Singh had complained of uneasiness in chest before he collapsed in Bhiwani jail on Monday. He was rushed to a hospital in Bhiwani, where he died, police said.

Initially his family refused to accept the body for cremation or join the magisterial inquiry. His kin agreed to a post-mortem and to conduct the last rites only after the district administration acceded to some of their demands, including a loan waiver and a job for a family member.

"The (deceased's) kin agreed to inquest under CrPC. The post-mortem examination was conducted on Wednesday," Superintendent of Police Ganga Ram Punia said.

Deputy Commissioner Anshaj Singh said Ranvir was sent to jail on September 21 following his conviction in a cheque bounce case.

Ranvir had taken a loan from a cooperative bank many years ago, he said. "He was convicted earlier and sent to jail on 21 September. On Monday, he collapsed and later died. The post-mortem examination report says that he most probably died due to cardiac arrest," the deputy commissioner said.

Singh said the district administration will recommend to the state government to waive the deceased farmer's loan. A kin of the deceased has also been promised a job.

In Ranvir's village, locals said the district administration has also promised his family a compensation of Rs 5 lakh, but the officials remained tight-lipped about it.

Ranvir had taken a loan of Rs 1.50 lakh, which swelled to over Rs 9 lakh by 2016, officials said. His cheques for loan repayment were dishonoured, after which the bank initiated proceedings against him. He was convicted by a trial court over two years ago and his appeal against the conviction was dismissed by a higher court last month.

On Tuesday, a farmers' body held a protest in Ranvir's village demanding a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for his family.
As the Supreme Court refused to stay the deportation of seven Rohingya Muslims on Thursday, they will now be deported back to Myanmar from Manipur's Moreh. The Centre had informed the court that Myanmar was ready to accept them as its citizens.

After the Supreme Court refused to stay the deportation of seven Rohingya Muslims on Thursday, the illegal immigrants were sent back to their parent country Myanmar. On Wednesday itself, the immigrants started their journey from Assam's Silchar town reaching Moreh, the border town in Manipur at 10.15 am on Thursday.

The Centre had informed the court that Myanmar was ready to accept them as its citizens. The deportation was set for 1.00 pm (IST) which is 2 pm Myanmar time. According to sources, an Assam Police SDPO went over to the Myanmar side of the border and asked the authorities to take immigrants.

Moreh is a town in Manipur's Tengnoupal district. After crossing over from Moreh, the immigrants will be received by officers in Myanmar's Tamu town which is the headquarters of Sagaing region in Myanmar. Indian police officials, reportedly, are holding immigration brief with their Myanmar counterpart at border gate No. 2. SDPO and immigration officer Mohurle Sandip Gopaldas and Inspector-in-charge and immigration officer, Mohammad Tajuddin Khan participated in the deportation process from the Indian side.

The seven Rohingya Muslims, who will now be deported, have been identified as: Mohammad Inus, Mohammad Sabir Ahmed, Mohammad Jamal, Salam, Mohammad Muknul Khan, Mohammad Rohimuddin and Mohammad Jamal Hussain. Six of them belong to the Keito village in the Faida district of Myanmar whereas Sabir Ahmed belongs to the Burma village, according to sources. They have been in the country since 2012 and have also served jail terms for illegal entry.

One of the immigrants, who is being deported, said that he is happy to leave India. "We had come to India from Burma, but I am happy that I am returning now." Another immigrant was leaving the country after living here for six years and six days. While hearing the plea, which sought urgent hearing seeking restraint on the Centre's move to deport seven Rohingya Muslims, the CJI Ranjan Gogoi said, "They were found to be illegal immigrants and their country of origin Myanmar has recognised them as Myanmar citizens."

A plea, filed in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, sought urgent hearing seeking restraint on the Centre's move to deport seven Rohingya Muslims, who were lodged in the Silchar Detention centre in Assam, back to Myanmar. "They were found to be illegal immigrants and their country of origin Myanmar has recognised them as Myanmar citizens", CJI Gogoi said.

The Rohingya Muslims, who took refuge in India after violence in the Western Rakhine State of Myanmar, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.

However, this move of the government  which considers Rohingya Muslims illegal immigrants and a threat to national security  has drawn criticism from the United Nations, which said their forcible return could mean a violation of international law. Even though, Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting that its campaign against them campaign was justified to root out the insurgents. "Given the ethnic identity of the men, this is a flagrant denial of their right to protection and could amount to refoulement," UN Special Rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume, said.

More than 700,000 ethnic Rohingya fled an offensive by Myanmar troops launched nearly a year ago in reprisal for attacks on border posts by Rohingya rebels who took up arms against the ill-treatment of the stateless minority. The United Nations has termed the repression "ethnic cleansing" and "genocide".

Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents. The UN expert said she was "appalled" at the amount of time the seven men from Kyauk Daw township in central Rakhine state had been detained.
Both AAP and Congress members sought discussion over the issue from Mayor Adesh Gupta even as they blamed some members of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) of 'making a mockery' of the tragic deaths by attributing it to fate.

New Delhi: The BJP-led NDMC House saw a huge uproar on Wednesday as opposition members cornered the ruling party over the issue of deaths of 30 children in September at a civic hospital in north Delhi and sought resignation of the mayor and action against the guilty.

Both AAP and Congress members sought discussion over the issue from Mayor Adesh Gupta even as they blamed some members of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) of "making a mockery" of the tragic deaths by attributing it to fate.

The argument from both sides soon turned into heated exchanges and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members, some holding placards, raised slogans and later trooped to the well of the House, chanting "mayor must resign".

Leader of Opposition and AAP's Wazirpur councillor Vikas Goel and senior Congress leader Mukesh Goel led the attack against the mayor and alleged that health services had "deteriorated" in the NDMC hospitals, accusing the corporation of being "ill-equipped and ill-staffed" to handle such a situation.

Five more deaths due to diphtheria have been reported at NDMC-run Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases Hospital at Kingsway Camp, taking the toll from the infectious disease in the city to 31 since September, officials said Wednesday.

"The mayor says that most of these victims belonged to western Uttar Pradesh, so does that mean, the corporation has no responsibility in treating out-station patients. And if people are coming from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, does it not show failure on part of the Adityanath government," Mukesh Goel alleged.

Interacting with reporters after the House proceedings, the Congress leader said the NDMC cannot wash its hands off of it, by just suspending the medical superintendent of the hospital, they must answer to the people and take action against all who are guilty. AAP's Vikas Goel alleged that NDMC's health committee were "inactive" and only woke up when deaths were reported in media.

"Also, the medical superintendent has been made a scapegoat to protect senior officials at higher posts. The mayor should take moral responsibility and resign from his post, and action should be taken against all those who are guilty," he said.

Gupta last week had suspended medical superintendent of the Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases Hospital for alleged lapses in connection with the deaths of these children at the facility.

The hospital, the largest such facility in Asia, is under the BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Gupta had set up a panel a few days ago to look into the death cases and sought a report. The five-member panel has presented its report to the mayor which was tabled in the House Wednesday.

The committee found that from 2 December last year to 9 September this year, there was "not a single dose" of anti-diphtheria serum (ADS) in the hospital.

"Most of the children were non-vaccinated against diphtheria and were from rural areas of Uttar Pradesh and presented late to hospital and as a result developed complications leading to death," it said.

Congress' Goel said that the NDMC in its reply in the House on Wednesday said there were "five ventilators" in the combined premises of Rajen Babu Tuberculosis Hospital and Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases Hospital at Kingsway Camp, but in a recent House meet, it had said that there was just "one ventilator".

"Why such a discrepancy? Are the deaths of children a joke?" he asked. According to information shared by the NDMC during its House proceedings on Wednesday, a total of 61 deaths have taken place due to diphtheria this year. The rest of the 30 deaths had taken place this year from January till September, a senior official said.

Half of the total fatalities this year have taken place in September, which is the highest for this month since 2015. The number of patients admitted in September this year stands at 223, also the highest since 2015. The fatalities reported in previous years for September are  22 (in 2015), 26 (2016) and 20 (2017).
The deaths of as many as 23 lions at the Gir forest  believed to have been caused by a deadly combination of Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) and a protozoal infection  since 12 September is a crisis looming over the endangered animals.

Junagarh: To protect the world's last remaining Asiatic lions, a vaccine for more than 500 of the big cats in and around the Gir Forest National Park in Gujarat have reached India from the United States. Officials of the Forest Department of Gujarat have arrived in Mumbai to get hold of the crucial shots, which are likely to reach Gir by Friday afternoon.

The deaths of as many as 23 lions at the Gir forest  believed to have been caused by a deadly combination of Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) and a protozoal infection  since 12 September has the Forest Department worried. It is a crisis looming over the endangered animals.

In a parallel development, the Forest Department has also sent an SOS to experts in England. Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife Circle, Junagarh) DT Vasavada said they had contacted experts from the Royal Veterinary College in London and had also invited them to visit the affected places at the Gir Forest National Park.

Vasavada denied the "growing notion" that the lions of Gujarat could well be on the verge of extinction. "The truth is that only a 25-square-kilometre area has been affected by the disease that has killed 23 lions. But the lions are spread out over a large area of the national park, and they are quite safe," he said.

The affected area that Vasavada is referring to falls under the Dalkhaniya range of the Gir forest on the eastern side of the national park. Significantly, a large number of resorts have also been sprouting in this area quite close to the jungle tracks where the big cats of Gir can be spotted regularly.

The big picture becomes clearer if we take into account two near simultaneous events in the Dalkhania range: First, all the 23 dead lions were from this range; and second, to stem the possible spread of the deadly CDV, nearly all the lions from the immediate vicinity of Dalkhania have been tranquilised and shifted to a rescue centre. These captive lions are under the watch of medical experts.

However, it is still unclear how the vaccine imported from the US will be put to use to help the lions at risk. To put things in perspective, not all the lions live inside the national park. The male lion is characteristically a long-distance walker, and it is not unusual for him to cross as many as 50 kilometres in a day. In fact, the irregular, zig-zagging movements of several prides of late has been such that males, females and cubs are often sighted in regions outside the Gir Forest National Park, such as in Sutrapada in Somnath district, Bhavnagar and Junagarah as well as the Savarkundla-Rajula coastal belt.

A number of amateur videos posted online in recent months show such prides of lions walking fearlessly through human settlements quite close to Junagarh city. So maybe it's not the virus that has travelled to the lions  it could be the other way round.
The move comes after the Delhi High Court last week denied anticipatory bail to Anissia Batra's in-laws RS and Sushma Singhvi, who claimed that they had no role in her suicide.

The in-laws of flight attendant Anissia Batra, who allegedly killed herself by jumping off the terrace of her in July 2018, on Thursday have moved the Supreme Court asking for pre-arrest bail. The court has set the matter for hearing after ten days, CNN-News18 reported.

The apex court told the lawyer representing Batra's in-laws Sushma and RS Singhvi, "It is a very serious matter, cannot just brush it aside," ANI reported.

According to ANI, the court said that there is police evidence that shows cruelty against Batra.

The move comes after the Delhi High Court last week denied anticipatory bail to Batra's in-laws, according to The Indian Express. The court cited the Delhi Police's statement which said the Singhvi couple had been their son Mayank's accomplices in harassing Anissia, NDTV reported.

"From the documents placed on record, particularly the supplementary statement of the father of Anissia, the WhatsApp messages and email to counsel, the continuous course of harassment and torture to the deceased is evident," the court was quoted as saying by NDTV.

"Further, as noted from the supplementary statement of the father of the deceased, there was a clear demand of Rs 10 lakh. Hence this court does not find it to be a fit case to grant of anticipatory bail to the petitioners."

The Singhvis had approached the high court after the trial court denied them anticipatory bail on 20 July, The Indian Express reported. Justice Mukta Gupta said that no 'fit case' has been found to grant anticipatory bail to the accused.

However, the couple claimed that they had no role in the suicide, and any dispute between their son and daughter-in-law was their internal matter, Times Now reported.

Anissia allegedly jumped from the terrace of her residence in south Delhi's Panchsheel Park on 14 July following which her husband, Mayank Singhvi, was arrested on the charges of dowry death on 16 July.

Her family has been demanding the arrest of Mayank's parents and has accused Mayank of physically abusing her.
Delhi High Court judge Anu Malhotras decision to reproduce content from Priyanka Pathak's book on Baba Ramdev, that she herself ordered excised, as part of the judgment, is a great step forward for judicial transparency

Last week, the Delhi High Court banned the publication of journalist Priyanka Pathaks much-awaited book on Ramkrishna Yadav popularly known as Baba Ramdev, to the rest of us, famous for improbable oriental contortions, cunningly cross-dressing to escape the police, and manufacturing noodles which some evil-minded low-lives insist are best served with piping-hot cow-pee.

Pathaks book, Godman to Tycoon: The Untold Story of Baba Ramdev tells the story of Ramdev's meteoric rise from small-time ashram apparatchik to Indias godman-in-chief. In doing so, Pathak delves into the mass of ugly rumours and sharp practices that have swirled around him for years.

Fortunately, Justice Anu Malhotras judgment  available online  reproduces, verbatim all the passages in the book that are purported to defame Ramdev. The judges decision to reproduce the content she herself has ordered excised is, without doubt, a great step forward for judicial transparency.

It is also great public service: voyeuristic busybodies  for example, me  can get to read all the juicy bits for free.

The judgment tells us that we shouldnt be allowed to read about the:

"trail of people whose goodwill or frailties he used to further his own enrichment and pursue his own agenda, people who were left by the wayside after they had served their purpose. A trail of people who either vanished into thin air, or died mysterious deaths, or live on in utter fear of him. A trail of decisions and political machinations driven not by the principles he espouses but by expediency.

Lurking in the book is also the murky disappearance of Ramdevs mentor, Swami Shankardev. Pathaks book, in another passage excised by and reproduced by Justice Malhotra recounts a gotcha moment involving Jansatta reporter Sunil Pandey and the godman:

I asked him [Ramdev] that if he really was like a father to him, why didn't he come back?  I was in the US, conducting camps, answered Ramdev. Well, if a family member disappeared, one would come back, isn't it?' Pandey pressed Ramdev. If I knew he was alive, I would have,' replied Ramdev.

'So you are admitting that you know that he is dead?' demanded Pandey.

That was the suspicion in everyone's minds. Stunned, realising he had misspoken, Ramdev fell silent."

It isnt easy to to understand precisely why Justice Malhotra decided some of the other content was defamatory. For example, she has ordered the excision of a passage that merely paraphrases a widely-published press-release:

Animesh Goenka, then president of Heritage India, a small charitable organisation that was involved with the planning of Ramdev's tour, had told the media that the US leg of the tour, estimated to cost $350,000, was to be funded exclusively through charitable donations from private individuals and corporations."

The judge has even ordered expunged material that, by law, forms part of the public record, like Patanjalis shareholding:

On 18 May 2007, fifteen months after its formation, Patanjali Ayurveda Pvt Ltd dropped the word 'private' from its name. This was a critical move if the company wanted to list itself on the stock market.

In a stern scolding directed at free-speech wallahs, Justice Malhotra reminds us that the BOOK [sic] is written about is living human being and thus entitled to be treated with dignity and has a right of social reputation as an ordinary citizen even if he be a public figure.

She goes on: the right to reputation of a living individual under Article 21 of the Constitution of India cannot be sacrificed and crucified at the altar of the right to freedom of speech and expression of another.

Fair enough  but theres obviously two sides to this argument which Pathaks publishers, Juggernaut Books, will doubtless raise when this matter goes to the Supreme Court. First and foremost, public figures cant  and shouldnt  expect the same genteel privacy as private citizens. Though Prime Minister Indira Gandhi or Pol Pot would doubtless disagree, it is vital for an informed public to get to know the seamy side of the powerful.

In the event that Ramdev thinks hes been defamed, theres recourse available to him  which hes already taken. Civil Suit No 619/2017 is pending before a judge in the Karkardooma courts in Delhi. Justice Malhotra has gone one step further: shes censored text even before its publication, because it might cause harm to Ramdevs reputation.

This is, sadly, part of the very slippery downhill piste Indias been on ever since former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi led the world in banning Salman Rushdies Satanic Verses. Weve banned everything from works of great scholarship to advertisements because they hurt someone or the others feelings.

Its now come to the point where we cant even judge for ourselves whether an important public figure is a crook or not.

Fortunately, Justice Malhotras landmark judgment lets us do that  and for that reason, if no other, every right-thinking Indian ought cheer it.
Every year, on 1 January, tens of thousands of Dalits across Maharashtra gather at the war memorial of Bhima-Koregaon  40 kilometres from Pune

On 30 December, 2017, the Bhima Koregaon Gram Panchayat wrote a letter to its taluka police station in Shikrapur. Tension had gripped the village of Vadhu, four kilometres from Bhima Koregaon, over a historical dispute regarding Shivaji's son, Sambhaji. "To avoid a law and order situation, the gram panchayat and the entire village has decided to observe a bandh on 1 January, 2018," read the letter addressed to the police inspector. "We request you to take the appropriate decision and cooperate with us," it added.

However, the letter was written on 31 December. And as it turned out, the village had not been consulted before arriving at that decision. The testimony of the clerk who typed and signed the letter has intensified many doubts about the Bhima Koregaon riots being a pre-planned conspiracy by certain groups.

In his affidavit to the inquiry commission investigating the Bhima Koregaon riots, Sagar Gawhane, the clerk, has said he typed the letter because Ganesh Phadtare, a Maratha leader and former deputy sarpanch of Bhima Koregaon, asked him to do so. "On the morning of 31 December, Phadtare called and asked me to come to the gram panchayat office urgently," the affidavit reads, "When I reached the office, Phadtare and his karyakartas were already there. He asked me to type a letter that called for a bandh in the village."

Upon a bit of resistance by Sagar, Phadtare called Village Development Officer Rajendra Satras. Satras told Sagar to "do what Phadtare said". He typed the letter with Phadtare named as the initiator, and Yogesh Gawhane as the endorser. Yogesh, however, was not in the village at the time. When Sagar pointed it out to Phadtare, he said, "It is none of your business." Phadtare further asked him to backdate the letter because 31 December was a Sunday. "The gram panchayat and the villagers had taken no such decision to shut the village, as we claimed in the letter," Sagar's afiidavit reads, "The gram panchayat's proceeding book also has no note of it."

Another resident of Bhima Koregaon, Mangal Kamble, in her affidavit, has said she had no clue about the bandh, corroborating Sagar's claim of no unilateral decision or meeting with villagers to keep the village shut due to frictions in Vadhu.

The village of Vadhu has a Sambhaji memorial. Credible historical accounts suggest that Sambhaji was cremated by a Dalit man called Govind Gaikwad after Aurangzeb killed him. On 29 December, Gaikwads statue, which stands right across Sambhajis memorial, was vandalised, triggering caste animosities. The Pune rural police had taken cognisance of the developments.

"The call to observe a bandh in Bhima Koregaon to avoid a law and order situation was odd, when Vadhu itself had not called for a bandh on 1 January," said Rahul Dambale, activist with the Republican Morcha, based in Pune.

Every year, on 1 January, tens of thousands of Dalits across Maharashtra gather at the war memorial of Bhima Koregaon  40 kilometres from Pune. It commemorates the historic victory of the British army, which had a significant Dalit contingent, over the Peshwas. This year, it was the 200th anniversary of the battle. Therefore, it was an even larger crowd that was allegedly assaulted by right-wing groups.

To observe a bandh, and have the shops and eateries in the village shut would have caused inconvenience to the pilgrims who travelled to mark the bicentenary. Victims of the riots claim that was the precise idea of the bandh was to cause inconvenience if Dalits obeyed, or, more likely, wreck havoc if they resisted. Victims have consistently asked how so many stones turned up in the area to be pelted at the gathering?

Mangal's testimony explains how her eatery was burnt because she made arrangements of tea, snacks and lunch for those who had travelled to be part of the gathering. "On 31 December, 2017, my son Ram was decorating the premises in front of our shop. At 11.30 pm, member of gram sabha, Ganesh Phadtare arrived with two others," she has written, "They said we have called for a bandh. Take down the decorations you have put up to welcome 'your people' and keep your shop closed tomorrow. My son declined to obey the orders and continued to work. Phadtare abused and threatened us that night. The next morning, when the visitors were having tea and snacks, a mob of 20 barged in and started beating us up, in which I was severely injured. My guests were forced to leave. The shop and the mandap we had installed were also vandalised. I was taken to a hospital in Hadapsar for primary treatment. On 2 January, when I came back to pay the person who had made decoration arrangements, a mob of 2,000 vandalised and burnt our house and shop at 11 am. We incurred losses of around Rs five lakh."

The Pune rural police has arrested 110 people so far. One of them was Phadtare. But because of the prolonged investigation, and the failure of the police to file the charge sheet nine months since the riots, most of the 110 arrested are out on bail. Including Phadtare.
On 31 December, 2017, a conference called Elgar Parishad was held in Shaniwar Wada near Pune to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon-Bhima.

The first anniversary of the caste riots in Bhima Koregaon, which rocked Maharashtra's politics, is in less than two months. As many developments have taken place since the time of the incident, here's an overview of the entire case:

What happened on 1 January, 2018?

On 31 December, 2017, a conference called Elgar Parishad was held at Shaniwar Wada near Pune to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon-Bhima.

The disturbances erupted in the village of Koregaon-Bhima on 1 January during the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Anglo-Maratha War of 1 January, 1818, between the army of Peshwa Bajirao II and a small force of the East India Company that comprised a large number of Dalits.

Several lakhs of Dalits had congregated around the Victory Pillar (Vijay Stambh) erected by the British in Sanaswadi village when suddenly stone pelting started, allegedly by some right-wing groups carrying saffron flags.

In the ensuing clashes, more than 30 vehicles, including buses, police vans and private vehicles, were torched or damaged.

The police fired tear gas shells to control the rampaging mobs and prohibitory orders were imposed in the entire district. One person lost his life in the caste violence, which led to the statewide Dalit agitation.

Events that followed the violence

The violence prompted Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh, a party headed by Prakash Ambedkar  the grandson of BR Ambedkar, to call for a 'peaceful Maharashtra shutdown' on 2 January. However, angry Dalits protesters staged rail, road blockades and took out processions in Mumbai and agitations in different parts of Maharashtra.

Moving swiftly amidst rising Dalit furore, the Pimpri police lodged a complaint against Shivjagar Pratisthan president Sambhaji Bhide Guruji and Hindu Janjagruti Samiti chief Milind Ekbote. Subsequently, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge and a CID investigation into Monday's violence in Koregaon-Bhima.

On 28 August, the Pune Police conducted multi-city raids as part of a probe into the Elgar Parishad conclave. Five activists  Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira and Varavara Rao  were arrested during the raids, triggering a massive outcry.

After the Pune Police analysed the "highly incriminating evidences" seized from the five arrested persons, it claimed that it has unearthed a "Maoist conspiracy hatched to overthrow the elected government" besides targeting top officials and political leaders.

The Supreme Court directed that the five activists should be kept under house arrest, while hearing a plea by well-known historian Romila Thapar as well as Devika Jain, Prabhat Patnaik, Satish Deshpande and Maja Dharuwala challenging the arrests.

Meanwhile, an RTI query revealed that the Devendra Fadnavis government dropped at least three cases against Bhide after coming to power in 2014. However, Pune SP Sandeep Patil told ANI that the charges against Bhide and others in Bhima Koregaon violence case were still in place.

What are people saying?

Following the August arrests, several activists and Opposition leaders criticised the Narendra Modi-led government, and accused it of intimidating voices of dissent.

At a press conference, human rights activist Aruna Roy, literary figure Arundhati Roy and lawyer Prashant Bhushan came together along with other activists on 30 August. "All norms of the Constitution are being violated. Right to freedom of expression is at stake. The arrest of the five is an indication that any voice raised in support of Dalits or poor will be silenced in this country," said activist Aruna Roy while addressing the media.

In a joint statement, the activists stated that "targeting the democratic rights activists is an attack on the poor and marginalised sections of the society on whose behalf these activists have been raising their voices."

The activists also slammed the term "urban Naxals" used for the dissent saying that it is the government's desperate attempt to portray those as Maoists who stand up for demanding justice for the Dalits or the marginalised sections.

Congress has repeatedly targetted the BJP over the violence and the activists' arrests. On the other hand, the BJP has accused Congress of supporting Maoists.

There is only one place for idiocy and it's called the Congress. Support Bharat Ke Tukde Tukde Gang, Maoists, fake activists and corrupt elements. Defame all those who are honest and working. Welcome to Rahul Gandhis Congress. #BhimaKoregaon https://t.co/eWoeT0qo1L  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 28, 2018

Amid all this, Pune Police has also drawn heavy criticism for not arresting Bhide and Ekbote.

Maharashtra govt has withdrawn rioting cases against Rightwing activist Sambhaji Bhide for #BhimaKoregaon violence while framing fake charges against Human Rights Activists.

CPIM demands those responsible for anti-dalit violence be brought to book and cannot be exonerated. pic.twitter.com/WrrH65BBNF  CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) October 2, 2018

After the Supreme Court refused to interfere with the arrest of the five activists and declined to appoint a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe their arrest, the Congress hoped that the police will conduct investigations as per the law. "We hope that any person who is found in any clandestine activity against the Indian state would be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law rather than according to the whims and fancies of (BJP chief) Amit Shah who has already seen the writing on the wall in the five election-bound states," he told reporters.

With inputs from agencies
The two accused dragged out the woman from the river in the Barh area of Bihar's Patna district and took turns raping her, as the other one made the video of the rape of the 45-year-old victim. The video went viral.

Patna: A woman in Bihar was gang-raped on the banks of the Ganga river when she had gone for a bath two days ago. Police said on Wednesday that they have arrested the two accused who recorded the crime and even posted it on the social media.

The incident occurred on Monday in the Barh area of Patna district, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Anand Kumar said.

Shivpujan Mahto and Vishal dragged out the woman from the river on Monday noon and took turns raping her, as the other one made the video of the rape of the 45-year-old victim. The video went viral.

In the video, the victim could be seen pleading with the accused and asking them to consider the "sanctity" of the Ganga river which she addressed as "mother", where she was bathing to celebrate a Hindu festival.

However, the accused kept on attacking and threatening her, the survivor told the police.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bahraich Savitri Bai Phule refused to hold a broom during the cleanliness drive under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

In an embarrassment for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its Bahraich MP Savitri Bai Phule refused to hold a broom during the cleanliness drive under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and even called the event "a publicity stunt".

"I am an elected Member of Parliament from a reserved seat. If I just hold the broom, will this place get cleaned?" Hindustan Times quoted Phule as saying.

President Ram Nath Kovind earlier said the Swachh Bharat Mission has become a mass movement and a revolution playing out in real time.

"Swachh Bharat is a revolution playing out in real time. As an instrument of mass mobilisation, as a people's movement, and as a national goal towards which there is near total commitment, it represents the spirit of our independence movement," he said.

In September, a top government official told PTI the sanitation coverage in rural India under the Swachh Bharat Mission has more than doubled to 92 percent and the country is on its way to become open defecation free (ODF) by next year.

"This programme is the largest behavioural change programme in the world and 4.3 lakh villages have become ODF till now," the official said.

With inputs from PTI
The BJP's Mahila Morcha joined the protests against the Supreme Court's Sabarimala temple verdict, but the Kerala party's mouthpiece said it does not adversely affect Hindu beliefs .

The mouthpiece of the Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party Janmabhoomi Daily on Thursday contradicted demands by the party's women's wing, which has supported the protests against the Supreme Court's verdict on the Sabarimala temple allowing the entry of women of all ages into the shrine.

The BJP mouthpiece stated that "increasing the number of women devotees in Sabarimala temple will increase its fame", adding that "there is nothing in the verdict that adversely affects Hindu beliefs or dharma". The newspaper also stated that "some people are trying create ambiguity among Hindus on the basis of this verdict", reported CNN-News18.

Earlier on Thursday, the BJP Mahila Morcha had joined the protests held by devotees of Lord Ayyappa outside the office of the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the functioning of the Sabarimala temple, in Thiruvananthapuram. The women held up posters that said the protests were being held against the Left government for "cheating devotees", reported India Today TV.

The women's groups holding the protests have been demanding that women of all ages not be allowed in the Sabarimala temple, and that they are willing to wait till the age of 50 to visit Lord Ayyappa's shrine.

The protests came a day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday declared that the state would not be filing a review petition against the Supreme Court's verdict and would also ensure security measures for women to visit the temple.

Hours after the Kerala chief minister's declaration, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh issued a press release, urging all stakeholders, including spiritual and community leaders, to address the matter.

On Tuesday, hundreds of Lord Ayyappa devotees, including women, blocked state and national highways in various parts of Kerala in protest against the Supreme Court's 28 September verdict, permitting women of all ages to worship at the hill shrine at Sabarimala.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Wednesday termed the Centre's decision to hike the MSP of wheat by Rs 105 per quintal a joke on the farmers of the country

New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Wednesday termed the Centre's decision to hike the MSP of wheat by Rs 105 per quintal a joke on the farmers of the country.

The hike is inadequate and less than what the MS Swaminathan Commission recommended, Singh said in a statement in New Delhi.

The chief minister said he has been personally pursuing the matter of full implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, along with Rs 100 per quintal as compensation to farmers in lieu of not burning the paddy residue.

However, the Centre has failed on both the counts, clearly indicating its non-seriousness on the issue of farmer welfare and environmental pollution, he alleged.

Singh said the farming community across the country has also been fighting for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations, in totality, to ensure better returns for them.

He alleged the BJP-led Central Government has, over the last four years, failed to take any positive steps for farmers or for any other section of society.

The BJP-led government at the Centre had promised to double farmers' income, but the promise remains unfulfilled even as its tenure is coming to an end, he added.
The country shall see how Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi uses the 'force and 'will' of his judgment to uphold the spirit of the Constitution.

Justice Ranjan Gogoi, the son of a former chief minister of Assam, was educated at St Stephens college, where he studied history before taking to law. His credentials are as impeccable as they can be. In a country where such elitism is often a handicap while tackling issues of the teeming masses, this only serves to underline Gogois journey to occupy the hallowed Court Number 1 of Indias apex court.

Justice Gogois tenure begins at a time when the ever-growing demands of the Indian judiciary have scaled new peaks and pose newer challenges. But Gogois mind is set on the prime target: (Pendency) is bringing a lot of disrepute  I have a plan, will unfold it, he said.

On Wednesday, Justice Gogoi took oath to become the 46th Chief Justice of India. He will hold the post till 17 November, 2019, the date of his retirement.

In a little more than a year, like his numerous predecessors, Gogoi will also define and redefine the Indian political and social narrative. But for the judge who believes independent judges and noisy journalists are democracys first line of defence and considers fierce independence and enduring sense of inquiry without fear or favour as the "bedrock principle", the most important challenge would be to maintain a harmonious balance between the rights of individuals and groups and those asserted by the state, and at same time, maintaining order when differences arise.

Having joined the Bar in 1978 at the age of 24, Gogoi was appointed a permanent judge at the Gauhati High Court in February 2001. He was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in September 2010 and was appointed as Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in February 2011, before being elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on 23 April, 2012.

In his six years at the Supreme Court, Justice Gogoi has delivered some landmark judgments, a few of which have drawn sharp criticism.

In 2016, former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju had criticised the judgment of a bench headed by Justice Gogoi in the Somya murder case. A prompt contempt notice forced Katju to back off and issue an apology.

Another important case was in 2012, when former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma challenged Pranab Mukherjees election as President of India on the ground that Mukherjee held an office of profit at the time of filing his nomination papers, which by rule, calls for a disqualification. A five-judge constitution bench that included Justice Gogoi was to first decide whether the petition was maintainable and needed to have a full hearing. Even as three judges including the then Chief Justice Altamas Kabir ruled that the case does not require a regular hearing, it was Justice Chelameswar and Justice Gogoi who dissented against the majority decision.

But it was Gogois decision to be part of the Supreme Court quartet that went to the media on 12 January, 2018 that captured the public imagination like never before.

Justice Gogoiwho was to succeed Chief Justice Dipak Misra in less than a yearand three of his colleagues, addressing the media, had accused the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra of breaching rules and "selectively assigning" cases that have "far-reaching consequences for the nation" to "junior judges."

The media was told that the Supreme Court administration was not in order and all efforts to persuade Chief Justice Misra had failed, necessitating the four judges to communicate with the nation directly. The "dissent" by the four judges attracted sharp criticism from legal experts and former judges.

Speaking at an event in Delhi, former Chief Justice of India TS Thakur said that the matter should have been addressed and solved within the confines of the Supreme Court. Former Delhi High Court judge RS Sodhi went to the extent of demanding the removal of all four judges.

A narrative took shape that put Justice Gogoi and the three other judges in the dock, to the extent that a petition was filed challenging the appointment of Justice Gogoi as the next chief justice. The petition, was dismissed by a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra on 28 September.

It will now, therefore, be keenly watched how the new Chief Justice plans to ensure order in the administration at Supreme Court, and how he will ensure the maintenance of balance between decorum and transparency, both extremely important for the integrity of the judiciary.

A key issue that he will have to address is the supremacy battle between the judiciary and the executive.

Article 368 of the Constitution empowers Parliament with blanket powers to amend the Constitution. The first ruling on the issue was by the second CJI M Patanjali Sastri in 1952.

But 15 years later, in another landmark judgment commonly known as Golaknath case, Supreme Court reversing its earlier judgment, held that Parliament does not have unfettered and unlimited power to amend and it cannot curtail any of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. This verdict was by a bench headed by the then Chief Justice Koka Subba Rao.

Less than a decade later, in independent Indias most celebrated Kesavananda Bharati case, a constitution bench, headed by the then Chief Justice Sarv Mittra Sikr, ruled that while Parliament can amend fundamental rights to an extent that is required in public interest, freedom of the individual needs to be preserved for all times to come and that it could not be amended out of existence.

These three cases and judgments by the benches headed by then Chief Justices defined the constitutional trajectory in great measure.

Since then, many CJIs defined and redefined the course of constitutional development in different ways. There was a CJI under whose tenure the apex court failed to fulfil its most important responsibility: safeguarding the fundamental rights of the people. Justice Ajit Nath Ray who was the 17th CJI, faced serious criticism from different quarters in the infamous "habeas corpus" case for leaving "individual liberty at the mercy of executive arbitrariness.

Then there was CJI Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati who was initially criticised for his judgment in the habeas corpus case, but was later hailed for introducing the concepts of public interest litigation (PIL) and judicial activism in the country and being the champion of human rights.

As a judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Gogoi has been hearing a very important case that will have wider ramifications on citizenship and human rights. The case relates to the National Register of Citizens for Assam where it has to be decided whether the special citizenship criteria in section 6A of the Citizenship Act, which apply to people covered under the Assam Accord, should be referred to a larger bench.

However, till the decision to refer the case to a larger bench is made, the special bench decided to direct that the NRC for Assam needed to be prepared.

Recently, a special bench comprising Justice Rohinton F Nariman along with Justice Gogoi, had ordered for initiating the process for receiving claims and objections from 40 lakh persons left out of the draft NRC. This is a case which will require incorporating the concerns of the citizens and the state.

While delivering the Ramnath Goenka Memorial LectureThe Vision of Justice, in July, Justice Gogoi said: Judiciary as an institution is being seen as a course corrector, a leveler, a democratiser of sorts.

Quoting Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding father of the US, Gogoi said, The judiciary is the weakest of the three branches because it neither has the force of the executive nor the will of the legislature, but only judgment.

In the months to come, till the end of his term next year, the country shall see how effectively the new CJI plays the role of a leveler and a democratiser in a country with more than a billion people characterised by huge differences and sharp fissures that more often than not manifest in conflicts that eventually come to the court for the final decision.

The country shall see how CJI Gogoi uses the "force and "will" of his judgment to uphold the spirit of the Constitution.

And more than anything, it will be important to see how he ensures "course correction" for all the problems that are adversely affecting the judiciary; a concern that he along with other three judges highlighted during their sudden presser on 12 January.
Demanding basic rights, job security and better working conditions, protesting East Delhi sanitation workers on Thursday took their agitation to Delhi Chief Minister's official residence, after their demands went unheard for the past 21 days.

Demanding basic rights, job security and better working conditions, protesting East Delhi sanitation workers on Thursday took their agitation to Delhi chief minister's official residence, after their demands went unheard for the past 20 days.

The Delhi Police strengthened the bandobast outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence as hundreds of workers gathered there. The protesters tried to breach the police barricade and enter the chief minister's residence. However, the police managed to hold them off with mild baton charging.

The contractual workers, who clean tonnes of muck and filth produced in the national capital everyday, have been protesting for basic needs such as timely payment of wages and arrears, regularisation of workers enrolled after 1998 so that they can avail facilities like pension and healthcare benefits, and issuance of cashless medical cards as these people run the risk of contracting work hazard-related ailments.

The workers who have been on strike since 11 September, have refused to return to work until their demands are fulfilled by the corporation.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government said that it was ready to urgently release Rs 500 crore to civic bodies to facilitate payment of dues to the sanitation workers. However, both the Delhi government and the cash-strapped East Delhi Municipal Corporation remain mum on the workers primary demand: regularisation of about 3,000 contractual workers who were enrolled after 1998.

According to Hindustan Times, EDMC commissioner Ranbir Singh refused to regularise these workers citing that it will add a burden of about Rs 1,500 crore.

Residents, meanwhile, have been facing the brunt of the mess strewn on the streets of the national capital. Interestingly, all this comes at a time when the Centre was celebrating the Swachhta Pakhwara which culminated on Tuesday, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. Angry residents even came up with a counter to the government's Swachhta hi seva campaign which was called 'Selfie with garbage'.

The East Delhi residents have been asking the civic agency to make temporary arrangements to end the mess. While the areas like Laxmi Nagar have been most affected by the situation, other areas like Ghazipur and Preet Vihar are also seeing heaps of garbage on both sides of the road increasing every day, DNA reported.

EDMC generates about 2,600 tonnes of waste every day, of which around 1,800 to 2,000 tonnes are being regularly picked up from dhalaos, Hindustan Times reported. However, the municipal body couldn't make arrangements for picking up garbage from roads.
The committee, which also had as members, doctors from the Delhi government's Maulana Azad Medical College and the Centre's RML Hospital, also observed in its report that most of these patients died due to 'heart complications and airway obstruction'.

New Delhi: A five-member panel probing the case of deaths of children at a civic hospital has found that there was an "alarming situation" of non-availability of anti-diphtheria serum (ADS) between last December and 22 September, and most of the patients were "not vaccinated" against the infectious disease.

The committee, which also had as members, doctors from the Delhi government's Maulana Azad Medical College and the Centre's RML Hospital, also observed in its report that most of these patients died due to "heart complications and airway obstruction".

North Delhi Mayor Adesh Gupta had set up the panel in the last week of September and it submitted its report on 26 September, which was tabled in the House on Wednesday. Few more diphtheria-related deaths have been recorded at the facility after the submission of the report.

He had last week also suspended medical superintendent of the Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases Hospital Sushil Kumar Gupta for alleged lapses in connection with the deaths of these children at the facility.

As many as 30 deaths due to diphtheria have taken place in September at the Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases Hospital at Kingsway Camp, which is the highest for this month since 2015. The number of patients admitted in September this year stands at 223, also the highest since 2015.

The NDMC-run hospital, said to be the largest such facility in Asia, procures ADS from Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli. "During the period of 2 December, 2017 and 22 September, 2018, there was not a single dose of ADS in the hospital," according to the report.

The report also said that medical superintendent Gupta took a "considerable time" to issue the letter to the higher authorities (DGHS) and also allegedly "failed" to timely communicate the factual position of the non-availability of the ADS to NDMC commissioner.

The documents on records show that the MS of the hospital invited quotations from eight private firms for procurement of ADS, it said.

"Had the MS reported in time the alarming situation of non-availability of ADS to his higher authority more attempts could have been initiated at the higher levels also to procure it from private firms," the report said.

The panel members visited the hospital on 25 and 26 September and conducted inspection of all relevant facilities and reviewed the records and documents.

"On inspection of the diphtheria wards, it was note that wards were poorly-lit, proper isolation facilities were not available, intravenous infusion pumps and continuous cardiac-respiratory monitoring facilities were not available and there was no intensive care or high-dependency facilities for sick patients," the report said. "Blood bank facilities are not available in the hospital or in the neighbouring Rajen Babu T Hospital," it added.

"Most of the children were non-vaccinated against diphtheria and were from rural areas of Uttar Pradesh and presented late to hospital and as a result developed complications leading to death," it said. The panel has recommended setting up of intensive care unit and high-dependency unit for monitoring of sick patients, and to start blood bank services and a 24-hour ambulance service.

According to information shared by the NDMC during its House proceedings on Wednesday, a total of 61 deaths have taken place due to diphtheria this year. The rest of the 30 deaths had taken place this year from January till September, a senior official said.

Last year, 102 deaths had taken place due to diphtheria, 133 in 2106 and 88 in 2015, according to the information shared by the NDMC authorities. The fatalities reported in previous years for September are  22 (in 2015), 26 (2016) and 20 (2017).

A senior NDMC official said 100 vials of ADS were ordered from a private company on 25 September, out of which 550 have been delivered till 3 October. "Fifty vials are expected from CR, Kasauli by Thursday," he said.
The Saharanpur native has campaigned for Modi and his party BJP on many occasions, including a door-to-door campaign during the Gorakhpur by-elections in March 2018.

Lucknow: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's lookalike, Abhinandan Pathak, who has been his ardent follower, has now decided to campaign against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Saharanpur native has campaigned for Modi and his party BJP on many occasions, including a door-to-door campaign during the Gorakhpur by-elections in March 2018.

"I am taken aback by seeing how the BJP is working in contrast to what Modi actually thinks and says. People have been asking me 'Acche din kb ayenge?'," he told ANI.

Pathak narrated the woes of being a look-a-like of the prime minister and stated that he has to bear the brunt of the people's wrath. "I am being cursed and beaten. It's because of all these reasons that I have decided to campaign against the BJP and for the Congress, in the upcoming 2019 elections," he said. He further said that he has already met Uttar Pradesh Congress President (UPCC) Raj Babbar.

According to Pathak, Babbar has assured him of arranging a meeting with United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi to further the discussion. "I have made up my mind that I will now work with Congress," said a miffed Pathak. However, he added that he is not unhappy with the prime minister and is only against the party's way of working.

"Prime Minister Modi has given India a better image across the globe. My grievance is with the party and not with the Prime Minister," he explained. "The party is just focused on putting across their 'Mann Ki Baat', but is not ready to listen to what the heart of the common man says," he concluded.
The Delhi government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that it would release Rs 500 crore within two days to civic bodies, which will help resolve the crisis that has arisen due to the ongoing strike by sanitation workers of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) over regular payment of salaries and regularisation of workers.

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that it would release Rs 500 crore within two days to civic bodies, which will help resolve the crisis that has arisen due to the ongoing strike by sanitation workers of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) over regular payment of salaries and regularisation of workers.

A bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur, S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta asked Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Singh, appearing for the Centre and Delhi Lieutenant Governor, as to whether they could also release similar amount to "tide over the present crisis".

The bench made it clear that the offer by the Delhi government to release the amount, and if the Central government or the Delhi Lieutenant Governor also make a similar offer, would be without any prejudice to the rights and contentions of either of the parties.

"It is common knowledge that sanitation workers are abstaining from work in East Delhi. As a result of this, there is a huge amount of garbage that has piled up. There are, of course, differences on how the issue is to be tackled. The Lieutenant Governor has one point of view but the Delhi Government has a different point of view," the bench said.

During the hearing, the bench told advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for Delhi government, to take instructions in the matter as to whether they could release some amount to resolve the issue. After taking instructions, Mehra told the bench that they would release Rs 500 crore without prejudice to their rights and contentions in the matters relating to any disputes and differences between them and the Centre or the Lieutenant Governor.

The lawyers appearing for the South Delhi Municipal Corporation and North Delhi Municipal Corporation told the bench that they should also get money which was to be released by Delhi government. "The proportion in which the amount is to be released and to whom it is to be released will be decided by the Delhi Government. It is made clear that this offer has been made without prejudice to the rights and contentions of the Delhi Government," the bench noted in its order.

During the hearing, Mehra told the bench that in 2016-17, Delhi government had given over Rs 1.08 lakh crore to the Centre while the Central government had given only Rs 325 crore to them. The ASG told the court that Delhi High Court had already passed directions in the matter related to payment of salaries of sanitation workers of the civic bodies but the Delhi government had not complied with it.

He said that Delhi government had come to the apex court against the high court's directions but no stay was granted by the top court. "He (Mehra) is suggesting and it is only a request that the Centre or Lieutenant Governor can also consider releasing Rs 500 crore so that at least the present crisis is over. The legal battle will take time. It is only a suggestion," the bench told the ASG.

The ASG said that he would raise this issue before the concerned authorities and get back to the court on this. The bench has posted the matter for hearing on 8 October. The ASG told the bench that a Constitution bench of the apex court has already held that Delhi is a union territory and not a state and the other issues were being dealt with by another bench of the top court.

At the fag end of hearing, the counsel appearing for East Delhi Municipal Corporation told the bench that some direction should be given to the sanitation workers who are on strike since 12 September. "Delhi government has volunteered to give Rs 500 crore. How much is to be given to EDMC, SDMC or North DMC, they will decide it," the bench said, adding that the issue of strike was to be dealt with by the Delhi government, the Centre or the Lieutenant Governor.
Four persons have been arrested in Gujarat's Junagadh district for thrashing a Dalit auto driver and forcing him to crawl on a pubic road for allegedly harassing a woman, police said Wednesday.

Ahmedabad: Four persons have been arrested in Gujarat's Junagadh district for thrashing a Dalit auto driver and forcing him to crawl on a pubic road for allegedly harassing a woman, police said Wednesday.

The arrested persons include the woman who has accused the 20-year-old driver of harassing her, a police official said. The video of the 1 October incident which occurred on outskirts of Junagadh, over 300 kilometres from Ahmedabad, has gone viral.

In the clip, the accused Mukesh Rathod can purportedly be seen crawling on a road, with two men and some women following him and pushing him. "The incident took place Monday on the outskirts of Junagadh town and a complaint was lodged yesterday," said MS Rana, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Junagadh.

Rathod has also lodged a cross complaint claiming that three men and two women beat him up and used casteist slurs, he said.

In her complaint, the woman, also a Dalit, accused Rathod of sexual harassment, following which he was booked under section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with an intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC.

"Rathod used to drop some women employees to a factory near Junagadh. One of the women had alleged that he was harassing her and demanding sexual favours from her, following which she stopped going to work," Rana told PTI.

"When the owners of the factory learned about it, they called Rathod to the premises Monday," he said. As per the CCTV footage, Rathod was first beaten up by two women employees and was forced to crawl on road by owners of the factory, he said, adding that another accused filmed the incident on his mobile phone.

The owners have been identified as Shailesh Patel and Tarun Patel. Shailesh and Tarun have been arrested under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act while their accomplice Shankar and the dalit woman under various sections of the IPC, the officer said.

"We are yet to arrest another woman employee, who is the fifth accused in the case. Since the arrested woman is also a dalit, she will not be charged under SC/ST Act. She is only accused of thrashing Rathod, who is now receiving treatment at a local hospital" said Rana.
Drunkard rats in dry state Bihar appears to have been stealing alcohol from police store rooms in order to keep themselves in high spirits and evade prohibition

Drunk rats in dry state Bihar appears to have found an ingenious way to keep themselves in high spirits and overcome the state restrictions on alcohol availability. According to latest reports, rats in Bihar have begun targeting police store rooms where confiscated alcohol is being kept, stealing liquor without any trace.

According to The Times of India, the police in Kaimur district of Bihar have "found 200 beer cans confiscated by police and kept in the storeroom with holes". And "alcohol-craving rats" have emerged as the main suspects behind the theft. ABPLive said that in a similar incident alcohol was found missing from 11,584 bottles confiscated by the police.

Kumari Anupama Singh, sub-divisional magistrate, told DNA that prima facie, the act seemed like "a doing of rats".

"It looks like the work of rats because only cans and cartons have been damaged. All the cans are in place (none were missing) but most were leaking and empty," she said.

According to the report, Singh will submit a detailed report on the alleged violation of the prohibition rules in Bihar by the "drunkard rats" to the district magistrate for further action.

Nawal Kishore, district magistrate, Kaimur, who has ordered an inquiry, seems to be agreeing as well. The Times of India report quoted him as saying had it been done by humans, the "cans would have been cut properly".

"The beer cans were gnawed into by rats," the Kaimur DM said.

This, however, is not first time rodents have managed to steal liquor right from under the nose of the 'highly efficient' Bihar Police.

According to ABPLive, in May 2017, "rodents had finished off nine lakh litres of alcohol from police store rooms in Patna". Patna SSP Manu Maharaaj had blamed drunkard rodents for the act.

In the meanwhile, VS Dubey, who retired as chief secretary of undivided Bihar and Jharkhand, seems to have a completely opposite view about the theft. He told the Times of India, that it's not the rat but the policemen themselves who are "either drinking or selling confiscated liquor".

The DNA report, also claimed that though large holes were visible in the cartons, sources said that no rats were found at the godown.

The alleged rats behind the theft have emerged as non-discriminatory drinkers, as they seems to be targeting both desi and IMFL, beer and brandy alike. Gopal Sharma, scientist at Zoological Survey of India, Patna, also discredited the theory of "drunkard rodents" targeting police store rooms, saying rats have a natural aversion to a higher concentration of alcohol.
India plans to deport seven Rohingya Muslims, who have been in the country since 2012 and served jail terms for illegal entry. A fresh plea was moved in the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting the seven.

India plans to deport seven Rohingya Muslims, who have been in the country since 2012 and served jail terms for illegal entry. The Indian authorities are planning to send all of them back to Myanmar where violence against the ethnic minority has spiked in the Rakhine region.

The move of the government  which considers Rohingya Muslims illegal immigrants and a threat to national security -- has drawn criticism from the United Nations, which said their forcible return could mean a violation of international law. The men were held at a detention centre in Assam's Silchar on charges of illegally entering India and are due to be sent back on 3 October, the UN Special Rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume, said Tuesday. "Given the ethnic identity of the men, this is a flagrant denial of their right to protection and could amount to refoulement," Achiume said in a statement.

Meanwhile, a fresh plea was moved in the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting the seven. A bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, which made it clear to lawyers at the outset that it will not allow urgent mentioning of matters till the framing of "parameters" on such cases, said that it would take a decision on urgent hearing in this issue after perusing the application.

The bench, also comprising Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph, was told by lawyer Prashant Bhushan that some Rohingya refugees were on the verge of being deported and the matter required urgent hearing. "No mentioning. We will work out the parameters, then we will see as to how mentioning will be done," the bench said, adding that matters like execution of a death row convict, eviction cases can be heard urgently.

Initially, the bench asked Bhushan to file the plea and on being told that the application has already been filed, it said, "We will peruse the file and the decide."

"The Indian government has an international legal obligation to fully acknowledge the institutionalised discrimination, persecution, hate and gross human rights violations these people have faced in their country of origin and provide them the necessary protection." Achiume said New Delhi was obliged to refer Rohingyas under its custody to the UN refugee agency to assess their protection needs.

More than 700,000 ethnic Rohingya fled an offensive by Myanmar troops launched nearly a year ago in reprisal for attacks on border posts by Rohingya rebels who took up arms against the ill-treatment of the stateless minority. The United Nations has termed the repression "ethnic cleansing" and "genocide".

Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents. The UN expert said she was "appalled" at the amount of time the seven men from Kyauk Daw township in central Rakhine state had been detained.

"Prolonged detention of this kind is prohibited," Achiume said. "It could be considered arbitrary, and could even fall under the category of inhuman and degrading treatment." The seven people would be handed over to the Myanmar authorities and sources said that Myanmar was satisfied with all documentation and their identities.

The scheduled deportations follow an Indian government order last year to return Rohingyas, but the Supreme Court is still considering a petition challenging the order on the grounds it was unconstitutional. The UN expert said nearly 200 Rohingyas are known to be detained in India on charges of illegal entry.

"We urge the government of India to abide by the international norm of non-refoulement and protect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees including Rohingyas," she said. While successive waves of Rohingyas have fled into Bangladesh, small numbers have found their way to India and Nepal while a small community has also been established in Pakistan.

The interim plea, seeking urgent measures to stop the proposed deportation of seven Rohingyas, has been filed in a pending PIL. The PIL was filed earlier by two Rohingya immigrants  Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir  challenging the Centre's decision to deport over 40,000 refugees who came to India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination and violence against the community.

The fresh plea said that the decision to deport was in "grave violation" of India's international obligation and moreover, the situation in Myanmar was extremely dangerous for the Rohingyas to return and they are likely to be subjected to torture and even killed.

"Pass an order restraining the Union of India from taking any steps towards the deportation of any Rohingya refugees lodged in jails or detention centres in Assam or other parts of the country in contravention of non-derogable principles of customary international law and during the pendency if the case," the plea said.

Issue direction to officials of prison at Silchar Central jail in Assam and Union Home Ministry to "allow and facilitate the detenues in question as a well as other detenues on other prisons in Assam to approach the UNHCR in New Delhi to determine/ascertain if they are in need of international protection as refugees within its mandate and for grant of refugee identification cards," it said.

The plea also referred to alarm raised by United Nations Human Rights expert over the proposed deportation of seven Rohingya to Myanmar, saying their forcible return could constitute "refoulement" which was violative of international law.

Earlier, the apex court had appointed area Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) as nodal officers who could be approached by the Rohingya immigrants living at Kalindi Kunj in Delhi and Mewat in Haryana with grievances relating to health care, water, sanitation and education.

The bench was hearing petitions including the two filed by Zaffar Ullah and two Rohingyas  Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir. While one plea challenged the Centre's decision to deport over 40,000 refugees who came to India, the other has sought several human and civic rights for the immigrants in New Delhi.

The Rohingyas, who fled to India after violence in the Western Rakhine State of Myanmar, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.

With inputs from agencies
Refuting allegations that farmers are enduring hardships under the BJP government, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday lashed out at political opponents saying 'those who had earlier exploited the farmers were now shedding crocodile tears for them.'

Lucknow: Refuting allegations that farmers are enduring hardships under the BJP government, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday lashed out at political opponents saying "those who had earlier exploited the farmers were now shedding crocodile tears for them."

"Farmers were committing suicide before we came to power in Uttar Pradesh. They were lathi-charged when procuring seeds and fertilisers. Those who exploited farmers are today shedding crocodile tears," the chief minister told reporters.

Speaking on the Bharatiya Kisan Union-led (BKU) farmers' agitation, the CM said he had sent two state ministers to Delhi three days ago to handle the situation.

"Some of the farmers issues have already been taken care of by our government, like loses caused by stray cattle and old vehicles," he said, elaborating on the initiatives taken up by his government. He reiterated that his government would not desist from taking any step for the welfare of farmers.

"Never has so much relief been provided to sugar cane growers as has been done under this government. So much procurement has never been done in the past. Potato growers have never got such (good) support prices," he said.

Responding to reports of police action against farmers, Adityanath said everyone has the right to go to Delhi but no one has the right to take law in their hands. He urged the farmers to be patient till talks with the high-level delegation were over.

Claiming that the Modi government had done more for the farmers than previous governments, Adityanath gave details on the works taken up by his government to aid farmers.

Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal and Ajit Singh, among other national leaders, spoke in favour of farmers on Tuesday, to which Adityanath said these politicians cannot differentiate between potato and sugarcane as they are not farmers nor do they have farming backgrounds.
In response to the order to kill the 'man-eater' tigress identified as T1 or 'Avni', several activists and NGOs have come together to create the 'Let Avni Live' petition.

The Supreme Court order of 12 September, in which the apex court refused to interfere with the 'shoot-at-sight' notice for a tigress in a Maharashtra forest, garnered strong reactions from wildlife activists and NGOs. In response to the order to kill the 'man-eater' tigress identified as T1 or 'Avni', several activists and NGOs have come together to create the 'Let Avni Live' petition.

The petition on Change.org has also created a presence on social media with some prominent celebrities and politicians  including Priya Dutt, extending their support to the campaign. The Twitter feed features videos from people in support of 'letting Avni live'.

The tigress T1 lives in the Pandharkawada forest in the Yavatmal district of Maharashtra which, the petition on Change.org claims, is an area rampant with illegal cattle grazing and encroachment. Several factories, and incidents of pesticide poisoning are factors that lead to "constant man-animal conflicts".

According to reports, the Maharashtra forest department had claimed that the six-year-old tigress, along with two of her cubs, had consumed 60 percent of a human corpse in September which led to the decision of declaring her as a 'man-eater'. Reportedly, Avni had claimed at least 9 lives till September.

On 11 September, the apex court heard the petitions filed by Ajay Dubey of Bhopal's NGO Prayatna and Simarat Sandhu of the Save the Tiger campaign in Delhi. The petitions challenged the Bombay High Courts decision which gave the forest department a go-ahead to implement its order to tranquillize or shoot the tigress.

While the petitioners claimed that it has not been established that the corpse was eaten by the tigress and her cubs, the forest department maintained that the big cat was responsible for at least nine deaths. The department said they were trying hard to get to a touching distance of the tigress to dart her with a tranquillizer for the last six months, but have failed.

Senior advocate Anand Grover, appearing for another petitioner, told the court that even if people entering the forest area get killed by the tigress, that does not make her a man eater. A distinction has to be made between a tigress killing a human and a habitual man eater, he said.

The petitioners urged a Bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta that if the tigress was shot dead, both her cubs would not be able to survive in the forest. The bench, while refusing to interfere with the high court decision, said the forest department would be bound by their own order to tranquilize her first and, in case of failure, shoot her.

With inputs from PTI
The CBI began to excavate a grave in Muzaffarpur in Bihar, where it is suspected that the remains of some of the girls, who were sexually abused at the shelter home, could be buried.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday told the Supreme Court it had unearthed the skeleton of a 15-year-old girl at a cremation site in Bihar during its inquiry into the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape cases.

The agency told the bench that it has interviewed the girls who lived at the shelter home with assistance from experts of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), and that they needed more time to talk to them again in view of the facts emerging in the investigation. The CBI's counsel told the Supreme Court that experts from NIMHANS were dealing with the aspects pertaining to the trauma faced by these girls, and that the exercise has yielded "good results", so far.

Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case: CBI tells Supreme Court that a skeleton of a 15-year-old girl was unearthed at a cremation ground while conducting the investigation.  ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2018

This comes a day after the CBI began to excavate a grave in Muzaffarpur, where it is suspected that the remains of some of the girls, who were sexually abused at the shelter home, could be buried. The agency said the excavation site is at Sikandarpur in Muzaffarpur district. Investigators will share more details once they complete the excavation.

The Supreme Court on Thursday observed that both the "investigation and rehabilitation aspect should go side by side" in the case. "We cannot look only at the investigation factor. We have to look at the rehabilitation factor also. It is as important as the investigation."

Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, representing the Bihar government, told the bench that rehabilitation of these girls should continue as they have gone through lot of trauma.

Some of the survivors in the government-funded shelter home run by Brajesh Thakur's NGO Seva Sankalp Ewam Vikas Samiti (SSEVS) have alleged that a few of their fellow inmates were killed and buried after being raped, officials said. The agency began to dig up the location after some of the girls identified the site. They started the process after questioning Thakur's close aide.

On 20 September, the Supreme Court had vacated a Patna High Court order restraining the media from reporting on the investigation into the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, where several minor girls were allegedly raped and sexually abused over a period of time. The incident came to light after a report from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) alleged sexual abuse of 34 girls at the shelter home, after which an FIR was subsequently registered by the Bihar social welfare department, and 10 people, including Thakur, were arrested.

The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar handed over the investigation to the CBI after a huge outcry. The state's social welfare minister, Manju Verma, had to resign in August after it was disclosed that her husband had spoken to Thakur several times between January and June.

With inputs from PTI
Farmers have been demanding remunerative prices for their produce for decades. In times of scarcity and high prices, they are shortchanged of the profits they could have earned by middlemen; and in times of glut and low prices, they are often compelled to dump their produce

The Kisan Kranti Yatra organised by the Bharat Kisan Union (BKU) was called off in the early hours on Wednesday, 3 October. Before that, the marching and agitating farmers had finally been allowed to cross the border at Ghaziabad and enter Delhi to end their rally at Kisan Ghat, their avowed objective.

Though a compromise appeared to have been reached, it has let more questions out of the bottle than it has stoppered. We should first note that this farmers rally was one in a long list of such demonstrations. There have been a number of massive rallies during the pendency of this regime: there was a massive demonstration in Maharashtra organised by the All India Kisan Sabha, demanding, inter alia, loan waivers, which the Devendra Fadnavis government was finally forced to concede; there have been strong exhibitions of unity in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the lattermost forcing the Yogi Adityanath government to announce a loan-waiver package; and there was the showpiece rally of farmers from all over the country ending at Jantar Mantar in Delhi in July 2017. The Maharashtra rally was held just a few months ago and succeeded in capturing the national imagination; many urban, middle-class people suddenly woke up to the issue of agrarian distress for the first time.

The 11 demands of the BKU-led Kisan Kranti Yatra encapsulated the demands of most farmers. Important among these were a remunerative minimum support price (MSP), loan waivers, a cut in fuel prices and power rates so that tractors and pumps could be operated at low cost and the implementation of the report of the Swaminathan commission, which was set up in 2004 under the renowned agronomist MS Swaminathan, the moving spirit behind the Green Revolution in the late 1960s.

It has been reported that the government has acceded to most of the demands, though there seems to be no public clarity on what has been acceded to and what has not. It has been suggested, though, that the demand for farm-loan waivers has been rejected, since it does not lie within the Centres sphere to grant it.

There is little doubt, if we are to begin with some basic background, that the agrarian sector is languishing and agrarian distress is on the rise. It has been suggested that over 2,000 farmers are quitting agriculture everyday. The growth rates in the agricultural sector are nothing to write home about either. A magazine, specialising in matters scientific and environmental, in a report says that while the 2004-14 period saw at 4 percent annually a golden run in the agricultural growth rate, it has plummeted since: it was  0.20 percent in 2014-15; 2.10 percent in 2015-16; and 4.1 percent in 2016-17. This, despite two good monsoons.

The overall contribution of the agricultural sector to GDP was 18.30 percent in 2013-14, which fell to 17.40 in 2 015-16. Most of these statistics are taken from a report put together by the Dalwai committee, set up by the current government at the Centre in 2016 to find ways to double farm income by 2022. The suicide rate among farmers rose to 8,007 in 2015, up 41 percent from the 5,650 in 2014, according to statistics put out by the National Crime Records Bureau, although several ministers in various BJP governments attribute these suicides to reasons that have nothing to do with agrarian distress and the policies that has caused it.

It is in this context that we have to see the discrete elements that have pushed farmers from four corners of the country to converge in Bhopal, Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow and Mumbai to demand their due. Let us begin with the issue of MSP.

Farmers have been demanding remunerative prices for their produce for decades. In times of scarcity and high prices, they are shortchanged of the profits they could have earned by middlemen; and in times of glut and low prices, they are often compelled to dump their produce either because it is uneconomic to take them to the market or to protest the lack of a viable MSP and robust procurement.

It was in this context that in the run-up to the 2014 elections, the then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi promised farmers they would get a much enhanced MSP  all costs covered and 50 percent above that. Unfortunately, like many of Modis fantastic promises, this one, too, has failed to materialise.

For four years, there was no action on this front. Neither did the MSP hike materialise, nor was the procurement arms of the government substantially strengthened. The Dalwai committee report says that in the past three years only 10-odd percent of farmers managed to sell their produce at MSP; in the past two years, 2015-17, farmers have had to sell bumper crops at 30-50 percent below the MSP.

Then there is the issue of the new MSP announced by Modi earlier this year. Agricultural scientists and agronomists point out that the new cost-plus-50 percent MSP is predicated on new criteria that excludes the cost of land, which used to be factored in earlier. According to the old formula, experts say, the hike effectively works out to just 13 percent for paddy. The attitude of the government was summed up by NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar, who dismissed Swaminathans recommendation in respect of MSP by calling him an impractical man. Moreover, MSP covers only 6 percent of farmers, the rest are left to be buffeted by market forces.

The BJP government at the Centre is equally dismissive about the waiver of farm loans. The Centre has washed its hands of any financial commitment in this regard. Though Modi committed himself to the waiver of farm loans in 2017  during the campaign for the Uttar Pradesh elections  the lack of central support has meant that cash-strapped states have been left holding the baby. A number of states have, in fact, signed up to waivers; some under duress. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh are some of the states that have announced waivers. The lack of support has meant, in some cases, surreal outcomes, with farmers being presented single-figure cheques.

The Swaminathan report is comprehensive, covering issues related to land reform, ecological sustainability, agricultural marketing, MSP, rural employment, investment in agriculture and lots more. Arguably, no government can implement its recommendation in its entirety ever, forget in four years, especially given the way Indias political economy plays itself out, but some things were easily achievable, like proper, rather than cosmetic, action on MSP, procurement (the governments policies have failed to take off in this sphere as well), or investment in agriculture to create robust infrastructure. As for the last, what do we have?

The BJP government assumed power promising to double farm incomes. The Dalwai committee suggested an investment of Rs 6.4 lakh crore to meet the target but the 2018 budget for agriculture has been increased by just Rs 4,845 crore which severely exposes the promise as just rhetoric.

All told, Modi's government has done practically nothing to address the concerns of distressed farmers. There was a time when farmers who hit the streets were usually small and marginal farmers, or the landless, but big, rich farmers  the kulaks  have also started hitting the streets. And this has sent the government into crisis-management mode.

Farmers are par excellence an election issue and the BJP, if no other party, understands that in its marrow, now that it is no more mainly a bania party. Take the Jats, for example. In Western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and parts of Rajasthan, the community voted solidly for the party, enabling it to blank out the Congress in Rajasthan and get 7 out of 10 seats in Haryana, as well as 71 out of 80 in Uttar Pradesh.

But the Jats are now disenchanted. It must be a fair conjecture that many of those trying to march into Delhi on 2 October, were from that community. Then, of course, there was the massive and violent stir in Haryana based on the demand that they should be listed as other backward castes, which, again, possibly stemmed from the fact that their main occupations  farming and dairying  had been badly hit. Similar is the case with the once prosperous Patidar community of Gujarat, who are, or were, prosperous farmers.

Somewhere in the labyrinthine, number-crunching personal bureaucracy that supports the Modi dispensation, ably propped up by party president Amit Shah, the realisation must be dawning that a disaffected farm sector does not bode well for the BJPs electoral prospects. This is even more so because two surreal initiatives undertaken, or underwritten, by the Modi-Shah act have massively exacerbated the agrarian crisis.

One is demonetisation, which coming, as it did, bang in the middle of the kharif marketting season sent an already reeling sector into an irreversible tailspin. Second, was the spate of draconian amendments to anti-cow slaughter legislation, followed by widespread incidents of beef vigilantism, which sent the bovine economy into a similar tailspin. Since the two economies must feed off each other for both to be prosperous, this double blow caused a grievous injury.

The question now is: Can the BJP retrieve the situation? The combination of Modis Teflon charisma and Shahs incredible ability to pursue detail has been endowed by now with near-mythical powers, but, with the public mood bordering on the sullen, even the ruling deities of the ruling dispensation could find it difficult to extricate the party from the farming mess.
BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday said the NDA government has begun the process of sending back illegal refugees to their native countries.

Jaipur: BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday said the NDA government has begun the process of sending back illegal refugees to their native countries.

"Our government will identify each and every infiltrator and ensure they are out of the voters' list. In fact, we have started the process to deport the Rohingya immigrants to Myanmar from Thursday itself," he said at an ex-soldiers convention in Sikar.

Shah said that the state's BJP had always been pro-soldiers, irrespective of the fact whether it was in the government or in the Opposition.

"The Manmohan Singh government never gave a befitting reply to Pakistan. But now, our soldiers on the border are well aware of the fact that the reply to a bullet is a bomb," he said.

The BJP leader said that it was for the first time after independence that a prime minister, Narendra Modi, had set the target of making the Indian Army the world's most modern by 2022.

"He has taken up the herculean task of providing the most modern technology and weapons to the army," Shah said.

In four years, over 600 terrorists and 300 Naxalites had been killed, which proved that India was a strong nation, he contended.

On the occasion, Shah honoured the widows of jawans who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Defence sources said the Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked shelling and firing on Indian positions, including civilian facilities, in the Gulpur sector of the LoC.

Jammu: Indian and Pakistani troops on Thursday exchanged heavy fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir's Poonch district.

Defence sources said the Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked shelling and firing on Indian positions, including civilian facilities, in the Gulpur sector of the LoC, the de factor border between the two countries.

"Pakistani troops are using automatics, small arms and mortars. Our positions are strongly and effectively retaliating," a source said.

"Heavy exchange of fire is going on in the area", the source added.
The announcement gives credence to reports that the Imran Khan government intends to scrutinise the $62 billion CPEC infrastructure and power projects,

Islamabad: Pakistan has slashed the Chinese investment in railways by $2 billion citing a huge burden of loans, giving credence to reports that the new government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan may scrutinise the multi-billion dollar ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a media report said Tuesday.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said that the share of the CPEC in the railways has been reduced from $8.2 billion to $6.2 billion. "Pakistan is a poor country that cannot afford the huge burden of the loans," Rasheed told reporters in Lahore.

"Therefore, we have reduced the loan from China under the CPEC for rail projects from $8.2 billion to $6.2 billion. The CPEC is like the backbone for Pakistan, but our eyes and ears are open," he said.

The announcement gives credence to reports that the new government led by Khan intends to scrutinise the $62 billion infrastructure and power projects, which the PML-N government had initiated under the CPEC.

The Express Tribune reported that CPEC's investment share for Pakistan Railways was $8.2 billion, which was to be utilised for upgrading Main Line-1 (ML-1) a colonial-era line stretching 1,872 km from Karachi to Peshawar.

Previous railways minister Saad Rafique had termed the upgrading of ML-1 as vital for railways future as it would bring as many as 171 trains on track per day against the current 32. Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, however, said that the CPEC share has been reduced to $6.2 billion.

Rasheed said the government remains committed to the Karachi-Peshawar project but he wishes to further reduce the cost to $4.2 billion from $6.2 billion.

Rasheed said he is the biggest supporter of the CPEC, but also wants minimum debt burden on railways as the nation has to pay back all the investments. He, however, was unable to explain, which projects the management has skipped to bring down the investment.

The changes are part of Islamabad's efforts to rethink the key Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in Pakistan, where Beijing has pledged about $62 billion in financing but the new PTI government is more cautious about the Chinese investment.

The government has pushed for deeply concessional loans for the ML-1 project. It has also invited third countries to join or for the Chinese to be investors in the project through the build-operate-transfer model that would rely less on debt.

The US has criticised the BRI projects, warning that the loans could turn into debt traps for poor countries unable to pay them back. Beijing denies the claims, saying the loans are a win-win situation for both the countries.

The CPEC is the flagship project of the multi-billion dollar BRI, a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping, aimed at enhancing Beijing's influence around the world through China-funded infrastructure projects
To all those who mock him for choosing the BJP, Khan says: 'People are telling me that I am doing kuffur (blasphemy) by joining the BJP, but the first person to bring BJP in Kashmir was Mirwaiz Farooq. The Hurriyat leaders are sitting on a graveyard of martyrs.

Facing threats from militants, abuse and challenges galore, reformed militant Mohammad Farooq Khan has decided to defy all odds and contest the Jammu and Kashmir local body elections on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket.

However, what sets Khan apart from the hundreds others who defy the general threat from the militants to Kashmiris who try to join the mainstream politics or the police force is the fact that he comes from within their ranks.

Khan was one of the many youths from the Valley who took up arms in the late 1980s, crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to get arms training at a militant camp in Pakistan and subsequently joined the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), seeking 'aazadi' from India.

Joining militancy

Born in 1970 in Barbarshah area of downtown Srinagar, Khan was still in college when the insurgency of the late 1980's reverberated through the Valley, luring many youngsters like him to arms' training camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. He was drawn to the clarion call to join the militants' cause and crossed the border after 1987 elections in state were alleged to be rigged.

"I had made some new friends in college who were active in politics and joined them. I was one of the polling agents of Syed Salahuddin," Khan tells News18.

Salahuddin, who is the chief of militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, was contesting Assembly elections from Amira Kadal constituency in Srinagar in 1987 as a candidate of the Muslim United Front (MUF). However, after he lost elections amid claims of mass rigging, he crossed over to Pakistan and supported militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.

The BJP leader narrates that back in the days, militancy was the "norm" and his parents too were buoyed by the idea that their son was a militant. However, Khan was captured in a anti-terror drive in 1991 from Munawarabad area and that was when his fortunes took a turn for the worst.

"I was subjected to torture at different interrogation centres of Kashmir for over a year," Khan says as he narrates a tale of brutal torture at the notorious torture centres  Papa 2, Papa 1 and Hotel 4.

"Over the next three years, I did not know if I was a man or a woman. My private parts were subjected to electric shocks," Khan recalls while speaking to News18.

A student of Masood Azhar?

Khan says his life changed after he spent his time in jail reading up Islamic literature. Khan was incarcerated in Jammu's Kotbalwal Jail and Delhi's Tihar Jail over a period of seven years, where he met top militant commanders, including Masood Azhar, Sajad Afgani and Nasrullah Langriyal.

"During my jail term, I read more than two hundred books, mostly Islamic literature. It was an overwhelming experience and it opened my mind towards global politics," says Khan.

Twenty eight years later, he is ready to join the mainstream politics and a party, generally perceived to be anti-Kashmir in the Valley. But Khan offers a different perspective on his decision. He feels that an opportunity to work for his people should not be lost.

"In the Quran, it is written that if you do not do my work in this world, I will replace you with other people who would. I think Allah has granted this opportunity to me to serve the people of Kashmir," Khan told The Wire.

To all those who mock him for choosing the BJP, Khan says: "People are telling me that I am doing kufr (blasphemy) by joining the BJP, but the first person to bring BJP in Kashmir was Mirwaiz Farooq. The Hurriyat leaders are sitting on a graveyard of martyrs. We fought, but they became the heroes."

"Isn't it better if we come to the mainstream to avoid repetition of history," Khan adds while speaking to The Wire.

The former militant, who suffered torture and abuse during his fight for 'freedom' and abject poverty once he decided to give up arms, has been channeling his energies to work for the welfare of all reformed militants and their families. He hopes to scale up his efforts after winning the election.

From social work to politics

Broken, jobless and confused after his release from jail, Khan knocked on many doors. "I met Hurriyat leaders but no one helped," he says. He worked as a welder with an ironsmith, sold ice creams and also tried his hand at painting buildings and working as a construction labourer to survive. He says he was appalled to see the horrible condition of all former militants and decided to work for their welfare.

"After coming out of prison, I formed Jammu and Kashmir Human Welfare Organisation for rehabilitation of ex-militants. No one supported me, not even those for whom I picked gun. I didn't know they were only counting notes," Khan told ANI.

About his entry into the saffron party, Khan credits the will of Allah and some friends in Delhi. He got in touch with some people in Delhi regarding his NGO work. That's where he got in touch with some BJP leaders to push for his demands for former militants who had shunned violence on their own accord.

It was when the elections were announced this year, amid tensions in the Valley, Khan got a call from Delhi. He acknowledges that his survival in the local circles will get tougher after his decision to contest polls. He worries he will be labeled a mukhbir (informer) and kafir (infidel) for surviving the system. "If you die here, hundreds and thousands of people will hail you and attend your funeral, but if you survive, you are kafir," he says.

Some even go ahead and question his credibility as a Kashmiri. Khan says some people alleged that he was a Nepali 'exported' from abroad in the Valley.

"I didn't come from Nepal. I came a long ago. I've completed my jail term of 10.5 years. I'm going to file FIR against those who've said that I came from Nepal, if they don't apologise," Khan says.

He, however, remains hopeful that despite all odds he will manage to work for the welfare of the people.

"People were abusing me earlier and they are abusing me today even though I am working for peace now. I will win and spend my earnings on rehabilitation of ex-militants and their children's education... I didn't surrender on rehabilitation policy," Khan says.
Congress leader and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday created a new controversy by calling for the legalisation of opium in the state.

Congress leader and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday created a new controversy by calling for the legalisation of opium in the state. Sidhu spoke in support of AAP MP Dharamvir Gandhi who had also demanded the legalisation of the sale and cultivation of opium in Punjab.

Sidhu had said, "My uncle used to get opium as medicine from the hospital. It is way better than chitta' (heroin), which SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia introduced in the state, due to which parents have to see bodies of their children," according to Hindustan Times.

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday reacted to Sidhu's statements and said that Punjab will not allow the legalisation to happen at any cost, as the state had been engaged in a fight against the drug menace in the state.

Times Now quoted Singh as saying, "Its time to have a national drug policy to check drug menace, as I have always maintained." Singh added that he was happy that the issue of opium cultivation has taken centre stage again. He also said, "One state growing drugs like opium to sell in another is not acceptable as its ruining younger generations. Its important to resolve this matter once and for all."

India has to have a drug policy. You need to have a strict drug policy and ban these drugs. Whatever is required for the pharma industry, the government can have a policy for that. But letting it be grown by states, we know how it leaks out of states and into markets which is Punjab, Singh told ANI.

NDTV reported that on 18 July, Singh had written a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh and asked the government to formulate an effective national anti-drug policy with a coordinated strategy in place to curb the smuggling of narcotics into Punjab.

On Wednesday, Haryana minister Anil Vij Wednesday demanded to lodge a criminal case against Sidhu for "promoting" drug use. Vij demanded that Amarinder Singh should either order lodge an FIR against his Cabinet colleague or quit as chief minister because he had led the Congress to win the Punjab assembly polls last year by making drug malady an election issue.

"Amarinder Singh now should get an FIR registered against him (Sidhu) for publicising drug use or tender a resignation," Vij said.

According to reports, some Opposition leaders also said that Sidhu should quit the ministerial post. India Today quoted Akali Dal spokesperson Daljeet Cheema as saying that, "Sidhu's statement is enough to prove that the state government has failed to curb the menace of drugs. The chief minister had promised to get rid of the drugs within a month (of getting elected), now his cabinet colleague is demanding legalisation of poppy cultivation. The chief minister should explain how poppy cultivation and its easy availability will end the addiction."

With inputs from agencies
French company Dassault Aviation, the makers of Rafale, had chosen Reliance Defence as its partner to fulfill offset obligations of the deal.

New Delhi: Lawyer Prashant Bhushan and former Union minister Arun Shourie met Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Verma on Thursday, demanding a probe into alleged corruption in the Rafale aircraft deal and offset contract.

Along with a "detailed" complaint under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Bhushan and Shourie submitted documents buttressing their argument for the need of probe.

Alleging that the offset contract for Rafale aircraft was actually a commission to an Anil Ambani-led Reliance group subsidiary, they asked CBI Director Alok Verma to take government's permission to initiate a probe in accordance with the law.

French company Dassault Aviation, the makers of Rafale, had chosen Reliance Defence as its partner to fulfill offset obligations of the deal. Rejecting allegations of corruption, the government has been maintaining it did not have any role in selection of the offset partner by Dassault.

India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2017 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore, nearly one-and-a-half years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the proposal during a visit to Paris. The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September 2019.

In the 33-page complaint to the CBI, Bhushan and Shourie claimed that Anil Ambani-led Reliance group had incorporated its own subsidiary Reliance Defence barely a few days before the deal was to be signed in Paris.

"Barely two months after the deal was signed, Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), 2013 was amended, with amendments dealing only with offset conditions," it said.

Evidently, even in August, 2015, when the main procurement contract was yet to be signed, somebody in the government was overly concerned with offsets, it alleged.

"The said amendment was thereafter incorporated in DPP, 2016 verbatim, which came into effect on 1 April, 2016," it alleged.

Alleging "a scam of Rs 36,000 crore", the complaint claimed that the deal was executed in "improper, dishonest, malafide, and abuse of official position".

It alleged that "no mandatory prerequisites for the deal including IAF Services Head Quarters initiating the procurement process by preparing Services Qualitative Requirements (SQRs), Categorisation Committee recommending the mode of procurement'; Defence Acquisition Council and others were taken".

"The original deal for 126 aircraft was also inclusive of weapons.... Therefore, only the cost of the new weapons could be inflated and was indeed artificially inflated," the complaint alleged.

It alleged if price had been the real concern for the government for discarding the old deal, the government would have considered Eurofighter's offer of 12 July, 2014 to reduce its price by a full 20 percent.

The "government's claims that Dassault was not satisfied with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) are belied by the former HAL Chairman, T Suvarana Raju, who was the lead technical negotiator for the original deal, and has dared the government to put the files in the public domain," it said.

"We are also aware that this will place you in the peculiar situation, of having to ask the accused himself, for permission to investigate a case against him," the duo said in the complaint to the CBI Director.

"We realise that your hands are tied in this matter, but we request you to at least take the first step, of seeking permission of the government under Section 17(A) of Prevention of Corruption Act for investigating this offence and under which, the concerned authority shall convey its decision under this section within a period of three months, which may, for reasons to be recorded in writing by such authority, be extended by a further period of one month, the complaint said.

After submitting the complaint to the CBI Director in his office at agency headquarters, Shourie, who is a vocal critic of the Modi government, said "every single element, every single fact has been documented in annexure".

"The government could not explain rationale behind cutting down deal for 126 aircraft to 36 aircraft," he claimed.

Shourie, who was a Union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajapee-led NDA government, has been sidelined in the party under the current BJP leadership.

"The CBI Director said he will look into it very carefully. He said he will take appropriate action," Bhushan said.

Opposition Congress has accused the government of choosing Reliance Defence over state-run HAL to benefit the private firm though it did not have any experience in the aerospace sector. It raised several questions about the deal including the rates.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said the defence procurement procedure allows a contract with a friendly government, and had rubbished allegations that government was favouring any businessman through the deal.

Sitharaman had said the cost of each aircraft along with weapon systems was much lower than what was negotiated by the UPA government.

Reliance Defence had said Dassault chose it to meet its 'offset' or export obligation in the contract and the Ministry of Defence has no role in the selection of Indian partners by the foreign vendors.

Company CEO Rajesh Dhingra had said the government-to-government deal requires all 36 aircraft to be delivered in a 'fly-away' condition which means "they are to be exported from France by Dassault" and "HAL or anyone else cannot be the production agency for the simple reason that no aircraft are to be produced in India."
Hours after Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said his government will not file a review petition on the Supreme Court's verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) issued a press release calling upon all stakeholders, including spiritual and community leaders, to address the issue.

Hours after Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said his government will not file a review petition on the Supreme Court's verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) issued a press release calling upon all stakeholders, including spiritual and community leaders, to address the issue.

The RSS said in its press release: "The recent judgment on Sabarimala Devasthanam has evoked reactions all over the country. While we all respect the varied temple traditions followed by devotees in Bharat, we have to also honour the Honourable Supreme Court."

The press further stated that the case was an issue of a local temple tradition and faith to which sentiments of millions of devotees, including women, are attached. These sentiments of the devotees cannot be ignored while considering the judgment, the press release added.

"Unfortunately, the Kerala government has taken steps to implement the judgment with immediate effect without taking the sentiments of the devotees into consideration. There is an obvious reaction to the same by the devotees, especially women, who are protesting against the forceful breaking of the tradition," the press release added.

"While the Supreme Court judgment should be respected, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh calls upon all the stakeholders, including spiritual and community leaders to come together to analyse and address the issue availing judicial options also. They must convey their concerns on their right to worship in a manner which best suits their faith and devotion, to the authorities in a peaceful manner," the press release stated.

With inputs from PTI
Experiencing Iceland: Stories and Spirits

I was fortunate enough last month to be able to visit Iceland for just under two weeks. I had never been there before and had been looking forward to the trip, as Iceland has a reputation for its beauty and for its deeply ingrained folklore. Neither disappointed.

Words cannot do the country's beauty justice. It is truly amazing and everywhere you look seems more gorgeous than the last. Not only the natural places but even the cities, which I am not prone to favouring, are beautiful and full of statues and street art. I saw more murals on walls in Reykjavik than I have ever seen anywhere else and the art was a nice counterpoint to the natural beauty. My main focus wasn't on the ambience though, impressive as it was, but on the spiritual connection and folklore.

There is a very old story that says Iceland is protected by four landvaettir, or land spirits, and that these spirits keep out anyone with hostile intentions. The story goes that foreign king sought to take over Iceland and sent his sorcerer to see what the best strategy would be. The sorcerer took the form of a whale and swam across the sea but when he approached the island on the eastern coast he found his way blocked by a dragon who breathed fire and who dropped insects and toads from under its wings. Turning aside the sorcerer swam northwards around the land but in the north he found a great eagle guarding the shore and again he turned aside. Swimming to the western coast he found a fierce bull which drove him back. Finally reaching the southern shore he found a group of mountain giants, the largest of which carried an iron rod. Giving up the sorcerer returned to his king and told him that Iceland couldn't be taken because the land spirits were too strong.

Knowing this when we arrived it was important to introduce ourselves to these spirits and to do what we could to be on friendly relations with them. We were keenly aware that we were strangers travelling in their land and no where else have I felt the presence of Otherworldly spirits so keenly as I did in Iceland. There is a sense in that place that the land spirits are still dominant and it inspires awe to be aware of them and of the power of their places.

Landspirits aren't the only beings that are strongly present in Iceland. There are also the Huldufolk, or Hiddenfolk, beings who are roughly analogous to celtic fairies. The Hiddenfolk include a range of beings from Alfar to Trolls, from the dangerous Nykur to more ambiguous water spirits. Terry Gunnall and Trausti Dagsson created a map of locations across Iceland where different types of these beings had been sighted which shows exactly how widespread these beliefs and these beings are.

Many of the locations we went to across our time in the country were near or included Hiddenfolk lore. We visited an Alfakirkja (elf church) which is a special boulder that is the home of elves and I stumbled across a less well known place that seemed to be important to them. We travelled close to a town, Hofsos, that features in local folklore in a story that nicely illustrates what dealing with the Hiddenfolk can so often be like.

In the story a man who was considered eccentric by his friends became lost while setting out to Hofsos to trade and found himself on the doorstep of a large building where a celebration was going on. He knocked and explained his situation and was invited inside where he found himself treated as an honored guest; the next morning to his great confusion the owner of the home not only offered to trade his goods so he didn't have to go on to the town but gave him better prices than he'd ever gotten anywhere before. Finally the stranger gifted him with a cloak for his wife, promising that it would bring him luck, then explained that once the man had laid his cloak out to dry on a hot sunny day and other men had started throwing rocks at it out of boredom. He had stopped them without realizing that the strangers son - one of the Hiddenfolk - was hiding under the cloak and unwittingly saved his life. the stranger was paying back the man's kindness now. With the cloak and his traded goods packed up the man set out for home, turning back to wave goodbye only to find the stranger and large house had disappeared.



This is only one short piece of folklore, but I think it captures the feel of the Hiddenfolk. They can be helpful and they always pay back their debts - although other stories also show that they can be dangerous. In another tale we see a little girl putting her hand into a hole in a rock and making up a little chant asking for a coin, which she is given as the Hiddenfolk living there are amused by her actions; when her older brother tries the same thing in turn he loses the use of his hand as a punishment for his greed. I find myself wondering what happened to the men throwing those rocks because I doubt they got away with nothing for what they did.

Iceland is a land full of folklore, and I found when I visited there that it is also a land full of Landvaettir and Hiddenfolk. Travelling there was an adventure and also a lesson in what it is like to be immersed in stories and spirits in a place that is wholly unlike anywhere else I've ever been.

For more on Icelandic folklore:

Elves and Hidden People translated by H. Gissurarson

https://guidetoiceland.is/history-culture/folklore-in-iceland

The Little Book of the Hidden People by A. Sigmundsdottir

Hildur, Queen of the Elves, and Other Icelandic Legends by J. Bedell
RSS spokesperson in Bengal Jishnu Basu said, 'If the TMC is so keen on bringing out the truth then it should hand over the investigation to the CBI.'

Kolkata: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has sent a legal notice to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for its leaders' comments that the organisation was behind the death of two students in a clash in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district in September.

"A college student, Tapas Burman, and an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) student, Rajesh Sarkar, were killed when protesters clashed with the police on 20 September over the recruitment of Urdu and Sanskrit teachers at the Daribhita High School in Islampur," police had said.

The deceased's family members, villagers and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had alleged that the students were killed in police firing, a charge that was denied by the state administration and the police.

The TMC leadership had claimed that it was RSS-BJP that had hatched a conspiracy and was behind the killing.

"We have sent a legal notice to the TMC. They have to either apologise for their comments or prove whatever they had said about the RSS - blaming us for the incident - is true," spokesperson Jishnu Basu told PTI on Thursday.

Senior TMC leaders declined to comment on the issue. A legal notice is a precursor to a case being filed in a court.

"If the TMC is so keen on bringing out the truth then it should hand over the investigation to the CBI," Basu added.

The family members of the two students and the BJP had demanded an inquiry by the central investigating agency into the incident. The state government had handed over the investigation to the CID.
The Pakyong Airport was inaugrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 September. Modi had dedicated Sikkim's first airport to the nation.

The first commercial flight under the UDAN scheme landed at Sikkim's first airport on Thursday. The SpiceJet flight, which took off from Kolkata for Pakyong Airport, received a water cannon salute by the Airports Authority of India.

SpiceJet will operate direct Kolkata-Pakyong-Kolkata flights daily under UDAN. This is the Government of India's scheme for the development regional airports and improvement in connectivity.

"Today is a proud moment for SpiceJet and a historic one for Indian aviation as we have put Sikkim on India's aviation map," said Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director of SpiceJet. "Our new flights will provide a major boost to tourism, and we are proud to contribute to the growth story of this vibrant state."

The Pakyong Airport is located at 4,500 feet and provides easy access to the mountain peaks, glaciers, lakes and other areas of the North East, the Ministry of Civil Aviation tweeted.

The first commercial flight under #UDAN landed at the #PakyongAirport, Sikkim from Kolkata. It received a water cannon salute by the @AAI_Official team. Built at 4500 feet height, this Airport provides easy access to the stunning

mountain peaks, glaciers, lakes & more of the NE. pic.twitter.com/2V3zg5FpUN  Ministry of Civil Aviation (@MoCA_GoI) October 4, 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Pakyong Airport on 24 September. Modi had dedicated Sikkim's first airport to the nation and said that previous governments had worked at a slow pace. He had also said that his government was committed to making the North East an "engine of India's growth story".

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu, who was also present during the inauguration, said that the dream of the people of Sikkim to have an airport of their own has now come true.

The Pakyong Airport will help increase the number of tourists visiting the state and also raise the income of the local people, thereby helping in the development of Sikkim, Prabhu had said. The prime minister seeks to bring all the state capitals on the railway map, he added.

With inputs from PTI
The Supreme Court asked journalist Abhijit Iyer-Mitra why he thought he was entitled to protection as he had hurt religious sentiments.

The Supreme Court on Thursday denied protection from arrest to journalist Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, who was accused of making derogatory comments against Odisha's Konark Sun temple, The Leaflet reported.

The bench, headed by newly-appointed Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, was quoted as saying by ANI, "Your comments incite religious feelings. How are you entitled for bail?"

Iyer-Mitra, who was briefly arrested in Delhi on 20 September, was previously granted bail on a bond of Rs 1 lakh. A team of the Odisha Police had arrested him in the capital in connection with a case registered against him in Odisha over a tweet he had shared on 16 September with a video commentary from the Konark temple. The police had asked him to join the investigation by 28 September.

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

The video had garnered heavy backlash, with legislators of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Opposition Congress on 18 September demanding action against the journalist for what they said were "derogatory" remarks.

Stating that Iyer-Mitra had "ridiculed" the sun temple, BJD MLA Sanjay Dasburma had said: "It (the video) is an insult to the state and its existence. Action should be taken against the man."

Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly and Congress member Narasingha Mishra had said: "There are two video clips that show a non-Odia, RSS man standing in front of the Konark temple making comments... Abhijit Iyer's remarks have disrespected and hurt the sentiments of the people of Odisha and the Odia language. He should be summoned to the state, and the House should decide on the quantum of punishment."
A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Thursday dismissed the petition against the deportation of seven Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar as it refused to interfere in Central government's decision.

A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Thursday dismissed the petition against the deportation of seven Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar as it refused to interfere in central government's decision.

A plea, filed in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, sought urgent hearing seeking restraint on the Centre's move to deport seven Rohingya Muslims, who were lodged in the Silchar Detention centre in Assam, back to Myanmar. "They were found to be illegal immigrants and their country of origin Myanmar has recognised them as Myanmar citizens", CJI Gogoi said.

According to reports, the seven will be deported on Thursday from Moreh, a town located in Manipur near the India-Myanmar border.

Meanwhile, the Centre told the Supreme Court that Myanmar has accepted the seven people as their citizens and has agreed to take them back. ASG Tushar Mehta tendered an affidavit and said in court that the Embassy of Myanmar was ready to give Certificate of Identity (COI) to the people. However, advocate Prashant Bhushan argued that they are not illegal migrants and that UN officials should be allowed to talk to them.

The seven Rohingya Muslims, who will now be deported, have been identified as:

Mohammad Inus, Mohammad Sabir Ahmed, Mohammad Jamal, Salam, Mohammad Muknul Khan, Mohammad Rohimuddin and Mohammad Jamal Hussain. Six of them belong to the Keito village in the Faida district of Myanmar whereas Sabir Ahmed belongs to the Burma village, according to sources. They have been in the country since 2012 and have also served jail terms for illegal entry.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had appointed area sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) as nodal officers who could be approached by the Rohingya Muslims immigrants living at Kalindi Kunj in Delhi and Mewat in Haryana with grievances relating to health care, water, sanitation and education.

The Rohingya Muslims, who took refuge in India after violence in the Western Rakhine State of Myanmar, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.

However, this move of the government  which considers Rohingya Muslims illegal immigrants and a threat to national security  has drawn criticism from the United Nations, which said their forcible return could mean a violation of international law. Even though, Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting that its campaign against them campaign was justified to root out the insurgents. "Given the ethnic identity of the men, this is a flagrant denial of their right to protection and could amount to refoulement," UN Special Rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume, said.

More than 700,000 ethnic Rohingya fled an offensive by Myanmar troops launched nearly a year ago in reprisal for attacks on border posts by Rohingya rebels who took up arms against the ill-treatment of the stateless minority. The United Nations has termed the repression "ethnic cleansing" and "genocide".

Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents. The UN expert said she was "appalled" at the amount of time the seven men from Kyauk Daw township in central Rakhine state had been detained.
India and Russia are likely to sign a number of crucial energy deals at the 19th India-Russia bilateral annual summit.

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj received Russian president Vladimir Putin on his arrival in India on Thursday. Putin is on a two-day state visit to attend the 19th India-Russia bilateral annual summit, which is scheduled to start on Friday.

The signing of a deal for Russia's S-400 Triumf air defence system is the key feature of the visit.

Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives for his two-day visit to India. He was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. pic.twitter.com/sNUWyS1ZkJ  ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2018

On Friday, the Russian president will hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Hyderabad House around 11.30 am. The two are slated to discuss a number of key regional and global topics, including the US sanctions on Iran oil.

Following an exchange of agreements and press statements, Putin will arrive at the ITC Maurya Hotel, where the India-Russia Business Summit is scheduled to take place around 3.30 pm. He is also scheduled to interact with a group of talented children.

Putin will then meet his Indian counterpart President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The Russian President will emplane for his return to Russia around 6 pm in the evening.

A number of crucial energy deals are slated to be signed by the two countries during the bilateral summit. India's state-owned ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) may sign a pact with Gazprom, industry sources told Sputnik. OVL already has stakes in three operational projects in Russia.

Also, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov had earlier confirmed that a contract for the supply of five regiments of Russia's S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems to India worth $5 billion will be signed during the Russian president's visit.

The last India-Russia bilateral summit was held in Russia on 1 June, 2017.
After the interrogation, two of the three arrested confessed to their involvement in the killing of 34-year-old Rupesh Basoya on 31 September.

The Delhi Police on Thursday arrested three men for the murder of a man in southeast Delhi's Taimoor Nagar in New Friends Colony, ANI reported.

After the interrogation, two of the arrested confessed to their involvement in the killing of 34-year-old Rupesh Basoya on 31 September.

On Wednesday, three police personnel were suspended for inaction in view of the incident, while the Station House Officer (SHO) of New Friends Colony police station was sent to district lines.

Basoya was injured Sunday after being shot by two unidentified men in front of his minor son and nephew while he was watching them play. He later succumbed to injuries at a hospital.

The incident triggered protests in the area, as the locals alleged that the perpetrators had links to drug peddlers.

According to the police, the victim's family claimed that he had opposed the sale of drugs in the area and that is why he was attacked.

With inputs from agencies
After Singh allegedly demanded Rs 20 lakh from him, the doctor approached the Thane police Anti-Extortion Cell, which laid a trap and arrested Singh Tuesday.

Thane: A so-called RTI activist who allegedly tried to extort money from a doctor has been arrested by the Thane city police. Tribhuvan Singh, the accused, was arrested Tuesday, said inspector Rajkumar Kothmire of the Anti-Extortion Cell of police.

A case of extortion under IPC section 384 was registered against him at Kalwa police station.

Singh had allegedly filed complaints with several civic agencies against a city-based doctor, alleging that the staff at latter's hospital was not qualified.

Singh had also filed several Right to Information applications regarding the hospital, and allegedly threatened the doctor that he will have his hospital closed.

After Singh allegedly demanded Rs 20 lakh from him, the doctor approached the AEC which laid a trap and arrested Singh Tuesday.

The accused had claimed to be a BJP worker, but the police said they were verifying this.
The Russian president is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov among others during his two-day visit.

New Delhi: Russian president Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after which Russia and India are expected to sign the S-400 air defence system deal and a number of other pacts in key sectors such as space and energy.

Putin, who was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on his arrival, went straight to Modi's official Lok Kalyan Marg residence where the two leaders had a one-on-one meeting. Later, Modi hosted a private dinner for the visiting dignitary.

The dinner meeting comes a day ahead of the 19th India-Russia annual summit during which the two leaders will hold comprehensive discussions on wide-ranging bilateral, regional and international issues, including US sanctions against Moscow and counter-terrorism cooperation.

The Russian president is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov among others during his two-day visit.

Ahead of his meeting, Modi tweeted, "Welcome to India, President Putin. Looking forward to our deliberations, which will further enhance India-Russia friendship." The tweet was also posted in Russian language.

As Putin landed in New Delhi, the Russian news agency TASS reported that on Friday, a number of bilateral agreements will be signed, including the $5 billion contract to deliver the S-400 air defence missile systems to India.

Ahead of the visit, the Russian president's aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted by media as saying that Russia and India are planning to sign more than 20 documents at the end of the Putin-Modi talks and that Putin will oversee the signing of the $5 billion deal.

The agreements to be signed are likely to boost cooperation in keys sectors such as defence, space, trade, energy and tourism, among others.

The spotlight will be on the S-400 missile defence system deal as, if signed, it could violate US sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) instituted by the US Congress on arms purchases from Russia.

The US has urged its allies to forgo transactions with Russia, warning that the S-400 missile defence system that India intends to buy would be a "focus area" for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking "significant" business deals with the Russians.

American lawmakers, however, have allowed the possibility of a presidential waiver.

India has already given indications that it will go ahead with the deal notwithstanding the US sanctions.

"India has maintained its sovereignty as regards to its relationship with countries. We shall maintain it in all earnestness," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said recently when asked whether the US sanctions will hit India's defence ties with Russia, especially after the signing of the S-400 missile deal.

India wants to procure the long-range missile systems to tighten its air defence mechanism, particularly along the nearly 4,000-kilometre-long Sino-India border.

S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 to procure the lethal missile system and Moscow has already started delivery of an undisclosed number of the S-400 missile systems to Beijing.

The S-400 is an upgraded version of the S-300 systems. The missile system, manufactured by Almaz-Antey, has been in service in Russia since 2007.

Russia has been one of India's key suppliers of arms and ammunition.

Sources had earlier said Modi and Putin would also deliberate on impact of US sanctions on import of crude oil from Iran.

Besides holding talks with Modi, the Russian leader will also have a meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday.

He will also interact with a group of talented children and address an India-Russia business meet.

The last annual summit was held on 1 June, 2017, during the visit of the prime minister to Russia.

In May, Modi had travelled to Russian coastal city of Sochi for an informal summit with Putin during which they discussed a range of crucial issues.
The Bombay High Court had earlier directed MMRCL to file an affidavit stating that it was cutting only those trees at the suburban Aarey Colony for which it has permission.

Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that it would not cut any trees inside Aarey Colony without permissions, according to DNA. The Bombay High Court had earlier directed MMRCL to file an affidavit stating that it was cutting only those trees at the suburban Aarey Colony for which it has permission.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice NH Patil and Justice GS Kulkarni was hearing a petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Preeti Menon and Ruben Mascarenhas against the MMRCL's 'indiscriminate' felling of trees inside the Aarey Colony to pave way for a metro car shed.

Advocate Kiran Bagaria, appearing for MMRCL, told the court that only those trees are being cut for which permissions have already been sought. "We will not cut any tree without taking prior permission from the concerned authorities," said Bagaria.

The bench directed MMRCL to file an affidavit in two weeks stating so and also submit a schedule of work it plans to undertake in Aarey colony for construction of the Metro car shed. The court, however, refused to pass an order granting an interim relief to the petitioners by staying the cutting of trees pending hearing of the plea. In the petition, Menon claimed that she learnt about trees being felled on the Aarey Marol Road on 29 September.

"It was seen that more than 100 huge trees were cut and many more were being surveyed. It is the estimation of the petitioner that almost 400 or more full-grown trees are slated for chopping," the petition said. It claimed that MMRCL's act was reckless and was causing permanent damage to the environment.

A public hearing of the objections regarding the building of the metro shed is to be held on 10 October by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after they put out a public notice for removing 2,700 trees, reported The Hindu. Following a proposal by the MMRCL, BMC has invited objections to cut 2,238 trees and transplant 464.

On 20 September, National Green Tribunal (NGT) had reversed the 2015 order of the NGT's Pune bench ordering a status quo in Aarey Colony, reported Hindustan Times. The 2015 order, which was upheld on 14 May as well, had stayed felling of trees, as well as leveling and dumping at the metro car shed site. The NGT Mumbai bench, however, had on 20 September asked the NGO Vanashakti, which had filed the original petition to withdraw the plea, saying the NGT does not have the jurisdiction to declare an area as a forest.

On 2 October, members of AAP, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and residents of Goregaon protested against the rampant tree cutting in the colony, calling the agitation Aarey Satyagraha, reported Free Press Journal.

With inputs from PTI
'The BJP has one stand in Assam and another in Bangladesh. We do not know if Modi will remain silent on this issue as well,' Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said.

New Delhi: The Congress has termed as "double-standards" the reported assurance of the Indian government to Bangladesh not to deport the people whose names did not figure in the NRC, saying the BJP has consistently called such people infiltrators.

"If it is true that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured Bangladesh of not deporting those who names don't figure in the Assam National Register of Citizens, then it reflects BJP's politics of double-standards," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

"The BJP has one stand in Assam and another in Bangladesh. We do not know if Modi will remain silent on this issue as well, much like in the Rafale scam," said Surjewala.

The Congress leader's reply was in reference to media reports quoting HT Imam, political adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as saying that Modi has "personally assured" his counterpart of not sending back to Bangladesh those who are not included in the Assam NRC.

The Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah has repeatedly said that those not figuring in the NRC were "infiltrators" and are liable to be deported.

The BJP national executive last month had passed a resolution on the (NRC) exercise in Assam declaring that the party and government would not allow India to be used as a haven for "infiltrators" and that each of these "will be identified, stripped of citizenship rights and deported."
With Mayawati accusing him of 'sabotaging' a BSP-Congress alliance, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday attempted to do damage control, saying he respected the BSP supremo and will be happy if such an alliance materialised.

New Delhi: With Mayawati accusing him of "sabotaging" a BSP-Congress alliance, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday attempted to do damage control, saying he respected the BSP supremo and will be happy if such an alliance materialised.

"I respect her (Mayawati). We will be very happy if we have an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party. At the national level, I have always supported the idea that all parties opposed to the BJP-RSS ideology should come together to defeat them," Singh told a TV channel.

Singh's remarks came soon after Mayawati, in yet another blow to the Congress, ruled out any alliance with the Congress for the coming Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls.

Calling him an agent of the RSS-BJP, Mayawati accused him of sabotaging a Congress-BSP alliance. She also dismissed Digvijaya's claims that she was under a "lot of pressure from the Centre because of which she does not want an alliance with the Congress".

Asked if his statement on Mayawati triggered her latest snub, Singh said: "Nationally, central agencies have been let loose to suppress the voices of every political party or person who is not with the BJP or has criticised prime minister Narendra Modi or his government."

Singh, a former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, also sought to deny Mayawati's accusation of sabotage. He pointed out that the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister had earlier made her intentions clear by announcing an electoral pact with Ajit Jogi's Janta Congress for the Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh.

"When Mayawati addressed a press conference with Jogi (20 September), she categorically said that she will not align with the Congress and went ahead to declare her party's alliance with Jogi and even announced that her party would contest 22 seats in Madhya Pradesh unilaterally," he said.
In several districts in South Kashmir, the BJP's candidates won dozens of seats unopposed in the local body polls as other parties could not find nominations because of the fear of militant attacks.

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 III, part IV and part V of the series here.

***

Srinagar: With political parties desperately looking for candidates in south and north Jammu and Kashmir, where dozens of seats went uncontested in the first phase of the municipal polls, Srinagar is presenting a positive picture. According to the chief electoral office, in all the wards of the summer capital, dozens of candidates have submitted their nomination papers. This is in sharp contrast with the situation, particularly in districts in South Kashmir, where the Bharatiya Janata Party's migrant candidates have won many seats because of the lack of opposition.

In Shopian district, all migrant Kashmiri Pandit candidates won the wards on BJP tickets, with no local resident filing nomination papers. In North Kashmir's Sopore area, the saffron party's candidates won unopposed as the Congress could not find candidates to contest the polls amid fears of militant attacks.

But in Srinagar  a hotbed of militancy in the 1990s  the situation is completely different, with people from even the old city  the hotbed of separatist sentiments  contesting. Although militancy has staged a comeback in Srinagar after a long gap, the candidates participating in the municipal elections are openly roaming in their respective wards and urging people to vote for them.

When the Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference decided to boycott the local body elections, it was feared that the BJP and Congress would find it difficult to field candidates. But contrary to such speculations, both national parties announced candidates from the state capital. Also, a number of families, mostly husband and wife and a few young girls, have also filed their nomination papers as Independent candidates, surprising many.

"Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan is not going to take care of bijli, sadak, pani (the region's need for electricity, roads and water) and other local concerns of the state. It is the duty of the elected representatives of this state," said Mohammad Aqib Rinzu Shah, an undergraduate who still is in college.

Shah said the state government and its elected representatives from the volatile South Kashmir were forced to flee after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, and later, they forgot to carry out even basic development work.

"The funds were, spent but where did they go? If you ask them (legislators), they have no answer. We pay taxes and development is our right," said Shah, a 21-year-old resident of Srinagar's Kral Sangri area.

Much against the advise of his friends and family, Shah filed his nomination papers from Brain municipality's ward number 2. His opponent is a former activist and spokesperson of the National Conference, Junaid Mattu, who resigned from the party in protest against the party's decision to boycott the municipal elections. He is fighting the election as an Independent candidate.

Mattus resignation was a big surprise. Many consider him the National Conference's proxy candidate, and the party has not issued any statement on such accusations. Instead, it only said that it was "pleased to accept his resignation". Mattu, who was a close confidante of National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah, is also seen an ally of Sajjad Gani Lone, who heads his faction of the People's Conference.

According to reports, Lone will return to the People's Conference, from where he started his political career, once the elections are over. There are also rumours that he may be elected the mayor of Srinagar.

Shah describes his contest as "jihad against the BJP". However, his detractors see it as a ruse to join politics. He said he has the support of some 40 odd boys and a few girls, who are also in the electoral fray.

Shahrish Ahmad, a 29-year-old who submitted her nomination papers for a ward in Srinagar's old town, said: "There is nothing wrong with fighting for basic issues. Why should people brand us traitors? Same people will then come to us to do their work. Our fighting these elections should not be seen as a vote for India or Pakistan, but for repairing small bunds, footpaths and graveyards."

There are 79 municipal bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, which includes two municipal corporations in the twin capital cities of the state, six municipal councils and 71 municipal committees. For the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, which has the highest number of 6,63,775 voters, nearly every other political party has fielded proxy candidates. For 74 of its wards, 330 people, including women, have filled nomination papers.

While the main regional parties are out of the contest, it has brightened the chances for the BJP and the Congress. This is something that has caused some degree of consternation in the Valley.

"By contesting the elections, at least we can stop the BJP from coming to power in the center of the city. They have put Hindu candidates in the electoral fray in the Kashmir Valley rather than choosing a candidate from our community in this Muslim-majority place. We can't allow this to happen," Shah said.
Caretaker chief minister of Telangana K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, calling him a 'thief' and 'traitor' of Telangana.

Telangana's caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, calling him a "thief" and "traitor" in Telangana's eyes. At the partys election public meeting in Nizamabad, KCR expressed disgust at the Congress party for joining hands with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) that had been against the formation of Telangana as a separate state.

KCR said that cheap Congress fellows have betrayed Telangana through and through. The Congress and the BJP are coming up with impractical poll assurances, KCR asserted and asked people to choose his party.

"I may have a foul mouth, but I am the chief minister and therefore cannot stoop to the level of these cheap fellows. Do you want to give the reins of Telangana to a thief like Naidu who was caught red-handed in the cash-for-vote scam? He is a traitor who has consistently worked against the interests of Telangana. Do you want to be the slaves of Amaravati or New Delhi? It is appalling how the Congress, that killed nearly 400 Telugu youth in 1968, and Naidu, who wrote 36 letters to stop the irrigation projects in Telangana, have formed an alliance. How can they have the audacity to even face the state?" KCR was quoted as saying by the The New Indian Express.

Naidu is responsible for 100 Telanganites dying in encounters... He is a traitor who snatched away seven mandals of our state. How can the Congress sail with such a durmargudu (wicked person)?" KCR alleged that Naidu plans to spend Rs 500 crore in campaigning ahead of the Assembly elections and that he will provide three helicopters to Congress ahead of the polls. Had they (Opposition parties) asked me, my party would have given five or more seats to them, he said.

According to The Times of India, Rao even attacked the BJP government during his speech. Referring to the BJP manifesto that promises the payment of house rent up to Rs 5,000 for weaker sections, Rao said that as assured by Narendra Modi, if Rs 15 lakh is deposited in every citizen's bank account, he would pay the house rent of BJP leader K Laxman.

KCR also reportedly took strong objection to TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy calling him "battebaaz" (a cheat). Uttam Kumar Reddy called me battebaaz. Am I a battebaaz?" KCR asked the crowd. "You can assess my character and that of Uttam Kumar Reddys. Let your answer be your vote, he told the gathering.

He went on to say that people were wondering why he was not the same old KCR with his strong and pungent language and answered that it was due to the fact that he is a chief minister and thus "he had to draw a line". "But if I choose to, I can still be at my abusive best and speak all through the night till morning, he remarked.

He said that the Congress was opposing his government on everything and placing hurdles before it and that is why he decided to go for early polls. The Congress would even want to file a court case against someone wanting to go to the toilet," KCR remarked.
The BSP chief's stinging remarks against the Congress reiterated a lasting message about her: Don't ever take Mayawati for granted.

Minutes ahead of vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha on 17 April, 1999 Mayawati sprung a surprise on then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the entire lot of the ruling BJP. Till that morning and before entering the House, she had assured the support of five BSP MPs to the Vajpayee government, but when her turn came, she gave a brief speech and concluded by saying that her party would vote against the motion.

That stunned the treasury benches, because the scales had been tilted. The voting process began immediately after and rest is history  the Vajpayee government lost the vote of confidence by one vote. And in doing so, she proved that she along with her mentor Kanshi Ram was best practitioner of real politik, who could even startle the likes of Vajpayee, LK Advani and Pramod Mahajan. That incident also sent a lasting message about her: Don't ever take Mayawati for granted.

Two decades later, the Congress under Rahul Gandhi's leadership seems to have completely forgotten those lessons about her. It took her affectionate hugs with Sonia Gandhi in Bengaluru during the swearing-in ceremony of HD Kumaraswamy as a done deal for a grand alliance with the BSP in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and in Assembly elections where the Congress' will would prevail over her. In a way, the party's top brass appear to have taken her support for granted.

Rahul went around the country and abroad talking about the Mahagathbandhan or grand coalition in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (together accounting for 122 Lok Sabha seats) and claiming, on-record and off it that this alliance was going to finish off the BJP in next General Election. He even predicted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's defeat in the Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency.

The Congress leaders conveniently forgot that she was a hard-boiled politician, who has risen through the ranks because of sheer personal grit and overpowering ambition. She is the one who keeps the other side on tenterhooks till the last minute. The bargain always has to be in her favour. If she makes a mistake or two, she learns from them and returns the favour in due course. Even in Bengaluru, the pictures of Mayawati and Sonia featured Rahul in the frame as a mere bystander, standing by his mother's side without exchanging words or conveying positive body language with regional leaders. It was clear that she would accept Sonia as a partner even a leader of larger coalition, but wouldnt accept Rahul as leader.

In one single shot, she punctured the hype around the 'one nation, one Opposition to Modi and BJP' Mahagathbandhan fostered by the Congress and the like-minded. Calling the Congress "casteist and communalist", just as the BJP was for her, she concluded her press conference on Wednesday by saying, "One thing I want to make absolutely clear. Considering the Congress' attitude, my party will not fight elections with the party at any cost. With this important announcement I am ending this media briefing."

Consider her charge against Congress: That "the truth is Congress in the name of a coalition wants to finish BSP". Although she made a villain out of Digvijaya Singh, a look at what she said about the Congress makes it clear that she smartly used the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader as an easy pretext to dump the party.

Consider her words: "Congress party ki galatfahmi ke saath-saath uska ahankar bhi ab sar chad kar bol raha hai rassi jal gayee par ainthan abhi tak nahi gayee waise toh Congress ki har mamle me abhi bhi dayaniye sthithi hai phir bhi Gujarat ki tarah abhi tak yeh galatphami bani hui hai" The essence of her message was that the Congress was drunk with arrogance and misinformed notions. She went to add how Congress had ill-treated Dr BR Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram.

Mayawati sent out a message to her social constituents by making it public that while negotiating for an alliance in Rajasthan, Chhatisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, the Congress leadership was not giving the due honour and dignity she felt her party and its supremo deserved. She made it public that the Congress was offering nine to 10 seats out of a total of 200 seats in Rajasthan, 15 to 20 out of 230 in Madhya Pradesh and five or six out of 90 in Chhattisgarh.

The BSP leader reduced Congress to a sorry figure, just a day after the Grand Old Party had adopted a resolution CWC meet at Sewagram, Wardha that like Mahatma Gandhi's Quit India movement in 1942, the Congress under Rahul's leadership was launching a "new freedom movement" to throw the Modi government out of power.

By stitching together an alliance with Deve Gowdas JD(S) in Karnataka, OP Chautalas INLD in Haryana and Ajit Jogi's Janata Congress in Chhatisgarh, and a proposed alliance with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party and Ajit Singhs RLD in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati is effective forming a Third Front without saying so in as many words. The JD(S) and INLD have proposed her name as a prime ministerial candidate in 2019. Her own party is pitching her for the top slot. She is open to alliances with smaller parties in other states. She has also been smart in her utterances against the Congress. She blasted the party alright, but has not said anything personally against Sonia or Rahul. That is designed to keep the support line open from the Congress, if need be and keep that one percent chance of a pre-poll alliance for 2019 alive, provided the Congress can bend to her whims.

The BSP chief with zero seats in the Lok Sabha has outsmarted Rahul and the Congress both in perception and political astuteness.
Reactions to the central government's decision to reduce petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2.50 on Thursday ranged from adulatory to dismissive ones.

Reactions to the central government's decision to reduce fuel prices by Rs 2.50 on Thursday ranged from adulatory to dismissive ones. While BJP leaders were quick to hail the move on Twitter, Opposition leaders termed it as "tokenism" and an act of "fraud".

BJP president Amit Shah said, "I welcome the decision of the Modi government to reduce petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre. This decision shows the sensitivity towards the country and people of the Narendra Modi-led central government."

In a similar vein, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said:

Thanks to PM @NarendraModi & FM @ArunJaitley, consumers have been provided relief by the slashing of Petrol and Diesel prices by Rs 2.50/litre. I congratulate CM @Dev_Fadnavis & CM @VijayRupaniBJP for further reducing prices by Rs 2.50/litre, giving a total relief of Rs 5/litre.  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 4, 2018

Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan also lauded the decision, saying, "Thank (Narendra Modi) and (Arun Jaitley) for their decision to provide relief to the common man and reducing the excise duty levied on petrol and diesel by Rs 1.50. Our OMCs will also absorb 1 rupee, resulting in an overall reduction of Rs 2.50 in prices of both petrol and diesel." The chief ministers of a number of BJP-ruled states also expressed their appreciation of the move, while stating that they will follow suit and cut state taxes. Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani said, "Finance Minister (Arun Jaitley) has announced Rs 2.50 cuts in petrol and diesel prices. Reciprocating positively to the finance minister's announcement, the government of Gujarat has also decided to reduce Rs 2.50 on both petrol and diesel. Thus petrol and diesel will be Rs 5 cheaper in the state of Gujarat." Similarly, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal said:

In order to ease burden on common people & in tandem with the announcement of FM Shri @arunjaitley ji to cut prices of petrol & diesel by Rs 2.50, Govt of Assam has decided to reduce tax on petrol & diesel prices by Rs 2.50 thereby making them cheaper by Rs 5 in Assam.  Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) October 4, 2018

Bihar deputy chief minister and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi was more circumspect in his reaction as he was quoted by ANI as saying, "We didn't receive any letter from Jaitley ji. First, we will see the order and then make a decision on petrol and diesel. Each and every state has its own situation, so first let the letter come."

Several Opposition leaders, however, mocked the reduction in prices that Jaitley announced at a press conference on Thursday afternoon. P Chidambaram, Congress leader and former finance minister, said, "An oil revenue dependent-government has belatedly realised the unbearable burden on the people and indulged in tokenism."

Another Congress leader, Ashok Chavan, said, "The current prices (of petrol) are around Rs 92 per litre. So the price cut does not make any difference. There should be a substantial reduction."

He also demanded that petrol and diesel should be brought under the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax.

On a similar note, Congress' Sanjay Nirupam said, "Reduction in fuel prices is too little, too late. When the petrol price is about to cross Rs 92 per litre, the government has reduced Rs 5 per litre. This decision should have been made long back. What is the guarantee that it will not cross Rs 90 again?"

On Thursday, the Congress released a press release on the issue:

INC COMMUNIQUE Press release and annexure by @rssurjewala, AICC Communications I/c, on fuel loot by Modi govt. pic.twitter.com/AG28CxJmRX  INC Sandesh (@INCSandesh) October 4, 2018

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also echoed a similar view and said, "The Modi government had increased excise duty by Rs 10 per litre and today reduced it by Rs 2.50. This is an act of fraud. The Centre should reduce prices by at least Rs 10."

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said shared his view, saying that in the current scenario, a fuel price cut of Rs 10 was needed. "This government at the Centre is not bothered about the well-being of the masses... They are only interested about their party," Mamata said while addressing a programme in Siliguri.

With inputs from PTI

Follow LIVE updates on the fuel price cut here
Amarinder Singh will hold the rally at Lambi, home turf of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, while Akali will hold a rally at Patiala.

Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Thursday alleged that the Congress was "forcing" people to attend Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's rally on 7 October at Lambi.

Singh will hold the rally at Lambi, home turf of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, to take on him over his "misleading claims" on sacrilege incidents, while Akali will hold a rally at Patiala, Singh's home constituency on the same day.

"Congress party's desperation to put up a face saving show at Lambi after getting unnerved by the SAD's historic rally at Faridkot has paralysed government functioning with seven ministers camping at Lambi to force people to come to its aimless and bogus show on 7 October," senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said in a statement in Chandigarh.

"Despite using all means, including enticement, coercion and even intimidation people were not ready to come to the Congress show until and unless the government fulfilled the promises made to them," he said.

"The situation has become such that Congress ministers are even being snubbed by party workers who have become thoroughly disillusioned by their own government and are refusing to shepherd people to the sarkari show," he said.

"This is forcing the ministers to remain in Lambi and use strong-arm tactics to put up a show which has emptied the state secretariat in Chandigarh and adversely affected paddy procurement and lifting of food grains from mandis," claimed the Akali leader.

Stating that people would have come in droves to the Congress show had the Congress government fulfilled promises made to the public, Majithia said it was condemnable that even now, despite a demand from the people, the government was not ready to commit itself to implement the Rs 90,000 crore loan waiver, Rs 2,500 per month unemployment dole, Rs 2,500 per month old age pension and Rs 51,000 shagun besides other promises.
The manifesto of the TRS for the coming Assembly elections in Telangana would be unveiled this month, IT Minister KT Rama Rao said Thursday.

Hyderabad: The manifesto of the TRS for the coming Assembly elections in Telangana would be unveiled this month, IT Minister KT Rama Rao said Thursday.

Making the announcement during an interaction on Twitter, Rao, son of caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, also answered questions related to infrastructure, industries development.

Our manifesto will come out later this month. Our manifesto will be a combination of all the welfare activities which were promoted in the past, he said.

Meanwhile, his father, on a campaign trail, continued his attack on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of plotting to halt the development of Telangana. Addressing a public meeting in Nalgonda, Chandrasekhar Rao also slammed Naidu over the proposed alliance between TDP and Congress, describing him as a 'betrayer'.

He also hit out at the Congress leaders.

"Today, Chandrababu Naidu wants to defeat Telangana by bringing in wrong forces... nothing will happen. If your (people) blessings are there, Naidu and Congress cannot harm Telangana. I have come to seek your blessings and want you to extend the your support..," he said.

KCR, as he his popularly known, also came down heavily on Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and former minister K Jana Reddy, accusing them of failure to ensure development of Nalgonda district and its people.

Citizens in Nalgonda suffered due to drinking water contaminated with fluoride and 'Mission Bhagiratha' of his government would address this problem by supplying purified drinking water, he said.

Quoting a recent survey, the caretaker chief minister claimed TRS would win 110 seats out of 119 Assembly seats in Telangana.

Rama Rao, in his about an hour-long live Twitter session, said urban and rural infrastructure, healthcare and education will also be given due importance (in the manifesto).

Netizens asked several questions related to principal Opposition Congress and its proposed alliance with TDP.

The minister accused the Congress of being responsible for the loss of lives during the two phases of the Telangana movement. On the lathi charge on farmers in Delhi, Rama Rao condemned it and said the Telangana government had been taking a lot of measures such as the 'Rythu Bandhu' and 'Rythu Bima' insurance schemes for the welfare of the farmers in the state.

Answering a query on UAE amnesty, he said a competent delegation had been sent to bring back Telangana immigrants there through the scheme.
tech2 News Staff

Facebook's habit of ripping off features from Snapchat isnt new and as per what new reports reveal, it isnt a habit which is dying off soon.

Facebook Nearby Friends feature never really took off the way it was intended to and in a bid to revive it, Facebook seems to be planning on copying Snapchats location sharing feature, referred to as Snap Map. For the uninitiated, the feature basically allows users to opt-in to sharing their location and have it displayed on a map for followers to see. How Snap Map works is instead of your name or a boring image of you being plot on a map, it features a Bitmoji of you, making it look much more appealing.

As reported by TechCrunch, Facebook is working on a fresh interface for its Nearby Friends feature that would display the location of people on a map. Currently, Facebooks location-sharing feature simply displays a list of friends, broken down by nearby and other locations.

There are minute differences here though when compared side-by-side. While Snap Maps allows users to see a friends specific location, Nearby Friends only allows you to see approximate information such as cities or broader geographical locations.

Talking to the publication, Facebook confirmed testing the new interface and stated, Were testing a new design for Nearby Friends, a tool people have used for the past four years to meet with their friends in person. People have complete control over whether to use Nearby Friends or not. They can turn it on in the Nearby Friends bookmark.

While the new interface does look better, the biggest issue here still remains the lack of trust people have with Facebook when it comes to disclosing any kind of data. Hence, we do feel that Nearby Friends will continue to remain as a feature that no one uses but for the few who still use it, the new interface does look much more pleasing than a boring list of peoples names.
tech2 News Staff

HMD Global is expected to finally launch the Nokia 7.1 Plus at an event in London today at 9.30 pm (IST).

Nokia enthusiasts and those interested in catching up on the event, live, can click here to catch the livestream from London.

Though Nokia has not confirmed what the event would be all about, it is expected to launch the Nokia 7.1 Plus which has been a subject of numerous leaks and rumours over the past month.

If it indeed launches the Nokia 7.1 Plus, then it is expected to sport a 6.18-inch display with 19:9 aspect ratio. Internally, it may pack an octa-core chipset which can clock up to 2.2 GHz.

The phone is expected to come in two RAM and storage variants 4 GB RAM and 64 GB variant and 6 GB and 128 GB storage variant.

It will most likely run on stock Android Oreo 8.1 and will be available in three colour variantsred, silver, and blue.

In terms of optics, it has a dual camera setup with 12 MP and 13 MP lens. In front, it bears a 20 MP camera. The phone will also likely feature a sizable 3,400 mAh battery.

This Nokia event comes ahead of another event which will be again hosted by HMD Global on 11 October, in New York. Initially, it was expected to launch the Nokia 7.1 Plus for that event, but it does appear like we could have a flagship in the offing.
tech2 News Staff

The rumours about Samsung's foldable smartphone are coming in hot and thick and it would seem that we just might have a definite time when we may get to see this device. As per a new report, Samsung is expected to showcase this foldable smartphone as early as next month. We will wait till we actually see it with our own eyes, as Samsung launching a foldable phone has been in talks since 2013.

The report, by The Korea Times, states that Samsung has scheduled a two-day conference in San Francisco dubbed Samsung Developer Conference (SDC) on 7 and 8 November. While the event's main purpose will most likely be Artificial Intelligence and IoT products, Samsung will reportedly use this event to launch its this foldable device as well.

The report cites an undisclosed Samsung official as the source of this information.

He said, We may provide partial information about the foldable phone at the Samsung Developer Conference (SDC) in November, but the finished product wont be available there.

This could mean that we may have at least a glimpse of nothing else of this futuristic device from Samsung.

Very little information is available about the device such as the fact that it will come with a 7-inch OLED display, that can be folded in half with about 4.5-inch display. The device is being rumoured to be called as the Galaxy F smartphone and it could very well be the first in a line of many smartphones under the same series, much like the flagship S-series or Note series.

Samsung is quite positive that it will be the first company to unveil such a smartphone, even though patents have revealed that the likes of Apple and LG also working on their own version of such type of a device. We can expect Samsung to make an official unveil at the CES exhibition next year.
Healthcare BPO Market

Global Healthcare BPO Market Report of MRFR Displaying an Overall Business Analysis, Top Participants, Worldwide Segmentation with sub Segments. And market is to Grow at 12.3% of CAGR by 2023

Healthcare BPO Market  Summary

The global healthcare BPO market growth is deemed to be impressive at 12.3% CAGR over the forecast period of 2017-2023, growing from USD 199,533.8 Million in 2017 to USD 449623.8 Million by the end of 2023, proclaims Market Research Future (MRFR) in a minutely analyzed research report.

The global healthcare BPO market derives much of its growth from the increasing incidences of errors in medical billing and errors in patient medical record which has led to the adoption of BPO services by healthcare organizations. A princely sum of dollars is lost each year due to poor billing practices which has a direct impact on healthcare organizations bottom line. Outsourcing in the healthcare sector has picked up in the past few years to minimize critical mistakes and ensure smooth operational performance. Additionally, healthcare institutions save a kings ransom by outsourcing tasks, which, otherwise would require hiring of in-house employees. Healthcare BPO professional are highly skilled and help in the reduction of errors.

Request for Sample Report athttps://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1335

Report Abstract:

This MRFR report offers a six-year forecast (2017-2023) for the global healthcare BPO market. The market analysis has been conducted after considering all the important parameters. The primary objective of the report is to deliver an objective outlook on the prospects of healthcare BPO industry for the next couple years. It also covers several pharmaceutical services, payer services, and provider services under healthcare BPO that are gaining considerable momentum under, which include research and development, non-clinical services, manufacturing, claim management, member management, provider management, care management and product development & business acquisition, medical billing, medical coding, medical transcription and finance & accounts.

Segmentation:

The global healthcare BPO market has been segmented on the basis of services which comprises of Pharmaceutical services, payer services, and provider services. The pharmaceutical segment has been further segmented into Research and Development, Manufacturing, and Non-clinical Services. Similarly, the payer services segment has been further segmented into Claim management, Member management, Provider management, Care management, and Product development & business acquisition. The provider services segment has been further segmented into Medical Billing, Medical Coding, Medical Transcription, and Finance & Accounts.

Key Players:

Accenture

Catalent

Charles River Laboratories International

Cognizant Cyber Securities

Covance

IBM

And more.

Check Discount at https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/1335

Healthcare BPO Market  Regional Analysis

The Americas dominate the global healthcare BPO market owing to the presence of strong economic conditions and huge development in healthcare domain. Moreover, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in 2014, recovery auditors identified and corrected USD 2.39 billion as overpayment and USD 173.1 million as underpayment. They also suggests that collectively 1.1million claims were registered to recover USD 2.57 billion.

Europe holds the second position in the market owing to healthcare spending has expanded slightly in UK and Germany. Western Europe continues to see a need to save money on healthcare because of a slight drop in financial growth and obstinate economic pressure. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the healthcare expenditure in Germany was EUR 321 billion in 2014, France recorded the second highest level of current healthcare expenditure of EUR 237 billion, followed by the United Kingdom of EUR 223 billion.

Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market owing to more number of developing nations present in this region, for instance, countries like India and China are encouraging the growth of the healthcare IT domain. Furthermore, increasing patient population from cancer in developing countries will directly increase the demand for various diagnosis & treatment methods and it will boost the growth of the market. Moreover, Healthcare spending in Asia expanded in 2016 due to an extension of state healthcare programs and the increasing affluence of the population. India, in specific, saw expansion in its healthcare expenditure due to a government resolution to enhance healthcare services, which is estimated to further will boost the market growth

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 healthcare domain and developing medical facilities, which will boost the market growth in this region.

Ask Any Question at https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/1335

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.

Media Contact

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Website: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/healthcare-bpo-market-1335
Reuters

Britain accused Russian military intelligence on Thursday of directing a host of cyber attacks aimed at undermining Western democracies by sowing confusion in everything from sport to transport and the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

In a British assessment based on work by its National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Russian military intelligence (GRU) was cast as a pernicious cyber aggressor which used a network of hackers to spread discord across the world.

GRU, Britain said, was almost certainly behind the BadRabbit and World Anti-Doping Agency attacks of 2017, the hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016 and the theft of emails from a UK-based TV station in 2015.

The GRUs actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries, said British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Our message is clear - together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRUs attempts to undermine international stability, Hunt said. Britain believes the Russian government is responsible for the attacks.

Though less well known than the Soviet Unions once-mighty KGB, Russias military intelligence service played a major role in some of the biggest events of the past century, from the Cuban missile crisis to the annexation of Crimea.

Russian Cyber Power?

Though commonly known by the acronym GRU, which stands for the Main Intelligence Directorate, its name was formally changed in 2010 to the Main Directorate of the General Staff (or just GU). Its old acronym  GRU  is still more widely used.

It has agents across the globe and answers directly to the chief of the general staff and the Russian defense minister. The GRU does not comment publicly on its actions. Its structure, staff numbers and financing are Russian state secrets.

The GRU traces its history back to the times of Ivan the Terrible, though it was founded as the Registration Directorate in 1918 after the Bolshevik Revolution. Vladimir Lenin insisted on its independence from other secret services.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has said GRU officers used a nerve agent to try to kill former double agent Sergei Skripal, who was found unconscious in the English city of Salisbury in March. Russia has repeatedly denied the charges.

After the Skripal poisoning, the West agreed with Britains assessment that Russian military intelligence was to blame and launched the biggest expulsion of Russian spies working under diplomatic cover since the height of the Cold War.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB spy, said on Wednesday that Skripal, a GRU officer who betrayed dozens of agents to Britains MI6 foreign spy service, was a scumbag who had betrayed Russia.

Britain said the GRU was associated with a host of hackers including APT 28, Fancy Bear, Sofacy, Pawnstorm, Sednit, CyberCaliphate, Cyber Berkut, Voodoo Bear and BlackEnergy Actors.

This pattern of behavior demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to international law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences, Foreign Secretary Hunt said.

The United States sanctioned GRU officers including its chief, Igor Korobov, in 2016 and 2018 for attempted interference in the 2016 U.S. election and cyber attacks.

Australia and New Zealand backed the United Kingdoms findings on the GRU.

Cyberspace is not the Wild West. The International Community  including Russia  has agreed that international law and norms of responsible state behavior apply in cyberspace, Australias Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

By embarking on a pattern of malicious cyber behavior, Russia has shown a total disregard for the agreements it helped to negotiate, Morrison said.
Nandita Jayaraj

This week, Donna Strickland became the first woman to win a Physics Nobel in 55 years. Closer home, last week Aditi Sen De became the first woman to win a Physics Bhatnagar ever.

Two of the nine scientists who won a Nobel Prize this week are women. While the winners are being rightly celebrated for their breakthrough in science, the mood among the socially-conscious members of the science community is palpably sober.

Unfortunately, the Nobel Prizes have become a yearly reminder of a historically pathetic track record in diversity, whether gender, racial or otherwise. Frances H Arnold and Donna Strickland are only the 18th and 19th women in history to receive a Nobel Prize in Physics, Chemistry or Medicine. That is a measly 3.2 percent of the total 607 prizes that have been awarded in these categories since 1901.

Out of all the winners this year, it is Strickland who has caught the worlds fancy. An optical physicist from the University of Waterloo in Canada, Donna Strickland is the first woman to win a Physics prize in 55 years; also, as it is being jokingly pointed out, she is the first non-Maria to do so (the previous winners were Marie Curie and Maria Goeppert Mayer). The work was done in the 1980s for her doctoral thesis.

Stricklands work towards producing the shortest and most intense laser pulses ever created' revolutionised laser physics around the world, but shockingly, she did not have a Wikipedia page to her name until the prizes were announced on Tuesday. It later emerged that a previous attempt to add a page about her on Wikipedia was rejected by editors because the article did not establish that she was sufficiently notable.

Furthering the underdog aura around her is the fact that she is still only an Associate Professor at her university, an observation that caused much uproar on social media. How is it that a scientist of her calibre has still not been promoted to full professorship? When Strickland was asked this herself, she answered with a curt, I never applied. Nevertheless, there are many unanswered questions here that should continue to be probed.

Things aren't any better in India

In India, things arent looking any better. In fact, we may even be a few steps behind. We have our very own yearly embarrassment in the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes, which have gone to only 17 women out of almost 550 awardees since 1958. There are no statistics on the caste of winners, and this is almost never discussed. The Bhatnagar Prizes are the highest honour for an Indian scientist by the government. This year Aditi Sen De from Harish Chandra Research Institute was the sole woman among the 13 winners, the first in three years, and the first ever to win in the Physical Sciences category.

But the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), which gives these awards, has not sufficiently acknowledged the gender gap, let alone expressed any intent to correct it. They seem to be happily ignorant of historical biases, continuing to operate under an archaic idea of merit, that many others have discarded.

The Infosys Science Prize famously went to three women out of six winners last year. However, on being asked about their commitment to the cause of gender equality, the jury chairsall male brushed it off with a vague-sounding, Prize winners are chosen based on the applications received and merits.

As noted by a reporter covering this event for TheWire, There was no mention of purposefully standing up for the equality of genders and acknowledging that the gender gap is bad for us all. Moreover, both the women scientists who won an Infosys award last year were previous Bhatnagar winners, so unless the jury makes an extra effort to look outside this minuscule pool of well-known achievers, its unlikely that equal representation will continue. Anyway, we wont have to wait for long. The 2018 winners of the Infosys Science Prize will be announced in November.

Recently, the Nobel Prize Academy was finally forced to face some of its own ugly systemic realities. The 2018 Literature Prize was called off after sexual assault cases involving Jean-Claude Arnault, a leading cultural figure closely associated with it, came to light. Perhaps spurred on by this miserable state of affairs, the Nobel committee seems to be keen to make amends.

Nature News reported last week that the committee will for the first time explicitly call on nominators to consider diversity in gender, geography and topic for the 2019 prizes. The report quotes secretary-general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Goran Hansson as acknowledging the need for action, We dont work in a vacuum. We need the scientific community to see the women scientists, and to nominate those who have made outstanding contributions.

Award committees in India need to wake up and stop making the same mistakes that the Nobel Prizes made. Excuses along the lines of we are gender blind or we only look at merit are old-fashioned, no longer relevant and only push us back.

The author a co-founder of Life of Science, a platform currently focussed on women scientists in India. She can be reached on Twitter @nandita_j
Sunil Dhavala

Space happens to be a very intriguing part of mother nature. For centuries, mankind has been trying to unravel the many mysteries that the universe holds, but even today we know very little about the vast, empty, and cold blanket of darkness that envelops us.

This is why the United Nations has declared that 4 - 10 October be celebrated as the World Space Week. Started back in 1999, today this event has grown into the largest public space event on Earth. Last year alone there were 3,700 events conducted in 80 countries to celebrate the excitement over future space exploration missions.

This year the theme will be Space Unites The World and in 2019 the theme will be The Moon: Gateway to the Stars.

Some of the highlights of this year's Space Week include the release of mini space documentaries every day by IMAX, advanced screening of National Geographics Mars 2 docu-series in the USA and lots more.

Commemorating this exciting week, tech2 has made a small quiz about India's progress through the years in the field of space exploration and rocket science.

Take the quiz and find out how much you think you know about India's space conquests.
Despite those issues and others, both sides seem determined to have the visit run smoothly. Germany says the discussions will focus on economic ties, innovation and technology, while noting that the government-to-government consultations have been in place for 10 years.

Jerusalem: German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds talks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday as they seek to publicly brush past their list of differences and promote cooperation between their countries.

The visit by Merkel and members of her cabinet comes as part of German-Israeli government consultations held regularly, though the last one in 2017 was postponed, with scheduling conflicts cited as the official reason.

There were reports however that Merkel was unhappy with a law passed then related to Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank. There has been no shortage of controversy ahead of this week's visit.

Last week at the UN General Assembly, Netanyahu accused Europe of "appeasement" of Iran, a word evoking European capitals' reluctance to stand up to Adolf Hitler in the run-up to World War II.

Netanyahu has been seeking to convince European countries to follow US president Donald Trump's lead and withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. Germany, like the other signatories to the hard-fought deal, has sought to keep it alive, saying it is preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons for now.

Netanyahu has also hit out at what he calls the EU's "absolutely crazy" demands of Israel, such as those related to his country's occupation of Palestinian territory. As a counterweight, he has sought sympathetic ears within the EU among countries whose leaders' nationalist stances have been a thorn in Brussels' side, including Hungary.

Despite those issues and others, both sides seem determined to have the visit run smoothly. Germany says the discussions will focus on economic ties, innovation and technology, while noting that the government-to-government consultations have been in place for 10 years.

It mentions Merkel's previous comments on the responsibility toward Israel that Germany bears as the perpetrator of the Holocaust. Felix Klein, who heads the German government's fight against anti-Semitism, will be part of the delegation. Fears of a resurgence in anti-Semitism in Germany are expected to be discussed.

"Germany and Israel are linked by a unique relationship," Merkel said in her weekly podcast. "And we are grateful that we are now close partners and friends." There will be no meetings with Palestinian officials during the one-day visit.

She's lost hope

EU nations have repeatedly criticised Israeli settlement building and warned over threats to remaining prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Germany has remained steadfast on the issue. In recent weeks, it has joined calls against Israel's planned demolition of a Bedouin village located in a strategic area of the occupied West Bank.

On Tuesday, residents of the village, Khan al-Ahmar, displayed signs with Merkel's picture calling for help. Yoram Ben-Zeev, a former Israeli ambassador to Germany, said Merkel would likely only "go through the motions" during the visit on issues related to the conflict with the Palestinians.

"I think that for the time being she's lost hope that things can move," Ben-Zeev told AFP, noting Trump's confusing statements on the conflict, Netanyahu's right-wing stance and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's unpopularity. "Why should she put her hands in the fire?"

Netanyahu will likely want to speak about his country's main enemy Iran while possibly requesting Merkel's assistance in dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Ben-Zeev. Russia has been angered by the recent accidental downing of one of its planes by Syrian air defences during an Israeli raid in Syria.

It has delivered the advanced S-300 air defence system to Syria as part of its response, which could limit Israel's strikes against Iranian and Hezbollah targets there.

A visit to Israel by Germany's then-foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel in 2017 ended in acrimony when Netanyahu cancelled their meeting. Netanyahu made the decision after Gabriel refused to call off meetings with rights groups critical of Israel's government.

When Gabriel visited again in January, the two met but Netanyahu publicly corrected him over his stance on a two-state solution. Gabriel had said he was "very thankful to hear that, of course, also the government of Israel wants to have two states" with secure Israeli borders.

Netanyahu interjected to reiterate his position that Israel must maintain security control in the Palestinian territories under any peace arrangement. He declined to say whether that would mean Palestinian statehood or some lesser form of autonomy.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is taking steps to avoid exposure to binding decisions by the International Court of Justice, the U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said on Wednesday as he accused the U.N.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is taking steps to avoid exposure to binding decisions by the International Court of Justice, the U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said on Wednesday as he accused the U.N. court of being "politicized and ineffective."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier on Wednesday said that Washington was terminating a treaty of amity with Tehran, after the International Court ordered the United States to ensure that sanctions against Iran, due to be tightened next month, did not affect humanitarian aid or civil aviation.

The ICJ, based in The Hague, in the Netherlands, is the United Nations venue for resolving disputes between nations.

There have been mounting concerns among U.S. allies about the Trump administration's commitment to multilateralism.

In the nearly two years since being elected, President Donald Trump has withdrawn the United States from a nuclear agreement between six powers and Iran, pulled out of a global climate accord, left the U.N. cultural agency, and threatened NATO military allies that the United States would "go its own way" if members did not spend more on defence.

Wednesday's ruling by the International Court handed a small victory to Tehran, which had argued that sanctions imposed since May by the Trump administration violated the terms of a 1955 Treaty of Amity between the two countries.[nL8N1WJ1XN] [nL2N1WJ0SV]

Bolton, citing what he called "Iran's abuse of the ICJ," said that the United States would withdraw from the "optional protocol" under the 1961 Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations.

"We will commence a review of all international agreements that may still expose the United States to purported binding jurisdiction, dispute resolution in the International Court of Justice," Bolton said on Wednesday. "The United States will not sit idly by as baseless politicized claims are brought against us."

The decision to withdraw from the optional protocol follows a complaint brought by the Palestinians in September, which challenged Washington's decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The Vienna Convention is an international treaty setting out diplomatic relations between states. It is often cited as a means to provide diplomatic immunity.

In 2005, the Bush administration took issue with the ICJ after it ruled that the execution of a Mexican national in Texas breached U.S. obligations under international law.

The Palestinians argued that the U.S. government's placement of its embassy in Jerusalem violated an international treaty and that it should be moved.

"This really has less to do with Iran and the Palestinians than with the continued consistent policy of the United States to reject the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, which we think is politicized and ineffective," Bolton said.

He added: "I'd like to stress the United States remains a party to the underlying Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and we expect all other parties to abide by their international obligations under the convention."

Palestine was recognised by the U.N. General Assembly in 2012 as a non-member observer state, though its statehood is not recognised by either Israel or the United States.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton and Roberta Rampton; Additional reporting by Tim Ahmann; editing by Susan Thomas and Leslie Adler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Gabriel Stargardter and Anthony Boadle RIO DE JANEIRO/BRASILIA (Reuters) - Luzia Amaral took a long hard look at Brazil's presidential candidates, and eventually settled on far-right Jair Bolsonaro, viewing him as the only option to prevent the return of the leftist Workers Party (PT) in this weekend's vote. Amaral is part of a growing number of women who opinion polls show have recently warmed to Bolsonaro, a divisive candidate whose comments belittling rape and defending the gender pay gap have long alienated many female voters

By Gabriel Stargardter and Anthony Boadle

RIO DE JANEIRO/BRASILIA (Reuters) - Luzia Amaral took a long hard look at Brazil's presidential candidates, and eventually settled on far-right Jair Bolsonaro, viewing him as the only option to prevent the return of the leftist Workers Party (PT) in this weekend's vote.

Amaral is part of a growing number of women who opinion polls show have recently warmed to Bolsonaro, a divisive candidate whose comments belittling rape and defending the gender pay gap have long alienated many female voters.

If the trend continues, some of the women who previously balked at the former army captain could help propel him to the presidency, and possibly a first-round victory on Sunday, pollsters and analysts say.

That prospect cheers investors who fear a return of the PT's state-run policies, but terrifies Bolsonaro's critics, who say his views echo those of U.S. President Donald Trump or even hardline Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

Amaral said she was not thrilled by Bolsonaro's pledge to loosen gun laws and disliked his homophobic statements, but ultimately she was willing to overlook those if he was able to beat PT candidate Fernando Haddad.

"In truth, my vote is a protest vote," said Amaral, a 64-year-old retired civil servant in downtown Rio de Janeiro. "Right now, among the current crop of candidates, none of them would be my choice to govern the country."

After ruling Brazil for 13 of the last 15 years, the PT is blamed by many for a crippling recession, rising violence and voracious corruption.

A Datafolha poll on Tuesday showed Bolsonaro extending his lead over second-placed Haddad, and indicated the right-winger could win an expected run-off vote that would take place on Oct. 28 if nobody clinches a majority on Sunday. [nL2N1WI1XX]

The signs that Bolsonaro is gaining momentum led Brazil's stock index up to a near five-month high and its currency to its strongest level in almost two months on Wednesday. [nL2N1WJ0G6]

"(The polls are) bringing euphoria to the market ... which is already beginning to price in the possibility of a (Bolsonaro) victory in the first round," said currency strategist Fernanda Consorte from bank Ourinvest.

RISING FEMALE SUPPORT

Bolsonaro's support among women has risen some 6 percentage points in the last week alone, the polls suggest.

That is all the more surprising given it comes just days after his candidacy provoked the largest female-led street demonstrations Brazil has seen in decades. [nL2N1WF07F]

Far from slowing Bolsonaro, a federal congressman who was hospitalized for much of September after being stabbed in an assassination attempt, the protests appear to have helped him, particularly among some women who viewed the young, progressive protesters as PT supporters.

Luzinete Silva, a 55-year-old lawyer in Rio who recently decided to vote for Bolsonaro, said the women who participated in the marches were "misinformed."

"I don't think those women are well-educated and they're not looking at and reading (Bolsonaro's) proposals and analysing what's going on in the whole country," she said.

A new Ibope poll due later on Wednesday should shed light on whether Bolsonaro's growing support among women continues, and what chance he may have of winning in the first round.

Nobody has won the presidency in Brazil in the first round since 1998.

But sudden last-minute waves of anti-PT sentiment have impacted recent local elections, such as Joao Doria's landslide first-round victory over Haddad to become mayor of Sao Paulo in 2016.

Bolsonaro's chances of winning on Sunday would be boosted if there is high abstention, and if many voters cast blank or spoiled ballots, said Leonardo Barreto, head of Brasilia-based political consultancy Factual.

"If the trends detected by Ibope and Datafolha this week continue with further growth for Bolsonaro, we could have a final wave of support for him," said Barreto.

He added that if Bolsonaro reaches 34 percent in Wednesday's Ibope poll, it could augur well for a first-round win, noting that Bolsonaro's campaign believes they are 5 to 6 percentage points short of winning outright.

Click here https://tmsnrt.rs/2Ixe0NI for a graphic on Brazil's 2018 election.

(Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter in Rio and Anthony Boadle in Brasilia; Additional reporting by Claudia Violante in Sao Paulo; Editing by Brad Brooks and Rosalba O'Brien)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
(This version of the October 3 story corrects typographical error in the number of beneficiaries from El Salvador in paragraph 6) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge in California barred the Trump administration on Wednesday from implementing a plan to end temporary protections for more than 300,000 immigrants in the United States from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan

(This version of the October 3 story corrects typographical error in the number of beneficiaries from El Salvador in paragraph 6)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge in California barred the Trump administration on Wednesday from implementing a plan to end temporary protections for more than 300,000 immigrants in the United States from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan.

U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen issued a preliminary injunction in a suit brought by a number of immigrants with temporary protected status, or TPS.

The TPS designation offers protection from deportation to immigrants already in the United States, including those who entered illegally, from countries affected by natural disasters, civil conflicts and other problems.

The government has failed to establish any real harm if "the status quo (which has been in existence for as long as two decades) is maintained during the pendency of this litigation," Chen wrote in the order.

"Indeed, if anything, Plaintiffs and amici have established without dispute that local and national economies will be hurt if hundreds of thousands of TPS beneficiaries are uprooted and removed," he said.

There are more than 263,000 TPS beneficiaries from El Salvador, 58,000 from Haiti, 5,000 from Nicaragua and 1,000 from Sudan, according to court documents.

The Trump administration has shown a deep scepticism toward the temporary protected status programme and has moved to revoke the special status afforded to thousands of immigrants from a number of countries, including the four named in the suit.

Salvadoran immigrants covered by TPS will lose their protected status in September 2019, those from Haiti in July 2019, Nicaraguan immigrants in January 2019 and Sudanese immigrants in November 2019.

(Reporting by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Paul Tait)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
US President Donald Trump has strongly defended his Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who is facing sexual assault allegations levelled by his high school classmate, Blasey Ford.

US president Donald Trump has strongly defended his Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who is facing sexual assault allegations levelled by his high school classmate, Blasey Ford.

"Wow, such enthusiasm and energy for Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Look at the Energy, look at the Polls. Something very big is happening. He is a fine man and great intellect. The country is with him all the way!," Trump tweeted Thursday.

The US president's tweet came ahead of Friday's procedural vote in the Senate and a final floor vote the following day. If Kavanaugh clears Friday's procedural hurdle, that would set up a final confirmation vote as early as Saturday.

Trump had ordered a time-bound FBI investigation in the case, the report of which is due on Thursday. Members will be permitted to view the report in a secure room in the US Capitol and be briefed by staff, but the expectation is they will not be provided copies of the document.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced, "There'll be plenty of time for members to review and be briefed on the supplemental material before a Friday cloture vote."

Meanwhile, Democrats and a few Republicans had raised concerns over the amount of freedom granted to US federal investigative agency to conduct a lightning-fast probe in a decades old high-level case.

However, Kavanaugh has enjoyed backing from president, irrespective of the findings of the FBI report, which several senators have demanded should be made public.

Trump said Kavanaugh has been treated horribly. "Even if you were going to bring up some of the subjects that were brought up, they didn't have to treat him so viciously and so violently as they've treated him," he said.

The FBI, he said, should do what they have to do to get to the answer. "At the same time, just so we all understand, this is our seventh investigation of a man who has really... ....you look at his life until this happened, what change he's gone through, what his family's gone through," he said.

"The trauma for a man that's never had any accusation, he's never had a bad statement about him. He was number one in his class at Yale, he was number one in his law school at Yale, and then what he's gone through over the last three weeks is incredible," he said.

Trump said he wants FBI to do a very comprehensive investigation, whatever that means according to the senators and the Republicans and the Republican majority. "I want them to do that. I want it to be comprehensive. I actually think it's a good thing for Kavanaugh. I think it's actually a good thing. Not a bad thing, I think it's a good thing," he said.

The president said the charges of sexual assault against Kavanaugh were made 36 years ago. "I mean, a charge made  was said to have occurred 36 years ago, and nothing happened since then. And look, I feel badly for all parties. I feel badly for everybody. I feel badly for our country. This is so bad for our country," he said.

"I watched those senators on the Democrat side, and I thought it was a disgrace. And partially because I know them. I know them too well. And you know what? They are not angels," Trump said hinting that there were a lot of skeletons against the Democratic senators who are opposing Kavanaugh.

Earlier, the US president was under fire for mocking Ford's testimony.

Imitating Ford's testimony, Trump, who was himself accused during the 2016 presidential race of sexual misconduct with numerous women, said: "What neighbourhood was it in? I don't know. Where's the house? I don't know. Upstairs, downstairs, where was it? I don't know. But I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember."

"And a man's life is in tatters," Trump added.

Trump nominated Kavanaugh to replace Anthony Kennedy, who had been a swing vote on a court now divided between four conservative and four liberal justices.

During four hours of emotionally intense testimony, Ford said she was "100 percent" certain that Kavanaugh was the person who assaulted her at a high school party in suburban Maryland in 1982. She said a drunken Kavanaugh and a friend of his, Mark Judge, pushed her into a bedroom, that Kavanaugh pinned her down and muffled her cries as he tried to pull off her clothes.

A defiant Kavanaugh came out with guns blazing on Thursday, insisting the assault never happened, accusing Democrats of destroying his reputation and condemning his confirmation battle as a "national disgrace". "I categorically and unequivocally deny the allegation by Ford," Kavanaugh said, his voice shaking with anger as he fought back tears.

With inputs from agencies
In the days to come, the Trump administrations actions vis-a-vis the United States forever war will determine the novelty of Trumps New South Asia strategy.

On Wednesday in Washington, Pakistans foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi urged the Trump administration to resume military aid and underscored Pakistans intention to act "in good faith" to jumpstart diplomacy with the Taliban. This expression of Pakistani intention reflects a crucial development in view of President Donald Trumps repeated derision of Pakistani duplicity of giving safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror. The same is also significant as it comes at a time of increased focus of the Trump administration on the region -- as it mulls the successes and failures of its New South Asia strategy a little over a year since its announcement.

The Trump administration approach to South Asia -- chiefly vis-a-vis Afghanistan, Pakistan and India -- has reflected certain key semblances to past administrations experiences. As under the administrations of George W Bush and Barack Obama, the Trump administration has sought a three-pronged objective in South Asia. First, honing an expansive conception of US interests in Afghanistan to also involve military action against the Taliban -- and not just the Al Qaeda. Second, prioritising cooperation with the Pakistani security apparatus in-line with US tactical and political objectives towards denying a safe haven to terror organisations in the region. Third, seeking Indias integration into the United States regional security calculus in order to cultivate a natural balancer to China.

This continuity stems from the institutionalisation of recent US administrations approach to the region. The two key examples being, the delinking of India and Pakistan in US strategic thought in view of Chinas twenty-first century rise -- propounded by president George Bushs secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, and pursuing the Afghanistan-Pakistan (AfPak) linkage for tactical and political aims of the War on Terror -- attributed to the first US Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke appointed by president Barack Obama. However, the efficacy of these policies has borne little fruit as past dispensations have found themselves caught in a continuum of bungling Afghanistan, condoning Pakistan, and assuaging Indian reluctance.

The pursuit of expansive US interests for nearly 17 years has rendered Afghanistan to be the United States longest war. Dubbed as Americas forever war, a Pentagon-led counterinsurgency campaign aimed to win hearts and minds has recurrently failed to strengthen the Afghan civilian dispensation with popular legitimacy, build Afghan local forces capability, and prevent insider attacks against international forces. This open-ended effort -- aided by a vaguely-worded post-9/11 Authorisation for Use of Military Force (AUMF), rendered an American operational dependency on the Pakistani security apparatus -- from intelligence sharing provisions to logistical transport corridors across the Hindu Kush.

This dependency often informed American ambivalence towards Pakistani duplicity of harbouring terror organisations -- like the Haqqani network, defined along its Manichaean outlook -- infamously characterised by its rationalisation of good and bad terrorists. Successive US administrations complained of Pakistani insincerity, and merely cried wolf at the Pakistani security apparatus -- chiefly the army and the ISI, overbearing role in state matters. However, Pakistan continued to receive American funds under the Coalition Support Funds (CSF) provision. Mere calls for strengthening the civilian dispensation in Islamabad bore little fruits -- much less change Pakistani behaviour.

Over the years, this tacit American condoning of Pakistani duplicity produced considerable anxiety in New Delhi. As India gradually set its sight on cultivating ties with the United States after a prolonged period of estrangement during the Cold War, Americas ambivalence towards Pakistani duplicity fuelled Indian reluctance -- even long after erstwhile motivations of maintaining Indian strategic autonomy waned. From US interests stand-point, this meant a sluggish courtship of India -- wherein India did not necessarily welcome every overture for cooperation from the United States even as frustrations rose in Washington over its bending over backward to help India.

Under Trump, the continued relevance of the aforementioned three-pronged objective is not lost. Moreover, at first, it seemed the Trump administration was set to find itself in the same continuum of bungling Afghanistan, condoning Pakistan, and assuaging Indian reluctance. However, a year since the announcement of the New South Asia strategy, an attempt to break from that recurrent continuum has been evident. At least on two of the three accounts -- with respect to Pakistan and India, the Trump administration has spurred a break from the past.

On Pakistan, the Trump administration has raked up the employment of the economic lever to address Pakistani duplicity. Under Trump, in July all CSF payments were held back, and in 2018 the same was cut by $700 million. Further, in the run-up to Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunfords visit to Pakistan last month, the Pentagon announced that it intended to permanently cut earlier suspended funds worth $300 million. Most notably earlier this year, the Trump administration welcomed the grey-listing of Pakistan at the Financial Action Task Force owing to its outstanding counterterrorism deficiencies.

Although challenges remain -- like Pakistans nearing balance-of-payments crisis raising the prospect of a Chinese bailout at the cost of diminished American influence -- the chips may eventually fall in Washingtons favour. As recent reports suggest, there is a bottom-up push in Pakistan to revise the terms of engagement on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The same stems from a region-wide re-evaluation being underway of Chinas involvement in local economies -- with the case of Sri Lankas Hambantota port being a central catalyst in spurring scepticism. Thus, Rawalpindi may rationally choose to deal with the devil they know -- with acquiescence to the US demands as reflected in the earlier discussed statement by Pakistans foreign minister Qureshi and Pompeo, and not with the one they dont -- being wary of Chinese debt-trap diplomacy.

On India, a simple perusal of the Indo-US dynamic under Trump reflects Indian reluctance to have been relatively assuaged. Despite the Trump administrations contention over the United States running a trade deficit with India, the Indo-US bilateral trade in 2017 was estimated to touch $140 billion from $118 billion in 2016 -- inching towards the Obama era goal of $500 billion. Further, in recognition of Indias elevated status in the American security calculus in the region, the Trump administration rechristened the US Pacific Command headquartered in Hawaii to the Indo-Pacific Command. Most importantly, on matters pertaining to defence interoperability, the Indo-US dynamic under Trump has borne an equally reciprocal attitude from New Delhi. For instance, recently the United States and India inked the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) -- the third of four foundational defence agreements. Other such developments include, setting up of hotlines between both countries defence and foreign ministers, announcement of the first-ever Indo-US tri-service exercise in 2019, expressing either sides readiness to begin discussions on the Industrial Security Annex (ISA), and committing to start exchanges between the US Naval Forces Central Command and the Indian Navy.

Although challenges remain -- like Indias historic ties with powers like Russia being incompatible with the Trump administrations call for the return of great power competition. Surely, a defining test of the same is Indias decision to acquire the S-400 missile defence system from Russia possibly triggering US sanctions -- in accordance with the Countering Americas Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). However, in gradually assuaging Indian reluctance, the Trump administration has indeed made unprecedented strides in its ties with India -- especially in the defence interoperability domain.

Finally, with respect to Afghanistan as well, there seems to be an attempt to break from the past. Most notably, the Trump administration broke from long-standing US foreign policy precedent of not directly engaging with the Taliban. In July 2018, it was reported that US officials held talks with Taliban representatives in Qatar. Hopes for a diplomatic resolution also grew when the Afghan government and the Taliban observed a successful cease-fire during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr.

However, shortly thereafter, it was apparent that the Trump administration found itself in a position -- hardly unique from its predecessor administrations predicaments. The aforementioned departures in Trumps strategy vis-a-vis Afghanistan have not been successful as the Afghan government controls or influences 229 of 407 districts, the Taliban controls 59 and the remaining 119 districts continue to remain contested. As a result, there has been a stalemate with the Taliban as on-ground tactical advances are still being challenged by continual attacks -- like the one in Ghazni that left 70 policemen dead in a matter of three days. Serious questions have thus emerged over the capabilities of the US-trained local Afghan forces. The same has probably prompted the Trump administration to stick to its no time-based approach in Afghanistan and even consider privatising the effort with military contractors.

Hence, the Trump administrations policies in South Asia bear semblance to the past administrations policies with respect to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. However, the Trump administration seems to have partly broken away from the subsequent continuum. The departure is apparent on two fronts -- with respect to India and Pakistan. The administrations hands-on approach to address Pakistani duplicity -- with economic coercion, and oversee unprecedented developments in the Indo-US dynamic -- in the realm of defence interoperability, stand as the central cases-in-point.

Afghanistan, however, continues to be the proverbial stone in the Trumpian shoe -- with the prospect of further US entrenchment in the Afghan quagmire looming large. Thus, in the days to come, the Trump administrations actions vis-a-vis the United States forever war will determine the novelty of Trumps New South Asia strategy.

The author is a research fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in Mumbai. His research interests are US Grand Strategy, US Civil-Military Relations, & US Foreign Policy in the Asia-Pacific.
By Emmanuel Jarry PARIS (Reuters) - A gangster who escaped from a French prison by helicopter with the help of an armed commando team was captured by police in a tower-block apartment early on Wednesday, ending another chapter in the life of a criminal known as the 'jailbreak king'. Redoine Faid, who has said his life of crime was inspired by Hollywood movies like Scarface and Reservoir Dogs, escaped in July from a high-security prison where he was serving 25 years for a heist in which a policewoman was killed. He was arrested as he slept at an apartment in Creil, the area where he grew up, an hour's drive north of Paris.

By Emmanuel Jarry

PARIS (Reuters) - A gangster who escaped from a French prison by helicopter with the help of an armed commando team was captured by police in a tower-block apartment early on Wednesday, ending another chapter in the life of a criminal known as the "jailbreak king".

Redoine Faid, who has said his life of crime was inspired by Hollywood movies like Scarface and Reservoir Dogs, escaped in July from a high-security prison where he was serving 25 years for a heist in which a policewoman was killed.

He was arrested as he slept at an apartment in Creil, the area where he grew up, an hour's drive north of Paris.

About 50 officers, some of them elite troops, took part in the pre-dawn raid, in which they also arrested a brother of Faid, two other men and a woman, police sources said. Guns were found at the premises, they added.

Video footage from the scene, obtained by Reuters, showed the inside of a grim fourth-floor apartment.

Faid, 46, became a notorious semi-celebrity after penning a tell-all book about his colourful life, describing how he was born into crime in high-rise housing estates of the kind that sprang up around Paris in the 1960s and 1970s.

The book came out in 2010, shortly after his release from jail for a previous hold-up conviction. Within months he was arrested again over an attack on a cash-transport truck that lead to the death of a young policewoman.

Faid's notoriety made him almost a household name when he subsequently took four prison wardens hostage and dynamited his way out of a jail in northern France in 2013. He spent six weeks on the run before he was tracked down and put back behind bars.

His latest break-out, in which armed men landed in a hijacked helicopter in a prison courtyard to free him from an adjacent visitor room and then fly him out, prompted a political debate over security in France, where wardens went on strike last year over safety standards.

After his July escape, one rumour that was never substantiated suggested he had fled to Israel.

He had spoken in the past of having spent years on the run in Switzerland and Israel, where he claimed to have disguised himself as an Orthodox Jew and learnt Hebrew.

(Additional reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Writing by Brian Love; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Richard Balmforth)

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Quick-Deploy Auto-Point Antenna Manufactured by Virgin Technologies Provides Portable Satellite Connectivity in Remote Locations



Launches Quick-Deploy Auto-Point Antenna Solution

Sydney, Oct 4, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Speedcast International Limited ( ASX:SDA ) ( OTCMKTS:SPPDF ), the world's most trusted provider of remote communication and IT solutions, today launched the VR7 auto-point antenna, a quick-deploy antenna solution providing critical connectivity in the most remote locations worldwide. Speedcast is the exclusive international partner for the VR7 antenna manufactured by Virgin Technologies.The VR7 1.2-meter auto-point antenna offers seamless connectivity to C-, Ku- and Ka-band satellite communications anywhere in the world. The simple setup takes only minutes to connect and power on, and allows companies to maintain critical operations and crew safety in the most challenging and remote environments, with access to crucial applications such as web, e-mail, VPN, VoIP and more. The VR7 includes technology that automatically connects to the best available network and can be deployed on the ground or mounted to a vehicle or skid platform, making it versatile and ideal for use by military, government, energy, mining and humanitarian or disaster recovery organizations."The VR7 auto-point antenna is an innovative, reliable solution for companies performing critical jobs in remote locations around in the world," said Tim Bailey, Executive Vice President, Products, Marketing & Business Development, Speedcast. "This antenna can be set up virtually anywhere, on any surface and will connect to C-, Ku- or Ka-band satellite beams automatically, based on the best available connectivity option. With so many of our customers requiring remote connectivity in challenging environments, this product enhances the Speedcast connectivity offerings and offers a reliable solution wherever the users are operating."For more information about Speedcast or the VR7 antenna solution, contact marketing@speedcast.com.About Speedcast International Ltd

Speedcast International Ltd (ASX:SDA) is the world's most trusted communications and IT services provider, delivering critical communications solutions to the Maritime, Energy, Mining, Media, Telecom, Cruise, NGO, Government, and Enterprise sectors. With more satellite capacity than any other provider, Speedcast enables faster, seamless pole-to-pole coverage from a global hybrid satellite, fiber, cellular, microwave, MPLS, and IP transport network with direct access to public cloud platforms. The company also integrates differentiated technology offerings that provide smarter ways to communicate and distribute content, manage network and remote operations, protect and secure investments, and improve the crew and guest experience. With a passionate customer focus and a strong safety culture, Speedcast serves more than 3,200 customers in over 140 countries. Learn more at www.speedcast.com.
Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan is likely to make his first official trip to China in November, his foreign minister has said. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the $50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a game changer for Pakistan and has taken off.

Washington: Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan is likely to make his first official trip to China in November, his foreign minister has said. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the $50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a game changer for Pakistan and has taken off.

Pakistan, he said, wants an early completing of these projects and is in talks with the Chinese on how to focus on areas that are important to the new government. "Hopefully next month in November the prime minister would be making his first official visit to China to discuss this further," Qureshi told a Washington audience when he was asked about reports of changes in the ambitious CPEC projects.

"Obviously infrastructure is required. We need roads and rail links, optic fibres and everything of that sort. We want them to help us in areas like industrial development, enhancing agriculture productivity, helping us alleviate poverty in the country," he said to a question at the US Institute of Peace. Qureshi said the Khan government is talking about how to improve lives and livelihoods, how labour-intensive industry can be relocated into Pakistan and give jobs. "So that is an ongoing discussion and hopefully next month in November, the prime minister would be taking his first official visit to China to discuss this further," the top Pakistani diplomat said.

When asked about increasing relationship between Pakistan and China, Qureshi said this is not at the cost of the ties with the US. "US was, is and will remain an important global player. You are a technological, economic and military power. We recognise that. There's a history of our relationship. Let's not forget that," he said.

Noting that currently there are challenges in the US- Chinese relationship, Qureshi argued that Beijing can play an important constructive role with regard to Afghanistan and peace in the region. "I am of the view and Pakistan is of the view that China can play a constructive role and China must be engaged. China has initiated a trilateral meeting.. they had one in Beijing and next month in December we might have the second round in Kabul," he said.
Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura told reporters that endorsement by San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee of a city council decision of accepting the donation of a comfort women statue from a private group was regrettable.

Tokyo: The mayor of Japans western city of Osaka plans to cut ties with US sister city San Francisco after the latter accepted the donation of a comfort women statue from a private group there.

The issue of comfort women, as those forced to work in Japans wartime military brothels were euphemistically known, has long embittered the ties of neighbours, such as China and South Korea, with Japan.

This is highly regrettable, Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura told reporters, describing Wednesdays endorsement by San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee of a city council decision. The relationship of trust has completely been destroyed.

Yoshimura aims to complete the procedures necessary to snap ties by the end of the year, he said in a statement on Thursday.

No officials at the San Francisco mayors office were immediately available for comment.

Erecting comfort women statues in the United States and other countries is in conflict with our countrys stance and extremely regrettable, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a regular news conference on Friday.

We plan to continue making every effort so that things like this wont happen again.

In January, Japan temporarily recalled its ambassador to South Korea over a comfort women statue put up near its consulate in the southern city of Busan.

In 2015, Japan and South Korea agreed the issue of comfort women would be irreversibly resolved if both sides fulfilled their obligations, including a Japanese apology and a fund to help victims.

But South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said many South Koreans did not accept the deal reached by his conservative predecessor and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

On Friday, Suga said Japan had protested to Seoul after the South Korean parliament passed a bill designating 14 August as a day of commemoration for comfort women, adding that the move risked affecting ties, Kyodo news agency reported.
(Reuters) - A man was arrested in Logan, Utah on Wednesday in an investigation into envelopes filled with ricin, a poison, mailed to Pentagon officials and President Donald Trump, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Local police did not identify the man, the newspaper said. A Federal Bureau of Investigation official in Salt Lake City referred Reuters to a statement sent to local media saying the FBI was investigating 'potentially hazardous chemicals' in Logan, which is about 66 miles (106 km) north of Salt Lake City.

(Reuters) - A man was arrested in Logan, Utah on Wednesday in an investigation into envelopes filled with ricin, a poison, mailed to Pentagon officials and President Donald Trump, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Local police did not identify the man, the newspaper said. A Federal Bureau of Investigation official in Salt Lake City referred Reuters to a statement sent to local media saying the FBI was investigating "potentially hazardous chemicals" in Logan, which is about 66 miles (106 km) north of Salt Lake City.

Officials are asking people to avoid the area, the FBI statement said, according to KSL TV in Logan.

"No wider threat to public safety exists at this time," KSL quoted the FBI as saying.

The Pentagon said on Tuesday that it had received mail suspected of containing ricin, including an envelope that a U.S. official said was addressed to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

The U.S. Secret Service said it was investigating a "suspicious envelope" addressed to Trump that was received on Monday, though it never entered the White House.

(Reporting By Steve Gorman; Writing by Andrew Hay; editing by Cynthia Osterman)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Pompeo's visit comes as the US administration is accusing China of trying to undermine President Donald Trump, who accused China during a meeting of the UN Security Council of interfering in American elections to help his Democratic rivals.

Beijing: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to visit Beijing next week amid tensions over trade and China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. China's foreign ministry announced Pompeo will visit on Monday for consultations on bilateral and international issues. The ministry gave no details, but based on previous visits by American secretaries of state, he would be likely to meet with China's foreign minister, senior foreign policy advisers and President Xi Jinping.

The visit comes as the US administration is accusing China of trying to undermine President Donald Trump, who accused China during a meeting of the UN Security Council of interfering in American elections to help his Democratic rivals.

"They do not want me, or us, to win because I am the first president ever to challenge China on trade," Trump said, later referencing as evidence an advertising insert in The Des Moines Register paid for by Chinese government-affiliated entities.

Since Trump took office last year, his administration has escalated pressure on China, most recently with several rounds of tit-for-tat economic trade tariffs on hundreds of billions in goods. Trump's first national security strategy released last year also labelled China a "revisionist power" alongside Russia.

Additionally, ties have worsened in recent weeks with a US decision to issue economic sanctions over the purchase of Russian fighter jets and surface-to-air missile equipment.

In response, China summoned the American ambassador and defence attache to deliver a protest and recalled its navy commander from a US trip.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has since dropped plans to visit China in October for talks.

Meanwhile, a Chinese destroyer came aggressively close to a US Navy ship in the South China Sea, forcing it to manoeuvre to prevent a collision, the US Pacific Fleet said Tuesday. The Chinese warship approached the USS Decatur in an "unsafe and unprofessional manoeuvre" on Sunday near Gaven Reefs in the South China Sea, said US Pacific Fleet Spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman. At one point, the ships were within 40 meters (131 feet) of each other.

China claims most of the strategic waterway and has built islands on reefs and equipped them with military facilities such as airstrips, radar domes and missile systems.

The Chinese defence ministry said Tuesday it opposes the US warship's entry into the waters "around China's islands and reefs."
By Joe McDonald SAYLORSBURG, Pa. (Reuters) - Police were called on Wednesday to the Pennsylvania compound of Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based Muslim cleric accused by Turkey of instigating a failed 2016 coup, after a guard saw a suspected armed intruder and fired a warning shot, a Gulen spokesman said. The security guard fired the shot in the air as the person tried to enter the compound's gates at around 8:30 a.m.

By Joe McDonald

SAYLORSBURG, Pa. (Reuters) - Police were called on Wednesday to the Pennsylvania compound of Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based Muslim cleric accused by Turkey of instigating a failed 2016 coup, after a guard saw a suspected armed intruder and fired a warning shot, a Gulen spokesman said.

The security guard fired the shot in the air as the person tried to enter the compound's gates at around 8:30 a.m. (1230 GMT) and the person fled, Alp Aslandogan, Gulen's media adviser, told Reuters. There are no known injuries or arrests, he said.

"Just one shot was fired," Aslandogan said. "The person disappeared. The incident is over as far as we're concerned."

Gulen was inside his residence on the compound at the time.

"His response was that the authorities should be informed and everybody should cooperate fully with the investigation to find out what happened," Aslandogan said.

President Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish government accuse Gulen of orchestrating an attempted coup in July, 2016, in which rogue soldiers commandeered tanks and fighter jets, bombing parliament. More than 240 people were killed in the violence.

Gulen denies the accusations.

On Wednesday, several Pennsylvania State Police cars were seen around the sprawling gated compound and retreat in Saylorsburg in the Pocono Mountains, according to photographs shared online by local news reporters.

Police, who left the scene a short time later, did not respond to requests for comment. A local television station, WNEP, reported that police were still searching for the suspected intruder.

His compound is patrolled by a team of uniformed private security guards, some of them armed with handguns.

A week earlier, a man appeared at the compound's front gate speaking in Turkish and acting suspiciously as he tried to get access, according to Austin Davis, a guard at the front gate on Wednesday afternoon. Police were called and took him away.

Erdogan has repeatedly demanded that the United States extradite Gulen to Turkey, straining relations between the two NATO allies. Washington has asked for more compelling evidence of Gulen's involvement in the attempted coup.

A U.S. evangelical pastor, Andrew Brunson, has been held under house arrest in Turkey after authorities charged him with links to Kurdish militants and Gulen supporters, an accusation he has denied. That case has become a key issue in the worsening diplomatic conflict between the two countries, leading to U.S. sanctions.

(Reporting by Joe McDonald in Saylorsburg, Jonathan Allen in New York and Matt Spetalnick in Washington; Editing by Alistair Bell)

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By Lesley Wroughton and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday he was optimistic his planned visit to Pyongyang this weekend would bring progress toward a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and in building a path to North Korea's denuclearization.

By Lesley Wroughton and David Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday he was optimistic his planned visit to Pyongyang this weekend would bring progress toward a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and in building a path to North Korea's denuclearization.

Pompeo declined to comment on negative signals from North Korea, which have included demands for a lifting of sanctions and complaints about Washington's apparent reluctance to agree to a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War without major concessions.

"I'm very happy to be going back to get another chance to continue to advance the commitment that Chairman Kim and President Trump made back in Singapore in the second week of June," Pompeo told a news briefing at the State Department.

"I'm optimistic that we'll come away from that with better understandings, deeper progress and a plan forward, not only for the summit between the two leaders but for us to continue the efforts to build out a pathway for denuclearization," he said.

Kim pledged at an unprecedented June 12 meeting with Trump to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, but his actions have fallen short of Washington's demands for a complete inventory of its nuclear weapons and irreversible steps to give up an arsenal that potentially threatens the United States.

Trump has nevertheless appeared keen on a second summit with Kim, even though recent North Korean statements have suggested the two sides are far from narrowing their differences.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the United Nations last week that continued sanctions were deepening the North's mistrust of the United States and there was no way Pyongyang would give up its nuclear weapons unilaterally under such circumstances.

'NEVER A BARGAINING CHIP'

Wednesday's Washington Post quoted South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha as saying in an interview that, to break the stalemate, Washington should hold off on its long-standing demand for an inventory of North Korea's weapons programs and agree to an end-of-war declaration in return for a North Korean pledge to dismantle its Yongbyon nuclear site.

A commentary on North Korea's official KCNA news agency this week, however, said the declaration should have been resolved half a century ago and it could never be a bargaining chip to persuade it to denuclearize.

Pompeo brushed aside suggestions of differences between himself and Trump over a timeline for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.

Pompeo said the day of the Trump-Kim summit he was hopeful there would be major North Korean disarmament by the end of Trump's term in January 2021.

He said in a statement last month the United States aimed for North Korean denuclearization by that date, but a week later Trump said he did not have a time frame.

At Wednesday's briefing, Pompeo said the statements were "entirely consistent with each other."

"We want it fast, but we're not going to play the time game," he said, adding that his reference last month to 2021 was repeating a comment made by the North and South Korean leaders at a summit last month in Pyongyang.

"President Trump's comments are exactly right. This is a long-term problem; this has been outstanding for decades. Weve made more progress than has been made in an awfully long time and, importantly, we have done so in conditions which continue to give us the opportunity to achieve the final goal," Pompeo said.

Pompeo stressed that, in the meantime, international sanctions would have to remain in place on North Korea. He said there was unanimous support for this at last week's U.N. General Assembly, even if Russia and China "had some ideas about how we might begin to think about a time when it would be appropriate to reduce them."

North Korea's state newspaper Rodong Sinmun called the sanctions "rude" in light of its conciliatory measures. It said in a commentary on Thursday "sanctions must be dealt with by the United States which wants progress between North Korea-U.S. talks and denuclearization on the Korean peninsula."

"We will never beg the United States to lift sanctions," it said.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Lesley Wroughton in WASHINGTON; Additional reporting by Joyce Lee in SEOUL; Editing by James Dalgleish, Grant McCool and Paul Tait)

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While India is opposed to any third country mediation in its relations with its neighbour, Pakistan has continuously sought mediation to sort out the differences, including over Kashmir.

Washington: Pakistan wants the US to facilitate talks with India as the two nations are not engaging bilaterally, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said, warning that the absence of dialogue could lead to escalation of tension.

But the Pakistani request on the facilitation of the talks has been rejected by the US, the top Pakistani leader told a Washington audience on Wednesday, a day after he had meetings with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, during which he raised the issue only to be pushed back by the Trump administration.

India is opposed to any third country mediation in its relations with Pakistan. Pakistan has continuously sought mediation to sort out the differences, including over Kashmir.

"When we asked the US, to play facilitating role...Why do we ask? Simply because we are not engaging bilaterally. And that bilateral disengagement isa distraction. We want to focus, we want to move on the western side of the border, which we are not being able to because we have to watch our back from eastern side (of the border with India). That is not a healthy situation to be in,"

Qureshi said in response to a question at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded top American think-tank. "Now can you (United States) facilitate? The answer from them is no. They wanted bilaterally. But there is no bilateral movement," Qureshi said warning that this could lead to escalation of tension between the two South Asian countries.

"If that lack of facilitation leads to escalation and some of the statements that have come out of late have not been very helpful," the Pakistani foreign minister said in an apparent reference to the remarks by Indian leaders.

The new government of prime minister Imran Khan, he claimed, is not shy of engaging. Referring to the cancelling of his meeting with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in New York, he alleged that India backed off.

However, he quickly skipped India's reasons for this  glorification of terrorists by issuing postal stamps and brutal killing of the Indian security personnel."If the Indians have a better option, share it with us. If disengagement, if not talking to each other will resolve and stabilise the region, fine. If that's their analysis fine," Qureshi said.

Qureshi, who left for Pakistan after his meetings with the Trump administration officials, said it is unfortunate that the two countries are not engaging. "It's unfortunate. That's the way it is. Now. What does this government want? We want normalisation. We want co-existence. You've got to recognise the reality. Pakistan is a reality. So is India. We have issues. How do we resolve them?" he asked.

After coming to power, the first speech made by the Khan was "that every step you (India) take towards peace, we will take two. And he meant it. It wasn't just because it sounded good. It wasn't to please anyone. He is too blunt a person to please people. He can be very straight and he can be very blunt. But he said that because he feels that way," Qureshi said.

India has said that Pakistan created the conditions for cancellation of the talks  due to issuing of postage stamps glorifying terrorists and brutal killing of its three security personnel.

The Pakistan foreign minister did not mention that in his answer and only said that the stalled dialogue process is not good for the two countries and the region.

Responding to a question on India's stand that talks and terrorism cannot go together, a view which is shared by Washington too, Qureshi referred to a statement by Khan while he was an opposition leader and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a trip to New Delhi that there would always be spoilers.

"There will always be spoilers. There will always be elements that will scuttle the process of peace. But when they do that, let re-engage to fight them. They will push us back. But we have to see what is in our interest, what is in the regional interest. What's in Pakistan's interest," Qureshi said quoting what Khan had told Modi.

Soon, he raised the Kashmir issue. "They have to realise, and I think they were being simplistic, if they feel that everything that's wrong on the Indian side of Kashmir is all of Pakistan's making, that is an unrealistic approach," he said. India, he said, should also revisit its policies and see why and how people have been alienated.
Since the end of the armed conflict in May 2009, a considerable part of private lands were released to the original owners

Colombo: Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena has ordered the release of all the Tamil civilian lands held by the state in the country's northern and eastern provinces by 31 December, the President's office said Thursday. Sri Lanka witnessed three decades-long civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during which the military occupied civilian lands in the northern and eastern provinces for military purposes.

Since the end of the armed conflict in May 2009, a considerable part of private lands were released to the original owners. It was not clear if the latest release instructions came from Sirisena in response to representations made by the main Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in late August. The TNA had told Sirisena that even 9 years after the conclusion of the civil war both agricultural and residential lands continued to be in possession of the armed forces.

Pointing to the lands in Keppapilavu in the Mullaitivu district, the TNA said that 75 acres of private land owned and possessed by local people for generations and centuries was held by the army. Sirisena told them then that more than 85 percent of the lands held by the military belonging to civilians had been released. However, the TNA urged that in order to achieve reconciliation and national integration all land belonging to the people which are now in the possession of the armed forces should be released without any further delay.

Earlier this year, the Sri Lankan government was set to return over 800 acres of military-occupied land to its original Tamil owners in the Eastern Province as part of the reconciliation process. The decision was taken after the Resettlement Committee had received the cabinet approval to return 818 acres of land in the Sampur area back to its original owners, the Sri Lankan government's official news portal reported.

Similarly in 2017, the Sri Lankan military had said that it ended its control over a major fishing harbour it had occupied in 1990 in the former war zone of Jaffna.

According to UN estimates, up to 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed by security forces during former president Rajapaksa's regime that brought an end to the nearly three decades-long war in the country with the defeat of the LTTE in 2009.
If Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed to the Supreme Court, Donald Trump's aggressive strategy this week will be proven right, more white men will join the fold and the message Republicans will be sending to women everywhere in America will be clear: If you dare accuse a man, do it and walk away but if you stay in the fight, we'll put you on trial and we'll hit you with everything that the MeToo movement has come to be associated with.

New York: In one week, Brett Kavanaugh has gone from US president Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee accused of sexual assault by a woman from his high school years to a pin-up boy for the uncompromising political right which is feeding off a flood of male resentment against the #MeToo movement and the threat of false accusers.

Kavanaugh has gone from Yale frat boy to Supreme Court nominee to folk hero - a stand-in for men who find themselves cornered for stuff they did or did not do, even if it was from a time that has no relevance to the jobs they do today.

"Trump, the mad puppet master of identity politics, understood that Kavanaugh is a proxy for precisely the sort of voter who swept him into office: a white, fiftysomething man, furious that what he feels is owed to him might be slipping away", writes Peter Hamby in Vanity Fair.

"What critics want is a never-ending fishing expedition into high school drinking, said White House spokesman Raj Shah. Lets quit the antics and stop these intimidation games, said a clutch of senior (white) male Republican Senators. The loudest and the most dramatic stand came from Trump earlier in the week, well before the FBI report was outed: The trauma for a man thats never had any accusation  hes never had a bad statement about himits unfair to him at this point. What his wife is going through, what his beautiful children are going through is not describable. Look at the results from the circus: A Quinnipac poll shows that the 14-point lead Democrats had in the generic ballot in mid-September is now down to 7 points. The gaps have narrowed, the race has tightened and the Kavanaugh firestorm may be just the miracle the Republicans needed.

After the Brett Kavanaugh FBI probe story blew up, Republicans chances to keep the Senate have only improved in most polls even as a high-stakes partisan row broke out Thursday with Republicans claiming investigators found "no hint of misconduct" and Democrats accusing the White House of slapping crippling constraints on the probe.

Over the last one week alone, Republicans chances to win the Senate have gone up from 68 to 77% in one forecast. Midterm elections which will decide control of Congress are due in less than 34 days. Republicans have been favourites to keep the Senate where they have a razor thin majority now ( 51-49) but the Kavanaugh bump is clear to see. In July, there was a 10-point gap between the number of Democrats and Republicans saying the November elections were "very important." Now, that is down to 2 points, a statistical tie.

With the FBI delivering its secret report on Brett Kavanaugh that hasnt turned up any dirt on Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee, a rough week thats turned good for the party of Trump.

It's all happened on the double: Between the initial accusations by Christine Blasey Ford, the following backlash against Kavanaugh and Donald Trump mocking the accuser during a campaign rally, it took barely a couple of weeks but it's come at an important time for the Republicans, widely understood to be on the backfoot with educated female voters. With the FBI report on Kavanaugh now aligning with Trump's theme of "you're perfect all your life and one accuser can ruin your reputation", the Republicans are getting the full throated support of white men who did the star turn in the 2016 elections for Trump.

Trump, before a wildly approving audience at a rally in Mississippi, mocked Ford in a dramatic and high pitched performance, answering upstairs, downstairs, I dont know to one of many questions he posed rhetorically that Ford couldnt answer. The crowd's raucous laughter has been compared by news networks to what Ford described as her most "indelible" memory: when Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge laughed at her uproariously.

If Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed to the Supreme Court, Donald Trump's aggressive strategy this week will be proven right, more white men will join the fold and the message Republicans will be sending to women everywhere in America will be clear: If you dare accuse a man, do it and walk away but if you stay in the fight, we'll put you on trial and we'll hit you with everything that the #MeToo movement has come to be associated with.

From a Senate of 100 members, the Kavanaugh decision rests on how three Republican and two Democratic senators vote because all the other votes are along party lines: Republican Senators. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Jeff Flake of Arizona and Democratic Senators Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

Heitkamp, around 2: 30 pm EST on Thursday, made her decision public: She will vote against Kavanaugh. In case of a tie, Mike Pence has the tie breaker vote.

"Your son  yes, yours  is one Ford-like accusation away from complete character destruction", writes Cheryl Chumley in The Washington Times. The resistance against the #MeToo movement has been a long time coming and Trump is its unlikely flagbearer. From what we're hearing, men aren't complaining.
Theresa May called for unity to deliver a Brexit that was in the 'national interest', amid deepening divisions within the ruling party over the UK's exit strategy from the European Union (EU).

London: British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday turned to pop group ABBA's hit 'Dancing Queen' to deliver an upbeat Brexit message at the close of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

After an awkward dance episode during her visit to Kenya in August had made the wrong kind of headlines, May decided to dance up to the podium to the beats of one of the Swedish band's most enduring songs in an attempt to set a lighter tone to her much-anticipated speech.

The Conservative party chief called for unity to deliver a Brexit that was in the "national interest", amid deepening divisions within the ruling party over the UK's exit strategy from the European Union (EU). "We have had disagreements in this party about Britain's membership of the EU for a long time. So, it is no surprise that we have had a range of different views expressed this week. But my job as Prime Minister is to do what I believe to be in the national interest," she said.

Dismissing calls for a so-called "people's vote", the British prime minister said any second referendum over the issue of Brexit would be a "politicians' vote" as the people had already given their verdict in the 2016 referendum.

"Those of us who do respect the result, whichever side of the question we stood on two years ago, need to come together now. If we don't, if we all go off in different directions in pursuit of our own visions of the perfect Brexit, we risk ending up with no Brexit at all," she said.

Making light of her speech troubles at last year's conference, when a coughing fit had cast a shadow over all her major policy announcements, May sought to deliver a message of confidence amid ongoing speculation over her ability to lead the Conservative Party in the face of a brewing Brexit rebellion.

"Leadership is doing what you believe to be right and having the courage and determination to see it through. That is the approach I have taken on Brexit," she said.

On the domestic front, May set an agenda that moved away from austerity and cuts to public services and announced new borrowing powers for local councils to build more homes. Other promises included a "step change" in how cancer is diagnosed with a strategy aimed at increasing early detection rates, plus another freeze on fuel duty.

The Tory party conference has been dominated by Brexit, with former foreign secretary Boris Johnson launching a fresh attack against the Prime Minister's so-called Chequers plan for post-Brexit trade with the EU, named after the British prime minister's country residence where it was agreed in July.

In a fiery speech at the conference on Tuesday, the former Cabinet minister who had resigned over May's Brexit strategy said "Chequers is a cheat," which would escalate the sense of mistrust people have about politicians.

"If we get it wrong  if we bottle Brexit now  believe me, the people of this country will find it hard to forgive," said Johnson, seen a lead contender vying to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister.

"This is not a democracy. This is not what we voted for. This is an outrage. This is not taking back control: this is forfeiting control," he said.

Just before May's own speech on Wednesday, Conservative party MP James Duddridge, a key Johnson ally, announced that he had submitted a letter to the party's backbench 1922 Committee calling for a party leadership contest.

An undeterred May called on her colleagues to work towards making the Conservatives a party "not for the few, not even for the many but for everyone who is willing to work hard and do their best".

"Our best days lie ahead of us. Don't let anyone tell you we don't have what it takes," she said.

May also launched stinging attacks on the Opposition Labour Party, which she dubbed the "Jeremy Corbyn party", as she issued a strong call for Conservative unity on the final day of her party's conference in Birmingham.


Signs Global Wine Major Accolade Wines

Sydney, Oct 4, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Anti-Counterfeit and Customer Engagement solutions provider YPB Group Ltd ( ASX:YPB ) has signed a three year plus two year option Master Supply Agreement to provide Accolade Wines with YPB's integrated brand protection and customer engagement technology suite.- Australia's and UK's No.1 wine company by volume- 3 + 2 year agreement to protect Accolade's brands and engage consumers- Initial trial on Grant Burge winesHeadquartered in Australia, Accolade Wines is Australia's and the UK's largest wine company by volume and delivers approximately 38 million cases to over 140 countries annually. Accolade is a world-leading provider of premium, mainstream and value wines and was the first wine company to have a footprint in all major New World wine regions.The company draws on a proud heritage, with its first vintage at the Hardys winery (McLaren Vale) in 1853. With three of the top 10 wine brands in the UK, and two of the top ten in Australia, Accolade's portfolio is led by Hardys and includes St Hallett, Petaluma, House of Arras, Houghton, Grant Burge Wines and Banrock Station (Australia), Waipara Hills and Mud House (New Zealand), Geyser Peak and Echo Falls (United States), Kumala & Flagstone (South Africa), and Vina Anakena (Chile).Accolade will initially introduce YPB's solutions in the Grant Burge range of wines. Upon successful implementation and in-field performance, Accolade may extend YPB's solutions to other premium brands in its portfolio. YPB's ProtectCode QR Technology and YPB Connect will provide Accolade with powerful anti-counterfeit and direct consumer engagement capabilities at low cost per unit.In April 2018, Accolade Wines was acquired by Carlyle Group with a clear strategy of developing Accolade's brands in Asia and China in particular. Also in April of 2018, Wine Australia reported exports of Australian wine to China grew by 51% for the year to March 2018 to reach $1.04 billion - a first for exports to a single country. China's increased demand for imported wines is driving greater demand from consumers for confirmation of authenticity and provenance and greater depth of information as to quality and history. Wine companies acquiring consumers in China and elsewhere in Asia need to understand and develop relationships directly with those customers.The wine culture in Asia is maturing and YPB's solution for Accolade enables consumers to understand and pair wines and dishes or cuisines, as well as providing tasting notes or information about the wine's development and creation. In that process, the consumer's smartphone engagement with the wine will allow Accolade to know and engage in direct digital dialogue with the final consumer of its product - a valuable tool for direct engagement with its consumers around the globe but particularly in new markets.YPB Executive Chairman John Houston said: "We are excited that our first wine industry client is a global leader of Accolade's stature. We will be focussed on delivering significant value to Accolade in this initial trial via the low cost, effectiveness and simplicity of our solutions. Our mission is to make the benefits of our offer so obvious that Accolade will feel virtually compelled to extend YPB's solutions across its premium portfolio. The Pan-Asian consumer markets are an enormous prize for consumer goods companies but they demand major investment into high risk geographies and Western brands increasingly realize that they must both protect their investment and ensure product authenticity to their consumers. Just as importantly, brands need to know their consumers wherever they may be and the trigger of confirming authenticity is the ideal means to open a direct communication channel with the consumer. We look forward to working with Accolade to maximise the value of as many of its brands and consumers as possible."About YPB Group Ltd

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Cyber experts from the UK have identified operatives from Russia's GRU military intelligence as being behind a string of high-profile incidents, including an attempted hack on the World Anti-Doping Agency in Switzerland last year.

Brussels: Britain's defence minister on Thursday condemned Russia as a "pariah state" after London accused Kremlin spies of mounting a campaign of cyber attacks on civilian bodies around the world.

Cyber experts from the UK have identified operatives from Russia's GRU military intelligence as being behind a string of high-profile incidents, including an attempted hack on the World Anti-Doping Agency in Switzerland last year.

As he arrived for talks in Brussels with his NATO counterparts, Gavin Williamson said Moscow's "reckless and indiscriminate" attacks had left it isolated in the international community.

"This is not the actions of a great power, this is the actions of a pariah state and we'll continue working with allies to isolate, make them understand they cannot continue to conduct themselves in such a way," Williamson told reporters.

Britain's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has "high confidence" that the GRU was "almost certainly" responsible for a number of attacks, including the infamous targeting of the US Democratic Party ahead of the 2016 presidential election, according to sources in London.

NATO is stepping up efforts to strengthen its resources to counter electronic warfare, with the US set to announce it is making offensive cyber capabilities available to the alliance.

Asked three times whether Britain would consider hitting back at Russia with cyber attacks of its own, Williamson said that being named and shamed was a deterrent in itself. "We're going to make it clear where Russia acts that we are going to be exposing that action and we believe that by doing so this will act as a disincentive to act in such a way in the future," he said.

Ties between Britain and Russia are at rock bottom after a nerve agent attack targeting former Kremlin agent Sergei Skripal in the English city of Salisbury.

London has blamed Moscow for the attack, which left one person dead, and last month the British-based investigative group Bellingcat identified one of the suspects as a highly decorated GRU colonel.
Bolton, simultaneously underscored that the US remained a party to the underlying Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and it expects all other parties to abide by their international obligations under the convention.

Washington: The US has decided to withdraw from the optional protocol on disputes of the Vienna Convention, National Security Adviser John Bolton said Wednesday, citing a Palestinian lawsuit challenging America's move to shift its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as the reason.

The announcement by the White House came soon after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced to terminate the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran. Iran made a mockery of the treaty with its support for terrorism, provocative ballistic missile proliferation and malign behaviour throughout West Asia, Bolton told reporters at a White House news conference.

"In addition to the Treaty of Amity, I am announcing that the president has decided that the United States will withdraw from the Optional Protocol and Dispute Resolution to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," Bolton said. "This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called state of Palestine naming the United States as a defendant, challenging the move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," he said.

Bolton, simultaneously underscored that the US remained a party to the underlying Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and it expects all other parties to abide by their international obligations under the convention.

The top Trump administration official insisted that the two actions were consistent with the decisions former US president Ronald Reagan made in the 1980s in the wake of the politicised suits against the US by Nicaragua to terminate its acceptance of the Optional Compulsory Jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice under Article 36-2 of the ICJ statute, and his decision to withdraw from a bilateral treaty with Nicaragua.

"It is also consistent with the decision president Bush made in 2005 to withdraw from the Optional Protocol to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations following the ICJ's interference in our domestic criminal justice system," he said. Bolton also said the administration was reviewing all international agreements that could expose it to binding decisions by the International Court of Justice saying it was politicised and ineffective.

The US in May opened its embassy in Jerusalem under a controversial move by president Donald Trump, amid a bloodbath right on the border with Gaza where Israeli soldiers shot dead at least 52 Palestinians in clashes, in the deadliest escalation of violence since 2014. President Donald Trump announced the decision to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in December, when he formally recognised the holy city as the capital of Israel, breaking away from decades of US neutrality on the sensitive issue.
US National Security Advisor John Bolton's statement came in response to Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif recent remarks terming the US an 'outlaw regime'.

Washington: Iran is a "rogue regime" and has acted for decades as the central banker of international terrorism, the Trump administration alleged Wednesday.

US National Security Advisor John Bolton's statement came in response to Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif recent remarks terming the US an "outlaw regime".

"You know, Iran is a rogue regime," Bolton told reporters at a White House news conference.

"It (Iran) has been a threat throughout West Asia, not only for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, but it's acted for decades as the central banker of international terrorism. And its hostile and aggressive military behavior in the region today is a breach of international peace and security," Bolton alleged.

"So I don't take what they say seriously at all," he said in response to a question.

Bolton said America's dispute is with the ayatollahs who have taken Iran from a respected position in the international community to becoming a rogue state. "Our dispute has never been with the people of Iran. We only wish they had the ability to control their own government," he said.

Bolton insisted that regime change was not a policy of the US.

"Our policy is not regime change, but we do expect substantial change in their behaviour that's why the president has directed all of us in the government to come up with steps to reimpose the economic sanctions, and to do whatever else is necessary to ensure we bring maximum pressure on the regime to stop its malign behaviour across the board  not just in the nuclear field, but across the board," Bolton said.

"We are going to apply the maximum amount of leverage we can. We're working with our European partners, with the British, the French, the Germans and others," he said.

"They have chosen to remain in the Iran nuclear deal. But as I've said to them, it's like a book that was written several decades ago in this country. It was called something like 'The Six Stages of Grief'. You know, first, you have denial, then you have anger. Eventually, you get to acceptance. And I think that's the direction the Europeans are moving in," he added.

European companies in droves are forswearing business opportunities in Iran because they don't want to be caught up in the pressure campaign that the US is applying, Bolton said.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said withdrawing from the '1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights' was long overdue and the decision followed Iran groundlessly bringing a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) challenging US sanctions on the basis that they were a violation of the pact.

In response to a UN court order that the US lift sanctions on Iran, the Donald Trump administration said on Wednesday that it was terminating a decades-old treaty affirming friendly relations between the two countries. The largely symbolic gesture highlights the deteriorating relations between Washington and Tehran.

The ruling said Washington must remove, by means of its choosing, any impediments arising from the re-imposition of sanctions to the export to Iran of medicine and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities and spare parts and equipment necessary to ensure the safety of civil aviation.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said withdrawing from the '1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights' was long overdue and the decision followed Iran groundlessly bringing a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) challenging US sanctions on the basis that they were a violation of the pact.

Earlier, Pompeo denounced the Iranian case before the UN court as meritless and said the Treaty of Amity was meaningless and absurd. The Iranians have been ignoring it for an awfully long time, we ought to have pulled out of it decades ago, he told reporters at the State Department.

Amid a broader push to assert US sovereignty in the international arena and after pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal this year, the administration also determined that the court case made the treaty irrelevant.

Provisions of the 1955 US-Iran Treaty of Amity

The little-known treaty with Iran was among numerous such ones signed in the wake of World War II as the Harry S Truman and Dwight Eisenhower administrations tried to assemble a coalition of nations to counter the Soviet Union. Like many of the treaties, this one was aimed at encouraging closer economic relations and regulating diplomatic and consular ties.

Its first article reads, There shall be firm and enduring peace and sincere friendship between the United States of America and Iran. The treaty survived the 1979 overthrow of the Shah in Irans Islamic revolution and the subsequent hostage crisis that crippled American-Iranian relations for decades.

The treaty was significant in itself because there have been several incidents since the treaty's inception that could have led to making it invalid, or cause the departure of either of the signatory. However, a report in The National Interest observed that, "In spite of all tensions, incidents and conflicts of interest over the last four decades, there is no legal evidence against the validity of the 1955 treaty."

A few of the crucial provisions of the treaty are: Article IV(1), X(1), XX(1), XXI(1) and (2).

Article XXI(2) of the treaty specifies the authority of the International Court of Justice as the institution agreed upon by both nations to settle any disputes between them. The role of the ICJ comes in especially to settle problems with regard to the "interpretation or application" of the teaty. The Article specifies that if the disputes are "not satisfactorily adjusted by diplomacy", it shall be submitted to the ICJ unless the countries "agree to settle by some other pacific means".

The treaty specifies that "there shall be freedom of commerce and navigation" between the two territories of the signatories, according to Article X.

The US and Iran, as mandated by the treaty, were to "accord fair and equitable treatment" to the people, properties, and enterprises of the two countries in the Article IV. The Article further specifies that the countries "shall refrain from applying unreasonable or discriminatory measures that would impair their legally acquired rights and interests".

The article IV also says that the countries were to assure that contracts between the two were to be enforced in an effective manner.

Article XX said that the treaty, as it was signed in 1955, would not include the regulation of the import of export of gold or silver and the regulation of the production or arms, ammunitions, and implements of war, or other materials to do with a military establishment, among other conditions.

The Article XXI(1) provided for US and Iran to opt for consultation to maintain the sanctity of the treaty.

Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations

Meanwhile, national security adviser John Bolton said the administration also was pulling out of an amendment to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that Iran or others, notably the Palestinians, could use to sue the US at The Hague-based tribunal. Bolton said that the provision violates US sovereignty.

The United States will not sit idly by as baseless politicised claims are brought against us, Bolton said. He cited a case brought to the court by the so-called state of Palestine challenging the move of the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as the main reason for withdrawing.

Bolton, who last month unleashed a torrent of criticism against the International Criminal Court, noted that previous Republican administrations had pulled out of various international agreements and bodies over politicized cases. He said the administration would review all accords that might subject the US to prosecution by international courts or panels.

With inputs from agencies
The focus during the visit will be on the S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems agreement with a top Kremlin aide saying on Tuesday that Putin will oversee the signing of the '$5 billion deal'.

Russian president Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in New Delhi on Thursday on a two-day visit. India and Russia are likely to sign a deal to get S-400 air defence systems and discuss key regional and global issues, including US sanctions on the import of Iranian crude oil.

Putin, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will attend the 19th annual India-Russia summit during which the two leaders are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation in the wake of the US sanctions against Russian defence majors.

Twenty pacts in areas ranging from defence, nuclear energy, space and economy, are likely to signed by India and Russia reported The Indian Express. The joint India-Russia counter-terrorism exercise, Indra-2018 which is set to be held from 18 to 28 November is likely to be announced.

Putin is set to arrive at New Delhi at 6.40 pm, after which he will have a meeting with Modi at 7.30 pm at Lok Kalyan Marg, the principal workplace of the Prime Minister of India. The meeting is said to be an informal one.

On Friday, Putin will hold a formal meeting with Modi at 11 am at Hyderabad House after which the India-Russia summit will take place. After the summit, agreements will be exchanged and the two leaders will make press statements, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Besides holding talks with Modi, the Russian president will also have a meeting with president Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Friday. He will also have an interaction with a group of children and address an India-Russia business meet.

The focus during the visit will be on the S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems agreement with a top Kremlin aide saying on Tuesday that Putin will oversee the signing of the "$5 billion deal".

"The key feature of this visit will be the signing of the agreement to deliver S-400 air defence systems," Putin's top foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov was quoted in media reports as saying in Moscow. "The value of the contract will be more than $5 billion," he said.

The purchase will violate sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) instituted by the US Congress on arms purchases from Russia, but American lawmakers have allowed the possibility of a presidential waiver.

"India has maintained its sovereignty as regards to its relationship with countries. We shall maintain it in all earnestness," defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman told PTI recently when asked whether the US sanctions will hit India's defence ties with Russia. India wants to procure the long-range missile systems to tighten its air defence mechanism, particularly along the nearly 4,000-km-long Sino-India border.

The S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 to procure the missile system and Moscow has already started delivery of an undisclosed number of the S-400 missile systems to Beijing.

According to a Times of India report, the two countries are also expected to announce a new space cooperation mechanism. This was in progress after Modi announced that India would send a man to the moon by 2022.

The last annual summit was held on 1 June, 2017, during the visit of the prime minister to Russia. In May, Modi had travelled to the Russian coastal city of Sochi for an informal summit with Putin during which they discussed a range of crucial issues. Modi and Putin are also expected to explore ways to further deepen cooperation between the two countries in a number of sectors including trade, investment, connectivity, energy, space and tourism.

With inputs from PTI
Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years prison in 2015 but went into exile a year later, after being granted prison leave for medical treatment in the UK. He is still a fugitive from justice in the Maldives and risks arrest if he returns while Yameen is still in office but his five years of iron-fisted rule ends on 17 November.

Colombo: Former Maldives leader Mohamed Nasheed announced on Wednesday he would return home two years after going into exile as Abdulla Yameen's term of strongman rule comes to a close in the paradise islands.

Nasheed was the country's first democratically elected president but left in 2016, after being jailed for terrorism in a trial the UN said was politically motivated. He was barred from contesting the 23 September poll won by his party's nominee Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who defeated Yameen despite restrictions on opposition campaigning.

Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years prison in 2015 but went into exile a year later, after being granted prison leave for medical treatment in the UK. He is still a fugitive from justice in the Maldives and risks arrest if he returns while Yameen is still in office but his five years of iron-fisted rule ends on 17 November.

"If we at this juncture try to find an amicable arrangement for my freedom with the now-defunct Maldives Supreme Court, it will not further our ambitions for judicial reform in the Maldives," Nasheed said on Twitter, referring to Yameen's crackdown on the judiciary. "I will go to the Maldives on 01 November, come what may."

Another former president, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, was this week released from jail just days after Yameen, his estranged half-brother, lost the election.

Gayoom, 80, and his legislator son Faris Maumoon, were released on bail by the High Court in Male, raising hopes that other political prisoners will be freed soon. Former foes Nasheed and Gayoom both backed Solih to challenge Yameen, who had locked up all his key political opponents or forced them to flee the country.

Gayoom had ruled the nation of 340,000 Sunni Muslims for 30 years until he was defeated by Nasheed in the Maldives' first multi-party elections in 2008.

Gayoom, along with several top judges, was arrested in February and charged with trying to overthrow Yameen. The president responded by declaring a 45-day state of emergency to block his impeachment.

Another high profile Maldivian dissident, Qasim Ibrahim, has also been granted bail, but is not in the Maldives. He too was in exile in Europe, having obtained prison leave for medical treatment.
Bharti Airtel, today announced the launch of its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services across Bengal and Sikkim enabling seamless services.

Airtel VoLTE, which works over 4G, will enable customers to enjoy HD quality voice calls with faster call set up time. Customers can call any mobile, landline network using Airtel VoLTE as well.

In addition to Bengal and Sikkim, Airtel offers VoLTE services in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, Karnataka, Chennai, West Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Kerala, Bihar, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh circles.

Not long ago, the company has announced that over 200 4G smartphones now support its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services.

This includes leading brands like OPPO, Vivo, Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, Nokia, Panasonic, Xiaomi, Karbonn, Lava, Panasonic and more. Sadly Google Pixel series is not in the list. In case of non-availability of 4G network, Airtel VoLTE calls automatically fall back on 3G/2G network to ensure that customers continue to stay connected at all times.

In case, if you have any doubt we have compiled a list of Airtel VoLTE supported smartphones, which you can check out here.
Slotting in between the Nokia 7 Plus and the 6 series, the all new Nokia 7.1 is an interesting device that is bringing the best of Nokias design chops to the mid range segment. A device that is predominantly designed to make inroads in the European markets, it plays it safe but makes the right additions to make it all the more appealing. We spent a bit of time checking out the phone and came out quite liking what the company has done here. Follow along for our quick impressions.

Nokia 7.1 specifications

5.84-inch (2244 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ HDR 10 display with 19:9 aspect ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection

1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 636 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 509 GPU

3GB LPPDDR4x RAM with 32GB (eMMC 5.1) internal storage / 4GB LPPDDR4x RAM with 64GB (eMMC 5.1) internal storage, expandable memory up to 400GB with microSD

Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD)

Android 8.1 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie)

12MP (RGB) rear camera with dual LED flash, f/1.8 aperture,1.28 um pixel size, ZEISS optics, 5MP (Monochrome) secondary rear camera with f/2.4 aperture, 1.12um pixel size

8MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture, 84-degree FOV

Fingerprint sensor

3.5 mm headphone jack, FM Radio, Nokia OZO audio

Dimensions: 149.7 x 71.18 x 7.99mm; Weight: 160g

Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5, GPS + GLONASS, Type-C 2.0, NFC

3060mAh battery with fast charging

Design wise, the Nokia 7.1 is counting on all the latest trends to make a mark for itself. For what its worth, between the notch and the large chin at the bottom, Nokia isnt really breaking any new ground here. Where the phone differs though is the actual build quality. The 7.1 is a densely built slab of glass that feels resoundingly solid. The central frame is made of series 6000 aluminium with glass on either side.

During our briefing, Nokia made a big point of talking about the dual diamond cut chamfered edges. On the steel grey variant, these have a copper coloured finish that looks absolutely luxurious. More than looks though, the dual chamfers offer a very convenient position to place your thumb while using the phone. We really liked the tactile feedback on the latest crop of Nokia phones and that continues here with the volume rocker and power button offering excellent tactile feedback. This phone feels premium.

At the top is a 3.5mm audio jack while along the bottom is a USB Type C connector. Youll also find a single speaker grille here.

The Nokia 7.1 has a notch equipped display and by now, youd have already made up your mind about it. Honestly, you get used to having a notch. The cool new addition here is the 10 bit HDR panel that the company is using. Dubbed PureDisplay, Nokia has worked to integrate real time SDR to HDR conversion for all content on the screen. Theres an option to toggle the HDR mode on or off. The difference wasnt really all that visible within the interface, and we didnt really get a chance to check out HDR encoded content on the device, so well reserve judgement till weve got a review device in. HDR aside, the screen still looks great and goes bright and vibrant and generally using the phone was a very pleasurable experience. In terms of protection, youve got Gorilla Glass 3 on board.

The back of the phone is classic Nokia and has a design language that is instantly recognisable. Minimal Nokia branding, a centrally placed fingerprint reader and a dual camera module that is ever so slightly raised. Some might call it boring but the relative homogeneity of design across Nokia device is a pretty good way to build a design identity. With the company breaking into the top 5 brands in Europe, it seems to be working for them as well. The cameras themselves include a 12MP and 5MP shooter paired with ZEISS optics. The secondary camera is being used to assist with capturing depth information and Nokia has some interesting bokeh effects going on. More on that in our full review. Oh, and while were talking about the camera, you can now adjust the window size while youre using the Bothie mode. Itll also let you freeze the frame on one camera if you want.

Internally, the phone is running on a Snapdragon 636 chipset paired with 3GB or 4GB of RAM. Storage is capped at 64GB but you can expand that via a microSD card placed within the hybrid SIM slot should you chose. As expected, the phone is a part of the Android One program and you get Android Oreo out of the box with an update to Pie right around the corner.

The usage experience appeared to be snappy all around and if our previous experience is anything to go by, you shouldnt have any issues on that front though a faster Snapdragon 660 chipset wouldnt have hurt at all. The battery is a 3060 mAh unit which when paired with clean Android build and the frugal processor, should last you a full day, but we cant help but wish that Nokia wouldve gone with something a bit beefier here.

The Nokia 7.1 is unexciting in the best ways possible. It seems to get all the basics right, has a design that is safe yet good to look at. Over the last two years, Nokia has proven that it can deliver on its Android update promises which should make the Nokia 7.1, a great device for someone looking for a Pixel experience on a budget. Were also quietly excited to see how well the PureDisplay improvements correspond to actual media consumption. Sure, it is far from the most powerful phone around, but were getting a feeling that Nokia isnt really chasing that audience anyway. Its all about the experience here. The phone is priced at $350 which is close to Rs. 29,000, but we expect the phone to be priced much more aggressively when it launches in India.
In an unreleased Android Pie firmware that is meant for the Galaxy S9, present are the references of upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150 chipset as well as Samsungs first foldable smartphone that is code-named Winner. Samsungs foldable smartphone doesnt come as a surprise since the rumors about the phone are in the news for a while now.

Samsung has already confirmed that Foldable phone, but the launch date still remains as a confusion. We know that it will come with triple rear cameras, OLED display. Samsung said to have showcased an in-folding prototype of the foldable smartphone to the industry partners at a secret meeting during the CES 2018 earlier this year.

The prototype said to pack three OLED panels of 3.5 inches each, two of them when combined creates a 7-inches screen when the smartphone is unfolded, while the third panel was placed on the outside of the in-folding prototype as an information ticker. When unfolded, the phone is said to follow the footprints of the Galaxy Note 8. According to rumors, the device was initially expected to launch early next year as the mass production is said to begin early November. But contradicting reports suggest that there are chances of Samsung introducing it later this year.

Weve learned that the device could cost around $2,000 at launch. While we cant confirm any specifications for the device, we have spotted the device is the latest leaked Android Pie build for the Galaxy S9. We can also see four Samsung Galaxy S10 models in the same location where Winner now appears.

Since the filename has winnerlte, this tells us that this particular model has an Exynos chipset since a Qualcomm Snapdragon variant would most likely be named winnerqlte. It might be powered by the Exynos 9810 or Exynos 9820, which was rumored to launch with the Samsung Galaxy S10.

Moving along, in the same framework files, there are references to a policy file for an unreleased Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150 chipset. While this may not be the first time we are hearing about Snapdragon 8150, it does corroborate with earlier reports. The Snapdragon 8150 is marketing name for SNapdragon 845 successor which is expected to be named as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855.

The Snapdragon 8150 is rumored to be the first Qualcomm chipset with a dedicated NPU that allows the chipset to crunch large amounts of data for faster machine learning applications. It is possible that the Snapdragon 8150 is most likely present for the Samsung Galaxy S10 series and not the foldable smartphone. It is likely that Samsung S10 series will be including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150 with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 modem.

Source
After rumors, Xiaomi today announced that it has tied up with homegrown consumer electronics contract manufacturer Dixon Technologies for Make in India Mi TV. The plant is located in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, spread across 32 acres and employs around 850 people. The factory will result in a production capacity of 100,000 Mi LED TVs per month by Q1 2019.

Xiaomi has started manufacturing 32-inch and 43-inch Mi TV 4A Smart TV models at the plant currently, and is expected to expand to the latest Mi LED TV Pro models in the future. Xiaomi currently pays 20% duty for importing its televisions as entirely built units, resulting in 2% surcharge. Local production in open cell route attracts just 5% import duty, with 1% additional surcharge.

It recently increased the price of its 55-inch Mi TV 4 by Rs. 5000 due to importing of PCBAs to ramp up the supply due to huge demand. At the Mi TV 4 Pro, 4A Pro and 4C Pro launch event, the company said that it the pricing for the TVs are introductory, so manufacturing locally will keep the cost low.

Xiaomi starting making smartphones back in 2015 at its Foxconn facility in Andhra Pradesh, later it expanded it to other cities, including Noida, Uttar Pradesh in partnership with HiPad Technology. Earlier this year it started manufacturing of PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) locally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, in partnership with Foxconn. In August Holitech signed an MOU with the state of Andhra Pradesh to locally manufacture smartphone components in the city of Tirupati for Xiaomi.

Manu Jain, Vice President, Xiaomi and Managing Director, Xiaomi India said:

Xiaomis tremendous success in India has been primarily contributed to our commitment in India and we are proud to take the next step with the support of state of Andhra Pradesh. After a successful smartphone journey, we are beginning a new chapter with Mi LED TV manufacturing in India. We are already the number one Smart TV brand in India, and we hope that with our increased focus on local manufacturing, we would be able to increase our supply and ensure we can reach out to many more Mi Fans.

Honorable Chief Minister Sri Nara Chandrababu Naidu said:

Andhra Pradesh continues to lead by example when it comes to Ease of Doing Business and the attractive policies for investors in the state which is attracting blue-chip manufacturers in the field from all over the world. I have a vision of making Tirupati an IT Hub offering a one-stop solution for leading electronics players encompassing the entire life cycle of and ecosystem in electronics from design to death. Today, I am delighted to welcome Xiaomi, the undisputed leader of Smart TVs in India along with Dixon Technologies to the city of holy city of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh and to the family of other leading electronics players in the state who will all together help showcase Andhra Pradesh to the world as an example of transparent governance and seamless execution in setting up of projects.
When British colonists dumped 342 cases of East India Company tea into Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773, the British authorities -- that is, the "powers that were" in the New World at the time -- regarded the act not only as a destruction of private property but a violent insurrection. The colonists were protesting against the crown, but to the British press they were "incendiaries" whose actions constituted a "riot."

Americans now look back on this moment as a key spark for the American Revolution and view those protesters not as incendiaries but heroes. Perspectives change; historic truth depends on who's writing the history. Mind you, the colonists then were simply protesting a tax increase.

Brett Kavanaugh Civil unrest Conservatism Democracy Forms of government Government and public administration Government organizations - US Misc people Mohandas Gandhi Political Figures - US Political organizations Politics Protests and demonstrations Society Tea Party movement Unrest, conflicts and war US Congress US political parties US Republican Party US Senate

Protestors at the United States Capitol and in Maine and Alaska and West Virginia and Arizona this week are protesting the idea that our government, in a rushed and hushed process, may give a lifetime Supreme Court seat to a man who is not only a dangerous right-wing ideologue but one whose off-the-rails, under-oath testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee last week may have included lies -- and who is credibly accused of sexual assault.

People protesting Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court are mainly just showing up and speaking up, as is their First Amendment right under the Constitution -- the law of the land that those first Tea Party protesters paved the way for. But to hear conservatives twist it, the Kavanaugh protesters are not only physically threatening but dangerous to democracy.

Of course that's ludicrous. Protest is not only ingrained in the American story but essential to it. Protest isn't a threat to our democracy but a means of its preservation.

This, my fellow Americans, is what democracy looks like.

But on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell denounced the protestors who oppose Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court: "I want to make it clear to these people who are chasing my members around the hall here, or harassing them at the airports, or going to their homes. We will not be intimidated by these people."

McConnell called the demonstrations of free speech by the American people an "organized effort to delay, obstruct and intimidate those of us who will be voting this week." Apparently, Republicans think the only ones who should be doing the intimidating is them. We'll pause here to recall the wave of angry and in-your-face protests by a different sort of "Tea Party" that swept American politics in 2010, propelling Republicans to Congressional victory.

Apparently when American voters chant in the streets at Republicans, that's wrong, but GOP senators like Lindsey Graham shouting at Democrats during hearings, that's just fine. Or Brett Kavanaugh -- a nominee for Supreme court, remember -- shouting at his questioners in the decorous chamber of the Senate office building during his testimony, and threatening Democrats? Apparently that's fine, too. But Republicans want the American people to hush up.

Look, as someone who used to organize these sorts of "birddogging" protests, I know the tactic of citizens confronting elected representatives can feel uncomfortable. But consider this: protesters have been staging quiet sit-ins for over a week and meeting with senators to share their stories and concerns -- and those protests don't get covered by the media. It's only when there's shouting or confrontation that the press perks up (again, just like the Tea Party "revolt" of the last decade).

It is similar to the way that the media ignored weeks of peaceful protests in Baltimore after Freddie Gray died in police custody in 2015. When a few people set a CVS on fire, however, the press descended -- and then tsk tsk'd about violent protests, even though it was only covering the protest because a small part of it had turned violent.

Mitch McConnell and his supporters should think about it: If confronting senators in elevators or airports seems outrageous, perhaps he should focus more on the outrage that people are feeling -- and the mounting sense of frustration that Republicans have so hamstrung this process, and the progress of our nation in general, that protest is the only avenue left.

What's more, Republicans are cramming through a nominee who only made 7% of his record even available for the Senate Judiciary Committee to see, had several inconsistencies and misstatements in his initial testimony, and now has been accused of sexual assault by three women, accusations Republicans have avoided thoroughly investigating at every step. Even worse: Republican Senators have derided his accusers' statements, and, of course, the President added his appalling signature strategy: mockery.

It is outrageous.

This just so happens to be the week of Mahatma Gandhi's 149th birthday. Gandhi may now be widely celebrated as one of the pioneers of civil disobedience, but once upon a time Gandhi was labeled a "parasite" and British forces opened fire on his peaceful protests.

Again, history depends on who writes it. But core values should be constants. About civil disobedience, Gandhi said he protested "not for want of respect for lawful authority, but in obedience to the higher law of our being, the voice of conscience." Those protesters on the streets and in the halls of Congress trying to stop Kavanaugh's nomination? They're our nation's conscience.
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
What happened

Yamana Gold Inc.'s (NYSE:AUY) stock fell 11% in September, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The drop started early in the month, apparently on news out of Argentina, where the company has two mines.

So what

Argentina has been struggling financially for some time. That's a problem for Yamana because its Gualcamayo and Cerro Moro mines are located in the country. Gualcamayo is expected to produce 100,000 ounces of gold in 2018. Cerro Moro, a mine that successfully started operations earlier this year, is expected to produce 85,000 ounces of gold and 3.75 million ounces of silver in 2018. Production will likely be higher in 2019, since 2018's numbers represent only a portion of the year. The company considers Cerro Moro a core mine asset. Although these are just two of the seven major mines in Yamana's portfolio, they are important assets.

So it is understandable that Yamana investors reacted poorly when Argentina's government announced export taxes in early September to help shore up its finances. The imposition of taxes was clearly expected to reduce the miner's profitability. That fact was hammered home later in the month when Yamana put out a news release stating, "While the Company's favourable positioning relative to production and costs bodes well for the near and medium term, Argentina's export tax has the potential to offset a portion of these benefits." In other words, the Argentina tax is, indeed, a big deal.

Now what

Yamana's portfolio extends beyond Argentina, so it's hard to suggest that the tax change in this one country will be more than a headwind. That said, Argentina's economy is in pretty rough shape, so this headwind could be with Yamana for a while. Investors interested in this miner should take some time to review the financial and political situation in Argentina before investing.
(CNN) -- Officer Terrence Carraway rushed to respond when a gunman opened fire from a home in Florence County, South Carolina. As the barrage of bullets kept coming, he and his colleagues had to be rescued.

Carraway was among seven law enforcement officers who were shot Wednesday evening during a two-hour standoff that began when deputies attempted to execute a search warrant.

The 30-year veteran of the Florence Police Department was minutes away when he got the call to help fellow officers. He later died on his way to the hospital, city of Florence spokesman John Wukela said.

Fighting back tears, Florence police Chief Allen Heidler called Carraway a good friend and "the bravest police officer" he's ever known.

An autopsy will be performed at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, CNN affiliate WBTW reported.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the shooting Thursday, but many questions remain.

The man suspected of shooting the officers was arrested Wednesday evening, officials said. The suspect is Fred Hopkins, 74, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN on condition of anonymity.

The suspect surrendered after talking to a negotiator and was taken to the hospital for treatment, Florence County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Glenn Kirby told WBTW.

It's unclear if he's facing any charges and whether authorities have determined why he opened fire. Online property records lists Hopkins as one of the owners of the house where the shootings happened.

One city police officer still was hospitalized in serious condition Thursday afternoon, and two others had been treated and released, city officials said.

The conditions of the three sheriff's deputies who were wounded were not immediately known.

An eighth person, a 20-year-old man inside the house, was shot during the standoff, Kirby said. His condition is also unknown.

An armored vehicle had to shield officers

The gunman initially shot at the Florence County deputies and kept shooting when more law enforcement officers arrived, officials said.

"These officers went there unknowing the firepower this suspect had," Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said.

The seven officers who were wounded could not get away, he said.

"He had an advantage, and the officers couldn't get to the ones that were down," Boone said.

As the suspect barricaded himself in the home with children, authorities used a mine-resistant ambush protected, or MRAP, vehicle -- something usually associated with war zones -- to get all the wounded officers to safety, Boone said.

Video footage after the shooting shows a bloody police vest and blood spatter on the ground as yellow tape goes up around the scene.

'He was the proverbial gentle giant'

City officials lauded Carraway on Thursday as man who had a steady temperament and a deep commitment to the community.

Carraway had started a mentoring program for disadvantaged youths called Camp FEVER, said Heidler, the police chief.

"He had a passion for kids ... to see kids in impoverished areas have the opportunity to do the things they might not have the opportunity" to do, Heidler said.

"He was a giant of a man, but he was the proverbial gentle giant, and I loved him."

Florence Mayor Stephen Wukela said Carraway had "the ability to bring the sense of order and peacefulness to the most difficult of situations."

"That made him a great cop. That made him a great person," the mayor said.

Plans to mourn Carraway were taking shape, with the First Baptist Church of Florence holding a vigil at 7 p.m. Thursday, Wukela said.

A public viewing will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday at the Florence Center, and a memorial will follow at noon, he said.

'Selfless acts of bravery'

President Donald Trump and South Carolina lawmakers offered prayers for the victims.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the Florence County Sheriff's Office and the Florence Police Department tonight, in South Carolina. We are forever grateful for what our Law Enforcement Officers do 24/7/365," Trump tweeted Wednesday night.

"This is simply devastating news from Florence. The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real," Gov. Henry McMaster said on social media.
BIGGBY COFFEE and Arcadia Brewing Company Announce Relaunch of Coffee Porter

BIGGBY COFFEE and Arcadia Brewing Company Partner on Morning Nightcap Coffee Porter for Second Year

October 04, 2018 // Franchising.com // East Lansing, MI - BIGGBY would like to announce the relaunch of Morning Nightcap! This beer is the result of a partnership between BIGGBY and Arcadia Brewing Company. The BIGGBY and Arcadia partnership sparked from a friendship between BIGGBY Owner/Operator Kyle Kinney and Timothy Suprise, Founder/CEO of Arcadia Brewing Company. Kinney, who owns several stores in the Kalamazoo area, saw an opportunity brewing and jumped on it. Knowing how big of a fan Tim was of BIGGBY, this idea just made sense. I love the fact that two well-known and loved craft industry companies have combined forces to produce something absolutely delicious, says Kinney.

The beer lovers consummate coffee beer, Morning Nightcap is a perfect marriage of rich coffee and creamy porter. Brewed with BIGGBY COFFEEs Papua New Guinea blend, which was created by Paramount Roasters especially for this collaboration, this BIGGBY medium blends buttery, nutty, and sweet flavors bring out the rich notes of dark chocolate and fruit. When you take a sip of this beer, its an experience similar to a refreshing cold brew. Morning Nightcap is currently available on draft at Arcadia Brewing Company in Kalamazoo, MI and is out now in stores in six-packs of 12oz bottles! All Meijer locations will carry Morning Nightcap as well as a few other select retailers.

The perfection of the partnership between BIGGBY and Arcadia Brewing Company is best explained by Timothy Surprise. The artisanal fabric of craft beer and coffee is woven by committed and community oriented companies, and this Arcadia/BIGGBY collaboration truly reflects a dedication to quality, innovation and experience. BIGGBY is buzzing with excitement over the launch of Morning Nightcap but it doesnt end there - Arcadia is set to open another bar/restaurant location in Lansing soon!

BIGGBY COFFEE, East Lansing, Mich.-based, was started with a single store on March 15, 1995. One year later, and on the cusp of opening a second location, Bob Fish and Michael McFall, on a handshake and $4,000, decided to franchise the concept. BIGGBY COFFEEs cultural values of Make Friends, Have Fun, B Yourself, and Share Great Coffee help coffee-lovers and the coffee-curious alike benefit from a less pretentious and fun approach to the standard gourmet cafe paradigm. Besides connoisseur-worthy drinks with pronounceable names like Teddy Bear and Caramel Marvel, BIGGBY baristas provide a unique experience focused on brightening their customers day and supporting them in building a life they love. The Big B on the orange background caught on, and today BIGGBY COFFEE has 275 cafes open or under contract across 10 states including: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Florida, Texas, and New Jersey. In 2018, BIGGBY launched an Area Representative Program and currently has 4 area representatives in 4 states.

Media Contact:

Caitlin Carpenter

517-898-3677

ccarpenter@biggby.com.

SOURCE BIGGBY COFFEE

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EUREKA, Calif. - Eureka has joined San Francisco, Oakland and West Hollywood in approving on-site cannabis consumption.

This new motion would allow cannabis consumption in areas outside of the home.

Supporters of the decision say that having cannabis bars or lounges could lessen public marijuana use and help the local economy.

City council members say that they will also take concerns of second-hand smoke into consideration.
Monkees Franchise Gears Up for Aggressive National Expansion

Upscale Womens Boutique Franchise Announces Plans to Expand Brand Across the U.S.

(PRWEB) October 04, 2018 - Monkees Franchising, LLC today announced plans to attract new franchise locations beyond its southeastern U.S. base. Monkees, an upscale womens boutique franchise headquartered in Winston Salem, North Carolina, has grown to 27 locations - operating in nine states. The company added three new franchises this year; opening stores in Lynchburg, Virginia, High Point, North Carolina, and Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

Monkees is an outstanding concept in womens fashion and has been a strong brand for more than 20 years, says Perry Ludy, Director of Operations for Monkees. The Monkees brand has become synonymous with personalized customer service and cutting-edge designer fashion. We have perfected operations and support systems to the point where we are ready to expand more aggressively on a national scale.

The growth plan calls for 10 to 15 new franchise locations per year nationwide.

Leading the expansion launch is Troy Taylor, Vice President of Franchise Development who brings more than 30 years of experience as a franchisor and franchise developer.

We have everything we need to quickly expand across the country, adds Taylor. For Monkees, this is a healthy growth rate, which allows the company to focus on quality franchisees who are committed to following Monkees highly successful proven system.

Monkees founder and CEO, Deedee Shaw opened the original Monkees store in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1995. The boutique quickly became a shopping destination. The store also captured the attention of Brenda Maready, now co-CEO, who opened the second location in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and introduced the idea of franchising the Monkees concept.

Each year DeeDee and Brenda meet with people, from full-time mothers to corporate executives, who have one common dream: to own a retail business. No matter the level of experience in retail or entrepreneurship, they offer guidance based on their 20+ years of success with the support of their dedicated corporate team.

About Monkees Franchising, LLC

Monkees Franchising, LLC is a franchisor of upscale ladies boutiques specializing in shoes, clothing and accessories. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC, Monkees was founded in 1995 and has become one of the most successful organizations of independently owned boutiques in the Southeast. Our boutiques can now be found in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia and we are excited as our growth continues nationally. Monkees is recognized throughout this region as a leader in providing the finest fashions from the worlds top designers.

Media Contacts:

Tammy Delgado

Monkee's Franchising, LLC.

+1 954-829-9189

Troy Taylor

Monkee's Franchising, LLC.

336-529-5200

SOURCE Monkee's Franchising, LLC.

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Wetzels Pretzels Continues Domestic Expansion with Texas Development Focus

Opportunities Available Now for Multi-Unit Operators

PASADENA, Calif. - Oct. 03, 2018 // GLOBE NEWSWIRE // - Wetzels Pretzels is a brand born from the Southern California lifestyle that has cultivated fans for more than 20 years thanks to its scratch-made pretzels, fresh lemonade and craveable Cin-a-Bitz. Building on that fan passion and the brands ability to cultivate fanatics from coast to coast, Wetzels Pretzels Vice President of Franchise Development, Doug Flaig, will be hosting exploratory meetings with qualified multi-unit operators the week of October 22nd across Austin, San Antonio and Houston.

Wetzels targeted growth plans for Texas come on the heels of another banner year for the company, which included consistent, industry-leading sales growth as well being named one of the top three fastest-growing snack concepts by Franchise Times Magazine, and a Top Franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine.

Beyond Wetzels Pretzels sales momentum, company leadership view Texas as a fantastic growth opportunity thanks to the enormous amount of well-trafficked large properties across the state. Wetzels Pretzels currently has more than 10 locations across the Dallas/Fort Worth area to build off of, along with locations in Houston, Corpus Christi and Austin. Major well-trafficked properties Wetzels is targeting for expansion include:

San Marcos Premium Outlets

Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso

South Plains Mall in Lubbock

Barton Creek Square in Austin

Wetzels Pretzels menu items sit at a fantastic intersection of being quick, affordable snacks that are made from scratch with limited ingredients, exactly what todays consumers are looking for, said Jennifer Schuler, Wetzels Pretzels President. This brand is positioned for immediate and long-term growth thanks to operational simplicity, unit size flexibility and the corporate teams core focus on franchisee profitability. We believe there is tremendous opportunity across Texas, and look forward to partnering with operators to bring this beloved West Coast brand to life throughout the region.

Beyond traditional mall buildouts, Wetzels Pretzels is able to capitalize on various nontraditional locations as the brand offers a variety of build-out options to accommodate most any space, including both baking and non-baking kiosks, as well as remote units that can supplement a traditional in-line location. Its a concept that can truly fit anywhere there is appropriate space.

Those interested in learning more about Wetzels Pretzels can contact Flaig to schedule an initial discussion at 805.616.9799 or doug@wetzels.com. Alternatively, operators who are looking to expand or diversify their holdings can visit Wetzels Pretzels franchise site.

About Wetzel's Pretzels

Armed with a vision and a tasty recipe for soft pretzel perfection, Bill Phelps and Rick Wetzel opened the first Wetzel's Pretzels bakery in Redondo Beach, Calif., in 1994. Long lines of hungry customers soon formed, attracted by mouth-watering soft pretzels that were hand-rolled, baked fresh and served hot from the oven. As word spread about these golden-on-the-outside pretzels, the company added additional offerings to its menu. Today, Wetzel's Pretzels has grown to more than 340 fresh bakeries across the United States and around the world, including premier locations at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. Every Wetzel's Pretzels bakery adheres to the original vision of its founders; that each super-premium pretzel will be crafted from fresh dough and baked in-store consistently throughout the day, to ensure a delicious offering for each consumer, regardless of when the craving for a pretzel strikes. For additional information on Wetzel's Pretzels or franchise opportunities, please visit the website, call (626) 432-6900, "Like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

Media Contact:

Josh Levitt

Canvas Blue for Wetzels Pretzels

949.215.1438

JLevitt@canvasblue.com

SOURCE Wetzels Pretzels

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I'm about to tell you something so unbelievable but apparently true.



For over three years now, it appears that a group of judges at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa who are are all alumni of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law have been coordinating an apparent human sacrifice conspiracy against an Ottawa woman named Dezrin Carby-Samuels who has been severely disabled as a result of the activities of these judges.



In a nutshell, "human sacrifice" is a reputed activity of "non-human entities" who have coordinated and then reinforce the promotion of certain people into positions of power provided that they show their "loyalty" to the non-human entities when called-upon. The most vulnerable members of our society are targeted for "human sacrifice". The most heinous barbaric acts of cruelty, torture and destruction are a part of a "human sacrifice" ritual.



The alleged practice has taken place since the earliest and most tyrannical societies came into existence on our planet Earth. In these societies, demonic aliens elites sought to worship demonic aliens as their God or gods that often brought technology that would then be used to support military oppression and torture.



Unfortunately, Dezrin Carby-Samuels like so many vulnerable people on our planet are being targeted by non-human beings which can appear as "people". But these "people" are in no way human.



Dr. Michael Salla referred to such entities as "shape shifters". David Icke has further described such entities to be reptilian that operate from a different dimension that reaches into ours.



Such victims like Dezrin include children who go missing as targets of alien abduction (or become victims of pedophile rings) to homeless people on the street who from time to time appear to be been chosen by the non-human handlers as targets of apparent human sacrifice rituals.



My name is Jesse, and I'm an investigative journalist. Since 2015 I have watched the bizarre activities at the Ottawa courthouse at 161 Elgin Street.



I have also investigated activities by non-human entities which include alien abductions. But I never expected that my investigation on Dezrin's plight would take me to apparent non-human interference at the Ottawa courthouse through judges working in tandem with Ottawa lawyers John E. Summers and Jeremy Wright of the City of Ottawa.



It is apparent that Jeremy Wright is an apparent ring leader of University of Ottawa psychopaths somehow recruited to perpetuate demonic torture against Dezrin.



Jeremy Wright in his official capacity works to defend Bordeleau's rag tag gang of dirty cops who sought to block Raymond getting help of his Mom for more than three years.



In one instance, when a Small Claims Court judge was just about to enable Raymond to see his Mom, Mr Wright gave some weird "wink" at a Judge sending him into an immediate panic leading him to immediately reverse his inclination to assist Raymond in helping his Mom. Mr Wright is a highly secretive lawyer embedded into the City of Ottawa as an apparent handler for a University of Ottawa "rogue group".



It's notable that while one set of judges at the Ottawa courthouse would seek to liberate Dezrin Carby-Samuels from the profound abuse and torture that she has been experiencing at the hand of her husband, the "rogue group" would seek to perpetuate it.



The rogue group are all members of the University of Ottawa alumni community. This group was reinforced by an apparent dirty cop named Detective Robert Griffin and a lawyer named John E Summers who is the alleged lawyer for Dezrin's husband against Dezrin's son.



Funny thing is that Dezrin husband can in no way afford Mr. Summers. When Raymond asked Mr Summers who he ACTUALLY works for and pays his bills, he refused to say.



There is absolutely a zero chance that Dezrin's retired husband who struggles to pay his biills when he's not abusing Dezrin with the help of others could afford the legal services of John Summers who has worked to perpetuate his abuse for more than three years at a pay rate of more than $300 per hour having been practicing law since 1999.



We therefore have 100% conclusive evidence that someone or more likely a "group" without any empathy for the plight of Dezrin in conditions of abuse is paying a University of Ottawa trained lawyer who is getting the support of judges and others ALL directly affiliated with the University of Ottawa.



I don't believe in such coincidences.



But every time Dezrin was about to be liberated, another set of judges who simply ignore all the evidence and case law that Raymond presented.



Finally, one Judge named Sylvia Corthon decided that she was going to "seize" the case, and declared not only Summary Judgement against Raymond, but also declared him to be a Vexatious Litigant.



It became apparent that Sylvia Corthorn had "seized the case" to prevent another judge who is not a member of an apparent University of Ottawa demon worshiping group from trying to again help Dezrin.



You see, Raymond who is Dezrin's son has sought to liberate his Mother from abuse as any loving and responsible son would want to do.



One of my favourite shows is Murdoch Mysteries like so many other Canadians. One of my favourite part of Murdoch Mysteries is when Detective Murdoch connects criminal suspects with each other by tying a common association with each other using a blackboard in his constabulary office.



Thinking of the Detective Murdoch character I decided that I was going to try the same technique to figure out an apparent bizarre pattern taking place against Dezrin Carby-Samuels.



However, I didn't expect to find anything though this exercise. But to my amazment I did.



All three Judges at the Ottawa courthouse that have apparently worked to Ottawa lawyer John E Summers to perpetuate abuses against Dezrin are all University of Ottawa alumni.



These judges are Justice Pierre Roger, Justice Sylvia Corthorn and Regional Senior Justice James MacNamara.



None of the three judges at the Ottawa courthouse who had sought to act fairly and support the liberation of Dezrin are connected with the University of Ottawa.



The judges who acted to spare Dezrin are Justice Patrick Smith, Justice Callum MacLoed and Justice Robert Beaudoin.



I have provided screenshot proof of an apparent coordinated pattern of bizarre judicial decisions by the University of Ottawa alumni at the Ottawa courthouse.



It is apparent that there's a very distinct pattern of psychopath behaviours by three judges at the Ottawa courthouse with shared ties to the University of Ottawa that is extremely distinct from the behaviours of judges who aren't connected with the University of Ottawa. My screenshot shows the distinctive affiliations of legal "actors" in this matter.



Coincidence? I think not.



I then took my "theory" that there's "fifth" column of Judges who are seeking to subvert civil and human rights in resistance to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to different Faculties of Law across Canada to get their reaction. Only the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law members were hostile to the notion. It was almost as if they were hypersensitive based upon their own complicit behaviour.



Could in fact the University of Ottawa be home to psychopaths who refuse to let go of their on-going abuse and torture against Dezrin Carby-Samuels?



Are we witnessing a human sacrifice ritual that has sought to seize and perpetuate Dezrin's abuse?



Is Dezrin one of possibly many people who have been subjugated to abuse in Ottawa as a result of a "human sacrifice ritual"?



And guess where John E Summers attended law school? You would be right if you said the University of Ottawa.



I then became more intrigued. I then looked up Ottawa's Chief of Police Charles Bordeleau's background whose Office supported the dirty cop that forcibly separated Raymond from his Mother.



Once again we have a perfect match. Bordeleau also graduated from the University of Ottawa and received an award from the Tefler School of Management (screenshot attached).



After Bordeleau's dirty cop orchestrated Raymond's forcible separation from his Mother that has suffering from profound domestic abuse, Dezrin lost the ability to walk, talk or write.



After months of unlawfully being prevented from seeing his Mother, Raymond filed an Emergency Motion at the Ottawa courthouse in December 2015.



Raymond appeared before University of Ottawa Faculty of Law graduate Justice Pierre Roger.



At first, Justice Roger was going to grant Raymond's request seeing as he began to say "no harm in it".



But that's when things began to get really bizarre. Someone from judge's chambers interrupted Judge Roger's deliberation.



When Justice Roger came out of this "meeting" he was a different person, declaring the matter "personal to him" and that he would say "no" to Raymond seeing his Mom and checking on her well-being.



Raymond persevered and eventually got a Default Judgement from Justice Patrick Smith who has no affiliation with the University of Ottawa.



Justice Patrick Smith who is a member of the Lakehead University community granted Raymond's request through an order dated 11 February 2016.



But shortly after, John E Summers who was a top graduate of the University of Ottawa entered the picture. He began to manufacture and support countless obvious lies to justify continued forcible separation.



Raymond and his Mother last saw each other on 12 June 2016.



John E Summers lies are easily transparent to any fair minded judge. So, John E Summers needed "help" if he was going to perpetuate Dezrin's abuse.



John E Summers got that help when he and Raymond appeared in front of Regional Senior Justice James MacNamara who threw out Justice Patrick Smith's Order to enable Raymond and his Mother to see each other, on a daily basis, so Raymond could ensure his Mother's care as she has wanted



Raymond tried to appeal that decision. But that appeal was then intercepted by an angry Justice Roger who declared his interception to be a "coincidence".



I don't believe in such coincidences. It was quite improper for Roger to "coincidently" get the file. He should have recused himself. But, instead, Justice Roger "fined" Raymond $1500 for his Appeal.



When the matter was referred to Justice Callum Macloed, he was quite concerned about Dezrin's well being and directed John E Summers on 24 March 2017 to obtain independent verification to ensure Dezrin has not been held a prisoner against her wishes. On our "Murdoch blackboard" Justice Macloed is a graduate of Queens in Kingston, Ontario with no U of O affiliations.



John E Summers then sought to get the matter thrown out of Court. But his request was blocked by Justice Robert Beaudoin whose ties are with the University of Windsor Faculty of Law.



Then all of a sudden after this decision by Justice Beaudoin, the matter was then "seized" by Justice Sylvia Corthorn who like John E Summers, Justice Roger, Regional Justice McNamara and Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordaleau are all University of Ottawa alumni.



Justice Sylvia Corthorn not only totally ignored all evidence and case law presented by Raymond but also ignored any support for Raymond articulated by non-University of Ottawa Judges.



When Justice Beaudoin recognized her apparent judicial misconduct by granting Raymond's request to have her recused from the trial, Justice Corthorn simply sped up her final rulings which were directed at preventing Raymond from his efforts to rescue his Mother from the "Hell of Earth" that she has lived for more than three years thanks to an apparent "University of Ottawa mafia" which has sought to perpetuate the abuse and torture of Dezrin Carby-Samuels.
















Los Alamos, New Mexico is home to some of the country's most scientifically literate families, and one thing they all have in common is that they avoid vaccines like the plaque. Meanwhile, the less informed vaxxers are getting angry at the fact that the rest of the country isnt complying with the herd-mentally that the morally corrupt CDC and the mass media has fed them.

Most of the families in THE New Mexico community of Los Alamos are employed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Los Alamos Labs, where most vaccine research is carried out. They all prefer to opt out of giving their kids vaccines. But didnt the media that the science on vaccines has been settled in America? Did the CDC not come out to say diseases like Influenza, Smallpox, and Shingles can be avoided by taking vaccines? Thats right their prevention method was to inject yourself with mercury, aluminium, and African Green Monkey kidney cells. And if you've thought that mercury has been removed from all childhood vaccines, I'm here to tell you that you've been lied to. That statement was nothing more than a bold-faced lie.

The CDC is highly recommending mercury-laced flu shots to pregnant women and infants six months young.

Most people arent aware, but the Rotavirus vaccine, Rotateq, contains two strains of a deadly swine virus known as circovirus. If you didn't know before, well now you do, and if you were aware, then you should be extremely concerned. These are some of the facts that make scientists who study these vaccines don't want their brilliant kids to get vaccine injections. They don't want their kids being infected with neurotoxins.

Perhaps the scientists in Los Alamos know deep down that the flu vaccine is the primary cause of most of the horrific side effects, and that the vaccine industry's hidden masters' has settled several cases resulting from the damage of any other immunisation created on American soil. The media doesn't want you to know that the flu shot is highly dangerous and completely experimental. Only certain scientifically literate citizens of the country know of this strange fact. The only difference is that the government pays a couple of scientists to concoct lies about vaccines and its research. They also pay these scientists large sums to spread their propaganda. This is why many science geniuses are refusing vaccines for their kids.

Numerous scientists in Santa Fe do not want their kids to get these vaccines. These statistics are some of the highest in the US. Although the media may say the science of vaccine is settled, the truth is that it isn't. They won't tell you that the so-called "efficacy and safety" of vaccines are under serious scrutiny especially now that the vaccine industry has had to pay out over $3 billion in damages to injured families. Another reason for this intense scrutiny is to find out why vaccines generally spread diseases more often that prevent it.
Free

editor's pick centerpiece

Land clearing displaces long-time La Marque homeless camp

stuartvillanueva / STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News Jackie Williams wipes his face with a towel while sitting under a shelter at an encampment in the woods where he and other homeless individuals live in La Marque on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The land, which has been used as encampment for years, is currently being cleared for development. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News Jimmy Hamm speaks about his life at an encampment in the woods where he and other homeless individuals live in La Marque on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The land, which has been used as encampment for years, is currently being cleared for development. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News Jackie Williams walks through an opening in a tarp surrounding an encampment in the woods where he and other homeless people live in La Marque on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The land, which has been used as encampment for years, is currently being cleared for development. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News Taz, a dog belonging to Jackie Williams, peeks out of a bunk area at the encampment where Williams and other homeless individuals live in La Marque on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The land, which has been used as encampment for years, is currently being cleared for development. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News Jimmy Hamm looks through some of his artwork in his tent at an encampment in the woods where he and other homeless people live in La Marque on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The land, which has been used as encampment for years, is currently being cleared for development. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News Jimmy Hamm pushes his bike towards an encampment in the woods where he and other homeless individuals live in La Marque on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The land, which has been used as encampment for years, is currently being cleared for development. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News Jimmy Hamm walks among debris at an encampment in the woods where he and other homeless individuals live in La Marque on Wednesday . The land, which has been used as encampment for years, is currently being cleared for development. Jimmy Hamm walks among debris at an encampment in the woods where he and other homeless individuals live in La Marque on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The land, which has been used as encampment for years, is currently being cleared for development. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News Jackie Williams holds his dog Taz while sitting in a shelter at an encampment where he and other homeless individuals live in La Marque on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The land, which has been used as encampment for years, is currently being cleared for development. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News A bicycle stands next to a tent and piles of cleared trees at an encampment in La Marque on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The land, which has been used as encampment for years, is currently being cleared for development. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News An American flag blows in the breeze near to cleared land at an encampment in La Marque on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The land, which has been used as encampment for years, is currently being cleared for development.

LA MARQUE

On most mornings since 2013, Jackie Williams has awakened in a muddy woods behind Sams Club in La Marque and walked over to the intersection of FM 1764 and Interstate 45 to ask people driving by for money.

Its not something hes proud of, but since a back injury put him out of work in 2012, he has to panhandle to survive, he said.

Some days, I could probably make around $100 a day if I stay out here long enough, Williams, 58, said. I dont want to, though, because its degrading and embarrassing. The only good part about it is when people give the money to their kids to hand  maybe thats teaching them something, I dont know.

As of two weeks ago, however, Williams is looking for a new place to live.

Riverway Properties, a Houston-based development company in charge of selling the wooded property, started clearing the 81 acres where Williams, a couple other men and their dogs had lived in a sprawling camp made of tarps, tents and cast-off furniture. The men have lived there for about five years and others have lived their longer than that, Jimmy Hamm, one of Williams neighbors, said.

The camp is one of a few that people have built in the wooded area around Walmart and Sams Club, where theres quick access to traffic for panhandling and groceries to live on.

I like it out here, Hamm said. Its quiet and has everything I need.

Also, theres privacy. Until the bulldozers moved in, not many people knew they were there, which is how he prefers it, Williams said. La Marque police never contacted them and Riverway Properties only learned the men were there when a Daily News reporter reached out.

Were just trying to sell the property at some point, said Michael Carroll, one of the brokers. I dont know anything about people out there, he said, noting that the land hasnt been sold yet. Typically, when you buy land and it has a bunch of timber on it, you start clearing it if youre going to redevelop.

The city of La Marque was aware of people living in the woods in that area, but since the land is private property, it hasnt done anything about it, Colleen Merritt, public relations specialist for the city wrote in an emailed statement.

City of La Marque officials are aware that some folks have been there for up to 15 years, she wrote. It is private property and officials cannot remove people who have been allowed to live there. Wed love to see them find local resources and find more suitable living arrangements.

Salvation Army Capt. Jennifer Jones said her organization, which runs the countys only homeless shelter that serves single men and women, wasnt aware of anyone staying in the woods in that area. Statistics concerning how many homeless people live in Galveston County werent available, but Jones said the shelter, which is in Galveston, typically has about 80 people stay there every night.

Williams isnt trying to stay on the property, he said. He always knew they would have to move on eventually.

I always figured this day would come, he said. When I saw those bulldozers, I knew our time was up.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Venturing into a tropical forest can sometimes lead to impressive discoveries, and Piotr Naskrecki would certainly agree. This entomologist from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University has a habit of going out into the field to observe insects in their natural environment. But one day, the exploration took an unexpected turn, as the researcher stated on his blog.

A few years ago, while exploring the rainforest in Guyana at night, Piotr Naskrecki heard a strange noise:

I was listening to the sounds of the night in complete darkness when I heard the sound of an animal running, and I could clearly hear its paws hitting the ground and the dry leaves bending under its weight.

The entomologist says. He expected to see a small mammal, an opossum or a rat but that was not the case.

When I turned the flashlight on, I had trouble understanding what I was seeing, the brown, hairy creature actually resembled a rat but a second glance quickly confirmed that it was not a rodent. The body that had eight legs became clear, it was a Goliath spider.

The biggest in the world

The Goliath spider,also known as Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi) is an arachnid with impressive dimensions. Its legs can extend to over 11 inches, the 'length of the forearm of a child,' and its body is as wide as a 'big fist' according to Piotr Naskrecki as he said to LiveScience. Mass wise, the spider can reach up to 170 grams, as much as a 'young puppy.'

But this is not the only sound that this reputedly aggressive spider makes. When Piotr Naskrecki approached the specimen, it began to rub its hind legs against his abdomen.

My first thought at seeing this adorable behaviour was 'Oh how cute!' until a cloud of stinging hairs flew towards my eyes, making them itch and water for several days.

An adorable behaviour, which is apparently becoming less and less commonplace as spiders have seen an observable difference in their level of aggression by scientists.

Anything it can get its hands-on

Despite its nickname 'bird-eater,' the Goliath spider does not really feed on birds. According to Naskrecki, its main prey is nevertheless earthworms, who come out from the ground as soon as it is a little wet. 'Earthworms are very nutritious,' he adds. Although the lifespan of females exceeds 10 years, Goliath spiders are not that common. After more than 15 years of exploring the forests of South America, Piotr Naskrecki has only encountered three.

Two or three years after my first meeting with the Goliath spider, I was back in South America, walking alone at night in the rainforest of Suriname when my foot suddenly grazed something big and alive and I almost tripped. I froze, expecting a snake, but it was just another Goliath spider.
After an extremely brief hiatus from serving the cheapest vodka cruisers in Hamilton, Bar 101 has announced it will reopen this weekend - in a premises just across the road from its previous establishment.

Less than three weeks after its final call, the popular student bar has announced on its Facebook page that Bar 101 will be back in business from Friday night.

"We know it's one of the worst kept secrets, but after 1500 people turned up to our epic closing party, we felt we had to keep 101 alive," the post said.

Come find us in our new location in Victoria Street this Friday and Saturday, we've still got the best priced cruisers and exports in town.

The decision was made to shut down Bar 101 after developers working with the Hamilton City Council bought the building to build a theatre and a hotel.

The premises had been run down after operating as a favourite among young people studying in the city for 10 years.

Shortly after the announcement was posted, Bar 101's owner John Lawrenson told Newshub he felt reopening was the right thing to do after an overwhelming attendance at the closing party.

"With the new theatre coming, we were always going to have to move out of that site - but we weren't sure about reopening somewhere else," he said.

"However with the huge turnout for the closing party and the outpouring from fans of the bar, it seemed like we had to bring it back."

The Lawrenson Group had a site right across the road, previously called Hood, and they were trying to lease it to potential restaurant operators.

"We've decided to rebrand it and reopen it as Bar 101 instead."

He explained part of their consideration was also about making sure people still have options in town.

An event page made for the final bash stated homage will to be paid to the early days, with cheap drinks every night of the week.

Now, the bar is set to keep the beverages flowing just metres from the old site.

Social media users remarked below the Bar 101 update that they had seen the relaunch coming from a long way, with some labelling the move a money-making ploy.

One young woman shared: "hahahahahaha was just a money making scheme".

"What a good marketing scam, the old closing down one," a young man wrote.

Many others tagged their friends, adding derivatives of: "I told you".
Price

The major difference between the Amazon Fire TV Stick and the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is the price. The Amazon Fire TV Stick is available in India for Rs 3999, whereas the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K retails for Rs 5999. So, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, being the newest model is a bit expensive compared to the Amazon Fire TV stick.

Processor

The Amazon Fire TV Stick is powered by the MediaTek Quad-Core ARM 1.3 GHz processor with Mali450 MP4 GPU, whereas the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K also comes with a Quad-core processor with 1.7 GHz with IMG GE8300 GPU. In terms of clock speed, the 4K moniker does have higher clock speed compared to the standard edition.

Bluetooth

The Amazon Fire TV Stick comes with Bluetooth 4.1, whereas the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K comes with Bluetooth 5.0 LE, which will consume less power and offers better connectivity with improved range compared to the Bluetooth 4.1.

Streaming capacity

The maximum resolution that the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K can stream is 2160p or 4K up to 60fps, whereas the Amazon Fire TV Stick can stream up to 1080p with a maximum frame rate of 60fps.

HDR compatibility

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K can stream HDR10 content on different platforms like Prime Videos, Netflix, and YouTube, whereas the Amazon Fire TV Stick cannot stream HDR content.

Should you buy Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K?

If you have a 4K television with HDR support along with high-speed internet connectivity, then Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K offers a lot of features, which will enhance your 4K television viewing experience. However, if you have a television with the screen resolution less than 1080p that does not support HDR content, then the Amazon Fire TV Stick is still a great device.
Pricing, availability and launch offers

The LG V40 ThinQ is only available in the USA for a starting price of $900, which makes the LG V40, one of the most expensive smartphones from the company. Here are the exclusive pricing of the LG V40 ThinQ via different carriers.

US Cellular $900 (Rs 66,460)

T-Mobile $920 (Rs 67,973)

Sprint $960 (Rs 70,891)

Verizon $980 (Rs 72,368)

The LG V40 ThinQ is currently available for pre-order from the following carrier brand, and AT&T is yet to announce the price of the smartphone. The smartphone will go on sale from the 18th of October 2018 and will be available in Aurora Black (polished finish) and Moroccan Blue (sandblasted).

All the pre-orders will ship with DJI Osmo Mobile 2 gimbal ($139 or Rs 10,264) with a 256 GB micro SD card (Rs $119 or Rs 8787), which generally costs $256 (Rs 18,904), which reduces the overall price of the smartphone by a margin of Rs 19,000.

Do note that after pre-order gets over, the company will only ship a 256 GB micro SD card, as the LG V40 ThinQ comes with 64 GB internal storage.

LG V40 ThinQ unique features

IP68 rating and MIL-STD-810G certification

32-bit QuadDAC

Wireless charging

4K HDR Video recording

Triple camera setup

LG V40 ThinQ specifications

The LG V40 ThinQ comes with a 6.4-inch FullVision OLED display (HDR 10) with 2K or QHD+ resolution protected by 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 is the chipset that powers the smartphone with 6 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 64 GB internal storage with a micro SD card slot, which can accept SD cards up to 256 GB.

To talk about the elephant in the room, the LG V40 ThinQ has a triple camera setup on the back and a dual camera set up on the front (which was previously leaked). The primary camera setup has a 2MP sensor with 1.4m pixels with an f/1.5 aperture with dual-pixel autofocus technology. There is a secondary 12 MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture and tertiary 16 MP wide-angle lens with 128-degree field of view.

The triple camera can be used all together to create a video or a GIF by combining the images shot by the different lens. This smartphone is capable of producing HDR quality 4K videos and 4K videos @ 60fps as well. Similarly, the LG V40 ThinQ can also record slow-motion video @ 240 frames per second in 1080p resolution.

On the front, the phone has an 8 MP primary sensor with an f/1.9 aperture and 80-degree field of view with a 5 MP secondary sensor with an f/2.4 aperture with a 90-degree field of view. The front-facing cameras can offer features like studio lighting and portrait mode.

LG V40 ThinQ is one of the few flagship smartphones, which still retains the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Besides, the smartphone also comes with a QuadDAC to enhance the audio output via the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Just like the last generation LG V series smartphones, the V40 ThinQ is water and dust resistant with IP68 certification along with MIL-STD-810G certification. The smartphone comes with a 3300 mAh battery with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 capability via USB type C port and Qi-based wireless charging as well.

In terms of software experience, the smartphone comes with Android 8.1 Oreo with custom LG skin on top. The device will be updated to Android 9 Pie in the near future.

Availability in India

As of now, there is no information on the launch of the LG V40 ThinQ in India.
Sony Xperia XA3 and XA3 Ultra leak hints taller display and dual rear cameras News oi-Sandeep Sarkar Both the Xperia XA3 Ultra and Xperia XA3 will be powered by Snapdragon 660 SoC.

Sony is said to all set to strengthen its mid-range lineup of smartphones with the launch of Xperia XA3 and Xperia XA3 Ultra. Just like every other upcoming smartphone both the Xperia XA3 as well as the Xperia XA3 Ultra have been surrounded by leaks and rumors just before they could make their way to the market.

This time some CAD-based renders are making the rounds over the web giving a fair idea of what the Xperia XA3 and Xa3 Ultra might offer in terms of features and specifications. This time the information comes from the popular leakster OnLeaks and MySmartPrice. The leaked renders suggest that both the smartphones will feature a glass-sandwich design and will offer some of the latest trending features such as a taller 18:9 aspect ratio display, dual-rear camera setup, side-mounted fingerprint scanner and more.

So, without any further delay let's quickly have a look at the rumored specs and features of both the Sony Xperia XA3 as well as the Xperia XA3 Ultra.

Xperia XA3 Ultra:

The major highlight of the Xperia XA3 Ultra is the humungous 6.5-inch Full HD+ display. The bezels surrounding the display are almost negligible on the sides and are fairly narrow on the top as well as the bottom. This will provide a maximum screen area enhancing the viewing experience on the device.

The Xperia XA3 Ultra is expected to be backed by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC which will be paired with up to 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. As of now, there is no information available if the onboard storage on the device is expandable or not. The smartphone is said to ship with Android 9 Pie out-of-the-box, which is a good thing.

Xperia XA3:

This one is the younger sibling of the Xperia XA3 Ultra and is expected to feature a 5.95-inch Full HD+ display which might be an IPS LCD panel. Under the hood, the Xperia XA3 will draw its power from a same Snapdragon 660 processor as the XA3 Ultra. The device will be available with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage. However, there is no word on the expandable storage memory of the device. The XA3 will also ship with Android 9 Pie out-of-the-box.

As far as the optics are concerned, the only information we have that the smartphones will sport a dual-rear camera module. In terms of connectivity, both the Xperia XA3 and XA3 Ultra will come with standard connectivity options such as Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, Wi-Fi 5, a 3.5mm headphone jack for audio output and a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfers.

It is not immediately clear as to when Sony will launch the Xperia XA3 line up of smartphones, however, the company might launch the devices before the end of 2018. We will keep you further updated on the same, so stay tuned with us.

You can check out the 360-degree CAD renders below:

Best Mobiles in India

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Christina Hillman is looking to hold on to her seat as Valley County Justice of the Peace in the upcoming November election. Hillman is running against Christine Gamas in the contested race. Hillman sat down with the Courier to talk about her expe...
The conference committee attempting to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the 2018 farm bill failed to reach a consensus. New work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program included in the House version have been cited as a major source of contention in negotiations, though differences remain regarding Title 1, price and income supports given to certain commodity producers.

Key programs such as SNAP and crop insurance programs will continue to receive funding because of appropriations or having been authorized under other laws. The Conservation Reserve Program will still operate but will be unable to make any new agreements with or award new grants to farmers. The Congressional Research Service has identified at least 39 programs which have lost authorization and/or funding as of Monday, Oct 1. Programs designed to assist veterans entering farming, small rural businesses and trade promotion are among the orphan programs that have been shut down.

Negotiations are in the hands of Representatives Michael Conway, R-Texas, and Collin Peterson, D-Mich., and Senators Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. No short-term extension was brought to the House floor before the chamber recessed. Stabenow and Peterson maintained the real deadline for passing a final bill is December since many baseline programs will remain funded until that time. However, the failure to pass the farm bill comes amid other uncertainties currently faced by farmers, including droughts, low market prices, and global market tensions.

Senator Jon Tester, D-Mont., urged Congress to return to the bipartisanship they have shown in the past regarding the farm bill. In a statement released by his office, Tester said, It is time for Congress to to quit making hay out of the Farm Bill and put our bipartisan solution on the Presidents desk. I will hold Washington accountable to Montana farmers and ranchers to ensure they have the certainty they need to prepare for the next growing season. He also touted the support the Senate farm bill garnered from organizations in Montana, including the Montana Grain Growers Association and Montana Farm Bureau Federation.

Farm bills have, in the past, been touted as bipartisan accomplishments, but this years bill appears to be subject to more partisan disagreements than others. Representative Ralph Abraham, R-La., has taken aim at Sen. Stabenow, accusing her and Senate Democrats of moving the goal posts, while Stabenow has fired back, blaming House Republicans for focusing on politics rather than a compromise. The House farm bill narrowly made it to conference committee, passing with a 213-211 vote, with no Democrats voting in favor of the bill. The Senate version passed easily and went to committee with a vote of 86-11.

As of press time Sen. Daines and Rep. Gianforte's Offices had not responded to requests for comment.
Ivy (McNulty) Stebleton, 87 of Glasgow, Mont., was blessed to have her loved ones by her side when she passed away in the early morning hours on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018, at the Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital in Glasgow.

She was born on April 3, 1931, in Fergus Falls, Minn., to Martin and Hattie (Northup) McNulty. In the spring of 1934, Ivy's mother, Ivy, and most of her siblings, along with their two family dogs and all their belongings, crammed into a 1929 Dodge to travel to the Fort Peck Dam project in northeastern Montana. There they joined their father, Martin McNulty, who had begun working on the Fort Peck Dam project in October of 1933. He was one of the first people hired to clear the land on the Missouri River bottom. In later years, Ivy's mom told her that all they could see when reaching the boomtown of Wheeler,Mont., was a "sea of tar-paper shacks," with one of them to become their home.

The first winter in their tar-paper shack the temperatures dipped to -35 to -40 below-zero. The following year Ivy's dad purchased a 24-foot by 24-foot home for $300. It came with logs whitewashed inside and out and even had linoleum on the floor. "Although it wasn't a mansion, the new house seemed like one to us," Ivy once wrote.

While growing up in The Great Depression of the 1930s, Ivy made the most of things, displaying an entrepreneurial spirit lasting most of her life. By age five in Wheeler, Ivy was making wildflower bouquets and selling them to neighbors for five cents. She collected pop and beer bottles and redeemed them for coinage. Believe it or not, Ivy even collected rocks and polished them, selling the pretty ones for five cents each.

Ivy moved to Glasgow at age 13 and eventually attended Glasgow High School. She worked for seven years as a fountain girl at Al's Cafe. Her can-do attitude would later turn into a lengthy career of selling cosmetics, owning and operating the Unique Shoppe and Ivy's Gingerbread Crafts in Glasgow, where she would sell her many homemade crafts. Later in life, Ivy purchased and operated the Buckhorn Lodge in Wheeler, where her childhood roots began.

On March 29, 1953, she married Frank W. Stebleton. Frank was employed for nearly 40 years by the Great Northern and the BNSF Railroads. Together they raised their five children in the Glasgow community.

In the 1980s, Ivy was the driving force behind creating the Farmers Market at the Red Rock Plaza. This was one of Ivy's proudest accomplishments. It was here that Ivy began selling her delicious homemade pies and crafts.

She loved baking and cooking; homemade Italian raviolis were her specialty. She was also extremely creative when it came to arts and crafts. She had a heart for animals but a real soft spot for cats.

In her later years, she enjoyed watching Turner Classic movies, especially John Wayne westerns. Musically she liked the big-band sound of the late 1930s and '40s with Glen Miller but Elvis was her all-time favorite musician.

In 2012, Ivy was interviewed for the Montana PBS documentary titled, "Fort Peck Dam," where she shared her experiences of growing up in the boomtown of Wheeler during the construction of the Dam. This film can still be seen today on the Montana PBS channel.

Miss Ivy's greatest joy and accomplishment was the time and love that she spent investing in the lives of her children, grandchildren, extended family, and her friends within the community.

Ivy had a love for life, color, laughter, music, and dancing and now because of her faith in Jesus Christ, she is dancing with her Lord.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Martin and Hattie McNulty; four sisters, Claryce, Dorothy, Irene and Margaret; four brothers, Bud, Don, George and Joe; and her husband, Frank Stebleton.

She is survived by one daughter, Diane (Jim) Brandt; four sons, Joe Stebleton, Steve (Mary) Stebleton, Mike Stebleton and Doug Stebleton; four grandchildren, Matt (Amanda) Brandt, Dan Brandt, Angela (Rapheal) Gavin and Jeremy Stebleton; and three great-grandchildren, Blaine Brandt, Jacob Brandt and Xavi Gavin.

A celebration of life was held Wednesday Oct. 3, at 11 a.m., at the Methodist Church in Glasgow. A dinner was held directly after the service at the Glasgow VFW Hall.

Memorials in honor of Ivy can be sent to the Fort Peck Summer Theater, Valley View Home and The Pioneer Museum.

Condolences can left at bellmortuaryglasgow.com.
As the nation celebrates National Newspaper Week, Oct. 7 through 13, I want to thank you, the reader, for making the Glasgow Courier a part of your week. For those who pick up the Courier at any one of our dealers, who stop in the Courier to purchase the paper, who read the newspaper online, who grab the paper from their mailbox, thank you for your support.

When I started at the Courier two years ago, I was never keen on being a writer. I was more than happy with my job of answering phones, helping customers with their subscriptions, answering e-mails with questions on how to submit an obituary or how to submit news ideas, preparing articles to match the format of the paper and making sure the stories written by the true writers of the staff made sense, were grammatically correct and free of spelling errors.

About six months into my position, I started getting asked when I would start writing articles, as everyone was impressed on how I could manipulate words while keeping the meaning and voice of the writer. Being a transplant, I never felt qualified to write about the happenings of our area. I felt paranoid that I would ask stupid questions, that I would be looked down upon because I didnt know how things worked or who to talk to in order to get the information that was needed. Because of those reasons, I dug my heels to the ground and was adamant that I would not be writing stories.

Fast forward to present day, my by-line is on at least three to four articles a week, sometimes more. Its because of you, the community, the reader, that got me outside of my comfort zone. There are people in this town and county who have stories to tell and Im the one that gets to tell their stories to the world.

I have had the opportunity to sit down and talk to a former Saco resident, who made a medical breakthrough in Alzheimers. This city girl now has a better understanding of farm life, seeding and harvesting. I have branched out of my comfort zone by attending events, meeting people and getting to know what makes this community work.

I feel very lucky to be able to tell the stories of Glasgow and Valley County. I cant wait until my stories are archived and are read by future generations.
Dear Reader,

This week is National Newspaper Week, and, in honor of that, I wanted to editorialize a little about why we are so passionate about Glasgow, the news and telling peoples stories. If you go through the archives of the Courier, you...
An Invite to the Community

Dear Editor,

My name is Amy Jo Horn-Brown. I am the biological daughter of Joseph Horn Jr. who is running for the position of Sheriff in your county. My sister, Gail Horn-Hayes, and I will be coming to Glasgow at the end of this week and would li...
Two Miami men accused of stuffing 91 fraudulent credit cards in a rental car headrest spent Tuesday night in the Alachua County Jail, Gainesville Police said.

Yasmany Veloz Miranda, 31, and Lizuan Miranda Monteagudo, 26, were arrested Tuesday afternoon after a traffic stop turned into car search, according to arrest reports.

Miranda Monteagudo was driving on Interstate 75 with Miranda Veloz in the front passenger seat when an officer pulled them over for following a car too closely, the report said. Monteagudo gave police permission to search the car.

Police found a computer bag on the passenger side of the car with a laptop, USB drives, a card skimmer and three keys, two of which appeared to be gas pump keys, the report said.

A total of 91 credit cards were bundled into three groups and stuffed inside the drivers seat headrest, police said. Another skimmer and a re-encoder, a device that can transfer information from one credit card to another, were stuffed in the front passenger seat headrest.

The two men cut out some of the foam in the headrests to hide the credit cards and devices, police said.

Some of the cards had Monteagudos name embossed on the front and PIN numbers written on the back in marker. The account numbers connected to the cards magnetic stripes were different than the numbers embossed on the front, police said.

Monteagudo is listed as the registered agent of MSC Sales Inc. in Miami, according to the Florida Department of State business records. The home address listed on Monteagudos arrest report matches the corporations registered address.

Both men are charged with trafficking over 50 fake credit cards, using a skimmer to defraud, using a re-encoder to defraud and swindling to obtain property.

They are held in jail in lieu of $850,000 bonds.

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Montanas rural communities have always been the backbone of our economy, driving economic growth through a foundation of hard work and a strong tradition of agriculture. In Montana, when our rural communities are thriving, our entire state thri...
Putin says ex-Russia spy poisoned in Britain was a 'scumbag'

Iran Press TV

Wed Oct 3, 2018 04:48PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin has lashed out at Western governments for their designation of a former Moscow spy poisoned in Britain as innocent, saying Sergei Skripal was simply a "scumbag" who committed treason by revealing confidential information about his country.

"He was simply a spy. A traitor to the motherland. There is such a concept - a traitor to the motherland. He was one of those," Putin said in a speech in Moscow on Wednesday.

The remarks come amid a diplomatic stand-off between Russia and Britain on the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter in March in the southern English city of Salisbury.

London accused Moscow of ordering the poisoning attack, which it says was carried out using a sophisticated Soviet-era military-grade nerve agent.

Russia has denied any involvement and even some officials in Moscow believe the entire story, which led to a serious political fallout with the Western countries, was fabricated by the British intelligence agencies to target Russia.

Putin, addressing an energy forum in Moscow, said Skripal was wrongly depicted by Western governments as a human rights activist.

"I see that some of your colleagues are pushing the theory that Mr Skripal was almost some kind of human rights activist," he said, adding, "He's simply a scumbag, that's all."

Last month, Putin reacted to a decision by British prosecutors to charge two Russian citizens with involvement in the Salisbury poisoning attack.

The two appeared in an interview with a Russian TV channel, saying they had been to the UK for tourism purposes and traveled to Salisbury to visit the city's monumental cathedral.

The interview came after Putin urged the two suspects to come forward and tell their stories.

However, the situation complicated after some sources revealed on an internet website that one of the two men, Ruslan Boshirov, strongly resembled a military intelligence officer identified as Colonel Anatoliy Chepiga. Russia has rejected Britain's request for an interview with the suspects.

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Putin Calls Poisoned Former Double Agent Skripal A 'Traitor' And A 'Scumbag'

RFE/RL October 03, 2018

Russian President Vladimir Putin has lashed out at Sergei Skripal, the former Russian intelligence officer whom Britain accuses Moscow of poisoning with a weapons-grade nerve agent in England, calling him a "traitor" and a "scumbag."

Speaking at an energy forum in Moscow on October 3, Putin called the dispute over the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter "another spy scandal that has been artificially pumped up."

"I see that some of your colleagues are pushing forward the theory that Skripal is some kind of human rights defender," Putin told the audience. "He is a spy. A traitor to his homeland. There is such a thing -- a traitor to one's homeland. He is one of them."

"He is a scumbag. That's all there is to it," Putin added.

Britain has accused Russia of poisoning Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who have recovered following weeks of hospitalization after they were found incoherent on a bench in the English city of Salisbury on March 4, with a nerve agent called Novichok.

A British woman and her partner also fell ill after coming in contact with the poison later in a town near Salisbury. The woman, Dawn Sturgess, died in July.

British authorities have laid attempted murder and other charges in absentia against two alleged Russian military intelligence officers they say carried out the attack.

Russia denies involvement despite mounting evidence, and the dispute has led to an exchange of diplomatic expulsions and deepened already severe tension between Moscow and the West.

Putin said that what he called "an entire information campaign that has been rolled out" over the Skripal poisoning will eventually pass.

"I hope it ends -- and the sooner it ends, the better," Putin said, adding that international espionage will continue.

"What, were battles between special services born yesterday? Everybody knows that espionage, like prostitution, is one of the most important professions in the world," said Putin, a longtime Soviet KGB officer who had a stint as head of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) before his rise to the presidency.

He also claimed that Skripal, 67, had continued spying after he was released from prison in Russia and sent West in a Cold War-style swap in 2010.

"I have already said that Skripal is a traitor. He was caught and punished. He spent five years in all in prison. We released him," Putin said. "He left and continued cooperating with some secret services."

Skripal, a former colonel in Russia's military intelligence agency known as the GRU, was convicted of treason in 2006 by a Russian court after being accused of spying for Britain.

Putin also repeated Russian calls for U.S. forces to leave Syria when the extremist group Islamic State (IS) is defeated there, saying that when that happens "there will be no explanation" for a foreign military presence in the war-ravaged country.

He said that "we should all strive" for a situation in which "there are no forces of foreign third countries in Syria at all."

Asked whether Russian forces should also eventually leave, he said that they should if the Syrian government calls for them to do so.

Russia has given President Bashar al-Assad's government crucial support in the more than seven-year war in Syria and says that while U.S. and Turkish forces have not been invited in by the government, the Russian military has.

Putin expressed hope for an improvement in Russia's badly strained relations with the United States but as in the past suggested that the fault lies with Washington -- something U.S. officials dispute, saying aggressive actions by Moscow have harmed ties.

He said he wanted "the obscurantism about Russia's supposed interference" in U.S. elections "to end...so that internal political dirty games do not poison Russian-American relations and negatively influence the situation in the world."

With reporting by Interfax, TASS, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-slams-traitor- sergei-skripal-bastard/29523407.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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Former Russian Spy Finds It Hard to Accept Moscow Tried to Kill Him

By Jamie Dettmer October 03, 2018

Poisoned former spy Sergei Skripal has found it difficult to accept the Russian government tried to have him killed earlier this year, according to a new book published this week by a BBC journalist.

According to reporter Mark Urban, who has interviewed the former spy, Skripal has struggled to come to terms with the nerve-agent assassination bid on him and his daughter, Yulia.

Urban confirms that Skripal briefed Western intelligence services as recently as last year on Russian operations, but the book falls short of explaining why Skripal's former colleagues in the Russian military service, the GRU, decided to try to kill him this year, just weeks before Russian leader Vladimir Putin was campaigning for reelection.

According to interviews in the book, The Skripal Files: The Life and Near Death of a Russian Spy, Skripal did brief the British security services on a1990s-era corruption scheme involving among others Nikolai Patrushev, a top Russian intelligence chief and Putin ally.

Skripal and his daughter survived a nerve-agent attack in March that the British government has blamed on the Kremlin, arguing evidence points to the assassination orders coming from the top of the Russian government.

A local woman not connected to the original attack in the English cathedral town of Salisbury died in July after being exposed to the same toxin, which was contained in a discarded perfume bottle dumped in a trash bin.

Britain, the United States and most European Union countries responded to the Salisbury attack with expulsions of Russian diplomats and financial sanctions on Russia.

The Kremlin denies any involvement in the attack and has maintained variously that the poisoning never happened, that it was carried out by Britain in order to blame Russia or that unknown third parties were responsible.

Skripal was a double agent for British intelligence in the 1990s. In December 2004 he was arrested by Russian authorities, tried, convicted of high treason and sentenced to 13 years in prison. He was included in a 2010 spy swap and settled in Salisbury. Skripal was betrayed by a Russian mole inside Spanish intelligence, Urban writes.

Wednesday, at an energy forum in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin went off script to describe Skripal.

"I see that some of your colleagues are pushing the theory that Mr. Skripal was almost some kind of human rights activist," Putin remarked. "He was simply a spy. A traitor to the motherland. There is such a concept  a traitor to the motherland. He was one of those. He's simply a scumbag, that's all," he added.

In the book, Urban describes several meetings he had with with Skripal in 2017, about nine months before the poisoning. Skripal said he didn't want to be quoted directly, saying, "You see, we are afraid of Putin." Above all, he wanted to avoid offending the Kremlin, so Yulia and his son, Sasha, could visit him without hindrance from Moscow.

And he wasn't completely at odds with the Kremlin when it came to some political and foreign-policy issues, according to Urban, especially over Moscow's relations with Ukraine.

Another big question, the book doesn't answer, is why the attack was so botched, say analysts and intelligence insiders. The Russian intelligence services has a fearsome reputation when it comes to assassination and abductions overseas. But it has had its fair share of bungled missions, too.

But analysts and Western intelligence officials are querying whether the Salisbury attack was just a matter of clumsy spy "tradecraft" or a display of arrogant defiance by the GRU. "Both of the alleged hitmen made little effort to disguise their tracks and used the same aliases and false passports on several trips across Europe," a former British intelligence officer told VOA. "That is either shoddy tradecraft or a demonstration of insouciance," he added.

The British government has publicly identified the men by the aliases it claims the men used, Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov.

Moscow has responded derisively to reports claiming one of the two men suspected of the poisoning is a highly decorated GRU colonel in Russian military intelligence, Anatoly Chepiga, who was awarded the Hero of Russia medal, the country's highest honor.

Chepiga has been spotted in a photograph displayed at his former military academy, according to a report Tuesday by RFE/RL's Russian Service and the open-source investigative consortium Bellingcat. The photograph adds to recent disclosures by Bellingcat that have used data from passport databases, online photographs, and military records to shed light on "Boshirov's" GRU ties.

According to Russian journalist Serhiy Kaniev, who assisted in the Bellingcat investigations, Chepiga may have played a major role in the evacuation to Russia of deposed Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014, during the Maidan protests. Kaniev has claimed Chepiga's wife Galina, with whom the 39-year-old shares two children, also has worked as an undercover agent overseas.

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Demonstration results in policy update and optimized operations

By Corrie Poland, Air Force Operational Energy (SAF/IEN) / Published October 03, 2018

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) -- Thanks to an optimization initiative led by Air Force Operational Energy (SAF/IEN), F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor fighter sorties are now requested to fly closer to the fighters' maximum range airspeed, while still within tanker boom limits, during Coronet missions. The faster speed decreases overall fuel consumption, while saving precious flight hours.

In August 2017, Air Force Operational Energy conducted a proof-of-concept demonstration to show that increased speeds during this type of aircraft redeployment decrease fuel consumption. One cell of F-22s and an accompanying tanker for refueling, flew at a higher airspeed, while the other cell flew the standard profile and acted as a control group. Throughout the five-hour flight, researchers collected multiple data points in order to compare results from both cells. The faster cell was able to cut about 10 percent off the total flight time and 6 percent of the fuel required for this type of aircraft redeployment.

The faster speed parameters are within the Aerial Refueling Flight Envelope for the F-35 and F-22, as well as the KC-135 Stratotanker and the KC-10 Extender. ATP 3.3.4.2 (c), Standards Related Document, 15 May 2018, pp. 8-63, 8-65)

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Liberian president visits Michigan National Guard to honor partnership

By Lt. Col. John Hall and Angela Simpson, Michigan National Guard October 3, 2018

LANSING, Mich. -- The President of Liberia, George Manneh Weah, and his Minister of Defense, Daniel Ziankahn, met with Michigan Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Gregory Vadnais, and members of the Michigan National Guard Friday, Sept. 28 at the Joint Forces Headquarters facility in Lansing to celebrate the friendship between Michigan and Liberia.

Michigan and Liberia have been connected in a special way since 2009 when the Michigan National Guard entered into a partnership with Liberia as part of the National Guard State Partnership Program. In the past ten years Michigan National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have worked closely with members of the Armed Forces of Liberia to construct facilities, implement training protocols and administrative processes, and to strengthen the Armed Forces of Liberia, thus strengthening the security of the country as a whole.

Last May, Vadnais traveled to Liberia specifically to conduct a Senior Leader Engagement with the Armed Forces of Liberia. During the visit, the AFL Chief of Staff requested advice and assistance with an overcrowding issue at the Edward Binyah Kesselly barracks. Overcrowding puts the health of Soldiers at risk, increases fatigue, and can lead to low morale at a time when the newly formed forces need vitality and unity. After a tour, Vadnais committed Michigan National Guard resources to assist the AFL with efforts to alleviate the overcrowding.

After his trip to Liberian earlier this year the Michigan National Guard Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Greg Vadnais said, "By all accounts the Armed forces of Liberia is making outstanding progress across the board. The multi-purpose buildings, the renovated laboratory and the use of solar power to delivery steady, reliable energy will service the AFL, families and community members in and around the Edward Binyah Kesselly barracks and the Armed Forces Training Center for many years to come. There is positive progress everywhere and it is wonderful to see."

Following his meeting with the Michigan Airmen and Soldiers, President Weah, his staff and Maj. Gen. Vadnais met with Michigan Governor Rick Snyder to further honor the relationship.

The Liberian delegation commented that, "The President shared his agenda on agriculture, healthcare delivery, infrastructure development, education and Security and the Rule of Law."

President Weah is in the United States to attend the 73rd United Nations General Assembly with plans to meet with world leaders and potential investors, in addition to honoring the special relationship with Michigan National Guard members. The United Nations visit is his first General Assembly as Head of State of the Republic of Liberia.

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U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Release

No. NR-281-18 October 03, 2018

Readout of Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis' Meeting with German Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen

Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis met with German Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen today in Brussels to reaffirm the long-standing defense relationship between the United States and Germany.

The secretary thanked Minister von der Leyen for her country's commitment to implementing key successes from the NATO Summit in July. They agreed to enhancing NATO readiness, military mobility and command structure reform.

Secretary Mattis thanked Minister von der Leyen for Germany's commitment to the NATO alliance and acknowledged her ongoing efforts to increase defense spending to meet Wales pledge commitments and improve the readiness of Germany's armed forces.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1652915/

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U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Release

No. NR-282-18 October 03, 2018

Readout of Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis' Meeting with Georgia Defense Minister Levan Izoria

Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis met with Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria today in Brussels to reaffirm the long-standing defense relationship between the United States and Georgia.

The secretary thanked Minister Izoria for his country's exemplary defense reforms and contributions to the NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan. They agreed to continue deterring Russian aggression through U.S. security assistance, and support defense initiatives to develop long-term readiness and NATO interoperability.

Secretary Mattis also reinforced long-term U.S. commitment to Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1653169/

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First Saudi Helicopter Arrives at Naval Station Mayport

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS181003-14

Release Date: 10/3/2018 2:47:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brian G. Reynolds, Naval Station Mayport Pubic Affairs Public Affairs

NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- The first of several MH60-R Seahawk helicopters purchased by the Royal Saudi Arabian Navy arrived at Naval Station Mayport Oct. 2, 2018.

The helicopters are part of a training program for Saudi pilots and crew that is expected to last for the next three years.

"This is an exciting day!" said Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Miller, the training officer for the "Airwolves" of Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 40. "This is the first of a series of five aircraft that will be joining us here at HSM 40."

HSM 40, a helicopter squadron based out of Naval Station Mayport, is playing an imperative role in the training of Royal Saudi Naval officers and crewmen.

"We are responsible for providing the training that the foreign military sales office has contracted with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Miller said. "[We will be providing the training] for their 250 plus, pilots, aircrew and maintainers."

The Saudi detachment was excited to receive their new aircraft.

"We've been waiting for this moment for a long time," said Lt. Cmdr. Mazin Alshahrani, the officer in charge of the Saudi detachment. "We appreciate our partnership with the U.S. Navy and especially the squadron, HSM 40."

The MH60-R helicopter that the Royal Saudi Navy received is one of the most advanced helicopters in the world and is capable of a multitude of missions.

"This helicopter is really a game changer," Alshahrani said. "It's the top of the line and one of the best helicopters that the Saudi government will provide our navy and will be the main mission helicopter of our fleet."

Once the detachment is fully trained, 10 aircraft, including five from Mayport, will be shipped to Saudi Arabia where a new squadron will be stood up.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has purchased 10 MH60-R helicopters," Miller said. "Five of those aircraft will be homebased in Mayport for the next three years. [This one] is the first of those aircraft. We expect one more per month for the next four months. The remaining five aircraft will remain in the United States until all of the remaining aircraft are ready to be shipped back to Saudi Arabia to join the Royal Saudi Naval fleet."

The addition of the aircraft and the training of the Saudi naval personnel is a step to promote global security in the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of operations.

"This is a big milestone for us in the partnership," Miller said. "We look forward to providing the highest quality of training to the Kingdom. Once the training program is complete in about three years, we look forward to sending all of the aircraft and personnel back home and strengthening the relationship that both nations have towards global security.

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Guardsmen rescue citizens from rising flood waters

By Staff Sgt. Mary Junell, North Carolina National Guard October 2, 2018

MORRISVILLE, N.C. -- Late on the evening of Sept. 20, Guardsmen working at the Army Aviation Support Facility 1 (AASF1) in Morrisville, North Carolina got the call that citizens in Kelly, N.C. would need to be evacuated.

Hurricane Florence impacted the Carolina coast less than a week before and moved slowly across the state causing many of the waterways, like the Cape Fear River which runs right past Kelly, to overflow their banks.

During the initial evacuation, two Ch-47 Chinook helicopters and three Black Hawk helicopters moved about 100 people who had gathered at the Centerville Church and took them to Kinston, N.C.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 James Suggs, a Black Hawk pilot with the North Carolina National Guard 449th Theater Aviation Brigade, was flying one of the helicopters that helped lift people to safety.

Suggs and his crew had just refueled and were preparing to take three NC Fish and Wildlife officers, who had helped with elderly and wheelchair-bound evacuees, back to Elizabethtown, N.C. when they received another mission.

"Around 1:30 [A.M.] another request call came from the Air Boss," Suggs said. "The call was to recon and rescue survivors in the area just east of Kelly, N.C. There was an unknown number of survivors."

Another Black Hawk from the Maryland National Guard launched with Suggs and his team, as well as the three Fish and Wildlife Officers, whose radios are able to communicate with the radios abroad the aircraft.

"With my knowledge of the radio, I switched us to a common frequency, so we would have communications with the officers on the ground," Suggs said.

The two Black Hawk helicopters landed in a dusty parking lot, next to high-tension power lines, at the edge of the rising flood waters. There were four people and a dog waiting.

Suggs said one of the men waiting told him there were more people, but because of the power being out, they were not sure when to meet the helicopter.

That is when Suggs made a quick decision that helped rescue eight more people from the rising waters.

"People who needed help may not have known we were there to help," he said. "When we got to the scene and there were only four, it just seemed like the right thing to do to make sure everyone got out. With it being my decision as the pilot-in-command, I just said 'Let's do it.'"

Seeing there were far fewer people than should have been at the sight, Suggs asked if a truck in the parking lot belonged to one of the men there to be rescued. He said yes.

"I then directed the three Wildlife Officers to go and gather people together and knocking on doors," said Suggs, who was able to keep in contact with the officers because of the radios they were carrying. "The officers would radio to me in the aircraft the number of people they were gathering and moving toward us."

After 30 minutes on the ground, there were now 12 people and six dogs ready to be lifted out. Suggs also called back to mark the location because some people had not wanted to leave. The next day aircraft were called back out to rescue five more people from the same area.

Suggs said it was not hard to get the N.C. Fish and Wildlife Officers or the rest of his crew to agree to go to people's homes.

"The three Wildlife Officers were more than willing to help and so was the gentleman in need," Suggs said. "It was neighbor helping neighbor, or maybe North Carolinians helping North Carolinians."

Aviation assets from N.C. and 13 other states lifted more than 440 people and 127 animals out of harms in the wake of Hurricane Florence.

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Utah Man Arrested After Suspicious Letters Sent to President, Pentagon

By VOA News October 03, 2018

U.S. officials have arrested a Utah man in connection with suspicious letters mailed to the president and the Pentagon.

William Clyde Allen of Logan, Utah, was arrested Wednesday and accused of mailing the letters that contained castor seeds, from which highly toxic ricin can be derived.

One letter was addressed to President Donald Trump.

"The envelope was not received at the White House, nor did it ever enter the White House," the Secret Service said Tuesday.

Two letters were sent to the Pentagon  one addressed to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, and the other to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson.

They arrived at the Defense Department's mail distribution center near the Pentagon. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency detected the substance during mail screening, so the letters never entered the Pentagon building, officials said.

Ricin is a naturally occurring toxin found in castor beans. If inhaled, ingested or injected in a refined form, ricin can kill a person within 48 hours of exposure. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no antidote for ricin.

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UK Government Accuses Russian Intelligence of Cyberattacks

Sputnik News

02:11 04.10.2018(updated 02:28 04.10.2018)

UK has accused Russian military intelligence of directing cyberattacks basing on work by UK National Cyber Security Centre.

UK government claimed that Russian intelligence agency GRU was responsible for cyberattacks that costed "millions of pounds and sought to undermine national security."

UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt claimed that Russian tries "to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries." He also said that UK government "together with our allies" planned to "expose and respond" to the alleged Russia intelligence actions.

Also, the UK government asserted that Russian intelligence was behind 2017 Badrabbit attack, the 2017 document leak from WADA, the 2016 DNC leak and a hack of a UK TV station.

Previously, the US government accused Russia of meddling in 2016 presidential election by hacking Democratic National Convention servers to leak compromising information. The hacking accusations have been rejected by Moscow, while US President Donald Trump said there was no evidence to suggest election results had been swayed. Similar unfounded accusations have been made in Germany and France.

 Sputnik

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Pompeo to travel to DPRK, meeting with Kim for talks

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:19, October 03, 2018

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. State Department said Tuesday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for further talks concerning the country's denuclearization.

In a press briefing, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that Pompeo will talk with DPRK's top leader, Kim Jong Un, on Sunday.

Pompeo would also travel to Japan, South Korea and China on Oct. 6-8 to brief them about his visit, she added.

Noting that Pompeo is making his fourth trip to the DPRK in less than a year, Nauert said, "we have quite a ways to go but we look forward to the next steps in this conversation."

Refusing to say that talks with the DPRK has been stalled, she said "the secretary and the president said we're not going to set arbitrary deadlines in the interim. We're hopeful."

She added that "among the things that the secretary discussed were security assurances," referring to Pompeo's agenda in the DPRK.

Nauert also said that "obviously these conversations are going in the right direction."

The DPRK on Saturday demanded the United States take steps to secure Pyongyang's trust before its denuclearization.

"Without any trust in the U.S. there will be no confidence in our national security and under such circumstances there is no way we will unilaterally disarm ourselves first," DPRK's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the UN General Assembly.

The key to consolidating peace and security on the Korean Peninsula is to thoroughly implement the joint statement adopted at the historic summit between DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, said Ri.

Speaking before a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in New York recently, Trump announced that himself and Kim will hold a second summit "in the not too distant future."

After a meeting between Pompeo and Ri on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, the State Department announced that Pompeo will travel to the DPRK to discuss the second Trump-Kim summit.

In his speech at the UN General Assembly, Trump thanked Kim "for his courage and for the steps he has taken." But he added that much work remains to be done and that the sanctions against the DPRK will stay in place "until denuclearization occurs."

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Kremlin confirms: Russia to sign India S-400 deal shortly

Iran Press TV

Wed Oct 3, 2018 06:58AM

Russian President Vladimir Putin will on Thursday visit India to personally oversee the signing of an important deal between Moscow and New Delhi for the purchase of five Russian S-400 missile defense systems, the Kremlin has confirmed.

"The president is leaving for India on October 4," Putin's top foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, said on Tuesday.

"The key feature of this visit will be the signing of the agreement to deliver S-400 air defense systems," he said. "The value of the contract will be more than 5 billion dollars."

India's highest security authority approved the $5.43 billion military deal last month.

US opposes deal

The United States has voiced its dissatisfaction with that military procurement. In August, a senior Pentagon official said that the US might impose sanctions against India if the purchase occurred.

Under its current unilateral sanctions against Moscow, Washington could impose bans on third countries if they transact with the Russian defense or intelligence sectors.

The US opposition to India's military transactions with Russia is based on a domestic bill enacted in 2017 and titled the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA.

Target countries subject to secondary US sanctions argue that extraterritorial bans as such are effectively a breach of their sovereignty and contrary to international law.

India has, however, signaled that it will ask Washington for a special waiver from the sanctions, though a US official last week suggested there was no guarantee such waivers would be issued.

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Kremlin Says Putin Will Seal $5 Billion Missile Defense Deal On Trip To India

October 03, 2018

A key achievement of Russian President Vladimir Putin on a trip to India this week will be the signing of a $5 billion deal to supply India with S-400 air-defense systems, a top Kremlin aide has said.

The deal comes despite warnings from the Pentagon that India would run afoul of U.S. sanctions against Russia's military and defense sector if it purchased the sophisticated weapon systems.

Putin is visiting India on October 4-5 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Moscow has been negotiating to sell the S-400 long-range surface-to-air missiles to India for months.

"The key feature of this visit will be the signing of the agreement to deliver S-400 air-defense systems. The value of the contract will be more than $5 billion," Putin's top foreign-policy aide, Yury Ushakov, told reporters in Moscow.

He called Russia's military relationship with India "traditional and long-standing."

But the S-400 sale has raised concern in Washington, which is seeking to develop a defense relationship with India to counter China's growing military presence in Asia, and wants India to reduce its reliance on Russian technology.

Moreover, the Pentagon has warned India that the purchase would violate U.S. sanctions against Russia's military that went into effect this year.

India has signaled it will ask Washington for a special waiver from the sanctions to purchase the S-400 systems. Congress enacted legislation this year that would allow the president to waive the sanctions for countries that are developing defense relationships with Washington.

While U.S. legislators said they had India in mind when they passed the waiver legislation, a senior Pentagon official warned New Delhi last month that there was no guarantee it will get an exemption from the sanctions.

With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kremlin-says-putin -will-seal-5-billion-dollar-s400-missile-defense- deal-trip-to-india/29522578.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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UN court's order on Iran sanctions binding: Foreign Ministry

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Oct 3, IRNA -- The United Nations' top court's order on Iran sanctions is binding for the US and the country should obey it, Iran's Foreign Ministry said.

The US should avoid making obstacles in the way of Iran's financial transactions, according to the International Court of Justice (ICJ)'s decree, the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Wednesday.

According to the ICJ's order, other countries are not forced to follow the anti-Iranian sanctions imposed by the US, he added.

The spokesman noted that the UN court's order is a success for Iran.

The United Nations' top court on Wednesday ordered the United States to lift sanctions on 'humanitarian' goods to Iran that US President Donald Trump re-imposed after pulling out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, dispatches reports said.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) unanimously ruled that Washington 'shall remove by means of its choosing any impediments arising from the measures announced on May 8 to the free exportation to Iran of medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities' as well as airplane parts, said judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf.

The court said sanctions on goods 'required for humanitarian needs... may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran'.

US sanctions on aircraft spare parts also had the 'potential to endanger civil aviation safety in Iran and the lives of its users'.

Trump slapped a first round of sanctions on Iran in August. A second round of punitive measures is due in November.

The ICJ rules on disputes between the United Nations member-states. Its decisions are binding.

Tehran dragged Washington to the ICJ in July, seeking an emergency suspension of the economic sanctions on the grounds that they breached a 1955 'friendship treaty' with the US.

9191**2050

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ICJ ruling another failure for 'sanctions-addicted' US: Zarif

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Oct 3, IRNA -- Iran's foreign minister welcomed the ruling of the United Nations' highest court as 'another failure for sanctions-addicted' US government.

'UN top court rules that US must comply with obligations violated by re-imposing sanctions on Iranian people when exiting #JCPOA,' Mohammad-Javad Zarif wrote in his latest tweet on Wednesday.

ICJ has ruled that the sanctions imposed by the US on Iran are violation of a treaty between the two countries.

'Another failure for sanctions-addicted USG and victory for rule of law. Imperative for int'l community to collectively counter malign US unilateralism,' the foreign minister said.

The Iranian top diplomat had previously used the phrase 'sanctions-addicted' for the US government when it reimposed the sanctions in May after unilaterally withdrawing from the nuclear deal.

The International media have also described the order as a victory for Iran over the US stance.

9156**2044

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Iran biggest military power of region: Leader's advisor

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Oct 3, IRNA -- Iran is actually the biggest military power of the region, said a senior military advisor of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on Wednesday.

'Iran's military forces' defense and assault power is so high that the US, the Zionist regime, and other countries don't dare to attack it,' said Yahya Rahim Safavi in training center in Tehran.

'US' military people are far wiser than its politicians; the scope of disagreement between the Pentagon and the Foggy Bottom can be clearly seen in Iraq and Afghanistan.'

He added that Iran is the strongest military power in western Asia; Iran helped Syria and Iraq to annihilate Daesh, and the US, Saudi Arabia and the Zionists were unsuccessful in toppling Syria's President Bashar al-Assad.

'We taught Syria and Iraq how to organize volunteer forces.'

Referring to the US attempts to disrupt Iran, he said, 'They are after uniting all the opposition groups, including MKO terrorists and the monarchists, as well as using the money from certain Arab states, they try to cause insecurity in Iran.'

'They follow psychological operations in different fields to create mental and psychological insecurity and engage Iran in domestic challenges.'

He also said that the US policies are an iron fist in velvet gloves; they don't keep their promises and commitments. Iran needs to get stronger and stronger everyday to counter those policies.

9417**2050

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Iran hails ICJ order against US

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Oct 3, IRNA -- Iran's foreign ministry in reaction to the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said Wednesday that the decision by the global body is 'an obvious evidence of Iran's righteousness'.

Iran welcomes the ruling of the court as a main judiciary pillar of the United Nations and the preliminary injunction against the illegal US act in re-imposing its unilateral sanctions, Iran's foreign ministry said in the statement.

ICJ has ruled that the sanctions imposed by the US on Iran are violation of a treaty between the two countries.

The US restored the sanctions after withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May.

'The decision that is being issued unanimously is another evident sign of Iran's righteousness and the illegitimate, unjustifiable nature of the US sanctions against the Iranian people,' the statement said.

The international body emphasized that the order is binding and imperative, and said the US must remove the impediments on the way of Iran's trade in particular spheres in line with its international obligations.

The ICJ has also reiterated the importance of Resolution 2231of the UN Security Council that was issued in confirmation of the nuclear deal.

Tehran has also hailed the order that neutralized the US attempts for rejecting the jurisdiction of the court aimed at shrugging off its legal obligations.

In the order, the judiciary body has said that the global public opinion and all independent countries are more determined in displaying their will for respecting international agreements, legal law and the governments' responsibilities under the nuclear deal, the statement of Iran's foreign ministry added.

The ruling showed once more that this is the US government that is increasingly being isolated due to its wrong, extremist policies and greed in dealing with other countries, it said.

9156**2044

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ICJ orders US to lift anti-Iran sanctions

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Oct 3, IRNA -- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday ruled that the sanctions imposed by the US on Iran are violation of a treaty between the two countries.

The ICJ said in its ruling that the court has found out that some sanctions imposed by the US are the violation of some obligations and commitments assumed by the two sides under the Treaty of Amity in 1950s.

The treaty was signed by Tehran and Washington in 1955.

The ruling also stipulated that the sanctions have inflicted economic loss on Iran, particularly in aviation industry. The anti-Iran measures have also impeded supply of food and medicine.

The Hague-based court also ordered the US to lift barriers on the way of exports of medicine, medical equipment, food, and airplanes and the spare parts to Iran, as well as the related examinations and guarantees the respective financial transactions.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif said on July 16 that Iran has filed a lawsuit with the ICJ for the sanctions Washington had imposed on Iran in May.

Tehran argued the measure violates Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights between the two countries signed in 1955.

The treaty comprising of an introduction and 23 articles was signed in Tehran and ratified by then Iranian government. The government was permitted to exchange the related documents, following ratification by Iran's National Consultative Assembly.

Tehran's lawsuits against Washington concern the verdicts that the US courts have issued on the terrorist accusations against Iran being implemented in other countries, as well as the withdrawal and re-imposition of sanctions, said Laya Joneidi, Iranian Deputy President for legal affairs prior to ICJ's hearing sessions.

If the Hague-based court issues a verdict in favor of Iran, it will be likely that all other courts across the world follow the judgment, the Iranian official predicted.

However, it is probable that the US courts, despite the ICJ verdict, still pursue their own decision, but in any case, the judgment will bear international implications for Washington, she said.

The International Court of Justice is the main judicial body of the United Nations that settles the disputes between member states according to the international law and gives advisory information on queries referred to it from UN and specialized agencies.

If the ICJ, in case of the unilateral withdrawal, rules in favor of Iran, the country's position will be strengthened, the Iranian deputy president said, adding that it will be much more difficult for the US to press the companies and countries to stop their cooperation with Tehran.

The ruling will also be a solid legal justification for the companies that wary of doing business with Iran, Joneidi said.

She argued although Iran and the US have had no diplomatic relations over the past 40 years, the 1955 treaty is still valid since neither of the two sides has officially declared any withdrawal from it.

She also noted that the treaty has been cited frequently at IranUnited States Claims Tribunal and the American courts.

Iran's Ambassador to the Netherlands Alireza Jahangiri had earlier said that if the ruling of the ICJ is in favor of Iran, the UN Security Council is responsible for its execution, but the US can veto the ruling.

'If so, the US can be pressured through public opinion,' Jahangiri said.

9156**1771

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UN stage of Iran's diplomacy success, US isolation

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Wed / 3 October 2018 / 16:25

Tehran (ISNA) - Stating that the United States has suffered a great failure in what it has started against Iran since January, Iranian President said, "Today, the United States is isolated in the world and nobody has acknowledge and will accept the American way".

Speaking in cabinet session on Wednesday, Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani said, "Today, the public opinions of the world is on Iran's side and even inside the USA, many consider Iranian politicians and people the right side".

Stating that the United States is making empty threats, he continued, "The US has failed and will fail in achieving its goals. The diplomats of the Islamic Republic of Iran achieved considerable successes in the United Nations General Assembly, which led to US' more isolation".

"An overwhelming majority of the countries throughout the world supported the JCPOA and appreciated Iran's decision to stay in the deal, while condemning US sanctions against Iran as an illegal act," continued the President.

Dr. Rouhani also said, "Violation of international commitments by the US and opposing some international institutions, including Human Rights Council and ICC, and their withdrawal from commercial commitments were what all countries were slamming".

The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran also said, "It was proved that Iran is the committed member and US is the violating member of international regulations".

He added, "The Americans are seeking to undermine Iran's independence and democracy, and are saying that the White House must decide for Iran instead of the Iranian people,"

"Iranians accept dignity and pride, not being US' servant," said the President, continuing, "This is why the United States will face absolute failure in achieving its goals".

Saying that the pressure that the US is putting on the Iranian people is to gain a small political achievement inside US, Rouhani added, "All US was trying was that they were after negotiation at any level to say that pressures made Iran succumb to negotiation".

"Europe has established a special institution for keeping its financial and monetary relations with Iran," said the President, adding, "The European financial institution is an important step and JCPOA's survival depends on normal economic relations with Iran".

Expressing hope for the ICJ to announce a verdict in Iran's favour, Dr. Rouhani said, "Without a doubt, the Islamic Republic of Iran has achieved good successes in political and legal fields, as well as in the public opinions".

"I announce to the dear Iranian nation that the government is working as hard as it can to increase people's welfare and secure the country's interests," continued Rouhani.

He also referred to the "good decisions" made in the recent days to strengthen the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) and said, "It was decided that the CBI have the necessary authority to promptly purchase the foreign currency needed for export".

"The CBI is given full authority to regulate the market, the results of which can be seen in the recent couple of days," he continued.

He added, "Today, our foreign currency reserves are better than any other time. This is a big lie to say that the government is trying to obtain rials by increasing the price of foreign currencies".

Stating that, "Exchange rate must stay real, balanced" he said, "Stores around the country are full; nobody should worry about basic goods".

Appreciating armed forces and the IRGC for giving a decisive response to terrorists, DR Rouhani added, "I have to thank the armed forces and the IRGC for putting the Supreme National Security Council's decisions into action and giving a decisive respond to terrorists who did not show mercy to women, kids and even a 4-year-old child".

"The world should know that we consider those who order terrorists acts as perpetrators of terrorism," he continued, adding, "Iran's response will always be decisive and strong".

Expressing happiness over the good achievements of democracy in Iraq, the President added, "Their election was held and parliament was established in the country, and right now, the President of Iraq has been chosen, forming the government of the country soon. We congratulate the great Iraqi nation on this achievement".

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been willing to promote peace, stability and democracy in the region and today, we are happy that we are witnessing this in Iraq," added Rouhani, saying, "To counter US plots, we're constantly in contact with friendly countries, including EU members, China and Russia".

End Item

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ICJ orders US to lift Iran sanctions linked to humanitarian goods, civil aviation

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Wed / 3 October 2018 / 13:40

Tehran (ISNA) - The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN's top court, has ordered the US to lift sanctions linked to humanitarian goods and civil aviation imposed against Iran.

US President Donald Trump moved to restore sanctions in May after withdrawing from Tehran's nuclear accord with world powers. Iran challenged the sanctions in a case filed in July at the International Court of Justice.

In a preliminary ruling in the case, the court said on Wednesday that Washington must "remove, by means of its choosing, any impediments arising from" the re-imposition of sanctions to the export to Iran of medicine and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities and spare parts and equipment necessary to ensure the safety of civil aviation.

Sanctions on aircraft spare parts had the "potential to endanger civil aviation safety in Iran and the lives of its users", the judges said.

The ruling is a victory for Tehran, which had argued the sanctions imposed since May violate the terms their 1955 Treaty of Amity.

In its decision, the court said that the U.S. sanctions "have the potential to endanger civil aviation safety" in Iran and that sanctions limiting sales of goods required for humanitarian needs such as food, medicines and medical devices "may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran."

The court said that the Trump administration must "ensure that licenses and necessary authorizations are granted" and payments not restricted if they are linked to the humanitarian and aviation goods.

The court also told both the United States and Iran to "refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute."

The ruling by the International Court of Justice is legally binding, but it remains to be seen if the administration of President Donald Trump will comply.

The US is expected to challenge the court's jurisdiction in a future hearing.

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ICJ's ruling another failure for sanctions-addicted US: Zarif

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Wed / 3 October 2018 / 14:37

Tehran (ISNA)  Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javaz Zarif called UN top court ruling another failure for sanctions-addicted US.

"UN top court rules that US must comply with obligations violated by re-imposing sanctions on Iranian people when exiting #JCPOA. Another failure for sanctions-addicted USG and victory for rule of law. Imperative for int'l community to collectively counter malign US unilateralism," Mr. Zarif wrote on his official Twitter account on Wednesday.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN's top court, has ordered the US to lift sanctions linked to humanitarian goods and civil aviation imposed against Iran.

In a preliminary ruling in the case, the court said on Wednesday that Washington must "remove, by means of its choosing, any impediments arising from" the re-imposition of sanctions to the export to Iran of medicine and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities and spare parts and equipment necessary to ensure the safety of civil aviation.

The court also told both the United States and Iran to "refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute."

The ruling is a victory for Tehran, which had argued the sanctions imposed since May violate the terms their 1955 Treaty of Amity.

End Item

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Iran slams US 'outlaw regime' for quitting another treaty

Iran Press TV

Wed Oct 3, 2018 07:13PM

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the United States government has proven its reputation as an "outlaw regime" by quitting yet another international treaty out of spite for Iran.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Wednesday that the US was cancelling the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran, after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Washington to halt the unilateral sanctions it recently re-imposed on "humanitarian" exports to the Islamic Republic.

The treaty established economic relations and consular rights and was signed during the terms of former US President Dwight Eisenhower and former Iranian Prime Minister Hossein Ala.

Iran filed a complaint with the ICJ -- the principal judicial organ of the United Nations -- in July after US President Donald Trump's decision in May to quit the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Trump said back then that he would reinstate sanctions removed as a result of the multilateral accord while introducing tougher sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

The ICJ's top tribunal  known as the World Court -- concluded Wednesday that US assurances that the sanctions won't hurt humanitarian aid "were not adequate."

The Hague-based court then ordered Washington to remove sanctions that impeded "the free exportation to Iran of medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities" as well as airplane parts.

"Another failure for sanctions-addicted USG and victory for rule of law," Zarif wrote in a tweet after the ruling.

Under the JCPOA-- originally signed by the US, the UK, France, China, Russia and Germany-- world's major aircraft makers had been allowed to strike deals with Iran in order to renovate its ageing fleet of passenger planes.

Although the US Congress had blocked almost all of Iran's post-JCPOA civil airplane purchases, Trump's decision to stop implementing the nuclear accord meant that companies like Boeing and Airbus could no longer sell Iran vital airplane components either.

Pompeo defended Washington's withdrawal from the 1955 agreement in a statement, saying the US should have done so decades ago.

"Today marked a useful point with the decision that was made this morning from the ICJ. This marked a useful point for us to demonstrate the absolute absurdity of the Treaty of Amity between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran." he said.

The ICJ's rulings are legally binding and non-apealable.

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'Russia standing by Iran's side as sanctions return'

Iran Press TV

Wed Oct 3, 2018 06:37PM

Russia says it remains determined to continue cooperating with Iran even if new US sanctions are slapped against the country.

"If new sanctions are imposed, we will continue our cooperation," Russian media quoted Energy Minister Alexander Novak as saying in Moscow. "We are interested in continuing our cooperation with Iran, which is our long-term economic partner. Certainly, we need to further find the forms of cooperation to fulfill joint projects," he added.

Novak said he constantly maintains contact with Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Namdar Zangeneh over issues of mutual concern.

Last month, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow and Beijing were working together with the European Union to counter US sanctions.

Ryabkov said a special agenda had also been devised to counter Washington's efforts to undermine a 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran  the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

President Vladimir Putin has said Russia is prepared to continue its oil investment in Iran at the level of $50 billion in the face of US plans to reimpose sanctions on the Iranian oil and gas sector on November 4.

Iran and Russia have yet to implement an oil-for-goods scheme originally signed in 2014 and extended for five more years in April, which calls for Iranian crude exports of up to 500,000 barrels per day in return for Russian goods.

The scheme includes Iran's use of Russian machinery, equipment and installations Iran needs in its strategic petroleum, mining, construction and transportation sectors.

A tentative arrangement calls for swapping around 300,000 barrels per day of Iranian crude oil via the Caspian Sea and the rest from the Persian Gulf.

In May, US President Donald Trump said he would pull America out of the JCPOA and re-impose sanctions against Iran.

The first wave of sanctions  that would return on August 6  would include a universal ban on Iran's access to the US dollar as well as prohibitions against the country's trade in gold and other precious metals among other restrictions.

The second wave of sanctions that would hit in November would be meant to bring Iran's oil exports to zero, as US officials have already acknowledged.

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Rouhani hails revenge attack on terrorists in Syria, warns of more action

Iran Press TV

Wed Oct 3, 2018 05:12PM

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has praised the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) for taking befitting revenge for a terrorist attack in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, saying the Islamic Republic will give a crushing and firm response to any act of aggression or terror.

"The world should know that we regard masterminds and instigators of terrorist [attacks] as terror perpetrators and as terrorist agents are condemned and we deal with them, the planners are condemned too, and we will confront them and they are doomed to failure," Rouhani said during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The IRGC said on Monday that it had hit the gatherings of the ringleaders of the recent terror attack in Ahvaz with several surface-to-surface ballistic missiles in an area to the east of the river Euphrates, near Albu Kamal town on Syria's eastern border with Iraq.

The operation, dubbed The Muharram Strike, saw the IRGC's Aerospace Force fire a total of "six medium-range ballistic missiles" from western Iran at targets 570 kilometers (355 miles) away, it said.

The IRGC said the attack was a response to the "cowardly" act of terror during a military parade in Ahvaz on September 22, which killed 25 people and injured 69 others.

Rouhani said in the cabinet meeting that the fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran "firmly, accurately and in a short time targets the [commanding] center of terrorists indicates that if the low-ranking agents of a terrorist group in Iran do something, then we will be targeting the architects, the main group and their commanding center."

On the sidelines of the cabinet meeting, Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami also hailed the IRGC's missile attack on positions of terrorists in eastern Syria and warned those who might think about targeting Iran.

"Those who might take a measure against the security of the Iranian nation should await a harsh, crushing response," General Hatami said.

On his visit to New York to attend the 73rd UN General Assembly meeting, Rouhani said the recently held UNGA was the scene of his country's diplomatic success and the US's isolation.

"This time the US was isolated more than ever and Iran was respected by the world public opinion and politicians more than any time due to its correct and accurate behavior," he said.

Rouhani added that "the world public opinion now supports Iran and even in the United States, many politicians and ordinary people believe that Iran is on the right track and they do not favor the US government's measures."

He said the US measures in the economic sector have harmed all European countries, Iran and even Washington itself, referring to the US's re-imposition of sanctions following its withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Rouhani said the "overwhelming majority of countries supported the JCPOA and appreciated the efforts of the Islamic Republic of Iran to maintain the agreement, and most countries condemned US sanctions against Iran and considered it illegal."

Rouhani also praised a "big step" by Europe to form a special body toward maintaining businesses with Iran after the new US unilateral sanctions on Tehran.

He, however, said that Iran expected more practical measures to protect the JCPOA and benefit from it, including perfectly normal economic ties.

US President Donald Trump announced in May that Washington was pulling out of JCPOA, which lifted nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on Tehran's nuclear program.

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.

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US cancels 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran after UN court ruling

Iran Press TV

Wed Oct 3, 2018 04:35PM

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Washington is canceling a 1955 treaty with Tehran after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered the United States to halt the unilateral sanctions it recently re-imposed on "humanitarian" supplies to Iran.

"I'm announcing that the United States is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran, this is a decision that is 39 years overdue," Pompeo told reporters Wednesday at the State Department.

"In July, Iran brought a meritless case in the International Court of Justice alleging violations of the Treaty of Amity," Pompeo said.

"We're disappointed that the court failed to recognize that it has no jurisdiction to issue any order relating to these sanctions measures with the United States, which is doing its work on Iran to protect its own essential security interests," he added.

"Iran has attempted to interfere with the sovereign rights of the United States to take lawful actions as necessary to protect our national security and Iran is abusing the ICJ for political and propaganda purposes," the top American diplomat said.

He claimed the United States would work to ensure it is providing humanitarian assistance to the Iranian people.

The Hague-based court, which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, announced its ruling on Wednesday regarding the July lawsuit brought by Tehran against Washington's decision to re-impose unilateral sanctions following the US exit from the 2015 nuclear deal.

The decisions of the ICJ  which rules on disputes between UN member states  are legally binding and cannot be appealed.

Iran's lawsuit argued that the sanctions violate the terms of the 1955 Treaty of Amity between Iran and the US. It also called on the court to order Washington to immediately suspend the measures.

The treaty established economic relations and consular rights and was signed during the terms of former US President Dwight Eisenhower and former Iranian Prime Minister Hossein Ala.

In May, US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the 2015 nuclear agreement, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), despite objections from the other signatories to the accord.

In August, he re-imposed the first round of sanctions on Iran. The second phase of US bans will come into effect next month.

In a post on his Twitter account on July 16, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the ICJ complaint challenged the US "unlawful re-imposition of unilateral sanctions."

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Victory for Iran: Highest UN court orders US to suspend sanctions

Iran Press TV

Wed Oct 3, 2018 08:36AM

In a victory for Tehran against Washington, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered the United States to halt the unilateral sanctions it recently re-imposed on "humanitarian" supplies to Iran.

The Hague-based court, which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, announced its ruling on Wednesday regarding the July lawsuit brought by Tehran against Washington's decision to re-impose unilateral sanctions following the US exit from the the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran's lawsuit argued that the sanctions violate the terms of the 1955 Treaty of Amity between Iran and the US. It also called on the court to order Washington to immediately suspend the measures.

On Wednesday, the UN's top tribunal  known as the World Court -- unanimously ruled that the US must ensure that the re-imposed sanctions do not impact humanitarian aid or civil aviation safety.

According to the verdict, which was read out by Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, Washington "shall remove by means of its choosing any impediments arising from the measures announced on May 8 to the free exportation to Iran of medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities" as well as airplane parts.

The court further said that sanctions on goods "required for humanitarian needs... may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran."

US sanctions on aircraft spare parts also had the "potential to endanger civil aviation safety in Iran and the lives of its users," it added.

The decisions of the ICJ  which rules on disputes between UN member states  are legally binding and cannot be appealed.

In a post on his Twitter account on July 16, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the complaint challenged the US "unlawful re-imposition of unilateral sanctions."

"Iran is committed to the rule of law in the face of US contempt for diplomacy & legal obligations. It's imperative to counter its habit of violating int'l law," he tweeted.

In May, Trump pulled his country out of the 2015 nuclear agreement, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), despite objections from the other signatories to the accord.

In August, he re-imposed the first round of sanctions on Iran. The second phase of US bans will come into effect next month.

Defeat for 'sanctions-addicted' US

Meanwhile, Tehran has welcomed the ruling by the 15-member panel of justices, saying it once again indicted Iran's "righteous" position against the hostile US policies.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif described the verdict as yet another defeat for the "sanctions-addicted" US government.

Iran's Foreign Ministry also issued a statement, saying the decision "proved once again that the Islamic Republic of Iran is right, and that US sanctions against people and citizens of our country are illegitimate and cruel."

It also showed that "the US government is growing more isolated day by day due to its wrong and extremist policies and as a result of its own excessive demands from other countries," the statement added.

Tehran further called on Washington to abandon its unpleasant addiction to imposing cruel and illegal sanctions against other people and act as a responsible member of the international community.

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Europe's will to save Iran deal must translate into action: Zarif

Iran Press TV

Wed Oct 3, 2018 07:22AM

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expresses satisfaction with ongoing European efforts to keep the 2015 nuclear deal in place despite the US exit, but says such political will should in the end translate into workable "mechanisms" aimed at ensuring Tehran's interests.

In an interview with the BBC on Tuesday, Zarif praised the European signatories to the nuclear agreement for defying US President Donald Trump's pressure and standing by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- a binding international agreement.

Zarif said UK Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron "and everybody else said that we are committed" to the JCPOA and to making sure that "Iran enjoys the economic dividends of the deal."

"The Europeans probably made better commitments than anybody expected," said the minister.

Zarif, however, said, making commitments alone are not enough, and called on Iran's European partners to put into action their political will to neutralize the anti-Iran bans re-imposed by Washington.

Europeans should work "to translate those political commitments into mechanisms and I believe those mechanisms are going to be in place. Now the next test -- which is the most important and difficult test -- is to see whether those mechanisms work," he said.

"We are going to be a little bit more patient," Zarif added.

Back in May, Trump pulled Washington out of the JCPOA despite objections from the other parties.

Besides re-imposing the anti-Iran sanctions it had lifted under the accord, the Trump administration has also been seeking to discourage the European firms from doing business with Iran by threatening them with penalties.

But the other signatories have vowed to try and protect their business links with Iran in the face of US sanctions and keep the JCPOA alive.

Months after scrapping the Iran deal, the US president offered to hold talks with President Hassan Rouhani. Tehran rejected that offer, saying it will not sit at the negotiating table with Washington under pressure and threats.

Intl. relations 'not about falling in love'

Elsewhere in his interview, Zarif was asked whether a summit between President Trump and President Rouhani, would be impossible.

"Well, nothing is impossible," he replied. "But the outcome of President Trump's summit with President Rouhani would be a photo opportunity and a two-page document."

"We have a 150-page documentwhich was negotiated word by word not only by Iran and the United States, but by six other powers. And having negotiated that deal and having been involved in this process for a very long time, I can assure President Trump that the US will not get a better deal," he said.

Asked about Trump's comments about falling "in love" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Zarif said that international relations are not about falling in love, but about "respecting obligations."

"The nuclear deal is not a personal deal between myself and John Kerry or president Obama and President Rouhani. It is an international agreement between seven countries and the European Union, which is included in a Security Council resolution," he pointed out.

"The United States negotiated a deal. You know what happened in the United States when Trump came to office was not a revolution; it was simply a change of administration," Zarif added.

Separately on Tuesday, the Iranian foreign minister addressed a UN meeting in New York on the JCPOA, where he highlighted the importance of multilateralism.

He emphasized that the Islamic Republic would never tolerate threats, and that pressure would not bring the country to the negotiating table.

Washington's use of sanctions has undermined the US dollar in the international financial system, he added.

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U.S. Terminates 1955 'Friendship' Treaty With Iran After UN Court Ruling

RFE/RL October 03, 2018

The United States says it is canceling a decades-old friendship treaty with Iran after Tehran cited it in an international court case against Washington's sanctions policy.

"I'm announcing that the US is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran. This is a decision, frankly, that is 39 years overdue," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters on October 3, referring to the year of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

After the announcement, Tehran slammed the United States as an "outlaw regime."

The U.S. move came after the top UN court ordered the United States to ease sanctions it reimposed on Iran following Washington's withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and world powers earlier this year.

The 1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights called for "friendly relations" between Iran and the United States, encouraged mutual trade and investment, regulated diplomatic ties, and granted the International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction over disputes.

It was signed at a time of close relations between Washington and Tehran, long before the 1979 revolution brought about decades of hostility between the two.

In August, Washington slapped a first round of punitive measures on Iran after President Donald Trump in May pulled the United States out of the 2015 nuclear deal aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

The U.S. moves sent Iran's economy into a downward spiral with the national currency, the rial, hitting record lows.

Iran challenged the reinstatement of sanctions in a case filed in July at the ICJ in The Hague, arguing that it breaches the friendship treaty between the two countries and accusing the United States of "economic aggression."

U.S. lawyers responded by saying the reimposition of the sanctions was legal and a national security measure that cannot be challenged at the UN court.

In a preliminary ruling in the case, the ICJ said earlier on October 3 that exports of "humanitarian" goods such as medicines and medical devices, food, and agricultural commodities" should be allowed, as well as aviation safety equipment.

It said the U.S. sanctions on such goods breached the 1955 treaty between Iran and the United States.

Announcing the decision, the court's president, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, said U.S. sanctions on goods "required for humanitarian needs...may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran."

Sanctions on aircraft spare parts, equipment, and associated services have the "potential to endanger civil aviation safety in Iran and the lives of its users," he also said.

The ruling is a decision on so-called provisional measures ahead of a final decision on the matter, which may take several years, according to experts.

Speaking to reporters, Pompeo said the ruling "marked a useful point for us to demonstrate the absolute absurdity of the Treaty of Amity between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran."

He also said the United States was "disappointed" that the ICJ "failed to recognize that it has no jurisdiction to issue any order relating to these sanctions measures with the United States, which is doing its work on Iran to protect its own essential security interests."

The secretary of state said that Iran's claims under the treaty were "absurd," citing Iran's "history of terrorism, ballistic-missile activity, and other malign behaviors," and accused Tehran of "abusing the ICJ for political and propaganda purposes."

Pompeo added that the United States will work to ensure it is providing humanitarian assistance to the Iranian people.

"Today US withdrew from an actual US-Iran treaty after the ICJ ordered it to stop violating that treaty in sanctioning Iranian people. Outlaw regime," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif later tweeted.

Earlier, Zarif called the court decision "another failure for sanctions-addicted" U.S. government and "victory for rule of law."

And the Foreign Ministry said the ruling "proved once again the Islamic Republic is right and the U.S. sanctions against people and citizens of our country are illegal and cruel."

The U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands, Peter Hoekstra, said it was "a meritless case over which the court has no jurisdiction."

He added that the ruling did not go as far as Iran had requested, saying the court "issued a narrow decision on a very limited range of sectors."

The ICJ rules on disputes between UN member states. Its decisions are binding and cannot be appealed, but it has no mechanism to enforce them.

Both Washington and Tehran have ignored ICJ decisions in the past.

Later in the day, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton announced that the administration was pulling out of an amendment to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that gives the ICJ jurisdiction to hear disputes between states.

Bolton also told a White House briefing that Washington will review all international agreements that "may still expose the United States to purported binding jurisdiction, dispute resolution" in the ICJ.

"We will not sit idly by as baseless politicized claims are brought against us," he said.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-terminates-1955-friendship-treaty- with-iran-after-un-court-ruling/29523774.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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Federal Judge Curtis Collier on Wednesday, at the close of a day of testimony and legal arguments, ruled against defense motions seeking lesser penalties for former Pilot Travel Centers employees Scott "Scooter" Wombold and Heather Jones.

The judge was to hear additional arguments on Thursday seeking downward departures and variances in their behalf.

Wombold, former Pilot vice president, and Ms. Jones, an office account representative, were earlier convicted along with former Pilot president Mark Hazelwood by a Chattanooga jury. Wombold was found guilty of a single count of wire fraud. Ms. Jones was found guilty of fraud conspiracy against trucking companies.

Judge Collier said he accepted an expert witness's calculation that the loss amount attributable to actions of Wombold was $4.3 million and to Ms. Jones was $5.4 million. However, he said he believed that the amount for Ms. Jones "overstates her culpability."

He said Ms. Jones "had the great misfortune of working for the most prolific fraudster" - Brian Mosher, who dealt directly with trucking companies. Mosher and others promised rebates to trucking firms, but paid them less than was promised.

The defense played portions of secretly-recorded government tapes they said showed Wombold in a good light. In one, employee John Verble said Wombold "seems like a good person." Vince Greco, a Pilot employee who was working undercover for the government, said, "He's a very nice person."

In another Wombold said he was uncomfortable that he and others were being paid millions and "20,000 employees don't have benefits." He said if he and others made less "then we could make sure that Sally doing her 12 hours - a single mom with three kids - has benefits." He said, "I'd make a little less" to insure the benefits.

Judge Collier noted that Pilot wound up repaying the trucking firms $57 million.

Hazelwood last week was sentenced to 12 and one-half years in federal prison. He is still on home confinement in Knoxville and is to report after Thanksgiving.
Top UN Court Orders U.S. To Ease Iran Sanctions

October 03, 2018

The top UN court on October 3 ordered the United States to ease sanctions it reimposed on Iran after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and world powers earlier this year.

Washington slapped a first round of punitive measures on Iran in August after pulling out in May from the Iran nuclear deal aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Iran challenged the move in a case filed in July at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

In a preliminary ruling in the case, the ICJ said that exports of "humanitarian" goods such as medicines and medical devices, food, and agricultural commodities" should be allowed, as well as aviation safety equipment.

Announcing the decision, the court's president, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, said U.S. sanctions on goods "required for humanitarian needs...may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran."

Sanctions on aircraft spare parts, equipment, and associated services have the "potential to endanger civil aviation safety in Iran and the lives of its users," he also said.

The ruling is a decision on so-called provisional measures ahead of a final decision on the matter, which may take several years, according to experts.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the court decision "another failure for sanctions-addicted" U.S. government and "victory for rule of law."

The U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands, Peter Hoekstra, said it was "a meritless case over which the court has no jurisdiction."

He added that the ruling did not go as far as Iran had requested, saying the court "issued a narrow decision on a very limited range of sectors."

During the court hearings in August, Iran's lawyers accused the United States of "economic aggression" and argued that the U.S. sanctions breach a 1955 friendship treaty between Washington and Tehran.

U.S. lawyers responded that the reimposition of the sanctions was legal and a national security measure that cannot be challenged at the UN court.

Iran's economy plunged into a downward spiral with the national currency, the rial, hitting record lows, following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pull the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal.

The ICJ rules on disputes between UN member states. Its decisions are binding and cannot be appealed, but it has no mechanism to enforce them.

Both Washington and Tehran have ignored ICJ decisions in the past.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/un-court-orders-u-s-to-lift-iran-sanctions -on-humanitarian-aid-aviation-safety/29523250.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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Iranian FM Slams US as 'Outlaw Regime' Over Withdrawal From 1955 Treaty of Amity

Sputnik News

18:04 03.10.2018(updated 20:25 03.10.2018)

Explaining the move of Washington, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo once again slammed the Islamic Republic, calling it a threat to the American mission in Iraq.

Addressing the words of the US State Secretary, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif harshly criticized Washington.

"US abrogated JCPOA a multilateral accord enshrined in UNSC Resolution 2231- arguing that it seeks a bilateral treaty with Iran. Today US withdrew from an actual US-Iran treaty after the ICJ ordered it to stop violating that treaty in sanctioning Iranian people. Outlaw regime," Zarif stated on his Twitter.

Previously, Mike Pompeo declared that Washington cancelled the agreement because of the Iranian policies.

"I'm announcing that the United States is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran," Pompeo announced, noting that the Islamic Republic abused the agreement for years.

According to the official, the closure of the US consulate in the Iraqi city of Basra was caused by the threats from Iran and Iran-backed militants.

"Iran is the origin of the current threat to Americans in Iraq," Pompeo told reporters. "Our intelligence in this regard is solid. We can see the hand of the ayatollah and his henchmen supporting these attacks on the United States."

He also stated that the United States would provide humanitarian help to Iran, stressing, however, that Tehran wasting the money instead of helping Iranian people.

"We are working closely with the Department of Treasury to ensure that certain humanitarian transactions involving Iran can and will continue," Pompeo told journalists.

Russian Missile Defense in Syria

Addressing the Syrian crisis, Pompeo said that the United States would not reveal its plans on the issue.

"I am certainly not gonna comment on our intention on how we will address that, but my comments before were true Having the Russians deliver the S-300 in Syria presents a greater risk to all those in the affected areas and to the stability in the Middle East. We consider this to be a very serious escalation," he explained.

Earlier in October, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russia had finished the delivery of 49 units of S-300s to Syria, adding that the personnel would be ready to operate the missile defense soon.

The decision to boost the security of the Russian troops in Syria was made following the downing of Russia's Il-20 military aircraft. Moscow has blamed the downing on the Israeli Air Force, stressing that an Israeli fighter jet had used the Il-20 as a shield against Syrian air defenses, causing the deaths of 15 Russian servicemen.

 Sputnik

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EU Plan for Transactions With Iran is Important Step to Preserve JCPOA - Rouhani

Sputnik News

16:34 03.10.2018

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - An EU mechanism to facilitate transactions with Tehran is an important step toward preserving the Iran nuclear deal in the light of the United States' withdrawal and reinstatement of sanctions, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.

"Europe has established a special institution for keeping its financial and monetary relations with Iran. The European financial institution is an important step and JCPOA's survival depends on normal economic relations with Iran," Rouhani said, as quoted by his press service.

The statement of the Iranian President referred to the words of EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini and foreign ministers of the five other remaining signatories to the nuclear deal, who had announced the decision to establish a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in September. According to the European politicians, it would facilitate legitimate transactions with Iran, related to the country's exports, including oil, and imports.

The SPV was a response to Washington's sanctions against Tehran, with the first round of restrictions reinstated in August, while the second to take effect on November 5.

On May 8, US President Donald Trump announced the United States' withdrawal from the JCPOA. Trump said the United States would re-impose the previously lifted sanctions against Tehran, including secondary sanctions that target countries doing business with Iran. Other parties to the nuclear deal  Russia, China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the European Union  have opposed the US decision and pledged to maintain ties with Tehran.

 Sputnik

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UN Court Rules US Must Suspend Sanctions Linked to Humanitarian Aid to Iran

Sputnik News

11:47 03.10.2018(updated 13:23 03.10.2018)

Judges from the International Court of Justice, the highest tribunal at the United Nations, have handed a victory to Tehran, who has claimed that US sanctions imposed in May violate the terms their 1955 Treaty of Amity.

The International Court of Justice has demanded the US suspend sanctions on Iran related to humanitarian aid and spare parts supplies for civil aviation.

Washington must "remove, by means of its choosing, any impediments arising from" the re-imposition of sanctions to the export to Iran of medicine and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities and spare parts and equipment necessary to ensure the safety of civil aviation, the court said in a preliminary ruling in the case.

"Both Parties shall refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or make it more difficult to resolve," the ICJ said.

Iran has welcomed the UN court's ruling, emphasizing that it proves the US sanctions against Iranians are "cruel and illegal," Tasnim news reported.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran, welcoming the ICJ's decision and its preliminary ruling regarding the illegal step by the US government that reinstated unilateral sanctions after the country's withdrawal from the nuclear deal, believes the court's decision is another clear confirmation that Iran is right, and that American sanctions against our country's people are illegal and cruel," the ministry said.

In the complaint, Iran stated that the United States had violated the Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights signed in 1955 by the two states.

The US declared the reinstatement of the sanctions after withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly referred to as the Iranian nuclear deal in May, blaming Tehran for not complying with the deal.

Washington's sanctions have impacted not only Iran but countries that have trade relations with Tehran as well. And although the European Union has not accepted the reinstatement of the sanctions, European countries have become cautious of dealing with Iran.

In August, the first round of US sanctions against Iran was reinstated. US President Donald Trump said during a speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that the next round of restrictions will be re-imposed on Iran on November 5, after which Washington will introduce more sanctions against Tehran.

 Sputnik

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US Ends 1955 'Treaty of Amity' With Iran

By Steve Herman October 03, 2018

The United States is pulling out of a 1955 treaty with Iran in response to the International Court of Justice ordering the United States to lift sanctions on Tehran involving medicine, food and airplane parts.

The Treaty of Amity established economic relations and consular rights between the two countries.

The withdrawal marks the latest indication of escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.

"Our dispute is with the ayatollahs who have taken Iran from a respected position in the international community to being a rogue state, our dispute has never been with the people of Iran," National Security Adviser John Bolton told reporters at the White House.

"Our policy is not regime change, but we do expect substantial change in their behavior," added Bolton, explaining that the administration of President Donald Trump, after reimposing sanctions on Tehran, will "do whatever else is necessary to ensure we bring maximum pressure to stop its malign behavior across the board."

Iran had complained to the U.N. court that the move by Washington to reimpose sanctions, which had been lifted under the 2015 international nuclear agreement, violated the 1955 treaty.

The court said in a Wednesday ruling U.S. sanctions could endanger civil aviation safety in Iran and the measures affecting food, medicine and medical devices could have detrimental impacts on the health and lives of Iranians.

The ruling directed the United States to "remove, by any means of its choosing, any impediments" affecting the free import of products in those sectors. It further called on both countries to "refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the court or make it more difficult to resolve."

The court's rulings are binding, but it has no means to enforce them.

Iran's foreign minister welcomed the court's decision, tweeting that the ICJ decision is a "victory for the rule of law" over an "outlaw regime."

Bolton sees it differently, telling reporters the court ruling is "a defeat for Iran" as "it correctly rejected nearly all of Iran's requests, but we are disappointed that the ICJ failed to recognize that is has no jurisdiction to issue any order with respect to sanctions the United States imposes to protect its own essential security under the treaty."

At the State Department prior to Bolton's remarks, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters "Iran is abusing the ICJ for political and propaganda purposes."

Pompeo added that "given Iran's history of terrorism, ballistic missile activity, and other malign behaviors, Iran's claims under the treaty are absurd."

The U.S. reimposition of sanctions on Iran came after Trump in May declared Tehran non-compliant with the 2015 multinational deal that had brought sanctions relief in exchange for limiting its nuclear program.

The U.N. atomic energy agency, which is in charge of monitoring the agreement, has reported Iran is in compliance of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Agreement, signed between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany).

Iran is not dismantling its nuclear programs and reports indicate it is actually increasing them, according to Bolton.

Responding to a claim by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran has a "secret atomic warehouse" and the International Atomic Energy Agency should inspect the site, the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, Yukio Amano, replied "the agency sends inspectors to sites and locations only when needed. The agency uses all safeguards relevant to information available to it but it does not take any information at face value."

Asked by VOA about the Israeli claim and the IAEA response, Bolton termed "extremely impressive" the evidence obtained by Israel.

"We've been very supportive of the Israeli effort and supportive of the IAEA taking new steps to follow up on it," said Bolton.

The IAEA repeatedly has indicated that Iran remains in compliance with the nuclear deal.

The national security adviser also announced the Trump administration is reviewing all other international agreements that could expose it to binding decisions by the ICJ.

"We will commence a review of all international agreements that may still expose the United States to purported binding jurisdiction, dispute resolution in the International Court of Justice," Bolton said. "The United States will not sit idly by as baseless politicized claims are brought against us."

One immediate withdrawal ordered by Trump, according to Bolton, is the optional protocol on dispute resolution to the Vienna Convention.

"This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called State of Palestine naming the United States as a defendant, challenging our move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," explained Bolton. "I'd like to stress the United States remains a party to the underlying Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and we expect all other parties to abide by their international obligations under the convention."

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New Iraqi Prime Minister Charged With Forming New Government

October 03, 2018

Iraq's new president has moved quickly to install veteran Shi'ite politician Adel Abdul-Mahdi as prime minister, charged with forming a new government nearly five months after national elections were held.

Abdul-Mahdi is an independent who previously served as vice president, oil minister, and finance minister. He is not allied with either of the two Shi'ite-led blocs that each claim to have the most support after May's elections, in which no party won an outright majority.

He was previously a member of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, a large Shi'ite party with close ties to Iran.

Abdul-Mahdi was tasked with forming a new government by Barham Salih, a Kurdish politician who was elected to the largely ceremonial role of president in a parliamentary vote earlier on October 2.

Under an unofficial agreement dating back to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, Iraq's presidency is held by a Kurd, while the prime minister is Shi'a, and the parliament speaker is Sunni.

The prime minister-designate will have 30 days to submit his cabinet to parliament. Iraq held elections May 12.

Two Shi'ite-led blocs since the elections have claimed to have the most seats and therefore the right to form a government. One is led by the current prime minister, Haidar al-Abadi, and includes supporters of populist Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose followers won the most votes in the election.

The other bloc includes state-sanctioned militias, many of which are backed by Iran, as well as former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Maliki is one of Iran's most prominent allies in Iraq while Abadi was seen as the preferred candidate of the United States. Sadr portrays himself as a nationalist who rejects both U.S. and Iranian influence in Iraq.

Abdul-Mahdi emerged as a consensus candidate for prime minister among the Shi'ite factions.

Based on reporting by AP, dpa, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/new-iraqi-prime-minister- charged-with-forming-new-government/29522698.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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In Iraq, UN welcomes new President, and Prime Minister-designate, calls for 'truly representative' new cabinet

3 October 2018 - The United Nations Special Representative for Iraq, Jan Kubis, on Wednesday, welcomed the designation of a new Prime Minister, Adel Abdel-Mahdi, and urged political leaders to promote women's meaningful representation in politics.

"As the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the United Nations family in Iraq congratulate Mr. Abdel-Mahdi on his appointment, we recognise the enormous challenges he faces," said Mr. Kubis, adding that "we stand side by side with him, as he leads the country in its steady march towards a future of stability, economic growth and prosperity."

In a statement issued later, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, also congratulated Iraq's new President, Barham Salih, after his swearing-in on Tuesday, saying that he was looking forward to "working closely" with him, "on all issues of mutual concern, in accordance with the mandate of the United Nations in Iraq."

Since the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein was toppled following the 2003 invasion, the country's three largest ethnic-sectarian groups have shared the country's highest positions, with the Prime Minister position held by a Shia politician, the Speaker of Parliament post by a Sunni, and the Presidency by a Kurd.

Ending months of deadlock following inconclusive national elections in May, the new Prime Minister  a former Vice- President, Oil Minister and Finance Minister  has one month to form a cabinet that will be presented to parliament for approval.

In this regard, Mr. Kubis urged political leaders to live up to their pledges on women's meaningful representation in politics.

"Iraq needs a stable, national government that brings Iraqis together and restores hope in their country as they move forward in the post-Da'esh period," said Mr. Kubis. "This government should be formed well within the constitutional timeline, should be professional, competent, truly representative and inclusive of women in cabinet posts".

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Putin Signs Unpopular Bill Raising Retirement Ages By Five Years

RFE/RL's Russian Service October 03, 2018

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law an unpopular bill raising the retirement age by five years, the Kremlin said.

The October 3 announcement came hours after the upper chamber of Russia's parliament passed the legislation, with 149 members of the Federation Council voting in favor. Five voted against and three abstained.

In late September the lower chamber, the State Duma, passed the pension-reform bill after approving Putin's proposal to limit the increase for women to five years instead of the eight years the legislation initially called for.

The legislation will gradually raise the retirement age for women from 55 to 60 and for men from 60 to 65.

The bill was introduced a month after Putin was sworn in for his fourth presidential term, which may be his last because the constitution bars him from running again in 2024.

Experts have warned for years that a combination of factors including life expectancy, the labor force, and long-term budget forecasts require immediate changes to Russia's pension system.

But Putin and his government had held off on seeking changes during his previous terms in office.

In June, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced that the government was submitting legislation that would increase the retirement age.

The plan swiftly led to protests and dented Putin's approval rating despite several weeks of efforts to distance himself from the idea.

Putin finally weighed in with a televised address to the nation on August 29, proposing that the retirement age for women be raised to 60 rather than 63.

With reporting by Dozhd and TASS

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-s-federation -council-approves-unpopular-bill-on-retirement- age-increase/29523214.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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'Most Plausible Conclusion': NATO Sec Gen Alleges Russia Breached INF Treaty

Sputnik News

18:37 03.10.2018(updated 18:41 03.10.2018)

NATO chief announced that the Defense Ministers gathered in Belgium will address "concerns about Russia's violations of the INF Treaty."

Even though the allegations by the US and NATO of Russia's alleged breach of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty have not been supported by evidence, Jens Stoltenberg appeared fully prepared to deal with the matter.

"I expect that this issue will be raised at the Defence Ministerial. It was discussed at the Summit in July, and now we are following up with a clear message to Russia that they have to come into full, transparent and verifiable compliance of the INF Treaty. That's our focus now, and we'll continue to push for that," Stoltenberg said during his doorstep statement at the Defense Ministers Meeting in Brussels on October 3.

Violations of the INF Treaty highlight the importance of intelligence and the need for NATO to ensure "effective, verifiable arms control," Stoltenberg told reporters.

He called the treaty a cornerstone of European security and recalled an arms race in Europe back in the '70s and '80s.

He accused Russia of not complying with the INF treaty in a "transparent and verifiable way," which led the alliance to believe that Moscow is breaching the agreement.

The North Atlantic Alliance is convinced that Moscow started deploying ground-based cruise missiles 9M729 (NATO designation SSC-8) allegedly in violation of the INF treaty.

"A missile they for a long time denied existed, now they have admitted that the missile exists, and therefore we have called on them to answer our questions. And as long as they don't answer our questions, the most plausible conclusion is that this is a violation of the INF Treaty," Stoltenberg said.

Russia's Foreign Ministry, however, stressed that the 9M729 missiles correspond to Russia's obligations under the INF Treaty and have not been upgraded and tested for the prohibited range.

The Russian Defense Minister also pointed out that the US was in violation of the Cold War era agreement by deploying in Europe missile defense system, whose launchers might be used for firing Tomahawk cruise missiles at the European part of Russia's territory.

Earlier this week, US Envoy to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison threatened to "take out" banned cruise missiles allegedly in development in Russia before they become operational. Following the statement, Hutchison had to explain herself and said she did not intend to threaten a preemptive military attack on Russia.

"The Ambassador clarified that what she meant was that it is important that Russia complies with the INF Treaty," Stoltenberg responded when queried on the meaning of Hutchison's statement.

Financial contribution by members, strengthening NATO's deterrence and defense, setup of a new Cyber Operations Centre and NATO-Georgia Commission are included in the itinerary of Defense Ministers attending the NATO summit in Brussels.

 Sputnik

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Russian Military Recorded Over 40 ICBM, Rocket Launches in 2018 - Reports

Sputnik News

06:26 03.10.2018(updated 06:30 03.10.2018)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Aerospace Forces have tracked over 40 launches of the country's and foreign space rockets and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) since the beginning of 2018, an infographic published by the Russian Armed Forces' official newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda showed on Friday.

According to the document, since the beginning of the year, the Russian Aerospace Forces have monitored 14 launches from the Baikonur, Plesetsk, and Vostochny cosmodromes.

Besides, during the indicated period the Russian Aerospace Forces have warned about close approaches between the Russian orbital network and other space objects 10 times.

In 2017, the Russian Aerospace Forces recorded over 60 launches of foreign and Russian ICBMs and space rockets.

Earlier, Russia's Radio-Technical Troops of Aerospace Forces reported that they had detected over 2,000 foreign military aircraft with over 800 foreign reconnaissance aircraft among them. Radio-Technical Troops are capable of conducting radar reconnaissance of air objects and transmit the information to control centers of Russian Aerospace Forces and other units of Armed Forces. The troops are equipped with a variety of radar system of different altitudes such as Nebo-M, Sopka-2 and others.

 Sputnik

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Russian Voronezh-DM Over-The-Horizon Radars Put on Combat Duty  Military

Sputnik News

00:52 04.10.2018(updated 01:03 04.10.2018)

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Russian military put the next generation early warning Voronezh-DM radars on combat duty in the country's Orenburg Region and the Altay and Krasnoyarsk territories, bringing the radars to a total of seven Russian regions, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

"The next generation Voronezh-DM radars of the missile attack alert system created in the Leningrad, Kaliningrad, Irkutsk and Orenburg regions and the Altay, Krasnodar and Krasnoyarsk territories have been put on combat duty," the Defense Ministry said.

The ministry also added that works on the creation of new radars of the missile attack alert system are underway in the Komi Republic and the Murmansk Region.

More than 50 research and development projects are currently underway in the interest of the space component of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the Defense Ministry said.

"Overall, about 50 R&D projects are being carried out to re-equip the units of the Space Forces with advanced types of weaponry in the near future," it said.

The Russian Defense Ministry also said that Russia will deploy over 10 laser-optical stations and radars to detect and identify space objects by 2020.

"The space component of the Russian Aerospace Forces continues its work on creating the special next-generation ground equipment for controlling airspace. Over 10 new laser-optical and radar systems, using various principles of detecting and identifying space objects, are planned to be deployed in Russia by 2020," it said.

The first next-generation laser-optical station was being successfully tested in Russia's Altay Territory, the ministry added.

 Sputnik

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US Congressmen Reportedly Wary of Saudi Arabia's Nuclear Ambitions

Sputnik News

19:02 03.10.2018

US lawmakers have warned that Saudi Arabia's pursuit of nuclear capabilities has the potential to evolve into an "arms race" in the Middle East.

Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Representatives Brad Schneider (D-Il) and Mark Meadows (R-NC), introduced a bipartisan bill on Saudi Arabia's nuclear ambitions last week.

If passed, the legislation would make President Donald Trump's National Security Council submit a report to Congress within 180 days to assess the "national security interests of the United States and regional allies, including Israel, of Saudi Arabia obtaining nuclear fuel enrichment capabilities through a commercial sale."

The Israeli Haaretz newspaper cited Schneider as saying that he feared "there is a dismissive approach within the administration on the real significant concerns this could create to some of our allies in the region."

He further explained that the introduction of the legislation was motivated by the fact that "this issue deserves more attention than it is currently receiving."

The Representative for Illinois's 10th congressional district, however, stated that the move shouldn't be perceived as a hostile step towards the kingdom, which remains a US key ally in the turbulent region.

"We need to separate between these two things. Fighting Iran's regional aggression is important and, on that issue, Saudi Arabia is one of the allies we are working with. We need to get Iran out of Syria and block their plans for a land bridge. But we also need to be aware of the risk of a nuclear arms race."

The report that the congressmen expect to see from the Trump administration should handle a wide array of concerns, including the way the US would be able to confirm that Saudi Arabia would maintain the civilian nature of its nuclear plan, as well what kind of security measures Riyadh would take to guarantee that its technology doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

Meanwhile, Meadows, who serves as Representative for North Carolina's 11th congressional district, noted that "when terrorist organizations have demonstrated an interest in obtaining nuclear fissile material, and when our ally Israel and other states in the region have long-standing tensions, our government must be cautious and informed about the implications of a nuclear transfer to any state in the Middle East."

Saudi Arabia has been seeking to develop its nuclear energy capabilities as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's plan to reduce the economy's dependence on oil. The kingdom declared its intention to build 16 nuclear reactors over the next few years for peaceful purposes  mainly to diversify its energy sources and meet growing energy needs.

Even though Riyadh stated that the project's nature was peaceful, Prince Salman told CBS in March that if Iran developed a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia would follow suit "as soon as possible."

 Sputnik

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Russia's delivery of S-300 air defense system completed: Defense minister

Iran Press TV

Tue Oct 2, 2018 11:41PM

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says his country has completed the delivery of an S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria, irrespective of Israeli authorities' strong opposition that it will pose a serious "challenge" to the Tel Aviv regime.

"We have embarked on a number of activities aimed at strengthening the air defense systems of the Syrian Arab Republic in order to ensure better protection for our military personnel. We have completed the delivery of S-300 complexes. This includes 49 pieces of equipment: illuminating laser radiolocators, defense priority systems, control vehicles and four missile launchers. The work was completed a day ago. We have delivered the whole system to Syria," Shoigu said at a Russian Security Council meeting chaired by President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

The Russian defense minister added that it will take three months to train Syrian specialists to use the S-300 air defense missile system.

Last month, Moscow vowed to bolster Syria's air defense capabilities by deploying the modern S-300 surface-to-air missile system to the Arab country.

The announcement came in the wake of the accidental downing of an Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft with 15 servicemen on board by Syria's S-200 air defense systems which were at the time responding to a wave of Israeli strikes on state institutions in Latakia.

Moscow held Israel responsible for the September 17 incident, saying the regime's pilots had intentionally used the Russian plane as cover to conduct air raids, effectively putting it in the cross hairs of the Syrian air defenses.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that Russia had begun delivering the S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria.

"The delivery started already and as President (Vladimir) Putin said, after that [downing] incident ... the measures that we will take will be devoted to ensuring 100 percent safety and security of our men," he told a news conference at the United Nations.

Moscow's decision to supply the air defense system to Syria has raised worries in Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Russia's decision as "irresponsible," saying Tel Aviv "will continue to do what it has to do to defend itself."

Syrian army, allies inflict losses on Daesh in Tulul al-Safa region

Meanwhile, Syrian government forces, backed by allied fighters from popular defense groups, have dealt heavy blows to Daesh Takfiri terrorists in Tulul al-Safa hilly region, which lies in Syria's southwestern province of Sweida.

Syria's official news agency SANA reported that a number of caves, which the extremists used as militant hideouts, in addition to weapons caches were destroyed in the process.

Report: Fateh al-Sham agrees to leave Idlib under pressure from Turkish intelligence service

Additionally, members of foreign-sponsored and Takfiri Jabhat Fateh al-Sham militant group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, have reportedly agreed to withdraw from the demilitarized zone in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib under pressure from the Turkish intelligence service.

Syria's pro-government al-Watan daily newspaper reported that Turkish intelligence agents have held several meetings with the leaders of the terror outfit, and vowed that the Syrian army would not carry out a military operation in Idlib.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country.

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Russian president: No large-scale military action needed in Syria's Idlib

Iran Press TV

Wed Oct 3, 2018 10:11PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country's joint plan with Turkey for creating a demilitarized zone in Syria's Idlib, the last major terrorist bastion in the country, has been effective, thus no major military action is needed in the region.

"I have every reason to believe that we will achieve our goals," Putin said on Wednesday.

"And that means, no large-scale military actions are expected there," he added. "Military action for the sake of military action is unnecessary."

In September, Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached a deal in the Black Sea resort of Sochi for the establishment of a U-shaped buffer zone around Idlib that would be free of both terrorists and heavy weapons.

Under the agreement, the militants must withdraw by the middle of October. It also stipulates that Turkey and Russia would carry out coordinated military patrols on the borders of the zone in a bid to detect and prevent "provocation by third parties."

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on September 30 that the Turkey-backed Failaq al-Sham militant outfit was the first to abide by the terms of the accord.

However, the US-backed Jaysh al-Izza faction rejected the deal, saying that the zone would only encompass territory currently controlled by anti-Damascus militants. The buffer zone, it noted, should be carved out equally from both terrorist-held areas and nearby regions under the control of Syrian government forces.

With an estimated 2,500 members, the Jaysh al-Izza militant outfit is mainly operating in Syria's west-central Hama province, bordering Idlib.

The group, which has been supplied with anti-tank missiles by the US, refused to join the so-called National Liberation Front (NLF), a recently formed alliance of militant factions supported by Ankara.

Meanwhile, members of Takfiri Jabhat Fateh al-Sham militant group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, have reportedly agreed to withdraw from the zone under pressure from the Turkish intelligence service.

Syria's pro-government al-Watan daily newspaper reported that Turkish intelligence agents have held several meetings with the leaders of the terror outfit, and vowed that the Syrian army would not carry out a military operation in Idlib.

Over the past few months, Syrian forces have made sweeping gains against Takfiri elements, especially in the country's southern areas and Damascus suburbs.

Now, the Syrian army is preparing for peacefully ridding Idlib from several foreign-sponsored terrorist groups.

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Putin says US presence in Syria violates UN charter

Iran Press TV

Wed Oct 3, 2018 03:14PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the presence of US troops in Syria, providing support to anti-Damascus militant groups in the Arab country, violated the United Nations Charter.

Speaking during a panel at the Russian Energy Week on Wednesday, Putin said the US has only two ways to be present on Syrian territory, either if it is invited by the Damascus government, or if it has support from the UN.

The Russian president stressed that Moscow wanted all foreign troops, including the Russians, to eventually leave Syria.

"What can be done, in my opinion, and what should we all strive for? We should strive to have no forces of foreign, third countries on the territory of Syria at all. We need to move towards this," he said.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country.

Russia has backed Syria's fight against terror since late 2015 when Russian air force and troops arrived in the Arab country at an official request of Damascus to help the government fight against Daesh and other Takfiri militants.

Russia's assistance has proved to be a major success as Syria has managed to liberate key areas over the past years, relying on Russia's air cover and military advice.

Meanwhile, American troops have illegally infiltrated into the country in an overt campaign to train and support terrorists bent of destabilizing the nation and overthrowing its government.

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Israel will continue strikes in Syria despite S-300 missile system delivery: Minister

Iran Press TV

Wed Oct 3, 2018 02:07PM

Israeli minister for military affairs Avigdor Lieberman has expressed Tel Aviv's discontent over Russia's delivery of an S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria, stressing the move will not deter the Israeli regime from military operations in the war-ravaged Arab country.

"I cannot say that we are pleased with the deployment of the S-300. However, this is the very topic where we have no way out. There is no way not to make decisions," he said.

Lieberman further stated that it was important for Moscow and Tel Aviv to restore normal ties despite their disagreements over the recent downing of a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft off the coast of Syria's western province of Latakia.

"I think the most important thing for us today isto return the working relationship to normal. It is today the most important task  to return to normal operation, coordination, to more actively use the "hot line" to prevent conflict situations. We need to work," he commented.

The Israeli minister for military affairs asserted that the Tel Aviv regime "has conducted more than 200 strikes against designated targets in Syria over the past two years, and not a single Russian soldier received a single scratch."

"At the time when the Syrian air defenses opened fire, Israeli planes were already in our airspace," Lieberman alleged.

Speaking at a Russian Security Council meeting chaired by President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said his country had completed the delivery of an S-300 missile system to Syria, irrespective of Israeli authorities' strong opposition that it will pose a serious "challenge" to the Tel Aviv regime.

"We have embarked on a number of activities aimed at strengthening the air defense systems of the Syrian Arab Republic in order to ensure better protection for our military personnel. We have completed the delivery of S-300 complexes. This includes 49 pieces of equipment: illuminating laser radiolocators, defense priority systems, control vehicles and four missile launchers. The work was completed a day ago. We have delivered the whole system to Syria," Shoigu said.

The Russian defense minister added that it will take three months to train Syrian specialists to use the S-300 air defense missile system.

Last month, Moscow vowed to bolster Syria's air defense capabilities by deploying the modern S-300 surface-to-air missile system to the Arab country.

The announcement came in the wake of the accidental downing of a Russian aircraft with 15 servicemen on board by Syria's S-200 air defense systems which were at the time responding to a wave of Israeli strikes on state institutions in Latakia.

Moscow held Israel responsible for the September 17 incident, saying the regime's pilots had intentionally used the Russian plane as cover to conduct air raids, effectively putting it in the cross hairs of the Syrian air defenses.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that Russia had begun delivering the S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria.

"The delivery started already and as President (Vladimir) Putin said, after that [downing] incident ... the measures that we will take will be devoted to ensuring 100 percent safety and security of our men," he told a news conference at the United Nations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticized Russia's decision as "irresponsible," saying Tel Aviv "will continue to do what it has to do to defend itself."

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Russia Says It Delivered Advanced Missile Defense System To Syria Despite Objections

RFE/RL October 03, 2018

Russia says it has delivered S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Syria, despite objections from Israel and the United States that the weapons will escalate the war in the Middle Eastern country.

"The work was finished a day ago," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin during an October 2 meeting broadcast on state-run Rossia-24 television.

Shoigu said that Russia delivered four S-300 launchers along with radars and support vehicles.

Speaking during a Security Council meeting chaired by President Vladimir Putin, he said it will take three months to train Syrian personnel to operate the system.

He repeated Russian statements that the purpose of the delivery was to protect Russian military personnel in Syria, where 15 Russian servicemen were killed when Syrian forces shot their reconnaissance plane down on September 17.

Putin ordered the military to supply the missiles to Syria after the downing that Russia blamed partly on Israel, which was staging air raids on Iranian targets in Syria at the time.

The Russian Defense Ministry accused Israeli warplanes of using the Russian aircraft as a cover to dodge Syria's existing, Russian-provided defense systems.

Israel voiced regret afterward, but blamed Syrian incompetence for the incident and said it would continue bombing Iranian military targets in Syria.

"We have not changed our strategic line on Iran," Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet, said on October 2.

"We will not allow Iran to open up a third front against us. We will take actions as required," he told Israel Radio.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said she could not confirm that Russia had delivered the systems but added, "I hope that they did not."

"That would be, I think, sort of a serious escalation in concerns and issues going on in Syria," she said at a briefing.

Shoigu at the meeting in Moscow also said the Russian military has added equipment in Syria for "radio-electronic warfare" and now can monitor the airspace in the area used for strikes on Syrian soil.

Along with upgrading Syria's missile defenses, Moscow announced that Russia would begin jamming the radars of hostile warplanes in regions near Syria, including over the Mediterranean Sea, to prevent further incidents that could cause harm to its troops.

A Russian lawmaker this week said that 112 Russian military personnel have been killed so far in Syria since it stepped up its involvement in the war in 2105, launching a campaign of air strikes and bolstering its military presence on the ground.

Russian and Iranian military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have been critical in helping turn the tide of the war in his favor.

Over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which began with a government crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011, and millions more driven from their homes.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-shoigu-says-delivered- advanced-missile-defense-system-syria-despite-us-israeli -objections-escalate-war/29522528.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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Taiwan to take delivery of first batch of four upgraded F-16s in 2019

ROC Central News Agency

2018/10/03 17:29:52

Taipei, Oct. 3 (CNA) The Air Force is scheduled to take delivery of its first four upgraded F-16 fighter jets in the next six months, a military official said Wednesday during a legislative session.

The first of the four upgraded F-16s has completed combat flight testing and all four aircraft in the first batch to be delivered in six months are currently undergoing ground testing by state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC), said Liu Jen-yuan (), chief of staff of the Air Force.

Liu was responding to a lawmaker's question about progress in the upgrading of the Ministry of National Defense's (MND) 4 F-16 A/B jets into F-16Vs.

The fighters are part of a NT$110 billion (US$3.64 billion) government program to launch a domestic upgrade that transforms Taiwan's 144 F-16 A/B jets into F-16Vs, the largest and most important upgrade ever undertaken by the Air Force.

In order to carry out the upgrade locally, the manufacturer of the jets -- Lockheed Martin in the United States -- sent engineers to Taiwan last year to help train local personnel at AIDC on how to perform the upgrades.

According to AIDC, the retrofit program includes installing advanced equipment in the fighters, including the AN/APG active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system, currently used in U.S. F-22 and F-35 fighters.

(By Yiu Kai-hsiang and Evelyn Kao)

Enditem/AW

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8 allies deliver letter to UN expressing support for Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

2018/10/03 15:27:52

New Work, Oct. 2 (CNA) Representatives from eight of Taiwan's diplomatic allies delivered a joint letter signed by 12 of the nation's allies to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday.

The letter supported Taiwan's request to play a more active role in the international body, including the lifting of restrictions on Taiwanese media covering UN events.

The eight representatives came from Belize, St. Kitts and Nevis, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Haiti, Kiribati, the Vatican and eSwatini.

The letter called on the UN to allow Taiwan to participate in UN related conferences and mechanisms, Lois M. Young, Permanent Representative of Belize to the UN, told reporters in New York following the meeting with Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs of the U.N., who promised to refer the letter to Guterres.

Young identified four demands: Taiwan should be allowed to participate in the meetings of UN agencies; Taiwanese experts should be allowed to attend UN agency meetings if invited to do so; Taiwanese media should be permitted to cover UN agencies meetings; and Taiwanese tourists should not be required to show a travel permit issued by China in order to access U.N. premises, as they are often required to do.

Sam Terrence Condor, Permanent Representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis to the U.N., told reporters that the meeting with DiCarlo was cordial and the U.N. side showed "some empathy to our position."

Meanwhile, Robert Sisilo, Permanent UN Representative of the Solomon Islands said during the meeting the delegation talked about the possible role Taiwan could play at the UN.

"Taiwan can make a difference if it is permitted into the UN," he said.

In response, Sisilo said the UN official cited General Assembly resolution 2758 from 1971 as the reason Taiwan cannot participate in UN events.

Passed on October 25, 1971 during the 26th session of the UN General Assembly, the resolution recognized the People's Republic of China (PRC) as "the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations."

The 12 countries to sign the letter to Guterres were Haiti, the Marshall Islands, eSwatini, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands and Belize.

Meanwhile, leaders from 12 diplomatic allies also spoke up for Taiwan during their respective general debate session. They were Paraguay, the Marshall Islands, eSwatini, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands and Belize.

Three other diplomatic allies -- Nicaragua, Paraguay and Honduras -- sent their own letters to the UN Secretariat.

The two allies that did not publicly support Taiwan during the general debate or sign the letter were Guatemala and the Holy See.

Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Europe, the Holy See, is not a member of the UN, but a permanent observer state that rarely speaks on political issues during the general debate.

However, Monsignor Tomasz Grysa, deputy head of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN, did show support for Taiwan by joining representatives of the seven other allies that signed the joint letter in delivering it to the UN Tuesday.

Although Haitian President Jovenel Moise did not mention Taiwan in his general debate address, Willy Louis, Permanent Mission Representative of Haiti to the UN did sign the joint letter and was part of the delegation that delivered it to DiCarlo on Tuesday.

Louis touted to reporters Taiwan's significant contributions to the world in terms of achieving U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, climate change, infrastructure and technology.

"That's why we support Taiwan, we were pleased to be there (delivering the letter)," he said.

(By Yi Chun-chieh and Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/AW

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F-16 Sniper Pods Part of $330 Million US-Taiwan Arms Package

Sputnik News

01:49 04.10.2018(updated 01:50 04.10.2018)

Taiwan is buying 18 advanced targeting pods for its F-16 aircraft as part of its deal with the US to buy some $330 million worth of defense materiel.

According to manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) "detects, identifies, automatically tracks and laser-designates small tactical targets at long ranges." The targeting pods are used in conjunction with laser- and GPS-guided missiles fired at stationary or mobile targets, the company said.

Beijing has called on the US to cancel the deal with Taiwan, as Beijing sees the self-ruling island as a runaway province, the South China Morning Post reported September 25.

"Sniper ATP continues to be a must-have product on platforms worldwide for its superior performance and reliability," a Lockheed executive said in a September 26 announcement.

"The 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 a force for political stability, military balance and economic progress in the region," the US State Department announced on September 24.

"Beijing is much more confident now, and it's in a better position to take countermeasures than it was before," said Shen Dingli in comments to the Post. Shen is director of the Program on Arms Control at Fudan University in Shanghai. Washington, Shen said, "can't expect China to cooperate whenever it makes a demand while it is hurting China's interests."

Other items included in the US-Taiwan deal include spare parts and replacement parts for the F-16, C-130, F-5 and Taiwanese Indigenous Defense Fighter, according to the State Department.

 Sputnik

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UK to send transport aircraft to provide relief to Indonesia

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has agreed to deploy an A400M transport aircraft and a team of military experts to Indonesia to help with the aftermath of the recent earthquake tsunami.

3 October 2018

The RAF A400M 'Atlas' aircraft, currently in the Middle East, will assist following the 7.5 magnitude earthquake and subsequent 3-metre wave that has so far left more than 1,500 people dead, missing or injured. She will be loaded with aid from the Department for International Development (DFID).

A small team of UK military experts are deploying this evening to assist with the mission.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

"Britain stands united with Indonesia as they recover from this devastating tragedy. An RAF transport aircraft and her crew will provide vital supplies to those who are in desperate need."

"This shows that once again Britain and her allies across the globe can depend on us to provide support and assistance no matter the time, no matter the place, and no matter the problem."

The deployment of the Atlas follows the commitment of a team of experts and 2 million in UK aid from the DFID.



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Wedgetail is on the radar, Defence Secretary announces ahead of NATO conference

Speaking ahead of this week's NATO conference, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced that the Ministry of Defence is in discussion with Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force about the potential for the E-7 Wedgetail radar aircraft to replace the current Sentry fleet.

3 October 2018

The E-7 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System is able to fly for long periods of time and manage the battlespace from the sky, providing situational awareness and tracking multiple airborne and maritime targets at the same time. It then uses the information it gathers to direct other assets like fighter jets and warships. It has already been proven on operations in the battle against Daesh in Iraq and Syria.

Further discussions are set to take place before any investment decision is made, as the MOD follows a stringent approvals process to ensure the aircraft meets the military requirement and represents value-for-money. If selected, UK industry could be involved significantly with the programme, from modification work to through life support.

Speaking ahead of the meeting of Defence Ministers in NATO, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

"The Wedgetail is the stand-out performer in our pursuit of a new battlespace surveillance aircraft, and has already proved itself in Iraq and Syria. Running air operations from the sky, it could be an excellent asset for the RAF and give us a real edge in this increasingly complex world."

"Our future with Australia will already see us operate the same maritime patrol aircraft, world-class Type 26 warships and supersonic F-35 jets. Wedgetail may join that formidable armoury and help us work together to take on the global threats that we both face."

Following market analysis and discussions with other potential providers, the MOD has concluded that the potential procurement of the E-7 represents the best value for money option for the UK against need, whilst representing a significant opportunity for increased defence cooperation and collaboration with our key ally Australia.

The MOD will work closely with Boeing to ensure Britain's leading defence industry could also benefit from any deal.

Named after Australia's largest bird of prey, the wedge-tailed eagle, the high-performing aircraft has been proven on operations with the Royal Australian Air Force, having seen action against Daesh over Syria and Iraq and impressing US Forces in the 'Red Flag' series of large-scale exercises.

The Wedgetail uses a standard Boeing 737 airliner modified to carry a sophisticated Northrop Grumman active electronically-scanned radar and can cover four million square kilometres over a single 10-hour period. If selected, it would replace the E-3D Sentry, which entered service in 1992.

It is a proven and reliable aircraft that has been in-Service with the Royal Australian Air Force for some time, with potential to considerably reduce the risk normally associated with acquiring a complex new platform of this nature. The aircraft is based on the Boeing 737 airliner family as is the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft due to enter service in 2019.

The news represents a further development of the UK's increasingly close military capability and industrial relationship with Australia, who recently selected the British Type 26 design for its future frigate. That decision confirmed the UK's world-leading ship design capabilities, whilst strengthening collaboration in anti-submarine warfare and demonstrating the value of the global five-eyes partnership.

With its proven interoperability, the Wedgetail could also link up with the RAF's latest arrival, the F-35 Lightning, providing pilots with the latest intelligence and situational awareness demonstrating how a modernised next generation Air Force can fight and win in an increasingly complex and dangerous environment, characterised by high speed and low observability.

With Australia also a partner in the F-35 programme, the RAF and the Royal Australian Air Force will have further opportunities to work together across platforms and with other allies such as the United States to share and collect data and conduct joint training missions, all leading to faster, more effective and more integrated combat forces.





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Despite being released from prison months ago, a house church pastor in China is still under government surveillance as persecution across the country escalates.



Persecution watchdog China Aid reports that Yang Hua, who was imprisoned after being charged with "divulging state secrets," continues to be "stalked by officials wherever he goes"  even though he was released from prison in June. Yang, pastor of Living Stone Church, the largest house church in Guiyang, capital of China's southwest Guizhou Province, was taken into police custody in 2015 after he attempted to stop authorities from confiscating a church hard drive.



During his time in prison, the pastor endured repeated torture and ailing health. Inadequate prison medical care left him unable to walk for weeks, and he was only treated in hospital after his lawyers sought medical bail, according to reports.



China Aid previously noted that throughout his detention, authorities refused to let Yang see his family or legal representation and have reportedly used threats and various methods of torture in attempts to extract a confession from him.



Yet, in a letter penned to his wife in 2016, Yang described how God had used the time of pain and uncertainty for His glory.



"This is a good place to rest, where I am cut off from the rest of the world and brought closer to God," he wrote of his jail cell. "I can no longer hear the clamorous noise, but can better listen to the Lord's voice."



The pastor added, "Genuine rest has nothing to do with the environment. No matter if the waves are quiet or the sea roars, our hearts rest in [God], just as a weaned child sleeps in its mother's arms. I want to thank God for using this special method to give this special gift to our household. Let us accept and enjoy it with a thankful heart."



Even as Yang attempts to recover from his time in prison, the persecution around him continues to increase, notes China Aid. Recently, more than 10 churches were closed by authorities, and unregistered congregations consisting of more than 50 people are faced with either being forced to become official churches or experiencing the authorities' retaliation.



Bob Fu, head of China Aid, told Congress in September that the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in China is at its most intense since the Cultural Revolution.



Fu warned that such persecution will only intensify, as the Three Self Patriotic Movement and the Chinese Christian Council (China's state-sanctioned Protestant bodies) have developed a five-year plan on "promoting the Sinicization of Christianity."



"The plan made it clear that 'Sinicization of Christianity' means to change 'Christianity in China' into 'Chinese Christianity,'" he explained, according to The Christian Post. [The plan] emphasized that 'the heart and soul of Christianity's Sinicization is to Sincize the Christian theology,' and even proposing to 're-translate the Bible or re-write biblical commentaries.'"



"There are outlines that the new Bible should not look westernized and [should look] Chinese and reflect Chinese ethics of Confucianism and socialism," Fu said. "The Old Testament will be messed up. The New Testament will have new commentaries to interpret it."



Additionally, the five-year plan advocates for "incorporating the Chinese elements into church worship services, hymns and songs, clergy attire, and the architectural style of church buildings."



"In the beginning of every church worship service, the choir of the church has to sing a few communist revolutionary songs praising the communist party before they can sing the worship songs," he said.



China ranks as the 43rd worst country in the world when it comes to Christian Persecution, according to Open Doors USA's 2018 World Watch List.


The history of Green River was introduced into the congressional record prior to the citys 150th anniversary celebration Saturday.

U.S. Senator John Barrasso read a version of the citys history on the Senate floor Sept. 24. Barrasso joined Green River Mayor Pete Rust Saturday morning at the start of the citys celebration, speaking about Green Rivers importance to Wyoming and the nation.

Its not going to get lost, ever, Barrasso said.

Barrasso said reading the citys history into the record allows it to be preserved forever within the Library of Congress.

Barrasso said the city has a great history and served as an important jumping off point for the exploration of the American west, mentioning Maj. John Wesley Powells expeditions along the Green and Colorado rivers.

The ideal of Manifest Destiny is one we hold dear as Americans, Barrasso said in his address to the Senate. That ideal and the spirit of exploration is rooted in the history of Green River.
While Green River celebrated its 150th anniversary Saturday, residents were able to check out one of the Union Pacifics commemorative locomotives.

Locomotive 1943, The Spirit, was brought to Green River Saturday to help celebrate the citys founding. The city was originally founded in anticipation of the Transcontinental Railroad passing through the area in 1868. While Union Pacific initially decided to make Bryan the location for its switching house, as the land in Green River wasnt owned by U.P. A subsequent drought which dried up the Blacks Fork River forced the company to change its plans. Much of the citys early prosperity is attributed to the railroad.

According to information on U.P.s website, the locomotive honors the armed forces and veterans. The name comes from a Boeing B-17 bomber originally christened in 1943, recognizing U.P. employees funding it through war bond contributions. The locomotive is the 16th commemorative locomotive introduced during the companys 156-year history and was unveiled Oct. 19, 2017.

The locomotive features a unique paint scheme honoring the different branches of the armed forces and includes the Air Force Silver, a blue stripe representing the former Strategic Air Commands nose sash, the Navys Battleship Grey and Coast Guards racing stripe. Military camouflage represents the U.S. Army and the Marines.

According to engineer Doug Vanderpool, the locomotive is used for special events and has hauled small passenger trains. Despite that, Vanderpool said its 4,300 horsepower engine puts it on par with other locomotives in the companys fleet.

Its good for full service, he said.

The locomotive made the stop in Green River during a trip to an event in Nebraska.
While the interior is almost completely gutted, residents still lined up for a tour of the Union Pacific Depot building Saturday.

The tours gave visitors a chance to look a portions of a building previously closed off for the past several years. It also gave the city a chance to give residents a glimpse at the future of the depot.

It would be nice to see our historic sites up and running, Jessica Robidoux, one of the many people touring the building said.

Other visitors also voiced support for the work and grant money the city has spent in dealing with asbestos and other problems the building has.

The depot building was completed in 1910, bringing economic development to the growing railroad town. Many of the towns leaders had previously petitioned the Union Pacific Railroad to bring a depot to the area, with an April 1909 edition of the Green River Star printing We have a commodious Court House, a handsome Carnegie Library, a newly constructed Union Pacific Club House, and the promise of a federal post office building if the Union Pacific will at an early date construct a suitable railroad station it will be a substantial proof that they are interested in the improvement of Green River...

In the following decades, the crows nest would be added and the building would ultimately be renovated to house U.P. offices.

The brick work is cool, Joshua Peterson, a railroad employee said while looking through the building. Peterson said he agrees with the idea of using the space to attract commercial businesses to Green River. According to City Administrator Reed Clevenger, some interest in the building has already developed.

I have talked to a number of businesses interested in it, he said.

Clevenger said the city has completed the terms of its five-year lease on the building. Now, the city will seek a longer, 99-year lease on the depot. Clevenger said some discussion has taken place about the possibility of moving a brewery into the building, placing a brick-oven pizza parlor inside or using some of the space as a community center.

While any use of the building is still far in the future, Clevenger said the city plans to seek a $3 million Community Readiness Grant from the Wyoming Business Council to continue renovation work. The grant wont completely pay for the depots restoration and will require a 10 percent match from the city, which has already been budgeted, but Clevenger said the money would go to renovating key aspects of the building to facilitate commercial use of the space. After that work is completed, Clevenger said the next step would be to apply for a $3 million WBC Business Readiness Grant, also at a 10 percent match, but said the city might not be the ones footing the $300,000 match if businesses develop plans to utilize the space.
Peoples United Financial, parent company to Peoples United Bank, has expanded its reach in Hartford County.

The Bridgeport-based company announced Monday it completed its acquisition of First Connecticut Bancorp, parent company to Farmington Bank, in a $544 million stock transaction which was first announced in June.

Were excited to have Farmington Bank team become part of Peoples United, said Jeff Tengel, president of Peoples United bank. The company has a similar culture as we do and so we think it will be a good pairing of our two companies.

This transaction is Peoples Uniteds first Connecticut-based deal since 2015, when it spent $10 million for the Bridgeport-based insurance brokerage Kesten-Brown. The company has been focused on its out-of-state deals in recent years.

With this transaction, the company jumps to just over $47 billion in assets. Farmington Bank has $3.1 billion in assets across 28 branches in central Connecticut and western Massachusetts, ranking 12th for deposit market share in Connecticut as of June 2017 with nearly $2.2 billion.

Farmington Bank entered 2018 with roughly 350 employees, which Peoples plans to absorb. Earlier in the summer it was announced that Farmington Bank cut 95 jobs in preparation of the transaction, according to the state Department of Labor.

It was not indicate if affected jobs would be at the companys headquarters, branches or both.

Along with employees, Peoples United is also adding a trove of traditional branches in Hartford County to its stock of locations. Depending on branches, Tengel said closures may be on the horizon as the company reorients itself in Hartford County.

The company has traditionally had branches in Stop & Shop locations in Hartford County. The combination of the two companies and their mix of traditional and in-store branches will liken Hartford County to Peoples Uniteds Fairfield County presence.

Well evaluate which branches we think are best suited to serve the customer and when we go through that process, some of the branches will be Farmington Bank and some will be Peoples United branches, he said.
As the proprietors of Cantiki Taco Deck mulled their new concept in advance of opening in South Norwalk, they decided lunch dishes would be served in lidded containers, allowing diners to grab their food on the fly if any work interceded in their lunch break.

For his part, operations manager Tom Ammerman is confident theyll be back before long  perhaps even later that day to unwind on the deck in his words, in a venue designed to mirror a beach-side tiki lounge.

Cantiki Taco Deck scheduled its opening for Thursday in advance of an Oct. 10 grand opening at 80 Washington St. in South Norwalk, with Mayor Harry Rilling among next weeks guests.

Cantiki takes over the former Johnny Utahs SoNo restaurant, which was raided last winter on suspicion of serving alcohol to college students below the legal drinking age. In place of Johnny Utahs mechanical bull-riding ring, picnic tables have been positioned under thatched umbrellas, with other beach-life memorabilia like surfboards festooning the walls and a happy hour lounge positioned at the windows fronting Washington Street.

We wanted something fun catering to adults who wanted to go out and enjoy themselves without doing the club scene, Ammerman said. We want to direct their attention to the food and the quality of the cocktails, and create a party environment without creating a nightclub. ... Its going to be a lively place where the focus is going to be on the people you are with  not on a DJ.

Both Cantiki and the newly opened Bourbon Raw Kentucky Kitchen & Raw Bar next door are run by Ammerman and Todd Kosakowski, who has been involved in a number of restaurants in the region including the Black Bear Saloon at 80 Washington St. prior to Johnny Utahs arrival; The Sign of the Whale in Stamford; and Wahlburgers, which opened a Trumbull restaurant earlier this year.

Ammerman hopes the Cantiki concept can be expanded to other locales, with the Bourbon Raw brand having been exported to Connecticut from a flagship restaurant in Louisville, Ky. Bourbon Raw features rotating menus with main dishes ranging between $19 and $35  this weeks includes shrimp and grits, pan-roasted pork chops and lobster risotto  along with some 150 bourbon labels and nearly 20 beers on tap.

The buildings great  the Black Bear was very successful here for a long time, and Shenanigans before that, Ammerman said. Tying in the history and the culture of bourbon, and what Kentucky is to bourbon, with the history and culture of our shellfish here in Norwalk with a raw bar  bourbon and raw oysters really do go together; theres a ... connection between the two and it gives us a chance to highlight that.

Under head chef Walter Luis Estrada, Cantiki will serve up an affordable menu influenced by both Polynesian and Latin cuisines, to include tacos with spicy shrimp, chicken, pulled pork and tuna; rice bowls and poke made from raw seafood; and varied finger foods that can be sampled as appetizers or combined in a $38 platter serving four.

Ammerman said patrons will be able to grab a quick lunch in 20 minutes, with a beach brunch to be featured on Sundays.

Both venues can be reserved, for birthdays, corporate events or bachelorette parties to name a few. The Cantiki space can accommodate as many as 200 people, with information online at www.cantikisono.com or by calling 203-939-1569.

I have inquiries  there are so many businesses around here and they love to stay local, said Samantha Gordon, head of sales and special events for Cantiki. We wanted to bring ... a relaxed feel, I think thats what this neighborhood is missing.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
GREENWICH  Four local Democrats on the November ballot vowed at a Thursday morning forum to protect the states gun safety laws and find ways to strengthen them even further if elected.

There are continual efforts to undermine and weaken (our gun laws), and we should even anticipate efforts to repeal them, said Alexandra Bergstein, who is running for the state Senate. We cant take anything for granted even after all the victories weve achieved.

Bergstein was joined at the panel discussion in Greenwich Town Hall by U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, state Rep. and attorney general candidate William Tong of Stamford and state representative candidate Laura Kostin.

(The NRA) is trying to make gains at the state level, Kostin said. They want to weaken our gun laws, not always from the top down, but from the bottom up at the state level. And thats pretty terrifying.

Connecticut has some of the strongest gun laws in the country, Tong said, but he agreed it is important to stay focused on the issue.

We have a moral obligation to do as much as we can to keep Connecticut families and children safe and also show the rest of the country and the world through our leadership what really needs to happen, Tong said.

He pointed to unsuccessful efforts by the state legislature to restrict sales of ghost guns, which are partially assembled weapons that can be purchased online without a background check. Because they do not have serial numbers, ghost guns cannot be traced.

Both Bergstein and Kostin vowed to act on ghost guns if they are elected. They pose a tremendous, tremendous threat to our safety, said Bergstein, who is challenging state Sen. L. Scott Frantz, R-36.

Himes advocated for smart gun technology in which a weapon wont fire unless used by a recognized user, similar to fingerprint technology on phones. Kostin called for a simpler solution: Mandating gun locks.

These are not onerous requirements that are put on gun owners, said Kostin, who is running against state Rep. Fred Camillo, R-151. This can be had for a few dollars on Amazon. Its remarkable to me that 2 million children live in homes with unsecured firearms.

Himes called gun reform an immensely emotional issue since the deadly shootings in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. The issue of guns is the single most frustrating public policy issue that Himes said he deals with in Congress, which has failed to pass federal gun reform laws.

The NRA and the folks who would stop any progress on gun safety understand that if we have a rational conversation and have a thoughtful, fact-based conversation ... we might make some progress on safety, said Himes, pointing to statistics that show you are much less safe if you have a gun in your house than if you dont.

Kostin said she also supports legislation that would limit ammunition purchases as well as limit gun purchases to one per month.

Do we need to go to Costco and stock up on guns? Its just ludicrous, she said. I wont be intimidated, but there are people who will be and thats why Im here.

Kostin said she also wants to end the open carry policy in Connecticut, saying it was scary to her as a parent. Under state law, licensed gun owners can carry their weapons out in the open and do not have to show their permits to police when asked.

Bergstein criticized Frantz for several amendments he offered while debating the states post-Sandy Hook gun reform measures and the Lori Jackson Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act, which prohibits the possession and purchase of firearms by those subject to temporary restraining orders.

In response, Frantz said Bergstein was engaging in a campaign of misinformation and pointed to his votes in favor of the post-Sandy Hook reforms and the Lori Jackson Act. Frantz also said he was honored to serve on the legislatures gun violence and childrens safety task force, which ensured strong bipartisan support for the measures after the Sandy Hook massacre.

The amendments he offered, Frantz said, were designed to get that bipartisan support because sport shooters, like himself, opposed additional restrictions on shotguns. He said he also tried to ensure that 17 rounds could be used in a magazine because professional security guards were begging on their knees for him to do it as a safety precaution.

I put my heart and soul into this, Frantz said, adding that as a believer in the Second Amendment he felt there had to be really good, common sense gun laws in place.

But Bergstein questioned Frantzs endorsement of Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski and lieutenant governor candidate Joe Markley, both of whom have received high marks from the NRA.

Anyone who supports NRA candidates supports the NRA agenda, whether they say so or not, Bergstein said.

But Frantz called that utter nonsense and said the Stefanowski/Markley team represented the potential to save the state of Connecticut fiscally.

I dont care what their views are on guns, and ... there is no way the (post-Sandy Hook gun reform bill) will ever be substantially changed, Frantz said. There is no way.

For his part, Camillo supported the states gun reforms after Sandy Hook but was absent from the vote. He voted in favor of the Lori Jackson domestic violence-related bill.

On Thursday Camillo said he is a firm believer in the Second Amendment and takes a common sense approach to guns and safety. His past votes in the legislature, he said, had earned him a F grade from the NRA.

Laws we have now seem to be working, Camillo said. I would support strengthening background checks, but would not support anything that makes it harder for those who play by the rules and have not done anything wrong to own guns.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
GREENWICH  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is expected Friday to wrap up a weeks worth of work examining the shellfish population in the waters off the coast of Greenwich.

The NOAA fisheries research vessel the Victor Loosanoff has been in Greenwich since Monday, conducting a shellfish population survey. That research will provide data on the value of shellfish beyond just the seafood market, according to the town Shellfish Commission. It will also look at the role played by shellfish in cleaning the waters of Long Island Sound.

Im not sure this has been done anywhere else, Roger Bowgen, chair of the town Shellfish Commission, said of the research. It is very important to get this information because clean water is something that can have a lot of impact on the economy of the town.

Bowgen said he expects to receive a status report on Friday and more comprehensive material by the end of the year.

NOAA, which has a fisheries lab in Milford, is partnering with the Shellfish Commission as well as Stony Brook University to conduct the research. As part of its work, the research team is developing a method for estimating the population of all the clams and oysters in Greenwichs waters.

The team is working with the commission to connect with Greenwichs oyster growers so their commercial shellfish resources can be included in the model. The growers have been providing estimates of population destiny, the types of gear they use and the mortality rates, Bowgen said.

Greenwich is a good model for investigating the benefits of shellfish: the town has a long tradition of shellfish cultivation, has committed to active shellfishing management, and has improved its water quality substantially in recent years, the Shellfish Commission said in a statement.

The research team is looking at more than 100 randomly selected stations, from natural beds to commercial leases. At each station, a 1-foot-square sample is taken from the seabed to a depth of about 6 inches. Using the data from the samples, scientists can determine the clam density across the entire Greenwich seabed, map the relative density of clams and measure the size distribution of clams.

This data is critical in generating a realistic model of Greenwichs waters and then accurately appraising the towns shellfish resources.

The importance of shellfish in Greenwich goes beyond the economic benefits for fishermen. Shellfish such as hard clams and oysters feed by filtering algae and other organic materials, which leaves the water cleaner and clearer. Healthy shellfish can improve water quality and prevent the growth of excess nutrients in the water, which can create an overabundance of algae.

This natural cleaning process by the shellfish can make costly work such as wastewater treatment unnecessary.

NOAAs work in Greenwich is part of a pilot study documenting the local environmental benefits of shellfish and determining how clams and oysters improve the water quality. The study will produce a methodology that other coastal communities can use to quantify the benefits of shellfish, Bowgen said.

This research comes as the Shellfish Commission and the University of Connecticut are partnering on a study of microplastics in Greenwichs waters. A study in late August in Greenwich examined the shellfish beds close to the shore and in deeper waters. UConn is expected to provide an update later this month or in early November, Bowgen said.

Microplastics come from plastic garbage that gets into the water. Physical degradation and exposure to light can transform plastic into microplastics, which can be practically invisible to the human eye. That barely visible plastic can combine with other pollutants such as pesticides, heavy metals and PCBs in the water.

Microplastics and other pollutants can impair the growth, development and reproduction of oysters, clams and other aquatic organisms and damage the aquaculture industry along the Connecticut coast.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
ST. LOUIS - In February, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley joined a Republican lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act, and with it protections for Americans suffering from preexisting medical conditions that previously could be excluded from insurance coverage.

Now, running to unseat Democrat Claire McCaskill in one of the nation's most competitive U.S. Senate races, Hawley is airing a sympathetic ad using the affliction of his 5-year-old son, diagnosed this year with a rare bone disease.

"A preexisting condition. We know what that's like," he says in the ad. "I support forcing insurance companies to cover all preexisting conditions."

After being a drag on Democratic candidates for several election cycles, President Barack Obama's 2010 health care law is now threatening Republicans who have spent years railing against it and seeking its repeal.

Hawley is one of many Republicans in key races scrambling to square their opposition to thehealth care overhaul with voters' strong support for one of its most popular provisions.

In Ohio and Michigan, candidates for governor are being forced to answer for their anti-Obamacare moves as attorneys general. In other states, Republicans are trying to tailor new responses to voters questioning their intentions. President Donald Trump, who has long pushed for the repeal of Obamacare, has begun defending coverage of preexisting conditions, although like most of the Republicans, he has not been specific about how he would make that happen.

Denny Enloe, an independent voter, who listened last week to Hawley's campaign remarks,said he agrees with Hawley on issues like guns, abortion and promoting work over welfare. But he was skeptical of Hawley's support for coverage of preexisting conditions, noting the federal lawsuit to dismantle the health care law.

The suit argues that the law - which expanded health insurance to millions of low-income Americans but also included a controversial mandate that nearly everyone purchase insurance - is no longer constitutional because Congress last year repealed a tax penalty for those forgoing insurance. Hawley said Monday he does not regret joining the lawsuit and says preexisting conditions can be protected in ways apart from the health care law.

"How are you going to tell me you're going to fix it when you're on a lawsuit to invalidate the Affordable Care Act?" said Enloe, who has end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and watched Hawley's Facebook video from his living-room couch in the conservative, rural and working-class town of Union.

Democrats have launched a barrage of ads attacking Republicans on the issue, a reflection of the strong voter sentiment in favor of preexisting condition coverage and the issue's rise in importance this election year.

Three-quarters of Americans say it is "very important" that protections for people with preexisting conditions remain law, according to the most recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll released in September. A July Kaiser poll found that a candidate's position on preexisting conditions to be the top health care issue for voters, especially among Democrats, independents and those living in battleground areas. Half of Republicans said it was either the most important factor or a very important factor in their vote.

"Preexisting conditions is the ideal issue for Democrats in red states or purple states who are trying to reach independents," said Drew Altman, president and chief executive of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit headquartered in San Francisco. "It's a third-rail issue that's incredibly resonant with the public."

In Ohio, Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike DeWine, who as state attorney general had challenged the constitutionality of the ACA in court, notably has not joined Hawley and the coalition of Republican governors and attorneys general in 20 states on the lawsuit.

DeWine said during a September debate with Democratic candidate Richard Cordray that he's "always been for the coverage of preexisting illnesses." Yet he has not signed on with Democrats to save the mandate that preexisting conditions remain covered.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican running for governor, is straddling a similar line and has not picked a side in the federal lawsuit, even as the Democratic Governors Association released an ad saying he would deny health coverage to Michiganders with lymphoma, cerebral palsy, asthma and multiple sclerosis. Schuette has dismissed such suggestions as a "scare tactic" but has not said precisely how he would protect such patients.

In August, Senate Republicans up for reelection - Dean Heller in Nevada, Roger Wicker in Mississippi and John Barrasso in Wyoming - introduced a bill to require insurers to continue selling plans to people with preexisting conditions should Republicans prevail in the lawsuit. But health policy analysts have said the legislation does not prevent insurers from excluding specific health conditions from coverage.

Republican Senate candidates in Florida, North Dakota and Montana also have penned op-eds and released statements pledging to protect treatment of preexisting conditions.

Republican strategist Doug Heye said candidates need to spell out to voters how exactly they will do so.

"One of the criticisms Republicans have gotten the last two cycles is only talking about what we're against, not what we're for," said Heye, former spokesman for the Republican National Committee. "This issue is picking up throughout the country, and it behooves Republicans to demonstrate some kind of plan for what they will actually do."

Policy analysts say it would be financially unrealistic to force insurers to cover preexisting conditions without mandating that everyone, including healthy people, buy insurance. That was the argument Democrats made in approving the mandate.

Nationally, more than a quarter of working-age adults have health conditions that could have left them uninsurable before the ACA, according to Kaiser.

In Missouri - a state where nearly a third of non-elderly residents have health conditions that could have resulted in insurance denial, according to Kaiser - McCaskill has taken to asking voters who attend her town halls to stand if they have a preexisting condition. The first time she did it during a state Democratic fundraising dinner in June, few in the ballroom remained in their seats.

McCaskill, whose campaign is highlighting the stories of voters with preexisting conditions, has attacked Hawley for signing on to the lawsuit.

"Josh Hawley's lawsuit will take away every protection that Missourians have against overreach by insurance companies, including preexisting conditions," McCaskill said in a September debate. "He wants the whole thing thrown out, and he knows there is nothing there to back it up."

President Trump, who won Missouri by more than 18 points in 2016, said in September while stumping for Hawley in Springfield that he and Hawley "will always protect preexisting conditions." The president, whose administration argued in a court brief filed in June that ACA protections for preexisting conditions should be ruled unconstitutional, did not say how.

As health-care worries continue to percolate through the conservative suburban enclaves surrounding St. Louis, a Democratic challenger in the state's 2nd Congressional District is reaping the reward.

When Cort VanOstran canvassed a leafy neighborhood in upper-middle-class Glendale last week in his increasingly competitive bid to unseat three-term Republican Rep. Ann Wagner, several conservative-leaning independent and Republican voters said they would consider backing a Democrat because of the issue.

"You can't go into a booth blind and say I'm going all Republican," said Ken Clarke, a 72-year-old Republican who voted for Trump and Wagner in 2016. His daughter-in-law has multiple sclerosis, and in recent years, he said, he has begun to support the concept of universal health care.

"I wish America would somehow get across-the-board insurance for everyone - like Canada," Clarke said. "Social medicine has got to be the future."

Walking door to door, VanOstran, a 30-year-old lawyer, highlighted Wagner's 2017 vote to repeal the ACA.

"When she made that vote, I felt like it was a vote against me and my family," VanOstran told Sherry Ingram, a 63-year-old grandmother who retired from her job as a Monsanto accounts manager.

Wagner's vote, he said, prompted him to run for office. His mother, who died of breast cancer two years ago, had health coverage through a plan sold under the ACA in the final years of her life, VanOstran said.

"I really think that most Republicans don't want people with preexisting conditions to lose their care," Ingram said, stepping onto the porch as her daughter's goldendoodle peered through the glass door.

Wagner last year co-sponsored a House Republican bill to offer insurance to patients with preexisting conditions. But health analysts say the legislation does not bar insurers from charging higher rates based on health factors.

Ingram, an independent voter who considers herself conservative on economic issues but liberal on social issues, said she has yet to settle on either a House or Senate candidate and is open to the Democratic and Republican nominees in both races.

"It's very important to make sure preexisting conditions are taken care of fairly," Ingram said.

Hawley, too, faces questions from voters who typically would be open to siding with a Republican.

"Can you tell me your plan to fix health care?" Peggy Vangorder, who described herself as an independent who often votes Republican, typed on Hawley's Facebook page after watching his 8-minute speech outlining the stakes of next month's election.

"This scares people who are sick," another womanwrote, urging him to clarify by getting "some ads out letting people know you do support preexisting conditions."
Oil buyers who viewed Obama-era policies as precedent for U.S. sanctions on Iran are getting a rude shock.

A Trump administration demand that oil purchases should stop has blindsided Asian importers who assumed they would only have to reduce shipments from the Persian Gulf state. Now, one after another, buyers are complying to avoid being cut off from the American financial system when restrictions on Iranian supplies take effect in November.

The miscalculation that President Donald Trump's rules will be similar to Barack Obama's is at the root of crude's recent surge over $85 a barrel and forecasts for $100 oil. As refiners are forced to shun Iran, the market's being squeezed more than traders expected. While the U.S. granted waivers earlier this decade to nations that cut imports, such exemptions are proving harder to come by this time around.

"The Trump Administration has signaled it is far less willing to use the provisions in the Iran sanction statute that allow for countries to receive exceptions if they demonstrate significant reductions in purchases of Iranian oil," said Jason Bordoff, director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University in New York and a former Obama administration official.

That's forcing buyers "to zero out their purchases of Iranian oil much more quickly at a time when oil markets are already tightening," he said.

India is the latest major customer of Iranian oil to avoid purchases as its refiners declined to seek any cargoes loading in November. That follows Japan, where the government continues talks with the U.S. The demand for zero imports was first met by South Korea, which relies on America to pressure its northern neighbor's leader, Kim Jong Un, to abandon nuclear weapons.

Government officials in India and South Korea -- previously Iran's second and third-largest customers -- say negotiations with the U.S. administration are significantly more difficult than when the Obama administration imposed restrictions on Iran over its nuclear program. Washington isn't willing to give waivers for mere import reductions, and instead wants a complete halt, they said.

Top buyer China is a wildcard. Its government has said it opposes unilateral sanctions by the U.S., with which it's fighting a trade war. Earlier this decade, it remained the Persian Gulf state's biggest customer, although purchases fell as Iranian production was squeezed by American restrictions. Over the past couple of months, the Islamic republic's shipments to the Asian nation have declined.

"We will consider waivers where appropriate," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last month during a visit to New Delhi. But "it is our expectation that the purchases of Iranian crude oil will go to zero from every country or sanctions will be imposed," he said.

The harder U.S. stance means the amount of oil being taken out of the market is higher than what was expected in May, when Trump announced plans to reimpose sanctions on Iran. With America "incredibly serious" about its measures, the consensus on export losses has risen to as much as 1.5 million barrels a day, from 300,000 to 700,000 barrels earlier, according to Ben Luckock, co-head of oil trading at Trafigura Group.

Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh has said his country will come up with "other ways" to mitigate the sanctions impact. Still, tactics such as using an alternative payment mechanism may not be enough to fully cushion the blow to its exports, which have already plunged to the lowest level since February 2016.

That's because Asian oil buyers and shippers will probably keep away even if Iran tries to keep its crude in the market. While they may not be technically falling foul of sanctions, any exposure to the Islamic republic's cargoes could result in secondary restrictions or companies being cut off from American financial institutions.

"Potential deals with Iran just pale in comparison with deals in the United States," Brian Hook, the U.S. State Department's special representative for Iran, said at a press briefing on Sept. 25, adding that the administration will "vigorously and aggressively" enforce sanctions.

As the chances of getting a waiver dwindle, oil processors in Asia are not only scrambling for alternative supplies, but may also have to bear higher costs. Plants that were originally configured to process Iranian crude may need to undergo rework.

Some South Korean facilities, for example, are optimized to run Iranian condensate, a type of ultra-light oil. "So obtaining the waiver from the U.S. is extremely crucial," said Kim Jae-kyung, a research fellow at the Korea Energy Economics Institute.

Energy firms also have to contend with the possibility of losing access to shale supplies, potentially denying them the chance to secure relatively cheap cargoes. When the Obama administration had imposed restrictions in 2012, U.S. output was almost 50 percent lower than current levels and American crude exports were banned.

While Brent crude, the benchmark for more than half the world's oil, was trading above $86 a barrel at 11:27 a.m. in London, futures of West Texas Intermediate -- the U.S. marker -- were about $10 lower at $76.30 in New York.

"Companies have a choice either to do business in Iran or in the United States," the U.S. State Department's Hook said. "Very few companies are going to choose Iran over the United States, and so that's just the economic reality."

- - -

Bloomberg's Nick Wadhams and Tsuyoshi Inajima contributed.
The body of a missing Massachusetts man last seen in Lakeville has been found, Connecticut State Police said Wednesday.

After several days of searching, the state police dive team found the body of German Perez, 60, on Wednesday afternoon, police said. The body was found about 1 mile south of where the mans car had been found last week, police said.
The successful shipment of finished goods to customers is many times the Achilles heel for any B2B or B2C company. Whether you're building pipelines, running a successful coffee brand or manufacturing electric cars, managing freight is never going to be the core competency of your or anyone else's fast-growing businesses.

Related: Amazon Will Let Entrepreneurs Start Their Own Delivery Business and Earn Up to $300,000 a Year

This is why neither shareholders nor boards, nor analysts nor consumers wish to hear that the fortunes of your business rise and fall on the whims of the logistics you need to do those deliveries.

Flash back to Sunday, September 16: On that day, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors, responded on Twitter to a customer's complaint about the delayed delivery of her new vehicle. His company, he wrote, was stuck in delivery logistics hell.

This being Elon Musk, the quote of course, made national news. Tesla after all is a high-profile technology company with a gregarious leader in Musk, who regularly uses hyperbole and makes outlandish claims in public forums.

However, in the context of the current logistics marketplace, Musk's tweet was not far from the truth. The issues around delivering finished cars that Tesla is dealing with are part and parcel of a significant problem plaguing businesses today -- finding drivers and equipment available to move goods.

At a macro level, the countrys supply chains are suffering from a period of very high demand and small supply. As reported by the Journal of Commerce, analysts from Gartner recently predicted that capacity will remain tight through 2018 and into 2019.

Exacerbating this predicament for Tesla is the fact that hauling finished vehicles is a specialty marketplace, with a relatively small number of carriers that can move those cars to market and get them into customers hands. Indeed, it's hard to find those specialty trucks, plus there are a limited number of drivers who can get behind that wheel.

Drivers must be specially certified for this type of driving and DOT-licensed. Ultimately, finding people who want to do that job has been an industrywide issue. As has been widely reported, driver shortages have been a greater problem in the past year than ever before, leading to tightened capacity for everyone.

Related: 6 Ways to Grow Your Logistics Business as an Entrepreneur

And that buyer on Twitter waiting for her Tesla? She likely gained firsthand knowledge of the continued delays plaguing the Intermodal channel of logistics, which includes rail. As reported by the Intermodal Association of North America, right now is the peak season for train traffic carrying freight. Yet, having merchandise stuck in railyards is not uncommon this time of the year, as suppliers move goods to retailers building Q4 inventory.

Specific to Musk and Tesla, that company has recently ramped-up production of its Model 3, which has been greatly anticipated and has thousands of customers waiting on delivery of cars they reserved months or even years ago. Increases in volume significantly impact a companys supply chain. And higher production means higher volumes and greater shipments to process, leaving executives in unfamiliar territory they are unaccustomed to managing.

What's happened at Tesla -- and at Walmart

Just two months ago, Tesla announced that Musk's self-proclaimed production hell had been put in the rear-view mirror, and the company had finally achieved its long sought-after goal of producing 5,000 cars per week.

However, that ramp-up in production levels has only served to exacerbate the post-production delivery issues. For young, fast-growing companies like Tesla, thinking about and managing the supply chain is typically very low or even last on the list of strategic decisions.

For B2C companies, in general, marketing and sales will always come first, as revenue growth is required to build momentum, garner public interest and attract investors. Logistics is usually not a high-profile function at any company, and acquiring that expertise internally is seen as an expense, rather than an investment with a significant return.

For this reason, the issue of inbound and outbound shipping capacity has bled into many small and medium- sized (SMB) manufacturers, especially in the retail sector, where increasingly larger retailers like Walmart are placing additional supply chain rules on vendors.

"On time, in full" (OTIF) is the latest regulation put in place by Walmart to require that freight, in the form of inventory deliveries, arrive during guaranteed delivery windows and that the shipment include all of the contracted goods. With large percentage penalties for incomplete and/or late deliveries looming, manufacturers are looking for ways to streamline and closely monitor both their inbound and outbound freight.

One solution that is increasingly common is using a third-party logistics (3PL) provider. A 3PL provides a variety of services that allow customers to achieve better service, on-time delivery, negotiated rates, custom reporting and more transparency for the supply chain.

The 3PL industry has been growing rapidly, with a few of the largest companies having gone public, and a significant increase in M&A activity happening in the sector as well. In addition to providing a one-stop solution to interact with the various modes of transportation necessary to deliver the finished products, 3PLs can help overcome driver shortages, provide visibility into inventory levels, offer business intelligence on key performance indicators critical to business initiatives and make companies more nimble and flexible in the face of changing market conditions.

Musk's challenges are quite similar to those of any entrepreneur experiencing hypergrowth and unexpected surges in customer demand. Here are some tips you can apply to your business to prepare for a growth in freight:

Understand the challenges that come with increases in volume.

Increases in volume significantly impact your companys supply chain. Higher production means higher volumes and greater shipments processed. You can find yourself in unfamiliar territory that you may not be accustomed to managing.

Be knowledgeable about logistics or partner with a company that is.

Logistics is usually not a high-profile function at any company, and acquiring that expertise internally is positioned as an expense, rather than an investment with a significant return.

Find a partner that can identify ways to streamline and closely monitor outbound freight.

Because you likely face large percentage penalties for incomplete and/or late deliveries, you should always be looking for ways to streamline and closely monitor both your inbound and outbound freight.

Related: Logistics Tech Startup One Click Delivery Raises Seed Funding From MEVP

Save time and budget with a partner that interacts with all modes of necessary transportation.

A 3PL can provide a variety of services that allows its customers to achieve better service, on-time delivery, negotiated rates, custom reporting and better transparency into the supply chain.

Related:

What Happened When Elon Musk Couldn't Ship a Car to His Buyer in Time

New Jersey Legalization Bill Reportedly Sets Nation's Lowest Tax on Legal Marijuana

The Bright Future of Cannabis Retail



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
The Chattanooga Police Department announced crime statistics showing reductions in violent crime from 2017 to 2018. According to the statistics, criminal homicides were down 61 percent; gang member involved homicides were down 53 percent; and non-fatal shootings involving gang members were down 35 percent. Overall, persons shot in Chattanooga, both fatal and non-fatal, were reduced by 27 percent.



These significantly reduced numbers are due, in part, to the collaborative efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement and state and federal prosecutors. Effective violence reduction depends on working in partnership with a wide range of engaged stakeholders.



While these numbers are encouraging, we cannot afford to be complacent. The violent crime rate is still too high. However, local, state and federal resources, working in partnership to address the drivers of violent crime in our communities, will continue to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. As United States Attorney, I am committed to working to drive down violent crime even further.

Last fall, Attorney General Sessions announced the expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods which encourages U.S. Attorneys Offices to work with the communities they serve to develop customized crime reduction strategies. The PSN program has always been strong in this district and will continue to thrive during this reinvigoration of our crime reduction strategy.

While PSN has been implemented by every U.S. Attorneys office across the country, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution to reduce crime everywhere. It is about local needs, resources, and partners. Recently, the Eastern District of Tennessee formed a PSN Task Force consisting of representatives from local, state and federal law enforcement across our district. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Office, the PSN Task Force includes representatives from the Chattanooga Police Department, Knoxville Police Department, Greeneville Police Department, First, Second, Sixth, and Eleventh District Attorneys Offices, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Probation and Parole, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security, and U.S. Probation Office.

As a district, the plan is to attack the violent crime problem by identifying significant offenders and targeting them for either federal or state prosecution. By using the most effective tools and techniques, we target the offenders for prosecution in the jurisdiction that can provide the most certain and appropriate sanction.

One recent example of this was in March 2018, when 31-year old Chris Rayvon Starks of Shelbyville, Tn., was sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act to serve 180 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition in violation of the Gun Control Act. His sentence was enhanced based on his three prior convictions for aggravated robbery.

Since 2013, the city of Chattanooga has funded an attorney position that serves as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and focuses on violent crime cases to help lower shootings and overall violent crime in the City of Chattanooga. Under the reinvigorated PSN program, we hope to maintain this partnership for many years to come. Our goal is to continue working together with all of our law enforcement partners and community leaders and use all available resources to help reduce the violent crime statistics in Chattanooga even further in the coming year.

J. Douglas Overbey

United States Attorney

Eastern District of Tennessee


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The company Affiliated Developers Inc. which has been attempting to purchase the Eagles Manor has stepped away from the deal, said Jeryl Schneider, vice president of Tamarack Property Management Co., in an email to the Havre Daily News Wednesday.

Affiliated Developers Inc. is no longer working towards the purchase of Eagles Manor in Havre, she said. They were unable to work out an agreement with the current debt lender and the numbers simply did not work for them.

Affiliated Developers has not returned multiple phone calls from the Havre Daily News as of print deadline this morning.

Havre City Council approved June 4 a $125,000 loan to the Havre Eagles Manor to make repairs in the retirement living facility contingent on the sale of the manor to Affiliated Developers.

Havre Mayor Tim Solomon and Finance Director and City Clerk Doug Kaercher said Tuesday they were unaware of the company dropping out of the deal.

Both said separately that the loan was dependent on the sale and has not been activated.

Solomon said if a new buyer wanted the loan the City Council would have to revisit the loan, revise it and revote on it in order for it to be used.

This money was designated to provide assistance in the repairs to the building, such as the air conditioning, which was not functional this summer, elevator repairs, boiler repairs, which the Eagles Manor has recently completed for the upcoming winter and other repairs that are needed.

Eagles Club Manager Thomas Farnham said Monday another buyer is looking at purchasing the Eagles Manor, working with U.S. Bank, although he was unable to provide a name.

Farnham has not returned calls asking for additional information since Monday.

Northwest Real Estate Capital Corporation, the parent company of Tamarack Property Management Co., declined to comment on the name of the new buyer.

Schneider said that she could neither deny or confirm the possibility of a second buyer.

Tamarack has not been informed that there is a second buyer interested in the purchase of the property, but that is not unusual, Schneider said. Often buyers and sellers work directly together with their respective brokers and do not involve property management until they have reached an agreement. It would be great news for the property and the community if a second potential buyer has come forward.

Affiliated Developers is also working on purchasing the Oakwood Village apartment complex in Havre.

Kirk Bruce, executive director of Affiliated Developers, said Aug. 15 during a public meeting in Havre that the company is looking at spending as much as $3.5 million in renovations of the complex.

Paul Tuss, executive director of Bear Paw Development Corp. which hosted the meeting last month, said that, to his knowledge, Affiliated Developers is still interested in the Oakwood Village property although Bear Paw has not been in contact with the company for some time, adding that he will look into the matter further.

Tuss, a Havre Democrat, is challenging Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester, in Tempels bid for re-election to Senate District 14.

Bruce said last month he will know by Nov. 20 if the Montana Board of Housing will award Affiliated Developers with the tax credits, which the company would use to renovate Oakwood Village, with renovations possibly starting next summer.
Montana Actors Theatre is continuing its tradition of putting on a pantomime for the Christmas holiday season and is inviting people to audition Sunday and Monday for its 2018 production of Peter Pan.

A modern panto, or pantomime, considered a British creation, takes a well-known story, often a fable or childrens story, and puts it on the stage with dancing, singing, jokes and other twists on the original story.

The staging of pantos is a Christmas tradition in England.

Auditions for Peter Pan will be held at Montana State University-Northern in Cowan Hall in Room 107 at 7 p.m.

People ages 12 and older are invited to audition, with minimum of 14 roles for youth and adults to be cast. Speaking and non-speaking roles are available, and no experience is necessary.

Peter Pan, Wendy, Tinkerbell, Captain Hook and many more will be present in this lighthearted tale, based on the book by J.M. Barrie, a release from MAT said. Show dates are Dec. 7-8, 14-16, 21-23.

For more information, contact Valerie Guyant at 715-523-0906 or [email protected]
People walk down First Street to raise awareness of domestic violence in 2016. This year's awareness walk, which includes a run and other activities, runs down each side of Fifth Avenue Saturday with signup starting at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot of Western Drug on the 100 Block of Fifth Avenue.

Support and education - those are the goals of Saturday's Domestic Abuse Awareness 5K run and walk.

This year's Havre walk, sponsored by District 4 Human Resources Development Council, Hill County Public Health Department and United Way of Hill County, is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. with sign-ups starting at 9:30 a.m. The event, expected to go until noon, will start in the Western Drug parking lot.

The purpose of the event is to show support for domestic violence victims and survivors, HRDC Domestic Violence Advocate Chelsea Nottingham said.

"As well as to let the community know what resources are available to them and what services we provide and what resources we can connect victims to," she added.

Nottingham, who has been with the program for a year and a half, said that for the past six years the event was just a walk.

"This year, we really wanted to appeal to the running community and make it a bigger event," Nottingham said.

In addition to the 5K run, other aspects will be included in the event to make it bigger than previous years.

Representatives from a group at Montana Statue University-Northern who are focused on changing rape culture will provide information during the event.

Fat Billy and the Barbecue Boys will sell food at the awareness walk. The morning will also include a band playing live music and T-shirts for sale.

At last year's awareness walk, Nottingham said, about 30 people showed up, adding that most people who turn up for this event are women.

Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence, so the issue is not just something that affects women, Nottingham said. It's a behavior of power and control that one partner uses over another partner.

Domestic violence also includes emotional and mental abuse.

"It's important for men to get involved to set an example for their children and their boys out there to treat women with respect," Nottingham said. "It goes hand in hand with bullying."

Once all participants have completed the course, a bundle of balloons will be released to symbolize unity and moving on against domestic violence, Nottingham said.

The starting point at the Western Drug Pharmacy parking lot is on the 100 Block of Fifth Avenue. The course then runs about a mile and a half south on Fifth Avenue, crosses to the west side of Fifth Avenue and comes back to the parking lot.

Water will be handed out to walkers and runners.

Nottingham said that they are encouraging people to bring non-perishable food items or toiletries, especially toiletries such as toilet paper, paper towels, diapers or wipes. These items will be donated to the women's shelter.

"I just want people to know and come out and support the victims and survivors as well as to know the information that is available to them in order to help them get through this," Nottingham said. "I just want them to see the faces of our program and know that there is help."

Nottingham said a crisis line, 265-2222, has someone standing by 24/7. The line offers peer counseling and referrals and takes requests for shelter.

Saturday's walk is free to everyone in the community, Nottingham said. The event theme is purple, the color for domestic violence.
I would like to tell you it is all about the weather. I would be lying. Even though it seems like rain has followed me from Washington to Glacier to Harlem to Glendive, I am simply not that powerful.

I do not make the rain. Much as I would like to think it is all about me, it is not. Nor is it all about the weather. Weather is weather, variable. Today weather is rain. This is Montana. Tomorrow might bring a heat wave or it might snow.

This week and a half is all about family. My older daughter and her family, to be explicit.

The players: My daughter, Dee Dee. Her husband, Chris. Their daughter, Antoinette who is 12. Older daughter, Jessica who has two babies, Harper, 3, and Kyla, 1 1/2.

Jessica graciously gave me a bedroom in her apartment. The bonus for me is that I get to know her baby girls.

When I arrived in Glendive my Dee Dee was in a tizzy over her own housing. The family has been planning to move  in a year. Suddenly, they were given notice that the owner has other plans which take precedence over their own plans. So much for plans.

Can adult children have meltdowns? Answer: of course. This adult mama almost melted with her. It is allowed. We just have more understanding of where we are when we dissolve into a puddle on the floor than the average 2-year-old. And we did not stay on the floor and did not stomp our feet. Scream and cry  well, a little.

My daughter had visions of living in cardboard boxes under a railroad overpass. Oh, dear, I am afraid I passed that image down to her through some weird genetic transfer.

I wanted to rescue her. I cannot.

She and Chris will find a house. Their sense of panic will recede. They will not paste newspaper for insulation onto the walls of an abandoned barn. Older and wiser, I know this. (That sounds really good, doesnt it? The older and wiser part.)

I have been telling her for years they needed to get out of that moldy old house. So, panic or no, it is a good thing.

Now for the bad news. Our baby girl, Kyla, happy and bouncy and full of love and kisses, the little flirt, one morning woke up crabby and cranky and warmish. After the usual round of tests, the doctor put her in the ICU. Her white cell count was dangerously high. The doctor quickly ruled out meningitis or cancer. They are shoving antibiotics into her veins, hydrating her, and doing lots of poking and pinching as well as every kind of test. But they do not seem to know the cause. Or they are not telling us their suspicions. (Maybe a good thing.)

We human creatures, helpless most of the time, seem to think if we just know what it is, then we can control it or fix it or make it go away. When we find out what it is, we usually find out we are still helpless.

That certainly puts our small woes into perspective. It is difficult to worry over ones own paltry concerns when a baby is suffering. Everyone pitched in to take care of 3-year old Harper while her mom is at the hospital with the baby.

What next? I said it. Snow. Big deal. That is simply weather. When September waved good-bye, she went out with an evil cackle of witchery, piling up snow over Montana. October stomped in, boots crunching through frost, snow and a glaze of ice. This is Montana.

Im headed home to my little casita and what flowers the iguanas have not eaten. I would whine but nobody would listen.

Weepy eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat and all, still, I sing, But Im on my way, wont be back for many a day. My heart is down, my head is turning around, I had to leave a little girl in Glendive town.



Sondra Ashton grew up in Harlem but spent most of her adult life out of state. She returned to see the Hi-Line with a perspective of delight. After several years back in Harlem, Ashton is seeking new experiences in Etzatlan, Mexico. Once a Montanan, always. Read Ashtons essays and other work at montanatumbleweed.blogspot.com. Email [email protected]
Were excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us, he said.

The minimum wage hike will cover 250,000 employees, including 100,000 seasonal hires, in the US and 17,000 employees and 20,000 temporary staff in the UK.

The raise will also include workers at organic foods retailer Whole Foods, which was acquired by Amazon in August 2017.

Whole Foods employees have reportedly started plans to organise a union that will advocate for 85,000 workers. Amazons purchase of the supermarket chain allegedly upset the livelihood of team members, stirred anxiety, and lowered moral[e] within stores.

One of Amazons critics, Sen. Bernie Sanders, commended the online retailer for increasing pay:
The video shows Jeremy Dufresne, who reportedly struggles with schizophrenia and lives out on the streets in Syracuse, stopping at the store to stay warm and charge his phone.

A Dunkin employee was recorded saying, How many times have I got to tell you to stop sleeping in here? before launching into a tirade and threatening to call the police. Another person could be heard laughing.

Dufresne, who clarified in reports he was only resting his head on a table, was shocked when the employee doused him with a bucket of water.

He probably had some personal problems of his own and needed someone to talk to. And he took it out on someone else, like me, Dufresne told Syracuse.com.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by netizens to help Dufresne. Dunkin has also reached out to his family.
The FWO alleges that the employee had been underpaid a range of minimum entitlements under the Fast Food Industry Award 2010 between October 2013 and May 2016.

The alleged underpayments arose from a failure to pay minimum ordinary hourly rates, casual loadings, annual leave entitlements, a special clothing allowance and penalty rates for night-time, weekend and public holiday work.

Moreover, the investigation found similar alleged breaches for six other employees with underpayments ranging from $20 and $2,481 between May and August 2017.

The FWO also alleges that Desire Food and Lee breached workplace laws by providing inspectors with false and misleading records that showed employees had been paid higher rates than was actually the case.

Other alleged breaches include not paying for meal breaks and a transport allowance, failing to engage casual employees for a minimum of three hours, not issuing pay slips, failing to issue pay slips that complied with the Fair Work Regulations 2009 and failing to adhere to frequency-of-pay laws.
Long-term exposure to periodontal disease bacteria causes inflammation and degeneration of brain neurons in mice that is similar to the effects of Alzheimers disease in humans, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The findings, which are published in PLOS ONE, suggest that periodontal disease, a common but preventable gum infection, may be an initiator of Alzheimers, which currently has no treatment or cure.

Other studies have demonstrated a close association between periodontitis and cognitive impairment, but this is the first study to show that exposure to the periodontal bacteria results in the formation of senile plaques that accelerate the development of neuropathology found in Alzheimers patients, said Dr. Keiko Watanabe, professor of periodontics at the UIC College of Dentistry and corresponding author on the study.

This was a big surprise, Watanabe said. We did not expect that the periodontal pathogen would have this much influence on the brain, or that the effects would so thoroughly resemble Alzheimers disease.

To study the impact of the bacteria on brain health, the Watanabe and her colleagues  including Dr. Vladimir Ilievski, UIC research assistant professor and co-author on the paper  established chronic periodontitis, which is characterized by soft tissue damage and bone loss in the oral cavity, in 10 wild-type mice. Another 10 mice served as the control group. After 22 weeks of repeated oral application of the bacteria to the study group, the researchers studied the brain tissue of the mice and compared brain health.

The researchers found that the mice chronically exposed to the bacteria had significantly higher amounts of accumulated amyloid beta  a senile plaque found in the brain tissue of Alzheimers patients. The study group also had more brain inflammation and fewer intact neurons due to degeneration.

These findings were further supported by amyloid beta protein analysis, and RNA analysis that showed greater expression of genes associated with inflammation and degeneration in the study group. DNA from the periodontal bacteria was also found in the brain tissue of mice in the study group, and a bacterial protein was observed inside their neurons.

Our data not only demonstrate the movement of bacteria from the mouth to the brain, but also that chronic infection leads to neural effects similar to Alzheimers, Watanabe said.

The researchers say these findings are powerful in part because they used a wild-type mouse model; most model systems used to study Alzheimers rely on transgenic mice, which have been genetically altered to more strongly express genes associated with the senile plaque and enable Alzheimers development.

Using a wild-type mouse model added strength to our study because these mice were not primed to develop the disease, and use of this model gives additional weight to our findings that periodontal bacteria may kick-start the development of the Alzheimers, Watanabe said.

The researchers say that understanding causality and risk factors for the development of Alzheimers is critical to the development of treatments, particularly when it comes to sporadic, or late-onset disease, which constitutes more than 95 percent of cases and has largely unknown causes and mechanisms.

While the findings are significant for the scientific community, Watanabe said there are lessons for everyone.

Oral hygiene is an important predictor of disease, including diseases that happen outside the mouth, she said. People can do so much for their personal health by taking oral health seriously.

Additional co-authors on the paper are Paulina Zuchowska, Stefan Green, Peter Toth, Michael Ragozzino, Khuong Le and Haider Aljewari of UIC, and Neil OBrein-Simpson and Eric Reynolds of the University of Melbourne.

University of Illinois
The bus driver was stopped after a report was made to the traffic corps. Photo: Collins

A 65-year-old bus driver was nine times over the limit when he was discovered by gardai slumped over the wheel.

The driver was reported to gardai traffic corps for driving erratically shortly before 7pm on Tuesday northbound on the M7 near Newbridge, Co Kildare.

His single-decker bus - operated by a private company and with no passengers on-board - had pulled into a lay-by when gardai arrived.

The driver was subsequently arrested and taken to Naas Garda Station and charged in relation to the incident.

He is due to appear at Naas District Court later this month on drink-driving charges.

The Herald can reveal that the driver, from the west of the country, has not previously come to garda attention.

Airport

Earlier in the evening, he had dropped a number of people to Dublin Airport on his bus and then drove southbound on the M50 and then onto the M7.

It is understood that the bus driver was intending to stay in a hotel in the north Co Kildare area as he travelled southbound.

Sources have revealed that gardai believe the driver "missed his turn" on the motorway and then took the next exit before driving back northbound in an allegedly erratic fashion.

It can be revealed that concerned members of the public contacted gardai in relation to the bus driver's "very strange driving" and when officers arrived at the scene he was found to be "completely drunk and slumped over his wheel".

Last night sources said gardai were investigating whether the driver had actually been over the drink driving limit when he earlier dropped a number of passengers at Dublin Airport.

"In ways this is a terrifying situation - it is a miracle that no one was seriously injured," a source said.

"It was completely reckless behaviour on his part, he was drunk out of his mind."

Last night it was unclear where the bus driver had earlier picked up the passengers whom he had brought to Dublin Airport or where exactly he had intended to stay in Co Kildare.

Drink driving limits are lower for professional drivers than for standard motorists.

The legal limit for novices, learners and professional drivers is 9mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath.

It is understood the bus driver had a reading of 84mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, making him nine times over the limit.

Arrested

Gardai tweeted about the incident saying the Naas Roads Policing Unit had arrested the driver, a man in his 60s, after they stopped the bus at 7pm on Tuesday.

In a completely separate incident in January, a bus driver was arrested for testing positive for alcohol at a garda checkpoint.

Gardai carried out a mandatory checkpoint on the M1 motorway between Swords and Balbriggan on Saturday morning, January 6.

The driver of the bus was arrested after he failed the roadside test.

It's believed that up to 17 passengers were on the bus at the time and were left stranded for up to two hours until a replacement bus arrived.

During that checkpoint, 246 motorists were randomly tested for alcohol and four for drugs.
A judge told a market trader not to call her "love" during an unsuccessful 60,000 damages claim at the Circuit Civil Court.

James Flynn (46), who works at markets throughout Munster, kept addressing defence counsel Adrianne Fields as love.

But when he adopted the same approach with the court, Judge Sarah Berkeley told him: "Don't call me love."

Mr Flynn, of St Mary's Terrace, Rathkeale, Co Limerick, had sued Dublin City Council roads engineer Alec Dundon for damages for injuries arising from a rear ending at a toll plaza at Clonadacasey, Portlaoise, Co Laois, on October 15, 2015.

After being reprimanded by Judge Berkeley he addressed Ms Fields as "lady".

Ms Fields, who appeared for Mr Dundon, of Primrose Avenue, Phibsboro, Dublin 7, said liability was conceded in the case which had become an assessment of damages only.

Mr Flynn told the court that he was a passenger in a box van driven by his brother-in-law which had been reversed into by Mr Dundon's car at the tolls.

Despite wearing his seat belt Mr Flynn said he was slapped forward against the dashboard, injuring his neck and shoulder.

He said he suffered occasionally from memory loss. He estimated the van was driving between 64kph and 112kph when Mr Dundon reversed at speed into the front of the vehicle as he "attempted to jump lanes".

Mr Flynn said he was taken to hospital but had little memory of exactly how the accident happened. He could recall a loud bang when the vehicles collided and hitting the dash.

He said he suffered from a serious ear infection and all participants in the case agreed they would raise their voices.

When at one stage he said he was becoming frightened because of the manner in which Ms Fields was "roaring" at him, Judge Berkeley reassured him that voices had to be raised so he could hear them.

Barrage

"It appears you are hearing certain things without difficulty, may I add," she told him.

Ms Fields said Mr Dundon was conceding he had reversed into the front of the van but defence witnesses would be alleging that the collision was a very minor tip of the bumpers.

Facing a barrage of questions during Ms Fields's cross examination, Mr Flynn referred on several occasions to his intermittent loss of memory and said he may not have heard or may have misunderstood questions put to him by a doctor examining him on behalf of the defendant.

He denied that a pain on the left side of his neck had magically jumped to the right side when recently examined.

He agreed he had sued for damages in accidents in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2010 and, while having withdrawn some of them, had been awarded 90,000 over an accident in which he suffered serious leg injuries.

When an engineer for Mr Dundon played back a CCTV recording for Judge Berkeley of the vehicles slowly approaching the toll plaza and stopping, the judge directed it be considered by both Mr Flynn's and Mr Dundon's legal teams.

A short time later counsel for Mr Flynn told Judge Berkeley that his client had decided to withdraw his claim. The judge ordered that Mr Flynn pay the legal costs of the case.
For Subscribers Parents call for removal of books from school system libraries

Two of the books that have explicit content are "Lawn Boy," by Jonathan Evison, and "L8r, g8r," by Lauren Myracle.
A government committee is all set to award compensation to the victims of faulty hip implants sold by Johnson & Johnson (J&J), a major multinational corporation. It forces one to ask: why will J&J pay this compensation? Under what law is this being worked out? For the Drugs and Cosmetics Act (DCA) clearly does not provide for this, applying as it does to very limited circumstances involving the sale of spurious/adulterated drugs.

Even more worrying is the alleged intention of the committee to rely on the Motor vehicles act framework to determine compensation. Is this a joke?

Lets be clear: J&J is not legally obliged to pay even if the committee arrives at a very considerate compensatory amount. If they do so, it will have to be on a purely voluntary basis. Why then is the government investing so much in this committee whose ultimate success will rest on the charity/largesse of a multinational corporation? Are we playing into the hands of this clever MNC that has managed to evade liability so far in India? Or is this just a half-baked attempt by the government to show that it is doing something?

Indeed, this is no isolated incident. Weve had a history of short-circuiting quests for justice with quick-fix solutions that come at the cost of a more robust evolution of jurisprudence. Consider the Bhopal gas tragedy case, where in order to ward off public criticism, a judge awarded an interim compensation of Rs 250 crore to victims. Till date, it is not clear as to how such a figure was arrived at, and under what provision of law the interim settlement was worked out.

Is this the kind of jugaad justice we deserve? Should we not move to a more sustained development of jurisprudence in which theories of legal liability are clearly spelt out and compensation worked out with more analytical rigour, drawing in economic and other experts where necessary? This will yield a legal regime that is stable and reliable in the long run, one that makes it easier for future victims to take their perpetrators to task.

It is paradoxical that despite India being one of the most litigious countries and our judges enjoying considerable discretion in fashioning relief, our compensatory jurisprudence is largely underdeveloped. Fortunately, this is slowly changing, with courts beginning to hand out significant damages, even in specialised cases such as intellectual property infringement. As such, patients are best placed to take their shot at courts, rather than rely on the government which appears to have set up a largely toothless committee to counter public anger.

While some patients have initiated law suits (under the consumer protection act, mainly), there is no class action lawsuit as yet. A class action is one in which litigants aggrieved by a common cause can pool their resources and take the litigation forward as a group. While class action suits are popular in the United States,the practice is not common in India. Patients should therefore consider this route more seriously. They should approach the Supreme Court to club the pending cases and fast track them.

Patients could also explore suing J&J in the US. Unfortunately, the infamous Bhopal case stands in the way, where a US judge held that since the accident occurred in India and almost all witnesses/evidence were located there, India was the more convenient forum. Even more unfortunate was the fact that it was the affidavit of Nani Palkhiwala, a legendary Indian lawyer, that swung the case in favour of the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC). He argued that Indian law was as good as the US ones when it came to redressing complex claims in mass tort cases. But as the aftermath of the Bhopal case revealed, he was way off the mark. The Indian legal system is deficient in more ways than one when it comes to compensating for product liability. For one, our law in this regard (mainly the common law of torts and the Consumer Protection Act) hinges significantly on negligence, where affected patients have to necessarily prove that the defect was attributable to a failure by the manufacturer to take reasonable due care.

Contrast this with the US where state laws often provide for strict liability and manufacturers are liable for defects, irrespective of negligence. Further, unlike Indian laws, US laws provide for contingency fee of lawyering, where the costs of litigation are borne by lawyers who take a cut from the damage awarded. This gives even poor patients get access to courts and a shot at justice. In India, however, we make it even more difficult for litigants by imposing significant court fees.

Notwithstanding the shortcomings, lets not forget that Indian law provides for a robust right to life and good health, one that cannot be derogated from under our Constitution. Patients can, therefore, claim damages as an entitlement, not a mere largesse to be handed out by a multinational corporation which is at fault. They must, therefore, use the full force of the courts to secure justice, rather than relying on a reluctant government.

One can only hope that our courts rise to the occasion and do better than they did in the Bhopal case, moving away from a quick fix mindset to one in which clear theories of legal liability and a rigorous compensatory framework are drawn up. May this case turn out in a way that will provide good guidance for future cases and deter errant corporations from playing poker with the lives of poor patients.

Shamnad Basheer is a professor of law, and the founder of P-PIL (Promoting Public Interest Litigation)The views expressed are personal


American musician and activist Frank Zappa once said, You cant be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. India has six even though a beer airline shut down a few years ago. With Brent Crude oil touching $82 in market trade, the Indian rupee breaching 73 and the inexplicable inclusion of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) as a dutiable Item by the government, poor Frank must be rolling in his grave because should this phase continue, we might be left with only beer.

Indian aviation is possibly entering one of its toughest phases ever: more intense than what we saw in 2008 and nothing is being done to soften the blow. The inclusion of GST in the aviation and airline services raised the effective access-to-aviation cost earlier this year. Add to that the rise in fuel and currency and an unwanted import duty inclusion as the festive season approaches. The burden on the Indian traveller will be unbearable. Clearly, the countrys airlines at the moment arent in a position to absorb the import duty hike on fuel.

The government must understand that aviation, airlines and airline services are not luxuries accessible to a select few. With India being the worlds third largest aviation market, air travel is now a transportation medium thats driven by market dynamic, consumer needs and fragmented by regions to the point that each state has its unique aviation needs. On that note, the first causality as a result of the import duty inclusion and oil price hike within the next two weeks should be the BJP governments Regional Connectivity Scheme, Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik, or UDAN. The scheme, which was intended to help the common man access flying by means of a one-hour trip costing Rs 2,500 (limited to a select seat inventory), is now clearly not doable, unless the central government and the state are willing to shell out more subsidy.

Our airline industry isnt in its best shape either. The failure, or unlikely event of closure of Jet Airways, will have a catastrophic effect on air transport in India as we know it. The sudden vacuum of one airline dropping out from the market will lead to a dramatic air travel demand and a surge in ticket pricing leaving travellers stranded with fewer options to fly into tier 3 and tier 4 towns, more than 4,000 jobs being axed and collective revenue losses for airport operators and the Airports Authority of India. It is also likely to affect Air Navigation Service Revenue and the humble stockholder who put his precious life savings into the airlines stock. The loss to the exchequer will also be sizable in nature with the dip in import duty earnings, GST, tax collections and weaker demand for jet fuel.

The next six months are crucial for Indian aviation. The dramatic rise in operating costs from jet fuel and import of aircraft spare parts and consumables, since none of those continue to be made in India, will affect nearly all airlines and operations across the country. Differential aviation fuel pricing in each state owing to applicable VAT, levies and surcharges further stands to affect how Indias narrowing middle class travels. In a worst case scenario, air travel might once again end up being looked upon as carrying out the purpose it served back in the 1980s, which was in an emergency or urgent travel medium with rail being the first port of call for the middle class Indian. In that decade, air travel was a luxury limited to the business and trader community.

The government needs to step in, and step in now, and lower GST on air travel, roll back on the import duty inclusion on jet fuel and eliminate some of the levies that are on aviation-related goods that dramatically affect operating costs. The timing of imposing import duties on jet fuel just when the price of oil is nearly at its peak is baffling.

As for the industry, its in wait and watch mode. For travellers, it may be a time to revisit expenses with the upcoming festive season. Aviation cannot afford any further casualties. Weve already lost Kingfisher Airlines, Paramount Airways, Air Costa and Air Pegasus and certainly cant afford to lose Jet Airways  at the cost of operating expenses.

Clearly, bad weather and turbulence lie ahead: its time to fasten your seat belt.

Mark D Martin is founder and CEO of aviation consultancy firm, Martin Consulting

The views expressed are personal
Disha Patanis new photo shoot for Travel + Leisure Indias October issue, which features at least eight shots of the actor, is somewhat remarkable. The magazine spread merges the worlds of fashion and travel. It manages to simultaneously transport you to unexpected (from its architecture to its attitude) Israel, while serving some high fashion looks.

The editorial celebrates the Baaghi 2 stars beauty and charm, with most pictures featuring a mesmerizing Disha. The magazine cover is aptly titled Disha Patani finds Inspiration in Isreal and shows her wearing a floral Johanna Ortiz dress, while rocking a subtle smokey eye and her hair in loose waves, leaning on a table, with locals enjoying a session of playing cards behind her.

Another photo from the cover shoot is a close-up shot in which Disha is seen in front of a fruits shop at a local market. She is wearing a crimson silk dress from Paule Ka, dewy make-up and natural, beachy hair. All of the images were shot by Mumbai-based photographer Taras Taraporvala and styled by celebrity stylist Mohit Rai.

Follow along as Disha dazzles in glitzy gold-sequinned Amit Aggarwal, dressed-down August Getty Atelier, and a bold, floor-sweeping Rami Kadi on a whimsical cover shoot capturing the beauty of Israel:

Disha Patanis last film, Baaghi 2 with actor Tiger Shroff, released in March. She will be seen in Bharat with actor Salman Khan, a film directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. She plays a trapeze artist in the film that will span over five decades.

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Mira Rajput has shared Sapna Pabbis post in support of Tanushree Dutta. In an Instagram photo on Friday, Shahid Kapoors wife reposted Sapnas message.

This is my voice and my opinion about something I feel very strongly about - Ive tried very hard to edit it and ensure its well written and diplomatic but its just not happening. So heres the heart that I wear on my sleeve, writing the words I feel for real, Sapna wrote.

I believe Tanushree - I feel like theres something we are missing here. A point that we fail to acknowledge and own up to. Where were all the women when this was happening? she continued.

Tanushree had recently accused actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment on the sets of 2008s Horn OK Pleassss. Nana, denying the accusations, has sued Tanushree for defamation.

A wave of Bollywood actors - mostly women - have voiced their support for Tanushree. Stars such as Priyanka Chopra, Freida Pinto, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhasker and Farhan Akhtar have condemned sexual harassment in the industry and have stressed the importance of believing women.

Tanushree has since accused filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri of misbehaving with her on the set of 2005s Chocolate. She thanked actors Irrfan and Suniel Shetty of standing up for her on the occasion. Agnihotri has also sued her for defamation.

Reacting to receiving legal notices from both Nana and Agnihotri, Tanushree in a statement to the media said, This is the price you pay for speaking out against harassment,humiliation and injustice in India. Both Nanas and Vivek Agnihotris teams are on a smear campaign against me by constructing outright lies and misinformation on social media platforms and other public platforms.

Mira has in the past attracted criticism for her comments on feminism. The new wave of feminism is aggressive and destructive. There is a term called feminazi which is now becoming the female equivalent of a male chauvinist, she told India Today and was slammed for comments about housewives.

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A defamation case has been filed against Bollywood actor Tanushree Dutta for her comments about Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, police said on Thursday.

The case was filed by the Kaij police in Maharashtras Beed district on Wednesday evening after MNS district unit president Sumant Dhas lodged a complaint, alleging that Dutta had defamed his party chief, a police officer said.

We have registered a non-cognisable offence against Dutta under Section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and are investigating the complaint. We have also asked the complainant to approach court, the officer said.

Dutta, 34, who has accused actor Nana Patekar of harassing her on the sets of a film in 2008, recently said Raj Thackeray wanted to succeed late Bal Thackeray as the Shiv Sena chief, but could not do so.

She had also alleged that the MNS was involved in vandalising her vehicle when she opted out of the 2008 film, Horn Ok Pleassss.

Dutta also alleged that she had been getting threats from the MNS, adding that two persons recently tried to barge into her home.

The MNS youth wing, meanwhile, handed over a letter to the makers of the Bigg Boss on Wednesday, following reports of Dutta participating in the ongoing season of the TV reality show, a party functionary told PTI.

The party workers threatened violence on the set in Lonavla if she was let in.

Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar had backed Patekar on Wednesday, saying he was an illustrious personality who has done tremendous work for the state and questioned the veracity of Duttas claims.
A 35-year-old man died and a two others were injured when some chemical fell on them while they were riding a bike near east Delhis yet-to-be-opened Johri Enclave Metro station.

Amit Kumar (35) and Rahul (15) sustained injuries after the incident near the Delhi-Ghaziabad border at around 6 pm on Wednesday, and were rushed to a nursing home by Metro workers. From there, they were shifted to GTB hospital, where Amit was declared brought dead.

Rahul underwent treatment and is said to be out of danger. Details of the third injured are still unknown.

In a statement, Rahul said they were passing by the Johri Enclave Metro station when suddenly some chemical fell on them due to which they sustained burn injuries, news agency PTI reported.

Kumars family alleged that something fell from above when the duo were crossing the Metro station.

However, a Delhi Metro spokesperson said  some chemical fell from an auto and the incident had nothing to do with Delhi Metro.

No work which requires the use of such chemical is in progress there. The construction work in this area has already been completed and trial runs are in progress, the spokesperson said.

PTI quoted Ghaziabad senior superintendent of police Vaibhav Krishna as saying that the possibility of someone pouring chemical on them cannot be ruled out.

Kumar, a resident of Shani Bazaar in Johripur, is survived by his wife and two children, a 13-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son. He ran a cosmetics shop.
The Delhi Police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested a 20-year-old Delhi University student, who had, along with his accomplices, allegedly shot dead two brothers in Haryana last month. The police said he wanted to avenge an assault on him last year that had made him a laughing stock in his village.

Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse said the arrested accused, Anshu, a resident of Haryanas Sonepat, was arrested from Delhis Najafgarh on Tuesday, when he had come to meet his relatives. A pistol and two cartridges were recovered from his possession, the police said.

Alphonse said, Anshu was wanted in a double murder case that was registered at a police station in Haryanas Sonepat on September 24. His five accomplices had already been arrested by Sonepat police.

During questioning, the DCP said, Anshu disclosed that he is a first-year (BA) student at Swami Shraddhanand College and took to crime after falling in bad company.

Anshu had a rivalry with one Aashish alias Ashu from Haryanas Halalpur. Last year, he got into a fight with Aashish during a wedding. Aashish allegedly thrashed Anshu, who, as a result, became a laughing stock in his village, DCP Alphonse said, adding that Aashish had allegedly started throwing his weight around after the incident, threatening others by saying that he would beat them up the way he assaulted Anshu.

Police said Anshu has confessed that he decided to kill Aashish since he was enraged by his boastful nature. Hence, he roped in his friends Sandeep, Rohit, Mannu, Arun and Kartik, all residents of Narela, to help him kill Aashish.

On the day of the crime, the six waylaid Aashish and opened fire at him. When Aashishs brother Himanshu rushed to his rescue, the attackers shot him as well. They then fled the crime scene. The two brothers were admitted to a nearby hospital, where they succumbed to the bullet injuries during treatment.

Police said the murder case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the family members of the dead brothers. During probe, police identified the attackers and arrested five of them. Anshu, however, fled the city and was hiding at various places in Haryana till he was caught by the Delhi Police on Tuesday, police said.
The Delhi government Thursday rejected release of Manu Sharma, the killer of Jessica Lal, Santosh Singh, who murdered Priyadarshini Mattoo and Sushil Sharma, convicted in the tandoor murder case.

The Sentence Review Board, chaired by Delhi home minister Satyendar Jain, met to decide the fate of more than a hundred, prisoners including these three. It rejected 86 cases and recommended the release of 22 convicts

The names of Manu Sharma and Sushil Sharma were presented to the SRB in its last meeting on June 24, when the board deferred a decision for the next hearing.

The SRB also comprises director general (prisons) Ajay Kashyap, home secretary Manoj Parida, a Delhi police officer of the rank of joint commissioner, a district judge, law secretary Anoop K Mendirata, and a government-appointed probation officer.
Much of the focus on Russian President Vladimir Putins visit to India on October 4-5 for the annual summit between the two countries has centred round the impending multi-billion dollar deal for S-400 Triumf air defence systems. This is understandable, because of the way defence and military collaboration has underpinned bilateral relations for many decades, and the concerns caused by US threats of secondary sanctions under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which seeks to punish Russia for its activities in Ukraine and involvement in the Syrian war. Although top US officials have pushed for an India-specific waiver, President Donald Trump has given no indication of how he intends to tackle this issue.

That New Delhi has opted to go ahead with the signing of the deal during Mr Putins visit despite the uncertainty arising from the US threat of sanctions is an indication of the importance it attaches to defence and strategic ties with Moscow. The two-day meet is also significant as it follows an informal summit in May between Mr Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Russian city of Sochi, where the two sides attempted a reset of their relationship, which has been strained by various factors in recent years. Despite the robust military cooperation, there was a drift in the ties as Russia remained silent during the 2017 Doklam standoff with China, worked for a larger role in Afghanistan and even began selling arms to Pakistan.

India is going into this years summit from a position of economic strength  the country is ranked by the IMF among the worlds ten biggest economies of 2018  while Russia is grappling with a host of economic woes brought on by the lack of reforms and the impact of Western sanctions. Russias GDP growth forecast for this year and the next is below the global average and Indias GDP is 70% larger than Russias. The summit is also being held at a time when Mr Putin is in need of friends, after the growing anger in Europe against Russia for its role in global hotspots such as Syria and its perceived meddling in European elections. A more robust relationship with India will also help dispel fears in New Delhi that Moscow has drifted closer to Beijing. India and Russia also have the option of working more closely through multipolar forums such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Brics. Clearly, both sides will have to bring fresh ideas to the table to build on and transform what is looking like a largely transactional relationship.
Northside Neighborhood House (NNH) is addressing the needs of community members affected by the recent flooding by connecting resources and providing ongoing support.

Last week, the NNH stepped in to help the Soddy Daisy Food Bank, which was not able to see clients on their typical distribution day due to flooding. The NNH took food, diapers and other supplies from their main office Food Pantry to its site in North Hamilton to serve clients who typically rely on the Soddy Daisy Food Bank. Thankfully, the Soddy Daisy Food Bank was back up and running quickly but the greater community needs became apparent.

While our main goal in Soddy Daisy has been to help neighbors get their basic needs met, we saw that our neighbors were going to need more support, said Rachel Gammon, CEO for the NNH. As a result, we partnered with the United Way of Greater Chattanooga and other agencies to host a Service Fair for flood victims.

11 area agencies came together at the Service Fair to offer support. 49 households received support ranging from water cleanup support, gas cards, legal advice, and thrift vouchers.

We were encouraged by the outpouring of support for the Soddy Daisy community and are eager to connect our neighbors to more resources, since this is the core of NNHs mission to provide a hand up to our neighbors in need, said Ms. Gammon. After hosting the Service Fair and speaking with a number of affected individuals, the main unmet needs we saw were for HVAC/ductwork repairs, driveway repairs, and cosmetic repairs (fences washed over, walking rails washed over, etc).



Most people affected had some form of insurance, but these needs were not covered or are beyond the limit of coverage due to residents needing to rebuild and focusing funds on that. The Northside Neighborhood House hopes to address these unmet needs and gaps over the coming weeks.

We have been serving those in need living north of the river for 94 years and residents affected by this natural disaster need us more than ever, said Ms. Gammon. We hope community members will rally together to help us support those struggling to get back on their feet and rebuild their lives.
Mayawatis statement on Wednesday, attacking the Congress Party, specifically, its senior leader Digvijay Singh, and announcing her Bahujan Samaj Partys (BSP) decision to fight the assembly elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh alone, had an interesting sentence that pretty much absolved Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother and former party president Sonia Gandhi of any of the blame she was directing at the party.

It is unlikely that she will change her mind regarding these two states  the BSP is already fighting the elections in the third, Chhattisgarh, with Ajit Jogis Janata Congress Chhattisgarh party  although stranger things have been known to happen. It is just as unlikely that Ms Mayawatis decision will have no bearing on the 2019 parliamentary elections; at the least, it indicates that forming a grand alliance to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not be easy.

There are two possible outcomes. One, the opposition parties agree to defer a decision on a grand alliance till after the elections, choosing, instead, to forge locally relevant partnerships that can help them. The alliance between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the BSP, is one such. This, though, is a messy option, and a risky one too. In a first-past-the-post system such as our own, a simple mathematical analysis will make it clear that the only way opposition parties can compete with the BJP is by combining their vote shares. Then, theres also the issue that at one level, a pre-poll alliance indicates commitment and a post-poll one, opportunism, which, in some ways, does subvert the democratic vote.

Two, the parties somehow manage to forge a grand alliance. For this to fructify, though, as is clear from the Congress and the BSPs experience in forging an alliance in three key states (Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan), and also from Ms Mayawatis statement, Sonia Gandhi will have to play a central role. Indeed, when she handed over the leadership of the party to Rahul Gandhi, both Sonia Gandhi and the Congress made it clear that she would focus on the partys alliances. In an interview with this paper, Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar said he, Sonia Gandhi, and Janata Dal (S) leader HD Deve Gowda, none of whom wanted to be Prime Minister, should serve as elder statespeople of the alliance in the making, ironing out differences between parties of various hues. Ms Mayawati, as she has already indicated, is comfortable with Sonia Gandhi. As is Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. And Telugu Desam Party chief and Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu sees himself as a peer of Sonia Gandhi, and is likely to be more amenable to talking about seat sharing with her rather than with anyone else.

For the opposition parties to have a chance in 2019, they have to get together. And for them to get together, someone will have to play the mediator.
Both Thanos and his Infinity Gauntlet were damaged at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, and now a new leak has provided fans with their first look at the weapon the Mad Titan will be wielding in Avengers 4. The new image gives a better look at Thanos sword, which was first glimpsed in a series of leaks a few weeks ago.

Posted on the Marvel Studios Reddit by a user named anirudhamarvel, the design shows a broad, flat sword with double blades, which made several fans on Twitter compare it to helicopter blades. Earlier leaks also revealed that Thanos would be wearing a hefty suit of armour in the upcoming film, which will have the surviving Avengers stage a last stand against the villain.

In addition to Thanos new look, several other characters altered appearances have also been teased, including a beardless Captain America and a suited-up Hulk.

Avengers 4 Character Arts..

War Machine With Really Badass Upgrade

These Are Legit @ManaByte pic.twitter.com/6EwKqQsoXf  Aj Designs (@ajdesigns0220) June 28, 2018

It has been widely speculated that the surviving Avengers - Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hulk, Thor - will attempt to rescue those killed by Thanos at the end of Infinity War. Leaked set pictures, an unofficial plot synopsis and firsthand accounts suggest that the plot for the film will include time travel and alternate dimensions.

With the Quantum Realm having been introduced in Ant-Man and the Wasp, and the possibility of inter-dimensional travel as shown in Doctor Strange, the Avengers have numerous avenues for them to stage their rescue.

Avengers 4 will conclude this iteration of the series, with Marvel chief Kevin Feige hinting that the new roster would be more diverse and have at least 50% women. But before that, we have Captain Marvel in February, 2019.

Of the greenlit sequels we know of so far, Spider-Man: Far From Home will follow Avengers 4 and until recently the Guardians of the Galaxy threequel was set for production before director James Gunn was fired. Feige has also said that Black Panther and Doctor Strange will be returning for more adventures.

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The year 2018 will be widely considered as the year when Rahul Gandhi truly emerged as Indias principal opposition leader. It is the year in which he has both waged an aggressive campaign against one of Indias most powerful governments, as well as given shape to a new Congress.

From leading a vigorous election campaign in Prime Minister Narendra Modis home state of Gujarat, to steering his party to important by-election victories, displaying remarkably sharp political thinking to form an alliance in Karnataka, and reaching out across political lines to establish the idea of Grand Alliance, Gandhi has led from the front.

The Congress president has demolished attempts to caricature him, and has forced the government to take his party seriously, despite its depleted parliamentary presence. The 48-year-old has also reshaped the party by taking the old guard along, yet effecting a quiet generational transformation, giving responsibilities to younger leaders in key states, and creating and energising new departments that would add to election capabilities. As next years Lok Sabha elections approach, Gandhi has emerged as a key political challenger.
Seven Myanmar nationals, believed to be Rohingya Muslims, were handed over to their country Thursday via the Manipur border after the Supreme Court refused to stop the first such deportation from India.

While no Assam government official was willing to come on record to establish their ethnicity, a top official of a Silchar jail where they were in detention on charges of being illegal immigrants had told Hindustan Times that they were Rohingyas. A ministry of external affairs (MEA) statement, too, had said that the seven were from Rakhine state in Myanmar.

Since July 2012, the seven had been held at Silchar Central Jail, which also houses a detention camp, after they were arrested for violation of the Foreigners Act. After their three-month sentence ended, imprisonment was revised to detention.

Assam Police hands over the 7 #Rohingyas to Myanmar authorities after deportation formalities were completed. These 7 Rohingyas had been in an Indian jail since 2012 for illegally entering the country. pic.twitter.com/AH5mplZUwG  ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2018

The formal handover took place at Tamu Township in Moreh, about 110 km from Manipurs capital Imphal in the afternoon. On Wednesday, the seven had been ferried from Silchar to Imphal by Assam police in two vehicles, including a Thar Jeep and a Volvo bus. They were taken to Moreh on Thursday morning.

They were handed over to Myanmar authorities at 1.30 pm in the presence of Manipur police and Assams Cachar district police who were accompanying them, said S Ibomcha Singh, the superintendent of police of Tengnoupal district in Manipur on the border with Myanmar.

Thursdays deportation happened after the Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to stay the move on a PIL filed by advocate Prashant Bhushan .

We are not inclined to interfere on the decision taken, a bench led by chief justice Ranjan Gogoi said, as it dismissed the plea against the government move to hand over the seven to Myanmar.

The courts refusal came after it perused the home ministrys affidavit that the Myanmar government had accepted the seven as its citizens and agreed to provide a certificate of identity -- a temporary travel document to enable their return. Additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta said the seven had requested their repatriation and arrangements for their travel back were made on the request of the Myanmar embassy.

CJI Gogoi read out from the affidavit and told Bhushan that the seven had been convicted under the Foreigners Act as they were held to be illegal migrants. They have been identified as residents of Myanmar. Now what remains, the CJI said.

Those deported were identified as Md Jamal, Mohbul Khan, Jamal Hussain, Md Yonus, Sabir Ahmed, Rahim Uddin and Md Salam.

The ministry of external affairs, reacting to queries on repatriation of the seven individuals from Rakhine, said, In accordance with established procedures and previous precedents, and with the assistance of the MEA, the Embassy of the Union of Myanmar was able to establish the identity of these individuals as residents of that country.

The MEA statement further said the individuals had requested in 2016 that the Myanmar embassy issue them travel documents. A border organization official of the Assam Police said the form requesting travel documents was rejected because it was in English.

It was again sent in Burmese, the official said.

The MEA said the willingness of the seven people to be repatriated was reconfirmed on October 3.

The seven were happy, claimed a top jail official from Silchar who interacted with them. They thanked me. They told me Allah will always be kind to me since I have helped them get out of detention, he said, adding they were able to study while in detention. A few of them even learnt how to repair cell phones, he said. But I do not remember anybody visiting them or any letters coming to them.

Ahead of the deportation, a UN human rights expert had expressed alarm on Wednesday. Given the ethnic identity of the men, this is a flagrant denial of their right to protection and could amount to refoulement, said the UN Special Rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume.

Hundreds of minority Rohingya refugees have been killed in the northern Rakhine province of Myanmar by the military in alleged ethnic cleansing, setting of an exodus into Bangladesh and India.

According to an Assam intelligence official, there are around 25 Rohingyas in detention in the state. There are six Rohingya in detention in Silchar.
A day after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati ruled out an alliance with the Congress in the coming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, MP Congress president Kamal Nath said the lack of a tie-up wouldnt harm his partys prospects in the former state and argued that the BSP had unrealistic seat-sharing expectations.

Nath said the BSP wanted to field candidates in 50 out of the 230 assembly seats in MP which, together with Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and possibly Telangana, faces assembly polls before this year-end, a demand he described as unrealistic.

Explaining why the seat-sharing talks broke down, Nath told reporters in Bhopal: They were demanding seating which they had never won and had vote share of 1,000 to 4,000 votes in the last assembly elections. Interestingly, they were not demanding seats where they had vote share of 25,000-30,000 votes, Nath said.

Mayawatis decision dealt a potential setback to efforts for Opposition unity ahead of the state polls leading up to next years general election. On top of her decision to ally with Ajit Jogis Janta Congress in Chhattisgarh, her snub to the Congress cast a shadow on efforts to forge a Mahagatbandhan (grand alliance) of opposition parties, including the BSP, Samajwadi Party and the Congress, in the Lok Sabha elections from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Uttar Pradesh.

Senior Congress leaders based in New Delhi said the Congress couldnt afford to give 50 seats to an ally that had an insignificant presence in Madhya Pradesh. They also said the BSP was demanding a large number of seats in one particular region of MP that is a stronghold of the Congress. We took a conscious decision last month not to pursue the alliance in the wake of this absurd demand, said a senior Congress strategist on condition of anonymity.

The development comes at a time the Congress has started consultations with its state unit chiefs to explore alliances for the 2019 elections. At the partys war room in Gurdwara Rakabganj Road in New Delhi, Congress leaders are holding regular meetings with state unit heads.

The Congress central leadership, however, is hopeful that what happened in MP wont affect the possibility of a seat-sharing pact in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha polls. In Madhya Pradesh, the Congress leadership is still open to a pact with the Samajwadi Party, which has demanded 10 seats in MP, said another Congress official.

Even after Mayawati declared candidates for 22 seats in Madhya Pradesh on September 20, Nath had insisted that the Congress was still in talks with the BSP over a pre-poll alliance.

It (lack of alliance with BSP) wont have any impact, he said on Thursday. The people are wise and they understand everything. He chose not to explain the context of his remarks.

In the same breath, Nath also said the doors of the Congress were still open as the party did not want a division of votes that would benefit the BJP. The possibility (of an alliance) is still there. Our doors are still open (to BSP). We are in talks with SP over seat-sharing and I had a talk with (SP president) Akhilesh Yadav four days back in this regard.

Congress politicians said that according to an internal analysis, had the party agreed to Mayawatis demand, the BJP would have benefitted the most. Of the 50 seats Mayawati was demanding, there are 10 which BSP had won in 2003, 2008, or 2013 elections and they had a realistic chance. Had we agreed to her demands, it would have meant gifting 40 seats to the BJP, another Congress leader who did not wish to be named. It was this unrealistic demand that made a section of Congress leaders suspect that Mayawatiji was more interested in helping the BJP. These leaders believe that Mayawati is under pressure from the BJP due to various cases against her, and that is why talks with BSP were not really going forward, he said.

Answering a query on Mayawati blaming senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh for the breakdown in talks, Nath said, Mayawati had to blame someone so she blamed Digvijayaji.

BSP state president Pradeep Kumar Ahirwar said, The Congress had been spreading this rumour that we were in talks even after (candidates for) 22 seats were declared in MP by our party. Mayawatiji had told us long ago to be prepared to contest 230 seats.
The Arumughaswamy Commission, which is probing the death of former chief minister Jayalalithaa, on Thursday asked the Tamil Nadu government to extend its term for another three months, sources said.

The commission headed by Justice A Arumughaswamy has probed more than 100 witnesses till date. The term of the commission is set to an end on October 24.

The Tamil Nadu government had extended the commissions tenure twice before in December 2017 and June 2017.

Since the hospitalization and treatment details of Jayalalithaa were kept secret, many of her followers including deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam had raised doubts about her death.

The Tamil Nadu government formed the commission on September 25, 2017 as it was a prime demand of Panneerselvam as a pre-condition for the merger of his camp with that of chief minister K Palaniswami.

Earlier in the day, before the commission, counsels of V K Sasikala, a close aide of Jayalalithaa, cross-examined doctors Subramaniyam Hegde, Ravikumar and Swaminathan who had treated Jayalalithaa at Apollo hospital in Chennai.
The Election Commission (EC) and the Congress were again locked in a tussle on Thursday, with the poll panel accusing the party of fabricating the voters list in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to make a false claim of duplication of names, and the principal opposition party denying the ECs charge.

Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Sachin Pilot have moved the Supreme Court alleging duplication of voters in the voters list in the two poll-bound states.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, who argued the case for EC, told a bench led by justice AK Sikri that the party was trying to mislead the top court. Congress petitioners must be punished for fabricating the voters list, the lawyer said, contenting that the list presented before the court had photos and names that had been fudged. Singh said the list on the EC website does not carry photographs of the voters.

When asked about the ECs contention, Kamal Nath, the Congress partys Madhya Pradesh chief, said: We stand by the evidence that we have submitted.

In their plea, Nath and Pilot, who is the partys Rajasthan chief, have also raised allegations of tampering with Voter Verifiable Paper Trail (VVPAT) machine, which allows voters to verify if their vote has gone to the intended candidate. Nath has also sought verification of 10% of polling stations in every constituency and demanded the voters list in a text format.

The Congress lawyer, Kabil Sibal, rebutted the ECs allegations and told the Supreme Court that the list it had submitted was whatever was available in the public domain, and the same list was carried by the electronic media. The same list is with the Chief Election Commissioner(CEC) in the form of CDs, Sibal added.

At this, the bench asked Singh to seek instructions from the chief election commissions office and submit a reply on October 8.

In the last hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Nath and Pilot, said a survey conducted by Nath in Madhya Pradesh had found over six million duplicate names.

Rejecting the Congress plea, the EC, in an affidavit, objected to the national party moving the top court time and again on different electoral issues, including faulty electoral rolls, use of VVPAT machines and alleged tampering with and malfunctioning of electronic voting machines. A party cannot keep interfering with its functioning in this manner, EC told the court.
For the second time in a fortnight, a Congress delegation on Thursday met Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Rajiv Mehrishi with what it termed new facts and reiterated its demand for a forensic audit of the 60,150 crore Rafale deal.

We have brought to the CAGs attention additional developments and revelations since the last time we met, Congress leader Anand Sharma told reporters after the meeting.

More details will come and each and every detail and document related to the Rafale deal must go through the CAGs forensic audit before a report is submitted to Parliament, he said.

Apart from Sharma, the delegation comprised senior leaders Ahmed Patel, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh, RPN Singh and Vivek Tankha.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) governments decision to enter an $8.7 billion government-to-government deal with France to buy 36 Rafale warplanes made by Dassault was announced in April 2015, with an agreement signed a little over a year later. This replaced the previous United Progressive Alliance regimes decision to buy 126 Rafale aircraft, 108 of which were to be made in India by the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

The deal has become controversial with the Opposition, led by the Congress, claiming that the price at which India is buying Rafale aircraft now is 1,670 crore for each, three times the 526 crore, the initial bid by the company when the UPA was trying to buy the aircraft. It has also claimed the previous deal included a technology transfer agreement with HAL.

The NDA has not disclosed details of the price, but the UPA deal, struck in 2012, was not a viable one, former defence minister Manohar Parrikar has previously said, implying that it would have never been closed and that, therefore, any comparison is moot. Indeed, the UPA was not able to close the deal until 2014, largely over discussions related to pricing of items not included in the initial bid.

The deal has also become controversial on account of the fact that one of the offset deals signed by Dassault is with the Reliance Group of Anil Ambani. The Congress claims the earlier deal was scrapped and a new one signed just to provide Ambani this opportunity for an offset deal, which requires a supplier of military equipment to source a certain portion of the contract value from India. Both the government and Reliance have repeatedly denied this. On September 22, the former French president Francois Hollande said it was the Indian government that had suggested Reliances name. The French government, New Delhi, and Dassault have all denied this.

The Congress has been relentlessly keeping up the heat on the NDA government over the Rafale deal.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which leads the NDA, declined to comment on the Congress delegations meeting with the CAG.

The Congress delegation had earlier met the CAG on September 19, demanding a timebound audit of the deal through a threadbare examination of the records.

Five days later, a Congress delegation met Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) KV Chowdary on September 24 urging him to register a first information report (FIR) to probe the alleged corruption and seize all the documents related to the deal.

This time, Congress leaders presented another memorandum to the CAG along with fresh documents, alleging that paperwork and revelations made at the highest level in India and France have exposed a deep rooted sinister conspiracy and a clear cut case of loss to the public exchequer.

In the fresh memorandum, the Congress has cited assertions made by Hollande as well as former HAL chief TS Rajus claims of the defence aircraft maker entering into a work-share agreement with Dassault.

The Rafale scam has now emerged as Indias biggest defence scam. Skeletons are tumbling out of the closet everyday with repeated disclosures getting zero answers from the defence ministry. In fact, the only truth of this government is subterfuge, the memorandum said.

The stench of corruption and cronyism in the Rafale deal is nauseating, requiring urgent intervention, it added.
The death of 23 Asiatic lions in their only abode in Gujarats Gir national park since September 20, some because of the canine distemper virus (CDV), has reignited the debate over finding them a second home.

Experts say the paucity of big animals inside the parks wildlife area for the lions to prey on, their increasing dependence on domestic cattle and congestion are some reasons for the spread of CDV. The Gujarat government has confirmed that four of the lions died of CDV, whose carriers are normally feral dogs.

Test reports of the remaining dead lions are awaited.

In the past, the Gujarat government has denied the presence of CDV but the deaths of four lions from Junagarhs Sakkarbaug Zoo, sent to Etawahs lion safari, were attributed to canine distemper. Anish Andheria, president of the Wildlife Conservation Trust, said many lions in Gir killed domestic cattle for prey as there werent enough big animals like bulls in the wild.

A lion does not eat the entire prey at one go. In between, the dogs consume the kill and infect it with the CDV. Once the lion returns to finish it off, its gets the deadly disease. And it spreads among the pride, he said.

The reason given by Andheria seems plausible as all the 23 animals who died were part of one pride of 26 lions. The remaining three have been isolated and are in Jamwada care centre, said Gujarat forest minister Ganpat Vasava. The CDV is more dangerous for lions than tigers. This is because lions move together in large numbers, making them more vulnerable to the virus as compared to tigers that are more isolated and territorial animals. You will never hear that so many tigers have died of CDV, Andheria said.

Delhi-based biologist Fayaz Khudsar, who filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking translocation of the lions to Kuno Palpur in Madhya Pradesh, said 184 lions died in Gir in the last two years, most in and around the 100 villages on Girs boundary.

The data clearly shows that lions were coming out of Gir looking for domestic cattle as prey as they are easy to hunt, he said.

Both Andheria and Khudsar also blamed increasing congestion in the three divisions of Gir for the deaths, saying the weaker prides were being pushed out of the 1,400 sq km core habitat to the periphery, which has a comparatively smaller prey population. The lion population is spread over 22,000 sq km across five districts in Gujarat.

According to the Gujarat forest departments 2015 census, one-third of the 523 lions in the region were living outside the core, making them susceptible to viruses. This is because the lion count has almost doubled since 1990, when it was 284. The latest initial estimates put the count at over 600 lions. While experts are unanimous that lions from Gir should be translocated, there are differing views on Kuno Palpur being the alternative habitat, as recommended by the Supreme Court in April 2013.

Ravi Chellam, a wildlife biologist on whose report the SC recommended the translocation, said Kuno Palpur was ready to take in the animals. In April 2013, the Supreme Court directed the Government of India and the state governments of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh to translocate lions from Gir to Kuno Palpur within six months..., said Chellam. (but) Gujarat has largely been adopting delaying tactics and there is no sign of the lions being translocated, Chellam said.

H S Singh, member of the National Board for Wildlife, said Kuno Palpur was not suitable for lions because of high temperatures and the presence of tigers.

On Thursday, the Gujarat government announced that two safari parks would be set up  one near Ahmedabad and another in Narmada district, close to the Statue of Unity  to accommodate the growing number of Gir lions in the state.
Ordering the quashing of criminal proceedings against a former Haryana IAS officer RP Bhardwaj and his family members, the Punjab and Haryana high court has held that the filing of supplementary challan against them by the Gurgaon police was nothing but an abuse of the process of law.

The case had gained prominence in 2015 when an inquiry by then Gurgaon joint commissioner of police Bharti Arora revealed botched-up investigations.

Arora was shifted out after she accused the then commissioner of police Navdeep Virk of interfering in the probe.

Justice HS Madaan of the HC in its September 27 order said that subsequent action of the police in conducting further investigation without any direction or permission from the court and then filing supplementary challan does not make any sense. There was nothing on record to show that the investigating agency later came across substantial evidence against them, the court said.

The case

The matter pertained to the registration of a July 2014 first information report (FIR) against Ajay Bhardwaj, son of retired IAS officer RP Bhardwaj under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 ( criminal intimidation) at Gurgaon. Later, the police also named RP Bhardwaj, his wife, daughters and two other sons in the supplementary challan as accused.

The complainant had alleged that Ajay developed physical relations with her stating he was a divorcee and intended to marry her. She also alleged that Ajay and his parents had cheated her. The case was investigated by the police and only Ajay was challaned initially.

Family members named as accused by police

During the course of trial against Ajay Bhardwaj, an application under section 319 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for summoning of his family members as additional accused was moved by the complainant. It was, however, dismissed by the trial court on March 3, 2015.

The trial court observed that the allegations levelled by the complainant against them were very vague and the police after due investigation did not find their involvement. However, the Gurgaon police filed a supplementary challan under Section 173 (8) of CrPC against them without the permission of the court.

Allegations against family hollow: Court

The HC in its order said the main thrust of allegations was against Ajay Bhardwaj, who has since been booked and is facing trial. The parents and family members of Ajay have no direct concern with the complainant. The observations made by the trial court while dismissing application to summon petitioners as additional accused, points out towards hollowness of the allegations, the HC said.
A police outpost on the outskirts of Assams Guwahati has been saddled with a new responsibility since the last more than three weeks.

As many as five policemen and six others engaged by the force have been taking turns to look after the 85 cattle they seized in September and kept at a plot of land in North Guwahati. Two of them have died since.

Officials have approached several authorities to transfer the cattle but no one has replied, said officials at the North Guwahati police outpost under the Changsari police station. Angry policemen say the owners of the cattle too have not turned up yet and even a local gaushala or a cow shelter in Guwahati have refused to take them.

We wrote to the directorate of animal husbandry and veterinary sciences (DAHVS), the Guwahati municipal corporation and even a local gaushala. None have responded citing lack of infrastructure, Bhadreswar Pegu, the officer-in-charge of Changsari police station, said as he flashed two orders from the magistrates court which on his plea asked the directorate to take custody of the animals.

The local police apprehended three trucks bearing registration numbers of Assam, Bihar and Haryana, full of cattle at 4.30am on September 10.

They appeared to be stolen since the papers with the driver and the handyman were not in order, said Pegu. Moreover, with so many cattle travelling in one truck when only ten are allowed, it also violated the prevention of cruelty to animals (PCA) act, he said.

A case was registered under sections 379 and 353 of the Indian Penal Code besides the PCA act.

Incomplete papers show the cattle were bought at a market in Alipurduar. The driver told the police they belonged to one Akbar Khan, who is originally from Uttar Pradesh but has settled in Guwahati. But he said he is not the owner, Pegu said.

An official of the states directorate of animal husbandry and veterinary sciences, who came to inspect the cattle, said they are of several varieties. The tall ones are the Haryana breed, some are from Uttar Pradesh and there are some Jerseys too, the official said.

They are mostly bulls which must have been bought for slaughter, he added.

While cow slaughter is regulated in Assam, there is no such rule in neighbouring Meghalaya.

Officials of the Border Security Force (BSF) said several cattle also make their way from northern states to be smuggled into Bangladesh and the cattle runners have shifted focus to Meghalaya after a heightened vigil along the border in Assam.

The cattle seized by Changsari police were initially kept in the small piece of land adjacent to the police outpost, but it was not sufficient for such a large number of animals. The animals, who mostly look emaciated, have now been shifted to the large plot of land as the six caretakers and Assam police personnel on duty live in a tarpaulin shack.

We have asked the locals to pitch in. Taking care of such a large number of cattle is not easy. It costs a few thousand rupees every day, Pegu said adding some local businessmen have been roped in to help with food which comprises wheat bran and hay as well as water tankers.

The local unit of Bajrang Dal has helped us too. We are just feeding them enough to keep them alive, he said.

The directorate has deputed doctors to look after the animals every day.

We cannot take their custody. We told the high court. This is not in our jurisdiction, said DAHVS director Pullin Das. Their health is not good.

The patience of the police is, however, running low.

Keep 83 cattle for a day and you will know how difficult it is, Pegu said. Taking care of the cattle is not our job. Which cop will be interested in seizing illegal cattle if they know this what they will have to go through, he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in India on Thursday looking to tie up billions of dollars in arms deals with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, likely irking the US, China and Pakistan in one fell swoop.

The Kremlin said before the two-day visit that the key feature would be the signing of a $5-billion deal for the advanced S-400 air defence system, despite US sanctions against countries buying Russian defence hardware.

India will ask the United States for a special waiver for the purchase  as discussed by their defence and foreign ministers in New Delhi last month  but Washington has signalled there is no guarantee it will accede.

The US is in a difficult position as it seeks to contain China through better ties with India, which like Washington has been unnerved by Beijings growing assertiveness.

Washington and New Delhi announced plans last month for joint military drills in 2019, and agreed on the exchange of sensitive military information.

But Russia remains Indias main arms supplier, and a string of new deals with the Asian giant would be a major win for Moscow  and a big snub to the US.

Putin and Modi, who appear to enjoy a personal rapport, are also likely to discuss a deal for four Krivak-class frigates worth $2 billion and 200 light utility Ka-226 helicopters pegged at $1 billion.

India and Russia have already concluded an Inter-Governmental Agreement for the choppers, 60 of which would be built in Russia and the rest in India.

Russia is a time-tested friend. I am really glad some spine has finally been shown by India, RR Subramanian, a Delhi-based strategic affairs analyst, told AFP. Its about time we... showed that we are not going to be pushed around by Washington.

Experts say India needs the sophisticated S-400 system to fill critical gaps in its defence capabilities, in view of Chinas rise and perceived threats from Pakistan, against whom India has fought three wars.

Indian Air Force chief Birender Singh Dhanoa said on Wednesday that the S-400 and the 36 Rafale fighter jets purchased from France  a 2016 deal mired in political controversy  represent a booster dose for the country.

Boldly Go

Putin, 65, and Modi, 68, are also set to discuss a possible second Russian-built nuclear power plant in India. Moscow is currently expanding Indias biggest nuclear power plant in Kudankulam.

Also on the agenda is Russian training for Indian astronauts as New Delhi aims to launch its first crewed space mission in 2022.

Rakesh Sharma, the only Indian to travel in space, did so on a Soviet spacecraft in 1984.

But military kit is the main focus.

India is the worlds biggest arms importer and is undergoing a $100-billion upgrade of its ageing hardware, much of it of Soviet vintage like MiG jets that regularly crash in the Indian countryside.

Russia is still Indias biggest arms supplier, and the two have had warm ties since Stalin died in 1953.

The US is now number two, though, supplying the Indian military with advanced hardware like Apache attack helicopters and negotiating the sale of armed drones.

Russia-India trade has slipped below $10 billion since 2014, as Modi has cultivated closer diplomatic and economic ties with Washington, while Russia has courted Pakistan and China.

But ties received a boost last year when Modi and Putin held a fruitful annual bilateral summit, followed by meetings in Astana and at the G20 in Germany. They also met in Sochi this year.

On the strategic front, Russia helped India become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation this year and has backed New Delhis long-held demand for a permanent UN Security Council seat.

Moscow is also pushing for Indias entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group of countries controlling access to nuclear technology despite atomic-armed India not signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
A lacklustre response to the urban local body polls in Kashmir after two main regional parties, the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party, decided not to contest the elections, this has not deterred a mass communication graduate, a US-returned politician, a research scholar, a former militant working for released militants, news stringer and a business graduate from trying their luck in the polls which will be held in four phases starting from Monday.

Junaid Azim Mattu, Independent

The former National Conference spokesman Junaid Azim Mattu resigned from the party to contest in the urban local body elections because he disagrees with the partys decision to boycott polls. He announced his candidature from Srinagar municipal corporation. Mattu who was the most active and vocal spokesman for the National Conference is now contesting elections from four wards of the SMC.

Before joining the NC, he was affiliated with Sajjad Lones Peoples Conference. The US-educated Mattu had joined mainstream politics in 2009 and four years later he joined the National Conference.

I strongly believe that leaving our grassroots democratic institutions open to misrepresentation would inflict serious harm on the state and also wreak havoc to our social fabric and cultural legacy, he said while stating reason to contest polls.

Rafiq Ahmad Dar, Congress

Rafiq Ahmad Dar, a former news stringer, is contesting on Congress ticket from four wards of Kupwara municipal election. This is the first time when Dar who lives in the main Kupwara town decided to contest any election.

I used to work as a stringer for news channels and portals. I joined Congress few days before the elections and I am contesting from four wards.

Dar has a dream to become chairman of the municipal council and says he is going for door-to-door campaigning. I want to be the chairman of municipal council. If Sajjad Lone aspires to become chief minister with two legislators, what is wrong if I have a dream of becoming the council chairman.

He also said though security has been provided to him, the administration has a soft corner for candidates backed by the PDP MP Fayaz Ahmad Mir.

Dr Rafi Ahmad, BJP

Dr Rafi Ahmad, a PhD scholar in literary journalism, is contesting on the BJPs ticket from Jawaharnagar area of Srinagar. It is his first election and he was assigned several tasks by the party leadership after he joined the party in 2014.

I have been heading the grievance cell of the party, so I know the problems which people are facing in their areas. If I will get elected, I will try to solve them, says Rafi who has done doctorate in Urdu.

Abid Salam, Independent

Abid Salam, 24, is pursuing masters in journalism from Kashmir University. He filed his nomination from ward 5 of Baramulla council. However, his opposite candidate from Congress decided not to contest, clearing his way to the council.

I contested to keep the legacy of my father alive, who was a grassroots level leader and remained associated with the NC and PDP as block president. It was the plan of RSS and BJP to keep good people away from the polls and they gave tickets to those people who had no standing on ground, said Salam who had made several video stories for the NGO Video Volunteers and other media platforms.

I will try to help people of my town.

Saifullah Khalid, BJP

Saifullah Khalid used to be a militant but he joined the BJP five days before elections. Khalid said he was running an organisation to help released militants.

I crossed border in 1989 and came back within a year. I went as a Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front militant and returned affiliated with Harkat. After my arrest in 1991, I spent six to seven years in jail. After my release, I started working for rehabilitation of the former released militants. If I will win elections, I will keep one share of my earning for my family, rest amount I will spend on the released militants, says Khalid who is contesting from Haba kadal ward of Srinagar municipal council.

Avinash Bhat, Independent

Avinash Bhat, 28, left his native town when he was four-year-old. However, he was first to file the nomination papers from ward no 6 of Kulgam as an independent candidate. He was recently given a certificate that he was the only candidate in his ward who filed nomination papers making him a councillor.

Bhat has done masters in business administration (MBA) from Himachal Pradesh.

Though I live in Jammu, but now I will shift to Kulgam and try to resolve day-to-day problems of the people in my ward, he said adding that his focus will be to help poor people of his area.
A man in Andhra Pradeshs Krishna district was Thursday arrested for his Facebook posts allegedly asking the Maoists to punish his local MLA for indulging in defection.

A case was registered against Goriparthi Nagabhushan Yadav under Andhra Pradesh SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and the Indian Penal Code on a complaint by Pamarru legislator Uppuleti Kalpana, apprehending a threat to her life as the post seemingly abetted the extremists to commit an attack on her, besides defaming her reputation, Deputy superintendent of police P Mahesh Babu said.

In her complaint, Kalpana said Yadav uploaded two posts on August 21 and September 23 respectively saying the MLA had switched from the YSR Congress to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) just like she changes her sarees. One of the posts had even asked the Maoists as to why they stopped at Araku to kill defected MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao, suggesting they should have come to Amaravati to award similar punishment to other defected MLAs.

The posts are a clear indication suggesting the hand of YSR Congress in the killing of Araku MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma. The mysterious silence of YSRC leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on the Maoist violence and his failure to visit the bereaved family members reinforced our suspicion, Kalpana told Hindustan Times.

Sarveswara Rao and Soma were intercepted and shot dead by Maoists on September 23 when they were returning from a government-sponsored village visit programme.

YSR Congress senior leader and former minister Dharmana Prasada Rao however denied Kalpanas charge, saying the TDP is resorting to cheap tactics to gain political mileage out of sensitive issues.

Kalpana was elected on the YSR Congress ticket and shifted loyalties to the TDP in December 2016 along with 22 fellow MLAs. Yadav claimed to have worked for the victory of Kalpana as a YSRC activist during the elections.

In April, 2017 the AP police arrested Inturi Ravikiran, a blogger for publishing a caricature in his blog Political Punch belittling the stature of chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his son and IT Minister Nara Lokesh. Subsequently, the police raided the YSRC head office in Hyderabad searching for evidences establishing the partys cyber crimes which triggered a cyber war between the ruling TDP and the YSRC at that time.
With the protests over the Supreme Court allowing entry of all women into Keralas Sabarimala temple getting louder, the Congresss state unit and prominent socio-cultural body Nair Service Society (NSS) on Thursday demanded the state government file a review petition and explore ways to bring an ordinance to maintain the hilltop shrines traditions.

Ever since the Supreme Court annulled the age-old practice of denying right to worship to women aged between 10 and 50 years in a 4:1 verdict on Spetember 24, the state has been witnessing a series of protests by several organizations, including groups led by women, who said they have no plan to visit the temple in Pathanamthitta district and were ready to wait.

Workers of the Mahila Morcha, the women wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Thursday picketed the headquarters of Travancore Devasom Board (TDB) which runs the temple. The Sangh Parivars various wings and other organisations have called a meeting in Kochi on October 8 to chalk out a strategy.

The Left Democratic Front government and the TDB had made it clear they will go ahead with implementing the verdict, leading to protests from the opposition parties.

Instead of rushing with the verdict, the government should inform the court about practical difficulties involved in implementing the order. Devotees are upset and nobody can overlook this, said senior Congress leader K Muralidharan, adding Sabarimala was not a gender issue and no rights violations were involved.

In beliefs, customs and rituals, the court role is only limited. If a custom is discriminatory in nature, religious heads, priests and devotees should remedy it. Let religious customs be dealt with religious heads.... If it goes like this, customs in other religions will also be questioned, he added.

The NSS, a body of influential Nair community, said it will file a review petition in the Supreme Court. The NSS, which joined as a party in the long-drawn litigation, said the government was showing unnecessary hurry in implementing the verdict.

The government and TDB cant overlook sentiments of crores of devotees. They should talk to all concerned parties to arrive at a consensus, said NSS general secretary Sukumaran Nair.

Meanwhile the BJP was left red-faced after a lead article appeared in party mouthpiece Janmabhumi on Thursday hailing the verdict. In the article, R Sanjayan, deputy director of Bhartiya Vichara Kendram, said the entry of women will only enhance the glory and popularity of the temple. Later the BJP distanced itself, saying it was his personal opinion.
The health ministry on Wednesday said surveillance has been enhanced in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana after traces of Polio Virus Type 2 were found in some batches of oral polio vaccine, and asserted the country remains polio-free.

The ministry said a constant vigil is being kept on the shedding of the polio vaccine virus in these areas and it has ordered a probe into the matter. The ministrys remarks came days after traces of Polio Virus Type 2 were found in some batches of oral polio vaccine manufactured by a Ghaziabad-based pharmaceutical company. It further said no sample has tested positive for wild polio virus in sewage or acute flaccid paralysis cases since 2011.

The country remains polio-free and this status has been maintained for more than seven years since the last wild polio virus case in the country was reported in January 2011. No child has been infected with wild polio virus as reported in some sections of the media, the ministry said in a statement. The government further said that type 2 polio vaccine virus traces, which have been found in bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV) vials, is a weakened polio virus and does not cause paralysis and was also earlier used in vaccines till April 2016.

The recipients of such vaccine will usually shed the vaccine virus through fecal route for about 4-6 weeks after which it will die down, the statement said. The Health Ministry has asked the surveillance teams in the three states to track all those children who have been given the vaccine and keep a close watch for any symptoms.

To enhance immunity against type 2 polio virus further, special mop up rounds for administering IPV are being conducted in the specified areas to reach out to such children who may have missed it. This would provide immunity to all the children against all the three types of polio virus including type 2, the statement stated.

After the contamination came to light, the use of all the vaccine supplied by manufacturer was immediately stopped in the country till investigation is completed. Additional legal samples of bOPV were immediately sent for testing to the Central Drug Laboratory in Kasauli, which confirmed the previous report of presence of traces of P2 polio vaccine virus, the statement said.

The Drugs Controller General of India immediately lodged a case and issued notice to the company asking it to stop manufacturing and supplying till further orders. The MD of the company was immediately arrested, the statement said.

In view of high routine immunisation coverage being achieved in India and administration of tOPV till 2016, the risk of any child getting vaccine derived polio disease is practically nil, the statement said.

Sufficient polio vaccine from alternate sources is available in the programme to implement Routine Immunization (RI) and Pulse Polio Immunization (PPI) and maintain the immunity against polio-viruses.

The ministry further said the detection of type 2 vaccine virus indicates that a very robust polio surveillance jointly managed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the WHO is still maintained even after seven years have elapsed since the last wild poliovirus case in the country was reported.

This detection indicated the use of a type 2 polio virus containing vaccine, despite the fact that use of these vaccine had been phased out globally, and in India, in April 2016, as a part of the Polio End Game strategy.

The decision to switch to inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV) from trivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (tOPV) in all polio campaigns and routine immunization in India and elsewhere from April 2016 was taken following certification of global eradication of Type 2 wild polio virus.

In India, the last type 2 wild polio virus case was detected in 1999. A team of health ministry, DCGI, ICMR and the WHO is continuously monitoring the situation. The Government of India is committed as always to ensure that all vaccines used in the programme are safe and effective, the statement stated.
The Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) commitment to fulfilling the demand for the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya and its muscular policy on Pakistan-backed terror groups will be the core of outreach by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliates ahead of state assembly elections later this year and the 2019 general elections, according to RSS functionaries familiar with the matter.

The Sanghs official position is that it maintains a distance from electoral politics and does not actively campaign for any party, but its affiliate BJP relies on the expansive RSS machinery to drum up support.

The Sangh cadre sheds light on the achievements of the BJP government to help people make an informed choice, a senior RSS functionary, one of the two cited above, said on condition of anonymity.

Another senior functionary said, also on condition of anonymity, that the governments policy of not engaging with Pakistan, the decision by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to cancel a recent meeting with the Pakistan foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in New York, and the 2016 surgical strikes in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), will be projected as evidence of the BJP governments resolve to counter terror emanating from across the border.

The premise of no talks (with Pakistan) till support to terrorism ends has been taken seriously. The government has shown that while it took the first steps to mend ties, it has not shied away from taking bold steps to protect the territory and the people, said the second functionary.

Similarly, the crackdown against terror groups operating in Kashmir, a third functionary said, reinforces the governments intent to usher in peace and development in the strife-torn Valley, and will be highlighted.

When asked if the focus on issues such as the Pakistan policy was an attempt to divert attention from some domestic issues  among them demonetisation and the Rafale deal -- that the Opposition has used to train its guns at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the functionaries said that each policy needs to be examined in a broader sense.

On the domestic front, the third functionary said, the Sangh will talk about the governments stand against the Muslim practice of instant Triple Talaq, and the decision to give higher minimum support price to farmers.

But one issue that is expected to dominate the outreach effort is the construction of a Ram Temple, a longstanding demand of the RSS. This has been indicated by the speeches of Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat in recent months.

The RSS chief last week said that even opposition parties cannot oppose a temple in Ayodhya openly as the deity is revered by the countrys majority.

The Congress on October 2 started a Ram Van Gaman Path Yatra to trace the mythological route taken by Lord Ram on his way to exile as mentioned in the epic Ramayana.

A top committee of Hindu saints, including the head of the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas, Nitya Gopal Das, will congregate in the Capital on Friday to announce a plan of action over the Ram Temple issue. The case about the main title deed to the disputed Ayodhya land where the Babri Masjid stood until it was demolished in 1992 will be heard in Supreme Court starting next month.

The temple is not a political issue. It is a matter of faith for millions in this country. The BJP recognises the importance of the issue and what it means for the masses, but it is not linked to the elections, the second RSS functionary said.

Congresss chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the BJP and the RSS were like Kalyugs Kaikeyi who remembered Lord Ram four months before every election and then sent him to exile after the polls.

At one time in Satyug, Kaikeyi had got Lord Ram banished to a 14-year exile. In todays Kalyug, Kaikeyi BJP and RSS have sent Lord Ram to exile of 30 years.

Surjewala also alleged that the RSS and Pakistan complemented each other, as both believed in the path of violence to subjugate and suffocate the Opposition.

Commenting on the Sanghs renewed focus on these issues, political analyst Shirish Kashikar said the Ram Temple has always been a priority for the organisation.

Unlike the BJP, which in its 2014 manifesto said it will respect the courts decision, the Sangh, through the Vishva Hindu Parishad and other organisations, has always kept the issue alive. Now, when they feel there is a certain prevalent atmosphere and the court hearings are about to begin, they will obviously take up the issue, he said.

Last week, the Supreme Court decided there was no need for a larger bench to review a 1994 decision related to the Ramjanmabhoomi case -- whether a mosque is central to Islam -- and that a bench would start hearing the land dispute case in late October.

Kashikar said that the Congress, too, had realised that opposing the temple construction could make it lose out on key votes. These issues will gain momentum as the court hearings begin, he said
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Delhi on Thursday on a two-day visit to hold the annual bilateral summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and met PM Modi shortly after his arrival.

PM Modi and Putin will hold the 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit scheduled to take place on Friday during which the two are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation in the wake of the US sanctions against Russian defence majors. The key focus of which will be the $5-billion deal for the S-400 air defence system.

India and Russia are likely to sign a $2.5 billion deal for four more Krivak/Talwar class stealth frigates for the navy on Friday during the summit, two senior officials familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The new Grigorovich-class Project 1135.6 frigates will be powered by gas turbine engines to be supplied by Ukrainian firm Ukroboronproms Gas Turbine Research & Production Complex Zorya-Mashproekt.

The two countries will also sign a Rs 39,000-crore deal for the supply of Russian S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems to India. The S-400 is capable of destroying incoming aerial targets at a range of 400km.

The two leaders are also likely to deliberate on key regional and global issues, including US sanctions on import of Iranian crude oil.
Suspicion of sabotage leading to a fire breaking out at the 183-year-old state-run Calcutta Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday has prompted the medical institutions authorities to order an internal inquiry a seven-member committee led by hospital superintendent Dr Asish Basu. The committee will submit the report to the state health department within seven days.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who also holds the health portfolio, had on Wednesday ordered two parallel inquiries  by the public works department (PWD), which is in charge of the maintenance of the hospital, and the fire services department.

We suspect there was sabotage to suppress irregularities, therefore we have decided to constitute the internal probe committee, said West Bengal Medical Council president Nirmal Maji, also the Trinamool Congresss MLA from Uluberia Uttar, and the chairman of the patients welfare committee of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital.

Maji claimed it had recently come to the health ministrys notice that the pharmacy store where the fire broke out had been locally procuring medicine and medical equipment at inflated rates, instead of following the usual practice of procuring them from central medical stores.

It was initially believed that an electrical short circuit may have caused the fire. But hospital employees Thursday found the fans and lights at the pharmacy in working condition, a health department official said on the condition of anonymity.

Medicines stored in the pharmacy have been wasted, minister of state for health Chandrima Bhattacharya had told reporters Wednesday. Hospital authorities had put the loss at ~5 crore.

The probe by the PWD will check whether there were any lapses in the maintenance and fire safety system in the hospital, while the fire services department will look for the cause, said a senior state government official, who asked not to be named.

Each building of the hospital is under CCTV surveillance. It will be probed whether the CCTV camera at the pharmacy building was working or not when the fire broke out and whether the fire sensor was functional, the official quoted above said.

Nearly 250 patients admitted in various wards had to be evacuated after fire broke out in the pharmacy at the ground floor at around 8.30am. Ten tenders took five hours to douse the fire.

Following the incident, the health department has decided that pharmacies in state-run hospitals should not be in any building that accommodates patients.
In the aftermath of special police officer decamping with seven rifles and one pistol from the official residence of assembly member and later joining militancy, the police have withdrawn SPOs who were performing duties with the protected persons in Jammu and Kashmir.

Additional director general of police, law and order, Muneer Ahmad Khan has directed all the SSPs to withdraw SPOs performing personal security officers (PSO) duties of protected persons.

It has been observed that some special police officers are performing personal security officers duties with the protected persons which is not in accordance with the security norms as SPOs are not trained to perform PSO duties. It is hereby ordered that henceforth no unit/district SSP shall deploy any special police officer to personnel security officer duties and all the SPOs except SPO drivers presently attached with protected person be immediately withdrawn. Repeat, immediately withdrawn, reads the order.

Last week, SPO Adil Bashir who was attached with assembly member Wachi, Ajaz Ahmad Mir decamped with seven Ak rifles and a pistol from the official residence of the legislator.

A day after his escape the picture of SPO was posted along with Hizbul Mujahideen militants carrying guns.

The director general of police Dilbagh Singh told reporters that SPO was already in touch with militants.

The police have already constituted Special Investigative Team (SIT) to investigate the case and police claimed to have got some leads in this case.

The decision to withdraw SPOs from the duty of protected persons has come after some protected persons had raised apprehensions over the SPOs allotted to them.

There are hundreds of persons especially the mainstream politicians who have been declared as protected persons and enjoy security due to threat perception.
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to stop the deportation of seven Rohingya Muslims set to be deported from Manipur to Myanmar a few hours later. This will be the first such official deportation from India to Myanmar. Lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who had sought the top courts intervention, said it is the duty of this court to protect stateless citizens, which Rohingya refugees are. The bench shot back, telling Prashant Bhushan that he need not remind the judges of their responsibilities.

Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, referring to the governments affidavit, said the seven had been convicted for travelling to the country without requisite papers and Myanmar also accepts them as their nationals.

In its affidavit, the Home Ministry had underlined that the seven were willing to go back to Myanmar. They were illegal migrants and had served their sentence under the Foreigners Act.

Tushar Mehta, the centres senior law officer, told the court that the Myanmar government had acknowledged that the seven were its nationals and given them a certificate of identity to facilitate their return.

Assam has about 32 Rohingya refugees in detention camps in Assam, about 15 of them including seven minors are in Tezpur. They are mostly believed to be from the Rakhine State in Myanmar and were apprehended in 2014 by the railway police.

Thousands of Rohingya Muslims have been fleeing the Rakhine State on Myanmars western coast for years, often caught between the military and Rohingya insurgents who have fought a bloody war for years. The refugees mostly landed in Bangladesh, but some did cross over into India also. The Indian security establishment believes there may be upwards of 40,000 refugees in India.

The UN refugee agency, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, had sought access to the detained Rohingya refugees in Assam but have not been permitted.

Ahead of the deportation, a UN human rights expert had expressed alarm at the governments deportation plan saying returning the seven Rohingya refugees to Myanmar could violate international law.

Given the ethnic identity of the men, this is a flagrant denial of their right to protection and could amount to refoulement, said the UN Special Rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume.

The Indian Government has an international legal obligation to fully acknowledge the institutionalised discrimination, persecution, hate and gross human rights violations these people have faced in their country of origin and provide them the necessary protection.
A 31-year-old woman was injured Thursday after two bikers threw acid on her, police said. The woman, an Ambala resident, was rushed to civil hospital from where she was referred to PGIMER, Chandigarh. She has received burn injuries on her face.

Senior police officers, including superintendent of police Ashok Kumar, the DSP and the SHO at Baldevnagar police station visited the spot.

Police said the woman was working at a government office in Ambala City. When she was returning home after attending the office, two masked men riding a bike threw acid on her face. The woman raised an alarm, but the accused managed to flee.

Police said the investigation is on and the accused would be nabbed soon.

The police were collecting the CCTV footage of the houses located nearby the incident site. The condition of the woman was stated to be stable, police said
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawatis announcement on Wednesday in Delhi that the party will go solo in the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh assembly polls later this year will impact poll prospects of both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress in at least 60 seats in Rajasthan, according to results of past elections.

The BSP got 4% votes in 2013 in the Shekhawati-Command region, comprising six districts and 39 assembly constituencies. In 2008, the party polled 11% votes in the region. In the Dhundhad-Matsya-Merwara region, comprising nine districts and 66 seats, BSP got 11% votes in 2008 and 5% votes in 2013.

Across Rajasthan, BSP got 7.6% votes in 2008 and won six seats. In 2013, the partys vote share dropped to 3.37% and the number of seats came down to three.

Mayawati told news agency ANI that the Congress was giving her party only nine out of 200 Assembly seats. She blamed Congress for trying to wipe out the BSP. We have noticed that whenever we have contested an election in alliance, all our votes get transferred to Congress, she said.

The Congress in Rajasthan did not react to this, saying the All India Congress Committee (AICC) will issue a reaction on this development.

Last week, after a meeting in Delhi to discuss the practicality, possibility and feasibility of alliance with other parties, Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot had said the party was open to alliances with other political parties such as BSP.

Congress is approaching the elections with an open mind. We are open to alliances in Rajasthan and on the national level but it should be practical and respectable. The decision will be taken by the party president, Pilot said.

In a meeting held in July this year and chaired by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the Rajasthan Congress was unwilling to enter into an alliance with the BSP.

The party didnt want to lose the Scheduled Castes votes to BSP. There are approximately 18% SCs in Rajasthan, with dominance in 60 assembly seats. In five districts of Ganganagar, Bikaner, Dholpur, Karauli and Bharatpur, the SC population is more than 21%.

Rajasthan BJP spokesperson Satish Poonia took a dig at the BSPs announcement, saying the two parties were trying to forge an unnatural alliance. Alliances where there are ideological differences are bound to fail, Poonia added.

(With ANI inputs)
To build a favourable mood among the electorate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch the BJPs election campaign from Ajmer on Saturday and hold rallies in all seven districts in poll-bound Rajasthan.

Betting on Modis popularity, the BJP plans to hold a series of public meetings across the state, targeting areas where the BJP is perceived to be weak. The election management committee has proposed a schedule for the PMs public meetings in the state which is awaiting the PMOs nod.

The series of rallies will be kick-started in Ajmer where PM Modi will hold a public meeting on Oct 6 on the completion of chief minister Vasundhara Rajes statewide whirl Rajashan Gaurav Yatra.

State BJP president Madan Lal Saini said it will be a historic public meeting where nearly three lakh people are expected to turn up. The prime minister will offer prayers at the Brahma temple in Pushkar before addressing the rally, he said.

A party leader said BJP president Amit Shah has been collecting feedback about the partys situation in the state and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the party. The PM is expected to hold rallies in Banswara, Jodhpur, Kota, Bikaner, Karauli and at Alwar or Sikar.

BJP spokesperson Mukesh Pareek said, with the Ajmer rally, the prime minister will sound the poll bugle in Rajasthan. Modis rallies will fill the workers with zeal and his popularity among the public will help create a mood in our favour.

Saini said apart from the PM, the party is working out itineraries of Shah and other national leaders for the poll campaign at divisions and Lok Sabha constituencies.

BJP president Amit Shah will address Shakti Kendra Sammelan in Sikar and SC Sammelan in Bikaner on Thursday, Saini said.

On the 17-day strike by Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation workers, Saini said, I sympathise with the employees as I have also been an employees leader. I am hopeful that the committee appointed by the government will soon resolve the issue. Extending his support, he said they were not wrong to put their demands before the government, but they should do it peacefully.

Workers have a right to protest and put their demands before the government. The lathicharge by police on protesting teachers was wrong and not a solution, Saini added.

Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Archana Sharma said, We welcome the Prime Minister to Rajasthan and the people of state will feel happy if makes announcements favouring the state.

She said if Modi was instead coming as a BJP leader and issues useless statements, then the people of Rajasthan will not like it. Hope Modi will look into the demands of the state and fulfil them before model code of conduct comes into force, she said.
The amount of time that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah has been spending in Rajasthan over the last few weeks highlights the importance the party is placing on the upcoming assembly elections in the state, which is likely go to the polls along with Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram later this year.

Officials familiar with the matter said that while Shah has visited Chhattisgarh four times in the last five months, and Madhya Pradesh three times since June, the BJP president was in Rajasthan five times in September alone, adding that impact of the attention being given to the state is starting to show results on the ground.

Another Shah trip to Bikaner is scheduled for October 4. BJP governments are in power in all three states.

When you go into an election after being in the government, theres a challenge of anti-incumbency. The BJP is a cadre-based party and the national president is working with the workers at the grassroots to motivate them, party spokesperson Satish Poonia said, stressing that Rajasthan is an important state for the party.

During his visits to Rajasthan, Shah has spent more time meeting booth-level workers and office-bearers of frontal organisations than with chief minister Vasundhara Raje or senior ministers.

He has also tried to reach out to intellectuals from the state during some of the visits.

The partys state president Madan Lal Saini said in Jaipur on Wednesday that Shahs trips have infused a new energy among the workers.

Political observers say that the focus on Rajasthan suggests that while the BJP sees it as a place that needs the central leaderships attention, the party believes it can script a reversal despite predictions that the Congress is ahead.

Shahs focus on Rajasthan is aimed at minimising anti-incumbency, projecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a charismatic leader and building the PMs image as larger than life because, out of the three states, it is in Rajasthan that the party faces the biggest challenge to retain power, said Narayan Bareth, a political observer and a former professor of journalism and mass communication at the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur.

The Congress says that Shah is relying more on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) because its own party members are unhappy with the Vasundhara Raje government.

At recent meetings with RSS functionaries in Bhilwara and Jaipur, he (Shah) was told about the Sanghs unhappiness with the government and that they were unwilling to work for the party in the assembly election, the Congress state vice-president Archana Sharma said.

The RSS denied this. The meeting (of the RSS functionaries) was planned and Shah just happened to attend it. There was no discussion on elections, said Ramesh Agarwal, head of Sanghs Jaipur division.

During some of his visits, Shah has focused on meetings of Shakti Kendras, bodies that group and manage 10 booths, and the partys I-T cell.

A party leader said cadres have been given responsibilities for running WhatsApp groups at the block levels, and send at least three messages every day.

Recently, Shah has entrusted six members of the party to travel across the state on October 10 and 18 and interact with party workers to compile a ground report on the BJPs electoral prospects. For this, the state has been divided into three regions.

The BJP, with Vasundhara Raje as its CM face, swept the elections in 2013, winning 163 seats in the 200-member assembly. But loss on three bypoll seats (two Lok Sabha and one assembly) predicted a Congress turnaround in the state may be on the cards.
It mustnt be easy to be Tanushree Dutta these days. When she recounted the sexual harassment she had faced on a film set 10 years ago, she was dismissed as a publicity-hungry out-of-work woman, derided for raising this issue when she wore skimpy clothes for the camera (that the distinction still has to be explained shows the long road ahead), or threatened. A week later, she faces the full wrath of the accused, a belligerent political party, a minister of the Maharashtra government, and disdain from some big names of Bollywood.

Dutta, a former beauty pageant winner, and actor  targeted by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena  has since been provided with armed guards of the Mumbai Police, and has reportedly been sent a legal notice by Nana Patekars lawyers for accusing him. Deepak Kesarkar, Maharashtras minister of state for home, clarified that the protection was not against Patekar. See the alignment?

In her second telling of her story, Dutta referred to the #MeToo movement, which had pulled the lid off a pandemic of sexual harassment by some of the big boys in Hollywood. But this is far from Bollywoods #MeToo moment, let alone a movement.

Dutta is not the first Hindi film actress to have accused a co-star of going beyond the respectable limits and norms of co-working space. She is unlikely to be the last. Her story and how it played out shows the grime and silence behind the gossamer in the film industry. The atmosphere on film sets can be toxic and anti-women; sexual harassment is part of Bollywoods reality, say a number of women professionals in it. Yet, the #MeToo movement remains still-born.

Anecdotes and off-the-record stories by women writers, actors, cinematographers, journalists, and others show that it is not a safe workplace for women  all women including the extras. But for a revolutionary movement to take off, it would require top-drawer actors to call out offending men irrespective of their stature and age; for survivors to fearlessly share their stories; for professional associations to back the women; and for civil society groups to amplify their voices in the interest of gender justice.

Dutta did receive support from some actors  Richa Chadha, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Renuka Shahane, Frieda Pinto, Pooja Bhatt, Farhan Akhtar, Varun Dhawan  but Bollywoods big men played safe or cute. Her story had to be corroborated by a journalist and an assistant director to be even partially accepted. Amitabh Bachchan said he wasnt Dutta or Patekar (so much for his awesome influence and those gender-sensitive letters to his granddaughters); Aamir Khan wanted to know more, and Salman Khan mocked the woman journalist who asked him the question.

The non-support or fence-sitting happens because of the persons accused. Patekar is a man of formidable acting talent and an impressive social service record, also one with a temper and dark side (as Shahane pointed out), and political network. The choreographer Dutta accused is a high-profile man in the industry. They have denied harassing Dutta; Patekar even asked, Whats sexual harassment? They are believed more than Dutta is.

The Cine and TV Artistes Association, the professional body, admitted on Tuesday that its decision taken on Duttas complaint in July 2008 was not appropriate as the chief grievance of sexual harassment wasnt even addressed. But it cannot re-open the case because its time-barred. It appealed to appropriate authorities to take up the case, whatever that means. Will the worthy stars and MNS now change their attitude to her story? Will they say I believe Tanushree Dutta?

It is a bit odd that Dutta has not received greater support from womens organisations. Workplace harassment is an issue irrespective of the place of work, or so they have been saying. The film industry not being an organised sector would mean that Vishakha guidelines and the law on sexual harassment would not directly apply. Should Dutta choose the legal route, it is going to be a long, painful, and excruciatingly traumatic road ahead. She could do with more support and greater amplification from womens groups.

Even so, one case does not a movement make. Bollywoods yet another #MeToo moment just passed us by.
The date is October 10 and the city is more than gearing up to welcome the Goddess Durga or/and the Goddess Laxmi, or/and the Goddess Saraswati, depending on how your cultural identity defines the most powerful female deity in the Hindu pantheon for you.

Either way, faith, celebration and community festivities are steadily building to the annual peak that is defined as Navaratri.

Nine days and nine nights - the city has its fair share of cosmopolitan residents, each bringing an element of their unique culture to the celebration. Tamilians in the city add a religious touch to the celebrations by dedicating the nine special nights to each Goddess - Durga, Laxmi and Saraswati, in turn. The first three days are dedicated to Durga, the next three for Laxmi and the final three days to Saraswati, where special Navaratri rituals are performed for each.

During these celebrations, we display `Golu, an arrangement made on a make-shift staircase with nine stairs. Each stair symbolises each day of Navaratri. Decorative idols of gods and goddesses are placed on the stairs. In most cases, the dolls that are used for the `Golu are handed over from generation to generation. It is also said every year, new dolls have to be placed, says R Savitha, resident of Wakad.

For the Bengali community there are at least 40 Durga pujas organised in various parts of the city. During the Durga pujas, Bengalis come together along with their relatives and friends to the puja mandap right from the morning to evening to offer prayers to Durga mata, taking prashad and bhog in different areas of Pune. In the evenings its dances and cultural programmes by locals artistes as well as renowned performers from Kolkata. The devotees enjoy their evening meals with delicious food form different stalls located in and around the puja premises. Everything synonymous with Bengali culture will come alive at a Durga puja mandap, Maharashtrians and Bengalis share a lot of cultural heritage, hence it is addressed as Sharvojanin Durga Puja, says Samar Roychowdhury

For the Maheshwari community, Navaratri mean nine nights of feminine power, where women enjoy dressing in new sarees, and gear up for dandiya and garba. Both, men and women, observe a fast for nine days and there are Ramayana reading sessions held in the Laxmi Mata temple, says Shalini Mundada, resident of Bibvewadi.

The Pune Gujarati Bandhu Samaj is planning a special day on October 16. We hold a one-day celebration in the city, where the Gujarati community comes together to perform a Garba in front of Devi ma. Usually, Gujaratis keep a ghat (earthern pot) with akhand jyoti (everlasting light) that is worshipped. We play garba to invoke energy and create positivity, says Chaya Patel, convenor, Pune Gujarati bandhu samaj.
The Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar metro route on Wednesday received a major push after the Pune metropolitan region development authority (PMRDA), which is executing the project, awarded the contract for this Pune route to a joint venture of Tata Realty Infra and Siemens.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis handed over the contract letter to officials representing Tata Realty Infra and Siemens. The metro route will be developed on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 8,313 crore.

The 23km Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar metro route, identified as line number three of the project, is based on the public-private partnership model and is aimed at decongesting Pune traffic by improving connectivity within the Pune metropolitan region. Line three will run between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar, mainly to cater to the needs of IT industry situated in the area.

The Rs 8,313-crore project was given a nod from the Central Government under its new Metro policy 2017. This projects tender procedure was crystal clear and transparent, said Fadnavis, after handing over the contract.

TThe project will be completed in 30 months from start of construction, said officials, adding that work is scheduled to commence by the end of June 2019.

Punes guardian minister Girish Bapat; chief secretary DK Jain; urban development principal secretary Nitin Karir; additional chief secretary, finance, UPS Madan; additional chief secretary Pravin Pardeshi; PMRDA commissioner Kiran Gitte; Tata Group president, Chandrshekhran; Siemens Groups CEO Ralf Hesalbechar; and Siemens chief of finance Anthony Canisiyo were present at the meeting.

Banmali Agrawala, president, infrastructure, defence and aerospace, Tata Sons, said, This project is a true representation of our expertise and capabilities of delivering on long-term and large infrastructure projects. With the support of our partners, we are confident of meeting the expectations and requirements as per the scheduled timelines.

Sunil Mathur, managing director and chief executive officer, Siemens, said, Siemens has been partnering India for over 150 years in the areas of electrification and automation. It has been contributing to India's long-term growth story through its sustainable technologies, deep solution expertise, global project experience and strong local manufacturing presence. We are delighted to be a consortium partner with Tata Group in implementing this project, which will positively impact the quality of life for the people of Pune.

Viability gap funding

- The state government has decided to give 13.83 acres (5.60 hectare) of land in Balewadi as viability gap funding to contractors for commercial development. Tatas and Siemens will have the authority to use the land for any commercial purpose.

- The state and Centre will not give any direct funds for this project.

Project highlights

Metro line 3: Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar

Total project cost : Rs 8,313 crore

Length of stretch: 23.3km

Number of stations: 23

Period for completion: 3 years
The apex Sikh gurdwara body, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Wednesday took up the issue of 1984 episode (Operation Bluestar and anti-Sikh riots) and Kartarpur corridor with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during his visit to Golden Temple here on Wednesday.

He is on a three-day trip to India. In a memorandum handed over by SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, the UN secretary general was requested to address major issues concerning the Sikh community worldwide. Longowal said United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) should take steps to safeguard the religious and cultural rights of the Sikhs as per UN conventions and instruments.

The SGPC also handed over a memorandum to Guterres, highlighting the anti-Sikh riots in 1984, saying the genocide was planned at the behest of the government in different cities of India mainly in Delhi, Kanpur killing thousands of Sikhs.

Apart from this, the SGPC chief secretary Roop Singh briefed him on the destruction of Sikh Reference Library during the Operation Bluestar. SGPC member Kiranjot Kaur, who was also accompanying Guterres, briefed him on the principals and history of the highest Sikh temporal seat.

The SGPC sought UN help in getting visa-free corridor to the Indian pilgrims to Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. The Sikh body also raised the issue of identity crisis the Sikhs were going through and the persecution thereof, especially after the 9/11 attack on World Trade Centre in New York. Guterres assured Longowal to go through the demands and take steps accordingly.

Earlier, Guterres was received by Union minister of state Hardeep Singh Puri and Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport. He was received by SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal and general secretary Gurbachan Singh Karmuwala at the Golden Temple.

He spent 45 minutes at the complex. Besides partaking of a langar at the community kitchen, he paid obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum and received karah parshad. He also paid obeisance at Akal Takht, where he was presented a siropa .

Never saw such a shrine

After visiting the Golden Temple, Antonio Guterres said he did not find any other temple in the world where people of all religions come to pay obeisance.

I express my deep respect to the Sikh religion and wonderful Golden Temple. Spirit of peace and tolerance prevails here, he said.
Myanmars de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first person to be stripped of honorary Canadian citizenship.

After the Canadian House of Commons passed a motion revoking that symbolic honour last week, it was ratified unanimously by Canadas Senate on Tuesday and became a formal action.

The Senate motion was moved by Indian-origin senator Ratna Omidvar, who said in her speech the chamber needed to send a strong signal here in Canada and around the world that if youre an accomplice of a genocide, you are not welcome here. Certainly not as an honorary Canadian citizen. State Counsellor Suu Kyi is accused of, at the very least, turning a blind eye to atrocities against the Rohingya minority perpetrated by the Myanmar government and military.

The House of Commons had unanimously passed the motion and the Senate followed suit. Omidvar, in her speech, said, Stripping her of her honorary citizenship may not make a tangible difference to her, but it sends an important symbolic message.

She has been complicit in stripping the citizenship and the security of thousands of Rohingya, which has led to their flight, their murder, their rapes and their current deplorable situation. It is an appropriate message to send to her, to Myanmar and to the world.
With a dance step and a pitch rising above factional politics, British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday blunted the attack on her Brexit plan by former foreign secretary Boris Johnson and called for unity ahead of the toughest phase of divorce talks in Brussels.

As critics continued to carp over her Brexit vision outlined at Chequers, May entered the stage on the final day of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham jiving to ABBAs Dancing Queen, and held forth for more than an hour with a speech widely considered to be her best so far.

Insisting that our best days lie ahead of us, May did not mention the Chequers plan but reiterated her approach is the best option for the United Kingdom as it leaves the European Union on March 29, 2019, but warned that lack of party unity could reverse Brexit and harm national interest. Acknowledging that there are plenty of prominent people in British politics  in Parliament and out of it  who want to stop Brexit in its tracks, she dismissed demands for a second referendum  called the peoples vote  on the ground that people are now more aware of the cost of Brexit.

We had the peoples vote - the people voted to leave. A second referendum would be a politicians vote: politicians telling people they got it wrong the first time and should try again, she said, adding it would risk the peoples trust in politics by not honouring the outcome of the 2016 referendum.

May focussed most of her speech on domestic issues, not mentioning the challenge posed by Johnson, but also taking on the opposition Labour. She also signalled an end to the nearly decade-long austerity drive.
Canadas iconic Niagara Falls will play host to the Festival of Lights for the first time this year, complete with fireworks.

The first-ever Diwali celebration at this global tourist attraction is being organised by the non-profit Indo-Canadian Arts Council (ICAC), with the support from the Niagara Parks Commission.

ICACs founder director Ajaay Modi was thrilled to receive permission for what he believes will be a spectacular event, given the scenic backdrop. He said, We wanted to have a landmark destination for Diwali to be observed in Canada and we wanted an iconic location.

He said ICAC has been working with local authorities over the past couple of years to make the objective a reality.

While Diwali falls on November 7 this year, the celebration will be held on October 14. The reason is that the later it gets, the weather for an outdoor event of this nature is less welcoming. Modi said: That's one drawback of being in Canada, it gets very cold!

The celebration will immediately follow the signature Diwali Razzmatazz programme from October 12 to 13 in Mississauga. The event has been drawing nearly 50,000 people in the five years since its launch. Among the highlights of the event, will be differently-abled performers enacting the Ramlila.

Modis organisation was responsible for the iconic falls being lit in the colours of the Indian tricolour on Independence Day this year. He expects the Diwali celebration to be viewed by a large number of people, not just visitors to the Canadian side, but those across the border in the US, as the waterfall lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the American state of New York.

In addition, he said the number of Indian-origin people settled in the Niagara region has increased in recent years since many more students have started enrolling in colleges and universities in the area. He was hopeful that as the Niagara Falls are just a drive of over two hours from Toronto and close to the Greater Toronto Region (GTA), the numbers attracted by the inaugural celebration will be large.

The event will commence with a cultural programme in the afternoon before the fireworks display in the evening. This venue plays host to other celebrations with fireworks displays, such as Canada Day and Thanksgiving.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit China on October 8 to hold talks with top Chinese leaders amid escalating tension between the worlds two largest economies over trade and Beijings territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Announcing Pompeos visit, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement on Wednesday that China and the US will exchange views on bilateral ties and regional and international issues of common concern.

The visit comes amid reports that China has cancelled talks with US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis after the US allegations that Chinese naval ship conducted unsafe manoeuvres near its destroyer Decatur when passed through the islands off the disputed South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation. Hua, however, said it was Washington which proposed the postponement of the second round of their Diplomatic and Security Dialogue and refuted recent US media reports that China had proposed putting off the dialogue.

Such an argument completely distorts the fact with ulterior motives and is extremely irresponsible, she said. The Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction. The fact is the United States recently made a proposal to China that it hoped to postpone the dialogue, Hua said.

We demand the parties concerned stop fabricating and spreading rumours, she said.

On Tuesday, Hua said China and the US had previously agreed in principle to hold the dialogue in mid-October, while the US recently proposed putting it off.

China claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea and has built islands on reefs and equipped them with military facilities such as airstrips, radar domes and missile systems.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over some of the areas claimed by China. Pompeos visit is aimed at lowering tensions between the two worlds largest economies. Both the countries are currently locked in a trade war slapping billions of dollars of tariffs on each others export products. Ties have also worsened in recent weeks with a US decision to impose sanctions on a Chinese military unit over the purchase of Russian fighter jets and surface-to-air missile equipment. During a meeting of the UN Security Council, President Donald Trump has accused China of interfering in American elections to help his Democratic rivals.
Pakistan cabinet minister Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri should have been more sensitive while sharing the dais with 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the countrys foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said as he promised that he would ask his ministerial colleague the reason behind his move.

Qadri, the Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, was seen seated near banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Saeed as he addressed an All Parties Conference organised by the Difa-e-Pakistan Council - a coalition of over 40 political and religious parties - on Sunday in Islamabad.

A banner in the background said the conference was in defence of Pakistan, and mentioned Kashmir as well as threats from India.

I will go home and certainly ask him (Qadri) why he did that. But what I am told it was an event to highlight the situation in Kashmir, foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a Washington audience on Wednesday when asked about his Cabinet colleague sharing a dais with the LeT chief Saeed.

It had nothing to do with Lashkar-e-Taiba. There were other political elements there. He happened to be one of them, Qureshi said in an attempt to defend his Cabinet colleague.

I think he (Qadri) shouldve been more sensitive, but it wasnt that he subscribes to his (Saeeds) point of view, the visiting Pakistani foreign minister said.

Please explain why earlier this week on Monday, your governments federal minister of religious affairs appeared side by side at a public conference with the head of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organisation banned by Pakistan? Qureshi was asked by a member in the audience at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded think tank.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a $ 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.

Saeeds Jamat-ud Dawah is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

Qadris presence at the event with Saeed vindicated Indias stand that there is no change in Pakistans attitude towards terrorism after Prime Minister Imran Khan assumed office in August.

Qureshi asserted that Pakistan is serious in the fight against terrorism.

We cannot surrender to terrorism. We will have to take them on and we will have to clear areas. We have successfully done that. Well its a work in progress, we would have to continue to build on what youve achieved, but to a large extent, things have changed, he said, adding that this shift is not being recognised enough in the US.

Cutting off training, not giving precision equipment that couldve been used against terrorism, I dont know to what extent thatll help. In my view it will not help collectively, he said.

Collectively we can achieve our shared objective. A blame game will not be productive, he said.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
The Donald Trump administration on Wednesday pulled out of two international agreements after Iran and the Palestinians complained to the International Court of Justice about US policies, the latest withdrawal by Washington from multilateral accords.

US national security adviser John Bolton slammed the highest United Nations tribunal as politicised and ineffective as he announced that the United States would review all international agreements that could expose it to binding decisions by the ICJ.

Earlier on Wednesday the ICJ handed a victory to Tehran, ordering the United States to ensure that sanctions against Iran, due to be tightened next month, do not affect humanitarian aid or civil aviation safety.

Tehran had argued that the US sanctions imposed since May by the Trump administration violated the terms their 1955 Treaty of Amity. Washington responded by pulling out of the treaty, a little-known agreement that was signed long before Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution that turned the two countries into arch enemies.

The ICJ, based in The Hague, in the Netherlands, is the United Nations venue for resolving disputes between nations. There have been mounting concerns among US allies about the Trump administrations commitment to multilateralism.

In the nearly two years since being elected, President Donald Trump has withdrawn the United States from a nuclear agreement between six powers and Iran, pulled out of a global climate accord, left the UN cultural agency, and threatened NATO military allies that the United States would go its own way if members did not spend more on defence.

Bolton, citing what he called Irans abuse of the ICJ, said the United States would also withdraw from the optional protocol under the 1961 Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations.

We will commence a review of all international agreements that may still expose the United States to purported binding jurisdiction, dispute resolution in the International Court of Justice, Bolton said on Wednesday. The United States will not sit idly by as baseless politicised claims are brought against us.

The decision to withdraw from the optional protocol follows a complaint brought by the Palestinians in September, which challenged Washingtons decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The Vienna Convention is an international treaty setting out diplomatic relations between states. It is often cited as a means to provide diplomatic immunity.

Earlier, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States should have pulled out of the treaty of amity with Iran decades ago and said the ICJ it had no jurisdiction of sanctions that he said were essential to US security interests.

The United States has adopted a hardline policy against Tehran, withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposing sanctions.

Today marked a useful point, with the decision that was made this morning from the ICJ, this marked a useful point for us to demonstrate the absolute absurdity of the Treaty of Amity between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pompeo said.

Iranian foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif criticised the US withdrawal, saying on Twitter, Outlaw regime.

In 2005, the Bush administration took issue with the ICJ after it ruled that the execution of a Mexican national in Texas breached US obligations under international law. The Palestinians argued that the US governments placement of its embassy in Jerusalem violated an international treaty and that it should be moved.

This really has less to do with Iran and the Palestinians than with the continued consistent policy of the United States to reject the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, which we think is politicized and ineffective, Bolton said.

Id like to stress, he added, the United States remains a party to the underlying Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and we expect all other parties to abide by their international obligations under the convention.

Palestine was recognised by the UN General Assembly in 2012 as a non-member observer state, though its statehood is not recognized by either Israel or the United States.
The United States Senates Republican leadership moved forward with the confirmation process of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, setting up a Friday procedural vote and a final floor vote the following day.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell moved to end the debate on President Donald Trumps pick, who became the most controversial high court nominee in decades after multiple women came forward with allegations of sexual assault or misconduct against him.

McConnell announced that the FBI was due to present to the Senate late on Wednesday its highly anticipated supplemental investigation report, which had been demanded by Democrats and a handful of Republicans who wanted a more complete evaluation of the nominee.

Therell be plenty of time for members to review and be briefed on the supplemental material before a Friday cloture vote, McConnell said on the Senate floor.

If Kavanaugh clears Fridays procedural hurdle, that would set up a final confirmation vote as early as Saturday.

Members will be permitted to view the report in a secure room in the US Capitol and be briefed by staff, but the expectation is they will not be provided copies of the document. Republican and Democratic senators alike have called for at least a summary of the FBI findings to be made public.
Understanding citys cannabis ordinances

This election, Half Moon Bay voters get to choose whether to permit farmers to grow immature cannabis plants within existing greenhouses and whether the city should tax all cannabis-related operations, including ongoing deliveries from businesses outside the city. The city is also asking voters to indicate their preference for three advisory measures that look at full cultivation, retail sales and commercial manufacturing, respectively. The advisory measures are meant to gauge the temperature of the community and council members say they will take those votes into account when considering further cannabis-related operations for the city of Half Moon Bay. The Review will dedicate space in the next five issues to a better understanding of each of the measures.
Pipeline

4 October 2018

The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), India's largest and most iconic hospitality company announced the signing of a new Vivanta hotel in Kathmandu, marking the entry of the brand in the city. This will be IHCL's second hotel in Nepal after Meghauli Serai in Chitwan National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Commenting on the signing of this agreement, Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) said, "We are honored to partner with R&R Hotels and Resorts for this new hotel. Kathmandu is an extremely popular destination and this hotel will help us complete a tourist circuit with Meghauli Serai, our Taj Safari Lodge in Chitwan National Park."

The hotel will have approximately 111 spacious rooms and suites with a selection of rooms offering panoramic views of the beautiful city of Kathmandu. The hotel will also include all-day dining and specialty restaurants, a bar, banqueting facilities and a spa.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Rahul Chaudhary, Managing Director of CG Hospitality and Director at R&R Hotels and Resorts, said, "We are delighted to partner with The Indian Hotels Company Limited. We have had a long standing association with them for a range of hotels in multiple destinations. We are extremely proud to carry this relationhip forward with the new Vivanta in Kathmandu."

Kathmandu has been at the center of Nepal's history, art, culture and economy. Some of the most popular attractions include the sacred and famous temple Pashupatinath, one of the biggest stupas in the world Boudhanath Stupa and Narayanhiti Palace Museum amongst others. Kathmandu also continues to be a popular destination for day trips to Dhulikel and Nagarkot from where Mt. Annapurna can be seen.
Now Open

4 October 2018

Aliz Hotel Times Square has opened it doors today debuting as one of the tallest hotels in NYC. Developed by Aliz Group and managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts, the flagship property will set a new tone for modern lifestyle hotel brands with an emphasis on inspiring delight in every stay. Located at 310 West 40th Street and one of most iconic intersections in the world, Aliz introduces a unique New York experience and innovative design drawn from the diverse energy of the city in their 287 guest rooms featuring luxury amenities, a farm-to-table restaurant and the highest two-story open-air bar and lounge in the city opening this December- all within walking distance to Times Square, Hudson Yards and the Jacob Javits Center.

Yves Jadot and Alberto Benenati, the acclaimed restaurateurs behind beloved New York Citybars and restaurants Dear Irving, The Raines Law Room, XYST, Petite Abeille, Jones Wood Foundry and The Shakespeare, have signed on to manage Aliz's food and beverage program. It includes a swanky craft cocktail destination on the hotel's 40th and 41st floors with a beverage program by star mixologist Meaghan Dorman and breathtaking, unobstructed views of Manhattan from the

Freedom Tower to the George Washington Bridge. In addition, the duo will be opening a ground-floor, farm-to-table inspired restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as providing restaurant delivery service for the hotel's guests.

Designed by Andres Escobar & Associates, Aliz is a sanctuary tucked between some of the most iconic intersections in New York City. From street level to skyline, Aliz Hotel offers an inviting pied a terre for work and play. Special amenities include Beekman 1802's natural bath products that will complement the elegant guestrooms and an Aliz Cycling Studio featuring Peloton. Guests can expect a sophisticated, contemporary feel with a modern twist when staying at Aliz. This unique design with soft romantic fabrics and bold leather textures creates a striking space that is both elegant and welcoming.

The hotel's lobby will feature a vintage style chandelier accompanied by floating LED lights that showcase the space's 19-feet high ceilings. The single and double occupancy guest rooms will greet guests with delicate fabrics, bold chrome, and black leather features, complete with classic white marble bathrooms to showcase a sophisticated European couture styled space.

Aliz Hotel Times Square features curated experiences tailored to the lifestyle of each guest. Additional guest amenities include pet-friendly accommodations, Aliz Ambassador service, business center, ATM on property, valet parking, dry cleaning, high-speed internet, and in-room Keurig coffee makers. With a conscious approach to hospitality, Aliz Hotel Times Square is certified by the NYC Green Hotel environmental program.
Appointment

4 October 2018

The company flagship welcomes Giannicola Colucci as its new Executive Chef, overseeing the Hotel's entire food and beverage program, including banquet operations. Known for his creative culinary storytelling and a passion for local produce, Colucci brings over two decades of gathered global experience to his role.

Colucci has developed his culinary skills over many years of working in various upscale restaurants and luxury hotels around the world. No matter where Colucci has found himself in his career, he remains true to the "farm to table" values instilled in him since childhood. "What is most important to me in every dish I create is that my guests are able to taste each ingredient and savour its unique flavour and scent," says Colucci. "I want them to truly appreciate where each ingredient comes from."

Calucci was introduced to North America's taste for Italian cuisine fairly early on in his career while working with beloved Italian Chef Lidia Bastianich at her flagship restaurant Felidia in New York. He made his return to the US for his most recent appointment as the Executive Chef of Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis. It was in this role that he led the culinary team at the hotel's Italian restaurant Cielo and spearheaded banqueting operations.

In Colucci's last appointment in St. Louis, he built a reputation in the kitchen by adding personal touches that reflected different regions of his Italian roots. However, it is not just his Italian heritage that continues to inspire his culinary ventures. Raised in Turin Piedmont, Italy, only 100 kilometres (62 miles) from France, he has also been heavily influenced by French cuisine. His expertise and background perfectly complement the classic flavours of French cuisine that the Hotel's guests have become accustomed to at on-property restaurant Cafe Boulud Toronto.
Appointment

4 October 2018

Atis started his career with Radisson Hotel Group at the Radisson Blu Daugava Hotel, Riga in June 1995, and worked with the company until 2005 - before re-joining us in 2017 as the General Manager of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Yerevan in Armenia.

He makes every moment matter to our guests by having all of his employees and departments working together to achieve the same goal of delivering personalized and exceptional service throughout each guest's stay.
Supplier News

4 October 2018

Egham, UK, 4th November 2013 -Triometric, the leading provider of API monitoring and business intelligence to the hospitality and travel industry, today announced that Jumbo Tours Group a leading international provider of incoming travel services, headquartered in Palma, has chosen the Trio Enterprise analytics platform for real-time API performance monitoring and increased visibility into its distribution operations.

As a leading distributor of accommodation services in top European, African and Caribbean travel destinations and accommodating more than 2 million travellers annually, Jumbo Tours has developed a robust, scalable and flexible API architecture and booking platform to serve its growing customer base. To improve its API monitoring and analysis capabilities, Jumbo has recently deployed the Trio Enterprise real-time analytics platform to monitor key performance metrics (KPIs) of its XML API and to gain meaningful customer insights into their search and booking traffic.

Jumbo's API is connected to hundreds of customer travel agents and tour operators making hundreds of millions of search and booking requests every day. Jumbo prides itself in its technology investment to deliver high quality of service to its customer base regardless of where they are located. Maintaining an optimised booking platform and API connections is of paramount importance to online travel providers. Any degradation of service or poor response times in the presentation of product offers or during customer booking transactions, must be detected and corrected as soon as possible to prevent loss of business opportunities. It is also increasingly important for competitive differentiation to have deep visibility into a customer's search and buying journey. The Trio Enterprise platform delivers both. It is a versatile solution that delivers via reports, dashboards and alerts a wealth of operational and business critical insights to help Jumbo manage their distribution channels.

As part of the evaluation process Triometric and Jumbo Tours collaborated closely to identify the key operational metrics and business intelligence needed to support performance and commercial objectives. Using Triometric, Jumbo Tours IT Team will be able to proactively track a full range of key performance indicators and rapidly respond to any service interruptions or latency issues across the web services infrastructure. Business analysts will benefit from intelligence reports covering error reporting, search patterns and inventory planning.

"Jumbo Tours is committed to continuous investment in technology to ensure that our API environment runs optimally and we can analyse our search traffic to drive value for our customers", Josep Company, CIO of Jumbo Tours Group. "By choosing Triometric we have great hopes and ambitions to fulfil the potential that real-time intelligence can provide in giving us the insights to support our growth"

"We are delighted that Jumbo Tours has selected our proven API monitoring technology to gain valuable real-time operational performance and business insights that can keep systems optimised and customers satisfied." said Jonathan Boffey, VP Business Development at Triometric. "We look forward to continuing to work with the Jumbo Tours Group to ensure they get actionable insights from their API traffic and XML data."

About Jumbo Tours

Jumbo Tours, headquartered in Palma, is a leading international provider of incoming travel services and products to Tour Operators and Travel Agencies from around the world. The company has more than 40 years' experience, highly professional and knowledgeable staff and advanced technology that enables them to receive more than 2,300,000 clients per year, representing the main companies in the tourism industry. Jumbo Tours Group is part of Alpitour Group, the principal tourism group in Italy and one of the biggest in Europe. It includes the main Italian tour operators and has the biggest distribution channel with more than 2,500 travel agencies, a hotel chain company and an airline. Alpitour Group has an annual turnover of over 2.000 million euros. For more information: https://jumbotours.es/index-en.html

About Triometric

Triometric delivers business intelligence & operational analytics enabling companies to rapidly react to market demand & deliver a superior customer experience. Triometric' Trio platform delivers actionable intelligence and operational management metrics from live XML feeds to improve product availability, performance, relevance & price. Triometric is a privately held company based in Surrey, United Kingdom. Its numerous hotel distribution customers include: Hotelbeds, GTA, Bonotel and JacTravel.

For more information see www.triometric.net,
Jason G. Bryant, Nor1 Founder and CEO, and Jonathan Lee, Nor1 VP, Global Sales & Product Marketing announce the opening of Nor1s Denver office.

Nor1, Inc., the leader in hospitality merchandising technology officially announced the opening of its Denver office to more quickly onboard hotels and resorts wanting to increase their RevPAR and ADR through the use of its upgrade, upsell, and merchandising solutions.

Nor1 services more than 1,000,000 rooms at over 5,000 properties that currently benefit from its real-time, data-driven pricing and merchandising solutions eStandby Upgrade, eXpress Upgrade, CheckIn Merchandising, eReach, and eDirect.

I am very pleased to announce the opening of our office in Denver, said Jonathan Lee, Nor1s VP, Global Sales & Product Marketing. The vibrant technology and tourism industries, as well as the high-quality workforce in Denver make this an ideal location from which to support our hotel clients in realizing the full benefits of our upsell solutions.

We are excited to expand the Nor1 team into a new office in Denver, said Jason G. Bryant, Nor1s Founder and CEO. Denvers rapidly growing technology ecosystem makes it an ideal location to attract the talent we need to help us meet the needs of our quickly-expanding client base.

Nor1 will be hosting an industry networking and happy hour event on Thursday, October 18th, 2018 at 1576 Sherman Street to celebrate its office opening. For more information about the event, contact Rebecca Sharpe Rebecca.sharpe@nor1.com.

About Nor1

Nor1 is the leader in hospitality upgrade, up-sell, and merchandising technology.

Headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices across the world, Nor1 provides data-driven pricing and merchandising products that maximize incremental revenues for Hilton, IHG, Radisson Hotel Group, Accor, Wyndham, and other global hotels and resorts.

Nor1s real-time pricing and merchandising intelligence engine, PRiME, powers eStandby Upgrade, eXpress Upgrade, CheckIn Merchandising, eReach, and eDirect to recommend the most relevant upgrade to the right guest at the right time for the most optimal price.

Our investors include, Concur Technologies, Goldman Sachs, and Accel Partners.

For more information, please visit www.nor1.com.

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 2021 Hotel News Resource
mycloud hospitality platform has added another accolade to its collection. Smart SMB has honoured mycloud hospitality platform with its award for Best Digital Transformation in Hospitality.

The multi award-winning mycloud hospitality platform from Prologic First has added yet another accolade to its collection. The cloud-based hotel management software was awarded the coveted Best Digital Transformation in Hospitality award from Smart SMB. The achievement follows awards from Finances Online and SoftwareSuggest.

myclouds innovative hotel software delivers an all-in-one solution for hospitality businesses of all sizes. The exceptional package delivers everything from a web booking engine and reservation function to an e-POS service and check-in/out system. The fully automated system is providing hoteliers around the world with the opportunity to optimize revenues, manage operations and review metrics with maximum efficiency.

Already recognised for its superb user experience, reliability, security and budget-friendliness, mycloud has now been recognised for its transformative capabilities. The honour was awarded at the inaugural Smart SMB Summit. Supported by Dubais Department of Economic Development, the awards recognize the trail-blazers who are redefining the sectors in which they work.

In the case of mycloud, the pioneering hotel management software has afforded hoteliers the ability to seamlessly manage everything from laundry and maintenance services to accounts in a single, easy-to-use interface. The hospitality software solution delivers intelligence on competitors rates, automated distribution to OTAs, food and beverage costing and more. It allows hoteliers to perform multi-currency transactions and undertake chain review analysis, delivering a range of metrics designed to provide full clarity on the business operations.

mycloud Vice President Deepak Chauhan explains,

Our goal with mycloud was to deliver a transformational system that would disrupt the hospitality industry and show establishments that there is a better way  and an easier way  to maximise their service delivery and the resulting revenues. The Smart SMB award recognises how well the software has delivered on this aim. We are honoured to accept this latest accolade.

mycloud is nothing if not versatile, fulfilling a broad range of hospitality business needs. The hotel PMSs unique social listening functionality, for example, allows hoteliers to monitor customer sentiment online and to engage proactively with those customers before, during and after their stay. The system is suited to businesses of all sizes, from individual hotels and guesthouses to large motel and hotel chains. It features a staggered pricing system to allow businesses to match its features to their budget and is easy to integrate with existing systems.

Delivering a comprehensive package, including a great user experience, mycloud has taken the hospitality sector by storm, as this latest award from Smart SMB demonstrates.

Book Your Demo Here

About mycloud Hospitality

mycloud (award-winning hotel software) has been developed by Prologic First, an independent, private company with over a decade and halfs experience delivering end to end technology solutions to the hospitality industry across the UK, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Prologic Firsts WISH brand is used across 30 plus countries by over 1,600 clients representing the whos who of the industry. Some of our most popular and most adopted solutions like WISH, Touche & Web ProlIFIC. Our technological leaders and best in class solutions in the market place, offering some of the most advanced features to hospitality professionals.

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Building upon years of resort experience, Oostenbrink rises from the position of Resort Manager to lead the luxury Seychelles resort

Following his two year tenure as the Resort Manager of Four Seasons Resort Seychelles, Marcel Oostenbrink has been promoted to General Manager of the luxury resort on Mahe Island.

As General Manager, Oostenbrink is responsible for ensuring the Resort's continued success, overseeing the daily management of the Resort's 67 luxurious tree-house style villas, 27 Private Residences, three restaurants, two bars, an award winning hilltop Spa and more than 450 full time employees.

Oostenbrink's career so far has taken him across many different countries  in senior leadership positions in the United Arab Emirates, then to Vietnam to lead a property in its transition period between two general managers. He then joined the family at Four Seasons in 2014 as Resort Manager in Sharm El Sheikh before moving to Seychelles as Resort Manager in 2016.

Oostenbrink is also no stranger to island life, having returned to Seychelles two years ago after a tenure at Banyan Tree Resort on Mahe island, bringing to the role a wealth of destination knowledge, experience and leadership skills that will drive the team and the Resort in their continued success. During his time at Four Seasons Resort Seychelles, the Resort has been honoured with several accolades including the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence and the hilltop Spa being named Resort Spa of the Year, Middle East and Africa by the World Spa and Wellness Awards for two consecutive years.

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New Hotel is Scheduled to Open in 2020

Douglas Maxwell Glen has taken on the role of General Manager at the Steigenberger Hotel Riverside in Bangkok with effect from 1 October. 54-year old Mr. Glen, who is originally from the UK and is able to look back on 30 years of experience in the upscale hotel sector, will take charge during the pre-opening phase. He has held various management positions with prestigious hotel groups both at home and abroad, his most recent position being General Manager of "The Landmark Bangkok".

Thomas Willms, CEO of Deutsche Hospitality, expressed his delight at the new appointment. "Douglas is an experienced expert in the branch who has also been living in Bangkok for the past five years. His wealth of international expertise and outstanding knowledge of the Asian hotel market make him a highly effective partner for us and will ensure a successful launch for our first hotel in Thailand."

This upcoming new opening represents Deutsche Hospitality's debut in South-East Asia. The five-star Steigenberger Hotel Riverside will open in the Thai capital city of Bangkok in the first quarter of 2020. It will offer 259 rooms, including deluxe rooms, suites and a three-bedroom Presidential Suite. There will also be a 900-square metre conference and banqueting area. A roof terrace on the 18th floor will provide guests with access to a roof top bar, a restaurant and a VIP lounge boasting breathtaking views of the vast city. The main restaurant is based on the 17th floor. A spa and gym area as well as an outdoor pool also belong to the hotel. The Steigenberger Hotel Riverside is set in a premium location on the banks of the Chao Phraya River within the immediate vicinity of Bangkok's major sights. It also has its own jetty, from which shuttle boat tours will depart.

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While 6ix9ine has made good on his promise to go nine for nine on the Billboard charts, his promise to stay out of legal trouble has been another matter altogether. Daniel Hernandez, known in hip-hop circles as Tekashi 6ix9ine, was previously offered a no-jail deal back in 2015, provided he could keep his nose clean. Unfortunately, a slew of recent arrests and reckless behavior has once again landed him in court. 6ix9ine was actually arrested twice since receiving the lenient ultimatum; once for allegedly choking a "fan" in Houston, and another time for squeezing a police officer's wrist.

Not to mention, his propensity for aggressively requesting fellatio from any and all enemies has raised several eyebrows; there's only so many times you can tell people to "suck your dick" before prosecutors deem you a menace to society. Unfortunately, the amalgamation of dubious incidents has led 6ix9ine down a perilous road, and he may very well be facing potential jail time as a result. Page Six has reported that the Manhattan District Attorney's office is looking to retract their previous offer, and put their foot down accordingly.

Prosecutors are pushing for between one and three years. As of now, 6ix9ine's fate will be decided in three weeks time.
Cardi B has been very careful when it comes to sharing photos of her daughter Kulture on social media, which we cant blame her for, but for the very first time ever we have a glimpse at baby Kultures face (sorta). Although its from a distance and the baby is being held up on a balcony as Cardi takes a little photo shoot of her in a tutu, TMZ was able to catch some photos of them in action, giving us our first glimpse at Kulture.

Cardi was looking comfy in a robe on a balcony in Miami, and got her daughter Kulture dressed up in a tutu to snap some adorable pics Wednesday. Who the other woman in the picture is unknown, maybe a nanny or family member? but Kulture definitely looks to be in good hands.

Cardi and Offset have been very private with their daughter, only giving us a tiny tease of what she looks like back in August, before sharing her little hand last month. There was also an extreme closeup of Kulture's lips on Cardi's Instagram story, but nothing like this where we can see her face sorta.

Check out the distant photos (below) courtesy of TMZ and let us know what you think.
Gisele Bundchen is one of the most famous models in the world but back in 1998, she was just starting out her career in the industry. The then-18-year-old was chosen to walk in Alexander McQueen's infamous "Golden Shower" show, which she considers to be her big break. Of course, she was excited but when it came down to prepping her actual runway look, the star began to weep. They had wanted her to strut down the catwalk without a top on, which she did not understand because of her limited English. At the last minute, a make-up artist stepped in to cover her chest with a heavy layer of white paint but she still cried as she made her way down during the show. In her new memoir Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life, Gisele tells the dark story.

Photos of the Brazilian model with tears streaming down her face have resurfaced 20 years later, showing her with the coat of paint somewhat covering her breasts as she tries to remain professional. Somehow, even through her trauma, she still looks stunningly fierce. She detailed the situation in the memoir, writing, "Val [the makeup artist] told me how beautiful it looked and said that the runway was so dark nobody would know. If Val hadnt shown up then, I seriously doubt I could have walked the runway."

She added that she was embarrassed by what her parents would think of her, saying, "I was a good girl. I was a tomboy. I was someone whose big breasts had embarrassed her since shed hit puberty. I was a girl gripped by the fear that my family would feel so embarrassed they would never talk to me again. I was terrified." Read about it in her new memoir and peep the photos here.
Springtime was strange for Kanye West. While the enigmatic personality was hard at work crafting five albums, including his own solo project Ye, he also happened to be at the center of a veritable media firestorm. Eventually, his antics culminated in a phone call with Hot 97's Ebro, who proved a worthy foil for Yeezy's headstrong "optimism." Suffice it to say, the pair did not quite find common ground, though a mutual respect remained evident (if not dormant). After all, it takes one party to call and another two answer.

Now, in the throes of autumn, Ebro has once again experienced a Kanye West phone call. The tone is immediately set when Ebro inquires about his mysterious whereabouts, to which Kanye replies "we not on that." Alien Ye, indeed. He proceeds to reveal his plans of visiting the White House on October 11th, hopefully bringing Colin Kaepernick along for the ride. Ebro appears confidence that Kaep will decline the offer, speaking on his behalf with a staunch "we not on that." Though Kanye presses Ebro on the "we" tip, Ebro seems to feel that a discussion with Donald Trump would serve to undermine Colin Kaepernick's work.

Though we aren't privy to Ye's perspective on the conversation, it seems likely that he was frustrated by Ebro's refusal to budge. "We ain't playing games bro," says Ebro. "You think that just because you have a relationship with the president everybody want to clamber up to the White House? We not doing that!" He also explains that Trump owes Kaep an apology, and until that moment, no ground can truly be made up.

While both sides put forth worthy points, it should be noted that Alice Marie Johnson is a free woman, thanks to a meeting from Kim Kardashian. It may be ridiculed by some, but in reality, Kardashian's move was a win for those seeking social justice. Of course, the ongoing issue is certainly more nuanced than that, and political disputes will likely continue to play out in an "us vs. them" fashion. In the meantime, Ebro seems content to play the gatekeeper, keeping Kanye West's grandiose notions in check to the best of his ability. Who is right on this one?
Pressa's one of the hottest artists coming out of Toronto right now. Over the past year, he's made major waves which landed him an opening spot on Drake's U.K. leg of the "Boy Meets World" tour last year. While he's only been bubbling, he's worked with Murda Beatz numerous times over the years. Today, he joins forces with the producer as well as Lil Uzi Vert for his new song, "420 In London."

Pressa is back with an ode to smoking weed in London on "420 In London" ft. Lil Uzi Vert. The rapper's latest single was produced by Murda Beatz, who also produced Pressa's breakthrough single, "Novacane." It's a smooth banger that finds Lil Uzi and Pressa meshing their melodic delivery over Murda's production.

Peep our interview with Pressa here.

Quotable Lyrics

Twelve checked me then they took my gun

Me, no trippin' 'cause I got a whole 'nother gun

If she leave me, yeah I've got a whole 'nother one

I put that on my son and I ain't even got a son
50 Cent and Rick Ross have been feuding for about a decade at this point and it doesn't look like it'll end at any point in the near future. Back in 2015, Fif sued Rick Ross for using the "In Da Club" beat on his Renzel Remixes mixtape without proper permission. Unfortunately, it looks like the judge wasn't siding with Fif.

A federal judge has dismissed 50 Cent's lawsuit against Rick Ross over the "In Da Club" remix on Renzel Remixes mixtape, TMZ reports. Rick Ross' attorney said the judge's decision was based on the fact that 50 Cent didn't have a valid argument. The judge said that because 50 Cent doesn't own the copyright or the master recordings so there wasn't much merit behind his argument. The master recording belongs to Shady/Aftermath Records.

The lawsuit that Fif filed in 2015 was seemingly a retaliation against Rozay. 50 Cent was hit with a $7M judgment that he had to pay to Rick Ross' baby mother, Lastonia Leviston, for leaking her sex tape online.

50 Cent and Rick Ross' beef hasn't died down either since it started 10 years ago. Earlier this year, 50 Cent mocked Rick Ross when he was hospitalized with pneumonia earlier this year. A few months later, Fif was spotted partying it up with Leviston while the two were in Miami. Ultimately, Rick Ross' win seems to be a case of karma for Fif.
A couple weeks ago, feds raided the house of Tekashi 6ix9ine and apparently discovered a gun at the scene. It's unclear still what prompted the search, or who the gun belonged to, but Tekashi apparently aint worried that these charges will haunt him. His attorney, Lance Lazzaro, told TMZ that a gun charge would be very difficult to prove because the NYC rapper doesn't even own a firearm.

In addition to not even owning the gun, Tekashi says he moved out of that home weeks before the raid went down, helping his case even more with trying to link items that belonged to him.

TMZ adds that there's been a ton of people in and out of the house recently, so the gun could belong to anyone. So if you were hoping that Tekashi might be in trouble with the law over this, that doesnt look to be the case.

This report comes just hours after Tekashi was all in the headlines Wednesday after he had some words for Florida sensation Kodak Black. After Kodak said he was a better artist than Tekashi, the NYC rapper responded by telling Kodak to suck his d*ck, which you can see for yourself here.

Well continue to keep you posted more on this story as it surfaces. In the meantime, check out a preview of his upcoming single Stoopid, dropping tomorrow!

[Via]
Mattress Firm for months has been engaged in a legal slugfest with its former supplier Tempur Sealy, which pulled its high-end Tempur-Pedic beds out of stores last year after the two longtime partners were unable to agree on a new contract.

However, as Mattress Firm reportedly prepares to file for bankruptcy protection this week to solve its financial woes, Wall Street analysts and financial experts predict the Houston-based retailer will emerge from Chapter 11 with new owners amenable to reconciling differences with the Lexington, Ky.-based mattress maker.

We suspect a new owner / management would look to immediately bring Tempur beds back in stores to improve sales as Mattress Firm is suffering a product gap at the high end, Peter J. Keith, senior research analyst with Minneapolis, Minn.-based Piper Jaffray & Co., said in a report released this week.

The potential remarriage between the nations largest mattress retailer and a leading bedding producer would be a stunning turnabout from the two companies acrimonious divorce, which has the bedding heavyweights duking it out in court over accusations of trademark infringement and breach of contract.

Tempur Sealy declined to comment on the analyst report, but pointed out that the manufacturer still does business with Mattress Firms parent company, Steinhoff International. The South African conglomerate, which paid $3.8 billion in 2016 to acquire the Houston-based mattress chain, is currently embroiled in a financial accounting scandal that brought the extent of Mattress Firms financial problems to light.

Steinhoff has been working to restructure its debt and regain investor confidence amid an ongoing investigation into its finances.

Mattress Firm did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday after Reuters, citing anonymous sources, reported the retailer is expected to file for bankruptcy this week. The retailer for years borrowed heavily to buy up dozens of competitors such as Sleepys. It has more than $1 billion in debt.

Analysts said Mattress Firm expanded too rapidly amid growing competition from online bed-in-a-box competitors. As Mattress Firm faced financial pressure, it pushed Tempur Sealy too hard on economic concessions that led to the companies parting ways in early 2017.

Mattress is a very challenging industry, said Ed Wulfe, chairman and CEO of Wulfe & Co., a Houston-based retail brokerage. Youve got competition from mattress stores, furniture stores and bed-in-a-box companies. Its an industry that needs to sort itself out.

Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection would allow Mattress Firm to get out of hundreds of underperforming store leases and return to financial stability, analysts said. In the process, Mattress Firm may tempt a buyer, such as a private equity firm, into acquiring the struggling company, said Drew McManigle, managing director of SierraConstellation Partners, a financial advisory firm with a Houston office.

Its a little bit like putting lipstick on a pig, McManigle said. No one wants to buy Mattress Firm because of its operational issues, leases and overhang. By filing for bankruptcy, they can become much more attractive coming out on the other side as a potential acquisition target.

Mattress Firm, under bankruptcy proceedings, may shutter from 600 to 1,000 stores nationwide, Keith with Piper Jaffray said. The retailer currently has about 3,300 stores after closing some 200 locations over the past year.

Tempur Sealy could stand to gain regardless of whether it gets back together with Mattress Firm since the manufacturer would likely capture market share left behind by the retailers store closures, Keith said. Tempur Sealys stock price on Wednesday jumped 10.9 percent on news about Mattress Firms potentially imminent bankruptcy, ending the trading day at $53.66 per share.

Serta Simmons, the nations largest mattress maker, could be left in the lurch if Mattress Firm decides to contract again with Tempur Sealy.

The Atlanta-based mattress maker, which has a 40 percent market share, expanded its partnership with Mattress Firm last year after it left Tempur Sealy, investing $100 million to open four new plants to meet the retailers demands. The first of the new Serta Simmons plants  a 265,000-square-foot facility churning out more than 1,000 mattresses daily  opened in Houston last year.

Serta Simmons did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Analysts, including Keith, earlier this year said Serta Simmons, now Mattress Firms largest supplier, could be a potential buyer, a strategic move that could help the manufacturer vertically integrate.
This weeks last-minute NAFTA rewrite may have solidified President Donald Trumps support from the farmers and ranchers who made up a large part of his voting base.

Even before the annoucment of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, the agricultural industry was feeling optimistic.

In early August  before Trump announced a deal with Mexico that squeaked by a deadline for Congress to take it up before incoming leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador takes office  farmers polled by one of the nations leading agricultural news services expressed the highest levels of optimism about their current situation since surveying began in 2010.

I think this agreement is what weve been hearing from readers and from farmers out there, which is the opinion or the feeling that things are going to work out, that we will get agreements, said Greg Horstmeier, The Omaha, Nebraska-based editor of DTN/The Progressive Farmer, which has more than 2 million news and data customers and polls farmers and agribusinesses three times yearly.

Sixty-two percent of rural voters turned out at the polls for Trump in 2016. Even before winning election, the Manhattan billionaire appointed a team of advisers to help shape agricultural policy.

The value of U.S. agricultural trade with Canada and Mexico exploded under the North American Free Trade Agreement, with U.S. exports jumping from $8.7 billion in 1992 to $38.1 billion in 2016. So preservation of a three-way pact was a top concern.

A big piece of news had dropped just before the pre-harvest poll. As predicted in the agricultural press months earlier, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue was without need for congressional approval able to secure billions of dollars to subsidize losses to farmers from retaliatory tariffs.

It was widely criticized as a bailout to make up for markets cut off by Trumps own move to slap heavy duties on aluminum and steel. Commodity groups cried for markets and not payments. But the July 24 announcement gave small and medium-sized producers in particular peace of mind.

Soybeans are a prime example. With a bumper crop and dim hopes of buyers to replace their share of the $34 billion Chinese market, Horstmeier said farmers at least know theyve got cash coming in.

The fate of USMCA is far from certain. It still has to be ratified by the governments of all three countries, and the makeup of one or both houses could tip Democrat after the Midterm elections.

Its so hard to tell, said Belinda Roman, adjunct professor of economics at St. Marys University. I mean, its such a contentious political environment at the moment and with these elections and post elections it seems like theres a lot of maneuvering. Certainly I think in San Antonio that we want them to support, it but I guess we just dont know.

The San Antonio Chamber of Commerce was among trade organizations and politicians issuing a flurry of news releases praising the survival of a pact that President Donald Trump once campaigned against. NAFTA was ceremonially signed in San Antonio and is seen as key to the economic development in the city as well as the rest of Texas.

In fact, Texas sells $27 billion in goods and service to Canada, with top exports being oil and machinery, both of which closely affect our local economy, said Chamber CEO Richard Perez. This Chamber has been advocating for an updated NAFTA for more than two years, and it looks like a trilateral agreement will finally become a reality.

While the Chamber also supported the bilateral agreement with Mexico announced on Aug. 27, there was doubt a pact without Canada would pass muster with northern state Democrats.

Trump on Monday said a key win for U.S. negotiators was increased access to Canadian dairy markets under the USMCA, something sorely wanted by northern dairy states amid a glut of production. The National Milk Producers Federation estimated the cost of tariff conflicts could cost the industry more than $1.5 billion by the end of this year.

In the dairy industry weve enjoyed bipartisan support to address the Canadian dairy policy and make modifications to it to create more of a level playing field, said Michael Dykes, CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association. New York Gov. (Andrew) Cuomo, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Speaker Paul Ryan from Wisconsin have all been in support in and urging the administration to address the Canadian policy issues whenever they renegotiate the NAFTA agreement.

The dairy deal provides additional market access to up to 3.59 percent of the Canadas dairy market and phases out milk classifications seen as underselling foreign producers.

Pierre Lampron, president of the Ottawa-based Dairy Farmers of Canada, bemoaned it, saying We fail to see how this deal can be good for the 220,000 Canadian families that depend on dairy for their livelihood.

A Bank of America Merill Lynch Global Research report said this will increase exports to Canada by $70 million, a small amount considering U.S. dairy exports were $5.5 billion in 2017.

Dykes said maintaining exports to Mexico, the top buyer of American dairy exports, was crucial.

Twenty-five percent of our exports go to Mexico, he said. So we need to get our agreements solidified and remove any of the uncertainty in the marketplace.

Texas is the nations sixth leading producer of dairy, most in Central and Northern regions less subject to summer heat and humidity.

But its main agricultural exports Mexico and Canada include cotton, corn, grain and feed, rice and beef.

It just brings a lot of certainty on the main markets and the main trading partners for the U.S., said Luis Ribera, an agricultural economist with Texas A&M University . We produce cotton that we send to Mexico, we send corn, we send rice for sure, sorghum.

Its not just whats produced in Texas, Ribera said, but what comes through it. Grains come through Texas by rail and truck, and a huge complex of cold storage and trucking infrastructure for Mexican produce has been a boon for cities on the Texas side of the border.

A closer look at the hundreds of pages of text and side notes in the newly minted USMCA showed provisions that could be key to the border region and San Antonio, such as smoothing glitches at border crossings and opening service sector opportunities in all three countries.

One of the chapters in this big story is about customs and trade facilitation, in other words moving the goods through those border areas more quickly, Roman said. That has implications for us in San Antonio because were such a logistics hub.

The United States vast trade in services  as of 2016 the U.S. had a $24 billion services trade surplus with Canada and a $7.5 billion services such as banking, legal, customs brokerage and information technology  also could see a boost, Roman said.

So I think in that respect were seeing kind of a dynamic change, she said. Theyre trying to open up into other areas besides our traditional agriculture.

As for the nations farmers, a DTN/The Progressive Farmer Zogby Analytics poll in August had similar results to one taken weeks before the election in 2016, when Trump led candidae Hillary Clinton by nearly 2-to-1.

In the new poll, rural residents remained satisfied with Trumps win by a margin of 54.4 percent to 35.2 percent, with more than 70 percent saying they wouldnt have cast their votes differently. With the Midterm elections closing in, more than 72 percent of respondents said policies affecting their farms are more important than party.

Definitely more (supportive) than the last president, because he is visiting and talking about rural America, respondent Jeff Wuebker, a Versailles, Ohio, farmer who is past chairman of the Ohio Soybean Association said of Trump. The world is run by those who show up.

lbrezosky@express-news.net
FORT COLLINS, Colo.  Houston oil and gas companies are at the center of a fight for their industrys future in Colorado, where residents wary of deadly gas explosions, encroaching oil and gas development and hydraulic fracturing are pushing a ballot measure expected to cripple energy companies.

As Colorados top oil producers, Anadarko Petroleum of The Woodlands and Noble Energy of Houston could be forced to halt new production, abandon existing wells and cut jobs if the ballot measure passes. Both have poured millions of dollars into campaigns against the measure; oil and gas interests contributed at least $20 million to defeat the measure, according to campaign finance records.

The ballot measure, known as Proposition 112, would enforce a 2,500 foot drilling setback  up from the current 500 feet  around all occupied buildings and so-called vulnerable areas, such as parks. If approved by voters in November, the measure would effectively block new production in 94 percent of the states top oil and gas producing counties, according to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the states oil and gas regulator.

Economists estimate that more than 33,000 energy jobs - about 1 percent of Colorados payroll employment --and up to $1 billion in tax revenue would be lost by 2030.

For John Cavitt, CEO of Houston well-testing firm Covenant Testing Technologies, the effects of Proposition 112 would be immediate and devastating. The company is among the top employers in the oil and gas industry in Colorado, with 400 employees testing wells as part of 24-hour monitoring systems to that assess production and emissions, among other things.

If the ballot measure passes, Cavitt said his company would cut half of those 400 jobs within six months and eliminate nearly all of them within a period of a years. Cavitt estimates that his company, which employs a total of about 1,000, would lose one-t hird of its revenues - a shock that would mean layoffs in the Houston office.

Its catastrophic, he said.

Anadarko and Noble both declined to comment on the potential effects of Proposition 112. But state records show that they stand to lose heavily if the proposition passes into law.

Noble operates more than 7,100 wells and Anadarko, through its subsidiary Kerr McGee Oil and Gas, operated more than 6,700 - more than any other companies in the state.

Big spenders

Both companies have large operations in Weld County, a northeastern county that is home to the Denver-Julesburg basin and the heart of the Colorados shale boom, and together they have contributed about $12 million  $5.8 million each  this year to Protect Colorado, the committee campaigning to block the measure, according to state campaign finance records.

The oil and gas industry has operated in Colorado for more than a century, beginning with the discovery of oil in the south central town of Florence in the 1860s. The well was the first drilled west of the Mississppi, but it wasnt until a century later that oil and gas development began to grow rapidly in Colorado. Colorado ranks seventh in oil production among states and fifth in natural gas production, according to the Energy Department.

On HoustonChronicle.com: The year of the fracker

As the state has grown, it has attracted residents from around the country, with most settling in Front Range, the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains and the states most populous corridor. Colorado already has some of the toughest regulations governing oil and gas production, but in recent years Front Range communities, including Denver and its suburbs, have launched several efforts to push fracking as far away as possible.

The courts and other voters have struck down previous attempts to limit the industrys spread, but Proposition 112 has advanced further in the process than any other effort.

Economists expect that Proposition 112 would have a ripple effect on government budgets, leading to spending cuts for schools,law enforcement and firefighting in rural counties that rely on taxes from the oil and gas industry. Weld County, the locus of the states drilling, stands to lose the most.

Nearly half of the countys property tax revenue comes from oil and gas, said Chris Brown, the director of policy and research for the Common Sense Policy Roundtable, a Colorado think tank funded by real estate firms, banks and other businesses.

Fort Lupton Fire District in Weld County got $3.6 million dollars from oil and gas in 2017, which is about 50 percent of their revenue, said Brown. Its huge.

Proponents of Proposition 112 say it is not meant as a drilling ban, but rather as a safety measure. Oil companies have clashed with citizens as the shale boom has brought drilling closer to homes on the Front Range. In Northeastern Colorado, fracking towers loom over subdivisions, farm fields and Interstate 25, the states main north-south highway, stretching from Fort Collins through Denver to Colorado Springs.

In April 2017, a cut flowline from a gas well 170 feet from a home in the northeastern town of Firestone caused a massive explosion that killed two people and injured two others. Anadarko, which owned the well, settled a lawsuit brought by the family of the victims against the company in May.

Threat at the doors

A second lawsuit was filed in 2017 by a handful of former employees who blamed the explosion on the companys decision to cut safety budgets. The lawsuit was dismissed in June, but refiled in August. In court record, Anadarko dismissed the allegations as a series of leaps in logic that cannot withstand scrutiny.

Proponents of the Proposition 112 say Coloradans have more to fear from oil and gas than explosions. Anne Foster, a spokeswoman for Colorado Rising, an advocacy group pushing the anti-fracking measure, said that people who live near wells remain concerned about water contamination, methane emissions and other environmental hazards.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Study of oil and gas drilling finds pollution and connections to earthquakes

Proposition 112 is really the response of mothers and grandmothers and teachers to a threat that has arrived on their doorstep, said Foster. At every turn, weve been told that nothing can be done, and the industry will develop where it would like.

The debate has riven the state politically, separating conservative communities on the eastern plains and on the Western Slope of the Rockies from the more liberal metropolitan areas Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins.

The states politicians have been left to straddle the divide as they try to court liberal anti-fracking communities and appease rural residents dependent on oil and gas. Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat and former oil and gas engineer, famously boasted during a U.S. Senate committee hearing in 2013 that he once drank fracking fluid with Halliburton executives as part an effort to prove that the chemical mix is not dangerous.

Jared Polis, a Democratic congressman from Boulder who is running to succeed Hickenlooper, has refused to back Proposition 112, even though he supported a similar, but unsuccessful measure in 2016.

Economic argument

Oil and gas companies, meanwhile, are left to hope that their warnings of dire economic consequences will reach Coloradans whose only contact with petroleum products is the local gas station, said Dan Haley, president of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association. Energy industry projections estimate that the approval of the initiative would cost the state nearly 150,000 jobs by 2030, including both those in the oil and gas sector and others that depend on the economic activity generated by the industry.

Once Coloradans understand the broad impacts on our economy, Haley said, they will reject it.
The first time I saw the actor Jayden Key, he was kneeling in the hot, dry grass of a park in downtown Houston, smiling through Texas sweat, eyes as painterly blue and hair as immaculate blond as a World War II-era German propaganda poster child.

It was summer 2017 on a weeknight, a quarter hour before the start of Horsehead Theatres production of Young Jean Lees Church. He introduced himself to me and my guest not as actor Jayden Key but as Reverend Jayden Key, the newest member of a strange, smiling congregation. When we asked him questions, he talked about where he was from, explained how he joined the church and espoused tenets that oscillated between mainstream Southern Baptist and Jim Jones craziness.

Through sheer improvisatory skill, or perhaps by simply staring us down with his doe eyes, he managed, over our five-minute chat, to convince my guest that we were not at a theater show but about to be indoctrinated into a cult. When he walked away, my guest turned to me and asked, What the hell have you gotten us into?

It was the most perceptive reaction possible to a Jayden Key performance. These are questions evoked not just by Reverend Jayden but by Keys subsequent roles in Houston, which range from a modern-day boy who dresses as a Roman centurion and makes love to his fake brother (Leap and the Net Will Appear) to a postapocalyptic entertainer flipping us the bird while dressed as Ernie from Sesame Street (Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play).

Key is 20 years old. His latest role, at the Catastrophic Theatre as Wesley in Sam Shepards Curse of the Starving Class (running at the MATCH through Oct. 21), suggests he could be the most interesting actor working in Houston. Recently, an actor told me Key might be the new Jim Parsons  the next Texan-born, baby-faced, avant-garde performer whose strength lies not in gravitas but in raw, green, renewable energy.

The role of Wesley is a conundrum. Curse, Shepards 1977 precursor to the better and better-known Buried Child, pretends its a typical, sweaty-twisty-teary domestic drama upholding the traditions of Tennessee Williams and Eugene ONeill. But Curse isnt a naturalistic play. Wesleys less an acting role than a physical feat, an act of performance art.

When Wesley first appears, he enshrines himself upon the kitchen table of his lower-class rural farmhouse. Under director Jeff Millers interpretation, Key looks like Isaac on the altar. But his dialogue sounds straight out of Williams Faulkners As I Lay Dying, another mythological Southern Gothic in which the banal is upended by a more traumatized plane of reality.

Just look at what Key does on stage. His back facing the audience, he takes out his penis and urinates onto the stage. Later, he shows up entirely nude, face filled with dark energy, and saunters across stage. When Key returns, he explains that he had dug up his fathers old clothes, put them on, then butchered a lamb, whose mutilated body he holds in his hands (the dead lamb is the only effect in the play that isnt real).

Curse of the Starving Class When: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Thursday. through Oct. 21. Where: MATCH, 3400 Main Details: All tickets pay-what-you-can, $40 suggested price; 713-522-2723, catastrophictheatre.com See More Collapse

Ive never seen actual urine onstage. It was a jaw-dropping, if ultimately inoffensive, stunt. Meanwhile, frontal nudity is rare but not unseen (Keys was the third naked man Ive seen in Houston theater since summer 2016). But then  then Key truly tested our stomachs. In the final act, Wesley has a mental breakdown and opens the family fridge.

Keys body trembles. He chomps at a bell pepper, green spit-filled chunks flying out of his mouth with the crackling noise of a boot crunching in snow. He shoves down wet ham. He produces a jar of mayonnaise, positions his right hand like a dolphin at SeaWorld, then plunges it into that white, sticky, oily, frothy condiment. He smears the mayo into his mouth and over his face. He squirts mustard, then ketchup, straight down his throat. He wields a cucumber as large as his arm, dips it into the mayonnaise and gets to eating this pornographic creation. He has been defiled.

So have we. Key manages to indoctrinate us into a ritual of shock and taboo. There is only one thing left to say. Jayden Key, blond-haired, blue-eyed actor who looks like he was born after Twitter: What the hell have you gotten us into?
Texas' barbecue landscape is vast. You don't have to tell that to Daniel Vaughn, though. The barbecue editor at Texas Monthly, who has logged thousands of miles and hundreds of hours crisscrossing the Lone Star State, is well familiar with the intricacies of documenting our smoked-meat riches. If there's a superlative brisket or ethereal beef rib to be had, Vaughn will find it.

On this week's episode of BBQ State of Mind, Vaughn pays a visit to the Houston Chronicle to talk about the state of Texas barbecue: Waco waking up to craft barbecue; the problem with plant-based "barbecue"; and Houston's growing emergence as a barbecue force to be reckoned with. He also queries Chronicle restaurant critic Alison Cook about her inclusion of nine Houston-area barbecue joints on her annual Top 100 list of the best restaurants in the city.
Lanie Hobbs says her road to becoming a true-crime podcaster began when she was 7 or 8 years old. Thats when the car that she, her mother and her two older brothers were driving in broke down one night in Irving, and they were robbed at gunpoint by two men.

She didnt fully realize the danger at the time, but she now knows that she and her family could all have been killed.

Being able to relate to the fear later gave me the idea of formulating stories that look at crime from the victims perspective, she said. Her Dallas-based True Crime Fan Clubpodcast will celebrate its second anniversary next month.

That Hobbs hosts a podcast with such grim episode titles as The Cadet Murders, The Roadside Strangler and Munchausen Mommies illustrates how women have taken control of true-crime podcasts, both as producers and listeners. More than 60 percent of hosts on the recently launched platform Murder.ly are women, and the vast majority of listeners are women.

Texas is well represented in that. There are 100 true-crime podcasts listed on iTunes, and at least eight of them are made in Texas.

So why are women so drawn to this genre? Cassie Jackson and Hannah Cooper say true-crime podcasts can almost be a kind of therapy for both hosts and audience. Their year-old, Houston-based Texas 10-31 podcast delves into lesser-known Texas crimes while also attempting to educate their audience on such subjects as criminal law and mental illness.

Its easy to get stuck in your little bubble and say, Something bad like that cant happen to me, said Jackson, who explained that their podcast name comes from police code for a crime in progress. But mom was right: Everything is scary. Doing a true-crime podcast, or listening to one, helps to keep ones guard up.

Erin Nichols of the Fort Worth-based true-crime podcast All Crime, No Cattle agrees. Although it has aired only since December, shes already found that it helps her  and her audience  speak about the unspeakable. There was a time when people didnt talk about rape, domestic violence and other violent crimes, she said. But thats changing. True crime lets you look fear in the eye and say to yourself, Im not alone.

Justice Department stats from 2016 show that women are just as likely as men to be victims of violent crime. But a 2010 study using data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that women are much more fearful that theyll be victims of such crimes. Many women have found that getting behind the microphone and telling the stories of crimes is a powerful way to face that fear head-on.

And women are listening  and watching.

Women make up 48 percent of all podcast listeners, according to The Podcast Consumer 2018 from Edison Research. But for Nichols All Crime, No Cattle, 80 percent of the audience is women, according to analytics.

The same holds true for listeners of Hobbs podcast, which she runs out of her bedroom closet. Hobbs found in an email survey that women make up 85 percent of her listeners.

About 65 percent of Investigation Discoverys audience is women, a number that has remained stable almost since the day the cable channel launched its all-crime, all-the-time documentary-style programming about a decade ago. That makes it the No. 1 network in overall ratings among women 25 to 54, according to spokeswoman Sophia Asmuth.

On ExpressNews.com: New podcast episode details life of San Antonio suspected serial killer

The murder-and-mayhem genre just keeps booming. Three of the top 10 podcasts on internet radio service Stitcher cover true crime. And the online culture publication Vulture listed 52 of what it deemed the best true-crime podcasts.

Everyone loves a whodunit, said Mark Askew, head of ApexThis, an Austin-based audio production and publishing company that specializes in podcasts. And there are a lot of people out there who seem to love talking about them, too.

For Amy Derrick of Waco, its the excitement of trying to figure out why people do what they do that keeps her at the mic.

When Im researching the crimes I want to podcast about, its like Im getting into the head of the perpetrator, said Derrick, who hosts 1096 Crime Chicks with Jessica Casper. She said she first became intrigued with true-crime stories after reading Careless Whispers, about the 1982 Lake Waco Murders. Its fun to solve that riddle.

Derrick and Casper met when both were police dispatchers. The podcast title, she explained, is police code for a mentally disturbed person and refers to their crazy love of true-crime tales.

I think theres a natural inclination to magnify something scary or uncomfortable as a kind of method for processing it, said Brian Egan, co-founder of Murder.ly. In the process of understanding these scary people, researching them and relating to one anothers experiences, there could be a sensation of empowerment and of taking control for the host and audience. To understand the killer is to guard against him.

On ExpressNews.com: Local activist featured on national podcast

True crime has long been a staple of popular culture, from lurid pulps such as True Detective to the bloodless killings of Murder She Wrote and the more vivid tales of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and Dateline. But podcasts present murder unbound.

Virtually censorship-free, almost nothings off-limits. Adult language is fairly common, and gruesome details are omitted only at the discretion of the hosts.

Weve done a listener warning only one time, and thats because the story involved three children who were beheaded and a woman whose reproductive organs were removed, said Cooper of Texas 10-31.

Krista Mendez thinks more women listen to true-crime because they place more value on personal connections.

Women are more emotional, empathetic and intuitive, said Mendez, who hosts Lone Star Law & Disorder from the Lufkin area. True crime touches on all these areas because it lets you make connections with the victims in those stories.

On ExpressNews.com: A dark true-crime story

Another reason more women are getting into podcasting might be because the equipment is easy to use and set up without a techie, and a studio can be created just about anywhere from a closet to a bedroom.

Tech has traditionally been more geared toward men, said John Largent, CEO of San Antonio-based Gameday Media, a producer of podcasts. But with podcasts, the barrier isnt there, so theres not the intimidation factor.

Freeware software and simple-to-use programs such as Garage Band make recording and mixing podcasts if not simple then at least learnable without a degree in audio engineering.

And the costs are low.

Nichols of All Crime, No Cattle said she spent between $300 and $400 to get started, which included an external microphone ($25 to $40), an external soundboard (about $100 on sale) and $8 to $15 per month to a hosting service, which stores the audio files.

Despite the growth in the number of true-crime podcasts, Askew of ApexThis said he thinks theres still room for more. He notes that only 44 percent of Americans have even listened to a podcast and only 64 percent are even aware of the term podcasting.

There are still a lot of people out there who have yet to discover podcasting before you can say the market is saturated.

Which means there will continue to be plenty of openings for female podcast hosts.

rmarini@express-news.net | Twitter: @RichardMarini
Two new County Commission members say $12,500 may not be enough to cover annual commissioner expenses, including office space.

David Sharpe and Katherlyn Geter on Wednesday took part in a special committee session called by Chairman Sabrena Smedley on the expense issue.

Commissioner Sharpe said the legislative and executive branches are suppose to be equal arms of government. But he said the County Commission "is operating on extremely limited resources."

He added, "The county mayor has a million dollar payroll. We don't have that."

Chairman Smedley said she inquired about commissioners each having an office. She said she was told there is currently no space in a county building for nine offices.

She said when she meets with District 7 residents she often has them at her realty office. But she said she hasn't been turning in expenses for the office use. She said she also has not been asking for meal reimbursement. "I'm taking a beating," she said.

She and Commissioner Chester Bankston said it would actually not be workable for them to have a downtown constituent office, saying their districts are so far out that residents would not want to make the trip and try to find a parking place.

Commissioner Bankston said he has a room in his house where he sometimes meets with District 9 residents with concerns. He questioned about getting reimbursed for its use.

Commissioners Sharpe and Geter said they don't have a home office.

Prior commission rules spoke of having an office in a county building. That part was taken out so it can be elsewhere as well.

The commissioners also discussed the use of mobile devices. Commissioners at the meeting were surprised to learn that the county pays for two phones and an IPad for one commissioner. That commissioner's name was not given.

Limits the county will pay for cell phones was kept at $100 per month for commissioners and $125 for the chairman.

It was found phones that were provided by the county were covered under the commission's budget, while phones bought by the commissioners themselves came out of their expense accounts. It was decided to cover all of those in the commission budget.

Albert Kiser, finance director, asked if the commissioners wanted to continue to "roll over" any used amounts of the $12,500 to the next years. They said they did.

The commissioners also said they wanted to continue to be able to designate any unused expense money for community groups.

Vice Chairman Randy Fairbanks said the expense money is the only source for that since the $100,000 each in "discretionary money" the commissioners used to have was taken away when County Mayor Jim Coppinger eliminated it from the budget.

Chairman Smedley said she did not want to be scrutinizing travel expenses of other commissioners. She said there needed to be clear rules on travel that the finance and commission office could follow

Commissioners Bankston and Fairbanks said when they were chairman they never approved or disapproved any travel for other commissioners.

"
Houston City Council on Wednesday updated its rules on sexually oriented businesses, instituting changes that could bar plans for a store that allows customers to try out sex dolls on the premises from opening near the Galleria.

Toronto-based KinkySdollS had planned to open a Houston branch where it would sell adult love dolls constructed of synthetic skin and highly articulated skeletons. The company intended to sell the human-like dolls, and rent them out so customers could use them in private rooms at the location.

At Wednesdays meeting, the council expanded its definition of an arcade device  which is used to view adult content  to include an anthropomorphic device, or one with human characteristics.

The city bars sexually oriented businesses, which include adult arcades, from operating within 1,500 feet of churches, schools, day cares, parks and residential neighborhoods. KinkySdollS proposed location is located a few hundred feet from the city-owned Anderson Park.

The council also prohibited customers from using arcade devices on company premises, though it still allows companies to sell them.

Mayor Sylvester Turner said the amendments are intended to update loopholes to make the ordinance more current, specifically in dealing with changing technology.

I think the change in the ordinance will certainly capture businesses of this kind and would prevent businesses from operating in the way that this one has been described, Turner told reporters.

He added that the updated ordinances focus is not on any one business. It is on any businesses that fall within this category.

City inspectors already have halted construction on the KinkySdollS storefront at Richmond and Chimney Rock, citing permitting issues.

A KinkySdollS spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.

The proposed location sits in District J, near its border with District G. Councilmen Mike Laster and Greg Travis, of Districts J and G respectively, spoke up against the business Wednesday.

Laster sought confirmation from City Attorney Ronald Lewis that the updated ordinance would eliminate the try-it-before-you-buy-it option.

Lewis assured Laster that the modified ordinance "precludes certain behaviors within the shop" that would "not generally be tolerated within any business in the city of Houston."

Travis took a more forceful tack, saying that most people are appalled and insulted by the business.

On Tuesday, Travis had shown interest in placing cameras around the business after a member of a religious nonprofit raised concerns about sex trafficking and called on Travis to put cameras where these people are going to buy dolls. The topic of cameras did not come up Wednesday.

We're not legislating morality here. That's not what were doing, Travis said. We don't care what people do in their bedrooms. If somebody wants to order these dolls and have them in their homes, it's weird, that's fine, they can do that.

He added that the KinkySdollS type of enterprise degrades our city.

The Houston Area Pastor Council in a news release applauded Turner and the councils rapid response to this threat to the decency of the city. The notice said HAPC plans to work with Harris County and the state on similar and possibly even broader restrictions on sexually oriented businesses.

In other action Wednesday, the council voted to sell a 4.5-acre parcel of land in the 3500 block of West Dallas to an apartment developer for $30.6 million. The city and Harris County, which had built its juvenile detention center and operated a sheriffs substation on the property, will split the proceeds.

Council also agreed to move the citys crime lab out of the Houston Police Departments downtown headquarters. The relocation gives the Houston Forensic Science Center about 83,000 square feet of office space at 500 Jefferson for toxicology, DNA testing, fingerprint analysis and narcotics storage. The new 30-year lease includes a 25-foot firing range in the basement.

The building and lab operations will cost about $111 million over the 30-year term of the lease, city officials said.

jasper.scherer@chron.com | Twitter.com/jaspscherer
A hive with nearly 80,000 Africanized bees in River Oaks is one of more than a half dozen similar colonies found in the Houston-area in the last two weeks, according to an expert.

The most recent hive to be discovered is just inches above the ground inside a tree in the 3300 block of Ella Lee Lane, and is set for removal Thursday.

Claude Griffin, owner of Gotcha Pest Control, is in the process of removing the bees.

THE WOODLANDS: Help offered in race to save the pollinators

"They're really tiny and small," Griffin said. "They have a lot of ... guard bees up front."

Africanized bees are smaller than others and can sting a one square-inch patch of skin up to 50 times, Griffin said.

Because of this, he's taking extra precaution in removing the hive.

Typically, professionals will flush bees out with smoke and transport them to another site. But Griffin will be using a special vacuum-type instrument to pull the roughly 80,000 bees out of the tree before taking them to a safe offsite location.

While normal hives will typically have anywhere between 20 and 50 guard bees ready to attack any predators, Africanized beehives usually have up to 100 bees ready to defend.

"They're very, very strong," Griffin said.

EARLIER: When A.J. Foyt was attacked by bees

Griffin said this hive is the eighth Africanized beehive he's removed in the last 14 days. He's been removing hives in the Memorial, River Oaks and Jersey Village areas in the last two weeks.

"For me this year, (it's unusual)," Griffin said. "I get mosquito issues, cockroaches sometimes. But other than that, I don't get too many problems in River Oaks."

Griffin said he will be going door-to-door around the 3300 block of Ella Lee Lane on Thursday, warning neighbors to stay away during the removal.

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
More than 2,000 potential voters in Texas had their voters registration applications unfairly rejected by the Texas Secretary of State, a national advocacy group said Wednesday.

Those voters will be barred from voting on Nov. 6 unless they re-submit updated applications with new signatures on them, according to the Secretary of States office, which will send affected voters the paperwork by mail. It must be resubmitted to the state within 10 days.

Vote.org, a nonpartisan group, said it helped 2,400 Texans from Dallas, Bexar, Cameron and Travis counties submit voter registration applications that use digital photographs of their signatures.

Only at HoustonChronicle.com: Get informed with our general election voter guide

State officials say the applications submitted by the group do not comply with Texas law. Voter registration applications must include a handwritten signature, and that signature cannot be a copy, digital signature or photograph of a signature, according to a spokesman for the Texas Secretary of State.

Our Elections Division instructed Vote.org to change their process immediately in order to comply with state law and avoid misleading Texas voters into submitting invalid registration forms, said Sam Taylor, a spokesman for the Texas Secretary of States office.

More Information How to Register to Vote in Texas ONLINE: - Fill out a voter registration form via the Texas Secretary of State: https://www.votetexas.gov/index.html - Mail it to the local County Voter Registrar (That can be the Tax Assessor-Collector in many counties, or the County Clerk in others). IN PERSON: - You can register in person at the county Voter Registrar's office. (In most Texas counties, the Tax Assessor-Collector is also the Voter Registrar. In some counties, the County Clerk or Elections Administrator registers voters.) - Or you can register by mail by obtaining an application from your county Voter Registrar's office or pick up applications at libraries, government offices, or high schools. See More Collapse

The deadline for voters to register for the Nov. 6 election is Oct. 9. But those being directed to resubmit their paperwork via mail with corrected signatures will still have 10 days to do so, Taylor said.

Texas election law is not clear as to whether a handwritten signature is necessary. It calls for a voter registration to be submitted by personal delivery, by mail, or by telephonic facsimile machine and states that it must be in writing and signed by the applicant.

Lawyers for Vote.org disagree with the Secretary of States interpretation and say they reserve all rights to challenge it. They say there is nothing in the election code requiring a handwritten signature. Still, they are changing the way they help Texas voters sign up by directing them to mail in a form that includes a handwritten signature.

KAVANAUGH BATTLE: Sheila Jackson Lee intern arrested for 'doxing' GOP senators

Raven Brooks, chief operating officer for Vote.org, said the states actions are frustrating and explain why Texas has some of the worst voter registration and voter participation rates in the nation. He says the Secretary of States office throws up roadblocks to that participation.

Brooks said hes worried that some of the potential voters who tried to register with help from his group are not going to see their mail in time or just not follow through with another step to get registered.

Texas is already reporting a record surge in voter registration heading into the midterm elections. The state last week reported 15.6 million voters are registered for the 2018 midterm elections  about 1.6 million more than the last midterm election in 2014. Just since March, Texas has seen the voter rolls grow by about 400,000.

Texas is one of 12 states that do not allow online voter registration, which is allowed in 38 states plus the District of Columbia.

This election season, Vote.org was working directly with the four counties to boost registration. Brooks said the plan was to see how those registration efforts went and then expand the program to other counties.

Vote.Org officials said the online tool they created enabled Texans to register to vote under the provision of the Texas Election Code that allows registration by fax with a copy of the application sent by mail within four business days. With the tool, voters were able to capture their signatures electronically, submit their forms by fax, and initiate the printing and mailing of a copy of their form to county officials.

Taylor said the problem was that Vote.org was affixing voters' digital signatures to the applications for the voters, which is not only illegal in Texas but also creates a risk for fraud and abuse.

This is hardly the first time rules in Texas on voter registration signatures have created a problem. Civil rights groups sued the state in 2016, arguing that the different systems for online and in-person registrants violates the federal National Voter Registration Act, often called Motor Voter. While the state accepts electronic signatures from people who go to a Texas Department of Public Safety Office to change a voter registration, it does not accept changes submitted through the states online drivers license system.

The Texas Civil Rights Project says the states practices create confusion for potentially thousands of voters who think theyve changed their voting information, but in fact have not.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com
Whenever I hear the name Brett Kavanaugh on television, it is always followed by the name Christine Blasey Ford, the phrase sexual assault, and the calls of #MeToo activists for Kavanaugh not to be confirmed.

The accusations against Kavanaugh are disturbing, and I am thankful there is an FBI investigation.

I am less thankful, however, that Democrats are lifting these allegations above everything else in the confirmation hearing. This is distracting us from another major issue.

Although I am a Republican, I philosophically identify as a libertarian. Protection of civil liberties and economic freedoms, as well as an anti-war mindset, are central to my political worldview. In my three years as a activist, and during an unsuccessful campaign for state representative, people have questioned me on one issue more than most: the Fourth Amendment, warrantless government surveillance and collection of metadata.

The Fourth Amendment, which is part of the Bill of Rights, is unambigious: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Ever since former Central Intelligence Agency employee Edward Snowdens revelations about the National Security Agencys mass warrantless spying in 2013, issues of privacy and surveillance have been at the forefront of the publics conscience. Many people lost trust in their government and called Snowden a hero. Others, however, supported the government's actions. One of those people just so happens to be Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

In 2013, the case of Klayman v. Obama was brought before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs in the case argued that the government spying programs that involved the interception of domestic phone communications were illegal. Judge Richard J. Leon ruled that the bulk collection of metadata likely violated the Fourth Amendment. Metadata is all the information about your phone call  time, location, duration  but not the conversation itself. Leon would go on to say in his ruling that, Surely, such a program infringes on that degree of privacy that the Founders enshrined in the Fourth Amendment.

However, the case was appealed to the D.C. Circuit Court, which vacated the lower courts injunction. Kavanaugh wrote a solo concurrence.

In my view, the Governments metadata collection program is entirely consistent with the Fourth Amendment, he wrote. Even if the bulk collection of telephony metadata constitutes a search, the Fourth Amendment does not bar all searches and seizures. It bars only unreasonable searches and seizures. He continued: The Governments program for bulk collection of 2 telephony metadata serves a critically important special need  preventing terrorist attacks on the United States. In my view, that critical national security need outweighs the impact on privacy occasioned by this program.

Kavanaugh is on record stating that he believes it is acceptable for the government to violate the Fourth Amendment because national security is more important than our natural and constitutional rights.

Its the same excuse used to justify the entire overreaching Patriot Act of 2001 , not to mention those random Transportation Security Administration pat-downs at the airport. If you dont like it, proponents usually say something along the lines of: You don't have to worry if you arent doing anything wrong.

This concerns me, and it should concern all others, too. As Founding Father Benjamin Franklin once said, Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

This is why I, as a Republican, do not support Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court, and I question why President Donald Trump is breaking his promise to only appoint judges who would interpret the Constitution as written.

Now, youre probably asking: Why are we about to confirm a judge who doesnt believe in the Constitution, and why is nobody talking about it?

I believe the culprit for this is clear  the Democratic Party. They want to use identity politics to ride a so-called Blue Wave to victory this November rather than make fundamental arguments about Kavanaughs judicial philosophy and fitness.

Our politicians should be focusing on the real questions of constitutional law  the actual job that Kavanaugh is being nominated to serve. Instead, the Democrats have turned the entire confirmation hearing into a circus, a drama about whether or not a judicial candidate sexually assaulted three women in the 1980s.

If this is how our elected officials act, you cant help but feel like Franklin was right: We deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Ehmling is a political activist, blogger and former candidate for Texas state representative in District 16.
Associated Press

The star power is now coming out in the Texas U.S. Senate race as Sen. Ted Cruz and challenger Rep. Beto O'Rourke look to offer voters a dramatic contrast.

Cruz welcomed the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., to Wichita Falls this week, where the two talked about how the Trumps and Cruz reconciled after the nasty primary between the junior senator from Texas and the man who would become president. Then, they immediately attacked O'Rourke as an "out of touch liberal" who has more in common with voters in California than those who live in Texas.
Translation:

Sin fronteras a los beneficios de la aviacion (pdf)

IATA pede remocao de barreiras que limitam os beneficios da aviacao (pdf)



Geneva  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for European transport leaders to eliminate the barriers which limit the contribution of the aviation industry to Europes competitiveness.

Two centuries ago, the Congress of Vienna agreed the borders of a new Europe. Today I call on Europes leaders, meeting in Vienna, to knock down barriers that limit the economic and social benefits that Europes aviation sector can generate, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO, in an address to the European Aviation Summit in Vienna.

In 2036, 1.5 billion travelers will need to travel to/from/within Europe, creating jobs and driving a modern globally-connected economy. But Europes preparation to accommodate this growthand reap the economic benefitsis not adequate.

Calling for a strengthening of the European Aviation strategy, de Juniac proposed four key areas where the Austrian EU Presidency could improve the Continents competitiveness by shoring up the aviation sector:

Improving air traffic management (ATM) performance;

Maximizing the potential of current airport infrastructure;

Enhancing competitiveness by reducing regulatory and cost burdens;

Ensuring that borders are open to people and trade.

ATM Performance

European passengers have suffered 16 million minutes of air traffic management related delays so far in 2018. Delays over the summer were more than double those experienced in summer 2017.

The European air transport sector desperately needs the benefits of modernizing European air traffic management with the Single European Sky. To deliver results even as the SES initiative struggles:

IATA is working with individual states and air navigation service providers to develop national airspace strategies (NAS) which support the SES objectives.

IATA urges a Europe-wide focus on

Reforming outdated work practices,



Modernizing the ATM infrastructure,



Empowering the European Network Manager system-wide, and



Strengthening the performance and charging scheme penalties.

With the correct investment and planning by governments and air navigation service providers we can, and must, make next year better, said de Juniac.

Best use of airport infrastructure

Europe is facing a capacity crisis. Infrastructure expansion plans are grossly inadequate to meet the additional 550 million passengers who are expected to travel in 2036.

Airline needs can be simply summarized. We need sufficient capacity, alignment with our technical and service requirements, and costs that are reasonable. And if governments are considering turning to the private sector for investment, they must think long-term, be cautious, regulate strongly, and consult the industry, said de Juniac. He urged that this approach be applied to:

Rein in the high costs of the much-needed expansion of London Heathrow, and

Ensure that the privatization of Paris Airports has a regulatory framework that serves the long-term interests of improving connectivity.

There is no quick fix to build airport capacity. Therefore, it is essential to manage existing capacity effectively. The Worldwide Slot Guidelines (WSG) and European Slot Regulationwhich are the gold standard for managing scarce capacityare indispensable and must be upheld.

The European Slot Regulation manages slots through an independent, fair, neutral, and transparent system. This enables airlines to consistently plan schedules and aircraft investments. And it has facilitated new entrants that have expanded competition and choice, said de Juniac who voiced strong opposition to slot auctioning, which would add costs and reduce competition by entrenching incumbent airlines.

Reducing regulation and cost burdens

Europes economic competitiveness is compromised by ineffective regulationssuch as the Airport Charges Directiveor excessively burdensomeas is the case with EU Regulation 261 on Passenger Rights. The European Commission has wisely recognized that both need reform.

The Charges Directive has not kept airport charges competitive. Over the last decade, passenger charges have doubled as a proportion of the ticket price. A recent report by the consultancy CEG defines clear tests for assessing an airports market power. This should guide the Commission in reforming the Charges Directive, said de Juniac.

"EU 261 is still a mess for airlines and passengers, and a bonanza for claims agencies and their dubious practices. As an interim measure the Commissions guidance material was helpful. But the European Court of Justice continues to issue intolerable interpretations. A wholesale reform of EU261 is neededtaking ample input from airlines and consumers, said de Juniac.

Borders open to people and trade



Aviation facilitates global trade, which in turn drives increased prosperity for all. Attempts to restrict the movement of people and trade will impact the 624 billion in economic benefits and 9.4 million jobs aviation supports annually in the EU. In particular, there is a real danger that air links between the UK and EU could be severely damaged unless an orderly Brexit agreement is found.

Protectionism never has, and cannot be, a solution to our economic challenges. Aviation is the business of freedom, and the freedom to fly is woven into the fabric of European society. Citizens will not be impressed if politicians fail to exercise common sense in preserving that hard-won freedom, said de Juniac.

For more information, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Tel: +41 22 770 2967

Email: corpcomms@iata.org

Notes for Editors:

IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 290 airlines comprising 82% of global air traffic.

You can follow us at http://twitter.com/iata for announcements, policy positions, and other useful industry information.

Read Alexandre de Juniacs complete speech


Translation:

IATA anuncia nova Secretaria Corporativa para 2019 (pdf)



The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Karen Clayton will join IATA as the Associations Corporate Secretary effective April 2019. Clayton comes to IATA from Air New Zealand where she has held the role of General Counsel and Company Secretary since 2016.

As Corporate Secretary, Clayton will ensure the integrity of IATAs governance framework, including management of the Associations Board of Governors and its various committees. The IATA Board of Governors is elected by the Associations 290-strong membership and consists of CEOs from 31 airlines and IATAs Director General and CEO.

As a member of IATAs Strategic Leadership Team, Karen will also support the Director General and CEO with advice and input on IATAs strategic plans and industry initiatives.



Karen will take over IATAs Corporate Secretary role from Paul Steele who is currently IATAs Corporate Secretary and Senior Vice President for Member and External Relations. When Karen joins IATA in April 2019, Steele will focus on strengthening IATAs advocacy activities in his continued role as Senior Vice President for Member and External Relations.

Karen brings with her a wealth of experience that will ensure the continued effective management of IATAs governance processes. Moreover, her industry expertise, leadership on diversity and inclusion, and strategic boardroom experience will contribute to IATAs overall success in fulfilling its mission to represent, lead and serve the global airline industry, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO.

In my time at Air New Zealand, I have experienced the importance of IATAs global standards in driving innovation and making international air connectivity possible. By joining the IATA team next year I look forward to contributing to the value that IATA creates and supporting the needs of its members, said Clayton.

A national of the United Kingdom, Karen holds a Law Degree from Sheffield University and a Diploma in Legal Practice from Exeter University. She was admitted as a Solicitor in England and Wales in 1999. After beginning her career in legal firms in the UK and Australia, Karen moved into corporate practice where she served as General Counsel and Company Secretary at National Grid Plc, then General Counsel at Mercury NZ Ltd, prior to joining Air New Zealand. Throughout her career, Karen has been a keen advocate of diversity and inclusion.

For more information, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Tel: +41 22 770 2967

Email: corpcomms@iata.org



Notes for Editors:
Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe make IUU shark fishing arrests

October 03,2018 | Source: Africa Times

Environmentalists with the Sea Shepherd organization say authorities from Sao Tome and Principe and Gabon worked with their marine conservationists to stop illegal shark fishing off the African coast.



The fishing vessel Vema, flagged in Senegal but linked to Spain, was licensed to catch tuna but when the boat was boarded for inspection, officers found primarily blue sharks instead. They are classified as near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).



Given how sensitive shark species are to over fishing, coupled with the fact that 15 percent of shark species in the Atlantic are now endangered, it is alarming that industrial fishing vessels, many from Europe, continue to massacre sharks under the guise of tuna licenses, said Peter Hammarstedt, the Sea Shepherd director of campaigns against illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.



Marine conservationists say one clue was the kind of line used on the Vema, because filament lines reinforced with steel wire are common for sharks rather than tuna. Approximately two tons of sharks  including severed fins  were discovered. Sea Shepherd suspects it would have been more if the Vema had not first been to Walvis Bay in Namibia, a port commonly used for offloading shark fins.

 Africa Times

Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods.
US, Russia, China, others to sign agreement preventing illegal fishing in Arctic

by Steve Bittenbender

October 03,2018 | Source: SeafoodSource

The United States is set to join nine other countries and organizations in a first-of-its kind agreement to protect Arctic Ocean waters from commercial fishing.



The pact, scheduled to be signed Wednesday, 3 October in Ilslissat, Greenland, comes after two years of negotiations between countries with coastlines on the Arctic as well as other major fishing powers. Those nations concluded talks last November.



The agreement comes as polar melting has reduced the Arctic ice cap and open new areas in the central part of the ocean for vessels. That means commercial fishing may be viable in those areas.



However, nine years ago, the U.S. closed its exclusive economic zone in the Arctic off the northern Alaskan coast to commercial fishing operations until government officials learned more about the regions ecosystem. Alaska fishermen have expressed fears that the melting could lead to foreign vessels fishing in U.S. waters.



In a statement released 1 October, the U.S. State Department said the Greenland agreement cuts down chances of illegal fishing taking place in U.S. waters currently off limits to American fishermen.



Under terms of the agreement, the participating nations must create plan to study the Arctics ecosystem and not just for fishing purposes.



Michael Byers, an international law professor at the University of British Columbia, praised the countries for their forward thinking on the matter in a Canadian Press article.



"Governments usually don't devote any diplomatic effort to anything other than an immediate crisis, Byers said. To actually anticipate a problem and bring countries together and come up with a system that is science-based is a model of what international diplomacy should do."



William Gibbons-Fly, the State Departments acting deputy assistant secretary for oceans and fisheries, will lead the U.S. delegation and sign the accord. Other countries scheduled to sign include Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia, China, Iceland, South Korea, Japan, and the European Union. It still must be ratified by the nations governments in order for it to take effect.

 2018 Diversified Communications

Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods.
Why the UK wants to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030

by Priya Shukla

October 03,2018 | Source: Forbes

Although the world's oceans make up nearly 75% of the planet's surface and provide 97% of the its habitable area, not even 4% of the ocean is protected by governmentally sanctioned marine protected areas (MPAs) *. While the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity has set a global goal of protecting 10% of coastal areas by 2020, the United Kingdom's Environment Minister, Therese Coffey, recently called for 30% of the world's oceans to be protected by the year 2030.



MPAs have been shown to maintain biodiversity by serving as a sanctuary for endangered species as well as immature sea life not yet eligible for commercial fishing. They can also preclude destructive human activities (such as bottom trawling), allowing ecosystems to recover. Many animals are able to safely grow and reproduce within MPAs that forbid human activities, which can increase the amount and size of fish caught in fishing areas adjacent to the MPA. It has also been suggested that MPAs can enhance resilience to environmental change (like pollution and warming). Ultimately, these protections support local communities that rely on healthy fisheries and ecosystems for their cultural practices, economies, and livelihoods.



Nearly 15% of the global population depends on seafood for protein, and according to professor of marine conservation, Dr. Callum Roberts, "protecting more ocean boosts prospects for fisheries. If you stop fishing an area, the fish quickly become bigger and more abundant, producing many times more offspring. These eggs and young fish spill into fishing grounds and increase catches. This means that by fishing less, in time it is actually possible to catch more fish, at less expense from more prolific stocks."

 Forbes LLC

Theme(s): Fisheries Resources.
The Provincial Sister of the Community of the Sisters of the Church in the Solomon Islands, the Revd Sister Veronica CSC, recaps a recent retreat for women on the front line for reconciliation and restoration.

Abraham said, My lord, if I find favour with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on Genesis 18: 3-5.

One of the most important ministries of the Sisters of the Church is offering accommodation and hospitality to many seeking retreat, solitude and silence. The world we live in is fragmented, busy and noisy. The internet and mobile phones control many lives. Although they connect us to our networks, families and friends at a great distance, they also add more stress to many lives.

Tetete Ni Kolivuti (TNK) is a place where people come to find peace and creative / positive solutions to their challenges. This year has been very demanding for us  various groups from different denominations, government groups as well as non- government organisations.

From 9  14 September, we had the honour to host the Women on the Front Line programme. Mrs Caroline Welby, Mrs Jane Namurye, Mrs Karen Lewis and Canon Sarah Snyder from Lambeth Palace facilitated this programme for the bishops spouses, the Mothers Union and the female Religious Communities in Melanesia. Mrs Welby and her team were invited by His Grace, Archbishop George Takeli of the Anglican Church of Melanesia. It was the first time in our history that such a distinguished team has come to the Solomon Islands.

The programme started with a retreat for the bishops spouses from Sunday evening until Wednesday midday. They found the new approach to retreat refreshing and rewarding for them. Each day began with a Meditation, Morning Prayer at 6 am and Holy Communion. The programme was centred on prayer and reflection and so each day followed the offices of the Community.

On Wednesday 12 September at 2.30 pm, Archbishop George Takeli came to give his keynote address to the whole group. The other women had joined them after lunch. The workshop started after the Archbishops address. He had stressed the role of the women at the front line in our society. The Solomon Islands have a very high percentage of domestic violence and women play a key role in bringing reconciliation and restoration to victims in our homes and communities.
Posted on: October 4, 2018 6:39 PM

[Episcopal News Service, by David Paulsen] With Judge Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the US Supreme Court potentially on track for a final vote in the Senate as soon as this weekend, some leaders of the US-based Episcopal Church are adding their voices to the ecumenical response to Kavanaughs hearings and the sexual assault allegations against the judge. The National Council of Churches, of which the Episcopal Church is a member, issued a statement on Wednesday (3 October) calling on President Donald Trump to withdraw Kavanaughs nomination because of his testimony during the hearings and his judicial record.

Judge Kavanaugh exhibited extreme partisan bias and disrespect towards certain members of the committee and thereby demonstrated that he possesses neither the temperament nor the character essential for a member of the highest court in our nation, the Council of Churches said.

The statement referred to testimony on 27 September in which Kavanaugh vehemently denied allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford, the psychology professor who had testified earlier in the day that Kavanaugh had pinned her down and tried to remove her clothes at a house party when he was 17 and she was 15. Kavanaugh, now 53, called this and other allegations a calculated and orchestrated political hit by Democrats.

The Council of Churches also raised concerns about several misstatements and some outright falsehoods in Kavanaughs testimony. Moreover, Judge Kavanaughs extensive judicial and political record is troubling with regard to issues of voting rights, racial and gender justice, health care, the rights of people with disabilities, and environmental protections.

Diocese of Washington Bishop Mariann Budde issued her own statement about the hearings on Tuesday (2 October), highlighting the regrettable prevalence of sexual assault and offering pastoral support for victims.

Dr Christine Blasey Fords testimony last week opened another floodgate of memories for women and men who have experienced sexual trauma, Budde said. Many now feel emboldened to tell of their experiences, and thank God for that. Others do not because they know its not safe.

Budde also referred to the Episcopal Churchs efforts to atone for its past failures to protect victims of harassment, exploitation and abuse, including those within the church. The churchs efforts have coincided with the rise of the #MeToo movement, in which women have gone public with their own stories of harassment, assault and sexual misconduct, including by prominent men.

The House of Bishops held a Liturgy of Listening in Austin, Texas, on 4 July during the 79th General Convention to share stories from victims of sexual misconduct perpetrated by someone in the church, chosen from 40 stories submitted in response to the bishops request for reflections.

Added to their trauma was shame, Budde said this week, for they were both violated and left to feel somehow at fault for what had happened to them.

Kavanaugh, a federal Court of Appeals judge, had appeared headed for easy confirmation in the Republican-controlled Senate, with supporters describing him as one of the most qualified nominees to be picked for the nations highest court. The allegations made by Blasey Ford threw the confirmation into question, with two more women coming forward to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when he was young. Kavanaugh denied all the allegations.

Republicans need to be nearly unified in the Senate to approve Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. After pressure from Democrats and one key Republican, Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, Senate Republicans asked for a supplementary FBI investigation into the allegations against the judge. The report from that investigation was completed and submitted to the Senate today (4 October), setting up a procedural vote tomorrow (Friday). A final vote could come in a matter of days.

It wasnt yet clear what evidence, if any, the FBI may have found. Weve seen no additional corroborating information, Flake told reporters today.

I believe Dr Christine Blasey Ford, Budde said. I also believe that Judge Kavanaugh, like anyone who stands accused, deserves a fair process in response to such allegations. Regardless of whether Judge Kavanaughs appointment is ultimately confirmed, I am certain that the country will look back on these past weeks as a watershed moment. We will long remember the time when survivors like Dr Christine Blasey Ford and others inspired by her bravery resolved to speak of their abuse and hold the perpetrators of sexual violence accountable.

Delaware Bishop Kevin Brown also released a statement on Wednesday offering support for victims of sexual assault.

All of this very public conversation has heightened our awareness around sexual assault and it has led us into a time of much needed and long overdue debate and conversation about sexual assault in our country, Brown said. For many of us, the conversation is about someone else, but for many of us, this is not an abstraction. This is a reality. The percentage of Americans touched by sexual assault is stunningly high.

Some Episcopal congregations have responded to this heightened awareness by planning worship and other outreach to offer comfort for victims and those who support them.

All Saints Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia, scheduled a Service of Lament and Remembrance at 7 pm EDT (11 pm GMT) today (Thursday) to offer a shared space for those who have been particularly affected in a personal way by the events of the last week in Washington during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, the Rector, Simon Mainwaring, said in an online announcement.

We recognise that these are pain-filled memories that we are seeking to tend to, yet we believe that as a community that knows how to love one another well we can draw strength from one another, Mainwaring said.

Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is preparing a video response for sexual assault survivors, with the message our doors are open. The congregation hopes to release the video in the next day or two.

Last week, the hearings also sparked a more pointed response from hundreds of female Episcopal clergy members, who objected to quotes in a 17 September New York Times story by former US Senator John Danforth, a priest in the US-based Episcopal Church, expressing sympathy for Kavanaugh.

I just feel so terribly sorry for Kavanaugh and what hes going through, Danforth, a Missouri Republican, told the Times. Heres a man whos had just a marvellous reputation as a human being and now its just being trashed. I felt the same way about Clarence. Danforth was a senator during the 1991 confirmation hearings of Justice Clarence Thomas, who faced sexual harassment allegations from law professor Anita Hill.

No one, not least a priest of the church, should publicly shame, blame or question the motives of women who step forward to report instances of sexual abuse, the letter to the New York Times says. It was submitted by a Missouri priest with 327 additional names attached.

Those in ordained ministry are called to display Christs love for both accuser and accused, fulfilling the baptismal promise to strive for justice and peace and to respect the dignity of every human being.

Danforth shot back in an email to the Episcopal News Service, saying the letters characterisations bear no resemblance to anything I have ever said or thought. He added: I believe that both the accused and the accuser should be heard.
LUXEMBOURG  Dr Fatih Birol, the International Energy Agencys executive director, met with Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank, to discuss areas of mutual interest and cooperation.

Talking with Mr Hoyer and Andrew McDowell, the banks vice president responsible for energy, Dr Birol shared the IEAs strategy and vision to create a clean energy hub and open the doors of the agency to emerging countries. They discussed holding an international meeting in Paris of all relevant International Financial Institutions to focus on best practices to finance clean energies, with a focus on energy efficiency.

After the meeting, Dr Birol held a presentation on global energy market and investment trends to about 80 EIB staff and external guests, including Ambassadors in Luxembourg. Questions after the presentation touched on trends in climate emissions, the role of government policies in driving energy investment, prospects for innovative energy technologies and future role of IEA in the global energy debate, among others.

Dr Birol also had a bilateral meeting with Mr Claude Turmes, Secretary of State for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure. He spoke about the IEAs work as a growing clean-energy hub and invited Mr Turmes to the IEAs forthcoming Global Energy Efficiency Conference, on 25-26 October.

Mr Turmes expressed support for the IEAs work and the new Clean Energy Transitions Programme, particularly focusing on its projects on energy efficiency and transportation. The visit comes ahead of the IEAs next in-depth report on Luxembourgs energy policies, which will be published in 2019.

Dr Birol meeting with Mr Turmes.
Imperial Valley News Center

Ag Barometer drops to lowest level in two years as farm financial conditions worsen

Chicago, Illinois - Agricultural producer sentiment dropped to its lowest level since October 2016 as producers expressed concern over worsening farm financial conditions, according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer reading. The September barometer reading was 114, down 15 points since August. The barometer is based on a monthly survey of 400 agricultural producers from across the country.

Large declines were also seen in the barometers two sub-indices, the Index of Future Expectations, which fell 10 points, and the Index of Current Conditions, which fell 25 points, both compared to their respective August readings.

The barometer readings have been unusually volatile over the past few months, said James Mintert, the barometers principal investigator and director of Purdue Universitys Center for Commercial Agriculture. Concerns about the ongoing impact of trade conflicts, and especially Chinas tariffs on imports of U.S. ag products, continue to reverberate throughout the U.S. agricultural sector.

Producers indicated that financial conditions on their farms deteriorated significantly as 2018 unfolded and their expectations for the future also weakened. In September, 54 percent of farmers surveyed said their farms financial condition was worse than a year earlier, up from 38 percent who felt that way in June. The September survey also indicated that 33 percent of producers expect their farms financial condition to be worse a year from now, up 15 points compared to responses received to the same question in June.

Trade conflicts and tariffs continue to be a source of angst among U.S. farmers. When asked whether they expect trade conflicts to lower their farms net income, more than 70 percent of producers surveyed said they expect lower income in 2018 because of trade disruptions with a large majority of respondents saying they expect an income decline of more than 10 percent.

The negative outlook was particularly noticeable when producers were asked whether now is a good time to make large investments in farm machinery and buildings for their farming operation and on next years farmland cash rental rates. In September, 78 percent of respondents said it was a bad time to make large investments and just 20 percent said it was a good time to invest, the lowest combined reading on large farm investments since the barometer launched in October 2015. Farmers also indicated that worsening farm financial conditions could weigh on farmland cash rental rates in 2019 as nearly two-thirds of farmers surveyed said they expect to see lower cash rental rates for farmland next year.

Read the full September Ag Economy Barometer report at

The Ag Economy Barometer, Index of Current Conditions and Index of Future Expectations are available on the Bloomberg Terminal under the following ticker symbols: AGECBARO, AGECCURC and AGECFTEX.
Imperial Valley News Center

Overseas and Military Voters Should Vote Now

Washington, DC - For U.S. voters living abroad or deployed with the military, receiving and sending back an official ballot can be a challenge to successfully voting absentee. In fact, a recent study conducted by the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) showed that the voting rate among overseas citizens in 2016 would have been over five times higher if these voters could register to vote and cast ballots as quickly and easily as voters living stateside.

From Oct. 1 to Oct. 8 during Absentee Voting Week, FVAP, U.S. military installations, embassies, consulates and overseas citizens groups will be reminding U.S. Service members, their families and overseas citizens to vote now  and helping them do so from anywhere in the world.

Fortunately, Congress provides these voters with special protections. Most registered overseas and military Service members who requested an absentee ballot should have received it by now, as election offices nationwide were required to send these voters their absentee ballots by Sept. 22. Those who do not receive their ballot in time to return it by their states deadline have the option of using a special backup ballot, the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB), available at FVAP.gov.

Absentee voters should check their state voting deadlines, follow all ballot instructions and send back their ballot in plenty of time for it to arrive, FVAP Director David Beirne said. We encourage military and overseas voters to use the backup ballot at FVAP.gov if they are concerned about missing their states voting deadline.

FVAP offers an interactive online tool that helps voters fill out their backup ballot. The tool saves time and improves accuracy by using the voters registration address to list all candidates for federal offices for that jurisdiction. Without the tool, voters must determine which candidates are running in their district and then manually write in the names. After filling out the backup ballot, voters must print, sign and send it to their election office. Voters who end up receiving an official ballot after sending in a backup ballot should still fill it out and send it back, as well. States will ensure only one ballot is counted per voter.

For voters who are just starting to think about the election, there is still time to register in many states. Voters can visit FVAP.gov for their states specific voter registration, ballot request and ballot submission deadlines.

The voting rights of 3 million U.S. citizens living overseas, as well as Service members and their eligible family members, are protected by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). FVAP provides comprehensive information about overseas citizens here: https://www.fvap.gov/info/reports-surveys/overseas-citizen-population-analysis. Information on the approximately 95 percent of U.S. military members who are eligible to vote absentee through the UOCAVA process (they are stationed away from their voting residence and polling place) is available here: https://www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/Reports/PEVS_ADM_TechReport_Final.pdf,

For additional information, visit FVAP.gov, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 1-800-438-VOTE (8683)
Imperial Valley News Center

How Google and Facebook Manipulate Users to Circumvent GDPR

Washington, DC - The illusion of choice presented by Google and Facebook amounts to an ultimatum. Having gone nearly a month and a half since the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation went into effect, its now become clear how tech giants like Facebook and Google are handling the new guidelines. Currently, lawsuits by Austrian privacy advocate Max Schrems and a report by the Norwegian Consumer Agency are spelling out the ways the two tech giants are manipulating their users to get around the rule.

Schrems has filed four lawsuits, totaling $8.8 billion dollars against Facebook and Google, that claim a number of abuses related to data minimization and take-it-or-leave-it privacy policies. Meanwhile, Deceived by Design is the name of the report that the Norwegian Consumer Agency or Forbrukertilsynet (good luck with that pronunciation) put together. Its 44 pages go in-depth to cover the ways that Facebook and Google in particular are using deceptive settings and dark patterns to work around the GDPR.

Now, before we hash this out lets take a second to examine the why? part of the question before we get to the how?

Why would Google and Facebook want to get around GDPR?

Lets start with what Google and Facebook actually are. They are ad networks masquerading as a search engine and a social media platform respectively. You can test this just by looking at the breakdown of revenues, neither company is making much money off the activity it serves up as its primary function. Theyre making money selling ads. Google had around $80,000,000,000 in ad revenue in 2016. Facebook is a distant second in market share, but together the two companies account for 56.8% of US digital advertising. The duo are 1-2 worldwide, as well.

The reason that Google and Facebook can make such a killing selling ads is that they have collected enough user data to accurately target ads to the right people. (For the sake of specificity, when I refer to Google and Facebook I am also referring to brands that fall under one of their umbrellas like Instagram and YouTube, also.)

You can actually see how much data these companies have compiled on you if you really want to, but failing that, think about it this way: they have likely saved everything you have ever typed, clicked, hovered over, paused on or navigated to  everything  from the time youve started using that service. Oftentimes they even know what website you went to when you left.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal started to pull back the curtain on whats really going on with Facebooks data collection policies, but it wasnt a full reveal. And by all accounts, Googles data collection practices are even more involved.

So why would Google and Facebook regard GDPR in an almost adversarial way? Well, almost none of what these two companies do to collect user data is going to fly anymore. Well get to the specifics in a moment, but from a high level perspective the GDPR makes it harder for Google and Facebook to accomplish their primary business objective, which is to sell targeted ads. After all, its all that data that makes Facebook and Google a practical duopoly in the ad market.

Think about it, pretty much everyone uses Google and Facebook. Try pulling up Bing the next time someone asks you to search for something. Seriously, try it. Google and Facebook are so ubiquitous that in many cases they arent just on our smartphones, they are the undergirding for the smart phone itself. They collect from millions of data points on millions of people.

Even on people that dont use their services.

Plenty of people like to get snarky and say, oh well thats why I dont use Facebook.

Guess what, neither do either of my parents but if I go to upload a family photograph Facebook instantly recognizes them both, as well as my 3 year-old son, who incidentally is also not on Facebook. Many critics call these shadow profiles. Facebook avoids using that term but does admit to the practice of tracking non-users. Google does this, too.

The bottom line is that Facebook and Google have achieved their place atop the ad market by perfecting data collection to the point where anyone, with anything to sell, can find someone who will buy it using the duopolys ad targeting.

GDPR threatens to upend all of that.

Deceived by Design

Lets get back to the report from the Norwegian Consumer Agency, or Forbrukertilsynet, ominously titled Deceived by Design. The report was limited in scope to looking at the settings and user interface (UI) provided by Google, Facebook and Windows 10. It specifically highlights the ways in which they are designed to funnel users towards the desired configuration  one that is not privacy-centered.

The findings include privacy intrusive default settings, misleading wording, giving users an illusion of control, hiding away privacy-friendly choices, take-it-or-leave-it choices, and choice architectures where choosing the privacy-friendly option requires more effort for the users.

The idea behind the GDPR is to give individual users control over their personal data. This includes notifying users when data is being collected, telling them what the data will be used for and sometimes even making the data portable or deletable. None of these things mesh with Google or Facebooks MO.

The Forbrukertilsynet report lays out a couple of pyschological tricks that UI can play on users to help nudge them in the intended direction. In fact, nudging is one of the terms it takes the time to spell out. Nudging can be used exploitatively to achieve an intended result. Examples are obscuring the full price of a product, using confusing language or even designing counter-intuitively to buck expectations.

When its done deliberately to mislead, its sometimes known as dark patterns.

features of interface design crafted to trick users into doing things that they might not want to do, but which benefit the business in question.

This is especially problematic when companies like Google and Facebook do it because users generally trust those services. Its not unlike how Googles security connection UI, which marked HTTPS websites as Secure, has had the unintended consequence of helping criminals phish its users.

[I]f users trust the service provider, many will assume that the service provider knows what is best for the user. This, or a suspicion that tampering with default settings might remove important functionality, may affect the tendency to leave default settings alone.

The report examines dozens of examples from all three companies, paying special attention to the way they may guide or in some cases even mislead users into selecting the optimal setting for the platform  not for their own privacy.

Among the things it found:

Privacy-friendly choices that are hidden from users

Intrusive default settings that require long, involved processes in order to change them to more privacy-friendly ones

Privacy settings being entirely obscured

Pop-ups that pressure users to make a decision while omitting key information

No option to postpone some privacy decisions

Threats of losing functionality or an entire account if certain options arent chosen

In other cases, the illusion of control was given when, in reality, very little exists on the user-side.

Facebook gives the user an impression of control over use of third party data to show ads, while it turns out that the control is much more limited than it initially appears And Googles privacy dashboard promises to let the user easily delete data, but the dashboard turns out to be difficult to navigate, more resembling a maze than a tool for user control.

Five Kinds of Dark Patterns

The Norwegian Consumer Agency highlighted five different categories of Dark Patterns that were present during its research:

Default Settings

Ease

Framing

Rewards & Punishment

Forced Actions

To create a baseline to judge against, the Forbrukertilsynet ran a pilot analysis in March/April of 2018, then ran the same analysis following the GDPR deadline. It used personal accounts and dummy accounts and analyzed Google and Facebook properties in both their desktop and mobile forms. While we arent going to get into every example laid out in the report (though you can yourself), we will take an overview of each category.

Default Settings

The vast majority of people never change their default settings. In fact, a study conducted by Jared Spool of User Interface Engineering found that less than 5% of users change their settings at all. This can be exploited to such a degree that the GDPR  a document that is rarely credited for its specificity  made it a point to discuss default settings in Article 25:

The controller shall implement appropriate technical and organisational measures for ensuring that, by default, only personal data which are necessary for each specific purpose of the processing are processed. That obligation applies to the amount of personal data collected, the extent of their processing, the period of their storage and their accessibility. In particular, such measures shall ensure that by default personal data are not made accessible without the individuals intervention to an indefinite number of natural persons.

The way the GDPR is written, it wants these companies to ask for consent before sharing your data with third parties and targeting ads at you. Facebook and Google clearly ignored that.

For example, Facebook presents users with a three-part GDPR pop-up that invites them to manage their data settings in order to adjust targeted advertising settings. The way this pop-up is designed routes a user to just click accept and continue, which leaves the setting on by default, rather than navigate to a separate screen to manually adjust their settings.

Google acquits itself a little better on this one, The user still has to actively go into the settings to disable ad personalization and the sharing of web and app activity. But, settings that store location history, device information and voice and audio activity are disabled by default.

Facebook and Google both have default settings preselected to the least privacy-friendly options Additionally, both services hide away or obscure pre-selected settings so that users who simply click through the agree or Accept buttons will never see the settings

Both are also accused of using deceptive wording that helps obscure what clicking accept actually means. Well discuss this a bit later.

Ease of Use

Both Facebook and Google have designed their platforms to default to the most advantageous settings for them  not the user. The complement to this design decision comes in the form of creating an easier path for the desired results than their more privacy-friendly counterparts. Ease of use is kind of a broad category, but it relates to things like creating some designs that are more intuitive than others or using psychologically pleasing colors to help guide the user.

That may sound kind of silly on its face, but consider the fact Google once tested 41 different shades of blue to determine which received the best user responses and it becomes clear that these seemingly inane design choices have been highly researched and refined.

Lets go back to the Facebook example from the last section. Look at how its designed.

Users who wanted to limit the data Facebook collects and how they use it, had to first click a grey box labelled Manage Data Settings, where they were led through a long series of clicks in order to turn off Ads based on data from partners and the use of face recognition technologies. This path was, in other words, considerably longer.

Google isnt much better, constructing a similar pop-up that uses a fully-colored blue button to invite users to click through and accept the defaults, while the alternative required clicking through a number of submenus, some of which required the user to leave the popup and move into Googles privacy dashboard.

One of the key principles of designing a good user experience, a golden rule if you will, is never to interrupt said user experience. Ergo, creating privacy settings that redirect the user or somehow break the experience, is a great way to make sure that users ignore those options.

Framing (Word Choice)

For as long as marketing has been a human concept, much attention has been paid to the wording thats used. In some mediums, its all that matters. Google and Facebook are keenly aware of this and its obvious in the ways that both focus on the positive aspects of their preferred choices while glossing over any negative consequences, in an effort to get users to comply with what they want.

Lets talk about facial recognition because it servers as a good microcosm for the somewhat cavalier way these two tech giants are skirting GDPR compliance.

In 2012, Facebooks facial recognition technology was disabled in Europe over data protection issues. It was rolled out again in May in conjunction with the GDPR. Now, facial recognition technology deals in biometric data, which is classified as a special category of personal data under the GDPR and requires specific consent from users. Heres how Facebook framed it:

Upon clicking through the Facebook GDPR popup, users were asked whether they consent to the use of facial recognition technologies. The technology is, according to the popup, used for purposes such as help protect you from strangers using your photo and tell people with visual impairments whos in a photo or video. The next screen informed the user if you keep face recognition turned off, we wont be able to use this technology if a stranger uses your photo to impersonate you. If someone uses a screen reader, they wont be told when youre in a photo unless youre tagged. This framing and wording nudged users towards a choice by presenting the alternative as ethically questionable or risky.

This isnt a complete argument about the pros and cons of facial recognition. It doesnt explain all the ways Facebook will use the data (for instance, to construct shadow profiles). Only focusing on the positives while almost completely ignoring the negatives is guiding the user to take an intended action.

Google is very similar in the way it presents its personalized advertising. Heres an example of how its frames the decision to disable the ads:

All of the negative consequences of turning off ad personalization are presented here but you wont find any of the benefits, thats because Google clearly doesnt want it disabled.

Perhaps more troubling is the wording of, Youll no longer be able to block or mute some ads. What does that even mean? First of all, what constitutes some ads? How are we categorizing that? By quantity? Subject matter? How much the advertiser paid to display the ad? And not being able to block or mute could mean a couple of things. One perfectly reasonable interpretation would be that, if I disable this, I wont be able to stop the noise from loud auto-play ads spilling over the walls of my cubicle, so I better not.

You dont need to be a legal scholar to figure out this is not how GDPR was intended to be implemented. This is not in the spirit of GDPR and this is not really even all that ethical.

Rewards & Punishments

At the outset of this article we mentioned the lawsuits by Austrian privacy advocate Max Schrems, those dovetail nicely with this section. Schrems issue with both Google and Facebook is two-fold. For one, he believes both companies exceed the minimum required to perform their service. Article 5, section C of the GDPR states:

Personal Data Shall Be: adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which they are processed;

Clearly neither Google, nor Facebook is abiding by this. For instance, with Facebook youre agreeing to use a social media network, not be part of an ad targeting database. Facebook is exceeding its mandate.

Shrems told the Financial Times that, they totally know that its going to be a violation They dont even try to hide it.

The second part of Shrems issue with the two companies stems from the take-it-or-leave-it approach they are applying to users attempting to excercise their data rights. Here is an example from Facebook that illustrates the decision thats foisted on users perfectly:

Schrems characterizes the decision this way:

Facebook gave users the choice of deleting the account or pushing a button [to agree], that is blackmail, pure and simple.

Looking back to the previous Google example where it tells you that you wont be able to block or mute some ads, thats the same concept at play. Why is that a penalty? Those functions arent contingent upon ad personalization. This is just a penalty for the sake of nudging users towards the intended outcome.

There is a way to do this that isnt nakedly unethical. From the Norwegian Consumer Agency:

By contrast, at one point of the Windows 10 update, users were presented with a choice between sending basic or full diagnostic data to Microsoft. Both options included a disclaimer that regardless of whether you select Basic or Full, your device will be equally secure and operate normally.

Its worth noting that Microsoft has a much different scope than Google and Facebook, a much less ad-driven one, but its still worth contrasting the way three tech giants approached this.

Forced Actions

At first blush the idea of a forced action may seem silly, but lets provide a little context. Say youre on the go and youre trying to use your phone for something, getting prompted to take an action or consent to something on the spot is going to a.) interrupt your experience and b.) potentially rush the decision so you can use your phone for what you originally pulled it out for.

This comes down to timing most times. When users first received the Facebook GDPR popup, they had two options. Either they could click Get started, or they could click the X in the corner to close the popup. Doing the latter resulted in another popup that stated, You need to finish reviewing these settings to continue using Facebook. This gives the impression that the user will be blocked from using Facebook until the settings have been reviewed.

Thats actually not even true, users can delay the decision by exiting the prompt, but for most users  who are just trying to post a selfie or upload a snarky status  it creates a situation where the only obvious choice appears to be just consenting and continuing on to the app.

Thats actually not even the most disengenuous thing Facebook does, not by a long shot. Heres the prompt that desktop users were given:

In addition to presenting this prompt as if there is no delaying and a decision must be made right now, Facebook also makes it seem like there are notifications being obscured by the prompt the idea being you need to review these settings before you can see them.

Those notifications are fake.

Thats downright duplicitous. The ethics of some of the earlier examples can be defended a bit. This is not a defensible practice. It amounts to outright misrepresentation and manipulation. And while the Norwegian report may be somewhat agnostic about whether this was intentional, this is the same company that was, until this year, selling targeted ads to holocaust deniers and ethnonationalists. Lets not pretend like this is something it would suddenly be scrupulous about.

Google is not nearly as ethically bankrupt as Facebook, but does engage in similar practices, heres an example of desktop notification:

This is a bit friendlier, but still requires a user to take an action before continuing to use the service, essentially forcing the action then and there.

Will the EU penalize Google and Facebook?

Undoubtedly. The European Union has already shown a willingness to fine Google billions of dollars, and Facebook is hardly winning its PR campaign or any of the benefit of the doubt that would have come with it.

The bigger question is whether these companies will care? While a $2.7 billion dollar fine, as Google was recently slapped with, would be a potentially fatal crisis for most companies, Facebook, Google and others of their ilk may simply be too big to truly regulate at this point. The way that the GDPRs fines are set up benefit bigger companies. That affords those companies more leeway to test the regulations.

Regardless of what will happen in reality though, its clear that neither of these two companies are acting in the spirit of the GDPR. Its also fair to argue that neither Google, nor Facebook really give a damn about user privacy. They might if users concerns over their privacy drove a mass exodus from their platforms and affected their bottom line, but that looks unlikely. They are just too ubiquitous at this point.

The presumption might be that you can trust Google and Facebook to protect your data and your privacy. But by all indications, that could prove to be naive. Its up to each and every one of us to pay attention to our settings and try to manage our privacy as best we can. Because nobody else is going to do it for us.

And who knows, maybe at the end of the day most people will decide that its all just too much to worry about and click through theyll just opt for the path of least resistence and keep using their services.

That definitely seems like thats what Google and Facebook are hoping for.
Imperial Valley News Center

USDA Updates Foodkeeper App to Include New Food Items

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced new updates to its popular FoodKeeper application that will provide users with a larger selection of foods and beverages, and their storage information. This update adds 85 new food items to the FoodKeeper app, including chorizo, prosciutto, edamame, fresh salsa, canned tuna, cereal bars, and salad dressings.

The FoodKeeper app, educates users about food safety with guidance on the safe handling, preparation and storage of foods. The app also helps reduce food waste by showing users how long foods may last in the refrigerator, freezer or pantry, and allowing consumers to place reminders on their smartphone calendar, to use these items before they may spoil.

The FoodKeeper app is one way USDA is utilizing technological advances to better improve public health. It offers specific storage timelines for various products including meat, poultry, produce, seafood, dairy products and eggs, and more. With the app, users can:

Access cooking tips, safe food handling information and cooking temperatures for various types of meat, poultry and seafood products.

Add products to their devices calendar and receive notifications when they are nearing the end of their recommended storage date.

Receive information on food safety recalls.

Search food and beverages in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

This new update comes as USDA wraps up its observation of Food Safety Education Month, which occurs every September. Since the FoodKeeper was launched in April 2015, it has been downloaded nearly 182,000 times. The app offers information on more than 650 food and beverage items, and it has an Add Item feature that allows consumers to suggest items that may not be in the app. The suggestions are reviewed and researched for future updates.

The app is available for Android and Apple devices. For those who do not have access to a smartphone, the FoodKeeper app can also be accessed at FoodSafety.gov/FoodKeeper. Storage times listed are intended as useful guidelines and are not hard-and-fast rules. Some foods may deteriorate more quickly while others may last longer than the times suggested.
Secretary Ross celebrates the progress of the Farm to Fork movement

Sacramento, California - When 70,000 people showed up last weekend to celebrate Farm to Fork at an annual festival in Sacramento, it was an opportunity for Farm to Table Talk podcast host Mark Wasson to sit down with three pioneering leaders of Farm to Fork: California Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross; Chef and Owner of Mulvaneys B & L Patrick Mulvaney; and Michael Dimock, President of Roots of Change.

The panel discussion carries on as thousand of city residents can be heard in the background enjoying the sights, sounds, tastes and presentations of a region that is proud to be the Farm to Fork Capital.

https://content.blubrry.com/farm_to_table_talk/Farm_To_Fork_Festival.mp3?_=2
Secretary of State Pompeo's Travel to Tokyo, Pyongyang, Seoul, and Beijing

Washington, DC - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo will travel to Tokyo, Japan; Pyongyang, DPRK; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and Beijing, China from October 6-8.

In Tokyo, October 6-7, the Secretary will meet with Prime Minister Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

In Pyongyang, October 7, the Secretary will meet with Chairman Kim Jong Un.

In Seoul, October 7-8, the Secretary will meet with President Moon Jae-in, and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha.

In Beijing, October 8, the Secretary will meet with his Chinese counterparts to discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues.

Throughout the Secretarys trip he will reiterate the Administrations continued focus on the final, fully verifiable, denuclearization of the DPRK, and longstanding commitment to our alliances and partnerships in the region.
Germany National Day

Washington, DC - Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo: "On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Germany as you celebrate the Day of German Unity on October 3.

"Germany is one of the United States closest allies and an indispensable leader in Europe. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, we remember the significance of that event not only for German reunification but also for democracy and freedom across the globe. On this day we celebrate the spirit of unity and Germanys place as a beacon of light for a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace.

"German culture and traditions are indelible aspects of the American experience. More than 45 million Americans claim German ancestry. Our shared values, deep people-to-people ties, and common interest in creating a prosperous and secure world underpin the solid foundations of our relationship.

"As you gather in Berlin and across Germany on this 28th anniversary of German reunification, I wish you continued prosperity and thank you for your contributions to the unbreakable U.S.-German relationship. We truly are Wunderbar Together."
Secretary of State Pompeo's Meeting With Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi

Washington, DC - Secretary Pompeo met Tuesday with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, following up on their September 5 discussions in Islamabad on a range of bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. Welcoming the Foreign Minister, Secretary Pompeo said the United States looked forward to working with Pakistans new government.

Secretary Pompeo discussed the importance of the United States and Pakistan working together to advance joint priorities, recognizing that bilateral cooperation was mutually beneficial and a factor for stability in South Asia. Secretary Pompeo underscored a common goal to advance peace and security in the broader region. In particular, Secretary Pompeo emphasized the important role Pakistan could play in bringing about a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan. The Secretary agreed that there was momentum to advance the Afghan peace process, and that the Afghan Taliban should seize the opportunity for dialogue.

Secretary Pompeo and the Foreign Minister agreed to remain engaged on these and other issues, and reiterated their desire to maintain constructive dialogue to advance shared interests.
Editor's note: This article is part of a series that looks at the impact of Shark Tank on the entrepreneurs and businesses that have appeared on the show.

Jason Woods went on Shark Tank in 2013, full of hope as he pitched his invention the Kymera Body Board, an electric version of a boogie board. He asked the Sharks for $250,000 in exchange for a 20 percent stake in his company.

It did not go well.

Angered that Woods hadn't yet sold any boards, Mark Cuban told Woods he was "full of crap," Woods says. Not to be outdone, Daymond John proclaimed that Woods's presentation was the "worst pitch" he'd ever seen.

A crushing blow? Definitely, Woods says. Before he went on the show, his product was praised by friends, family, and fans. Then, reality hit.

What Woods couldn't foresee, as he trudged dejectedly off the set, was that a rather unexpected turnabout awaited him. Within just one week after his episode aired, Woods had received 12 offers from other investors--all of whom, he says, watched him on the show and wanted to help.

"If you have a good idea and the whole thing goes sideways, and they tell you, 'You're terrible,'" on-air, he says, "that's the best thing to happen."

"I was completely inundated," he continues. "There's definitely a Shark Tank effect."

In the end, the deal he sought from the Sharks came to fruition, thanks to eight investors. Woods says he also found a strategic partner, who helped him get distribution and offered useful ideas for how to structure the business. Woods has sold $2.2 million worth of products since then, but declined to share revenue figures.

His experience isn't that unusual. Several Shark Tank entrepreneurs who didn't get deals on the show--some of whom, like Woods, were hooted off the set in spectacular fashion--nonetheless quickly received funding from investors who watch the show hunting for deals.

When Michael Elliot appeared on Shark Tank, seeking a $200,000 investment in his men's grooming startup, Kevin O'Leary told him, "It will never happen." But shortly after his episode aired in September 2014, he received a flood of emails from viewers asking if they could give him the funding he didn't get from the Sharks.

"It wouldn't have helped me to have a Shark that didn't believe in me or the business," says Elliot, the founder of Hammer & Nails, a chain of salons designed specifically for men. "You want investors who truly believe in your business--and that's what I got."

Jon Staff and Pete Davis, co-founders of Getaway, a cabin rental business, went on Shark Tank asking for $500,000 for 5 percent of the company. They wanted to expand their Boston-based business nationwide, but the Sharks got hung up on the company's high valuation. After a grueling back-and-forth a placeholderStaff, Davis, among and guest Shark Chris Sacca, the entrepreneurs passed on a deal.

After the episode aired in January 2017, Staff got messages of support from viewers, including ones that said, "I hope you're OK," "Keep your chin up," and "I wish they weren't so mean to you." Investors also approached the co-founders, but they were already working toward closing a $15 million funding round with L Catterton, a private equity investor, and passed on taking any additional money.

Despite the critical reception from the judges, Staff says he has no regrets. After all, it meant that fans of the show connected with his business--and some wanted to get involved.

Woods agrees, and shares some simple advice.
Apple CEO Tim Cook took aim at the tech industry's privacy practices. In an interview yesterday with Vice News, he said, "The narrative that some companies will try to get you to believe is, 'I've got to take all your data to make my service better.' Well, don't believe that. Whoever's telling you that, it's a bunch of bunk."

Strong words, and a thinly veiled reference to such companies as Google and Facebook. When companies don't directly charge for their services, they'll make their money other ways. Have to. No business runs on good wishes.

But the depths of prying have increased, with a regular stream of new things companies do to track users and turn their data into something advertisers will pay for.

All that said, Apple has cultivated and established a reputation for concern over privacy. There's a privacy webpage that lists the steps the company takes to safeguard user information and what it refrains from doing.

And then there's the legal privacy policy page that lists the things Apple can and does do with your information. Reading it is enlightening.

The page, updated May 22, 2018, "covers how we collect, use, disclose, transfer, and store your personal information." The details are important.

The main one is the first definition: "Personal information is data that can be used to identify or contact a single person." Is information about a person, such as activities on a website, personal in the sense of being able to identify an individual? No, but it is associated with personal information to become useful.

As the website states early on:

You may be asked to provide your personal information anytime you are in contact with Apple or an Apple affiliated company. Apple and its affiliates may share this personal information with each other and use it consistent with this Privacy Policy. They may also combine it with other information to provide and improve our products, services, content, and advertising. You are not required to provide the personal information that we have requested, but, if you chose not to do so, in many cases we will not be able to provide you with our products or services or respond to any queries you may have.

Note that Google reportedly pays Apple $9 billion a year Google reportedly pays Apple $9 billion a year to remain Safari's default search engine. At the very least, there is a financial incentive for Apple to allow Google access to all the search information. And note that personal information can be combined with other information for a variety of purposes, including to "improve our products, services, content, and advertising."

By the way, that last point appears in the section "What personal information we collect" and not "How we use your personal information." Don't assume that everything is where you'd expect, just as if you were reading a business contract. One section can modify another.

Here is a partial list of "non-personal information" that Apple collects:

Occupation, language, ZIP code, area code, unique device identifier, the URL where your browser was previously, your location and time zone when you used the Apple product "so that we can better understand customer behavior and improve our products, services, and advertising."

Apple can "collect and store details of how you use our services, including search queries." Storing search queries is one of the more powerful forms of data that Google collects. The information doesn't include IP address, but other information, such as name and device ID, more than makes up for that.

Unless you explicitly enable "Limit Ad Tracking" on a device, Apple provides targeted ads based on the information it has collected, which sounds like other notable tech companies.

Here's the data stored in log files: "Internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type and language, internet service provider (ISP), referring and exit websites and applications, operating system, date/time stamp, and clickstream data." Clickstream data is the chain of links you use to get to a given website, thus a set of metadata that can help indicate interests and activities. As Apple notes, "We use this information to understand and analyze trends, to administer the site, to learn about user behavior on the site, to improve our products and services, and to gather demographic information about our user base as a whole. Apple may use this information in our marketing and advertising services."

Apple and its partners "may collect, use, and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device." They can use data from GPS, Bluetooth, your IP address, crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hot spot and cell tower locations, and other technologies to determine approximate location. "Unless you provide consent, this location data is collected anonymously in a form that does not personally identify you and is used by Apple and our partners and licensees to provide and improve location-based products and services." But maybe you have provided consent at some point and forgotten.

You can have access to your personal data online. But then, you also can with Google and Facebook.
Carol Reiley

Drive.ai

Self-driving cars need brains, and Reiley is building them. The Johns Hopkins computer science PhD, who has started three other companies, co-founded the Mountain View, California-based startup in 2015. "I felt like my mission in life was to create robots or smart machines that save lives," she says. "I realized that I could make a huge impact with self-driving cars." The company's software--which helps vehicles do everything from obey traffic laws to avoid potholes--can be installed in traditional cars to make them autonomous, and the firm partnered with Lyft on a proof of concept that will soon roll out in San Francisco. Through deals with local governments, it's already on the ground in Frisco, Texas, and Drive.ai will soon be launching a pilot in Arlington that gets people to and from the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium--making it one of the few autonomous car companies that's already earning revenue. Eventually, Reiley hopes to expand into other verticals, like logistics. "The self-driving industry could impact so many things," she says. "There's endless potential." --Kevin J. Ryan
The Essex Serpent, Sarah Perrys last book  which was a Sunday Times number one bestseller and Waterstones Book of the Year 2016  reads like a long lost fin-de-siecle Gothic classic. Melmoth, meanwhile, re-writes an early 19th-century Gothic classic for the modern age. Charles Maturins Melmoth the Wanderer (1820) told the story of a man trapped in peripatetic purgatory after trading his soul for 150 years of extra life.

In Perrys version of the story, she turns the titular figure into a woman: Melmoth the Witness, otherwise known as Melmotte or Melmotka, cursed to wander the earth without home or respite... always watching, always seeking out everything thats most distressing and most wicked, in a world which is surpassingly wicked, and full of distress. As in Maturins original, stories nest within stories, and its by means of a collection of letters, diary entries, footnotes and endnotes that the whole is pieced together.

Perry begins her narrative in contemporary Prague, where 42-year-old Helen Franklin lives in exile, her lonely, pleasure-free life self-imposed penance for a terrible sin committed two decades previously. But from here, Perrys story unfurls back in time and across the globe  from 17th-century England, via Turkey during the Armenian genocide, and Czechoslovakia during World War II, to the sweat-soaked streets of Manila in the late 20th-century. Following so many different narrative threads certainly takes concentration, but Perry thoroughly inhabits each, sometimes almost to their detriment  I found myself longing to linger in certain settings for longer than the pages allowed.

The only constant is pain and torment; and where these are found, so too Melmoth dwells  often nothing more than a dark presence glimpsed out of the corner of someones eye, her black robes shimmering and shifting shape, bloody footprints marking the ground beneath her. The deep melancholy of Melmoth makes for a jarring juxtaposition with the lively exuberance of The Essex Serpent, but as Perry has explained elsewhere, its a book that was written, at least in part, while she herself was in excruciating physical pain. This explains how deeply shes scored the depths of human suffering on these pages I discovered then that pain could obliterate everything that made me human and reduce me to something lower than an animal, declares one character. I would have done anything to escape it.

Herein lies Melmoths truth. Despite appearances, its not a novel about the supernatural; the real monsters in Perrys tale are ordinary humans  a bureaucrat just doing his job; a young woman too scared to tell the truth; a boy besieged with anger and envy  human cruelty proves scarier than any spectre.

Expect a ghost story and youll be disappointed, but read Melmoth with an open mind and youll discover a haunting book that speaks to mankinds worst atrocities in the here and now. As Helens friend Karel Prazan declares: And if there is only us, we must do what Melmoth would do: see what must be seen  bear witness to what must not be forgotten.

Melmoth by Sarah Perry is published by Serpents Tail, 16.99
Julia Roberts is the latest actor to be tempted over to television, playing the lead role in Mr Robot creator Sam Esmails upcoming new drama, Homecoming.

Given that scripted TV series have become far more respected in the past decade, one might consider this move overdue, but Ive never called myself a film actor, Roberts insists.

Im just an actor, so I think for me I go where the parts compel me, she told The Independent at an Amazon Prime Video launch in London on Tuesday.

(Amazon Prime Video)

Although the line between film and TV actor seems to be diminishing, Roberts suggested it never really existed.

I dont know a lot of creative people that would compartmentalise their places to be creative in that way, she continued. Were all just looking for that thing we think we can bring something of value to. Its not really the medium so much that is pursued, I dont think.

In Homecoming, she will play a caseworker named Heidi Bergman at a secret government facility where young military veterans are rehabilitated back into society.

I just was thinking about it in terms of the material, Roberts recalled of her attraction to the project, because thats what matters, it didnt matter whether it was going to be on stage or screen or television.

Key cast and crew from shows including 'Homecoming', 'The Marvelous Mrs Maisel' and 'Good Omens' at the Prime Video launch (Amazon)

Sam just had such great ideas for the visual style of it and really taking things to the next level, so thats really what I said yes to.

With scripted television, the budget per scene tends to be significantly smaller than it is for film, and yet Roberts was blown away by Homecomings production design like no movie before it.

Ive never come to work and walked onto a set and just thought wow, this is incredible, this is amazing, like that, she said.

You would just stand there and just marvel at what was there for us to play inside of  It was astounding.

Homecoming arrives on Amazon Prime Video on 2 November.
Commercial fishing will be banned in parts of the Arctic Ocean opened up by melting ice caps under a new deal to protect ecosystems.

Nine countries and the European Union will this week sign the agreement to prevent exploitation of a region covering 2.8 million sq km, roughly the size of the Mediterranean Sea, for 16 years or longer, if they agree. It will be the first time the area has had any legal protection.

Ships may now travel across parts of the ocean that used to be ice, as temperatures have risen.

When the polar sea ice reached its annual lowest point last month, the amount measured tied with 2008 and 2010 as the sixth-lowest sea ice minimum recorded in 40 years.

This summer, scientists warned that the breakup of the thickest ice in the Arctic would have a potentially catastrophic effect on polar bears and seals.

Scientists say that in recent decades increasing temperatures have led to significant decreases in both summer and winter sea ice, and predict that the declines will affect the planets weather patterns and the circulation of the oceans.

The Arctic is warming more than twice as fast as the global average David Balton

Commercial fishing does not take place there currently but large ships are starting to explore the area. Fishing fleets are likely to want to take advantage of stocks being driven there in search of cooler waters as seas warm, and stocks dwindle in traditional waters.

Countries involved in the deal  the US, China, Russia, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Canada, Japan and South Korea  plus the EU will meet in Greenland to sign the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean, following several years of talks.

At the same time the nations will also launch scientific monitoring of the ecosystem and may extend the ban in five-year increments depending on their findings.

David Balton, former US ambassador for oceans and fisheries, who helped negotiate the pact, said the monitoring would help determine when commercial fishing might be viable and how best to manage it.

The Arctic is special because it is warming faster than probably any other part of the planet, more than twice as fast as the global average. And this is bringing about profound change, Mr Balton told the the US-based Pew Charitable Trusts research group.

Lisa Murray's climate change photography Show all 12 1 /12 Lisa Murray's climate change photography Lisa Murray's climate change photography Dinka cattle herders starting their migration in South Sudan Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography A Dinka woman fetches water in South Sudan Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Veronica in South Sudan preparing tea outside her home, recently ravaged by heavy flooding Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Children playing in Vietnam. When it floods, transport to and from school is a major challenge Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Sugeng, a fish and crab farmer from Indonesia who suffers financially every time the area floods Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Tan, a vegetable farmer, learning new methods through Oxfam in Vietnam Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Maluk, a 19-year-old from Tonj South, South Sudan Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Normally this farmer in South Sudan would be harvesting sorghum, but rains are late so the hunger season continues Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Herders bringing home their cattle in Afar, Ethiopia Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Farmers harvesting chilli in Ethiopia Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography A woman in Tigray, Ethiopia, scares birds away from her crops with a slingshot Lisa Murray Lisa Murray's climate change photography Irula tribe woman in Tamil Nadu Lisa Murray

A principal objective of the joint programme is to determine how the ecosystems  and I use that word in plural, because there are probably more than one  in the central Arctic Ocean are changing

And those changes in the range and migration of fish stocks and other fauna moving up into the Arctic could affect the decision about when and how to launch commercial fisheries in the future.

Greenpeace is already battling moves by oil giants towards a new oil rush in the Arctic Ocean.
Diseases contributing to the global decline of bees could be beaten using a medicine created from mushrooms, according to new research.

Scientists found the fungal remedy caused a massive reduction in two strains of a virus carried by infestations of varroa mites, which began to devastate the UK's bee populations and those further afield in the 1950s, after it was spread by closely related Asian honeybees.

Since then, the mites have killed millions of honeybees around the world and are responsible, along with harmful pesticides, for the large-scale population extinctions that have been observed in recent years.

Beekeepers continue to struggle with the mites, which do not themselves kill bees but pass on viruses that shorten their lifespans.

To address this problem, US scientists found that colonies fed extracts from amadou and reishi fungi showed a 79-fold reduction in deformed wing virus and a 45,000-fold reduction in Lake Sinai virus.

Deformed wing virus shrivels bees wings on bees, while Lake Sinai virus has been found at higher levels in bees from collapsing colonies and is thought to weaken the insects.

"Our greatest hope is that these extracts have such an impact on viruses that they may help varroa mites become an annoyance for bees, rather than causing huge devastation, said Professor Steve Sheppard of Washington State University, who led the study, which was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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

"We're excited to see where this research leads us. Time is running out for bee populations and the safety and security of the world's food supply hinges on our ability to find means to improve pollinator health."

Professor Sheppard added that mites not only spread the disease but also apply additional stress to their immune systems and make them more susceptible to disease.

He said the scientists are unsure whether the extract is boosting the bees' immune system or actively fighting the viruses.

"We're working to figure that out, along with testing larger groups of colonies to develop best management practices and determine how much extract should be used and when to have the best impact, he said.

The findings came from a partnership with Washington-based business Fungi Perfecti, which has also investigated the antiviral properties of fungal extracts in human cells.

 Incredible footage shows Asian hornets ambushing honeybees

Founder Paul Stamets heard about the viruses harming bees and made contact with the researchers to investigate the effect of their products on colonies.

"After two years, we demonstrated that those anti-viral properties extend to honey bees, said Professor Sheppard.

The treated bee colonies in this experiment were fed an oral treatment of extracts in dozens of small bee colonies infested with varroa mites.

Though the treatment is easy to apply it is not yet available in levels for beekeepers to purchase for their hives.

"After we follow larger colonies for a full year, we can develop recommendations for how to use the extracts, said Professor Sheppard.

Mr Stamets added: "We are ramping up production of the extracts as rapidly as is feasible, given the hurdles we must overcome to deploy this on a wide scale."

Over the last decade, beekeepers have seen a disastrous decline in the health of honey bee colonies, often averaging over 30 per cent loss annually.

Besides viruses, many nations are turned their attention to the pesticides being applied to crops, many of which have turned out to be harmful to bees and other pollinators.

In April the European Union voted for a near-total ban on three major neonicotinoid chemicals, and other pesticides pegged as replacements such as sulfoxamine have also raised alarm bells after scientists identified disruptive effects on bee colonies.

Additional reporting by SWNS.
Despite the dramatic news coverage of oil spills and other big pollution disasters in our seas and oceans, most environmental pollution is caused by much smaller incidents that are often invisible, persistent, and far more difficult to track.

While animals and plants caught up in these disasters are easily identified as stressed or physically affected by the pollution, with smaller incidents organisms might look and behave perfectly normal. Only over time does the chronic exposure to low-level pollution take its toll.

By the time this becomes obvious, often it is too late to do anything to save a particular population, whose decline might have knock-on effects on the surrounding environment, often with socio-economic consequences.

So there is not only a moral responsibility to look after the environment, but also a strong financial incentive, because many jobs and livelihoods depend on a healthy environment and its ecosystems.

Biomarker tools

Biomarkers of exposure provide a tool to identify pollution events early on, often at levels that are not detectable by conventional methods. Loosely defined as measurable effects (endpoints) in organisms, providing evidence of exposure to pollutants, biomarkers lead to establishing the cause and giving the necessary data to inform any policy decisions that need to be taken.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

Such biomarkers exist in a number of biological areas. They can be purely biochemical, manifesting themselves as damages to DNA, alterations to the activity of enzymes involved in metabolism, structural damage to cells and their subsequent ability to perform properly, as well as more obvious pathological, reproductive or behavioural disorders. However, this requires intimate knowledge of the species and the relevant environmental variables, including how these may influence the respective biomarkers.

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports on climate change show that the upper 75 metres of the worlds oceans have been warming at a rate of 0.11C per decade since at least 1971 and the uptake of CO2 caused by human pollution has depressed pH (acidity level) by -0.0014 to -0.0024 per year, and is predicted to continue.

Effects of climate change

These changes are likely to affect biomarkers on three levels. First of all, commonly used organisms may no longer be available, as they migrate further north in search of cooler water. And they may then be replaced by invasive species from warmer waters that are not as sensitive to pollution and therefore not as useful as biomarker organisms. Changing migratory patterns may increase the transport of contaminants in the bodies of organisms in significant quantities to other, previously clean locations, in some cases even becoming more important than wind or water driven methods.

Second, the fate and behaviour of contaminants in the environment, particularly their persistence, their ability to be taken up by organisms and how they behave once absorbed, is strongly driven by environmental factors such as salinity, pH and temperature  and these are all subject to change under climate change scenarios. This means, organisms may be more or less susceptible to pollutants; the degree of change will depend on the specific pollutants and the organism species involved.

Last of all, organisms unable to migrate will experience increased stress owing to changes in temperature, salinity and pH which may mean they may no longer be sensitive enough for the biomarker task.

A major focus of research in my lab is working towards re-evaluating these biomarkers in several mainstream organisms and assessing the potential of new, better-adapted organisms. The main aim of this work is to future proof our tools for detecting pollution in the marine environment in order to maintain the ecosystem we all depend on.

The evidence for climate change driven by pollution caused by humans is overwhelming and it is clear it is affecting the marine environment. As a result, some commonly used biomarker species and endpoints may need to be re-evaluated and adapted for this changing environment if they are to be used in future as early warning systems for pollution.

Mark Hartl is associate professor of marine biology and director of centre for marine biodiversity and biotechnology, Heriot-Watt University. This article first appeared on TheConversation.com
Scientists have identified the source of a mysterious ringing sound coming from coral reefs: algae producing noisy gas bubbles.

The discovery could one day allow conservationists to assess the health of the worlds coral reefs without conducting costly and time-consuming visual surveys, the authors of the study said.

Coral reefs are noisy places, with water movement and ocean creatures contributing to the underwater babel.

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A previous study of this ecosystem identified one distinct but unknown noise that appeared to be linked to an abundance of algae.

Scientists recreated the conditions in a tank using a species of Hawaiian algae and discovered the "ringing" noise was actually produced by the release of gas bubbles  a combination of oxygen released from photosynthesis and nitrogen  during photosynthesis.

Specifically, the noise was coming from the tiny movements of the bubbles as they formed a spherical shape in the water.

During release, relaxation of the bubble to a spherical shape creates a  sound source that rings, the study found.

Many such bubbles create a large, distributed sound source over the sea floor.

 Algae producing noisy gas bubbles

The studys authors said the noises were not specific to the Salicornia gracilaria species of algae that had been observed in the tank.

This meant that researchers could in the future use sound recordings from coral reefs in other locations as a rapid and inexpensive alternative to visual methods for estimating algal abundance, which is one of the strongest indicators of stress on coral reefs.

The report continued: Visually determining variations in algal abundance is a time-consuming and expensive process. This technique could therefore provide a valuable tool for ecosystem management.

Overfishing, pollution and warming oceans linked to climate change have led to the destruction of vast swathes of coral reefs around the world.

One damaging side-effect is the proliferation of algae, which smothers coral, choking off oxygen and preventing helpful bacteria from reaching the reef.

The beauty of coral reefs Show all 6 1 /6 The beauty of coral reefs The beauty of coral reefs 37759.bin STERLING ZUMBRUNN/CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL The beauty of coral reefs 38007.bin Hassin Ammar/AFP/Getty The beauty of coral reefs 38009.bin Hassan Ammar/AFP/Getty The beauty of coral reefs 38011.bin Hassan Ammar/AFP/Getty The beauty of coral reefs 38013.bin Donald Miralle/Getty The beauty of coral reefs 38012.bin Hassan Ammar/AFP/Getty

Around a quarter of coral reefs worldwide are already considered damaged beyond repair, with another two-thirds under serious threat, so enabling conservationists to monitor the proliferation of algae cheaply and easily could aid efforts to save endangered reefs.

Simon Freeman, one half of the husband-wife team from the US Naval Undersea Warfare Centre, which carried out the research, said: We discovered that algae make sound by first listening to coral reefs, and finding a link between what we heard and how much algae had smothered the coral.

"Intrigued, we performed experiments with algae in tanks to verify the source, and how the sounds made by algae contributed to coral reef soundscapes."
Many of our favourite stores have joined in the spending frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year, and if you're quick, you can still bag a bargain.

This is the ideal time nab that winter coat or pair of boots you've had your eye on for months. But where to look? To save you time, we've gathered together a list of retailers offering some of the best fashion and beauty bargains.

Recommended Best Black Friday UK deals of 2018

Here, we will be constantly updating the best deals throughout the weekend and into Cyber Monday. Make sure you keep checking back.

Which stores are taking part?

ASOS is now offering 20 per cent across everything on its site. ASOS hosts more than 850 brands, as well as its own clothing, accessories and beauty line.

AllSaints is offering 30 per cent across everything on its site. Its leather jackets are particularly coveted.

There's 20 per cent off everything at this jewellery brand. Deals last until 10am GMT on Wednesday, 28 November.

Boden is offering 30 per cent off if you use the code N3N1 at checkout. Delivery is free over 30.

Online fashion store Boohoo are likely to be offering discounts on coats, jackets, knits and boots. Deals go live at midnight on Thursday, 22 November.

Cult knitwear brand Chinti & Parker is offering up to 30 per cent across its site.

Daisy London is offering 20 per cent off everything from necklaces and bracelets to rings and earrings.

Evans is known for its plus-size fashion. It's offering up to 30 per cent off everything this year. The sale is on now.

Club members benefit from 20 per cent off across the site until midnight, Thursday 22 November (there's still time to join). Deals will then be open to all customers. Last year, we spotted up to 50 per cent off everything and free delivery.

Get 20 per cent off everything on the Hobbs website right now. Plus, 30 off some of their skirts.

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Jaeger is offering a free gift when you spend more than 100 this weekend. Last year, we spotted up to 50 per cent off some of its items, too, from workwear to statement pieces.

French fashion retailer is offering 40% off everything on its site if you enter the code 'BLACKFRIDAY' on checkout. Home delivery is free on all orders over 50.

There's up to 50% off everything on the New Look site.

Get an extra 30% off already reduced shoes and sports clothes on Thursday and Friday. There will be new items on sale on both days.

Use the code 'GLITTER' to get 20% off full-priced shoes at Office. The deal runs until 27 November and includes free UK standard delivery.

Fashion store The Outnet has clearance across its clothing ranges this weekend, and you can get a further 20% off with the code FINAL.

Recommended Best Black Friday UK Apple deals 2018

There's up to 50% off everything at Topshop, with free worldwide delivery.

Buy one get another item for half price at Urban Outfitters.

Get up to 50 per cent off pre-loved designer bags and jewellery from Vestiaire Collective.

Whistles is offering 30% off everything this Black Friday.

Wallis is offering up to 30% everything across its site. This Thursday there are dresses from 30.

Get up to 20% off with Zara this weekend.

Health and Beauty Retailers

This online beauty retailer is releasing Black Friday deals throughout the weekend.

There are deals on perfumes, electric toothbrushes and shavers on the Boots website, with some products less than half price. If you have an Advantage Card, you can get 10 of points for every 60 you spend online.

Get 25 per cent off when you buy two or more products using the code BLACK25 until Monday, 26 November.

Get 20 per cent off when you buy two or more products using the code INDY20 until Monday, 26 November.

Get 20 per cent off across the website until Monday, 26 November.

Save up to 25% in LookFantastic's Black Friday sale.

Three are dozens of deals across the Superdrug site, with half-price makeup sets and huge savings on electric toothbrushes.

Get 20 per cent off if you buy two or more products using the code INDY20 until Monday, 26 November.

IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.
British GQ has come under fire for putting Johnny Depp on its November 2018 cover, marking two years since the actor was accused of domestic abuse by his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Describing the actor as an outlaw in a cover line, the magazine has been accused of glamourising and belittling the allegations against him.

In May 2016, Heard accused Depp of throwing an iPhone at her face amid other allegations of physical and emotional abuse, which he denied; the couples divorce was finalised in January last year.

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The cover is accompanied by an in-depth interview conducted at Depps lavish home in the south of France, in which the actor refutes allegations of violence, saying: it couldnt even sound like me.

"The thing that hurt me is being presented as something that youre really as far away from as you could possibly get, you know?" he adds.

The 8,000-word profile, which goes into detail regarding Depps idiosyncratic home and clothing, has been labelled dangerous and dismissive on social media.

Many have taken issue with the magazines descriptions of Depp as vulnerable and aggrieved, arguing that such adjectives present him as a victim.

(British GQ (British GQ)

Cant believe I have to say this @britishgq but being accused of domestic violence does not make you cool, tweeted journalist Anna Leskiewicz.

It does not make you an outlaw. It does not make you a sexy, conflicted hero. It does not mean you know torment. It does not lead you to the sordid beautiful truth.

Johnny Depp is not a movie character, he is a real person accused of much distress, disorder, and domestic violence, added writer Hannah Flint.

Stop dramatising his behaviour as though he is some sort of misunderstood hero. He's not.

Others have accused the interviewer of being negligent by not disputing the 55-year-old actors claims regarding how Heards allegations unfolded: How could someone, anyone, come out with something like that against someone, when theres no truth to it whatsoever? he says.

Everything about this is totally off key, wrote journalist Vicky Spratt on Twitter, it doesnt challenge Depp at all and winks at the fact he was accused of DV by his ex wife with lines like this isnt a piece of investigative reporting. It is a chance to sit down and talk to a person of immense interest and talent,.

One person pointed out that the timing of the cover feels particularly disconcerting, given that it falls on the anniversary of #MeToo, marking a year since sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein emerged, prompting the global movement encouraging women to share their stories of harassment and abuse.

Commenting on the cover and its subsequent criticism, Katie Ghose, chief executive of domestic violence charity Women's Aid, described it as an example of accused powerful men being given a platform to express innocence while undermining the credibility of alleged female victims.

Journalists arent responsible for passing judgment in cases of domestic abuse, only a court of law can do that," she adds in a statement.

"However, they do have a responsibility to use their influence for the greater good.

"The media has a responsibility not to fuel this backlash against the #MeToo movement but recognise the unequal power dynamics in these cases and make sure alleged victims voices are heard as loud and clear as the powerful men they put in their pages.

A legal representative for Heard has responded to the interview in a statement published by The Hollywood Reporter (THR), describing it as outrageous and accusing Depp of psychological abuse.

"If GQ had done even a basic investigation into Mr. Depps claims, it would have quickly realised that his statements are entirely untrue, the statement reads.

Mr. Depp has blatantly disregarded the parties confidentiality agreement and yet has refused to allow Ms. Heard to respond to his baseless allegations, despite repeated requests that she be allowed to do so.

The couple pictures together at a charity gala in California in January 2016. (Getty Images for Art of Elysium)

Meanwhile, THR reports that Depps lawyer has responded to Heards counsel by saying that the actor is simply defending himself against Ms Heards lingering false abuse accusations, in a statement which also describes Depp as the abuse victim.

Heard was famously paid a settlement of $7 million (5.4 million) by Depp following the allegations, which she pledged to donate to two charities.

The Independent has contacted British GQ for comment.
Japan is leaping into the future of cars, courtesy of SoftBank.

On Wednesday, Honda announced a $2.75bn (2.1bn) investment in General Motors self-driving subsidiary Cruise, a departure from the Japanese carmakers tight-fisted approach to technology spending. That follows SoftBank Vision Funds $2.25bn outlay just months ago. With these, GM Cruise is now valued at close to $15bn.

Then, at a briefing on Thursday, Toyota and SoftBank unveiled MONET Technologies, a joint venture to develop mobility offerings that include ride-hailing and autonomous driving. Junichi Miyakawa, SoftBanks new chief executive and technology chief, said that Japan needs to catch up in the global race towards autonomy  and what better optics than to bring together powerhouses of capital and cars? Whether theyll be able to address the technology is another issue.

SoftBanks Masayoshi Son and Toyotas Akio Toyoda also noted the importance of moving quickly. The new venture will start with under $20m of initial capital.

Both have already announced billions of dollars of investment in these areas, including putting money into Grab and Uber and autonomous vehicles.

That Japans car companies are cutting big checks for such futuristic technologies indicates one thing: Theyre looking for a way out of the current pall, and fast. The question is: How much capital will go in before they strike gold?

The stakes are high. Honda initially will put $750m of equity, equivalent to a 5 per cent to 6 per cent stake, into GM Cruise. Over the next 12 years, it will add $2bn, a signal of the long road ahead.

Whatever car ends up being developed, Honda wont even get to produce it  only GM will, according to the current plan.

Going by Cruises spending needs so far, that looks like a conservative estimate. It posted a $154m loss in the quarter to June and its costs were $200m. GM estimates it will spend $1bn (up from initial plans) on Cruise this year and another $1.3bn in 2019.

And realistic timelines remain up in the air. As GMs President Daniel Ammann said on an investor call Wednesday, while the company is moving fast to develop these technologies, the timing of driverless deployment will be gated by safety and regulations that are still in nascent stages.

Meanwhile, the structure of SoftBanks investment in Cruise shows how uncertain timing is and how much capital is actually being put to work.

The Vision Funds investment was made in two tranches: The first $900m was equity; the remaining $1.35bn will only come when Cruise AVs are ready for commercial deployment and subject to regulatory approval. The companies expected commercialization at scale by early 2019. In short, Cruise has taken in about $5 billion just this year, of which only $1.65bn materialises immediately as equity. The rest comes with caveats.

Jumping on the SoftBank bandwagon in the hope that it takes you to the future isnt necessarily a reliable strategy. The company has spread its bets far and wide, throwing hundreds of millions of dollars at a host of autonomous-vehicle technologies.

Then there is the question of whether Honda backed the right horse.

The company seems to have ended up with Cruise over Googles Waymo, which it was in talks to work with on autonomous deliveries. Waymo has a significant lead over Cruise not only in terms of physical miles tested but also its superior data-processing. Googles self-driving car company also has a partnership with Jaguar Land Rover  the two are planning to produce an autonomous Jaguar I-Pace  and a fleet of Chryslers on hand.

For Honda, the reality is it needs Waymo more than the other way around, and an equity partnership would likely be far more expensive.

Throwing capital at the problem may be one way, but it isnt a sure shot.

Bloomberg
Nissan has warned that a hard Brexit will have serious implications for the carmaker's Sunderland factory.

The Japanese firm, which employs about 8,000 in the UK, said that Britain crashing out of the EU's single market and customs union into World Trading Organisation rules would be detrimental to its operation.

Nissan uses its UK operations to export to the EU and benefits from being able to trade freely without customs checks or extra tariffs while Britain is a full member.

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The company said in a statement on Thursday: As a sudden change from those rules to the rules of the WTO will have serious implications for British industry, we urge UK and EU negotiators to work collaboratively towards an orderly balanced Brexit that will continue to encourage mutually beneficial trade.

Since 1986, the UK has been a production base for Nissan in Europe. Our British-based research and development and design teams support the development of products made in Sunderland, specifically for the European market.

Several high profile Conservatives, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, have come out in favour of Britain adhering to WTO rules after Brexit day.

The warning follows the Tory party conference, with Theresa May's Government still in a negotiating deadlock with the EU over an exit deal.

As well as thousands of workers in Sunderland, Nissan's supply chain network supports tens of thousands more jobs in the UK.

Sunderland voted to leave the EU on June 23 2016.

Frictionless trade has enabled the growth that has seen our Sunderland plant become the biggest factory in the history of the UK car industry, exporting more than half of its production to the EU, Nissan added.

Today we are among those companies with major investments in the UK who are still waiting for clarity on what the future trading relationship between the UK and the EU will look like.

It comes as several multinational firms pull jobs and operations out of the UK, amid growing concern over the Government's protracted negotiations and a no-deal scenario.

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

Planemaker Airbus warned in June it could quit the UK if Britain leaves without a trade deal, while several banks have moved staff and trading units to the EU.

Japanese firms have been among the most vocal when expressing fears over Brexit, with Panasonic the latest to announce plans to shift its European headquarters out of the UK.

It is thought there are 879 Japanese companies employing 142,000 staff in Britain, including Honda and Nissan.

PA
RBS chief executive Ross McEwan has warned that a no-deal Brexit could push the UK into recession.

According to the lenders boss, a bad Brexit could lead to zero or negative economic growth, which Mr McEwan said would have an impact on RBSs share price.

We are assuming 1-1.5 per cent growth for next year but if we get a bad Brexit then that could be zero or negative and that would affect our profitability and our share price, he said.

Mr McEwan also told the BBC that the bank was being more cautious about lending to certain sectors in the run up to Brexit, specifically retail and construction.

There are some retailers we are having to be a bit more cautious about because they havent made the necessary transition from bricks and mortar to digital, he said.

The big construction companies are getting very cautious about where they are putting their capital  particularly around London.

Earlier this week, data revealed that growth in the construction sector dropped to its weakest pace in six months in September.

The RBS chief said the banks lending to large businesses was down by approximately 2 per cent overall, because firms are postponing investment decisions.

Big businesses are pausing, they are saying that in six months time Ill have another look at the UK and I might come back, but if its really bad Ill invest elsewhere  thats the reality of where we are today, Mr McEwan said.

Last month, chancellor Philip Hammond said a no-deal Brexit threatens to set Britain back 10 years, and said reaching a deal with the EU was necessary to lock in the economic progress that we have made repairing the economy since the financial crisis.

As we leave the EU we must secure a close and enduring partnership with our European neighbours and we must heed the clear warnings of the IMF and others of the significant costs not reaching a deal with the EU will have for British jobs and British prosperity, he said.

Despite the contingency actions we are taking, leaving without a deal would put at risk the substantial progress the British people have made over the last 10 years.
Hundreds of tonnes of clinical waste including human organs, body parts and dangerous medical chemicals have been stockpiled by one of the NHSs biggest disposal contractors, a leaked report has revealed.

The Healthcare Environment Services (HES) Ltd group has contracts with up to 50 NHS trusts to incinerate or dispose of amputated body parts, toxic chemotherapy chemicals, and potentially infectious bodily fluids.

But it says the UKs ageing incinerators and strict disposal policies mean it cannot keep up with demand leading to a signifiant amount of excess waste being stored at its sites.

The government said there is no risk to the public but the backlog has sparked multiple Environment Agency warnings and a meeting of the Cobra national incident committee.

NHS England documents leaked to the Health Service Journal (HSJ) show that the health secretary, Matt Hancock, identified 1m at the ministerial meeting last month.

Trusts with HES contracts have been issued specialist storage units which they can use to store waste on site if necessary. However, HES is still receiving collections.

Each month, HES collects 584 tonnes of incineration only waste, and 1,972 tonnes of non-hazardous waste, and their storage and destruction is government by strict regulations.

It is the sole provider of waste disposal services for all hospital sites in Scotland, as well as a number of English hospitals.

The leaked reports show that one of the groups five English disposal sites in Normanton, West Yorkshire, was holding 350 tonnes of waste  five times more than the 70 tonnes permitted.

This includes human tissue and surgical waste, and the Environment Agency has been working with the company to ensure these remains are stored appropriately in refrigerated units.

NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Show all 18 1 /18 NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, addresses demonstrators following the march AFP/Getty NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary EPA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Reuters NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary EPA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary PA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary PA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images

The leaked reports seen by the HSJ suggest the company has received 13 warnings and two compliance notices from the Environment Agency in the past year alone.

Hospitals have also been told to stop paying the company where it is breaching terms of its contract around disposing of hazardous waste.

It is currently looking to ship 650 tonnes of pharmaceutical waste to Holland.

A spokesperson for the company said in a statement: Healthcare Environmental has highlighted the reduction in the UKs high-temperature incineration capacity for the last few years.

This is down to the ageing infrastructure, prolonged breakdowns and the reliance on zero waste to landfill policies, taking up the limited high-temperature incineration capacity in the market.

Over the last year, this reduced incineration capacity has been evident across all of the industry and has affected all companies. Healthcare Environmental has been in discussion with the environmental regulators and has consistently highlighted these issues, whilst we have maintained service to all our clients. There has been no disruption to our customers services whilst we have been dealing with this issue.

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labours shadow health and social care secretary called for statement in the House of Commons on the contingency plans in place.

He added: These are staggering revelations and given the number of NHS Trusts involved, along with wider environmental health implications, Im disappointed the health secretary didnt inform parliament last month.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: There is absolutely no risk to the health of patients or the wider public.

We are monitoring the situation closely and have made sure that public services  including NHS trusts have contingency plans in place.
A tech tsunami being championed by the likes of health secretary Matt Hancock is destabilising the NHS in a way that increases health inequalities and profits private firms, GP leaders have said.

Warning about the growing digital divide the chair of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP), Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, has called government to invest in NHS technology to ensure all patients can benefit.

Opening the RCGP annual conference in Glasgow on Thursday, she is expected to warn about privately run tech schemes siphoning off younger, healthier patients.

Those with the latest smart phone, those who speak English and live in cities, those who have high speed broadband, are being offered something that others are not, she will say.

I believe that with the right use of technology in the future NHS we can actually aim to reduce health inequalities and counteract some of the adverse social determinants of health.

Mr Hancock has praised the video appointment app, GP at hand, run by tech-firm Babylon Health in partnership with an NHS practice in London, and is a patient himself. The service currently lets any patient in the London area register, and offers video appointments with an NHS GP in a matter of minutes over an app.

It has been criticised by GP groups since its launch for cherry picking patients, as its website sets out that its services might not be suitable for those with certain complex conditions, though the company is developing a complex care team to address this.

The NHS pays GP practices a flat rate per patient so younger patients in an area subsidise the increased care needs of those who are older and sicker.

But this system breaks down if younger people can register with a service miles away from their home offering a video GP appointment, the college warns.

We need technology that works for patients, makes our lives easier and is not lining the pockets of private investors at the expense of the NHS, Professor Stokes-Lampard will say.

Give us the chance to tame the tech tsunami in a way that doesnt put existing services at risk, in a way that benefits all our patients, and makes our working lives easier, she will say.

NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Show all 18 1 /18 NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, addresses demonstrators following the march AFP/Getty NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary EPA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary Reuters NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary EPA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary PA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary REUTERS NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary PA NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images NHS at 70: demonstration and celebration march to mark anniversary AFP/Getty Images

The RCGP also said the suggestion doctors were technophobic dinosaurs was nonsense after Babylon rebuked criticism by saying GPs were being resistant to innovation that will improve patient care and relieve workloads.

The health secretary also told the Conservative Party conference on Tuesday the NHS cannot wait to make sure technology works perfectly for everybody if it is safe.

Babylons chief medical officer, Dr Mobasher Butt, said: The RCGP talks about a digital divide, but the truth is the digital divide is between organisations like Babylon, who are willing to challenge existing medical hierarchies in the interests of doing whats best for patients, and those with vested interests who wish to keep primary care as the sole preserve of their organisations.

Saying GP practices cant afford to [change] is simply not true, he added.

GP at hand has shown that it is possible for any NHS GP practice to take advantage of some of the worlds best technology, without costing the NHS a penny more, and this is precisely why other NHS practices are queuing up to do the same.
Nasa's Cassini spacecraft has revealed new details about Saturn  and found it much more strange than we'd ever expected.

The famous rings that sweep around the planet are far more chemically rich than scientists had previously imagined. They discovered expected things, such as water, but also found organic material present in there too.

And new findings about the planet's magnetic field show that it is more structured than expected. But it gave no clues about how it was actually formed, continuing to puzzle scientists study it.

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

The findings are the latest discovery from the last batch of data sent by Nasa's Cassini spacecraft. That smashed into Saturn and destroyed itself last year, but before it did so it conducted a series of daring dives that allowed it to capture new detail about the gas giant.

The findings about the construction of the rings could change our understanding of how our own solar system works, according to researchers who worked on the new discoveries.

"This is a new element of how our solar system works," said Thomas Cravens, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Kansas and a co-author of the new paper.

"Two things surprised me. One is the chemical complexity of what was coming off the rings  we thought it would be almost entirely water based on what we saw in the past. The second thing is the sheer quantity of it  a lot more than we originally expected. The quality and quantity of the materials the rings are putting into the atmosphere surprised me."

In time, the findings could help us understand how the mysterious rings that surround Pluto and other planets might have formed.

"This could help us understand, how does a planet get rings? Some do, some don't," said Professor Cravens. "What's the lifetime of a ring? And what's replenishing the rings? Was there a time when Saturn didn't have rings? How did that composition get into there in the first place? Is it left over from the formation of our solar system? Does it date back to proto pre-solar nebula, the nebula that collapsed out of interstellar media that formed the sun and planets?"

And the structure of the magnetic field suggests we might have to alter our understanding of the way they can form. Previously, scientists thought that planets could only form a magnetic field if their magnetic and geographic poles were slightly tilted away from each other, like they are on Earth, but the new data shows that isn't the case on Pluto.

"It may still be that Saturn's turbulent atmosphere of thick gases is obscuring some of the magnetic data, but it looks increasingly likely we will have to rethink the ways different kinds of planets can form magnetic fields," said principal investigator for the magnetometer Professor Michele Dougherty, from the Department of Physics at Imperial.
Russian spies are constantly trying to hack UK government networks and critical national infrastructure, officials have warned after thwarting a series of cyberattacks following the Salisbury poisoning.

British, Dutch and American authorities named Russias GRU military intelligence agency as the culprits behind a close access attempt to compromise the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Officials said they had also foiled cyberattacks on the Foreign Office and Porton Down defence laboratory in the wake of the Skripal poisoning in March.

They said that because the spear phishing attack, where hackers attempt to fool recipients into opening malicious emails by posing as someone else, did not work, they are unsure what the Russians wanted to do.

Other attacks have been aimed at intercepting and monitoring communications, gaining information or disrupting systems and operations.

A senior government official, who spoke to journalists including The Independent on condition of anonymity, said British authorities, institutions and companies were being attacked all the time and the OPCW plot was part of a much wider campaign.

Russian intelligence services are constantly conducting operations that to try to compromise UK government networks and critical infrastructure, he added.

Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Show all 23 1 /23 Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Russian passports belonging to (top row) Oleg Sotnikov (left), Aleksei Morenets, (bottom row) Evgenii Serebriakov (left) and Alexey Minin, who have been named as the four GRU officers who tried to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot On April 13 the officers parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Specialist equipment intended for the alleged hacking of WiFi networks of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Russia's military intelligence service has been accused of trying to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot The Dutch counter-terrorism officers intervened to disrupt the operation and the four GRU officers were ordered to leave the country Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Mobile phones and a camera recovered from four GRU officers who were alleged to have hacked the WiFi networks of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot The four Russians arrived on diplomatic passports Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Alexey Minin, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers who tried to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot A car carrying hacking equipment used by GRU officers, travelling on official Russian passports, parked near the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Oleg Sotnikov, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Hacking equipment belonging to four Russian officers Dutch Ministry of Defence/AP Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Evgenii Serebriakov, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Equipment found in possession of four Russian citizens Reuters Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Photos of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and its surroundings taken on the 11 April, found on the phone of GRU officer Alexey Minin Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Equipment found in possession of four Russian citizens REUTERS Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Aleksei Morenets, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot A combo of a taxi bill and a map, with a ride from a street next to the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, GRU, to Sheremyetevo airport in Moscow, found in possession of one of four GRU officers AP Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Yevgeny Serebryakov, an alleged Russian agent AFP/Getty Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry

Were learning from events like this  its a demonstration that we are able to track and disrupt these activities but we have to continue to be vigilant.

There was a huge amount of cooperation and effort that went into identifying and disrupting this [OPCW plot] and I certainly wouldnt underestimate their capabilities.

The official could not confirm that all previous attempted cyberattacks had been foiled but said security services disrupt everything we see.

Recommended Timeline of alleged Russian cyberattacks carried out by the GRU

The GRU is testing the strength of the wests intelligence services and there is a message here about our capabilities, he added.

The briefing was part of a wave of announcements in Britain, the Netherlands and US naming the GRU responsible for global cyberattacks committed by groups going by names including APT28, Fancy Bear, Sofacy, Sandworm and CyberCaliphate.

Incidents listed by the UK government include attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, the Democratic National Committee, anti-doping agencies and authorities investigating the downing of flight MH17.

As Nato and other countries backed calls for accountability, British authorities said the public disclosures aimed to make collaboration between allies more evident to the wider world.

A second government official said the timing and targeting of operations suggested that when there are international investigations into Russian activity, the GRU seems to deploy.

Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) arrive to begin work at the scene of the nerve agent attack in Salisbury (Reuters/Peter Nicholls) (REUTERS/Peter Nicholls)

This [announcement] is not with an aim to escalate  there is no quibble at all with the Russian people  but to deter this activity and defend ourselves, she added.

Asked whether the UK was going to hit back at Russia with similar tools, she said that British intelligence agencies could not be put in the same moral and ethical bucket.

British officials say they do not know how Russia will react to the latest revelations, but are expecting a fresh swell of disinformation and conspiracy theories.

The Kremlin reacted angrily to the allegations, dismissing them as fantasies amid heightened tensions over the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.

British authorities named two GRU agents as the culprits and issued international warrants for their arrest over the poisoning and later death of Dawn Sturgess, who came into contact with a discarded bottle of novichok.

The substance used was tested at the Porton Down laboratory, before the OPCW took additional samples to verify the presence of novichok.

The four GRU agents travelled to the watchdogs headquarters in the Netherlands amid work on the Salisbury samples, while the OPCW was also due to analyse chemical weapons allegedly used by Russias ally Bashar al-Assad in Douma.

They were caught outside the OPCWs headquarters in a hire car carrying specialist equipment to hack wifi networks on 13 April.

Equipment found with four GRU officers arrested outside the OPCW headquarters in April (PA)

Dutch investigators said the spies attempted to destroy their equipment and phones as police moved in but did not succeed, leaving an unprecedented haul of intelligence that has since been used to uncover their other activities.

Ticket purchases and internet searches showed that they later intended to travel onwards to the OPCW-accredited Spiez laboratory in Switzerland, which was testing novichok samples from Salisbury at the time.

The Russian men taken into custody, travelled under the names Aleksei Sergeyvich Morenets, Evgenii Mikhaylovich Serebriakov, Oleg Mikhaylovich Sotnikov and Alexey Valeryevich Minin.

They had arrived in The Hague three days earlier on diplomatic passport and investigators at Bellingcat and The Insider said the identities listed were real, rather than aliases used as cover.

Two of the passports  for the cyber-operators involved  were issued on the same day in April 2017 and have numbers just one digit apart.

The two GRU assassins who poisoned Mr Skripal in Salisbury were found to be travelling on fake passports that were three digits apart.

In a joint statement, Theresa May and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said the GRU had shown disregard for the global values and rules that keep us all safe.

The GRUs reckless operations stretch from destructive cyber activity to the use of illegal nerve agents, as we saw in Salisbury, they added.

We will uphold the rules-based international system and defend institutions from those that seek to do them harm.
One of the first residents to discover the Grenfell Tower fire has criticised the fire brigades instructions to stay in the burning building, saying there would have been enough time to evacuate the high-rise block.

Manuel Miguel Alves, who lived on the 13th floor with his wife and two children, said it became clear early on that the fire could not be stopped.

The 50-year-old, who works as a chauffeur and formerly volunteered as a firefighter in Portugal, said he knew getting residents to leave the building was the only choice.

Mr Alves and his wife discovered the fire minutes after it began when their lift opened on the fourth floor, where he saw light smoke drifting near the ceiling of the corridor.

Straight away he thought about his children, Ines and Tiago, then aged 16 and 20, and how to get them out of the flat, he told a public inquiry into the blaze.

He climbed the stairs to the 13th floor, where he collected them and knocked on several other doors to alert people to the fire. He said it was his duty to help his neighbours evacuate and they were like family.

Mr Alves said he ignored emergency notices distributed around the tower instructing residents to stay inside their flats.

If [there is] a fire on the 4th floor, Im on the 13th floor, its like a trap, he said. Why should I be in the trap when I have the opportunity to come out?

Watching from outside after escaping the tower, Mr Alves saw the buildings cladding had caught fire and was falling like plastic rain, but the fire brigade looked as if they were not doing anything.

They didnt put water or anything on the fire, he added.

The fire brigade finally began to spray the side of the tower with a hose at about 1.16am, he said.

But when they did this, they put water underneath the flames. I just could not understand why they did this.

He watched in horror as flames spread from the bottom to the top of the 24-storey building within about 15 minutes.

Mr Alves said he had previously tackled wildfires in northeast Portugal.

Looking at the fire on Grenfell Tower, it seemed clear that the fire brigade should have gone to the top of the tower, knocked on all the doors, and got people out, he said.

There was still enough time to evacuate the building and it was clear the fire could not be stopped and that this was the only choice.

It was out of control within minutes and I could see the fire hoses could not reach high enough and could not stop it.

He added: The whole thing was terrifying. I could hear screams from the tower and people were gathering by now. The fire was dripping down and the noise was horrific.

By about 1.30am flames had reached the top of the tower, he said, and police started pushing the crowd of onlookers back.

He continued: They started to say The building could fall down.

I remember thinking that if this is what they thought, then they should have entered the building, and moved people out.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Show all 18 1 /18 Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Kitchen in flat 16 where the fire started Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began The kitchen from flat 16 ReutersGrenfell Tower Inquiry/Reuters Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began The kitchen from flat 16 PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Hallway in flat 16, leading to the kitchen where the fire started Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began The kitchen from flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began The kitchen from flat 16 PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Bedroom in flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Living room in flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Toilet in flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Living room in flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Bedroom 2 of flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/Reuters Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Bedroom in flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Bedroom 2 of flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/Reuters Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began The kitchen from flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Kitchen in flat 16 where the fire started Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Door to flat 16 from the lobby on floor 4 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Living room in flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA Grenfell Tower Inquiry: photos of inside the flat where fire began Hallway in flat 16 Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA

Mr Alves called a friend, Marcio Gomes, who was still inside the tower, telling him to leave the block along with his heavily pregnant wife and their two daughters.

Mr Gomes was reluctant to evacuate after being told to stay put by firefighters, the inquiry heard, but he and his family eventually made a desperate escape bid.

While they made it out alive, their unborn son, Logan, was later stillborn.

Including Logan and one person who died several months after the fire, 72 people died as a result of the blaze.

London mayor Sadiq Khan watched Mr Alvess evidence and was seen talking to survivors.

 Grenfell Tower inquiry: How the fire developed and 999 call

In a statement submitted to the inquiry, Mr Alvess daughter Ines recalled being woken by her father in the middle of the night and fleeing the building.

Anxious about a GCSE chemistry exam she had in the morning, she tried to revise while she watched the fire consume her home.

She sat the exam having only had a couple of hours sleep and achieved an A grade, but said she had lost her passion for studying since the inferno.

Since the fire, I have struggled with my studies, she explained. I still enjoy them but find it so much more difficult to concentrate. I also tend to give up more easily.

If dont understand something, I will skip it, whereas before I would always search for the answer. I dont seem to care as much as before and have lost the passion I used to have.

I havent spoken to anyone about this. I am just trying to get on. I am not the type of person who shows stress.

The inquiry is hearing evidence from survivors, relatives and friends of those who died and nearby residents, at Holborn Bars in central London.
The Home Office has been unlawfully detaining asylum seekers while their immigration cases were being assessed, the Court of Appeal has ruled in a landmark judgment.

A judgement handed down on Thursday means that dozens of people, and potentially hundreds, could have been wrongly placed in immigration removal centres while their claims were considered under the Dublin III regulation.

Under Dublin III, asylum seekers must claim asylum in the first safe country they arrive in. If they arrive in the UK and claim asylum and they passed through another safe country first, the Home Office can send them back to that country.

The law states that the government can detain people being assessed under the regulation if they are at "significant risk of absconding".

But the appellants in the case, five men from Iraq and Afghanistan who were detained between January 2014 and March 2017, were not, by the Home Offices admission, deemed to be in this category.

The judgment means that anybody detained under Dublin III regulations from 1 January 2014, when it came into force, until 15 March 2017, were unlawfully detained, as the domestic law at the time set out no criteria for their risk of absconding.

Bahar Ata of Duncan Lewis Solicitors, the firm that represented the detainees, said the implications of the ruling were widespread and that while it was difficult to say how many people would be affected, it was dozens and could possibly run into the hundreds.

She told The Independent the case demonstrated yet another example of [Home Office] policy of unlawfully detaining asylum seekers, without proper consideration of their claims.

It comes after it emerged that asylum seekers were being left to languish in removal centres for months on end after being granted bail because the Home Office refused to fulfil its duty to provide asylum accommodation to enable their release.

The government has also recently been accused of waiting for migrants and asylum seekers to give up and leave the country by holding them in detention rather than resolving their cases efficiently.

A Home Office spokesperson said: We are disappointed with the courts ruling and are carefully considering the next steps.
The EU has told the UK to stop wasting time and find a solution to the Irish border row, with just two weeks until the next showdown summit over Brexit.

Donald Tusk, the European Council president, turned his fire on Jeremy Hunt for likening the EU to the Soviet Union  accusing ministers of rousing the Tory faithful, instead of striving to reach an agreement.

Unacceptable remarks that raise the temperature will achieve nothing except wasting more time, Mr Tusk said.

I was a party leader myself for 15 years, so I know what the rules of party politics are. But now, once the Tory conference is over, we should get down to business.

Speaking alongside Leo Varadkar, the Irish president, Mr Tusk made clear the EU remained united behind Ireland in its determination to prevent a return to border posts and checks.

But he also made clear his anger at the delay to Theresa Mays promised fresh border proposals  linking it to a reluctance to risk a backlash at the Tory conference.

In Birmingham, Mr Hunt, the foreign secretary, triggered fury across the EU by accusing it of trying to keep the UK in a prison with behaviour similar to the Soviet Union.

After the Salzburg summit, the prime minister accused Mr Tusk of showing disrespect, but he tuned that accusation on the UK, saying: In respecting our partners, we expect the same in return.

Comparing the European Union to the Soviet Union is as unwise as it is insulting. The Soviet Union was about prisons and gulags, borders and walls, violence against citizens and neighbours.

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

The European Union is about freedom and human rights, prosperity and peace, life without fear, it is about democracy and pluralism; a continent without internal borders or walls.

As the president of the European Council and someone who spent half of my life in the Soviet Bloc, I know what Im talking about.

Asked if Mr Hunt should resign over his comments, Mr Tusk replied: Its not my problem.

On the Irish border, he added: We will not give up seeking a workable solution that fully respects the Good Friday Agreement as well as the integrity of the single market and the customs union.

The EU-imposed deadline for progress is the Brussels summit on October 18, although leaders will hope to agree a deal in outline a few days earlier.

The prime minister is preparing to compromise further, apparently by agreeing to keep the entire UK effectively inside the customs union indefinitely, unless and until technology provides a solution.

This would meet her pledge of no customs border down the Irish Sea, which she has argued would see the EU annex Northern Ireland.

The other change would leave Northern Ireland aligned with single market rules, introducing regulatory checks between Britain and the province.

However, at the Tory conference, Arlene Foster, the Democratic Unionist Party leader, vowed her party would torpedo any such agreement.

It is also likely to prove unacceptable to Brexiteers, if it would prevent the UK signing trade deals  even if agreed in Brussels.
The British and Dutch governments have condemned Russia's "reckless" GRU intelligence service after it was accused of launching a cyberattack on the global chemical weapons watchdog investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

A joint statement from Theresa May and Mark Rutte said the spy agency had shown a "disregard for the global values and rules that keep us safe" while Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, warned the Kremlin it faced further sanctions.

Officials in the Netherlands, where the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is based, said four Russians had been expelled in the wake of the alleged cyberstrike.

GRU officers stopped in the Hague planned to travel onwards to an OPCW-approved laboratory in Speiz, Switzerland, which was testing samples from the Skripals poisoning case.

At the same time, the OPCW was also analysing the substance used in a chemical attack on the Syrian rebel stronghold of Douma.

The men were escorted to the Dutch border and sent back to Moscow.

Among them was an officer accused of conducting "malign activity" targeting Malaysian institutions investigating the downing of flight MH17 by rebels supplied with a Russian missile system in Ukraine.

British intelligence helped thwart the operation, which was launched in April, a month after the Salisbury novichok poisoning.

Details were revealed on Thursday after the UK Government accused the GRU of a wave of other cyberattacks across the globe.

Recommended Russian cyber attack plot targeting chemical weapons watchdog foiled

Responding to the announcement, Ms May and Mr Rutte said: "We have, with the operations exposed today, further shone a light on the unacceptable cyber activities of the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU.

"This attempt to access the secure systems of an international organisation working to rid the world of chemical weapons, demonstrates the GRU's disregard for the global values and rules that keep us safe.

"Our action today reinforces the clear message from the international community: we will uphold the rules-based international system and defend international institutions from those that seek to do them harm."

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said a number of hackers known to have launched attacks were linked to the GRU.

The revelations will further strain relations with Russia after Britain blamed Moscow for the nerve agent attack in Salisbury last March which left one person dead.

The NCSC associated four new attacks with the GRU, on top of previous strikes believed to have been conducted by Russian intelligence.

Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Show all 23 1 /23 Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Russian passports belonging to (top row) Oleg Sotnikov (left), Aleksei Morenets, (bottom row) Evgenii Serebriakov (left) and Alexey Minin, who have been named as the four GRU officers who tried to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot On April 13 the officers parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Specialist equipment intended for the alleged hacking of WiFi networks of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Russia's military intelligence service has been accused of trying to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot The Dutch counter-terrorism officers intervened to disrupt the operation and the four GRU officers were ordered to leave the country Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Mobile phones and a camera recovered from four GRU officers who were alleged to have hacked the WiFi networks of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot The four Russians arrived on diplomatic passports Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Alexey Minin, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers who tried to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot A car carrying hacking equipment used by GRU officers, travelling on official Russian passports, parked near the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Oleg Sotnikov, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Hacking equipment belonging to four Russian officers Dutch Ministry of Defence/AP Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Evgenii Serebriakov, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Equipment found in possession of four Russian citizens Reuters Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Photos of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and its surroundings taken on the 11 April, found on the phone of GRU officer Alexey Minin Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Equipment found in possession of four Russian citizens REUTERS Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Aleksei Morenets, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot A combo of a taxi bill and a map, with a ride from a street next to the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, GRU, to Sheremyetevo airport in Moscow, found in possession of one of four GRU officers AP Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Yevgeny Serebryakov, an alleged Russian agent AFP/Getty Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry

Among targets of the GRU attacks were the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), transport systems in Ukraine and democratic elections, such as the 2016 US presidential race, according to the NCSC.

Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, threatened Russia with further sanctions and accused the Kremlin of trying to "fester instability around the world".

He said the latest allegations against the GRU regarding a cyberattack on the OPCW would "put to rest any doubts" about Russia's involvement in the Salisbury poisoning. "Why would you do that if you werent the guilty party?" he said.

Asked about Russian meddling in the Brexit vote, Mr Hunt told the BBC he had seen no evidence to support that theory but the UK would continue to monitor the situation.

Vladimir Putin visiting the GRU military intelligence headquarters building in Moscow in 2006 (Reuters)

Jens Stoltenberg, Nato's secretary general, called on Moscow to "stop its reckless pattern of behaviour, including the use of force against its neighbours, attempted interference in election processes, and widespread disinformation campaigns".

The NCSC said it was "almost certainly" the GRU behind a "BadRabbit" attack in October 2017 that caused disruption to the Kyiv metro, Odessa airport and Russia's central bank.

And Britain's cybersecurity chiefs say they have "high confidence" Russian intelligence was responsible for a strike on Wada in August 2017.

The NCSC also stated that the GRU was "almost certainly" to blame for hacking the Democratic National Committee during the US presidential election in 2016.

And the agency pointed the finger at the GRU for accessing email accounts at a small UK-based TV station in 2015.

Delivering a statement on behalf of foreign office minister Alan Duncan, the UK Ambassador to the Netherlands, Peter Wilson, said Russia had "sent officers around the world to conduct brazen close access cyber operations".

He added: "The GRU is an aggressive, well-funded, official body of the Russian State. It can no longer be allowed to act aggressively across the world, and against vital international organisations, with apparent impunity.

"Through our institutions, including the EU, we will work with allies to update sanctions regimes to deter and respond to the use of chemical weapons, we will combat hostile activity in cyberspace, and we will punish human rights abuse.

"The GRU can only succeed in the shadows. We all agree that where we see their malign activity, we must expose it together. And we will."
Theresa May has been warned of fresh Tory revolt over her Brexit approach, as she faces a race against time to agree a deal with Brussels.

Despite winning plaudits for her upbeat conference speech, the prime minister's reprieve was short-lived, as a senior Brexiteer told her to avoid a "political accident" by rethinking her Chequers plan just hours after she appealed for unity.

Time is running out for Ms May to break the deadlock with Brussels ahead of the European Council summit on October 17, which the EU has described as the "moment of truth" for a Brexit deal.

The prime minister is reportedly beginning a frantic diplomatic push with European leaders, after telling Tory activists in Birmingham that they risked ending up with "no Brexit at all" if they could not unite.

However Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister who resigned in protest over the Chequers plan, said even if only half the 80 Conservative MPs who oppose the plan voted against it, it would be enough to defeat the government.

He said Ms May would face a "substantial" revolt unless she changed course, and repeated his claims that 80 Tory MPs were prepared to vote for an amendment protesting against Chequers, which they believe keeps the UK too closely tied to the EU.

While he acknowledged that supporting a protest motion was a different matter to voting down an actual deal, he said the government whips would still struggle to get it through the House.

"We don't want to have this accident. We are trying very hard to avoid these circumstances arising," he told ITV's Peston.

"Voting against a Chequers-based deal would be quite a high bar, I am not going to deny that. But what I am saying is that even if the whips did fantastically well and got the numbers down to 40 it still seems to me that it will be voted down.

"I am trying very hard to avoid that by being very plain with everybody on the record what I expect to happen if a Chequers-based deal comes back."

Ms May sought to strike an upbeat tone in her speech to the Conservatives annual conference in Birmingham, where she promised an end to a decade of austerity.

She also insisted her Chequers plan was the only proposal that would honour the referendum result while avoiding the return of a hard border in Ireland.

But in a sign of her continuing woes, cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom refused to say whether Ms May should continue as prime minister after Brexit.

Ms Leadsom, who stood against the prime minister for the Tory leadership in 2016, praised Ms May for her performance but said "politics is a short-term game".

Conservative Conference: Tories line up to denounce Boris Show all 6 1 /6 Conservative Conference: Tories line up to denounce Boris Conservative Conference: Tories line up to denounce Boris Phillip Hammond Chancellor Phillip Hammond said in an interview with the Mail that Boris has never been "a details man", won't be next Prime Minister and that his most notable policy achievement is the launching of Boris Bikes AFP/Getty Conservative Conference: Tories line up to denounce Boris David Davis Speaking to Sophie Ridge on Sunday, former Brexit Secretary David Davis said "a lot of his ideas, I think, are good headlines but not necessarily good policies" PA Conservative Conference: Tories line up to denounce Boris Ruth Davidson Speaking on Sunday Politics, Leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson has said that Boris' use of language in attacking the Prime Minister's Chequers plan was "not wise" and urged for a "period of silence" PA Conservative Conference: Tories line up to denounce Boris Greg Clark Speaking at a fringe event at the conference, Business Secretary Greg Clark stated that Boris' idea to scrap HS2 and instead build a bridge to Northern Ireland was "completely the wrong approach" PA Conservative Conference: Tories line up to denounce Boris Lord Digby Jones Speaking on stage in Birmingham, crossbench peer Lord Digby Jones branded Boris as "irrelevant" and "offensive" for his comments on business PA Conservative Conference: Tories line up to denounce Boris David Mundell Referring to Boris' recent 6-point Brexit plan, Scottish Secretary David Mundell stated that "these are things for headlines, not for the substance of negotiations" PA

Pressed on the matter, she said: "That's all for the future. She has shown her absolute determination to fulfil the referendum.

"I just think politics is a short-term game, a week changes a lot."

Ms Leadsom, a prominent Leave campaigner, said the Chequers plan met her "red lines" for Brexit, adding "that is the only deal that is on the table".

She told the same programme: "It is also the only deal that keeps the United Kingdom together, that avoids hard infrastructure on at border between Northern Ireland and Ireland or - even worse - a border down the Irish Sea."

Ms May emerged largely unscathed from the annual conference, despite pressure from hardline Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg.

The next 10 days could be among the toughest of her premiership, as she will have to find a way to unite her DUP allies, different Brexit factions and the EU behind a deal.
A Republican senator has launched an attack on Donald Trump as unfit to lead an America divided by the looming vote on Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination.

Ben Sasse used a Senate speech to lambast the president for publicly mocking Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Mr Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were in high school.

And he said the US had become riven by black-and-white tribalism over Mr Kavanaughs nomination. He insisted the impending vote on whether to confirm the judges elevation to the countrys highest court was not a giant binary choice about the much broader issue of whether we do or dont care about women.

The Nebraska Republican said on Wednesday night: We all know that the president cannot lead us through this time. We know that hes dispositionally unable to restrain his impulse to divide us.

His mockery of Dr Ford last night in Mississippi last night was wrong, but it doesnt really surprise anyone  its who he is.

Similarly it was wrong last week when he said that, quote, If the attack on Dr Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local law enforcement authorities.

Its wrong when people insinuate that a woman bears blame for her sexual assault because she was drunk. This reinforces the stereotypes that have caused millions of women to bury their experiences of abuse and assault for decades.

This kind of repugnant nonsense creates excuses for abusers.

At a campaign rally on Tuesday, Mr Trump imitated Dr Ford while mocking her lack of recollection of some details on the night she alleges Mr Kavanaugh attacked her.

It marked a sharp departure from his previous treatment of Dr Ford. While making clear he still backed his nominee, the president had described his accuser as a very credible witness.

 Lindsey Graham says he would re-nominate Brett Kavanaugh

In his address on Wednesday night, Mr Sasse, a member of the judiciary committee, said he had urged the president to nominate a woman to the Supreme Court before Mr Trump announced he was picking Mr Kavanaugh on 9 July, but did not say who in particular he had suggested.

Although Ive said many complimentary things about Judge Brett Kavanaugh and his distinguished record of 12 years of service on the DC circuit court, I will say I urged the president, back in June and early July, to make a different choice before he announced this nomination, he said.

I urged him to nominate a different individual, I urged the president to nominate a woman.

Part of my argument then was that the very important Me Too movement was also very new and that this senate is not at all well prepared to handle potential allegations of sexual harassment and assault that might have come forward. This was absent knowing a particular nominee.

Observers have cast doubt on whether Mr Sasse will run for re-election to the Senate in 2020 following his claim earlier this year that he considered leaving the Republican Party every day.

In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Show all 21 1 /21 In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing EPA In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AP In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AP In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing REUTERS In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing REUTERS In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing REUTERS In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing EPA In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing EPA In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images

It came as senators prepared to review the results of an FBI background investigation into Mr Kavanaugh, following a string of sexual assault claims against the nominee.

A copy of the agencys probe will be made available at a secret Capitol Hill location.

The White House believes the investigation contains no information that corroborates the allegations against Mr Kavanaugh, according to the Wall Street Journal, while Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein criticised the FBI for failing to interview either the nominee or his most prominent accuser, Christine Blasey Ford.

Senators are expected to vote on moving forward with Mr Kavanaughs nomination on Friday, with a final confirmation vote likely over the weekend.
An FBI background report into Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is due to be put before senators within hours amid reports it will conclude there is no evidence to corroborate a series of sexual assault allegations against him.

Senators will review the documents in a secure location on Thursday ahead of a likely vote on whether to confirm Mr Kavanaugh at the weekend.

Having examined interview reports contained within the investigation, the White House does not believe the probe incriminates the judge, according to a Wall Street Journal report. But the paper said it was not clear whether officials had read the full cache of reports.

Recommended Trump mocks alleged sexual assault victim Christine Blasey Ford

The allegations against Mr Kavanaugh relate to his time at high school and college, and have delayed Mr Trumps effort to elevate the conservative appeals court justice to the highest court in the land.

Senators must weigh the dramatic public testimony of one accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, against Mr Kavanaughs strenuous denials and the content of the FBIs fresh background report. Following their cloistered review of the investigation they are not supposed to reveal its contents.

Majority leader Mitch McConnell began the voting process with a motion on Wednesday night setting up a Friday vote on whether to limit debate on Mr Kavanaughs nomination, and move forward to a vote on confirmation.

A simple majority of 51 votes will be needed for Mr Kavanaughs nomination to advance. A final vote could come on Saturday with Republicans clinging to a 51-49 majority and five senators, including three Republicans, still vacillating.

In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Show all 21 1 /21 In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing EPA In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AP In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AP In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing REUTERS In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing REUTERS In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing REUTERS In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing EPA In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing EPA In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Chaos and fury at Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing AFP/Getty Images

It came as Dr Fords lawyers said the fresh FBI probe did not include interviews with the California professor or the witnesses they say corroborate her testimony. They said they were profoundly disappointed that those directing the probe were not interested in seeking the truth.

Dianne Feinstein, the leading Democrat on the senates judiciary committee, added that failing to interview either Mr Kavanaugh or Dr Ford raises serious concerns that this is not a credible investigation.

A report by Time suggested that the FBI believed it lacked clear authority from the White House to conduct those interviews, however.

Additional reporting by agencies
 Close Lindsey Graham says he would re-nominate Brett Kavanaugh

Senators are reviewing the FBIs latest background check on Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee, in a secret Capitol Hill location.

They are expected to vote on Friday on whether to move forward swiftly on Mr Kavanaughs nomination to a likely confirmation vote at the weekend.

White House spokesman Raj Shah said senators have been given ample time to review this seventh background investigation into Mr Kavanaugh, who denies accusations of sexual misconduct when he was in high school and college. The White House was confident the Senate will vote to confirm the judge, he added.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley tweeted early Thursday that he had received the FBI file. He and his colleagues began reviewing the documents on Thursday morning.

Republicans agreed to ask the FBI for an additional background check on Mr Kavanaugh after his first accuser, Dr Christine Blasey Ford, testified last week that he had sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers. Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, voted to move the nomination to the full Senate but had asked that the FBI investigation be conducted.

Dr Fords attorneys have said she was not contacted for an interview. But the FBI spoke to a second woman, Deborah Ramirez, who claims Mr Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when they were in college. Mr Kavanaugh says that accusation is false.
India has deported the first seven Rohingya Muslims back to Myanmar after the government ruled that they should be treated as illegal immigrants rather than qualifying for asylum.

The men were handed over to Burmese officials at the border between the two countries, just hours after the Supreme Court rejected a last minute plea from their lawyer.

The men were arrested in 2012 in the eastern city of Assam, and have been held in prison since then on charges of illegal entry.

Each man carried a single bag of belongings when they were removed from prison for deportation, an officer speaking on condition of anonymity told the Associated Press. Bhaskar J Mahanta, a police official in Assam, confirmed the men had been handed over to the authorities of Myanmar at a border post in Manipur.

At the Supreme Court, defence lawyer Prashant Bhushan argued that the men feared reprisals if they returned to Myanmar, and called for the UN high commissioner for refugees to be allowed to intervene in the case.

Though they were arrested some five years before the brutal August 2017 military crackdown that led 700,000 Rohingya to flee Rakhine state in northern Myanmar, the men said the persecution dated to much earlier and they had fled genocide like the rest.

But the Supreme Court ruled in the governments favour on the basis that, unlike most Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, the men would be accepted as citizens. A government lawyer told the judges that Myanmar had given seven certificates of identity and one-month visas to facilitate the deportation.

Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Show all 30 1 /30 Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya women and children wait in line for a food distribution of super cereal at Action Against Hunger Getty Images Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugees gather near the fence in the "no man's land" zone between Myanmar and Bangladesh border AFP/Getty Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya women cry as they shout slogans during a protest rally to commemorate the first anniversary of Myanmar army's crackdown AP Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures A Rohingya Muslim child holding an umbrella while under the rain AFP/Getty Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugees cry as they pray during a gathering to commemorate the first anniversary of Myanmar army's crackdown which lead to a mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims to Bangladesh AP Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Police stand near the checkpoint at the Shwe Zar village in Maungdaw township, Rakhine State, western Myanmar EPA Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures A group of Rohingya refugee children stand at a makeshift camp EPA Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugee Juhara, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, poses for a portrait at the Kutapalong refugee camp near Cox's Bazar in southern Bangladesh. Juhara passes her days carting water with difficulty to thirsty bricklayers working in a bustling corner of Cox's Bazar. She has just one hand - the other was cleaved off in a raid on her village after the August 25 clampdown started last year. Her husband and parents were killed. The 40-year-old said she ran for her life but was hunted down and savagely attacked AFP/Getty Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugees walk on a road along a makeshift camp in Kutubpalang EPA Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugees are seen outside of their makeshift tent in the Kutupalong camp in Cox's Bazar Reuters Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Thousands of Rohingya refugees staged protests for "justice" on August 25 on the first anniversary of a Myanmar military crackdown that forced them to flee to camps in Bangladesh AFP/Getty Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures A Rohingya refugee child looks through a window at a makeshift camp in Teknuf EPA Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugee women hold placards as they take part in a protest at the Kutupalong refugee camp Reuters Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures A young Rohingya boy waits in line for a food Getty Images Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugees shout slogans during a protest march AFP/Getty Images Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugee girl with other children at a makeshift camp in Teknuf in Cox's Bazar EPA Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya women protest on the first anniversary of the Rohingya crisis Getty Images Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya women and children receive super cereal at Action Against Hunger Getty Images Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya girls share a laugh in Kutupalong, the largest refugee camp housing the Rohingya Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugees gather near the fence in the "no man's land" zone between Myanmar and Bangladesh border AFP/Getty Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugees attend a ceremony organised to remember the first anniversary of a military crackdown that prompted a massive exodus of people from Myanmar to Bangladesh AFP/Getty Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rashida Begum, a Rohingya refugee woman walks on the Kutupalong camp in Cox's Bazar Reuters Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures A Rohingya refugee bursts into tears as she shouts slogans during a protest march AFP/Getty Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugee baby Nur Sadek two years old undergoing treatment at a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) hospital in Teknuf in Cox's Bazar EPA Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugees protest Getty Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugees perform prayers AFP/Getty Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rashida Begum, a Rohingya refugee woman bathes her son in the Kutupalong camp Reuters Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugees protest Getty Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya refugees walk on a muddy road EPA Rohingya crisis one year on  Myanmar camps in pictures Rohingya women and children wait in line for a food distribution of super cereal at Action Against Hunger Getty

We dont want to interfere with the governments decision, said chief justice Ranjan Gogoi in one of his first judgments since taking over the role on Tuesday.

An estimated 40,000 more Rohingya have taken refuge in parts of India, mostly in places with larger Muslim populations.

Indias government says it has evidence there are extremists who pose a threat to the countrys security among the Rohingya. The country is fighting insurgencies in northern Kashmir and in its northeastern states.

The government said in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday that the deportations were an administrative decision involving diplomatic and other considerations including an overwhelming consideration of national interest.

But rights groups criticised the ruling. Human Rights Watch said that deporting these men will place them at severe risk of torture and abuse. Amnesty International said their deportation violates customary international law.

And after the ruling Mr Bhushan, the defence lawyer, said the seven men may be tortured and even may be killed back in Myanmar. It is a clear case of human rights violation, he said.

Additional reporting by agencies
British aid agencies have launched a joint fund raising appeal for survivors of the deadly Indonesian earthquake and tsunami, as supplies begin to arrive on the ground.

More than 1,500 people are thought to have died, while many more are missing and injured following the powerful 7.5-magnitude tremor which sent huge waves barrelling into the island of Sulawesi last week.

The majority of casualties are thought to be from the city of Palu, home to more than 380,000 people.

Rescuers are still struggling to reach some communities devastated by the disaster almost a week on.

A team of six UK humanitarian experts left London for Sulawesi earlier this week, and are now helping to coordinate the humanitarian response on the ground.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Indonesia Tsunami Appeal, which is being launched this week, comes as authorities fear that casualties and the number of people who have been displaced will rise within days.

Some estimates suggest up to 1.5 million people may have been affected.

DEC member charities and their local partners are working closely with the Indonesian authorities to get aid to those who urgently need it, as well as helping survivors to cope with the trauma of the last few days, DEC chief executive Saleh Saeed said. As the full scale of the disaster unfolds, they are providing emergency relief and are ready to help devastated communities to rebuild their lives.

There is an urgent need for clean drinking water, food, medical care and shelter. Please give generously and let's save the survivors.

Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Show all 30 1 /30 Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents and rescuers walk in front of a washed out passenger ferry in Wani following the September 28 earthquake and tsunami. Aid poured into disaster-ravaged Palu after days of delays as efforts ramped up to reach 200,000 people in desperate need AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian rescuers try to free a 15-year-old earthquake survivor, Nurul Istikhomah from the flooded ruins of a collapsed house in Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A rescue team searches for bodies under the ruin of a house in Balaroa EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A ship stranded on the shore EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesians stand among debris at Mamboro village in Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents carry a victim AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents trying to salvage belongings from their homes which collapsed AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian soldiers bury quake victims in a mass grave in Poboya AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A damaged mosque AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A man sits on the rubble of a house AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Rescuers walk past debris AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Jumadil, 5, reacts at seeing his mother Susi Rahmatia, 26, after he went missing for seven days AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A woman builds a temporary toilet AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Rahmat Raidi, 26, shows portraits of his missing family members AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents queue before receiving humanitarian aid in Palu AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian villagers offload aid from a military helicopter in Proo village, Lindu district AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents stand among houses destroyed by a landslide that was triggered by the earthquake in Petobo outside Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue People queue for fuel at a petrol station in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Members of the Indonesian Red Cross attend to a victim at a crushed house at Talise beach in Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents walk among houses destroyed by a landslide that was triggered by the earthquake in Petobo, outside Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue An Indonesian Police Officer uses a dog to search for victims amongst rubble in Petobo, outside Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue An Indonesian rescue team searches for victims and survivors amongst the rubble of the Roa Roa hotel in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A crowd gathers at the airport in Palu in the hope of fleeing by plane Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Members of an Indonesian rescue team look for survivors in a collapsed home in Palu AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Bhayangkara hospital in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Members of an Indonesian rescue team look for survivors in a collapsed home in Palu AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue An earthquake damaged bridge in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue People drive amongst the damage in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian women stand on a tsunami devastated area of Talise beach Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Members of an Indonesian rescue team look for survivors in a collapsed home in Palu AFP/Getty

Volcano Mount Soputan, also in North Sulawesi has also erupted, spewing ash nearly 20,000ft into the sky and prompting warnings over volcanic ash in the air and hampering aid efforts.

International development secretary Penny Mordaunt has said that thousands of shelter kits, solar lanterns and water purifiers are being sent to the disaster zone.

It's essential we get vital UK aid supplies, including shelter kits, to those affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia as quickly as possible, Ms Mordaunt said. This is extremely challenging given the devastation. The UK is a leader in providing emergency humanitarian assistance when disaster strikes and our expertise will help greatly.

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The supplies will be used in a bid to aid the more than 70,000 people forced to flee their homes.

Equipment set for delivery includes 1,300 shelter kits, which can accommodate five people each, 2,300 water purifiers and 1,000 solar lanterns.

Ms Mordaunt has also pledged an extra 1m in aid to support immediate relief efforts on the ground, taking the UK assistance to 3m.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to the appeal can do so via the DEC website, the 24-hour hotline on 0370 60 60 900, or over donate over the counter at any high street bank or post office. A 5 donation can also be made by texting SUPPORT to 70000.

Additional reporting by PA
Indonesian troops have been ordered to shoot looters as emergency supplies arrive at areas devastated by a deadly earthquake and tsunami.

Desperate survivors raided closed shops for food and water in the aftermath of the disaster, which left more than 1,400 people dead on the island of Sulawesi.

Many others are missing and injured after Fridays 7.5-magnitude earthquake spawned huge waves which engulfed the west coastal city of Palu.

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Many survivors have no access to running water or electricity but, with transport links cut off, much-needed supplies have only begun to trickle into some of the worst hit areas.

Officials initially took a lenient approach to looting but said they were now re-enforcing the law as aid arrives.

If there is looting again, we will quickly fire a warning shot and then shoot to immobilise, military colonel Ida Dewa Agung Hadisaputra told AFP.

Dozens of people have been arrested for stealing computers and cash, according to police.

On the first and second day, clearly no shops were open. People were hungry. There were people in dire need. Thats not a problem, said deputy national police chief Ari Dono Sukmanto.

But after day two, the food supply started to come in, it only needed to be distributed. We are now re-enforcing the law.

Electricity has been restored to the stricken city of Palu, home to about 370,000 people, where shops and banks began reopening on Thursday.

However, the fate of many thousands of people in outlying districts remained unknown almost a week on.

While international help for survivors has gathered pace, rescuers are still struggling to reach remote communities cut off by broken roads, landslides and crippled communications.

Some survivors have been forced to scavenge for coconuts, bananas and cassava.

Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Show all 30 1 /30 Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents and rescuers walk in front of a washed out passenger ferry in Wani following the September 28 earthquake and tsunami. Aid poured into disaster-ravaged Palu after days of delays as efforts ramped up to reach 200,000 people in desperate need AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian rescuers try to free a 15-year-old earthquake survivor, Nurul Istikhomah from the flooded ruins of a collapsed house in Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A rescue team searches for bodies under the ruin of a house in Balaroa EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A ship stranded on the shore EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesians stand among debris at Mamboro village in Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents carry a victim AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents trying to salvage belongings from their homes which collapsed AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian soldiers bury quake victims in a mass grave in Poboya AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A damaged mosque AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A man sits on the rubble of a house AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Rescuers walk past debris AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Jumadil, 5, reacts at seeing his mother Susi Rahmatia, 26, after he went missing for seven days AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A woman builds a temporary toilet AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Rahmat Raidi, 26, shows portraits of his missing family members AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents queue before receiving humanitarian aid in Palu AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian villagers offload aid from a military helicopter in Proo village, Lindu district AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents stand among houses destroyed by a landslide that was triggered by the earthquake in Petobo outside Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue People queue for fuel at a petrol station in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Members of the Indonesian Red Cross attend to a victim at a crushed house at Talise beach in Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents walk among houses destroyed by a landslide that was triggered by the earthquake in Petobo, outside Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue An Indonesian Police Officer uses a dog to search for victims amongst rubble in Petobo, outside Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue An Indonesian rescue team searches for victims and survivors amongst the rubble of the Roa Roa hotel in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A crowd gathers at the airport in Palu in the hope of fleeing by plane Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Members of an Indonesian rescue team look for survivors in a collapsed home in Palu AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Bhayangkara hospital in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Members of an Indonesian rescue team look for survivors in a collapsed home in Palu AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue An earthquake damaged bridge in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue People drive amongst the damage in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian women stand on a tsunami devastated area of Talise beach Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Members of an Indonesian rescue team look for survivors in a collapsed home in Palu AFP/Getty

There are so many challenges with this disaster, its never been so bad, said Frida Sinta, an aid volunteer.

Signs of recovery were evident in Palu on Thursday, as orderly queues formed at petrol stations after the arrival of fuel shipments. A major mobile phone network was back in operation and traffic lights and televisions flickered into life as power returned.

State port operator Pelindo IV said the citys port, which was damaged by the earthquake and tsunami, has reopened.

But thousands of people are sleeping in tents or makeshift shelters after more than 70,000 homes were destroyed.

An estimated 1.5 million people have been affected by the disaster.

More of those 200,000 are in dire need of assistance, according to the United Nations, which has allocated $15m (11.5m) to support relief efforts.

The confirmed death toll stands at 1,425, but officials have warned that is expected to rise.
A French rescue team has detected a person believed to be alive trapped under rubble in an earthquake-hit Indonesian city.

Relief workers said they had located the individual in Palu, six days after the area was badly affected by a powerful 7.5-magnitude tremor and subsequent tsunami.

Philip Besson, a member of the French organisation Pompiers de l'urgence, said the team detected the presence of a victim in the wreckage of the citys Mercure Hotel.

However, he added rescuers had been unable to determine whether or not the person underneath the rubble is conscious.

Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Show all 30 1 /30 Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents and rescuers walk in front of a washed out passenger ferry in Wani following the September 28 earthquake and tsunami. Aid poured into disaster-ravaged Palu after days of delays as efforts ramped up to reach 200,000 people in desperate need AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian rescuers try to free a 15-year-old earthquake survivor, Nurul Istikhomah from the flooded ruins of a collapsed house in Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A rescue team searches for bodies under the ruin of a house in Balaroa EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A ship stranded on the shore EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesians stand among debris at Mamboro village in Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents carry a victim AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents trying to salvage belongings from their homes which collapsed AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian soldiers bury quake victims in a mass grave in Poboya AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A damaged mosque AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A man sits on the rubble of a house AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Rescuers walk past debris AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Jumadil, 5, reacts at seeing his mother Susi Rahmatia, 26, after he went missing for seven days AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A woman builds a temporary toilet AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Rahmat Raidi, 26, shows portraits of his missing family members AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents queue before receiving humanitarian aid in Palu AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian villagers offload aid from a military helicopter in Proo village, Lindu district AFP/Getty Images Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents stand among houses destroyed by a landslide that was triggered by the earthquake in Petobo outside Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue People queue for fuel at a petrol station in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Members of the Indonesian Red Cross attend to a victim at a crushed house at Talise beach in Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Residents walk among houses destroyed by a landslide that was triggered by the earthquake in Petobo, outside Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue An Indonesian Police Officer uses a dog to search for victims amongst rubble in Petobo, outside Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue An Indonesian rescue team searches for victims and survivors amongst the rubble of the Roa Roa hotel in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue A crowd gathers at the airport in Palu in the hope of fleeing by plane Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Members of an Indonesian rescue team look for survivors in a collapsed home in Palu AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Bhayangkara hospital in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Members of an Indonesian rescue team look for survivors in a collapsed home in Palu AFP/Getty Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue An earthquake damaged bridge in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue People drive amongst the damage in Palu Reuters Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Indonesian women stand on a tsunami devastated area of Talise beach Palu EPA Indonesian earthquake: rescue efforts continue Members of an Indonesian rescue team look for survivors in a collapsed home in Palu AFP/Getty

Mr Besson said the team could not yet reach the victim, who was trapped under thick concrete. The team only had a hand drill and stopped digging as night fell.

Rescuers will return to the scene with heavy equipment early Friday to make a fresh attempt to rescue the person.

Some 1,200 people, mainly from Palu, are confirmed dead after the quake hit the island of Sulawesi last week, while hundreds of others are still unaccounted for.

Thousands of buildings were reduced to rubble by the disaster, leaving authorities fearful the bodies of many more victims could lay beneath the debris.

British aid agencies have been among the international organisations to provide support as much-needed supplies slowly begin to reach the disaster zone.

The eruption of volcano Mount Soputan in North Sulawesi this week has hampered relief efforts by sending an ash cloud spewing nearly 20,000ft into the sky.

International development secretary Penny Mordaunt said that thousands of shelter kits, solar lanterns and water purifiers were sent from the UK to Indonesia on Thursday.

A team of six UK humanitarian experts left London for Sulawesi earlier this week, and are now helping to coordinate the humanitarian response on the ground.

However, aid workers have reported widespread food shortages in Palu, as well as fears difficulties transporting supplies to affected areas could result in more casualties.

Additional reporting by AP
Six Malaysian divers have died after they were caught in a strong whirlpool while trying to save a teenager trapped in a disused mining pool.

The team who were members of the countrys fire brigade rescue department were killed during an operation in the town of Puchong, near Kuala Lumpur, on Wednesday evening.

Local authorities reported divers were dispatched to search for a 17-year-old, who was feared dead after slipping into the pool while fishing with friends.

Police said the divers, who were all tied to a single rope, had then become trapped in a vortex that had formed in the water.

They were eventually pulled unconscious from the water after around 30 minutes and received emergency medical treatment, but were unable to be resuscitated.

During the incident, the six divers were already in the water for nearly five minutes, searching for the missing teen, district police chief Abdul Aziz Ali told a press conference following the incident.

Suddenly, a strong current occurred in the area causing the victims to spin in the water while all their equipment came off.

The victims, who were between the ages of 24 and 34, had been based at Port Klang and Shah Alam fire stations.

The Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia paid tribute to the six men in a Facebook post on Thursday, offering condolences to their families.

Fire and Rescue Department director general Mohammad Hamdan Wahid told the New Straits Times a flood wall protecting the area had failed to contain water during heavy rains that day.

There is a flood wall at the location but it was overflowed by floodwater, he said. We will investigate the matter further to ensure this tragedy can be avoided in future.

Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has also extended his sympathies to the families of the divers, saying the government was considering providing them with aid.

He urged them to remain strong during a trying time.
Police in Australia have shot a man after he allegedly threatened staff at a Sydney hospital with a knife.

The suspect is said to have sustained a gunshot wound to the stomach after approaching officers with the weapon.

He is undergoing emergency surgery in the same hospital and is under police guard.

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Emergency services temporarily stopped staff and patients from entering or leaving Nepean Hospital in the west of the city after the incident.

Surrounding roads were closed and there was a large police presence at the scene

No staff were injured, Australian broadcaster Nine News reported.

Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms Show all 16 1 /16 Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms Farmer Ash Whitney stands atop a tree as he cuts off branches to feed his cattle Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms A cow walks away from a water tank near the town of Tamworth in New South Wales Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms Farmer Scott Cooper drops hay for his cattle next to a dried-up creek on South Park farm Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms Tyre tracks from farmer Jimmie McKeown's truck can be seen on his drought ravaged land near the town of Walgett in New South Wales Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms Dead trees on Scott Cooper's South Park farm Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms Farmer Ash Whitney stands on the back of his truck as he feeds his cattle on his land near the town of Gunnedah in New South Wales Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms An irrigated paddock can be seen next to a ploughed paddock on a farm located on the outskirts of the town of Mudgee in New South Wales Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms A windmill and solar panels on Scott Cooper's South Park farm Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms An old bus used for storing farming equipment stands on farmer Ash Whitney's land near the town of Gunnedah in New South Wales Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms A kangaroo casts a shadow as it drinks from a water tank on Ash Whitney's farm Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms An old Sydney tram sits on Jimmie and May McKeown's land near the town of Walgett in New South Wales Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms Patterns created by a plough can be seen on Ash Whitney's farm Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms Farmer Ash Whitney stands in the middle of a dried-up dam Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms Sheeps eat grain on a farm near Tamworth in New South Wales Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms A road can be seen next to tracks leading to a water tank on Ash Whitney's farm Reuters Australia's drought  the cancer eating away at farms A lone tree stands near a water trough on Jimmie and May McKeown's farm Reuters

Police were called to the hospital in the western suburb of Penrith shortly after 4pm local time on Wednesday.

Australia's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that the suspect was a patient who brandished the knife in the entrance to the hospital before police intervened.

 A nine-year-old girl refused to stand for the national anthem at school in Australia

Unconfirmed reports also said the man was carrying a note claiming to have an explosive device in a vehicle parked in the hospital's car park.

Brett Williams, general manager at Nepean Hospital, said the emergency department had been "temporarily closed following a shooting".

He added that staff were able to leave the building using a designated exit but that there would be a delay in accessing the hospital's car park.

Nepean Hospital is a private clinic that treats patients from Sydney and the nearby Blue Mountains.

In 2016 a police officer and a security guard were injured during a shooting at the hospital.
A plan to house homeless people on a cruise ship has been considered by Dublin City Council.

Originally mooted two years ago, the idea would have seen a rented ship used to home around 100 to 150 single people,

But it has emerged that the council's chief executive Owen Keegan suggested the plan could be "revisited" in a September letter to Ireland's housing minister Eoghan Murphy that was obtained by The Irish Times.

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After it was made public by the newspaper Mr Murphy insisted on Twitter that the idea was "not suitable for homeless families in need."

He added: "Better, more appropriate solutions are being pursued every day by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive.

Deputy Chief Executive of Dublin City Council Brendan Kenny confirmed to The Independent that the idea was not being pursued at present, but added: Its something we wouldnt rule out in the future.

Sinn Fein's Daithi Doolan, who chairs the council's housing committee condemned the idea.

An estimated 10,000 marched in Dublin this week to protest the housing crisis (PA)

Our energy must go in to providing real homes," he said. "This is the long term solution. Meanwhile if people find themselves homeless then we must provide good quality, safe, dignified accommodation. Housing people on a ship does not tick any of these boxes.

Brian McLoughlin, Head of Communications at Dublin homeless charity ICHH described the cruise ship plan as outrageous and called on authorities to act in more practical ways.

The council need to look at the huge number of council owned homes that are currently vacant and bring those homes back online as a matter of urgency," he said. "The government also need to look to enforce compulsory purchase orders on the properties owned by private landlords and vulture funds that sit empty during the worst homelessness and housing emergency in the history of our state.

Homelessness has been growing in Ireland for several years but has recently become a political hot potato, in part because of the amount of families being made homeless through a shortage of social housing, rising rent costs and evictions.

August statistics showed that there were 9,527 people homeless in Ireland, with 1,698 families with 3,693 children accessing emergency accommodation.

That month, it emerged that a woman and her six children were forced to spend the night in a police station. There was widespread outrage after a photograph of the family sleeping on metal chairs went viral.

Earlier this week An estimated 10,000 people marched through Dublin as part of the #RaiseTheRoof protest, with a broad array of politicians, families and students assembling to demand a solution.

Mr Murphy survived a motion of no confidence which was called in the Irish parliament by Sinn Fein. He later told a committee that he did not know when the crisis would peak, but defended his attempts to solve it.

I can tell you we are in the middle of a very serious crisis," he said. "I can tell you that it is linked fundamentally to a lack of houses being built, but I can also tell you the building of new homes is ramping up very dramatically.
Russian intelligence officers have been accused of launching cyberattacks on a range of international institutions, including global chemical weapons watchdog investigating the Salisbury novichok attack.

Officials in the Netherlands, where the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is based, said the Russian GRU used two different methods to attempt to carry out cyberattacks on several targets  known as close access and spear phishing.

Dutch authorities said four GRU officers parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment including laptops, wifi and batteries outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague. Then they attempted close access attack.

However, the arrests in April have a trail stretching back several years and possibly much further.

Here is a timeline of events in the lead-up to the latest allegations against the GRU:

2014

17 July: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 is downed by a Russian missile system in Ukraine. Data from laptops of men arrested in the Netherlands in April 2018 show they travelled to Malaysia during the investigation into the crash.

2015

July and August: Multiple email accounts belonging to a small UK-based TV station are accessed and content stolen. The UKs National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) subsequently declares with high confidence that the GRU was almost certainly responsible.

2016

June and July: The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is hacked and documents subsequently published online. Again, the NSCS says it has high confidence the Russian intelligence services were responsible.

Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Show all 23 1 /23 Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Russian passports belonging to (top row) Oleg Sotnikov (left), Aleksei Morenets, (bottom row) Evgenii Serebriakov (left) and Alexey Minin, who have been named as the four GRU officers who tried to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot On April 13 the officers parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Specialist equipment intended for the alleged hacking of WiFi networks of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Russia's military intelligence service has been accused of trying to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot The Dutch counter-terrorism officers intervened to disrupt the operation and the four GRU officers were ordered to leave the country Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Mobile phones and a camera recovered from four GRU officers who were alleged to have hacked the WiFi networks of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot The four Russians arrived on diplomatic passports Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Alexey Minin, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers who tried to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot A car carrying hacking equipment used by GRU officers, travelling on official Russian passports, parked near the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Oleg Sotnikov, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Hacking equipment belonging to four Russian officers Dutch Ministry of Defence/AP Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Evgenii Serebriakov, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Equipment found in possession of four Russian citizens Reuters Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Photos of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and its surroundings taken on the 11 April, found on the phone of GRU officer Alexey Minin Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Equipment found in possession of four Russian citizens REUTERS Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Aleksei Morenets, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot A combo of a taxi bill and a map, with a ride from a street next to the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, GRU, to Sheremyetevo airport in Moscow, found in possession of one of four GRU officers AP Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Yevgeny Serebryakov, an alleged Russian agent AFP/Getty Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry

2017

June: A cyberattack targets the Ukrainian financial, energy and government sectors but spreads further, affecting other European and Russian businesses. NCSC says with high confidence that the GRU was almost certainly responsible.

August: Confidential medical files relating to a number of international athletes are released. The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) stated publicly that this data came from a hack of its Anti-Doping Administration and Management system. The NCSC again states that GRU was almost certainly behind the attack.

24 October: BadRabbit ransomware  a type of malware (malicious software) that prevents users from accessing their system or personal files and demands ransom payment in order to regain access  causes disruption. The metro in Ukraines capital Kiev is affected, along with the airport in Odessa. Russias central bank and two Russian media outlets are also hit. Russia again accused by the NCSC of being behind the attack.

October: Malware infected thousands of home and small business routers and network devices worldwide. The infection potentially allowed attackers to control infected devices, render them inoperable and intercept or block network traffic, the UK government says.

Recommended Russian cyber attack plot targeting chemical weapons watchdog foiled

2018

4 March: Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, discovered unconscious on a bench in the Wiltshire city of Salisbury. The finger of blame is quickly pointed at the Russian security services.

Later in March: GRU carries out unsuccessful spearfishing attack on the Foreign Office, according to UK government.

Early April: Computers at the Ministry of Defence laboratory at Porton Down, which was carrying out tests linked to the Skripal poisoning, are targeted.

7 April: More than 40 people killed in suspected chemical weapons attack on Douma. Syrian government denies ever using chemical weapons while its ally Russia claims to have evidence the incident was staged with the help of the UK.

10 April: Four GRU officers travelling on official Russian passports enter the Netherlands.

 Russia cyber attacks: UK ambassador to the Netherlands praises Dutch intelligence services

13 April: Four Russian men found with specialist equipment near the OPCW headquarters are arrested. The OPCW had been investigating both the novichok poisoning of Mr Skripal his daughter and analysing the chemical weapons attack in Douma.

5 September: Theresa May names two Russian nationals suspected of travelling to Salisbury to carry out the poisoning as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov.

4 October: GRU accused of carrying out a swathe of attacks in the UK and abroad on political institutions, financial systems, transport networks and the media. Authorities say that a laptop recovered in a car used by the four men arrested in April contains information which suggests they were present in Lausanne for the world anti-doping conference.
On 10 April, a seemingly unremarkable group of Russian men arrived at Amsterdams Schiphol airport on diplomatic passports.

They were greeted by an official from the Russian embassy in the Netherlands, who helped them hire a car to be used in their stay.

Aleksei Morenets, Evgenii Serebriakov, Oleg Sotnikov and Alexey Minin then travelled more than 40 miles to The Hague Marriott Hotel.

It was not chosen for its four-star rating, but for the view  over the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) international headquarters.

The four diplomats were in reality agents from the GRU military intelligence agency, on a mission to hack into the chemical weapons watchdogs computer systems.

Weeks after the attack on Sergei Skripal the OPCWs scientists were testing samples taken from Salisbury that would be verified as Russian-made novichok within days.

The GRU had to act quickly, and having already tried and failed remote cyberattacks on the OPCW, UK Foreign Office and laboratory at Porton Down, a close-access attempt was the only option left.

Specialist equipment intended for the alleged hacking of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons wifi networks (PA)

The four spies started preparing for their mission, equipped with multiple mobile phones, cameras, specialist hacking equipment and the equivalent of almost 35,000 in cash.

On 11 and 12 April, Dutch investigators said they carried out reconnaissance of the OPCW building and its surroundings.

They photographed the headquarters from numerous angles, including from inside the Marriott hotel.

At some point, the four agents went shopping for a large battery in The Hague, which also houses Dutch government institutions, international embassies, the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court.

By 13 April, they were ready to strike. Their hired Citroen C3 had its boot fitted out with a covered wifi antenna, computer, transformer and specialist equipment set up for hacking internet connections.

All that was left to do was to park it within range of the OPCW headquarters and get to work.

But Dutch security services, with help from Britain and other allies, had detected the plot and sprang into action before it could succeed.

As police officers moved in, the Russians attempted to destroy their equipment but not quickly enough, leaving an unprecedented cache of intelligence.

Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Show all 23 1 /23 Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Russian passports belonging to (top row) Oleg Sotnikov (left), Aleksei Morenets, (bottom row) Evgenii Serebriakov (left) and Alexey Minin, who have been named as the four GRU officers who tried to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot On April 13 the officers parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Specialist equipment intended for the alleged hacking of WiFi networks of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Russia's military intelligence service has been accused of trying to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot The Dutch counter-terrorism officers intervened to disrupt the operation and the four GRU officers were ordered to leave the country Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Mobile phones and a camera recovered from four GRU officers who were alleged to have hacked the WiFi networks of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot The four Russians arrived on diplomatic passports Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Alexey Minin, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers who tried to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog which is investigating the Salisbury nerve agent attack PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot A car carrying hacking equipment used by GRU officers, travelling on official Russian passports, parked near the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Oleg Sotnikov, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Hacking equipment belonging to four Russian officers Dutch Ministry of Defence/AP Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Evgenii Serebriakov, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Equipment found in possession of four Russian citizens Reuters Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Photos of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and its surroundings taken on the 11 April, found on the phone of GRU officer Alexey Minin Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Equipment found in possession of four Russian citizens REUTERS Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Aleksei Morenets, who has been named as one of the four GRU officers PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot A combo of a taxi bill and a map, with a ride from a street next to the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, GRU, to Sheremyetevo airport in Moscow, found in possession of one of four GRU officers AP Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Yevgeny Serebryakov, an alleged Russian agent AFP/Getty Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry Dutch security services expel Russian spies over cyber plot Netherlands Defence Ministry

The group had attempted to be careful, using old-fashioned Samsung burner phones alongside more sophisticated smartphones.

Their operational security training even extended to the rubbish bin in their hotel rooms, which they emptied of cheap lager cans and fruit juice bottles that were taken on the mission.

But it all came to nothing as they were arrested and escorted to the Dutch border by police, who sent them back to Moscow.

Intelligence services were left to analyse a treasure trove of information left on the mens phones, computers and other devices that revealed their past movements and future plans.

Despite their diplomatic cover, the connection to the GRU was not hard to find.

One of the phones recovered, a Sony Xperia, had been activated through a cell tower next to the GRUs headquarters in Moscow on 9 April.

The following day, Morenets ordered a taxi from the street outside the barracks directly to Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport, where he and his three fellow agents would fly onwards to Amsterdam. He kept the receipt.

The car carrying hacking equipment used by the GRU officers (Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA)

Minins camera allowed investigators to retrace their steps as they carried out hostile reconnaissance on the OPCW.

And Serebriakovs laptop showed he had been researching the Speiz Laboratory in Switzerland, which had been tasked with testing Salisbury samples.

Dutch investigators identified the laboratory as the groups next target after discovering they had purchased train tickets onwards to Bern and printed out maps of Russian diplomatic facilities in the area.

They would never reach it, and days after the attempted attack on the OPCW it publicly verified the use of novichok in Salisbury.

The decision to release the identities of the GRU operatives involved has sparked another round of investigations by international intelligence services and citizen groups.

Online investigators Bellingcat and The Insider website said their checks suggested that Aleksei Morenets, Evgenii Serebriakov, Oleg Sotnikov and Alexey Minin were real identities rather than aliases.

The GRU officers were apprehended by Dutch intelligence officers (Dutch Ministry of Defence/PA)

They accessed database records for Morenets giving his registered address as Ulitsa Narodnogo Opolcheniya 50, an address in Moscow where the military academy of the Ministry of Defence is situated. This academy is known as the GRU Conservatory.

On a separate Russian car ownership database, Morenets is listed as the owner of a Lada car registered to Komsomolsky Prospekt 20  the GRU barracks where the four spies caught their taxi on 10 April.

It is also the home of GRU unit 26165, identified by Dutch, British and American officials as its cyberwarfare department.

A search for vehicles registered to the same address turned up 305 names alongside their passport details and, in some cases, telephone numbers.

As Bellingcat noted: If these 305 individuals are indeed officers or otherwise affiliated with the GRUs military unit 26165, their listing in a publicly accessible database may constitute one of the largest mass breaches of personal data of an intelligence service in recent history.
Romania will hold a referendum on Sunday October 7 that could effectively outlaw gay marriage.

The countrys electorate will vote on a constitutional amendment that would officially define marriage as a union between man and woman, a move angrily opposed by LGBT+ rights campaigners.

Heres the background to the situation.

What does the amendment involve?

Conservative organisation Coalition for the Family raised the issue by submitting a petition to parliament containing three million signatures and proposing a change to the constitution, calling for the replacement of references to spouses with less ambiguous, gender-specific wording.

The suggestion was approved by the Romanian senate in mid-September by 107 votes to 13 and was then passed the Constitutional Court with a seven to two majority, forcing the referendum.

Why was it proposed?

Romania remains a predominantly conservative nation in which the Orthodox Church continues to play a prominent role in public life. There are few out politicians and many fear the effect of more liberal values on the nuclear family.

Weve been a Christian nation for 2,000 years, senator Serban Nicolae of the ruling Social Democrats reminded the people recently.

Recommended Romania to hold vote on whether to permanently ban gay marriage

Although the countrys LGBT+ citizens are given equal rights in some areas, including military service, housing and age of sexual consent, they cannot marry or undertake civil partnerships and are banned from giving blood or adopting.

A ruling by the European Court of Justice in July this year, however, forced Romania to acknowledge the residency rights of same-sex spouses following a case brought by a Romanian man on behalf of his American husband.

But like Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Latvia, the Eastern European nation does not offer legal protection to gay and lesbian couples and voting the change into law would only set that inequality in stone, with many fearing a yes vote would embolden hate speech or even homophobic violence.

What have LGBT+ campaigners said?

Accept, a Romanian LGBT+ rights group, has accused senators of raising homophobia to state value and sacrificing constitutional protection for many families.

This referendum is essentially asking people to approve discriminating against their neighbours, colleagues, friends and family members, said Katrin Hugendubel, European advocacy director at the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA).

Rainbow families, diverse family groups, loving families living in Romania right now are all threatened by this proposal.

Romania has a responsibility to protect all its citizens  straight and LGBTI, adds Arpi Avetisyan, the same organisations European litigation officer.

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The definition of family put forward by the supporters of this referendum is frankly inaccurate; it only captures a very limited fraction of what family means to people in 2018.

And it is also very out-of-step with reality and with the diversity of families being recognised by international human rights bodies and European courts.

Barbora Cernusakova, Amnesty Internationals researcher on Romania, said the constitutional amendment would represent a backward step.

How has the international community reacted?

Forty-seven members of the European Parliament have expressed their disapproval in a letter to Prime Minister Vlorica Dancila, warning the vote could harm children by promoting the message that single-parent families, non-married partners with children, grandparents raising their grandchildren (or) rainbow families dont deserve recognition or protection.

The letter said the Romanian government had failed to ensure alternative forms of legal recognition for families and could be considered complicit in the ongoing human rights violations against the rights ... of those in non-traditional families.
Changes of government in Iraq are often fiercely disputed and frequently violent. When the monarchy was overthrown in 1958, the young King Faisal II was machine gunned in the courtyard of his palace in Baghdad and his body later strung up from a lamp post.

Few of his successors met peaceful ends up to the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and political transitions in the following years have provoked extreme rancour inside Iraq and intense political pressure from foreign powers.

In contrast to this bloodthirsty tradition, the choice of the veteran Kurdish politician Barham Salih as president by the Iraqi parliament and his selection as prime minister of Adel Abdul-Mahdi, an independent Shia Islamist politician, was peaceful and low key.

The formal handover ceremony took place at the presidential palace in Baghdads Green Zone, where Mr Salih was saluted by an honour guard and received by outgoing president Fuad Masum.

The appointments were a long time coming  it is almost five months since the general election on 12 May  but, when they did come, they were welcome or, at least, accepted by almost all the main political players. Mr Abdul-Mahdi now has 30 days to put together a government and is likely to succeed in doing so.

The political climate is very different today from the last change of prime minister in 2014 when Haider al-Abadi took office after the Iraqi army had been routed by Isis, whose fighters were only an hours drive north of Baghdad.

Isis still carries out sporadic killings and bombings but on nothing like the scale of the past. Violence is at its lowest level in Iraq than at any time since 2003. The turnaround is really even more radical in that Iraq is no longer being engulfed by wars, crises, revolutions and sanctions as it has been over a period of almost 40 years since Saddam Hussein seized supreme power and invaded Iran.

Cynics in Baghdad contend that the lack of serious political strife is explained by the fact that Mr Salih and Mr Abdul-Mahdi are well-entrenched members of the Kurdish and Shia political elite that replaced Saddam Hussein 15 years ago and has misruled the country ever since.

Both men have held senior government posts in the past, leading to expectations that the politicians that chose them will get their normal share of ministries, jobs and contracts.

Has any state as corrupt as Iraq ever really been reformed? asked one political commentator with a long experience of Iraqi politics.

The pressure for reform of the kleptocratic state is greater than ever before. Popular discontent was underlined this summer by the mass demonstrations in Basra protesting the lack of electricity and water, supply failures that culminated in the drinking water becoming so poisonous that thousands of people were admitted to hospital after drinking it.

The electoral success of Muqtada al-Sadr, the populist nationalist cleric whose Sairoon Alliance topped the poll in the general election in May, showed the growing primacy of social and economic issues over sectarian solidarity.

Mr Sadr is well aware of the scepticism among many Iraqis who believe that his movements zeal for reform would evaporate once its leaders took office as ministers.

To counter this, he said on Thursday that his bloc would not nominate any minister whatever for the new cabinet, giving Mr Abdul-Mehdi one year to carry out reforms or face an uprising, a threat which carries more weight since the burning of government and party offices in Basra.

We have succeeded in pushing for an independent prime minister ... and have encouraged him to form a cabinet without being put under pressure from parties or sects, tweeted Mr Sadr. We have issued our instructions not to nominate any member of our bloc to assume a ministerial post in the upcoming cabinet. We have agreed to give the premier a one-year ultimatum to prove his success and take serious steps to build Iraq and shun autocracy.

Such reforms will be difficult to carry out because it is not only the elite that plunder Iraqs oil revenues. At least $4bn a month is spent paying some 4.5 million state employees who often hold their jobs because of party or religious allegiance.

The choice of president and prime minister already shows that there is some change in who holds power in Baghdad and the Kurdish region. Mr Abdul-Mehdi is not from the Shia Dawa party that has provided the last three prime ministers, but from the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), a religious party that has had close links with Iran. Mr Salih comes from the much-divided Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) that rules the east of the Kurdistan Regional Government territory.

Both appointments show a shift towards Iran and away from the US. This is significant because the US was hoping to see Mr Abadi, with whom it had cooperated successfully against Isis, stay on as prime minister. At one moment, he had seemed to say that he would go along with US sanctions against Iran.

Although Mr Abadi was prime minister when Mosul was recaptured from Isis and the oil city of Kirkuk reclaimed from the Kurds, he gained little credit for it among Iraqi voters.

The reduction in violence allowed them to focus on the mass theft of state resources under Dawa which has failed to improve, or even maintain, the infrastructure.

The choice of Mr Salih is a sign that the influence of Masoud Barzani, long the most powerful Kurdish leader, has been reduced by his referendum on Kurdish independence last year. This precipitated the advance of the Iraqi security forces on Kirkuk and other territories disputed with the Kurds. Part of Mr Salihs party, the PUK, cooperated with government forces.

All Iraqi governments are, to a greater or lesser extent, fragile because of religious and ethnic differences, but the new government is a sign that Iraq is stabilising after four decades of violence and division.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the Saudi ambassador in Turkey after a dissident journalist entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday and vanished.

Jamal Khashoggi, a harsh critic of his country's ambitious Crown Prince, has been missing for over 48 hours.

An official from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the Saudi ambassador was "invited" to the ministry on Thursday.

The envoy claimed that the kingdom had no information about the reporter's disappearance and that the consulate was looking into the matter.

Turkish broadcaster NTV reported that the ambassador also said during talks at the ministry that he would let officials know once he obtained information.

Turkish and Saudi authorities have given conflicting accounts about the whereabouts of the journalist.

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Mr Khashoggi moved to Washington from Saudi Arabia last year, fearing retribution for his views.

The reporter previously had a friendly relationship with the country's government, particularly under the rule of the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

But the 59-year-old had been in self-imposed exile ever since the ascent of Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful Saudi prince who has introduced a string of political and social reforms in the country and overseen a harsh crackdown on dissidents and rival royal family members.

Mr Khashoggi served for years as editor-in-chief of the Saudi daily newspaper Al-Watan, appeared regularly on television and contributed to The Washington Post.

He visited the consulate in the Levant district of Istanbul on Friday, to finish some paperwork ahead of his marriage to his Turkish fiancee.

The journalist was told to return on Tuesday at 1:30 pm.

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His fiancee, Hatice, took his valuables and electronic devices before he returned to the embassy. Hours passed and she grew alarmed as he failed to emerge from the building.

She began to panic and called Mr Khashoggi's friends.

"I don't know what has happened to him. I can't even guess how such a thing can happen to him," Hatice told The Associated Press.

"There is no law or lawsuit against him. He is not a suspect, he has not been convicted. There is nothing against him. He is just a man whose country doesn't like his writings or his opinions."

The Washington Post said that it was extremely concerned about Mr Khashoggi's disappearance.

"We have reached out to anyone we think might be able to help locate him and assure his safety, including U.S., Turkish and Saudi officials," the newspaper's editorial page editor Fred Hiatt said in a statement.

Officials inside the consulate claim that Mr Khashoggi left the building before he vanished. Turkish police reviewed footage from security cameras and said that the journalist had not exited the consulate.

"According to the information we have, this person who is a Saudi citizen is still at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul," a spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters on Wednesday

"We don't have information to the contrary."

Turkish police have launched an investigation into the journalist's disappearance, the Sozcu newspaper website reported on Thursday.

The Saudi consulate in Istanbul said that it is "carrying out coordination with brotherly Turkish local authorities and is following up in order to reveal the truth about the conditions of Khashoggis disappearance after he left the consulate building," according to a statement posted on its Twitter account in Turkish.

The journalist's disappearance threatens to further damage relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The countries are on opposing sides of an ongoing four-nation boycott of Qatar.

Fears are also growing that Mr Khashoggi's apparent detention could signal a new level of brazenness from Saudi security forces, who may be seeking to silence dissent at home and abroad.

Officials in Saudi Arabia recently arrested Essam al-Zamel, an economist who criticised the Crown Prince's financial plans, on treason and terrorism charges.

Additional reporting by agencies
Jittery members of the Hamilton County Commission had to squirm on the dais yesterday, wondering how they were ever going to break the rest of the story to an overflow house of angry citizens. Wednesday was certainly not the time! Yesterdays crowd, raucous at times, was up in arms over a desperately-needed sewage treatment plant but, oh, just you wait. This one is going to get hotter than donut grease.

How are these people going to act when they learn the drawings have already been let for a huge, all-encompassing public service facility unlike any other in the United States? To be called, The Coppinger, much like trendy hotels are The Edwin or simply Y, it will be a collection of buildings we agree are necessary, but nobody wants in their back yard.

The notion is that everybody gets mad over prisons, halfway houses, and waste treatment odors, but rather than make six or seven communities within the county mad, we are better with just one real mad, you savvy?

The dormitory I have in mind will be decorated in a Big Orange theme so that after the children attend our public schools courtesy of the taxpayers, they will have a subliminal urge to attend UT  again on Tennessee taxpayer money. Are you kidding me? Our reveille every morning would be Rocky Top and I want it played loud. At least 12 separate federal and state buildings, in this mans dream, would fully encircle the sewage treatment plant in northeast Hamilton County and the primary drawings, courtesy of FEMA lets say, would include a four-story dormitory that would accommodate hundreds of unaccompanied children.The dormitory I have in mind will be decorated in a Big Orange theme so that after the children attend our public schools courtesy of the taxpayers, they will have a subliminal urge to attend UT  again on Tennessee taxpayer money. Are you kidding me? Our reveille every morning would be Rocky Top and I want it played loud.

Directly opposite the imposing dormitory there will be a 3-story halfway house for at-risk felons seeking parole. Actually, there will be two inmate facilities. The other justice building  next to the dorm -- will hold about 100-120 minimum-security women (not on parole) who will be paid 50 cents an hour to oversee the Hispanic children, teach them English, and  from March until October -- give daily swimming lessons in the warm water generated by the Sequoyah reactors.

In both corrections facilities, there will be no guards and no locked doors. The buildings will be governed by elected convicts and there will be no restraining fences, locks on doors nor roll calls. But every inmate, male or female, knows beforehand if they escape, there will be no charges filed, no court appearances and no appeals. Instead they will be taken to the field behind the sewage plant and shot by a convicted murderer, who will get a half-year reduction on his sentence.

* * *

The hope is that the male parolees  many with previous drug experience  will be the perfect work force to serve Tennessees first marijuana intake center. Already the states fourth largest agriculture product, the confiscated herbs will be made into something similar to PCP oil.

Because the alternative health aid is processed and bottled on site, the retail shop will be open 24/7. The owners  known only as hedge fund operators from Madrid at this time  are sponsoring legislation to also make candy items for those who cannot abide the oil.

An assisted living hostel for Hamilton County residents only will cater mostly to those who are physically challenged. (How a building limited to locals is going to qualify for a hostel, usually for travelers only, has not been revealed) but the concept of the afflicted helping one another is bringing raves.

A mosque, placed properly with stucco walls imbedded with shiny beads, star-shaped mirrors, a greenish paint that glows when subjected to light, is guaranteed to be a hit. You see, the lights will never go off, burning night and day. This is the promise we were told in the beginning. These plans were actually written, and the Department of Corrections, feels fulltime lighting is a good thing. The light fixtures will include WiFi and, naturally, sirens if a nuclear mistake appears to be imminent.

The first-ever Mother Teresa Center of Leprosy will have a branch office in The Coppinger Compound, so to speak, and while cases today are rare, the hope is any children who are afflicted can protect one another on the bus rides to and from school. Actually, there are 6,500 American who have leprosy, about 100 new cases every year, and there is some belief it is carried by armadillos, which have now migrated to Tennessee from the West.

A full-service grocery store will, indeed, sell tobacco products but carry-out beer will be limited to only United States brands. A cabaret club, to be called The Heroin Brassiere, will offer $1.00 beers, heavy handed cocktails, and hard-boiled eggs. Already bearing the nickname, Da Bra, Bro, the last floor show will end at 10 p.m.

Slick Jakes, a manly sort of place, will offer 25 percent discounts to everyone that shows up on either a Harley or Kawasaki (Jake lost a leg when a hot Kawa got loose on him once at Aetna Mountain) And  get this  because the complex will be politically correct, the biker bar will be 24-7. Employees of the sewage plant will get a 30 percent discount if they sit in a special room where food and drink can be passed through a trap door.

Why do I think that is funny?

* * *

All of what you have just read is not true. So allow me to put it in perspective  I sat in a doctors office last week and my knee was killing me. As my eyes wandered the waiting room, there was a man seated, maybe 20 years younger, who was wearing shorts as he read his book. On his left leg was a prosthesis and my sore joint immediately felt better  man, Im telling you it could be worse.

I totally empathize with the overflow crowd that gathered at the County Commission yesterday. They had only five days to rally the troops in opposition to a sewage treatment plant in their neighborhood and mistakenly believed the Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Authority has gotten the approval to build a $43 million wastewater treatment facility on Mahan Gap Road. That wasnt the case at all.

Last year the County Commission voted to fund a project that will wind up costing about $50 million. No problem there. Everybody knows it is sorely needed and every person who spoke against it will soon benefit from it. The rub is nobody wants a sewage plant in their back yard.

County officials joined wastewater officials in clarifying what the request from the commission meant  it was simply a step from last year  but because of misinformation via emails, even worse phone calls, and actual harassment of County Commissioners  what should have been a calm discussion was most certainly not.

Most of the rancor was directed at the WWTA board chairman Mike Moon, who immediately said This is my fault  I am sorry this appeared the way it did.

But that wasnt good enough. No less than 12 approached the microphone and, as is their right, spoke openly. Unfortunately, a miscommunication caused most to think the treatment facility site was a done deal, something that was being railroaded, which was not the case at all.

Mike Moon works as an unpaid volunteer as the chairman of the WWTA and he leads a great team though mine fields all the time. People all over the county, specifically in the red hot area of Savannah Bay and up towards Collegedale, should thank their stars for such a public servant and anyone who believes Mike has an agenda or a motive is a terrible disappointment.

The sewage treatment plant is a must but, just as important, it is paramount that we treat one another with respect, courtesy, and the belief we are all dedicated to do what is right. If youll accept that policy, tap on Mikes shoulder and thank him for doing what he believes is best  for you, not himself.

I believe we should always be beholden to celebrate that.
The United Nations has warned that a million children in Idlib, Syria are at risk if a shaky truce collapses and a regime offensive goes ahead, while limited humanitarian access is still a serious concern.

The northwestern province is one of the last remaining rebel strongholds in Syria and is home to the highest number of internally displaced children in the country, Unicef told The Independent. Anti-government forces, including rebels and jihadis, have been effectively corralled into the region through a string of evacuation deals as President Assads forces have taken control of swathes of territory.

Turkey and Russia, which are backing opposite sides of the civil war, have brokered a tense truce.

Under the agreement, Russian and Turkish forces will run a 15km-deep demilitarised buffer zone between the insurgents and government forces. However, it is dependent on the withdrawal of armed radicals like al-Qaeda affiliated groups by 15 October.

The UN said on Thursday that many of the children in Idlib have been multiply displaced during the seven-year civil war and are at risk.

Idlib has one of the highest numbers of internally displaced children in the country. Many have been displaced on multiple occasions and across Idlib, Unicef estimates that 1 million children are currently at risk, Unicef, the UNs child agency, said.

Limited humanitarian access is still a big concern and Unicef is working with local partners in Idlib, western Aleppo and northern Hama to deliver lifesaving assistance and respond to the displacement of civilians, it added.

Unicef said that many schools have had to shut down due to an uptick in violence. More than 2,000 teaching positions are vacant and nearly 7,000 classrooms need rehabilitation.

Children in the besieged area spoke of fleeing multiple war zones, being terrified of the impending offensive and dropping out of school because of the war.

For the last two years, we have been moving from one place to the next to run away from fighting, said Ulfat, nine, who was originally from rural Hama but has fled three separate towns.

Im in second grade but I should be in fourth. I had to drop out of school when we left Hama, she added.

Abdullah, eight, said he was afraid of the sounds of war and hides when he hears the planes or helicopters coming.

When I hear the explosions, I run away and hide. I used to run to our neighbours house because they have a basement to hide in, he said. The little boy is from Aleppo but fled to Raqqa and then Idlib eight months ago.

Ridda, 12, said his seven-year-old sister was injured during one regime offensive by shrapnel to her neck.

I am afraid of war and fighting. I dont know what we will do or where we will go if the fighting starts here, he said.

Maryam, seven, has been displaced multiple times but now lives in Idlib (Unicef/Syria 2018/Khalil Ashawi)

Maryam, seven, also said she did not know what would happen if the fighting starts up again.

My parents say we might have to move again and go to Turkey if this happens.

The UN estimates some 3 million people live in Idlib today, double the population of the governorate before the civil war broke out in 2011. It has warned that more than 800,000 could be forced to flee if an attack happens.

However, Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that he believed the demilitarised zone in Idlib was effective and would hold.

I have every reason to believe that we will achieve our goals, Mr Putin said. Military action for the sake of military action is unnecessary, he added.

Ulfat, nine, at school in Idlib (Unicef/Syria 2018/Khalil Ashawi) (Photo:  UNICEF/Syria 2018/Khalil Ashawi)

Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Moualem said on Tuesday that Damascus believed Turkey is capable of carrying out its obligations in Idlib.

Turkey has long backed rebel groups opposed to Assad but has joined Russia in recent months in seeking a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

However, cracks have shown in the agreement. The rebels have rejected plans for a joint Russian-Turkish patrol of the area, as they are deeply distrustful of Moscow since it intervened in 2015 to back President Assad.

Ridda, 12, has been displaced multiple times (Unicef/Syria 2018/Khalil Ashawi) (Photo:  UNICEF/Syria 2018/Khalil Ashawi)

Moscow has ordered that all opposition heavy weapons, mortars, tanks and rocket systems are to be removed from the zone by 10 October. But rebel leaders have said they are keeping their weapons as they do not trust the Russians and expect they wont abide by the deal at any moment.

It is also unclear if the radical insurgents will withdraw by the 15 October deadline.

The main jihadi group in the Idlib area, Tahrir al-Sham, affiliated with al-Qaeda, has yet to say whether it will comply with the agreement.
All five legal challenges to plans for a third runway at Heathrow will go to a full hearing, the High Court in London has ruled.

Four organisations and one individual applied for their objections to the expansion scheme to be given a full hearing.

They are challenging the National Policy Statement from the Department for Transport (DfT), which gives a green light to Heathrows third runway. MPs approved the plans in June.

Local authorities, the Mayor of London, environmental groups and a resident of Twickenham, Neil Spurrier, applied for a hearing on environmental grounds.

They are joined by proponents of Heathrow Hub, who propose an extended northern runway, and who claim that the decision process that led to the National Policy Statement was flawed.

Todays hearing before Justice Holgate was a procedural step prior to a full judicial review in March 2019.

The five cases will be heard by two judges over 10 days.

Such is the expected level of interest that the largest courtroom at the Royal Courts of Justice will be used, with a standby courtroom to be available for overspill, with a TV link to the main proceedings.

Paul McGuinness, chair of the No 3rd Runway Coalition, said: It is not insignificant that the judge has permitted all five claimants to proceed to judicial review.

If the government had not ignored available evidence in their blinkered enthusiasm to expand this already highly disruptive airport, parliament would not have supported the proposal, and these actions would not have been necessary.

Before the hearing, the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, whose Hayes & Harlington constituency includes Heathrow, pledged direct action if the runway eventually gets the go ahead.

Heathrow and the third runway campaign will be the iconic battleground, not just in London, not just in this country, but across Europe and the globe against climate change, he said.

I warn the government. Were not going to lose. Were going to win. Were going to protect our communities and above all else were going to protect our planet.

A DfT spokesperson said: Expansion at Heathrow is a critical programme which will provide a boost to the economy, increase our international links and create tens of thousands of new jobs.

As with any major infrastructure project, we have been anticipating legal challenges and will robustly defend our position.

Todays hearing does not impact on the work Heathrow is undertaking on its application for planning consent or the timetable to deliver this much-needed runway.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: Todays hearing is part of the normal court process when large infrastructure projects are legally challenged.

We remain confident in our plans  which are backed by an overwhelming cross-party majority in Parliament  and will continue to develop them in tandem with this review.

We remain on-track for the first plane to depart from a third runway at Heathrow in 2026.
Each day, more than 30 flights take off between London and New York, carrying almost three million passengers a year.

But rewind 60 years, and the first transatlantic jet was just taking off between the two cities.

On 4 October 1958, BOAC  todays British Airways  flew two de Havilland Comet 4 aircraft across the Atlantic: one from New York to London and the other from London to New York.

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The trip across the pond was the first-ever transatlantic jet flight, which made front-page news at the time. Thanks to the new aircraft, the journey time was cut from up to 20 hours to around seven.

In 1958, the Comet 4 could fly just 48 passengers a day from London, in two cabins - deluxe and first class - while a ticket to travel on this exclusive flight cost the equivalent of 8,000. Today, return flights from London to New York start at just 292 with British Airways.

Peggy Thorne, 91, was one of the original cabin crew members on that first flight.

The crew of the first transatlantic jet flight, including cabin crew member Peggy Thorne (British Airways)

It was marvellous, Thorne said, at an event hosted by British Airways this week to celebrate the first flight. We were used to travelling to New York on Boeing Stratocruisers which took up to 20 hours. We couldnt believe the flight was possible in such a short time.

Talking about the 1958 flight, Thorne said: There were all sorts of dignitaries on board, press and the chairman of BOAC. It was a thrilling experience.

The crew of the first BOAC De Havilland Comet 4 jet (British Airways)

We served customers Madeira biscuits and coffee when they came onboard, followed by cocktails and canapes, and then a five-course lunch with wines. She added that passengers ate and drank from when they got on board until the time they got off.

Former Comet 4 navigator captain Hugh Dibley added: The Comet 4 was a firm favourite with pilots, as it was nice to fly and the design meant it was quite easy to make smooth landings. It also had great passenger appeal due to its beautiful appearance and take-off performance.
Northern Rail services will be disrupted again on Saturday 2 February, with the train operator running a much-reduced schedule in response to a planned strike.

Very few trains will run after 5pm on the next three Saturdays in February.

This latest round of industrial action started on Saturday 25 August, and was called as part of an ongoing dispute over the role of train guards and rail safety involving the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.

Travellers were also affected by bouts of industrial action taken by Northern Rail staff in March and June 2018.

When will the strikes be happening?

The next strike will take place between 12.01am and 11.59pm on Saturday 2 February.

Will trains still be running?

According to Northern, around 700 services will operate on Saturday, but very few will run after 5pm.

How will my journey be affected?

Some routes wont have any services running, while others have a limited service. On those routes where trains are operating, all services are expected to be extremely busy. There are also replacement bus services available on some routes where trains arent running.

David Brown, managing director at Northern, said: We expect all of our service on Saturdays to be extremely busy and are calling on our customers to plan their travel carefully for the coming weekend, check the new timetables well in advance, and make sure they do not rely on the last trains home.

All customers are advised to check before travelling and, where necessary, may want to seek alternative modes of transport. Check the Northern Rail website for more details about all services affected and stay up to date by checking social media: @northernassist.

Why are the strikes taking place?

The owner of Northern Rail, Arrival Rail North, a subsidiary of the German national railway Deutsche Bahn, wants to operate driver-only services with automatic doors, a move RMT argues is putting profits before public safety.

RMT general secretary, Mick Cash, said: RMT committed to talks in good faith with Northern, but instead of making progress towards a settlement that matches the best practice in the rail industry as negotiated elsewhere, the company have opted instead to play fast and loose, making a mockery of the exercise.

Our reps know when they are being strung along and its that attitude from the company that has forced us to announce this next phase of action.

RMT members on Arriva Rail North have been in dispute for well over a year now in a battle to put public safety before private profit and we are angry and frustrated that a genuine opportunity to reach an agreement has been kicked back by the company.

German-owned Northern Rail want to run nearly half a million trains a year without a safety critical guard onboard in a move that would wreck both safety and access to services and they should listen to their front-line staff and pull back from that plan immediately.

RMT recently secured an agreement on Greater Anglia that enshrines the guard guarantee. Similar agreements have also been reached in Wales and Scotland. Arriva Rail North need to do the right thing and come to an agreement that secures a guard on their trains too.

Northern has called for RMT to suspend its strike action and return to talks at ACAS. It claims RMT has made agreements with other train operators that it refuses to discuss with Northern.

David Brown, MD at Northern, said: More than 50 per cent of all rail journeys in the UK are made on driver-controlled trains and recently the Department for Transport and Transport for the North publicly confirmed that a second person  in addition to the driver  would be retained on Northern services.

This second person will provide customer service, including meeting customer needs on accessibility, safety, security, ticketing and information. Therefore, there is no reason for the RMT to continue its disruptive and economically damaging strikes but despite this, the RMT continues with its strike action.

Where can I find more information?

All passengers are advised to check the Northern Rail website and social media before travelling. Where possible, passengers may wish to consider alternative modes of transport.
Less than a week after complaining about Canadas negotiating stance and appearing to despair of agreement, Donald Trump has hailed a new US-Mexico-Canada trade treaty in typically hyperbolic terms. It was, he said, truly historic; the biggest trade deal in United States history; the most important ever agreed by the United States.

The agreement, which needs to be approved by the US Congress and the legislatures of the other two countries, will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) finalised during Bill Clintons presidency, and appears to go some way towards addressing US concerns about cheaper Mexican labour taking jobs from the US. The US has also won concessions from Canada on exports of dairy products.

But opinion is already divided about the scale of the achievement: is it largely a change of nomenclature (the new treaty is set to be called the USMCA) and mere tinkering with Nafta, or does it address the concerns of Trump and affected US workers? According to Trump, Its not Nafta redone, its a brand new deal, but the real answer to that question will probably emerge only with time.

What is worth noting more immediately is the rollercoaster course of the Trump administrations approach. Only four days before agreement was reached, the US president had referred to Canadas chief negotiator and foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, in highly undiplomatic terms, saying: We dont like their representative very much and the following day that she hates America. Once the deal was done, however, it was all sweetness and light. Trump sent Canadian leaders his highest regards and had nothing but compliments for Canadas approach and the way Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended his countrys national interest. At the same time, he insisted that without threatening swingeing trade tariffs, no progress would have been made.

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In other words, it was the same old Trump: the same Trump who had threatened fire and fury against North Korea and its nuclear missile tests and mocked the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, as little rocket man, before disregarding all the warnings to hold a summit meeting with him, and who now describes how Kim wrote me beautiful letters and we fell in love.

The question now is whether something of the same technique will work with the EU (on tariffs), with Iran (on sanctions and its nuclear programme), or even with China (tariffs and its growing military power).

On the EU, Trump has said that a successful negotiation was in progress  after Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, made a flying visit to see him and the EU retaliated with threats of tariffs of its own. At the same time, the US president has attacked the EU approach as killing us. And he made hay with Junckers accent at a recent Make America Great Again rally for the benefit of his domestic constituency.

Trump has stuck to his campaign pledge to withdraw from the international nuclear agreement with Iran, and the threat supposedly posed by Iran was at the centre of Trumps bombastic address to the UN General Assembly last week. Now, though, with the Europeans trying hard to keep the agreement intact and devising ways of circumventing US sanctions, there are hints that Iran might be ready to talk about adjustments.

China, for its part, is so far giving as good as it is getting on the question of US tariffs, at least in the rhetoric department.

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All of which could prompt two tentative conclusions. First, is it perhaps time for the rest of the world (and especially the western world) to stop panicking about Trumps verbal excesses and regard them instead as part of his negotiating technique; as something of an opening bid, if you like. This may not be how the rest of the developed world, at least, likes to do diplomacy. This sort of exaggerated threat, followed by cajoling, followed by more threats, followed by an almost instant about-turn, it could be argued, is precisely what diplomacy has evolved to try to avoid. But hey, as Trump himself might say  and this might be the second conclusion  the approach can be effective. There are times when it has worked.

Now there are obvious risks here. The brinkmanship associated with Trumps North Korean diplomacy appeared to place regional, if not global, security on a knife-edge until a very late stage. US policy  as distinct from Trumps rhetoric  on Iran looks to be divided, with hawks led by John Bolton, Trumps national security adviser, seeming to favour real, as opposed to rhetorical or tactical, belligerence. And Iran is no slouch when it comes to undiplomatic language either. It is also at the heart of one of the worlds currently least stable regions.

China is a whole other proposition, because of its size, its economic clout and the way it has started to extend the affirmative exercise especially of naval power. Then again, Beijing is probably not ready to take on the United States, either economically or militarily  if that is ever what it decides to do  and it may indeed be amenable to a deal on trade tariffs eventually, if terms can be hammered out. The world of the bazaar is something that China, like Iran, is familiar with. They may just not expect to face an American administration as practised at the same game.

The early verdict on Trumps oft-derided diplomacy must be that it reflects the realist, transactional approach, taken to its ultimate degree, with all the minuses (the risks) but also the pluses (results: deals) that come with it. Nor should anyone really be surprised. This is no less than Trump held out during his campaign.

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It might also be regretted (though probably not in Washington) that Congress has so constrained this presidents room for manoeuvre vis-a-vis Moscow that he has been unable to try the same approach with Russia, where it could potentially have had a beneficial effect. Both Trump and President Vladimir Putin seem to sense that a deal is there for the making  which would explain why they have generally refrained from personal invective. But, as the Washington establishments horrified response to the Helsinki summit showed, Trump is not in a position even to make his opening bid  and may well not be for the rest of term.

For those who find the Trump rhetoric too crude and  more crucially  too fraught with geopolitical risks, one consolation might be the effect that his administrations approach is having on the European Union. Not only has it driven the EU into almost unprecedented unity, both on the matter of trade tariffs and on Iran, but it has encouraged the Europeans to use the real economic clout they have and to look for imaginative solutions  to continue trading with Iran, for instance, despite US sanctions  that they would not have considered before. Europe has some way to go on developing its defence and security provision, but there has been progress on that front, too.

At the same time, the international climate has changed. Donald Trumps hyper-realism is having an impact on the way diplomacy is done and  like it or not  producing results.

Will this prove the new way of the world, or last only so long as the White House is occupied by a trader-tycoon? Will ethical foreign policy, as once championed (and defined) by the West ever return? That is perhaps the $64,000 question: $64,000, or can we maybe do a deal?
I was glad to see that a woman, Frances H Arnold of Caltech, is part of the team who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and that another woman, Donna Strickland, has likewise won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Indeed, only one person in the history of the world has ever won the Nobel prize in both physics and chemistry and set a unique precedence, and that person  Marie Sklodowska Curie  basically gave her life for science, as her groundbreaking research led to her death through cancer.

A man has never achieved this unparalleled feat. Therefore, it renders as nonsense the recent remark by Cern scientist Alessandro Strumia that physics was built by men.

It is a good thing therefore that women over the past 150 years have come out of the dark ages where only men were thought to have a brain. If we are to save the planet from ourselves, chauvinistic values should have no place in the ever evolving future high-technology world of this century and beyond. The sooner male scientists accept this, the better it will be for science and also for humankinds ultimate destiny and very survival.

Dr David Hill

CEO, World Innovation Foundation

Alternative anthems for Theresa May

The embarrassing entrance at the Tory conference by Theresa May made me think of these lines from a famous song:

If theres a bustle in your hedgerow dont be alarmed now, its just a spring clean for the May queen.

Yes there are two paths you can go by but in the long run theres still time to change the road youre on.

Stephen Brand

Aylesbury

I would have thought Abbas Waterloo rather than Dancing Queen more appropriate for our prime minister.

Eric V Evans

Somerset

Donald Trumps taxes

I have no idea whether President Trump received lots of money from his parents or whether there was tax fraud in relation to valuations, and the statement from his lawyer, Charles Harder, has confused me even more.

The statement was in relation to material published in The New York Times, a paper that people generally believe to be completely honest and accurate.

His statement included claims like, the facts upon which the Times bases its allegations are extremely inaccurate, and this, like many from the White House, is jumbled, confusing and perhaps self-contradictory.

An examination of the points is worth considering starting with the facts, as facts are facts, and therefore correct statements, or at least they used to be. Is it too simplistic today to say something is inaccurate rather than quantify how inaccurate they are?

There is also some room to reinterpret this as its says their basis was wrong but the suggestions could be confirmed with fuller disclosures.

If its wrong, and I repeat  I dont know, the president should release the old tax records and sue them for millions and an apology. Leaders should be the most open people in their countries and be willing to face their accusers openly. Silence adds nothing to the discussion.

Dennis Fitzgerald

Melbourne

The only way is a Final Say

The result of the party conference season has been to make it more likely there will be a second referendum on leaving the EU. Its certainly difficult to exaggerate the unattractiveness of the two main Brexit options.

The hard version will involve social and economic catastrophe; the soft one will perhaps save the economy but it will leave us as a vassal state of the EU, having to accept its rules but unable to influence them.

With both main parties bitterly divided, it would be sensible to allow the electorate the option of forgetting the whole sorry idea now the truly horrendous consequences of any type of Brexit have become clear.

Rev Dr John Cameron

St Andrews

A new European model

Comparisons have been made, by Jeremy Hunt and others, between the EU and the former Soviet Union. They are far-fetched in terms of the harshness of the regime, but not so far-fetched in terms of the political organisation: an elite of unelected leaders committed to a particular ideology, and backed up by an all powerful civil administration. The parallels are obvious.

The British position is one of dissent from the prevailing ideology of a state of Europe. The Polish position is more pragmatic: Poland is in the EU for the money, but resents what it sees as the EUs interference in domestic matters; it also has the good sense to align itself with other nations who see things the same way  the Visegrad Four.

The 20th century reveals the dangers of welding together nations against their will since the outcome leads to an explosion of old enmities. This happened when Yugoslavia burst at the seams and into war, and when Czechoslovakia divided, peacefully, into Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Forced unity that is resented breeds nationalism and it is boiling beneath the skin of Europe.

There is a case for a different kind of Europe: cooperative, without trade barriers, supportive, flexible, open, but without the present legislative functions of what some might call its politburo style of administration.

Without this vision of a new Europe the EU is likely to come to a sticky end. Why isnt a single European leader making the case for this new European model?

LJ Atterbury

Pila, Poland
Banks involved in the tracker mortgage scandal have been accused of behaving in the same way as they did before the financial crisis.

TDs launched a scathing attack on the banks culture after a report by the Central Bank into the tracker scandal revealed that executives were operating in a way that is a remnant of the crisis.

It has also emerged that the number of people impacted by the scandal has risen to 38,400 with 580 million euro paid in redress and compensation.

Central Bank governor Philip Lane appeared before the Joint Oireachtas Finance Committee on Thursday and described consumer focus in the Irish banks  AIB, Bank of Ireland, permanent tsb, Ulster Bank and KBC  as underdeveloped.

We saw too much focus on short-term and legacy issues, with insufficient attention paid to consumer interestsPhilip Lane

To give a flavour of such patterns, we saw executives continuing to operate in a firefighting mode remnant of the crisis.

We saw too much focus on short-term and legacy issues, with insufficient attention paid to consumer interests. We discovered some reversion to command and control in leadership styles.

Out of the 38,400 affected customers, 7% remain without an offer of redress and compensation.

Central Bank chiefs told the committee it is exerting significant pressure on one remaining lender to finish its compensation process.

Derville Rowland, Central Bank director general, said it is also checking the compensation and redress process to ensure it is in accordance with rules.

We have been very strict with the banks to get on with it to the ability that they can, she said.

Some of them have limitations in this but four out of the five banks are making substantial progress.

Given the fact that we are 10 years since the bailout, it is absolutely horrific that right now banks are behaving almost the same way as they did leading into the bustJohn McGuinness

Ms Rowland said one bank is responsible for the bulk of outstanding customers who have not been compensated, but she would not reveal which one.

Fianna Fail TD and chairman of the finance committee John McGuinness said: Given the fact that we are 10 years since the bailout, it is absolutely horrific that right now banks are behaving almost the same way as they did leading into the bust.

Same arrogance, same method of operation and no changes to their structures.

The report tells us that the banks are still getting away with it. They are still treating customers badly.

Consumers would be utterly shocked that this report is now being presented and there is further work to be done in relation to sanctions.

Sinn Fein senator Rose Conway-Walsh said: Its shocking to think that there are executives in the banking system who are paid hundreds of thousands and theres banks making billions and they dont even have clear lines of responsibility.

We are not talking about a creche or a voluntary organisation, we are talking about a massive organisation, and it really speaks about the toxic culture where no one knew who was doing what or who was responsible for anything.

It is bizarre to read a report like this of the culture.

The language used does a disservice to the people who have been most impacted by the toxic behaviours and the lack of any type of management skills, even the most basic things.

You talk of insufficient attention paid to consumer interest  the language in it is feeding into a culture of lets protect the institution.

Mr Lane added that the bank culture has to change, but action is being taken against the banks.

Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty called for the Central Bank to take action against the banks which are dragging their feet.

It was also revealed that the Central Bank of Ireland has received more than 100 Brexit-related applications to operate.

The applicants intend to sell directly to Irish customers or sell from Ireland into the European Union.

The potential activities include banks, investment firms, trading venues, electronic money institutions, commercial insurance and retail insurance.
EUROPEAN Council president Donald Tusk and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar have warned the British government it's "time to get down to business" on crucial Brexit talks.

Mr Tusk also hit out at the comparison made by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt comparing the EU to the Soviet Union, branding the remarks as "unwise" and "insulting".

And Mr Tusk reiterated that the "the EU is united behind Ireland" and he warned against "unacceptable remarks that raise the temperature and will achieve nothing except wasting more time".

The pair met today ahead of the crunch European Council meeting on Brexit later this month.

Expand Close Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is welcomed by European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier ahead of a meeting in Brussels, Belgium October 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman / Facebook

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Whatsapp Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is welcomed by European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier ahead of a meeting in Brussels, Belgium October 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman

Mr Tusk said he always tries to present the EU's position on Brexit "honestly and without beating about the bush" adding "telling truth even if difficult and unpleasant is the best way of showing respect for partners".

He said that's how it was at the recent meeting Salzburg where many British commentators believed Prime Minister Theresa May was humiliated as her Brexit proposals were rejected.

Mr Tusk said the EU is focused on "practical and realistic" ways of minimising the damage caused by Brexit on both sides.

He said the EU negotiators will defend the interests of the remaining 27 member states.

"We very much regret that the UK has decided to leave and we hope for the best relationship in future - but no one can expect that because of Brexit the EU will give up its fundamental values and key interests."

However, he added: "the EU wants a relationship with the UK that is as close and special as possible.

"From the very beginning the EU offer has been not just a Canada deal but a Canada-plus-plus-plus deal... much further reaching on trade, on intelligence, security and on foreign policy cooperation- this is a true measure of respect and this offer remains in place.

"The EU is serious about getting the best possible deal. Even though we haven't changed our minds that the consequences of Brexit will be negative for both sides."

However, Mr Tusk also criticised remarks made by British foreign secretary Mr Hunt who compared the EU to the Soviet Union at the Conservative Party Conference.

Mr Tusk, a former Polish prime minister, said this was "as unwise as it is insulting".

"The Soviet Union was about prisons and gulags, borders and walls, violence against citizens. The European Union is about freedom and human rights, prosperity and peace, life without fear. It is about democracy and pluralism, a continent without internal boarders and wars.

"As the President of the European Council and someone who spent half of my life in the Soviet Bloc I know what I'm talking about."

Mr Tusk said the "Soviet spirit" is still alive, pointing to the recent chemical attack in Salisbury, England which targeted former Kremlin agent Sergei Skripal which has been blamed on Russia.

Mr Tusk said the EU was the first to declare full solidarity with the UK after that attack and he said it was not a unique incident. He condemned a cyber attack on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical weapons in the Hague which Mr Tusk said was "carried out by Kremlin intelligence services".

He said the issue of cyber security will be on the agenda of the next European Council.

Mr Tusk said the EU: "is united behind Ireland and the need to preserve the Northern Ireland peace process.

"Despite the UK governments rejection of the EUs original backstop proposal, we will not give up seeking a workable solution that fully respects the Good Friday Agreement as the integrity of the single market and the customs union."

He said there needs to be "maximum progress" by the European Council meeting later this month.

And he said that now the Conservative Party conference is over "we should get down to business".

Mr Varadkar thanked the EU institutions for the ongoing solidarity being shown to Ireland.

He said the Brexit talks are entering "a critical and an ultimate phase".

He said Ireland's objectives remain the same, to minimise the damage caused by Brexit by protecting the Common Travel Area with the UK, avoiding a hard border, protecting the rights of Irish and EU citizens in the North and ensuring as close a trading relationships possible.

He said: "I want to very much agree with President Tusk in his call for us to get down to business. Im very keen to see an agreement concluded by November, if at all possible.

"I think thats in the interest of Ireland, the European Union and the UK."

Mr Varadkar will also meet the European Commission's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and the Chair of the European Parliaments Brexit Steering Group (BSG), Guy Verhofstadt.

Mr Verhofstadt's group today released a statement calling for an intensification of Brexit talks in the wake of the speech given by Mrs May at the Conservative Party Conference.

In the speech she ruled out a second Brexit referendum and insisted a free trade deal with the EU was the solution to avoiding a hard border.

The BSG statement said:

"Now that the Conference is over, it is imperative, given the very short deadlines, that negotiations intensify in order to finalise the Withdrawal Agreement including a legally binding, workable and operational backstop for the Ireland/Northern Ireland border in line with the Joint Report of last December.

"Without such a backstop, the European Parliament would not be in a position to give its consent to the Withdrawal Agreement."

The BSG reiterated its support for Mr Barnier's negotiating strategy.
Embattled British Prime Minister Theresa May has called on her warring Conservative Party to back her in trying to broker a reasonable Brexit deal - including compromise on the Irish Border.

Concluding four days of bad-tempered rows at the her party conference, Mrs May tried to lighten her keynote speech by dancing on to the stage to the strains of 'Dancing Queen' by Abba, and telling jokes. She staunchly defended her strategy in the tough EU-UK divorce talks which Brussels now says must conclude in a draft deal by November 18.

But Mrs May's ongoing internal party difficulties were again compounded by a third media intervention by Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster, whose party keeps the UK minority government in office.

Ms Foster effectively repeated her threats to withdraw support if a Border deal is not satisfactory, stressing the intensity of DUP objections to applying controls for Northern Ireland exports to Britain as part of a Brexit solution.

"The red line is blood red, it is very red," Ms Foster said.

Sinn Fein branded these comments as "absolutely bizarre", claiming the DUP leader has "lost the run of herself". Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O'Neill accused Ms Foster of being "out of touch".

Mrs May's plan proposes the UK aligns with EU standards on goods and food products, but diverges from the trade bloc in the regulation of services. This idea also faces many EU objections but may offer the basis for a compromise solution on the Irish Border. She said it was "in the national interest" to back the plan, which was roundly rejected by EU leaders last month as unworkable. "What we are proposing is very challenging for the EU. But if we stick together and hold our nerve I know we can get a deal that delivers for Britain."

Without naming them, she hit out at her critics among prominent Conservative MPs, including former foreign minister Boris Johnson. She suggested their ideas for a more decisive economic break with the EU put hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs at risk.

Among the Irish Border compromises now being considered is a complex proposal that involves carrying out customs checks away from the Border itself, but also minimising the need for regulatory inspections by having Northern Irish-made goods conform to EU standards after Brexit.

Officials are also floating the idea of aligning UK and EU customs rules temporarily until new technology can be deployed that will make physical border checks unnecessary. But again this faces huge EU objections and the DUP reticence on the entire issue is a further complication.

There was speculation throughout about a leadership heave. One backbencher, James Duddridge, a supporter of Boris Johnson, said he had attempted to trigger the process for a leadership election.

Mrs May struck an optimistic tone, by promising "better days ahead" after Brexit.

She also signalled a loosening of the national purse strings for a new cancer-detection strategy and a boost for housebuilding.
More than 100 firms have made Brexit applications to the Central Bank for authorisation to operate.

Governor of the Central Bank Philip Lane is to come before the Joint Oireachtas Finance Committee.

In his opening remarks, seen by the Irish Independent, Mr Lane will tell TDs that more than 100 firms have made Brexit-related applications for authorisation across a number of sectors.

The applicants intend to sell directly to Irish customers or sell from Ireland into the EU. The potential activities include banks, investment firms, trading venues, electronic money institutions, commercial insurance and retail insurance.

"While there has been some focus on potential attractiveness of Ireland for firms choosing to relocate and on the numbers of firms coming to Ireland, the Bank's clear objective is to deliver financial stability through assertive risk-based supervision," Mr Lane is set to tell TDs today.

Work is under way at national and European level to bulwark against the possibility of Britain crashing out of the EU and firms are being urged to prepare for all plausible worst-case scenarios.

Mr Lane is before the committee to discuss a report compiled earlier this year which found failures in the culture of Irish banks.

Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness said the committee was looking forward to questioning Mr Lane on the report.

TDs will be hoping to tease out "the best path forward to promote a banking sector that meets the needs of the Irish people", he said.

Mr Lane will also give an update on the tracker mortgage scandal, with 38,400 cases identified and 580m redress paid to date.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has warned that time is running out to reach a Brexit deal as he travels to Brussels today to meet key EU officials.

Mr Varadkar will hold talks with European Council president Donald Tusk and the European Commissions chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.

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Whatsapp Pressure: British Prime Minister Theresa May makes her speech at the Conservative Party annual conference. Photo: PA

He will also meet the Chair of the European Parliaments Brexit Steering Group, Guy Verhofstadt.

It comes ahead of this months crunch European Council meeting on Brexit later this month.

Speaking ahead of his departure the Taoiseach said the meetings will offer an opportunity to discuss the status of the talks.

He said: The immediate focus of the Irish Government is on the pressing need for agreement on a Withdrawal Agreement, with an operational and legally-binding backstop.

The Withdrawal Agreement must ensure that, no matter what the outcome of negotiations on the future relationship between the EU and UK, a hard border on the island of Ireland will be avoided.

This is critically important to reinforce the stability brought about by the Peace Process and the Good Friday Agreement.

The negotiations are entering a critical phase, and time is running out.

But I believe that an agreement is possible, with the right political will and focus on all sides."

Yesterday British prime minister Theresa May rejected the idea of holding a second referendum on Brexit in a speech to the Conservative Party conference.

Mrs May also warned that that she would weaken her negotiation position if she ruled out leaving the EU without a deal.

She said doing this would mean accepting either staying in the EU "in all but name" or a deal that "carves off Northern Ireland  a part of this country  effectively leaving it in the EUs customs union."

She said: "So let us send a clear message from this hall today we will never accept either of those choices."

Mrs May added: "We will not betray the result of the referendum and we will never break up our country."

She said the British proposal is "a free-trade deal that provides for frictionless trade in goods" and that under her plan "The seamless border in Northern Ireland  a bedrock of peace and stability would see no change whatsoever."

Irish government sources said Mrs May seems to have had a good conference and said she would appear to have a stronger negotiating mandate from her party.

However, they warned that the EU still hasnt seen a legal text from the UK for the so-called backstop that would kick-in to prevent a hard border in the case of a no-deal Brexit.
On the Waterfront: RGRE and Colony Capital have agreed to pay 180m for Project Waterfront, a 4.6 acre site in the Dublin Docklands

More than 1bn worth of development land has been bought since the start of this year and the figure could reach 1.2bn by the year end if the current momentum is maintained.

In the month of September alone 21 sites in the Greater Dublin Area with combined guide prices exceeding 212m were brought to the market and they ranged in price from 2m up to 40m.

The increased supply is partly due to the Government's 'carrot and stick'. Many owners are selling because the Government reduced the hold period for Capital Gains Tax (CGT) exemption to four years. So if they bought between 2012 and 2014 they can now take their profits without paying CGT.

Cathal Daughton of Lisney says another factor has been the vacant site tax on vacant housing land in areas with a need for housing. The levy will cost 3pc of market value in 2019 and 7pc in subsequent years.

Andrew Long of JLL Ireland says a further factor is that land values have reached levels which enable vendors to clear debt on land they are holding. He estimates that since 2013 development land values have risen by approximately 50pc.

On the demand side, long-term hold investors and developers, including those from overseas, have been buying sites.

"Co-living schemes are also attracting interest and fall under the new apartment regulations. Interestingly, much of the Z6 zoned land in Dublin City Council is under pressure to be redeveloped for residential purposes and we will see higher prices for this type of land in areas such as the Naas Road, Longmile Road and in parts of north Dublin in areas such as Baldoyle and Finglas/Glasnevin," Mr Daughton says.

Evan Lonergan of agents Knight Frank says that a feature of the current market has been the lack of discount for larger sites. Traditionally the larger the site the fewer the bidders, so the average price paid per residential unit would be less but that has not been the case recently due to the amount of funds available for sites which offer scale.

He also rejects claims that developers have been sitting on sites waiting for increases in values. "The cost of funds is too expensive and most of the funders will only finance sites which have planning permission and where they can get their money back within three years," he adds.

A major seller in recent times has been Marlet, the company headed by Patrick Crean. Since the crash it has bought numerous Dublin sites but unlike later land buyers, such as Cairn and Glenveagh, it appears to have sold relatively few apartments or houses. The company did not respond to a question from this reporter but it is reported to be building apartments at Harold's Cross and in the south Dublin Docklands.

Since 2017 it has sold some small sites and has stepped up its disposal activity in recent months by offering five development properties to the market which could generate more than 65m between them.

The most valuable of these is a Cabra site with planning permission for 419 apartments as well as a convenience store, creche and community centre. With a 32m guide price that suggests a price of less than 80,000 per apartment site. The plot is reckoned to have further potential under the new development guidelines for up to 600 dwellings which would equate to an average unit site price of less than 53,000.

Marlet is seeking more than 13m for a 2.79 acre site next to Oatlands College in Mount Merrion, which has planning permission for 64 residential units comprising: nine houses, 24 duplexes and 31 apartments suggesting an average of 203,000 per unit site.

But Marlet has also been buying. The Irish Independent recently reported that it paid more than 30m for the 6.61 acre Project Pier, formerly known as the Techrete site, in Howth which has potential for 340 apartments which would work out at more than 88,200 per unit site.

Of the 19 GDA sites in the 3m-plus bracket bought or launched in September, eight were in shovel-ready condition as they had permission for 1,867 dwellings.

However some experts have expressed concern that developers may wait to see what further changes the Government may make to planning policy in the hope of adding more units and consequently this may further delay their development

For instance three of the major September sites launched had permission for a combined 1,136 units but the agents advised that following changes to planning policy these could be increased by a further 235.

Marie Hunt of CBRE says: "Ironically, the recent publication of the Department of Housing's long-awaited guidance notes on Urban Development & Building Heights will inevitably delay some land sales as potential vendors take time to assess the likely implications of these new guidelines on proposed development projects."

On the other hand, Andrew Long points out that the Central Bank constraints on mortgage lending and its knock-on effect on stabilisation of house prices may also be influencing the sites market. He says that up until recently as the prices of homes rose substantially the land value grew by a greater percentage. "Typically speaking if a housing site is worth 30,000 on the sale of a 300,000 house then a 10pc increase in the sales price to 330,000 yields an increased price of 55,000 or an 83pc increase in the site value."

"With house prices predicted to grow substantially there was no incentive to sell. Now as house prices stabilise, future land value increases are moderated and the incentive to hold land is not as strong as it was in the previous five years," Mr Long says.

Two of the biggest deals this year were in Dublin's North Docklands with Ronan Group Real Estate (RGRE) and Colony Capital agreeing a price of around 180m for Project Waterfront a 4.6 acre site with planning permission for 420 apartments and 300,216 sq ft of offices. Nearby a Kennedy Wilson-led venture paid 113m for 5.9 acres known as City Block 3 with office and residential potential.
The well-known Baker's Corner pub on Rochestown Avenue in Dun Laoghaire, south county Dublin, has been acquired by a consortium supported by leading pub operators, the Loyola Group, for a figure in excess of 5m.

While the Loyola Group is a relative newcomer to the Irish pub market, it already operates a number of Dublin's foremost venues, including the Leopardstown Inn, The Old Spot and The Bath on Bath Avenue, and The Jar on Wexford Street. The group has also recently expanded into Portugal where they operate The Cheeky Pup Pub in Quinta do Lago.

Also included in the sale of Baker's Corner was The Forge, an investment property comprising three retail units, two office units and three residential duplex apartments with a combined rental income in excess of 150,000 per annum. The investment property was anchored by Paddy Power bookmakers who have a 20-year lease at an annual rent of 80,000 per annum.

John Ryan of CBRE's hotel and licensed division said the sale generated significant interest from a wide range of potential purchasers including publicans, developers and investors.

The property occupies a site area of 0.5ha (1.235 acres) in a zoned Neighbourhood Centre (NC) which provides additional future development opportunities.

Ryan handled the sale on behalf of well-known publican, John Brady, who has traded successfully from this location for over 25 years. Baker's Corner is a very successful and extensive licensed premises which generates a substantial level of annual food, drink and off-licence turnover.
A site in Tullamore, Co Offaly, with 'ready-to-go' planning permission for 116 houses will be offered for sale by public auction at 3pm on Thursday, October 18 next at the Glenroyal Hotel in Maynooth, Co Kildare.

Philip Byrne of Coonan Property is guiding a price in the region of 2.5m - the equivalent of 21,551 per site - for the lands, which will be sold in three lots as follows:

Lot 1: 34 sites

Lot 2: 82 sites

Lot 3: The Entire of 116 sites.

The site itself is level and enjoys the benefit of dual access from public roads. All services are adjacent to the lands, making it ready for development.

The existing planning permission provides for a range of three and four-bedroom semi-detached and some detached houses in attractive layouts surrounding ample green areas.

The lands are located along the Arden Road adjacent to the Eiscir meadows development and only a short walk to the town centre and the train station. The site is also adjacent to a range of schools and amenities and is just a 10-minute drive from the M6 motorway, and within one-hour's drive to Dublin city centre.

Tullamore's accessibility is further enhanced by its proximity to the N52 (Dundalk-Nenagh) national secondary route which provide links to Birr in the west of the county and Athlone (Westmeath) via the N6.

In addition, the town is also located on the N80 which links to Portlaoise and to the southeast.
Wicklow woman, Louise Barry, Director, International Transaction Management for CBRE, is responsible for winning and leading the firm's global transaction management mandates across most of the world. On a recent trip to Chicago, I met her at CBRE's stunning 34th floor downtown offices to hear more about her career.

Barry started with the firm in London in 2007 in a business development role for its European team, working with clients on outsourcing their property requirements, including project management, facilities management and leasing activity.

She was eminently qualified for corporate work, having completed both a Masters in marketing and the Smurfit Kappa Graduate Programme which she says gave her a great grounding in business. A year working and studying in Japan helped too.

After a period travelling in South America, she joined CBRE in Sydney and then accepted an offer to join its Chicago offices in 2014, as it provided a greater opportunity in corporate services, in "a more mature outsourcing industry".

In the area of global corporate services, the large firms of estate agents compete to win global mandates to handle all of a client's property requirements across the world. The advantage of this for clients might include a discounted fee schedule, but also a consistent standard of service and uniform reporting procedures.

However, as Barry points out, her team offers a very high level of added value - providing advice to corporate clients, for example, on global strategy. This involves understanding your client's business and advising them on where they should be located, and what properties they should own rather than lease. It could also include "benchmarking a client's portfolio against the market", a type of asset management, looking for opportunities to maximise flexibility and reduce costs. This might mean identifying a 'blend-and-extend' deal, to combine leases or perform an early renewal, offering the landlord a longer term and locking in a lower rent, or looking at co-working opportunities to provide more flexibility in the portfolio.

Outsourcing and Facilities Management are further services provided by the CBRE Global Workplace Solutions Department and where Barry has also played business development roles. This involves putting experts into client firms, examining their vendor costs and using CBRE's buying power to achieve savings. She tells me they typically deliver net-operating cost savings for clients of between 12pc and 15pc versus their current baseline spend. Other benefits arise under capital expenditure, risk mitigation, compliance and vendor consolidation.

Barry is responsible for teams across Europe, Asia and Latin America, and this includes optimising delivery of transactions for firms globally headquartered in Chicago and ensuring alignment with her clients' business strategy. "Clients need to be getting the same approach, the same processes and the same feedback from us," she tells me.

Part of her role is to drive best practice among CBRE teams. She provides centralised management and is a 'point of escalation' for CBRE teams and clients. "If a challenge arises, I sort it out," she says. She also brings tools like new technology or improvements in space utilisation and labour analytics out to the regions.

The differing time zones means a lot of late night phone calls and 'virtual meetings'. Typical clients are FMCGs (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) and global pharmaceutical companies. "If it's logistics or a factory in Mumbai, or a retail chain in London, my hub teams will deliver that," Barry says.

"The key to it all," she adds "is maximising your corporate knowledge, how your client's businesses work, and translating that into their property requirements." Barry says her fees are an overall advisory fee, plus the exclusive transaction management fees for the firm. "We do the strategy and governance, and the brokers do the deals."
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, today welcomed the agreement which has been reached with Public Authority for Food and Nutrition of Kuwait under which Irish beef, sheepmeat and poultry will be eligible for export to Kuwait

Ireland previously hosted a discovery visit for Kuwaiti officials in March, led by Sustainable Food Systems Ireland, which helped to progress negotiations. The market is being opened to beef, sheepmeat and poultry meat and meat products.

The opening of the Kuwaiti market follows on from the announcement in July that Ireland had gained access for the export of beef, sheepmeat and poultry to Qatar.

These new markets come under the market development theme of the Food Wise 2025 Strategy, under which the Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Bord Bia will work closely to increase the number of markets worldwide to which Irish meat exporters have access.

Minister said that the agreement follows on from bilateral negotiations between my Department and Kuwait, with the ongoing assistance of the Irish Embassy in Abu Dhabi, including our Agricultural Attache in the Gulf Region who is based in the Embassy.

The opening of this new market is a reflection of the confidence held by the Kuwaiti authorities in the high standards of food safety and the rigorous controls in Ireland. It marks another important step in the development of Irelands agri-food links with Kuwait and with the whole Gulf region. 

The Minister added that Details on these new markets are being added to the DAFM market access portal which I launched in May and a Trader Notice will issue shortly. Growing and developing new markets, a key theme of the Food Wise strategy, is an important response to possible Brexit impacts on the sector.
Around 40pc of Irish goods exporters traded exclusively with the UK in 2016.

That's according to a major new survey of the British-Irish trading relationship by the CSO.

The figures lay bare the potential for a hard Brexit to wreak havoc on Irish business, with SMEs set to be hit hard.

SMEs made up the large majority of the number of enterprises exporting goods to the UK, at 93pc of the total number of UK exporters. Micro enterprises (businesses with fewer than 10 employees) alone made up over half the number of firms exporting to the UK.

The agri-food sector stands to be the most affected in value terms, with 3.4bn of goods exported to the UK in 2016 - 24pc of the total.

Representative group the Irish Exporters Association (IEA) said more and more of its members have been looking to diversify their markets since 2016 - a way of reducing exposure to the UK.

Recent figures for visas sought by exporters show increases in the number of trips to China, Russia and India.

But the IEA warned that in many cases Irish SMEs "do not have the financial security to invest into R&D needed for diversifying into new markets or hedge sterling to counteract the impact of the exchange rate fluctuation".

If Britain leaves without a deal maintaining the current trading relationship with the EU, World Trade Organisation (WTO) tariffs will apply to goods exported between Ireland and the UK.

Research carried out last year by the ESRI on behalf of cross-border trade body Intertrade Ireland said Irish dairy goods going to the UK under WTO rules would face tariffs of 46.6pc. Meat and fish would face a tariff of almost 60pc.

Conor Mulvihill, director of representative group Dairy Industry Ireland (part of employers' group Ibec), said the CSO figures showed how a "looming no deal Brexit is a clear and present danger to our companies and their suppliers".

"From a dairy perspective - our cheddar trade is particular is exposed in almost every type of Brexit, and many of our members have initiated investment plans to reflect that exposure and mitigate the risk presented to companies and farmer suppliers."

In 2016 alone Irish companies exported cheddar with a value of almost 260m into the UK, Mr Mulvihill said.

Enterprise Ireland, the State body which helps Irish firms export, said a recent survey of its clients showed 85pc have taken action for Brexit, up from 38pc a year ago.

It said the UK's share of client exports has been trending downwards since 2007 - with exports to the rest of the world outpacing the UK.

However, the UK still accounted for 34pc of Enterprise Ireland exports in 2017.

It has introduced a fund to help businesses research market-entry strategies.

Gerard Brady, head of tax and fiscal policy at Ibec, said the data was also noteworthy for the scale of imports to Ireland from the UK.

"Over 12bn of goods was imported by our wholesalers and retailers alone in 2016, with most of that being undertaken by SMEs. If businesses cannot diversify their sourcing Irish consumers will remain very vulnerable to a Brexit shock," Mr Brady said.

"It is crucial we have strong measures in next week's Budget to help Irish business prepare for Brexit."
A worldwide asset-freezing order has been served on Irish businessman Peter Conlon in relation to the hunt for 3.8m of missing charity funds.

The order and other court papers were served on Mr Conlon in a Swiss jail in August, it is understood. That was after months of delays caused by difficulties tracking him down.

A one-time Entrepreneur of the Year, Mr Conlon is believed to have been in custody since before Christmas. Ammado, his online fundraising platform for charities, collapsed spectacularly at the start of year, and court-appointed liquidator Myles Kirby then uncovered evidence of the alleged misappropriation of potentially 3.8m owed to charities including the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and Save the Children UK.

Mr Conlon, who had left the country by then, was the key player in Ammado, and of Pembroke Dynamic Internet Services Ltd, the Dublin company behind the service, which is in liquidation.

Since the scandal broke, investigators have been examining whether any assets of Mr Conlon are being held in Malta, Belgium and the Isle of Man.

The worldwide freezing order was issued by the High Court in January. Authorities in Switzerland - where Mr Conlon was detained before Christmas, as well as in the UK are examining the case.

The liquidation of the Irish business, Pembroke Dynamic Internet Services, is continuing, and the case is due back at the High Court next Thursday.
Talking shop: Tesco CEO Dave Lewis said the group had made a good start to the year and enjoyed its 11th consecutive quarter of growth in Ireland and the UK

Tesco's like-for-like sales in Ireland rose 3.1pc during the first half of the group's financial year, as its performance continues to improve in a competitive grocery market, according to results from the grocery retailer.

That performance compared to a 1.1pc rise in like-for-like sales in Ireland during the first half of its previous financial year.

Excluding Vat but including fuel, Tesco's revenue in Ireland hit 1.32bn in the 26 weeks to August 25. That compared to revenue of 1.23bn in the first half of its previous financial year, which was also for a 26-week period.

It said that its own brand volume sales in Ireland jumped 9pc in the latest period. The retailer has focused significantly on delivering value price-points for consumers, and also relaunched its own-brand products.

Tesco shares plunged as much as 10pc however, as the group first-half performance missed forecasts. Operations in Poland and Thailand weighed on the business. The share decline also came despite an improved performance in its key UK market.

Tesco's total sales in Ireland, excluding fuel and excluding Vat, were 8.4pc higher at actual exchange rates during the first half of the group's financial year, as it benefited from a stronger euro versus sterling.

At constant foreign exchange rates, its sales in Ireland excluding fuel and Vat were up 7.2pc in the first half.

Tesco has 152 stores in Ireland, with a mix of Tesco and Tesco Express outlets. It opened two of the outlets since the end of the last financial year.

The most recent figures from research group Kantar Worldpanel show that Tesco remains the largest grocery retailer in Ireland, with a 22.1pc share of the market.

Group sales at the retailer were 12.5pc higher at 28.3bn (31.8bn) on a constant currency basis in the first half of the financial year. Tesco's group operating profit before exceptional items and other items was 933m (1.04bn), which was 23.9pc higher year-on-year.

But that was less than the 978m that had been expected by analysts.

The retailer's like-for-like sales in the UK were up 2.3pc.

CEO Dave Lewis, who was parachuted in to lead Tesco following an accounting scandal in 2014, said the group has made a "good start" to the year. He said the combined sales performance across Ireland and the UK was its 11th consecutive quarter of growth.

The group profit shortfall was explained by a 29.1pc decline in profit in Asia and a 3.3pc reduction in central Europe, which partly offset growth of 47.6pc in the UK and Ireland as Tesco seeks to fight off intense competition.

Chief financial officer Alan Stewart said: "I don't think the market had fully factored in the Asian side (of the business) but we're really encouraged by the UK."

Tesco currently has a leading 27.4pc share of Britain's grocery market, according to industry data, although it could be overtaken by Sainsbury's proposed 7.3bn (8.2bn) takeover of Walmart's Asda.

The tie-up between Tesco's two nearest competitors, which the UK competition regulator is probing, is driven in part by the rise of discounters Aldi and Lidl, which are gaining ground on Britain's big four grocers, as well as the growth of Amazon.

In Asia second quarter like-for-like sales fell 4.8pc, which reflected Tesco's decision to exit non-profitable cash and carry sales in Thailand. Underlying sales in the Central Europe division fell 2pc, reflecting weak sales in Poland.

Mr Lewis said the difficulties in Thailand and Poland did not imperil Tesco's key margin target for the group to earn between 3.5p and 4p pence of operating profit for every pound customers spend by the end of its 2019-20 financial year.

Tesco was "firmly on track" to hit that target as well as cost savings of 1.5bn, he said.

Additional reporting by Reuters
A former Web Summit worker has raised 1m from business angels including the former CEO of Paddy Power Betfair and the current boss of CPL Resources.

Peter O'Malley, and fellow co-founder Galen Lowney, persuaded Breon Corcoran, Anne Heraty and Paddy Cosgrave to fund their Dublin-based recruitment startup Advisable.com.

The company specialises in finding high-end freelance technology and marketing executives for short-term projects and contracts.

Frontline Ventures, a Dublin-based venture firm, led the round while Handy.com's Oisin Hanrahan also participated in the funding.

"Companies that use freelancers tend to be more efficient and productive while workers who freelance tend to describe their work as more enjoyable, empowering and independent," said Mr O'Malley, the startup's chief executive.

To date, Advisable has independent workers active in 53 countries, he said.

The company has sourced freelancers for "a wide range" of companies, he said, from multinationals such as SAP to other startups.

Advisable uses bespoke technology to identify and match specialist freelancers, said Mr O'Malley. He said that the startup's opportunity lies partially in the fact that most freelancers "have never used a digital platform to find work".

Mr O'Malley and Mr Lowney, who was previously a strategy consultant for the Boston Consulting Group and also worked in mergers and acquisitions for Paddy Power, intend to use the cash injection to grow the company's workforce and investigate new markets.

"We're going to move to San Francisco for a few months," Mr O'Malley said. "We want to see whether it's possible to expand in that market."

He previously led growth for the Web Summit and the Dublin startup Pointy.com, which recently secured a 10m funding round.

According to a recent report by McKinsey, expenditure on "high-level freelancers" that earn more than $75,000 a year in the US quadrupled from $122bn in 2014 to $490bn (423bn) in 2017.

"In my opinion, harnessing the shift to a freelance white-collar workforce is one of tech's next big battlegrounds and the team behind Advisable.com are well-positioned to take advantage of this," said Mr Corcoran.

Will Prendergast, general partner at Frontline Ventures said: "Great talent is the ultimate advantage any company can have. Advisable is enabling companies to access the very best freelancers as and when they need them. Democratising access to this premium talent is a huge opportunity."
Irish oil and exploration company Providence Resources has appointed Dr Angus McCoss as senior independent director with immediate effect.

Dr McCoss joined the Providence board as a non-executive director in June 2017.

Commenting today, Pat Plunkett, chairman of Providence, said: "We are delighted that Angus is taking on the role of senior independent director and are confident that he will bring the same wealth of experience to this position as he has provided to the board since joining in 2017".

Dr McCoss is the exploration director and a main board director of Tullow Oil.

He joined Tullow in 2006 following 21 years of wide-ranging exploration experience, working primarily with Shell in Africa, Europe, China, South America and the Middle East.

Dr McCoss held a number of senior positions at Shell, including regional vice president of exploration for the Americas and general manager of exploration in Nigeria.

Dr McCoss holds a PhD in Structural Geology and is a member of the advisory board of the industry-backed Energy and Geoscience Institute at the University of Utah.

Meanwhile Citi has upgraded Tullow Oil to buy.
The Minister for Communications has defended attending a dinner hosted by the head of the bidding team for a key state broadband contract ahead of the tenders outcome.

Denis Naughten has conceded that he was was told of possible changes to the National Broadband Plan bidding consortium at the dinner in New York, hosted by the Irish American businessman David McCourt.

Mr McCourts firm, Granahan McCourt, leads a consortium which is the sole remaining bidder for a state broadband contract valued at hundreds of millions of euro.

However, despite admitting that he spoke to Mr McCourt about the bidders intention to change its structure, Mr Naughten said that the two men did not go into any detail about it.

That is not my role and David McCourt is well aware of that, said Mr Naughten.

He [Mr McCourt] did say that they may be putting in a request to the department for a change in the makeup of the consortium. I made it clear to David McCourt that we needed to insure that requests for documentation and information from my department were responded to in a timely manner.

Mr Naughten said that there was nothing improper in attending a dinner held by Mr McCourt ahead of a decision on the National Broadband Plan tender contract.

David McCourt has invested millions of euro on telecoms infrastructure in this country, said Mr Naughten. David McCourt is planning to spend a very significant amount of money on the rollout of broadband and infrastructure across this country. As the Minister for Communications, on an ongoing basis I would have investors from all over the globe seeking to meet with me in relation to investing in this country.

The bidding consortium has shuffled its constituent parts several times over the last 12 months. Earlier this year, the UK utility giant SSE exited the consortium without stating why, while the British engineering specialist John Laing has also receded in recent months.

Opposition politicians have also sought to highlight the involvement of Actavo, an infrastructure construction firm controlled by the businessman Denis OBrien. Executives from Mr McCourts bidding team have responded with the assertion that Actavo is one of the only infrastructure firms in Ireland capable of building out a telecoms network at the scale required under the National Broadband Plan.

Despite the exchange with Mr McCourt over a possible alteration in the makeup of the bidder consortium, Mr Naughten said that he was not aware that the changes has occurred.

The first time that I knew about the makeup of this consortium was when I read it in a national newspaper, he said. This was an engagement between the consortium and the department. I have not been directly involved in this procurement process at any stage. The minister does not have a direct role of function in relation to this procurement.

Mr Naughten said that the Granahan McCourt bid, which was submitted two weeks ago, is currently being assessed.

What we need to do is to answer questions about whether this organisation has the capacity to deliver.

Speaking in Brussels, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that the issue was part of a competitive dialogue.

"I think Denis has given an explanation of that today, officials were present and... what's going on in terms of the national broadband plan is a competitive dialogue, he said.
THE Central Bank has been accused of being behind the curve in making sure individual bankers are held responsible for the tracker scandal.

Governor Philip Lane defended a situation where it is only now that rules are being put in place to hold bankers to account.

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He said there was a risk of scaring off banks and their directors from this country if a new regime holding bankers individually responsible for rip-offs was introduced.

The Oireachtas Finance Committee was told that as of August 31 a total 38,400 affected tracker customers have been identified and paid 580m in redress and compensation.

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But almost three years after the banks were told by the Central Bank to examine their mortgage books in depth to identify people who were cheated, it emerged that some 3,200 account holders have yet to get compensation and be returned to a low tracker rate.

Deputy Governor Ed Sibley said the total cost to the banks will be in and around 1bn. This is the cost for redress, compensation and making provisions on their balance sheets.

Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty asked why a regime to hold bankers individually responsible for overcharging and other misconduct was introduced in the UK two years ago yet it has still to be brought in here.

Governor Lane said there now are plans for what he called an individual accountability framework to be put in place here.

But it will require consideration by the Oireachtas.

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Mr Doherty told the regulatory executives: I think the Central Bank is behind the curve on this. You are very slow in coming to this.

Some half a billion euro was taken from 38,000 people wrongly.

Governor Lane responded that if the Central Bank had failed to hold people to account it will look at that.

Six banks were the subject of enforcement investigations, he said.

We cant guarantee that every bank is going to conduct itself properly at all times.

The Governor said there was a risk of scaring away people, indicating that banks might leave the country and new ones would be less inclined to locate here.
The Government has been called on to quickly enact new legislation that will require the automatic referral of fraudulent and exaggerated injury claimants for prosecution.

It comes after a private members' bill on false claims passed through the second stage in the Dail.

The Civil Liability and Courts (Amendment) Bill, sponsored by Fianna Fail's Billy Kelleher, was unopposed by the Government and received widespread support.

The Alliance for Insurance Reform welcomed the passing of the bill in the Dail.

It said that the current situation sees fraudulent cases dismissed, but the claimants walk away sanction-free. This is despite provisions in other pieces of legislation that allow gardai to prosecute those who make false claims.

Insurance Ireland said recently its members had handed over 167 files on fraudulent cases to gardai in 2016. It was not clear if there have been prosecutions.

There was a need for the new legislation, Eoin McCambridge of the Alliance said.

"There is no reason why this short, practical bill cannot be enacted quickly. We call on the Government and the Oireachtas Justice Committee to insure this happens," he said.

If passed, the bill would direct a court to refer a fraudulent or exaggerated claim to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Former High Court president Nicholas Kearns said recently the risk of prosecution for fraudulent claims is "virtually zero". He was speaking after presenting the final report of the Personal Injuries Commission.

TD Mr Kelleher said despite the high level of cases and the costs involved, there is no "mandatory" law ensuring people wrongly making the claims face legal action. He said we cannot have a society where the cheat is the one who wins.
Wrong turn: People protest the housing crisis in a Raise the Roof rally in Dublin. Photo: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Half of all workers will still be paying debts in their retirement including mortgage or paying rent.

Research found that some 1.1 million people who are currently working expect to have some debts when they exit the workforce.

The survey from pensions provider Aviva comes as separate research from the Central Bank found that mortgage borrowers are getting older as it takes longer to save for a deposit for a property.

Aviva said that many people would be still making repayments on a mortgage or paying rent after they have retired.

It claimed that there was an increasing threat of retirement poverty for what it labelled "generation debt".

Separate Central Bank research shows that the average home buyer is now four years older than the age of borrowers in the late 2000s.

First-time buyers are now 34 years on average when they get the keys to their own home.

This is up from around 31 back in 2003, according to the Central Bank.

Second-time buyers are 41 on average, up from 38 a couple of years ago.

The Aviva survey found that a third of workers believe they will need to continue to support family members in some way in their after-work years.

The survey of 1,058 people was carried out by Behaviour & Attitude.

The type of support expected is most likely to be paying for education fees.

A further 15pc suggest that they are most likely to support family members by providing a lump sum for a home deposit.

This is particularly the case for those who are living in Dublin.

The findings showed that those between the ages of 25 and 34 are the most worried about meeting their mortgage and rent payments in retirement.

Aviva said this suggests that younger people are expecting to carry debt into their later years.

Only two in five of those aged between 25 and 55 admitted having a pension, which represents a 4pc decline in pension ownership since 2014.

Half of people said they have no private pension, with no likelihood of an alternative household pension source for retirement.

The Government is planning to bring in an auto-enrolment pension system which would see most of those who do not have an occupational pension signed into one.

Auto-enrolment will be introduced on a phased basis from 2022.

It is aimed at low to middle-income earners who do not have private pensions. It will initially apply to 410,000 workers.

It has been proposed that the scheme could see workers contributing up to 6pc of their wages, with that amount matched by employers. The State will contribute 1 for every 3 put in by workers.

The State has been considering a pension plan for low and middle-income earners for 21 years now.

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty has promised it will be in place in four years' time.

The majority of the respondents to the Aviva survey agreed with the principle of auto-enrolment. When questioned about the appropriate level of salary deductions for auto-enrolment, 3.8pc was deemed to be the most acceptable monthly deduction.

Head of life and pensions at Aviva, Ann O'Keeffe said the survey showed an acceleration of the emerging trend where a significant number of people will still be paying a mortgage or rent in retirement, as well as having the burden of supporting their adult children in retirement.
PERMANENT TSB has cut its fixed rates, but they will not apply to existing customers.

The bank is reducing them by up to 0.2pc.

It comes after both Ulster Bank and KBC reduced their lending costs.

Experts pointed out that the new Permanent TSB rates will still be higher than those offered by Ulster Bank and KBC.

But when the 2pc in cash back on the value of the loan that Permanent pays to those taking out a new mortgage is factored in, the effective rate is competitive.

Analysts said the latest cuts meant competition was increasing slowly. And the reductions put more pressure on both Bank of Ireland and AIB to lower rates.

Permanent TSB will offer a new three-year fixed rate for new borrowers of only 2.85pc for those with a loan to value of more than 60pc. This is down from 3.05pc.

The bank defended the fact the new rates only apply to new customers, pointing out it cut fixed rates for existing mortgages holders three months ago.
People block traffic by staging a sit down protest at Ireland's housing crisis in a 'Raise the Roof' rally outside the Taoiseach's office at Government buildings in Dublin, Ireland. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Homeless campaigner Fr Peter McVerry believes that there are at least half a million people in the country whose housing situation is causing them serious distress.

Speaking at the 'Raise the Roof' rally in Dublin yesterday, which drew more than 10,000 people, he said: "This protest is not just about homelessness, this protest is about housing."

Fr McVerry said that this figure, as well as including homeless people, also included people who are living in overcrowded households; people who are living with their parents because they cannot afford to move out; people living in poor-quality private rented accommodation; people who are living in rented accommodation but are paying a huge amount of their income just to keep a roof over their head, and people in mortgage distress of more than two years.

"We have a housing policy that is affecting a huge number of families from all social groups except the very wealthy in this country," Fr McVerry said.

He said that the housing policy isn't working.

"Most young people today growing up will never be able to own their own home."

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The Government policy relies on the private rented sector. But the private rented sector is part of the problem, not part of the solution, he said. "There will be an election coming sometime in the short or foreseeable future," he said.

One of the slogans that he has advocated for the election is "Vote Homelessness Out".

The rally brought together students, trade unions, housing and homeless charities and other groups.

It came ahead of a Dail debate on a motion tabled by Solidarity/People Before Profit - supported by all parties - calling on the Government to declare a housing emergency.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy defended the Government's record on housing and outlined the targets set out by his department to date.

He appealed to all TDs not to oppose developments in their constituencies from today on, but to leave planners to do their work.
Britain has accused Russian military intelligence of directing a host of cyber attacks aimed at undermining Western democracies by sowing confusion in everything from the 2016 U.S. presidential election to the global chemical weapons watchdog.

In a British assessment based on work by its National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Russian military intelligence (GRU) was cast as a pernicious cyber aggressor which used a network of hackers to spread discord across the world.

Cyber proof your business at Dublin Information Sec 2108 at the RDS on October 15. For tickets and more information click here

GRU, Britain said, was almost certainly behind the BadRabbit and World Anti-Doping Agency attacks of 2017, the hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016 and the theft of emails from a UK-based TV station in 2015.

The Netherlands said it had caught four GRU officers red handed as they tried to hack into the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons from a hotel next door in April.

The GRUs actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries, said British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Our message is clear - together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRUs attempts to undermine international stability, Hunt said. Britain believes the Russian government is responsible for the attacks.

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a news briefing that the British accusations were the product of someone with a rich imagination.

Its some kind of a diabolical perfume cocktail (of allegations), TASS quoted Zakharova as telling reporters.

Though less well known than the Soviet Unions once mighty KGB, Russias military intelligence service played a major role in some of the biggest events of the past century, from the Cuban missile crisis to the annexation of Crimea.

It is commonly known by the acronym GRU, which stands for the Main Intelligence Directorate, its name was formally changed in 2010 to the Main Directorate of the General Staff (or just GU). Its old acronym - GRU - is still more widely used.

It has agents across the globe and answers directly to the chief of the general staff and the Russian defense minister. The GRU does not comment publicly on its actions. Its structure, staff numbers and financing are Russian state secrets.

The GRU traces its history back to the times of Ivan the Terrible, though it was founded as the Registration Directorate in 1918 after the Bolshevik Revolution. Vladimir Lenin insisted on its independence from other secret services.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has said GRU officers used a nerve agent to try to kill former double agent Sergei Skripal, who was found unconscious in the English city of Salisbury in March. Russia has repeatedly denied the charges.

After the Skripal poisoning, the West agreed with Britains assessment that Russian military intelligence was to blame and launched the biggest expulsion of Russian spies working under diplomatic cover since the height of the Cold War.

According to a presentation by the head of the Netherlands military intelligence agency, four Russians arrived in the Netherlands on April 10 and were caught with spying equipment at a hotel located next to the OPCW headquarters.

At the time, the OPCW was working to verify the identity of the substance used in the Salisbury attack. It was also seeking to verify the identity of a substance used in an attack in Douma, Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB spy, said on Wednesday that Skripal, a GRU officer who betrayed dozens of agents to Britains MI6 foreign spy service, was a scumbag who had betrayed Russia.

Britain said the GRU was associated with a host of hackers including APT 28, Fancy Bear, Sofacy, Pawnstorm, Sednit, CyberCaliphate, Cyber Berkut, Voodoo Bear and BlackEnergy Actors.

This pattern of behavior demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to international law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences, Foreign Secretary Hunt said.

The United States sanctioned GRU officers including its chief, Igor Korobov, in 2016 and 2018 for attempted interference in the 2016 U.S. election and cyber attacks.

Australia and New Zealand backed the United Kingdoms findings on the GRU.

Cyberspace is not the Wild West. The International Community  including Russia  has agreed that international law and norms of responsible state behavior apply in cyberspace, Australias Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

By embarking on a pattern of malicious cyber behavior, Russia has shown a total disregard for the agreements it helped to negotiate, Morrison said.
Drop, the smart kitchen technology company run by Dubliner Ben Harris, has signed a new deal with Electrolux.

The company has more than doubled its team in the past six months, growing to over 30 people across offices in Dublin, San Francisco and Zaragoza in Spain.

It has also signed a number of deals with kitchen appliance companies such as Bosch, GE Appliances, De'Longhi, Kenwood and LG Electronics.

The deals allow over 100 different machines to work with the Drop Recipes app.

"Electrolux is one of the world's most reputable brands ... we're excited about this opportunity to work with them to create smart kitchen products and features that provide real value, every single day, to the people who use them," said CEO and co-founder Harris.

The Drop platform, with its Drop Recipes app, holds a variety of step-by-step recipes that adapt to the appliances users have in their kitchen.

Mr Harris added that Electrolux is "an ideal partner" as the firms "share the same passion for great design and great food".

Harris said that the partnership is "another step" in the direction of building a connected food and cooking ecosystem which would soon allow for a wide range of counter-top appliances from Electrolux to integrate with Drop's smart-kitchen platform.

"We're excited to partner with Drop and to further explore new ways of making cooking more simple and personalised for consumers," said Electrolux head Ola Nilsson.
The EUs justice commissioner, Vera Jourova (pictured), said she was in close contact with Irish Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon

The Irish Data Protection Commission is likely to initiate a formal investigation into how Facebook fell victim to a massive data breach affecting up to five million Irish and European users.

The regulatory body is at the centre of worldwide attention after Facebook revealed that 50 million accounts were at risk from hackers.

Under the EU's new GDPR rules, Facebook faces a fine of almost 1.5bn in a worst-case scenario.

"Before we would launch any investigation there are steps that would have to be taken in relation to information gathering and preparing the scope of an inquiry," a spokesman for the data protection commissioner said.

"Furthermore, we would need to establish under which provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018 we would conduct it. We are currently engaged in those steps."

However, the watchdog is under public pressure to investigate the social media giant from a range of authorities, including EU commissioners.

Irish DPC executives are understood to be disappointed with the sparse level of information disclosed by Facebook to data protection authorities about the breach, with the organisation earlier tweeting that it had "urgently" sought more data on the issue.

The Facebook data breach represents the first major test of data privacy enforcement since the EU-wide GDPR law came into effect in May of this year.

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The EU's justice commissioner, Vera Jourova, told American media that she was in "close contact" with Commissioner Helen Dixon's office and said that the Irish DPC is "intensively working on this case".

"For these cases, I think Europe is equipped with GDPR because we have very strict rules and we have very strong instruments to discipline the companies which deal and which handle the private data of people, which is obviously the case with Facebook," she told the US broadcaster CNBC. "We are waiting for further information over the next days."

However, some security experts have questioned the rapid speed at which Facebook and other big companies are now expected to communicate details about their data breaches.

"[One] interesting impact of the GDPR 72-hour deadline [is] companies announcing breaches before investigations are complete," said former Facebook and Yahoo security chief Alex Stamos.

Stamos claimed that the haste required in informing regulators results in "lots of rumours" and means that "everybody is confused on the actual impact".

"You can do incident response quickly or correctly, but not both," he said.

"The other interesting impact is the foreclosing of any possible coordination with law enforcement.

"I once ran response for a breach of a financial institution, which wasn't disclosed for months as the company was working with the USSS [United States Secret Service] to lure the attackers into a trap. It worked."

Facebook's vice-president of product management, Guy Rosen, said that the company does not know who is responsible for the data breach.

"Since we've only just started our investigation, we have yet to determine whether these accounts were misused or any information accessed. We also don't know who's behind these attacks or where they're based," he said.

"This attack exploited the complex interaction of multiple issues in our code. It stemmed from a change we made to our video uploading feature in July 2017, which impacted 'View As'. The attackers not only needed to find this vulnerability and use it to get an access token, they then had to pivot from that account to others to steal more tokens."

Facebook faces other potential roadbumps across Europe in the coming months.

Earlier this week, the head of Germany's antitrust watchdog said that he was "very optimistic" that his office would take action against Facebook this year after finding it had abused its market dominance to gather data on people without their consent.

"We are currently evaluating Facebook's opinion on our preliminary assessment and I'm very optimistic that we are going to take further steps, even this year, whatever this would mean," Federal Cartel Office President Andreas Mundt told a conference on competition law in Berlin.

Facebook has had a difficult year, having endured a barrage of criticism for the ease at which its data could be manipulated for political ends. CEO Mark Zuckerberg was forced to appear before the US Senate and House of Representatives following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

The issue of data breaches is to be explored in Information Sec 2018, Ireland's cybersecurity Conference. The conference is an Independent News & Media event. For tickets and more information, see independent.ie/infosec18
Paddy Cosgrave: said deal was result of a lot of hard work. Photo: Sportsfile

The Web Summit tech conference has secured 110m from the Portuguese government to stay in Lisbon for the next 10 years.

The company had been engaged in "a competitive tender process" with other European cities over the last year. The deal also includes what the Web Summit describes as a "3bn buyout clause", should another city want to tempt the event away from Lisbon.

The conference venue in Lisbon will also double in size to facilitate the Web Summit's expansion, according to the Portuguese government.

Web Summit founder Paddy Cosgrave said the deal was the result of a lot of hard work.

"Without a larger venue this would not be possible," he said.

"Even until a few months ago, we never believed it would be possible. More than 20 cities bid for Web Summit.

"We were flattered by the offers of cities as diverse as London and Valencia, and greatly appreciate the time of prime ministers, presidents and mayors from across Europe.

"Our partnership with Portugal gives certainty to our many attendees from over 170 countries around the world, and our thousands of partners and exhibitors. "It also gives certainty to our host country, and to our team of nearly 200 in Dublin, and in our other offices around the world.

"Together we're looking forward to doing incredible things."

Lisbon's mayor, Fernando Medina said: "This 10 year agreement with Web Summit will decisively make Lisboa a key capital for innovation, entrepreneurship and talent.

"I am confident the next few years will bring a sharp raise in IT investment and employment in Lisboa.

"We are thrilled to continue to write this story together with Web Summit."

Meanwhile, Mr Cosgrave has stepped up attacks on legal structures used by property holding companies and so-called vulture funds.

Mr Cosgrave has also started to turn his hand to investing, contributing to a 1m fundraising round into Advisable.com, a startup co-founded by a former Web Summit staff member, Peter O'Malley.

Earlier this year, US corporate filings suggested that Mr Cosgrave was seeking to build a more formal investment vehicle by raising $50m in venture capital.

"Under SEC regulations I can't comment on that at this time," he said earlier this summer.

The fund, to be called the "Amaranthine Fund", was to be the product of Amaranthine Partners, a San Francisco company set up to "connect, support and invest in the world's top technologists through the founders platform".
Italian markets got some respite after a report that the government had bowed to pressure from the EU to trim its budget-deficit target.

Italian government bonds snapped four days of declines and the FTSE MIB Index of shares headed for the biggest gain in more than a week after the 'Corriere della Sera' newspaper reported that the government will seek to contain the shortfall at 2pc in 2021, down from 2.4pc.

The target for 2020 will be trimmed to 2.2pc, while next year's goal of 2.4pc will remain, the newspaper said.

Markets have struggled to find an equilibrium for Italian debt following the original plan outlined last week, with 10-year yields touching the highest level in more than four years on Tuesday. The Five Star Movement-League coalition still needs to release its economic-growth projections before presenting a draft budget proposal to the EU Commission by October 15. A number of officials have warned that the plans could be in breach of EU rules.

"The re-profiling of the deficit path is a constructive response and suggests some reduction in tail risks," said Peter Chatwell, head of Mizuho International.

"For the sake of the Italian economy, we hope this signals that a lesson has been learned." Italy's 10-year yields dropped eight basis points to 3.37pc by midday in London, narrowing the yield premium on the nation's bonds over those of Germany.

Italy conducted a bond swap yesterday, exchanging notes maturing in 2019 and 2020 for 2.1bn of securities due in 2028.

The EU's response to the revised targets will still be a key hurdle for investors. The original plan from Rome had prompted a push-back, with the European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis saying that it went "substantially beyond" what is allowed. Moody's and S&P Global Ratings have Italy just two notches above junk and are due to review the sovereign rating later this month.

Finance Minister Giovanni Tria said at an event in Rome that the government was committed to ensuring constant debt reduction toward the objective agreed with the EU.

Meanwhile, Italy's fledgling government received a boost after a record $7.6bn sale of high-speed airwaves, which could help it fund some of its election promises.

Bloomberg
Mama mia!: Claudio Borghi, the economic head of the ruling League party, caused consternation when he said there was an advantage to having your own currency

After four successive days of increasing risk spreads, and after a prominent politician, Claudio Borghi, said there was an advantage to having your "own currency," Italy is back squarely on both public and private radar screens as a potential source of systemic economic and financial disruptions. This has led to suggestions that the country could become "a new Greece".

While there are similarities between the Italian and Greek cases, the differences are big enough to suggest that investors in Italy should focus on a different set of factors.

In less than two weeks, the risk spread on 10-year Italian bonds has climbed about 60 basis points to around 3pc, a level not seen since 2014. This has spilled over onto the equity market in Italy, and to a lesser extent, elsewhere in Europe. It has also put pressure on the euro.

The immediate trigger for the widening risk spreads was the government's announcement of a budget deficit target that exceeds the EU's guideline. The gradual reduction in purchases of Italian bonds by the European Central Bank is also an issue for some investors. But the deeper contributors to the turmoil are the medium-term mix of high public debt, some unsteady banks and persistently sluggish growth.

Market worries have been exacerbated by some unhelpful public remarks, and not just from eurosceptic Italian politicians such as Borghi. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told a television interviewer that "we have to do everything to avoid a new Greece - this time an Italy - crisis".

The parallel with Greece of a few years ago is understandable. The two cases share at least three important similarities.

On debt: a fragile mix of sizeable public liabilities relative to GDP, lots of related government bond issuance residing in the domestic banking system and medium-term debt sustainability concerns.

On the real economy: a growth model that has repeatedly failed to produce high and inclusive prosperity.

In politics: the emergence of anti-establishment movements that do not shy away from politicising the issue of the eurozone.

Yet there are also important differences suggesting different dynamics governing the extent of the systemic threat in the two countries. Unlike Greece, Italy is one of the largest economies in Europe and an original member of the European economic integration project.

Because of its size, its gross funding needs in euro terms are sizeable relative to the regional safety nets put in place to deal with troubled countries. As such, a big problem with Italy would constitute a much larger and more durable source of systemic risk, economically and financially. It is no exaggeration to say that, if it were to stumble very badly, the southern European country could present an existential threat for the eurozone.

But also unlike Greece, Italy doesn't have a current account deficit (it has a surplus) and the average duration of its outstanding debt is longer. With lower risk of financial default in the short-term, the main determinant of possible disruptions resides in dislocations originating from domestic and regional politics. That is the most important factor for investors to monitor closely.

What ultimately saved Greece's membership in the eurozone a few years ago was the imminent threat of default. Fearing a shock that would tip the economy into a multiyear depression and fundamentally alter many of Greece's regional economic and financial relationships, the Syriza government opted for an orthodox approach, even though it had won both the election and the referendum by backing a political agenda that advocated doing the opposite.

The hope of many investors - as well as EU officials, ECB officials and several policy makers in European capitals - is that the Italian government will perform a similar pivot, even though the immediate default risk is lower.

In doing so, Rome would need to design a more comprehensive programme aimed at generating high, inclusive and sustainable growth.

Bloomberg Opinions
Mumford & Sons have announced a date at the 3Arena as part of their sixty date Delta world tour.

The tour, in support of their forthcoming fourth album, Delta, kicks off in Dublin on November 16, the day the album launches.

The six month run routes the band up and down the UK followed by a brief stop in the US and Canada ahead of Christmas. In January, they head over to Australia and New Zealand (including the first Gentlemen of the Road show of the campaign in Auckland), before heading back over to the US for a more substantial run of shows, concluding with sixteen dates across Europe.

Over 800,000 tickets go on sale from 9am on Friday October 12 for the tour which is their biggest since they formed a decade ago and will see them performing on a stage that stretches across the middle of the venue.

Support in the UK and the US (2018 dates) comes from Maggie Rogers, and Michael Kiwanuka in support for Australia.

Tickets for Mumford and Sons at 3Arena Dublin on Friday 16th November are priced from 49.50 inclusive and go on sale Friday 12th October at 9am from Ticketmaster
A judge has sentenced Marion Suge Knight to 28 years in prison nearly four years after the former rap mogul killed a man with his truck.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ronald S Coen handed down the sentence as expected to Knight for running over and killing businessman Terry Carter outside a Compton burger stand in 2015.

Members of Mr Carters family addressed the court, including daughter Crystal, who called Knight a disgusting, selfish disgrace to the human species.

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Knight stared forward throughout.

He avoided a murder trial that was about to begin when he agreed two weeks ago to plead no contest to voluntary manslaughter and accept the sentence.

The Death Row Records co-founder appeared in court for the sentencing wearing orange prison attire with chains on his arms and legs alongside Albert Deblanc Jr, his 16th lawyer in the case.
It will have been seven years since The Cure graced our shores when they play a date in Dublin next summer.

The English rockers will play Malahide Castle on Saturday June 8, 2019 and tickets, priced 69.50 including booking fee, go on sale on Wednesday October 10 at 9am.

They celebrated their 40th anniversary in July with a very special sold out concert in Londons Hyde Park, almost 40 years to the day since their first ever show.

Performing to 65,000 strong fans, the set list was packed with 29 hit songs including 'Pictures Of You', 'Lovesong', 'Inbetween Days, 'Just Like Heaven', 'A Forest', 'Lullaby', 'Boys Dont Cry' and more.

Formed in Crawley, Sussex in England they played their first show in 1978 and have performed around 1500 concerts to date. They've released 13 studio albums and have had 13 members in 40 years.

Five of them will play the 2019 date - Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Jason Cooper, Roger O'Donnell and Reeves Gabrels.

Tickets are strictly limited to four per person and the lead booker's name will be assigned to all tickets.
Boyzone have dropped the video for their new single Love.

It comes from their final album, Thank You & Goodnight, which releases on November 16, and follows Dream (a tribute to former Boyzone member Stephen Gately), and Because, which was co-written with Ed Sheeran.

Ronan Keating, Shane Lynch, Mikey Graham, and Keith Duffy are also embarking on a farewell tour from January, celebrating 25 years together, including two Irish dates - SSE Arena Belfast on January 23 and 3Arena Dublin January 24.

They have teamed up with Take That's Gary Barlow to write their new single, Love, which was produced and co-written by John Shanks (Take That, Westlife).

Boyzone commented, Boyzone fans everywhere will love the sentiment and passion in this huge song and we can't wait for everyone to hear it.

Tour dates:

January

20th  Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena (ADDED SHOW)

21st  Hull, Bonus Arena (ADDED SHOW)

Video of the Day

23rd  Belfast, SSE Arena

24th  Dublin, 3Arena

26th  Glasgow, SSE Hydro (SOLD OUT)

27th  Liverpool, Echo Arena

28th  Hull, Bonus Arena

29th  Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena

30th  Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena

February

1st  Leeds, First Direct Arena

2nd  Manchester, Arena

4th  Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena (SOLD OUT)

5th  Brighton, Centre (SOLD OUT)

7th  London, The O2

8th  Birmingham, Genting Arena

9th  Bournemouth, International Centre (SOLD OUT)

10th  Bournemouth, International Centre (ADDED SHOW)

12th  Glasgow, SSE Hydro (ADDED SHOW)

13th  Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena (ADDED SHOW)

15th  Brighton, Centre (ADDED SHOW)

16th  London, The SSE Arena, Wembley (ADDED SHOW)

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Watch more:
Jamie Lee Curtis has arrived in Dublin for a special screening of Halloween at the Lighthouse Cinema and she'll be popping in to the Late Late studio afterwards for a chat with Ryan Tubridy.

The Hollywood legend will be talking about the film which features her final show down with serial killer Michael Myers, who she first encountered in the original Halloween four decades ago in 1978.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Jamie Lee Curtis at the Lighthouse Cinema Photo: Mark Condren Jamie Lee Curtis in the new Halloween film which will be released in the UK on October 19 (Universal Pictures/PA) / Facebook

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She'll also talk about what it was like to grow up as the daughter of Hollywood stars Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh before forging her own path as a star in films like Halloween, True Lies, My Girl and A Fish Called Wanda.

Amy Huberman will be in studio to talk about her new RTE series, Finding Joy, which kicks off next Wedensday while Francis Brennan will reveal what it was like travelling Route 66 and plug his new book, A Gentleman Abroad: Francis Brennan's Travel Tales.

Comedian Dara O Briain, who has also just published a new science book for kids, will be revealing the secret science behind everyday life from the minute you wake up to when you go to sleep.

Broadcaster Mary Kennedy also has a new book, Home Thoughts from the Heart. In it she reveals that she experienced burn-out last year and she spoke about the experience in last week's Sunday Independent. She will share her story again on the Late Late and also her approach to living and being comfortable in her own skin.

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Music will come courtesy of SOAK and hugely successful West End star Killian Donnelly will sing a classic from Les Miserables.

The Late Late Show, RTE One, Friday, October 5th at 9.35pm
A dispute between a property company of presidential candidate Sean Gallagher and Nokia Ireland over heating and cooling systems for a Dublin premises has come before the High Court.

Counsel for Nokia told the court on Thursday Mr Gallagher had in an email threatened to close down the premises if the dispute went to court.

Mr Gallagher has insisted he made no "threat" and was merely outlining the factual situation on the ground in that architects and builders had made it clear, if an injunction threat was holding up works, they would move on to other projects.

He said that would mean fire safety issues in the building would not be remedied, it could not be safely occupied as a result and would have to be closed.

Mr Justice Tony O'Connor said he "really encouraged" the sides to sit down together to address "quite a serious situation".

The dispute concerns the provision of heating and air conditioning systems at a building in Blanchardstown owned by Clyde Real Estate Blanchardstown Ltd, of which Mr Gallagher is CEO, and where the tenant is Nokia Ireland Ltd.

About 100 employees work there and Nokia says they had complained about excessively hot and cold temperatures.

Nokia initiated proceedings last June claiming Clyde was in breach of a lease agreement of March 2015 and was required to provide heating, ventilating and air conditioning services in line with the terms of the lease.

Pending hearing of the case, Nokia sought injunctions preventing Clyde closing down, demolishing or decommissioning a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) plant.

Clyde did not dispute that, as landlord, it was required to provide HVAC plant to serve the Nokia premises but it has argued, on a proper construction of the lease agreement, the electricity and gas consumed in operating a HVAC system was the responsibility of Nokia as tenant.

Clyde has claimed the HVAC plant at issue is "obsolete", beyond its working life,hugely problematic", time consuming and expensive to repair and maintain.

The plant must be replaced with a suitable alternative and Clyde had been endeavouring to do for some time, it said.

The matter had been adjourned after Clyde provided undertakings which it said reflected its obligations under the lease.

In court on Thursday, Imogen McGrath BL, for Nokia, said temperatures had soared to 27 degrees last June and that presented considerable issues for the employees.

Conditions were such that Nokia had health and safety concerns for those working in the building, she said.

She said, after Nokia informed the landlord that failure to rectify the situation would result in court proceedings, the defendant had "threatened to close down and demolish the premises if the matter went to court."

Ms McGrath said an offer had been made to put in a new HVAC system next January but that was "not sufficient" from Nokia's perspective and the system needed to be replaced much sooner than that.

There were concerns about working in the building when temperatures drop as winter approaches, she added.

The research works at the premises are dependent on appropriate temperatures being maintained, Nokia claims.

John Freeman BL, for Clyde, said this was a landlord and tenant dispute at a commercial premises.

Nokia was essentially seeking to compel Clyde to operate an "obsolete" system, Nokia itself had admitted two years ago the system was obsolete and now it wanted Clyde to operate it, he added.

Mr Justice OConnor said this was quite a serious situation and the heating system issues raised required to be investigated. He really encouraged the parties to sit down together, he said.

The judge made directions for exchange of legal documents and fixed November 27th to hear the injunction application.
A judge had to tell a claimant "don't call me 'love'" during a 60,000 damages bid in the Circuit Civil Court.

James Flynn (46), from Rathkeale, Co Limerick, a salesman at outdoor markets, kept addressing defence counsel Adrianne Fields as "love".

But when he adopted the same approach with the court, Judge Sarah Berkeley told him: "Don't call me 'love'." He addressed Ms Fields thereafter as "lady".

Mr Flynn, of St Mary's Terrace, Rathkeale, Co Limerick, had sued Alec Dundon, of Primrose Avenue, Phibsborough, Dublin 7, for damages for injuries arising from a rear-ending at a toll plaza at Clonadacasey, Portlaoise, Co Laois, on October 15, 2015.

Mr Flynn said he had been taken to hospital by ambulance but had little memory of exactly how the accident or his injuries occurred.

He agreed he had sued for damages in accidents in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2010 and had been awarded 90,000 in an accident in which he had suffered serious leg injuries.

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When a CCTV recording of the vehicles slowly approaching the toll plaza and stopping was played for the judge, she directed it be considered by both legal teams.

A very short time later, counsel for Mr Flynn said that having viewed the CCTV footage and having spoken to Mr Flynn, his client had decided to withdraw his claim.

Judge Berkeley ordered that Mr Flynn pay the legal costs.
Rebecca Carter won her case against the SEC in the High Court. Photo: Damien Eagers

The case brought by Leaving Cert student Rebecca Carter was described as "self-serving" by the State Examinations Commission as it fought her bid to secure a college place.

New details have emerged of the lengths the State went to in an effort to stop Ms Carter winning her High Court case.

Mr Justice Richard Humphreys has issued his full judgment which shows the SEC argued the Wexford student was not unfairly affected by their appeals system.

Ms Carter (19), of Ardcolm Drive, Rectory Hall, Castlebridge, Co Wexford, had sued the SEC, challenging its decision not to recheck her Leaving Cert points in time to allow her to obtain a place in veterinary medicine in UCD.

The normal appeals process operated by the SEC would not have allowed her score to be re-evaluated before the university's cut-off point for starting the course.

Mr Justice Humphreys said that had Ms Carter's points been correctly added up, she would easily have qualified for a place on the UCD course.

He noted that the SEC submitted that "the only potential basis for any challenge to the procedures is based in irrationality" but "this simply ignores vast swathes of modern administrative law".

He also said an argument that Ms Carter was not prejudiced by the appeals system "completely flat-lines".

"First of all, she irrecoverably missed out on the first complete month of the course, and secondly, but for the court order she would have received a deferred offer and missed out on a year of study of veterinary medicine.

"That is independently of the stress and difficulty caused to her by the flawed appeal system to which she has deposed on affidavit," the judge wrote.

He drew on constitutional, European and international law to conclude that Ms Carter had a right of access to higher education.

Based on the judgment, Fianna Fail's Thomas Byrne told the Irish Independent last night that the SEC's approach was "despicable". "They need to reflect very, very carefully on what the judge said and implement all his recommendations for next year."

Mr Justice Humphreys said an appeals system that did not allow applicants to take up their courses until a month and a half after the start of the academic year was "manifestly not fit for purpose".

The judge said that in order to avoid a repeat of similar problems, an intensified process of co-ordination was required.

He added that people should not think that the case had an entirely "Hollywood ending" because Ms Carter lost the initial crucial first few weeks of the course.

She has now started her studies in UCD.
Painful every day: Ann White, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, leaving the High Court in Dublin on the opening day of her action. Photo: Collins Courts

A woman who claims she slipped on flower petals on a hotel dance floor two hours after the bride threw her bouquet at a wedding reception has sued in the High Court.

Ann White was attending the 'afters' of a work colleague's wedding reception at the Aherlow House Hotel, Co Tipperary, when she claims she fell on the dance floor, fracturing her wrist and arm.

The 53-year-old childcare worker told Mr Justice Kevin Cross there was a "serious scrum" of about 20 single girls for the bride to throw her bouquet at 12.30am.

A number of hands pulled at the bridal bouquet of roses and there were petals all over the dance floor.

Ms White said she later got up on the dance floor at about 2.30am and her right foot skidded. She said she looked down and saw rose petals.

A friend, she said, went to grab her but she had a "massive skid" and fell backwards and hit her head off the floor and also heard a crack. She said she skidded on rose petals while she was wearing stilettos, she said they were normal heels for age 50-plus.

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"I got a shock. The pain was so bad, I could not talk, I could not move my arm," she added.

Ms White (53), of Highfield Grove, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, has sued Aherlow House Hotel Ltd, with offices at Limerick city, over the accident six years ago in the hotel, which overlooks the Glen of Aherlow.

She has claimed that hazardous material was permitted to be on the floor and there was an alleged failure to take adequate care of visitors.

The claims are denied.

Ms White's counsel, Aidan Doyle, told the court a full defence had been lodged and the hotel side claims the incident was an unfortunate accident and was not foreseeable.

Counsel also said the hotel has claimed the bride, by throwing the bouquet, was the "wrongdoer" and the case should have been brought against her.

Counsel said Ms White was not suggesting the bride was the wrongdoer and her case is that there was a varnished floor which had petals on it for up to two hours.

Ms White was transferred by ambulance to hospital. She had surgery to her arm and was in plaster for seven weeks, and has been told she has to live with a pain syndrome.

"My arm is painful every day. I find it hard to dry my hair and I can't wear jewellery on my left hand," she said.

She added that she used to love to knit for her grandchildren, but can't do that now.

Counsel for the hotel, Jeremy Maher SC, put it to Ms White that she was not half as badly injured as she says she was.

Ms White replied: "You are wrong. The pain I have is real. It is there every single day."

The case continues.
A murder trial witness has described how she held the hand of Noel 'Duck Egg' Kirwan and spoke to him shortly after he was shot outside his home.

Mr Kirwan (62) was sitting in his car at St Ronan's Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin, on December 22, 2016, when a gunman shot him six times with a Makarov handgun which was later recovered.

Jason Keating (27), of Lower Main Street, Rush, Co Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Kirwan.

Bernadette Roe, the deceased's partner, told the Special Criminal Court on Tuesday she was in the passenger seat of his Ford Mondeo at the time of the attack and he told her: "I've been shot."

They had just returned from a Christmas lunch in Crumlin with Ms Roe's daughter.

Ms Roe's daughter Carolyn Murray told the court yesterday that she lived around the corner from her mother in St Ronan's Park. She had known Mr Kirwan since she was a child and said when her mother began a relationship with him, he would often call around to her for tea and cake.

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Ms Murray said they had planned to have lunch together as a family on December 22. The witness testified that after their meal that day he drove her and her daughter through Inchicore before dropping them off at their house. Ms Murray said she was just in the door when she got a phone call from her mother, who was hysterical on the line.

"I flew into the car and around to my mother's road," she said.

The witness said that as she made her way to her mother's house she saw a small white van at the corner of the estate and it looked like it was contemplating where to go.

"It was at a stand-still, it wasn't moving," she added.

Ms Roe had previously told the court that she ran from the car as Mr Kirwan was shot and she saw the gunman jump into the side of a white van as it drove away.

Ms Murray said that she saw Mr Kirwan "slumped" over the gear stick of his car outside her mother's house and she shouted for someone to get him a blanket. She said she got into the passenger side of his car and held his hand.

"I talked to him to make sure he was ok and I stayed with him until the ambulance arrived," she said.

John Joyce, a neighbour of Ms Roe, said he was sitting in his front room watching television on the afternoon of December 22 when he noticed a white van parked across the road. He did not see anyone in the driver's seat.

Mr Joyce testified that he heard "a pop" at 5pm and it sounded like a window shattering. He said he then heard Ms Roe screaming that Noel had been shot.

Mr Joyce said he went over to the car and saw "one small hole" at the side of Noel's right eye. "I lifted up his head and talked to him and told them to ring an ambulance as he was still alive," he said.

Detective Garda Alan Curry, a firearms and explosives examiner, testified that he examined a 9mm Makarov handgun which had been recovered in a grass area near St Ronan's Drive. A silencer was attached and its breach was empty, he said.

In his opening address, prosecution counsel Paul Greene SC told the three-judge court that the murder of Mr Kirwan arose from a "notorious feud" between two criminal factions but the deceased had no connection with either side.

A photo of Mr Kirwan beside his "long-time" friend Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch at the funeral of Eddie Hutch was widely used by newspapers in the lead-up to his death, the non-jury court has heard. The trial continues.
A phone analyst has described the workings of a tracking device which the prosecution claim was put under Noel Duck Egg Kirwans car weeks before he was shot dead outside his Dublin home.

Mr Kirwan (62) was sitting in his car at St Ronans Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 on December 22, 2016 when a gunman shot him six times with a Makarov handgun which was later recovered at the scene.

The deceased's partner, Bernadette Roe, was in the passenger seat of his Ford Mondeo at the time of the attack. They had just returned from a Christmas lunch in Crumlin with Ms Roes daughter.

Jason Keating (27), of Lower Main Street, Rush, Co Dublin has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Kirwan.

Sergeant Damien Gannon gave evidence yesterday that he found a 'Gotek 7' electronic tracking device underneath Mr Kirwans car on December 23. It was covered in black rubber and was attached to the undercarriage of the vehicle with two very strong magnets, he said.

James Kennedy, attached to the telecommunications section of An Garda Siochana, gave evidence today that his duties include examining mobile phone devices using software systems.

Mr Kennedy told prosecution counsel Paul Greene SC that he was given the Gotek 7 tracking device from Sgt Gannon on January 5, 2017. The device had a SIM card in it which came from Holland.

The witness explained to the court that tracking devices are normally stuck under the chassis" of cars as they have very strong magnets.

Mr Kennedy testified that he examined the device which is powered by an internal battery but he was unable to decode the information using his software tools. He was able to read the SIM card but there was no evidential information on it.

He had to get a log-on identification in the form of an "internet link", the court heard, in order to download the online movements of the tracking device.

The tracker uses a GPS positioning system to work out one's location, he said and it then uploads information to a web server. Notifications can be set on the user interface to be alerted when the device is moving, he added.

Mr Kennedy explained that the device can be managed remotely saying, one can enable it, disable it and have three contact numbers saved on it so when the device moves that information is sent to those three mobile numbers.

The witness agreed with Mr Greene that he did not retrieve any location data from the internal memory of the device.

Under cross-examination by Michael Bowman SC, defending, Mr Kennedy agreed these devices can also be deployed on taxi fleets when they are leased out and are not just used for nefarious purposes.

The witness also agreed with Mr Bowman that he did not interrogate the information as this task was passed onto someone else.

In his opening address, Mr Greene told the three-judge court that the murder of Mr Kirwan arose from a "notorious feud" between two criminal factions but the deceased had no connection with either side.

The trial continues this afternoon before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge Sinead Ni Chualachain and Judge Cormac Dunne.
A taxi driver who had a manicure tool held to his throat while he was choked with a cord in a violent robbery managed to fight off both his attackers, a court has been told.

One of the alleged assailants fled while the cabbie, with the help of passers-by, was able to hold the other down until gardai arrived.

Father-of-two Gerard Cully (32), from Casement Road in Finglas, appeared in Dublin District Court charged with robbery.

He is also accused of taking part in a spate of other armed raids in the city in recent weeks.

Judge Bryan Smyth refused to grant him bail and remanded him in custody.

Detective Garda PJ Gallagher said it was alleged Mr Cully and another man were picked up by the cabbie on James's Street in the early hours of September 29. Mr Cully got into the front passenger seat and the other man sat directly behind the driver, Det Gda Gallagher said.

The driver was directed to Railway Street and Mr Cully allegedly produced a cuticle pusher and held it to the taxi driver's throat.

The back seat passenger put a cord around the man's neck and used force to restrain and choke him, Det Gda Gallagher said.

The court heard 30 cash was taken and the driver fought off both men before being able to free himself.

Outside, the unknown man took the keys, while Mr Cully allegedly struck the driver with the cuticle pusher, causing minor injuries.

Members of the public came to help and the unknown man fled the scene.

Separately, the court heard of two other robberies and one attempted robbery alleged to have been carried out by Mr Cully and another man.

At Londis on O'Connell Street on September 4, Mr Cully allegedly tried to force the cash register open with a hammer before forcing staff to open it, then fleeing with 215 in cash. On September 9, Mr Cully allegedly produced a knife and demanded cash at Spar on O'Connell Street. When the staff member refused, he ran towards him, Det Gda Gallagher alleged.

The staff member used a bin to protect himself and the accused left empty handed, the garda alleged.

On September 10, at the Fresh store on Mayor Street, Mr Cully allegedly threatened to stab a staff member with a knife, then fled with 260.

Applying for bail, defence solicitor Lorraine Stephens said Mr Cully was presumed innocent.
A YOUNG woman viciously assaulted her former friend over a relationship with a boy, kicking and punching her in the head.

Charmaine Craig (19) attacked the other woman at a Dublin supermarket, leaving her with head injuries that doctors told her would have been way worse if she had suffered one more blow.

A court heard it was further alleged that Craig had continued to torment the victim after the attack, calling her a slut, a smelly rat and threatening her at one stage that she would leave her in a bloodbath.

The case was adjourned after Blanchardstown District Court heard Craig, who pleaded guilty to assault, had not previously read the victim impact statement in which these further allegations were made.

Judge David McHugh remanded Craig on continuing bail to consult her lawyer, and for a pre-sentence probation report.

Craig, of Shancastle Drive, Clondalkin, admitted assault causing harm to Nichole Griffin.

The court heard the incident happened at Supervalu, Neilstown Road, Clondalkin on July 5, 2017.

Garda Sergeant John Paul Cushen said the victim received a number of kicks and punches to the head and body by the defendant.

Gardai were called to the scene and statements were taken at a later date. Craig had written a letter of apology to Ms Griffin a number of weeks ago.

A medical report by an emergency consultant at Tallaght Hospital was handed in to court, along with photographs of Ms Griffin's injuries and a victim impact statement.

Sgt Cushen agreed with solicitor John Shanley that Craig had made admissions at the first available opportunity.

She said the incident happened because of a relationship that was over. At one stage the defendant and the victim were friends.

Craig had indicated she wanted to make amends and compensate the victim, Mr Shanley said.

Sgt Cushen said this was correct but the letter given to Ms Griffin was not accepted.

She initially indicated that she wanted to come to court to speak, but had second thoughts.

He then read out the victim impact statement at the judges request.

In it, Ms Griffin said she was viciously attacked for no reason at all and my whole life was turned upside down.

Since the attack, she said she suffered from depression and anxiety and for six months after it she would not go anywhere without her parents. She failed her first year in college due to anxiety and was attending counselling, the statement continued.

What happened put a big strain on my family relationships and daily life, she said.

No-one should have to live in fear of someone else, Ms Griffin continued in her statement.

When she started going out nightclubbing again, Craig would still shout slut and smelly rat at her, she said.

Ms Griffin told the court in her statement Craig said to her Im going to leave you in a bloodbath.

Once, outside a Nandos, she saw Craig in her black Audi A1 and alleged Craig again threatened her.

Ms Griffin said she had gone for tests and when she got her MRI result, she was told she was lucky, that another hit or blow to the head and things would have been way worse.

She had not wanted to read the accuseds letter of apology as she felt sick to my stomach.

To go through such a vicious, horrific attack at 19 years old was not easy at all, she said.

Mr Shanley said the victim impact statement mentioned alleged incidents after the assault and he had not taken instructions from his client on this.

Judge McHugh said it had been a very vicious attack on the victim and his concern was that the victim impact statement would suggest that this lady had continued after the assault, it is alleged, to torment the injured party further.

The judge adjourned the case for a pre-sentence probation report and to allow Mr Shanley to take instructions.
Fears that hospitals are facing another winter of trolley gridlock rose yesterday after it emerged it will take years to roll out hundreds of additional beds.

Health Minister Simon Harris said around an additional 600 beds will need to be phased in over three years.

Extra beds are essential to ease overcrowding which led to trolley misery for months last winter. But many will not be in place until the end of next year, he told the Oireachtas health committee.

Patients endured a record level of overcrowding in hospitals last winter and doctors recently called for 1,200 beds to prevent a repeat of the chaos in the coming months.

One of the worst-hit hospitals, University Hospital Limerick, is to get additional beds in a modular unit but it could be 2021 before they are in place.

Blueprint

Mr Harris was giving an update on Slaintecare, the 10-year blueprint for the health service.

Although the cross-party committee which drew up the plan called for an earmarked fund to be set up to help deliver its pledge of creating a one-tier health service, this would not happen, he said.

Mr Harris said funding would have to be provided by the normal annual estimates process. A modest first instalment to cater for the early revenue aspects would be made in next week's Budget.

An implementation strategy had been drawn up in recent months but not costed.

The original price of the plan was estimated at 2.86bn over 10 years.

A more detailed action plan is due at the end of the year, according to Slaintecare director Laura Magahy.

The minister said one of the aims was to join up hospital groups and community care services in different regions.

Each would have its own budget and take many functions from the HSE, which was bloated and not fit for purpose.

Fianna Fail TD Stephen Donnelly warned there were pressing issues, including record waiting lists which needed to be tackled in advance of Slaintecare.

Meanwhile, next week's Budget is to deliver special funding to tackle the crisis in general practice.

Mr Harris said he had secured a multi-annual financial agreement for investment in general practice.

This would allow the phased restoration of recession cuts to fees paid to GPs for medical card holders and other HSE services.

The cuts amounted to 120m and have severely affected the income of many doctors.

It has led to several surgeries to turn away new patients because of workload.
Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has rejected a proposal by a Fine Gael councillor to house homeless families on a cruise ship on the River Liffey in Dublin.

Speaking during a lively debate on RTEs Today with Sean ORourke programme, Fine Gael Councillor Paddy Smith said that the idea, which he first proposed to the housing department back in 2016, was used in other jurisdictions.

In other jurisdictions people are housed on barges and on decommissioned cruise ships so it is a way of housing people and if its done right and for the right type of families I think it could make a dent in the numbers.

Cllr Smith admitted that it was an imperfect idea but insisted it should not be ruled out and made his case for the use of a cruise ship to alleviate the housing crisis.

If you think about a large vessel, even a medium sized cruise ship you could house thousands of people, it would have room for facilities like creches, GPs, social workers in-house, recreational facilities and it would give families a place to stay while we try and build the houses where they need to be living in the long run.

Cllr Smith proposal was dismissed as an off the wall idea by housing activist Fr Peter McVerry.

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If they were to guarantee people six months on the ship and go off on a cruise around the Mediterranean then I think it would be very attractive but otherwise I think its off the wall, really its not a runner, Mr McVerry said on RTE's Today with Sean O'Rourke.

Fr McVerry added that it was unnecessary to house people on a cruise ship when there are so many vacant properties in the capital.

The elephant in the room here is always the tens of thousands of empty buildings that blight every street in every town, weve got to look at that. We have got to find ways of utilising those, bringing them back into use and if necessary through Compulsory Purchase Orders.

Fr McVerry added that a cruise ship "would cost a fortune".

Were not going to be able to locate it anywhere near the city centre, which would be necessary, its simply not going to happen. I dont agree with it there are other solutions, he said.

Until we stop the flow of families coming into homelessness were going to come up with all of these mad solutions. The way to stop the vast majority of families being made homeless is to legislate to make it illegal for banks, vulture funds or landlords to put families out onto the street."

Expand Close Wrong turn: People protest the housing crisis in a Raise the Roof rally in Dublin. Photo: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne / Facebook

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Whatsapp Wrong turn: People protest the housing crisis in a Raise the Roof rally in Dublin. Photo: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Cllr Smith dismissed the idea of legislation forbidding the eviction of people into homelessness and questioned the unintended consequences of such laws.

He said that if such laws were to come into effect then less houses would be built because if you have a market where essentially you dont have to pay a mortgage, or you dont have to pay rent, for whatever reason and theres no recourse for that, people who would build housing or provide houses will not do that in that market and that is reality. That seems cold-hearted by that is the reality of the situation.

No, it wouldnt, Fr McVerry replied. What Im suggesting is a three-year moratorium, its going to take three years to build a house anyway so its not going to affect anybody who is planning on building. If the banks want to sell a house that theyve repossessed, they should do so with people living in it paying a rent to whoever buys that house.

Following the debate, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said that the cruise ship idea is not suitable for homeless families in need.

"Better, more appropriate, solutions are being pursued every day by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive," Mr Murphy said.

The cruise ship idea is not suitable for homeless families in need. Better, more appropriate, solutions are being pursued every day by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive.  Eoghan Murphy (@MurphyEoghan) October 4, 2018

"The DRHE is also pursuing additional properties to deliver emergency accommodation facilities for homeless individuals in the Dublin region. A total of 200+ permanent bed spaces were introduced in 2017. The cold weather strategy for 2018 is in preparation."

Upwards of 10,000 people marched on Leinster House yesterday demanding the Government take radical action on housing as public anger visibly grows over the crisis.

A spokesperson for Dublin City Council said: "The possibility of leasing a cruise ship to be berthed in Dublin Port in order to provide emergency accommodation for homeless single adults/rough sleepers in Dublin has been considered by the City Council/Dublin Region Homeless Executive.

"It was felt that this approach would offer a number of advantages relative to other single person emergency accommodation options including speed of delivery and access to higher quality self -contained apartment type accommodation at a competitive cost.

"However, the option is not currently being pursued as the Council/DRHE are confident they will be able to source sufficient additional emergency accommodation to address the requirement of rough sleepers this winter without the need to lease a cruise ship."
Politicians should stop objecting to housing developments in their constituency, a Fine Gael minister has said.

Junior Finance Minister Michael DArcy said it was wrong for TDs from all parties to oppose new developments in the middle of housing crisis.

Speaking on Independent.ies Floating Voter podcast, Mr DArcy said: Public representatives need to stop objecting to housing estates and housing schemes. I think its wrong. They shouldnt be doing because we need houses and we need housing.

Sometimes the development isnt correct and I know and understand that but I dont think a public representative should object to housing today because by God we need housing, he added.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy also asked TDs to stop objecting to new developments during a Dail debate on housing.

Mr DArcy also said he believed all social welfare payment should be increased in next Tuesdays Budget. And he said the Government was working towards increasing the entry point for the top rate of tax to 40,000.

The minister also discussed the measures he is taking to reduce the cost of car insurance. This includes introducing a publicly available list of all motoring claims and pay outs.
Class act: Presidential candidate Sean Gallagher at St Laurences Primary School, Co Wicklow, with his wife Trish and their son Bobby (5), and other pupils from Bobbys class. Photo: Colin Keegan

Sean Gallagher's eyebrows shoot skywards when asked as to whether he might feel that we owe him the presidency because of what happened last time round.

Beside him his wife, Trish, shifts amid deep irritation in her seat on the campaign bus.

Wordlessly, both make it clear that this is not a fair question.

But is there, perhaps, a sense that he might feel hard done by?

"No. I made a point on the radio the other day that the campaign to seek clarification in 2011 was all about fairness," he says.

"But....that's 2011, this is 2018. All of us have moved on and 2018 is about the issues that face Ireland now."

The presidential candidate tends very much towards Bertieism. You might fill a notebook, but his words melt away like candyfloss afterwards.

There is a lot of 'motivational speaking' stuff - of people reaching their 'potential', of 'shaping our communities' and the importance of people feeling 'empowered'.

You have to search to pull out something solid and though it's all positive, will it be enough to have the electorate feeling inspired - especially given that we've heard it all before?

The couple have hit the hustings in County Wicklow, where they now live in Delgany, with their two young children.

There is a morning interview with East Coast Radio in Bray, where Gallagher tells host Declan Meehan that he wants to be a president of all the people of Ireland, North and south. He says that, though he grew up '20 miles away' from Arlene Foster, he never got to meet her until he started to work with a cross-Border business group.

Later, he tells us that he found Foster to be "engaging and incredibly passionate" about working for her community.

But he wouldn't be drawn on her comment about the DUP's 'blood red lines' on Brexit, saying that was 'a matter for Government and not the president'.

His command of Irish is 'like the vast majority of people who studied Irish in the Leaving,' he admits - but he would like to start a language programme inviting people to 'Learn with the President'.

Gallagher vows that his campaign will be carbon neutral and will plant trees to offset any emissions.

From the radio show, it's on to the Purple House cancer support group on Bray's Parnell Road. Set up by Veronica O'Leary some 28 years ago following her own diagnosis, when she found non-medical support services to be sadly lacking, the centre now helps some 1,200 people a year.

There, Gallagher meets 14-year-old Hannah O'Toole, who started coming to the centre at the age of eight, after her father was diagnosed with cancer.

She still comes, she explains, saying it is a place where she can be herself.

Hannah now helps younger children dealing with cancer in the family, Veronica says.

We retire to the bus where Gallagher says that his job over next few weeks is "to outline all our visions for the future".

Was he annoyed to still find himself talking about his Fianna Fail fundraising activities, seven years on?

"Who's still talking about it? I'm not talking about it," he says firmly. "I'm talking about 2018."

Next it's off to St Laurence's School in Delgany where the Gallaghers' son, Bobby, is in high infants.

The sixth class pupils have done their research well and they put forward a range of questions, from Brexit to what he hopes to achieve as president.

There's a gale of laughter as he is asked what he thinks of his fellow Dragons' Den competitors going up against him.

"In life your greatest competition is not against your competitors but with yourself," he tells them.
SEVERAL women have learned in recent weeks they were previously diagnosed with a form of cancer but never informed about this by their doctors.

The women only found out when they were contacted as part of a major review set up in response to the CervicalCheck scandal.

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Independent.ie has learned that these women were contacted as part of the expert panel review led by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).

However, they did not know of their initial diagnosis.

The precise number is unclear, but sources have said that a number of women are involved.

It is understood that, at least in some cases, the cancerous cells were earlier discovered and removed while the women were undergoing a procedure.

It is also understood that none of the women involved have cancer now.

After the procedures, notifications of cervical cancer were made to the National Cancer Registry. However, it appears the women themselves were not informed of the diagnosis.

The HSE said it wished to apologise for any distress that may have been caused to the women who received the letters.

A dedicated information line has been set up to answer queries from women affected.

Each of the women at the centre of the latest controversy was diagnosed with a micro-invasive cancer.

This is a cancer that has not yet spread locally and rarely develops into invasive cancer.

However, it is still deemed serious enough to be classified as a cancer for the purposes of the National Cancer Registry.

Around 1,800 women have been contacted asking for their consent to be included in the RCOG review.

These include over 300 women who had micro-invasive cancer.

Independent.ie understands around 30 of these contacted the HSE with queries regarding the letters they received.

Several said they were never previously told about the diagnosis.

In a statement, the HSE said: The HSE is aware of queries from women who received a letter and who reported that they were unaware of their initial diagnosis of micro-invasive cancer.

"In response to these queries, we took immediate steps to investigate the issue by engaging with the National Cancer Registry to confirm the clinical data in each case.

"We are also providing a dedicated information line to answer any queries from women arising from this process. The expert panel has confirmed that these cases will form part of its review."

The statement apologised for the distress that may have been caused and said all available facts and details had been provided to the women have contacted them with queries.

"In cases where queries cannot be addressed on the information line, we have organised follow-up consultations with clinicians."

A separate issue arose with around 150 letters issued as part of the review. The incorrect return address was included on the letter supplied. This would have seen letters returned to the Department of Agriculture instead of to the HSE.

The HSE said this was an administrative error by the distribution company contracted to distribute the letters.
Sinn Feins Gerry Kelly said it was not unreasonable to describe the UK government as the main protagonist in the Troubles (David Young/PA)

Sinn Feins Gerry Kelly said it was not unreasonable to describe the UK government as the main protagonist in the Troubles (David Young/PA)

Sinn Fein has said it stands by its description of the UK government as the main conflict protagonist in the Troubles.

The claim is contained in the partys formal response to a public consultation on proposed mechanisms designed to address the toxic legacy of the conflict.

Senior party figures were pressed on the contention at the launch event at Stormont on Wednesday and whether it was consistent with casualty figures over the 30 years of violence.

Of the 3,600 people killed during the Troubles, the IRA was responsible for more than 1,700 of the deaths.

Around 370 killings were attributed to the security forces, though a number of families whose loved ones were murdered by loyalists allege the state colluded in those deaths as well.

At the publication event at Parliament Building, Sinn Fein Assembly member Gerry Kelly insisted the UK government had the most responsibility for the conflict.

They were the main protagonists, they are a government, they had 31,000 troops, they have a standing army of something like 150,000, he said.

So it is not unreasonable that they were the main protagonists, and certainly in terms of what was suffered within the nationalist population.

Party vice president Michelle ONeill said reconciliation involved accepting that people had different narratives of what happened.

When we look at the conflict there are very many different narratives of the past and the first step of reconciliation and moving forward is actually recognising that to be a fact, she said.

So we stand over the words in the document, we stand over the proposals in this document, we have taken this work seriously and went through with a fine tooth comb with victims, not just nationalist and republicans, but right across the whole spectrum, because that is the way to move society forward.

DUP leader Arlene Foster accused Sinn Fein of trying to distort the truth.

During the Troubles, there were over 3,500 deaths, of which 60% were at the hands of republican paramilitaries, mainly the Provisional IRA, she said.

A member of the security forces in Northern Ireland was three times more likely to be killed than a member of the IRA.

This is not about different narratives of the past.

It is the continuation of attempts to rewrite history.

It is not opinions which Sinn Fein seek to change, but hard facts.

She added: Only Sinn Fein could put together a response to a consultation on dealing with the past in Northern Ireland and take umbrage at being questioned in relation to the IRAs role.

We all should be focused on the future, but it will not heal the wounds of any victim in Northern Ireland nor will it help us move forward if republicans cannot even accept the role they played but wish to shift the blame for all their actions onto the government of the United Kingdom.

The Sinn Fein consultation document also restates the partys opposition to any suggestion that former members of the security forces could be protected from prosecution by a statute of limitations.

A number of Conservative backbenchers continue to lobby for a statute, despite its omission from the proposals outlined in the Governments legacy consultation.

Mrs ONeill said: Any attempt to bring in a statute of limitations will undermine confidence in the whole range of measures that have been outlined in the consultation.

Any attempt to bring in a statute of limitations is not acceptable.

No one should be above the law and any attempt to do that would undermine the whole process.

Party colleague Linda Dillon added: It is a real concern that when the legislation comes to the floor of Westminster that there will be attempts to put in amendments around the statute of limitation for state forces.

That is not only unacceptable, it is illegal, the legal advice has already stated that there can be no statute of limitation for one section involved in the conflict here.

The consultation is canvassing views on a series of new mechanisms to investigate, document and uncover the truth around killings during the three decades of bloodshed.

It is based on a blueprint agreed by the Stormont parties and UK and Irish Governments in the 2014 Stormont House Agreement.

The implementation of the agreed mechanisms, which include a new independent investigation unit and a truth recovery body, has been delayed amid ongoing political discord in Northern Ireland.

The consultation is a bid to inject some momentum into efforts to making those new bodies a reality.
Gift grub: Emily Collins and daughter Ava take part in the community event organised to celebrate south east Dublin having the highest breastfeeding rates in Ireland. Photo: Photocall Ireland

Eight out of every 10 babies are now breastfeeding in the Dublin south east area - making it the area with highest rate in Ireland.

Breastfeeding is thriving in the area with an amazing 80pc of infants now feeding on their first visit, compared to two out of 10 in some areas.

A community event was organised by Dublin south east public health nurses, which was held at Jamie Oliver's restaurant in Dundrum town centre, where staff, mothers and children celebrated the success as part of National Breastfeeding Week.
Even the customers queuing for donuts into the late evening at Krispy Kreme can't explain the phenomenon.

"It is mad. I came down with my mother-in-law and my son who is eight years old so that's three generations all going mad for donuts," said Amy Byrne from Carpenterstown in Dublin. "My son was dying to come down to try them and the whole school was talking about them."

American donut chain Krispy Kreme's opened its first Irish store last Wednesday and has seen droves of people flocking for a taste of the famous glazed treats.

Dozens of motorists are lining up in the adjoining carpark of the shop's drive-thru, beeping their horns in excitement before they place their order at the window.

It's not just the humans - even dogs are getting in on the action. "It's just curiosity and the dog loves donuts, she loves a little half a donut so that's why I came down," Suzanne Murphy-Beattie, from Ashbourne, Co Meath, as she queued with her shih tzu dog.

Local Blanchardstown resident Karen Cassidy said she was eagerly waiting to take kids Ellie and Aidan down for a taste after seeing signs go up months ago.

"We live locally and we're dying to try them after seeing signs up for months and months about it coming."

Customers are walking out with pre-packed boxes of up to 12 donuts apiece.

But while the excitement is palpable in those queuing up for the sugary treats, nearby residents have been enduring sleepless nights as a result of noisy motorists who continue to beep through the night.

In what appears to be a game between motorists waiting for their order, customers are reportedly honking their horns and shouting at each other.

"I just hear screaming and last Saturday it went on until 3am," nearby resident Giacomo Persichini said.

"Basically you'd wake up every night at some point to the beeping, not really understanding why it happened," another resident, Sofia Tuomola, said.

As a result, Krispy Kreme has now closed the drive-thru overnight in a bid to keep concerned locals on board with the store's opening.

"We've listened to our neighbours and we're making changes," Krispy Kreme CEO Richard Cheshire said in a statement issued last night.

"The smiles and joy have been great to see. But we know that the late-night noise has been an upset for our neighbours."

Residents hope this will put an end to late noise and see a return to a decent sleep at night.

"I'm hoping if they close the queue a little bit earlier that there will be no cars around then," Mr Persichini said.

The donut trend has been growing in Dublin city over the past number of years with shops such as Aungier Danger and The Rolling Donut seeing huge demand for their donuts.

But for many customers at the Krispy Kreme store, the donut craze has a while to go.

Student Kathryn Deeter, who stopped by on her way home from college, anticipated the mania will not last.

"I think it's only going to be crazy for a couple of months and then everyone will calm down," she said.

All you need to know about Krispy Kreme
Lead author Dr Sarah Hartz said it may be helpful to advise people at risk of heart disease to drink occasionally but encourage those susceptible to cancer to avoid it altogether. Stock picture

Alcohol may be helpful for people at risk of heart disease, but should be avoided by people with a family history of cancer, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the University of Washington studied datasets from 400,000 people, some of whom have been monitored since the 1950s, to find out if the amount of alcohol they drank weekly was linked to dying early or prolonging life.

They discovered that drinking one or two drinks daily increased the risk of premature death by 20pc, compared with drinking three times a week or less. However, there were heart benefits for people who had just a few glasses a week, lowering their risk of early death from cardiovascular disease by around 25pc compared to those who drank nothing, while only raising cancer risk by around 8pc.

Lead author Dr Sarah Hartz said it may be helpful to advise people at risk of heart disease to drink occasionally but encourage those susceptible to cancer to avoid it altogether.

"Consuming one or two drinks about four days per week seemed to protect against cardiovascular disease, but drinking every day eliminated those benefits," she said.

"Drinking four days, one to two drinks, may be helpful for people concerned about coronary heart disease but not who are concerned about cancer.

"With regard to cancer risk, any drinking at all was detrimental. If you tailor medical recommendations to an individual person, there may be situations under which you would think that occasional drinking potentially could be helpful. But overall, I do think people should no longer consider a glass of wine a day to somehow be healthy."
Pete Wedderburn says the research into dogs intelligence is well founded  theyre no smarter than goats or pigs

A new study has caused consternation amongst dog owners, with the claim that their beloved pets are no smarter than sheep, goats or even pigeons. How can this be, in a world where many people treat their dogs like human children? How could anyone say that a beloved special little Cockerpoo is stupid?

The researchers at the University of Exeter who made this pronouncement didn't reach their conclusion lightly: they applied careful logic to their assessment.

First, they made the point that there are over 5,000 species of mammals, more than 8,000 species of birds, 10,000 species of reptiles, nearly 30,000 species of fish, and uncountable numbers of invertebrates like spiders.

How could anyone rank so many disparate creatures in order of intelligence? How could you compare the ability of a dog with a tarantula? What measure would you use?

So instead, they decided to assess dogs by comparing them directly with species that share their broad characteristics.

First, they compared with other medium sized carnivores (e.g. wolves), then they looked at other animals that hunt in packs (African wild dogs, dolphins and chimpanzees), and finally, they compared dogs with other domesticated animals (cats, pigs, goats, pigeons and horses).

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This allowed dogs to be fairly compared with other creatures that sit in similar slots in nature's kingdom.

Having chosen their subjects, they then looked at the specific areas of intelligence to be assessed. Clearly, this could not be an examination on the intricacies of the meaning of George Orwell's Animal Farm. Tests had to be carried out on areas of intelligence that could be adequately applied to each animal.

First, they looked at sensory cognition: how a dog smells, hears and tastes, as well as their sense of touch.

They found that dogs did as well as, but not much better than other animals in these areas (and of course, humans lag way behind all animals in this regard: our sense of smell and hearing, in particular, are dismal compared to most other creatures).

Second, the researchers assessed physical cognition, which means an animal's ability to interact effectively with objects around them. This included tasks like pulling a string to get a treat, opening boxes to remove treats, and remembering where objects have been hidden. They found that while dogs can be trained to repeat such tasks, they are not as good as others species at working them out from scratch, especially in complex tasks, such as multiple strings crossing over diagonally.

Third, they assessed spatial cognition: how good are dogs are at finding their way around, and remembering how to get to places. They discovered that dogs have a variable ability here: they can be very good at remembering specific places (which reminds me of a dog who has such a strong memory of finding an old mouldy sandwich in a cemetery that even now, three years later, he rushes off to the same spot in the cemetery whenever his owner passes by that area).

But dogs fail badly at other spatial tasks (e.g. detouring, such as walking around a perspex wall to get a toy they can see in front of them through the perspex).

The conclusion was that dogs are no better than other animals when it comes to navigating their way in the world. And other apparently simpler species, like pigeons, have far greater navigational abilities.

Social cognition was the fourth area to be assessed, and you might think dogs would excel here, as social creatures who have evolved alongside humans. These assessments involved aspects like how well dogs respond to facial expressions and gestures (like pointing), learning from watching other animals, and cooperating in tasks with other dogs. And, as expected, dogs are better than other animals in these areas.

Again, a real life example demonstrates this: if you want to encourage a dog to eat, try picking up food from a bowl with your fingers, put it in your mouth and say "yum yum". Studies have shown that this genuinely does encourage dogs to try doing this themselves (and by the way, you don't need to eat real dog food to make this work).

The fifth and final area to be scrutinised was consciousness of "self", assessed by the Mirror Mark Test. Under anaesthesia, a mark is placed (such as a dab of paint) on a part of the body the animal cannot normally see. When the animal wakes up, it is placed in front of a mirror. If the animal touches the mark, this means it recognises the reflected image as itself rather than another animal. Humans, chimpanzees, dolphins, magpies and ants pass this test; most other species, including dogs, fail. They just cannot comprehend that the mirror shows them an image of themselves.

The overall conclusion of the researchers was that the intelligence of dogs is nothing special. They aren't nearly as smart as chimpanzees or dolphins. They are no smarter than pigs, goats or cats. And in some ways, they aren't as clever as birds like magpies and pigeons.

Does this matter? I've known smart and stupid animals, from a wide range of species. Every animal has a personality of its own, from a goldfish to a budgie to a cat to a dog to a monkey. Some are smart, some are stupid. But the bottom line, which is what really counts, is simple.

All are utterly loveable, in their own unique way.
The towering wave was about 300 metres from the shore when Adi first saw it hurtling at several hundreds of kilometres an hour towards his family's beach-side home near the Indonesian city of Palu.

Adi (27), who only uses one name, was starting his pick-up truck while his wife Waheda (23) was coming towards him carrying their first child, 10-month-old Kanza.

The family had been trying to escape to safety after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake rocked their home. They did not expect disaster would cruelly strike twice.

"When I saw the wave I was paralysed with fear. It was as high as the coconut trees and I did not know what to do or where to go. I resigned myself to my fate," Adi said.

His petrified wife began to run with the baby and Adi braced himself for the impact as he sat inside his car.

"The wave was really powerful. When it hit it caused my car to roll several times. I held onto the steering wheel and the handle above the door," he said.

Miraculously, Adi survived with only a few scratches and was able to pull himself out of the car window to climb to safety on top of the roof. The water had subsided to roughly waist deep and in the chaos he spotted Waheda, managing to pull herself up beside him.

Tragically, Kanza was not there. "My son was ripped from my wife's arms by the force of the wave," he said.

As he recalled the horrific moment, his wife buried her face in his shoulder. "We feel traumatised," he said.

Kanza was among the more than 1,400 people who have died in the tragedy.

Authorities have set a tentative deadline of tomorrow to find people still trapped under rubble, at which point - a week after this devastating double disaster - the chances of finding anyone will dwindle to almost zero.

Like many hundreds of survivors of the twin disaster that struck the northern coast of Sulawesi island, Adi and Waheda do not have the luxury of mourning in private.

Their home and second-hand electronics shop destroyed, they now live hand to mouth with about 50 others from their home village of Towale in a makeshift camp of tarpaulin tents on a hillside at the entrance of the town of Donggala.

The survivors, whose homes were flattened by the quake, must walk more than a mile to a river to get water for washing and cooking but they do not want to leave the high ground in case of another tsunami.

To eat, they must flag down aid convoys and beg for some supplies. Motorbike spotters further down the road give them advance warning of the trucks so they can block their path.

Gde Wiga, a security guard now living in the camp, said they never forced the drivers to give them anything or looted the vehicles. "We just ask for what we need, nothing more," he said.

The small community offers a glimpse into the daily fight for survival as aid struggles to reach victims who have lost homes, livelihoods and loved ones.

Government rescue workers are focusing on half-a-dozen key sites around Palu's ravaged environment - the Hotel Roa-Roa where up to 60 people are still believed buried, a shopping mall, a restaurant and the Balaroa area where the force of the quake turned the earth temporarily to mush.

Almost 200,000 people need urgent help, the UN's humanitarian office said, among them tens of thousands of children, with an estimated 66,000 homes destroyed or damaged.

In Geneva, the United Nations expressed frustration at the slow pace of the response.

"There are still large areas of what might be the worst-affected areas that haven't been properly reached," said Jens Laerke, from the UN's humanitarian office.

"The teams are pushing, they are doing what they can."

Between Donggala and Pula, the road is a scene of apocalyptic destruction, with homes, shops, hotels and businesses reduced to ruined shells. Upturned vehicles lie embedded in the rubble, offering a startling reminder of the brutal, indiscriminate force of nature.

Along the roadside, children stand solemnly with boxes, appealing to cars to stop and donate to their families.

Arif, a motorbike taxi driver, stood by the rubble of the home where he lived with his wife and five children. Ruined clothes, kitchen utensils and other signs of his former life visible in the wreckage.

"I don't know what to do," he said. "We just need help. If we get help then we will start to rebuild." ( Daily Telegraph, London)
1 The British Conservative Party remains utterly polarised over Brexit. Attempts over four days to introduce other topics failed. That included attacking its old foe, Labour. It ended, as it started, in major name-calling division.

2 Former foreign minister Boris Johnson is pitching for Theresa May's top job. The party membership loves him and would elect him. Big doubts still linger over whether he can get enough MPs' backing to put him on the ballot paper.

3 It was a bruising week for Mrs May. But she persisted and even resorted to the questionable tactic of attempting to dance on stage for her keynote speech. There were mutterings about a leadership heave, leading one pro-Johnson MP to throw down an open challenge. Others believe she will survive until 2019 and whatever conclusion this Brexit farrago winds up with.

4 DUP leader Arlene Foster made her presence well-known with three very robust media forays. She has made it clear that any Irish Border deal will have to meet the DUP approval. This throws up yet another obstacle to Mrs May managing to broker and win approval for a reasonable Brexit deal. It was also clear that British Labour poses a real threat to Mrs May and the Conservatives. But an early UK election would further complicate things.

5 Once you discount political conference rhetorical flourishes, it was still clear that Mrs May and the EU want to do a Brexit deal inside the tight timeline required. There were signals that stalled EU-UK talks will pick up. The EU has a good record of finding compromises to overcome seemingly intractable problems. But the bigger doubt - as evidenced by this conference - may be around Mrs May's ability to be able to sell a half-reasonable deal to parliament.
Russian intelligence service, the GRU, is responsible for a wave of cyber attacks across the globe, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.

Mr Hunt accused the GRU of waging a campaign of indiscriminate and reckless cyber strikes targeting political institutions, businesses, media and sport.

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said that a number of hackers known to have launched attacks have now been identified as the GRU.

The move will further strain relations between the two countries after Britain blamed Moscow for the nerve agent attack in Salisbury last March which left one person dead.

The NCSC associated four new attacks with the GRU, on top of previous strikes believed to have been conducted by Russian intelligence.

Among targets of the GRU attacks were the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), transport systems in Ukraine and democratic elections, such as the 2016 US presidential race, according to the NCSC.

Mr Hunt said: These cyber attacks serve no legitimate national security interest, instead impacting the ability of people around the world to go about their daily lives free from interference, and even their ability to enjoy sport.

The GRUs actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries; they are even prepared to damage Russian companies and Russian citizens.

This pattern of behaviour demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to international law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences.

Our message is clear: together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRUs attempts to undermine international stability.

The NCSC said it was almost certainly the GRU behind a BadRabbitattack in October 2017 that caused disruption to the Kyiv metro, Odessa airport and Russias central bank.

And Britains cyber security chiefs say they have high confidence Russian intelligence was responsible for a strike on Wada in August 2017.

The NCSC also stated that the GRU was almost certainly to blame for hacking the Democratic National Committee during the US presidential election in 2016.

And the agency pointed the finger at the GRU for accessing email accounts at a small UK-based TV station in 2015.

Britains relations with Russia have been in the deep freeze since the Salisbury attack which targeted former Kremlin agent Sergei Skripal.

UK authorities believe two Russians, using the aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, smeared the highly toxic Novichok chemical on a door handle at the Wiltshire home of Mr Skripal on March 4.

The attack left Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia critically ill, and Dawn Sturgess, 44, who was later exposed to the same nerve agent, died in July.
Faid, who previously escaped from prison in 2013 before being captured six weeks later, had been serving a 25-year term over a botched 2010 heist in which a policewoman was killed (stock picture)

France's most wanted gangster has been caught three months after he pulled off a spectacular jailbreak in a helicopter that landed in his prison courtyard.

Redoine Faid (46), a career criminal dubbed the "jailbreak king" and who has compared himself to Scarface, was arrested along with four others in a dawn raid in a housing estate in the Oise region north or Paris.

Dozens of masked police also seized his brother Rachid and two of the gangster's nephews were arrested along with the apartment's landlady, according to police sources. Two guns were found in the flat, while two other alleged accomplices were arrested during a raid in the Paris region, sources said.

Faid, who previously escaped from prison in 2013 before being captured six weeks later, had been serving a 25-year term over a botched 2010 heist in which a policewoman was killed.

In his latest, audacious escape on July 1, two men posing as flight-school students forced a helicopter instructor at gunpoint to fly them to the jail where he landed in the courtyard.

The two black-clad men armed with assault rifles then jumped out and set off smoke bombs before breaking into the visiting room, where Faid was meeting with his brother.

The wardens, who were unarmed, fled and raised the alarm. But within 10 minutes Faid had fled, to applause from fellow inmates.

The helicopter was found shortly afterwards in a suburb northeast of Paris.
Campaign: Gerard Collomb is planning to run for Mayor in the city of Lyon. Photo: Reuters

Emmanuel Macron's grip on the French presidency looked increasingly shambolic yesterday after he was forced to accept the resignation overnight of his interior minister, one of his staunchest allies.

In the latest humiliating blow to France's centrist president, who is facing a nightmarish return from the summer recess, Gerard Collomb (71) left the interior ministry on foot yesterday morning just 24 hours after Mr Macron had refused to allow his once loyal ally to quit.

He was officially replaced by Edouard Philippe, the prime minister.

Mr Collomb, one of the pillars of the Macron administration, had previously let it be known that he planned to leave the interior ministry next May to run for his old job as mayor of the city of Lyon.

But he came under pressure to step down immediately as critics argued it was untenable to run such a powerful ministry while preparing for the campaign trail.

"Considering the rumours and the pressure, I don't want the fact I will be a candidate somewhere tomorrow to affect the way forward for the interior ministry," he said.

His announcement setting the countdown to his departure had already been seen as a direct challenge to the authority of Mr Macron, some 31-years his junior and who Mr Collomb has previously said was like a son to him.

Under the French constitution, the president names and removes ministers upon instructions from the premier, not the ministers themselves.

Seeking to regain the upper hand on Monday night, Mr Macron's office said the president had vetoed his resignation attempt, saying that he still had enjoyed his full "confidence". But the following day, Mr Collomb insisted he still intended to resign, throwing the government into crisis.

"Gerard Collomb has resigned again. How long is this sketch going to last?" tweeted far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Tuesday.

"The Titanic is sinking faster and faster and the band has stopped playing," said Eric Ciotti, MP for the right-wing opposition party, the Republicans.

Overnight, the Elysee finally announced that the president had "accepted the resignation of Gerard Collomb and asked the prime minister to act in his place until the announcement of a successor".

The relationship between the president and Mr Collomb reportedly nosedived this summer over a scandal surrounding Mr Macron's former security aide Alexandre Benalla.

The former bodyguard was filmed beating up protesters while wearing a police helmet, sparking the worst political crisis of the presidency when it emerged that senior officials knew about it.

 Daily Telegraph London

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Pope Francis has urged Catholic bishops to dream of a future free of the mistakes and sins of the past, as he opened a global gathering of the Church leadership amid renewed outrage over the priestly sex abuse and cover-up scandal.

Francis celebrated Mass in St Peter's Square with some of the more than 200 priests, bishops and cardinals summoned to Rome for a month-long meeting on proposing new ways to minister to today's young Catholics.

Francis prayed for the bishops to guide the young with experience, but also to rekindle in themselves the gift of "dreaming and hoping" that young people have.

He prayed for God's help to ensure the Church "does not allow itself from one generation to the next to be extinguished or crushed by the prophets of doom and misfortune, by our own shortcomings, mistakes and sins".

A survey by the Pew Research Centre released yesterday found just 31pc of US Catholics felt the Pope was doing an excellent or good job in addressing the abuse issue, down from 45pc in January and 55pc in 2015.

A group of abuse survivors planned a sit-in near the Vatican to draw attention to their plight and compel delegates to prioritise the issue. "We think young people should question the way the Church has dealt with this in the past," said Matthias Katsch, a German member of the Ending Clergy Abuse global advocacy group.

Among those participating in the protest are hearing- impaired victims of the notorious Antonio Provolo Institute in Verona, Italy, where deaf children were sodomised for years by Catholic priests and brothers.
On tour: US First Lady Melania Trump greets a child during her visit to Cape Coast Castle, a former slave trading post in Ghana. Photo: Reuters

Donald Trump mocking a woman accusing his Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault appeared to backfire yesterday as three wavering Republican senators criticised the comments.

He parodied the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford, the Californian professor making the claim, who has admitted not remembering significant details about the alleged incident.

Jeff Flake, the Republican senator from Arizona, said the president's remarks were "appalling", while Susan Collins, the Republican senator from Maine, called them "just plain wrong", and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said it was "wholly inappropriate".

A vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to join America's top court is expected later this week after the FBI completes its investigation.

However, the result hangs in the balance. If just two Republican senators vote no, his candidacy is likely to fail.

Mr Trump had initially avoided criticism of Prof Ford, who accused Mr Kavanaugh (53) of pinning her on a bed and groping her at a high-school house party in 1982, calling her a "very credible witness" after she gave testimony to the Senate committee last week.

However, addressing cheering supporters at a rally in Southaven, Mississippi, on Tuesday, Mr Trump adopted a mocking tone and pointed to gaps in her memory of the alleged incident.

"I had one beer. Well, do you think it was - nope, it was one beer," Mr Trump said, playing out an imaginary question and answer session with Prof Ford about the incident. "How did you get home? I don't remember. How'd you get there? I don't remember. Where is the place? I don't remember. How many years ago was it? I don't know."

He went on: "What neighbourhood was it in? I don't know. Where's the house? I don't know. Upstairs, downstairs? I don't know - but I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember. And a man's life is in tatters."

Prof Ford has made clear since first going public that she does not remember some key details. She believes the party took place in the summer of 1982 but has not named a date or month. She does not remember where the party was or how she got home, but alleges that the assault took place in a bedroom upstairs.

Mr Trump's comments were rebuked by senators whose votes are crucial if Mr Kavanaugh's nomination is to pass, including Mr Flake whose call for an FBI inquiry into sexual misconduct claims delayed the vote by a week.

He said yesterday: "There's no time and no place for remarks like that. To discuss something this sensitive at a political rally is just not right, it's just not right. It's kind of appalling."

Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, rejected criticism of Mr Trump's comments, saying: "The president was stating the facts."

The FBI investigation is due to be completed imminently and a Senate panel vote could come as early as tomorrow. Mr Kavanaugh has categorically denied Prof Ford's allegation.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump dismissed a report suggesting he avoided paying hundreds of millions of dollars in inheritance tax, labelling the 'New York Times' story a "very old, boring ... hit piece".

A day after the 'New York Times' published a 14,000-word investigation - filling eight pages of its Wednesday print edition - that claimed the president engaged in schemes that included cases of fraud in which he and his siblings helped their parents dodge millions of dollars in taxes, the president dismissed the article.

Its main assertion was that the president had received the equivalent today of at least $413m (360m) from his father's real-estate business.

It said that after pouring though the "vast trove" of records, it believed that Mr Trump helped his parents evade taxes by setting up a fake corporation with his siblings to disguise millions of dollars in gifts.
President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Landers Center Arena, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Southaven, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks about some Democrats in Congress at a rally Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, in Southaven, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

The FBI arrested a US Navy veteran on Wednesday as a suspect in its investigation into letters sent to senior US officials initially feared to contain the poison ricin, the US Attorney's Office for Salt Lake City said.

William Clyde Allen III, 39, was arrested at his home in Logan, Utah, on a probable cause warrant and will be charged on Friday, said Melodie Rydalch, a spokeswoman for the US attorney's office.

Mr Allen is under investigation for letters sent to Pentagon officials and President Donald Trump, a separate law enforcement source said.

US officials said on Wednesday they had essentially ruled out terrorism in the case in which the envelopes were sent to a Pentagon mail-sorting facility on Tuesday, setting off an alarm for ricin.

A Pentagon spokeswoman said tests showed Tuesday's alert was triggered by castor seeds, from which ricin is derived, rather than the deadly substance itself.

Ricin is found naturally in castor seeds, but it takes a deliberate act to convert it into a biological weapon. Ricin can cause death within 36 to 72 hours of exposure to an amount as small as a pinhead. No known antidote exists.

One of the letters was addressed to US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. The US Secret Service said it was investigating a "suspicious envelope" addressed to Trump that was received on Monday, although it never entered the White House.

The FBI said it was investigating "potentially hazardous chemicals" in Logan, which is about 66 miles (106 km) north of Salt Lake City.

Allen served in the US Navy from October 1998 until October 2002, leaving the service as a seaman apprentice, the second-lowest rank, according to the US Navy Office of Information.

A Facebook account matching Allen's name and location has posts about nature, science, art and Christianity. One of his last posts on Tuesday was a video of a bull elk "bugling," or making its distinctive mating call in a forest.
Millions of Americans' mobile phones buzzed and beeped during the first test of a presidential alert system that would warn the public of a national emergency (stock picture)

Millions of Americans' mobile phones buzzed and beeped during the first test of a presidential alert system that would warn the public of a national emergency, such as an imminent attack.

The test message from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) went out at 2.18pm (7.18pm) and triggered a loud tone, a special vibration and a message reading: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed." A separate alert on television and radios was issued at 2.20pm (7.20pm).

Officials estimated that upwards of 225 million US mobiles and other devices like smartwatches would receive the alerts broadcast by cell towers, or about 75pc of all devices.

Officials said they expected the alert would not reach all phones for a variety of reasons. US users are not able opt out of presidential alerts.

The test was the most discussed topic on Twitter, in part because of President Donald Trump's propensity for sending tweets to his 55 million followers.

Officials said Mr Trump would not personally trigger the alert - from his phone or any other device - and emphasised no president could "wake up one morning and attempt to send a personal message."

The test alert was sent by a device similar to a laptop from a FEMA laboratory.
A son of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin will spend a year in custody after a judge ruled that allegations he hit a woman disqualified him from a therapeutic programme for military veterans tied to a separate assault case.

Track Palin, 29, has been accused of three attacks on people close to him over the past few years, the most recent coming last week against a female acquaintance.

Palin, who served a year in Iraq, entered a programme intended to rehabilitate veterans after he was arrested for an alleged assault on his father less than a year ago.

Anchorage District Court Judge David Wallace told Palin he had violated conditions of a plea agreement in the earlier case and must report to a halfway house at the end of the month.

Expand Close Track Palin, centre, and his father Todd, right, at a hearing in Veterans Court (Bob Hallinen/Anchorage Daily News/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Track Palin, centre, and his father Todd, right, at a hearing in Veterans Court (Bob Hallinen/Anchorage Daily News/AP)

The Department of Corrections will determine if he serves time at the halfway house or behind bars. Anchorage district attorney Richard Allen said jail time is unlikely.

The judge could have chosen to let Palin remain in Alaska Veterans Court, which gives eligible former service members the option of enrolling in mental health treatment instead of a traditional sentence.

Before Judge Wallace issued his decision, Palin said he appreciated the opportunity to participate in the programme in Anchorage. He acknowledged it was a challenge taking part because he had to come in from the Mat-Su Valley, about 45 miles away.

Palin attended the hearing with his father Todd, who also spoke briefly in court, saying he hoped his son would be allowed to remain in veterans court.

Asked if they wanted to comment before the hearing, Todd Palin declined. Track Palin said: Pay me, I will.

Track Palin was arrested on Friday night after a female acquaintance said he told her she could not leave his house in Wasilla, took away her phone and then hit her on the head, according to court documents.

The woman said the pair wrestled over the phone and Palin let her leave after she screamed for help, according to an affidavit by Alaska State Troopers. They said Palin told them the two were arguing over how they said goodbye and that any injuries the woman had were self-inflicted.

Authorities said he also kicked over a table and threw his head back at a trooper as he was arrested. Palin is in jail facing misdemeanour charges including assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Last December, he was accused of breaking into his parents home and leaving his father bleeding from cuts on his head, authorities have said. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in veterans court.

Palins arrangement called for him to serve 10 days in jail if he completed the therapeutic programme and a year behind bars if he did not.

Palin also was accused of punching his then-girlfriend in 2016, court documents said. He pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm while intoxicated, and the other charges were dismissed.

Sarah Palin indicated that post-traumatic stress disorder might have been a factor in that case.
The new Travelodge in Telford will serve conference attendees (PA)

Travelodge has announced a raft of new openings targeting some of the UKs most popular conference hubs, as part of a 100 million investment.

The hotel chain has pledged to open in 10 new target locations after opening a 68-room hotel near Telford International Conference Centre.

The plans will create an estimated 300 new jobs

Our hotels located close to conference and event centres are literally booked out as soon as event dates are releasedPaul Harvey, Travelodge

The UK events sector contributed roughly 42 billion to the UK economy in 2017, according to Eventbrite, making it a resilient market despite low levels of consumer confidence.

Travelodge said that demand from business customers for accommodation close to conference centres has risen over the past three years. More than half of Travelodge sales are now from business customers.

But the strong growth in demand has now outstripped supply in key areas.

Our hotels located close to conference and event centres are literally booked out as soon as event dates are released and value seeking attendees will even book into a Travelodge up to 20 miles from the event venue, said Paul Harvey, Travelodge managing director of property.

The company is actively hunting for hotels near conference centres in London, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Coventry, Brighton and Bournemouth.

Target venues include Londons Olympia and the ACC Liverpool, which just played host to this years Labour Party Conference.

The company has benefited from consumers and businesses trading down to budget hotels this year amid the UKs economic slowdown.

Revenue rose 8% to 317.2 million in the six months to June 27, while adjusted earnings grew 1.3 million to 43.3 million.

It has also unveiled ambitious expansion plans to open another 100 hotels in London, in addition to its existing 75 sites.
Free speech for Jew haters: Mahathir Mohamad addresses Oxford University students

Is Mahathir Mohamad a fan of Katie Hopkins, the rent-a-gob former Mail columnist and LBC radio presenter? Both seem to have missed the memo from Josef Mengele, the Nazi who when not dreaming up new ways to murder Jews in his lab was measuring Jews anatomy to check for nose size. It turned out that despite Nazi propaganda painting Jews as hook-nosed freaks, Jew noses were no different in dimension to the Aryan master races. So when Hopkins reportedly says I got the nose but not the Jewish bit, which is shit and Mohamed, the Malaysian prime minister, states that all Jews are hook-nosed, you might think theyre harking back to anti-Semitic tropes. You might also get the feeling that the sighting of Jew noses is not meant as a compliment, but intended to other the Israelites and mark out Jews as, well, shit.

Hopkins is no longer a regular presence on the mainstream British media. But you can catch Mohamad on the Beeb and on stage during his tour of the UK. Hes a lovely bloke. Not in the least bit of an anti-Semitic bastard. If you are going to be truthful, the problem in the Middle East began with the creation of Israel, he opined knowingly on BBCs Hard Talk, pointing to those fabled pre-Israel lands flowing with the milk and honey of human comradeship [see the Bible, Islamic history, the big book of beheadings and the Horrible Histories series for children]. That is the truth. But I cannot say that. He also knows that 4 million not 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust  which means 2 million dead Jews are liars, so too the ones who mourn them.

Not that the bigger figure is not without its appeal:

1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews, he said at the Organization of the Islamic Conference summit in 2003 in Kuala Lumpur. There must be a way. And we can only find a way if we stop to think, to assess our weaknesses and our strength, to plan, to strategize and then to counterattack. We are actually very strong. 1.3 billion people cannot be simply wiped out. The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million.

He wrote on his personal blog in 2012 that Jews rule this world by proxy, The Associated Press reported.

But why read the case notes when you can catch him live? The man who says hes proud to be called an anti-Semite appeared at Oxford Universitys Islamic Centre, Imperial College and Chatham House. Good to see universities are not full of snowflakes after all  at least those sensitive students didnt issue a no platform decree when Jew-baiters and Jew haters are delivering the address

Anorak

Posted: 4th, October 2018 | In: Key Posts, News, Politicians Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
Thousands of people living in tents and shelters in the Indonesian city hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami are facing an uncertain future, unsure when they will be able to rebuild.

Residents whose homes have been destroyed spend hours often futilely trying to secure necessities such as fuel for generators, seven days on from the disasters.

They are hoping more aid will arrive in the shattered city of Palu and the surrounding Donggala district on the island of Sulawesi.

Expand Close A woman bathes a child at a temporary shelter in Palu (Tatan Syuflana/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A woman bathes a child at a temporary shelter in Palu (Tatan Syuflana/AP)

Some residents have taken to digging through reeking piles of sodden food and debris, searching a warehouse wrecked by the tsunami for anything they could salvage: cans of condensed milk, soft drinks, rice, sweets and painkillers.

Others carted away corrugated metal, wood, piping and other items to build temporary shelters or sell.

National police spokesman Brigadier General Dedi Prasetyo said security will be ramped up to ensure law and order after 92 people were arrested for looting goods such as motor oil, tyres and farming equipment.

Authorities earlier allowed desperate villagers to grab food supplies from shops but have warned them not to take other things. He said security will be necessary for economic activity to resume.

Expand Close The remains of a mosque in Palu (Aaron Favila/AP) / Facebook

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The official death toll has reached 1,424 with thousands more injured and more than 70,000 residents displaced from their homes. The number of dead is expected to soar as rescue crews comb through affected areas after being slowed initially by broken, impassable roads and other damage.

Hoax warnings have proliferated since the magnitude 7.5 quake and tsunami on Friday, and the national disaster agency has asked people to only rely on credible sources of information.

The agency said the health ministry has identified air transportation, water treatment, generators and shelter or tents as key priorities.

International help is pouring in, with Singapore, South Korea, Britain and Japan sending military transport aircraft. Multinational companies such as Google and Apple have also pledged monetary assistance, in addition to 11.6 million from the UN and millions more from other countries.

Good news! @UNReliefChief has allocated $15M from @UNCERF to support the government of #Indonesia in providing life-saving help for people affected by the 7.4 magnitude earthquake & tsunami https://t.co/BEf9Imsz0l  UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) October 3, 2018

Military officials said Palus airport is expected to reopen for civilian traffic later on Thursday.

About 100 Indonesian marines have landed at the airport and 200 more are on their way to help in rescue efforts. The work to retrieve bodies has been hampered by lack of heavy equipment to dig them out.

The UN estimated 200,000 people need assistance and said Indonesia has asked Unicef to send social workers to support vulnerable children who are alone or became separated from their families

The Sulawesi coastline spreading out from Palu is a surreal landscape of debris, beached boats, overturned cars and the foundations of obliterated houses.

In some areas, rescuers use sniffer dogs to detect victims buried under tons of mud and debris.
A Chinese street cleaner who goes by the name Li Man set an example when she found 50,000 yuan (US$22,000) in the trash and returned the money to its rightful owner. When rewarded for the same, the woman refused to accept anything, stating that she had only done the right thing.

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On a regular working Tuesday, Li Man found the bag while cleaning the road in a commercial district of Haikou, the capital of the island province of Hainan.

She sensed something unusual when the bag felt heavy. A smaller bag consisting of 100 yuan bills. was found alongside.

As soon as she accidentally found the bag, the worried street cleaner wanted to return it. It was then she reached the police station after contacting her manager.

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After an investigation, it was found that the bag belonged to a businessman surnamed Zhu. It was the receipts found that helped track down the owner. The bag was then returned to its rightful owner at the police station itself.

Zhu is apparently the head of the local company who told the media that the cash was a days takings that a cleaner had mistaken for rubbish and thrown away.

Zhu offered Li 20,000 yuan reward for her good deed which was equal to her whole year's salary. However, she refused to take the money saying she didn't need it despite her poor financial conditions.

Li has been praised on the social media as the beautiful sanitation worker and a noble character. The story also highlighted the low pay of the street cleaners.

In Haikou, the minimum wage of 1,430 yuan a month is one of the lowest in the country.
It was just another regular day when Binita Jain saw her husband off to work. Little did she know that it was the last time she was seeing him off. Fifteen years later, while she's still hoping for her husband's return, the gritty woman not only raised her two kids alone, but also emerged as the first person to win 1 crore in this season of Kaun Banega Crorepati.

With her acumen and intelligence, she left a lot of people including Amitabh Bachchan bewildered. Binita's winning moment was broadcast on Tuesday night and the lady has emerged as an inspiration for many.

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However, Binitas journey to the hot seat wasnt easy. A tuition teacher and single mother of two come from Guwahati Assam has a story that can leave you in tears.

15 years ago Binita's husband went on a business trip and never returned. Her life turned upside down when she found out that he was kidnapped by terrorists in 2003. Even after their best efforts, he was never found.

Facebook

However, as strong as has been, Binita took all the responsibility on her shoulders when the sole earner of her family went missing. She started tuition classes with merely seven students which now has reached to 125. She decided to move on with a little hope of her husband returning someday.

The court has declared her husband dead. Amitabh Bachchan praised Binita for the courage and also shared how she is an inspiration for many.

Here is Binita narrating her own story on the sets of KBC.

Kathinaiyon par maat kar, aa rahin hain woh itihaas rachane. Miliye Guwahati ki Binita Jain se, kya ban paayengi woh humari peheli 7 Crore ki vijeta? Dekhiye @SrBachchan ke saath, #KBC, aaj aur kal raat 9 baje. pic.twitter.com/RLClIGfssr  Sony TV (@SonyTV) October 1, 2018

Stories like these inspire us in more than way and teach us how we should never lose hope because the light is certain after crossing the tunnel!
A Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court has imposed Rs 5,000 penalty each on three doctors in separate cases for their illegible handwriting.

In the three criminal cases that came up for hearing last week, the injury report of the victims issued by hospitals from Sitapur, Unnao and Gonda district hospitals were not readable because of poor handwriting of the doctors who had issued them.

The bench considered it an obstruction in the court work and summoned the three doctors  Dr TP Jaiswal of Unnao, Dr PK Goel of Sitapur and Dr Ashish Saxena of Gonda.

reuters/representational image

On their appearance, a bench of Justice Ajai Lamba and Justice Sanjay Harkauli admonished them and asked them to deposit Rs 5,000 penalty in the courts library.

The court further directed principal secretary home, principal secretary medical and health and director general medical health to ensure that in the future medico reports are prepared in easy language and readable writing. The court also suggested that such reports should be computer typed instead of being handwritten.

The medico legal report, if given clearly, can either endorse the incident as given by the eyewitnesses or can disprove the incident to a great extent. This is possible only if a detailed and clear medico legal report is furnished by the doctors, with complete responsibility, the bench observed.

reuters/representational image

It added, The medical reports, however, are written in such shabby handwriting that they are not readable and decipherable by advocates or judges. It is to be considered that the medico legal reports and postmortem reports are prepared to assist the persons involved in dispensation of criminal justice. If such a report is readable by medical practitioners only, it shall not serve the purpose for which it is made.

The court reminded the doctors of a circular issued by UP director general medical and health in November 2012 which stipulated doctors to prepare the medico legal reports in readable form. The doctors pleaded they erred in writing legible prescriptions as they were overburdened.
The current government might have promised to double the farmers income across India by 2022, the scenes of the farmers being beaten up by police for demanding their rights tell a different story altogether.

We all saw how farmers were beaten up and tear gas shells were unleashed to disperse and stop them from entering the Delhi border on October 2.

PTI

The Kisan Kranti Yatra wasnt the only occasion when farmers rose and demanded whats rightfully theirs; the year has seen several farmers marches across the country. If Maharashtras farmer march which choked Mumbai is yet to fade from peoples memory, most of us still recall the Tamil Nadu farmers protesting the Jantar-Mantar for farm loan waivers.

pti

IndiaTimes does simple mathematics of the expenditure versus earning of an average marginal farmer of the country from one major crop-wheat, just to understand where lies that actual problem.

The average land holding in India is 2 to 3 acres and the majority of the farmers fall in the category of small and marginal farmers and our calculation is also based on this farmer with two acres of land.

Therefore, here is the ratio of expenditure and income of a farmer.

1. Irrigation and getting the land ready for sowing seeds

Even if we assume the farmer has electricity connection, irrigating one acre minimally costs around Rs 250 which come to Rs 500 for two acres. Most of the marginal farmers dont own tractors, hence they rent tractors to plough their land and it takes at least four times to plough the land before sowing seeds.

pti

One time cost of ploughing an acre cost Rs 450 which comes Rs 3600 for two acres. This is the old rate, if we go by the cost of diesel which is touching Rs 80 in Delhi, we shall assume a higher rent for one time plough, said Jasbir Dabas, a farmer who also provides his plough services to other farmers.

Sub Total: Rs 4,100

2. Seeding the land

After the land gets ready for the seeding process, a farmer has to buy high-quality seeds to make sure the quality of the crop is good. The Punjab 343 (PBW-343) is one seed of wheat, which common across north India and it comes at over Rs 1100 per 40 kg and an acre requires at least 60 kg of wheat. For two acres, the Punjab 343 would cost Rs 3200 plus Rs 800-the sowing charges of the tractor owner.

afp

There is a variety of seeds in the market and this one is bought by most farmers since the yield per acres is more. It costs slightly over Rs 1100," said Rajpal, a seed and fertiliser trader in outer Delhi.

Sub-Total: Rs 4,000

3. Fertiliser and irrigation

Wheat is sown in November and gets harvested in April and it requires irrigation five times along with an average use of 2 bags of urea and one of DAP per acre. Irrigating the crop of two acres of wheat five times would cost a farmer Rs 2,500.

Shrirang Swarge/Peoples Archive of Rural India

A 45 kg (earlier the government used to give a 50kg bag) of urea costs Rs 270 and four would cost Rs 1080 and one DAP bag weighing 45 kg costs Rs 1125, therefore, two would cost Rs 2250. The total cost of fertilisers would be Rs 3,330.

Sub-total: Rs 5,830

4. Harvesting and threshing

Harvesting and threshing roughly cost around Rs 2,500 and Rs 2,000 per acre respectively if the farmer doesnt harvest the crop by self. But lets assume, he does, even then threshing of two acres of the crop would cost Rs 4,000.

afp

Sub Total: Rs 4,000

5. MSP, whats that?

Hours before this story was written, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) was revised by the government from Rs 1,735 per quintal in the 2017-18 season to Rs 1,840 per quintal in rabbi season of 2018-19. But the sad part of the story is throughout India, not only wheat, but none of the crops gets sold at MSP. Yes, thats a sad reality and government only buys only 3 per cent of the total production and rest is bought by middlemen and through them private businessmen.

For an example, India had a bumper crop of wheat in 2017-18 with 98. 61 million tonnes of wheat and the government only procured only 30.8 million tonnes (at MSP) of the total production. Rest, well you know.

6. Production, selling and income

The average production of wheat in India is around 22 quintals per acre (55 mann-the local degree of measurement) and the average price in Mandis across north India remains between Rs 1550 to 1650. So, even if we assume that Rs 1,600 per quintal as the price at which the farmers wheat is bought, for 44 quintals of wheat, the farmer would fetch Rs 70, 400.

afp

Mind it, we are not including winnowing and other processes which further reduce the quantity of the wheat in Mandi.

Income : Rs 70,400

7. Miscellaneous charges

Throughout the process, we didnt include miscellaneous charges of transportation of fertiliser, seeds and final production to Mandi along with the charge of middlemen in the mandi. Lets keep it minimum Rs 2000.

8. Now total income vs total expenditure

Out of this Rs 70, 400, if the farmer spends a total of Rs 19,930 or roughly Rs 20,000, he roughly gets Rs 50,000 in his hand after six months of relentless labour. Now he has to manage his home in this money which includes the fees of the children, household and ration expenditure and expenditure to buy seeds for the next crop. Forget saving and any other emergency that may occur.

pti

Imagine, how he would do that. Anyone?

8. And then this!

(Disclaimer: All the expenditures have been taken at the bare minimum level).
(ANSA) - Rome, October 4 - Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini reiterated Thursday that no ships intending to disembark migrants would be allowed to land in Italy.

He said he knew that a ship run by leftist, anticapitalist and anarchist squats called social centers was "wandering around the Mediterranean for a humanitarian mission and that it will try to disembark migrants in Italy. Do what you want, go wherever you want. I am democratic. Go to Tunisia, Libya or Egypt, but not to Italy. You can pick up whomever you choose but you will not be coming to Italy." He was commenting on an initiative in which some MPs from the leftwing Free and Equal (LeU) party are taking part.

The ship has been named Mediterranea. The mission has been launched by several Italian associations - including Arci Nazionale, Ya Basta of Bologna, the NGO Sea-Watch, the online magazine I Diavoli and the social enterprise Moltivolti of Palermo - and is supported by representatives of the world of culture and social entities. The main boat will be accompanied by a schooner that will support the various operations.

"When the law creates death, it is our duty to disobey," organisers said.


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Indians have an annoying tendency to pick up unused condiments from restaurants and often nick stuff from public places. Indian Railways has emerged as another popular hunting ground for passengers to steal stuff. Read more

Here's more top news of the day:





1) Major Relief To Common Man As Government Cuts Petrol, Diesel Prices By Rs 2.50

BCCL





Addressing the media Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the excise duty has been reduced by Rs 1.50 and oil companies will absorb Rs 1 in effect to reducing the price by Rs.2.50 on both diesel and petrol. Read more

2) Men Rape Woman Taking Dip In Ganga, Accused Film Video; Police Didn't Act On Complaint

Representational Image





A woman bathing in river Ganga was raped by two men in Bihars Patna. The accused dragged the woman out, raped her and filmed the video. They also shared it on social media. Read more

3) When You Thought The Worst Is Over, Heavy Rains Come Back To Kerala, 3 Districts On High Alert

BCCL/FILE





Extremely heavy rainfall have been predicted in the state between 5 October and 8 October. Red Alerts have also been issued in three districts, Idukki, Thrissur and Palakkad. Read more

4) After Reports About Huge Influx Of Rohingya Refugees To Kerala, Five Member Family Detained

Kerala Police have detained five members of a Rohingya family, including a six-month-old baby from Vizhinjam in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Read more

5) Court Asks Three Doctors To Pay Fine Of Rs 5,000 For Writing Prescription In Poor Handwriting

reuters/representational image





In the three criminal cases that came up for hearing last week, the injury report of the victims issued by hospitals from Sitapur, Unnao and Gonda district hospitals were not readable because of poor handwriting of the doctors who had issued them. Read more
Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate was shot in her head by a Pakistani Taliban gunman in 2012, who tried to curb the girls contribution and her outspoken advocacy of education of women in the terror-stricken nation.

Now, another woman who is being referred to as the Malala Of Afghanistan, Breshna Musazai, is being praised for her determination and resilience. Plagued by polio in one leg and a gunshot by the Taliban militants in the other, she conquered her fears with the help of her familys encouragement.

Musazai, a student of American university of Afghanistan back in 2016 was going to the campus mosque when the prayers took an ugly turn and terrorists stormed into the university campus and she was shot in her leg, reported ANI.

Photo: ANI

"After the attack in 2016, I had lost hope for a while and I was too scared. I thought I won't be able to go back to the university and continue my education. I didn't even want to leave my home because I was scared of the situation," Musazai told ANI.

Musazai had to move with her hands and was bedridden for a long period of time as the attack had left her paralysed. However, her friends and family became her pillars of strength when they motivated her to continue her education.

"Even mentally I did not feel good and I had sleepless nights. Not just myself, I was scared for my family too. Whenever any of my family members would leave the home, I would pray for their safety and due to my physical problem I had to spend the entire day at my home," she told the news agency.

Musazai further added that Afghanistan was fortunate enough to have India as a neighbouring friend.

Afghans love India because of the support the Indian government provides them, like giving scholarships in education and investments in Afghanistan.

Her undying spirit towards completing her education and achieve more has fetched her the title of Malala Of Afghanistan.
Rajan Shukla, the principal secretary, Civil Defence, is among a few bureaucrats, care about people in all senses of the word. He donates blood every three months. Shukla, 56, is an inspiration to other as he has been doing it since 1980 when he first donated the blood at the age of 18. And 38 years later, Shukla who is an IAS officer now has donated blood for a record 112 times.

HT

On Tuesday, he arrived with 130 donors at Lucknows Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and RML institute along with his Anil Rajbhar. We always look for voluntary blood donors and passionate celebrity volunteers are always more than welcome, said Dr DS Negi, the director of Lohia hospital to HT.

Rajan has inspired people within the family and his brother Rajarshi, a judicial member of the Consumers Court has been a donor for a while now and Tuesdays donation was his 51st.

For Rajan, it was 112th blood donation which is possibly highest for a bureaucrat.

I guess we are a family of donors. Mother and father are regulars while brother is the one most passionate. Its a great feeling that a gesture could help several people, he said.

Dr VK Sharma, head of Lohia Hospitals blood bank seconded.

Oh yes. Regular blood donation helps one reduce the risk of cholesterol, cardiac problems and iron overload. It also helps regular screening and blood purification, he says.

healtcare/Representational Image

When the bureaucrat made his 100th recorded donation, I was there and today also I was here. He is fit and a great ambassador for the noble cause, says Dr Sharma.

In 2016, record keepers of Limca book of records were told about Shukla but his fathers illness, Shukla couldnt pursue it. But getting into record books isnt what drives Shukla.

I am actually inspired by the fact that every time I donate blood, I help at least four people. Blood is a mix of several things, plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Each is segregated by machine and could help different patients. And, then it also helps you stay fit, Shukla says.
A University of Michigan study led by Indian American professor Joyojeet Pal has found that politicians in India who tweet in Hindi as opposed to English have greater reach. (screen grab of YouTube/University of Michigan School of Information)
(ANSA) - Rome, October 3 - Italy will be able to ask for the extradition of ''at least nine people wanted by the Italian judiciary'' on charges including mafia association, drug trafficking, money laundering and tax fraud under a new judicial assistance treaty between Rome and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) approved by the Senate on Wednesday, one of the treaty's promoters said.

Davide Mattiello, a former MP with the Democratic Left party who sponsored the treaty during the previous legislature as a member of the Lower House's justice and anti-Mafia commissions said fugitives wanted by Italy who are currently in Dubai and Abu Dhabi include businessman Amedeo Matacena, a former lawmaker for Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, who has been convicted on charges of external mafia association.

Gianfranco Tulliani, brother-in-law of former rightwing leader Gianfanco Fini, is also wanted on money laundering charges.

''Starting today, Italy will be able to officially ask for their extradition'', said Mattiello.

photo: Tulliani
Australian rare earth producer Lynas has raised concerns that an environmental investigation into its Malaysian refining plant is neither fair, nor independent.

The investigation, announced in September, is being led by a politician believed to be hostile to the facility and its...
NED Is Concerned with the Upcoming Elections in Latvia

by Edgars Paukas Wednesday Oct 3rd, 2018 1:14 AM
Barry Callebaut expands in Russia

Barry Callebaut has signed an agreement to acquire Inforum, a Russian B2B producer of chocolate, coatings and fillings, serving many of the well-known consumer chocolate brands in Russia.

Barry Callebaut has signed an agreement to acquire Inforum, a Russian B2B producer of chocolate, coatings and fillings, serving many of the well-known consumer chocolate brands in Russia. This strategic acquisition will strengthen Barry Callebauts presence and production capacity in the high-growth Russian market, the company says, allow it to expand its market position, to leverage its value-adding Gourmet & Specialties business and to further increase market penetration in CIS countries and export markets.

Inforum was founded in 1989 by four entrepreneurs, including Evgeny Bulytov. The company started its business selling cocoa products. Sales revenue in 2017 was about RUB5.1 billion (CHF86 million / 77 million). The company operates a production site in Kasimov, Ryazan Oblast (285 km southeast of Moscow) and employs more than 300 people, who will transfer to Barry Callebaut upon completion of the transaction.

After importing industrial and specialty chocolates to Russia since the late 1990s, Barry Callebaut built a chocolate manufacturing plant in Chekhov, Moscow Oblast (60 km south of Moscow), which became operational in 2007, and also has a Chocolate Academy centre  a training centre for professional users of chocolate  in Moscow. Barry Callebaut currently employs about 80 people in Russia.

Russia is said to be the worlds second largest chocolate confectionery market in volume terms, with a consumption of 4.8 kg per capita according to Euromonitor. Growth rates in volume terms are significantly above the global chocolate confectionery market according to Nielsen1.

Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of the Barry Callebaut Group, said: We are delighted to join forces with such an established, locally engrained Russian company. Inforums heritage and local knowledge, combined with our innovation capabilities and international experience, will reinforce each others strengths. Together, we will be able to bring further excellence and innovation to the market and to serve Russian consumer chocolate manufacturers even better.

Evgeny Bulytov, Director of Strategic Development of Inforum, added: I am very proud of the great chocolate business we have built from scratch during the last three decades. Our agreement with Barry Callebaut will ensure the successful future of Inforum and our team as part of a large, international group. We really like the business principles and the team spirit on which Barry Callebaut is based. One of the co-founders, Victor Voitov, will remain associated with the company as future Chairman of the Board of Barry Callebaut NL Russia and actively support the integration of Inforum into the Barry Callebaut Group during the transition period.
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WPVI-TV(ALLENTOWN, Pa.) -- A Pennsylvania man who died on Saturday night in a car explosion with his 2-year-old son and his friend planned the explosion in a premeditated murder-suicide plot, officials announced Thursday.



Earlier this week, authorities had confirmed that the child, Jonathan Schmoyer, his father Jacob Schmoyer, 27, and friend David Hallman, 66, all from Allentown, were killed in the blast.



On Thursday, officials showed new photos of the wreckage that indicated where the bomb was placed and identified Schomoyer as the killer.



It is the collective assessment of the entire investigative team that this was an intentional act, a murder-suicide, an intentional act by Jacob Schmoyer, Special Agent Don Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm (ATF) said at a press conference Thursday.



Schmoyer sent a series of letters to his family and the Allentown Police Department indicating his intentions to commit suicide and identifying whom he planned to kill in the blast, authorities said, but the letters weren't received until Wednesday and Thursday of this week.



Investigators discovered an improvised explosive device inside the car, Robinson said. Schmoyer's body was found in the drivers seat, Hallman's in the passengers seat, and Schmoyers son in a car seat in the back, behind the drivers seat.



"He was very unhappy with his life," Robinson said. "[He] described himself in some negative terms, admitted to a number of criminal acts from petty theft to burglary to other criminal acts that he had committed along the way -- and indicated that he was not going to stick around.



Unfortunately, in these letters, he intended to take Mr. Hallman and his son with him.



Robinson said that officials still do not know why Schmoyer targeted Hallman.



Weve also determined that there is no further risk to the public. We are confident Schmoyer acted alone. Hes not involved in any groups.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Fall break is quickly approaching, and once again some Bryan students will spend their break serving others. The flooding that resulted from hurricane Florence has significantly impacted many areas along the Atlantic coast, especially in North Carolina. A group of students will be traveling to New Bern, N.C. to assist in flood recovery and disaster relief efforts.

The group will leave Dayton on Oct. 13 and return on Oct. 20.

In preparation for the trip, representatives from the Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief team will provide flood recovery training. Training will take place on Oct. 7 and will be free for students. Faculty and staff of the college are also welcome to attend training for a small fee. Those who complete training will be certified in disaster relief with the Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief organization for three years. This certification will provide recipients the opportunity to help in future crises.

Students can sign-up for the training through Oct. 6. Sign-ups for the disaster relief trip are available through Oct. 12. Students who want to sign up for the training and trip should contact Michaela Thomas, short term missions coordinator, at mthomas9328@bryan.edu or Donald Buttram at dbuttram7706@bryan.edu.
(ANSA) - Rome, October 3 - Italy's deficit-to-GDP ratio will be set at 2.4% in 2019 to then drop to 2.1% in 2020 and 1.8% in 2021, according to the update of the DEF economic blueprint, Premier Giuseppe Conte said after a government budget summit Wednesday, responding to EU criticism.

Addressing a press conference, he said the budget had "respected commitments, it is courageous and serious".

Conte said the debt-GDP ratio would drop to 126.5% from its current 130.9% by 2021.

"We're not going to give up the measures in the government contract," he said, referring to a basic income, pension overhaul and flat tax.

The premier also said they estimated that unemployment would fall to 7% "with these reforms".

Conte was speaking after a summit with the two deputy premiers Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini, Economy Minister Giovanni Tria, Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero and Cabinet Secretary Giancarlo Giorgetti for the second day running Wednesday for talks on the budget and an update to the DEF economic blueprint, which was OK'd.

Tria said Italy would close its growth gap with the rest of the EU, which has been 1% for over 10 years, "in the first year, in 2019" thanks to its new budget plan.

He said there would be additional investments of 0.2% in 2019, 0.3% in 2020, and 0.4% in 2021.

"This describes the quality of the budget: we're aiming to have public investments as principal instrument to work on growth".

Di Maio said said that with a basic income, citizenship pension, job centres and funds for those defrauded by banks the government would "repay the Italian people for so much thievery and so much waste" over the years.

He also said business tax IRES would come down for those who "hire and invest".

Interior Minister Salvini said there would be 10,000 hires in the police forces in the new budget.

Tria said earlier that the government will gradually bring down Italy's budget deficit after letting it rise to 2.4% in 2019 - an announcement welcomed in Brussels and by the financial markets, although the EU said rules would nonetheless have to be respected next year too.

The Milan bourse closed 0.84% up after losing over 5% over the past five sessions while the German-Italian bond spread fell from above 303 to 283 with a yield of 3.31% compared to Tuesday's post-2014 high of 3.44%.

The League/5-Star Movement (M5S) government had previously indicated it would run a deficit of 2.4% for the next three years as part of budget plans that have been criticised by the European Commission and have been followed by a big rise in Italy's bond spread. Tria said that "in 2019 there will be a deviation from targets agreed with the European Commission by the previous government (but) then there will be a gradual reduction in the deficit in the following years". The deficit will drop from 2.4% in 2019 to 2.1% in 2020 and 1.8% in 2021, government sources said. "The aim is the eliminate the gap in (Italy's) growth with respect to (the rest of) Europe and ensure a constant reduction in the debt-to-GDP ratio at the same time," the minister told a conference of the CSC research unit of industrial employers confederation Confindustria.

Italy's big public debt of over 130% of GDP is the second-highest in the EU's after Greece. Tria said the government's management of the public finances would not be "merry".

He added that the key pledges in the contract of government, such as a pension overhaul bringing down the retirement age, a two-tier flat tax and a 'citizenship wage' basic income, would be brought in "very gradually" during the whole parliamentary term.

European Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici reiterated Wednesday that Italy risks breaking the Stability and Growth Pact if it presses ahead with plans to run a budget deficit of 2.4% of GDP next year. "We have quite precise rules. They are not stupid," Moscovici said on the fringes of the Economic Forum of the Americas at the OECD's Paris headquarters. "They say that the nominal deficit must be under 3% and the structural deficit must improve. "With 2.4%, there is a risk. It is possible that the structural deficit is not on the path set by the Stability and Growth Pact". He added that "we will have the rules respected", while stressing that a "crisis between Brussels and Italy would be absurd". He also welcomed the Italian government saying it will bring the deficit down after 2019, having previously indicated it would run a deficit of 2.4% for the next three years.

"The fact the the multi-annual trajectory has been revised is a good signal," he said. Moscovici also rejected suggestions by some Italian government officials that Commission statements were fuelling rises in the bond spread, saying "it is the fever that has effects, not the thermometer".

Italy's League/Five Star government is Euroskeptic and xenophobic, Moscovici added.

"Like the Hungarians, also the Italians have opted for a decidedly Euroskeptic and xenophobic government which, on migrant and budget issues, is trying to get out of European obligations," he said.

Moscovici is "talking through his hat" in accusing the Italian government of being xenophobic because there is "no racism or xenophobia in Italy," Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, head of the anti-migrant League party, retorted.

"Moscovici is talking through his hat, there's no racism or xenophobia in Italy, but finally a government chosen by citizens which has blocked migrant smugglers and shut the ports to clandestines," said the deputy premier.

"We are fed up of the insults coming from Paris and Brussels".


Global insurer Canopius has announced the appointment of its new head of reinsurance for Asia Pacific.

Joining Canopius Singapore office in January is Nattakorn Wattanaumphaipong, bringing a wealth of experience, including 13 years with Swiss Re, where he held multiple senior roles, most recently as head of property Asia ex Japan and China.
It has been my pleasure and privilege to work alongside the talented and ambitious young professionals that comprise our branch and Australasian committees, he added.

Smorthwaites resignation comes as the Perth young gun seeks to focus fully on the next stage of his career, as an insurance broker with JLT.

Former YIPS vice president Katie Stephenson was confirmed as Smorthwaites successor, after being voted into the position during an annual general meeting in late September.

These past 12 months has been a time of professional and personal growth for me and the decision to put myself forward for the role of president was not taken lightly, said Stephenson, who has been part of the YIPS committee for five years  first as a treasurer and then as vice president.

YIPs has grown from grass roots to now being the largest, not-for-profit insurance organisation for young professionals in Australia and New Zealand  something we are very proud to have achieved in seven years, said Stephenson, a business development specialist with Marsh.

As we close 2018 and enter a new year, we will continue to benefit our industry with new and exciting initiatives delivered with the same passion we are well known for, she added.

Outgoing president Smorthwaite congratulated Stephenson on the appointment and encouraged other young insurance professionals to apply for a position on their local branch committee  especially if theyre committed to advancing their leadership skills.

Katie has demonstrated dedication, vision and passion for the organisation and its goals, he said. I wish Katie, YIPs, and all members the very best in future.
Two Minnesota chiropractors have been sentenced to prison for their roles in separate multimillion-dollar insurance scams.

Adam John Burke, 34, was sentenced to 90 months in prison, while Preston Ellar Forthun, 40, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, according to the Minnesota Commerce Department. Both were convicted in separate trials last year. Burke was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and 12 counts of mail fraud. Forthun was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of mail fraud and seven counts of wire fraud. Their cases were a result of investigations conducted by the FBI and the Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau.
Travelers was one of the first insurance companies to integrate drone operations into its claim inspections when it launched its drone program in 2016. At present, Travelers has nearly 600 dedicated claim professionals that are FAA-certified drone pilots.

As Travelers drone program grew, so did the opportunity to leverage the data and the task of managing compliance and safety requirements  a task Kittyhawk has stepped up to.

Kittyhawks platform features what it calls unified drone operations  a combination of drone fleet asset management, pre- and post-flight planning, team management, real-time video streaming, and drone application integration services. With Kittyhawk, companies no longer need to rely on a dizzying array of apps, license agreements, support procedures, and different vendors for their drone operations.

Using drones to assess property damage enables us to enhance our customers experience, adjust claims more quickly and efficiently and improve safety for our employees and vendors, said Travelers executive vice-president of claims services Nick Seminara.

Kittyhawk helps us manage the vast amounts of information we gather on inspections so we can help our customers recover from disasters faster than ever before. We continue to leverage new technologies in our business, including within our drone program, and we are pleased to further our relationship with Kittyhawk, Seminara added.

Travelers is a model for other companies to follow when scaling a drone program, commented Kittyhawk co-founder and CEO Jon Hegranes. Were excited to deepen our relationship with a trusted industry leader as we bring drone operations to new industries. Our focus at Kittyhawk is continuing to build the best tools that make using drones approachable and effective. Every company can be a drone company.
A construction crew repairing a water line accidentally struck a gas main in western Pennsylvania, sparking a fire that injured one worker.

The blast in Bethel Park occurred around 2 a.m. Wednesday and burned for about two hours before the gas was shut off. The injured worker was being treated at a hospital for injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

One home was briefly evacuated, while several other residents were told to stay inside their homes for a few hours.

Repairs to the damaged main were ongoing. It wasnt clear how many customers were without gas service due to the fire.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Pennsylvania
The Howard County Council in a narrow 3-2 vote approved two bills on Monday night that will allocate nearly $17 million toward a controversial five-year flood mitigation plan for Ellicott City.

The bills represent the first phase of a $50 million strategy that aims to remove 10 buildings from lower Main Street to reduce the danger of rushing water and debris that ripped through the towns Historic District during recent floods.

The county is proposing razing 19 buildings in total. The design includes the expansion of a stream channel that would lower flooding from 12 feet in some areas of the Historic District to four to six feet.

I really believe this is the way we can save our town, Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman told Capital News Service. If this flood mitigation plan does not go forward, I worry that well lose the town completely. Itll just become a ghost town.

Ellicott City experienced two, rare thousand-year rain storms over a 22-month span, according to the National Weather Service. The first flood was on July 30, 2016, the second occurred on May 27.

County officials have been studying for several years ways to minimize swift flowing flood waters that have caused millions of dollars in damage to roads, utilities, and buildings, the closing of several businesses, and the loss of three lives in 2016 and one in May.

Beth Woodruff sleeps with life preservers and helmets under her bed.

She shares a historic home on Main Street with her 11-year-old son, and watched the last two floods from her second-story window.

My only other choice if this plan didnt move forward and we werent made safer was to walk away from my home, said Woodruff. I cant risk my sons life and my life any longer.

Kittleman and Councilman Jon Weinstein, Ellicott Citys representative on the council, proposed the five-year mitigation plan during a legislative hearing on Aug. 23, less than six weeks ago.

Now we are on notice. Weve had two on our watch, said Kittleman. Councilman Weinstein and I are committed to not to ever let that happen again. We want to make sure our towns around for another 250 years.

Opponents of the plan say that it is being rushed and does not go far enough to reduce the danger of flash flooding, and that the demolition of historic buildings cannot be undone.

Im not convinced there isnt a better option out there that would further reduce water on Main Street, said Jen Terrasa, one of two council members to vote against the funding bills. I think this might give people a false sense of security when there is still a risk of dangerous flooding.

Calvin Ball, a Democratic candidate for county executive running against Kittleman, a Republican, also voted no.

Faster is not always better  and in the case of Ellicott City, its certainly not safer, said Preservation Maryland Executive Director Nicholas Redding in a statement released hours before the vote. Rushed legislation for the sake of passing something is not good governance.

Preservation Maryland is the states oldest historic preservation non-profit dedicated to preserving historic buildings, neighborhoods, landscapes and archaeological sites, according to its website.

Last week, the advocacy group financed a survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy that found 74 percent of Howard County voters support alternatives to the demolition or removal of buildings in the Historic District.

The poll also reported that 43 percent of respondents did not believe the county should spend $50 million on a plan that would likely leave four to six feet of water in the flood stream during a catastrophic flash flood.

However, considerable support for the flood mitigation plan was voiced in public testimony during a legislative hearing in Ellicott City in September, and many attendees of Monday nights hearing brandished signage with favorable messages about the proposal.

We cant stop flooding from happening altogether, but we can make it so that its not going to be a threat to human life and we can protect property better, Kittlemen said in an interview with Capital News Service.

Some business owners who have lived and worked in the town for decades see change as something that is an unavoidable and natural progression.

Im a realist. I think its an inevitability. My position on whether it should or shouldnt happen isnt terribly relevant at this point, said Mark Hemmis, owner of the Phoenix Emporium  a bar that will celebrate its 40th anniversary in Ellicott City in November. I need to look out for the future of my business, the future of my employees, and the future of my family.

There were 22 people trapped in the building for three and a half hours, added Hemmis. Its terrifying. I never want to have to go through that again.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Flood Maryland
Russias military intelligence service has led a campaign of indiscriminate and reckless cyber attacks targeting political institutions, businesses, media and sport, the U.K.s National Cyber Security Centre said in a statement.

Under names including Fancy Bear, Pawnstorm and Tsar Team, the agency known as the GRU was almost certainly responsible for a number of serious attacks on countries including the U.S., the U.K. and Russia itself, the NCSC said. Among them was the hacking of the Democratic National Committee in 2016.

The GRUs actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries; they are even prepared to damage Russian companies and Russian citizens, U.K. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement. Our message is clear: together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRUs attempts to undermine international stability.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne joined the U.K. in condemning malicious cyber activity by Russia.

Ultimately Responsible

The NCSC said the Kremlin was ultimately responsible for the attacks, which also included the 2017 hacking of the World Anti-Doping Agency, which led to the release of athletes medical records. In another incident that same year, BadRabbit ransomware disrupted the Kyiv metro, Odessa airport, Russias central bank and two Russian media outlets, according to the statement.

The accusations came as Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced ex-spy Sergei Skripal as a  scumbag and a traitor in response to accusations that Russia used a chemical weapon on the double agent in an attack in the U.K. in March. Putin reiterated his denial that Russia was responsible for the incident, which led to a mass expulsion of diplomats from Europe and the imposition of sanctions by the U.S.

The U.K. has accused two Russian military intelligence agents of carrying out the poisoning using a nerve-agent called Novichok smuggled in a fake Nina Ricci perfume bottle.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Cyber Uk Russia
Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings Ltd. (R&Q) announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Western Captive Insurance Company Designated Activity Company (WCIC) from the Coffey Group of companies in Ireland. WCIC is Coffeys Irish-domiciled captive insurance company.

The acquisition is subject to receiving regulatory approval from the Central Bank of Ireland.

WCIC underwrote general and employers liability insurance from 2007 to 2011 covering various members of Galway, Ireland-based Coffey Group.

R&Q said it intends to transfer the business to its Malteserated company, Accredited Insurance (Europe) Ltd., subject to regulatory and Irish court approval.

I am delighted that we have agreed the acquisition of WCIC, subject to regulatory approval, and it follows other successful deals in Ireland, commented Ken Randall, chairman and chief executive officer of R&Q.

A continued soft market, pressures on capital from Solvency II and forthcoming challenges from Brexit and base erosion and profit shifting are providing increasing opportunities for R&Q to provide either complete finality or partial relief through removal of defined portfolios, he said.

We are also especially pleased to transact with an Irish domiciled company where we are aware of further opportunities, Randall said, adding that the acquisition demonstrate R&Qs ability to provide exit solutions for end of life captive insurance companies.

Source: Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings

Related:

Randall & Quilter Forms New Unit for U.S., European Program Management Business

Topics Mergers Legislation
Airline passengers can no longer be removed from flights under legislation that passed the Senate on Wednesday, while the government will write new rules to allow commercial drones to deliver packages and get new authority to shoot down dangerous ones.

The U.S. Senate on a 93 to 6 vote Wednesday approved a 1,200-page bill overseeing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that includes some significant new airline passenger protections. For instance, the FAA must set minimum dimensions for passenger seats, including legroom and width necessary for the safety of passengers.

Officials said President Donald Trump plans to sign the bill within days.

But the airline industry scored a significant win after Congress dropped plans to mandate reasonable and proportional baggage and change fees.

The bill also requires airlines to refund passengers for services they paid for but did not receive. It will enshrine in law a prohibition on passengers making mobile phone calls while in flight or using e-cigarettes.

It also requires airlines to allow passengers to check strollers for small children and gives the FAA authority to require airlines to allow pregnant passengers to board earlier.

Senate Commerce Committee chairman John Thune said the bill creates new protections and enhancements for the flying public and will provide stability for aviation policy for five years.

The bill requires the FAA to set rules authorizing commercial drone deliveries and gives the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security new authority to disable or destroy drones if they pose a threat to government facilities. The Trump administration had said it did not have legal authority to address such threats.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told Congress in May that U.S. enemies are exploring drones to put our country in danger. ISIS has used armed drones to strike targets in Syria, and we are increasingly concerned that they will try the same tactic on our soil.

The bill extends funding for airport improvements for five years and requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to post real-time information online about wait times at airport security checkpoints.

The bill prohibits airlines from removing passengers from flights involuntarily after they clear the boarding gate. Such an incident was captured in 2017 on a video that went viral, showing a passenger being dragged from a United Airlines flight after he refused to give up his seat. United apologized and promised to no longer remove seated passengers. The bill did not include rules adopted by a Senate panel to limit fees airlines could charge passengers for baggage or to change or cancel a flight. Airlines had lobbied against that provision.

Many major airlines have recently hiked fees by $5 a bag. U.S. airline revenue from baggage and reservation change fees increased from $5.7 billion in 2010 to nearly $7.5 billion in 2017. Other fees are not reported to regulators.

The legislation makes it unlawful to place a live animal in an overhead storage compartment, prompted by outrage over the death a dog in March in an overhead compartment of a United flight.

The bill authorizes a return of supersonic transport with reduced sonic booms. It also provides for an additional $1.68 billion in immediate funding for disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Florence.

It directs the FAA to establish an Office of Spaceports to promote infrastructure improvements and other steps for future space travel.

(Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and David Gregorio)

Topics USA Commercial Lines Business Insurance Aviation Politics
Gaza: Sinwar (Hamas), 'new war not in our interest' 'Object is to remove blockade on Gaza'

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, OCTOBER 4 - A new war ''is in nobody's interest, certainly not in our interest'', the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yihia Sinwar, said in an interview to Yediot Ahronot, excerpts of which were published on Thursday. ''Who would ever wish to confront with four slings a nuclear power? You don't obtain anything with war'', he also said in the interview, which will come out on Friday.



Sinwar added that his objective is to remove the blockade on Gaza. ''My work is to act in the interest of my people - protecting it and defending its right to freedom and independence''.



Referring to contacts with Egypt for a truce with Israel, Sinwar observes that Hamas believes that ''calm in exchange for calm'' is not an acceptable option. Hamas rather wants ''calm in exchange for calm and the end of the blockade. The blockade isn't calm''. (ANSAmed).




The family of a Fort Worth man who died after they say officers needlessly choked, kicked and shot with a stun gun during a 2013 drug raid can proceed with a wrongful death lawsuit against two officers and the city, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled.

The courts ruling will allow a jury to weigh in on the death of Jermaine Darden, 34, who had a heart attack and died during the raid.

Dardens family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2014 and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans issued two rulings that said there were issues in Dardens case that should be decided by a jury, including evidence suggesting that Darden wouldnt have died if officers hadnt used a stun gun on him and forced him onto his stomach.

The Supreme Court agreed with the appeals court that the case should proceed to trial, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

The Tarrant County medical examiners office determined that Darden, who weighed 340 pounds, died of natural causes, with sudden cardiac death associated with high blood pressure and the use of restraints.

But a medical expert testified that Dardens death shouldnt have been ruled natural, according to the appeal courts ruling.

Fort Worth officers executing a no-knock search warrant on May 16, 2013, burst into the home without warning, court documents show. Witnesses said that officers choked, kicked, punched and shocked Darden, who was inside the home at the time.

Several officers applied their weight to Dardens back, which made it difficult for him to breathe, court filings said.

Lawyers for the city contended that Darden tried to resist arrest, but witnesses said he made no attempt to flee, attack or resist.

The appeals court ruled that a video of the raid shows Darden with his hands raised when the officers entered the home and complying with the officers instructions.

Based on evidence in the record, a jury could conclude that no reasonable officer on the scene would have thought that Darden was resisting arrest, the appeals court found.

The case will return to the U.S. District Court in Fort Worth.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Texas USA
A human trafficking survivor from Texas sued Facebook this week, alleging the social media platform provides human traffickers an unrestricted way to stalk, exploit, recruit, groom  and extort children into the sex trade.

The lawsuit was filed Oct. 1 in Houston against Facebook, the shuttered classifieds site Backpage.com and the owners of two Houston hotels.

The suit seeks at least $1 million in damages on behalf of a woman identified as Jane Doe, who was 15 years old when she was sexually assaulted in 2012 after being allegedly targeted and recruited by a sex trafficker on Facebook.

Facebook did not immediately return an email seeking comment on Tuesday. An attorney for Dallas-based Backpage.com didnt immediately return a phone call.

According to the lawsuit, Facebook should be held liable for the conduct of sex traffickers because the social media site has become the first point of contact between sex traffickers and these children. Facebook not only provides an unrestricted platform for these sex traffickers to target children, but it also cloaks the traffickers with credibility.

Annie McAdams, an attorney for the woman who filed the suit, said her client was befriended by another Facebook user who gained her trust and promised her a job as a model.

But, McAdams said, the other person forced her into sex trafficking within hours of meeting her. She was raped and beaten by people who had paid the trafficker, the attorney said.

McAdams alleged Facebook has not done enough to ensure that users arent able to hide their identities from unsuspecting minors who may be targets of traffickers or to warn minors of the dangers posed by traffickers and how they can operate online.

It was not just because a pimp did something that Jane Doe was trafficked. That pimp is not able to traffic Jane Doe unless Facebook allowed him access to her, McAdams said.

The lawsuit comes after President Donald Trump in April signed a new law aimed at curbing sex trafficking. The law weakens a legal shield for online services that host abusive content, including sex trafficking.

The legislation was focused more on classified-ad sites like Backpage.com, which had claimed they arent the publisher of questionable content but are merely transmitting posts by others.

Backpage.com was shut down by federal authorities earlier this year after the companys co-founders and other employees were arrested in what authorities say was a scheme to publish ads for sexual services, some of which involved children.

Facebook has the technology to be able to potentially develop algorithms to look for the indicators and the red flags of potential (trafficking) exploitation and abuse, said Tony Talbott, director of Abolition Ohio, a University of Dayton group that works to combat human trafficking.

Maya Simek, co-director of the Human Trafficking Law Clinic and a lecturer at Case Western Reserve Universitys School of Law in Cleveland, points to a lack of ID verification and a lack of advertisements or other outreach efforts to offer help for victims as some of the problems social media sites face in combating human trafficking.

I dont think theyre doing as much as could be done, Simek said.

Talbott said he thinks the Houston lawsuit will have a difficult time proving that Facebook knowingly facilitated sex trafficking, as the company could show that traffickers are simply exploiting the site.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Texas
A Florida woman was arrested in August and charged with three felony counts of concealing payroll to avoid workers compensation premiums and two felony counts of application fraud, according to a statement from the Florida Department of Financial Services.

Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced on Aug. 31 the arrest of Vanessa Arreguin, 25, owner of V&G Concrete, Inc. for workers compensation fraud.

According to DFS, over the course of two years Arreguin is alleged to have conducted more than $7.5 million in business, but claimed she made less than $50,000. DFS said by doing so, she deliberately evaded paying $51,000 in workers compensation

Workers compensation fraud puts employees at risk and drives up insurance rates for honest businesses, Patronis said.

Arreguin surrendered to insurance fraud detectives at the Palm Beach County Jail and was released on bond. If convicted on all charges, Arreguin faces up to 20 years in prison.

To report suspected insurance fraud, call 1-800-378-0445 or www.myfloridacfo.com/division/difs. People reporting fraud can remain anonymous.

Source: Florida Department of Financial Services

Topics Florida Fraud Workers' Compensation
In a rare show of bipartisanship, the North Carolina legislature quickly approved Tuesday legislation described as financial and policy down payments on whats expected to be a long, expensive recovery from Hurricane Florence.

Barely two weeks after the storms last rains left the state, the Republican-controlled General Assembly unanimously backed a pair of bills in a special session called by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who was expected to sign them.

More than 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain fell in some parts of the state, and along with the storm surge, caused historic widespread flooding that damaged tens of thousands of homes and other buildings. Authorities have confirmed 39 storm-related deaths. The damage is estimated to reach billions of dollars, including at least $1.1 billion in crop and livestock losses.

Nearly two years of rancor between the executive and legislative branches have led to a record number of vetoes and overrides and extensive litigation. But Cooper and legislative leaders have found likely temporary amity and teamwork in the face of Florence.

The cooperation that Ive seen has also been unprecedented and we need to keep that spirit of cooperation all together as we approach the short- and long-term recovery from this storm, Cooper told the Council of State shortly before the session convened. His office and GOP legislators had conferred on Tuesdays legislation before leaders gaveled open the session.

One bill would take about $57 million from the states $2 billion reserve, most of which could be used to provide the states match to federal disaster assistance programs. A preliminary federal package that would send over $1 billion to the state is working its way through Congress.

The people in southeastern North Carolina need this bill. They need every dime thats been allocated in this bill, said Sen. Danny Britt, a Robeson County Republican during floor debate. Britt is a National Guard member who had a high-profile role in his regions storm response.

The bill also extends traditional voter registration by three days to give some more time to displaced residents. Another piece of legislation will ease public school calendar rules so schools in nearly 30 eastern counties hardest hit by Florence could be forgiven up to 20 instructional days and still meet requirements in state law. Schools in other areas would get a smaller break.

Eight school districts instructing more than 100,000 students still have yet to return to classes since before Florences landfall as a hurricane Sept. 14, Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson said. Some will never go back to their classrooms  two Jones County schools inundated by floodwaters will have to be demolished.

There is an incredibly amount of uncertainty in our lives, said Sen. Michael Lee, a Republican from Wilmington, where school will resume later this week. He said the school legislation, which also makes clear employees will get paid without using persona leave when classes are cancelled, will provide some semblance of certainty for families, children, teachers and those who are working in the school system.

Tuesdays one-day session  lawmakers will return Oct. 15 to consider more specific funding and policy requests from Cooper and his agencies  wasnt without some division. The House defeated on a largely party-line vote a Democratic amendment that would have allowed county election boards to move early-voting sites with support from just a majority of board members. The final bill requires unanimous board approval.

Otherwise, the General Assemblys debate was marked by empathy for the storms victims. Lawmakers shared storm stories and praised first responders who watched the session from the galleries.

Its always good to see partisanship and some of the crazy divisions that we allow ourselves to get into get put aside for everybody to work together to try to move things forward, House Speaker Tim Moore told colleagues. Were all people and we owe a duty to each other to take care of one another.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Mergers Legislation North Carolina
Remnants of a tropical storm drenched parts of the desert Southwest this week, trapping some drivers on swamped streets of Phoenix, Ariz. as authorities prepared for possible flash flooding in the state, central Utah and elsewhere.

Rosa, a hurricane that was downgraded to a tropical storm and then to a tropical depression, reportedly killed one person in northwestern Mexico before moving north into the U.S.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the Phoenix area, saying that more than 2 inches of rain fell in metro Phoenix by midmorning on Tuesday and additional rain was expected this week.

The city sees sudden and heavy downpours during the summertime monsoon, but the continuously falling rain is a rarity.

The heavy showers caused a riverbed to overflow, spilling muddy waters into a north Phoenix intersection. Firefighters slogged through waist-deep water to get to people stuck in their cars. Crews pulled at least six people, including a child, from vehicles and carried them one at a time to a firetruck.

Around 10 vehicles, including a bus, were either at a standstill in the water or tried to drive through it.

The wet weather was a factor in numerous Phoenix-area freeway wrecks but no serious crashes were reported, said Trooper Kameron Lee of the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Authorities warned drivers to avoid entering streets or washes inundated with water.

A reporter for Phoenix news station KNXV-TV posted a video on social media showing a person riding a unicycle into a flooded area, prompting the weather service to reiterate that all types of vehicles should stay away.

The rain also led three elementary schools and one high school to close for the day. Maricopa Community Colleges canceled classes at all 10 of its campuses.

Flash flood watches were in effect in parts of Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert mobilized about 200 National Guard soldiers Monday to prepare for potential flooding south of Salt Lake City.

The soldiers planned to build flood berms and erect barriers and sandbags, officials said.

In parts of southern Arizona, a flood warning was in effect until midafternoon. Heavy rain Monday flooded streets in the city of Yuma at the U.S.-Mexico border and caused power outages. At least six roads in Tucson were closed because of flash flooding.

Mexican authorities had declared a state of emergency for Ensenada, on Baja California states Pacific coast, and Mexicali, the state capital across the border from Calexico, California. Mexican media outlets reported that a woman was swept away by floodwaters and drowned in the city of Caborca, Sonora, on the Sea of Cortez.

Meanwhile, a separate storm, Hurricane Sergio, grew to major hurricane status in the Pacific on Tuesday, though it posed no immediate threat to land. It has sustained winds of 115 mph, making it a Category 3 storm, U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Its centered about 870 miles south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula and has been heading west at 13 mph. Forecasters say they expect it to keep moving out to sea.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics California Catastrophe Natural Disasters Flood Windstorm Hurricane Arizona Mexico
The Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California on Thursday issued a summary of legislation signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The Legislature recessed for the year on Aug. 31, and Brown had until Sept. 30 to sign or veto any bill passed by the Legislature.

Following is a summary of workers comp-related bills signed by Brown:

Assembly Bill 1749

This bill provides that a California employer may accept liability for an injury sustained by a peace officer not acting under the immediate direction of his or her employer while apprehending suspected law violators, protecting life or property, or preserving the peace outside of California. This bill specifically includes any claims for injuries sustained by peace officers during the Oct. 1, 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nev. if the employer determines providing compensation serves public purposes.

Assembly Bill 2046

This bill authorizes, instead of requires, Fraud Assessment Commission funds appropriated but not expended in the fiscal year that have not been allocated to the district attorneys, to be applied to satisfy the immediately following fiscal year minimum total amount required or to augment funding in the immediately following fiscal year.

The bill also requires an authorized government agency that is provided with workers comp insurance fraud-related information to release or provide that information to an authorized government agency, upon request, unless it would violate federal law or otherwise compromise an investigation. The bill also requires an authorized government agency that seeks to disclose information obtained from the Employment Development Department to any other governmental agency that is not authorized to receive that information to obtain EDD approval prior to disclosure.

Assembly Bill 2705

Licensed contractors are required to have a current and valid Certificate of Workers Compensation Insurance or Certification of Self-Insurance on file with the Contractors State License Board and violation of this law is a misdemeanor that must be prosecuted within 2 years. This bill makes it a misdemeanor violation for an unlicensed contractor to fail to comply with workers compensation insurance requirements and makes that violation subject to the two-year statute of limitations.

Senate Bill 880

This bill authorizes an employer, with the written consent of the employee, to deposit disability indemnity payments for the employee in a prepaid card account until Jan. 1, 2023. The bill imposes certain conditions, such as allowing the employee reasonable access to in network ATMs and allowing for withdrawal and purchases without incurring fees. The bill also requires employers to provide aggregated data on their prepaid account programs to the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers Compensation upon request and requires CHSWC to issue a report to the Legislature on or before Dec. 1, 2022 regarding payments made to those prepaid card accounts.

Senate Bill 1086

With respect to peace officers and active firefighting members, existing law extends the time period for commencing workers comp proceedings to collect death benefits from 240 weeks from the date of injury to no later than 420 weeks from the date of injury, not to exceed one year after the date of death. Pursuant to existing law, this extension of time pertains to injuries, including but not limited to cancer, tuberculosis, or blood-borne infectious diseases and is only operative until January 1, 2019. This bill removes the Jan. 1, 2019 date of repeal.

Related:

Topics California Workers' Compensation
Lingering uncertainty is weighing on the economy of the U.K. as a Brexit deadline looms. Given the cloudy economic outlook, some investors might be searching for ways to sell short British stocks, betting that prices will fall.

Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index (FTSE) is the benchmark index for stocks trading on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Pronounced "Footsie" by traders, the index is a proxy for U.K.'s stock market and is considered a gauge for the health of Great Britain's economy. In addition, ups and downs in the FTSE 100 can influence morning sentiment in U.S. markets, as trading on LSE begins six hours before trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index has experienced periods of increased volatility since the Brexit referendum on June 23, 2016, during which the U.K. voted to leave the European Union. Some market watchers expect volatility to continue, perhaps even a substantial decline in the stock market, through the next Brexit deadline of Oct. 31, 2019.

Key Takeaways Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index tracks the price action of shares traded on the London Stock Exchange.

The U.K.'s stock market has experienced periods of volatility ahead of a looming Oct. 31, 2019 deadline for the U.K. to leave the European Union.

Brexit uncertainty has some investors searching for ways to short sell the U.K. stock market.

Buying shares of inverse ETFs on the FTSE is a way to make profits if the U.K.'s stock market falters.

Investors looking to short the FTSE 100 may want to buy shares of an inverse exchange traded fund (ETF), which is a fund that increases in value when the FTSE 100 falls. These inverse ETFs trade on the London Stock Exchange and should outperform if stocks in the U.K. turn south:

The Xtrackers FTSE 100 Short Daily Swap UCITS ETF (LON: XUKS)

The L&G FTSE 100 Super Short Strategy Daily 2X UCITS ETF (LON: SUK2)

The ETFS 3x Daily Short FTSE 100 ETF (LON: UK3S)

The information presented here is current as of Sept. 13, 2019.

The Xtrackers FTSE 100 Short Daily Swap UCITS ETF

Launched in June 2008, the Xtrackers FTSE 100 Short Daily Swap UCITS ETF seeks to replicate the performance of the FTSE 100 Short Index, which moves opposite to the FTSE 100 Total Return Declared Dividend Index. The FTSE 100 Total Return Declared Dividend Index, in turn, is the FTSE 100 and also takes into account the ordinary cash dividends made by the constituents of the index.

Shares of the ETF are designed to move higher when the FTSE 100 Total Return Declared Dividend Index moves lower. Note that the ETF tracks the index on a daily basis rather than a continual basis, so it is not ideal for long-term investment. This is true of most inverse ETFs.

The fund has 31.3 million, or roughly $38 million, in net assets and a dividend yield of 4.4%. The fund attempts to achieve its objective by investing in transferable securities and occasionally uses derivative techniques, such as index swap agreements. It invests the net proceeds of its shares in over-the-counter (OTC) swap transactions, exchanging the invested proceeds against the index's performance.

The L&G FTSE 100 Super Short Strategy Daily 2X UCITS ETF

The L&G FTSE 100 Super Short Strategy Daily 2X UCITS ETF began trading in June 2009. The fund's objective is to track the FTSE 100 Daily Super Short Strategy Index, which moves inversely, by a factor of two, to the daily exposure of the FTSE 100 Total Return Declared Dividend Index.

For example, if the FTSE 100 Total Return Declared Dividend Index falls 2% in a day, shares of this inverse fund should rise 4%, plus interest earned on proceeds from the sale of the index portfolio. The ETF has net assets of 13.8 million, or $17.2 million.

The ETFS 3x Daily Short FTSE 100 ETF

Formed in April 2014, the ETFS 3x Daily Short FTSE 100 ETF seeks to track the FTSE 100 Daily Ultra-Short Strategy RT Gross TR Index. The index provides three times the inverse exposure to the FTSE 100 Total Return Index, which is the FTSE 100 and also considers the total return from capital performance and income from reinvested dividends.

If, for example, the FTSE 100 Total Return Index decreased by 2%, the ETF and its tracked index would increase by 6% before fees and adjustments. The fund has 8.3 million, or $10.3 million, in net assets and is structured as a debt security instead of a security, or share. It can thus be redeemed on demand by authorized participants.
Foreign currency exchanges (forex) run constantly across the globe through over-the-counter markets. The boundaryless space allows seamless access. For example, an Australian trader can trade in euros and Japanese yen (EURJPY) through a U.S.-based broker despite geographical boundaries.

Speculative trading in the retail forex market continues to grow. As a result, there can be intermediaries (banks or brokers) who engage in financial irregularities, scams, exorbitant charges, hidden fees, and high-risk exposure offered through high-leverage levels or other bad practices. Internet and mobile app-based trading allow smooth trading processes, but they also add the risk of unrecognized sites that may close unexpectedly and abscond with investors money. Regulations ensure such practices are avoided. Regulations are aimed at protecting individual investors and ensuring fair operations to safeguard clients interests.

The most important criteria when selecting a forex broker are the regulatory approval status of the broker and its governing authority.

How U.S. Authorities Regulate Forex Brokerage Accounts

The National Futures Association (NFA) is the premier independent provider of efficient and innovative regulatory programs that safeguard the integrity of the derivatives markets (including forex). The scope of NFA activities is as follows:

To provide necessary licenses (after due diligence) to eligible forex brokers to conduct forex trading business

To enforce required adherence to necessary capital requirements

To combat fraud

To enforce detailed record-keeping and reporting requirements regarding all transactions and related business activities

A detailed regulatory guide is available on the official NFA website.

Key Provisions of U.S. Regulations

Customers defined as "individuals with assets of less than $10 million and most small businesses," underscoring that these regulations are meant to protect the small investor. High-net-worth individuals may not be covered under standard regulated forex brokerage accounts. Below are several further provisions:

The available leverage is limited to 50:1 (or a deposit requirement of only 2% on the notional value of a forex transaction) on the major currencies so that uneducated investors do not take unprecedented risks. Major currencies are defined as the British pound, the Swiss franc, the Canadian dollar, the Japanese yen, the euro, the Australian dollar, the New Zealand dollar, the Swedish krona, the Norwegian krone, and the Danish krone.

The available leverage is limited to 20:1 (or 5% of the notional transaction value) on minor currencies.

For short forex options, the notional transaction value amount plus the option premium received should be maintained as a security deposit.

For long forex options, the entire option premium is required as security.

The first-in-first-out (FIFO) rule prevents holding simultaneous positions in the same forex asset, that is, any existing trade position (buy/sell) in a particular currency pair will be squared off for the opposite position (sell/buy) in the same currency pair. This also implies no possibility of hedging while trading forex.

Notably, money owed by the forex broker to the customers should be held only at one or more qualifying institutions in the United States or in money-center countries.

How U.S. Regulations Differ

Care should be taken to verify the ownership, status, and location of each forex trading firm, website, or app before signing up for a trading account. There are many websites claiming low brokerage charges and high leverage (allowing more trading exposure with less capital); some as high as 1000:1.

However, almost all sites are hosted and operated from outside the United States and may not be approved by the concerned authority in the host country. Even those authorized locally may not have regulations that apply to U.S. residents. Regulations on offered leverage, required deposits, reporting requirements, and investor protections will vary by country.

Foreign Regulatory Bodies

Here is a list of forex brokerage regulators for a few select countries:

Australia: Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)

Cyprus: Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)

Russia: Federal Financial Markets Service (FFMS)

South Africa: Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)

Switzerland: Swiss Federal Banking Commission (SFBC)

United Kingdom: Financial Services Authority (FSA)

Verifying a Brokers Regulatory Status

The NFA provides an online verification system called Background Affiliation Status Information Center (BASIC) where the status of U.S.-based forex brokerage firms can be verified using their NFA ID, firm name, individual name, or pool name. Care should be taken to use the correct name/ID in the correct form as many forex broker firms are known by different names (e.g., a website name may be different from the legal corporate name).

The Bottom Line

Financial regulations are complex and often change as markets develop. They also attempt to strike a balance. Too little regulation may lead to ineffective investor protection, while too much regulation can result in reduced global competitiveness and dampen economic activity.
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) is one of the most coveted stocks and one of the biggest companies in the world. The conglomerate has made a name for itself, thanks to the prowess of Warren Buffett who acquired the company in the mid-1960s.

The billionaire investor has spent his time as the head of Berkshire, turning it into a holding company by buying up troubled businesses and turning them around. With familiar brand names like GEICO, Duracell, and Fruit of the Loom under its belt, the Omaha, Nebraska, company has a market capitalization that exceeds $640 billion, with its Class A stock trading well above $400,000 per share. This article looks at how Buffett turned the company into the success that it is today.

Key Takeaways Warren Buffett purchased Berkshire Hathaway in 1965, turning it into the world's largest holding company by buying troubled businesses and turning them around.

Premiums paid to Berkshire Hathaway insurance companies remain on hand or are invested as its managers see fit.

Berkshire Hathaway invests in companies that have a long history of paying dividends.

Buffett's strategy is to reinvest dividends rather than paying one out to Berkshire Hathaway investors.



Alison Czinkota / Investopedia

Berkshire Hathaway: A Brief Overview

Berkshire Hathaway was founded in the 19th century not as one, but as two separate Massachusetts cotton millsBerkshire Fine Spinning Associates and Hathaway Manufacturing. The two companies merged in 1955 to become Berkshire Hathaway. In 1965, Warren Buffett and his investment firm came in to purchase and take full control of the struggling company. Under his leadership, Berkshire Hathaway became one of the world's biggest holding companies.

Buffett officially made Berkshire Hathaway a conglomerate, purchasing National Indemnitythe first of what would become many insurance acquisitions for the companywhile distancing itself from the textile industry by liquidating those assets completely. The company expanded its holdings to include other insurance companies as well as those in the financial, clothing, entertainment, food and beverage, utilities, furniture, household products, media, and materials and construction industries.

Some of the major, well-known subsidiaries under the Berkshire Hathaway banner include:

GEICO

Dairy Queen

Fruit of the Loom

Benjamin Moore

Duracell

Pilot Travel Centers

1:41 How Warren Buffett Made Berkshire A Winner

Berkshire Hathaway's War Chest

Berkshire Hathaway's lifeblood is what industry insiders call a float. This is any money paid to Berkshire Hathaways insurance subsidiaries in premiums but has yet to be used to cover any claims. This moneyalso referred to as available reservedoesn't actually belong to the insurance company. Instead, it remains on hand to be invested as its managers see fit. The company's float$138 billion in 2020is not only one of the largest in the world, but more than 3,000 times what it was in 1970. It allows Berkshire Hathaway to quickly purchase temporarily wounded companies and breathe life back into them. That's exactly what it did with Fruit of the Loom. Berkshire purchased the struggling clothing company for a mere $835 million in 2002 after its stock lost 97% of its value.

One of the prime tenets held by Buffetts mentor, Benjamin Graham, is that dividends are an investors secret weapon. Many of the Fortune 500 companies in which Berkshire Hathaway holds large positionsApple (AAPL), Coca-Cola (KO), and American Express (AXP), to name a fewhave a steady history of maintaining or increasing dividends every year. Coca-Cola, for example, increased its annual dividend 55 years in a row. While imprudent speculators chase hot stocks whose prices are rising, their patient brethren load up on companies with fundamentals formidable enough to allow regular cash payments to shareholders.

Financial news outlets rarely showcase dividend data the way they do stock price and price movement figures, even though dividends provide one of the surest measures of a companys potency. After all, management will hand cash over to owners only when operations turn a large enough profit to make said payments feasible. Having said all this, it's Buffet's pursuit of dividends that made Berkshire Hathaway so consistently successful.

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett's unofficial successor will be Greg Abel, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Vice Chairman in charge of noninsurance operations, according to an unofficial announcement from Vice Chairman Charlie Munger on May 1, 2021. No date was suggested for the succession.

Pay a Dividend? No Way

If dividends are what attract Buffett to a company, the same rule doesn't necessarily apply to his conglomerate. In fact, the same Buffett who invests in companies that pay dividends avoids paying them out to his own investors. At first, this seems so self-evident that it barely counts as an observationit makes sense to take the cash that other companies offer you, but never to pay cash out yourself. The only time Berkshire Hathaway actually paid a dividend was once in 1967 to the tune of 10 cents per share. To this day, Buffett claims that he must have been in the bathroom when the dividend was authorized.

That being said, it would be short-sighted for any Berkshire Hathaway shareholder to complain about the companys refusal to pay dividends. The stock price for Class A shares has skyrocketed since Buffett took the helm, trading at $275 in 1980, $32,500 in 1995, and $424,840 as of the May 5, 2021 market closea track record without comparison.

Class B shares haven't done badly either: Rising from $20.66 per share when first issued in 1996, to $79 in 2010, to $282 as of May 5, 2021.

Berkshire Hathaways rationale is simple and arguing with it can prove to be difficult. Buffett prefers to reinvest the money rather than pay it out. Think about it. If youre an investor, would you rather have a dividend payment to spend, or would you prefer to see that money put back by the team that turned a humble textile investment into one of the largest, most respected, and most financially robust companies to date?

Since a single share of Berkshire Hathaway Class A stock is equivalent to several years worth of the average American salary, its no wonder that shares trade infrequentlyanywhere from 400 to 3,000 shares change hands a day. Buffett has never entertained the notion of a Class A split, as doing so could encourage speculation.

Buffett did, however, authorize the creation of Class B shares (BRK.B) in 1996, which was valued at 1/30 the value of its Class A counterpart. After a 50-for-1 split of BRK.B in 2010, the Class B stock replaced BNSF on the S&P 500 index. The lower price and concomitant liquidity make Class B stock suitable to be included in an index that attempts to gauge the value of the market. Class A stock is too expensive and too sparsely held to make an effective index component.

The Bottom Line

Some investors look for value, then purchase shares of companies that fit their criteria. Berkshire Hathaway takes a similar approach. But instead of buying a few shares of a company's stock, it buys the whole company. After decades of applying that investment strategy, the result is a massive global conglomerate.
Archaeology: rare Roman sculptures discovered in Jerash Findings will help boost tourism in Jordan

(by Mohammad Ben Hussein).



(ANSAmed) - AMMAN, OCTOBER 4 - An international archaeological team lead by French experts has discovered rare and "priceless" Roman sculptures in the north city of Jerash following three years mission that promises to unearth more troves, according to officials from Jordan archaeological department.



The findings include a sculpture of the Greek goddess of love and beauty 'Aphrodite,' an unprecedented finding in the kingdom and one of the few worldwide.



"This is the first time in Jordan history we discover a statue for Aphrodite (Venus). We are very excited about the finding as it will usher a new era in position of Jerash as an important hub for tourism in Jordan," director of Jerash Department of Antiquities Ziyad Ghuneimat told ANSA.



In total, the findings include at least 14 large sculptures, some of which are fully intact, while others have been decapitated. Archaeologists are currently combing through the site in order to learn more about the findings, some of which are seen for the first time.



"This is a result of three years of continues work with international and local experts working in al Hamamat site, a well known Roman location," said Ghuneimat. One of the most intriguing discoveries include a sculpture of Zeus, a popular figure in Jerash that will join other sculptures being displayed in Jerash temple of Zeus, added Ghuneimat. The other findings, some of which are being renovated, will be displayed in an exhibition in Jerash for visitors of the ancient Roman city.



According to Thomas Weber-Karyotakis, a professor in archaeology similar sculptures can only be found in Rome and Greece.



The archaeological mission is expected to continue digging until later this year, hoping to unearth at least two more sculptures that would complete a set of sculpture for the Nine Muses - the daughters of Zeus. Archaeologists have discovered seven of the sculptures in Jerash and hope to unearth the remaining two to complete the set. Ghuneimat stressed that the findings represent a major development in the status of Jerash as an attraction for scalars and experts from around the world.



It would also give an added incentive for tourists to see some of the most rare sculptures that date back to the second century BC. (ANSAmed).




Its easy to understand why Hawaii has come to be known as a Pacific Ocean paradise. The islands spectacular sceneryfrom sunny beaches and colorful coral reefs, to lush river valleys and steep volcanoeswould impress nearly anyone. Visitors can enjoy a range of adventures, from surfing some of the worlds best "surf spots" (such as Jaws and Pipeline) to milder pursuits, including stand-up paddleboarding, mountain biking, and hiking.

Of course, tourism dropped drastically in 2020. But up to then, Hawaii was on a roll. According to statistics released by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, visitors to the Hawaiian Islands spent $1.71 billion in January 2020before the onset of the pandemican increase of 5% compared to January 2019.

And 2019 had been a banner year: A record 10,424,995 million people visited the islands. That means that on any given day, the state hosted an average of 249,021 visitors.

This represents the ninth consecutive year in which tourism numbers grew, following the three years of decline that coincided with the recession. The amount of money tourists spent during 2019 also increased: total visitor expenditures (which do not include what business travelers spent) grew to $17.75 billion, a 1.4% increase over the previous year. Visitors spent an average of $198 per person.

Theres no doubt about it, a Hawaiian vacation is not cheap. Just getting therewithout adding accommodations, car rentals, dining and activitiescan be expensive. The good news is that you can find lower airfares if you have the flexibility to fly during certain times of the year. Here, we show you how you can fly to Hawaii for less.

Visiting Hawaii can be expensive, but there are ways to score cheaper airfares.

In general, Midwest and West Coast departures cost several hundred dollars less than those from the East Coast or the South.

April thru June and mid-August thru mid-September are Hawaii's "low seasons," and airfares are lower then.

No matter what time of year you travel, you may be able to score better deals if you travel midweek

Cheapest Seasons to Visit Hawaii

A large number of Hawaiis visitors hail from the continental United States (other significant markets included Japan and Canada). In general, Midwest and West Coast departures cost several hundred dollars less than those from the East Coast or the South. We searched Google Flights for the best roundtrip fares to Honolulu (HNL) booked two weeks in advance (flying on May 24), and found it would cost about $929 out of Atlanta (ATL), $720 out of New York (either JFK or LGA), and $437 out of Oakland (OAK). Note that airfares changes constantly, so you may not be able to replicate these results.

So when can you save money on airfares? According to travel website Beat of Hawaii, the best times to travel for Hawaii deals are:

Mid-April until early June

Aug. 17 until Dec. 10

Airfare out of Atlanta for most of May, for example (again, looking at Google Flights), hovered around $750 and higher. As soon as June hit, fares climbed to between $820 and $1,100, depending on the exact departure date. The same thing happened out of Oakland: Fares stayed in the mid-to-high $300s for May and jumped to between $500 and almost $700 during the summer months.

If youre trying to save money, avoid traveling during peak holidays. Fares from Atlanta during most of October and November, for example, stood at about $800 when we checked. If you depart on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, though, plan on paying closer to $1,300. The same thing happens during the winter holiday season: Fares during the first three weeks of December were listed at about $850, but they jumped to almost $1,500 for the peak days during the holiday week. Some say that traveling on an actual holiday, such as Christmas Day, can be cheaper, but we didn't find that in our research. It could be worth checking, though, if you must travel during the holidays.

Travel Midweek

No matter what time of year you travel, you may be able to score better deals if you travel midweekand avoid Saturday departures in particular. If you were to book a flight out of Atlanta to travel during the middle of May, you might pay about $900 to travel on a Wednesday, but about $1,200 if you fly on Saturday. Its the same story out of Oakland, where the cheapest Wednesday flight in May was $406 and the cheapest Saturday flight was $545.

The Bottom Line

Airfare to Hawaii fluctuates throughout the year, largely as a function of supply and demand. If you visit during peak periods, airfare costs more. During the low seasons, you can often find better deals. And, if you can travel midweek during any time of the year, youll likely be able to save money. Fuel prices also affect airfares, and its possible to see changeseither up or downdepending on current and anticipated fuel costs.

If you have the flexibility to travel during certain times of the year, you may be able to at least save a little money on airfare and possibly on some of your other expenses, as well, making your trip to Hawaii a bit more affordable.
"I am always surprised how some interviewees tend to trail off towards the end of an interview instead of finishing strong and leaving a lasting impression," says Zachary Rose, CEO and founder of Zack Academy (formerly Green Education Services), a green-jobs training firm based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Whether you're a senior preparing for campus recruiting or a recent graduate still hunting for a job, here are the top questions experts recommend asking at the end of a job interview to leave a great final impression on hiring managers and establish yourself as a top candidate.

"Is There Any Reason You Wouldn't Hire Me?"

Kelsey Meyer Raymond, the co-founder and president of Influence & Co., a content marketing and branding company in Columbia, Mo., says, "A recent candidate asked, 'If you were to not offer the job to me, what would be the reason?' This was extremely straightforward and a little blunt, but it allowed me to communicate any hesitations I had about the candidate before he left the interview, and he could address them right there."

"This one question is something I would suggest every single candidate ask," adds Raymond. It lets you know where you stand and if you need to clarify anything for the interviewer. "If you have the guts to ask it, I don't think you'll regret it," she says.

Rachel Dotson, formerly content manager for ZipRecruiter.com and now a marketing manager at SaneBox, says, "All too often you hear about candidates leaving an interview and thinking they aced it, only to get a swift rejection email soon after. Take the time while you're face-to-face to ask about and dispel any doubts that the hiring manager has." Make sure a key asset of yours hasn't been overlooked.

"As an Employee, How Could I Exceed Your Expectations?"

Michael B. Junge, a staffing and recruiting industry leader in California and author of "Purple Squirrel: Stand Out, Land Interviews, and Master the Modern Job Market," says that one of his favorite interview questions is when a candidate takes the lead and asks, "If I were offered this position and joined your company, how would you measure my success and what could I do to exceed your expectations?"

Why is this so effective? "The question shows confidence without being overly brash, while also demonstrating that you have an interest in delivering positive results," Junge adds. What's more, the answer you receive can reveal what the interviewer hopes to accomplish by making a new hire, and this information can help you determine whether to accept the position if you get an offer.

"How Could I Help Your Company Meet Its Goals?"

Dotson also suggests job candidates ask the interviewer, "How does this position fit in with the short- and long-term goals of the company?" The response to the short-term side of the question gives you further insight into your potential role and helps you tailor the remainder of the discussion and your interview follow-up, she says. "Second, by bringing up long-term goals, you are telling the hiring manager that you're there for the long run, not just another new grad that is going to follow suit with her peers and job-hop every six months," Dotson says.

Junge also recommends that interviewees ask, "What challenges have other new hires faced when starting in similar roles, and what could I do to put myself in a better position to succeed?" He says few students or new grads will ask this question because most haven't witnessed failure. To a hiring manager, this question demonstrates maturity and awareness, and if you're hired, the answers can help you avoid the pitfalls of being new.

"What Excites You About Coming into Work?"

Murshed Chowdhury, former CEO of the specialized staffing firm Infusive Solutions now in charge of hiring tech talent for Capital One, suggests that candidates ask the interviewer, "What excites you about coming into work every day?"

"This is a role reversal question that we often suggest candidates ask," he says. People love the opportunity to talk about themselves, so this question provides an excellent chance to learn about the hiring manager and find ways to establish common ground. "This is also a great opportunity for the candidate to determine whether he/she is excited by the same things that excite the hiring manager to see if the culture is a good fit," Chowdhury adds.

The Bottom Line

Although it is important to provide a great first impression on a potential employer, as well as acing the basics of a job interview, closing the interview strong is just as important.

"Prove to your interviewer that you want this position and you are in this for the right reasons, not simply to fill your day with something to do," Rose says. Ask these questions before you leave, and leave your potential new employer with a great impression.
VANCOUVER, BC - October 4, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The Vancouver International Wine Festival is pleased to announce the winery lineup for the 41st annual festival, which takes place February 23-March 3, 2019. The eight-day wine and food extravaganza will showcase 160 wineries from 15 countries, including 53 wineries from California, this year's featured region. They'll be joined by 107 wineries from around the world, pouring 1,500+ wines at 54 events. Each participating winery will be represented by a winery principal - our vine stars - who come to Vancouver every year to share and discuss their wines with festivalgoers.

View the winery list here.

"VIWF 2019 will welcome 160 different producers from 15 countries, 53 of them from the theme region of California," says David Hopgood, chair of the Winery Selection Committee. "Eighteen of these wineries are based in Napa, so you can expect spectacular Cabernet Sauvignons in the Tasting Room and at special events throughout festival week, but California will be showcasing its diversity and varieties through wineries from all over the state.

"The Old World is well-represented with a wide range of wines from France and Italy, as well as Croatia, Romania (a first), Germany, Portugal, and Spain. The New World will showcase wines from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Australia, New Zealand, with North America additionally represented with wineries from Washington, Oregon, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and, of course, British Columbia. As well, there will be high-end Sake from three producers. More than one-quarter of the wineries are brand new to the festival, so there will many wines and wineries for patrons to discover."

The festival is headquartered at the Vancouver Convention Centre; in addition, more than 20 other restaurants and venues around the city will host winery dinners, lunches, seminars and wine minglers. The sumptuous Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction, benefiting Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, kicks off the festival on Saturday, February 23 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver; tickets and tables are on sale now. The heart of the festival is the Tasting Room, where all 160 wineries will gather for four International Festival Tastings. Discounted advance tickets for the International Festival Tastings go on sale Thursday, November 1 at 9:30 a.m. Festivalgoers can get a free ticket if they book one of 37 downtown hotels via StayVancouverHotels.com from November 1 to February 14, while supplies last.

Dream Big: California Style

Forty years after Robert Mondavi Winery was the sole winery at the first VanWineFest, we're celebrating California wines once again, with 53 wineries from the Golden State (including Robert Mondavi Winery).

"California Wines is honoured to Dream Big: California Style' at the prestigious 2019 Vancouver International Wine Festival," said Rick Slomka, Canadian Director, California Wines. "Given the festival's long history with California wines, we are excited to be back again and have the opportunity to showcase our award-winning wines at this world-class event with some of the most dynamic personalities in the industry.

"The California lifestyle, and our wines, are known to be inspirational and attention grabbing, so we look forward to celebrating the passion and energy that the California's vintners and growers will bring to wine lovers in Vancouver."

Festival week will feature 20 California events, including vine star seminars, vintage tastings, winery dinners, a wine party to kick off the week, and a spectacular Saturday lunch featuring all 53 wineries. California wine industry power couple Gina Gallo, Vice President, Winemaking - Estate Wines, E&J Gallo Winery, and Jean-Charles Boisset, Proprietor, Boisset Collection, will be present as California wine ambassadors, speaking at a number of key events during the week.

Trade Days Conference

The Trade Days Conference, which runs February 27 to March 1, features 12 events, including two Trade Tastings, presented by ContainerWorld, masterclasses and seminars, and three trade lunches: the Keynote Speaker Lunch; Principals Welcome Lunch, presented by JF Hillebrand; and Celebrating Excellence: 16th Annual Awards Lunch Featuring California Wines, presented by ContainerWorld.

Save the Dates

Advance tickets go on sale Thursday, November 1 at 9:30 a.m.

All public events go on sale Wednesday, January 9 at 9:30 a.m.

All trade events go on sale Wednesday, January 23 at 9:30 a.m.

For more information about the Vancouver International Wine Festival go to VanWineFest.ca.

For more information about the Vancouver International Wine Festival go to VanWineFest.ca.

Twitter: Follow @VanFineFest for news on tickets and sold-out events. Join the conversation at #VIWF.

Facebook & Instagram: @VanWineFest

ABOUT VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL

Canada's premier wine show will mark its 41st edition of pairing wine, food and the performing arts from February 23 to March 3, 2019. The festival features California Wines and will showcase 160 wineries from 15 countries (including 53 wineries from California) pouring ~1,500 wines at 54 events to a projected 25,000 admissions. The Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction opens the festival on Saturday, February 23 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The Trade Days Conference runs Wednesday, February 27 to Friday, March 1. The festival has been named the #1 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event in Canada by New York's BizBash for six years running. The festival is produced by the Vancouver International Wine Festival Society, which has three mandates: provide an informative, educational and entertaining wine experience for public and trade; be a premier marketing opportunity for the wine industry and festival partners; and raise funds for the Bard on the Beach Theatre Society. Since inception in 1979, the festival has raised $9.2 million for the performing arts. Major sponsors are Delta Air Lines and the Vancouver Sun; major industry partners are the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, BC Liquor Stores, and the Import Vintners & Spirits Association. The festival is made possible through the gracious support of our participating countries' consulates and embassies.

ABOUT WINE INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA

Established in 1934 and based in San Francisco, Wine Institute is the public policy advocacy group of more than 1,000 California wineries and affiliated businesses that initiates and advocates state, federal and international public policy to enhance the environment for the responsible production, consumption and enjoyment of wine. Wine Institute's California Wine Export Program has more than 175 member wineries exporting to 138 countries. The program's 15 representative offices conduct activities in 25 countries around the globe. The Wine Institute's Canadian office coordinates a number of promotional activities every year designed to educate and inform media, trade, stakeholders and consumers about the quality and diversity of products available from the Golden State. For more information on the Wine Institute of California, visit the website at www.discovercaliforniawines.com and www.calwine.ca

ABOUT BARD ON THE BEACH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

Celebrating its 30th season in 2019, Bard on the Beach is one of Canada's largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare festivals. It is presented on the waterfront in Kitsilano's Vanier Park, adjacent to Vancouver's downtown core. Bard on the Beach offers Shakespeare plays, related dramas and popular special events in two performance tents every June through September. In 2018, attendance was 108,000 and almost 1.9 million patrons have experienced Bard since its inception. Next year's festival dates are June 5 to September 21, 2019, and the lineup includes The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare in Love, All's Well That Ends Well and Coriolanus. Bard also offers a range of education programs, including Young Shakespeareans workshops for 8-18 year-olds at its Vanier Park site during the summer, and the Riotous Youth program for 19 to 24-year-olds. During the school term, Bard also offers workshops for educators and youth in schools and community centres throughout BC's Lower Mainland, as well as at its administrative home, the BMO Theatre Centre (162 West 1st Avenue). Full details and education program information are at bardonthebeach.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Shannon Heth

Milk Creative Communications

T: 604-897-1808

E: shannon@thinkmilk.ca

Bailey Jelinski

Milk Creative Communications

T: 604-655-4240

E: bailey@thinkmilk.ca

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October 4, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) has recently announced plans to test a cross-border global payments initiative (GPI) in Asia Pacific using Australia's real-time payments systemNew Payments Platform (NPP). However, the success of the GPI service will depend on the cost it will pass on to consumers and businesses, says leading data and analytics company GlobalData.

In anticipation of the launch of NPP in Australia in early 2018, GlobalData released a report in October 2017 featuring various real-time retail payment platforms around the world, predicting possible implications for the service, including the creation of the necessary conditions for instant cross-border transfers. SWIFT's GPI payment service in Australia is the first step on such a path.

Arnie Cho, Financial Services Analyst at GlobalData, says: "With the region becoming more integrated in terms of business and particularly e-commerce, a cross-border instant payment system will be an attractive service among SMEs."

Currently, the SWIFT GPI service will only serve payments from participating banks in China, Singapore, and Thailand. The participating banks will use the NPP platform to transfer funds into the customer's account in Australia almost instantly. Funds will also be paid to the mobile number or email address associated to the PayID of the payee in Australia.

Cho adds: "Going forward, once the service is officially rolled out both banks and consumers will benefit. For participating banks, it will save them from having to invest in their own cross-border infrastructure as they can use the SWIFT platform to offer the service that once would have taken a few days to clear. On the consumer front, instant cross-border payment will be a nice-to-have on the occasions when a fund transfer to someone in another country is urgent."

However, with all the different cross-border payment channels already available, the most critical issue that SWIFT will have to address is the cost it will pass on to consumers and businesses. If the service is not cost competitive compared to other readily available services, SWIFT may end up only serving the needs of consumers who are in urgent need of international transfers.

Cho concludes: "Consumers or businesses that make transfers on a regular basis, which will be the majority of those requiring cross-border payments, will most definitely choose a more economical channel. So this is a great step, but one that needs to be cost-aware if it is to make a big impact in the cross-border payments market."

For more information

To gain access to our latest press releases: GlobalData Media Centre

Analysts available for comment. Please contact the GlobalData Press Office:

EMEA & Americas: +44 (0)207 832 4399

Asia-Pacific: +91 40 6616 6809

Email: pr@globaldata.com

To gain access to our latest press releases and expert analysis on developments in your industry, please connect with us on:

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Editor Notes

Quotes provided by Arnie Cho, Financial Services Analyst at GlobalData

Information based on GlobalData's report: Instant Payments: A Global View

This press release was written using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis conducted by GlobalData's team of industry experts.

About GlobalData

4,000 of the world's largest companies, including over 70% of FTSE 100 and 60% of Fortune 100 companies, make more timely and better business decisions thanks to GlobalData's unique data, expert analysis and innovative solutions, all in one platform. GlobalData's mission is to help our clients decode the future to be more successful and innovative across a range of industries, including the healthcare, consumer, retail, financial, technology and professional services sectors.

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October 4, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) We believe that the outlook for regulation of the Chinese water sector remains positive and would caution against read-across from current proposals for gas regulation in Chongqing, as substantial differences exist between the two industries. Valuations in excess of HK$10/share are sustainable for China Water Affairs Group (CWA), in our view.

The National People's Congress Standing Committee of Chongqing is currently proposing a cancellation of the network connection fee paid to gas companies. We are unaware of any intention on the part of the authorities to extend the policy regarding connection charges to other industries such as water. CWA has not been contacted with regard to its connection charges in Chongqing. In 2018, connection charges accounted for c 18% of CWA's total revenues.

It is important to be aware that the recent economic policy document (943 June 2018) from the NDRC advocated the establishment of a price-adjustment mechanism that reflects the cost of water, so that the residential water price is no longer below cost level and prices in the non-residential section of the market allow for a reasonable profit level. The fact that many state-owned enterprises operate at a loss in the water sector also affords CWA a degree of regulatory protection, in our view. An analysis of returns (Bloomberg, 3 October 2018) also shows that gas companies earn returns in excess of those achieved by CWA (CWA's returns are between 18% and 52% lower than the gas companies' on average over the past five years).

China Water Affairs is a research client of Edison Investment Research Limited

Edison is an investment research and advisory company, with offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East and AsiaPac. The heart of Edison is our world-renowned equity research platform and deep multi-sector expertise. At Edison Investment Research, our research is widely read by international investors, advisers and stakeholders. Edison Advisors leverages our core research platform to provide differentiated services including investor relations and strategic consulting. Edison is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Edison Investment Research (NZ) Limited (Edison NZ) is the New Zealand subsidiary of Edison. Edison NZ is registered on the New Zealand Financial Service Providers Register (FSP number 247505) and is registered to provide wholesale and/or generic financial adviser services only. Edison Investment Research Inc (Edison US) is the US subsidiary of Edison and is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Edison Investment Research Pty Limited (Edison Aus) [46085869] is the Australian subsidiary of Edison. Edison Germany is a branch entity of Edison Investment Research Limited [4794244]. www.edisongroup.com

DISCLAIMER

Copyright 2018 Edison Investment Research Limited. All rights reserved. This report has been commissioned by China Water Affairs Group and prepared and issued by Edison for publication globally. All information used in the publication of this report has been compiled from publicly available sources that are believed to be reliable, however we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this report. Opinions contained in this report represent those of the research department of Edison at the time of publication. The securities described in the Investment Research may not be eligible for sale in all jurisdictions or to certain categories of investors. This research is issued in Australia by Edison Investment Research Pty Ltd (Corporate Authorised Representative (1252501) of Myonlineadvisers Pty Ltd (AFSL: 427484)) and any access to it, is intended only for "wholesale clients" within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001 of Australia. The Investment Research is distributed in the United States by Edison US to major US institutional investors only. Edison US is registered as an investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Edison US relies upon the "publishers' exclusion" from the definition of investment adviser under Section 202(a)(11) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and corresponding state securities laws. As such, Edison does not offer or provide personalised advice. We publish information about companies in which we believe our readers may be interested and this information reflects our sincere opinions. The information that we provide or that is derived from our website is not intended to be, and should not be construed in any manner whatsoever as, personalised advice. Also, our website and the information provided by us should not be construed by any subscriber or prospective subscriber as Edison's solicitation to effect, or attempt to effect, any transaction in a security. The research in this document is intended for New Zealand resident professional financial advisers or brokers (for use in their roles as financial advisers or brokers) and habitual investors who are "wholesale clients" for the purpose of the Financial Advisers Act 2008 (FAA) (as described in sections 5(c) (1)(a), (b) and (c) of the FAA). This is not a solicitation or inducement to buy, sell, subscribe, or underwrite any securities mentioned or in the topic of this document. This document is provided for information purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation for investment in any securities mentioned or in the topic of this document. A marketing communication under FCA Rules, this document has not been prepared in accordance with the legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research. Edison has a restrictive policy relating to personal dealing. Edison Group does not conduct any investment business and, accordingly, does not itself hold any positions in the securities mentioned in this report. However, the respective directors, officers, employees and contractors of Edison may have a position in any or related securities mentioned in this report. Edison or its affiliates may perform services or solicit business from any of the companies mentioned in this report. The value of securities mentioned in this report can fall as well as rise and are subject to large and sudden swings. In addition it may be difficult or not possible to buy, sell or obtain accurate information about the value of securities mentioned in this report. Past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance. Forward-looking information or statements in this report contain information that is based on assumptions, forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable, and therefore involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of their subject matter to be materially different from current expectations. For the purpose of the FAA, the content of this report is of a general nature, is intended as a source of general information only and is not intended to constitute a recommendation or opinion in relation to acquiring or disposing (including refraining from acquiring or disposing) of securities. The distribution of this document is not a "personalised service" and, to the extent that it contains any financial advice, is intended only as a "class service" provided by Edison within the meaning of the FAA (ie without taking into account the particular financial situation or goals of any person). As such, it should not be relied upon in making an investment decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Edison, its affiliates and contractors, and their respective directors, officers and employees will not be liable for any loss or damage arising as a result of reliance being placed on any of the information contained in this report and do not guarantee the returns on investments in the products discussed in this publication. FTSE International Limited ("FTSE")  FTSE 2018. "FTSE" is a trade mark of the London Stock Exchange Group companies and is used by FTSE International Limited under license. All rights in the FTSE indices and/or FTSE ratings vest in FTSE and/or its licensors. Neither FTSE nor its licensors accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the FTSE indices and/or FTSE ratings or underlying data. No further distribution of FTSE Data is permitted without FTSE's express written consent.

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Here's your morning bulletin.

GET INFORMED ...

IRELAND: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has warned British prime minister Theresa May that "time is running out" on securing a Brexit deal just two weeks out from the crunch October EU summit. Meanwhile, a leading Tory Brexiteer has issued a new warning to May that she faces a Commons defeat if she presses ahead with her Chequers blueprint for Brexit.

IRELAND: After more than 1,000 days of debate, new laws to place health warnings on alcohol labels have passed all stages of the Dail.

IRELAND: The numbers affected by the tracker mortgage scandal have risen yet again to 38,400, the Central Bank governor Philip Lane will reveal today.

WORLD: Seven South Carolina law enforcement officers have been shot, one fatally, in a confrontation with a suspect who held children hostage in a home and fired on deputies, officials said.

BUSINESS: Apple, Google and Amazon are the three most valuable global brands in a top 100 list that includes brand names like Jaguar Land Rover, Mini and Burberry.

SPORT: Five years on and the memories still eat away at Patrick Horgan. He thought hed won it. His 10th point in that drawn All-Ireland final with Clare had been posted two minutes into additional-time.

SPORT: Conor McGregor believes he has spotted flaws in Khabib Nurmagomedovs fighting style and intends to take his head off in their showdown for the UFC lightweight title.

... SOME DISTRACTION

SHOWBIZ: Alec Baldwins wife has shared details of her recovery after giving birth four-and-a-half-months ago.

FEATURES: Richard Hogan suggest how to approach grandparents about boundaries.

CULTURE: With Bradley Cooper's new film, a star and a director are born.
The Late Late Show is getting into the spooky spirit this week with Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis set to appear.

The True Lies star will chat with Ryan Tubridy about her return to the 'Halloween' film franchise later this month.

In 1978, Curtis was launched to fame when she played the role of Laurie Strode in John Carpenter's classic horror.

Thirty years later, Curtis will reprise the role as Laurie faces Michael Myers in one final showdown.

As well as looking back on some of her most iconic roles, the Hollywood star will also talk about what it was like to grow up as the daughter of two Hollywood legends, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.

Also joining Ryan on Friday night is Amy Huberman who will be discussing her new comedy series Finding Joy.

She will reveal the tough work involved in creating the show from scratch and how it feels to bring her labour of love to the screen.

Has anyone seen any ads for Finding Joy yet? Me nerves! I keep making tea and running to the loo during programme segments so Im back for the ads WHICH IS AGAINST THE RULES OF COMMON SENSE HELP ME  Amy Huberman (@amyhuberman) September 25, 2018

Francis Brennan will take time out from his busy schedule to share stories from his recent travels down Route 66.

He will talk about his travels with other Irish tourists for his Grand Tour series as well as his new book, A Gentleman Abroad: Francis Brennan's Travel Tales.

Ireland's favourite funny man Dara O Briain will be paying a visit and will be revealing the science behind everyday life.

The comedian and science buff has published his second science book for children.

Just to warn any bookshop near me; yes, I will be randomly sneaking in, checking the shelves and sneaking out again. And you dont want me to do downcast sneaking. https://t.co/LN8AuzEx75  Dara O Briain (@daraobriain) October 4, 2018

Broadcaster Mary Kennedy will reveal her new approach to living after suffering a burn-out last year.

Musical guests this week include SOAK and West End star Killian Donnelly who will perform a classic from Les Miserables.

Digital Desk
Environmentalists have welcomed Irish Waters decision to write directly to 140,000 customers warning them of excess chemical in their drinking water.

Friends of the Irish Environment said it first formally complained to the European Commission of the utilitys failure to inform consumers of chemical exceedances in 2011 after a database expert examined an EPA quality of water study.

Friends of the Irish Environment said while the EPA claimed 99.2% compliance with chemical standards, their analysis showed 598,951 consumers were being supplied with drinking water over the recommended World Health Organisation and European Commissions recommended limits for trihalomethanes (THMs).

THMs are formed when organic matter, such as suspended peat sediment, are treated with chlorine at water treatment plants. THMs are harmful to human health and include known carcinogens like chloroform. They are ingested by drinking, but can be inhaled in the bath or shower, or when washing clothes and dishes.

Friends of the Irish Environment said its 2011 submission showed that 24 counties had supplies breaching EU and WHO THM limits, with 14 counties having supplies double the THM limit, and one water supply, Ring, in Co Waterford, recording THM levels nine times the WHO/EU limit.

Friends of the Irish Environments findings also prompted a warning from US environmentalist Erin Brockovitch that people had a right to know.

For various reasons, the European Commission didnt begin an infringement case against Ireland until last July and it outlined what needed to be done. Irish Water previously contacted customers only if there was a problem with their drinking water that was likely to cause an immediate risk to health.

However, it announced yesterday it will write to 140,000 customers where the drinking water quality is not as good as it could be but remains safe to drink, and outlining what they are doing to improve the supply.

Houses and businesses in 16 counties on 55 water supply schemes will receive a detailed booklet outlining the issues with their water supply such as elevated THMs; inadequate barriers for cryptosporidium; poor turbidity removal; or the presence of low levels of pesticides.

Of those, 4,200 houses and businesses are in Cork, served by 10 public water supply schemes, including Mogeely and Ballyhooly, where cryptosporidium is an issue, and the supplies in Crookhaven, Drimoleague, Durrus, Glengarriff, Kealhill, Leap, Schull and Whiddy Island which have elevated THMs.

Friends of the Irish Environment director Tony Lowes, who lodged the 2011 complaint, said consumers have a right to know what is in their water so they can take the necessary measures to protect themselves.

THMs are particularly volatile, and consumers, particularly pregnant women, should avoid showering or steamy kitchens. The advice to boil water to deal with other contaminations when the water contains high levels of THMs was of particular concern in these proceedings, he said.

Irish Waters operations lead Neil Smyth said that those getting the letters have access to drinking water that is safe to drink.
Aviation chiefs have admitted they still dont know what caused a major systems failure that forced the temporary closure of much of Irish airspace Tuesday.

Flow-control measures restricting the number of aircraft operating in Irish airspace remained in place for a time yesterday as the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) attempted to get to the bottom of the problem.

The failure paralysed regular operations at Shannon Air Traffic Control (ATC) centre for a number of hours on Tuesday evening, forcing the deployment of an emergency backup system and the temporary shutdown of much of Irish airspace.

The IAA said there was nothing to suggest hacking or cybercrime was involved.

It described the breakdown as not a radar problem and most likely a simple software issue in a complex system.

However, it conceded that it did not know the cause and that its technical experts were working to isolate the root cause of the issue.

The IAA said its systems were complex and identifying the cause could take some time.

The Commission for Aviation Regulation was continuing to describe the incident yesterday as radar failure in Irish Airspace and advised passengers of what steps to take if their flights were delayed or cancelled as a result of the event.

Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, also described the breakdown as a radar failure that led to a zero flow rate. This effectively means aircraft movements were shut down in areas serviced by Shannon ATC, which includes Shannon Airport, Cork Airport, and transatlantic overflights, but not Dublin Airport.

The IAA said Dublins system is entirely independent and was not and is not affected.

Asked why Eurocontrol had classified the problem as radar failure, the IAA said EuroControl assign a limited number of classifications across a broad range of issues.

However, we can absolutely confirm that this is a technical issue with an air traffic control system and not a radar issue which is a separate system.

The IAA failed to clarify if the two systems were mutually exclusive.

The IAA said it was continuing to provide a full, safe, secure Air Traffic Control service and that there had been no impact on flights yesterday.

The authority said it had moved to a fully independent backup system and that all flights in that area are operating normally on this backup system.

We continue to provide a full service on this backup system indefinitely, the IAA said.

Its director of commercial technology, Philip Hughes described the breakdown as highly rare.

He said it had happened at a relatively quiet time  before the overnight transatlantic overflight traffic kicked in.

The IAAs Area Control Centre in Shannon handles over 90% of all air traffic on the North Atlantic. This equates to approximately 1,400-1,500 aircraft every 24 hours during the busy summer months, according to its website.

In 2017, Shannon Air Traffic Control safely handled over 343,000 flights.

At its widest, it takes 40 minutes to transit Irish-controlled airspace and 20 minutes at its narrowest. It covers some 451,000 square km.

According to the IAA, the airspace controlled by the Shannon Centre is unique in that it acts as an interface between North Atlantic (non-radar environment) and domestic European air traffic (radar environment), two traffic streams that must be managed and integrated on a daily basis.

Over Europe aircraft fly along pre-determined routes that are effectively motorways in the sky.

However, the North Atlantic system differs in that while aircraft fly on prescribed tracks, the position of these tracks change on a daily basis, mainly due to the weather.
By Sean ORiordan

The Naval Service was thrown into turmoil after a military order was issued to scrap a 72-hour notice to go to sea and to require personnel to respond to immediate call-ups for duty.

Members of PDForra reacted angrily yesterday when news of the order reached their annual conference in Co Mayo.

They predicted a massive exodus from the Naval Service as a result of the order which became apparent at around 3pm yesterday.

However, within two hours, it was rescinded by the Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Service, Commodore Michael Malone.

Military sources suggested the order was issued by a lower level staff officer.

A copy of the order, obtained by the Irish Examiner, read: Despite the best efforts of all concerned, attempts to alleviate the current crewing restrictions/gaps for the fleet, have NOT been successful.

It went on to state: The situation currently precludes the ability to provide personnel with a guaranteed minimum of 72 hours notice for short-term reliefs. As a consequence of this, and with immediate effect, personnel may now be detailed for attachment to sea, for short-term reliefs without a minimum of 72hrs notice.

It added that the instruction would be reviewed on January 7, 2019.

Before the order was rescinded several PDForra Naval Service members described it as the last straw and said they would leave the force rather than submit to it and let it destroy any last vestige of work/life balance they had.

PDForra president Mark Keane told Minister Paul Kehoe that the Defence Forces had reached a crisis point.
Egypt: Italian textile firms at UN initiative Conference and inspections, focus on sustainability and quality

(ANSAmed) - CAIRO, OCTOBER 4 - Italian companies in the textile sector have taken part in an initiative by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Egypt. The initiative included a roundtable discussion and two on-site inspections of cotton plantations and production facilities, reported sources from the industrial sector who cited UNIDO statements published this week. The roundtable discussion focused on sustainability of the textile sector as well as ''investment in quality'' throughout the entire production chain and ''development of the skills'' of workers, the statement said. The meeting was held on Monday as part of the Egyptian Cotton Project, an initiative by UNIDO/Filmar that was funded by the Italian Development Cooperation Agency.



Taking part were two Egyptian ministers (Agriculture Minister Ezz Eldin Abu Setet and Minister for the Public Business Sector Hisham Tawfik), Italian Ambassador to Egypt Giampaolo Cantini and the regional director for the same UN agency, Giovanna Ceglie.



Among the firms taking part were Filmar, the Albini Group, Elvy Weaving SAE, Calzedonia, and Camozzi Digital. The Egyptian Cotton Project supports the "Cottonforlife" initiative under Filmar, implemented with the support of Alexbank of the Intesa San Paolo Group to increase competitiveness of firms and international market demand of firms while prioritizing environmental concerns and social inclusion. ''Sustainability, traceability, and transparency are the main pillars that the market needs to remain competitive,'' Ceglie said, summing up the 'message' launched by foreign textile firms that took part in the meeting. The inspection of the plantations in the Damietta governorate in the Nile Delta on Tuesday highlighted conventional and organic high-quality production, according to a statement. The day before, also in the Delta region in Borg El-Arab near Alexandria, there was a visit to three factories (two Italian ones and one Swiss one) that use Egyptian cotton for their production. (ANSAmed).




U2 frontman Bono has paid a heartfelt tribute to their legendary soundman, Joe OHerlihy, to mark his 40th year at the heart of one of the worlds biggest bands.

In a special segment during the bands second gig in Copenhagen as part of their Experience and Innocence tour earlier this week, Bono described Joe O, who is originally from Cork and who first met the band in the citys former Arcadia Ballroom in 1978, as an alchemist of the U2 sound.

He told the audience that the band is absolutely nothing without the creative community around them.

You dont see them, but you hear them and you feel them, he said.

They put up this production and they make it look great and sound great, they are just the greatest community.

Right at the top of the pyramid in that community is a very unusual and inspirational spirit that started work with us 40 years ago this very night.

Forty years ago, Joe entered our lives in the Arcadia Ballroom in Cork.

Then he was but an apprentice wizard. Now he is a grandmaster, an alchemist of the U2 sound.

Bono said that Joes bass frequencies once registered on the Richter scale during a 1985 gig in Brussels, and that when he has turned up the volume at gigs, pregnant women have gone into labour.

But his high-end always has a little bit of down and dirty about it  and we love that, he said.

And tonight, we want to say how much you mean to us, how much you and Marian (Joes wife) mean to us, and how having Sarah OHerlihy (one of Joes daughter) running this show also means so much to us.

We are a community and no-one has a better sense of that community than you, Joe O.

Photographs of Joe over the years were flashed onto the bands giant video wall in Copenhagens Royal Arena before U2 dedicated one of its biggest hits, One, from the 1991 album, Achtung Baby, to him.

The crew and the Edge also wore special JOH:40 tribute t-shirts on the night, marking every tour Joe has worked on.

Joe OHerlihy has been engineering U2s live sound for the last 40 years. He has also worked with REM, The Cranberries, David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, and The Undertones.

He played with a Cork band, Chapter Five, in the late 1960s and played bass with another legendary Leeside outfit, Sleepy Hollow, before he began working on sound for the legendary guitarist Rory Gallagher from 1974 to 1978.

He was running a sound-hire company around the same time when he supplied the equipment for a UCC Downtown Campus gig in the citys former Arcadia Ballroom in September 1978.

I think U2 were the fourth or fifth band on the bill. They barely knew how to turn on their own gear they were so inexperienced but we looked after them pretty well and they got a good sound.

Things like that are noticed in this business and, shortly afterwards, Paul McGuinness contacted me and said wed like you to become involved with the band and the rest, as they say, is history, he said in a Hotpress interview.

The bands current tour kicked off in the US four months ago.

Last month, there was concern about the future of the tour after Bono lost his voice on stage in Berlin, and the show had been cut short.

But he was back on stage performing three days later.

In an interview at the weekend, the band members spoke candidly about how they are coping with life on tour now that theyre in their 50s.

Larry Mullen Jnr and Adam Clayton require regular physio to cope with the physically punishing demands of several live shows a week.

And Bono, 58, also told The Irish Times that he had a shock to the system in 2016 that left him clinging on to my own life.

This tour is particularly demanding. Whether you have a face-off with your own mortality or somebody close to you does, you are going to get to a point in your life where you ask questions about where youre going.

When asked if that means this is U2s last tour, he said: I dont know. I dont take anything for granted.

The tour is due to land in Ireland on October 27 with two sell-out shows in Belfast, before the band plays four sell-out gigs in Dublins 3Arena on November 5, 6, 9, and 10.
By Eoin Reynolds

The wife of a taxi driver who was stabbed to death while working in the early hours has denied that her husband kept a kitchen knife in his car.

The murder trial has previously heard that the accused told gardai that the deceased pulled a knife on him.

Joseph Hillen (24), of Glendesha Road, Forkhill, Co Armagh has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Martin Mulligan (53) at Carnmore, Balriggan, Dundalk, Co Louth on September 28, 2015.

While he accepts that he inflicted the fatal knife wounds, Mr Hillen told gardai that he did it to protect himself.

The deceased's widow Grainne Mulligan today told prosecuting counsel Patrick Treacy SC that she met her husband when they were teenagers and they married in 1986 after dating for nine years.

He worked as a coal delivery man and in 2000, for extra money, he started working as a taxi driver. They had two daughters who are now adults.

Her husband, she said, was concerned for his own safety and kept a bar on the floor of the taxi for protection. He also kept a small Swiss Army knife in the car.

Under cross examination, she agreed with defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC that her husband was a "formidable" man who would not back down in any situation.

She was worried when he started working as a taxi driver that he might come to blows with anyone who tried to rob him or cheat him.

She agreed that in a statement to gardai she said he could be "thick and wouldn't back down in a confrontation". He kept the bar, she said, as a weapon if he needed to use it.

Martin Mulligan

Mr Grehan put it to her that in August of this year, before Mr Hillen told gardai that the deceased pulled a knife on him, she told gardai that her husband kept a small kitchen knife in his taxi which he used for picking his teeth.

She accepted that she made another statement about two weeks later in which she said she had been mistaken and that her husband in fact kept the kitchen knife in his coal lorry, not the taxi.

Mr Grehan asked her if she changed her statement because she realised it would be helpful to the accused man as it supported his claim that it was the deceased who produced the knife.

She replied: "No. I didn't realise that. That wouldn't have entered my head."

Under re-examination she told Mr Treacy that the knife she was referring to was a short knife she had previously used for peeling potatoes. She said it would have been about the length of one third of an A4 page.

Earlier the trial heard from Sergeant Michael Kermath of Dundalk Garda Station who told Mr Treacy that he was in Dundalk earlier on the night that Mr Mulligan died when a member of the public gave him the registration number of a Toyota Avensis, driven by the accused, that had been spinning its tyres outside Ridley's nightclub.

When Sgt Kermath and his colleague Garda Damien Fanning saw the car they put on their blue lights and followed but the Avensis did not stop.

Sgt Kermath said it sped erratically and dangerously through the town towards Marsh's Shopping Centre, broke two traffic lights and left the town.

The patrol car followed until it became too dangerous and they believed they would not catch up before the border.

The jury of nine men and three women were then shown CCTV footage of the car spinning its tyres and speeding through the town.

The trial continues in front of the jury and Justice Eileen Creedon.
European Council president Donald Tusk has launched a furious attack on the British government's claim the EU is acting like the Soviet Union on Brexit, accusing London of making "unwise" and "insulting" comments to stoke up public fears.

Mr Tusk heavily criticised British foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt's claim last week insisting Europe is about "freedom and human rights" not "prisons and gulags" - and warning Britain to remember who was first to support it after the Salisbury chemical attacks.

Speaking alongside Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the European Council building in Brussels, Mr Tusk said while "emotional arguments that stress the issue of dignity sound attractive" they will "not lead to anything good".

And in a direct response to Mr Hunt's deeply controversial comments last week, the European Council president - who was jailed for protesting in his native Poland during the Soviet era - said bluntly that the "insulting" comments about the EU went too far.

"You know I always try to present the EU's position honestly and without beating about the bush. Telling truth even if difficult and unpleasant is the best way of showing respect for partners.

"Comparing the European Union to the Soviet Union is as unwise as it is insulting. The Soviet Union was about prisons and gulags, borders and walls, violence against citizens.

"The European Union is about freedom and human rights, prosperity and peace, life without fear. It is about democracy and pluralism, a continent without internal boarders and wars.

"As the president of the European Council and someone who spent half of my life in the Soviet bloc I know what I'm talking about.

"The Soviet spirit is still alive as demonstrated by the attack in Salisbury.

"You will know best where to look for this spirit - but not in Brussels, which I am sure you will also remember who was the first to declare full solidarity with the UK at that critical moment," Mr Tusk said, adding coldly "it's not my problem" when asked if British prime minister Theresa May should sack Mr Hunt for his remarks.

Meanwhile, in an apparent reference to Mr Hunt's "Soviet" comment, Ms May's claims she was "insulted" by EU leaders in Salzburg last month and DUP leader Arlene Foster's claims she has "blood red lines" on Brexit, Mr Tusk insisted "emotional arguments... will not lead to anything good".

While saying they "sound attractive" and that as a former party leader he is aware of the internal pressures senior politicians are under, he warned "they do not facilitate agreement".

Although stating the EU wants an amicable deal with Britain, Mr Tusk stressed the EU continues to be fully supportive of Ireland's Brexit position.

However, citing ongoing calls from some British officials for a Canada-style Brexit deal that have privately been labelled unreasonable, Mr Tusk said "from the very beginning the EU offer has not been just a Canada deal but a Canada-plus-plus-plus deal" and that the offer "remains in place".

Mr Tusk said "what needs to be done" now is to "maximise progress by the October European Council".

He added that the EU remains united on "the need to preserve the Northern Ireland peace process" and that "despite the UK governments rejection of the EUs original backstop proposal, we will not give up seeking a workable solution that fully respects the Good Friday Agreement as the integrity of the single market and the customs union".

Noting the comments of recent days, the European Council president said "unacceptable remarks that raise the temperature will achieve nothing except wasting more time".

He added:
Childcare professionals can earn more working in their local supermarket than in their local creche, according to Early Childhood Ireland.

The representative body for 3,800 childcare providers nationwide says chronic under-investment in the sector has caused major staffing challenges which are impacting on the sustainability of services

The organisation held a pre-Budget event in Dublin today with early-years providers from throughout Ireland, as well as the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone and other members of the Oireachtas.

According to Early Childhood Ireland, the average wage in childcare services is 11.93 an hour, with half of early-years staff only getting part-time work.

Nationally, 21.5% of those in employment are working part-time, while the living wage is currently 11.90 an hour.

Staff turnover is also above the national average of 13% as it is 28% in the childcare sector.

Our chair @JillianvT welcomes Minister @KZapponeTD to #ECIMeetMembers. We are delighted to have the Minister join our members this morning! pic.twitter.com/k1E6HSW02R  Early Childhood Ireland (@EarlyChildhdIRL) October 4, 2018

Frances Byrne, Director of Policy and Advocacy with Early Childhood Ireland, said: Despite the incredible commitment of our members, our sector is crippled because of historical, chronic underinvestment.

"Due to the lack of investment over many years, our providers cannot afford to pay competitive salaries or offer job security. The result is that skilled professionals are leaving the sector in their droves. They can earn more working in their local supermarket than in their local childcare service.

The current staffing challenges are compounded by the fact that school-leavers are unlikely to consider a career in childcare. They are aware of the conditions in the sector and know they can get more pay and greater job security elsewhere.

Budget 2019 presents government with an opportunity to continue to address years of chronic under-investment.

Early Childhood Ireland is calling on Government to commit to increasing budget allocation for childcare by a minimum of 250 million  approximately 0.1% of GDP  every year over the next five years.

The failings in our childcare sector have severe knock-on implications for our economy and our society. Without adequate investment, these failings cannot be addressed," she said.

Digital Desk
Update 7.40pm: Missing teen Jade Costello has been found in Tallaght this evening safe and well

Earlier 10.18am: Gardai have appealed for assistance in locating 14-year-old Jade Costello who is missing from her home in Tallaght, Dublin 24 since September 29.
By Patrick Flynn

Gardai are investigating the discovery of a body taken from the sea off Co Clare this afternoon.

The alarm was raised at around 3.45pm by the crew of a passenger ferry that had been touring the Cliffs of Moher.

Gardai and the Irish Coast Guard were alerted and a recovery operation was mounted.

The ferry crew remained at the scene, keeping the body in sight, until the Doolin Coast Guard boat reached the location.

The body was recovered from the water at around 4.30pm and taken to the Coast Guard station at Doolin where Gardai were waiting.

After being formally pronounced dead, the body was removed by hearse to University Hospital Limerick where a post-mortem examination will be carried out.

Its believed the body is that of a woman and may have been in the water for a number of days.

Gardai at Ennistymon are investigating the discovery and are currently trying to identify the remains.

The recovery operation was mounted and coordinated by watch officers at the Irish Coast Guards marine rescue sub centre at Valentia in Kerry.
By Niall Murray, Education Correspondent

Free accommodation is to be provided, along with a 186,000-plus salary, for the president of Irelands first technological university  but the location will only be decided after the person is selected.

The position was advertised last week ahead of the formal establishment of Technological University Dublin in January through the merger of Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and institutes of technology at Blanchardstown and Tallaght.

The use of a two-storey house owned by DIT, next to its Grangegorman campus being developed in the north inner city, was being considered as recently as six weeks ago.

The Irish Examiner understands Kirwan House was flagged as a likely residence for TU Dublins first president when Professor Tom Collins, chair of the three colleges joint governing body, met academic and services staff representatives on August 30.

It was bought as part of last years 9.25m deal in which DIT acquired the adjoining six-floor Park House office development on North Circular Rd.

The 180 sq m Kirwan House in the shadow of Park House is currently let out for office use to commercial tenants and its use as a residence could require a vote of Dublin City Council members because of its current zoning status.

Kirwan House was one option that has been looked at but has not been progressed. It is zoned for commercial use and no application has been made, or approved at any level within DIT, for change of use, said Prof Collins.

He said TU Dublin is committed to an open, competitive process to appoint its first president through the national and international recruitment effort.

The strong advice we have received is that, in terms of attracting a candidate who may be based abroad, accommodation in the Dublin context is a necessary element, he said.

Any revenue or tax requirements arising from this will be borne by the successful candidate. No decision has been made as to where accommodation will be provided as that will be subject to negotiation with the successful candidate.

The Oireachtas public accounts committee was told in May that University College Cork pays 3,000 a month on leased accommodation for its president, Prof Patrick OShea, who started the job on a 185,000 salary last year.

Prof OShea pays tax in respect of the cost as it is treated as a benefit in kind.

Several other universities also provide a residence or cover accommodation costs for their presidents.

DIT told the Higher Education Authority that the purchase of Park House and Kirwan House by DIT was funded by the proceeds from a banking concession.

Around 130 DIT staff were transferred to the office block earlier this year from Rathmines. Parts of the building will be used as interim facilities during the transfer of more than 9,000 students and staff from other citywide campuses to Grangegorman in the next four years.

The formal creation of the new university on January 1 requires the approval of the Dail and Seanad.

They have referred the question for discussion to the Oireachtas education committee, which will discuss the plan with Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell OConnor this afternoon.

Applications for TU Dublins first president close on October 19, with a view to the role being taken up by the successful applicant by next April.
By Fiachra O Cionnaith and Elaine Loughlin

A minister has warned that budget plans to hike Vat rates on hotels, B&Bs, and restaurants to 11% must be scrapped because the move will put tens of thousands of jobs at risk.

Disabilities Minister Finian McGrath hit out at Finance Minister Paschal Donohoes plans for next Tuesdays budget amid growing concerns the row could undermine the Coalitions budget plans.

As revealed in yesterdays Irish Examiner, the Independent Alliances Mr McGrath and Fine Gaels Mr Donohoe clashed during Tuesdays Cabinet meeting over the leaked Government Vat hike initiative.

Cabinet sources said Mr McGrath told the Cabinet meeting that increasing the 9% Vat rate to 11% may screw businesses.

Fine Gael figures have suggested the move could raise 526m in additional tax revenue and claimed the row was bizarre, to say the least, one week out from the budget.

Mr McGrath yesterday confirmed he and the Independent Alliance are entirely opposed to the Vat rise  officially saying it must be scrapped.

In my constituency I have a lot of small businesses, restaurants, small hotels  small hotels that have major concerns around this issue.

The key thing here is this is a scheme that has worked for the last couple of years since the crash in the economy; thousands of jobs have been created  why would you do anything to damage that, asked Mr McGrath.

I totally accept Minister Donohoes view that its a handy 400m to nip and its one tranche of money, but the bottom line is it could affect tens of thousands of jobs.

The issue dominated yesterdays budget meeting between Mr Donohoe and the Independent Alliance quartet of Mr McGrath, Transport Minister Shane Ross, Skills Minister John Halligan, and OPW Minister Kevin Boxer Moran.

It is understood the alliance has been given the green light for its new gambling tax, which will see up to 50m ringfenced for addiction treatments and mental health services.

Mr Donohoe also met with Fianna Fail finance spokesman Michael McGrath and public expenditure spokesman Barry Cowen.

It is believed Fianna Fail is continuing to seek significant increases in affordable housing funding, and greater housing assistance payment supports, while it has demanded the likely 600m health budget is shored up without service cuts.

Although no agreement has yet been made on housing, it is understood Mr Donohoe may be looking at using corporation tax as a partial way to address the health overspend crisis.

Mr Donohoe is still due to finalise budgets for Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy and Health Minister Simon Harris, while sources said initial discussions are still taking place with Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone.

Brexit, Foreign Affairs, and Agriculture budgets are also still being examined.
AMMAN - Jordan signed financing agreements with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE worth more than $2.2 dollars in deposits and loans to help the kingdom cope with its sever financial crisis, Petra news agency said.

The agreement includes depositing over $ 1.2 billion in the central bank as well as loan agreements valued at around one billion dollars. The funding comes as part of the Mecca declaration earlier this year, whereby the three countries pledged support to help Jordan out of its current economic doldrums.

The deals were singed during a visit of finance ministers of the three oil rich gulf countries, who also met king Abdullah following the signing of the deals, said Petra.

Saudi Arabia has pledged a $333.3 million deposit in the central bank as well as a grant of $250 million over the coming five years to be invested in development projects, said Petra.

A total of $500 million will be also deposited by Kuwait in the central bank and an additional $500 million loan over the coming five years, starting as of next year.

The UAE has also pledged $333.3 million as deposit in the central bank and a loan of $250 million as well as guarantees for the central bank worth $200 million, added Petra. The UAE also said it will grant Jordan up to $50 million on projects to revamp schools and health infrastructure.

"The funds are meant to help Jordan face the difficult economic situation that resulted from instability in the kingdom," deputy prime minister Rajai al Moasher.

Earlier this year, Jordan witnessed massive street protests after the government announced a new income tax law as part of IMF guided measures to collect $300 million annually. The king was forced to sack his prime minister and withdraw the law under pressure of protests, prompting the pro-west monarch to seek aid from oil rich gulf nations.

Jordanian officials blame the Syrian crisis for the country's economic woes, but observers point out that deeply infested corruption on the highest level, control of tribes over state resources have largely contributed to the crisis.


By Stephen Maguire

A judge has slammed a man who used his girlfriend as part of a honeytrap to lure and mug a 15-year-old boy.

Thomas Mongan ordered his girlfriend to contact the innocent boy to pretend their relationship was over. He ordered her to tell the teenager they had broken up and that she was single.

When the boy turned up to meet the girl outside a local school in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, he was jumped on by up to four young men, including Mongan.

The terrified teenager was punched in the eye and had his phone, worth 500, stolen by the gang. When the victim ran away, Mongan, of 13 Taobh An Sruthain, Buncrana, shouted after him: The next time youre getting stabbed.

Mongan, now aged 21, pleaded guilty to the attack at Glencar, Letterkenny, on November 23, 2014.

The following month, on December 23, the victim was in the Courtyard Shopping Centre, Letterkenny, when he was again approached by Mongan.

He had heard the boy and his mother had made a complaint to gardai and warned him he would slit his throat if he didnt withdraw his statement.

The defendants solicitor, Patsy Gallagher, told Letterkenny District Court there was a very favourable probation report for Mongan, who was charged with robbery and assault.

He admitted that Mongan was battling an addiction to alcohol and was now living with his grandparents.

He said his client had now compensated the boy for the loss of his phone and had also paid him 500 in compensation for the attack.

He said Mongan is now trying to get on with his life and has the offer of work in Dublin.

The court heard that the injured teenager is from Letterkenny and is currently a student in Galway.

Judge Paul Kelly said he had read the victim impact statement which detailed the physical, financial, and emotional impact the unprovoked attack had on him.

He said he had no option but to treat this case with the severity is deserved.

This was a planned, premeditated, violent assault on an innocent young man, he said. It was a terrifying experience for him.

He sentenced Mongan to four months imprisonment, suspended for one year on his own bond of 250, and warned him to be of good behaviour.
The numbers affected by the tracker mortgage scandal have risen yet again to 38,400, the Central Bank governor Philip Lane will reveal today.

In a devastating attack on the continuing sharp practices in the five domestic banks, Mr Lane will say his examination of the tracker scandal revealed bank executives are behaving in ways which are remnant of the crisis.

Previously, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said he believed the number would level off around 30,000 but the numbers have continued to escalate.

The banks attacked by the governor are AIB, Bank of Ireland, Permanent TSB, Ulster Bank and KBC.

We saw too much focus on short-term and legacy issues, with insufficient attention paid to consumer interests. We discovered some reversion to command and control in leadership styles, he will say.

The five banks which caused the tracker mortgage scandal are still being overly obstructive and legalistic with affected customers, he will tell the Oireachtas Finance Committee, chaired by Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness.

The examination exposed a clear lack of a consumer-centred culture in lenders, he will tell committee members. It is clear that consumer-focused cultures in the banks remain under-developed and will only be embedded successfully if banks work to overcome obstructive patterns of behaviour, he said.

Mr Lane will detail that as a result of the escalating crisis, so far 580m in redress and compensation has been paid by the five domestic banks to affected customers.

As of August 31, lenders have identified circa 38,400 affected customers (including cases resolved pre-examination following Central Bank intervention), and paid 580m in redress and compensation, he will say.

Mr Lane will say that while the numbers involved give a sense of the scale of the examination, statistics cannot give the full picture of the detrimental, and in some cases, devastating effect that the failures of lenders have had on customers, up to and including the loss of homes and properties.

For instance, we found some banks adopted a narrowly legalistic approach in conducting the examination rather than embracing a customer-focused perspective, with some offering initial compensation proposals that fell well short of our expectations.

In terms of the housing crisis, he will say a substantial expansion in supply is required if the high demand to own and rent homes is to be satisfied.

He will also say that of the 66,479 private dwelling home loans in arrears, 28,237 or 42%, have very deep arrears with arrear balances of more than 720 days past due.
By Sean ORiordan

The Department of Defence has not replaced the only psychiatrist working in the Defence Forces Medical Corps since he left the job earlier this year, leaving a void in treatment for soldiers and sailors who are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Some Naval Service personnel have suffered after coming across multiple migrant drownings in the Mediterranean Sea, while soldiers have been traumatised by incidents while serving in Syria and Lebanon.

One soldier told the PDForra annual conference in Castlebar, Co Mayo how he was left traumatised by an incident a couple of years ago in Lebanon.

He said he was in charge of a routine patrol consisting of five other soldiers when their jeep was ambushed by Hezbollah militia.

We were held for six hours. They poured drums of petrol over our vehicle (while we were still inside) and flicked lighters close by. They also slashed the tyres and communications cord, he said.

The soldier added that middle military management ignored the stress he was suffering after the incident.

Nobody asked if I was alright. I wasnt, he said.

PDForra general secretary Gerard Guinan said the lack of such a vital service for members is inexcusable and creates unacceptable risks for people who need urgent intervention and ongoing mental health care.

He said that the vacancy still hadnt been filled even though the psychiatrists departure was well flagged.

Ger Guinan outlines the devastating impact that the loss of the Defence Forces psychiatrist is causing to our members #pdforra18 pic.twitter.com/srzhGDSaqe  pdforra (@pdforra) October 2, 2018

Members of the Defence Forces are expected to serve in extremely testing environments such as on Operation Sophia and Pontus and on overseas missions in Lebanon and Syria, among other locations. Our members can be faced with decisions that no human being should have to make, such as who do I save?

And life and death decisions in respect of tactical deployments overseas. These decisions can give rise to serious internal conflict for years afterwards.

He said the recent Supreme Court case of Victor Murtagh shows the importance of recognising and treating Post Traumatic Stress at an early stage and also points to the obligation on the State to provide appropriate care to personnel under its charge.

Last July the State lost its appeal against a High Court decision that Mr Murtagh, a former soldier, should be awarded damages for a failure to diagnose and treat him for psychological injuries he sustained while in the Lebanon more than 30 years ago.

Mr Guinan said his association, which represents more than 6,000 soldiers, sailors and aircrews, was calling on the Government to ensure that the Medical Corps of the Defence Forces are properly resourced.

PDForra strongly condemns the outsourcing of Defence Forces personnel with mental health difficulties to an already strained public system, Mr Guinan said adding personnel who have given loyal and dedicated service on operations in hazardous environments deserve to have their mental health assessed by a military medical officer who understands the unique stressors imposed by military service and treated accordingly.

Studies show between 6% and 15% of returning military personnel are diagnosed with PTSD immediately or several years after their return from missions abroad.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) says its confident its 140m Cork flood defence project  the largest in the history of the state  will not be affected by a European Court ruling that has stalled delivery of the first phase.

In a statement, the agency said it is aware of the European Court of Justice ruling, which has forced Cork City Council to abandon the Part 8 planning process for its 6m Morrisons Island upgrades, which was to include flood defences, but it is not currently envisaged that any flood relief schemes being progressed by the OPW will be impacted as flood relief schemes are screened for Appropriate Assessment (AA) with a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) being completed if required, it said.

In addition, all flood relief schemes undertaken by the OPW under the Arterial Drainage Acts have an Environmental Impact Assessment report completed as a matter of course. These requirements are in place for the Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme.

It emerged on Tuesday that Cork City Councils controversial Morrisons Island project, which has been designed to integrate flood defences into a public-realm upgrade, will be delayed by at least six months following the European Court ruling on the potential impact of such works on protected habitats.

The council must now prepare a new environmental screening of the scheme and embark on a completely new planning process through An Bord Pleanala. It could be six months before a decision is made.

News of the delay emerged during judicial review proceedings brought by the Save Cork City campaign group against the councils Part 8 planning decision for the scheme.

While the council insists the Part 8 was in full compliance with planning laws when it was signed off in April, it said the court ruling a month later in an Irish wind-farm case, linked to technical environmental reports on the impact of works on protected habitats, could not have been foreseen.

The council said its AA analysis and screening for the Morrisons Island project in March indicated a minimal risk of harmful effects on sensitive habitats several kilometres downstream in the lower harbour and, as a result, a NIS was not considered necessary.

However, the European Courts declaratory judgement said if there is even a potential impact on protected habitats, no matter how small or insignificant, then an NIS must be carried out.

The council said that while the required data was compiled for various other reports as part of the Part 8 planning process, it will take time to prepare it in NIS form.

A spokesman insisted there are no plans to change the design of the scheme, which attracted some 1,500 submissions during public consultation earlier this year.
By Sean ORiordan and Joe Leogue

The association which represents enlisted soldiers here has called for an in-depth investigation into who was responsible for a debacle which has left 119 troops waiting another two weeks before they can fly home to see their loved ones.

The soldiers were due to come home yesterday, having served with the UN in the Golan Heights for the past six months.

However, a paperwork error, which was not the fault of the Defence Forces, seems to be responsible for them being unable to fly out of Lebanon.

Minister with responsibility for defence, Paul Kehoe, said an issue arose unexpectedly with diplomatic clearances last Monday morning.

He maintained every effort was made by the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs to resolve this, but it didnt happen.

I have been in direct contact with our honorary consul in Beirut, Georges Siam, in order to try to resolve the situation, said Mr Kehoe.

He said it is now planned to have the troops home by Tuesday, October 16, with a replacement battalion flying out the day before.

Mr Kehoe said he was acutely aware of the impact that this unfortunate delay is having on both the soldiers and their families.

He said he would give each soldier a 1,000 ex gratia payment in recognition of the disruption caused.

PDForra general secretary Gerard Guinan said they must get answers about why this incident occurred.

It has to be answered and cannot be allowed to happen again, he said, and pointed out that incidents like this are just adding to the disillusionment of poorly paid Defence Forces members.

I have travelled overseas on four separate missions and I can safely say that the last week before your return home is an anxious week for you. You are high with adrenalin because of your return. It is going to be extremely difficult for those troops to get back into mission mode for the next two weeks, said Mr Guinan.

PDForra president Mark Keane said: We need a full and thorough investigation into this. We are led to believe it is an administrative failure. We are waiting to be briefed by the Department (of Defence) officials to address this problem.

The delay drew stinging criticism from Opposition defence spokespersons in the Dail yesterday.

Fianna Fail TD Jack Chambers said he has received emails from devastated families of serving members who are upset at the delay in seeing their loved ones who have already been away for six months.

There is massive dismay and disappointment about the mess in the Department of Defence, and the way in which they handled this process. They didnt follow proper diplomatic protocol, the HR section of the Department of Defence have clearly made a fundamental error in terms of the organisational process around this flight home.

There was mess-up with diplomatic protocol and it is important that there is proper political oversight for that. This wasnt just any average mess-up, it was a clear error from the Department of Defence, he said.

Deputy Aengus OSnodaigh described the situation as a department cock-up, but said the clarity afforded by the new departure date was at least welcome.

Mr Kehoe denied the error was within his departments HR section.
The Oireachtas justice committee is to break new ground when the PSNI conducts a joint briefing with gardai on community policing at the committee next week.

Committee chairman Caoimhghin O Caolain said this was a first for the committee and would form a key part of an examination by the Oireachtas body of community policing.

The Cavan/Monaghan TD said the session would involve a dual focus on community policing, with senior officers from the two groups addressing members and taking part in a questions and answers session.

Assistant Garda commissioner Pat Leahy, the head of community engagement and public safety and police boss of Dublin, as well as Mick Finn, the assistant commissioner for the south-eastern region, are due to address the committee.

Mr O Caolain, a Sinn Fein TD, announced the development during a hearing on community policing which he said would form the substantive body of work for the committee.

Yesterdays session was addressed by Dr Johnny Connolly of the Centre for Crime, Justice, and Victim Studies at the School of Law at the University of Limerick as well as by Bernie Meally of Foroige and Niall Garvey, chief executive of Muintir na Tire.

Dr Connolly, a member of the Policing Commission which published its report a fortnight ago, said community policing is marginalised and undervalued.

He said the commission recommended a new district policing model in which all police service personnel should be considered to be community police.

He said many gardai seem to look down on community policing.

Paraphrasing British Prime Minister Theresa May, he said gardai are not social workers, mental health nurses, or paramedics but rather all of these things. He said other agencies need to become more engaged.

Sinn Fein TD for Cork South Central Donnchadh O Laoghaire said he appreciated the commissions vision for all frontline gardai to be community focused, but stressed the need for a dedicated community policing unit in order to build up relationships and trust locally.

Ms Meally, Foroige south-east manager, said in many communities there is a level of mistrust of gardai but community gardai are the exception to this. She said it is disappointing to see a gradual erosion of community policing.

She said many districts do not have community gardai, resulting in services that are constantly firefighting. She said where community gardai exist, they are often pulled out of community duties for operational needs. Experienced community gardai have retired or moved position and not been replaced.

She said there is a particular skillset in being a community garda or juvenile liaison officer.

She said Foroige has experienced a 28% cut in State funding over the years, with a catastrophic impact on its services.

In reply to a question from senator Frances Black, Ms Meally said up to 50% of youth crime is alcohol-related, including minor assaults, criminal damage, and theft.

Mr Garvey said Garda management need to change the priority they attach to community policing. He said rural areas had been told when stations were being closed that it was better to have more gardai on patrol rather than sitting in a station and that gardai would be available in public buildings at certain times.

This never happened to any great extent, he said.
Businessman Sean Gallagher has said he was hurt that people felt he looked unconvincing in his response to questions about his Fianna Fail links in the controversial Frontline debate in 2011.

He has said the fake tweet in the debate threw him and caused him to doubt his own memory.

Entering into what was the final debate of the 2011 presidential campaign, the election was his to lose.

Three separate weekend opinion polls had given him a double-digit lead over Micheal D Higgins, with about 40% support. His position appeared unassailable.

But he walked out of the studios that night with his campaign in tatters after sensationally admitting he may have collected a 5,000 donation for Fianna Fail from a convicted fuel smuggler in Louth.

Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness revealed that, prior to going on air, he had spoken to a businessman about a 2008 Fianna Fail fundraiser to which Mr Gallagher had been linked.

He said the businessman claimed Mr Gallagher had called to his home to collect a donation after the fundraiser. Mr Gallagher repeatedly denied the accusation at first, before conceding he may have delivered a photograph to the mans home.

The debate moved on to other issues and then took a break.

When it returned, host Pat Kenny said there had been a development  a tweet seemingly from a McGuinness campaign account saying Sinn Fein was going to produce the businessman the next day.

Mr Gallagher, with the benefit of seven years distance, said he allowed himself to be thrown by the introduction of the fake tweet.

The challenge of live TV, having already made the statement and responded and when I said it was not correct, the debate had moved on. Then we had an unprecedented fake tweet from a false Twitter account and that threw me, he says.

I am honest, I have said it was not my finest moment, hands up, and it caused me to doubt my own memory momentarily.

I know lots of people who have told me they were going to vote for me until that moment, but perhaps I looked unconvincing and that is what hurt me, that I looked unconvincing. The next day the moratorium kicked in and it was very difficult to come back from that.

Mr Gallagher last year won a substantial financial settlement from RTE, which also apologised to him, and he says he is happy to close the door on the matter.

I am explaining it rather than complaining about it. I have put this to bed with the six-year case with RTE. I effectively shook hands with them and moved on. I fully accept their apology that they offered before Christmas. I am looking forward and not back, he says.

I met them last week and they reassured me, we have all learned lessons and it is time to move on.

Mr Gallagher insists he will accept the full 325,507 salary if elected to the Aras, saying the setting of the salary level is a matter for the Government.

My view has always been the same, whatever the Government set, and it may be altered, but that is a matter for the Government. The Government sets the salary and that is my view. I also made it clear that I would commit to stay, where possible, in embassies and the accommodation attached to the embassies as the Government is already paying for these in order to save taxpayers money, he says.

Mr Gallagher says that as a Cavan man, he is seeking to run a frugal campaign, but is likely to spend about 300,000.

I am not sure [exactly] but it will be frugal. My campaign team are acutely aware and I remind them daily that I am a Cavan man, I have that genetic DNA make-up that every euro is a prisoner. It will be a community-based campaign. It will be volunteer-led for the most part, we wont be using posters, he says.

When Gavin Duffys spend of 300,000 is raised, Mr Gallagher responds: It will most likely be in that general area [300,000].

He says the money to fund the campaign will come from a mixture of his own savings and small donations from supporters.

Transparency is important. I made a voluntary declaration to SIPO and while it was not required, I thought it was important to lead by example. I intend making an

annual declaration if elected, he says.

Mr Gallagher says he was surprised to learn the 317,000 allowance provided to the president every year was not audited.

He also says that if elected president, he would campaign for a united Ireland and believes it can be achieved within his lifetime.

There is an important piece of work to be done now in relation to Northern Ireland. It is a process, building on what Mary and Martin McAleese did, he says.
There has been a sharp increase in the number of reported burglaries in Cork City in the 12 months to the end of June.

The Central Statistics Office said 628 burglaries were recorded in the citys 13 stations over the period. This is an annual increase of 34% and 159 more burglary offences than over the previous 12-month period.

The upward trend of burglaries in Cork City contrasts with the overall incidence of the crime nationally where burglaries fell by almost 1%.

Large increases in the rate of burglaries were also recorded in the other two Cork garda divisions.

Cork North division which covers towns including Fermoy, Mitchelstown, Midleton, Youghal and Cobh had a 15% increase, up 38 to 291 and Cork West, which includes Bandon, Bantry, Clonakilty and Macroom, was up 27 to 128. That is an annual increase of 27%.

In contrast, the number of recorded burglaries in Co Kerry over the 12 months to June was down almost 1% to 242.

In the entire Garda Southern Region which covers Cork, Kerry and Limerick burglaries were up by 19%. Cork City bucked the national trend in sexual offences with levels up 1% with 190 incidents of rape and sexual assault reported over the period. In the countrys 28 Garda divisions, the overall level of sexual offences rose 10%.

There was a 33% increase in reported sexual offences in Kerry, though from a small base  up 20 to 77. There were small rises in the number of violent assaults and threats on individuals in Cork City and county in the 12 months to June but a 20% increase in such offences in Kerry.

Offences relating to guns, other weapons and explosives jumped 66% in Cork City to 144 incidents.

There were moderate increases in the number of recorded drug offences in all Garda divisions in the southern region where levels were up 5% with the exception of Limerick where drug offences were down 14%.

The CSO said it was continuing to publish crime statistics based on the Gardas Pulse database under reservation.

CSO statistician Olive Loughnane said revisions to the statistics could be expected as work is undertaken to resolve data quality issues.
By Sean ORiordan

PDForra has said it's totally unacceptable that soldiers, sailors and air crews are still not subject to the EU Working Time Directive.

The association won a landmark High Court case last June when its legal team represented a soldier in a case under the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997.

As a result, Susan ODonnell, a member of the army, is to get annual leave she lost in 2015 and receive an ex-gratia sum in compensation.

PDForra has 30 more such cases lined up for court action.

It has had some discussions with the Department of Defence on the issue of the application of the law.

However, PDForra general secretary, Gerard Guinan, said the organisation was tired of the on-going procrastination by the Department of Defence as it relates to the application of the Working Time Directive.

He told delegates attending their annual conference that they were tired of hearing the Minister with responsibility for Defence, Paul Kehoe, tell them the matter is complex and that it is on the legislative agenda.

Truth is, only after PDForra assisted one of its members with a court action did the department agree to discussions on the matter. Our members deserve better, Mr Guinan said.

He said only two meetings had been held between PDForra and Department of Defence officials on implementing the Working Time Directive.

I have seen more of these officials down at the courts than I have at negotiation meetings. My members deserve better than this from the department and the minister. I am aware that a significant number of other claims have been lodged with the courts also. Yet officials, and the minister as late as June of this year, were admonishing Defence Forces members by saying that if they take claims it will delay the process in applying the directive.

What the department is effectively saying is this: The department cant stop breaking the law until you stop pointing it out. It a ridiculous proposition. PDForra (first) brought this claim in 2011. How much more time does the department need?

Mr Guinan said Mr Kehoe needs to get his house in order.

He needs to meet with officials within his department charged with undertaking this work and ask where are we on this? What have you done since we last met? The whole thing seems to be all at sea with no one manning the wheel, Mr Guinan added.

Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mark Mellett said although the Defence Forces retains exemptions in certain operational areas, there is much in the conduct of their daily business which will need to be adjusted in order to comply with the legislation.

It is my intention that such changes should be to the benefit of all Defence Forces personnel, but that this will also bring organisational challenges, the countrys most senior military officer said.

He said the Working Time Directive had to be implemented in a manner that optimises military capability and deliver value to the taxpayer.
ROME - The migrant-rescue vessel Aquarius, operated by NGOs Sos Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders, which has been barred from flying the Panama flag, has arrived in Marseille, where it will attempt to regularize its situation, the two organizations have said. ''We ask European governments - the two NGOs said - to allow us to continue our rescue work by giving us a flag. We are determined to return as soon as possible to international waters in the central Mediterranean''. Meanwhile the Maltese government has said that some of the 58 migrants offloaded from the Aquarius over the past few days, after an agreement among five EU countries, left the country for Spain, which, together with France, Germany and Portugal, offered to host them''.

In the meantime, while the ship has reached the port of Marseille, the petition to 'save the Aquarius and rescue operations at sea' has been signed by over 120,000 people. Sos Mediterranee has urged Europeans to wear on Saturday an orange garment, symbol of the ship and of rescue operations.

Demonstrations have been scheduled across France in cities including Marseille and Paris as well as elsewhere in Europe, including Berlin, Palermo and Brussels.

Over the past four years, according to the NGO, over 15,000 have drowned while attempting to cross the Mediterranean. The Aquarius, the last humanitarian ship to operate in that area, said it rescued 29,523 people, 23% of whom were minors. In an appeal published by Le Monde, several personalities including Daniel Cohn-Bendit, have urged France to allow the Aquarius to fly its flag after Panama's decision to revoke its flag. So far, French President Emmanuel Macron has given no hint in this sense.
Danny Denton is from Passage West, Co Cork. His first novel, The Earlie King & The Kid in Yellow, was published earlier this year with Granta Books. He is among the authors reading at Words by Water, the Kinsale literary festival, Oct 4-7, writes Des ODriscoll

Best recent book youve read:

Red Doc> by Anne Carson.

Best film youve seen recently:

Some Like It Hot.

Best recent exhibition or gig youve seen:

I Can Colour Between The Lines But I Choose Not To was an exhibition in a due-to-be-demolished house in Knocknaheeny as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival. What I loved about it was that it reimagined the home as a place that was capable of dream and memory, and so all these strange arrangements in the house seemed like the houses memory of people.

Best piece of music youve been listening to lately (new or old):

Its getting cold again, and leaves are flipping round the streets now, so its time for Tom Waits (pictured) again. Rain Dogs is my favourite album of his and thatll be on repeat for the next while.

First ever piece of music or literature that really moved you:

Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl. When I was a kid I read it on my own one night in bed, and couldnt sleep until Id finished it. I think I was nine, but Im not sure. I just remember waking out of the last page, around midnight maybe, and thinking that Id been in an alternate universe all evening. An incredible reading experience.

Favourite book of all time (if you had to pick one):

Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban. I have two favourites, but this week Riddley is no. 1. Its the post-apocalyptic kind of testament (a new mythology too) of a 12-year old boy who runs around Canterbury getting in all sorts of trouble. Its also written in a made-up language, a sort of dialect, which you learn as you read.

Tell us about your TV viewing:

We dont own a TV, so are reliant on things like Netflix, projected from the laptop. Twin Peaks is my all-time favourite show, and it is re-watched regularly. We always have some box set or other on the go, but 90% of my moving picture viewing is sports.

Radio listening and/or podcasts:

John Kellys Mystery Train is on every night, no matter whose turn it is to cook.

Youre curating your dream literary festival  which three writers are on the bill, living or dead?

Mary Shelly, David Foster Wallace and Dermot Healy.

Your best celebrity encounter:

Buying a drink for a notoriously reclusive Ukrainian poet named Oleh Lysheha, at Cuirt in Galway about eleven years ago, and him giving me a Ukrainian postcard in return. His sister had persuaded him to come out of the Ukrainian woods where he lived for this reading and this reading only. Apparently. I dont speak Ukrainian.

You can portal back to any period of human cultural history or music event  where, when, and why?

Id shoot for pre-history. Id want to be standing next to the first woman or man to do one of those cave paintings of animals, just to see the creative urge in its first human moments.

Do you have any interesting ancestors or family?

My cousin is Katie Kim, an incredible Irish musical artist. Were all very very proud of her, and humbled by her talent.

Unsung hero  individual, organisation or group you think dont get the profile/praise they deserve:

Im in awe of people who work to support societys most vulnerable. The Cork Traveller Womens Network and the Traveller Visibility Group do brilliant work. Cork Penny Dinners are amazing, and Simon too.

You are queen/king for a day  whats your first decree?

First decree in three parts: a) Everybody  no matter where theyre from  is to be treated equally, at all times; b) Open all borders; c) A home is a human right.
Rebecca Dalys latest film is one of the highlights of the IndieCork festival, writes Colette Sheridan

The classic stranger come to town trope sums up Irish director, Rebecca Dalys third feature film, Good Favour, which will be screened at Indie Cork. Set in the middle of Europe, it concerns a young man who turns up in a devoutly Christian village.

The inhabitants of the village are from different European countries and have come together because they are suspicious of the wider world and its temptations and want to live separately in a very godly fashion, says the Cork-based Dubliner.

This closed community is based on the structure of communities such as the Hutterites in North America and the Mennonites in Latin America. Living in the middle of woodland in a small village, a young man appears there one day with no memory of where he came from. He is welcomed by the community in keeping with its Christian ethos. The young man slowly reveals himself while the community has secrets of its own that are unravelled.

The film, shot in Belgium, is a co-production with actors from Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany. Daly, who is the co-writer (along with Glenn Montgomery) and director of the film, explains that Good Favour was at script stage before they went to a producer.

On this film, theres an Irish producer, a Belgian one, a Danish and Dutch one. It is financed by those four countries from film funds that might be regional or national, with tax breaks.

Daly says she doesnt know what the overall budget for the film was but in keeping with independent European films, its relatively modest. Like any job, you get paid for the job you do on the film.

If there is a profit, it is distributed to various parties, like maybe the actors or heads of departments such as the director, writer, producer.

Dalys previous features are The Other Side of Sleep and Mammal, the latter starring Rachel Griffiths and Barry Keoghan. Is Daly ever tempted to make more commercial films?

For me, its all about the stories. The story dictates the style of the film. Im not thinking too much about how commercial something is or isnt. Its interesting to see the kind of films that do make a mark. Sometimes, it can be unpredictable. Often, when people try to predict (how a film will be received) they get it wrong.

IndieCork organisers: Back row: Laragh Mooney, Arthur Leahy. Front - Mick Hannigan, Eileen Hogan, Una Feely, Tony Langlois

A graduate of theatre studies and English literature at Trinity College Dublin, Daly completed an MA in film at the Dublin Institute of Technology. She says she admires the work of such directors as Lynn Ramsay, Michael Haneke and Paolo Sorentino.

The #MeToo movement, calling out abuse and sexual harassment in the movie industry, is not something to which Daly has had recourse.

I havent experienced anything abusive. It appears that women have had bad experiences, being abused and mistreated. I think its perfectly valid for them to speak up about it. I can understand why for so long, people didnt speak up about these powerful men.

Daly is currently working on another feature film. While its too early to talk about it, she says its an American story and will probably be shot in the US.

As part of its efforts to encourage women in film to direct, Indie Cork is introducing an award for Emerging Irish Female Directors.

Festival organiser Mick Hannigan says there is an issue to be addressed which is why women who have the capacity to take on the major producer role are not taking on the lead creative role.

Only about 15% of Irish film submissions to IndieCork this year were by Irish female directors.

However, 36% of Irish shorts being screened at the festival are directed by women, an increase on previous years.

Good Favour will be screened on Tuesday, October 9, at the Gate Cinema at 9.15pm, and will go on general release in November

IndieCork highlights (Oct 7-14)

Smuggling Hendrix , from Cyprus, is the opening film on Sunday at the Gate Cinema. Winner of the Best International Feature Award at this years Tribeca Film Festival, this droll comedy features a beloved dog who runs across a border, creating mayhem.

Daughter of Mine , from Italy, is the closing film on October 14 at the Gate Cinema. Nominated for the Golden Bear at this years Berlin Film Festival, it portrays a young girl in Sardinia torn between her birth mother, a chaotic young woman, and the doting mother who has raised her and given her a secure life. The rural landscape of Sardinia plays an important role in this film.

The Reports on Sarah and Saleem , from Palestine, is at the Gate Cinema on October 11. Winner of two major awards this year at Rotterdam Film Festival, this political thriller follows an adulterous couple caught in the quagmire of contemporary Israel. Sarah runs a cafe in West Jerusalem and is married to an Israeli colonel. Saleem is from East Jerusalem and deliveries to bakeries in the West.

The Urban October Programme at the Gate Cinema on October 14 comprises new short Irish documentaries which document Irish lives and ways. They include a film about an elderly woman cheerfully contemplating death to young people describing how they came out as lesbian or gay. Theres a film about the work of Corks Penny Dinners, and the story of a man who established an animal sanctuary in West Cork.

The work of experimental Austrian film director, Johann Lurf , will be screened at the Gate Cinema on October 8. Lurf cant easily be subsumed into any one category. His films examine various modes (both human and technologically-aided) of vision and motion. Lurf will be a guest of the festival and will introduce his new ambitious experimental film, featuring the galaxy of night stars in the sky, as well as some of his short films, four of which are 3D.

www.indiecork.com
Connacht will be without prop Dominic Robertson-McCoy for six weeks after he was last night banned for stamping on Leinsters Josh van der Flier in last Saturdays PRO14 clash at the Sportsgrounds.

The 24-year-old New Zealander was sent off a minute after coming on as a replacement for tighthead Finlay Bealham.

Robertson-McCoy apologised afterwards for his stamp on the neck of the Irish international.

A PRO14 disciplinary panel took his remorse into account when making their decision last night.

A statement said: The Disciplinary Panel, comprising Kathrine Mackie (chair), Beth Dickens and Robert Milligan QC, (all Scotland), considered all the circumstances.

The player admitted committing an act of foul play by stamping on the neck and conceded that the referees decision to issue a red card was not wrong. The panel determined that the act of foul play warranted a top end entry point of 12 weeks.

The Panel also considered the players previous clean disciplinary record, his early and full acknowledgement of his actions and the remorse he expressed and concluded that full mitigation of 50 per cent should be applied.

As a result, the player has been banned for a period of six weeks. He is free to play from midnight Sunday, November 18.
A Democratic takeover of the Senate as well as the House of Representatives, would see life for Donald Trump become far more difficult, writes Elizabeth Drew

This isnt a good time to be Donald J Trump. Granted, its been a while since it was, but this is the grimmest period of his presidency thus far.

And Trump is showing it. Aides have been struggling to muzzle him  not physically, but everything short of that. And, as could have been predicted, they have not been fully effective.

Responsible journalists report that Trump White House aides (who are notoriously sieve-like) say the US president feels alone and cornered.

Feeling lonely should not be surprising, as Trump is not one for close friendships. He has proven time and again that for him, loyalty is a one-way street. Virtually no one who works for him can feel secure. Probably no one but his daughter Ivanka is safe from the terminal wrath that eventually pushes so many associates out the door.

Trumps normal self-pity has intensified lately. He continues to moan about US attorney general Jeff Sessions having recused himself from the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

But Trump has worse problems. His former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, has not only been convicted on eight counts of fraud and tax evasion, but, fulfilling Trumps worst fear, he has also decided to co-operate with Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the Russia probe and investigating Trumps effort to block the inquiry into whether his campaign (and even administration) conspired with the Kremlin.

Its clear that the relentless Mueller pressured Manafort into co-operating to avoid a second costly trial.

Trump had dropped hints that he would pardon Manafort, but he was advised  and for once, he listened  that to do so before Novembers midterm congressional elections would be catastrophic for the Republicans and therefore him.

Manafort apparently calculated that he could neither bet on a pardon later  what if Trump himself was in serious legal danger by then?  nor afford another trial. His plea deal with Mueller strips him of most of his properties and tens of millions of dollars, but he was willing to accept huge financial losses to avoid the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.

Aside from having his potential prison sentence reduced (to an unknown amount), Manafort also wanted an arrangement that would keep his family safe. After all, he would be giving Muellers prosecutors the goods on some Russian oligarchs close to President Vladimir Putin  folks who are not particularly gentle towards people who betray them.

Making matters worse, Trumps long-time attorney, Michael Cohen, has also agreed to co-operate with prosecutors. Cohen knows a great deal about Trumps previous business practices and has revealed that he arranged to pay women with whom Trump had sex (though he hasnt admitted it) for their silence before the presidential election. This, too, has put Trump in legal jeopardy.

And now the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, Trumps selection to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, is hanging by the slimmest of threads and could be withdrawn at any moment pending the conclusion of an FBI investigation.

Kavanaugh was a risky choice all along. Drawn from a list of other highly conservative possible nominees provided to the president by the right-wing Federalist Society, Kavanaugh stood apart for his extraordinary views about presidential power.

Kavanaugh has written that he believed that a US president cannot be investigated or prosecuted while he is in office.

This view that a president is above the law is unique (so far as is known) among serious legal scholars. Its appeal to Trump is obvious. Moreover, Kavanaughs views are far to the right on other issues as well, and in his confirmation hearings he expressed them with no doubt.

On other matters, including abortion rights, he was slippery in his responses, and there is credible evidence that he lied to the Senate judiciary committee on other matters.

But almost all of the Republicans on the committee were prepared to push his nomination through quickly: Though he was an unpopular choice, he had the support of the Republican base, including much of the Christian right.

This core support remained firm even after Christine Blasey Ford, a professor in California, came forward and alleged that a drunken Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when they were in high school.

Republican leaders were desperate to get Kavanaugh confirmed before the midterms, lest their voters stay home out of disappointment and even anger if he wasnt confirmed  in which case their worst nightmare, a Democratic takeover of the Senate as well as the House of Representatives, could come true.

That was the situation when reports emerged about two other women alleging sexual misbehaviour on Kavanaughs part, though their stories was less well grounded, at least at first.

Adding to the turmoil was the publication of Bob Woodwards latest book, Fear, which (like previous books on Trump, but to a greater extent and with more depth) offers a devastating portrait of a dysfunctional White House. In particular, the book  together with an anonymous New York Times op-ed by a senior administration official  showed how far aides would go to keep an incurious, ignorant, and paranoid president from impulsively doing something disastrous.

A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll issued on September 23 found Democrats leading Republicans for election to the House by 12 percentage points, an extraordinary differential.

And it is looking increasingly possible that the Democrats could also retake control of the Senate. Trump had hoped not to be an issue in these races, but that outcome was inescapable. The Republicans had little else to run on.

Even if the Democrats take only the House, life for Trump will become far more complicated, owing to the raft of investigations that the new majority would be certain to launch, and possible impeachment proceedings. Were the Democrats also to take the Senate, Trump could be in terminal trouble. But then he may be anyway.

Elizabeth Drew is a contributing editor at The New Republic and the author of Washington Journal: Reporting Watergate and Richard Nixons Downfall.
The repercussions from the explosive testimonies at the Senate judiciary committee last week will be felt in the US for years to come, according to Helen Coster

Judge Brett Kavanaughs confirmation to the US Supreme Court is in question due to allegations of sexual assault made by Dr Christine Blasey Ford, a psychology professor and high school acquaintance of Kavanaughs.

Last Friday, Senate Republicans agreed to delay the vote by one week in order to make time for an FBI investigation into Fords claims.

Amy Steigerwalt, a Georgia State University political science professor whose research focuses on the federal judicial selection process, as well as the influences on courts operations and decision-making, spoke with Reuters Helen Coster about the politicisation of the confirmation process, why the US Supreme Court isnt as partisan as its made out to be, and why women who seem aggressive or combative are still penalised.

US Chief Justice John Roberts once compared the role of judges to that of umpires  applying the rules, not making them. Yet the Supreme Court is often portrayed as partisan. Is that an accurate description?

The reality is that the court is unanimous  seriously, all of the justices agree  about 50% of the time. As colleagues and I detail in our book, The Puzzle of Unanimity, theres quite a lot of cases where the rules and law are clear and all of the available evidence points towards a single, legal answer.

In those cases, which we argue reflect a high level of legal certainty as to the correct legal answer, unanimity and consensus are much more likely.

Where we start to see divisions and partisanship/ideology appearing is in those cases where the law is simply less clear  where the statute or constitutional provision is ambiguous, or precedent is confusing, or where a new question has arisen due to changes in society, etc.

So, there will always be political decision-making, and courts will always make policy. What can be done is to ensure those who sit on the court are willing to keep an open mind  that they do not suggest that certain parties to cases should be favoured, or certain interest groups or certain arguments.

What do you make of the politicisation of the confirmation process itself, and what do you expect to be the fallout from the past few weeks?

What weve seen recently is a much more hyper-partisan process, and one where the underlying procedures that help ensure a fair (even if political) process have truly been abandoned.

And that started before last week: Theres never been a hearing for a US Supreme Court nominee before the National Archives have finished collecting their records, theres never been an instance where a US Supreme Court nominee was denied even a hearing before the US judiciary committee, or where documents were blocked from senators without a bipartisan process, and so on.

The judiciary committee was long known for its bipartisan nature  there was little enmity on it, senators served together well, and a lot of the squabbles were really happening on the floor, rather than in the committee.

The past few years have changed that, and the hearings this past week were quite surprising in terms of the open animosity members were expressing for other members on the committee.

I think what will be difficult is returning to past procedures. That said, I also think the developments last Friday afternoon of delaying for a week for an FBI investigation were a (small) step towards trying to restore that sense of collective action.

Do you think the partisanship Kavanaugh displayed at last Thursdays hearing would have been considered disqualifying in previous eras?

Yes. As an academic, Im not normally that blunt, but what I was struck most by was the blatantly partisan tone of his opening testimony.

He did not simply deny the accusations, or even express concern about being the target of such accusations, but rather launched a very direct attack against the Democratic members of the committee.

He mentioned Democrats or the left 11 times in his opening testimony; for comparison, Clarence Thomas did so zero times in his hearings.

In the past few years, members of the House and Senate have brought cases to the US Supreme Court, as well as many of the people and groups Kavanaugh was pointing to.

What happens if one of these individuals or groups brings a case before him? Is the retribution that he hints at, when he notes that as we all know in the United States political system of the early 2000s, what goes around comes around, going to be on display?

That is a really unsettling thought and one that is usually immediately disqualifying for someone nominated to any level of the federal judiciary.

After the Senate confirmed Clarence Thomas by the narrowest margin ever, female voters helped usher in the Year of the Woman. Kavanaughs confirmation hearing is the first of the #MeToo era. Can you frame it in that context?

The Clarence Thomas hearings were a fairly stark reminder of the paucity of women in the Senate  at the time, not a single member of the judiciary committee was female, and only two women served in the Senate. (There were also no members of colour.)

For many people the hearings also reflected the status of women, not only in the political arena but also society: the sight of 14 white men questioning a woman, and a woman of colour, about experiences they would simply never be on the receiving end of and thus had no real way to process or understand.

The result of the 1992 Year of the Woman was to triple the number of female senators from two to six, which led to the first woman ever to serve on the judiciary committee, Dianne Feinstein, the now-ranking member. This years elections are on track to increase the number of women in the House and Senate once again.

In the context of #MeToo, one thing that is notable is the number of female candidates, and currently serving legislators, who are willing to note their own stories of harassment and assault.

What came across at these hearings was the realisation that there has never, in over 150-plus years, been a female Republican on the judiciary committee (nor, a member of colour). That in part led the Republican members to hire an outside, female counsel to question Ford. Thus, once again, people saw the visual of a panel of men casting judgment on a female and, visually, doing so silently in judgment.

Whats also notable is that we saw members of the media  female and male  as well as private citizens recounting their own stories. And weve seen quite a lot of public discussion thats not simply an airing of whats happened to women (and men), but also of #WhyIDidntReport, with heart-wrenching stories of why people did not report sexual assault or, perhaps worse, how they were shamed or disbelieved or ostracised or ignored when they did.

The US Congress beginning in January 2019 will have more female members than ever before. I would not be surprised to finally see a female Republican seated on the judiciary committee, nor more attention paid to the issues #MeToo, #WhyIDidntReport, and the Kavanaugh hearings have brought out.

You have written extensively about the unique challenges facing female politicians. Many people have observed that if a woman were to carry herself the way Kavanaugh did  emotional, combative  she would have lost credibility. What do you think?

The research in this area is fairly stark  women are penalised much more than men for being seen as aggressive or combative. Also notable was not simply the lack of combativeness on the part of Ford, but also the degree to which she went out of her way to be helpful and also to apologise throughout the hearing for when she could not remember something or misunderstood a question.

As we detail in Gendered Vulnerability, female candidates and elected officials continue to contend with very gendered presentations in the media  more discussions of their clothes or their demeanour  as well as with gendered perceptions held by voters and colleagues alike.

The way in which Kavanaugh responded to questions by senator Amy Klobuchar was noted by many, in part because it appeared to suggest she was not worthy of the respect reserved for her male counterparts. Thats something women in politics, and throughout society, encounter often.

Helen Coster is a senior editor at Reuters and a former senior writer at Forbes magazine. @hcoster
AS we approach the presidential election, it is worth noting that there are many thousands of Irish citizens denied the right to vote, for no other reason than they live and work outside the country.

The right to exercise a franchise that Irish men and women died for is fundamental, yet it is one denied to tens of thousands of our fellow citizens, who form the Irish diaspora.

Their plight was brought to the attention of the European Parliament in Strasbourg yesterday, where MEPs are this week discussing voting rights in the EU.

According to Dublin MEP Brian Hayes, Ireland is one of the worst EU member states, in terms of extending voting rights to its citizens abroad.

Malta is the only other EU member state with similar rules to Ireland, while citizens of the UK, Cyprus, Denmark, and Germany lose the right to vote when they live abroad for an extended period.

The failure of successive governments to recognise the rights of the diaspora has led to some bizarre situations. For instance, over 2,000 Irish citizens who work for the EU in Brussels have no vote in an Irish general election, as they are not resident in Ireland, nor are they entitled to vote in the Belgian election, as they are not domiciled in Belgium.

Unless changes are made, after Brexit more than 300,000 Irish citizens in Britain will lose their right to vote in European elections. Irish law prevents them from having a postal vote.

This neglect of our citizens abroad is odd, considering that diaspora engagement is a core element of Irish foreign policy. In March, 2015 the Department of Foreign Affairs published Global Irish: Irelands Diaspora Policy, the first comprehensive articulation of the Irish Governments policy in relation to the nations exiled children, in the famous words of the 1916 Proclamation.

The vision put forward by the department is of a government policy that supports, engages, and encourages a vibrant, diverse global Irish community, connected to Ireland and to each other.

The policy is more than fine words, as the departments Emigrant Support Programme has awarded almost 200m, since 2004, to Irish community organisations.

Yet, despite this engagement and assistance, there are still no voting rights for the Irish abroad. It is not as if there isnt support for it. In 2013, delegates at the Constitutional Convention voted overwhelmingly to support the right of overseas citizens to vote in presidential elections.

A survey by the Irish Times showed high levels of support among recent Irish emigrants for emigrant voting rights. The survey, which interviewed Irish nationals who emigrated after 2008, found that 62% of respondents think they should be able to vote for the president, 63% in general elections, 61% in referendums, and 53% in Seanad elections.

There was also support, two years ago, from former taoiseach Enda Kenny, who promised a referendum on the issue. It never happened. The time is long past to change that.
ANSAmed - Today's events in the Mediterranean

(ANSAmed) - ROME, OCTOBER 4 - These are the main events scheduled in the Euro-Mediterranean area for today: MAZARA DEL VALLO - 7th edition of Blue Sea Land, the expo of agro-fishery clusters of the Mediterranean, Africa and the Middle East (until 7/10).



TIRANA - EU, visit of European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Vera Jourova (also 5/10).



BRUSSELS - NATO, Defence ministers meeting.



STRASBOURG - European Parliament, plenary session.



ROME - The exhibition 'The poetics between abstraction and figuration', contemporary art in Madrid in the post-war years, continues at the Cervantes Institute (until January 12).



MADRID - The exhibition 'The Map and the Territory' begins at the Reina Sofia Museum, the first monographic exhibition in Spain dedicated to Luigi Ghirri's photographs (until January 7 2019).



ABU DHABI - The exhibition 'Japanese Connections: the Birth of Modern Decor', continues at the Louvre in Abu Dhabi and includes a series of paintings and etchings from the XIX and XX centuries that highlight the dialogue between the East and the West (until November 24).(ANSAmed).




Burma Fifth Airline Launches Flights Between Mandalay and Guangzhou

A 9 Air aircraft at Mandalay International Airport on October 2, 2018. / Myat Pyae Phyo / The Irrawaddy

MANDALAYThe launch of Chinese airline 9 Airs direct flight between Mandalay and Chinas Guangzhou on Tuesday brings the number of airlines flying directly between Mandalay and China to five, said Assistant General Manager U Nyan Tun Oo of the governments Civil Aviation Department.

Apart from Myanmar Airways International, all other airlines are Chinese, namely China Eastern, Sichuan, Donghai and 9 Air.

Travelers from the mainland are very interested in Mandalay, which is home to a big jade and amber market, so we have chosen Mandalay as our first international destination, said Ji Guangping, president of the Guangzhou-based low-cost airline at an event to celebrate the launching of the inaugural flight at Mandalay International Airport on Tuesday.

Regular flights will be operated using 180-seater planes every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and the travel time is around 1 hour and 40 minutes.

The airline expects to expand its operations in November with a new route between the commercial capital Yangon and Guangzhou.

Around 3,500 foreigners arrive and depart from Mandalay International Airport daily, and most of them are Chinese tourists, according to the Mandalay Region Directorate of Hotels and Tourism.

The number of travelers between China and Mandalay is high and we expect to see more trips and more travelers in the future, said Takahashi, director of MC-Jalux Airport Services, the operator of Mandalay Airport.

Ten international airlines and four domestic airlines are currently operating at Mandalay International Airport.

On Monday, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism introduced visa relaxations for Asian travelers to Myanmar, giving visa fee exemptions to travelers from Japan, South Korea, Macao and Hong Kong and visa-on-arrival allowances for Chinese travelers who enter through international airports.
Burma Government Building More Model Villages to House Rohingya Returnees

An ethnic Arakanese woman walks by a newly built model village in northern Rakhines Maungdaw Township early this year. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy

YANGONTo house Rohingya refugees expected to return from Bangladesh, the Myanmar government this month began building 12 additional model villages in strife-ridden northern Rakhines Maungdaw Township.

In August last year, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), also known as Al-Yaqin (faith movement), staged coordinated attacks against several dozen government border outposts. The series of attacks prompted the Myanmar Army to launch a security clearance operation that caused nearly 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar district, which has become home to the worlds largest refugee camp.

The UN said the Armys clearance operations had genocidal intent and called for the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw), Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, to be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court for his role in the handling of the Rohingya crisis. The EU recently imposed targeted sanctions against a number of Tatmadaw generals and is currently considering imposing trade sanctions on Myanmar over the crisis.

To facilitate the return of hundreds of thousands of refugees, the Myanmar and Bangladesh governments signed repatriation agreements in early 2018, but not a single refugee has entered Maungdaw through official channels so far. Meanwhile, government ministers keep saying they are ready to accept the refugees. Government representatives including Union Minister U Kyaw Tint Swe and Social Welfare Minister Dr. Win Myat Aye reiterated this position at the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York.

Rohingya rights defenders including Prof. Waka Uddin of Pennsylvania State University, who serves as the director general of the Arakan Rohingya Union (ARU), have claimed in interviews with several news outlets that the government has failed to prepare facilities for the return of the refugees.

According to Maungdaw District administrative official U Ye Htoo, local authorities are working on two projects: building modest houses for the refugees under the supervision of the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine (UEHRD); and a new model village plan, which is still in progress.

He said that under the management of UEHRD, structures are being built in 19 locations, some of which are earmarked for ethnic Arakanese people. He declined to elaborate on specific numbers of houses being built for Rohingya and non-Muslim groups. At the moment, U Ye Htoo said, the government has 12 prioritized sites and each village will include a market, school, public park and clinic.

While the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government has been implementing resettlement step-by-step on the ground, Arakanese nationalists and politicians have demanded that the Muslim and Rakhine communities be segregated, with southern Maungdaw being declared a Muslim-free zone. According to U Ye Htoo, authorities will restore the Muslim communities in both northern and southern Maungdaw.

He explained that northern Maungdaw has more room for people to live in than the south. Its unclear whether the affected areas would contain the same population balances as existed before the 2017 crisis. The refugees will initially be housed at refugee reception camps like Hla Phoe Khaung and Taung Pyo, before being transported to the model villages.

Meanwhile, two UN human rights and development agencies conducted initial assessments of 23 villages in the middle of September. Officials declined to provide details about the assessments, but said the agencies would report the results to the government as agreed in a memorandum of understanding.

A United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) communications official confirmed the existence of the survey via email on Wednesday. She said initial assessments had been done in 26 locations chosen by the government in the 23 villages. The site officials met with people and carried out consultations focused on understanding the needs on the ground and also to identify possibilities to work with the government to improve the life of all communities who have been affected, she said.

A UN press official declined to disclose the exact number of Rohingya and non-Muslim villages mentioned in the identified locations. Nor did she discuss the physical arrangements being made by local authorities on the ground.

She wrote in an email: UNHCR and UNDP are in the process of analyzing the data gathered for the assessment, however it remains too premature to draw any conclusions as of yet.

According to her, the UN agencies plan to start a second round of assessments in new areas soon. They also plan to implement some projects recommended to them by members of the conflict-affected communities during the UN officials first assessment trips to the area.
Burma Govt Seeks Investors for Economic Zones on Chinese Border

Trucks are parked at a checkpoint in Muse, Shan State, on the Myanmar-China border. Watermelons, melons and many other commodities are exported to China through the checkpoint daily. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

YANGONThe Ministry of Commerce will invite local investors to back economic cooperation zones on the China-Myanmar border in Shan and Kachin states as part of Beijings ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The invitation to local investors will be done in a transparent manner, the ministrys assistant secretary, U Khin Maung Lwin, told The Irrawaddy.

We expect to conclude our final discussions with China regarding the exact locations very soon. After that we will invite local investors, U Khin Maung Lwin said.

According to Kachin State Chief Minister U Khet Aung, Myanmar in July approved three economic cooperation zones on the Myanmar-China border. The zones are in Kanpiketi town, in Kachin States Special Region 1 (currently under the control of the New Democratic Army-Kachin militia, a border guard force allied with the Myanmar military; Chinshwehaw, in Shan States Laukkai Township (part of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone); and in Shan States Muse Township.

U Khin Maung Lwin said the discussions are ongoing and that China has the right to give final approval for the locations.

Each economic cooperation zone will include a taxation center, trade procedure office and currency exchange center, he added.

The two countries plan to construct industrial zones near the economic cooperation zones. The industrial zones will house trade and processing areas, small and medium-sized industrial facilities, a trade logistics center and a quality packing center, according to the ministry.

According to Union Minister of Commerce U Than Myint, the government also plans to build a repackaging factory for agricultural products bound for export to China.

The zones would create local jobs, boost small and medium-sized businesses and support the peace process by promoting stability, he said.

China and Myanmar have signed five memorandums of understanding (MoUs) since 2017, agreeing among other things to build the economic cooperation zones on the border. The plan to build the zones was agreed by the two countries respective commerce ministries during a visit by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to Beijing to attend a forum on the BRI.

In July, after U Than Myint returned from a trip to China, the ministry convened the first meeting of the Economic Cooperation Zones Central Committee in Naypyitaw. Myanmars team was headed by U Than Myint, with the chief ministers of Kachin and Shan states and the president of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone serving as his deputies. During the meeting, the minister pushed team members to start the projects as soon as possible.

During the ministers trip to China, Chinese officials said the zones would not only boost border trade, but also help bring peace and stability to Myanmars restive regions.

Last month, Beijing and Naypyitaw signed an MoU on the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, a part of the BRI. The corridor will reach from Yunnan Province to Mandalay in central Myanmar, from where it will stretch south to Yangon and west to the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone in Rakhine State.

Launched in 2013, the BRI is Chinese President Xi Jinpings signature foreign policy project. It aims to build and expand roads, rail lines and shipping lanes linking at least 70 countries from China to Europe through central Asia, the Middle East and Russia to boost trade and investment.

Under the MoUs, the two governments have agreed to collaborate in many sectors including infrastructure, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, finance, human resource development, telecommunications, and research and science.
Burma Myanmar Military Shuts Down Chinese-Contracted $500M High-Rise Project

Site clearing underway at the Myayeik Nyo project in February. / YKRST

YANGON  The Myanmar military shut down a Chinese-contracted US$500 million high-rise project after the developer breached the memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides.

The Myayeik Nyo high-rise project on more than 13 acres of land in Yangon owned by the military was slated to have 12 buildings with heights ranging from 382 to 412 feet built by the Zaykabar Company. The company chairman U Khin Shwe said the project, scheduled for completion in 2020, was a landmark investment for Yangon and would feature both hotel space and serviced apartments. The project contractor was the China State Construction Engineering Corporation.

On Wednesday, the military announced during a press conference that it had informed the developer since May not to carry out construction-related work, as the project was terminated.

The announcement came more than a week after Hunan Province Vice Governor He Baoxiang and a delegation visited the site late last month and the company suddenly changed the project name to Yangon New World Project. During the visit, U Khin Shwe said 40 percent of the investment was to come from Zaykabar while 60 percent was from the Chinese company.

U Moe Min Win, the secretary of the Yangon Cantonment Board, which manages military-owned land in the city, said Zaykabar Company didnt follow the agreement signed in January 2014 with the Quartermasters Office.

He explained that in spite of its agreement with the military to pay the land use premium five times in two years in different amounts in order to meet the total US$41.328 million, the developer had only made two payments.

Even with all of our repeated warnings, they still have not finished the payments, U Moe Min Win said.

Apart from the payment failure, the secretary added that the developer had demolished two heritage buildings on the project site, a breach to the memorandum of understanding that only allowed soil tests rather than site clearing upon the second payment toward the land use premium. He added that no foreign investment for the project was allowed yet.

We havent signed a build-operate-transfer agreement yet but the company already built a project-related building on the site. So, we informed them that we have rejected their actions to date and they are no longer allowed to develop land owned by the military, U Moe Min Wi added.

U Khin Shwe was not available for comment on Wednesday evening.

Apart from breaching the agreement, the Myayeik Nyo high-rise project was a source of public concern since the beginning. The site clearing early this year sparked public fears that the construction would collapse the 92-year-old reservoir nearby. At the press conference on Wednesday, the Cantonment Board secretary said the military had mentioned that it was aware of the publics concerns.

U Khin Shwes Zaykabar Co. Ltd. is one of Myanmars largest construction companies. His daughter is married to the son of U Shwe Mann, the third most influential person in the former military regime but now an important ally of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leading the military to reportedly see him as a turncoat.
News EU Considers Trade Sanctions on Myanmar Over Rohingya Crisis

A garment factory in Yangon. / The Irrawaddy

BRUSSELS  The European Union is considering trade sanctions on Myanmar over the Rohingya crisis, potentially stripping the country of tariff-free access to the worlds largest trading bloc, three EU officials said.

The sanctions, under discussion at the European Commission, would include Myanmars lucrative textile industry and potentially put at risk thousands of jobs there but would not come into effect immediately, giving the EU leverage to stop what the West says is ethnic cleansing of Muslim Rohingya.

Even by triggering a six-month review process on whether to impose trade sanctions, which could be reversed if Myanmar met humanitarian and democratic targets, the bloc would mark a significant shift in policy.

The impetus for the move was a UN report in August that accused Myanmars military of carrying out killings of Rohingya with genocidal intent. That, and the rare US step of putting sanctions on two entire military units, have put an onus on the European Union to act, officials said.

We are concerned about the impact on the population from our potential measures, but we cannot ignore a UN report describing the military campaign as genocide, said one EU official of the debate within the European Commission, the EU executive responsible for the blocs trade policy.

Until now, the EU has imposed travel bans and asset freezes on several members of the Myanmar military, but has shied away from slapping sanctions on Myanmars commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who the United Nations said should be prosecuted along with five others for genocide and crimes against humanity.

Myanmar has rejected the UN findings as one-sided. It says military action which followed militant attacks on security forces in August last year was a legitimate counterinsurgency operation.

Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay did not answer telephone calls seeking comment on the possible EU move on Wednesday. He said last month he would no longer speak to the media over the phone, only at a biweekly conference.

EU officials believe the formal threat of losing tariff-free access would quickly hit foreign investment in the apparel industry, where European manufacturers take advantage of relatively low labor costs in Myanmar.

Removing this duty-free access is a measure of last resort, but we must act if other measures are not delivering, said one EU official involved in the discussions.

In light of the deteriorating situation on the ground, the Commission is currently assessing possible ways of escalating its political and economic response, a Commission source said.

European firms sourcing apparel from Myanmar include retailers Adidas, C&A, H&M, Inditex, Next and Primark.

Rights groups say the targeted EU sanctions so far have not forced the military or civilian leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to protect civilians, resettle refugees or stop attacks on press freedoms that have included the imprisonment of two Reuters reporters for breaching a law on state secrets.

The European Parliament last month called for the Commission to review Myanmars trade preferences.

Sixth-largest trade partner

Within the Commission there are differences, with the EU Trade Chief Cecilia Malmstrom leaning towards starting the process of imposing trade sanctions while the EUs top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, is more cautious because of EU policy to avoid economic sanctions that can hurt ordinary citizens, the officials said.

Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has yet to take a position, they said. A Commission spokesman declined to comment.

Myanmars exports to the European Union were worth 1.56 billion euros ($1.81 billion) in 2017, nearly 10 times their value in 2012, after which the bloc gave Myanmar Everything But Arms trade status.

That status means it can sell any goods tariff-free to the bloc, except weapons. The EU is Myanmars sixth-largest trading partner and an important source of foreign direct investment.

Mynamars clothing industry is its top export earner after oil and gas, generating more than $2 billion in exports and 450,000 jobs last year, according to the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association.

Trade sanctions would end an economic opening granted to support Myanmars transition to democracy after Daw Aung San Suu Kyi emerged from 15 years of house arrest under military rule and led her party to take both the Parliament and the presidency.

One more limited option for the EU could be to exempt textiles, an official said, but given the size of the sector, that would significantly reduce the impact of EU sanctions. Clothing and footwear are worth more than three-quarters of Myanmars exports to the bloc.

Both the United States and the European Union want to spur economic development to underpin democracy and diminish Chinas influence. Crushing the economy with trade sanctions could allow China to dominate Myanmar, officials said.

Washington imposed sanctions on four military and police commanders and two army units in August. New sanctions are under consideration for half a dozen other individuals and at least two military-run businesses, US officials have said.

A US State Department report released last week accused Myanmars military of waging a well-planned and coordinated campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Rohingya, but stopped short of calling it genocide or crimes against humanity.

Senior State Department officials told Reuters, however, that those findings could be used to justify further targeted US sanctions or other punitive measures.

There appears to be little US appetite, though, for re-imposing broad economic sanctions lifted by former President Barack Obama as the country shifted from decades of direct military rule toward a democratic transition.

Some European companies have already cut business with Myanmar, with Cartier stopping purchasing gemstones from the country on Dec. 8, citing abuses against the Rohingya.
News India, in a First, Sends Seven Rohingya for Deportation to Myanmar

Rohingya women stand on the debris of their houses after a fire broke out in their camp in New Delhi, India, May 15, 2018. / Reuters

GUWAHATI  Indian police bused seven Rohingya Muslims to the border on Wednesday to be deported to neighboring Myanmar for illegal entry, officials and activists said, the first such move against the community.

An estimated 40,000 Rohingya, a largely stateless Muslim minority, live in India after having fled violence and persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmars Rakhine State over the years. The seven men being sent back had been held in prison since 2012 for illegal entry.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist government has described illegal Rohingya immigrants as posing a national security threat, and ordered state governments last year to identify and deport them.

Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, additional director general of police in the northeastern state of Assam, said that the seven men would be handed over to Myanmar authorities on Thursday.

This is a routine procedure, we deport all illegal foreigners, Mahanta said.

But a UN human rights official said the forcible return of the Rohingya was a violation of international law.

The Indian government has an international legal obligation to fully acknowledge the institutionalized discrimination, persecution, hate and gross human rights violations these people have faced in their country of origin and provide them the necessary protection, the UNs Special Rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume, said in a statement.

An official at the UN refugee agency said conditions in Rakhine were not conducive for the safe, dignified and sustainable return of the Rohingya.

More than 700,000 Rohingya, according to UN agencies, have escaped Rakhine to neighboring Bangladesh over the past year, bringing accounts of mass killings, arson, and rapes by the Myanmar army.

UN officials described the Myanmar militarys action as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar has denied the charges, saying its military launched a counter-insurgency operation after attacks on security forces by Rohingya militants in August last year.

Many continue to flee, saying conditions in Rakhine are no better than last year.

Indias move comes as its top court hears a case filed against the government order calling for the deportation of the Rohingya.

Cheryl Dsouza, a lawyer for the petitioners, said it was important that such deportations arent allowed to happen under the cover of darkness.

Many more Rohingya may share this fate.

Nearly 200 Rohingya are known to be detained in India on charges of illegal entry, according to the UN.

Myanmars government spokesman, Zaw Htay, did not answer telephone calls on Wednesday from Reuters seeking comment on the handover of the men. Last month, he said he would no longer speak to the media over the phone but only at a biweekly conference.

The Supreme Court in New Delhi has agreed to hear the matter of the seven Rohingya on Thursday, Dsouza said.
News Suu Kyi, Military Chief, EAO Leaders to Sit Down Together This Month

Representatives from the government, Parliament, Myanmar Army, political parties, and ethnic armed groups attend the second session of the 21st Century Panglong Union Peace Conference in Naypyitaw in May last year. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and selected leaders of the countrys ethnic armed organizations will meet this month to discuss ways of resolving the deadlocks that have left the peace process stalled, an official from one of the EAOs said.

Saw Mra Yazar Lin, a peace negotiator for the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the government had proposed a date of Oct. 15 for the meeting, but discussions with the EAOs to finalize the date were ongoing.

She was not authorized to disclose the location of the meeting.

At the meeting, we will mainly discuss how we can find a solution to resolve the deadlock facing the peace process, she said.

To find a solution, it is important to bring together decision-makers at the meeting, she said. These included people with the authority to make political decisions on behalf of the Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw), the government and the EAOs, she said.

This will be first time that leaders of the three main stakeholding groups in the peace processthe government, the military, and the EAOswill sit at one table since the countrys peace process was launched in 2011 under then-President Thein Sein. The meeting was proposed by the EAOs to the government last month.

The EAOs have proposed 12 points of discussion, while the government has at least four points to discuss at the meeting, she said.

One issue on the agenda is the Tatmadaws insistence that EAOs promise not seek to secede from the Union. Another will be how the Myanmar Army can share power with EAOs, given that the country can have only one army. Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said at the third session of the 21st Century Union Peace Conference earlier this year that the peace process will be complete by 2020. The EAOs intend to ask him how this can be achieved.

The EAOs also want to discuss how the Myanmar Army and government plan to allow self-determination in their respective regions. They will also discuss proposed amendments to the military-drafted 2008 Constitution.

Our ethnic leaders will engage in the discussions at the meeting based on a future federal system [for Myanmar], she said, referring to the political system that EAOs have already proposed for the countrys future.

The EAO leaders will meet in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Oct. 11 to decide who will meet with the Army chief and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Ten EAOs have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). At least another 10 with strong armed forces, included the United Wa State Army, have not signed and are closely observing the current peace process between the NCA signatories and the government.

The Myanmar Army did not allow EAO leaders to discuss political issues at the third session of the Union Peace Conference earlier this year because the ethnic leaders refused to promise never to seek secession from the Union. According to the ethnic leaders, this is the main reason for the deadlock in the peace process.

Ethnic leaders say the current political system in the country is not a genuine democracy, and their people still do not have equal rights. Therefore, they continue to stand together in their refusal to disavow secession as a right.

The EAO leaders said the Army should reconsider this policy, because peace negotiations cannot move forward otherwise.
Guest Column Trust Building  The Only Solution to Trust Deficit Disorder

South Korean President Moon Jae-in makes a toast with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a luncheon at Samjiyon Guesthouse in Ryanggang province, North Korea, on Sept. 20, 2018. / Reuters

It seems fair to say that the world has an oversupply of problems but in short supply of solutions. Under the circumstances, it came as no surprise when the UN secretary-general portrayed the current global state of affairs as a trust deficit disorder. But it is no time to despair. Every cloud has a silver lining. Recent developments on the Korean peninsula provide a glimpse of hope.

Key to recent remarkable achievements on the Korean peninsula are the Korean governments tireless efforts to build trust. Trust building and winning hearts are defining factors of the Korean governments peace initiative and its new diplomatic initiative  namely, the New Southern Policy. The policy is about collaborating to strengthen peace and shared prosperity in the region in a way that benefits the people. I laid out why our policies will have a far-reaching impacts around the region and beyond at the recent National Day reception that was help, for the first time, in Naypyitaw on Thursday.

The leaders of South Korea and North Korea sealed another significant deal, the Pyongyang Joint Declaration, at their 3rd summit meeting during on Sept. 18-20. What makes this summit particularly remarkable is that, by agreeing on a set of confidence-building measures in the military domain, it effectively makes our dream of creating a Korean peninsula free of any fear of war come true. A new chapter in our efforts to forge a permanent and sustainable peace has begun. As the world applauded, the most important driving force was the relentless effort of President Moon Jae-in to build trust at the highest level. Tectonic shifts on the Korean peninsula can also inspire Myanmar as it galvanizes collective strength to move its peace process forward.

It is not just peace that strikes a cord between our two countries. As demonstrated in Hanoi during the World Economic Forum on ASEAN, Korea and Myanmar work hard to shape the future path in the age of the 4th industrial revolution. Koreas New Southern Policy provides a timely platform, in this regard, to create a win-win partnership. Particularly, Myanmars mid- and longer-term economic strategy, the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan, is well placed to yield mutually beneficial effects.

As Korea aims to expand its trade volume with ASEAN to $200 billion and the volume of mutual visitors to 15 million by 2020, next year will be another important turning point in our journey. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Republic of Korea-ASEAN dialogue partnership, our government will host a special summit in 2019. It will in turn provide an important momentum in trust building in the relationship between Korea and Myanmar.

Lee Sang-hwa is the Republic of Koreas ambassador to Myanmar.
ANSAmed - Tomorrow's events in the Mediterranean

(ANSAmed) - ROME, OCTOBER 4 - These are the main events scheduled in the Euro-Mediterranean area for tomorrow: FERRARA - XII International Journalism Festival, sponsored by Italian newsweekly Internazionale (until 7/10).



BRUSSELS - EU, informal meeting of trade ministers. MAZARA DEL VALLO - The 7th edition of Blue Sea Land, the expo of agro-fishery clusters of the Mediterranean, Africa and the Middle East, continues (until 7/10).



TIRANA - EU, visit of European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Vera Jourova.



ROME - The exhibition 'The poetics between abstraction and figuration', contemporary art in Madrid in the post-war years, continues at the Cervantes Institute (until January 12).



MADRID - The exhibition 'The Map and the Territory' begins at the Reina Sofia Museum, the first monographic exhibition in Spain dedicated to Luigi Ghirri's photographs (until January 7 2019).



ABU DHABI - The exhibition 'Japanese Connections: the Birth of Modern Decor', continues at the Louvre in Abu Dhabi and includes a series of paintings and etchings from the XIX and XX centuries that highlight the dialogue between the East and the West (until November 24).(ANSAmed).




Thursday, October 4th, 2018 (10:51 am) - Score 1,914

Trouble seems to be brewing in Maldon after councillors on the District Councils Finance Committee were said to have voted unanimously to ask the full council to scrap its deal for helping to fund the roll-out of superfast broadband with Essex County Council, which would have contributed 45,000 to the effort.

At present the primary state aid fuelled Superfast Essex scheme, which is supported by Openreach (BT), Gigaclear and the Governments Broadband Delivery UK programme, is working to extend superfast broadband (24Mbps+) coverage to around 97% of the county by December 2019 (currently 93%+). After that the project also hopes to get as close to 100% coverage as possible by 2021.

However Maldon alone has been trailing behind and the district councils Finance Committee recently reported that only 81.5% of the area now has access to a superfast broadband network (official data from August 2018), although this is up from just 38% of premises in 2013.

As part of the 45,000 Phase 2a roll-out deal (due to be paid over three years for the duration of the contract), which was agreed in May 2016, Maldon should see coverage rise to 92% and most of that will be via Openreachs up to 80Mbps capable Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) technology.

Sadly councillors on the Finance Committee appear to have grown frustrated with both the progress and the use of public money. According to the Maldon Standard, the committee has now proposed to scrap the deal and thus renege on a long established agreement.

The reasoning for all this seems to vary. For example, Council Leader Adrian Fluker thinks that BT will roll this out whether they have our money or not (i.e. shifting investment responsibility back to Essex council). Meanwhile the Heybridge East representative, Bryan Harker, suggested that if you live out in the sticks that is a lifestyle choice and taxpayers money should not be spent (hard luck if you were born there!). Not forgetting that a fair few of those in the final 15-20% of premises do not live out in the sticks (i.e. its not only an issue for remote rural areas).

Harker also noted that in Heybridge they were promised 24Mbps but in your dreams  there is only 15Mbps where I am. It is smoke and mirrors, which seems more likely to be a reflection of that age old confusion between total raw FTTC network coverage and the different reach of superfast speeds within that network. Some areas covered by FTTC do receive sub-24Mbps but this is often improved via later phases, while the superfast % coverage figures from BDUK only represent those areas that are actually estimated to receive 24Mbps+ (i.e. sub-24Mbps FTTC coverage is excluded).

Kevin Bentley, Essex County Hall Infrastructure Boss, said: I am hugely disappointed to hear that the committee is recommending a proposal to withdraw Maldon District Councils funding contribution from the Superfast Essex programme. Five other districts in Essex are contributing considerable funds towards additional local coverage and have received match funding from Government as a result which has doubled the benefit for their residents and businesses. If Maldon District Council does decide to withdraw these funds it would be pulling out of a firm agreement which was made two years ago. This will force Essex County Council to cut back the planned rollout of superfast broadband in Maldon district which will be a real shame for residents and businesses in this part of the county.

After a bit of digging we managed to unearth the related agenda document for the aforementioned meeting of the Finance Committee (here), which adds the following context. The originally proposed solution is also rather different from what has now reportedly been voted through.

Finance Committee Conclusion While coverage levels in Maldon District are currently at 81.5%, according to Superfast Essex figures, reports received from businesses indicate that expected broadband speeds may not be experienced in the field. We are more likely to hear from dissatisfied businesses, so these views may not be representative, but we are aware of a number of potential reasons for the perception that delivery of broadband in rural areas is not meeting expectations. Firstly, coverage figures provided by Superfast Essex do not guarantee that full speeds are being experienced across the area technically covered. Superfast broadband is provided by FTTC technology with fibre optic cables to specific points (cabinets, colloquially referred to as green boxes). Connections from cabinets to homes and businesses are provided by conventional copper wires. Broadband speeds drop significantly when transmitted over copper wire and the effect is magnified over greater distances. The cabinets also have a maximum capacity, so not all customers may be connected if the demand outstrips the available supply. Finally, the customers have to opt in to the faster broadband service and this may be provided at additional cost, so not all customers take up the available faster service. Subject to the provision of the funding agreement by Essex County Council, and based on the resolution of the Council, MDC should therefore conclude an agreement with Superfast Essex in the form of a bilateral funding agreement to cover the delivery of Phase 2a in Maldon District with payment on meeting suitable delivery targets.

Its worth noting that across the UK only around 4% of Openreachs FTTC (VDSL2) based fibre broadband street cabinets are full to capacity and those issues are usually (so we are told) resolved within the space of a few weeks or months. Sadly a few areas may have to wait a lot longer but thats rare (e.g. if much more expensive and complicated civil engineering work is required).

The issue of variable FTTC speeds is one weve touched on earlier, although as above the official estimates for superfast coverage do take into account the technologys shortcomings and predicted reach vs performance. Mind you even those estimates have limits and theres no accounting for external issues, such as poor home wiring or slow WiFi, which can also affect the end-users experience.

A final decision is due to be voted on in November 2018, at the next full council meeting in Maldon.
American software giant Microsoft appears likely to bid for the contract to run the 2021 Australian national census, reliable sources have told iTWire.

Of interest will be how the company, if it does obtain the contract, satisfies the requirement of Australian law which stipulates that all census data must remain within the country's borders.

Microsoft gained Protected cloud status from the Australian Signals Directorate in April for its Office 365 and Azure services. Questions were raised about the certification after the ASD issued a consumer guide containing a number of fiats about the services.

At that time, there were exceptions made for the company's staff outside Australia to administer any system holding Australian data, but not to actually access the data. Whether such an exemption will be made this time as well remains to be seen.

The sources said that Microsoft representatives had attended a recent industry briefing for the census. Bids are said to be due by the end of this month.

The 2016 census was run by IBM which satisfied the requirement to hold data locally by having its local arm run the show. The census that year ended in a fiasco when the website for submitting data went down on the night of the count.

The site was taken offline on 9 August 2016 at about 7.30pm, with claims that a distributed denial of service was to blame. No proof has ever been offered to back up this claim.

The sources said that it was unclear whether Microsoft would try to run the whole census on its own or whether it would provide the cloud services and do it in collaboration with some other technology firm.

The Redmond giant is part of the group that will be involved in the next US census in 2020; the contract has been won by Hortonworks and, apart from Microsoft providing cloud services, Amazon and IBM will be involved too.

In the event that Microsoft does win the contract, it will mark a further step for the company into offering Federal Government services, apart from product sales.

It is set to provide cloud services for the trial of the Federal Government's Govpass ID solution this month, after the Digital Transformation Agency, the government agency that will oversee implementation of the ID solution, announced in August that it had adopted the company's Azure service as its cloud solution.

The 2016 census ultimately turned messy for IBM and ended up with accusations flying back forth between the company and its partners, Nextgen and Vocus Communications, of having been responsible for the stuff-up. IBM paid a fine for the mess-up, but the quantum is unknown.

iTWire contacted Microsoft for comment on Wednesday. The company has not yet responded.
South Australias successful medical tech pipeline program is going national, with the establishment of a sister organisation in Victoria planned for next year.

The Medical Device Partnering Program began at Flinders University in Adelaide a decade ago and now LaunchVic, the State Government agency charged with growing the Victorian start-up ecosystem, has launched the Victorian MDPP with $2 million funding over two years.

Commercial products to be developed with assistance from MDPP include Re-Timer glasses to help combat jetlag and sleep disturbances and Austofixs Ezy-Aim Electronic Digital Targeting System to help surgeons more accurately insert rods to repair broken legs.

National MDPP director and founder, Flinders University College of Science and Engineering Dean (Research) Professor Karen Reynolds, said the important step towards national expansion would deliver significant benefits not only to South Australia and Victoria, but would also add impetus to medical technology research in Australia as a whole.

In the past decade, the MDPP at Flinders University has created a streamlined model for early-stage medtech development," she said.

This exciting, strategic expansion reinforces the strong foundation of expertise that has been established in South Australia.

A wonderful way to mark our tenth anniversary, the establishment of our sister entity adds critical mass to our efforts and is an important step in delivering benefits to the sector in Australia more broadly.

The Victorian MDPP partnership is led by Swinburne University of Technology and brings together CSIRO, The University of Melbourne, Monash University, RMIT University, Australian National Fabrication Facility and BioMedical Research Victoria.

Professor Sally McArthur, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Swinburne and CSIRO Research + Science Leader in Biomedical Manufacturing, has been appointed as regional director of MDPP in Victoria.

The MDPP will soon begin recruitment for the Victorian-based team, with an official opening anticipated in early 2019.

The national expansion of the MDPP has been supported by MTP Connect and the Growth Centres Initiative, with workshops held over the past 12 months in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, as well as in Singapore.
Free Software Foundation chairman Richard Stallman has described the Commons Clause licence as "ill-named" because it is a non-free licence that does not provide the four freedoms mandated by the FSF.

Stallman was responding to queries from iTWire about the Commons Clause licence, which surfaced earlier this year.

The company behind it, Fossa.io, was contacted by iTWire on Monday after hearing that some changes were contemplated in the licence which has received no support from any of the organisations that judge whether a licence is an open-source one or not.

But the company, which is led by one Kevin Wang, has not responded.

Freedom 0: The freedom to run the program for any purpose;

Freedom 1: The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you wish;

Freedom 2: The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbour; and

Freedom 3: The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements (and modified versions in general) to the public, so that the whole community benefits.

The four freedoms that Stallman referred to are:

The licence devised by Stallman, the GNU General Public Licence  the Linux kernel is released under version 2.0 of this licence  offers all these four freedoms.

Said Stallman: "That businesses must have the same software freedoms as individuals is a decision I made based on compelling reasons. I don't consider businesses fundamentally important, as people are.

"But we want computer manufacturers to ship their computers with the GNU operating system; therefore, if a program does not allow commercial redistribution, we can't accept it into the GNU system. It makes no sense to call a program 'free' if its legal restrictions prevent including it in a free operating system."

The Commons Clause licence prevents anyone from selling software. It is specifically aimed at companies like Amazon which make use of software but pay nothing for it.

One company, Redis Labs, which produces an open-source in-memory database, has adopted the Commons Clause; enterprise modules that add functionality to the base program are now only available for a fee.

One of the main backers of Commons Clause, is a venture capitalist named Salil Deshpande who wrote about it, claiming that it stops "open-source abuse".

He defined it this way: "What Commons Clause prevents is the running of a commercial service with somebody elses open-source software in the manner that cloud infrastructure providers do."

But no licence that qualifies as a free software licence or an open-source one places any such limitations on an application.

Stallman said: "A developer cannot apply the 'Commons Clause' on top of the GNU GPL version 3 or GNU AGPL version 3, because those allow only a specific limited set of added requirements. If a program comes with any other added requirement, you are free to strip it off, as stated in section 7."

What has added to the confusion is the use of the word "Commons" which evokes thoughts of the Creative Commons Licence. Some of the Redis modules are now claimed to be "Apache 2.0 modified with Commons Clause", which again is confusing because all licences from the Apache Software Foundation qualify as open source licences.

Neither Deshpande nor Wang have any history with free software or open source software. The Commons Clause licence has been drafted by respected open-source lawyer Heather Meeker. iTWire understands that she does not back the licence.
Australia and the United Kingdom have blamed the Russian Government's intelligence arm, the GRU, for a number of cyber attacks between 2015 and 2017.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement on Thursday that while Australia did not suffer any significant impact from these attacks, they "caused significant, indiscriminate harm to civilian infrastructure and resulted in millions of dollars in economic damage, including in Russia".

In a similar statement, the British National Cyber Security Centre said it had identified a number of attacks as being by the GRU.

"These attacks have been conducted in flagrant violation of international law, have affected citizens in a large number of countries, including Russia, and have cost national economies millions of pounds," the NCSC said.

It said attacks described by various security firms as being carried out by APT 28, Fancy Bear, Sofacy, Pawnstorm, Sednit, CyberCaliphate, Cyber Berkut, Voodoo Bear, BlackEnergy Actors, STRONTIUM, Tsar Team and Sandworm were all attributable to the GRU.

Morrison claimed four specific attacks had been carried out by the GRU:
The Australian Space Agency has signed a statement of strategic intent with Sitael Australia, a designer and manufacturer of satellites, in a move aimed at enhancing the competitiveness and capability of Australias space industry.

The strategic agreement with Sitael Australia, a subsidiary of Sitael S.p.A, the largest privately-owned space company in Italy, follows the current Australian Governments commitment of $41 million to establish the Australian Space Agency, and its investing of more than $260 million to grow Australias space satellite infrastructure.

The agreement is part of the Coalitions investment of about $2.4 billion to grow Australias space sector, and research, science and technology capabilities.

Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews welcomed the signing, which occurred during the International Astronautical Congress in Bremen, Germany this week.

This signing will further drive Australias position in the global space race and assist in growing our share of the worlds space economy, estimated to be worth around US$345 billion, Andrews said.

The statement of strategic intent is confirmation of Sitaels support of Australias capability for developing small satellites, investment in operations, ground stations and R&D.

The Coalition Government established the Australian Space Agency to grow our space sector, helping to create more Australian jobs and inspiring the next generation of the workforce.

Australian Space Agency head Dr Megan Clark said Sitael was committed to the Australian space industry and the broader use of space across a wide range of sectors of the economy.

We support Sitaels investment in cutting edge research and development," she said.

This initiative aims to solve communications challenges that will provide enhanced connectivity, navigation improvements and monitoring of our country and its resources.

Sitael chief executive Nicola Zaccheo said the companys strategic purpose to design, build and test small satellites would help increase the capacity of the Australian space sector.

Sitael is proud to be part of the growing space ecosystem in Australia, delivering growth and jobs in advanced manufacturing and innovation in cutting edge space technology development.

Sitael Australia opened a new branch in Adelaide in June, becoming one of the leading local companies in the design and manufacture of satellites of up to 300kg.
David Thomas: Large Australian brands are using WeChat, it is time for Australian SMEs to do the same."

The head of an organisation that promotes business co-operation between small and medium enterprises in China and Australia has urged local businesses to include the Chinese app WeChat in their social media mix.

David Thomas, founder and president of the Australia China SME Association, told iTWire that an overwhelming number of Chinese people used WeChat for digital transactions and expected to be able to do the same when they came to Australia as tourists.

According to figures that iTWire reported, there were 889 million WeChat users in China as of August 2017. The app offers what Facebook, WhatsApp, Tinder, Paypal and Slack together do. There are 500 million who use mobile payments.

Thomas, who runs Think Global Consulting, an organisation that facilitates business and investment partnerships between developed and emerging markets, particularly in China, claimed that WeChat now had a billion monthly active users.

The number of people in Australia using social media is growing. Around 70% of Australians are active social media users, Thomas said. Seven in ten businesses in Australia use at least one form of social media platform and yet only a small portion use WeChat."

Data from Sensis shows that 47% of small businesses, 49% of medium-sized businesses and 60% of big businesses have a social media presence.

Thomas said Australian businesses should awake to the fact their country was located in Asia and realise that to maximise business opportunities, they would have to adopt practices which were common in the region.

The Chinese account for a large component of retail spend in Australia," he said. "Our country enjoys strong tourism activity from China."

He said about 1.2 million Chinese tourists visited Australia every year and spent an average of $8300 while in the country. "This is the highest spend of any visiting nationality. In addition, there are also at least 185,000 Chinese students studying here every year.

The latest data tells us that there are some three million WeChat users in Australia and nearly 40% of these are non-native Chinese speaking.

Clearly WeChat is growing in use and if Australian businesses want to ensure their brand and products achieve full reach across the market space and capture the spending dollars of visitors, as well as those living in Australia who use the app, they need to include WeChat in their marketing mix.

Thomas said Australian businesses, particularly SMEs, could not afford to ignore WeChat. "It is a key tool in reaching Chinese and other consumers in Australia  especially consumers willing to spend money on luxury and authentic Australian brands."

He said one did not need to speak Chinese to use WeChat. "Most users consume content in English as well as Chinese, and there is a reliable translate button which instantly converts Chinese characters into readable English," Thomas said.

Large Australian brands are using WeChat, it is time for Australian SMEs to do the same," he added.
Google's plan to launch a censored search engine in China has attracted attention from the US Government, with Vice-President Mike Pence calling on the company to drop the plan.

In a speech that took aim at China on Thursday, Pence said the Dragonfly project  first reported by The Intercept  would speed up efforts by Beijing to impose more censorship on its citizens.

The Wall Street Journal quoted Pence as telling the Hudson Institute, a conservative Washington think-tank: "Google should immediately end development of the Dragonfly app that will strengthen Communist Party censorship and compromise the privacy of Chinese customers."

The news about the China plan broke on 1 August. Subsequently, there have been reports about internal unrest among Google employees over the project, which is codenamed Dragonfly.

A letter about the "urgent moral and ethical issues" surrounding the project was sent around inside the company.

There have also been reports that managers at the company were trying to shut down access to any material connected to the project.

Another report said that engineers had used search queries from a Chinese Web directory service owned by Google to develop blacklists for the censored search engine.

The WSJ quoted a Google spokeswoman as refusing to comment on Pence's speech and referring the newspaper to a previous statement issued by the company which claimed work on a China search engine was "exploratory" and that Google was not close to launching a search product in China".

The Dragonfly project is said to have started after Google chief executive Sundar Pichai held discussions with Wang Huning, a senior figure in the Chinese Communist Party, in December 2017. Work was begun during the Western spring of 2017 and was fast-tracked after the Pichai-Huning meeting.

After the meeting with Huning, Google decided to open an artificial intelligence research centre in Beijing. In May 2018, a Google file management app was released for Chinese Internet users. And in July, Google released a Guess The Sketch game on WeChat, the main Chinese messaging and social media platform.

Programmers created a customised Android search app with different versions known as Maotai and Longfei and these had been demonstrated to Chinese government authorities.

Since The Intercept's first report, Google has made no public statement about the project, though it has been asked for a statement on more than a dozen occasions.

The final version of the app is expected to be launched in the next six to nine months, provided approval is granted by Beijing.

Google had a censored search engine operating in China from 2006 to 2010, but quit the country after its servers were hacked.
ROME - The president of the Catalan Generalitat, Quim Torra, has written to US President Donald Trump and Pope Francis, asking them to mediate for a new referendum on ''Catalonia's self-determination''. The letter, published by El Periodico and cited by other Spanish media, was addressed on September 26 to Premier Pedro Sanchez, with a copy sent to Trump and the pontiff, to the governments of the European Union and to the presidents of China, Ukraine and Kosovo.

In the letter, Torra asks Sanchez to authorize his government to open a mediation ''without preconditions'' and assures the Catalan party ''will not focus on reaching immediate independence''.

Two days ago, after the letter was sent, Torra sent Sanchez an ultimatum, claiming that, if the executive will not present before November a ''concrete'' proposal for the ''right to self-determination'', or a new referendum, separatist parties will not ensure the stability of the central government.


You remember Chromebooks, dont you? Theyre the small, inexpensive notebooks that were supposed to seriously eat into Microsofts market share by showing the world that you dont need a big operating system to get big work done  just a lightweight one to get you internet access. Devices you could buy for less than the price of a piece of software. Hardware that would finally prove to the world that theres no need for Microsoft Office and other big, client-based software  a free copy of Google Docs would do.

Things didnt quite turn out that way. Windows laptops are thriving, and Chromebooks are rarely used in enterprises. Microsoft Office still rules the office suite world. Microsoft has no need to worry  right?

Well, not quite. There are signs that Chromebooks are a bigger long-term threat to Microsoft than you might imagine. A shift from Windows laptops to Chromebooks wont come overnight, or even in the next few years. But over the long term, theyll likely be a serious competitor.

The reason? Chromebooks sell big in education. Theyve unseated the Mac in schools. Two years ago, for the first time, Chromebooks outsold Macs in schools. Schools are a great market for Google, but Chromebooks are also Trojan horses. Children and teens use them for schoolwork and more. And when they get Chromebooks, they also get free subscriptions to Googles G suite of apps. If kids grow up using G Suite and Chromebooks, theres a reasonable chance theyll use them when they get older.

Where I live, in Cambridge, Mass., the public Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School gives out free Chromebooks to every one of the more than 2,000 teens in the school, in a bid to close the digital divide between families who can afford to buy computers for their children and those who cant. Gina Roughton, assistant director of educational technology for Cambridge Public Schools, says Chromebooks were chosen rather than PCs or Macs because theyre an amazing device in terms of a tech perspective. They boot up in seven seconds, so theres no loss of instructional time. And the obvious is that they are on the Google environment and weve been a Google for Education school district for seven years now, so its our preferred use for online collaboration and productivity tools.

Cambridge isnt unique. According to a 2017 article in The New York Times, More than half the nations primary- and secondary-school students  more than 30 million children  use Google education apps like Gmail and Docs.  And Chromebooks, Google-powered laptops that initially struggled to find a purpose, are now a powerhouse in Americas schools. Today they account for more than half the mobile devices shipped to schools.

But wait, you might say. The Mac was popular in schools for years, and that didnt help Apple make serious inroads into Microsofts stranglehold in businesses. Thats true. But this time things are different, for three reasons. One is price. Macs are more expensive than PCs, while Chromebooks are far less expensive. That makes it more likely that people will buy Chromebooks for their own computers, and that enterprises will follow suit.

Second, enterprises now are much more likely to follow users lead on technology in this BYOD age.

In addition, theres G Suite. Apple never had an office suite that could compete with Microsoft Office. Once students get used to Googles office suite, theyll be more likely to use it after they graduate.

The Times article put it this way: Google makes $30 per device by selling management services for the millions of Chromebooks that ship to schools. But by habituating students to its offerings at a young age, Google obtains something much more valuable.

When students graduate, Google makes it easy for them to move all their mail and documents from their school accounts to their personal accounts. And schools sometimes even act as inadvertent salespeople for Google. The Times reports that some schools tell graduating seniors to move all their documents from their school to their personal accounts. The newspaper wrote, Chatfield Senior High School in Littleton, Colo., sent out a notice urging seniors to make sure they convert their school account to a personal Gmail account.

A Reuters article adds, Young adult workers who used Gmail and Google Docs growing up are natural business adopters. Mark Sami, vice president at the consulting firm SPR, which installs Microsoft software for businesses, told Reuters, Theres people who have gone through their entire college career with G Suite.

The upshot of all this? Windows hardware continues to rule in enterprises. But Chromebooks may one day prove a serious competitor, as students make their way into the workforce.
IWU/ISU Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter Receives State Farm Grant

Oct. 4, 2018

Student volunteers stand in front of the finished framework of a house.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.  Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State Universitys Joint Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter is one of 20 groups selected to receive a grant from State Farm. The IWU/ISU Campus Chapter has been awarded $10,000 and must raise a matching amount.

Both collegiate groups are extremely eager to make progress on this symbolic 25th build, representing a longstanding commitment to the betterment of our community, said Illinois Wesleyan student chapter leader Ryan Ozelie 19 (Sayner, Wisconsin). Illinois State chapter co-president Jade Surface explained, The grant will help us to construct a house with a family in our community.

A Habitat campus chapter is a student-led, student-initiated organization on a high school or college campus that partners with the local Habitats to build, fundraise, advocate and educate to support the work of Habitat for Humanity. The IWU/ISU Campus Chapter has partnered with McLean Countys Habitat for Humanity since 1995 and will use the funds to build a new home alongside the Yetimbi family, including work on every aspect of the project, such as framing, siding, drywall, insulation, painting and landscaping.

We are proud that our funding is helping to engage young leaders in advancing Habitats mission in communities across the country, said Ed Woods, human resources director of Philanthropy/Diversity & Inclusion at State Farm. State Farm is here to help life go right and is committed to building safer, stronger, and better educated communities.

Students collaborate to erect the house's framework.

Scheduled fundraising activities include the chapters annual Trick or Treat for Change where students from both universities go to local residences on Halloween and ask for spare change. The goal for this years Trick or Treat for Change is to raise $20,000. Illinois Wesleyan is also hosting a table on the quad during Homecoming on Oct. 6. ISU organizes the annual Big Tip Tuesday with local coffeeshops and the Habitat Home Run 5K.

Habitat has several programs to engage youth ages 5 to 25. In addition to the ongoing support State Farm offices provide to local Habitat organizations across the United States, State Farm has provided support for Habitat for Humanitys youth programs since 2007.

About IWU/ISU Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter

Since 1995, the Illinois Wesleyan and Illinois State student Habitat chapter, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of McLean County have built at least one home every year in McLean County. They are celebrating their 25th Home Build this year. Student volunteers work on every aspect of the project and the Campus Chapter raises funds to pay for construction of the Collegiate House each year. The local Campus Chapter has been recognized nationally for their commitment to affordable housing solutions and improving their communities, including the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award for Campus-Community Collaboration and the Habitat Campus Chapter of the Year Award.

By Ashlee Sang, Habitat for Humanity of McLean County
Maloney 18 Named As Rotary Scholar

Oct. 4, 2018







Shannon Maloney '18

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.  Shannon Maloney 18 (Chicago) has been awarded a $33,000 scholarship through Rotary International to help fund her studies at the University of Oxford, where she will pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in psychiatry.

I feel truly honored and grateful to be a recipient of the Rotary Scholarship, Maloney said. Without this funding opportunity, it would have been financially impossible for me to attend the university of my dreams. I am forever indebted to the Rotary Foundation for their generous contribution.

Building upon her work as a psychology major, Maloney plans to research mindfulness and meditation practices as a potential treatment for a variety of illnesses, ranging from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to dementia.

An internship at the Health and Cognition Lab during her study abroad experience as a junior at the University of Oxford formally introduced Maloney to mindfulness exercises as a method of alleviating symptoms of certain ailments. However, even as a child, Maloney learned to appreciate the value of mindfulness from her mothers example.

My mother taught us to appreciate the present moment and to be mindful of our environment  when hiking, camping, cooking, going on walks, the list goes on and on, said Maloney, who recalls hiking along Cedar Ridge trail with her family during their time in Dallas. My mother also inspired me and my brother to do yoga, a mindful and physical exercise that I still try to implement in my day-to-day life. Overall, these exercises have benefited me personally, which has driven me to explore their applications as a form of treatment.

Maloney led research in the Stroke and Rehabilitation Lab at IWU, an experience which exposed her to the methodology of intervention-based research similar to her Ph.D. project. Under the mentorship of Assistant Professor of Psychology Abigail Kerr, Maloney spent the summer of her sophomore year as an Eckley Summer Scholars and Artists Endowment Fellow to develop a new stroke rehabilitation method using mice. She continued this research in her senior thesis project by studying the efficacy of her method in improving upper-body motor movement post-stroke.

As Maloney prepares to advance in her academic career, she reflected on the support she received from Illinois Wesleyan and its faculty, who opened up avenues for career-shaping experiences.

I am extremely grateful for Dr. Kerrs mentorship and for the knowledge she has shared with me, Maloney said. I am also forever indebted to IWU. As an IWU student, there were many scholarship opportunities that then led to many exceptional learning experiences and research involvements. IWU encouraged me to pursue my dreams and gave me the tools necessary to move forward.

Rotary International is a global network of 35,000 clubs which advocate for a number of causes, such as providing sanitation and hygiene to developing communities, supporting access to education and growing local economies. Through the Rotary Foundation or through local clubs, Rotary International provides scholarships for students in higher education to support studies in areas relating to the organizations six core causes.

Maloney was nominated for the scholarship by the Rotary District 6490 Scholarship Committee, and funding of the scholarship is provided by Rotary District 6490, Rotary One and the Foundation of Rotary International. She will be hosted by District 1090Henley Bridge Club.

By Rachel McCarthy 21
TEL AVIV - The Israeli army has announced a ''large-scale'' reinforcement of its deployment around Gaza to ''counter terrorism and prevent infiltrations into Israel along the border with the Strip''. The decision was taken at the end of a meeting between chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, army officers and the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service.

On Friday, a new 'March of return' has been planned, backed by Hamas, along the border. The army has said it is ready for ''various scenarios''.


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When you drop your money into the boots held by Whitfield County firefighters this weekend, youll be helping them help kids who have suffered burn injuries.



For the third year in a row, the firefighters are teaming up with the Dalton Shriners, and representatives from both organizations will be collecting donations together at the usual five locations around the county on Saturday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. In case of rain, the event will be delayed until Saturday, Oct. 13.



Firefighters and Shriners will be accepting donations at the following intersections:



Station 1  Cleveland Highway and the North Bypass

Stations 2 and 10  Cleveland Highway and Ga. Highway 2

Stations 3 and 8  Airport Road and Chatsworth Highway

Stations 4 and 5  Highway 41 and Connector 3

Stations 6, 7, and 9  Highway 201 and Highway 41



Appropriately enough, the name of the boot drive will again be Whitfield Firefighters and Dalton Shriners Team Up for Kids.



Seventy-five percent of the money collected here will go towards treating young burn victims at Shriners hospitals, including one in Cincinnati supported by the Dalton Shriners, and the other 25 percent will go toward the Whitfield County Fire Departments Santa in Uniform program for the third year in a row.



Firefighters want the public to know all the money that residents give Saturday will be used to help children.



While the Shriners help children with various ailments, the fire department has requested that donations collected this weekend go for the care of young burn victims.
Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - Gungnir Resources Inc. (GUG: TSX-V, ASWRF: OTCPK) (Gungnir or the Company) is pleased to report that the Company has intersected additional long core lengths of sulphide mineralized conglomerate at Knaften in holes KN18-09 and -10, 230 metres and 120 metres respectively. Assay results received for hole KN18-07 along with a newly interpreted geological setting point to VMS (volcanogenic massive sulphide) related mineralization. The new target on the Knaften property is named Rodingtrask.

Highlights:

First results from Rodingtrask in hole KN18-07 show widespread Zn, Cu and Ag across the entire mineralized conglomerate; grading 0.24% ZnEq over 120.50 metres, including 0.35% ZnEq over 28.2 metres at its base

Current working model is a mafic volcanic-sediment VMS system but elevated Ni may draw similarities to the hybrid, Talvivaara black shale-hosted Ni-Zn-Cu deposit in Finland

Presence of sphalerite (Zn)-rich clasts in the host conglomerate suggests erosion from an existing sulphide deposit in the area

Initial indication of a gold-bearing plumbing system with elevated gold values in footwall rocks in hole KN18-07

Target area approximately 800 metres wide and open ended along strike and at depth

Awaiting 380 assays from holes KN18-08, -09 and -10

Jari Paakki Gungnirs CEO stated, From initial results it looks like we have tapped into large mineralized halo indicative of a potentially very large hydrothermal system. After reviewing the first assays from hole KN18-07 and core from holes KN18-08, -09 and -10, there are several indicators of a VMS setting including characteristic VMS base metals, footwall chlorite alteration, widespread silicification and the presence of a potential marker exhalite horizon. As with almost all VMS systems, the prize is to locate the core of it targeting potential massive, high-grade mineralization. Mr. Paakki continued, Knaften is proving to be a true Swedish smorgasbord with three distinct targets on it: VMS related (Rodingtrask), intrusion-related gold (Knaften 300 Gold Zone) and a Cu-Ni magmatic sulphide target. With a significant hydrothermal system indicated at Rodingtrask, this target has been moved to the top of our list.

Location maps, additional information and drill core photos will be available for viewing via the home page link (Rodingtrask 2018) on the Company's website at www.gungnirresources.com. Assays results received from earlier completed 2018 holes are also included here.

Rodingtrask Results:

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Zn Eq (%) Zn (ppm) Cu (ppm) Ag (g/t) Ni (ppm) Au (g/t) KN18-07 1.30 121.80 120.50 0.24 630 222 1.21 216 includes 93.60 121.80 28.20 0.35 937 321 1.86 312 146.65 152.85 6.20 0.17

ZnEq (Zinc Equivalent) has been used to express the combined value of zinc, copper, and silver as a percentage of zinc, and is provided for illustrative purposes only. No allowances have been made for recovery losses that may occur should mining eventually result. Nickel has been included in this calculation as well since some potential similarities exist with the Ni-Zn-Cu Talvivaara deposit in Finland. Calculations use metal prices of $1.20/lb zinc, $2.80/lb copper, $14.50/oz silver, $5.60/lb nickel and using the formula ZnEq%=((%Zn)(22.0462)(US$lbZn) + (%Cu)(22.0462)(US$lbCu) + (%Ni)(22.0462)(US$ibNi) + (gptAg)(1/31.1035)(US$ozAg)) / ((22.0462)(US$lbZn))

Rodingtrask

Since discovering Rodingtrask with hole KN18-07 in August, the Company has focused all of its efforts on this promising new target. Gungnir has completed three additional holes in the area to finish this current phase of drilling to await assays and analyze results. Field mapping and sampling was also completed. Modelling and interpretative work continues with plans to re-visit the core once assays are received.

Hole KN18-08 was collared at the same site as KN18-07 but was drilled in the opposite direction (drilled towards the west). The hole encountered mineralization conglomerate in its upper part but was stopped at 87 metres as it was apparently drilling down-dip. Graded bedding in a greywacke unit in this hole indicates stratigraphic tops to the west.

Holes KN18-09 and -10 were drilled northwest of KN18-07, 200 metres and 30 metres respectively. Both holes cut significant core lengths of mineralized conglomerate with KN18-09 cutting 230 metres and KN18-10 cutting 120 metres. Sulphide mineralization includes pre-dominantly pyrrhotite, lesser pyrite with some visible sphalerite and chalcopyrite, occurring as veins, stringers, disseminations, replacements, and locally semi-massive, massive and bedded accumulations. The conglomerate unit, perhaps best termed argillaceous conglomerate, has a black (carbonaceous) matrix that is mostly magnetic due to fine-grained magnetite and lesser pyrrhotite. Silicification is wide-spread but variable. Greywacke, sandstone and mudstone units occur interbedded with the argillaceous conglomerate which is currently interpreted, in part, as a sequence of coarse debris flows.

The current working model is a mafic-sediment VMS system developed in rift-fill sequence with ongoing, and long-lived hydrothermal activity occurring with intermittent sedimentation. The underlying rocks consist of altered mafic volcanics and syn-volcanic gabbro sills and dykes which likely provided the required heat source for the hydrothermal system. Strong footwall alteration is particularly obvious in hole KN18-10. Encouraging Au assays were received in altered footwall rocks in hole KN18-07. Another notable VMS ingredient is a possible marker exhalite layer(s) noted in holes KN18-07, -09 and-10 over a distance of 200 metres. The unit, which is sphalerite-bearing, is now calcite but large crystal forms may suggest precursor anhydrite? In KN18-07 an upper marker horizon caps the strongest mineralization at the base of the conglomerate sequence. Occasional sphalerite (Zn)-rich clasts occur in each hole suggesting erosion from an existing sulphide deposit in the area.

Copper-Nickel Target

Hole KN18-06 followed-up last years discovery of Cu-Ni bearing sulphides. KN18-06 drilled mainly gabbroic rocks, cutting a magmatic sulphide interval assaying 0.38% CuEq over a core length of 14.35m. The Company will review follow-up strategies for further evaluation of this target.

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Cu Eq (%) Cu (ppm) Ni (ppm) Co (ppm) KN18-06 45.50 59.85 14.35 0.38 1272 683 115

CuEq (Copper Equivalent) has been used to express the combined value of copper, nickel and cobalt as a percentage of copper, and is provided for illustrative purposes only. No allowances have been made for recovery losses that may occur should mining eventually result. Calculations use metal prices of $2.80/lb copper, $5.60/lb nickel, $28/lb cobalt and using the similar formula as above.

Knaften 300 Gold Zone Area

The initial three holes focused on testing grade and continuity of gold mineralization at Knaften 300, and to establish structural controls on gold mineralization and optimal drill orientations. KN18-01 to KN18-03 each cutting arsenopyrite mineralization over core lengths of 9.60 to 19.45 metres. Holes KN18-04 and -05 were drilled approximately 2.5 kilometres to the southwest of Knaften 300. Sampling of KN18-04 has not been completed (***). The untested area to the east of the drilled Knaften 300 Gold Zone is the prime area for potentially expanding this gold zone.

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) KN18-01 84.70 95.65 10.95 1.35 84.70 86.10 1.40 2.04 89.55 90.55 1.00 4.01 94.55 95.65 1.10 3.34 KN18-02 67.05 77.05 10.00 0.25 83.00 87.50 4.50 0.21 KN18-03 57.05 63.60 6.55 0.45 65.60 66.65 1.05 0.53 KN18-04 *** KN18-05 NSV

All samples referred to in this release were tested at ALS Laboratories in Galway, Ireland. Cutting of drill core and sample preparation was completed by ALS in Mala Sweden. A 51-element package (ultra trace level method ME-MS41) by Aqua Regia and ICP-AES/ICP-MS was employed and method Au-ICP21, a 30-gram fire assay with ICP-AES finish, was used for gold analysis (a 50-gram fire assay was also used for hole KN18-01 as a check). Control samples (accredited gold standards and blanks) were inserted into the sample sequence on a regular basis to monitor precision of results. All results above are core lengths and may not represent the true width of the mineralization.

The technical information in this news release has been prepared and approved by Jari Paakki, P.Geo., CEO and a director of the Company. Mr. Paakki is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Paakki has 30 years-experience in mineral exploration with a large portion of it focused on Cu-Zn-Pb-Ag-Au massive sulphides.

About Gungnir Resources

Gungnir Resources Inc. is a Canadian-based TSX-V listed mineral exploration company (GUG: TSX-V) with gold and base metal permits in northern Sweden within a region hosting 12 million ounces of gold delineated in existing and mined resources plus several past-producing and producing base metal mines. The Companys key gold project, Knaften, is situated at the southern extension of the Gold Line which hosts a number of gold deposits including Faboliden and Svartliden (Dragon Mining), and Barsele (Agnico Eagle and Barsele Minerals). The Company holds a royalty stream from the sale of the Kenville Gold Project in BC with $3,000,000 still due in three further annual advance cash payments of $1,000,000 each. Further information about the Company and its properties may be found at www.gungnirresources.com or at www.sedar.com.

On behalf of the Board,

Jari Paakki, CEO and Director

For further information contact:

Head Office/Investor Relations

Phone: +1-604-683-0484

Jari Paakki, CEO

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Chris Robbins, CFO

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements made herein may contain forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved", or the negative of these words or comparable terminology. By their very nature forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual performance of the Company to be materially different from any anticipated performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements or information include, but are not limited to, statements or information with respect to Gungnir Resources plan for future funding, and exploration and development of its properties. Forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of estimates and assumptions and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying estimates and assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. For example, there is no certainty, that any economically viable mineral deposit will be located on the properties, or that the Company will receive or be able to raise sufficient capital to complete all of its exploration programs. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements or information. Gungnir does not expect to update forward-looking statements or information continually as conditions change, except as may be required by securities law.
VANCOUVER, Oct. 4, 2018 /CNW/ - Pacton Gold Inc. (TSXV: PAC, OTC: PACXF) (the "Company" or "Pacton") is pleased to announce that further to its news release of August 7, 2018, it has entered into a sale agreement (the "Agreement") to acquire 100% of both the Yandicoogina and Boodalyerrie exploration licenses and mining leases from Gardner Mining Pty Ltd ("Gardner Mining"). Two granted mining leases and three granted exploration licenses comprise a total of 146.80 km2 (the "Projects").

Under the terms of the Agreement, the Company will purchase a 100% ownership interest in Projects by issuing 3,000,000 common shares on closing of the transaction.

Transfer of the Projects was subject to FIRB approval, which the Company has now received.

This transaction is subject to the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange, which the Company will be seeking forthwith.

About Pacton Gold

Pacton Gold (PAC: TSXV; PACXF: US) is a well-financed Canadian junior with key strategic partners focused on the exploration and development of conglomerate-hosted gold properties located in the district-scale Pilbara gold rush in Western Australia. The Company currently controls the third largest conglomerate-hosted gold property portfolio totaling ~2,500 sq. km, and continues to aggressively review additional accretive acquisitions.

On Behalf of the Board of Pacton Gold Inc.

Alec Pismiris

Interim President & CEO

This news release contains or refers to forward-looking information based on current expectations, including, but not limited to the Company acquiring an interest in properties controlled by Gardner Mining and completion of the proposed transaction described herein, the prospect of the Company achieving success in exploring the Projects and the impact on the Company of these events, including the effect on its share price. Forward-looking information is subject to significant risks and uncertainties, as actual results may differ materially from forecasted results. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date hereof and we assume no responsibility to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances. References to sample results from nearby projects are for information purposes only and there are no assurances the Company will achieve similar results at the Projects.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange nor their Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- West Kirkland Mining Inc. (WKM:TSXV) (West Kirkland, WKM or the Company) is pleased to report that a new target for at surface gold mineralization (the MJ Target) has been identified on the property boundary between the 100% optioned Gold Mountain Project and the 75% owned Hasbrouck Gold Property. WKM has identified the target with surface mapping and surface gold values on one side of the historic property boundary and a historic drill hole with gold values by another operator on the other side of the boundary.

WKM has consolidated the historic district and a clear 1,000 foot (305m) strike length target has emerged.

WKM controls (75% interest) and operates the Hasbrouck gold project with 762,000 ounces of proven and probable reserves (45,270,000 tons at 0.6 Au g/t; 8.0 Ag g/t for 10,569,000 contained Ag ounces) and has a 100% option interest in the Gold Mountain area which is the subject of recent exploration.

The new MJ Target was drilled on the 100% optioned Gold Mountain ground with a highly interesting intercept of 230 feet (70m) grading 0.012 ounces per ton gold (0.42 g/t) starting at 250 feet (76m) from surface. The true thickness is not known at this time. This intercept is open up-dip and was not followed up as a result of the proximity to the property boundary. The drill hole was 470 feet (143m) along strike to the SE from an obvious well mineralized outcrop with grab samples of 2.07g/t Au and 1.85g/t Au, and NW along strike from another well mineralized outcrop with a grab sample of 3.27g/t Au. The latter outcrop was on the 75% owned Hasbrouck property which at the time of the drill hole (2010) was on a competitors property. WKM has now consolidated the district, compiled all the data and mapped the structures and the target is clear with an untested 1,000 foot (305m) strike length. The mineralization at surface is very similar in style to the Three Hills ore hosted nearby in the same formation and structurally controlled setting.

The MJ Target adds to the exploration potential announced previously at the Gold Zone Adit area of the Gold Mountain property where underground workings, and WKM and previous operators drilling have outlined a near surface target.

NEXT STEPS

WKM is designing a follow-up drill program based on the positive results obtained, with a focus on adding to the district open pit resources and reserves.

ABOUT THE HASBROUCK GOLD PROJECT

The Hasbrouck Gold Project contains Proven & Probable Reserves of 784,000 gold equivalent oz, (45,270,000 tons at 0.58 Au g/t for 762,000 contained Au oz; 7.99 Ag g/t for 10,569,000 contained Ag ounces. NPV5 Post Tax (US$1,275/oz Au) estimated at US$120M, IRR 43% (Technical Report and Updated Preliminary Feasibility Study for The Hasbrouck and Three Hills Gold-Silver Project, Esmeralda County, Nevada, USA, Report Date: September 14, 2016).

QUALIFIED PERSON

R. Michael Jones P.Eng., CEO of West Kirkland Mining, is a non-independent Qualified Person (QP) as defined by NI 43-101. He has reviewed the information contained in this news release and has verified the data by hiring qualified geologists and engineers and has completed a review of the detailed technical information. Mineral Reserve information in this news release relating to the Hasbrouck Gold Project has been developed and approved by Thomas L. Dyer, P.E., of MDA following CIM standards. Historic information does not have a chain of custody and is accepted by the QP for exploration target work.

QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL

West Kirkland Mining Inc. utilizes a well-documented system of inserting blanks and standards into the assay stream and has a strict chain of custody for samples taken by the Company. Assays by the Company are completed at independent laboratories which have internal quality assurance and quality control systems and procedures. Assays were performed by ALS Chemex Labs Ltd., by fire assay and ICP methods.

On behalf of West Kirkland Mining Inc.

R. Michael Jones

Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please see the Companys website at www.wkmining.com or contact us by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

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: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, the exploration and project approach of a Prefeasibility Study. Historical mineral title also has risk of an unrecorded claim. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the market for gold or other minerals that may be produced generally, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, the Company's ability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies and other risks associated with the exploration and development of mineral properties. The reader is referred to the Company's public filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects which may be accessed through the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.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.
 Increases Summer-Fall Drill Program to Over 11,000 Metres

 Adds Second Drill at Grasset

 Intersects High Grade Gold at LAM

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Balmoral Resources Ltd. (Balmoral or the Company) (TSX: BAR; OTCQX: BALMF) is pleased to announce that drilling on the Grasset and adjacent Fenelon properties, focused on the continued evaluation of the nickel-copper-cobalt-PGE potential of the Grasset Ultramafic Complex (GUC), commenced during the last week of September. A second drill has now been added and has commenced drilling. The Company has expanded the Grasset portion of the summer-fall drilling program which will increase the planned program to over 11,000 metres in total.

Three years ago we suspended expansion drilling on the Grasset deposit and exploration drilling within the broader GUC following the dramatic crash of the nickel price. Today with the strengthening of the nickel market and the outlook for increasing demand for nickel sulphide deposits to help meet the burgeoning electric vehicle battery market, we are excited to return to the evaluation of the Grasset deposit and nearby discoveries, said Darin Wagner, President and CEO of Balmoral. This new nickel sulphide belt is in its infancy from an exploration perspective and Balmoral controls it in its entirety.

THE GRASSET NICKEL-COPPER-COBALT-PGE DEPOSIT

The Grasset nickel-copper-cobalt-PGE deposit and host Grasset Ultramafic Complex were discovered by Balmoral in 2014. The deposit occurs at the southern end of the 10 kilometer long GUC, proximal to the regional Sunday Lake deformation zone (see Figure 1). Drilling during 2014 and 2015 outlined an initial Indicated Resource Estimate of 3.45 million tonnes grading 1.56% nickel, 0.17% copper, 0.03% cobalt, 0.34 g/t platinum and 0.84 g/t palladium (see NR16-04, Mar 7, 2016 and the Companys website for full disclosure) from the high grade core of the deposit. This high grade core lies within a much larger nickel sulphide body totaling over 15 million tonnes.

Grasset is the largest nickel sulphide deposit in the Abitibi region and one of the largest nickel sulphide deposits in North America not currently owned or controlled by a producing mining company or private equity interests.

The Grasset deposit is comprised of two zones of nickel sulphide mineralization  the H1 and H3 zones (see Figure 2) - which extend for 1,100 metres along strike, both of which remain open along strike to the northwest. The H3 zone is the larger, higher-grade portion of the deposit, has been intersected to a vertical depth of approximately 550 metres, and remains open for expansion (see Figure 3).

Nickel sulphide mineralization at Grasset is characterized by very high nickel tenors and, as demonstrated by initial testing, very favourable metallurgical characteristics via a standard and simple floatation process which leads to high metal recovery rates and a smelter-friendly concentrate.

The balance of the host GUC remains significantly underexplored with very widely spaced drill testing in 2015 defining a series of additional nickel sulphide discoveries, and in several cases proximal gold discoveries, before drilling was suspended. A number of these discoveries are now slated for follow-up testing, and a series of exploration holes into new targets in the GUC are planned.

It is anticipated that drilling will continue through the end of October and into November.

Martiniere and Detour East Drilling

Drilling has now been completed on the Martiniere and Detour East Properties. In total the Company has completed 8 holes totaling 2,027 metres at Martiniere and 6 holes totaling 1,885 metres on the Detour East Property.

At Martiniere, drilling in the vicinity of the LAM gold discovery successfully intersected anomalous gold mineralization, including a high grade intercept of 0.89 metres grading 8.11 g/t gold and separate broader intercepts of 4.57 metres grading 0.51 g/t gold and 12.15 metres grading 0.25 g/t gold, in the first two holes of the program. Gold mineralization at LAM, like in the Bug gold deposit 4.0 kilometres to the southeast, occurs proximal to a north-northwest trending felsic porphyry intrusions.

Two holes at Martiniere tested the Niquet geophysical anomaly and confirmed the presence of a zoned mafic/ultramafic intrusion associated with the anomaly. Disseminated sulphide mineralization occurs within the ultramafic unit, causing the anomalous chargeability response, but no anomalous nickel or PGE mineralization was reported.

Assay results for the drilling completed at Detour East remains pending. Drilling has led to the successful identification of two new ultramafic intrusions on the property and has continued to intersect broad-scale shearing and deformation across distances in excess of 100 metres in the northeastern quadrant of the property, along the projection of Detour Lake gold mine-related Sunday Lake deformation zone.

Quality Control

Mr. Darin Wagner (P.Geo. B.C. and Restricted Permit, Que.), President and CEO of the Company, is the non-independent qualified person for the technical disclosure contained in this news release. Mr. Wagner has supervised the work programs on the Companys properties since inception, visited the properties on multiple occasions, examined the drill core or high definition photos thereof from the holes summarized in this release, discussed and reviewed the results with senior on-site geological staff and reviewed the available analytical and quality control results.

Balmoral has implemented a quality control program for all of its drill programs, to ensure best practice in the sampling and analysis of the drill core, which includes the insertion of blind blanks, duplicates and certified standards into sample stream. NQ sized drill core is saw cut with half of the drill core sampled at intervals based on geological criteria including lithology, visual mineralization and alteration. The remaining half of the core is stored on-site at the Companys Martiniere field camp in Central Quebec. Drill core samples are transported in sealed bags to ALS Minerals Val dOr, Quebec analytical facilities. Gold analyses are obtained via industry standard fire assay with atomic absorption finish using 30 g aliquots. For samples returning greater than 5.00 g/t gold follow-up fire assay analysis with a gravimetric finish is completed. The Company has also requested that any samples returning greater than 10.00 g/t gold undergo screen metallic fire assay. Following receipt of assays, visual analysis of mineralized intercepts is conducted and additional analysis may be requested. ALS Minerals is ISO 9001:2008 certified and the Val dOr facilities are ISO 17025 certified for gold analysis.

About Balmoral Resources Ltd.  www.balmoralresources.com

Balmoral is a well-funded, multi-award winning Canadian-focused exploration company actively exploring a portfolio of gold and base metal properties located within the prolific Abitibi greenstone belt. The Companys flagship, 1,000 km2 Detour Gold Trend Project hosts the resource stage Bug and Martiniere West gold deposits and the Grasset nickel-copper-cobalt-PGE deposit. Employing an aggressive, drill focused exploration style in one of the worlds preeminent mining jurisdictions, Balmoral is following an established formula with a goal of maximizing shareholder value through the discovery and definition of high-grade, Canadian gold and base metal assets.

On behalf of the board of directors of

BALMORAL RESOURCES LTD.

Darin Wagner

President and CEO

For further information contact: John Foulkes, Vice-President, Corporate Development

Tel: +1 (604) 638-5815 / Toll Free: +1 (877) 838-3664

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, forward looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement, duration and cost of exploration programs, anticipated exploration program results, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves, the timing of the receipt of assay results, the visual continuity of certain mineralized intervals and business and financing plans and trends, the potentially open nature of the mineralized zones/deposits on the property and the potential for future discoveries of additional mineralization on the property are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believes, expects, anticipates, intends, estimate, postulate and similar expressions or are those which, by their nature, refer to future events. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from the Companys expectations include those related to weather, equipment and staff availability; performance of third parties; timing of receipt of assay results from third party analytical facilities; risks related to the exploration stage of the Companys projects; market fluctuations in prices for securities of exploration stage companies and in commodity prices; and uncertainties about the availability of additional financing; risks related to the Companys ability to identify one or more economic deposits on the properties, and variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located on the properties; risks related to the Companys ability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities on the properties; and risks related to the Companys ability to produce minerals from the properties successfully or profitably. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. All of the Companys public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the latest technical reports filed with respect to the Companys mineral properties.

This press release is not, and is not to be construed in any way as, an offer to buy or sell securities in the United States.

Figure 1





Figure 2

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A Peruvian court on Wednesday annulled ex-president Alberto Fujimoris pardon for crimes against humanity and ordered the 80-year-olds immediate arrest, officials said.

The South American countrys justice department said in a statement that the Supreme Court had issued the arrest and detention orders against former president Fujimori so that he may be re-integrated into the prison establishment.

Fujimori was pardoned by presidential decree last December. He was 12 years into a 25-year jail sentence handed down to him over his ordering of two massacres by death squads between 1991 and 1992.

The pardon, issued by then-president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski before he was himself brought down by a corruption scandal, triggered a wave of protests by human rights organizations and by victims of Fujimoris crackdown.

Fujimori, a Peruvian of Japanese descent, has been living in Lima but has been hospitalized four times since his release last December.

Victims of Fujimoris crackdown had petitioned the Inter-American Court to demand a judicial review of the process that led to the pardon.

Carlos Rivera, a lawyer for the victims, said the decision to annul the pardon was justified.

Kuczynskis pardon to Alberto Fujimori has no legal value and therefore he has to return to prison for irregularities in the process, he said.

Kuczynski had justified the pardon on humanitarian grounds, given Fujimoris well-documented ill-health.

International standards in the humanitarian pardon were not met, Rivera said.

 Health problems 

Alejandro Aguinaga, Fujimoris doctor, expressed shock at the news. We see that in Peru nothing is respected. The pardon of president Fujimori was a constitutional action, Aguinaga told Chilean radio RPP.

Fujimori has had a number of operations as part of a long-running battle with tongue cancer. His most recent hospitalization was in August, for an irregular heartbeat.

He has been working on a memoir about his decade in power (1990-2000), a period marked by corruption but also by a fight against guerrillas and terrorism.

I have reached 80 bearing the marks of the years, with all the shocks of political life, the enormous satisfactions and the profound regrets, he wrote in a message to AFP around his birthday in July.

In the few years I have left, Fujimori explained in his handwritten text, I will dedicate myself to three objectives: bringing my family together, improving my health to the extent possible, and striking a serene and balanced equilibrium in my life.

 Family feud 

However, Fujimori has been unable to reconcile his daughter Keiko, 43, who heads the right-wing Popular Force party, with her 39-year-old brother Kenji, who leads a rival faction of the party, to end a political schism which could see the two face off in the 2021 presidential elections.

The charge of crimes against humanity stemmed in part from the killings or disappearances of scores of civilians  allegedly by a shadowy squad of military officers  during Perus bloody struggle against Maoist rebels.

The ex-ruler is revered and despised in equal measure in Peru. Admirers laud him for dragging the countrys economy into the modern era and defeating the Shining Path guerrilla movement.
India on Thursday deported seven Rohingya to Myanmar, despite UN warnings that the men faced persecution in a country where the army is accused of genocide against the Muslim minority.

The men, who had been in detention for immigration offences since 2012, were handed over to Myanmar authorities at a border crossing in Indias northeast state of Manipur.

Seven Myanmarese nationals have been deported today. They were handed over to the authorities of Myanmar at Moreh border post, said senior Assam police officer Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta.

Photos showed the seven men seated in a bus bound for the border in the remote hilly state bordering Myanmars far northwest.

The UN had voiced concern that returning the men ignored the danger they faced in Myanmar, where for decades the Rohingya have been targeted in violent pogroms by security forces.

A UN special rapporteur had warned India risked breaking international laws on refoulement  the return of refugees or asylum seekers to a country where they could be harmed.

Legal efforts to stymie their deportation failed when the Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a petition on their behalf and upheld their status as illegal immigrants.

Even the country of their origin has accepted them as its citizens, a three-judge bench said.

The Rohingya are despised by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which refuses to recognise them as citizens and falsely labels them Bengali illegal immigrants.

They were concentrated in Rakhine state, the epicentre of a Myanmar army offensive that over the past year has driven 700,000 Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh.

Myanmars army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents.

But a UN fact-finding mission said there was enough evidence to merit prosecution of several top Myanmar military commanders for crimes against humanity and genocide against Rohingya civilians.

Indian considers the Rohingya a security threat, pointing to intelligence which it says links the minority group to extremist organisations.

The government had ordered last year that all Rohingya inside India  New Delhi puts the figure at 40,000  be deported.

The Supreme Court is considering a petition challenging the order as unconstitutional.

The UN says there are 16,000 registered Rohingya in India.
Computer science professors join team effort to thwart effects of cyberattacks

Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018

Kansas State University computer science professor Robby is principal investigator of an $800,000 project to fight cyberattacks. | Download this photo.





MANHATTAN  Development of safety- and security-critical systems that can resist and recover from cyberattacks is of increasing importance for both military and commercial domains such as avionics, medical devices and the internet of things.

Kansas State University computer science professors Robby and John Hatcliff, and their collaborators at Adventium Labs, Minneapolis, Minnesota, have joined an international U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, Cyber Assured Systems Engineering, or CASE, team led by Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to meet this demand.



Their project, "Cyber Assured Systems Engineering (CASE) TA5: Architecture Translation for High-Assurance Embedded Systems with Separation Kernels," will focus on high-assurance, model-driven development of cyber-resilient embedded systems. Total amount of the subcontract is $800,000 for the three-phase period of performance through January 2022.



Other team members include Australia's leading data innovation group, CSIRO's Data61, and the University of Kansas.



"The approach will incorporate Data61's special microkernel that controls system component interactions, thus making security problems or failures in parts of the system much less likely to impact other components," said Robby, the principal investigator on the project.



The microkernel interactions will be verified using computer-checked mathematical proofs that provide high levels of trust and help establish confidence in the critical system's safety and security.



"This project will produce tools and engineering approaches for building high-confidence cyber-resilient systems," Robby said. "Such techniques are crucial for dealing with increasing automation and use of computers and networks in many types of systems."



The undertaking supports goals of Kansas State University and the College of Engineering in research, scholarly and creative activities, and discovery, in areas where faculty members and their research associates perform decidedly visible work on high-assurance and cyber-resilient techniques for safety-, security- and mission-critical systems.






Topcon Agriculture establishes research campus at Kansas State University

Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018



Topcon Agriculture is opening the Topcon Agriculture Research Campus adjacent to the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan. The campus will promote collaboration and engagement with the university's students and faculty and boost Topcon's research capacity. | Download this photo.





MANHATTAN  Topcon Agriculture and Kansas State University today announced a comprehensive partnership.



The Topcon Agriculture Research Campus in the K-State Office Park, 1880 Kimball Ave., Manhattan, will promote collaboration and engagement with students and faculty, boost the company's research capacity as it develops new products, and solidify connections with producers through K-State Research and Extension.



"Topcon Agriculture and K-State have been working together for two years on various projects, and both entities sought a deeper, multifaceted partnership that would differentiate the typical vendor and university relationship," said Fabio Isaia, CEO of Topcon Agriculture. "This strategic partnership will boost our R&D technology advancement to accelerate the commercialization of farmer-driven innovation."



Topcon Agriculture recently signed a master research agreement with Kansas State University to develop tools and systems to advance precision agriculture, but the company saw larger possibilities in an expanded collaboration facilitated by the Kansas State University Institute for Commercialization. The new Topcon Agriculture Research Campus will create a precision agriculture classroom space with state-of-the-art equipment to train faculty, students and customers to incorporate technology into farming and agricultural practices. The company is also donating technology infrastructure improvements and equipment for the university's Agronomy North Farm and will streamline access to future upgrades.



"Kansas is a unique state as it has striking variations in environmental conditions," said Brian Sorbe, Topcon Agriculture vice president of sales and marketing, North America. "The highly variable soil and rainfall patterns across the state allow it to emulate multiple types of growing environments. This makes Kansas ideal for conducting precision agriculture research to develop products for the entire country."



Working with K-State Research and Extension, Topcon Agriculture will have a streamlined pathway from concept, creation to on-farm use and education.



Richard Myers, Kansas State University president, said the partnership demonstrates the commitment of both the company and the university to supporting Kansas agriculture through innovation.



"The Topcon Agriculture Research Campus will help us ensure that we are preparing our students and providing producers with cutting-edge equipment and knowledge," Myers said. "We know the Kansas economy depends on the success of agriculture, and we are proud to unveil a partnership that will help our institution support the industry."



"Topcon Agriculture values Kansas State University's comprehensive, research and land-grant mission to provide practical information to help change the lives of its students, the people of Kansas, the nation and the world," said Michael Gomes, Topcon Agriculture vice president of business development, IoT. "Part of Topcon's overarching mission is to enrich human life by solving societal challenges in agriculture."



"When dynamic companies like Topcon choose to locate adjacent to K-State's campus, partnerships develop among leading researchers and industry to drive innovation, which benefits the university, the companies, the community and Kansas," said Greg Lohrentz, senior vice president of operations and finance at the KSU Foundation.



"The K-State Office Park is an essential element in providing world-class facilities for corporate leaders who want to collaborate with the best-in-field K-State researchers and students, and meet the needs of the global community to advance industry," he said.



Co-location with the university helps Topcon Agriculture recruit students and graduates to work for the company in the U.S. or abroad. It also demonstrates the success of area efforts to bring knowledge-based jobs and growth to the local economy.



"Topcon Agriculture is a global company that sees value in what we have here in Manhattan," said Lyle Butler, president of the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce. "Our shared university-community economic development vision has helped us provide incredible facilities and promote Manhattan as an optimal location for a growing business."



Beyond Manhattan, partnership with Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus and K-State Research and Extension will help Topcon Agriculture conduct on-farm research around the state. As a leader in both fundamental and applied agricultural research, the university and K-State Research and Extension offer facilities and access to producers and collaboration at all phases of the product development process  from the drawing board to in-field deployment of precision agriculture technologies.






Dutta said how allegedly false witnesses supporting perpetrators conjured up to further weaken her case.

The 34-year-old actor further revealed she has also been getting violent threats from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

Mumbai: Actor Tanushree Dutta who has been in the headlines since she accused veteran actor Nana Patekar of misbehaving with her, has now stated that she has been 'slapped' with two legal notices by Patekar and director Vivek Agnihotri respectively.

"I have been slapped with two legal notices. One from Nana Patekar and another from Vivek Agnihotri. Both their teams are on a smear campaign against me by constructing outright lies and misinformation on social media platforms and other public platforms," the 'Dhol' actor said in a statement.

She added, "This is the price you pay for speaking out against harassment, humiliation, and injustice in India."

The 34-year-old further revealed she has also been getting violent threats from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and that two unnamed suspicious individuals recently tried to barge inside her residence.

She said, "Violent threats are being issued against me by the MNS. Today while I was at home and the police personnel posted outside my home were on a lunch break two unnamed suspicious individuals tried getting into our home uninvited but were stopped just in time by security personnel. I'm being threatened to be dragged to the court and legal system of India as we all know can keep a woman and her supporters as well as media silent on the pretext of 'matter sub judice'."

The 'Aashiq Banaya Aapne' actor added how allegedly false witnesses supporting perpetrators conjured up to further weaken her case. "Court cases can run for decades without a hope for a conclusion. In the end, an empty shell remains with broken hopes. A life wasted, defeated- this is the age-old saga of survivors in our nation," she concluded.

Dutta has alleged that Patekar misbehaved with her on the sets of the film 'Horn Ok Pleasss'. She has accused him of harassing her while shooting for a special dance number in the movie and also claimed that dance choreographer Ganesh Acharya teamed up against her.

Many B-town celebrities have come out in support of Dutta including Priyanka Chopra, Parineeti Chopra, Arjun Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Swara Bhaskar, Shilpa Shetty, Kalki Koechlin, and Sonam Kapoor Ahuja.


Vermont 10 (Kuda Photography)

BY BRIAN LIBBY

For a recent Portland Tribune column, I had the opportunity to visit the new Vermont 10 project in Southwest Portland's Hillsdale neighborhood. To me it's a nice little urban infill project in a part of Portland that is halfway between city and suburb, and not just geographically.

Hillsdale isn't ridden with corporate restaurants and big-box retail, nor is Highway 10 running through the neighborhood too ridiculously wide. It has a lovely branch of the Multnomah County Library. Yet Hillsdale is one of the only places in town that's fairly close in that I don't quite feel comfortable biking to. And more importantly, it's a place of strip malls and single-family houses: the kind of low-density area that, because of its proximity to the city center, probably is destined to become more urban and more dense.

Visiting the Vermont 10 project by Colab Architecture + Urban Design, I was reminded of a phrase mistakenly uttered in Back to the Future: "You're my density." In the movie, the character (George McFly) is trying to say, "You're my destiny," but misspeaks. I wonder if Vermont 10, a project laudable for the density it adds without sacrificing a human scale, is also Hillsdale's destiny, and the destiny of other close-in neighborhoods of single-family homes. It's not to say those single-family homes go away. I hope 95 percent of them stay. But we can't expect a single-family home to be right for everyone. While Vermont 10 is certainly not priced as affordable housing for low wage owners, it still contributes to Portland's overall density push and can help increase supply.



More views of Vermont 10 (Kuda Photography)

As I wrote in the column, "In the coming years fewer people will live in single-family houses and more will occupy higher-density dwellings like duplexes, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and apartment complexes. The challenge is to design and build higher-density housing that fits in to single-family neighborhoods without seeming cheap or out of scale."

Vermont 10 was built on the site of a single-family house owned by the adjacent St. Barnabas Episcopal church, allowing room for five small duplex buildings, adding up to 10 three-bedroom units. Each features interior finishes like oak hardwood floors and energy-fficient triple pane windows. Yet as Mark Engberg of Colab told me in a recent interview, "It's about the community space first and then the architecture. The space between the buildings is the successful driver of the project." It's similar in that way to a prior Colab project, the Ankeny Lofts (and its second phase, Ankeny 2/3), in Southeast Portland, which were completed in 2014. "This all comes basically out of what we started on Ankeny, the idea of mews with duplexes on them and front doors, not big wide open spaces but little urban zones," he said.

There are other things I like about Vermont 10, such as the relative economy of exterior materials and the clean lines of the overall forms. But sure enough, the best part is just walking down the little pathway between the units. It gives the sensation of being in a little urban village. Instead of one big mountaina single building with 10 condosit's a series of foothills. Instead of passing each other in the parking lot, you come together in a little outdoor room with a human scale.

That said, the configuration of these clustered duplexes also contributes to the interior experience. "Most of these units have glazing and siding on three sides," Engberg explains. "Some have light on four sides. That makes for a nicer environment, and a little bit more expensive building. But because we stay within the residential code and stick framing, we can offset that cost. Thats what makes the units so nice: youve got tons of light."



Inside Vermont 10 (Kuda Photography)

Natural light is to me the biggest determining factor in the quality of a multifamily residential space. It's not to say you can't have a lot of light coming from one or two sides of an apartment or condo, if it's small enough and the windows are big enough. My apartment gets light on two of its four sides, and except for the hallway and bathroom it works because every other space borders a sizable window. But there are no luxury finishes or extra square footage that could entice me to live in one of those bowling-alley-shaped units that often get built in larger condo and apartment buildings.

Of course Vermont 10 is a series of duplexes, not a condo or apartment building. But perhaps it says something about the project that it's easy for me to refer to it in the same breadth. Its duplexes are closer in scale and materiality to single-family homes than they are to mixed-use multifamily residential buildings, but perhaps because they create a common infrastructure that's at a pedestrian scale, the brain makes the leap to thinking of Vermont 10 as urban.

What the project really represents, though, is a kind of missing-middle housing. That's a phrase I hadn't even heard five years ago but is common parlance today: the idea that there needs to be a middle ground between single family homes and large mixed-use residential buildings. There are many types of this housingtownhouses, courtyard apartments, triplex and fourplexes in addition to duplexesand yet we haven't built or allowed nearly enough of them in recent years.

Vermont 10 isn't re-inventing the wheel, and it's just one piece of a much larger puzzle. But particularly as one imagines a future MAX line down Barbur Boulevard, perhaps neighborhoods like Hillsdale can show what's possible as Portland continues to grow and increase and density: to create dense spaces that feel tranquil and fit right in.

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This is not the first time the veteran actor has appeared in a film for fleeting appearances out of sheer goodwill.

Amitabh Bachchan shares a very special rapport with Ajay Devgan. Ajays father, the famed stunt co-ordinator Veeru Devgan is his good friend and the friendship continues with the next generation as Ajay and Abhishek Bachchan also share very warm vibes.

So when Ajay requested the Senior Bachchan to make a special appearance in Kajols Helicopter Ela, he readily agreed. This is not the first time the veteran actor has appeared in a film for fleeting appearances out of sheer goodwill.

Madhavan-starrer Ramji Londonwale and in R Balkis English Vinglish has Amitabh Bachchans guest appearance where he plays himself. He has also done cameos in Basu Chatterjees Piya Ka Ghar (which starred his superstar wife Jaya) and in Dulal Guhas Dost. But perhaps his memorable guest appearances as himself was in the Kannada film Amrithadhare. The film starred Ramya a.k.a Divya Sapandana as a terminally ill woman whose dying wish was to meet Amitabh Bachchan. When the megastar was approached for the film, he immediately agreed and on the appointed day, the crew of Amrithadhare landed in Mumbai to shoot the required sequence. He arrived at the pre-decided time and the scene was filmed. The actor even refused to accept remuneration or gift for his efforts.
Kilkenny and the wider south east are in line for a major visitor boost in the run up to the October Bank Holiday Weekend as the Energy Now Expo Ireland returns to Cillin Hill on the edge of the city.

The free national event on Wednesday, October 24, and Thursday, October 25, is held in association with the Irish Farmers Association and Teagasc. With a lineup of almost 50 industry experts, Energy Now Expo Ireland offers visitors a one-off opportunity to hear from leading lights and experts over the course of two-days for free, the organisers say.

In addition to the Irish Farmers Association and Teagasc, other industry partners include ICSA (Irish Cattle & Sheep Farmers Association), ITGA (Irish Timber Growers Association), RGFI (Renewable Gas Forum of Ireland) and 3CEA, the Kilkenny-based independent energy agency working primarily in Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford.

The massive two-day event is shaping up to be this years foremost expo for farmers and landowners who are interested in the merits of sustainable technologies. Leading experts from Ireland and across Europe will be discussing the latest developments in renewable technologies and their thoughts on the forthcoming changes to legislation.

Our vision was to create a conference that featured all of the leading lights in renewables that visitors to the show could learn from, said David Jacobmeyer, Event Director of Energy Now Expo Ireland.

David continues: Weve created that and more with a varied and exciting mix of speakers from Ireland, the UK and Brussels, that will leave our delegates more informed, inspired and most importantly, with the knowledge required to inform decisions regarding renewable technology in the months and years ahead.

Panel discussions on the opening day will feature central figures such as Tom Short, IFA Renewables Chairman; Ray Langton from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) who will be giving an overview of the new support scheme for renewable heat and Des OToole, President of the Irish Bioenergy Association.

Day two discussions include an Energy Efficiency and Storage session, chaired by Paddy Phelan from the 3 Counties Energy Agency. Emer Burton, a programme manager with the SEAI, who will demonstrate how home and landowners can make their property more energy efficient and avail of SEAI grants.

Closing the two-day conference is the Solar session featuring Patrick Kent, President of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association. Patrick will be joined on stage by speakers who will discuss the applications and benefits for Solar PV in an agricultural environment. The event will also feature an update from SEAI on the domestic solar PV grant.

Throughout both days, focused sessions will investigate the key areas for visitors including Biomass, Wind, Hydropower, Biogas and Solar. Highlights on day one include Michael McEnery, Director of NRGE  the company thats on the cusp of launching Ireland's first biomethane to grid plant. Visitors will also hear from Nick Finding  the first farmer in the UK to create a biomethane plant thats been in operation for six years.
Kilkenny is bucking the national trend when it comes to supplying social housing with 185 new homes delivered this year.

These housing units will be provided to families and individuals currently on the housing waiting list. 105 of these homes will be newly constructed and 80 will be purchased or leased. This exceeds the target of 133 units set for delivery in Kilkenny in 2018 under the national programme.

Cllr Andrew McGuinness, Chair of the Strategic Policy Committee on Housing outlined how the local authority building programme between now and the end of 2021 will provide a further 650 homes for people on the waiting list in Kilkenny.

While many of the housing units for delivery in 2018 are already completed, including developments at Moneenroe, Ferrybank and Rosbercon others are under construction and are nearing completion including units at Greensbridge in Kilkenny City, Barna in Freshford and Togher Way in Urlingford.

Other larger scale developments underway across the county will be completed and available next week with more than 220 new homes under construction as part of the housing delivery programme including large developments at Ballybought Street and Walkin Street in Kilkenny and Bolton and Friary Walk in Callan.

More than 240 units are at planning or procurement stage including new proposals at Castlecomer Road and Crokers Hill in Kilkenny, Donaguile in Castlecomer, Station Road in Ballyragget and Piltown.

Director of Services, Mary Mulholland outlined the ambitious delivery targets over the next three to four houses.

Kilkenny County Council will deliver above and beyond its required targets under Rebuilding Ireland and will also maintain housing supports to those who need them. The council working with Affordable Housing Bodies will provide more than 600 new homes.
Urgent finance is needed for six supported care homes in Kilkenny that are in dire financial straits.

The homes are limping along and are regularly afraid there wont be money in the bank on a Friday to pay wages.

Local businesses and suppliers support the care homes - but many remain unpaid for services with one home owing local food suppliers more than 8,000 and about 9,000 to local builders and tradesmen for work on the building to bring it up to HIQA standards.

One centre manager could not even buy an ink cartridge for her office printer without first checking with the accountant there was money in the centres account.

Now the voluntary boards of directors of the six homes have come together to make an urgent call on the Minister for Health to provide them with emergency funding and to then come up with an adequate funding model that will secure their futures.

They say the situation is intolerable. Outgoings are constantly more than incomings. Dedicated, qualified and caring workers are on minimum wage.

The six care homes have two main sources of income - fees from residents and a subvention from the HSE. Fees are limited - residents are only asked to pay about 220 of their pension, leaving them with a small allowance; residents with personal means are asked to pay more.

The HSE subvention is minimal and different to each home. It is roughly half of what the residents pay.

This week the boards took their concerns directly to Minister for Health Simon Harris. He was in Kilkenny for a Fine Gael party selection convention on Monday and board chair of St Josephs care home in Kilmoganny, Philip Brennan, left him in no doubt as to the gravity of the situation.

Board chair at Prague House, in Freshford, Paul Murphy, said the homes are very financially stressed.

We offer a wonderful service, but without funding we cant survive, Catherine Byrne, manager of Prague House said.

Paul added: We are in such dire straits work is not even hampered anymore, it's just impossible.

The care homes want to be treated with fairness by the HSE. They point out that by offering a low dependency place for elderly people to live they are keeping them in their community and active for longer and keeping them out of much more expensive to the state nursing home or hospital accommodation. If the care homes were to close their doors the HSE would have to provide places for the almost 100 elderly people now resident in them.

Bills are mounting for all the homes. For example accounts for Prague House have a stark note at the bottom: Little/ no suppliers paid in September. Those suppliers include tradesmen, local grocery suppliers, Irish Water, Kilkenny County Council. Tax bills must also be paid on a monthly basis to ensure the tax clearance certificate needed to even qualify for the minimal HSE funding.

Catherine explained: We had considered rising residents' fees but the founding principle of the home is to be afforable for people with only a pension, so fees won't be going up.

In Kilkenny the six homes are: Mount Carmel in Callan; St Josephs in Kilmoganny; Gahan House in Graiguenamanagh; the OGorman Home in Ballyragget; Prague House in Freshford; and Rosedale Residential Centre in Kilmacow.

The homes are low dependency which means they could be described as a retirement home, they are very different to a nursing home where residents need ongoing medical care.

The homes have been in constant correspondence with the HSE who said the homes need to consider their model of service delivery, and that HSE funding is finite.

Catherine said: This has to be addressed at government or Department of Health level - do they want these homes to survive?

We feel we have made enough information available to convince them this is a viable solution to a modern day issue, Paul added.

Board members of the homes met with Minister of State Jim Daly in January and understood funding would be addressed in June. That was moved to August and then to November.

A meeting with Minister Daly is now scheduled to take place today, Thursday, October 4.
CRY Ireland (Cardiac Risk in the Young) are hosting a fundraiser in Lennon's of Durrow at 9pm on Saturday 13th October.

The fundraiser is being produced by 2 bands; Diamond Dogs playing a tribute to David Bowie music, followed by Us and Them, a Pink Floyd tribute of Dark Side of the Moon.

The experienced collaboration of musicians have been rehearsing for this event for 6 months for what promises to be a very special musical and visual night.

CRY is a charity that identifies and supports those that have been diagnosed with SADS (Sudden Adult Death) conditions. CRY is a very worthy charity that wholly relies on donations to exist.

The Dark Side of the Moon resonates the event by beginning with the pulse of a human heart beat. The theme of the album is human plight, life and death. 42 mins and 28 seconds later, the musical feast ends with the final pulse of a human heartbeat.

This fundraising event is the brain child of Mark Shiels, whose son was diagnosed at the age of 17 with a SADS condition and is keeping very well. They were very fortunate that the SADS condition was diagnosed early, as knowledge is key. His wife was subsequently diagnosed with the same genetic condition through CRY.

Tickets are available for 10 in various venues in O'Malleys in Rathdowney, Anthem Music in Portlaoise or at the door on the night.

Please support the event, and help CRY to prevent Cardiac Risk in the Young from happening. For more information, head to their Facebook page.
Of 38 people charged by CBI, 16, including Shah and all senior officers of Gujarat and Rajasthan police, have been discharged.

Seeking dismissal of two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) questioning the CBI's decision, the central agency said the pleas are 'politically motivated' and 'publicity stunts'. (Photo: File)

Mumbai: The CBI's decision not to challenge the discharge granted to BJP president Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh alleged fake encounter case in 2014 was a "conscious" and "reasonable" move, the agency told the Bombay High Court on Wednesday.

Seeking dismissal of two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) questioning the CBI's decision, the central agency said the pleas are "politically motivated" and "publicity stunts".

The petitioner's counsel, however, argued that the CBI had changed its stand on Amit Shah after the change of government at the Centre in 2014.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told the court that the investigating agency had studied the trial court's order granting discharge to Shah as well as various subsequent orders of appellate courts upholding the same.

Two PILs were filed in the HC urging it to ask the CBI why it had chosen not to challenge Amit Shah's discharge, though the agency had filed revision applications against the discharge of two other persons in the case.

A bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre Wednesday heard the PILs, filed by the Bombay Lawyers' Association (BLA) and a local journalist.

The bench has reserved its order.

A special CBI court had in 2014 discharged Shah in the case of alleged fake encounter killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in 2005.

"After going through these orders (of the trial court and of appellate courts), we decided that the order of discharge did not require any judicial review and hence, we took a conscious decision to not file any applications challenging Shah's discharge from the case," Singh said.

He made these submissions while opposing the two PILs.

Appearing for the BLA, senior advocate Dushyant Dave urged the court to intervene in the case.

He argued that the CBI had been roped in by the Supreme Court to probe the killings of Sheikh, his wife Kausar Bi, and their aide Tulsiram Prajapati because the top court had reposed its trust in the independent agency. Hence, the CBI should have been impartial and treated all accused persons in the same manner. Why did it then challenge the discharge granted to police officers N K Amin and Dalpat Singh Rathod, but went quiet in Shah's case?" Dave questioned.

He said the CBI had opposed the discharge plea filed by Amit Shah before a special court in the city in April 2014, but changed its stand after Shah was discharged in December 2014.

"They had called him (Shah) one of the main conspirators in the case at that time. However, in December 2014, Amit Shah was granted discharge in the case and the CBI changed its stand on his role.

"That is because the general elections took place and the government at the Centre changed. But, isn't the CBI supposed to be impartial irrespective of who is in power at the Centre?" Dave asked.

Countering Dave, Amit Singh said there was no law that makes it must for the CBI to file appeals or revision applications in case of every discharge.

He urged the bench to dismiss the pleas saying that the same were "politically motivated" and that they were"publicity stunts".

Amit Singh argued that since Shah had been granted a discharge by a special CBI court in December 2014, several pleas challenging the same were filed in the HC, but they were either withdrawn or dismissed.

"The SC too had upheld the dismissal of several such pleas challenging Shah's discharge, and therefore there was no need for the Bombay HC to entertain the above PILs," Singh argued.

He informed the bench that Shah's discharge was first challenged in Bombay HC through a revision application filed by Sohrabuddin Sheikh's brother Rubabuddin, which he withdrew on October 5, 2015.

A single-judge bench of the Bombay high court had allowed Rubabuddin to withdraw the application on November 23, 2015, after it was convinced that he was doing so voluntarily.

Soon after, one Rajesh Kamble filed a revision application against the discharge granted to Amit Shah, in his capacity of being an "alert citizen".

The HC, however, dismissed his plea on October 21, 2015 questioning his locus standi (his right, or the capacity in which he could have filed the plea) in the case.

A writ petition was then filed by social activist Harsh Mander in the HC challenging the discharge and questioning withdrawal of the application by Rubabuddin.

That plea too was dismissed by the HC and the dismissal was upheld by the Supreme Court in August 2017.

Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Kausar Bi were killed in an alleged fake encounter in 2005 by the Gujarat police.

Prajapati was killed in another such encounter in 2006 by the Gujarat and Rajasthan police.

Of the 38 people charged by the CBI in the case, 16, including Shah and all senior officers of Gujarat and Rajasthan police, have been discharged in the case by the trial court and the Bombay HC.
Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh said MSPs for all rabi crops are higher than the cost of production ranging from 50-112 per cent.

The protesting farmers had ended their march at Kisan Ghat in Delhi early on Wednesday after the police, which had stopped them on the citys border, allowed their entry. (Photo: PTI/File)

New Delhi: With crucial Assembly elections in key Hindi-speaking states just weeks away and the Lok Sabha polls due in 2019, the Centre on Wednesday announced a six per cent hike in wheat support price to Rs 1,840 per quintal and up to 21 per cent increase in other rabi crops, a move that will give farmers Rs 62,635 crores in additional income and help contain their simmering discontent over high input cost and low returns.

The decision by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came a day after a massive two-day protest by farmers right at the doorstep of the nations capital seeking high support prices and loan waivers.

While farmers, after being pounded by teargas shells and water cannons for two days, left for their homes Tuesday night without getting any assurance from the Centre on any of their demands, the Cabinet decision on a hike in rabi crops support prices came Wednesday evening as it was mindful that rebuffing the farmers could be counter-productive in an election year.

The protesting farmers had ended their march at Kisan Ghat in Delhi early on Wednesday after the police, which had stopped them on the citys border, allowed their entry. The Delhi police removed the barricades around 12.30 am to allow the farmers, who were stopped on Tuesday at UP Gate on the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border, to proceed to Kisan Ghat, the memorial of farmer leader and former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh located adjacent to Rajghat between the banks of the Yamuna river and Mahatma Gandhi Road.

The farmers entered Delhi riding their tractors and trolleys, paid tribute at the memorial, and by 5 am started their return journey to their homes in Rajasthan, Haryana, UP and Madhya Pradesh.

While most protesting farmers left Delhi, several leaders, including BKU chief Naresh Sigh Tikait, are staying put near the UP-Delhi border where Tuesdays clash took place with the police. But almost six hours after the BKU ended its protest, a splinter group protested at the Delhi-Noida border, raising a host of demands like loan waiver and pension. They later agitated at the Jantar Mantar in the heart of Delhi on Wednesday afternoon. A senior Delhi police officer said around 200 farmers protested at Jantar Mantar.

The Cabinets decision will help farmers earn an additional income of Rs 62,635 crores (including both the increased support price on rabi crops as well as the recent hike announced in kharif crops MSP a few weeks ago by the Centre), law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters after the meeting.

Recently the government had announced higher MSP for kharif (summer) crops, to fulfil its promise of giving farmers 50 per cent more price than their cost of production and in the process, doubling their income.

Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh said MSPs for all rabi crops are higher than the cost of production ranging from 50-112 per cent.

The CCEA approved a Rs 105 per quintal hike in wheat MSP to Rs 1,840 for the rabi season of 2018-19 crop year (July-June). The MSP of barley has been increased by Rs 30 per quintal to Rs 1,440 per quintal, while that of gram (chana) by Rs 220 per quintal to Rs 4,620 per quintal.
Naidu said Oppn alternative to BJP-led NDA will emerge 'automatically' even without PM face being declared for 2019 LS polls.

On the Rafale jet fighter deal with France, Chandrababu Naidu demanded that PM Modi clear the air in the light of allegations against the government. (Photo: File)

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu said on Thursday that an opposition alternative to the BJP-led NDA will emerge "automatically" even without its prime ministerial face being declared for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Naidu, a former BJP ally who quit the NDA early this year over the Centre's refusal to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh, also offered to play a "pivotal" role to bring all the opposition parties together to forge a united front.

"An alternative (front) will emerge automatically. People are angry with the Modi government and they will choose an alternative," Naidu, 68, told news agency PTI in an exclusive interview.

Naidu also felt non-selection of a prime ministerial candidate by an opposition front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls will not hurt its prospects. "I do not visualise any problem if the PM candidate of the opposition front is not decided before the polls." "As a responsible citizen, I will work out (an alternative). Definitely, I will play my role as a responsible citizen. We will be instrumental in bringing all parties together who are keen to work in the interest of the nation," Naidu said.

He said discussions are still going on with various parties over forging an opposition alliance. "Recently, I met Karnataka chief minister of JD(S). We are discussing with other parties as well," he said but did not give details.

Stating that political alliances are not stitched overnight, Naidu said even in the past, pre-poll and post-poll alliances took place in "a different situation and in different times." "No one could predict a prime ministerial candidate in some past situations."

He felt the choice of the prime ministerial candidate will depend on various circumstances. At the same time, he said it will not be prudent to declare the candidate before the polls as sometimes the plans to forge an opposition alliance could get sabotaged.

"Whoever emerges as a consensus will be the one. If there is a consensus before the poll, it is great," he said.

Asked if he is in the race for the prime ministerial post, Naidu said, "I will never go to the Centre. I have never been an aspirant for any post or for any role at the Centre."

Asked how an alternative opposition front plans to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, Naidu said, "I have been in the politics for the last 40 years. I became chief minister in 1995 and worked in the NDA and UPA. I have seen it all.

"The situation has never been so bad. The country is in a miserable state now. This government has failed in its duty towards people. They will choose an alternative."

Claiming that the Modi government has become very unpopular, Naidu said there is a lot of anger against its policies. "Every citizen has suffered. The government was unable to meet public expectations. The election promises have not been delivered yet," he said.

"I also expected a lot from Modi like every citizen. Talking is different, delivering is important. I feel anything will be better than what has happened in the last four-and-a-half years," Naidu said.

Attacking the government over the poor shape of the economy and rising fuel prices, he said, "A message has gone around that the Indian economy has become weak." "Demonetisation was a big flop and its outcome was negative. The government has done nothing to get back black money. People have no confidence in banks. Those who committed frauds have left the country," he said.

"Fuel rates have gone up, the rupee is depreciating and imports have become costly. The government is doing nothing. You are not handling farmers' issues properly," he added.

Naidu said that on one hand, prices have fallen and you don't purchase at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) while on the other, untimely import and export policies have aggravated the farmers' crisis. "Therefore, farmers have hit the streets."

On the Rafale jet fighter deal with France, Naidu demanded that the prime minister clear the air in the light of allegations against the government.

"Former French president Francois Hollande has made it clear. It is the responsibility of the PM to tell people. The government should immediately clarify to the public whenever there is confusion. Then only you will gain the trust of the public," he added.

Naidu also made a strong case for creating healthy competition among states and promoting cooperative federalism.

"In true spirit, a nation is important and for that building all states and giving helping hand to them is a must," he added.
Decison comes after Moscow's protest



By Yi Whan-woo



South Korea released a Russian-flagged ship, Tuesday, after detaining it in Busan on suspicion of violating the U.N. Security Council (USNC) sanctions on North Korea, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wednesday.



Citing Busan port authorities, the ministry said the Sevastopol, a cargo ship operated by Russia-based Gudzon Shipping, was cleared of allegations that it was involved in illegal trading with North Korea and therefore was free to leave. The ship and its 14 crew members had been seized on Sept. 28.



"Whether the ship violated UNSC sanctions was not found when our side searched and inspected it. And we lifted deferral of the ship's departure as of Oct. 2," a foreign ministry official said on condition of anonymity.



On Aug. 21, the U.S. Department of Treasury blacklisted Gudzon, as well as Russian shipping company Primorye Maritime Logistics and six Russian vessels including the Sevastopol for allegedly breaching UNSC sanctions and being involved in ship-to-ship crude oil trade with North Korea.



The ministry official said South Korea "worked closely" with the U.S. and Russia over the Sevastopol case.



"The ship is targeted by the U.S. and we want to ensure it does not violate the relevant sanctions," the official said.



He stressed the Sevastopol and its crew were never arrested, seized or detained but were prevented from leaving.



"We deferred the Sevastopol's departure in accordance with our routine inspection related to the international sanctions on Pyongyang. This is different from the measures taken against the ships that are found in breach of such sanctions," he said.



However, speculation remains whether South Korea yielded to Russia after the latter lodged a strong protest.



The ship was initially scheduled to leave South Korea on Sept. 27 after docking at the port of Busan on Aug. 14 for maintenance.



The Russian foreign ministry summoned South Korean Ambassador to Russia Woo Yoon-keun, Oct. 1, in protest of the ship's "illegal seizure," demanding Seoul "immediately" allow the ship to leave.



The Russian ministry also canceled its plans to send Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov to a reception hosted by Woo in Moscow, Oct. 1, to mark National Foundation Day. It instead sent a lower-level official.



"Sending a lower-level official should be seen as sign of protest for detaining the Sevastopol," a diplomatic source said.



The UNSC sanctions adopted in September 2017 ban ship-to-ship trade with North Korea at sea.



The UNSC allows member states to seize, inspect and freeze vessels suspected of transferring coal or banned goods to or from Kim Jong-un's regime.


FM expects detailed talks on Pompeo's NK visit



By Kim Bo-eun



Expectations are growing over progress in North Korea's denuclearization, possibly laying out a roadmap for a big deal being reached this month, the 1950-53 Korean War declared over in November, and the North Korean leader visiting Seoul in December.



The expectations come after the U.S. Department of State on Tuesday announced Secretary Mike Pompeo's scheduled visit to Pyongyang, Sunday, and stated confidence over follow-up denuclearization talks.



Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha in a media briefing, Thursday, said she "expects specific discussions to take place on denuclearization issues, with a second summit between North Korea and the U.S. in mind."



Kang also said both South Korea and the U.S. have a "flexible mindset" on drawing up a roadmap while considering all possible corresponding measures the U.S. can take toward denuclearization. But the two countries appear to have agreed for the most part on declaring an end to the Korean War.



Kang in the briefing said, "the U.S. understanding of the intent of declaring an end to the Korean War has deepened."



Dongguk University professor Koh Yu-hwan said, "North Korea has made it clear it wants the war to be ended and it seems the U.S. has agreed to a certain extent on the measure being taken."



Pompeo's talks this time will determine the next steps, he said.



"It depends on to what extent denuclearization steps and corresponding measures will be discussed. Pompeo may address the agenda and date of the second summit between North Korea and the U.S. or could reach an agreement on initial denuclearization measures and ending the war," he said.



This will set when the second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump will take place, Koh said. The summit is forecasted to take place before or after the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 6.



The professor said a deal reached on denuclearization steps and ending the war this month, the war declared over in November and the North Korean leader visiting Seoul in December would be "the ideal scenario," which he said was possible.



Kim's visit to Seoul was agreed upon in the third inter-Korean summit held in September, when President Moon Jae-in visited Pyongyang.



Shin Beom-chul, senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies said the outcome of Pompeo's talks this time will depend on whether North Korea is willing to accept inspections of its nuclear program.



"North Korea will at the least pledge to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear facilities and dismantle its intercontinental ballistic missiles in exchange for ending the Korean War," he said.



"But it remains to be seen whether it will agree to accept inspections to the extent the U.S. is calling for _ which is for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conduct inspections."



If it does, tremendous progress will be seen, Shin said.



Pompeo is set to come to Seoul after his meeting with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang the same day. He is set to meet with President Moon and hold a separate meeting with Minister Kang.




Supreme Court observed that the WhatsApp messages and emails of Anissia Batra on record revealed 'shocking facts'.

Anissia Batra, 32, who worked with a German airline, allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the terrace of her home in south Delhi's Panchsheel Park. (Facebook | Screengrab | Anissia Batra)

New Delhi: In-laws of flight attendant Anissia Batra, who allegedly jumped off the terrace of her Delhi home in July, approached the Supreme Court seeking protection from arrest, the court said "it's a very serious matter, you just can't brush it aside. There's evidence with police that shows cruelty against her. Matter to be heard after 10 days."

The apex court observed that the WhatsApp messages and emails on record revealed "shocking facts".

Anissia Batra's in-laws had earlier applied for an anticipatory bail which was denied by the Delhi High Court after which they moved to the Supreme Court.

Anissia Batra, 32, who worked with a German airline, allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the terrace of her home in south Delhi's Panchsheel Park.

She was being physically and mentally tortured by her husband Mayank Singhvi and his parents, Anissia's father, a retired Army man, told the police.

Batra's family alleged that "she was murdered."

Her husband Mayank Singhvi was arrested by the police three days after her death.

The Batra family alleged that Mayank Singhvi was an alcoholic and often beat her up. He also demanded money. The couple were married for over a year.

The Delhi Police had told the court that couple had supported their son in harassing their daughter-in-law.

The police said Anissia Batra was upset as she found out a month ago that her husband was married once before and had concealed the fact from her.

Speaking about it, a senior police officer revealed, "After she found out about his earlier relationship, she was quite hurt. It is suspected that they must have had arguments over it.
'Key feature of visit will be signing of the agreement to deliver S-400 air defence systems,' Putin's top foreign policy aide said.

Vladimir Putin, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will hold the 19th India-Russia annual bilateral summit during which the two leaders are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation in the wake of the US sanctions against Russian defence majors. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in Delhi today on a two-day visit during which India and Russia are likely to sign a deal to procure S-400 air defence systems and deliberate on key regional and global issues, including US sanctions on import of Iranian crude oil.

Vladimir Putin, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will hold the 19th India-Russia annual bilateral summit during which the two leaders are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation in the wake of the US sanctions against Russian defence majors.

The focus during the visit will be on the S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems agreement with a top Kremlin aide saying Tuesday that Russian President Putin will oversee the signing of the "USD 5 billion deal".

"The key feature of this visit will be the signing of the agreement to deliver S-400 air defence systems," Vladimir Putin's top foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov was quoted in media reports as saying in Moscow. "The value of the contract will be more than USD 5 billion," he said.

The purchase will violate sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) instituted by the US Congress on arms purchases from Russia, but American lawmakers have allowed the possibility of a presidential waiver.

There have been indications by New Delhi that it will go ahead with the deal notwithstanding the US sanctions.

"India has maintained its sovereignty as regards to its relationship with countries. We shall maintain it in all earnestness," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told PTI recently when asked whether the US sanctions will hit India's defence ties with Russia.

India wants to procure the long-range missile systems to tighten its air defence mechanism, particularly along the nearly 4,000-km-long Sino-India border.

S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 to procure the lethal missile system and Moscow has already started delivery of an undisclosed number of the S-400 missile systems to Beijing.

The S-400 is an upgraded version of the S-300 systems. The missile system, manufactured by Almaz-Antey, has been in service in Russia since 2007.

Russia has been one of India's key suppliers of arms and ammunition.

Sources had earlier said PM Modi and President Putin would also deliberate on impact of US sanctions on import of crude oil from Iran.

Besides holding talks with PM Modi, the Russian premier will also have a meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind as well as other official engagements, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

The last annual summit was held on June 1, 2017, during the visit of PM Modi to Russia.

In May, PM Modi had travelled to Russian coastal city of Sochi for an informal summit with Vladimir Putin during which they discussed a range of crucial issues.

PM Modi and Vladimir Putin are also expected to explore ways to further deepen cooperation between the two countries in a number of sectors including trade, investment, connectivity, energy, space and tourism.
Glienicke Bridge was where the first great spy exchange took place between the US and the Soviet Union.

In the autumn of 2010, Vikram Sood, retired RAW chief, and myself were in a conference at Potsdam organised by the Rosa Luxembourg Stiftung. As the conference was winding down, the hosts asked the Indian team if there was anything particular we wanted to do before leaving for India, and the Chief and I suggested a visit to the Glienicke Bridge, where the first great spy exchange took place between the US and the Soviet Union. It was a cold and grey October and we were wearing overcoats. It was just the right setting for spies coming in from the cold.

Glienicke Bridge is a bridge across the Havel River in Germany, connecting Berlins Wannsee district with Brandenburgs capital Potsdam. It is named after the nearby Glienicke Palace.

The first spy exchange took place in February 1962, when the Americans and Russians exchanged Col. Rudolf Abel of the KGB for Maj. Francis Gary Powers of the CIA. Both were symbols of two great and successful spy operations undertaken by the two powers. This was later made into the film Bridge of Spies, directed by Steven Spielberg, with Tom Hanks as the lawyer, and James Donovan as the man who facilitated the exchange. Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel won the Oscar for the supporting role in 2016.

Abel was a Russian illegal, meaning a Russian agent with a false but artfully created legend. It usually started with a visit to cemeteries to search for identities of boys or girls who died early and to match the age of the agent. Based on this, a complete identity was created with superbly forged documents to support a carefully crafted timeline. Many of the illegals were sleepers, who would be woken up when a job was required to be done and required their expertise and skills. How many sleepers the KGB had installed in the West can never be known. The series The Americans, which scored big in the Emmy awards recently, is about a group of Russian-Americans illegals operating in the United States. It ran for six seasons.

But Rudolf Abel was clearly at the top of the pyramid. He is believed to be the agent who handled the atomic spies, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and Vivian Fuchs, who worked on Project Manhattan, the super-secret American nuclear bomb programme in Los Alamos. The Russians, wartime allies of the US, were kept so well abreast of the programme that when the Trinity explosion was triggered off at Alamogordo on July 16, 1945, the allied leaders were scheduled to meet at Potsdam for a conference the following week. The first nuclear test was still a well-kept secret.

Rudolf Abel entered America with a genuine birth certificate, a forged draft card and a forged tax certificate, all under the name of Emil Robert Goldfus, along with $1,000. The real Goldfus had died at only 14 months, having been born on August 2, 1902, in New York. The forerunner of the KGB, the NKVD, obtained Goldfus birth certificate. The illegals programme was the jewel in the crown of Soviet intelligence operations.

At the Potsdam Conference, however, President Harry S. Truman chose to tell Stalin only that the US possessed a new weapon of unusual destructive force. This was Trumans account: On July 24 I casually mentioned to Stalin that we had a new weapon of unusual destructive force. The Russian Premier showed no special interest. All he said was he was glad to hear it and hoped we would make good use of it against the Japanese.

But Stalin knew, and the Russians were getting a good deal of information from Project Manhattan. They were ready in four years. The first Soviet atomic test was codenamed Pervaya Moiniya  or First Lightning  and took place at Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan on August 29, 1949. The Americans codenamed it as Joe 1. The design was very similar to the first US Fat Man plutonium bomb, using a TNT/hexogen implosion lens design.

In the same year the Russian nuclear physicist Andrei Sakharov developed a design for a layered fission-fusion-fission bomb and called it the sloika, or layered cake. It was also known as the RDS-6S, or Second Idea Bomb. The RDS-6S layer cake design was detonated on August 12, 1953, producing a yield of 400 kilotons, about 10 times more powerful than any previous Soviet test.

The Americans tested their first fusion or hydrogen bomb on March 1, 1954. Castle Bravo was the first in a series of high-yield thermonuclear weapon design tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands. The device was the most powerful nuclear device detonated by the United States and its first lithium deuteride-fuelled thermonuclear weapon and had a yield of 15 megatons.

The Russian climaxed this race with the Tsar Bomba, which was the largest, most powerful thermonuclear weapon ever detonated. It was a three-stage hydrogen bomb with a yield of about 50 megatons. This is equivalent to 10 times the amount of all the explosives used in World War II combined. It was detonated on October 30, 1961.

The U-2 spy plane programme was a great mission as it involved Americas great technical prowess and project management abilities. When the onset of the Cold War and when a near-impenetrability separated the West from the Soviet Union, which was best defined by Winston Churchills From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an Iron Curtain has descended across the Continent. Little was known about what was happening behind this Iron Curtain, and with the bomb-building frenzy creating a huge trust void with both sides seeking information about the other and its intentions. The Soviets were more focused on American technologies, while the Americans were focused on Soviet intentions and military dispositions.

The Russians kept prying on America with human intelligence, the leading edge of this being the illegals programme. The Americans, shut out by a police state, sought to achieve their objectives by technological means. The star of this was the U-2 programme. This was the period before satellite reconnaissance and when both alliances were at hair-trigger nuclear alert and round-the-clock bomber patrols.

The CIA wanted a plane that the Russians couldnt see or track, let alone shoot down. So it went to Lockheeds legendary aircraft designer, Kelly Johnson, for help. Johnson gave them the Lockheed U-2, nicknamed Dragon Lady, a single-jet engine, ultra-high altitude reconnaissance aircraft capable of day and night, high-altitude (70,000 feet) and all-weather intelligence gathering. It could criss-cross the Soviet Union at will. The Russians could only watch helplessly. The U-2 was basically a XF-104 (an early Starfighter) with extended wings that stretched 103 feet and large fuel tanks, and highly sophisticated cameras. Shooting through seven glass encased windows in the belly of the U-2, the camera recorded everything along a 3,500 km (2,700 mile) course up to 200 km (125 miles) wide, and it could provide up to 4,000 pairs of stereoscopic photographs. The 36-inch focal length lens resolved features as small as 2.5 feet.

The U-2s flew from bases at Hakodate in Japan, Peshawar in Pakistan and Lanark in Cyprus, and ranged over Russia since 1957. Then suddenly, out of the blue, a U-2 mission from Peshawar overflying Russia and to land at Bodoe in Norway was shot down over Sverdlovsk in Russia. The pilot, Gary Powers, baled out as the crippled U-2 came down towards earth and was captured by the Russians. Incidentally, the US still operates the U-2, 71 years after it entered service.

The Russian illegals programme and Americas U-2 programme intersected for a moment when the two exchanged spies passed each other on February 10, 1962 on the Glienicke Bridge outside Potsdam.

The writer, a policy analyst studying economic and security issues, held senior positions in government and industry. He also specialises in the Chinese economy.
GRU, Britain said, was almost certainly behind the BadRabbit and World Anti-Doping Agency attacks of 2017.

Britain accused Russian military intelligence a British assessment based on work by its National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Russian military intelligence (GRU) was cast as a pernicious cyber aggressor which used a network of hackers to spread discord across the world.

GRU, Britain said, was almost certainly behind the BadRabbit and World Anti-Doping Agency attacks of 2017, the hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016 and the theft of emails from a UK-based TV station in 2015.

The GRUs actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries, said British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Our message is clear  together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRUs attempts to undermine international stability, Hunt said. Britain believes the Russian government is responsible for the attacks.

Though less well known than the Soviet Unions once mighty KGB, Russias military intelligence service played a major role in some of the biggest events of the past century, from the Cuban missile crisis to the annexation of Crimea. of directing a host of cyber attacks aimed at undermining Western democracies by sowing confusion in everything from sport to transport and the 2016 US presidential election.

RUSSIAN CYBER POWER?

Though commonly known by the acronym GRU, which stands for the Main Intelligence Directorate, its name was formally changed in 2010 to the Main Directorate of the General Staff (or just GU). Its old acronym  GRU  is still more widely used.

It has agents across the globe and answers directly to the chief of the general staff and the Russian defence minister. The GRU does not comment publicly on its actions. Its structure, staff numbers and financing are Russian state secrets.

The GRU traces its history back to the times of Ivan the Terrible, though it was founded as the Registration Directorate in 1918 after the Bolshevik Revolution. Vladimir Lenin insisted on its independence from other secret services.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has said GRU officers used a nerve agent to try to kill former double agent Sergei Skripal, who was found unconscious in the English city of Salisbury in March. Russia has repeatedly denied the charges.

After the Skripal poisoning, the West agreed with Britains assessment that Russian military intelligence was to blame and launched the biggest expulsion of Russian spies working under diplomatic cover since the height of the Cold War.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB spy, said that Skripal, a GRU officer who betrayed dozens of agents to Britains MI6 foreign spy service, was a scumbag who had betrayed Russia. Britain said the GRU was associated with a host of hackers including APT 28, Fancy Bear, Sofacy, Pawnstorm, Sednit, CyberCaliphate, Cyber Berkut, Voodoo Bear and BlackEnergy Actors.

This pattern of behaviour demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to international law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences, Foreign Secretary Hunt said.

The United States sanctioned GRU officers including its chief, Igor Korobov, in 2016 and 2018 for attempted interference in the 2016 US election and cyber attacks.

Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), a Russian military intelligence organisation, knowingly engages in significant activities that undermine cybersecurity on behalf of the Russian government, the US Treasury said in March.
by Chao Mien

The bishop of Hong Kong recalls that many bishops of the People's Republic of China "cannot always have contact with the Holy Father, and they cannot even have them with bishops from other dioceses". But for Msgr. Yeung, the Sino-Vatican agreement is a step forward in the journey of communion between the Church of China and the universal Church. Card. Zen to the two bishops: "Stop being two-faced. Come home!".

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - Msgr. Michael Yeung Ming-cheung, bishop of Hong Kong, is grateful because two bishops from China are able to attend the Synod on Youth in the Vatican which began yesterday and runs until October 28th. At the same time, he points out to AsiaNews: "We all know that for many reasons, the bishops of popular China cannot always have contact with the Holy Father, and they cannot even have them with bishops from other dioceses. It is an obstacle to their pastoral ministry ".

Msgr. Giovanni Battista Yang Xiaoting, bishop of Yanan and Msgr. Giuseppe Guo Jincai, bishop of Chengde, are the first two bishops of the People's Republic of China able to participate in an ecclesial Synod.

Since 1965, when Paul VI established the system of the Synod, the Vatican invited some bishops from China in 1998 and 2005, but without success because the Beijing government did not give them permission to leave the country.

The two bishops who received permission from Beijing this time are two senior officials. Bishop Yang is the vice-president of the Council of Chinese bishops, a body not recognized by the Holy See (because it excludes underground bishops); Msgr. Guo is the Secretary General of the Council and also representative of the National People's Congress, the Chinese parliament in which members of the Communist Party normally participate. Msgr. Guo is one of the seven excommunicated bishops, reconciled with the Pope after the Sino-Vatican agreement.

Yesterday, at the opening Mass of the Synod, Pope Francis greeted them, visibly moved, during the homily. "Today, for the first time, we have also with us two bishops from mainland China. We offer them our warm welcome: the communion of the entire Episcopate with the Successor of Peter is yet more visible thanks to their presence".

For Msgr. Yeung, the agreement between China and the Vatican for the nominations of bishops marks a step forward in the path of communion between the Church of China and the universal Church. "Although the content of the agreement has not been published in the letter to the Catholics of China, Pope Francis has made it clear that encounter... [can] be authentic and fruitful only if it takes place through the practice of dialogue'".

"Today - continued Msgr. Yeung - the Church of China meets, knows and works together with the universal Church. I hope that they can, hand in hand, establish a future full of harmony".

However, there are criticisms of the presence of the two bishops in Rome. Card. Joseph Zen Zekiun, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, published a very bitter criticism on his blog in Chinese, asking the two Chinese bishops: "Stop being two faced. Come home!". And yesterday, in Italian, the Cardinal wrote: "A voice from the peripheries. The presence of the two emissaries of the persecutor and atheist government. It is an insult to good bishops in China and to the Synod of Catholic bishops! "

(Photo: Reuters)
by Wang Meixiu* ()

The opinion of Prof. Wang Meixiu, of the National Academy of Social Sciences. Thanks to the agreement, the era of the Church "independence" from the Pope ends. And we need to think of the Patriotic Association as a "voluntary" body in which participation is not obligatory.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - On 22 September the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vatican Section for Relations between the States of the Holy See reached a "tentative agreement" on the future nomination and appointment of the bishops of China. For the Catholic Church it is a historical turning point, a unique event 70 years after the institution of the People's Republic of China.

Although the details of the agreement have not been disclosed, we can all imagine how after four years of dialogue, the agreement can only be a win-win for both parties.

Compared to its position on the two cardinal principles of relations with the Vatican in the 1980s and 1990s, there has been a very clear change by the Chinese government that cannot be ignored.

We can believe that, within the dialogue between the Chinese government and the Vatican, over the next two or three years (in reference to what was said by Jeroom Heyndrickx to Radio France International, RFI) this agreement will favor the solution of the questions connected with the Chinese Catholic Church, the opening of a road to full communion and harmony between the official and the unofficial community, and with the Pope.

As for the Catholic Church, the request for dialogue with the Chinese government  which begun under the inspiration of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI - with the aim of a full unity of communion for the Church in China - has taken a huge step forward. As is obvious, this dialogue has been the object of attention, analysis and embarrassment for the media and many members of the Church.

This article sets out a reflection on two small changes for the Chinese Catholic Church after the agreement.

The "self-managed" Church

First, after the agreement, the principle of a "self-managed and independent" Chinese Catholic Church has undergone a minor change. In the past, the right of "independent self-management" was not recognized on the appointment of bishops by the Pope, but now the Pope has the last and independent right / power over the nomination of bishops.

Previously, for many Chinese bishops appointed by the government and secretly recognized by the Pope, at the ordination ceremony they were not allowed to publicly announce this papal recognition. Even before the ceremony, within the restricted circle of priests of the diocese it was forbidden to read the recognitio by the Vatican.

After the agreement, with the consent of the parties, the Pope will nominate the bishops, the ordained bishops and the concelebrants will all be recognized by the Church, during the consecration ceremony the nomination that will be read must be personally signed by the Pontiff.

One can therefore see how the old wineskin of the "self-managed and independent Church" will be filled with new wine. However, this subtle change is a big change of direction. At least for the next two or three years, Chinese bishops, members of the Department of Religious Affairs and other departments will no longer have to worry and be embarrassed about any illegal or illicit ordinations.

In the past, the independence and self-management of the Chinese Church that deprived the Pope of his right of independence over the appointment and consecration of bishops was illicit [from the Church's point of view]. From today the representatives of the diocesan clergy, of the nuns and the representatives of the faithful, after the Pope's appointment, will organize the ordination.

Of course, in the past like the future, the participation of the Chinese government at all levels is very important.

The Patriotic Association: it is voluntary

The second point concerns the Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics. According to its Constitutions at national, provincial and municipal levels, the Catholic Patriotic Association is "a voluntary popular organization of faithful patriotic Catholics".

"Popular organization" means that the Patriotic Association is not a Church.

"Voluntary organization" means that participation is voluntary and not imposed.

From this point of view, it is understandable that the Vatican will not comment on the participation of the Patriotic Association by the Clergy, considering that the Patriotic Association is not a church.

Some foreign media reported that the "underground bishops" must obtain recognition from the government and compulsorily participate in the Patriotic Association.

The problem now is that, since the statutes of the Patriotic Association establish the association is a group of people made up of Catholic religious and church members who freely associate, participating in it or not should be the voluntary choice of an individual. Therefore, participation in the Patriotic Association and the recognition of "underground clergy" by the government are not necessarily connected questions. From the standpoint of the universal Catholic Church and the Statutes of the Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics, Patriotic Associations at all levels can be considered as organizations affiliated to the Catholic Church, able to serve the Church, but [without influence] on the affairs of the Church, internal to the Church's leadership and decision-making processes.

One issue that merits reflection is therefore the role of the Patriotic Association, which must respect the constraints imposed by its own statutes. In short, for the Vatican, the China-Vatican Agreement is a good start. Only mutual respect and the will to go forward together with the three parties involved, the Chinese government, the Vatican and the Catholic Church in China, will lead to find a common way to solve the other problems that are still unresolved: that of the underground bishops" ", the role of the Council of Bishops, the agreement on the number and territory of the dioceses, and so on.

* Member of the Institute for the Study of Religions, a branch of the National Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, and observer of the Catholic Church in China.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The elections of the President of Georgia will be held next October 28, and the candidates are trying to pull the Orthodox Church to their side. The main opponents are Bidzina Ivanishvili, who leads the currently governing coalition "The Georgian dream - a democratic Georgia" (GMDG) and Grigor Bashadze, ex-foreign minister and former president Mikhail Saakashvili, of the "Force in unity" block, a set of lists formed around the "National Unitary Movement "(NUM). The third candidate could be another woman, Salome Zurabishvili, from the so-called "dreamers", formerly foreign minister under Bashadze and once close to Saakashvili, before passing to the opposition.

During the election campaign, Zurabishvili accused the local Orthodox Church of having broken the concordat with the state, signed in 2002 between the President Eduard Shevardnadze and the Katolikos (Patriarch) Ilja II. According to the agreements, the authorities recognize and respect the rights and property of the Church in the country, and the members of the clergy undertake to stay out of politics. Zurabishvili believes that the Georgian Church has failed in the pact by repeatedly intervening in the political debate. On the Imedi TV channel, the "dreamer" candidate stated: "How is it possible that the Church participates in such a shameless way in the electoral campaign?".

The accusations are all the more current, as the Patriarch Ilja II himself undersigned them, stating that "unfortunately, some members of the clergy have issued statements of political content on the occasion of the approaching elections, arguing in a very incorrect manner for one candidate or another. I invite priests and bishops to refrain from these actions; the Church has been and will always be neutral with respect to politics, as a unifying force of the country ".

The anger of the katolikos and the candidate was provoked by the behavior of a member of the Synod of the Orthodox Church, the Metropolitan of Chkondidsky Petr (Tsaavi). On 18 September, he criticized Zurabishvili during a Sunday homily in the cathedral of the city of Martvili (northern Zvanetsia). The prelate has accused the candidate of poor patriotism, having been born and raised in France, so much so she speaks Georgian with a strong French accent. The "dreamer" has worked in the past in the foreign ministry of Paris, and only this year renounced French citizenship. Metropolitan Petr likened her to the French missionaries of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, who went to Georgia to make propaganda of Catholicism "deceiving the Georgian population; since then the term Frenchification is used, to indicate in Georgian an evil behavior".

It should be noted that the "dreamers", the group that supports the Zurabishvili, mostly resort to "patriotic" arguments, comparing for example Russian occupied Abkhazia occupied a "gangrene". The candidate has promised that, in the event of an election, she will bring Abkhazia and South Ossetia back under Georgian sovereignty, no longer with the weapons of war, but that of love for the homeland and the common welfare of the whole population of the country.

Metropolitan Petr opposes the Zurabishvili and favors the candidate Bashadze, representative of the most anti-Russian and aggressive faction, according to the line of the former president Saakashvili. The latter has been involved in the last years of Ukrainian politics, covering in 2015-2016 the position of governor of the Odessa region and participating in the recent conflict against Russia. Other positions of various members of the Church have stood up for or against the various candidates, creating a climate of confusion among the faithful and in the population.

The echoes of the Ukrainian conflict, and of the 2011 conflict with Putin's Russia in Abkhazia, heavily affect Georgian politics. For this reason, the Orthodox Church of Tbilisi has attempted to clarify that, at an ecclesiastical level, the problems between Moscow, Kiev and Constantinople are internal to those same Churches, trying to stay out of the controversy. The presidential elections could make the framework of social life and ecclesiastical relations even more complex.
by Anna Chiara Filice

What differentiates young people in Pakistan is education and poverty for the poor dont go to school. For Christians, discrimination in the workplace and marginalisation because of their faith are added factors. For one young Pakistani, Daniel Bashir, bishops should help solve our problems through faith.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  "Catholic bishops, in addition to listening to us young people, should guide us, said Daniel Bashir, a young synod delegate from Pakistan, speaking to AsiaNews to the Synod on young people.

He is one of the very few young auditors (36) invited to participate in the Synod of Bishops, tasked with helping the Church to better understand young people and touch their destiny, renewing them in faith and vocation.

For Daniel, to reach this goal, Catholic leaders meeting in the Vatican until 28 October should advise us. Many of us dont know what to do with our lives, what path to choose. Help us understand it through faith."

A young doctor from Karachi, Daniel is also the national coordinator of Jesus Youth, an international movement of lay missionaries. He has been lucky in life because not all young people in his country have the opportunity to study that he has had.

If one really wants to understand how Pakistan's youth live, "the first distinction that needs to be made is between those who study and those who do not. Everything revolves around that."

If we turn to the Christian minority, "the distinctions based on education makes little difference. We [Christians] can be engineers, architects, doctors, but in many places, we are discriminated because of our faith. Some jobs are for Muslims only, whilst the most degrading jobs are reserved for young people from minority groups. Sometimes this is very frustrating, especially for those who have an education. It is painful for us."

In Pakistan, young Catholics live "in a very simple way. The most devout go to Mass every morning, before going to school or work. For that reason, the service is held at 6:30 am in many parishes."

Money is the main factor that differentiates. "For students, the school day unfolds following an hourly schedule. When they are grown up, they search for work. Those from poor families, life is different. Most of them are day labourers, so if they dont work, they dont ear. For this reason, many move away from the faith because they cannot go to Mass on Saturday or Sunday. Neither is a public holiday in Pakistan.

From a spiritual point of view, things have been changing in the past few years because "of the youth of priests. Until a decade ago, clergymen were elderly, seen as distant from people. But now there are younger priests, who attract the faithful, make confessions simpler, teach us better how to live as witnesses of Jesus among Muslims.

For the young Karachi doctor, the spontaneity that characterises young men of the cloth "allows us to develop a warmer atmosphere with youth. This is why they are often called 'Brothers' rather than 'Fathers'. They make us feel loved, as if we were all part of one big family."

However, young Pakistanis face only one fundamental problem, namely guidance. After school, we dont know what to do. We are confused, we dont have a sense of discernment. Priests are extraordinary in their pastoral work but not in counselling young people."

For this reason, he believes that the Synod of Bishops, which is centred on this topic, represents a great opportunity. "The bishops must help us find our way. The Synod should encourage them to focus on helping and counselling young people in individual dioceses. After listening to us, they must advise us on how to solve our problems, realise our dreams, and face the challenges of life through faith and spiritual renewal."
Zell Am See, Oct 4 (AFP) With its pristine waters, snow-covered mountains and breathtaking Alpine views, the Austrian lakeside town of Zell am See is one of the top European destinations for visitors from the Gulf region.

And it aims to remain so, even though Austria introduced a ban on face-covering burqa or niqab veils a year ago.

The picturesque little town south of Salzburg with a population of 10,000 is regularly described as "paradise" in Arabic-language reviews online. It draws tens of thousands of visitors from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates or Oman every year.

They make up more than a quarter of all annual visitors and holiday brochures are readily available in Arabic.

So when Austria banned the wearing of burqas or niqabs in all public spaces in October 2017 -- under pain of fines of up to 150 euros ($170) -- the town's authorities knew that enforcing the rule could be a delicate matter.

The aim of the ban, according to the government, is to further integration among Austrian Muslims at a time when fears about immigration and radical Islamists are sharply dividing society.

But in resorts such as Zell am See, police are having to enforce it against tourists, fuelling fears that the high-spending Arab guests, and the valuable revenue they represent, might be scared off.

"I've heard some people say they don't want to come back now," said one restaurant worker who asked not to be named, even if he said hadn't particularly noticed a drop in business this year.

Local police chief Kurt Moeschl said more than 200 fines had been handed out between June and September alone. But his officers were always at pains to remain respectful.

"We have been trying to implement the law with as much tact and sense of proportion as possible," he said.

Austrian embassies and missions abroad had been working to raise awareness of the new law, Moeschl said. And the police chief himself had hosted the Saudi ambassador in Zell am See to discuss the issue.

Moeschl estimated that in around 90 percent of cases, the women had agreed to remove their veil after police officers explained the new law to them.

Walking along the lakeside, one couple from Saudi Arabia -- who did not wish to be named -- said they had been approached by police during their stay.

"Yes, the police did talk to us about the niqab law. But we are leaving tomorrow," the husband said, as his wife, still wearing the veil, stood beside him.

A little farther along the shore, Barbara Scheicher, who operates a boat-rental business, said the law had not had a noticeable impact.

"I haven't noticed any difference, either in the number [of people] coming, or in how many of them are veiled," she told AFP.

"I asked one woman whether she knew it was illegal, but she reacted so badly that since then I haven't. I've seen the same reaction when the police have tried to tell people," Scheicher said.

Police chief Moeschl said his officers had also encountered locals and even other holidaymakers who insisted that women's veils be forcibly removed.

One Norwegian tourist, for example, went so far as to send the police photos of niqab-wearing women at various locations around the town, complete with the times they were taken, and the message: "Do your job".

Moeschl insisted that most interactions passed off without incident and that his officers followed interior ministry guidelines.

And he is optimistic that, over time, the situation will become easier.

"I expect that in a few years from now, this won't be an issue." (AFP) AMS

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington, Oct 4 (PTI) Islamabad is seeking an American role in facilitating talks between India and Pakistan because the two South Asian neighbours are not engaging bilaterally, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said, warning that absence of such a facilitation could lead to escalation of tension.

But the latest Pakistani request in this regard has again been rejected by the US, the top Pakistani diplomat told a Washington audience on Wednesday, a day after he had meetings with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, during which he raised the issue only to be pushed back by the Trump administration.

"When we asked the US, to play facilitating role...Why do we ask? Simply because we are not engaging bilaterally. And that bilateral disengagement isa distraction. We want to focus, we want to move on the western side of the border, which we are not being able to because we have to watch our back from eastern side (of the border with India). That is not a healthy situation to be in," Qureshi said in response to a question at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded top American think-tank. "Now can you (United States) facilitate? The answer from them is no. They wanted bilaterally. But there is no bilateral movement," Qureshi said warning that this could lead to escalation of tension between the two South Asian countries. "If that lack of facilitation leads to escalation and some of the statements that have come out of late have not been very helpful," the Pakistani foreign minister said in an apparent reference to the remarks by Indian leaders. "The so-called surgical strikes and stuff like that doesn't make sense. It does not, that's politics.. there are elections around the corner," he said in response to a question. The new government of Prime Minister Imran Khan in Pakistan, he claimed, is not shy of engaging. Referring to the cancelling of his meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New York, he alleged that India backed off.

However, he quickly skipped India's reasons for this  glorification of terrorists by issuing postal stamps and brutal killing of India security personnel. "If the Indians have a better option, share it with us. If disengagement, if not talking to each other will resolve and stabilise the region, fine. If that's their analysis fine,Qureshi said. Qureshi who left for Pakistan after his meetings with Trump administration officials said it is unfortunate that the two countries are not engaging. It's unfortunate. That's the way it is. Now. What does this government want? We want normalisation. We want co-existence. You've got to recognise the reality. Pakistan is a reality. So is India. We have issues. How do we resolve them?" he asked. After coming to power, the first speech made by the Prime Minister Khan was "that every step you (India) take towards peace, we will take two. And he meant it. It wasn't just because it sounded good. It wasn't to please anyone. He is too blunt a person to please people. He can be very straight and he can be very blunt. But he said that because he feels that way," Qureshi said. India has said that Pakistan created the conditions for cancellation of the talks  due to issuing of postage stamps glorifying terrorists and brutal killing of its three security personnel.

The Pakistan foreign minister did not mention that in his answer and only said that the stalled dialogue process is not good for the two countries and the region. Responding to a question on India's stand that talks and terrorism cannot go together, a view which is shared by Washington too, Qureshi referred to a statement by Khan while he was an opposition leader and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a trip to New Delhi that there would always be spoilers. "There will always be spoilers. There will always be elements that will scuttle the process of peace. But when they do that, let re-engage to fight them. They will push us back. But we have to see what is in our interest, what is in the regional interest. What's in Pakistan's interest," Qureshi said quoting what Khan had told Modi.

Soon, he raised the Kashmir issue.

"They have to realise, and I think they were being simplistic, if they feel that everything that's wrong on the Indian side of Kashmir is all of Pakistan's making, that is an unrealistic approach," he said.

India, he said, should also revisit its policies and see why and how people have been alienated.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Sanaa [Yemen], Oct 04 (ANI): Two of slain former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh's sons were on Wednesday released from prison by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

"The sons of Ali Abdullah Saleh, Salaah and Madyan, were released upon an amnesty from the (so-called) President of the Supreme Political Council Mahdi al-Mashat (top Houthi official)," a statement from the group was quoted by Xinhua citing a Saba news agency report.

The Houthi group had on December 4, 2017, killed their then-partner President Saleh as he sought peace with Saudi Arabia, who led the Arab coalition against the Houthi rebels.

The release of Saleh's sons came after a "mediation from Oman," a senior source in the Houthi told Xinhua, adding that they were being ferried in an "Omani plane to United Arab Emirates (UAE), where they would join their exiled older brother Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh in Abu Dhabi."

In September 2014, assaulted the capital city of Sanaa and controlled it along with of other northern cities, including the port city of Hodeidah, after they advanced from the northern stronghold of Saada.

This provoked military action from Saudi Arabia, who led the coalition and launched an aerial assault on the country in March 2015 to restore exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government.

According to figures from UN aid agencies, at least 10,000 have been killed due to the war, with most of them being civilians, displacing a further three million. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, October 4: Amid intensive election campaigns by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and other opposition parties for the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha polls, several surveys have predicted that the BJP will win in 2019 and continue to be in power. According to the ABP News- CVoter Desh ka Mood survey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will return for a second term in 2019. The survey, however, predicted that the vote share of NDA and UPA will be 38 percent and 25 percent respectively. Lok Sabha Elections 2019: BJP to Appoint Nealy 1 Lakh 'Cell Phone Pramukh' For Extensive WhatsApp-Based Campaign.

According to the survey, the overall seat projection for the 2019 polls includes NDA with 276 seats, UPA with 112 seats and others with 155 seats. The ABP News- CVoter Desh ka Mood survey further predicted that BJP would win all seven seats in the national capital, while it would not be able to get a majority in the southern states. Rahul Gandhi Sounds Bugle For 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Says 'Narendra Modi Broke Trust, Try Congress'.

For the UPA, the survey predicted that the party would be able to make big gains in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls only if it joins hands with the SP-BSP alliance. It states that the Mahagathbandhan will win no less than 56 of 80 seats in the state. The survey further states that the UPA will get a majority in Congress-ruled Punjab. Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, the ABP News-CVoter survey predicted that if the BJP and Shiv Sena split, and the NCP and Congress join forces in Maharashtra which would be an advantage for the UPA. 2019 Lok Sabha Elections: AAP Connects with 'Aam Aadmi' Via 'Chai Pe Charcha'.

Meanwhile, an internal survey of the saffron party predicted that the BJP will win 300 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The survey also predicted the saffron party will win 360 seats, which will be about 51 per cent of the total vote share. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won 282 seats and the NDA 336. NaMo App Invites Micro Donations, Volunteers For BJP Ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

Some other surveys conducted earlier by several other agencies predict that the NDA would get less than 300 seats. the 'Mood of the Nation survey, conducted in May, had predicted that the NDA would get only 274 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats while the UPA would get only 164 seats. Narendra Modi, Nitish Kumar Two Faces of NDA for Upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha Elections: JD-U.

According to a report by PTI, the BJP will apply its 'T20 formula' to ensure victory in the 2019 general elections, a senior party leader said. Under the T20 strategy, the party has set a target for every worker to visit at least 20 houses in their area and publicise the Narendra Modi-led government's achievements while having tea.

Meanwhile, BJP chief Amit Shah had in May asserted his party would exceed its current tally of 282 in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Shah had said it would surmount any challenge that it may face from the opposition which has been trying hard to forge a broad front against it. Shah said he was confident about his his party maintaining its overall sweep of northern and western India, while substantially boosting its numbers in the North-East and southern states, besides West Bengal.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 04, 2018 11:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Card de Rocha noted that for those who want to accompany young people towards life in fullness, "it is essential to know the realities that they live in, starting from the most painful ones such as want, war, prison, migration and all other forms of poverty".

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis had a brief meeting this morning with the two Chinese bishops present at the Synod. Mgr Joseph Guo Jincai and Mgr John Baptist Yang Xiaoting greeted the Pope on his arrival at the Synod and spoke with him for a few minutes.

Yesterday, the general rapporteur, Card Sergio de Rocha, spoke about the method that will be followed during the synod. For him opting for "discernment rather than pre-packaged solutions dictated by 'it has always been done so' implies taking the risk of setting new paths".

Hopefully, this Synod will be a beautiful experience to re-establish and reclaim those intergenerational alliances that give solidity and security to the world and the Church".

During the Synod, he noted, each week will focus on one of the three parts of the Instrumentum laboris: recognising, interpreting and choosing.

The first week will alternate between group work ("general congregations") and work in smaller groups ("minor circles") and will examine the "First part" of the Instrumentum laboris, namely the verb to "recognise".

This means "not looking at reality for a sociological analysis, but with the disciple's gaze, scrutinising the footsteps and tracks of the Lord's passage with an open and welcoming attitude."

For those who want to accompany young people towards life in fullness, "it is essential to know the realities that they live in, starting from the most painful ones such as want, war, prison, migration and all other forms of poverty".

This will also require "letting ourselves be challenged by their concerns, even when they question Church's practice (for example, the liveliness of the liturgy or the role of women) or touch complex issues such as affectivity and sexuality. Equally important is the awareness of the strengths of the Church's presence in the world of youth, and of its weaknesses, starting from the lack of familiarity with digital culture."

In his address, the cardinal also criticised the fatalistic visions that see life determined by destiny or chance. Instead, for him, it is essential to regain "a vocational interpretation of human existence" because vocation is the fulcrum of integration of all the dimensions of a human being.

It is precisely in a vocational culture" that the specific commitment to care for priestly vocations and the consecrated life can find meaning, not in terms of privilege or power but of service offered.

Finally, it is also necessary to first listen to God and to question ourselves about the image of the community and the Church offered to the young.
A Wisconsin man who lost his arms and legs to a rare blood infection caused by licks of a dog is soon going to walk again is determined to walk again. The 48-year-old also said that he will not stop loving dogs. Greg Manteufel was admitted to hospital in June and was only released after undergoing ten surgeries.

In the initial days, he couldn't walk properly and spotted bruises on his body. Dr Patrick Hettinger, a plastic surgeon at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee was quoted as saying, "When Greg had come in he had developed a severe bloodstream infection with rare bacteria capnocytophaga."

Capnocytophaga is a bacteria which is commonly found in the saliva of cats and dogs. However, rarely has the bacteria resulted in illness in people. While Manteufel has a dog it is not clear if he contracted the infected from his animal or another one.

Watch the video below:

As blood circulation towards his forearms and legs stopped, surgeons had to amputate part of his forearms and legs. It also affected his nose and upper lip. Manteufel who is a house painter hopes to walk and drive again. He thanks his doctors for his revival and being with him during the tough journey.

Dr Hettinger said, "Through all of this, the real star of the show is Greg. He's had the most positive attitude of any patient I have ever met and he's approached this with a fight that I don't think I've seen in any patient."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 04, 2018 05:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
The women's wing of India's ruling party is protesting on the streets of Thiruvananthapuram against the entry of women of menstruating age inside the Sabarimala Temple. The Opposition, too, is going to hold a protest on similar lines. It's women against women. It's women telling other women that the rules made by other human beings, reeking of patriarchy, are divine and must be followed. It's the mother telling her daughter not to pray because she is on her period. It's the mother-in-law telling her daughter-in-law to not enter the kitchen because she is bleeding. It's the woman telling the woman to not call her husband by his name. It's women against women. Sabarimala Temple Verdict: Doors For Ayyappa Darshan Open For Women of All Age Groups, Rules Supreme Court Saying Biological Reasons Can't be Given Legitimacy.

And that's not just about menstruating women or their rights. It's widespread. A few days ago, Rakhi Sawant called actor Tanushree Dutta names because the latter had to courage to speak out against sexual harassment at workplace and name personalities like Nana Patekar and Vivek Agnihotri. A woman editor of a magazine, in fact, went to the extent of calling Tanushree a political agent planted by the Opposition because she accused Vivek Agnihotri of sexual harassment.

With this being the current state of the country, it's a humongous journey before we get an India that has equal rights for men and women. The word has come from the supreme law authority but it's our women folk that refuses to leave patriarchy behind and move ahead. The sad part is that in several parts of India, this is passed on from one generation to another and is, hence, deeply imbibed. Sabarimala Verdict by Supreme Court Highlights: 'Women are Worshipped like Goddesses, Temple Doors Cannot be Closed For Them'.

This agenda of barring menstruating women or just simply women from entering places of worship is just one of the many issues plaguing our country. Why can't we pray at the temples, mosques at our own will? Who decides this? Have these things come in written from the Gods? They haven't for sure since no religious verse says so. It's deep-rooted patriarchy and women need to stand united against it.

It's our sisterhood that is the need of the hour to ensure we get what we deserve, we get what's ours, we get our rights. We need to stop victim-shaming among ourselves. If we stand against each other in this, if we demean each other in this, how do we think of an India with equal rights for us, for you and me?

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 04, 2018 01:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Katmandu, October 4: In a bid to curb sexual violence in the country, the Nepal government on Thursday ordered a crackdown on more than 24,000 pornography websites. The move comes after people in Nepal expressed anguish over the brutal rape and murder of a 13-year-old schoolgirl in July and demanded a crackdown on 'pornography and vulgar' content. Following the mounting criticism, the Nepal government announced a crackdown on "pornography and vulgar content" last Friday. The murder of the minor sparked protest rallies across the country in August, where one person was killed and over a dozen were injured, a PTI report stated.

"Easy access to porn and vulgar content through the internet has affected our social values and social harmony and it has encouraged sexual violence," the Nepal government said in a statement. The rape and murder of the minor raised questions of safety and the nation were accused of not taking adequate action in rape cases. According to a PTI report, the anger among the people of Nepal spurred after a video emerged of police officers destroying evidence. Moreover, the government stoked further ire by describing the protests as a conspiracy against the ruling party. China Shuts Over 4,000 Porn, Other 'Harmful' Websites in Clean-Up Campaign.

According to reports, the list of websites that the telecoms authority has told providers to block has not been made public. However, Binaya Bohara, CEO of Vianet, an internet service provider warned that the vague directive issued by the Nepal government would be difficult to follow as there are many back-end ways to reach these sites. Pornhub, Reddit, Tumblr And 50 More Websites Are on 'Red Alert' Supporting Net Neutrality Vote in Congress.

Several activists condemned the governments move and said the ban by the government exposes its lack of understanding of how the internet works. Meanwhile, Women's rights activist Mohna Ansari of the National Human Rights Commission was quoted in the report saying that the ban on porn websites is not a solution to control sexual violence and rape. Ansari further added saying that the real problem was the lack of justice for women who take complaints of domestic and sexual violence to the police and no action is taken against the culprits.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 04, 2018 09:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Tehran, October 4: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday that Tehran will "slap the US in the face" by defeating it in its economic sanctions against the country.

"The American sanctions are more fragile than Iran's economy," Khamenei said while addressing a gathering in the capital.

"We will defeat the sanctions. The defeat of sanctions will be America's defeat, and the US, with this defeat, should once again be slapped in the face by the Iranian nation, God willing," he was cited as saying by Press TV.

The leader called for the unity among all the Iranians in the face of the "enemy's plots", saying that "if the enemy witnesses the unity, power, and determination, it will retreat".

Khamenei said over the past 40 years, when the Islamic republic was established in Iran, the US has been seeking to overthrow the Islamic establishment, stressing that Washington will also be disappointed in its recent plots against Tehran. Irans President Warns U.S. of Historic Regret If Trump Walks Out of Iran Deal.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier said that his country was terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran after the UN's top court ordered Washington to lift sanctions on Tehran.

The Hague-based International Court of Justice issued a verdict against the US unilateral sanctions, following Washington's withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 04, 2018 02:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned its Middle Eastern ally Saudi Arabia that the family of King Salman would not last two weeks" without the backing of the U.S. military.

The U.S. presidents statements made at an election rally before the oncoming U.S. midterm elections seem to be an effort to pressure Riyadh to act on the rising cost of crude oil. Trump also called on the kingdom to increase its defence budget or face an uncertain future.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Mississippi, Trump said, "I love the king, King Salman, but I said - 'King, we're protecting you. You might not be there for two weeks without us. You have to pay for your military, you have to pay."'

Trump had called on Saudi Arabia, before the scheduled Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting last month to increase production of crude oil so that prices cool down. However, the meeting did not result in any such decision.

Moreover, the U.S. has imposed sanctions on Iran after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal and Irans crude oil production is expected to take a hit from November this year. Based on these supply disruption factors and the lag time associated with OPECs ability to increase production, analysts are estimating that oil prices could rise up to $100 a barrel by the end of this year or starting next year. Meanwhile, the oil prices today are  West Texas Intermediate crude is trading at $74.30 and Brent Crude is at $86.24.

At last week's United Nations General Assembly, Trump had criticised oil producers, saying that the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries are ripping off the world. "Opec nations are, as usual, ripping off the rest of the world and I don't like it," he said. "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."

However, not everyone is impressed by Trumps apparent bullying tactics. Russian President Vladimir Putin said his American counterparts Iran sanctions are largely to blame for current high oil prices.

President Trump considers that the price is high; hes partly right, but lets be honest, Putin said at the Russian Energy Week conference in Moscow on Wednesday. Donald, if you want to find the culprit for the rise in prices, you need to look in the mirror.

The Russian leader pushed back against escalating criticism of OPEC and its allies, which Trump has blamed for Brent crudes rise to a four-year high near $85 a barrel.

Putin said his country has already boosted output and has the capacity to add another 200,000 to 300,000 barrels to the market.

Saudi Arabia is yet to respond to Donald Trumps comment but seems to be listening to the message. Bloomberg reports that Riyadh has significantly raised production to a near-record level of 10.7 million barrels a day, Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih told reporters at the Moscow meet.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 04, 2018 12:31 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Steps to become a Lawyer/Attorney in Florida Follow the step by step process or choose what situation that best describes you:

Florida Law Careers

Floridas Occupational Employment Statistics, provided by the Florida Department of Labor, suggest that in 2017, there were 47,550 lawyers employed in Florida. These lawyers averaged a mean hourly wage of $61.39, equivalent to a mean annual wage of $127,691. According to U.S. News and World Report, Florida is home to four of the top-tier law schools in the country: the University of Florida Frederic G. Levin College of Law, the University of Miami, Stetson University, and Florida State University. Whether you graduate from one of these or another American Bar Association-accredited law school in Florida, your entrance into the Florida State Bar should be made much easier based upon the fact that a large majority of test takers of the most recent state bar examinations passed the exam on the first try. To learn how you can become a practicing lawyer in the Sunshine State, read on.

Step 1 Florida Undergraduate Pre-Law Major

The Florida Board of Bar Examiners does not state requirements for undergraduate education in its bar admission rules, but it does state that you must graduate from an American Bar Association-accredited law school prior to taking the states bar exam. In order to gain entrance to an ABA-approved law school, you must complete your undergraduate education and receive a minimum of a bachelors degree, under ABA rules.

Accreditation

Your undergraduate college or university must be accredited by a national or regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This is vital to your later admission to an ABA-accredited law school.

Requirements and Standards

The ABA notes that there is not one prescribed pathway for undergraduate education necessary to enter law school. However, they do make some recommendations on coursework you should take and knowledge and skills you should have prior to applying to law school. The following skills and values are regarded by the ABA as crucial to success in law school, and should be honed during your undergraduate education:

Analysis and problem solving skills

Oral communication

Good listening ability

Critical reading skills

Excellent writing skills

Research skills

Management skills

Task organization

Promotion of justice

Public service knowledge and skills

Degree Options

Once again, the ABA does not mandate majors that you must take in your undergraduate education. Law students come from all walks of life, and may have degrees ranging from art to history. There are some undergraduate majors that are more conducive to later law school success, including:

Business

Economics

Politics and government

Political science

History

Philosophy

English

Education

Law and Paralegal Studies Legal Assistant Legal Studies Paralegal All Criminal Justice Programs Criminal Justice Administration Public Administration and Safety Sponsored

Law and Paralegal Studies Legal Assistant Legal Studies Paralegal All Criminal Justice Programs Criminal Justice Administration Public Administration and Safety Sponsored

Pre- Law Advisor

Check with your undergraduate college/university to see if they have a pre-law advisor as a member of the faculty. This person can help you to make good choices when selecting undergraduate courses, and guide you along the way to preparing to enter law school.

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Step 2 LSAT (Law School Admission Test) in Florida

All ABA-accredited law schools require that you pass the LSAT, or Law School Admission Test, to gain admission. This standardized test lasts a half-day and is offered worldwide at various times throughout the year.

How to prepare

The LSAC (Law School Admission Council) provides free test prep materials to assist test takers in studying for the LSAT. You might also want to enroll in a LSAT preparation course or seminar in your area:



LSAT Exam Prep Courses in Florida:

Exam content

The following general content areas are tested when you take the LSAT:

Logical Reasoning: You will read short passages that present arguments, then answer questions based upon those passages. The questions test your ability to understand the point of the argument, follow a chain of reasoning, recognize an arguments weaknesses, and draw inferences from premises and evidence given.

Reading Comprehension: You will read four passages and answer about six questions per passage. The questions are designed to test your ability to comprehend the reading passage, define words based on context, make inferences, and recognize the passages structure and organizational style.

Analytical Reasoning: You will be presented with five logic puzzles and questions for each puzzle. A series of statements and requirements will be presented. You must make inferences from the information provided.

Experimental Section: This section is unscored, and consists of multiple-choice questions that are being tested for future LSAT exams. You will not know which section is the unscored, experimental section when you are taking the test, as it will resemble one of the scored sections.

Writing Sample: While this section is also unscored, it is sent to each law school to which you apply.

Application process

Create an account at LSAC.org to register to take the LSAT. It is offered on Saturdays and Mondays in November, January and March. Not every testing center offers the test on every possible testing date during those months, however, so check with the center in which you are interested to make sure. Current LSAT testing centers in Florida are:

Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton

Broward College, Coconut Creek

Broward College-Central Testing, Davie

Florida Atlantic University-Davie Campus, Davie

Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach

Stetson University, Deland

Miami Dade College-West, Doral

Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale

Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers

University of Florida, Gainesville

Miami Dade College-Hialeah Campus

Miami Dade College, Homestead

Florida Coastal School of Law, Jacksonville

Jacksonville University, Jacksonville

Florida Atlantic University  Jupiter

Florida Keys Community College, Key West

Florida Southern College, Lakeland

Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne

Florida International University, Miami

Florida Memorial University, Miami Gardens

Miami Dade College-Medical Center Campus, Miami

Miami Dade College-North Campus, Miami

Miami Dade College-Wolfson Campus, Miami

Miami International University of Art and Design, Miami

Nova Southeastern University, Miami

Talmudic College of Florida, Miami Beach

Saint Thomas University School of Law, Miami Gardens

Barry University, Miami Shores

College of Central Florida, Ocala

Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law, Orlando

Florida A&M University College of Law, Orlando

University of Central Florida, Orlando

St. Johns River State College, Palatka

Gulf Coast State College, Panama City

University of West Florida, Pensacola

Keiser University  Port Saint Lucie

Thomas M. Cooley Law School-Tampa Bay, Riverview

Eckerd College, Saint Petersburg

University of South Florida-Saint Petersburg

Florida A&M University, Tallahassee

Florida State University, Tallahassee

University of South Florida, Tampa

Fees

You must pay a fee of $190 to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) to take the LSAT, as of December 2018. This fee may be paid online by credit card through your LSAC account at the time of registration.

Day of the Exam

On exam day, you must take your admission ticket with you to the testing center. This ticket will either be mailed to you by the LSAC or printed by you when you register online. It will contain all pertinent test center information, address, reporting times and dates. Make sure to thoroughly read all five pages of your admission ticket. Plan to be at the testing center for seven hours.

Bring a government-issued ID with you to the testing center on test day. You must also attach a recent passport-type photo of your head and shoulders to your admission ticket and bring this along. You must have both the ID and photo with your admission ticket or you will not be permitted to take the LSAT.

Bring four sharpened number 2 pencils, as pencils and sharpeners are not provided at the testing center. The only other item you may bring into the testing room is a one-gallon size clear plastic Ziploc bag that you will store under your seat and have access to during the break. This bag may contain the following items only: your ID, wallet, keys, an analog (not digital) watch, medical or hygiene products, pencils (not mechanical), highlighter, erasers, pencil sharpener, tissues, and a beverage in plastic container or a juice box and snack. No aluminum cans will be allowed in the testing room. You must be able to fit all items inside the Ziploc bag and seal it.

Receiving Your Score

Your LSAT score will be emailed to you approximately three weeks after you take the test.

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Step 3 Go to Law School in Florida

Featured Law School:

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University of Dayton

Featured Program: Online Hybrid Juris Doctor: ABA-approved JD program; Prepare to sit for the bar exam in most states; Semester-long legal externship.

Application process

Now that you have passed the LSAT, you are prepared to begin applying to ABA-approved law schools. Remember, under rules of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, you must attend an ABA-approved law school to gain admission to practice in the state. The LSAC provides a Credential Assembly Service and has your LSAT scores, so using this service is the best way to begin applying.

Credential Assembly Service

Most ABA-approved law schools require that you use LSACs Credential Assembly Service when applying. Make sure to have transcripts from all institutions where you took coursework for credit (even if you did not receive a degree) mailed directly from that institution to LSAC.

The Credential Assembly Service also helps you gather recommendation letters and online evaluations necessary to apply to law schools. Simply give the LSAC names of people who have agreed to write recommendation letters and/or provide online evaluations, and they will collect these and collate them, sending the appropriate letters and evaluations to the schools you select.

The LSAC charges $195 to use their Credential Assembly Service. You may pay this fee online through your LSAC account. The fee covers the transcript summaries, law school reports, letter and evaluation processing, and electronic application processing for the ABA-approved law schools to which you choose to apply.

Accreditation

Under the rules of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, you must graduate from an ABA-approved law school. This does not have to be within the state of Florida, but must be in the United States. There are over 200 law schools across the nation that are ABA-approved. The LSAC Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools provides a complete listing of them. Approval methods for ABA-approved law schools are listed in the Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools.

ABA-Accredited Law Schools in Florida

These Florida law schools hold ABA accreditation:

Course requirements

Degree programs in all ABA-approved law schools must include the following topics in its courses, under ABA Standards:

Substantial law

Legal analysis

Reasoning

Legal research

Problem solving

Oral communication

Legal writing (including briefs, memorandums, letters, contracts)

Model Rules of Professional Conduct of the American Bar Association

Other necessary professional skills

Internships, live client or real-life practice experiences. These may be clinical placements, fieldwork, pro bono work, mock trials, etc. and your performance will be periodically evaluated by a faculty member as well as by an on-site supervisor

ABA standards dictate that you complete 58,000 minutes of instruction during law school. This is roughly equivalent to 83 semester hours of credit (129 quarter hours of credit). The ABA mandates that an academic year in law school must be at least 130 days long, over eight months. You must be enrolled in law school for a minimum of 24 months, and a maximum of 84 months, to earn your Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.

Degree Programs

The Florida Board of Bar Examiners requires that you have a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree of Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.) degree prior to entrance to the state bar. (The L.L.B. degree is the foreign equivalent to the J.D. degree). Other unique degree options, programs and certificates are available in Floridas ABA-approved schools, including:

Honors Certificate Program in Environmental Law- Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law

J.D/Master of Business Administration Dual Degree Program  Florida Coastal School of Law

J.D/Master of Public Policy Dual Degree Program  Florida Coastal School of Law

S.J. D. (Doctor of Judicial Science) Program in Taxation- University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law

L.L.M. in International Taxation- University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law

L.L.M. in U.S. Law - University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law

Environmental & Natural Resources Law Certificate- Florida International University College of Law

J.D./M.A.L.A.C.S. (Dual Degree- J.D. and Masters of Latin American & Caribbean Studies)-Florida International University College of Law

J.D./Master of Social Work dual degree program - Florida International University College of Law

J.D./M.I.B. (Master of International Business) - Florida International University College of Law

Registration with the Florida Board of Bar Examiners

The Florida Board of Bar Examiners Law encourages students to register with the Board during their first year of law school. You may file as a First Year Student online at the board's website and pay the filing fee at this time. The Board will conduct a character and fitness investigation as well. When it comes time to take the bar exam, the Student Registration must be converted into a Bar Application by filing a Conversion Form online. This should be filed at the beginning of your last year in law school, to make sure that the Board completes its character and fitness investigation before you take the Bar exam.

Online Law Degrees

View Online and Campus Law and Legal Studies Programs (For students who choose to focus on a subset of law other than an attorney.)



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Step 4 Take the Florida State Bar Exam

Once you have received your J.D. degree (or if you are still enrolled in law school but will receive your degree prior to taking the exam), you may apply to sit for the Florida General Bar Exam.

Provide proof that you have practiced law for at least 10 years in another state or US territory/possession and have been in good standing in that jurisdictions bar, and

Provide a representative work product showing a compilation of your previous experience and practice. This must include samples of the quality of your work, including pleadings, briefs, legal memoranda, contracts, or other working papers that illustrate your expertise and academic and legal training. The work sample must come from the last 10 years of your legal practice.

Preparation

The Florida Board of Bar Examiners provides a free study guide for Part A of the bar exam, testing your knowledge of general law and Florida law. Part B of the exam, the Multistate Bar Exam, may be studied using guides provided by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBEX). There are also study guides based on past bar exams provided by the Florida Board of Bar Examiners.

You must also take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) and may receive study aids at the NCBEX website.

If you prefer to take Florida Bar Exam preparation courses, resources are available at:

Exam content

The Florida Bar Exam consists of the General Bar Exam, Parts A and B (the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), of the National Conference of Bar Examiners). Part A is three hours of essay questions and three hours of multiple-choice questions. Subjects that you may expect to find on this part of the exam are:

Florida Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure

Florida Rules of Judicial Administration

Florida Constitutional law

Federal Constitutional law

Trusts

Professionalism

Business entities

Real Property

Torts

Evidence

Administration of estates

Wills

Contracts

Criminal law

Constitutional criminal procedure

Juvenile delinquency

Family law and dependency

Rules Regulating the Florida Bar, Chapters 4 & 5

Articles 3 & 9 of Uniform Commercial Code

Part B of the exam consists of taking the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), of the National Conference of Bar Examiners. This is a six-hour long exam consisting of 200 multiple-choice questions covering Constitutional law, contracts, criminal law and procedure, evidence, real property, and torts.

Additionally, you must pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE). This may be taken at the same time as the bar exam or while you are still in law school, but must be passed within 25 months of taking the Bar exam. It is a two-hour test of 60 multiple choice questions, given three times a year nationwide at test centers.

Application Process

The Florida Bar Exam is being offered at the Tampa Convention Center, 333 South Franklin St., Tampa for the February 2019 and July 2019 administrations. Tests are given over a two-day period. You must register online to sit for the exam. This handy checklist produced by the Florida Board of Bar Examiners can assist you in applying to take the exam. It tells you what information you must gather, what must be mailed and to whom, and deadlines to do so. The mailing address for the Florida Board of Bar Examiners is 1891 Eider Court, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1750. Information on submitting the required fingerprints is also included.

Fees and Deadlines

You must pay your fee of $600 to the Florida Board of Bar Examiners to sit for the bar exam by check or money order only (if you have previously filed as a Law Student Registrant). If this is your first time filing a Bar Application in Florida, the fee is $1000. The Board does not accept credit card payments. If you plan to sit for the July exam and do not have your application in until between May 2 and June 1 (or Nov 15 and Dec 15 for the February administration), a $325 late fee is added. If you do not have your application in by June 2 to June 15 (Jan 2 to Jan 15 for the Feb administration), a $625 late fee is added.

Pass Rates

According to the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, the overall pass rate for the July 2018 bar exam was 67.2 percent. For the February 2018 administration of the exam, the overall pass rate was 57.9 percent.

Licensing and Admission to the Bar

After you take the Bar exam, results will be posted on the Supreme Court of Floridas website for 30 days. You must know your applicant file number to find your pass/fail grades. You will not be notified by phone if you call the Board regarding your exam score. On the same day as grades are posted on the Internet, the Court will mail your grades directly to you via postal mail. The time and place of your Bar admission ceremony will also be included.

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Step 5 Whats Next After Passing the Florida Bar?

Congratulations on your admission to the Florida Bar, one of the leading organized bars in the United States! As a new attorney, the Bar can assist you in starting out in your legal career in a variety of ways. One of the most valuable resources offered is the Florida Lawyers Assistance Service which can greatly assist you when you are starting out as a young lawyer in Florida.

If you decide that you would rather work for an established legal firm, there are plenty to go around. Some of the more famous names in Floridas legal system include Greenberg Traurig in Miami; Holland & Knight in Miami; Akerman LLP in Miami; Wilson Elser in West Palm Beach; and the Law Offices of Daniel C. Consuegra, P.C. in Tampa.

Companies and corporations, both for profit and non-profit, across Florida are also in need of lawyers. Some of the bigger players in this area include the Nemours Foundation in Jacksonville; the corporate headquarters of Publix Super Markets in Lakeland; Tech Data Corporation in Clearwater; Office Depots corporate headquarters in Boca Raton; and the corporate office of Fidelity National Financial in Jacksonville.

Legal specialty certification

The Florida Bar certifies lawyers who are qualified to practice in certain specialties. About 4500 lawyers who are member of the states bar, or 7 percent of all lawyers practicing in the state, are board-certified to practice in one of 24 specialties. You must meet requirements, including five years of law practice, prior to applying for certification. Specialties in which you may become certified in Florida include:

Admiralty & maritime law

Adoption law

Antitrust & trade regulation law

Appellate practice

Aviation law

Business litigation

City, county & local government law

Civil trial

Construction law

Criminal appellate

Criminal trial

Education law

Elder law

Health law

Immigration & nationality

Intellectual property law

International law

Labor & employment law

Marital & family law

Real estate

State & federal government & administrative practice

Tax law

Wills, trusts & estates

Workers compensation

Requirements for maintaining license



In order to maintain your legal license in Florida, you must fulfill 30 hours of Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) every three years. Five of these hours must be in the area of ethics, professionalism, mental illness awareness or substance abuse. You will be assigned your own, individual three-year reporting cycle when you receive your legal license. You must post your MCLE credits online in the Florida Bar system.

Court Systems in Florida

The Florida State Court System consists of County Courts, Circuit Courts, District Courts of Appeal and the State Supreme Court.

Floridas County Courts are Courts of Limited Jurisdiction. They handle misdemeanors, small claims under $5000, civil cases under $15,000, and traffic violations.

Floridas Circuit Courts are Courts of General Jurisdiction. There are 20 circuit courts that handle felonies, family law cases, civil cases over $15,000, probate/guardianship/mental health issues, juvenile delinquency and dependency, and appeals from the County Court.

Floridas five District Courts of Appeal are the states intermediate appellate courts. They handle matters that are not directly appealable to the Supreme Court. They are located in Lakeland, Tallahassee, Tampa, West Palm Beach, and Daytona Beach.

Floridas Supreme Court is the Court of Last Resort in the state. It handles Constitutional questions, capital cases, bond violations, public utility cases, express validity of statutes, certified questions and decisions affecting constitutional/statutory officers. It is located in Tallahassee.

Elective membership organizations

Ponder becoming a member of one of the following elective organizations for attorneys in Florida:

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Oct 4, 2018, 2:03pm ET

BMW kills the 3 Series GT

The oddly shaped 3 Series hatchback is no more.

BMW has confirmed that it's pulling the plug on its 3 Series Gran Turismo. The move will leave the 6 Series Gran Turismo, formerly called the 5 Series GT, as BMW's lone GT model.

The news doesn't come as a shock given the 3 Series Gran Turismo's slow sales. The 3 Series GT was introduced in 2013, and the half-wagon, half-SUV never really caught on with customers. BMW also cites the rise of the SUV as another nail in the coffin for the 3 Series GT.

"Things are changing, Klaus Frohlich, BMW's global development chief, told Australia's Motoring. "When we did the GT we saw that in demographic change people want to sit a little more upright. But then you saw X1 and X3 you can sit upright and you feel younger. So this segment is under pressure from SUVs, which are having no disadvantage in fuel consumption or in ride and handling.

BMW recently unveiled its latest 3 Series, internally known as the G20, at the Paris Motor Show. Frohlich confirmed that several variations of the 3 Series sedan are in the works, including a 4 Series Gran Coupe hatchback, but that the 3 Series GT won't be making a return appearance.

The 6 Series GT, which we recently reviewed, will soldier on for the foreseeable. However, the 6 Series GT isn't exactly setting the sales charts on fire, so it could be a matter of time before it follows the 3 Series GT into the automotive history books.
Oct 3, 2018, 3:27pm ET

Bugatti considers entering SUV segment

The company is also considering a hybrid powertrain to address \'social acceptance\' of the W16 engine, even among its billionaire target demographic.

Bugatti has acknowledged that an SUV may be in its future as the brand continues to evolve.

Under the Volkswagen Group umbrella, the modern Buggati has experienced success with its narrow focus on ultra-exclusive cars. The company is apparently looking beyond the Veyron and Chiron\'s niche, however, as other luxury performance marques embrace the SUV era.

"The brand is ready for more," Bugatti head Stephan Winkelmann told Automotive News Europe in a recent interview.

The company\'s iconic W16 engine is also unlikely to be carried into the future. Aside from emissions regulations, the company is worried its buyers may grow wary of the "social acceptance" tied to such gasoline-guzzling supercars.

In any case, rival brands such as Ferrari and McLaren have proven that a hybrid solution can hold its own in terms of performance while minimizing tailpipe emissions.

For now, Bugatti is presumably focused on building more limited-edition Chiron variants.
Monsignor Edward Sacks has been cleared by an independent investigation and has returned to active ministry, according to a statement from the Diocese of Allentown.

The pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Bethlehem Township was removed from duty Sept. 14 due to a sexual misconduct allegation dating to the 1970s.

Monsignor Edward Sacks

Independent investigators determined that no abuse occurred, according to the statement from the diocese. The person who made the allegation has since said he was not abused by any member of the clergy, the statement says.

Law enforcement reviewed the allegation and decided not to pursue it because of the date of the alleged abuse, the statement says.

The diocese employs former FBI agents, all of whom are trained investigators with decades of experience with the agency to conduct independent investigations such as the Sacks investigation.

The decision to restore Sacks to ministry was made by an Independent Review Board made up of experts including a family doctor with expertise in examining children who have been sexually abused, a county Children and Youth Services caseworker, a federal probation officer and the director of the Bureau of Offender Reentry of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, according to the diocese.

Sacks, 80, was not mentioned in the recent grand jury report that named 35 priests from the diocese as part of an investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office into sexual abuse by the clergy.

He denied the allegations against him at the time they were made public.

Sacks, in a Sept. 18 statement to parishioners, said, "I have been falsely accused today of the sexual abuse of a minor going back to the days of my work at Holy Name High School in Reading. The charge comes from the mother of a former student. I am absolutely convinced that I can prove my innocence."

Anyone who knows of incidents of abuse, in the Church or elsewhere, should report it to the State Child Line at 1-800-932-0313, the State Attorney General's hotline at 1-888-538-8541 or to local law enforcement.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
A Nazareth Area Middle School student threatened to "shoot up his middle school math class," according to a message from the district superintendent.

Nazareth Area School District Superintendent Dennis Riker sent the message to district parents around 9 a.m. Thursday.

He said school district and local police learned of a "verbal threat" on Wednesday night by a student to "shoot up" his math class.

"These types of situations are taken very seriously and acted upon immediately," Riker said in the message.

Police contacted the student and his parents. That student is not allowed on school property, Riker said.

Riker thanked the students who came forward with information about the threat. The message doesn't name the student or say where he lives. The middle school on Friedenstahl Avenue in Upper Nazareth Township houses students in grades seven and eight.

TRANSCRIPT OF THE MESSAGE

Here's a transcript of the robocall message delivered Thursday morning to parents of children in the Nazareth Area School District:

"Good morning. This is Dr. Riker, superintendent of schools here in the Nazareth Area School District. We are reaching out to you this morning to make you aware of a situation. Last night the Nazareth Area School District police department, Upper Nazareth police, Bushkill Township police and the Colonial Regional police departments promptly responded to a report that a student made a verbal threat to 'shoot up his middle school math class.'

"These types of situations are taken very seriously and acted upon immediately.

"Late last evening the police were successful in making contact with student and his parents and containing the situation. The student is not permitted on school property.

"The investigation is ongoing at this time, however it is important to know that the appropriate steps have been taken by the administration and police to maintain the safety and security of our students and staff.

"We commend our students who came forward to report the safety concern. Additionally we would like to thank the local police departments for responding swiftly and collaboratively with the school district to maintain a safe and secure school environment. Thank you."

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
A 28-year-old Monroe County funeral director who used her cellphone to take photos of corpses and shared them at parties and family functions pleaded guilty Wednesday to 16 counts of abuse of a corpse and was sentenced to 10 years of probation, authorities say.

Angeliegha Stewart (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Angeliegha Stewart, of Hamilton Township, was working for Lanterman and Allen Funeral Home in East Stroudsburg when she committed the crimes, the Monroe County District Attorney's Office said in a news release. As part of her deal, Stewart may never again work in a funeral home, the district attorney's office said.

During a Dec. 27 hearing, 12 counts -- of the initial 28 counts of abuse of corpse -- and various drug charges involving alleged marijuana sales were dismissed, records show.

She was actually sentenced Wednesday to two years per each of the 16 counts, but after the first five counts, all the other probation is concurrent, so it doesn't add to the time. She must also serve 250 hours of community service.

Abuse of a corpse is a second-degree misdemeanor in Pennsylvania and those charged typically face a maximum penalty of two years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine per count, records show.

The plea deal was discussed with each family impacted before the district attorney's office would sign off, the news release said.

"The Monroe County District Attorney's Office ensured that each family had a say and their voices were heard throughout the entire process," the news release said.

Four counts of tampering with evidence -- for allegedly deleting images -- were also resolved in the deal, the district attorney's office said.

Informants alerted authorities in September 2017 to Stewart's use of the photos from her cellphone to "gross people out," the district attorney's office said.

The funeral home helped identify 16 of the people in the photographs, the district attorney's office said.

"Detective (Kim) Lippincott worked with Assistant District Attorney Julieane Fry to help bring the families justice and some sort of closure," the news release said.

Stewart addressed each victim in court and apologized, the district attorney's office said. Eight victims made statements in court as part of the process, explaining how Stewart's actions caused them to lose sleep and disrupted the grieving process, the district attorney's office said.

Defense attorney Corey Kolcharno, speaking for Stewart, said by email, "Ms. Stewart fully recognizes and appreciates the error in judgment she made which caused pain to many families. She hopes that her acceptance of responsibility will give these individuals some sense of closure and peace.

"Ms. Stewart hopes the family members will remember her as the kind and compassionate person who provided exceptional funeral services to their loved ones. She prays that they will forgive her in time."

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A popular grocer in Bethlehem and Allentown is re-branding itself with a focus on deeper discounts, enhanced fresh offerings and an overall improved shopping experience.

Price Rite Marketplace is planning grand re-openings Friday at the Bethlehem store, 1001 Eighth Avenue, and the Allentown store, 1720 S. Fourth St. Also celebrating a grand re-opening is a store in Secane, Delaware County.

Guests will be able to navigate through new store layouts, complete with bright, revitalized decor, including a market-style produce department with new LED lighting, vibrant color palettes and clearer signs throughout aisles.

Prior to the 8 a.m. opening launch the store's street team, called the "Spot Squad," will hand out certificates, called "You've Been Spotted!" throughout both communities.

The first 200 guests to show up at the store with a "You've Been Spotted!" certificate will receive a $50 store gift card. Additionally, patrons can enter a drawing for a chance to win free groceries for a year with the grand prize being issued at each store.

There also will be a disk jockey, open-air photo booth, free samples and freebies. Artists have been hired onsite to create murals inspired by Price Rite Marketplace's fresh offerings and commitment to community. The store's official ceremony and ribbon cutting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday.

In the revamp, Price Rite promises reduced pricing on hundreds of items throughout the store and to include new private label and organic products. The program includes a new store design with deep discounts, including what's being called the Price Rite Marketplace "Drop Zone," a destination inside each store where customers can find deals, surprise buys and must-have products typically priced $3 or less.

Examples of discounted items this week include a 24-pack of 16.9-ounce Poland Spring water bottles for $3; pick two Kellogg's Special K cereal boxes for $2; a 9.5-ounce to 11.5-ounce bag of Doritos for $2; and M&M's, Snickers and Twix candy bars for $2 each.

Patrons also will find weekly deals on favorite items by searching for a new "Spot on Savings!" emblem in the form of a bright red spot.

At the market-style produce department, the retailer will continue to source thousands of pounds of produce annually from Pennsylvania farmers and purchase produce grown from 16 different statewide towns. The bakery department features baked goods from Lusitania Bakery in Bethlehem and a dessert case, known as "The Sweet Spot."

The store plans to carry an expansive and high-quality meat offering, with such brands as "Certified Angus Beef," Perdue's "No Antibiotics Ever" Chicken, Wholesome Pantry "Organic Chicken" and "Oasis Halal."

Wholesome Pantry products in the grocery department include free-from, organic, and gluten-free options. The store also offers a "double-your-money-back guarantee" on all Price Rite Marketplace brand products and includes self-service checkouts for greater speed and convenience.

"For more than 20 years, Price Rite has been proud to offer incredible value and fresh products to our shoppers," said Jim Dorey, the grocer's president, in a statement.

"Now we are moving forward by cutting prices further on hundreds of items while highlighting our fresh offerings and making it even easier to spot extraordinary deals in our redesigned and re-imagined Price Rite Marketplace stores," he added.

ABOUT PRICE RITE MARKETPLACE



The chain is a registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a Keasbey, NJ-based retailer-owned cooperative and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. Price Rite Marketplace opened its first store in 1995 under the name "Price Rite Supermarkets," and operates 66 grocery stores in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Maryland and Virginia.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure's first budget lays out some ambitious programs, from preparing to build a new forensics center, to resuming management of the county nursing home to consolidating county and City of Bethlehem 911 emergency dispatching.

The county's 2019 operating and capital budgets total $455,563,500, as proposed by McClure. County council must approve the budget by a December deadline. The total budgets are $29 million more, or 6.8 percent higher, than 2018 spending.

The property tax rate is proposed to remain unchanged at 11.8 mills. A mill is $1 in tax for every $1,000 in a property's assessment.

McClure presented the budget proposal Wednesday in the Human Services Building the county has leased since 2014 at 2801 Emrick Blvd. in Bethlehem Township. That building itself is included in McClure's financial planning.

He proposes the county borrow $26 million to buy the Human Services Building and put the building's $800,000 rent toward debt service. The borrowing would also go toward construction of a new Northampton County Forensic Center at a site yet to be determined.

The budget dedicates $14.6 million that had been set aside to purchase the Human Services Building and repurposes that money to pay for a bridge repair initiative McClure called "disastrous."

The Public-Private-Partnership developed under former Executive John Brown lays out $38.5 million in costs to replace or repair 33 bridges over several years, according to McClure, but the plan did not come with a dedicated funding source.

At Gracedale, the county's nursing home in Upper Nazareth Township, McClure said his administration will be assuming management of the facility on Jan. 1. The county plans to put the $450,000 budgeted for management services toward building and resident care improvements, McClure said. Premier Healthcare Resources has had a management contract for Gracedale since 2011.

McClure on Wednesday also touched on the consolidation in 2019 of Northampton County and 911 emergency dispatching. The deadline for the consolidation is July 1, 2019, when the city will no longer receive state funding for its dispatch center, said Robert Novatnack, the city's 911 coordinator.

McClure said his budget also includes $3 million in open space funding to preserve farms, create parks and protect environmentally sensitive areas; includes a 2 percent cost-of-living-allowance pay raise for employees denied one under the step-increase structure in 2018; and maintains an emergency stabilization fund of $17.4 million without tapping into the projected 2018 fund balance to cover 2019 expenditures.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Hurricane Florence caused record flooding, brought devastating winds, displaced thousands and has killed at least 50 people in North Carolina and South Carolina, so far.

Operation: Slate Belt Love is urging people to donate items to fill a truck heading to North Carolina on Sunday for victims of the Category 2 storm that made landfall on Sept. 14.

Lat year, a group of people in the Slate Belt rallied to gather needed items to bring to Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Some of those people wanted to continue to help those in need.

"We decided to keep the momentum going," Operation: Slate Belt Love member Danielle Klaver said.

Since its inception, the group has raised money and gathered donations for victims of Hurricane Irma in Florida and put together care packages for U.S. military troops serving overseas. The group has also sponsored trash collecting efforts and hosted dinners for law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMS workers.

"We just want to get people to be kind and help one another," Klaver said. "Being a kind human being takes no effort."

Klaver said the group will drive a 26-foot truck, donated by Penske, to North Carolina to deliver goods to some of the hardest hit areas.

"There are whole communities still living in tents," she said.

The group has collected donations that would fill a van, Klaver said, but she is urging the public to donate enough to fill the 26-foot truck.

Items can be dropped off until Saturday night at Reagle Dodge at 1223 Route 512 in Pen Argyl or Horn's Outdoor Center at 1169 Route 512 in Upper Mount Bethel Township.

Items still needed:

Walmart gift cards

Batteries

Bandages and first aid supplies

Blankets

Bleach

Deodorant

Disposable razors

Diapers

Feminine products and pads

Formula

Food cards

Food- canned

Hygiene Items

Gas cards- Speedway gas only

Lanterns

Mold remediation products- masks, work gloves, bleach, contractor bags

Mops

New t-shirts, socks, underwear in all sizes/children's

Pet Food

Racks

Shockwave cleaning products

Towels

Water

Wipes

John Best is a freelance writer. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A cheque for a whopping 17,701.36 has been handed over to Beaumont Hospital, which was raised at the recent Betty Noons Memorial 5km Fun run in Monasterevin.

Following on from what was a very successful fundraising event, the cheque was presented to Sheila Campbell, representative from Beaumont Hospital on Friday night September 14 by the Noons family from Mountrice.

"The funds raised will contribute to the renovation of the family room in Richmond ICU. This room is of significant importance and huge benefit to family members whose loved ones are being cared for in the Richmond ICU Unit, which provides national neuro surgical care," said the family.

"These facilities are essential for so many families who have to travel long distances. Again we have to emphasise that the staff and care given in Richmond ICU is amazing and this fundraising fun run was a small way of showing the Noons family's appreciation for the fantastic work that goes on there day in day out.

"We would once again would like to thank each and every person who contributed in any way to this worthy cause, which is so close to our hearts. We can't thank you enough."

Betty's husband, Phil and their grandchildren at the cheque presentation

Sheila Campbell, Fundraising and Communications Manager said; Richmond ICU provides expert care to Beaumont Hospitals sickest patients, all of whom require critical care post surgery or in fighting a major illness. And while they are in RICU, its of course a hugely worrying time for their loved ones who understandably want to maintain a constant reassuring presence for their family member.

"The hospital accommodates families in staying overnight in the designated family room on the ward but this space needs significant renovation to improve the facilities and to generally upgrade the interior. I know that the Noons family spent time here themselves during Bettys illness and is it very fitting that we will use the funds raised through the Betty Noons 5k Run for this project.

Phil making the presentation to Sheila Campbell
Former Clongowes Wood College student, Matthew Martin has just picked up an award worth 20,000 following the announcement of the Naughton Foundation Scholarship awards for 2018

On Saturday, September 29, he was awarded a Naughton Foundation scholarship worth 20,000 at a ceremony in Trinity College Biomedical Science Institute in Dublin.

The award was presented by founding patrons of The Naughton Foundation, Dr. Martin Naughton and his wife, Carmel, who were joined by Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton.

Matthew Martin has accepted a place at Trinity College Dublin studying engineering. He joins 36 Irish students who were awarded third level scholarships towards their studies in the areas of engineering, science and technology.

His former school, Clongowes Wood College, was also presented with a prize of 1,000 on the day towards their schools science facilities, for their support of these students. More than 160 schools have benefited from this prize to date with some schools receiving it on more than one occasion.

SEE ALSO: Kildare farm shortlisted for top organic award

Since its establishment in 2008 scholarships worth over 4 million have been awarded to more than 200 students.

There is one guaranteed scholarship (20,000) for each participating county, with two for Cork and Galway and four for Dublin. Five additional scholarships are also to be awarded. Each is worth 5,000 a year for each year of a students three or four year undergraduate degree.

Speaking about the growth of the programme over the past eleven years, Martin and Carmel Naughton said: Eleven years ago we envisaged a small scholarship program to help support local students studying the STEM subjects. We never imagined this group of over 200 students and alumni nationwide who are connected across the universities and STEM disciplines and we couldnt be more proud of the unique community they are developing This year the Naughton Foundation also invested further in Science in a Box  STEM classes for Primary Schools. Steam Education Limited was set up in Cork in 2014 and devised Science in a Box in an effort to teach a fun and engaging science program to children in primary school with new innovative materials. Outreach teams comprising PhD students from Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork are involved in the delivery of the program. The program runs for sixth class pupils for 20 weeks of the primary school year with PhD students spending one hour each week co-teaching with the class teacher, a specific aspect of the science curriculum.

In 2018-19, the Foundation said it is continuing its support of this program for 25 sixth classes in the Dublin, Meath and Louth region.
Lakeland Dairies and LacPatrick Dairies have reached agreement to merge following the unanimous approval of the Boards of both co-operative societies who are recommending the proposed merger to their respective shareholders.

Exclusive discussions about a possible merger started last June and have reached a positive outcome where the Boards of both societies are unanimously recommending shareholders to vote in favour of the merger at Special General Meetings which will be held on Tuesday, October 23 next. Regulatory approval will also be required.

Lakeland Dairies and LacPatrick Dairies are neighbouring societies and both operate on a cross border basis exporting the vast majority of their output to global markets. Each has a heritage of excellence in co-operative dairy farming spanning well over a century and share common business development aims in the interests of their shareholders, milk producers and rural communities.

The amalgamation of Lakeland and LacPatrick is a coming together of two dairy co-operatives on the island of Ireland to form a strong force in the global dairy industry. Both co-operatives are highly successful agrifood industry players with excellent manufacturing facilities and complementary strengths and advantages in their various worldwide markets.

As an absolute priority, the combined new co-operative will work to support dairy farming families on a long term basis into the future by maximising market returns and paying a sustainable and competitive milk price in line with market conditions.

Owned and controlled by farmers, with over 3,200 milk suppliers and a collective milk pool of some 1.8bn litres, the new co-op will be the second largest dairy processor on the island of Ireland. It will have a combined annual turnover in excess of 1bn, creating internationally competitive scale while ensuring efficient costs of operation.

The announcement was made jointly by the Chairman of LacPatrick Dairies, Andrew McConkey and the Chairman of Lakeland Dairies, Alo Duffy, together with Michael Hanley, CEO of Lakeland Dairies who will be appointed Group CEO of the new merged co-operative society which will adopt the name of Lakeland Dairies.

Andrew McConkey, Chairman of LacPatrick Dairies said, The Board of LacPatrick firmly believes that an amalgamation with our neighbours in Lakeland Dairies is the best thing for our milk suppliers, shareholders and customers. It gives our farmers the necessary security to make long term business decisions and provides stability for continuing progress in dairy farming for the next generation. The Board of LacPatrick is unanimously recommending our shareholders to approve this merger at our forthcoming SGM. With an enlarged milk pool and well invested dairy processing sites on both sides of the border, the new co-operative will be a co-op of scale working in the long term best interests of dairy farmers, ensuring global market access and serving our valued customers with an even greater capability and an expanded range of high quality, value-added dairy products.

Alo Duffy, Chairman of Lakeland Dairies said, This merger proposal is a once in a lifetime opportunity for both co-operatives to continue their strong progress in a very meaningful way. Both societies are committed to the long term wellbeing and economic success of dairy farming, milk producers and rural communities. The proposed merger will uphold these values and will lead to further scale, strength and sustainability for milk producers. It will enable us to process all of the milk sent to us, including the expanding output of our dairy farming members. It will create economies of scale and will secure our channels to global markets on a stronger, substantial and even more sustainable basis for the future. The Board of Lakeland Dairies is unanimously recommending the merger to our shareholders.

Michael Hanley, CEO of Lakeland Dairies said, I am confident that the best interests of the shareholders and milk producers of both societies will be best served through this merger. The economies of scale achievable by combining both societies will create a larger, more efficient, diversified, farmer controlled, global dairy food group with a broad portfolio of value-added products and brands. Both co-operatives have excellent facilities, technologies and resources with strong synergies across our milk processing footprint and in the markets we serve at home and abroad. We will be able to expand the potential of our overall portfolio of products, covering Food Ingredients, Foodservice and Consumer Foods. The business will have considerable potential to increase revenues and generate the cost savings necessary to ensure competitive milk prices for our dairy farmers in the future. It will continue to ensure market access to the United Kingdom, Europe and the world. The combined organisation will have substantial cashflow to underpin the development of the business. All of these factors will enhance the value of the merged societies for the benefit of all shareholders and milk producers.

Lakeland Dairies will hold its SGM in Cavan and LacPatrick Dairies will hold its SGM in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, at 1pm on Tuesday 23rd October, 2018.

Both co-operatives have written to their respective shareholders with details of the merger and will also hold a series of information meetings in advance of the SGMs across several counties, north and south.

The Boards of both co-operative societies are unanimously recommending shareholders to vote in favour of the merger.
THE CLIONAS Foundation walking challenge will bring you to the top of paradise.

It takes place this Saturday, October 6 and the foundation is looking for people to walk with them and raise monies to help support families with the non-medical costs of caring for their child.

This years walking challenge is the Paradise Hill loop on the western end of the Galtymore Mountains in County Limerick. As the name suggests, there are spectacular views of the Golden Vale and the Glen of Aherlow.

Brendan Ring, co-founder of Clionas Foundation, said this is their second year organising a walk.

Our trek up Galtymore last year was a fantastic day out. We are hoping that some of the many that walk and climb every weekend either individually or as part of a walking club /work group will lend their support. We are also looking for people to raise monies through sponsorship or a minimum donation of 50. We currently have 23 families on our waiting list that need support and all the monies raised will go directly to some of these families, said Brendan.

He continued: We are delighted this year to have the support of the Anglesboro Community Council, Gallahues Bar and Restaurant in Ballylanders and Supermacs SuperSubs, who are ensuring that we will be well looked after with refreshments after the climb. We really appreciate their support.

The walk reaches a high point of 700m and will take three to four hours. It requires a good level of fitness. It commences from and wil return to the community centre in Anglesboro. The group will gather there from 9am on Saturday, October 6, and begin the trek at 9.30am.

Clionas Foundation, based in Lough Gur, is the only Irish charity providing financial support to the families of children with a life limiting condition all over the country. It is from birth up to the age of 16 and helps with the non-medical costs of caring for their child. These include accommodation, car parking, travel, child-care and specialist equipment. They have supported over 530 families in the past 11 years.

The foundation receives no state funding so events like these are critical to enable the foundation to continue to support those in need, said Brendan.

Pre-registration is required so if you want to sign up for this challenge please contact info@clionasfoundation.ie or call 061 331333.
STAFF members at the Limerick city Homebase held a private meeting this Wednesday evening to discuss their concerns surrounding the closure of the store.

In August, the Homebase store in Limerick city was earmarked for closure as part of a restructuring plan at the company.

The meeting was convened by a member of the Limerick Council of Trade Unions in Limerick city.

It is understood that no employees have received written notice regarding the matter.

Details of the plan, which will see the closure of 42 stores across the UK and Ireland, have been announced this Tuesday by Hilco Capital which acquired the company for a nominal sum in May.

If the proposals are approved by creditors the Limerick store  at Parkway Retail Park and two stores in Dublin will close at the end of this year or early in 2019.

Around 30 people are employed at the Limerick store which previously faced the threat of closure in 2013 when the parent company was placed in examinership. At this time, staff were called into a meeting by management to allay them of their concerns and that their jobs would remain safe.

In a statement, the retailer said its current store portfolio in the UK and Ireland is 'no longer viable' due to unsustainable rental costs.

The Limerick Leader understands that creditors voted on the proposals on August 31, with all stores to remain open for 'business as usual' in the meantime.
PADDY Cosgrave, the co-founder of Web Summit, will open the Limerick Civic Trusts third Annual Lecture Series on Thursday, 11 October at St Munchins Church, Kings Island, Limerick.

Organised in conjunction with ULs Kemmy Business School and the support of LIT and Limerick Council, the five-part series of public lectures will examine a wide variety of topical issues like the impact of Brexit, immigration, military interventions, Irish water, urban planning, Russia and lots more.

Other speakers in the series include; Emma Kennedy, Founder, Kennedy Analysis who will travel from Zurich to speak on October 18 about Irish water. On October 25, Colonel Colm Doyle will deliver his address entitled Responsibility to Protect: Sovereignty via Intervention. Professor Peter Bishop, University College London and Allies & Morrison Architects, will talk about city design and planning. Conor OClery, journalist and writer, completes the line-up.

The lectures will run on Thursday evenings from October 11 to November 15 in St. Munchins Church. Lectures start at 8pm and admission is 10 or concessions 8 per lecture. Tickets are available online at www.eventbrite.ie. Tickets are also available from The Limerick Civic Trust offices in the Bishops Palace, Church Street, 061 313399 or on the door on each of the nights.

Proceeds from the series will be used by the Limerick Civic Trust for the restoration of St. Munchins Church into a military museum.
COMMON SENSE has prevailed as a Dooradoyle resident has withdrawn his An Bord Pleanala objection to a vital 60-bed facility at University Hospital Limerick, meaning construction can now commence.

The development, given the green light by Limerick City and County Council, will see a 60 single bed unit at UHL, an interim measure before the hospital delivers a 96-bed block after 2021.

The 60 beds will ease overcrowding at UHL, which had the highest number of patients on trolleys last month.

However after the plans were approved, one Dooradoyle resident objected to An Bord Pleanala as he had concerns over trees and landscaping, among other issues.

This meant all plans for the much-needed development were put on-hold until An Bord Pleanala returned a verdict, which sometimes takes months.

The objection was strongly condemned in Dail Eireann by Limerick TD Tom Neville and Clare TD Joe Carey this week.

Deputy Neville called for an urgent meeting between the resident, Minister for Health and An Bord Pleanala to come up with a solution. Deputy Carey said it was outrageous, in my view, that one individual can hold up a project of such importance.

However it emerged this Wednesday that the resident withdrew his objection, and An Bord Pleanala informed the HSE and Limerick City and County Council of the move on Tuesday.

It is not known why the resident withdrew the objection, but it is understood intensive discussions took place between him and the UL Hospitals Group.

Sen Kieran ODonnell, who has been campaigning for the 60 beds since they were first proposed earlier this year, said he has now received a personal commitment from Minister for Health Simon Harris that he is confident that the capital funding will be made available for the project.

The 60 beds will cost approximately 19.4m, 14m of which will be spent on physically developing the project.

I want to complement the work of Colette Cowan, CEO of UL Hospitals Group, and Joe Hoare of HSE Estates, in the work that they have done in both ensuring that the planning application went in, and the discussions between HSE Estates and the applicant to resolve this issue. We are now at a point where it is now withdrawn. Planning is no longer, in any way, an impediment, he told this newspaper this Wednesday.

He said he has spoken of the issue to Minister for Health and Minister Paschal Donohoe on the urgent need for the beds for a long period of time. He said the An Bord Pleanala process could have had a major delay on the major project.

I didnt want a second winter. And if this got bogged down at An Bord Pleanala level, it was unacceptable to me and the people of Limerick. No other region in the country has a bed capacity issue like we have in the Mid-West in Limerick.

I think common sense has prevailed, the Fine Gael senator added.

Deputy Tom Neville also welcomed the news.

Given we have the green light to move forward, I believe the Department needs to move as quickly as possible on this, treat this as an emergency situation because it is an emergency situation, and get those modular units built as quickly as possible.

The UL Hospitals Group welcomed the withdrawal of the objection, but is not able to say when development will commence, pending confirmation on allocation of capital funding.
LIMERICK has received a massive jobs boost this Thursday morning with confirmation that a major company is to locate its new manufacturing facility at a city site.

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation has chosen the National Technology Park, Castletroy, as the location for its new permanent facility, with up to 600 expected to be employed when it is complete.

The company, headquartered in Irvine, California, USA, plans to complete the new, 170,000 square feet facility by 2021. Once it is fully operational, the company expects it will employ approximately 600 people with an investment in the project of around 80 million.

The facility is expected to manufacture delivery components for its transcatheter heart valve therapies. Edwards already employs a number of people at a unit in the Shannon Free Zone but had been examining a number of sites to locate the permanent manufacturing facility.

Nathan Tenzer, Plant General Manager, Edwards Lifesciences, said: The site we have selected to base our operations in Ireland was chosen for many reasons, but one main attraction for us was the wealth of experienced talent available with the skills we require in the medical technology sector.

This plant is an integral part of our global supply strategy with locations in the United States and elsewhere, to support our future growth and reliability of supply as we serve patients worldwide. We would like to thank the Government and the IDA for the support we have received on this journey to date, and we look forward to our continued engagement in the local community.

Minister Heather Humphreys said the location of the plant in Castletroy is wonderful news for the local community, as it will bring significant investment into the area as well as the wider Mid-West region.

It is a vote of confidence in the region to have a global leader in the Medtech sector, like Edwards, located here. My Department, through the IDA, is committed to supporting Edwards as it establishes its operations in Ireland and as it continues to develop its innovative heart valve technologies.

Over 60 people, production staff, engineering and professional management are expected to be employed at Edwards Lifesciences initial site in the Shannon Free Zone, which opened in August if this year.

Once the new facility is fully operational, the company expects it will employ approximately 600 people in roles ranging from leadership opportunities, planning, quality control, assembly, engineering and finance.

Pat Breen, Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection said: This new purpose-built facility shows the long-term ambitions Edwards Lifesciences has for its operations in the Mid-West. The development also reflects the many advantages this region holds, in terms of talent, infrastructure and an enterprising environment. We wish the company ongoing success and will look forward to seeing its progress in the years ahead.

Welcoming the announcement, Cllr James Collins, Mayor of Limerick City and County said it was "a huge endorsement of the Limerick city region and its ability to attract global leaders in the Life Sciences sector to set up here, it also further cements Limericks reputation as a go-to location for companies wishing to innovate and expand.

"The eco-system in Limerick centered around co-operation between the local authority, state agencies and education providers has once again proven to be a winner for companies looking at investing in Ireland. I can assure the company of the continuing support of Limerick City and County Council.

CEO of IDA Ireland, Martin Shanahan, said: I said at the time this project was announced back in March that an investment of this scale was terrific news for the Mid-West Region and for Ireland. The decision on location paves the way for construction of this new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.

The construction jobs will be of substantial value to the local economy while the 600 new roles that will be created when the facility is fully operational will be of enormous benefit to the entire region. Having Edwards Lifesciences, a global leader in its field, based in the Mid-West greatly supports the regions reputation.
LIMERICK's success story is continuing.

Thats the verdict of the Chamber chief executive Dee Ryan at this Thursdays news that Edwards Lifesciences Corporation is to locate its new manufacturing facility in the city.

The National Technology Park in Plassey will be the location for the American firms permanent facility, with up to 600 people expected to be employed when its complete.

The firm opened in its initial location, with 60 staff, in the Shannon Free Zone.

But Limerick has beaten Clare to the overall 80m euro investment, a move welcomed across the board.

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation is a huge name in the med-tech sector; a global leader in its area and this announcement is a massive statement about Limericks attractiveness for inward investment today. When a foreign direct investment company selects Limerick, it only does so after looking carefully at other options in a very competitive market, Ms Ryan explained.

A lot done, but more to do, the chief executive said, adding: We must remain competitive and strengthen that offering. Critical to this will be delivery on the M20 as well as making sure that Dublin Airport is not allowed to entirely monopolise the aviation market and put Shannon, which is a key driver of jobs to this region, and other Irish airports at risk.

Conn Murray, who heads up Limerick City and County Council added: This announcement is the latest validation of the enormous and collective effort of a range of key stakeholders who together have transformed this city and region from the state of economic crisis it was in a decade ago into perhaps the biggest success story of the economic recovery.

The positions will be filled in a new 170,000 square foot facility, which is expected to be fully operational by 2021.

Staff are expected to manufacture delivery components for Edwards transcatheter heart valve therapies.

Castletroy-based Senator Kieran ODonnell said: "As part of the local community, I wish to extend a warm welcome to Edwards Lifesciences management to Castletroy and wish them every success with this very ambitious and exciting investment here. This is a great news day for Limerick city and Castletroy. An investment of this magnitude, in terms of both capital and job creation is a serious statement of confidence by Edward Lifesciences in what Brand Limerick has to offer as a strategic business location.

Sinn Fein TD Maurice Quinlivan added: These jobs will bring much needed employment to the Limerick area and it will act as a vote of confidence for the city as a great location to do business in Ireland. This announcement will bring significant construction jobs over the coming years and as the global leader in patient-focused innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring, it will also result in highly skilled jobs for our area.
May 2, 2021, 11 PM

A strip of four of the United States 1847 10 black George Washington stamp used on piece. The multiple is among nearly 300 offerings of U.S. material in the upcoming Christoph Gaertner auction.

By Michael Baadke

The Christoph Gaertner firm in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany, will hold its autumn auction of worldwide stamps, postal history and collections Oct. 15-19.

The full auction in nine catalogs, including dedicated listings for Italy, Asia, Germany and more, can be viewed online under the link for Current Auction.

This sale from the German auction house features an expanded selection of United States material numbering nearly 300 lots, including a handsome used multiple of one of the first U.S. stamps.

The 1847 10 black George Washington (Scott 2) is offered in a strip of four on piece. Multiples of the 10 stamp are uncommon, and this example is nicely struck with a red grid cancel.

Gaertner describes the strip as having full to wide margins on all sides including adjoining frameline at bottom right, and marvelous intense shade and impression.

While there is no listing for a strip of four in the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers, a used strip of three of the 10 black is valued at $10,000, and a used block of four has a $75,000 value. Both figures are italicized, indicating an item that can be difficult to value accurately.

Gaertner is opening the bidding on the four-stamp strip at 2,000, roughly equivalent to $2,350 in late September.

Various proofs of classic U.S. stamps are being offered in this sale, along with a back-of-the-book selection that includes Official stamps and newspaper stamps.

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The Germany and German areas material includes a mint (postfrisch) example of the rare Saar 1920 20-mark brown King Ludwig III stamp.

Originally issued for use in Bavaria (Bayern), the Bayern name is obliterated by an overprint of four horizontal lines, and the name SARRE is printed over the kings portrait.

The stamp is not listed in the Scott catalog, but is described after Saar Scott 39.

The stamp on offer is a lower right margin example with an additional SAARE overprint in the lower margin.

Gaertner is opening the bidding on this stamp at 160,000 (about $188,000).

For additional information about the upcoming Gaertner auction, contact Auktionshaus Christoph Gaertner, Steinbeisstrasse 6+8, 74321 Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany.
Oct 4, 2018, 7 AM

The two Pentagon letters were discovered at a facility located on the Pentagon compound in Arlington, Va., but not in the main building, according to a Pentagon spokesman. Photo by Jay Bigalke.

Washington Postal Scene by Bill McAllister

A former Navy sailor was arrested in Utah Oct. 3 as part of an investigation into letters sent to the president and the Pentagon which included the substance from which the poison ricin can be derived, according to news accounts.

The U.S. Attorneys office in Salt Lake City announced that William Clyde Allen III of Logan had been taken into custody and said he would be charged with violating federal laws.

A Pentagon official said that two of the letters sent to Defense Secretary James Mattis and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson were found not to contain ricin, as initially feared.

Instead laboratory results showed the letters included castor seeds, which can be used to make the poison, the spokeswoman said.

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A third letter was sent to the White House Oct. 1, but all three of the envelopes were discovered at mail-screening facilities in Washington, D.C., before they could be delivered.

The two Pentagon letters were discovered at a facility located on the Pentagon compound in Arlington, Va., but not in the main building, according to a Pentagon spokesman.

The Secret Service intercepted the letter addressed to President Donald Trump, reporting that the envelope was not received at the White House, nor did it ever enter the White House.

Television news crews photographed federal officers conducting a raid in Logan and confiscating items. Logan served in the Navy from 1998 to 2002.
It is a sad "day" in science. Dr. Leon Lederman has passed away at the age of 96.

Leon was a legend in the world of particle physics. Known perhaps most for coining the phrase The God Particle, in his book of the same name, Leon had a distinguished scientific career. From humble beginnings as the son of immigrants, whose father operated a hand laundry, Lederman rose to the very pinnacle of scientific achievement.

After a stint in the Army during World War II, Lederman received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1951, eventually becoming faculty, and finally head of Nevis Laboratories at Columbia from 1961 to 1978. From 1978 to 1989, he served as director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the laboratory where I am currently a senior scientist.

In 1988, he received the Nobel Prize in physics, for work he completed in 1962 with his collaborators Mel Schwartz and Jack Steinberger.

Leon was not only a fantastic scientist, he was also passionate about communicating science to students and the public. He established the Saturday Morning Physics program at Fermilab, a 10-week series of lessons about particle physics given on, you got it, Saturday mornings. It is free to high-school students who live in the Chicagoland area, and it continues to this day. He worked with Illinois politicians to make the Illinois Math and Science Academy, a residential high school for gifted youngsters from across Illinois. He also wrote the book The God Particle in 1993, which told the story of the Higgs boson particle and many of Lederman's adventures during his physics career. Much to the chagrin of physicists everywhere, the name stuck.

Lederman's achievements are many, and I recommend that you read his formal obituary to learn much more about the life and career of this very accomplished scientist. But I want to talk more about Leon the man.

I knew Lederman well, albeit the difference in our ages meant that we lived quite different lives. When I first came to Fermilab in 1987, I was a graduate student, a callow youth still finding my way in the world of science. In contrast, Leon was the director of the lab and obviously not one to be bothered with the likes of youngsters like myself. But that's not the kind of guy he was. Case in point: In the Fermilab cafeteria, in addition to the typical seating areas, there are a couple of large round tables around which it is customary for senior scientists to gather and discuss the topics of the day; there is no rule though that others can't join in. Lederman, being the director, would often eat there. Quite a few times, I'd sit at the table and talk with the group, occasionally conversing with Lederman. He never made anyone feel uncomfortable and he was happy to talk shop, tell a joke, or ask about how one's experiment was going. Sometimes, he'd help you brainstorm solutions to problems you were having with your measurement. He was a jovial and fun guy.

When his Nobel Prize was announced in 1988, my first thought was, "What for?" That wasn't because I couldn't think of an accomplishment of his worth the prize, but rather, I couldn't decide which one. Leon discovered "parity violation" in the decay of subatomic particles called pions and muons, which, in a roundabout way, ties to differences in matter and antimatter. (All particles have strange siblings called antiparticles that have the same mass but the opposite spin and charge.) He discovered a long-lived neutral subatomic particle called a kaon, which was the first real laboratory for studying how matter could morph into antimatter and back again. He discovered that there was not a single type of neutrino, but rather that there were two (and eventually three). He also led a team that found the bottom quark, which proved that there were not two families of subatomic particles called quarks and leptons, but rather there were three.

It turned out that the Nobel was awarded for his discovery of another type of neutrino.

On the day that Leon's Nobel was announced, we had a huge party at Fermilab. I had only been at the laboratory for a year, but the staff fashioned him a pretend medal and crown made of tinfoil and he wore them good-naturedly as he wandered around the Fermilab atrium, accepting congratulations from well-wishers. I got to shake his handthe first time I had ever met a Nobel laureate.

During his tenure as Fermilab director, Lederman would give public lectures. In fact, his lectures were legendary, full of interesting stories, corny jokes and a repartee that made a non-expert listener appreciate the fascinating world of frontier physics. Every time I heard of a talk he was giving, I'd be sure to attend. It's not that I went to learn physicsafter all, those talks weren't aimed at scientists, but rather members of the public. But I learned a lot about public speaking by watching him. If you've ever seen me give a talk and found my humor to be a trifle on the side of making you facepalm, you can thank Leon for setting me on that path.

And Lederman wrote books for the public, the most famous of which was The God Particle. An autographed copy of it has an honored place in my library. The book is a fun read  his personality really comes through  I recommend you read it if you'd like to get a sense of the voice of the man. And when I read it, I began thinking, "Hey, I can do this too." It took about a decade, but I eventually joined him as a writer of scientific books for the public. And I was very grateful when Leon agreed to write a foreword for my second book. He was a gracious man, willing to help others.

I have not seen Leon much this past decade, as illness made it difficult for him to travel. However, his influence on me and many, many, others will live on. He was a great man and we will all dearly miss him.

Originally published on Live Science.

Don Lincoln is a physics researcher at Fermilab. He is the author of "The Large Hadron Collider: The Extraordinary Story of the Higgs Boson and Other Stuff That Will Blow Your Mind" (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014), and he produces a series of science education videos. Follow him on Facebook. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

Don Lincoln contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.
Stephen Hawking with Jane Wilde Hawking Jones (left) and guests attend the EE British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Opera House on Feb. 8, 2015, in London.

Jane Hawking, the ex-wife of the late and renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, asserted that "The Theory of Everything," a film about the couple's life and family, got a lot wrong.

"Don't ever believe what you see in films," Jane Hawking said this week at the Henley Literary Festival in Oxfordshire, England, while promoting her new book, "Cry to Dream Again" (Alma Books, 2018), as reported by The Guardian.

The film, released in 2014, was based on Jane Hawking's memoir "Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen" (Alma Books, 2008) and starred Eddie Redmayne as Stephen and Felicity Jones as Jane. [In Photos  'Theory of Everything': The Love Story of Stephen and Jane Hawking]

Hawking, whose full name is Jane Beryl Wilde Hawking Jones, said she pleaded with the producers to stick closely to her memoir, but they didn't listen, and keeping the running time to a minimum meant there were inaccuracies. For instance, she said this week that the film glossed over the very real and all-consuming realities of caring for a husband with the incurable neurological disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The two were married in 1965, about two years after Stephen's ALS diagnosis. As the ALS progressed, Jane had to care for not only her husband but also their three young children, all the while attending physics conferences across the globe, The Guardian reported. (In fact, the couple spent their honeymoon at a physics conference at Cornell University in New York, she said.)

Stephen Hawking died on March 14, 2018, at the age of 76.

"I'm sorry to say that none of these extensive travels  with all the organizing, packing for a family with a severely disabled member, transporting them, driving them, as well as the usual day-to-day care  really appears in 'The Theory of Everything,'" Jane Hawking said.

"I asked for a frenzied fast-forward version  even simply getting all the suitcases, wheelchair and passengers in the car to represent this aspect of our lives  but I was told this was not possible because of the time constraints."

And while she and other close confidants may know the true story, the misconceptions and inaccuracies portrayed in the film will remain forever, she suggested. "I knew if there were mistakes in the film that they were going to be immortalized, which they have been," she said, as The Guardian reported.

Other inaccuracies and omissions in the film included the place the two first met  it was in St. Albans in Hertfordshire, England, not Cambridge University as the film portrayed  as well as all of the support she received from her parents while she struggled to care for a husband with deteriorating health. These aspects were overlooked in the film, she noted, as reported by the Australian news site news.com.au.

Apparently, the film also messed up the dissolution of the couple's marriage. Rather than a beautiful, teary-eyed and mutual breakup, as the film portrays, Jane's book reveals that it was a prolonged crumbling of a partnership that ended in a screaming fight on vacation, The Guardian reported.

Originally published on Live Science.
Two decades ago, scientists discovered a sort of archaic fungus infecting frogs in Central America. Called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or chytrid, the fungus appeared to be a rare and devastating threat: It altered the skin chemistry of infected hosts, robbing them of their ability to drink water and absorb electrolytes through their skin, eventually stopping their hearts. It was indiscriminate, able to jump easily between frog species and kill nearly all its hosts.

In a 2007 white paper, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) wrote that as a result of the fungus (and the human activity that allowed it to spread all over the world), "the global amphibian extinction crisis and its present dynamics are the worst we have ever faced," adding, "It is the worst infectious disease ever recorded among vertebrates in terms of the number of species impacted and its propensity to drive them to extinction."

Now, a new paper offers some good news: There's evidence from one tropical site that frog ecosystems can adapt to the fungus, with certain infected species dying off and those that remain surviving their infections  likely because they've evolved to become resistant to its effects, and because the fungus itself has become less deadly. [7 Iconic Animals Humans Are Driving to Extinction]

In a paper published yesterday (Oct. 3) in the journal Ecological Applications, researchers describe how they studied tropical frogs in a region about 0.8 square miles (2 square kilometers) in Panama called El Cope. Between 2010 and 2014, researchers slowly wandered the area, picking up frogs and swabbing them for signs of the fungus. They divided the regions into squares of 66 feet by 66 feet (20 by 20 meters), keeping careful records of frogs of each species in each square and whether they turned up infected or not-infected.

While about half the frog species in the area went extinct when the epidemic first reached El Cope in 2004, by the 2010-to-2014 period the remaining populations appeared to have stabilized, researchers found. Infected frogs appeared to survive longer, fewer frogs overall were infected, and researchers didn't find the sorts of drastic population declines that occurred during the initial outbreak.

"Our results are really promising because they lead us to conclude that the El Cope frog community is stabilizing and not drifting to extinction," Graziella DiRenzo, a biologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the lead author of the paper, said in a statement. "That's a big concern with chytrid worldwide. Before this study, we didn't know a lot about the communities that remain after an outbreak. In some areas, it's still a black box."

The overall outlook for frogs isn't good, the researchers were careful to note, describing the daily reality for the region's frogs as "grim" in the paper. But they showed that things could be a lot worse.

"Our study found that, even though there are a lot of infected individuals, about 98 percent of them are infected at very low levels," Karen Lips, a biologist at the University of Maryland and a co-author on the paper, said in the statement. "We know that, early on, several species played a key role in spreading infection, like Typhoid Mary. But some of these species are now gone, so the entire ecosystem is totally different. It's almost not comparable to what was there before."

It's unclear what the long-term prospects for frogs are at this point, whether in Panama or elsewhere. However, Lips said, "If enough frog species in a given place can survive and persist, then hopefully someday a vibrant new frog community will replace what was lost."

Originally published on Live Science.
In 1500, just a year after England sent its first British-led expedition to "Terra Nova," the so-called New World, King Henry VII gave a hefty reward to one of the explorers, new research shows.

The king gave an extravagant paycheck of 30 British pounds sterling to William Weston, a Bristol merchant who traveled on the 1499 voyage. Back then, that sum of money was the equivalent of about six years' salary for a laborer, indicating that King Henry VII was pleased with Weston's accomplishments, the researchers said.

They made the discovery by using ultraviolet light to reveal text on a huge parchment that dates back more than 500 years, said study co-researcher Evan Jones, a senior lecturer in economic and social history at the University of Bristol. [Photos: Christopher Columbus Likely Saw This 1491 Map]

In 2009, Jones published a long-lost letter from King Henry VII, in which he stated that Weston was preparing for an expedition to the "new found land," Jones said. This was hardly the first trip to the New World from England. The Venetian explorer John Cabot sailed from the English port of Bristol in 1497 and again in 1498. Finally, in 1499, Weston directed a British-led expedition, with the king's support, the letter showed.

During the recent analysis, Jones worked with Margaret Condon, an honorary research associate at the University of Bristol who is part of the Cabot Project  an international project to research voyages from Bristol during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Condon painstakingly trawled official tax records to learn more about the adventurers traveling from Europe to North America.

These tax records weren't easy reads. They were written on huge parchment rolls, created from the skin of more than 200 sheep. Each segment on the roll was 6.5 feet (2 meters) long and had ink so faint that it was visible only under ultraviolet light.

"First time I read the roll, I almost missed it," Condon said in a statement. "These rolls are beasts to deal with, but also precious and irreplaceable documents. Handling them, it sometimes feels like you're wrestling, very gently, with an obstreperous [boisterous] baby elephant!"

Margaret Condon, an honorary research associate at the University of Bristol, studies a 500-year-old parchment. (Image credit: The National Archives, UK)

The researchers also found that Cabot and Weston got rewards in January 1498, after they met with Henry VII. This finding shows that the two explorers were working together before Weston left on the 1499 journey.

In addition, it appears that Weston was likely one of the unnamed "great seamen" from Bristol whom Italian diplomats wrote about during the winter of 1497 to 1498. These letters, sent from London to Italy, describe how Cabot was traveling with Bristol explorers on his 1497 and 1498 expeditions.

It's anyone's guess how Cabot's final expedition in 1498 turned out, as it's unclear whether any of his ships returned to Europe. Perhaps this is why King Henry decided to send another expedition the following year, led by one of Cabot's deputies, the researchers said.

A 13-foot-long (4 meters) scroll stretched out on a table at The National Archives in the United Kingdom. (Image credit: The National Archives, UK)

"Finding this new evidence is wonderful," Jones said in the statement. "Whats amazing about these early Bristol voyages is how little weve ever known about them."

Jones added that "Cabots voyages have been famous since Elizabethan times and were used to justify Englands later colonization of North America. But we've never known the identity of his English supporters. Until recently, we didn't even know that there was an expedition in 1499." [Top 5 Misconceptions About Columbus]

Other evidence from the Cabot Project revealed that Weston was "a bit of a gambler," Condon said. "But then so was Cabot," she said. "Perhaps you had to be, to risk your life on such a dangerous voyage into unknown seas."

Unmapped history

The new findings support two extraordinary claims made by Alwyn Ruddock, a historian at the University of London who died in 2005. Ruddock spent years researching England's first voyages to North America, but she ordered that all her unpublished work be destroyed at the time of her death. Her orders were followed, but her will specified that a book could go forward if it were in press. Ruddock never submitted that book, but she did submit a synopsis for one, and this was shared with Jones. Intriguingly, in one of her findings, she stated that Cabot had explored much of North America's east coast by 1500.

In another one of her claims, Ruddock said that a group of Italian friars who sailed with Cabot on his 1498 expedition went on to found Europe's first Christian colony and church in North America. She also implied that Weston visited this settlement in Newfoundland in 1499, just before he traveled up the coast of Labrador to search for the Northwest Passage around the continent. It was for this that Weston received the reward from the king, the researchers said.

However, historians working with the Cabot Project have a long way to go before supporting or rejecting Ruddock's other claims.

"I think we've got well over half of the documents Ruddock located, but there are definitely more, especially in Italy," Condon said. "She did a lot of work there, including in the private archives of some of Italy's great noble families."

The new study was published online Oct. 2 in the journal Historical Research.

Originally published on Live Science.
International drug lords sometimes kill people who plan to take the witness stand against them. It has happened so often in Mexico, for example, that some have described the countrys witness protection program as a witness detection program, or a hit list.

As the authorities in New York prepare for the trial next month of the worlds most famous drug lord  Joaquin Guzman Loera, who is best known as El Chapo  they have taken extraordinary steps to keep those who will testify from getting killed. Guzmans lawyers say those strict protective orders have made mounting a strong defense more challenging.

Here are few of the ways the prosecution has kept the witnesses, and issues at the trial that concern them, under a veil of secrecy, and why:

 Shielding names on court documents

From the moment Guzman was extradited to Brooklyn from Mexico last year, prosecutors have argued that he presents an extreme danger to the numerous former allies, rivals and underlings who will ultimately testify against him.

The government has repeatedly refused to identify the witnesses in any public papers, saying that if it does, the Sinaloa drug cartel, which Guzman ran for 20 years, could easily seek revenge.

Late last month, for example, when the government provided basic information on the witnesses to Guzmans lawyers, it did so in a 100-page memo, almost half of which was blacked out by redactions. Secrecy has so suffused the case that when the defense responded to the memo three days later, asking to learn more about the witnesses, the document was filed under seal.

The chief complaint by Guzmans lawyer, A. Eduardo Balarezo, is that the government is planning to withhold the witnesses identities until the eve of trial. He has argued that doing so will hinder his ability to investigate their claims and devise a defense against them.

 Keeping witnesses heavily protected

Some of the governments witnesses are already in jail and are being held in what are known as protective custody units in light of the great risk to their lives, according to court papers. Others are in the witness protection program in undisclosed locations and have been given new identities. Under the programs rules, the papers say, those individuals have been told to cut off all ties with family and friends in order to maintain the highest levels of protection.

Prosecutors have also had concerns about safety of the jury in the case. Earlier this year, they persuaded a federal judge, Brian Cogan, to allow the jurors to serve anonymously.

Cogan decided to select the jurors in a rare closed session conducted in his private chambers.

 Preparing for what could happen

Strict protective orders of witnesses are necessary because Guzman has a history of killing and kidnapping those who have dared to speak against him, prosecutors said. It has been difficult, however, to verify the governments allegations because, as with so many aspects of the case, they were made in documents filed under seal.

In October 2016, Vicente Bermudez Zacarias, a Mexican judge who played a role in Guzmans extradition battle, went for a jog in his hometown, Metepec, when a man shot him in the head.

In 2009, prosecutors say, the father of two men from Chicago who were cooperating against Guzman with U.S. authorities was captured and murdered when he was in Mexico.

In the Brooklyn case, Guzman has been accused of ordering the deaths of thousands as he ran the cartel. That is on top of charges that he smuggled more than 200 tons of cocaine into the United States.

Before his extradition, Guzman also escaped two times from prisons in Mexico in a pair of daring jailbreaks.

 Isolating El Chapo

Despite all this, Guzmans lawyers have dismissed the notion that he presents a threat to anyone given that he has spent the past two years in what is called 10 South, the maximum-security wing of the Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York Citys most impenetrable jail.

There he has been under lock and key, except for an hour a day. He is permitted visits only from his lawyers and his 7-year-old daughters. Every month, Guzman is allowed two 15-minutes phone calls with his mother and his sister, to which the government is listening. Other than that, he is completely isolated from the world outside of his dismal cell, wrote Balarezo last month.

Considering those extremely restrictive conditions, Balarezo has claimed it is impossible for Guzman to get word out to his associates to knock off any witnesses.

In fact, he recently wrote, unless the government is suggesting that the defense team will disseminate hit orders from Guzman, there is no realistic way for him to do anything to the witnesses at all.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times
Every Day Is Extra

By John Kerry

Simon & Schuster. 622 pp. $35

---

There are many reasons to write a memoir. Some authors reveal intimate experiences in the hope that the subtleties of one life will have resonance for many. Others seek to tell whopping good insider tales or simply to set the record straight. John Kerry's memoir tries to do a bit of all three. At about 600 pages, it offers a detailed, blow-by-blow account of Kerry's life from birth to the present, recounting his path from naval officer to anti-war activist to local politician and finally to Democratic presidential candidate and secretary of state.

This could have been a complicated tale, spiked with insight about the dilemmas of power or the challenges of legitimacy now facing America's liberal elite. But Kerry mostly skims along the surface, offering stories of boarding school and Vietnam and the campaign trail in an even, conversational tone. Many of those stories - especially about Vietnam and Massachusetts politics - are interesting, but the whole never quite manages to be greater than the sum of its parts. The book's title, "Every Day Is Extra," hints at a certain late-life humility, yet the memoir suffers from a lack of self-scrutiny on some fundamental political questions.

This begins in the first few chapters, which focus on Kerry's ancestral history and upbringing. Like any family, the Kerry clan has had its share of heart-rending tragedies, including his grandfather's suicide at the Copley Plaza hotel in Boston, a family secret hidden for decades. As a rule, though, Kerry came of age in a blessed world of ease and beauty and pleasantry, a gentle float from St. Paul's prep school to Yale. Family vacations were spent on a private island off the coast of New England. He learned to ski in - of all places - Davos, Switzerland, now a fabled gathering place of the cosmopolitan elite. His greatest childhood difficulty was being sent off to Swiss boarding school at the tender age of 11, a story that evokes real sympathy for the anxious little boy but hardly undermines the well-established stereotype of Kerry as a man of privilege.

Kerry appreciates his good fortune. Yet he has little to say about what it all means: about the contradictions of concentrated wealth in a democratic system or about the peculiarities of the elite institutions through which he came to know the world. Recall that this is a man who spent much of 2004 facing down accusations that he was out of touch with the people, windsurfing while the world burned. In his memoir, he remains surprisingly untroubled by this populist critique - if not unaware of it altogether. In recalling his first childhood trip on a trans-Atlantic steamer, he tells of his amazement at discovering "a gate marked with second- or third-class signs."

"It seemed weird," he concludes. "Occasionally, I found a way through them, but mostly I explored the complex of decks and salons that made up first class." The same might be said about many other chapters of his life.

One exception was his service in Vietnam, the most dramatic section of the book and ultimately the launching pad for his political career. After graduating from Yale, Kerry volunteered to serve as a naval officer and famously ended up assigned to the Swift boats, lumbering river patrol vehicles whose loud engines and difficult controls never quite lived up to the agile promise of their name. Kerry evokes the tedium, thrill and fear of Swift boat service, along with the anguish of losing close friends in an unwinnable war. Today, he comes at the story with righteous outrage, not only about the poor decisions of U.S. leaders but also about the distortions and false accusations made by fellow veterans during the 2004 presidential campaign. "What still sticks in my craw is the way these men who served on Swift boats themselves turned the words 'Swift boat' into a pejorative."

Even here, though, he shies away from some knotty questions - including his decision to support the Iraq War more than three decades after denouncing Vietnam as a mistake and a national tragedy. Kerry ends up blaming George W. Bush for failing to deliver on commitments to diplomacy and multilateralism, but he reserves his greatest umbrage for the anti-war activists who split with him over Iraq.

"I was naive and overly optimistic to think that the activists would judge my record since 1971 ... and stick by me rather than get behind someone who had never bled with them," he writes with indignation, without quite addressing whether Iraq, in the end, turned out to be a repeat of what went wrong in Vietnam.

Kerry is at his best not in wrestling with such existential difficulties but in describing the dilemmas of on-the-ground politics: how to choose a vice-presidential candidate, how to decide whether to accept public money. He recalls the 2004 race as the "last presidential campaign of a more personal era," when it was still possible for candidates to talk honestly with individual voters without worrying that the exchange would end up online. He harbors a certain nostalgia for the lost world of bipartisan Washington, where politicians of differing views tolerated one another at dinner or prayer breakfasts or in the Senate gym. When Kerry name-drops, it's often in homage to this bygone capital, where men like Ted Kennedy and John McCain could give as good as they got and still shake hands at the next cocktail party.

Unsurprisingly, Kerry aims most of his hostile fire at Republicans. While he can't help but admire the party's strategic success, he worries about the decline of truth, virtue and democracy that seems to have accompanied Republican rule. He views himself as the canary in the coal mine.

"It was amazing how low their party stooped," he writes of the 2004 campaign. "I had volunteered to go to Vietnam. Bush didn't. Cheney didn't." He concludes that "politics had clearly entered a dark, new chapter" by then and has been growing dimmer ever since.

For all of this partisan hostility, though, it's worth keeping in mind what Kerry and Bush have in common: Both came from wealthy, elite families with long-standing political ties; they even went to Yale at the same time. In recent years, Republicans have been adept at selling their high-born candidates as champions of the common man. Democrats, by contrast, have allowed themselves to be cast as insular elites, preaching to the masses while talking mostly to each other. Despite its value as the record of a life in politics, "Every Day Is Extra" will do little to dispel that myth.

---

Gage teaches U.S. political history at Yale.
In the lead-up to having a baby, I found that people seem to enjoy giving prospective parents three kinds of advice.

The first is practical: Sleep when the baby sleeps, don't worry about the housework, it's OK to rely on takeout for a while. Second is joyful testimonials about gummy grins, the light pressure of a baby's arm slung around your shoulder and the wonder of seeing a tiny person discover their hands - things that make you feel as though you're being initiated into a wondrous secret society that only coincidentally has most of the world as members.

And finally, there are the dire warnings. I was told that I'd lose my taste for food, that showering would become a dreamed-of luxury, and most ominous to this life-long bookworm, that I'd never read another book.

All three of the cautions proved false, especially the last one. At least in my experience, the early months of parenthood turned out to be a terrific time for reading, and I ended up having a great reading streak. In no particular order, here are the best books I read while I was on leave.

- "Bad Blood," by John Carreyrou: A deeply reported nonfiction book about medical and technological fraud might not seem like the ideal thing to read right after the most intense medical experience of one's life. But having followed Carreyrou's skeptical reporting about the blood-testing company Theranos, I found "Bad Blood" fascinating. Carreyrou doesn't quite crack Elizabeth Holmes, the charismatic founder of the company, and the thought process that led her to carry out such an audacious deception. It's enough, though, that he captures the damage Holmes did to others, exploiting their genuine enthusiasm for her project. In an increasingly cynical and disillusioned age, "Bad Blood" is a powerful cautionary tale about the virtues and dangers of hope.

- Jane Gardam's "Old Filth" trilogy: Toward the end of my leave, I'd read a succession of deeply depressing books about the misuse of opioids - one of which I'll discuss further down - and I asked my friends for recommendations for books that might make me feel better. The novelist Ayelet Waldman suggested this trilogy about a British colonial lawyer who returns home to England in retirement. At first glimpse, it seems like it might be a bitter story: The lawyer's wife has had a longtime affair with his professional rival, who happens to buy the house down the road. Instead, the novels unfold in an unexpected and tender fashion, revealing the characters' capacities for goodness and openness rather than making the more fashionable suggestion that we're all secretly depraved.

- "Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret," by Craig Brown: Writing a book in fragments or snippets is an exceptionally difficult form to pull off, but done well, it can be exceptionally impressive: Renata Adler's novel "Speedboat," Maggie Nelson's pregnancy memoir "The Argonauts," and Jenny Offill's novella "Dept. of Speculation" are some of my favorite examples. Brown's quasi-biography, quasi-cultural history of Princess Margaret now has a place on that list for me. Brown captures Margaret's disappointments and boredoms, but he also makes it clear what the narratives that swirled around her said about her observers, fans and critics. With figures like the British royal family, who exist to be viewed and commented upon, that's almost more important.

- "Less," by Andrew Sean Greer: If you're ever in need of a small, perfect jewel of a book, I cannot recommend "Less" highly enough. Greer's novel about a heartbroken middle-aged gay man circling the globe to avoid focusing on his former lover's marriage isn't a particularly weighty book, and it doesn't need to be. Greer uses his main character's travels to make the discombobulations of heartbreak literal, and to show them as simultaneously challenging and hilarious. We're in a political moment when niceness and openheartedness are undervalued; "Less" is an effective testament to why those qualities matter.

- "Circe," by Madeline Miller: Miller is hardly the first person to retell a fairy tale or a myth from the perspective of a woman. I've rarely enjoyed an entry in that literary cottage industry as much as this one, though; while bringing neglected women's voices to the foreground is a righteous endeavor, the virtue of a literary enterprise is not always a guarantee of artistic merit. "Circe," blessedly, is no slog. Miller does a beautiful job of exploring what it might mean to be divine, and casts an affecting and illuminating eye not merely on Odysseus's enchantress, but also on the hero himself.

- "The Great Believers," by Rebecca Makkai: I absolutely tore through this novel, which is simultaneously an art history mystery, a chronicle of the early years of the AIDS crisis in Chicago and the radical activism that was a response to the epidemic, and a slow-blooming horror story. I liked Hanya Yanagihara's "A Little Life," which in 2015 was hailed - at least by some readers - as a great gay novel. "The Great Believers" has some elements in common with that book, but it's simultaneously less macabre and more deeply affecting. Sometimes a clean scalpel cuts deeper than a more immediately frightening grotesque.

- "Varina," by Charles Frazier: Charges of complicity are flying thick in our national discourse, which is one of the reasons I so appreciated Frazier's novel about Varina Davis, the first lady of the Confederacy. The book is structured in part as a conversation between Davis and Jim Limber, who as a child Davis had freed from slavery and took in as her ward toward the end of the Civil War. Frazier strikes an important balance, suggesting that Davis's personal goodness to Limber doesn't undo her complicity in her husband's career, and neither did any damage she might have done as part of the Confederate hierarchy undo the positive impact she had on Limber's life. I don't know that "Varina" is a great work of literature, but it does the same work as some of the best art, allowing us to hold two seemingly contradictory ideas in our heads at once.

- "Five Days at Memorial," by Sheri Fink: Under no circumstances should you read this book if you're in a bad mood that you can't bear to have made worse. But if you have the fortitude for it, Fink's account of a New Orleans hospital where medical staff unnecessarily euthanized patients with opioids during Hurricane Katrina is propulsive, horrifying and morally engaged. And it reads even starker recognizing that we haven't fully tackled, much less resolved, questions about how to respond to storms or how to treat gravely ill people at the end of their lives even in the best of circumstances.
Kristina Olson has always been fascinated by questions of gender. As a psychologist she had studied how children behave in social groups, and five years ago she decided she wanted to know more about transgender children who were living as their self-identified gender.

"At least initially, transgender kids feel they are a part of a gender group that the whole world doesn't believe they're in, and that's a really unique experience, and I wanted to understand what that experience was like," said Olson, 37, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Washington and the director of the Social Cognitive Development Lab there. "And I was very surprised to learn that there was no empirical research, there were no quantitative papers about the experience of these kids."

At first, she said, she figured she'd wait until another researcher tackled the project. "But then I was like - what if I was the person who did that?"

Her TransYouth Project - the first large-scale, longitudinal study of transgender and gender-nonconforming child development - has now grown to include hundreds of families across the nation. And it recently caught the attention of some particularly influential benefactors.

On Thursday, Olson was named among the 25 winners of 2018 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation fellowships - widely referred to as the "genius grants," a recognition that comes with a no-strings-attached award of $625,000.

"My first thought was that it was a joke," she said. "I asked them if they were sure they'd called the right Kristina Olson. I was sure it was a mistake."

It wasn't a mistake. But her sense of shock and elation was echoed in similar calls that went out last month, as members of this year's fellowship class - described by the foundation as a lineup of "extraordinarily talented and creative individuals" - were notified that they now ranked among the recipients of one of the nation's most elite and famously secretive awards.

- - -

Each class of 20 to 30 fellows typically includes a mix of familiar and relatively obscure names, representing a broad spectrum of professions - scientists, writers, artists, teachers, entrepreneurs, humanitarian activists, civil servants, inventors, and others whose work defies simple categorization. In keeping with the foundation's long-standing protocol, the fellows have no idea that they have even been nominated - which makes the out-of-the-blue phone calls all the more stunning.

"My heart started racing, and I almost passed out," said Gregg Gonsalves, 54, an epidemiologist and global-health advocate at Yale University who spent nearly three decades as an HIV/AIDS activist. "You know how people say that your life can change in an instant?"

The foundation maintains that winners are never chosen for political reasons or in accordance with any particular theme; the honor is meant purely to recognize work that is "for the benefit of human society." This year's class notably includes a number of individuals whose efforts focus on advocating for vulnerable and marginalized communities, often through creative and collaborative work.

In addition to Olson and Gonsalves, grant recipients include the Rev. William J. Barber II, 55, the prominent pastor and social justice advocate who has led a modern revival of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1968 Poor People's Campaign; Rebecca Sandefur, 47, a sociologist who works to increase access to civil justice for low-income communities; Becca Heller, 36, a human rights lawyer who has mobilized the resources of law schools and firms to defend refugees; Raj Jayadev, 43, a community organizer who pioneered a grass-roots "participatory defense" model that helps people facing incarceration; and Ken Ward Jr., 50, an investigative journalist who has spent more than 25 years reporting on the economic, social and health impacts of the coal, natural gas and chemical industries in rural West Virginia.

- - -

Other 2018 fellows have made their art a conduit for social activism:

Vijay Gupta, 31, a violinist and social justice advocate, provides musical enrichment to the homeless, incarcerated and others in Los Angeles.

Natalie Diaz, 40, a poet at Arizona State University, explores the lingering impact of violence and oppression in the lives of indigenous Americans.

And Okwui Okpokwasili, 46, a choreographer and performance artist, combines storytelling, music and movement to convey the stories of African and African American women.

Though her work elevates specific voices, Okpokwasili sees it as universal: "There's this preconception that if something is about a black woman, it doesn't speak to the larger concerns of humanity," she said. "I'm hoping that audiences can be open to experiences they didn't expect . . . and I hope we have undone their idea of how black women and black performers should behave in performance. I hope to counter some of those ideas about how you read and look at black bodies on a stage."

Fellows do not apply for the MacArthur grants. Instead, leaders across a wide range of fields are invited to submit nominations that are evaluated by an anonymous selection committee. Once the winners are notified, they are allowed to share the news with only one other person until the announcement is made public weeks later.

That rule felt especially challenging for Jayadev, the community organizer and co-founder of Silicon Valley De-Bug - a storytelling, community-organizing and advocacy group in San Jose that supports low-income, minority, incarcerated and other marginalized communities.

"The work that we do is a collective enterprise," Jayadev said, "and this was really a recognition of what my staff has built together, and so the first thing I wanted to do was tell them what they all did."

Over nearly a decade, Jayadev said, he and his colleagues have developed a "participatory defense" model, which brings together a network of community members to help families navigate the convoluted criminal justice system and help overworked public defenders as they represent their clients.

"The criminal justice system is isolating by design," Jayadev said. "Participatory defense is challenging that concept of isolation, so that someone knows that there's a supportive community with them."

- - -

The MacArthur Foundation's grant comes with no requirements or expectations - there is no evaluation of a fellow's work during the fellowship term. The foundation emphasizes that the grant is a "speculative" prize, meant only to help a fellow's work continue with the benefit of wider recognition and an unexpected financial boost.

For Olson, the psychologist, the fellowship opens the possibility of expanding her work.

"One of the things I've been thinking about is kids who have intersex identities," she said, "and I'd like to work outside the U.S., to think about how other cultures, including indigenous cultures, think about gender. What I think is so amazing about this is that it gives me the opportunity to take yet more risks on new projects."

Jayadev imagines his participatory defense model spreading to communities across the nation: "With this fellowship and the resources attached, we're going to be able to put this thing in hyper-speed and get it out to more people, to really grow the size of it," he said.

Okpokwasili, who recalled many prior years of juggling her art with multiple jobs, said she might welcome a long-overdue break. "Maybe I won't do five or four things at once, maybe I'll just do two things," she laughed. "I might like to take a vacation, an actual vacation - just being quiet and still and calm."

For Gonsalves, the HIV/AIDS activist-turned-epidemiologist and global health advocate, the recognition came at a moment when he perhaps needed it most. He is fairly new to academia, he explained, and hasn't always felt certain that a university setting was the right place for the work he wants to do, which requires reaching far beyond the confines of a centuries-old institution and building partnerships on the ground.

"I'm convinced that only by forgetting about the boundaries between the university and the wider world - that's how you're going to solve problems," he said. "I love the work I do, and I love the people I work with, but I was having a little bit of a crisis of faith."

He paused. "But now I feel liberated," he said. "This gives me a sense of safety, and freedom."

The complete list of winners of the 2018 MacArthur Fellowship:

- Matthew Aucoin, 28, a composer and conductor with the American Modern Opera Company/Los Angeles Opera

- Julie Ault, 60, an artist and curator in New York City

- William J. Barber II, 55, a pastor and social justice advocate with Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, N.C.

- Clifford Brangwynne, 40, a biophysical engineer at Princeton University

- Natalie Diaz, 40, a poet who teaches at Arizona State University

- Livia S. Eberlin, 32, an analytical chemist at the University of Texas in Austin

- Deborah Estrin, 58, a computer scientist at Cornell Tech

- Amy Finkelstein, 44, a health economist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

- Gregg Gonsalves, 54, an epidemiologist and global health advocate at Yale University

- Vijay Gupta, 31, a violinist and social justice advocate with the Los Angeles Philharmonic/Street Symphony

- Becca Heller, 36, a human rights lawyer with the International Refugee Assistance Project

- Raj Jayadev, 43, a community organizer and co-founder of Silicon Valley De-Bug

- Titus Kaphar, 42, a painter in New Haven, Conn.

- John Keene, 53, a writer in the Department of African American and African Studies at Rutgers University

- Kelly Link, 49, a fiction writer in Northampton, Mass.

- Dominique Morisseau, 40, a playwright at Signature Theatre in New York City

- Okwui Okpokwasili, 46, a choreographer and performer in New York City

- Kristina Olson, 37, a psychologist at the University of Washington

- Lisa Parks, 51, a media scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

- Rebecca Sandefur, 47, a sociologist and legal scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

- Allan Sly, 36, a mathematician at Princeton University

- Sarah T. Stewart, 45, a planetary scientist at the University of California at Davis

- Wu Tsang, 36, a filmmaker and performance artist in New York City

- Doris Tsao, 42, a neuroscientist at the California Institute of Technology

- Ken Ward Jr., 50, an investigative journalist with the Charleston Gazette-Mail
A woman with prior theft cases on her record has been arrested again for allegedly depriving a person of more than $53,000.

Sandra Rocio Garza, 41, was served with an arrest warrant Sept. 21. She was charged with felony theft.

Laredo police said that an article published in the Laredo Morning Times alerted a complainant to a possible scam with a business account.

READ MORE: LPD: Woman pocketed more than $100K in home purchasing fraud scheme

The complainant hired a private accountant to review the account and verify all payments made.

"A review of the account by the accountant discovered that the victim was defrauded of $53,330 for payments supposed to be made to the IRS. Once the victim filed the report, the suspect was identified as Sandra Rocio Garza," states an LPD report.

Garza had been arrested in May 2017. A woman reported to police that Garza had allegedly deprived her of $107,652. She told police she had contacted Garza to assist her in purchasing a home in Laredo.

READ ALSO: LPD: Man published intimate photos of wife following violent argument

Court records show that Garza got indicted on a theft charge on Oct. 11, 2017. She pleaded guilty on Jan. 5, according to court documents.

In August, Garza got arrested and charged with theft for allegedly pocketing more than $90,000 from her employer. A woman from ISACH Management and Investments reported the theft to police.

She stated that Garza had deprived her and her clients of $90,256 over a period of nine months, authorities said. LPD said Garza would receive checks to make payments to the IRS, but she instead allegedly pocketed the money from the clients.
Chip Ingram to Focus Exclusively on Living on the Edge



SUWANEE, Ga., Oct. 3, 2018 /



"My wife, Theresa, and I founded Living on the Edge more than 20 years ago," said Ingram. "We could not have imagined all that God would do through the ministry. In recent years, some unique opportunities to reach people, especially pastors, all over the United States and in many other countries have grown exponentially."



In the last nine years, both Venture Christian Church and Living on the Edge have experienced steady growth. The continued demands and increased opportunities of these two kingdom-impacting ministries have reached a point that requires each ministry to have individual leadership to best support their full potential.



"It has become clear to Theresa and me that this exponential growth of Living on the Edge has aligned to God's specific call on my life," said Ingram. "Because of that, we believe the Lord is leading me to focus all my attention on Living on the Edge."



Dean Senner, Chairman of the Elder Board at Venture Christian Church, praised Ingram for his nine years of strong biblical teaching, vision, and leadership.



"As a church and as individuals we have grown spiritually and have expanded our ministry reach to our community, the nation, and the world. We have witnessed and affirm God's strong calling on Chip's life. We believe God has been preparing him for this season of ministry, and he is uniquely gifted to have a global impact for the Kingdom," he said. "We celebrate with Chip and Theresa as they answer God's call and move into this new chapter at Living on the Edge."



Gearl Spicer, Chairman of the Board at Living on the Edge, confirms that the miraculous growth the ministry has seen demands Ingram's entire focus.



"We at Living on the Edge are beyond excited for what God has planned for our growing ministry. God has clearly opened new doors for us to serve both pastors and the church in America, the Middle East and China," Spicer said. "We are thrilled to see Chip and Theresa living out God's call on their lives in this next season. Now more than ever, the team at Living on the Edge is fully committed to helping Christians live like Christians here and around the world. Great days await this ever-expanding ministry!"



Living on the Edge exists to help Christians live like Christians. The ministry was established in 1995 as a radio ministry of pastor and author Chip Ingram and has since grown into an international discipleship ministry. The ministry creates Biblical teaching and tools that challenge and equip spiritually hungry Christians to become mature disciples of Jesus.



The ultimate vision of Living on the Edge is to be a catalytic movement of Christians living out their faith in ways that transform families, churches, and communities for the common good and the glory of God.



get.livingontheedge.org/announcement



Share Tweet Contact: Karen Campbell, 616-309-4390SUWANEE, Ga., Oct. 3, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- Living on the Edge, an international teaching and discipleship ministry, announced today that its founder, Chip Ingram, is moving into an exclusively focused role as CEO and Teaching Pastor at Living on the Edge. For the past nine years, Ingram has served as Senior Pastor at Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos, California, while simultaneously leading Living on the Edge."My wife, Theresa, and I founded Living on the Edge more than 20 years ago," said Ingram. "We could not have imagined all that God would do through the ministry. In recent years, some unique opportunities to reach people, especially pastors, all over the United States and in many other countries have grown exponentially."In the last nine years, both Venture Christian Church and Living on the Edge have experienced steady growth. The continued demands and increased opportunities of these two kingdom-impacting ministries have reached a point that requires each ministry to have individual leadership to best support their full potential."It has become clear to Theresa and me that this exponential growth of Living on the Edge has aligned to God's specific call on my life," said Ingram. "Because of that, we believe the Lord is leading me to focus all my attention on Living on the Edge."Dean Senner, Chairman of the Elder Board at Venture Christian Church, praised Ingram for his nine years of strong biblical teaching, vision, and leadership."As a church and as individuals we have grown spiritually and have expanded our ministry reach to our community, the nation, and the world. We have witnessed and affirm God's strong calling on Chip's life. We believe God has been preparing him for this season of ministry, and he is uniquely gifted to have a global impact for the Kingdom," he said. "We celebrate with Chip and Theresa as they answer God's call and move into this new chapter at Living on the Edge."Gearl Spicer, Chairman of the Board at Living on the Edge, confirms that the miraculous growth the ministry has seen demands Ingram's entire focus."We at Living on the Edge are beyond excited for what God has planned for our growing ministry. God has clearly opened new doors for us to serve both pastors and the church in America, the Middle East and China," Spicer said. "We are thrilled to see Chip and Theresa living out God's call on their lives in this next season. Now more than ever, the team at Living on the Edge is fully committed to helping Christians live like Christians here and around the world. Great days await this ever-expanding ministry!"Living on the Edge exists to help Christians live like Christians. The ministry was established in 1995 as a radio ministry of pastor and author Chip Ingram and has since grown into an international discipleship ministry. The ministry creates Biblical teaching and tools that challenge and equip spiritually hungry Christians to become mature disciples of Jesus.The ultimate vision of Living on the Edge is to be a catalytic movement of Christians living out their faith in ways that transform families, churches, and communities for the common good and the glory of God.
Seven law enforcement officers were shot, one fatally, after a suspect opened fire on deputies attempting to serve a search warrant to a house in South Carolina on Wednesday, officials said.

From inside the home just outside of Florence, S.C., the suspect fired on the officers around 4 p.m., striking three of them, officials said. And the suspect continued to fire as officers from other departments arrived to assist. The wounded were evacuated after police drove in with an armored vehicle, while the suspect barricaded himself inside, along with an unspecified number of children.
Democrat Jennifer Wexton holds a seven-point lead over Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock in a northern Virginia district where President Donald Trump's low approval ratings could have a drag on the incumbent, a new poll shows.

The findings, from the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University, echo the results of a separate poll from Monmouth University released earlier this week.

The CNU poll found Wexton, a state senator, leads 51 percent to 44 percent among likely voters. More Democrats, 75 percent, say they are "very enthusiastic" about voting in November, compared to Republicans who said the same, 59 percent, according to the poll.

Independent voters are breaking for Wexton, 55 percent to 37 percent, a key factor in a district where those voters will make the difference on Nov. 6.

Trump's approval rating stands at 38 percent to 59 percent in the CNU poll and 43 percent to 52 percent in the Monmouth poll.

The CNU poll surveyed 794 voters on landlines and cellphones from Sept. 23 to Oct. 2. It has a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.

The new poll comes two days after Monmouth University found Wexton was six points ahead of Comstock but still within the margin of error. That poll found the race was tightening and that Wexton's unfavorable rating was up compared to her June rating.

Comstock issued a news release criticizing the findings because, she said, the campaign's internal polls, which she has not released publicly, show she is in the lead.

Monmouth Poll is ranked among the most accurate and transparent by the FiveThirtyEight website.

In the release, Comstock campaign manager Susan Falconer said pundits and polls underestimate the two-term congresswoman.

As they have in past elections in district, outside groups are playing a significant role in the race on both sides.

House Majority PAC, a group with close ties to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., recently diverted nearly $1 million reserved for the 10th District to other races.

The group believes Comstock's vote for the tax bill helps Wexton because personal income tax cuts in the bill expire while corporate tax cuts do not.

On the Republican side, Congressional Leadership Fund, a group associated with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has not committed to spend money in support of Comstock.

But the National Republican Congressional Committee made its largest reservation in the country for Comstock, who won the district by six percentage points in 2016 at the same time Trump lost it by 10 points.

The 10th District includes all of Loudoun County and parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties, as well as Clarke and Frederick counties to the west.
John Carl D'Annibale

ALBANY (AP)  New York state is hosting a candle lighting ceremony near the state Capitol to highlight suicide awareness and prevention efforts.

During Thursday evening's event, dubbed "Lights of Hope," floating lights will be placed into the reflecting pool to raise awareness about suicide, its impact, and efforts to destigmatize mental illness and help struggling individuals.
China secretly inserted surveillance microchips into servers used by major technology companies, including Apple and Amazon.com, in an audacious military operation likely to further inflame trade tensions between the United States and its leading source of electronics components and products, Bloomberg Businessweek reported Thursday morning.

The article detailed a sweeping, years-long effort to install the surveillance chips in servers whose motherboards - the brains of the powerful computers - were assembled in China. One affected company had its servers used by U.S. government clients, including Department of Defense data centers, Navy warships and the CIA in its drone operations.

The extent of the data China collected from the surveillance chips was not clear from the report, and no consumer information was known to have been stolen, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. But it said a top-secret U.S. government investigation, dating from 2015 and involving the FBI, remains open.

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The story cited 17 unnamed sources, including industry insiders and current and former U.S. officials. The Chinese government, Apple, Amazon and other involved companies disputed the report to Bloomberg Businessweek, and the FBI and U.S. intelligence officials declined to comment.

One U.S. official told The Washington Post on Thursday morning that the thrust of Bloomberg Businessweek's reporting was accurate. This person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss matters not approved for public release.

The revelations came just hours before Vice President Mike Pence was to deliver a stinging rebuke of China in a speech at the Hudson Institute in Washington. Pence was expected to issue a range of criticisms at what the Trump administrations sees as China's increasingly aggressive behavior, including allegations by President Trump last week that the country is meddling in the U.S. midterm elections.

The U.S. and China are locked in a bitter and escalating trade war, in which hundreds of billions of U.S. and Chinese products are under tariff.

The reported manipulation of electronics supply chains to U.S. companies are certain to sharpen long-standing questions about the crucial but uneasy relationship between the world's two leading economies. American companies design and sell leading technology products, such as servers, laptop computers and smartphones, but they are built and assembled largely in China.

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U.S. officials long have worried about the potential for altered microchips or other components to be secretly inserted into products and shipped to the United States and elsewhere, opening doors to long-term spying on computer users and their information networks.

Surveillance through altered hardware is more difficult to execute than more familiar hacks to software, but the results can be harder to remedy because the components must be detected and physically removed, or use of the hardware must be discontinued. The surveillance microchips reportedly could have connected to outside computers and secretly downloaded software to bypass security protections elsewhere, such as passwords or encryption keys, stored elsewhere on the affected servers, enabling remote computerized spying.

The operation, which Bloomberg Businessweek attributed to a Chinese military unit that specializes in hacking hardware, worked by inserting a tiny, innocuous-looking microchip onto motherboards in servers produced by Supermicro, a leading supplier of such equipment, based in San Jose. The company is American but the motherboards were assembled mainly in China.

Both Apple and Amazon discovered the surveillance chips in 2015 and took steps to replace the affected servers, according to the report, which described close cooperation between U.S. investigators and affected companies. The report said that dozens of companies may have used sabotaged servers in their data centers before the Chinese operation was detected.

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Apple on Thursday morning referred The Washington Post to its statement in the Bloomberg Businessweek story alleging that the reporting was inaccurate. "Apple has never found malicious chips, 'hardware manipulations' or vulnerabilities purposely planted in any server. Apple never had any contact with the FBI or any other agency about such an incident. We are not aware of any investigation by the FBI, nor are our contacts in law enforcement."

The report also quoted denial of the reporting by Amazon Web Services, a cloud-services subsidiary of Amazon, which in 2015 acquired a company, Elemental, whose servers reportedly were affected by the Chinese operation. (The Washington Post is owned by Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos.)

"It's untrue that AWS knew about a supply chain compromise, an issue with malicious chips, or hardware modifications when acquiring Elemental," the Amazon statement said. "It's also untrue that AWS knew about servers containing malicious chips or modifications in data centers based in China, or that AWS worked with the FBI to investigate or provide data about malicious hardware."

Supermicro said in its statement, "We are not aware of any investigation regarding this topic nor have we been contacted by any government agency in this regard."
Democrats are ready to harness a powerful set of subpoena powers established by Republicans to dig into the activities of President Donald Trump, his family and his administration if they win control of the House in the November elections.

In 2015, Republicans changed the House's rules to give more committee chairmen unilateral powers to subpoena witnesses and compel document production from Democratic President Barack Obama's administration.

Democrats complained at the time, but now they plan to take advantage of those changes.

"I believe Democrats have learned a valuable lesson in how powerful unilaterally issued subpoenas could be," said Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations. "And I believe having learned that lesson, we are now prepared to deploy it."

Early moves are expected to target Trump's tax returns and family bank records; additional witnesses in the Russia probe; the administration's hurricane responses, and spending and travel practices of agency heads. Allegations in a New York Times article on Tuesday that Trump and his family committed fraud when building their business empire have further fueled Democratic demands that Trump hand over his tax returns.

If the Democrats win the House, as polls suggest is increasingly likely, the result would be a proliferation of investigations into Trump and his administration, powered by a near-constant parade of hearings and subpoenas.

It would be a dramatic turnaround for a White House that has been largely protected by congressional Republicans from intense scrutiny. The powerful House Oversight Committee, under Chairman Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, a former prosecutor, didn't issue a single subpoena for the first 15 months of his tenure, until doing so last month for the first time.

Democrats can learn from what Republicans did to the Obama administration after they retook the House in 2010 and opened up a slew of inquiries. They doubled the number of committee chairmen with unilateral subpoena power to 14 in 2015, and two years later allowed committee staff to haul private citizens and government officials to Capitol Hill to be questioned under oath, sometimes without any lawmakers present.

If Democrats take control of the chamber, the lawmakers who would get the chairmen's gavels in committees are already charting an aggressive strategy of investigations, hearings and subpoenas.

"The waste, fraud and abuse is plain to see," Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the Democrat most likely lead the Oversight committee, said in an interview.

A report by Jerrold Nadler of New York, the Judiciary Committee's top Democrat, added: "The silence speaks to an administration run amok and a Republican majority willing to turn a blind eye to misconduct."

Democrats on the Judiciary Committee -- who would lead impeachment proceedings, should it come to that -- have outlined an array of topics they would pursue in dozens of letters sent to the administration, resolutions of inquiry, and public reports.

Among them: concerns about nepotism and conflicts of interest involving senior administration members, including Trump and his relatives; whether the Justice Department has given priority to the prosecution of immigration offenses over other criminal cases; and examinations of the president's physical and mental fitness.

Oversight panel Democrats have their own list, starting with about 150 subpoena requests that Republicans have ignored. Their top concerns include the response to Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico last year; perceived ethics violations by cabinet members; and loans made to the Trump presidential campaign.

The House Financial Services Committee would be led by Maxine Waters of California if Democrats take charge. Waters -- savaged by Trump on Twitter as an "extraordinarily low IQ person" -- has pushed for investigations into financial ties between Trump and his family with Deutsche Bank AG and Russia, as well as tougher scrutiny of the administration's efforts to dismantle many financial regulations.

Most Democrats say it's too soon even to talk about impeachment before Special Counsel Robert Mueller completes his Russia investigation and reports findings to Congress. But Republicans contend that Democrats want to use congressional committees as a partisan weapon to harass and immobilize the Trump administration.

"It would fit with their style to want to find everything they can bang on the president for," said Rep. Michael Conaway of Texas, who led the House Intelligence Committee's investigation into Russian election interference. Democrats strongly criticized that probe, which resulted in conflicting partisan findings, and have signaled that they will resurrect the inquiry.

An invigorated Democratic majority would operate in stark contrast to the slower pace of oversight under GOP control of the House after Trump entered the White House in 2017. Gowdy, in issuing his first subpoena last month targeting a Department of Homeland Security lawyer in an inquiry into alleged senior-level misconduct at the Transportation Security Administration, offered a rationale for his failure to use that powerful tool until then.

"With most government officials, subpoenas do not even have to be threatened, much less executed; therefore your uncooperative posture is a telling and unacceptable outlier," Gowdy wrote in a letter.

By contrast, when Republican Darrell Issa of California became the Oversight chairman in 2011 during Obama's presidency, he signed 15 subpoenas during his first six months leading the committee, and by his own count more than 100 subpoenas during his four years as chairman.

And when Gowdy led the House hearings into the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans and occurred when Hillary Clinton was Obama's secretary of state, he issued 14 subpoenas.

Under Trump, Republicans have largely ignored many Democratic requests for documents or witnesses. Nadler has estimated that less than a third of their more than 100 letters to the administration regarding the president and federal agencies obtained responses.

Rep. Adam Schiff of California, who would become Intelligence chairman if Democrats take the House, has made clear that he would revive the probe. He has called for interviews -- or re-interviews -- with 30 "key witnesses," including former Trump Chief of Staff Reince Priebus; presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway; and senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller, and to also force Donald Trump Jr. to provide more information.

"I would expect them to investigate every member of his family," Conaway said. "They'll reopen Russia. They'll create new Russia investigations. It would be pure partisan."
A federal judge in California temporarily blocked the Trump administration's plans to terminate the legal status of about 300,000 immigrants who fled violence and disaster in Haiti, Sudan, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

In a decision late Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen in San Francisco found substantial evidence that the administration lacked "any explanation or justification" to end the "temporary protected status" designations for immigrants from those countries.

At the same time, he said there were "serious questions as to whether a discriminatory purpose was a motivating factor" in the administration's decision, which would violate the Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law.

He cited statements by President Donald Trump denigrating Mexicans, Muslims, Haitians and Africans, including his January remark about "people from shithole countries" and his June 2017 comments stating that 15,000 recent immigrants from Haiti "all have AIDS."

It is one of numerous cases in which such racial or ethnic comments or tweets by the president have been cited by judges to block administration policies, including on immigration and transgender people serving in the military.

In this case, Ramos v. Nielsen, and others, the judges have also cited deeply flawed decision-making by the administration and breaches of laws and regulations meant to prevent "arbitrary" acts by government.

The judge did not rule on the merits of the case, but rather issued a preliminary injunction so the merits could be considered. The potential harm to the immigrants - returning to their countries of origin after spending years in the United States - outweighed any harm to the government, he said.

"Absent injunctive relief, TPS beneficiaries and their children indisputably will suffer irreparable harm and great hardship," Chen wrote. "TPS beneficiaries who have lived, worked, and raised families in the United States (many for more than a decade), will be subject to removal. Many have U.S.-born children; those may be faced with the Hobson's choice of bringing their children with them (and tearing them away from the only country and community they have known) or splitting their families apart."

Justice Department spokesman Devin O'Malley said in a statement shortly after the decision that the administration would "continue to fight for the integrity of our immigration laws and our national security." He said Chen's decision "usurps the role of the executive branch in our constitutional order," and rejected "the notion that the White House or the Department of Homeland Security did anything improper."

The ACLU of Northern and Southern California, National Day Laborer Organizing Network and private law firm Sidley Austin filed the lawsuit in March on behalf of TPS beneficiaries who could face deportation as a result of the Trump administration's actions.

In a series of announcements in the fall of 2017 and early 2018, DHS said it planned to terminate the temporary protected status of the immigrants from Haiti, Sudan, Nicaragua and El Salvador, claiming the life-threatening conditions that caused the immigrants to flee no longer existed.

But Chen found that the plaintiffs presented a "substantial record" showing that DHS's decision to change various criteria affecting the TPS program were "without any explanation or justification," in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, which requires agencies to make orderly decisions based on reasoned judgment, evidence and in conformity with the laws and the Constitution.

Instead, it appeared senior administration officials ignored credible evidence that it would not be safe to send thousands of people back to those countries so that the administration could carry out President Donald Trump's "America First" immigration agenda, the judge said. Rather than making decisions based on what the evidence showed, Chen found that the administration appeared to make its decisions based on a "preordained result desired by the White House."

As former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke wrote in one email that was cited: "The TPS program must end for these countries soon. . . . This conclusion is the result of an America first view of the TPS decision."

The evidence Chen cited to support the injunction included testimony and dozens of internal emails between administration officials, exposing a convoluted and contentious decision-making process about whether to end TPS for Haiti, Sudan, Nicaragua and El Salvador, as The Washington Post's Nick Miroff previously reported. Some of the correspondence showed current government employees expressing alarm or confusion about how the Trump administration could justify terminating TPS for those countries.

As current and former administration officials testified, in the past, the government traditionally renewed temporary protected status for countries if conditions there were still found to be dangerous. For example, El Salvador experienced devastating earthquakes in 2001, but the government has repeatedly renewed temporary protected status because conditions are in general still not safe.

But in "a strong break with past practice," Duke said in an email to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, the Trump administration decided to only consider whether the original conditions still existed, such as devastation resulting specifically from the 2001 El Salvador earthquakes.

The plaintiffs argued that this change was based not on sound policy but on racial animus. Chen found that there was both direct and circumstantial evidence of race being a motivating factor.

"I think everyone already knows the Trump administration has really callous policies when it comes to deportation," said Jessica Karp Bansal, co-legal director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. "But this case is not only about deportation. This is about the Trump administration taking away legal status from people who held it for decades. And that is because of racial animus toward those people."

To justify its decisions to terminate TPS in the four countries at issue, the administration compiled "decision memos." But if the evidence contained in the memos suggested it would be wise to extend temporary protected status for the countries, officials tried to twist the evidence to steer toward termination, emails show.

One "particularly telling" piece of correspondence, to quote the judge, was between Kathy Nuebel Kovarik, the chief of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service's Office of Policy and Strategy, and a subordinate.

Kovarik said there was a "problem" with the memos because they "read as though we'd recommend an extension b/c we talk so much about how bad it is, but there's not enough in there about positive steps that have been taken since it's designation."

An employee responded: "We can. . .try to get more, and/or comb through the country conditions we have again looking for positive gems, but the conditions are what they are." The decision in all four cases was still termination.

The case of Sudan's TPS termination, as described by Judge Chen, was illustrative.

In its first decision memo for Sudan on Aug. 17, 2017, USCIS concluded that "it remains unsafe for individuals to return to Sudan" and that the armed conflict continued to support extending Sudan's temporary protected status.

Just one week later, USCIS issued a second memo that reiterated all of the same evidence about Sudan's conflict - but this time instead it recommended termination.

L. Francis Cissna, who is now the USCIS director, sent an email the next day noting that the memo "seems a bit confused."

"The memo reads like one person who strongly supports extending TPS for Sudan wrote everything up to the recommendation section, and then someone who opposes extension snuck up behind the first guy, clubbed him over the head, pushed his senseless body out of the way, and finished the memo," Cissna wrote. "Am I missing something?"

Despite concerns from the State Department, Sudan's TPS was terminated.

Hiwaida Elarabi, one of the main plaintiffs in the case and a TPS holder from Sudan, remembered the day she heard the news: She woke up listening to it, she told The Washington Post. Her alarm clock is set to AM radio.

"It was really. . .I can't even describe it. It was disturbing," said Elarabi, who has lived and worked in the Boston area now for 21 years under TPS. "It was depressing. And I really just couldn't grapple with the situation, even comprehend it at that time."

She had spent every day since then on "autopilot," she said, unwilling to think about what it would be like to have to leave the United States and return to the country she fled fearing her life.

When her attorney called Wednesday evening to share the news of Chen's ruling, she said, she was filled with relief.

"We are your neighbors, your teachers, physicians, scientists, business owners. We are in all aspects of life here in the U.S.," she said, "and we have been in society for so long. It is home for us here. We don't know another home than here."
Cape Coast, Ghana

Melania Trump said Wednesday that she "will never forget" her visit to a former slave-holding facility on Ghana's coast.

She called it "very emotional" and "really something that people should see and experience."

The U.S. first lady spent nearly an hour on a guided tour of the 17th-century castle, which originally was built by the Swedes for the trading of timber and gold but eventually became a warehouse for slaves shipped to the New World.

"I will never forget (the) incredible experience and the stories I heard. The dungeons that I saw, it's really something that people should see and experience," she said after she was asked to reflect on the visit.

The first lady was led around the facility by museum director Kwesi Essel-Blankson. She spent about 10 minutes inside the dark, cramped dungeon where male slaves were housed. She then walked down a pathway leading to the "Door of No Return," where slaves were shipped to the New World with no hope of returning to Africa.

She walked out and back through the door with the guide before she laid a wreath, observed a moment of silence and signed a guest book.

"It's very emotional," the first lady said before departing.

Trump arrived at the castle after an approximately 2 1/2-hour early morning drive from Accra, where she has stayed since opening her first extended international trip as first lady on Tuesday.

She added that the castle is a "special place."

Former President Barack Obama, the only black U.S. president, toured the castle with his family in 2009 and said it was a reminder of "the capacity of human beings to commit great evil."

Trump, who was born in Slovenia, is on her first visit to Africa, with a goal of highlighting child welfare on the continent.

She toured an infant clinic in Accra and met with Ghana's first lady at the presidential palace after she arrived Tuesday. She also has stops this week in Malawi, Kenya and Egypt.
NEW DELHI - India deported seven Rohingya Muslims who had fled their native Myanmar back to their country on Thursday, sparking concerns that the move could endanger their lives and violate international laws that protect refugees.

The decision comes as India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has escalated its rhetorical attacks on migrants who have entered the country illegally. The party's powerful president, Amit Shah, has repeatedly promised to deport all such migrants, and portrayed them as a security threat. At a public rally in September, he likened them to "termites."

The deportation also comes as the northeastern state of Assam, where the seven men were imprisoned since 2012, ramps up efforts to identify and deport illegal immigrants.

"If someone enters the country illegally, we will send them back," said Bharat Bhushan Babu, spokesman for India's Home Affairs Ministry. When asked whether that applied to people fleeing violence in their native countries, he said, "This is applicable to everyone."

The Rohingya community is a Muslim minority that has faced repeated persecution and violence in its native Myanmar, which is predominantly Buddhist.

Forcing Rohingya people to return to Myanmar could constitute refoulement, a crime under international law, E. Tendayi Achiume, a Unied Nations human rights expert, said in a statement.

"The Indian Government has an international legal obligation to fully acknowledge the institutionalized discrimination, persecution, hate and gross human rights violations these people have faced in their country of origin and provide them the necessary protection," the statement said.

Achiume also raised concerns about their extended detention in India and India's failure to give the men adequate legal counsel.

An exodus of more than 700,000 Rohingya from Myanmar to Bangladesh in 2017 drew the world's attention to Myanmar's human rights abuses against its Muslim minority. The United Nations has called it a genocide. Myanmar's government has repeatedly denied that charge, accusing Rohingya communities of setting their own villages ablaze to garner the world's sympathy.

An additional 40,000 Rohingya refugees are thought to be in India, although only 18,000 are registered with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Many of India's Rohingya refugees came before the most recent wave of violence in 2017. A statement from UNHCR said that the seven men deported Thursday were not registered with the refugee agency.

On Tuesday, India's home minister said the government had asked states to start collecting Rohingya biometrics so they could be sent back to Myanmar.

Under increasing international pressure to allow the Rohingya refugees to return, Myanmar's government has issued publicity notices on social media purportedly showing a handful of Rohingya going back to their homes and receiving supplies from the government.

According to officials who briefed The Washington Post on a recent media trip to Rakhine state, two families have been resettled. But experts have cast doubt about their authenticity, with news reports and locals in Rakhine state saying the repatriations were staged.

The U.N. statement also said that conditions in Myanmar were not "conducive for safe, dignified and sustainable returns for Rohingya."

"These individuals should be allowed to make an informed decision about their return to Myanmar in the current conditions and/or access their right to seek safe asylum," the statement said.

Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, a senior police officer from Assam state, said the police were not considering the Rohingya's ethnic or religious background when deporting them. "I'm not bothered if they are Rohingya or Muslim or Hindu or Christian. We're not bothered by caste and creed. We are bothered about the law," he said.

The men are from Kyauk Daw township in central Rakhine. They were initially arrested and jailed at the Silchar central prison in Assam in 2012 charged with irregular entry, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs.

The ministry said in a statement that Myanmar's government had identified the seven men as "residents" of Myanmar, and provided "Certificates of Identity to facilitate the travel of these individuals to their hometowns in Rakhine state." The statement said that the men had asked to be repatriated in 2016 and that the ministry on Wednesday had confirmed "their willingness to be repatriated."

Full citizenship - and not "residency" or "certificates of identity" - has been one of the key demands of Rohingya activists seeking repatriation.

Rohingya leaders say Myanmar's refusal to acknowledge the Rohingya's long history in the country is a key reason for the discrimination against them. Rohingya are often incorrectly termed illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and referred to as "Bengalis" - stripping them of their rights as equal citizens of Myanmar.

Human rights lawyer Prashant Bhushan had earlier urged India's Supreme Court to stop the deportations, or at least allow the United Nations to speak to the deportees to ensure they knew the risks of returning to Myanmar. On Thursday, Ranjan Gogoi, chief justice of India, said the court would not interfere with the deportation.

Assam, where the men were arrested, has made huge efforts to "detect-delete-deport" illegal migrants in recent years. The state has a long border with Bangladesh and huge migration flows that many say threatens Assamese jobs and culture.

In July, the state of Assam released a list of its citizens, but excluded 4 million people. Many, especially Muslims who were left off the list, fear it could lead to detentions and deportations.

- - -

The Washington Post's Shibani Mahtani in Hong Kong contributed to this report.
The U.S. ambassador to the European Union is offering a message to a continent that is frequently at odds with his boss: Let's get over our problems so that we can take on China together.

Gordon Sondland, who was sworn in as ambassador in late June, told a group of reporters in Brussels that once the United States had an appropriate trade deal with Europe, they could form a unified front to take on China.

"The jackpot is having what is about $40 trillion combined GDP working as a bloc in terms of dealing with Chinese growth, Chinese theft of intellectual property, Chinese malign activity, Chinese militarization in South China Sea and all the other things we've been calling out to China to stop doing," Sondland said, according to Euractiv.

"The sooner we conclude our business, the sooner we can both turn to the real opportunity, which is to deal with China and make China act like a good global citizen in the business world and otherwise," he added later.

The United States could help European governments by giving them access to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (Cifus), a mechanism that can help screen investors, Sondland told the reporters. "You don't want to sell a business to someone that you think is a Dane, or an American, or a Greek, then find out it's Chinese money or control behind it," he said.

The ambassador's message came the same week that Vice President Mike Pence accused Beijing of using trade policies to try to undermine the U.S. leadership. "By one estimate, more than 80 percent of U.S. counties targeted by China voted for President Trump in 2016; now China wants to turn these voters against our administration," Pence said in a speech at the Hudson Institute on Thursday.

Sondland has personal ties to Europe as his parents fled Nazi Germany during World War II. Though he distanced himself from Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election campaign, Sondland, the founder of a chain of boutique hotels, was later reported to have donated $1 million to the Trump inaugural committee.

It's a difficult time in transatlantic relations. European leaders are often at odds with Trump, who has spoken disparagingly of the European Union as an institution and has taken policy actions, such as pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, that prominent leaders, such as Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron, oppose.

A recent Pew poll of global views of the United States found a high level of skepticism about Trump among the European public. In France, Germany and Spain, confidence in Trump's ability to properly handle global affairs was lower than 10 percent, and sizable majorities in many European nations surveyed said that the United States did not consider their interests when considering policy.

However, the same poll found that in most European countries surveyed, majorities said they would prefer the United States to be a the leader global power, as opposed to China, suggesting a window of opportunity that Sondland could exploit.

The United States is seeking a new trade deal with the EU after pulling out of talks for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership last year, with some reports suggesting that the early stages of a deal may be worked out before than the end of the year. Sondland told the reporters in Brussels that "the president is expecting" significant progress on a deal by November or December, Euractiv reported.

The Trump administration has had some success on trade deals recently, revising an agreement with South Korea and reaching a new pact with Mexico and Canada. Some experts have suggested that the administration is focusing its efforts on China, which it sees as a bigger problem. One notable clause in the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement allows signatories to pull out if one country seeks a separate free trade agreement with a "nonmarket country" - widely interpreted as a warning against a side deal with China.

"We cannot talk about trade without talking about China," Sondland wrote in an article for Politico Europe last month. "We all share an interest in seeing China offer greater market access and eliminate unfair trade practices, and together we can insist China take the necessary steps to allow its economy to operate more fairly."
A Laredo man who was found with 53 undocumented immigrants in June in a tractor-trailer on San Antonio's North Side was sentenced Thursday to 70 months in federal prison without parole.

U.S. District Judge Fred Biery also imposed three years of supervised release on Gerardo Javier Carreon, 36, who pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants, his latest smuggling venture. Carreon admitted that he was to be paid $3,000 for transporting most of the load to Austin after dropping a handful of the immigrants in San Antonio.

Carreon apologized for his conduct.

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His assignment was to handle the San Antonio to Austin leg of the trip, Carreons lawyer, assistant federal public defender Alfredo Villarreal said after Thursdays sentencing hearing.

Carreons plea deal said Carreon took over the rig in San Antonio after it had been driven here by someone else. Villarreal said there have been no other apprehensions or arrests that Im aware of.

The rig was pulled over the evening of June 12 near the 8400 block of Laurelcrest Place, close to Broadway and Loop 410, where others in the smuggling chain were going to pick up four to five of the immigrants that were in the trailer. As Carreon opened the trailers doors to let the handful out, all the immigrants ran from the trailer and into the neighborhood because authorities  who had been watching the rig  approached.

Some of the immigrants injured themselves jumping over fences and off rootops of nearby houses as they ran to escape. Carreon also took off, but was caught. Once detained, the tired immigrants were fed pizza donated by San Antonians who had watched the incident unfold on local television news.

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As a result of Carreons guilty plea, three of the four immigrants who had been kept here as material witnesses to testify against him were cut loose from the criminal proceedings and instead were processed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation. The others have either been deported, or if they had valid asylum claims, processed accordingly.

Carreon, who also has lived in Hebbronville, has a lengthy record that includes convictions for smuggling immigrants and drugs, and some failures to appear in court or violating terms of federal supervision, public records show.

Of the immigrants caught, six were treated at the hospital, 47 were taken into custody immediately and processed for deportation. The immigrants were from Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico, records show.

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 Texas voter rolls have grown to 15.6 million people, a new record, and a jump of 1.6 million since the last time Texas held a midterm election in 2014, said Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos.

That includes nearly a 400,000-person increase since March, election records show. To put that number in perspective, from 2002 to 2014, the state added just over 100,000 voters a year, on average.

Since March, the states largest counties, Bexar, Harris, Dallas and Tarrant, all saw their voter registrations grow about 2.4 percent on average.

Recently, we have heard from a number of county election officials who tell us they are witnessing voter registration rates and voter enthusiasm in a midterm year that we usually see before Presidential-year elections, which is phenomenal, Pablos said. On the whole, we are seeing Texans become more engaged, which is very healthy for the future of our state.

The surge of registered voters comes as Texas watches the hottest U.S. Senate race in the country between U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic Congressman Beto ORourke, as well as a half-dozen close congressional races that could determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Over the past six months, Harris County has added 55,000 voters  more than any other county. But the growth has been even more pronounced in suburban counties ringing Houston. In Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, voter rolls grew 3 percent. In Collin and Denton counties just north of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, voter registration jumped almost 4 percent.

Two fast-growing counties that border Austin have seen the largest gains by percentage. In Williamson County, just north of Austin, the voter registration jumped over 4 percent. The biggest gain since March has been in Hays County, which saw a 4.4 percent increase in the number of registered voters.

The burst in interest from voters is evident in counties with competitive races for Congress, adding an extra degree of uncertainty to those races. The 22nd Congressional District, which includes most of Fort Bend County, the 32nd Congressional District, which includes Collin County, the 21st District, which includes parts of Hays County, and the 31st District, which includes Williamson County, are considered the races with Republicans facing some of their stiffest opposition in Texas.

The jump in registrations in those districts make sense, University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus said.

Competitive elections increase voter interest, he said, adding that the U.S. Senate race is also a factor.

More Information Voter Registration in Texas For Midterm elections over last 20 years 2018 - 15.6 million 2014 - 14.0 million 2010 - 13.2 million 2006 - 13.1 million 2002 - 12.6 million 1998 - 11.5 million SOURCE: Texas Secretary of State See More Collapse

And there is still time for more voters to join the rolls before Oct. 9, the final day to register in time to vote in the midterm elections.

The surge in voter registration comes despite the difficulties of registering voters in Texas. State law requires that to register voters, a person must be trained by a Volunteer Deputy Registrar in each county they do their work, a provision that discourages many groups from doing voter registration drives.

To register to vote, Texas residents can fill out an application online or contact their county election administrators office.

Registering to vote and casting a ballot are two different things in Texas. Despite having 14 million registered voters in 2014, just 4.7 million people voted  about 34 percent of voters. In presidential cycles, voter turnout is much higher, hitting almost 60 percent in 2016 and 2012.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com
On Feb. 24, 1836, Lt. Col. William Barret Travis commanded the besieged Alamo. He wrote a brief letter calling for reinforcement of his small force of Texians and Tejanos. His stirring call to aid the Alamo echoes today, and it is Texans duty and our honor to answer it at last.

As Texas Land commissioner and San Antonio mayor, we have signed a joint resolution agreeing in principle with the Alamo master plan as presented by the management committee. Renovating and upgrading the Alamo and surrounding area into a world-class historical site is, Texans agree, long overdue.

From its founding as Mission San Antonio de Valero in 1718 to the 1836 battle and today, the Alamo is the beating heart of San Antonio and Texas. But until 2015, the state of Texas and city of San Antonio did not work together for the Alamos benefit. This changed when the Texas General Land Office and the city of San Antonio entered into an historic cooperative agreement to create a joint master plan to honor the Alamo.

The Texas Legislature, Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and legislators from both parties backed this plan through historic legislation and funding.

As a proper reverence for history requires, the process that developed the master plan was deliberate, considerate and conducted under the bright light of public scrutiny. After three years, countless committee meetings, scores of public and stakeholder meetings, and many events and presentations across the state, we have a plan that restores and protects the Alamo.

This plan builds the Alamo the museum it deserves. And this plan restores honor and reverence to what is the most sacred site in the city and the Lone Star State.

This plan is the opportunity of a lifetime. It appropriately honors our fallen Texian and Tejano heroes whose valor and ultimate sacrifice paved the way for a free and independent Texas. It tells the full story of the Alamos history.

And while those 13 days in 1836 are certainly at the forefront, fidelity to history requires we remember all 300 years of the Alamos history. The establishment of the mission, the plazas role in San Antonios political and civil rights history, and the lives of those Indians and Christians buried beneath will all be included.

And it retains Alamo Plaza as a free and open gathering place.

We can all be proud of this day and this partnership. In the years to come, we will see the Alamos historic mission footprint and battlefield with our own eyes for the first time.

We will see a premiere museum born, which will enable the Alamo to tell its amazing story more completely than ever before, from its mission origins to Jose Toribio Losoyas home and the 18-pounder platform, to the south gate and to the north wall.

We will see a new flourishing of Texas history research and archaeology. The Alamos historic footprint, and the entire area around it, will remain the heart of San Antonio and become the jewel of Texas. In this effort to honor history, we all will make history.

The master plan we approved this week appropriately, respectfully and reverently honors those brave souls whose blood stains the soil beneath Alamo Plaza and offers all who visit the experience merited by its history.

Alamo defender David Crockett said, Let your tongue speak what your heart thinks.

Today let all Texans speak with one voice as we rise up and take on the incredible challenge and opportunity of preserving our past to ensure our future.

All Texans and all who love liberty throughout the world will today and forever Remember The Alamo!

Ron Nirenberg is mayor of San Antonio. George P. Bush is commissioner of the Texas General Land Office.
Newtownforbes Community Cardiac First Responders is delighted to celebrate a successful first year in the local community.

It's been a very good year, according to Training Instructor and Chairperson of the lifesaving project James Quinn.

ALSO READ: Newtownforbes Cardiac First Responders group launched

Special thanks to a hard working and dedicated group of highly trained professional local people living in our community, Mr Quinn told the Leader this week.

They have put Newtownforbes on the lifesaving map to help established our local cardiac responder group.

It has beena very busy and exciting year for the first responders attending training in Newtownforbes to keep up their professional skills.

Our groups also participated in a number of local events that included Longford St Patrick's Day festival where our members surprised the judges by demonstrating our CPR Defibrillator skills, said Mr Quinn.

We provided training to a number of people over the last few months in Miranda Moran Physiotherapist in Newtownforbes.

We assisted training in both Hannon's Hotel Roscommon and Monksland Athlone with thanks to Galway/Roscommon Education Training Board.

In May, we helped raise vital funds for Irish Heart Foundation National Happy Heart Day in Davis Supervalu Longford.

We're delighted to have given the opportunity to demonstrate lifesaving skills to our public.

Our community defibrillators around the Newtownforbes area are now fully serviced and under the umbrella of our responder group.

We want to thank especially the people who were in the setting up ten years ago.

Responders will be doing regular checks to make sure the defibrillators in the area are in working order.

The community has six working defibrillators spread out through different townlands around the area.

Special thanks as always to Miranda Moran for providing facilities for our training not forgetting thank you to Stephen Coy and DJ Damien Quinn for providing us with a fundraising disco night last October in the Sin Bin, Mr Quinne added.

Finally, our Churchgate Collection will be held weekend of October 27 and 28 in Newtownforbes; your support will be greatly appreciated.

There will be a number of fundraising events over the coming months, so stay tuned for more information.

This service depends on volunteers to keep our lifesaving scheme running, Mr Quinn explained.

Training and certification meets Irish Heart Foundation standards.

Our training is on going in Miranda Moran Physiotherapist where our meetings take place.

For more information or to become a member today contact Cardiac First Responders on (087) 9023937 or alternatively get in touch by Facebook: Newtownforbes Cardiac Responders.
It may sound like an oft overused cliche, but it was one which undeniably summed up how far the countys fiscal fortunes have come since the 2008 economic crash as it played host to a two day Business Exhibition at the newly rebranded Riverside Shopping Centre last weekend.

ALSO READ: Omniplex chiefs plan to demolish Longford cinema to create plaza entrance to new multi million euro Riverside Shopping Centre

More than 100 firms were there as were some of the leading luminaries from the local and national commercial arena, all with one overriding goal in mind-to showcase Longford as a dynamic and preeminent location in which to do business.

As much as today is about networking and meeting other businesses its also about seeing the still largely untapped potential of our town, said a buoyant Longford Chamber of Commerce President Niamh Donlon.

She said it was especially fitting to see a two day business spectacle of its type return to what was the original beating heart of Longford town.

Warm sentiments were in ample supply too, evidenced by various messages of indebtedness to Longford County Council, Local Enterprise Office personnel and Longford Community Resources (LCRL) for bringing about last weekends event.

Its hosts, the new owners of the once vacant Longford Shopping Centre, Omniplex, were likewise singled out for special adulation as Ms Donlon referred to the renewed focus both Omniplex and local authority chiefs had in rejuvenating the Camlin Quarter-one of the county towns oldest economic districts.

It is hugely heartening to see the emphasis on the river as we only have to look down the road to Carrick-On-Shannon to see how the fortunes were changed from planning and the commercial focus switched to the waterside, she said.

For too long we have turned our back on our greatest resource.

Longford Municipal District Cathaoirleach Cllr Seamus Butler harked back to his many years in business as he imparted some timely advice to those looking to breathe new life into their own enterprises.

Unless you have a unique selling experience that cant be done elsewhere you simply wont make it, he resolutely remarked.

Business has changed and it has changed radically.

There is a cliche definition of madness in continually doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

You have to stop doing the same thing in retail if you want to survive.

Mark Christal, Manager of Enterprise Ireland Regions and Entrepreneurship Division and Tom Parlon, Director General of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) also took to their feet in illustrating the economys present day challenges in the lead up to this months Budget.

But perhaps the most taking declaration belonged to the Chamber President as she underlined the rationale behind Longford Business Expo 2018.

Its about celebrating our successes but its also about encouraging more businesses to launch here or locate to Longford.

We know there isnt a better place to live, to work or a better place to launch a business than Longford but heretofore we have been far too slow in selling that message.

Maybe, just maybe that message is one Longfords business community and its 40,000 strong populace are starting to finally believe in too.
The move is being billed as a key requirement in ongoing efforts to enhance the county towns tourism and business potential.

It will also see around a dozen points of local interest included in the street broadband rollout which could conceivably become operational before Christmas.

Local politicians rubber-stamped the move after a presentation was delivered by Magnet Networks at last weeks meeting of Longford Municipal District.

A spokesperson for the firm said the scheme was not designed to replace existing broadband facilities already set up within individual business outlets, but was more geared towards the main thoroughfares and points of public interest within provincial towns.

He also revealed local businesses would be in a position to avail of greater commercial exposure through advertising streams once various access points around the town are installed.

We will do a launch and put signs up, he said, adding that the company, which is Irelands third largest ISP provider, was committed to signing up to an initial two year agreement.

We believe there is an opportunity for Magnet to provide a free wi-fi service that not only provides free wi-fi but that also gives back to the community from an advertising and data analytics perspective.

Broadband Officer with Longford County Council, Christine Collins said the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of towns like Cavan and Sligo in bringing public wi-fi to its main streets was simply too good an opportunity to turn down.

We (Council) feel that free wi-fi is a vital link for tourism, it is a key communication tool, it maps out visitors' journey throughout the town, she said.

It is family friendly, measures footfall and analytics will help us support further applications for urban regeneration.

Fine Gael Cllr Peggy Nolan was the first to propose adopting the proposal, something which was swiftly endorsed by Cllr Gerry Warnock.

In likening the move to a similar venture introduced in Lanesboro, Cllr Warnock said the real gold would come via the data the new system would provide.

I think the most recent project out in Lanesboro has worked very well in terms of tourism and the reality is we are living in a digital age where week on week whether we like it or not we are becoming more reliable on technology to get about and meet our personal objectives.
Local News, Business & Finance, Press Releases, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 04 2018

County Executive will file request for bonding.

Mineola, NY - October 4, 2018 - Nassau County Executive Laura Curran plans to file a request with the Nassau County Legislature to approve bonding and pay more than $100 million in outstanding taxpayer refunds that are sitting in boxes at the offices of the Nassau County Assessment Review Commission (ARC).

Nassau County owes thousands of residential and commercial property owners money, and it is time we pay them, said Curran. I am asking the Legislature to consider moving forward with bonding to permit these claims and settlements to be satisfied. This a critical step in addressing the fiscal mess created by the failed policies of the prior administration and fixing the countys broken assessment system.

County Executive Curran in June requested the state legislature to approve legislation raising the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) debt ceiling and permit bonding for as much as $400 million. These tax cert claims, settlements and refunds to taxpayers have been outstanding for years. The New York State Senate introduced the bill and requested a home-rule vote. The Nassau County Legislature, however, rejected the request and instead suggested the county could bond on its own.

Currently, there are 18,914 settlements which would be covered by the bonding. Of that number 10,275 are with the Assessment Review Commission (ARC) and another 8,639 are at the County Treasurers Office. The settlements were accepted from Dec. 1, 2015 through Dec. 31, 2016. The total cost is $101,514,180.
Local News, Crime, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 04 2018

Camari Hurley, 24, pleaded guilty on May 11, DA Singas says.

Mineola, NY - October 4, 2018 - Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Franklin Square man was sentenced today to 18 years to life in prison for the 2017 fatal stabbing of a 21-year-old man.

Camari Hurley, 24, pleaded guilty on May 11 before Judge Howard Sturim to Murder in the Second Degree (an A-I felony).

This defendant brutally stabbed his 21-year-old victim and callously left him to die on the entrance ramp of a highway, DA Singas said. Thanks to quick police work and our prosecutors this suspect has been brought to justice.

DA Singas said on January 11, 2017, at about 9:15 p.m., 21-year-old Sumeet Singh was discovered near the 15N entrance ramp to the Southern State Parkway in Valley Stream by drivers trying to get onto the highway. When New York State Police troopers and Nassau County police officers arrived at the scene, the victim was bleeding from several stab wounds to his chest and back. Officers heard Singh say that Camari Hurley had done this to him.

Following a brief investigation, the defendant was found by NCPD Bureau of Special Operations officers approximately 30 minutes later  about a mile away from the scene  at the intersection of Cypress and Magnolia Drive with his clothing covered in blood. DNA testing later confirmed the blood on the defendants shoes, pants and socks matched the victims. During the investigation, police also found a hat in the nearby woods that bore the logo of a pizza restaurant where the defendant was employed.

The victim later died at Winthrop University Hospital from his injuries which included a lung perforation and blunt force trauma to the head. A further investigation revealed the defendant and victim had a dispute earlier in the day.
School & Education, Local News, Arts & Culture, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 04 2018

William Floyd Cosmetology was the only program on Long Island to receive this designation.

Mastic Beach, NY - October 4, 2018 - The William Floyd High School Cosmetology program recently held a banner unveiling ceremony to celebrate the recent Model School designation bestowed upon the program by the Career and Technical Education Technical Assistance Center (CTE TAC) of New York, an honor reserved for the best CTE programs in New York State. William Floyd Cosmetology was the only program on Long Island to receive this designation.

This honor is due to the hard work and efforts of several people including Wendy Joyce and Annie Bopp who work with the students every day to develop a quality program, said Christine Rosado, Director of Secondary Education and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), William Floyd School District.

The two-year program, open to juniors and seniors, provides a strong entrepreneurial component in which students learn the skills required to become a licensed cosmetologist and how to operate a business. The Virtual Enterprise experience, which is included in the program of study along with several other business tie-in courses, offers the skills that help these students throughout their future careers. After successful completion of the Cosmetology program, students have the 1,000 hours necessary to qualify for NYS licensure.

The community connections within the program are also evident through an advisory board representative of the various businesses in the community, as well as the opportunities presented to students through trainings and demonstrations hosted by local salon professionals. Students regularly take top awards at the SkillsUSA competitions, including last year, which saw two William Floyd students take home first- and second-place in the Cosmetology category. Additionally, an articulation agreement with SUNY Farmingdale provides students pursuing a post-secondary education with the opportunity to earn three college credits.

The development of this comprehensive CTE-approved cosmetology program in William Floyd High School is making a difference, said Ellen Palazzo, Long Island field associate, CTE TAC. It has encouraged students to actively explore career pathways, develop their passions and talents, promoted success in high school, build professional skills, and positioned dozens to earn a licensure and entry to career success. Simultaneously, this program has served to enrich the school culture and heighten community connections.

NYS CTE Model Programs are considered to be the best of the best, added Ms. Rosado. As a CTE Model Program, the William Floyd Cosmetology program will serve as an example for other schools of what a high-quality CTE program looks like.

The William Floyd School District offers an abundance of CTE programs for students including automotive technology, barbering, business, building trades & construction, cosmetology, culinary arts, medical assisting, small engine repair and technology. Each course provides students with opportunities to earn college credits in their chosen field, gain valuable life skills and prepared for entry-level employment in their program of study.

Now more than 350 students are enrolled in various CTE courses at William Floyd High School and students graduating with a CTE endorsement on their diplomas have the opportunity to gain entry-level employment in various capacities including as a medical assistant, an automotive technician, an entry-level carpenter/carpenters apprentice/carpenters helper and as a licensed cosmetologist; they can also earn college credits for post-secondary education in the culinary arts, earn endorsements in business (accounting, small business management, Microsoft office specialist) and in technology (architectural drafting and engineering).

About William Floyd Cosmetology
A Los Angeles judge on Thursday sentenced former music mogul Suge Knight to 28 years in prison for a fatal hit-and-run.

The 53-year-old hip hop icon killed one man and injured another when he ran them over at a Compton burger stand in 2015, NBC News reported.

The maximum penalty for voluntary manslaughter in California is 11 years in prison, but that was doubled because of Knight's prior convictions under the state's three-strikes law, according to CNN. Knight faced another five years because the conviction is for a serious and violent felony and one additional year for a deadly weapon allegation involving the truck he used

Knight, co-founder of Death Row Records, pleased no contest to voluntary manslaughter and avoided a murder trial with a possible life sentence.

A confrontation at Tam's Burgers on Jan. 29, 2015 was caught on surveillance cameras, showing Knight backing his pickup truck over Cle Sloan before going forward and plowing into Terry Carter, 55, a longtime businessman who built custom lowriders.

Knight then drove off and Carter died from his injuries.

Knight and Andre "Dr. Dre" Young established the Death Row Records label in 1991, but it went bankrupt in 2006 after Knight's run ins with the law and the loss of several major artists.

Knight was driving the car in which rapper Tupac Shakur was shot and killed in Las Vegas in 1996.
Developers broke ground on a new hotel in Boston this week, kicking off a nearly two-year construction period to bring the "Hyatt Place Boston Seaport District" to life.

The Hyatt hotel, expected to open across the street from the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion venue in the spring of 2020, will include 294 guest rooms, according to a spokespeople. The project is spearheaded by Hyatt and Colorado-based developers McWHINNEY.

In step with the trend of mixed-use developments, the new project from Hyatt Hotels Corporation will feature guest rooms as well as residential and commercial space.

Developers plan to include luxury apartments in the mix, as well as 6,800 square feet of restaurant space on the ground floor of the hotel.

Other planned features for the hotel include a rooftop lounge and private event space, a 24-hour gym, a "Coffee to Cocktails Bar," a daily hot breakfast at "Gallery Kitchen," a green roof, meeting spaces, an elevated outdoor courtyard and other amenities.

"Hyatt Place Boston Seaport District will add a new upscale hotel offering to this vibrant area of Boston, providing guests close proximity to the World Trade Center complexes, the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and a thriving business community," Stephen Kallaher, vice president of real estate and development for Hyatt, said in a statement.

Mayor Marty Walsh has said the development will boost the city's need for hotel rooms and housing. In a statement, Walsh noted the new Seaport hotel will be constructed "with climate resiliency and sustainability at the forefront."

The project, contracted by Suffolk Construction, will also include 400 underground parking spaces.

Hyatt affiliated managers have pledged to incorporate the neighborhood's historic port activity into the hotel, promising a "nautical design theme" by Boston's Group One Partners.
At least two elementary schools in Lawrence, the Parthum Elementary School and Oliver Partnership, were evacuated by firefighters Thursday morning due to the smell of natural gas, according to multiple reports.

The Lawrence Fire Department confirmed that fire officials were responding to a call at Parthum Elementary on East Haverhill Street sometime before 8 a.m. on Thursday.

NBC Boston reports both schools have been evacuated while officials investigate the smell of natural gas. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation reported closures at Exit 45 on I-495 northbound and southbound "due to gas leak in area."

Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera announced on Twitter that the evacuations and gas smells were not connected to the "Gas Disaster of 9/13."

Rivera said that at Parthum Elementary, the problem Thursday morning appeared to be a rooftop unit and boiler leaking gas. According to Rivera, Parthum "and two other schools" reported gas smells.

"URGENT: This morning the Parthum school was evacuated and two other schools in North Lawrence reported gas smells. These incidents are not related to the Gas Disaster of 9/13. The students of the Parthum are being moved to another School for now," Rivera posted on Twitter.

Rivera also announced that multiple agencies were on scene at Parthum, including Columbia Gas, the company tied to the series of gas explosions on Sept. 13 that sparked fires and destruction across homes in Lawrence and neighboring towns like Andover and North Andover.
Colonel James McGinn, appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker to lead the Massachusetts Environmental Police, has been suspended without pay.

McGinn is a retired State Police sergeant who served as Baker's driver when the governor was campaigning for the Corner Office in 2014.

Further information surrounding his suspension was not immediately available.

The Environmental Police is located within the governor's Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The agency has six bureaus.

"Colonel McGinn is currently suspended without pay pending the completion of an internal review of operational issues at the Massachusetts Environmental Police," said Peter Lorenz, spokesman for the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.

The command and control of the Environmental Police is now in the hands of Lt. Col. Anthony Abdal-Khabir.

McGinn's 2017 pay came in at $132,215, according to state records.

The agency's website says the Environmental Police enforce fish and game laws and its responsibilities include "protection of natural resources, homeland security and law enforcement, safety education, and accident investigation."
SPRINGFIELD -- A judge's finding that the owners of a State Street apartment building discriminated against three tenants who were participating in a substance use recovery program sends a message to other landlords, said the executive director of the agency that filed the complaint.

In a Sept. 30 ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni declined to issue a summary judgment for either the plaintiffs or the defendants in two of the counts in the case, involving the Dec. 13, 2013 evictions of three tenants from 888 State St. Mastroianni issued a summary judgment on one count in favor of the plaintiffs, and agreed to dismiss one count as requested by the defendants.

Meris Bergquist, executive director of the Holyoke-based Massachusetts Fair Housing Center, said her agency -- which filed the suit on behalf of the tenants -- expects the court will now schedule a pretrial conference, prior to scheduling a jury trial.

In an email, Bergquist said Mastroianni's ruling sends an important message to landlords that individuals in recovery deserve to be treated as individuals -- not stereotyped, stigmatized or treated as if they do not have the same rights as all other tenants under the law.

"Defendants acted with impunity," she wrote.

According to Mastroianni's ruling, defendants Craig Spagnoli, Chris Spagnoli, Lorilee I LLC. and Lorilee Property discriminated against the tenants by evicting them over their participation in the program.

Mastroianni cited a letter from Craig Spagnoli to city officials in which Spagnoli wrote, "we need to get tenants out, secure the building, change the locks then get better tenants." Meanwhile, according to the ruling, Christopher Spagnoli said he wouldn't have evicted the tenants if they withdrew from the program.

But, the judge also said the defendants "presented sufficient evidence in support of the contention that they were motivated by legitimate safety concerns and fundamental failings of the program, rather than discriminatory animus against disabled tenants."

Bergquist said the three evicted tenants "were heartened by the Court's ruling, which recognized their rights and that defendants had violated those rights when they tacked eviction notices on their doors."

She said the plaintiffs did nothing wrong: "They complied with lease terms and program rules to strengthen their recovery. They did not deserve to be evicted because they were successful participants in a recovery program."

Lorilee Properties is listed as a defendant but is no longer in business. PAB Property on took over the company's number and Belmont Street office.

No one affiliated with the Lorilee companies has returned a request for comment.
SPRINGFIELD -- City officials gathered at Forest Park on Thursday to thank the Hampden County Sheriff's Department and inmate crews for providing thousands of hours of community labor each year ranging from park maintenance to school painting.

Sheriff's department staff and many of the work crew members attended the "Appreciation Luncheon" at the Barney Carriage House at the park.

"It's giving back to the community," said Kevin Crowley, assistant superintendent of the sheriff's department, representing Sheriff Nick Cocchi at the luncheon. "And that is what Sheriff (Michael) Ashe started 25 years ago, and Sheriff Cocchi continues. Each year, we have about 75,000 hours of community service that we are able to give back to Hampden County."



The program, beyond the help to communities, provides valuable job skills for inmates, Crowley said.

There was some community skepticism about the program when it began in 1993, but 25 years later, "the phone keeps ringing," Crowley said.



The crews, including men and women, are tasked with community projects such as landscaping, painting, general construction work, debris pickup, waste disposal, snow removal and janitorial work, among other daily tasks, officials said. Highlights in Springfield include working on the annual pancake breakfast, the Keep Springfield Beautiful cleanup, and providing painting crews at various schools and the Springfield Housing Authority.



The Community Service Restitution Program has 18 supervised work crews in the region including 10 crews in Springfield, Crowley said.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno joined in thanking the crew members and staff, and was joined by Crowley and Springfield parks and buildings director Patrick J. Sullivan in handing out appreciation plaques.



"You're a key part of helping the city of Springfield move forward," Sarno said to the gathering. "The beautification you do exteriorly or interiorly with our buildings, you can't put a price tag on the pride (gained). You're putting a lot of smiles on people's faces."



The program is about "learning lessons, giving back and giving opportunity and hope when you go back to your lives in a positive way to provide not only for yourselves and for your families, and for your communities," Sarno said.



An inmate named Jason said the work provides "a good work ethic," including "getting up every morning and doing some hard work."



Another worker named Amy said it is good to get out of jail for a little while "and feel like we're doing something."



"It's like we're giving back to the community, because I mean they're paying for us to have room and board, so we're doing something for them when we're making the park beautiful," Amy said. "So, when people visit, everything's clean and picked up, and you get a lot of physical exercise and everything. It's really good."



The sheriff's department has contracts with communities, with some funds paid to help cover supervision costs, but the communities get significant work done at great savings, officials said.



The workers come from the main institution in Ludlow, the women's correctional center in Chicopee, and other community programs, Crowley said.



Cocchi has continued the program and expanded it to include a crew on Saturdays, Crowley said. Cocchi was unable to attend the luncheon due to a meeting of the Massachusetts Sheriff's Association, he said.

Sullivan said the work crews should take pride in what they are doing, "and know that your hard work is appreciated and that you can leave here and know that you can accomplish these things with your lives."

Jonah Snowden contributed to this report.
HOLYOKE - The memories, heroics and duty to country of Medal of Honor recipients Chief Boatswain's Mate John S. Mackenzie, Lt. Raymond Beaudoin and Sgt. Joseph Muller will endure for generations, etched in black granite, cared and tended to by their hometown.

Family members of the fallen men unveiled a memorial Wednesday afternoon on the eastern edge of Veterans Park.

The recipients' descendants filled the front row, joined by local and state officials and veterans of past conflicts.

Rory Casey, of the mayor's office, presided over the ceremony. Maj. Gen. Gary Keefe, of the Massachusetts National Guard, spoke of the men's histories and their Holyoke roots. Casey welcomed veterans from the Holyoke Soldiers Home and active duty members.

Keefe recalled the recipients' exploits and the awarding of the nation's highest military honor.

On Dec. 17, 1917, during World War I, Mackenzie, aboard the USS Remlik, a steam-powered, private yacht transformed into a patrol boat, found himself caught in a hellish storm in the Bay of Biscay off France.

A depth charge broke loose on the boat's deck. To secure the explosive, Mackenzie placed his body over the device to anchor it. His actions saved the lives of the Remlik's crew members. Mackenzie returned home after the war.

The stadium at Holyoke High School bears his name.

Beaudoin, 26, led his platoon against superior numbers in Hamelin, Germany, on April 6, 1945, during World War II. Three of his men died in attempts to bring back reinforcements. In response, Beaudoin attacked a sniper nest located 90 yards from his position.

He exposed himself to enemy fire, enduring eight rounds of bazooka fire. He shot and killed two enemy combatants at close range, followed by a third whom he overpowered with the butt of his carbine.

As Beaudoin advanced on a third position, a burst of machine gunfire claimed him.

Muller, Beaudoin's South Summer Street neighbor, found himself on the killing grounds of Okinawa in World War II. His platoon became bogged down by enemy fire. He directed his men to provide suppressing fire as he jumped up and attacked the entrenched enemy.

Alone, he crawled through heavy fire, hurling hand grenades as he advanced. Muller's men mowed down the now exposed enemy. He went after a squad of Japanese soldiers as they ran to a machine gun.

The battle continued until dawn. He continued to fight, often up close. A Japanese combatant, feigning death, tossed a hand grenade. Muller jumped on the grenade and sacrificed himself.

He died May 16, 1945.

Norman J. Muller, the sergeant's nephew who grew up in Holyoke, said the memories and feelings for his Uncle Joe have grown stronger over the years, though he was born after the war.

Though painful, the family spoke some about Muller. Norman Muller found the memorial moving, a beautiful tribute to Holyoke's sons. "It was around this time in 1960 that they dedicated the Muller bridge," he said.

His sister, Louise Durand, who helped with the unveiling, also cut the ribbon during the bridge dedication.

"We never knew him, but we heard an awful lot about him," Muller said. "It brings back memories of my father, who was a veteran, and certainly my grandmother, who went through all of this."

Muller served in the military in the late 1960s.

Years back, Muller inherited his uncle's medal, which he tucked away in a drawer. A veterans group wanted to build a display inside the War Memorial Building dedicated to Mackenzie, Beaudoin and Muller.

Muller donated the medal for permanent display, a place of safekeeping. "You don't have an appreciation of those things when you're younger," he said. "It's only much later that I found out that if it got lost, it can't be replaced."

He and his sister plan to visit the monument periodically.

Alicia Zoeller, of the Holyoke Office of Community Development, said a $9,500 U.S. Housing and Urban Development grant funded the monument's creation and installation. Also, the state awarded a $7,500 Preservation Grant for Veterans Collections, Sites and Memorials.

"This the first time in 30 years that public funds had been used to dedicate a veterans memorial," Zoeller said. "We're very proud of doing this."

She said Mayor Alex Morse felt "it was long overdue" to honor the recipients.

Zoeller praised the efforts of residents Olivia Mausel and James Bronson for spearheading the project. "They saw a need to honor three brave, Holyoke veterans," she said, noting Bronson continues to take the lead on honoring the fallen.

Ray Halusch Inc. Monuments, of Ludlow, designed and etched the memorial, which features the recipients' portraits. A crew from the Holyoke Department of Public Works installed the memorial.

The Holyoke Auxiliary Police Color Guard presented the colors, followed by Lexi Anamasis singing the national anthem. City Councilors Todd McGee and Peter Tallman attended the ceremony.

Michelle Moriarty represented State Sen. Donald Humason, R-Westfield.
CHICOPEE -- Elvis J. Luckham was pushing his luck.

Despite losing his driver's license until 2032 after four convictions for operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Luckham picked up a fifth case in August after Holyoke police found him stopped in traffic for no apparent reason on Beech Street.

He had a bag of PCP on his lap and a PCP-laced cigar in the ashtray, according to the arrest report, which said he displayed unusual strength -- a symptom of PCP intoxication -- battling officers who removed him from the car.

Luckham, 29, of Chicopee, pleaded not guilty in Holyoke District Court to operating under the influence, fifth offense, and was released on $500 bail despite a prosecutor's request to hold him without right to bail for a dangerousness hearing.

Three days later, however, Luckham's criminal history caught up with him in Chicopee District Court when he was jailed for allegedly violating his probation in a 2017 drug and gun case.

In that case, Luckham received a one-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to illegal possession of a firearm. He was also sentenced to one year of probation each on charges of possession of PCP and driving with a revoked license.

On Aug. 31, Judge Judge Bethzaida Sanabria-Vega found probable cause that Luckham's Holyoke arrest represented a violation of his probation in the Chicopee case. She ordered him held without right to bail for a probation violation hearing.

On Monday, Sanabria-Vega ruled that Luckham had violated his probation and sentenced him to 24 months in jail. The first year will be served at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow, and the second at the Western Massachusetts Wellness and Recovery Center in Springfield, the judge ruled.

Luckham, meanwhile, is due back in Holyoke District Court next month for a pretrial hearing in his latest OUI case.

He was convicted of driving under the influence of drugs in Holyoke in 2010 and 2011; driving under the influence of alcohol in Springfield in 2013, and driving under the influence of drugs in Brimfield in 2015, according to court records.

Following Luckham's fourth conviction, the state Registry of Motor Vehicles notified him that his right to drive had been revoked until Feb. 10, 2032.

If convicted in his fifth case, Luckham could lose his driving rights for an additional ten years, to 2042.
The suicide of 18-year-old Conrad Roy III may have been tragic. Michelle Carter's texts urging him to end his life may have been misguided.

But Carter did not cause his death, her attorney Daniel Marx told the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court as he argued for her involuntary manslaughter conviction to be overturned Thursday morning.

"This is not a woman who had control over a younger, more vulnerable victim," Marx said.

Roy was found dead on July 13, 2014, in a Fairhaven Kmart parking lot after he turned on a gas-powered water pump and allowed the cabin of his truck to fill with carbon monoxide.

Carter, who was 17 years old when she sent the Mattapoisett teen a barrage of texts and Facebook messages encouraging him to kill himself before his eventual suicide, was convicted of a count of involuntary manslaughter in Taunton Juvenile Court on June 16, 2017. She was sentenced to 15 months in jail, though her sentence has been stayed pending appeals in state courts.

The case against Carter, now 22 years old, gained international attention and became a flash point in debates over mental health, contemporary teenage relationships and the limits of free speech.

Judge Lawrence Moniz, who issued the verdict after Carter waived her right to a jury trial, ruled that Carter caused Roy's death by telling him over the phone to get back in his truck as it filled with the deadly gas.

"She instructed him to get back in the truck which she has reason to know is becoming a toxic environment to human life," Moniz said in a statement from the bench.

Moniz also ruled that Carter had a legal duty to call for help after placing Roy in a life-threatening situation, citing a case where two homeless people started a warehouse fire that killed six Worcester firefighters after it was not reported.

Carter's defense team put forward a range of defenses at trial, aimed at arguing she was not responsible for Roy's death -- or her own actions. Her attorneys pointed to Roy's history of depression and a previous suicide attempt as the true cause of his death, used an expert witness who argued that Carter's judgment was altered by the antidepressants she was taking and disputing whether her fateful phone conversation with Roy occurred as described by the prosecution.

But Moniz sided with Bristol County prosecutors, ruling, in effect, that Carter's words could and did kill -- a decision without direct precedent in Massachusetts, which has no specific law against encouraging or assisting suicide.

In an argument that went well beyond the SJC's standard 15 minute presentation, as both Carter's parents and Roy's mother looked on, Marx said the commonwealth had not proven their case and that Moniz' ruling did not meet the standard set by the court's earlier consideration of Carter's indictment.

Marx argued that Carter's text to her friend, months after the phone call, could not prove she actually ordered Roy back into the truck without additional corroboration, which was not presented at trial.

"We have no idea what was said on those phone calls," he said.

The prosecution also failed to prove two key elements of the charge, Marx said -- that Carter coerced Roy, and that he could have been saved even if she called for help.

"That word - coercion - is conspicuously absent [from Moniz'] ruling," Marx said.

Bristol County Assistant District Attorney Shoshana Stern said that even if the judge did not use that exact wording, it was clear that he did properly find her guilty. Carter repeatedly urged Roy to kill himself over 12 days before his suicide, shifting the "balance of power" of their relationship until she was in control, Stern said.

"His analysis of the law is substantially congruent with this court's ruling in Carter," Stern said. "It really does come down to the relationship between these two people at that time."

Carter's attorney also claimed that she should have been charged as a juvenile rather than a youthful offender -- a category for serious offenses that allows minors to face harsher sentences.

To make that argument, Marx focused in on a single word. To charge a juvenile as a youthful offender requires the "infliction" of physical harm -- a word that has only been interpreted to mean direct use of physical force, Marx said.

Chief Justice Ralph Gants pressed Marx about the consequences of that interpretation. Could a juvenile then tell another person to push someone off a cliff or could a teenage gang leader verbally order a shooting and escape adult prosecution?

And Associate Justice Eslpeth Cypher took the question further.

"Lets say I hire you and pay you $3,000 to push Justice [Scott] Kafker off a cliff," Cypher said. "Under the youthful offender statute, if I were 15 or 16, I would not have inflicted that on him?"

Marx said that while there could be some potential exceptions, the letter of the law is clear.

"That's right, your honor," he said.

Stern disputed Marx's premise, saying that the youthful offender law refers to whether the crime involves the infliction of harm -- not whether the defendant was physically involved in the violence.

The justices also questioned whether upholding the conviction could have unintended consequences, asking whether people who advise terminally sick relatives to kill themselves could end up facing manslaughter charges -- particularly if those family members were in frail mental states.

Stern acknowledged that the case lies at at "cultural crossroads" of debate over whether suicide is ever appropriate, and said that any application would still require prosecutors to prove coercion and that there was wanton and reckless conduct.

But she also said that sympathetic circumstances were not a legal shield from prosecution.

"There's not really a compassionate exemption for most criminal law," she said.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Carter's attorneys said they would consider all their options -- including a possible appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court -- if the SJC upholds her conviction.
The National Council of Churches is calling for the withdrawal of Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court.

In a statement released Wednesday about his appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee, the organization, which represents more than 40 million people and 38 Christian denominations, said, "Judge Kavanaugh exhibited extreme partisan bias and disrespect towards certain members of the committee and thereby demonstrated that he possesses neither the temperament nor the character essential for a member of the highest court in our nation."

"We believe he has disqualified himself from this lifetime appointment and must step aside immediately," said the Washington-based council in a statement.

The statement cited what it called "several misstatements and some outright falsehoods, some in relation to accusations of sexual misconduct," in Kavanaugh's testimony before the committee.

"All citizens must be expected to speak truthfully when under oath, however, this is especially true for anyone who seeks a seat on the Supreme Court," the statement said.

"Moreover, Judge Kavanaugh's extensive judicial and political record is troubling with regard to issues of voting rights, racial and gender justice, health care, the rights of people with disabilities, and environmental protections. This leads us to believe that he cannot be an impartial justice in cases that are sure to come before him at the Court."

The Jesuit magazine America has also called for Kavanaugh's nomination to be withdrawn.

"While we previously endorsed the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh on the basis of his legal credentials and his reputation as a committed textualist, it is now clear that the nomination should be withdrawn," the magazine stated in an editorial in the aftermath of the testimony by Christine Blasey Ford that Kavanaugh had assault her.

Kavanaugh has denied the allegation.

"The editors of this review have no special insight into who is telling the truth. If Dr. Blasey's allegation is true, the assault and Judge Kavanaugh's denial of it mean that he should not be seated on the U.S. Supreme Court," the magazine stated.

"But even if the credibility of the allegation has not been established beyond a reasonable doubt and even if further investigation is warranted to determine its validity or clear Judge Kavanaugh's name, we recognize that this nomination is no longer in the best interests of the country."

Individuals across the religious spectrum held demonstrations both in support of and in protest against Kavanaugh's nomination Sept. 27 in the nation's capital.

The withdrawal of Kavanaugh's nomination would either have to be done by him or by President Donald Trump who nominated him.

Kavanaugh has said he will not withdraw his nominations because of "false and uncorroborated" sexual misconduct allegations against him.

Senators are expected to review today results of an FBI investigation stemming from the allegations of sexual misconduct, a review the White House has seen and said it "is fully confident the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court."
BOSTON - A man accused of hacking into his former housemate's computer accounts and using the information to conduct an extensive cyberstalking campaign against her by creating fraudulent online sexually-explicit profiles, emailing child pornography, and reporting bomb threats at her new residence was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison Wednesday.

Ryan S. Lin, 25, of Newton, pleaded guilty to seven counts of cyberstalking, five counts of distribution of child pornography, nine counts of making hoax bomb threats, three counts of computer fraud and abuse and one count of aggravated identity theft in October 2018. He had been arrested a year earlier and has been in custody ever since, said Christina DiLorio-Sterling, spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling.

U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young sentenced him to 210 months in prison, followed by five years supervised release for the calculated harassment that lasted from May 2016 to October 2017, she said.

While his former housemate was his primary target, he was also convicted of cyberstalking six other people, some of whom were associates of the woman. Two of the other victims were Lin's housemates in Newton, where he lived at the time of his arrest, she said.

"Lin hacked into the victim's online accounts and devices and stole the victim's private photographs, personally identifiable information, and private diary entries, which contained sensitive details about her medical, psychological and sexual history, and distributed the material to hundreds of people associated with her," DiLorio-Sterling said.

The calculated scheme included Lin creating fraudulent online profiles in the victim's name which solicited men and included rape fantasies including a "gang bang," and other sexual activities. Men who read them showed up at the woman's home.

He also relentlessly sent anonymous text messages to her. On multiple occasions, Lin sent unsolicited sexually explicit images of prepubescent children to multiple people including the victim's mother, she said.

He also called in 120 bomb threats, some to the victim's home in Waltham, DiLorio-Sterling said.

"Lin also created a false social media profile in the name of the primary victim's housemate in Waltham and posted that he was going to 'shoot up' a school in Waltham, stating that there would be 'blood and corpses everywhere.' These threats became part of a prolonged pattern of threats in Waltham, and eventually in surrounding towns, including schools, homes, businesses and other institutions," she said.

Lelling; Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department's Criminal Division; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Waltham Police Chief Keith MacPherson made the announcement Wednesday. The Middlesex County District Attorney's Office and the Watertown, Newton and Wellesley Police Departments assisted in the investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Harman Burkart, Chief of Lelling's Cybercrime Unit, and Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section prosecuted the case.
As Massachusetts regulators prepared to vote on final licenses for marijuana retail shops, Gov. Charlie Baker dismissed concerns from legalization advocates who said the state is missing out on nearly $200,000 a day in revenue.

"While the incremental revenue associated with those enterprises is important, it isn't really all that significant in the grand scheme of a $27 billion revenue base, tax revenue base, and another $15 billion federal reimbursement revenue base," Baker said during a sit-down with editors at MassLive and the Springfield Republican.

Baker, who opposed legalization of recreational marijuana when it was on the 2016 ballot, pointed to an increase in the number of people working in Massachusetts and personal income growth since 2015.

"That has so much more to do with what happens to tax revenue in Massachusetts than what would come from casino revenue or from recreational marijuana revenue over time," the governor said.

State revenue collections came to $3.223 billion in September, up 13.3 percent from a year ago, according to preliminary estimates released by the state Department of Revenue.

Marijuana legalization advocates, at a press conference outside the State House Monday, said the state has lost out on $16 million in revenues by missing the July 1 target date for the opening of retail pot shops.

The Cannabis Control Commission, an independent entity set up to oversee the new industry, is set to vote Thursday on final licenses for pot shops in Northampton and Leicester. The commission has signed off on 38 preliminary licenses for cultivation and retail, among other types, but opening dates remain unclear.

Jim Borghesani, a spokesman for the 2016 legalization ballot campaign, took aim at Baker on Monday, saying the governor had "provided no leadership" on the slow rollout of retail pot shops.

"The quality of our tax base is going to be driven by the quality of our economy," Baker said Wednesday. "Period. And I think people are making a mistake if they focus on some of this ancillary stuff and give it more credit than it deserves in the grand scheme of what's going on, generally, with the economy in Massachusetts."

Baker added that the ballot question and the state Legislature's subsequent rewrite of the voter-passed law set up the Cannabis Control Commission as an entity "separate and apart from guys like me." Similar to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, which oversees the new MGM Springfield resort casino and Plainridge Park Casino, the slots parlor in Plainville, the governor, the state treasurer and the attorney general make appointments to the commission.

Asked to comment on the pace of the Cannabis Control Commission, Baker offered a caveat by saying, "this isn't in my wheelhouse, it's not right in my line of vision so I'm not that close to it."

But Massachusetts regulators are looking at what's happened in Colorado, Washington and Nevada, which are among the states that legalized the controversial substance, according to Baker.

"I think they are trying to learn from some of the lessons of rollouts in other states and are therefore being careful about how they do some of this stuff," Baker said. "Because the one lesson that I heard from the governors and folks in other states that were early to recreational marijuana is you don't get a second chance."

Baker added: "I think that's probably a good thing."
SPRINGFIELD -- The City Council has scheduled a meeting on Oct. 15 to seek answers and options after news that Palmer Renewable Energy plans to proceed with construction of a biomass energy plant after years of delay and court challenges.

Council President Orlando Ramos announced the meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall.

"I look forward to this meeting so that we can hear from the Law Department and the Building Department regarding the current permitting status of the facility and or options moving forward," Ramos said.

Palmer Renewable Energy is planning a $150 million, 35-megawatt, wood-burning plant on the Palmer Paving property at 1000 Page Blvd. in East Springfield. Frank Fitzgerald, a lawyer representing Palmer Paving, revealed Tuesday that a spring groundbreaking is planned.

The groundbreaking was revealed after more than a decade of litigation, regulatory approvals and neighborhood protests.

At-large Councilor Jesse Lederman and Ward 2 Councilor Michael Fenton have been critical of the biomass project.

Opponents have raised concerns that the plant will cause air pollution and harm public health.

The company has defended its plans, saying the plant will not harm health or result in added pollution. The plant will burn green wood from trees and branches, not construction and demolition debris, under its state permit.

The plans have been upheld by various court rulings over the years.

"Many constituents have reached out with concerns over this announcement after years of inactivity," Lederman said. "Much has changed in those years, and we need answers on where things stand legally."

Ramos said there are many unanswered questions.

"We want to get to the bottom of this," Ramos said.

Palmer Paving and its Springfield location were sold last month to Peckham Industries of White Plaines, New York. Palmer Renewable Energy is a separate company, and the biomass project has its permits and approvals, Fitzgerald said.

The biomass plant will be a tenant of the Palmer Paving site, he said.
SPRINGFIELD - Police seized nearly 200 bags of heroin in three different investigations since late last week, spokesman Ryan Walsh said.

On Wednesday, at approximately 11:50 a.m., members of the police department's narcotics unit, under the direction of Capt. Brian Keenan, arrested 22-year-old Bryan Fernandez, who is homeless, and 25-year-old Jose Arroyo of Montford Street.

Detectives saw drug activity and found nine bags of heroin on Fernandez and 27 bags of heroin on Arroyo, police said. Arroyo was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute and two counts of distribution of heroin. Fernandez was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute

On Saturday, at approximately 9:55 p.m., members of the C3 North End unit arrested 33-year-old Ludlow resident Miguel Rosado on Morgan Street.

Police said they seized 72 bags of heroin. Rosado was previously convicted of distribution of a Class A drug, police said. He was charged with intent to distribute a Class A drug, subsequent offense.

Last Thursday, at approximately 9:30 a.m., members of the department's Metro Unit arrested 23-year-old Jose Padilla, who is homeless, at Pearl and Spring streets.

Padilla was in possession of 81 bags of heroin, police said. He was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, resisting arrest and furnishing false information.
There's something about ice cream that sparks an emotional connection with New Englanders.

For Brendan Melican, it's memories of a time when there was a Friendly's on every corner in Worcester and trips to Sundae School on The Cape.

"It's one of those foods that doesn't lose that emotional connection that's there," he said.

So two years ago, Melican - a fourth-generation Worcester resident - decided to take over ownership of WooBerry on Highland Street with his wife, Iris Lyons, taking it from a frozen yogurt shop to a house-made ice cream shop. In the process, he's become part of an ongoing transformation in the neighborhood, making it more walkable and inviting to locals. It's part of a broader city-wide renaissance of development, dining and culture that has been transforming the city.

"We felt that there was a lot of room to reintroduce the place to locals, and do so using ice cream as a perspective," he said, adding, "I haven't felt as good about the city at any other point in my life, it's definitely heading in the right direction."

With maker spaces like Technocopia and events like Pow! Wow! Worcester popping up throughout the city, Melican said he certainly isn't the only one with an entrepreneurial spirit.

"There's definitely something in the air when it comes to people charting their own course," he said. "For an old, working-class, post-industrial mill town, I think that was a hard thing for people to learn - that you can do your own thing and you can be really successful doing your own thing, you don't have to wait for someone to chart your course for you."

When Melican took over the shop from previous owner and friend Ted Domville, he said the fro-yo shop typically attracted mostly college students. Two years later, he said WooBerry sees large groups of a adults and teenagers, as well as more traffic from restaurants. He said it's all part of an initiative to make Highland Street more of a walkable destination and less of a corridor to the highways.

"Highland Street is kind of funny because it's always been our bohemian district, if you will. It's always been walkable with a large number of retail on the streets," he said.

But over the last decade, Melican said a lot of those boutiques have closed for a variety of reasons.

"It doesn't have the same sort of vibe that I remember 20 years ago where it was just one of those neighborhoods where you knew you'd come to and run into people you wanted to see," he said. "We're starting to see a little bit of a transition back to where that was."

Melican said the Modern Muse consignment shop, which opened last December, is doing fantastic and has resulted in a noticeable increase in foot traffic on Highland Street. He said the store gives pedestrians less of a reason to get back into their cars and more reason to walk around and explore for a bit.

Melican said he's also working with local institutions through the Salisbury Cultural District to build relationships. For example, he said he'd like to see the Worcester Art Museum direct guests to Highland Street for drinks and dining.

He said Worcester has a strong community of people in the service industry who are always willing to help each other out.

His biggest challenge over the last two years? Developing a dairy-free frozen dessert that actually tastes like ice cream.

After a year and a half of experimentation, Melican got the recipe just right.

"It's fantastic, the number of vegans we have coming into the store from Boston, Providence, Springfield because they heard we've got really great vegan ice cream," he said. "Being able to bring people in, know that emotion attachment exists for New Englanders when it comes to ice cream - that we can make them a part of that little universe and the joy that goes along with ice cream is pretty fantastic."
A Massachusetts man is facing charges in a Tennessee federal court after authorities say he solicited nude pictures from a 10-year-old girl during online chats.

Nicholas Nassif Hayek, 20, of Leominster was arrested in Massachusetts this week and is currently being held until he is brought to Tennessee to face a charge of enticing a minor to produce pornography.

A detention hearing is scheduled for Friday.

In May, the parents of a 10-year-old girl living in Tennessee discovered messages between their daughter and Hayek through Instagram and the Kik messenger app, according to a federal affidavit.

FBI Special Agent Bianca Pearson said the girl told investigators Hayek asked her to send sexually explicit photographs of herself.

The girl told investigators she sent several pictures.

An FBI employee took over the chats pretending to be the girl. Hayek, according to the FBI, continued to ask for nude photos and sent naked pictures of himself as well.

He further stated he wanted to "make love" to the victim and continued to speak to her about sexual acts, the federal affidavit said.

The FBI tracked the records for the Instagram account and the internet protocol address used to access the account. It led investigators to Hayek's family home in Leominster.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police retrieved records from Kik, which is based out of Canada. Those records showed Hayek was the person messaging the 10-year-old girl, according to records.
With work set to begin on the Worcester Biomanufacturing Park, local leaders are hoping that the new pad-ready sites will serve as a catalyst for the growing life science industry in Central Massachusetts.

On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito joined city officials and developers at the former Worcester State Hospital - soon to be the home of the Worcester Biomanufacturing Park - to formally announce a $15 million state grant that will pay for the demolition of a 380,000-square-foot building on the site, clearing the way for the parcel's redevelopment.

The Biomanufacturing Park, being developed by the Worcester Business Development Corporation, is expected to bring more than 500 jobs to the city.

"The market is strong right now, and Massachusetts does not have a very organized effort for biomanufacturing," WBDC President and CEO Craig Blais said. "This doesn't have to be done in Cambridge or where the land is very expensive in metro Boston, so the natural place is to come west. Worcester was a natural location."

The 44-acre site was purchased through the state's Open for Business initiative last year. The site, adjacent to the UMass Science Park, formerly known as the Massachusetts Biotechnology Research Park, will be dedicated to biomanufacturing.

An environmental abatement of the 380,000-square-foot Bryan Building will begin immediately. The complete demolition is expected to take nine to 14 months, making the parcel pad-ready for companies to move in.

"There was a real opportunity to build on the success here in Central Massachusetts of our health care and life science sector and to use this land for a biomanufacturing park," Polito said.

Chinese biologics firm WuXi Biologics announced this summer that it will be the park's first tenant, with plans to build a $60 million facility there that will employ 150 people.

"Worcester, a couple of years ago, came together under the leadership of the lieutenant governor who formed a task force to explore our next wave of manufacturing for this area," Blais said. "Given the strong (research and development) presence here in the biotechnology park and the work that's being done at UMass Medical, it was a natural that the next step in the cluster development was to provide pad-ready sites for biomanufacturing."

Blais said the WBDC is in the process of designing a marketing campaign that will launch early next year, and is working with a broker who will partner with a larger international brokerage firm to attract tenants.
The Worcester Columbus Day Parade will take over Shrewsbury Street on Sunday.

The parade starts at 12:30 p.m. at the corner of Aitchison and Shrewsbury streets. The one-mile march ends at Washington Square near Union Station.

Paul Verdini is the grand marshal of the parade.

The Worcester Columbus Day Parade Committee says the mission of the celebration is to honor the city and remember its Italian ancestors.

But the committee calls the parade a multicultural celebration, and participants demonstrate their culture and heritage while walking down Shrewsbury Street.


Christopher Columbus has been dead for 512 years, but the treatment of his legacy remains all the rage - and creates plenty of rage, at that.

The famous explorer's sighting of land in the Bahamas on Oct. 12, 1492 was cause for a holiday that, contrary to popular belief, has not been around forever. The first known celebration was held in 1866 in New York, the first state to declare it a holiday was Colorado in 1905, and not until 1934 did President Franklin Roosevelt declare Columbus Day a federal holiday.

The observance didn't really take steam until 1892, when a surge of Italian immigrants to the United States convinced President Benjamin Harrison to call for a national, 400th anniversary celebration. But by the time the 500th anniversary rolled around in 1992, a more modern look at Columbus' deeds and misdeeds had created a national controversy over whether to honor this man or vilify him, and that debate continues to this day.

Cincinnati is the latest major city to change Columbus Day to "Indigenous Peoples Day," in recognition of the native peoples he and his men mistreated. The stated goal in Cincinnati is to give a feeling of inclusiveness and not divisiveness to the city, but every time the subject comes up, that great cultural clash - Political Correctness Vs. American Tradition - guarantees division and anger, regardless of what decision is made.

This much we know about Columbus: his treatment of the natives was brutal and even barbaric, and while his voyages did not initiate the slave trade, they gave it momentum that lasted for hundreds of years. One defense of Columbus is that he was a product of the times and simply a reflection of 1490s values, making it unfair to recast our judgment in 21st Century terms.

That is a weak and ineffective argument with people who say facts are facts and cruelty is cruelty, regardless of whether or not our culture and textbooks chose to overlook it for hundreds of years.

Columbus also didn't really "discover" anything, a truth that emerged when proof of Viking voyages to what is now Canada were discovered in 1960. Leif Erikson's crews had beaten Columbus' men to the New World by nearly 500 years.

Nor did Columbus ever admit he had found a New World at all; to his dying day, he insisted he had reached his goal of finding a water route to Asia. In a technical sense, he wasn't even Italian, since the modern nation of Italy did not exist until 1861 - and Columbus sailed in the name of Spain.

He was, however, a native of Genoa, which later became part of Italy, and Italian-Americans understandably consider Columbus Day a special holiday for them. To these people and others, changing the Oct. 12 date to an annual Monday holiday in 1971 was wrenching enough, and many vehemently oppose removing the designation altogether.

Columbus' treatment of the native populations cannot be morally condoned, regardless of the era when it occurred. He was also an exceptional sailor and captain who changed world history and opened up the Americas to Europe, leading to migration that explains why millions of descendants are in this country today - making the United States the greatest melting pot in the history of humanity.

That was not his goal. The Columbus debate boils down to one side insisting the truth of history cannot be ignored, while the other is fed up with political correctness, with some insisting history is being "rewritten." There is also a large, third category of people who think we spend far too much time and attention on this type of symbolic issue while wallpapering over issues that affect the nation much more.

For all the hostility the Columbus debate provokes, it does produce one positive result. It puts an awareness and recognition of our history - good and bad - back in the news, and shines a spotlight on it, at least for a short time. For intelligent and thinking people, that is a good thing, not a bad one.

We know more about Christopher Columbus than we once did. To say that some of what we know is discomforting would be a gross and even insensitive understatement. But unless knowledge is to be discouraged, the debate over this holiday at least raises our understanding of the man it honors - regardless of whether the name of that observance is changed or not.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, condemned Republican Leaders Thursday over their handling of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation process, calling it "a complete sham."

Warren, who has raised several concerns about President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick, accused Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of attempting to speed through a confirmation vote shortly after the Federal Bureau of Investigation released the findings of its probe into sexual misconduct allegations brought against Kavanaugh.

"Not even a full week for an FBI investigation. A single copy of the report given to the Senate. Less than an hour to review," she tweeted as the Senate debated the federal appellate court judge's nomination. "This is a complete sham. (Majority Leader) McConnell said he'd plow Brett Kavanaugh through, and that's exactly what the GOP is doing - no matter the cost."

Not even a full week for an FBI investigation. A single copy of the report given to the Senate. Less than an hour to review. This is a complete sham. @SenateMajLdr McConnell said hed plow Brett Kavanaugh through, and thats exactly what the GOP is doing  no matter the cost.  Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) October 4, 2018

Warren further joined women's rights and other advocates in speaking out against Kavanaugh's confirmation.

"We know what this is about, it's about power," she said at an afternoon rally. "I watched livid men, powerful men who tried to help another powerful man make it to an even more powerful position. This is about hijacking a democracy. So let's be clear about this: I am angry, I own it. I am angry on behalf of women who have been told to sit down and shut up one time too many."

"I am angry on behalf of women who have been told to sit down and shut up."



Sen. Elizabeth Warren joins anti-Kavanaugh protesters in Washington, D.C.: "I believe Dr. Ford. I watched that hearing last Thursday and Brett Kavanaugh is disqualified" https://t.co/0BPmB36LtY pic.twitter.com/Zp2pFyxp8F  ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 4, 2018

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, also took issue with Kavanaugh's confirmation process, arguing that "the Trump White House, working with the Republican leadership in the Senate, have deliberately circumscribed this investigation."

"It's obviously a cover-up," he told CNN Thursday.

Markey added that he believes Republicans "are making a mockery of the constitutional require that the Senate provide its advice and consent" by making just one copy of the FBI's report and expecting all 100 members to read it before the confirmation vote.

The FBI did not interview Brett Kavanaugh or Cristine Blasey Ford.



"It's obviously a cover-up," says Sen. Ed Markey. "The Trump White House, working with the Republican leadership in the Senate, have deliberately circumscribed this investigation" pic.twitter.com/IVeQs1wJJ3  CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) October 4, 2018

The White House announced early Thursday that it had received the FBI's report and sent it to the Senate, giving lawmakers "ample time to review this seventh background investigation."

"This is the last addition to the most comprehensive review of a Supreme Court nominee in history, which includes extensive hearings, multiple committee interviews, over 1,200 questions for the record and over a half million pages of documents," spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement. "With this additional information, the White House is fully confident the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court."

McConnell argued that the FBI's probe failed to corroborate allegations that Kavanaugh was involved in a sexual misconduct in high school or in college.

"For goodness sake, this is the United States of America nobody is supposed to be guilty until proven innocent in this country. ... The Senate should not set a fundamentally unAmerican precedent here," he said in remarks from the Senate floor. "Judge's Kavanaugh's right to basic fairness does not disappear just because some disagree with his judicial philosophy."

Christine Blasey Ford, a California psychology professor, told a Senate panel that Kavanaugh sexually abused her a high school party in the 1980s. Two other women have also accused the judge of sexual misconduct in the 1980s. Kavanaugh has denied such allegations.

Senators and some top aides were able to begin accessing the FBI's report in a secure room on Thursday morning.

This story will be updated.
Nations of the World are Uniting, October 7th, Under the Banner of the New Holy League Contact: Pat Moertl, 608-369-0936



LA CROSSE, Wis., Oct. 4, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Rosary Coast to Coast - Nations are joining with the US to hold Rosary Rallies across the world, October 7th, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.



It was only in July that members of the New Holy League of Nations began coordinating, but now over 40 Nations-- including churches in the Americas, Europe, Australia, Africa, the Middle East and Asia--are answering what leaders have labeled the "clarion call of the Immaculata."



International Organizers are encouraging participants to "live-stream" through Facebook Live, or through the Periscope App, with the hashtag #RosaryCoastToCoast and #HolyLeagueOfNations. In addition, photos and video may be similarly tagged on all social media sites.



Polish coordinator, Marcin Dybowski writes, "only the Rosary can save our families and our future in our country and in our churches. We from the bottom, ordinary people, civilians, have to do this because our leaders have made a deal with the 'spirit of this world.' We want to restore the covenant with God."



Zimbabwe national coordinator, Annalia Mugomba, writes: "Once peaceful Zimbabwe-- not forgetting our Catholic churchboth are under a serious attack by the devil. I hope God will hear and answer our prayers and since we are praying together with our Dear Mother Mary, we will feel closer to God and gain direction in life--especially within our Church. I am so happy that my country has responded to this call..."



Dominic Chikhani, a show host for Lebanese Tele Lumier, and coordinator for multiple Middle Eastern Nationsincluding Iraq, Syria, Egypt and the Holy Landwrites: "It started with Genesis 3, Revelation 12 and Saint Louis de Montfort's prophecy about latter times Marian Saints. Then as things (progressed) towards that goal (of October 7th World Wide Rosary), I noticed that whatever I did for Our Lady turned out to be successful. It was as if She was specifically blessing all works that served Her grand purpose. I think that when a group stands for God with such zeal, then God will pour all His might in and around that group. I believe something will change forever in the Church and the World after this event...The Triumph of Our Lady's Immaculate Heart will unfold very, very quickly."



Melissa Miranda, coordinator for India: "When you say 'Yes' to Christ and Our Lady, they do the rest. I had no clue I was being led towards leading the Rosary in India, things were set into motion much before I took it up-- things I did not know or realize-- but which has somehow led to this. To have it all fall in place at the right time...It has been a very humbling experience. I have seen that no matter what, or how bleak the road seems at times, when Mary is with us, all is possible. She makes the way."



As the world unites October 7th, individuals responding to this "clarion call" will also be fulfilling the exhortation of Pope Francis, which he made on September 29th 2018 "to pray the Holy Rosary every day, during the entire Marian month of October, and thus to join in communion and in penitence, as the people of God, in asking the Holy Mother of God and Saint Michael the Archangel to protect the Church from the devil."



Answering this papal exhortation, coordinators in Italy have announced that a Rosary Rally will be held, in St. Peter's Square, October 7th. Organizers are asking those who wish to join to meet at the obelisk in the middle of the square, at 3pm, to unite in prayer with the world.



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Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday took his strongest stance yet against imposing a tax on vehicle miles traveled.

"If I'm fortunate enough to have a second term, I'm going to be very aggressive about resisting things like a vehicle miles traveled tax," Baker said in a meeting with editors and reporters of The Republican and MassLive.

Baker said a tax on the number of miles a car drives is unfair to people who live in rural areas who "through no fault of their own have to drive a long way to get anywhere."

Baker said people living in rural Western Massachusetts are "already spending $1 billion of tax money to finance public transportation in eastern and central Mass."

He added, "I'm just not going there on that one."

Baker has previously opposed a vehicle miles traveled tax. When the Legislature in 2016 sent Baker a road and bridge funding bill that included a pilot program to test a tax on vehicle miles traveled, Baker vetoed the provision.

"I worry a lot about the consequences of this for everybody from Worcester west," Baker said at the time. "It feels to me like it falls into a category of something people really ought to know a lot more about before they head down this road."

Baker did leave himself a way to potentially support a tax in the future. "I would never support a vehicle miles traveled tax unless I was absolutely sure it was not going to create an additional burden on drivers in Massachusetts, especially on drivers in parts of the commonwealth where there's not a lot of available public transportation," Baker said in 2016.

Internal emails showed his administration was not ruling it out entirely.

"VMT (vehicle miles traveled) may be a tool that is needed down the road so we do not wish to slam the program itself too directly," Department of Transportation legislative director Michael Berry wrote in an email to staffers at the Executive Office of Administration and Finance as Baker was crafting his veto message.

Baker's comments at the editorial board meeting were the strongest indication that he will not be open to reconsidering a tax on vehicle miles traveled if he wins a second term in office.

It also sets Baker, who generally opposes new taxes, up against his Democratic opponent, Jay Gonzalez, who has been open to new tax proposals.

Gonzalez, in a phone interview, said a vehicle miles traveled tax "is not anything that I'd be pursuing, certainly not any time in the near term."

Gonzalez said he does not want to ask lower and middle income people to pay more, but wants the wealthiest people to pay more. He has released a plan to tax large private college endowments.

But Gonzalez said he would be open to looking at a vehicle miles traveled tax in the future. "The vehicle miles traveled tax concept is something maybe for the longer term we would need to look at," he said.

He said as people reduce their fossil fuel use and use more electric vehicles and less gas, the state will need to find a new way to finance transportation. "Right now, our transportation system relies a lot on the gas tax. That's not going to be sustainable over time," Gonzalez said. "At some point, we need a long-term plan for how we finance transportation that will require us to look at different options."
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and GOP challenger Jay McMahon, a defense attorney from Bourne, clashed Wednesday in a televised debate that covered the Second Amendment and President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

"He does not have the judicial temperament to sit on that court," Healey said when asked about Kavanaugh. "And to me it's not a matter of policy or which way his judicial leanings go, I think what we saw last week in a really stark display was a lack of decorum, lack of temperament that is required for the highest justice in the land."

Kavanaugh should have "packed his bags" and President Trump should nominate another person for the Supreme Court, she added.

McMahon called the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault, "very compelling" but he added that Kavanaugh's comments in front of senators, denying the allegations, were also compelling.

Pointing to the FBI investigation underway, McMahon said, "I think we have to wait and see where the facts take us." McMahon added: "My position is to wait and see what the process is."

Jim Braude and Margery Eagan, who co-host WGBH Radio's "Boston Public Radio" show, moderated the debate.

Healey, a Democrat who is seeking a second four-year term, faces off against McMahon on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Eagan asked Healey if she agreed with US Sen. Elizabeth Warren's New Orleans comment that the country's criminal justice system is "racist...front to back."

"I don't know that I'd characterize it that way," Healey said. "What I would acknowledge are the real disparities that exist within the criminal justice system along racial lines, but also along socioeconomic lines."

McMahon said as a criminal defense attorney for 30 years who has represented people of color, "I have not seen the criminal justice system - and I see it upfront and representing clients - I have not seen it racist front to back. I have not seen any examples of racism and I've represented hundreds of minorities."

Disparities in the criminal justice system along racial lines "are real, they're documented," Healey responded.

Asked about transgender protections against discrimination, on the 2018 ballot as Question 3, Healey said she will be voting "yes" to uphold the state law. The law was signed by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and passed by the Democrat-dominated state Legislature.

McMahon said he would be voting "no," which would repeal the state law, "because it doesn't go far enough, it doesn't protect women from sexual predators."

"That's a gross and an offensive characterization of the law," Healey said. "And just to be clear, the reason that I as an attorney general am standing with district attorneys and police chiefs in support of this particular law is we know the people who are actually beat up, harassed, assaulted are people who are transgender."

When it came to Healey's various lawsuits filed against the Trump administration and whether he agrees with any of them, McMahon, a Trump supporter, said he has perused them. "She had some basis to file it, a lot of them I find there is no basis to file," he said.

During the debate, McMahon was also asked about the state's existing ban on assault weapons. "It's the law of the land," he said, adding that he would enforce it.

"Personally, I do not like it, no" McMahon said.

"As long as I'm attorney general, I'm going to make sure we're enforcing laws that are there to protect public safety," said Healey, who was first elected in 2014. "By the way, you can respect and honor the Second Amendment and also make sure that you're enforcing laws that protect public health and public safety. That's my job."

"Do you think she honors the Second Amendment?" Braude said, turning to McMahon.

"No, not at all. I think she violates it and she tramples right all over it," McMahon said.

McMahon said Healey's stated reason for issuing an order on getting copycat assault weapons was to "get guns off the street."

"Only legal guns got off the street, illegal guns will always be on the streets," he continued. "And as for gun violence, no licensed gun owner has committed gun crimes in Massachusetts."

On whether he supports reversals of federal court cases on same sex marriage and abortion, McMahon said he did not. He added they are issues that should have been left up to the states through referendum.

"But it's the law of the land now so I don't have an issue with it," he said.
The U.S. Senate is expected to hold its final vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation Saturday, Republican leaders have announced.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told reporters Thursday that the chamber plans to officially begin considering Kavanaugh's nomination Friday, with a final vote set for the next day.

"Hopefully, we're 48 hours away from having a new person on the Supreme Court," he said during an afternoon news conference with other GOP leaders.

Grassley, who accused Democrats of obstructing Kavanaugh's confirmation, argued that the Federal Bureau of Investigation's report has failed to corroborate allegations of sexual misconduct that have been raised against President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick.

He further rejected Democrats' claim that the chamber has not spent enough time in considering Kavanaugh's nomination.

"This is the 87th day -- that's three weeks longer than the average of the last three or four nominees to the Supreme Court. So don't tell me we haven't spent enough time," the chairman said, adding that he "feels very good" about Kavanaugh's qualifications for the high court's bench.

Grassley told reporters that he believes Kavanaugh "is very qualified, a person that believes in the principles of due process."

"Judge Kavanaugh should be confirmed on Saturday," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who also noted the FBI report's failure to support allegations raised against the Supreme Court nominee, offered that there's nothing Republicans could have done to please Democrats on this front.

"What we know for sure is that the FBI report did not corroborate any of the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh. And the second thing we know for sure is there's no way anything we did would satisfy the Democrats," he said. "They've always got a reason why the goal posts need to be moved farther down the field. Nothing we could do would satisfy them -- they're dug in."

The White House announced early Thursday that it had received the FBI's report and sent it to the Senate, giving lawmakers "ample time to review this seventh background investigation."

Senators and some top aides were able to begin accessing the FBI's report in a secure room on Thursday morning.

Democrats, including Massachusetts senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, took issue Thursday with GOP leaders' handling of Kavanaugh's confirmation, particularly efforts to hold a vote on the judge shortly after the FBI report's release.

The FBI's probe came after Christine Blasey Ford, a California psychology professor, told a Senate panel that Kavanaugh sexually abused her a high school party in the 1980s. Two other women have also accused the judge of sexual misconduct in the 1980s.

Kavanaugh has denied such allegations.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
This study covers the market dynamics and trends in major countries that are expected to influence the current market scenario and future status of the Global Cortisone Shots Market over the forecast period. Considering all these factors the market for Cortisone Shots is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period 2017-2023.

Market Synopsis of the Global Cortisone Shots Market

Also known as cortisone injections, Cortisone Shots are used to relieve pain and inflammation in case of injury to the joints or other parts of the body. They are most commonly used to treat inflammation at the joints such as knee, spine, ankle, elbow, hip, shoulder and wrist, and are usually administered in a clinical setting with the doctors approval. Cortisone injections have a similar anti-inflammatory action to other corticosteroids. It is composed of corticosteroid medication and a local anesthetic. Due to the potential side effects of cortisone shots, the number of doses administered to a patient is limited. Major indications for the use of cortisone shots are arthritis, skin diseases, tendinitis, and other sport injuries.

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Rising prevalence of chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, tendinitis, and bursitis, increasing number of injuries to the joints, muscles and tendon, and the presence of key players in the market are important driver that accelerate the growth of the market. Rising geriatric population is another key driver for the market growth due to increasing prevalence of arthritis among the elderly. However, cortisone shots exhibit a number of disadvantages such as damage to the tendons, ligaments, and articular cartilage, thus restricting the growth of the market.

Key Players in the Global Cortisone Shots Market

Merck & Co., Inc. (U.S.)

Pfizer (U.S.)

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (U.S.)

Novartis AG (Germany)

GlaxoSmithKline (U.S.)

Pharmascience Inc. (U.S.)

Farmabios SPA (Italy)

AdvaCare Pharma (U.S.)

Segments

The global cortisone shots market is segmented on the basis of type, indication, and end user.

On the basis of type, market is segmented into articular or joint injections, epidural steroid injection, trigger point injection, and others.

On the basis of indication, the market is segmented into rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, bursitis, allergic reaction, skin conditions, and others.

On the basis of end user, the market is segmented into hospitals, clinics, sport medicine centers, pharmaceutical companies, and others.

Regional Analysis of the Global Cortisone Shots Market

America acquires the first position in the market for cortisone shots owing to the rising prevalence of various types of allergies, arthritis, tendinitis, and others, and rising demand for corticosteroid injection in the U.S. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 78 million i.e. 26% of the U.S. adults aged 18 years or older are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis by 2040. Additionally, the prevalence of tendinitis among athletes is found to be increasing from last few years in the U.S.

Europe is the second largest market for cortisone shots owing to the rising prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in European countries, and availability of funds for research and development activities. Also, rising prevalence of allergic conditions such as asthma, food allergy, and anaphylaxis, increasing demand for diagnostic services and rising awareness about the use of cortisone injections for the treatment of tendinitis fuels the market growth.

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Detailed Table of Contents:

1. Report Prologue

2. Market Introduction

2.1 Definition

2.2 Scope Of The Study

2.2.1 Research Objective

2.2.2 Assumptions

2.2.3 Limitations

3. Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Primary Research

3.3 Secondary Research

3.4 Market Size Estimation

4. Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.2 Restrains

4.3 Opportunities

4.4 Challenges

4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators

4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment

5. Market Factor Analysis

5.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis

5.1.1 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers

5.1.2 Bargaining Power Of Buyers

5.1.3 Threat Of New Entrants

5.1.4 Threat Of Substitutes

5.1.5 Intensity Of Rivalry

Continued

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Market Highlights:

Liver biopsy is a diagnostic procedure for liver diseases, recommended when blood tests or diagnostic imaging might suggest a liver problem. It is of three major types namely percutaneous, transjugular, and laparoscopic. It is also used to monitor the liver condition during liver transplant and to determine complications if any. The healthcare provider may recommend liver biopsy if the patient is diagnosed with liver disease or identifies the presence of blood in the urine.

As per the Health Survey for England 2014, Hepatitis B is one of the worlds most common liver infection in the world, affecting huge population across the globe. Increasing awareness about early diagnosis of liver diseases and upsurge in demand for technologically advanced medical devices for diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases including liver failure drive the global liver biopsy market. The global liver biopsy market is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~4.2% during the forecast period 2017-2023.

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Liver Biopsy Market  Leading players

 Becton, Dickinson and Company

 MDxHealth

 Veran medical

 Medtronic

 Argon Medical Devices, Inc.

 Mauna Kea Technologies

 Boston Scientific Corporation

 Intact Medical Corp.

 C. R. Bard, Inc.

 Leica Biosystems

 Cook Medical

 RI.MOS

 Hologic, Inc.

 Sterylab

 INRAD Inc.

 Fujifilm Medical Systems, and others.

Global Liver Biopsy Market  Regional Analysis

Globally, the Americas is the largest market for liver biopsy due to increasing awareness about the importance of biopsy for the diagnosis of liver disease. In the Americas, North America is the largest market with the U.S. capturing major share followed by Canada. Additionally, extensive use of technologically advanced medical devices for diagnosis and treatment of chronic liver disease, support from the government for research & development, and high health care spending drives the market growth. Additionally, increasing patient population with liver disease, diabetes, and other risk factors for renal failure is fuelling the market growth.

Europe is the second largest market for liver biopsy whose growth is attributed to an increasing emphasis on the development of new diagnostic devices, favorable reimbursement policies, and investments in the development of new technologies for the treatment of chronic disease. Rising number of specialty services offered by various healthcare providers in Europe also accelerate the growth of the market. Additionally, rising government support for research & development, and availability of funds for research will fuel the market growth during the forecast period. As per the Lancet Liver Campaign report on liver diseases in the U.K., liver disease is the only major cause of death, which is expected to increase shortly. It also stated that use of alcohol is one of the major cause of various liver diseases among the adults. Furthermore, there is an increase in the hospital admissions for alcohol-related disease such as alcohol-related liver disease in various European nations also accelerates the market growth.

The Asia Pacific is the fastest growing liver biopsy market owing to the ever-increasing prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and rising number of liver biopsy procedures in the hospital and surgical centers.

The Middle East & Africa exhibit steady growth in the liver biopsy market due to lack of funds, unavailability of technologically advanced medical devices, and limited medical facilities. In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E) is the largest market owing to the progress of healthcare industry.

Global Liver Biopsy  Market Segmentation

The global liver biopsy market is segmented on the basis of type, indication, and end user. On the basis of the diagnosis, it is segmented into percutaneous, transjugular, and laparoscopic biopsy. On the basis of indication, it is segmented into nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, chronic hepatitis B or C, autoimmune hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and others. Based on the end user, it is segmented into hospitals & clinics, tertiary care centers, urology centers, and others.

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TOC of Liver Biopsy Market Research Report  Global Forecast to 2023

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Market Dynamics

4 Market Factor Analysis

5 Global Liver Biopsy Market, By Type

6 Global Liver Biopsy Market, By Indication

7 Global Liver Biopsy Market, By End User

8 Global Liver Biopsy Market, By Region

9 Competitive Landscape

10 Company Profile

11 MRFR Conclusion

TOC CONTINUED

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Key Players for Global Nerve Regeneration Market

AxoGen Inc. (U.S.),

Xcelthera, INC. (U.S),

Orthomed S.A.S. (France),

Baxter International Inc (U.S.),

Boston Scientific Corporation (U.S.),

Integra Life Sciences Corporation (U.S.),

Cyberonics Inc. (U.S.),

Medtronic (U.S.),

Polyganics (the Netherlands),

Stryker Corporation (U.S.).

St. Jude Medical (U.S.),

Neurotex Limited (U.K).

Boston Scientific Corporation is worlds top medical device developer and provides more accessible low cost and less invasive options to patients and headquartered in Marlborough, U.S. It is one the top leader in neurological surgery product. In 2016, it was awarded by medical design excellence award and was nominated in top 100 global innovators.

Nerve Regeneration Market  Sketch

Nerve regeneration is the procedure including the replacement of damaged tissue cells, nervous tissue and neurons. Regeneration of the nervous system requires either repair or substitution of nerve cells that are harmed or damaged by infection. Owing to the increasing popularity of nerve regeneration methods, neurological diseases like Alzheimers, Parkinson are treated more effectively.

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Increasing geriatric population and the advantages of regenerative surgeries have easy surgical methods as compared to painful classical surgical methods which will boost the growth of the market. The elderly people are more inclined to suffer from chronic and neurological disorders, such as Alzheimers, Parkinson as compared to adults, driving the growth of the market positively. Peripheral nerves are connected to the brain and spinal cord and other parts of the body. These nerves are fragile and easily damaged, and therefore can affect the brains ability to communicate with muscle and organs. The nerve regeneration market also includes biomaterials like neuro-stimulation and neuromodulator devices. These are major driving factors which increase the growth of the market. On the other hand, lack of awareness among patients about nerve regeneration techniques may limit the growth of the market. However, the high cost of the treatment and lack of awareness among the people regarding nerve damage may slower the growth of the market.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014, 5.3 million Americans were detected with Alzheimers disease and it is estimated to grow to its double count by 2050 as a result of the rising aging population

The Global Nerve Regeneration Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.3% during forecasted period 2017-2023.

Segments for Global Nerve Regeneration Market

Global nerve regeneration is segmented on the basis of product, by application and by methods. On the basis of product, it is segmented into Biomaterials, Nerve Conduits, Nerve Protectors, others. Biomaterials can be further segmented into neuro-stimulation and neuromodulator devices and others. On the basis of application, it is segmented into Surgery, Prognosis, Autologous nerve grafting, others. On the basis of methods, it is segmented into stem cell therapy, direct nerve repair, nerve grafting, others.

Regional Analysis for Global Nerve Regeneration Market

Geographically, global nerve regeneration market is segmented into America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa.

The Americas commands the largest market due to the presence of a well-developed healthcare sector and large patient populations. Americas dominate the global nerve regeneration market owing to well-developed technology, high healthcare spending, increasing adding population, and rising stress. Furthermore, increased R&D activities and the concentration of major companies have fuelled the growth of the market in this region.

Europe holds the second position in the global acquired nerve regeneration market owing to the government support for research & development and availability of funds for research.

Asia Pacific is the fastest growing nerve regeneration market owing to the presence of rapidly developing healthcare technology, huge patient population, high healthcare expenditure, and increase in prevalence of nerve injuries or disorder related to nerve. Moreover, increasing demand for new treatment methods in countries like India and China are likely to emerge as the fastest growing market across the globe.

On the other hand, in the Middle East and Africa has the lowest market for nerve regeneration due to lack of technical knowledge and poor medical facilities.

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Key Players for Global Post-operative Pain Management Market

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Israel),

Eli Lilly Company (U.S),

Pfizer (U.S),

Johnson & Johnson (U.S),

Purdue Pharma (U.S),

Endo Pharmaceuticals Plc. (U.S),

Forest Laboratories Inc. (U.S),

GlaxoSmithKline Plc. (UK),

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (Switzerland),

Baxter International Inc. (US),

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (Canada)

are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the Global Post-operative Pain Management Market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis.

Post-operative Pain Management Market  Overview

Global Post-operative pain management market was expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.4% during forecasted period 2017-2023.

Increasing number of surgeries and rising demand for the pain management treatment is the major reason for the growth of the market. Analgesics are habit forming drugs and can also damage the renal system, this is the major restraining factor for the market.

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According to cancer research UK, in 2012, globally over 14.1 million of new cancer cases were registered. The treatment for the all types of cancer are nearly similar, thus increasing prevalence of cancer has boosted the development of the new treatments.

According to Migraine Research Foundation, (2014), migraine was the 3rd most prevalent illness in the world. Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. households includes someone with migraine. Moreover, 12% of the population including children have migraine problem. 18% of American women, 6% of men, and 10% of children experience migraines. Mostly migraine occurs at the age of 25-55.

Global Post-operative Pain Management Market  Competitive Analysis

Many of the top companies are launching new and novel drug treatment to increase their market. Because of side effect and habit forming property of the therapy major players are concentrating on development of better analgesic. Companies are using a trend of strategic alliance and acquisition to gain the market and minimize the competition in the market.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is the Israeli multinational pharmaceutical company working in the development and manufacturing of the drugs. Celecoxib intravenous is the major products of the company. Company has signed a collaborative agreement with Regeneron for the development of fasinumab which is a pain management drug. In first quarter of 2017 company has accounted a revenue of $ 5.6 billion. In 2014, company has acquired Labrys Biologics. This acquisition will help to achieve its goal of becoming a global leader in pain drugs by 2020.

Novartis, one of the leading pharmaceutical companies headquartered in Switzerland. In Nov 2016, company has plan a phase II trial for the NCT02961062 in the treatment of postoperative pain. They have almost completed the trials for the SAF312 in postoperative dental pain patients and company is expecting to launch the product soon. In May 2017, Novartis has sign a deal of $ 293 million with Durect for pain killer Posimir.

Pfizer Inc. a worlds largest American pharmaceutical companies headquartered in US. Parecoxib is the widely used drug of this company. Due to Lyrica which is a pain treatment the net income of the company has increased by 13 % in 2016. Company has completed the clinical trials for the EMBEDA for the post-operative pain management.

Forest Laboratories which is the American Pharmaceutical company headquartered in US. Forest Laboratories and Trevena Inc. has announce Collaboration for development of TRV027 which is used in the post-operative pain treatment.

Regional Analysis for Global Post-operative Pain Management Market

Geographically, America accounts the largest share for global post-operative pain management market owing to increasing number of surgeries and rising burden of chronic diseases has led to the growth of this market in America. Europe is the second largest post-operative pain management market owing to a well-developed healthcare infrastructure, government support for research & development, and huge patient population. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for the market due to increasing prevalence of many diseases, increasing aging population and development in healthcare infrastructure in this region has provided fuel for the growth of the market. The Middle East dominates the Middle East & Africa market due to the presence of well developed countries like Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and South Arabia. Whereas, Africa region is expecting a healthy growth due to presence of huge opportunity for the development of the market.

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SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72066018R10012

ISSUANCE DATE: September 26, 2018

CLOSING DATE/TIME: October 10, 2018

SUBJECT: Solicitation for a Cooperating Country National Personal Service Contractor (CCN PSC)

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking offers from qualified persons to provide personal services under contract as described in this solicitation.

Offers must be in accordance with Attachment 1, Sections I through V of this solicitation. Incomplete or unsigned offers will not be considered. Offerors should retain copies of all offer materials for their records.

This solicitation in no way obligates USAID to award a PSC contract, nor does it commit USAID to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the offers.

Any questions must be directed in writing to the Point of Contact specified in the attached information.

Sincerely,

Priscilla Sampil

Supervisory Executive Officer

Solicitation for Cooperating Country National (CCN)

Personal Services Contract (PSC)

Voucher Examiner (Office of Financial Management )

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

SOLICITATION NO.: 72066018R10012 ISSUANCE DATE:September 26, 2018 CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: October 10, 2018 POSITION TITLE: (Re-advertisement) Voucher Examiner (OFM) MARKET VALUE: FSN-7 In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/Democratic Republic of the Congo Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: 5 years renewable depending on funds availability PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Regional Security Office Clearance STATEMENT OF DUTIES

A. Basic functions of the position

This position serves as Voucher Examiner commencing all activities in the Payments Section of the Office of Financial Management (OFM). In this capacity the incumbent acts as the preparer for all transactions processed in the section to and including verification of payment accuracy, timeliness and validity. The incumbent assists with the operation of the Phoenix automated accounting system. Phoenix electronic certification systems and monitors the USAID-contracted cashier.

B. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Assists with receipt and control of all vendor invoices, receiving reports, shipping documents and vouchers in process.

Assists the OFM Administrative Assistant with timely tracking and processing of vouchers within the Phoenix accounting system or other accounting subsystem as may be applicable.

Prepares reports for OFM management on status of payments.

Prepares payment schedules (SF-1166) in Phoenix system and advises the Certifying Officer of status of schedules. Ensures the continued effective operation of the Treasury Electronic Certification Systems and coordinates with USAID/DRC EXO office and Financial Service centers to maintain the systems.

Assists with external communications with vendors, Treasury Financial Service Centers, USAID/Washington and overseas USAIDs relating to payments and payment systems.

Works closely with the OFM Accounting Section to ensure availability of funds and timely can accurate processing of payments.

Monitors the flow of payments to ensure compliance with the Prompt Payment Act, Federal Travel Regulations, Foreign Affairs Regulations and USAID Regulations (Automated Directive System).

Assists with the receipt and control of checks received from the Financial Service Centers, and other check collections.

Assists with the Bill for Collection system to and including issuance of bills, reconciliation of payments received and monitoring cash advance limits.

Assists the OFM Administrative Assistant with filing and document retention and/or disposition in accordance with USAID regulations.

Maintains good communications between the Payments Section and all clients. Ensures reporting is completed in a timely manner and forwarded to the client as required.

Supervisory relationship: The Voucher Examiner will be supervised by the Supervisory

Voucher Examiner

Supervisory Controls: The Voucher Examiner will not directly supervise any one.

10. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: All interested candidates eligible to work in DRC.

11. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

12. POINT OF CONTACT: usaidhrkinshasa@usaid.gov

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

a. Education:

At least two years of fulltime post-secondary study in accounting or auditing is required.

b. Prior Work Experience:

One to three years of progressively responsible experience in payment processing, preferably with another U.S. Government entity or other foreign government organization or multilateral appropriate private sector experience.

c. Language:

A good working knowledge of English, both spoken and written (level 3) is required. A comprehensive knowledge in both written and spoken French will also be expected.

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

The selection and evaluation criteria of the selected candidate will be based on the analysis of his/her experience in the technical domain, education required, level of language required. The applicants who obtain the highest score based on the criteria defined will be interviewed and may also be required to pass a written test (depending on the selection committees decision). Security clearance and medical clearance is required for the top ranking candidate, after conducting and receiving positive reference checks.

Quality ranking factors:

1. Technical knowledge (40 points)

Experience/ Skills in preparing reports ( ex. Payment status reports)

Experience in processing payment to vendors

Ability to track and process vouchers

Experience in monitoring flow of payments

Experience in reconciliation of payments, issuing bill of collection

2. Communication skills (30 points)

Experience in communications with customers/ customer service/problem solving

3. Interpersonal, communication ( including fluency in English and French), organization and computer skills (30 points)

Total possible points: 100 point

IV. PRESENTING AN OFFER

Eligible Offerors are required to complete, sign and submit the offer form DS-174 Application for U.S. Federal Employment along with a cover letter and a CV. All the three documents must be in English.

The DS-174 Application form can be found in the US embassy website https://cd.usembassy.gov/embassy/jobs/job-opportunities/

Offers must be received by October 10, 2018 at 17.00 (Kinshasa time) via email to usaidhrkinshasa@usaid.gov

To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation number in the offer submission.

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSC HIRES

Once the Contracting Officer informs the successful Offeror about being selected for a contract award, the CO will provide the successful Offeror instructions about how to complete and submit the following forms:

Authorization for release of information

VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES

The incumbent will benefit from following benefits and allowances: Housing, Transportation,

Meals, Family, and Miscellaneous; 13th and 14th month bonuses; annual and sick leave and medical coverage

VII. TAXES

The employees are responsible for calculating and paying local income taxes. The U.S. Mission does not withhold or make local income tax payments.

VIII. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs

USAID regulations and policies governing CCN/TCN PSC awards are available at these sources:

1. USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix J, Direct USAID Contracts With a Cooperating Country National and with a Third Country National for Personal Services abroad, including contract clause General Provisions, available at https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf .

2. Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1 available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms .

3. Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available at https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs .

4. Ethical Conduct. By the acceptance of a USAID personal services contract as an individual, the contractor will be acknowledging receipt of the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, available from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, in accordance with General Provision 2 and 5 CFR 2635. See https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations .

END OF SOLICITATION

EQUALEMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITY:TheU.S.Mission in DRC provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation. USAID/DRC also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations.

TheEEO complaint procedure is available to individuals who believe they have been denied equal opportunity based upon marital status or political affiliation. Individuals with such complaints should avail themselves of the appropriate grievance procedures, remedies for prohibited personnel practices, and/or courts for relief.
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by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, October 3, 2018

A recent report outlining possible violations of children's privacy laws has spurred two Senate Democrats to seek a Federal Trade Commission investigation of app developers, ad companies and app stores like Google Play.

Given the sensitive nature of childrens personal information, app developers, advertising companies, and companies with app stores must take responsible steps to protect kids privacy and comply with COPPA, Senators Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) write in a letter sent to the FTC Wednesday. COPPA, which stands for Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, requires companies to obtain parental consent before collecting a host of data -- including geolocation information and unique identifiers -- from children younger than 13.

Also of concern is the practice of apps being improperly promoted as kid friendly when in fact the app engages in activity prohibited by COPPA, the lawmakers write.

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In their letter, Markey and Blumenthal reference the University of California, Berkeley study "Won't Somebody Think of the Children?' Examining COPPA Compliance at Scale," which concluded that thousands of popular free children's apps may have violated COPPA. Researchers for that study examined data practices of more than 5,800 Android apps for children available on the Designed for Families section of Google Play; 28% of those apps were found to access sensitive data such as geolocation information, email addresses and phone numbers.

Google says it requires developers of apps in the Designed for Families program to certify compliance with children's privacy laws.

Markey and Blumenthal now are asking FTC to investigate app developers' data collection practices, as well as data practices of ad companies -- including whether ad companies are policing developers, and what ad companies do with personal information they receive about children. The lawmakers also want an investigation into how app stores like Google Play verify that supposedly family-friendly apps comply with children's privacy laws.

The lawmakers aren't the only officials challenging tech companies over children's privacy. Last month, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas has sued mobile game developer Tiny Lab Productions, Google, Twitter and other tech companies, for allegedly violating children's privacy laws. Tiny Lab Productions is among the app developers that allegedly collected personal data from children, according to the Berkeley study.

The complaint in that case alleges that Google duped parents by allowing Tiny Lab's gaming apps to participate in Google Play's "Designed for Families" program.
by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, October 3, 2018



Reebok is betting that all the cool kids are craving the comfort of flannels, crop tops and the Clinton presidency, launching a new 90s-themed ad campaign for the Aztrec, one of its greatest hits.

The ads star six young influencers talking about the decade they describe as active, colorful and uncontrived, and are meant to relaunch the Aztrek sneaker on its 25th birthday.

Themed Aztrek: 90s Re-Run, the effort also includes a giveaway contest of five different capsule clothing collections offered on its website.

The influencers, all raised during the 90s, include humorist Jay Versace; Sara Gourley, creative director of Frankie Collective, the streetwear brand; and retro style expert Jordan Page.

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Longer videos explore how all six have been shaped by the 90s, from style to music to lifestyle, all while sporting the chunky design of the Aztrec, designed for off-road action.

Kirk Tilton, of L.A.s vintage store For All To Envy is also featured, as are Angie Chavez and Josh Matthews, vintage collectors and curators.

Even the locations are evocative of the decade, including segments shot in Joshua Tree (in Mojave, Calif.) and Utah.

M&C Saatchi is the agency, and a spokesperson says the effort is based entirely on earned media, with videos shared in the influencers social media networks.

The campaign comes at a tough time for Reebok. While parent Adidas is going strong and gaining market share, in part due to its successful Create the Answers campaign, Reeboks sales are limping. In its most recent quarterly results, it reported double-digit growth for the Adidas brand, but a 3% drop in Reebok revenues. Gains in its Classics, it said, did not offset decreases in the training and running categories.

And while the sport lifestyle category has been the bright spot industrywide, even those sales are starting to lag, with growth slowing in recent months to the mid-single digits, writes Matt Powell, vice president and senior industry advisor for NPD Group.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, October 3, 2018

Antitrust regulators plan to scrutinize Comcast's management of streaming video service Hulu, Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim said Wednesday.

Certainly Hulu could be a competitor to the cable business, Delrahim, the DOJ's antitrust chief, told a Senate subcommittee at an oversight hearing. And its one that we will examine carefully to see if they might take any conduct that would harm its ability to compete.

Delrahim's comments came in response to questions from Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), who asked whether Comcast's new ability to help run Hulu could pose a risk to consumers.

When Comcast merged with NBC Universal in 2011, the company agreed to refrain from managing Hulu for seven years. That term expired recently, leaving Comcast free to take an active role in overseeing Hulu. Last month, Comcast appointed three directors to the board of Hulu. The company -- formed in 2007 as a joint venture between Fox and Disney -- is currently owned by Comcast, Disney, Fox and AT&T.

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This summer, shortly before Comcast's merger conditions expired, Delrahim said the DOJ planned to monitor the company, according to Bloomberg. The department retains jurisdiction to enforce the antitrust laws and takes its obligations seriously, Delrahim reportedly said in an August 14 letter to Comcast. We would appreciate your cooperation in keeping us informed by providing the department with any plans you may have to change your policies or practices involving video programming and distribution.
by Sara Guaglione , October 4, 2018

The Bloomberg newsroom is making a concerted effort to include more women and diverse sources in its coverage.

Spearheaded by Laura Zelenko, senior executive editor for diversity, talent, standards and training at Bloomberg News, the initiative focuses on increasing the number of women it taps as sources, quotes in stories, features on Bloomberg TV and Bloomberg radio and includes in its live events.

Look at almost any conventional media outlet, and youll see women underrepresented as sources, Zelenko wrote in a post about the initiative. Focus just on business and finance stories, and theyre even less visible, an omission of perspective that Bloombergs news organization is not willing to tolerate.

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Zelenko and Bloomberg L.P. chairman Peter Grauer recently launched the New Voices initiative in Hong Kong, following similar launches in New York, London and Toronto.

The program provides one-on-one media training for 12 top women executives in finance and business in all four cities. The 48 women are assisted by local trainers from communications and PR firm Burson Cohn & Wolfe to prepare them for TV interviews on Bloomberg and other outlets.

Globally, media cites women as sources on front pages about 20% of the time; those we cite in stories often determines whom we call for on-air interviews, Zelenko wrote.

Since launching the initiative earlier this year, Bloomberg claims to have already made improvements in its inclusion of women.

In the first quarter of 2018, women represented about 2% of sources quoted or cited in Bloomberg stories running on its front pages.

In the most recent month of tracking, they now represent 6.2%, and Bloomberg is increasing the number 9.5% a week.

In the first quarter of this year, women represented 10% of the total number of external guests interviewed on Bloomberg TV. They now represent 15%. Bloombergs short-term goal is to get that number up to 30%.

Bloomberg claims it has increased its global database of women experts from 500 names at the start of this year to more than 2,300.

Women represented 28% of the total number of Bloomberg journalists it interviewed on Bloomberg TV in Q1. They now represent 34%. Its short-term goal is to reach 50%.

The percentage of women panelists at Bloomberg Live events has also nearly doubled from 19% in 2017 to 32% in 2018.

It is by no means equal representation, but it is a strong start.

Zelenko added that Bloombergs publishing tool now allows editors to tag stories that quote women.

Not only does this enable us to count these stories, our newsroom can reference them to find relevant sources for guests on Bloomberg Television or Bloomberg radio, but also for panels at our Bloomberg Live events, she wrote.

A new policy has also been enacted: Bloomberg journalists can only join panels with gender diversity.

Were proactively trying to address the challenge of promoting more expert women commentators, and ultimately, other diverse voices as well," Zelenko wrote.

The BBC has a 50-50 initiative to push for gender equality among on-air guests on every one of its programs, and The Financial Times has an initiative to engage with more female readers, she noted.
by Larissa Faw , October 4, 2018

In a rare panel during Advertising Week New York, four women took to the stage on Wednesday not to discuss #MeToo or Time's Up, but rather the gender-agnostic issue of how to use technology to understand the human behind the computer -- and how to communicate that understanding, or empathy, in marketing messages.

"I like to say the era of the consumer is over, says Abigail Posner, head of strategy, Brand Unit Google. By calling people consumers it implies we are only thinking of them as people who consume our product, but we all know they are much more nuanced on that. And technology can help us understand that nuance and holistic view of people."

The differential for pharmaceutical company Lilly is to step away from the actual product to instead support what the product does. Psoriasis advertising, for instance, became about the journey and release from the disease rather than functional benefits of its treatment, says Lina Shields, senior director of consumer marketing, Lilly.

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For Norwegian Cruises, the travel company's challenge is that its guests expect it to know them very well and market accordingly. "How do we meet their expectations and not mess it up when we introduce technology?" said Meg Lee, CMO, Norwegian Cruises, adding that Norwegian needed to accomplish this on a reasonable budget.

"Social media is word-of-mouth on steroids," says Lee. Norwegian started off just having a conversation with its travelers using these channels, but now Lee says it is the number-one driver of consideration and purchase.

Gathering insights about customers and prospects has always been a key marketing objective, but empathy tells you what you should do, says Kristen Colonna, chief strategy officer, OMD. Understanding this difference lets marketers become more relevant and profitable. You need to deliver what the consumer needs, not what is disposable, says Colonna.

Panelists agree that theres no such thing as too much empathy -- but just like superheroes, you have to wield your power carefully. "People give us a lot of information and there are some details we don't leverage," says Lee, explaining they know everything that goes on during a cruise aboard ship, including medical and personal habits. "We focus on leveraging the right data," she says.

Empathy is a big ambition to deliver, says Colonna. For OMD, it requires the merging of different data sets and agency divisions to work as one holistic hub. It isn't a one-step solution. The path to purchase is more obvious, whereas true empathy reveals the untapped opportunities.

Recognizing the difference is how new startups transform into billion-dollar brands. Netflix and AirBnb are perfect examples because they saw a need in the marketplace that wasn't fulfilled and figured out a better way to meet consumer needs.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, October 4, 2018

Smart TV manufacturer Vizio has agreed to pay $17 million to settle a privacy lawsuit, according to court papers filed Thursday.

If accepted by U.S. District Court Judge Josephine Staton in Santa Ana, California, the agreement will resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging that Vizio violated privacy laws by sharing information about consumers with ad-tech companies and data brokers.

The deal allows 16 million Vizio owners to submit claims, while allowing the lawyers who brought the case to receive up to $5.6 million. If all eligible consumers submit claims, each would receive 62 cents, according to the court papers. The agreement also requires Vizio to display onscreen notices about data collection and allow consumers to either accept or reject sharing data with Vizio.

The legal battle dates to 2015, when a group of consumers alleged that Vizio tracks TV viewers by default, and shares data with companies that send targeted ads to people's phones, tablets and other devices. The first complaint came several days after ProPublica published a report about the company's data practices.

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Among other claims, the consumers said Vizio violated the federal Video Privacy Protection Act, which prohibits video providers from disclosing personally identifiable information about people's video-viewing history without their explicit consent.

Vizio agreed to settle the case after Staton rejected the company's arguments to dismiss the lawsuit. Vizio unsuccessfully contended that the video privacy law only applies to companies that rent or sell content, as opposed to device manufacturers. The company also contended that the type of data allegedly disclosed -- including IP addresses, media access control (MAC) addresses, ZIP codes, computer names, and product serial numbers -- wasn't personally identifiable.

Staton sided against Vizio on both points. She said in a ruling issued in March 2017 that Congress intended for the video privacy law to apply to companies that are "in the business of delivering video content."

She also suggested in her earlier ruling that theoretically anonymous data, like MAC addresses, could potentially be used to identify individuals. Staton noted at the time that her ruling was only preliminary and could change depending on facts that emerged as the case progressed.

Last year, the Federal Trade Commission brought a separate enforcement action against Vizio for allegedly engaging in an unfair practice by tracking consumers, and for deceiving consumers by failing to adequately explain its data practices. The company agreed to settle the charges by paying $2.2 million to the FTC and the state of New Jersey, which also prosecuted the company.

Staton is expected to hold a hearing December 7, when she will consider whether to grant the deal preliminary approval.
by Tanya Gazdik , October 4, 2018

Norwegian Cruise Line is offering cruises featuring Grammy Award-winner Jon Bon Jovi in partnership with the musicians vacation company, Runaway Tours, and Sixthman, a creator of music festival vacation experiences.

The Runaway To Paradise Caribbean cruise sails from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas April 12-16 on the Norwegian Jade, while Norwegian Pearl will host the Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona to Palma, Majorca on Aug. 26-30. Sixthman is owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Norwegian and Sixthman have offered cruises with other musicians including Kesha, 311, KISS and Kid Rock.

The cruises will include a full rock show on the pool deck starring Jon Bon Jovi and the 11-piece Kings of Suburbia band, a second acoustic storyteller set where cruisers can ask Bon Jovi all of their burning questions, multiple shows from support artists (to be announced), and panels with key figures from Bon Jovis history.

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Jon and Jesse Bongiovis new wine, Hampton Water rose, will be featured during the cruises. Other themed onboard experiences will include a Bon Jovi Gallery selling memorabilia and a recreation of the rock star's nonprofit community restaurant, the JBJ Soul Kitchen.

Travelers can register for the cruise pre-sale at runawaytoparadise.com.

Both Norwegian Jade and Pearl were refurbished in 2017 as part of the Norwegian Edge program. The refurbished ships now offer the appropriate venues to host a musical experience such as this one, says Andy Stuart, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line.

Separately, Norwegian announced another promotion today that is generating buzz in the media. The cruise line is offering free and reduced airfare to Hawaii from select U.S. cities for travelers who book a 7-day multi-island cruise, with the hotel option of staying one night in Honolulu pre-cruise. The offer is in response to a decrease in interest in the cruise after volcanoes and fires on the island of Hawaii forced a rerouting earlier this year.
New research that set out to analyze the temperatures at which people living with diabetes store their insulin is now warning against the perils of improper storage for the quality and effectiveness of the hormone.

Share on Pinterest Storage temperatures may affect the quality of the insulin.

More than 30 million people in the United States are currently living with diabetes.

Around 95 percent of these people have type 2 diabetes.

People with type 1 diabetes need to have insulin injections or have insulin delivered with a pump in order to survive.

Though some people with type 2 diabetes can control their blood sugar levels using lifestyle changes and medication, many of them also resort to insulin to regulate blood sugar.

Insulin is absolutely vital for helping cells get access to glucose and use it for energy. Without it, the persons blood sugar levels skyrocket, leading to hyperglycemia.

According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as many as 2.9 million U.S. individuals take only insulin, and another 3.1 million take insulin in addition to their medication.

A new study, however, suggests that many of these people might not get the full benefits from their insulin therapy; the hormone may be stored at incorrect temperatures in peoples domestic fridges, which could make it less effective.

It was led by Dr. Katarina Braune from Charite  Universitaetsmedizin Berlin in Germany alongside Prof. Lutz Heinemann, from Sciences & Co in Paris, France, and the digital health company MedAngel BV.

Dr. Braune and colleagues presented their findings at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting, held in Berlin, Germany.
Surprisingly, Judge Kavanaugh has been able to achieve something very akin to what the 26/11 or 9/11 did to the world. Brett Kavanaugh, the now (infamous) US attorney, has brought the world together on a single platform, and has given people around the world a common subject to consider, dissect and share their observations on.

If you're wondering about the why and how of the aforementioned claim, then it seems like your current affairs skills have failed you, just like the current president of The United States Of America has failed his people (time and again), but most notably the women and children of the country.

 Reuters

President Trump's nomination of Brett Kavanaugh earlier in July, to share the prestigious bench as the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, would have been the man's ultimate rise to glory, however, the shabby deeds of his past have now resurfaced and have stripped the man of his facade, as well as the good fortune of climbing up the ladder unopposed.

So, What's The (Back)Story?

While it isn't every day that you get to witness a top US judge being publicly tried in a widely publicised assault case, and surely not one that isn't just restricted to the four walls and sound-proofed high ceilings of the courtroom, but has promptly moved into people's living rooms, this one gets your attention for reasons that are more poignant than the involvement of Trump.

 Reuters

It was post Kavanaugh's nomination by the US president, that an anonymous account of a reported sexual assault carried out by Kavanaugh in high school surfaced in the public realm. The Washington Post later identified the author as a psychology professor at the Palo Alto University named Christine Blasey Ford.

The news soon picked up pace and a lot of dirt was dug in the process. In the following months, numerous other women came forward with their personal experiences of having lived through incidents of sexual misconduct at the hands of Kavanaugh. The second most prominent confession came from Deborah Ramirez, who happened to be Kavanaugh's classmate at Yale University.

 Reuters

While Ford stated that Kavanaugh tried to remove her clothes and sexually assault her as a stumbling drunk teenager at a friend's party 36 years ago in high school, Ramirez alleged that Kavanaugh inappropriately exposed himself during a dorm-room party, when they were in college. Other charges of alcohol abuse also did the rounds around the same time.

What's Been Up?

Media houses around the world have been blowing up with all the latest scoop on the Brett Kavanaugh - Christine Blasey Ford issue, but what hasn't been given enough credit, is the fact that a woman decided to speak up against a personal injustice, knowing full well what it meant and what it would do to her when she went public with her story, regardless of the fact that it has been 36 years since the incident took place.

 Reuters

The very fact that she chose to speak up against the appointment of the very person who assaulted her, and asserted that he would not do justice to his latest role in the American judiciary, needs to be heeded by each one of us.

But, of course, that is not to be expected of the Trump Government that sees too adamant to clear Kavanaugh and place the conservative dimwit on the bench without any unnecessary trials.

The point every conservative Republican, and the US President seem to be fixated on, is that why did Ford choose to go public with the details after 36 years since the alleged assault.

Cloaking her trauma in political colours and giving it a false flavour, which it clearly doesn't deserve, they have come up against all the allegations that have been levelled at Kavanaugh, calling them shams, and disregarding the woman's claims as mere charges that target a qualified and deserving candidate.

 Reuters

The Curious Case Of Kavanaugh

The charges called for a much needed public hearing and an FBI probe on public demand, which left Kavanaugh's public image and honestly, even his wits too, in complete shambles.

The public hearing came as a revelation of the judge's true demeanour and exposed the man for who he truly was. Right from losing his temper, talking over the senators, to giving a glimpse at his lack of judgement in the matters related to law, such as dodging questions and outrightly denying charges, the man made an absolute fool of himself on live TV.

Not just that, but Kavanaugh was a hilarious subject to behold as he cried reminiscing about his old schoolmates, lifting weights at a friend's place in high school, and the many stories his father would share on Christmas Eve based on the 'calendar inputs' he maintained.

Such impassioned, teary defences most definitely made us question why the world claims that women are overly emotional, when Ford's testimony, one coming from a survivor, was an example of absolute composure.

 Reuters

What's funnier still, is that he claimed the 'Devil's Triangle' to be a drinking game when questioned by a senator, and most of us know it's anything but that! Any college-going kid would tell you it's a threesome involving two men and a woman. What's more, when directly asked if he has ever been drunk to lose the sense of a situation, or if he would support an FBI investigation, he completely evaded the questions and instead, shot back remarks that were totally hilarious!

Bottom Line

While the final confirmation rested upon the results of the FBI probe, which came out earlier, the White House has now cleared Kavanaugh of all the charges having found no corroborations of sexual misconduct against him. The news comes as yet another blow of disappointment for the masses, and does the job of publicly mocking every sexual assault survivor's experiences and trauma around the world.

 Reuters

To some extent, it goes on to show the fate of women who build up the courage to speak out against their perpetrators, make themselves vulnerable for larger good and get treated as pawns and liars. It's a sad precedent to set in today's times and we can only wonder what debacles await the American nation when people such as Trump and Kavanaugh come together to rally each other's causes.

Sad times indeed for the women in this world.
Google is about to launch a set of new devices at its annual event in New York next week and we have a fair idea what in store for all of us.

There have been countless leaks that point towards a range of devices that are most probably launching alongside the Pixel 3. The 'Made By Google' event will surely feature the Pixel 3 and 3 XL, however, there are other devices slated as well.

Google is expected to launch a new tablet called the 'Google Pixel Slate' along with a Google Home Hub Smart Display and more.

Pixel 3 & 3 XL: What To Expect

 YouTube

The two flagship devices by Google are probably the most leaked smartphones in history and we have a few details that give us a fair idea  unless Google surprises us all together.

The Pixel 3 and 3 XL are going to have considerable upgrades under the hood and will have a familiar design when compared to its predecessor.

Internally, both smartphones are going to be identical in terms of specification and will have differences when it comes to design. The Pixel 3 XL will have a larger screen and a notch at the top that will probably host face unlocking sensors. The smaller variant will have an all-display look, similar to the previous generation with smaller bezels.

The camera on the two smartphones are going to host a similar single camera setup and the only noticeable change, will be in the front-facing camera. The notch at the front will host two camera sensors where one will be a wide angle lens. As anticipated, we can expect some exceptional photography from either of the cameras, as Google enhances images, thanks to the photography algorithm.

As for the innards, the Pixel 3 is expected to have Qualcomm's 845 processor under the hood and will be coupled with at least 4GB of RAM.

The Pixel 3 is expected to have an Adreno 630 GPU and 64GB or 128GB of storage. The two smartphones will come with Android 9 Pie out of the box which has always been Google's selling point.

Google Pixel Slate

 Twitter

The Pixel Slate is expected to be Google's first tablet powered by Chrome OS and will compete with Apple's iPad Pro and Surface Pro. Based on Brydge (a company making compatible keyboards) renders, we know that it will have a minimal design and will use a USB-C port. It is also expected to have a fingerprint sensor and will support both third-party and first-party keyboards.

 Twitter

Under the hood, benchmark tests of the secret device reveal it will have an Intel Amber Lake i7-8500Y processor and 16GB of RAM. 9to5Google also found out from the Chromium source, that it will have a 30002000 display, Sony IMX319 secondary camera sensors and, Sony IMX355 primary sensor.

Google Home Hub

 MySmartPrice

Google Assistant-powered smart displays were announced at CES 2018 and we saw our first product by Lenovo shortly after. Google is now going to announce its own version of a smart display and will probably be called Google Home Hub.

The device was discovered by MySmartPrice and it will essentially be a 7-inch display with a speaker. It is expected to be available in black and white.

In terms of specifications, there will be a switch on the back-left side that will turn off the microphone, similar to Google Home. It will have other features such as Bluetooth, Wi-FI, and ambient light and colour sense.

What Else?

 Twitter

Google is also slated to announced a wireless charging stand for the Pixel 3 and 3 XL which hints that the new smartphone will have support for the said feature. Google is also expected to launch a follow-up to last year's Pixelbook. A refreshed Chromecast is also in the books as it was accidentally sold by a BestBuy employee recently.

Are you expecting anything else from Google's hardware event next week? Are you excited about the Pixel 3 and other devices? Let us know in the comments.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Terence Quick is carrying out a working visit to Nicosia, at the invitation of the Presidential Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus, Fotis Fotiou. The programme of his visit also includes a meeting with the Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Nikos Christodoulides.

The talks of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs with the Presidential Commissioner, who is also responsible for Diaspora Issues, will begin at 10.30 a.m. at the Presidential Palace, initially during a one-on-one meeting and then with the participation of their representatives.

Discussions will revolve around outstanding questions which require planning in the context of the trilateral cooperation of Greece and Cyprus with Egypt, Israel, Armenia, and Lebanon, as well as launching of actions arising from the Memorandum of Understanding which was concluded in December 2016 by Mr Quick and Mr Fotiou.
President of the National Council of Catholic Women Receives Award for Significant Contributions to Social Justice Contact: Laraine Bennett, National Council of Catholic Women, 703-224-0990, lbennett@nccw.org



ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 4, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Maribeth Stewart Blogoslawski, President of the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) and Vice President of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations (WUCWO), will be awarded The Most Reverend Joseph F. Donnelly Memorial Award for an individual at the 50th Annual Social Justice Dinner and Awards on October 23, 2018 in Plantsville, Connecticut.



The Office for Catholic Social Justice Ministry of the Archdiocese of Hartford commends Maribeth Blogoslawski not only for her service to her parish, the NCCW and WUCWO, but also for her efforts to raise awareness of the plight of the Christians in the Holy Land by connecting school children in the Holy Land with children in the United States, and for her advocacy work at the United Nations to reduce poverty, violence and human trafficking.



The Most Reverend Joseph F. Donnelly Award is given to those individuals who are motivated by "the principles of justice and charity revealed in Biblical literature and Church teachings. Their work will have made an impact on significant numbers of persons, or set a precedent or example which affected many. Their achievements will have effected progress towards eliminating social, economic or political injustice or discrimination and towards guaranteeing basic human dignity and rights as defined in Catholic social teaching."



To request an interview with NCCW President Maribeth Stewart Blogoslawski please contact lbennett@nccw.org or call 703-224-0990. Visit nccw.org for more information. Founded at the direction of the US Catholic bishops in 1920, NCCW's mission is to act through its members to support, empower and educate all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership and service.



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Visit Valle de Guadalupe - The Napa Valley of Mexico

In the last few years, California's up-and-coming wine regions have been steadily moving further and further south. First it was Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley. Then came the wineries of Malibu, and Temecula, near San Diego.

Now, California's must-visit wine region isn't in California at all: it's in Baja California, 90 minutes below the Mexican border, in Valle de Guadalupe. And it has legions of in-the-know wine lovers heading there - especially for the Valle Food & Wine Festival, happening October 6-8, 2018.

Valle de Guadalupe has been referred to as the Napa Valley of Mexico, and for good reason. Its 1000 foot elevation and Mediterranean microclimate create ideal conditions for growing red wine grapes, particularly varietals that don't fare well in Alta California, and the wines being produced by the region's wineries are worth serious consideration, even by seasoned oenophiles. Its fine dining restaurants, offering sophisticated food at a fraction of what you'd pay in America, are becoming so popular that their chefs are quickly ascending to celebrity status.

But what makes the Valle so interesting is the total lack of pretense in its offerings. Envision Napa, but with no traffic, no "wine train," no celebrity names on bottles. To visit this area is to spend a weekend in a state of low-key bliss, as long as your idea of a perfect Saturday involves good, inexpensive wine and friendly vineyard dogs.

The Wine





Baja California produces nearly 70% of Mexico's wine, and there are over 100 wineries along the(wine route) in Valle de Guadalupe, all established in the last 30 years. Maybe because of their relative newness, and the absence of the idea of a Grand Tradition that must be preserved, there's a distinctly laid-back vibe to wine tasting in the Valle, but an energy of innovation and excitement. Not only are the region's wines forward-thinking (many of them are organic and biodynamic, grown sustainably and with a minimum of chemicals) but the rules about which grapes to grow are dictated solely by the climate.

The Bordeaux-style wines produced by Monte Xanic, the region's oldest winery, work just as well as the Italian varietals going into the Nebbiolo and Brunello from Villa Montefiori just a few miles away. Vinas de Garza, with its terraced tasting room overlooking the vineyard, specializes in red blends like the Tinto de Mogorcito, a Cabernet/Merlot blend; and Colina Norte, made from Tempranillo, Carignan and Grenache.

Vena Cava, an organic winery ripe for Instagramming, touts itself as the "hippest winery in Mexico," and has an outdoor wine bar and a food truck on the premises. Their rules-do-not apply attitude is present in their wine blends - Big Blend is made from Cabernet, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Grenache - and in the winery itself. Vena Cava's wine cave is made from repurposed, salvaged boats.

The Food





The spirit of innovation isn't just in the wine along theRestaurants that deliver an ultra-laid back version of fine dining are also on the rise, highlighting regional cooking techniques, locally-grown ingredients and Valle wines. Javier Plasencia's Finca Altozano, a mostly outdoor restaurant, delivers exquisitely simple preparations of Baja cuisine, with a focus on seafood that came in from the port of Ensenada, half an hour away, just that morning.

The French Laundry of Valle de Guadalupe is Fauna, helmed by chef David Castro Hussong, which drew attention from the likes of The New York Times when it opened last year. At 27 years old, Hussong is already being hailed as a star chef on the rise for his experimental tasting menus.

Drew Deckman is always mentioned third in the list of Valle chefs to watch, but is the only Michelin-starred one of the bunch. His restaurant, Deckman's en el Mogor, is a sustainable eatery. All food is prepared in an outdoor kitchen, and all of the wine, vegetables, eggs, olive oil and more come directly from the Mogor Estate where the restaurant operates. There, simplicity is key: heaping plates of just-harvested vegetables are served roasted with roots and skin intact, cheeses are all made in the Valle and squid ink ceviche is garnished with flowers picked outside the dining room.

The Festival





All of the area's momentum culminates in the Valle Food & Wine Festival, happening October 6-8. Nearly 40 star chefs from the US and Mexico descend on the valley, including Hussong, Plasencia and Deckman, alongside culinary luminaries like Nancy Silverton of Los Angeles's Osteria Mozza and Netflix'sand Rick Bayless of James Beard-winning Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago.

They'll all be cooking locally grown ingredients in the rustic Valle tradition, using mostly open flame grills and smokers. And then there's the wine: 25 vineyards from Valle de Guadalupe will be pouring at Saturday's main event, which also includes live music, a Baja artisan marketplace and craft cocktails. Sunday is a more casual food truck festival: De La Calle Al Valle (from the street to the valley).

It's an exciting weekend, to be sure, but maybe it's not the best time to make your first visit. Maybe you'd rather go the weekend after, when the crowds have dispersed, and there are winemakers filling your glass who will talk to you for as long as you'd like about all the exciting things happening in Baja's wine scene. Or maybe you'd just rather sit there and sip, taking in the sunshine and the vine-covered mountains surrounding you. And that's just fine, too.
PIGEON  Pigeon residents Wanda and Ed Eichler were recognized by Habitat for Humanity of Michigan at the organization's annual awards banquet at the Lansing Center for their continued contributions to the Upper Thumb chapter.

As longtime supporters of Upper Thumb Habitat for Humanity, the Eichlers were named the Huron County Volunteers of the Year for their instrumental role in the affiliate's longevity and recent revitalization efforts.

"Wanda and Ed's generous business guidance and financial contributions over the past two years have provided us with a solid foundation to continue our mission of helping people in the Thumb area," said Lisa DiCamillo, executive director, Upper Thumb Habitat for Humanity.

The couple's involvement with Upper Thumb chapter began in the late 1990s when Wanda began fundraising for the organization. As a quilt shop owner, Wanda frequently coordinated quilt auctions that garnered $6,000 or more in proceeds per event.

"Our involvement with Habitat for Humanity has grown over time," said Wanda Eichler. "We believe in the organization's promotion of good housing. In the Upper Thumb, this is particularly beneficial to individuals and families that are working for a better life. Habitat provides the tools and extra support to make 'living well' an achievable reality."

Most recently, the couple renovated office space in downtown Pigeon to house the Upper Thumb affiliate's operations. The 1,000 square foot building was remodeled to accommodate Habitat for Humanity, featuring a large community room for workshops, a private office, kitchenette, handicap-accessible bathroom and plentiful storage.

"Since purchasing the building, I knew it was destined for a special use - something that would benefit the entire community," Wanda said. "When Ed and I heard that Habitat was seeking a permanent office, we knew they were our tenant. We made sure the building was optimized for their needs, down to the placement of electrical outlets and addition of a kitchen area."

Construction recently concluded, and the keys were turned over to Habitat last week.

"We're incredibly grateful for the Eichlers' generous donation and their continued support," said Lisa. "This sole contribution will go on to change the lives of many for the better, which is why Wanda and Ed are our Volunteers of the Year."

A grand opening of the Upper Thumb Habitat for Humanity office is currently in the planning process and will be announced at a later date.
While the new U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade deal brought some signs of relief to American farmers, most of the heartland economy is still suffering from the blow of Donald Trump's trade war with China.

Take for instance April Hemmes, who grows soybeans and corn on 1,000 acres in Iowa. She locked in prices for half of her soy crop between March and June because of the "rumblings of tariffs." Then, China's retaliatory duties hit in July. Now, as harvesting gets underway, the cash offers she's seeing have dropped below her cost of production.

She won't bother trying to sell the half of the crop she didn't lock in prices for. Instead, she'll put them straight into storage, Hemmes said during an interview at the Women in Agribusiness Summit in Denver last week. "The reality is that I may not have a chance to sell those above my cost of production."

Hemmes isn't alone. Across the U.S. farming world, producers are feeling the bite of the trade war, with everything from apricots to sorghum targeted by retaliatory tariffs. The dispute has exacerbated the impact of years-long low prices amid a glut of crops. Farmer profits will drop 13 percent this year to $65.7 billion, the government predicts, leaving growers more dependent on aid.

Here's a look at some of the ways farmers are suffering:

- Soybeans: One of the biggest repercussions of China's 25 percent duties against American soy shipments is the divergence of price trends between the U.S. and rival exporters in South America.

Demand from China, which is looking for soybeans from everywhere but the U.S., has already driven up premiums for shipments from Brazil. Now, as those exportable supplies start to run out, it's Argentina's turn in the spotlight. In the meantime, American prices tumbled, and in many areas, cash prices have fallen below where futures are trading.

- Sorghum: American farmers planted more than 6 million acres of sorghum this year. While that's dwarfed by the roughly 89 million seeded with corn, it's still a major U.S. crop and rings in with bigger acreage than rice or oats. The market has become heavily dependent on shipments to China, where farmers use the plant to feed their hog herds, and moonshiners make it into a whiskey-like liquor called baijiu.

Cash sorghum prices have tumbled at Midwest elevators and ports in the Gulf of Mexico in recent months because of the trade tensions.

"Very little grain is trading, and what is trading is at reduced prices," said Tim Lust, chief executive officer of the National Sorghum Producers in Lubbock, Texas. "It's just challenging."

- Alfalfa: The value of U.S. hay exports reached about $1.5 billion last year, almost quadrupling over the previous two decades, as China became the main destination for the alfalfa variety. The trade war is expected to push prices down 7.5 percent and could cut revenue for alfalfa producers by about $377 million, according to a report from the University of California Agricultural Issues Center in Davis.

- Cherries: Included in China's $60 billion hit list announced last month were shipments of American fruits including apricots, peaches and cherries. The U.S. exports about $13 billion of fruit and tree nuts annually, with about 15 percent of that going to China and Hong Kong, David Magana and Roland Fumasi, senior analysts at Rabobank, said in a September report.

The impact of the fees will vary, partly because of China's reliance on U.S. supplies for some products. Cherry and grape shipments will be hurt the most, with exports expected to fall more than 20 percent, the bank said.

Struggling farmers aren't expecting relief anytime soon. An index of agricultural producers' sentiment by CME Group and Purdue University in September fell to the lowest in almost two years. Also telling, the measure of future expectations dropped.

One bright spot for U.S. farmers could come from the grain market. While China has targeted American corn and wheat shipments with tariffs, the Asian country doesn't usually buy much from the U.S., helping to cushion the impact.

Meanwhile, wheat crops in major producers including Russia, Australia and France withered this year amid extreme heat and drought. That means the U.S. could take a larger share of the global export market, and benchmark cash prices are up almost 20 percent from a year ago.

Cash-corn prices are also up from this time last year, but the grain is still trading under the cost of production for many growers as inventories remain ample.

The Trump administration has looked to soften the tariff blow for farmers, with the pledge of about $12 billion in aid. But farmers like Hemmes of Iowa have maintained a steady mantra: "We'd rather have trade than aid," she said.

"What scares me is that we worked for 35 years to get that China market, and then it's gone," said Hemmes, who's also on the board of directors for the Iowa Soybean Association. "Markets don't come back. Just to know that we worked for all those years, and then to have it gone, is frustrating to me."

- - -

Bloomberg's Justina Vasquez contributed.
Russia and Saudi Arabia are pumping an extra 1 million barrels a day of oil and could do even more. Yet the market doesn't seem to care.

After their September meeting in Algiers spurred prices to a four-year high, the world's two largest oil exporters sought to send a clearer signal to ease the price worries of consumers, and the President Donald Trump

Russia is pumping record volumes of crude and Saudi Arabia is almost there too. Still, the muted price reaction -- and the analysis of one powerful individual -- suggests limits to their influence.

"This price for oil is very largely the result of the current U.S. administration -- these expectations of sanctions against Iran, the political problems in Venezuela," Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a conference in Moscow on Wednesday. "Donald, if you want to find the culprit for the rise in prices, you need to look in the mirror."

Trump has been blaming the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries for rising crude prices ever since he decided in May to tear up the nuclear agreement with Iran and reimpose sanctions. Last month, the group appeared to rebuff his calls for a rapid production increase to offset the drop in Iranian shipments, prompting a surge in prices and even harsher rhetoric.

Amid threats from the president about the historic U.S.-Saudi military alliance, the kingdom gave a less equivocal message.

"Saudi production was below 10 million barrels a day for the first five months of the year; in October we're producing about 10.7 million," Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said at Russian Energy Week. "I anticipate that November will be slightly higher," he said, potentially breaking the production record set in November 2016.

State oil company Aramco will discuss exact November supply volumes with customers next week, Al-Falih said. Some buyers have gone above their contracts and requested higher amounts, he said.

Russia, which already broke its post-Soviet production record last month, could add another 200,000 to 300,000 barrels a day of supply within a "few months," Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters at the same event.

"This has translated just between Russia and Saudi Arabia, as of today, to about 1 million barrels" of additional supply since the group decided to start rolling back its cuts in June, Al-Falih said. The United Arab Emirates and Iraq have also pumped more "so OPEC+ has been very responsive to meeting demand."

Oil prices showed little reaction to Al-Falih's comments. Brent crude was up 40 cents to $85.20 a barrel at 4:51 p.m. in London. The international benchmark is up 27 percent this year.

"Saudi Arabia's effort to ramp up production seems to be only enough to mitigate the effect of lower supply from Iran and Venezuela, but not fully replace it," said Jens Naervig Pedersen, senior analyst at Danske Bank A/S in Copenhagen. "Furthermore, it leaves the Saudis with less spare capacity if they need to balance further declines in output from other troubled OPEC countries."

Like Putin, Al-Falih blamed part of the increase on the market's anticipation of disruptions in Iran and elsewhere, rather than the current balance between supply and demand.

"Geopolitical tension, speculation will ultimately ebb and we will see stability back in the market," he said.
Lunchtime has been part of school culture for decades, with districts across the country providing low-cost or free lunches to students since 1946.

But offering breakfastthe so-called most important meal of the day is less common. And its more unusual for students  even those from low-income families  to eat school breakfast when their districts offer the program.

A recent study from End Hunger Connecticut showed the number of districts providing breakfast to students is growing, but the state still lags behind the rest of the country.

Shannon Yearwood, executive director of End Hunger Connecticut, said this is due in part to the cost to rural towns and because Connecticut started paying attention to the issue relatively recently.

We could do better, she said. What I would love to see is for us to catch up to the rest of the nation and continue to see some strong growth.

Connecticut ranked 45th in the country for schools offering both lunch and breakfast, with just under 85 percent of schools in the state providing both meals, compared to 92.5 percent nationally, during the 2016-17 year.

Most districts in the Danbury area offer breakfast to students, but the majority arent eating it at school.

This could be in part because of the complicated logistics of serving breakfast, said Joe Martino, director of finance for Danbury.

In Danbury, students eat their breakfast in the cafeteria before class, rather than being served in the classroom.

Breakfast in the classroom is problematic, Martino said. It does create additional distractions in the classroom.

If buses or parents run late, then fewer students have a chance to grab a bite to eat before class, he said.

Short of making drastic changes in schedules, I dont think there is any way to drive more people through the lines, Martino said.

Because of the short time window, Yearwood said she recommends a grab and go model, where students take their food back to the classroom, instead of eating in the cafeteria.

Still, Danburys program is much more popular than other districts. Almost 27 percent of the overall school population ate school breakfast in 2016-17, while 30 percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals participated.

About 54 percent of students were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2016-17.

But nearby Newtown is among the districts with the lowest percentage of students eating school breakfast

Just over 1 percent of Newtown students who qualified for free or reduced-price meals participated during the 2016-17 academic years.

Less than half of 1 percent of the overall student body ate school breakfast.

Why the lag?

Yearwood said many people still think parents should provide breakfast for their kids.

Some folks philosophically dont believe schools should be serving breakfast, she said.

The state paid little attention to school breakfast until 2009, when a coalition of state officials and advocates formed the Connecticut Breakfast Expansion Team, Yearwood said.

This group has stressed the benefits of school breakfast and supported towns as they try to implement programs.

That is a resource that has been instrumental to the breakfast growth in the state, she said.

During the 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years, 30 more schools in Connecticut launched breakfast programs, making the meal available to 14,440 additional students. This is an increase of 16 percent, well over the national average, according to the Food Research and Action Center.

The Connecticut Breakfast Expansion Team has emphasized districts miss out on federal dollars by failing to serve breakfast to all students.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reimburses districts for each meal they serve, based on whether students receive free, reduced-price or full-price meals.

Were leaving money in D.C. with our districts names on it to provide the most important meal of the day, Yearwood said.

Danbury, for example, could have received $1.8 million between the 2015-16 and 2016-17 years if every student who ate school lunch also ate school breakfast.

But for some small districts, this money does not cover the cost of the program, Yearwood said. Shipping food to rural towns can be more expensive and towns often need to coordinate with others, she said.

This is a problem for Housatonic Valley Regional High School, which serves students from Kent and other Litchfield County towns, Principal Ian Strever said.

The nutritional guidelines are pretty stringent, he said. You have to balance that with your bottom line as part of your food program, unless you want to charge an exorbitant amount.

Strever said Region 1 uses a consultant, who works with other Litchfield County schools, to help the district affordably meet nutritional rules.

The district has seen a large jump in the percentage of low-income students who eat school breakfast, going from about 6 percent in 2015-16 to 27 percent in 2016-17.

But Strever said the hike is likely because the school is so small that a handful of students throw off the numbers.

Ready to learn

Expanding school breakfast could help students excel in the classroom.

Students who eat school breakfast score 17.5 percent higher on standardized math tests and attend 1.5 more school days per year, according to No Kid Hungry, an advocacy group.

You learn more when you have a full stomach, said Amanda Riley, Bethels food service director. From a nutritional point of view, if the kids are fueled, theyre going to be ready to learn.

In schools that offer breakfast, students are 14 percent less likely to visit the school nurse and 57 percent less likely to be disciplined, compared to children in schools where breakfast is not provided, according to End Hunger Connecticut.

School breakfast is also an important way to provide students with nutrition, Yearwood said.

The school breakfast is going to be healthier and more balanced than what parents are going to be able to provide at home, and its going to be more cost effective in a lot of cases, she said.

Thriving in Bethel

The program has caught on in Bethel, where almost 30 percent of low-income students ate school breakfast in 2016-17 and just under 12 percent of the overall student population did.

The staff do an excellent job of menu selection, Superintendent Christine Carver said. They make things kids want to eat.

At Rockwell and Berry elementary schools, children receive a bag of food to take to their classroom. In Johnson Elementary School and the middle and high schools, students eat in the cafeteria before going to their classrooms. Items on the menu include hot foods, such as a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich, and pre-packaged items, such as muffins, Riley said.

But Riley said it also helps that any student who qualifies for a reduced-price lunch gets breakfast for free, a policy she said other districts do not have.

In 2016-17, about 20 percent of Bethel students were eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

Riley said the program is most popular at Rockwell Elementary School. The other day, about 70 kids had breakfast at school, but at the end of last year about 100 kids participated.

No breakfast here

Ridgefield and Redding did not offer breakfast in 2016-17, but the percentage of low-income students was less than 3 percent in both towns.

Connecticut ranks 38th in the nation for low-income students eating school breakfast and lunch.

Only 51.6 percent of Connecticut students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals eat both breakfast and lunch at school, compared to 56.7 percent nationwide.

The Food Research and Action Center aims to bring that number up to 70 percent nationwide, which would bring school breakfast to 2.9 million children in the country and 31,550 students in the state.

In Brookfield, the district hopes to start serving breakfast this year or next year, but administrators are still working on the logistics.

The district was spurred by a hike in the number of kids who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, said Ken Post, business director.

Less than 10 percent of students were eligible in the 2016-17 year, compared to 19 percent this year, due to children qualifying through Medicaid.
CROMWELL  The town opened its arms Thursday to welcome the newest officer to join the Cromwell Police family.

This is really a family-oriented police department, Chief Denise Lamontagne said, opening the ceremony.

In keeping with that theme, Officer Brian M. Dean returned the favor by bringing members of his own extended family to the ceremony. They included Deans mother-in-law, Carlina Evanoski, and her fifth grandchild, Nolan, the 6-week-old son of Deans brother Matthew and his wife Jennifer.

The swearing-in ceremony, which was held in the atrium of town Hall in the late morning, has a slightly rushed air to it, which is not surprising, given that Dean begins training at the Municipal Police Academy in Meriden Friday.

A native of Willimantic, Dean filled the vacancy created by the retirement of Officer Joseph DiMauro, a 17-year veteran of the police force.

In welcoming remarks, Mayor Enzo Faienza told Dean he was joining a wonderful group of men and women.

Faienza was joined at the ceremony by Town Manager Anthony J. Salvatore, the towns former police chief, and town councilors Frank C. Emanuele Jr., Myron P. Johnson and Samantha C. Slade, as well as fellow officers, town employees and by friends and family of Dean, some 30 people in all.

Dean is an eight-year Army veteran who served two tours as a combat infantryman in Afghanistan. He then worked construction. But, his wife Jessica said, He just felt he was made to do more than that.

And so at age 33, Dean applied for a position as a police officer. He was one of 135 people who applied, Lamontagne said.

That number was slowly whittled down by a rigorous chain of requirements: an oral board, physical agility, and then, as the pool of applicants shrunk, a background check that entailed both a psychological test and a polygraph, Lamontagne said.

Officer Dean was very flexible with his schedule, which means he really wanted the position, Lamontagne told the audience gathered together in the atrium of Town Hall.

After Town Clerk Joan Ahlquist delivered the oath of office, Jessica Dean pinned her husbands gleaming silver badge on the jacket of the blue pin-striped suit, as the couples two daughters, Natalie, 6, and Claire, 3, looked on, transfixed.

Dean was the sole of brevity in his remarks, thanking everyone who came out for the ceremony, and thanking Cromwell for this opportunity.

I cant wait to get started, he added.

And start he will Friday for a 22-week training course, following by a 10-12 week field training course in which he will partner with Cromwell officers who will help Dean to become ready to begin patrolling on his own.

This is not something that I always wanted to do, Dean said following the ceremony.

He only caught the bug after his brother joined the Willimantic Police department six years ago, and then some of his closest friends also became police officers, Dean explained.

Reach reporter Jeff Mill at jmill@middletownpress.com
MIDDLETOWN  Officials voted overwhelmingly this week to create an LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee intended to help the city work toward improving the quality of life and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning residents.

The ordinance passed the Common Council 9 to 0 with Councilman Grady Faulkner abstaining from the vote. Majority Leader Thomas Serra and Councilwoman Deborah Kleckowski were absent from the meeting. Drew asked for the councils unanimous support.

Above slideshow: Match.com survey provides insight into LGBTQ singles





Nine individuals were appointed to the board: Common Councilman Phil Pessina, Christine Santacroce, Beth Shapiro, Andrew White, Arielle Kubie, Daniel Barry, Santina Sandy Aldieri and Salvatore Uccello.

As the city is a place of inclusivity, according to the resolution, the committee is charged with promoting justice, championing equity, ending oppression, and ensuring that all voices in the community are represented to advocate for a culture of respect and equality toward all persons, especially with regard to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.

Faulkner said he declined to vote in favor of the ordinance change because he didnt understand what we were trying to do, and Im not sure its in line with some of my priorities, in particular, with our young people, according to video footage of the meeting.

Faulker questioned whether city youth will be educated about LGBTQ citizens, just as students have been taught about correct use of social media, appropriate screen time and other issues. I just want us to be careful when we introduce certain things.

Mayor Dan Drew said the city doesnt have a school curriculum or education plan in place to do so, according to the video.

Faulkner also asked what prompted the resolution. Drew said staff had approached him with the idea. We feel that its really important to affirm Middletowns place as a community that is welcome and affirming, and to celebrate all those members of the community, and to plan at least one major pride event in June.

Faulkner said he would have expected the Citizens Advisory Committee, which he sits on, to be consulted for discussion before the issue came to the council. The mayor countered by saying the panel isnt expected to review such a proposal.

Drew said he wished the city had instituted the committee sooner, according to meeting minutes. A citizen asked him if the city could add the pride flag to its flagpole outside City Hall this summer, which was done June 1 in a public ceremony.

Neighbors, co-workers and friends should celebrate and create a space to say to the world through our words and actions that Middletown is their home as well, said Drew, who offered two examples of a resurgence of hatred for members of the LGBTQ community over the past several years.

He referenced the Sept. 26 beating in Athens which killed Zak Kostopoulos, 33, a Greek LGBTQ activist and drag performer, as well as the 1998 attack on University of Wyoming student Matthew Wayne Matt Shepard, who was beaten, tortured, tied to a fence, and left to die near Laramie. He died six days later from severe head injuries.

Councilman Gene Nocera said the resolution was important to support empathy, and support all people, and all peoples perspectives.

There are a lot of young adults out there that, had the LGBTQ community not gotten some significant events up to the Supreme Court, would have suffered because they dont know how to approach their gender and sexual orientation, Pessina said.

This is another step forward to help them and recognize this community. Were going to make them comfortable, Drew said.

We can, as a community, as groups of like-minded people, or as groups of people who disagree with one another, but generally agree on at least some core foundational values, should unite to protect one another, create these safe spaces for one another, and be there as neighbors for one another, he said.

We reject any discrimination based solely on someones identity  who they are and who they love  because thats not how we are supposed to be, he told council members.

Managing Editor Cassandra Day can be reached at cassandra.day@hearstmediact.com or Twitter @cassandrasdis.
Two New Haven residents, both with Yale University ties, were named recipients of MacArthur Foundation fellowships Thursday.

Gregg Gonsalves, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health, and Titus Kaphar, a painter and sculptor who received his masters degree in fine art from the Yale School of Art in 2006, each received $625,000 no-strings-attached awards, according to a press release.

The 25 fellows were chosen for their innovation and creativity and their potential to make important contributions to our communities and society.

Gonsalves, an assistant professor in epidemiology and co-director of the Global Health Justice Partnership, researches HIV, creating mathematical models so policymakers can make better decisions ... so policies can be evidence based, he said. Right now Im very interested in the intersection of the opioid epidemic, HIV and hepatitis C, he said.

He said he said he and his fellow researchers recently examined an outbreak of HIV in Scott County, Ind., where they closed the only HIV testing center in 2013, so they werent able to see the epidemic unfolding before their very eyes. The epidemic also was related to opioid use, he said.

Gonsalves said a computer model was created to turn back time ... and see what would have happened if government had intervened earlier, including implementing a needle-exchange program similar to one in use in New Haven.

A comprehensive public response could have avoided the epidemic altogether, he said.

Gonsalves said the Global Health Justice Partnership is a partnership between the Yale schools of Public Health and Law. The organization and colleagues in South Africa documented the failure of mining companies and the South African government to compensate families for tuberculosis and silicosis acquired in the mines, and they continue to advocate for policy reform based on their comparative research, according to his biography on the MacArthur Foundation website.

The partnership also is working with organizations in Brazil to investigate the role of the war on drugs and high incarceration rates on the community burden of TB as well as advocacy for wider availability of hepatitis C treatment in U.S. prisons, the website says.

Through these initiatives, Gonsalves is training a new generation of researchers who, like himself, work across public health and human rights sectors, scholarly research, and activism to correct disparities in global public health.

Gonsalves said hes known about the grant for about a month and was only allowed to tell one other person. He said he feels light-headed. Its sort of unreal because you dont know its going to happen and I didnt expect it. It still hasnt settled in.

Dr. Frederick Altice, an epidemiologist who has long worked in the field of HIV/AIDS and is director of the Community Health Care Van, said in an email, Gregg is an incredibly creative and innovative thinker. He brings together a number of creative ideas to tackle real-world problems through a unique lens, which is practical and understandable. He is richly deserving of receiving the MacArthur Genius Award.

Kaphars work highlights historically marginalized figures in the canon of Western art in works that deconstruct the literal and visual structure of the artwork, according to a news release. He is involved in converting a former machine shop at 169 Henry St. into a mentoring art space designed by Deborah Berke Partners.

Kaphar employs traditional painting techniques only to rupture the coherence of the scenes and figures he represents  and their attendant claims to authority  through a literal deconstruction or obscuring of the image and its physical support, according to his biography on the MacArthur website.

Other Yale alumni who won MacArthur grants are Vijay Gupta, a violinist and social justice advocate, School of Music, 2007; Becca Heller, a human rights lawyer, School of Law, 2010; and Okwui Okpokwasili, choreographer and performer, class of 1996.

Mary OLeary contributed to this story. edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382
WASHINGTON - U.S. Capitol Police announced late Wednesday that a former junior Senate Democratic staffer has been arrested for allegedly posting private information about Republican senators on the Wikipedia Internet website.

Jackson Cosko, 27, of Washington, D.C., faces five federal counts including making public restricted personal information, making threats in interstate communications, identity theft, witness tampering and unauthorized access of a government computer, police said.

Cosko also faces District charges of second degree burglary and unlawful entry, police said. He is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Deborah Robinson of the District of Columbia on Thursday afternoon, the U.S. attorney's office for the District, said.

"The investigation will continue and additional charges may be forthcoming," Capitol Police spokeswoman Eva Malecki said.

Cosko could not immediately be reached for comment.

A brief police statement did not give details, but a U.S. official said the arrest was tied to the investigation into the posting of personal information about Republican senators on the Wikipedia site as they held a hearing Sept. 27 on sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

At the time, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., rejected accusations that a member of her staff was responsible, calling them "lies, lies, and more despicable lies."

The information posted purportedly included phone numbers and home addresses for three Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the hearing: Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah.

They were doxed - or had private or identifying information made public on the internet - when an anonymous Wikipedia user edited their pages. The information was quickly removed after the doxing was discovered and aides contacted authorities.

Edits to the online encyclopedia were traced to IP addresses of computer devices assigned to the U.S. Capitol. Waters in her statement last week said Capitol Police and internal computer specialists determined that an IP address cited online did not belong to her office or anyone on her staff.

According to the Legistorm website of congressional disclosures, Cosko was employed as a low-level aide from January 2017 to May 2018 with the office of U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and earlier with former Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.

Hassan spokesman Aaron Jacobs said he could not comment on an ongoing investigation.

Cosko was paid $23,000 over six months ending March 31, according to Legistorm.

A LinkedIn website to a Jackson Cosko lists work from Jan. 2016 to May 2018 as an intern, press assistant and legislative correspondent/systems administrator assisting senior Senate staff on matters before the commerce and homeland security committees, including cyber security issues.

It could not be immediately determined if Cosko had any past connection to Waters' office. The office did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Wednesday.
After World War II, Americans of the Greatest Generation donated to feed the hungry in countries devastated by the conflict.

As the school year starts, todays generation of students also has an opportunity to fight hunger in war-torn lands. One way is through an online learning game called FreeRice.

To play FreeRice, you answer trivia questions in vocabulary, science, English, social studies, math, languages and other subjects. Once you start playing you get hooked!

For every question you get right, 10 grains of rice are donated to the UN World Food Program. The rice is paid for by advertisers on the FreeRice site.

The WFP is the largest hunger relief organization in the world. They are leading food aid missions as we speak in Syria. Seven years of civil war between the Assad government and rebel groups has displaced millions of Syrians from their homes. The fighting has destroyed agriculture and food production.

Displaced families depend on the WFP for life-saving rations. Getting food to the hungry is extremely difficult because military forces often block aid deliveries. WFP has to use airlifts and complex overland routes to reach different parts of the country with food aid.

Millions of Syrians have also fled to neighboring countries in the Middle East. Many refugees have lost their income and savings. They need the help of WFP and other humanitarian agencies.

These scenes of tragedy and hunger are many miles from our communities and schools. But when students take action playing FreeRice they can raise funds for the WFP.

After World War II, schools helped with the Friendship Train which traveled coast to coast collecting donations to feed the hungry in Europe. Students gathered donations for the Train.

The many episodes of generosity after World War II saved nations from starvation. Food was the foundation for the rebuilding of Europe and Asia. Food from America won the peace after World War II.

Today, the needs are also massive worldwide because of food shortages caused by conflict and natural disasters.

In civil war torn Yemen, WFP is providing food in a country on the brink of famine. Without WFP millions of people would starve to death. South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen have all been on the brink of famine in the last year. In South Sudan WFP air drops food in hard to reach areas, which their partner Catholic Relief Services distributes to hungry and displaced civilians.

WFP depends on voluntary donations to provide food aid to the 70 plus countries they assist. When funding is low, WFP is forced to reduce rations or programs that feed impoverished children like school meals.

Its vital WFP receives enough funding especially with conflict and hunger levels at their worst in decades. The funding comes from governments and the public.

Schools can do their part by playing FreeRice and raising donations for WFP. Students can be food ambassadors by informing others about the hunger emergencies ongoing in the world. Awareness is the key to action.

Schools could even hold FreeRice tournaments with a focus on Syria, Yemen, and South Sudan, Haiti or any of the countries afflicted with hunger.

The WFP has released a new improved version of FreeRice at beta.freerice.com that they want everyone to use.

Students can make this school year special, not only for learning, but for aiding those suffering in hunger overseas.

William Lambers is an author who partnered with the UN World Food Program on the book Ending World Hunger.
PROSPECT  Democrat Jahana Hayes and Republican Manny Santos debated for the first time Thursday in Connecticuts only open congressional race, offering sharply different views of immigration, trade, tax reform and Obamacare  issues President Donald J. Trump has brought to a boil in American political life.

On a day when a national prognosticator moved the race from likely Democratic to safe Democratic, Hayes arrived with a sense of riding a wave in a state where no Republican has won a congressional race in 12 years.

If elected, she could be one of the first two black women elected to Congress from New England.

Trump was not mentioned by name during the one-hour debate, but he was ever present: The 2018 agenda for congressional candidates is a reflection of Trumps agenda over his two tumultuous years. On the key issues raised Thursday, Santos was with the president and Hayes was not.

The differences were even starker when the debate ended and both candidates faced questions from reporters about a topic unaddressed during the forum: The nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, the woman who accused him of sexual assault and how Congress and the president has treated the nominee and his accuser.

Both candidates expressed dismay with the confirmation  Santos, by how Kavanaugh was treated by Democrats in the Senate; Hayes, by how Christine Blasey Ford was belittled by Republican men in Congress and the president.

Santos and Hayes are competing for a seat that unexpectedly became open in April. U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5th District, facing criticism for mishandling her former chief of staffs abusive behavior toward a younger female employee, abruptly announced she would not seek a fourth term.

The 5th District is generally competitive when open, but Sabatos Crystal Ball, a newsletter edited by political scientist Larry Sabato, marked it Thursday as safe Democratic. Santos, like other Republican congressional candidates in Connecticut, has struggled to raise money.

I am a child of Waterbury, Hayes said, introducing herself Thursday at the forum attended by members of the Waterbury Regional Chamber.

She summarized her biography as a girl who grew up in a housing project, the daughter of a drug addict. Hayes became a single mother as a teen, but stuck with education at two state schools, Naugatuck Valley Community College and Southern Connecticut State University. She has a masters degree from the University of St. Joseph.

I am not looking for a world where everyone gets a free ticket, she said. The opportunities I just described to you  everyone should have the same access.

Santos introduced himself as a veteran, immigrant and former mayor of Meriden.

His family emigrated from Portugal when he was a child. He served as a Marine during Operation Desert Storm, trained as a jet mechanic and rifleman. Without mentioning Hayes by name, he denounced liberal politics in his opening remarks, including policies espoused by my opponent.

He aligned himself with the president on tax cuts, tariffs and the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump recently renegotiated with Mexico and Canada.

I can tell you that NAFTA didnt work for us, and I am a casualty of it, Santos said.

Santos, who has a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut, said he lost his job with an automotive supplier that moved its work to Mexico. He now is an analyst with United Health Group.

Hayes said she thought American workers and employers lost more than they gained from Trumps trade wars, especially the escalating fight over tariffs.

This tit-for-tat does not work, she said.

Santos said the Affordable Care Act should be repealed. Hayes said it should be improved.

The candidates seemed more engaged addressing reporters after the debate, even if Santos grew annoyed when questioned about the Kavanaugh nomination.

Judge Kavanaugh was not afforded the respect and the treatment that he is deserving for the position, Santos said, faulting Democrats for introducing the assault allegation late in the process. They brought that out as a Hail Mary or a last resort. Thats not the way our system is supposed to work.

And his thoughts on Ford, the college professor who accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her while they were high school students?

I think she was treated with great respect, Santos said.

He said Kavanaugh deserves confirmation.

This week, I think the testimony of the accuser has fallen apart, Santos said. He signaled reporters to move on. How about asking me some questions related to the position I am running for? This has nothing to do with the House of Representatives.

Hayes, who was a Waterbury high school teacher when chosen national teacher of the year in 2016, said the willingness of many politicians and observers to downplay the allegations against Kavanaugh as drunken misbehavior was troubling.

When it was initially dismissed as typical teenaged behavior  first of all, thats not typical, whether you are a teenager, whether you are a middle-aged man, whether you are a middle-aged woman  its just not typical behavior, Hayes said. So I thought that was dangerous to present that as something thats the norm or to accept as the norm.

Hayes said Kavanaugh treated his questioners with contempt, displaying a temperament unfit for a judge. But she would not favor any move in the House to impeach him, should he be confirmed.

The confirmation and Trump are elements of the campaign, she said.

I think its definitely fueling voter interest. Last night at my headquarters, we had a woman-to-woman phone bank, Hayes said. We brought in a representative from Safe Haven to share information with all of the women who came to phone bank and educate them on the resources and the services available in their community. People are recognizing that their vote has so much power if they want their voice to be represented.

Safe Haven is a service for women escaping domestic abuse.

We did an education session as part of our campaign, Hayes said. My responsibility, or what Id like to do, is is educate people moving forward to be their own best advocate and not rely on elected officials or government.
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Army Maj. Gen. Robin Fontes, who last year assumed the highest post of any female servicemember in the war in Afghanistan, is being replaced as commander of Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, NATO confirmed Thursday.

NATO's Resolute Support mission in a statement described her departure as "a normal rotation" of leadership, but sources familiar with CSTC-A said they were surprised by the news, as Fontes was earlier expected to remain at the command's helm until next summer.

A U.S. official told Stars and Stripes on Thursday that Fontes would be replaced by Maj. Gen. James Rainey, likely within weeks. Resolute Support could not immediately confirm the timing or the successor's name.

Rainey was assigned to the Pentagon in January as assistant deputy chief of staff for the Army. Before that, he commanded the 3rd Infantry Division. Rainey also served as a deputy commanding general for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan and commander of Bagram Air Field.

CSTC-A, tasked with building Afghanistan's security forces, is considered one of the most important commands within the NATO mission.

Fontes was widely respected among the military and diplomatic communities in Kabul. However, the Afghan security forces her command has helped train still aren't capable of securing the country on their own after 17 years of war. Insurgents hold or contest more of the country's territory than at any time since the 2001 invasion, according to Pentagon and independent analyses.

The CSTC-A change comes about one month after Gen. Scott Miller took command of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, replacing Gen. John Nicholson.

On Thursday, Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, dismissed suggestions that replacing Fontes was part of a new approach to the war by Miller.

"I expect that Gen. Miller and the team going forward will continue to approach this with the same vigor that Gen. Nicholson and Gen. Fontes did," Votel told reporters at the Pentagon by phone from CENTCOM in Tampa.

"I do consider this to be, kind of, a normal rotation of leadership that is taking place," Votel added.

Fontes assumed command of CSTC-A in July 2017. The assignment usually lasts one year, but NATO officials in Kabul told Stars and Stripes in the summer that the two-star general had volunteered to remain for an additional year.

Speaking at a ceremony last month, Fontes expressed satisfaction with being in Afghanistan.

"I have lived and worked in this region for 13 of my 32 professional years in the Army and can tell you with sincerity that there is no other time I would rather be in Afghanistan than right now," she said.

When asked by Stars and Stripes in November about being the war's highest-ranking woman in uniform, Fontes replied that she wanted to be judged based on her work within the command.

Fontes was tasked with assisting Afghan military officials in a deeply patriarchal country. However, both Afghan and U.S. officials spoke of a constructive working relationship throughout the year.

"I know Maj. Gen. Fontes very well, and she was always very cooperative," an Afghan Defense Ministry official told Stars and Stripes when asked about Fontes' departure. He requested to remain anonymous because he had not yet been informed of the decision.

"I just hope her replacement is as good," the official said.

Under Fontes' leadership, CSTC-A has seen the delivery of Afghanistan's first UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and has worked with the Afghanistan Finance Ministry to better show international donors how and where their money is being spent.

However, U.S.-led military and development assistance hasn't thus far ended the stalemate with the Taliban and other insurgents.

In August, a military base in northern Faryab province fell to the Taliban because troops had run out of ammunition, food and water despite requesting supplies, a U.S. official told Stars and Stripes.

Also in August, Afghan forces battled other Taliban fighters who had launched an attack on the strategic city of Ghazni, less than 100 miles from Kabul. The insurgents had pushed deep into the city and U.S. air support was needed to push them back.

Catharine Giordano, Corey Dickstein and Zubair Babakarkhail contributed to this report.
The Navy Department's second-highest civilian leader says a recent string of alleged misconduct in the naval special warfare ranks is not indicative of a wider cultural problem in the elite community.

Navy Undersecretary Thomas Modly told reporters Thursday that while service leaders are concerned about recent high-profile allegations of wrongdoing in the Navy SEAL community, there's nothing that "is indicative of a cultural problem."

"We're a huge enterprise and so, as a huge enterprise, we have problems just like every other huge enterprise," he said at a Defense Writers' Group event in Washington. "So when these types of problems arise, we have very, very good processes to go through a legal adjudication of them, and I think we do that very well."

Over the last six months, 10 SEALs were booted from the service after testing positive for drugs, two senior leaders were relieved following allegations of sexual misconduct, and reports broke that an operator is in the brig while under investigation after allegedly executing an Iraqi detainee.

"These obviously are high-profile because they do come from our most elite warfighting areas, but my sense is that we don't have a cultural problem there," Modly said. "Obviously, we're concerned about it -- it doesn't reflect well on the service. But these are fairly isolated incidents."

SEALs make up a small fraction of the Navy, with just 2,700 serving on active duty as of 2015, along with about 800 special-warfare combatant craft crewmen, who deliver them to and extract them from their missions, according to Defense Department data.

While Modly said he doesn't have any data to support the idea that SEALs aren't committing more misconduct than special operators in other services, his impression is that the Navy's elite aren't faring any worse than Army, Air Force or Marine Corps commandos.

"This also could be a result of 17 years of being at war in stressful conditions," he said, a sentiment several members of Congress shared last year during a special-operations policy forum.

"How many missions can you send them on?" Rep. Adam Smith, D- Washington, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, asked then. "How many times can they do this? I think that's what we don't know."

Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer issued an administrative message to all sailors and Marines this week reminding them to "never look the other way or abuse the power given to you, to act with integrity, and to endeavor to do the right thing always."

"I expect every Navy and Marine Corps team member to act with integrity and play the ethical midfield at all times," he wrote. "Remember, each and every one of us is accountable for our actions and decisions each and every day."

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ginaaharkins.
Forensic Science Advances Mean US War Fighters Are No Longer Likely to Be Buried as Unknown

No American service member killed in action over the past 30 years has been buried as unknown.
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump has donated a portion of his annual salary to establish a new entrepreneurship program for military veterans, White House officials said Wednesday.

The officials said Trump would donate his quarterly salary to the U.S. Small Business Administration, which will use the money to establish an "Emerging Leaders" program solely focused on helping veterans start small businesses after military life.

The president collects an annual salary of $400,000.

"The president continues to donate his salary on a quarterly basis to further important priorities," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Wednesday at a news briefing. "Today, President Trump is proud to donate his 2018 second quarter salary to the Small Business Administration."

Since 2008, the Small Business Administration has offered a seven-month "Emerging Leaders Initiative" training program in dozens of U.S. cities, including Sacramento, Calif., Houston and Washington, D.C. The program offers free entrepreneurship education and training for owners of small companies. It has trained more than 5,000 small business owners.

Agency administrator Linda McMahon said the Trump donation would be "put to good use" and used to create a similar program focused on veterans.

"This is awesome," McMahon said. "This money is going to be used in our veterans program. We are going to establish a seven-month intensive training program... helping (veterans) transition from military life into private sector if they desire to start their own jobs and their own companies to be entrepreneurs."
A U.S. service member was killed in Afghanistan on Thursday, the third American to die supporting the U.S. effort there in the past month.

There were no further details released about the circumstances surrounding the service member's death, but the incident remains under investigation, according to an Operation Resolute Support press release.

"We mourn and honor the sacrifice of our service member," said Gen. Scott Miller, commander of Resolute Support and United States Forces-Afghanistan. "We remain committed."

Under Defense Department policy, the name of the service member killed in action will not be released until 24 hours after the family is notified, the release states.

This is the eighth U.S. service member killed in Afghanistan this year and the third in the past month.

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Bolyard, 42, from Thornton, West Virginia, died Sept. 3 from wounds sustained from small-arms fire in Logar Province in an apparent insider attack, which wounded a second service member. Bolyard was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade, at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Army Staff Sgt. Diobanjo Sanagustin, 32, from National City, California, died Sept. 4 from a non-combat related injury at Bagram Airfield. Sanagustin was assigned to 4th Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, at Fort Carson, Colorado.

Currently, there are about 15,000 U.S. and 6,400 NATO troops in Afghanistan.

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.
U.S. Army uniform officials are working on a lightweight, modular ghillie suit for snipers to replace the current Flame Resistant Ghillie System, or FRGS, that's known for being too heavy for hot environments.

Program Executive Office Soldier is developing the Improved Ghillie System, or IGS, a modular system that would be worn over the field uniform, Debbie Williams, a systems acquisition expert with Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment, said in a recent Army press release posted on PEO Soldier's website.

The FRGS was first fielded in 2012 at the Army Sniper School at Fort Benning, Georgia; U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia; and the Special Operations Target Interdiction Course at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The IGS will consist of components such as sleeves, leggings, veil and cape that can be added or taken off as needed, Williams said.

It will also do away with the ghillie suit accessory kit, which is standard with the FRGS, she said, explaining that soldiers were not using most of the items in the kit.

The Army issued a request for proposal for the IGS on Aug. 28, according to the release.

The IGS will feature a lighter, more breathable fabric than the material used in the FRGS, said Mary Armacost, a textile technologist with PM SCIE.

The material will offer some flame-resistance, but soldiers will receive most of their protection from their Flame Resistant Combat Uniform, worn underneath the IGS, Army officials said.

If all goes well, the Army plans to buy about 3,500 IGSs to outfit the approximately 3,300 snipers in the service, as well as Army snipers in U.S. Special Operations Command, the release states.

The Army intends to conduct tests that will evaluate the new IGS in both lab and field environments during day and night conditions. A limited user evaluation is being scheduled for next spring, involving instructors from the Sniper School at Fort Benning.

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.
Veterans have reason to be uncertain over what Congress and the Trump administration plan both for Blue Water Navy Vietnam War veterans who have Agent Orange-related ailments, and for veterans seeking smoother access to more convenient and timely health care from private sector physicians and hospitals.

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, insisted throughout a hearing last week that he and VA Secretary Robert Wilkie will deliver a solution to extend VA disability benefits and health care to veterans who served on ships off the coast of Vietnam during that war and today have conditions VA presumes are linked to toxic defoliants sprayed on land.

But Wilkie, the only witness at the State of the VA hearing, wasnt prepared to echo the chairmans assurances. Wilkie didnt even mention the House-passed Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act (HR 299) in his oral statement highlighting priorities for improving VAs organization and services.

In his written testimony, he reiterated VA opposition to extending benefits for up to 90,000 aging Blue Water Navy veterans and survivors, saying VAs commitment to science and an evidence-based approach to creating or expanding [Agent Orange] presumptions should be maintained.

If HR 299 is enacted absent stronger scientific evidence that shipboard veterans were exposed to wartime defoliants, Wilkie wrote, it would erode confidence in the soundness and fairness of the veterans disability benefits system, creating the impression that the system can be gamed by political activism.

Also, he argued, it would increase pressure on VA to expand additional presumptions administratively, under a similarly liberal approach, favoring less deserving but politically demanding veterans over more deserving veterans who trust VA to do the right thing for all veterans.

VA estimates HR 299 would cost $6.7 billion over 10 years and impact efforts to reduce its backlog of claims and claim appeals. VA would have to reopen 30,000 previously denied claims and 230,000 additional claims over the next decade.

Despite Wilkies official hardline, Isakson said his talks with the secretary over the past month left him hopeful VA will cooperate with Congress on finding a solution. Why he thought so was hard to decipher throughout the hearing.

The Secretary is right in the reasons hes been opposed to just doing Blue Water period. But hes not wrong about how we get to a solution, Isakson said. That path, he suggested, is that his committee keeps working with VA. The veterans who think they deserve that benefit ought to get it, he insisted.

So, I really want to set the table at this hearing with the secretary present. Thank him for giving me the timeto talk about this. And appreciate what his attitude is, about customer service being the principle foundation of his administration at the VA.

Veteran service organizations and Blue Water Navy advocates should know, Isakson continued, that this committee and VA will tackle your problems and try and do it as fairly and equitably and as right for everybody as we can. But we are not going to get bulldozed into a corner. And were not going to bulldoze somebody into a corner either. So, I want to bring that up because thats going to take care of a lot of questions.

It didnt. Committee colleagues still pressed Wilkie to support HR 299, citing supportive language in a 2008 Institute of Medicine report and noting that Vietnam veterans in their states who served off Vietnam, have Agent Orange-related illnesses, continue to be turned down for VA care and compensation.

The closest Wilkie came to a concession was telling Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), that he had pledged to work with Isakson to make sure that we get it rightfor all of our veterans. But Wilkie then referred to concerns raised by The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans and Paralyzed Veterans of American that the House-passed bill would pay for Blue Water Navy benefits by raising VA home loan fees, including, for the first time, imposing fees on some disabled veterans who buy higher priced homes.

Wilkie said he agreed with those concerns. He assured Heller that Nevada veterans exposed to Agent Orange would qualify for compensation. But he didnt concede that VA is ready to presume all Blue Water Navy veterans were exposed.

Isakson interjected that Heller had missed the chairmans opening statement in which he explained the issue of dealing with Blue Water Navy is no longer going to be a question. How we do it is going to be the question.

Pointing to Wilkie, Isakson said he has agreed to work with us to make that happen. Isakson gave similar assurances to four more colleagues critical of VAs opposition to HR 299. Finally, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told Isakson, I know what the conversations have been, Mr. Chairman. And Im really looking for a somewhat less equivocal answer. He didnt get it, not at this hearing.

Real Choice Or Not?

President Trump, at a signing ceremony for funding bill for VA and military construction projects (HR 5895), made some unfounded claims about Veterans Choice, confusing a troubled program in effect since 2014 with reforms to VA community care programs set to kick in next year.

Thanks to him, Trump said to applause at North Las Vegas VA Medical Center Sept. 21, we have now VA Choice. So now if a veteran cant get the care they need from the VA in a timely fashion, they have the right to go see a private doctor. Today, for the first time in American history, I am about to sign a bill that will fully and permanently give our great and cherished veterans choice.

His declaration didnt match details or nuances of statutory changes enacted that day or earlier this year. HR 5895 does provide, through 2021, billions of dollars more to fund sweeping reforms to VA community care programs as authorized in the VA Mission Act signed in June. But the impact of the reforms on veterans seeking outside care wont be known until VA develops and publishes new access standards for VA-paid community care. That wont occur until next summer.

We had people waiting in line with a simple problem that, by the time they saw a [VA] doctor, they were terminally ill, said Trump. No more of that. If you have a line [at VA] you go see a [private sector] doctor.

No responsible VA official would make that claim. The Mission Act will end two current triggers under the Choice program for granting access to outside care: waits longer than 30 days for a VA appointment or trips longer than 40 miles from home to be seen by a VA primary care provider. Those will go away.

But Trump and veterans dont yet know what will replace them. The new law mandates that VA schedule more timely appointments at its facilities, improve staffing, establishment of a network of commercial walk-in clinics and ensure prompt payment of outside providers. It also requires that veterans have access to community care if the VA is unable to provide timely care as needed.

The Mission Act, however, allows VA more leeway than under Choice to set access standards and decide how to use them. Whether patients are referred to outside provider networks will depend on clinical needs as determined by their VA health care providers in consultation with the patients. Factors to be considered will include distance to VA facilities, type of care required, timeliness of appointments and whether patients face an excessive burden if forced to rely on VA care.

To comment, write Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120 or email milupdate@aol.com or twitter: @Military_Update.
Military members and veterans can get up to four free months of Apple Music through the Apple Music military discount -- but...
Ashley Owens was sitting in the pick-up line in front of her daughter's school when she decided to make a quick video about her love for the band Florida Georgia Line. An Army spouse based in Florida, she had seen a Facebook post from the USO about a biggest fan contest, and she definitely qualifies.

"I just love their hospitality, and their music just brings out so much of life," she told Military.com on Oct. 3. "My husband loves country, a little rap and little rock, and I just love that they mix it up together."

Started as part of the first-ever World's Biggest USO Tour streamed live worldwide from Washington, D.C. in early September, the USO asked megafans to submit videos showing their enthusiasm for Florida Georgia Line.

From those submissions, the organization picked five finalists for a prize pack from the band. But the grand prize winner was to get something even better: a personal shout-out video from band members Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley.

"I love everything about them, everything they do for the community and how they help out. They're just one of the great artists that I keep on iTunes, and I actually buy their music," Owens told Military.com.

Thanks to the USO, this story on Military.com is the first place Owens got to see her personal shout-out video.

USO officials said her submission video was chosen not just because of how much she clearly loves the band, but because of how endearing and heartwarming it was.

Owens, who is originally from Kentucky, hopes her family gets stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in the future so she can easily attend Florida Georgia Line concerts and other shows, such as the Country Music Association (CMA) awards in nearby Nashville, Tennessee.

-- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com.
You might be hard-pressed to believe it if you look out your window while driving back roads in the South, it's a fact that the Confederate Army lost the Civil War.

Schools, lakes, roads, creeks, bridges and towns are all named after the South's military leaders. That's understandable: Many of them were local boys and had ties to their communities.

What may surprise you is that 10 high-profile U.S. Army facilities were named after Confederate military leaders, and those names were chosen for bases opened during World War I or World War II. All of the men honored were long dead and, while a few Civil War veterans might still have been around 50 years after, virtually all of the men who served under them were gone.

All 10 bases are located in former Confederate states. Why did the Army name facilities after men who served a vanquished foe?

Related: Confederate Monuments Coming Down Around South amid Protests

A movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries known as "The Lost Cause" sought to defend the motivations of the Confederacy, obscure the role of slavery and drape these men in romance and devotion to homeland. After the movie "Gone With the Wind" in 1939, that romance was in full flower as World War II began.

As we consider the implications of recognizing historical figures by naming military bases after them, maybe it's time we really look at what these men said and did before, during and after the Civil War.

1. Fort Benning (Georgia)

Brig. Gen. Henry Benning was a Georgia native who led troops at the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam and the Battle of Gettysburg. He practiced law in Columbus, Georgia, after the war, and the Army honored him when it opened Camp Benning, now Fort Benning, in 1918.

At the 1861 secession convention, Benning offered his thoughts on why he believed the South should secede. Here's what he said:

"What was the reason that induced Georgia to take the step of secession? This reason may be summed up in one single proposition. It was a conviction, a deep conviction on the part of Georgia, that a separation from the North was the only thing that could prevent the abolition of her slavery.  If things are allowed to go on as they are, it is certain that slavery is to be abolished. By the time the North shall have attained the power, the black race will be in a large majority, and then we will have black governors, black legislatures, black juries, black everything. Is it to be supposed that the white race will stand for that?"

2. Fort Bragg (North Carolina)

Gen. Braxton Bragg was a North Carolina native who graduated from West Point and served in the U.S. Army until 1856. He was not popular with the Confederate troops and ended the war as a military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Military historians give him very low marks for tactics and leadership. Fort Bragg also opened in 1918.

Bragg was notoriously ornery, and his short temper led U.S. Grant, who served with him in Mexico in the U.S. Army, to describe him as "naturally disputatious."

Historians generally rate Bragg as one of the worst tacticians on either side during the war, and his losses were major contributors to the Confederate States of America's (CSA) defeat.

3. Fort Hood (Texas)

Gen. John Bell Hood was a Kentucky native and a West Point graduate who switched sides from the U.S. Army at the beginning of the war. He lost a leg at the Battle of Chickamauga and was relieved of command after his defeat at the Battle of Nashville. Fort Hood was opened in 1942.

Hood was a career military man and didn't personally own slaves, but he freely admitted slavery's role in the conflict. "Regardless of all other causes of difference," he said in a speech after the war, "slavery ... was the secret motor, the mainspring of the war."

4. Fort Lee (Virginia)

Gen. Robert E. Lee was a Virginia native, West Point graduate and the most revered military mind in the CSA. Fort Lee is the Army's logistics hub and was opened in 1917.

Historians generally agree that Lee was less enthusiastic about the cause than many of his fellow Southerners, but he did take command of the CSA's army. After the defeat, he was notably opposed to the idea of Confederate monuments, writing in 1869 that it was better "not to keep open the sores of war but to follow the examples of those nations who endeavored to obliterate the marks of civil strife."

5. Fort Polk (Louisiana)

Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk was a North Carolina native who also served as an Episcopal bishop in Louisiana. He was a second cousin of President James Polk.

Polk had no previous military experience before the war and was killed in action during the Battle of Atlanta. Camp Polk was opened in 1941, and Fort Polk is now home to the Army's Joint Readiness Training Center.

Bragg's supporters are quick to point out that Polk was a far worse leader than his commanding officer and that many of Bragg's defeats can be blamed on Polk's incompetence. Polk was a slave owner before the war.

6. Fort Gordon (Georgia)

Lt. Gen. John Brown Gordon was a Georgia native who had zero military experience before the war. He became one of Robert E. Lee's most trusted generals over the course of the war. Camp Gordon was opened in 1941 and was promoted to Fort Gordon in 1956. The facility is home to the U.S. Army Signal Corps and Cyber Corps.

In 1904, Gordon published a memoir called "Reminiscences of the Civil War" and, at first, admits the true spark that ignited the war.

"Slavery was undoubtedly the immediate fomenting cause of the woful American conflict," he writes. "It was the great political factor around which the passions of the sections had long been gathered -- the tallest pine in the political forest around whose top the fiercest lightnings were to blaze and whose trunk was destined to be shivered in the earthquake shocks of war."

He then goes on to argue that slavery died out in the Union states because of climactic and economic reasons and not because Northerners opposed slavery, per se. He also suggests that Yankee soldiers didn't oppose slavery and were only fighting to preserve the Union.

7. Fort Pickett (Virginia)

Maj. Gen. George Pickett was a Virginia native who graduated last in his class at West Point. He served in the U.S. Army but switched sides at the start of the Civil War. He led Pickett's Charge on the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg and fled to Canada at the end of the war. Fort Pickett is a Virginia Army National Guard installation that was first opened in 1941.

After Pickett's death in 1875, his widow, LaSalle, spent the rest of her life promoting her husband's role in the war by lecturing and publishing three books on his career. She was a leader in the "Lost Cause" movement that romanticized the Confederate army and worked to obscure slavery's role in the conflict.

8. Fort A.P. Hill (Virginia)

Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill was a Virginia native and West Point graduate who joined the Confederate Army at the start of the war. Hill was promoted to lieutenant general after his mentor Stonewall Jackson was killed at the Battle of Chancellorsville.

Hill was later killed in action at the Third Battle of Petersburg. Fort A.P. Hill is a training center opened in 1941.

9. Fort Rucker (Alabama)

Col. Edmund Rucker was a Tennessee native and the only Confederate below the rank of general officer with an Army facility named after him.

Rucker, who lost his left arm in the war, became far better known afterward as an Alabama industrialist who helped build the state's substantial coal and steel industries.

Fort Rucker was opened in 1942 and serves as the primary training base for Army aviation.

10. Camp Beauregard (Louisiana)

Gen. Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was a Louisiana native and West Point graduate. He became superintendent at West Point in 1861 but resigned to join the Confederate Army.

Beauregard and his commanding officer, Gen. Joseph Johnston, were the military leaders who convinced President Jefferson Davis that the war was lost.

Camp Beauregard was opened in 1917 and today serves as a training facility for the Louisiana National Guard.

In the early days after the war, Beauregard displayed the same antipathy toward freed slaves that most of his fellow Confederate leaders embraced for their entire lives, but he'd had a change of heart by 1873.

At a meeting between white and black leaders in Louisiana, Beauregard made a rousing speech in support of racial cooperation.

"I am persuaded that the natural relation between the white and colored people is that of friendship. I am persuaded that their interests are identical; that their destinies in this state, where the two races are equally divided are linked together, and that there is no prosperity in Louisiana that must not be the result of their cooperation," he said. "I am equally convinced that the evils anticipated by some men from the practical enforcement of equal rights are mostly imaginary, and that the relation of the races in the exercise of these rights will speedily adjust themselves to the satisfaction of all."

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YPSILANTI, MI - Eastern Michigan University is hosting its second SAFE Now Walk for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health on Friday, Oct. 5.

The walk is part of EMU's effort to end the stigma and fear surrounding issues of mental health and suicide.

Registration for the walk starts at 3:30 p.m. at the EMU Lake House. The walk takes place at 4 p.m. around Bob's Lakehouse, next to the EMU Student Center, on campus.

Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, is attending to help lead the walk and offer support and remarks.

Participants can register onsite before the walk begins.

"We will be walking to increase awareness surrounding suicide prevention, to reduce the stigma and fear around mental illness, and to remind those suffering that someone cares," EMU Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Ellen Gold said in a news release.

EMU's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the EMU SAFE Now Suicide Prevention Program have teamed up with a number of student organizations, such as Active Minds, Students for Recovery and Student Government to host the walk.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Within the ultimate outer boundaries of Ann Arbor, many small pockets of land are still technically considered part of surrounding townships that border the city.

Those holdouts that never became part of the city when it was formed and later grew are known as "township islands," and the people who own them pay lower township taxes instead of city taxes.

In many cases, they also have their own private wells and septic tanks instead of being connected to the city's water and sewer systems.

Ann Arbor officials are now taking steps to try to annex 88 more of those islands into the city, and the move is being met with resistance from township residents concerned about paying higher property taxes, tens of thousands of dollars in utility connection fees, and new bills for water and sewer services they say they don't need.

Some also are concerned about hooking up to city water since there are trace amounts of harmful PFAS chemicals in it.

"We have perfectly good, working systems," Michal Porath, whose property on Warrington Circle in Ann Arbor Township is proposed to be annexed, told city officials this week. "We're happy as clams. We don't need anything from you."

Several affected township-island residents spoke out before the City Council on Monday night, Oct. 1, voicing their concerns.

The council decided to postpone voting on the annexations until December to give closer consideration to potential measures to mitigate some of the financial burdens, such as deferring and extending payback timeframes for utility hookups.

Some residents say they're worried they won't be able to afford to stay in their homes if their properties are annexed.

"We purchased our home in 2012 and were elated to find a home in Ann Arbor we could afford," said Carrie Brown, who lives with her husband and two children on an Ann Arbor Township island on Hampstead Lane, surrounded by city nature areas.

"The city has never done any work on our roads, we do not have a storm drain system, we do not have street lighting, and I have never seen a city police officer respond to our calls," she said.

"Furthermore, the city has not extended water and sewage to Hampstead Lane, yet when this point was addressed it was communicated that it will come eventually. So, we as homeowners on Hampstead Lane are asked to wait with a looming $50,000 to $100,000 expense hanging over our heads, while the city does the work they said they would do, while we pay city taxes."

Brown said some Ann Arbor residents can afford that type of expense, but her family can't.

"If you vote yes tonight, my family will be forced to move, because we cannot afford to stay," she told council members, fighting back tears as her husband Robert patted her on the back to console her.

Brown's husband said they've calculated their property taxes would go up by about $1,600 per year, and the increase would be in the range of $1,300 to $3,000 per year for other families.

The 2017 homestead millage rate in Ann Arbor was 49.07 mills, compared to 34.05 in Scio Township, 37.67 in Ann Arbor Township, and 38.74 in Pittsfield Township, which means township residents paid about 69-79 percent of the taxes city residents pay.

The city entered into agreements with Scio and Pittsfield townships in 1979 to define the city's ultimate service area.

In 1994, the city and Ann Arbor Township also entered into an annexation agreement that defined the city's ultimate boundary. The agreement indicated that after 2007, the township would no longer contest city-initiated annexations as it did in the past.

In 2011, the City Council directed the city's staff to begin a strategic process of gradually annexing township islands, and the city's staff has since worked to identify parcels for annexation.



In June 2015, the City Council authorized annexation petitions for 20 parcels, and in October 2016 the state's boundary commission approved them. The city's staff has now identified another 88 parcels in Ann Arbor, Pittsfield and Scio townships for the second round of city-initiated annexations.

This round includes 35 parcels with single-family homes, 41 vacant residential parcels, four vacant commercial parcels, six commercial parcels, and two private school-owned parcels.

The city informed property owners of the planned annexations in a letter in early August. The city then held a public information meeting on Aug. 20, and now the matter is before council.

The council will decide whether to OK submitting the 88 petitions to the state boundary commission for approval, and what relief the city might be willing to offer those concerned about the costs.

The city's petitions state the city is initiating the annexations for a number of reasons, including to increase efficiency of municipal services and to avoid duplication of services.

"Currently, emergency responders from both the city and township provide services within the city's ultimate boundary (e.g. sometimes city police respond to service calls from township island properties)," the petitions states. "Additionally, the city provides solid waste services to city parcels while private haulers provide solid waste services to township parcels in the same neighborhood."

The city argues annexation would result in a more equitable provision of public services.

"Currently, township island residents receive a number of city services without paying for them, such as road resurfacing and reconstruction, street lighting, stormwater management, and city parks," the petitions state. "Annexing the properties will allow the city to more effectively plan and implement infrastructure improvements."

Elections are also inefficient with township islands, the city argues, noting both the townships and the city provide voting precincts for neighborhoods that include township islands.

And four different municipal building departments provide services to properties within the city's ultimate service area.

Rachel Portnoy, whose property on Warrington Circle in Ann Arbor Township is proposed to be annexed by the city, said she imagines many Ann Arbor council members ran for office because they wanted to represent the voices in their wards.

"The proposed forced annexation process is effectively depriving us of just that," she said. "Township residents have no voice in this process. If we had one, you would know that many of us are strongly opposed to it. Can you imagine for a moment, not as council members but as homeowners, having a city force you to pay up to $50,000 for services you already have without any real benefit in return?

"That's precisely what's happening to us," she said, arguing the "exorbitant costs" are "hardly practicable."

While the city argues police and fire services are being duplicated or not provided efficiently with township islands, Portnoy said she can count on one hand the number of times she has seen fire or police vehicles in her neighborhood in the last 20 years.

"The great irony here is that we, in turn, are being asked to duplicate our water and waste removal services at great expense to us," she said. "You see, we all have functioning well and septic and are horrified of having to pay up to $50,000 to connect to something we don't want."

Bill Dawson spoke on behalf of his parents whose property on Bird Road in Ann Arbor Township is proposed to be annexed. He said his father is 91 and his mother is going to be 90 in the spring, and being annexed would be a big financial hardship.

From the estimates they've gotten so far, he said, it could cost them $60,000 to connect to city services.

He said they've had a functioning well for 54 years and they're worried about switching to city water.

"They're worried about the water quality from the city of Ann Arbor based on all of the accounts that have been coming out over the last few months about the issues with contamination of the Huron River," he said. "Which breaks my heart personally, since I used to jump in that river all the time as a kid. It's a terrible thing."

Dawson said that's something his aging parents shouldn't have to worry about. He encouraged city leaders to approach the issue with compassion and consider the real impact on people, rather than just looking at it as moving around lines on a map.

Tom Atkins, whose property on Newport Road in Ann Arbor Township is proposed to be annexed, called it "unconscionable" for the city to force people to switch to PFAS-laced water.

"I'm trained as a pediatrician and I can't help but think of another Michigan city where, you know, a change in water source led to some really bad outcomes," he said.

"And I think with the recent discovery of PFAS in the Huron River, until there's absolute certainty that that's been mitigated and that it proposes no health risk, especially to children that will be drinking that water, that it's really unconscionable to require people to connect to the Ann Arbor water source."

Council Member Chuck Warpehoski, D-5th Ward, won support for postponing the issue to the council's Dec. 3 meeting.

He said the township residents raised a number of legitimate questions that still need to be answered.

"From my perspective, it is a fair request to defer the water and sewer hookups for properties whose systems are in good working order," he said, expressing hopes of working out such a deal.

Council Member Julie Grand, D-3rd Ward, took issue with residents who raised concerns about the cleanliness of the city's treated drinking water versus their well water.

"Especially when one brings up scientific degrees to support that our water is unsafe, that I take great issue with," she said.

"We just recently voted through $850,000 in improvements to our water treatment facility to take our PFAS levels from well under what is currently recommended to what is acceptable to our community, which is undetectable or close to that. So, I'm very proud of that decision as a council. You know, whether or not your well water is safe, that's certainly up for you to determine and test."

Grand said she thinks some of the other concerns about the annexations are legitimate.

"I support the postponement, but I hope that we don't do it through fear of our drinking water," she said.

Council Member Jane Lumm, an independent from the 2nd Ward, recalled one of her first assignments as a council member in the 1990s was to serve on the city-township peace treaty committee that negotiated the 1994 agreement with Ann Arbor Township.

She said the city and the township spent years working on it, and the deal reached in 1994 was a resolution to a longstanding problem, as there were too many times when township residents' wells or septic fields failed and they needed to be hooked up to city utilities, but the township board wouldn't release the properties. Lumm said that left some residents with a pretty sweet deal, paying township taxes while having city utilities, and that resulted in going to court.

"And that happened over and over and over again until we legally agreed upon the boundary of the city back in 1994 and what would be incorporated into the city in terms of these Ann Arbor Township properties and islands," Lumm said.

Lumm said a number of properties have been annexed over the last 24 years, most recently some along Geddes Avenue.

Lumm said she doesn't want to sound unsympathetic, but there are a lot of other people who've had to go through annexation.

If any exceptions are made to defer utility hookups or extend payment plans for the next batch of annexations, she said, the city needs to be fair and go back to look at extending the same offer to other people whose properties have been annexed.

"You can't have a certain set of rules for some folks and different rules for others," she said.

Ann Arbor Township Trustee Randolph Perry appeared before the City Council to formally ask on behalf of the township for a compromise to avoid imposing financial hardships on future city residents.

"We ask that council be generous to these people. You have that opportunity," he said.

Perry relayed proposals contained in a Sept. 21 memo from Township Supervisor Mike Moran, asking the city to defer the requirement for utility hookups for homeowners for at least five years after annexation and to give them 20 years to pay off the costs.

"You have the discretion to extend the time for payment of the capital recovery charges," he told the council. "Today, according to your schedule, that might be anywhere from 8-12 to whatever years. Mike has asked, and we ask, that you extend that to 20 years."

Council Member Anne Bannister, D-1st Ward, said she appreciates all of the people who spoke out.

Noting there will be four brand-new council members when the issue comes back in December, she's asking for a special council work session to discuss the implications.

"We give a lot of lip service to equity and affordability, and I think that these single-family homes are our affordable housing," she said, adding she wants to make sure council members know what they're doing before they make any final decisions.

"Because it's just a little bit of revenue for the city, but it does have a devastating impact on the households, and we don't even know for sure the impact on them."

Adam Eichner, another Warrington Circle resident whose property is proposed to be annexed, offered a word of caution to city officials.

"We're not your constituents yet, but you don't want a bunch of hornets for your constituents," he said, suggesting the city should take a poll of how many people actually want to be annexed.

"You're breaking people's lives," he said.

Ann Arbor resident Gail Ristow told city officials she has sort of a unique case with her property. Her home on Barber Avenue, a dirt road with no streetlights or sidewalks, is in the city and she pays city taxes on it now, but the two vacant wooded lots she owns next to her house are under Scio Township jurisdiction.

She's worried she might not be able to afford paying city taxes for the wooded lots if the annexation goes through.

"I love where I live. It's like living up north," she said, adding she wants to keep her two wooded lots for the neighborhood.

"I have a meditation path in there that is open to the public at different times for community projects," she said. "I work a lot with recovering people with this meditation path. If this goes through, I don't know if I'll be able to afford the taxes on this land."

Ristow said she's a senior citizen on a limited income and has lived in Ann Arbor most of her life.

"It feels very much like taxation without representation and that's really frustrating to me," she said. "This city seems very greedy to me. I hate what's happening to this town."
ANN ARBOR, MI - While the University of Michigan has had some struggles in its pursuit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions on campus, President Mark Schlissel says he won't back down from his goal of making UM a greener campus.

He upped the ante Thursday, Oct. 4 during a leadership breakfast, announcing a new target of achieving net carbon neutrality on campus, and plans to appoint a presidential commission tasked with developing the plan.

Schlissel said he hopes to include UM experts from the School for Environment and Sustainability and the university's Graham, Erb and Energy Institutes.

In 2011, UM President Mary Sue Coleman set what was considered an ambitious goal of reducing Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent on its campus by 2025. Progress toward that goal has been hard to come by, though, as the university approaches the midway point of its target with just 5.6 percent emission reductions since its 2006 baseline.

UM has instituted some measures that will help it approach that goal, including approving an $80 million expansion of its Central Power Plant in hopes of reducing GHG emissions by 80,000 metric tons per year. That would put it approximately half way to its emissions reduction goal when the project is expected to be completed in 2021.

Additionally, Schlissel said UM is close to finalizing an agreement to purchase renewable energy that would get the university to its 25 percent target.

The more ambitious plan to eventually achieve net carbon neutrality will include specific targets and a timeline for UM to reach the goal in a financially responsible fashion, Schlissel said.

"I am committed during my presidency to putting UM on a trajectory towards carbon neutrality, and levels of greenhouse gas release that are environmentally sustainable," Schlissel said Thursday.

"The commission will consider carefully how to balance carbon neutrality in the context of overall environmental sustainability, will suggest concrete avenues to achieve our goals and will recommend ways in which all members of our community can share responsibility for our success," he added.

Beyond UM's own efforts, Schlissel expressed a desire to be inclusive of the entire community in approaching the new green energy goal.

"Throughout our history, we have always strived to impact society in profound ways. I'd like us to figure out how to do this in partnership with Ann Arbor, and other regional stakeholders, and in a fashion that can be replicated by others all around our state and nation," Schlissel said.

"This is because even if we achieve a zero net carbon footprint for our campus alone, it won't make a measurable difference for global climate change," he added. "But if we do it in a way that takes advantage of our power to discover and our ability to convene around a major challenge, we can better achieve our broader ambitions."

One of the biggest obstacles in the way of more significant reductions in UM's carbon footprint is that the Ann Arbor campus continues to grow.

In 2004, UM reported owning buildings totaling 26.85 million square feet. That number grew to 33.56 million by 2011 and has increased to approximately 37 million square feet currently, giving the Ann Arbor campus approximately 28 percent more building square footage than it had 14 years ago.

Students, faculty and community members have spoken out about UM's lack of progress toward its emissions reduction goals at Board of Regents meetings in recent months, urging the university to take on more aggressive targets.

"The simple fact is that we are at the bottom of the heap in the Big Ten on the defining issue of our generation," said UM student Catherine Garton, a member of the UM Climate Action Movement, which previously pushed for 100 percent carbon neutrality on campus. "People are frustrated with this fact.

"We can change this by taking the lead again as we did when we made our first sustainability goal over a decade ago," Garton said during the Sept. 20 Board of Regents meeting. "Michigan's brand relies on us attracting the best and the brightest because they know that Michigan is the place to be. This is why being a leader on climate action can only be a win-win for the university."

Of the 14 Big Ten universities, UM had previously ranked ahead of only Iowa in its 25 percent emission reduction goal, while Purdue University, Rutgers University and the University of Nebraska do not currently have goals.

Ohio State, Northwestern, the University of Minnesota, the University of Maryland and the University of Illinois, on the other hand, have 100 percent reduction goal by 2050, while Michigan State University has plans to reduce emissions by 65 percent by 2030.
Mobility industry executives hope Detroit and Silicon Valley can work together to boost trust in self-driving cars as transpiration technologies evolve.

Industry leaders shared notes on creating opportunities for consumers in Michigan and California to experience autonomous vehicles Tuesday night in a New York Times TimesTalks panel at the Gem Theatre in Detroit.

"The best way that I think we're gonna be able to overcome this is to get people to experience it. To demystify it. People are used to having some level of control," said Raj Kapoor, chief strategy officer for ride-sharing company Lyft.

He joined Gov. Rick Snyder, Ford Autonomous Vehicles CEO Sharif Marakby, and Detroit Economic Growth Corporation CEO Kevin Johnson in the panel discussion.

"This is why people are nervous in planes, because they don't have control. It's a very scary thing," Kapoor said.

Lyft last week launched a "Ditch Your Car" campaign in Detroit, offering drivers incentives to leave their vehicles at home for 30 days and rely on alternative transportation options.

With "young people, ... their identity is not as much into a car as it used to be," Kapoor said.

He compared the evolution of consumer demand in transportation industries to the changes that gave rise to Netflix and Spotify.

"It's coming to transportation... We just have to rethink what mobility is," Kapoor said.

Marakby agreed that "shared mobility is the future."

"If you're utilizing a car 70 to 80 percent of the time, you've got to design that car differently, because that car needs to run hundreds of thousands of miles," Marakby said. "Maybe cars will be consumed faster. It's the moving with the trend ... It doesn't make sense to have a big expensive thing that sits 95 percent of the time."

But earning trust in self-driving cars will involve people both in and outside autonomous vehicles, Marakby said, noting Ford has done abundant research on emitting signals that would alert users, pedestrians and cyclists.

"We're using the word 'trust' to help us build ... There is not a standard for autonomous vehicle signaling," Marakby said. "There's so much to do. Every time you see an autonomous car, you see sensors. Building that trust around the human element ... in addition to the tech itself, is what we're working on.

"(It's) thinking about things like developing redundant systems in the car, which never existed before," Markby added. "Things like steering, braking (and) acceleration. If it fails, there's a redundant system to take care of that for safety."

To bring Ford closer to the tech world, Marakby said the automaker is learning from Silicon Valley.

"The auto industry has 100 years of doing things. Some of the tech companies start from scratch. We actually stepped back a year ago and thought 'How do these companies do it?' They do it because they don't have that legacy, they start from scratch," Marakby said.

"We're the comeback state," said Snyder. "We've got to look towards the future ... We've got an exciting future and we have to do it by having innovative companies and innovative people. The premise was the Valley versus Detroit. If you do something, win-lose, it's a transaction.

"The only way to be successful long-term is, how do you make a win for everyone involved? That's where you need to look at this whole field. This is something that's going to profoundly change our society."
FLINT, MI - Four years after the Flint water crisis started, environmental journalists from around the country have come to the city for a firsthand look.

The Society of Environmental Journalists' 28th annual conference kicked off Wednesday, Oct. 3, with forums, panel discussions and field trips tied to issues including Flint water, the Great Lakes, climate change and urban renewal.

Programs continue through Sunday, Oct. 7.

"We believe it is a historic conference," said Emillia Askari, co-chair of the event. "The national journalism community was negligent in looking at (the water crisis) for too long ... We were one of the institutions that let Flint down."

Bringing the SEJ conference here and estimated 600 participants is "one of the positive things we've done - bringing economic activity to Flint and raising its profile," she said.

Askari said University of Michigan-Flint Chancellor Susan E. Borrego helped to make sure the national conference came to Flint after the two spoke in 2016.

The university is serving as host of the conference, which is sponsored by groups including the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Askari, a lecturer at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and research assistant at Michigan State University, said she expects as many as 600 or more people to participate in the conference - which targets not only journalists but also students and representatives of nonprofit groups and businesses.

Although Flint is serving as the home of the SEJ conference, tours Thursday, Oct. 4, are being held around the state, including a boat trip on Saginaw Bay, a tour of Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids, the western Lake Erie shoreline and Sarnia, Ontario's petrochemical operations and infrastructure.
GRAND BLANC, MI - Kourt Frame won't greet Westboro Baptist Church members with hate as the group is set to picket near the grounds of Grand Blanc High School Friday morning.

The Kansas-based group is scheduled to picket Friday, Oct. 5, outside the school after Frame, 17, a Grand Blanc High senior, was named to the homecoming court in 2016 as a transgender male.

"If I could say one thing directly to them, it wouldn't be anything hateful. It would probably be something along the lines of the fact that God does not hate, he only loves his children," he said. "That they should try and love their neighbor and coexist with everyone peacefully, to always spread the love and to not just sit and spew hatred onto people with different beliefs than what they have."

Westboro Baptist Church members are scheduled to protest at three mid-Michigan schools including Grand Blanc High School, Flint Southwestern Classical Academy, and the University of Michigan-Flint.

Flint Community Schools made the decision on Thursday, Oct. 4 to cancel classes at Flint Southwestern on Friday ahead of the planned picket.

Frame was surprised by the Westboro group's visit.

"They are traveling over nine hundred miles to picket something that happened two years (ago), an event that had no impact on their lives," he said. "They are a hateful group that is seeking attention for their message and looking for any kind of platform they can get."

Labeled as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Westboro posted on its website about its picket at Grand Blanc High School that "God's curse is heavy upon the land and delusions abound! Grand Blanc had a homecoming 'prince,' but it's a girl!" and linking to an MLive-The Flint Journal article on Frame.

"They are not a true Christian group, rather a bunch of angry people with nothing better to do than pick on teenagers living their own lives," said Frame. "It has been made very clear by the surrounding area that nobody wants them here."

Frame was "incredibly relieved and happy" at all the support received when he was nominated to the homecoming court and pleased at the response by the community ahead of the planned Westboro visit.

"I have seen the entire community come together to try and make it clear that they still support me and it's an incredible feeling knowing that even after these few years, they all still have my back regardless," he said.

Some residents have planned a counter-protest for Friday.

After hearing of the visit, Lapeer resident Jeanna Kaye said, "I knew fairly immediately that we needed to do something to drown out their message of hatred."

"Knowing that they thrive on confrontation and media coverage of their bombastic views, I knew that we wanted to make our message as positive as possible," said Kaye, president of Lapeer Pride and the mother of an LGBTQ child.

The social climate for the transgender population, Frame said, still needs to progress, but there has been some positive movement.

"There have been two more trans males on homecoming court since I first made it in 2016 and everyone is progressing and starting to really realize what being transgender really is and what the goal is," he commented.
FLINT, MI - District officials have decided to close Flint Southwestern Classical Academy on Friday because of Westboro Baptist Church's plans to picket outside the West 12th Street building.

Derrick Lopez, superintendent of Flint Community Schools, said in a letter on Thursday, Oct. 4 that the high school will be closed tomorrow "for the protection of our students and district staff," the letter said.

"Their protests generally promote hate speech and intolerance," Lopez said. "Flint Community Schools strives to create a safe, warm and welcoming learning environment for our students and staff. While we respect the First Amendment rights of the organization to voice their beliefs, we do not support or in any way sanction the messages they have shared in the past.

"Why they have chosen to protest outside of one of our schools is unclear."

MLive-The Flint Journal could not immediately reach Westboro officials Thursday morning for comment.

All other Flint schools will be open, Lopez said. Staff at Southwestern will instead participate in a professional development training session on Friday.

The Kansas-based group planned to hold protests on Friday outside of Southwestern Classical Academy, Grand Blanc High School and during the Society Environmental Journalist conference at the University of Michigan-Flint.

"The condition of these children is very sad; they have no hope, no jobs, no money ... only judgment in this life and the next, all because the selfish adults in their lives (parents, preachers, teachers and leaders) have lied to them from the cradle," reads a release from the Kansas-based group on its scheduled visit to the Flint high school.

The group has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

"The group is basically a family-based cult of personality built around its patriarch, Fred Phelps," according to the SPLC's website. "Typified by its slogan, 'God Hates Fags,'" WBC is known for its harsh anti-gay beliefs and the crude signs its members carry at their frequent protests."

Members of the church picketed in the past at military funerals for soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The group rose to prominence after picketing the trial and funeral of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay man killed in 1998.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A popular Grand Rapids steakhouse's fight to continue flying flags honoring fallen police officers and military veterans, despite being notified that it violates a local zoning ordinance, has inspired legislation.

State Rep. Jason Wentworth, R-Clare, has authored House Bill 6063, which would prohibit municipalities from regulating and prohibiting signage or flags located on or within a building if the signage commemorates anyone who died in the line of duty.

Wentworth sought to create the bill after learning of push-back against Brann's Steakhouse & Grille and owner Johnny Brann Sr. earlier this year. The restaurant exceeds the city's signage limit.

"We should be celebrating patriotism and honoring our fallen soldiers and public safety men and women," Wentworth said. "We should honor and recognize a business that does this type of thing, not restrict or prohibit this."

The bill is set to be voted on by the Michigan House of Representatives' Military and Veterans Affairs Committee on Thursday, Oct. 4. From there, it'll go to the House floor for a vote, and subsequently the state Senate if it passes.

"He's not going to take those flags down and I don't believe he should," said Wentworth, who chairs the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. "The city isn't looking at the totality of the situation, what it would mean to the families of the local fallen heroes. It's not about them being up, it's about what it means to take them down."

In February, Brann was notified that the number of signs displayed at his restaurant at 401 Leonard St. in Grand Rapids violated the city's sign ordinance. The steakhouse has seven flags and a banner decorating two sides of the building.

Grand Rapids zoning ordinances allow businesses to have one of each type of sign -- banner, projection, flag, etc. -- per street frontage. A building isn't allowed more than three flags on any one lot, and each flag can't exceed a size of 5 feet by 8 feet.

On the Leonard Street-facing side, there's an American flag and a "Thin Blue Line" flag honoring law enforcement. On the Turner Avenue-facing side, there are five flags honoring fallen U.S. veterans and police officers, a banner with the same names listed, and a sign thanking police for their service.

On Tuesday, Brann spoke in favor of the bill during a committee meeting in Lansing. He was joined by Maria Kozminski, whose son -- fallen Grand Rapids Police Officer Robert Kozminski -- died in the line of duty, and David Warsen Sr., whose son -- Navy seal David Warsen Jr. -- was killed while serving in Afghanistan.

Both Kozminski and Warsen Sr. also spoke to the committee in favor of the bill. Their sons' names are among those being honored at Brann's.

"I thought the most powerful was Mrs. Kozminski," Brann said. "She was sincere in her belief that she doesn't want her son forgotten. That's what this is all about. They don't want their sons forgotten, and I'm going to make sure they won't be.

"The signs aren't coming down."

In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that municipalities cannot impose content-based speech restrictions regarding signage. Grand Rapids' planning department cited the ruling and indicated it had no problem with the content of Brann's signage, just the number of signs.

Attempts to contact the director of the planning department Thursday were not immediately successful.

Wentworth said his bill has been vetted and it doesn't contradict the Supreme Court ruling from Reed v. Town of Gilbert. He's confident the committee will vote the bill through to the House on Thursday.

Since notifying him of the violation eight months ago, Brann said the city hasn't proceeded with any fines. He said he met with then-interim City Manager Eric DeLong but the conversation didn't change his stance.

"I'm not taking them down now or ever," Brann said. "If they fine me, I'll deal with it then."

A Gofundme campaign raised $3,776 to support Brann if the city does fine him for his ordinance violations.
UPDATE: Stabbing victim has died.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Police are investigating a reported stabbing of a pizza shop worker who then crashed while trying to drive himself to a hospital.

The stabbing happened about 7:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3 at 315 Burton Street SW.

The location is the site of Vitale's Burton Heights Pizza.

The stabbed worker drove a car toward Mercy Health St. Mary's hospital but crashed on Wealthy Street near LaGrave Avenue. The car had a pizza sign on top of the vehicle that fell to the ground after the crash.

A Grand Rapids police lieutenant said the man was believed to be critically injured.

Police have arrested a suspect.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Twenty school groups participated in the ArtPrize 10 Youth Collaboration Award, in partnership with Western Michigan University.

Student artists from schools in Michigan, Indiana, and Haiti are competing for two separate cash prizes: $2,500 awarded by public vote, and $2,500 awarded by jury.

The award competition was created last year to provide youth under the age of 18 the opportunity to participate in the competition.

ArtPrize is a 19-day international art competition in its tenth year. An awards ceremony is Friday, Oct. 6.

"Helping to make an internationally recognized event accessible for students of all ages and giving them the opportunity to be creative and innovate together is something we value deeply,'' Dawn Fortin Mattoon, associate provost of WMU Extended University Programs, in a statement to ArtPrize.

Hudsonville schools won the $5,000 inaugural award in 2017. This year the prize money was split for a public and jury vote.

The student project, "You Be You," was based on the book "Only One You'' by Linda Krantz. Students painted rock fish in a variety of patterns and colors representing the uniqueness of each child.

"This year's Youth Collaboration Award entries focus on an array of creative themes and span from elementary- to high school-aged students. Large-scale installations, 2-D collaborative paintings and 3-D sculptures are just a few of the mediums students created for the competition,'' according to ArtPrize.

Kent and Ottawa county public schools with entries this year include, Byron Center, Rockford, and Zeeland school districts, and Innocademy charter school.

The West Michigan Center for Arts & Technology entry is from its summer program, Idea Lab, with Grand Rapids Public Schools students.

Here are the links to photos and descriptions of the 20 entries:

Metro Grand Rapids

Reflecting Silhouettes

Spot of Color

...And food justice for all

What Are You Masking?

More Than Words

We Honor You

Curae Orbis Tellus

Painted Plates of Hope

City Stories: Reflections

West Michigan

Conversations in Art

Michigan's Living Treasure

Create, Learn, Soar

Masked

Mid and East Michigan

Upcycled

Adventure Awaits

Metro Detroit

Common Thread: A Tapestry of Courage

We Can All Light The World

Dream World

Midwest

Creation

Wings

International

Voices from Haiti

There is one other ArtPrize related student competition, SmartArt, sponsored by Consumers Energy. However, it is only for Grand Rapids Public Schools students and does not involve a public or jury vote.

City High's Jenna Sherwin's "Light Up the World" entry earned her a $1,000 college scholarship and Apple computer.
Two Michigan companies have partnered to revive a beer that's sure to provide a spark.

Biggby Coffee and Arcadia Brewing Company are bringing back Morning Nightcap, a tasty porter brewed with Biggby's Papua New Guinea blend and medium blend's buttery, nutty, and sweet flavors that result in rich notes of dark chocolate and fruit.

The beer is the result of a friendship between Biggby Owner/Operator Kyle Kinney and Timothy Suprise, Founder/CEO of Arcadia Brewing Company. Kinney owns several stores in the Kalamazoo area.

"Knowing how big of a fan Tim was of Biggby, this idea just made sense," he said. "I love the fact that two well-known and loved craft industry companies have combined forces to produce something absolutely delicious."

Morning Nightcap is available on draft at Arcadia Brewing Company in Kalamazoo and in some stores in six-packs of 12 oz bottles. All Meijer locations will carry Morning Nightcap.

"The artisanal fabric of craft beer and coffee is woven by committed and community-oriented companies, and this Arcadia/Biggby collaboration truly reflects a dedication to quality, innovation and experience," Suprise said.

"Biggby is buzzing with excitement over the launch of Morning Nightcap but it doesn't end there - Arcadia is set to open another bar/restaurant location in Lansing soon."

Biggby Coffee was founded in East Lansing on March 15, 1995. Today the chain has 275 cafes open or under contract across 10 states including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Florida, Texas, and New Jersey.
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson swung through Lansing Thursday to tour a restored historic building with U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop, although he stressed the visit had nothing to do with the upcoming elections.

Carson and Bishop, R-Rochester, toured the Knapp Centre Apartments in downtown Lansing, a former department store building that was restored and reopened as a mixed-use residential and commercial property in 2014.

The building is located in an Opportunity Zone, a community development program included in the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed in 2017 that gives significant tax breaks to those willing to invest capital gains in the designated zones. There are more than 8,700 Opportunity Zones across the country and more than 250 in Michigan, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Carson said the Knapp Centre Apartments building is an example of how public-private partnerships in Opportunity Zones can change the makeup of U.S. cities.

"Being able to reclaim buildings like this in the opportunity zones is going to be absolutely spectacular throughout this country," he said. This is an opportune time to really change the face of America."

Bishop, who represents Michigan's 8th Congressional district covering Ingham, Livingston and Oakland counties, faces stiff competition this cycle from Holly Democrat Elissa Slotkin. The midterm election is Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Both Bishop and Carson downplayed the significance of the election as a backdrop for Carson's Lansing visit - Bishop said his office "had no idea" Carson was coming to tour the building until they were notified of the scheduled event.

"I just assumed that this is one of those many trips that he takes around the country," Bishop said. "Despite the fact that this (project) may have been completed some time ago, this is probably the first time he's had the opportunity to come to Lansing."

Carson said the visit was "all about Lansing and seeing a plan come to fruition here."

While in Michigan, Carson also planned to meet with Lansing Mayor Andy Schor and Michigan State Housing Development Authority officials.
Police say they had to fatally shoot three wandering emus found in western Michigan after being unable to determine the owner of the big exotic birds.

The Associated Press reports that Allegan County Sheriff's Capt. Chris Kuhn said officers made a series of unsuccessful attempts to corral the emus after they were found Tuesday, Oct. 2.

Kuhn told WXMI-TV that the big birds wouldn't clear the roadway, and were posing a danger for drivers. The emus were found near the intersection of 30th Street and 140th Avenue in Dorr Township.

"Attempts were made to corral them, but they can jump 7 feet," he told the TV station. "You need special enclosures to trap those birds.

"Oh, it's not a harmless bird. Those birds are about a hundred pounds, and the biggest thing is if they're cornered or scared, they have very large talons on their feet and can do a lot of damage."
JACKSON, MI - Understanding the power they possess is the message Malcolm X's daughter conveyed to Jackson High School students on Wednesday.

Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of the slain civil rights leader, spoke to about 450 students during the Oct. 3 program.

Shabazz has written several books about the life of Malcolm X, who was assassinated in 1965. Her latest book, "X: A Novel," was selected by the Michigan Humanities Council as the 2017-18 Great Michigan Read.

Malcolm X spent his childhood in Michigan and married his wife Betty here, Shabazz said.

"Malcolm is part of you and I hope you claim him as one of your own," she said.

Shabazz writes her books because it's important to her that young people understand their power, purpose, leadership ability and the importance of self-love and education, she said.

People around the world look to American children as role models, Shabazz said.

"They admire you -- they want to know what you're doing, and they want to do what you have, what you do," she said.

Shabazz took questions from students in a panel and from the audience. Her father and mother told her about the importance of self-love and she said people need to see each other as a reflection of one another.

"When you love yourself, it makes it easy to love others," Shabazz said. "When I look out at you, I see you as a reflection of me, and I hope you see me as a reflection of you."

Injustice is not an issue of black and white but an issue of right and wrong, Shabazz said. She asked the students what kind of legacy they want to leave behind.

"What are our passions? The only way you can answer that question is you have to know who you are. Your identity is extremely important," Shabazz said.

Shabazz said she is working on a book titled "X: The Sequel" that focuses on her father's accomplishments.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- The number of reported burglaries increased last year at Western Michigan University, according to reported crime statistics.

published Oct. 1 shows the number of burglaries on Kalamazoo campus property in 2017 was nearly double what was counted in 2016, but closer to that which was reported in 2015.

In 2017, WMU campus property had 19 reported burglaries. In 2016, the campus reported only 10, which was seven less than the 17 burglaries reported in 2015.

Colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs are required to annually report crime statistics under the federal Clery Act.

WMU Public Safety Chief of Police Scott Merlo said changes in definitions of crimes can account for many fluctuations in the annual statistics, but it is accurate to say campus experienced more reports of burglaries last year.

The definition of burglary -- the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft -- now includes certain larcenies that involve buildings, he said.

Burglaries on campus are most common in residential halls, Merlo said.

"We're not crime-free," Merlo said. "There's no place that is crime-free."

But police are "diligent" patrolling campus property, he said, and the campus is safe.

An increased visible presence of police on campus and efforts to strengthen relationships with students could account for an increase in people's willingness to report, he said.

A second definition change led to an increase in 2017 statistics for domestic violence. Both domestic and dating violence are defined by the relationship between parties, according to the report. Dating violence is considered domestic violence under Michigan law, and beginning in 2017, WMU reporting combines the two crimes as a single statistic under "domestic violence."

In 2015, there were four domestic violence reports and 15 reports of dating violence on campus. In 2016, the campus reported nine domestic violent incidents, while 14 reports of dating violence were counted.

In 2017, there were 14 reports of domestic violence.

There were 11 reports of rape last year, the report said.

In 2016, there were 14 reports of rape. Last year was an increase from both 2015 and 2014 reports, which each counted nine incidents.

Campus police in 2017 also reported seven reports of arson, four incidents of aggravated assault and four stalking reports.

In 2017, campus had 476 liquor law violation referrals and 193 drug law violation referrals.

Referrals mean the cases are referred to the student conduct process for potential university discipline, while arrests include cases in which tickets were issued or when they resulted in criminal proceedings.

Police made 100 drug violation arrests on-campus, while 15 arrests were made for liquor law violations.

There were no reported hate crimes in 2017, but one on-campus simple assault characterized by national origin basis was reported in 2016, according to WMU.

A simple assault means there was no weapon and injuries suffered were minor, according to the report.
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN -- Campaign materials for the Democratic nominee in Michigan's 6th Congressional District include the titles "M.D." and "Dr.," but Matt Longjohn is not licensed to practice medicine.

The former YMCA health officer is seeking to make healthcare a central issue in his challenge to U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph. Longjohn has referred to himself as a doctor and physician in interviews, advertisements and public forums, but campaign manager Ben Young said the politician does not intend to mislead voters.

"Campaign materials have never been used to induce the belief that Matt is a practicing physician," Young said in a statement. "Matt has never implied he could see patients, write prescriptions, order tests or conduct examinations or procedures. The M.D. is a degree Matt has earned and he has every right to use it when referring to himself or his career."

After Longjohn earned his medical degree, he participated in Northwestern University's Internal Medicine residency program. He was issued a temporary license to practice medicine in Illinois during that residency, which ended in 2001. Longjohn has never held a license to practice medicine in Michigan.

The Michigan Public Health Code states a person who is not licensed with the state cannot use an insignia, title or other designation to "induce the belief" that they are "lawfully entitled to practice a health profession."

Yard signs feature "M.D." at the end of Longjohn's name. In interviews, he has used the phrase "as a doctor." In a July advertisement, Longjohn diagnoses the state of Washington D.C. while examining an X-ray of Capitol Hill.

Another section of the law states a person can use titles, letters or phrases "for the purpose of identifying the individual as having completed or attained specific training."

Upton campaign manager Nate Henschel said Longjohn violated state law by misleading voters in Southwest Michigan.

"The law is clear," Henschel said in a statement. "Now that Longjohn's been caught using smoke and mirrors to hype his professional background, hopefully he will apologize to the voters and take down his deceptive campaign materials."

Young said Longjohn has never said he is a practicing physician during the campaign, and has consistently shared details about why he left clinical medicine in 2001 to work on community health initiatives.

The issue came up before the August primary from supporters of another Democratic candidate who accused Longjohn of inflating his resume. During a June Facebook Live forum, Longjohn addressed a question about his license directly.

"I am not a licensed practitioner in Michigan, I hung up my stethoscope nearly 20 years ago when I found that I could make a better impact on people's lives off of the bedside in forming community coalitions," Longjohn said at the time.

Voters in Michigan's 6th District will choose between Upton and Longjohn on Nov. 6.

Upton has served 16 consecutive terms since 1986. He was first elected to Michigan's 4th Congressional District, later becoming the 6th District's congressman after its boundary was redrawn in 1992.
PARCHMENT, MI -- Georgia-Pacific representatives said paper products created Parchment until 2015 was known to contain PFAS, but the company is not currently linked to contamination of municipal groundwater there.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is working with the company to determine the source of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, found in Parchment's water supply and private wells in Cooper Township. Georgia-Pacific operated a plant in Parchment from 2000-15 after purchasing the facility from a manufacturer known to use PFAS in Parchment.

Spokesperson Karen Cole said the company contacted MDEQ on Sept. 7 after learning about contamination in Parchment through media reports. Georgia-Pacific volunteered to expand testing, install new monitoring wells and assist the state in conducting a hydrogeological study.

"We have facilities all around the country ... we care about the people who live there," Cole said. "We understand and respect that this is a big concern in Parchment and people want answers and want to know what's in their drinking water."

People connected to Parchment's water system were provided bottled water after extremely high levels of PFAS were found in late-July. The city of Kalamazoo connected its water system to Parchment and residents were told to drink from the tap again on Aug. 27.

Residents using private drinking water wells in Cooper Township were given filters by MDEQ after being put on bottled water.

Health officials link exposure to PFOS and PFOA to pregnancy-induced hypertension, liver damage, increased risk of thyroid disease, cancer and other issues.

The Georgia-Pacific plant converted paper into a variety of food service products such as food wraps, pan liners and baking cups. Georgia-Pacific spokesperson Gail Smith said some of the paper grades used there contained PFAS, but they were applied where the paper was made, not at the Epic plant.

"The Epic plant did not make paper on-site," Smith said. "It converted paper it bought from a third-party into various food service products, so the major byproduct of that converting process was converting trim."

There would not have been a "significant amount" of manufacturing waste produced at the Epic plant, she said. Wastewater was discharged into Parchment's water treatment system and solid waste was recycled or disposed in an off-site landfill through an unidentified third-party.

A landfill once used by Georgia-Pacific in Charleston Township was found to be discharging 261 parts per trillion of PFOS and PFOA into the city of Kalamazoo's wastewater system.

Extremely high levels of the toxic chemicals, historically used to coat specialty papers, were found at a capped landfill owned by Crown Vantage. Smith said "there is no direct link" between contamination of Parchment's municipal wells and the former landfill.

The MDEQ has said the Crown Vantage is a likely source of contamination.

Samples collected from the nearby landfill revealed one spot contained 11,500 parts per trillion of perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, or PFOS. The compounds are among a larger collection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances collectively called PFAS.

The former paper mill property and landfill may not be the only sources of PFAS in the area, according to the release. The MDEQ continues to investigate potential sources.

"The Epic plant was completely separate from the former Crown Vantage mill and its operations," Smith said.

Georgia-Pacific operated its Epic manufacturing plant in Parchment until the end of 2015. The plant was the last use of property originally used by the Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Co., which was at various times owned by owned at Brown Co., James River Corp., Fort James Corp. finally Crown Vantage Paper Co.

Crown Vantage declared bankruptcy and shuttered most of the complex in 2000. The same year, the Fort James Corporation was acquired by Georgia-Pacific for $11 billion.

A perfluoroalkyl polymer was a main ingredient in oil and grease-repellents used in laminated paper products produced by Fort James Corp in the 1990s. The repellant was patented by Minnesota manufacturing giant 3M and discontinued when 3M began phasing out products based on PFOS in 2000.

Georgia-Pacific's plant was in a part of the complex purchased from Fort James in 2000.

Spokespersons for Georgia-Pacific said "it's too early to speculate" whether the company could be held accountable to cleaning contamination at the site.

Georgia-Pacific agreed to help the state conduct a hydrogeological study to better understand groundwater flows in the area and identify sources of the contamination.

The MDEQ met with representatives from Georgia-Pacific and its consultant, Tetra Tech, Inc., this week.

Georgia-Pacific is working to obtain the necessary access and any required permits for drilling activities. Field work related to the study is tentatively planned to begin in late October or early November.

Michigan uses a 70 ppt guideline for lifetime exposure to the two compounds, set by the EPA to determine at what level adverse health effects are anticipated to occur. Results were found in Parchment's source water wells at levels 26 times greater than the health advisory.
SAGINAW TWP, MI -- Law enforcement officials have executed another search warrant at a Catholic Diocese of Saginaw property.

According to a post on the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw Facebook page, the search warrant was served about 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the diocesan center, 5800 Weiss St. in Saginaw Township.

The search warrant was one of several executed by Michigan State Police and the state Attorney General's office at Catholic dioceses across Michigan as part of a state investigation into clergy sex abuse allegations dating to the 1950s. Police also searched Catholic Diocese of Saginaw properties in March.

Saginaw Catholic diocese officials contend they are cooperating with law enforcement. Local law enforcement officials have disagreed.

The Diocese of Saginaw continues to cooperate with the Michigan Attorney Generals statewide investigation. As part of... Posted by Catholic Diocese of Saginaw on Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette confirmed in September that his office had joined several other states in investigating possible Roman Catholic clergy sexual abuse spanning more than a half-century.

Saginaw County Assistant Prosecutor Mark J. Gaertner lauded the attorney general's effort.

"I hope it is a sincere effort to address the issue. We're more than willing to cooperate and I'm glad the probe will stretch back as far as 1950," Gaertner said at the time.

In March, police raided two Catholic Diocese of Saginaw properties and the home of Bishop Joseph Cistone as part of an investigation into sexual abuse in the church.

One Catholic Diocese of Saginaw priest, the Rev. Robert J. "Father Bob" DeLand Jr., 71, faces sex assault charges to which he pleaded no contest in September. He has since withdrawn his plea and will head to trial.
BURLINGTON, N.C. -- A Domino's employee in North Carolina has been fired after a customer discovered the employee used a racial slur to identify the customer on their receipt.

According to the Associated Press, the customer, Myasia Nelson, who is black, says she noticed the name after she placed an order at a Domino's location. Once the order was posted, Nelson noticed her ordered was listed using a racial slur.

Nelson brought the issue up with a manager, who is white and Nelson says that manager laughed her off at first. A district manager says the employee has been fired apologized to Nelson. An offer of a $50 gift card was declined by Nelson.

Attempts to reach Domino's officials at the company headquarters in Ann Arbor were unsuccessful according to the AP.
After 197 days of living in space, the trio of astronauts Andrew Feustel, Ricky Arnold and Oleg Artemyev safely returned to Earth early Thursday morning, Oct. 4.

NASA says the three landed safely 7:44 a.m. Eastern Standard Time southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. The crew undocked from the International Space Station about four hours prior, all of which was broadcast on NASA TV, the space agency's YouTube channel and website.

After landing, the three were returned to the staging area in the city of Karaganda via helicopter. NASA's Arnold and Feustel will hop on a plane and return to Houston while Russia's Artemyev will return to Star City.

Three Exp 56 crew members parachuted to a safe landing in Kazakhstan today at 7:44am ET after 197 days in space. #AskNASA https://t.co/caD6c9UpUa pic.twitter.com/P4tXEInsMV  Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station) October 4, 2018

Feustel, a Lake Orion, Michigan native, arrived to the space station in March and had served as its commander from June until his Thursday departure.

The U.S. space agency says the crew's stay on the orbiting laboratory was highlighted by "hundreds of experiences" including one studying ultra-cold quantum gases, using the first commercial European facility for microgravity research and a system that uses surface forces to separate liquid from liquid.

"Both Feustel and Arnold participated in dozens of educational events while in space as part of NASA's Year of Education on Station, reaching more than 200,000 students in 29 states," NASA reports in a news release. "Feustel now has logged more than 226 days in space on three spaceflights, and Arnold more than 209 days on two missions.

"The duo ventured outside the space station on three spacewalks to effect maintenance and upgrades during Expeditions 55 and 56."

The space agency says Fesutel and Arnold replaced and upgraded external cameras, updated the space station's cooling system and communications network, and installed new wireless antennas, among other tasks, during their three spacewalks.

With 61 hours and 48 minutes under his belt, the Michigan native now ranks third among American astronauts in terms of time spent spacewalking.

Before his launch aboard the Soyuz 54 rocket to the space station back in March, Feustel was a crewmember on the final space shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009, and on the Endeavour's final mission to the space station in 2011.

During his recent stay on the space station, Feustel regularly shared photos of the Great Lakes, Mackinac Bridge, Detroit, and events such as a volcanic eruption in Hawaii and more to Twitter.
While Russia remains committed to a joint project with the U.S. to build a space outpost near the moon, its space agency chief has made clear the country will not accept a secondary role.

The Associated Press reports Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin was quoted in Russian news media in late September as saying his agency would not be reduced to "a junior partner" in the NASA-led project.

As for the project itself, NASA says construction on the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway will begin in the 2020s. This outpost near the moon has the goal of providing the "foundation for human exploration deeper into the solar system."

Both countries announced the project in September 2017 with joint news releases, but NASA is clearly leading the project as its most recent update does not mention Russia or Roscosmos once.

"I believe that Russia can't afford itself to participate in other countries' project in second-tier roles," Rogozin was quoted as saying about the Gateway project.

These quotes from Russia's space agency chief comes as tensions between the countries is at a recent high due to a mysterious leak aboard the International Space Station.

An air leak was discovered in the upper section of one of Russia's Soyuz spacecrafts and repaired back on Aug. 30. Rogozin gave conspiracy theorists fuel for the fire in the immediate aftermath when he publicly questioned whether this was a "production defect or some premeditated action?"

Rogozin has been quoted recently as saying the Russian investigation has revealed the hole was not a manufacturing defect. The two space agencies released a joint statement on the ISS leak back on Sept. 13.

ISS Leak summary:



First thought was MMOD strike.



Then NASA released pics. Lots of people: "Hmmm, doesn't look like MMOD". NASA deleted the photos.



Top Russian news site RIA NOVOSTI reported - via sources but apparently confirmed by Mr. Rogozin - it was a drill hole. pic.twitter.com/520kHK0TMc  Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) September 3, 2018

NASA has maintained the crew aboard the orbiting laboratory was never in danger, and that "no further action was contemplated for the remainder of the day." In response to the Russian space chief's recent comments, the space agency is looking at November to schedule a spacewalk to identify the hole further.

While the space station leak remains in question, Roscosmos spokesperson Vladimir Ustimenko clarified that Russia was not dropping out of the Gateway project.

"Russia hasn't refused to take part in the project of the lunar orbital station together with the United States," the spokesperson was quoted by A.P. as saying.

" ... we stand for equal, partnership-style cooperation."

The Gateway itself comes as part of NASA's long-term vision to send a manned mission to Mars after returning humans to the surface of Earth's moon. The U.S. space agency says in a recent update that the platform will consist of a power and propulsion element and habitation, logistics and airlock capabilities.

"While specific technical and mission capabilities, as well as partnership opportunities, are under consideration, NASA plans to launch elements of the gateway on the agency's Space Launch System or commercial rockets for assembly in space," NASA says.

"The power and propulsion element will be the initial component of the gateway, and is targeted to launch in 2022. Using advanced high-power solar electric propulsion, the element will maintain the gateway's position and can move the gateway between lunar orbits over its lifetime to maximize science and exploration operations."

The space agency says 2024 is the targeted date to launch the habitation capabilities, which is hoped to allow crews to live and work in deep space for 30 to 60 days at once.

NASA recently highlighted its plan to return humans to the moon and eventually onto Mars in late September. It mostly falls in line with capitalizing on commercial and international partnerships, which has been one of the space agency's main functions since President Donald Trump took office.

"NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft are the backbone of the agency's future in deep space," the space agency concludes in its recent update on Gateway.

"Momentum continues toward the first integrated launch of the system around the Moon in fiscal year 2020 and a mission with crew by 2023. The agency is also looking at a number of possible public/private partnerships in areas including in-space manufacturing and technologies to extract and process resources from the Moon and Mars, known as in-situ resource utilization."
Kochhar was born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan in 1961 where she spent most of her early years. Kochhar joined Jai Hind College in Mumbai for a Bachelors Degree in Arts. After graduating in 1982, she studied cost accountancy from Institute of Cost Accountants of India.

She did her Masters in Management Studies from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai. She topped her batch and received the Wockhardt Gold Medal for Excellence in Management Studies. In Cost Accountancy she received the JN Bose Gold Medal for highest marks in that year.

Kochhar joined the erstwhile ICICI Limited in 1984 as a management trainee. In the initial years, she handled the basic core function in ICICI at that time, i.e. Project Appraisal and Monitoring. She handled projects in various industries like Petrochemicals, Textile, Paper and Cement.

In 1993, when the company decided to venture into the commercial banking sector, Kochhar was deputed with ICICI Bank. She was promoted to Assistant General Manager in 1994 and then Deputy General Manager in 1996.

In 1998, ICICI created a Major Client Group to handle the relationships with the top 200 clients of ICICI. She was promoted as the General Manager and was made the head of the Major Clients Group. In the year 1999, she simultaneously started handling the Strategy and e-commerce divisions of ICICI.

In July 2000, under the leadership of Kochhar, ICICI Bank entered the retail business and within a short span of around 5 years, the Bank emerged as one of the largest retail financer in India. In April 2001, she took over as Executive Director, heading the retail business in ICICI Bank.

In April 2006, she was appointed as Deputy Managing Director of ICICI Bank, with responsibility for both Corporate and Retail banking business of ICICI Bank and from October 2006 to October 2007, she was handling the International and Corporate businesses of ICICI Bank. She was elevated as the Managing Director & CEO of ICICI Bank in 2009.

Kochhar is currently a member of various boards which include the Indian Banks Association, IIIT Vadodara, National Institute of Securities Markets and Institute of International Finance. She is also a member of the Prime Ministers Council on Trade & Industry, the Board of Trade and High-Level Committee on Financing Infrastructure.

Kochhar, though currently in the news for the wrong reasons, has won many prestigious awards in her illustrious career which include Padma Bhushan. She has also been ranked as most powerful women and professional by multiple publications which include Forbes, Fortune, CNBC TV18, etc.

On January 30, a panel headed by Justice BN Srikrishna indicted former MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar for violating the bank's code of conduct in the Videocon loan case. Following the report, the bank's board said it will treat her separation as 'termination for cause' under their internal policies.
ICICI Bank MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar has quit the bank with immediate effect. Kochhar led ICICI Bank since 2009 and her third term was due to end in March 2019. Sandeep Bakhshi, who was appointed the bank's COO in June, will succeed Kochhar.

"The Board of Directors of ICICI Bank accepted the request of Chanda Kochhar to seek early retirement from the bank at the earliest. The Board accepted this request with immediate effect," the company informed the bourses on Thursday.

In June, Kochhar went on an indefinite leave pending an external enquiry against her on allegations of conflict of interest and quid pro quo charges relating to a loan given to Videocon group.

ICICI Bank was quick to assure that the ongoing probe into allegations of financial impropriety and conflict of interest against her will remain unaffected. "The enquiry instituted by the Board will remain unaffected by this and certain benefits will be subject to the outcome of the enquiry," the board said.

"The Board has decided to appoint Sandeep Bakhshi as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. His appointment will be for a period of five years until October 3, 2023, subject to regulatory and other approvals. The other terms and conditions of his appointment, such as remuneration, would remain unchanged," according to the statement.

Meanwhile, the bank said independent director MD Mallya has resigned from the board. Kochhar will also relinquish office from the Board of Directors of the bank's subsidiaries.

IN PICS | Chanda Kochhar: Embattled CEO of ICICI Bank

Kochhar is the subject of an investigation for allegedly flouting corporate governance norms. Allegations of impropriety against her were first raised in October 2016 by an ICICI Bank shareholder, who alleged a quid pro quo on Kochhars part as ICICI Bank had granted loans to Videocon Group, whose promoter Venugopal Dhoot had investments in NuPower Renewables, which is owned by Chanda's husband Deepak Kochhar.

The whistleblower had written a letter to the Finance Ministry, Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and various investigation agencies including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Following the letter, ICICI Bank said that it had conducted an internal probe, but did not find any merit in the allegations.

However, in March end, the allegations came into the spotlight yet again worrying shareholders, investors, depositors and other stakeholders. Thereafter, in June, Kochhar went on an indefinite leave.

Career at ICICI Bank

During her initial years at the bank, Kochhar handled project appraisal, while monitoring and evaluating projects in the textile, paper and cement industries.

Kochhar was part of the core team that setup ICICI Bank and was promoted to assistant general manager in 1994 before becoming the deputy general manager in 1996.

She was tasked with handling the newly-established Infrastructure Industry Group of the bank, which created industry expertise in areas of telecom, power and transportation.

In 1998, Kochhar was promoted as General Manager and was tasked with handling the banks top 200 clients. She also oversaw the e-commerce wing of the lender.

Leading Indias largest private bank

In 2006, Kochhar started working on the banks international operations before becoming the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Managing Director (MD) in 2007. Just two years later, she was promoted and became the CEO, a position she has held since.

The 56-year-old also serves as the President of the International Monetary Conference and Deputy Chairman of the Indian Banks Association.

She has been a member of multiple organisations and was the co-chair of the World Economic Forums Annual Meeting in 2011.

In 2016, Kochhar was ranked fifth on the Fortune list of "Most Powerful Women International 2016", comprising 50 influential women outside the US. She also featured on the Forbes list of "The Worlds 100 Most Powerful Women 2016". A year prior to this, she was named as one of TIME magazines "100 Most Influential People" in the world.
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The board of ICICI Bank said in a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange on Thursday that MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar has stepped down from her post with immediate effect. She will also demit office from the board of subsidiaries of the bank.

Sandeep Bakshi will take over the reins and he will be in charge for a period of five years. Kochhar is under investigation for allegedly violating the banks code of conduct. She was on the panel which sanctioned a loan to the promoters of the Videocon group.

Venugopal Dhoot, who is the main beneficiary of the aforementioned loan, is a business partner of Kochhars husband, Deepak Kochhar, in his renewable energy venture.

Chanda was asked go on leave by the banks board till the investigation into allegations of quid pro quo have reached their logical end. She has been associated with the bank for the better part of three decades.

Here is a timeline of events that culminated in her resignation, a pioneering figure who helped shape retail lending in India.

March 28, 2018  The chairman of ICICI Bank, M K Sharma made public the fact that Chanda Kochhar was a part of the credit committee which sanctioned a loan to Videocon Group. The quantum of money lent amounts to Rs 3,250 crore. Sharma said that it was not imperative for Kochhar to recuse herself from the committee since in his view, the deal between her husband and Venugopal Dhoot did not represent conflict of interest in the banks dealings with Videocon.

March 31, 2018  The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) initiated a preliminary enquiry to establish the pecuniary relationship between Deepak Kochhar and Videocon Group chairman Venugopal Dhoot. The enquiry did not name Chanda Kochhar. A preliminary enquiry examines whether the registration of an FIR is warranted.

April 2, 2018  The investigation draws Chanda Kochhars brother-in-law into the net. A financial services company, Avista Advisory, founded by Deepak Kochhars brother acted as Debtor Advisor to the Videocon Group. He held this position for six other companies, and was tasked with restructuring their debt. Rajiv Kochhar said that there was no conflict of interest, and that the selection process for the services of his company was done in a transparent manner.

April 5, 2018  Rajiv Kochhar was apprehended by the CBI at the Mumbai airport as he was about to board to board an overseas flight. His company, Avista Advisory, is based in Singapore. He was produced at the CBIs headquarters in Mumbai for questioning on the role of his firm in Videocons dealings with ICICI Bank.

April 15, 2018  The government entered the fray, ordering a detailed report from the Registrar of Companies. The government body was tasked with typing up the loose ends in the web of transactions involving Deepak Kochhar and Venugopal Dhoot.

May 4, 2018 Chanda Kochhars immediate family had insofar been insulated from scrutiny, but things changed overnight. Deepak Kochhar was summoned by the federal investigating agency for clarifications on transactions reported in his companys books. Summons were issued to him by the Income-Tax department in April, whereby he was given 10 days to appear before it with documents pertaining to his companys dealings with Videocon and ICICI.

May 25, 2018  Chanda Kochhar was issued a notice by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) over alleged non-compliance of the listing agreement in the loan to Videocon.

May 30, 2018  The board of ICICI, which had hitherto been committed to the innocence of Kochhar, decided to institute an independent probe into her involvement. This was initiated after a fresh complaint was made by a shareholder. The complainant alleged that Kochhar was complicit in the loan deal, accusing her of conflict of interest and quid pro quo in dealing with certain customers of the bank.

May 31, 2018  Chanda Kochhar goes on leave amid much confusion. ICICI Bank claimed that it had not asked her to take leave of absence till the independent enquiry is completed. Kochhar explained her absence saying it was part of her annual leave which was planned in advance. The bank refuted rumours that a search committee was constituted to find a capable replacement.

June 3, 2018  The government reiterated its stand that it will not interfere in the functioning of the private lender despite having a nominee on ICICI Banks board. The government released an official response putting to rest speculation that it will wield its power to influence decision making in the light of the serious allegations directed against Kochhar.

June 18, 2018  The board of ICICI bank announced that its MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar will go on leave till the closure of the probe into her involvement in the Videocon case. The MD and CEO of group company ICICI Prudential Life, Sandeep Bakshi, was appointed as whole-time Director and Chief Operating Officer of the bank. He was tasked with overseeing the functioning of the bank, and had to report to the board.

June 20, 2018  The Income-Tax authorities launched a fresh probe into the purchase of the flat where the Kochhars currently reside. The house, which is situated in south Mumbais Churchgate neighbourhood, was bought in the 1990s by a financial services company Deepak Kochhar and his borther, Rajiv. Deepak Kochhar was previously questioned in May.

The firm has a chequered history, having been suspended from trading in 1996-97. Financial stress forced it to file for liquidation. The I-T department found that Videocon INternation held as much as 17.74 percent in Kochhars company in 2001. The flat passed into the hands of a firm tied to the Videocon Group as a part of outstanding dues owed it after the Kochhars company went bust. Allegations of quid pro quo were further strengthened by the fact that the flat was reacquired by the Kochhars below the market price in 2010.

August 30, 2018  Chanda Kochhar was appointed as a Director on the board of ICICI Securities. Proxy advisory firms had reportedly asked shareholders to veto the proposal. The ICICI Bank board voted in favour of her appointment, reaffirming their faith in her innocence.

September 7, 2018  SEBI begins adjudication proceedings against ICICI Bank and Chanda Kochhar. They questioned her for alleged violations to the disclosure requirements under the securities law. Kochhar had failed to apprise the credit committee that sanctioned the loan to Videocon, that her husbands company had a financial history with the loan applicant. Both Kochhar and ICICI Bank replied to show-cause notices sent by SEBI saying that they were unaware of the dealings between the Videocon Group and Deepak Kochhar.

The I-T department then began investigating the money trail in real estate deals involving the protagonists in the Videocon case. A 13-story building, Radhika Apartments, which served as the staff quarters of ICICI Bank, was sold to Videocon Industries. The building, situated in Prabhadevi in Central Mumbai, was sold to Venugopal Dhoots firm at a rate well below the market price.

September 9, 2018  The RBI said that it has not exonerated Chanda Kochhar and the board of ICICI Bank in the deal with Videocon. The central bank said it would not interfere in the running of the bank as it would impeded the ongoing investigation.

September 12, 2018  ICICI Bank convened its first annual general meeting (AGM) after the charges against Kochhar came to light. Shareholders were visibly upset with how the case was handled and demanded transparency in the alleged case of collusion. The Indian Express reported that shareholders were instructed not to ask questions pertaining to Chanda Kochhar.

 Chanda Kochhar quits as the MD and CEO of ICICI Bank after her plea for early retirement was accepted by the banks board.
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The exit of Chanda Kochhar as the chief executive may augur well for the country's biggest private bank, by bringing an end to the uncertainty at the top leadership. However, ICICI Banks board and Sandeep Bakhshi, Kochhar's successor, may have a lot to prove on the corporate governance and business functioning from here on.

Within five minutes of Kochhars announcement to step down as the chief executive officer and managing director (CEO and MD), ICICI Bank shares jumped as high as 5.69 percent and closed 4.07 percent higher. The stock rose even as the Sensex slumped by 800 points.

Kochhars exit has made way for the recently appointed chief operating officer Sandeep Bakhshi to take charge. Bakhshi was appointed as the COO in June, after Kochhar went on leave.

Since March-end, the bank had been constantly under the media glare and investor ire due to allegations of conflict of interest involving Kochhar relating to loans given to Videocon Group.

It is positive for the bank only in one respect that the uncertainty has gone. Whether Chanda was good or Sandeep Bakhshi will be better, only time will tell, JN Gupta, Co-Founder & MD, Stakeholders Empowerment Services.

Although ICICI Banks board has previously supported Kochhar ruling out any quid pro quo or wrongdoings by her, pressure from investors and media forced the bank to call for an external probe, which is led by former Supreme Court judge Justice Srikrishna. The probe report will likely be out by November, according to the banks Chairman Girish Chandra Chaturvedi.

A graceful exit?

I would not say graceful at this juncture. Had she stepped down when the controversy first erupted and she could have remained out of the executive role till the inquiry was completed. In the final leg, the grace element has reduced, Gupta said.

The banks statement said the Board of Directors accepted the request of Chanda Kochhar to seek early retirement from the Bank at the earliest. The Board accepted this request with immediate effect.

Independent analyst Hemindra Hazari said, The whole language of the statement shows the board completely lacks independence. In public sector banks, the likes of Allahabad Banks CEO Usha Ananthasubramanium, we have seen her being sacked along with a CBI probe being brought in by the government, which is the owner. But in the private corporate sector, the board doesnt hold much power.

Hazari pointed out that the board had allowed her to overstay and why is it always her decision  whether she decided to stay, to go on leave and even now it is her decision to quit.

Some point out that the board will now need to introspect and debate why the clean chit was given without a thorough inquiry. A board can make mistakes but it needs to get clarity and ensure this is not repeated going forward or that they still stand by their decision, Gupta added.

Bakhshi dons a heavy hat

Sandeep Bakhshi is an old hand at ICICI Bank and has been with the group for 32 years. He started off as an official in the operations department in the bank in 1986. He gained experience across retail banking, project appraisals as well as risk management and handling of large corporate clients.

A large institutional investor in the company said considering the group has an image-crisis in the market, Bakhshi is the best fit to take on the role.

We had expressed concerns about the alleged conflict of interest dealings. Rather than getting an individual for the top job who would have had to start from scratch, Sandeep is a good fit since he has been associated with the group for more than three decades, said a member of a large investee company.

A close associate of Kochhar, Bakhshi is known to have stabilised ICICI Banks life and general insurance arms and considered to be a turnaround man within the insurance industry.

In fact, he is claimed to be responsible for the successful 2016-listing of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, which was the first insurer to be listed on the exchanges . It was also among the first private sector entrants into the insurance sector at a time when Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) was the dominant player and later the life insurer became among the top three private life insurers in the sector.

Currently, the general insurance arm ICICI Lombard is the largest private sector general insurance company.

However, Bakhshi is no stranger to controversies.

In 2017, an FIR was against ICICI Pru Life officials in Rajasthan for mis-selling of insurance policies. And there is the infamous jehad sales campaign by a few employees, who were eventually arrested in 2005. The employees glorified Osama bin Laden in the campaign and his focused determination in an effort to increase business by likening successful policy sales to killing people.

Bakhshi is not 'fit and proper'ICICI Banks board is absolving him of all wrongdoings. As a CEO, he presided over a company which was responsible for mis-selling and is now being rewarded, Hazari says.

Also, compared to banking, insurance typically follows a straight-jacket model where bad risks are eliminated before even being written into the books.

On the other hand, in the banking sector, stable assets turning non-performing assets (NPAs) are not a new phenomenon making the new hat heavier for Bakhshi.

The past issues though hasn't stopped the investors from taking heart that Bakhshi is getting a long term, possibly bringing stability at the bank. With a five-year term, Bakhshis handling of the corporate loans and bad loan situation will be closely watched.
Representative image

The Commerce Ministry has given time till April next year to Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and governments of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu to complete the exports process of Red Sanders wood.

"Time up to April 30, 2019, has been allowed to Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the state governments of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu to finalise the modalities and complete the process of export of respective quantities of red sanders wood," the directorate general of foreign trade said in a notification.

The wood is an endangered species of flora protected under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna. It is illegal to possess and sell the same.

Red sander is found mainly in the Seshachalam hill ranges spread across Kadapa, Chittoor and Kurnool in the Rayalaseema region and parts of Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh.

The wood has huge demand abroad, especially in China and Japan, where it commands a good price. As per a media report, the wood fetches Rs 25 lakh a tonne in the international market.

It is a valued item in traditional medicines and woodcraft across China, Myanmar, Japan and East Asia.
Gita Gopinath, professor at the economics department of Harvard University, attends a conference of central bankers hosted by the Bank of France in Paris November 7, 2014. REUTERS/Charles Platiau (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS HEADSHOT) - PM1EAB711GA01

Gita Gopinath, who was recently appointed as the Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will resign as the economic adviser of the Kerala Chief Minister.

This is the only governmental association Gopinath had taken up in India.

CM Pinarayi Vijayan had in a televised press meet on October 3, said, She is being appointed as IMFs chief economist. So naturally, she will not be able to continue as an advisor to governments.

Vijayan had appointed Gopinath as his economic adviser shortly after coming to power in 2016. The decision had raised eyebrows within Vijayans Communist Party of India (Marxist) as the two have opposing economic ideologies.

While Gopinath is a noted neoliberal economist, Vijayan is currently the only communist chief minister in the country.

Reports suggest that the Left front in Kerala was not happy about Gopinaths earlier association with the US government, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the IMF.

The institutions Gopinath is associated with generally draw criticism from socialists.

According to a report in Mint, Vijayans intention behind appointing her as his economic adviser was to break away from his partys socialist legacy and send a signal to the businesses that Kerala is open for investment.

It remains unclear as to what was the nature of advice the Harvard economist gave the chief minister, if any, except for a few occasional remarks to the press, the report notes.

On October 1, IMFs chief Christine Lagarde announced Gopinaths appointment as the chief economist of the financial institution.

"Gita is one of the world's outstanding economists, with impeccable academic credentials, a proven track record of intellectual leadership, and extensive international experience," Lagarde said.

A US citizen, Gopinath was born and grew up in India. She received her PhD in economics from Princeton University in 2001 after earning a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of Delhi and Master of Arts (MA) degrees from both the Delhi School of Economics and University of Washington.
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) on Thursday said it will invest Rs 630 crore to set up a new assembly line in its Gujarat plant for expanding its capacity by 0.6 million units per annum to seven million.

The new assembly line will come up at its scooters-only plant at Vithalapur near Ahmedabad, and will be commissioned by 2020, the company said in a statement.

This will be the 12th assembly line for the Japanese auto major that began its independent journey in 2001.

"The new plant will expand our annual production capacity to seven million, from 6.4 million now, and will involve a capex of Rs 630 crore," HMSI, which operates four plants in the country, said in the statement.

The firm opened the scooters-only Vithalapur plant in February 2016, with a 0.6-million capacity. The capacity was doubled to 1.2 million in June 2016.

"Over the years, we've been investing and expanding our capacity to enhance our market. The additional capacity at our fourth factory reinforces our commitment to this market and serve this market faster," said Minoru Kato, president and chief executive, HMSI.

Honda set up its first plant at Manesar in Haryana, the second at Tapukara in Rajasthan and the third at Narsapura, near Bengaluru. All these plants make automatic scooters and motorcycles. It opened its fourth plant, which makes just scooters, at Vithalapur in Gujarat.

Most of the expansion came in after FY11, when it had only 1.6-million units capacity. Between FY11 and FY18, HMSI ramped up its capacity to 6.4 million units.

Honda, the second largest two-wheeler maker in the country, sells the the world's largest two-wheeler brand, Activa scooters. In August, it's CB Shine became the largest selling executive class motorcycle in the country.

Honda India contributes over 32 per cent of the global volume of the Japanese company and is the largest market for the parent firm.
October 04, 2018 / 03:41 PM IST

Gainers and Losers

HPCL, BPCL and IOC were biggest losers among Nifty50 stocks, falling more than 11 percent after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government cut excise duty on petrol & diesel by Rs 1.50 per litre. "Oil marketing companies will absorb Re 1 per litre w.r.t petrol & diesel prices."

Reliance Industries (6.87 percent) and Eicher Motors (5.71 percent) were other losers while ICICI Bank bucked the trend, rising 4.21 percent followed by Axis Bank (up 2.45 percent), UltraTechCement (2.16 percent), Bharti Infratel (1.77 percent) and Yes Bank (up 1.06 percent).
September's crash left many question the potential of equity markets to deliver returns in the long term. The fear of losing the initial capital led to a lot of redemptions in mutual funds.

It is a perfect storm brewing for India markets as both global and local factors are at play. And, the first question which comes to investors mind is  should I be investing at current levels? And, how much?

We pitched this question to many experts  how can an investor who is in the age bracket of 30-40 years invest Rs 1,00,000 in the given market conditions?

Most experts feel that it is time to reduce exposure in equity markets from 70 percent earlier to 50 percent now, as volatility is likely to remain at elevated levels, and increase exposure towards fixed income and gold.

The best strategy to invest in equity markets is to go via the systematic investment plan (SIP) route and follow a staggered investment approach.

With the equity markets undergoing tumultuous times due to deteriorating macros, an investor may look at making SIPs in good quality companies which have been bruised due to the bearish sentiment among the broad indices, and hence are now available at cheaper valuations.

Staggered investments in quality stocks will enable accumulation of robust companies which will entail good returns over the long term, Jimeet Modi, Founder & CEO at Samco Securities told Moneycontrol.

As much as 50 percent of portfolio allocation should be done in equities, 25 percent in debt and the remaining in small portions can be invested in other assets such as gold. Investors should look at investing Rs 1,00,000 in SIP format over a period of next 6 months, he said.

After falling by over 6 percent in September, the index is expected to trade in a broad range of 10,50011,500 based on the F&O data. Movement in crude oil price, currency and trade wars are some of the macro concerns which will continue to weigh on the market in October.

However, any correction is likely to offer an attractive opportunity for investors who want to remain invested in this market for long time.

In the current scenario of rising bond yields and election-heavy calendar, it is advisable to lower allocation to equities with a focus on quality names and contra bets. At a portfolio level, one can cap the maximum equity exposure at 40% levels, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, CEO, Karvy Stock Broking told Moneycontrol.

With regards to fixed income, the current environment presents an opportunity to capture the current high-yields by raising exposure gradually to cap it at 50%. Investors with a high-risk appetite can allocate a portion of this on short-term money market funds, to capture the high yields propelled by credit events and tight liquidity, he said.

However, some experts feel that investors should avoid lump sum payment in one go into equity markets. Although, the portfolio strategy of investors may differ as per the individuals risk-taking capacity coupled with market perspective, but one of the basic strategies is to have adequate diversification in a portfolio.

In a falling market, it is imperative to study the robustness of fundamental of respective companies and avoid making a purchase in an effort to average the cost if the fundamentals are at a loss, suggest experts. The second basic strategy is to stick with fundamental and quality companies only.

For instance, if you plan to invest Rs 1 lakh in an equity market which is currently more volatile then it is more advisable to invest Rs 20,000-25,000 on a periodic basis rather than putting lump sum. By investing on staggered basis it will eliminate the risk of catching a falling knife, and help you to average on cost more efficiently, Dinesh Rohira, Founder & CEO, 5nance.com told Moneycontrol.

However, for a conservative investor it will be prudent to diversify the same amount across multiple asset-class and allocating highest percentage in the range of 60-70 percent towards debt instrument with lower maturity, he said.

Rohira further added that a part of allocation should be given to gold with about 10-15 percent of overall portfolio allocation. Therefore, proper diversification coupled with an evaluation of fundamental is key towards building a portfolio and rest in equity markets.

Here's what other experts suggest:

Analyst: Atish Matlawala, Sr Analyst, SSJ Finance & Securities

For the long-term investor, it is time to buy quality stocks with a high level of corporate governance. For short- to medium-term investors, it is better to sit on the side till the market settles.

Thumb rule is an investment in equity should be 100  age. So somebody who is 70 years old should invest only 30 percent while 30 years old should have 70 percent of investment in equity.

Gold should vary between 5% and 10% while the rest should be in debt. Looking at the current scenario, we would suggest staggered investment in 3 tranches in the next 3 months.

Ritesh Ashar, CSO at KIFS TradeCapital

The investors should look for a portfolio with lower risk rather than going for the higher risk portfolio. If you look at the current market situation the ideal portfolio should consist of at least 60 percent into equity out of which 65-70% should be in large-cap 20% in midcap and 10-15% in small caps.

Another 15 percent should be into debt. Gold must consist of at least 20% of the portfolio whereas remaining 5% should be held in cash to secure the opportunities as and when it gets generated.

Stock specific, at current level stocks like NTPC, Power grid, Hindalco, Reliance Industries, Wipro, Gail looks quite impressive as Energy, Power and It are the sectors which are quite promising for medium to long-term.

The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
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Here are stocks that are in the news today:

PTC India Financial Services: Board approved appointment of Dr Pawan Singh as Managing Director & CEO of the company and Sanjay Rustagi (Vice- President) as the Chief Financial Officer.

AU Small Finance Bank: CRISIL has upgraded rating of the company to AA-/Stable from A+/Positive.

KDDL: ICRA upgraded long term rating for line of credit to BBB+ from BBB and short term rating for line of credit to A2 from A3+.

L&T Financial Holding board meeting on October 8 to consider raising of funds NCD worth Rs 250 crore

IL&FS Transportation Networks: Interest due and payable on October 1, 2018 on the NCDs were not paid to the debenture holders due to insufficient funds.

Shriram Transport - Clarified with regard to the corporate guarantee given by the Company on June 30, 2015 in connection with NCD worth Rs 650 crore that the said corporate guarantee has been terminated with immediate effect

SRG Housing Finance: Nabsamruddhi Finance sanctioned credit facilities of Rs 12 crore.

KP Energy Q2FY19 Results: Profit jumps to Rs 7.06 crore versus Rs 1.01 crore; revenue rises to Rs 51.25 crore versus Rs 36.71 crore (YoY).

Simplex Infra - CARE long term rating revised to CARE A- from CARE A

SRF: Company said it had announced capitalisation and commission of the first phase of the project for setting up of Bi-axially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) film line in December 2017 and in addition to that capital expenditure on metallizer, infrastructure and certain other items has since been capitalized & commissioned as on September 30, 2018.

GE T&D India: GE has completed the acquisition of Alstom's minority ownership of the three joint ventures (JVs) that were established at closing of the acquisition of Alstom's Power and Grid assets in November 2015. As a result of the transfers, GE paid to Alstom an aggregate amount 2.594 billion euro (around $3.0 billion). These transfers will not have any impact on the day-to-day operations of the businesses.

NLC India: Board meeting will be held on October 9 to consider the matters relating to buy back of fully paid up equity shares of the company.

Indian Hume Pipe: CARE Ratings reaffirmed rating on company's long term bank facilities worth Rs 625 crore to A+/Stable and short term bank facilities worth Rs 215 crore to A1+.

VST Tillers Tractors: Power tillers sales in September 2018 at 1,152 units versus 1,855 units and tractors sales at 801 units versus 1,341 units (YoY).

TVS Motor Company: TVS Apache RTR 160 4V crosses 1 lakh sales milestone in a record span of six months since launch.

Coal India: S Sarkar, GM (Finance) I/C, CIL appointed as CFO of the company.

Amara Raja Batteries: Company and Johnson Controls to bring a new wave of battery technology to India.

Action Construction Equipment: ICRA assigned the rating A1+ to commercial papers worth value of Rs 25 crore.

RattanIndia Infrastructure: Arbutus Consultancy LLP, a promoter group entity of the company will open offer for sale of 11,16,89,400 equity shares on October 4-5. The floor price will be Rs 3.80 per share of the company and a discount of 5 percent on the same is being offered to retail investors.

Tata Power: Tata Power Solar launches an extensive residential rooftop solution in Ajmer, Rajasthan.

Infosys: Moody''s Investor Service assigned A3 rating with stable outlook. Infosys Foundation to build center for handling cybercrime investigation.

Bharti Airtel: Company announced an acquihire deal with AuthMe ID Services, a Bengaluru based start-up focused on Artificial Intelligence based solutions, to add to its initiatives to serve customers with innovative digital products.

GHCL: CARE Ratings reviewed credit ratings of the company for bank facilities and upgraded the same.

Reliance Communications: Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) granted relief to the company. Spectrum trading to be completed without bank guarantee of Rs 2,900 crore and company to receive Rs 975 crore from sale of spectrum. Company to pay Ericsson Rs 550 crore and RITL minority investors Rs 230 crore from spectrum trading.

Aditya Birla Capital: International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, has extended a 7year longterm loan of Rs 1,000 crore to Aditya Birla Finance, wholly owned subsidiary of the company.

Orient Tradelink: Company started publicising and selling Merchandising and Spiritual Mantras and have a deal for 10-years with AUM Sportainment Pvt Ltd.

BSE Limited: Company entered into licensing pact with London Metal Exchange.

Oil Marketing Companies (HPCL, BPCL, IOC): RBI liberalises rules for public sector OMCs to borrow overseas - CNBC-TV18.

Minimum support price: Cabinet approves proposal to increase MSP for winter-sown crops.

HDFC: Company earned Rs 787 crore from HDFC AMC IPO in July-September; July-September loans sold at Rs 6,059 crore versus Rs 3,531 crore and dividend income at Rs 6 crore versus Rs 540 crore (YoY) - CNBC-TV18.

Federal Bank: RBI imposes monetary penalty of Rs 5 crore on the bank for multiple violations.

A2z Infra Engineering: Globe Fincap sold 18,04,448 shares of the company at Rs 9.23 per share.

Infibeam Avenues: The Ezrah Charitable Trust bought 38,82,694 equity shares of the company at Rs 73.99 per share.

GATI - Clarified that the board of directors of the company at their meeting held on Thursday, April 26, 2018, advised management to look for inducting a new Strategic and/or financial Partner to reposition Gati as a global leader in the logistic space

Jubilant industries -India Rating & Research affirmed long term rating to IND BBB/Stable
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Shares of Tata Motors fell 2.3 percent intraday Thursday after company reported weak sales number for JLR and Land Rover in the month of

September 2018.

The company's total September 2018 JLR UK sales were down 2.6 percent at 19,874 units against 20,403 units in the same month last year.

Its total Land Rover UK sales fell 3.8 percent at 12,827 units against 14,504 units, while Jaguar UK sales were up 2.1 percent at 7,047 units

versus 5,899 units, reported CNBC-TV18.

Research house Nomura believes that from September, expect global wholesale volume growth trajectory for JLR to improve. Currently it

factor in 4 percent growth in overall JLR volumes in FY19.

Nomura maintained buy call on stock with a target at Rs 356 per share and feels that healthy orderbook for I-Pace & XEs ramp-up in China

should lead to a better H2.

At 13:47 hrs Tata Motors was quoting at Rs 223.15, down Rs 4.40, or 1.93 percent on the BSE.

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Posted by Rakesh Patil
The Sensex has plummeted nearly 1,466 points from October 1 to 10, 2018. In the first week of October, the BSE benchmark index plunged 1,851 points marking the biggest weekly fall in absolute terms. The biggest intraday fall in Sensex was recorded on January 22, 2008, when it dived 2,273 points. Here are the 10 biggest single day crashes in Sensex's history. The biggest fall in percentage terms was on April 28, 1992, in the aftermath of the Harshad Mehta scam, when it plunged 12.77 percent.

February 11, 2008 | 834 points | The Sensex plunged 1,007 points intraday and it ended 834 points, or 4.78 percent lower. The benchmark index closed at 16,630 points on growing global worries over slowing economic expansion. Weak global markets and disappointing corporate earnings affected the market sentiments.

February 2, 2018 | 840 points | Benchmark index witnessed steepest single-day fall in more than a year as stricter tax rules for stock investments and the easing of fiscal deficit targets unnerved investors. The Sensex plunged 840 points, or 2.3 percent to close at 35,067.

January 6, 2015 | 855 points | The Sensex plunged 855 points or over 3% closing at 26,987. The BSE benchmark opened at 27,694 and sank as low as 26,937 points, marking the eighth biggest fall in the list.

July 6, 2009 | 870 points | The Sensex tumbled 6.98 percent intraday or 954 points as the government did not introduce any reform when it presented the Union Budget. The index, however, recovered later to close 870 points lower, or 5.8 percent to 14,043.4.

January 22, 2008 | 875 points | Following one of the biggest fall in Sensex a day earlier (listed below), the index fell further by 875 points to close at 16,730. The fall was led by panic induced a day earlier and weak global cues.

March 3, 2008 | 901 points | The index lost over 900 points on frantic selling by funds, triggered by deepening concern over the recession in the US and budget-related worries.

March 17, 2008 | 944 points | A fortnight later, the Sensex again tanked over 900 points on deepening global concerns. The valuation at which Bear Stearns changed hands shocked investors as JPMorgan Chase and Co. took over the firm for USD 240 million.

October 24, 2008 | 1,071 points | The Sensex plunged about 11 percent or 1,071 points. The main reason for the fall was the RBI policy meet outcome, wherein it did not reduce rates. The fall was further aided by the confirmation of recession in the UK.

January 21, 2008 | 1,408 points | Marking one of the biggest singleday fall till then, it plunged 2,062 points intraday, recovering a bit later. The key reasons for the steep fall were recession in the US and foreign institutional investors who were trying to reroute their funds to stable developed markets.
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Non-banking finance company, Muthoot Finance has received an in-principle approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India to commence asset management operations, according to the latest data on Status of Mutual Fund Applications.

The company had approached the market regulator for an AMC licence in March last year. At present, it has a mutual fund distribution arm: Muthoot Securities. Muthoot Finance is listed on BSE and NSE as gold financing NBFC.

In July, SEBI had given an in-principle approval to Yes Bank and is expected to start operations this year. SEBI has also given consent to Fortune Financial Services and Fortune Credit Capital this year to start their MF business.

Fortune Financial Services has already filed draft offer documents with SEBI to launch its schemes under the name of ITI Mutual Fund.

Data on the SEBI website shows that Trust Investment Advisors, Karvy Stock Broking, Samco Securities, and Equity Intelligence are awaiting approval from SEBI to launch their mutual fund business in India.

As per the SEBI norms, a sponsor applying for a mutual fund licence is required to be in the financial services business for five years and must have a positive net worth for five years.

Also, the sponsor should have earned profits in three of the previous five years, including the latest year. SEBI conducts an on-site due diligence of sponsors before granting approval.
Uday Kotak

The new board of debt-ridden Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) constituted by the government will meet on October 4 in Mumbai to discuss the way ahead for the company. Here's what to expect:

The newly-appointed board, led by Uday Kotak, is expected to chalk out a resolution plan and submit its first take within 15 days. They will ascertain the magnitude of the crisis and recommend possible solutions to balance the huge mismatch and misrepresentation of facts by the company.

While a comprehensive report will take a fortnight, a preliminary report will be submitted before October 8, when the case is due at the National Companies Law Tribunal (NCLT).

On October 3, the government appointed a seventh member to the board: CS Rajan, former Chief Secretary of Rajasthan. During this meeting, the board will also assess whether there is need to induct more members.

The new board may pursue the resolution plans that the old board was unable to carry out. Asset sales and fundraising through equity and debt are possible routes the board may take to help revive the company, The Economic Times reports.

The ousted board was unable to raise funds through these avenues, but the new one might be successful as it has the governments backing.

The board will discuss short term steps that can be taken to reinstate faith in the company. IL&FS cannot default on any upcoming repayment obligations, which will help ease the nervous markets. During the meeting, the directors will also discuss whether the company can expand or take new business orders, Mint reports.

The governments sole focus at the moment is to restore confidence in the IL&FS group. While it is quick to point out that this is not a witch hunt, those responsible for the deterioration of the company will pay the price. The priority of the board is to stabilise operations at the company.

The Centres counsel told NCLT that IL&FS directors failed to discharge their duties and that the company conveyed a rosy picture of its balance sheet. An investigation by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) in the firm's operations is ongoing.
The National Pension System (NPS) is one of the best investment tools in India for retirement planning. Ever since its rollout in 2008-09, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has undertaken several measures to make the scheme more subscriber friendly.

Ankit Agarwal, MD, Alankit Limited, said that that the pension regulator has during recent days announced many reforms to make the scheme attractive. The measures include the option to invest up to 75% in equities (under the active choice option) which came into force from October 1, 2018, making partial withdrawals and changing investment grade rating for corporate bonds, he said.

Here are some facts about the scheme that investors should know before subscribing:

NPS - a defined contribution plan

Under NPS, contributions are paid into an individuals account by individuals or employers. The contributions are invested in a mix of assets and the retirement corpus depends on the returns from those assets. The returns are market-linked and dedicated pension fund managers take care of investors' money. This makes it a great investment tool with decent returns.

Potential to generate high returns

The new NPS norms on higher equity investment will help investors grow their retirement funds. For the millennials and young professionals, NPS is a profitable option. Apart from tax saving and retirement benefits, it also allows them to invest wisely and earn higher returns. This is the right time to consider NPS to build a substantial future corpus while enjoying excellent tax benefits, Agarwal said.

Here are some changes made by the PFRDA in the scheme and how they will impact subscribers:

Source: Alankit Limited

Its completely portable

NPS comes with individual retirement account with portability. If you join someplace new job NPS allows you to transfer your account accordingly, Agarwal said.

It allows 60% withdrawal at the time of maturity

NPS does not allow withdrawal of the entire amount at the time of retirement. You can withdraw only 60% of the contribution as the balance 40% needs to be invested in an annuity plan. The annuity pension starts at the age of 60. However, you can open a Tier-2 account anytime during the accumulation phase which allows you to withdraw money from your account at any time.

Its a tax saving tool

NPS also allows individuals to get an additional tax benefit of Rs 50000 under section 80CCD (1B). This amount can be claimed for deduction during a particular financial year. You can claim the deduction over and above the Rs 1.5 lakh limit as prescribed under the section 80C of income tax act.
NBCC CMD Anoop Kumar Mittal has said that the company will be floating tenders to appoint contractors for completion of construction projects of embattled real estate firm Amrapali, within the next 15 days.

Speaking to reporters on October 4, Mittal denied having received any offer from Piramal Group to raise Rs 1,000 crore. "No, we do not have any such offer," he said.

On initial funding for the projects, he said that we will wait for the Supreme Court's directions. Asked whether the governments construction arm will undertake construction work for other incomplete or stalled projects in Uttar Pradesh, Mittal noted, "We have been given the mandate to take over only Amrapali projects right now, cant say anything about the other projects."

The committee that has been set up to look into stalled housing projects in UP, had recently submitted its report to the state government. NBCC was given the mandate to prescribe recommendations/solutions as to how 3,00,000 homebuyers could get their homes on time.

"The committee has given its suggestions and said that developers would have to complete construction within three years. It is now up to the UP government to take a decision on it. As far as NBCC involvement is concerned, NBCC has been asked to study a few projects and Noida Authority will be identifying these projects for us. Only then we will be able to take a decision on which projects we will be undertaking," Mittal said.

He stressed that there was no scope of reducing its commission charged as project management consultant, and claimed that it was not as high as other project management consultants. "Besides fees, the company is also using its branding, taking risks. Compared to private co-developers fees, NBCC fees are much less," he claimed.

The company expects construction work for stalled projects to begin in December, with the first set comprising over 11,000 apartments. NBCC has divided units in Amrapali's projects into three categories. The first comprises 11,400 apartments in category A, which is expected to be completed within 6-12 months; the second has 32,384 units to be constructed under category B, and 2,788 units to be completed under category C.

NBCC had earlier informed the SC that it can complete 15 stalled projects with 46,575 flats within 36 months at a cost of Rs 8,500 crore.

The court gave permission to NBCC to float tenders for selecting builders to complete unfinished projects by October 3.

South Delhi redevelopment project

When asked about the seven redevelopment projects in South Delhi, which have been on hold for the last three months over felling of trees, he said the company would abide by the court's direction and follow all government regulations.

He continued that at present it was not possible to put a figure on the losses incurred due to construction being stalled. "If work starts in these seven projects, of which three are tasked with NBCC and four with CPWD, it will be good," Mittal said.

On October 3, the Delhi High Court appeared inclined to permit redevelopment of six South Delhi colonies, including Sarojini Nagar and Nauroji Nagar, if the projects get all the requisite approvals.

The court reserved its order after hearing arguments on behalf of all stakeholders, including the Environment Ministry, residents of the area and NBCC, regarding redevelopment of six colonies of Sarojini Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Thyagaraja Nagar, Kasturba Nagar, Mohammadpur and Srinivaspuri.

It would separately consider the redevelopment of the seventh colony -- Nauroji Nagar -- at a later date.

Air India properties

Mittal said that NBCC had started design work for Air India properties located in South Delhi's Vasant Vihar and Central Delhi's Connaught Place.

"It is in the designing stage. In Vasant Vihar we have 30 acres of land and 3.2 acres of land in Connaught Places Baba Kharak Singh Marg. In the next three to four months after approvals of statutory bodies we will be in a position to start the project. These will be sold to private entities. These will be both residential and commercial. Initial amount will be spent by us and we will then be generating funds by selling these units," Mittal pointed out.

Sick PSU land

Under the Affordable Housing for All by 2022 scheme, NBCC plans to develop 1,00,000 affordable housing units on the land of sick public sector undertakings across the country. It is working as a land management agency for 10 CPSEs and has identified one or two land parcels to identify affordable housing.

"DPR is getting ready for two/three PSU sites for PMAY projects. It is taking time because land is very old and fraught with too many issues. Hopeful that in the next two months at least one odd project will be approved," he said.

Order book stands at Rs 80,000 crore

Mittal said that NBCCs current order book stands at around Rs 80,000 crore and that the target is to achieve Rs 1 lakh crore by the end of the financial year.

He added, the company expects to grow at a CAGR of 30-40 percent in topline as well as bottomline in the coming years. The company's total income stood at around Rs 7,100 crore last fiscal.

Besides projects in 10 African countries, it is constructing the Indian Pavilion for Expo 2020 in Dubai at a cost of Rs 400-500 crore. The company is also focusing on constructing institutional projects.

It has bagged a project consultancy contract to develop permanent campus of IIM Ranchi at a cost of Rs 400 crore.

In a filing to BSE, NBCC said it has "received a Letter of Award (LoA) of work from IIM Ranchi to provide project management consultancy for development of permanent campus (Phase-1 works) amounting Rs 400 crore (approx)".
Representative image

Saudi Arabia is in talks with South Africa's major arms manufacturers and is considering taking an equity stake in the struggling state-owned defence firm Denel, the head of the Saudi state defence company told Reuters.

Saudi Arabian Military Industries' (SAMI) chief executive Andreas Schwer said he expected to conclude the first partnership deals with South African companies by the end of the year, though he would not identify those initial partners.

South Africa's Department of Public Enterprises, which oversees Denel, acknowledged the talks with SAMI but said it was too early to give details of any potential partnership arrangement.

The Paramount Group, a privately held South African company, has already said it is in talks with Saudi authorities.

"To make it clear, we are in discussions with all major South African companies, not only Paramount, not only Denel," Schwer said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

South Africa's defence industry once played a major role in the country's economy, but more recently it has suffered from the impact of a squeeze on defence spending globally and a weak home market.

Saudi Arabia is the world's third largest defence spender behind the US and China with an estimated military budget last year of nearly $70 billion.

Since 2015, the Gulf state has been fighting a war against the armed Houthi movement in Yemen in support of the internationally recognised government there.

With little local manufacturing capacity, however, it has long been forced to import the bulk of its military hardware.

The Saudi government is now seeking to develop its own domestic defence industry with the goal of localising half of its military spending by 2030. Schwer said SAMI aimed to have all its foreign partnerships in place by the end of next year.

"We are in discussions with the South African government in order to identify opportunities to set up strategic partnerships which could include an equity investment from our side into Denel. It's not decided yet, but it's one option," Schwer said.

STRUGGLING INDUSTRY

Over 60 percent of Denel's revenues come from exports. But the company has been grappling with a liquidity crunch after becoming embroiled in corruption scandals during the presidency of Jacob Zuma.

"We hope to get access to their technology. They have to commit to transfer their technology to Saudi Arabia and to build up together with us local capabilities, not only manufacturing but also engineering," Schwer said.

He said those same conditions would apply to all of SAMI's partners, and in return, Saudi Arabia would offer preferred or exclusive market access to companies.

Denel did not pay senior staff their salaries in full this month. Labour unions say it is critical that Denel receives financial support - either via additional government guarantees or a capital injection.

A Denel spokeswoman said she was not aware of the discussions with SAMI and the Saudi government.

"Denel would welcome any country that looks at South Africa for procurement of defence material," the spokeswoman Vuyelwa Qinga, wrote in an emailed response to Reuters' questions.

President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Saudi Arabia in July and subsequently announced that the Saudi government pledged to invest at least $10 billion in South Africa.

Department of Public Enterprises spokesman Adrian Lackay said there had been discussions between SAMI and various state bodies about Saudi Arabia's interest in defence technology.

"But at this stage, it would be premature and speculative for the DPE to attempt to provide details of any specific transactions," he said.

A UN arms embargo imposed on South Africa's apartheid government in 1977 forced the country to produce all its own military hardware.

By 1994 when Nelson Mandela was elected president, the industry employed over 100,000 people. But defence spending has steadily declined and just 15,000 work in the sector today, a trade association official said earlier this year.

"In the beginning, we will pump in lots of additional capacity into South Africa to expand the capabilities and capacities in order to serve our needs and, yes, progressively we will build up capabilities here in the kingdom," Schwer said.

He said even though the Saudis were pursuing the partnership to build their own domestic industry, the end result for South Africa would be a much bigger defence industry.
Air India building, Mumbai

Debt-ridden Air India has issued directives aimed at cost-cutting following the latest 7.3 percent hike in jet fuel prices.

Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, said that the government will use a multi-pronged strategy to revive the national carrier, which includes sharpening the skills of the existing workforce. Here are some of the measures the airline.

According to the directive, cabin crew members who do not turn up for flights on time will have to pay the transportation cost to the airline for their office pick-up cab. A roster will be maintained of the late-comers for only domestic flights, who may lose their overseas flying allowance.

 Cabin crew from other bases have been asked to relocate to New Delhi either temporarily or permanently if they want to fly wide-body planes. Most of the carriers B777/787 on long routes operate from the Delhi base.

After a dance video of Air India crew went viral, the airline has asked its employees to behave while they are on duty. Air India has warned of disciplinary action for uploading such videos.

The airline is also downgrading the flight attendants outstation accommodation from single occupancy to sharing basis. It has asked its crew to share rooms and lodge in three-star hotels, instead of the usual four or five-star hotels.

Pilots and cabin crew have been asked not to upgrade seats of passengers from economy to business class after there were increasing complaints of random favours and misuse of authority against the crew members.
3. Beware of the start-stop scam. A common method pumps use to scam motorists is filling up a lower amount by mistake. For example, say you have asked for fuel worth Rs 1,500. The attendant fills up only Rs 500 worth and after being pointed out his mistake goes ahead and pretends to reset the machine and fills up to Rs 1,000. All the while, you could be under the impression that you received Rs 1,500 worth of fuel. (Representative image)

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Shares of Oil marketing companies (OMCs) including HPCL, BPCL and IOC touched 52-week low after government cut excise on petrol and diesel by Rs 1.50, while OMC will absorb Re 1 cut.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in press conference announced that the government has cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 1.50 per litre, while OMCs will absorb the cut of Re 1 per litre.

Total benefit to customers on petrol & diesel prices is Rs 2.50/litre. Will write to state governments seeking cut of state tax by Rs 2.50/litre on fuel prices, he added.

The announcement comes after fuel prices have been consistently hitting record highs since mid-August. As of October 4, petrol prices jumped 14 paise to Rs 91.34 per litre in Mumbai.

Jaitley attributed the price hike to international factors, primarily the rising cost of Brent crude oil prices, which touched $86 per barrel, the highest in four years.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation was quoting at Rs 208.20, down Rs 43.15, or 17.17 percent. It has touched a 52-week low of Rs 208.20.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation was quoting at Rs 314.80, down Rs 62.65, or 16.60 percent. It has touched a 52-week low of Rs 310.

Indian Oil Corporation was quoting at Rs 135.00, down Rs 22.50, or 14.29 percent. It has touched a 52-week low of Rs 134.05.

At 15:27 hrs GAIL India was quoting at Rs 362.85, down Rs 18.75, or 4.91 percent.

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Posted by Rakesh Patil
Patanjali's juggernaut seems to be on a roll as Baba Ramdevs firm is all set to enter the apparels market in India after marking its presence in yoga, Ayurveda and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) space.

Baba Ramdevs Patanjali Ayurved, in response to CNBC-TV18 query, confirmed plans to launch its apparel business  Paridhan in December 2018.

The company has issued an invitation for franchisees to open exclusive brand outlets for apparels and fashion accessories. Paridhan stores will also house fashion accessories including bags, belts, and wallets. It is likely to open 3,000 stock keeping units and may scale this up going forward.

Read  With Patanjali set to make pants, will Baba Ramdev stretch the textile sector?

According to reports, prices of these products will be at least 30-40 percent lower than leading brands in those categories.

Patanjali, which started a small-sized pharmacy in 1997, marked its presence in yoga through yoga sutras, with Baba Ramdev being the face of the brand. Ramdevs already established image of a yoga guru and a firm believer of ayurveda helped Patanjali create a brand perception of health and wellness among the Indian masses.

After excelling in ayurvedic medicines, the company forayed in India's FMCG sector becoming the fastest growing company in this sector which was once dominated by multinational behemoths. Patanjali's entry in this sector sent out waves, whereby, FMCG heavyweights such as HUL, Dabur, and Emami, among others, bore the brunt. These companies reported a fall in their market share and increased spending on advertisements.

Read  EXCLUSIVE: Patanjalis CEO aims to double sales, rules out IPO to preserve 'free spirit'

The Haridwar-based company soon started manufacturing a range of goods from shampoo to noodles building a well-diversified product portfolio in a short span. Patanjalis household penetration had increased to 45 percent from 27 percent in 2017.

In a bid to expand the reach of its products, Patanjali recently collaborated with retail chains like Future Group, Reliance Retail, Hyper City and Star Bazaar and e-commerce platforms. The firm is reportedly clocking an online sales of up to Rs 15 crore every month and expect it to grow further every month.

Patanjali has also started dabbling in the digital space with the launch of SIM cards and an instant swadeshi messaging app Kimbho to take on WhatsApp.

Patanjali Ayurved also announced its foray into the dairy segment by launching milk and milk-based products, including curd and cheese, targeting sales worth Rs 1,000 crore from the segment. Besides, it has also ventured into the frozen vegetable segment and introduced products such as sweet corn, pea and potato fingers.

The launch of an apparel sector adds another wing to Patanjali's empire. Its entry may affect some of the large players (since it has set a top-line target of Rs 5,000 crore in the first year itself) and the unorganised textile manufacturers, who are already reeling under GST-induced pressure, would be the worst hit.

The company which is targeting revenues of Rs. 10,000 crore for FY 2016-17 and Rs. 20,000 -25,000 crore in FY 2018 has extensive sales channel of over 5000 distributors, 15,000 stores, and 100 mega-marts.

But the company is also facing some challenges now.

While Patanjali has grown more than ten times in revenue in the last five years, it is reportedly facing a slowdown. The firm's FY18 revenue was flat, after growing its turnover to Rs 10,000 crore in FY17 from Rs 2,000 crore from FY14.

A combination of internal factors which are driven by Patanjalis own strategies and external factors such as a competitive response seems to cause the slowdown in Patanjali, according to Credit Suisse report.

"The key factors leading to the decline in Patanjali are brand fatigue setting in due to lack of renovation, inability to crack general trade distribution, dilution of the ayurvedic credentials on excessive extension, strong competitive response from large companies with their own ayurvedic offerings, and a sharp drop in advertising spends," the Credit Suisse report said.
Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has urged the 15th Finance Commission to grant extra central assistance to the state citing its progress with the help of its own limited resources.

Making a presentation before the commission headed by its Chairman N K Singh Wednesday, Kumar also expressed disapproval of the doing away with the distinction between general and special category states.

"The removal of such a distinction is a paradox which the 15th Finance Commission should look into," Kumar was quoted as saying in an official release.

Kumar also demanded greater central assistance to the state for disaster management, underscoring that Bihar was ravaged by floods annually on account of overflowing rivers originating in neighbouring Nepal.

"Seventy per cent of the state's area gets affected by floods. In 2017, the state had to spend Rs 2,400 crore in providing relief to the affected families. The central help was of only Rs 500 crore. It needs to be increased", he said.

He also expressed displeasure over states having to make contributions towards centrally sponsored schemes and requested for funds to meet development needs like schools and infrastructure for Panchayati Raj institutions.

Observing that forest cover is being taken into account during allocation of funds by the Centre, the chief minister said, "We had set up a Hariyali Mission to increase the forest cover which has risen to 15 per cent from mere seven per cent in 2000 when Jharkhand was carved out."

Kumar was interacting with the commission in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who holds the finance portfolio, and top officials like Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar and Principal Secretary, Finance, Sujata Chaturvedi.

The commission also held interactions with representatives of various political parties, Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Chowdhury and RJD leader and former state finance minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui.

It was also presented with a joint memorandum of political parties and academic/professional organisations drafted by city-based think tank Asian Development Research Organisation (ADRI).
The Supreme Court Thursday allowed the deportation of seven Rohingyas, who have illegally migrated to Assam in India, to their country of origin Myanmar.

The apex court said the seven Rohingyas were found by the competent court as illegal immigrants and Myanmar had accepted them as its citizens.

"We are not inclined to interfere on the decision taken," the apex court said.

The Centre told the apex court that the seven Rohingyas have illegally migrated to India in 2012 and they were convicted under Foreigners Act.

The Centre also informed the court that Myanmar has issued a certificate of identity to the seven Rohingyas along with one month visa to facilitate their deportation.

The order was passed by a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph.

An application was moved Wednesday seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting to Myanmar seven Rohingyas lodged in a detention centre at Silchar in Assam.

Rohingya immigrants will be handed over to the Myanmar authorities in Moreh border post in Manipur on Thursday, a Home Ministry official had said Wednesday.

The interim plea, seeking urgent measures to stop the proposed deportation of seven Rohingyas, was filed in a pending PIL.
Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways

When the bullet train was conceptualised in Japan, it was opposed by many, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday amid growing opposition for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train project over the high costs involved. At the second International Conference on Technological Advancement in Railways and Metro Projects 2018, he said the railways will have to look at the best of the technology available anywhere in the world and apply it to the country's infrastructure.

"I am glad to share that when the Shinkansen bullet train was first conceptualised in Japan in the 1950s, many Japanese politicians and academicians had strongly opposed it.

"We have a fair share of naysayers in the country. Whenever we speak of introducing new technology or bring up an out of the box idea, there is a lot of resistance," Goyal said.

The minister narrated the story and journey of technological advancements and those who opposed it.

"I am sure when horse carriages were replaced by steam engine trains, there must have been many naysayers," he said.

Goyal further said when the ministry introduced the concept of a high-speed train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, the idea "wasn't only about speed but about introducing the latest technology in the country."

The minister said the need of the hour was to figure out how technological innovations can make the railways safer, more efficient and help expand its capacity at the least cost.

He proposed that railways follow the convoy system in freight train movement, which, he said, was successfully tried in the East Central Railway zone.

"Why do freight and passenger trains have to intertwine with each other, reducing speeds and clogging the network? Last week, we finally tried a convoy concept of freight trains.

"Forty freight trains in this convoy were able to run at higher speeds due to lack of interference from passenger trains. This concept will increase efficiency and revenues for the railway," Goyal said.

Stating that he was looking to create a 'new railway', the minister emphasised that it will have a better level of cleanliness, quality assurance and a open minded business outlook.

The bullet train project, which is embroiled in land acquisition issues in both Ahmedabad and Gujarat, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in September last year.

The bullet train on the proposed track will run at a speed of 320-350 kmph. There will be 12 stations across the 508-km stretch. A part of the stretch is expected to be operational by 2022.

On October 1, As many as 40 new petitions were filed in the Gujarat High Court by farmers challenging the land acquisition process for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.

Earlier, 1,000 farmers had submitted individual affidavits in the High Court against the land acquisition process.

For the project, around 1,400 hectares of land will be acquired in Gujarat and Maharashtra, 1,120 hectares of which is privately owned. Around 6,000 land owners will have to be compensated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in India on October 4 for a two-day bilateral visit. This will be the 19th annual India-Russia bilateral summit. The last annual summit was held on June 1, 2017, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to St Petersburg, Russia.

The Russian president will be meeting Modi in the evening. Both leaders will hold talks on October 5 after which as many as 20 agreements are expected to be signed, including the purchase of S-400 Triumf air defence systems.

Putin and Modi are also expected to deliberate on important regional and global issues that may include recent US sanctions on crude oil imports from Iran.

The two leaders are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation amid US sanctions against Russian defence manufacturing.

Putin is scheduled to call on President Ram Nath Kovind on October 5.

The Russian leader will also interact with a group of children and will address an India-Russia business meet.

The focus of the summit will be an agreement on the S-400 air defence missile system. India is seeking the long-range missile system to strengthen its air defence mechanism, especially along the border with China.

The S-400 is considered as the most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. China too had purchased the S-400 missile system from Russia in 2014.

On October 2, a top Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said Putin will oversee the signing of the '$5 billion deal'.

The purchase assumes important as it will violate sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) enforced by the US Congress on arms purchases from Russia, though there is a possibility of a presidential waiver.

The US had warned India against the planned purchase. For months, there have been indications from New Delhi that it will sign the deal notwithstanding the US sanctions.

Asked if US sanctions will hit India over the S-400 purchase deal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had earlier told PTI, "India has maintained its sovereignty as regards to its relationship with countries. We shall maintain it in all earnestness."

The Centre on October 3 approved signing of an agreement to promote co-operation between small and medium enterprises of the two countries. The move is expected to open up more opportunities for the Indian SME sector through new markets, joint ventures, sharing of best practices and technology collaborations.Putin and Modi will discuss geo-political challenges in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and the security threat India faces from Pakistan.

The government has reportedly been in talks with Russia over the latters defence co-operation with Islamabad. Reports suggest that the issue may be taken up during the bilateral meet.

International regional forums, cultural and people-to-people contact, counter-terrorism, energy security, Syria, science and technology and civil nuclear cooperation are also likely to be on the meets agenda, according to a India Today report.

The two countries are expected to conclude on an action plan for expanding civil nuclear energy partnership, a report by The Economic Times had earlier suggested.

The expansion plan will focus on a second site for a Russian nuclear plant in India and localisation of components for the plants under the Make in India initiative.

The plan will also involve strengthening co-operation for the existing Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu and initiatives in third countries, the report added.

(With PTI inputs)
BSP Chief Mayawati,congress bsp alliance

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has ruled out any possibility of an alliance with the Congress for the upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Addressing a press conference on October 3, the Uttar Pradesh supremo said that even though Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi appeared in favour of an alliance, there were other "senior leaders" who worked to foil any possibility of an understanding.

The BSP has decided to contest alone in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. We will not fight the elections with the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan at any cost, Mayawati said.

The BSP chief had earlier dismissed talks of a tie-up with the Congress in poll-bound Chhattisgarh year, announcing an alliance with former chief minister Ajit Jogi's outfit, Janta Congress Chhattisgarh. Jogi was earlier a member of the Grand Old Party.

Mayawati also claimed that the voters in the three poll-bound states were not in favour of the BJP returning to power, but due to the Congress' "stubborn attitude", her party had to strike an alliance with a regional party in Chhattisgarh.

Impact on Madhya Pradesh

Vote share

Talks of Congress-BSP alliance for Madhya Pradesh polls have been doing the rounds in political galleries since long. The tie-up was expected to be beneficial for both the parties considering their performances in the last assembly elections.

In the 2013 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, the vote share difference between the BJP and the Congress was 8.5 percent. BSPs vote share was 6.29 percent in the polls.

Going by the numbers, it is apparent that had the BSP joined hands with the Congress in the upcoming assembly polls, the latters vote share would have added considerable weight to its alliance partner.

SC/ST Act outrage

Mayawati's apparent fallout with the Congress could come down heavily on the Grand Old Party vis-a-vis the caste conundrum brewing in the state, especially after the Centre brought a legislation to overturn the Supreme Court order which "diluted" the SC/ST Act.

After the Supreme Court's ruling on the provision of mandatory arrests under the SC/ST Act, Madhya Pradesh witnessed violent protests by Dalit organisations. At that time, Mayawati had supported the agitation.

Read Also: Will SC/ST Act conundrum hit BJP's voter base in Madhya Pradesh?

Keeping in mind that the Dalits have historically supported the BSP, Mayawati's dismissal of an alliance with the Congress could cost the party their Dalit electorate.

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.

Anti-incumbency

The state has been ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for 15 years, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan being the chief minister for three consecutive terms.

In such a situation, the possibility of anti-incumbency against the saffron party seeps in. This means that some of the loyal BJP voters may choose another party over BJP in the upcoming elections.

As the Congress and the BSP have emerged as the second and the third largest party respectively in the last three assembly polls, there is a possibility that voters may opt for any of these two parties. This implies, an alliance would have proved fruitful for both the parties.

Besides, the BSPs decision to not forge an alliance with the Congress in the assembly polls may be detrimental to the Congress' efforts to stitch a united front against the ruling BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Congress

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi-led government of trying to polarise the society to deflect attention from issues such as the sliding rupee and spike in fuel prices.

Kharge said when the rupee fell during the previous UPA government's rule, Narendra Modi, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat, had criticised it, but now, when he is the prime minister, he is silent over it.

Petrol prices were Thursday hiked by 15 paise a litre and diesel by 20 paise, according to price notification of state-owned oil firms.

Kharge claimed the government wanted to increase the petrol price up to Rs 100 per litre and diesel to Rs 78 per litre and said the crude oil price in international market was less than what it was when the Congress-led UPA was in power.

"When the Indian currency was between Rs 45 and Rs 55 against the US dollar, Narendra Modi, then the chief minister of Gujarat, would constantly criticise us. But now he is keeping quiet. The government has collected Rs 12 lakh crore worth excise duty on petrol/ diesel," he said.

"The government is attempting polarisation in the society to deflect attention from important developmental issues," he alleged and claimed the condition of farmers, Dalits and minorities was "bad" in the country.

The AICC general secretary was speaking before the launch of second phase of the party's Jan Sangharsh Yatra here in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district.

He said the Congress had worked hard to uplift the rural economy in Maharashtra and would continue to do so.

Hitting out at the NDA government, he said now farmers who come to Delhi to seek redressal of their grievances are beaten up and tear gas shells are lobbed on them.

"Loan waiver worth Rs 72,000 crore was given to farmers during the UPA rule and now the situation of farmers is similar. But, the Modi government is doing nothing to help the cultivators in distress," the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha claimed.

Notably, Faizpur was the venue of the Congress' first convention in rural areas in 1936 and was then attended by Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, among other leaders.

Kharge, Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan and other state leaders and office-bearers paid tributes to the freedom fighters in Faizpur before embarking on the second phase of the 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra'.

As part of the yatra, the Congress leaders are touring across Maharashtra, covering almost 150 Assembly seats over three months, in what is being touted as the party's largest mass outreach campaign in the state.

The first phase of the yatra from Kolhapur to Pune across western Maharashtra, where the party had lost its grip in the 2014 polls, concluded on September 8.

During the second phase, Congress leaders will campaign across north Maharashtra till October 9, a senior party leader said.

With focus on mass outreach, the Congress leaders are touring on 'raths' equipped with LED screens and focusing on smaller gatherings for a better interaction with people and party workers.

During the first phase of the yatra, the Congress leaders showed people the past campaign videos of senior BJP leaders such as Modi, Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis, while alleging the saffron party came to power only on the back of "false promises.
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi during exchange of agreements event after India-Russia Annual Summit in Benaulim, in the western state of Goa, India, October 15, 2016. (Image: Reuters)

Harsh V Pant

Starting today Russian President Vladimir Putin will be in New Delhi on a two-day visit for the 19th India-Russia annual bilateral summit. This annual summitry is unique as Russia is one of only two countries, the other one being Japan, with which India holds an annual bilateral.

Though India and Russia have had a longstanding partnership, it has been passing through a turbulent phase even as this bilateral relationship was elevated to Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership in 2010. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sochi for an informal summit with Putin where he tried to reaffirm New Delhis commitment to galvanise one of Indias oldest strategic partnerships. Welcoming Modi to Sochi personally as a big friend of Russia, Putin said his visit would give a fresh impetus to bilateral ties. United States President Donald Trumps disruptive attitude to international affairs has made it imperative for countries such as Russia and India to coordinate their responses on global issues.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj also visited Moscow for the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) meeting last month where it was decided to increase the target of two-way investments to $50 billion by 2025, because the earlier target of $30 billion has already been met.

The highlight of Putins visit is likely to be the signing of the pact for the purchase of the S-400 Triumf  a mobile, surface-to-air missile system  which has been under discussion since 2015. The Russian-built S-400 Triumf is widely considered as the most effective operationally deployed modern long-range surface-to-air missile (MLR SAM) system in the world and therefore much in demand. China signed a pact for six battalions of the S-400 in 2015 and countries such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iraq are in line.

The S-400 deal has been one of the major issues challenging India-US ties. According to the CAATSA (Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act), countries doing business with Russian, Iranian and North Korean defence companies will be placed under sanctions. There is a provision for granting of waivers to select countries and India is hoping to avail of that.

There have been signals from the highest echelons of the Trump Administration that they understand Indias predicament. With more than 60% of Indias military hardware still being outsourced from Russia and a multi-billion dollar deal for five S-400 missile systems in the offing, India cannot really afford to side-line Russia in its defence calculus. Moreover, a militarily potent India is central to the US strategy in the wider Indo-Pacific. So, the Trump Administrations reaction to the S-400 deal will be closely watched.

Even as India is trying to stabilise its defence ties with Russia, there are growing concerns in New Delhi about Moscows increasing tilt towards Pakistan as it seeks to curry favour with China. Moscow had historically supported New Delhi at the United Nations Security Council by repeatedly vetoing resolutions on the Kashmir issue. Today, however, there is a change in how Moscow views its regional priorities in South Asia.

In a significant development, the joint declaration issued at the end of the first-ever six-nation Speakers Conference in Islamabad held in December 2017 supported a Pakistani line on Kashmir. Russia was one among the six nations.

During his visit to New Delhi last year, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov had publicly called on India to join Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and hoped that New Delhi will find a way out to benefit from the mega connectivity project without sacrificing its position on the issues flagged by it. Referring to Indias opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on the grounds of sovereignty, he underlined that the specific problem in this regard should not make everything else conditional for resolving political differences.

Sino-Russian relationship has grown to an extent where the two are now participating in joint military exercises such as the recently concluded Vostok-2018, underscoring the rapidly evolving nature of this relationship and a fluid global strategic environment. Both are now more unified than ever in posing a challenge to the US-led global order. For India, this poses a real challenge.

New Delhi has long maintained that it needs a close relationship with Moscow so that the Beijing-Moscow relationship could be dented. But Indias Russia outreach seems to have had a rather insignificant impact so far on the Russia-China dynamic. Russia is also reaching out to Pakistan despite Indian reservations and is changing its tune on the Afghanistan issue. Given the challenge China poses to India on multiple fronts, this growing Sino-Russian collusion should ideally be at the top of the agenda during this weeks summit.

India-Russia ties are passing through an interesting phase. There are bilateral challenges that need to be overcome but the global environment has provided opportunities to New Delhi and Moscow to re-calibrate their ties, away from the shibboleths of the Cold War to a more pragmatic understanding of our bilateral and global interests. It is up to the political leaderships of the two nations to rise up to the occasion.

(Harsh V Pant is professor, Kings College London, and distinguished fellow, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi. Views expressed are personal.)
Delhi High Court

The Delhi High court Thursday asked the Haryana government about the status of the repair works on the old Delhi Sub Branch Canal (DSBC), that carries water to the national capital, besides the Munak canal. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao asked the state government to file a report before the next date of hearing on November 12.

The direction from the bench came after petitioner advocate S B Tripathi told the court that the repairs were getting delayed which in turn was affecting the water supply to Delhi, especially in the sub-city of Dwarka.

Haryana had on May 24 this year told the court that it has floated tenders for the repair works and that they would be opened in June and the work was expected to be completed in four months thereafter.

Prior to that, the court had on May 10 pulled up the Haryana government for not issuing any tender for repairing the old sub-branch canal, despite payment of Rs 28.16 crore to it by the Delhi Jal Board for the work.

The court was also displeased with the fact that Haryana had till then not encashed the cheques sent in March.

The high court on March 13 had directed Haryana and Delhi governments to take steps to immediately carry out repair works on DSBC, saying any delay in commencing the work would lead to wastage of water, would be really needed by the national capital.

The court was hearing a PIL moved by Tripathi who has said that the population in Delhi was increasing each day but the raw water available was the same or even decreasing.

Tripathi has also filed an application for concrete lining of DSBC, similar to the Munak canal, claiming that due to seepage in the older canal, 50 per cent of the 330 cusec water released into it by Haryana is lost. The plea has claimed that the wastage can be brought down to 5 per cent by concrete lining.

The bench had earlier asked the Haryana government to ensure it releases the entire quantity of water required as per the undertaking given to the court.

Haryana has to release 719 cusecs of water per day into Munak canal and 330 cusecs per day in DSBC, according to the undertaking and earlier court orders.
Stand-up comedian and YouTuber Utsav Chakraborty has been accused of sending sexually explicit messages to women, including minors, on various social media platforms.



Oh to be Indian and not die a thousand deaths from second hand embarrassment every day. https://t.co/tfKkv4DRBV

 Utsav (@Wootsaw) October 4, 2018

The story came forth when the comedian, who features in All India Bakchods (AIB) videos, posted a tweet condemning an incident about a group of Indian mens obscene behaviour onboard an Australian cruise ship.

In response to Chakrabortys tweet, a Twitter user commented on how the comedian sent unsolicited di** pics to her and later asked her not to tell anyone otherwise his career will be ruined. In her post, she also claimed that she told two of the most influential men in comedy in India, but nothing happened. She also stated that AIB was aware of this and they did not pay heed to the situation.

Her response opened a can of worms when other women, including minors, joined in and spoke out against Chakraborty saying he had sought inappropriate content (nude pictures, et al) from them through direct messages.

What followed was a barrage of messages where women accused Chakraborty of sexual misconduct and even harassment.

Meanwhile, AIB issued a statement distancing them from this incident. They said they will cooperate with any investigation that follows and will delist any videos featuring Chakraborty with immediate effect.



We have followed you. Request you to inbox your number. We will look into this on priority.

 Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) October 4, 2018

Taking suo motu cognizance of the issue, Mumbai Police tweeted the Twitter user offering her to file an official complaint on this matter.

Other comedians in the industry have also expressed their shock at the incident.



I feel sick and scared and angry and ashamed. Where the hell do men get this audacity from? Oh yes from society. #NotMyCommunity @AGirlOfHerWords  Mallika Dua (@MallikaDua) October 4, 2018





It's a serious failure of the entire comedy community if things have come to this stage. We had a new industry that could have been easily taught the meaning of equality & respect. We blew that chance. Ashamed.

  (@varungrover) October 4, 2018

Utsav Chakraborty, on the other hand, later posted a clarification, where he has said he wont discredit anyone and that an incredible amount of context is required to understand the entire incident.
China is using "debt diplomacy" to expand its global influence, US Vice President Mike Pence alleged, citing example of a Sri Lankan port which he said could soon become a forward military base for Beijing's growing blue-water navy.

Pence said China was offering hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure loans to governments from Asia to Africa to Europe to even Latin America. "Yet the terms of those loans are opaque at best, and the benefits flow overwhelmingly to Beijing," Pence said.

"China uses so-called 'debt diplomacy' to expand its influence," Pence alleged in a major foreign policy speech at the Hudson Institute, a top American think-tank.

"Just ask Sri Lanka, which took on massive debt to let Chinese state companies build a port with questionable commercial value. Two years ago, that country could no longer afford its payments  so Beijing pressured Sri Lanka to deliver the new port directly into Chinese hands. It may soon become a forward military base for China's growing blue-water navy," Pence said.

Within the American hemisphere, Beijing has extended a lifeline to the corrupt and incompetent Maduro regime in Venezuela, pledging $5 billion in questionable loans that can be repaid with oil, Pence told the Washington audience.

China is also that country's single largest creditor, saddling the Venezuelan people with more than $50 billion in debt.

Beijing is also corrupting some nations' politics by providing direct support to parties and candidates who promise to accommodate China's strategic objectives, he said.

"Since last year, the Chinese Communist Party has convinced three Latin American nations to sever ties with Taipei and recognise Beijing. These actions threaten the stability of the Taiwan Strait  and the United States of America condemns these actions," Pence said.

He said while the Trump administration will continue to respect One China Policy, as reflected in the three joint communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act, America will always believe Taiwan's embrace of democracy shows a better path for all the Chinese people.

"These are only a few of the ways that China has sought to advance its strategic interests across the world, with growing intensity and sophistication. Yet previous administrations all but ignored China's actions  and in many cases, they abetted them. But those days are over," Pence asserted.

Under President Trump's leadership, the US interests have been defended with renewed American strength, he claimed.

"We've been making the strongest military in the history of the world stronger still. Earlier this year, the President signed into law the largest increase in our national defense since the days of Ronald Reagan  $716 billion to extend our military dominance in every domain," he said.

"We're modernising our nuclear arsenal, we're fielding and developing new cutting-edge fighters and bombers, we're building a new generation of aircraft carriers and warships, and we're investing as never before in our Armed Forces.

"This includes initiating the process to establish the United States Space Force to ensure our continued dominance in space, and authorising increased capability in the cyber world to build deterrence against our adversaries," he added.

China now spends as much on its military as the rest of Asia combined, and Beijing has prioritised capabilities to erode America's military advantages  on land, at sea, in the air, and in space, Pence alleged.

"China wants nothing less than to push the United States of America from the Western Pacific and attempt to prevent us from coming to the aid of our allies," he alleged.
The people of Iran face a sensitive time because of pressure from America and economic problems, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in an address broadcast by state television on Thursday.

Khamenei was speaking to tens of thousands of members of the Basij militia and top Revolutionary Guards leaders gathered in a stadium in Tehran.

Discord between Iran and the US has worsened since US President Donald Trump withdrew from a multilateral nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic in May and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

"The situation of the nation, region and world is sensitive, especially for us the people of Iran," Khamenei said.

"Sensitive in this respect that on one hand we have the shouting of the arrogant powers and politicians of imperialist America... on another hand the economic problems of the nation and the tightness of the livelihood of a large portion of the weak people in the country."

The Iranian rial has lost approximately 75 percent of its value since the beginning of 2018.

The US has said it plans to impose new sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector on November 4 with the aim of stopping Iran's involvement in conflicts in Syria and Iraq and bringing the Islamic Republic to the negotiating table for its ballistic missile program.

Iranian officials have said they are involved in the Syrian conflict at the request of President Bashar al-Assad and have refused any negotiations on their missile program.

At a press briefing in Geneva on Thursday, Robert Wood, the US Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, said: "We want to see Iran no longer operating in Syria... And we will continue to tighten sanctions on Iran. You will be seeing some new steps in November, and we'll go from there."

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif criticised US foreign policy in a Twitter post on Thursday.

"President Trump repeatedly humiliates the Saudis by saying they can't last 2 weeks without his support. This is the recompense for the delusion that one's security can be outsourced," Zarif wrote. "We again extend our hand to our neighbors: let's build a "strong region" and stop this conceit."

Iran and Saudi Arabia are regional rivals and have supported opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen and different political factions in Iraq and Lebanon.

In his speech in Tehran, Khamenei also said that Iran must deliver a slap to America by defeating sanctions.

"With the kindness of God we will defeat sanctions and the defeat of sanctions is the defeat of America," Khamenei said. "And America must receive another slap from the people of Iran with the defeat of sanctions."
Answer: Nissan.

Japanese carmaker Nissan said on Thursday a no-deal Brexit will have "serious implications" for British industry and urged Britain and the European Union to reach a deal on their future trading relationship.

"Today we are among those companies with major investments in the UK who are still waiting for clarity on what the future trading relationship between the UK and the EU will look like," Nissan said in a statement.

"As a sudden change from those rules to the rules of the WTO will have serious implications for British industry, we urge UK and EU negotiators to work collaboratively towards an orderly balanced Brexit that will continue to encourage mutually beneficial trade."

Carmakers are worried that port and motorway hold-ups could slow the movement of components and finished models, crippling output and adding costs, if Britain fails to reach agreement with the European Union over its departure from the bloc on March 29.
Saudi Arabia has agreed in principle to invest in a new oil refinery in Pakistan's Chinese-funded deep-water port of Gwadar, the South Asian nation's petroleum minister said on Thursday.

State-owned Pakistan State Oil will partner with Saudi state oil giant Aramco on the project, Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan told reporters.

Details of the refinery's costs and capacity are to be worked out later, once a formal memorandum of understanding that was approved by Pakistan's cabinet on Thursday is finalised, he added.

Gwadar, in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, is the crown jewel of China's more than $60 billion in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in Pakistan.

Last month, Pakistan invited Saudi Arabia to invest in projects related to BRI's China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), though the government clarified this week that China was still the only true partner.

Petroleum Minister Khan said a visiting Saudi delegation visited Gwadar on Tuesday.

"They showed an interest to immediately invest in the refinery," Khan said.

"We sat down and held initial discussions with them and it was principally decided by both sides that it will be a government-to-government agreement."

The offer came after new Prime Minister Imran Khan made Riyadh his first foreign visit since taking office.
Build your skillset: Change is the only constant and with the evolving times an updated skillset would be a handy addition to your resume. Show potential employers what youve learned that can be an asset to their business in the post-coronavirus world. (Image Source: Reuters)

Britain and the Netherlands accused Russia of running a global campaign of cyber attacks to undermine democracies, including a thwarted attempt to hack into the UN chemical weapons watchdog while it was analysing a Russian poison used to attack a spy.

In some of the strongest language used by the West since the Cold War, Britain said Russia was acting like a "pariah state". The accusations were backed by other Western countries including the US, which said Moscow must pay a price.

Russia denied what its Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called a "diabolical perfume cocktail" of allegations by someone with a "rich imagination". But the accusations deepen Moscow's isolation at a time when its diplomatic ties with the West have been downgraded over the poisoning of an ex-spy in England and it is under US and EU sanctions over its actions in Ukraine.

The British and Dutch accusations were unveiled as NATO defence ministers gathered in Brussels to present a united front to their Cold War-era foe.

"This is not the actions of a great power, these are the actions of a pariah state," British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson told reporters.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he agreed with the British and Dutch assessments. Russia must pay a price and a number of response options were available, he said.

Dutch authorities said they had disrupted an attempt to hack into the Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in April. At the time, the UN watchdog was investigating both the poison used to attack ex-spy Sergei Skripal in Britain and chemical weapons which the West says were used in Syria by Russia's ally President Bashar al-Assad.

According to a presentation by the head of the Netherlands' military intelligence agency, four Russians arrived in the Netherlands on April 10 and were caught with spying equipment at a hotel located next to the OPCW headquarters.

The four were detained on April 13 and expelled to Russia, Dutch Major-General Onno Eichelsheim said. They had planned to travel on to a laboratory in Spiez, Switzerland used by the OPCW to analyse samples, he said.

The Netherlands released copies of passports of the four men, which identified them as Alexey Minin, Oleg Sotnikov, Evgenii Serebriakov and Aleksei Morenets, all in their 30s or 40s. Reuters was not immediately able to contact them.

Russian military intelligence "is active here in the Netherlands... where a lot of international organisations are (based)," Eichelsheim said.

AGGRESSOR

Earlier on Thursday, Britain released an assessment based on work by its National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which cast Russia's GRU military intelligence agency as a cyber aggressor which used a network of hackers to sow worldwide discord.

The GRU, Britain said, was almost certainly behind the BadRabbit and World Anti-Doping Agency hacking attacks of 2017, the hack of the US Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016 and the theft of emails from a UK-based TV station in 2015.

"The GRU's actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries," said British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

"Our message is clear - together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRU's attempts to undermine international stability," Hunt said.

The GRU, now officially known in Russia by a shorter acronym GU, is also the agency Britain has blamed for sending two agents to England to poison former spy Sergei Skripal with a chemical weapon sprayed on his door.

Skripal, his daughter and a police officer fell seriously ill; a woman later died after her partner found the poison in a discarded perfume bottle. Russia says the two men Britain blames for the attack were tourists who twice visited Skripal's hometown for sightseeing during a weekend trip to England, a story Britain says is so far-fetched as to prove Moscow's culpability.

Hunt said the hacking attempt at the OPCW was further proof of Moscow's role in the poisoning.

After the Skripal poisoning, dozens of Western countries launched the biggest expulsion of Russian spies working under diplomatic cover since the height of the Cold War. Moscow replied with tit-for-tat expulsions of Westerners.

In a separate case on Thursday, a Norwegian court extended for a second two-week period the detention of a Russian citizen suspected of spying on Norway's parliament. Norway arrested Mikhail Bochkaryov on September 21 as he was about to fly out of the country. Moscow says he is a Russian parliamentary staff member and has demanded Oslo lift the "absurd charges".

Britain said the GRU was associated with a host of hackers including APT 28, Fancy Bear, Sofacy, Pawnstorm, Sednit, CyberCaliphate, Cyber Berkut, Voodoo Bear and BlackEnergy Actors.

"This pattern of behaviour demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to international law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences," Hunt said.

The US sanctioned GRU officers including its chief, Igor Korobov, in 2016 and 2018 for attempted interference in the 2016 US election and cyber attacks.

Australia and New Zealand backed the British findings.

"By embarking on a pattern of malicious cyber behaviour, Russia has shown a total disregard for the agreements it helped to negotiate," Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
Jolted by the massive systemic risk that the defaults of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) can create, a sleeping government has, finally, sacked a part of the board of directors of IL&FS on 1st October and injected seven new directors. It has also ordered an investigation by the SFIO (serious frauds investigation office). With many insiders starting to allege that top executives of IL&FS were gold-plating projects to create their own pot of gold, an investigation is clearly warranted.

The reconstituted board of IL&FS has to submit a resolution plan to the NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) by 31st October. How difficult is the new boards job? Well, it has to first understand the enormity of the problem and the modus operandi of Ravi Parthasarathy who ran the IL&FS show with his cronies for over two decades creating 175 subsidiaries and 66 joint ventures and associates (higher than those mentioned by the finance ministrys press release ). It holds assets of around Rs1,65,000 crore of which a whopping Rs30,000 crore are at risk , according to data analysed by REDD Intelligence.

Modus Operandi

The IL&FS group switched from arranging and structuring infrastructure finance, to being a partner in projects, around 2005. Typically, it leveraged its big public sector shareholding to find acceptance with state governments. It also offered a 50:50 joint venture, where the state got to appoint a non-executive chairman while IL&FS ran the show with its own managing director (MD) and virtually owned the projects.

Its flamboyant, high-spending ways were used to build deep contacts with bureaucrats in all state governments. It had dozens of IAS officers on its payroll and also doled out favours like houses/apartments for politically connected persons (PCPs), facilitating admission of their children to Ivy League universities abroad and other benefits.

The bureaucracy enjoyed its lavish spending ways; it didnt matter that the costs were passed on to the project and borne by the public. IL&FS brought project development and fund raising ability to the table, for which it extracted hefty fees, based on the project cost. So, every cost escalation only worked to its benefit.

It also cultivated banks and other lenders assiduously. It lists over 40 domestic and international banks as lenders, apart from selling its financial paper across the spectrum. It has even managed to sell its debt to nationalised banks at a profit!

Key to the gold-plating of projects was its template capital structure that was never questioned by pliant bureaucrats representing state governments, says a former insider who wants to remain anonymous.

Although each project was structured as a 50:50 partnership, the equity capital was tiny (as low as 5%)keeping risk capital minimal. Another 25%-30% would be brought in as subordinate debt which helped balance the debt-equity ratio. That was also subscribed by IL&FS, to give comfort to the government partner. The rest was raised through senior debt, raised mainly from public sector banks. According to this source, the bloating debt problem of IL&FS can be understood if the debt profile of SPVs (special purpose vehicles) and the holding companies are analysed.

Fees, Fees and More Fees

Typically, IL&FS charged multiple fees that allowed it to recover its entire investment even before the project got off the drawing board. IL&FS, as a group, earned project management fees, loan syndication fees, success fees, upfront fees, merchant banking fees, fees/charges for feasibility studies, environmental impact and social impact studies, etc. In fact, any cost or fee that could be pushed past the state government was loaded on to the project.

A good example is the Tirupur water project where an order of the Tamil Nadu High Court notes: Out of the gross disbursement of Rs140 crore, IL&FS deducted a total amount of Rs41.24 crore whose break-up was (i) project management fee of Rs9.60 crore; (ii) costs of Rs15.15 crore for USAID loan; (iii) upfront fee of Rs66.50 lakh; (iv) merchant banking fees of Rs10.04 crore; and (v) out-of-pocket expenses of Rs5.79 crore. The deductions were made before transferring the rest of the money to the project.

This win-win structure for IL&FS was supposed to be Ravi Parthasarathys genius and, probably, worked in the early days, until the costs had to be passed on to users. Then, like in the Noida Toll Bridge case, public anger erupted and the Supreme Court ordered the bridge to remain toll-free. Almost every major project of IL&FS is mired such controversy and litigation.

Now, let us look at how its dubious activities were already in the public domain, but nobody would act to cut the group to size.

Some Examples of the Plunder

1. Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd: This controversial company had given itself an assured return of over 20% (higher than its borrowing cost) which soared to 40% when its high-cost loans were renegotiated to 10% and the concession period dramatically extended from 30 years to 100 years. It was also given 30 acres of government land as a sweetener which it sold at a profit. No cost reduction was passed on to the toll-paying public. Instead, it was structured to ensure that the initial shortfall in toll collection was added to the project cost. This led to a 12 times cost escalation -- from Rs408 crore in early 2000 to over Rs5,000 crore when it was eventually scrapped by the courts.

2. Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC): This SPV was a 50:50 joint venture between IL&FS and the Tamil Nadu government (TNGov). It implemented the Rs205 crore IT corridor road project and east coast road-widening project.

While both were equal equity partners, the subordinate loan of Rs41 crore from IL&FS earned a 15% return while the state provided an interest-free grant of Rs34 crore. This became the subject of a bookEvolution of IT Corridor by K Malmarugan and Sabina Narayan which exposes how IL&FS structures its deals.

In that project, says the book, TNGov got back Rs2 lakh on its Rs44 crore investment in the first seven years, while IL&FS got back Rs91.3 crore on its investment of Rs69.6 crore. It also sold its senior debt at a profit to Punjab National Bank and earned a 4% management fee.

Further, TNRDC was assigned a 4.9-acre plot at Rs1 crore which now has a market value of Rs50 crore, say sources. In this case, TNGov realised how it was being duped and ousted Ravi Parthasarathy as chairman of TNRDC. It also bought out IL&FSs stake and converted it into a 100% government company.

3. Tirupur Water Project: The Tirupur water project, to privatise water supply and make it available to the wealthy, hosiery-exporting town, was conceived by IL&FS in the The Tirupur water project, to privatise water supply and make it available to the wealthy, hosiery-exporting town, was conceived by IL&FS in the mid-1990s and remains mired in litigation . The allegations, again, are fat fees charged by IL&FS and false promises to investors.

Just one sentence from a hard-hitting, 2014 order by Justice V Ramasubramanian (also quoted above) encapsulates all that is wrong with this project: The Government has pumped in money, unfortunately, only to service the debt with a pre-condition that the money will not even be used to improve the infrastructure. Investing more money just for the purpose of servicing a debt, is neither a prudent business decision nor in the interest of the public.

A top source in TNGov says there is an unwritten understanding in the state not to do business with IL&FS anymore. Did this never reach the ears of the former finance minister, who was from Tamil Nadu? You can draw your own conclusions.

GIFT City Gujarat: The Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, again structured as a 50:50 joint venture with the Gujarat government, was extraordinary in that the head of its audit committee filed a litigation against the The Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, again structured as a 50:50 joint venture with the Gujarat government, was extraordinary in that the head of its audit committee filed a litigation against the project in 2016 . The petition, by Dr DC Anjaria, alleged that this massive, Rs70,000-crore project had been virtually gifted away to IL&FS, leading to massive losses to the state government and the people.

Here, too, IL&FS has extorted high fees. It got the land valued at Rs2/acre at a nominal price translating to a giveaway of Rs440 crore to IL&FS, says Dr Anjaria. This also has an expensive, ongoing arbitration with the original contractor consortium headed by Fairwood, with large claims and counter-claims on both sides.

Gift City has been a favourite project of prime minister Narendra Modi; but not a word about it was in the public domain until I wrote about in August this year , just before IL&FS began to default on payments.

There are similar issues with IL&FSs ventures with the Rajasthan government, with the power project at Cuddalore and many others. But the most chilling one I have heard so far is a joint venture with RAHI Aviation to build airports at Gulbarga and Shimoga.

When things turned sour, IL&FS accused the promoter of RAHI Aviation of forgery, and worse, and got him arrested. It ensured that he remained in Arthur Road jail (Mumbai) for six months by piling on more charges. As a direct result of that fight, the project has been taken over by the Karnataka government, which also invoked bank guarantees of Rs20+ crore.

The details of what happened are the subject of a separate article; but IL&FS, which has now caused a systemic issue, lost the project and an investment of over Rs40 crore without anyone being held responsible.

Well, it is time we woke up and started asking questions and ensure that this deliberately created mess is not foisted on public sector institutions and, eventually, on the people of India.
The Indian rupee plunged to a fresh record low of 73.77 to a US dollar on Thursday morning.

It stood at 73.77 (73.7688) to a dollar -- the lowest ever mark -- it has touched against the greenback.

It opened the day's trade at the Inter-Bank Foreign Exchange Market at 73.67 to a dollar from its previous close of 73.34.

At 9.50 a.m., the rupee stood at 73.65 to a greenback.

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.
Many debt schemes, especially those considered very safe for investing, were affected heavily after IL&FS defaulted last month. The loss in net asset value (NAV) of debt schemes exposed to debt papers of IL&FS was sharp, more than 8% in some cases.

Due to such heavy losses, investors, who have units in these schemes, want to know if they should continue to hold their investment in...
Looking at some of my earlier battles for Right to Information (RTI), I remembered an interesting aspect of public private partnerships (PPPs). As information commissioner, I had come across many instances where PPPs clearly refused to accept that they were public authorities and hence subject to the RTI Act.

Some of these agreements were scandalous and when I would order them to give information, since they were either controlled or substantially financed by the government, they would often get stays from courts.

In one case the government department officially confirmed that they had no copy of the agreement!

The Central information commission (CIC) sent a letter to the government in 2011 that it should include a clause in all PPP agreements that both parties acknowledged that these entities were public authorities and hence subject to the RTI Act. Unfortunately, at that time the government refused to do this.

. I then obtained the agreements, bid documents and other information. After retiring, I filed an RTI application with Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd, since I was aware that the government had 26% equity in it. They refused to provide information, claiming that it was a private company and not a public authority. I approached the Maharashtra information commission, which gave a clear order that Mumbai Metro One was a public authority and hence subject to the RTI Act I then obtained the agreements, bid documents and other information.

This also reveals a fascinating story. The private company is Reliance Infrastructure Pvt Ltd (Reliance Infra) that has a French partner with minority stake. Reliance Infra got the right to make and operate the Mumbai Metro after a competitive bidding. Reliance Infra had committed that the project cost would be Rs2,356 crore and it would be completed within 60 months. It actually took 83 months and the company claimed that the project cost had gone up to Rs4,321 crore; an increase of 83.4%!

In the agreement it was committed that the fare would be Rs6 to Rs10 notionally for 2004 with an 11% increase every four years. By that calculation, the fare should be Rs9 minimum and Rs15 maximum in 2020. There is no clause in the agreement for any other increase due to any cause. It appears to be a well-crafted agreement.

One of the key reasons for having PPP projects is said to be to get finance and expertise. In this project the government gave Rs650 crore as viability gap funding, land worth about Rs600 crore and Rs132 crore as equity. Thus, the total amount given by the government was about Rs1,382 crore, plus monopoly rights.

Reliance Infra contributed only Rs380 crore as equity. The rest came as loans mainly from public sector banks. Yet the equity share of Reliance Infra is 74% and 26% for the government.

At present, the fare is Rs10 to Rs40. Reliance Infra claimed that since the investment has gone up, this too is unaffordable and fare should be Rs10 to Rs110 as decided by a wise fare fixing committee!

Reliance Infra claims it is losing Rs1 crore per day. The original agreement is for Reliance to build and earn for 30 years after which it should be handed over to the government.

The way this is going, it appears the government will probably give a subsidy to this project, or organise a loan waiver from all the banks and give the entire project to Reliance permanently, instead of for 30 years. It is also possible that all three may be done.

An international consultant, Louis Berger was appointed in May 2013 by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the government agency, to evaluate the increased costs and delays claimed by Reliance Infra.

It gave a report in the end of April 2014 stating that most of the claims for increase in project costs or fares by Reliance Infra were untenable and the government should not accept them. The report has clearly stated that most of the delays were due to Reliance Infra and many costs had been grossly underestimated while bidding by the company.

As an example, while bidding, Reliance Infra had estimated the cost of the car depot at Rs46 crore, but claimed that it spent Rs322 crore.

The agreement did not have any provisions for cost escalations and yet a fare fixing committee has recommended a fare structure of Rs10 to Rs110.

It is clear that at such a fare the ridership would go down significantly making the project completely unviable. Reliance had given a business plan when it bid for the project.

It is apparent that the cost estimates and the business plan were not even reasonably correct. Since Reliance Infras contribution is less than 10% of the stated cost, the government has to make it work, unless it has the courage to take it back.

Many of us have suspected that most PPP projects result in public resources being handed over to private businesses for a song.

It is also believed that private parties often gold plate the project. If the business plan works well, the business makes great profits; if it does not, the public loses.

This is the classic heads I win, tails you lose in action.

This article is not about Reliance Infra or any particular government. My perception is that the government agency, MMRDA, has made a valiant attempt to defend public interests, but is unlikely to succeed ultimately.

In such PPP agreements, public resources are being given away almost as gifts to private business. The real loser is the poorest farmer in Vidarbha or the tribal in Gadchiroli whose resources are being given away as gifts.

Is the design of our PPP agreements flawed? Or is this the consequence of a legal-judicial system which favours the powerful?

I concede that the argument against PPPs has been lost a long time back. But it should be the endeavour of everyone in our nation to come up with agreements where the publics interests are safeguarded and the tendering system becomes meaningful.

In many cases, vital changes are made subsequently, making the tendering process a farce.

I am hoping the government will at least make it mandatory that all PPP projects will be made subject to the RTI Act. They are public authorities as per the law, but take advantage of our dysfunctional legal system.

Perhaps citizens will better monitor such projects far better than the government agencies.
Jay-Jay & Flynny

Flynny thanks the courier for this moment of kindness when he wasn't okay
The following is our latest Fund Analyst Report for PIMCO Short-Term (PTSHX). Morningstar Premium Members have access to full analyst reports such as this for more than 1,000 of the largest and best mutual funds. Not a Premium Member? Gain full access to our analyst reports and advanced tools immediately when you try Morningstar Premium free for 14 days.

PIMCO Short-Term's wide-ranging strategy makes full use of the team's global fixed-income expertise. While its approach comes with risk, the fund's skilled manager never loses sight of its modest goals--protecting capital chief among them--supporting a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Silver.
Amid warnings of an impending bubble burst, Vancouver and its surrounding markets have experienced a sharp decline in home sales in September, according to latest data from the Greater Vancouver Real Estate Board.

The Board stated that sales activity in the Greater Vancouver region fell by more than 40% on a year-over-year basis last month, and by 17.3% when compared to August 2018 numbers.

Metro Vancouver contributed to much of the shrinkage with a 43.5% fall, representing 1,595 transactions (from last years 2,821). Last months volume was 36% lower than the markets 10-year sales average for September.
CMP: Youve operated during a tumultuous period for the industry. What have been some of the biggest challenges youve faced?

SB: Its so much harder to do my job now than it ever was. We are being forced to constantly relearn everything and understand how every change affects our clients. Its also about seizing that opportunity, despite all of the changes and ups and downs we have faced.

The opportunity for us has been in growth, because ultimately, we have become the best advice for our clients. The banks cant necessarily answer all of the questions because they are not the only option anymore. Consumers are becoming more savvy to the fact that brokers do exist and can provide better advice and more longer-term relationships than the banks.

CMP: What markets do you focus on, and how has business been for youthis year?

SB: I primarily focus on British Columbia, and business has been challenging because the Vancouver market has taken a hit, especially in the detached homes segment. It has been tough because a lot of people are now struggling to qualify. First-time buyers trying to get into the market are struggling to understand that they may never be able to get into the market here because of the rule changes. Home-buying opportunities just arent present for them. At the same time, the rate specials being offered by the banks lately are creating opportunities to help existing clients. So it has been a mixed bag.

CMP: What does it mean to you to be among CMPs Top 75 Brokers and Women of Influence?

SB: It really means a lot to receive those accolades. Being named a Woman of Influence was especially big for me. After not feeling supported at the beginning of my time in the business, it has become my mission to try to not let other people feel so alone. I try to provide that support, and getting that recognition from CMP meant a lot to me. It validated that I have been doing the right thing and helping the right people.

CMP: How have you been able to keep growing your business?

SB: Hard work, determination and wanting to be a positive influence for my two daughters. I wanted to show them that they have the capability to do anything if they set their mind to it. I want to show them that success can be defined in numerous ways, as long as youre making a positive difference in the lives of others and doing it with high integrity.
Motto Mortgage has reached a milestone 100 franchises as it approaches the second anniversary of its launch.

The national mortgage brokerage franchise was founded by RE/MAX Holdings in October 2016 and has spread across the country with more than 60 franchises already operating in 28 states and DC.

Its concept is a mortgage brokerage in a box and the model means that franchisees work closely with real estate agents.

"One hundred franchises sold in less than two years is remarkable for a startup franchisor, regardless of the industry. This just showcases how revolutionary the Motto Mortgage model truly is," said Motto Franchising, LLC President Ward Morrison. "It's incredibly exciting. We're charting new territory as the first national mortgage brokerage franchise and will continue to capitalize upon this momentum."

100th franchise sold to Florida couple

The 100th Motto Mortgage franchise was bought by Bill and Kendall Bonner of Tampa, Florida.

The duo brings real estate experience to their new business as RE/MAX franchise owners and a combined 40 years as attorneys and real estate professionals.

"Our goal is to truly become a convenient, one-stop shop where customers have the choices they want, and caring experts they know they can count on," said Kendall Bonner.
Home affordability has hit its lowest level in a decade, with 30% of the population living in markets requiring an annual income of $100,000 or more to buy a home.

According to a recent home affordability study by ATTOM Data Solutions, affordability hasnt been this low since the third quarter of 2008. The report calculates an affordability index based on the percentage of income needed to buy a median-priced home relative to historic averages. An index above 100 indicates that home prices are more affordable than the historic average, while an index below 100 means home prices are less affordable than the historic average.

Nationally, the affordability index for Q3 was 92, down from 95 in Q2 and 102 in Q3 of 2017. Among 440 counties analyzed for the report, 344 (78%) had affordability indexes below 100, the highest percentage of counties below historic affordability since the third quarter of 2008.
Crude climbed to near a four-year high as Iran's dwindling presence in global markets overshadowed the steepest gain in U.S. oil stockpiles since March 2017.

Futures rose 1.6 percent in New York on Wednesday, erasing early-morning losses. Crude inventories in the world's largest economy increased at five times the pace predicted in a Bloomberg survey, fueled in part by rising imports and a dip in foreign demand for American oil. Impending U.S. sanctions are scaring buyers away from Iranian cargoes, heightening concern about a worldwide supply squeeze.

"Those of us that count barrels are anxious to see how much Iranian production actually falls next month and then how much Saudi Arabia and Russia will actually make up from any losses," said Brian Kessens, who helps manage $16 billion in energy assets at Tortoise.

Russia and Saudi Arabia are pumping an extra million barrels of crude daily and the Russians could add another 200,000 to 300,000 barrels within a "few months," Energy Minister Alexander Novak said. Meanwhile, even some of Iran's most loyal customers are growing skittish about defying the U.S. by purchasing cargoes from the Islamic Republic.

"The market seemed to look through the build near-term. There's still lots of concern about Iran," said Craig Bethune, a senior portfolio manager at Manulife Asset Management. But, a few more crude inventory gains of that magnitude and "the market will wake up a little bit."

West Texas Intermediate for November delivery climbed $1.18 to settle at $76.41 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest since November 2014. Total volume traded was about 6 percent above the 100-day average.

WTI's 50-day moving average climbed above its 100-day for the first time since September 2017, data show.

Brent for December settlement advanced $1.49 to end the session at $86.29 on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, the highest level since 2014. The global benchmark crude traded at a $10.05 premium to WTI for the same month.

The Energy Information Administration on Wednesday reported that U.S. crude imports increased while exports slid by the most since late July.

"The build isn't due to anything like production increasing in the U.S. but is more transient in nature, given that the timing for when ships arrive and when ships leave from the Gulf Coast isn't always consistent on a week-by-week basis," Kessens said.

Other oil-market news:

Gasoline futures rose 0.5 percent to settle at $2.1378 a gallon.

Saudi Aramco will meet oil buyers next week and some buyers have gone above their contracts and requested higher volumes, Saudi Arabia Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said in Moscow.

Oil prices are probably "a bit too high" already, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in a Bloomberg television interview.

As the shipping industry faces major changes, with tighter rules targeting pollution set to come into effect in 2020, Europe's largest refiners are also grappling with their futures.

--With assistance from Nancy Moran.

2018 Bloomberg L.P.
Magellan Midstream Partners

Trace Midstream Partners on Wednesday announced that it has received $200 million in equity commitments from Houston private equity firm Quantum Energy Partners and other private investors.

Houston-based Trace is looking to build systems for oil, natural gas and water transport in the Eagle Ford basin in South Texas, as well as other basins in North America.
With the Permian Basin approaching a century of producing oil and natural gas, the region continues to experience historic cycles of imbalances between production rates and takeaway capacity.

The Permian has increased production nearly 30 percent since the beginning of the year and has nearly doubled production since the beginning of 2016. This surge in production has exceeded takeaway capacity, sending the differential between West Texas Intermediate Cushing and West Texas Intermediate Midland climbing to between $10 and $15 a barrel.

RELATED: Petroleum Index continues to climb

With the Permian expected to continue producing vast quantities of crude and natural gas, midstream companies have the incentive to invest in additional capacity. But this leaves operators seeking ways to navigate that imbalance while mitigating the financial risks of lower realized prices.

Opportune LLP, an energy consulting company, analyzed how Permian producers are navigating this challenge. They found some larger companies, such as Chevron and Occidental, have been faring well by purchasing additional pipeline capacity or selling excess capacity to other producers. Other companies have executed hedges to lock in fixed-price differentials between WTI Midland and WTI Cushing.

Chris Hedge, a director in Opportunes Process & Technology Group, discussed the companys analysis by email with the Reporter-Telegram. His colleague, Ryan Dusek, director with Opportunes Derivative Valuation group, discussed the new WTI Permian futures contract established by the Intercontinental Exchange.

MRT: If larger companies like Chevron and Occidental had the foresight and/or the ability to utilize their own midstream infrastructure, how are smaller companies that are still major Permian produces  Apache, Noble, Concho, Pioneer, Parsley, Diamondback  faring? Have they dedicated acreage to pipelines and are they hedging?

Hedge: Most of the major integrated oil companies sold out of their midstream assets in the 1990s/early 2000s. The infrastructure is owned/operated by midstream companies and the capacity on the pipeline is allocated on a contracted/tariff basis. These pipelines are regulated common carrier pipelines and there are rules set forth in the tariffs as to how the capacity is allocated or contracted. I believe that Oxy recently cashed out (for an estimated $5 billion) of their midstream infrastructure by selling the Centurion pipeline and associated assets to Lotus Midstream and the Ingleside complex to Moda Midstream. Most players in the basin have going forward production plans and should have, or be in the process of, terming up takeaway capacity to meet those plans. It is my experience that the integrated oil companies like Chevron keep their actual crude hedging to a minimum as they have a natural hedge by virtue of being an integrated oil company. The upstream only producers are much more likely to have hedging programs in place that should minimize their exposure to the differential, at least for a short while.

RELATED: USGS prepares to release new assessment of Delaware Wolfcamp

MRT. Its obvious why producers have priced in expectations the new pipelines will erase the constraints, but why does Opportune say some producers are now wary of these projects?

Hedge: Not sure that producers are wary of the projects. Rule number one for the commercial groups is to never shut in production because of takeaway constraints. If they are worried, its because they dont know if the projects will be executed fast enough and/or they are being asked to sign up for potentially onerous terms. There is always a maverick or two who will term up a minimum (to get the project funded) and bet on the industrys propensity to overbuild capacity.

MRT: What impact do you see, if any, on Permian Basin activity due to these wide differentials? And are they at record highs?

Hedge: It could slow down completions until the capacity can be firmed up and in place. From a marketing/trading perspective, the wider the differential the more creative the solutions. Any trepidation on implementing these creative solutions is that the investment required must be recovered before the arb closes.

Q. Is Opportune following the new ICE Permian/CME WTI Futures contract?

Dusek: I believe the two exchanges (ICE and CME) will compete with one another, just as they currently do for contracts based in Cushing, OK. However, given the continued boom of the Permian, I expect both exchanges to be successful in their efforts. In addition, having wo separate real-time pricing mechanisms will only increase transparency in the market. Also, the relative price of the new contract vs. WTI Cushing should help alleviate some of the existing pricing inefficiencies in the market. The WTI Cushing market may decrease in liquidity over time, but it is extremely unlikely that it will ever go away. Many existing long-term deals and hedges are based on this pricing location. Furthermore, it has been the U.S. benchmark for decades and may take just as long for that to change. The ultimate popularity of the contract will determine any potential capacity issues, relative pricing of Cushing and the new Houston WTI contract will help to keep physical constraints in check. If the immediate demand for the Houston WTI contract is overwhelming, I would expect an infrastructure buildout to occur soon after.
As the Texas Legislature prepares to convene in January, the states three Railroad Commissioners are preparing for the next budget cycle.

Funding will remain a priority, Railroad Commission Chairman Christi Craddick told the Reporter-Telegram during a recent campaign visit to Midland.

She said that during the last legislative session the commission had asked to access additional funds and she wants to continue using those funds.

Craddick said the commission is funded by the fees paid by the oil and gas industry. Those fees were down 22 percent, she said, but we were also bringing in more than we could access. Were the economic engine for the state and we needed to access more money. She estimates the states oil and gas industry supports a third of the states economy, generating $30 million a day in revenues.

During the last legislative session, the commission requested access to an additional $25 million and received access to $19.8 million.

There are three priorities for those additional funds, according to Craddick:

--Hiring more people.

The commissions workforce had declined to 650 from 798 but has now grown to 752. Craddick said the agency has given raises in order to compete with the oil and gas industry and other state agencies for staff and to retain staff.

--Buy new trucks to upgrade the fleet.

We cant get out to the wellsite without trucks, she said.

--Upgrade the commissions information technology, something that was begun when Craddick was first elected.

The agency will spend $9.8 million to continue that work.

The commission also received $38 million from the rainy day fund to plug abandoned wells. Craddick said the goal was to plug 1,900 wells in two years, something that was accomplished in just one year. The goal now is to plug 3,000 wells.

Craddick said the commission, which also oversees the states pipelines, has been tracking the number of new pipelines or pipeline expansions proposed to move crude and natural gas from the Permian Basin to markets. With those projects expected to begin entering service late next year or in 2020, she said the commission is already making preparations.

Were asking for more pipeline inspectors, she said.

The goal is to hire22 more inspectors. Craddick estimates it takes about two years to fully train inspectors.

Mella McEwen is the Oil Editor and covers the latest business and energy news. You can read more from her here. |mmcewen@mrt.com|
By years end, Permian Basin oil and gas producers active in the Delaware Basin should have a better idea of the undiscovered, technically recoverable resources in the Wolfcamp Shale and Bone Spring formations.

Stephanie Gaswirth with the U.S. Geological Surveys Central Energy Resources Science Center, told those attending the recent West Texas Geological Society Fall Symposium that the agency will release its assessment by the end of the year.

She declined to discuss any findings before the assessment is released, but said the assessment focuses on the Delaware Basin portion of the Permian, as opposed to the assessment released in 2016 that looked at the Midland Basin portion of the Wolfcamp and Spraberry formations.

The agency said in 2016 that the estimated resource for the Wolfcamp and Spraberry in the Midland Basin was 24 billion barrels, at the time the largest domestic continuous oil assessment the survey had issued to date.

Gaswirth described how the agency conducts its assessments and the challenges it faces in assessing resources.

We emphasize technically recoverable, she said. We look at the resources extracted today. We dont do economically recoverable resource estimates; this is not an in-place resource estimate, its not a reserves estimate.

In 2007 when the USGS issued its last assessment, it found 100 million barrels in five conventional formations in the Bone Spring, Spraberry and Wolfcamp formations. At the time, wells producing from those formations were primarily vertical, and in the ensuing 11 years there has been a huge shift to horizontal wells, she said.

She said the Delaware Basin differs from the Midland Basin in that its strata is deeper  16,000 feet to the top of the Strawn, compared to 9,500 feet in the Midland Basin. The Wolfcamp formation is thicker by thousands of feet, and the Delaware has a higher thermal maturity, she said.

In assessing the two formations, the USGS identified and utilized 11 assessment units: the Delaware Basin Wolfcamp D continuous gas, the Delaware Basin Wolfcamp C continuous gas, the Delaware Basin Wolfcamp C continuous oil, the Delaware Basin Wolfcamp B Lower continuous oil, the Delaware Basin Wolfcamp B Upper continuous oil, Delaware Basin Wolfcamp A continuous oil, Third Bone Spring continuous oil, Second Bone Spring continuous oil, First Bone Spring continuous oil, Lower Avalon Shale continuous oil and Upper Avalon Shale continuous oil.

According to Gaswirth, the challenges in assessing the Delaware lie in stratigraphic nomenclature. Some operators have different names for the formations and their benches, she said. Another challenge was obtaining the landing zones for horizontal wells to determine which assessment unit they fell into and establishing the division of the Wolfcamp and Bone Spring units based on geologic criteria. Another question to be answered in the assessment was where, vertically and spatially is the transition from gas to oil, she said.

The Delaware Basin is an anomaly in that its higher thermal maturity is to the west despite the uplift, she said. The deepest basin adjacent to the Central Basin Platform is the least mature.

Mella McEwen is the Oil Editor and covers the latest business and energy news. You can read more from her here. | mmcewen@mrt.com|
A former Ector ISD assistant superintendent has been named head of school for Holy Cross High School, which is scheduled to open in fall 2019.

Carolyn Gonzalez, who served ECISD as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, will officially assume her new position on Oct. 15, Brad Gibson, president of the new schools board of directors, told the Reporter-Telegram on Wednesday.

RELATED: Midland Freshman picks class mascot

Carolyn brings a wealth of educational and leadership experience as well as a passion for creating a school known for first-rate academic achievement in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition, he said in a press release.

Gonzalez, who lives in Odessa, said in a statement, I am blessed to be chosen for this position with Holy Cross Catholic High School and believe it is Gods will for my life to combine my love for the Catholic faith with my passion for education.

Hiring a head of school is a very important step forward in our desire to establish a Catholic high school for our part of West Texas, Bishop Michael Sis of the Diocese of San Angelo, said in a statement.

Holy Cross will be the Permian Basins first Catholic high school, according to the release.

RELATED: Education should lead to higher-earning potential

Until Holy Cross has its own building in Midland, the school will be housed at the education building at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Odessa, Gibson said.

The permanent home for the school will be on Holiday Hill Road just north of the Fasken Oil & Gas office complex, he said.

Construction will begin at the end of a capital campaign, which is well underway to raise the necessary funds to make dirt fly, Gibson said.

He said the expectation is to open the brand-new building in 2020.
An 80-year-old man with an inoperable brain tumor has been found incompetent to stand trial nearly a month after he was arrested in the fatal bludgeoning of his wife, Alice Engelbrink, his lawyer said.

Richard Engelbrink was found incompetent Wednesday after Harris County District Clerk records show he was allowed to undergo a psychiatric evaluation nearly two weeks prior. At some point after Engelbrinks arrest, he was transferred to a medical facility at the Harris County Jail, authorities said.

The state allowed Houston psychiatrist Dr. Mark Moeller to examine Engelbrink after the initial request on Sept. 10

Defendant has a medical condition that requires the review and evaluation by a medical doctor, according to a Sept. 24 filing.

Dane Schiller, a spokesman for the Harris County District Attorneys Office, said Judge Herb Ritchie signed an agreement to find Engelbrink incompetent after Moellers findings.

Earlier this year, Engelbrink was diagnosed with a brain tumor which his family says may have played a role in the killing at their west Houston home.

The family as you can imagine is extremely distraught over this and has asked for privacy, said Engelbrinks lawyer, Dorian Cotlar.

Cotlar declined to comment on Engelbrinks health. He is due back in court Oct. 16.

Engelbrink was arrested Sept. 6 after walking to a Chase Bank and telling employees a family member tried killing him. Moments before his arrest, investigators believe he attacked his 71-year-old wife who staggered into the street and died in a neighbors yard on Faust Lane.

A neighbors doorbell camera captured the bizarre moments leading up to Alice Engelbrinks death. Her husband, wearing a suit and clutching a briefcase, tried opening the neighbors door as his wife questioned his attire and behavior.

I dont understand what youre doing, Alice could be heard crying out in a video. Why are you acting like this?

The weapon Engelbrink allegedly used to batter his wife was never determined.

A Sept. 10 obituary for Alice Engelbrink described her as a longtime accountant dedicated her life to her family. Instead of flowers, the tribute asked for donations to the Mischer Neuroscience Institute at Memorial Hermann to further advance their research in brain tumors.

nicole.hensley@chron.com

@nkhensley
There are very few questions on which more depends than the question of whether or not Jesus Christ rose from the dead 2,000 years ago. If the Christian claim that He did is true, then there is good reason to believe that Christians truly know God. If Jesus did not rise, however, then more than 2 billion people are living a lie. To raise the stakes even further, most religions would agree that there is nothing more or less than billions of souls at stake given that the question of whether or not Jesus was resurrected ties directly into the claim of whether or not He was actually God.

Christians have been acquiring and sharing evidence that Christ really was resurrected for centuries, and skeptics have argued their own case for why the Resurrection is a myth for almost as long. One question that comes up repeatedly in these debates is how much the Bible can be relied upon as an objective source. Some people claim that the New Testament should not be used as a historical source at all because it is a religious text first and foremost. On the other end of the spectrum are people who claim the Bible should be treated as a completely objective and accurate historical text. In the middle are those who believe that the Bible is a decent reference but its stories need to be confirmed through other sources and that it should be treated with no more or less scrutiny than any other first century document.Given how contentious the use of the Bible can be in a debate, it is best to have other sources to back up an argument about the Resurrection. So, what would those sources be? Is there evidence for the Resurrection outside of the Bible?The short answer is that yes, there is. The Bible is by far the greatest source of information about the Resurrection, and there are non-theological reasons to treat the Bible as a legitimate source when investigating first century Israel and the life of Christ. It is one of the most complete and oldest sources that describes the events of Jesus life. The Bible is also far easier to fact check than many ancient documents as the Bible has a habit of including specifics. Places, people and dates are often referenced in its pages, many of which can be confirmed as fact or fiction. Early non-Christian sources for the life and resurrection of Christ are more difficult to find simply because it took time for Christianity to spread and for non-Christians to become interested in the life of Christ. For decades after Christs death, Christians were a small but unnervingly zealous religious group. It was not until they began to increase in number and strength that people from outside Judaism and Christianity became curious about the man for which the religion was named. That said, there are some early sources besides the Bible that point toward confirming the Resurrection.One of the most trusted sources for information on ancient Israel is the Jewish historian Josephus. He was more interested in the history of his people than with the birth and growth of the strange new offshoot of Judaism that was beginning to be known as Christianity, but he does reference Jesus twice. One of the times Jesus is mentioned by Josephus is actually when he is discussing Jesus brother, James. In the Antiquities of the Jews book 20, chapter 9, Josephus names James as the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ. As a Jew, Josephus does not claim that Jesus of Nazareth was the prophesized Messiah, but he does use Jesus identification as Christ as a way to differentiate Him from the 20 other people named Jesus who are mentioned in Josephus work. Josephus other reference to Christ is in what is called the Testimonium Flavianum. The text, as it normally stands, reads in many ways, like something a Christian would write:About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Christ. And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, Pilate had condemned him to a cross, those who had first come to love him did not cease. He appeared to them spending a third day restored to life, for the prophets of God had foretold these things and a thousand other marvels about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.This, of course, is not something that a Jew would write. That said, the structure of the passage and the way the passage about James is constructed strongly suggests that the Testimonium Flavianum is not a complete construction by later Christian readers. Josephus makes it clear in the passage about James that he has already referenced Jesus, who was called Christ elsewhere. The Testimonium Flavianum is the only other place Jesus is referenced by name, and it comes before the passage about James. As such, it is believed that the Testimonium Flavianum originally reference Christ but was tampered with later. The discovery of another version of Josephus Antiquities, however, contains what is most likely the original passage:At this time there was a wise man called Jesus, and his conduct was good, and he was known to be virtuous. Many people among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. But those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive. Accordingly, he was perhaps the Messiah, concerning whom the prophets have reported wonders. And the tribe of the Christians, so named after him, has not disappeared to this day.This is something a Jew could write without converting to Christianity, and it lines up with what other ancient sources either explicitly state or imply about the beginnings of Christianity.Unsurprisingly, Josephus has little to say about the actual Resurrection, but he is one source that helps to prove that the disciples, at least, believed the Resurrection occurred. Josephus also confirms that Jesus was crucified by Pilate, and His disciples claimed He rose on the third day. This is far more than most ancient sources have to say about a carpenter from a Mediterranean backwater. Tacitus, a Roman historian and senator, confirms Josephus account that the Christians who Tacitus so loathed were named for a Judean man who was called Christ who had been put to death. It is worth noting that even Roman aristocrats were aware that Christianity, a most mischievous superstition, had originated in Judea, a place most Romans regarded as the back end of the universe.Outside of non-Christian textual evidence, some of the best proof in the Resurrection was the actions of Early Christians. Roman and Jewish persecution set in almost as soon as Christianity began. That said, most Christians refused to give up their faith. As Christ had only died 30 years before, a number of Early Christians would have been people who had actually known Him. They would have been the ones that could not have been fooled by lies and could have confirmed or denied the Gospel accounts. Those accounts were already circulating, as Rabbi Tarfon stated in the second half of the first century that Christian texts should be burned even if they contained pieces of the Hebrew scriptures.Rather than claiming the accounts were false, eyewitnesses suffered horrifically under Roman rule. When the Great Fire of Rome broke out in A.D. 64, Nero used Christians as scapegoats for the fire. The torturous executions of identified Christians following the fire were brutal even by the standards of Romes dark creativity. Tacitus specifically mentions the most famous of those gruesome punishments, that of the human torch. In this horrific method of murder, captured Christians were nailed or tied to crosses and then burned alive to serve as a nightly illumination when daylight had expired. Other Roman sources confirm that Christians were persecuted throughout the Empire, though Neros cruelty was legendary enough to stir a feeling of compassion for a class hated for their abominations even among Romans who were used to viciously creative methods of execution and public displays of exquisite tortures.Another source of evidence for the Resurrection is actually what did not happen in Judea. As Christians became a problem, Jesus body was never displayed. In fact, Jewish polemics claimed that His body was stolen. They never claimed that the body was still in the tomb. There was also not a shrine erected over Jesus tomb until nearly 300 years after His death. In the first century, it was customary to set up a shrine over the bones of a holy man or prophet. Jesus was publically executed and then buried by a member of the Sanhedrin. His burial place would have been easy to discover, but it was never used as a place of veneration or mocking, possibly because there was nothing there to venerate or to mock.Innumerable books have been written on the subject of Christs resurrection, both for and against its historicity. As such, there is a great deal of evidence out there on both sides of the argument. What really happened 2,000 years ago is still up for debate, but whatever occurred reverberated throughout the ancient world with enough strength that it was noticed not just by Christians but by those who wanted the fledgling Church crushed before it could go on to become the global force it would one day become. Although there is not proof for what specifically happened in Judea 2,000 years ago, there is no doubt that it was something huge as the ripples from it shook the ancient world to its foundations and continue to echo into modernity.
A strange star system in our own galaxy is producing some of the most powerful gamma rays ever seen. Messengers from this microquasar may offer a glimpse into bizarre objects at the centers of distant galaxies.

One of the weirdest objects in the Milky Way just got weirder. Scientists have discovered a new source of the highest-energy photons in the cosmos: a strange system known as a microquasar, located in our neck of the galaxy a neighborly 15,000 light years from Earth. The discovery could shed light on some of the biggest, baddest phenomena in the known universe.

Their findings appear in the Oct. 4, 2018, issue of Nature (DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0565-5). Among the coauthors are Petra Huentemeyer, a professor of physics; Henrike Fleischhack, a postdoctoral research associate; and PhD candidates Chad Brisbois and Binita Hona, all of Michigan Technological University.

Maxi-photons from a Mini-source

The gamma rays beaming from this microquasar, known as SS 433, are among the brawniest photons ever observedabout 25 trillion times more energetic than visible lightand were detected at the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov Gamma-Ray (HAWC) Observatory in Mexico. Such photons are born only in the most extreme environments, including quasars, the massive black holes at the centers of galaxies billions of light years away. But if you wanted to find a gamma-ray birthplace closer to home, microquasars might be one of the first places youd look.

Microquasars behave like quasars, but in miniature. Quasars suck up dust and gas, while astronomers believe that SS 433 contains a black hole that sucks up stuff from a nearby companion star. They both blast out powerful jets of material in opposite directions. SS 433s jets extend over 130 light years into space. To put that into perspective, our entire solar system is not quite two light years across.

SS 433 is a nearby microquasar, which offers insight into the glimpse of its bigger, harder-to-study quasar cousins. Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss

Honing in on SS 433

Scientists have been studying SS 433 since the 1980s and have already detected electromagnetic radiation in the form of X-rays and radio waves coming from the ends of its jets. But they had not found any high-energy gamma rays until now and HAWCs technology made it possible.

The HAWC Observatory is the most sensitive instrument for photons at these very high energies, and it did not begin collecting data until 2015, Huentemeyer says, the HAWC science coordinator.

The new evidence strongly suggests that the powerful gamma rays were produced at the ends of the jets and not another source nearby.

SS 433 is located in the same region of the sky as other bright sources that also emit gamma rays, Hao Zhou says, galactic science coordinator of HAWC and a lead author on the Nature paper. With its wide field of view, HAWC is uniquely capable of separating the gamma-ray emission due to SS 433 from other background photons. Zhou is a former doctoral student of Huentemeyer and a 2015 Michigan Tech PhD graduate now at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

So Much Energy, Such a Tiny Subatomic Particle

In addition, the data show that the high-energy gamma rays were generated by electrons colliding with background microwave radiation left over from the Big Bang. That means that electrons in the SS 433 jets attain energies that are about 1,000 times higher than those achieved by the most powerful earthbound particle accelerators, such as the city-sized Large Hadron Collider, in Switzerland. This is a new mechanism for generating high-energy gamma rays in this type of system and is different than what scientists have previously observed.

The finding is also somewhat mysterious. These electrons are some of the highest-energy particles in our galaxy, and its hard to explain how something that small got so much energy, Huentemeyer says. However, the electromagnetic radiation emitted by SS 433 over a broad energy range is consistent with a single population of electrons.

A Peek into the Ancient Universe

Scientists hope that studying messengers from this microquasar may offer a glimpse into the secrets of their larger cousins. Quasars are millions of times bigger than the sun and the brightest known objects in the universe. Most have been found billions of light years away, and because it takes light time to travel, studying them is like going back in a time machine; we see the object as it was billions of years ago.

Because they are so far away, most of the quasars detected by telescopes have their jets aimed at Earth, so observing them is like looking directly into a flashlight. In contrast, SS 433s jets are oriented sideways, pointing away from Earth, which makes them easier to study.

The new findings improve our understanding of particle acceleration in the jets of microquasars, Zhou says. They may also shed light on the physics underlying the much larger and more powerful extragalactic jets in quasars.

The HAWC Observatory is a mountaintop observatory about four hours east of Mexico City, built and operated by an international team of scientists. Credit: HAWC

About the Researcher Hao Zhou Research Interests Particle Astrophysics

Very-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emission

Pulsar Wind Nebulae

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, the University offers more than 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
Michigan Tech students flocked to the Rozsa Center lobby to find out what its like to work and live in the Grand Traverse region of northern lower Michigan.

Michigan Tech partnered with the Grand Traverse Area Manufacturing Council and the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce to sponsor Grand Traverse Region Day, part of fall CareerFEST.

We are seeking to make Michigan Tech students aware of the tech businesses and potential future job opportunities in our area, says Bill Myers, CEO of Promethient Inc. in Traverse City. We are building grassroots working-level relationships between Traverse City area companies and Michigan Tech to build a talent pipeline, continuing education, and research and development.

More than 20 Traverse City area businesses sent representatives to the Upper Peninsula, and 260 Michigan Tech students showed up to meet them.

Bright Students Impress Business Reps

This is an amazing event, says Tim Heger, chief technology officer at HealthBridge, a company that develops employee benefits services. This is the first time that HealthBridge has worked with the University. Im finding the students very bright, very articulate, very engaged, Heger says. Theyre asking really good questions.

Chris Clark, a software engineer at Naveego, said that his new firm was really excited to be at Michigan Tech. The company develops data management software. Traverse City is booming, says Clark, and we are looking for interns and talented software engineers.

The students milling through the exhibits were enthusiastic, too.

Id heard good things about Traverse City from my ski team members, and I thought it might be a cool place to work, says Amanda Kautzer, a third-year student in biomedical and mechanical engineering. Kautzer is looking for a summer internship. There are a lot of great companies in Traverse City, she says.

Reese OMara, a senior in mechanical engineering, especially liked that the event resembled a smaller Career Fair.

The company representatives are approachable, he explains. OMara had talked with about half of the companies at the event, and I already have two internship possibilities so far."

Michigan Tech partnered with the Grand Traverse Area Manufacturing Council and the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce to sponsor Grand Traverse Region Day, part of fall CareerFEST.

Tech Business is Booming in Traverse City

There are more than 350 companies in the Traverse City area. Among those exhibiting at Grand Traverse Region Day were Atlas Space Operations, TentCraft, Promethient, RJG, Star Cutter Company, Century Inc., Skilled Manufacturing, Thompson Surgical Instruments, 20Fathoms, Naveego, Inphastos, HealthBridge, R.M. Young Company, Electro-Optics Technology, AlcoTec Wire Corporation, Boomerang Catapult, Haggerty, Keen Technical Solutions, Munson Healthcare, Faurecia and Britten.

A broad range of other Traverse City businesses, organizations and schools have been involved in planning the event, Myers says. Its been a major volunteer effort in Traverse City, he adds. Volunteers and philanthropists are coming together to build an ecosystem that attracts businesses and high paying jobs to the area.

Fridays event built on Michigan Techs visit to Traverse City in February, at which representatives from various academic areas met with business people to discuss recurring themes that Michigan Tech can help address to better serve innovative companies in the Traverse City area.

"There are many synergies between Michigan Tech and the Keweenaw area with the Grand Traverse-Traverse City Region, says Brent Burns, director of industry relations at Michigan Tech. There are amazing high tech employment opportunities coupled with an adventurous and outdoors lifestyle. This event is just one of many future partnerships to strengthen relations between our two great communities."

Revival of Aerospace Industry

Traverse City has a legacy of manufacturing innovation, and the revival of the aerospace industry there is sparking a commitment to economic development, Myers said.

Former NASA astronaut and STEM education advocate Greg Johnson put in a guest appearance at Fridays event, to promote aerospace opportunities in Traverse City. He was mobbed by excited students asking questions.

"For some, geographic location is the most important factor in a job search," says Shelley Farrey, coordinator of career development and corporate event promotions in Michigan Techs Career Services, who helped coordinate the event. "The Grand Traverse Region offers excellent opportunities not only for work/life balance, but a variety of industries that will attract Michigan Tech students of all majors."

Named Americas best beach town on a lake by WalletHub, Traverse City is a popular place for Michigan Tech alumni to settle, with 1,706 registered alumni within 60 miles of Traverse City.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, the University offers more than 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
We all have been there. Sunday mornings as a kid, being dragged to church despite or cries to go play outside instead. We might not have understood why our parents kept bringing us to Sunday School, but as we grew up we began to learn more and more about Jesus, the Christian faith, and spiritual journey we would be going on.

However your parents, despite their best intentions, many have made some choices that caused you to be confused and disconnected to the church. Maybe as a teen you started questioning why God would allow a tragedy to happen and your parents didnt know how to answer. Maybe your parents actions didnt always align with how you interpreted the Bible, but they didnt have answers for that either. You might have hated the church your family raised you in, but couldnt make any changes to the situation. Whatever it was, doubt crept into your mind.

Recent statistics have suggested that 60 to 70 percent of kids raised in Christian homes leave the faith in college years. Its not necessarily surprising. Parents tend to get in the habit of strapping their kids into the pew seats for eighteen years and expect their teens to just arrive at a mature faith. Parents think that they set enough of a Christian foundation in their children to where they never have to worry, however that almost never is the case.

Did your parents show you that God was more than just rules and church attendance? Did you feel like they just handed you over to the youth leaders and expect them to teach you about the faith? Did they ever show you their own person faith struggles? These are just some of the reasons your parents faith didnt stick to you like they may have expected.

Parents think that there child should be at whatever arbitrary milestone that they created in their head, and when the child isnt quite there yet with Christ they panic. When teens begin to rebel against the faith, parents will try hard to push the Christian faith back on their children. This almost always backfires and leaves the child feeling more against the faith than ever.

What parents need to understand is that their personal faith isnt always going to match their childrens. What kids need to understand is that their own personal faith journey doesnt have to match their parents.

We all are going to go through very personal faith journeys. You might be someone that frequently questions God and arent ready to fully except Him into your heart yet, despite that your mother is a high ranking church official. On the flip side, you might be someone that believes you should read the Bible and pray daily, while your family doesnt do the same. All of this is OK, because God loves you just the same. God already has a plan for you and your journey, and it might bring you to places your parents never discovered.

Your faith journey is yours and yours only. Its a relationship that is built between just you and God. He knows where you stand in life, the struggles and doubts you may be going through, and the spiritual path you are ready to begin taking. It might lead you to a church that is different to the one your parents go to, or lead you to a period where you dont listen for God at all. Life has its ups and downs, and your faith journey will reflect that.

Its important to remember that no matter what your parents think, as long as you are happy with where you currently stand with God thats all that matters. Your mom may have found salvation and accepted Jesus into her heart at 14, while you might never do so until your 65. You should always worship and praise God because you want to. Not because you think it will please your parents.

God wants you to be the true version of yourself and no one else. While your parents were able to bless you by giving you a place to begin your faith, what you choose to do after that is entirely up to you and the Lord.
Twenty souls sprawled on the floor of the hotel wellness spa, swaddled in earth-toned blankets. Their eyes were closed. A jellybean-sized crystal rested on each forehead.

Shhwwwoo! That was Deborah Hanekamp, audibly sucking up the air as she placed her hands on one of the young women, who trembled at the touch.

A stylish woman in her late 30s, with a wrist tattoo peeking from her long, flowy dress, Hanekamp is a modern shaman, the preferred healer of New York's fashion crowd - though on this day she was chanting for an audience on Washington's K Street power corridor. She'd come to give a "medicine reading," a ceremony that at various points had her shaking a rattle and letting loose a musical wail, spraying strange, fragrant concoctions into the air and stalking the room with a leafy branch, which she rhythmically tapped on the supine bodies below.

Among them was Myra Chung, 26, who later described the experience as connecting to the greater vibes of the universe.

"It's all about energy, you know?" she said. "Kendrick Lamar said that. 'I can feel your energy from two planets away.' "

Wellness, the 2018 Edition, certainly seems to be catapulting us further into the astral plane. Like the seekers of the 1960s and '70s, a new generation of self-care devotees is taking up ceremonial sage burnings (known in New Age circles as "smudging"), singing bowls, Japanese reiki, crystals, Mayan sweat lodges and ayurvedic massages. Sephora is selling a $160 rose-quartz Crystal Energy Comb. And the spiritually lost are seeking face time with shamans - in the case of Hanekamp's clients, paying $325 an hour for the privilege.

"There's a more inner, profound searching that I'm seeing in myself and a lot of people around me," said Katherine Lo, the millennial executive behind Eaton Workshop, the new hotel/club/workspace hybrid in downtown Washington that hosted Hanekamp's ceremony. Eaton is now contracting with its own shamanic consultant.

Lo's personal mid-20s emotional fugue took her to a Zen monastery, a famed Big Sur retreat, and finally, to a shamanic workshop in Arizona. There, she says, she was induced into a trance by drumming. "You learn on one level to just connect to nature and start to receive messages from nature," she said.

"It's bringing information from the invisible," adds Francois Demange, the Eaton's on-call shaman. "Somehow, I believe that's what people are looking for - having access to more than what the world is giving them."

"I hate to use 'cultural moment,' " says Lo. "But all my peers are searching for this, when they wouldn't have cared 10 years ago."

- - -

For most of us, "shaman" may evoke images of headdresses and trippy nights in the forests of South America.

But there's no one kind of shaman. The word itself is said to hail from Siberia, and shamans have existed in many forms around the world for centuries: In Korean cultures, they're called mudang; in Yoruba, babalawo; among the Bedouins, fugara.

What they have in common, says Susan Mokelke, president of the 35-year-old Foundation for Shamanic Studies in Mill Valley, Calif., is an ability to converse with spirits. "Shamans alter their state of consciousness," she says. Whether they do that with mind-bending drugs or with a steady beat of a drum, they aim to journey mentally into the depths of another realm. "They acknowledge there are two realities."

Her foundation, started by anthropologist Michael Harner, promotes an amalgam of shamanism from Harner's studies around the world, says his widow, Sandra Harner. "It's acultural," Harner says. "It was important that we weren't stealing anybody's spiritual property."

But the shamans of this resurrected New Age have broadened their services. In Miami, the spa at the Faena Hotel enlisted a Mexican shaman to oversee its "healing" treatments, which aren't exactly massages so much as spiritual greasings-up (starting at $300), complete with "Sacred Oils, butters, resins, healing stones and poultices," according to the menu. In the eco-chic Mexican vacation destination of Tulum, shamans lead sweat lodges known as temazcals, drawing seekers nursing broken hearts or stressed-out minds. You can find shamanic drumming playlists on Spotify.

For some seekers, the allure of shamanism can be slightly more illicit: Some shamans, including Demange, offer ayahuasca, one of the buzziest drugs of the year and a potent ceremonial psychedelic that turns shamanic journeys, into, well, full-on trips.

Some shamans don't even call themselves shamans - Hanekamp doesn't, for example - but for many it's part of their marketing.

Colleen McCann is a former fashion stylist who now offers a full array of shamanic services - crystals, sage-burning, energy-channeling - for a client base of music executives, admen, fashionistas, Wall Street titans and staffers for the lifestyle empire known as Goop (she's its in-house shaman and crystals expert). One of her specific market niches: scrubbing bad energies from their wardrobes.

It all started one night a decade ago, she says, when she was trying to get a 2 a.m. sandwich at a New York bodega. She was struck by a clairvoyant vision - a voice, really, that warned her of a fight that was about to occur over the price of the bananas. What followed was a long string of coincidences, strange encounters and psychic consultations, somehow culminating in her enrollment in shaman school.

Speaking during a break at her own shamanic workshop in Nashville, McCann compared herself to social-media trendsetters, who can sway followers' purchases, clothing choices and more.

"People say, 'You don't look like a shaman.' Which I take as a huge compliment actually, because we're seeing healers diversify and go into different spaces than they normally would."

Her spin just happens to be one part Old World, and one part Instagram.

- - -

Dana Robinson, an Easton, Maryland-based teaching associate with the foundation, has been a seeker since his college days in Washington, in the 1960s. He dabbled with meditation and the Rajneesh movement (the same one chronicled in the Netflix series "Wild Wild Country"). Then he found shamanic traditions. Now, over the course of two-day workshops, he shows students how to journey to those worlds, too - one of which he describes to me as something like Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole.

We decide to try to see whether I can journey. Robinson lays out some rules of engagement for entering this otherworldly place, telling me to try to find a hole or staircase in my mind, something familiar, and follow it to what he calls the "lower world." He beats a drum to help me mentally check out of this one.

Shamans say most people can journey. But the rabbit hole eludes me.

Though they were seekers in the '70s and '80s, Robinson and others from the foundation do not immediately rejoice at the news of a youthful new wave of shamans, whom they view with cautious skepticism.

"People who do this work don't make guarantees," says Mokelke. "They're humble."

After all, Hanekamp has dubbed her New York business Mama Medicine. McCann "prescribes" crystals to her clients. Still, she clarifies that seeing a shaman should not replace a visit to a doctor.

"East and West medicines, old and new, both have a place and should play together," she says. "It's so important to try everything."

Heather Mikesell, executive editor of the trade magazine American Spa, did. She ventured into a temazcal on a recent trip to a Mexican resort, where soul cleansing is listed on spa menus alongside massages and facials.

The memory is hazy, naturally. "You're just sweating in there," she says, in the dark, with a bunch of strangers and a shaman, who posed just one question to contemplate: What did she want?

The question was probably existential. But "it was intense," she says, laughing. "You're in there for like an hour, and you reach a certain point where you're like, I just need air."

This year, American Spa listed "intentional" wellness and crystals as two of its biggest trends.

"We're so tethered to technology, all this plays into that," explains Mikesell. "I think people really love rituals. I think we're going to look for other ways to feel 'in' our bodies. People want their chakras aligned."
JERSEYVILLE  Felony charges filed Oct. 1 by the Jersey County States Attorneys Office include:

 Joseph W. Reineke, 47, of the 4600 block of Seiler Road, Dorsey, was charged with driving while drivers license is revoked, a Class 4 felony, after being stopped on West Main in Grafton Sept. 24. According to court records he had multiple previous related traffic convictions. No bail was set.

 Matthew A. Stover, 38, of the 301 block of Ingham, Godfrey, was charged with aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer, a Class 4 felony, after an incident Oct. 1 in Jerseyville. Bail was set at $5,000.

 Jeffrey T. Taylor, 50, of Jacksonville, Illinois, was charged with driving while drivers license is revoked, a Class 4 felony, after an incident June 14. No bail was set.

 Gregory W. Winslow, 55, of the 100 block of North Public Road, Fieldon, was charged with unlawful possession of a certificate of title without complete assignment, a Class 4 felony, after an incident Sept. 29. Bail was set at $5,000.
A former Illinois State Police trooper is reliving his patrol days in a patriotic way.

Henry Rosenberger of Waverly, who served as a state police officer from 1967 to 1993, can occasionally be seen in a 1976 Plymouth Gran Fury that is marked as an Illinois State Police cruiser with Americas bicentennial graphics.

I have other old vehicles that I have shown in parades and car shows, so being a retired state police officer, it was a natural to be interested in the bicentennial car, Rosenberger said.

He bought the 1976 police car, which has been restored and equipped just as some Illinois State Police cars were in 1976 to commemorate the nations 200th birthday.

I was on patrol in Morgan and Scott counties in 1976, Rosenberger recalled. That year, the state police assigned one of the bicentennial cars to each district. Trooper Larry Drager patrolled in District 9 with a similar marked car. I, however, never had the chance. Dragers car was a Dodge, but it was very similar to the Plymouth I bought.

Rosenberger bought the police car in late July from a Waverly man who purchased it about five years ago from the Connecticut man who restored it.

Besides the accurate markings, Rosenbergers 1976 Plymouth is equipped with original-type lights, siren and radios.

At a recent car show, an Illinois State Police radio supervisor remarked about how accurate the radio setup was in my car, Rosenberger said. The man who restored the car must have done considerable research to be able to duplicate everything so closely. My understanding is he restored two state patrol cars for a specific state yearly, and then he picked another state and started all over.

Rosenberger plans to continue showing his 1976 state police cruiser in car shows and parades only.

Its not a daily driver, he said.

Greg Olson can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1224, or on Twitter @JCNews_Greg.
Many Christians wonder what God is calling for their life. This is a question many Christians want to know but have no clue where to start to find the answer. We are drawn to the idea of knowing and pursuing our calling. Thats why so many of us want to know that were on the right path. The reason this question is so significant is because the work we do is important to God. If we know this is significant to God, then it makes sense to ask where God is calling and leading you in life. There is no better place to go than to Scripture for the answer. The Bible offers great insight into Gods plan and will for His people. The Lord has a great plan for your life. Scripture tells us, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Are you ready to discover this will to advance the Kingdom of God here on earth? Here are six ways to follow Gods call in your life.
Walk past almost any gym that offers group fitness classes, and there will probably be a sign advertising yoga classes. Browse through stress relief blogs, and there will almost certainly be a series of images that feature people either in various yoga positions or meditating. Look through the internet for information on increasing energy levels, and there are likely to be a list of suggested yoga positions to refresh and energize those that practice them. Yoga, it seems like, is everywhere.

Yoga has absolutely exploded in the West. Yoga studios pop up across cities like particularly Zen dandelions. People compete to see who can hold the most complicated pose for the longest. Social media sites such as Instagram and Pinterest are covered in images of people doing yoga on the beach or in front of beautiful sunsets. Yoga in many ways seems like any other fitness craze at first. Those who begin to dig into it, however, quickly find that yoga is couched in a great deal of spiritual language. Even yoga classes at gyms that are meant as exercise often have a religious feel to them. Does that mean yoga is a spiritual practice by nature?Yoga originated in ancient India as a form of religious practice that later went on to become its own theological school. It is considered to be one of the six major orthodox schools of Hinduism , a strange concept on its own given that Hinduism is far more varied by nature than any of the other major world religions. Yoga as a Hindu theological school is seen as a form of mysticism, but it has the same goals as any school or tradition in Hinduism. Yogis, or yoga practitioners, aim to obtain moksha or liberation from the suffering of samsara, the cycle of birth, death and rebirth that is at the center of Hinduism.Many traditions practice some form of yoga, but the goal is always to achieve moksha. The so called orthodox school of Yoga argues that a living being is made up of a consciousness and of matter. These are then subdivided into senses, feelings, activities and elements that make up a human being. In Yoga, some of these elements overwhelm the others. When this happens, a person is trapped in bondage. Yoga helps balance out those elements. When balance is restored, a person achieves moksha and will not be reborn into the suffering of samsara after they die. Other schools of yoga see a person achieving moksha in different ways. Kundalini yoga in Shaivism, for example, is an attempt to awaken Kundalini, a form of primal energy located at the base of the spine. Kundalini is awakened by deep meditation and is said to result in a feeling of enlightenment and bliss that comes along with a feeling of electricity running up and down a persons spine. Yoga is then used to direct Kundalini, which is often depicted as a snake, up the body through the various chakras to the crown of the head where the Kundalini can either escape to the sun or unite with Shiva depending on the tradition.Kundalini yoga has been growing in popularity in the West, but it is unlikely that most practitioners are aware of the deep religious significance the practice originally carried. The same is true of more traditional Western yoga.Yoga in the West usually downplays the religious elements of yoga. The spiritual language and feeling is not removed entirely, but the explicit references to Hinduism have been removed in order to make it possible for people of any religion to take part in yoga classes. As such, yoga has flourished across religious, ethnic and generational lines.In addition to deliberately removing many of the religious references from yoga, the actual practice of yoga as it is carried out in the West looks very different from most Indian traditions. Yoga in India is more focused on the breathing, meditative and other spiritual elements. Yoga in the West focuses almost solely on the various poses or asanas. These are an important part of the branch of yoga known as Hatha Yoga in India. The asanas, while a defining part of Hatha Yoga, are only a small part of the greater religious practice.Given how many of the religious elements have been deliberately removed from the Western version of yoga, it is safe to say that Western yoga bears very little resemblance to Indian yoga. One focuses primarily on physical exercise while the other is more concerned with helping the soul escape from samsara. The focus on the physical in the West in many ways gives it more flexibility and attracts a greater and more diverse crowd. This means that people from all walks of life can enjoy the benefits of yoga without feeling like they are compromising their own religions. As such, yoga can be used as a spiritual practice that is disconnected from the faith in which it originated. How much religion or spirituality a person wants to put back into their yoga practice really does simply depend on the individual in the West. There is no doubt, however, that yoga was originally meant to be a form of spiritual practice far beyond what many Western yogis experience today.
RCRC 2018 Rural County Photo Contest winning picture Sunset Over New Melones Reservoir with Springtime Flowers on Table Mountain by Peggy Sells View Photos

Sacramento, CA  A beautiful sunset over New Melones took first place in the Rural County Representatives of Californias (RCRC) 2018 Rural County Photo Contest.

The winning picture by Mother Lode resident Peggy Sells was unveiled last month at the groups 2018 Annual Meeting in Napa County. Sells is a Mail Courier for Tuolumne County. Deputy County Administrator Daniel Richardson describes her as a friend to everyone. As seen in the image box, the photo showcases Table Mountain overlooking New Melones Reservoir in Tuolumne County. It beat out 260 other entries from both amateur and professional photographers. The group notes that the picture may now be featured in various RCRC marketing materials or work product throughout the next year.

Sells concentrates on nature, wildfire, and landscapes in her photography, according to RCRC. The photo is titled Sunset Over New Melones Reservoir with Springtime Flowers on Table Mountain, RCRC leaders note that the contest was established to promote tourism and local economic development by showcasing the beautiful landscape, scenery, activities, history, and charm of its 36 member counties. One of those leaders is Tuolumne County Supervisor Randy Hanvelt, who was elected the organizations Vice Chair, as reported here earlier this year.
Smart assistants or rather artificial intelligence (AI), much like butlers or assistants of an era gone by, will require companies to transform their strategies by no longer selling to their previous direct customers and consumers anymore, but rather to preferred AI platforms.

How can brands adapt and be recognised by the new intelligentsia?

Companies and marketers will have to invest aggressively in understanding the algorithm platforms used to recommend and choose their brands, including bespoke weighting for each customer. Algorithms will consider aspects such as: is brand recognition more important than price (e.g. BMW), or are brand names less relevant (e.g. for floor cleaners)?





Are the direct ties with consumers still relevant for brand building? Well, yes and no. Yes, should we wish to be promoting brand awareness and loyalty of products in the smart and connected consumer electronics categories, or when we wish to collect data from consumers. No, if we are promoting a brand which is less reliant on AI platform intelligence for selection.





The bulk of retail sales globally, are still brick and mortar stores and brands might still be influential for the near future. However, as online buying increases, brands will have to regularly evaluate just how important physical retail channels are to them and adjust their strategy accordingly.

Marketing on AI platforms

1. Is the platform working for us?

Select the right platforms for your brands. There is currently a flurry to launch on many platforms, but in reality, only a handful of general purchase platforms will survive: mainly those where the customers needs are best met and have the best combined sales and service centre.





As marketers and advertisers, we can ensure that customers use the platforms for the algorithms to better understand the users better.

2. What do we want from the platform?

We will have to build platform relationships rather than customer relationships. The current efforts to create and sustain omni-channel customer experience by marketers will in all likelihood fade away as the platforms are to become all-in-one fulfilment centres within themselves, providing powerful marketing mediums, sales and distribution.





Branded products will most probably find themselves in weaker positions when these functions are concentrated within a few platforms. That in turn will supply AI owners with enormous cloud influencing price, promotions and the consumer relationship.





We will have to trust our successes, which are currently being unified on customer interest, like signalling brand quality, and winning customer loyalty, to an allegiance with trusted AI assistants, who will in all likelihood be much more qualified to predict and interpret our customers needs.





Focus on the single channel  the platform(s) - rather than multi ATL, TTL and BTL channels.





The ability for humans to remember details are quite fallible and we know that people have biases toward things, but computers can remember and interpret the finest details forever. These could range from product pricing, characteristics, past performance and authenticated reviews and past customer behaviour.

3. How can we make sure the platform chooses us?

We might have to negotiate, and possibly pay platform owners to be able to understand and influence the algorithms applied by the platforms for customised purchasing criteria (and having access to our own customers in the end).





There might even be an option to list on the platforms, much as brands are now paying for shelf space in brick and mortar retail stores.





Similar to Googles AdWords bidding, the bidding future on AI platforms would also possibly lead to brands paying extra for preferential positions. In addition, whilst there are brands opposed to this ability, there will always be brands willing to pay to have an advantage over their competitors. In fact, this might just become a major source of revenue for the platforms.





We as media agents/strategists/buyers will have to recognise the fact that we will have to market through these platforms.





AI platforms will most likely outperform us in terms of accountability, when it comes to linking consumer behaviour with our media selection/interventions.





We will have to brace ourselves with the vast amounts of the detailed traditional market and media research we will be able to receive or buy from the platforms. On the positive side, it will be customers actual behaviour, instead of information at an assumed behaviour level.





Imagine a world where reliable customer satisfaction and granular behaviour data are readily and speedily available from AI platforms, rather than the limited (and sometimes biased) information from customers we have access to currently through questionnaires, telephone polling, etc.





Brands will have to sharpen their positioning in the marketplace in ways that platforms will recognise and register them as a brand of interest.





Platforms will know how to adapt customers requirements and the exceptions they are willing to take in different contexts, whilst algorithms will be sorting, predicting and executing combinations to satisfy customers at a specific moment in time when it is most relevant to that particular individual and not necessarily mass consumers anymore.

Human needs are satisfied repeatedly while being guided through complex buying decisions. Customers are no longer humans (only) - AI platforms are now the trusted advisers to human consumers. These new buyers and influencers are deemed much more influential than their masters (consumers or end-users) when it comes to routine purchases.These AI platforms will anticipate what is needed, select a relevant brand and execute the transaction, long before their humans realise that they actually need the product.AI has such a large intelligence capacity in executing the selection process that brands will be selected on their masters anticipated needs base.Brands will therefore have to transform and shift their focus to impress AI platforms and compete to be regarded as higher-ranking brands than their competitors, or to even be considered as a selectable brand for demanding AI platforms.AIs are the new gatekeepers, controlling brands customers that could make or break them much quicker than humans could through word-of-mouth. It is all about the distinctive algorithms at play, and brand recognition will no longer be relevant in product selection.There are three questions that need to be answered:The future has changed and if we have not caught up to that fact, AI is most likely to take over our functions. We will have to brace ourselves to be future thinking in this fast-changing world we live in. Hello AI, my new bestie!
Mars Multisales Africa, a division of global family-owned food company Mars Incorporated, has announced progress made on the company's global 'Sustainable in a Generation' plan.

Pedigree pet food production line (Birstall, UK)

Goals and milstones

Cocoa farmer with beans (Cote dIvoire)

Local solutions

Launched last year, the plan is designed to make tangible, scientifically-based changes to the way Mars Incorporated does business globally. To achieve these changes, the company is investing $1 billion over the next few years to accelerate progress against urgent threats to sustainability.The multinational foods giant owns household brands like M&Ms, Snickers, Pedigree, Whiskas, Royal Canin, Orbit & Airways gum and Royco.Brian Ayling, general manager of Mars Multisales Africa says the company has implemented various programmes in South Africa, across the continent and globally to make sure they're playing their part to reach the outlined goals.The Sustainable in a Generation plan focuses on three key areas: Healthy Planet  Reducing the environmental impacts of business based on scientific metrics laid out in the by the United Nations and compliant with Paris Agreement targets Thriving People  Focusing on human rights and improving the working lives of everyone involved in the Mars value chain Nourishing Wellbeing  Making sure that all products contribute to the health and happiness of consumers and their petsSince the implementation of this plan, Mars says it has hit the following global milestones: Nearly 100% of coffee, palm oil and rice are now sourced sustainably, with notable strides in fish and cocoa sourcing on the near term horizon. Mars has maintained their pledge of zero waste to landfill from direct operations, and renewable energy will cover demand from direct operations in 10 countries by the end of the year. More than 93% of Mars manufacturing sites have been reached by a human rights due diligence programme, and 3,500 women in cocoa farming areas have been granted savings and loans programmes.To reach sustainability goals locally, Mars Multisales Africa partnered with Mpact to implement a new modular packaging policy designed not only to cut costs and increase packing efficiency, but to reduce waste and cut down on manufacturing emissions as well. Through the use of this packaging model, Mars Multisales Africa has saved more than 355 tonnes of paper, and enough water to supply more than 235 households per year. All local and regional manufacturing facilities are also Zero Waste to Landfill sites."Beyond this, we continue to find solutions to address water scarcity at our food manufacturing plant in Cape Town. When faced with the prospect of Day Zero due to prolonged drought, the Cape Town plant implemented a system of boreholes, tanks, and Ozone and UV treatments designed to keep the plant sustainable and independent from the citys water supply. The system was also able to generate enough fresh water to supply all of the local associates water needs as well, should Day Zero occur," says Ayling.These actions are just the start of a strong commitment to sustainability, he concludes.
This weeks last-minute NAFTA rewrite may have solidified President Donald Trumps support from the farmers and ranchers who made up a large part of his voting base.

Even before the annoucment of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, agricultural were feeling optimistic.

In early August  before Trump announced a deal with Mexico that squeaked by a deadline for Congress to take it up before incoming leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador takes office  farmers polled by one of the nations leading agricultural news services expressed the highest levels of optimism about their current situation since surveying began in 2010.

I think this agreement is what weve been hearing from readers and from farmers out there, which is the opinion or the feeling that things are going to work out, that we will get agreements, said Greg Horstmeier, The Omaha, Nebraska-based editor of DTN/The Progressive Farmer, which has more than 2 million news and data customers and polls farmers and agribusinesses three times yearly.

Sixty-two percent of rural voters turned out at the polls for Trump in 2016. Even before winning election, the Manhattan billionaire appointed a team of advisers to help shape agricultural policy.

The value of U.S. agricultural trade with Canada and Mexico exploded under the North American Free Trade Agreement, with U.S. exports jumping from $8.7 billion in 1992 to $38.1 billion in 2016. So preservation of a three-way pact was a top concern.

The fate of USMCA is far from certain. It still has to be ratified by the governments of all three countries, and the makeup of one or both houses could tip Democrat after the Midterm elections.

Its so hard to tell, said Belinda Roman, adjunct professor of economics at St. Marys University. I mean, its such a contentious political environment at the moment and with these elections and post elections it seems like theres a lot of maneuvering. Certainly I think in San Antonio that we want them to support, it but I guess we just dont know.

To read more about the trade pact, see Thursdays Business section or click here to visit our subscriber website, ExpressNews.com.
San Antonio breakfast tacos are hard to mess up, but sometimes it's all about how you dress 'em up.

Bill Miller Bar-B-Q has become a breakfast taco staple, with a mix-and-match menu that allows customers to concoct creative combinations to be cuddled up in a warm tortilla.
DANBURY  Local health officials first free and low-cost flu shots for the public will be available this weekend and next week.

The first traveling immunization clinic will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Broadview Middle School and a second will be held from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Rogers Park Middle School.

Nurses will offer Quadrivalent, a flu shot anyone can take, according to health officials. But it also will offer Flublok, for people with egg allergies; FluMist, the nasal spray vaccine; and a high-dose vaccine for adults over 65 years old.

The free or low-cost vaccines are available to anyone, even if they dont have insurance. Medicare, Medicaid and Husky recipients will be covered and the clinic will accept Aetna, Cigna, ConnectiCare and Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance.

The Danbury Health and Human Services department has not offered the public flu shots in many years, but it is part of the teams push for greater community outreach this fall, Director Lisa Morrissey said.

The capacity is probably for 4,000 immunizations a year, she said. If we got 10 percent of that year one, we would be thrilled, but we have the capacity to handle that.

A state grant will cover the cost of vaccines administered and the city also offers free shots for anyone under the age of 18 through the states Childhood Vaccine Program, associate director Kara Prunty said.

Additional clinics include:

Mission Health Day at from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct 13 at Western Connecticut State University in the Bill Williams Gym in Berkshire Hall and Berkshire Hall lawn on the university's Midtown campus at 181 White Street.

During the Danbury Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct 20 at the CityCenter Green.

3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 24 at Catholic Charities at 405 Main Street.

4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at Broadview Middle School.

Officials are booking more clinics each week and will update the health departments website on www.danbury-ct.gov with details as they are available, Prunty said.

zach.murdock@hearstmediact.com
A Houston man has identified himself as the third victim of a former Conroe priest accused of molesting two teens.

A lawyer for the victim alleged Thursday that Manuel La Rosa-Lopez inappropriately touched his client, then a 13-year-old boy, at least four to five times while he served as an altar boy at a Houston church in the mid-1990s.

La Rosa-Lopez was then a seminarian studying to be a priest, and the victim helped with the Spanish-language mass, said Adam Dinnell, an attorney who is representing the victim. Dinnell declined to identify the victim or the church where the accusations took place to protect his client's anonymity.

Each incident took place on a Sunday while he worked as an altar server, Dinnell told the Houston Chronicle. He tried to raise a red flag to adults at the time.

INVESTIGATION: Conroe church raided after ex-priest sex abuse arrest

The teen told his guardians, who were not his parents, of the alleged abuse, who in turn told La Rosa-Lopezs supervising priest, Dinnell said. The victims complaint fell on deaf ears, according to Dinnel, and it appears no action was taken at the church.

He was not going to be an altar boy after that, Dinnell said.

La Rosa-Lopez went on to be ordained as a priest in 1996, church records show.

MORE ACCUSATIONS: Prosecutor receiving new sex abuse claims against Conroe priest

The victim kept the alleged abuse a secret for the next two decades, never telling anyone  even his wife, Dinnell said. He decided to come forward and file a police report with Conroe Police Department on Sept. 24 after seeing La Rosa-Lopezs booking photo in news reports announcing his arrest.

He realized he was not alone, Dinnell said.

In a separate statement, Dinnells Houston-based law firm Schiffer Hicks Johnson said the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston turned a blind eye to a sexual predator and buried the problem, just as church leaders have done in Boston, Los Angeles and in Pennsylvania.

This epidemic must be met with transparency and action, the statement read.

An Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston spokeswoman referred all questions about the latest claim to La Rosa-Lopezs lawyer and said the church continues to cooperate fully with the civil authorities in their ongoing investigation.

When asked about the latest victim, La Rosa-Lopezs lawyer Wendell Odom said he had not discussed the third accusation with the priest and could not comment.

I dont know who it is or where he says it happened. All Im hearing is from some lawyer that it occurred, Odom said Thursday night.

La Rosa-Lopez was soon assigned to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Conroe, where authorities believe at least two young parishioners were abused between 1998 and 2000. He was arrested on four counts of indecency with a child on Sept. 11.

A spokesman for Conroe police said he was unaware of the third complaint when reached earlier this week and did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.

If the latest claim is to be believed, Michael Norris, the leader of Houstons Survivor Network of those Abused by Priests, said the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston has known about La Rosa-Lopez for more than two decades.

Once again, this case is a reminder that anyone coming forward with allegations of abuse should immediately go to independent officials like the police or a trusted therapist, not officials at the very church where they were abused, Norris said in a statement.

In August, Norris wrote to state Attorney General Ken Paxton asking for a probe similar to the grand jury report in Pennsylvania. The state found more than 1,000 victims and about 300 priests accused of sexual misconduct in the past 70 decades.

La Rosa-Lopez was arrested last month and released from the Montgomery County Jail on a $375,000 bond.

Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Tyler Dunmam said Tuesday that at least 20 people have come forward with varying degrees of information on La Rosa-Lopez. It was not immediately known if the third victim was among those tips.

nicole.hensley@chron.com

@nkhensley
For the latest cover of Time, Christine Blasey Ford is a woman of her word.

The magazine chose to spotlight the controversy swirling around Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh with a portrait of Ford, the California professor who has accused him of sexual assault in the early 1980s, when both were prep school students in Maryland; Kavanaugh has denied the allegations.

And so Bay Area-based artist John Mavroudis created a collage of multi-tinted topography. The Oct. 15 cover portrait - depicting Ford's swearing-in for her Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last week - is constructed from the words of Ford's own testimony.

"The testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford hit me pretty hard," Mavroudis tells The Washington Post's Comic Riffs. "I had so many emotions - but mostly felt for the newly experienced trauma she was going through.

"I think everyone knows someone who has gone through something like what she experienced," he adds of Ford. "Many do not know that they are family or friends of someone who experienced this."

When it came to channeling his emotion into this illustration, says Mavroudis, "I read the transcript of the testimony, and it brought back, even in written form, a lot of her pain.

"I made a list of impactful quotes and started placing them where I thought they belonged," he continues. "The 'seared into my memory' and 'the laughter,' which she talked so powerfully [about], belonged on her forehead. The 'I tried to yell for help' belonged on her lips. But I eventually moved the word 'help' to a more lonely, but striking part: her white teeth surrounded by black."

The artist - who two years ago created a typographical Trump portrait for The Nation - also emphasizes that his artistic distillation of Ford reflects current events, but not the woman.

"When it came together and I was finally finished, I think I had the essence of what I wanted to convey," he says. "Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's life is not this. She is a much richer, more complex human being. We all are. But I think this conveyed the moment we are in right now."
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) handed down a ground-breaking judgment on 28 September 2018 in the matter Centre for Child Law & Others v Media 24 Limited & others, reinforcing the public's right to be informed of crimes involving child victims, such as Van Breda and Zephany Nurse, and confirming the right of the public to be alerted to an accused's identity upon them turning 18.

The Victim Extension

All of the cases reported in the newspaper would be stripped of childrens names. All crimes involving families like the Van Bredas murder, would have to be anonymised.

The media would not be able to reveal the identity of a child who is injured in a motor accident, as negligent driving may have been involved. A childs school would not be able to wish her well in assembly and a church may not pray for her well-being.

A child displays bravery in surviving a crime  the media may not commend such bravery. Even the school may not publish a newsletter to that effect.

Envisage the history books without the photographs of Hector Peterson, the Vietnamese girl in the war running naked in the village, the two-year old refugee boy washed up on a beach. These are all moments in history that would not have been captured and published, as these are all child victims of crimes.

The Adult Extension

A child who was a victim of a crime may not publish an autobiography when they are older describing their experience and overcoming their ordeal;

The media would not be permitted to publish news articles identifying an adult who was a child victim, publicising their stories as inspiration of perseverance and strength to the public;

The media would not be permitted to publish news articles celebrating the rehabilitation of a young accused back into the community; and

Articles informing the community about conviction and sentences of former child accused to draw the publics attention to important social and political issues would not be permissible.

Freedom of expression

This matter centred around s154(3) of the Criminal Procedure Act, No 51 of 1977, which essentially prohibits the media from publishing any information which reveals or may reveal the identity of an accused or a witness in criminal proceedings if they are under the age of 18, unless the court orders that the publication would be just and equitable. Any violation of this section carries with it a criminal sanction of imprisonment of up to five years or a fine or both.The Centre for Child Law (CCL) and other organisations working with children sought two extensions of the publication ban: firstly, to extend the publication ban on the identification of victims of crime under the age of 18 years (the Victim Extension) and secondly, to extend the duration of the ban on the publication of the identification of an accused, witnesses and victims beyond their 18th birthday (the Adult Extension).The media respondents opposed both the victim extension and the adult extension.The CCL sought a publication ban on the identity of all child victims involved in any crime, regardless of whether the matter is brought before the court or not. The CCL referred to the Van Breda murders in Stellenbosch and Zephany Nurse who was abducted from her family as a two-day-old baby, as case studies to illustrate the necessity of this extension.This kind of protection was not afforded in any country anywhere in the world and could lead to numerous absurdities, as the ban will be triggered the moment the crime is committed and will operate even when the identification of the child is harmless or even beneficial for the child. For instance:The CCL also argued that the anonymity protection provided to a child accused, victim or witness in criminal proceedings should be extended into adulthood, after they turn 18.The respondents indicated that this indefinite ban on the publication of the identity of a child accused, victim or witness, even once he/she is an adult and is capable of protecting him/herself from the glare of the media, would bear the following bizarre results:The SCA held that the extension of the identity protection sought by the CCL, either in terms of the Victim or Adult Extension, is in conflict with the open justice principle and the right to freedom of expression, which are entrenched as fundamental rights in our constitution. The court emphasised that limiting the medias freedom of expression, not only affects the media, but the rights of the public to receive important information.Free press is the cornerstone of our constitutional democracy and the broad restrictions imposed on publication and expression would be a denial of democracy itself. The extensive restrictions placed on the media and citizens of South Africa in the past also exacerbated the impact of violations of other fundamental human rights.In terms of a majority decision, the SCA refused to extend the publication ban on identities of accused, witnesses and/or victims beyond the age of 18 as it was overbroad and would infringe the open justice principle and severely restrict the right of the media to impart information.The court did, however, find that a child victims identity should be protected if the child is at criminal proceedings.This limits the protection of the child victims identity if the child is at criminal proceedings. In other words, the media is not prohibited from publishing information about a child victim of a crime prior to the institution of such proceedings. If a child victim is not at criminal proceedings and wishes for his/her identity to be protected, the court may be approached for an order interdicting the media from revealing or publishing information that could reveal the childs identity. Similarly, if a child accused, witness or victim fears the public exposure in the media upon turning 18, the court may be approached for an interdict protecting their identity.The SCAs judgment has been referred to the Constitutional Court to confirm the constitutional invalidity of s154(3). Thereafter, depending on the outcome, Parliament may have to amendment s154(3) to provide for the intricacies of the law relating to publication of the identities of child victims, accused and witnesses.This judgment emphasises the publics right to receive valuable information about crimes committed within their communities and reinforces the medias right to impart such information.
FAIRFIELD  While the cost to remediate a contaminated area at the towns fill pile, and construct a landscaped berm totaled almost $800,000, Public Works Director Joseph Michelangelo said the work also saved the town money.

In fact, Michelangelo told the Board of Selectmen Wednesday, building the berm not only addressed neighbor complaints, but it also used about 40,000 cubic yards from the fill pile. The value of the material that was used, he said, is about $800,000, based on a figure of $20 per cubic yard.

That use reduced the estimated 100,000 cubic yards that made up the pile to 60,000 cubic yards. Of the material remaining, Michelangelo said, 16,500 cubic yards will be used as part of the towns hardening project around the wastewater treatment plant, to prevent it from being flooded. He said that material is valued at $681,900.

Michelangelo said the remaining material may still prove valuable for use in other town projects.

Selectman Edward Bateson wanted to know now that the pile, and neighbors complaints, have been addressed, what the plan is going forward to deal with construction and road spoils generated by the town.

Regarding the aggregate pile, the big chunks (of material) we dont have anything to pulverize the material, Michelangelo said. Once the accumulation of the larger material gets big enough, he said, the town would either bring in a contractor for a limited time period to break up the material, or the department will rent the needed equipment. It would cost about $50 a ton to send out, Michelangelo said.

First Selectman Mike Tetreau said theyve identified some other town projects where the remaining material can be used and said theyve gotten some soft interest from other out of town parties that might be able to use some of it.

From now on, Michelangelo said, if a contractor is hired to break up a road, it will be part of the contract that they haul it away. Its not coming back to our yard, he said. We cant absorb it anymore for the benefit of other projects.

He also said the spoils from town projects are being handled in separate areas of the Public Works yard, with separate containers for concrete, asphalt or street sweepings. No material, according to Michelangelo, has gone into the main pile since December of 2016, when it was shut down.

Michelangelo said the department is paying about $20,000 a year now to cart away some of those spoils.

A court case again Julian Enterprises is still proceeding. Julian had a three-year contract with the town, the goal of which was to reduce the size of the fill pile. Instead, the town claims the opposite occurred, and at one point, some material contaminated with low amounts of PCBs and lead, was dumped at the pile. Julian has countersued the town for defamation.

The town spent $396,260 on soil testing and remediation, which it is seeking to recover through the lawsuit.

greilly@ctpost.com; 203-842-2585
UPPER THUMB  The love of God, his country and music has always been part of Larry Turners life.

I was 14 when my mother bought a piano for my sister," he recalled. "When we got it, I just took too it. I never knew I had a feeling for it."

The instrument intrigued him so much he learned how to play it.

Before I ever took a lesson, I started putting chords together in a certain way and played those, he said.

Once he found his interest in the piano that was his focus.

It is a dynamic instrument. You can play it soft or play it loud and it takes both hands to play it, he said. I just like the sound of music on a piano.

He was able to blend his love of the Lord with his love of music when he went to college.

I majored in Music and Bible at Harding College in Arkansas, Turner said. It is a religious college. I taught music in Lincoln Park (Michigan) for a year before I was drafted.

He served in the United States Army for two years  1967 and 1968. He served as a medic in Vietnam in 1968.

During his time in country in Vietnam, he was wounded.

During his service, he earned a Purple Heart, which is given to those who are wounded in action. He also received the U.S. Army medal of Honor Commendation with a V, and a Bronze Star also with a V, which stands for valor.

Turner, who is originally from Detroit, was a pastor for more than 40 years until he retired four years ago.

His first church was the Church of Christ in Detroit. Some of the other churches where he pastored included the Caro Church of Christ and the Akron Church of Christ.

I still fill in as a pastor when there is a need, he said.

It was while he was a pastor at the Caro Church of Christ that he met his second wife, Margaret (Anderson). The couple moved to Cass City about 15 years ago.

Because of his ability to put notes together, he has written several songs, hymns, and choral music. Several of his music compositions have been published.

I wrote a song for my first wife, Fay, that was published by Hill Top Records in California, said Turner. The song was called, Fay One. It was a love song."

It is on an album called, America. I had just that one song on it," he added. "There were other composers on the album that included vocal and instrumental music. That was done about three years ago.

There was also a Christmas carol, called Angels Sing Praise, that was vocal and instrumental and published by Hill Top Records.

I had a couple of other ones published also, said Turner. The pay was a minimal amount.

One of his many pieces included the Veteran Honor Song, which pays tribune to those who served their country.

I think Ive written about 50 pieces, and I really have no idea how many hymns Ive written, he said.

Also, Turners brother, Gary, collaborated on a book of hymns with him.

Turner, who is an accomplished musician, arranged all the music in the 85-page hymn book.
The White House and Republicans have announced that the FBI's reopened background-check investigation into new accusations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been delivered to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Individual senators will now be able to review summaries of the FBI's interviews under weirdly restrictive conditions, and it remains unclear whether the findings will ever be publicly released.

You'll be shocked to hear that the White House has already pronounced the FBI report entirely exonerating for Kavanaugh, claiming that it is now "fully confident" Kavanaugh will be confirmed.

But a lot of new reporting has emerged that starkly illustrates just how much about the new allegations was not investigated by the FBI. It's important to note that this probably was not a failing on the FBI's part but rather the result of restrictions the White House placed on the probe - a process that itself remains shrouded in disingenuous rhetorical games.

The New York Times reports that as part of the inquiry, the FBI interviewed nine people, while The Post reports that it could confirm interviews with only six people. It appears clear that the FBI did interview Mark Judge, named by Christine Blasey Ford as an accomplice in the alleged sexual attack; Patrick Smyth and Leland Keyser, who may have been present downstairs; Chris Garrett, who may have dated Ford at one point; and Tim Gaudette, whose house was the site of a July 1982 gathering noted on Kavanaugh's calendar.

Here's a list of the people who we know have not been interviewed:

-A suitemate of Kavanaugh's has now told the New Yorker he remembers hearing at the time about the incident Deborah Ramirez has recounted. Ramirez, who has been interviewed, had claimed that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a dorm party at Yale. The suitemate, Kenneth Appold, now says he is "one-hundred-per-cent certain" that he was told the culprit was Kavanaugh. He does say he never discussed this with Ramirez, but he claims an eyewitness described the episode to him at the time. Appold has tried to share this story with the FBI, but there's no indication the FBI is willing to hear from him.

-A classmate of Kavanaugh's at Georgetown Prep now strongly challenges one of Kavanaugh's assertions under oath. The person told the New Yorker that he heard Kavanaugh talk repeatedly about Renate Dolphin as someone "that everyone passed around for sex" (the witness' words), and even heard Kavanaugh singing a rhyme that included the words "you wanna get laid, you can make it with REE-NATE." Kavanaugh (and many others) described themselves in their yearbook as a "Renate Alumnius," but Kavanaugh has denied under oath that this was a sexual reference - claiming, ludicrously, that it was intended to show "affection."

-This classmate is not named by the New Yorker. But he put his name on a statement to the FBI and the Judiciary Committee that makes this claim, and he is prepared to talk to the FBI. There is no indication this happened.

-James Roche, one of Kavanaugh's roommates at Yale, has written a piece for Slate that claims Kavanaugh lied under oath about his use of slang and his drinking. Roche claims that Kavanaugh "regularly" blacked out. Roche has offered to talk to the FBI, but there's no indication this happened.

-Roche also pointedly added of Kavanaugh: "He said that 'boofing' was farting and the 'Devil's Triangle' was a drinking game. 'Boofing' and 'Devil's Triangle' are sexual references. I know this because I heard Brett and his friends using these terms on multiple occasions." Roche concluded that Kavanaugh "has demonstrated a willingness to be untruthful under oath about easily verified information."

-NBC News reports that the FBI has not contacted dozens of people who could potentially corroborate the allegations against Kavanaugh or testify to his behavior at the time. This includes many people who knew either Ford or Ramirez at the time, and people who approached the FBI offering information.

-The Post reports that Ramirez's lawyers provided the FBI with a list of more than 20 people who might have relevant information, but "as of Wednesday, Ramirez's team had no indication that the bureau had interviewed any of them."

-Neither Ford nor Kavanaugh have been interviewed by the FBI. As the Brookings Institution's Susan Hennessey points out: "It is inconceivable they could close a real investigation without re-interviewing Kavanaugh."

We'll have to wait to hear from individual senators to learn what the FBI findings, such as they are, tell us about the sexual-assault allegations. But whatever that is to be, are the undecided senators - Republicans Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, and Democrats Joe Manchin and Heidi Heitkamp - really going to brush off all these new claims, and the restrictions the White House placed on the FBI, lightly?

Kavanaugh's bad-faith defenders have tried to frame the question about Kavanaugh's drinking as: Are you really saying his youthful excesses are disqualifying? True, many of those excesses are trivial. But that's not the right question. Rather, it's whether Kavanaugh has shown a level of candor in the present about all this stuff that we expect in a Supreme Court justice (never mind the angry partisanship and openly displayed contempt for the critical role that opposition lawmakers play in this process).

Kavanaugh defenders who have addressed that question point out that he admitted to drinking "too many beers" at times and to doing things that now leave him "cringing." But this doesn't get Kavanaugh off that particular hook: All of this new information, on top of other things we've already learned, credibly indicate that he blatantly falsified multiple aspects of his conduct in a highly specific way. An admission of general cringe-worthiness doesn't mitigate that. Undecided senators need to decide whether Kavanaugh has really demonstrated the integrity - and respect for the vetting process - that this position, with all the influence it wields over American life, and all the judiciousness and deliberative qualities we expect from those on the high court, demands.

Hundreds of law professors have now added their names to a letter arguing that he has not. And then there's the process itself. When Flake courageously insisted on a reopened FBI inquiry, he stated that this was necessary to prevent the country from tearing itself apart. The threshold for Flake, then, is that treating these allegations with a seriousness of purpose commensurate with the gravity that millions of Americans across the country accord to sexual assault - many of them being survivors themselves - is the necessary precondition for healing the country, and thus for getting his vote. In this, he was joined by Collins and Murkowski.

But given everything we've seen so far about this process - and given what we now are learning - can any of these undecided senators really claim with a straight face that this standard has been met? If not, how can they vote for Kavanaugh without betraying their own declared standard to be a lie?
NEW HAVEN  Honduran citizen Javier Vasquez Martinez, last residing in Meriden, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court Thursday to one count of re-entry of a removed alien, according to a press release from John H. Durham, U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut. Additional charges against Vasquez Martinez from a West Haven incident in July of this year are pending.

According to court documents and witnesses, Vasquez Martinez was deported from the U.S. to Honduras in May 2016, following two state convictions for operating under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, and one conviction for failure to appear. Investigation revealed that Vasquez Martinez, using the name Merary Vasquez, had already had two state convictions in 2007 for operating under the influence, the release said.
When Harold Leigeb was in the fifth grade in the little country school in Averill, his teacher was Clara Smith. Three grades shared the same room and teacher: third, fourth and fifth grades. Their project for the year was the history of Red Keg, the original name for Averill.

The three classes worked together putting a history lesson down on a 4-by-8 piece of plywood. Harold recalls that lumber camps, railroads, rivers and rollways were meticulously fashioned and attached to the plywood to visually teach the history of lumbering in this area. The 4-by-8 piece of plywood and its miniature landscape disappeared at some point but to Harold it was something he never forgot. He and his classmates were walking on ground that lumberjacks and lumber barons had once walked on. He was walking where history had taken place and he has never forgotten the feeling.

There are photographs of men wearing suits and bowler hats standing on the largest rollway of logs in the world in a village named Averill. A rollway was the place where logs were stored until the snow and ice melted, making it possible for a million logs to be pushed into the Tittabawassee River and floated down to the lumber mills in Saginaw and Bay City.

Men prophesied there was enough timber here for the next 500 years. But the woods were decimated in less than 100. Progress shortened the time. Lumberjacks using axes gave way to crosscut saws, to big wheels, to single gauge railroads. And one by one, Camp 16 (Edenville), Camp 17 (Hope) and Wright & Ketchum (Averill) became history.

Harold and Ollie are the sons of Michael Leigeb who emigrated from Hungary to the United States. Landing in Galveston, Texas, Michael worked in lumber camps from Texas to Wisconsin where he had relatives. He met Mary Winter, a young girl who had just emigrated from Yugoslavia and in six months they were married. In 1920, Michael and Mary moved to the Midland area where Michael had cousins living, Tony and Peter Furst.

Today, Harold Leigeb and his brother Ollie remember growing up in the middle of logging history. They walked on the rollway on their way to swimming in the river that once saw logs jammed from shore to shore. In the winter there was sledding in the same area, stopping just short of the frozen Tittabawassee River. They scrambled up the elevated sides of the single gauge railroad tracks on their way to what they called Headquarters. That area had been the lumber camp for the Wright & Ketchum crews.

A saloon and hotel had been built on the south side of the railroad tracks. Lumberjacks played cards, drank whiskey and often got into fist fights there. Lumber barons in town to buy logs stayed at the hotel adjoining the saloon. A beer keg painted red had been put on a pole next to the saloon and before long the name Red Keg was given to the entire area.

The foremen in the lumber camps made frequent trips to the saloon to check and see if some of their workers were enjoying some libations instead of staying in camp. Lumberjacks worked in the woods from daylight to dusk and the work was brutal. A slip of a saw or an axe and a man could bleed to death before he got back to camp.

Bunk houses were built with bunk beds close together and a black round-bellied stove stood in the center of the bunk house. The air in the bunk houses could become thick with the odor of wet socks, underwear and jackets draped near the stove to dry out. A good cook was a necessity in a lumber camp with three big meals prepared each day, seven days a week.

A train lumbered through the village of Red Keg on its journey from Midland to Coleman each day, dropping off supplies for the Wright & Ketchum Camp and sometimes passengers. When the timber was gone, the saloon and hotel remained standing and became a house. Harold said, I remember being a kid and it was raining and I could make out the name Grizzly Bear Hotel on the siding. The Red Keg Saloon was firmly attached to one end of the hotel.

Little by little and piece by piece anything relating to the lumberjacks who had lived in the area disappeared. Thick grass and sometimes wildflowers have grown where the worlds largest rollway had been. Grass and sod have covered up the single gauge railroad tracks in the woods leaving only outlines for the few hunters who still go there.

When Mike Leigeb moved his family to Averill in 1942, the lumber camps had disappeared and Harold and Ollie remember what it was like growing up there.

Carl Siechert had the only grocery store in the village. The original store had been built on Wackerly Road close to the railroad tracks. But when U.S. 10 went through cutting Wackerly Road off, Carl Siechert used a team of horses and logs to move his store to the corner of Hope Road and U.S. 10. A sliver of Wackerly Road had been left intact and followed the railroad tracks for a short distance. The little Methodist Church and a number of houses lined the road facing the railroad tracks.

By now everyone had electricity in their homes and many had a telephone. The phone was a large wooden box perched on a wall in the house with the actual phone in two parts. You lifted up one part to hear and the part you talked in was attached to the wooden box. Every line was a party-line meaning more than one person was on the same line. There was always a problem of someone eavesdropping. You could tell because when they picked up the phone to listen in, you could her the click of the receiver being lifted up. Johnny Bacon owned the Wolverine Telephone Co. and it was literally a one-man operation. The switchboard was just off the main road through Sanford on Center Street in a house with a large enclosed porch. The switchboard was there as well as a cot in the corner. The night hours didnt find many people phoning and the lady operating the switchboard could take a nap if she wanted to.

There was no city water. Wells were dug or drilled. The school was one room with a teacher having all eight grades. The school was on Hope Road and kitty-corner across the road from the school was the town hall. Church potlucks, wedding receptions, Friday night dances, baby showers, 4-H meetings and voting in political elections were held there. Joanne, Harold and Ollies sister, sometimes played the piano for the dances.

(Part II will continue in two weeks.)
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Photo for The Washington Post by Timothy C. Wright

RICHMOND, Va. - Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday endorsed Rep. Dave Brat - and vouched for President Donald Trump's backing - in his tight race with Democrat Abigail Spanberger in Virginia's 7th Congressional District.

Pence's endorsement, announced on Twitter, signaled Trump's support without the president weighing in directly. Conveying Trump's backing by way of Pence, seen as a steady establishment figure before he teamed up with Trump, might animate the president's fans in rural regions of the district without inflaming Trump critics in suburban areas.

"PROUD to support @DaveBratVA7th - a conservative champion who fights everyday for a balanced budget, a strong national defense & a secure border. @RealDonaldTrump and I are with you! #MAGA," tweeted Pence, who also headlined a fundraiser for Brat on Wednesday night.

Brat's reply - "Thank you, VP @mike_pence for your support!" - made no mention of Trump.

Brat and Spanberger are walking a fine line when it comes to Trump, whose popularity is mixed in a central Virginia district just outside Richmond, a mix of bright-red farming communities and suburban swing territory.

Spanberger noted Pence's appearance for Brat in a fundraising appeal without knocking the vice president or Trump.

"The race is now a tie, and Abigail is gaining strength, so to save his campaign, Rep. Brat is depending on help from outside Super PACs and D.C. Republicans - all the way up to the White House," it said. "[W]e may not have the sitting Vice President raising money for us - but we do have this community of supporters. Let's counter Rep. Brat's coming haul with our biggest day of grassroots fundraising yet."

Brat's fundraiser took place at the northern Virginia home of Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union. Tickets ranged from $250 for individuals to $1,000 for political action committees, according to an invitation posted on Politico.

On Monday, former president Barack Obama and former vice president Joe Biden endorsed Spanberger.

Brat, who won the seat four years ago after toppling then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the GOP primary, faces a tough challenger in Spanberger, a former CIA officer making her first bid for elective office.

A Monmouth University poll released last week found Spanberger leading Brat 47 percent to 42 percent among all potential voters in the district, a longtime GOP stronghold that is a mix of Richmond suburbs and rural areas. The poll found that 2 percent favor Libertarian Joe Walton, and 9 percent are undecided.

Brat was a little-known Randolph-Macon College economics professor with tea party backing when he pulled off his stunning primary upset over Cantor. He won reelection two years ago by 15 percentage points.

The Cook Political Report classifies the race as a "toss-up."
Pittsfield man arrested on sexual assault of a child charge

PITTSFIELD  A Pittsfield man has been arrested on a charge of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, though details of the incident are still unknown.

Charles R. Bradshaw, 56, of Pittsfield was arrested in the morning hours of Oct. 2 on a charge of criminal sexual assault of a child. According to information from the Pittsfield Police Department, the Bradshaw allegedly conducted the sexual contact with the victim two years ago.

This arrest comes after a weeks-long investigation conducted by the Pittsfield Police Department and the Pike County Sheriffs Department.

Bradshaw has been lodged in the Pike County jail with a $150,000 bond. The incident remains under investigation.

Morgan County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Reginald E. Thomas, 41, of 611 E. Ash St., Springfield, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 6:21 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of violating probation on a domestic battery conviction.

 Tyler J. Fanning, 23, of 2419 Woodson-Franklin Road, Franklin, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 9:48 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of violating probation on a retail theft conviction.

 Joshua J. Johnson, 20, of Belleville was booked into the Morgan County jail at 2:05 a.m. Wednesday on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended.

Jacksonville Police

ACCIDENTS

 A 10-year-old Jacksonville boy was injured about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday when the bicycle he was riding was struck by a vehicle being driven by Corina S. Wilson, 29, of Jacksonville at South Main and Anna streets.

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Jessica V. Barrow, 32, of 355 W. Lafayette Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 12:43 p.m. Tuesday on a domestic battery charge.

 Jeremy C. Stucker, 40, of 111 Meadow Ridge Lane was booked into the Morgan County jail at 3:06 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of illegal use of another persons credit card.

 Burnice D. Boone, 32, of 1021 Mathers St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 7:47 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended.

 Brian L. Gautreaux, 44, of 223 W. College Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 11:01 p.m. Tuesday on an aggravated domestic battery charge.

 Charles T. Payton, 25, of 474 S. East St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 3:45 a.m. Wednesday on charges of domestic battery and resisting a peace officer.

 Jessse L. Redmond, 46, of 847 Doolin Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 7:08 a.m. Wednesday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, domestic battery and six counts of manufacture and delivery of controlled substances.

 Denver H. Nelson, 24, of 428 S. East St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 12:49 p.m. Wednesday on a disorderly conduct charge.

 A 14-year-old boy was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting a peace officer at 12:08 p.m. Wednesday following an incident at Jacksonville High School.

Meredosia Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Ralph E. Winder, 64, of 128 S. Putnam St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 8:44 p.m. Tuesday on a disorderly conduct charge.



Cass County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Demetrius W. Woods, 38, of 323 Anna St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 1:41 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant accusing him of contempt of court.

Compiled by Nick Draper, Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree and Greg Olson
Authorities in Florence, South Carolina, on Thursday said they had begun a "very large, intense investigation" into the barrage of gunfire that killed one police officer and injured six others a day earlier.

The violence sent tremors through the law enforcement community, prompting condolences from across the country that echoed the outpouring seen after officers were slain in Dallas, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Iowa and New York in recent years. The shootout occurred on a residential street as police attempted to serve a warrant, highlighting the dangers that officers face during some routine interactions.

"Those cops put their badges on every single day and they know what tragedy could await them," Allen Heidler, chief of the Florence Police Department, said during a press conference Thursday.

Heidler spoke personally about Sgt. Terrence Carraway, the veteran police officer who was killed, describing him as a friend and a member of the force for three decades.

"It is a tragic loss of life for me," Heidler said during the emotional news briefing. He praised Carraway as an officer and a person, adding: "He was a giant of a man but he was the proverbial gentle giant. And I loved him."

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said a suspect is in custody, but he will not be identified until charged. He said his agency is leading a homicide investigation into the incident.

"We do have a suspect in custody," Lott said, "but there is no danger to the community."

Local officials said sheriff's deputies near Florence were serving a warrant on Wednesday when the suspect began firing at them. Florence police officers headed to the upscale Vintage Place subdivision to help.

Florence County emergency management officials said they responded to a "report of shots fired and officer down" at 4:37 p.m. The siege felt like it lasted "forever," Heidler said. He also said he did not believe that his officers -- at least one of whom had just gotten off duty but responded when the call for help came in -- anticipated the level of firepower that they encountered.

The attacker "had an advantage," Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone told reporters on Wednesday night. "The officers couldn't get to the ones that were down."

According to authorities, the suspect fired from inside a home and then barricaded himself inside with an unspecified number of children, prompting a standoff that lasted about two hours until the suspect were arrested.

Lott declined to provide details about the shooting, including how many weapons were used and how many shots were fired during the fusillade.

"We haven't got that far yet to even process the crime scene," he said.

Five civilians were taken to local hospitals from the scene, although it's unclear whether they were injured by the hail of gunfire. Ryon A. Watkins, chief of the Florence County Emergency Medical Services, would not say if any of them were shot or detail their injuries.

In addition to Carraway, three other Florence police officers were shot -- one while still in his vehicle, Heidler said. Three Florence County deputies were also shot. The wounded officers were removed after law enforcement authorities used an armored vehicle to drive in, officials said.

Heidler said two of the three Florence police officers had been treated and released from the hospital, while one was still hospitalized on Thursday afternoon. The conditions of the three deputies were not immediately known Thursday evening.

While being a police officer has statistically gotten safer in recent decades, seemingly ordinary interactions have still proven deadly in some cases. During the first half of this year, 31 police officers were shot and killed, most of them during the daily work of attempting arrests, responding to domestic disturbances or serving arrest warrants, according to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. Twenty-seven officers were killed in traffic-related incidents, like car crashes, the fund reported.

- - -

The Washington Post's Rodney Welch in Florence, South Carolina, and Julie Tate and Missy Ryan in Washington contributed to this report.
Houston has pulled the plug on a sex robot brothel. On Wednesday Houston City Council voted to ban the doll bordelo that was set to open in the Galleria area.

The council's vote to change the city ordinance effectively barred the try-before-you-buy robot brothel from operating near public spaces.
NEW YORK (AP)  Barnes and Noble is weighing its options after several parties expressed interest in buying the struggling bookseller.

The company said Wednesday that its board appointed a special committee to review the offers, including one from its founder and chairman, Leonard Riggio, who is credited with turning Barnes & Noble into a bookselling giant.

Shares in New York-based Barnes & Noble Inc. stock shot up 23 percent in after-hours trading following the announcement. They had closed Wednesday down 30 percent for the past year.

San Antonio has four Barnes & Nobel locations around the city.

RELATED: Toys R Us might be coming back after the auction for its brand was cancelled

Once demonized for killing off local bookstores with its superstores, Barnes & Noble has been struggling in recent years with competition from Amazon and changing consumer preferences.

"If they can pull something out to save the company that would be great, but they have a real uphill climb," said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners. "They've hung in there despite Amazon and all the rest of it. But the bookstore that solely sells books and periodicals is unfortunately a relic of the past."

Despite the strong headwinds facing brick and mortar retailers, some analysts believe there's still a place for bookstores in readers' hearts.

"Consumers want unique experiences and escapes  we think they are finding that in independent bookstores," said David Schick, managing partner at Consumer Edge Research. "Consumers want to feel a connection to their stores. We do believe Barnes & Noble can make some enhancements that could matter, but it will take time and investment."

According to FactSet, Riggio owns 19 percent of the company and is its largest shareholder. He said he will vote in favor of any transaction recommended by the committee.

Riggio served as CEO from when Barnes & Noble was founded in 1986 through 2002 and then again from late 2016 through April 2017.

Whoever buys the company will have to find a way to bring something more to the table besides selling books, which are often available cheaper elsewhere, Johnson said.

"If it is Riggio, if he had some secret sauce to reinvent the bookstore for the 21st century, why hasn't he done that in his time there?" Johnson asked.

The company also says it's adopting a shareholder rights plan after noticing an unidentified party or parties rapidly accumulating its stock. The so-called poison-pill plans are often used by companies to defend themselves against hostile takeovers by diluting the value of a would-be acquirer's investment.
A San Antonio man who killed a member of the Hell's Angels in 2006 to gain membership in the rival Bandidos Motorcycle Club was sentenced Thursday to 18 years in prison without parole.

Robert Romo, 45, testified at a trial for the Bandidos former two top leaders that he was the triggerman in the March 2006 shooting of Anthony W. Benesh III, who was slain outside a pizza restaurant in Austin in front of his children and girlfriend.

Beneshs killing was unsolved for 11 years, until federal authorities in early 2017 developed information that led them to charge Romo and three other Bandidos in the murder, among them Romos older brother, Johnny Downtown Romo, 48, who was a high-ranking national sergeant-at-arms in the Bandidos.

RELATED: SAPD: James Avery worker pawned nearly $18K in stolen jewelry

Like Johnny Romo, Robert Romo faced life in prison without parole, but prosecutors also asked Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra for a reduction. The judge gave Robert Romo 18 years for murder in aid of racketeering and 18 years for using and discharging a firearm in aid of a racketeering murder, then ran the sentences concurrently.

Johnny Romo pleaded guilty to the same charges as his brother and received a sentence of 15 years without parole on Wednesday.

At trial, the Romo brothers testified that the hit on Benesh was ordered by then-Bandidos national president Jeffrey Fay Pike and the directive was passed on to Johnny Romo by John Xavier Portillo, who was a national sergeant-at-arms in 2006 and went on to became national vice president in 2013. Benesh, who had planned to start a chapter of the Hells Angels in Austin, had ignored warnings from the Bandidos to not fly Hells Angels colors in Texas, which is considered the Bandidos homeland and territory.

Pike, 63, of Conroe, and John Portillo, 59, of San Antonio were sentenced last week to life in prison without parole after they were convicted of charges that they sanctioned, ordered or led the bikers racketeering conspiracy over several years.

RELATED: Jurors deciding man's fate in child sex attack blamed on dogs

According to Robert Romos testimony, the hit crew, using walkie-talkies to communicate while in two separate vehicles, staked out Beneshs home over two days, deciding to move in on the second day for the kill. The day of the slaying, Robert Romo brought a hunting rifle fitted with a scope that he had borrowed from a friend over a year earlier, according to Robert Romos testimony.

Both Romos also testified that Robert Romo was rewarded by being made a full-patch Bandidos member earlier than is normal and that he was made a part of a squad called the Fat Mexican Crew, tasked as enforcers for the Bandidos national chapter. The Fat Mexican is the Bandidos insignia widely seen on their motorcycle vests and accessories.

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
If you think it's been hotter than usual for longer than usual in San Antonio, you're not alone.

In a tweet on Thursday, the National Weather Service confirmed that "September had no chill."

The tweet indicated that no major city in the region had temperatures fall below 60 degrees in September, though that's normally when temperatures start to tumble.

RELATED: Easter pushes Oyster Bake, other events, to before Fiesta's official start in 2019

In San Antonio, for example, the average date temperatures drop below 60 is on September 25. Last year, the Alamo City had an early cold front, that brought temperatures down on Sept. 7.

This year, though, forecasters think the first significant cold front won't affect San Antonio for another "8 or 9 days," said meteorologist Cory Van Pelt.

"A high pressure ridge in the west coast should help push cold air east (into the San Antonio area)," Van Pelt said.

A high pressure system has lingered in central Texas, keeping cold air from flowing into the region, Van Pelt said. The weather is warmer than usual, but the occurrence is not uncommon.

"It's done it plenty of times," Van Pelt said. "It's more predictable up north where (the weather) tends to follow the calendar. Down here, you never know when summer ends and winter starts."

As of Thursday, Van Pelt said temperatures are expected to drop around Oct. 11.
A suspected gunman was found dead after barricading himself inside a far West Side home following a shooting that left two people in critical condition and put nearby schools on lockdown Thursday afternoon, officials said.

The standoff lasted about five hours and was called off when authorities found the suspect with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.

"What we believe is that it was a family violence situation that escalated and went horribly wrong," Salazar said.

Neighbors called in a report of shots fired at about 3:30 p.m. in the 2900 block of Ash Field, Salazar said.

Upon their arrival, deputies found a woman in her late 30s shot once in her upper body and a 13-year-old boy who was shot several times in the upper body, as well.

RELATED: SAPD: James Avery employee made thousands of dollars pawning stolen jewelry

The woman and boy were both found on the front lawn, deputies said.

Both were taken by helicopter to University Hospital in critical condition, Salazar said.

See video from the scene: at mySA.com's YouTube channel.

A SWAT team surrounded the home. Salazar said at a 6:30 p.m. news conference that deputies still had not been able to contact the suspect.

Deputies used drones to approach the home just after 8 p.m. as well as a thermal imaging camera.

RELATED: S.A. man who killed rival to get into Bandidos hears sentence

When they sent a drone in, the man did not respond to the robot, Salazar said. Deputies used flash bang to try getting another response from him to make sure he was not moving.

"We were able to breach the door using a long ram from a vehicle," Salazar said. "The robot was able to get into one of the bedrooms where we did find that the suspect was deceased."

Deputies found a handgun next to the man's body.

As for the boy who was shot, Salazar said the boy is still in surgery at University Hospital.

"He's not doing well," Salazar said. "We're hoping for the best right now."

The woman who was shot is now in stable condition, he said.

Neighbors who were in their homes in the immediate vicinity at the time of the shooting were told to shelter in place. Those closest to the barricaded home were evacuated.

A three-mile stretch of Pue Road from Raven Field Drive to Kriewald Drive had been closed by the sheriffs office. The 2900 block of Ash Field Drive was also closed.

Earlier, Kriewald, Scobee, and Big Country elementary schools in Southwest Independent School District were locked down as a precaution.

Salazar reported that all the students in the schools were safe. Parents were advised by the district via mass message to pick up their children.

SWISD said via Twitter that three buses coming from Southwest High School were unable to drop off students and asked parents to pick up their children at the schools gym.

Salazar said that three other children related to the people involved in the shooting were to be dropped off by a school bus at the home. They were still on the bus when the shooting occurred, so it was rerouted back to their school.

We are now getting them into the custody of another relative, Salazar said. Those kids are around the ages of 15, 16, 17 years of age. They're old enough to know certainly what's going on.

Check back to mySA.com for updates to this developing story.

Staff Writer Fares Sabawi contributed to this report.
San Antonio police arrested a former James Avery employee Wednesday accused of pawning jewelry she stole from the store at which she worked.

Velvet Vargas, 20, was charged with theft, according to jail records.

An employee called San Antonio police on Aug. 14 after a manager noticed Vargas was wearing a bracelet "that was unaccounted for on her store records," according to her arrest affidavit.

RELATED: San Antonio man accused of stealing safe containing jewelry and $60,000 in cash

Vargas had worked at the Quarry Market location since November 2017 and remained employed there until August.

Detectives discovered that Vargas sold stolen jewelry to 17 different pawnshops between December 2017 and July 2018, according to the affidavit. The value of the jewelry amounted to $17,777.

Police recovered all of the stolen jewelry that was not yet sold in 13 pawn shops.

Vargas confessed to a detective to the scheme and told police she wanted "to get this behind her," according to the affidavit.

Vargas posted her $5,000 bond and was released from jail Thursday, according to jail records.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said Wednesday the hole that caused an air leak in the International Space Station in August wasn't necessarily drilled maliciously -- even though Russian officials have determined it was not a manufacturer's defect.

This determination "indicates that this is an isolated issue which does not categorically affect future production," Bridenstine said in a statement Wednesday. "This conclusion does not necessarily mean the hole was created intentionally or with mal-intent."

The leak was discovered Aug. 30 in Russia's Soyuz spacecraft attached to the space station. The Soyuz has been the only way to ferry astronauts to and from the space station since the space shuttle program was shuttered in 2011. But the compromised part of the Soyuz does not return to Earth and the patch astronauts put in last month is holding.

After the hole was discovered, Russia immediately launched an investigation  initially estimated to be complete in September  into how the hole occurred, whether it was intentional and if other Soyuz modules currently in development also have defects. Russian officials now say the investigation won't be complete until November.

The Russians initially thought the hole was the result of space debris, but they later said it likely was the result of sloppy drill work, either on Earth or in space.

BLAME: Hole that caused air leak in International Space Station made by 'human hand,' Russia says

"It is a matter of honor," Roscosmos state space corporation head Dmitry Rogozin previously said, "...to find the one responsible for that, to find out whether it was an accidental defect or a deliberate spoilage and where it was done  either on Earth or in space."

That comment drew ire from NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, who currently is living on the station. Last week, he told ABC News that it was "a shame and somewhat embarrassing that anybody is wasting any time talking about something that the crew was involved in."

'A SHAME:' NASA astronaut says hole in the International Space Station did not happen on orbit

A spacewalk to examine the hole is tentatively planned for November and the next launch to the space station -- scheduled for Oct. 11 carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague -- still is expected to happen.

RUSSIA 'COMMITTED' TO SAFETY: NASA astronaut's preparation for October flight continues without interruption

Bridenstine will meet with Rogozin ahead of that launch, which happens in Kazakhstan.

Space station astronauts immediately patched the hole in the Soyuz after it was discovered and state run news agency TASS reported last month that it had been cleared for flight.

'I TRUST THEM': Astronaut confident Russia will figure out source of hole

"The manned spacecraft Soyuz MS-09 has been authorized for further flight as part of Russia's segment of the ISS and for being used as a rescue capsule," Soyuz manufacturer Energia said in a news release, according to TASS.

Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
NASA officials said Wednesday that they will work with Israel on a probe slated to reach the moon in February, making it the fourth country in the world to reach the lunar surface.

The American space agency and the Israel Space Agency have signed an agreement to "cooperatively utilize" the probe, being built by Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL to study the moon's magnetic fields. The agreement essentially means both countries will benefit from this mission.

For example, a NASA instrument will hitch a ride on the probe and Israel will share data about the magnetic field of the landing site with the U.S., which will be available publicly via NASA's Planetary Data System.

BIRTHDAY: A look back as NASA turns 60

Additionally, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter  a probe launched in 2009 that is mapping the moon's surface  will try to take measures of the probe as it lands.

"I'm thrilled to extend progress in commercial cooperation we've made in low-Earth orbit to the lunar environment with this new agreement with the Israel Space Agency and SpaceIL," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in a Wednesday statement. "Innovative partnerships like this are going to be essential as we go forward to the Moon and create new opportunities there."

During a visit to Israel earlier this year, Bridenstine said he wanted to increase the space agency's collaboration with the country. He appears to be doing just that.

SpaceIL is an Israeli nonprofit that competed in the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition before it ended earlier this year with no winner. Work on the project, which is slated to launch in December from Cape Canaveral, Fla., first began in 2011.

The United States is the only country that has left human footprints on the moon, which we did for the first time in July 1969. The other two countries to land spacecraft on the moon are the Soviet Union in September 1959 and China in December 2013.

"The launch of the first Israeli spacecraft will fill Israel, in its 70th year, with pride. It is a national accomplishment that will put us on the world's space map," SpaceIL President Morris Kahn previously said.

The announcement comes as NASA shifts its focus to returning to the moon for the first time since 1972 as a stepping stone for a mission to Mars.

TEMPORARY: Trump signs budget bill funding NASA until December

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has made it clear that returning to the moon for the first time since 1972 is a priority for his administration.

His $19.9 billion NASA budget proposal for the coming fiscal year tasks NASA with launching the first flight without a crew for Orion  the spacecraft meant to take humans to Mars  by 2022, followed by a launch of Americans around the moon in 2023.

Additionally, Trump's proposal would allow the agency to begin working on the foundation of a Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, saying it would "give us a strategic presence in the lunar vicinity that will drive our activity with commercial and international partners and help us further explore the moon and its resources and translate that experience toward human missions to Mars."

Trump's proposed budget still must be approved by Congress.

Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
PRISA appoints Victor Sibeko as CEO

The Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA) has appointed Victor Sibeko as its new CEO in charge of strategic direction of the institute.



In his role as CEO, Sibeko will lead PRISA's head office staff to better serve the interest of all PRISA's stakeholders.



PRISA's Board has also entrusted him with the responsibility of a representative role in the public relations sector in Southern Africa and he is required to have an activist role in building a robust organisation that is legally compliant in all business aspects.
The decision by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley to have Arizona sex crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell question Christine Blasey Ford may well be remembered as a brilliant  and quite possibly pivotal  choice.

No doubt, allowing Mitchell to ask questions instead of Republican senators served a defensive purpose, avoiding the spectacle of a bunch of old, white men publicly questioning a woman who says she was a victim of sexual abuse. But Mitchells methodical, genial approach left many supporters of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh deeply frustrated, with some complaining that Mitchell was not laying a glove on Ford.

That view is wrong. First, the audience for Mitchells questions was not the media or even the general public. It was the three Republican senators who will determine Kavanaughs fate: Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Jeff Flake of Arizona. And it turns out that Mitchells orderly questioning actually elicited a lot of information that undermined Fords case against Kavanaugh. This was not obvious during the hearing, because Mitchell was not able to deliver a summation. But she was able to do so later, first during a closed-door meeting of Republican senators and then in a memorandum, in which she explains why, based on her quarter-century of experience prosecuting sex crimes, no reasonable prosecutor would bring this case based on the evidence before the Committee.

To begin with, Mitchell lays out how Ford had not offered a consistent account of when the alleged assault happened or her age when it happened, and how her account of who was at the party has been inconsistent. For example, Mitchell points out that Ford listed Patrick PJ Smyth to the polygrapher and in her July 6 text to a Washington Post reporter, but she did not list Leland Keyser even though they are good friends. Leland Keysers presence should have been more memorable than PJ Smyths.

Ford has no memory of key details of the night in question  details that could help corroborate her account, Mitchell writes. Ford does not remember who invited her to the gathering, how she heard about it, how she got there, or where that house was located with any specificity. Most importantly, Mitchell writes, she does not remember how she got from the party back to her house. Her inability to remember this detail raises significant questions. ... Given that this all took place before cell phones, arranging a ride home would not have been easy.

Furthermore, Mitchell notes, Ford testified that her friend Leland, apparently the only other girl at the party, did not follow up with Dr. Ford after the party to ask why she had suddenly disappeared. This seems highly unlikely.

And, Mitchell demonstrates, Fords inconsistencies are not limited to events three decades ago. For example, Ford delayed the hearing because she said her symptoms prevented her from flying from California to Washington, but then acknowledged under questioning that she flies to the East Coast at least once a year to visit her family, and has flown to Hawaii, French Polynesia and Costa Rica for hobbies and vacations.

Moreover, Mitchell points out, Ford also testified that she was not clear that Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, had offered to send committee investigators to interview her in California. Either this statement under oath was untrue or her attorneys failed to share Grassleys offer with her  which is a serious violation of the American Bar Associations rules of professional conduct.

Mitchell also shows that Dr. Ford struggled to remember her interactions with the Post, which wrote that she provided portions of her therapists notes to a reporter. But in her testimony, Ford could not recall if she showed the Post full or partial therapist notes or her own summary of those notes.

She could not remember whether she took a polygraph the day of her grandmothers funeral or the day after. She was unsure whether she was videotaped or recorded during the polygraph. She did not explain how she knew to call the receptionist at her congresswomans office but could not figure out how to contact her senator, Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Fords supporters say it is unfair to pick apart her testimony, because victims of sexual assault often have trouble remembering key details. Fair enough. But if her memory is the only evidence against Kavanaugh, then inconsistencies matter. And without any corroboration, senators cannot rely her imperfect memories alone  no matter how sympathetic a witness she was.
Former Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Secretary General, Kentse Rammidi has lashed out at fellow democrats for being crybabies when it comes to serving the party.

Rammidi who recently defected from opposition Botswana Congress Party where he also served as secretary general expressed concern that there is low level of commitment from BDP members when it comes to actively participating in party activities. He explained that he has participated in all forms of elections and what he has learnt in his past political life is that there is commitment in opposition cadres.

BDP members should be blamed for the poor performance of the party during elections. It is not that opposition win elections because they have a relevant message to the voter. They do not talk anything sensible that can convince the electorates to give them their votes. It is because of commitment, hard work and compromise. Without these within the BDP members we would not win convincingly, Rammidi said when addressing a political rally in Ledumang- Gaborone North Constituency this past weekend.

Rammidi has observed that BDP members want to be treated with kids gloves when they do party assignments. They would always want whoever they are canvassing votes for to do everything for them before they actively get involved. Things that BDP members do are surprising. You will find that a candidate loses election because his or her spouse has failed to register. When you have an event they want you to do everything for them.

When they travel to a party activity you will find that only two people travel in a car leaving others behind. Where I come from in the opposition there is a lot of compromise. They even share the little they have. BDP members will want you to buy them chicken-licken but in the opposition even if they have a loaf of bread and milk they are good to go just like members of this other church I would not mention, he told the poorly attended voter registration star rally.

Rammidi warned democrats to desist from only working during Bulela-Ditswe. He wondered why a council candidate would be voted by 200 people but fail to bring only 50 people to the rally. He said the difference is commitment which is what the opposition prioritises.

The former legislator pointed out that he managed to introduce BCP in Kanye North through commitment which resulted in the party pulling 4000 votes in 2014 general elections. He warned against claims that the opposition is dead. He said a limping opposition is dangerous.
MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisas supporters across the country are backing his stance to reject President Emmerson Mnangagwas bid to placate him by officially recognising him as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.

The people are very clear in all the provinces we have held provincial council meetings so far. They are saying they support Chamisa in rejecting Mnangagwas offer for him to be drafted in his government. The grassroots masses are saying Mnangagwa is illegitimate, said MDC Alliance organising secretary, Amos Chibaya.

He was not voted by majority of the people of Zimbabwe. Accordingly, he cannot try to window-dress his legitimacy crisis by an illegal offer to the peoples favourite, our party leader Nelson Chamisa.

He said the party held provincial council meetings across the country in the past week and the grassroots supporters back Chamisas stance.

From what is coming out in the provincial council meetings, the people are still solidly behind our leader, Chamisa, despite the setback of losing the elections whose results we still dispute. The people are saying our victory was stolen, but God is in it and so Chamisa will eventually rule this country. They are still solidly behind him, he said.

Chamisa, who says he was the legitimate winner of the elections and accuses the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of voter fraud despite losing a Constitutional Court petition challenging the results of the vote, has called for political dialogue to resolve the issue of legitimacy.

In a memo to party structures last week, Chamisa said the dialogue must be premised on several conditions that shall be anchored on a five-point plan (that) includes return to legitimacy and democracy, the respecting of the win and will of the people, respecting the true outcome of this election.

The reforms must include electoral, political, constitutional and legal reforms that allow for the holding of truly free, fair and credible elections in Zimbabwe.

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Zimbabwes powerful Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is apparently admitted at a private hospital in Harare  where he is being treated for a yet to be disclosed ailment.

This comes few months after the former army chief disclosed that he was suffering from effects of skin cancer that was giving him and his wife a pale complexion.

VP is in Hospital but we do not yet know what he is suffering from we are all humans we fall sick, said source who requested anonymity.

Chiwengas health has been the focus of much speculation after he told mourners at the burial of his sister Margaret Machekabuwe that his complexion was changing due to nhuta (a skin disease). The Vice President said South African specialists had failed to treat him.

It was then that my (late) sister Margaret approached Sister Redemptor (Roman Catholic nun) and was given herbs that I began taking until I was healed, he said.

Pictures appearing to show his swollen hands have been widely shared on social media platforms, furthering speculation that he may be having health problems.

The Vice President was last seen in public on the 28th of September at his sisters memorial in Marondera.

Sources also said yesterday that affable Foreign Affairs and International Trade minister, Sibusiso Moyo, was still battling for his life in hospital after undergoing a successful operation.

Chiwenga and SB Moyo shot to stardom when they spearheaded the overthrow of longtime leader, Robert Mugabe, in November 2017.

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Several senior police officers have been forced out of their jobs after reaching the compulsory age of retirement, the Daily News can report.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is retiring all senior officials who are above the age of 50 as the service continues its restructuring exercise in line with reinventing its operations.

The Daily News understands that over 20 senior police officers from the rank of superintendent and above were this week served with retirement letters.

The letters, signed by commissioner-general Godwin Matanga, were headlined Retirement from the Zimbabwe Republic Police in Terms of Section 22(3) of the Police Act Chapter 11:10.

According to the Police Act Chapter 11:10, the retirement age is 50 and once a police officer reaches that age, they have to renew their contract at the discretion of the bosses.

This letter serves to advise you of your retirement from the ZRP in terms of section 22 subsection (3) of the Police Act Chapter 11:10, reads one of the letters.

The Commissioner General of police avails himself this opportunity to sincerely thank you for having diligently served the organisation and the people of Zimbabwe.

Police spokesperson Charity Charamba could not be drawn to comment on the matter saying she was away from work and directed questions to deputy spokesperson Paul Nyathi.

Reached for comment after questions had been sent to his mobile phone, Nyathi apologised for not being able to answer his phone.

I am headed into another meeting may you call me after one hour 30 minutes, he said after the Daily News had put the question to him. Subsequent efforts to reach him were futile.

The exercise follows the retirement of 10 members of the police service namely commissioners Grace Nomsa Ndebele and Mekia Tanyanyiwa; senior assistant commissioners Godfrey Munyonga, Justice Chifunye Chengeta, Robert Tendero Masukusa, Erasmus Makodza, Prudence Chakanyuka, Eve Mlilo, Grace Maenzanise and Munyori Taedzerwa.

The police have also been undertaking widespread promotions as part of improving the effectiveness in law enforcement.

The promotion procedures are conducted as a regular exercise in the service and are motivating tool aimed at rewarding officers who are hardworking, the police has said.

On July 26 this year, the ZRP promoted close to 500 senior police officers to various ranks.

The change came after close to 2000 junior police officers received their biggest relief yet after they were promoted to various ranks.

Matanga announced the major movements in a radio transcript.

The radio further announced that eight assistant commissioners had been promoted to Senior Assistant Commissioner.

In the communication, Matanga also announced that 15 chief superintends who include Tedeus Madondo, Silungile Ndlovu, Paul Nyathi, Nelson Charumbira, Steven Kazingizi and Givemore Munjeri had been promoted to assistant commissioner.

Thirty three Superintendents were also promoted to Chief Superintendent, while 71 were regraded to the rank of Superintendent, 182 inspectors and deputy inspectors were promoted to Chief Inspector and a further 350 promoted to Inspector.

The changes came as morale in the police service was at an all-time low, as officers felt increasingly undervalued, underpaid and overstretched.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who swept to power on the back of the military intervention, made a number of changes in the ZRP, with long-serving commissioner-general, Augustine Chihuri, being retired and replaced with Matanga.

And just recently, several senior officers in the Police Protection Unit who were providing security to Mugabe were redeployed.

The Zanu PF-led government is desperate to boost morale among a police service that is now focused on reinventing its operations.

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The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has started investigating Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) president Bishop Johannes Ndanga on allegations of defrauding more than 20 000 followers of their money in botched housing stands and vehicle schemes.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating a case of fraud as defined in section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act) Chapter 9:23 that was reported to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, according to a letter written by ZACC recently to officials from the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe.

I hereto allude to the meeting that was held at my office with Bishop Komichi, Rev Manongwa, Pastor Dzvene and three investigation officers namely Masimba, Ndlovu and Jere in the same matter from which we resolve that the three elders of the church should go and collect the information from all their members who paid money towards some residential stands and did not get (them).

This will facilitate further investigations and you will be advised of our progress as investigations continue, reads the ZACC letter.

Last year November, during the Grace Mugabes Super Sunday gathering, Ndanga told thousands of apostolic sect members that it was prophesied in 1934 that Mugabe was going to die in office because he was imposed on the locals by God to rule till death.

Biblically if you read exodus chapter 24 you will understand, Ndanga thundered in Rufaro Stadium then. Mugabe was removed a week later following military operation which installed Mnangagwa as the countrys leader.

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Rinamanyanga hariputirwe this Shona adage took precedence for a man from Ndimo Village, Nyajena who was slapped with a 15 year jail term for rap_ing and impre_gnating a mentally ill women

Albert Mugabe (58) appeared before Senior Regional Magistrate Judith Zuyu facing rap_e charges.

Prosecuting, Edwin Mbavarira told the court that on an unknown date in 2017 at around 2000hrs Albert Mugabe visited mentally ill Rwamisa Gwationa (38) sneaked in her house and ordered her to care_ss his organ before having unprotected consent with Gwationa without her consent.

As fate would have it,the matter came to light in March this year after Gwationa divulged to her sister Viola that she was pregnant.

Viola later reported the matter at Renco Mine Police station leading to the incarceration of Mugabe.

The complainant (Gwationa) told the Court that Mugabe gave her Zapknacks after having interc0urse with her.

Senior Regional Magistrate Zuyu sentenced Mugabe to 15 years in prison of which 5 years where wholly suspended for 3 years on condition that the caused does not commit an offence similar to the one he committed.

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Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, is apparently admitted at a private hospital in Harare  where he is being treated for a yet-to-be-disclosed ailment  the Daily News was told last night.

This comes as sources also said yesterday that affable Foreign Affairs and International Trade minister, Sibusiso Busi (SB) Moyo, was still battling in hospital  after undergoing an emergency surgery for a kidney-related ailment two weeks ago.

Multiple sources said Chiwenga, who led the military intervention which toppled long-serving former president Robert Mugabe from power last November, was admitted at a top private hospital in the capital, after he is said to have fallen ill on Monday.

The VP is in hospital  but we do not know yet what he is suffering from  but you see, we are human beings and we all fall ill. We are actually going to see him today (last night), one of the highly-placed sources told the Daily News.

In April, Chiwenga was also rushed to hospital after he suffered a dramatic fall at Zanu PF headquarters in Harare  forcing him to cancel his politburo attendance on the day.

The 61-year-old tripped and fell, badly hurting his hand just after arriving for the party gathering, whose agenda included election preparations, mobilisation of voters, party regalia and the threat of defections ahead of the July 30 general elections.

Meanwhile, sources also told the Daily News last night that SB Moyo was still admitted at a local private hospital, where he had surgery last month.

SB Moyo is still in hospital and it is not known when he will be discharged, as he is still battling the problem which led to his admission and subsequent surgery, one of the sources said.

The retired lieutenant general became an instant celebrity when he announced live on State television last Novembers military intervention which led to the popular ouster from power of Mugabe.

This saw the affable and articulate former senior military officer earning the monicker General Bae among his admirers.

Moyos indisposition forced him to miss last months crucial United Nations General Assembly meeting in the United States, where Zimbabwe was represented by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Moyo announced on live television on November 15 last year the militarys intervention in the governance of the country.

The curtain later fell on Mugabe on November 21, when the nonagenarian resigned from his office moments after Parliament had started damaging proceedings to impeach him.

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MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa drew fierce reaction from an angry Defence and War Veterans deputy minister Victor Matemadanda after the youthful politician accused him of enjoying State feather-beddings and joining a rich elite while his constituency of ex-liberation fighters continued to wallow in abject poverty.

Chamisa used a ceremony to welcome war veterans that defected from embattled Joice Mujurus National Peoples Party (NPP) to make a political point that Matemadanda was now living a good life, while other war veterans are suffering, reclining in the lap of luxury of the featherbeddings he is enjoying while in a position of influence as deputy minister, an assertion that has riled the deputy minister who feels he was unfairly bad-mouthed.

Among the large contingent of war veterans from NPP welcomed by Chamisa at the MDC headquarters was ex-Zanu PF member and former minister Dzikamai Mavhaire, who joined the MDC Alliance.

Chamisa said: Kwete zvinoitwa neZanu PF zvekuti vashoma ndivo vanodya vachiguta. Ma war veterans anodiwa kana paitwa huyanga, varutsa, vozoshandiswa sechikorobho asi kana pavapakudya vonzi munotaurisa, hamuna ma table manners.

Iyezvino Matemadanda akazorwa nhopi pamuromo, avakutoti zvinhu zvanaka, asi (Douglas) Mahiya kana donhwe zvaro renhopi. (We do not do what they do in Zanu PF, where war veterans are used and dumped. Matemadanda was placated with a ministerial post, and now believes everything is OK, yet his colleague Mahiya was not rewarded with anything), Chamisa said, tongue-in-cheek.

Former combatants often complain that they are neglected, sidelined from assuming senior posts in government, and say despite their lifetime commitment, have failed to pursue opportunities to make their lives somewhat whole again.

But government funds school fees and provides funeral cover for veterans, whose current monthly pension and allowance comes to around $200.

Outraged Matemadanda came out swinging, accusing the opposition leader of desperately seeking attention by mentioning real war veterans like him. A fuming Matemadanda rejected Chamisas characterisation of Mavhaire as a war veteran.

Its naive for a person who has hopes to lead this country to think that any person, who once belonged to Zanu PF (Mavhaire), is a war veteran. This is a clear sign of desperation, Matemadanda fumed in an unsolicited statement.

He claimed Chamisa was a son of a Rhodesian African Rifles soldier, and did not know the definition of a war veteran. Chamisa was born to Alice and Sylvanus Chamisa on February 2, 1978, at Silveira Mission in Fort Victoria, now Masvingo.

May he respectfully be told that if Mavhaire is a war veteran, then he is the class of Chamisas father, a Rhodesian war veteran, and not the veteran of the liberation struggle, Matemadanda said.

If Chamisa lives in Zimbabwe, he should know that (Douglas) Mahiya is my deputy in the politburo and that he is full time secretary in my department.

Headman Moyo is a director in the same department. In fact, the department has several war veterans. We are not like him who is only concerned about himself, he said.

After receiving the NPP war veterans, Chamisa said the MDC Alliance wanted to go back to the nationalist ethos.

So, we are going to amend our constitution to create a wing for our war veterans, Chamisa said.

We are not like Zanu PF that wants to only use them and dump them. We want to fuse them into the party. We will also not waste talent by relegating the likes of Mavhaire to the periphery. We will accommodate you at the top because you are our hero. I grew up admiring you especially when your first called for Mugabe to go. That was courage because he was dangerous, you could have been killed, he said.

Matemadanda showered praises on President Emmerson Mnangagwa, claiming he has already done a lot to improve the lot of war veterans.

Matemadanda said war veterans across the country were recently given party cars to use in running their department, which is a clear sign that the government is committed to improving their lives.

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Sources have told this publication that Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyos condition had worsened and he was flown out to South Africa on Wednesday evening.

Moyo has been receiving dialysis for years. He is believed to have undergone some sort of surgery  but not a kidney transplant, which is the only cure to kidney failure.

Meanwhile Vice President Constantino Chiwenga missed a trip to Lesotho this week as a newspaper reported that he has been hospitalised.

Chiwenga was due to represent Zimbabwe at a SADC forum on early childhood nutrition in Maseru, which started on Tuesday.

Professor Paul Mavhima, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, ended up heading the Zimbabwe delegation.

The Daily News reported on Thursday that Chiwenga had been hospitalised in Harare with an undisclosed ailment.

ZimLive confirmed with two government sources that Chiwenga attended a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, but left in the middle of the meeting which ran into the evening after complaining that he was not feeling well.

He collapsed later on Tuesday evening, we think its a mild stroke, one official said, asking not to be named.

Chiwenga was admitted at the Avenues Clinic in Harare  the same hospital where Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo has been in the intensive care since September 19 following complications from a kidney ailment.

The two men, both former army generals, led a military coup that ousted former President Robert Mugabe from power last November, installing current President Emmerson Mnangagwa in his place. They swapped army uniforms for suits after securing positions in the government along with the former Air Force chief Perrance Shiri, now the Agriculture Minister.

The last public sighting of Chiwenga was on September 28 when he attended his late sisters memorial service in Marondera.

On the evening of September 30, pictures emerged on the internet purporting to show Chiwengas motorcade arriving at a private hospital in Harare.

Moody  Mary Chiwenga, wife of the Vice President, is reported to suffer from a heart ailment and was seen with swollen hands at President Mnangagwas inauguration on August 26

Chiwenga and his wife, Mary, have both been seen in recent public appearances with swollen hands and feet. They have both also visibly lost their skin pigmentation.

The Vice President, who fell and hurt his hand in April just before a Zanu PF politburo meeting, addressed the skin condition in May as he denied allegations that he was bleaching.

Speaking at his sisters burial, he said the mystery illness developed around the time of the coup last November.

I had this skin sickness (nhuta) that affected my whole body from beneath my feet to my back and the journalists started saying I was using skin lightening creams, but that was not the case. I was sick, he said.

I have decided to talk about it because that is what you see, but you should know that everything that happens comes with a price. We sent everything to South Africa to find out what was causing the sickness, but they failed to treat it.

It was then that my (late) sister Margaret approached Sister Redemptor (Roman Catholic nun) and was given herbs that I began taking until I was healed. But before I took the medication they also prayed for me.

This is what had affected me and had also affected my wife.

ZimLive has heard from several sources that Chiwengas wife, Mary, has a heart problem and is currently undergoing treatment.

Shes on heavy medication. Her feet and hands swell badly and she has had water drained from there. The heavy medication has induced mood swings and she can be pretty impossible to those who live with her, a source revealed.

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Government yesterday fired warning shots against social media abuse when a Harare magistrate convicted a local man on criminal insult charge for retweeting a message besmirching the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) chairperson Priscilla Chigumba in the aftermath of the hotly-contested July 30 elections.

Night Tawona Shadaya, 25, appeared before Harare magistrate Rumbidzayi Mugwagwa yesterday on allegations of breaching section 95 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act).

Sentencing is expected today.

Shadaya told the court that he was intoxicated when he committed the offence and pleaded for Mugwagwas lenience.

I didnt mean to cause harm, I was tipsy when I retweeted the message and only realised the following day the mistake I did.

I immediately took down the tweet to correct my mistake. I even apologised on all social media platforms and also on a local radio station in an interview, he told the court.

The 25-year-old had argued that he was not in his right senses when he committed the offence, and that it was not intentional.

He pleaded for the courts lenience saying he was not employed and lived off his mother.

Mugwagwa inquired how much alcohol Shadaya had taken which made him lose his senses.

Shadaya said he had taken three quarts of black label larger.

So, you mean that you took only three quarts of black label and lost your senses? questioned Mugwagwa.

lts usually two, answered Shadaya.

The bogus tweet which was circulated by Shadaya purported to be from Chigumbas account read: I cant wait for the election fiasco to come to an end. I could do with a holiday and some good se_x. My body needs a break.

Shadaya popularly known for Whatsapp memes got arrested following a report to the police by Chigumba who said she did not own a twitter account.

On July 30, millions of Zimbabweans cast their votes to elect a new president and Parliament but the national harmonised elections were marred by allegations of ballot cheating which led to a heavily contested outcome by the opposition.

Chigumba was subjected to social media abuse and harassment by people who accused Zec of bias towards Zanu PF and President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the run up to the July 30 vote.

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Flood disaster has become a consistent natural disaster in many parts of the world. However, Nigeria and the United States appear to be one of the prominent countries worst hit by the devastating flooding challenges.

In this piece, Legit.ng highlights major striking similarities between the flooding experiences in Nigeria and the US.

1. History of flooding experience

Nigeria

Nigeria experienced a very devastating flood disaster in 2012 when two million Nigerians were displaced and 363 died.

In 2015, floods displaced 100,000 and led to 53 deaths

In 2016, 92,000 were displaced 38 died

In 2017, floods affected 250,000

In 2018, the flooding has already wrecked some havoc and Nigerians are afraid that in October 2018, it could be as bad as or worse than it was in 2012.

Recent flood disaster in Kogi state

Source: UGC

The United States

Hurricane Katrina killed about 1,800 in 2005

Super Storm Sandy killed 147 in 2012

Hurricane Harvey killed 106 in 2017

Hurricane Maria killed 3,057 in 2017

Hurricane Florence killed 48 in 2018

Hurricane Florence: Members of the New York Urban Search and Rescue Task Force One help evacuate people from their homes on Sept. 18, 2018 in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Source: Getty Images

2. Loss of human lives and property destruction

In both countries, flooding has caused serious property destruction and damage to the economy.

3. Governments handling of the disaster

There has been widespread criticism of Nigerias National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

For instance, the poor response of NEMA to the 2012 flood appears to have politically damaged President Goodluck Jonathan, while the US federal governments poor response to Hurricane Katrina did the same to President George W. Bush.

In addition, there are media reports that President Donald Trump was concerned about criticism of his administration in the aftermath of Puerto Ricos Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Florence, where most of the damage was in North Carolina.

4. Major causes of flooding

In the US, the flooding has been the direct result of hurricanes, while in Nigeria, the flooding is associated with heavy rains that cause the Niger and Benue rivers and their tributaries to overflow and in the Niger Delta, sea surges. This is also similar to what happened in North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.

Summarily, the major cause of flooding in both countries, although not much talked about, is the impact of climate change.

In the US, hurricanes appear to be more frequent and more severe. In parts of Nigeria, rains are notably heavier, and the sea level in the Gulf of Guinea is rising.

In other parts of Nigeria, rainfall is diminishing and the Sahara is advancing.

There is little consensus in the US about how to respond to climate change, and the Trump administration withdrew from the Paris treaty that set limits on the emissions of greenhouse gases and provided for other measures designed to ameliorate climate change, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) stated.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in different international gatherings, has also brought the attention of world leaders to the issue of climate change and the countrys readiness to partner with other countries in addressing it.

Nigeria Breaking News: Kogi Flood Sacks Residents from Their Homes | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
And now for a little news from the Bowery Boys: Were excited to announce the launch of Bowery Boys Walks  our official small-group walking tours that are taking our show into the streets!

If youre a regular listener to the podcast, you know that we try to bring a little fun and humor to retelling the events and characters that have shaped New Yorks history. Were taking the same approach in developing the Bowery Boys walking tours.

Each walk has been developed by an expert tour guide working together with us, and most will complement episodes of the show that have already been released. So, if youre in the mood to study up before your walk, there will be at least one episode you can listen to to get situated.

Our first tour: Broadway

Were kicking things off on center stage with our first walking tour: Legends and Landmarks of Broadway. Led by professional tour guide and long-time theater insider Jeff Dobbins, the tour will trace the history of Broadway theater and the theater district from the days of Oscar Hammerstein I up through Broadways Golden Age.

(Looking to study up before the tour? Check out our podcasts on Rodgers & Hammerstein, Florenz Ziegfeld, and Times Square in the 70s.)

Several additional tours are currently in development and will be announced shortly. Stay tuned for that announcement.

About the tours

Bowery Boys Walks are intended to be as intimate as possible, so groups are limited to 15 participants. Because of this, we strongly recommend booking in advance through the website to ensure a spot on the tour.

Tours last two hours, and tickets are $35 per person. (Read more of the details here.)

Follow Bowery Boys walks on Instagram and on Facebook, where well be posting photos from the streets, past and present.
- National Executive Committee (NEC) of PDP has rejected the primary election conducted in Kano

- It said it was not aware the exercise took place in the state

- The election, held at Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso's residence, was said to lack due process

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dissociated itself from the governorship primary election conducted in Kano on Monday, October 1.

Shehu Yusuf Kura, the special adviser on media to national chairman of the PDP, made the remark in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Wednesday, October 3.

Kura said that the partys NEC is not aware of the election as it has issued a statement postponing the governorship primary election in Kano, Imo and Lagos states.

READ ALSO: Independence: Osinbajo mocks Adeleke, Melaye at gala night

He said: The National Executive Council of the party was not aware that the Kwankwaso group was conducting the election in Kano because of the earlier statement issued postponing the election in the three states mentioned.

I even spoke with our national chairman, secretary and other executive members of the council and they confirmed to me that they were not aware of the election.

He said the national headquarters of the party would not accept or consider the result of the governorship primary election held in Kano on Monday, as it was illegally conducted.

Kura said the party would announce a new date for the conduct of its governorship primary election in the three states.

NAN reports that the state chapter of the PDP had on Tuesday, October 2, rejected the governorship primary election conducted on Monday night at the Lugard Avenue, personal residence of Kwankwaso in Kano.

The poll returned Senator Rabiu Kwankwasos son in-law, Abba Kabiru Yusuf, as the partys governorship candidate for the state.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Alhaji Jamilu Gwamna, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the PDP, had rejected the results of the election that produced Senator Bayero Nafada as the partys governorship candidate in Gombe state.

Nafada scored 1,104 votes to defeat 12 other aspirants including Gwamna, who scored 147 votes to come second.

PDP's Magnificent 7 For 2019 Election | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- Olusegun Agbaje, the INEC REC in Osun, has vowed to resign his appointment if Supreme Court finds the commission guilty of not discharging its responsibility faithfully in the election

- He said he and other INEC officials were very neutral during the conduct of the governorship election which held on September 22

- INEC had earlier on Wednesday, October 3, issued certificate of return to the governor-elect Gboyega Oyetola and his deputy Gboyega Alabi

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun state, Olusegun Agbaje, has vowed to resign his appointment if the Supreme Court finds the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guilty in the conduct of the recently concluded governorship election in the state.

The Punch reports that Agbaje said this in his speech in Osogbo on Wednesday, October 3, during the presentation of certificate of return to the Osun state governor-elect, Gboyega Oyetola, of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

READ ALSO: Breaking: Ambode accepts defeat, congratulates Sanwo-Olu

Legit.ng gathered that Oyetola and the deputy governor-elect, Benedict Alabi, were given the certificate of return by the national electoral commissioner representing Oyo, Osun and Ekiti states, Solomon Soyebi, at the INEC office in Osogbo.

The REC said those who were dissatisfied with the outcome of the election had the right to seek redress at election petition tribunal where their case would be examined by the panel.

Agbaje said he and other INEC officials were very neutral and that they did not do anything to give any of the contestants undue advantage over others.

He said: Nevertheless, I want to reassure the good people of Osun state, particularly our royal fathers and religious leaders, that I was extremely neutral throughout the period of the election. I can positively stress that my staff also did.

However, if, at the end of litigation at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the Commission is found culpable of not discharging its responsibility faithfully and diligently, I will take full responsibility for any such laxity, publicly apologise to all Nigerians and thereafter resign my appointment with the commission."

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, Osun state governor-elect, received the certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Oyetola was given the certificate of return at the INEC office in Osogbo, the Osun state capital on Wednesday, October 3, by Oluwatoyin Babalola, director of legal services, who represented Prof Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the commission.

Osun 2018: I have evidence that they added to APCs votes - PDP Chairman - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- Peter Akpatason said loyal APC members of the |House of representatives will do the needful about its leadership

- The lawmaker insisted that legal route will be taken in their action

- He said the speaker should not come from another party

Peter Akpatason, representing Akoko-Edo in the House of Representatives, says loyal members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the house will carry out the partys instruction on Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

Akpatason spoke to journalists in Benin on Wednesday, October 3, against the backdrop of the recent defection of the speaker to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said that when the house reconvened, the needful would be done regarding the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly.

The lawmaker however emphasised that whatever that would be done to address the issue, would be according the law of land.

READ ALSO: 6 key things Ambode said in his concession speech as he congratulates Sanwo-Olu

According to the former NUPENG president, it is an aberration for a member of another political party to continue to be speaker of the house of the representatives.

We, as party loyalists, will carry out any instruction we get from the party. We will study the situation when we get back. Whatever the situation is will be what we will react to. We cannot be happy to have a speaker that belongs to another party. It is an aberration and has to be treated as such, he said.

Speaking on the ongoing APC primaries, Akpatason, who is seeking a return ticket to the House of Representatives, said his constituent were in support of his third term bid.

According him, the postponement of the partys primaries for the NASS would make the aspirants to lose money. He said that any money already given out for logistics would not be returned when elections were postponed.

The lawmaker also warned the APC leadership against manipulation of the partys primaries. He noted that direct primaries was not prone to manipulation like the indirect primaries in which delegates could be bribed.

According to him, whoever is planning to manipulate the primaries does not love the party hence the need to watch out for moles.

Such a person wants the APC to lose in the main election. If this election is manipulated, chances of the APC winning the general elections will be slim. In a situation where you sit down and select people based on sentiments and not on individual popularity and ability to win elections, people will have other options," he added

Meanwhile, Bukola Saraki, the Senate president and Yakubu Dogara, the speaker of the House of Representatives, were both absent at Eagle Square Abuja where the nations 58th Independence anniversary is being celebrated by dignitaries and many elder state men.

Those present at the parade are President Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Yemi Osinbajo, Walter Onnoghen, the chief justice of Nigeria, and former head of state and Yakubu Gowon, among many other top public figures, Premium Times reports.

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The all-important national ceremony will witness a parade of the nations military officials and a photo exhibition showing Nigerian history and an independence day dinner.

Whereas efforts to speak with Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki's spokesperson, proved unsuccessful, the spokesperson of Dogara, Turaki Hassan, said he has no idea if his boss was invited to the event or why he is not attending.

Election 2019: Can Saraki be the Next President of Nigeria? | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state is currently holding a closed-door meeting with former president Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta

- Tambuwal is one of the PDP presidential aspirants jostling to win the party's ticket

- PDP is holding its presidential primary on Saturday, October 6, to pick its standard bearer for 2019 general election

A presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) and the governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, is currently holding a closed-door meeting with former president Olusegun Obasanjo at the former leaders residence in Abeokuta, Daily Trust reports.

Legit.ng gathered that Tambuwal who is on a nationwide consultations with delegates of his party ahead of the convention slated for Port Harcourt, has met former presidents including Ibrahim Babangida.

READ ALSO: Ill resign if Supreme Court faults INEC on Osun gov poll - REC Agbaje

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal, began consultations for his presidential aspiration in Ebonyi state.

The front-line PDP aspirant was in Ebonyi on Friday, September 13, to meet with party delegates in the state ahead of the presidential primary election of the PDP scheduled for Saturday, October 6.

During the visit, governor of Ebonyi state and chairman of the southeast governors' forum, Dave Umahi declared that Tambuwal has all it takes to lead Nigeria.

Governor Umahi who was represented by his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, said Tambuwal and his presidential campaign team at Government House, Abalaki, said the former speaker of the House of Representatives has the leadership qualities to lead Nigeria, especially at a critical time like this.

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Senator Kwankwaso Rabiu announces his Presidential Bid (Election 2019) - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng News
- Senator Magnus Abe has debunked rumours that he knelt down for Amaechi to actualise his governorship ambition

- A faction of APC in Rivers state had on Tuesday, October 2, declared Senator Abe as the winner of the governorship primary held in the state

- He said that he could only kneel down for God not human being

A senator representing Rivers Southeast, Magnus Abe, has dismissed the news that he knelt down for the minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in order to actualise his ambition to rule Rivers state in 2019.

Legit.ng regional reporter in Port Harcourt, Tony Ihunwo, reports that the news was debunked via a press statement by Senator Abes media office.

READ ALSO: Ill resign if Supreme Court faults INEC on Osun gov poll - REC

The statement read: The attention of Senator Magnus Abe media office has been drawn to an unfounded report in the social media claiming that distinguished Senator Magnus Abe knelt down to beg the minister of transportation and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, to allow him a ticket to return to the Senate during a meeting of select party leaders in Abuja recently.

The said report by a self-styled media outfit known as The Neighbourhood said in attendance at the meeting were Senator Abe himself, Rt. Hon. Amaechi, national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole and select members of the partys National Working Committee (NWC).

We hereby state that this trending story is another deliberate misinformation and mischief aimed at diverting public attention from the real issues and the reality on the ground.

Let it be on record that distinguished Senator Magnus Abe remains the governorship candidate of the APC in Rivers state following the mandate freely given to him by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during last Sundays gubernatorial primary election in the state.

There was no such meeting in the first place, and if such a meeting ever held, Abe was not privy to it and nobody can be in such a meeting in his stead.

The one thing presently occupying the mind of distinguished Senator Abe is to actualize his ambition as governor of Rivers state through a peaceful, acceptable and constitutional means come 2019 in order to deliver democratic dividend to Rivers people and transform the state into an enviable haven of industrialization and attract real investment.

Senator Abe is resolute and firm to the mandate of the people of Rivers state and nothing less.

The statement also quoted Abe as having tweeted on his Twitter handle on Wednesday morning, October 3, that: As a Christian, my knees are exclusively for the Almighty God. Those who fear God cannot kneel before man. Our struggle is based on our faith in God and His promise of freedom for the oppressed.

I bought the form for governor, and I am running for the office of governor. Relax ladies and gentlemen, keep faith and work hard. Our struggle has just begun and our day of Glory shall surely come.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that just as the national officers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state continued the screening of aspirants who want to contest for the state House of assembly by the faction loyal the minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, a governorship aspirant, Senator Magnus Abe, vowed that none of the aspirants loyal to him would subject themselves for screening at his factional secretariat.

Nigeria Latest News: Buhari Reacts To APC Senators Betrayal | - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Nigeria
- Okoi Obono-Obla has been asked to resign his position as the special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on prosecution

- The advise was given to Obono-Obla by a civil society organisation

- The group wants the presidential aide to resign over an indictment by a report of the House of Representatives for result forgery and misuse of public funds

- According to the organisation, the continuous presence of Obono-Obla in the cabinet would erode the integrity of the Buhari-led administration

A civil society group on Wednesday, October 3, asked the special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on prosecution, Okoi Obono-Obla to resign his appointment within 30 days or face mass action.

The Initiative for Integrity and Good Leadership (IIGL) said it will begin a mass action in 30 days if Obono-Obla does not resign.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, October 3, by its national president, Muhammadu Aliyu, the group noted that the continuous presence of the Presidential aide in the cabinet would erode the integrity of the administration known for probity and war against corruption.

The statement followed an indictment of Obono-Obla by a report of the House of Representatives for result forgery and misuse of public funds.

READ ALSO: 6 key things Ambode said in his concession speech as he congratulates Sanwo-Olu

The House Committee on forgery which indicted him of forging his Senior School Certificate Examination result also asked Obono-Obla and members of Special Investigative Panel, which he serves as chairman, to refund N17 million excess funds collected as honoraria for sittings and indicted for violation of the presidential order on flying business class.

Citing a recent statement by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, the group said that such statement gave credence that lawyers with forged documents like Obla have infiltrated public and private places.

Aliyu said the current administration has just earned public commendation with the recent resignation of Kemi Adeosun as the minister of finance after she was found to have allegedly forged the NYSC Exemption certificate.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Tambuwal in closed-door meeting with Obasanjo ahead of PDP convention

He said showing Obla the way out will add enormous value to the government than his presence that is making a mockery of the governments anti-corruption stance

Aliyu said: "We have watched carefully and patiently too, how since July this year the House Committee report indicted Mr. Obono-Obla of certificate forgery and he is still functioning within the cabinet.

We are not comfortable with his likes in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and it is instructive that he follows the path of honour by just resigning his position. We will mobilize and occupy Abuja just for him to resign and face prosecution. Thats our stand and that we shall do after 30 days from today."

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported Obono-Obla was indicted by a report by the House of Representatives over forgery of his secondary school certificate and wrongful utilisation of public funds.

In its report, the House also asked Obono-Obla and members of Special Investigative Panel, which he serves as chairman to refund N17 million excess funds collected as honoraria for sittings. They were also indicted for violation of the presidential order on flying business class.

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The House had received a petition that the chairman of the presidential panel forged the secondary school certificate with which he used in gaining admission to study Law in the University of Jos.

President Buhari's Return Will Teach Nigerians Sense on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- A group has condemned the recent killings in Plateau state

- CESJEt also called for the arrest of perpetrators of the killings in the state

- According to the group, there is a grand plot to unleash a nationwide instability across Nigeria using Plateau state as the launchpad

The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has raised concern over the renewed killings in Plateau State.

The group, while condemning the fresh outbreak of violence in the state, described the killings as barbaric and inhumane. It also called on relevant international bodies to immediately document them with a view to holding those responsible to account at some point.

CESJET said it wondered why the government of President Muhammadu Buhari was yet to arrest those behind these crimes against humanity.

The centre further raised the alarm that there was a grand plot to unleash a nationwide instability across Nigeria using Plateau State as the launchpad.

READ ALSO: Drama as mother, son jostle for Yobe federal constituency seat

Joyce Ogwu, the executive director of CESJET, in a statement also fingered former governor of the state, Senator Jonah Jang, fueling unrest in the state so as to throw the entire nation into chaos to achieve some aims.

Ogwu said: The first objective is to trigger similar crisis across the entire country based on the expectations that persons of other ethnicities and faiths would carry out reprisals that would overwhelm the police and therefore spiral out of control.

The second objective is to on the strength of the crisis prevent the country from holding elections as scheduled in February 2019. The third objective derives from the combination of the first and second objective, which is to precipitate a constitutional crisis that would undermine the corporate and sovereign integrity of Nigeria.

READ ALSO: APC moves against Omo-Agege over anti-party activities

Jang has drafted the Beroms, his ethnic group, for this deadly plot that is now unfolding on a daily basis. This rallies with his promise to make the state and the country at large ungovernable following the loss of election by his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He made this threat without anything happening to him.

This plot took a dangerous turn when Berom militia, funded by Jang, mingled with protesters and killed Nigerians of other ethnic extractions claiming that it was retaliation for killing of Beroms by unknown gunmen. These unknown gunmen have now been proven to be assassins that were instructed to go on the killing spree and create justification for reprisals against other Nigerians with a view to causing a breakdown of law and order across the country.

Several persons were killed and others declared missing in the wake of the protests that were hijacked by Jang's militia. Retired Major General Idris Alkali disappeared under unclear circumstances in a zone controlled by these militias and sadly his car and personal effects are the only things found about him so far.

"The riots further staged by students and women in the area are nothing but acts of cover-up. This was after the community where his car was eventually found denied the Army the right to evacuate a pond to search for his dead body," it said.

READ ALSO: Shekarau, Gaya, Jibrin emerge winners in APC Kano senatorial primaries

CESJET therefore called the attention of President Buhari to this threat to the nations security and the need to place security agencies on alert to forestall the success of the plot being hatched against the country in a bid to get at his government.

The Nigeria Police Force should be directed to speed up its investigation and apprehend all those linked with this plot and immediately arraign them before competent courts to serve as a deterrence to others that may wish to thread similar paths.

The government should also back the Nigerian Army in its investigation to unravel the fate of retired Major General Idril Alkali as no Nigerian, especially one that has given 35 years of his life in service to the fatherland, should end up the way the General has been treated.

"The Army should bring in the police where necessary since there are reports that human remains were found when it emptied the pond in which the generals car was found," the group added.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigeria Police Force, Plateau state command, had arrested 21 persons in connection with the killings and unrest in the state.

The suspects were paraded on Monday, July 2, at the OPSH Headquarters in Jos by the media officer of the task force, Major Adam Umar and Police public relations officer Tyopev Terna.

Fourteen of the suspects were arrested at the scene of the violent protest that followed the Barkin Ladi's killings while 11 others were arrested in connection with the killings.

Why President Buhari cannot control killings in Nigeria - Nigerians cry out on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- The current minister of state for foreign affairs is jostling the Yobe federal constituency seat with her step son

- Khadija Bukar Ibrahim defeated Mohammed to clinch the APC ticket for Damaturu/Gulani/ Gujba/Tarmuwa, Yobe federal constituency

- It was gathered that pressure had been mounted on Mohammed to step down for his fathers wife earlier, before the primaries

Khadija Bukar Ibrahim, the minister of state foreign affairs, defeated her step son, Mohammed Ibrahim to clinch the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for Damaturu/Gulani/ Gujba/ Tarmuwa, Yobe federal constituency.

Abba Gambo, the returning officer of the election, announced on Wednesday, October 3, that Khadija polled 1,295 votes to defeat Mohammed who scored only 15 votes.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that in spite of pressures mounted on Mohammed to step down for his fathers wife, he insisted on the contest.

READ ALSO: 6 key things Ambode said in his concession speech as he congratulates Sanwo-Olu

Two other contenders, Rep Abdullahi Kukuwa and Alhaji Ahmed Buba, stepped down for the minister while Mohammed refused.

The minister commended Abdullahi and Ahmed for withdrawing from the race to support her.

Senator Bukar Ibrahim, who stepped down his re-election bid against Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, did not attend any of the aspirants elections including the one contested by his wife and son.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a last minute controversial decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to disqualify all aspirants loyal to the governor of Ondo state, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu from participating in the National Assembly primaries of the party is currently causing palpable tension in the state.

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Legit.ng gathered that the party had on Monday, October 1, in a statement announced the disqualification of all aspirants running for Senate and House of Representatives where theres an incumbent.

Osun Election 2018: INEC Did Not Ban Use of Phones at Polling Units | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Nigeria
- President Buhari is set to constitute his campaign council

- The president sai this will be done after the APC convention

- He expressed optimism that the party will coast to victory in 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari will soon constitute Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) to lead the All Progressives Congress (APC) to victory in the February 2019 general elections.

The presidents senior special assistant on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, October 3.

Buhari expressed the hope that the Council, when constituted, would bring all speculations regarding its formation to an end.

READ ALSO: 6 key things Ambode said in his concession speech as he congratulates Sanwo-Olu

The president said he was aware of the yearning by Nigerians for the formation of a full Presidential Campaign Council towards the APCs victory in the presidential elections. He added that he appreciated the growing interest that Nigerians had shown on this issue, and he was conscious of their keen expectation.

However, President Buhari implored members of the party and the public to exercise some patience regarding the constitution of the PCC. The president revealed that the party executives were focused on the APC convention scheduled for October 6.

The Presidential Campaign Council will be put in place after the convention. We are the party that will free Nigeria from corruption and poor governance. We are the party of change. We will not let the country down, President Buhari assured.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari held an important closed-door meeting with Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna and his Ondo counterpart, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

The Punch reports that the two governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress met with the president on Wednesday, October 3.

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Details of the meeting have not been made public yet but it may not be unconnected to the controversy surrounding the party's primary election in several states.

Nigeria Election 2019: Kenneth Okonkwo Interview - Buhari will win | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Nigeria
Love is a beautiful thing, and when one is with the right partner, the world can be seen as a better place. Couples love to celebrate milestones in their relationships as they look forward to many more great years ahead.

It is a joyful time in the home of Nigerian born CNN presenter, Zain Asher Ejiofor, after she and her husband, Steve Peoples, celebrated one year of their union together.

The heavily pregnant TV host took to social media to share the good news and also used the opportunity to share some relationship tips.

The dark skinned beauty posted a photo of herself and her husband looking cozy together on her Instagram page, and she accompanied with a caption that reads:

How do you know if youve met the one? Simple.

If, on some level, your relationship has made the world around you a better place. If both of you unblock the sunlight of each others spirit, allowing each others souls to sing.

If both of you challenge each other to grow spiritually, creatively, emotionally. I can honestly say I am a much better person because of who I married.

My husband has taught me the importance of gratitude, the power of forgiveness and no matter what, to always err on the side of generosity.

I love you baby! Happy one year anniversary #anniversary #married.

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READ ALSO: A good woman is hard to find, when you find one, get her pregnant - Leo Dasilva

Zain and her husband, Steve, got engaged in April 2016, and they later tied the knot at a low key ceremony on September 30, 2017. They are expecting the arrival of their child soon.

Legit.ng earlier shared interesting details about the TV host's husband.

Zain Asher Ejiofor and her man both work in the media sphere. He is a successful reporter. This fact brought them closer. Although, of course, apart from similar professions, there are many other components of strong relationships.

Although Steve seems a fairly serious and conservative person, somehow he said that participated in a punk rock band in youth. As the reporter himself admitted, he did not have any vivid musical talents but gave all his heart to the thing that interested him at that time. These personality traits manifested throughout the life, whether we talk about personal life or work.

Interestingly, Zain is the junior sister of talented British-Nigerian actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor, who has featured in renowned movies like Salt, 12 years a slave and Half of a Yellow Sun, among others.

Would you tell your partner how much you earn monthly? | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- Bolaji Abdullahi lost at the Kwara PDP primary election

- The former APC spokesperson said he was disappointed in the result, but described it as the will of God

- He said he remains a loyal member of the Saraki political family

A former spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, has described his loss at the Kwara Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election as disappointing.

Abdullahi, however, insisted that he was not betrayed by his political godfather, Senator Bukola Saraki as being reported in some quarters. He said he accepted the outcome of the primary election as the will of Allah an that his sacrifices were not dependent on expectations of a reward but were done out of personal principles.

READ ALSO: 6 key things Ambode said in his concession speech as he congratulates Sanwo-Olu

He said: Following the reactions that have trailed the Governorship Primaries of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state, it has become imperative for me to make the following clarifications

While the outcome of the primaries may have been disappointing, I have accepted it as the will of Almighty Allah, who alone gives power. I want to thank all those who have expressed concerns for me. I am humbled and flattered by your support.

However, I will like to note that there are many factors at play in politics. Therefore, interpreting what happened as betrayal is not correct. My leader, Dr. Bukola Saraki, did not betray me.

Whatever sacrifices I have made in the past were based on my personal principles, and were not contingent on expectations of any reward. I remain a loyal member of the Saraki political family under the leadership of Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Legit.ng had reported that Abdullahi and 7 others pulled out of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in Kwara state.

The other PDP aspirants who have withdrawn from the exercise include Ali Ahmad, Saka Isau, Ladi Hassan, Ibrahim Kaia, Abubakar Anani, Zakari Mohammed and Ahman Pategi.

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The gubernatorial race is now between Razak Atunwa, a federal lawmaker from Kwara Central, and Shaaba Lafiagi, a senator representing Kwara North. All the aspirants except Abdullahi announced their withdrawal at the venue of the primary.

A source told The Cable: Yes, he was asked to step down, he has been put on pressure since yesterday.

The Kwara state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, said the eight aspirants withdrew from the race in the partys interest and thanked them for their act of magnanimity.

How Kwara state governor is changing the face of the state - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng
- Four state governors are reportedly unhappy with the APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole

- The governors have accused the national leadership of the party of imposition of candidates

- Some have also kicked against the mode of primaries adopted for their various states

Four state governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are reportedly set to fight the party's national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

The state governors - Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara; Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo; Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, have accused the national leadership of the party of imposition of candidates.

Premium Times reports that some of the state governors have also kicked against the mode of primaries adopted for their various states by the party headquarters.

READ ALSO: Kwara PDP primary: The result was disappointing - Bolaji Abdullahi

Governors El-Rufai and Akeredolu accused him of granting automatic senatorial tickets to a disloyal senator from each of their states.

In Zamfara state, Governor Abdulaziz Yari kicked against arrangements made to conduct direct primary to select the partys governorship candidate.

The major issue in Ondo state is the award of an automatic ticket by the National Working Committee of the party to the senator representing Ondo North senatorial district, Robert Boroffice.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the Ogun state chapter of the All progressives Congress (APC) urged President Muhammadu Buhari to caution the partys national chairman Adam Oshiomhole over what it described as an alleged plan to impose a particular candidate ahead of the states governorship primary.

The Punch reports that the secretary to the state government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, during a live broadcast accused the national headquarters of APC of acting out a script all in its determination forcefully to impose a candidate in the Ogun chapter.

Lagos Governor: Is Sanwo-Olu a Better Candidate Than Ambode?| Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- The body recovered from Du Pond in Jos, Plateau state does not belong to the missing Major-General Idris Alkali

- According to the Army, joint task force has intensified effort to find the missing general

The Nigerian army has reacted to the report that a body found in Du Pond in Jos, Plateau state is that of the missing Major-General Idris Alkali, saying it was not true.

There was report that a body was recovered from the pond but the army said it was not the body of the missing general.

READ ALSO: Kwara PDP primary: The result was disappointing - Bolaji Abdullahi

It said: The Nigerian Army wishes to state that the information is false and, hereby, dissociates itself from the viral picture.

The Army, however, commended the work of the joint task force as effort to find the missing general intensifies.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigerian Army pulled out another vehicle from the mining pond in Dura Du, Jos, where missing General Idris Alkali (rtd) car was found on Saturday, September 29.

Maj.-Gen. Agustine Agundu, commander of Operation Safe Haven, told a news conference that a Toyoto Hiace Bus with registration number Plateau, RYM 307 XA, was pulled out of the pond, adding that there were more mysteries in the water. He said that the army under the directive of Buratai, was determined to uncover the mysteries.

The search operation, jointly carried out by Operation Safe Haven and 3 Division Nigeria Army, Rukuba, made the second discovery on Tuesday, October 2.

Alkali, the immediate past chief of administration, Army Headquarters, Abuja, was declared missing on September 3. He was said to have gone missing on his way to Bauchi after leaving Abuja in the morning.

National Day of Mourning for Victims of Violent Killings Across Nigeria | on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- Thirty political parties in Osun state want Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party to be declared as the winner of the governorship election in the state

- The parties, which participated in the election, accused INEC of compromise

- They said the decision of the people of Osun state to elect Adeleke as their governor must be respected by INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been accused of conniving with the All Progressives Congress to subvert the wish of the majority of the electorate during the Osun state gubernatorial election.

The INEC was accused by 30 political parties that participated in the election. They made the accusation at a press conference in Osogbo, the state capital, on Wednesday, October 3, Punch reports.

Legit.ng gathers that the parties, under the umbrella of Council of Political Parties with Integrity (CPPI), said undue advantage was given to the APC candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, by INEC through unearned votes that were awarded by the latter.

READ ALSO: 72 suspects arrested over Plateau killings as Buratai blames elite, elders

The convener of CPPI, Tajudeen Osunrotimi, said: The Council of Political Parties with Integrity expresses alarm at the turn of events in the Osun state governorship election, particularly the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to declare the September 22, 2018 governorship election in the state inconclusive as well as wrongful conduct of the purported rerun poll.

It is therefore imperative that the decision of the people of Osun state to elect Senator Ademola Adeleke as their governor must be respected by INEC and the federal government. In the first instance, it is important that we unequivocally condemn INEC even in the September 22 election because it was rigged with the collaboration of INEC.

We observed that the peaceful conduct of voters at the various units on the election day was subverted by INEC in awarding unearned votes to the ruling All Progressives Congress at the collation stage in the September 22 election as well as the violent conduct during the rerun poll.

The chairman of Restoration Party, Dr Tosin Odeyemi, said: The victory of Senator Ademola Adeleke was fraudulently upturned to favour Oyetola. Where is the power in our PVC? We will not accept this. If something is not done in seven days, we in other political parties will come together and show our strength.

We all have our candidates but Ademola Adeleke won and he should be declared the winner. I speak on behalf of over 30 political parties that contested the election that the election was rigged to favour the APC candidate. We want the votes of the people to speak.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in the evening of Thursday, September 27, officially declared Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Osun governorship election.

The full result was finally declared after a supplementary election in four local government areas of the state where the exercise had been cancelled but later declared to be rerun.

INEC Officer who tore election results confesses, says his Electoral Officer sent him | on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
The much-anticipated flight of the world's biggest plane has come off as the plane arrived in Accra on Tuesday, October 2.

The Emirates Airbus A380 touched down at the Kotoka International Airports Terminal 3, Accra, to a water cannon salute.

It will be recalled that Legit.ng reported that the world's biggest passenger airplane, Emirates' Airbus A380, will make a one-off flight to the Kotoka International Airport on Tuesday.

The flight which is in commemoration of the opening of the newly built state-of-the-art Terminal 3 at the airport.

The Emirates Airbus A380 at the Kotoka Airport (Source: Ameyaw Debrah/Twitter)

Source: Twitter

READ ALSO: Women rule the sky! Nigerian airline celebrates her first all-female flight crew

The Airbus A380, which carries between 525 and 853 people depending on class configuration, it was to test the airports readiness to accommodate the worlds largest commercial passenger jet.

As earlier reported, Ghanaian pilot Captain Samuel Quainoo flew the Airbus A380 on this historic journey.

Captain Solomon Quainoo with Senior First Officer Faisal (Source: Facebook)

Source: Facebook

Supporting him was Senior First Officer Faisal Alhammadi from the UAE.

A flight attendant on the historic flight (Source: Facebook)

Source: Facebook

Among the many passengers on the plane was celebrity blogger, Ameyaw Debrah, who updated his followers with photos.

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Ameyaw Debrah was on board the plane

Source: Twitter

On hand to meet the plane were leading members of the Akufo-Addo government including the former and current minister for aviation.

Meanwhile, before the flight took off from Dubai, Captain Quainoo, did something special on the plane.

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In a video from the plane sighted by Legit.ng, the aircraft could be seen filled with passengers as Captain Quainoo announced flight take-off and expected time in flight among other details.

Interestingly, he did so in Twi before he translated into English for others who did not understand.

I have never had to look for a job in my life | Faces of Nigeria - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Newspaper
Nineteen people are feared dead as suspected herdsmen reportedly invaded Ariri Village, Bassa local government area of Plateau state.

Channels TV reports that the herdsmen were said to have attacked the village on Wednesday night, October 3, and shot the victims while they were asleep.

Going further, the news outlet reports that residents claimed security operatives are yet to arrive at the scene of the incident and the corpses of the victims are still scattered across the compounds where the attacks occurred.

READ ALSO: Kwara PDP primary: The result was disappointing - Bolaji Abdullahi

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) raised concern over the renewed killings in Plateau state.

The group, while condemning the fresh outbreak of violence in the state, described the killings as barbaric and inhumane. It also called on relevant international bodies to immediately document them with a view to holding those responsible to account at some point.

CESJET said it wondered why the government of President Muhammadu Buhari was yet to arrest those behind these crimes against humanity.

The centre further raised the alarm that there was a grand plot to unleash a nationwide instability across Nigeria using Plateau state as the launchpad.

Joyce Ogwu, the executive director of CESJET, in a statement also fingered former governor of the state, Senator Jonah Jang, fueling unrest in the state so as to throw the entire nation into chaos to achieve some aims.

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Ogwu said: The first objective is to trigger similar crisis across the entire country based on the expectations that persons of other ethnicities and faiths would carry out reprisals that would overwhelm the police and therefore spiral out of control."

Why President Buhari cannot control killings in Nigeria - Nigerians cry out on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
It has just been reported that pretty young lady identified as Ngozi Marion Emmanuel won a N45million scholarship in order to further her education. Emmanuel was reported to be the youngest lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK).

She won a Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) overseas scholarship award to study for a PhD in media and communication at the University of Leicester, United Kingdom. The school is said to be one of the most prestigious/world-class and foremost communication school in the UK which began many years ago as the Centre for Mass Communication Research.

Emmanuels achievement was announced on the Facebook profile of Chinyere Stella Okunna, the first female professor of mass communication in Nigeria. She is also the dean faculty of social sciences at UNIZIK.

UNIZIK's youngest lecturer Ngozi Emmanuel wins N45m scholarship to study for her PhD Photo: Ngozi Marion Emmanuel

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Presidential aide Abike Dabiri plans to donate N100,000 to NOUN's final year student

Also one Godspower JeCil congratulated Emmanuel on Facebook saying: To one of the inestimable jewels I've come across, one I will be crushing on beyond time frame, not your popular flirty episode, but one that is built on the elegance of intellect. My writing flair would fail me to describe the adoring nature I've grown into, but nevertheless I did well in your courses, I believe this would still make a pass mark. Congratulations Ma'am on this exceptional feat, on gaining the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Overseas Scholarship Award to study for a PhD in Media and Communication. In the prestigious University of Leicester, United Kingdom a foremost Communication School. Congratulations Ma'am, more feat lies before you, I am certain of it.

See post below:

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Her picture was shared on GIDITRAFFIC (@Gidi_Traffic) on Twitter with the caption: Ngozi Marion Emmanuel, UNIZIK Youngest Lecturer, Wins N45M TETFund Scholarship.

See post below:

Congratulations!

Nigeria News Davido & Chioma: All You Want To Know About Their Latest Photoshoot | Legit.ng TV - on Legit.ng TV.

Source: Legit
- The Adamawa Youth for Good Governance claimed some persons are attempting to hijack the APC structure in the state

- The group insisted this does not represent what the APC stands for

- It advised Governor Bindow to leave the party and seek another platform to re-contest

A group, Adamawa Youth for Good Governance, has called on Governor Jibrilla Bindow to seek re-election under another platform over alleged reign of impunity in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mohammed Ahmed Marafa who spoke on behalf of the group claimed there were plans to hijack the party structure.

He said: There are unseen forces who have decided to hijack the party affairs and are scheming to circumvent the party process. We were supposed to hold our primaries since Sunday but some people have hijacked the party and locked down the secretariat.

READ ALSO: APC expels Omo-Agege, asks police, DSS to arrest him

They claimed the party primary has been rescheduled for Thursday, we are not sure if it would hold because right now nothing has been done to show that the primary would hold.

"Everyone in the party has agreed for the indirect primaries and just because of the interest of a few, national body decided to reverse everything to serve the interest of one person. All we want is a free and fair primaries and a level playing field for all stakeholders.

Yusuf Chidama who is also a member of the group said the plan to remove a popular candidate was against what the APC is known for.

He said: You can all witness what is going on in the party in Imo, Taraba, Delta and some parts of the country where APC has been involved in power play, having parallel congresses, which is contrary to its principle of fairness and internal democracy.

Democracy is a game of number and if they continue in that way, we would urge governor Jibrilla to dump APC for another platform, minority cannot decide what the majority wants.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the APC had suspended the governorship primaries in Imo state indefinitely following controversy.

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Yekini Nabena who is the party spokesperson announced the suspension on Tuesday, October 2, although the reason for the new development was not provided. He also said the senatorial primaries in all the 36 states of the country have been postponed until October 3.

What is cooking in Imo state? - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- David Umaru, the senator representing Niger east senatorial district and two others have rejected the results of the APC senatorial primaries

- Umaru said thugs beat up and chased away his supporters and disrupted him from voting

- He, however, noted that the process of the primaries was flawed from beginning

Three senators that lost their second term bid for the All Progressive Congress (APC) senatorial tickets in Niger state have started kicking, alleging huge financial inducement and thugs action in the process of the primaries.

Leadership reports that Sani Musa won the Niger east senatorial primary after defeating the incumbent, David Umaru. The spokesman of the Senate, Senator Sabi Abdullahi Aliyu, lost to Jon Zakeri in the Niger north senatorial primary.

Umaru disclosed this known in a press briefing insisting that the primaries was marred by irregularities, violence and vote buying.

READ ALSO: 19 feared killed in fresh Plateau attack

According to him, Thugs were used to beat up and chased away my supporters and disrupted voting. In many cases, elections were not done but results were manufactured and announced. This is shame to APC and I condemned it in total.

He said that the process of the primaries from the beginning was flawed while the list of eligible voters was kept secret by the party exco in the state.

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He added: I called on the national chairman and those who mean well for the party to intervene and cancel the results of senatorial primaries in the state in order to save the party in the state.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Umar Bago said he will support the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger state with 100 cars.

Bago, who stated this on Tuesday, September 18, in an interview in Minna, said that the two leaders remained the only credible choices in the 2019 elections.

He urged the electorate to vote for continuity in order to consolidate on the ongoing changes that would set the nation on the path of progress.

President Buhari on 2019 Presidential Election: Will You Vote For Him? | Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng
It is no longer news that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode will not be returned as the Lagos state governor in 2019 as he has lost the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to his contender at the partys primary held on Tuesday, October 2.

Governor Ambode scored 72,901, while Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his contender, scored 970,851 of the votes cast.

How could a sitting governor lose with such a wide margin to a relatively unpopular aspirant?

Legit.ng highlights five major reasons that worked against Governor Ambodes second term ambition.

Governor Ambode addressing Lagosians in a world press conference prior to the governorship primary.

Source: Depositphotos

1. Fall-out with his political godfather

Governor Ambode was never a politician but part a (retired) civil servant before Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented him as his preferred gubernatorial candidate in 2015, against the then governors (Babatunde Fashola) choice.

Thus, he became the governor solely because of his godfathers influence. However, three years down the line, he fell out of favour with him. He failed to get Tinubus support for the second term bid.

2. Lack of support from political stakeholders in the state

Apart from losing Tinubus support, Governor Ambode is also not in the good books of relevant stakeholders of the party in the state.

In fact, Tinubu was reported to have said that he did not have any issue with the embattled governor, adding that he withdrew his support for him because other stakeholders did not want him.

According to The Punch, when Tinubu was asked why he withdrew his support for Ambode, he said: Who did I support in 2014? Ambode. Life is dynamic. Its those who made me the leader of the structure in Lagos who said it was what they want. Its only if you have followers that youre a leader in democracy.

If I look back and I dont find them again; if I dont respond to them, if I fail to accede to their request, I would have failed the leadership test. This is not personal; it is beyond me as a person. Every democratic constitution is preceded by We, the people. So, I had to submit myself to the wishes and the yearnings of our party.

3. Inactive party politics

Governor Ambodes failure to be actively involved in the politics of the state is also one of the factors that cost him the second term ticket.

His aloofness to the APCs political activities both at the state and federal level made it difficult for him to get the required support he needed for the ticket.

His godfather confirmed that he (Ambode) failed to get the support of the party stakeholders not because of his performance but due to his failure to be a "a good party man".

This is an elixir for the general election. Ambode Akin, hes doing well, yes; he hasnt been a good party man; not only the glamour, not only about brick and mortar. A talent is determined by character. For you to become an influential person, you have to respond to the yearnings of the people. This is politics; democracy, one man, one vote, Tinubu was quoted to have said.

4. Poor teamwork/failure to carry people along

Governor Ambodes alleged inability to carry people along in his governance also fueled the gang-up against his second term bid.

For instance, a leader of the APC in Mushin area of Lagos who spoke with Daily Times on the condition of anonymity accused the governor of running an exclusive government where the views and opinions of the people are not sought on any issue.

He alleged that Governor Ambode is not receptive to ideas and opinions even when offered. Little wonder, his deputy, Idiat Adebule, also abandoned him to support Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

5. Anti-people policies

Some of the policies initiated by the Ambode-led government angered not only the APC members but virtually all Lagosians. Two of such policies concern the waste management tussle and the controversial increase in Land Use Charge.

The APC leader, earlier quoted, also accused Governor Ambode of deviating sharply from the policies and programmes of his predecessors.

He said: We now have a dirtier Lagos because of the policy he brought up through Visionscape and he is not ready to listen to advice given to him by leaders. The idea of PSP is to engage people at the grassroots, even though operators of the PSP are leaders of the party at the grassroots, the idea is to engage those people locally.

Just like the issue of community policing, you cannot properly police an environment if you are not part of that environment, so the issue of carting away of refuse is being done locally at the hinterland and these are the people involved in it.

Again the issue of road network, there is potholes everywhere; traffic in Lagos at peak hours has increased drastically.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Governor Ambode had finally accepted his loss of the gubernatorial primary election. The governor on Wednesday, October 3, congratulated Sanwo-Olu, the winner of the exercise.

Ambode, who appealed to residents of Lagos to give Sanwo-Olu the needed support in the 2019 election, said the APC remains a great party.

Can Ambode Get a Second Term Without Tinubus Approval? - Nigeria Street Gist | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- Members of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in Borno have been assured of full safety as they carry out their businesses

- The assurance was given by the Nigerian Army on Thursday, October 4

- Brigadier General Bulama Biu, the acting general commanding officer of 7 Division, Maiduguri made the pledge to the farmers

The Nigerian Army has pledged to guarantee the safety of farmers in Borno, to enhance the production of paddy rice and other food crops.

Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, director of Army public relations, in a statement issued on Thursday, October 4, in Maiduguri, quoted Brigadier General Bulama Biu, the acting general commanding officer of 7 Division, Maiduguri as making the pledge when members of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) paid him a courtesy visit in in the capital, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

READ ALSO: Former Benue revenue service boss wins APC senatorial ticket

The statement quoted Biu as saying that the army would provide security to farmers to enable them cultivate their farmlands and ensure their safety to encourage agricultural activities.

Biu noted that rice farmers were critical partners in ensuring food security for sustainable social and economic development in the country.

He tasked farmers to be law-abiding and ensure that they followed due-process in the discharge of their business.

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In his remarks, Alhaji Bulama Mohammed, the chairman of the association, lauded the military over the successes recorded in the counter-insurgency campaign in the northeast. Mohammad sought the support of the military to ease movement of the produce to the market.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian Army, in the evening of Thursday, April 26, released a warning to residents of Maiduguri asking them not to panic but remain in their houses as tension spread between soldiers and Boko Haram invaders.

The general public is please requested not to panic and discountenance rumours of Boko Haram presence. You are further enjoined enjoined to please remain at home and be vigilant.

The security situation in Maiduguri is under control, a short statement from Colonel Kingsley Samuel, the deputy director of Nigerian Army public relations, said.

Nigeria News Today: Police Arrest Soldiers Dismissed for not Fighting B/Haram During Jonathan Regime - On Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- NAPTIP, Benin zonal command, said it rescued human trafficking victims within three months

- The rescue was made from July to September, 2018

- The command also stated that it arrested 15 suspected human traffickers during the same period

The Benin zonal command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) rescued no fewer than 52 victims of human trafficking in the third quarter of this year.

Nduka Nwanwenne, zonal commander of the agency comprising Edo and Delta, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Thursday, October 4, that the rescue was made from July to September.

He also disclosed that within the period under review, 15 suspected human traffickers were arrested.

READ ALSO: Kwara PDP primary: The result was disappointing - Bolaji Abdullahi

He further disclosed that 37 cases were reported within the same period, while the zone secured one conviction, with 34 cases still pending in courts.

The zonal commander said the Edo judiciary had designated two courts to handle cases of human trafficking.

He explained that with this development, there would be speedy trial of such cases, thereby enabling quick dispensation of Justice.

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Legit.ng previously reported that NAPTIP rescued four Nigerian women who were forced into prostitution in different parts of Spain.

The women were captives of a prostitution ring which operated mainly in Spain, but also in Italy, the United Kingdom, Libya, Niger, and Nigeria.

Europol reported that the investigation to dismantle the network began in 2017. The group was reported to have recruited victims by coercing them with voodoo threats in Benin City, Nigeria.

Nigeria News 2018: BUSTED Police Arrest One-Chance Tricycle Thieves, Human Traffickers | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
President Muhammadu Buhari has been asked by the National Judicial Council (NJC) to dismiss two judges accused of corruption by the anti-graft agency, EFCC.

Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court and James Agbadu-Fishim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria are the affected judges.

NJC, in a statement published by Premium Times said it came to that conclusion after reviewing the allegations against both judges.

READ ALSO: 19 feared killed in fresh Plateau attack

Here is the full statement:

"The National Judicial Council under the Chairmanship of the Honourable Mr. Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, GCON, at its 87th Meeting which was held on 3rdOctober 2018, recommended the removal by dismissal from office, of Hon. Mr. Justice R. N. Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court and Hon. Mr. Justice James T. Agbadu-Fishim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

"Hon. Mr. Justice R. N. Ofili-Ajumogobia was recommended to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, for removal by dismissal from office pursuant to the findings by the Council on the allegations of misconduct contained in a petition to the Council by the Acting Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Ibrahim Magu, alleging that:

"Hon. Mr. Justice R. N. Ofil-Ajumogobia is a Director/Chief Executive Officer and sole signatory to Nigel and Colive Company contrary to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of theFederal Republic of Nigeria;

"Several personalities, individuals, government officials and business partners lodged funds into various accounts belonging to the Hon. Judge; and There was an ex-parte communication between the Hon. Judge and Mr. Godwin Oblah, SAN, during the pendency of his matter before the His lordship.

The affected judges are Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court and James Agbadu-Fishim of the national industrial court of Nigeria. Credit: Google

Source: Twitter

"The Council, however, could not consider other allegations in the petition because they are already before a court where the judge is standing trial. Council left those matters for the trial to take its legal course.

"Hon. Mr. Justice James T. Agbadu-Fishim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria was also recommended for removal by dismissal from office sequel to the findings of the Council on the allegations contained in another petition by the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleging that the Hon. Judge received various sums of money from litigants and lawyers that had cases before him, and some influential Nigerians, under the false pretence that he was bereaved or that there was delay in the payment of his salary. This is contrary to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"In the interim, the Council, in exercise of its disciplinary powers under paragraph 21 (d) of the Third Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, has suspended Hon. Mr. Justices R. N. Ofili-Ajumogobia and James T. Agbadu-Fishim with immediate effect pending their removal from office by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"Council rejected the letter of voluntary retirement, purported to be with effect from the 1st of October 2018, submitted to it by Hon. Mr. Justice Joshua E. Ikede of the Delta State High Court. This followed the findings on an allegation of falsification of age contained in a petition written by Zik Gbemre, National Co-ordinator of Niger Delta Peace Coalition. Council found that the Hon. Judge ought to have retired since 1st October 2016.

"Consequently, it backdated his retirement to 2016 and recommended to the Government of Delta State to deduct from the retirement benefits of the judge, all salaries received by him from October, 2016 till date and remit it to NJC which pays salaries of all Judicial Officers in the Federation.

"Council also decided to issue a Letter of Advice to Hon. Mr. Justice K. C. Nwakpa of High Court of Abia State to guard against unwarranted utterances in matters before him. This was as a result of a complaint to the Council by one Princewill Ukegbu.

"Council considered the reports of various Investigation Committees and dismissed the petitions written against Hon. Mr. Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Hon. Mr. Justice E. O. Osinuga of the High Court of Ogun State, and Hon. Mr. Justice E. O. Ononeze-Madu of the High Court of Imo State.

"The petition by Wema Bank against Hon. Mr. JusticeYusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court was dismissed because the allegation of misconduct was not established. The judges handling of the related matter did not amount to the alleged misconduct.

"The petition on allegation of inducement, bias and alteration of Ruling written by David Olawepo Efunwape, Esq. against Hon. Mr. Justice E. O. Osinuga of High Court, Ogun State was found to be false.

"Council, therefore, decided to report David Olawepo Efunwape, Esq., to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for appropriate sanctions for making false allegations against a judge.

"The petition written by Hon. Eugene Okechukwu Dibiagwu against Hon. Mr. Justice E. O. Ononeze Madu was dismissed by the Council for lack of merit.Council also decided to warn the Petitioner and asked him to apologise to the Hon. Judge for the false allegation of inducement.

"New petitions written against twenty-six (26) Judicial Officers from the Federal and State High Courts were considered by Council, after which it resolved to empanel four (4) Committees to investigate.

"The remaining petitions were summarily dismissed for obvious and manifest lack of merit, being subjudice, concerning administrative matters, or that such petitions were matters for appeal. The dismissed petitions were against Hon. Mr. Justice J. O. Bada, presiding justice, Court of Appeal, Benin Division, Hon. Mr. Justice Abdul-Kafarati, Chief Judge, Federal High Court and Hon. Mr. Justices I. N. Buba, H. R. Shagari, R. M. Aikawa, O. E. Abang all of the Federal High Court; Hon. Mr. Justice Marshal Umukoro, Chief Judge, Delta State and Hon. Mr. Justice E. G. Timi also of the Delta State High Court, Hon. Mr. Justice S. U. Dikko, Chief Judge,Nasarawa state, Hon. Mr. Justice P. N. C. Umeadi, Chief Judge, Anambra state, Hon. Mr. Justices A. O. Opesanwo, A. J. Coker both of Lagos State High Court, Hon. Mr. Justice C. I. Gabriel Nwankwo, President, Customary Court of Appeal, River State, Hon. Mr. Justices C. A. Okirie and G. O. Omeji both of River State High Court, Hon. Mr. Justice Iniabasi Udobong of High Court, Akwa-Ibom State, Hon. Mr. Justice S. O. Falola of High Court, Osun state, Hon. Grand Kadi, Sokoto State, Hon. Mr. Justice I. B. Ahmed of Katsina State High Court and Hon. Mr. Justice Patricia Mahmoud formerly of the Kano State High Court before her elevation to the Court of Appeal.

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Legit.ng had reported that Justice OH Oshodi of the Lagos state High Court sitting in Ikeja, admitted a new set of evidence in a document tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against, Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, a serving Federal High Court judge.

Protesters embarrass Lagos Chief Judge on women's day on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
Editor's note: Richarmond O. Natha-Alade, a Nigerian legal practitioner and Principal Partner at Sun Natha-Alade & Partners (SNATHAP) writes on the seven wrongs Davido, who is presently a NYSC corps member, committed by politically supporting his uncle Senator Adeleke during the gubernatorial race of Osun state. He is of the opinion that Davido should have steered clear of this path.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Legit.ng. Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com  drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors. Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App. Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter.

In recent time, there has been emphasis on the need to participate in the one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme mandated under the enabling Act. The calls amidst the recent realities of sacks, resignations and disqualifications (among others) of political leaders who became graduates at and/or before the age of thirty but failed to participate in the scheme.

The mandatory NYSC scheme is governed by several codes and ethics, the violation of which attracts penalties, ranging from extension of service year to termination of service year and prosecution among other disciplinary actions to be determined by the designated and/or empowered officials of the Scheme.

David Adedeji Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, recently put in for the mandatory NYSC program sequel to his graduation from the University before the age of thirty. Consequently, he was mobilised to the Iyana Ipaja, Lagos Orientation Camp of the Scheme but has since taken off to do other things.

READ ALSO: Did Davido break NYSC laws by leaving orientation camp for the USA?

Davido is widely acknowledged and popular both home and abroad. That said, can we conclude that the George Orwells view about the society by his book Animal farm is in play? Whence, he said by several allegorical syllogism: All animals are equal but some are more equal than the other. In other words, it seems we are all equal before the law but some are more equal than others. The question is; is Davido above all other Corps members currently participating in the program to the extent that he cannot be sanctioned, queried and/or at least cautioned if found wanting?

Davido, 26, was one of the 2,152 Batch B Stream II corps members sworn-in at the NYSC orientation camp at Iyana Ipaja in August, 2018. Since Davido joined the Scheme, the Following are the NYSC Rules of engagement broken by him:

1. Davido brought into the Orientation camp a chauffeur Driven White exotic car and drove amidst fanfare among other corps members and obviously protected by security guides.

2. Davido left the Orientation camp and never participated in the activities of NYSC at the camp.

3. The Pop star left the orientation camp to Boston in United States ahead of his Locked Up Concert. Afterward, he performed at the opening day of Jay-Zs Made in America Festival in Philadelphia, United States. He never returned to the NYSC camp.

4. Davidos Primary Place of Assignment is unknown.

5. Davido did not report promptly to his Primary Place of Assignment or participate in activities at his secondary place of assignment.

6. Davido continues to engage in his private practice as a musician.

7. Davido fully participated in politics during the recently concluded governorship elections in Osun State.

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It is noteworthy that the above listed offences attract both light and heavy penalties if some of the offences considered as reconcilable are not met with the attached condition precedents.

Davido violated the provisions of Section 3(I)(15) of the NYSC Bye-Laws (18/19), Section 3(III)(2, 3, 5 6, 7,12, 14)) of the NYSC Bye-Laws (18/19), and Section 4(9) of the NYSC Bye-Laws (18/19). For ease of reference, I hereunder reproduce the contents of the cited sections of the Bye Laws:

Section 3(I)(15) of the Bye laws provides as follows:

During the Period of orientation, every member shall not bring vehicles or motorcycles into the orientation camp.

Any member who brings vehicles or motorcycles to camp shall not be registered, and if already registered, shall be decamped

ii) Such member shall only be allowed to return to service to join the next batch in the orientation camp.

Section 3(III)(2, 3, 5 6, 7,12, 14) of the NYSC Bye-Laws (1993) Provides as follows:

During the Period of Primary Assignment, every member shall:

2. Not be late to report at duty station

Any member who reports late at duty station shall be tried by the Corps Disciplinary Committee and if found guilty, be liable to extension of service on half pay double the period he is late to station. Any member who reports late at duty station shall be tried by the Corps Disciplinary Committee and if found guilty, be liable to extension of service on half pay double the period he is late to station

3. Not fail to report to duty punctually.

Any member who reports late for duty shall be queried by his employer and the report sent to the State Coordinator for disciplinary action.

5. Not fail to carry out duties diligently

Any member who fails to carry out his duties diligently shall be queried by his employer and the report sent to the State Coordinator for disciplinary action.

6. leave his duty station or absent himself from any official activity without the written consent of the State Coordinator.

Any member who leaves his duty station or absents himself from any official activity without the permission of the State Coordinator shall be tried by the Corps Disciplinary Committee and, if found guilty, be liable to extension of service with half pay double the period of absence.

7. Not travel outside the State without written permission of the State Coordinator

Any member who travels outside the State without the written permission of the State Coordinator shall be tried by the Corps Disciplinary Committee and, if found guilty, be liable to forfeiture of allowance for the number of days absent and extension of service with half pay double the period of absence.

12. Not engage in private practice

Any member who engages in private practice shall be tried by the Corps Disciplinary Committee and, if found guilty, be liable on conviction to extension of service for a period not less than twenty one (21) days without pay.

14. Not travel outside Nigeria without the written permission of the Director-General

Any member who travels outside Nigeria without the written permission of the Director-General shall be tried by the Corps Disciplinary Committee and, if found guilty, be liable to extension of service without pay double the period of absence

Section 4(9) of the NYSC Bye-Laws (1993) Provides as follows:

Every member shall Not take part in partisan politics.

Any member who takes part in partisan politics is liable to extension of service for a period not less than three (3) months without pay.

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It is clear from the above-cited provisions of the NYSC byelaws and the facts earlier relayed that Davido is in breach of the rules guiding the NYSC scheme.

Even if we were to assume that Davido obtained permission for all his engagements, the question to ask is how much permission can he take during his continuous participation in the scheme? By section 6(2) of the enabling law, Davido cannot get more than 14 days leave of absence during the entire program.

Davido similarly went overboard when he wore PDP attires and campaigned from town to town for his uncle, Senator Ademola Adeleke, despite being a corps member in active service.

Despite all the breaches, there is no record to show that Davido has been queried, sanctioned, brought before a court, suspended and/or cautioned in any way by the NYSC management. The inference to be drawn is that Davido is above the law or above all other corps members. The Lagos State NYSC coordinator and the Director General of the NYSC clearly owe Nigerians some explanations.

Nigeria News Today: Davido's NYSC Trouble During Osun Election | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- All is set for the PDP special national convention this week in Port Harcourt, Rivers state

- A poll has predicted that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will win the contest and emerge as the presidential candidate of the opposition party

- No fewer than 12 people are contesting for the PDP presidential ticket

Former vice president of Nigeria and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has been adjudged as the best candidate to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election.

In an online Twitter poll conducted by @PDP_RIVERS, Atiku Abubakar, trounced Senate President Bukola Saraki, governor of Sokoto state Aminu Tambuwal and former governor of Kano state Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.

At the end of voting on Thursday, October 4, Atiku polled 48% of the total votes cast followed by Saraki with 37%, Kwankwaso 11% and Tambuwal 4%.

READ ALSO: Buhari in closed-door meeting with 9 APC governors

Legit.ng gathered that 41,734 persons voted in the 6-day poll which commenced on Saturday, September 29 .

Atikus share of the votes is 20,032 compared to Sarakis 15,442, Kwankwasos 4,591 and Tambuwals 1,669.

The presidential primaries of the PDP will hold in Port Harcourt on Friday, October 6 and Saturday, October 7.

A total of 12 aspirants are set to slug it out for the partys ticket. They are Atiku, Saraki, Kwankwaso, Tambuwal, Senators Ahmed Makarfi, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe and Senator Jonah Jang.

Others are former governors; Sule Lamido and Attahiru Bafarawa, former minister of special duties; Tanimu Turaki, Datti Baba-Ahmed and former Senate president; David Mark.

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Another poll by an independent group, Presidential Mediation Committee had earlier predicted that Senator Makarfi will emerge as the partys presidential candidate.

The report was signed by the committee's protem-chairman; Honourable Samaila Kankia, acting secretary; Dr. Amos Goje and facilitator, Malam Muhammad Tasiu Hassan.

According to them, the poll ranked each candidates potentialities and pedigree on a scale of 1 to 20 with 20 being highest. In all, the group said Makarfi scored 15 marks to beat the rest in the analysis.

Nigeria News Today: Will Buhari Get Votes Of Nigerian Youth? | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Nigeria
- Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has threatened to drag EFCC to court

- He also demands N20bn damages and written apology from the anti-graft agency

- Fayose gives the EFCC 72 hours to meet his demand or seek legal remedy

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has demanded a N20 billion as damages from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a written apology from to be published to all security agencies in Nigeria, three national newspapers and the social media as well as withdrawal of the request/directive to security agencies to place him on security watch list.

New Telegraph reports that Fayose threatened that unless his demands are met, he would not hesitate to institute legal action against you to seek appropriate remedies before the law court.

Unless these demands are met within 72 hours of the date of this letter, we shall not hesitate to carry out our clients firm instruction to proceed forthwith to institute legal action against you to seek appropriate remedies before the law court without any further recourse to you", he said.

READ ALSO: Just in: Oshiomhole in crucial meeting with governors over APC primaries controversy

Legit.ng gathered that Fayose, in a statement, said the demands were contained in a letter by his counsel, Obafemi Adewale, dated September 3, 2018, which was received at the Abuja office of the EFCC.

The letter read: By a letter Ref No: 3000/EFCC/ABJ/EG/TA/VOL.59/010 dated 12th September, 2018, you instructed all security agencies in Nigeria, including but not limited to the Nigerian Customs Service (NCC), to place our client on a watch list and to arrest him at sight upon suspicion that he might be attempting to flee the country.

In your exact words, we quote: The under listed suspect is under investigation in connection with the above mentioned offences and there is reasonable suspicion suggesting that he may likely leave the country either through the land borders, airport, or seaport in order to invade investigation. Hence, you are kindly requested to watch-list and arrest him.

By these words, you have not only fallen foul of the clear provision of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution of the federal republic which grants our client, as an incumbent Governor, immunity from any criminal process/proceedings, you have also exposed our client to ridicule, opprobrium, odium and hatred in the eyes and opinion of the ordinary man on the street and falsely and mischievously portrayed him as a common fugitive, a run-away from the law who could/should be arrested at sight like a dangerous criminal.

By this act and words, particularly coming after our Client had by his letter of 10th September, 2018 duly received in your office on 11th September, 2018 voluntarily without any prompting by you or anybody else, offered to report in your office in Abuja on 16th

"September, 2018, the very next day after his tenure as governor, Ekiti state would have ended and his immunity lifted, you have demonstrated premeditated mischief, open hatred for our Client and contempt for his office as governor.

"This is even moreso when considered against the background of your earlier threat on your official EFCC twitter handle which was widely circulated on the social media and published in the Punch Newspaper of 16th July, 2018 where you mocked our client in the following words to the whole world: "The parri is over, the cloak of immunity is torn apart and the staff broken, Ekiti integrated poultry/biological concepts limited N1.3bn fraud case file dusted off the shelves. See you soon."

In the light of the above, our client has directed that we demand of you and we hereby demand as follows; a retraction and withdrawal of the aforesaid request/directive to security agencies to place our client of the security watch list and arrest him at sight even whilst he still enjoys immunity as governor forthwith.

A written apology to our client published to all security agencies in Nigeria and in 3 national newspapers and the social media for the flagrant mischievous and deliberate attempt to breach his constitutional rights and malign him in the eyes of right thinking members of the society.

Payment of the sum of N20bn as damages to our client for the flagrant, deliberate, pre-meditated and reckless libel and unprovoked attack on his character and reputation and breach of his constitutional right/immunity as an incumbent governor.

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Take notice that unless these demands are met within 72 hours of the date of this letter, we shall not hesitate to carry out our clients firm instruction to proceed forthwith to institute legal action against you to seek appropriate remedies before the law court without any further recourse to you.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arrest Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state over the Integrated Poultry Project/Biological Concepts Limited N1.3 billion fraud case.

The EFCC stage a walk against corruption - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- PDP delegates in Lagos are voting to elect their governorship candidate for 2019 poll

- The battle is between former standard bearer of the party, Jimi Agbaje, and Adedeji Doherty

- Winner would slug it out with the candidate of APC, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during the next year election

About 3000 delegates of the Lagos state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have commenced voting to pick the partys governorship candidate for the 2019 general election.

Nigerian Tribune reports that the exercise, which is taking palace at Yard 158, Oregun road, Lagos, is being conducted by the partys National Working Committee (NWC) panel chaired by Senator Victor Kassim Oyofo with members, including Chief Chidi Onyemelukwe (secretary); Alhaji Ibrahim Michika and Daisi Ogedengbe.

READ ALSO: Omisore finally reveals why he supported APC to defeat PDP during Osun rerun

Legit.ng gathered that the delegates are to choose between Jimi Agbaje, who was the partys governorship candidate in the 2015 poll and Adedeji Doherty, who also was among the partys aspirants in the same exercise in 2015.

It was reported that delegates were being called into the centre to cast their votes according to their local governments in the presence of monitoring officers from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), amidst tension and tight security offered by security operatives.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 election, Jimi Agbaje, on Wednesday, September 19, finally announced that he has an ambition to lead the state on the platform of the same party in 2019.

It was reported that speculations were rife on whether Agbaje, who narrowly missed the chance to govern the state in 2015, would still seek election.

Agbaje reportedly told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that he would seek election in the state in 2019. It is true that initially I did not want to re-contest, but I had so many people urging me to run, he said.

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Can Ambode Defeat Tinubu for a second term? - Nigerian Opinion | - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- The Nigerian army says only three vehicles have been recovered by the military authorities in the search and rescue operation for the missing immediate past chief of army administration, Major General Idris Alkali (retired)

- Colonel Kayode Ogunsanya, the deputy director army public relations, in a statement accuses fifth columnists of trying to misinform the public about the ongoing search and rescue operation

- The military urges the people of Plateau state and the people of Dura - Du District to come forward and give credible information on the where about of the missing retired senior officer

The Nigerian army has faulted reports circulating in the social media that eleven 11 cars and two corpses had been recovered from an abandoned mining pit filled with water in the Dura - Du District of Jos south local government area of Plateau state where the search for the missing immediate past chief of army administration, Major General Idris M Alkali (retired), is ongoing.

Colonel Kayode Ogunsanya, the deputy director army public relations, in a statement on Thursday, October 4, described the social media reports as false and misleading.

The army spokesperson in setting the record straight, noted that only three vehicles have been recovered by the military authorities in the search and rescue operation.

READ ALSO: Omisore finally reveals why he supported APC to defeat PDP during Osun rerun

Detailing outcome of the search, Ogunsanya said: On 29 September 2018, a black Toyota Corolla car with the registration number KWARA MUN 670 AA, a customized white T-Shirt with Nigerian Army logo and the generals name inscribed on it as well as a pair of canvass shoe belonging to the retired missing senior officer.

On 2 October 2018, a white Toyota Hiace bus with registration number PLATEAU RYM 307 XA which was reported missing with the driver on 24 June 2018 and a red Rover car with registration number BAUCHI AG 645 TRR which was also allegedly reported to have been buried along with the occupants on 31 January 2013."

He called on the public to disregard rumours being circulated in the social media, adding that such reports were the work of fifth columnists trying to misinform the public about the ongoing search and rescue operation.

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The army spokesperson said a cordon and search operation is ongoing in the area with the aim of finding the retired missing senior officer either dead or alive for the purpose of re-uniting him with his family or giving him a befitting military burial if found dead.

The army urged the people of Plateau state and the people of Dura - Du District, to come forward and give credible information about the where about of the missing retired senior officer.

This headquarters can be reached on GSM number 09074028881. Handsome reward awaits a credible informant and the source of information shall be protected," the army stated.

Below are photos of some of the items recovered by the from the abandoned mining pit in Jos.

Legit.ngfrom a mining pond at Dura, Du District, Jos south local government of Plateau, in search of Idris Alkali, a missing retired major general.

Alkali, immediate past chief of administration, Army Headquarters, Abuja, was declared missing on the 3rd of September.

He was on his way to Bauchi after leaving Abuja in the morning, NAN reports.

Legit.ng gathers that Brig Gen Ibrahim Mohammed, garrison commander, 3 Division Garrison, Nigeria Army, Rukuba, Jos addressed newsmen on Thursday, September 20, shortly after the commencement of the evacuation.

Nigeria News Today: Nigerian Air Force Buries Pilot Who Died in a Crash | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here.
- Ima Niboro won a ticket of the All Progressives Congress to the National Assembly

- Niboro, a former spokesperson to Goodluck Jonathan, beat his rivals at the party's primary election

- He polled 438 votes to defeat four others in the party

A former managing director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ima Niboro, has emerged the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Udu, Ughelli South and Ughelli North federal constituency in Delta.

The report said Niboro, who defected to the APC in December 2016, clinched the partys ticket at a primary conducted by the Chief Cyril Ogodo-led state working committee at Otu-Jeremi in Ughelli South.

READ ALSO: Kwara PDP primary: The result was disappointing - Bolaji Abdullahi

He defeated four other aspirants to win the ticket during the election.

The returning officer, Chris Onojiacha, who announced the results, said the former President Goodluck Jonathan spokesman polled 438 votes to defeat four others.

Onojiacha declared that Rukevwe Ugwumba scored seven votes; Rev Francis Ejiroghene Waive got four votes while Chief Andrew Orugbo polled 10 votes and Akpovoka Efeni had none.

Niboro, a journalist, was a special adviser on media and publicity to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

He was later appointed as managing director of NAN in 2014 to replace late Remi Oyo whose tenure ended in 2013.

Legit.ng earlier reported that two senators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger on Tuesday, October 2, lost their bid to return to the National Assembly.

The two were defeated in the partys primary election conducted across the three senatorial districts in the state.

Source: Legit
Ahead of Adamawa rescheduled governorship primaries for All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Muhammadu Bindow campaign organization has raised alarm over circulation of fake membership cards.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the spokesperson of the organisation, Saleh Kinjir, who raised the alarm Thursday, October 4, in a press briefing in Yola, said the attention of the organization had been drawn to such fake cards in circulation in the state.

The organisation also alleged that some people had met, designed and produced what they claimed to be result from fake elections conducted.

READ ALSO: Kwara PDP primary: The result was disappointing - Bolaji Abdullahi

We have seen on social media, people snapping pictures of their supposed membership cards and posting same.

We have also read a number of postings by people who assumed that the direct election to be conducted will depend solely on brandishing such assumed membership cards.

We wish to state categorically that in Adamawa state, to the best of our knowledge, no membership cards were given to members during the registration exercise; only membership slips were issued.

Anybody brandishing any card is actually displaying a fake document.

We therefore condemned any attempt to introduce confusion in the process by distributing fake documents,purportedly as membership cards, he said.

While urging security agencies and INEC to fish out the suspects to ensure credible direct primaries, the organization reiterated its confidence in its candidate, Governor Bindow, to emerged victorious.

Also speaking in another press briefing, the head of media for Nuhu Ribadu campaign organisation, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman, said they were also concerned about the report circulating in the social media that voting had commenced in some areas, when even members of the 25-member election committee for the direct primaries were yet to arrive the state.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

Our stand is that we reject whatever the outcome of the purported result of the ongoing primaries, Usman said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Governor Bindow, Nuhu Ribadu and Mahmood Halilu are the three aspirants to contest in the Thursday, October 4, governorship primaries.

Legit.ng earlier reported that a former managing director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ima Niboro, emerged the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Udu, Ughelli South and Ughelli North federal constituency in Delta.

Nigeria News Today: Does Governor Ambode Deserve a Second Term? | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
Yves here. New York City had long had developers focusing on luxury apartments at the expense of the rest of the market. But recent data shows this city is less extreme in that regard than most.

By Wolf Richter, a San Francisco based executive, entrepreneur, start up specialist, and author, with extensive international work experience. Originally published at Wolf Street

There are plenty of brand-new apartments to choose from, thanks to a multifamily construction boom in major cities. These apartments are in good locations. Theyre nice and have everything youd want. But for many people, rents are just too damn high. Heres why:

In the first half of this year, 87% of the completed apartment projects with 50 or more apartments in 130 major cities in the US are considered high end, according to a report by RentCafe, based on Yardi Matrix data on 80,000 large-scale apartment developments. This is up from 52% of properties completed in 2012:

High end here means luxurious  a marketing position for a building. In expensive cities, projects that are not luxurious are nevertheless expensive  such as San Francisco. You have to pay a lot in rent but you might not get a lot for it. An expensive dump in San Francisco is not high end. Its just expensive. In other cities, for the same amount, you can rent a luxury apartment. But that kind of high end in San Francisco requires princely sums of money.

This is based on Yardi Matrixs definition and classification of the apartment market of multi-family properties of 50+ units, where high-end or luxury rental properties make up the top two categories:

A+ and A buildings: Renters by choice. Attracted to the extreme upper end of the apartment market; properties generally of resort quality, clearly appealing to households capable of owning a residence, but choosing to rent, or households with substantial incomes, but without wealth. The luxury rental category primarily focuses on empty nester households, or more particularly, high net worth households. The renter-by-choice household is demanding; finishing detail and amenities included in properties appealing to this category must be of exceptional quality. A- and B+ Buildings: Lifestyle renters. The high mid-range category appeals to double-income-no-kids (DINK) households holding income status similar to that typically required of discretionary property positioning, but not in possession of the wealth more probably associated with the renter-by-choice rental household category. Properties holding high mid-range status typically offer excellent finishing quality, and attractive common area facilities, and typically focus on an environment providing a more social experience.

These two categories are considered high end. A step down and no longer high end is B and B-, which is for working professionals, such as policemen, firemen, teachers, and technical workers. Then it goes down the scale all the way to D. Subsidized housing is in a separate category.

These high end apartments are marketed to high-income people. Alas, there are not that many high-income people around. Nevertheless, in many cities, 100% of new apartment properties being complete in 2018 are high end.

The percentage of high-end projects has soared in cities that are not among the most expensive rental markets in the US and have hit 100% in cities such as Oklahoma City, OK, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, Kansas City, MO, Charlotte, NC, and Philadelphia, PA.

On the other hand, in ultra-expensive markets such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle, there are still projects being built that (while expensive) are not in the high-end category.

The list below shows the 30 largest US cities (not metros) and their high-end properties as a percent of all properties with 50+ units completed in the first half of 2018. Of these 30 cities, 16 exclusively built high-end properties in the first half, up from 7 cities in 2017. Texas has four cities on this list where new high-end developments accounted for 100% of all large-scale apartment completions:

City 2018 Dallas, TX 100% Forth Worth, TX 100% Boston, MA 100% Houston, TX 100% Jacksonville, FL 100% Charlotte, NC 100% Indianapolis, IN 100% Columbus, OH 100% San Jose, CA 100% Memphis, TN 100% Oklahoma City, OK 100% Los Angeles, CA 100% Chicago, IL 100% Detroit, MI 100% San Francisco, CA 100% El Paso, TX 100% Nashville, TN 92% Washington, DC 91% Baltimore, MD 88% Austin, TX 88% San Antonia, TX 86% Philadelphia, PA 86% New York, NY 85% Denver, CO 83% San Diego, CA 83% Las Vegas 80% Louisville, KY 80% Portland, OR 80% Phoenix, AZ 78% Seattle, WA 72%

Clearly, there is a trend among some high-income and high-wealth people to avoid the suburbs and go instead for convenience, views, short commutes to work, etc. This dynamic is spread over apartments and condos. Urban living has become cool. And these dynamics look good when the project is pitched to investors  and thats where the money is.

But the market for high-end apartments is limited. Not that many people make enough money to be able to afford them. Flooding the market exclusively with these apartments, and not building apartments suitable for median incomes, the industry creates a mismatch of supply and demand that has been cropping up in major markets. And given the high-end projects underway, this mismatch will grow.

The solution is the market. These units will have to be rented out, either by the developer or by the creditors that will end up with the project if it fails. The way to fill these units is to cut rents until sufficient demand materializes. And this puts pressure on rents in lesser buildings that have to compete with these high-end units. In other words, it creates downward pressure on rents, from the top down.

Its a lot of debt too: Multifamily mortgage debt outstanding rose to $1.3 trillion in Q2. Of this debt, 49% has been securitized, and many of those MBS have been guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Banks and thrifts own 32% of the multifamily mortgages. State and local governments, insurance companies, and other entities own the rest.

With most of the new funding going into high-end projects, creditors clearly are being charmed when these projects get pitched. On paper, one by one, they make a lot of sense. But the market might not play along.

And here are the rents, and how theyve risen or fallen, by city, down to the neighborhood. Read The Rental Markets in America, from Hot to Cold
Finance, the media and a catastrophic breakdown in trust John Authers, FT

World economy at risk of another financial crash, says IMF Guardian. Last para: Like many institutions the IMF has warned that rising levels of inequality have a negative impact on investment and productivity as wealthier groups hoard funds rather than re-invest them in productive parts of the economy. Without a rise in investment economies remain vulnerable to financial stress.

General Electric has an overactive imagination FT. The fact that Mr Welch, Mr Immelt and Mr Flannery have each left toxic legacies suggests that GEs reputation for managerial excellence is exaggerated.

Brexit

Berlins untenable foreign-policy strategic vacuum Global Handelsblatt

North Korea

China?

Ex-Malaysian PM Najibs wife Rosmah pleads not guilty to 17 counts of money laundering and tax evasion Straits Times. The 1MDB case.

Russia Missile Deal Puts India in U.S. Sanctions Crosshairs WSJ

Syraqistan

Kavanaugh

Health Care

Our Famously Free Press

Driverless police cars of future could act as mobile courtrooms The Times. What could go wrong?

O Caption, My Caption: The National Theatre rolls out accessible smartglasses Wareable. Theres that word, smart.

Iowa company donates AR-15s to be placed in Bismarck schools KXMB

Imperial Collapse Watch

God Admits There Was Probably A Better Way Of Giving Humans Taste Of Heavenly Bliss Than Opioids The Onion

Class Warfare

Metro says it doesnt know what to do about falling ridership. An internal report lays out exactly what to do. WaPo. However, according to the analysis in this report, on a daily basis, the [Uber and Lyft] transport about half as many passengers as Metro, providing about 300,000 passenger trips in the region. For a median driver wage of $9.73/hour. Looks to me like the squillionaires subsidizing Uber and Lyft are destroying public transporation. Perhaps thats their goal, and spending the big bucks to do that is worth it to them.

Reflections on the 2nd International MMT Conference  Part 1 Bill Mitchell

Sokal Squared: Is Huge Publishing Hoax Hilarious and Delightful or an Ugly Example of Dishonesty and Bad Faith? Chronicle of Higher Education. More on grievance studies.

Antidote du jour (vanda):

Vanda writes: My dog with some echinacea.

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
Yves here. America has become a much-lower trust society since the stone ages of my youth, and this article describes one mechanism by which that imposes political and economic costs. Its not hard to think of others. For instance, it was common for companies to do business on a close-to-handshake basis, where legal agreements were treated more as a way for both sides to make sure they had heard each other correctly than something they expected to have to rely upon. Even simple contracts are vastly longer than they were 30 years ago due to the parties feeling it necessary to spell out all sorts of scenarios in some detail. Similarly, it is mystifying, now that crime rates are much lower in the US than they were in the 1970s and 1980s, that kids are not allowed to walk home from school because their environment is supposedly unsafe.

Needless to say, its hard to imagine this happening in America:

You know there are other ways to respond to a threatening situation other than immediately blowing someone away.

The human way as shown by this cop. pic.twitter.com/1h83JsKbRb  Sven Henrich (@NorthmanTrader) October 3, 2018

By Nathan Nunn, Frederic E. Abbe Professor of Economics, Harvard University, Nancy Qian, Professor, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and Jaya Wen, PhD student, Department of Economics, Yale University. Originally published at VoxEU

Cultural values and beliefs have an impact on social and economic development, but the interplay between culture and political institutions is still not well understood. This column examines the effect of trust on political stability in democratic and non-democratic regimes, specifically in the face of severe economic downturns. It finds that democratic regimes with high levels of trust are much less likely to experience leader turnover than low-trust countries, while there is no effect among non-democracies, and that countries with higher levels of trust experience faster economic growth in the years immediately following a recession.

A growing body of studies finds that cultural values and beliefs are important factors for social and economic development (Algan and Cahuc 2010, Collier 2017). However, our understanding of the interplay between culture and political institutions is still limited. While we have accumulated evidence about the effects that different institutional settings can have on the evolution of cultural traits (e.g. Tabellini 2010, Lowes et al. 2017, Becker et al. 2015), research on the effect of cultural traits on political or institutional outcomes is still in its infancy (Martinez-Bravo et al. 2017a, 2017b).

In a recent paper (Nunn et al. 2018), we seek to better understand how culture affects the political consequences of economic events. We examine the consequences of generalised trust, defined as the extent to which people believe that others can be trusted, for political stability in democratic and non-democratic regimes. Specifically, we posit that generalised trust affects how citizens evaluate their governments performance in the face of severe economic downturns. In societies where trust is low, citizens may be less likely to trust the excuses of leaders and more likely to blame poor economic performance on poor decisions or low effort from politicians. In contrast, in societies where trust is high, citizens may be more likely to trust leaders when they argue that poor economic performance is outside of their control. This framework implies that, all else equal, economic recessions may be less likely to result in leader turnover in countries with higher levels of generalized trust, relative to countries with lower levels of trust.

To illustrate the relationship between trust and political turnover during recessions for all countries for which data are available, we compute the correlation between recessions (defined as a period of negative average annual per capita GDP growth) and leader turnover for each country in the analysis, which is 0.070 (demeaning both variables by country and year). Figure 1 plots this country-level correlation against a countrys trust level. Since trust is a slow-moving cultural trait, we measure it as a time-invariant country-specific variable generated by averaging over all available surveys that ask the standard trust question.1

Figure 1 Bivariate correlation between countries level of generalized trust and the country-level correlation between the lagged occurrence of a recession and leader turnover

Although this correlation is informative, it is not conclusive. Omitted factors may exist that confound our interpretation of these relationships. Countries with different levels of trust may also differ in other ways that affect electoral turnover during recessions. For example, high trust countries may be richer on average, so policies that voters care about, such as public goods provision, may be less vulnerable to transitory economic downturns. At the same time, recessions may coincide with other events, such as military conflict, that can affect political turnover differentially across high- and low-trust countries. To address these difficulties, the analysis uses a difference-in-differences specification, with country and year fixed effects, and we control for a large number of possible omitted variables and conduct numerous placebo exercises to test the robustness of the main results.

We begin the analysis by focusing on democratic regimes, where citizens can more readily precipitate leader turnover through the mechanism of voting. The estimates show that when economic growth is negative, high-trust democracies are much less likely to experience leader turnover than low-trust countries. The magnitudes of the estimated effects are also sizeable. For example, according to the estimates, the presence of a recession is 12 percentage points more likely to cause political turnover in Italy than in Sweden. Similarly, it is 18.5 percentage points more likely to cause turnover in France than in Norway. The effects are large, especially given that mean turnover in the sample is 24.5%. The results are consistent with our hypothesis that in the face of a recession, individuals from low-trust countries are more likely to blame their politicians and remove them from office.

Since the electoral process plays an important role in this interpretation, we further examine the plausibility of our preferred mechanism by testing for the same effect among non-democracies. Consistent with our interpretation, we find no effect among non-democracies. We also find that the relationship only holds for regular leader turnovers, like those occurring due to elections, and not for irregular turnovers, like those occurring due to coups or assassinations.

As further confirmation of the importance of the electoral process for our main result, we test whether the effects that we find are most pronounced during election years. While we find effects in all years, the magnitude of the effect is much larger and more significant in election years. We also find that the effects are larger for parliamentary democracies than presidential ones, which may follow from the fact that parliamentary democracies have institutional procedures (i.e. a vote of no confidence) for removing the prime minister during the term. Moreover, we see the largest effects for democracies that have a fully free media and are more politically stable.2Together, these results suggest that trust influences political turnover in the face of economic downturns by affecting the outcomes of elections.

The final issue that we consider is the question of how trust and leader turnover in the face of recessions affects economic recovery following the recessions. Specifically, is greater trust and the resulting leader stability helpful in aiding economic recovery? Examining our sample of democratic regimes, we find that countries with higher levels of trust experience faster economic growth in the years immediately following a recession. In addition, countries that do not experience leader turnover following a recession also have faster economic growth during this time. These estimates, although not causal, are consistent with higher trust resulting in less leader turnover following a recession, which, in turn, results in better economic recovery.

Our findings starkly illustrate the important interplay between culture, politics, and economics. They show how deeply rooted cultural traits, like trust, affect political outcomes, which in turn are important for economic performance. Moreover, the findings are also important for policymakers, since they provide some clues for forecasting political instability during economic downturns.

See original post for references
Liquidations in bankruptcy for companies of any size, and particularly ones with brand names and customer loyalty, are rare, and for good reason. A franchise usually has more value than the assets, meaning the inventory, equipment, and even trying to sell the trademark and any other intellectual property separate from a venture. This was almost certainly the case with Toys R Us, a well-loved retailer that had arguably soldiered on far longer than one might have expected, given the insane amount of debt put on its books at the time of its acquisition by funds managed by Bain Capital, KKR, and Vornado and then years of underinvestment. From a June post:

But why would the death of Toy R Us be different than any of a myriad of other private-equity-induced business failures? One reason is that the overleveraging of the retailer was more directly responsible for its collapse than in other company deaths. Another was that the media, and more important, Congresscritters took interest. Recall that Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy last September and shuttered one-fifth of its stores in January in an effort to keep the chain going. In March, the company threw in the towel, announcing it was liquidating its US operations, which destroyed 33,000 jobs. The fact that Toy R Us is stiffing workers on severance, after petitioning the bankruptcy court in September to pay executives $20 million in incentive bonuses, was too obvious a case of looting to ignore. A story in The Week, How vulture capitalists ate Toys R Us, recapped the slow strangulation under too much debt, after Bain, KKR, and Vornado bought the company in 2004 for $6 billion, with only $1.2 billion of that in equity: Whatever magic Bain, KKR, and Vornado were supposed to work never materialized. From the purchase in 2004 through 2016, the companys sales never rose much above $11 billion. They actually fell from $13.5 billion in 2013 back to $11.5 billion in 2017. On its own, that shouldnt have been catastrophic. The problem was the massive financial albatross the leveraged buyout left around Toys R Us neck. Just before the buyout, the company had $2.2 billion in cash and cash-equivalents. By 2017, its stockpile had shriveled to $301 million, even as its debt burden ballooned from $2.3 billion to $5.2 billion. Meanwhile, Toys R Us was paying $425 million to $517 million in interest every year. This enormous cash drain probably made it impossible for the company to invest or innovate even if its trio of buyers had been up to the challenge. It also made it impossible to sustainably turn a profit. Toys R Us consistently saw net losses from 2014 to 2017. But in the last three years, those net losses were considerably smaller than its debt payments. In fact, the losses were shrinking amidst a general boom in toy industry sales; by 2017, its losses were all the way down to $36 million. In other words, if Bain, KKR, and Vornado had never come along, Toys R Us wouldnt be doing stellar, but it probably couldve muddled through. As recently as last year, the company still accounted for 20 percent of all U.S. toy sales. The Week states, with no citations, that the three partners took out $200 million in fees. If anything, that figure is light.

Back to the current post. In other words, Toys R Us, even in its diminished state, was a real force, and its overwhelming problem was its debt burden, and that would be restructured in a bankruptcy.

So it was bizarre, as well as distressing, to see the Toys R Us creditors saying they were going to put everything up for sale and shutter the chains doors in the US.

That changed because the creditors, who now own the bankrupt estate, apparently found out the hard way that liquidation wasnt such a bright idea. They canceled an auction for the intellectual property assets, apparently having figured out the bids were going to be lower than theyd expected.

As Footwear News put it:

Toys R Us isnt dead yet. The bankrupt retailer, which in March announced that it would close more than 800 stores around the U.S., filed paperwork with a Virginia bankruptcy court on Monday indicating that it will cancel the auction of its intellectual-property assets and instead pursue new business under the Toys R Us and Babies R Us brand names. The move doesnt appear to be motivated by a lack of interest from outside parties: The lender group that controls the assets said that it had received qualified bids but that none were reasonably likely to yield a superior alternative to its own plan to revive the brand names, keep up the existing license agreements and invest in new retail operations. The new branding company will be run by the group of private equity funds that financed the Toys R Us bankruptcy and liquidation, a group separate from the private equity firms that bought the toy retailer for $6.6 billion in a leveraged buyout in 2005. The bankruptcy lenders have been criticized for not supporting severance payments for the more than 30,000 Americans who lost their jobs in the bankruptcy. If Toys R Us begins to open new locations (or move back in to old ones), it will be among the more dramatic retail comebacks in recent years, though far from the only one. Several retailers have gone bankrupt and stayed in business, whether through restructuring (like Payless ShoeSource), additional investment (The Walking Co.) or selling their assets to an outside party through a 363 sale (Nine West). Even bankrupt Bon-Ton, which this spring announced plans to shutter 200 stores, putting 24,000 employees out of work, is reopening some locations, thanks to new ownership (though the companys priority appears to be e-commerce).

A press release has a bit more detail on the revival plans:

Geoffrey, LLC, Toys R Us, Inc.s intellectual property holding company subsidiary, announced today that it is moving forward with a plan for substantially all of its assets to be acquired by a group of investors led by Geoffrey, LLCs existing secured lenders. Geoffrey, LLC, as reorganized, will control a portfolio of intellectual property that includes trademarks, ecommerce assets and data associated with the Toys R Us and Babies R Us businesses in the United States and all over the world, including a portfolio of over 20 well-known toy and baby brands such as Imaginarium, Koala Baby, Fastlane and Journey Girls. The reorganized company will own rights to the Toys R Us and Babies R Us brands in all markets globally, with the exception of Canada. It will also become the licensor of the brands to the companys existing network of franchisees operating in countries across Asia, Europe and the Middle East, and in South Africa. In addition to continuing to service these markets, the new owners are actively working with potential partners to develop ideas for new Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores in the United States and abroad that could bring back these iconic brands in a new and re-imagined way. Geoffrey LLC will provide additional detail on this front as it becomes available.

Although this is welcome news, I wouldnt pop the champagne.

First, the 33,000 Toys R Us workers have had to find new sources of income, so the resurrection of the chain is unlikely to help the overwhelming majority of them. Second, the creditor group clearly preferred a quick flip of the intellectual property assets to working on the business of the business. Rebuilding Toys R Us was not their preferred option, so query how good a job they will do.

Nevertheless, bringing Toys R Us back to life is a plus for workers and communities. Lets hope these reluctant fix-up artists prove to be up to the task.
Its official! Shanahans Centra Borrisoleigh has won the National Q Mark title for Best Forecourt with Delicatessen in Ireland for Hygiene & Food Safety standards at The National Q Mark Awards.

Their nomination put them in the top 6.75% of all audits completed by the Excellence Ireland Quality Association (EIQA) on the island of Ireland and this win means they are at the very top of the Q for highest standards of Quality and Excellence.

Shanahans Centra Borrisoleigh is a modern, vibrant, newly renovated, 3500 sq foot forecourt Centra store immersed in the heartland of Borrisoleigh Being nominated for the award gave us all here in Shanahans a great sense of achievement. A great sense of pride that we as a business are operating to the very highest standards within the most challenging of environments. Said Marie Shanahan, Owner Winning the Q Mark Award is recognition that all of our hard work is appreciated by our peers in the industry. said Emma Mills ,Deli staff member

Known as The Oscars of Business Excellence, The Q Mark Award is the highest accolade an Irish business can achieve, given both the intense competition and the exacting standards required. Speaking at this years awards Irene Collins, Managing Director of EIQA said Collective responsibility for high operational standards has yielded a fantastic result for Marie and her teamincreased footfall and a much coveted Q Mark Trophy. A fantastic result.

The National Q Mark Awards 2018 were presented by EIQA and officiated by Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD. This is a very special year for The Q Mark Awards as EIQA celebrate their 50th anniversary and the Master of Ceremonies on the night was inimitable broadcaster Jonathan Healy. Almost 600 people representing 140 companies attended a formal black-tie ceremony in competition for one of only 27 awards presented. The evening was filled with celebration but also a heady anticipation as many familiar faces waited for the final results to be announced.

Headline sponsors this year were eTravel, Virgin Atlantic and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Award sponsors included Noel Recruitment, Skillsteam, Shelflife Magazine, JBM Merit Solutions, Solus, Asystec, Bluemoon Communications and The Irish Independent. Funds were raised on the night for CanTeen Ireland and were much appreciated and celebrations went on into the early hours.

EIQA (Excellence Ireland Quality Association) has been the Irish National Quality Association since 1968. They currently audit the standards of thousands of organisations and businesses both in Ireland and Internationally. EIQA is known as the Guardian of The Q Mark which identifies its various certifications, namely: The Q Mark for Hygiene & Food Safety, The Q Mark for Quality Management Systems, The Q Mark for Nursing Homes, The Q Mark for Leisure Centres, The Q Mark for Accessibility (ABLE)
Three German Shepherd dogs devoured an Audi car causing over 6,700 worth of damage in their attempts to get at a cat hiding underneath the vehicle, Tipperary district court heard.

The Audi was parked in a garage just outside Bansha and dogs who lived next door caused extensive damage to the car.

Garage owner Bill Daly told Judge Elizabbeth McGrath at Tipperary district court that he could hear the dogs barking during the night and when he got up the next morning he discovered the damage to one of his cars parked in the garage.

The court was told that CCTV footage showed the attack on the car by the three dogs who were after a cat taking shelter under the vehicle.The cat managed to escape while the dogs were put down by their owner on his return from a trip to Australia.

Extensive damage was caused to the bonnet of the car, the headlights, the grill, the mudflaps, the court was told that the dogs ate pieces out of the car.

Before the court was John Joe Walsh, Cloone Bansha who pleaded not guilty to a number of charges under the Control of Dogs Act relating to February 4th 2017.

He was convicted and fined a total of 300 after being found guilty on charges of being the person in charge of the dogs.Judge McGrath dismissed further charges against John Joe Walsh after finding that there was no evidence to prove he was the owner of the dogs.

Garage owner Bill Daly said he came out of his house to go to work at the garage and saw three dogs and noticed one of the parked cars had been badly damaged.He hunted the dogs away and he understood the dogs belonged to his next door neighbour John Joe Walsh.Two weeks later John Joe Walsh told him that the dogs belonged to his son Stephen who would sort him out when he came home from Australia.Seven or eight months passed and nobody had sorted him out.He had heard the dogs barking during the night and only discovered the damage the next morning.

Bill Daly said he had often seen the dogs in the yard of John Joe Walsh and they were also to be seen out on his lawn.John Joe Walsh told him that his son would pay for the damage and he took his word on it.

Gda Anthony Owens said he observed CCTV footage which showed the three dogs trying to get at a cat underneath the car.The cat could be seen on the footage running away.He spoke to John Walsh who said the dogs belonged to his son who was in Australia.He was aware Mr.Walsh and the dogs lived on the same property beside Mr.Daly's property.

Gda John Hennessy said he spoke to Mr.Walsh who told him the dogs were German Shepherds.As he spoke to Mr.Walsh the dogs were with him on the property.

John Joe Walsh told the court that the dogs belonged to his son Stephen .The dogs were on the property where he lived but he had very little to do with the dogs.

"They were not my dogs,his brothers and sisters looked after the dogs" said John Joe Walsh.

In response to questions from Inspector Padraig Powell John Joe Walsh said he did not give the dogs water or did not feed the dogs " I could barely feed myself" he told Judge McGrath.

Mr.Flynn,Solicitor said the dogs were put down by Stephen Walsh on his return from Australia.He said there was no evidence John Walsh was the owner or was in control of the dogs.

Inspector Powell said Mr.Walsh was in control of the household and was responsible for it.The dogs were being cared for on the property and had been on the property for years.

"It was very convenient for Mr.Walsh to say he never fed or watered the dogs" said Inspector Powell.

Judge McGrath said she would dismiss the ownership charges against John Walsh because the owner was his son.It was not in dispute that the dogs were responsible for the damage to the car.Mr.Daly was a next door neighbour and the dogs came from the property where Mr.Walsh resided.Evidence was given that Mr.Walsh spoke to Mr.Daly and told him that his son Stephen was the owner of the dogs and that when he came back from abroad he would fix him up.Mr.Walsh made that representation to Mr.Daly and in her view that was evidence of being a person in charge.She was not impressed with the evidence given by Mr.Walsh in relation to his involvement with the dogs and did not accept his evidence in that regard.When Gda Hennessy called the same dogs were with Mr.Walsh.She was satisfied that Mr.Walsh was the person in charge of the dogs at the time.

Mr.Flynn,solicitor said his client was a seventy two year old man with no previous convictions.Mr.Walsh was on invalidity payment and he had significant health issues..
The countrys top prize for best quality milk has been awarded to Darran and Denise McKenna of Derrygasson, Co Monaghan with runners up being Tom, Mary & Michael Ryan, Co. Tipperary nominated by Centenary Thurles Co-op.

The NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards has been running since 1996 and celebrates excellence in Irish dairy farming.

The winners were announced in Dublin with presentations to nine of Irelands top dairy farms by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed.

Winners were accompanied by their family and received a prize of 5,000 and the coveted NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards perpetual cup.

The judges for this years awards were Dr Jack Kennedy, Dairy Editor of the Irish Farmers Journal, Professor Pat Wall from UCD and, Dr David Gleeson from Teagasc. Chef and food writer Clodagh McKenna is once again Food Ambassador for the 2018 awards.

Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed said The farmers who are nominated for the NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards are representing milk pools of hundreds or sometimes even thousands of dairy farmers in their own co-ops. These Awards are instrumental in recognising the huge passion, sacrifice and hard work that Irish farmers carry out 24/7 365 days a year to produce a high-quality product revered all over the world.

The Ryan family have farmed in Lisheen since the 1880s and Michael is the 5th generation farmer to farm this land. Tom and his wife Mary have three children; Angela, Michael and Padraig. Michael holds an honours degree in Agricultural Science and began working full time, in partnership with his parents, in 2017. The Ryans love everything about dairying and have always liked working with animals. They love being part of a co-operative structure which provides great support and get great satisfaction out of being part of an industry which is recognised globally for producing products of the highest standards.

Zoe Kavanagh, CEO of the NDC said We are fortunate to be working with such a healthy, nutritious product produced to very high standards. And it is those high standards in Irish dairy farming that we are going to reward and celebrate today. Irish dairy produce has a superb reputation for quality in global markets. In Ireland, our green countryside is a tremendous asset because the pasture-based model of dairy farming is a vital ingredient for the success of Irish dairy produce all over the world.

For each of the nine farms, the judges detail the combined fat and protein percent for each month of the year, the total volume sold from the farm, the weighted average somatic cell count (SCC) and the total bacteria count (TBC). These results certainly help in formulating the winning farms but a lot more detail and additional factors are of course considered.

Dr Jack Kennedy, Dairy Editor of Irish Farmers Journal spoke on behalf of the national judging panel and thanked the farmers and co-ops for participating in the national awards, he said

The Quality Milk Awards judging is one of the highlights of the year for the judging panel. We get to travel the length and breadth of Ireland and visit family farms that are delivering excellence every year. Nineteen farms were nominated this year and nine were short listed for a farm visit. These farms were located in 6 different counties from west Cork to Monaghan. The standard once again was exceptional and highlights the capacity of Irish family dairy farms to produce a high-quality product that is unique to Ireland. All farms are producing top quality milk solids and milk quality from facilities which are the ultimate in cleanliness and hygiene, which, is essential as the global consumer is raising the bar every year. There is no doubt Irish dairy farmers are also reaching new heights in a consistent and sustainable manner."

We had a particularly strong level of entries this year and after careful consideration, the judges short-listed again, selecting 9 national finalists who are represented in the room today, whose farms they have all physically visited and inspected.

John Jordan, Chief Executive of Ornua said Together with the NDC, we have shared in the pride of a special heritage, telling the compelling story of Irish dairy family farming on the global stage. The Irish dairy farmers we celebrate today are ambassadors for all farmers. They, in partnership with world-class co-operatives, produce the highest quality dairy which our consumers around the world truly love. I would like to congratulate all category winners, especially national winners for 2018  The McKenna family. We are proud to support the Quality Milk Awards which continue to go from strength to strength each year.
There are up to ten troops from South Tipperary stranded in Syria whose homecominghas has been delayed by about two weeks.

The troops, due home last Wednesday, may not arrive home now until October 16th.

Speaking in the Dail today Deputy Mattie McGrath said the situation was causing great distress to the families of the troops involved.

He said the delay was an appalling situation and he slammed "a disgraceful blunder" which he said was responsible for the delay in bringing home the troops who had served their six month term of duuty and should have arrived home yesterday.

"They want to be at home with their families" insisted Deputy McGrath.

Tanaiste Simon Coveney said "we are fixing it and they will be home albeit two weeks after they should have been home ".It was the complexity of the environment involved that was responsible for the delay.
The Netherlands briefed NATO Defence Ministers today on the targeting of the offices of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague by a hostile cyber operation. The operation was carried out by the GRU, the Russian military intelligence service, but was disrupted by Dutch intelligence services in partnership with the UK. Moreover, the UK has identified the GRU as being behind a number of other cyber-attacks around the world. These have affected citizens in many countries, including Russia, and caused enormous economic costs.

NATO Allies stand in solidarity with the decision by the Dutch and British governments to call out Russia on its blatant attempts to undermine international law and institutions. Russia must stop its reckless pattern of behaviour, including the use of force against its neighbours, attempted interference in election processes, and widespread disinformation campaigns.

In response, NATO will continue to strengthen its defence and deterrence to deal with hybrid threats, including in the cyber domain. Today, Defence Ministers discussed the progress we are making in setting up a new Cyber Operations Centre, integrating national cyber capabilities into our missions and operations, and bolstering our cyber resilience.
(As delivered)

Good afternoon.

We have just finished a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers.

And in an unpredictable world, we are strengthening NATOs deterrence and defence. Fairer burden-sharing underpins this. There is a renewed sense of urgency for all Allies to invest more in defence. To move forward on all aspects of burden-sharing: cash, capabilities and contributions to NATO missions and operations.

This was the focus of our discussions last night. It is clear we are making progress. This will be the fourth consecutive year of rising defence spending. But we still have a long way to go. Allies have committed to have credible national plans. I would expect these to show real increases in defence spending year on year. And a realistic path to 2% of GDP on defence. Allies will report on the national plans before the end of this year, and we intend to discuss them at our meeting of defence ministers in February. Allies should also invest in new capabilities.

And make contributions to our missions and operations. This is about fairness. But more importantly, its about our security in a more unpredictable world.

Our deterrence and defence includes conventional capabilities, cyber defence, missile defence, and the nuclear dimension.

So today we held a meeting of the Nuclear Planning Group. This is part of our work to ensure we have the right tools and procedures in place. So NATO nuclear forces remain safe, secure and effective.

We also addressed concerns about the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

A landmark agreement that abolishes a whole category of weapons. We believe this treaty is in danger because of Russias actions. After years of denials, Russia recently acknowledged the existence of a new missile system, called 9M729. This system is destabilising. It is a serious risk to our security. Allies agree that Russia has not been transparent. And refuses to provide any credible answers. The most plausible assessment is that Russia is in violation of the INF Treaty.

We call on Russia to address our serious concerns.

What is more concerning is that this is part of a pattern of behaviour of many years. Todays announcements by the Dutch and British governments have exposed Russias indiscriminate campaign of cyber attacks around the world. The Netherlands briefed the NATO Defence Ministers on the targeting of the offices of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague by a hostile cyber operation. This operation was carried out by the GRU, the Russian military intelligence services. But it was disrupted by the Dutch intelligence services in partnership with the UK. Moreover, the UK has identified the GRU as being behind a number of other cyber-attacks around the world. These have affected citizens in many countries, including Russia. And caused enormous economic costs.

NATO Allies expressed their solidarity with the decision by the Dutch and the British governments to call out Russia on its blatant attempt to undermine international law and international institutions.

Russia must stop this reckless pattern of behaviour. Including the use of force against its neighbours, attempted interference in election processes, and widespread disinformation and campaigns. In response, NATO will continue to strengthen its defence and deterrence in the cyber domain. We are making significant progress. Setting up a new Cyber Operations Centre. Bolstering our cyber resilience. And integrating national cyber capabilities into NATO missions and operations. Some Allies have successfully used their cyber capabilities against ISIS in Iraq and Syria: to suppress terrorist propaganda, hinder their ability to coordinate attacks, and to protect forces on the battlefield.

Today, several more Allies have offered their cyber capabilities to NATO. I thank them. This is a big step forward. These cyber capabilities will make us as strong in cyberspace as we are on land, at sea and in the air. Of course, we remain a defensive alliance. Acting proportionately. And in line with international law. We are also making progress in setting up new Counter Hybrid Support Teams. These teams will provide tailored assistance to our nations. To prepare for, and to respond to hybrid attacks. This too is about Alliance solidarity.

At the same time, NATO is responding to the instability on our southern borders.

Our new training mission in Iraq will help local forces to secure their country. And we continue to support other partners  Jordan and Tunisia  to improve their defence and security capabilities. Our Hub for the South in Naples is also working to monitor and understand regional threats, like terrorism and failing states.

Today, we were joined by EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and our partners Finland and Sweden. We are stepping up our cooperation with the EU on cyber defence, military mobility, and in countering hybrid threats. We also heard about the EUs efforts on defence, and how they can complement NATOs work.

This has the potential to contribute to the enhanced security of Europe and North America.

And with that, Im ready to take your questions.

QUESTION: Thank you, Secretary General, given the attacks in The Hague and given that you are acquiring these new cyber capabilities will you respond in any way, will you respond to Russias cyber-attacks?

JENS STOLTENBERG [NATO SECRETARY GENERAL]: We are responding every day. And just the fact that this this attack by Russia on the international Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was disrupted shows that we are getting better at reacting to this kind of  or responding to this kind of cyber-attacks. Getting better at providing the necessary attribution and what happened today was that UK and the Netherlands has exposed what Russia  their military intelligence services are actually responsible for doing in many places in the world. So, we are responding also by the ongoing strengthening of our cyber defences with the decision that we will integrate national cyber capabilities into NATO missions and operations by the fact that we have actually decided that cyber can trigger Article 5 and also by the fact that as part of the new command structure we are establishing a new cyber operation centre. So, we are doing many things at the same time and not least increasing the awareness around in the capitals when it comes to reacting to these kind of cyber-attacks.

QUESTION: Thank you very much Secretary General, Johnathan Marcus from the BBC. Two questions on this cyber issue. One, I think you referred to strengthening NATOs capacity to both defend and deter cyber-attack, deterrence implies having an offensive capability of your own, surely an essential element of deterrence is having that capability and being able to deploy it. Could you comment on that? And secondly, you referred again to the idea that a cyber-attack could trigger Article 5  well, beyond a form of words, weve got documentary evidence from a number of countries in NATO that such attacks have been carried out. So, what is the actual value of this Article 5 in a statement, I mean, where does it take us beyond what is being done at the moment?

JENS STOLTENBERG: So, we will always act and react in a proportionate way. And in accordance with international law. So, we decide based on the situation, based on the character of what we see the way we respond. Partly as different individual national Allies which are reacting, and partly as an alliance when we act together. What we have seen is that we are significantly stepping up and we have to remember that the attack they tried to launch against OPCW actually failed, they didnt succeed. So, I think that shows that NATO Allies and NATO have become stronger in reacting to these kinds of attacks. Better intelligence, better at coordinating our intelligence. This was UK and the Alliance working together. NATO has established a new intelligence division - also to be able to coordinate even better the way we collect, understand and analyse intelligence. And also, the fact that we are helping Allies with sharing best practices, technology. We have large exercises increasing awareness. All that helps to react. And then just the fact that we work together and also now have more and more Allies who provide national cyber capabilities  all of that fits into this broader pattern of how NATO is adapting. And we also decided at our summit to establish cyber as a domain - military domain alongside land, sea and air. So, how we react will be determined from case to case. The thing is that I think what we have seen is that we have been better at defending our systems, disrupting attacks, exposing attacks and also being able to collect the necessary intelligence to disrupt attacks against our cyber networks.

QUESTION: Dan Michaels, Wall Street Journal. Could you clarify on that, though  do you see NATO as having offensive cyber capabilities? Thank you.

JENS STOLTENBRG: We have integrated national cyber capabilities. And I described what they can do. Because we have seen how national cyber capabilities have been used against, for instance, Daesh. We have been able to disrupt the cyber networks of Daesh to reduce their ability to recruit, to fund, to communicate. And these capabilities have been used by NATO Allies against Daesh and these are the same kind of capabilities we now are creating the framework to integrate into NATO missions and operations. So, we call them national cyber capabilities. They have been used very effectively against Daesh and I think it is important that we have those capabilities in NATO missions and operations when needed because its impossible to imagine any kind of military conflict in the future without a cyber dimension. And then of course we need many different kinds of cyber capabilities to have effective defences and the right capabilities.

QUESTION: Secretary General, I would like to ask you if there are steps forward with the Mediterranean hub. And if these steps were forward, open to the possibility of having trainings of security trainings in the Mediterranean and, for example, in the future with Libya? And also, I would like to ask you since you discussed about burden-sharing if youve seen the plans of Italy to reach the target of two percent and if NATO deems that they are okay? Thank you.

JENS STOLTENBERG: The hub for the south is important to coordinate, to analyse, to improve our understanding of the threats and the challenges emanating from the south and I welcome very much that we have been able to establish this now and I think the work of the hub in Naples is very important for the whole Alliance. NATO provides training. We do training and capacity-building in Afghanistan because we strongly believe that one of the best weapons we have in the fight against terrorism is the train local forces and enable them to stabilise their own country and to fight terrorism themselves. We are also now scaling up our presence in Iraq and we are launching a training mission there. All of this is relevant for the challenges we face from the south. We are in dialogue with Libya, we are ready to provide help. We are not there discussing a military training mission, but we are looking into the possibilities of providing Libya with help to build their security and defence institutions - Minister of Defence, military commands and so on because you need that kind of military institutions to stabilise the country.

QUESTION: Thanks very much, Michael Birnbaum from the Washington Post. Do the Russian cyber efforts that have been outlined today rise to the level of taking offensive cyber action in response to them? Youve talked about the ways that NATO Allies have responded, but you havent talked about cyber offensive action and what kind of cyber offence operations are NATO and NATO Allies prepared to take to respond to what Russia is doing? Thank you.

JENS STOLTENBERG: From what we have seen today is that NATO Allies are able to disrupt to stop cyber-attacks and the best thing we can do is to strengthen our cyber resilience, our cyber defence so we are able to prevent, stop, disrupt cyber-attacks and that was what we saw today. We have seen how UK; the Netherlands have exposed the Russian GRU cyber-attacks against important international institutions and how they were able to do that by using intelligence and their own cyber capabilities. So, the best response is, of course, to be able to disrupt, stop these kinds of attacks and provide attribution and expose those who are behind these kind of cyber-attacks and thats what we have seen today. To strengthen that we need to further improve our intelligence. We have established a new intelligence division and we have become better in how we analyse and understand and work when it comes to intelligence both as individual NATO Allies and as alliance, as a whole. When and if and how we will use our national cyber capabilities in NATO missions and operations I think it will be very wrong if I started to speculate now about that. That will only create unnecessary uncertainty, so we will decide when we use that in the different missions and operations depending on the circumstances.

QUESTION: Just a very quick one, on the same subject. Lorne Cook, Associated Press. Did any Ally brief of a cyber-attack on any military installation or was it just these other ones that weve heard about, the more civilian, more organisational?

JENS STOLTENBERG: Today we were briefed by the UK and the Netherlands on the cyber-attacks which they have briefed us publicly about today and which they were able to expose. But, earlier, of course, we have been briefed about cyber-attacks against the military networks and military installations. Thats actually something which is happening quite frequently and that is one of the reasons why the main focus of NATO has been to strengthen the defences of our own cyber networks to be able to defend our forces out in Afghanistan or elsewhere in the world were operating because we need to protect our operations and missions and the cyber networks we are using there. So, we have increased our ability to defend our own networks and we have also established what we would call cyber teams, which can be deployed out to different missions and operations - NATO forces - to help them strengthen their cyber networks and protection if needed.

QUESTION: After the attacks in Salisbury NATO responded by kicking out a few Russian diplomats and denying accreditation. Will there be a similar response this time after these attacks?

JENS STOLTENBERG: The main response has been, as I said, that the NATO Allies - UK and Netherlands - have been able to disrupt and stop these attacks. The Russian military intelligence GRU did not succeed, they failed in their attack and that I think shows we have strengthened our ability to attribute and to defend ourselves. And there is an ongoing adaptation, ongoing strengthening of our cyber networks, our cyber defences, our cyber resilience with exercises, with higher awareness, with better technology and all that and that will continue and then we will establish cyber as a military domain and we are also establishing the new cyber operation centre.
NATO Defence Ministers concluded two days of talks in Brussels on Thursday (4 October 2018), focused on further adapting and strengthening the Alliance in response to an increasingly assertive Russia and continued instability in the South.

Burden-sharing was a topic of discussion at the Ministerial meeting. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the Alliance is making progress, adding this will be the fourth consecutive year of rising defence spending. Now that all Allies have committed to national plans, the Secretary General said he expects the national plans to show real increases in defence spending year on year, and a realistic path to 2% of GDP on defence.

In their discussion on NATOs strengthened deterrence and defence, Ministers addressed concerns about Russias pattern of behaviour and the future of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Mr. Stoltenberg said that Russias new missile system is destabilising and poses a serious risk to our security. We call on Russia to address our serious concerns, he added.

Ministers were briefed about a foiled Russian military intelligence service cyber operation against the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the Hague (the Netherlands). The Secretary General referred to Russias indiscriminate campaign of cyber-attacks around the world and said that in response, NATO will continue to strengthen its defence and deterrence in the cyber domain. Mr. Stoltenberg thanked several Allies for offering their cyber capabilities to NATO. These will make NATO as strong in cyberspace as we are on land, at sea and in the air, he said.

The discussion on deterrence and defence also touched on NATOs response to instability on its southern borders, in particular the new training mission in Iraq and NATOs continued support to partner countries to improve their defence and security capabilities.

Ministers were joined by EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and representatives from Finland and Sweden for a discussion on NATO-EU cooperation in the areas of cyber defence, military mobility, countering hybrid threats, and capacity building in the Middle East and North Africa.
(Natural News) Last Friday, we warned that radical left-wing political activists were organizing kill teams to stage home invasions of U.S. Senators and murder their families as they swept.

Yesterday, five coordinated attacks sought to kill President Trump, poison U.S. Senators and murder a top official at the Pentagon.

Today, U.S. Capitol Police have made the first of what will be many arrests against the radical left-wing traitors and terrorists who are attempting to carry out kill team operations against prominent conservatives in America. Earlier today, Capitol Police arrested a left-wing staffer named Jackson Cosko, who allegedly carried out the doxxing of U.S. Senators. (h/t to The Gateway Pundit)

Another man suspected of mailing ricin (a deadly toxin) to Defense Secreatry James Mattis was also arrested in Utah today (see below).

Doxxing is the practice of publishing someones home address, private cell number, social security number or other details that, in this case, can be used by violent left-wing kill teams to target the private homes of GOP Senators. The Senators who were doxxed include Sen. Mike Lee, Sen. Orrin Hatch and Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The Senators doxxed in this operation have all received numerous death threats from deranged, lunatic Leftists who are angry that they lost the 2016 election and therefore dont get to choose U.S. Supreme Court nominees.

According to sources, Jackson Cosko, age 27, has worked for Democrat Senators Hassan and Barbara Boxer. He is reportedly being charged with, Making Public Restricted Personal Information. Witness Tampering, Threats in Interstate Communications, Unauthorized Access of a Government Computer, 2nd Degree Burglary & Unlawful Entry.

NEW: Capitol Police have arrested a suspect who they beleived doxed GOP Senators During the Kavanaugh/Dr Ford hearing last Thursday: pic.twitter.com/XOrociUoex  Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) October 3, 2018

Jackson Cosko is a cybersecurity graduate student, meaning he is supposed to be an expert in cybersecurity. After the doxxing incident, the IP address of the computer that initiated the doxxing activity was traced to the U.S. House of Representatives. Many observers initially suspected it might have been linked to the office of Rep. Maxine Waters, a radical left-wing Trump hater who has openly espoused left-wing violence toward conservatives. (Her mental health has also been increasingly questioned by most conservatives, including President Trump.)

Ricin poisoning suspect arrested in Utah

According to Breitbart News, Captain Tyson Budge of the Logan Utah Police Department announced the arrest of a man suspected of sending ricin poison to both President Trump and Pentagon officials:

A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney for Utah identified the suspect as William Clyde Allen III.

Authorities at a Pentagon mail screening facility were investigating two envelopes suspected of containing ricin, a poison made from castor beans. Those letters were addressed to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who is traveling in Europe this week, and the Navys top officer, Adm. John Richardson, a defense official said.

The arrests have begun! The only question now is when will Sen. Feinstein be investigated and arrested for witness tampering, obstruction of justice and lying to the U.S. Senate?

And when will Hillary Clinton be arrested for destroying evidence and obstructing justice? Come to think of it, when will Barack Obama be arrested for money laundering, abuse of power and authorizing the illegal spying on U.S. citizens?

Keep reading this website to stay informed as the Trump administration ramps up the mass arrests of deep state traitors and left-wing terrorists.
(Natural News) Just how far does the power of Google extend? Experts say that the tech behemoth has already reached tyrannical proportions, and is already manipulating the way people think, make purchases and cast votes. Peter Schweizer, president of the Government Accountability Institute and producer of the documentary, The Creepy Line, says that Google is basically Big Brother come to life  but their tactics are far less overt.

Indeed, Google and other tech companies conduct their unsavory operations behind closed doors and under a cloak of ambiguity. Vague and arbitrarily enforced community guidelines are the new oppression  but as privately held companies, users have little to no legal recourse. They can either play ball, or get banned. These companies have granted themselves enormous power, including the power to take away freedom.

The dark side of search engines

You dont see it, its not visible  you are not seeing police coming into your house. But they are, in a real way, like Big Brother, sifting and determining what you should see and what you shouldnt see, Schweiser stated to WND.

The problem is you can see storm troopers  you can see the fist of government trying to infringe on your rights  you cant see what Google is doing because its hidden and we dont know what we dont know, he contended further.

As Schweizer argues, while it is true that Google can do a lot of amazing things for people, the company can (and is) doing just as much to them.

They want to give us advertising and steer our search engines in a certain direction  we all like that because we get good search results. But the problem is they take that information and they weaponize it  they use it against us to manipulate us. Thats the real problem  this ability they have to steer and influence what we are thinking and how we are looking at issues because they determine what information is actually put in front of us, he cautions.

Robert Epstein, a senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology and a Harvard psychologist, has dedicated the past five years to researching and investigating online manipulation, surveillance and censorship. His research is a cornerstone of The Creepy Line.

All three of these are connected to each other: If you are censoring information and people dont see it, you are manipulating them  you are manipulating their thinking, he explained. Epstein says surveillance makes manipulation even easier to accomplish, because the more you know about someone, the easier it is to manipulate him or her. For example, censoring conservative points of view prevents people from seeing valid criticisms of liberal talking points.

The mountains of information that companies like Google manage to accrue are especially dangerous  that data is ultimately used to manipulate us and to make decisions about us without us even understanding that these decisions are being made, as Epstein explains.

The researcher says that people are unaware of how deeply Googles surveillance efforts and algorithms are being used to make decisions for them, whether its getting a new credit card or a new job.

Autonomy is at risk

Epstein says Googles access to the publics personal and private information puts the entire electoral process at risk  but worse than that, the very state of personal autonomy as we know it is under attack. Epstein, a Clinton supporter, says that his research demonstrated a clear pro-Hilary bias in Googles search engine results during the 2016 election. But even he finds this appalling, as manipulating search results in this way totally undermines democracy. Epstein isnt the first researcher to take note of Googles data manipulation, either  a 2015 study found that the company was guilty of such actions, as well.

According to Epstein,At the moment, whether people know it or not, democracy in the United States is little more than an illusion. He adds that Googles manipulation can easily shift upwards of 20 percent of votes. Over time, for a big election, this kind of shift could easily turn into two or three million votes  with no one ever realizing theyd been tricked into voting a certain way by their favorite search engine. Learn more about Google at Tyranny.news.

Sources for this article include:

WND.com

BusinessInsider.com
(Natural News) Chinese researchers determined the changes in brain activity caused by acupuncture treatment in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimers disease. They reported that the multi-point Siguan (four gates) treatment activated different areas of the brain associated with cognition while also deactivating other parts.

The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Its results were released in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

The participants consisted of healthy individuals, patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and patients with Alzheimers disease (AD). Both AD and MCI patients were randomly allocated to either the real acupuncture point group or the sham acupuncture point group.

Patients with AD and MCI received either multi-point Siguan acupuncture treatment or sham treatment. They were subjected to magnetic resonance imaging in order to determine the brain areas affected by real and sham treatment.

Siguan treatment induced the activation or deactivation brain areas that are connected with cognition, vision, and the sensorimotor stage. They also affected basal ganglia and the cerebellum.

In patients with AD and MCI, the treatment activated the inferior frontal gyrus, rolandic operculum, and supramarginal gyrus. The acupuncture treatment also deactivated areas involving cognition, vision, basal ganglia, and cerebellum.

Real acupuncture points triggered a larger number of specific brain changes than sham treatment did. Furthermore, these changes were not seen in the brains of healthy people.

The researchers believed that their experiment strengthened the argument in support of neuronal specificity of acupuncture.

If you would like to see the full study, you can find it at this site.

For more articles about acupuncture, visit ChineseMedicine.news.

Journal Reference:

Shan Y, Wang J-J, Wang Z-Q, Zhao Z-L, Zhang M, Xu J-Y, Han Y, Li K-C, Lu J. NEURONAL SPECIFICITY OF ACUPUNCTURE IN ALZHEIMERS DISEASE AND MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT PATIENTS: A FUNCTIONAL MRI STUDY. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 17 July 2018;2018:110. DOI: 10.1155/2018/7619197.
(Natural News) In the age of POTUS Donald Trump, so-called establishment media outlets have proven time and again they are more than willing to forego journalistic integrity and ethical standards for any opportunity to bash the president or destroy anyone associated with him.

The latest media organization to sacrifice integrity and accuracy in an effort to destroy an honorable man and jurist, along with his family, is NBC News.

Earlier this week the network ran three separate stories involving Judge Brett Kavanaugh and his sexual assault accusers that were long on hype and supposition but glaringly scant of facts.

As The Daily Caller reports, on Monday the network published a story that attempted to challenge Kavanaughs testimony under oath last week before the Senate Judiciary Committee, in which he specifically appeared to refute sexual assault allegations by Palo Alto University Professor Christine Blasey Ford from 35-plus years ago, charges that Kavanaugh has categorically and emphatically denied, and with credibility.

The network claimed in the story that Kavanaughs testimony that he had never heard of former Yale classmate Deborah Ramirezs allegations against him before they were published Sept. 23 by The New Yorker.

Ramirez said that Kavanaugh, while drunk, exposed himself to her at a party while they were in college  though she wasnt really sure if it was Kavanaugh or not. (Related: Chief counsel for Senate Judiciary Committee backhands Avenatti: We focus on credible allegations.)

The Daily Caller reports:

NBC cited text messages showing members of Kavanaughs team working to prepare a response to the unproven allegation before the New Yorker published its article. NBC presented the texts as evidence that Kavanaugh misled the public in his testimony. But the article (which has since been updated) was misleading for two reasons.

Allegations are offensive and absurd

First, the original NBC story omitted part of Kavanaughs sworn testimony where he said hed heard Ramirez was calling around to classmates in search of anyone who remembered details of her allegations (none have).

Secondly, the networks characterization of Kavanaughs statement  that he had not heard anything regarding the allegations before the Sept. 23 article  was in conflict with a Kavanaugh quote contained in the same article.

CNNs Jake Tapper tweeted, Kavanaugh is quoted in the New Yorker story denying the allegation so of course, he had heard about it prior to publication.

Only, it was obvious Kavanaugh meant he had not heard anything about the allegations in the 30 years between the time he was alleged to have committed the act and the time the allegations showed up in The New Yorker.

The network was criticized again after a fourth sexual abuse allegation surfaced. NBC reported Sept. 26 on an anonymous letter accusing the Supreme Court nominee of shoving his then-girlfriend up against the wall very aggressively and sexually as they left a bar in 1998.

But not long after his former girlfriend, who now sits on the federal bench as well, wrote and signed a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee flatly denying the allegation.

To the extent the attached letter is referring to me as the friend who was dating him, the allegations it makes are both offensive and absurd, said Judge Dabney Friedrich in a letter first obtained by The Daily Caller.

At no time did Brett ever shove me against a wall, including in an aggressive and sexual manner. When we dated, Brett always treated me with the utmost respect and we remain friends to this day, she wrote, adding that shes also never seen  nor is aware of  any incident in which Kavanaugh acted inappropriately or aggressively toward anyone.

NBC was also criticized over a story involving a now-deleted social media post from Christina King Miranda, who claimed only to have heard rumors about an alleged incident and his first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. No evidence was presented, but NBC ran the story anyway.

Read more about the fake news media and its grotesque reporting on the Kavanaugh nomination at NewsFakes.com.

Sources include:

DailyCaller.com

WhiteHouse.news
(Natural News) When people say that theyre addicted to Facebook or social media, is it the same thing as being addicted to drugs or alcohol?

According to estimates, the number of social media users around the world can skyrocket from almost a billion in 2010 to over three billion by 2021. Out of all the social networking sites (SNS), Facebook is at the top of the list, with almost a whopping 2.2 billion active users monthly.

Its not just kids on Facebook, though. Even adults spend 50 percent more time on Facebook daily. But why is everyone drawn to social media?

It can be that many people feel socially insecure. Theres even a term for that need you feel to constantly check your social media accounts: FOMO, or the fear of missing out.

FOMO often motivates social media users to stay online and refresh their feeds so they dont miss what everyone else is doing. Being able to like, share, and comment, on a friends posts gives most Facebook users the feeling that theyre interacting. However, this is only a poor equivalent of real-life interactions with a lot of filters to hide the not-so-appealing aspects of your life. (Related: Founder of Virtual Reality warns we should all DELETE all social media accounts to avoid mass human behavioral engineering.)

Virtual interaction comes at a price, and it could be your gradual addiction to social media. Sean Parker, the founding president of Facebook, even admitted that this was the companys goal from the beginning. Parker explained that Facebooks earliest mission was to consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible

Back in November 2017, Parker admitted his former companys agenda at the Axios conference. He said the Facebook founders were intentionally exploiting a social-validation feedback loop which takes advantage of the inherent vulnerabilities in human psychology.

In the early 2000s, members of the psychiatric profession were alarmed at the number of young people, mostly middle-class boys, who were addicted to internet gaming. Parents also expressed their concern about this kind of disturbed behavior and even the declining health of their children.

The symptoms of Internet gaming addiction (IGA) are worrisome:

Anxiety and depression

Change in complexion/pallor

Changes in sleep patterns

A decline in interest in outside activities

Distorted perception of time

Guilt and obsessive behavior

Increased bouts of illness

Social withdrawal

Weight loss

Even though IGA isnt an official psychiatric condition, a child with these symptoms is unhealthy and isnt developing normally. IGA also alters brain wave patterns the same way other addictive disorders (e.g. alcohol and drug addictions) do.

Internet Addiction (IA), defined as problematic or pathological use of the internet is another non-recognized but common social disease. Spending more time on online networks instead of with real-life social groups is associated with higher levels of loneliness, depression, academic, social, and occupational impairment, and suicide ideation. Instead of connecting people, technology is making them lonelier than ever.

Are you addicted to social media?

Experts agree that the overuse of Facebook and other social media networks is a problem that must be dealt with. Back in 2012, a team of Norwegian researchers developed the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale that asks six basic questions related to your Facebook use.

If you scored highly on the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, you can try a digital media detox to help you curb your need to be online all the time.

Here are some tips that you can try if youre about to go on a digital media detox:

Put your smartphone on Airplane mode at the same time every night.

Commit to staying offline.

Take a walk in the park and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Try a new (real-life) hobby or learn how to play an instrument.

Spend time with family and friends, and enjoy every moment without taking a selfie.

Go on a digital media detox whenever you can to avoid obsessing over the number of likes, comments, or followers on your social media accounts.

You can read more articles about the dangers of social media addiction and how to prevent it at Addiction.news.

Sources include:

GreenMedInfo.com

Bustle.com

MedicalNewsToday.com
(Natural News) Are humans considered children when in the womb or at 6 months of age? If not, what are they? Is the word childhood some conundrum meant to confuse parents? Certainly the CDC would not recommend injecting one of the deadliest heavy metal toxins in the world into children, while claiming theyve removed it from all childhood vaccines  or would they? Well, they do. The Quadrivalent vaccine contains four strains of influenza and is now the internationally accepted vaccine of choice. Really? Accepted by who? Brain damaged children or unborn children?

Here come the highlights for the inactivated mercury-laden jab for the upcoming 20182019 flu season by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), because the effectiveness of a live attenuated flu vaccine was inferior during past seasons, and because its unknown for this upcoming season. Are you ready to sink a syringe full of experimental toxins into your children (the unborn ones also) when the AAP has no clue what theyre doing or recommending?

Thimerosal is 50 percent mercury, and there is NO amount that is safe to inject into humans, ever

Symptoms of heavy metal toxicity include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, heart problems, anemia, and yes, central nervous system dysfunction (think Autism Spectrum Disorder and Aspergers syndrome here). Mercury poisoning is a medical condition caused by exposure, ingestion or injection of mercury or its compounds, including thimerosal. Mercury is a heavy metal. All forms of mercury produce toxicity and/or death, even with less than one gram. How? Mercury blocks blood vessels and causes damage to the brain, lungs and kidneys. Deadly mercury can be found in fish, most dental fillings, and the childhood vaccine internationally known as the multi-dose flu shot.

Autopsy findings point to the half-life of inorganic mercury (yes, the kind in multi-dose flu shots) inside human brains lasting more than 27 years. Prolonged and heavy exposure to mercury often does irreversible damage to fetuses and infants, yet the CDC highly recommends flu shots that contain mercury as thimerosal for children in the womb and for infants as young as six months. Anybody spot a blaring contradiction here? Maybe you have too much mercury in your brain to think about it.

The CDC recommends not just one but TWO doses of Quadrivalent flu vaccine for all CHILDREN

Mercury has NOT been removed from childhood vaccines. To make matters even worse and more dangerous, the tricky and insidious CDC is recommending TWO doses for children and babies 6-months young through eight years of age, with the interval between doses as narrow as 4 weeks. The insanity of that is the fact that the Fluluval flu shot insert warns everyone not to get more than one influenza vaccine, ever! Do not administer Flulaval to anyone following previous administration of any influenza vaccine. Previous administration means if youve ever received a flu shot before, dont get another one.

Plus, the CDC exaggerates deaths from the flu because more than 55 percent of those who die were experiencing underlying medical conditions as recognized by the ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices).

The 20182019 seasonal influenza vaccines contain the same strains of HINI they did last year, with an additional B virus strain. The CDC claims all pregnant women can get a flu shot laced with mercury at any time during pregnancy to protect their infants who benefit from the transplacental transfer of antibodies. No test has ever proven that the flu shot is successful at this.

In fact, if you read the vaccine insert (which nobody ever does, including doctors and nurses who are supposed to have you read it) it warns you that, There have been no controlled trials adequately demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with Flulaval. Theres more. The insert admits that there have been no controlled trials. None.

The proof of flu shot dangers are printed in plain English on the vaccine insert

This is literally printed on the vaccine insert page. This is a true confession and admission of fraud by the CDC. The insert also warns any takers about the following: No evidence of safety or effectiveness in pregnant women. Plus, the ultimate consensus that vaccines are always 100 percent safe and effective is utterly refuted  in writing  by this line, Safety and effectiveness of Flulaval have not been established in pregnant women, nursing mothers or children. Thats right, it says safety has not been established in pregnant women. Then theres this statement: Flulaval has not been evaluated for carcinogenic or mutagenic potential, or for impairment of fertility. Vaccines are NOT SAFE for pregnant women  that myth has been dismantled and debunked  in writing, by the manufacturer.

All allopathic toxic medicine and propaganda is successful in brainwashing Americans because most of these intoxicated only believe what they see on TV, read in the newspaper, and hear from their chemical-juggling pediatrician. Medical fairy tales are all discredited in writing on the medicine, but whos reading the instructions and warnings? Most Americans cant even remember what they had for breakfast, because it too contained heavy metal toxins, fluoride, MSG and aspartame.

No wonder two former Merck virologists filed a False Claims Act with the federal government, admitting the researchers falsified vaccine efficacy data to swindle the FDA.

See FluShot.news for more coverage of the flu shot.

Sources for this article include:

Pediatrics.aappublications.org

Udemy.com

TruthWiki.org

FocusForHealth.org

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

CDC.news
(Natural News) Its hard to believe that were already at the last quarter of 2018  it really does seem as though time goes by faster and faster with each passing year. Politically speaking, 2018 has already been quite eventful, with President Trump working tirelessly to restore America and the liberals doing everything in their power to stop him. As it turns out, two significant events that have happened over the past couple of months were already predicted late last year by the Health Ranger.

On December 26 of last year, Natural News founder Mike Adams wrote, The passage of the tax reform bill by the GOP will cause a massive influx of business capital into the United States as corporations are no longer strongly incentivized to offshore their domestic profits. The Health Ranger predicted that there would be renewed job creation and plummeting unemployment rates, and went on to say that we should expect to also see a drop in the number of Americans on food stamps and unemployment assistance.

Indeed, the tax cuts that President Trump put in place have already proven to be extremely beneficial to the U.S. economy, allowing corporations to expand and individuals to keep more of what they earn. For millions of Americans across the country, this is a huge relief, especially after eight years of high taxes, high regulations and economic dislocation sparked by Barack Obama and his policies.

Not surprisingly, most economists are giving President Trump the credit for the economic boom instead of President Obama, even though the liberals are trying to claim that the policies of the previous administration are to thank. According to a survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal, 90 percent of economists believe that the recently enacted tax bill will lead to economic growth over the next few years. While the economists surveyed were more divided on the legislations long-term effects, its worth noting that very few of them said they believe Trumps policies would have a negative effect. (Related: Parents rejoice as Donald Trumps economic plan makes childcare expenses tax-deductible while eliminating the death tax.)

The results of this survey mark a significant change from what economists were saying one year ago about the Obama administration, with 60 percent saying that the administrations policies had a somewhat or strongly negative effect on long-term growth. Additionally, 48 percent of economists said that Obamas handling of the economy had a negative impact on short-term growth.

In December, the Health Ranger also predicted that 2018 will be the year that central banks begin to fight back against the growing phenomenon of cryptocurrency, and that central banks will no doubt engineer a panic selloff or cyber attack on the blockchain as a means to destroy the credibility of crypto in the minds of the public. Indeed, the cryptocurrency crackdown is well underway. Not only are social media sites like Facebook now banning ads promoting cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, but global regulators have also started to ban exchanges. Overall, cryptocurrency markets have plunged over 70% from the late-2017 highs. Needless to say, the Health Ranger was correct on this front as well.

In addition to predictions regarding the economy and the crackdown on cryptocurrency, Mike Adams also made a number of other predictions for 2018 and beyond. Some of these included more terrorism on U.S. soil and more FBI cover-ups, a renewed push for secession surrounding the 2020 election, a disappointing mid-term election for the Democrats, rising tension in the Middle East with a Biblical prophecy growing closer to playing out in Syria, and that the truth about food contamination and pesticide residues will go global with the Health Rangers food transparency project.

Sources include:

NaturalNews.com

Breitbart.com
(Natural News) Looking for an effective solution to depression and anxiety? This ancient practice of breath control, simple meditation, and doing bodily postures called yoga may be the solution. Research published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice has confirmed that this traditional healing technique can reduce depression and anxiety.

A team of researchers from Croatia, Italy, and Israel conducted the study with the goal of assessing the effects of yoga with educational intervention on disability, anxiety, depression, and pain in people affected by chronic lower back pain.

In the study, the research team compared the effects of yoga practice with educational intervention to an informational pamphlet. They recruited 30 people with chronic lower back pain and randomly divided them into two groups: the yoga group and the pamphlet group.

Participants assigned to the yoga group participated in an eight-week yoga program that included education on spine anatomy and the management of chronic lower back pain. On the other hand, participants in the pamphlet group were merely given pamphlets that contain information on what exercises to do for their condition.

Based on the results of the study, participants who practiced yoga for eight weeks experienced significant improvements in depression, anxiety, and pain, but not in disability. Moreover, the pamphlet group did not experience any improvements in their condition. The researchers wrote that if patients are only told about what exercises to do for their condition, they will not experience any improvements in their condition. This emphasizes the need for patients to coordinate with health or training experts.

The research team concluded that yoga combined with education can improve the mental health of people with chronic lower back pain. Experiencing reductions in depression and anxiety positively affect how one perceives pain.

More on the brain benefits of yoga

Yoga reduces depression and anxiety not only in people with chronic lower back pain, but also in other conditions that affect the psychological well-being of a person. Sara Lazar, a psychiatry researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital, said at the fifth annual YogaFest OKC in Oklahoma City that the benefits of yoga and meditation go beyond the physical. (Related: Yoga is a life changing practice that reduces bipolar symptoms, anxiety, depression, and more.)

Studies have shown that other health conditions get worse because of psychiatric problems. Moreover, patients who have heart disease, cancer, or liver disease also tend to have depression, anxiety, pain, and insomnia.

Lazar shared that she learned about an eight-week program called mindfulness-based stress reduction, which was developed by Jon Kabut-Zinn in the 1970s for chronic pain management. Mindful meditation, in general, involves sitting in a quiet space, focusing on ones breath and current physical sensations, and avoiding other thoughts.

Patients who enrolled in Kabut-Zinns clinics and practiced 40 minutes of mindfulness every day reported that they had less stress. Doctors also discovered that the patients levels of the stress hormone called cortisol decreased, while the levels of other stress biomarkers in the bloodstream of the patients also declined.

Lazar looked into that research to determine how the architecture of the brain responded to similar meditation and yoga practices. She discovered that for a 50-year-old person who meditates, the prefrontal cortex, which is the problem-solving part of the brain that shrinks with age, was as well-preserved as a typical prefrontal cortex of a 25-year-old.

Moreover, Lazar and her team recruited long-term yoga practitioners. Comparing the yoga practitioners brains to those who dont practice yoga, they concluded that yoga preserves IQ with age. A follow-up study revealed that regular yoga practice for eight weeks resulted in improvements in brain structure, including the posterior cingulate. Posterior cingulate, which is the mind-wandering part of the brain, gets destroyed with Alzheimers disease.

Read more news stories and studies on the health benefits of yoga and exercise by going to Naturopathy.news.

Sources include:

ScienceDirect.com

JournalRecord.com
EDITORS NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect the extent to which the Navys plan has been released to the public.

The Navy just released details of its plan to retest the Hunters Point Shipyard for radiation. The Navy found its cleanup contractor, Tetra Tech, manipulated radiation data. The Navy has to redo the work, and on Wednesday, officials released parts of their new plan to the public.

The plan calls for the resampling or rescanning of all the areas that Tetra Tech touched on a part of the shipyard known as Parcel G. That includes the inside of six old buildings and the soil from sewer and storm drain trenches. Crews will take soil samples and test them for radiation in a lab. Dozens of community members criticized the Navys original plan to retest Parcel G. The Navy says it listened to those concerns and increased the number of soil samples it would collect from 4,500 to 6,900.

That has been changed significantly I would say both to regulatory comments as well as community concerns, said Derek Robinson, the Navys environmental coordinator for the Hunters Point Cleanup. One of our primary focuses is to make sure the community knows the work we are doing. We are trying to be as transparent, were 100 percent transparent  and thats what tonight is about.

The Navy held an open house Wednesday evening to explain the updates to the plan. You can view parts of the Navys work plan here.

The Navy says it will release its full plan by the end of the month. Officials hopes to begin the fieldwork this winter and complete it by summer. The plan calls for independent oversight by a third party. Tetra Tech has continued to say it stands by its cleanup work at the shipyard.
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the city of San Francisco, alleging that the police department targeted black people for arrests, the organization announced Thursday.

The ACLU said San Francisco Police Department has a long history of racial discrimination. The nonprofit cited 2013 arrests and eventual prosecution of 37 suspects, all black, who were selling small amount of drugs in the Tenderloin District.

The suit was filed on behalf of six of the suspect. It alleges SFPD knew well that "people of many different races engage in drug sales in that neighborhood."

Multiple studies  some commissioned by the city itself  have consistently documented the tolerance of racist policing by the department, and yet it has failed abysmally to take appropriate and meaningful steps to reform its unlawful ways," Novella Coleman, staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, said in a statement.

The arrests were part of a joint "Operation Safe Schools" undertaking between the SFPD and the federal agency Drug Enforcement Administration.

The spokesperson for San Francisco City Attorney's Office, John Cote, said the city can't comment on a lawsuit "we havent even seen yet" but stated that the SFPD didn't "engage in selection enforcement."

"The evidence will show that San Francisco police acted in accordance with federal directives. The San Francisco Police Department prides itself on being one of the most diverse, forward-thinking and transparent law enforcement agencies in the country," Cote said.

In 2016, a federal judge found "substantial evidence" of racial bias in SFPD's policing during the operation, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, and charges against 12 of the 37 people arrested were dismissed in 2017.

Greg Suhr resigned as police chief in 2016 amid rising racial tensions over police fatally shooting four minority suspects over a six-month period. None of the suspects were armed with guns.

Suhr's resignation culminated a tumultuous five-year term that included two separate scandals involving officers exchanging racist and homophobic text messages, including some comparing blacks to monkeys and others disparaging black suspects. Nine officers were fired for sending inappropriate texts.

The city last year hired its first black police chief, Bill Scott. He has vowed to reform a department that a 2016 U.S. Department of Justice report found disproportionately arrested, searched and used deadly force against black suspects.
Elon Musk on Thursday lashed out at the Securities and Exchange Commission, taking to Twitter to mock the incredible work of the Shortseller Enrichment Commission.

Just want to [say] that the Shortseller Enrichment Commission is doing incredible work. And the name change is so on point! the Tesla Motors CEO wrote on Twitter.

The jabs were posted just days after the billionaire tech entrepreneur reached a proposed settlement with the SEC over yet another series of tweets Musk sent in August, NBC News reported.

Those August tweets said Musk was considering taking Tesla private and that he had funding secured for such a transaction. That caught the attention of the SEC, which last week sued Musk, alleging that the tweet and others Musk sent were false and misleading to investors.

Under the proposed settlement, announced on Saturday, Musk would step down as board chairman at Tesla while remaining CEO, and he and Tesla would each pay $20 million in penalties.
Hotel workers in the Bay Area are walking out on a strike to call for better work conditions and fair wages from one of the biggest hotel companies in the world  the Marriott.

A number of workers gathered outside Marriott hotels, Westin hotels and The W, owned by Marriott, in San Jose and San Francisco early Thursday morning, holding red and white picket signs that read "On Stirke."

Unite Here, the organizer of the strikes, say that workers have had enough after months of negotiations with the hotel "left workers without a deal on livable incomes, ending unsafe overwork, and job security."

Leonarda Pineda of San Jose has been working for Marriott for 25 years and she says shell stay on the picket line as long as it takes to get a contract allowing her to live in Silicon Valley with one job.

Over 2,500 workers are striking in San Francisco and over 200 are in San Jose, according to the organizers.

Marriott International expressed in a statement its disappointment in Unite Here's strike.

"Marriott's current economic proposal matches the economic terms in the parties' last contract, which included the largest increases in the parties' bargaining history," the hotel giant said. "We have not proposed any changes to our associates' health, welfare or retirement benefits. During the strike our hotels are open, and we stand ready to provide excellent service to our guests. While we respect our associates rights to participate in this work stoppage, we also will welcome any associate who chooses to continue to work."

The hotel chain also faces other walkouts in Boston, Honolulu, Detroit, San Diego and Seattle.

NBC Bay Area's Kris Sanchcez contributed to this report.
A judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from ending protections that allowed immigrants from four countries to live and work legally in the United States, saying the move would cause "irreparable harm and great hardship."

U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco granted a request for a preliminary injunction against the administration's decision to discontinue temporary protected status for people from Sudan, Nicaragua, Haiti and El Salvador.

The judge said there is evidence that "President Trump harbors an animus against non-white, non-European aliens which influenced his ... decision to end the TPS designation."

The ruling cited Trump's 2015 campaign speech in which he characterized Mexican immigrants as drug dealers and rapists, his call to bar Muslims from entering the United States and his vulgar reference to African countries during a meeting about immigration at the White House in January.

It's the latest case in which judges have cited Trump's own comments to rule against his immigration policies. His words have been turned against him in lawsuits over decisions to separate families at the border, end legal protections for young immigrants and ban people from some Muslim-majority countries.

Temporary protected status is granted to countries ravaged by natural disasters or war and lets citizens of those countries remain in the U.S. until the situation improves back home. About 300,000 people have received those protections.

The ruling said the government failed to show the harm of continuing the 20-year-old program and that the plaintiffs established how uprooting those immigrants could hurt the local and national economy.

"Beneficiaries who have lived, worked, and raised families in the United States (many for more than a decade), will be subject to removal," Chen wrote.

Many have children who were born in the U.S. and may be faced with the choice of "bringing their children with them (and tearing them away from the only country and community they have known) or splitting their families apart," the ruling said.

The lawsuit from immigrants who have received the protections alleges the administration's decision was motivated by racism.

Justice Department spokesman Devin O'Malley said the ruling "usurps the role of the executive branch."

"The Justice Department completely rejects the notion that the White House or the Department of Homeland Security did anything improper. We will continue to fight for the integrity of our immigration laws and our national security," O'Malley's statement said.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs praised the ruling and issued statements from some of those involved.

"I was so happy when I found out about the judge's decision," said Crista Ramos, 14, whose Salvadoran mother was in the program. "Ever since the TPS terminations were announced, I have been wondering how I can live a normal life if I am about to lose my mom."

Chen questioned the administration's motives at a hearing last month. He cited a memo that he said suggested the decision was driven by the administration's America First policy.

He asked an attorney for the U.S. Justice Department to respond to plaintiffs' allegations that America First meant excluding immigrants who are not white.

Adam Kirschner, a government attorney, said the memo showed then-Homeland Security Acting Secretary Elaine Duke grappling with what to do about temporary protected status. Kirschner said input from the White House was expected on an issue like this, but the final decision was Duke's.

Chen repeated Trump's vulgar comment about African countries while responding that any influence the White House had on Duke could be relevant to the claims that the administration's moves were discriminatory.

Chen ruled Wednesday that evidence shows Duke's decision "may have been done in order to implement and justify a pre-ordained result desired by the White House."

El Salvador was designated for the program in 2001 after an earthquake, and the country's status was repeatedly renewed. The Trump administration announced in January that the program would expire for El Salvador in September 2019.

The administration concluded that El Salvador had received significant international aid to recover from the earthquake, and homes, schools and hospitals there had been rebuilt.

The Trump administration ended the program for the other three countries as well.

More than 200,000 immigrants could face deportation because of the change, and they have more than 200,000 American children who risk being uprooted from their communities and schools, according to plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
The Jerry Brown era in Sacramento is about to come to an end, concluding a decades-long chapter in state politics.

So who will be the next governor? That will be decided on Nov. 6 when voters elect either Republican businessman John Cox or Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Newsom first gained a national profile as mayor of San Francisco, taking on federal government over marriage equality. And to this day, our relationship with Washington is a prominent part of this race.

But Cox wants to know: why are we worrying about Washington when we cannot properly run this state?

"In a state where half the people want to leave, I think they're pretty good!" Cox said while speaking before the Bay Area Council on Wednesday.

Cox recently called out California for a housing and cost-of-living crunch that has spun out of control.

"The reason our poverty rate is high, or the highest in the country is the cost of housing -- period! Full stop," Newsom said.

Newsom shares the same "top concern" and also wants to pump millions of homes into a starved market. That may be where the similarities end.

James Taylor, professor of government and politics at the University of San Francisco, said Newsom's bone to pick with Washington D.C. captures a kind of spirit in California.

"It's almost like an inversion of the 60s. Where Alabama was sort of the frontline opposition to civil rights, California has flipped the script," Taylor said.

Newsom said he will be a "war time governor."

"I'm not timid. I lean in," he said. "I'm going to be audacious and bold to have the backs of the people of this state."

Meanwhile, Cox said Californians are "crying out for change." He counters that fights over immigration and marriage equality are not serving constituents.

Instead, Cox said we need to look at the state's failing agencies -- like the DMV -- or a high-speed rail project demanding billions of dollars.

"Yet our firefighters are flying 1970-era helicopters that barely can fight fires? It's all across this government -- misallocation of resources and mismanagement," Cox said.
No, Snapcrap isn't a weird bathroom parody of Snapchat.

The new app released on Tuesday to iOS users is trying to help clean up the dirty streets of San Francisco, according to its developer Sean Miller, a San Francisco engineer who moved from Vermont to South of Market in 2017 and immediately took notice to the feces, needles and trash cluttering walkways.

Miller says he didn't know anyone when he moved to the city to work for Plivo, so he decided to move into a communal living space, The Negev, on the "somewhat notoriously filthy" 6th Street in SoMa.

That's when he got the idea for Snapcrap.

"A lot of people at the house would joke about the situation because it's obviously a bit comical, but we also realized it's a really serious problem and frankly it's a health hazard," Miller told NBC Bay Area.

The new app lets users snap a photo of the area in San Francisco that needs to be cleaned up, and then sends a report to the city's 311 hotline.

While the city has its own app that allows users to request sidewalk cleaning and report other defects like manhole covers, graffiti and tree maintenance, Miller says the SF311 app isn't a good experience.

"It takes so many clicks to actually submit a ticket. We wanted to build a simple mobile app that would simplify the process and remove as much friction as possible," Miller said.

A spokesperson for the City of San Francisco's Public Works Department, Rachel Gordon, says the city's SF311 app already has all the key features but the city has taken a look at the Snapcrap app after it was brought to department's attention.

Miller said he put the Snapcrap idea on the back burner for over a year, but he's finally had enough and wanted to help.

NBC Bay Area found that the citys 311 system received a dramatic increase in the number of complaints concerning a lack of cleanliness across the city. Complaints about trash increased 40 percent, human waste complaints swelled 96 percent, and complaints concerning used drug needles spiked 228 percent.

"A couple months ago I was still getting really frustrated seeing this stuff everyday and hearing people complain about it that I just decided to build the damn thing. I figured that if myself and all of my friends and housemates wanted it there must be a bunch of other people that would find value in it as well," Miller continued.

Miller designed the app to open straight to the camera, allowing users to quickly snap a photo of the area and automatically grab their location and autofills the rest of the 311 ticket form.

"I see poop" is one of the random automated comments that Miller designed to fill out the required comment section on the city's form. He said he wanted to make reporting public health issues fun for the community.

"The app is extremely basic right now, but I plan to add a bunch of other features soon. I think a crap map would be pretty funny," Miller said.

Miller says he also plans to put Snapcrap on Google Play store for Android users in the future.

Snapcrap is not affiliated with Snapchat and NBC Bay Area has reached out to Snapchat for comment due to the similarity in the app design.
The West unleashed an onslaught of new evidence and indictments Thursday accusing Russian military spies of hacking so widespread that it seemed to target anyone, anywhere who investigates Moscow's involvement in an array of criminal activities  including doping, poisoning and the downing of a plane.

Russia defiantly denied the charges, neither humbled nor embarrassed by the exceptional revelations on one of the most high-tension days in East-West relations in years. Moscow lashed back with allegations that the Pentagon runs a clandestine U.S. biological weapons program involving toxic mosquitoes, ticks and more.

The nucleus of Thursday's drama was Russia's military intelligence agency known as the GRU, increasingly the embodiment of Russian meddling abroad.

In the last 24 hours: U.S. authorities charged seven officers from the GRU with hacking international agencies; British and Australian authorities accused the GRU of a devastating 2017 cyberattack on Ukraine, the email leaks that rocked the U.S. 2016 election and other damaging hacks; And Dutch officials alleged that GRU agents tried and failed to hack into the world's chemical weapons watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The ham-handed attempted break-in  involving hacking equipment in the trunk of a car and a trail of physical and virtual clues  was the most stunning operation revealed Thursday. It was so obvious, in fact, that it almost looked like the Russians didn't care about getting caught.

"Basically, the Russians got caught with their equipment, people who were doing it, and they have got to pay the piper. They are going to have to be held to account," U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said in Brussels, where he was meeting with NATO allies.

Mattis said the West has "a wide variety of responses" available.

Britain's ambassador to the Netherlands, Peter Wilson, said the GRU would no longer be allowed to act with impunity.

Calling Russia a "pariah state," British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "Where Russia acts in an indiscriminate and reckless way, where they have done in terms of these cyberattacks, we will be exposing them."

Yet while the accusations expose how much damage Russia can do in foreign lands, through remote hacking and on-site infiltration  they also expose how little Western countries can do to stop it.

Russia is already under EU and U.S. sanctions, and dozens of GRU agents and alleged Russian trolls have already been indicted by the U.S but will likely never be handed over to face American justice.

Still, to the Western public, Thursday may have been a pivotal day, with accusations so extensive, and the chorus of condemnation so loud, that it left little doubt of massive Russian wrongdoing. A wealth of surveillance footage released by Western intelligence agencies was quickly and overwhelmingly confirmed by independent reporting.

The litany of accusations of GRU malfeasance began overnight, when British and Australian authorities accused the Russian agency of being behind the catastrophic 2017 cyberattack in Ukraine. The malicious software outbreak knocked out ATMs, gas stations, pharmacies and hospitals and, according to a secret White House assessment recently cited by Wired, caused $10 billion in damage worldwide.

The British and Australians also linked the GRU to other hacks, including the Democratic Party email leaks and online cyber propaganda that sowed havoc before Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election.

Later Thursday, Dutch defense officials released photos and a timeline of GRU agents' botched attempt to break into the chemical weapons watchdog using Wi-Fi hacking equipment hidden in a car parked outside a nearby Marriott Hotel. The OPCW was investigating a nerve agent attack on a former GRU spy, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter in Salisbury, England, that Britain has blamed on the Russian government. Moscow vehemently denies involvement.

Photographs released by the Dutch Ministry of Defense showed a trunk loaded with a computer, battery, a bulky white transformer and a hidden antenna; officials said the equipment was operational when Dutch counterintelligence interrupted the operation.

What Dutch authorities found seemed to be the work of an amateur. A taxi receipt in the pocket of one of the agents showed he had hired a cab to take him from a street next to GRU headquarters to Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. A laptop found with the team appeared to tie them to other alleged GRU hacks.

The men were expelled instead of arrested, because they were traveling on diplomatic passports.

The Dutch also accused the GRU of trying to hack investigators examining the 2014 downing of a Malaysian Airlines jetliner over eastern Ukraine that killed all 298 people on board. A Dutch-led team says it has strong evidence the missile that brought the plane down came from a Russia-based military unit. Russia has denied the charge.

Later Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department charged seven GRU officers  including the four caught in The Hague  in an international hacking rampage that targeted more than 250 athletes, Pennsylvania-based nuclear energy company Westinghouse Electric, a Swiss chemical laboratory and the OPCW.

The indictment said the GRU targeted its victims because they had publicly supported a ban on Russian athletes in international sports competitions and because they had condemned Russia's state-sponsored athlete doping program.

U.S. prosecutors said the Russians also targeted a Pennsylvania-based nuclear energy company and the OPCW.

The seven were identified as: Aleksei Morenets, 41; Evgenii Serebriakov, 37; Ivan Yermakov, 32; Artem Malyshev, 30; and Dmitriy Badin, 27; who were each assigned to Military Unit 26165, and Oleg Sotnikov, 46, and Alexey Minin, 46, who were also GRU officers.

The U.S. indictment says the hacking was often conducted remotely. If that wasn't successful, the hackers would conduct "on-site" or "close access" hacking operations, with trained GRU members traveling with sophisticated equipment to target their victims through Wi-Fi networks.

The World Anti-Doping Agency, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the Canadian anti-doping agency were all identified by the U.S. indictment against the Russians.

WADA said the alleged hackers "sought to violate athletes' rights by exposing personal and private data  often then modifying them  and ultimately undermine the work of WADA and its partners in the protection of clean sport."

Travis Tygart, the CEO of the U.S. anti-doping agency and a prominent critic of Russian athletes' drug use, says "a system that was abusing its own athletes with an institutionalized doping program has now been indicted for perpetrating cyberattacks on innocent athletes from around the world."

Russia denied everything.

Konstantin Kosachev, the head of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of Russian parliament, denounced the accusations as fake, saying they are intended to "delegitimize" a resurgent Russia. He argued that the West has picked up the GRU as "a modern analogue of the KGB which served as a bugaboo for people in the West during the Cold War."

The Russians countered with accusations of their own: The Defense Ministry unveiled complex allegations that the U.S. is running a clandestine biological weapons lab in the country of Georgia as part of a network of labs on the edges of Russia and China that flout international rules.

Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon called the accusations "an invention" and "obvious attempts to divert attention from Russia's bad behavior on many fronts."

The Associated Press, meanwhile, independently corroborated information that matches details for two of the alleged Russian agents named by the Dutch authorities.

An online database for car registration in Russia showed that Aleksei Morenets, whose full name and date of birth are the same as one of the Russians expelled by the Dutch, sold his car in 2004, listing the Moscow address where the Defense Ministry's Military University is based.

Alexey Minin, another Russian whose full name and date of birth match the details released by the Dutch, had several cars, including an Alfa Romeo, that were registered and sold at the address where the Defense Ministry's GRU school is located. In some of the filings, Minin listed the official military unit number of the GRU school as his home address.

Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow, Raf Casert, Michael Balsamo and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

CORRECTION (Oct. 4, 2018, 9:52 a.m. ET): A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the affiliation of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The chemical weapons watchdog is an international organization, not a U.N. agency.
Tensions on Capitol Hill are rising as senators prepare for a vote on embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, NBC News reported.

Multiple senators, including Sen. Susan Collins, who was helped back to her office by Capitol Police after a committee hearing on Wednesday, have been spotted with police escorts in recent days. Hallways have been briefly closed off, even to media, and Collins was driven away from the Hill in a Capitol Police car last Friday.

Collins, a Republican senator from Maine, has become a target of anti-Kavanaugh protestors, as she has not said publicly how she plans to vote on Kavanaugh. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., also have not said how they will vote.

Though the large-scale demonstrations from last weeks Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford have dissipated, some protesters are still making themselves heard.
What to Know Three Lawrence, Massachusetts schools reported the odor of natural gas Thursday morning, and at least one of them was evacuated.

Authorities say the odor of natural gas was not related to the Sept. 13 natural gas disaster that destroyed Merrimack Valley properties.

More than 8,000 people were evacuated from their homes in Lawrence, North Andover and Andover during the disaster that killed one, hurt 25.

At least one Lawrence, Massachusetts elementary school was evacuated and two other schools reported the odor of natural gas Thursday morning, according to officials.

Parthum Elementary School was evacuated just before 8 a.m. as officials investigated the odor, according to the city's fire and police officials.

The odor was traced to a unit and boiler that was leaking gas. Classes at Parthum were dismissed because the gas had been turned off and students have since been taken to Lawrence High School.

"My first thought from what I was hearing on social media was that it was connected to what was going on in South Lawrence," at-large City Councilor Pavel Payano said.

Two other schools, Arlington School and Oliver Partnership, reported the smell of natural gas. Fire officials initially said Oliver Partnership was also evacuated, but police later said Parthum Elementary was the only evacuated school.

Officials at Arlington School reported the smell of gas after crews were preparing boilers for winter and clearing the system of some gas, which caused concerns. No leak was found, according to Lawrence officials.

Authorities said the incidents are not related to the Sept. 13 gas explosions. Lawrence is one of three communities devastated by a series of natural gas explosions last month.

The president of the utility company blamed for the explosions, Columbia Gas, told NBC10 Boston there is no danger posed to the buildings, but said calling 911 was the right thing to do following the natural gas disaster.

"Leaks happen all the time, every day of the year, all year long," Lawrence Fire Chief Brian Moriaty said. "Unfortunately, our timing is not very lucky for us right now. Its not a situation for us to be panicked about, it was never in an explosive range."

More than 8,000 people were evacuated from their homes during the disaster that killed one person and injured 25 others.
Round two began Wednesday night as the governor candidates continue the ugly tone of the campaign on ABC 7's televised debate.

J.B. Pritzker asked Gov. Bruce Rauner about the Sterigenics plant in Willowbrook Rauner had invested in -- and the cancer causing pollution concerns there.

"Don't you think you owe the people of Willowbrook an answer?" Pritzker asked.

Rauner said he had no interest in the company since May of 2015.

"Our administration has been in close communication with the US Environmental Protection Agency with that company in question," Rauner responded.

Rauner asked Pritzker about the new inspector general's report detailing what the office called Pritzker's scheme to defraud. Pritzker received a $330,000 property tax break after removing five toilets from one of his Gold Coast homes.

"Your Republican party is trying to take advantage of that leak, the fact is we abided by the rules," Pritzker responded to Rauner's incredulity.

The pair also tangled over Rauner's handling of the Legionnaires outbreak at a veterans home in Quincy.

Rauner now faces an investigation from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to see if any laws were violated in his administration's response.

"Our team did everything they could to protect our veterans in that home," Rauner said. "Treating the water, following all the experts' advice."

Rauner blames House Speaker Mike Madigan for the two-year budget stand off. Pritzker would not answer questions as to whether he thinks Madigan should retire. As for the property tax break Pritzker received, he is in the process of returning the cash.

"I didn't want to, in the last 34 days, this distract people," he said. "We followed the rules here."

Rauner warned not to make light of the toilet controversy.

"This is white collar crime," he said. "This is not a joke. This is not funny. This is not about thrones and humor. This is serious."

It's down to the final four-and-a-half weeks til Election Day with Pritzker leading by an average of 15 points.
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

NBC Chicago will offer a live stream with complete coverage beginning right here. NOTE: Not all witness testimony will be available for streaming will not appear on camera. You may notice intermittent bars and pauses.

Closing statements were presented to the jury Thursday in the high-profile murder trial of Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke, charged in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014.

Hours later, jury deliberations began.

In nearly three weeks of trial, the defense called 20 witnesses, including Van Dyke himself, to make their case that McDonald, a black teenager armed with a knife, posed a threat when Van Dyke, a white officer, opened fire on him.

Prosecutors tried to highlight inconsistencies in Van Dyke's testimony, particularly in comparison with dashcam video of the shooting released in 2015.

Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder more than a year after he shot McDonald on the city's Southwest Side. He also faces 16 counts of aggravated battery - one for each shot fired - and one count of official misconduct. He entered a plea of not guilty.

The shooting and subsequent release of the video prompted massive protests across the city and catapulted Chicago into the national spotlight. In the aftermath, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel fired the city's police superintendent and voters ousted the Cook County state's attorney in the following primary election.

The case also sparked an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice that found the Chicago Police Department engaged in systemic violation of civil rights for years. A new consent decree was put into place in September that promised reforms.

Special prosecutors rested their case against Van Dyke last Thursday after calling 24 witnesses over three and a half days.

Van Dyke's fate will now be in the hands of the jury, made up of 8 women and 4 men tasked with deciding what really happened on that October night in 2014.

Follow along live from court below.

5:29 p.m.: Two of the jurors are also requesting smoke breaks, saying they are having trouble concentrating. The jury will be sequestered tonight and the judge is taking steps to make sure their parked cars are not towed or broken into.

5:26 p.m.: Judge Gaughan scolds Jason Van Dyke for leaving the courthouse this afternoon. Van Dyke was not here, he says, because his child was threatened at school. Judge Gaughan called it inexcusable and threatened to revoke his bond.

5:20 p.m.: Day 1 of jury deliberations comes to an end with no verdict in the Jason Van Dyke murder trial. Before excusing them for the day, the jury asked the judge for transcripts of Officer Joe Walshs testimony- Van Dykes partner.

12:33 p.m.: After nine days of testimony from 44 defense and prosecution witnesses, the fate of Jason Van Dyke now lies in the hands of eight women and four men. They will deliberate two counts of first-degree murder, a lesser charge of second-degree murder, 16 counts of aggravated battery and official misconduct.

12:28 p.m.: Jury deliberations begin in the Jason Van Dyke murder trial. Their verdict will come almost four years to the day of that fateful night.

12:03 p.m.: Judge Vincent Gaughan tells the jury that Jason Van Dyke is presumed innocent of all the allegations against him, unless they are convinced, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the allegations were proven.

11:55 a.m.: Prosecutors end by telling the jury that the 16 bullets that pierced Laquan McDonalds flesh were "not justified, not necessary. It was first-degree murder." The jury is now receiving their deliberation instructions.

11:47 a.m.: Over and over again, the special prosecutor uses Van Dykes own words against him, saying Van Dyke was intent on shooting Laquan when he told his partner, before they even arrived on he scene. "Why didnt they shoot him if hes attacking them...were going to have to shoot him."

11:30 a.m.: Prosecutors get final word with rebuttal closings. "What youre not going to have to consider is motive, or malice or premeditation. Its not relevant. [Its] nothing the state has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt."

11:15 a.m.: Dan Herbert closes by reiterating that officers are allowed to use deadly force. That police are here to protect and serve. Then tells the jury, the right decision is not always the easiest decision. "No one can fault you. Follow your heart. Follow your soul. Follow your mind."

10:30 a.m.: Defense attorneys are now trying to hammer home the point that the evidence presented provides reasonable doubt. They are pulling up transcripts from trial testimony in which witnesses testified that they considered Laquan McDonalds actions that night threatening.

10:21 a.m.: Dan Herbert describes the the shooting as a tragedy, not a murder. And that it could have been avoided if only Laquan McDonald would have dropped the knife. He says the charge of first-degree murder is unprecedented.

10:17 a.m.: Defense begins closing arguments by thanking the jury, but says they still have work to do. "Your job is just beginning. Now you have to make the determination that decides the fate of Jason Van Dyke."

10:13 a.m.: After just 27 minutes, the prosecution ends is closing arguments with a final thought for the jury. "When [the shooting is] not justified, its first-degree murder. Its aggravated battery. Its official misconduct. No one is above the law."

10 a.m.: Prosecutors are driving home the fact that Laquan McDonald was riddled with bullets and bled to death. They show the jury his autopsy photos again, "[McDonald] was riddled with bullets, broken and and bleeding when the defendant finished shooting."

9:53 a.m.: During closing arguments, prosecutors reveal that jurors can deliberate a lesser charge of second-degree murder. Not just first-degree murder.

9:48 a.m.: "Its not the Wild West out there. Officers cant just shoot someone and justify it later."

9:45 a.m.: Closing arguments begin in Jason Van Dyke trial. "Laquan McDonald was never going to walk home that night. The defendant said on the way to the scene, "Were going to have to shoot the guy."

RECAP OF THE TRIAL
The owner of a Plainville automotive shop is accused of running the business without a proper license.

Police arrested 51-year-old Rafael Delgado, who owns Totally RAD Creations at 143 Whiting St., Thursday. Police said the business is not licensed by the state Department of Motor Vehicles or the Town of Plainville. Automotive repair shops require a license in Connecticut.

"The DMV has been working with the Plainville Police Department and confirmed that Totally RAD Creations does not hold a Dealer & Repairer License," said Jim Carson, a DMV spokesperson.

Delgado was charged with operating motor vehicle repair business without a license. He was released on a promise to appear and is due in court on Oct. 22.

Investigators said they are also looking into allegations of fraud at the shop, but no charges have been filed.

The DMV published an online list of licensed repair shops in the state.
A Cheshire High School teacher who had been reported missing was found dead in Cheshire Wednesday night, according to state police, and central district major crimes detectives are assisting with the investigation.

Police have identified the victim as 48-year-old Megumi Yamamoto. On Friday morning, the office of the chief medical examiner has not determined the cause of death. An autopsy was done and the cause and manner of death are pending further studies.

Cheshire police responded to Mixville Road, near Marion Road, at 5:17 p.m. Wednesday after receiving a report of a missing person and Cheshire police officers who responded found Yamamotos body soon after, according to state police and Cheshire police.

Connecticut State Police central district major crimes detectives have taken over the investigation and are working with Cheshire Police Department.

Yamamoto was a Cheshire High School English teacher. Parents who spoke with NBC Connecticut said she was well-liked by her students.

Personally, I didnt know her, but my son did and they went to school at Cheshire High School and she was one of his teachers and apparently she was a very good teacher, well-liked by all the students," said Joseph Levesque.

In a letter to Cheshire High School parents, Supt. Jeffrey Solan said Yamamoto, a former Cheshire teacher of the year, died Wednesday night.

Understandably, after hearing this deeply unsettling news, Cheshire High School and our entire school community are grieving, Solan wrote.

You may have heard by now that one of our teachers, Ms. Yamamoto passed away unexpectedly yesterday. Details about how she passed have not been made available yet. You may have known Ms. Yamamoto or her family. This news will affect everyone differently, the message to students said.

We know social media is a tool for communication and some turn to social media in times of grief. Social media is public. Please be sensitive to the family and friends of Ms. Yamamoto and be reminded that rumor and speculation are hurtful and inappropriate at this time. It is important to us that you have the opportunity to process this in a way that works for you. It is absolutely normal to experience a range of emotions based on your relationships and personal experiences. There is no right way to experience grief and loss, the message stated.

School counselors are available for student and grief counselors from Cheshire Social Services and therapy animals will be made available at different points over the next several days."

Authorities said there is no reason to believe there is a threat to the public, but they asked people to stay away from the area where Yamamoto was found.
A Navy veteran from Utah confessed to sending four envelopes containing a substance used in making the poison ricin to President Donald Trump and top military chiefs, according to court documents.

William Clyde Allen III, 39, of Logan, Utah was taken into custody, federal prosecutors in Salt Lake City said Wednesday afternoon. He served as a Navy fireman apprentice, Navy records show.

Allen made the confessions while speaking with investigators after his arrest, telling them he had obtained castor seeds  which are ground and used to make the poisonous substance ricin  and mailed the letters with the ground seeds inside. The ground seeds can cause injury if swallowed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The documents filed Wednesday night did not state a motive. He was being held on a $25,000 cash-only bond.

The arrest comes after authorities confirmed an investigation into two envelopes originally thought to contain ricin but later confirmed to contain the castor seeds, not the ricin itself.

The FBI said there were potentially hazardous chemicals involved with their operation in Utah on Wednesday, but they declined to give additional details. No attorney was immediately listed for Allen.

The envelopes addressed to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and the Navys top officer, Adm. John Richardson, were isolated at a mail screening facility and sent to the FBI. No one was injured, and neither envelope entered the Pentagon. Mattis is traveling in Europe this week.

An envelope also was sent to the president Monday with unknown contents. The Secret Service says it didnt reach the White House.

Authorities are also looking into a suspicious package that was sent to Sen. Ted Cruz's campaign headquarters in Houston on Tuesday. Two people at Cruz's office were taken to the hospital after being exposed to a "white powdery substance," the Houston Fire Department told NBC DFW.

Allen served in the Navy from 1998 to 2002, according to Navy records. He worked as a damage control fireman apprentice.

Two years after his Navy tenure ended, he was charged in a child sex-abuse case involving two girls he had an unspecified "relationship of trust" with, court documents state. He later pleaded guilty to lesser neglect and abuse charges and did not have to register as a sex offender.

That same year, a woman filed a protective order against him in a separate case. He disputed her allegations, the details of which are not public, but agreed to the protective order.

In 2008, he pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated assault and served about 2  years in prison, authorities said. He was released in 2011.

A federal complaint is expected to be filed Friday.
U.S. Capitol Police said 302 people were arrested Thursday for illegally protesting inside Senate office buildings against the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh.

The protesters had originally planned to protest on the Capitol steps. But after police blockaded the steps, protesters headed to the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building.

The vast majority of the arrests  293  took place on the Hart atrium floor. Another nine people were arrested for another demonstration on the fourth floor of the adjacent Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Videos posted on social media showed comedian Amy Schumer, who spoke earlier at an anti-Kavanaugh rally, apparently being arrested. Model Emily Ratajkowski said on Twitter that she was also detained and arrested.

Earlier, a crowd of demonstrators chanted and held signs. Some said "I believe Dr. Ford" and "I believe Anita." Other signs quoted Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's testimony. "Indelible in the hippocampus is the laughter," one poster said, quoting what Ford said haunted her about what she said Kavanaugh and his friend did as teenagers.

The demonstration publicized online with the hashtag #CancelKavanaugh was set to start at 12:30 p.m. at the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse, where Kavanaugh is a federal appeals court judge.

The organizers of the Women's March encouraged people to attend, vote and call their senators.

"If there was ever a moment when the voice of the people can come together in concert to change the fate of our nation, this is it," a Party Majority PAC website promoting the event says. "Arm in arm, organized and ready, every child, woman and man, must take to the streets to protest this nomination. The legitimacy of the nation's highest court is at stake as is the future of our country."
The next phase for Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy will be in the classroom. After his gubernatorial term is over, he will be teaching at Boston College Law School.

Malloy has served as governor of Connecticut since 2011 and he announced in April 2017 that he will not seek a third term.

The governors office released a statement Wednesday, saying that Malloy, who went to BC, has accepted the Rappaport Professorship and will be a visiting professor at the law school starting in the spring semester of 2019.

BC Law, the magazine for the law school, posted a feature story on Malloy, citing his fight for gun regulation after the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown and his defense of Syrian refugees.

Malloy will be offering a seminar and he will take part in lectures as well as panel discussions throughout the semester, according to the article.
What to Know One student died in a school bus crash in Mesquite late Wednesday afternoon.

Seven other people, including three students, were transported to area hospitals with injuries that were not life threatening.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

One student was killed and several were injured after a Mesquite Independent School District bus carrying 42 children from Terry Middle School rolled onto its side and caught fire Wednesday afternoon, officials say.

The crash happened along Lawson Road, near E. Cartwright Road  about a mile from Horn High School.

"It is with a very heavy heart that we must confirm that today, we lost one student," the district wrote in a tweet Wednesday evening. "Out of respect for the privacy of that child's family, that is all we will confirm at this time."

Seven people were transported to hospitals  three students, three police officers and the bus driver  with injuries that were not life threatening, according to Mesquite police.

One middle school student is dead after a Mesquite ISD school bus carrying 40 children from Terry Middle School rolled onto its side during a crash Wednesday afternoon and apparently caught fire, injuring at least one student, officials say.

At Terry Middle School in Mesquite, parents showed up to wait as their children arrived, some with cuts and bruises and others with ice bags pressed to their heads, after a school bus crash that left one dead Wednesday afternoon.

Mesquite ISD officials say counselors will be on hand at Terry Middle School Thursday after a student died in a fiery bus crash Wednesday afternoon.

The remaining 38 students were taken to Terry Middle School to be reunited with their families, the district said.

School officials said first responders, citizens and Mesquite ISD employees were quick to rescue the children from the burning bus. Police officers were treated for smoke inhalation.

"We know these citizens saved many lives tonight, and we are deeply moved by and thankful for their heroic acts," a district statement read.

"We are so grateful for the outpouring of love & support shown within our district, as well as by our community & other school districts," read a Mesquite ISD tweet Thursday. "Please continue to keep the families, students & staff of Terry in your thoughts. Counselors continue to be on hand for students & staff."

Police have not yet determined what caused the bus to crash.

One middle school student is dead after a Mesquite ISD school bus carrying 40 children from Terry Middle School rolled onto its side during a crash Wednesday afternoon and apparently caught fire, injuring at least one student, officials say.

From Texas Sky Ranger, the bus was seen on its passenger side, and police later confirmed that it struck a power line and caught fire. The bus was visibly smoldering when Texas Sky Ranger arrived overhead. Much of the engine compartment was destroyed, having been consumed by flames.

A Mesquite ISD school bus carrying 40 children from Terry Middle School rolled onto its side during a crash Wednesday afternoon and apparently caught fire, injuring two students, officials say.

The charred remains <a href="https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Mesquite-ISD-School-Bus-Involved-in-Crash-495089881.html">of a Mesquite Independent School District bus</a> were towed away before sunrise early Thursday morning, hours after one child was killed and several others injured when the bus flipped and caught fire in a ditch.

With the passenger side of the bus against the ground, those on board apparently escaped using the back door and the rooftop hatch, both of which were open.

Donald Hodge, who lives nearby, says the road is a known trouble spot.



"The road goes to the left and then back to the right real fast and it's like right after a bridge," Hodge said.



A Texas Department of Transportation database showed on Wednesday 68 crashes have been reported on the same stretch of road since 2010.

"As a parent, it just broke my heart," Cheri Patterson, who had learned of the crash after picking up four of her children, one of whom is a seventh grader at Terry Middle School, told The Dallas Morning News. "All you want to do is hold your children. All you want to do is know that they're safe."

Wednesday afternoon, Mesquite ISD Superintendent Dr. David Vroonland released a statement on Facebook that read in part:

"Community members, MISD employees and first responders acted quickly and risked their own lives to save these children. We know these citizens saved many lives tonight and we are deeply moved by and thankful for their heroic acts. But it is with a very heavy heart that we must confirm that today, we lost one student. Out of respect for the privacy of that child's family, that is all we will confirm at this time. Dr. Vroonland is meeting privately with the family. We ask for continued prayers for this grieving family, the Terry Middle School family and our entire MISD community."

Drivers who had to leave their cars near the scene were later escorted by police to retrieve their vehicles.

Lawson Road reopened before dawn Thursday morning after crews towed the charred bus away.

NBC 5's Matt Jackson, Frank Heinz, Chris Blake, Meredith Yeomans and Allie Spillyards contributed to this report.


It was the kind of shooting that had spurred national interest before: A police officer had opened fire into a vehicle, leaving a black man dead.

For residents in the DFW area, the Sept. 1 killing of 24-year-old O'Shae Terry in Arlington brought to mind the shooting of Jordan Edwards in another Texas city last year. The 15-year-old Edwards and four other black teenagers were in a car and leaving a house party in Balch Springs when a white officer shot into the moving vehicle, killing the high school freshman who was in the front passenger seat.

The officer was fired and, in a rare move, convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison. The shooting, like Terry's, highlighted a use-of-force tactic that law enforcement experts say is dangerous: firing into a moving vehicle.

Five days after Terry's shooting, police released footage and the case was starting to gain momentum. But hours after the video images of Terry's fatal traffic stop made headlines, attention was already turning to the Sept. 6 shooting of another black man, 26-year-old Botham Jean, a St. Lucia native killed by a white off-duty officer who lived in the same Dallas apartment complex as him.

The shooting resonated with people in a way that Terry's didn't. Jean had not been pulled over by police, but instead was gunned down in his own home by an officer who said she mistook Jean's apartment for her own.

To Terry's mother, Sherley Woods, it's hard not to see the similarities in the deaths of her son and Jean.

"It's the same thing -- an officer killed someone for no reason," Woods said. "My son's life was taken by an officer for no reason."

Activist and writer Shaun King said the nation only seems willing to focus on one police shooting story at a time. And in a news climate dominated by coverage of President Donald Trump, he said it's more difficult to attract national interest for stories of police brutality.

"It became really, really difficult to get those stories told," he said, adding that everybody would be talking about Terry's killing had it happened in 2014.

Attorney Lee Merritt, who represents the Terry and Jean families and has handled other police shooting cases, said Jean's death overshadowed the video footage of Terry's killing, but the officers in both shootings should be held accountable.

"At no point did that car represent a danger to (the officer who shot Terry)," Merritt said. He said the Arlington officer should be fired and criminally charged.

William Terrill, an Arizona State University professor who studies use of force, said shooting at a moving vehicle is extremely risky because an officer could miss his target and shoot a bystander, or he could shoot the driver and cause the vehicle to become out of control.

"It's really hard to hit a moving target," Terrill said.

The police footage, which consists of both body and dashboard camera videos, shows an Arlington officer chatting with Terry and his front-seat passenger after pulling the SUV over for a vehicle registration violation. A second officer, responding as backup, arrives and approaches the passenger-side door. The first officer tells Terry and his passenger that she smells marijuana in their vehicle and needs to search it.

The first officer then heads back to a patrol vehicle. About three minutes later, the SUV's windows start to roll up and the backup officer grabs onto the passenger-side window and tells Terry to stop.

The SUV moves forward as three shots ring out. As the vehicle continues moving, two more shots are heard.

The officer who initiated the traffic stop did not open fire. Terry's passenger was detained but later released.

Arlington police have not identified the officer who shot Terry except to say that he has been with the department for eight years. A police spokesman, Lt. Christopher Cook, said in a statement Wednesday that the department isn't naming the officer because of concerns for his safety. Cook said the officer's gun and badge have been taken while an internal investigation continues and he's been assigned a role in which he has no contact with the public.

The day after the shooting, police reported finding a handgun, ecstasy pills and more than a pound of marijuana in the SUV. Merritt said the officer who killed Terry was not aware of the gun and drugs when shooting him.

Terry's mother said her son posed no threat to the officers and the shooting wasn't justified.

In a news conference on Sept. 7, 2018, Sherley Woods said, "At this time I am asking to seek justice and want justice to be served for my son."

"It was wrong. There's no other way you could look at it," Woods said. She acknowledged Terry had a criminal record but said his past had nothing to do with the shooting.

She said Terry, who was her youngest son, had many positive qualities. She said he was a loving person and spoke of becoming a police officer when he was younger.

Terry enjoyed fixing up cars and would repair his friends' vehicles, his mother said, adding that he was known to pay for the parts himself. He had a job helping supply trucks with diesel fuel, she said.

"His life had value," Woods said, later adding: "I just know I have to get justice for my son."
The Coast Guard offloaded more than 22,000 pounds of cocaine Wednesday, with an estimated worth of over $300 million.

The drugs were seized in late August until the middle of September.

Three Coast Guard ships, Stratton, Seneca, and Active, intercepted eight suspected smuggling vessels.

Stratton cased more than 16,400 pounds of cocaine, Seneca nearly 3,000 pounds, and Active about 2,600 pounds, the military branch announced Wednesday.

The cocaine was sorted, indexed, and wrapped in clear plastic before being handed over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

[DONT CHANGE MAIN HEADLINE] San Diego's Border Busts

Were trying to keep the drugs off the streets, said USCG Culinary Specialist Francys Blodgett. When we get that call and we got those 7 boardings, it was just  we don't even feel exhausted or anything. It was just rewarding.

The alleged smuggling vessels were found off the coasts of Mexico, Central America, and South America, according to the Coast Guard.

"These interdiction results take hundreds of millions of dollars away from these criminal networks that work to undermine the rule of law in South and Central America, said Captain Craig Wieschhorster, commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Stratton.

The DEA will eventually destory the cocaine.

The Coast Guard detained 23 suspected smugglers during these operations.

The 11 tons of cocaine was offloaded around 9:30 a.m.

Nearly 500,000 pounds of cocaine was seized by the Coast Guard in 2017. That was valued at over $6 billion.
The Alameda County District Attorney's Office has filed felony charges against an Alameda County Sheriff sergeant for illegally recording juvenile suspects in custody, which led to the case being thrown out.

District Attorney Nancy O'Malley announced Wednesday that her office filed four charges against Sgt. James Russell after he was recorded on his bodycam saying he secretly recorded in-custody juvenile suspects and their attorney in an interview room at the Eden Township Sheriff's substation on March 15.

Every one of us working in the justice system must be held to the highest of standards when it comes to protecting an individuals constitutional rights, including the sacrosanct right to privileged communication between a client and his or her attorney, O'Malley said in a statement.

The District Attorney's Office threw out a case against one juvenile suspect after it was revealed Russell recorded at least one confidential conversation between him and Public Defender.

The Alameda County district attorney's office is also reviewing every juvenile criminal case submitted by the sheriff's office this year.

In the video from his bodycam, Russell says several conversations between suspects and their attorneys have been recorded but no one has listened to them.

He also discusses the video recording of a juvenile in an attempted robbery case  the one that the district attorney has thrown out  with Lt. Timothy Schellenberg, who oversees the sheriff's investigations unit out of a detention center in San Leandro.

Prosecutors turned over the body-camera video and the video of the juvenile with his attorney to the public defender's office as evidence in a recent criminal case, court documents show.

Secretly recording a conversation between a person in custody and the person's attorney is a felony under California law.

These felony charges are completely appropriate, and we're glad the district attorney is taking this seriously," Alameda County Public Defender Brendon Woods said in a statement. "In order for us to represent our clients effectively, our clients have to know that they can trust us, and that what they tell us will remain confidential and that law enforcement is not secretly listening to our conversations. Hopefully these charges against Sgt. Russell will send a message and deter other police officers from violating attorney-client privilege.
It's clockwork: Every fall and spring, Californians and most of the rest of the nation switch to daylight saving or standard time, often with gripes about losing an hour of sleep, the sun setting earlier in the day or the minor chore of changing clocks.

This November, California voters will decide if it's time for a change.

If voters approve Proposition 7 on Nov. 6  the day after most of the nation falls back an hour  that would pave the way for year-round daylight saving time in the state. The issue would still need a two-thirds vote from the California Legislature and a change in federal law.

Democratic Rep. Kansen Chu of San Jose said he sponsored the measure after his dentist called him to complain about springing forward, when clocks move ahead March, taking away an hour's sleep in the middle of the night and shifting an hour of sunlight from the morning to the evening.

Chu looked into the issue further and learned that the original reason for implementing daylight saving  to save energy during WWI  no longer seems to apply to the modern world. In fact, some studies have found that daylight saving time actually increases electricity use during the summer.

Chu also came across studies that show an increased risk of car accidents and heart attacks following the spring change, due to the loss of an hour's sleep.

"It's a public safety measure," Chu said. "And I don't know anybody who really enjoys doing this adjustment of their schedule twice a year."

Democratic Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, who opposes the measure, argues that even if California voters and the Legislature approve of year-round daylight saving, the hurdle of getting the federal government to approve is too high, considering the state's tense relationship with Washington.

Plus, she said making the switch will cause its own headaches. If California goes to year-round daylight saving, the sun wouldn't rise until 8 a.m. during some winter months, forcing children to walk to school or buses in darkness and likely leading to an increase in car and pedestrian accidents.

"I just don't share this belief that this is a major crisis," said Jackson, who represents Ventura County. "It's not something we should be tearing our hair out over."

Chu said he's open to implementing year-round standard time and that the key to the issue is eliminating the need to change the clocks twice a year.

Hawaii and Arizona, with the exception of the latter state's Navajo Nation, do not recognize daylight saving time. In March, Florida became the first state in the nation to adopt year-round daylight saving time, but the shift can't take effect unless Congress changes federal law.
Kaiser Permanente and the Alliance of Health Care Unions reached a tentative agreement with the help of federal mediators last month on a national 3-year collective bargaining agreement that covers nearly 48,000 unionized Kaiser Permanente health care workers represented by 22 union locals, Kaiser announced Wednesday.

The contract will cover nearly 48,000 health care workers: 32,100 in California; 6,300 in Oregon and Washington; 2,100 in Colorado; 2,200 in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia; 2,800 in Georgia; and 1,900 in Hawaii, Kaiser said in a statement. The workers span job classifications from registered nurses and pharmacists to maintenance and service workers.

The negotiations, which began in May, were among the largest private-sector contract talks in the United States this year, according to the statement. The deputy director and commissioners of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service attended the sessions.

The tentative agreement was reached on Sept. 23, Kaiser said.

The deal goes far beyond the traditional contract issues of wages and benefits, according to Kaiser. It includes provisions to strengthen the groundbreaking labor-management partnership between Kaiser Permanente and the

Alliance at the senior leadership level as well as the front-line level. This includes 3,600 unit-based teams -- jointly led by pairs of managers and union- represented employees -- that are delivering "significant improvements in the areas of quality, affordability, service and work environment" on behalf of Kaiser Permanente members and patients, according to the statement.

The tentative agreement also offers enhanced career development programs.

"This agreement advances our ability to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve," said Chuck Columbus, Kaiser Permanente senior vice president and chief Human Resources officer. "We're proud of the skilled, dedicated and compassionate people of Kaiser Permanente who are devoted to our mission, our members and patients, communities and each other."

Alliance Executive Board Chair Kathleen Theobald, executive director of the Kaiser Permanente Nurse Anesthetists Association, responded that "Our unions are committed to raising the standards of health care delivery, and the living standards of workers everywhere.

"We have shown that we can deliver top quality care hand in hand with industry-leading wages and benefits. This tentative agreement strengthens our partnership and our ability to keep delivering improvement for patients and workers."

The agreement also reaffirms both parties' commitment to working together under a new Labor Management Partnership agreement. The original agreement, reached in 1997, provided a joint strategy for organizational innovation and change, created an environment of continuous learning and improvement, and actively involved the workforce in decision-making. The new agreement builds on that, strengthening the commitment that Kaiser Permanente and the partner unions will promote each other's mutual success.

The new pact includes: across-the-board wage increases, which vary by region and by year; enhanced processes to re-energize the Labor Management Partnership and ensure the engagement of senior leaders; a new labor-management trust to fund the partnership with the Alliance; A new educational trust to fund job training, pursuit of academic degrees, professional certification, and career counseling services for employees represented by an Alliance union; continued support for 3,600 front-line teams.

Worker engagement and participation in these teams have helped Kaiser Permanente garner recognition for clinical quality, patient safety and member satisfaction from organizations such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the statement said.

The tentative agreement was unanimously approved by an Alliance bargaining delegate conference Sept. 29 and will now go to union members for ratification. The voting is expected to be complete by the end of October. A senior Kaiser Permanente leadership group must also give its formal approval.

If ratified, the agreement will have an effective date of Oct. 1, 2018.
As state mediation efforts continued in hopes of resolving a labor-talk stalemate between the Los Angeles Unified School District and its teachers' union, the union accused Superintendent Austin Beutner of holding a lavish series of meetings with charter-school advocates.

Citing information taken from Beutner's official district calendar, obtained following a public records request and lawsuit, United Teachers Los Angeles officials noted that over a four-month period, the superintendent held meetings at restaurants including Pacific Dining Car, the members-only California Club, the Hilton Checkers and the Bel-Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades. Union officials said Beutner's calendar revealed 34 meetings at restaurants during the four-month period, compared to 29 visits to school campuses.

Beutner "must explain to the public why he was at these expensive restaurants and clubs during school hours," teacher Victoria Casas said at a news conference at UTLA headquarters.

She also questioned whether district credit cards were used to pay for meals.

Union officials also said Beutner's calendar showed he met with a variety of charter school supporters, including the president and CEO of the California Charter Schools Association, the heads of charter-school management companies and prominent charter backers including Eli Broad.

As part of the ongoing labor negotiations, UTLA officials are calling for increased accountability measures for charter schools. They have also been critical of school board members for what they see as a movement toward charters and away from traditional schools.

The district did not respond to the union's criticism of Beutner. Following Wednesday's labor talks, the district issued a statement saying only that another mediation session is set for Oct. 12.

"L.A. Unified remains committed to resolving the issues through the mediation process," according to the district's statement, echoing the comment it issued after last week's mediation session.

The union's statements on Wednesday escalated its criticism of Beutner, an investment banker and former Los Angeles deputy mayor who took over as LAUSD superintendent in May amid criticism of his lack of experience in education. Following the first mediation session last week, the union sent a letter to the district accusing Beutner of spreading "disinformation" about the labor talks and calling on the district to "reinvest in our schools."

Last week, the district updated its contract offer to UTLA, with Beutner saying the proposal includes a 6 percent pay raise over two years and class-size reductions at 15 middle schools and 75 elementary schools determined to have the "highest need."

The offer "shows our commitment to helping students most in need," Beutner said. "Our offer creates a pathway for L.A. Unified and UTLA to avoid a strike that would hurt L.A.'s most vulnerable students and families."

UTLA, however, called the proposal "insulting" and a "stunning example of disrespect" to its 33,000 members.

"Beutner's proposal does nothing to make our schools better," Inouye said. "This is an insult to our members, to our students and to our parents. This stunt reveals he is more interested in fighting against educators at any cost than saving our school district."

The district's proposal includes a 3 percent pay raise retroactive for the 2017-18 school year, and another 3 percent for 2018-19. The second increase is contingent on the district's financial picture, noting the raise will take effect "if the board's spring 2019 Second Interim Financial Report shows positive projected ending balances for 2018-19 and 2019-20."

According to the district, the proposal also includes the chance for teachers to earn extra pay for taking science, technology, engineering, math or dual-language instruction courses.

Union officials said the district's offer regarding class-size reductions means no improvements for 90 percent of campuses, and the district would still have the ability to increase class sizes at any time. The proposal would also make it "more difficult to quality for secure health care in retirement," according to the union.

The union is asking for a 6.5 percent pay increase retroactive to July 1, 2016, along with provisions for class-size reductions, accountability measures for charter schools and limits on standardized testing, among other provisions.

District officials said the union's salary proposal would increase the LAUSD's existing $500 million deficit in the current school year by another $813 million. But the union says the district can easily afford more investments in salaries and classrooms, pointing to a recent audit indicating the district has nearly $1.9 billion in reserve funds.

The district contends its reserve funds are already being used to cover budget shortfalls, which are expected to continue over the next three years -- a claim also strongly disputed by the union.

UTLA's members have already overwhelmingly authorized a strike, but that possibility will remain on hold pending the mediation sessions and a subsequent fact-finding period if the mediation effort fails.
A woman from Oklahoma with bipolar disorder and her 11-year daughter have been located and are safe after being reported missing last month, police said Wednesday night.

Amanda Kay Key, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and her daughter Haley Marie Vilven were last heard from Sept. 15.

The two had last been seen around 9 p.m. Sept. 16 at a train station in El Monte, LAPD Officer Rosario Herrera told City News Service.

Amanda's father, Steven Jindra, arrived in Los Angeles last week and pleaded for his daughter or granddaughter to call him, and for the public's help in locating them.

He said Amanda was in California for a job interview and may have been trying to take a bus back to Oklahoma from El Monte station after her car broke down.

No information was released about exactly when and where mother and daughter were located.
What to Know Juan Romero was a teenage busboy in June 1968 when Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was killed by an assassin at a Los Angeles hotel

Romero is seen in a famous photo cradling the wounded Kennedy's head on the floor of the hotel kitchen

Born in a small town in Mexico, Romero moved with his family to East LA when he was 10

When Robert F. Kennedy decided to duck through the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after declaring victory in the 1968 Democratic presidential primary, Juan Romero reveled at his good fortune.

It meant the 18-year-old busboy might get to shake hands with his hero  the man he'd assured himself would be the next president of the United States  for the second time in two days.

Romero had just grasped Kennedy's hand when gunshots rang out, one of them striking the senator in the head.

Kennedy would die the next day and the teenage Mexican immigrant who had idolized him would carry the emotional burden of that encounter for most of his life.

Romero died Monday in a Modesto, California, hospital following a heart attack, Rigo Chacon, a longtime family friend and former TV newsman, told The Associated Press on Thursday. He was 68.

Romero, who moved from Los Angeles decades ago, spent most of his life in the Northern California cities of San Jose and Modesto, Chacon said.

He worked in construction, including concrete and asphalt paving, enjoying the often-grueling physical labor with no intention of retiring any time soon.

"Juan was a big, brawny guy, a muscular guy and seemingly in good health," said Chacon, adding his death came as a shock to family and friends.

"According to his daughter Elda, he was the happiest she had seen him in a while," Chacon added, noting the divorced Romero had recently met a woman who helped bring peace into his life.

For decades, each time Romero saw black-and-white news photos of himself  a baby-faced busboy gently cradling Kennedy as he lay sprawled on the hotel's concrete kitchen floor  he would wonder what more he should have done to save Kennedy.

Only recently, he said during rare interviews this year, did he finally come to terms with that struggle.

He said he still carried the example Kennedy had set as he campaigned for equality and civil rights.

"I still have the fire burning inside of me," Romero said.

Born in the small town of Mazatan, in the Mexican state of Sonora, Romero lived in Baja California until his family received permission to bring him to the U.S. as a 10-year-old.

The family lived in blue-collar East Los Angeles and Romero was a student at Roosevelt High School in 1968, the year Chicano students started organizing walkouts to protest discrimination against Mexican-American students. As the son of a tough disciplinarian father, however, he said he was too afraid to take part.

He was working at the Ambassador Hotel the day before the June 1968 California primary when Kennedy and his aides ordered room service and he was called on to help deliver it.

"All I remember was that I kept staring at him with my mouth open," he would say later.

Finally, Kennedy approached, grabbed Romero's hand with both of his and said, "Thank you."

"I will never forget the handshake and the look ... looking right at you with those piercing eyes that said, 'I'm one of you. We're good,'" Romero said. "He wasn't looking at my skin, he wasn't looking at my age ... he was looking at me as an American."

After Kennedy won the primary he thanked supporters in the hotel's Embassy Room then cut through the kitchen for a meeting with reporters.

Romero jumped at the chance to meet him again.

After gunfire rang out and Kennedy fell, Romero cradled his bleeding head.

"Is everybody OK?" Kennedy asked. Romero said yes.

"Everything will be OK," the senator replied shortly before losing consciousness.

As they talked, Romero pressed a set of Rosary beads into the senator's hand as news photographers frantically took pictures. Kennedy died the next day at 42.

Because of the beads, his white busboy smock and the beatific look on his face, Romero was misidentified in some early news reports as a priest.

"It was a really dramatic picture with the light coming in from the side, they were strong photos," Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer David Hume Kennerly said Thursday.

"But really the heart of it," Kennerly added, "was this unknown person was there to help Senator Kennedy when he was down. That's what has always struck me about those photos."

Iconic as they were, they brought Romero a place in history he never wanted. For years he blamed himself for Kennedy's death  wondering if he could have done something to prevent the shooting or if Kennedy might have survived if he had not stopped to shake his hand.

When he visited Kennedy's grave at Arlington National Cemetery a few years ago, Romero wept as he spoke directly to the senator.

He "asked him for forgiveness for the fact that he didn't think he reacted soon enough," Chacon recalled. "That perhaps if he took the bullet. Or he could have pushed him out of the way."

Eventually Romero overcame his guilt, thanks in part to the support of Kennedy admirers who told him that he was an example of the type of person Kennedy embraced.

Romero is survived by daughters Elda Romero, Josefina Guerra and Cynthia Medina; a son, Greg Romero; and grandson, Chris Ortiz.

Funeral services will be Sunday at Chapel of Flowers in San Jose, California.
Two men were sentenced to more than two decades in federal prison for their roles in a string of armed robberies at Southern California jewelry stores, prosecutors said Monday.

Jameson Laforest, 26, of Inglewood, was sentenced Friday to 22 years and eight months in prison, and co-defendant Robert Wesley Johnson, 29, of Inglewood, was handed a 22-year term.

Laforest was involved in three of the jewelry store heists, one in Manhattan Beach, another in West Hollywood and another in Torrance, according to Thom Mrozek of the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors told the jury that Laforest was one of two bandits who participated in one smash-and-grab robbery and then graduated to a "more senior role" in the others, which included scouting locations and giving supplies to crooks.

Johnson recruited robbers and helped scout out targets while also supplying guns, hammers and other tools used in the heists, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Co-defendant Evan Scott, who pepper-sprayed an employee in one of three robberies, is awaiting sentencing.

Last month, the robbery crew's ringleader, Keith Marvel Walton, was sentenced to 55 years in prison.

Fifteen other defendants involved in the robberies pleaded guilty. In July, one of those defendants, 49-year-old Stanley Ford of Lancaster, was sentenced to 25 years behind bars for five robberies.

Prosecutors say the crew was responsible for 14 robberies or attempted heists between early August 2014 and April 2016. Robbers got away with $1.6 million in watches in one holdup at Westfield Century City mall.

The total haul was estimated to be worth about $6 million, prosecutors said.
Seven South Carolina law enforcement officers were shot Wednesday, one fatally, in a confrontation with a man who held children hostage as he fired on the officers, officials said.

The suspect was taken into custody and the children weren't hurt after a two-hour standoff in an upscale neighborhood just outside of Florence, not far from areas that were devastated by flooding from Hurricane Florence, authorities said.

The man shot three Florence County deputies from inside a home as they came to serve a warrant around 4 p.m. Wednesday, Florence County Sheriff's Maj. Mike Nunn said. He was identified as Fred Hopkins.

Hopkins then shot four Florence city police officers, one fatally, as officers from all around the area swarmed in to help, Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler said.

A bullet-proof vehicle had to be used to rescue the wounded officers as the man held children hostage inside for two hours, Nunn said.

Late Wednesday, officials said five members of the Florence County Sheriff's Department had been at the residence serving a search warrant for an alleged sexual assault on a foster child. Hopkins was identified as the father of the alleged perpetrator of the sex crime, 27-year-old Seth Hopkins.

Police said Seth Hopkins was shot and in surgery. It is unknown whether he was shot by his father or police.

The three sheriff's deputies who were shot are all female, police said. Two are in critical condition and were shot in the torso area. The third, who was shot in the leg, is in stable condition.

The four Florence City officers who were shot are all male. One has already been released; another was shot in the side and is in stable condition. A third officer was shot in the head and has a graze wound. He remains hospitalized.

City of Florence spokesman John Wukela identified the fourth fallen officer to The Associated Press as Terrence Carraway of Darlington. Carraway, 52, had just celebrated 30 years as a police officer in the city, Wukela said. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. An autopsy will be performed at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, according to the coronor's office.

Both Heidler and Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone had tears in their eyes as they spoke to reporters about two hours after the standoff ended.

"I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known," Heidler said, visibly overcome by emotion at the news conference.

Condolences and outpourings of support rolled in at news of the shooting.

"This is simply devastating news from Florence," Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted. "The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real."

Thom Berry, spokesman for the State Law Enforcement Division, said the agency had sent crime scene technicians to assist officials in Florence but were not immediately requested to help with any investigation.

Boone said investigators from Richland County would help investigate the shooting. He did not say why he wasn't using state police like most law enforcement agencies do in officer shootings in South Carolina.

Authorities said the shootings happened in Vintage Place, an upscale neighborhood west of the city. Neighbors said the community is full of brick homes and well-kept yards. Property records show several houses valued at more than $400,000.

Bobby Goin stood outside waiting for police to let him back to his home where his wife and granddaughter heard gunshots from the home back further in the neighborhood.

"Surprised is probably an understatement," Goin said of the shooting in the neighborhood where he has lived for 20 years. "The worst thing that goes on around here is that someone runs a stop sign and it gets posted on Facebook."

This is the second shooting of multiple police officers in South Carolina this year. In January, a 47-year-old former banker shot four officers in York County, killing one, after his wife called 911 to report he beat her. Christian McCall pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life without parole.

Florence, a city in South Carolina's northeastern corner home to roughly 37,000, sits at the convergence of Interstates 95 and 20. It's the largest city in the region known as the Pee Dee, where flooding from Hurricane Florence devastated areas to the east and south.

Monica Mathur contributed to this report.
Pennsylvania's newly drawn 1st Congressional District, just north of Philadelphia, is nearly evenly split between Democratic and Republican voters. It's the kind of place where a moderate congressman like Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick has, in the past, appealed to centrist voters of both parties.

But Fitzpatrick's vote in favor of the President Donald Trump's tax cut last winter didn't sit well with Jerry Middlemiss, a moderate Democrat from Yardley, the kind of voter he'll need to win over to eke out a win this November.

"I'm not pleased about that," said the semi-retired school counselor.

Fitzpatrick, a freshman member of the House, is well-liked enough in this district, whose partisan balance was spared despite a major redistricting that tilted other districts nearby and in the rest of Pennsylvania to the left. But he faces what many Republican incumbents across the country must deal with this year: independent voters and die-hard Democrats together eager for Congress to act as a check against the Trump administration.

This article, part 1 in a series, examines one of the key battleground races for control of the House of Representatives in the Nov. 6 midterm elections. Carried by grassroots momentum, Democrats must take 23 seats from Republicans to win the balance of power. They are contending with Republicans' experience and organization, and an outspoken but polarizing president.

Middlemiss doesn't yet know much about Scott Wallace, the Democrat challenging Fitzpatrick, but he believes America should push the reset button on Congress.

"If you are opposed to the current administration and the way the government has been run, you may want to make a change," Middlemiss said. "The more Democrats you can get in to balance out what's going on, I would do that."

Voters' desire for change in Washington could be enough to swing the district for Wallace, 66, a first-time candidate but longtime funder of progressive policies and organizations.

In Wallace, the Democrats have a wealthy, self-funded grandson of a former vice president to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Wallace has worked as a lawyer and member of his family's powerful nonprofit, the Wallace Global Fund, whose mission is "to promote an informed and engaged citizenry, to fight injustice and to protect" the environment.

The family connection could also doom his chances in November, if Fitzpatrick is able to persuade voters that Wallace is too liberal for the centrist district.

The Global Fund, which has more than $110 million and funds dozens of liberal groups each year, has been the focus of Republican television ads for weeks already.

One ad, paid for by the political action arm of the Republican National Congressional Committee, described Wallace as pro-population control and eager to tax families of five or more people, based on funding the Wallace charity handed out before the candidate became a board member. Another ad claims Wallace is anti-police because his charity gave to liberal news organization Democracy Now!, which has occasionally reported on convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu Jamal.

The claims in both ads have been rated as either "false" or "misleading" by media fact checkers. Still, they continue to air in the Philadelphia media market. Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick has slammed Wallace as too rich to represent the district's interests.

"My opponent is the most far-left extremist candidate that's ever run for office in this district," Fitzpatrick said in an interview with NBC10 Philadelphia. "Having been in Congress for a year and a half, I can tell you we have too many partisan ideologues and too many multimillionaires. Scott Wallace is both."

Wallace disputes that his politics are anything beyond progressive and said he's surprised Fitzpatrick went down the path of "mudslinging."

He's since begun running ads as well, promising to bring change to Washington, D.C., and reverse the national debt accrued by the Republican tax cuts.

"Any candidate expects their life's work to be put under a microscope, and yes, our foundation has been about three progressive issues: climate change, democracy and women's empowerment," Wallace said in an interview. "What I didn't expect and what has astonished me is that people would take our record, and distort it, and turn it into lies and in such bizarre ways."

Fitzpatrick, for his part, survived criticism two years ago when Democrats accused the former FBI agent of taking advantage of his family name by running for the congressional seat. His older brother, Mike, was the outgoing congressman representing the region; Brian won the election by 9 points.

Fitzpatrick cites his lifelong connection to the district and touts his freshman legislative record as proof that he represents the type of moderate approach to government that his constituents want.

Redistricting in Pennsylvania significantly changed the political landscape for many incumbents when the state Supreme Court remapped the state's 18 congressional districts this year, but Fitzpatrick's constituency remained nearly the same. His district changed in name, from the 8th District to the 1st, but only a small portion of its boundary shifted: a slice of Montgomery County to the west of Bucks County swapped for another slice.

While the remapping made Democrats far more competitive in some areas, especially in the Philadelphia suburbs, Fitzpatrick's district remained very diverse in its makeup of Republicans and Democrats, affluent and blue-collar workers, suburban homes and small farms.

"It's the most amazing place on the planet," Fitzpatrick said. "We're a microcosm of America."

Fitzpatrick points to centrist legislation he helped usher into law, including the Interdict Act, which gives border agents stronger technology to stop opioids from crossing the border, and the Children of Fallen Heroes Act, which provides educational support for kids of fallen first responders.

But he has also voted in line with Republicans on the biggest conservative agenda items of the last two years, Wallace argues, including the Trump tax cuts. In June, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that registered voters were less likely to support a candidate who backed the bill.

Both candidates had near identical campaign cash on hand as of the last required federal filings June 30: $1.7 million for Wallace and $1.65 million for Fitzpatrick. But Wallace had spent some $3.6 million compared to $800,000 for Fitzpatrick in the three months before. (The next Federal Election Commission reports won't be published for two weeks.)

Outside groups have tilted the other way, pouring more than $2 million to oppose Wallace and $430,000 to support Fitzpatrick, at least an order of magnitude greater than the outside support Wallace has gotten, according to ProPublica's election data tracker.

The only independent public poll for the race, conducted in May and released June 4 by the Monmouth University Polling Institute, found what most people expected  a negligible one-point spread between Fitzpatrick and Wallace.

Charlie Gerow, a Republican political consultant well-versed in Pennsylvania politics, told NBC10 in August that confidence among Republican strategists remained high for Fitzpatrick to hold onto the seat. But he said the party would likely see a net loss of seats overall in the state.

In a sign of angst for many Republicans, Gerow said that despite optimism for Fitzpatrick's chances, the race was proving "more of a tussle than he would like."

The race has become a virtual dead heat as it heads into the home stretch, according to the Cook Political Report, which moved the district from "Lean Republican" to "Toss-Up" in late September.

In changing the Fitzpatrick-Wallace showdown to that "who knows" designation, the political website's House editor, David Wasserman, wrote: "Both parties are seeing Republicans' numbers continuing to erode in professional suburbs, and some in the GOP fear they still haven't hit rock bottom."

To Wallace, the district is a must-win if Democrats hope to win the House, and that's why he decided to leave philanthropic life and run to win it.

"There's a reason you're seeing vast amounts of money from super PACs outside [supporting Fitzpatrick]. They know what we know. Whoever wins this district wins the House," he said.
A pair of undeclared Republican senators accepted a confidential new FBI report into sex-abuse allegations against Brett Kavanaugh Thursday as "thorough," bolstering GOP hopes for confirmation as the Senate plunged toward showdown votes on President Donald Trump's embattled Supreme Court nominee.

One of the senators hinted he was open to supporting Kavanaugh as party leaders set a pivotal preliminary vote for 10:30 a.m. Friday. If that succeeds, a final roll call was expected Saturday as the long, emotional battle over the conservative jurist drew toward its climax.

Six days after Trump reluctantly ordered the FBI to scrutinize the accusations  which allegedly occurred in the 1980s and Kavanaugh has denied  leading GOP lawmakers briefed on the agency's confidential document all reached the same conclusion: There was no verification of the women's past claims and nothing new.

Democrats complained that the investigation was shoddy, omitting interviews with numerous potential witnesses, and accused the White House of limiting the FBI's leeway. Those not interviewed in the reopened background investigation included Kavanaugh himself and Christine Blasey Ford, who ignited the furor by alleging he'd molested her in a locked room at a 1982 high school gathering.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley's, R-Iowa, office late Thursday released an "executive summary" of the FBI's investigation, detailing the witnesses who were interviewed.

In regard to Ford's allegation, those witnesses included Mark Judge, P.J. Smyth and Leland Keyser, whom Ford said were there the night she alleges she was assaulted by Kavanaugh. Additionally, the FBI interviewed Timothy Gaudette and Christopher Garrett, who were listed on Kavanaugh's July 1, 1982 calendar entry, along with an attorney for one of the witnesses.

In regard to Deborah Ramirez's allegation against Kavanaugh, the FBI interviewed Ramirez herself as well as two alleged eyewitnesses identified by Ramirez and one of her close friends from college. A third alleged eyewitness declined to submit to an interview.

"The Supplemental Background Investigation confirms what the Senate Judiciary Committee concluded after its investigation: there is no corroboration of the allegations made by Dr. Ford or Ms. Ramirez," Grassley's release said.

A week after a televised Senate Judiciary Committee hearing at which Kavanaugh and Ford transfixed the nation, the Capitol campus remained a stew of tension as the election-season cliff-hanger neared its conclusion. A hefty police presence added an air of anxiety, as did thousands of noisy anti-Kavanaugh demonstrators who gathered outside the Supreme Court and in Senate office buildings. U.S. Capitol Police said 302 were arrested  among them comedian Amy Schumer, a distant relative of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

"What we know for sure is the FBI report did not corroborate any of the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters about the document, which was sent to Congress overnight. On the Senate floor, he witheringly called the accusations "uncorroborated mud."

Earlier, Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, one of the publicly undecided Republicans, told reporters that "we've seen no additional corroborating information" about the claims against the 53-year-old conservative jurist and said the investigation had been comprehensive.

A second undeclared Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, also expressed satisfaction with the probe, calling it "a very thorough investigation" and paid two visits to the off-limits room where the document was being displayed to lawmakers. She told reporters she'd not announce her position until Friday.

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, said she was "still reviewing" her decision.

The Wall Street Journal on Thursday published an op-ed from Kavanaugh, in which he called his testimony "forceful and passionate."

"I was very emotional last Thursday, more so than I have ever been. I might have been too emotional at times," he wrote. "I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said. I hope everyone can understand that I was there as a son, husband and dad. I testified with five people foremost in my mind: my mom, my dad, my wife, and most of all my daughters."

While GOP leaders were not saying they'd nailed down the support needed, backing from two of those three would ensure Kavanaugh's confirmation because every other Republican was poised to back him. Republicans have a narrow 51-49 Senate majority, and Vice President Mike Pence will be available to cast a tie-breaking vote.

The trio of GOP moderates, leery of three women's claims of alcohol-fueled sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh, had refused to let his nomination proceed last week until Trump ordered the FBI probe. The three were briefed together on the investigation in the secure room senators were using to view the report. They skirted reporters for much of the day, sometimes shielded by Capitol Police.

Underscoring the hardening partisan lines, one of the two undecided Democratic senators said she'd oppose Kavanaugh. North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who faces a difficult re-election race next month, cited concerns about his "past conduct" and said she felt his heated attacks on Democrats during last week's Judiciary Committee hearing raised questions about his "current temperament, honesty and impartiality."

West Virginia's Joe Manchin, the other undeclared Democrat, spent time looking at the report and said he would resume reading it Friday.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the Judiciary Committee's top Democrat, said while her party had agreed to a week-long FBI probe with a finite scope, "We did not agree that the White House should tie the FBI's hands."

Democrats also objected to a statement by Grassley, who said the investigation "found no hint of misconduct." The Judiciary panel's 10 Democrats said in a statement that based on their briefing and study of the document, "That is not true."

Grassley also said the FBI could not "locate any third parties who can attest to any of the allegations," and he said there is "no contemporaneous evidence."

Neither side specified what they were referring to. Under rules Congress and the White House have used for years, FBI background checks are considered confidential, and lawmakers and aides are not supposed to reveal details.

White House spokesman Raj Shah rebuffed Democrats' complaints, saying, "What critics want is a never-ending fishing expedition into high school drinking." He said the FBI reached out to 10 people and interviewed nine, including "several individuals at the request of the Senate, and had a series of follow-up interviews ... following certain leads."

Senators said the documents they examined totaled about 50 pages. Some said there were notes on interviews with nine people, though others said 10.

Trump, who Tuesday scornfully mocked Ford's Judiciary panel testimony, tweeted that Kavanaugh's "great life cannot be ruined by mean" and "despicable Democrats and totally uncorroborated allegations!"

At a rally in Minnesota Thursday night, Trump said Kavanaugh will "potentially, hopefully" be on the Supreme Court in short order.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said five of the witnesses involved Ford's claims and four were related to Ramirez, who has asserted that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when both were Yale freshmen.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said senators would sit around a rectangular table reading different sections of the report while a committee aide read other parts aloud. Senators were allowed to take notes but not remove them from the room, he said. The chamber, in the Capitol Visitor Center adjacent to the Capitol, is also used for secret intelligence briefings. Some lawmakers said they'd not been able to schedule time in the room until Friday.

Corker said nine of the pages were about Judge, the Kavanaugh friend who Ford said also jumped on her while Kavanaugh assaulted her. Judge has said he doesn't recall the incident.

While the FBI interviews were to focus on sexual assault allegations, Democrats have also questioned Kavanaugh's drinking habits during high school and college and dishonest comments they say he has made about his background. Kavanaugh has said stories of his bad behavior while drinking are exaggerated.

Barring leaks, it was unclear how much if any of the FBI report would be made public.
You can officially call him Chief Raleigh Flowers.

The Miami natives 20-year law enforcement career spans from court bailiff, to Hialeah police major, to now the first African-American police chief in Bal Harbours history.

Its a very blessed moment in life," Flowers said. "I never thought when I started out in my law enforcement career that I would rise to the level of chief, particularly here in Bal Harbour village

Surrounded by officers from all over South Florida, and his wife, kids and grandkids, Flowers spoke to a crowd at the St. Regis Hotel ballroom on Wednesday about his commitment to the community.

But behind the scenes, his department has been through tragedy.

Weve had our challenges," Flowers said. "I dont know any agency in the South Florida region that has been through what weve been through.

Flowers became emotional while he talked about his former mentors and friends.

Chief Mark Overton died in 2016 of a heart attack at just 53 years old in January. His replacement, chief Miguel de las Rosa, died at 49 of cancer.

Weve barely had time to grieve the losses of two great men but through it all this agency has bonded together," Flowers said.
What to Know The shooting happened Wednesday afternoon at the Vets Army Navy Surplus Store in Lakeland.

Police spokesman Gary Gross said in an email that officers found 50-year-old Cristobal Lopez lying face-up just outside the door.

Authorities in central Florida say a city commissioner fatally shot a customer during a dispute over a hatchet inside the Army Navy surplus store he co-owns.

The shooting happened Wednesday afternoon at the Vets Army Navy Surplus Store in Lakeland. Police spokesman Gary Gross said in an email that officers found 50-year-old Cristobal Lopez lying face-up just outside the door. He died at the scene.

Gross said witnesses told investigators Lopez entered the store with his father. While the older man was making a purchase, Commissioner Michael Dunn saw Lopez trying to steal a hatchet. Dunn asked if he was going to pay the item, a confrontation ensued and Dunn fired a gun, striking Lopez.

A criminal investigation is underway.

Dunn took office on the Lakeland City Commission in January.
Needle caps and solution vials scattered across a vacant lot in Overtown illustrate the health concerns officials have with downtown Miami's homeless population.

On Sept. 19, officials with the Florida Department of Health informed the city of Miami that they were conducting a significant public health investigation related to the homeless population and the transmission of certain diseases such as hepatitis C and HIV.

"There are diseases that are now being concentrated in this space because of the actions of the people who are breaking the law," said Miami Commissioner Keon Hardemon. "We have a responsibility of doing something and doing something now."

Commissioners passed an emergency resolution last Thursday to temporarily block vehicular traffic under the Dolphin Expressway near NW 1st Avenue, NW 2nd Avenue and NW 13th Street.

The Miami Police Department also set up surveillance cameras in the area to monitor drug activity. Police say they made seven narcotics-related arrests on just Wednesday.

We are aware that there have been drug sales in the area and drug usage and our officers are vigilant," said Miami police commander Freddie Cruz. "Our commander in the area has created operations to try to minimize this activity."

Health officials requested a delay in disbursing the homeless population in the area, however, they said the request was not intended to impede on criminal investigations.

"A lot of people are self-medicating their personal issues," said Philip, who lives in the area. "They cant cope regarding whatever their problem is.

It's unclear how long the investigation with last and how long the roads will be closed.

The Florida Department of Health said in a statement to NBC 6 that it does not discuss ongoing public health investigations in accordance with Florida Statute 381.0031 (6) and Florida Administrative Code 64D-3.036.
A former southern Oregon property owner has been charged with assault on a federal officer after authorities say an FBI agent sent to the property was shot from a booby-trapped wheelchair.

Law enforcement officers responded to the home in the small town of Williams on Sept. 7 at the request of a real estate lawyer tasked with selling the property, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Monday.

A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Medford, Oregon, said officers found traps throughout the property, from spike strips to a circular hot tub turned on its side and rigged to roll over anyone who triggered a tripwire.

"[It was] much like a scene from the movie 'Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark' in which actor Harrison Ford is forced to outrun a giant stone boulder that he inadvertently triggered by a booby trap switch," the complaint said.

After making it past the hot tub, according to the complaint, a bomb squad and FBI agent approached the property's manufactured home and blasted open the fortified front door.

Inside the home a wheelchair outfitted with a fishing line, shotgun ammunition and other items got pushed and triggered the explosion that wounded the agent, according to court documents. An X-ray found a .410-guage shotgun pellet in the agent's leg, documents said.

Authorities said the makeshift weapons were created by 66-year-old Gregory Rodvelt, who was forced to forfeit his property as part of an elder abuse case involving his mother.

Rodvelt currently is in Arizona's Maricopa County Jail, where he is in the midst of an assault trial in a separate case related to an alleged armed standoff. He has refused a court-appointed defense lawyer, the Mail Tribune reported.

Rodvelt had been in the Arizona jail since April 2017, but courts released him in mid-August for two weeks so he could prepare to turn over the property.

In the weeks since the agent was injured, a team of private contractors consisting of former military experts has inspected the property, the real estate attorney said.
What to Know One-year-old twins were found with severe body trauma late Wednesday inside their Queens home, police say

Elaina Torabi died at a hospital and her brother remains in critical condition, but police say he is likely to survive his injuries

The children's mother has been taken in for questioning after the young children were found injured inside the Auburndale home

UPDATE: Mom Arraigned as Disturbing Details of Twin Toddler Injuries Emerge

One-year-old twins were found seriously injured inside a Queens home late Wednesday, one of whom ended up dying, and their 30-year-old mother now faces charges, police say.

Three other girls, ages 2, 4, and 5, were also inside the house on Ashby Avenue in Auburndale where the babies were found with severe body trauma around 10 p.m., according to the NYPD. The three others were not hurt, but were taken to an area hospital as a precaution. They are in ACS custody.

The injured babies were taken to two area hospitals, police said. It was there where the girl, identified as Elaina Torabi of Queens, died from her injuries.

The girl had a puncture wound laceration to the back of her head, and a laceration to her stomach, as well as cigarette burns, law enforcement sources said.

The boy, whose name was not made public, remains in the hospital in critical condition, said police, who added he will likely survive. He had bruises to his pelvis, broken ribs and suffered from dehydration, according to law enforcement sources.

The mother of all five children was taken in for questioning by authorities, and later charged with 1st-degree assault related to the boy's injuries. Police say the father of the children does not live at the home and shows up there intermittently. It's not clear if the family had history with police or children's services.

Early Thursday, police tape was seen surrounding the house near Utopia Parkway while an officer stood guard at the front door.

"I cannot imagine in my wildest imagination who did it, and I am shocked by this," neighbor Judanna Cavallo told News 4 New York.

"They were always well-kept, beautiful children, and if I had ever noticed the slightest thing amiss, I would have been the first one to say something," she said.

A medical examiner will determine Elainas cause of death. The investigation is ongoing.
What to Know Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey says he's going to make public an email from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh

Releasing the email would violate a committee rule, as the Judiciary Committee is holding that email on a confidential basis

Booker says Kavanaugh discusses racial profiling in the email and says it has "nothing to do with national security"

The final round of questioning of Brett Kavanaugh had a fiery start Thursday, as Senate Democrats objected once again to thousands of documents from the career of President Donald Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court being kept from public view.

Before questioning began, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said he would be willing to break committee rules and risk being expelled from the Senate to release a document in which Kavanaugh apparently alluded to racial profiling by police. The document was labeled "committee confidential," meaning it can be read by senators and their staff but not discussed in open session.

"I sincerely believe the public deserves to know this nominee's record," Booker explained, daring colleagues to bring Senate procedure violation charges against him.

Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas called Booker's action "irresponsible and conduct unbecoming a senator."

He read a rule contemplating expulsion of senators for violating Senate confidentiality rules. Several Democrats said in response, "bring it on."

He released several documents as the hearing began, as did fellow Democrat Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, and another one was published by The New York Times and subsequently discussed in the hearing.
What to Know 89K-plus pounds of ready-to-eat ham products over concerns about bacterial contamination that has already been blamed for one death

Three related illnesses have also been reported; the affected ham was was shipped to distributors in New York, Maryland and 3 other states

If you have the ham in your home, federal officials urge you to throw it out or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund

A North Carolina-based company has recalled more than 89,000 pounds of ready-to-eat ham products over concerns about bacterial contamination that has already been blamed for one death and three illnesses.

The ready-to-eat deli-loaf ham products were shipped to distributors in New York, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

Federal officials say they found a link between Listeria, a bacteria that, when consumed, can cause serious and potentially fatal infection, and ham produced at Johnston County Hams. Federal investigators linked one death and three sicknesses between July 8, 2017 and Aug. 11, 2018 to the contamination. They say they're working with public health partners to determine if any additional illnesses may be linked to the products.

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn.

It can be treated with antibiotics. Authorities say they're concerned some of the affected ham may be in consumers' freezers and urge people who have it to toss it or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.

The ready-to-eat deli-loaf ham items were produced from April 3, 2017 to Oct. 2, 2018. The following products are subject to recall:
New footage obtained by News 4 shows the fight that left 21 correction officers hurt at a juvenile detention facility in the Bronx earlier this week.

The surveilance footage obtained Thursday afternoon, shows throngs of correction officers attempting to restrain several teens in a hallway during the melee Wednesday in a school area of Horizon Juvenile Center in the Bronx .

Several black-clad correction officers can be seen struggling to hold back the children as they run and try to swipe at one another.

The union for the officers, the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, said Wednesday that several were taken to the hospital with head, neck, chest and arm injuries. One photo released by the union also showed an officer's heavily bandaged hand.

It's not clear how badly the officers were hurt in the fight, though photos released by their union, the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, showed one with a heavily bandaged hand. It's also unclear how many teens were injured.

A new state law mandates that 16- and 17-year-olds accused of crimes be moved from Rikers to Horizon, and in the past few days, multiple fights have broken out there, according to correction officials, with both residents and officers getting injured. Twenty-one officers were injured in Wednesday's incident, but more than a dozen others have also been hurt at Horizon since the beginning of last weekend.

A spokeswoman for the Administration for Children's Services, which runs Horizon, said in a statement Wednesday, "We are in a transitionary period for historic reform that's never been done before, and there have been some incidents involving youth and officers which were quickly addressed. None of the injuries were serious, but we take these and all incidents seriously."

But correction officers claimed after the fight that those at Horizon are sitting ducks, unable to protect themselves with pepper spray, which is their one self-defense weapon in the jail system.

"The 16- and 17-year-olds that we have in the building, they're violent. They're violent," said Elias Husanudeen, president of the COBA union. "The incident that happened today is an incident that happened between gangs, regardless of their age. We can call them kids, we can call them whatever they want, this place has to be shut down."

Last month, Karen Fox gave up her New York City correction officer job rather than be transferred from Rikers Island to the Horizon juvenile facility in the Bronx run by ACS.

"It was horrible at Rikers, but now at Horizon, it's like 10 times worse than Rikers was," she said.

The union has called for for Horizon to be shut down, but it's unlikely that will happen.

In an additional statement Thursday, the ACS says it's providing three additional program counselors to motivate youth attend school in the morning; working on adding more staff to the facility; implementing classifications to separate youth based on risk factors; getting approval to secure classroom furniture to the floor and frosting classroom windows; and increasing hours of recreation staff to increase engagement and decrease idle time.

ACS also says the youth who were suspended from school as a result of the melee Wednesday will be provided school work packets while they're out, and ACS will work with their families to engage them again.
Police in Maine need the public's help locating a woman who was last seen Sunday night in North Yarmouth.

According to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, Kristin Westra, 47, was last seen at her family's home on Lufkin Road.

"It's critical that we find her," said Captain Scott Stewart. "We are not ruling out foul play."

Stewart said Westra was seen on a neighbor's security camera returning home from a jog Sunday evening. Her husband told investigators that she went to bed Sunday night. By the time he woke up early Monday, she was missing. He reported her missing to police around 9 a.m. Monday.

The sheriff's office says that no known vehicle was involved and it's unclear why Westra would be missing.

"She didn't have her phone, her keys, her car, or her wallet," said brother Eric Rohrbach. "We're terrified about the conditions she's in right now."

Rohrbach said his sister had been stressed at work, teaching elementary school students at the Chebeague Island School  and stressed at home, where her family is undergoing an expensive renovation.

"She's been getting a lot of anxiety and having trouble sleeping," he said. "I'm thinking she snapped, had a break, and left. Doing this to her family means she was not in the right mind when she left."

Friends have started a website, findkristin.org to help generate tips.

A team of at least 50 searchers from the Maine Warden Service and investigators from Maine State Police and the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department converged on the Lufkin Road area Tuesday. They plan to search into the night and hope to deploy a search plane when rainy conditions clear.

Westra is described as 5', 10" tall, 140 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the Cumberland County Regional Communications Center at 207-893-2810.
Electronic devices across the United States sounded off Wednesday as the Federal Emergency Management Agency conducted its first-ever national wireless emergency alert test.

The tone went off at 2:18 p.m. EDT. The subject of the alert read: "Presidential Alert" and text said: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."

FEMA officials estimated that about 225 million devices would receive the alert at about the same time, but the message was broadcast by cell towers for 30 minutes so some people got it later than others. Some got as many as four alerts on their phones; others didn't get any.

In a real emergency, devices would get the alert at the same time or as close to the same time as possible.

A second alert on television broadcast and radio went off at 2:20 p.m. EDT. The TV and radio alert has been tested for several years.

The system test is for a high-level "presidential" alert that would be used only in a nationwide emergency. It was completed in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission.

It's not clear how successful the test was. FEMA officials said they would share test result data on how the testing went with mobile carriers to help ensure the system works well in a true emergency.

Phones with mobile carriers that participate in the wireless emergency alert system, which sends out information on hazardous weather, or missing children, got it. FEMA officials estimated it would reach about 75 percent of all mobile phones in the country, including phones on all of the major carriers.

The wireless alert system was launched in 2012. While users can opt out of messages on missing children and natural disasters, they can't opt out of the presidential alerts, which are issued at the direction of the White House and activated by FEMA.

FEMA officials said the administration can only send such an alert for national emergencies or if the public were in peril, according to rules outlined in a 2006 law, and say it can't be used for any sort of personal message from a president.

In New York, U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla rejected a last-minute effort to block the test. Three people sued, claiming it violates their constitutional rights. The plaintiffs said the alert system fails to give people the chance to opt out.

Failla called the constitutional questions raised by the lawsuit significant and urged the litigants to find lawyers to help them proceed. She said she believes the plaintiffs want to ensure that President Donald Trump doesn't turn the alert system into a second Twitter feed.

The judge asked a government lawyer if there were standards in place to prevent someone from using the system for political purposes.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Sun said telephones were being added to a century-old alert system that is controlled by law. A FEMA lawyer said via a phone connection to the courtroom that decisions about alerts are at the discretion of the president, just as are many other decisions involving national security.

Some Trump critics seized on the alert's transmission to poke fun at the president.

"Oh my. A 'Presidential Alert' emergency. I thought that was the entire Trump presidency," actor and activist George Takei tweeted.
What to Know Jacob Schmoyer and his 2-year-old son, Jonathan, were killed in the blast along with friend David Hallman.

Police say letters sent by the elder Schmoyer laid out his plan to kill himself, his son and Hallman.

The vehicle exploded in the 700 block of West Turner Street near North Hall Street around 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

A man blew up himself, his 2-year-old son and a friend in car explosion in Allentown, Pennsylvania, which authorities say was a murder-suicide.

Jacob Schmoyer exploded a homemade explosive device in his car, officials with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said at a news conference Thursday with prosecutors and police.

"We are very confident at this point that it was Mr. Schmoyer," ATF Philadelphia Field Division Special Agent in Charge Don Robinson said.

And, they said, Schmoyer specifically targeted his friend, David Hallman, as well as his own son.

Jonathan "JJ" Schmoyer was secured in a car seat in the back of the car.

The explosion on West Turner Street scattered debris and body parts over several city blocks in the Lehigh Valley city.

ATF

Schmoyer had sent four letters to family and Allentown police that were received after the incident. He said he was miserable, accepted blame for the murders and even detailed how he constructed the device.

"There was a lot of hatred there," Robinson said. "Some directed at Mr. Hallman and some at his son."

Schmoyer also confessed to a series of other criminal acts, including burglary, in the letters, which authorities were having authenticated.

Schmoyer likely placed the device near the center console and got the other two people into the car, Robinson said.

"I do want answers. We all want answers," Schmoyer's grandmother, Kathleen Pond told NBC10 earlier this week. "That's probably the most important thing."

With the Allentown car explosion under investigation for the fourth day, NBC10 talks to the woman who lost her grandson and great grandson in the blast.

Police reopened Turner Street after spending days recovering evidence that helped them reconstruct the car.

They believe some evidence could still be on the scene, and have asked anyone who spots debris to not touch and contact Allentown police.

SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: Here is information on suicide prevention from the National Institute of Mental Health. If you are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting 'Home' to 741741.

Correction: This story has been corrected to identify the 66-year-old victim's name as David Hallman.
What to Know Philly's district attorney, Larry Krasner, announced the arrests of 57 people in a crackdown on drug dealers in Kensington.

The arrests targeted the Alameda Drug Trafficking Organization, which sold fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine in the neighborhood.

Kensington has been ravaged by drug addiction, despite the city's efforts. Philadelphia declared a 'neighborhood emergency' there this week.

More than 57 people have been arrested and charged with being part of a $5 million-per-year ring that piped drugs into the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, which has been hit so hard by drug sales and addiction that Philadelphia's mayor declared a disaster there Wednesday.

The people arrested are part of the Alameda Drug Trafficking Organization, District Attorney Larry Krasner said Thursday. They range from street dealers to people who controlled the enterprise, and they are charged with selling fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and other drugs.

Three of the drug organization's leaders face 689 drug and gun charges. The sweeps also seized almost 2 kilograms of cocaine, more than a kilogram of crack cocaine and almost 4 kilograms of heroin.

The investigation centered on the intersection of Kip and Cambria streets in Kensington, one of the epicenters of Philadelphia's drug crisis.

In the year that ended July 1, 2018, more than 300 people within a four-block radius of the intersection were hospitalized  about 75 percent of those cases were overdoses. More than 700 people there were arrested in that same year.

In the larger neighborhood, the number of people experiencing homelessness has doubled in a year, which city officials also say is a result of drug addiction.

The city has tried to help. Workers have cleaned out encampments, opened shelters and handed out doses of the overdose reversal drug Naloxone to community groups.

But officials say it's a losing battle. "We certainly recognize that things have gotten worse, that the neighborhood is under siege," Brian Abernathy, Philadelphia's first deputy managing director, told Philly.com. "People are suffering. We have to do better, and we're exploring new approaches. We expect to have something soon."

Mayor Jim Kenney's executive order declaring a neighborhood disaster will allow the Office of Emergency Management to create an emergency operations center there, Philadelphia magazine reported. And it will create a task force which every city agency is required to assist when needed  so that the problem can be addressed from multiple angles.

Community leaders praised Thursday's arrest as an important part of that effort.

"We work constantly to relieve our residents and neighborhoods of the stress, fear, and violence brought on and worsened by the opioid crisis," said Maria D. Quinones Sanchez, who represents the neighborhood on City Council. "While our work is often behind the scenes, it is determined, and we will not stop.
What to Know A brother and sister are in custody while a third suspect remains on the loose in connection to the murder of Madison Marie Walb.

Carmen and Christopher Morales-Feliciano were both already in custody on unrelated charges. Christian Carmona-Llanos remains at large.

Walb's body was found wrapped in a carpet along a road in Berks County nearly a year ago.

A brother and sister and a third suspect were charged in connection to the murder of a woman whose body was found wrapped in a carpet nearly a year ago in Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Carmen Morales-Feliciano, 25, is charged with first- and second-degree murder as well as aggravated assault. She is also, along with her brother, Christopher Morales-Feliciano, 22, and Christian Carmona Llanos, 26, charged with abuse of corpse, criminal conspiracy, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

The brother and sister were already in the Berks County Jail on unrelated charges Wednesday. Carmona-Llanos surrendered to authorities Wednesday night.

On Oct. 8, 2017, police discovered the body of Madison Marie Walb, 23. Walb's body was found along the roadside and wrapped in a carpet on the 200 block of Riegel Road in Lower Heidelberg Township, Pennsylvania. Her death was ruled a homicide and investigators determined she died from a single gunshot wound to the head.

Berks County Police interviewed a friend who had spoken with Walb hours before her death. They also looked through surveillance video.

The video showed Walb walking from a restaurant on the 800 block of Penn Street in Reading, Pennsylvania, in the early morning hours of Oct. 6, 2017.

Walb is then seen entering a first floor apartment on 800 Franklin Street at 1:05 that morning. Around 40 minutes later, Carmen and Christopher Morales-Feliciano are seen exiting the apartment, police said. Christopher Morales-Feliciano and Carmona-Llanos then enter the apartment building about an hour later, according to investigators.

A short time later, Christopher Morales-Feliciano and Carmona-Llanos are seen on surveillance video removing a rolled up carpet out of a side window onto South 8th Street in Reading. An arm appears to be protruding from the end of the carpet, police said.

The video shows them placing the carpet inside a vehicle and then driving away, according to investigators.

During the investigation, Berks County detectives interviewed another witness who claimed they had a conversation with Carmen Morales-Feliciano in which she allegedly admitted to shooting Walb in the head.

Morales-Feliciano allegedly told the witness she, her brother and Carmona-Llanos disposed of Walb's body. Carmen Morales-Feliciano then returned to 800 Franklin Street and opened up a "Trap House" to continue selling drugs, police said. Surveillance video shows her selling drugs both before and after Walb's death, according to investigators.
What to Know The chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party is accusing a teacher at a Philly high school of handing out liberal fliers to students.

Fliers urging students to vote were spotted inside Central High School in the Olney section of Philadelphia.

The letter includes the messages, VOTE to stop the Trump regime, VOTE because rich right-wingers want you to stay home."

The chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party is accusing a teacher at a Philadelphia high school of circulating fliers with a liberal message to students.

Fliers urging students to vote were spotted inside Central High School in the Olney section of Philadelphia. The letter includes the messages, VOTE to stop the Trump regime, VOTE because rich right-wingers want you to stay home, and VOTE to support Black Lives Matter.

Val DiGiorgio, the chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania and an alumnus of Central High School, said he became aware of the fliers after another Central High School alumni brought them to his attention.

DiGiorgio contacted Philadelphia School District superintendent William Hite and urged him to investigate. DiGiorgio claimed the fliers were created by the head of the schools Social Studies department.

Political activity such as this is specifically prohibited by the employee handbook for the School District of Philadelphia, and as such, further investigation into the matter is warranted, DiGiorgio wrote in a statement.

As Chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, I am also concerned about the liberal indoctrination of students in public schools, which are meant to be an a-political place of learning, not a taxpayer-subsidized propaganda school.

Officials with the Philadelphia school district told NBC10 they are investigating and working to determine if the head of the Social Studies department handed out the fliers and did so inside the building.

The School District of Philadelphia has a policy that prohibits school property and time from being used for political purposes, a school district spokesperson wrote. We take this policy seriously and, as November 6 nears, we will remind our employees of this policy.

NBC10 reached out to the teacher accused of circulating the fliers. He told us he could not comment until Thursday.
What to Know Thomas Jefferson University held its first ever CannaVation event where cannabis innovators competed for $10,000.

Jefferson is one of five Philly research institutions approved by the state to study medical marijuana.

With these five accredited centers, Philadelphia stands to lead the nation in cannabis research.

From hemp-based tampons to cannabis-infused butter, innovators are zeroing in on Philadelphia's growing cannabiz potential.

Several competed Wednesday for a $10,000 prize at Thomas Jefferson University's CannaVation event, which attracted marijuana entrepreneurs from all over the continent.

The winner, Canadian pharmacist Kit Poon, developed screening software to help physicians comb through a database of cannabis and find the right strain for their patients.

That a Canadian pharmacist chose Philadelphia to pitch his cannabiz idea speaks to the citys fertile research economy.

Jeffersons Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp is a leading research institution that happens to have deep pockets. It is also one of five Philadelphia-based research centers certified by the state to study pot.

Entrepreneurs, when theyre approaching this fertile ground for innovation, will find Philly and this corridor very attractive, Rose Ritts, Jefferson executive vice president and chief innovation officer, said.

The thinking among industry leaders is that science can lessen the taboo surrounding cannabis. But the only way to conduct scientific research is to secure approval from the federal government, which still considers the plant a Schedule 1 drug.

As a result, cannabis maintains a kind of mythical status within the research world. Its therapeutic properties remain largely untapped yet acquiring it legally is harder than buying it on the street.

This hasnt prevented entrepreneurs, like Poon, from joining the green rush. Instead, investors and researchers are teaming up throughout the region to create their own partnerships that skirt federal prohibitions.

Last month, the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine joined Jefferson, Temple, Drexel and Penn universities in securing Academic Clinical Research Center permits from the state Department of Health, which oversees Pennsylvanias medical marijuana program. The certification enables these institutions to research programs and study data collected at medical cannabis dispensaries.

However, none of these centers can study the actual plant, including organic material grown in Pennsylvania by licensed cultivators.

The only plant available for research comes from the University of Mississippi. To access it, researchers must navigate a complex bureaucratic web involving multiple federal agencies starting with the FDA and ending with the DEA.

There is no timeline for studies to be approved by the federal government, and very few trial studies have been conducted in the United States to date.

Many investors fear the country is quickly falling behind international competitors.

Medical innovation and clinical research is being stymied by our own laws, Lindy Snider, cannabis entrepreneur and daughter of former Flyers owner Ed Snider, said. Until the law is changed, there is always going to be a ceiling.

Poking holes in the ceiling remains the only recourse for hungry innovators.

Earlier this year, Jefferson launched the mmj.org initiative, which collects data from 100,000 registered medical marijuana patients throughout the country. Many of these patients suffer from chronic pain and were prescribed opioids. The first big question is whether their quality of life can be improved by using cannabis-based treatment.

Youve got 30 states that allow it to be used for a medical condition and, for the most part, we have very little medical guidance, Dr. Charles V. Pollack, director of Jeffersons Lambert Center, said. We are trying to close the scientific gap.

At Temples Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Sara Jane Ward received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to study cannabis-based treatment for neuropathic pain and traumatic injuries. In her research, Ward doesn't use tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, which produces a high and is difficult to acquire legally.

Instead, she uses synthetic cannabidiol created in Doylestown by bio-pharmaceutical company Kannalife Sciences.

One of these compounds, KLS-13019, has been shown to prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, which causes the chronic and debilitating pain associated with cancer treatment.

You need the evidence otherwise no one will believe you, Kannalife spokesman Thoma Kikis said. Science leads the way.

The lack of science is what prompted Canadian pharmacist Kit Poon to develop the software pitched at Jefferson. He was inspired by a patient with epilepsy whose neurologist recommended cannabis but offered little additional guidance. A novice to the plant, she consulted the Internet and cold-called a marijuana grower. It took her three weeks to receive the medication.

Poons software, he said, could help patients like her navigate the seemingly endless world of cannabis products.

If youre a cancer patient and youre looking for cannabis to alleviate some of that chronic pain for end of life care, you really dont have three weeks to research and figure things out, Poon said.

Researchers at Penn Medicine have already dedicated several years to studying how cannabis could help epilepsy.

Dr. Frances Jensen, chair of neurology at Penn Medicine, forged a close relationship with a family from Texas whose child died from a rare form of epilepsy in 2016. The only relief the little girl found during her short life came after her parents discovered hemp oil.

Jensens team is looking at the brains of epileptic mice to see how they react to cannabidiol. She never meant to study cannabis, but the familys experience provided strong anecdotal evidence, Jensen said.

Still, questions remain regarding the safety and efficacy of cannabis to treat epilepsy and other disorders. The only way to get answers, however, is continued research.
What to Know Melania Trump is shining a light on child welfare in Africa

Her five-day, four-nation tour always includes stops in Malawi, Kenya and Egypt

She visited Ghana's Cape Coast Castle, built by Swedes in the 17th century and which became a warehouse for Africans during the slave trade

Melania Trump walked out the infamous "Door of No Return" at a onetime slave-trade outpost Wednesday and gazed over the crashing ocean waves that carried millions of Africans to lives of servitude. She later called her visit "a solemn reminder of a time in our history that should never be forgotten."

"It's very emotional," she said.

"The dungeons that I saw, it's really something that people should see and experience," she told reporters.

The setting was Cape Coast Castle, a 17th century structure overlooking the Atlantic on the coast of the West African nation of Ghana.

Swedes built the castle for use in the trade of timber and gold. But along the way it became a warehouse for Africans as they were rounded up and shipped to the New World and into lives of servitude.

The castle is a familiar stop for U.S. dignitaries visiting Ghana. Then-President Barack Obama brought his family in July 2009. U.S. lawmakers have come, too.

Adding her name to the list Wednesday was the wife of President Donald Trump, who isn't unanimously seen as a friend of Africa.

Mrs. Trump arrived at the castle after a two-and-a-half hour drive over bumpy roads from the capital, Accra. The first lady spent a few minutes meeting privately with her guide, Kwesi Essel-Blankson, and getting an introductory history of the castle before they emerged into an open area in 80-degree heat and humidity.

The two stood on an upper level before descending a staircase to walk along a stone path as waves crashed below. Essel-Blankson showed the first lady an old cannonball and then escorted her to the "male slave dungeon." They spent about 10 minutes inside the mostly dark, cramped holding area before the first lady walked down a pathway that led to the Door of No Return.

It was through this door  and others like it all along the coast of West Africa  that Africans were loaded onto vessels that then took them across the Atlantic with little hope of ever returning to their homeland.

Afterward, the first lady tweeted: "Day two in #Ghana was so impactful. My visit to Cape Coast castle was a solemn reminder of a time in our history that should never be forgotten."

Before leaving the compound, the first lady laid a wreath, observed a moment of silence and signed a guest book, writing: "Thank you for your warm welcome." She called the castle "a special place."

The first lady's visit was a lower-key affair than Obama's visit as the first black U.S. president, and reminders of his visit with wife Michelle were prominent.

A marble plaque unveiled by Obama and his wife during their visit hung near the entrance to one of the dungeons.

Before the visit, Mrs. Trump visited nearby Emintsimadze Palace to participate in a traditional ceremony where a regional tribe leader granted her permission to tour the palace. Obama had also been to the palace and his presence was documented there, too.

The ceremony was held inside Obama Hall, a building on the palace grounds that was renamed after the former president's 2009 visit. A large photo of Obama greeting the chiefs hangs in the lobby.

Mrs. Trump entered the hall following a procession of girls blowing horns. She was escorted to a high-backed chair alongside Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, chieftain of the Fante tribe, before an audience of fellow tribe members, U.S. Embassy staff and journalists.

He called her "Your Excellency," and said: "We welcome you to Cape Coast and hope your short stay will be a memorable one."

Mrs. Trump replied that she was "very honored" to be there, accepting a gift of Kente cloth and slippers as a remembrance of the trip.

Mrs. Trump, who was born in Slovenia, is on her first visit to Africa, with a goal of highlighting child welfare on the continent. Her five-day, four-nation tour will also include stops in Malawi, Kenya and Egypt.
In response to a U.N. court order that the U.S. lift sanctions on Iran, the Trump administration said Wednesday it was terminating a decades-old treaty affirming friendly relations between the two countries. The move is a largely symbolic gesture that highlights deteriorating relations between Washington and Tehran.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said withdrawing from the 1955 Treaty of Amity was long overdue and followed Iran "groundlessly" bringing a complaint with the International Court of Justice challenging U.S. sanctions on the basis that they were a violation of the pact.

Meanwhile, national security adviser John Bolton said the administration also was pulling out of an amendment to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that Iran or others, notably the Palestinians, could use to sue the U.S. at The Hague-based tribunal. Bolton told reporters at the White House that the provision violates U.S. sovereignty.

"The United States will not sit idly by as baseless politicized claims are brought against us," Bolton said. He cited a case brought to the court by the "so-called state of Palestine" challenging the move of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as the main reason for withdrawing.

Bolton, who last month unleashed a torrent of criticism against the International Criminal Court, noted that previous Republican administrations had pulled out of various international agreements and bodies over "politicized cases." He said the administration would review all accords that might subject the U.S. to prosecution by international courts or panels.

Earlier, Pompeo denounced the Iranian case before the U.N. court as "meritless" and said the Treaty of Amity was meaningless and absurd.

"The Iranians have been ignoring it for an awfully long time, we ought to have pulled out of it decades ago," he told reporters at the State Department.

The little-known treaty with Iran was among numerous such ones signed in the wake of World War II as the Truman and Eisenhower administrations tried to assemble a coalition of nations to counter the Soviet Union. Like many of the treaties, this one was aimed at encouraging closer economic relations and regulating diplomatic and consular ties.

Its first article reads: "There shall be firm and enduring peace and sincere friendship between the United States of America and Iran."

The treaty survived the 1979 overthrow of the Shah in Iran's Islamic revolution and the subsequent hostage crisis that crippled American-Iranian relations for decades.

But amid a broader push to assert U.S. sovereignty in the international arena and after pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal this year, the administration determined that the court case made the treaty irrelevant.

Pompeo said the ruling was a "useful point for us to demonstrate the absolute absurdity" of the treaty.

The court case is legally binding, but Pompeo said the administration would proceed with sanctions enforcement with existing exceptions for humanitarian and flight safety transactions.

"The United States has been actively engaged on these issues without regard to any proceeding before the ICJ," he said.

At the same time, he criticized the ruling.

"We're disappointed that the court failed to recognize that it has no jurisdiction to issue any order relating to these sanctions measures with the United States."

The ruling said Washington must "remove, by means of its choosing, any impediments arising from" the re-imposition of sanctions to the export to Iran of medicine and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities and spare parts and equipment necessary to ensure the safety of civil aviation.

It said the exceptions mentioned by Pompeo "are not adequate to address fully the humanitarian and safety concerns" raised by Iran.

The first set of sanctions that had been eased under the terms of the nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration was reimposed in August. A second, more sweeping set of sanctions, is set to be reimposed in early November.

Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, praised the court ruling, saying on Twitter that it was "another failure for sanctions-addicted" U.S. and a "victory for rule of law." He said it was imperative for other countries 'to collectively counter malign US unilateralism" and he accused the U.S. of being an "outlaw regime."

The court said the case will continue and the U.S. can still challenge its jurisdiction but no date has been set for further hearings.
New video shows a small group of Camp Pendleton-based U.S. Marines along with Marines from 29 Palms in eastern Syria. The video comes as tensions have increased over bombing by Russia and the recent missile attack by Iran.

The video shows Marines from the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, Crisis Response-Central Command conducting a live-fire demonstration in eastern Syria.

A Marine spokesperson tells NBC 7 SPMAGTF-CRCC consists of a small group of Marines from Camp Pendleton and Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment from 29 Palms.

The live-fire demonstration came after Russian and Syrian forces protecting the Assad regime planned to carry out counterterrorism operations inside the de-confliction zone.

NBC 7 showed the video to decorated Combat Veteran Povas Miknaitis who said, Just from that video, in particular, it seems like we have like weve got troops on the ground a little bit more than people necessarily think.

Citing security reasons the local military would not give the exact numbers of troops. Adding to the complexity in Syria - there remains a mix of fighters including Iran. Miknaitis says rules of engagement are in place, "So even though the situation is very dynamic I'm sure it's very clear in those Marine's mindset as to who they're going to be firing upon and who they're fighting in that region.

And while the U.S. military may have clarity this week Iran's ballistic missile attack that killed 24 people in eastern Syria in retaliation for the recent attack on an Iranian military parade adds to the complexity.

In a briefing, the U.S Military says the missiles hit about three miles from where US troops were positioned and that troops were not in any danger.

Miknaitis said in his experience in the middle east, "You'd have airstrikes much closer than three miles," that three miles would be a safe distance.

According to a Marine Corps spokesperson before the end of the year Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit will deploy to the Middle East and replace the group.

Editor's Note: 15th MEU clarified some Marines are moving into Syria while others are deploying to other parts of the Middle East.
A 28-year-old registered sex offender who was convicted in San Diego in 2015 was arrested Thursday in Northern California for allegedly having sex with a teenage girl, police said.

Benjamin Thomas Shumate, who previously lived in Poway, allegedly had sex with the teen in Santa Rosa after meeting her on a dating application in June, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Brenda Harrington said.

Shumate and the teen met a few times over the course of a few months at various locations in Santa Rosa and on at least one occasion, he sexually assaulted her, Harrington said.

The assault was not immediately reported to police, she said.

Shumate was convicted in 2015 for arranging to meet with a minor for sex. He was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender.

He was released in 2016 and paroled to Sonoma County.

Shumate was arrested without incident and charged with parole violation, unlawful sex with a minor, oral copulation of a minor and penetration with a foreign object.

He is being held at the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility on $50,000 bond. Shumate is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
Thursday is National Taco Day and there may be no better place to celebrate than in San Diego, where influence from our neighbor to the south has allowed for some unique taco concoctions.

So, grab a margarita and chow down on some tacos. Here are some taco day deals around San Diego County to help you celebrate:

Rubios Coastal Grill

Rubio's Coastal Grill

Ralph Rubio, co-founder of the coastal Mexican eatery, says he was the first to bring the fish taco to the good people of San Diego after a trip to Mexico. Whether or not that's true, San Diegans have been enjoying Rubio's original fish taco since the first stand opened in Mission Bay. For National Taco Day, guests can enjoy a free original fish taco with any beverage purchase if you present this coupon when ordering, only at participating locations.

Chronic Tacos Mexican Grill

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Are you ready for the "taco life?" Just say those two words at Chronic Taco's counter between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to get a free taco, excluding their fish, shrimp and steak tacos. Chronic Tacos has two locations in San Diego -- one in Pacific Beach and in Oceanside.

El Pollo Loco

Looking for your fix of chicken tacos? Visit El Pollo Loco and get a free chicken taco al carbon with any regularly priced food or beverage purchase. Just print out or show this coupon to cashier at one of several participating locations across the county. Plus, you can enter for a chance to win free tacos for a year.

Puesto

Puesto

For National Taco Day, Puesto invites its guests to come in and receive a free taco of the month -- a squash and braised greens taco with squash in mojo de ajo, queso enchilada, pumpkin salsa, and cilantro. To get the deal, follow Puesto on Instagram. They have two locations in San Diego, in La Jolla and at the Headquarters at Seaport Village.

Not Not Tacos

Not Not Tacos

San Diego-based television cooking personality "Sam the Cooking Guy" is the mastermind behind this spot in Little Italy that embraces the taco in an entirely new way. His concoctions include ingredients not typically found in tacos, like meatloaf, salmon and pastrami -- "not, not tacos," he says.

In honor of National Taco Day, Not Not Tacos is adding a new menu item for one day only. The Hot Dog Taco uses NYC hot dog-cart style onions and a simmered hot dog with crispy onions on a flour tortilla.

Do you know of a taco day deal that didn't make our list? Let us know in the comments below.
Katelyn French was at a loss when her nine months of planning to be married this weekend in North Carolina's mountains was washed away by Hurricane Florence.

But then family and friends in Florida's Panhandle stepped up to give her and her fiance, Matt Parsons, a dream wedding a little closer to home.

Her aunt, April Crosby, opened up her home on a lake in Chipley, Florida, for the wedding.

French tells Panama City television station WMBB that her aunt told her not to worry since the wedding was going to be "fabulous."

Friends and family set up benches in front of the backyard lake, strung lights from trees and folded cloth napkins in preparation for Saturday's nuptials.

French says what seemed like a disaster ended up being a blessing.

And she is not alone.

Texans Brendan McLean and Allison Miller were planning on exchanging vows Friday in Charleston, South Carolina. But with the "Southern Charm" city in the hurricane's path, Charleston was under a mandatory evacuation order.

Miller and McLean were forced to give up their dream wedding on a plantation and scrambled to plan one closer to home in Plano.

With the help of family, friends and even Mavericks owner Marc Cuban, who donated the catering, they were able to pull together a new wedding in just five days.

"We've been so overwhelmed by disappointment in the beginning, but then, the love and support of people, just sort of this outpouring from everywhere," McLean said.

A day after blowing ashore with 90 mph (145 kph) winds, a weakened Florence slowed to a crawl over the Carolinas, and the storm's relentless rains fueled fears of devastating inland flooding in the next few days.

More than 2 feet (60 centimeters) of rain had fallen in places, swelling rivers toward record levels, and forecasters say there could be an additional 1 feet (45 centimeters) before Sunday is out.

Adriana Ruggiero and David Robinson decided earlier this year to wed in Wilmington, North Carolina, where her fiance has familial roots. But the venue they chose to celebrate their wedding day is along the edge of the Cape Fear River, which is projected to overrun its banks and flood cities and towns.

While the couple say they don't have a backup plan to salvage their wedding if flooding prevents them from marrying in Wilmington, Ruggiero told NBC San Diego that for now they are focusing on praying for people impacted by Florence.

The most important part that we have been praying for is that no one gets hurt, Adriana said. Of course we want to have our wedding, but we are also aware that there are other things around this situation that are even bigger than our wedding."
A member of the United States military was killed in Afghanistan Thursday, NATO's mission in the country announced.

The service member was part of the NATO Resolute Support mission, and the incident in which they died is under investigation. Their name is being withheld pending notification of their next of kin.

"We mourn and honor the sacrifice of our service member," said Gen. Scott Miller, commander of Resolute Support and United States Forces Afghanistan.

Resolute Support is a NATO-led mission to train, assist and advise Afghanistan's national security forces. It involves about 16,000 service members from 39 NATO allies and partners, including the U.S.

Last month, a U.S. service member was killed in Afghanistan in an apparent insider attack that wounded another member of the U.S. military.
A dean at a Northern Virginia school has been charged with assaulting a student.

Ryan Fortenbaugh, 35, is the Middle School Dean at Douglass School in Leesburg, Virginia.

A student told police he was vaping with several students inside a bathroom at the school on Sept. 5 when Fortenbaugh came in and confronted him. Fortenbaugh then allegedly restrained the student before assaulting him.

Loudoun County sheriff's deputies arrested Fortenbaugh on Tuesday on charges of assault and battery.

Loudoun County Public Schools put Fortenbaugh on administrative leave when the alleged assault was first reported.

The Douglass School is the county's "center for alternative education," according to the school's website.
Astronomers may have found the first moon outside our solar system, a gas behemoth the size of Neptune.

Plenty of planets exist beyond our solar system, but a moon around one of those worlds has yet to be confirmed. Two Columbia University researchers presented their tantalizing evidence for a moon Wednesday.

The potential moon would be considerably larger than Earth  about the size of Neptune or Uranus. The planet it orbits is as big as mammoth Jupiter. This apparent super-size pairing of a gaseous moon and planet is 8,000 light-years away.

Researchers Alex Teachey and David Kipping evaluated 284 planets outside our solar system that had already been discovered by NASA's Kepler Space Telescope. Only one planet held promise for hosting a moon, one around the star known as Kepler-1625, which is about the size of our sun but older.

So last October, the pair directed the Hubble Space Telescope at the star in an attempt to verify  or rule out  the possibility of a moon orbiting the planet Kepler-1625b. They were on the lookout for a second temporary dimming of starlight. The main dip in stellar brightness would be the planet itself crossing in front of its star. Another dip could well be a moon  known as an exomoon outside our solar system.

The more powerful and precise Hubble telescope detected a second and smaller decrease in starlight 3  hours after the planet passed in front of the star  "like a dog following its owner on a leash," as Kipping put it. The observation period, however, ended before the moon could complete its transit. That's why the astronomers need another look with Hubble, hopefully next spring.

Despite the evidence, Teachey stressed "we are urging caution here."

"The first exomoon is obviously an extraordinary claim and it requires extraordinary evidence," Teachey said. "Furthermore, the size we've calculated for this moon, about the size of Neptune, has hardly been anticipated and so that, too, is reason to be careful here."

He added: "We're not cracking open Champagne bottles just yet on this one."

If indeed a moon, it would be about 2 million miles (3 million kilometers) from its planet and appear twice as big in its sky, as the moon does in ours. The astronomers are uncertain how this potential moon might have formed, given its size.

"If confirmed, this finding could completely shake up our understanding of how moons are formed and what they can be made of," NASA's science mission chief Thomas Zurbuchen said in a statement.

According to the researchers, another compelling piece of evidence in favor of a moon is that the planet passed in front of its star more than an hour earlier than predicted. A moon could cause that kind of an uncertain, wobbly path, they noted.

Kipping said that's how the Earth and moon would appear from far away. This particular planet  or exoplanet  is about the same distance from its star as Earth is to the sun.

Another planet could cause the same gravitational nudge, the researchers noted, although Kepler observations have come up empty in that regard. Kepler-1625b is the only planet found so far around this star.

For Teachey and Kipping, the best and simplest explanation is that Kepler-1625b has a moon.

"We've tried our best to rule out other possibilities," Kipping told reporters. "But we were unable to find any other single hypothesis which can explain all of the data we have."

Their findings were published in the journal Science Advances . The journal's deputy editor, Kip Hodges, praised the researchers for their cautious tone, given the difficult and complicated process of identifying an exomoon.

"If this finding stands up to further observational scrutiny, it represents a major milestone in the field of astronomy," Hodges said.

The Columbia astronomers said they may be able to clinch this as early as next year, with more Hubble viewing. In the meantime, they're encouraging other scientists to join in and embracing the scrutiny that's sure to come.

Whether confirmed or not, the subject offers insight into how rare  or how common  our own solar system might be.

Moons are abundant in our own solar system, with close to 200. Of the eight planets in our solar system, only Mercury and Venus have none.

Given that both the planet and its potential moon are gas giants, no one is suggesting conditions that might support life.

"But going forward, I think we're opening the doors to finding worlds like that," Teachey said.
What to Know A Brooklyn resident who hired two women to clean her apartment discovered they had trashed the home and drunk her liquor

One of the woman passed out drunk on the resident's floor, she said

The resident posted photos of the aftermath on Facebook in hopes of getting a refund from the cleaning service

A Brooklyn resident hired two women to clean her apartment  only to discover one of them passed out on her floor after the pair trashed her home and drank her liquor, she says.

Genevieve Snow hired the women through Brooklyn-based Joanna Cleaning Service on Aug. 27, paying $185 plus a $60 tip for them to clean the common spaces she shares with three other roommates in Williamsburg, she told News 4 New York.

Theres four of us living here and were pretty good at cleaning up after ourselves, but its nice to have a deep clean every six months or so, she said.

After Snow let the woman into the apartment around 8 a.m., she headed to her office, she recalled. But when her neighbor went over to pick up her keys around 1 p.m., he was shocked to find the two women asleep on the sofas in the apartment, she said.

I thought that was very unprofessional, but I didnt call the police or anything, because I figured maybe they had been working really hard and they had another gig that evening, she told News 4.

Snow emailed the woman shed been in contact with at the cleaning service, but assumed the cleaners would leave after her neighbor saw them sleeping.

When one of Snows roommates got home around 5:30 p.m., however, one of the woman was passed out on the floor of the apartment.

The apartment was left wide open, keys were missing, everything was upended and smashed, Snow said.

Thats when Snow called the police, she said.

My first reaction was panic. I thought maybe someone had inhaled cleaning fluids and was dead, she said.

When police arrived, Snow learned that the woman was drunk, she said. A spice rack in the apartment had been smashed, the coffee table was flipped over and nearly a liter of vodka and gin had been consumed, she wrote in a post on Facebook.

Police spent 45 minutes getting [the cleaning lady] together enough to put her in an ambulance, Snow said.

She was too drunk to put her flip flops on  she could hardly say her name, she said. Officers at the scene wouldnt take a police report, as Snow had let the women into the apartment, she said.

Later that evening, Snow spoke with someone who identified herself as Joanna  the woman through whom Snow set up the cleaning  and the woman initially promised the company would return the cleaning fee and tip and pay for a $125 lock replacement and the $59 spice rack, Snow said.

But after some confusing back and forth, the woman ultimately refused to refund Snow and stopped responding to her, Snow said.

Snow says she gave the woman until the end of September to repay her, but when that didnt happen, she took to Facebook, she said.

After the post went up, a woman who identified herself as Joanna called Snow, claimed she had the wrong Joanna, and maintained the cleaner who passed out at Snows apartment hadnt worked for the service for five years, Snow said.

When News 4 reached out to Joanna Cleaning Service on Wednesday, the owner claimed the two cleaners werent affiliated with her company and said an ex-employee had started her own company with a similar name.

The ex-employee must have reached out to Joanna Cleaning Services past clients via email, the owner maintained.

Snow told News 4 she just wants the owner of Joanna Cleaning Service to repay the $400.

She and her roommates will still consider using a cleaning service in the future, but not without taking precautions, she said.

We will not be doing that without someone at home, which is tough, because we all work, she said. Who has time to babysit a cleaning service?
The Senate braced for a crucial initial vote Friday on Brett Kavanaugh's tottering Supreme Court nomination after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set his polarized chamber on a schedule to decide which party wins an election-season battle royale that has consumed the nation. A showdown roll call over confirmation seemed likely over the weekend.

McConnell, R-Ky., cemented the process late Wednesday and announced that sometime during the evening, the FBI would deliver to an anxious Senate the potentially fateful document on claims that Kavanaugh sexually abused women. With Republicans clinging to a razor-thin 51-49 majority and five senators  including three Republicans  still vacillating, the conservative jurist's prospects of Senate confirmation remained murky and highly dependent on the file's contents, which are supposed to be kept secret.

"There will be plenty of time for members to review and be briefed on the supplemental material" before Friday's vote, McConnell said to the nearly empty chamber. In a rare moment of randomness in what's been a deadly serious process, the normally meticulous lawmaker's cell phone emitted a ringtone during part of his remarks.

Lawmakers were planning to begin reading the FBI report early Thursday, with senators and a small number of top aides permitted to view it in a secure room in the Capitol complex. Senators are not supposed to divulge the contents of the agency's background reports.

The report was arriving at a Capitol palpably tense over the political stakes of the nomination fight and from aggressive anti-Kavanaugh protesters who have rattled and reportedly harassed senators. Feeding the anxiety was an unusually beefy presence of the U.S. Capitol Police, who were keeping demonstrators and frequently reporters at arm's length by forming wedges around lawmakers walking through corridors.

Amid complaints that some lawmakers were being confronted outside their homes, McConnell claimed on the Senate floor that the protesters were "part of the organized effort" to derail Kavanaugh's nomination.

"There is no chance in the world that they're going to scare us out of doing our duty," he said.

Adding to the uncertainty, the three undecided GOP senators who could decide Kavanaugh's fate rebuked President Donald Trump for mocking one accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, by mimicking her responses to questions at last week's dramatic Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

"I would tell him, knock it off. You're not helping," Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said of Trump's Tuesday night tirade.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Trump's insults marked a "new low."

Barring leaks, it was unclear how much of the FBI report, if any, would be made public. While senators from both sides have expressed support for revealing at least parts of the findings, FBI background checks on nominees are supposed to remain confidential.

Underscoring rising tensions, Democrats suggested that previous FBI background checks of Kavanaugh may have unearthed misconduct by the nominee.

Democrats wrote to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, challenging a Tuesday tweet by GOP aides saying prior investigations never found "a whiff of ANY issue  at all  related in any way to inappropriate sexual behavior or alcohol abuse." Democrats wrote that the GOP tweet contained information that is "not accurate."

Committee Republicans tweeted in response that their prior tweet was "completely truthful" and accused Democrats of "false smears."

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told reporters that Trump's lampooning of Ford at a Tuesday night Mississippi campaign rally was "just plain wrong." Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, called it "wholly inappropriate and in my view unacceptable," and Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said on NBC's "Today" show that the remarks were "kind of appalling."

Those senators, along with Democrats Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, have yet to declare how they will vote.

"All of us need to keep in mind there's a few people that are on the fence right now. And right now, that's sort of where our focus needs to be," said Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who has traded barbs with Trump and will retire at year's end.

Trump drew laughs Tuesday with his rendition of how Ford answered questions at last week's hearing. "I had one beer  that's the only thing I remember," he stated inaccurately.

As he flew aboard Air Force One to the Mississippi rally, Trump was enraged by New York Times articles about Kavanaugh's high school and college years and alleging tax avoidance efforts by the president and his family, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Wednesday echoed the president's newly aggressive approach. She said Ford has "been treated like a Faberge egg by all of us, beginning with me and the president," and said Trump was merely "pointing out factual inconsistencies."

Trump himself didn't respond publicly to the criticism. On Twitter, he hailed Kavanaugh as "a fine man and great intellect" and insisted, "The country is with him all the way!"

The California psychology professor has testified that a drunken Kavanaugh sexually abused her in a locked room at a high school party in the 1980s and has said she believed he was trying to rape her. Kavanaugh has denied her assertions and those of two other women, who have accused him of other instances of sexual misconduct in the 1980s.

Democrats argued that the investigation has been insufficient, lacking interviews with her, with Kavanaugh and others who his accusers have said could know about the alleged incidents.

In a statement Wednesday night after McConnell set the vote in motion, Ford's counsel wrote: "An FBI supplemental background investigation that did not include an interview of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford  nor the witnesses who corroborate her testimony  cannot be called an investigation. We are profoundly disappointed that after the tremendous sacrifice she made in coming forward, those directing the FBI investigation were not interested in seeking the truth."

Corker and Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said senators were expecting the document to contain reports that FBI agents compile on their interviews with subjects, perhaps accompanied by a cover letter. Background checks do not traditionally contain investigators' conclusions about who they believe is credible.

Washington has been awaiting completion of the investigation since last week, when Flake, Collins and Murkowski pressured a reluctant Trump and GOP leaders to order the FBI to renew its background check of the 53-year-old Kavanaugh.

The FBI interviewed several people, including three who Ford has said attended a 1982 high school gathering in suburban Maryland where she says Kavanaugh's attack occurred, plus another Kavanaugh friend. The agency has also spoken to a second woman, Deborah Ramirez, who has claimed Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a Yale party when both were freshmen.

In an interview, No. 2 Senate Democratic leader Dick Durbin of Illinois said McConnell was "hell-bent on getting this done" this week.

Democrats also demanded that the FBI privately brief the Senate about the investigation before the chamber votes. McConnell rejected that request in a letter Wednesday to Schumer, saying Democrats would use it to delay Kavanaugh's confirmation.

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Michael Balsamo, Catherine Lucey, Zeke Miller, Padmananda Rama, Matthew Daly, Mary Clare Jalonick and Kevin Freking contributed.
The attorney for a Vermont woman who shot and killed a state social worker and three relatives says his client was penalized for being an abuse victim.

The Times Argus reports Jody Herring was sentenced to life without parole in November after her conviction in the deaths of Department for Children and Families worker Lara Sobel and three of Herring's relatives. State law requires Herring's case to be appealed to the state Supreme Court because of her life sentence.

Herring's attorney, Joshua O'Hara, argues that Superior Court Judge John Pacht unfairly sentenced his client to life without parole, penalizing her "for being the victim of a lifetime of abuse."

The state argues Pacht "reasonably exercised" discretion and the sentence was supported by evidence.
What to Know Michelle Carter, 22, was charged with involuntary manslaughter for the death of her boyfriend, Conrad Roy III.

Carter sent a series of text messages encouraging Roy, who was suicidal, to kill himself.

Lawyers are urging the Supreme Judicial Court to toss Carter's involuntary manslaughter conviction.

A woman who as a teenager encouraged her suicidal boyfriend to kill himself may have made bad choices but did not commit a crime, her lawyer told the Massachusetts' highest court on Thursday.

Attorney Daniel Marx said Michelle Carter, now 22, was a misguided teen who was struggling with her own issues and had been trying to help Conrad Roy III. Roy. He said Roy was committed to ending his life and was responsible for his own death.

"We can all see from the text messages that Michelle Carter did not force Conrad Roy to kill himself," Marx told the Supreme Judicial Court. "It was a tragic decision that he made."

Carter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in a trial last year that drew international attention due to the thorny legal questions and the insistent tone of her text messages to her boyfriend.

The day Roy filled his truck with carbon monoxide in a Fairhaven, Massachusetts, store parking lot, then 17-year-old Carter texted him: "You keep pushing it off and say you'll do it but u never do. It's always gonna be that way if u don't take action."

In convicting Carter, the judge, however, focused on how she told Roy to "get back in" after he climbed out of his truck as it was filling with the toxic gas and told her he was scared. The judge said Carter had a duty to call the police or Roy's family when she knew he was killing himself.

But the only evidence Carter instructed Roy to get back in the truck was a long, rambling text she sent to a friend two months later in which she called Roy's death her fault, Marx said Thursday. He also said there is no evidence Roy's life would have been saved if Carter had called for help.

Prosecutors say Carter pushed Roy over the edge, noting he had tried to kill himself several times before and backed out. In texts leading up to his suicide, Roy expressed fear and kept making excuses for pushing it off, prosecutors said in court documents.

Carter was sentenced to 15 months in jail, but has remained free while she pursues her appeal.

Joseph Cataldo, another one of Carter's attorneys, said she is "much changed" from the person she was in 2014, but he declined to elaborate on what she is doing now.

This is the second time Carter's case is before the state's high court. The court ruled in 2016 that Carter had to face trial, saying the grand jury was justified in indicting her with involuntary manslaughter.

The court is expected to rule in the coming months. When asked whether they would appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court if the justices don't rule in Carter's favor, Cataldo said they would consider all of their options.
A New Hampshire developer is playing a huge part in the Merrimack Valley gas line restoration project.

Joe Faro is offering up 40 acres of land in Salem to stage and feed the thousands of workers pouring into the region from across the country.

The land, across from the Rockingham Mall, will eventually become Tuscan Village, complete with restaurants, hotels, shops and apartments. But right now, it's where thousands of gas employees start and end their workdays.

"They need a place to put dirt, they need a place to put piping," explained Faro.

The explosions that rocked the Merrimack Valley three weeks ago hit close to home for Faro, who grew up in Lawrence.

"The day it happened, it was frightening," he told NBC10 Boston Wednesday.

When he got the call from Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker last week, he jumped at the chance to help his hometown.

"They said, 'We have a major relief effort, but we don't have a site big enough to orchestrate it,'" Faro said. "It was serendipitous."

Faro stopped work on about 40 acres, offering them up as a sort of base camp for the restoration project.

"It's humbling, honestly," Faro said. "We are fortunate to be working on a site this large to accommodate this need."

And as the head of Tuscan restaurants, he's also proud to be giving gas workers a true Italian lunch break whenever they need it.

"If this place is donating any kind of food, it's just awesome," said Tuscan customer Dale DeLuca.

Portsmouth resident Janice Anthes agreed.

"I think it's great that he is willing to delay his plans to help the community," she said.

But Faro considers it a small gesture, passing off the praise to the men and women working to restore 50 miles of pipeline before winter.

"These folks are working seven days a week, 14 hours a day, it's unlike anything I've ever seen," Faro said.

The project is expected to last until Thanksgiving.

Faro says the crews can have the lot as long as they need it.

When they move out, Faro will move forward with his plans for a 2.8-million-square-foot, multi-use property.
A Rhode Island gubernatorial candidate has been arrested, allegedly with 48 pounds of illegal pot.

State police arrested Compassion Party candidate Anne Armstrong on Thursday, along with the party's attorney general candidate, Alan Gordon. They didn't enter a plea during a court appearance and were held on $25,000 bail.

Police said they received a complaint of a strong marijuana odor at the couple's home, and found illegal plants, as well as a 15-year-old child in the house. They're also charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Armstrong sent a tweet from what appeared to be the back of a police cruiser, saying she was arrested "again" for cannabis and calling the incident an "atrocity."

The pair run a church that considers cannabis healing. They believe the term "marijuana" is pejorative.
Hundreds of people rallied Thursday on the University of Vermont campus against the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court.

The demonstration was attended by students from UVM and Champlain College, as well as university faculty, staff, and community members.

The event was both a call for a court that would preserve reproductive rights and also an embrace of sexual violence survivors, with a message of we hear you and care about you.

As someone who has been a victim of sexual assault, this is very emotional for me, said UVM senior Kira Nemeth, who attended the rally.

necn does not identify survivors of sexual violence without their permission, but Nemeth granted the news station permission to use her face and name in this report, saying it is important to her to speak up and show other survivors they are not alone.

Nemeth described Christine Blasey Fords testimony against Judge Kavanaugh as a watershed moment for the nation.

If you arent moved by that, I dont know what to say to you, Nemeth said of Blasey Fords demeanor and recollections last week before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Its just a moral issue thats of utmost importance to our society, and especially for women.

Miriasha Borsykowsky, a UVM senior who attended the demonstration, said the visual of hundreds of people speaking up in unison was powerful, even though the rally happened far from Washington, D.C.

Were trying to do something, Borsykowsky said. And I think thats really important, and in itself, just showing survivors that we care is really important, too.

President Donald Trumps pick for the nations highest court has steadfastly denied sexual assault and misconduct accusations as a teen and young man.

I am innocent of this charge, Kavanaugh insisted last week in testimony before the Judiciary Committee.

Annette Phares, who said she drove 90 minutes north to Burlington from her Vermont home to attend the rally, carried a sign saying Kava-nope.

Phares said she believes the FBI investigation opened last week into the nominees background should have taken longer, to ensure a more thorough vetting.

I feel that theres too many questions about his character, his temperament, and his partisanship, and therefore, he does not deserve to sit on the Supreme Court, Phares told necn.

Many participants in the demonstration marched, taking their message on a loop around campus. They chanted their displeasure with Kavanaugh and the administration of President Trumpsometimes shouting profanities.

While the demonstration and march were mostly smooth, there was one brief moment of conflict that resulted in a heated exchange.

A man holding a sign saying Kavanaugh is innocent saw it snatched away by a protester, then when another man returned it, the protester yanked it back again and ripped it up.

As that unfolded, another protester decried rape culture. She pointed to the mans sign claiming Kavanaugh is innocent as evidence that sexual assault survivors deserve to be believed.

Many students and Burlington-area residents at the demonstration promised their activism will not stop at the Supreme Court pick, calling themselves energized to help craft the future they want for their community and country.

We can do anything we want to, we just have to come together, UVM junior Riri Stuart-Thompson said.
A 51-year-old Springfield, Massachusetts man died Thursday morning in a crash on Interstate 90 in Charlton, according to state police.

At 3:40 a.m., a van driven by the victim was entering the westbound lanes of the Mass Pike at interchange 9 at a time when traffic was stopped for construction. The van fatally crashed into a tractor-trailer that was stopped in the traffic, according to authorities.

The 58-year-old tractor-trailer driver wasn't hurt in the crash.

Massachusetts State Police said that although the scene of the crash was cleared, traffic remains in the area due to construction.

The identity of the crash victim was not released.
U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to make Canada pay after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wouldn't be bullied in trade talks. Trump called Trudeau "weak" and "dishonest." He threatened tariffs on cars and slapped them on steel.

The unprecedented attacks on America's closest ally left a bitter taste. But Canadians mostly feel relieved after reaching a new trade agreement with Trump. Many said it could have been a lot worse. Canada avoided auto tariffs and maintained access to the all-important American market.

The U.S. made few, if any concessions, while Canada provided more access to its dairy sector and allowed Washington to possibly prevent Canada from reaching a free trade deal with China. Canada also was not able to remove steel and aluminum tariffs.

"We were definitely over the barrel in this negotiation," said Peter MacKay, a former Canadian foreign minister. "We have survived it. We have survived the 14 roller coaster months of a very unpredictable president."

About 75 percent of Canada's exports go to the U.S., so preserving major elements of the North American Free Trade Agreement was crucial. Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world and Trump's talk of ripping up that deal and imposing a 25 percent tariff on the auto sector posed a serious economic threat.

"We didn't ask to reopen NAFTA. We were dragged into it and we dealt with it the best we could," said Jean Charest, a former Quebec premier.

"We were always on the defensive. We always knew from the outset that we weren't going to be making spectacular gains. We limited the damage and preserved our access to the American market."

Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, Canada's chief negotiator, called it a victory because it maintains tariff-free access to the U.S. for most of the country's exports. The Trump administration's most contentious demands like its insistence that 50 percent of autos imports be American-made were dropped. Canada also kept at NAFTA dispute-resolution process that the U.S. wanted to jettison.

"The most important gain from this agreement is retaining our access to the U.S. market and Canadians understand that," Freeland said.

But there is a widely shared belief that Canada made concessions and the U.S. did not.

"The concessions were all from Canada and Mexico," MacKay said. "All of them. The only thing that the United States gave up was more demands."

Robert Bothwell, a professor at the University of Toronto, also said the U.S. just reduced their initial demands.

"The deal is not a disaster," Bothwell said. "People will accept it with resignation rather than joy. I trust when the Canadian signs he'll just wash his hands afterward."

Roland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Trudeau, expressed relief that the deal is done but worried about the long-term relationship between the two countries.

"Canadians won't forget Trump's disgraceful treatment of Canada. Our economic partnership has been reaffirmed, but trust can't be rebuilt with the stroke of a pen," Paris tweeted.

The agreement reached Sunday shows a give-and-take between the two countries: It gives U.S. farmers slightly greater access to the Canadian dairy market, but provides Canada protection if Trump goes ahead with plans to impose tariffs on cars and auto parts imported into the U.S.

Canada could have lost 60,000 jobs in a trade war and taken a 1 percentage percent hit to its GDP  a significant drop because Canada's economy is projected to grow just 2 percent next year, according to estimates from the C.D. Howe Institute, a Toronto-based think tank.

Ontario's auto industry faced the biggest threat, but the sector welcomed the new agreement. The deal requires that 40 to 45 percent of a car's content be built where workers earn $16 an hour. That is meant to bring production back to the United States or Canada and away from Mexico, where auto workers earn on average just $4 to $5 an hour.

Jerry Dias, president of Canada's largest private-sector union, Unifor, said he was thrilled the auto tariff threat has been lifted.

The agreement also potentially restricts Canada and Mexico from reaching a free trade agreement with China and other "non-market" countries. If Canada or Mexico signed a deal with China, the U.S. could terminate its trade agreement with Canada or Mexico on a six-month notice. That may pose a problem for Canada which is eager to diversify its trade.

"It's bizarre," Charest, the former Quebec premier, said. "I have never seen anything like that in a trade agreement."

Daniel Ujczo, a trade attorney with the Dickinson Wright law firm, said Canada and Mexico also must give the U.S. notice before starting those trade discussions and updates of all proposals made during the negotiations.

"The clause achieves a key policy imperative for the US; namely, shutting China's backdoor to North America through Canada and Mexico," Ujczo said. "Japan and Europe, as well as the rest of the world, should be on notice that this may be the price of admission to a trade deal with the U.S."

The U.S. also pressured Canada and Mexico to raise the duty-free limit on imported goods. Canada, for instance, will allow tax- and duty-free shipments worth up to 40 Canadian dollars (about $31), up from 20 Canadian dollars ($16) under NAFTA. The U.S. wanted a higher figure. Store owners like Larry Rosen, chief executive of men's clothing chain Harry Rosen, feared it would drive customers to larger U.S.-based online competitors.

"I am relieved," Rosen said. "It could have been much worse."

Like many other Canadians, Rosen feels Canada hasn't been treated with respect, referring to the personal attacks and steel exports that are still subject to U.S. tariffs over what Trump calls national security concerns.

"I am a Canadian. I am polite and respectful. Even when I'm dealing with a hard business issue I don't belittle people, I don't insult them," Rosen said. "As a Canadian, the whole approach that has been taken (by the U.S.) has been offensive and I don't think Canadians will forget it."

Trump said last week he didn't like Canada's trade negotiator in an apparent reference to Freeland. And, at one point, Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro said there was "a special place in hell" for Trudeau.

"It has been shocking and disappointing and upsetting," said Bruce Heyman, a former U.S. ambassador to Canada. "It has been traumatic. I just don't think it gets wiped away and resolved with an agreement in principle on the trade agreement."

Trump's mistreatment reinforces a worry among Canadians that their much larger neighbor is taking advantage of Canada, Heyman added.

Bothwell, the University of Toronto professor, warned of lingering damage to relations.

"Trump treated it like a real estate deal when he was a shyster in Atlantic City," Bothwell said.

"But this is nation to nation. And that's different. And it's connected to other things," he added. "Trump really doesn't grasp that and doesn't care."
ANSONIA-For the third consecutive year the First Baptist church will conduct a fundraiser hoping to purchase ballistic shields for cruisers as well as helmets and defibrillator for the local police department.

Called Back the Blue the event will take place Sunday beginning at 4 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 235 Prindle Avenue.

Its purpose is two-fold, said Maude Hinson, wife of Pastor John Hinson. We want our officers to make it home safely after their shift everyday so we are helping buy them lifesaving equipment. Secondly it brings our community together. Residents will get to know our police officers and our police officers will know they are appreciated.

This is the third year the church is conducting a fundraiser for police. They raised $17,000 last year and $9,000 the year before. They began the annual event in 2016 following the shooting of officers in Louisiana and Texas.

Its a great event, said Police Chief Kevin Hale. Not only are they raising funds to help us buy much needed equipment but it gives the community a chance to meet my officers and vice versa. I cant tell you how important that is.

In 2016 Hale said he was able to purchase a belt trauma kit for his officers to use in emergency situation. Last year he bought three hand-held ballistic shields which can be used in a riot or active shooting event and six automated external defibrillators.

In a lot of mass shooting events victims die because they are pinned down, he said. If we ever had an event like that these ballistic shields would help us reach them and save lives.

This year, he hopes to be able to buy a ballistic helmet for each of his 46 officers.

Theyre expensive, he said. They range from $300 to $700 each but they are lifesavers.

Farrel-Pomini, one of the Valleys oldest companies, has donated the money for the purchase of another ballistic shield, Hinson said.

The event will include a raffle with 48 prizes totaling $5,600 and door prizes. The top prize is a fully assembled thermal grill donated by Ocean State Job Lot. There will music from Backbeat and line dancing offered by Texas Roadhouse. Children can stay occupied in the bouncy house, the petting zoo, or riding JCs ponies. There will be free food donated by Izzo Family Properties.

Fund raising will continue through the end of the year. It got a start recently when the church arranged with Crave, Copper City and Lulu Pazzo, all Main Street restaurants to conduct Tip-A-Cop nights.

Libby Meissner, Craves owner, matched all the donations and one of her servers, Phil Davis, gave us all his tips that night, said Hinson.

She said Bad Sons Brewery on Derbys Roosevelt Drive also is arranging a fund-raising event for the program.

(Anyone wishing to donate may write a check to First Baptist Church with a memo of Ansonia PD fundraiser, take out a pledge card during the event or donate online by going to www.firstbaptist ansonia.com and clicking on the Honor Ansonia Blue shield.)
Jahana Hayes knows what it is like to be one of the few minority teachers in a school where the overwhelming majority of the students are black or Hispanic.

It wasnt easy for Hayes to get to the classroom. After having a child in her teens, the single mom worked nights and attended college during the day, eventually earning a teaching degree from Southern Connecticut State University. She would go on to become the National Teacher of the Year in 2016.

Now - in-between running for Congress - shes working to make the path to a teaching career easier for others who have backgrounds similar to the students who attend inner-city districts.

Her solution is simple: recruit existing staff already working in the schools - like paraprofessionals and secretaries - to participate in a certification program that accommodates a working persons schedule and is more affordable.

We just had to search and identify, Hayes told the State Board of Education Wednesday.

And its working.

In the programs first three school years, Waterbury Public Schools has enrolled 14 existing school staff - all minorities - to enroll in Relay, a nonprofit with programs across the nation that allows participants to earn a teaching certificate for typically less than $6,000. It also accommodates participants so they can still work full-time.

Since then, Waterbury schools have had one of the fastest changing staff demographics, state data show. Just over 13 percent of the districts staff are minorities, compared to nearly 9 percent statewide.

Finding minority teachers has challenged districts for years even as the number of black and Hispanic students showing up at public schools has increased each year. As a result, minority students are primarily taught by white teachers.

Of the almost 2,500 students enrolled in teacher-preparation colleges in Connecticut during the 2016-17 school year, 82 percent were white, 4 percent black, and 8 percent Hispanic, according to data from the state education department.

Statewide, the problem has been intractable - despite evidence showing minority teachers generally have a positive impact on minority students.

Fifteen years ago, 6.8 percent of school staff were black or Hispanic despite 30 percent of students being black of Hispanic. Last school year, 7.4 percent of staff were black or Hispanic compared t0 38 percent of students.

Relay was first granted permission to launch an alternative, non-traditional teacher certification program by the state education board two years ago as way of moving Connecticut forward.

Jahana Hayes testifies before the state board of education

Dozens of leaders from teacher preparation colleges and teachers unions showed up at the time to blast the program. State legislators on a panel trying to tackle the mismatch also were critical.

But on Wednesday, as the state education board was scheduled to renew permission for the program to continue to operate and expand, public opposition was nearly non-existent.

Outside the board meeting, Hayes and Jeff Leake, the leader of the states largest teachers union, the Connecticut Education Association, and Rebecca Good, the leader of Relay, chatted.

The CEA and Leake chose not to testify against Relay this time.

A spokesman for the union, however, said its members stand strongly opposed to Relay.

Its really undermining the credibility of teaching, said Nancy Andrews. Its a crash course in teaching.  Its a shortcut and the methods have been called into question in the other states they operate.

But Hayes - who has been endorsed by CEA and their national affiliate - said the program is working for her district, with some modifications tailored for her district.

Hayes no longer teaches in a classroom and instead works to hire and prepare teachers for Waterbury Public Schools. She said those who complete the one-year Relay program must also do one-year of district-led professional development.

Our main goal is to produce highly-qualitifed teachers and to support them all the way through, Hayes told the board. This program  the Relay program  really has helped us.

During an interview after the meeting, she said, I think the pushback was for lack of information. I think people are incredibly protective of the profession. Look, I get it. But its not enough to say we only want it one way.

With Relays approval by the state board, the nonprofit plans to continue to expand and enroll more teaching candidates. The first cohort had 45 people complete the program, of which 15 percent were white. Last year, 91 people completed, of which 8 percent were white. Other districts outside Waterbury that now participate include Hartford, New Britain, Middletown and East Haven.

Claudia Cox, an immigrant from Colombia who has a masters degree in engineering, came to the state board to say thank you for making a teaching career possible for her. She couldnt afford to go to a traditional teaching program, but now works as a bilingual teacher in East Haven.

The state has struggled for years to find bilingual teachers, despite decades of research showing English Language Learners perform best in a program that uses a hybrid of their native language and English. Three of the 14 students that have gone through the Relay program in Waterbury are bilingual teachers.

I can relate to my students, she said of her students with limited English. Relay was a great experience for me There are so many more who want to become teachers.
The Church of the Brethren Emergency Disaster Fund has issued a major grant for the Nigeria Crisis Response and a smaller one to assist with tornado recovery efforts in Iowa.

A grant of $400,000 will cover Nigeria Crisis Response program expenses through February. The Nigerian crisis, now in its eighth year, continues to have a heavy impact on Ekklesiyar Yanuwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). The Nigerian church is struggling financially but still growing, starting new churches in areas where displaced members have resettled.

The current response continues key ministries at a reduced level of funding due to reduced donations. About 70 percent of EYN members have now returned home, shifting program priorities to recovery activities that will help families become more self-supporting. The total proposed budget for 2018 is $700,000.

Primary focus areas of the response include repairing homes; peacebuilding work and trauma recovery; assistance with agriculture, education, food, and medical and home supplies; helping the EYN church recover; and travel and other expenses for US volunteers and staff.

Total EDF giving to the response since the initial grant in 2014 is now $4.7 million.

Elsewhere, a grant of $25,000 will support the response of the Iowa River Church of the Brethren as it responds to damage caused by an EF3 tornado in Marshalltown, Iowa, on July 19.

Many buildings in the town were affected, including an estimated 1,200-plus homesa significant number of which were uninsured. A large immigrant population in the area has been particularly hard-hit.

The Iowa River congregation has been active since immediately after the disaster, providing support in a variety of ways, including debris removal, distribution of supplies, providing transportation, and hosting an out-of-town mission team. A Mission Outreach Committee is now focusing on short- and long-term recovery needs.

The EDF grant joins a $2,000 offering that was received at the Northern Plains District Conference. The gifts will allow the congregation to expand and extend its response.
NORTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP >> After listening to more than four hours of public comment, the board of supervisors on Wednesday night voted to deny Provco its request for preliminary/final land development approval for a new Wawa convenience store and gas station in Holland. The vote brought immediate applause from Holland residents who have been fighting the project for months and who...
The risk of dying during pregnancy is negligible for the average Danish woman, but if the woman in question has epilepsy, the probability must be multiplied by five. This is the central result presented in a comprehensive epidemiological study that researchers from Health, Aarhus University, are behind.

The study is recently published in the journal Neurology and shows that out of approximately two million pregnant women - including 12,000 women with epilepsy - a total of 176 women died during their pregnancy. Five of them had epilepsy, which means women with epilepsy are a risk group that we should consider following closer, says one of the researchers behind the study, Jakob Christensen. He is a clinical associate professor, DMSc at the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University and a consultant at the Department of Neurology at Aarhus University Hospital.

"Although the absolute risk is small, we have to consider how we can follow pregnant women with epilepsy better than today," says Jakob Christensen.

According to the study, pregnant women with epilepsy die of virtually the same conditions and events that women without epilepsy also die of - ranging from e.g. accidents to blood clots, cancer and suicide - although with a greater frequency.

"We can't produce statistics on causes of death on the basis of five deceased pregnant women with epilepsy, but we can conclude with great statistical certainty that pregnant women with epilepsy die five times more frequently than other pregnant women," says Jakob Christensen.

The research results should be seen in light of the fact that in general, people with epilepsy have a higher mortality rate than the rest of the population. Overall, for women of childbearing age the mortality rate is fifteen times higher.

The relative risk of death is thus lower for women with epilepsy who are also pregnant when compared to all women with epilepsy, which as Jakob Christensen points out, may be due to the fact that it is always the most healthy woman who become pregnant.

"As a woman with epilepsy, you are on the one hand affiliated with highly-specialised neurological treatment at a hospital, while on the other hand, you need follow-ups from your general practitioner. Patients in this situation risk falling between two stools and ending up being sent back and forth, as one medical service believes the other is taking overall responsibility and vice versa. This could be a partial explanation for the increased mortality, which is particularly seen in people with epilepsy who at the same time suffer from mental illness - something that is unfortunately well documented, for example in Swedish patients with mental illness," says Jakob Christensen.

"At the same time, we must take into account that the vast majority of pregnant women with epilepsy receive medication and are closely monitored during pregnancy, and that this probably helps to reduce the overall mortality, because close monitoring means that there is better management of their epileptic seizures," he says.

The study was conducted in close collaboration between Jakob Christensen, who meets the patients in the clinical reality, statistician Claus Hstrup Vestergaard from the Research Unit for General Practice under the Department of Public Health, and Associate Professor Bodil Hammer Bech, who works with epidemiology at the Department of Public Health.

Methodically, the research group has examined a total of 2,110,084 pregnancies between 2000 and 2013. Among these pregnancies, 11,976 (0.6%) were pregnancies among women with epilepsy; in all cases, "pregnancy-related death" was defined as death during pregnancy and up to 42 days after the end of the pregnancy. Mortality among women with epilepsy was compared with the mortality rate for women of the same age and social background.

The Danish study is the result of a number of worrying studies from the US and UK which report a tenfold increase in the risk of dying for pregnant women with epilepsy. But things do not look quite as bad in Denmark.

"Even though it can be difficult to compare Denmark with the United States and the UK because the healthcare systems are constructed differently, the study indicates that in Denmark, we're better at dealing with pregnant women with epilepsy than they are in the United States and the United Kingdom, which we should naturally be pleased about.

But this is of little consolation for the pregnant Danish women with epilepsy who still have a markedly increased risk of losing their lives during pregnancy. And I definitely think that we should take an interest in this as medical doctors," says Jakob Christensen.

More information about epilepsy

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases. Epilepsy can have many different causes, manifestations and prognoses.

The common denominator is recurrent epileptic seizures as a result of the signal traffic in larger or smaller networks of nerve cells in the brain 'getting out of control'.

Worldwide, approximately sixty million people have epilepsy.

Epilepsy affects twelve Danes every day. A total of 50,000 are diagnosed with in Denmark - of these, 65 per cent are free of seizures.

The majority of women with epilepsy can become pregnant and have healthy children, but pregnancy in women with epilepsy requires preparation and planning in consultation with a medical doctor, because both frequent epileptic seizures and epilepsy medicine can harm the child.
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today updated positive results from its Phase 1/2 clinical study of lumasiran, an investigational, subcutaneously administered RNAi therapeutic targeting glycolate oxidase (GO) for the treatment of primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1). Results were presented at the 2018 European Society for Paediatric Nephrology (ESPN) Annual Meeting on October 4 in Antalya, Turkey. The Company also announced the initiation of ILLUMINATE-A, a global Phase 3 pivotal trial of lumasiran in children and adults with PH1. The study will enroll approximately 30 patients and is designed in alignment with FDA with a primary endpoint based on reduction of urinary oxalate at six months. Alnylam expects to report topline results from ILLUMINATE-A in late 2019 and, if positive, submit filings for regulatory approval starting in early 2020.

New results from the Phase 1/2 study were as of a data cut-off date of August 15, 2018. Lumasiran demonstrated a mean maximal reduction in urinary oxalate of 75 percent (range: 43-87 percent) relative to baseline across cohorts dosed at 1 mg/kg monthly or 3 mg/kg monthly or quarterly (N=20). The mean reduction relative to baseline was 66 percent when measured 28 days post last dose. All patients (100 percent) achieved oxalate lowering to less than 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (less than 0.69 mmol/24hr/1.73m2). Among patients receiving 3 mg/kg monthly or quarterly doses of lumasiran (N=12), 83 percent achieved urinary oxalate levels within the normal range (less than 0.46 mmol/24hr/1.73m2). Furthermore, lumasiran-treated patients in all cohorts experienced a mean maximal decrease of 76 percent in the ratio of urinary oxalate to creatinine - a corroborative measure of oxalate reduction that addresses the variability that is inherent to 24 hour urine collections.

"We are pleased to present these data that we believe provide a strong foundation for lumasiran as an investigational RNAi therapeutic for the treatment of PH1, a devastating and life-threatening disease caused by overproduction of oxalate that deposits in the kidneys and other tissues. We're also excited to have now initiated the ILLUMINATE-A Phase 3 pivotal study, which is expected to read out in late 2019, supporting a potential regulatory approval in 2020, if positive," said Pritesh J. Gandhi, PharmD., Vice President and General Manager, Lumasiran program at Alnylam. "Given the lack of approved treatment options, we believe lumasiran has the potential to address the significant unmet need that PH1 represents."

"PH1 is an ultra-rare disease characterized by an inevitable and progressive decline in kidney function leading to systemic manifestations and ultimately multi-organ dysfunction. Once the kidneys fail, the only viable therapeutic option is a dual liver/kidney transplant," said Prof. Pierre Cochat, M.D., Ph.D., Reference Center for Rare Kidney Diseases, Lyon University Hospital, France; President, International Pediatric Nephrology Association (IPNA) and an investigator in the lumasiran study. "Given the profound unmet need in this disease setting, the Phase 1/2 results presented for lumasiran are encouraging, particularly in light of the clinically meaningful effect of lumasiran on lowering urinary oxalate for every patient relative to their baseline and with all patients achieving near normal levels of oxalate."

The Phase 1/2 safety results in patients with PH1 were based on a median study duration of seven months (range: 5 to 14 months) since first dose. As of the data cut-off date, there were no discontinuations from study treatment. Serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported for one patient (33 percent) receiving placebo and five patients (25 percent) receiving lumasiran; none were related to study drug. The placebo patient experienced acute pyelonephritis and kidney stones. The lumasiran patients with SAEs included one patient with vomiting, one patient with abdominal pain, fever and vomiting, one patient with gastroenteritis, and two patients with kidney stones. Adverse events (AEs) were reported in three (100 percent) patients during placebo dosing and 19 (95 percent) patients after lumasiran dosing. The majority of AEs were mild or moderate in severity and were assessed as unrelated to study drug. Injection site reactions (ISRs) were reported in three (15 percent) patients receiving lumasiran. ISRs were mild or moderate in severity and were self-limiting. Lumasiran was not associated with any clinically significant adverse laboratory findings. In patients receiving lumasiran, plasma glycolate levels increased consistent with the pharmacology of lumasiran and results from healthy volunteers in Part A of the Phase 1/2 study. This increase was not associated with any safety findings.

Source: http://investors.alnylam.com/news-releases/news-release-details/alnylam-reports-updated-positive-results-phase-12-study-0
According to an announcement from the International Papillomavirus Society, Australia could soon become the first country to eradicate cervical cancer.

The announcement is based on research results published this week, that describe the effectiveness of the free HPV vaccine program offered by all Australian schools.

The vaccine reduced cervical cancer rates extensively, and as a result, the disease will soon be eradicated.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Image Credit: Kateryna Kon / Shutterstock.

Professor Suzanne Garland from the Royal Womens Hospital and study leader said that in the next four decades the numbers are going to come down to a few.

She explained that 99.9 percent of cervical cancers are the result of infection with the HPV (human papillomavirus) which is sexually transmitted.

The vaccine programme began in 2007 for girls aged between 12 and 13 years and was later extended to all boys in 2013.

Two doses of the vaccine could also be taken by girls and boys under the age of 19 for free.

The vaccine uptake was 78.6 percent among 15-year-old girls and 72.9 percent among 15-year-old boys in 2016.

This resulted in the dramatic reduction in HPV infection among women aged between 18 and 24 from 22.7 percent in 2005 to 1.1 percent only in 2015.

According to Garland, the numbers of children who have been vaccinated are only going to rise, providing what is called herd protection, where the majority of the population is protected against the infection, reducing the likelihood of the un-vaccinated becoming infected.

Professor Ian Frazer, the co-inventor of the vaccine from the University of Queensland has called for all older women who have not been vaccinated to be regularly screened for HPV.

He said that come December the government would provide advanced screening tests for cervical cancer that could detect the disease early.

As long as we continue the screening program, we will continue to pick up those with the virus already, and as long as we keep up the vaccination, we could have no new cases in 10-20 years. Only 50-60% of women participate regularly in the screening program. If that was 100% we would have no cervical cancer in this country even without the vaccine. Professor Ian Frazer, the scientist who invented the HPV vaccine

Screening for cervical cancer involves a Pap smear test every two years.

Last year this test was replaced by an advanced test that can detect HPV strains that can lead to cervical cancers even before the cancer has appeared.

This advanced test would require women to take the test once in five years after they are 24 years of age until they reach 74.

The new vaccine could be effective against more HPV strains, said Frazer.

According to the report, Australia is doing well in terms of cervical cancer eradication but there are still far too many countries in the developing world where rates of cervical cancer are high.

Both Frazer and Garland agree that a wider coverage of the vaccine among young girls aged between 12 to 14 years is the only way of eradicating cervical cancer.

Two-thirds of the worlds population of women dont get access to what Australian women do. Unless we do something, it will still be one of the major cancer killers in developing countries. As the country that invented the vaccine, we have an obligation to share it with the rest of the world. Joe Tooma, CEO, The Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation

Source:

The Royal Womens Hospital press release, and the report itself.
A chemical compound found in common herbicides could help fight hospital-acquired human fungal pathogenic infections, which claim an estimated two million lives per year.

A team of international researchers led by The University of Queensland has discovered that the chemical chlorimuron ethyl also targets a range of fungal infections that are potentially fatal to humans, particularly people undergoing treatments which place the immune system under stress.

Dr Luke Guddat, from UQ's School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, said the finding was very timely, given the growth in drug-resistant infections.

"There are more drug-resistant fungal diseases than ever - posing a major threat to global human health - and new drugs are urgently required to combat these diseases," he said.

"Through this research we wanted to see if a specific class of commercial herbicide has the ability to stop the growth of these infections.

"We thought this was a good idea, since plants and fungi have a similar enzyme that these chemicals inhibit, and it turns out we were correct."

The researchers tested five different families of compounds, to see if they could inhibit a key enzyme from the fungal species, Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans.

One of the five, chlorimurion ethyl, was a stand-out candidate.

"In studies in the petri dish and with mice, it was highly effective at preventing proliferation of growth," Dr Guddat said.

"By inhibiting this enzyme you're removing a key metabolic step that makes three types of amino acids, which these infections need to grow.

"And most importantly, humans don't have this enzyme - we obtain these amino acids from our food - so there's very little chance that these compounds will be toxic to humans, a factor which limits the use of many of the other currently prescribed antifungal drugs."

Dr Guddat said while there's a bright future for the development of compounds to treat this type of infection, more research is necessary.

"We're only at the early stage of this journey, but we're excited to see the prospects for new treatments in the future."
The married professors were spending their Thanksgiving holiday in Egypt when the husband, Thomas L. Patterson, Ph.D., got very sick very quickly, experiencing fever, nausea and a racing heartbeat. By the time Patterson was accurately diagnosed with a highly multi-drug resistant bacterial infection, he was near death. His wife, Steffanie Strathdee, Ph.D., promised to "leave no stone unturned.'"

What happened next is the ultimate infectious disease feel good story: Strathdee, part of an All-Star team of infectious disease experts and epidemiologists, concocted a cocktail of viruses that killed the superbug and saved Patterson's life.

"He was going to die," says Roberta L. DeBiasi, M.D., MS, chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Children's National Health System. "Because of her epidemiology background--and because she loves him--Patterson became the first patient successfully treated with bacteriophages."

Dr. DeBiasi explains that all viruses take over cells and use their machinery for their own purposes. In order to escape, viruses blow up the cell. Bacteriophages are viruses that target bacteria, taking over their machinery and ultimately killing the bacterial host.

"Infection is a race between the body's immune response and the bacteria replicating themselves," she adds. "Bacteria have to continually replicate. If you knock out 90 percent of them with phage therapy, that gives the immune system a fighting chance to win the race."

She was so inspired by the team's ingenuity that DeBiasi, program vice-chair, invited them to recount the story during IDWeek2018, held Oct. 3 to Oct. 7, 2018, in San Francisco. During the closing plenary, Patterson, a professor of psychiatry, and Strathdee, associate dean of Global Health Sciences, will be joined by Robert T. "Chip" Schooley, M.D., (all of University of California, San Diego), to discuss the clinical aspects and efficacy of phage therapy.

About 50 years ago, the U.S. military had investigated leveraging phages but ultimately placed that research portfolio on the back burner. Now, in the face of growing antibiotic resistance and few experimental antibiotics in the development pipeline, phages are drawing renewed research interest as a potential silver bullet.

"The technology has been around for 50 years. We're going back to old things because we're so desperate," Dr. DeBiasi adds.

The tricky thing with phages is that each bacterium needs its own tailored phage therapy.

Children's National is working with Adaptive Phage Therapeutics, a company based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, that developed the phage used to save Patterson, in order to help build out that library of phages, each ready to be directed to do battle against a specific pathogen.

"We have been consultants to them to think about what would be a good clinical trial, particularly in a pediatric population," Dr. DeBiasi says.

Children's National has been collecting and sending isolates from patients with neurogenic bladder who experience urinary tract infections to shore up the phage library in anticipation of a clinical trial. The work builds on Children's experience as the first center to use phage therapy in a pediatric patient, a 2-year-old who had multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection complicated by bacteremia/sepsis.
CHOP Scientist Proposes Interactive Info-Sharing Model, to Help Advance Precision Medicine

Maybe the genetic test report your doctor ordered says your DNA contains many variants of unknown significance. Currently, up to 70 percent of such reports are negative or inconclusive. But suppose at a later date a researcher discovers one of those changes causes a disease? You may be able to take preventive steps or receive early treatmentbut how will you learn this new piece of information? You cant even be sure your doctor will find out about it.

Mahdi Sarmady, PhD

A scientist in the Division of Genomic Diagnostics (DGD) at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) proposes a new model to generate ongoing automated updates to account for new evidence--and enable genetic counselors and physicians to better communicate clinically relevant information to patients and families, not just when the test results are initially reported, but for years to come as new knowledge accumulates.

Since the Human Genome Project was completed, the flood of new genetic information and the accelerated pace of discovery represent a paradigm shift in the practice of clinical genetics, said Mahdi Sarmady, PhD, a genome informatics scientist and Director of Bioinformatics in the DGD. He points out, for instance, that clinical sequencing is increasingly being incorporated in pediatric clinics as a routine diagnostic tool.

To enable faster, more systematic use of sequencing results, Sarmady and Ahmad Abou Tayoun, PhD, a former CHOP geneticist now at Al Jalila Childrens Specialty Hospital in Dubai, U.A.E., propose a new model for genomic interpretation and continuous reanalysis in a Viewpoint article published online today in JAMA Pediatrics.

Under the traditional approach in clinical genetics, a physician or genetic counselor would order a laboratory test on a specific gene to determine whether a patient carried a known mutation linked to a genetic disease. Now labs offer gene panels to test all known genes associated with a specific disorder, or exome sequencing, to search all protein-coding genes in a persons DNA.

But managing and interpreting the fire hose of data provided by new high-throughput sequencing methods has led to a bottleneck in keeping up with and delivering useful information to patients and clinicians.

The proposed model outlines a two-way exchange of information between laboratories and the clinic. Automated algorithms would collect new evidence from scientific literature and various knowledge bases of gene variants linked to specific disorders, and would notify a clinician that a patients previously discovered variant could be pathogenic. A physician or genetic counselor, for their part, could use an app in the platform to order reanalysis and to enter the most up-to-datephenotypic information on a patients health statusadding details about the course of a genetic disease, to inform other researchers and clinicians.

Instead of a one-time test result, there would be continuous, systematic interaction between the clinic and the genetic testing lab, and reanalysis of changing data, said Sarmady. This could enable clinicians to provide better diagnoses and change treatment plans for their patients as new information becomes available, and help advance the promise of precision medicine.
Penn Medicine experts in nephrology and health policy call for more transparency about joint-venture ownership of dialysis clinics to better understand what impact these arrangements may have on patient referrals and clinical outcomes. Currently, physicians who enter into these ventures, in which they share in the management, profit, and losses of a dialysis facility, are not required to disclose the relationship nor discuss it with patients. And no information about dialysis clinic joint-venture arrangements is publicly available. The lack of transparency poses a major barrier for evidence-based health care policy research and deprives patients of critical information, the researchers write in a new Perspective published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Dialysis - the treatment that filters blood for patients with kidney complications - is a profitable business in the United States. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services spent $34 billion in 2014 on beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease, and the two largest dialysis companies, DaVita Kidney Care and Fresenius Medical Care, which control 70 percent of the market, reported an annual net income in the range of $1 billion in recent years.

"There are a variety of different joint-venture arrangements between dialysis clinics, both for-profit and non-profit, and physicians, but we have no idea what consequences for patients, good or bad, come from such arrangements," said first author Jeffrey S. Berns, MD, a professor of Medicine and associate chief of Renal Electrolyte and Hypertension in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. "It's only fair to patients that this information be made available so the relationship between joint-venture ownership of dialysis clinics and outcomes of patients with kidney failure who are on dialysis can be studied." What's more, ethically speaking, patients should be aware of these ties to make an informed decision about their care, he added.

Joint ventures are promoted as a way of aligning the interests of nephrologists with those of dialysis providers in order to improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. However, that assertion has never been studied. The authors said that such ventures create financial incentives for participating nephrologists that may inappropriately influence decisions about patient care.

They ask, "might a nephrologist with a financial stake in a dialysis facility be more likely to recommend that a patient start dialysis? Could there be pressure to refer a patient to a facility in which the nephrologist is a partner, even though other facilities might be closer to the patient's home, have more convenient dialysis shifts, offer better services or treatment modes, or provide higher-quality care?"

"It is certainly possible that these concerns are not borne out in practice and that joint ventures actually improve outcomes and patient satisfaction," the authors wrote. "The only way to find out is with independent, empirical research comparing the outcomes and costs of care among patients receiving treatment at joint-venture facilities with those at other facilities. Unfortunately, such research is not only nonexistent, it is currently impossible to conduct."

Berns and co-authors Aaron Glickman and Matthew S. McCoy, PhD, both from the department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, also recommend nephrology specialty societies follow the lead of the American Medical Association and other professional organizations by developing guidelines mandating disclosure of joint-venture arrangements and any other financial ties between nephrologists and dialysis providers to patients and their families before initiation of dialysis at a particular facility.

Berns calls the issue one of the most important, but also one of the least discussed and understood, in the dialysis industry today.
Industrial biotech specialist Ingenza has announced that its collaboration with Syngenta for work on efficient technologies to support the development of crop protection products has been extended. The continuation of this project capitalizes on Ingenzas proprietary in ABLE suite of gene expression, protein expression and microbial strain development capabilities, and demonstrates the companys expertise in synthetic biology.

Ingenza Molecular Biologists; Research Assistant, Louis Marlow and Senior Scientist, Stephen McColm

Dr Ian Fotheringham, Managing Director at Ingenza, said:

We are delighted by the continued success of this collaboration. Our innovative technologies are an excellent fit for Syngentas leading position in agricultural biotechnology, and we look forward to continuing our partnership, working towards sustainable technologies that address the challenges facing global agriculture and food security.

Dr Robert Harris, from Syngenta, added:
Milk may seem as wholesome a drink as there is, but it was not always so.

Consider the U.S. in the late 19th century. At the time, producers of milk -- especially milk sold in U.S. cities -- frequently watered it down. The resulting liquid was blended with chalk or plaster of Paris to appear more white. And that wasn't the half of it: Milk often contained formaldehyde and a cleaning product called Borax. Thousands of people, including children, died from drinking milk.

Eventually, the federal government got around to cleaning up milk production, after landmark legislation in 1906. The safe milk we drink today is a result of that law. But getting to that point required a decades-long struggle by outraged advocates -- among them Chicago activist Jane Addams, writer Upton Sinclair, and, not least, a crusading scientist named Harvey Washington Wiley, the chief chemist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Wiley's odyssey as a reformer and government official is at the center of a new book by MIT's Deborah Blum, "The Poison Squad," just published by Penguin Press. In it, Blum details the nascent 19th-century science and politics of food regulation, from the early efforts to figure out what dangers lay in food, to the torturous struggle to push regulations through the political system.

Wiley made headlines at the time through his efforts to reform food production and make eating safer for all Americans. Today, his legacy is little-known, which is a major reason why Blum wanted to reestablish his importance to us.

"I'm really interested in scientists who drive paradigm shifts," says Blum, the director of the Knight Science Journalism program at MIT and author of several books on science research and the history of science. Wiley, she adds, was a "catalyst" without whom daily life would have been worse for tens of millions of people.

"I don't mean the whole world was suddenly convulsed," Blum added. "But he changed the way people think. And that's a reminder that any of us can change the national or global conversation in a way that does good."

A "really crazy experiment"

Wiley was an Indiana-bred, Harvard University-educated chemist who became an early faculty member at Purdue University. From there, after making his name through studies of multiple kinds of flawed food, he took his post at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

As Blum makes clear, there was plenty for food reformers to study. As food production became more industrialized in an urbanizing country, food fakery abounded. "Honey" was often corn syrup, and "vanilla" was often alcohol and food coloring. Coffee could contain sawdust, and brown sugar was notoriously spiked with crushed insects at times.

The book's title stems from one project Wiley undertook, in which he recruited men in their 20s -- "the Poison Squad" -- to eat three free meals a day. Some of those people were consuming food with laced with chemicals of uncertain effect, or other dubious ingredients.

"It's this really crazy experiment you could never do today, in which a government scientist persuades government employees to dine really dangerously," Blum notes.

Eventually Wiley -- and others -- amassed plenty of evidence showing that food regulations were necessary. Getting such legislation passed was a saga of its own, and as Blum details in the book, Wiley had a strained relationship with Theodore Roosevelt, the president who ultimately signed the laws Wiley had been fighting for. In theory, these two reformers might have seemed natural allies. In practice, relations between them were fraught.

"Here you have two men who are both progressive and who both want to change the country for better, and who both believe that the current system of poorly regulated industry and business is doing a disservice to the country," Blum observes. "So you would expect them to be on the same page, but in fact they clashed from the beginning. ... I think basically Roosevelt didn't like him. And that worked against him [Wiley]. He charmed a lot of people, but he never charmed Teddy Roosevelt."

One reason for this, Blum suggests, is that while Roosevelt was famous for breaking up monopolies, he was in fact fairly comfortable with big business, under the right conditions. But Wiley was, long before it became more fashionable, a relentless consumer advocate, above all. His unyielding consumer focus did not correspond to Roosevelt's priorities as much as the president's reputation might suggest.

"I had to fight my way back to liking Teddy Roosevelt after doing the book," Blum says.

An education in history

For her part, Blum also says she hopes readers come away from "The Poison Squad" thinking that it has "all kinds of lessons for today" about both the discovery of diluted food products and the enforcement issues that arise once laws are passed. A significant part of Blum's book, for that matter, scrutinizes the enforcement challenges that arose after the food safety legislation was passed.

To be sure, cases of deception in food production are still with us -- many kinds of seafood, for example, are not what they appear on the label. Then there are grey areas, where older laws "are completely inadequate for the 21st century," as Blum puts it, due to changes in the way food is produced.

Many kinds of drinks do not fully list their ingredients, for instance, due to policy compromises between regulators and industry that allow manufacturers to keep ingredients as proprietary information.

"Natural flavorings," says Blum. "What are they? You're never going to know."

Researching and writing the book, Blum says, was thus instructive to her about the progress of science, as well as the tensions and conflicts that have existed among corporations, consumers, and government -- and still do.

"It was an education for me," Blum says. "An education in American history."

Source: http://news.mit.edu/2018/food-safety-the-poison-squad-1003
Each year, millions of people worldwide suffer from potentially fatal infectious diseases that often leave survivors facing a lifetime of related health problems. But what if drugs against such diseases already existed but nobody knew it?

Scientists at Calibr, a non-profit drug discovery division of Scripps Research, are now exploring that question using an extensive library they've built of nearly all existing small-molecule drugs shown to be appropriate for direct use in humans.

The Calibr scientists are using this collection, called ReFRAME, to identify existing drugs that show promise for treating major diseases. As a result of this ReFRAME initiative, two FDA-approved drugs are already being tested in clinical trials--one as a treatment for tuberculosis and another for the parasite Cryptosporidium spp., a major cause of severe diarrhea--within only a few short years of Calibr scientists discovering their utility. This is in contrast to the much longer timelines that often hinder new drug development.

Now, in another early success of the project and demonstration of its power to quickly find much needed novel therapies, the Calibr researchers used ReFRAME to identify two additional compounds that in preliminary testing appeared effective against Cryptosporidium spp. The results of the new Cryptosporidium study were reported this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"ReFRAME takes the concept of accelerating impact on patients through repurposing existing drugs to a new level, offering great potential for finding much-needed therapies more quickly and cost-effectively," says Pete Schultz, PhD, president and CEO of Scripps Research and Calibr, who is one of the lead researchers on the ReFRAME project. "The drugs we've assembled in ReFRAME have already been shown safe in humans, making them an incredibly valuable resource for tackling areas of urgent unmet medical need, especially neglected tropical diseases."

To construct ReFRAME, Calibr researchers gathered data on more than 12,000 small-molecule drugs by combining three widely-used commercial drug databases (Clarivate Integrity, GVK Excelra GoStar and Citeline Pharmaprojects), which are typically used by pharmaceutical and biotech companies to assess competition and guide drug research and development. Calibr researchers also mined patent filings for drug candidates that had not yet reached these databases but that might hold potential as therapies for diseases outside their original therapeutic indications. With these data in hand, Calibr launched a massive campaign to obtain physical samples of all of the compounds, including purchase of about 7,000 compounds and de novo chemical synthesis of about 5,000 compounds, a project that involved around 500 chemists over an 18-month period. Sufficient quantities were generated to enable hundreds of laboratory tests over the coming years, both at Calibr, Scripps Research, and partner organizations around the globe.

"ReFRAME was developed as a singular new resource for the global health drug discovery community and is the largest and most comprehensive repurposing collection available," says Arnab Chatterjee, PhD, vice president of medicinal chemistry at Calibr and lead researcher on the project. "In addition to consolidating compounds from multiple existing collections, we synthesized around 5,000 molecules that are not commercially available--from which we identified the two new hits against Cryptosporidium."

Drugs that have been previously tested for safety in humans offer a major advantage over new compounds, as the time and cost of conducting preclinical trials in animals and early trials in humans represents a major hurdle to bringing new drugs to the clinic. Repurposing an existing drug can overcome these barriers, significantly lowering the cost and time required to develop a new way to prevent or treat a disease.

Repurposing drugs, however, is not as simple as it sounds. Prior to ReFRAME, information on existing drugs was spread across multiple databases. Similarly, there was no single, comprehensive source of samples of the actual drug compounds, so collecting thousands of compounds to test against any given disease was a significant logistical challenge. The Calibr team also synthesized close derivatives of many known drugs and included them in the collection, providing an important resource for screening multiple analogues of molecules for therapeutic applications.

"By combining three different commercial data sets and significant patent intelligence, we identified many unique compounds that have never been collected in one place," says Jeff Janes, PhD, a principal investigator at Calibr and coauthor on the paper.

The first two drugs identified for potential repurposing using ReFRAME were the leprosy drug clofazimine and the arthritis drug auranofin. Calibr is collaborating with the University of Washington, who is sponsoring a Phase 2A clinical trial in Malawi, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to study the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of clofazimine in the treatment of cryptosporidiosis in HIV positive patients. Auranofin is currently being tested as a possible treatment for tuberculosis in a clinical trial taking place in South Africa.

In their new study, Calibr scientists used the institute's high-throughput screening facility to test all 12,000 compounds against Cryptosporidium, a one-celled parasite that travels to the small intestine and bores into the intestine wall causing severe diarrhea.

Current approved treatment options for Cryptosporidium infection are limited to only one drug, nitazoxanide, which has modest potency and is ineffective in patients with compromised immune systems. Repurposing existing drugs was particularly appealing, as little drug discovery research targeting the parasite has taken place due to a lack of commercial interest developing drugs against the pathogen.

In their study, the Calibr scientists placed the parasites in thousands of small chambers and dosed them with samples of the drugs to determine which compounds killed them. Drugs that killed Cryptosporidium in the chambers were then given to mice infected with the parasite, and two drugs, VB-201(CI-201) and ASP-7962, proved effective at treating the infections in the animals. The researchers were able to move from identifying the compounds to animal studies in about two months, a remarkably rapid advance from one phase of drug discovery research to another.

"These two compounds show promise for providing therapeutics for targeting the parasite and not just the symptoms," says Case McNamara, PhD, a principal investigator at Calibr and coauthor on the paper. "If they prove effective at treating this disease in humans, it could impact the lives of millions of people worldwide."

The Calibr researchers plan to continue adding additional compounds to ReFRAME and are hoping to find drugs in the collection that can be repurposed as therapies to other infectious diseases that are widespread in the developing world. They have also developed an open-access data portal to share the results of their ReFRAME screening experiments with other researchers to encourage additional follow-up and maximize the impact of the screening collection.
New research from the University of British Columbia suggests that reducing mutated Huntington disease protein in the brain can restore cognitive and psychiatric impairments in mice.

Huntington disease (HD) is a genetic, progressive disorder that causes mental decline, psychiatric problems and uncontrolled movements. The disease is caused by mutant huntingtin (HTT) protein, with symptoms appearing in adulthood and worsening over time.

Scientists delivered gene therapy treatment to mice in the form of pieces of DNA, called antisense oligonucleotides, that decreased production of the toxic HTT protein. With this intervention, the researchers found mice regained cognitive performance and became less anxious and depressed.

"Being able to restore cognitive function and improve anxiety in an ill mouse is very exciting," said study lead author Amber Southwell, assistant professor at Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, who conducted the research as a postdoctoral research fellow at the UBC Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics.

"Most Huntington disease studies have focused on motor performance, so we wanted to assess mood, learning and memory that represent significant burdens."

There is no cure for Huntington disease, but researchers are working towards preventative treatment, so people who have the HTT gene never develop the disease. Scientists hope people may one day be able to access ongoing treatment, much like those who suffer from asthma.

Michael Hayden, study senior author, University Killam Professor, senior scientist and founder of the UBC Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, said the symptom that is most apparent in HD patients is the uncontrolled dance like movements, but the psychiatric symptoms and cognitive decline are particularly debilitating.

"This study reinforces the potential of huntingtin lowering not only on the movement disorder but also on psychiatric and cognitive features, assuming adequate lowering of huntingtin in the appropriate regions is achieved," said Hayden.

Approximately one in 7,000 people in Canada has HD and every child of a person with the disease has a 50 per cent chance of inheriting the gene that causes the illness.

Source: https://news.ubc.ca/2018/10/03/lowering-levels-of-mutant-protein-that-causes-huntington-disease-can-restore-cognitive-function-in-mice/
The Innovation Forum is partnering with the Milner Therapeutics Institute in 2019 for the Next Health World Innovation Forum  a new international healthcare conference taking place from 26-27 June 2019, in Cambridge, UK.

The event will aim to analyze the gaps, challenges and unmet needs of the current global healthcare ecosystem, define goals for the biopharma and healthcare industry, connect investment capital with biotech start-ups and identify strategies, policy and technological solutions that will enable a healthier future. The host city of Cambridge is a global hub for research and healthcare innovation.

It will unite leading stakeholders from across the global healthcare community, ranging from academics, large established bio-pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, healthcare providers and government representatives to clinicians and patient groups, disruptive start-ups and investors across all stages of the research and investment cycle.

Next Health will provide all attendees with an exceptional experience, which will allow them to share provocative perspectives, explore cutting-edge scientific advances and innovative technologies, network and devise strategies to reimagine and reshape the future of health.

The event will incorporate the annual symposium of the Milner Therapeutics Institute, which is dedicated to transforming groundbreaking research into new therapies, by breaking down the barriers between academia and industry.

The Milner Therapeutics Institute is excited to work with the Innovation Forum to create Next Health as the biggest biotech gathering in Europe. By partnering our annual symposium with this event, we will drive new opportunities for translational collaboration and change in healthcare. Professor Tony Kouzarides, Director of the Milner Therapeutics Institute at the University of Cambridge

The meeting will feature prominent keynote speeches as well as fireside chats, start-up pitches to investors and panel and roundtable discussions led by senior decision-makers from industry, academia, and government.

Confirmed speakers include representatives from Servier, Pfizer, Innovative Medicines Initiative and Cancer Research UK. The dialogue at Next Health will prompt new thinking in a bid to attain transformational changes to the future of health, acting as a think tank in its own right.

Key topics will include:

Machine learning and artificial intelligence in healthcare

Cancer

Neuroscience and neurotech

Cell and gene therapy

Prevention (diagnostics, monitoring)

Evidence-based new economic models for healthcare

Nutrition, lifestyle and healthcare

Holistic approaches to medicine

We are delighted to partner with the Milner Institute to work on this exciting new event. The healthcare industry is just at the beginning of a revolutionary transformation and we aim to shape not just the debate, but also tangible government, industry and academic initiatives to create more innovative, but also more affordable and accessible, future healthcare that not only treats but also prevents disease. Dr. Marek Tyl, CEO of the Innovation Forum

Join more than 2,000 delegates to stimulate thousands of conversations and form numerous partnerships for the next generation of innovative technology.

The Next Health World Innovation Forum promises to be an innovative healthcare conference for bright minds who want to build a healthier future for the benefit of patients worldwide.
With only a matter of days to go until the UKs largest construction industry event, here are 12 reasons why you can't afford to miss UK Construction Week 2018.

1. GROUNDBREAKING INNOVATION

With more products than any other show, including more than 100 exclusive product launches, youll find the most ground-breaking products on display throughout UK Construction Week. Just follow the Innovation Trail for the opportunity to talk to manufacturers about the solutions their cutting-edge products can offer, including a trailblazing solution for flat roof systems, quiet, reliable, zero emissions power, interactive 3D visualisations, and much, much more.

Discover the Innovation Trail exhibitors here.

2. 9 SHOWS UNDER ONE ROOF

The UKs largest event for the built environment is FREE to attend and consists of nine shows: Timber Expo, Build Show, Civils Expo, Plant & Machinery Live, Energy 2018, Building Tech Live, Surface & Materials Show, HVAC 2018 and Grand Designs Live (open trade on 10-11 October).

Uniting more than 650 exhibitors with an audience of over 30,000 trade visitors, nowhere else in the UK will have access to such a vast array of construction products and services on one place, providing innovation and technological advantages for projects of all sizes.

See the full exhibitor line up.

3. THE UKS BIGGEST OFFSITE SHOWCASE

Top of the agenda at this years show is modular construction, the high-quality, efficient and cost-effective solution to the current national housing crisis.

Our dedicated Offsite Theatre, supported by the Modular & Portable Building Association (MBPA) and Structural Timber Association (STA), brings together some of the key players and new faces in this burgeoning sector to discuss the wide array of projects and techniques currently being championed around the UK. Covering airports, bathroom pods, social housing, shipping containers, passivhaus techniques, 3D printed property, skyscrapers and schools  is there really anything we cant build offsite?

View the Offsite Theatre programme here.

4. SEMINARS

The UK Construction Week seminar programme provides high-level discussion around the important issues facing the building industry today. Topics include the digital future of construction, diversity, Brexit, the national housing crisis and new delivery models. There will be a heavy focus on the lessons learned in the past year, such as fire safety post-Grenfell, the Carillion collapse and how the industry is moving as a whole.

Our stellar speaker line-up includes former Trump Tower engineer, Barbara A Res; Chair of Heathrow Skills Taskforce, Lord David Blunkett; RIBA President, Ben Derbyshire; The National Infrastructure Commissions Bridget Rosewell, and many, many more.

See the full seminar programme.

5. STAY INFORMED: FREE CPD PROGRAMME

Once again, UK Construction Week is running a fully accredited CPD programme, providing free education for all visitors who want to stay on top of their game. This year, theres an even wider range of content, with topics that include fire prevention, sustainability, building materials, business services, infrastructure, building regulations, health and safety, and much, much more.

Spaces are limited, pre-book your seats on registration.

6. MATERIALS THAT MATTER

Be inspired by your senses and experience the building materials of the future at the Surface & Materials Show. MaterialDistrict  the worlds leading match-making platform in the field of innovative materials  have selected 100 international materials that show the important role of future materials in the built environment.

Materials on display will include lightweight composites, recycled plastic, engineered wood, natural materials like cork textile and bamboo facades, and new resources that we used to call waste. The expo will also showcase acoustic solutions, smart interactive sunscreen materials and healthy bio based material sources. The materials that matter in every sense.

Find out more.

7. WORKSHOPS & CONFERENCES

IEMAs free-to-attend Sustainable Construction Conference will take place at UK Construction Week on Wednesday 10 October, while BRE Academy host a series of CPD workshops throughout the show on a first-come, first-served basis.

With the theme Building for the Future, the BMF will also hold their first ever Young Merchants Conference on Thursday 11 October, while the newly rebranded Construction Excellence Midlands bring together the regional construction industry and its supply chain to explore the challenges and opportunities across the Midlands sector on Tuesday 9 October.

To find out more and book your places, visit our What's On page.

8. UKCW ROLE MODELS: INSPIRING THE FUTURE OF CONSTRUCTION

Launched in March 2018, UK Construction Week established its Role Models campaign to inspire those wanting to come into the construction industry and raise awareness of the breadth of roles available. The Role Models Award provides an opportunity to celebrate all the players in the industry, and applaud the role models brilliant individual strategies for making the industry stronger and better. This years deserving winner will be announced on 10 October on the UKCW Stage. Dont miss it.

Meet the Class of 2018 here.

9. PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS

The Construction Enquirer Awards are dedicated to recognising and rewarding the industrys best companies to work for and do business with. Hosting the Awards night is renowned architect and broadcaster George Clarke, with the UKs most quotable one-liner comic, Gary Delaney, performing a laugh-a-minute set. Join us on Tuesday 9 October at the Hilton Metropole for this unmissable celebration of the industrys finest.

In addition, the Voltimum Smart Solutions Awards champion the installers, manufacturers and wholesalers leading the charge in the building technology market. Broadcaster and journalist Steph McGovern will be hosting the ceremony on 10 October at the Building Tech Live Hub.

Book your Construction Enquirer Awards tickets here.

10. WHEN ITS TIME TO UNWIND

The UK Construction Week Beer Festival, sponsored by Velux, is back with a few new additions for 2018. Along with the usual selection of cold beers, street food and live music, the Beer Festival will also play host to our very first Rockaoke night and a brand new Gin and Fizz bar. Furthermore, FIX Radio will be based at the heart of the Beer Festival, where they will be broadcasting live for the duration of the show. So swing by, wind down and have some fun.

11. THE TINY HOUSE OF THE FUTURE

Its fair to say the Tiny House concept has been making big waves this year. Our future homes will almost certainly require a smaller footprint; with populations living in smaller buildings and sharing communal spaces to meet demand for space and affordability.

Following his success on Channel 4's Amazing Spaces, Timber Expo has challenged Carwyn Lloyd Jones to build a timber frame Tiny House at this year's event.

A carpenter by trade, Carwyn teaches courses on building with natural materials at the Centre for Alternative Technology, and will be running free-to-attend workshops live at the show.

Join Carwyn at Timber Expo, Hall 9. Places available on a first come, first served basis. No booking required.

12. MAKE IT BRUM

Back in August, secondary school students from across Birmingham joined Make:it-Brum  a community engagement collaboration between Intervention Architecture and Arup  for a series of seminars on architecture, engineering, construction, digital innovations and drawing. The goal: To create a pavilion concept that will be designed and built for UK Construction Week.

The Make:it Brum team are now developing the concept to turn it into reality! Follow their progress on Twitter @MakeitBrum and see it for yourself at the entrance to Hall 9.
Beijing : China has the world's largest number of outbound tourists at 135 million and this figure is estimated to go up to 157 million in 2020, authorities said here.



A total of 135 million Chinese made outbound trips in 2016 as compared to 5 million in 1995, according to the data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

This represented an average annual increase of 17.6 per cent over 21 years.

China's outbound tourism market was estimated to increase by 5 per cent annually on average in the coming years, bringing the number of outbound tourists to 157 million in 2020, Xinhua news agency reported, citing China Tourism Academy -- a think tank under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Often called "walking wallets", because of their increased spending capacity, Chinese tourists fly to other countries for holiday, shopping and cosmetic surgery.

Many Chinese can be spotted at duty-free shops in Seoul and Tokyo buying cosmetic creams, face masks, clothes among others.

According to Chinese International Travel Monitor 2016, the per capita spending of Chinese outbound travellers hit ($3,370) in 2015.

Indian wants to tap into the Chinese outbound tourists, but has not been able to do so.

In August, India's Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons was in China for a roadshow to attract more Chinese tourists. He said that of the 144 million outbound Chinese tourists in 2017, only 300,000 came to India.

He said that India plans to get at least 14 million Chinese tourists in the next three years.
As part of an initiative to attract former service personnel into the construction industry, Coleg Cambria is hosting a Forces in Construction Insight Day next week.

Organised by the Construction Industry Training Board, Kier, the MoDs Career Transition Partnership and the college itself, the event is being backed by a wealth of construction companies including BMI, the only manufacturer to attend, and showcases employment, career and training opportunities,

BMI UK & Ireland  along with Avonside Roofing and North West Roof Training Group  will be doing demonstrations using its Redland pitched and Icopal flat roofing products.

The conference, being held at the Deesside college on Wednesday (10 October), also features sessions on transitioning into construction, training and adapting skills learned in the forces to suit the sector. It will be rounded off by a presentation of success stories.

It is one of several similar events, many under the umbrella of BuildForce. Launched in January 2017, BuildForce is an alliance of construction employers, industry bodies and service charities, supported by the government, connecting service leavers and veterans with job opportunities in construction and giving construction employers access to a unique pool of armed forces talent.

According to BMI, the construction industry is committed to being a good choice for veterans: especially given the transferable skills that they have. They are used to an active and fast-paced lifestyle, a high degree of self-reliance and initiative, the ability to work in teams or independently, and being at ease with giving and taking orders. Other desirable traits for employers include time-keeping, presentation, quality workmanship, discipline, attention to detail and the ability to focus on targets.

The appeal of roofing to veterans  and their aptitude for it  was clear at the BMI Apprentice of the Year competition in June, where several finalists turned out to have service experience.

One such was Tom Thompson, who was Highly Commended in the BMI Redland pitched roofing category of the competition. Tom  also previously a runner-up, with a judges commendation, in the 2017 national SkillBuild finals  heartily recommends the trade to those looking for a new start outside of the forces.

He said: Its not nine-to-five, it keeps your mind going, hands busy and you can proud of the finished product. I would recommend it to anyone coming out  and say: never be afraid to re-train. Theres a lot of support available  I got tons from my tutor and the training is there from manufacturers like BMI too."
Royal family (Representational Image)

New Delhi : The world is marked with royal families blessed with billions and trillions in their bank accounts. We have come up with list of regal houses and their estimated properties till date. Take a look-

Saudi Arabia's royal family: $1.7 trillion

The wealthiest royal family in the world resides in Saudi Arab. The family has unimaginable wealth of $1.7 trillion which is divided among the 15,000 family members.

Kuwait's royal family: $360 billion

The royal family in Kuwait is reported to have massive stakes in most of the major blue chip companies in the U.S. The Al-Sabah family is at the helm. The dynasty has ruled the Middle Eastern country since 1752 and the current emir is Sheikh Sabah IV Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. All in all, the family is said to number around 1,000 members.

Qatar's royal family: $335 billion

The royal family in Qatar has assets like London's Shard skyscraper, the UK capital's Olympic village and Harrods department store, stakes in New York's Empire State Building and famous firms like Volkswagen, Barclays and Tiffany & Co.

Abu Dhabi's royal family: $150 billion

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority manages $875 billion in assets, including Dubai's Burj Khalifa skyscraper, the world's tallest building. Head of the family Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been the emir of Abu Dhabi and president of the UAE since 2004.

Thailand's royal family: $60 billion

The royal family in Thailand include valuable real estate in central Bangkok, large stakes in several key Thai companies and shares in luxury hotel group Kempinski.

Brunei's royal family: $30 billion

The extravagant royal family resides in the Istana Nurul Iman palace, which cost $1.4 billion to build back in 1984. He owns 7,000 supercars including 600 Rolls-Royces and 300 Ferraris, and several private jets, and once spent $21,000 on a haircut.

Morocco's royal family: $20 billion

The royal family in Morocco have to pay $200 million of taxpayers a year. The family spends several million dollars on staff alone, and almost $1 million a year on electricity and water bills for the royal palaces in Rabat.

Dubai's royal family: $19 billion

Rashid Al Maktoum controls investment vehicle Dubai Holdings. He made world-record $100 million on his first wedding in 1979, and donating billions to charity. The sheikh also owns luxury properties in Europe, as well as one of the world's largest yachts.
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Fearless employees from Huws Grays head office recently took on a tandem sky dive to raise money for the UK Sepsis Trust.

Dafydd Hughes and Meurig Parry jumped 10,000ft at Whitchurch sky dive centre in Shropshire, raising more than 1,400.

The UK Sepsis Trust raises awareness of the infection among the public and health care professionals, encourages early diagnosis, lobbies politicians to improve standards of care, and provides support for sepsis survivors.

Hughes said: Doing the sky dive was one of the best experiences of my life. Weve taken part in a few charity challenges over the years but this was definitely up there with the toughest.

The weather was great and after the freefall we were able to relax and enjoy the view all the way down to the ground.

We would like to thank everyone who have sponsored us to raise essential funds. Every penny counts!
New Delhi:

After a day of brief pause, fuel prices continued its rise on Tuesday with petrol retailing at Rs 84 per litre in Delhi with a hike of 15 paise from Rs 83.85 on Monday. While in Mumai, petrol was priced at Rs 91.34, implying a hike of 14 paise. Diesel on the other side was priced at Rs 75.45 per litre after a hike of 20 paise in the national capital, whereas in Mumbai, diesel cost Rs 80.10 after an increase of 21 paise.

Petrol and Diesel prices in Delhi are Rs 84 per litre (increase by Rs 0.15) & Rs 75.45 per litre (increase by Rs 0.20), repectively. Petrol & Diesel prices in Mumbai are Rs 91.34 litre (increase by Rs 0.14) & Rs 80.10 (increase by Rs 0.21), respectively, News Agency ANI reported.

Meanwhile, Petrol was priced at Rs 85.80 in Kolkata on Thursday, while diesel can be purchased at Rs 77.30. In Chandigarh, petrol price stood at Rs 80.85 while diesel was priced at 73.36.

In Chennai, petrol price stood at Rs 87.33 while diesel was marked at Rs 79.79.

Continuing its steep rise in recent months, petrol could be purchased at Rs 89.79 in Bhopal, whereas diesel was priced at 79.50. While Bengaluru witnessed the petrol price to be at Rs 84.67 with diesel hitting the Rs 75.84 mark.

Retail selling prices have been increasing since July 30 as international rates have inched up since then.

On September 24, petrol price broke all the records and touched the all-time high of Rs 90 in Mumbai following rupees falling value and rise in international crude oil price. Prices also remained the highest in Mumbai due to highest VAT in the city as compared to other metropolitan cities.

Taxes on petrol and diesel are one of the highest in India as the consumers are paying nearly 40 per cent tax on petrol in Delhi including excise duty and state VAT.

Earlier, subsidised cooking gas (LPG) price witnessed a steep rise by Rs 2.89 per cylinder to Rs 502.4, while the price on non-subsidised LPG at Delhi saw a rise of Rs 50.0 per cylinder.

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New Delhi:

Heavy rainfall, thunderstorm and hailstorm lashed the national capital Delhi and NCR around 4.40 pm, taking the residents by surprise and disrupting traffic movement across the city. The mercury level fell amid the heavy downpour which brough respite to the people from the sunny weather in the day.

Delhi woke up to a sunny day in the morning and the day saw mainly clear blue skies. The maximum temperature hovered around 35 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature recorded around 23 degrees Celsius, according to the Indian Meterological Department (IMD). The relative humidity oscillated between 40 per cent to 85 per cent in the day, as per the the IMD.

Read |A Centre slashes petrol, diesel rates by Rs 2.50; Petrol to be cheaper by Rs 5 in five BJP-ruled states

According to the weatherman, the coming days are likely to stay warm and the temperatures expected to rise by a couple of degrees. Dry winds from Northwest direction had reduced the humidity and the sky condition was clear.

This monsoon, the national capital recieved 19 per cent excess rainfall, the IMD said. The last time monsoon withdrew this early from the city was on September 30, 2015, it said.

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aMonsoon withdrew from Delhi. The last rain was received on September 24. We are now in the transition phase before winter sets in,a BP Yadav, deputy director general of the IMD, told PTI.



Monsoon had hit Delhi a day ahead of its scheduled date of arrival this year on June 28.

According to the IMD, the minimum temperature in Delhi on Wednesday settled at 22.5 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature was recorded at 36 degrees Celsius. The relative humidity oscillated between 43 per cent to 78 per cent, the IMD stated.
New Delhi:

In the run-up to the upcoming polls, the Union Home Ministry has ordered the deployment of as many as 25,000 troops for election duty in poll-bound in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, according to a latest directive.

These paramilitary and state police personnel, part of the additional 250 companies to be sent in for the polls, have been asked to take position by October 15 in states assigned to them. While 50 fresh companies each have been marked to be sent to Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, an order accessed by PTI said, the highest of 150 such teams have been earmarked by the ministry to be sent to Chhattisgarh that has its southern part affected by a high-level threat of Maoist violence. A single state police or Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) company has about 100 personnel.

Read More | Focus on S-400 missile deal as Vladimir Putin visits India today

While dates for Assembly polls in these states are yet to be declared by the Election Commission (EC), the Home Ministry has asked the forces and respective state governments to get these units inducted by the first fortnight of this month for area domination to ensure peaceful conduct of polls.

These 250 companies of the forces are in addition to paramilitary forces deployed in these states for conducting anti-Naxal operations and assisting in other law and order duties, a senior official said.

Chhattisgarh already has about 40 battalions (about 1,000 personnel in each) of the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force and Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force deployed full-time to counter the LWE menace.

The fresh 250 companies will have to be withdrawn from other duties and training and will be sent to the three states soon, the official said.

The orders are to rush these additional companies and put them in position in the three states by October 15. Detailed deployment plan will be charted out once the EC announces polls dates and phases, the official said.

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While the maximum manpower for the new units is being drawn from CAPFs like the CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB and RPF, special police battalions from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana and Gujarat have also been requisitioned by the Home Ministry.

For the forces marked for Chhattisgarh, the ministry has issued specific directions that they should carry their own night vision devices, communication equipment such as satellite phones, bullet proof jackets, GPS systems and armoured vehicles as far as possible for safety and other operational requirements.

This instruction is specific for fresh units going to Chhattisgarh as the battalions already deployed there are placed in thick of operations and they will not be able to spare their gadgets for new units coming in, the official explained. The three states are expected to go to polls sometime in late October and November.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union has announced strike on October 5 in protest against the administration not inviting them for the academic council meeting.

The JNU students body alleged the vice-chancellor wants one timetable, one syllabus and one system for JNU. It said that JNUSU has been kept away from the academic council meeting, where the dubious proposal of online entrance examination is being sought to be imposed. The JNU administration, however, remained silent on the issue.

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The online entrance examination is a policy intended to destroy, dismantle and shut down JNU. Last years admission data with details of reservation are also being withheld by the vice-chancellor, JNUSU alleged.

The JNUSU called upon the students to participate in the university strike on Friday.

We cannot allow JNU VC to destroy JNU. Lets stand united and resist this Draconian move, read the message circulated by the students union.

The protest will be held outside the academic council meeting, JNUSU added.

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New Delhi:

aaaaaRussian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Delhi on a rain-drenched evening on Thursday for the annual India-Russia Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was given a warm welcome by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the airport.

Putin, accompanied by a high-level delegation, is on a two-day visit to India to hold the 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit with Modi. The summit will be held in Delhi on Friday. During the summit, the two leaders are expected to sign a $5 billion deal on S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile systems.

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Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives for his two-day visit to India. He was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. pic.twitter.com/sNUWyS1ZkJ  ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2018

"Long standing and time-tested friendship. Upon his arrival in India for the #IndiaRussia Annual Bilateral Summit, @KremlinRussia_E Vladimir Putin was warmly received by EAM @SushmaSwaraj #DruzbaDosti," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Modi and Putin are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation in the wake of the US sanctions against Russian defence majors.

#WATCH: Russian President #VladimirPutin meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. He is on a two-day visit to India. pic.twitter.com/HlvfOGsEcQ  ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2018

Read More | India-Russia Summit: Putin arrives in Delhi, likely to sign S-400 missile deal with India

"The key feature of this visit will be the signing of the agreement to deliver S-400 air defence systems" to India, news agency AFP had quoted Vladimir Putin's top foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov as saying earlier.

The S-400 Triumf is a Russian anti-air system which can shoot down ballistic missiles at a range of 60km (37 miles).

Read More | Delhi Weather: Heavy rainfall, thunderstorm and hailstorm lash city, traffic affected

After signing of the deal, the Indian Air Force will receive the first S-400 squadron within 24 months. The rest will be delivered within the next four to five years, sources said.

Other top agenda of the bilateral summit includes talks on US sanctions on the import of Iranian crude oil and other regional and global issues.

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Washington:

Several Indian companies and some Indians have been barred by the World Bank from its various projects across the globe, the multilateral lending agency said in its first report on its efforts to fight corruption and safeguard donor resources.

The World bank Group Sanctions System Annual Report for the year 2018 said Olive Health Care and Jay Modi from India have been debarred from for their fraudulent and corrupt practices. They were working on a World Bank project in Bangladesh.

While Olive Health has been debarred for 10 years and six months, Modi has been debarred for seven years and six months, the report said.

In all 78 companies and individuals have been debarred by the World Bank.

The inaugural report, the bank said, is the result of efforts by the Integrity Vice Presidency (INT), the Office of Suspension and Debarment (OSD) and the Sanctions Board to prepare a joint overview of the Bank Group Sanctions System and its activities over the past year.

India-based Angelique International Limited has been debarred by the World Bank for four years and six months for their fraudulent and corrupt practices. The company had a World Bank project in Ethiopia and Nepal.

Family Care from India too has been debarred by the World Bank for four years on similar grounds. They had projects in Argentina and Bangladesh.

For fraudulent practices, Madhucon Projects Ltd from India has been debarred by the World Bank for two years. It had World Bank projects in India. R KD Construction Pvt Ltd has been debarred for one year and six months for the same reason. It has projects in India.

Among other Indian companies debarred by the World Bank for less than a year are Tatve Global Environment Pvt Ltd, SMEC (India) Pvt Ltd, and Macleods Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

In addition to the 78 debarments, five firms were sanctioned with conditional non-debarment, which means they remain eligible to participate in World Bank-financed projects but will be debarred if they do not meet certain agreed-upon conditions.

Each of the sanctions related to a finding that the firm or individual engaged in one of the institution's five sanctionable practices - fraud, corruption, collusion, coercion or obstruction - while participating in a Bank Group-funded project, the bank said.

The institution also recognised 73 cross-debarments from other multilateral development banks.

In addition to evaluating allegations of fraud and corruption, INT works to prevent corruption in ongoing Bank Group projects. INT staff identified and worked to mitigate integrity risks in 390 projects, steps that made progress in safeguarding the equivalent of USD 2.2 billion in project commitments, it said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the deportation of seven Rohingyas to Myanmar, who had illegally migrated to Assam in 2012. The apex court said that the seven Rohingyas were found to be illegal immigrants and Myanmar had accepted them as its citizens.

"Having considered the prayer, we would not like to interfere with the decision taken. The petition is dismissed," a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph said.

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The bench rejected the plea made by one of the Rohingya immigrants Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, who had filed an application seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting to Myanmar the seven Rohingyas lodged in a detention centre at Silchar in Assam. They had challenged the Centres decision to deport over 40,000 refugees who came to India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination and violence against the community.

The Centre told the Supreme Court that the seven Rohingyas had illegally migrated to India in 2012 and they were convicted under Foreigners Act. Myanmar has issued a certificate of identity to the seven Rohingyas along with a months visa to facilitate their deportation.

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Rohingya immigrants will be handed over to the Myanmar authorities in Moreh border post in Manipur on Thursday, a Home Ministry official had said Wednesday.

(With PTI inputs)

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Industry experts including Barbara Res, the woman who built Trump Tower, met at a recent summit to discuss how to create a more diverse construction industry.

The Inspire Summit was held in Manchesters Bridgewater Hall, and hosted by journalist and broadcaster Marverine Cole (pictured).

It began with an introduction from Emma Richman, Director of Assets at Great Places Housing Group. She took delegates through a history of womens rights, including the suffragettes and their motto deeds not words.

This sentiment was echoed several times throughout the day, as participants agreed that discussions are held too often about diversity in the industry, but not enough action is taken.

Panel discussions included topics such as Gender matters: the business case for gender parity and how we can achieve it, How men can be allies and How can we combat discriminatory behaviour in the workplace?

Participants agreed that a diverse workforce makes for a more respectful working environment, and allows greater potential for problem solving as employees with a variety of life experiences can see things from different angles and in an innovative way.

With the skills shortage a looming issue in the industry, flexible working was hailed as a way that skilled people can be retained. The opportunity for flexible working allows women with childcare responsibilities to adapt their working lives around their commitments, so they do not have to leave a job because of them.

Another issue was the fact that student make their career choices, or at least choose which careers they are ruling out, at a very young age. This means that industry representatives must be visiting schools and showing girls early on how exciting and rewarding a career in construction can be.

Participants stressed that the industry must shake off its sexist stereotype and demonstrate to girls that they could one day help to build on other planets. It was also suggested that successful women from the industry ensure they are reaching out to girls either in schools or social media so that they can be role models for them.

Entrepreneur Dr Pragya Agarwal called for more transparency about wages, to tackle the gender pay gap. She said that companies should regularly audit their employees salaries, and advised women to start the conversation and find out how much their male counterparts are being paid, and speak up if they think they are not receiving equal pay.

Male delegates were assured that they should not be scared to say the wrong thing and come across un-PC, but to apologise if they did offend someone, and try to learn from their mistakes. They were advised to be aware of their gendered language, such as automatically addressing a group of people in a group email as gents as this is alienating for its female members.

Monika Slowikowska, Managing Director of Golden Housing Developments, recommended that SME employees attend workshops to ensure they understand how to behave and communicate appropriately, and to show them the benefits of diversity.

The day concluded with a keynote speech from Barbara Res, the first woman to be in charge of the construction of a major skyscraper  Trump Tower.

She spoke witheringly about Trumps sexism as well as the shocking discrimination she faced during her career.

Read an exclusive interview with Res, about how businesses owners can attract more women and treat them appropriately and her advice for women in the industry facing discrimination, in the November/December issue of BMN.
New Delhi:

Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray will hold a rally in Ayodhya and perform the shilanyas to initiate the work of Ram temple, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said. The schedule for Thackerays rally will be announced in a Dusshera rally in Mumbai on . On , Janamejaya Sharan, the president of Shriram Mandir Nyas, Ayodhya had a meeting with Uddhav Thackeray. According to reports, Sharan had told Thackeray that his trust needs the Senas help in the reconstruction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

The Shiv Sena has been constantly pushing to start the reconstruction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on an immediate basis.

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On , a group of seers and saints started an indefinite fast to mount pressure on the Centre and the state governments to start the reconstruction of the temple in Ayodhya.



The fast will continue till the obstacles in the temple construction are removed. We will hold shilapujan every day. Saints and Ram bhakts will participate in it, one of the seers had said.

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The Supreme Court in its latest judgment had refused to revisit its 1994 ruling that a government can take a land in which a mosque has been built. The apex court also stated that it will not be referring to a larger bench.



In 1994, the Supreme Court had said that namaz (prayers) could be offered anywhere and a mosque is not necessarily required.

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San Francisco:

A California classic - the Green Goddess dressing - makes for a mouth-watering accompaniment with a crisp lettuce salad and crudites. Not many know, however, that this soulful herb-infused condiment, so dear to the American palate, has a unique Indian connection. The dressing, visible on shelves in grocery stores from the Big Apple to the Golden State, got its name from a popular stage play starring actor George Arliss set in India in 1920.



Arliss was a guest at the historic Palace Hotel in downtown San Francisco while shooting for the hit play The Green Goddess by Scottish writer and theatre critic, William Archer.



The dressing was created for a banquet held at the Palace in George Arliss' honour. At the time he was lead actor in the play, 'The Green Goddess'. The inspiration came from the name of the play. This is why it is a vibrant green colour. Palace Hotel marketing and public relations representative Renee Roberts told PTI here.

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While Arliss was staying at the Palace Hotel for a performance, Head Chef Philip Roemer created the special dressing to be served on the starter salad and the rest is history.



The dressing is green - literally - combining parsley, tarragon, spinach and chervil with a host of other ingredients such as Worcestershire sauce, capers and egg yolk.



After the play finished, two film versions of "The Green Goddess" were made. Arliss a white British actor starred as an Indian maharaja in them. The Green Goddess was a made-up deity in a Hollywood version of a Hindu temple.



In the three years after its publication, the play toured in both the US and the UK. It was included in Burns Mantle's The Best Plays of 1920-1921.

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The cast in the play included Arliss as Raja of Rukh, and Ronald Colman as a temple priest.



The play was the basis for both a 1923 silent film and a 1930 talkie. Arliss and Scottish film and stage actor Ivan F Simpson reprised their roles in both films, as the Raja of Rukh and his chief aide, respectively.



Arliss was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance.



The film featured a small plane carrying three British citizens that crash lands in the tiny realm of Rukh, somewhere near the Himalaya Mountains. The Raja who rules the land welcomes them.



However, as his three brothers are soon to be executed for murder by the British, his subjects believe their Green Goddess has delivered into their hands three victims for their revenge.

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We can't ignore how there's something really enchanting about the phrase The Green Goddess says Laura Borrman, author of the book "Iconic San Francisco Dishes, Drinks & Desserts".



The book discovers the disputed origins of local specialties like the chicken tetrazzini, chop suey and the classic martini, along with the legend behind the creation of Green Goddess Dressing.



According to Roberts, who's worked with the Palace Hotel for more than 20 years, the original recipe was heavy on the mayonnaise, and was served on canned artichokes, considered a luxury in those days.



On Thursday, the Palace has lightened the dressing with olive oil. And there are no canned vegetables in sight.

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New Delhi:

Russia may take an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) on board a Soyuz spacecraft for a short training mission in 2022, a Russian space industry source as quoted by a Russian media report.

"The Russian side has offered Indian colleagues to conduct a short visit to the ISS. The flight should take place in 2022 before or after India's independent manned space mission. The agreement is expected to be signed in the near future," state-run Russian news agency Sputnik quoted the source as saying.



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The International Space Station is a habitable artificial satellite in low Earth orbit.



Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech announced an ambitious mission of sending an Indian astronaut to space by 2022 on board domestically-developed 'Gaganyaan', when India celebrates the 75th anniversary of independence.



Russia may also train Indian astronauts at a space training centre near Moscow before they fly Indias first manned mission Gaganyaan in 2022, widening in the process the four-decade-old partnership in the space sector, according to report published in Economic Times.



Expanding the scope of Indo-Russian space cooperation, including training of Indian astronauts, will be high on the agenda when Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets President Vladimir Putin in Delhi on Friday for the annual bilateral summit, said people aware of the matter, Indian astronauts could be trained at the Star City near Moscow which has since 1960s been home to Russian cosmonauts. Many Russian cosmonauts, past and present, train and stay with their families in this facility, which is run by Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, it added.

India would be the fourth nation to send a human in space after the US, Russia and China if all goes by plans.



Indian Air Force pilot, Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian to travel to space. Sharma was a part of the Soviet Union's Soyuz T-11 expedition, launched on April 2, 1984, as part of the Intercosmos programme.



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Indias Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams are among the known names to have gone to space.

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Ottawa:

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi became the first person to be stripped of honorary Canadian citizenship on Tuesday over her refusal to call out atrocities by her nations military against the Rohingya Muslim minority. The move was made official after Canadas Senate voted to revoke the symbolic honour. The lower house had already approved a motion to the same effect last week.

The House of Commons granted the privilege to Suu Kyi in 2007, but her international reputation has since been tarnished by her refusal to call on the Burmese army to put an end to the atrocities committed against the Rohingya.

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Canadian lawmakers described the violence against them as a genocide in a resolution passed in September.

The ethnic group are treated as foreigners in Burma, a country that is more than 90 percent Buddhist.

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A brutal military campaign that started last year drove more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar into neighbouring Bangladesh, where they now live in cramped refugee camps  fearful of returning despite a repatriation deal. Many have given accounts of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and arson.

Canada has granted honorary citizenship only to five other personalities, including Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and Malala Yousafzai.

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Washington:

US President Donald Trump could nominate Indian-American Rita Baranwal to head the Office of Nuclear Energy, according to sources. If nominated, Baranwal will be an assistant secretary of energy (nuclear energy) at the Department of Energy. She would be responsible for the nuclear technology research and the development and management of the departments nuclear technology infrastructure.

Baranwal Baranwal currently serves as the Director of the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative. She has previously served as the director of technology development and application at Westinghouse and was a manager in materials technology at Bechtel Bettis, where she led research and development in nuclear fuel materials for US naval reactors.

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Baranwal is an alumna of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has earned her PhD from the University of Michigan. She serves on advisory boards for MITs Materials Research Laboratory and UC Berkeleys Nuclear Engineering Department.

Only in the past week, Trump signed a new legislation law to speed up the development of advanced reactors in the United States. The Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act eliminates some financial and technological speed breakers in the way of nuclear innovation.

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Recently, Baranwal in a blog post had said, The unconventional and energetic spirit that created the commercial nuclear energy industry will again transform our country. New, smaller and more efficient reactors are being developed to combat climate change and meet the energy demand.

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Dhaka:

Bangladeshs top anti-corruption agency said Wednesday it would investigate into alleged corruption charges against former top judge Surendra Kumar Sinha - the first Hindu Chief Justice of the country - as a court referred a case against him to the independent statutory body.

Sinha, 67, has alleged that he was forced to resign because he opposed the undemocratic and authoritarian regime. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas government has refuted Sinhas allegations and charged him with corruption.

He now lives in the US where he is said to have sought asylum.

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Investigations will be launched into the allegation as the case (against Sinha) was referred to us, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Iqbal Mahmud told a media briefing here, days after renegade BNP leader and former minister Nazmul Huda filed a case alleging that Sinha had demanded bribes from him.

Mahmud said the ACC would analyse as well if the matter was within its purview but since a court referred it to us, it could be assumed something is there which needed our involvement.

Huda, whose NDA party is now a ruling Awami League ally, alleged that Sinha had demanded from him an amount of Taka 3.25 crore ($386,904) for delivering judgment in a case in his favour while he was the chief justice.

The case against Sinha came days after his newly launched autobiography brought him in political spotlight a year after he was forced to quit amid a row with the government.

The ACC chief said if required the graft commission investigators would quiz Sinha and bring him back but interrogation is not a mandatory provision for investigations.

Mahmud said the ACC would also investigate into money laundering allegations involving Sinhas younger brother, who too now is in the US.

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In his autobiography A Broken Dream: Rule of Law, Human Rights and Democracy, Sinha said he was forced to resign last year following intimidation and threats, drawing a sharp reaction from Prime Minister Hasina who accused some anti-government newspapers of backing him.

At the launch of his book in Washington this week, Sinha urged India to support the rule of law and democracy in Bangladesh, saying the Indian government should not ignore the peoples will by backing the autocratic Awami League-led government.

Sinha said that he was forced to resign because he had opposed the undemocratic and authoritarian regime.

In his book, Sinha described in detail the circumstances under which he had to leave the country and resign as the Chief Justice of Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Hasina has hinted certain quarters were backing Sinha with particular motive as he launched his autobiography a year after being forced to resign amid a row with her government.

Please unveil who gives money for launching the book, the state-run BSS quoted Hasina telling a press conference in New York recently where she joined the annual UN General Assembly session.

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Flames Managing Director recieved a warm reception at the North East Entrepreneurial Awards.

John Savage (pictured) from heating and plumbing merchant Flame Heating Group was a finalist in the Entrepreneurs Forums Scale-up Award category last week.

He also won the Entrepreneurs Forums Emerging Talent Award in 2016.

The entrepreneurs Forum supports entrepreneurs based in the north east of England and helps them develop.

Savage started his career as an apprentice at a national heating and plumbing merchant, and established Flame in 2011 with a single branch in Gateshead.

The company now operates 11 trade counters in the UK and employs more than 60 people.

Last year Flames turnover rose to 14.5 million, up 6.4 million from the year before. It expects to exceed a turnover of 20 million this year.

He said: We have experienced strong, double-digit growth since 2011 and I am expecting this to continue as the company expands into new regions, and one day nationally.

I am proud to have been recognised by the Entrepreneurs Forum once again.

The continued hard work and commitment of our staff has been instrumental in our growth, and hopefully well be celebrating more award success in the future.
After a big spring, venture funding ebbed in Connecticut for the third quarter running July through September, with just over 20 companies reporting a combined $30.6 million in funding in Securities & Exchange Commission filings monitored by Hearst Connecticut Media.

That was well below the $106 million raised between April and June and the $115 million in funding secured in the third quarter of 2017, though well above historic lows. Still, only six companies reported receiving more than $1 million in funding to the SEC, with the lull occurring even as the New Haven cancer drug development company Arvinas went public in late September in an initial public offering of stock. IPOs offer one strategy for investors to cash out shares, if they appreciate to the stage where they represent a good return on investment.
Connecticuts employment rolls are projected to grow by 5.9 percent between now and 2026. The U.S. is expected to increase its job base by 7.4 percent during the same span. And the states health care sector is predicted to expand even more, with a 9.5 percent rise in headcount.

Those numbers in a new state Department of Labor report underscore the robust outlook of a sector projected to add about 21,200 jobs between 2016 and 2026, the greatest increase for any industry in the state during that span. Health care providers, including area hospitals, say they are ready for the increased hiring  which is driven by an aging population  but a tight labor market heightens the challenge of filling the additional positions.

Were responding to patient-care needs, said Melissa Turner, vice president of talent acquisition for the Yale New Haven Health system, which includes Bridgeport, Greenwich and Yale New Haven hospitals. Keeping up with research and technology dictates that more primary care and specialty services be offered. And were also enhancing outpatient services to further optimize opportunities for patients to receive high-quality and accessible care.

Ongoing growth

Between 2016 and 2026, demand for health care and social assistance services is projected to create nearly 4 million jobs, accounting for 35 percent of a projected overall U.S. jobs increase of 11.5 million, according to the Labor Department study.

In Connecticut, the approximately 21,200 new health care jobs  equal to the industrys increase between 2006 and 2016  would account for 22 percent of the state jobs growth in the next decade.

Local hospitals employment levels reflect the fields growth. During the past five years, headcount in the Stamford Health system, which includes Stamford Hospital, has grown 21 percent, to about 3,300.

Orthopedics, perioperative nursing and physical therapy represent some of the quickly growing specialties in the system, which opened a new 650,000-square-foot building at Stamford Hospital in the fall of 2016.

For the most part, we are very successful in attracting new talent, said Elaine Guglielmo, Stamford Healths vice president of human resources and organization development. We have a new hospital facility that is a very attractive place for professionals to practice their craft. One with all private rooms and new technology  thats a major distinguishing factor. And we have a very generous benefits package.

During the next four years, the Greenwich Hospital network is expected to add approximately 50 to 100 clinical positions, including about a dozen primary-care physicians. Systemwide, Yale New Haven Healths growth would likely be multiples of the Greenwich Hospital increase, according to Turner.

Adding primary care physicians will drive the need for more specialty care for their patients, and you will also see more demand for positions in other areas such as nursing and technicians, Turner said. It ends up having a domino effect.

Meeting demand

While health care providers increase their ranks, they face a competitive market for new recruits.

In Connecticut, the monthly unemployment rate in August ticked down one-tenth of a point to 4.3 percent. Nationwide, unemployment is running at 3.9 percent, a near-record low since December 2000.

To tackle the lack of supply, area hospitals have ramped up their recruitment and professional-development efforts.

Stamford Health runs a Graduate: Engaged, Mastering & Succeeding program to bring in new nurses with nursing degrees. The 12-week orientation initiative supports recent graduates by assigning them to medical or surgical units where they are overseen by experienced mentors.

Among its new initiatives, Yale New Haven Health piloted last year at Greenwich Hospital a 12-month operating room nurse residency program. The inaugural group of five nurses graduated in January, and the program is set to expand to the systems other hospitals.

Some non-clinical positions, such as IT jobs, are also difficult to fill.

IT professionals can work in so many industries, not just the medical field, so there are a lot of opportunities for them, Guglielmo said. Its a tight market there.

Retaining talented professionals also remains critical to hospitals HR strategies.

We want people to be challenged, and, depending on work-life balance and professional interests, they may want to move out of their current area, but stay within our system, in a different location, Turner said. Were very openly working with employees to meet their personal and professional interests.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; Twitter: @paulschott
NEWTOWN  A $500,000 federal grant that Connecticut will use to help students recognize red flag behavior before it erupts into school violence features programs developed by the homegrown nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise.

And theres more where that came from.

The grant, which will help teach 116,000 students statewide about Sandy Hook Promises peer-based violence prevention programs, is funded by the $100 million STOP School Violence Act that was signed in March by President Donald Trump.

Sandy Hook Promise, which was instrumental in crafting that STOP act, has partnerships with school systems in 14 other states, including New York, Florida and California, to use act grant money to prevent violence and suicide in schools, said Mark Barden, a co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise, whose son was one of 26 first-graders and educators slain in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre.

We are proud to continue our work in our home state ... to help keep Connecticuts students safe by training them how to spot and report at-risk behaviors before violence occurs, Barden said in a prepared statement. We know we can prevent violence through proven programs like our Know the Signs programs.

The peer-based programs, which have been in place in local school districts such as Danbury since 2016, encourage youth to both report at-risk behavior and support at-risk peers, such as those who are isolated.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy praised the partnership with Sandy Hook Promise.

We have made real progress since the tragedy at Sandy Hook  from passing some of the toughest gun safety laws in the country, to allocating more than $50 million toward improving school security  and Connecticut students are safer for those efforts, Malloy said in a prepared statement. Sandy Hook Promise has been an invaluable ally in those endeavors, and this new partnership will train students to help prevent further tragedies.

The idea behind the programs is to exploit statistics showing that 80 percent of school shooters and 70 percent of people who commit suicide told someone about their plan before they carried it out.

News of the Connecticut grant and similar awards across the country follows an announcement earlier this week that Sandy Hook Promise and the Pennsylvania Attorney General were launching an anonymous system to report school violence. The agreement, which covers 500 school districts, is modeled on the national anonymous reporting system launched by Sandy Hook Promise in March.

The nonprofit has grown from a small core of family members who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook massacre to one of the premier groups of its kind in the nation.

U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, both D-Conn., said the Sandy Hook Promise programs save lives.

When we give teachers and students the resources needed to identify warning signs and at-risk behavior, our schools are safer, Blumenthal and Murphy said in a joint statement. This funding is an essential step to enhance school safety.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's closest congressional allies said Wednesday that a four-hour interview with former FBI general counsel James Baker had "fundamentally changed" their understanding of the Justice Department's Russia investigation, confirming and furthering their previous convictions that federal law enforcement agencies were biased in their scrutiny of Trump's campaign.

Reps. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, both leaders in the conservative House Freedom Caucus, called the closed-door meeting the "most informative" interview they have had in the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform committees' nearly year-long probe into the FBI's investigations of the Trump campaign's alleged Russia ties and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server.

Democrats have repeatedly argued that the Republicans' aim is to undermine and discredit the FBI and Justice Department, as well as Special Counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. They have also criticized the probe's format of conducting private interviews, saying that doing so allows Republicans to misrepresent witnesses' testimony.

Jordan told reporters that Baker informed them of a "completely new" and "explosive" source who provided information "directly" to the FBI "during the time that the DOJ and the FBI were putting together" an application to surveil former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. He offered no details about the source, or the information the source provided to the bureau, beyond saying it was "related to the whole Russia investigation."

Baker declined to comment to reporters as he departed the interview.

The FBI's press office did not immediately respond to a request to comment on Jordan's characterization of Baker's testimony.

Meadows and Jordan have been among Trump's most dogged defenders as the president seeks to discredit federal law enforcement's Russia investigations, which Trump has labeled a "witch hunt." Earlier this year, Meadows and Jordan led a movement to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein for refusing to turn over documents they believed would expose the Mueller investigation's "rotten" foundations, as Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., has described it.

Republican Party leaders' support for their efforts has ebbed and flowed.

Jordan hinted that Baker's testimony may have bolstered their complaint that the FBI failed to include in its surveillance application evidence that would have steered suspicion away from Page. It "sheds even more light on just how wrong this whole idea, when they took this dossier to the secret court and did what they did," he said.

The dossier - a collection of intelligence detailing Trump's alleged personal and business ties to Russia - has also been a chief focus of GOP lawmakers who say it was the source of the FBI's entire investigation. The bureau denies that charge, which has also been undercut by reports that Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos told Australia's ambassador to Britain that the Russians had dirt on Clinton months prior.

A spokesman for the House Judiciary Committee Democrats did not immediately respond to a request to comment on Jordan's characterization of Baker's testimony. Only a handful of lawmakers attended Wednesday's hearing, as the House is not currently in session.

In recent weeks, the panel has interviewed individuals they believe are linked to the dossier's production and dissemination throughout the intelligence and federal law enforcement communities, including Bruce Ohr, the Justice Department official who spoke with the dossier's author on several occasions. Later this month, they plants interview Ohr's wife, Nellie Ohr, who briefly worked as a contractor for Fusion GPS when the research firm was involved with Steele. Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson has declined an invitation to meet with the panel. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., has since subpoenaed Simpson for a deposition.

Meadows and Jordan suggested Baker's interview could be the most important for them as they prepare to speak with Rosenstein, to whom they plan to pose many of the same questions they asked of Baker about the FBI's application to surveil Page.

Lawmakers also want to talk to Rosenstein about a New York Times report that he suggested recording Trump and potentially removing him from office. Rosenstein has denied he said those things, though he offered to resign in the wake of the report's publication.

Baker is expected to return to Capitol Hill to finish his interview, which was cut short because of a scheduling conflict, Meadows and Jordan said. They described him as a "cooperative" witness.

Baker left the FBI in the spring, and now works at the Brookings Institution. He was a close associate of former FBI Director James Comey, on at least one occasion receiving a memo Comey drafted following a meeting with Trump.

Baker was also linked to the members of Comey's inner circle, includingformer FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, who wrote memos detailing Rosenstein's alleged suggestion of wiring the president; and former FBI counterintelligence official Peter Strzok and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, who exchanged anti-Trump text messages. McCabe, Strzok and Page have left the bureau amid questions of their ethics and conduct.

Baker was caught up in a leak probe last year surrounding news reports about surveillance techniques of an email provider that appeared to stem from a dispute between the FBI and National Security Agency. He wasaccused by Republicans, in a report published by Politico, of disclosing information about the Trump-Russia dossier to Mother Jones, a left-leaning media outlet. David Corn, the author of that story, has denied that Baker was his source.

Baker was never charged with wrongdoing, but he was reassigned when FBI Director Christopher Wray took office. He left the bureau after a decades-long career this spring, and now works at the Brookings Institution think tank.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 4)  Where is Senator Antonio Trillanes' application for amnesty?

This an oft-repeated question that the lawyer of the embattled Senator should expect to hear from Judge Andres Soriano of Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 148.

Soriano is set to tackle on Friday the Justice Department's motion to issue an arrest order against Trillanes. This comes a week after the same court deferred ruling on the request.

The Senator previously tried to convince Makati RTC Branch 150 by presenting documentary evidence that includes his certificate of amnesty, but Judge Elmo Alameda didn't buy it.

The prosecution just had to present a certification stating that there is no copy of his application for amnesty in the records, a request made by Solicitor General Jose Calida.

This led to the issuance of an arrest warrant and hold departure order against Trillanes. However, the lawmaker posted P200,000 bail, which gave him a temporary liberty.

In his order, Alameda said the burden of proof of compliance of this amnesty requirement falls on Trillanes, so he disregarded the lawmaker's supporting documents including the affidavits of military officers who processed his application.

Alameda explained these papers are "barren of probative weight" to prove Trillanes' compliance.

Now, all eyes are on Soriano to see if he'll take the same path and issue another arrest order against Trillanes. This time the Senator won't be able to elude arrest as the crime of coup d'etat is non-bailable.

Still, Soriano can go against Alameda, and end up with two courts of opposing views.
Three years after he and his partner Mike Paetow opened a small Syracuse brewery, Mike LeRoy finally quit his full-time job at a local veterinary clinic.

"I was learning how to work without a lot of sleep," said LeRoy, who opened Stout Beard Brewing Co, with Paetow in 2015. "Now I can come into the brewery fresh and ready to brew."

Paetow, meanwhile, still has a "regular" job. He is a supervisor at the Veterinary Medical Center on Bridge Street, where he and then fellow employee LeRoy met and bonded over beer.

Now, with at least one partner in the brewery full-time, Stout Beard can increase its volume and more easily fill the 16 taps at the tasting room it opened last spring on Westcott Street in Syracuse. Perhaps, at some point, they'll expand sales to bars or stores.

This is how it works for many of the booming number of craft brewers in New York state: A couple of friends decide to turn their beer passion into a business. They start off small, usually with no employees and often, like the guys at Stout Beard, hanging on to other jobs with decent pay and benefits.

Many will eventually grow, sell more beer, add space and equipment and hire employees. But make no mistake: Few of these start-up craft breweries are suddenly going to rival Anheuser-Busch, or even Genesee or Saranac, in the volume of beer, size of the payroll or reach of their sales efforts. A rare few might even close.

"Most of these breweries are starting small, and almost all of their revenues are coming from what they can sell out of their tasting rooms," said Paul Leone, director of the New York State Brewers Association. "Then, if they're successful and they make good beer, they tend to have a problem keeping up with the demand. So they have to figure out how to grow."

New York's surging brewery growth

Craft brewing started in New York state in the early 1990s, but the numbers really started to take off in 2012 -- more than doubling since then to well over 400 breweries. The surge was spurred by entrepreneurs with a passion for beer, but also aided by millions of dollars in grants, tax benefits, licensing changes and other incentives offered by the state.

The growth follows many models. Many are like Stout Beard -- small, local and growing steadily, if not fast. That probably makes up the largest segment of the recent surge, Leone said.

Yet occasionally one of those once tiny businesses, just as small as Stout Beard, have blossomed into giants. A recent example is Sloop Brewing, which started in 2010 in a garage in Poughkeepsie and at first sold all its beer at farmers markets. Last month, it unveiled one of the largest craft beer production breweries in the state, in a former IBM facility in Dutchess County.

And there are those that start bigger. Young Lion Brewing Co. in Canandaigua opened in 2017 with a big 30-barrel brewery (15 times larger than Stout Beard) and a full-time brewing staff.

"We did a lot of research and what I heard again and again is that the biggest problem brewers had is they reached their capacity very quickly," Jen Newman, the CEO of Young Lion and one of five partners in the brewery, said at the time of the opening. "They couldn't keep up with demand. So we decided to go as large as we could. We think that's a good investment."

Others have been growing, too. Empire Brewing Co. started in 1994 with a small brewpub in Syracuse's Armory Square, then launched a big production brewery with eight times more brewing capacity and multi-state distribution in 2016. Good Nature Brewing in Hamilton followed a similar model, growing from a small brewhouse, to a standalone tasting room to large farm brewery, tap room and cafe.

More recently, Stoneyard Brewing of Brockport unveiled a big brewery that will be one of the largest in the Rochester region. It, too, began as a small brewpub.

The economic impact of all these breweries and their growth has been difficult to measure. The state brewers association has reported the industry has created more than 10,000 jobs and a couple of billion dollars in economic impact. But Leone says the group is currently working on a new impact study that he hopes will have more solid numbers.

A major boost from state government

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has made no secret of his support for the craft beverage industry, including breweries, wineries, distilleries and hard cider makers.

The State Liquor Authority often cites statistics that measure the growth since Cuomo convened what he called a "Beer, Wine & Spirits Summit" in October 2012. At that time, Cuomo pledged to cut fees, regulations and paperwork for the drinks industry -- much of which the state followed through on. While breweries have passed the 400 mark, all beverage manufacturers taken together now top 1,000.

In one of the most significant actions, the state in 2012 also launched an expansion of farm producer licenses, which had helped spur the wine industry in 1970s, to cover brewers and distillers. These licenses offer benefits to beverage manufacturers who pledge to use an increasing amount of New York-grown and produced ingredients. Nearly 200 farm brewery licenses have been issued since then.

In some cases, the state has provided financial incentives, through tax credits, Empire State Development grants and other programs. Though most breweries have not received such benefits, there have been some notable examples, aiding both large and small brewers:

-- Genesee Brewery in Rochester, the state's oldest, recently debuted a $49 million expansion of its main brewery. That will trigger $9.5 million in state grants and tax credits to help expand its nearby Genesee Brew House pilot brewery, tasting room and restaurant.

-- The small Paradox Brewery is part of a new $32 million state effort to build a Gateway to the Adirondacks visitors center project in North Hudson. Paradox is investing almost $3 million of its own money to make the move from its original home in nearby Schroon Lake to the new site.

-- Woodcock Brothers Brewing, which started in 2012 as a brewpub in Wilson on Lake Ontario, landed $516,000 in state Community Block Development grants and another $110,000 in state tax credits to help it open a second craft brewery and restaurant in an old factory in North Tonawanda near Buffalo.

-- In one of the most talked-about recent brewery expansions in New York, Other Half Brewing Co, of Brooklyn is opening a second brewery near Canandaigua, in the former home of the now-closed Nedloh Brewing Co. Other Half paid $660,000 for the Upstate site, and will invest $1.8 million in it. The state is providing $400,000 in income tax credits. The Other Half partners are also upgrading the brewhouse in Brooklyn.

-- Ellicottville Brewing Co. is getting a $600,000 grant through the state's Empire State Development office and $134,000 in tax credits to expand to a fourth location in Little Valley in western New York.

-- Both Empire Brewing and Good Nature Brewing received state Empire State Development aid in their expansions in Madison County.

State money is also used to promote the brewing industry overall, including $400,000 toward a series called Brewed in New York that is airing on public television.

What kind of jobs does a brewery create?

Working at a brewery can be an intoxicating prospect for some people -- after all, you to work with and around beer. But has the growth in the number of breweries generated a similar boom in good brewery jobs?

It's not yet clear.

While the New York State Brewers Association works on its new survey into the numbers, Micheal Coons is also looking at the data. He's the brewmaster at the Copper Turret Restaurant & Brewhouse, the teaching brewery at Morrisville State College in Madison County.

The school is working to develop a Brewing Science & Technology major, and currently offers a brewing minor in some of its other programs. Morrisville is using a data company to identify the jobs available for its graduates.

"Right now, a majority of the jobs we're seeing at breweries are in retail, sales, the distribution side of the business, and some back office stuff," Coons said.

There aren't as many openings right now for what Coons calls a "shift brewer," the person who strictly runs the brewhouse equipment.

Morrisville's program accounts for some of that: In addition to teaching the brewing process, the classes also focus on maintenance, cleaning, management and supervision, and the business and financial side.

"It's not all focused on making wort," Coons, said, referring to the liquid in a brewery that is fermented into beer. "There is a lot more to it than that."

The focus recognizes that many of the brewers in the near future will be small entrepreneurs, who need to understand all facets of the industry.

"It's a lot of how to run a brewery or brewpub," he said. "And if you are a production brewery and you're looking for a competent brewer, there's not a large pool of qualified people. That's what our goal is -- to produce these people."

Like Leone of the state brewers association, Coons sees growth in the near future coming more from the continued opening of small breweries, not necessarily the expansion of existing ones.

"The models are changing, but we still have growth with openings and a relatively minimal amount of closures," Coons said. "More and more breweries are small and locally focused. The days of starting really small and suddenly becoming a giant -- those days are probably not going to stick around much longer."

So Morrisville will, for the near term, likely keep its focus on producing well-rounded graduates who can handle all aspects of the beer business.

"We all agree that we need to figure out the way forward so that we have a sustainable craft beer industry," Coons said. "We don't want to lose that mom-and-pop character of people starting small breweries and making them successful."

Achieving success in the beer business

With the rapid industry growth and brewery openings, of course, there have been some hiccups. Some breweries -- fewer than a dozen -- have closed across the state in he past few years, often for very specific reasons tied to that business. Some have closed due to illness, or the desire of the owners to retire or because running a brewery, raising a family and hanging on to a day job proved to be too much to handle.

"I think the closings we have seen, and there really haven't been that many, are not because of some overall weakness in the industry, said Leone of the state brewers association. "Every closing has had its own particular story."

And so do the breweries that have opened and achieved success. They often share a similar backstory to the one at Stout Beard in Syracuse.

At Full Boar Brewery in North Syracuse, for example, partners Dave Marchant and Eric Petranchuk started part-time in 2016, switched to full-time and then hired an assistant brewer and some tap room help.

"It quickly became evident that we weren't going to be able to do this part-time," Marchant said. "Especially keeping the tap room open five days a week."

And Full Board still has plans for expansion, on a modest basis.

"We want to grow, but grow organically," Marchant said. "We want to look for some off-premises sales, and we'd like to become known beyond North Syracuse."

But that will take some effort.

"You can't get into this thinking it's just a cool hobby," Marchant said. "It's a business and you have to treat it as a business."

Don Cazentre writes about craft beer, wine, spirits and beverages for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.
SYRACUSE, NY -- The first Congress Beer poured in Syracuse since the early 1960s debuted to much fanfare in August. Now it's rolling out at taps across Central New York.

You'll find this recreation of Syracuse's last "old school" lager on tap at the following locations:

* Shaughnessy's Irish Pub in the Marriott Syracuse Downtown (Hotel Syracuse), 100 E. Onondaga St.

* The Evergreen, 125 E. Water St. (Hanover Square), Syracuse

* Sharkey's Bar & Grill, 7240 Oswego Road (Route 57), Liverpool.

* Pastabilities, 311 S. Franklin St., (Armory Square), Syracuse

* Party Source Beverage Center, 2646 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt (this is a bottle shop that sells growlers to go).

* Willow Rock Brewing Co., 115 Game Road, Syracuse (by the glass, plus growlers and crowlers). Willow Rock produces the beer in partnership with the Onondaga Historical Association.

In the coming weeks, look for Congress at Wolff's Biergarten, 106 Montgomery St. in Syracuse, where it will return after the bar's "Oktoberfest" ends; and at Jake Hafner's Tavern, 5224 W. Taft Road, North Syracuse.

For now, all Congress beer is draft, sold by the glass or pint, or in to-go jugs called growlers or to-go cans called crowlers. Willow Rock, which is undergoing an expansion, may package the beer in cans or bottles in the future, Willow Rock co-owner Rockney Roberts said.

From the 1890s to the the early 1960s, Congress was the most popular "hometown" beer in Syracuse, brewed by the Haberle brewery at the corner of Butternut and North McBride streets. The brewery closed in 1962. In its day, it was the Syracuse equivalent to Genesee in Rochester and Utica Club in Utica.

The modern re-launch of Congress Beer is spearheaded by the OHA, which acquired the trademark rights to sell Congress Beer merchandise several years ago. Last year, it secured the rights to brew a beer under the Congress Beer name as a way to raise money for its operations.

The OHA tapped Willow Rock, a small craft brewer located between Syracuse's University's South Campus and Brighton Avenue, to recreate Congress. Roberts and co-owner Kevin Williams used a set of notes on the recipe and procedures donated to the historic association by the last Haberle brewmaster when the brewery closed in 1962.

It was Williams' and Roberts' challenge to recreate a beer that they could produce in a modern craft brewery but that would also honor the tradition of a light colored, light-bodied "pre craft beer" lager.

The beer they came up with is a relatively low alcohol beer, at 4.8 percent, that they describe as "approachable," "easy drinking," "light-bodied and crisp" and an "everyday" beer.

Meanwhile, members of the Haberle family, which once owned the brewery, have announced plans to launch their own new version of Congress. They contend their version will be more "authentic" because it is made by the family. Like the OHA, they are seeking a Syracuse area craft brewer to make the beer, which could debut in 2019.

Don Cazentre writes about craft beer, wine, spirits and beverages for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.
| BY Ricki Green |

IGA recently enlisted storytelling specialists March One to craft a series of powerful stories, 1400 stores, 1400 stories, which launches today. These stories celebrate IGAs legacy of store owners and communities coming together to make a difference.

Recognising that each store, being independently owned, supports its community in unique ways, IGA turned to March One to bring to life the real stories and real people behind its local stores. Whether its stocking local produce, fundraising for causes or donating to community groups, this work showcases the powerful connection between IGA stores and their local communities.

Says Danielle Wilkes, general manager marketing, Metcash Food & Grocery: IGA is a network of proud independent store owners who are passionate about supporting their local communities. Each of our retailers has a unique and genuine connection with their communities and we wanted to showcase the amazing and incredibly generous people behind the IGA brand. Our retailers do what matters to their local communities and March One has helped us to give them a voice and hopefully get Australians thinking differently about the people behind their local IGA.

Originally an NFP specialist, March One offered IGA a new perspective to the craft of

storytelling. Greg Bechly, managing director and founder of March One, says their experience in creating purely emotive stories that ignite an authentic human connection is what gives the agency its edge.

Says Bechly: We used our human-centred approach to give a voice to some incredibly emotive, uniquely Australian stories. We wanted to showcase what community means to Australians and its importance in their lives  in particular, Australians living in regional areas who are too often brought together through challenging times and hardship.

Ben Coverdale, creative director at March One, says the approach adopted is an important shift away from traditional supermarket advertising trends that focus on product and price.

Says Coverdale: The IGA 1400 stores, 1400 stories series focuses on locals. The locals who own the stores, and the locals who use them. It celebrates the connection between the two and showcases the pride and hard work of the storeowners who open their doors each and every day to their communities, because IGA is where locals matters.

The 1400 stores, 1400 stories series captures the IGA brands distinctive USP: the stores are owned by locals who play an active role in the community. It highlights the stories of five IGA owners across the country: Ian Ashcroft  Ashcrofts Supa IGA (NSW), Roz White  Whites IGA (Qld), Lou Piccone  Piccones Supa IGA (Qld), Dan Rigney- IGA Xpress Alexandra Hills (Qld) and Kerry McPherson  Penola IGA Fresh (SA).

Adds Coverdale: The IGA store owners tell their individual stories in their own words  these are completely unscripted and completely real and the narrative reveals that behind every item sold at IGA stores, there is a real person putting in real work to make a difference for their community.

This inspiring 1400 stores, 1400 stories series can be seen across the Southern Cross Austereo Network, TV with solus ad-breaks on 9Now, long-form cinema, Facebook and Instagram along with digital across NineMSN, YouTube TrueView, and Unruly. This multi discipline approach has been made in order to ensure that as many people as possible can see these inspiring videos, think differently about the people behind their local IGA stores and encourage them to support independent businesses who sit at the heart of their local communities.

Helen Kealy, head of brand national marketing, Metcash Food & Grocery, says March Ones ability to unearth unique stories and bring them to life in an authentic way is inspiring.

Says Kealy: Their experience telling real and emotive stories is why we decided to partner with them on this initiative. At IGA we do things differently. We can  because we are independent. People are at the core of everything we do and we couldnt be happier with the results.

The 1400 stores, 1400 stories series is currently being rolled out into market.

Creative: Ben Coverdale

Account Service: Greg Bechly & Mel Tozer

Director/Editor: Dean Friske

DPs: Geoff Blee / Tim Nagle

Location Sound: Patrick Mullins

Colourist: Scott Maclean
France said on Tuesday there was no doubt Irans intelligence ministry was behind a June plot to attack an exiled opposition groups rally outside Paris and it seized assets belonging to Tehrans intelligence services and two Iranian nationals.

The hardening of relations between Paris and Tehran could have far-reaching consequences for Iran as President Hassan Rouhanis government looks to European capitals to salvage a 2015 nuclear deal after the United States pulled out and reimposed tough sanctions on Iran.

The source, speaking after the government announced asset freezes, added that deputy minister and director general of intelligence Saeid Hashemi Moghadam had ordered the attack and Assadollah Asadi, a Vienna-based diplomat held by German authorities, had put it into action.

The plot targeted a meeting of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) outside the French capital. U.S. President Donald Trumps lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and several former European and Arab ministers attended the rally.

It unravelled after Asadi, an accredited diplomat in Austria, was arrested in Germany, two other individuals were detained in Belgium in possession of explosives, and one other individual in France.

Paris has also suspended nominating a new ambassador to Iran and not responded to Tehran nominations for diplomatic positions in France.

While not directly linked to the plot, the diplomatic source said a French police raid on a Shiite Muslim faith centre earlier on Tuesday was aimed at also sending a signal at Iran.

The deterioration of relations with France could have wider implications for Iran.

France has been one of the strongest advocates of salvaging the 2015 nuclear deal, which saw Tehran agree to curbs on its nuclear programme in return for a lifting of economic sanctions.
Is Connecticut the pizza capital of the United States? According to food site Daily Meal, it's up there. The Nutmeg State is home to nine pies on the site's annual list of the 101 best pizzas in America.

The top five states for pizza are New York (36 pizzerias), California (10 pizzerias), Connecticut (9 pizzerias), New Jersey (7 pizzerias) and Illinois (6 pizzerias). It's not surprise that in Connecticut, the majority of the winners are found in the New Haven area, but Stamford holds its own with two spots out of the nine.

And not only that, Frank Pepe's famous white clam pizza reigns supreme at number one in the whole country. Others include BAR New Haven's quirky mashed potato pie, Colony Grill's iconic hot oil pie and a few plain pies that don't even have cheese on them.

Click through the slideshow to see the nine Connecticut pies Daily Meal calls the best in the country and click here to see the full list.

So how does Daily Meal decide the good, the bad and 101-list-worthy? After six years of doing this ranking, the site has a system.

Daily Meal starts by defining the "perfect pie." Here's their definition:

"We believe the following qualities are basic to the platonic pie: a nuanced sauce, neither too sweet nor too salty (assuming that the pie has sauce); good-quality, well-distributed cheese (assuming that it has cheese); good-quality and sensibly combined toppings; a flavorful, savory crust; and, perhaps most important aside from the overall quality of the ingredients, a judicious, well-balanced, and pleasing ratio of sauce, cheese, toppings, and crust that maintains a structural integrity no matter the style."

Then they turn to 59 pizza panelists (chefs, restaurant critics, bloggers, writers, and other pizza authorities) like Taste of New Haven's Colin M. Caplan, A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours' Tony Muia and Chicago Pizza Tours' Jonathan Porter. Panelists are only allowed to vote on places where they have eaten. Nearly 1,000 pizzas in total were considered in 2018, a hundred more than 2017.

"We've always prided ourselves on seeking out the best, most trustworthy way of reliably ranking America's pizza greatness," the site writes.
More than two-thirds of the winners at this year's James Beard Awards were women or people of color or both - a dramatic shift for a ceremony that has historically rewarded the efforts of mostly white, mostly male chefs. The Beard Foundation wants to make sure its awards gala - often considered the Oscars of the food world - was not an anomaly, but an early sign that the organization will continue to honor the ever-expanding diversity of the culinary and food-writing communities.

To that end, the foundation announced changes today to its policies and procedures to promote inclusion at all levels of the awards process. Among the changes are efforts to diversify the powerful committees that help decide the nominees in a variety of categories: restaurants and chefs, books, design, journalism and more. The goal, according to the foundation's press release, is to "increase diversity in its ranks at a minimum to represent [the] U.S. census, but with an intent to work toward parity over time." The committees will strive to hit their diversity goals by replacing vacating members or expanding the number of members.

Changes, in fact, have already occurred in the journalism committee, says John Kessler, the former dining critic at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In the three years that he's chaired the committee, Kessler has asked three people of color to join it. The nine-member committee is composed of five women and four men, he added.

"We have been trying to get a more diversified group of judges who are not just food writers and editors, but people who are good writers and editors and academics," Kessler said. "Different sorts of people, novelists, people who recognize good writing."

In addition to shaking up its committees, the Beard Foundation announced two other award-based changes:

First, it will stop inducting people into the Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America, a collection of chefs, authors, bakers, TV personalities and more, including such beloved figures as Julia Child, Anthony Bourdain and Mimi Sheraton. Originally launched in 1984 by Cook's and Restaurant Business magazines, Who's Who tends to skew toward white inductees, which is potentially problematic because only past honorees can nominate new ones. There's also the issue of past inductees whose reputations have taken nose dives after allegations of sexual harassment, including John Besh and Mario Batali.

Second, it will ask the general public to recommend individuals for its annual Leadership Award, which honors people committed to resource sustainability, ag policy, food justice and other issues. Past winners include former First Lady Michelle Obama for her work fighting childhood obesity and chef and author Dan Barber for his efforts to reduce food waste and promote sustainability.

The Beard Foundation has also decided to remove some financial barriers to entry for awards in the broadcast media, book and design categories. From Oct. 15 to Oct. 29, those wishing to enter these three categories can do so without paying a fee. Entrants can apply for an exception for works published after Oct. 29 until the final day of submissions on Dec. 30. The committees will review the exceptions on a case-by-case basis. For the journalism awards, the foundation will waive fees for all first-time entrants during the full submission period, from Oct. 15 to Jan. 2.

The "changes set a welcome table for diverse writers," emailed Adrian Miller, the lawyer-turned-author who won a Beard Award in 2014 for his book, "Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time."

"Writers of color, and writers struggling to make ends meet, should be greatly encouraged to submit their work for consideration. I'm excited to see a more inclusive representation of the very best food writing," Miller added.

As with last year, the foundation is encouraging committee members and judges to evaluate nominees not just on their work in the kitchen or dining room, but also on their "restaurant culture and leadership values." In the wake of sexual-assault allegations against multiple chefs last year, the organization issued a statement that asked judges not to nominate a chef, beverage professional or restaurateur if they had any "concerns" about the person.

The foundation's Media Awards will be April 26 in New York City, while the Awards Gala for chefs and restaurants will be May 6 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
BRIDGEPORT  With the city coastline growing pencil thin behind them, Curiale School eighth-graders remained silent as the captain aboard the tall ship barked orders to his crew.

Not until the all-clear sign was given were the 24 students allowed to resume their excited chatter about whether a large rock in the distant waves was a whale, what the smell was coming from below deck and what life must have been like nearly two centuries ago aboard a very similar vessel, the Spanish schooner called the Amistad.

It was important for Africans to know where they are coming from and where they are to chart their course for the future, Adwoa Bandele-Astante, an educator, told students huddled around her station aboard the 127-foot long schooner.

A nonprofit educational organization that offers year-round programming up and down the East Coast, Discovering Amistad of New Haven invited two groups of Curiale School upperclassmen to spend the day aboard the vessel that has spent the past two weeks at Captains Cove.

Completed in 2000, the boat is a replica of the vessel aboard which a slave rebellion occurred in 1839. The boat was carrying 53 Mende slaves from Havana, Cuba, to their purchasers' plantations when the African captives gained control of the ship and tried to make their way back to Sierra Leone.

Instead, the ship was captured and towed to New London Harbor. Their plight ended up in the courts, eventually winding up in the U.S. Supreme Court, which ordered the slaves freed.

The modern Amistad exists solely to tell that story, Rose Witte of Redding, the first mate aboard the boat, said. Telling the story of the struggle for freedom. A story that is still relevant to this day.

Eighth-grade Curiale teachers Jaime Rodrigues and Bill Bunin said being on the boat gives students who are starting to learn the story a chance to experience it from a different perspective.

Their students agreed.

Easing backward down the ladder that led to a lower deck, Vincent Penzerro, 14, said he wanted to know how everything worked.

I didnt know it was going to be this interesting, Penzerro said.

Sharmin Akther, 12, liked going down below, too, but also pulling the ropes with classmates who formed lines on either side of the vessel, working together to raise the sails and drop the line.

I learned its pretty difficult to sail, classmate Robert McDougall, 13, chimed in.

For Francisco Nadarret, 13, and most of the rest, it was their first time on a boat, at least of this kind. An hour into the trip, most had shed their jackets and had them tied around their waists.

They learned the replica is larger than the original Amistad, has an engine and a steering wheel, six waterproof compartments and flooring below the main deck. There are also 22 bunks, enough to take high school students on two-week summer trips.

Down below used to be just a pile of stuff, like a floating general store, Jason Hine, who has worked on the Amistad for three years, said of the cargo hull.

How do you not vomit down here, Deivy Franco, 13, asked when it was time for questions.

Even sailors get sea sick when the waves are rough, Hine told him, adding that going back on deck where one can look at where the land meets water often helps.

Back at Bandele-Asantes station, she let students touch artifacts like drums, walking sticks and a hollowed-out calabash.

Drums, the students were told, werent allowed in the Colonial environment. One, because they could provide a means for slaves to communicate and two, it was a connection to a past where the people were strong, confident and intelligent.

It was an ordered society, she said, explaining that the word diaspora meant to spread out and that the African diaspora is a vibrant one.

This weekend, the ship sails to New Haven. It will winter in Mystic.

Discovering Amistad educators will return to Curiale to do a follow up presentation in the near future.
HAMDEN  The Legislative Council slammed a local union earlier this week for failing to agree to anti-discrimination language as part of a potential contract with the Board of Education.

The union, though, said on Thursday it was an oversight. They didnt reject the language in question  it was just not addressed.

United Public Service Employee Union Local 424, Unit 51, which represents supervisors in the Hamden Public Schools, recently reached a contractual agreement through mediation with the Board of Education, which was presented to the Council for approval.

Council members expressed dismay that anti-discrimination language, which council member Cory OBrien later said concerned sexual orientation, had not been included in the contract at its Monday meeting.

This is unacceptable. Its a simple provision  its not a negotiation, its not a give, its not an ask. Its just should be there because it belongs there, said council member Eric Annes. Im astonished that this is an issue.

It seems like the whole town is standing behind this, and saying the language should be in there, the protections should be in there, said council member Brad MacDowell. I hope we can move forward in a better direction now that we recognize how ridiculous this is.

As a council, we could not send a more clear message that peoples rights are not bargaining chips, said council President Michael McGarry. This language is literally non-negotiable from the councils standpoint.

OBrien said the language is ultimately ceremonial  discrimination over sexual orientation is protected by state statute  and it varies from contract-to-contract, with some not specifying protections. But the point still matters to the town as a statement of values.

(T)hese individuals are protected by state statute, OBrien said in a statement. However, we are making a moral statement that the town supports these protections by explicitly enumerating them in the non-discrimination clauses in our employment contracts.

Gary Highsmith, director of human resources for Hamden Public Schools, said he could not characterize what language specifically was rejected by the unions representation, due to the constraints of discussing collective bargaining.

Im not saying the union was against anything. Im simply saying that I can say, legally, that the union was against some of the changes that we wanted to make, said Highsmith. I cant say specifically what the union was for or against.

Council member James Pascarella questioned the professionalism of the union representation, with Annes countering the point to note how the situation stands.

I have the funny feeling that the members of this collective bargaining unit (dont) know that their representatives rejected this language as part of what he thought was a bargaining chip, when, in reality, were doing this to protect the members , said Pascarella. Sometimes it doesnt pay to hire cheap help.

They may have been misrepresented, but that doesnt matter. Right now, it is the unions position that these protections are unwarranted and (are) unwilling to put that into the contract, said Annes.

The agreement was rejected unanimously by the council . Members took special care to record their feelings through a roll call vote, which required each to announce their vote individually.

Mayor Curt B. Leng also sent a letter to the council noting his opposition and disappointment to the language that had been included. The town had sought to include sexual orientation protection in its labor agreements, agreeing with unions to change without problems to the betterment of our contract and practices.

Roger Stolen, a labor representative with UPSEU, said Thursday that there was no issue  the union did not reject the language. But it was only briefly raised during negotiations as an update to be made, and the contract was brought to the council without it.

It just got missed, said Stolen. This is just an oversight, nothing more.

The union has a good relationship with the town, Stolen said, and the protection in question had been in effect statutorily for years.

He said he was surprised that the council had been so vehement about the issue  it could have been addressed with a phone call.

(Im) very shocked that this has happened, said Stolen. We could have fixed it.

The union and the Board of Education are now discussing the issue, Stolen said.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
HAMDEN  Well over 1,000 Hamden residents lost power Thursday, slowing traffic and inconveniencing people.

As of approximately 3:20 p.m., United Illuminated reported that 1,727 customers had lost power.

Mayor Curt B. Leng reported power had been lost in the area of Mix Avenue, Skiff Street and Dixwell Avenue.

The Hamden Fire Department said the issue had been traced back to a transformer, and that several traffic lights had been darkened.

Two elevator rescues in the Broadmoor apartment complex were required, according to the department, but no one was injured.

Ed Crowder, spokesman with United Illuminating, said a tree limb had come into contact with an electric wire at approximately 3 p.m., causing the blackout.

Power was largely restored in the community before 4:30 p.m. At that time, five customers remained without power, according to UI.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
NEW HAVEN  Albertus Magnus College has elected four new members to its board of trustees, according to a school press release.

Sr. Anne Lythgoe, O.P.; John R. Nester, M.B.A.; Barbara L. Pearce, J.D.; and Lawrence P. Ward, Ed.D., began their terms Oct. 1. They are the first new trustees since 2014. Albertus Magnus College trustees come from local and national corporate positions, as well as civic, religious and education leadership.

A member of the Dominican Sisters of Peace Leadership Team, Sr. Anne holds an M.A. in Public Communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. She has served as communications coordinator for the Dominican Leadership Conference (2002-2009) and for eight years was the founding editor of Dominican Life USA, an online news portal for Dominicans in the U.S.

Nester holds an M.B.A. from George Washington University. He has worked for Old Locke Partners, LLC, where he deals with education technology businesses as an advisor, board member and investor, while also serving as an executive advisor for New Harbor Capital. Nesters previous experience includes serving as CEO of Royall & Company (now EAB), the nations industry leader in strategic, data-driven direct marketing and advisory services to traditional colleges and universities.

A graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School, Pearce also holds an honorary degree from Albertus. She is president and CEO of Pearce Real Estate. She is also co-chair of the Board of St. Martin de Porres Academy in New Haven and founded the Women Organizing Women Political Action Committee, of which she is president. Pearce practiced law before returning here to work in the business her father founded. She has chaired many local boards, including The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Long Wharf Theatre, the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, the United Way of Greater New Haven and the Hospital of St. Raphael.

Ward earned his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. He is vice president for student affairs at Babson College. Prior to joining Babson, he served as associate dean for academic programs at American Universitys Kogod School of Business in Washington, D.C., managing director at an organizational development consulting firm, and an account executive for Aetna, Inc.

Albertus Magnus College was founded in 1925 by the Dominican Sisters of Peace and is a Catholic college with 1,500 students. It is recognized as a Top 100 Regional University in the north by the US News & World Report Best Colleges Guide for 2019.
HARTFORD  The state Municipal Accountability Review Board is likely to take action on West Havens five-year fiscal recovery plan  or figure out what were going to do in lieu of approval  at its next meeting, the MARBs chairman said Thursday.

That meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 1 at 10 a.m.

The MARB, which met Thursday morning in the State Board Of Regents Boardroom on Woodland Street, also put off a discussion of whether to push West Haven into Tier IV, which would impose a higher level of supervision and state control, until that same meeting.

We have elected to move our consideration with an expanded MARB board to the November meeting because we felt we didnt have sufficient time to properly notice it for Thursdays meeting, said Chairman Ben Barnes, commissioner of the state Office of Policy and Management.

He subsequently told the MARB, I would like to put out as a proposal that we endeavor to consider  or not  West Havens five-year plan at the November meeting.

West Haven, aided in recent weeks by a national accounting firm as a consultant, has been working hard to forge a plan that is acceptable to the MARB, Barnes said.

I would like to give the city and opportunity to have that vote come before them now, he said.

Barnes, who will leave office with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in January, said, It would be great if we could get the five-year plan approved  or if not, figure out what were going to do in lieu of approval  so that we could move on to other things the MARB needs to do with West Haven, Hartford and possibly other communities.

The full MARB also unanimously approved a wage reopener for the West Haven Federation of Teachers, which previously had been approved by the Board of Education, City council and MARB West Haven Subcommittee.

The reopener, which covers only wages for the last two years of an extended contract, includes a hard freeze in the first year and then a 1 percent salary increase, with no step increases, for the second year.

Mayor Nancy Rossi, briefing the MARB on what the city has done with the 5-year plan and other issues since a Sept. 27 City Hall meeting of the MARBs West Haven Subcommittee, said her office has put on the citys website a request for proposals to find a consultantto do a study looking at possible consolidation with the remaining two independent fire districts.

Rossi has told the MARB repeatedly, however, that West Haven has no power to force the West Shore and First (or Center) fire taxation districts to consolidate.

And two MARB members cautioned Thursday that even if there are cost savings as a result of increased efficiency or economies of scale, taking on the fire districts huge unfunded pension liabilities could be a problem.

MARB member David Walker, a Republican appointee who is the former U.S. comptroller general and former CEO of the U.S. Government Accountability Office, said, This is a very, very significant issue. On the one hand there are definitely economies of scale with consolidation, but on the other hand, there are very significant liabilities.

The combined fire districts unfunded pension liability is about $100 million, Walker said.

I think its very debatable ... whether West Haven residents who dont live within the fire districts are responsible for funding those pension liabilities, he said.

Member Mark Waxenberg, a gubernatorial appointee who is the former executive director of the Connecticut Education Association, said that the liability for the two fire districts is significant and its a dark cloud waiting to burst open.

A partner in the citys five-year-plan consultant, Alex Zhang of UHY LLP, updated the MARB on what changes have recently been implemented.

Under the five-year plan as currently written, the citywide real estate tax rate would increase from 36.26 to 39.99 over five years while the motor vehicle rate would remain at 37 mills. The area covered by the City of West Haven Fire Department - Allingtown would see its real estate tax rate increase from 14 mills to 15.5 mills over five years, Zhang said.

The citys projected grand list for 2020 would represent a 4 percent increase over the current one while the citys tax collection rate would remain at 98.4 percent, he said.

The plan projects a fund balance, or surplus by the end of the 2023 fiscal year, of about 5 percent of the citys expenditures.

Payroll costs would remain constant through the end of the 2021 fiscal year, with a 1 percent increase in fiscal 2022 and a 2 percent increase in fiscal 2023. Under the latest update, health and other post-employment benefits would be funded based on a consultants study, increasing 7.6 percent each year over the five years, with a 3 percent self-fund claims margin.

MARB members, questioning Rossi about what efficiencies the city would employ to trim expenses, peppered her with questions after she talked about what her administration has sone so far.

Rossi said that, among other things, city officials are striving to not give away the city by no longer paying for overtime to set up, provide security or other expenses related to festivals and other events.

She said her administration also is looking to tighten up overtime and timekeeping procedures, including people punching in whenever they want and then ultimately taking comp time, which in return resulted in them not using vacation time.

Then they were getting paid out for vacation time, Rossi said.

She said the city has been working to tighten internal controls to prevent those kinds of things from occurring.

Its very evident that you have serious internal control problems, said Walker.
| BY Ricki Green |

Interbrand has announced Apple, Google, and Amazon are the three most valuable brands in its 2018 Best Global Brands report, with luxury and retail as the two dominant sectors. Now in its 19th year, the reports 2018 theme is Activating Brave, and examines the role that brand strength plays in the bold transformation of the worlds leading businesses.

This year, the list features two new entrants and three re-entrants. Spotify joins at #92 (USD $5,176m), and Subaru at #100 (USD $4,214m) for the first time. Chanel re-enters at #23 (USD $20,005m, last on in 2009). Hennessy also returns at #98 (USD $4,722, last on in 2009), and Nintendo at #99 (USD $4,696m, last on in 2014).

Says Charles Trevail, global chief executive officer, Interbrand: A decade after the global financial crisis, the brands that are growing fastest are those that intuitively understand their customers and make brave iconic moves that delight and deliver in new ways.

Says Christian Purser, CEO, Interbrand London: Leading brands are more customer obsessed than ever, bringing the voice of the customer into every aspect of their business, making bold moves and taking calculated risks based on customer understanding. The fastest growing brands across the last five years of the study are typically the most relevant to peoples lives and the most responsive to their changing needs.

For six consecutive years, Apple and Google hold the top positions. Apples brand value grew by 16 percent to USD $214,480m, and Googles brand value by 10 percent to USD $155,506m. Amazon achieved 56% growth and is the third brand to achieve a 100 billion dollar brand valuation (USD $100,764m), as well as the top performer among 28 brands with double-digit percent growth. Following Microsoft at #4 (USD $92,715m), are Coca-Cola (USD $66,341m), Samsung (USD $59,890m), Toyota (USD $53,404m), Mercedes-Benz (USD $48,601m), Facebook (USD $45,168m). McDonalds (USD $43,417m) returns to round out the Top 10.

The five Top Growing Brands include Amazon (56 percent growth) 2017 new entrant Netflix (45 percent), Gucci (30 percent), 2017 new entrant Salesforce.com (23 percent), and Louis Vuitton (23 percent). After five years as the Top Growing Brand, Facebook declines six percent.

More than half of the Best Global Brands came from five sectors: Automotive (16), Technology (13), Financial Services (12), Luxury (9), and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (9). Luxury is the new Top Growing Sector in percentage terms (42%), replacing Retail, which continues impressive growth at second (36%). Electronics is third (20%), Sporting Goods is fourth (13%), followed by Financial Services (10%).
WEST HAVEN  As if this weeks designation of Forest School as one of just four 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools in Connecticut wasnt enough of a surprise, teachers and staff were honored Wednesday with a blue-ribbon pizza.

From Cappettas Italian Imports Pizza & Catering, no less.

And were not talking about just any pizza.

Were talking about a giant, 30-inch round pizza with a hand-stenciled blue and gold ribbon emblazoned on the top in special aerosol food coloring.

The pizza  which required a specially made box that Cappettas co-owner Donato Cappetta had to order all the way from Michigan  was a thank you and congratulations gift from Cappetta and his family.

Donato Cappetta, whose daughters Mariella, 9, and Luciana, 7, are students at Forest, said of the Blue Ribbon School designation, Its awesome! Its one of the best recognitions that a school ever could get.

After delivering the giant pizza pie himself to the school, which is only five minutes from the restaurant, Cappetta was joined by his wife, Kristina, and daughters for the presentation in the schools library.

It came during a break in teacher workshops that followed a half-day of school. Forest School teachers and staff were joined by Principal Tom Hunt and Superintendent of Schools Neil Cavallaro.

The giant pizza, something the Cappettas occasionally make for special occasions or for their 30 in 30 Pizza Challenge, actually was the idea of Cappettas now-retired father, Aniello Cappetta.

Aniello Cappetta said he made a pizza that big more than 40 years ago, back in 1976 at his old restaurant, Mama Lucia in Ansonia.

The actual construction of the pie, which required a special dough mix, was carried out by Cappettas pizza-maker Chris Stackpole after Donato Cappetta, who is partners in the business with his brother, Luigi, had a special, double-wide wooden pizza peel made.

All that work didnt go unappreciated.

Its amazing, said Karen Dandelske, a library media specialist who splits her time between Forest and Pagels schools.

As she looked around her, Dandelske came up with similar words to describe her schools staff.

Its an amazing staff, full of a lot of dedicated teachers, she said.

Its very unique, said Kim Velleca, a fourth-grade teacher at Forest, referring to the pizza.

The schools honor is well deserved. Everybody worked so hard, Velleca said

Were a great family, said second-grade teacher Michelle Harris.

Hunt said he was thrilled by the gift. I know the work that went into making that, he said.

The U.S. Department of Education announced its 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools Monday, naming Forest  one of West Havens neediest schools  along with University of Hartford Magnet School in West Hartford, West School in New Canaan and Haddam-Killingworth High School in Higganum.

Forest School was honored, among other things, for its progress in closing the achievement gap, officials have said. The Board of Education honored Forest at its regular meeting Monday night.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
| BY Ricki Green |

WARC, the global authority on advertising and media effectiveness, has today released its Effective Social Strategy Report 2018, outlining key social trends from the worlds most effective marketing campaigns.

Drawn from the winners of the Effective Social Strategy category of this years international WARC Awards, a global case study competition designed to reward next-generation marketing effectiveness, the report identifies drivers that link the role of social strategy to business success.

Says Lucy Aitken (pictured), managing editor, case studies, WARC: Weve been documenting the evolution of social strategy since 2014. During that time, social has changed in the media mix, from an activity designed to generate conversation, participation, sharing or advocacy to a broadcast medium for online video and, in many instances, a support medium for bigger integrated campaigns that also use TV.

Social is now firmly established in the media mix, though its ability to connect with communities in highly unique and memorable ways continues to make it distinct.

Following WARCs analysis of the metadata of the entries, survey with the entrants and contributions from the esteemed judging panel, chaired by Elizabeth Windram, VP marketing, JetBlue Airways, four key themes have been identified for an effective social strategy:

Human connections drive social success

Some of the best performing campaigns saw significant sales increases by appealing to people in a human or humorous way.

Fast-food retailer McDonalds eased exam stress for students in China, Danish supermarket Fleggaard created comic content that confronted the snobbery around border shopping, airline JetBlue nudged Americans to take vacations and OTC medication Gas-X tackled a taboo using humour.

All four campaigns saw significant sales jumps off the back of their strategy with McDonalds in China, which won the Grand Prix, performing extremely well. According to the case study, the campaign exceeded the KPI of a 15% increase for overall sales.

Says Aitken: Using an accessible, gently humorous or empathetic tone is entirely appropriate for social campaigns  as the results for all these campaigns can testify.

Social video formats diversity

Video is key to successful social campaigns, with more executions across more platforms, offering greater scope for iteration.

PlayStations Play Everything campaign used multiple video touchpoints to drive awareness and views for the campaign. Meanwhile, British telco BT created 11 different pre-roll adverts on YouTube, and French mineral water brand Hepar created ten videos based on audiences suggestions.

Says judge, Gerard Crichlow, head of cultural strategy at AMV BBDO: Video was an integral part of many of the best performing social campaigns at this years WARC Awards. Effective brands are mirroring the behaviour of modern audiences, who increasingly view and engage with brands on their own terms, when and where they choose.

Communities of interest

Many winning brands skillfully used social as a way to connect with particular communities.

Unilever-owned detergent OMO in the UAE helped parents rethink their approach to child-rearing, while Durexs PR-led campaign in India enabled men to buy contraceptives more freely.

Says jury member Chris Herbert, strategy director at the7stars: Part of an effective social strategy is not only ensuring that campaigns anticipate what their audience will talk about, but also seamlessly becoming part of the conversation.

While the ways we connect with each other have changed, the reasons why we connect havent. The messages we share socially are still those which interest us, those which agree with or challenge our beliefs.

Built-in discoverability

The years Awards spawned a handful of social-by-design campaigns that demonstrated the value of a discoverable idea.

Says judge Kristen Fox, director, social media and digital analytics, Crispin Porter + Bogusky: Discoverability is about presenting value that is relevant to a consumer, at the time and place where it is most relevant to them. It should also be presented in the most frictionless way possible.

AddictAide helped drive awareness of alcoholism by convincingly mimicking an Instagram profile, while @GeoStories by The Geological Survey of Canada History Committee leveraged peoples habit of posting and tagging pictures of places they visit.

Adds Fox: Even when you have media dollars to spend, its hard to identify where you need to be. These executions used newsjacking to slingshot content and drive discoverability.

A sample of WARCs Effective Social Strategy Report 2018 can be downloaded here. The report in full is available to WARC subscribers and includes chapter analysis with views and opinions from the judges, as well as summaries  objectives, insights, strategies, results and take-outs  of the winning case studies.
HARWICH  It's been 18 years since the initial Harwich Center Initiative study was done with the goal of bringing economic vitality to the historic village. There have been several additional attempts to revive the effort since then, and selectmen agreed Monday night to make another attempt.

We have several people who have shown an active interest, Selectman Larry Ballantine said. There is enthusiasm and I'd like to go after it while the interest is high. Renewed interest in the village comes after a new convenience store was proposed for one of the major parcels in Harwich Center, the former gas station site at 711 Main St.

On Monday night selectmen voted to approve a proposal to re-establish the Harwich Center Initiative Ad Hoc Committee. The group is charged with stimulating the economic vitality of the village and improving the area visually and functionally with the goal of creating a walkable, sustainable, vibrant and cohesive village. Housing possibilities ranging from workforce to market rate will also be explored to help increase the variety of housing available in the village.

The proposal was brought forward by Ballantine, but it also had a strong endorsement from longtime village resident Paul Doane, a former state senator who served as a community planner in the former Cape Cod Economic Development Commission. Ballantine said Doane came to him with the proposal.

Ballantine said Doane could not be present on Monday night because he was returning from Nova Scotia. But Doane was in attendance at the last historic district and historical commission hearing on the proposed 4,000 square foot convenience store with two second floor apartments proposed by Saumil Patel on the 27,441-square-foot lot that housed the former gas station. Doane, who said he has lived in the village for 75 years, cited earlier times when the village was thriving and wants to work toward reviving Harwich Center.

The clock is ticking. Certain efforts, impacting important pieces of the center's dynamic, are presently in various stages of consideration and action. Others are sure to follow to further potentially cloud the landscape, Doane wrote in a letter to selectmen supporting the proposal. It is much easier to work with a somewhat known domain than one moving in often conflicting or less public beneficial directions. Thus, establishing this panel at this time while the canvas is still reasonably unfettered is important.

As Harwich shows economic and residential improvements, e.g. Harwich Port businesses, Saquatucket Harbor, E. Harwich fire station, Brooks Library, cultural center it is appropriate to form a committee of interested stakeholders with the support of town staff to take another look at Harwich Center, Ballantine wrote in a proposal to selectmen.

The proposal calls for the formation of an ad hoc committee made up of seven members with the support of the town planner and other staff as requested. The appointments will be prioritized based on an interest in Harwich Center, experience in village revitalization, knowledge of Smart Growth development recommendations and grant writing experience to help gain necessary funding.

Its overarching focus is to offer implementable objectives. That is the committee's action-oriented goal. We expressly eschew the thought of being added to that list of thoughtful studies which fell short of its objectives and little tangible gain, Doane wrote.

The HCI committee study was conducted by the Cecil Group in 2000; the Harwich Center Technical Study conducted by the Cape Cod Commission in 2009 was supposed to help prioritize the action suggested in the 2000 report. It included a major Americans with Disabilities Act sidewalk project under consideration in 2018 that would improve sidewalks from the community center through the village to the cultural center on Sisson Road. Ballantine said the accessibility rights committee would be pursuing an ADA grant for that project.

The proposal points out town staff, interested stakeholders and the Cape Cod Commission have all attempted to develop a vision for the area. Each has also had extensive discussions about prioritizing steps to implement a Harwich Center vision.

Our goal is not to replace or usurp the dedicated efforts of existing town boards, such as the planning board, the board of appeals, the historic district commission, the housing authority and so forth. We seek their valued input, experience and cooperation, Doane wrote in his letter.

Selectman Ed McManus said a second study conducted by the Cecil Group in 2004 surveyed an eclectic composition of property lines and setbacks relating to the various properties in the village.

Some of the vision goals in Ballantine's proposal are identifying community needs; envisioning what a revitalized Harwich Center can be; reviewing solutions other locales have applied to similar problems; developing specific design actions; and exploring possible implementation steps to realize the vision.

The committee would meet no less than once a month and be charged with submitting a report by Dec. 15, 2019 and disbanding by the end of that month. The committee would also provide periodic status reports to the board of selectmen.

Thanks, it's a great idea, Board of Selectmen Chair Julie Kavanagh said.
Members of the pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy rejoiced at 2:18 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Wednesday when phones across the nation buzzed during the first test of the presidential-level emergency alert system.

For most Americans, the test was as dry and unremarkable as one might expect a test alert would be. It read:

"Presidential Alert: THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."

But for the QAnon faithful  followers of the mysterious internet figure only identified as "Q" who posts clues about an ongoing clandestine war fought by Trump and the military against globalist "Deep State" Democratic pedophiles  the test was profoundly meaningful. The president was talking to them.

And not only that, he was possibly signaling the beginning of "The Storm," the prophesied Make America Great Again purge when Trump's enemies would be rounded up under martial law and tried at military tribunals.

The Daily Beast compiled some of the reactions on the forum 8chan, one of the message boards used by "Q":

"That is how we will receive orders if all else fails. We are the next generation Minutemen! Standing by Sir!"

"SO HAPPY!" wrote another. "THANK YOU 45!"

The fact that FEMA, which controls the emergency alert system, sent out the message  not the president  did not seem to faze the conspiracists.

The QAnon believers noted the test message was 17 words long, significant because "Q" is the 17th letter of the alphabet.

"The alert itself has 17 words," wrote one pro-QAnon Twitter user. "#NoCoincidence."

"Q" previously wrote that the date of the test had been moved to coincide with Judge Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation and the start of "RED OCTOBER," during which the Democrats will be thoroughly crushed before the month is over.

"Q" may have been a little premature on Kavanaugh. As for the destruction of the Democrats, apparently we'll have to wait until after Halloween to find out.
Police in Norwood are seeking the public's help to identify a woman who can't remember who she is after she was found Tuesday on a borough street.

In a post on the department's Facebook page, police said the woman was found on Livingston Street.

"Unfortunately, she doesn't know who she is," the post said.

Chief Jeffrey Krapels told NorthJersey.com the woman said she was involved in a car crash about a year ago in Washington State and has been walking since the wreck.

It was not immediately clear if police believed her claim was credible. She also reportedly told authorities she was a veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

UPDATE: Our JANE DOE has been reunited with her family! The Norwood Police found this woman on Livingston Street... Posted by Norwood Police Department, NJ on Wednesday, October 3, 2018

She was taken to New Bridge Medical Center, according to police. The department released a photo of the woman and urged anyone with information to call authorities.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
One is mayor. The other is president of the Bergen County Chapter of the NAACP. And they're both candidates for Bergen County Sheriff.

The two major political parties in Bergen County met this week to choose who they want to replace disgraced former Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino following his resignation Sept. 21 after a recording surfaced of him making racist comments.

The Democratic Committee of Bergen County on Tuesday night selected Anthony Cureton, who retired as a detective sergeant from the Englewood Police Department in July 2014. The NAACP president has already been backed by U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, both Democrats.

The Bergen County Republican Organization, meanwhile, on Monday night, chose John "Jack" DeLorenzo as its sheriff's candidate.

DeLorenzo retired as a detective captain from the Hasbrouck Heights Police Department after serving 25 years. He is a U.S. Army veteran, served in the Military Peace Corps and three terms on the Hasbrouck Heights Board of Education, before being elected mayor. His current term ends in 2019.

Three independents candidates will also be on the ballot -- James M. Ahearn, Robert J Kugler, and Robert P. Tormo. Another independent candidate had also submitted a petition, but withdrew his bid early Thursday.

"I have decided it is in the best interest of all that I join in supporting Jack Delorenzo for Sheriff. I am going to withdraw my petition to run as an independent," Anthony Serrao, of Rutherford, said in an email.

Serrao retired in 2010 from the Fair Lawn Police Department as a detective captain after 30 years on the force. He is registered Republican, he said.

Despite the recency of Saudino's resignation, Bergen County residents will vote on Election Day, Nov. 6, to fill a full, three-year sheriff's term. County officials have been scrambling to get the election together quickly.

Bergen County Clerk John Hogan said, after a meeting late Tuesday with representatives from the Secretary of State's office and state and county election officials, that an addendum will be mailed to those more than 36,000 residents who requested absentee ballots.

"They'll receive a letter with a second ballot that explains they have the opportunity to vote for sheriff," Hogan said.

The county is still working out how much the special sheriff's election is going to cost for overtime and printing. But Hogan said Wednesday the cost will be higher than his original estimate of $100,000.

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Financially troubled Sears Holdings plans to close 11 more Kmart and Sears stores around the country beginning next month.

No stores in New Jersey are among the latest round of store closures, though the struggling retail chain said in August that the Sears in the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing will close in November.

The latest closings include six Sears and five Kmart locations, according to government layoff notices. It includes stores from New York to California, which will close in November and December. The closest store to New Jersey shutting down is a Kmart in the Middle Village section of Queens, New York.

Sears lost $508 million in the second quarter of 2018, which ended Aug. 4. That's more than double the $250 million net loss for the same period the previous year.

BusinessInsider.com was the first to report on the new closures.

In May, Sears Holding Corp. announced 72 closures nationally amid a dismal first quarter earnings report that showed a $424 million loss. For New Jersey, that list included:

Sears at the Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrenceville

Sears on at the Seaview Square Mall Route 66 in Ocean Township

Sears at The Center Burlington Mall in Burlington

Kmart on Barbour Avenue in Clifton

In January, Sears said 103 stores were to close in the first three months of the year, including the Sears in the Ocean County Mall.

The company has closed hundreds of stores in recent years. As of Aug. 13, there were 506 Sears stores and 360 Kmarts remaining.

A Sears Holdings spokesman didn't immediately return a message from NJ Advance Media.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Q. My parents both passed last year and the house was left to me and my siblings. The sibling who is the executor refuses to sell the home, which still has a home equity loan. What are my rights? The deed is in my parents' names.

-- Sibling

A. It sounds like your sibling - the executor - has some work to do.

Although the executor has some discretion in administering the estate, the executor has a duty to settle and distribute the estate expeditiously and efficiently for the best interest of the beneficiaries, said Catherine Romania, an estate planning attorney with Witman Stadtmauer in Florham Park.

She said unless the will provides specific instructions regarding the home, the executor, at his or her discretion, has two choices. The executor may sell it and distribute the net proceeds, or distribute the home "in kind" to the beneficiaries, which means having a deed prepared from the estate to the beneficiaries as tenants in common, she said.

"If the property is distributed in kind, the beneficiaries now own the property jointly and will be jointly obligated on the loan, which pursuant to statute is not paid off with other estate assets unless specifically so directed under the will," she said.

Because creditors have nine months to present a claim to the executor, many executors will not make distribution before nine months, Romania said.

Then, if there are any beneficiaries who are not Class A beneficiaries - which include grandparents, parents, children, stepchildren, grandchildren, spouses or domestic partners - or if there is a trust, then a New Jersey Inheritance Tax Return is required to be filed within eight months of death, Romania said.

For that reason, therefore, many executors will not make distribution before a Notice of Assessment, which shows no additional tax is due, is received from the New Jersey Division of Taxation.

"If your parents passed away in 2017, and if either estate exceeded $2 million, there may have been a New Jersey estate tax return required to be filed and possibly a tax owed," Romania said.

There is no longer a New Jersey estate tax for decedents dying after Dec. 31, 2017.

Even if there is no tax and all the beneficiaries are Class A beneficiaries, New Jersey requires a waiver be obtained from the Division of Taxation to release its lien on the property of a decedent, she said.

If an estate has been open for a substantially long period of time and you believe the executor is not fulfilling his or her obligations, you may bring an action in court to have the executor discharged and a new executor appointed, Romania said.

"Discharge is generally considered by the court when an executor refuses to obey a court order, for example, to file an accounting or an inventory of estate assets; or is found to have committed embezzlement, waste, misappropriation; is incapacitated; or neglects or refuses to perform the required duties of the office," she said.

Alternatively, Romania said, you can request the court to direct the executor to perform a particular action. In your example, it would be to sell the home and distribute the proceeds.

Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com.

Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.com's weekly e-newsletter.
To open her first season as Luna Stage's artistic director, Ari Laura Kreith wanted a show that would not only engage audience but also send a message regarding her hopes for the theater's future.

She chose Pirira, a drama set in both Manhattan and Malawi that underscores how small the world is and how similar humans are no matter where they live or what they look like.

"I feel my goal for Luna is to be a place where communities come together, and where we have deep and powerful conversations about the issues facing us locally and globally," Kreith said. "It's a deeply hopeful play that doesn't ask questions about how we do this and answer them in a simplistic way. It grapples with them in a way that encourages us that all things are possible and the journey is worthwhile."

An earlier incarnation of the play, which runs Oct. 4 - 28, was in 2014 named "Outstanding Premiere Production of a Play" during the New York Innovative Theatre Awards, which celebrate off-Broadway shows.

Kreith, who has worked with playwright J. Stephen Brantley on the play's development over the last five years, was at that time artistic director of Theatre 167, where the show ran.

The play has changed since then, Kreith said, because the world has changed. (She declined to explain the meaning of the name, saying all would be revealed to the audience during the production.)

"In 2014, Americans were less aware of challenges like finding clean water in the third world and in this country, before the drought in Africa and the situation in Flint. That (part of the play) lands very differently now," she said. "There was also a different optimism about our place in the world as Americans. We're having different cultural conversations now as we've become aware of how deeply divided our country is."

The play's actions moves between two small rooms, one in a struggling aid organization in Malawi and the other in a Manhattan florist.

In Africa, American aid workers Jack and Ericka are seeking shelter as riots roar outside. In New York, Malawian student college Gilbert and his gay co-worker Chad are starting their work day.

The conversations between the pairs is very different.

In the Malawi hiding place, water is a precious commodity.

In the Manhattan florist, the two workers spritz plants with water without a care.

In Malawi, anyone found to be in a consensual same sex relationship could be imprisoned for 14 years. In New York, Chad is able to be open about his sexual preferences.

"They exist on a single stage, their worlds initially seeming very distinct, and by sharing that space we understand the ways the conversations they're engaging in are similar, yet different," Kreith said. "It ultimately shows how inexplicably connected all of our lives and experiences are."

PIRIRA

Luna Stage

555 Valley Rd., West Orange

Tickets: $35-39, available online at http://lunastage.com. Oct. 4 - 28.

Natalie Pompilio is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. She can be reached at nataliepompilio@yahoo.com. Find her on Twitter @nataliepompilio. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.
Two passengers on a New Jersey Transit bus suffered minor injuries when the bus and a vehicle collided on Thursday morning in Newark.

The No. 34 line bus, which travels between Newark and Bloomfield, with a car "made contact" with a car near the intersection of 12th Avenue and Bergen Street around 7:17 a.m., NJ Transit spokesman Jim Smith said

Since the crash took place next to University Hospital, 12 others walked over to get checked.

The vehicle had minor damage.

Smith referred other questions to Newark police, who couldn't immediately provide additional details.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A top executive at RWJBarnabas Health issued an apology Thursday for a comment she posted on social media about police training and race, calling her words "insensitive and offensive."

Michellene Davis, an RWJBarnabas health executive, issued an apology Thursday morning after posting a comment to Facebook about police shooting black children.

Michellene Davis, an executive vice president and chief corporate affairs officer for RWJ Barnabas, made the comment from her personal Facebook page after a friend shared a NorthJersey.com article about plans for armed police officers at schools in Fair Lawn.

"Who is going to train them not to shoot black children first?!?" she said in the comment. The comment did not appear on a public post, but screenshots were circulated on social media.

She posted a public apology to her Facebook page Thursday morning.

"I want to publicly apologize for an extremely insensitive and offensive comment posted on facebook," she wrote. "My concern for the safety of schoolchildren and gun violence led me to react to a headline without thinking. Having a late sister and other family in law enforcement I deeply respect the law enforcement community and appreciate their service and admire their sacrifice."

"To all law enforcement families, the community, and to my employer, RWJBH I offer a sincere apology," she said.

Davis did not immediately respond to messages Thursday seeking additional comment.

Before the apology appeared Thursday morning, apparently after Davis posted a message saying she was hacked, according to screenshots obtained by Fair Lawn-Glen Rock Daily Voice.

RWJBarnabas issued a brief statement on Facebook Wednesday and a spokeswoman declined further comment on Thursday morning.

"Statements posted by RWJBarnabas Health official social media pages are the only statements that represent the views and policies of our organization," the organization wrote on its Facebook.

The Fair Lawn PBA Local 67 denounced Davis's comments in a Facebook post Thursday morning, shortly after she issued her apology. The statement, from president Luis Vasquez, said the union learned of the comment Wednesday, calling it "disgusting."

"We are held to the highest standards and pride ourselves in our professionalism and our love for our community, especially our schools and children," his statement said. "Michellene Davis is also a professional and is held to those same standards as every civilized human being should be. An apology was issued and it is a step in a positive direction."

Before she joined RWJBarnabas, Davis served as the first African-American chief policy counsel to former Gov. Jon Corzine, as well as acting state treasurer.

She was also the the first woman and person of color "to be named to the senior-most level of the State of New Jersey's largest healthcare system," according to her website.

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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JERSEY CITY -- Jury deliberation has begun in the trial of a West New York Navy veteran suffering from PTSD who is charged with attempting to murder two police officers in an incident that led to a 12-hour-standoff with police.

Emmanuel Hernandez, 28, of 57th Street, is charged with two counts of attempted murder, eluding police, resisting arrest, aggravated assault and weapons offenses related to a handgun and shotgun. He faces decades in prison if convicted. The state's final plea offer was two consecutive 20-yea prison terms.

The jury began deliberating at 10:20 a.m. Thursday in the courtroom of Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mark Nelson in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.

On the morning of the incident, a woman dialed 911 saying a man in a red Infiniti was using a handgun to turn his interior light switch on and off and was screaming at women. Officers spotted the car at a North Bergen QuickChek where Hernandez had just confronted teenagers.

When an officer approached Hernandez with his gun drawn, they scuffled and the defendant sped away up Kennedy Boulevard, running over a police officer's foot and hitting two cars before stopping at his home. Hernandez testified he was having a flashback during the sequence.

Two officers chased him down an alley and testified that when they reached the backyard, Hernandez fired at them and they returned fire. Hernandez then entered his apartment starting the 12-hour standoff.

Defense attorney Peter Willis said the facts are the facts, but the jury must decide why Hernandez reacted as he did. Hernandez has been treated for PTSD for more than six years. Hernadez testified he had two life and death incidents while serving in Iraq and was also shot after returning to the U.S.

In the defense expert's psychological evaluation the doctor opined that when Hernandez was confronted by the police officer who was training his gun at him, he slipped into a dissociative state, thought he was back in combat in the Navy and tried to protect himself.

The state's expert agreed that Hernandez suffered from PTSD but said he was sane at the time of the incident, knew what was happening and was in touch with reality.

During his closing argument, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Keven Roe said Hernandez was armed and looking for a fight. He noted that when Hernandez described the incident at QuickChek, he said he was interacting with police officers. When shots were fired in the backyard, he said the "cops" were only meters away from him.

Once he was back in his apartment, Hernandez dialed 911 and spoke to a North Bergen police lieutenant and repeatedly referred to his interactions with police officers that morning.

Hernandez was the first to mention jail in the conversation, first to mention firing shots and first to mention the charge of attempted murder. He said the lieutenant was "talking to a criminal" and asked "Do you promise you are going to make this sound better.

Roe said the request shows a consciousness of guilt and makes it clear Hernandez understood what he did, where he was and what was happening. He knew it was wrong and wanted help spinning what happened.
Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora has looked at the city's books and does not like what he sees.

So he's asking the state for help - in the form of a forensic audit.

Gusciora, elected in June, said his administration has found a "lack of stringent bookkeeping" and "budget inconsistencies," the latter term he wrote in a letter to Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver requesting assistance.

And he'd like the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which already has a long-standing oversight of the city as part of the transitional aid program, to do the audit.

"We need fiscal prudence and responsible stewardship of city finances, which is why I'm asking for a thorough review as soon as possible," the mayor said in a statement.

"We want the process going forward to be transparent and accountable, and we want to make sure dollars are spent wisely in the city. A third-party review seems warranted and I would appreciate our partners at DCA giving this a hard look," he said.

Also Thursday, the city's business administrator, Terry McEwen, a holdover from Mayor Eric Jackson's administration, resigned suddenly.

A city spokesman would not comment on McEwen, saying it was a personnel matter.

McEwen could not immediately be reached for comment.

Gusciora also did some finger pointing at previous mayors, writing in the letter he made public:

"In my first few months as Mayor of Trenton, I am only now fully realizing the depth of the City's financial distress," he led off.

The mayor said there were isolated events, like the citywide property tax revaluation, expiration of public safety grants, and state-mandated cost increases for pensions and health care, which were not planned for by prior administrations.

"Beyond these constraints, a review of our financial records indicates that past Mayors may have used financial record-keeping that did not meet sound accounting principles and the regulatory requirements of DCA under its prior leadership," Gusciora wrote.

The mayor wrote that he wants to have "a better understanding for myself and my constituents" of whether previous administrations were doing a good financial job, and whether the prior DCA administration under former Gov. Chris Christie, "enforced regulations properly."

The city's been under state DCA oversight during the tenure of the two prior mayors - Tony Mack and Jackson.

The aim of city leaders and mayors, including Gusciora's, is to get out from under state oversight and return the state capital back to self governance.

Gusciora was so excited in July, thinking Trenton was finally free from state control - laid out in what's called a memorandum of understanding, or MOU - he scheduled a press conference on the steps of City Hall to announce it.

But Gov. Phil Murphy had used a line-item veto to terminate the ending of the MOU two days before, leaving it in place.

The mayor, as he put it, jumped the gun. And the state and city signed a new MOU.

Last week, Murphy signed an executive order aimed of trying to help the capital city revitalize.

The order established the New Jersey State Capital Partnership. The group will act as an advisory board, and the state will, among other things, review Trenton's masterplan with the aim of identifying funding and other resources to make the initiatives happen.

In his letter to the state, Gusciora also wrote: "While I'm not certain that the City will recuperate any funds, I believe the State and the City owe it to the people of Trenton to understand what happened with City finances over the past eight years and how it will affect individuals and families going forward."

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
An airline passenger arriving in New York City got caught trying to smuggle nine pounds of cocaine into the country inside three bottles of Bailey's liquor, authorities said.

The bottles of Baileys where a passenger arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport attempted hide nine pounds of cocaine, officials said. (Customs and Border Protection)

Akeem Rasheen Lewis, a Jamaican citizen, was found with the drugs after arriving on a flight from Kingston on Sept. 28, Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Wednesday night.

Lewis was pulled aside while going through customs after agents noticed the bottles in a duty-free bag appeared to have been tampered with. Authorities said they found the cocaine worth an estimated $115,000 in three packages.

Lewis was turned over to Homeland Security to face narcotics charges.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
One woman said she was sexually assaulted on the third day of school at Rutgers. Another said he was assaulted at a high school party. More than a few who attended a rally on the Rutgers campus Wednesday night said they had been molested as young children and were not believed by their families.

More than 70 Rutgers students and faculty gathered with signs and bullhorns to vent their anger about U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaughs' possible confirmation, despite the allegation he had attempted to sexually assault a high school classmate.

But the #StopKavanaugh rally in New Brunswick Wednesday night -- one of the dozens of protests organized around the country -- took on a local urgency.

The Rutgers faculty union, the AAUP-AFT, one of the rally's sponsors, urged attendees to read an NJ Advance Media report published Wednesday morning about the university's sexual harassment policy.

In most cases, Rutgers Office of Employment Equality had declined to investigate complaints that were more than two years old -- a policy which had denied many people coming forward in the #metoo era, who were once afraid to speak out and risk alienating their academic mentors, the report said.

Within hours, university President Robert Barchi said he was immediately repealing the two-year investigation limitation and ordered an evaluation of the office that investigates complaints. "We must send a clear message of our commitment to pursue any complaint of sexual harassment or misconduct for which evidence and witnesses remain," Barchi said.

Mary D'Anella-Mercanti, a student who joined the rally, said Barchi's actions were not enough and too late.

"If he had been in tune with what is happening...if he communicated with the people who run this university, then this would not have happened," D'Anella-Mercanti said. "Don't think for one second this university works for you."

The students' anger quickly gave way to tears and stories about their own sexual assault. The rally was co-sponsored by Rutgers NO MORE, a student-run advocacy organization which aims to end sexual violence.

"It's not just sadness we feel. It's rage," said one student, a recent graduate who shared her own experience of repeat sexual violence.

"We believe you! We believe survivors!" the crowd chanted.

Mark Hopkins, a senior, said it was up to men to challenge misogynistic behavior when they see it.

"Many of you have male privileges, have platforms, to hold each other accountable," Hopkins said. "Don't go to those...parties, don't go to those fraternity events and not hold them accountable for the bull---- that they do!"

Deepa Kumar, president of the faculty union, urged the students to feel optimistic and empowered.

"We take courage in the fact that (Christine) Blasey Ford came forward," Kumar said, referring to the woman, a psychologist in California who accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her.

"We stand behind Prof. Cynthia Daniels and the group of six professors who want to bring about meaningful change here at Rutgers around how sexual harassment complaints are investigated," Kumar said.

Daniels and five other veteran political science professors told NJ Advance Media they had written a letter to the university in March asking Rutgers to repeal the two-year rule and make other changes that would make it easier for students to come forward.

"It's truly appalling we do not take these claims seriously and give them the attention and the resources that are necessary to get justice for the victims," she said.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
The Senate braced for a crucial initial vote Friday on Brett Kavanaugh's tottering Supreme Court nomination after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set his polarized chamber on a schedule to decide which party wins an election-season battle royale that has consumed the nation. A showdown roll call over confirmation seemed likely over the weekend.

McConnell, R-Ky., cemented the process late Wednesday and announced that sometime during the evening, the FBI would deliver to an anxious Senate the potentially fateful document on claims that Kavanaugh sexually abused women. With Republicans clinging to a razor-thin 51-49 majority and five senators -- including three Republicans -- still vacillating, the conservative jurist's prospects of Senate confirmation remained murky and highly dependent on the file's contents, which are supposed to be kept secret.

"There will be plenty of time for members to review and be briefed on the supplemental material" before Friday's vote, McConnell said to the nearly empty chamber. In a rare moment of randomness in what's been a deadly serious process, the normally meticulous lawmaker's cell phone emitted a ringtone during part of his remarks.

Lawmakers were planning to begin reading the FBI report early Thursday, with senators and a small number of top aides permitted to view it in a secure room in the Capitol complex. Senators are not supposed to divulge the contents of the agency's background reports.

The report was arriving at a Capitol palpably tense over the political stakes of the nomination fight and from aggressive anti-Kavanaugh protesters who have rattled and reportedly harassed senators. Feeding the anxiety was an unusually beefy presence of the U.S. Capitol Police, who were keeping demonstrators and frequently reporters at arms length by forming wedges around lawmakers walking through corridors.

Amid complaints that some lawmakers were being confronted outside their homes, McConnell claimed on the Senate floor that the protesters were "part of the organized effort" to derail Kavanaugh's nomination.

"There is no chance in the world that they're going to scare us out of doing our duty," he said.

Adding to the uncertainty, the three undecided GOP senators who could decide Kavanaugh's fate rebuked President Donald Trump for mocking one accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, by mimicking her responses to questions at last week's dramatic Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

"I would tell him, knock it off. You're not helping," Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said of Trump's Tuesday night tirade.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Trump's insults marked a "new low."

Barring leaks, it was unclear how much of the FBI report, if any, would be made public. While senators from both sides have expressed support for revealing at least parts of the findings, FBI background checks on nominees are supposed to remain confidential.

Underscoring rising tensions, Democrats suggested that previous FBI background checks of Kavanaugh may have unearthed misconduct by the nominee.

Democrats wrote to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, challenging a Tuesday tweet by GOP aides saying prior investigations never found "a whiff of ANY issue -- at all -- related in any way to inappropriate sexual behavior or alcohol abuse." Democrats wrote that the GOP tweet contained information that is "not accurate."

Committee Republicans tweeted in response that their prior tweet was "completely truthful" and accused Democrats of "false smears."

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told reporters that Trump's lampooning of Ford at a Tuesday night Mississippi campaign rally was "just plain wrong." Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, called it "wholly inappropriate and in my view unacceptable," and Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said on NBC's "Today" show that the remarks were "kind of appalling."

Those senators, along with Democrats Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, have yet to declare how they will vote.

"All of us need to keep in mind there's a few people that are on the fence right now. And right now, that's sort of where our focus needs to be," said Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who has traded barbs with Trump and will retire at year's end.

Trump drew laughs Tuesday with his rendition of how Ford answered questions at last week's hearing. "I had one beer -- that's the only thing I remember," he stated inaccurately.

As he flew aboard Air Force One to the Mississippi rally, Trump was enraged by New York Times articles about Kavanaugh's high school and college years and alleging tax avoidance efforts by the president and his family, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Wednesday echoed the president's newly aggressive approach. She said Ford has "been treated like a Faberge egg by all of us, beginning with me and the president," and said Trump was merely "pointing out factual inconsistencies."

Trump himself didn't respond publicly to the criticism. On Twitter, he hailed Kavanaugh as "a fine man and great intellect" and insisted, "The country is with him all the way!"

The California psychology professor has testified that a drunken Kavanaugh sexually abused her in a locked room at a high school party in the 1980s and has said she believed he was trying to rape her. Kavanaugh has denied her assertions and those of two other women, who have accused him of other instances of sexual misconduct in the 1980s.

Ford's attorney complained that the FBI has not contacted her for this week's interviews. Democrats argued that the investigation has been insufficient, lacking interviews with her, with Kavanaugh and others who his accusers have said could know about the alleged incidents.

Corker and Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said senators were expecting the document to contain reports that FBI agents compile on their interviews with subjects, perhaps accompanied by a cover letter. Background checks do not traditionally contain investigators' conclusions about who they believe is credible.

Washington has been awaiting completion of the investigation since last week, when Flake, Collins and Murkowski pressured a reluctant Trump and GOP leaders to order the FBI to renew its background check of the 53-year-old Kavanaugh.

The FBI interviewed several people, including three who Ford has said attended a 1982 high school gathering in suburban Maryland where she says Kavanaugh's attack occurred, plus another Kavanaugh friend. The agency has also spoken to a second woman, Deborah Ramirez, who has claimed Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a Yale party when both were freshmen.

In an interview, No. 2 Senate Democratic leader Richard Durbin of Illinois said McConnell was "hell-bent on getting this done" this week.

Democrats also demanded that the FBI privately brief the Senate about the investigation before the chamber votes. McConnell rejected that request in a letter Wednesday to Schumer, saying Democrats would use it to delay Kavanaugh's confirmation.
Lawmakers in New Jersey are renewing efforts to regulate and license dog groomers in response to a nationwide investigation that raised questions about safety protocols and training at PetSmart, the largest U.S. pet retailer.

State Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle said she expects a committee vote this month on her legislation that would require all individual groomers to pass an exam approved by the state Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners in order to obtain a license.

The bill, first introduced in 2014 but which has since stalled, would also require grooming facilities to keep a record of incidents and report them annually to the veterinary board.

"More and more stories of grooming incidents are coming out, and quite frankly people are in shock there's no standard or licensing -- but it's the truth," said Huttle, D-Bergen. "It's time to make sure there's a law in New Jersey."

Read the full investigation, "Groomed, then Gone"

Huttle said she had been assured by leadership the bill would get through committee and get a vote in the full Assembly. A top aide to Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, said the assemblyman is reviewing the bill but wants to move swiftly.

An identical bill sponsored by state Sen. Christopher "Kip" Bateman is pending in Senate.

"I don't want to hurt small business, but I also want to make certain the safeguards are in place to protect our pets, our loved ones," said Bateman, R-Somerset. "It's important, but I want to do it right."

At the same time, Assemblyman Kevin Rooney said he intends to now push for a vote on his bill, allowing the public to report grooming-related complaints to the state Division of Consumer Affairs, which would be required to investigate and render a finding.

Under the bill, a groomer with three or more complaints found to be valid would be required to register with the division for one year. The list of those subject to registration would be made public. The bill also calls for a grooming safety awareness campaign.

While the legislation would not create a licensing requirement -- which some see as overly burdensome, especially to small businesses -- it would add to "the level of protection and accountability that is clearly needed in our state," said Rooney, R-Bergen.

"Let's give our residents a sense of security when they drop their pet off because quite frankly, pets are like family," Rooney added.

A companion to Rooney's bill has introduced in the Senate in the past 10 days in the wake of NJ Advance Media's investigation.

Representatives of Gov. Phil Murphy and Senate President Stephen Sweeney declined to comment on whether they supported any of the legislation.

The investigation, published Sept. 20, documented 47 cases of dogs dying during or shortly after PetSmart groomings during the past decade. But that's hardly a definitive number as most groomers are not required to publicly report deaths.

The probe revealed the company has offered affected families money, sometimes as little as a few hundred dollars, in exchange for non-disclosure agreements. In addition, former employees detailed allegations of inadequate training and intense pressure to grow profits.

PetSmart -- which operates more than 1,600 stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico -- fiercely defends its safety record and has not admitted wrongdoing in any of the cases.

"As a company of pet lovers who are dedicated to the health and happiness of all pets, we empathize with these grieving families," it said in a statement. "Nevertheless, we are not aware of any evidence suggesting that PetSmart services caused the deaths of these pets."

[Read the company's full response to the investigation]

While largely routine, groomings anywhere can present a number of dangers to dogs if safety measures are not followed, groomers and veterinarians said. They include overheating -- sometimes the result of drying cages -- intense stress and rough handling.

No state currently requires all individual groomers be certified, so there's a lack of transparency of safety records, no enforced standard training and little public accounting when things go wrong. That makes it very hard to know how often dogs are injured or die.

Bills in several states have been introduced in recent years in an attempt to improve oversight, but they have stalled or were met with roadblocks. In California, legislation that would have established only a voluntary certification program was voted down in 2012.

Colorado has had some oversight over groomers since 1993, though it doesn't apply to everyone, said Nick Fisher, the program administrator for the state's Pet Animal Care Facilities Inspection and Licensing Program.

The regulations require all grooming facilities, including PetSmart and Petco, be licensed, but not the individual groomers. All independent groomers, however, need to be licensed.

Facilities in Colorado are required to report pet deaths and any incident involving a serious injury, Fisher said. His team investigates those incidents and then can issue a civil fine if they feel the groomer was negligent, like leaving a dog unattended on a grooming table, he said.

Though individual groomers at the big-box stores don't have to be licensed, Fisher said the existing regulations reduce the number of incidents because those stores know someone is watching and fear repercussions if there's proven wrongdoing.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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According to a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll, more than 90 percent of New Jerseyans have enough information to make up their minds.

For most New Jerseyans, part of your decision may rest on whether you believe Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a California college psychology professor who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that she was "100 percent certain" that Judge Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers in the 1980s.

But maybe you were more swayed by the testimony of Kavanaugh, who passionately and vehemently denied the accusations.

Maybe your views have nothing to do with the sexual assault allegations, but rather stem from whether you agree of disagree with Kavanaugh views on issues that the court is likely to decide, including abortion rights, whether a sitting U.S. president should face criminal prosecution while in office, immigration, health care and so on.

But chances are you have an opinion. And so does 96 percent of the Senate.

But Bob Hugin, the person who wants to be sitting in the Senate representing us is among the minute proportion of the population that is sitting on the fence.

That's not fair to New Jersey.

U.S. Senate candidate @BobHugin says he has no reason to disbelieve either Christine Blasey Ford or Brett Kavanaugh, and he's part of the 9% of New Jerseyans with no opinion on whether Kavanaugh should serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.https://t.co/cAWdm1ILDs  David Wildstein (@wildstein) October 2, 2018

And here's why: the Kavanaugh nomination is a partisan litmus test, and New Jersey has a right to know how Hugin would act in the Senate when his constituents want one thing and his party wants another. Tight Senate votes are routine given the partisan divide in the Senate, and the cross pressures faced by senators who represent states in which their party is not in the majority are enormous. Hugin needs to let us assess how he would stand up to that pressure.

In political science, we call this a model of representation. Some legislators believe it is their obligation to vote as "instructed delegates," taking the position that their constituents favor. Others act as "trustees," voting their own views even if it differs from their constituents.

I asked Nicholas Iacovella, Hugin's spokesperson, about how Hugin would represent New Jersey if he were elected to the Senate, and he said Hugin "was not going to let an opinion poll say what is right."

But he continued to sit on the fence on Kavanaugh.

Before Christine Blasey Ford's testimony, Hugin told WPIX New York's Marvin Scott that "I haven't heard anything" that says that "I wouldn't vote for him, today,'' I think he will be approved." Even before the assault allegations were aired, Hugin had to use the passive "he will be approved," rather than explaining why he would support Kavanaugh. Iacovella read me that exact statement of non-support support in an interview.

According to the New Jersey Globe, Hugin demurred when asked at a press conference whether he believed Kavanaugh, saying "I don't have any reason to disbelieve anybody. I don't have any evidence that says I should not believe anybody. I'm looking forward to the FBI investigation in the next couple days and finding if things are corroborated or not, but I have no reason to not believe anybody who's testified under oath as to what they've said."

Here's the thing: you can't believe both Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh.

And if you want to be in the Senate, you need to pick a side.

Brigid Callahan Harrison is professor of political science and law at Montclair State University, where she teaches courses in American government. A frequent commentator on state and national politics, she is the author of five books on American politics. Follow her on Twitter @BriCalHar.

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The 9-year-old who has made it his mission to support the citizens of Puerto Rico after the devastation of Hurricane Maria is making his second trip to the island to deliver $10,000 worth of clothes to those in need.

Jayden Perez was first recognized for his charitable efforts after hosting a toy drive for children affected by the hurricane in Puerto Rico, and hand delivering the toys.

He is now making a return trip to the island after being named to KIDSBOX's Kid Board of Directors.

Kids Box is a clothing subscription box company for children, with the mission of giving back. For every KIDSBOX purchased, a new clothing item will be given to a child in need.

The company has provided Jayden with $10,000 in children's clothes to give to the kids of Puerto Rico.

"What I am looking forward to the most is to see Puerto Rico at least half way how it used to be," Jayden said this week. "I would like to see homes fixed. For everyone to have full power and water. To see a lot of happy children with their families."

Last September, Jayden received a special gift, tickets to watch his favorite team the New York Giants play -- and ever since then he has been trying to pay the good deed forward.

When Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico that same month --on Sept. 20, 2017 -- thousands were affected by the storm leaving many without homes, power or basic resources. Jayden and his mother Ana Rosado felt the need to help those on the island, so they packed donations boxes later and sent them to Puerto Rico.

But as the holiday season approached, Jayden became concerned about all of the children on the island who would not have toys for Christmas. He asked his mother if he could donate his Christmas presents to the children of Puerto Rico. Rosado suggested they take it one step further and host a toy drive.

That is when things really took off for the then-third grader.

Jayden managed to collect over 1,000 toys and $10,000 for local families and churches. He not only raised the funds and collected the donations but he also flew to Puerto Rico with his mom to hand deliver them and he hasn't stopped giving since.

"It was very sad to see the people cry because everything was destroyed from the hurricane. So it's important to support them because Puerto Rico is still not fully recovered," told NJ Advanced Media.

Since his first round of donations, Jayden has garnered a bit of internet fame, due to his presence on social media and making several TV news appearances including Good Morning America and CBS This Morning.

"I am so proud of my son, I can't begin to tell you," Rosado said. "Other parents tell me they are inspired by his story and I'm just so proud of what he has accomplished and what he continues to do."

Outside of the holiday season, Jayden has organized drives for pet food, baby food, and battery-operated lanterns and lights for those who are still without power.

"Many people turned their backs on Puerto Rico and stopped helping them, so it's important for me to keep helping them so they know that they are not alone," he said.

Jayden has also started to advocate for other causes, including gun violence awareness and anti-bullying. He is also taking up the role of motivational speaker, having already given a speech at his own school, and will speak to Vineland Middle School later this year.

"The advice I have is to share as much as you can in school, social media or to your friends," Jayden said. "If you believe you can make a difference, talk to your parents for support. Let your voice be heard. Never give up. Do what you believe in."

Olivia Rizzo may be reached at orizzo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LivRizz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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A 21-year-old Paterson man turned himself in to police Thursday after allegedly shooting a young teen multiple times with a paintball gun, Passaic County Prosecutors said.

Edwin Perez

On Monday, a 14-year-old boy was shot "at close range" multiple times with a paintball gun in the area of 11th Avenue in Paterson.

On Thursday, prosecutors said, Edwin Perez, 21, of Paterson, turned himself in to police for the incident.

Carolina Vasquez said her son Brian went to open the front door of his home and was shot multiple times from about five feet away. Perez allegedly shot him between 20 and 25 times, leaving welts all over his body, she told News 12.

Vasquez told News 12 that Perez is the older brother of a fellow eighth grader from Brian's school, and she has no idea why he would attack her son.

Brian was taken to a local hospital and treated for the injuries.

Perez has since been charged with aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and endangering the welfare of a child.

His first court appearance is Thursday afternoon.

The prosecutor's office did not comment on what may have been the motive behind the shooting, and asks anyone with additional information to call the tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or email tips@passaiccountynj.org.

They may also contact the Paterson Police Department at 973-321-1120.

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross.
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker made one last attempt to derail the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, urging his 4.1 million Twitter followers to flood the Senate switchboard in opposition.

Booker, D-N.J., issued his call to action as senators pored over a new FBI investigation into allegations of sexual assault leveled against Kavanaugh.

"The time to call your senators is now," Booker tweeted with the hashtags "Stop Kavanaugh" and "Believe Survivors."

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  #StopKavanaugh #BelieveSurvivors pic.twitter.com/vzZxbI4OVY  Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) October 4, 2018

Booker has used his perch on the Senate Judiciary Committee to oppose Kavanaugh's nomination. He praised Christine Blasey Ford, the research psychologist who said Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her while both were in high school, as "heroic" and rebuked the nominee for insisting that the allegations were a "calculated and orchestrated political hit."

On the Senate floor Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., confirmed that the first vote on Kavanaugh's nomination will take place on Friday.

Kavanaugh needs just 50 votes to advance, since Vice President Mike Pence can break any tie and McConnell unilaterally changed the rules to eliminate a filibuster for a Supreme Court nominee after first breaking with legislative norms and refusing consider President Barack Obama's pick of Judge Merrick Garland for a court vacancy.

McConnell called the allegations against Kavanaugh "an embarrassment to the Senate" said Democrats "let the politics of personal destruction run away ahead of the facts" because Kavanaugh is "stunningly and totally qualified for this job."

"The facts do not support the allegations leveled at Judge Kavanaugh's character," McConnell said.

Booker and the other Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats issued a statement Thursday in which they questioned how thorough the investigation really was.

"It is impossible to take this investigation seriously when so many key witnesses --including Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford themselves -- were not interviewed and constraints appear to have been imposed on what was asked and who was spoken to." the senators said.

"Republicans have already declared there wasn't a 'hint' of misconduct. But based on our briefing and review of the documents, despite the obvious restrictions that were placed on the investigation, that is not true."

President Donald Trump weighed in as well.

The harsh and unfair treatment of Judge Brett Kavanaugh is having an incredible upward impact on voters. The PEOPLE get it far better than the politicians. Most importantly, this great life cannot be ruined by mean & despicable Democrats and totally uncorroborated allegations!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 4, 2018

This is now the 7th. time the FBI has investigated Judge Kavanaugh. If we made it 100, it would still not be good enough for the Obstructionist Democrats.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 4, 2018

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was forceful when questioned by the Judiciary Committee.

"I like beer," he declared. "I still like beer."

It soon became the defining moment of his testimony.

But for Justice Samuel Alito of New Jersey, his favorite brew comes out of a coffee pot. It was never part of his confirmation hearing, but coffee soon became a talking point at the local Newark shop that concocted the blend of dark Papua New Guinea, Celebs Kalossi, Java, Italian Roast and espresso beans that soon became his go-to beverage.

During Alito's 2006 confirmation hearings, where he was questioned by many of the same senators who still sit on the Judiciary Committee today, the focus was on the judge's conservative ideology.

Nominated by President George W. Bush, the long-time appellate judge, former U.S. Attorney in New Jersey and Reagan administration lawyer was challenged by Democrats and liberal interest groups who saw Alito as an extremist who would erode individual rights.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito last year at Georgetown Law School. Cliff Owen | AP file photo)

The Bush White House and Republicans hailed him as a mainstream conservative who had consistently demonstrated judicial restraint.

Ultimately confirmed and sworn in, Alito's personal blend of coffee was what soon became big news back home.

The brew was called Bold Justice, and was created for Alito by the T.M. Ward Coffee Co. in downtown Newark, where the former appellate court judge had been a regular customer at the store on Broad Street for many years. Amid news of his nomination to the Supreme Court, sales of Bold Justice took off, with orders for the coffee coming in from around the country.

Bold Justice came about after Alito, following years of drinking through Ward's catalog of beans, found many too strong, too weak or too bitter. As a birthday gift, one of his clerks picked a blend of beans that Alito apparently came to favor.

It was not a drink for the faint of heart, a Star-Ledger reporter wrote at the time, finding the beans "robust, full-bodied, strong and extremely caffeinated. Without sugar or cream, the taste is extremely bitter and will surely snap sippers out of a sleepy haze at their desks."

After leaving New Jersey for Washington, Alito ordered 44 pounds of the blend -- at $7.95 per pound.

Rob Sommer, one of the owners of the nearly 150-year-old coffee company, said the Supreme Court justice no longer comes in for coffee these days.

"But his friends come in and buy it for him. So he's still drinking it," said Sommer.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Gov. Phil Murphy told an African-American audience Thursday he has no regrets about hiring a former elected official who served prison time for taking bribes despite the negative backlash over his decision.

Murphy, speaking in Newark at the Annual New Jersey Black Issues Leadership Conference, continued to express his dismay over the rebuke of his hiring Marcellus Jackson for a position in the state Department of Education.

Jackson, a former Passaic City councilman, served time in prison for a 2007 public corruption charge. Murphy's administration hired Jackson in July for a $70,000-a-year position.

But Jackson was forced out of the job late last week because state law required he be disqualified from any public office in New Jersey.

"I've taken a lot of heat on this in the past couple of weeks and I'm glad to take that heat because this is a teaching moment," Murphy said at the conference. "Folks are gonna have to understand that New Jersey will be the state that gives second chances."

The governor delivered the line -- without mentioning Jackson, who is black -- as he talked about helping ex-offenders find work in New Jersey.

"We are blessed with a deep, rich and diverse talent pool in New Jersey. In every corner of our state are people who want to work but just need the opportunity for an education for skilled training," Murphy said.

"And let me say as clearly as I as I can, on that list of folks who just want a little but of a push, who just want a little bit of wind in their sails are ex-offenders, let there be no doubt about that," he said.

The comments came two days after Murphy said his "breath was taken away" by the negative reaction to the issue.

At the time, he also noted that "it is invariably a person of color we're talking about."

The governor has insisted people deserve a second chance.

Murphy has said his administration conducted a legal review that cleared Jackson's hiring. But on Friday, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal disagreed and pointed to state law that should have barred Jackson's hiring.

Jackson subsequently stepped down from the post.

Also last week, more than half of the state Assembly -- including 15 of Murphy's fellow Democrats -- signed onto legislation inspired by the controversial hiring. The measure would ban public officials in New Jersey convicted of corruption from ever holding another job within state and local governments, elected or otherwise.

Jackson was one of 11 officials arrested in a 2007 corruption sweep called Operation Broken Boards, which was overseen by then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.

NJ Advance Media Staff Writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.
So how close is the race between Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez ahead of Republican Bob Hugin?

In a Quinnipiac University Poll released Wednesday, Menendez, D-N.J., led Hugin by 11 points (53-42 percent) among likely voters.

But that came after two other polls showed a much closer race.

A Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released earlier Wednesday had Menendez up by 6 points with pollsters cautioning it may be closer because of the margin of error, and the Democrat was up by just 2 points in a Stockton University survey released on Monday.

What gives?

"There are different choices that pollsters make on who to call and what they expect the final demographics of the voting population on Election Day to look like," said Ben Dworkin, director of Rowan University's Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship.

"Those choices made by pollsters can have significant effects on the final results."

That helps explain why Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray criticized the Stockton poll, which he said undersampled some key voting blocs.

The bottom line, though, is that Hugin has never led in any poll. The latest poll marked the first time Menendez polled over 50 percent.

"This is a strong Democratic state in a strong Democratic year and Bob Menendez is a strong Democrat," Dworkin said. "While people may not like Bob Menendez, they clearly want a Democrat in the seat who's going to stand up to run."

Even so, the Cook Political Report on Thursday said Menendez now was only slightly favored to win.

"His lead is probably in the mid-to high single digits," wrote Jennifer Duffy, the Senate race analyst for Cook, a Washington-based publication that tracks the races.

"This race is more competitive than a Senate contest in a good year for Democrats in a state as blue as New Jersey should be," she wrote. "This is entirely on Menendez and the baggage he brings into the race. He maintains the advantage going into the final stretch, but the race is worth watching."

In the Quinnipiac poll, Menendez received the support of 93 percent of Democratic voters. In the FDU survey, however, he was backed by just 73 percent, with 22 percent of Democrats undecided.

"Sen. Robert Menendez has the advantage of representing very blue New Jersey, where there are many more Democrats than Republicans," said Mary Snow, an analyst for the Quinnipiac poll.

Still, Hugin, the former Celgene Corp. executive, has made this race competitive, largely through his self-funded multimillion-dollar ad campaign attacking Menendez, and the senator's own unpopularity.

More than half of likely voters, 53 percent viewing him unfavorably compared with a favorable rating of 34 percent. Hugin was viewed favorably by 35 percent, with 27 percent expressing an unfavorable opinion and 34 percent saying they didn't know enough about him.

Menendez -- who was "severely admonished" by the Senate Ethics Committee and stood trial on federal corruption charges (after a mistrial, a judge acquitted him of some allegations and prosecutors dropped the rest) -- was viewed as honest by just 25 percent of likely voters. A majority, 59 percent, said he was not honest.

"New Jersey likely voters may prefer Sen. Menendez over Republican challenger Bob Hugin, but they certainly make it clear they are not fond of Menendez," Snow said.

Menendez built his lead with the support of women, who backed him, 57 percent to 38 percent. Men gave 48 percent of their support to both candidates. Hugin went to court to prevent women from joining Princeton University's famed eating clubs.

The senator also benefitted by New Jerseyans' antipathy toward President Donald Trump.

Only 35 percent approved of Trump's performance in office, while 62 percent disapproved. In addition, 63 percent said Congress should be "more of a check" on the president, while 28 percent said the legislative branch was doing enough.

Hugin contributed the maximum $5,400 to Trump's campaign in 2016 and another $233,200 to the Republican National Committee that helped elect him.

Menendez's had a 46 percent job approval rating, with 44 percent disapproving of his performance in office. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., on the hand, had 58 percent positive and 37 percent negative job approval ratings.

The Quinnipiac poll of 1,058 likely voters was conducted Sept. 25-Oct. 2 and had a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
A man with an extensive criminal history admitted in court Wednesday that he killed both his girlfriend and her daughter before fleeing the home they shared, authorities announced.

Sandra Guiseppe, 51, and Kim Streath, 15, were found bludgeoned to death in their home on First Avenue in Raritan Borough on the afternoon of December 11, 2015, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson said.

They shared the home with Ramon Cadiz, 53, who appeared before Judge Robert Reed Wednesday to enter his plea: guilty of two counts of first-degree murder.

Cadiz faces 30-75 years in prison on each count.

After officers found Guiseppe and Streath -- they had been bludgeoned to death -- they immediately identified Cadiz as a suspect since they knew he lived with them.

Previous reports state Cadiz, who also went by "Ray," was angry about money and was falling behind on the rent before he killed Guiseppe, a single mother of two, and Streath, a sophomore at Somerset County Vo-Tec.

A statewide manhunt ensued before Cadiz was found around 4 a.m. Dec. 12. North Brunswick police officers found him sleeping in his car, parked in the Colony Oaks Apartment Complex.

It's not the first time Cadiz has been convicted of causing someone's death.

In 1991, he was convicted of aggravated manslaughter for killing a man during a bar fight in Cumberland County, and later sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was released after eight years, which was possible because he was convicted before the state's No Early Release Act was in place.

That law, sometimes called by the acronym NERA, requires a person convicted of a violent offense to serve 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Cadiz was in and out of jail on charges of assault, robbery, forgery, sexual assault and kidnapping after he was released from that stint in state prison.

Sentencing on the murders is scheduled for this November.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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The Alabama Ethics Commission has dropped a case against a northern Alabama sheriff who pocketed more than $750,000 of public funds allocated for feeding inmates, AL.com reported Wednesday (Oct. 3).

The commission's executive director confirmed the vote to drop the case against Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin because of insufficient evidence of an ethics violation, the story said.

AL.com reported in March that Entrekin had kept money allocated for feeding inmates at Etowah County's jail over the past three years. Entrekin and his wife bought a $740,000 beach house in Orange Beach last year.

Entrekin has argued that he broke no laws by keeping the money, and it appears that he is permitted to do so under a Depression-era state law, the report said. Many Alabama sheriffs have said the practice of keeping "excess" inmate-feeding funds for themselves is legal.

But lawyers and experts have said Entrekin may have violated federal law by keeping money his office received from the federal government to feed Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees housed in his jail, according to the story.
More than four years after a Fat Tuesday night shooting left two men dead at Mardi Gras World, New Orleans investigators have arrested a suspect in the double homicide, the NOPD announced Wednesday (Oct. 3).

Michael Angeletta, 35, was captured Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of Common and Carondelet Streets in the Central Business District, police said. He was booked about 4:38 p.m. into the Orleans Justice Center jail with a second-degree murder charge.

The NOPD announced Angeletta's capture about 4:30 p.m., less than an hour after police issued a notice that Angeletta had been named as a suspect in the March 4, 2014 fatal shooting and that a search for him was underway. He was caught by officers with the NOPD's Special Operations Division.

Investigators did not indicate what led them to identify Angeletta as a suspect.

The deadly shooting occurred late Fat Tuesday night during a concert at Mardi Gras World, according to a NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune article. Deron Hitchens, 25, and Kendrell Fields, 29, were found fatally wounded in the parking lot of the float den, which doubles as an event space.

Hitchens was found dead inside of a silver car. Fields' body was found nearby, lying in the parking lot at 1380 Port of New Orleans, according to a May 2017 NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune report.

Police said both men had been shot several times, and bullets hit several unoccupied vehicles. Investigators found a handgun and bullet casings at the scene.

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At the time, then-NOPD Superintendent Ronal Serpas said preliminary information indicated the double shooting that killed the two men was not random.

Police at one point questioned 31-year-old Brandon Alexander as a "person of interest" in the 2014 killings, but investigators said he was not considered a suspect. He was never arrested or charged in connection with the double murder.

Alexander was later charged with second-degree murder in the May 15, 2017 shooting death of Hitchens' brother, Dwayne Hitchens Jr. Alexander is set for trial Nov. 26 in that case, Orleans Parish court records show.

The Hitchens brothers left behind three children, one of whom is being raised by Dwayne Hitchens Sr. and his wife, according to the May 2017 report.

Angeletta's criminal history in Orleans Parish includes a July 2015 guilty plea to drug charges in connection with an August 2014 arrest and a March 2010 guilty plea to domestic-abuse battery, court records show.

Anyone with information on the 2014 killings or on Michael Angeletta is asked to call NOPD Homicide Sgt. Wayne DeLarge or the NOPD Homicide Unit at 504-658-5300 or call Crimestoppers anonymously at 504-822-1111 or 1-877-903-7867.

NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune's Rich Webster contributed to this report
A fugitive wanted in the death of a man who was found strangled, smothered and bound in duct tape inside a vacant Terrytown store has been extradited back to Jefferson Parish.

Saleh Abdel Omar, 40, of Gretna, was booked Wednesday (Oct. 3) into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna on one count of second-degree murder, according to jail records. Federal authorities tracked Omar to Panama City, Panama, where he fled after the Sept. 9 death of Mohamed Mezlini, 29, of Terrytown.

Omar is accused of killing Mezlini, a former employee of his cell phone store located in a strip mall at 93 Terry Parkway. Mezlini was found unresponsive and covered in duct tape inside a vacant store next door to Omar's business on Sept. 8.

State records indicate Omar was also renting that vacant store front. Witnesses told investigators Omar went into the empty store with Mezlini, but only Omar walked out, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office.

The concerned witnesses forced their way in and found Mezlini on the floor. Mezlini was taken to a local hospital, but died of his injuries the next day, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said.

An autopsy determined Mezlini died of asphyxia by strangulation and smothering, according to the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office. His death was classified as a homicide.

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While Omar was on the run, detectives arrested his younger brother, Yazan Omar, 17, and booked him with second-degree murder. Witnesses told investigators Yazan Omar had, at some point, entered the vacant store where Mezlini was later found, according to authorities.

Yazan Omar's attorney, Davidson Ehle, said his client is innocent.

"His brother, Saleh, is the bad actor, here," Ehle said. "My client is 17 years old. My client did not harm Mohamed in any way."

The sheriff's office found Saleh Omar with help from the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Both Saleh and Yazan Omar were being held Thursday at the correctional center in lieu of $750,000 bonds.
A month away from what is shaping up to be the most momentous congressional elections in a generation, Louisiana's ballot lineup continues to look like a pair of brown loafers in a closet full of tuxedos: boringly predictable and maybe a little out of place.

The five congressional districts currently represented by Republicans are expected to remain securely in the hands of the GOP incumbents, and the New Orleans-based seat held by a Democrat is just as safe.

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, for example, won his last two races with 75 percent and 78 percent of the vote. Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, was reelected with 69 percent of the vote in 2014 and 70 percent two years later.

So, no one expects much drama from Louisiana on Nov. 6.

The rest of the country, meanwhile, will be staying up late to see if the Democrats retake the U.S. House of Representatives (expected) and even the U.S. Senate (a long shot, but possible).

Democrats need to flip just 23 House seats to regain control and are helped by the fact that a record 44 GOP incumbents have retired, resigned or are seeking higher office. Most handicappers expect the Democrats to win back the House, the only question is by how much.

Democratic control of the House for the first time since President Barack Obama's first term would produce a seismic shift in American politics with aggressive opposition to President Donald Trump's administration and congressional investigations galore.

In the Senate, Democrats need to pick up only two seats to gain the majority but face an extremely difficult election map. Democrats are defending 26 seats while Republicans have just nine. And 10 of those 26 Democratic seats are in states that Trump won in 2016, including five states (West Virginia, North Dakota, Indiana, Montana, Missouri) where he won overwhelmingly.

Most predictions have Republicans hanging on with a one- or two-seat majority.

A Democratic takeover in the Senate would mean Republicans would have to forget about filling any more Supreme Court seats for the final two years of Trump's term and a GOP shift to playing defense on policy issues and limiting pushback against the president.

The biggest wild card is whether control of both houses would embolden Democrats to pursue an impeachment of President Trump. The House could bring charges with a simple majority, but a two-thirds majority of the Senate is required to convict.

So, while the Louisiana congressional races are mainly ho-hum, the national outcome will still have a significant impact on the state's delegation, especially Scalise and Richmond.

Scalise is currently the majority whip, the third-ranking member in the House. With current House Speaker Paul Ryan retiring, Scalise will move up at least one notch behind Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to become majority or minority leader depending on the November results.

Falling into the minority would delay Scalise's ascension, but he turns only 53 Saturday and is already the choice for speaker by many of his GOP colleagues. A term or two out of power might actually strengthen his case when Republicans retain the gavel.

Richmond, meanwhile, could be a big winner if Democrats win the majority next month. Head of the Congressional Black Caucus, the New Orleans lawmaker is already getting mentioned for top leadership positions, especially with pressure on House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and others in the old guard to bring in some new blood.

If it doesn't happen right away, Richmond, just 44, also can afford to be patient.

A Democratic takeover of the Senate also could play a role in Republican Sen. John Kennedy's decision of whether to run for governor next year, although it's unlikely to be a determining factor. He doesn't have to give up his seat to make the race and could return to the Senate no matter what happens in the 2019 race.

All in all, being governor of Louisiana sounds like a lot more fun than being the state's junior senator in the minority party, but the chances for soundbites on national television are diminished.

So maybe there is some drama for Louisiana on Election Day.

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
This months bills for Louisianas two million or so electricity customers are $11.67 higher, on average, than they were in October 2020, according to the reports compiled by the Public Service Commission, which regulates the privately owned for-p
In an open letter of support to Christine Blasey Ford published Wednesday (Oct. 3) in The Washington Post, TV journalist Connie Chung has revealed that she, too, is a survivor of sexual assault.

In the letter, Chung says she was molested 50 years ago by a "trusted family doctor" when she was a college student seeking birth control. What was to be a routine gynecological examination, however, unexpectedly turned sexual -- and traumatic, Chung says..

"The exact date and year are fuzzy. But details of the event are vivid -- forever seared in my memory," Chung wrote. "Am I sure who did it? Oh yes, 100 percent."

She never told her parents; she's unsure if she told one of her sisters. "It never crossed my mind to protect other women. Please understand, I was actually embarrassed about my sexual naivete," Chung says. "I was in my 20s and knew nothing about sex. All I wanted to do was bury the incident in my mind and protect my family."

The doctor died around 30 years ago, but Chung said she decided to speak out after reading recent media accounts of other women sharing their stories as part of the #MeToo movement.

Chung's letter was addressed to Ford, who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 27 about an incident in which she said Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both in high school. Kavanaugh has denied the account. The FBI is currently investigating the matter ahead of a full Senate confirmation vote.

"I don't

want

to tell the truth. I

must

tell the truth," Chung wrote. "As a reporter, the truth has ruled my life, my thinking. It's what I searched for on a daily working basis."
Managing Editor

Having lived and worked in Indy on and off since 1977, and currently living in Carmel, I've seen the city change a great deal. I love covering the arts in all its forms, and the places where the arts and broader cultural issues intersect.


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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 4)  The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) seeks the Commission on Elections' help to disqualify politicians who are allegedly involved in corruption and illegal drugs in the 2019 midterm polls.

During the launch of DILG's anti-corruption drive Bantay Korapsyon program, Interior officer-in-charge Eduardo Ano said he will send their recommendations to the Comelec as soon as they are done with the paperwork.

"We will submit our recommendations. If the Comelec will approve it, they will be disqualified," he said.

DILG will use the existing 'narco list' and the corruption reports against local officials through hotline 8888 and the presidential complaint desk. President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 said the list contains 1,000 names of mayors, governors, congressmen, barangay captains, and police officers.

Ano said since July 2016, around 300 local officials were either suspended or dismissed due to corruption allegations.

He added that the Philippine National Police - Criminal Investigation and Detection Group is investigating around 200 more.

In the 'narco list', at least 93 local officials holding posts in the Sangguniang Bayan up to Vice Governors posts were identified.

Election hotspots

Ano said Comelec, the PNP, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are now assessing areas that may be declared election hotspots as the poll season draws near.

"We have to put extra security measures because these are areas where clans, political groups try to control the area by killing each other, and eventually win the elected post," he said.

With the ambush of Sudipen, La Union Mayor Alexander Buquing and wife Vice Mayor Wendy Joy Buquing, Ano said he will recommend the inclusion of La Union as possible election hotspot.

The DILG chief said the police are looking into politics as the main angle in the killing of Mayor Buquing.

Last May, former La Union Congressman Eufranio Eriguel was also killed in an ambush.

READ: PNP Chief confirms 7 election-related violent incidents

CNN Philippines' Gerg Cahiles contributed to this report.
When the city moved its youngest inmates from Rikers Island to a juvenile detention center last week, the goal was to shield them from the violence of the adult jail and place them in an age-appropriate setting, as required under a new state law.

But so far the mayhem has followed them.

Since last week, when the citys youngest offenders began moving into Horizon Juvenile Center, there have been at least five violent episodes. These brawls among inmates have caused dozens of injuries to correction officers assigned to the center, union leaders said.

On Wednesday, 20 correction officers suffered minor injuries when a fight involving 16 inmates from two rival gangs broke out about 11:30 a.m., correction officials said. The officers union said the fight started when one group of teenagers, who were in school at the facility, spotted members of a rival gang in the hallway.

After the fight, unions representing correction officers and social workers, as well as two City Council members, criticized the mayor and city officials for moving the young inmates before addressing safety and security concerns.
Americans are forming seemingly irreconcilable camps around the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to a seat on the Supreme Court. Christine Blasey Ford, a California research psychologist, testified in searing detail before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week that Judge Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers. Judge Kavanaugh angrily and emotionally denied her accusations, and President Trump, at a rally in Mississippi Tuesday evening, mocked Dr. Blasey for gaps in her memory of the episode. The nomination has become a touchstone of the #MeToo movement, a vivid reminder of the deep chasm between mens and womens lived experience of sex and power. Many opponents of Judge Kavanaughs confirmation have taken to the streets to express their anger and solidarity, including, as shown, on Wednesday in Brooklyn.
Twenty-five years ago this week, a Somali warlord named Mohammed Farah Aidid offered the American military a glimpse of its future. But neither policymakers back in Washington nor commanders in the field were attuned to what he had on offer.

A mission that had begun 10 months earlier to provide relief supplies to starving Somalis had evolved into a vastly more ambitious nation-building project. On the night of Oct. 3-4, 1993, an American military operation to capture Mr. Aidid ended in catastrophic failure, including 18 Americans dead. Soon afterward the entire mission collapsed, and the United States withdrew. Yet any lessons that might have been learned from this debacle stayed in Mogadishu, alongside the smoldering wreckage of the Black Hawk helicopter that Mr. Aidids fighters had shot down.

The United States did not go into Somalia expecting this kind of resistance. But Mr. Aidid took exception to the prospect of outsiders imposing a new political order on his country. From their sanctuaries in the crowded warrens of the Somali capital, his lightly armed but nimble militias ambushed and harassed American and coalition forces throughout the summer of 1993.

Casualties mounted. In response, President Bill Clinton ordered an elite commando task force to Mogadishu with the specific assignment of eliminating Mr. Aidid.
WASHINGTON  For more than two weeks he held back. Against all his instincts, President Trump for the most part resisted directly attacking the woman whose sexual assault allegation has jeopardized his Supreme Court nomination. The accuser was to be treated with kid gloves, like a Faberge egg, as one adviser put it.

But Mr. Trump could resist only so long and told aides it was time to turn up the heat. So when he revved up a political rally this week by mocking Christine Blasey Ford, he indulged his desire to fight back and galvanized his conservative base even at the risk of alienating the very moderate Republicans he needs to confirm Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

The presidents scathing and derisive impression of Dr. Blasey, who has accused Judge Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers, came at the same time his Republican allies stepped up their efforts to challenge her veracity. Seizing on a sworn statement from a former boyfriend, Republicans suggested that she had not been fully truthful in her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.

The gloves-off approach could further complicate Mr. Trumps efforts to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court by winning over three undecided Republican senators who have insisted that Dr. Blaseys allegation be taken seriously, Susan Collins of Maine, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. The Senate will begin voting on Judge Kavanaugh on Friday and was expected to hold a final vote over the weekend.
WASHINGTON  Vice President Mike Pence will signal a far tougher American line on China on Thursday, delivering a speech in which he is expected to accuse the Chinese of aggressive moves against American warships, of predatory behavior against their neighbors, and of a sophisticated influence campaign to tilt the midterms and 2020 elections against President Trump.

To put it bluntly, President Trumps leadership is working, Mr. Pence is to say, according to excerpts from his speech provided on Wednesday night. China wants a different American president.

Mr. Trump accused China last week of meddling in the midterm elections, saying at the United Nations in New York that it was retaliating for his imposition of tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods. But the president was careful not to antagonize Chinas president, Xi Jinping, with whom he has cultivated a personal relationship.

Mr. Pence, however, will broaden the attack on China to encompass its rapid military buildup in its coastal waters; its use of debt financing to corrupt financially vulnerable countries; and its influence campaign in American news media, at think tanks and on college campuses, which he will claim is more extensive than that deployed by the Russians in 2016.
Obviously Mitch has got his heart and soul in this, said Senator Johnny Isakson, Republican of Georgia. Hes done everything he could. Hes done a tremendous job of fairly handling the unforeseen but challenging things that have happened. I think hes acquitted himself well as a leader regardless of whether or not hes successful on the vote.

Democrats find Mr. McConnells complaints that Judge Kavanaugh is being treated unfairly and that they are conspiring to destroy and delay an outstanding nominee a little hard to take given that Mr. McConnell was the mastermind of the decision to block President Barack Obamas 2016 nomination of Merrick B. Garland and hold the seat open for a Republican president to fill.

From the man who single-handedly delayed the filling of Justice Scalias seat for 10 months to complain about a one-week delay to get the truth  give me a break, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said Wednesday. It is classic diversionary, blame-the-other-person tactics when he himself is the master of delay. It is galling, appalling, to hear day after day the majority leader get on his high horse about delay, when he almost invented the word when it comes to judicial nominations.

The nomination has not gone the way that Mr. McConnell envisioned despite his initial warnings to the White House that Judge Kavanaughs long history and paper trail in Washington would present complications. Still, despite objections by Democrats that he had lied to the Judiciary Committee about his service in the administration of President George W. Bush, Judge Kavanaugh seemed a shoo-in. Then a letter surfaced from Christine Blasey Ford accusing him of sexually assaulting her when they were both teenagers, she stepped forward, and the confirmation struggle took an extraordinary turn.

Even after the accusations became public, Mr. McConnell said that Republicans were going to plow right through it while guaranteeing that in the very near future, Judge Kavanaugh would be taking his seat on the court. With such uncertainty enveloping the nomination, Mr. McConnell has recalibrated his message and is now only guaranteeing that there will be a vote as soon as this week.

Seemingly on the verge of victory last week, he also found his authority undercut by Mr. Flake and other Republicans who demanded a one-week delay for added investigation into the accusations instead of backing a final vote. Their position  and refusal to commit to Judge Kavanaugh without more investigation  meant Mr. McConnell had to readjust his plans while warning that Democrats would not be satisfied with any inquiry and would use the added time to raise new objections.
ATLANTA  Seven law enforcement officers were shot  at least one of them fatally  in an extraordinary barrage of firepower after the authorities sought to serve a search warrant in South Carolina on Wednesday, officials said, transforming a residential subdivision into a tragic battleground.

The episode, punctuated by evacuations in a tactical vehicle and a protracted standoff between a barricaded suspect and the authorities, was among the American police shootings with the greatest bloodshed in recent years.

They thought it was a random search warrant, Sheriff Kenney Boone of Florence County, S.C., said at a news conference on Wednesday night, when he and other local officials appeared distraught. But when they arrived, gunfire started.

Chief Allen Heidler of the Florence Police Department praised the deceased officer, Terrence Carraway, as the bravest police officer that I have ever known. Officer Carraway had been a member of the police force in Florence for more than 30 years, officials said.
For seven months, Hassan al-Kontar, a Syrian refugee, has been posting videos to social media documenting his life stranded at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia.

Mr. Kontar, who had been working abroad, could not return home because he objected to serving in the military in Syria, a country in the midst of a brutal civil war. He eventually traveled to Malaysia where he thought he could travel onward and seek asylum. But after being turned back in repeat attempts to leave the country, he was stuck.

This week, Mr. Kontars ordeal took another turn with his arrest by the Malaysian police, a move that has set off fears among rights groups that he could be forcibly returned to Syria.

Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali, the director general of the Immigration Department of Malaysia, told local journalists that Mr. Kontar, 37, had been staying in a restricted area, according to The Star, a Malaysian news outlet.
THE NEW YORKER FESTIVAL at various locations (Oct. 5-7). You can get your fill of mind-opening discussions and musical performances at this arts-and-culture-focused festival. But this weekend-long event also features an excellent selection of sit-down sessions with comedians. On Friday, writers and editors at The New Yorker will be talking with Patton Oswalt; on Saturday, with Jim Carrey, Bo Burnham, Mike Birbiglia, Jimmy Fallon, John Mulaney and Bridget Everett. (And though these are the comedy listings, I would be remiss if I didnt mention that the activist Janet Mock will be sitting down with Hilton Als.)

festival.newyorker.com

THE STEPFATHERS at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater Hells Kitchen (Oct. 5, 9 p.m.). Every now and then, I have a friend who tells me he or she has never been to a comedy show in New York. Thats usually when I take them to one of U.C.B.s two locations to see a show like this one. The Stepfathers is a group of comedy veterans  Michael Delaney, Alexandra Dickson, Shannon ONeill and Connor Ratliff  who are something of a staple at this storied comedy institution.

212-366-9176, hellskitchen.ucbtheatre.com
A crumpled piece of paper hanging on the far wall had me mesmerized. It was a sketch of a dark-haired boy with round glasses surrounded by his sour-faced relatives. The page is covered in wrinkles and stained with what looks like coffee. But there he is, the Boy Who Lived, drawn lovingly by J.K. Rowling herself, a full six years before the first Harry Potter book was published.

Behind an imposing castle wall, Harry Potter: A History of Magic, an engrossing new exhibition at the New-York Historical Society, traces the origins of Harrys story, not just through the lens of the writing process, but through the many historical, cultural and scientific influences that helped shape and inspire the magic of the books.
Its a great kind of financial security for my family, Mr. Ward said. I hope to keep doing the kind of work I am doing and maybe find some ways to do some experimentation of other ways to do local journalism.

One hitch for grantees is that they can tell only one person before the winners are announced. Sarah T. Stewart, a planetary scientist at the University of California-Davis, could tell only her husband, she said, even though she found out about the award a month ago, something she called a form of torture. Dr. Stewart studies planet formation, with a focus on planetary collisions  a key process in the growth and evolution of planets.

Through her labwork and modeling, Dr. Stewart, 45, has been able to increase understanding about Earths origin, and has proposed a new theory on how the moon was formed: It is the result of a synestia, a cloud of vaporized and molten rock produced when two objects collide at high velocity. Under Dr. Stewarts theory, both the Earth and the Moon formed from the same synestia, which would explain why both share similar characteristics. She wasnt quite sure what she would do with her $625,000.

My personal goal is to do something new, Dr. Stewart said. I dont want to do what Im doing now because other agencies are already funding that. Im thinking of it as an opportunity to do something creative and exactly what that is, I do not know. There may be some philanthropy involved but it will just not be the same.

Livia S. Eberlin, who has been an analytical chemist at the University of Texas-Austin for almost three years, was sitting in her office expecting a call from someone else when the foundation called.
What would you like to see here? Email us at popculture@nytimes.com.



Hello! Welcome to your daily roundup of whats going on in pop culture,

In the last couple of days, a significant quota of my mental energy has been taken up thinking about a surreal and fake-seeming Drew Barrymore interview, published in the Egypt Air in-flight magazine. Barrymore's people told Buzzfeed they dont know whats going on either, but the interviewer claims its real, or at least that she interviewed a Drew Barrimoor. If youre in the market for an innocuous internet rabbit hole to go down today, you could do worse. Send your theories to popculture@nytimes.com.

Some juicy TV stuff

 The clothes on Insecure are really excellent, and come from Shiona Turini, the stylist behind Beyonces Formation video. Her breakdown of how the characters dress and why is some solace now that Season 3 is over. And Aisha Harriss Bad Decision Index for the finale comes up with one clear winner/loser: Molly, Molly, Molly.

 How are TV shows handling the #MeToo moment? With varying degrees of success, Amanda Hess finds. But none dealt with it as well as the new season of BoJack Horseman.
Jacques Audiards Palme dOr-winning emigration tale is on Hulu. And Deadpool is on FX.

Whats Streaming

DHEEPAN (2016) on Hulu. The French director Jacques Audiards The Sisters Brothers, a western and the directors English-language debut, is in theaters now. His last film, Dheepan, is also, in some ways, a western, A. O. Scott wrote in his review for The New York Times, going on to say: Sometimes, it seems to be the story of a man trying to get out of a bad old life and being pulled back in. At other moments, you see hints of another familiar tale, the one about the man who has seen and done terrible things who stays out of trouble until hes pushed too far. The man in question (played by Antonythasan Jesuthasan, upon whose life the story is partly based) is emigrating from a war-torn country. Once in France, he seeks asylum while trying to assimilate. Hailed for its timeliness, the film won the Palme dOr at Cannes in 2015. The intervening years have done little to decrease its relevance.

NATIONAL PARKS ADVENTURE (2016) on Netflix. Robert Redford narrates this sweeping documentary about Americas national parks, but the first thing youll hear isnt his voice; its the low whistle of birds and the whooping and hollering of nature in the early morning. Made partly for Imax and other big screens, the film puts sights and sounds first. Those streaming it at home may enjoy it just as much for its meditativeness, or for the promise of a personal tour  complete with historical anecdotes  from Mr. Redford. They may also detect admiration as Mr. Redford, an environmental advocate, recounts the story of Theodore Roosevelt and John Muirs famed trip to Yosemite, among other tales.

Whats on TV
(Want to get this briefing by email? Heres the sign-up.)

Good morning.

Heres what you need to know:

Vote looms on Kavanaugh nomination

Overnight, the White House sent the results of the F.B.I.s investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Senate, and expressed confidence that the material wouldnt derail his Supreme Court nomination.

A few hours earlier, Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, took steps that would set an initial vote on the nomination for Friday. The moves came despite complaints from Democrats that investigators did not interview key witnesses.

But Mr. McConnell has come to see his nearly singular responsibility as adding conservatives to the federal courts. There is no chance in the world that theyre going to scare us out of doing our duty, he said on Wednesday.

 A lack of judicial temperament: Over 1,000 law professors signed a letter opposing Judge Kavanaughs confirmation.
Sometimes it seems as if were living under a constant barrage of heavy news. But it isnt all bad out there. This feature is meant to send you into the weekend with a smile, or at least a lighter heart. Want to get The Week in Good News by email? Sign up here.

Here are seven great things we wrote about this week:

In certain Nobel Prize categories, men have been much, much more likely to win.

This week, at least two women broke that pattern. Donna Strickland, an associate professor of physics at the University of Waterloo in Canada, was the third woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 117 years. It was just a fun thing to do, and so I enjoyed putting many hours into it, Dr. Strickland said of her work with short-pulse lasers more than 30 years ago.

Frances H. Arnold, a professor of chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, was the fifth woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, for her work with the directed evolution of enzymes.
COPENHAGEN  Danske Bank, which last month acknowledged failing to prevent suspected money laundering at its Estonian branch, has now drawn the attention of United States authorities.

In a statement on its website, the Danish lender said it was cooperating with the Department of Justice in a criminal investigation of flows of money out of the banks branch in Estonia. Denmarks financial regulator and authorities in Estonia and Britain have already initiated investigations.

We are cooperating with the authorities investigating us as a result of the case, the banks interim chief executive, Jesper Nielsen, said. However, it is too early to speculate on any outcome of the investigations.

Mr. Nielsen took office on Monday, succeeding Thomas F. Borgen, who stepped down after the release of an internal report on unusual money flows coming from the banks Estonian branch.
Good Thursday. Want this by email? Sign up here.

Heres this years lineup

This morning, were announcing some of the speakers for our seventh annual Playing for the Long Term conference, which will take place on Nov. 1 at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. You can register to participate here.

Andrew will host a series of conversations with some of the biggest newsmakers at the intersection of business and policy. Among them:

 Sundar Pichai of Google

 Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs

 Lachlan Murdoch of Fox

 Ken Frazier of Merck

 Mary Barra of General Motors

 Peter Thiel of Palantir and Founders Fund (hes also a director at Facebook)

 Evan Spiegel of Snap

 Larry Fink of BlackRock

 Steve Ballmer, of USAFacts and the L.A. Clippers

 Marc Raibert of Boston Dynamics (with a special guest: Spot the robot dog)
Get the DealBook newsletter to make sense of major business and policy headlines  and the power-brokers who shape them.

__________

Investors in European initial public offerings have a lot of choice at the moment, which means they can afford to be picky. They can thank Britains impending exit from the European Union.

The French solar power company Neoen on Tuesday said it could be valued at up to 1.5 billion euros, about $1.8 billion, in an initial public offering, the same morning as Netherlands-based LeasePlan announced its intention to float. That followed initial price ranges announced this week by the Spanish oil group Cepsa and a self-storage group called Shurgard. For some companies, its a treacherous time to raise capital. Britains Aston Martin and Funding Circle recently sold shares toward the bottom of their ranges, and have since fallen further.

There are good reasons for this torrent of I.P.O.s.

First, stock market valuations are rosy after nearly a decade of easy central-bank policy. That may end as the United States Federal Reserve raises rates. Europes STOXX 50 index has been trading at close to 10 times forward earnings since early 2014, compared with an average over the last decade of 8.8 times. And since companies current owners can only sell down their stakes slowly after an I.P.O., it makes sense to list well before markets turn.
I thought about what are the problems that are most likely to affect the future of the world or future of humanity. Elon Musk, a South African-born engineer, inventor and billionaire, is one of the most important entrepreneurs in the world. But the 47-year-old is no stranger to turmoil, and by his own account his career has been full of highs and lows. Just three years ago, I was showering at the Y and sleeping on the office floor. And now, I have got a million-dollar car and quite a few creature comforts. After making a fortune with his first successful startup, Zip2, Musk gained fame as the co-founder of PayPal in the late 1990s. So this is an ATM. What were going to do is transform the traditional banking industry. The company lost hundreds of millions of dollars, and Musk was ousted as CEO because of internal turmoil. But when PayPal went public in 2002, and then was sold to eBay, Musk  as the biggest shareholder  walked away with $200 million. By the mid-2000s, Musk had turned around and invested almost all of his PayPal fortune into his new companies: SpaceX, Tesla and SolarCity. With SpaceX, Musks aspiration is out of this world  literally. Its a commercial space flight company, which designs and launches advanced rockets into space. Behind me is where Falcon 9 would sit during launch. One of its ambitions is to eventually send people to Mars. And I cant think of anything more exciting than going out there and being among the stars. But it has faced some roadblocks. Their first three rocket launches  failed, burning through almost all of the companys assets. But SpaceX has had recent successes. The Falcon Heavy launch earlier this year was a big milestone and it carried an interesting payload: a dummy astronaut riding a Tesla car that was orbiting space. The company has also landed contracts with NASA, but questions about safety and cost remain. We sold over 1,000 cars  and by sold I mean people put down a substantial deposit on the car. Tesla, Musks electric car company, is one of the first of its kind to work on a large scale. It has also successfully disrupted the auto industry. The company is valued at over $50 billion. The Tesla Model S has been called the greatest car ever built. But Tesla has also faced some setbacks, including car batteries that caught on fire, recalls and production delays. SolarCity, Musks renewable energy venture, initially had a bright future. Its the largest provider of rooftop solar systems in the U.S., and the company boomed on Wall Street. But after investors raised doubts about its business model, SolarCitys shares quickly lost value, and Tesla had to take over in what was widely seen as a bailout. We really need to make solar panels as appealing as electric cars have become. But while Musk may have been flirting with bankruptcy and calamity for years, his projects continue to captivate the collective imagination. Life has to be more than about solving problems. There have to be things that make you proud to be a member of humanity.
Stanford Universitys endowment, the worlds third largest, grew 11.3 percent in the most recent fiscal year, officials said this week.

The university did not provide the endowments total value at the end of the 2018 fiscal year, which ended June 30, but said that it was $26.5 billion at the end of August.

Stanfords announcement followed similar reports by the two universities with larger endowments: Harvard, the worlds biggest, and Yale.

Harvard said its endowment grew 10 percent in the 2018 fiscal year, to $39.2 billion. Yale said its endowment climbed 12.3 percent, to $29.4 billion.
When Gilt closed in 2012, Mr. Cappiello was already planning Pearl & Ash, which opened in 2013. Rebelle opened two doors away in 2015. By then, however, he had already seen how his mentors had begun to diversify their careers, particularly as they reached their 40s, often with young families.

The diversity of the job can be joyous but also stressful, he said. Particularly as a manager, youre driving customer service, doing Excel spreadsheets, inventory, accounting, its a lot of things, which is invigorating but difficult for young people who think its just talking about wine.

In 2014, he began Renegat. Chris Desor of Verity Wine Partners, an importer and distributor in the New York area, had invited him to put together a small portfolio under its aegis. Through the connections he had developed as a sommelier, Mr. Cappiello looked for small family producers in Europe and the United States who were environmentally conscious and  despite his experience with the most coveted wines of the world  reflected his own unpretentious, wine-for-the-people spirit.

He branched out, starting Forty Ounce Wines and making a series of wine education videos for Playboy. But the focus had always been restaurants, until Rebelle closed.

I had this ragtag company that I hadnt done anything with, he said of Renegat. Fortuitously, at this time, he met Sara Morgenstern, who was based in Sonoma County and worked in wine sales. Soon they were a team personally and professionally. She is now the director of operations for Renegat, and he splits his time between New York and Healdsburg, Calif.

Together, they sought to carve out a specific role for the company by asking the question, What needs do our producers have that arent being met? Their answer: logistics.

For small producers in particular, whether in Europe or California, selling wine in the United States is daunting. Each state has its own rules, its own bureaucracy.
The chicken rests in a huddle over rice, pale cuts of breast and thigh, with dark, minerally nubs of gizzard and liver and scraps of skin, wobbly as jelly.

At Eats Khao Man Gai, which opened in August in the East Village, whole chickens  so-called Buddhist chickens, with feet and head still on, from Bo Bo Poultrys upstate farm  go into the pot. Theyre poached in water, simply salted (no secret ingredient, according to the chef, Mukda Sakulclanuwat), at just under a slow boil, so that the flesh emerges tender.

But its not the meat, mild and unassuming, that commands attention. The dish  whose Thai name, khao man gai, translates word for word as rice fat chicken  would be nothing without the oily slick that rises to the top of the poaching liquid and is skimmed off and reserved for cooking the rice. The grains are soaked in it, given a dose of sesame oil, then steamed in a suffusion of crushed ginger, garlic and cilantro.
I mean, the best lighting angle are  are from over here.  O.K. But when youre going to do cosmetic shots of the sculpture, it should be in the best light there is. Pick up a little more. Its still not the best light for it. Um  Hows that? How does it look in the light there? Is that the right angle? Come on, boy. Lets see. We talk to our cars, so I dont think theres anything wrong with talking to a furry  creature, here. O.K.  O.K. Gonna work with him today a little bit, so  well see his fur. Well see how he looks today. Oh, you look good today, Benjamin. You look good, today. [music] A new president at the White House means a new painting at the National Portrait Gallery. And this morning the artist, Allen Hirsch, is next to his work. And Mr. Hirsch, good morning. [music] [sighs] How you feeling? O.K. So tell me about how you met Benjamin. [static] Belkis came walking in through the gate below, holding this box. Something about her, how she was walking and how she looked, made me stop what I was doing. Belkis: There was this little boy with a shoe box. And inside the shoe box, there was this tiny, little animal. I said, what happened? He told me that there were two little monkeys before, and one of them died. And I said, Look at  look at this one, its not eating, we have to take it to the vet. Probably a hunter shot the mother down. The mother fell from the tree, like really high up. Allen: He was dying, so  went immediately to the pharmacy and got him some baby milk. Belkis: Its very sad, because monkeys go with the mom for at least two years before to be independent. And this little baby didnt have anything to hold onto. So I started to read a lot about monkeys and their development, especially Capuchins. Allen: I knew that he needed to hold something right away, because monkeys are  thats how they survive  by holding. So we got him a stuffed animal, and I got him a walrus. It had a nice texture. The hair had to be a certain length that he could really grab onto. And I could also stick my hand inside and sort of make it feel alive to him. Belkis: In general, Allen is the one who became his guardian, his  This figure. Allen: I wasnt looking for it, but it just felt natural to really  fall in love with this creature and take care of him. I thought about putting him in different stuffed toys. I thought about making him up like a cat and getting cats  like a cat makeup. I thought about burying him in my wifes stomach. She would be a pregnant mother going through the gate. And if she was to be X-rayed, she would have a little fetus. It might look a little bit like a monkey fetus. But probably the best thing would be to put him in a cat, get a Hollywood artist to make him look like a cat, and get a cat permit. I said to him, I dont want anything to do with that. I simply was saying how crazy, and far-fetched, and kind of ridiculous the idea was. I was so terrified that, you know  hes going to go to jail or something. Allen: I put him in the inside pocket of my sport jacket. I kept him up all night before the flight, so he would sleep, and he slept the whole flight. Belkis: You know, JFK, they had dogs searching for drugs. So he was lucky. We made a beeline for a yellow taxi and jumped in, took Benjamin out of the bag. Said, Welcome to New York, Benjamin. It was something I needed at that point in my life too, I guess. Belkis: I heard stories in the past how difficult it is to raise a wild animal. But at this point, we didnt have any other option. [music]
The Times recently published an Everything You Need to Know guide to the midterm elections that asks and answers many of the same questions students might have about the midterms. The authors went out of their way to provide succinct answers to questions like...

 When are the midterms?

 Whats at stake in Washington?

 What about outside of Washington?

Before you show your students the guide, however, you might conduct a K-W-L activity in which students share what they already know about the midterms and generate questions about what they wonder. Consider having students write their questions in a way thats easily shareable, like via index cards or Google Classroom. Then, invite them to search for answers in the Times guide, and teach each other what they learned.

As students become more knowledgeable about the election and its significance, they can create their own election guides. James Smith, a government teacher at the Dayton Regional STEM School in Kettering, Ohio, shared this idea:

In my government classroom, students will be creating and publishing a nonpartisan election guide designed to engage and support first time voters in our region. My students created a survey to determine which issues are important to younger voters. They will use this survey data to guide the questions they ask the candidates included in our guide. Students will also create a how to vote section of the guide in order to educate first time voters about the process and requirements of voting. Through the project students will learn about civic engagement, different levels of government and their functions, and how to vote.

Update: Here is the election guide these students created.

2. Create a get-out-the-youth-vote campaign.
All fall, news sources have been reporting that the pace of new voter registrations among young people is accelerating. After the Parkland school shooting  and with heated emotions for and against President Trump  perhaps young Americans will show up at the polls in record numbers. But in 2014, in the last midterm elections, fewer than one in five 18-29 year olds voted. Four years before that, the number was only slightly better: fewer than one in four. Will this year be notably different?

In this lesson plan, we ask students: Why do you think so many young people dont vote? Is it important that they do vote? And what can we do, as a society, to get more young people to the polls?

_________

Part I

Warm Up

Students: Take a few minutes to write down your thoughts about these three questions. Then discuss your ideas in pairs or small groups, before sharing with the whole class:

1. Midterm elections happen every four years, two years before (and after) presidential elections. In the last midterms in 2014, only 17.1 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted. That means over four out of five eligible voters in that age group didnt vote. (Side note: Significantly more young people vote in presidential elections.) The question is: Why do you think so many young people dont vote in midterm elections? And, why do you think young people vote less frequently than other age groups? List as many reasons as you can.

2. The 2018 midterm elections are on Nov. 6. Voters will choose, depending on their state and city, who will represent them in Congress; who will be their next governor or attorney general; and who will be their mayor or local judge. Why do you think it is important for young people to vote in these elections?
Does your school or community recognize Columbus Day as an official holiday? What do you know about Christopher Columbus, and what did you learn about him in school?

Below, more information about the movements to remove statues of Columbus and replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day  as well as an Op-Ed that questions those movements. After you read both, let us know what you think by posting a comment.

In this 2014 piece, Columbus Day, or Indigenous Peoples Day?, Jake Flanagin explains why many are arguing it should be replaced:

Its a controversial day with a turbulent history. This historically problematic holiday  Columbus never actually set foot on the continental U.S.  has made an increasing number of people wince, given the enslavement and genocide of Native American people that followed in the wake of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, writes Yvonne Zipp for The Christian Science Monitor. The neighborhood wasnt exactly empty when he arrived in 1492. Back in 1992  500 years after Columbuss fateful landing in the Caribbean  Berkeley, Calif., was the first American city to repurpose his day in honor of Native America. Talk of an alternative Columbus Day dates back to the 1970s, writes Nolan Feeney for Time, but the idea came to Berkeley after the First Continental Conference on 500 Years of Indian Resistance in Quito, Ecuador, in 1990. That led to another conference among Northern Californian Native American groups. Attendees brought the idea in front of the Berkeley City Council, after which they appointed a task force to investigate the ideas and Columbus historical legacy. Two years later, council members officially instated Indigenous Peoples Day in lieu of Columbus by a unanimous vote. The California state senator Lori Hancock, then the mayor of Berkeley, remembers encountering Italian-American pushback similar to that in Seattle. We just had to keep reiterating that that was not the purpose, she told Mr. Feeney. The purpose was to really affirm the incredible legacy of the indigenous people who were in the North American continent long before Columbus.

In September 2017, a statue of Columbus in New York City was defaced with red paint stained on his hands, symbolizing his role in the genocide of Native Americans. In Baltimore, another statue of Columbus was graffitied with the words: Racism: Tear it down.

But in an Op-Ed last October called Tearing Down Statues of Columbus Also Tears Down My History, John M. Viola, president and chief operating officer of the National Italian American Foundation, argued:

I appreciate that for many people, including some Italian-Americans, the celebration of Columbus is viewed as belittling the suffering of indigenous peoples at the hands of Europeans. But for countless people in my community, Columbus, and Columbus Day, represent an opportunity to celebrate our contributions to this country. ...I have never been one to blindly uphold any single figure as the representative of all things Italian-American, since all individuals are flawed, and all monuments represent just a snapshot of our history, now measured against 21st-century sensibilities. Some undoubtedly require re-evaluation, but that process should not include violence, vandalism and destruction of property. The tearing down of history does not change that history. In the wake of the cultural conflict that has ripped us apart over these months, I wonder if we as a country cant find better ways to utilize our history to eradicate racism instead of inciting it. Cant the monuments and holidays born of our past be reimagined to represent new values for our future? ...Respect for historical monuments should not signify blind acceptance of the values and judgments of past societies; rather, they should be instructive tools in our quest to understand our history and use it to better meet the challenges of the present. If we allow uncontrolled tearing down of memorials or unilateral reinterpretation of American history, then we will be damaging our democracy by limiting vigorous debate on our history, with all its beauty and blemishes. In his first inaugural address at the onset of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln called on Americans to allow a national dialogue led by the better angels of our nature. I think his counsel remains as wise and essential today as it was then. We at the National Italian American Foundation strongly condemn the defacing of historical monuments and expect elected officials and law enforcement to protect our public memorials from further damage so that a true conversation on their place in modern society can be organized. We believe Christopher Columbus represents the values of discovery and risk that are at the heart of the American dream, and that it is our job as the community most closely associated with his legacy to be at the forefront of a sensitive and engaging path forward, toward a solution that considers all sides.

Students: Read both articles, then tell us:

 Why does the United States celebrate Columbus Day? In your opinion, is the holiday problematic?

 What do you think of the argument for changing the name and focus of the holiday from Columbus to Indigenous Peoples Day? Does it dishonor the heritage of Italian-Americans, a group that has also faced discrimination? Or does it serve to recognize and affirm the overlooked history and contributions of Native Americans?

 Do you think changing the name of the holiday can change the way indigenous peoples are treated and remembered in United States history? Or is this move largely symbolic?

 Where do you stand in terms the statue debate? Should all Christopher Columbus statues across the United States be taken down? Why or why not?

 What ideas or arguments in the two articles do you find most compelling or interesting? Why?
Most states restrict the voting rights of former felons to some degree, and an estimated six million people nationwide are barred from voting because of felony convictions.

Do you think people who have been convicted of crimes should be allowed to vote? Why or why not?

In They Served Their Time. Now Theyre Fighting for Other Ex-Felons to Vote, Farah Stockman writes about a growing movement pushing to politically empower formerly incarcerated people:

Ever since his own three-month stint behind bars, Steve Huerta has mentored fathers emerging from prison. But it soon dawned on him that they needed more than advice to break the cycle of joblessness and incarceration. What they needed, he decided, was political power. So seven years ago, Mr. Huerta, a community organizer in San Antonio, began a door-knocking campaign to encourage former felons to vote, which is their right in Texas as long as they are no longer on probation or parole. Mr. Huerta has recruited formerly incarcerated people to head precincts, responsible for getting their neighbors to the polls. And he meticulously tracks the turnout rate of 98,000 voters with criminal records. This is an entirely new voting bloc, said Mr. Huerta, who now represents his area on a statewide organizing committee for the Democratic Party in Texas. Its a political game-changer for struggling communities. Mr. Huerta is part of a growing national movement that is pushing to politically empower formerly incarcerated people by encouraging them to vote if they are eligible and pushing to restore their rights if they are not. Most states curb the voting rights of former felons to some degree; an estimated six million people nationwide are barred from voting because of felony convictions. But a number of states are now considering whether to get rid of the disenfranchisement laws that block felons from the polls. In Florida, where 10 percent of adults cant vote because of a felony conviction, a ballot initiative in November would automatically restore voting rights after a prison sentence has been completed. In New Jersey, state legislators are considering a bill that would allow people in prison to vote. It would be the third state, after Maine and Vermont, to do so. Supporters say the movement gives former felons hope that they will one day overcome the stigma of incarceration and be accepted as responsible citizens, in addition to giving impoverished communities a greater voice. But many conservative groups fiercely oppose the changes, arguing that people need to first prove that they are upstanding members of society before they can vote.

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

 In your opinion, how important is the right to vote to a democracy? How does the ability to vote affect individuals and communities?

 Do you think ex-felons  people who have committed crimes and served time for them  should have the right to vote? Why or why not?

 Do you believe there should be any limits on individuals right to vote if they have committed a crime? For example, should they be allowed to vote while they are still in prison or only after they have served time? Should only certain offenses  for instance, violent crimes  count, or should any felony conviction strip a persons right to vote? Why do you think the way you do?

 Ms. Stockman writes:

The movement to restore felons voting rights has gotten tangled up in partisan ideological battles, with Democratic leaders tending to support expanded access to the ballot and Republicans opposing it.

Why do you think this is? Why might Democrats want ex-felons to be able to vote? What reasons might Republicans have for opposing it? Do your own political beliefs reflect the partisan divide on this issue?
In 1973, the physicist James Bardeen figured out that in the right circumstances  if, say, a black hole passed in front of a large, bright background, like a star  it might be possible to see its silhouette. Unfortunately, Bardeen concluded, there seems to be no hope of observing this effect. Later that decade, the French physicist Jean-Pierre Luminet sought to learn what a black hole would look like if illuminated by the glow from the superheated matter swirling around it. He did his calculations by feeding punch cards into a primitive computer. He drew the results by hand. His black-and-white images looked like twisted depictions of a black Saturn, with a ringlike accretion disk warped like taffy.

In the late 1990s, the astrophysicists Heino Falcke, Fulvio Melia and Eric Agol, motivated by a new generation of radio telescopes then under construction, decided to see whether there were any chance of seeing Sagittarius A*s silhouette from Earth. They ran Bardeens equations through software that predicted how light would travel in the warped space-time around a black hole, and they concluded that with an Earth-size collection of radio telescopes, all of them operating at the highest frequencies of the radio spectrum, all of them simultaneously observing Sagittarius A*, one would see a dark circle ten times larger than the event horizon. At the edge of this circle, light rays would be trapped, tracing a glowing ring. Inside this ring, darkness. Sagittarius A* should cast a shadow.

That this shadow might be visible from Earth depended on an astonishing set of circumstances. Earths atmosphere happens to be transparent to the electromagnetic radiation  in this case, certain microwaves  shining from the edge of the black hole, even though it blocks radiation of slightly longer and shorter wavelengths. The interstellar gunk lying between Earth and the galactic center also becomes transparent at those frequencies, as do the clouds of superheated matter just outside the black hole, blocking a view of the event horizon. Later in life, Fulvio Melia compared this alignment to the cosmic accidents that give us total solar eclipses. The moon is just the right size, in just the right orbit, at just the right distance from Earth that now and then it blocks the sun entirely. Fulvio wasnt religious, but these coincidences were so unlikely that he couldnt help but feel that the black-hole shadow was meant to be seen. The universe had arranged for humans to see to the nearest exit.

But the exit is poorly lit. Radio astronomers sometimes emphasize the difficulty of their jobs with the following fact: All the combined electromagnetic radiation collected by every radio telescope ever built, excluding that emitted by our own sun, would carry too little energy to melt a snowflake. To compensate for this scarcity  to collect as much energy as possible  astronomers build the biggest dishes they can. The worlds marquee radio telescopes are fearsome creations. The Robert C. Byrd Telescope in Green Bank, W.Va., is a full 120 feet taller than St. Pauls Cathedral in London. But telescopes like that cant handle microwaves. Few telescopes can.

A radio telescopes bowl-shaped reflecting surface  that giant glinting dish  is tiled with metal panels, each one polished to exacting specifications. To accurately reflect radio waves with a wavelength of one millimeter, for example, the panels must be free of bumps or scratches larger than one-twentieth of a millimeter. With enough money, you can make enormous reflecting surfaces that are smoother than this. But there is rarely enough money.

High-frequency radio waves create other challenges. The sharper a telescopes resolution, the more accurately it must be aimed at its target. Accuracy isnt simply a matter of being extra-careful when turning the knobs and dials. The entire multimillion-dollar electromechanical apparatus that swivels and steers the hulking instrument must be engineered to higher tolerances. Such precision is expensive, so most telescopes dont have it. Big dishes also deform as they turn and tilt, and they expand and shrink and warp depending on the temperature and time of day. You can install thousands of independently tweakable, computer-controlled actuators that continuously adjust each surface panel, keeping the telescope in focus, but, again: expensive. For all these reasons, high-frequency radio telescopes tend to be small  generally, no larger than 10 meters in diameter.
NASA put man on the moon for the first time in 1969, via Apollo 11, and that landing brought the world together in a way those who witnessed it swear had never happened before or since. This is just one of the achievements chronicled in Above and Beyond, which Ms. Kennedy also narrates. Featuring contributions from assorted NASA scientists and historians, the movie considers space missions less as vehicles for human adventure  though its treatments of several NASA missions that resulted in loss of human life is sensitive  than as explorations of whats out there. And specifically, the question of whether theres another planet that can sustain something like human life.

Illustrations from covers of 1950s pulp magazines shown here remind the viewer of human hopes to someday colonize Venus or Mars, planets that NASAs crafts and instruments found to be too hot, too cratered, with bad atmosphere, as one scientist puts it. The film also shows how the space agency looks out for life here on Earth, monitoring from the sky the health of our coral reef ecosystems. This is not a spectacular picture, but its an informative and heartening one that might make a good double feature with First Man, the forthcoming fictionalized blockbuster about Apollo 11.
A big heart and a blunt plot run through Shine, a movie whose story is there mostly just to usher in a dance sequence or an earnest speech.

Directed by Anthony Nardolillo and set in Spanish Harlem, Shine finds Ralphi (Jorge Burgos) returning home after seven years. He had left following the death of his loving father (David Zayas) and found success in the corporate world. The company he works for is now ordering him to help gentrify the very neighborhood he abandoned.
It would be irresponsible of me to recommend that you get to the theater late if you go see Venom, a new movie adapted from a Marvel comic book about a kind of divided-self superantihero. By missing the first scene you will be bereft of some ostensibly essential plot material concerning a rocket crash, alien organisms fetched from the East Malaysia scene of said crash, one such alien organism taking over a variety of human bodies, and so on.

But if you do in fact enter the theater as the films action moves to San Francisco, you will be better able to enjoy Venom as a loose remake of the 1981 comedy Stripes, with the stalwart actor Tom Hardy in the Bill Murray role. No, seriously, it checks out. Mr. Hardys character is a relaxed, near-slovenly but very charming fellow named Eddie Brock who manages to lose his job, his fiancee and his apartment all in the space of a single day, more or less. Are you following me?
The blog post was meant to shock.

If someone did not commit sexual assault in high school, then he is not a member of the male sex, wrote Mitchell Langbert, an associate professor of business at Brooklyn College. He posted it on his personal blog just two hours after last Thursdays hearing into allegations of sexual assault by Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh.

Dr. Langbert continued.

In the future, having committed sexual assault in high school ought to be a prerequisite for all appointments, judicial and political. Those who did not play spin-the-bottle when they were 15 should not be in public life.

Those comments have made Dr. Langbert a new lightning rod in the debate that has consumed the nation in the wake of Judge Kavanaughs nomination.

On Thursday, hundreds of students gathered outside of the campuss grand clock tower to demand that Dr. Langbert be fired.
As Republicans, generally tax cuts are the one thing we can all agree on, said Mike DuHaime, a Republican strategist in New Jersey. I think the leadership in Washington has been misguided on this in terms of having this approach that hurts certain states  New York, New Jersey, California, Maryland. You have a lot of representatives in these states that are hurt by this.

Brigid Harrison, a professor of political science and law at Montclair State University in New Jersey, said the decision to hold the vote tied the hands of some Republican candidates.

This is kind of the politics of both class and geography playing out in these competitive districts. Its a battle for who is the Republican Party, Professor Harrison said. Is it the Republican Party relatively in the Midwest and the South not burdened by high property taxes, or is it some of these more affluent northeastern states and California?

Democrats have wasted no time seizing the opportunity.

In New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill, who is competing against Mr. Webber for the seat in the northern suburbs, took to social media and sent emails announcing that Washington Republicans are seeking to punish New Jersey taxpayers.

Tom Malinowski, a Democrat who is challenging Republican Representative Leonard Lance in the western part of New Jersey, weaves the tax issue into nearly every speech.

Their top priority right now, Mr. Malinowski said of the Republicans at a campaign stop where he was endorsed by the Amalgamated Transit Union, is making the tax reform bill that they passed last year permanent. Thats their priority. None of them are talking about an infrastructure bill.
Hello readers outside New York,

If La Guardia and Kennedy Airports (and Newark, too) are New York Citys welcome mat, what does that welcome feel like when you arrive at them? And how does that compare to other airports around the world?

For example, those white wooden rocking chairs that greet travelers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport seem like one big Southern porch, beckoning travelers to take a seat and have some tea. Or when passengers arrive at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, a waft of barbecue and live music hit them right away: Welcome to Texas.

We want to know how New Yorks airports greet you. Share your experience by answering the questions below. Specific examples, and memories, are wanted. An editor or reporter will reach out to you  before publication  if your response is chosen.
Good morning on this still-summery Thursday.

Were a month away from the midterm elections.

So we checked in with The New York Timess New Jersey correspondent Nick Corasaniti to see whats going on across the Hudson  a key battleground in November  and why we should care about the races there.

New Jersey is ground zero for the suburban revolt that weve seen after the 2016 election, where wealthier, well-educated suburbs that have been traditionally Republican are breaking with the party, Mr. Corasaniti said.

There are four competitive House races in New Jersey that all fall under that heading, and theyre all traditionally Republican seats, he said. As the Democrats seek to take back the House and a lot of focus is on California, New York and Pennsylvania, these four seats in New Jersey are as central to that effort as anywhere else in the country.

[ What would it take for Democrats to flip the House of Representatives? ]

There are first-time candidates across competitive House races  like Mikie Sherrill, a former pilot and federal prosecutor; Andy Kim, who has a background in national security; and Tom Malinowski, a former assistant secretary of state.
Our top priority is protecting the safety and well-being of all children in New York City, the agency said in a statement. We are investigating this case, and we have taken action to secure the safety of the other children in this home.

The death raised questions about whether social workers who visited the home a year ago had missed something. The child welfare agency has been under the supervision of an independent monitor since December 2016. State officials asked for a monitor to be appointed after a series of child deaths illuminated botched investigations and the failure to remove children who were in danger.

Child welfare workers visited Ms. Torabi at least once after doctors at the hospital where the twins were born discovered opioids in their blood, the police said. Social workers continued to work with Ms. Torabi after the initial visit, said two people familiar with the case who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss a confidential file.

Ms. Torabi had roots in Houston, and it was unclear when she moved to New York City. The house where she was living appeared to be owned by relatives of her husband, Mohammad Torabi. The police described Mr. Torabi as estranged from his wife.

Judanna Cavallo, 52, who has lived on the street for about 15 years, said she did not know the husband but met Ms. Torabi about a year ago. Happy, lovely, outgoing  overly playful with the kids, Ms. Cavallo said. If I had seen the slightest sign of anything, I would have reported it. Not in the least. Never.
It was in 2014, after a Supreme Court decision allowing Hobby Lobby to deny employees contraceptive coverage, when Karen Smythe began to consider running for office.

For Anna Kaplan, the decision stemmed from her experience as a political refugee from Iran, and her appreciation of the opportunities for women in the United States. For Janet Berl Burman, it was the high taxes in Central New York that had nearly driven her to leave her beloved state.

Those reasons, disparate as they are, have now brought the women to a shared, remarkable moment: They are among 10 women who are running for New Yorks State Senate against another female candidate, the highest number of two-woman races in recent memory, if not ever.

The proliferation of female candidates, several of whom are running for the first time, has excited observers who lament the still-gaping gender gap in politics. But it has also illuminated the expectations and assumptions  about everything from stances on abortion rights to preparedness for office  that still shape womens bids, even and perhaps especially when they are running against another woman.
Dr. Bernard J. Carroll, whose studies of severe depression gave psychiatry the closest thing it has to a blood test for a mental disorder, and who later became one of the fields most relentless critics, helping to expose pervasive corruption in academic research, died on Sept. 10 at his home in Carmel, Calif. He was 77.

His wife, Sylvia Carroll, said the cause was lung cancer.

Dr. Carroll was all of 28 when he published a paper that seemed to herald a new age of psychiatry, one rooted in biology rather than Freudian theory. Trained in both endocrinology and psychiatry, he applied a test from that first specialty  the dexamethasone suppression test, or DST  to people with mood problems.

The test measures the bodys ability to suppress its own surges of cortisol, a stress hormone. In a 1968 article in The British Medical Journal, Dr. Carroll announced that when the test was administered to people with the severest species of depression  a paralyzing gloom then called melancholia, or endogenous depression  their bodies were shown to have trouble suppressing the hormone. People with other kinds of mood disorders had normal scores.

The test did not mean that failure to suppress cortisol caused depression, just that it was associated with it.
Juan Romero, the hotel busboy who came to the aid of Senator Robert F. Kennedy when he was shot in Los Angeles in 1968, died on Monday in Modesto, Calif. He was 68.

His longtime friend Rigo Chacon, a television newsman, told The Los Angeles Times that Mr. Romero had apparently had a heart attack several days earlier.

Mr. Romero was a teenage busboy working in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in June 1968 when Kennedy, moments after giving a victory speech in the California Democratic primary, came walking through and was shot in the head by an assassin.

Mr. Romero rushed to Kennedy and held him as he lay on the floor mortally wounded. Mr. Romero later said he had struggled to keep the senators head from hitting the floor.
The question of whether to support a Supreme Court nominee who has been accused of sexual assault should not be partisan. This is about the treatment of survivors. It is about telling us that what happens to us matters. That our traumas are not something to be ignored but are to be believed and investigated. Fully investigated.

I didnt say the term sexual assault to describe what happened to me until Friday, when I looked at Mr. Flake. Thats partly because the first time I recounted what happened to me, I was dismissed. I sat in a therapists office, my hands shaking. Something not good happened to me, I choked out. I described the episode in vague language, not wanting to relive it out loud. When the therapist looked at me and asked, Had you been drinking? every ounce of courage left my body, and I retreated into my shame, feeling even more that this was something I needed to keep to myself because I had been drinking, so clearly I deserved it.

These consistent examples of invalidating survivors experiences of sexual assault is why so many dont report. The same therapist asked me whether I wanted to press charges and when I said, Im not sure, he got annoyed, as if my inability to wrap my head around the violation of my body was an inconvenience to his plans for the day.

Hours after our encounter, when Mr. Flake compromised with Senator Chris Coons to ensure an F.B.I. investigation, it was a first step toward letting survivors know: What happens to you matters. It made me feel like we might be taking baby steps toward a time when a womans instinct isnt to feel ashamed and the instinct of someone in power isnt to ignore her. Where survivors can speak up and speak out.
This article is part of the Opinion Today newsletter. You can sign up here to receive the newsletter each weekday.

A new study came out this week looking at childrens life outcomes from virtually every neighborhood across the country. Based on tax and census records, the study followed people born in the early 1980s into their 30s. The central goal was to figure out what distinguished low-income neighborhoods where large numbers of children escaped poverty from neighborhoods where people remained mired in poverty.

Before I get into the results, I want to ask you to take a minute and try to guess: Which economic and social indicators do you think were the strongest predictors of the life outcomes of a neighborhoods children?

If you have a moment to spare, I encourage you to think it over before reading the next paragraph 

Perhaps not surprisingly, the single biggest predictor was income itself. In neighborhoods with the lowest mean household income, children who grew up poor were particularly likely to remain poor as adults. Deep poverty begets poverty.
PARIS  On June 11, 1957, at 11 p.m., French soldiers burst into Maurice Audins apartment in Algiers. Mr. Audin, a 25-year-old mathematician, just had time to tell his wife, Josette, Take care of the children before being marched down the staircase by two paratroopers.

Those were the last words she heard from him. Neither she nor their three children, then 3 years old, 18 months and 1 month, ever saw him again.

For the next 61 years, Ms. Audin, helped by French intellectuals, fought to have the facts established about her husband, who was a member of the Algerian Communist Party and an antiwar activist. The French Army said he had escaped while being transferred. The truth was more sinister: In a 1958 book based on witness accounts, the historian Pierre Vidal-Naquet revealed that Mr. Audin was tortured by the military and died either as a result of his treatment or by summary execution.

Image A photograph from about 1950 of Maurice Audin. A mathematician in Algiers, he disappeared after being seized by French paratroopers in 1957. Credit... Stf/Agence France-Presse  Getty Images

Thousands of Algerians similarly went missing during their war for independence from 1954 to 1962, and for six decades France had nothing to say about those disappearances. Finally, on Sept. 13, President Emmanuel Macron paid a visit to Josette Audin, now 87, at her home in Bagnolet, a Paris suburb, to seek forgiveness and tell her and her children, in the name of the French Republic, what they knew all along: that the official version was a lie and that Mr. Vidal-Naquet had been right  although the precise cause of Mr. Audins death is still unknown.
To the Editor:

An Oct. 2 editorial criticized the Department of Health and Human Services and our unaccompanied immigrant children program for doing what The Times recommended that our agency do during the previous administration.

During 2014s surge of illegal immigrant children, you wrote that the department badly needs to increase its ability to shelter thousands properly as they wait to reunite with their parents and be seen in immigration courts .

Now you are claiming that, by opening stopgap shelters to house children while more permanent shelters come on line, the department is letting children rot in the desert .

So which is it? In temporary shelters, as required by law, we provide housing, food, recreation, health care and, contrary to your implication, legal aid and educational services. Even though we have the highest ever number of children in our program, no children have been backed up at border stations waiting for beds, as happened in 2014.
To the Editor:

Re Two Key Republicans Signal Satisfaction With F.B.I.s Kavanaugh Inquiry (nytimes.com, Oct. 4):

As Thursday is unfolding, more and more senators are reviewing the F.B.I.s supplemental inquiry and concluding that no additional corroborating evidence regarding the alleged assault on Christine Blasey Ford was produced. Thus it appears increasingly likely that the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

Although I and many others believe Dr. Blaseys allegations, I can concede that, if that were the only issue to weigh, a reasonable person might so vote. However, it is evident to almost everyone who witnessed Judge Kavanaughs testimony that he was not entirely truthful. Examples include his assessment of his alcohol intake and behavioral issues in high school and college, as well as his blatantly false explanations for cryptic yearbook entries.

Im no legal scholar, but I believe that Judge Kavanaugh committed perjury under oath. Surely if this is the case, this fact alone should disqualify him. It will be a very sorry commentary on the state of politics and the nation if he is confirmed despite this.

Thomas Long

Scottsdale, Ariz.

To the Editor:

What a blow to the reputation and legacy of Senator Jeff Flake if he votes to confirm. This is his Profiles in Courage moment, and it appears he will let it slip away. And the same could be said for Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. These moments are rare in the career of a public servant, and all three are on the verge of placing an indelible stain on their reputations.
Mr. Khanna noted that this requirement must be fulfilled in a way that is not onerous  consumers shouldnt have to click on something affirming their consent every time data is collected, for example. If you have to click on something 50 times, it kind of defeats the purpose, he said.

The third principle moves into a dicier area: the right to obtain, correct, or delete personal data controlled by any company. In Europe, this idea has manifested as the controversial right to be forgotten laws, which wouldnt fly here. Because of First Amendment issues, and also to prevent anyone from removing information that is merely critical, Mr. Khanna added a caveat that covers a lot of sins: where context appropriate and with a fair process.

And so on down the list: The fourth centers on timely notifications in the case of breaches. The fifth would give consumers the right to move their data (called data portability). The sixth calls for making net neutrality a law rather than a regulation that gets Ping-Ponged every time a new administration takes office. The seventh would hinder big internet access providers like AT&T and Verizon from collecting more data than is necessary for the rendering of services. The eighth addresses fostering competition. The ninth would protect consumers from being unfairly discriminated against or exploited based on your personal data. And the tenth would demand that companies that collect personal data practice reasonable business practices and accountability to protect your privacy.

You could call that last one the Equifax/Facebook/Yahoo conundrum: How do we protect consumers from endless data incursions and hacking by bad actors while also getting all the benefits of a fully networked society?

Its an admirable list, but I suspect that if Democrats try to turn these principles into law, it will be like pushing back the ocean, especially since the business models of many of these companies are predicated on sucking up as much data as they can and exploiting it for gain. The consumer is the product  as much as insiders at companies like Facebook scoff at the idea.

Mr. Khanna said he gets that it will be a slow road, and it will definitely require bipartisan support.

This is a 15-year fight, but I do not think tech is immediately primed against it and Congress is more willing to be strong on regulation, he told me. Tech is amoral  it is great in many ways but not as great in others, and they need to now spend the next 10 years thinking about how they shape that tech for public good.
Dutch officials, meanwhile, revealed a Russian attempt in April to hack into the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the Netherlands, which at the time was investigating the nerve agent used in the attempted assassination by the GRU of a GRU double agent in Britain, Sergei Skripal. The Dutch caught and threw out four Russian GRU agents  noting that they were also behind an attack to hack a Swiss lab involved in the inquiry.

Britain, for its part, released a report on GRU cyberattacks that disclosed an attempted hack on the Foreign Office and gave more evidence of GRU involvement in the leak of Democratic emails in 2016.

All that, declared the British foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, amounted to reckless and indiscriminate attacks that left Russia isolated in the international community. But unless there are many more far more successful attacks that the United States and its allies have not disclosed, those revealed on Thursday seemed to speak, above all, to the pathetically unsuccessful efforts by Vladimir Putin & Co. to throw their weight around and then try to cover up their failures.

The failed attacks on Mr. Skripal, the industrial-scale doping of Russian athletes and the downing of a Malaysian airliner in 2014 were massively damaging to Russias standing in the world, and the disclosure that Russian military hackers tried to secretly sneak into agencies investigating them can only make the shame and ridicule greater. As for the 2016 election, the Kremlin must be wondering whether helping to put Donald Trump into the White House was really a triumph, given that it has produced no tangible benefits while generating a huge amount of ill will and a barrage of accusations and investigations.

The Kremlin has responded with its usual ridicule of Western charges, calling them a diabolical blend of perfume in a rather sick reference to the perfume bottle used to poison Mr. Skripal and his daughter with a nerve agent. Mr. Putin, a former K.G.B. agent, seems not to have fathomed that few in the West are fooled by his propaganda antics or impressed by his power plays, and that his irresponsible cyberattacks serve only to further diminish his countrys already dismal standing in the world.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTOpinion).
For the first time since Donald Trump entered the political fray, I find myself grateful that hes in it. Im reluctant to admit it and astonished to say it, especially since the president mocked Christine Blasey Ford in his ugly and gratuitous way at a rally on Tuesday. Perhaps its worth unpacking this admission for those who might be equally astonished to read it.

Im grateful because Trump has not backed down in the face of the slipperiness, hypocrisy and dangerous standard-setting deployed by opponents of Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court. Im grateful because ferocious and even crass obstinacy has its uses in life, and never more so than in the face of sly moral bullying. Im grateful because hes a big fat hammer fending off a razor-sharp dagger.

A few moments have crystallized my view over the past few days.

The first moment was a remark by a friend. Id rather be accused of murder, he said, than of sexual assault. I feel the same way. One can think of excuses for killing a man; none for assaulting a woman. But if thats true, so is this: Falsely accusing a person of sexual assault is nearly as despicable as sexual assault itself. It inflicts psychic, familial, reputational and professional harms that can last a lifetime. This is nothing to sneer at.

The second moment, connected to the first: Boo hoo hoo. Brett Kavanaugh is not a victim. Thats the title of a column in the Los Angeles Times, which suggests that the possibility of Kavanaughs innocence is infinitesimal. Yet false allegations of rape, while relatively rare, are at least five times as common as false accusations of other types of crime, according to academic literature.
At a rally Saturday evening in Wheeling, W.Va, the president declared:

A lot of what weve done, some people could say, all of what weve done, is at stake in November. Always fragile. We are just five weeks away from one of the most important congressional elections in our lifetimes. This is one of the big, big  in other words, thats true, Im not running but Im really running.

And what about this horrible, horrible radical group of Democrats? They are determined, Trump continued,

to take back power by using any means necessary. You see the meanness, the nastiness, they dont care who they hurt, who they have to run over in order to get power and control. Thats what they want is power and control, were not going to give it to them.

On Wednesday night, Trump, after mocking Blasey Ford at a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday, doubled down on the idea that the Kavanaugh nomination was a political winner:

Wow, such enthusiasm and energy for Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Look at the Energy, look at the Polls. Something very big is happening. He is a fine man and great intellect. The country is with him all the way!

There are some intriguing twists.

Frances Lee, a political scientist at the University of Maryland, argues that from a political rather than policymaking point of view,

2018 is more important than any election since 1994, when Republicans finally ended the seemingly permanent Democratic majority and ushered in a new era of two-party competition for control of Congress.

Lee notes that Trump frames the 2018 elections to a truly remarkable extent, not only as the bete noire of the Democratic Party but as the overwhelmingly dominant force within the Republican Party.

This phenomenon, she writes, became evident in the 2018 Republican primaries, which featured contests between candidates competing among themselves as to who could be most loyal to the president, with Trumps endorsement deciding the outcome in a number of cases.

Lee points out that because of Trumps centrality and his role in

redefining the Republican Party around questions of ethno-nationalism, if Republicans retain control of Congress, even by a narrow margin, it will be an enormous vindication for the president and will further cement his recasting of the Republican Party around issues of national identity.

Lee makes the case that

Whether Republicans win or lose in 2018, Trump is likely to gain a firmer grip on the Republican Party after 2018 than he currently has. Never-Trump Republicans have had to either renounce their former apostasy or retire from office. And to the extent that the party loses seats, those losses will heavily come from the partys moderate wing, leaving behind a more pro-Trump Republican Party in Congress.

Lee is on target as far as Republicans in Congress go, but Trumps status in the party at large, in the event Republicans lose control of the House, Senate or both, is less certain.

If the outcome of the 2018 election amounts to a rejection of Trump, it will open the door to those hungry to challenge him in the 2020 Republican primaries, including  but by no means limited to  John Kasich, the governor of Ohio.

David Robertson, a professor of political science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, observed in an email that a Republican loss of the House would reduce Republican control over taxes, spending, trade, and a host of potential policies of interest to the Republican coalition of business and religious conservatives, and would also

diminish the presidents influence with some Republicans inside and outside of Congress, and stoke interest in a primary challenge in 2020. Finally, Republican donors will question the return on continued investment in President Trump and his re-election.

Like Lee, Leonie Huddy, a political scientist at SUNY-Stony Brook, sees a parallel between 1994 and 2018. She pointed out in an email that

Congressional acrimony directed at a president of the other party in 1994 will be even worse in 2019 if Democrats win the House. Trump is more unpopular among Democrats in 2018 than Clinton was among Republicans in 1994.

Huddy described a likely agenda for Democrats once in control of the House:

Step 1 is likely to be a subpoena for Trumps tax returns. But there is a slew of other financial issues that could generate investigations and hearings, including whether proceeds from the Trump D.C. hotel violate the emoluments clause of the constitution, and more generally whether the Trump family is profiting in various ways from the presidency. Trumps personal life is another likely topic of investigation. Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. These accusations are also likely to generate hearings and investigations.

David Bateman, a political scientist at Cornell, agreed with many of his colleagues that a Republican victory will be interpreted as a validation of its more aggressively ethnonationalist wing, and that a defeat will be interpreted as a setback for them and for Trump.

Still, Bateman, voiced caution.

I dont see the midterm elections arresting the progress of an otherwise successful political program or overthrowing the ascendant faction of the Republican Party or even throwing the party into disarray  I expect they will quickly regroup, with a more coherent and right-wing caucus and without the burdens of making choices that come with being the majority party.

A Democratic victory, Bateman continued,

will impose some new constraints on Trump, but probably not enough to render him a spent force unwilling to run again (or unable to win) in 2020, let alone disarming his more dangerous tendencies over the next two years.

Many of the most vulnerable Republicans are part of the more moderate wing of the party, as are many of those retiring. As they depart, Bateman notes, the hard right becomes more powerful within the congressional wing:

White Christian nationalism has long been an important part of the coalition, and not only is it not going anywhere but the partys losses will probably make it more rather than less well-represented in the party.

While Bateman argues that the Trump wing will be fortified within the Republican Party regardless of the outcome in November, Stephen Ansolabehere, a political scientist at Harvard, argues that the future of the partys Trump wing hinges on the election.
We always knew President Trump was being misleading when he portrayed himself as a self-made man. But until Tuesdays bombshell Times story, we did not know the breathtaking scale of the deception, or the extent to which his wealth was built on tax evasion.

This raises two questions. First, what can and should tax authorities do about the specific allegations of tax evasion and fraud by the Trump family detailed in the article? Second, what can lawmakers do to ensure that those who inherit extraordinary sums are paying their fair share?

While the statute of limitations has already passed for many of the alleged violations, the Trump family still can be pursued for civil tax fraud. This could result in family members owing back taxes, interest and penalties. New York State and New York City have already announced they will investigate. The Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Justice should, too  potentially by appointing a special counsel.

These agencies should not just look at the estate tax, but also at whether the Trump family committed income tax fraud. For example, did the president and his siblings claim the properties they inherited had a different  and much higher  value for income tax purposes than the lowball valuations claimed for the estate tax?
At another house in the neighborhood, they got as far as wiring the down payment. But the sellers changed their minds and refused to accept the money.

Our life savings were sitting in purgatory for three days, Ms. Clay said. We had told everybody and celebrated. That was a heartbreak.

Then one day, while aimlessly surfing real estate sites, Ms. Clay found a curious for-sale-by-owner listing. Talking to the owner felt like talking to a family friend, she said. He grew up in the house with his three siblings. His family owned it their whole life.

She went for a visit. The house had good vibes, but it was super-outdated, she said, with orange kitchen cabinets and dark wood paneling. And at $1.2 million, the price seemed high. Also, she was preoccupied with a trip to Europe they were planning a few days later.

At the airport, however, the couple discovered that Ms. Clays passport was invalid  it expired in five months, rather than the requisite six, which meant they had to obtain an expedited passport and fly out two days later.

That ride back to our apartment was a real low point, said Mr. Wolfram, who was planning a surprise proposal in Paris.

With an unexpected day free, Ms. Clay suggested they both go to see the house. It had this worn, dusty coat, but it had this warmth about it, Mr. Wolfram said.
Within the Defense Department, one agencys recent project sounds futuristic: millions of insects carrying viruses descend upon crops and then genetically modify them to withstand droughts, floods and foreign attacks, ensuring a permanently secure food supply.

But in a warning published Thursday in the journal Science, a group of independent scientists and lawyers objected to the research, which has not yet moved out of the lab. They argue that the endeavor is not so different from designing biological weapons  banned under international law since 1975  that could swarm and destroy acres of crops.

The dispute is the latest episode in an ongoing international debate over the pursuit of what is called dual-use research: technological discoveries that can be beneficial or pose threats to human welfare. As gene-editing tools become increasingly accessible, scientists, ethicists and policymakers are weighing the good pivotal discoveries could do for humanity against their nefarious potential.

Once you engineer a virus that spreads by insect, it is hard to imagine how you would ever control it, said Guy Reeves, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Germany, who contributed to the critique.
We were actually able to not only say, Yes, modern humans and Neanderthals exchanged viruses, said David Enard, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona and co-author of the new paper, published in the journal Cell. We are able to start saying something about which types of viruses were involved.

But if Neanderthals made us sick, they also helped keep us well. Some of the genes inherited from them through interbreeding also protected our ancestors from these infections, just as they protected the Neanderthals.

Lluis Quintana-Murci, a geneticist at the Pasteur Institute in Paris who was not involved in the new research, said that until now, scientists had not dreamed of getting such a glimpse at the distant medical history of our species.

Five years ago, we would never have imagined that, he said.

Our immune cells kill off viruses with an arsenal of weapons, such as antibodies and signals that cause infected cells to commit suicide. But Dr. Enard began his research by wondering if humans have evolved other ways to avoid getting infected.

Viruses cant replicate on their own. They appropriate proteins inside our cells to do the heavy lifting, copying viral genes and building new shells to put them in. If those proteins were to change shape, however, it should become harder for viruses to use them to multiply.
Stand aside, Radio City. Though New York was a center of 20th century Art Deco, the Second City held its own. Art Deco Chicago: Designing Modern America (Chicago Art Deco Society, $75, 412 pp.), edited by Robert Bruegmann, accompanies a coming exhibition at the Chicago History Museum on Chicagos hefty role in marketing the Depression-era movement. The 101 examples  including accordions, pedestrian overpasses and the Hostess Twinkie  demonstrate the appeal of jagged edges and racy curves.

Image Credit...

Spare silhouettes from the 1940s through the 70s are the focus of Brazilian Modern Design (Olhares, $180, 484 pp.). The hefty book, in kicky midcentury colors, homes in on 15 furniture designers, including the self-taught Jose Zanine Caldas, who devised a signature Z silhouette in his furniture, and Lina Bo Bardi, whose Poltrona Bowl chair from 1951 sits in the Museum of Modern Arts collection. The authors, Alberto Vicente and Marcelo Vasconcellos, deliver a new perspective on a trend that has captured worldwide interest in the 21st century.

Image Credit...

Across the Atlantic, the $105 million V&A Dundee, Scotlands first design museum, opened in September, mere months after the Glasgow School of Art was ravaged by a fire for the second time. The Story of Scottish Design (Thames & Hudson, $35, 224 pp.), a petite yet comprehensive volume, covers the countrys aesthetic legacy from 1500 until today. The editors, Philip Long, the director of V&A Dundee, and Joanna Norman, the lead curator for the museums Scottish Design Galleries, lavish attention on both obvious leaders like Charles Rennie Mackintosh and less familiar figures like Alexander John MacRae, the founder of Speedo.
When I visit historic homes, I love the look of big nature scenes or classical buildings papered on the walls. I want to bring this kind of atmosphere to my own home, but Im afraid murals might look cheesy. What do you think?

Wallpaper in general is a great way to enliven dark or windowless spaces. Bold, dramatic patterns like murals are especially good for sparsely furnished rooms, which is probably why scenic wallpaper has traditionally turned up in dining rooms and stair halls. I think these are still great places for panoramic wall treatments, but its the quality or motif of the paper that makes it cheesy. That said, beautiful antique patterns require so much labor to produce that they are very expensive. You can reduce the cost (and perhaps some anxiety) by using wallpaper on a single feature wall in a room, or to cover a small, intimate space like a powder room or vestibule. Just be sure that the scale of the pattern matches your room. Many of the old scenics have 16-foot repeats and risk becoming abstract in a tiny space (though the effect might also be cool). Similarly, if you cover a big wall in a tiny pattern, the elements might look blurred and inconsequential from across the room.
As the twins grew, their room was redone repeatedly (Mr. Crawford, who recently led a tour of the now-4,200-square-foot home, ticked off three iterations). Currently, two beds line up under the long horizontal window. Bookshelves showcase large, complicated Lego models built by the boys, who apparently have inherited their parents knack for construction.

As they began to approach their preteen years, the family yearned for more space, and Ms. Donovan and Mr. Crawford switched things up again.

She moved out of her studio, relocating to a warehouse in Long Island City, and the transformation of the ground floor began, once more with the help of Standard.

Today, a new staircase descends from the second floor with a generous landing where Mr. Crawford, who now has his own architecture firm, Crawford Practice, works.

At the bottom of the stairs, what Mr. Crawford and Ms. Donovan conceived as an entertaining zone begins. The renovation, which cost about $200 per square foot, has resulted in a setting where the twins can hang out with friends or their parents can have art-world acquaintances over for drinks and dinner.
Chefs Special: Embracing the Kitchen Rug

When a news release announced that kitchen rugs were the latest home design trend, some were skeptical. After all, its hard enough keeping kitchen floors clean without an add-on that harbors pet hair and cooking splatters.

Besides, wouldnt a rug on a smooth surface be a slipping hazard?

According to the experts at Rug News and Design Magazine, people are turning to rugs for decorative reasons. Now that kitchens  once teeming with color and pattern  have gone neutral, some are using rugs to add visual punch, not to mention softness and warmth underfoot.
In 1902, Emily Noyes Vanderpoel, a 59-year-old artist, historian and collector of exotic artifacts, published a book called Color Problems.

Written for interior decorators and florists, dressmakers and milliners, Color Problems was subtitled A Practical Manual for the Lay Student of Color. Its mission: to teach readers who lacked studio art training how to create harmony with hues.

The book went through two English-language printings. Then it faded away. A curiosity in antiquarian stalls for decades, it is being reissued this month through a collaboration of two Brooklyn publishing companies, The Circadian Press and Sacred Bones Records.

A limited-edition hardcover facsimile and a softcover edition will be distributed to backers of the Kickstarter campaign that initially funded the project in July, starting the week of Oct. 15. The softcover edition, which costs $35 and can be preordered, will be available to the public on Nov. 9.
Because of distance, my tween daughters and I visit my parents once a year. The first few days are festive. My sister, who lives three miles away with her family, calls the attention to us unfair and obnoxious. During our last visit, she left my parents house exasperated. Later, she phoned my mom, and my daughters secretly listened in on the extension. My sister trash-talked me, and my mother replied neutrally: Uh huh, uh huh. I know the eavesdropping was wrong, but Id like to tell my mom how hurtful and abetting her behavior was. Any thoughts?

ANONYMOUS

Ive always identified with the prodigal sons unheralded brother. So I have lots of thoughts here. The first, though, is that you should make time for a stern talk with your daughters. Tweens are too old to be listening in on other peoples phone calls. Their behavior was sneaky, violated privacy and caused pain. Make sure the girls get that message, and that they understand how their behavior hurt you.

As for your sister, try a little tenderness. She lives near your parents and probably sees them all the time, helping out in all the ordinary ways that you would if you lived nearby. Im thinking, without any justification (other than personal experience), of appointments, errands and routine dinners. She is probably logging more parental mileage than you.

Its not your fault, of course, that you live far away and your visits constitute special occasions. But spare a thought for your sister at the welcome home feast thats given in your honor. A little jealousy seems pretty natural. (And if that feeling is a pre-existing condition, there may be spite too.)
SAN FRANCISCO  I want to apologize, the Facebook executive wrote last Friday in a note to staff. I recognize this moment is a deeply painful one  internally and externally.

The apology came from Joel Kaplan, Facebooks vice president for global public policy. A day earlier, Mr. Kaplan had sat behind his friend, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, President Trumps nominee for the Supreme Court, when the judge testified in Congress about allegations he had sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford in high school. Mr. Kaplans surprise appearance prompted anger and shock among many Facebook employees, some of whom said they took his action as a tacit show of support for Judge Kavanaugh  as if it were an endorsement from Facebook itself.

The unrest quickly spilled over onto Facebooks internal message boards, where hundreds of workers have since posted about their concerns, according to current and former employees. To quell the hubbub, Facebooks chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, last Friday explained in a widely attended staff meeting that Mr. Kaplan was a close friend of Judge Kavanaughs and had broken no company rules, these people said.

Yet the disquiet within the company has not subsided. This week, Facebook employees kept flooding internal forums with comments about Mr. Kaplans appearance at the hearing. In a post on Wednesday, Andrew Bosworth, a Facebook executive, appeared to dismiss the concerns when he wrote to employees that it is your responsibility to choose a path, not that of the company you work for. Facebook plans to hold another staff meeting on Friday to contain the damage, said the current and former employees.
The women of Thebes are dancing. The women are rioting. They are breast-feeding wolf cubs and disemboweling cows and using snakes as belts. Just because youre possessed by a fierce and devouring god doesnt mean you cant be fashion-forward.

Welcome to Ancient Greece (actually, a time before that) and also welcome to 2018. SITI Companys flashy The Bacchae, directed by Anne Bogart at BAM Harvey, makes the plays back-burnered anxieties about women and power feel very front-burnered and very now.

The Bacchae, part of the Next Wave Festival in a new translation from Aaron Poochigian, is a late tragedy by Euripides. In most productions, The Bacchae isnt centrally about women, though a woman commits its most heinous act. Its a grudge match between two men  well, a man and a god.

The god is Dionysus, the son of Zeus and the mortal Semele, though none of Semeles relatives buy Zeuss paternity. The man is Pentheus, Dionysuss first cousin, another skeptic. When Dionysus rolls back into Thebes, he wants revenge on the city-state that doubted his mother. And he gets that revenge, bloodily. Now this is me talking and not Euripides, but see what happens when you dont believe women?
Our guide to plays and musicals coming to New York stages and a few last-chance picks of shows that are about to close. Our reviews of open shows are at nytimes.com/reviews/theater.

Previews and Openings

AMERICAN SON at the Booth Theater (previews start on Oct. 6; opens on Nov. 4). In Christopher Demos-Browns unsettlingly current play, a mixed race couple, anxious for news of their missing son, confronts a Florida police officer. Directed by Kenny Leon, the drama stars Steven Pasquale and Jeremy Jordan, two actors best known from musical theater, and  Gladiators, rejoice!  Kerry Washington.

212-239-6200, americansonplay.com

DAYS OF RAGE at the Tony Kiser Theater at Second Stage Theater (previews start on Oct. 9; opens on Oct. 30). In 1968, in a divided America, five young adults negotiate wars abroad and conflagrations back home. Trip Cullman directs a script by Steven Levenson, the Dear Evan Hansen book writer and a master of divided loyalties. Tavi Gevinson (This Is Our Youth) and Mike Faist (Dear Evan Hansen) star.

212-246-4422, 2st.com
Iancu was lucky. His train traveled for only eight hours, but it was hellish enough. To avoid falling and being crushed or suffocated, one survivor said, he made benches of dead bodies and sat on them. One hundred and thirty-seven people were crammed into Iancus car. The main thing, Iancu told us, was not to exert yourself. Many exhausted themselves, crying, cursing, asking for water. When there were only 25 left alive, I knew my turn was coming, but I had no fear. I said to myself, I have to get out of this train car, I have to get out. He, and only seven others, did.

After the train, Iancu was held in a local concentration camp, then worked through the war as a slave laborer. (Although Romanian soldiers murdered tens of thousands of Jews in territories they occupied, Jews in Romania itself did not face mass deportations to death camps.) When the war was over, Iancu studied agronomy.

He treated us to a meal one afternoon at a pretty lakeside restaurant in Bucharests Herastrau Park. He told us that he lectured about his Holocaust experience several times a year in schools. One student asked him, Where was God? Iancu replied, God was on vacation.

Now, he ordered a bottle of excellent Romanian red, and we toasted, four Zuckermans and Motti and Maria. The park is lovely. An excursion boat passed on the lake. Iancu took another sip of the wine, Maria by his side. It is better to be here, he observed, than in a mass grave in Iasi.

The next morning we flew to Iasi. The city is a cultural center with a symphony orchestra, a national theater and a university district flush with parks and cafes. But we arrived with Iancus story fresh in our minds, and it didnt help that a taxi driver, asked to take us to Iasis Great Synagogue, professed ignorance of its existence. Recently restored, the elegant synagogue sits in a parklike setting (Romanian-Israeli Friendship Square) easily visible from a major intersection. But the driver said hed never heard of it. Were we sure we didnt want to go to a church, he asked. Biserica? No, said Motti, Sinagoga, Evrei [Jewish]. Biserica?, asked the driver.
A federal judge in San Francisco blocked the Trump administration from ending special protections for immigrants from four countries devastated by war and natural disaster, temporarily relieving more than 300,000 people from the threat of deportation.

Immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan  some of whom have spent two decades in the United States  cheered Wednesdays decision to retain the program, which was signed into law in 1990 by President George Bush. The program includes more than 263,000 Salvadorans, almost 59,000 Haitians, more than 5,000 Nicaraguans and more than 1,000 Sudanese, according to the court.

The judge, Edward M. Chen, did not rule on the merits of the case. But in the injunction, he said the beneficiaries, if deported, indisputably will suffer irreparable harm and great hardship, many having to choose between bringing their American-born children with them or splitting their families apart.

The injunction was another instance of a judge using President Trumps own words on immigration against him. Judge Chen cited comments in the presidents speeches and Twitter posts as evidence of an animus against nonwhite, non-European immigrants. He wrote that there was circumstantial evidence of race being a motivating factor.
For its part, Officer Van Dykes defense team showed jurors its own video. It used laser-based technology to create an animation that, the team said, depicted what the events would have looked like from Officer Van Dykes perspective. Taking the stand in his own defense, Officer Van Dyke testified, emotionally at times, that the dashboard camera video had not captured all that he could see that night. Laquan had a menacing look in his eye, the officer said, and angled the knife in his direction. Witnesses for the defense also spoke of Laquans behavior in the past, saying he had acted up while in juvenile detention and used drugs, though witnesses conceded that Officer Van Dyke did not know Laquan and would have known nothing about his background when he shot him.

Calling Laquan the author, the choreographer of this story, Daniel Herbert, Officer Van Dykes defense lawyer, said that his client acted reasonably and lawfully when he opened fire.

Police are here to serve and protect, he said. They cant retreat. They cant run away like us.

As the jury began deliberations on Thursday afternoon, attention to the trial, which has been live-streamed on local news websites for days, has seemed mixed. Some people said the years it had taken to get to trial had made the issue fade some, and that they were only vaguely aware. Others, particularly in some of the South Sides predominantly black neighborhoods, said they were closely following the proceedings. Chicago, which has long wrestled with segregation and gun violence, has roughly equal numbers of white, black and Hispanic residents.

Him getting off would just be almost a confirmation to a lot of people of color who feel like we are devalued here, we are discriminated against here, said Asiaha Butler, a resident association leader in Englewood, a South Side neighborhood. Theres so much racial bias here that no one wants to unpack and talk about.

Some residents said it was unfair that unflattering parts of Laquans past had been a focus of attention but Officer Van Dykes past had not. There were indications that Laquans life might have been steadying before he died: His mother was working to regain custody, and his school principal said he was coming every day, joking and even giving hugs. Records show that Officer Van Dyke had at least 18 citizen complaints, including allegations of racial slurs and excessive force. In each case, he denied wrongdoing and was not disciplined.

Fallout from the video has forced changes in the Police Department, including new rules for use of force. But people in Englewood said little felt different.
A white mob rampaged through a wealthy black business district in Tulsa, Okla., in 1921, in a spate of violence that destroyed more than 1,200 homes and left up to 300 people dead.

Now, the citys mayor has renewed efforts to locate possible mass grave sites where victims may have been buried, seeking to further unravel the history of the mob attack and provide long-sought closure for victims and their families.

Its one of the defining events for our city, Mayor G. T. Bynum said in an interview Wednesday. We as a city continue to grapple with not just the event itself, but also racial reconciliation in the aftermath of it. We cant hope to reconcile as a city if were not committed to doing everything we need to do to fully understand what happened in 1921.

The mob attack in Tulsa has been called one of the worst instances of racial violence in American history, yet for decades, memories of the vicious event were suppressed  it was rarely mentioned in history books, taught in classrooms or discussed publicly.
MILLCREEK, Utah  Ben McAdams, a candidate for Congress, was speed-walking along the highway shoulder in his business suit, safety and common sense be damned.

Well make it, he said, as the trucks whistled by, blowing dust into the Utah sun.

In his bid to unseat Representative Mia Love, a Republican, Mr. McAdams has been trying to do just that  make it, in this case to the United States House as a Democrat from a state that runs about as red as the desert is dry. The district he seeks to represent, Utahs Fourth, is a boot-shaped expanse extending south from Salt Lake City where fewer than 15 percent of the voters are registered Democrats.

In any other year, a McAdams win would seem improbable.

Ms. Love, the only black Republican woman in Congress, won her last election by nearly 13 points, and many voters see her as an outgoing leader in a place where women  especially conservative women  are rarities in the halls of power. She is the sole Republican member of the Congressional Black Caucus, making her an uncommon symbol of bipartisanship in an era of deep division.

But this is Utah, where Mormon values dominate political choices and voters largely rejected Donald Trump, whose crass commentary and hard line on immigration clash with church doctrine, garnering him just 45 percent of the vote in 2016.
The monument has stood in San Francisco for a year. It depicts young women from Korea, China and the Philippines standing on a pedestal holding hands, while a statue of Kim Hak-sun, a Korean activist, gazes up at them.

But the view from Osaka, Japan, of the memorial, which commemorates the tens of thousands of comfort women who were detained and raped by Japanese soldiers before and during World War II, has been critical. This week, the controversy boiled over as Osaka officially severed its sister-city partnership with San Francisco.

In a letter dated Tuesday, Osakas mayor, Hirofumi Yoshimura, followed through on a threat issued a year ago to end his citys longstanding relationship with San Francisco in protest of the monument, saying it presented a one-sided message.

I earnestly request that you promptly remove the memorial and an accompanying plaque without further delay, Mr. Yoshimura wrote, according to an emailed copy of the letter. He added that he would revive ties with San Francisco if they were removed from city property.
Americus, Ga./The Fighter

For Ms. Sabbs, the activist who grew up in segregated Americus, marshaling the vote is a family legacy. Its something she remembers most vividly being taught by her grandmother, who took her to civil rights protests when she was eight years old. The fifth-generation family funeral home Ms. Sabbs now runs in Americus has offered rides to the polls for decades.

Ms. Sabbs added a voter registration station to the funeral home, and describes her approach when people walk in: Baby, have you registered to vote? Its really easy; we can do it right here. She hands out absentee ballot forms and offers free notary services  often crucial if people have to justify why they cant vote in person or prove their address given Georgias strict voter registration laws.

Her college sorority is another basis for political action: She belongs to Delta Sigma Theta, one of the Divine Nine black sororities known for social activism (Shirley Chisholm and Barbara Jordan were among many famous alumnae). She attends their monthly meetings, where sorority sisters are urged to work on voter education and persuasion.

When she was 11, Ms. Sabbs joined another band of women, girls protesting segregated seating in 1963 at the Martin Theater. She remembers walking up the steps, three, four floors to watch movies in the balcony of that movie theater, and you never saw anything nastier. Refusing to disperse, about 30 girls were arrested and transferred an hour away to be locked in the Leesburg Stockade. Sleeping on cement floors, with only an intermittent dripping shower, the girls were threatened and even had a snake thrown into their cells.

Ms. Sabbs cannot remember whether she was there for four or five days, but some of the girls were jailed for as long as 45 days. Not until a local dogcatcher spread the word did their parents even know where their children were  and not until the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee got a photographer to record their plight did pressure mount for their release.

Ms. Sabbs does not dwell on that time, but she evoked it briefly in a voting pep talk at a barbershop across from the parking lot where the theater once stood.
We can only conclude that the F.B.I.  or those controlling the investigation  did not want to learn the truth behind Ms. Ramirezs allegation, the lawyer, William Pittard, wrote.

Dr. Blaseys lawyers provided the F.B.I. with the names of eight people they argued should have been interviewed, in addition to their client, and offered to provide additional evidence, including medical records. They said on Thursday that they got no response.

The investigation conducted over the past five days is a stain on the process, on the F.B.I. and on our American ideal of justice, the lawyers wrote.

An official who reviewed the F.B.I.s material said the bureau contacted 10 people and interviewed nine of them. The 10th person refused to be interviewed. Those interviewed included Ms. Ramirez and three people Dr. Blasey recalled being in the house at the time of the party: Mr. Judge, P.J. Smyth and Leland Keyser. All three have said they did not remember the party or witness misbehavior by Judge Kavanaugh, although Ms. Keyser told The Washington Post that she believes Dr. Blasey. Republicans briefed on their F.B.I. interviews said those witnesses did not change their accounts.

Also interviewed were two other high school friends of Judge Kavanaugh: Chris Garrett and Tim Gaudette.

But the four undecided senators will determine the fate of Judge Kavanaugh, 53, a 12-year veteran of the federal appeals court in Washington. Mr. Manchin said he would need to return on Friday before the vote to continue reviewing the F.B.I. summaries, but he said Ms. Heitkamps decision would not affect his.

The F.B.I. did not publicly explain why it stopped after talking with just nine people. The bureau apparently did not explore allegations by a third accuser, Julie Swetnick, who is represented by Michael Avenatti, a lawyer who also works for Stephanie Clifford, the former pornographic film actress known as Stormy Daniels who was paid hush money before the 2016 presidential election to keep her from discussing what she said was an extramarital affair with Mr. Trump.
The Right

Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader

Several weeks ago, a confidential allegation of misconduct from nearly 40 years ago was leaked to the press. Since then, other allegations have poured forth, many were just patently ridiculous. A feeding frenzy of ridiculous accusations.

Adding, Nobody is supposed to be guilty until proven innocent in the United States of America. The senate should not set a fundamentally un-American precedent here.

Senator Charles E. Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee

Theres nothing in it that we didnt already know.

Adding, I trust that the career agents of the F.B.I. have done their work independent of political or partisan considerations. Thats exactly what senators from both sides asked for. Now its up to senators to fulfill their constitutional duty and make a judgment. No one is on trial and the Senate is not a courtroom.

Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia

There was no new corroborating evidence. Im satisfied it was comprehensive, so I feel confident in the report. Ill just reaffirm my support for Judge Kavanaugh. You have to look at the facts, and the facts present a challenge for her story.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee

They were given the latitude they wanted. Nobody told them where to go, who to interview or how to interview them. The ten people that they interviewed made sense to me in terms of who you would be asking questions regarding the Ford and Ramirez event.
In September, Mr. Graham wrote letters to Robert E. Lighthizer, the United States trade representative, on behalf of those firms, arguing that the tariffs would cause irreparable harm to domestic companies.

Chinas behavior has unjustifiably burdened and restricted U.S. commerce and I am encouraged by President Trumps attention to this important issue, Mr. Graham wrote in each letter. However, stiff competition from global competitors forces domestic manufacturers to absorb the additional cost of a tariff. This could put South Carolina companies at a competitive disadvantage.

Mr. Graham went on to urge careful consideration of a list of product codes that applied to each company, then said that imposing tariffs on them had the potential to economically harm consumers and stifle economic growth in South Carolina. At the conclusion of each letter, he said that I appreciate your attention to these constituent requests and your continued efforts to combat Chinas unfair trade practices.

Mr. Grahams efforts helped four of the seven companies. The final list of tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods dropped three lines of chemicals used by Mitsubishi Chemical America, a Japanese company with an office in Greer, S.C. It removed one line of fabrics imported by Archroma U.S., a chemical company with a plant in Marin, S.C., and two lines imported by Domtar, a paper manufacturer with headquarters in Fort Mill, S.C., and a pulp mill in Bennettsville, S.C.

Also dropped from the list were three lines that affect Standard Textile, which has a plant in Union County, S.C. In 2017, the United States imported about $30 million worth of those three fabrics, $25 million of which went to South Carolina, according to Census Bureau data.

The product lines that Mr. Graham specified  and were removed from the tariff list before it was finalized last month  account for more than $430 million of imports from China annually, according to federal data. Thats about 6 percent of the total value of products removed from the final list.

Only a fool would not know that Lindsey Graham fights tooth and nail for business in South Carolina, Kevin Bishop, a spokesman for Mr. Graham, said in a email. He takes great pride in standing up for working men and women in our state, and thats never going to stop.
After Senator Jeff Flakes much-publicized push for an F.B.I. investigation of Judge Kavanaugh last Friday  and our less-than-impressed reaction to it  I was curious to see what voters in his home state thought.

Fortunately, Mike Noble, chief pollster and managing partner of Phoenix-based OH Predictive Insights, had an answer. He partnered with the local Arizona station ABC15 to survey 600 likely Arizona voters on Monday and Tuesday.

The result: Mr. Flake is upside-down with his own party.

Only 20 percent of Republicans said they had a favorable view of Mr. Flake. That compared with 43 percent of independents and 59 percent of Democrats.

Overall, only 38 percent of Arizona voters said they approved of Mr. Flake.

Based on our latest poll, Mr. Noble said, Flake is a man without a party.

[Sign up here to get On Politics in your inbox every evening.]

____________________

Heidi Heitkamp is a no

Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a North Dakota Democrat who voted in support of Justice Neil Gorsuch and is now facing a tough re-election campaign, said today that she will vote against Judge Kavanaugh.

In addition to the concerns about his past conduct, last Thursdays hearing called into question Judge Kavanaughs current temperament, honesty, and impartiality. These are critical traits for any nominee to serve on the highest court in our country.

She faulted both Democrats and Republicans for mishandling the confirmation.

We live in a very divisive time, but we can change that. Both sides horribly handled the process around this nomination. We must learn from these mistakes.

Expect more of that argument from candidates in close races, who are hearing from voters outraged by how this confirmation was handled.

____________________

Whats new from Opinion

From time to time, we like to peek over the wall that separates news and opinion at The Times and ask the Opinion politics editors what theyve been working on lately. Today they sent us this:

The opinion pages remain firmly in the grip of Kavanaugh fever. This week, his temperament  especially his perceived anger  has come under intense fire. More than 1,700 law professors felt compelled to tell senators that they should not confirm Judge Kavanaugh because he displayed a lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for elevation to the Supreme Court. (They first shared their letter with The Times, and will present it to the Senate today.)

One signee of that letter, Laurence Tribe, wrote in a separate Op-Ed that it goes beyond his temperament to questions of recusal: Judge Kavanaugh would be disqualified from participating in a wide range of the cases that may come before the Supreme Court involving individuals or groups that he has singled out as implacable adversaries.
Good Thursday morning. Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today.

 Three of the Republican senators who could decide Judge Brett M. Kavanaughs Supreme Court confirmation condemned comments by President Trump that mocked Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Judge Kavanaugh of sexual assault. [Read the story and President Trumps remarks]

 After weeks of not directly attacking Dr. Blasey, Mr. Trump and his Republican allies have embarked on a more aggressive effort to raise questions of her credibility. [Read the story]

 Senate Republicans have challenged Dr. Blaseys testimony from last week with a sworn statement from a former boyfriend who contradicted her assertions about her experience with polygraph tests. [Read the story]

 When Senator Mitch McConnell arrived in Washington this week to resume the battle over the Supreme Court nomination, he was confronted by a group of female protesters. His response was to stare straight ahead and keep walking. We will not be intimidated by these people, he said on Wednesday. [Read the story]
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 4)  Election experts on Thursday said only the court has the final judgment to decide whether or not a candidate can be disqualified from the 2019 midterm polls.

Former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes said the Department of Interior and Local Government's (DILG) proposal to disqualify politicians allegedly involved in corruption and illegal drugs should not be allowed.

Brillantes noted that as long as the aspirants are qualified to run under the constitution, then the department cannot interfere with the poll process.

"The only ground for disqualification is when there is a final decision from the judiciary or the courts or if there's a final and executory decision on administrative cases for local position," Brillantes told CNN Philippines.

"Kung gagawing basis ang narco list nila, parang sila ang nagdetermine kung sino pwedeng tumakbo o hindi," he added.

[Translation: If we use their narco list as basis, then it would be as if we let them determine who can run for the elections.]

Undersecretary Eduardo Ano, officer-in-charge of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), on Wednesday said he will ask Comelec to look into the candidates who are supposedly part of the administration's list of corrupt and drug-linked officials.

READ: DILG asks Comelec to disqualify 2019 poll candidates involved in drugs, corruption

While the DILG is keen on passing the recommendation, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said it will be "unconstitutional" to disqualify candidates without final judgment from the courts.

"It will be a waste of time for DILG to ask Comelec to disqualify candidates in the 2019 elections based merely on an alleged list of persons allegedly involved in illegal drugs," Macalintal said in a statement Thursday.

"To (disqualify) based on said list will violate the constitutional right of a person to presumption of innocence and right to due process or opportunity to be heard in any case be it criminal or administrative."

The DILG earlier said it will use the government's existing "narco list" and corruption reports.

President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 said the list contains 1,000 names of mayors, governors, congressmen, barangay captains, and police officers.

CNN Philippines' Ella Hermonio and Alyssa Rola contributed to this report.
As with previous Justice Department criminal complaints against hackers from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, the indictments were unlikely to lead to arrests. But taken together, the accusations formed the Wests latest public shaming of the Kremlin, over malfeasance that President Trump has shown reluctance to condemn. In the case of election interference in the United States, he has cast doubt that it ever happened.

Instead, Vice President Mike Pence denounced China on a number of fronts on Thursday, saying that its influence campaigns were more worrisome than Russias. What the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what China is doing across this country, he said.

He made no reference to the Russian indictments.

The Kremlin dismissed the accusations. A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry called them the result of a rich imagination and some kind of diabolical perfume cocktail, Russian state media reported.

The combined effort by Western officials is based on a theory that Mr. Putin and his aides can be embarrassed into paring back their operations. But past cases cast doubt on that theory. American intelligence agencies accused the Russians, and ultimately Mr. Putin, of the Democratic National Committee hack in 2016; Thursdays allegations documented misconduct this year, by the same agency and, in some cases, the same operatives.

Of the seven Russian officers charged by the Justice Department, three were also indicted in July by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, for interfering in the 2016 election. The new Justice Department case did not emerge from the Mueller investigation, Mr. Demers said, but added, They evince the same methods of computer intrusion and the same overarching Russian strategic goal: to pursue its interests through illegal influence and disinformation operations aimed at muddying or altering perceptions of the truth.

The indictment primarily focused on allegations that the Russian officers hacked into antidoping agencies and sporting federations, including the global soccer organization FIFA, and stole private medical information about roughly 250 athletes from 30 countries. The hackers released the data selectively, and sometimes misleadingly, in retaliation for the revelations of a state-sponsored Russian doping program that led to a ban on the Russian team from the 2018 Winter Olympics, prosecutors said.
The final document mentions radical Islamist terrorism, a term that refers to acts of terrorism by Sunni Muslim-affiliated networks like the Islamic State, according to a senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the report before its release.

But by substituting Islamist for Islamic, the official said, the strategy seeks to avoid condemning Islam as a whole.

The new strategy bears the imprint of Mr. Bolton with its emphasis on the threat from Iran, which he described in a White House briefing as the worlds central banker of international terrorism since 1979, supporting militant and terrorist groups across the Middle East. Irans role was previewed in the State Departments annual list of global terrorist threats last month.

The strategy set an uncompromising goal, declaring, We will eliminate terrorists ability to threaten America, our interests and our engagement in the world. And it embraced the martial language that former President George W. Bush used after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. We are a nation at war, the document said, and it is a war that the United States will win.

That reverses a position taken by former President Barack Obama, who said in May 2013: Our systematic effort to dismantle terrorist organizations must continue. But this war, like all wars, must end.

Mr. Bolton argued that it was wrong to lull Americans into thinking that the war on terror, which he characterized as a long ideological struggle, was over. The idea that somehow we can just say, Well, were tired of this war and it will go away, I think is a mistake, he said.

In contrast to Mr. Trumps confident public statements, the report took a sober view of the threat posed by the Islamic State. Despite losing all but 1 percent of the territory it previously seized in Iraq and Syria, it remains a potent threat to the United States, the document said.
What is being done to Kavanaugh is, if Democrats take control of Congress in November, Mr. Buchanan wrote, a harbinger of what is to come.

For his part, Mr. Trump has stepped up attacks on Democrats for their VICIOUS AND DESPICABLE treatment of Judge Kavanaugh, as he put it on Twitter. On Thursday, the president linked the Kavanaugh confirmation directly to his partys prospects in November, tweeting that the confirmation spectacle is having an incredible upward impact on voters.

The PEOPLE get it far better than the politicians, Mr. Trump added. This great life cannot be ruined by mean & despicable Democrats and totally uncorroborated allegations!

If Judge Kavanaugh is confirmed by the Senate in a final vote that Republicans hope to hold this weekend, it most likely would mean a majority for the courts conservatives for years to come. And from the beginning, that possibility framed the high-stakes struggle over the nomination.

Then came the allegation against the judge that he had tried to rape Christine Blasey Ford when they were teenagers. That injected into the debate questions of justice for victims of sexual assault, already a combustible topic a year into the #MeToo movement.

[Struggling to keep up with the news on Judge Kavanaugh and the F.B.I. investigation? Catch up.]

While Republicans always expected Democrats to use every political and procedural avenue available to them to slow Judge Kavanaughs confirmation, many of them have said they were caught off guard by how intense, furious and personal the opposition was.

Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, spoke to this sentiment on Thursday when he condemned the actions of activists he described as rampaging through the halls, accosting members at airports, coming to their homes. Part of the more aggressive Republican response over the last few days was a reaction to this and a realization that conservatives should be hitting back harder.
The report recommends that tall buildings be required to be more rigid and that critical infrastructure like plumbing, water supply and electricity be built to higher standards.

What you are seeing here is the citys recognition that it cannot protect their citizens from the biggest earthquake without dealing with these issues, said Lucy Jones, one of the states most prominent earthquake specialists who has been advocating stronger building codes.

No legislation has been written yet, but the reports recommendations will be presented to the citys board of supervisors later this month. If passed, they could be put into effect in the next revision of the citys building code in September 2019.

Flush with money from the technology industry, San Francisco has undergone a boom of high-rise construction that has made what was once a low-rise city more dense and in some ways more vulnerable.

[Read more about San Franciscos big seismic gamble here.]

The driving philosophy of seismic building codes, which were conceived when most of the population in California lived in rural areas with lower-lying structures, focuses on protecting lives, not on whether a building will be usable after an earthquake. A growing number of experts say the current building codes are not appropriate for modern urban areas that are much more dense. If it carries out these recommendations, Ms. Jones believes that San Francisco would be the first city in the United States to enact broader regulations that demand that a city be functional after an earthquake.
The needles go under the skin, into a layer of fat. Three times per week, for over a decade, Shirley had taken one of the pre-filled syringes from her refrigerator and injected her thighs. Then I met her.

Doctors had given her a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis years earlier. The word crippled her. Shed stopped driving, stopped working, and adjusted to the stigma of having a chronic disease. She didnt like shots, but thats life, she said. She hadnt had a flare since her initial diagnosis, and she was grateful for the time shed enjoyed with grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I talked to her about her symptoms, encouraged her to stop smoking, and ordered more of the medication shed been taking.

I saw her a second time five months later, after she suffered a rare reaction  anaphylaxis  from the medication Id renewed. She had been admitted to the hospital, where another doctor had reviewed her history. Shed had an unusually benign course for someone with longstanding disease. The white spots on her brain scan, which we had thought were from multiple sclerosis, were probably from high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes. Shirley might not have had multiple sclerosis at all.

Medical school teaches us to examine, to research, to treat. We dont learn to err and recover. Nobody stands behind a podium and declares: Each of you will make mistakes, and some of them will hurt people. We dont consider the unavoidable tension between human fallibility and the responsibility to care for peoples lives.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina  Argentinas highest criminal court acquitted former President Carlos Menem on Thursday of smuggling arms shipments to Ecuador and Croatia in the 1990s when both countries were involved in armed conflicts, overturning a 2013 conviction.

Mr. Menem, 88, had been sentenced by a lower court to seven years in prison for aggravated smuggling of shipments of more than 6,000 tons of military weapons, which he authorized to go to Venezuela and Panama but ended up in Ecuador and Croatia.

At the time, Argentina was barred from supplying Ecuador with weapons since it had a peacekeeping role after Ecuador and Peru fought a brief war in 1995. Croatia was under a United Nations arms embargo as war ravaged the former Yugoslavia.

Mr. Menem has denied the charges, saying he thought the arms were headed to Panama and Venezuela.

He appealed the 2013 conviction to the Supreme Court, which passed it to the Federal Chamber of Criminal Cassation.
KABUL, Afghanistan  A new crop of senior American officials in Afghanistan has been racing to contain a dual crisis on the battlefield and in a potentially explosive election dispute. But it is a different American figure  the mercenary executive Erik D. Prince  who has been the talk of Kabul these days.

More than a year after first laying out his plan to President Trump to privatize the American war in Afghanistan with a cadre of contractors  and a private air force  Mr. Prince, the founder of the Blackwater security firm that became infamous for killing civilians in Iraq, has seemingly been everywhere.

And as he has made his sales pitch directly to a host of influential Afghans, he has frequently been introduced as an adviser to Mr. Trump himself.

Mr. Prince is pushing his plan at a particularly vulnerable time for the country. Afghan security forces are dying at a record number of 30 to 40 a day largely in a defensive posture against a Taliban that has gained territory. The government is beset by repeated political crises as parliamentary elections, delayed for three years, are scheduled for this month. Presidential elections are set for April.
PALU, Indonesia  When rescuers first arrived at the Roa Roa Hotel in central Palu, they could still hear the voices of guests trapped inside, calling out for help, after an earthquake caused the eight-story concrete structure to collapse.

But that was days ago.

Now, in much of the battered city and surrounding areas, there is only silence.

It has been a week since a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and a 20-foot tsunami devastated the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, killing more than 1,400 people in Palu and its vicinity. By Sunday night, Indonesian search and rescue teams at the Roa Roa Hotel were already describing the eerie quiet that had fallen over the rubble.

On Thursday, as rescuers dug their way through the citys most devastated neighborhoods, there were no urgent calls for aid. It had been days since most rescuers heard a cry for help.
NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan  As dusk falls at Lehua Night Market, the fluorescent lights flicker on and the hungry customers start trickling in, anxious for a taste of the local delicacies that give this island its reputation as one of Asias finest culinary capitals.

Neatly arranged pyramids of plump fish balls. Bowls brimming with tapioca balls bathed in lightly sweetened syrup. Sizzling oyster omelets, hot off the griddle. Deep-fried sweet potato puffs, still dripping with oil.

Take a bite of any of these dishes and youll discover a unique texture. But how exactly do you describe that perfectly calibrated mouth feel so sought after by local cooks and eaters alike?

Slippery? Chewy? Globby? Not exactly the most flattering adjectives in the culinary world.

Luckily, the Taiwanese have a word for this texture. Well, actually, its not a word, its a letter  one that even non-Chinese speakers can pronounce.
Thursdays sanctions were intended to send two messages: that the Trump administration will continue to ratchet up economic pressure on Pyongyang until North Korea ends its nuclear and ballistic missile weapons programs, and that the relationship between the United States and Turkey continues to be troubled.

The Trump administration has issued hundreds of similar sanctions this year and is expected to put in place hundreds more. It is unusual for the United States to impose such economic penalties on citizens and companies in allied countries, such as Turkey, which is a NATO member. Even so, the Trump administration has deployed sanctions as one of its most important tools of foreign policy.

Mr. Pompeo is expected to visit Pyongyang this weekend in yet another attempt to get North Korea to begin the process of dismantling its nuclear weapons and missile programs. Last week, Mr. Pompeo told the United Nations Security Council that while negotiations with Pyongyang were going well, sanctions against the country must continue for now.

North Korea responded that the United States is standing in the way of denuclearization. The U.S. will get nothing from the sanctions, which make its position unfavorable, the government said in a media statement on Thursday.

Pyongyang has insisted that the United States agree to an end-of-war declaration as a condition for nuclear negotiations to continue. The Trump administration wants North Korea to provide a detailed description of its nuclear and ballistic missile storage and production sites as the first step in a process of unwinding those programs.
DENILIQUIN, Australia  Its been called the most debauched outdoor party in Australia: a wild, rollicking weekend where rural masculinity is on display and beer and banter flow endlessly.

But for the Thompsons, the event carries more weight and meaning. They first went to the party, the Deni Ute Muster, three years ago, not long after losing their son, Bryan, to suicide.

Bryans mother, Lyn Thompson, 54, said she just knew it was his kind of festival. She pulled some faded pictures from her wallet, showing a son who had been eager to grow up, she said  a tall, 24-year-old bricklayer raising three children in small-town Australia with a heavy burden of responsibility.

When were here, hes with us, she said. When were anywhere hes with us. But especially here.

Here is Deniliquin, a small farming town in rural New South Wales, where thousands of people from around Australia come for a weekend outdoor festival built around the ute, Australias beloved utility truck. Conceived of 20 years ago as a way of giving the local economy a lift, the festival, or muster, has become a juggernaut of rural identity: Almost 20,000 people attended last weekends muster, which featured Carrie Underwood, the American country music star.
Theres already been quite a lot of chatter in Australia about The Good Place and its bad Aussie accents. I dont think Im spoiling much by pointing out that they are in part intentional according to the shows creator, Mike Schur, who is well known for affectionate skewering in his previous creations, Parks and Recreation, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

We have a big profile of him in this weeks magazine, pointing out his strict no jerks rule on set.

But for The Good Place, he seems especially eager to toy with Australian-American relations, and not just with the accent: The next episode involves a restaurant called the Cowboy Skyscraper Buffet, which Mr. Schur described as a reverse Outback Steakhouse in which the United States has its culture misappropriated and made cliche.

I suspect Australians will like that more than the bakery in the first episode named We Crumb From a Land Down Under.

But what I found myself wondering as I watched both of these shows, and finished reading Liane Moriartys wellness-obsessed new novel, Nine Perfect Strangers, is whether Australia is becoming a global brand for creative escape and rejuvenation. Our dry, sunny isle far from swampy Washington seems to be the latest pinup for the American desire to check out and start over.

It reminds me a bit of Hawaii in the 1970s and 80s (the era of Fantasy Island, Gilligans Island, and Magnum P.I.) and more recently with Lost. Or to go further back, its what Mexico was for Bob Dylan, Jack Kerouac and the Beats in the 1950s and 60s  a place of great beauty where familiar rules and conflicts could be sidestepped or ignored.
JERUSALEM  In a rare interview with an Israeli newspaper, the leader of Hamas in Gaza called for a cease-fire with Israel, calling it a historic opportunity for change.

In what appeared to be an effort to speak directly to the Israeli people, the Hamas official, Yehya Sinwar, said he did not want war with Israel, even as both sides geared up for an escalation along Israels volatile border with Gaza.

A new war is in no ones interest, certainly not our interest, Mr. Sinwar said in the interview in the newspaper Yediot Ahronot. Who really wants to confront a nuclear superpower with four slingshots? War doesnt achieve anything.

At the same time, he warned that in the current circumstances, an explosion is inevitable.

The interview, an excerpt of which was published Thursday, comes as tensions have increased between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Many Americans will cast their ballots in voting booths on Nov. 6. But for some, voting begins far earlier. The dates below list the early voting dates for each of the states that allow it.
Castanet file photo

Six University of British Columbia employees have filed human rights complaints with the BC Human Rights Tribunal, and it has agreed to hear all of the complaints.

The Association of Administrative and Professional Staff says the complaints against the university and top administrators allege the employees were denied promotions or were terminated because of a disability or because they were pregnant.

UBC has issued a statement saying it's aware of the complaints, but denies the allegations and will defend its position at the tribunal.

The university says it takes seriously any discrimination brought forward but that it will not comment further on individual cases.
Alanna Kelly

It took only a few seconds for a massive plane to get off the runway and fly away.

The white and burgundy Boeing 747SP left Kelowna International Airport just after 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, headed for Hamilton, Ont.

Weather woes in Hamilton prevented the giant aircraft from departing on Tuesday.

The Boeing 747SP was in Kelowna to be refitted after its purchase from the royal family of Qatar by CSDS Aircraft Sales and Leasing of California. The Qatari royal family had been asking $18 million for the big bird, but CSDS paid $5 million for it after another sale to an African head of state for $10 million fell through.

The jumbo arrived in May, attracting plane watchers to see one of the largest planes to ever land in Kelowna.

KF Aerospace was taking care of the jet and gave it a brand new paint job while at YLW.

Only 45 747SP aircraft were built between 1974 and 1989, and only 10 are believed to still be in active service.
Photo: Contributed

Castanet is giving some insight into what the four candidates for the Kelowna mayor's chair think about several pertinent issues. We posed the same seven questions to each of the candidates, and will publish the answers, one at a time through next Thursday.

The order in which the answers are published will change each day for fairness.

Question #3 - There have been numerous headlines about safety in the city's downtown core. What would you do, if elected, to improve safety?

Bobby Kennedy - Step 1: Re-evaluate the way our RCMP units are being used. I feel that we lack an overall police presence in our downtown core. That does not mean that we do not have police and bylaw officers patrolling it is just that their presence is often that of a rolling by patrol car with the officer looking downward at the cars computer running license plates. We need to have our RCMP officers patrolling by foot and on bicycles much the way you see the NYPD proudly on display in Central Park and Times Square in New York. I also feel that if our RCMP officers wore their traditional Mountie uniforms, they would stand out on a much larger scale as well as celebrate the longstanding heritage of our Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Even tourists would appreciate the uniform switch and most likely take pictures of our officers much the same way I did of the horseback officers of New York. We continue to add more and more police officers each year at cost to the taxpayer, but there is a growing concern that our officers' priority has shifted from peacekeeping and protecting our public to that of an ICBC tax collector whose main job is to crack down on cellphones and not on crime and violence. A great way to alleviate our RCMP department's downtown obligations would be to utilize the RCMP Auxiliary volunteers. Kelowna is the perfect size city to implement this type of strategy and can act as a much-needed training ground for new recruits trying to take the next step in the ranks towards full-time RCMP employment. After speaking with several auxiliary officers on this matter, it was apparent that they all shared the same opinion that there just wasn't enough training time or resources for them. This is very similar to the volunteer fire department and is a proven strategy for creating better and more efficient future members of our safety divisions.

Step 2: Create a specialized task force of first responders and social behaviour experts. Have you ever thought that maybe relying on more and more RCMP presence is only a band aid for a gaping wound? The problems we are facing on our streets are of a different beast all together than what the RCMP are generally trained for. We need to have the right people in place for nature of this matter and that starts by working closer with our local organizations that specialize in this area. We have made significant cuts to mental health funding for Kelowna and that is the wrong course of action in regards to solving this issue. A lot of the incidents that occur in our streets are mental health related and it is absolutely imperative that we start looking towards better prevention resources that will benefit the safety of our streets and citizens as well as the safety of our homeless community.

Step 3: I would offer free self defence training for our citizens. I recently attended the Elizabeth Fry Society event Take Back The Night. This event was one of the most powerful experiences I have had of late, and it made me proud to be a participant as not only the father of two little girls but as a concerned citizen of Kelowna. Before the group walk took place, there was a demonstration from one of the local martial arts specialists on basic self defence. One thing we know for sure is that regardless of how high of a police presence we try to provide for our streets that attacks often occur when there isn't anyone around but the victim and the attacker themselves. By using our city park as a training ground, we could ensure that our citizens have the basic knowledge capable to defend themselves against any harm coming their way. An informed citizen is a safe citizen, and it is our duty to provide every measure possible in the effort to keep our citizens safe and feeling safe.



Bob Schewe - The temporary shelters in the heart of downtown have to be shut down and relocated well away from any commercial or residential neighborhoods. We have to recognize that there are those homeless that qualify and are willing to work with the system, and are willing to live within the community's rules  these people we have to help and get them into housing/Journey Home etc. as soon as possible.

We also have to recognize the other segment of street people that refuse to live within the community's rules and continue to do so, as there is no current policies to show them that they and their way of life are not welcome. Our current policies are only enabling the anti-social way of life on the street.

Colin Basran - As a father of two young children, safety has always been top priority! Thats why we're tackling safety issues head-on by hiring former RCMP Superintendent Bill McKinnon to work on a sustainable strategy to increase safety downtown and across Kelowna. His report will be released in November. We have a dedicated team of Bylaw, RCMP, first responder, and outreach workers working for the community. Since I became mayor, we have strengthened those groups by adding 16 RCMP officers, seven bylaw officers, 12 firefighters and 15 first-responder support positions.

Weve launched a ground-breaking, innovative Police & Crisis Team for suspected mental health calls and increased foot and bicycle patrols by RCMP and bylaw officers. We also continue to collaborate with IHA on improving the retrieval and disposal of the needles they distribute and have already implemented a better needle pickup program.

But we wont stop here. We plan to increase enforcement and also build on our intelligent repertoire of tactics. We will continue to address every safety issue directly, and do so responsibly.

Tom Dyas - As an original task force member of the Journey Home Project, I have been very involved in

these discussions from the start. I have a good understanding of the many complex issues and

have established strong relationships with many of the agencies involved.

I feel the committee should have involved elected officials and more business owners that are directly affected by the environment. As per my election platform, I WILL actively consult with those directly affected.

As mayor, I will ensure solutions are found to create a safer, healthier, more vibrant downtown by addressing issues through consultation of all agencies and parties involved. I believe that strong leaders get personally involved, just as I have in the downtown homelessness and safety issues. It is vitally important to me that I gain firsthand knowledge, and not rely only on second hand reports. I will read all the material, obtain a variety of perspectives and harness the collective intelligence for the best solutions to problems.

From my personal involvement, I recognize the long-term importance of the work of Journey

Home Task Force but believe some shorter-term action was not addressed, and that is why Bill

McKinnon was hired after the Journey Home strategy was completed. I believe in collaboration

and transparency of our goal. We need to:

 Reintroduce and re-establish an integrated community court to deal with criminals

 Lobby governments for the reactivation of the auxiliary policing program, which previously

provided up to an additional 80 individuals to help secure our streets

 Re-establish the meetings with BC Housing, RCMP, the City, Interior Health, and community

representation

 Align key agencies to support victims and people suffering from physical and mental

illness

 Increase detox centers and rehabilitation facilities
Youll have a tough time finding someone who talks positively about their constipation problems, but one Utah woman is one of those rare exceptions, and for good reason. It was her constipation that inspired her to create a simple stool that now helps millions of people improve their bowel movements.

Judy Edwards has been struggling with constipation her whole life, but the problem only got worse with age. A few years ago, a medical professional advised her to use a foot stool while sitting on the toilet, and that worked surprisingly well for her, so she passed on the same advice to her husband Bill. They were both amazed both about the difference that a little foot stool made and that they had only learned about this trick in their 60s. But it wasnt until their son Bobby, a self-described gypsy always looking to make a big splash, learned about the benefits of the foot stool that the idea of a profitable business started to materialize.

Photo: Squatty Potty/Facebook

While incredibly useful, the foot stool wasnt a tool dedicated to aiding with constipation, so Bobby Edwards set out to perfect it. He basically made it more ergonomic, and made a cut-out so that it could fit around the toilet bowl and take up less space in the bathroom. Then, all that was left to do was finding a catchy name. They eventually passed on Health Step, The S**t Shelf, and The Stool Stool, and went with Squatty Potty, which is what traditional hole-in-the-ground toilets are sometimes called.

At first the Edwards started gifting Squatty Potty stools to family and friends, most of whom considered them to be pranks, but once they tried them out, they couldnt stop talking about how much of a difference it made. Thats when Bobby really knew that they were on to something.

There was nothing out there on the market that we could find to help us solve the problem. So we made it, the entrepreneur told CNBC.

Photo: Squatty Potty/Facebook

Bobby, his parents and one of his parents put up $35,000 to start manufacturing Squatty Potty stools and set up a website. They decided to start making the stools out of plastic  the prototypes had been wooden  to bring the price down, and placed an order for 2,000 of them in China. It came in a big container, and after seeing what 2,000 Squatty Pottys looked like, Bobby Edwards recalls thinking What? We are never going to sell these, right?. They now sell that many in a single day.

In the first year, 2011, the Edwards sold $17,000 worth of Squatty Potty stools, but by 2016, annual sales had skyrocketed to $16 million, and sales have been climbing ever since. They sent free samples to health bloggers to create awareness, then got a call from Dr. Oz, and even appeared on Shark Tank, which was their really big break. They generated $1 million in sales within 24 hours after being featured on Shark Tank, where they also received a $500,000 investment from Lori Greiner.

The problem with relatively simple products like the Squatty Potty is that they are easy to copy, but while knockoffs have been on the market for a while now, the company is still thriving because of constant innovation. There is now a portable Squatty Potty that fits in a backpack, an attachable bidet and even a potty training program called Squattypottymus. Theyve also invested a lot in marketing, including online. A YouTube ad that cost around $250,000 currently has around 100 million views on the popular video platform.



But ultimately, the secret to the Squatty Pottys success lies in its effectiveness. It helps people poop easier, an there is an explanation for that, which Bobby briefly explains: We all have a kink in our colon, its there to maintain continence. Otherwise wed be crapping our pants wherever we go. Apparently, sitting on the toilet relaxes that kink a little, which is enough for some people, but emulating a squatting position really improves bowel evacuation.

When Judy Edwards started the Squatty Potty business with her family, she thought they would sell a few to supplement their income, but according to a recent CNBC article, the company is now worth around $30 million. She has long retired  although she remains on the board  Bobby is currently taking a few months off after hiring a new CEO.

Talk about turning lemons into lemonade, right?
An Indian education organization recently sparked controversy by introducing an optional engineering course that teaches students that modern inventions like aeronautics, batteries, as well as knowledge of gravity existed in India during the Vedic Age, thousands of years ago.

Human Resource Development Ministry (HRD) decided to introduce into the countrys engineering curriculum a controversial book that makes all kinds of bombastic claims, from the fact that the Wright brothers didnt really invent the airplane, to assertions that ancient Indian scientists in the Vedic Age (1500  500 BCE) knew about gravity long before Isaac Newton. This book is seen as another attempt by Narendra Modis government to promote pseudoscience pushed by Hindu groups.

Entitled Bharatiya Vidya Saar, the controversial book is set to be introduced as part of an optional credit course in engineering colleges and universities affiliated with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). For some reason, the optional course, called Indian Knowledge Systems, will focus on Indian philosophical, linguistic and artistic traditions, as well as yoga and Indian perspective of modern scientific worldview. Those dont sound like the kinds of things engineering courses should focus on, but wait until you hear what students will actually be taught.

Photo: lil_foot_/Pixabay

Indian news website The Print received a copy of the book and presented some of the mind-blowing claims presented as facts. In a section of the book called Myths vs Reality, the Myths section reads It is believed that aeronautics was developed by Wright Brothers in 1903, but under Reality it states that In Vedic age, Maharshi Bhardwaj wrote an epic called Yantra Sarvasva and aeronautics is a part of the epic. This was 5,000 years before Wright brothers invention of the plane.

Yantra Sarvasva is not available now but out of whatever we know about it, we can believe that planes were a reality in Vedic age. This should be mentioned in the technical studies curriculum in India, the authors of the book wrote.

The invention of electricity and batteries is also attributed to ancient Indian scientists: Credit for the invention of batteries is given to British scientist Frederik Daniel (sic) and that of electricity to Benjamin Franklin, but Maharishi Agastya in Agastya Sanhita talks about it much before these scientists.

You may think that the theory of gravity was first formulated by Isaac Newton, but according to Bharatiya Vidya Saar you are wrong:

Its a Myth that Theory of Gravity was discovered by Isaac Newton in 1666 AD; the truth is that thousands of years before Newton, a number of epics were written on the gravitational force and we can find the evidence in the Rig Veda.



A teacher who worked on the newly adopted curriculum but did not want to be named in the article published by The Print defended the course, insisting that the notions presented in the book are facts.

The idea is to make students aware of ancient scientific knowledge, which is why this curriculum has been developed, the anonymous professor said. For ages now, we have been learning how the British invented things because they ruled us for hundreds of years and wanted us to learn what they felt like. It is now high time to change those things and we hope to do that with this course.

Looking at some of the people involved in Indias education system, the idea of how such a book could make it into the curriculum starts to make sense. For example, Satyapal Singh, a junior Human Resource Development minister, has long contested the notion that the Wright Brothers invented the airplane, claiming instead that the first flying machine was invented by Indian scholar Shivkar Bapuji Talpade.

Rajasthan education minister Vasudev Devnani is also known for contesting generally accepted scientific facts. He claims that the laws of gravitation were formulated by Indian astronomer Brahmagupta II at least 1,000 years before Isaac Newton. Interestingly, this same official once claimed that the cow was the only animal to both inhale and exhale oxygen


Dave Imre

imre has acquired Los Angeles-based JMPR, which specializes in the luxury, lifestyle and transportation industries.

JMPRs staff will become part of imres west coast operation, doubling the size of imres Los Angeles office. There are no layoffs expected in connection with the deal.

imre, which has established the imre Health brand alongside its long-standing consumer practice, has offices in Baltimore and New York in addition to its L.A. location. The firm expects the acquisition of JMPR to help the agency meet its demand for earned media.

"In order to enter the automotive and luxury space, we knew we needed the right team of talent and JMPRs 40 years of experience helped make that happen," said imre founder and CEO Dave Imre.

JMPR brings with it a client roster that includes INFINITI, Airstream, Bugatti, the Los Angeles Auto Show, Prestone and Meguiars. Current imre clients include PepsiCo, Dickies, AstraZeneca, T. Rowe Price, Under Armour, STIHL and Zoetis.

imre, a certified LGBTQ-owned company, is #26 in ODwyers 2018 rankings. It is on pace to earn over $20M in global fee revenue in 2018, and with this acquisition has 124 employees across the combined company.
An Offaly company has been awarded a highly coveted Best Buy Award from leading consumer body Which?.

Irelands award-winning manufacturer of home heating technologies, Grant, has been received the Award for its low NOx and Blueflame Vortex condensing oil boilers including the Vortex Pro Utility, Vortex Pro Combi and VortexBlue External/Outdoor ranges.

Grant is the only Irish oil boiler manufacturer to achieve such an accomplishment over two consecutive years. This endorsement places Grant on a footing equivalent to some of the worlds best known home appliance brands in the UK market.

Furthermore, Grant has the only Blue Flame oil fired boilers to be awarded a Which? Best Buy and is the first of their kind to receive this accolade.

Grant Founder, Stephen Grant commented, Attaining this level of recognition from Which? is a significant accomplishment for us that not only demonstrates the excellent standard that our products champion, but also the great service and attention to detail provided by the Grant team, from initial product research and development, right through to customer service.

As part of such a competitive market, being the only oil boiler manufacturer to receive a Which? Best Buy accolade for two successive years is what truly sets us apart and bolsters our position at the forefront of the home heating industry in both the UK and Ireland, said Stephen.

Grant has been providing homes throughout Ireland with innovative heating technologies for over 40 years and has an extensive product portfolio including the popular range of Vortex condensing oil boilers and the VortexAir Hybrid and Aerona3 air source heat pump range which achieves Part L compliance for new builds.

Stephen added, We are very proud to offer homeowners some of the most highly efficient and reliable heating solutions on the market that not only offer value for money but also exceed industry expectations  for example  our range of Vortex condensing oil boilers met low NOx requirements as outlined in the EUs Energy-related Products Directive four months ahead of the September 2018 deadline. We look forward to continuing this lineage with further exciting product developments set to unfold in the coming months.

For more details please visit www.grant.eu
GENEVA (12 November 2021)  The conviction and harsh sentencing of journalist Danny Fenster by a military court in Yangon today following a closed door, unfair trial is emblematic of the wider plight of journalists in Myanmar who have been facing constant repression since the 1 February military coup, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said.

At least 126 journalists, media officials or publishers have been detained by the military since 1 February, of whom 47 remain in detention. Twenty of these individuals have been charged with crimes because of their work as journalists. Nine media outlets have had their licences revoked and 20 others have had to suspend operations. Dozens of journalists reportedly remain in hiding due to outstanding arrest warrants.

Fenster was detained at Yangon airport in May, and was on Friday sentenced to 11 years in prison allegedly for violating laws relating to unlawful association, immigration and for sowing dissent against the military. He was tried by an ad hoc court inside Insein prison in Yangon, with the proceedings closed to any public scrutiny, raising serious concerns of lack of respect of fair trial guarantees. He still faces a second trial on charges of high treason and violations of the counter-terrorism law.

Journalists have been under attack since 1 February, with the military leadership clearly attempting to suppress their attempts to report on the serious human rights violations being perpetrated across Myanmar as well as the extent of opposition to the regime, Bachelet said. Myanmar has quickly reverted to an environment of information control, censorship and propaganda seen under military regimes in the past.

Attacks on journalists and the media further exacerbate the vulnerability of huge sections of society that rely on accurate and independent information. With the crackdowns on journalists, Internet shutdowns, restrictions on free access to online and other data sources, people are being deprived life-saving information, Bachelet added.

I urge the military authorities to immediately release all journalists being detained in relation to their work, she said.

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact:

Rupert Colville + 41 22 917 9767 / rupert.colville@un.org or

Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org or

Liz Throssell + 41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org or

Marta Hurtado - + 41 22 917 9466 / marta.hurtadogomez@un.org

Tag and share

Twitter @UNHumanRights

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Photo: Contributed

Canadians learned this week that Canada has negotiated a draft NAFTA agreement with the United States and Mexico.



The new agreement, subject to ratification, is called the United States, Mexico and Canada Agreement, otherwise referred to as the USMCA.



This agreement involved a significant number of concessions from Canada from the previous NAFTA agreement.



Some of those concessions are listed down below.



Dairy: the United States received increased access to the Canadian dairy sector  roughly 3.6 per cent. The Liberal government has promised it will compensate Canadian dairy farmers for their losses.



Auto sector: Canada has agreed to a maximum number of vehicles that can be produced in Canada (2.6 million) and be exported to the United States without duty. As well, to avoid duties, 75 per cent of the parts used in the manufacture of the vehicles, must originate from USMCA partner countries.



Drugs: Canada has agreed to extend patent protections for biological pharmaceutical drugs to 10 years. This change is widely expected to increase the cost of some prescription drugs.



Copyright laws: Canada has agreed to extend the terms of a copyright from 50 years up to 70 years. A change that many experts have called a capitation on Canadas copyright policy."



De Minimis: this is a term that represents the amount of goods a person can bring across the border without being hit by duties.The basic exemption when crossing the border in person will increase to $40 of U.S. goods up from the current $20. For online shipment (e-commerce) the level is increased to $150 CAD.



Trade autonomy: one more alarming concession that has many concerned in Ottawa is language that may restrict Canada's ability to negotiate a trade deal with a "non-market" country, for example, China. This is an emerging topic requiring more clarification.



B.C. Wine: on a topic closer to home another concession is that B.C. grocery stores current selling only B.C. wines will be required to also sell wines from the United States, a problem that many thought could occur and made their concerns known when this provincial program was first put into place.



What has not changed is that an independent arbitration panel will still be used in the event there is a trade dispute. Many view preserving this as one of the few key wins for Canada in this new agreement that shall have a 16-year expiry date with an option to renew for another 16 year term.



Things not addressed in the new USMCA:

United States tariffs on Canadian produced steel and aluminum remain in effect as do the punitive tariffs on Canadian

Softwood Lumber.

In addition the United States Buy American provisions also remain in effect.

Is this a good deal or a bad deal for Canada?



That is the question for Canadians to decide upon and will also serve as my question for this week:
Photo: The Canadian Press Jessika Villano, owner of Buddha Barn Craft Cannabis

Cannabis connoisseurs in Vancouver have been able to buy potent weed over the counter for years  but ironically, that could change when marijuana becomes legal.

None of the long-standing pot shops in the city have received provincial licences to operate, with only two weeks left until legalization.

Jessika Villano, owner of Buddha Barn Craft Cannabis, said she applied for a licence one week after the application portal opened in August and doesn't expect approval before Oct. 17.

"Of course, everybody's nervous," she said, adding she's hopeful she'll receive a licence eventually. "We're doing everything that we can to comply with all three levels of government. We're still nervous. We still haven't received that golden ticket."

Vancouver became a haven for illegal pot shops after the city  in an effort to ensure access for medical marijuana patients  decided not to police the stores unless there were public safety concerns, such as gang affiliations or sales to minors.

By 2015, more than 100 dispensaries had sprung up, prompting council to pass a bylaw requiring shops to obtain a development permit, a $30,000 business licence and obey location rules. So called compassion clubs  non-profits that provide medical pot to patients in need  paid only $1,000 for a licence.

The business licence scheme didn't change the fact that selling cannabis across the counter was illegal in Canada. It did, however, allow the city to keep track of stores and issue tickets to those that flouted its rules, with limited success.

Today, there are 19 pot shops operating with a municipal business licence in Vancouver, including four compassion clubs, while 53 locations hold a development permit. Dozens of others have flouted the bylaw, prompting the city to launch a court case in which a decision has not yet been issued.

Regardless, the entire system changes on Oct. 17 and  if the law is enforced  Vancouver could go from being Canada's most pot-friendly city to one of its least.

In July, the city updated its bylaw to align with legalization. Any dispensary with a previously issued business or compassion club licence must apply for a provincial retail licence and a new municipal business licence.

As part of the process to obtain a provincial licence, B.C. forwards the application to the city for recommendation of approval. Once the provincial licence is granted, the city contacts the operator to apply for a new municipal business licence.

"To date, the city has received four applications from the province," said chief licence inspector Kathryn Holm. "To date, no operator in Vancouver has been issued a provincial or municipal cannabis business licence to operate legally as of Oct. 17."

B.C. has said the only government-run cannabis store ready on Oct. 17 will be in Kamloops. There will also be an online store. But it's unclear whether any private brick-and-mortar stores will be approved by that date.

A spokesman for the Attorney General's office refused to say how many applications had been forwarded to cities for approval, citing "private business information" between applicants and the province.

Some dispensaries plan to stay open regardless of whether their provincial licence applications are approved.

Don Briere, owner of four Weeds Glass and Gifts stores, said his customers include cancer patients and people with severe pain. Closing his doors would force them onto opioids or into the black market, he said.

"Can you imagine the airport  you would be parking planes on the freeway  and the lines to get into Kamloops ... if every person who consumed cannabis had to go to Kamloops?"
Bihar By-polls: Lalu Yadav to campaign for RJD candidates on Wednesday to ensure 'visarjan' of Nitish Kumar

ABP-C-Voter survey: NDA may win 31 seats in Bihar in 2019, same as 2014

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Oct 4: The ABP-C-Voter 'Desh ka mood' survey has predicted that the BJP may 31 out of the 80 seats in Bihar in the upcoimg 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The poll has considered two possible scenarios - one is where LJP and RLSP stay with the NDA, while the other is where both these current allies side with the UPA.

The BJP's allies in Bihar are Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) (JD (U)), Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP).

If the RLSP and LJP stay with the NDA then the coalition, of which even the JD (U) is part of, may win 31 seats. On the other hand, if the RLSP and LJP part ways with the BJP and join the UPA then the NDA win be reduced to 22 seats, which is the same number which the BJP alone managed in 2014.

Also Read | ABP 'Desh Ka Mood' : NDA to suffer huge loss in UP if Congress joins SP-BSP

It must be remembered that JD (U) was not the part NDA in 2014, but now the Nitish Kumar led party is part of the BJP-led alliance.

Two possible scenarios in Bihar as per the 'Desh ka mood' opinion poll:

If RLSP and LJP stay with NDA, then

NDA-31

UPA-9

If RLSP and LJP join UPA, then

NDA -22

UPA - 18

Bihar has 40 Lok Sabha seats. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP, riding on Modi-wave, won 22 seats, LJP won six seats and the RLSP won three seats. Altogether, the NDA won 31 out of the 40 seats in Bihar in 2014. JD (U), which could manage just 2 seats in 2014, was then not part of the NDA then.

According to reports, the BJP may contest in 20 seats while the JD (U) will fight the 2019 General Elections from 12 seats. LJP and RLSP may contest from six and two seats, respectively.
AP EAPCET Round 1 seat allotment delayed again: New date to be announced soon

Karnataka, Kerala, New Delhi refuse to cut petrol, diesel prices

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Oct 4: Soon after the Centre cut petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre, Karnataka, Kerala and New Delhi governments announced that they would not reduce fuel prices further.

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy said he would not reduce taxes on fuel. "The state did it before the central government did," he said.

Speaking to the media, Kumaraswamy also said that he appreciates the move by the central government. "At least now, the central government opened its eyes. They have reduced the price seeing people's difficulty. We appreciate that," he said.

Petrol, diesel prices cut by Rs 2.50 after excise reduction

In September, the chief minister had announced a Rs 2 cut on petrol and diesel prices while the country was seeing daily increase in prices.

Kerala finance minister minister Thomas Isaac also rejected the central government's request to match the fuel price cut.

He said that Kerala would not reduce the tax on petroleum products as it would adversely affect the revenue of the state. AAP government in New Delhi is also unlikely to cut the fuel prices.

Petrol, diesel price cut: States follows Centre's footsteps, reduce taxes on fuel

The central government on Thursday reduced the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre.

Fuel prices have been consistently hitting record highs since mid-August. As on October 4, petrol prices stood at Rs 91.34 per litre in Mumbai.

Govt cuts fuel prices by Rs 2.50, Congress calls it panic reaction ahead of polls" title=" Govt cuts fuel prices by Rs 2.50, Congress calls it panic reaction ahead of polls" /> Govt cuts fuel prices by Rs 2.50, Congress calls it panic reaction ahead of polls

The BJP government had raised excise duty on petrol by Rs 11.77 a litre and that on diesel by Rs 13.47 a litre in nine instalments between November 2014 and January 2016 to shore up finances as global oil prices fell, but then cut the tax just once in October last year by Rs 2 a litre.
Exclusive Interview: Find out more about Fametick Media and First HelpCare founder Afzal Anis

Centre launches Digi Yatra initiative

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

New Delhi, Oct 4: The Union Government Thursday unveiled Digi Yatra initiative which is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India's vision. The new initiative will add digital experience for air travellers. Now, air passengers can soon use facial recognition biometrics to enter airports.

'DigiYatra' initiative aims to bring together entire industry to develop a digital ecosystem that will deliver Indian customers a seamless, consistent and paperless service experience at every touch point of their journey.

Also Read | Project delays by HAL is a serious concern: How will IAF deal with it?

Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, said that the DigiYatra initiative envisages providing airline travellers in India, a pioneering 'digitally unified flying experience' across all stages of their journey.

All aviation stakeholders - airlines, airport operators, security and immigration agencies, cab operators, retail establishment and others are working to devise digital standards which can enable seamless exchange of data and information. He said that these standards can power unique applications which can deliver a delightful experience for air travellers.

Also Read | Joint Russian-Indian counter-terrorism exercise Indra-2018 to be held at Babina in Jhansi

Sinha further informed that the platform will be built on 4 key pillars, like Connected Passengers, Connected Airports, Connected Flying and Connected Systems which can make it possible over a period of time for passengers to:

Plan their trips efficiently by identifying price trends and estimate future airfares at the time of ticket booking,

Optionally link their Aadhaar to airlines and other ecosystem players at the time of booking for faster airport entry and automated check-ins without requiring any paper-based interventions,

Walk-through security scanners swiftly owing to advanced biometric security solutions,

Receive relevant information pertaining to various facilities, protocols, airline timings, queue lengths at airports etc.,

Engage in customised digital offerings at experience zones,

Get real-time notifications about congestion and delays to have greater visibility on the next step of journey

Conveniently navigate through the airport using digital guidance systems, interactive kiosks and augmented reality apps,

Stay connected during flights and indulge in immersive experiences. Also book in-flight services and destination based offerings digitally,

Get a prompt when their luggage reaches the baggage claim belt, and

Submit grievances, share experiences and provide feedback.
Chanda Kochhar fails to appear before probe agency, to be summoned again

Chanda Kochhar resigns as ICICI Banks CEO, Sandeep Bakhshi replaces her

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Oct 4: ICICI Bank Managing Director Chanda Kochhar has resigned from the bank. The Bank said on Thursday that it has accepted Chanda Kochhar's request for an early retirement.

Kochhar will relinquish office from the board of directors with immediate effect, the private sector bank said in a regulatory filing. She will be replaced by Sandeep Bakhshi who will be elevated to managing director and CEO, ICICI Bank said.

"The board accepted this request with immediate effect. The enquiry instituted by the board will remain unaffected by this and certain benefits will be subject to the outcome of the enquiry," ICICI Bank said today.

Currently, Bakhshi serves as executive director and chief operating officer at ICICI Bank.His appointment will be for a period of five years until October 3, 2023, subject to approvals.

Separately, the communication said, due to health reasons MD Mallya, independent director, resigned from the Board and the same was accepted.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Former rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight is expected to be sentenced Thursday to nearly three decades in prison at a Los Angeles court hearing that comes nearly four years after he killed one man and injured another with his truck outside a Compton burger stand.

The 53-year-old Death Row Records co-founder struck a surprise plea deal with prosecutors on Sept. 20, just a few days before he was to have stood trial for murder and attempted murder.

Knight instead pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and agreed to a prison sentence of 28 years.

The sentence represents the low point of a long decline for Knight, one of the most important figures in the history of hip-hop. At his pinnacle in the mid-1990s, he was putting out wildly popular records that are now considered classics from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur.

Knight was at the centre of the feud between East Coast and West Coast rappers that marked the middle of that decade. Shakur was in Knight's car when he was killed in a drive-by attack in Las Vegas in 1996.

In January 2015, he got into a fight with a longtime rival, Cle "Bone" Sloan, a consultant on the N.W.A. biopic "Straight Outta Compton."

In a moment captured on surveillance video, Knight backed his truck into Sloan, who was injured, then drove it forward into businessman Terry Carter, who died from his injuries. Knight's attorneys have said it was an act of self-defence.
AP EAPCET Round 1 seat allotment delayed again: New date to be announced soon

Delhi air-hostess death case: Anissia Batra's in-laws move to SC for anticipatory bail

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Oct 4: In the recent development of the Anissia Batra suicide case, the in-laws of the flight attendant, who allegedly jumped off the terrace of her Delhi home in July, approached the Supreme Court against Delhi High Court order denying them anticipatory bail.

The court said lawyer representing Anissia Batra's(who allegedly committed suicide in July) in-laws, "It's a very serious matter, can't just brush it aside. "

The apex court also said that there's evidence with police that shows cruelty against her.

Also Read | 'Anissia Batra wanted to call police moments before she died'

Matter to be heard after 10 days.

The Batra family alleged that Mayank Singhvi was an alcoholic and often beat her up. He also demanded money. The couple were married for over a year.

Anissia Batra, 32, who worked with a German airline, allegedly jumped off the terrace of her home in south Delhi's Panchsheel Park. She was being physically and mentally tortured by her husband Mayank Singhvi and his parents, her father told the police.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 14:57 [IST]
New look of Purana Quila will leave you spellbound!

The refurbishment includes restoration of the moat to the west and northwest of the fort, illumination, landscaping the area, development of a central antiquity museum, upgradation and repairs of existing pathway.

Boating stays suspended:

The lake, a part of the moat around the fort, however, will not include boating facilities, which were once an attraction for thousands of tourists.

Newly refurbished Purana Qila inaugurated

Union Minister Mahesh Sharma while inaugurating the newly refurbished Purana Qila said: "The goal of the Ministry of Culture is to make heritage monuments public friendly and within the reach of common man."

Purana Quila restoration work

The restoration work of the fort has been done in accordance with IIT-Roorkee's suggestions. Before, the impermeable plastic lining used at the bottom of the lake had become a topic of contention, to which the National Green Tribunal recently gave its final nod, rejecting the claim that the project undertaken would damage the environment.

About Purana Qila:

Purana Qila has been one of the major tourist attractions in the national capital and combined with the Delhi Zoological Park, a large number of visitors throng to visit the historical vestiges, which date back to around 3,000 years back.
Deporting Rohingyas to Myanmar: More than nationalist, it's a realist move by India

India

oi-Shubham Ghosh

New Delhi, Oct 4: The social media saw a huge uproar on Thursday, October 4, over the news that the Indian government was set to deport seven Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar where the ethnic community has seen a serious suppression. The social media was also happy that the Supreme Court refused to "interfere" in the issue and stop deportation of the Rohingya refugees. The United Nations criticized India for taking such a step, saying it was a violation of international law.

The issue here is not something about the black and white as many people with nationalist fervour are seeing it as. India has taken this move specifically to please the neighbouring Myanmar government to serve its own interests in the long run.

Making a more realist turn in its external affairs out of compulsion, India decided to shed the 'sympathy baggage' and push back the Rohingyas taking shelter on its soil. This stance is the outcome of the complications that Myanmar's internal politics has seen in the recent past, forcing India to make amends to its own position.

Also Read | 7 Rohingyas will go back to Myanmar as SC rejects plea to stall deportation

India had a dilemma vis-a-vis Myanmar when the military junta was in power there. Though, ideologically it was with Aung San Suu Kyi, who stood as democracy's flickering hope in that country, India looked for a more pragmatic engagement with the junta to secure its own interests - security, energy, economic and geostrategic. In 2015, when Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) came to power, New Delhi thought it would be now easier to engage with an elected government of Myanmar. But all the vision was messed up in August 2017 when the Myanmar State took on the Rohingyas following a deadly coordinated attack by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.

India had a dilemma the moment Suu Kyi govt came under accusations

India's task became difficult when crackdowns started under the eyes of a democratic government because now it could not take a clear black-and-white stand. Supporting in -power Suu Kyi now became synonymous with supporting human rights violation. So while the entire world flayed the Myanmar regime over the Rohingya suppression and even a tiny state like Bangladesh came forward to give shelter to the refugees who fled the country, India remained tight-lipped because it was a in a great deal of confusion.

India's dilemma was heightened by the growing shadow of China in its vicinity. China has become far more active in the neighbourhood and loses no time whenever it perceives an opportunity to influence another country's affairs because it wants to grow its stature.

Annoying Myanmar would help China

This put India under even a bigger compulsion to not embrace the Rohingyas. For if India chose to go by the ideological line in this crisis, then there was ample possibility of annoying the Myanmar government and the ultimate beneficiary of which would be China. It was not without a reason that Prime Minister Narendra Modi avoided making any reference to the alleged atrocities against the Rohingyas during his official trip to Myanmar in September last year and praised the Myanmar government instead for its show in countering violence.

Also Read | India hands over 7 Rohingyas to Myanmar as SC refuses to intervene

India needs Myanmar's cooperation not only to counter the Chinese in Myanmar and more specifically, the economically viable Rakhine state which Beijing is eyeing for its gains, but also to secure its own north-east where cross-border terrorism has often plagued India's security forces. India was also under the fear that the presence of the Rohingyas in India could bolster the insurgent groups and that could destabilize India's eastern borders.

"In Rakhine State, Chinese and Indian interests are part of the broader China-India relations. These interests revolve principally around the construction of infrastructure and pipelines in the region. Such projects claim to guarantee employment, transit fees, and oil and gas revenues for the whole of Myanmar," said an article in Quartz India.

India was deeply criticized when it virtually found itself with no policy to counter the growing Chinese influence in Myanmar in the wake of the atrocities being committed on the Rohingyas. China even came with a three-stage plan for the Suu Kyi regime to end the crisis. Beijing also offered to play the role of a mediator between Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Also Read | 'Huge number of Rohingyas travelling to Kerala via trains', says Railway Protection Force

India, on the other hand, adopted 'no policy' as its policy. Now, the Modi government's decision to deport seven Rohingyas is being seen as a major diplomatic win but in effect, it is more a catching-up game that India is playing to secure its interests across the eastern border and keep the line of its access to Southeast Asia fine.

It's quite a realism out of compulsion. For the nationalist supporters, though, the symbolism is more than enough and they are happy celebrating the leadership of Modi.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 14:42 [IST]
Pakistan funded Rs 80 crore to Hizbul to further terror activities in J&K

Hizbuls overground module in Kashmir busted

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Srinagar, Oct 4: The Kupwara police have busted an over ground module of the Hizbul Mujahideen.

The module was operating in the Lolab area in Kupwara. Two persons, namely Shakir Ahmad Wani and Ghulam Mustafa Abdul Ahad Sheikh have been arrested. They are currently being questioned.

Slain J&K cop's family virtually on the streets after breadwinner is killed by terrorists

The module was engaged in providing logistics support to terrorists apart from luring more youth into terrorism. Further investigation is on.

This comes a day after a terrorist who had threatened to disrupt the local body polls in Kashmir was arrested at Sopore.

The terrorist had been identified as Amir Sultan. The police said while acting upon reliable inputs Sultan was arrested from the Baramulla- Handwara road near Hadipora crossing.

He had recently joined the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. A video of him posing with a gun had gone viral on the social media.

J&K BJP to control terror infested Shopian, wins civic poll unopposed

In the video he is seen threatening the people of North Kashmir against taking part in the forthcoming local body elections.

The agencies are leaving nothing to chance to ensure that the polls marred by controversy are conducted smoothly and peacefully. The polls are scheduled for October and November.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 13:00 [IST]
India and Russia likely to sign a $2.5 billion deal for four stealth frigates

India

oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla

New Delhi, Oct 4: To boost Indian Navy beside procuring missile from Russia, both India and Russia might also sign a $2.5 billion deal for four Krivak (Talwar) class stealth frigates. The deal is likely to happen during Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin's delegation level meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on October 5, 2018.

Russian president will reach India in the evening of October 4, 2018 for the annual India-Russia summit. Sources said that out of these four frigates, two warships will be constructed at Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad and the other two will be built the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).

Both India and Russian Federation had signed the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for four frigates around two years back in 2016. The total strength of Indian Navy as far as frigates is concerned is six stealth frigates. They included three Talwar class and three Teg class frigates and all were bought from Russia. They were inducted in Indian Navy from 2003 to 2013.

Also Read | Relation of trust has been the key to India and Russia relations

Actually India has to deal at multiple front diplomatically as far as procurement of Arms and ammunitions are concerned. Inida is in talks with the United States to get waiver of sanctions as Indian armed forces heavily dependent on Russian made equipments. Indian Air Force (IAF) chief B S Dhanoa saying that the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) was unlikely to come in the way of the deal. Dhanoa said that the first deliveries would take place after two years of the signing of the contract.

Former foreign secretary Shashank too was of the view that this sanctions can be done away with India being an old ally of Russia. So this is possible that India might get some relaxation from the US.

Also Read | India to gift Russia with MiG-21 jets during Putin's visit; a wise symbolic gesture

The new frigates will be powered by gas turbine engines to be supplied by Ukrainian firm Ukroboronprom's Gas Turbine Research and Production Complex Zorya-Mashproekt. These are Grigorovich-class 'Project 1135.6' frigates. Both the countries signing a Rs 39,000-crore deal for the supply of Russian S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems to India is also on cards. This missile system is capable of destroying incoming aerial targets at a range of 400 km.

Sources said that Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman has left her visit to Kazakhstan and Krgystan half way to attend the India-Russia summit. She was on an official visit to Kazakhstan and Krgystan till Oct 6.
India hands over 7 Rohingyas to Myanmar as SC refuses to intervene

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Oct 4: With the Supreme Court refusing to intervene, India has handed over the 7 Rohingyas to Myanmar on Thursday morning. They were handed over at the border town of Moreh in Manipur.

They had been taken from Assam to Manipur on Wednesday to be deported to their home country.

7 Rohingyas will go back to Myanmar as SC rejects plea to stall deportation

The deportation exercise was carried out by the government despite the United Nations Special Rapporteur on racism flagging concerns that their 'forcible return' could lead to 'refoulement' - the forcible return of refugees or asylum seekers to a country where they are liable to be subjected to persecution - which is in violation of international law.

The seven were held by security forces on the outskirts of Silchar in Assam in July 2012. They were kept in a detention centre since then on charges of illegal entry.

Earlier the Supreme Court rejected a petition that sought to stall the deportation of seven Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar. The plea was filed by advocate, Prashanth Bhushan who had sought to stall the deportation of the seven to Myanmar through the border point at Moreh in Imphal.

The Centre informed the court that the seven had entered India illegally in 2012. They had been convicted under the Foreigners Act and detained at the Silchar detention centre.

The Centre further said that Myanmar had accepted the Rohingyas as their citizens and agreed to take them back. That is the reason the Centre is facilitating their return to their country, the Centre represented by Additional Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta stated.

'Huge number of Rohingyas travelling to Kerala via trains', says Railway Protection Force

Bhushan on the other hand argued that the seven Rohingyas are sent back under duress and coercion. He requested the SC to ask the UNHRC officials to interview them and find out if they out of their free will would go back to a country which had unleashed the worst genocide against the Rohingyas.
India may try to invoke legacy issue while dealing with Russia to avoid sanctions

India

oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla

New Delhi, Oct 4: Amid the Trump administration threatening to imposed sanctions on India and Russia under Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), India will have to go ahead with the deal by putting forth the legacy issue with Russia. CAATSA was signed into law in August, 2017 on China purchasing fighter jets and missile defense system from Russia.

Sources say that the government is likely to invoke issue of legacy with the US on the issue of CAATSA against India which is the most dangerous thing for any country as any country buying arms and ammunition with Russia or for that matter any other thing that the United States does not feel good about it, the country will have to face the US sanctions along with Russia.

Also Read | S-400 deal: Can India wriggle out of looming CAATSA sanctions?

Former foreign secretary Shashank said, "Any country dealing with Russia will have to face US sanctions. India too will have to face the heat of these sanctions but India can save itself on two counts first that the US has given some discretionary power to its President so some relaxation might be sought from there. But it must also be taken into account that people in the US are not ready to accept this easily. Second there is a legacy issue in case of India dealing with Russia from where the country has been buying arms and ammunition since the time of independence. However, if you keep buying new arms and ammunition that they might not accept."

Also Read | Why US is against India-Russia deal on S-400 Triumf missile system

So India must need to play its legacy card issue with all dexterity that the US has accepted in this law. "So we must try to put everything between India and Russia happening under legacy clause and must play diplomatically very well," said Shashank. Sources said that it is not just India and Russia relations that needs to be handled carefully in view of US sanctions but as far as relations with Iran is concerned, "We must put it as a trilateral cooperation to among India, Iran and Afghanistan to stabilize Afghanistan which is also the priority of Americans. Moreover the US is in such a situation where there are lots of internal differences creeping up in the country between the common people and the US administration that even if they try to help India out, they are facing huge resistance." said sources. The US praises India being a good friend but they won't be able to do much against the Congressional resolution due to the America First Policy for other countries. In such a situation India needs to play very cautiously in view of dealing such issues.
Kannur University: Controversial syllabus of VD Savarkar, MS Golwalkar will not be taught now

Islampur violence: RSS sends legal notice to WB minister Partha Chatterjee

India

oi-Vikas SV

Kolkata, Oct 4: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday (October 4) sent a legal notice to West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee for blaming the saffron outfit for the deaths of two students in Islampur last month.

The Trinamool Congress had blamed the RSS and the BJP for the clash between students and the police in Islampur district of West Bengal. The clashes took place on September 20 after students and residents stopped three newly appointed Urdu teachers from entering a school in Islampur.

Mamata and BJP: The two layers in their relation

Tapas Barman, a 3rd year college student, and Rajesh Sarkar, an ITI student, were killed in the violence at Darivit High School in Islampur of North Dinajpur district.

Chatterjee had then said the TMC government was sure of the RSS role in the incident.

"We are certain of the RSS role in the incident. They got people from outside. They caused the death as they want to do the politics of death. We condemn the politics of death practiced by the RSS and BJP, and we shall continue our protest against it," he had reportedly said.

West Bengal bandh: BJP workers block rail routes; vandalise govt buses

The ABVP had demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter. The ABVP alleged that the Trinamool Congress led-state government was trying to hush up the investigation, PTI reported.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 16:39 [IST]
Mayawatis frontal attack against Congress: Hold on there is a disclaimer

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Oct 4: BSP supremo Mayawati on Wednesday went all hog while declaring that her party would fight it alone in the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.

While this has been seen as a setback for the formation of a grand alliance led by the Congress, one also be mindful of the fact that Mayawati has kept her equation with Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi intact.

At her presser, she said Sonia and Rahul have the right intentions, but other leaders do not. This is a clear indicator that she is in no mood to burn bridges with the top leaders. In her direct line of fire was Digivijaya Singh, who she termed as a BJP agent as he was afraid of the central agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate.

Also Read | Alliance with Congress 'not at any cost,' says Mayawati

Leading psephologist, Dr. Sandeep Shastri tells OneIndia that this announcement by Mayawati definitely has a negative impact on the grand alliance. With a weakening Congress she sees herself playing a leading role, considering she comes from the all important state of Uttar Pradesh.

Dr. Shastri says that she is clearly testing the waters. She sees herself as a bigger player when compared to others such as Mamata Banerjee, whose presence is restricted to West Bengal alone. In that sense, if one were to look at it, then Mayawati considers herself to be an important player, he also adds.

Here it is a question of recognition. In the past if we have seen anti-BJP fronts coming up and they comprised state based parties. These parties want the Congress to recognise them, Dr. Shastri says.

He however adds that he does not see this situation play out in the 2019 elections at least as of now. It is currently a state based strategy. It would be difficult to comment on the all India strategy as of now as many parties in the state are in opposition against each other.

Also Read | Mayawati to address rally organised by Ajit Jogi's Janata Congress in Chhattisgarh on Oct 13: report

However the most important aspect of Mayawati's press conference was that she did not have anything bad to say about both Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. She has not burnt her bridges with them as yet and decided to play safe and keep all options open. Her prime targets were the state leaders and hence it would be hard to say that she has cut off all ties with the Congress, Dr. Shastri also adds.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 8:57 [IST]
Now Landless plan to march to Delhi after their rally in Morena

India

oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla

New Delhi, Oct 4: Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be addressing a rally of landless people on October 6 in Morena in Madhya Pradesh. He will also be joined by leaders of other oppositions political parties to support the cause of landless. However, the draft proposal in this regard is gathering dust in the ministry for long.

Rajgopal, fighting for the cause of landless and this law, will take the march of these landless people to Delhi from Morena. He said that all the work regarding making law has been done long back during the time of United Progressive government which just needs to be introduced in Parliament. He is of the view that when the government can take up the issue of triple talaq, it can also make law for landless which is rather more easy.

The real reason why Mayawati showed Congress the 'hand'

Rajgopal said that the draft proposal prepared by the United Progressive Alliance government is pending with the government. He claimed as per data that around 57 per cent rural household are landless. If the matter is taken up state wise Muslims in Bihar, Scheduled Caste and Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and Scheduled Tribes in Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Assam are more landless.

One being asked that what is the difficulty in getting this law made, Rajgopal says, "Bureaucracy tells it being a state subject while they have been made to understand that this law could also be made in the line of Right To Education on which states can move ahead. They have even been asked that if land is state subject why Land Acquisition bill was passed by the Centre. Only will power is required for this law to be made."

Mayawati's frontal attack against Congress: Hold on there is a disclaimer

When he had recently words with Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and he asked that what MP government can do for them, Chouhan was requested that people belonging to ST, SC and nomadic community should be given right over such land on which they are living by making houses instead of being called it illegal occupation.

Rajgopal said that he was going to say same thing to Rahul Gandhi on Saturday when he would be here on the stage that wherever there is a Congress government landless should be given land. He said that if the law is made, the problem of house for landless will be solved.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 21:23 [IST]
Photo: The Canadian Press

A police officer was killed and six of his comrades were wounded when a man began shooting at deputies who came to serve a search warrant, barricading himself in his home with children and spraying bullets across his upscale suburban neighbourhood, authorities said.

The sheriff's armoured personnel carrier was brought in to recover the wounded Wednesday, and the shooter finally released the children as he was taken into custody after a two-hour standoff, authorities said.

"Officers went there unknowing the firepower the suspect had," Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said.

"Fire was being shot all over. The way this suspect was positioned, his view of fire was several hundred yards. So he had an advantage. The officers couldn't get to the ones who were down."

The violence stunned people already dealing with record flooding from Hurricane Florence. Both the sheriff and police chief cried as they spoke to reporters after the standoff.

The slain officer, Terrence Carraway, 52, of Darlington, had just been honoured for his 30 years of service with the Florence Police Department.

The suspect opened fire on three Florence County deputies who had come to serve a search warrant around 4 p.m. Wednesday, Boone said.

Then, he shot four Florence city police officers, one fatally, as officers from all over swarmed in to help.

Boone credited his department's military equipment for enabling them to pull the wounded from the field of fire.

"Thanks to our MRAP, armoured personnel carrier, we made sure all the officers that were shot were protected and brought for medical atttention," he said.

Officials refused to say why they were serving a warrant. They did not name the suspect. They also did not identify the wounded officers or describe their conditions.
No end to lions death in Gujarat: Two more cubs die; foresters suspect territorial fight

Lion Death: What ails the pride of Gujarats Gir?

India

oi-Deepika S

Ahmedabad, Oct 4: A deadly viral outbreak among lions in Gujarat's Gir forest has prompted wildlife scientists to blame government failure to provide the big cats a second home even after a Supreme Court directive.

At least 11 lions among 23 found dead in the Gir forest over the past month have died from canine distemper virus (CDV) and protozoal infections, Gujarat state officials said on Wednesday.

According to officials, a deadly combination of Canine Distemper Virus and Protozoal infection is responsible for the death of at least 11 of 23 lions in the Gir sanctuary.

Gir Lion deaths: Is it time to find a second home for Asiatic lions?

The condition of three of over 36 lions currently under observation of Forest department is critical, officials said.

Other lions in the sanctuary are being examined randomly to find out if they are infected by the CDV whose outbreak had killed over a thousand lions in Serengeti forest areas in Tanzania in 1990s.

After death of 23 lions in Gir reserve, concerns about virus that killed 1,000 Tanzania lions

The mass deaths have jolted the government which has launched a number of measures including importing 300 shots of a vaccine from the US to protect the lions.

The deadly virus

Canine distemper is a contagious viral disease that affects a wide variety of animal species, including dogs, coyotes, foxes, pandas and wolves. It attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems of animals.

Wildlife experts had warned that presence of the last surviving Asiatic lions at one place could be dangerous in case of a viral epidemic.

In 2012, studying frozen tissue samples taken from the carcass of a lion that died in 2007, IVRI researches flagged the presence of the Peste Des Petits Ruminants virus (PPRV). A UK's Royal Veterinary College had warned that the disease could take an epidemic turn and wipe out 40% of Gir's lion population.

11 lions found dead in Gir forest in 10 days, forest officials suspect infighting

The Gujarat State Bio-Technology Mission claimed to have studied 10% of Gir lions by 2013 to conclude there was no trace of CDV or PPRV in the wild population. In 2016, however, the deaths of four lions sent to Etawah's lion safari park from Junagadh's Sakkarbaug zoo were attributed to canine distemper, reports say.

PPRV or 'Goat Plague' is highly contagious, and can be deadlier than even CDV that wiped out a third of Africa's lions in the mid-1990s. The virus was first identified in Ivory Coast in 1942 and has spread to some 70 countries since then. It is quite good at spreading, both by animal-to-animal contact and through the air. It is very contagious.

Infighting- not the reason

Interestingly, forest department has been maintaining that injuries caused by infighting is the cause behind the deaths of big cats in their only abode in Asia.

Yes, Lions live in prides, and one male lion controls each pride. When the controller of the pride becomes weak due to illness, lions of other territories try to covet the territory, if they succeed in defeating the head of the pride, they tend to kill the cubs and sub-adults and take charge of the female lions.

Precisely for that reason, females are rarely, if ever, harmed in a battle of prides. And that is why the fact that there were three lionesses among the 11 dead, seemed an odd case of "infighting".

Extremely serious, says top court

The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the Gujarat and the Central governments over the death of 23 lions in the state's Gir Forest in the last 20 days.

"This is extremely serious...so many lions have died," observed a Bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur while hearing a PIL relating to preservation of forests in the country.

"Lions must be protected. Why so many deaths...you must find out the reasons and do something to stop it," the court told Additional Solicitor General ANS Nadkarni.

Advice on their relocation, State govt refuses to relent

Fearing that the same fate as that of the Serengeti National Park might await the lions of Gir forest, several experts have opined that it is best to move the lions to other habitats.

Notably, in 2013, the Supreme Court had ruled that Gujarat needed to relocate some of its lions to Kuno, Madhya Pradesh lest a disease might pose a grave risk to the entire lion population in the area. However, this ruling was not implemented. Climatic condition and possible conflict with the existing tigers in Kuno were given as the reasons.

It is also to be noted that in 2009 when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he entered into a public spat with the then environment minister over the relocation of lions. Ramesh, who then said that it was important for genetic stability and health, Modi, however, refused to part with the "pride of Gujarat."

Gir forest, which is spread across 1,440 square kilometres, is the only abode of Asiatic lions in the world. It showed a 27% increase in lion population (523) in 2015 census as compared to 2010 (411).

According to a 2015 census, Gir is home to 523 lions, including 109 male, 201 female, 73 sub-adults and 140 cubs.
Project delays by HAL is a serious concern: How will IAF deal with it?

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Oct 4: Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa just stopped short of saying that the Indian Air Force (IAF) is not happy with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) track record when it came to adhering to delivery targets of key defence projects. The IAF chief mentioned delays by the HAL in several programmes including the Sukhoi 30s, Jaguars, Mirage 2000s and the Light Combat Aircraft.

The Air Chief's remarks come at a time when the IAF is facing massive problem of depleting fleet size. IAF is already down to 31 squadrons of fighter aircrafts against an authorisation of 42. To fight a two-front war, the Indian Air Force needs the optimum strength of 42-plus squadrons.

"In the Sukhoi-30... HAL is three years behind. 25 are yet to be delivered. In Jaguar Darin III, we are six years behind. In the LCA (initial operational clearance configuration), we are five years behind and in Mirage-200 upgrade, we are two years behind," Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa said yesterday.

Also Read | Rafale and S-400, a booster dose for IAF, says Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa

He, however, avoided saying it in clear terms that IAF is unhappy with the HAL. "Whether the IAF is happy or unhappy with HAL is for internal debate. It is not a subject of public debate," Dhanoa said.

IAF's problems:

The problem of shortage is not only with fighter aircrafts, but also with helicopters and other equipments needed by IAF. Broadly, the main assets needed by the IAF to effectively defend India's borders can be classified under - fighter planes, transport fleets, mid-air refuellers, trainers and helicopters.

Also Read | Six member IAF team heads for France for Rafale training

IAF is fifth largest airforce in the world and is also one of the highest purchasers of defence products from the foreign vendors. It can be said that IAF buys almost everything from foreign vendors.

Reason behind foreign purchases:

Many reasons can be given for IAF's (or for that matter all the three forces) over reliance on foreign purchases. But, blunt and straightforward reason is that ingenuously manufactured products are not good enough yet to carry on the advanced multi-task roles that a modern air force needs. Whether it is LCA Tejas or indigenous helicopters like Dhurv, Cheetah and Chetak, these are no match for the US, French or Russian made defence products. It is not that HAL is not no capable, HAL is trying its best to come out with world class products, but the time taken by it to develop a news product is just too high.

Beyond Rafale: IAF's options to replenish depleting fleet

India is set to get 36 Rafale jets but the IAF's requirement is far more than it. India wants both single engine fighters and twin-engine fighters. Rafale jets that India will get from from France will fall in the category of twin-engine type fighters.

Also Read | 'Rafale' vs 'Bofors': Can the two defence deals be compared?

It was thought that India's requirement for single engine fighters could be met with LCA Tejas. But due multiple problems encountered during Tejas's development and HAL's failure to meet the delivery deadlines has forced IAF to look at other foreign aircrafts.

Sometime back, reports had emerged that the Indian Air Force (IAF) was showing interest in Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II fighter jet. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multi-role fighters. The fifth-generation combat aircraft is designed to perform a ground attack and air superiority missions. But on March 1 this year, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa rubbished the reports and said that no such "request been made to the Americans."

IAF's Sukhoi-30 MKI The other good single engine fighters that India can consider are F-16, Mirage, Gripen, other SAABs, Chengdu J-7, MiG-27, Su-7 through 17. India would not want a single engine aircraft from Russia as Russian engines are notorious for failure. Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Defence Ministry has made it clear that two separate "Make in India" programmes will be considered - the first for a single-engine type and the second for a twin-engine type. It has been speculated that the F-16 and Gripen will be in competition for the former category, while the F/A-18 and the Rafale will compete in the latter category. Also Read |HAL misses LCA Tejas' delivery target, mounting worries for IAF Mirage 2000 aircraft Lockheed Martin is excited about the prospect of making F-16 fighter aircraft in India and making India a global manufacturing and supply base for the aircraft. There is legitimate concern that the choice of a new single-engine fighter type could jeopardize India's own Tejas project. This should not be an issue since the single-engine type being sought is to replace the MiG-23-MF/-BN and MiG-27ML aircraft in service, while the Tejas has been earmarked to replace the MiG-21. Indian Air Force's MIG-29K Fulcrum There are plenty of options, but even after IAF freezes on a particular purchase, the defence acquisitions in India take a long time to materialise because of process involved. The problem is not only with the purchase process but also with the politics being played around defence purchases.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 10:26 [IST]
Pseudo-liberals have made Rohingyas a rallying point to divide India on communal lines

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Oct 4: In the first decoration, 7 Rohingya Muslims will be handed over to Myanmar by India Today. The seven were arrested in 2012 for entering India illegally and were held in the Assam state prison.

India has obtained travel documents from the Myanmar authorities and the seven would be handed over to the border guards.

The security agencies say this is a good start and in the larger interest of national security. There are around 40,000 people from the Rohingya community in India of which 16,000 are registered with the UN refugee agency. The Union Government has made it clear that the Rohingyas are a threat to national security and they are likely to be used by groups such as the Islamic State owing to their terror links.

The security threat:

With terror groups offering the desperate Rohingyas an umbrella, the threat perception has been high over the past few years. Blasts at Bodhgaya and the plot to target the Dalai Lama were all indicators to dish out support for the Rohingyas.

Also Read | 7 Rohingyas will go back to Myanmar as SC rejects plea to stall deportation

Former special secretary, Research and Analysis Wing Amar Bhushan tells OneIndia that the Rohingyas has proliferated to Rs 40,000 from Rs 14,000 in five years. They are encouraged by the support they draw from pseudo-securalists and radical Islamic groups. This has made them a nightmare for the intelligence agencies, Bhushan also says.

The Rohingyas have also put a drain on the economic resources and a drag in our nation building, he further adds. They have also emerged as a rallying cause to divide the country on communal lines, Bhushan further adds.

In addition to this intelligence agencies tell Oneindia that the another worry about the Rohingyas living close to military installations. The worry for the agencies are those Rohingya Muslims who live in the Kanchanbagh area near Hafeezbabanagar which houses several defence laboratories. There are nearly a 1,000 Rohingya who live in and around these areas and this has posed a huge security risk.

In Hyderabad, there are around 4,000 Rohingyas who reside. Many live close to Hafeezbabanagar and Balapur. There are several high profile installations in these areas. During a high-level meeting the threat perception from the Rohingyas was discussed. Although no dedicated terror camp was found in Hyderabad concerning the Rohingyas was found, Intelligence Bureau officials do not rule out the possibility of some being brain-washed into carrying out strikes.

Also Read | India hands over 7 Rohingyas to Myanmar as SC refuses to intervene

Recently the police had identified four persons from Balapur in Hyderabad.

Those arrested have been identified as Mohammed Elias, 31, his wife Yasmeen Aira Begum, 25, Noor Rashid 26, and Murshid Alam, 22, of Akran district of Myanmar.

The police say that these persons came to India five years back and settled down at the Wadi-e-Omar area as refugees. They had been working as construction workers in the city along with several others.

A rallying point to divide India on communal lines:

Bhushan says that the brigade of liberals is appalled by how incentive the government could be in not allowing the Rohingyas to stay back in India. He says that these persons should know that the the situation in Myanmar would never improve to an extent that the Rohingyas will feel comfortable to go back.

Also Read | West Bengal 'slightly friendly' to Rohingyas, says BSF DG

Bhushan says that the Rohingya have today emerged as a rallying point to divide the country on communal lines. They are also an ideal material for recruitment by terror groups. They practise the same faith, live in camps in bad conditions, desperately need money to survive. This has made them an easy prey for terrorist groups.

Did Kashmir pandits leave India?

Bhushan says that it is time for the Rohingyas to introspect seriously as to why they have to flee Myanmar so often. What is it that forces Yangon to deny them citizenship? He also asks if the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) can get these people independence by raiding a few border posts and killing soldiers. ARSA, like the other terror groups are fighting an unequal battle and sucking them into mindless violence in the name of salvation from alleged discrimination.

Also Read | 'Huge number of Rohingyas travelling to Kerala via trains', says Railway Protection Force

He also says that they should learn from the Kashmiri Pandits who were forced out of the Valley by terrorists. Did they chose to leave India and become pariah in other countries? Similarly the Kashmiri separatists who crib about oppression are too clever to cross over to Pakistan as refugees.

The Rohingyas according to me should become responsible citizens in their own country or else they will keep seeking shelter in other countries, Amar Bhushan also said.
India clearly conveyed its requirement for S-400 to US

Could this be one of the reasons why S-400 makes the United States uncomfortable?

No doubts on India's Kashmir approach,S-400 missiles to be delivered to India by 2025: Russian envoy

India going ahead with induction plan for Russia S-400 systems despite US warning

Putin to arrive today, key pacts on the cards

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Oct 4: Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in New Delhi on Thursday (October 4) on a two-day India visit during which both countries will hold discussions on key bilateral issue besides signing the much anticipated S-400 air defence systems deal.

Putin will take part in the 19th India-Russia annual bilateral summit. During the summit, Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation.

The main focus of the visit will be the signing of the USD 5 billion worth deal to purchase S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems from Russia which will significantly bolster India's defence capabilities. S-400 Triumf is one of the world's most advanced air defence systems that can simultaneously track numerous incoming objects - all kinds of aircraft, missiles and UAVs - in a radius of a few hundred kilometres and launch appropriate missiles to neutralise them. The S-400 Triumph air defence system integrates a multifunction radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and command and control centre.

Also Read | India-Russia S-400 trade: Why Vladimir Putin's visit this week is too important

The S-400 missile deal is a contentious deal as the United States is opposed to it. The US has imposed military sanctions against Russia under stringent CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act). This also extends to countries that engage with Russia in defence matters. US' stand effectively means that any country that engages in defence or intelligence sharing with Russia could also be subject to sanctions.

On one hand, India wants these missiles to strengthen defence capabilities, but at the same time does not want to sour relations with the US. India would hope that the Trump administration grants the exemption to India under CAATSA.

Also Read | S-400 deal: Can India wriggle out of looming CAATSA sanctions?

Other key issues on the agenda:

India and Russia are likely to sign a $2.5 billion deal for four more Krivak/Talwar class stealth frigates for the navy on Friday when Prime Minister Modi and President Putin meet for the annual India-Russia summit.

Two of the warships will be constructed at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad and the remaining two at the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).

Also Read | Putin also to meet talented children and address a business submit during his India visit

Modi and Putin are also expected to explore ways to further deepen cooperation between the two countries in a number of sectors including trade, investment, connectivity, energy, space and tourism.

Modi and Putin are also expected to deliberate on impact of US sanctions on import of crude oil from Iran.

Besides holding talks with Modi, the Russian leader will also have a meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 8:51 [IST]
Rohingyas deported in accordance with established procedures and previous precedent

India

oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla

New Delhi, Oct 4: Ministry of External Affairs has clarified the matter of seven Rohingya infiltrators being handed over the Myanmar. The Supreme Court of India refused to intervene into the matter of them being handed over Myanmar.

The Ministry of External Affairs said, "Seven individuals from Rakhine State in Myanmar had been detained in 2012 for violation of the Foreigners Act. The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Cachar at Silchar, Assam, had awarded a three-month sentence for this violation and ordered their detention pending repatriation."

"Pseudo-liberals have made Rohingyas a rallying point to divide India on communal lines"

The ministry said that in accordance with the established procedures and previous precedent, and with the assistance of the Ministry of External Affairs, the Embassy of the Union of Myanmar was able to establish the identity of these individuals as residents of that country. The Government of Myanmar issued Certificates of Identity to facilitate the travel of these individuals to their hometowns in Rakhine State. In parallel, the individuals also requested in 2016 that the Embassy of the Union of Myanmar should issue them relevant travel documents to facilitate their return to their own country.

India hands over 7 Rohingyas to Myanmar as SC refuses to intervene

Upon reconfirming their willingness to be repatriated on October 3, 2018, and with the full concurrence of the Government of Myanmar, in accordance with established procedures and laws, the Government of Assam has arranged for the repatriation of these seven individuals to Myanmar. They were finally handed over at the border town of Moreh in Manipur. But They had been taken from Assam to Manipur to be deported to their home country, added the ministry.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 17:34 [IST]
7 Rohingyas will go back to Myanmar as SC rejects plea to stall deportation

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Oct 4: The Supreme Court has rejected a petition that sought to stall the deportation of seven Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar. The plea was filed by advocate, Prashanth Bhushan who had sought to stall the deportation of the seven to Myanmar through the border point at Moreh in Imphal.

'Huge number of Rohingyas travelling to Kerala via trains', says Railway Protection Force

The Centre informed the court that the seven had entered India illegally in 2012. They had been convicted under the Foreigners Act and detained at the Silchar detention centre.

The Centre further said that Myanmar had accepted the Rohingyas as their citizens and agreed to take them back. That is the reason the Centre is facilitating their return to their country, the Centre represented by Additional Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta stated.

West Bengal 'slightly friendly' to Rohingyas, says BSF DG

Bhushan on the other hand argued that the seven Rohingyas are sent back under duress and coercion. He requested the SC to ask the UNHRC officials to interview them and find out if they out of their free will would go back to a country which had unleashed the worst genocide against the Rohingyas.
SC directs Tripura govt to ensure no political party is prevented from local body polls campaign

Sacked IPS officer, Sanjiv Bhats wifes plea challenging probe rejected by SC

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Oct 4: The Supreme Court has rejected a petition filed by the wife of Sanjiv Bhat challenging the investigation into a 22 year old case against her husband.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi directed her to move the High Court in a fresh petition.

Sacked IPS officer Bhat's wife, Shweta had moved the court after Bhat was taken into custody in connection with the Palanpur drug planting case. The probe by the Gujarat CID got underway following an order the High Court.

Also Read | Palanpur drug planting: Why is dismissed IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt being probed

The action was taken in the wake of the Gujarat High Court directing the CID-Crime to probe the FIR lodged at Palanpur in Banaskantha in 1996 in which a lawyer from Rajasthan was booked for allegedly carrying 1.5 kg of narcotics. The case also involved a former judge of the Gujarat High Court, Ramanlal Rajmal Jain, and then Superintendent of Police Sanjiv Bhatt.

Shweta Bhat had moved the SC alleging that her husband was being prevented from moving the SC for relief. She had moved three petitions before the top court with a plea to quash the FIR against her husband, set him free from police custody and also set aside the HC order that ordered a CID probe into the drugs case.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 11:24 [IST]
The Kiran Bedi saga: What makes Governors and Lt Governors so controversial?

India

oi-Vikas SV

By Dr. Sandeep Shastri

Democratic governments function effectively when those who adorn constitutional offices accept and understand the rationale of their respective roles. This is even more relevant in parliamentary democracies where a distinction is often made between the Head of State and Head of Government. In India, this has reference to the office of the President and the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister at the central level and the position of the Governor and the Council of Ministers headed by the chief Minister in the states. Equally important is the role of the Lt. Governor and the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister in special category states like Delhi and Union Territories like Puducherry.

The Lt. Governor of Puducherry, Kiran Bedi has been in the limelight for several decades now, first as the first women IPS officer, as a civic activist, briefly as a politician and now as the Lt. Governor of a Union Territory. She is a public figure who is known to call a spade a spade and took on senior politicians during her career in the police. As DCP (Traffic) in Delhi, she earned the nickname Crane Bedi for having got the cars of VIPs towed away for being parked in No Parking zones. Ever since she took oath as Lt Governor of Puducherry, she has been the focus of media attention and at the centre of many a political controversy. The latest episode has been her directing the organisers to switch off the mike when a AIADMK MLA was speaking at a public function as he refused to adhere to time limits. The confrontation that erupted has been in the spotlight of attention in the social, electronic and print media and merits detailed analysis.

Also Read | WATCH: Asked to wrap speech, lawmaker fights with Kiran Bedi on camera

The entire episode draws attention to two important dimensions. Firstly, one needs to revisit the role of an important constitutional office like the Governor in a State or Lt Governor in a Union Territory. Secondly, it also raises questions on the manner in which people are appointed to these positions and the political background or track-record of those made Governors/Lt Governors.

In the last seven decades of the operation of the Constitution, no constitutional office has generated more controversies than the office of the Governor. The root of the crisis is possibly the lack of clarity in the constitutional document or in the constitutional assembly debates on the role of the Governor. During the debate it was sometimes mentioned that the Governor of a State is like the President at the Centre. At other times it was mentioned that the Governor would be the first citizen of the state and yet at other times it was asserted that the Governor would be the representative of the centre in the state. Each of these roles could merit a different interpretation. The position of the Lt Governor in a Union Territory like Puducherry, has to additionally take into account the special powers assigned to the office, even as one provided for a democratically elected government in the Union Territory or a special category state like Delhi. The Court directives in the light of certain actions of the Lt Governor of Delhi, clearly indicate that when there is a democratically elected government, the Governor (or Lt Governor) needs to act largely under the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers except when the rare situation requires an interpretation of constitutional provisions and use of discretion. What in reality has happened is that those anticipated rare moments have become common-place unfolding on a daily basis bringing the office of the Lt Governor in direction confrontation with the democratically elected government. This becomes even more visible when one party is in power at the centre and another the ruling party at the State/Union Territory as in the case of Puducherry. The confrontation between the Lt Governor and Chief Minister of Puducherry has been out in the open with the Chief Minister even writing letters to the Centre complaining against the many actions of the Lt Governor.

Also Read | 'People of Pondicherry proud of French heritage': Kiran Bedi on being trolled over WC tweet

At the heart of the controversy relating to the office of the Governor/ Lt Governor is the manner of their appointment and the background of the people appointed to these positions. In the Constituent Assembly debates Jawaharlal Nehru has assured the members of the constitution making body, that Governors would be appointed after consulting the Chief Ministers. This however was not implicitly stated in the Constitution but was expected to be followed as a convention. Over time, consultation became information with many an unwelcome Governor being thrust on a State, especially when the party in power at the Centre was different from the one that was the ruling party in the state. The controversy that followed the side-tracking of a convention that involved consultation with the Chief Minister, invariably involved an increasing mistrust of the Governor by the democratically elected government in the State/Union Territory.

A linked factor is the background of individuals appointed as Governors/ Lt Governor. In the Constituent Assembly debates, Jawaharlal Nehru had held out an assurance, that when appointing Governors eminent people who were not involved in active politics would be appointed as Governors. In reality, nine of every ten Governors have been politicians who were active in the ruling party in power at the centre or retired but loyal civil servants. A survey of those holding the Gubernatorial office today across the country would underscore this point. To be fair to the present government, they are only carrying forward a well established tradition fashioned by previous governments. Given the background that they bring to the office, controversy would invariably be a natural by-product.

In Ms Kiran Bedi's case, not only was she the BJP Chief Ministerial candidate in Delhi she was known to be a no-nonsense police officer who spoke her mind. That continues to be her trait even after her appointment as Lt Governor. While some of the public causes she has fought for are commendable (even as Lt Governor), it may be important to reflect on the limits that the holders of an office must voluntarily place on themselves, given the nature of democratic governance and respect for constitutional norms and propriety. Such controversies will continue to abound if those chosen to constitutional positions do not appreciate not merely the letter but the spirit of the Constitution. More importantly, insulating the office from political controversy would require appointing individuals to these positions who are eminent individuals whose prominence is not merely on account of their past political or administrative career.

(Dr Sandeep Shastri is a leading political scientist and Pro Vice Chancellor, Jain University)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 8:32 [IST]
The real reason why Mayawati showed Congress the hand

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Oct 4: BSP supremo Mayawati has ruled out any alliance with the Congress for the assembly polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. While launching an attack against several Congress leaders including Digvijaya Singh, she however refrained from criticising Rahul and Sonia Gandhi.

While it is certain that the BSP would contest the polls alone in the states of Rajasthan, MP and Chattisgarh, the big question is will this play out in the 2019 elections as well. It would depend on how the seat sharing arrangement is made, considering Mayawati hails from the mighty state of Uttar Pradesh.

The bone of contention:

For the BSP, the big issue was the seat sharing. In Rajasthan the Congress had offered just nine seats, while there are 200. In Madhya Pradesh, where there are 231 seats, the BSP was offered just 15 and in the case of Chattisgarh, it was 5 out of 90.

Mayawati's frontal attack against Congress: Hold on there is a disclaimer

Mayawati claimed that she had noticed in the past that each time the BSP entered into an alliance, the votes got transferred to the Congress. The BSP suffers more in an alliance, she said while adding that the Congress was looking to eliminate small parties in the name of defeating the BJP.

The BSP influence:

In the states of both MP and Rajasthan, the BSP has influence in certain pockets, especially where the Dalit population is higher. In the 2013 elections in MP, the party won 6.29 per cent of the votes, whereas in Rajasthan the number stood at 3.4 per cent.

Political analysts say that the Congress may lose out in Madhya Pradesh after the BSP decided to fight it alone. The BJP and Congress are locked in a tight fight in the state and it could be the BSP which may end up making the difference in certain pockets in this close contest.

Alliance with Congress 'not at any cost,' says Mayawati

The fact however is, while Mayawati's statements are significant, she is still not the major player in these states. She is testing the waters, Dr. Sandeep Shastri, leading psephologist tells OneIndia.

Analysts also feel that this could be a hard bargain tactic ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where she would expect many more seats from the Congress. Hence she was guarded in her response yesterday and had gone all out to praise Rahul and Sonia. This even prompted the Congress to point out the same and say that as long as there is mutual respect and confidence, all other issues can be worked out.

The impact on the grand alliance:

In 2014, the BSP did not win a single seat. While the number may have stood at a nought, the fact is that the party still does have a considerable vote share among the Dalits and this is a fact that no party would ignore.

Going by Mayawati's statement, it is clear that the party is capable of retaining its vote share, but it is unable to transfer votes for itself from other parties. The performance of the BSP and the vote share it is able to garner would be crucial considering the fact that these assembly polls are being dubbed as a semi-final to the big one in 2019. The battle at Chhattisgarh too would be closely watched as the BSP would fight the election in an alliance with Ajit Jogi.

Creases can be ironed out before 2019: Congress on Mayawati's snub

However the drama is far from over as of now. Her careful wordplay where the Gandhis are concerned and the fact that she is yet to release the list of BSP candidates has left several things in the open. Is there is a chance of a reconciliation with the Congress? Time would tell.
Afghan territory must not be used to carry out terror attacks against other countries: BRICS Leaders

PM Modi welcomes Vladimir Putin with warm hug, dinner; official summit today

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Oct 4: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Delhi on Thursday on a two-day visit to hold the annual bilateral summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and met PM Modi shortly after his arrival.

Putin will take part in the 19th India-Russia annual bilateral summit. During the summit, Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation.

Russia to train Indian astronaut for Gaganyaan mission

The main focus of the visit will be the signing of the USD 5 billion worth deal to purchase S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems from Russia which will significantly bolster India's defence capabilities. S-400 Triumf is one of the world's most advanced air defence systems that can simultaneously track numerous incoming objects - all kinds of aircraft, missiles and UAVs - in a radius of a few hundred kilometres and launch appropriate missiles to neutralise them. The S-400 Triumph air defence system integrates a multifunction radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and command and control centre.

India may try to invoke legacy issue while dealing with Russia to avoid sanctions

The prime minister hosted a private dinner for the Russian president at his official residence ahead of the crucial summit tomorrow. Both the leaders are likely to sign important agreements including the S-400 air defence systems deal on Friday.

The S-400 missile deal is a contentious deal as the United States is opposed to it. The US has imposed military sanctions against Russia under stringent CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act).

This also extends to countries that engage with Russia in defence matters. US' stand effectively means that any country that engages in defence or intelligence sharing with Russia could also be subject to sanctions.
Photo: Contributed

The Okanagan Indian Band and the City of Vernon have entered into a new relationship.

The two communities have signed a Relationship Accord, which recognizes the social, cultural and economic ties that exist between the communities.

"The document provides a vision that celebrates the communities collective knowledge with a goal to build a better future for our children and generations to follow," the City stated in a press release.

Okanagan Indian Band and the City of Vernon are one of nine partnerships that were selected in Canada to participate in the Community Economic Development Initiative (CEDI).

The program provides the respective Councils with additional capacity to reach common goals and realize a joint vision.

The resources provided by the CEDI program assist in facilitating priorities set out in bi-annual workshops in order to achieve joint community economic development success.

At the bi-annual workshops, elected officials and senior staff representing both communities have learned about each others history, culture, governance structures and economic development priorities.

These discussions have strengthened relationships as neighbours and provided a foundation for future partnerships through respectful communication.

The Band and City Councils have agreed on priorities for the communities, which include joint land use planning, infrastructure and tourism opportunities. These initiatives are part of a long-term plan intended to maximize the benefit of participating in the CEDI program. These steps are essential in creating a successful environment to enable joint economic development initiatives to be realized.

On Saturday, October 13, 2018 the OKIB and the City of Vernon Councils invite the community to join them in celebration as they sign a Relationship Accord.

The ceremonial signing of the Relationship Accord recognizes the social, cultural and economic ties that exist between the communities. The document provides a vision that celebrates the communities collective knowledge with a goal to build a better future for our children and generations to follow.

The two communities began a process in 2017 intended to facilitate stronger relationships through joint economic development and land use planning initiatives on traditional Syilx/Okanagan territory.

The event will take place on the shores of Kin/Sandy Beach on Tronson Road/Lakeshore Road at 10 a.m.
Weather forecast for Oct 5: Heavy rains likely over Kerala in next 24 hours

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Oct 4: Here is the weather forecast for Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Thiruvananthpuram for October 5.

Bengaluru:

The weathermen at Skymet Weather have forecast that during the next 24 hours, Light to moderate rains with isolated heavy spells are likely to occur over Tamil Nadu, South Interior Karnataka and South Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature will be recorded around 30 degree Celsius and humidity will be around 70 per cent.

Delhi:

The Southwest Monsoon 2018 has completely withdrawn from India's capital territory, Delhi. Due to the interaction of these two weather systems, Delhi will experience patchy rains on October 10-12. The maximum temperature will be recorded around 34 degree Celsius and humidity will be around 53 per cent.

Mumbai:

With Monsoon 2018 retreating from the neighborhood, Mumbai is now battling hot weather conditions. Both the day and night temperature would continue to settle above average, making weather uncomfortable at least for next two days. As per Skymet weather, Mumbaikars would see relief only during the late afternoon after the sea breeze sets in. Any major respite is only expected by October 5 or 6. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature would be recorded around 34 degree Celsius and humidity around 68 per cent.

Chennai:

Rains in Tamil Nadu have begun had already been reiterated by Skymet Weather. Moreover, the state has been witnessing heavy showers as well. The weathermen at Skymet Weather have forecast that during the next 24 hours Now, during the next 24 hours also, rains are expected to continue over many parts of Tamil Nadu as the circulation continues to persist over Southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu Coast. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature would be recorded around 31 degree Celsius and humidity around 77 per cent.

Thiruvananthapuram:

The state of Kerala has begun to witness heavy rains in many pockets with some areas even recording rainfall in three digits. The state of Kerala has begun to witness heavy rains in many pockets with some areas even recording rainfall in three digits. Moreover, the state has put three districts in the southern parts on alert including Idukki, Thrissur, and Palakkad after heavy rains while a yellow alert has been issued many other parts of the state of Kerala. heavy showers are expected to continue over the state of Kerala in the next 24 hours. The intensity of rains will increase thereafter and between October 6 and 8, several parts of the state. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature would be recorded around 29 degree Celsius and humidity around 83 per cent.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 16:06 [IST]
Afghan territory must not be used to carry out terror attacks against other countries: BRICS Leaders

What is the game changer S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile system?

India

oi-Shubham Ghosh

New Delhi, Oct 4: Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in India on Thursday, October 4, for a two-day visit and all eyes will be whether India and Russia will take the opportunity to sign a $5 billion deal on S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile systems, something that could earn the wrath of the United States. It is a crucial moment of balancing by India in its external affairs and the world is eager to see how Prime Minister Narendra Modi plays it out.

Putin to arrive today, key pacts on the cards

Now, what is the S-400 Triumf, which is being considered a "game changer"?

Here are some facts about the S-400 Triumf:

The S-400 Triumf or SA-21 Growler as the Nato calls it, is a modern long-range surface-to-air missile system developed by Russia. It was first used in 2007 and is an upgraded version of the S-300 series of missile systems used by Moscow for its defence.

India and Russia have been in talks to purchase the S-400 Triumf since 2015 and several countries have already expressed interest in procuring the system as it is considered far better than the American THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) though there is a difference in the two systems.

The S-400 not only provides a layered defence but can also fire three separate missiles. The system has a multifunction radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers besides a command and control centre.

The S-400 can go after all types of aerial targets like aircraft, ballistic and cruise missiles, UAVs that are within a range of 400 kilometres and at an altitude of up to 30 kilometres.

This defence system can be deployed within five minutes and is far more effective than the earlier Russian air defence systems.

The system can track up to 300 airborne targets at a range of 600 km and can destroy up to 36 of those

The Indian Air Force will receive the first S-400 squadron within two years of signing the deal while the rest will be delivered in the next four-five years.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 10:00 [IST]
Why US is against India-Russia deal on S-400 Triumf missile system

India

oi-Shubham Ghosh

New Delhi, Oct 4: The United States is perturbed by the fact that India and Russia could go ahead with the much-anticipated deal on the S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile system. It has threatened sanctions if New Delhi goes ahead with the deal and all eyes are now on how Prime Minister Narendra Modi balances things and keeps both the relations without a lasting damage.

But why is the US worried over this deal? The Cold War is long over and Russia is no more a superpower capable of inflicting a damage that can unsettle the US - the only superpower the world sees today. But yet, Washington is not at all comfortable with the idea of India, with which it has grown closer over last almost two decades, finalising a defence deal with Russia.

What is the 'game changer' S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile system?

Here are a few reasons why the US is not okay with the India-Russia deal:

US doesn't want to lose its military lead

First, the S-400 Triumf's 'game-changing' capacity which is being acknowledged across the world. Russia's anti-aircraft missile systems have always worried the West, thanks to the shooting down of a couple of American reconnaissance planes in the early 1960s by the then S-75 system after they were found overflying the former Soviet Union and Cuba in 1960 and 1962, respectively. The Russian anti-aircraft missile system hence has a reputation of being effective and today, when a number of powers ranging from India, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and even Pakistan have expressed interest to buy them, the US is understandably worried. With a vast tracking range and the capacity to destroy aerial targets at a high speed, the S-400 Triumf system will be any force's asset and it would reduce the military lead that the US has over some of its enemies worldwide.

Putin to arrive today, key pacts on the cards

That the US's establishment is worried over the worldwide market potential of the Russian missile defence system became evident when the chairman of the US Arms Service Committee Mac Thornberry told the press in May, as quoted by The Hindu: "There is a lot of concern in the US, in both the administration and the Congress, over the S-400 system. There is concern that any country and not just India that acquires that system will complicate our ability to work towards interoperability together."

But why is US worried over friend India procuring the Russian military equipment?

It's understandable when the US condemns its enemies vying for the S-400 but why is it doing the same when India, its friend, is doing the same? The reason is not too difficult to guess. Russia's military hardware is something that doesn't get outdated easily (India is still using the old MiG-21s) and Washington is worried that if India goes forward to procure the S-400 system, then its missile defence will remain dependent on it for a long time to come. This will pose a challenge to Washington's plans to keep India closer to its own defence and strategic network.

The US is also worried that if India settles the deal with Russia, the S-400's market will open fast as other nations will follow the example set by India, one of the biggest buyers of military hardware in the world and is also known to finalise deals after a long trial. The growing market for the S-400 Triumf is something the Americans will want the least.

Rafale and S-400, a booster dose for IAF, says Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa

Pakistan is the other factor why US is worried

Another reason for the US's objection to the India-Russia deal is the impact it might have on South Asian politics. Seeing India acquiring the developed hardware, Pakistan will not sit idle and also aspire to acquire its own assets and this could see more tension rising in an already volatile region. And if Pakistan also turns to Russia and China for getting the latest military hardware, ignoring the US, it will not only be a loss of face for Washington but also a worry that the race to gain strategic advantage in South Asia could do without it in the future.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 10:27 [IST]
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

The ministry gave no details, but based on previous visits by American secretaries of state, he would be likely to meet with China's foreign minister, senior foreign policy advisers and President Xi Jinping.

China President Xi Jinping

The visit comes as the U.S. administration is accusing China of trying to undermine President Donald Trump, who accused China during a meeting of the UN Security Council of interfering in American elections to help his Democratic rivals.

"They do not want me, or us, to win because I am the first president ever to challenge China on trade," Trump said, later referencing as evidence an advertising insert in The Des Moines Register paid for by Chinese government-affiliated entities.

US sends two warships near S China Sea islands claimed by Beijing: Report

US President Donald Trump

Since Trump took office last year, his administration has escalated pressure on China, most recently with several rounds of tit-for-tat economic trade tariffs on hundreds of billions in goods. Trump's first national security strategy released last year also labelled China a "revisionist power" alongside Russia.

Additionally, ties have worsened in recent weeks with a US decision to issue economic sanctions over the purchase of Russian fighter jets and surface-to-air missile equipment. In response, China summoned the American ambassador and defense attache to deliver a protest, and recalled its navy commander from a US trip.

US- China trade war escalates after Trump slaps tariff

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has since dropped plans to visit China in October for talks. Meanwhile, a Chinese destroyer came aggressively close to a U.S. Navy ship in the South China Sea, forcing it to maneuver to prevent a collision, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said Tuesday.

The Chinese warship approached the USS Decatur in an "unsafe and unprofessional maneuver" on Sunday near Gaven Reefs in the South China Sea, said U.S. Pacific Fleet Spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman. At one point, the ships were within 40 meters (131 feet) of each other.

China claims most of the strategic waterway and has built islands on reefs and equipped them with military facilities such as airstrips, radar domes and missile systems. The Chinese defense ministry said Tuesday it opposes the U.S. warship's entry into the waters "around China's islands and reefs."

PTI
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COVID digest: US gives vaccine approval for children 5 to 11

US threatens sanctions ahead of India-Russia missile systems deal

International

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Washington, Oct 4: The US on Wednesday urged its allies not to enter into transactions with Russia and warned that it would trigger American sanctions, a day after it was reported that India was planning to purchase multi-billion S-400 missile defense system from Moscow.

Late last month, the Trump administration imposed sanctions under Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act or CAATSA, which was signed into law last August, on China for purchasing fighter jets and missile defense system from Russia.

The CAATSA law tries to push back against Russia's malign activity around the world.

S-400 missile deal: Will India be granted waiver from CAATSA?

"We urge all of our allies and partners to forgo transactions with Russia that would trigger sanctions under CAATSA," a State Department Spokesperson told PTI when asked about India's plan to purchase multi-billion S-400 missile defense system from Russia.

"The Administration has indicated that a focus area for the implementation of CAATSA Section 231 is new or qualitative upgrades in capability - including the S-400 air and missile defense system," the spokesperson said.

According to a report, India and Russia will sign a deal for the multi-billion-dollar S-400 surface-to-air missile system this week.

The signing of the deal for Moscow's most advanced air defence system will be overseen by Russian president Vladimir Putin, who is visiting New Delhi on October 4-5 for the annual India-Russia summit, the report said quoting a top Kremlin official said.

"The President is trying to develop a relationship and change that, but we've not been successful, at least to date," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told NBC news in an interview.

India to gift Russia with MiG-21 jets during Putin's visit; a wise symbolic gesture

In September, a senior administration official told reporters that purchase of major military system like multi-billion S-400 missile defense system would be considered as a "significant transaction and thus has a potential" for CAATSA sanctions.

The official emphasized that the ultimate target of these sanctions was Russia.

The CAATSA sanctions in this context are not intended to undermine the defence capabilities of any particular country.

"They are instead aimed at imposing costs upon Russia in response to its malign activities," the official had said.
Biden-Putin summit: First round of talks come to an end

Afghan territory must not be used to carry out terror attacks against other countries: BRICS Leaders

Vladimir Putin more trusted by world than Donald Trump, US fact tank survey shows

International

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Washington, Oct 4: The Pew Research Center has interviewed more than 26,000 people across 25 nations and asked them a number of questions on how they viewed the US and other global powers.

One of the questions asked was whether the people felt confident about US President Donald Trump doing the right thing. Only 27 per cent said they did whether a whopping 70 per cent said otherwise.

The poor response on his reliability put Trump in the fifth position out of as many world leaders. Russian President Vladimir Putin did better than Trump as 30 per cent of the respondents expressed faith on him. Sixty two per cent said they did not have trust in Putin who won his latest mandate earlier this year.

Also Read | Relation of trust has been the key to India and Russia relations

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was the only woman leader among the five and she topped the list with 52 per cent of people expressing faith in her. Thirty one per cent did not trust her.

The two other leaders included in the research were French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping who ended in the top three.

Merkel and Macron viewed with more confidence internationally than Xi, Putin or Trump https://t.co/gZufBTQBlT pic.twitter.com/13eT7Zi057  Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) October 1, 2018

Confidence in U.S. President Donald Trump to do the right thing regarding world affairs:



Philippines : 78%

Israel : 69

Nigeria : 59



Australia : 32

Japan : 30

UK : 28



Argentina : 11

Germany : 10

Mexico : 6https://t.co/b0aXZc2k8k pic.twitter.com/hTHF2FPieI  Pew Research Global (@pewglobal) October 2, 2018

The research had another disappointing finding for the US as it showed that only three countries in the world - Russia, Kenya and Israel - were showing betterment in their takes on the world's only superpower since 2016.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 8:20 [IST]
Afghan territory must not be used to carry out terror attacks against other countries: BRICS Leaders

While India, Russia close in on defence deal, West is rattled over Moscows missiles

International

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Brussels, Oct 4: The West is turning increasingly apprehensive about Russia's new missile system. On Wednesday, October 3, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) chief Jens Stoltenberg sought the Kremlin to prove that it is abiding by the Cold War nuclear arms reduction treaty, AFP reported. The US has been complaining for nearly two years that a ground-launched missile system deployed by Moscow violates the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). Nato defence ministers are set to discuss the issue at an upcoming two-day meeting here after it was said in its July summit that the Russian 9M729 missile system gave rise to "serious concerns", the report added.

Referring to the 1987 treaty signed by former US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev as a "cornerstone of European security", Stoltenberg said: "We are very serious about our concerns and very serious when we call on Russia to comply with the INF treaty in a transparent and verifiable way."

He said Moscow had earlier denied that the missile even existed but now have admitted their existence and the West has hence called on them to answer their questions.

Also Read | Putin to arrive today, key pacts on the cards

"As long as they don't answer our questions, the most plausible solution is that this is a violation of the INF treaty," the Nato chief said.

US threatened a preemptive strike against Russia?

On Tuesday, the US Ambassador to Nato Kay Bailey Hutchinson revealed an alarming position saying the US might "take out" Russian missiles that the US considers a violation of the 1987 treaty.

Though her words seemed ambiguous, arms control experts said they could be interpreted as "preemptive strike" which could lead to a devastating turn.

Also Read | India and Russia likely to sign a $2.5 billion deal for four stealth frigates

Hutchinson later clarified on Twitter that she was not talking about any preemptive strike after the Russian foreign ministry took her words seriously. The diplomatic damage was, however, done by then.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 9:22 [IST]
Wikileaks' 12th anniversary: Assange spends 2858 days in Ecuador embassy

International

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

London, Oct 4: Twelve years ago Wikileaks, a non-profit organisation that publishes secret information, launched on October 4. Wikileaks is specialized in the analysis and publication of large datasets of censored or otherwise restricted official materials involving war, spying and corruption. It has so far published more than 10 million documents and associated analyses.

Julian Assange, the founder is reportedly under isolation at Ecuadorian Embassy in the United Kingdom. As per Wikileaks, since 28 March 2018, the government of Ecuador has imposed a regime of isolation on Assange, which means that he may receive no visitors other than his lawyers, and is kept incommunicado from friends and family through the government's installation of signal jammers which interfere with wifi and phone signals. The government has also imposed a gag on any public statements and interviews.

Putin to arrive today, key pacts on the cards

Assange's defence attorney Jennifer Robinson health is at risk after being held without medical attention in the Ecuadorean Embassy in the U.K. since 2012.

"We are very concerned about his health: he has been locked up in the embassy for more than six years, without proper access to medical care," said Robinson during an interview with the Catalan publication, Nacio Digital.

Wikileaks alleged that US aligned political parties in Ecuador push to strip Julian Assange of citizenship in the plenary session of parliament. His citizenship is a barrier to transfer to US or UK as section 79 of Ecuadorian constitution expressly forbids extradition of nationals.

The entire UK global human rights budget is less than the UK government admits it has spent spying on @WikiLeaks editor @JulianAssange. The UK continues to be in flagrant violation of two UN rulings to free and compensate our publisher. https://t.co/2jOgvSu5bG #FreeThePress pic.twitter.com/b55LtGWMrl  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) September 28, 2018

US efforts to get Assange back:

A US grand jury investigation has been ongoing since May 2010 with the purpose of bringing a case against Julain Assange over WikiLeaks publications. Efforts to prosecute Assange have expanded under the Trump administration to include WikiLeaks groundbreaking series on the CIA published last year. Assange faces up to life imprisonment for multiple charges including conspiracy, theft, and electronic espionage-a terrorism offence.

Why US is against India-Russia deal on S-400 Triumf missile system

In 2010, Donald Trump called WikiLeaks "disgraceful" and suggested that the "death penalty" should be a punishment for WikiLeaks' releases of information. Following the dump of e-mails hacked from the Hillary Clinton campaign, Donald Trump told voters, "I love WikiLeaks!" Trump made many references to WikiLeaks during the course of the campaign; by one estimate, he referenced disclosures by WikiLeaks over 160 times in speeches during the last 30 days of the campaign.

In April 2017, CIA Director Mike Pompeo stated: "It is time to call out WikiLeaks for what it really is - a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia."
'Will certainly ask him why he did that': Pak Foreign Min on colleague meeting Hafiz Saeed

International

oi-PTI

Islamabad, Oct 4: Pakistan Cabinet minister Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri "should have been more sensitive" while sharing the dais with 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the country's foreign minister has said, acknowledging the mistake committed by his ministerial colleague this week.

"I will go home and certainly ask him why he did that. But what I am told it was an event to highlight the situation in Kashmir," Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a Washington audience on Wednesday when asked about Cabinet minister for religious affairs Qadri sharing a dais with Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Saeed at a meeting in Islamabad.

"It had nothing to do with Lashkar-e-Taiba. There were other political elements there. He happened to be one of them," Qureshi added.

"I think he (Qadri) should've been more sensitive, but it wasn't that he subscribes to his (Saeed's) point of view," the visiting Pakistani foreign minister said.

"Please explain why earlier this week on Monday, your government's federal minister of religious affairs appeared side by side at a public conference with the head of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organisation banned by Pakistan?" Qureshi was asked by a member in the audience at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded think tank.Qadri was seen seated near Saeed as he addressed an All Parties Conference organised by the Difa-e-Pakistan Council on Sunday in Islamabad.

A banner in the background said the conference was in "defence of Pakistan", and mentioned "Kashmir" as well as "threats from India". The Difa-e-Pakistan Council is a coalition of over 40 Pakistani political and religious parties that advocate conservative policies.

Qadri's presence at the event with Saeed vindicated India's stand that there is no change in Pakistan's attitude towards terrorism after Prime Minister Imran Khan assumed office in August.

Qureshi asserted that Pakistan is serious in the fight against terrorism. "We cannot surrender to terrorism. We will have to take them on and we will have to clear areas. We have successfully done that. Well it's a work in progress, we would have to continue to build on what you've achieved, but to a large extent, things have changed," he said, adding that this shift is not being recognised enough in the US.

"Cutting off training, not giving precision equipment that could've been used against terrorism, I don't know to what extent that'll help. In my view it will not help collectively," he said.

"Collectively we can achieve our shared objective. A blame game will not be productive," he said.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 13:50 [IST]
UP B.Ed JEE Exam to be held on July 30

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to reach Lucknow on July 16; Key meetings scheduled in Delhi before visit

Members of farmers' body detained in Lucknow for trying to burn effigies of PM Modi, Shah

Lucknow: Two brothers shot dead; police nabs prime suspect

Lucknow

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Lucknow, Oct 4: Two brothers were shot dead after being beaten up by two men in Lucknow late on Wednesday night. The incident happened when twenty-four-year-old Imran Ghazi and his brother Arman, 22, along with friend Nishant were on their way home when they were attacked near Bamba road in Thakurganj.

The says that they have arrested the prime accused of the case.

Nishant said they were dragged out of their car by the assailants and beaten up with rods and sticks before being shot dead from point-blank range.

Also Read | Ghaziabad: BSF constable shoots and kills colleague

The friend somehow managed to escape and inform the Thakurganj police, who rushed to the spot only to find the two men dead. The attackers had also escaped.

The family of the deceased told Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kalanidhi Naithani that the brothers had a verbal spat with some men a few days back.

For More Lucknow News, Click Here

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 15:05 [IST]
Photo: The Canadian Press New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant

A New Brunswick judge has confirmed a narrow Liberal win in a recount for a Saint John riding, but further legal challenges are still possible.

The judicial recount means the results of the Sept. 24 provincial election remain at 22 seats for the Progressive Conservatives, and 21 for the Liberals.

A spokesman for the chief electoral officer said the Saint John Harbour recount before the Court of Queen's Bench concluded the Liberals still hold a 10-vote margin of victory.

However a lawyer for the Progressive Conservative candidate has alleged about 40 voters cast their ballots twice and has said he may reinstate an application for the result to be thrown out by early next week.

Recounts were also continuing in a Moncton court in an 11-vote victory for the Green party in the riding of Memramcook-Tantramar, and in a 93-vote victory for the Tories in Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton.

No party won a majority, with the Liberals saying they still plan to proceed to a throne speech in just over two weeks and the Tories continuing to call for Premier Brian Gallant to resign immediately and allow Tory Leader Blaine Higgs to form a government.

The Green party and the People's Alliance party each have three seats.
Members of farmers' body detained in Lucknow for trying to burn effigies of PM Modi, Shah

UP: Cops nab notorious criminal after brief encounter in Noida

Lucknow

oi-PTI

Noida (UP), Oct 3: A wanted criminal was arrested by Gautam Buddh Nagar Police at Noida on Wednesday (Oct 3) after a brief encounter from both sides.

Chaukhe, 30, was held late on Tuesday night when he was passing the Jaipuria Crossing in Sector 62 with one of his aides on a motorcycle, the police said.

Drug trafficker nabbed in Noida

"Acting on a tip-off that Chaukhe might pass the area, we had set up pickets and deployed policemen. The checking worked as he was intercepted," an official from Sector 58 police station said.

When asked to stop, Chaukhe opened fire, the official said, adding that a policeman shot and injured him in retaliatory fire. "Soon the police team overpowered Chaukhe, but his aide managed to flee amid cross-firing," the police official said.

Chaukhe, who was held with a country-made pistol, was taken to the district hospital for treatment. A case was registered against Chaukhe at Sector 58 police station and he was booked under section 307 of Indian Penal Code (attempt to murder) and under the Arms Act.

Encounter spree in Uttar Pradesh by Police: Two criminals killed

The police said as many as 38 cases were registered at various police stations, including Gautam Buddh Nagar, against Chaukhe, who belongs to Bulandshahr district. "He has been booked by the police in Bulandshahr, Hapur, Meerut, Bijnor for cases of robbery, attempted murder, Arms Act and Gangsters Act," the police said.

Chauke, a wanted criminal for dozens of criminal cases tried to abscond from police but got caught after they overpowered him.

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Story first published: Thursday, October 4, 2018, 10:45 [IST]
Protest near CM's residence

The striking workers today held protest near Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence demanding egular payments of salaries, clearance of dues and regularisation of sanitation workers who have been inducted on a temporary basis. (Image credit - ANI/Twitter)

Protest at Kashmere Gate

Earlier in the day, East Delhi Municipal Corporation workers held a protest near Kashmere Gate over their demands.

Because of the strike, the sanitation workers have not been collecting garbage which has turned many parts of East Delhi a big garbage dump. Heaps of garbage lay strewn around major areas like Laxmi Nagar, Vinod Nagar, Geeta Colony, Krishan Nagar and Azadpur. (Image credit - ANI/Twitter)

East Delhi MCD sanitation workers strike ends; to get salary within 2 days

Dengue cases in Delhi

The mounting garbage can potentially lead to a major outbreak of infectious diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya.

File photo of garbage pile at Gazipur

EDMC mayor Bipin Bihari had last month blamed the AAP government for the mess and said the employees could not be paid because the Delhi government did not release funds. The areas worst affected by the strike include Dharampura, Kailash Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Trilok Puri, Kalyan Puri, Geeta Colony and Shahdara.
Photo: The Canadian Press

She lay inside a medical tent in the stifling midday heat, wincing in pain at the deep gashes and cuts that covered her body. But all Anisa Cornelia could think about was the love of her life  the man she was supposed to marry this month.

She had not seen him since a deadly tsunami smashed into the Indonesian city of Palu last week, separating the pair possibly forever as they strolled along a sandy beach at twilight.

"Where is my fiance? Please, do you have any news?" the badly bruised 22-year-old pleaded as medical staff came to check on her in the courtyard of Palu's main hospital.

"Everyone is still searching for him," replied Dr. Andi Sengrengrele, pursing her lips in sympathy. "You have to be patient, OK?"

One week after a magnitude 7.5 quake spawned a deadly tsunami on the island of Sulawesi, countless people have yet to find their loved ones  both survivors and the dead.

As of Thursday, the government put the death toll at 1,424, with 113 people missing. Many families, though, never registered their losses with police. It's also unknown how many might have drowned, been swept out to sea or were swallowed up in two of Palu's neighbourhoods where the quake turned the ground into quicksand-like soil.

Lisda Cancer, who heads the local police's Department of Victim Identification, said about 600 of the bodies buried in mass graves in Palu alone were unclaimed. Until Wednesday, authorities had been photographing them in hopes that relatives could identify them later.

"But we had to stop because the corpses we're recovering now have decayed too much," Cancer said. "They've become a public health hazard, and the new instructions are to bury them immediately."

The disaster has overwhelmed local authorities. On Thursday, a private ambulance brought the corpse of one man who had been found in the road to two hospitals, including the one where Cornelia was being treated. Both facilities turned them away.

Before the vehicle drove away, a woman in a red headscarf who had been searching for her missing daughter for a week began weeping. Hospital staff said they had received her body, but had released it for burial already in one of Palu's mass graves.

Cornelia said she met her fiance, 25-year-old Iqbal Nurdiansyah, seven years earlier through friends at school. She was attracted to his warm personality, his bushy eyebrows and his handsome face.
Pakistan on Thursday said it is ready to present a strong case against former Indian naval officer Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav during the public hearing in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in February next year.

Pakistan's Foreign Office said: "We are fully prepared to present a strong case on Kulbushan Jadhav in the International Court of Justice."



ICJ, the principal judicial branch of the United Nations, will hold a public hearing in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case from February 18 to 21, 2019, in The Hague, the seat of the Court.

India will participate in the first round of oral argument on February 18 between 10 a.m and 1 p.m, while Pakistan will participate in the oral argument on February 19 in the same time slot. The second round of oral argument for India is scheduled for February 20 (3 p.m - 4.30 p.m), and February 21 for Pakistan (4.30 p.m - 6 p.m).

On April 10 last year, a Pakistan military court pronounced a death sentence to the retired Indian naval officer. Subsequently, on May 8, India approached the ICJ for egregious violations of the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963 by Pakistan in the matter.

On May 18, the court passed an order obligating Islamabad not to carry out the death sentence that was awarded to Jadhav. On September 13, India had filed written pleadings (Memorial) in connection with the case, while Pakistan filed its counter-memorial in December that year.

Jadhav, a former naval officer, was reportedly kidnapped while he was in Iran for business interests.

-ANI
Islamabad is seeking an American role in facilitating talks between India and Pakistan because the two South Asian neighbours are not engaging bilaterally, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said, warning that absence of such a facilitation could lead to escalation of tension.

But the latest Pakistani request in this regard has again been rejected by the US, the top Pakistani diplomat told a Washington audience on Wednesday, a day after he had meetings with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, during which he raised the issue only to be pushed back by the Trump administration.



"When we asked the US, to play facilitating role...Why do we ask? Simply because we are not engaging bilaterally. And that bilateral disengagement isa distraction. We want to focus, we want to move on the western side of the border, which we are not being able to because we have to watch our back from eastern side (of the border with India). That is not a healthy situation to be in," Qureshi said in response to a question at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded top American think-tank.

"Now can you (United States) facilitate? The answer from them is no. They wanted bilaterally. But there is no bilateral movement," Qureshi said warning that this could lead to escalation of tension between the two South Asian countries.

"If that lack of facilitation leads to escalation and some of the statements that have come out of late have not been very helpful," the Pakistani foreign minister said in an apparent reference to the remarks by Indian leaders. "The so-called surgical strikes and stuff like that doesn't make sense. It does not, that's politics.. there are elections around the corner," he said in response to a question.

The new government of Prime Minister Imran Khan in Pakistan, he claimed, is not shy of engaging. Referring to the cancelling of his meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New York, he alleged that India backed off.

However, he quickly skipped India's reasons for this glorification of terrorists by issuing postal stamps and brutal killing of India security personnel.

"If the Indians have a better option, share it with us. If disengagement, if not talking to each other will resolve and stabilise the region, fine. If that's their analysis fine,Qureshi said.

Qureshi who left for Pakistan after his meetings with Trump administration officials said it is unfortunate that the two countries are not engaging. It's unfortunate. That's the way it is. Now. What does this government want? We want normalisation. We want co-existence. You've got to recognise the reality. Pakistan is a reality. So is India. We have issues. How do we resolve them?" he asked.

After coming to power, the first speech made by the Prime Minister Khan was "that every step you (India) take towards peace, we will take two. And he meant it. It wasn't just because it sounded good. It wasn't to please anyone. He is too blunt a person to please people. He can be very straight and he can be very blunt. But he said that because he feels that way," Qureshi said.

India has said that Pakistan created the conditions for cancellation of the talks due to issuing of postage stamps glorifying terrorists and brutal killing of its three security personnel.

The Pakistan foreign minister did not mention that in his answer and only said that the stalled dialogue process is not good for the two countries and the region.

Responding to a question on India's stand that talks and terrorism cannot go together, a view which is shared by Washington too, Qureshi referred to a statement by Khan while he was an opposition leader and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a trip to New Delhi that there would always be spoilers.

"There will always be spoilers. There will always be elements that will scuttle the process of peace. But when they do that, let re-engage to fight them. They will push us back. But we have to see what is in our interest, what is in the regional interest. What's in Pakistan's interest," Qureshi said quoting what Khan had told Modi.

Soon, he raised the Kashmir issue.

"They have to realise, and I think they were being simplistic, if they feel that everything that's wrong on the Indian side of Kashmir is all of Pakistan's making, that is an unrealistic approach," he said.

India, he said, should also revisit its policies and see why and how people have been alienated.

(PTI)
Pakistan Cabinet minister Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri "should have been more sensitive" while sharing the dais with 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the country's foreign minister has said, acknowledging the mistake committed by his ministerial colleague this week.

"I will go home and certainly ask him why he did that. But what I am told it was an event to highlight the situation in Kashmir," Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a Washington audience on Wednesday when asked about Cabinet minister for religious affairs Qadri sharing a dais with Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Saeed at a meeting in Islamabad.



"It had nothing to do with Lashkar-e-Taiba. There were other political elements there. He happened to be one of them," Qureshi added.

"I think he (Qadri) should've been more sensitive, but it wasn't that he subscribes to his (Saeed's) point of view," the visiting Pakistani foreign minister said.

"Please explain why earlier this week on Monday, your government's federal minister of religious affairs appeared side by side at a public conference with the head of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organisation banned by Pakistan?" Qureshi was asked by a member in the audience at the US Institute of Peace, a US Congress-funded think tank.

Qadri was seen seated near Saeed as he addressed an All Parties Conference organised by the Difa-e-Pakistan Council on Sunday in Islamabad.

A banner in the background said the conference was in "defence of Pakistan", and mentioned "Kashmir" as well as "threats from India". The Difa-e-Pakistan Council is a coalition of over 40 Pakistani political and religious parties that advocate conservative policies.

Qadri's presence at the event with Saeed vindicated India's stand that there is no change in Pakistan's attitude towards terrorism after Prime Minister Imran Khan assumed office in August.

Qureshi asserted that Pakistan is serious in the fight against terrorism. "We cannot surrender to terrorism. We will have to take them on and we will have to clear areas. We have successfully done that. Well it's a work in progress, we would have to continue to build on what you've achieved, but to a large extent, things have changed," he said, adding that this shift is not being recognised enough in the US.

"Cutting off training, not giving precision equipment that could've been used against terrorism, I don't know to what extent that'll help. In my view it will not help collectively," he said.

"Collectively we can achieve our shared objective. A blame game will not be productive," he said.

-PTI
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to make his first official trip to China next month, his foreign minister has said.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a game changer for Pakistan and has taken off.



Pakistan, he said, wants an early completing of these projects and is in talks with the Chinese on how to focus on areas that are important to the new government.

"Hopefully next month in November the prime minister would be making his first official visit to China to discuss this further," Qureshi told a Washington audience when he was asked about reports of changes in the ambitious CPEC projects.

"Obviously infrastructure is required. We need roads and rail links, optic fibers and everything of that sort. We want them to help us in areas like industrial development, enhancing agriculture productivity, helping us alleviate poverty in the country," he said to a question at the US Institute of Peace.

Qureshi said the Khan government is talking about how to improve lives and livelihoods, how labour-intensive industry can be relocated into Pakistan and give jobs.

"So that is an ongoing discussion and hopefully next month in November, the prime minister would be taking his first official visit to China to discuss this further," the top Pakistani diplomat said.

When asked about increasing relationship between Pakistan and China, Qureshi said this is not at the cost of the ties with the US.

"US was, is and will remain an important global player. You are a technological, economic and military power. We recognise that. There's a history of our relationship. Let's not forget that," he said.

Noting that currently there are challenges in the US- Chinese relationship, Qureshi argued that Beijing can play an important constructive role with regard to Afghanistan and peace in the region.

"I am of the view and Pakistan is of the view that China can play a constructive role and China must be engaged. China has initiated a trilateral meeting.. they had one in Beijing and next month in December we might have the second round in Kabul," he said.

-PTI
Intranasal Drug Delivery Market Likely to Emerge over a Period of 2015 to 2021

https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3631

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Drug delivery refers to a process of delivering a drug into the patients body to have an effective therapeutic effect. Different modes are used for the delivery of drug. Nasal and pulmonary routes are most popular modes for delivering drug. The global drug delivery market is growing at a significant rate due to growing awareness in the field and technical innovations in the field. Intranasal drug delivery refers to a process of delivering the administered drug through nasal route. Drugs that are delivering through nasal means may be prescribed for acute or chronic treatments. Various types of drugs that are delivered through nasal cavity are local anesthetics, antibiotics, pain relief drugs, calcium supplements, vasoconstrictors, snuffs, antihistamines and others. On the basis of the type of device, the global intranasal drug delivery market may be classified into nasal sprays, ointments and solutions. On the basis of therapeutic applications, the global intranasal drug delivery market can be classified into analgesic, allergic infections, pain management, osteoporosis, sexual dysfunction and vaccines. The global market for intranasal drug delivery is increasing at a significant rate due to increasing R&D in the field, high adoption rate for this delivery mode. Use of nasal cavity for delivering drug leads to increased efficacy of the drug. Intranasal drug delivery is also used for treatment of anxiety and depression.North America dominates the global market for intranasal drug delivery due to increasing adoption of nasal mode for delivering of drug and improved healthcare facilities in the region. In addition, government initiatives and more awareness among the people are some of the major factors driving the intranasal drug delivery market. Asia, followed by Europe, is expected to experience high growth rate in the next few years in intranasal drug delivery market. China and India are expected to be the fastest growing intranasal drug delivery markets in Asian region. This is due to large investment by various major companies in these countries. Some of the key driving forces for intranasal drug delivery market in emerging countries are large pool of patients, rising government funding and improvement in the healthcare facilities.Request for Report Sample :Some of the major factors driving the global intranasal drug delivery market are high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes, rising demand for home healthcare devices and increased focus on pediatric and elderly patients. Some other factors driving the global intranasal drug delivery market are improvement in economy of emerging countries, improved healthcare infrastructure. In addition, improvement in the reimbursement scenario is driving the global market for intranasal drug delivery. However, high cost involved and lack of skilled medical professionals are some of the major factors restraining the global market for intranasal drug delivery.Growing demographics and economies in the developing countries such as India and China are expected to offer good opportunities for the global market for intranasal drug delivery. In addition, increasing R&D for rapid research and development of new drug delivery technologies and devices with better efficacy is expected to offer good opportunities for the global market for intranasal drug delivery. However, failure in drug formulation and technical barriers are some of the major challenge faced by the global market for intranasal drug delivery. One of the latest trends that have been observed in the global intranasal drug delivery market includes companies involved in product launches. Some of the major companies dealing in global intranasal drug delivery market areAegis Therapeutics LLC, Alza Corporation, AstraZeneca PLC., MedImmune, Inc., Baxter International, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Johnson & Johnson, Inc. some other companies having significant presence in global intranasal drug delivery market are Marina Biotech, Inc., Merck & Co., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. and Rexam Plc.Request for Report TOC :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:
Actiaved Carbon Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players  Veolia Water Technologies, Silcarbon Aktivkohle, Prominent Systems, Oxbow Activated Carbon

Actiaved Carbon Market

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Actiaved Carbon Market 2018Wiseguyreports.Com adds Actiaved Carbon Market Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2025 To Its Research Database.Report Details:This report provides in depth study of Actiaved Carbon Market using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Actiaved Carbon Market report also provides an in-depth survey of key players in the market which is based on the various objectives of an organization such as profiling, the product outline, the quantity of production, required raw material, and the financial health of the organization.Activated carbon is processed carbon with small, low-volume pores to increase surface area for chemical reactions and adsorption. Organic material with high carbon content is processed to manufacture activated carbon. Physical adsorption is key property of activated carbon which is helpful for purification, decaffeination, metal finishing, medicine, filters and removal of pollutant and fuel storage. Liquid and gaseous phase of activated carbon enhances its uses in removal of lead, dissolved radon, other odour-causing compounds and mercury.Global Actiaved Carbon market size will increase to xx Million US$ by 2025, from xx Million US$ in 2017, at a CAGR of xx% during the forecast period. In this study, 2017 has been considered as the base year and 2018 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Actiaved Carbon.This report researches the worldwide Actiaved Carbon market size (value, capacity, production and consumption) in key regions like United States, Europe, Asia Pacific (China, Japan) and other regions.This study categorizes the global Actiaved Carbon breakdown data by manufacturers, region, type and application, also analyzes the market status, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.This report focuses on the top manufacturers' Actiaved Carbon capacity, production, value, price and market share of Actiaved Carbon in global market.The following manufacturers are covered in this report:Veolia Water TechnologiesSilcarbon AktivkohleProminent SystemsOxbow Activated CarbonKureha CorporationKuraray Co.IngevityHAYCARB PVT.Evoqua Water Technologies LlcDonau Chemie GroupCPL Carbon LinkCarbon ActivatedCabot CorporationAlbemarle CorporationADA Carbon Solutions LLCOsaka GasCalgon Carbon CorporationCarbon Resources LLCCarboTech ACCECA SAClarimex GroupSiemens Water Technologies CorporationMeadWestvacoRequest a Sample Report @Actiaved Carbon Breakdown Data by TypeGranular Activated CarbonPowdered Activated CarbonExtruded or Pelletized activated carbonOther TypesActiaved Carbon Breakdown Data by ApplicationMedicineMetal ExtractionGaseous Phase ApplicationsLiquid Phase ApplicationsOtherActiaved Carbon Production Breakdown Data by RegionUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanOther RegionsActiaved Carbon Consumption Breakdown Data by RegionNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaMexicoAsia-PacificChinaIndiaJapanSouth KoreaAustraliaIndonesiaMalaysiaPhilippinesThailandVietnamEuropeGermanyFranceUKItalyRussiaRest of EuropeCentral & South AmericaBrazilRest of South AmericaMiddle East & AfricaGCC CountriesTurkeyEgyptSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaKey StakeholdersActiaved Carbon ManufacturersActiaved Carbon Distributors/Traders/WholesalersActiaved Carbon Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete Report Details@Major Key Points in Table of Content:Global Actiaved Carbon Market Research Report 2018-2025, by Manufacturers, Regions, Types and Applications1 Study Coverage1.1 Actiaved Carbon Product1.2 Key Market Segments in This Study1.3 Key Manufacturers Covered1.4 Market by Type1.4.1 Global Actiaved Carbon Market Size Growth Rate by Type1.4.2 Granular Activated Carbon1.4.3 Powdered Activated Carbon1.4.4 Extruded or Pelletized activated carbon1.4.5 Other Types1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Actiaved Carbon Market Size Growth Rate by Application1.5.2 Medicine1.5.3 Metal Extraction1.5.4 Gaseous Phase Applications1.5.5 Liquid Phase Applications1.5.6 Other1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Actiaved Carbon Production2.1.1 Global Actiaved Carbon Revenue 2013-20252.1.2 Global Actiaved Carbon Production 2013-20252.1.3 Global Actiaved Carbon Capacity 2013-20252.1.4 Global Actiaved Carbon Marketing Pricing and Trends2.2 Actiaved Carbon Growth Rate (CAGR) 2018-20252.3 Analysis of Competitive Landscape2.3.1 Manufacturers Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)2.3.2 Key Actiaved Carbon Manufacturers2.4 Market Drivers, Trends and Issues2.5 Macroscopic Indicator2.5.1 GDP for Major Regions2.5.2 Price of Raw Materials in Dollars: Evolution3 Market Size by Manufacturers3.1 Actiaved Carbon Production by Manufacturers3.1.1 Actiaved Carbon Production by Manufacturers3.1.2 Actiaved Carbon Production Market Share by Manufacturers3.2 Actiaved Carbon Revenue by Manufacturers3.2.1 Actiaved Carbon Revenue by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.2.2 Actiaved Carbon Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.3 Actiaved Carbon Price by Manufacturers3.4 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans..8 Manufacturers Profiles8.1 Veolia Water Technologies8.1.1 Veolia Water Technologies Company Details8.1.2 Company Description8.1.3 Capacity, Production and Value of Actiaved Carbon8.1.4 Actiaved Carbon Product Description8.1.5 SWOT Analysis8.2 Silcarbon Aktivkohle8.2.1 Silcarbon Aktivkohle Company Details8.2.2 Company Description8.2.3 Capacity, Production and Value of Actiaved Carbon8.2.4 Actiaved Carbon Product Description8.2.5 SWOT Analysis8.3 Prominent Systems8.3.1 Prominent Systems Company Details8.3.2 Company Description8.3.3 Capacity, Production and Value of Actiaved Carbon8.3.4 Actiaved Carbon Product Description8.3.5 SWOT Analysis8.4 Oxbow Activated Carbon8.4.1 Oxbow Activated Carbon Company Details8.4.2 Company Description8.4.3 Capacity, Production and Value of Actiaved Carbon8.4.4 Actiaved Carbon Product Description8.4.5 SWOT Analysis8.5 Kureha Corporation8.5.1 Kureha Corporation Company Details8.5.2 Company Description8.5.3 Capacity, Production and Value of Actiaved Carbon8.5.4 Actiaved Carbon Product Description8.5.5 SWOT Analysis8.6 Kuraray Co.8.6.1 Kuraray Co. Company Details8.6.2 Company Description8.6.3 Capacity, Production and Value of Actiaved Carbon8.6.4 Actiaved Carbon Product Description8.6.5 SWOT Analysis8.7 Ingevity8.7.1 Ingevity Company Details8.7.2 Company Description8.7.3 Capacity, Production and Value of Actiaved Carbon8.7.4 Actiaved Carbon Product Description8.7.5 SWOT Analysis8.8 HAYCARB PVT.8.8.1 HAYCARB PVT. Company Details8.8.2 Company Description8.8.3 Capacity, Production and Value of Actiaved Carbon8.8.4 Actiaved Carbon Product Description8.8.5 SWOT Analysis8.9 Evoqua Water Technologies Llc8.9.1 Evoqua Water Technologies Llc Company Details8.9.2 Company Description8.9.3 Capacity, Production and Value of Actiaved Carbon8.9.4 Actiaved Carbon Product Description8.9.5 SWOT Analysis8.10 Donau Chemie Group8.10.1 Donau Chemie Group Company Details8.10.2 Company Description8.10.3 Capacity, Production and Value of Actiaved Carbon8.10.4 Actiaved Carbon Product Description8.10.5 SWOT AnalysisContinued.Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Sales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRESS:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Contraceptive Drugs Market Expected to Reach USD 22.15 Billion with Growing CAGR of 6.5% - Avail Prime Report to MarketResearchFuture

Contraceptive Drugs Market

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Worldwide Contraceptive Drugs Market is one of the major Drugs Using Increase to Avoid Unwanted Pregnancies and Their Complication. The Global Contraceptive Drugs Market is showing the Moderate Growth and also Detail Analysis of Global Contraceptive Drugs Market with all Possible Segmentation and Key Player of Market.Global Contraceptive Drugs Market - ScenarioBirth controls are been used since ancient times but the safe and effective methods are introduce and available from 20th century. Contraceptive drugs are used to prevent the unwanted pregnancy by blocking the normal process of ovulations or by altering the process which support the fertilization of egg.Global contraceptive drugs market is driven by increasing need of population controls and increasing prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases. Necessity of avoiding the unwanted pregnancy especially in the teenage women and increasing awareness among peoples also contributed in the growth of the market.Request Sample Report @Contraceptive pills is the third most widely used contraceptive method. Beside this cultural and religious opposition in developing countries is also responsible for hindering the market. The global market for contraceptive drugs is expected to reach US$ 22.15 billion by the end of the 2023 with a CAGR of 6.5%.Global Contraceptive Drugs Market - Key PlayersMerck & Co., Inc (US), Pfizer Inc (US), Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Israel), Bayer AG (Germany), Allergan plc. (Ireland), Janssen Global Services llc. (US), Mankind Pharma Ltd. (India), Piramal Enterprises Ltd (India), Reckitt Benckiser Plc (UK), Church & Dwight (US), The Female Health Company (US), Mayer Laboratories (US), Cooper Surgical (US).Global Contraceptive Drugs Market - SegmentationGlobal contraceptive drugs market is segmented on two category type and end user. On the basis of type they are oral contraceptive, injectable and other. Oral contraceptives are further sub segmented into combined oral contraceptive pills and progestogen-only pills. On the basis of end user they are segmented as hospitals, clinics and others.Global Contraceptive Drugs Market - Intended AudienceResearch and Development (R&D) CompaniesContraceptive drugs manufacturersMedical Research LaboratoriesAcademic Medical Institutes and UniversitiesGovernment and Independent Research LaboratoriesContract Research Organizations (CROs)More Details with TOC @Global Contraceptive drugs Market - Regional AnalysisThe market of contraceptive drugs is much higher in the Americas region owing to increasing awareness among the people and high incidence rates of abortion. According to the report published by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2015, around 229,715 babies were born from women aged between 15 to 19 years.Europe is also considering the huge market for contraceptive drugs players, owing to the increasing government support and awareness about healthcare industries, and well developed technology. Moreover, companies from these region are more into export to the developing region which increase the market share around the globe.Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa region are considering the big market. Whereas country like India and china of Asia Pacific region are considering fastest growing region due to the high rate of incidence of teen pregnancy. According to WHO, adolescent birth rates is 45 births per 1000 women in South-Eastern Asia and 7 births per 1000 women in Eastern Asia. Additionally they are open to adopt new treatment option from a developed country, this gap between the developed and developing countries will present significant growth opportunities for the contraceptive drugs market players in the coming years.Global Contraceptive Drugs Market - Study ObjectivesDetailed overview of global contraceptive drugs market.Detail analysis of global contraceptive drugs market with all possible segmentation and key player of market.Detailed analysis of the historical and forecasted market on the basis of factors like- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc.To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global contraceptive drugs market.Detail analysis on the possible segments and sub segments of the market. And regional analysis of the market- America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa.Insights on the major countries/regions in which this industry is flourishing and to also identify the untapped regions which could be the potential markets in futureMajor Table of Contents - Contraceptive Drugs Market Research Report- Global Forecast to 20231 INTRODUCTION2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY3 MARKET DYNAMICS4 MARKET FACTOR ANALYSIS5. GLOBAL CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS MARKET, BY TYPE6. GLOBAL CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS MARKET, BY END USER7. GLOBAL CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS MARKET, BY REGION8. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE9 COMPANY PROFILE10 CONCLUSION11 APPENDIXGet 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
Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Market: Size, Share, Growth, Revenue Analysis and Global Key Players (3M, Honeywell, Thermo Fisher, Teledyne, PerkinElmer, Horiba, Ecotech et al) | Forecasts 2018  2025

Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Market

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Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Market Industry 2018 Global Research Report offers an inclusive and decision-making data of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Market .It gives the in-depth analysis of market Size, Share, Future Growth, Opportunity analysis and forecast to 2025. The Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System market is anticipated to reflect a positive growth trend in forthcoming years and this factor which is useful & helpful to the business.Get Sample Copy of this Report -The Global Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System market 2018 research provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Global Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System 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.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.Global Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Industry 2018 Market Research Report is spread across 139 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 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Industry Key Manufacturers: 3M, Honeywell, Thermo Fisher, Teledyne, PerkinElmer, Horiba, Ecotech, Aeroqual, Tisch, TSI, Cerex, Enviro Technology, PCE Instruments, FPI, SDL, UNIVERSTAR, SAIL HERO, Skyray etel.With tables and figures helping analyze worldwide Global Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System 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 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System 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 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System 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 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Market in North America (2013-2018)Chapter 10 Historical and Current Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Market in South America (2013-2018)Chapter 11 Historical and Current Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Market in Asia & Pacific (2013-2018)Chapter 12 Historical and Current Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Market in Europe (2013-2018)Chapter 13 Historical and Current Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Market in MEA (2013-2018)Chapter 14 Summary for Global Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Market (2013-2018)Chapter 15 Global Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Market Forecast (2019-2023)Chapter 16 Company ProfileOrder a copy of Global Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Market Report 2018 @Few Points from List of Tables and Figures:Table Abbreviation and Acronyms ListTable Research Scope of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System reportTable Primary Sources of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System reportTable Secondary Sources of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System reportTable Major Assumptions of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System reportTable Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System ClassificationTable Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Applications ListTable Drivers of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System MarketTable Restraints of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System MarketTable Opportunities of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System MarketTable Threats of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System MarketTable Key Raw Material of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System and Its SuppliersTable Key Technologies of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring SystemTable Cost Structure of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring SystemTable Market Channel of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring SystemTable Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System Application and Key End Users ListTable Latest News of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System industryTable Recently Merger and Acquisition List of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System industryTable Recently Planned/Future Project List of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System 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:
Pocket Lighters - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Analysis and Forecast 2018  2025

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Global Pocket Lighters IndustryNew Study On 2018-2025 Pocket Lighters Market Global Key Player, Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Forecast Added to Wise Guy Reports DatabaseThis report studies the global market size of Pocket Lighters in key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & South America and Middle East & Africa, focuses on the consumption of Pocket Lighters in these regions.This research report categorizes the global Pocket Lighters market by players/brands, region, type and application. This report also studies the global market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.Try Sample Report @Being handy in nature, pocket lighters are becoming a key part of daily used items for consumers worldwide.Growing incidences of health risks and fatalities caused from pocket lighters has created an environment of negativity across the market.In 2017, the global Pocket Lighters market size was xx million US$ and is forecast to xx million US in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 2.6% from 2018. The objectives of this study are to define, segment, and project the size of the Pocket Lighters market based on company, product type, application and key regions.The various contributors involved in the value chain of Pocket Lighters include manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, intermediaries, and customers. The key manufacturers in the Pocket Lighters includeTokai CorporationClipperSwedishmatchNingbo XinhaiZhuoye LighterBaide InternationalFocusWansfCixi Xinyuan Cigarette LighterDeko IndustrialBenxi Fenghe LighterHefeng IndustryMarket Size Split by TypeFlint LightersElectronic LightersOthersMarket Size Split by ApplicationOnline SalesOffline SalesMarket size split by RegionNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaMexicoAsia-PacificChinaIndiaJapanSouth KoreaAustraliaIndonesiaSingaporeMalaysiaPhilippinesThailandVietnamEuropeGermanyFranceUKItalySpainRussiaCentral & South AmericaBrazilRest of Central & South AmericaMiddle East & AfricaGCC CountriesTurkeyEgyptSouth AfricaThe study objectives of this report are:To study and analyze the global Pocket Lighters market size (value & volume) by company, key regions/countries, products and application, history data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2025.To understand the structure of Pocket Lighters 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 Pocket Lighters manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.To analyze the Pocket Lighters with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.To project the value and volume of Pocket Lighters submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.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 Pocket Lighters 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.For Detailed Reading Please visit WiseGuy Reports @Some Major Points from Table of content:1 Study Coverage1.1 Pocket Lighters Product1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Key Manufacturers Covered1.4 Market by Type1.4.1 Global Pocket Lighters Market Size Growth Rate by Type1.4.2 Flint Lighters1.4.3 Electronic Lighters1.4.4 Others1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Pocket Lighters Market Size Growth Rate by Application1.5.2 Online Sales1.5.3 Offline Sales1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Pocket Lighters Market Size2.1.1 Global Pocket Lighters Revenue 2016-20252.1.2 Global Pocket Lighters Sales 2016-20252.2 Pocket Lighters Growth Rate by Regions2.2.1 Global Pocket Lighters Sales by Regions2.2.2 Global Pocket Lighters Revenue by Regions3 Breakdown Data by Manufacturers3.1 Pocket Lighters Sales by Manufacturers3.1.1 Pocket Lighters Sales by Manufacturers3.1.2 Pocket Lighters Sales Market Share by Manufacturers3.1.3 Global Pocket Lighters Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 Pocket Lighters Revenue by Manufacturers3.2.1 Pocket Lighters Revenue by Manufacturers (2016-2018)3.2.2 Pocket Lighters Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2016-2018)3.3 Pocket Lighters Price by Manufacturers3.4 Pocket Lighters Manufacturing Base Distribution, Product Types3.4.1 Pocket Lighters Manufacturers Manufacturing Base Distribution, Headquarters3.4.2 Manufacturers Pocket Lighters Product Category3.4.3 Date of International Manufacturers Enter into Pocket Lighters Market3.5 Manufacturers Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans4 Breakdown Data by Type4.1 Global Pocket Lighters Sales by Type4.2 Global Pocket Lighters Revenue by Type4.3 Pocket Lighters Price by Type5 Breakdown Data by Application5.1 Overview5.2 Global Pocket Lighters Breakdown Data by Application6 North America6.1 North America Pocket Lighters by Countries6.1.1 North America Pocket Lighters Sales by Countries6.1.2 North America Pocket Lighters Revenue by Countries6.1.3 United States6.1.4 Canada6.1.5 Mexico6.2 North America Pocket Lighters by Type6.3 North America Pocket Lighters by Application6.4 North America Pocket Lighters by Company7 Europe7.1 Europe Pocket Lighters by Countries7.1.1 Europe Pocket Lighters Sales by Countries7.1.2 Europe Pocket Lighters Revenue by Countries7.1.3 Germany7.1.4 France7.1.5 UK7.1.6 Italy7.1.7 Russia7.2 Europe Pocket Lighters by Type7.3 Europe Pocket Lighters by Application7.4 Europe Pocket Lighters by Company8 Asia Pacific8.1 Asia Pacific Pocket Lighters by Countries8.1.1 Asia Pacific Pocket Lighters Sales by Countries8.1.2 Asia Pacific Pocket Lighters Revenue by Countries8.1.3 China8.1.4 Japan8.1.5 Korea8.1.6 India8.1.7 Australia8.1.8 Indonesia8.1.9 Malaysia8.1.10 Philippines8.1.11 Thailand8.1.12 Vietnam8.1.13 Singapore8.2 Asia Pacific Pocket Lighters by Type8.3 Asia Pacific Pocket Lighters by Application8.4 Asia Pacific Pocket Lighters by Company9 Central & South America9.1 Central & South America Pocket Lighters by Countries9.1.1 Central & South America Pocket Lighters Sales by Countries9.1.2 Central & South America Pocket Lighters Revenue by Countries9.1.3 Brazil9.2 Central & South America Pocket Lighters by Type9.3 Central & South America Pocket Lighters by Application9.4 Central & South America Pocket Lighters by Company10 Middle East and Africa10.1 Middle East and Africa Pocket Lighters by Countries10.1.1 Middle East and Africa Pocket Lighters Sales by Countries10.1.2 Middle East and Africa Pocket Lighters Revenue by Countries10.1.3 GCC Countries10.1.4 Turkey10.1.5 Egypt10.1.6 South Africa10.2 Middle East and Africa Pocket Lighters by Type10.3 Middle East and Africa Pocket Lighters by Application10.4 Middle East and Africa Pocket Lighters by Company11 Company Profiles11.1 Tokai Corporation11.1.1 Tokai Corporation Company Details11.1.2 Company Description11.1.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Pocket Lighters11.1.4 Pocket Lighters Product Description11.1.5 Recent Development11.2 Clipper11.2.1 Clipper Company Details11.2.2 Company Description11.2.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Pocket Lighters11.2.4 Pocket Lighters Product Description11.2.5 Recent Development11.3 Swedishmatch11.3.1 Swedishmatch Company Details11.3.2 Company Description11.3.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Pocket Lighters11.3.4 Pocket Lighters Product Description11.3.5 Recent Development11.4 Ningbo Xinhai11.4.1 Ningbo Xinhai Company Details11.4.2 Company Description11.4.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Pocket Lighters11.4.4 Pocket Lighters Product Description11.4.5 Recent Development11.5 Zhuoye Lighter11.5.1 Zhuoye Lighter Company Details11.5.2 Company Description11.5.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Pocket Lighters11.5.4 Pocket Lighters Product Description11.5.5 Recent Development11.6 Baide International11.6.1 Baide International Company Details11.6.2 Company Description11.6.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Pocket Lighters11.6.4 Pocket Lighters Product Description11.6.5 Recent Development11.7 Focus11.7.1 Focus Company Details11.7.2 Company Description11.7.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Pocket Lighters11.7.4 Pocket Lighters Product Description11.7.5 Recent Development11.8 Wansf11.8.1 Wansf Company Details11.8.2 Company Description11.8.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Pocket Lighters11.8.4 Pocket Lighters Product Description11.8.5 Recent Development11.9 Cixi Xinyuan Cigarette Lighter11.9.1 Cixi Xinyuan Cigarette Lighter Company Details11.9.2 Company Description11.9.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Pocket Lighters11.9.4 Pocket Lighters Product Description11.9.5 Recent Development11.10 Deko Industrial11.10.1 Deko Industrial Company Details11.10.2 Company Description11.10.3 Sales, Revenue and Gross Margin of Pocket Lighters11.10.4 Pocket Lighters Product Description11.10.5 Recent Development11.11 Benxi Fenghe Lighter11.12 Hefeng IndustryContinued..For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comAbout UsWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.Contact Us:Norah Trent+91 841 198 5042Office No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Diabetes Drug Market Growth Overview 2018 | Growing CAGR of 6.38% with Topmost Players Abbott, AstraZeneca, Biocon, Sunpharma and More  Outlook to 2023

Diabetes Drug Market

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Market Research Future Present a Premium Research Report on Global Diabetes Drug Market Research Report - Forecast till 2023 The Global Diabetic Drug Market is Majorly Driven by Increasing Number of Diabetic Population.Global Diabetes Drugs Market - ScenarioDiabetes is a metabolic disorder in which the body glucose level is elevated. There are two type of diabetes namely type-1 diabetes and type-2 diabetes. During last decade there is a tremendous increase in the number of diabetic population.According to International Diabetes Federation, in 2016, it was estimated that 420 million adult population were suffering from diabetes which is increasing at the rate of 8.4% and is expected to reach 625 million by 2040. A number of different types of drugs are available in the market however, no available treatment can cure diabetes totally.Sample Report @However, cost issues, strict regulatory rules and long approval time for drugs may led to restrain the growth of the market.The global Diabetes Drug Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.2% during forecasted period 2017-2023.Global Diabetes Drugs Market  OverviewThe global diabetes drugs market is growing with a swift phase; mainly due to increase in patient population and research and development done by market players to fill the gap of market. The WHO estimated that diabetes leads to 1.6 million deaths in 2015 and it is the major causes of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, and lower limb amputation.Increase in incidence of chronic disease owing to diabetes will drag the interest of biopharmaceutical researchers for developing effective drugs for the treatment. More than 170 diabetes drugs are in the development stage to cure diabetes or diabetes related conditions. In 2014, the cost of diabetes diagnosis was around USD 245 billion in the United States, and biopharmaceutical researchers are focusing to find new lifesaving and life-changing treatments.Global Diabetes Drugs Market - Key PlayersThe major player in the global diabetic drug market are Eli Lilly (US), Novo Nordisk (Denmark), Abbott (US), AstraZeneca (UK), Biocon (US), Sunpharma (India), Sanofi (France), Novartis (Switzerland), Merck & Co. (US), Pfizer (US), Daiichi Sankyo (Japan), Boehringer Ingelheim (Germany), Akros Pharma (US), Amgen (US), Adocia (France), Peptron (South Korea), Takeda (Japan).Global Diabetes Drugs Market - SegmentationThe global diabetes drug market is segmented on the basis of types, route of administration, drug class, and end users.More Details with Full TOC @On the basis of types, the market is segmented into type-1 diabetes and type-2 diabetes.On the basis of route of administration, the market is segmented into oral, intravenous and other.On the basis of drug class they are insulin, sensitizers, SGLT-2 inhibitors, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, secretagogues, peptide analogs and others. Sensitizers are sub segmented into thiazolidinediones and biguanides. Secretagogues are further segmented into sulfonylureas and non-sulfonylureasOn the basis of end users, the market is segmented into hospital & clinics, ambulatory clinics and other.Global Diabetes Drugs Market - Regional AnalysisAmerica dominates the global diabetes drug market owing to large diabetic patient population. According to the WHO, in 2016, 9.6% of total America population were suffering from diabetes. In addition to this, increasing number of obese people, changing lifestyle and increasing healthcare expenditure have boosted the growth of the market in America. Increasing cholesterol level and smoking increases the possibility of causing diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014), 73.5 million adults in the US had diagnosed with high cholesterol level.Europe accounts for the second largest diabetes drug market, which is followed by Asia Pacific. Huge smoking population, availability of funds for research, and government support for research & development will drive the market in Europe.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for the market due to the presence of a huge patient population, continuously developing economies, and increasing need for the better treatment.On the other hand, the Middle East & Africa has the least share in the global diabetes drug market due to presence of poor economy especially in Africa region. Middle East holds the major share in the Middle East & Africa diabetes drug market owing to well-developed healthcare sector and huge healthcare expenditure.Check Discount @About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Organ Preservation Market Rise at CAGR Of 7.56% with Xvivo Perfusion, Organ Recovery Systems, Essential Pharmaceuticals LLC, Waters Medical Systems LLC and Dr. Franz Kohler Chemie GmbH

Organ Preservation Market

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This Report Concentrates On The Organ Preservation Market By Manufacturers, Regions, Type And Application, Particularly In North America, Europe And Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East And Africa. The report reviews top companies involved and enlists all trials pertaining to the company.Summary:The Organ Preservation Market was worth USD 148.23 billion in the year of 2014 and is expected to reach approximately USD 285.63 billion by 2023, while registering itself at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.56% during the forecast period.Competitive Analysis 2018:The market is extensively competitive with the presence of some leading organizations. Xvivo Perfusion, Organ Recovery Systems, Essential Pharmaceuticals LLC, Waters Medical Systems LLC and Dr. Franz Kohler Chemie GmbH are some of the leading companies of the Organ Preservation Market.Get Sample Report copy here:The Organ Preservation Market is segmented as follows-Organ Preservation Market By Technique, Estimates and Forecast, 2014-2023 ($Million) Hypothermic Machine Perfusion Normothermic Machine Perfusion Static Cold StorageOrgan Preservation Market By Organ Type, Estimates and Forecast, 2014-2023 ($Million) Lung Heart Kidneys Liver Other OrgansOrgan Preservation Market By Preservation Solution, Estimates and Forecast, 2014-2023 ($Million) Perfadex University of Wisconsin (UW) Custodiol HTK Other Preservation SolutionsIndustry Outlook and Trend Analysis:The development of the general preservation market can be credited to advancements in technology, rising multi-organ failure cases in aging population, expanding government activities to advance organ donation and rising number of strong organ transplant methods. In the coming years, the organ preservation market is anticipated to witness the most significant development rate in the Asia-Pacific locale.North America is foreseen to represent the biggest offer of the worldwide organ preservation market. However, high cost of transplantation is probably going to limit the development of the market amid the estimate time frame.Application Outlook and Trend Analysis:On the basis of organ type, Kidney is foreseen to represent the biggest share of the organ safeguarding market in 2016 and is foreseen to develop at a significant CAGR. The development of this portion can be ascribed to elements, for example, improvements in graft survival, rising cases of kidney failure, and long-term graft function.Regional Outlook:On a global front, the Organ Preservation 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, South Africa, Rest of South America) and Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Rest of MEAMake Preorder Enquiry here:Reasons to Buy a Exclusive report? Our experts provide in depth coverage of the market from various aspects right from global market scenario to future trends and opportunities. Our research methodologies are designed in such a way that our clients are able to find the answers theyre looking for, in the way they want. We offer 24/5 research support to solve all your queries through a team of our industry experts having holistic knowledge of local as well as global markets. Our research services help transform clients organizational data into intelligence to support fact based business decisions. We offer best in industry consultation services by a group of experts to advice our clients on growing their business portfolio. We understand unique requirements of our clients so as to provide tailored - made research services. We focused on maintaining long lasting relationship with our clients by catering to their research requirements and providing them with consulting services. We highly respect our clients confidentiality by adherence to advanced methods for data security and privacy.Major TOC of Organ Preservation Market:Chapter3. Market Overview3.1. Introduction3.1.1. Market Definition3.1.2. Market Segmentation3.2. Market Dynamics3.2.1. Drivers3.2.1.1. Growing Cases of Multiple Organ Failure in Aging Population3.2.1.2. Technological Advancements in Organ Transplantation3.2.2. Restraints3.2.2.1. High Cost of Organ Transplantation3.2.3. OpportunitiesChapter4. Organ Preservation Market, By Technique4.1. Introduction4.2. Organ Preservation Market Assessment and Forecast, By Technique, 2014-20234.3. Hypothermic Machine Perfusion4.3.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)4.4. Normothermic Machine Perfusion4.4.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)4.5. Static Cold Storage4.5.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)Chapter5. Organ Preservation Market, By Organ Type5.1. Introduction5.2. Organ Preservation Market Assessment and Forecast, By Organ Type, 2014-20235.3. Lung5.3.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.4. Heart5.4.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.5. Kidneys5.5.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.6. Liver5.6.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.7. Other Organs5.7.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)Chapter6. Organ Preservation Market, By Preservation Solution6.1. Introduction6.2. Organ Preservation Market Assessment and Forecast, By Preservation Solution, 2014-2023 ($Million)6.3. Perfadex6.3.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)6.4. University of Wisconsin (UW)6.4.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)6.5. Custodiol HTK6.5.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)6.6. Other Preservation Solutions6.6.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)Chapter7. Organ Preservation Market, By Region7.1. Introduction7.2. Organ Preservation Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)7.3. North America7.3.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Country, 2014-2023 ($Million)7.3.2. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Technique, 2014-2023 ($Million)7.3.3. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Organ Type, 2014-2023 ($Million)7.3.4. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Preservation Solution, 2014-2023 ($Million)7.3.5. U.S.7.3.5.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Technique, 2014-2023 ($Million)7.3.5.2. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Organ Type, 2014-2023 ($Million)7.3.5.3. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Preservation Solution, 2014-2023 ($Million)7.3.6. CanadaCONTINUED FOR TOC(Early Buyer will receive 10% customization in this report.)Ask For customization here: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.Contacts UsJudy | 304 South Jones Blvd, Suite 1896,Las Vegas NV 89107,United StatesE-mail: sales@crystalmarketresearch.com | Ph: +1-888-213-4282
Angina Pectoris Drugs Market Trends 2018: Top Players: AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Pfizer, Gilead Sciences, Eli Lilly and Company and Amgen

Angina Pectoris Drugs Market

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This Report Concentrates On The Angina Pectoris Drugs Market By Manufacturers, Regions, Type And Application, Particularly In North America, Europe And Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East And Africa. The report reviews top companies involved and enlists all trials pertaining to the company.Summary:The Angina Pectoris Drugs Market was worth USD 8.24 billion in the year of 2014 and is expected to reach approximately USD 11.35 billion by 2023, while registering itself at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.62% during the forecast period.Competitive Analysis 2018:The major players in the market are AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Pfizer, Gilead Sciences, Eli Lilly and Company and Amgen. The organizations are concentrating on business extension in developing markets or developing locales, for example, China by embracing procedures including mergers and acquisitions for improvement of new products. Biosimilar improvement is developing as a promising business sector opportunity in angina therapeutics. Numerous enoxaparin sodium and abciximabbiosimilars have picked up endorsements in the Indian, United States, European and markets.Get Sample Report copy here:The Angina Pectoris Drugs Market is segmented as follows-Angina Pectoris Drugs Market, By Therapeutic Class, Estimates and Forecast, 2014-2023 ($Million) Beta Blockers Calcium Antagonists Anticoagulants Anti-Platelets Other Therapeutic Class (Nitrates, Anti-Anginal, ACE inhibitors)Industry Outlook and Trend Analysis:The United States commanded angina pectoris drugs market among the seven noteworthy nations. The worldwide angina pectoris market is relied upon to be all things considered driven by interest for malady changing and focused on medicines, expanded consumption on human services and accessibility of powerful treatment strategies over the developing markets. Angina pectoris is a clinical sign identified by precordial heaviness or distress because of transient myocardial ischemia without infarction, evoked by physical effort or mental anxiety.Angina pectoris is classified as - microvascular, stable, unstable and Prinzmetal/variation. Angina pectoris is an underlying introduction of coronary heart disease (CHD) and applies a noteworthy effect on personal satisfaction (QOL). Chronic stable angina pectoris has a predominance of 2.0 - 4.0 percent in the seven noteworthy markets United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Germany, United States, France, and Japan.Stroke and Heart Disease Statistics from American Heart Association gauges demonstrate that more than nine million adults in the United States have unending angina pectoris. The commonness of angina rises pointedly with age in the two sexual orientations, going from 2.0-5.0 percent in men matured 45-54 to 10.0-20.0 percent in men matured 65-74 and from 0.1-1.0 percent in women aged 45-54 to 10.0-15.0 percent in women aged 65-74.Regional Outlook:On a global front, the Angina Pectoris Drugs 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, South Africa, Rest of South America) and Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Rest of MEAMake Preorder Enquiry here:Reasons to Buy a Exclusive report? Our experts provide in depth coverage of the market from various aspects right from global market scenario to future trends and opportunities. Our research methodologies are designed in such a way that our clients are able to find the answers theyre looking for, in the way they want. We offer 24/5 research support to solve all your queries through a team of our industry experts having holistic knowledge of local as well as global markets. Our research services help transform clients organizational data into intelligence to support fact based business decisions. We offer best in industry consultation services by a group of experts to advice our clients on growing their business portfolio. We understand unique requirements of our clients so as to provide tailored - made research services. We focused on maintaining long lasting relationship with our clients by catering to their research requirements and providing them with consulting services. We highly respect our clients confidentiality by adherence to advanced methods for data security and privacy.Major TOC of Angina Pectoris Drugs Market:Chapter3. Market Overview3.1. Introduction3.1.1. Market Definition3.1.2. Market Segmentation3.2. Market Dynamics3.2.1. Drivers3.2.2. Restraints3.2.3. OpportunitiesChapter4. Angina Pectoris Drugs Market, By Therapeutic Class4.1. Introduction4.2. Angina Pectoris Drugs Market Assessment and Forecast, By Therapeutic Class, 2014-20234.3. Beta Blockers4.3.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)4.4. Calcium Antagonists4.4.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)4.5. Anticoagulants4.5.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)4.6. Anti-Platelets4.6.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)4.7. Other Therapeutic Class (Nitrates, Anti-Anginal, ACE inhibitors)4.7.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)Chapter5. Angina Pectoris Drugs Market, By Region5.1. Introduction5.2. Angina Pectoris Drugs Market Assessment and Forecast, By Region, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.3. North America5.3.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Country, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.3.2. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Therapeutic Class, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.3.3. U.S.5.3.3.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Therapeutic Class, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.3.4. Canada5.3.4.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Therapeutic Class, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.3.5. Mexico5.3.5.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Therapeutic Class, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.4. Europe5.4.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Country, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.4.2. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Therapeutic Class, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.4.3. Germany5.4.3.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Therapeutic Class, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.4.4. France5.4.4.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Therapeutic Class, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.4.5. UK5.4.5.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Therapeutic Class, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.4.6. Italy5.4.6.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Therapeutic Class, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.4.7. Spain5.4.7.1. Market Assessment and Forecast, By Therapeutic Class, 2014-2023 ($Million)5.4.8. Rest of EuropeCONTINUED FOR TOC(Early Buyer will receive 10% customization in this report.)Ask For customization here: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.Contacts UsJudy | 304 South Jones Blvd, Suite 1896,Las Vegas NV 89107,United StatesE-mail: sales@crystalmarketresearch.com | Ph: +1-888-213-4282
Global Drone Analytics Market Brief Analysis by Top Key Players Agribotix, Aerovironment, Dronedeploy, Delta Drone, ESR, Precisionhawk, Viatechnik, Pix4d, Kespr, Optelos, Huvrdata, Sentera & more

Drone Analytics Market, Drone Analytics Market trends, Drone Analytics Market forecast, Drone Analytics Market analysis, Drone Ana

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Market Study Report adds 2018-2024 global Drone Analytics market report that offers an exhaustive coverage of the industry with brief analysis, data charts, figures, statistics that help take business decisions, company profiles and more.The report enumerates the regional spectrum of Drone Analytics Market is appreciable detail. Spanning the belts of North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa the report explains the contribution of every region toward the global Drone Analytics Market share. The geographies have been individually analyzed in terms of the parameters such as production, market share in terms of the manufacturers as well as with regards to Type and Applications.The report holds intricate details about the contribution by pivotal contenders and the opportunities that the industry can offer them over 2023. The competitive landscape of global Drone Analytics Market, inclusive of companies such as company Agribotix, Aerovironment, Dronedeploy, Delta Drone, ESR, Precisionhawk, Viatechnik, Pix4d, Kespr, Optelos, Huvrdata, Sentera the report presents details regarding the basic information of every industry magnate, their prominent rivals in the business, manufacturing base, and the business overview. Substantial information about the company revenue, production, price, as well as gross margins have been provided.Request a sample of this premium report at:Based on industry, the drone analytics market has been segmented into agriculture & forestry, construction, insurance, mining & quarrying, utility, telecommunication, oil & gas, transportation, scientific research, and others. The construction segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This expected high growth rate can be attributed to the adoption of analytics solutions for monitoring and progress tracking at construction sites. The availability of custom-tailored solutions is also one of the factors contributing to the growth in the use of drone analytics solutions in the construction industry.The increasing demand for sophisticated industry-specific analytical solutions that can help companies obtain actionable insights from the data captured by drones is expected to fuel the drone analytics market.The global Drone Analytics market is valued at xx million in 2017 and is expected to reach xx million by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of 12.0% between 2017 and 2023.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 Drone Analytics.Market Segment by Type, covers:On-PremisesOn-DemandMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into:Agriculture & ForestryConstructionInsuranceMining & QuarryingUtilityTelecommunicationOil & GasTransportationRequest a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:Table of Content:1 Market Overview2 Manufacturers Profiles3 Global Drone Analytics Market Sales, Revenue, Market Share and Competition by Manufacturer (2016-2017)4 Global Drone Analytics Market Analysis by Regions5 North America Drone Analytics Market by Countries6 Europe Drone Analytics Market by Countries7 Asia-Pacific Drone Analytics Market by Countries8 South America Drone Analytics Market by Countries9 Middle East and Africa Drone Analytics Market by Countries10 Global Drone Analytics Market Segment by Type1 Global Drone Analytics Market Segment by Application12 Drone Analytics Market Forecast (2018-2023)13 Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and DealersMore Details on this Reports At:Related Report:Global Drone Analytics Market Research Report 2018In this report, the global Drone Analytics market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025. Global Drone Analytics market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players including Airware (US), DroneDeploy (US), Delta Drone (France), Pix4D (Switzerland), PrecisionHawk (US), AeroVironment (US)Read More on this report at: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:
Top 5 Key players of Travel Insurance Market are CSA Travel Protection, USI Affinity, Seven Corners Inc., Travel Safe, MH Ross

Travel Insurance Market

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The global market was valued at $14021.5 million in 2014 and is likely to garner $32709.3 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period according to Progressive Markets report, Travel Insurance Market cover (annual multi-trip travel insurance, single trip travel insurance, and long stay travel insurance) users (backpackers, education traveler, senior citizens, fully independent traveler, business traveler, and family travelers)-Global Industry Opportunity 2017-2025.Access Full Summary at:The report is a comprehensive study on the global travel insurance market. It covers aspects such as market size by segment and region, market share, market trends, market dynamics, Porters analysis, market segmentation, market forecast, research methodology used, and information about the major market players. The information provided in the report is a result of an extensive research of the overall travel insurance market. The research methodology which has been used to collect and validate data, is provided in terms of primary and secondary research.The travel insurance market report is a useful source of guidance for market players, investors, stakeholders, and new entrants to understand the overall market scenario. The study offers a quantitative analysis to assist investors and stakeholders determine new opportunities for growth. An extensive analysis of the market along with the current trends and projections for the future help identify the prolific investment zones. Competitive scenario helps determine the business strategies adopted by the market players in various regions. The market study in various geographical areas is provided to gain an understanding of the market and determine strategies for expansion.Download Exclusive Summary of Travel Insurance Market:A summary of the global travel insurance market is provided based on the key findings, market attractiveness and trends analysis, and competitive landscape. Market landscape is provided based on the growth drivers, Porters Analysis, and market share analysis. The essential driving and restraining factors influence the progress of the market. The Porters Five Forces Analysis (PFFA) is offered in the study based on the bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of new entrants, threat from substitutes, and industrial rivalry. This analysis helps assess the level of competition prevailing in the market and devise strategies for business growth. Market share analysis is provided to help determine how well the players are doing in the market as compared to their competitors.The report offers a comprehensive analysis of the market dynamics, i.e. the drivers and restraints affecting the growth of the travel insurance market. Factors that are propelling the growth of the industry include the rise in tourism, rise in globalization, and travel rules & regulations. In addition, new technological developments create new opportunities in the global market. On the other hand, the low penetration rate of insurance policies impedes the growth in the industry.The report offers a detailed analysis of the travel insurance market based on its segmentation. It provides guidance to investors and market players about the potential possessed by each segment. The market is segmented by insurance cover, distribution channels, users, and geography. Based on insurance cover, the market is further bifurcated into annual multi-trip travel insurance, single trip travel insurance, and long stay travel insurance. Based on distribution channels, the market is divided into insurance intermediaries, banks, insurance company, insurance aggregator, insurance brokers, and others. The insurance company segment garnered $2440.9 million in 2017 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.9% during the period 2018-2025. The insurance aggregator segment is likely to grow at a CAGR of 11.4% during the forecast period. By users, the market is classified as backpackers, education traveler, senior citizens, fully independent traveler, business traveler, and family travelers. The backpackers segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.3% while the business traveler segment is likely to grow at a CAGR of 9.6% during the forecast period. Geographically, the market analysis has been covered for the regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. In LAMEA, the market study covers Latin America, Middle East, and Africa.The key players in the global travel insurance market are expanding the scope of their business operations in the emerging economies by including innovative solutions in their product offerings. The report includes a detailed competitive analysis of the major market players such as CSA Travel Protection, USI Affinity, Seven Corners Inc., Travel Safe, MH Ross, Allianz Global Assistance, Travel Insured International, AXA SA, AIG Travel, InsureandGo, and others.The company makes use of primary corporate research and secondary inputs from trusted sources to build its own reference base. It maintains consistency in quality as it keeps itself updated with changes in market dynamics and gauging its net effect on global business trends.Reach UsMr. Shriram Dighe4th Floor, Unit 12, Marisoft III,West Wing, Marigold IT Park,Kalyani Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411014,India: +91 20 66346040Toll Free: + 1-888-906-9222help@progressivemarkets.com
Global IOT Healthcare Market 2018 Competitive Landscape, New Projects and Investment Analysis, Region, Application, Trends & Top key vendrts like Stanley Healthcare, Qualcomm Life, Inc., HealthSaaS, Inc

IOT Healthcare Market

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The report global IOT Healthcare Market presents the current scenario of the industry also the factors that are anticipated to impact the futuristic growth is also presented through our in-depth analysis. The overall market growth and revenue generated in the year 2018 is portrayed along with the evaluation of the state of the market by 2023.Global IOT Healthcare Market is expected to reach & growing at a CAGR of +12% between 2018 and 2023.Internet of thing (IoT) technology, has the potential to revolutionize the traditional paper-based healthcare treatment through simplifying access of real-time patient data and remote patient monitoring. The emergence of this digital healthcare technology, In addition, it not only provides remote patient monitoring to physicians, but also works as a fitness and wellness tracker for athletes and a dose notice for patients. The successful implementation of IoT in remote monitoring of diabetes & asthma patients, coupled with high penetration of fitness and wellness devices, has created a high demand of IoT healthcare market.Request for Sample Copy:Top Key Players:Medtronic, Philips, Cisco Systems, IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, SAP SE, Honeywell Life Care Solutions,North America is the leading contributor to the global IOT Healthcare Market due to the extensive onshore, offshore, unconventional oil and gas projects being carried out by American petroleum companies. In the coming years, Asia Pacific is likely to become an important player in the global market due to strong and sustained growth of the oil and gas sector in China and the increasing number of petroleum refining operations in the region.In this segment, the different segmentations are applied to the IOT Healthcare Market so as to gain an isolated perspective of the insights included. The report outlines data on each of the key players in the market conferring to their current company profile, gross margins, sale price, sales income, sales volume, product specifications along with pictures, and the latest contact information.Get Early buyers will receive up to 40% Discount on this report:Table of Content:Global IOT Healthcare Market Report 2018Chapter 1 -Industry Overview of IOT Healthcare MarketChapter 2-Manufacturing Cost Structure MarketChapter 3-Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants MarketChapter 4-Global IOT Healthcare Market OverviewChapter 5 - IOT Healthcare Market Regional AnalysisChapter 6-Major Manufacturers Analysis of IOT Healthcare MarketChapter 7-Development Trend of Analysis of MarketChapter 8 - IOT Healthcare Marketing Type AnalysisChapter 9-Conclusion of the Global IOT Healthcare Market Professional Survey Report 2018Chapter 10- AppendixEnquiry before buying this report:FFW-2018-3CEUEQJones John(Sales Manager)+91-9764607607sales@qyreports.com
Ethoxylates Market 2018 Global Industry Company Profiles Analysis :- BASF SE, Roya Dutch Shell PLC, DowDuPont Inc., Huntsman International LLC, AkzoNobel N.V

Ethoxylates Market

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Ethoxylates market 2018 Industry Research Report provides a unique tool for evaluating the Market, highlighting opportunities, and supporting strategic and tactical decision-making. Ethoxylates Market Research Report offered by Orian Research contains a market overview of the industry which talks about size, product scope, revenue, growth opportunities, sales volumes and figures, growth estimation in coming years, current industry leaders and their sales/revenue metrics.Ethoxylates Market Introduction:Ethoxylates are organic compounds that are manufactured by treating alcohols and phenols with ethylene oxide in the presence of potassium hydroxide as a catalyst. They are usually obtained by the addition of ethylene oxide (EO) to compounds comprising dissociated protons. Ethoxylates are more prominently used in a variety of industries due to their emulsifying properties. Some of the protuberant industry applications include, household & personal care, agrochemicals, oilfield chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and others.Among these applciations, ethoxylates are dominantly consumed in manufacturing fatty alcohol ether sulphate used in household detergents and personal care products. In 2016, household and personal care applications cumulatively accounted for 34.7% of the overall ethoxylates consumption. Such industries consume range of ethoxylates type. Numerous ethoxylate types are consumed in different quantities in the aforementioned industrial applications. Some of the major ethoxylate type include natural alcohol ethoxylates, synthetic alcohol ethoxylates, Fatty Amine Ethoxylates, Fatty Acid Ethoxylates, Methyl Ester Ethoxylates, Ethyl Ester Ethoxylates, Glyceride Ethoxylates, Glyceride Ethoxylates, and Polyethylne Glycol.Request for a Sample Copy here:Top Key PlayersSome of the key players operating in the global Ethoxylates market are BASF SE, Roya Dutch Shell PLC, DowDuPont Inc., Huntsman International LLC, AkzoNobel N.V., Evonik Industries AG, Solvay SA, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., SABIC, Sasol Ltd., Ineos Group Limited, Arkema SA among others.Global ethoxylates consumption is anticipated to be pegged at 7,431 KT by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of 3.36% over the forecast period. The major factors influencing the market demand include both market driven and non-market driven factors. Some of the major market driven factors include, growth of application industries and increasing penetration alcohol ethoxylates.Increasing production and consumption of end-use industries which include pharmaceutical, personal care and surfactant industries. Personal care and ingredients have witnessed a significant growth in demand which is fuelled by increasing demand of skin care and hair care products among the consumers. The market is exhibiting CAGR of around 5% over the forecast period. All these factors are contributing to the global ethoxylates market growth. However, environmental concerns pertinent to toxicity of ethoxylates is estimated to hamper the overall market growth. Consequently, the global ethoxylates market is anticipated to witness a CAGR of 3.6% over the forecast period.Complete Report Details Available @Intended Audience Ethoxylates manufacturers Surfactant manufacturers Organic Chemical Manufacturers Potential investors Ethoxylates suppliers Nationalized laboratorySegmentationThe global Ethoxylates market is segmented as the type, starter chain, application, and region. On the basis of type, Ethoxylates market is segmented as Alcohol Ethoxylates, Fatty Amine Ethoxylates, Fatty Acid Ethoxylates, Methyl Ester Ethoxylates, Ethyl Ester Ethoxylates, Glyceride Ethoxylates, Glyceride Ethoxylates, Polyethylne Glycol, and others. On the basis of application, market is segmented as household & personal care, agrochemicals, oilfield chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and others. Based on region, the global market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.Key FindingsMarket Research Future concludes that over the past few years, the global ethoxylates market has witnessed a moderate growth and as per the analysis, the market is likely to continue growing over the forecast period. The market growth is attributed towards the continuously increasing growth of the end-use industries such as surfactants, pharmaceuticals, and household detergents market. Global Ethoxylates market is projected to reach USD 13,903.5 Million by 2023 at a CAGR of 3.76% during the review period 2017-2023.The alcohol ethoxylates segment accounted for 41% share in 2016.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.Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Market 2018 by Top Manufacturers Stiebel Eltron, Rheem, Bosch, Bradford White Corporation, Eemax, Hubbell

Tankless Electric Water Heater

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The Tankless Electric Water Heater Market report focuses the Point-of-Use segment accounts bigger market share than Whole-House, in 2012 Point-of-Use segmented accounted for about 54.51% and about 53.69% in 2017. In terms of Value, in 2012 Whole-House accounted for about 70.84% share and in 2017 Whole-House will account for about 70.93% share.Leaders Of The Industry :- Stiebel Eltron, Rheem, Bosch, Bradford White Corporation, Eemax, Hubbell, Atmor, Eccotemp Systems, Drakken, Midea Group and so on.The Complete Report Spreads Across 80 Pages.Fill The Form To Book A PDF:Furthermore, years considered for the study are as follows:Historical year 2013, 2016Base year 2017Forecast period 2018 to 2023Tankless water heaters, also known as instantaneous or on-demand water heaters, provide hot water without using a storage tank. Like tank water heaters, tankless water heaters use either gas or electricity to operate. Cold water travels through a pipe into the unit, and either a gas burner or an electric element heats the water. Tankless water heaters can be supplementary units placed at the point of use or can replace a centralized tank water heater.In terms of applications, residential application is bigger than commercial application, in 2012 residential application occupied about 79.05% share and in 2017 residential will occupy about 79.22% share.Over the next five years, LPI(LP Information) projects that Tankless Electric Water Heater will register a xx% CAGR in terms of revenue, reach US$ xx million by 2023, from US$ xx million in 2017.This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of Tankless Electric Water Heater market by product type, application.Grab Discount at :-Segmentation by product type:Whole-HousePoint-of-UseSegmentation by application:ResidentialCommercialHave Any Query? Ask Our Experts at :-Table of Contents2018-2023 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption Market Report1 Scope of the Report1.1 Market Introduction1.2 Research Objectives1.3 Years Considered1.4 Market Research Methodology1.5 Economic Indicators1.6 Currency Considered2 Executive Summary2.1 World Market Overview2.1.1 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption 2013-20232.1.2 Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption CAGR by Region2.2 Tankless Electric Water Heater Segment by Type2.2.1 Electrical Polisher2.2.2 Pneumatic Polisher2.3 Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption by Type2.3.1 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption Market Share by Type (2013-2018)2.3.2 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)2.3.3 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Sale Price by Type (2013-2018)2.4 Tankless Electric Water Heater Segment by Application2.4.1 Automotive Repair Shop2.4.2 Automotive Care Shop2.4.3 Others2.5 Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption by Application2.5.1 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption Market Share by Application (2013-2018)2.5.2 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Value and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)2.5.3 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Sale Price by Application (2013-2018)We Also Can Offer Customized Report To Fulfill Special Requirements Of Our Clients.Purchase this Premium Report at :-3 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater by Players3.1 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Sales Market Share by Players3.1.1 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Sales by Players (2016-2018)3.1.2 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Sales Market Share by Players (2016-2018)3.2 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Revenue Market Share by Players3.2.1 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Revenue by Players (2016-2018)3.2.2 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Revenue Market Share by Players (2016-2018)3.3 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Sale Price by Players3.4 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area, Product Types by Players3.4.1 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Manufacturing Base Distribution and Sales Area by Players3.4.2 Players Tankless Electric Water Heater Products Offered3.5 Market Concentration Rate Analysis3.5.1 Competition Landscape Analysis3.5.2 Concentration Ratio (CR3, CR5 and CR10) (2016-2018)3.6 New Products and Potential Entrants3.7 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion4 Tankless Electric Water Heater by Regions4.1 Tankless Electric Water Heater by Regions4.1.1 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption by Regions4.1.2 Global Tankless Electric Water Heater Value by Regions4.2 Americas Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption Growth4.3 APAC Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption Growth4.4 Europe Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption Growth4.5 Middle East & Africa Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption Growth5 Americas5.1 Americas Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption by Countries5.1.1 Americas Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption by Countries (2013-2018)5.1.2 Americas Tankless Electric Water Heater Value by Countries (2013-2018)5.2 Americas Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption by Type5.3 Americas Tankless Electric Water Heater Consumption by Application5.4 United States5.5 Canada5.6 Mexico5.7 Key Economic Indicators of Few Americas CountriesAbout Us:Research Reports Inc. is one of the leading destinations for market research reports across all industries, companies, and technologies. Our repository features an exhaustive list of market research reports from thousands of publishers worldwideWith our expertise and research offerings, we ensure we deliver on all your requirements, whether youre looking for industry analysis or market trends or anything else, first time and every time!Email us sales@researchreportsinc.comCall: US / Canada Toll Free: +18554192424, UK : +4403308087757
Global Smart Door Lock Market will multiply at an impressive CAGR of 20% by 2027 & Top Key Players Samsung, Assa Abloy, Panasonic, kadas, masterlock, August, Haven ,yale etc.

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Smart door lock Market: Global Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2027The Global smart door lock market is segmented into product type such as non mobile app based which include biometric door lock, face door lock ,iris door lock, voice door lock palm door lock, magnetic and electric strip door lock. It is also segmented on the basis of connectivity and the end user industries such as corporate, industrial, government and residential sectors. The residential segment in the end user is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR due to the ease of usage of smart lock. Moreover, rising need for keyless unlocking mechanism and also surge in demand for smart security solutions are also expected to increase the market growth of smart door lock market.Global Smart Door Lock is predicted to witness significant growth primarily in cloud-based locking and unlocking management solutions. Rising development and implementation of various advanced technologies, such as Near Field Communication (NFC), and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), to operate locking functions is likely to boost the growth of the market over the forecast period. Adoption of highly technological keyless access devices is comparatively more in established markets, such as the U.S. and Europe, as compared to developing economies. Smart lock are progressively gaining importance across Asian countries such as Japan and China due to the growing awareness of niche technology products among the consumers.Request Report Sample @The North American smart door lock market is predicted to offer growth opportunities during the forecast period, mainly due to developing technological infrastructure, consumer awareness, rise in security concerns, rise in government supports and also large investment from major IoT players. In North America, the U.S. dominates with highest share in smart door lock market.Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest rate over the forecast period owing to increasing urbanization and increasing consciousness about automated solutions, high penetration of internet-based services, developments in information technology & broadband services.Government initiatives will boost the Smart Door Lock MarketPropagation of wireless communication technologies coupled with rising consciousness regarding associated devices is expected to drive the market over the predicted period. The government initiative like smart cities which is focused on the security and the safety of the people is one of the main reasons for expansion of the market. Rising acceptance of smart doorlock technology for non-residential applications is expected to boost to the market. The hospitality industry has also started implementing smart door lock in response to growing concerns among customers concerning about security.The report titled, The Global smart door lock market: Global Historical Growth (2013-2017) & Future Outlook (2018-2027) Demand Analysis & Opportunity Evaluation, delivers detailed overview of the Global smart door lock market in terms of market segmentation by product, connecting technology, by distribution and by region. Further, for the in-depth analysis, the report encompasses the industry growth drivers, restraints, supply and demand risk, market attractiveness, BPS analysis and Porters five force model.Request for TOC Here @This report also provides the existing competitive scenario of some of the key players of the Global smart door lock market which includes company profiling of some of the key companies like Samsung, Assa Abloy, Panasonic, kadas, masterlock, August, Haven ,yale etc. The profiling enfolds key information of the companies which encompasses business overview, products and services, key financials and recent news and developments. On the whole, the report depicts detailed overview of the Global smart door lock market that will help industry consultants, equipment manufacturers, existing players searching for expansion opportunities, new players searching possibilities and other stakeholders to align their market centric strategies according to the ongoing and expected trends in the future.For more details visit @Research Nester is a leading service provider for strategic market research and consulting. We aim to provide unbiased, unparalleled market insights and industry analysis to help industries, conglomerates and executives to take wise decisions for their future marketing strategy, expansion and investment etc. We believe every business can expand to its new horizon, provided a right guidance at a right time is available through strategic minds. Our out of box thinking helps our clients to take wise decision so as to avoid future uncertainties.Ajay DanielEmail: ajay.daniel@researchnester.comU.S. Phone: +1 646 586 9123U.K. Phone: +44 203 608 5919
Healthcare Supply Chain Management Market 2023 Top Key Players are SAP, JDA Software, GHX, Omnicell, OnProcess Technology, McKesson, Parts Source, Oracle, TECSYS, and others

Healthcare Supply Chain Management Market

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Namely Healthcare Supply Chain Management Market Report has Been Published by Market Research Future Which Covers All the Geographical Locations with Demand, Trend Analysis with near about Forecasted results and Also Covers the Market Expectations.Key players of Global Healthcare Supply Chain Management Market:SAP, JDA Software, GHX, Omnicell, OnProcess Technology, McKesson, Parts Source, Spend Vu, Sterling Healthcare Logistics, Oracle, Vizient, Inc., Manhattan Associates, VUEMED, TECSYS, and others.Get Sample Copy @Market Scenario:Supply-chain management is the design, planning, execution, control, and monitoring of flow of goods and services with the aim to create net value, sustainable competitive logistics infrastructure, synchronizing supply with demand and measuring performance.The critical driver of healthcare supply chain management is the transformation of the global business environment which has created antecedents for its adoption. The prime antecedents for adoption of healthcare supply chain management are growing organizational size, environmental uncertainty, growing complexity of business and competition, crumbling of trade barriers and globalization, fast product lifecycles, growing fragmentation of the healthcare industry, attractive economics of scale and scope and others. The ever-expanding capabilities of technology, growing customization, advent of social media, demanding customer behavior and others.The restraints on the market are need for reorganization of business, lack of awareness and innovation, issues of integration, high cost of installation and maintenance, and others.Segments:The Global Healthcare Supply Chain Management Market is segmented on the basis of models, functions, delivery mode, software, technology, end users and regions so as to gain an accurate assessment of the market.Based on the models, the market has been segmented as make-to-stock model, build-to-order, continuous replenishment model, chain assembly and others.Based on the functions, the market has been segmented as forecasting and planning, inventory management and procurement, internal logistics and operations, warehousing and distribution, reverse and extended logistics and others.Based on the delivery mode, the market has been segmented as on-premise and web based.Based on the software, the market has been segmented as planning tools (forecasting and inventory management, supplier and vendor management, production and sales planning, others) and execution tools (warehouse management, order processing and status tracking, others).Based on the technology, the market has been segmented as barcode, radio frequency identification (RFID), global positioning system (GPS), internet of things and big data, others.Based on the end users, the market has been segmented as pharmaceutical and biotech companies, logistics companies and distributors, healthcare providers and others.Based on the regions, the market has been segmented as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa and rest of the world.Get Discount @Industry Trends:The rise of the informed and demanding customers due to spurt of ecommerce, growing internet usage and adoption and connected patient communities.Growing intensity of Bullwhip effect due to contagion effects of social media expected to result in stockpiling of products and swift product changes which in turn, will impact production, planning and distributionSubstitution of paper prescriptions with digitized prescriptions and driving new models of healthcare deliveryWearables and mHealth set to change demand forecasting from being stagnant to real time dynamic exerciseBig Data and analytics expected to change the face of the industry with those with advanced analytics and data aggregating capabilities, triumphing due to value addition in the supply chain.Regional analysis:The U.S. accounts for the largest market share owing to faster adoption of technology, large buying power, presence of global players and concerns over cost of healthcare. Europe led by Germany, U.K. and France accounts for the second largest market. However the market is expected to shift in favor of the developing regions of the Asia Pacific led by China, Japan and India. The Middle East and Africa market is expected to be skewed in favor of the Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and UAE. Africa is expected to generate moderate growth owing to poor economic and political conditions.Table of Content1 Report Prologue2 Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations3 Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation4 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restrains4.3 Opportunities4.4 Challenges4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4.6 Technology Trends & AssessmentContinuedRequest for Full Toc @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
Drinkable Peanut Powder Market | Top Key Players are Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts, Santa Cruz Organic, Bell, Peanut Butter & Co.

Drinkable Peanut Powder

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Peanuts are a high-protein, nutritious food that are ready-to-eat with little preparation or can be eaten raw. Peanut can be processed by roasting and ground into various food products. Peanut shakes and smoothies segments are gaining significant traction in the global drinkable peanut powder market.Rising demand for the healthy beverages such as drinkable peanut powder products driving the market. In addition, food manufacturers are developing peanut powder which is based beverages that are rich in protein and low in fat content with fewer calories which are healthy for consumers.Market DynamicsSoluble peanut powder was dominant in the drinkable peanut powder market in 2017 and is expected to exhibit similar trend over the forecast period. This is owing to increasing consumption of soluble peanut in protein shakes due to its low-calorie content and high nutritional value. This is expected to aid in growth of the segment over the forecast period. North America is one of the leading regions in peanut powder consumption due to highest demand for protein shakes and smoothies.Download PDF Brochure at :Key Players :Some of the major companies operating in the global drinkable peanut powder market are Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts, J.M. Smucker Company, Santa Cruz Organic, Bell Research Companies, Inc., Peanut Butter & Co., Sukrin Ltd., Protein Plus, LLC, and Nutrinity Foundation.Asia Pacific region is also expected to exhibit positive growth in the peanut powder market, due to rising demand for it in processed foods and changing consumer preference towards plant-based protein supplement are the factors driving the drinkable peanut powder market. Nutritional benefits of peanut powder such as protein, fiber, polyphenols, antioxidant, vitamin and minerals that can be used as functional ingredients into processed foods. For instance, according to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), in India the food processing industry is one of the largest industry which rank of 5th in terms of consumption, production & exports. Food processing sector in India was valued at USD258 billion in 2015.The global drinkable peanut powder market was valued at US$ 505.19 million in 2017 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 4.91% in terms of revenue, over the forecast period to reach US$ 728.87 million by 2025.The major growth driver for drinkable peanut powder market is demand for food processing across the globe owing to increasing drinkable peanut powder demand. For instance, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), food processing industry in Japan was valued at US$ 216.1 billion in 2016. As peanut powder contains functional compounds such as protein, fiber and antioxidant that are used as a functional ingredient in food processing industry.Talk to Analyst :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
Nucleic Acid Isolation and Purification Market growing at a CAGR of 9% by 2023| Top Key Players - AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, DANAHER, GE HEALTHCARE, ROCHE APPLIED SCIENCES, SIGMA ALDRICH, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES

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The global nucleic acid isolation and purification (NAIP) market is estimated to reach approximately USD 5,300 million by 2023, at a CAGR of about 9% during the forecast period. This market is segmented based on technology, product, application, end user, and geography. In the segmentation based on technology, column-based purification has the largest market share, however, magnetic bead-based purification is expected to witness the highest CAGR.Detailed Sample Copy of Updated Analysis @Note: If this link doesnt work in Internet Explorer, kindly try copy pasting it in other browsers.Rise in R&D Funding in Biotechnology & HealthcareBiotech and Pharma companies have a growing demand for pure nucleic acids. Pure nucleic acid is finding applications in emerging fields, like genetic engineering, molecular diagnosis, forensics, and research related to life sciences. Consequently, the governments have stepped up funding for R&D projects. The pharma sector has stepped up investments in products requiring NAIP Instruments, as NAIP technologies are becoming more prevalent now. Rise in automation has also stepped up NAIP applications.Key Developments in the Market July 2017: Life sciences tools provider, LGC, acquired Link Technologies, a supplier of specialty reagents for oligonucleotide synthesis. Following the acquisition, LGC plans to form a new Nucleic Acid Chemistry business unit within its Genomics division that combines Link with its existing Biosearch Oligo Reagent group and Prime Synthesis CPG business. October 2017: Avalon GloboCares majority-owned subsidiary, GenExosome Technologies, acquired 100% of the outstanding capital stock of a Chinese exosome technology company, called Beijing Jieteng (Beijing GenExosome) Biotech.Major Players:AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, BIO-RAD LABORATORIES, DANAHER CORPORATION, GE HEALTHCARE, ROCHE APPLIED SCIENCES, SIGMA ALDRICH, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES, THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC, TAKARA BIO INC., QIAGEN amongst others.Request Discount on this report @Note: If this link doesnt work in Internet Explorer, kindly try copy pasting it in other browsers.Low Penetration in Emerging CountriesThe availability of automation technology in emerging economies is very low. Automation technology is a major reason for rising applicability of NAIP technology. Low automation presents a problem in harnessing the full potential of NAIP technology. Companies would need to work out ways to increase the availability of automation technology in the developing regions. As the penetration of automation and NAIP technology is low in emerging economies, consequently the cost of automated instruments is also very high (higher than the base cost in developed countries). These hurdles of pricing and technology penetration are potential barriers for the markets growth.North America to Dominate the Market GrowthNorth America has the largest market share and is expected to lead the market during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Increasing use of kits in molecular diagnostics and rapid development of healthcare facilities in emerging economies are the key factors that justify the growth rate in Asia-Pacific.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
Global Composite Springs Market to Grow at 8.5% CAGR during 2016-2021

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Global Composite Springs Market by Spring Type (Leaf Spring, Coil Spring, Chair Spring, and Industrial Spring), by End Use Industry Type (Transportation, Furniture, and Industrial), by Manufacturing Process (Compression Molding, Prepreg Layup, and Others), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2016  2021This report, from Stratview Research, studies the composite springs market over the period 2010 to 2021. The report provides detailed insights on the market dynamics to enable informed business decision making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities in the market.Click here to read the detailed description and TOC:The Global Composite Springs Market: HighlightsComposite springs include leaf springs, coil springs, chair springs, and industrial springs which are used in the transportation, furniture and industrial segments. Composite springs offer several benefits over conventional steel springs, such as lightweight, high durability, greater flexibility, better vibration energy absorption, and excellent fatigue resistance. For example, composite leaf spring is five times more durable than that of similar sized steel leaf springs at just 1/7th the weight of a steel leaf spring.The global composite spring is a niche market but possesses significant growth potential during the forecast period of 2016 to 2021. It is forecasted to grow at an impressive CAGR of 8.5% over the next five years to reach $70.0 million in 2021. Increasing demand of lightweight components in the automotive industry and increasing penetration of composite springs in the furniture and food industry owing to the advantages of high deflection rate and excellent fatigue & stress resistance are the major growth drivers of the market.Composite leaf springs are expected to remain the largest composite spring type during the forecast period. Composite leaf springs are used in the transportation industry, mainly passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. Pick-ups, Vans, and SUVs are the major vehicle types that are using composite leaf springs either on transversal or on longitudinal position depending on requirement, vehicle design type, etc. All major OEMs are evaluating the use of the composite leaf springs in their major Pick-ups, VANs, and SUV models.Transportation is expected to remain the largest user of composite springs during the forecast period. The industry is also expected to experience the fastest growth for the same period. Increasing demand of lightweight parts, including composite leaf springs and coil springs to achieve stringent government regulations, such as CAFE standards is the prime driver of the segment. Furniture and industrial segments are also likely to grow at a healthy growth rate over the next five years.Request Sample here:Compression molding is expected to remain the most dominant manufacturing process in the global composite springs market during the forecast period. High Pressure-Resin Transfer Molding (HP-RTM) is likely to experience the fastest growth for the same period, driven by the shorter parts cycle time.Europe is expected to remain the largest market for composite springs in the next five years, driven by increasing use of composite leaf springs in the light commercial vehicles. Asia-Pacific is relatively small composite springs market but is expected to experience the fastest growth for the same period.The supply chain of this market comprises raw material suppliers, spring manufacturers, OEMs, distributors, and end users. The global composite springs market is a highly consolidated with a dozen players populated worldwide. The key composite spring manufacturers are Liteflex LLC, IFC Composite, Gordon Composites, Composiflex, and Benteler-SGL. New product development, capacity expansion and process optimization are the key strategies adopted by the key players to gain competitive edge in the market.Report FeaturesThis report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report:Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis.Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porters five forces analysis, SWOT analysis.Market trend and forecast analysis.Market segment trend and forecast.Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc.Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities.Emerging trends.Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players.Key success factors.The Composite Springs Market is segmented into the following categoriesGlobal Composite Springs Market by Spring Type: Leaf Springs (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World) Coil Springs (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World) Chair Springs (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World) Industrial Springs (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)Global Composite Springs Market by End Use Industry Type: Transportation (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World) Furniture (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World) Industrial (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)Global Composite Springs Market by Manufacturing Process Type: Prepreg Lay-up Process (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World) Compression Molding Process (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World) Other Processes (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)Global Composite Springs Market by Region: North America (Country Analysis: US, Canada, and Mexico) Europe (Country Analysis: Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, and Rest of the Europe) Asia  Pacific (Country Analysis: China, Japan, South Korea, India, and Rest of the Asia-Pacific) Rest of the World (Country Analysis: Brazil, Middle East, and Others)About Stratview ResearchStratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas.We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies.Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making.Category: Advanced MaterialStratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & LifeStratview ResearchCrystal Tower, Raipur - 492001Phone No. +1-313-307-4176Email :- sales@stratviewresearch.com
Thermal Imaging Market by Latest Innovations, Competitive Landscape, Cost Structure Analysis and Top key Players (FLIR, Raytheon, Thales Group, Northrop, BAE Systems, Elbit, Fluke, Wuhan Guide) | Global Forecast to 2022

Thermal Imaging Market

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Global Thermal Imaging Market Report 2018 report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability. The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.Global Thermal Imaging Market Overview:The report spread across 125 pages is an overview of the Global Thermal Imaging Market Report 2018. The Global Thermal Imaging Market is projected to grow at a healthy growth rate from 2018 to 2022 according to new research. The study focuses on market trends, leading players, supply chain trends, technological innovations, key developments, and future strategies.Available Exclusive Sample Copy of this Report @This report studies the Global Thermal Imaging Market over the forecast period of 2018 to 2022. The Global Thermal Imaging Market is expected to grow at an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2018 to 2022. Reduction in the price of thermal imaging products, the increasing adoption of thermal imaging in perimeter security, and penetration in machine vision applications are driving the growth of Thermal Imaging Market.The Global Thermal Imaging Market is segmented on the basis of Type, Application, Vertical and Region. Based on Vertical segment, the Thermal Imaging Market is dominated by the Aerospace & Defense Vertical owing to the growing need for border security for law enforcement. Moreover, thermal imaging scopes and defense solutions conform to the strictest military standards for deployment. These solutions are used for thermal scopes, weapon sights and stations, gimbals, UAVs, naval observation, IR sensors, and driver vision enhancers (DVEs) for tanks and military vehicles.The Global Thermal Imaging Market for the Monitoring and Inspection Application is expected to grow at the highest CAGR owing to the penetration of low-cost and high-quality thermal imaging cameras in home automation, medical, food processing, and ADAS. Moreover, miniaturized camera modules are used by most of the OEMs for their customized solutions, resulting in their increased growth.Regional analysis, North America is likely to continue to lead the Thermal Imaging Market; it accounted for the largest share of the Global Thermal Imaging Market in 2017. Growing demand for smartphones-based devices and the increasing adoption of thermal imaging in commercial and home automation are driving the growth of the Thermal Imaging Market in the region.Purchase this report online with 125 Pages, List of Tables & Figures and in-depth Table of Contents on Global Thermal Imaging Market Report 2018 @Major Key Players:1 FLIR2 Lockheed Martin3 Raytheon4 L3 Technologies5 Thales Group6 Northrop7 BAE Systems8 Elbit9 DRS10 Fluke11 Wuhan Guide12 Guangzhou SAT13 DaliMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers:1 North America Country (United States, Canada)2 South America3 Asia Country (China, Japan, India, Korea)4 Europe Country (Germany, UK, France, Italy)5 Other Country (Middle East, Africa, GCC)Grab Your Report at an Impressive Discount @What Information does this report contain?1 A detailed analysis of regulatory trends, drivers, industry pitfalls, challenges and growth opportunities for participants2 Which are the leading market products, applications & regions and how will they perform by 2022?3 What are the technologies & innovation trends, how will they evolve by 2022?4 Which companies lead the industry, how are they positioned in the market in terms of sustainability, competency, production capacity and strategic outlook?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 Thermal Imaging Market.Major Points in Table of Contents:Global Thermal Imaging Market Report 20181 Thermal Imaging Product Definition2 Global Thermal Imaging Market Manufacturer Share and Market Overview3 Manufacturer Thermal Imaging Business Introduction4 Global Thermal Imaging Market Segmentation (Region Level)5 Global Thermal Imaging Market Segmentation (Product Type Level)6 Global Thermal Imaging Market Segmentation (Industry Level)7 Global Thermal Imaging Market Segmentation (Channel Level)8 Thermal Imaging Market Forecast 2018-20229 Thermal Imaging Segmentation Product Type10 Thermal Imaging Segmentation Industry11 Thermal Imaging Cost of Production Analysis12 ConclusionAbout usBusinessindustryReports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media ContactBusiness Industry ReportsPune  Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940
Mainstream Product Lifecycle Management 2018 Global Market SWOT Analysis and Opportunities To 2021 | Key Players : Dassault Systemes, PTC, Siemens PLM Software, 3D Systems, Altair Engineering

Mainstream Product Lifecycle Management Market

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On  Mainstream Product Lifecycle Management 2018 Global Market SWOT Analysis and Opportunities To 2021 | Key Players : Dassault Systemes, PTC, Siemens PLM Software, 3D Systems, Altair Engineering.Description:-The analysts forecast the global mainstream PLM market to grow at a CAGR of 9.93% during the period 2017-2021.Manufacturing industries use PLM software as it deals with different functional levels of the organizations such as product designing, design engineering, and manufacturing. The need for managing the manufacturing process of a product has led to the emergence of PLM software and services. The growing complexity of products and the increase in the product portfolio across organizations have led to the demand for a system that can provide solutions to the production processes across industries. The implementation of PLM in an organization provides higher revenue, reduces cost, and increases capital efficiency.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comCovered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global mainstream PLM market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: Americas APAC EMEAThe report, Global Mainstream PLM Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors Dassault Systemes PTC Siemens PLM SoftwareOther prominent vendors 3D Systems Altair Engineering Autodesk Cadonix FreeCAD IronCAD Kubotek NemetschekMarket driver Increase in demand for mainstream PLM for effective collaboration among Bus. For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge Concern for data security in cPDM. For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend Increasing complexity in data management. For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Enquiry About Report @Table Of Contents  Major Key PointsPART 01: Executive summaryART 02: Scope of the reportPART 03: Research MethodologyPART 04: IntroductionKey market highlightsPART 05: PLM overviewMarket overviewPART 06: Role of PLM in product developmentStages of product developmentPART 07: Market landscapeMarket size and forecastFive forces analysisPART 08: Market segmentation by productProduct segmentationcPDMMCADS&ADMPART 09: Geographical segmentationGeographical overviewAPACAmericasEMEAPART 10: Market driversNeed to reduce product recallsIncreasing need for safety features in automobilesIncrease in demand for mainstream PLM for effective collaboration among BUsPART 11: Impact of driversPART 12: Market challengesConcern for data security in cPDMLack of use of DM by SMEsHigh switching costsContinuedBuy 1-user PDF @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.
Telecom Analytics Market Growth beneficial on Key Player Like Hewlett-Packard Co., IBM Corp., Oracle Corp., Teradata Corp., Amazon Web Services, Inc., Cloudera, Inc., Couchbase Inc., EMC Corp., Google Inc., Microsoft Corp.

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Worldwide Market Reports recently released Global Telecom Analytics Market Research Report 2017 that centers around the latest developing trends and technologies in the Telecom Analytics Market having Five Years of forecast period from 2017 to 2022 and considering Market status study from 2017 to 2022.During the research, noteworthy data was collected in order to shape the research document and make it a valuable resource for managers, industry executives and other key people to have ready-to-access and self-analyzed study.Get Report Sample @This report studies the global Telecom Analytics market, analyzes and researches the Telecom Analytics development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, like Hewlett-Packard Co., IBM Corp., Oracle Corp., Teradata Corp., Amazon Web Services, Inc., Cloudera, Inc., Couchbase Inc., EMC Corp.Google Inc., Microsoft Corp.Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, Telecom Analytics can be split intoPredictive AnalyticsData MiningText AnalyticsStatistical AnalysisMarket segment by Application, Telecom Analytics can be split intoTelecomOtherIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Enquire here get customization & check discount, please click:Table of ContentsGlobal Telecom Analytics Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Telecom Analytics1.1 Telecom Analytics Market Overview1.1.1 Telecom Analytics Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Telecom Analytics Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Telecom Analytics Market by Type1.3.1 Predictive Analytics1.3.2 Data Mining1.3.3 Text Analytics1.3.4 Statistical Analysis1.4 Telecom Analytics Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Telecom1.4.2 Other2 Global Telecom Analytics Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Telecom Analytics Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Hewlett-Packard Co.3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Telecom Analytics Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 IBM Corp.3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Telecom Analytics Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Oracle Corp.3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Telecom Analytics Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Teradata Corp.3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Telecom Analytics Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent DevelopmentsBuy Complete Report With TOC and Company Profile :About Us:Worldwide Market Reports is your one-stop repository of detailed and in-depth market research reports compiled by an extensive list of publishers from across the globe. We offer reports across virtually all domains and an exhaustive list of sub-domains under the sun. The in-depth market analysis by some of the most vastly experienced analysts provide our diverse range of clients from across all industries with vital decision making insights to plan and align their market strategies in line with current market trends. Worldwide Market Researchs well-researched inputs that encompass domains ranging from IT to healthcare enable our prized clients to capitalize upon key growth opportunities and shield against credible threats prevalent in the market in the current scenario and those expected in the near future.Contact Us:Mr. ShahWorldwide Market ReportsTel: +1 415 871 0703Email: sales@worldwidemarketreports.comVisit our new Website:
Zika Virus Testing Market 2023 Top Key Players are Luminex Corporation, ARUP Laboratories, Roche Molecular Systems, Hologic, and Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics and More

Zika Virus Testing Market

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Namely Zika Virus Testing Market Report has Been Published by Market Research Future Which Covers All the Geographical Locations with Demand, Trend Analysis with near about Forecasted results and Also Covers the Market Expectations.Overview:The daunting sway zika virus had held over the populace in recent past has a far-reaching impact on governments in terms of initiatives undertaken. FDA had recently made it mandatory for zika virus testing of all the blood testing done across the U.S. in hospitals and laboratories just to keep the virus at bay. Borne by Aedes genus of mosquitoes, this disease can be easily transmitted to another person even via sexual intercourse and pregnant women, if affected, can forward that to her newborn child as well.Get Premium Sample Copy @These initiatives have resulted in the growth of zika virus testing market, and the market is all set to witness a considerable hike during the forecast period (2017-2023), asserts Market Research Future (MRFR) in an extensively analyzed report. FDA and the U.S. government have taken considerable steps to outclass this disease by having it properly tested and developing drugs that can contain the virus. The outcome is quite overwhelming. The World Health Organization (WHO) is also quite aware of the impacts of the virus and has taken steps accordingly. For instance, in 2016, it had declared a health emergency in the Americas, where the disease was spreading its wings. Subsequently, testing kits for the disease found a significant market and started growing in leaps and bounds. These precautionary decisions can act like a global market booster for the zika virus testing.Top Vendor Analysis:Prominent companies playing a significant role in the zika virus testing market are Luminex Corporation, ARUP Laboratories, Roche Molecular Systems, Hologic, and Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics.Segmentation:The global zika virus testing market can be segmented by tests and end-users.By tests, the market can be further sub-segmented into serological/Zika virus antibody and molecular/nucleic acid amplification. The latter is the most commonly used test for zika virus detection.Based on end-users the market includes diagnostic units, hospitals, pathology labs, and others.Get Quality Discount @Industry Trend:Researchers from Brigham and Womens hospital have recently come out with their discovery where they have used nanotechnology and digital health systems to detect zika virus. In the process. They have involved smartphones as necessary equipment for the testing. The method is known as nanomotor-based bead-motion cellphone (NBC) system, which can have considerable impacts in afflicted regions.Technology firm Inovatech, in collaboration with the Sao Paulo Research Foundation, developed a test at the Butantan Institute that can detect antibodies against zika virus in samples with great precision to declare infection, if any, caused by the virus previously.Regional Analysis:Region-specific analysis of the global market has regions Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, Americas, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) under its coverage.The Americas are in-charge of the market and Latin American countries, where the outbreak of the disease hit massively, are contributing more than the regions far in the distance. Projects initiated by Health and Human Services (HHS), and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to deter the disease from further growth and cure the affected populace can be seen as a market influencer. Brazils National Development Bank (BNDES) has also infused USD 136.6 million for further researches that can help the market grow considerably.Reports Enquiry @Continued!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.Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Waterborne Coatings Global Market 2018: Key Players  BASF SE , Akzonobel N.V, PPG Industries Inc., RPM International Inc.

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Waterborne Coatings IndustryDescriptionWiseguyreports.Com Adds Waterborne Coatings -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecast To 2023 To Its Research DatabaseGlobal Waterborne Coatings market is accounted for $62.08 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $110.75 billion by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 6.6% during the forecast period. Growing desire for aesthetic wall paints in both commercial and residential construction, demand in application industries and increase in consumer spending levels are some of the major factors propelling the market growth. However, stringent environmental regulations and availability of cheaper substitutes are restricting the market.On the basis of resin type, Acrylic waterborne coating has witnessed the largest market share and expected to be dominant throughout the forecast period due to the durable properties of the resin. On the other hand, in terms of Application, Architectural & Automotive holds THE largest market share with increase in adoption of waterborne coatings in emerging and developed countries and pigment dispensability.By Geography, Europe is expected to be dominant during the forecast period due to increase in demand of civil constructions and infrastructure sector. Asia Pacific is expected to witness an increase in high growth rate during the forecast period.Some of the key players in Waterborne Coatings market include BASF SE , Akzonobel N.V, PPG Industries Inc., RPM International Inc., The Sherwin-Williams Company , The Valspar Corporation, Axalta Coating Systems LLC, Nippon Paint Co. Ltd. ,Kansai Paint Co. Ltd. , Tikkurila OYJ, Berger Paints India Ltd.Request for Sample Report @Resin Types Covered: Architectural Coating Resins Vinyl Acetate Pure Acrylics Acetates Styrene Acrylics Acrylic Coatings ALKYD Coatings EPOXY Coatings PTFE Coatings Polyester Coatings Polyurethane Coatings Polyvinylidene floride (PVDF) Coatings Polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) Coatings Vinyl Ester Other Resin TypesApplications Covered: Appliances Architectural Automotive Coil General Industrial Marine Packaging Protective Transportation Wood Other ApplicationsRegions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo UKo Italyo Franceo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando South Koreao Rest of Asia Pacific South Americao Argentinao Brazilo Chileo Rest of South America Middle East & Africao Saudi Arabiao UAEo Qataro South Africao Rest of Middle East & AfricaLeave a Query @What our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 9 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsTable of ContentExecutive Summary2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Stake Holders2.3 Research Scope2.4 Research Methodology2.4.1 Data Mining2.4.2 Data Analysis2.4.3 Data Validation2.4.4 Research Approach2.5 Research Sources2.5.1 Primary Research Sources2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources2.5.3 Assumptions3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints3.4 Opportunities3.5 Threats3.6 Application Analysis3.8 Emerging Markets3.9 Futuristic Market Scenario4 Porters Five Force Analysis4.1 Bargaining power of suppliers4.2 Bargaining power of buyers4.3 Threat of substitutes4.4 Threat of new entrants4.5 Competitive rivalry...8 Key Developments8.1 Agreements, Partnerships, Collaborations and Joint Ventures8.2 Acquisitions & Mergers8.3 New Product Launch8.4 Expansions8.5 Other Key Strategies9 Company Profiling9.1 BASF SE9.2 Akzonobel N.V.9.3 PPG Industries Inc.9.4 RPM International Inc.9.5 The Sherwin-Williams Company9.6 The Valspar Corporation9.7 Axalta Coating Systems LLC9.8 Nippon Paint Co. Ltd.9.9 Kansai Paint Co. Ltd.9.10 Tikkurila OYJ9.11 Berger Paints India Ltd.Buy Now @Continued...Contact Us: Sales@Wiseguyreports.Com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (Us) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (Uk)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdPune  411028Maharashtra, GlobalPh: +91 841 198 5042
Wind Turbine Tower Market trends estimates high demand by 2025, Worldwide Top Players : Valmont SM, Broadwind Energy, Marmen, KGW, NAVACEL, Broadwind

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Wind Turbine Tower Market Insights, Forecast to 2025 to its huge collection of research reports.The Wind Turbine Tower market was valued at Million US$ in 2017 and is projected to reach Million US$ by 2025, at a CAGR of during the forecast period. In this study, 2017 has been considered as the base year and 2018 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Wind Turbine Tower.The following manufacturers are covered in this report:Valmont SMBroadwind EnergyMarmenCS Wind CorporationDONGKUK S&CKGWNAVACELBroadwindValmontTrinity structural towersSpecoTitan Wind EnergyShanghai TaishengChina WindPower Group LimitedDownload Free exclusive Sample of this report:The research report also evaluates the global market for Wind Turbine Tower by performing an analysis of the existing industry chain, prevalent regulations and policies, and the government initiatives to encourage the demand of Wind Turbine Tower. Apart from this, a detailed overview of the products produced in this market, their manufacturing chain, and price structure has also been presented in this report.In conclusion, the regional markets for Wind Turbine Tower have been analyzed on the basis of their production capacity as well as the volume produced and the revenue generated. The statistical data regarding the demand and supply of Wind Turbine Tower and the historical CAGR of this market in the respective region has also been presented in this report.Table of Contents1 Study Coverage1.1 Wind Turbine Tower Product1.2 Key Market Segments in This Study1.3 Key Manufacturers Covered1.4 Market by Type1.4.1 Global Wind Turbine Tower Market Size Growth Rate by Type1.4.2 Asynchronous Type1.4.3 Synchronous Type1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Wind Turbine Tower Market Size Growth Rate by Application1.5.2 Tourist Attractions1.5.3 Border Defense1.5.4 School1.5.5 Other2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Wind Turbine Tower Market Size2.1.1 Global Wind Turbine Tower Revenue 2013-20252.1.2 Global Wind Turbine Tower Production 2013-20252.2 Wind Turbine Tower Growth Rate (CAGR) 2018-20252.3 Analysis of Competitive Landscape2.3.1 Manufacturers Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)2.3.2 Key Wind Turbine Tower Manufacturers2.3.2.1 Wind Turbine Tower Manufacturing Base Distribution, Headquarters2.3.2.2 Manufacturers Wind Turbine Tower Product Offered3 Market Size by Manufacturers3.1 Wind Turbine Tower Production by Manufacturers3.1.1 Wind Turbine Tower Production by Manufacturers3.1.2 Wind Turbine Tower Production Market Share by Manufacturers3.2 Wind Turbine Tower Revenue by Manufacturers3.2.1 Wind Turbine Tower Revenue by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.2.2 Wind Turbine Tower Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.3 Wind Turbine Tower Price by ManufacturersRead Comprehensive Overview of Report @QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Oil Field Bio-solvents Global Market Analysis 2012-2017 and Forecast 2018-2023

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GET SAMPLE REPORT @The global Oil Field Bio-solvents market will reach xxx Million USD in 2017 and CAGR xx% 2018-2023. The report begins from overview of Industry Chain structure, and describes industry environment, then analyses market size and forecast of Oil Field Bio-solvents by product, region and application, in addition, this report introduces market competition situation among the vendors and company profile, besides, market price analysis and value chain features are covered in this report.Product Type Coverage (Market Size & Forecast, Major Company of Product Type etc.):HydrocarbonsAlcoholsGlycolsEsterEtherCompany Coverage (Sales Revenue, Price, Gross Margin, Main Products etc.):Ashburn Chemical TechnologiesCrodaStephan CompanyThe Dow Chemical CompanyApplication Coverage (Market Size & Forecast, Different Demand Market by Region, Main Consumer Profile etc.):OilNatural GasOthersRegion Coverage (Regional Output, Demand & Forecast by Countries etc.):North AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificSouth AmericaMiddle East & Africa.ACCESS REPORTTable of Contents1 Industry Overview1.1 Oil Field Bio-solvents Industry1.1.1 Overview1.1.2 Development of Oil Field Bio-solvents1.2 Market Segment1.2.1 Upstream1.2.2 Downstream1.3 Cost Analysis2 Industry Environment2.1 Policy2.2 Economics2.3 Sociology2.4 Technology3 Oil Field Bio-solvents Market by Type3.1 By Type3.1.1 Hydrocarbons3.1.2 Alcohols3.1.3 Glycols3.1.4 Ester3.1.5 Ether3.2 Market Size3.3 Market Forecast. CONTINUEDFOR ANY QUERY, REACHContact Us:Office No. 212/213, B Block 2nd Floor,Parmar Chambers,Sadhu Vaswani Road, Pune  411001Phone Number: 020 - 2612 6969Email: info@research2reports.comWebsite -Research 2 Reports offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.Office No. 212/213, B Block 2nd Floor,Parmar Chambers,Sadhu Vaswani Road, Pune  411001
Growing Industry of Cosmetics and Toiletries Market 2018  2025 | Estimated to Reach High CAGR | Top Key Players

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This report studies the global market size of Cosmetics and Toiletries in key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & South America and Middle East & Africa, focuses on the consumption of Cosmetics and Toiletries in these regions.This research report categorizes the global Cosmetics and Toiletries market by players/brands, region, type and application. This report also studies the global market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.Download Sample copy of this report atThe following manufacturers are covered in this report:Procter & Gamble, Unilever, L'Oreal, Estee Lauder, Colgate-Palmolive, Beiersdorf, Johnson & Johnson, Avon, Shiseido, Kao.Filtered Air Filter Breakdown Data by Type: Skincare, Hair Care, Fragrances, Make-up, Oral Care, Baby Care, Bath and Shower, Deodorants, Color Cosmetics, Mens Grooming.Filtered Air Filter Breakdown Data by Application: Online Sales, Offline Sales.Filtered Air Filter Production by Region: North America, United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia-Pacific, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Europe, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, Central & South America, Brazil, Rest of Central & South America, Middle East & Africa, GCC Countries, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa.Find more information on this report atThe study objectives of this report are:To study and analyze the global Cosmetics and Toiletries market size (value & volume) by company, key regions/countries, products and application, history data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2025.To understand the structure of Cosmetics and Toiletries 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 Cosmetics and Toiletries manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.To analyze the Cosmetics and Toiletries with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.To project the value and volume of Cosmetics and Toiletries submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.List of Tables and Figures:Global Cosmetics and Toiletries Market Size 2016-2025 (Million US$)Global Cosmetics and Toiletries Production (K Units) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Types (Product Category) (2013-2025)Global Cosmetics and Toiletries Production Market Share by Types (Product Category) in 2017Global Cosmetics and Toiletries Revenue Market Share by Regions 2016-2025Global Cosmetics and Toiletries Revenue Market Share by Type (2016-2025)Global Cosmetics and Toiletries Revenue Market Share by Type in 2017Global Cosmetics and Toiletries Sales 2016-2025 (K Units)Global Cosmetics and Toiletries Sales Market Share by Regions 2016-2025Global Cosmetics and Toiletries Sales Market Share by Type (2016-2025)Global Cosmetics and Toiletries Sales Market Share by Type in 2017Global Cosmetics and Toiletries Sales Share by Manufacturers in 2017Global Sales Cosmetics and Toiletries Market Share by Application (2016-2025)Global Sales Cosmetics and Toiletries Market Share by Application (2016-2025)and more.Enquire more about this report atAbout InForGrowth:We are a market-intelligence company formed with the objective of providing clients access to the most relevant and accurate research content for their growth needs. At InForGrowth, we understand Research requirements and help a client in taking informed business critical decisions. Given the complexities and interdependencies of market-intelligence, there is always more than one source to explore and arrive at the right answer. Through our smart searchfeature and our reliable & trusted publishing partners, we are paving way for a more simplified and relevant research.For all your Research needs, reach out to us at:Address: 6400 Village Pkwy suite # 104, Dublin, CA 94568, USAEmail: info@inforgrowth.comPhone: +1-909-329-2808
Wilsons Disease Treatment Market Revenue Opportunities By Key Vendors Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., Noblepharma Co., Ltd., Wilson Therapeutics AB, Kadmon Holdings, Inc.

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Wilsons disease is a genetic disorder caused by the loss of function of the ATP7B copper-binding protein that leads to impaired copper transport and excretion, which results in accumulation of free copper in the bloodstream that results in damage of liver, brain, and other organs. As Wilsons disease is hard to differentiate from other serious hepatic or neurologic condition that result in less number of patient to be diagnosed than the actual prevalence of Wilsons disease. Wilsons disease is characterized by the degree of accumulation of free copper in liver and the brain.Download PDF Brochure of Research Report:Whereas, the patients that suffer from Wilsons disease can either be asymptomatic or can have one or more clinical symptoms which can vary in type and its severity that include liver disease, neurologic manifestations and psychiatric disturbances. The symptoms for Wilsons disease may include abdominal pain, lack of appetite, fatigue, jaundice, problems with speech, swallowing or physical coordination and uncontrolled movements or muscle stiffness.The global Wilson's Disease Treatment Market was valued at US$ 392.0 million in 2016 and is expected to witness a robust CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period (2017-2025).Wilson disease is suspected in the individual of age 3 - 60 years, whereas the chance of child inheriting autosomal recessive mutation from both the parent by gene mutation is 25% or one in four ratio.Rapid advancements in technology allowing for early detection driving growth of the Wilsons disease treatment market.Wilson's Disease Treatment Market -There are various organization and association working to create the awareness regarding Wilsons disease for example, Wilsons disease association is a volunteer organization striving to promote the well-being of the patients with Wilsons disease where they offer the latest information about disease and its symptoms and treatment. Moreover Wilsons disease association supports research and clinical investigation for Wilsons disease.Some major players operating in the Wilsons disease treatment market are Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., Noblepharma Co., Ltd., Wilson Therapeutics AB, Kadmon Holdings, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., VHB Life Science Ltd., Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. and Tsumura & Co.Request for Customization of Research Report:Increase in awareness regarding Wilsons disease is expected to fuel the Wilsons disease treatment market in near future.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
Cetirizine Hydrochloride Market at a Rapid Pace Until 2026 Key Players Resposible : Johnson and Johnson, Mylan, Inc., Nicox S.A., Strides Shasun, Apotex, Inc., Teva UK Limited, Cipla Ltd.

Cetirizine Hydrochloride

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Global Cetirizine Hydrochloride Market was valued at US$ 1,100 million in 2017, and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 3.2% over the forecast period (2018  2026), as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. Cetirizine hydrochloride is a second-generation histamine H1 antagonist that is effective in treatment of allergic rhinitis, chronic urticaria, and pollen-induced asthma. Cetirizine does not cause drowsiness or anticholinergic side effects opposed to conventional antihistamines. Cetirizine is available in various forms such as regular and chewable tablets, capsules, and solutions.Get PDF Brochure of Research Report:The cetirizine hydrochloride market is expected to gain significant traction over the forecast period. This is owing to the pharmaceutical companies operating in the market that are focused on developing novel therapies. Such developments extend the applications of cetirizine hydrochloride for treating eye allergies and ocular diseases. For instance, in May 2017, the FDA approved the ophthalmic solution named Zerviate developed by Aciex Therapeutics, Inc., for topical application of the second-generation histamine-1 (H1) receptor antagonist for use in treating ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis. The FDA approval was based on the New Drug Application providing data that demonstrated the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of cetirizine ophthalmic solution in phase 3 phase clinical trials using the conjunctival antigen challenge (CAC) model.In September 2017, Nicox Ophthalmics, Inc., a subsidiary of Nicox S.A. entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Eyevance Pharmaceuticals LLC, for the commercialization of Zerviatetm (cetirizine ophthalmic solution) 0.24%, in the US, thereby pursuing the expansion of the product into additional markets.The market players are adopting strategies such as mergers and acquisitions to enhance the product portfolio by gaining market access of cetirizine hydrochloride pipeline products and to further address major segments of the ophthalmic market, including allergy and inflammation. For instance, in 2014, Nicox S.A. acquired Aciex Therapeutics, Inc., the U.S. based ophthalmic development pharmaceutical company with a strong late stage therapeutic pipeline in ophthalmology, thereby diversifying the product portfolio and gaining commercial rights of the product in the U.S.Speak to Analyst before Purchase This Report:Also, in 2017, the pharmaceutical company Strides Shasun, headquartered in Bangalore received approval for allergy drug Cetirizine Hydrochloride in the U.S. Under the agreement, the company will manufacture the product at its flagship facility at Bangalore. The product is marketed by Strides Pharma Inc. in the US market."Key Takeaways of the Cetirizine Hydrochloride Market"-The global cetirizine hydrochloride market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 3.2% over the forecast period, owing to the launch and approval of products with novel formulations and increasing incidence of allergic rhinitis-Among dosage form, the tablet segment holds a dominant position in the cetirizine hydrochloride market, as they provide a cheaper alternative than the other dosage forms along with higher shelf-life, better absorption, and dissolution-Among age group, the pediatric segment holds a dominant position in the cetirizine hydrochloride market, owing to the high rate of disease diagnosis among the pediatric population, as the group is highly susceptibility to allergic disease-Among application, the hay fever segment holds a dominant position in the cetirizine hydrochloride market, owing to the high --prevalence of the condition in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.-Some of the major players operating in the global cetirizine hydrochloride market include, Johnson and Johnson, Mylan, Inc., Nicox S.A., Strides Shasun, Apotex, Inc., Teva UK Limited, Aurobindo Pharma Limited, Jubilant Life Sciences, Tris Pharma, Inc., and Cipla LtdAbout 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
Global 3D Cell Culture Market witness Maximum Growth with the CAGR of 26.13% till 2023

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Medical science has achieved remarkable breakthroughs over the years and is still achieving. The technology of tissue regeneration has enabled the growth and repair of cells in the human body. The technique known as 3D cell culture helps biological cells to grow or interact with their surroundings in all three dimensions. Due to 3D cell culture providing more accurate data and more physiologically relevant information in vivo tests, it has become acceptable in comparison to 2D Cell culture.Some factors that drive the growth of the global 3D cell culture market include organ and tissue regeneration capability and providing drug toxicology screening. Other factors contributing to the rapid growth of this market include rising approval from government bodies, growing awareness, increasing the incidence of cancer and rising demand for organs transplantation and lastly the varying applications of 3D cell culture in biotech and pharmaceutical industry and rising prevalence of cancer worldwide. Demand for organ transplant has risen due to increasing prevalence of organ failures.The Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies is expected to witness maximum growth with the CAGR of 26.13%.Avail Sample for this Report at:The key findings of this report mention that by the end of forecast period, by product segmentation, consumables will be the highest growing segment of the global 3D cell culture market, with a CAGR of 25.88%. At the same time, among application, drug discovery will emerge as the largest segment with 25.75%. As a whole segment,Key PlayersThe key players in the global 3D cell culture market include Becton-Dickinson and Company (USA), Charles River Laboratories Inc (USA), Corning Incorporated (USA), The Electrospinning Company (UK), InSphero, AG (Switzerland), Kuraray Co Ltd (Japan), Lonza (Switzerland), Lena Biosciences Inc. (USA), Merck KGaA (Germany), Tecan Trading AG (Switzerland), ReproCELL Europe Ltd (UK), and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (USA).The global 3D cell culture market has been segmented into the application, end user, product, technique, and lastly region. Based on application, this market has been segmented into cancer research, drug discovery, regenerative medicine, stem cell research, tissue screening & engineering, and others. Drug discovery is the process that helps the researchers to discover new candidate medications. Regenerative medicine is defined as a branch of translational research in molecular biology and tissue engineering. It deals with the process to replace, engineer or regenerate human cells, tissues or organs in order to restore or establish normal function. The process of borrowing cells from developed organs of the body and used for repairing unhealthy organs is called stem cell research. The purpose of tissue engineering is to assemble the functional constructs that heel, maintain and restore the damaged tissues or whole organs.Access Report @On the basis of end users, the global 3D cell culture market has been segmented into contract research organizations, pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, research & academic laboratories and others. Contract research organizations provide support to the biotechnology, medical device, and pharmaceutical industries in the form of research services outsourced on a contract basis. Based on products, the market has been segmented into consumables and instruments. Consumables include products like vials, cotton buds, cleaning materials, plastic funnels, etc. Instruments include devices that are used for surgeries and activities like removing the tumor. On the basis of technology, the market has been segmented into scaffolds based 3D cell culture and scaffold-free 3D cell culture. To develop the field of tissue engineering in order to regenerate damaged tissues, the cells from the body are combined with highly porous scaffold biomaterials that act as templates for tissue regeneration and guides the growth of new tissue. A technique based on scaffold biomaterials is called scaffolds based on 3D cell culture. Scaffold-free methods include the use of hanging drop plates, low adhesion plates, magnetic 3D bioprinting, magnetic levitation, micropatterned surfaces, and rotating bioreactors.The regional segmentation of the global 3D cell culture market covers The Americas (North America & South America), Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). With many key players based in the United States of America (USA) and due to the availability of advanced technology, North America is a bigger market than South America. In the USA, maximum organ transplant surgeries have taken place since 2016. In Europe, due to reasons same as North America, being more advanced technologically, Western Europe is a bigger market than Eastern Europe.In the Asia Pacific region, some countries like Japan and Singapore are technologically advanced. And in countries like India and China, the technological advancement is taking place at a slow but steady pace. This is primarily due to less expenditure (compared to governments in Western countries) from governments on medical healthcare. Other countries of Asia Pacific that are strong markets for 3D cell culture include Australia and South Korea, followed by rest of Asia Pacific countries. In the MEA countries, the market is small due to lack of technological advancement, less priority from the government to healthcare and lawless environment due to events like Arab Spring. Some countries in this region do have a decent amount of technological advancement and doctors with modern education because of which, they can be suitable markets for 3D cell culture. Such countries are Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates (UAE), followed by rest of MEA region.Enquire for Discount at:Latest Industry NewsALPCO, a leading producer of research and clinical immunoassays, has announced its partnership with InSphero, AG. This partnership aims to provide customers with a complete solution to assess beta-cell function in islet micro tissue culture models. 24 JUL 2018Collaborating with the University of Strathclyde, Biotechnology giant AMSBIO has set up a new joint venture company called ScreenIn3D, exploiting the latest advances in microfluidics and 3D cell culture, to develop a novel microfluidic screening platform. 6 JUL 2018.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.Contact:Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Hirudin Extract Powder Global Market Analysis 2012-2017 and Forecast 2018-2023

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GET SAMPLE REPORT @The global Hirudin Extract Powder market will reach xxx Million USD in 2017 and CAGR xx% 2018-2023. The report begins from overview of Industry Chain structure, and describes industry environment, then analyses market size and forecast of Hirudin Extract Powder by product, region and application, in addition, this report introduces market competition situation among the vendors and company profile, besides, market price analysis and value chain features are covered in this report.Product Type Coverage (Market Size & Forecast, Major Company of Product Type etc.):Hirudo NipponiaPoecilobdella ManillensisWhitman PigraOthersCompany Coverage (Sales Revenue, Price, Gross Margin, Main Products etc.):KeRun BiologyXi'an ShengqingKeykenAbcamSungen BioscienceAnaSpecApplication Coverage (Market Size & Forecast, Different Demand Market by Region, Main Consumer Profile etc.):BiomedicalHealthcareBeauty & Skin CareRegion Coverage (Regional Output, Demand & Forecast by Countries etc.):North AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificSouth AmericaMiddle East & AfricaACCESS REPORTTable of Contents1 Industry Overview1.1 Hirudin Extract Powder Industry1.1.1 Overview1.1.2 Development of Hirudin Extract Powder1.2 Market Segment1.2.1 Upstream1.2.2 Downstream1.3 Cost Analysis2 Industry Environment2.1 Policy2.2 Economics2.3 Sociology2.4 Technology3 Hirudin Extract Powder Market by Type3.1 By Type3.1.1 Hirudo Nipponia3.1.2 Poecilobdella Manillensis3.1.3 Whitman Pigra3.1.4 Others3.2 Market Size3.3 Market Forecast. CONTINUEDFOR ANY QUERY, REACHContact Us:Office No. 212/213, B Block 2nd Floor,Parmar Chambers,Sadhu Vaswani Road, Pune  411001Phone Number: 020 - 2612 6969Email: info@research2reports.comWebsite -Research 2 Reports offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.212/213, B Block 2nd Floor,Parmar Chambers,Sadhu Vaswani Road, Pune  411001
Loud Speaker Market to 2025  Altec Lansing Infinity, LLC, Bose Corporation, Bowers & Wilkins, VOXX International Corp, Sony Corporation, Pioneer Corporation

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Loud Speaker Market is an electromagnetic sound transducer which converts electrical signal of audio frequency into sound waves of safe frequency. They refer to individual devices, or to complete systems consisting of an enclosure including one or more devices and additional electronics. Loud speaker produce a wide range of audio frequencies between 20 Hz to 20 KHz.Increase in the infiltration of mobile & internet transactions and rise in the usage of wireless technology are the major drivers which help in surging the growth of loud speaker market whereas harmful health effects on children & other user groups and the operating frequency rules and regulations by government may act as a restraining factor for the market. Internet penetration and accessibility of a strong delivery network will add new opportunities for this market in the coming years.Request Sample Copy is Available at:-The "Global Loud Speaker Market Analysis to 2025" is a specialized and in-depth study of the loud speaker industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global loud speaker market with detailed market segmentation by type, component, location, application and geography. The global loud speaker market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the leading market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.The Major Key Market Players:1. Altec Lansing Infinity, LLC.2. Bose Corporation3. Bowers & Wilkins.4. VOXX International Corp.5. Sony Corporation6. Pioneer Corporation.7. Koninklijke Philips N.V.8. Wilson Audio Specialties Inc.9. POLK AUDIO10. Logitech International S.A.The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global loud speaker market based on type, component, location and application. It also provides market size and forecast till 2025 for overall loud speaker market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM). The market by each region is sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers analysis and forecast of 16 counties globally along with current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.Inquire For Reports At:-Besides this, the report analyzes factors affecting market from both demand and supply side and further evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend. The report also provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions namely; North America, Europe, APAC, MEA and South America after evaluating political, economic, social and technological factors effecting the market in these regions.Also, key loud speaker 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. Some of the key players influencing the market are Altec Lansing Infinity, LLC., Bose Corporation, Bowers & Wilkins., VOXX International Corp., Sony Corporation, Pioneer Corporation., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Wilson Audio Specialties Inc., POLK AUDIO and Logitech International S.A. among others.Reason to Buy:- Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the global Loud Speaker Market- Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies.- The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Loud Speaker Market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long term strategies.- Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.- Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it.- Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to products, segmentation and industry verticals.About Us:The Insight Partners is a one 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. We are a specialist in Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Automotive and Defense.533, 5th Floor, Amanora Chambers,Amanora Township, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Global Pawn Shop Market Analysis & Forecast 2018-2025 By Key Players like First Cash Financial Services Inc. (U.S.), EZCorp Inc. (U.S.), Cash America International Inc. (U.S.), Pawngo (U.S.)

Pawn Shop Market Report

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UpMarketResearch offers a latest published report on Global Pawn Shop Market Industry Analysis and Forecast 2018-2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 130 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 Pawn Shop 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.Pawn Shop 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 Pawn Shop Market 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.Enquiry For more information@ https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/8849The report for Pawn Shop Market industry analysis & forecast 2018-2025 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.Region-wise Analysis Global Pawn Shop Market covers: North America Asia-Pacific Europe Central & South America Middle East & AfricaThe key players covered in this study First Cash Financial Services Inc. (U.S.) EZCorp Inc. (U.S.) Cash America International Inc. (U.S.) Pawngo (U.S.) UltraPawn, LLC (U.S.) Gold & Silver Pawn Shop (U.S.) American Jewelry and Loan (U.S.) Dollar Financial Group Global Corporation (U.S.) Browns Pawnbrokers (UK) New Bond Street Pawnbrokers (UK)Market segment by Type, the product can be split into Consumer Lending (Secured Loans with Personal Property Used as Collateral) Used Goods Retailing Appraising Items for Purchase or PawnMarket segment by Application, split into Generation X Generation Y Baby BoomersThe Report covers in-depth analysis as follows: Chapter 1 Report Overview Chapter 2 Global Growth Trend Chapter 3 Market Share by Key Player Chapter 4 Breakdown Data by Type and Application Chapter 5 United States Chapter 6 Europe Chapter 7 China Chapter 8 Japan Chapter 9 Southeast Asia Chapter 10 India Chapter 11 Central & South America Chapter 12 International Players Profiles Chapter 13 Market Forecast 2018-2025 Chapter 14 Analyst's Viewpoints/Conclusions Chapter 15 AppendixBuy this Report@ https://www.upmarketresearch.com/buy/pawn-shop-marketKey Reasons to Purchase: To gain insightful analyses of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Global Pawn Shop 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 Pawn Shop 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
IoT Cloud Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players  Intel Corporation, Ayla Networks, Artik Cloud, AWS IOT, GE Predix, Google, Microsoft, IBM Watson IoT, ThingWorx

IoT Cloud Market

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On  IoT Cloud Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players  Intel Corporation, Ayla Networks, Artik Cloud, AWS IOT, GE Predix, Google, Microsoft, IBM Watson IoT, ThingWorx.Description:-In 2017, the global IoT Cloud market size was million US$ and it is expected to reach million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of during 2018-2025.This report focuses on the global IoT Cloud status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the IoT Cloud development in United States, Europe and China.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comThe key players covered in this studyIntel CorporationAyla NetworksArtik CloudAWS IOTGE PredixGoogleMicrosoftIBM Watson IoTThingWorxSalesforce IoT CloudTelit DeviceWiseXivelyZebra Zatar CloudWebNMSOracleMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoInformation ProcessingSignal CommunicationOtherMarket segment by Application, split intoManufacturingEnergy & PowerOil & GasMetals & MiningHealthcareAgricultureOthersMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaCentral & South AmericaEnquiry About Report @Table Of Contents  Major Key Points1 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.4.1 Global IoT Cloud Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2013-2025)1.4.2 Information Processing1.4.3 Signal Communication1.4.4 Other1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global IoT Cloud Market Share by Application (2013-2025)1.5.2 Manufacturing1.5.3 Energy & Power1.5.4 Oil & Gas1.5.5 Metals & Mining1.5.6 Healthcare1.5.7 Agriculture1.5.8 Others1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Global Growth Trends2.1 IoT Cloud Market Size2.2 IoT Cloud Growth Trends by Regions2.2.1 IoT Cloud Market Size by Regions (2013-2025)2.2.2 IoT Cloud Market Share by Regions (2013-2018)2.3 Industry Trends2.3.1 Market Top Trends2.3.2 Market Drivers2.3.3 Market Opportunities3 Market Share by Key Players3.1 IoT Cloud Market Size by Manufacturers3.1.1 Global IoT Cloud Revenue by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.2 Global IoT Cloud Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.3 Global IoT Cloud Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 IoT Cloud Key Players Head office and Area Served3.3 Key Players IoT Cloud Product/Solution/Service3.4 Date of Enter into IoT Cloud Market3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans4 Breakdown Data by Type and Application4.1 Global IoT Cloud Market Size by Type (2013-2018)4.2 Global IoT Cloud Market Size by Application (2013-2018)5 United States5.1 United States IoT Cloud Market Size (2013-2018)5.2 IoT Cloud Key Players in United States5.3 United States IoT Cloud Market Size by Type5.4 United States IoT Cloud Market Size by Application6 Europe6.1 Europe IoT Cloud Market Size (2013-2018)6.2 IoT Cloud Key Players in Europe6.3 Europe IoT Cloud Market Size by Type6.4 Europe IoT Cloud Market Size by ApplicationContinuedBuy 1-user PDF @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.
Aerospace Floor Panel Market 2018-2024 Global Key Vendors are Zodiac Aerospace, Triumph Group, Euro Composites, Aim Altitude, EnCore Group, Nordam Group, The Gill Corporation, Avcorp Corporation, EFW, Rockwell Collins.

Aerospace Floor Panel Market

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Aerospace Floor Panel Market for Commercial aircraft segment will contribute around 84% of overall revenue with significant growth in overall aerospace industry till 2024. Rising annual spending and disposable income has amplified air traffic and increased international and domestic fleets. Surge in commercial aircraft production particularly in developed regions including North America and Europe will push the aerospace floor panel market in next seven years.Request For Sample copy of this Report @Regional jet segment will register over 5.5% growth with increase in regional jets to fulfill aircraft gap between turbo prop and single aisle long range airplanes thereby accelerating product demand. Rising business aircrafts demand in Middle East and Africa owing to regional economic expansion and growing tourism industry will enhance the aerospace floor panel market demand.Aerospace floor panel market for Nomex honeycomb will witness 2.8% CAGR till 2024 owing to increase in commercial aircraft demand. Properties including high fire resistance, stiffness, lightweight, thermal stability, excellent dielectric properties and superior strength will boost its utilization during forecast period. Availability in various cell size, strength and thickness will enhance aerospace floor panel market share.By Aircraft Commercial Aircraft Regional Jet Business Jet HelicopterBy Raw Material Nomex Honeycomb Aluminum Honeycomb OthersBy Distribution Channel OEM AftermarketMake an Inquiry for purchasing this Report @Aircraft manufacturers are constantly focusing on reducing the overall structural weight offering enhanced strength. Aircraft floor panels are preinstalled units in cabin and are layered above base structure. Flooring units contributes for major share in airplane weight and use of lightweight structure reduces gross weight. The units support cabin columns and walls to facilitate cabin interior flooring. Rising component cost particularly in emerging nations may restrict aerospace floor panel market growth during forecast period.Nomex honeycomb segment will register gains at over 2% during the forecast period with increase in airplane demand. Properties such as high stiffness, fire resistance, lightweight, better dielectric properties, thermal stability, superior strength and dielectric properties will enhance aircraft flooring market demand. Product availability in different thickness and cell size sufficing customer demand will further boost aerospace floor panel market.Aluminum honeycomb will register robust growth with high strength-weight ratio. 90% recyclability of aluminum and non-absorbent property reduces overall product cost and imparts high strength to structural parts that enhances component longevity. Competitive product cost compared to other counterparts will boost aluminum honeycomb demand during projected timeframe. Titanium honeycomb aerospace floor panel market segment is at nascent stage and will grow with corrosion resistance property.Browse Report Summery @OEM will witness around 2% CAGR till 2024 owing to panel installation during cabin fabrication to reduce overall aircraft weight and ensure passenger safety. Industry players have undergone strategic alliance with airplane manufacturers to ensure continuous product supply. Increase in commercial and regional airliners will support market growth over forecast period. Aftermarket share will foresee robust growth with rise in retrofit and refurbishment activities.North America aerospace floor panel market holds the major share with presence of aircraft manufacturers such as Falcon, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Bombardier and Airbus. Europe will register substantial growth with increasing air traffic. In 2018, Europe recorded around 5% passenger traffic increase in comparison with 2017 further supporting the product demand. Middle East and Africa will witness growth owing to progress with prevailing travel and tourism industry.Major players of aerospace floor panel market include Advanced Custom Manufacturing, Euro Composites, Aim Altitude, EnCore Group, Nordam Group, The Gill Corporation, Zodiac Aerospace, Triumph Group, Avcorp Corporation, EFW, and Rockwell Collins. Industry players are undergoing strategic collaborations with airplane manufacturers to augment their market share.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.Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:
New Research On Passenger Count System Market Global Analysis By Key Players- Dilax Intelcom GmbH, Eurotech S.P.A, Cisco Systems Inc., Siemens AG, Hitachi Ltd., Huawei Technology Co. Ltd.

New Research On Passenger Count System Market Global Analysis By Key Players- Dilax Intelcom GmbH, Eurotech S.P.A, Cisco Systems I

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UpMarketResearch offers a latest published report on Global Passenger Count System Market Industry Analysis and Forecast 2018-2023 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 99 pages which highly exhibits 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 Passenger Count System global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 2018 - 2023.Get Free Sample Report @Passenger Count System 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 Passenger Count System 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.For more information @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 Passenger Count System market industry analysis & forecast 2018-2025 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.Region-wise Analysis Global Passenger Count System Market covers: North America Europe China Japan India Southeast Asia Other regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa)The key players covered in this study Dilax Intelcom GmbH Eurotech S.P.A Cisco Systems Inc. IRIS Gmbh Siemens AG Hella Aglaia Mobile Vision GmbH Hitachi Ltd. Huawei Technology Co. Ltd. Retail Sensing Ltd. Trapeze GroupMarket segment by Type, the product can be split into Stereoscopic Vision Time-of-Flight InfraredAsk For Discount @Market segment by Application, split into Trains Ferry boats BusesThe Report covers in-depth analysis as follows: Chapter 1 Report Overview Chapter 2 Global Growth Trend Chapter 3 Market Share by Key Player Chapter 4 Breakdown Data by Type and Application Chapter 5 United States Chapter 6 Europe Chapter 7 Chin Chapter 8 Japan Chapter 9 Southeast Asia Chapter 10 India Chapter 11 Central & South Americ Chapter 12 International Players Profiles Chapter 13 Market Forecast 2018-2025 Chapter 14 Analyst's Viewpoints/Conclusions Chapter 15 AppendixBuy this report @Global Passenger Count System 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 Passenger Count System 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 Passenger Count System 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
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Introduction



While housed within the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC), adults in custody (AICs) have access to a number of services including health and wellness support, faith-based mentors and meetings, and a variety of library resources. These services are provided to maintain a standard of living for AICs, as well as promote positive behavior change and preparation for successful re-entry back to the community.





Click the links on the left hand side to learn more about the services offered to inmates at DOC.


October is LGBT History Month, an annual observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. In recognition of this important designation, we've compiled a booklist of some realistic young adult fiction with LGBTQ themes or characters, as well as a couple of non-fiction titles, for teens (and adults!) to explore.



Fiction



"Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda"* (2015) by Becky Albertalli

Simon is a high school junior who has a secret email relationship with an adorable guy. Somehow, the emails fall into the wrong hands, and Simon faces blackmail to keep his sexual identity intact.

*has sequel, "Leah on the Offbeat" (2018)



"Girl Made of Stars" (2018) by Ashley Herring Blake

Mara's twin brother is accused of assault, forcing her to look at her family and past traumas in a new light, as well as the future with her girlfriend, Charlie.



"Little and Lion" (2017) by Brandy Colbert

Suzette returns home to Los Angeles from boarding school and struggles with her bisexual identity after she and her brother Lionel fall in love with the same girl. Things get complicated when Lionel's bipolar disorder spins out of control.



"The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue" (2017) by Mackenzi Lee

Henry "Monty" Montague was born to be a gentleman. He lives for gambling halls, late nights with bottles of spirits, and waking up in the arms of women or men - pursuits which have angered his father. Before he has to settle down and do his father's bidding, he embarks on a pleasure-filled Grand Tour of Europe with his best friend and crush, Percy.



"Ramona Blue" (2017) by Julie Murphy

Ramona Blue is over six feet tall, has blue hair, and likes girls. When her childhood friend Freddie moves back to town, she realizes she might be falling in love with him. Wait - what?



"Gracefully Grayson" (2014) by Ami Polonsky

Sixth grader Grayson spends her time doodling and daydreaming about what it would be like to live life as a girl, despite being assigned male at birth. Taking a bold step toward accepting herself, Grayson tries out for the female lead in the school play, regardless of how others will react.



"Juliet Takes a Breath" (2016) by Gabby Rivera

Juliet Milagros Palante leaves the Bronx for Portland for an internship with a "white lady feminist" to figure out her "Puerto Rico Lesbian" thing after coming out to her family.



"If I Was Your Girl" (2016) by Meredith Russo

Amanda is the new girl at school, and secretly transgender. Can she trust her crush Grant to keep her secret?



"Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" (2012) by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Fifteen-year-old Ari keeps to himself and has a brother in prison. Then he meets Dante. Soon their friendship makes him question his identity and sexuality.



"Highly Illogical Behavior" (2016) by John Corey Whaley

Agoraphobic Solomon hasn't left his home in three years. Lisa, hoping to write a scholarship-winning psychology essay, is determined to change that, and starts befriending him. But then Solomon falls for Lisa's boyfriend, Clark...



Nonfiction



"Speaking Out: Queer Youth in Focus" (2014)

Explores the perspectives of diverse LGBTQ youth with photographs and vignettes.



"Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen" (2016)

Activist Jazz Jennings of "I Am Jazz" reality show fame shares her public transgender journey.



Contributed by Beaverton City Library Youth Services Reference Assistant Wendy Bunch
By Spencer Soper, Bloomberg News

Amazon.com is eliminating monthly bonuses and stock awards for warehouse workers and other hourly employees after the company pledged this week to raise pay to at least $15 an hour.

Warehouse workers for the e-commerce giant in the U.S. were eligible in the past for monthly bonuses that could total hundreds of dollars per month as well as stock awards, said two people familiar with Amazon's pay policies. The company informed those employees Wednesday that it's eliminating both of those compensation categories to help pay for the raises, the people said.

Amazon is opening new distribution facilities in Troutdale, Salem and North Portland. The company already has a package sorting facility in Hillsboro employs hundreds at its AWS Elemental subsidiary in downtown Portland.

Amazon received plaudits when it announced Monday that the company would raise its minimum pay. The pay increase warded off criticism from politicians and activists, and put the company in a good position to recruit temporary workers for the important holiday shopping season.

Even after the elimination of bonuses and stock awards, hourly operations and customer-service workers will see their total compensation increase, the company said in a statement.

"In addition, because it's no longer incentive-based, the compensation will be more immediate and predictable," Amazon said.

Workers whose pay was already above $15 per hour will get hourly raises of $1, according to two people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing the company's compensation practices. Some long-time workers expressed frustration that their raises are small compared with newly hired workers who will see hourly pay bumps of as much as 40 percent.

A higher hourly wage that new workers immediately receive is a better recruiting tool in a tight labor market than stock options that take years to materialize, especially in the warehousing industry that sees high turnover, said David DeBoskey, an accounting professor at San Diego State University. Amazon said it will hire 100,000 seasonal workers for the holiday crush this year, and temporary workers don't get stock.

"In a tight labor market, when you're the leader paying $15 an hour, that's a big advantage," DeBoskey said. "They probably realized people weren't applying for warehouse jobs for the stock options."

-- Bloomberg News
A Portland attorney has filed to seek class-action status for Burgerville customers potentially impacted by a credit card breach revealed by the company this week.

The complaint, filed by Michael Fuller, alleges Burgerville failed to adequately protect credit card information and seeks "fair compensation" for any losses. It says Burgerville could have limited economic harm by promptly notifying customers once it learned of the breach.

The complaint was filed Wednesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Burgerville revealed earlier that day that thousands of customers' credit and debit card information may have been compromised during a cyberattack it learned of in late August.

Burgerville said it learned of the breach from the FBI the same month. The chain didn't acknowledge the issue until Wednesday, saying its first priority was to contain the breach and close off cybercriminals' access to its systems.

"The operation had to be kept confidential until it was completed in order to prevent the hackers from creating additional covert pathways into the company's network," Burgerville said in a written statement. It said it completed the operation to seal the breach on Sunday.

Burgerville said it doesn't know how many of its customers were affected. It provided a phone number, 877-322-8228, that anyone can call to get a free copy of their credit report. The same information is available online at annualcreditreport.com.

The Vancouver-based fast-food chain says anyone who used plastic at its restaurants between September 2017 through last week should carefully watch their card statements for unauthorized charges. In addition, the chain recommends customers obtain a copy of their credit report to look for unauthorized information and consider freezing their credit.

The named plaintiff in the class action filing is Cassandra Nelson.

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive
Portland is poised to require posted warnings on brick buildings vulnerable to collapse in a major earthquake.

The signs would read, in at least 30-point type and on a placard no smaller than 8-by-10 inches: "This is an unreinforced masonry building. Unreinforced masonry buildings may be unsafe in the event of a major earthquake."

Landlords would have to send similar notices to building tenants.

City officials say the signs would help visitors and residents make informed decisions about their risk.

Some owners of the buildings -- among them apartment buildings, music venues, restaurants and storefronts -- say the notices would drive away business, making it harder to afford costly seismic retrofits that could address the risk.

Portland has a stock of 1,600 unreinforced masonry buildings that have stood, on average, almost 90 years.

But the West Coast is overdue for a major quake originating from the Cascadia subduction zone, an offshore fault. The odds of a quake with a magnitude of 8 or greater that affects Portland is about 22 to 26 percent in the next 50 years, said Chris Goldfinger, an Oregon State University professor of geology and geophysics.

When the earthquake hits, Portland potentially faces $80 billion in building damage, tens of thousands of people wounded or killed and more than 250,000 residents facing long-term displacement, according to a state report released earlier this year.

California has required such signs for 23 years, though a state commission found in 2004 that only 276 unreinforced brick buildings out of 22,000 statewide complied with the law.

The Portland ordinance comes up for a vote next week. Four city commissioners present Wednesday signaled they would approve it. Commissioner Nick Fish was absent.

The city likely won't require building owners to make fixes to help prevent collapse in a major earthquake for at least 20 years, and the council proposed the placards as an interim measure.

But the building owners said the placards would create a stigma that outweighs the actual risk, and that the signs would drive away customers and renters. The cost could force them to sell to developers who could demolish the buildings, they said.

"It's a false narrative designed to deter business, patrons, tenants and buyers while creating insurance and finance roadblocks," said Angie Even, the owner of an unreinforced masonry building in Southeast Portland.

Other owners argued the city's list of vulnerable buildings is inaccurate and that proving a building should be removed would require a costly and invasive inspection.

The city hasn't retrofitted many of its own vulnerable buildings, and if the ordinance is approved, signs would go up in those buildings Jan. 1.

Other properties would have to post the signs by March 1 with the exception of churches and nonprofit organizations, which would have two years to comply.

The city delayed implementation for churches in part because several pastors from predominantly African American churches that meet in unreinforced brick buildings told the council that they hadn't been invited to discussions about the policy. Several asked the city to back off the placarding mandate altogether.

"There's no way in the world my congregation could go out and buy a million-dollar building right now, because we couldn't afford to pay the loan back," said Bishop Marcus Irving of the Albina Christian Life Center. "We're facing an impossible situation."

-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com

503-294-5034

@enjus
Tom Werner

SunPower would have walked away from its deal to buy the SolarWorld factory in Hillsboro if the California company hadn't won an exemption from tariffs on solar panels it imports from the Philippines and Malaysia.

The long-sought tariff relief arrived last month, and SunPower closed the deal Tuesday. The tariffs would have cost SunPower as much as $2 million a week, according to chief executive Tom Werner, money that will now help pay for upgrades to accommodate production of the company's advanced solar panels.

"It would be fair to call it a game-changer for SunPower," Werner said Wednesday during a visit to the Hillsboro factory.

The plant's fate had been in doubt for more than a year after SolarWorld's German parent declared itself insolvent amid intense pressure from imported solar panels from China. The factory, which once employed more than 800, now has a little more than 200 remaining workers.

Installation of new equipment begins this month, though, and Werner said production of a new class of more advanced, efficient solar panels will begin early next year. He said the operation will be fully ramped up in late 2019.

"I would expect in a year we (will) have more people here than we do now, and perhaps significantly more," Werner said. He said SunPower could add approximately 100 jobs as production volumes increase.

The factory will take the SunPower name, and most of the old SolarWorld signs have already come down. The company had previously indicated it could spend as much as $15 million on plant upgrades; it declined Wednesday to provide an updated figure.

Meanwhile, SunPower and the entire domestic solar industry continues to struggle with the complicated trade landscape. Solar panels from China face new tariffs, but raw materials used to make panels here also cost more because of other new tariffs.

But Werner said the outlook for the Hillsboro factory is better than it has been in some time: "There's some great talent here. We're optimistic about winning."

-- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699
Sheriff's deputies laughed as their colleague took two cellphone videos of a 31-year-old inmate in a padded cell at the Clackamas County Jail as he moved uncontrollably and made unintelligible noises due to an apparent drug overdose.

"Look what I got for show-and-tell today,'' Deputy Ricky Paurus says on one video. He suggests they could put inmate Bryan Perry in a cage and wheel him into a school to impress on kids "don't do drugs,'' according to a new federal lawsuit. Another deputy calls the idea "fantastic.''

What the deputies and the jail's medical provider failed to do, the suit alleges, is ensure Perry got appropriate medical treatment, resulting in his death by cardiac arrest early Nov. 4, 2016, about five hours after he was booked into jail.

The suit, filed this week in U.S. District Court in Portland, alleges the county deputies and medical staff from Corizon Health Inc., the jail's medical contractor, violated Perry's civil rights when they failed to properly screen Perry, get him prompt medical attention, adequately check on him or send him to a hospital.

It also contends Corizon Health has displayed a pattern of misconduct at other jails across the country, with similar wrongful death lawsuits filed against the company since 2006 elsewhere in Oregon, Michigan, Missouri, California, Florida and Pennsylvania.

Corizon Health's nurses and doctors failed to uphold standards set by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, which says it's "essential'' that an inmate suffering a severe overdose immediately be transferred to a licensed, acute care facility, attorney John T. Devlin wrote in the suit.

Perry's cause of death was methamphetamine toxicity, according to the state medical examiner's office.

The suit seeks unspecified compensatory damages, plus punitive damages against the defendants, alleging they "callously disregarded'' Perry's physical safety and were grossly negligent and reckless.

Bryan Perry served in the U.S. Army during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was honorably discharged and awarded a Purple Heart, according to his lawyer.

Clackamas County counsel Stephen Madkour on Wednesday declined comment on the lawsuit. Martha Harbin, spokeswoman for the Tennessee-based Corizon Health also declined comment.

Perry was arrested on an outstanding warrant for a probation violation about 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2016, at Eastport Plaza and taken to the jail. Detectives who took Perry to jail suspected he was high on methamphetamine, according to the suit.

When he was booked in at 7:15 p.m., Perry wasn't able to control his movements, was described as "twitching'' and was placed in a padded cell so he wouldn't harm himself. Perry continued to flail for the next four hours, the suit says.

A Corizon nurse accompanied by four deputies, who had to hold Perry down, tried to get Perry's blood pressure reading around 7:55 p.m. The nurse wrote in a medical file that Perry was "out of control, flopping all over,'' out of breath and breathing rapidly in his high-security cell, and had reported taking methamphetamine, heroin and bath salts. The same nurse returned to his cell at 9:17 p.m. for three minutes as deputies gave Perry some water.

One deputy described Perry as acting like he had bugs under his skin, uncontrollably moving his hands all over his body.

A second nurse didn't return to Perry's cell until 11:16 p.m. and found Perry unresponsive and couldn't get his blood pressure, although the nurses and deputies wrote conflicting reports on Perry's responsiveness, the suit says. An ambulance was called at 11:23 p.m., left the jail with Perry at 11:56 p.m. and he was pronounced dead at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center at 12:16 a.m.

According to the suit, another inmate who had entered the jail with Perry, Bridgette Mountseir, suddenly began "flopping around and acting just like Perry'' during the evening. Deputies moved her to an individual cell. She fell and hit her head and was then placed in a restraint chair outside the jail's medical office before she was taken to the hospital at 9:34 p.m. and survived, according to the suit.

No one has been disciplined in the case, Devlin wrote in the suit, including Deputy Matrona Shadrin who took the two cellphone videos or the other deputies, Paurus, Lacey Sandquist and a third unidentified deputy who were heard commenting on the video as Shadrin recorded.

-- Maxine Bernstein

503-221-8212
More than 6.5 million pounds of ground beef is being recalled nationwide on fears of Salmonella contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday.

Arizona-based JBS Tolleson, Inc., issued the recall for various raw, non-intact beef products that may be contaminated. Those products include ground beef packaged on various dates from July 26, 2018, to Sept. 7, 2018. The products subject to recall bear establishment number "EST. 267" inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations and institutions nationwide.

The recalled products may have been sold under the following brands: Walmart, Cedar River Farms Natural Beef, Showcase, Showcase/Walmart and JBS Generic.

Products affected: Here are the product labels to look for in this ground beef recall.

The recall comes after several cases of illness were reported, and investigators were able to use eight customer store receipts to connect the illnesses to ground beef products, all originating with the Arizona producer.

Eating food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most-common foodborne illnesses. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever, which appear within 12 to 72 hours of eating the contaminated food. The illness can last as much as a week, and most people get better without seeking medical treatment. But it can be serious for older people, infants and people with compromised immune systems.

The government is worried that some of the contaminated beef may be in consumers' freezers. USDA recommends that customers either throw the beef away or return it to the place of purchase.

To guard against illness from eating any ground beef products, the government recommends only eating ground meat that's been cooked to 160 degrees, while other cuts should be cooked to 145 degrees. Using a food thermometer is the only way to accurately gauge food temperatures.

Thursday's recall is the second serious ground beef recall in the last month. In late September, a Colorado company recalled ground beef that had been contaminated with E. coli. That recall included meat that may have been sold in Oregon Target stores.

-- Grant Butler

503-221-8566; @grantbutler
The Portland school board's 16-page written evaluation of Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero offers a more nuanced take on his performance since he was hired a year ago than the fawning public discussion the board held Tuesday.

Guerrero came to Portland from San Francisco last fall to radically transform the long-troubled district. His first year was far from smooth, and in tense moments, board members have pointed to his hire as reassurance better days will come. That's a lot pressure for Guerrero, who is a first-time superintendent.

The written evaluation by the board of Guerrero's performance is filled with praise but also addresses frankly what board members feel isn't working. For example, the district's communication, both internally and with the community must improve, board members wrote.

"There is clearly a need for an overall communications strategy and the development of regular communication/feedback loops," the evaluation says,"particularly with historically underserved communities."

Read the evaluation HERE.

Board members also note that unspecified community members have said they wished Guerrero would be a more active listener.

The district's communications about its efforts last year to find a building for Access Academy so that the district could open two new middle schools were poor, the evaluation says. That effort angered many families from different schools, resulted in months of protests and, eventually, apologies from the board and superintendent.

That said, Guerreo's ability to get both middle schools up and running was a source of high marks. Board members were pleased Guerrero managed to do so on a short time frame, against steep odds and with a team he basically had to hire as he went.

Board members were especially pleased with his ability to hire a new leadership team. The "herculean effort" was difficult not only because of the sheer number of vacant positions, but because the timeline was outside the regular recruitment cycle and the district so lacked foundational basics new hires were signing up to do intensive work "more similar to joining a start-up organization than a typical school district," the evaluation says.

Still, key jobs remain open, the evaluation notes: chief human resources officer, chief financial officer, chief technology officer, chief of systems performance and Title IX director.

A less high-profile endeavor the board praised was the development of "an up-to-date, standards-based, guaranteed viable curriculum" that will be available at all schools.

"Development of an initial scope and sequence for the core subjects of language arts and math was accomplished in less than six months with the active assistance of over a hundred teachers," the evaluation said, noting the collaboration with teachers was an instance where communication had gone well. "This foundational piece for classroom instruction has been missing in PPS for decades and typically takes years to elaborate."

The paper evaluation was not available to the public at Tuesday's meeting to publicly discuss the evaluation because the board had not finished final edits on the document. The board's remarks weren't a surprise to Guerrero, as the board went over the evaluation with him privately the night before. Asked why copy edits were not done in time for the public to see the paper evaluation on the day the board met publicly about it, board chair Rita Moore said she and other members of the board ran behind due to their obligations at their paid jobs and to their families.

"We are all volunteers who have limited bandwidth to do everything that needs to be done at the volume and pace that is required," Moore explained, referencing the fact that school board members are unpaid, despite the fact that it's a gig with long hours and high scrutiny. "This was not something that we could hand off to the  extremely limited  administrative assistance that we have, so we ended up an hour or so short of a final edit."

The evaluation praised the progress Guerrero made with the district's labor unions, some of which had tense relationships with district leaders. "Settlement of long-delayed contracts with all six of our labor union partners was an excellent first step in rebuilding a collaborative climate within PPS," they wrote. The board also noted that Guerrero restructured central office.

One aspect the board loves most of Guerrero was evident throughout the meeting and the document: his talk about how the district needs to be student-centered.

"He is, at his core, student-centered and brings a sense of urgency to the task of serving students," the evaluation said. "During a year filled with many serious challenges, he demonstrated that he has the knowledge, skills, experience, and dedication to lead the difficult work that lies ahead. We are extremely pleased with the strong, student-centered leadership he is providing to the district."

 Bethany Barnes

Got a tip about Portland Public Schools?



What to share your thoughts on how you think Guerrero is doing?



Email Bethany: bbarnes@oregonian.com
By Max Boot

The Washington Post Opinion



It is too early to conclude that Donald Trump is the worst president ever. But it's not too early to conclude that he is the worst person ever to be president. Two stories that broke within hours of each other on Tuesday make that clear. One is about how far he will go to achieve business success, the other about how far he will go to achieve political success. In neither case will he let morality, ethics or even the law itself stand in his way.

First, the New York Times published a 14,000-word expose that accused Trump of massive fraud against both the IRS and the American people. Trump's business and political career has been built on his reputation as a self-made billionaire. It is the reason so many other developers paid him for the use of his name, why so many viewers tuned into his show "The Apprentice," and why so many voters entrusted him with the presidency.

It has long been known in general terms that Trump has vastly exaggerated his wealth and business acumen. In April, The Washington Post ran an opinion article about how he inflated his net worth to land on the Forbes 400 list, and his six corporate bankruptcies testify that he is no business genius. But the Times provides hitherto unknown details that demolish whatever remains of his business reputation.

Trump has admitted to getting only a $1 million start-up loan from his father, Fred Trump - mere peanuts, he said. Turns out there were hundreds of millions of those peanuts. According to the Times, his father bankrolled him to the tune of more than $413 million and provided crucial loan guarantees to rescue him from his corporate bankruptcies. The Times article makes clear that there was only one business genius in the Trump family, and his name was Fred.

The article also implicates the president in a plot to defraud the U.S. government of hundreds of millions of dollars of inheritance taxes: "The president's parents, Fred and Mary Trump, transferred well over $1 billion in wealth to their children, which could have produced a tax bill of at least $550 million under the 55 percent tax rate then imposed on gifts and inheritances. The Trumps paid a total of $52.2 million, or about 5 percent, tax records show."

You can bet that the Times's lawyers went over the article carefully before making such an explosive allegation against the president and felt confident enough to publish. Notwithstanding blustery denials from the White House, the weight of evidence suggests that there is good cause to think the president is a crook. This is, of course, far from the first credible allegation of illegality against the president. Just six weeks ago, Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to eight felonies and implicated Trump in the commission of two of them - arranging payoffs in violation of federal campaign finance laws to a porn star and a Playboy model.

Beyond Trump's reported violations of the law, there are his regular violations of the norms of human decency. How low can he go? That's the question in the second story, which also broke yesterday. The man who has previously mocked a disabled reporter, Gold Star parents and POWs has now mocked a woman for saying she was the victim of a sexual assault. Trump had previously said that he had found Christine Blasey Ford, Brett Kavanaugh's accuser, to be a "credible witness" who gave "compelling testimony." But at a rally on Tuesday night in Mississippi, he abandoned this unaccustomed restraint and let his inner cave man out for a romp.

Trump attacked Ford for not remembering all the details of the trauma that she says she suffered: "I had one beer. Well, do you think it was - nope, it was one beer. How did you get home? I don't remember. How'd you get there? I don't remember. Where is the place? I don't remember. How many years ago was it? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know." His heartless japery was greeted with laughter from his cult followers -- the same kind of contemptuous laughter that Ford remembers hearing after her alleged assault at the hands of a youthful Kavanaugh. It is impossible to disagree with the rejoinder of Ford's lawyer, Michael Bromwich, who tweeted that this was "a vicious, vile and soulless attack."

These Terrible Tuesday news items confirm what we already know about Trump: that he is a liar, a cheat and a bully without an ounce of dignity, empathy or decency. In place of his soul he has a black hole. The only way he can make himself feel better - to fill the emptiness inside - is to abuse those weaker than himself. He is a monster.

I am old enough to remember when Republicans would have been scandalized. Back in 1998, in "The Death of Outrage," arch-scold Bill Bennett wrote about Bill Clinton that "a president whose character manifested itself in patterns of reckless personal conduct, deceit, abuse of power and contempt for the rule of law cannot be a good president. . . . The values-free standard 'effectiveness in office' cannot - it must not - trump everything else."

Trump is far less effective a president than Bill Clinton, who banned assault weapons, reformed welfare and balanced the federal budget. Yet Republicans are willing to forgive him far more than Democrats ever forgave Clinton. For the GOP, loyalty to its odious leader trumps everything else, even the most basic dictates of humanity. Trump has forfeited our trust, and his Republican enablers have forfeited their right to rule.

-- Max Boot, a Post columnist, is the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a global affairs analyst for CNN. He is the author of the forthcoming "The Corrosion of Conservatism: Why I Left the Right."
By Marc A. Thiessen

The Washington Post

WASHINGTON -- The decision by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley to have Arizona sex crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell question Christine Blasey Ford may well be remembered as a brilliant -- and quite possibly pivotal -- choice.

No doubt, allowing Mitchell to ask questions instead of Republican senators served a defensive purpose, avoiding the spectacle of a bunch of old, white men publicly questioning a woman who says she was a victim of sexual abuse. But Mitchell's methodical, genial approach left many supporters of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh deeply frustrated, with some complaining that Mitchell was "not laying a glove" on Ford.

That view is wrong. First, the audience for Mitchell's questions was not the media or even the general public. It was the three Republican senators who will determine Judge Kavanaugh's fate: Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Jeff Flake of Arizona. And it turns out that Mitchell's orderly questioning actually elicited a lot of information that undermined Ford's case against Kavanaugh. This was not obvious during the hearing, because Mitchell was not able to deliver a summation. But she was able to do so later, first during a closed-door meeting of Republican senators and then in a memorandum, in which she explains why, based on her quarter-century of experience prosecuting sex crimes, no "reasonable prosecutor would bring this case based on the evidence before the Committee."

To begin with, Mitchell lays out how Ford had "not offered a consistent account of when the alleged assault happened" or her age when it happened, and how "her account of who was at the party has been inconsistent." For example, Mitchell points out that Ford listed Patrick "PJ" Smyth to the polygrapher and in her July 6 text to a Post reporter, but "she did not list Leland Keyser even though they are good friends. Leland Keyser's presence should have been more memorable than PJ Smyth's."

Ford has "no memory of key details of the night in question -- details that could help corroborate her account," Mitchell writes. Ford does not remember who invited her to the gathering, how she heard about it, how she got there, or where that house was located with any specificity. "Most importantly," Mitchell writes, "she does not remember how she got from the party back to her house. Her inability to remember this detail raises significant questions. ... Given that this all took place before cell phones, arranging a ride home would not have been easy." Furthermore, Mitchell notes, Ford "testified that her friend Leland, apparently the only other girl at the party, did not follow up with Dr. Ford after the party to ask why she had suddenly disappeared." This seems highly unlikely.

And, Mitchell demonstrates, Ford's inconsistencies are not limited to events three decades ago. For example, Ford delayed the hearing because she said her symptoms prevented her from flying from California to Washington, but then acknowledged under questioning that she flies to the East Coast "at least once a year to visit her family," and has flown to Hawaii, French Polynesia and Costa Rica for hobbies and vacations.

Moreover, Mitchell points out, Ford also testified that she was not "clear" that Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, had offered to send committee investigators to interview her in California. Either this statement under oath was untrue or her attorneys failed to share Grassley's offer with her -- which is a serious violation of the American Bar Association's rules of professional conduct.

Mitchell also shows that "Dr. Ford struggled to remember her interactions" with The Post, which wrote that she provided "portions" of her therapist's notes to a reporter. But in her testimony, Ford could not recall if she showed The Post full or partial therapist notes or her own summary of those notes.

She could not remember whether she took a polygraph the day of her grandmother's funeral or the day after. She was unsure whether she was videotaped or recorded during the polygraph. She did not explain how she knew to call the receptionist at her congresswoman's office but could not figure out how to contact her senator, Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Ford's supporters say it is unfair to pick apart her testimony, because victims of sexual assault often have trouble remembering key details. Fair enough. But if her memory is the only evidence against Kavanaugh, then inconsistencies matter. And without any corroboration, senators cannot rely her imperfect memories alone -- no matter how sympathetic a witness she was.

-- Marc Thiessen writes a twice-weekly column for The Post on foreign and domestic policy and contributes to the PostPartisan blog. He is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and the former chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush.

Follow Marc A. Thiessen on Twitter, @marcthiessen.
Investigators with the Oregon State police have identified four men they say illegally killed a bull elk south of Corvallis last month, officials said Thursday.

On Wednesday, authorities asked for the public's help in identifying four men suspected of poaching the animal on private property near Ferguson Road, south of Monroe on September 1, officials said in a news release.

"Four persons of interest have been identified and the investigation is continuing," officials said Thursday. "Oregon State Police would like to thank the public and the media for their assistance."

Authorities asked anyone who recognizes the men to contact Oregon State Police Trooper Zac Cochran through the Turn in Poachers (TIP) hotline at 1-800-452-7888 or 503-509-2465 or by emailing TIP@state.or.us.

If the tip results in an arrest and conviction, the tipster is eligible to receive a $500 reward.

-- Kale Williams

kwilliams@oregonian.com

503-294-4048
A group of advocates asked the Portland City Council on Wednesday to take steps to help keep homeless people from the criminal justice system.

The group also presented a petition with more than 4,000 signatures that called for what advocates said would be a more compassionate, humane way to treat people living on the streets of Portland.

They asked for five things: first responders who aren't police who could offer services; a moratorium on moving homeless people from one place to another all the time; hygiene infrastructure, such as showers, restrooms and garbage disposal; legal temporary camps on public property; and transparent data collection on police interactions with homeless people.

They also asked officials to apply similar standards to homeless people as to those involved in an occupation outside a federal building earlier this year, when Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler instructed police to not crack down on low-level crimes.

"We are asking the mayor to use discretion again to stop arresting people living on the streets," said petition organizer and Lewis & Clark College professor Elliott Young.

The response was hailed as a kind of victory.

"You may be surprised to hear that I agree with much of that -- in fact, the vast majority -- of what you just said," Wheeler said.

This group was the second in two weeks to flood the public comment section of a city council meeting on the topic of homelessness. Business owners from the Parkrose area called for more stringent policing of homeless people.

Neighbors in Montavilla planned to testify about their own nearly 5,000-signature petition Wednesday as well, but they didn't sign up for public comment in time, so they decided to wait. Yet, after the meeting, advocates held a protest outside City Hall to push back against it.

Wheeler has stated that he wants to address the concerns from Montavilla and Parkrose -- complaints about trash, needles and human excrement that have been called "livability concerns." But the competing calls to action show that the city is divided over how it wants city and county leaders to address the growing homeless population.

"This isn't really about livability," said Sarah Ianaronne, former mayoral candidate and activist, at Wednesday's council meeting. "This is about excluding people experiencing homelessness from the public eye, from neighborhoods, from community."

A MORE COMPASSIONATE RESPONSE

The petition and five requests presented Wednesday grew from an Oregonian/OregonLive report that found that 52 percent of all Portland arrests in 2017 were of homeless people. The vast majority of those arrests were for low-level and non-violent offenses.

Young and others seized on the data to try to reform how Portland uses its resources to address homelessness.

While Young said he was heartened by Wheeler's response, he said he thought the mayor sidestepped the main issue -- that homeless people are disproportionately arrested.

"What we're saying is we want a real way to solve that problem," Young said after the meeting. "Arresting people is not a real solution to that problem."

Wheeler has said in interviews that he thinks that the data shows there is a problem and that the numbers indicate there is a failure in the way the system operates, but he hasn't identified a solution to reducing the number of homeless people arrested.

Street Roots vendor Leo Rhodes said Wednesday that he often faces hassling from police and that there need to be more ways to alleviate the burden of homelessness while he and others wait on long lists for affordable housing.

"The housing issue is great, but that's a long-term goal," Rhodes said. "I am traumatized by all of this stuff. I might not show it, but yeah, I've been victimized."

While Wheeler was sympathetic, he stopped short of saying that homeless people would stop being arrested for low-level crimes.

"I want to tell you that it's current police policy not to arrest people for being homeless," Wheeler said.

A COMPETING PETITION

But he also said that he has tried to parse the difference between being homeless and being a criminal.

It's a motto neighborhood advocacy groups have seized on when they call for more cleanups and police presence in their areas.

Angela Todd sees herself as an example of many Portland residents. She has appeared in the Living section of The Oregonian/OregonLive for years for her interior design business, but increasingly has moved into the news as the head of a newly minted campaign called Enough is Enough.

The group garnered attention weeks ago for hanging banners off the Interstate 205 overpass on Northeast Glisan Street and has become a symbol to many in the homeless advocacy community of the competing Portlander narrative.

Demonstrators outside City Hall on Wednesday said they were there to protest the Montavilla Initiative, as Todd's organization is called, because they see it as a competing vision for addressing homelessness.

Todd, though, is not sure that's true. She was almost relieved to not have been able to present her petition Wednesday, but said she also wants to reach out to talk to the people protesting her ideas.

She has brought upset Portland residents together with the Portland police union to discuss how the city might better handle calls about homeless people. Police union President Daryl Turner called the city a "cesspool" after news of the high rate of arrests of homeless people.

His comments painted a dire picture of a blighted, dangerous city that resonated with many residents who dislike the growing presence of homeless people in their communities.

More than 4,000 people are homeless on a given night in Multnomah County, according to 2017 data. Even as calls for more shelter increase, many neighborhoods push back on plans for new shelters near them.

Todd said her campaign is not to increase arrests of homeless people necessarily, but to make it clear that the city and county have not effectively addressed homelessness yet.

"We're not really helping people. We're just spending a lot of money and upsetting people," Todd said. "I don't know that our initiative with the Enough is Enough campaign is really in contradiction to the concerns of some in the houseless community."

But while she wants more services for homeless people and doesn't think police are the people to deliver those services, her campaign also leaves city leaders to navigate seeming compassionate and responsive to data while appeasing residents who seem more vocal and angry all the time.

"We do believe that people who are committing crimes should be held accountable," Todd said.

-- Molly Harbarger

mharbarger@oregonian.com

503-294-5923

@MollyHarbarger
A federal judge Thursday refused to grant final approval to Portland's new panel to promote community policing, saying he doesn't have enough information to make an informed decision.

U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon ordered all parties to the settlement between the city and U.S. Department of Justice to return to court June 6 to provide an update on the committee and if "this new direction is working.''

The city's settlement with Justice officials called for changes to police training, policies and oversight after a 2012 federal investigation found Portland police engaged in excessive force against people who have or are perceived to have a mental illness. Investigators also found that police improperly used stun guns against suspects. Simon approved the agreement in 2014.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hager had urged the judge to accept an amendment to the settlement that establishes the volunteer group "because the committee is functioning well today."

Wait, wait, wait, the judge responded, how can it be functioning well when it hasn't held its first public meeting?

Hager said the committee members have had a retreat and are undergoing training.

The judge also asked City Attorney Tracey Reeve if there was "any connection at all'' between the city's confirmation just last week of 13 members selected by the mayor to serve on the new Committee on Community-Engaged Policing and the deadline imposed for the city to return to court for Thursday's hearing.

"No, there was no connection,'' Reeve told the court.

"Pure coincidence?'' Simon asked, drawing some chuckles from the public gallery in his packed courtroom.

Police Chief Danielle Outlaw and Oregon U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams were among those who attended the approximately three-hour hearing.

The city has breached the settlement for nearly two years, failing to provide effective community oversight of the changes, one of the key proponents of the agreement.

The new committee will replace a now-defunct community board that disbanded due to strife among its members and their frustration with the lack of feedback from the city, police chief or Justice officials to their dozens of recommendations.

Hager and city attorneys told the judge that members of the new volunteer panel deserve the court's buy-in to press forward with their difficult work. Reeve blamed the parameters of the settlement for the long time it took the city to start a new group.

The parties to the case, without the judge's involvement, can make tweaks to the committee's structure going forward, to improve its effectiveness, they argued.

The committee will last longer than the settlement agreement, intended to serve as a "perpetual body to restore community confidence in the Police Bureau,'' Hager said.

"This group, your honor, is worthy of our trust,'' Hager said.

But community representatives from the Albina Ministerial Alliance's Coalition for Justice and Police Reform, the Mental Health Alliance and other local activists argued it was premature to grant final approval for a committee that's not operating yet.

The Rev. T. Allen Bethel, a co-chair of the ministerial alliance's coalition, said there was little public input in the mayor's creation of this committee. Some community members and leaders expressed concern that some meetings could be closed to the public. Others said they worried that oversight of the required police reforms wouldn't be at the forefront of the new group's charge.

"We're concerned that attention to how police interact with the mental health community could be diminished as the case goes forward,'' said Bob Joondeph, executive director of Disability Rights Oregon, part of the new Mental Health Alliance, now recognized as a 'friend of the court' in the case.

Several community members urged the court to maintain oversight of the settlement.

The judge signaled at the start of the hearing that he wants to continue some control and is second-guessing his initial approval of the settlement.

"I'm not sure it was the right thing to approve a settlement at the outset without having a court monitor,'' Simon said. "I'm still reluctant to turn over a blank check.''

People attending the hearing told the judge to consider the frequency of the committee's meetings, its public access, whether its members exhibit an "openness to the public'' and public complaints and concerns as well as responsiveness by the mayor's office and police.

Bethel and others noted they're back in court just days after police fatally shot a 27-year-old black man, Patrick Kimmons, in downtown Portland, and police still haven't released many details on what occurred. Police said officers in the area heard gunshots, responded to Southwest Fourth Avenue and Harvey Milk Street, and "engaged'' a man. Sources said Kimmons turned toward the officers with a gun and was shot multiple times. His mother said her son was shot in the back as he was running away.

Bethel encouraged police to get "information out as fast'' as they can "because rumors swirl'' faster.

"When you ask the question, your Honor, 'how are we doing?' My question is 'How many shots were fired Sunday ... and why?' '' said Joe Walsh, a local activist.

The judge urged a city-hired facilitator for the new group to provide some additional training on the history of the settlement at one of its public meetings. He also said he'd like to receive a report from the new committee on whether it's working by the next court hearing in June.

"If it works, I'll approve it," he said. "If it doesn't work, you don't want me to approve it.''

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
Two prominent Portland art schools are considering merging with a tentative aim for the combined college to open in fall 2020.

The boards of trustees from Pacific Northwest College of Art and Oregon College of Art and Craft are scheduled to separately vote at the end of October on whether to move forward with plans to merge, according to both schools. The proposal was announced to staff at both colleges last week, according to Don Tuski, PNCA president. Students have also been notified.

Both schools have talked about combining off and on for 30 years, but with the cost of higher education, rising student debt, Portland's size and the state of art schools across the country, Tuski said it makes sense for both institutions to seriously consider combining resources.

"In our first meeting, people at OCAC were thinking the same thing that we were, that if we could do this, we could really take the next step to be an art, design and craft school that rivals anything in the country, and that's really the goal," Tuski said. "I think that's really exciting, and I think Portland should be excited about the possibility in this."

Oregon College of Art and Craft spokeswoman Elizabeth Loulan said in a statement that both schools already have a shared master's program in applied craft and design, and merging would provide more learning opportunities for students.

"Both colleges are excited with the prospect of expanded resources and shared facilities, including additional courses and degree options," she said.

Loulan said OCAC is declining to further discuss the proposal because the "conversations are very new."

Tuski said PNCA's current enrollment is 595 students, the highest since 2011. OCAC has reported having around 180 students pursing full-time bachelor's or master's degree programs, and Loulan said historically the numbers have hovered between 130 to 150. OCAC was founded in 1907, and PNCA opened two years later.

If the merger is agreed upon, the goal would be to eventually get enrollment of the combined school to 1,000 students, Tuski said, which could mean more fundraising opportunities for both colleges.

The merger talks come as the Art Institute of Portland plans to close Dec. 31 and Lake Oswego-based liberal arts school Marylhurst University also announced plans to close at the end of the year, partly due to steadily declining enrollment.

Tuski said PNCA is considering trying to implement some programs from both closing schools at his college.

According to Tuski, talks between PNCA and OCAC have centered on doing due diligence to decide if it makes sense financially for both schools to become one. If both school boards of trustees agree to continue moving forward, the schools would enter into a binding memorandum of understanding and have to submit their plans for substantive changes to their accreditors by January.

The hope, Tuski said, would then be for both schools to legally become one college by the end of their fiscal years on June 30, 2019. The next year would be about sorting out the rest of the details with input from the communities of both schools and have students hopefully start taking classes provided by both colleges beginning sometime in 2019, he said.

At this point, the idea would be for the merger to officially be complete by fall 2020, according to Tuski.

"This wouldn't be like a corporate merger or takeover, since this is in academia and there's a whole governance approach that we want to use," Tuski said. "There'll be a lot of consultation going on to make sure we understand what we're doing and that we get as much participation as possible."

Tuski said he'd prefer both schools keep their campuses rather than moving to a new central location. He said PNCA alone has invested $35 million in renovations for its main building in Northwest Portland, which used to be a federal post office.

It appears students would be able to commute back and forth from there to OCAC's 9-acre campus in Southwest Portland via public transportation, according to Tuski. He said he and PNCA's dean plan to take the bus from their school to OCAC for an upcoming meeting with the art and craft college officials to be able to talk in detail about the commute with students.

"Even taking the bus is important to the overall understanding of this process," Tuski said.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
Updated 5:55 p.m.

A Multnomah County grand jury handed up a 23-count indictment against a registered sex offender accused of killing an 89-year-old Portland woman and stashing her body in the trunk of his car.

Authorities say Timothy Joseph Mackley, 58, also sexually abused Marcine Herinck after he kidnapped her from her Northeast 150th Avenue home last month, according to the indictment filed in court Wednesday.

The 4-foot-10 great-grandmother, whose disappearance prompted a frantic five-day search, died from "intentional torture and intentional maiming," the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office said.

Mackley, who was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison for sodomy and now faces aggravated murder charges, could receive the death penalty.

He has a long, troubled history with women, according to records and interviews.

As an inmate in eastern Oregon, Mackley milked thousands of dollars from a woman nearly 50 years his senior while he pursued an intimate relationship with her, that woman's family told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Another woman who obtained a restraining order against Mackley in 2009 said he had threatened to kill her, court records show.

Authorities say he encountered Herinck on Sept. 18 at the Northeast Portland food pantry and thrift store where the churchgoer and avid volunteer stocked shelves once a week.

Mackley was asked to leave after the elderly woman accused him of trying to look up her dress when he dropped a cellphone on the ground.

He trailed Herinck home from her volunteer shift that day, authorities said. Mackley later broke into the woman's house and kidnapped her, the indictment alleges.

She was reported missing the next day by her family.

Police found Herinck's body in the trunk of Mackley's car during a traffic stop Sept. 24. Police said she'd been beaten beyond recognition, her son, Jeff Herinck Sr., told The Oregonian/OregonLive last week.

In addition to aggravated murder, Mackley faces charges of intentional murder, first-degree burglary, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree degree sexual abuse and abuse of a corpse, the district attorney's office said.

He is expected to be arraigned in court Thursday.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

skavanaugh@oregonian.com

503-294-7632 || @shanedkavanaugh
Scores of demonstrators descended on a Portland State University board meeting Thursday morning, calling for the disarmament of the school's police force, whose officers shot and killed a man this summer.

The Board of Trustees meeting came amid outcry over the fatal police shooting of Jason Washington, a husband and father of three who was killed June 29 while witnesses say he tried to break up a fight.

Acting Chairwoman Gale Castillo in opening remarks extended condolences to Washington's family, members of which were in attendance, and said she wanted the community to know the trustees are keeping an open mind about how they will proceed regarding campus security.

"We do not want to rush toward a final decision," she said, noting the trustees wanted to listen to public commenters Thursday. The university said Thursday it has enlisted a consultant to review the shooting and that the school is conducting an independent review that'll look at the possibility of disarming police, among other things.

The university president extended condolences to Washington's family, as well.

The 475-seat theater where the meeting was held was mostly full for the early portion of the meeting. Signs placed by protesters  including those reading, "Don't shoot," "Black Lives Matter" and "Occupy for Jason"  were placed on the stage.

Spectators appeared to largely side with the demands of the campus activist group PSU Student Union: fire the involved officers, disarm officers and erect a permanent memorial to Washington.

Speakers included faculty and students. They also generally reinforced the Student Union's demands  and expressed displeasure with the board.

Ben Anderson-Nathe, a professor, was among those who addressed the board. He said faculty have stood with students in opposing a weaponized campus for years.

He said faculty were at the university before members of the board and that they will remain long after the trustees have left.

"Jason Washington was killed on your watch," he told the board.

Olivia Pace, an organizer with the campus activist group PSU Student Union, said she's been among those sleeping and working at the occupation outside the campus public safety building for the past 10 days. She said the disarm PSU movement is in its fifth year and questioned what maintaining the policy of arming campus police means to the board.

An uproar on campus? A hit to the university's reputation? Someone's life?

"Saying the community has spoken is an understatement," she said.

She said the board looks "ridiculous" and asked why it took Washington's death for the board to wrestle again with the issue of armed campus police.

"What side of history would you like to be on?" she asked the board, drawing loud cheers.

She closed her speech asking the crowd to say Washington's name, which many repeated back to her three times.

Pace received a standing ovation.

One student spoke against disarming officers because of campus safety concerns.

"Who else do I call when things go wrong?" she said in an interview.

She garnered some applause after addressing the board.

The meeting had been moved to a larger venue and its agenda altered "to be responsive to the campus community and to provide sufficient time and space for public comment," according to a PSU notice.

The university later announced in a statement that one of the officers that shot Washington has since left the campus police department. The school did not identify the officer.

The university also said it is considering a permanent memorial in memory of Washington.

Activists have long opposed an armed campus police force, and Washington's death has been the latest flare-up in the debate. Demonstrators have since late September staged an occupation outside the school's public safety office and have pledged to stay put until campus cops disarm.

Police at the school first began carrying guns in 2015, after a 2014 Board of Trustees vote in favor of deploying some officers with guns.

The board said in a statement last month that it was prepared to revisit the policy around armed campus cops "with open minds  to determine whether the current policy should be continued or changed."

Student Union activists have demanded the school permanently disarms its police force, fire the involved officers and establish a permanent memorial for Washington on campus.

Washington, 45, wound up holding a friend's handgun amid a drunken melee outside the Cheerful Tortoise bar near campus 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.

McKenzie and Dewey will not face criminal charges, the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office has said.

The encounter was the first fatal shooting by the university's police force.

 Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

Shane Dixon Kavanaugh of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report
Computers made for Portland startup Elemental Technologies contained a tiny, mysterious "stealth" chip which had been planted during production overseas to help China spy on American companies and intelligence agencies, according to a contentious, highly disputed investigation on the cover of this week's Bloomberg Businessweek magazine.

Thursday's report says Amazon discovered the spy chips in 2015, when it was evaluating the possibility of buying Elemental. (Amazon did, in fact, buy the Portland company for $296 million.)

Amazon quickly denounced the article, calling it "inaccurate" and "erroneous." The Seattle-based company, whose Amazon Web Services division hosts much of the world's online data, is highly sensitive to any suggestion of weaknesses in its technology and flatly denied having found malicious chips of the kind Bloomberg described.

Other companies, including Apple, said Bloomberg's report is fundamentally wrong.

Still, the article created an immediate sensation in the tech community and world of online security. It also left open the possibility the stealth chips could still be in use in computers Elemental sold to customers, which range from broadcast TV networks to national security clients.

If Bloomberg's report is accurate, the attack could represent an extremely serious, insidious intrusion into the core of American online security. A backdoor deep inside computer hardware could be very difficult to detect and very expensive to fix, since it might require replacing entire computers.

Amazon reported the discovery to the U.S. government, according to Bloomberg. Government investigators ultimately concluded the spy chips had been inserted into servers assembled by a San Jose, California, company, Super Micro Computer, that contracted with Chinese manufacturers to assemble technology for Elemental and other clients.

Elemental's technology enables video streaming over the internet. Its customers include major broadcasters -- ESPN, Comcast and HBO among them -- as well as some defense clients.

Bloomberg reported the spy chips were inside servers Elemental sold to its own clients, as well as computers Supermicro built for other companies. The infected chips potentially affected nearly 30 companies, according to Bloomberg, including a bank, government contractors and Apple.

"The chips had been inserted during the manufacturing process, two officials say, by operatives from a unit of the People's Liberation Army," Bloomberg reported.

"In Supermicro, China's spies appear to have found a perfect conduit for what U.S. officials now describe as the most significant supply chain attack known to have been carried out against American companies."

Bloomberg's report is based on multiple, unnamed sources within the U.S. intelligence community. It says American authorities worked under both the Obama and Trump administrations to counter the threat from the infected chips.

Nothing in Bloomberg's report suggests Elemental was aware that Supermicro had been compromised. The investigation portrays Elemental as one of many victims of the attack and says its computers were central to the intrusion's discovery.

Amazon and Apple denied aspects of Bloomberg's report, and Amazon took particular exception to many of the details in the report.

"As we shared with Bloomberg BusinessWeek multiple times over the last couple months, at no time, past or present, have we ever found any issues relating to modified hardware or malicious chips in SuperMicro motherboards in any Elemental or Amazon systems," Amazon said in a written statement Thursday. "Additionally, we have not engaged in an investigation with the government."

Amazon said a security audit conducted before acquiring Elemental found no modified chips or hardware. The company said its audit found some areas that needed improvement, but Amazon described those as "typical with most of these audits."

Apple issued its own emphatic denial Thursday.

"As Apple has repeatedly explained to Bloomberg reporters and editors over the past 12 months, there is no truth to these claims," the company wrote on its website.

"Our best guess is that they are confusing their story with a previously-reported 2016 incident in which we discovered an infected driver on a single Super Micro server in one of our labs," Apple said. "That one-time event was determined to be accidental and not a targeted attack against Apple."

Supermicro is now among the world's largest motherboard manufacturers, according to Bloomberg. It issued its own denial, writing: "Supermicro has never been contacted by any government agencies either domestic or foreign regarding the alleged claims."

Supermicro shares plunged 41 percent Thursday after the Bloomberg report.

Elemental, now AWS Elemental, continues to operate as an Amazon subsidiary and employs a few hundred people in downtown Portland. It referred inquiries to its parent company.

Bloomberg's report notes that infecting electronics hardware could be a particularly effective way for spies to build back-door access to computer systems. But it reports that authorities had thought China would be unlikely to jeopardize its role as a key global manufacturer by compromising products made there.

Three Portland engineers, led by entrepreneur Sam Blackman, founded Elemental in 2006. It became one of the most successful of a new generation of Oregon startups and helped spark a high-tech renaissance in downtown Portland. Blackman, a rising star in Portland's business community, died unexpectedly last year at age 41 of sudden cardiac arrest.

-- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699
The 2018 R&D 100 Awards program has named four finalists from the new DuPont Transportation and Advanced Polymers portfolio -- two grades of Zytel HTN and two automotive adhesives, BETASEAL 7160 glass bonding systems and BETAFORCE 9050M composite bonding adhesives.

All four product innovations meet customer criteria for challenges including vehicle lightweighting, electrification and the emergence of 5G wireless technology.

"We are very pleased to have four innovative new products recognized as finalists, highlighting our advancements and developments around vehicle lightweighting and advancements in electrification" said Scott Collick, Global R&D Leader. "We will continue to work on new innovations as the industry transforms."

The finalists include:

 BETAFORCE 9050M composite bonding adhesive for automotive mass production and multi-material substrates. This adhesive enables significant weight reduction and improves torsional stiffness of the vehicle. Good handling strength after short curing times enables the car manufacturer short tack times, which significantly reduce manufacturing costs.

 BETASEAL 7160 fast-cure glass bonding system for heavy truck windshields improves the process quality of windshield bonding and saves manufacturers from water leakage and necessary repairs. This new product helps eliminate the adhesive tapes required to support the one-component system, man-power and costs.

 Zytel HTNFR42G30NH novel bio-based, non-halogenated flame-retardant high-performance polyamide for surface mount connector housing offers a good balance of mechanical and electrical properties, low moisture absorption, excellent moldability, high flow and low mold corrosion. It is ideally suited for SMT connectors which are growing in both consumer electronics and automotive electrification.

 Zytel HTNLTFR52G30NH BL662 laser-transparent halogen-free nylon resin is designed for very thin parts for automotive electrical systems and consumer electronics. It offers a good flame-retardant rating (V0 at 0.4 mm) while maintaining chemical resistance and dimensional stability performance. It is a very suitable housing material for lithium-ion batteries.

Since 1963, the R&D 100 Awards program, an integral part of the R&D Magazine brand, identifies and celebrates the top 100 revolutionary technologies of the past year. This year's winners will be announced at an awards dinner Nov. 16 in Orlando, Florida.
Cultural events planned for this month in Midland focus on the theme of "Sharing our stories: migration, home and belonging."

The Midland Area Community Foundation's Cultural Awareness Coalition partnered with Midland's neighboring initiative this year to kick off the annual month of cultural awareness events. During Midland Neighbor Week, from Sept. 28 through Oct. 5, Midland residents are encouraged to connect with neighbors to build a more welcoming community.

The month of cultural awareness events includes a creativity contest where residents can share their stories; and educational events about growing up in South Sudan, the history of voting rights, and the story of a major doll exchange between the United States and Japan.

"Everybody has a story, whether their family was brought over here not of their own will or if their family is still in the area because of immigration," said Melissa Kesterson, program officer at the community foundation and staff liaison of the Cultural Awareness Coalition. "There are all different ways people have a story of how they came to be here."

Those stories can be shared in the creativity contest sponsored by the Cultural Awareness Coalition. Submissions can take any creative form and express the theme of sharing stories of migration, home and belonging. The entry deadline is Oct. 19 and can be submitted by students through their teachers, directly to the Midland Area Community Foundation or electronically to Melissa Kesterson at mkesterson@midlandfoundation.org. The contest is open to adults this year. More details and official rules for the contest can be found on the cultural awareness coalition's Facebook page.

The cultural awareness coalition has been around for about two decades at the community foundation, and changed from a committee to a coalition this year.

"We knew we were no longer just this committee trying to create tolerance," said Deborah Cull, chair of the communications and promotion of the Cultural Awareness Coalition. "We've done it, we are action-oriented."

What used to be a committee promoting tolerance of diversity has changed to an action-oriented coalition promoting acceptance of diversity and inclusion in the Midland community, Cull explained.

"I always leave our meetings feeling excited about what we're doing and that I am involved in making a difference," Cull said. "I really believe we are making a difference."

In the future the Cultural Awareness Coalition hopes to establish a speakers bureau, culture club, and training for its members and the community in wellness, diversity and inclusion.

"If everybody feels good and welcome, you've got these connections and it leads to a more thriving community," Kesterson said.

Cultural Awareness Events this October:

A Child's Life in South Sudan: The Midland Chapter of the Nonviolent Peaceforce is sponsoring this free event at 2 p.m. Oct. 12, at St. John's Episcopal Church and at 7 p.m. on Oct. 13 at Creative 360.

We Demand: A History of Voting Rights: The history of voting rights for marginalized groups in the U.S. will be the focus of this free educational event at 7 p.m. Oct. 17 at the United Church of Christ Midland. Registration for the event takes place on the event's Facebook page.

Creativity Contest Award Ceremony: Awards will be given to winners in five categories of the creativity contest at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library.

The Friendship Doll Exchange: Jennifer Schultz, a retired Midland Public Schools teacher and longtime member of the Timbertown Dollology Club of Saginaw, will present the story of a major doll exchange that took place in 1927 to promote goodwill between the U.S. and Japan. The process of Japanese doll making will be explored during the event at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 at Creative 360.

People interested in joining the coalition at the Midland Area Community Foundation can contact Kesterson at 989-839.9661, ext. 32; or email info@culturalawareness-midland.com.
Pine River Elementary School is among 13 schools being recognized this year by the Michigan Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School.

This is the first time a school in the Bullock Creek School District has received the academic achievement award. Public and private elementary, middle and high schools are among schools that can achieve the National Blue Ribbon School title for either closing the achievement gap or achieving very high learning standards. Pine River qualified for the award by closing the achievement gap.

"We're just focusing a lot on efficacy, and doing things that are effective in the classroom, and providing systems of support for our students," said Shawn Hale, superintendent of Bullock Creek Schools. "We're really not only covering new content but reinforcing what (students) have already learned."

Pine River Elementary School, 1894 E. Pine River Road in Midland, has about 300 students enrolled in third through fifth grade, and has one section each of first- and second-graders in nature programs.

"Our entire staff has worked hard to establish high standards for all students and to see the dedicated work of teachers, students and parents recognized at the federal level affirms the work that we do everyday," said Debbie Bradford, principal of Pine River.

In its 36th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools program has recognized more than 8,800 schools across the country.

Each year, the Michigan Department of Education nominates 13 public schools for the award in the Exemplary High Performing Schools category. Public schools are nominated by each state's Department of Education and non-public schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.

The award shows the great work of students, parents, teachers and principals at Pine River and across Bullock Creek schools, Hale said.

"Teachers are continually doing better and better at what they already do well," Hale said. "The key is building a relationship. When a teacher has a positive relationship with a student, learning is ready to take place."
LG is kicking off Androids jam-packed October with the V40 ThinQ. Its LGs fourth phone this year, following the V30S, G7 and V35, and Ill admit I didnt have high hopes for it. After the tremendous G6, LG lost its focus a bit. It was starting to look like it had forgotten how to make exciting phones.

But the V40 could be a sleeper hit of the fall. While its technically a successor to the V30 and V30S, with a notched screen and all-glass design, its as much a follow-up the six-month-old G7. And thats a good thing. The G7 wasnt a bad phone by any stretch, but it was a boring one. The V40 is a party by comparison.

Christopher Herbert/IDG If you liked the G7 youll love the V40.

But first the not-so-exciting stuff. The V40 brings over the G7s best features, including the Boombox speaker and Super Bright Camera, along with the same or improved specs:

Display: 6.4-inch 31201440 OLED, 537ppi Processor: Snapdragon 845 RAM: 6GB or 8GB Storage: 64GB or 128GB Battery: 3,300mAH

Its also got a Quad DAC, IP68 water resistance, wireless charging, a Google Assistant button, and the eye-rolling new second screen, which is really just a way to hide the notch with a black bar. Because LG has gone back to OLED with the V40, however, the second screen looks a heck of a lot better on the V40 than it does on the G7.

Michael Simon/IDG The three cameras on the V40 work independently or togetheryour choice.

Speaking of that OLED screen, LG has finally nailed it. I wasnt impressed with the LGs first OLED on the V30 and was equally disappointed with the dull display it supplied for the Google Pixel 2XL, but the V40 is nothing short of excellent. Even without diving into the color settings, the V40 produced rich colors and deep blacks, which makes the notch practically invisible when the second screen is turned on. That just isnt the case with the G7s LCD screen.

Speaking of the notch, there are now two cameras inside of it: a 5MP wide-angle lens and an 8MP standard one. Theres just a 10-degree field of view difference between them (80 degrees versus 90 degrees), but it makes a big difference when trying to cram a bunch of people into a selfie. Also, you can take true portrait shots with the front camera now, where the G7 relied on computational blurring.

But the three biggest things the LG V40 has going for it are all on the back: camera 1, camera 2, and camera 3. Thats right, you get three rear cameras on the V40, a first for an LG phone and still a rarity among smartphones:

12MP standard f/1.5 lens on the right with OIS

16MP super wide f/1.9 lens with a 107-degree field of view

12MP 2x zoom f/2.5 lens

When rumors began swirling about the V40s triple-camera system, Ill admit I was skeptical. Smartphone makers are all desperately trying to make their phones stand out as we wait for the next big breakthrough. A third camera probably seemed like an easy way for the LG V40 to get some attention. But when Huawei released its tri-camera P20, it seemed like overkill to me. Sure, it took awesome photos with its 40MP main lens, 20MP monochrome lens, and 8MP zoom lens, but people arent buying phones to replace DSLRs or take artsy Ansel Adams-style landscapes. Most people just want to be able to do cool things with their cameras, and they dont care about megapixels.

LG took a smarter route with the V40s three cameras. Each of its three cameras performs a different function, and you can access them all separately while taking a picture. Like the wide-angle lens on the G7, you can switch among them with just a tap, or you can see all three at once by tapping and holding on one of the icons.

Thats something people are going to care about. At its best LG walked a fine line between consumer-focused and enthusiast-friendly. The V40 is a return to LGs heyday with a phone thats powerful and, more importantly, fun.

Check out my LG V40 video above or on PCWorlds YouTube channel, where you can also subscribe or leave your comments.
Good Thursday Morning, Fellow Seekers.

With the U.S. Senate bracing for a crucial, initial vote Friday on the U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the Republican nominee for Pennsylvania governor reaffirmed his support for the embattled jurist.

In a wide-ranging interview Thursday with the PennLive/Patriot-News editorial board, former state Sen. Scott Wagner, of York County, bemoaned what he described as the "toxic" environment that's surrounding Kavanaugh's nomination.

Wagner, who's facing Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf in November, said he didn't "dispute that something" had happened to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her more than three decades ago.

"But for Dr. Ford to come forward with an accusation and not be able to identify where, when, how, all the facts," Wagner continued. "And Judge Kavanaugh is being tried in public. And Judge Kavanaugh has to prove his innocence, this is not the way the system's working."

In a video posted to his campaign's Facebook account last week, Wagner charged that the "politically immoral" had weaponized "legitimate women's issues" in the very political confirmation fight.

Asked to expand on his comments Wednesday, Wagner told the editorial board that he believed Blasey Ford "was set up in many ways."

"Listen, there are situations like this that occur, and women need to come forward," he said. "Listen, I have daughters. And I think that anybody who has a daughter, has to be sensitive to that. But I just think that the political environment has become very, very toxic. And accusations, unless they're ... they are ... substantiated, the whole nine yards. We're in a bad place right now."

In a tweet posted to his official account last week, Wolf called for a delay in the confirmation vote and said he stood with Blasey Ford.

Wagner's comments to the board also came as President Donald Trump kicked up yet another political firestorm for mocking Blasey Ford during a campaign-style rally in Mississippi and casting doubt on her story.

In his Facebook video, Wagner, a Trump supporter, described attacks on Kavanaugh as an attempt to tear down Trump's presidency. Asked if he condoned the president's remarks, he gave this answer:

"I didn't see the president's comments from [Tuesday], but here's what I do know: There is a substantial effort, by the left, to block this Supreme Court appointment at any cost, because they believe it is going to unwind things that have been put in place."

"This president has chosen a nominee; the nominee is a federal court judge and has been through, I believe, three or four FBI investigations. It's pretty clear. It's pretty ugly," he concluded.

The rest of the day's news starts now.

Pa. Republican Party boss Val DiGiorgio has teed off on a Philly social studies teacher, accusing him of "liberal indoctrination" in the classroom, The Inquirer reports.

A new Monmouth University poll has U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick with a four-point lead over Democrat Scott Wallace in Bucks County's 1st Congressional District, PoliticsPA reports.

President Donald Trump will return to Pennsylvania next week to stump for Lou Barletta. He'll stop in Erie - his first appearance there since 2016, The Times-News reports.

BillyPenn asks whether 2,700 Philadelphians serving life without parole will get a shot at redemption.

The Incline profiles an immigration-rights group that's helping Democrats in some key races across Pennsylvania.

Here's a very dramatic #Harrisburg Instagram of the Day:

WHYY-FM has a fascinating look at the history of submarine warfare off the Jersey Coast in WWII.

The deadline to register to vote is less than a week away, The Pa. Post reminds us.

Stateline.org goes deep on the opioid bill that just passed the U.S. Senate.

Heavy Rotation.

Here's an old favorite from

Stereophonics

to get your morning rolling.

And now you're up to date.
Esther de Berdt Reed is a different kind of patriot.

Normally, when one learns about the American Revolutionary War, the focus is on the statesmen such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Or, the stories revolve around soldiers and generals such as George Washington and Nathaniel Hale.

But on the home front, women played a crucial role in helping the Continental Army emerge victorious. Women raised funds to support the troops, they boycotted British goods and used their skills to craft supplies for soldiers.

Esther de Berdt Reed stands out from among the rest as a prime example of female patriotism during the 1700s.

We spoke with Matthew Skic, the assistant curator with the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, to learn more about Reed and the role she played during the War for Independence. The results of that interview can be found in the micro-documentary at the top of this article.

Can't see the video? Click here.

Reed was born British, but it wasn't long before she called herself an American.

She came to North America in the 1770s after marrying American lawyer Joseph Reed. The couple settled in Philadelphia, where Joseph Reed rose to prominence, eventually becoming president of Pennsylvania. The position was essentially the equivalent to today's governor.

Despite coming from an English background, Esther Reed found herself becoming a passionate crusader for the colonist cause. She wrote a popular broadside, "The Sentiments of an American Woman," which galvanized women in Philadelphia to help the Continental Army.

The female patriots of the City of Brotherly Love would go on to raise $300,000 in the time's paper money. Reed wrote to then-General George Washington offering him the funds, but Washington insisted that what the troops really needed were shirts. The women proceeded to make thousands of shirts for the Continental Army.

"Working to mobilize the community of women here in the city of Philadelphia or using their skills to make supplies for the American army - they're maybe considered ordinary ways of inspiring others but they're still very important political actions that are part of this fight for independence," Skic said.

Reed died in 1780 and is buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery at 3822 Ridge Ave. in Philadelphia.

Want to learn more about those who fought in the Revolutionary War? Reed's story is just one of many told in the Museum of the American Revolution. The new museum is located at 101 S. 3rd St. in Philadelphia. Regular admission is $19 for adults, $17 for seniors, students and military and $12 for children (ages 6-17). For more information call 215-253-6731 or visit amrevmuseum.org.

Editor's note: If you are a Pa. veteran or know of one who has a story to tell, contact Paul Vigna at 717-255-8404 or send an email to pvigna@pennlive.com.



More on 100 Years of Heroes
Ohio's largest Roman Catholic diocese will join three other dioceses in the state and release a list of priests who have been removed from their posts because of sexual abuse and misconduct allegations.

The Diocese of Cleveland's list will include the names of abusive priests, even if they are now dead, church officials said Tuesday.

The diocese since 2002 has been announcing the names of clerics removed from ministry because of sex abuse allegations, said diocesan spokesman Jim Armstrong. Its website includes 29 names, with some of the allegations going back decades.

"It would be wrong to suggest that the Diocese of Cleveland has not committed to release the names of clerics accused of sexually abusing a minor or that it desires to keep secret the names of such clerics," Armstrong said.

The new names to be added will go back as far as the diocese's records permit, Cleveland.com reported. The diocese hopes to release an updated list very soon, Armstrong said.

Three Ohio dioceses announced in recent weeks plans to release lists of priests who have been removed from ministry comes after a lengthy Pennsylvania grand jury report that in August listed the names of more than 300 priests and outlined the details of sexual abuse allegations.

The Diocese of Columbus said last week it would release a list in the next few months that will include the names of clergy who have been credibly accused of abuse, whether they are living or dead.

The Youngstown diocese and Steubenville's diocese also have committed to releasing the names of abusive priests.

The two remaining dioceses in Ohio -- Cincinnati and Toledo -- say they already make it a practice to release the names of priests who have been removed, although it's unclear how far back those lists reach.

The Cleveland diocese is Ohio's largest, with nearly 700,000 members.

It provided Cuyahoga County prosecutors all relevant files during a grand jury investigation similar to Pennsylvania's in 2002, Armstrong has said.

Unlike Pennsylvania, prosecutors in Cleveland never produced a report about the grand jury's findings.

In a 2003 court decision denying a request to release the records presented to the grand jury, a Cuyahoga County said that prosecutors had identified more than 1,000 possible victims of sexual abuse and 496 possible offenders, including 143 priests. Sixty four of the priests were living in the Cleveland area at the time.

Also this week, a Roman Catholic diocese in Connecticut announced it has chosen a retired state judge to lead an investigation into sexual abuse of children by priests.
Waiting for a letter that never arrived? It might have ended up dumped by a U.S. Postal Service worker along a South Jersey street.

A Facebook photo shared more than 3,000 times shows a dozen mail bins stuffed with items discarded in the 3900 block of River Road in Pennsauken.

The mail, discovered Sunday, was dated Aug. 8 and out for delivery from the Roxborough Station Post Office in Philadelphia, according to Special Agent Scott Balfour, with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, which investigates misconduct in the agency.

Agents tracked down the employee who threw out the mail, but learned the person resigned from the postal service Sept. 8, according to Balfour.

"We do not anticipate any further action against this individual," Balfour said Wednesday. "The Roxborough Station Post Office is going to deliver the mail."

Authorities did not identify the worker or offer a possible motive for the bizarre incident.

If your looking for your mail it maybe on river road by 36st station...share this post ppl information is out on the street Posted by Kewnoneal Bennett on Sunday, September 30, 2018

The photo, shared by Facebook user Positive Energy Bennett, had more than 200 comments.
FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) -- A Vietnam veteran who bragged online about maintaining his target-shooting skills was being held Thursday in the shooting of seven law enforcement officers, one of whom died, as deputies tried to serve a search warrant at his home.

Authorities said Frederick Hopkins opened fire on the deputies from inside the home and held children hostage while shooting long-range at other officers who rushed to the suburban neighborhood.

The sheriff department's armored personnel carrier was brought in to recover the wounded during Wednesday's two-hour standoff, and the shooter finally released the children as he was taken into custody, authorities said.

"Officers went there unknowing the firepower the suspect had," Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said at a news conference.

"Fire was being shot all over. The way this suspect was positioned, his view of fire was several hundred yards. So he had an advantage. The officers couldn't get to the ones who were down."

Records show Hopkins, 74, is a disabled Vietnam veteran and disbarred lawyer who has faced several charges in recent years, starting with a 2014 count of disorderly conduct.

#BREAKING 74- year-old Frederick Hopkins has been identified as the suspect in yesterdays fatal shooting in Florence, SC. Hopkins is a disbarred lawyer and is married to a prominent divorce lawyer in Florence. @wcnc pic.twitter.com/cN4p6QxZtF  Billie Jean Shaw (@BillieJeanTV) October 4, 2018

Authorities have not described what weapons were involved, but Hopkins apparently owned several guns, including an M-14 rifle. A 2014 post on his Facebook page said he celebrated his 70th birthday at a shooting range by repeatedly firing his M-14, set up exactly like the one he used in Vietnam.

"I have been shooting competitively since 1984 and lovin' it. I just love the smell of gunpowder in the mornin's," said the post. Other posts from 2016 show images of rifles set up on what looks like a range, and say he was the "South Carolina 3-Gun Silhouette Champion for 2011."

The violence stunned people in the area, where many have been dealing with record flooding from Hurricane Florence. Both the sheriff and police chief cried as they spoke to reporters after the standoff.

The slain officer, Terrence Carraway, 52, of Darlington, had just been honored for his 30 years of service with the Florence Police Department.

"I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known," said his chief, Allen Heidler.

My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Officer Terrence Carraway and the entire Florence law enforcement community. These men and women put their lives on the line everyday to try and keep us safe. #FlorenceCountyShooting pic.twitter.com/ub88jTHEKZ  Janet Parker (@JanetParker86) October 4, 2018

WIS-TV reported Thursday that Florence County Chief Deputy Glenn Kirby said Hopkins was hospitalized with a head injury and unable to speak with officers. WPDE-TV reports Hopkins fell at the scene.

Kirby also said that the search warrant involved an accusation that a 27-year-old person at the home sexually assaulted a foster child who lives in the home.

Three Florence County deputies were wounded while trying to serve the warrant around 4 p.m. Wednesday. Officers from all over arrived to help, and the suspect ultimately shot four Florence city police officers, one fatally, Heidler said.

Boone credited his department's military equipment for enabling them to pull the wounded from the field of fire.

"Thanks to our MRAP, armored personnel carrier, we made sure all the officers that were shot were protected and brought for medical attention," he said.

Officials did not identify the wounded officers or describe their conditions.

Condolences and outpourings of support rolled in.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Florence County Sheriffs Office and the Florence Police Department tonight, in South Carolina. We are forever grateful for what our Law Enforcement Officers do 24/7/365. https://t.co/ZwDmDthItD  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 4, 2018

Today, I have ordered that flags across South Carolina will be lowered to half-staff as a mark of respect for the law enforcement officers who were senselessly shot in Florence yesterday. Please, take this opportunity to reflect on what their sacrifice means to you. #SCStrong  Gov. Henry McMaster (@henrymcmaster) October 4, 2018

Just spoke to Florence Mayor Steve Wukela about the status of the shooting. What a horrific incident.



We stand by ready to help in any way we can.



May God bless the fallen and those who are suffering.  Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 4, 2018

After yesterdays shooting in South Carolina, our heart sank. It literally dropped to the pit of our stomach and ripped the wound wide open again. We are so sorry that Florence, South Carolina is dealing with a tragic event. We know your pain. We are standing with you. #WeSeeYou pic.twitter.com/qnhDxpLivM  SG County Sheriff (@SGCountySheriff) October 4, 2018

This is the second shooting of multiple police officers in South Carolina this year. In January, a 47-year-old former banker shot four officers in York County, killing one, after his wife called 911 to report he beat her. Christian McCall pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life without parole.

Florence, a city in South Carolina's northeastern corner home to roughly 37,000, sits at the convergence of Interstates 95 and 20. It's the largest city in the region known as the Pee Dee, where flooding from Hurricane Florence devastated areas to the east and south.

By JEFFREY COLLINS and MEG KINNARD, Associated Press
WILLIAMSPORT - A more than 120-year-old volunteer fire company in Lycoming County will continue to exist although currently it is not responding to alarms.

County Judge Nancy L. Butts on Thursday blocked the commonwealth's attempt to have Independent Fire Co. No. 1 dissolved and its assets transferred to the South Williamsport Fire Department.

Doing so would not be equitable and would amount "to an asset grab," the judge said.

The litigation is an outgrowth of borough council enacting an ordinance that merged the borough's three volunteer fire companies effective May 1, 2016, and created a fire board to run it.

Council decertified Independent after it refused to accept the merger with the other two volunteer companies, First Ward and Citizens.

It notified the attorney general's office of the decertification and that Independent could not respond to fires in the borough with its two pumpers.

The commonwealth sought involuntary dissolution contending that Independent no longer complied with its mission as a charitable organization which is to fight fires in the borough.

By continuing to operate without fulfilling its charitable purpose, the company is abusing its power and diverting its assets, Deputy Attorney General John L. Dowling argued.

Butts, however, found Independent still functions as an operating corporation and is in good standing with its accounting.

"Decertification merely eliminates its opportunity to be an official firefighting agency of South Williamsport Borough," she wrote.

"It does not preclude them [Independent] from becoming an authorized firefighting company for another municipality."

The most equitable way to continue Independent's original charitable purpose is to allow it to act outside the narrow construction of only engaging in services with South Williamsport, the judge wrote.

"The court finds that despite its location physically within the Borough of South Williamsport, Independent shall be free to affiliate with another borough or township to continue operating as firefighting agency," Butts stated.

She is unaware of any other case where the commonwealth attempted involuntary dissolution and acquisition of assets absent board members self-dealing, tremendous financial problems or unauthorized selling or transferring of charitable assets, she said.

Butts' decision is appropriate under the facts of the case, said Independent's lawyer, Kim Ross Houser of Greensburg.

"Hopefully the parties will be able to get together and make an arrangement that is good for the community," he said.

The attorney general's office has not seen the opinion and it wants to review it before making a comment, spokesman Joe Grace said early Thursday evening.

Independent, which was incorporated in 1895, says it has been willing to accept the merger but it would not agree to turn over to the borough its properties, equipment and financial investments.

Unaffected by the decision is a lawsuit Independent filed against the borough and its fire board.

The suit claims the "forced merger" and the "hostile and forced governmental dissolution and asset grab" is unconstitutional.

It charges the borough with making a concentrated effort to "freeze out, injure or inhibit" Independent by interfering with its discussions to provide firefighting services to neighboring communities.

The suit contends council violated the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Act, the state constitution and exceeded its statutory authority when it formed a fire board that is quasi-municipal in nature.

Independent takes issue with the board now making all decisions instead of each firefighter having a vote, as has occurred in the past.

The suit wants council ordered to apologize, stop interfering with Independent's right to exist and enact an ordinance recognizing it as a fire company.

It also wants unspecified damages, reimbursed for legal costs and a redesign of the borough fire department to give each volunteer a vote.

A report issued in August by Auditor General Eugene DePasquale concluded an aspect of the 2016 merger did not comply with regulations governing firemen's relief associations.

The report cited the lack of minutes to prove members approved the dissolution of the South Williamsport Volunteer Joint Firemen's Relief Association and the transfer of its assets to the new South Williamsport Area Firemen's Relief Association.
Kristen Pfautz Woolley was 10 years old when a friend of the family began to sexually molest her.

Afraid and confused, Woolley told no one. Her predator continued to molest her for two years.

By the time Woolley entered young adulthood and realized what had happened to her, the statute of limitations had expired for her. Woolley's life was ravaged by anxiety, panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Years of therapy have allowed Woolley to heal and move on.

Now 48, she devotes herself to helping victims of child sexual abuse heal and regain control of their lives. Woolley is founder and clinical director of Turning Point Women's Counseling and Advocacy Center in York.

She is fighting to ensure the Legislature enacts a bill that would reform the statute of limitations and open an opportunity for her to file a lawsuit against her predator.

"Most people carry this to their grave," Woolley said this week. "When you finally get a chance to speak, you find you can't speak because of the laws."

Amid the outrage surrounding the grand jury report into clergy sex abuse in Pennsylvania, Woolley stands among victims of child sex abuse who have nothing to do with the Catholic Church, but have as much to lose, they say, if lawmakers fail to reform laws.

"I'm not Catholic," she said. "My abuse has zero to do with clergy and I'm being blocked. It's all about money. They have all to lose."

The state House of Representatives last month overwhelmingly passed a bill designed to expand the pathways to justice for adult victims of childhood sexual abuse.

Senate Bill 261 eliminates all criminal statutes of limitations on future child sexual abuse cases, extends the deadline for civil cases against perpetrators and those who supervise them to age 50, and creates a new, retroactive component permitting past victims who are timed-out of the legal system at present a temporary, two-year window to file civil suits.

Woolley notes that while the Catholic Church is fighting to block the reform legislation in the General Assembly, the majority of adults abused as children have no connection to the church.

"Every single effort to block this and every single lawmaker who blocks this is, in my opinion, siding with pedophiles, protecting them and every single child that is victimized because of their lack of doing the right, moral and ethical thing, God help their souls. That's on them," she said. "To me they handed their perpetrators the door. It's open. It's open now, go for it. Money is more important. I don't know how you rationalize that."

This past weekend, for example, Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput urged the faithful to oppose Senate Bill 261, citing concerns that the bill would bankrupt dioceses and put parishes and ministries at risk.

In a letter to parishioners, Chaput, the former head of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, endorsed a plan crafted by bishops to set up a compensation fund for abuse victims. Under the plan, victims would be precluded from pursuing court action to claim compensation.

Both Attorney General Josh Shapiro, whose office led the grand jury investigation into clergy sex abuse, and Gov. Tom Wolf are urging lawmakers to reform statute of limitations, including enacting the retroactive window recommended by the grand jury.

Senate Republican leadership generally find fault in the retroactive window, specifically due to, they say, issues of constitutionality.

Woolley has in recent months attended the rallies and the lobbying efforts on the part of victims to encourage lawmakers to reform the state's child sex crime laws.

The bill is currently in the Senate, which has it under final consideration even as the clock ticks away on the abbreviated current legislative session. Indeed, the session days are running out: As of today, the Senate is scheduled to meet - and vote - on Oct. 15, 16, 17, and November 14.

Most victims advocates fear yet another defeat for the reform effort.

"There is reason to fear that the furious forward momentum for statute of limitations reform for child sex abuse victims (and in particular a 2-year window) could be derailed," writes Marci Hamilton, a prominent victims advocate and statute of limitations reform activist. "The ball is now in the senate's court and it has only seven days left."

Woolley says that if the retroactive window is enacted, she will file a lawsuit against her predator - who is now about 60, and still lives in central Pennsylvania.

As a therapist, she is convinced he not only sexually molested other children while he was molesting her, but that he continues to do so today.

"There's no doubt in my mind," she said. "None. That's why this window is so frustrating. I have nothing to do with Catholicism...I just want to protect children."

Woolley didn't tell her mother about the abuse at the hands of the family friend until she was 23.

"I was afraid of what it would do to her," she said.

Three weeks after telling her mother her secret, her mother died unexpectedly.

On top of the trauma from abuse, Woolley suddenly had to deal with crushing guilt that she had killed her mother.

"When you are violated you feel you don't matter...it takes a long time to work through that you have value," she says.

After years of therapy, Woolley has put her life in order. She is married, a mom, and a therapist.

She notes that only 4 percent of victims of child sex abuse have connections to the Catholic Church.

Woolley reported her abuse to law enforcement when she was 25 and again at the age of 40. Her statute of limitations had expired at 14 and 18, criminally and civilly respectively.

Woolley, who documented admission from her predator that he abused her, says she is certain that he - as is usually the pattern - has molested other children. Woolley wants to put a stop to it and bring him to justice.

"Perpetrators dont stop. They do not stop," she said. "How many more children have to take it. How many have to be thrown at him?"

This report has been updated.
Can a sex offender accused in a child pornography case be forced to give investigators the complex and so far unbreakable password to his personal computer?

The state Supreme Court has decided to delve into that question.

It did so by agreeing this week to hear an appeal by Joseph J. Davis, who is facing child porn charges in Luzerne County. Davis is challenging a November 2017 order from the state Superior Court requiring him to reveal his memorized and encrypted 64-character password.

Investigators from the state attorney general's office sought a court order to compel Davis, 63, to give them access to his desktop computer, which they insist is loaded with child porn files. They haven't been able to decipher his password to gain access to the device they seized from his Edwardsville home three years ago.

In the Superior Court ruling, President Judge Emeritus Kate Ford Elliott noted Davis already told investigators his computer contains "nefarious" material. Because of that admission, forcing him to provide the password "would not communicate facts of a testimonial nature beyond that which he has already acknowledged to investigating agents," Elliott found.

The question before the Supreme Court is whether Davis can legally be required to disclose his password when he has already invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

So, the high court must decide whether the Superior Court ruling violates Davis' constitutional rights.
PHILADELPHIA -- Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has joined the effort to open Philadelphia's and possibly the nation's first supervised drug injection site-- saying Wednesday that he would support the effort even if it meant facing federal charges.

The 74-year-old Rendell joined the board of the nonprofit Safehouse, which is raising money to open a safe injection site-- a place where people can use drugs under medical supervision including overdose prevention-- despite federal and state laws that prohibit them. Rendell bucked similar regulations when he was Philadelphia mayor in the 1990s and officially sanctioned the city's first needle exchange program, inviting the then-state attorney general to arrest him at City Hall.

Rendell said Wednesday that he is still willing to go to prison.

"If I thought for a minute that safe injection sites would create new addicts, I wouldn't be a part of it. I see the ability to save lives and get people who are addicts exposed to treatment," he said. "Having me involved, I think it reduces the chances that there will be arrests. It's not likely, but it's somewhat possible they will come and arrest me."

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and other city officials announced in January that they would support a private entity operating and funding safe injection sites. Philadelphia has the highest opioid death rate of any large U.S. city, with more than 1,200 fatal overdoses in 2017.

Rendell said if enough money can be raised, it's possible that Safehouse could open the city's first supervised injection site by the end of the year.

Rendell's statements come just days after California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed legislation that would have given San Francisco some legal cover to open the nation's first injection site as part of a pilot program. The bill would have protected workers and participants from state prosecution for illegal narcotics, but not from federal charges.

READ MORE: Are safe injection sites a way to save lives or an idea that undermines treatment?

Deputy U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein told public radio station WHYY in August that the federal government would take swift and aggressive legal action if cities open sites. Rosenstein said he "wouldn't speculate" on what the enforcement would look like or who might be arrested, but he said federal officials have their eyes on Philadelphia.

The Pennsylvania attorney general's office has said that state and federal laws would need to change for the injection sites "to be considered lawful."

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, however, had a different view. He said he will decline to prosecute workers or volunteer medical students who set up "a responsibly run harm reduction center," saying there is a justification he could see under the doctrine of self-defense.

As a young criminal defense attorney, Krasner was retained to defend Prevention Point, the city's first sanctioned needle exchange, if the state or federal authorities decided to arrest people.

"You can commit a lesser harm to prevent a greater harm," Krasner said. "We are literally losing four lives a day (to overdoses) in Philadelphia. The harm we are talking about here is much less serious. It is my opinion as the elected District Attorney that this conduct is flat out justified."

There are law enforcement officials who oppose the sites as sanctioning illegal drug use. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross has made clear that he is not sold on the idea of the sites but has said previously he would keep an open mind.

Members of the treatment and recovery community have largely shifted to be in favor of the sites, which have operated in several European countries, Australia and Canada for years, because they often offer people counseling and options for treatment if they choose it.

Peter Schorr, the CEO of Retreat Premier Addiction Treatment Centers, runs two treatment centers in Florida and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, about 80 miles (128 kilometers) west of Philadelphia.

"You aren't putting an ad out saying please come try drugs here," he said. "The number one killer of 18- to 24 year-olds is now overdoses. We get the opportunity to talk to them about going into a treatment facility. I think it's something we need to do."

--

Claudia Lauer of the Associated Press wrote this story.
The father of a toddler who was found wandering outside in Lemoyne is facing drug charges.

When officers confronted Jose Vincente Bonilla, he didn't know where his little girl was, according to court documents. A subsequent search of the residence resulted in police finding a slew of drugs and cash.

The 2-year-old girl was found alone in the street in the 300 block of Herman Avenue at around 10:13 a.m. Wednesday, police said.

An officer arrived in the area, and a witness told the officer the girl was riding a plastic four-wheeler down the road and almost into traffic, according to a criminal complaint.

The officer was unable to locate the girl's parents, and Cumberland County Children and Youth was notified after about two hours. The girl's mother called police and said the girl's father, Bonilla, should be home.

Officers then went to the residence in the 300 block of Herman Avenue and knocked on the door for some time before Bonilla answered the door.

When asked about the girl's whereabouts, Bonilla didn't know where she was, according to court documents.

Investigation determined Bonilla had drugs and drug paraphernalia in the residence, and officers found cocaine, marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, and various paraphernalia, according to a criminal complaint.

Officers also seized $3,200 in cash.

Bonilla, 36, faces charges of drug possession, endangering the welfare of children, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Elizabeth Beckley at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 14.

He is free on $5,000 unsecured bail.

As of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, West Shore Police said the child was reunited with her parents and in a safe environment.

Police said they are working with Cumberland County CYS and are investigating the incident.
WILLIAMSPORT - The federal government wants to keep $850,594 in suspected drug money seized earlier this year during two state police traffic stops on Interstate 80 this year.

U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann on Wednesday was asked to approve forfeiture of the money currently in the possession of the FBI.

The first stop occurred on Feb. 21 in Liberty Twp., Montour County, and the second on April 30 in Columbia County.

The court complaint provides the following details about each:

Wei Lin, the driver of the rental car in the first stop, claimed to be from Illinois but had a Texas driver's license issued a month before.

She claimed she and her brother Ming Lin were headed to Brooklyn to visit her father who was returning from China.

There was no luggage in the vehicle except for a backpack and duffle bag that Wei Lin indicated contained her clothes.

READ MORE: Pa. mom gets 11 to 23 months for not providing stable household for her young children

After consent to search was obtained, numerous large bundles of currency were found in the backpack behind the front seat and in the duffle bag in the trunk.

Wei Lin said the money belonged to her brother, who claimed it belonged to another brother in Chicago from the sale of a restaurant in Houma, Louisiana. She did not reveal the owner of the money in the duffle bag.

The backpack contained $175,500 and duffle bag $185,100. There also were 15 counterfeit $10 bills in the backpack.

Stored pictures on cell phones of the two depicted what appeared to be amounts of bulk cash, owe and tally sheets, handguns, someone holding counterfeit currency and a package wrapped like and the size of a kilogram of cocaine.

Jian Yang, the individual who had rented the car for Wei Lin in the first stop, was the driver in the second one. The passenger was Changlu Lu.

A drug detection dog alerted troopers to a box in the trunk that contained several vacuumed sealed packages of bulk U.S. currency.

Yang claimed he sold a restaurant in Houma for $280,000 to $290,000, received $100,000 from his recent wedding and the rest was personal savings. He said he deals in cash to avoid banks and taxes.

He admitted personally wrapping the currency found Wei Lin's car and driving the money from Houston, Texas, to Chicago while she flew.

A total of $489,994 in currency was found in the box. In both cases an ion scan of the cash revealed higher than average trace amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine.

Flight receipts and cell phone pictures show a history of repeated trips Chicago and New York, indicative of what authorities say is bulk cash smuggling.

The forfeiture is a civil complaint. There is no record of criminal charges being filed against any of the four and the U.S. attorney's office will not comment on investigations.
A western Pennsylvania nuclear power company was among the computer networks targeted by seven Russian intelligence officers, the U.S. Justice Department said today.

The United States and other Western nations leveled a torrent of new allegations against Moscow's GRU military spy agency, accusing agents of hacking mainly anti-doping agencies, The Associated Press reports.

But one of those attacks was close to home. The Russian officers attempted to break into the computer networks of Westinghouse Electric Co., according to Reuters.

Three of the seven Russian military officers indicted had also been charged in a separate case brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office for their role in hacking activities designed to influence the 2016 presidential election, according to reports.

In this indictment, though, hackers set out to target mainly international anti-doping organizations and expose officials who revealed a Russian state-sponsored athlete doping program, according to Reuters.

In the Westinghouse case, the indictment states Russian officer Sergeyevich Yermakov began his hack as early as November 2014, accessing IP addresses, domains and network ports, and also researched employees and their backgrounds, Reuters reports.

The justice department further states Yermakov and his co-conspirators registered a fake domain and website to mimic Westinghouse's own site and sent phishing emails to employees, Reuters reports. Once employees clicked on the fake domain and provided their log-in IDs, they were rerouted to the real network.

It was not immediately clear why Westinghouse was one of the targets or if the hackers were successful.

Westinghouse has not yet made a statement.
Paul Beran was 11 years old in 1966 when Father Edward Joyce of St. Joseph Church in Pittsburgh began to sexually assault him, according to one lawsuit.

James Imhoff was 10 in 1963 when Father Carl Roemele of St. Joseph's parish in Mount Oliver first sexually assaulted him, another lawsuit says.

In 1982, Glenn Ostrowski became one of many victims of John Hoehl, headmaster at Quigley Catholic High School in Baden, says yet another lawsuit.

Richard Votedian was no older than 13 when he was first sexually assaulted by Father Richard Zula at St. Michael's parish in Munhall, a fourth lawsuit says.

The four lawsuits, were all filed Thursday in Allegheny County against the men that the plaintiffs say abused them, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, Bishop David A. Zubik, and Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, a former bishop.

They are among a growing number of lawsuits filed since the release of a grand jury report into clergy sex abuse. The report, released in August by Attorney General Josh Shapiro, found widespread child sexual abuse by priests across six dioceses in Pennsylvania and the concealment of the crimes by church officials.

The lawsuits are based on information in the grand jury report taken from secret diocesan records, according to the plaintiffs' attorney Alan Perer.

"The Pittsburgh Diocese was fully responsible for the placement, employment and maintenance of these priests at every one of these incidents of child sexual abuse," Perer argues in a written press release.

"Because of systematic fraudulent concealment and conspiracy to conceal by the diocese, the sexual abuse histories of these priests were hidden from the public and from these four plaintiffs and their respective families, until the Grand Jury Report made them public."

Perer indicated the cases will seek expansion of the statute of limitations.

The Pennsylvania Senate has under final consideration a bill that would broadly reform the statute of limitations, including opening a temporary retroactive window that would allow victims timed out of the legal system an opportunity to file civil lawsuits against predators.

Only a few days remain in the current legislative session, even as the leadership for the Republican majority has signaled opposition to the retroactivity component in the bill. Senate Bill 261 was crafted in the Senate and amended in the House, where it was passed by an overwhelming majority of lawmakers.

Victims have been urging lawmakers to extend the temporary window.

Perer argues that had the dioceses revealed the facts and evidence in a timely manner, plaintiffs would have been within the statute of limitations and able to file suits.

The Diocese of Pittsburgh is the target of several other lawsuits.

In September, two lawsuits were filed against the diocese, Wuerl and Zubik.

One lawsuit claims David Rebholz was sexually assaulted by Reverend William O'Malley III when he was between the ages of 11 and 12.

O'Malley was the assistant pastor at St. Canice at the time.

In the second lawsuit, Heather Taylor claims she was assaulted as a child by two priests as well as former Bishop Anthony Bevilacqua, who went on to become archbishop of Philadelphia and eventually made a cardinal.

Also in September, a class action lawsuit was filed against the six Pennsylvania bishops at the helm of dioceses at the center of the grand jury report.

The lawsuit, also filed in Allegheny County, was filed by three individuals and on behalf of victims as well as parents whose children attend Catholic school. The suit seeks to compel the dioceses to meet obligations as mandatory reporters.

A number of other lawsuits have been filed across the six dioceses, including that of Juliann Bortz against the Diocese of Allentown. The Lehigh Valley woman claims the diocese waged a "smear" campaign to discredit her reports of abuse in the grand jury report .

In August, ahead of the release of the report, a

filed a lawsuit claiming that from 1999 to 2002 a priest from the Diocese of Harrisburg. "lasciviously leered at, groped and sexually molested (him) approximately a dozen times in different rooms at the church."
A former high school bus driver in Huntingdon County is headed to trial after he was accused of assaulting female students.

David Kim Gardner, 65, of Shirleysburg, waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday on indecent assault and other charges, according to a news releases from Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

Gardner was arrested last week after he was accused of inappropriately touching female students, as well as verbally harassing them and making other inappropriate comments.

Gardner was a bus driver for Mount Union Area Junior/Senior High School.

"This bus driver exploited his position as a high school bus driver to harass and assault underage minors who were entrusted to his care," Shapiro said in the news release.

"Students took action and were brave enough to come forward about this abuse, and now, he will be held responsible for his crimes. We will hold him, and anyone who abuses children in Pennsylvania, accountable."
The search is on for a 16-year-old boy accused of killing two people in a York shooting last week, according to media reports.

Luis Joshua Vicente-Ramierz was charged by York City Police with two counts of criminal homicide and firearms offenses in the death of two people who were killed last Wednesday, ABC27 reported.

Dezmen Jones and Jameel Murray were shot around 8 p.m. in the 600 block of West Princess Street on Sept. 26, according to reporting from the York Dispatch. Murray, 28, was pronounced dead at the scene. Jones, 15, died at a hospital later.

Vincente-Ramierz is believed armed and dangerous, police told the outlet. The U.S. Marshal Service Fugitive Task Force is involved in the search.

Anyone with information is asked to contact York City Police.
It was almost a year ago when a 23-year-old woman was found dead, wrapped up in a carpet and abandoned not far from the road.

Starting with one friend who saw Madison M. Walb two days prior to the discovery of her body in that field, police began a lengthy investigation, leading to the Berks County District Attorney's Office announcing yesterday that charges have been filed against three people in connection with her death.

Carmen Morales-Feliciano, 25, is facing charges of first-degree murder, third-degree murder, aggravated assault, abuse of a corpse, criminal conspiracy and tampering with evidence. Her brother, Christopher Morales-Feliciano, 22, is facing charges of abuse of a corpse, criminal conspiracy and tampering with evidence. The two are in Berks County Jail.

A third person, Christian Carmona-Llanos, 26, faces charges of abuse of a corpse, criminal conspiracy and tampering with evidence. He has not yet been located.

According to the Berks County District Attorney's Office, the investigation unfolded like this:

Walb's body was found wrapped up in a carpet on Oct. 8 in a field on the 200 block of Riegel Road in Lower Heidelberg Township.

An autopsy the following day positively identified Walb and revealed she died from a single gunshot wound to the head. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.

Berks County detectives found a close friend of Walb's who wanted to share what he thought might be helpful in the investigation. He last saw her early in the morning on Oct. 6 when she left a restaurant on the 800 block of Penn St. in Reading and headed towards S. 8th St.

After canvasing that area, police pieced together evidence from surveillance footage. It shows:

At 1:05 a.m., Walb enters a first-floor apartment on the 800 block of Franklin St.

At 1:45 a.m., Carmen Morales-Feliciano and Christopher Morales-Feliciano are seen leaving the apartment.

Nearly an hour later, Christopher Morales-Feliciano and Christian Carmona-Llanos return to the apartment.

A short time after that, they're seen carrying a large, rolled up carpet - with an arm sticking out of it -- out of a side window, which they take to a waiting vehicle that had just arrived in the 100 block of S. 8

As the investigation continued, another witness told detectives Carmen Morales-Feliciano admitted to shooting Walb in the head before meeting with the other two at a corner store to come up with a plan to "throw her away." Carmen Morales-Feliciano also admitted to returning to the apartment to continue selling drugs after disposing of the body.

After reviewing all of this evidence, a grand jury recommended criminal charges on Sept. 6.

Both Carmen and Christopher Morales-Feliciano were already in custody on unrelated charges.

Anyone with information on Carmona-Llanos should call the Berks County District Attorney's Detective Unit, 610-478-7171, or the Berks County Crime Alert, 877-373-9913.
President Donald Trump's campaign announced he will hold a rally in Erie next week.

According to Trump's campaign website, he will be at Erie Insurance Arena at 7 p.m. October 10.

GoErie.com said trump is expected to discuss the economy, protecting and expanding the GOP majorities in the House and Senate in November.

The outlet reported it will be Trump's first visit to Erie since 2016, and he is expected to support Lou Barletta against incumbent Sen. Bob Casey.

Trump was in the state this week, visiting Philadelphia to speak to the National Electrical Contractors Association.

Barletta released the following statement after the announcement of the rally:

"It is great to have President Trump return to Pennsylvania to highlight how our policies are jump starting the economy and putting Pennsylvania families back to work. The President understands how important Pennsylvania is to maintaining control of the Senate. Senator Casey has resisted and obstructed the President's agenda at every turn. Now, more than ever, one vote in the Senate can make all the difference. Join us on October 10 to Keep America Great!"

This post was updated at 9 p.m. to include Barletta's statement.
A former tops official for West Shore-based Keystone Biofuels Inc. has pleaded guilty to federal charges that he conspired in a $4.1 million tax fraud scheme.

U.S. Attorney David Freed said Thursday that the firm's business development director, David Tielle, participated in a plot to fraudulently claim federal biofuels tax credits between 2009 and 2012.

Tielle participated in making false reports to the IRS regarding how much eco-friendlier fuel the company was producing, investigators from the IRS and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency claimed. The charge to which he pleaded guilty carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison.

A plea agreement Tielle reached with prosecutors, and which was approved by U.S. Middle District Judge John E. Jones III, includes a stipulation stating he was a "minor participant in the offense."

Tielle's lawyer, William Fulton, said he was unable to comment on the case when contacted Thursday.

Tielle isn't the only Keystone Biofuels principal who is in trouble with the feds.

Race Miner, a co-owner and a Colorado resident, has a tentative agreement to plead guilty to the tax fraud. Co-owner Ben Wooten of Enola also is facing federal charges.
A few hours after his only face-to-face encounter with his Democratic incumbent opponent concluded on Monday, Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Wagner found himself at a hotel in the Poconos getting a few hours of shut eye before getting up to go to a prayer breakfast.

Such is the life of the candidate who has spent the past 21 months traveling across Pennsylvania attending over 630 events this year alone to acquaint voters with himself and where he stands on the issues.

On Wednesday, he added to that tally by visiting with PennLive/The Patriot-News' editorial board to discuss a myriad of issues that have arisen throughout the campaign.

Just to recap how he got to where he is today, the 63-year-old Wagner grew up on a farm in York County, graduating from Dallastown Area High School. He went on to own several businesses over the course of his life but the one that he is mostly known for is Penn Waste trash hauling company that services many southcentral Pennsylvania communities.

In 2013, he ran for an open state Senate seat and became the first person in state history to win as a write-in candidate. Frustrated with the lack of power a single senator has in the 253-member General Assembly and what he perceived to be a lack of leadership from Democratic incumbent Gov. Tom Wolf, Wagner decided to run for governor.

He beat out two opponents in the spring primary to become the GOP nominee and now is positioned to take on Wolf in the Nov. 6 election. Also running for governor are Libertarian Ken Krawchuk and Green Party candidate Paul Glover.

Asked to describe in a word what it's like to run for governor of the nation's fifth largest state, Wagner chose "exciting."

"It is exciting. I've just met thousands of people. That's what it's all about meeting the people, talking to people, learning about their issues, hearing about their successes, hearing their story," he said.

Here are a few highlights of the conversation with the editorial board.

'Government gone wild': Asked about what he intends to do to pay down the state's unfunded pension liability, Wagner said the state needs to get the fees paid to money managers under control and the pension systems need to work on a strategy that produces better returns.

Beyond that, he said with his plan to go to zero-based budgeting where every expense needs to be justified, "we're going to have to start looking at our spending in a major, major way."

As examples, he said state agencies need to take a close look at which computers are being used and which ones aren't and stop paying for the software licenses on unused computers.

"We have to drill down [to] every single nickel and every item we spend money on," he said.

That includes coffee apparently. Wagner commented on how many coffee pots sit in state offices where a full pot gets made in the morning, sits there all day untouched, and emptied at night.

"They pour out the whole pot that's been made," he said. They act like it's "nobody's money. Nobody cares. But I can tell you as governor, we're going to start caring a lot more. We're going to energize a lot of state employees to help us reduce a lot of waste over there."

He said at least 50 state employees have contacted him over the last four years ready to talk about waste in their departments. "Nobody talks to these people. It's time we get the place under control," Wagner said.

"If I was going to write a book or produce a political thriller movie, it would be 'Government Gone Wild' and it is wild over there."

About a different kind of pot: Despite the interest among some legislators and state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale to legalize recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania and use it as a money-maker for the state, Wagner is not a fan.

Why?

"I employ 250 truck drivers. That's reason number one," he said. "Number two, we have the most unbelievable crisis probably that I'm ever going to see in my lifetime, possibly all of us. That's the opioid crisis and I do believe marijuana in many ways is a gateway drug to other drugs."

Just as non-negotiable: Wolf has released his 2017 tax return but Wagner absolutely refuses to publicly share his, breaking with at least a two-decade-old tradition in this state.

"I am not going to release my returns," he said. "I have met all compliance requirements."

He said he owns multiple businesses that are all partnerships. He said his tax returns may make it appear that he makes a lot of money but what they don't show are the bank loans associated with investments that generated his income.

"So it's very complex," he said. "I'm not going to be letting my tax return out there to be interpreted by people who are not CPAs that don't understand."

In August, he responded to a question about his refusal to release his tax return at an event in Erie by saying he was concerned that labor unions might try to use his personal financial information to organize workers at his non-union waste-hauling business.

There is no state law that requires gubernatorial candidates to release their returns; however, government watchdogs say the returns provide insight into such things as how much income a person reports to the government and pays in taxes; sources of income, taxes avoidance, and charitable giving.

Breaking bread with lawmakers: Things move too slow in the state Capitol and change is needed, Wagner said. Lawmakers are hearing about it from constituents back home which has given them an appetite to get things done.

This is his solution to that problem: feed them.

"One time a week, go to Roxy's [Cafe], the breakfast place down on Third Street [in Harrisburg] and I could get a back room that seats 30 people and I could invite House members and Senate members and have breakfast," he said. "We could be there for an hour, an hour and 15 minutes and we could talk about issues, issues that are front burner for them."

He said these off-site meetings over meals would involve rank-and-file Republicans and Democrats and have to take place outside the view of lobbyists.

"It's a private setting where House members and Senate members and the governor get together," he said, adding management meetings over lunch happen all the time in the private sector. "I know in everybody's heart they want to get things done. But with the gridlock in the current system and ... the lobbying community and the special interests involved, it just becomes counterproductive."

"This is actually a pretty workable" solution.

For the record, Wolf made a point of making unannounced visits to legislators' Capitol offices shortly after taking office in 2015 although Wagner's spokesman Andrew Romeo said the governor never came by to see Wagner. The governor also called in small groups of rank-and-file lawmakers to his office to talk about their priorities. Romeo said Wagner never got that opportunity either.

About debates: Wagner has made it clear he wishes there were more of them but Wolf has only agreed to one - the one that happened Monday at the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry's annual dinner moderated by "Jeopardy!" game show host Alex Trebek who took an active part in the discussion.

Asked his thoughts about that debate, Wagner said, "Really at the end of the day, I was really debating two people."

Wagner has been unsuccessful in getting Wolf to bite on the idea of holding town hall-style discussion in each of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. And he said the 45-minute-long discussion at the Chamber Dinner wasn't long enough to get into a substantive discussion of issues, especially since Trebek wanted in on the conversation.

But with more a little more than a month before Election Day, he said, "there's still an opportunity for the governor to come forward." And he hopes he does.

"Pennsylvanians that are going to cast votes that are looking for some information to make that decision are being shortchanged," he said.

However, voters may gain some of that insight through a televised lieutenant governor debate between Wagner's running mate Jeff Bartos and Wolf's ballot partner John Fetterman on Saturday in the Pittsburgh television studios of WPXI.

The debate will be aired at 7:30 p.m. and can be viewed on the station's WPXI Now Spotlight stream on WPXI.com, the WPXI news app and streaming apps for your TV until the election.
Seeking Enlightenment at the Golden Rock

Story and photos by James Michael Dorsey

Venturing into Burmese Buddhist temples, a writer encounters two ascetic holy hermits who have tuned out the modern world.

The great legend that permeates Kyaiktiyo, Burma, begins when the Buddha gave a lock of his hair to a local hermit monk named Taik Tha. The monk, in turn, gave the lock to his king, with the wish that it be imbedded in a boulder that resembled the monk's head.

At this point, the legend expands into a complex explanation of how the king came to possess supernatural powers from his parents. This allows him to raise an enormous boulder from the sea floor and place it precariously on a local cliff where, since before recorded time, it has sat balanced in a way that defies the laws of gravity, physics, and logic. The story goes that the strand of the Buddha's hair, encased in a golden pagoda on its summit, is all that holds the boulder in place. Today, it is known as the Golden Rock, thanks to a centuries-old custom of pilgrims adding sheets of gold leaf, enough so that over time, it has become impossible to know the rock's original size. It is one of the premier holy sites of Burma.

I have always sought such places in my travels, not because I believe enlightenment will strike if I visit; although that is always a vain hope; but for the sheer energy the faithful masses generate at such places. It is a palpable feeling that Buddhists will tell you comes from the mantra," Om Mani Padme Ohm," the sound that connects pilgrims to the mystical vibrations of the universe. Sometimes you feel it and sometimes you don't.

I rose early to wander the mountain top before the tourist stalls opened, and while all hard edges were rounded by the pre-dawn fog. Porters, bent double from loads held in place by head straps, exited flatbed trucks that had hauled supplies up the 3,000-foot mountain, while palanquin bearers replaced them to ride down to the village where they will hire out to carry rich clients up the hill in so-called pilgrimage. Already the rock is surrounded by prostate believers, most of whom have spent the frigid night in silent meditation.

I was raised in a strong Christian belief that sustained me for decades, but I never experienced the intensity of religious fervor that seems to permeate all of Southeast Asia. What is it that imbues so many eastern cultures with unshakable faith? The countless statues of Buddha, for sale everywhere, bring to mind staggering tales of this devotion, such as the Chinese master Liuquan, who was discovered encased inside a 1,000-year-old statue; buried alive as it were, so that his meditation would not be interrupted. There was also the great Tibetan saint, Milarepa, of whom numerous texts survive attributing him with the ability to fly. Upon his death, he supposedly appeared to several dozen friends, in different places, simultaneously. Such stories are everywhere and deserve to be pursued.

At first light, the monasteries discharge single-file lines of colorful robed and barefoot monks to collect their daily bread from the faithful. They are followed closely by pink- and orange-clad nuns, many no older than eight or nine. My camera was collecting all of this when I saw the hermit.

The Silent Hermit From the Forest

Most of today's Buddhist monks are rather worldly: Some smoke and even drink, while many have smart phones and use computers, but the hermits are a different breed. For them, time ceased when their kind such as Milarepa and Liuquan still drew breath. They are a throwback to a time when the search for knowledge was an internal one, unaided by Google. I am told that spotting one is as rare as a snow leopard.

He emerged from the fog like a mountain spirit, plodding slowly behind the lines of younger monks. His face was like dried leather and his skeletal arms trembled as, with every fourth step, he struck a tiny tin bell suspended from his shoulder pole with a mallet. The bell was his call for alms, because as a hermit monk, he lived under a vow of silence.

It was his towering leather hat that set him apart from the other monks: It announced him as one who has withdrawn from society. He seemed to be in another place as he glided down the street, oblivious to his surroundings, even of the reverential people placing food and water into his basket. He had sent his body out, but his soul was elsewhere. Like most monks of Southeast Asia, those in Burma adhere to the Theravada school of Buddhism. Theravada means, "Teaching of the Elders," and it is one of three branches of Buddhism that migrated from India and Nepal in the sixth century B.C. It spread rapidly throughout Southeast Asia in the 13th century via monks from Sri Lanka.

It is a personal belief system that worships no deity, but teaches self -control in order to release one's self from the material world and achieve personal enlightenment. It seemed to me that a hermit monk has certainly distanced himself from the material world, but even they need to eat, and so I happened to catch him on a rare day when at least his physical shell had ventured into civilization in search of provisions.

I followed this man, unable not to, fascinated by the wonders he must know that would allow such a complete retreat from the secular world. At the end of the street I stopped as he entered the forest, vanishing among the trees as lightly as he appeared, a wraith in the material world. Much as I wanted to know where he was going, I did not have the right to impose my world on one who had left his own behind.

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Conservancy offers places for both hunters and non-hunters

The Little Traverse Conservancy provides opportunities to get out in the woods on lands that are both open and lands that are closed to hunting.
KENNETT SQUARE  Genesis Healthcare Inc., a post-acute care provider, with headquarters in Kennett Square, announced this week a shift to a market-focused model. The model is designed to build out a vertically integrated community-based healthcare system in every market, supported by centralized resources. Whether through skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, rehabilitation therapy, physician []
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While the FBI is set to conclude its investigation into Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Republicans are waiting to move forward, some Democratic senators are wondering why his nomination isnt already dead.

In an interview with MSNBCs Chris Matthews, Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal explained that Kavanaugh didnt just potentially tamper with witnesses, but he clearly lied under oath.

The Democratic senator said Kavanaughs effort to reach out to individuals that could corroborate allegations against him shows that he knew about Ramirez before the New Yorker article and that contradicted his testimony.

Video:

What Blumenthal said explains perfectly why Kavanaughs nomination should be pulled already:

Under some circumstances, it can be witness tampering, for example, if there is anticipation of testimony under oath by those individuals in connection with some law enforcement proceeding, but put aside whether its witness tampering. Those contacts indicate judge Kavanaugh knew about Ramirez before the New Yorker article and that contradicted his testimony.

Kavanaugh could shoot somebody on 5th Avenue and still keep the support of most GOP senators

Despite the damning and disturbing allegations against Brett Kavanaugh and the fact that he told blatant lies under oath during his Senate testimony, Republicans continue to keep pushing forward with his nomination.

As PoliticusUSA reported on Monday, McConnell plans to force a vote to confirm Kavanaugh this week, almost as if they are living in an alternate universe without any of this controversy.

The time for endless delay and obstruction has come to a close, the Senate Majority Leader said. Judge Kavanaughs nomination is out of committee. Were considering it here on the floor. Well be voting this week.

In other words, Republicans are applying to Kavanaugh what Trump said about himself in 2016: I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldnt lose voters.

In the case of Brett Kavanaugh, he could sexually assault women, lie under oath and throw an embarrassing temper tantrum during his job interview  and Republicans would still stick with him.

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Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) called Trump a phony and slammed his little Republican enablers while unveiling a plan to get Trumps tax returns made public.

Video:

Rep. Doggett said on MSNBCs The Beat With Ari Melber:

The most important point is the one you made that Donald Trump is a self-made myth. Not a self-made man. He is phony through and through. We would know a lot more about it had his little Republican enablers in Congress not been protecting him and covering up his tax returns so we would have the information from him that every prior president for many years, Republican and Democrat candidate alike disclosed to the public. Last Valentines day, 2017, I filed the first motion concerned about the Russian connection and how much Russian money might have been laundered in past trump deals. He has some 564 entities that hes involved with in addition to his personal returns. Ive filed a number of other, seven in all, as recently as last month.

The Republicans have covered up and blocked every one because they dont want to look under that rock and see what they might see. In January, if the American people support a new Congress that will engage in oversight, not just overlook, then we dont even need a subpoena. Under a law that dates back decades, the Ways and Means chairman can simply request from the Treasury Department the Trump returns and he, I believe, will do that, and will get the returns on those 500 plus entities. All the working papers as well to understand the returns. Put a staff of CPAs to work looking and digging into those returns. Ultimately our committee can decide to disclose all or a portion of them.

Democrats Dont Need Subpoenas To Get Trumps Tax Returns. They Just Have To Ask

Democrats arent interested in just getting the returns and handing them to the public. They are going to use Trumps tax returns as the foundation for an investigation into the President Of The United States. Trumps tax returns could have been made public long ago. All Republicans had to do was ask.

The fact that they chose not to illustrates how far the GOP has gone to enable and cover up for Trump, but in about a month, that all may come to an end.

A Democratic House and/or Senate is going to wreck Trumps crumbling world.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 4)  President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered an investigation into the incident involving 23,015 sacks of smuggled rice that were seized but went missing in Zamboanga City.

"Nagalit talaga ang Presidente (The President got really angry) because how do you lose 23,000 sacks of rice? It's incredible," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing Thursday.

He said a "visibly upset" Duterte ordered "an immediate and thorough investigation" of the matter.

Reports earlier quoted Lt. Commander Noriel Ramos, Zamboanga Coast Guard Station commander, as saying that the seized smuggled rice disappeared while in transit to their storage area. He said the sacks of rice were recovered in an anti-drug operation following reports illegal drugs shipment would arrive with the rice.

Authorities have recovered some 16,000 sacks of rice from different warehouses in Zamboanga City, but have to find at least 7,000 more.

Roque suspects both the National Food Authority and the Bureau of Customs were to blame for the incident.

"Investigation is ongoing but I think it's obvious that because both agencies had some jurisdiction over the apprehended smuggled rice na parehong opisyales ng (both officials of) Customs and NFA probably have liability for this," he said.

Zamboanga City District Collector Lyceo Martinez and Customs Police District Commander Felimeno Salazar have been relieved from their posts "for the purpose of ensuring that they cannot tamper with evidence and they cannot influence the investigation," Roque said. He said the preventive suspension was ordered by the President.
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The Republican Party continued its full-on descent into madness on Wednesday as their newest talking point in defense of Brett Kavanaugh is that the allegations against him are a George Soros conspiracy theory.

In an interview with right-wing talking head Laura Ingraham, GOP Sen. David Perdue said folks who are protesting Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination are paid activists and that Republicans must grow up and start playing defense.

Of course, when he says playing defense, the Republican senator actually means they should just start making stuff up.

These are not genuine people who are concerned about Dr. Ford or anything else, these are paid activists, Perdue said with what we can assume is a straight face. This is a George Soros conspiracy, and its time we wake up, expose them, stand up and fight for our country, because thats whats at stake here.

Perdue isnt alone. He is following the lead of Donald Trump and other Republicans who have reacted to the credible allegations against Kavanaugh by attacking the victims.

On Tuesday night in Mississippi  where else?  Trump, a sexual predator in his own right, had the nerve to mock Dr. Christine Blasey Fords powerful and credible testimony.

What neighborhood was it in? I dont know. Wheres the house? I dont know. Upstairs, downstairs, where was it? I dont know. But I had one beer. Thats the only thing I remember, the shameful president said at last nights rally as his supporters foamed at the mouth in delight.

These nutjobs have no place in our government

In the past, the type of rhetoric spewed by Sen. Perdue and many Republicans, particularly in recent weeks, would only be found in the most extreme corners of the political world.

Now members of Congress, hell-bent on keeping their fanatical base riled up before the midterms, have embraced dangerous conspiracy theories as a way to silence women and bolster their power on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Not only has Donald Trump and his GOP puppets in Congress created an alternative reality for themselves, but they have shown that they dont value the voices of American women.

Whenever it looks like this president and his party cant possibly go any lower, they grab shovels and start digging. They deserve to lose up and down the ballot in November.

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Brett Kavanaughs former law school classmate Mark Osler said that he retracted his support for Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination after Kavanaugh disrespected a co-equal branch of government.

Video:

Osler told MSNBCs Ari Melber, You just played the exchange with my senator, Amy Klobuchar., and that is something that really struck me. Its the way he treated a coequal branch of government. That, in a world where we are lacking civility in a lot of places, one that needs to be maintained is at the highest level between the branches of government. What we saw there was an encounter that is far from what he hoped for.

Kavanaugh has problems on four fronts. The largest is the sexual assault allegations against him, but there are also questions about his lying about his past, his drinking, and his temperament.

Disrespect of Congress is very important for who is going to be ruling matters directly impacting legislation and Congress for decades. It is well known that Brett Kavanaugh believes in an imperial presidency, but if Kavanaugh cant treat Congress like a co-equal branch of government, then he represents a threat to the entire constitutional system of checks and balances.

Brett Kavanaugh showed a rage and disrespect that made it clear that he lacks the composure and temperament to be a Supreme Court justice. There are many reasons to oppose Brett Kavanaugh, but they all come back to the same point that this person does not belong on the Supreme Court.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Hundreds of law professors are urging the United States Senate to reject Kavanaugh as Republicans plan to vote on his nomination this week.

In a letter published in The New York Times on Wednesday, more than 650 legal scholars said Donald Trumps SCOTUS nominee is unfit to sit on the nations highest court for the rest of his life.

We have differing views about the other qualifications of Judge Kavanaugh, the letter states. But we are united, as professors of law and scholars of judicial institutions, in believing that he did not display the impartiality and judicial temperament requisite to sit on the highest court of our land.

More from the letter, which the Times says will be presented to the U.S. Senate on Thursday:

We are law professors who teach, research and write about the judicial institutions of this country. Many of us appear in state and federal court, and our work means that we will continue to do so, including before the United States Supreme Court. We regret that we feel compelled to write to you, our Senators, to provide our views that at the Senate hearings on Sept. 27, Judge Brett Kavanaugh displayed a lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for any court, and certainly for elevation to the highest court of this land. The question at issue was of course painful for anyone. But Judge Kavanaugh exhibited a lack of commitment to judicious inquiry. Instead of being open to the necessary search for accuracy, Judge Kavanaugh was repeatedly aggressive with questioners. Even in his prepared remarks, Judge Kavanaugh described the hearing as partisan, referring to it as a calculated and orchestrated political hit, rather than acknowledging the need for the Senate, faced with new information, to try to understand what had transpired. Instead of trying to sort out with reason and care the allegations that were raised, Judge Kavanaugh responded in an intemperate, inflammatory and partial manner, as he interrupted and, at times, was discourteous to senators.

Anybody that cares about the integrity of the court should want to see Kavanaughs nomination pulled

With the FBI set to release findings from a sham investigation sometime Wednesday night or Thursday, time is running out to stop this nomination. Thats why hundreds of law professors are speaking out before its too late.

What the letter also demonstrates is just how unpopular Kavanaughs nomination is to people who care most about the courts integrity.

The law professors that are speaking out ahead of the potential confirmation vote might differ on political leanings, but they stand united in their belief that the courts reputation must be protected.

The U.S. Senate must vote no on his nomination when it comes to the floor this week.

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With just a month until election day everybody is following the Cook Political Report. Cook is one of the top political prognosticators in the business. That means the predictions that Cook is making about Novembers elections carry a lot of weight in political circles.

And today most of the news coming from Cook favors the Democratic candidates and bolsters their hopes for a Blue Wave election.

Cook holds itself out as a purely nonpartisan election forecaster, but lately Republicans must wonder if he is biased in favor of Democrats.

Yesterday he issued a report changing seven congressional races toward Democrats. This is consistent with the moves he has reported over the past several weeks.

Significantly, Cook shifted two congressional House races that were previously rated toss-ups to lean Democrat.

One is in Kansas 3rd Congressional District, where Republican incumbent Kevin Yoder is facing a tough challenge. Yoder has been trailing in the polls and The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) recently canceled over $1 million of ad spending that was intended to bolster Yoders campaign. Now it appears that his party has given up on him.

Cook also changed Michigans 11th Congressional District to lean Democrat when it had been considered a toss-up before. In that race Republican incumbent Rep. David Trott is not seeking reelection, so its an open seat. This set up a race between Haley Stevens (D) and Lena Epstein, and Stevens has moved into the lead.

Cook also shifted two races that previously leaned Republican to toss-up.

One of these races is in Florida where GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo is seeking reelection in a district that voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. He is now given a 50/50 chance of winning, although trends are not in his favor.

The other change involves Utah GOP Rep. Mia Loves campaign for a third term. She was thought to have a comfortable race, but her Democratic challenger has been picking up support and now it is much closer than the Republicans want it to be.

Other races changed by Cook are in districts that are heavily Republican where the incumbents are still favored, although by slimmer margins.

Republicans are attempting to stave off a Democratic effort to retake control of the House and Senate in November.

In a tweet this morning, the Cook expert in charge of House races, Dave Wasserman, made clear that things were also improving for Democrats in House races in California, based on new surveys just published:

On balance, Dems have to be pretty happy w/ these CA numbers.

On balance, Dems have to be pretty happy w/ these CA numbers. https://t.co/twgShrn6EC  Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) October 4, 2018

Democrats need to pick up 23 seats in the House to reclaim the majority, and must gain two seats in the Senate to secure a majority there. The consensus right now seems to be that Dems will likely win control of the House, but Senate control is not likely.

A RealClearPolitics average of generic congressional ballot polls shows Democrats with over a 7-point lead, which should be enough to win the majority of House seats in November.
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Mayor Bill de Blasio said yesterday that New York City will seek any taxes that President Donald Trump should have paid for money he received from his late father.

Following a New York Times report on Trump family finances it became clear that many of the transactions entered into by the Trumps were not in compliance with federal, state or city tax laws.

In a statement, Mayor de Blasio said Wednesday:

Its clear to me that there are real ramifications right now to what has been disclosed, either potential violations of law, or in cases where the statute of limitations has ended that there may be very serious civil penalties that can be applied by both the state and the city. The city of New York is looking to recoup any money that Donald Trump owes the people of New York City, period.

The Times reported Tuesday that Donald Trump received much more wealth from his father than he has previously acknowledged. In fact, if the reporting is correct, Donald Trump has consistently lied about his inheritance throughout most of his adult life. He always nurtured his public image as a self-made billionaire, but that is certainly not true.

One interesting aspect of the Times reporting is the story it tells about how his father backed his sons businesses during times of financial distress. When Donnie needed money to make a loan payment on an Atlantic City casino his father gave him $3.5 million and it was reported as a gambling loss.

The Times reported that the Trump family used a variety of schemes  some of them illegal  to reduce its taxes.

The newspaper said it had reviewed 100,000 documents, including Fred Trumps tax returns.

The elder Trump was a successful real-estate developer who had done many projects throughout Queens and Brooklyn.

The New York state Finance Department said Tuesday that it would open an investigation into the allegations. The department had previously begun investigating the presidents charity, the Trump Foundation.

The Tax Department is reviewing the allegations in the New York Times article and is vigorously pursuing all appropriate avenues of investigation, said James Gazzale, spokesman for Department of Taxation and Finance.

Under all applicable tax laws, there is no statute of limitations for civil tax fraud cases if the taxing authorities are able to show an intent by the parties to illegally evade taxes. Generally, the tax avoidance activities described by the Times appear to be too old to lead to a criminal inquiry, although that has yet to be determined.

Yesterday Crains New York published an article saying that Trump and his siblings could owe $400 million to the state for unpaid taxes, interest and penalties.

De Blasio said the city and state would work closely on the new investigation of Trump family tax evasion. Potentially there could be enough money owed, including civil tax penalties, to bankrupt Trump and his family.

The state of New York is already working on two other cases that could result in criminal and civil liability for Donald Trump and his family.

The mayor faulted both city and state officials for failing to effectively scrutinize the Trump familys tax payments for decades.

There was a good-old-boy network that obviously Donald Trump played like a fiddle and evaded the kind of regulation and investigation and prosecution he should have received many times over, de Blasio said. He finagled and paid his way to being able to escape the kind of scrutiny and prosecution he deserved. And honestly, if a lot of people in New York state had done their jobs he would never have been president of the United States.
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The Wall Street Journal has reported that officials in the White House have examined interview reports and received a briefing about the Federal Bureau of Investigations latest probe into sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The Trump White House received the FBI report Wednesday evening and has found no corroboration of sexual misconduct allegations according to the Journal.

Breaking: White House finds no corroboration of sexual misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh after examining reports from FBIs latest probe.

Breaking: White House finds no corroboration of sexual misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh after examining reports from FBI's latest probe https://t.co/nnNKmjz8ke pic.twitter.com/HtiQN9C6IK  The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 4, 2018

This latest news indicates that the White House believes Kavanaugh has been cleared of all wrongdoing, and they expressed renewed confidence in their Supreme Court nominee.

The Journal cited sources close to the investigation who said that the Trump Administration is preparing to send the FBIs final report to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday morning.

Despite the reported conclusion by the White House, Senators conducting the confirmation hearing for Mr Kavanaughs nomination will still determine his future. It is expected the committee will review the findings of the FBI investigation this morning.

Democrats have claimed the White House imposed too many restrictions on the scope of the FBI probe. The report was ordered by the White house after committee hearings from Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Ford, the woman who accused him of sexual assault. Dr. Ford claims Kavanaugh and a friend attempted to rape her at a high school party in 1982.

Investigators did not interview Dr. Ford, which her lawyers have claimed shows a lack of impartiality.

Michael Avenatti, who represents a third Kavanaugh accuser, tweeted:

The FBI investigation was no investigation at all. @realDonaldTrump, @senatemajldr and @ChuckGrassley ensured that numerous key witnesses, including six very damaging witnesses I am aware of, were never even interviewed. Their conduct is a disgrace  they never wanted the truth.

The FBI investigation was no investigation at all. @realDonaldTrump, @senatemajldr and @ChuckGrassley ensured that numerous key witnesses, including six very damaging witnesses I am aware of, were never even interviewed. Their conduct is a disgrace  they never wanted the truth.  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) October 4, 2018

The sexual assault allegations against a Supreme Court nominee ignited a political firestorm across the US, and has led to many protests from womens groups and sexual assault survivor advocates. They have pointed out that Dr. Ford has been attacked since coming forward. They say her account of what happened to her should be believed.

But the sham FBI investigation and the finding of no collaboration for Fords story show that her account was not believed, and has been disregarded.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell already started the voting process to approve Kavanaugh with a motion on Wednesday night. This has paved the way for a Friday vote (called cloture) on whether to limit debate on Kavanaughs nomination. Assuming all goes well, McConnell will then move forward to a Senate floor vote on Kavanaughs confirmation as early as Saturday.

A simple majority of 51 votes is needed to approve Kavanaugh for the high court, and Republicans have 51 senators. This means that if just two GOP senators vote no then the nomination will fail. As of this morning three GOP senators  Jeff Flake of Arizona, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine  have not said they would vote in favor Kavanaugh.

Since these three senators said they have been waiting for the FBI report before deciding what to do, presumably when they see the report this morning they will make their decisions. Reports indicate there is nothing in the report that would make them reject Kavanaughs nomination.

The FBI was not allowed to interview many potential witnesses, and was not allowed to investigate claims that Kavanaugh had lied during his Senate testimony. This is why the majority of people feel that the report is tainted, and not credible. But this doesnt mean that Republicans wont vote to approve him anyway.

As Michael Avenatti pointed out, the goal of Kavanaughs supporters was not to discover the truth, but only to get the 51 votes needed to approve his promotion to the Supreme Court. And it appears that they may have succeeded in doing that.
Gregory Yee covers the city of Charleston. He's a native Angeleno and previously covered crime and courts for the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, CA. He studied journalism and Spanish literature at the University of California, Irvine.
ST. PAUL  Taiwanese trade and business officials signed a letter of intent last week to purchase more than 6 million metric tons of soybeans from farmers in Minnesota and Iowa over the next two years, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton announced.

Confirmed Thursday at the Minnesota Governors Residence, the letter of intent says the Taiwanese Agricultural Trade Goodwill delegation plans to purchase between 3.2 million and 3.9 million metric tons of soybeans in 2018 and 2019, valued at an estimated $1.56 billion.

"Minnesotas trade relations with countries around the world, including Taiwan, are critical to helping our farmers sell their products in the global marketplace," Dayton said. "With the USDA predicting the largest U.S. soybean crop ever, these export opportunities are vitally important."

Taiwan is Minnesotas 11th-largest export market, and 13th-largest export market for Iowa. The country is a growing consumer of vegetable oils and a key trading partner for U.S. agricultural products.

"The U.S. remains one of Taiwans largest trade partners for agricultural products," said Yau-Kuen Hung, chairman of the Taiwan Vegetable Oil Manufacturers Association. "The Goodwill Mission plays an important role in strengthening the trade relations between our countries and ensuring Taiwan is able to purchase high quality soybeans grown in Minnesota."

The deal comes before the harvest of what is expected to be a near-record soybean crop in both states. Last year, Minnesota farmers harvested 308.2 million bushels of soybeans and Iowa harvested 561.5 million bushels.

Both states are among the nations top soybean producers and have sold millions of bushels to China. That market has slowed considerably as the United States and China continue to slap increasing tariffs on each others goods.

Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson said the state has worked hard to establish relationships with Taiwan, and that its paying off in the form of market opportunities for farmers in the Midwest.

Last Thursdays visit is the result of a recent trade mission by Minnesota agriculture officials to Taiwan this summer.

Minnesota Soybean CEO Tom Slunecka traveled to Taiwan in July with a Department of Agriculture-sponsored trade team, in hopes of driving more sales for agricultural commodities in the state.

Taiwan and Minnesota have a history of agricultural trade agreements. In January 2013, Frederickson led a mission to Taiwan to personally extend an invitation to the 2013 Taiwan Agricultural Trade Goodwill Mission to visit Minnesota and sign letters of intent to purchase soybeans. Goodwill Missions have been organized by Taiwans Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1998.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn.  The Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation will have its 100th annual meeting Nov. 15-17 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bloomington.

The meeting will celebrate the history of the organization, will have sessions on agricultural issues, as well as Young Farmers & Ranchers contests and award banquets.

Chris Koch will be the keynote speaker at the noon luncheon Nov. 17.

Koch is a farm boy turned world traveler and has a message of "If I Can."

Born without arms or legs, Koch grew up in the farming and ranching community of Nanton, Alberta, operating equipment on his grandpas farm. After studying history and psychology in college, he worked with children who are missing limbs and spent time in the airline industry before beginning "If I Can," a project that encourages people to live life to the fullest.

The voting delegate session will begin at 8 a.m. Nov. 16. The awards banquet, presidents address and foundation auction will begin at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 16.

An Agriculture in the Classroom experience and a service project at the hotel highlight other Nov. 16 activities.

Educational sessions and Young Farmer & Rancher activities are scheduled on Nov. 17. The noon luncheon will include announcement of the Young Farmer & Rancher award winners.

There will be three general sessions: 2019 political landscape, environmental and regulatory issues, and the opioid epidemic.

The conference concludes with the grand prize drawing  air and hotel fees to the American Farm Bureau annual meeting Jan. 11-15 in New Orleans.

For registration information, contact your county Farm Bureau or Lori Wiegand at 651-768-2102 or lwiegand@fbmn.org. Registration forms and online registration information can be found at fbmn.org. Pre-registration is required by Nov. 1. The Friday banquet meal is $50 per person and the Saturday luncheon meal is $50 per person. After Nov. 1, an additional $5 will be charged per meal.
Dr. B Speaks!

The jury is in. Study groups and reading circles do work. So much research has been done in the last few decades about practices that facilita Read more
Fire Prevention Week runs Oct. 7-13 and several area fire departments and communities have planned events in the area.

The following is a list of some of the scheduled events for the coming week:
NORRISTOWN  Calling it a much-deserved honor for extraordinary work, law enforcement and elected officials joined child advocates as the Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center in Montgomery County received the Governors Victim Service Pathfinder Award.

Your dedication and passion to children has left an indelible impact on all the lives your work has touched. The commonwealth is privileged to have you as a representative of our values and traditions that move Pennsylvania forward. I applaud your unwavering commitment to improving the lives of your fellow citizens, Governor Tom Wolf wrote in a citation read by Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Leslie Richards during a ceremony on the steps of the county courthouse on Thursday.

Richards, who formerly served as a county commissioner, presented the citation to Abbie Newman, CEO of Mission Kids and the organizations board members.

I know its been said theyre a leader in the commonwealth but trust me, youre a leader in the country, Richards personally addressed members of the organization. The work you do is just quite extraordinary.

Newman said the nonprofit organization, formed in 2009 to help ease the criminal justice process for child abuse victims and their families, was humbled to receive the recognition.

Were so excited. While we are accepting this award we would not be here without the full support and dedicated work of all of our team members, said Newman, referring to the county district attorneys office, county Office of Children and Youth officials, the countys 50 police departments and medical and mental health officials.

Since 1999, the governors award has recognized those who have shown a commitment to enhancing the lives of victims of crime within Pennsylvania, Richards explained, calling it the most prestigious award the state gives to a victim service professional or program.

In 2017, Mission Kids provided about 600 forensic interviews to child victims of alleged sexual and physical abuse.

As a physician, I know how important this work is. It has lifelong consequences for that individual child. Im so grateful and proud that that work has been recognized with this very prestigious award, county Commissioner Val Arkoosh said. Unfortunately, there will always be more kids to see and take care of and I certainly stand with all of you to make sure that that gets done well.

The Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center, which officially opened its doors in 2009 in a central location in the county, was created by the collaborative effort of the district attorney, the Police Chiefs of Montgomery County, and the Montgomery County Office of Children and Youth to stop the life cycle of abuse and improve the outcomes for abused children and their families.

Mission Kids, a 501(c)(3) corporation, serves as a child-friendly facility where medical professionals, social workers, police officers and attorneys come together to streamline the investigative process and provide victims with the necessary support services to help them heal.

This agency and its multi-disciplinary approach is a shining example of how to help kids through the traumatic process of disclosing abuse and sharing what they have seen as witnesses to other crimes, said District Attorney Kevin R. Steele. For nine years, Missions Kids has been making a difference in the lives of children who have been victimized, most often by a trusted, known adult, or have witnessed a crime.

Steele said the forensic interviews completed at Mission Kids can make the difference between getting a perpetrator behind bars and allowing him or her to go free.

These children are scared, confused and overwhelmed and Mission Kids through its role as the spoke in a multi-disciplinary response to child abuse and sexual abuse makes the process easier for children, Steele added.

Steele praised Mission Kids for striving every day to achieve justice for young victims of crimes.

This honor is much-deserved and at Mission Kids you should all be very proud, said Laurie OConnor, director of the county Office of Children and Youth, calling the organization a model for other child advocacy centers statewide.

OConnor recognized Judge Risa Vetri Ferman, who co-founded Mission Kids while she was district attorney, for being a champion for causes she believed in.

Were really fortunate that protecting children has been your calling, OConnor said as Ferman looked on with other members of the county bench. Your determination meant that Montgomery County would have a model (child advocacy center) no doubt about it.

Officials said that since 2009, Mission Kids, which is a nationally accredited center, has conducted more than 4,000 interviews of county children with allegations of sexual abuse, severe physical abuse, Internet crimes against children, human trafficking and who have been witnesses to violent crime.
No one who reads this site needs to be told that far leftists dominate Americas college campuses and are warping the minds of a generation of young people. The question is, what can we do about it?

On Monday evening, Alan Dershowitz delivered a stirring defense of free speech to an audience of 770 at an event sponsored by my organization, Center of the American Experiment. I wrote about it here. Along the way, Dershowitz paid tribute to conservative students who are braving an increasingly hostile environment and raising the banner of individual freedom and constitutional government where it is least popular and most vulnerable. These students deserve our support.

I have a personal interest here, as my youngest daughter is the current Chair of the Minnesota College Republicans. She has enjoyed her activism, but it hasnt been easy: she has been featured on Fox and Friends, among other media outlets, talking about the discrimination to which campus conservatives are routinely subjected. The Minnesota College Republicans are trying to raise a modestread, pathetically smallamount of money to support the activities of member organizations.

These kids are on the front lines of the culture clash, and I am always impressed by the good humor with which they bring conservative (counter-cultural, in todays world) messages to their fellow students. They eminently deserve our support. I am sure the same is true of College Republican groups in other states, but the Minnesota operation is the one I am familiar with. If you have 10 or 20 bucks to spare, you can go here to learn about their organization and here to donate to their cause.

In an era in which political candidates routinely spend millions in often-uninspiring races, it is telling that the largest donation button on their site is $100. We will never match the Left in self-interested funding, but at least we can lend a helping hand to those who are standing up for freedom under difficult circumstances. If you want to contribute to a college Republican group in your state, I encourage you to do a Google search or two. They wont be hard to find, and they will be grateful for the most modest donations.

If you want to contribute to an organization for young people with a national scope, I recommend Turning Point USA. Turning Point is an aggressive, fun, principled, pro-free market organization that was founded by Charlie Kirk and received a huge boost from the contributions of Candace Owens, whom I wrote about here. Later this month, I will attend a portion of TPUSAs Young Black Leadership Summit at the White House. I know, I am neither young nor black, but managed to wangle an invitation anyway.

Recent events in Washington have revealed the stark reality that pro-America, pro-free enterprise, pro-free speech Americans are in a fight for our lives. Thankfully, some young people are bringing our messages and our values to the most critical battleground, the next generation. It would be great if you could help them.
I dont believe we have commented on this report by John Solomon in The Hill:

Congressional investigators have confirmed that a top FBI official met with Democratic Party lawyers to talk about allegations of Donald Trump-Russia collusion weeks before the 2016 election, and before the bureau secured a search warrant targeting Trumps campaign. Former FBI general counsel James Baker met during the 2016 season with at least one attorney from Perkins Coie, the Democratic National Committees private law firm. Thats the firm used by the DNC and Hillary Clintons campaign to secretly pay research firm Fusion GPS and Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence operative, to compile a dossier of uncorroborated raw intelligence alleging Trump and Moscow were colluding to hijack the presidential election.

***

The revelation was confirmed both in contemporaneous evidence and testimony secured by a joint investigation by Republicans on the House Judiciary and Government Oversight committees, my source tells me. It means the FBI had good reason to suspect the dossier was connected to the DNCs main law firm and was the product of a Democratic opposition-research effort to defeat Trump  yet failed to disclose that information to the FISA court in October 2016, when the bureau applied for a FISA warrant to surveil Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. This is a bombshell that unequivocally shows the real collusion was between the FBI and Donald Trumps opposition  the DNC, Hillary and a Trump-hating British intel officer  to hijack the election, rather than some conspiracy between Putin and Trump, a knowledgeable source told me. Baker was interviewed by lawmakers behind closed doors on Wednesday. Sources declined to divulge his testimony, other than to say it confirmed other evidence about the contact between the Perkins Coie law firm and the FBI.

Baker left the FBI in May (coincidentally, I assume, on the same day as Lisa Page) to write for the liberal Brookings Institution.

The sources also said Bakers interview broke new ground both about the FBIs use of news media in 2016 and 2017 to further the Trump case and about Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosensteins conversations in spring 2017 regarding possible use of a body wire to record Trump. The interview was one of the most productive we had and it opened up many new investigative leads, one source said.

It is blindingly obvious that the real collusion scandal is the collusion between senior officials at the FBI and the Hillary Clinton campaign. They colluded to spy on the Trump campaign and to smear Donald Trump in an effort to ensure that Hillary would win the election. When she lost, they continued to collude to try to destroy the Trump administration. This is, in my opinion, the biggest political scandal in American history.

Meanwhile, Bob Mueller is like a myopic Inspector Clouseau, sleuthing in entirely the wrong place with his magnifying glass close to the ground, investigating a nonexistent crime while obstinately closing his eyes to the scandal that actually happened.
The FBI has completed its supplemental background investigation on Judge Kavanaugh. Senate Democrats have deployed their final set of talking points intended to protract the proceedings and defeat the nomination. If any Republican has not yet picked up the clues that these talking points have been pursued in transparent bad faith, he should have his mirror and crayons confiscated by the Senate Majority Leader.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Grassley tweeted at 4:07 a.m. this morning: Supplemental FBI background file for Judge Kavanaugh has been received by @senjudiciary Ranking Member Feinstein & I have agreed to alternating EQUAL access for senators to study content from additional background info gathered by non-partisan FBI agents 1/3 

 FBI supplement requested Friday sept 28 by bipartisan group of senators w specific scope of current/credible allegations. Dr Ford & Judge Kavanaugh had opportunity to testify under oath b4 public/cmte to tell senators what they know 2/3 

 This FBI material will b handled per 2009 memorandum of understanding/MOU signed btwn Obama WHCounsel & then-SJC Chairman Leahy. Thats latest memorialization of this loan agreement of ExecBranch material. Feinstein, Durbin, Schumer, & others were on SJC in 09 & didnt object 3/3.

Around 10:00 p.m. last night, Senate Majority Leader McConnell set in motion the process to advance the nomination. The key procedural vote Friday should take place tomorrow morning. Politico notes: IF McConnell can muscle the votes  which will be clear in the next 12 or so hours  that will set up a vote on Kavanaughs confirmation 30 hours later, which will be sometime around 5 p.m. Saturday evening. (Weekend session! Wahoo!)  BTW: All times are estimates.

As the end approaches, Judiciary Committee Democrats loosed another false and defamatory innuendo against Judge Kavanaugh. On Tuesday morning the Judiciary Committee Twitter feed observed with respect to the six previous background checks on Judge Kavanaugh: Nowhere in any of these six FBI reports, which the committee has reviewed on a bipartisan basis, was there ever a whiff of ANY issue  at all  related in any way to inappropriate sexual behavior or alcohol abuse[.]

That is a powerful point. Regardless of its truth, eight of the 10 committee Democrats signed off on a letter disputing it. Only Senator Amy Klobuchar and Parson Coons abstained. They are resting on their right to remain silent. I infer from the silence of Senator Klobuchar and Parson Coons that they declined to be seen by their colleagues crossing a certain line. Senator Durbin posted a link to the letter via Twitter (I have embedded it at the bottom of this post) and asserted the falsity of the Judiciary Committee tweet. His tweet and letter provoked the following response via Twitter:

Nothing in the tweet is inaccurate or misleading. The committee stands by its statement, which is completely truthful. More baseless innuendo and more false smears from Senate Democrats. https://t.co/x7VUEKnFRV  Senate Judiciary (@senjudiciary) October 3, 2018

Well, we are not in a position to render final judgment by means of our own lyin eyes, but we may nevertheless pose the (Groucho) Marxist interrogatory: Who ya gonna believe, Senator Grassley or Spartacus (or any other of the Spartacus eight)?

NOTE: In setting forth the chronology at the top I have drawn from this mornings edition of the Politico Playbook by Anna Palmer, Jake Sherman and Daniel Lippmann. i have embedded the letter of the Spartacus eight below.

Letter to Chairman Grassley  October 3, 2018 by Scott Johnson on Scribd
It is said that Republicans are the stupid party, and perhaps so, but we should entertain the thesis that Democrats are the incompetent party. Amidst the justified outrage at the Democratic Partys actions in the Kavanaugh nomination fight, let us step back for a moment and revel for a bit in the sheer political incompetence of Democrats.

 Democratic voter intensity for the midterm election next month was already sky-high, and it is unlikely that the Kavanaugh vote would increase it by much. But it has succeeded in jumping up Republican voter intensity, such that a number of polls show several key Senate races breaking toward the GOP. Bottom line: the Democrats egregious behavior has likely cost them their slim chance of taking the Senate.

 According to most polls, the leading issue on the minds of voters right now is health care. (WaitI thought we fixed health care with Obamacare? I guess not.) The issue breaks hard against Republicans right now for various reasons. But guess what Democratic candidates are not talking about right now? Health care. Theyre talking about Kavanaugh instead.

 The indulgence of Avenattis bizarro story of a supposed high school rape gang was probably the key turning point, not simply because it was so preposterous that only a Democrat and their media toadies could possibly believe it, but because it proved the tipping point for Kavanaugh himself, whose vigorous attack on the Democrats in last Thursdays hearing contrasted with his more restrained appearance on Martha McCallums show on Fox earlier in the week, and his measured responses to the Judiciary Committee staff inquiries into the new allegations. (That and it summoned up Lindsey Grahams Incredible Hulk move.)

 Can we send another bouquet of flowers to Harry Reid for starting the process of ending the filibuster for judicial nominees? Democrats did that for the purpose of packing the DC Circuit Court of Appeals (Kavanaughs current post) because they knew that a lot of Obamas executive actions were vulnerable to challenge in that venue. Then, Democrats decided that they had to filibusterfor the first time ever for the Supreme CourtNeil Gorsuchs nomination, even though he was replacing Scalia and wouldnt have affected the ideological distribution of the Court at all. There were apparently some cooler heads among Democrats who thought they should not have forced the GOP to nuke the filibuster and kept it in reserve for the next nomination, which turned out to be . . . now. But they couldnt help themselves, because Resistance! I doubt the Senate Republicans would have had the nerveor the votesto abolish the judicial filibuster for Kavanaugh. Once again, Democrats outsmarted themselves.

 The latest Democratic talking point about Kavanaugh is that his righteous indignation at being called a rapist shows that he lacks proper judicial temperament. To which I am tempted to replyI certainly hope so! I used to joke that I wished Democrats would do to every GOP Supreme Court nominee what they did to Clarence Thomas, as it would ensure that they wouldnt grow on the bench and move to the left, as so many GOP justices have done over the decades. Its not a joke now, but mission accomplished! Nothing like a deeply personal reminder of the true character of the left. To borrow John Kerrys phrase, I expect that this nature is now seared into Kavanaughs mind. I had some mild doubts about Kavanaughs jurisprudence before. I have fewer doubts now. Thanks, Democrats!

 Finally, in our latest Power Line podcast, I remarked that some of Trumps defectshis stubbornness, his instinct to hit back hard, his egotism, his bullyingturn out to be necessary and useful traits in the face of the Democrats outrageous behavior. And sure enough, this episode is having the effect of causing many Never Trumpers to discover Trumps virtues. Consider Bret Stephens at the New York Times, who last year wrote that he wished Hillary had won. Today he says in the Times For Once Im Grateful for Trump.

For the first time since Donald Trump entered the political fray, I find myself grateful that hes in it. Im reluctant to admit it and astonished to say it . . . Im grateful because Trump has not backed down in the face of the slipperiness, hypocrisy and dangerous standard-setting deployed by opponents of Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court. Im grateful because ferocious and even crass obstinacy has its uses in life, and never more so than in the face of sly moral bullying. Im grateful because hes a big fat hammer fending off a razor-sharp dagger.

Read the whole thing; Stephens offers a terrific eight-point indictment of the duplicitous Dems.

This is called winning I think.

JOHN adds: The Brett bounce is benefiting President Trump, too. The current Rasmussen survey has him at 50% approval and 49% disapproval. More significant, his approval indexthe difference between Strong Approval and Strong Disapprovalnow stands at -3. That is the best I can recall seeing it; Barack Obamas Approval Index was rarely that high.

For most of the first two years of Trumps presidency, the people who disliked him really disliked him. His Disapproval and Strong Disapproval numbers were about the same. No surprise there. But there were quite a few peoplelike mewho would have told a pollster that they approved of Trumps performance, but not strongly.

That is no longer true. If a pollster asked me today whether I strongly approve of Trump, I would say, Damn straight! The increased GOP intensity we are seeing in Senate races is also showing up as increased intensity in support for the president.
PR-Inside.com: 2018-10-04 15:01:30

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Company to Produce Branded Cannabis Beverages, Vaporizer Products, Edible and Non-Edible Products and ConcentratesDENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / October 4, 2018 / AmeriCann, Inc. (OTCQB: ACAN), an agricultural-technology company that is developing the next generation of eco-friendly start-of-the-art greenhouse cannabis cultivation and processing properties, has announced plans to own and operate a large-scale cannabis manufacturing and processing facility at its 52-acre Massachusetts Medical Cannabis Center (MMCC) in Freetown, MA. The company has commenced construction on the first phase of the MMCC and recently released designs for the second phase. The second phase includes AmeriCann's manufacturing facility which is designed to provide support to the entire MMCC project, as well as to other licensed cannabis cultivators throughout Massachusetts."Participating directly as an operator allows us to have a larger impact and greater flexibility in meeting consumer and patient demand throughout the country," said Tim Keogh, CEO of AmeriCann.AmeriCann's manufacturing facility is designed to produce branded consumer packaged goods including cannabis beverages, vaporizer products, edible products, non-edible products and concentrates at the state-of-the-art facility.The company plans to replicate the brands, technology and innovations developed at its MMCC project to new markets as a multi-state operator.Infused products are becoming an increasingly larger segment of total cannabis sales in regulated markets. According to the Wall Street Journal, "Interest in cannabis as an ingredient in food and drinks in on an upswing; beer brewing giant Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ) recently took a $4 billion stake in Canadian marijuana grower Canopy Growth Corp., (NYSE: CPG) which makes cannabis infused drinks and other products.""In Colorado, consumers purchased 12.2 million marijuana infused products in 2017, stated Ben Barton, CFO of AmeriCann. "AmeriCann's advanced processing and production facility in Massachusetts should play a large role in meeting similar levels of cannabis consumer's needs in Massachusetts for a consistent supply of a variety of trusted, reliable branded products."Industry experts believe that the pending Massachusetts adult-use market, in conjunction with its existing medical program will exceed $1 billion by 2020. As the first approved adult-use cannabis market on the Eastern US, Massachusetts has the potential to become the epicenter for cannabis innovation and research.About Massachusetts Medical Cannabis CenterMassachusetts Medical Cannabis Center (MMCC), a one million square foot sustainable greenhouse facility in Freetown, Mass. The first phase of the facility is scheduled to open and be ready for cannabis cultivation, processing, and infused product production in the spring of 2019. Once fully developed, the MMCC design calls for a research facility, a training center, corporate offices, a quality-assurance laboratory, and a facility for manufacturing cannabis-infused food, nutraceuticals and consumer packaged cannabis goods. AmeriCann intends to open similar facilities in states in which cannabis is legal for medical and adult use.About AmeriCannAmeriCann (OTCQB: ACAN) is a publicly traded agricultural technology (Ag-Tech) company that is developing a new generation of sustainable, state-of-the-art cannabis cultivation and processing properties.AmeriCann uses greenhouse technology which is superior to the current industry standard of growing cannabis in warehouse facilities under artificial lights. According to industry experts, by capturing natural sunlight, greenhouses use 25 percent fewer light bulbs, and utility bills are up to 75 percent less than in typical warehouse cultivation facilities. As such, AmeriCann's Cannopy System enables cannabis to be produced with a greatly reduced carbon footprint, making the final product less expensive. Additionally, greenhouse construction costs are nearly half of warehouse construction costs. The first publicly traded Certified B Corp in the cannabis industry, AmeriCann has proven its commitment to sustainable, clean cultivation of medical cannabis and to social and environmental ethics, transparency and accountability.AmeriCann , Inc. is a Certified B Corp, an acknowledgment of the Company's commitment to social and environmental ethics, transparency and accountability. AmeriCann became the first public cannabis company to earn this respected accreditation. More information about the Company is available at: www.americann.co , or follow AmeriCann on Twitter @ ACANinfo.Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") (which Sections were adopted as part of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "prospects," "outlook," and similar words or expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "should," "would," "may," and "could" are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, performance or achievements. The Company disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, a future event, or otherwise. For additional uncertainties that could impact the Company's forward-looking statements, please see the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1, which the Company recently filed with the SEC and which may be viewed at www.sec.gov.Contact Information:Corporate:AmeriCann, Inc.1550 Wewatta Street2nd FloorDenver, CO 80202(303) 862-9000info@ americann.cowww.americann.co@ACANinfo on TwitterMedia:Teak Media + CommunicationStacy Wilburstacy@ teakmedia.com617-269-7171Investors:Hayden IRhart@ haydenir.com(917) 658-7878SOURCE: AmeriCann, Inc.
PR-Inside.com: 2018-10-04 16:48:02

On October 4, 2018 Baltic RE Group, AS (hereinafter  the Company) held an extraordinary stockholders meeting, where were made decisions about increasing Companys equity capital and appropriate amendments in Companys statute.

The new subscribed Companys share capital after increasing of share capital will be EUR 29 million.

The new financial resources enable the Company to continue its investment strategy focused on the purchase of landmark properties in the Baltic region while maintaining prudential financial ratios.

About Baltic RE Group, AS





Baltic RE Group, AS business lines are purchase and sale of real estate, its lease and management. The holding is the largest lessor of all-purpose high quality commercial areas with state-of-the-art facilities in Old Riga. Baltic RE Group, AS is investing in the Baltics with a long-term view, highly specific vision and a non-speculative approach for the creation of sustainable value.

For more information, please visit - http://www.balticregroup.com

Dina Abaja

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Phone: +371 27832796

E-mail:dina.abaja@balticregroup.com
PR-Inside.com: 2018-10-04 19:48:44

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The Global Body Armor market is anticipated to reach USD 4.83 billion by 2026 according to a new study published by Polaris Market Research. The rising concerns of defense and security industry towards military personnel safety and survivability is propelling the need for body armors. Several developed as well as developing nations are executing modernization program for military and security personnel and are mainly focused towards offering the finest protection products. Thus, defense department of these nations are spending huge amount in providing body armor for their defense troops. Developed nations such as the U.S., UK, Russia, and France are taking several initiatives to replace their traditional armor system with new advanced technology is manufacturing body armor. Lightweight and flexible armor with the usage of nanotechnology materials and fibers is the recent trend prevailing in this market, which will positively favor the industry growth in near future. Besides this, cutting-edge technologies such as liquid body armor and dragon skin are significantly adding value to the defense and security industry.Request for a sample copy of this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/body-armor-market/request-for-free-sample Major Key Player: -BAE Systems, Inc.Honeywell International Inc.U.S. Armor CorporationDuPont Deenside Ltd.Blank Enterprises, Inc.Sarkar Defense SolutionsMKU Pvt. Ltd.SafarilandLLC.Uvex groupAvon Protection Systems, Inc.Ceredyne (3M).Growing conflicts and frictions in regions such as the Asian, Middle East, Sub-Saharan region, Russia, and other nations has translated to a sharp rise in the incidents related to terrorism, piracy, arms smuggling, exploitation, drugs and human trafficking as well as other illegal practices that poses a serious threat to life and affects the defense personnel. The growing incidence of such activities are increasing the demand for adequate security procedures. Such trends are further anticipated to bolster the Body Armor Market growth during the forecast period.Currently, the overall Body Armor market is dominated by North America and Europe Region. This is attributed to the ongoing soldier modernization programs executed across countries in these regions. Soldier safety is the top most priority of the defense agency, hence they certainly are not expected to compromise on their soldiers safety. Besides this, law enforcement officials constantly need to enhance their safety due to rising instances of violence and riots across several countries. Moreover, the rising threat of terrorism has also propelled the demand of body armors and these regions are expected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. The Body Armor Market in Asia Pacific, MEA, and South America region are expected to notice a high growth during the forecast period. The growth in Asia Pacific Body Armor Market is attributed to the increasing government spending in new technology adoption in the defense sector. Thus, the region is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/body-armor-market/inquire-before-buying Key Findings from the study suggest North America and Europe combined is expected to command the Body Armor Market over the forecast years. The growing government spending on security across globe is projected to boost the growth of the market over the forecast period. Several companies are coming with new technology and materials to maintain Body Armor competences into their portfolio of products. For instance, in February 2018, Cooneen Group, a leading French body armor supplier won contract worth 43 Million Euros to supply Body Armor to French police.About us Polaris Market ResearchPolaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. We strive to provide our customers with updated information on innovative technologies, high growth markets, emerging business environments and latest business-centric applications, thereby helping them always to make informed decisions and leverage new opportunities.We mainly focus on aiding our customers with substantial competitive intelligence, helping them to secure a competitive advantage in the market and accomplish sustainable growth in different market domains. Adept with a highly competent, experienced and extremely qualified team of experts comprising SMEs, analysts and consultants, we at Polaris endeavor to deliver value-added business solutions to our customers. Through dedicated qualitative and quantitative primary and secondary market research and consulting assignments, we adeptly formulate competitive strategies to address business challenges for our clients through analyzing market trends and emerging technologies.Contact us-Mr. NeelCorporate Sales, USAPolaris Market ResearchPhone: 1-646-568-9980Email: sales@ polarismarketresearch.com Web: www.polarismarketresearch.com
PR-Inside.com: 2018-10-04 09:08:01

Command Center utilizes AI to help Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust transform care delivery in response to growing patient numbers

Trust aims to cut waiting times, treat more patients, improve their experience and reduce pressure on staff

Bradford, GE Healthcare Announce AI-Powered Hospital Command Center, First of its Kind in Europe

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Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is collaborating with GE Healthcare to build a Command Center - like an air traffic control - at the Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI), UK. A first of its kind in Europe, the Command Center will transform how care is delivered and organized as the number of patients at the hospital continues to increase. Utilizing artificial intelligence (AI), it will provide a clear, instant, and real-time overview across the 800-bed hospital and help staff make quick and informed decisions on how to best manage patient care.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005

Bradford, GE Healthcare Announce AI-Powered Hospital Command Center, First of its Kind in Europe (Photo: Business Wire)

Up to 20 Trust staff based in the Command Center will monitor a wall of analytics that constantly pulls in streams of real-time data from the multiple systems at the hospital. Advanced algorithms will help staff to anticipate and resolve bottlenecks in care delivery before they occur, recommending actions to enable faster, more responsive patient care and better allocation of resources. The data will be displayed on multiple high definition screens in the Command Center - as well as on tablets and mobile devices, providing 24-7 support to busy medical teams across the hospital.

The Command Center will be located centrally in a refurbished space at the BRI site. It will help to reduce unnecessary time spent in hospital after a patient is medically ready to leave, increase the proportion of patients who arrive and are admitted, transferred or discharged from A&E (Emergency Department) within four hours, and help ensure that patients are always treated in the wards best suited to manage their care.

Over 96% of bed capacity at BRI is used regularly and it has 125,000 A&E attendances each year, up by more than 40% over the past decade. The Command Center program helps meet the vision of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to decrease length of stay, alleviate the need for additional wards and beds  especially during peak winter times  and reduce cancellations for non-emergency surgery.

Demand for services is growing at Bradford Teaching Hospitals every year" said Professor Clive Kay, Chief Executive of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. "The Command Center will enable us to optimize our use of resources and improve how we move patients around the hospital for treatment and successful discharge. Around 350-400 patients come through our A&E every day, and relieving pressure on our 6,000 staff means they can spend more time delivering care, and less time organizing care."

Hospitals are increasingly looking to boost the efficiency of their operations so they can continue to deliver high quality care as patient volume increases. Command Centers help to orchestrate the delivery of care across the organization, bringing consistency to processes, prioritizing actions, eliminating waste and predicting tomorrows pressure points, said Mark Ebbens, European Command Center Lead at GE Healthcare.

Command Centers have been adopted by several hospitals in North America including The Johns Hopkins Hospital, a major not-for-profit 1100 bed hospital in Baltimore, US, and Humber River Hospital, Toronto, Canada. Since the Command Center began operating at Johns Hopkins, patients from other hospitals are transferred 60% faster, Emergency Room (A&E) wait times have been cut by 25%, and time spent waiting in the operating theatre for a post-surgical bed decreased by 70%.

GE Healthcares vision is to enable precision health. We are honored to serve the NHS Bradford team as they look to deliver the most effective patient care, added Jeff Terry, GE Healthcares Command Center CEO.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals Command Center will open in spring 2019.

###

About Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is responsible for providing hospital services for the people of Bradford and communities across Yorkshire. We serve a core population of around 500,000 people and provide specialist services for some 1.1 million.

Our 5,500 staff work over several sites, including Bradford Royal Infirmary, which provides the majority of inpatient services, and St Lukes Hospital, which predominantly provides outpatient and rehabilitation services. We also manage local community hospitals at Westwood Park, Westbourne Green, Shipley and Eccleshill.

About GE Healthcare:

GE Healthcare is the $19 billion healthcare business of GE (NYSE: GE). As a leading provider of medical imaging, monitoring, biomanufacturing, and cell and gene therapy technologies, GE Healthcare enables precision health in diagnostics, therapeutics and monitoring through intelligent devices, data analytics, applications and services. With over 100 years of experience in the healthcare industry and more than 50,000 employees globally, the company helps improve outcomes more efficiently for patients, healthcare providers, researchers and life sciences companies around the world. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and The Pulse for latest news, or visit our website www.gehealthcare.com for more information.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005
PR-Inside.com: 2018-10-04 09:13:51

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It has been announced that the complete range of Bluewater purification systems are being stocked by Aquamaster Water Treatment Ltd, available on 01354 740896. The Cambridgeshire based company has over 42 years of experience in the water treatment industryMARCH, UK / ACCESSWIRE / October 4, 2018 / Aquamaster Water Treatment Ltd have announced that they offer a wide range of Bluewater purification systems. The Cambridgeshire based company provide commercial water softeners, services, repairs and maintenance solutions. For more information, please visit the website here: http://aquamasterwater.co.uk.Aquamaster is a Cambridgeshire based water softening equipment supplier with over 42 years of experience in the commercial water treatment industry. They explain that they are a one-stop solution for all water treatment systems, serving Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Essex, Suffolk, and Northamptonshire.They company has announced that they are authorised dealers, offering the complete range of Bluewater Pro 400, 600 and 300 series of reverse osmosis water purification and filtration water treatment systems from the Swedish brand.The site explains that Bluewaters superior osmosis technology delivers a cutting-edge clean water delivery rate, filtration, capacity and efficiency. Ensuring superior water purification. The reverse osmosis systems also use 82% less water than traditional water purifiers, helping to eliminate waste and help the environment.Reverse osmosis water treatment systems consist of a pressure pump, housing and membrane. The water is forced into the system under pressure and pure water is then collected once it has passed through the semi-permeable membrane.Reverse osmosis is a natural process that is used to remove a wide range of salts, pesticides, heavy metals and toxins from the water being filtered. The filters capture particles down to 0.0001 micron, which is 500,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.Aquamaster will work with their clients to determine the size of the system needed based on quality of permeate required and feed water salinity.The company offers full installation, servicing, preventative maintenance and repair support alongside full technical backup on their products. They also offer replacement filters and membranes for their systems.Those wishing to find out more about Aquamaster Water Treatment Ltd can visit the website on the link provided above. Alternatively, they can also be contacted on 01354 740896.Contact Info: Name: Chris Camp Email: aquamaster1st@ yahoo.com Organization: Aquamaster Water Treatment Ltd Address: 8 The Paddocks Wimblington, March, Cambridgeshire PE15 0RX, United Kingdom Phone: +44-1354-740896For more information, please visit http://www.aquamasterwater.co.ukSOURCE: Aquamaster Water Treatment Ltd
PR-Inside.com: 2018-10-04 19:48:33

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The Global Circuit Breaker & Fuses Market is anticipated to reach USD 19.41 billion by 2026 according to a new study published by Polaris Market Research. Various initiatives to renovate existing power grid and installation of new smart and green substations is driving the circuit breaker and fuses market in near future. In addition, technological advancement will also encourage sales volume of circuit breakers in different applications, such factors have highly propelled circuit breaker & fuses market worldwide. However, Stringent government regulations and intense competition from local players are some of the factors that could affect the growth of the market.Request for a sample copy of this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/circuit-breaker-and-fuses-market/request-for-free-sample Major companies profiled in the Breaker & Fuses Market report include ABB Ltd., Eaton Corporation, Alstom SA, Schneider Electric, General Electric, Mitsubishi Electric, Siemens AG, Eaton Corporation Plc, Toshiba Corporation and Maxwell Technologies, among others.With the growing number of smart cities around the globe, the need for new and intelligent infrastructure to meet the advanced requirements of residents and businesses is also increasing. An effective way to support these city goals is by using technology which supports power conservation, and optimize and control key systems and infrastructure. The growing number of smart cities and green constructions is influencing the circuit breaker and fuses market congruently. Apart from this, market is projected to witness a high growth on the account of increasing substantially big residential and construction activities, and up-gradation of electrical power distribution infrastructure in commercial and industrial sector. It is expected that by 2050, more than two-third of world population will be living in cities and these cities will be fully electrified. This increase in power transmission will boost the market, which is primary choice for power transmission and distribution among various end-userCurrently, APAC region dominates the global circuit breaker & fuses market attributed due to the aggressive renewal activity of age-old electrical infrastructure is going on in different developing countries with the increasing demand of power. Circuit breaker & fuses providers in the region, and robust technical adoption base. However, with global power demand and spending both is increasing significantly over last few years, the trend is more specific in developing region especially in countries of APAC and MEA.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/circuit-breaker-and-fuses-market/inquire-before-buying Snapshot  Table Of Content: -1. Overview and Scope2. Executive Summary3. Circuit Breaker & Fuses Market Insights4. Circuit Breaker & Fuses Market Size and Forecast by Voltage5. Circuit Breaker & Fuses Market Size and Forecast by Application6. Circuit Breaker & Fuses Market Size and Forecast by Regions7. Company Profiles.Browse Complete Summary of this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/circuit-breaker-and-fuses-market/ Key findings from the study suggest the APAC Breaker & Fuses Market is expected to dominate over the forecast years and is presumed to be the fastest growing market. Some of the key factors influencing this growth are increasing per capita income and government initiations with respect to rising urbanization and industrialization. In past few years, APAC has become an industrial hub and is still in its growing phase. Rising power demand in Asia Pacific and Middle East has not only led to higher power production but also changes in consumption patterns.About us Polaris Market ResearchPolaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. We strive to provide our customers with updated information on innovative technologies, high growth markets, emerging business environments and latest business-centric applications, thereby helping them always to make informed decisions and leverage new opportunities.We mainly focus on aiding our customers with substantial competitive intelligence, helping them to secure a competitive advantage in the market and accomplish sustainable growth in different market domains. Adept with a highly competent, experienced and extremely qualified team of experts comprising SMEs, analysts and consultants, we at Polaris endeavor to deliver value-added business solutions to our customers. Through dedicated qualitative and quantitative primary and secondary market research and consulting assignments, we adeptly formulate competitive strategies to address business challenges for our clients through analyzing market trends and emerging technologies.Contact us-Mr. NeelCorporate Sales, USAPolaris Market ResearchPhone: 1-646-568-9980Email: sales@ polarismarketresearch.com Web: www.polarismarketresearch.com
PR-Inside.com: 2018-10-04 13:30:01

VICTOR, N.Y., Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), a leading beverage alcohol company, reported today its second quarter fiscal 2019 results. A conference call to discuss the financial results and outlook will be hosted by Chief Executive Officer Rob Sands and Chief Financial Officer David Klein on Thursday, October 4, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. (eastern). Visit cbrands.com/investors to locate information for joining the conference call, or a live, listen-only webcast of the conference call.



About Constellation Brands

Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), a Fortune 500 company, is a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, Italy and Canada. Constellation is the No. 3 beer company in the U.S. with high-end, iconic imported brands such as Corona Extra, Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra and Pacifico. The companys beer portfolio also includes Ballast Point, one of the most awarded craft brewers in the U.S., and Funky Buddha Brewery. In addition, Constellation is the world leader in premium wine, selling great brands that people love, including Robert Mondavi, Clos du Bois, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, Mark West, Black Box, Ruffino and The Prisoner. The companys premium spirits brands include SVEDKA Vodka, Casa Noble Tequila and High West Whiskey.

Based in Victor, N.Y., the company believes that industry leadership involves a commitment to brand building, our trade partners, the environment, our investors and to consumers around the world who choose our products when celebrating big moments or enjoying quiet ones. Founded in 1945, Constellation has grown to become a significant player in the beverage alcohol industry with more than 100 brands in its portfolio; about 40 wineries, breweries and distilleries; and approximately 10,000 talented employees. We express our company vision: to elevate life with every glass raised. To learn more, follow us on Twitter @cbrands and visit www.cbrands.com .

MEDIA CONTACTS INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS Mike McGrew 773-251-4934 | Amy Martin 585-678-7141 Patty Yahn-Urlaub 585-678-7483 | Bob Czudak 585-678-7170

A PDF containing our Second Quarter Fiscal 2019 results and full financial tables is available at: http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/fd403d20-240c-424b-b1d1-3aa3adc8e744
PR-Inside.com: 2018-10-04 15:03:11

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BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 4, 2018 / Digital Utilities Ventures, Inc. (OTC PINK: DUTV) is pleased to announce it has entered into a strategic partnership with Lakota Tribal Cooperative, LLC. (LTC). LTC was created to become the largest grower of commercial hemp in the United States. Their ambitious plan includes the planting of 10,000 to 20,000 acres of hemp in the Spring of 2019. Under this agreement, DUTV will acquire 47.5% of Lakota Tribal Cooperative, LLC in exchange for an investment of up to $50 million. "Digital is committed to working with the Lakota Tribal Cooperative to create jobs and revenue within the community," says Digital CEO Maurice Stone.According to Stone, the investment will be used for all aspects of the operation from planting and harvesting, to the purchase or lease of heavy-duty tractors, harvesters, truck trailers, grain drills, dryers, pelletizers, irrigation equipment, buildings and building the extraction facility."We , along with the Lakota Tribal Cooperative, envision both short and long-term growth as the laws regarding industrial hemp evolve to reflect the reality what hemp means for producers and consumers, in the US and internationally," says Stone.Hemp and its extracts are currently illegal at the Federal level, having been lumped together with marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, along with Cocaine and Heroin. In reality, Hemp and its extracted CBD do not have the same psychoactive effect as the THC found in marijuana. In fact, many components of CBD counteract the "high" people get from THC. As a result, the attitudes and laws around Hemp and CBD are changing. Earlier this year the World Health Organization recommended Hemp and CBD be removed from the list of controlled substances in all nations. The 2018 Farm Bill currently making its way through Congress, includes a provision to legalize Hemp and CBD in all 50 states. Businesses both on and off Wallstreet have been making moves in preparation for this seismic shift in the marketplace. In addition to the health benefits of CBD extracts, which include life changing medications for epileptics, and promising benefits for diabetics and those suffering from Parkinson's, industrial Hemp has application in over 25,000 products. The fastest growth market for Hemp is the Auto industry, from plastics to fabric, Hemp offers fabrication versatility rarely seen from a single raw materials source. Based on current market conditions we anticipate generating approximately $90,000 gross revenues per acre based on harvesting 1,700 plants per acre, which translates to approximately 10-kilos of CBD distillate per acre. We anticipate NET income from the 2019 crop to be in excess of $400,000,000."Everyone is waiting on the Farm Bill," said Stone. "The current bill expired on September 30th and we hope to see a vote come through quickly. We anticipate more big news to come through on the heels of the changes in the law. Being able to cultivate interstate business will break the market wide open. DUTV has been working for the past year to be in a very strong position as this market evolves."About Digital Utilities Ventures, Inc.Digital Utilities Ventures has targeted the medical and recreational segments of the marijuana market. We have a concentration on Hemp and its 25,000 associated products. https://ministryofhemp.com/hemp/not-marijuana/ . Our core product line is CBD and its medical derivatives and line extensions. CBD (Cannabidiol) - is a cannabis non-hallucinatory compound that has significant medical benefits for the treatment of a wide range of conditions such arthritis, diabetes, alcoholism, MS, chronic pain, schizophrenia, depression, antibiotic-resistant infections, epilepsy, opioids and other neurological disorders. Digital Utilities Ventures, Inc. is poised to become an industry innovator by developing an end-to-end supply chain approach to the legal cannabis and hemp markets. The Company's strategy is to develop through acquisitions and business development a vertically integrated business model that covers the entire spectrum of the CBD business from cultivation, through production, quality control and finally to distribution through dispensaries. https://www.hempbizjournal.com/size-of-us-hemp-industry-2017/Contact Info: https://www.duventures.comPhone: 617-588-0068Email: info@ duventures.comForward Looking StatementsThis press release includes statements that may constitute ''forward-looking'' statements, usually containing the words ''believe,'' ''estimate,'' ''project,'' ''expect'' or similar expressions. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, acceptance of the Company's current and future products and services in the marketplace, the ability of the Company to develop effective new products and receive regulatory approvals of such products, competitive factors, dependence upon third-party vendors, and other risks detailed in the Company's periodic report filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release.SOURCE: Digital Utilities Ventures, Inc.
PR-Inside.com: 2018-10-04 13:48:14

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SANTIAGO, CHILE / ACCESSWIRE / October 4, 2018 / Embotelladora Andina S.A. (the "Company"), a Chilean publicly held corporation, announced today the early results for its previously announced offer to purchase (the "Tender Offer") for cash up to US$210,000,000 in aggregate principal amount (the "Tender Cap") of its outstanding 5.000% Senior Notes due 2023 (the "Notes"). The Tender Offer is being made pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, dated September 20, 2018 (the "Offer to Purchase"), which sets forth the terms of the Tender Offer.As set forth in the table below, as of 5:00 p.m., New York time, on October 3, 2018 (the "Early Participation Date"), the Company has received tenders of US$441,729,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes. The aggregate principal amount of tendered Notes exceeds the Tender Cap. Based on the Tender Cap and the proration terms of the Tender Offer, and subject to the satisfaction or waiver by the Company of the Financing Condition and the General Conditions (as such terms are defined in the Offer to Purchase), the Company shall accept for purchase Notes in aggregate principal amount up to the Tender Cap, resulting in a Total Consideration of US$221,287,500, plus Accrued Interest (as defined herein). Subject to the satisfaction or waiver by the Company of the aforementioned conditions, the Notes that have been validly tendered and not withdrawn at or prior to the Early Participation Date and that are accepted in the Tender Offer will be purchased, retired and cancelled on the early settlement date, which is expected to occur on or about October 10, 2018 (the "Early Settlement Date"). We reserve the right, subject to applicable law, to extend the Early Settlement Date to a later date and time as announced by us, in accordance with the Offer to Purchase. Title of Security CUSIP ISIN Aggregate Principal Amount Outstanding Tender Cap Aggregate Principal Amount Tendered as of the Early Participation Date Aggregate Principal Amount to be Accepted for Purchase as of the Early Participation Date(1) Total Consideration(1)(2)(3) 5.000% Senior Notes due 2023 144A: 29081P AE5 Reg S: P3697U AD0 144A: US29081PAE51 Reg S: USP3697UAD02 US$575,000,000 US$210,000,000 US$441,729,000 US$210,000,000 US$221,287,500 ___ - Subject to the satisfaction or waiver by the Company of the Financing Condition and the General Conditions (as such terms are defined in the Offer to Purchase). - US$1,053.75 per US$1,000 principal amount of Notes tendered and accepted for purchase by the Company, excluding Accrued Interest (as defined herein). - Includes an early participation payment of US$30.00 per US$1,000 principal amount of Notes tendered and accepted for purchase by the Company (the "Early Participation Payment"). The Tender Offer is scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on October 18, 2018, unless extended or earlier terminated by the Company (such time, the "Expiration Date"). Because the aggregate principal amount of Notes tendered at or prior to the Early Participation Date exceeded the Tender Cap, the Company does not expect to accept for purchase any additional Notes in the Tender Offer. Withdrawal rights for the Tender Offer have expired and have not been extended.Subject to the satisfaction or waiver by the Company of the Financing Condition and the General Conditions (as such terms are defined in the Offer to Purchase), holders of Notes who validly tendered and did not withdraw their Notes on or prior to the Early Participation Date, and whose Notes are accepted for purchase (subject to the Tender Cap and proration), will be entitled to receive on the Early Settlement Date a Total Consideration of US$1,053.75 per US$1,000 principal amount of Notes accepted for purchase by the Company, which includes the Early Participation Payment. In addition to the Total Consideration, accrued and unpaid interest will be paid on all Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase from the applicable last interest payment date to, but not including, the Early Settlement Date (the "Accrued Interest").Holders who have not already tendered their Notes may continue to do so at any time prior to the Expiration Date, but to the extent such Notes are validly tendered and accepted for purchase, such holders will be entitled to receive only the tender offer consideration, which is equal to the Total Consideration less the Early Participation Payment (the "Tender Offer Consideration"). However, because the aggregate principal amount of Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Participation Date exceeds the Tender Cap, the Company does not expect to accept for purchase any additional Notes in the Tender Offer.The Company has retained Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc. ("Itau BBA"), J.P. Morgan Securities LLC ("J.P. Morgan") and Santander Investment Securities Inc. ("Santander") as the Dealer Managers for the Tender Offer. Global Bondholder Services Corporation ("GBSC") is acting as the Information Agent and Depositary for the Tender Offer. For additional information regarding the terms of the Tender Offer, please contact any of Itau BBA at (888) 770-4828 (toll-free) or (212) 710-6749 (collect), J.P. Morgan at (866) 846-2874 (toll-free) or (212) 834-7279 (collect), or Santander at (855) 404-3636 (toll-free) or (212) 940-1442 (collect). Requests for documents and questions regarding the tendering of Notes may be directed to GBSC by telephone at (866)-470-3700 (toll-free) or (212)-430-3774 (collect), facsimile at (212) 430-3775/3779, or by email at contact@ gbsc-usa.com.This news release does not constitute an offer or an invitation to participate in the Tender Offer. The Tender Offer is being made pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, a copy of which has been delivered to holders of the Notes, and which sets forth the complete terms and conditions of the Tender Offer. Holders are urged to read the Offer to Purchase carefully before making any decision with respect to their Notes. The Tender Offer is not being made to, nor will the Company accept tenders of Notes from, holders in any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful to make such an offer. None of the Company, their board of directors, the Dealer Managers, the Information Agent and Depositary or the trustee for the Notes makes any recommendation as to whether holders should tender Notes in response to the Tender Offer.Certain statements in this press release, including those describing the completion of the Tender Offer, constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Company's belief regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently
The Tennessee Supreme Court has adopted significant revisions to its rules regulating court-approved mediators in the state. The revisions to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31, and the adoption of Rule 31A, are the first in-depth changes to the rules governing mediation and arbitration in Tennessee since Rule 31 was first adopted in 2001. These changes, most of which are effective Nov. 1, 2018, clarify and enhance the current rule.

The Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission (ADRC) administers the procedure for training and approving mediators for use by the courts pursuant to Rule 31, which established court-based alternative dispute resolution in Tennessee.

The ADRC is responsible for evaluating the success of and making suggestions pertaining to the rules and revisions regarding Rule 31 alternative dispute resolution proceedings.

Beginning in 2016, the ADRC undertook a two-year project to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the alternative dispute resolution process in Tennessee courts through clarifying the rule. The project consisted of numerous ADRC and committee meetings, work sessions, and feedback from interested individuals and bar associations. In March 2018, the ADRC filed a petition with the Tennessee Supreme Court for the adoption of amendments to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31, Appendix A of Rule 31, and a new Supreme Court Rule 31A. Highlights from the rule revisions include:

Division into Rule 31, covering mediation, and Rule 31A, covering alternative dispute resolution requiring a lawyer or a judge to serve as the neutral;

Clarification regarding the definition of eligible civil actions encompassed by Rule 31;

A step-by-step process for grievance procedures, including when decisions are appealable and when they are final;

Removal of inactive mediator status, and a new requirement that Rule 31 mediators must renew each year, or re-apply at a later date, if he/she would like to be re-listed;

Removal of Appendices B-E (Form Orders for Non-Binding Arbitration, Case Evaluation, Mini-trial, and Summary Jury Trial) from the rule, and placement on the Administrative Office of the Courts website as true form documents; and

Clarification that Rule 31 mediators may assist parties in filling out the Parenting Plan Forms, a Marital Dissolution Agreement, and other forms approved by the Tennessee Supreme Court for use by self-represented parties in memorializing their agreement.

ADRC Chairperson Ed Silva said, This has been a tremendous team effort on the part of the Rule and Policy Review Committee, the entire ADR Commission, the Court, and the staff of the Administrative Office of the Courts. We are proud that this comprehensive amendment proposal received significant attention and input from interested groups and individuals. We believe that this amended rule will provide clarity for Rule 31 mediators and the public as the field of mediation continues to serve as an important process for resolving disputes through party-driven decision-making.

Justice Sharon G. Lee, who serves as the Supreme Courts liaison to the ADRC, expressed her appreciation to members of the ADRC for their hard work in clarifying Rule 31 and 31A and for achieving greater transparency in the mediation process. She noted that mediation serves as a valuable tool for parties to resolve their disputes more efficiently and effectively and is of particular benefit to those who cannot afford expensive and prolonged court cases.

ADRC members from across Tennessee are: Larry Bridgesmith, Nashville; Frank Cantrell, Memphis; Leslie Gattas, Memphis; Linda Nettles Harris, Memphis; Celeste Herbert, Knoxville; Richard Ladd, Jr., Bristol; Steve Shields, Memphis; Ed Silva, Franklin; Virginia Story, Franklin; Jack Waddey, Nashville; and Mary Ann Zaha, Chattanooga. Bridgesmith served as the Chair of the Rule and Policy Review Committee with Cantrell, Shields, and Zaha serving as Committee members. To learn more about mediation, visit https://www.tncourts.gov/progr ams/mediation .

To read the order click here.

To read the appendix showing the changes to the rule click here.
Global Sensors Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-10-04 07:04:59

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In the latest market report by Goldstein Research on global sensors market,is drafted as per the clients to help them in assessing their business strategies in the competitive environment. The comprehensive analysis of sensors market report highlights the market size, market share & Y-O-Y growth rate and the competitive outlook of major global players. Competitive analysis includes the key business segments, strategies, revenue analysis, investments, and recent developments. The report on sensors market deeply examines the ground scenario of the market across the major regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa (MEA).Browse Full Report:Further, the global sensors market report also encompasses the key factors driving the growth of the market, opportunities in the market and the factors posing threats & challenges to the market. The Sensors Market Outlook also comprises the risk analysis, USP analysis, SWOT analysis, BPS analysis, PESTLE analysis & market attractiveness.Global Sensors Market Outlook 2024 contains broad overview based on our in-depth market analysis and thus the market can be segmented based on sensors type, technology, end user and geography. The rising demand of various sensors like Pressure Sensor, Smart Sensors, IOT Sensors Market, Image sensor in various industries are the major growth driving factor of the Sensors Market. According to Geographical analysis, Asia Pacific region accounted for the largest revenue share of 39.7% in 2017 of the global sensors market on the back of high industrial and economic development activities in the region including smart cities, robotics, smart industrial equipment among others. The Asia Pacific is closely followed by North America due to the presence of top companies in the manufacturing and innovation of the sensors.Download Exclusive Sample Report:Market SegmentationOn the basis of our in-depth analysis, Global Sensors Market can be segmented as follows:By Sensors Type Radar sensor Optical sensor Biosensors Touch sensor Image sensor Pressure sensor Temperature sensor Proximity sensor and displacement sensor Level sensor Motion and position sensor Humidity sensor Accelerometer and speed sensor Others (Ultrasonic Sensor, Photoelectric Sensor, etc.)By Technology CMOS MEMS NEMS Others (Hybrid Sensors, etc.)By End-User Electronics Industry Telecommunication Industry Defense & Aerospace Industry Manufacturing Industry Healthcare Industry OthersMajor players of the global sensors market analyzed in the report are: Honeywell International, Inc., NXP Semiconductors N.V., Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., STMicroelectronics N.V., NXP Semiconductors N.V., Robert Bosch GmbH, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, Atmel Corporation, Johnson controls international PLC, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, SMIC, Texas Instruments Inc., Sony Corporation, etc. The Company profiling includes the product specification, manufacturing data, revenue statistics,Browse Similar Report:
PR-Inside.com: 2018-10-04 11:02:01

Long Harbour Ltd. Opts for SatuitCRM Software

Satuit Technologies, Inc.

Tegan Folsom, 781-378-4158

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Satuit Technologies, Inc., a global leader in software solutions for the professional investment market, is pleased to announce that Long Harbour Ltd. has chosen SatuitCRM for their firms Client Relationship Management (CRM).

Long Harbour Ltd. is a real estate and asset backed investment manager headquartered in London. It was established in 2009 to help bridge the gap between illiquid asset classes, and institutional investors seeking to deploy capital into long-term income generating assets. The firm had outgrown the limits of its previous CRM solution, so the management at Long Harbour Ltd. sought a CRM system that would enhance fund raising capabilities and investor communications.

Christophe de Taurines, Senior Advisor at Long Harbour Ltd., sponsored the CRM project. The team evaluated many CRM solutions ranging from the generic to those that are tailored specifically for the asset management market. Christophe commented: "We chose Satuit because the software was clearly tailored to our business needs out of the box. A key decision point was also the fact that the software was intuitive and very easy to use."

"Growth in the alternative asset management space is a key goal for us. We continue to develop new features to meet the demands of clients like Long Harbour, said Satuit CEO, Karen Maguire.

ABOUT LONG HARBOUR LTD.

Long Harbour is an established UK real estate and asset backed investment manager headquartered in London. It was established in 2009 to help bridge the gap between illiquid asset classes, often with high barriers to entry, and institutional investors seeking to deploy capital into long-term income generating assets.

ABOUT SATUIT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Satuit Technologies, Inc. is the premier provider of CRM, reporting and portal software solutions for the asset management, hedge fund, wealth management, private equity, and real estate markets. Satuit has offices in the United States and the United Kingdom, and serves clients in more than thirty-five countries. Satuit Technologies is certified as a womens business enterprise by the Womens Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). For additional information, visit www.satuit.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181004005
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BEVERLY HILLS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 4, 2018 / All of the principal cast and crew, along with notable A-List celebrity guests, are expected at the Los Angeles opening of the period-thriller, THE RIOT ACT, on Friday, Oct. 5, at the Laemmle Ahyra Fine Arts Centre, 8556 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA. The special event opening begins at 7:00-pm with the movie starting at 7:30-pm. Tickets are open to the public but are selling out quickly, said distributor Hannover House, Inc. (OTC PINK: HHSE). Theatrical Poster Art for THE RIOT ACT THE RIOT ACT is inspired by the true story of an unsolved murder at the historic Opera House in Van Buren, Arkansas in 1901. The film picks up two years later when a plot for revenge, a haunting and a new murder unfolds. Principal stars include BRETT CULLEN ("Dark Knight Rises"), LAUREN SWEETSER ("Winter's Bone"), CONNOR PRICE ("X-Company"), BRANDON KEENER ("The Purge: Anarchy") and MICAH HAUPTMAN ("Homeland") all of whom are confirmed to attend the Friday night event. Also attending will be writer-director Devon Parks. RIOT ACT Principals on the red carpet, left-to-right: Leading man BRETT CULLEN, lead actress LAUREN SWEETSER, supporting actor CONNOR PRICE, Writer-Director DEVON PARKS and Executive Producer ERIC PARKINSON "The film has been getting terrific advance reviews" said Eric Parkinson, C.E.O. of distributor Hannover House. "Special attention is being drawn to the performances by leads Brett Cullen and Lauren Sweetser. But the entire cast is superb and the film is terrific. This special L.A. event is an opportunity for fans to meet and speak with the principal cast members," he concluded.THE RIOT ACT opened in limited engagements throughout the state of Arkansas on Sept. 14, and continues to play after four weeks. The film will open Los Angeles and other top markets over the next few months, and is expected to be released onto DVD / BluRay and streaming platforms in February.For tickets to THE RIOT ACT Friday night opening in Beverly Hills, please, visit: https://www.laemmle.com/theaters/purchase/25/5521623?replace=TITLE: THE RIOT ACTGENRE: Period / ThrillerDIRECTOR: Devon W. ParksSTARS: BRETT CULLEN ("Dark Knight Returns"), LAUREN SWEETSER ("Winter's Bone"), CONNOR PRICE ("Supernatural"), MICAH HAUPTMAN ("Homeland") and BRANDON KEENER ("Purge: Anarchy"). WRITER: Devon ParksPRODUCERS: Lauren Sweetser, Jared Newman and Devon ParksSYNOPSIS: 1903. Two years after a quiet murder involving an out-of-town stage actor and a local doctor's daughter, an esteemed Opera House welcomes a Vaudevillian troupe from the East for its first performances since the tragedy; and along with it, an unidentified actress with a purpose. With tensions still thick surrounding past events, this mysterious performer discovers she isn't the only one seeking revenge: someone or something has been "haunting" the assailant already. Inspired by a true incident of murder at the historic King Opera House in Van Buren, Arkansas, this impressive film marks the debut of a promising new director and the transcendence of actress Lauren Sweetser to leading star stature.TITLE SPECS: 2018 Production, Color, Dolby, 101 Mins., 1:2.35 Aspect Ratio. MPAA RATING: PG 13, for thematic elements and some drug use. RELEASE DATE: September 14, 2018 BOOKINGS: Medallion Releasing / Eric@ HannoverHouse.com / 818-481-5277DISTRIBUTOR: Hannover House, Inc. FILM WEBSITE: www.RiotActFilm.comTRAILER LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaIaq0TCHi8CONTACT: Eric Parkinson, C.E.O.818-481-5277eric@ hannoverhouse.comSOURCE:Hannover House, Inc.
Hustle, the popular Nigerian comedy series, is set to return to TV screens for a third season on October 8 on DSTV Channel 153.

Hustle stars Seun Ajayi as the lead character and also features veteran Nollywood act Sola Sobowale.

The series also stars Maurice Sam, Elvis Poko, Deborah Anugwa, John Joshua, and for the first time this season, Big Brother Naija Season 3 star, Tobi Bakre.

Season Three will continue with the tale of Dayo, a gullible Lagos hustler who continues to see the best in people, hopeful that his dreams of making it big in Lagos will come true.

The organisers said in a statement that the new season would also not leave out the antics of his best friend, Acid, and their hilarious neighbours as they continue to plot and discover new ways of becoming rich in Lagos.

The Channel Director, Africa Magic, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, said since the series premiered in 2016, it has continued to receive positive reviews.

It is our mission to keep Africa entertained with the best local content and in this return season of Hustle, fans will be in for more tales of city life as the series promises to be more hilarious, she noted.

The show tells the tale of Dayo, a naive, but relentlessly optimistic young man, who moves to Lagos, harbouring dreams of making it big.

It took very little time for him to learn that it is not as easy as it seems, as he comes to terms with hilariously catastrophic neighbours, an antagonistic landlady and a shady, yet loyal roommate.

All nonetheless, share an unwavering hope for tomorrow, and the spirit of the hustle buoys them.
Britain on Thursday accused Russian military intelligence of directing a host of cyber-attacks aimed at undermining Western democracies by sowing confusion in everything from sport to transport and the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

In a British assessment based on work by its National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Russian military intelligence (GRU) was cast as a pernicious cyber aggressor which used a network of hackers to spread discord across the world.

GRU, Britain said, was almost certainly behind the BadRabbit and World Anti-Doping Agency attacks of 2017, the hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016 and the theft of emails from a UK-based TV station in 2015.

The GRUs actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries, said British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Our message is clear  together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRUs attempts to undermine international stability, Hunt said. Britain believes the Russian government is responsible for the attacks.

Though less well known than the Soviet Unions once mighty KGB, Russias military intelligence service played a major role in some of the biggest events of the past century, from the Cuban missile crisis to the annexation of Crimea.

Though commonly known by the acronym GRU, which stands for the Main Intelligence Directorate, its name was formally changed in 2010 to the Main Directorate of the General Staff (or just GU). Its old acronym  GRU  is still more widely used.

It has agents across the globe and answers directly to the chief of the general staff and the Russian defence minister.

The GRU does not comment publicly on its actions. Its structure, staff numbers, and financing are Russian state secrets.

The GRU traces its history back to the times of Ivan the Terrible, though it was founded as the Registration Directorate in 1918 after the Bolshevik Revolution.

Vladimir Lenin insisted on its independence from other secret services.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has said GRU officers used a nerve agent to try to kill former double agent Sergei Skripal, who was found unconscious in the English city of Salisbury in March.

However, Russia has repeatedly denied the charges.

After the Skripal poisoning, the West agreed with Britains assessment that Russian military intelligence was to blame and launched the biggest expulsion of Russian spies working under diplomatic cover since the height of the Cold War.

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB spy, said on Wednesday that Skripal, a GRU officer who betrayed dozens of agents to Britains MI6 foreign spy service, was a scumbag who had betrayed Russia.

Britain said the GRU was associated with a host of hackers including APT 28, Fancy Bear, Sofacy, Pawnstorm, Sednit, CyberCaliphate, Cyber Berkut, Voodoo Bear and BlackEnergy Actors.

This pattern of behavior demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to international law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences, Foreign Secretary Hunt said.

The U.S. sanctioned GRU officers including its chief, Igor Korobov, in 2016 and 2018 for attempted interference in the 2016 U.S. election and cyber-attacks.

Australia and New Zealand backed the United Kingdoms findings on the GRU.

Cyberspace is not the Wild West.

The International Community, including Russia, has agreed that international law and norms of responsible state behavior apply in cyberspace.

By embarking on a pattern of malicious cyber behavior, Russia has shown a total disregard for the agreements it helped to negotiate, Australias Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

(Reuters/NAN)
The White House on Thursday rejected Democratic criticism of its handling of an FBI probe into sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Meanwhile Senate Republicans maneuvered to confirm the conservative judge within days.

President Donald Trump, pushing to get his nominee for a lifetime job on the top U.S. court, said in a Twitter post on Thursday after the FBI finished its investigation that the allegations against Mr Kavanaugh were totally uncorroborated.

The White House sent the report to the Senate Judiciary Committee early on Thursday, and senators were poring over it to determine whether it resolved their concerns about the nominee.

Some Democrats voiced concern that the report was inadequate because the FBI had not interviewed enough people, including Christine Blasey Ford, the university professor who has accused Mr Kavanaugh of sexual assault in 1982.

Senator Chris Coons told CNN it appeared a number of important witnesses had not been questioned.

Attorneys for Deborah Ramirez, who also has accused the judge of sexual misconduct in the 1980s, wrote a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray saying they were deeply disappointed that agents had not followed up on their interview with her by talking to the more than 20 witnesses she identified as being able to corroborate her account of his Mr behaviour.

Republicans expressed growing confidence that Mr Kavanaugh would be confirmed by the Senate after the pitched political battle that has riveted Americans weeks before crucial congressional elections on November 6. White House spokesman Raj Shah said the Trump administration was fully confident Mr Kavanaugh had the necessary support.

A senior Senate Republican aide said there was growing confidence that Republican Senators Susan Collins and Jeff Flake and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin all swing votes will support Mr Kavanaugh.

If so, that could be enough for a Trump victory in this battle.

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski is another swing vote who has been heavily lobbied in Alaska to oppose Mr Kavanaugh.

The allegations of sexual misconduct arose during the Senate confirmation process.

Mr Kavanaugh has denied the allegations, which related to actions when he was a student in high school and college.

Mr Trump and the Senate Republican leadership are battling to corral enough support for a majority vote for Mr Kavanaugh, a federal appeals court judge who would deepen conservative control of the Supreme Court.

Democrats have fought his nomination from the outset.

Shah told CNN the White House believes the FBI report had addressed the Senates questions about Mr Kavanaugh.

The White House didnt micromanage the FBI. Its been sent to the Senate, no White House editing, Shah said. Obviously the senators have just begun to read this information but we feel very confident that we will have the votes.

The FBI report was sent to the White House and Senate just hours after Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took steps on Wednesday night to force a procedural vote on the nomination one hour after the Senate convenes on Friday.

McConnell filed a petition for the procedural vote to limit debate on the nomination and start the clock ticking on a final 30-hour waiting period before a final Senate confirmation vote.

Fords attorneys said she was not contacted by the FBI for the report. Several people with information related to allegations against Kavanaugh told Reuters they had not heard from the FBI, suggesting its report may be narrower than was desired by some lawmakers who demanded it just days ago.

Republican senators were meeting in a secure room in the U.S. Capitol to receive a briefing on the FBI report from the Judiciary Committees Republican staff.

They will not take notes or remove the report from the room. Democratic senators huddled, preparing to hold a news conference.

Messrs Flake, Collins and Murkowski all have criticised Trump for mocking Ford at a political rally in Mississippi on Tuesday.

Ford, who testified earlier at a dramatic Judiciary Committee hearing, said she could not remember the precise date or location of the alleged assault or how she got home later, but offered a detailed account of the incident.

Ford accused Mr Kavanaugh of pinning her down, trying to remove his clothing and covering her mouth when she screamed.

He denied the allegation and painted himself as the victim of a political hit.

(Reuters/NAN)
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in partnership with the Cross River government is embarking on the repairs of Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) on women suffering from the ailment in the state.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Thursday, Programme Specialist, Reproductive Health, UNFPA, Cross River, Yakubu Aliu, said Nigeria recorded 12,000 estimated cases of fistula annually.

He said that of this figure, only 2,000 of them got the required medical attention, leaving the remaining 10,000 unattended to.

He said he thought VVF case were found only in the northern part of Nigeria, until he saw the data on its prevalence in the country.

Fistula is everywhere; the truth is that due to the nature of the ailment, people tend to keep it to themselves because of shame and stigmatization.

Cause of Fistula

VVF is nothing but an injury around the birth canal due to the pressure of the head of the child, either on the bladder or rectum, during delivery, causing a rupture from where faeces or urine escapes uncontrollably after delivery.

We also have the problem of young girls with not very developed pelvis being pregnant, but the main cause of VVF is prolonged obstructed labour.

In the world today, in every 100 pregnancies, 15 develop complications and this 15 would require emergency care,which is always lacking in this part of the world, giving birth to cases of VVF, he said.

The expert urged those who had been treated to go back and inform other women who did not believe, that the treatment was real.

He added that VVF was a developmental problem because as long as women did not have access to education, family planning and emergency obstetric care, the ailment would continue to occur.

Similarly, the Medical Superintendent, General Hospital Calabar, Etim Ayi, said the Cross River government was doing a lot to end cases of VVF in the state,hence the creation of VVF unit in the hospital.

According to Mr Ayi, ignorance and poverty are major factors militating against efforts to check the problem.

Ignorance and poverty are factors; you may have a health centre or even a hospital but the pregnant woman has no money to access the services of the facility.

So with the states health insurance scheme, which covers the formal and informal sectors, someone would be able to walk into a hospital and get access to health care, (which) is the roadmap.

All we are doing is working with social workers who go to the rural areas and scoop for VVF victims and that is working out; are almost exceeding our target which is 50 this week, he said.

Two beneficiaries from Ogoja Local Government Area, Lydia Christopher and Marian Maurice, thanked UNFPA and the Cross River government for the initiative.

They promised to serve as ambassadors in their rural communities to help educate rural women on ways to prevent VVF, and also let them know that the treatment was on going in Calabar.

The fistula treatment programme was organised by UNFPA in partnership with the Cross River government, Mediatrix Development Foundation, the Fistula Foundation and other agencies

(NAN)
A fresh crisis is brewing in the ranks of Nigerias ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) with at least four state governors prepared for battle with the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole.

The state governors: Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara; Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo; Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, whose grievances border on the mode of primaries and automatic tickets issued to some serving senators, have either directly or through their surrogates attacked Mr Oshiomhole.

These governors, sometimes acting through their APC state chairpersons, have accused the national leadership of the party of imposition of candidates.

Some have also kicked against the mode of primaries adopted for their various states by then party headquarters.

On Tuesday, the national secretariat of the APC released a list of cleared aspirants in a move to grant automatic tickets to some senators whom the party described as loyal, a move that has further worsened the frosty relationship between the governors and Mr Oshiomhole.

The action has affected cronies of governors warming up to dislodge senators allegedly at loggerheads with their governors.

The governors had insisted that party primaries be held to determine the partys flag-bearer in the 2019 senatorial poll instead of the automatic endorsement of incumbent senators.

Shuttle To Abuja

On Wednesday evening, Governors El-Rufai and Akeredolu, visited the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Both governors have a similar problem with Mr Oshiomhole. They accuse him of granting automatic senatorial tickets to a disloyal senator from each of their states.

However, unlike Kaduna and Ondo states, the main grouse of the outgoing governors of Zamfara and Ogun states is with the stance of the national headquarters on their states governorship primaries.

Zamfara

In Zamfara State, Governor Abdulaziz Yari kicked against arrangements made to conduct direct primary to select the partys governorship candidate.

The party had slated Thursday for the conduct of its primaries.

The direct primary was scheduled to commence on Tuesday, but the governor on Monday night said he would not allow the exercise to hold in his capacity as the chief security officer of the state.

One of the governors major complaints is the exclusion of the party executives from the exercise. He claimed this would lead to a breakdown of law and order.

The governor has also been at loggerheads with the senator representing Zamfara Central, Kabiru Marafa, which is believed to be why the governor is opposed to direct primaries in the state.

Mr Marafa, alongside seven other aspirants had advocated for direct primaries due to the factionalisation of the party.

Former Gov. Abdulazizi-Yari of Zamfara State.

One of the APC factions in the state is loyal to the governor while the other is loyal to Mr Marafa.

The primaries, which eventually commenced on Wednesday were ended abruptly amidst report of violence and deaths.

With Mr Yaris tenure coming to an end next year, the issue of the APC governorship candidate was yet to be resolved at the time of this report.

ONDO

The major issue in Ondo State is the award of an automatic ticket by the National Working Committee of the party to the senator representing Ondo North senatorial district, Robert Boroffice, an action which the state chapter has kicked against.

The NWC gave the ticket to Mr Boroffice against the wish of the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.

Mr Boroffice has been at loggerheads with Mr Akeredolu since the latters 2016 governorship election when the senator supported another APC governorship aspirant.

The two other serving senators, Tayo Alasoadura (central) and Yele Omogunwa (south), were also awarded automatic tickets. Their opponents in the primaries were disqualified.

The state chapter of the party is urging the NWC to reverse the automatic nomination of Mr Boroffice in the interest of fairness to those who had been loyal to the party.

Rotimi Akeredolu tests positive for COVID-19

Similarly, aspirants to the Senate on the platform of the APC in the state also asked the NWC of the party to reverse its decision to disqualify them from contesting the primaries within 24 hours.

The aspirants, who addressed journalists in Akure on Wednesday, include human rights lawyer, Tunji Abayomi; former Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly, Victor Olabintan and Lucky Ayedatiwa.

OGUN

Just like Zamfara, the main grouse of Ogun State chapter of the APC with the national leadership is the mode of primaries.

The state chapter has accused the national body of frustrating and unsatisfactory treatment which they said is being meted out to them over the governorship .

The state chapter of the party had accused the national leadership of postponing the exercise which was originally scheduled for Saturday for the third time without official notice to the state party secretariat.

The Ogun APC leaders recently vowed not to participate in the primaries unless the NWC officially writes to the state chapter to affirm a date and explain why ballot papers should be used for the direct primaries.

Former Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun [Photo credit: Vanguard]

The Ogun APC leaders also accused the national chairman, Mr Oshiomhole, of plotting to impose a govdrnorship candidate on the party.

They accused the panel set up by Mr Oshiomhole to conduct the primaries of being highly compromised.

By Wednesday, two parallel governorship primaries held in Ogun producing two different candidates.

KADUNA

The automatic ticket that was recently given to Shehu Sani, a serving senator, has pitched the state chapter of the party against its national body.

Mr Sani, who is currently representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, was the only candidate cleared for the seat going by the list released by the APC national body on Tuesday, thereby, tactically disqualifying his rival, Uba Sani, a close ally of Governor El-rufai.

This action has led to the demand for the immediate upturning of the decision by the state chapter.

Perhaps sensing he may be outmanouevered by the APC headquarters, Uba Sani on Wednesday approached a High Court in Kaduna to stop the ruling party from conducting the primary to select the partys candidate for the district.

The court ordered the APC, its chairman, Mr Oshiomhole, the electoral commission, INEC, and incumbent senator, Mr Sani, to maintain the status-quo prior to October 2, when the APC excluded Uba Sani and other aspirants from the contest in favour of one aspirant.

The currenr senator, Shehu Sani, has been ar loggerheads with Mr El-Rufai since 2015. The senator was suspended by the Kaduna APC loyal to the governor, a suspension upturned by the national leadership.

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Eufai [Photo Credit: The Whistler]

Shehu Sani was among senators many Nigerians expected to defect from the APC earlier this year. He, however, remained in the party due to the interventions of party leaders like Mr Oshiomhole and Bola Tinubu.

However, with Governor El-Rufai and his loyalists insisting on not allowing Shehu Sani run for senator, how Mr Oshiomhole resolves that crisis and others could be a major test of his leadership credentials.
President Muhammadu Buharis appointment of Yusuf Bichi as the new Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) has drawn the ire of senior officials within the key national security department, with many of them threatening to undermine not just the presidents re-election bid but also Nigerias counter-terrorism operation against Boko Haram.

Multiple officers told PREMIUM TIMES the secret polices headquarters in Abuja and field offices across the country have been subsumed by an air of anxiety and volatility since Mr Buhari recalled Mr Yusuf from retirement and named him as replacement for Matthew Seiyefa on September 13.

Mr Seiyefas removal came a little over a month after he was appointed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Mr Osinbajo, while serving as acting president for 10 business days in August as Mr Buhari took a break in London, decided on Mr Seiyefa as the acting-DG of SSS after firing Lawal Daura for his role in the infamous August 7 siege by SSS operatives on the National Assembly.

Mr Seiyefa was the most-senior official at the time of his appointment, having enrolled in service in 1984. He assumed office with promises to perform his duties differently from his predecessor, who was infamous for his crude and controversial approach to law enforcement.

In his first two weeks as DG, Mr Seiyefas soft reform efforts were already being felt with gradual release of illegally-detained suspects from custody and the appointment of the agencys first spokesperson in three years.

A few days before his removal, PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Mr Seiyefas job was being threatened by top presidential aides, especially the chief of staff, Abba Kyari.

Mr Kyari, whom presidency sources said was unhappy about the sack of Mr Daura, tried to mitigate Mr Seiyefas control over the SSS. The chief aide ordered Mr Seiyefa to undo some administrative decisions he had taken, including postings, and operate only as directed by the presidency going forward.

At first, Mr Seiyefa rebuffed attempts to make him subservient to the chief of staff  arguing that he would only report to the National Security Adviser as legally required. But he later caved in under immense pressure from the presidency, PREMIUM TIMES learnt, and reversed most of the decisions.

Senior officers and rank and file who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES during Mr Seiyefas face-off with Mr Kyari expressed support for their principal, saying they would reject any attempt to further deface the image of the agency by dragging it into politics.

Mr Seiyefa also had the support of some leaders from southern Nigeria, who warned the president against removing the only southerner in the core national security and intelligence architecture.

But it appeared the former spy chiefs popular moves and goodwill were not appealing enough to persuade the president into allowing him stay on the job.

Stalling career progression

When the presidency announced Mr Seiyefas removal, there was a whiff of resentment that Mr Buhari took the decision not because Mr Seiyefa was incompetent but because he was not comfortable with a southerner overseeing a crucial national security desk going into an election he had been so keen on winning.

Newly Acting Director General, State Security Service, (SSS) Mr Seiyefa Mathew after his meeting with the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday (7/08/18). 04270/7/8/2018/Sumaila Ibrahim/ICE/NAN Pic 35 Newly Acting Director General, Department of State Services, (DSS) Mr Seiyefa Mathew after his meeting with the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday (7/08/18).

After Mr Seiyefa was sacked, the same group of concerned leaders from southern and central parts of Nigeria accused the President of fueling ethnic and religious division in the country. They said the president deliberately sidestepped senior officers in the SSS who were capable of being appointed DG and recalled Mr Bichi from retirement because he does not believe in Nigerias unity.

That the president went ahead to deepen himself further into the cocoon of ethnic irredentism in making this insensitive appointment shows clearly that he does not care a hoot about the unity, cohesion and oneness of Nigeria, the leaders, who include Edwin Clark and Ayo Adebanjo, said in a statement September 13.

Mr Buhari declared he would run for re-election in April, a disclosure that effectively shut out potential contenders within the party. A few months earlier, a former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar, had left the party, apparently sensing that Mr Buhari would seek the partys ticket and no one would be able to stop him.

Other political bigwigs with presidential ambition who left the ruling All Progressives Congress for Mr Buhari included Senate President Bukola Saraki, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal and Rabiu Kwankwoso, a serving senator.

Recent findings by PREMIUM TIMES showed that Mr Buhari faces the most potent threat to his reelection not from political opponents or critics like southern leaders but from disgruntled elements deeply embedded in Nigerias security architecture.

In the first week of Mr Bichis appointment, at least four SSS personnel at director levels, in separate interviews with PREMIUM TIMES, expressed displeasure over the development. Further interactions with additional eight senior and five junior officers across different departments and directorates confirmed the pall of grievance which Mr Buharis decision cast on the agency.

President Muhammadu Buhari

The officers complained that the appointment would greatly hinder their own career progression, with many who belong to the class of mid and late 1980s fearing they will not have a chance to produce a director-general before they retire.

Afakriya Gadzama (2007-2010), Ita Ekpeyong (2010-2015), Lawal Daura (2015-2018) and Matthew Seiyefa (2018) all belong to the same class, a senior official said. Now all of them have been directors-general and no one from our generation has managed to get that high.

Another officer from northern Nigeria condemned Mr Bichis appointment as threatening his own career, saying he would not forgive Mr Buhari for bringing him from retirement.

This man retired since 2015, he got a security consultant deal with Lawal Daura that kept him near the SSS for two years until 2017, so why was he recalled three years after retirement?

I am a northerner and I do not agree with this move by the president because it will destabilise the service, he said.

We believe the president took this action to preserve himself in office, but we will ensure he does not get a reelection, another SSS official at director level said. In-between working for the opposition and frustrating the Boko Haram war, we will get him out of office.

All the officers spoke under anonymity because they are still in service and fear they could be targeted for summary dismissal or worse punishment if named in this report.

The spokespersons for the SSS and the Nigerian presidency did not return several requests for comments from PREMIUM TIMES.

SSS Officials

Successful leaders since Nigerias independence have always placed a heavy reliance on state agents in the SSS. Although the secret service was established to ensure national security, some military dictators and civilian rulers have used it to prop up regime security.

The threats by the SSS personnel came a few months before the general election in February 2019, and as the Nigerian soldiers are recording heavy setbacks in the war against Boko Haram.

Over 100 soldiers have been killed in recent campaigns by insurgents, who also carted away heavy military equipment and other supplies in a string of raids on military formations. The losses followed a few months of relative calm on the frontlines, with many in the northeast assuming the war was already won.

The Nigerian government has also asked residents to return to their villages from where they were once displaced by terrorists, but dozens of those villagers have been killed by insurgents after returning home on governments advice.

A presidential call

Asides its widely known role of protecting political office holders and national assets, the SSS plays a central role in intelligence gathering for Nigerias internal security. Virtually all other law enforcement agencies collaborate with the secret police on security matters.

Even without going out of their way to cause harm, their inaction in most cases could result in a security crises, said security expert Charles Omole.

Anything that affects the morale of officers is a major national security issue, Mr Omole said. What they do mostly is preemptive measures: they join the dots in terms of information they gather and prevent sinister acts before they happen.

Therefore, they do not need to do much to cause national mayhem. All they need to do is fold their arms on information they got and that would be a major disaster, he added.

Some Western analysts have claimed there were times in the past when the United States and some countries in Europe stopped sharing intelligence with Nigerian security outfits because they feared there may be disgruntled elements ready to sabotage it.

When it comes to employing security chiefs across the world, the president has a right to appoint anyone he likes, Mr Omole said. It is not a civil service in the real sense, so you can not say it is my time.'

There are people who have been appointed to the CIA who are not career officers, the expert added.

He said officers could only complain when their internal progression is affected, but not over a political appointment like the director-general.

Mr Omole said, as the new DG, Mr Bichi should immediately conduct an internal review of officers before the situation gets ugly.

Internal progression, yes, but who becomes the director-general could be anyone the president appointed. There will be all kinds of disenchantment within the organisations, so this could be a symptom of something deeper than just the appointment of the new chief.

As a minimum response, the new head of SSS should instantly conduct a review of the senior leadership and see how he could address it. That can help mitigate the situation.

If there are people inside the system who want to sabotage the system, it would be difficult to detect. So this threat should never be ignored, Mr Omole added.
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On Wednesday, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, accepted defeat in the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Speaking in Lagos, Mr Ambode congratulated Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the winner of the partys governorship ticket and the favourite candidate of power brokers in the state chapter of the party.

The declaration put paid to speculations among analysts that the governor may defect from the APC in pursuit of his gubernatorial ambition.

The interest of our beloved state must always supersede that of any person or group, Mr Ambode said in the broadcast. It is in this regard, that I wholeheartedly congratulate the winner of Lagos State APC primaries, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and urge all Lagosians to immediately support our partys gubernatorial candidate in the 2019 elections and work for the success of our dear party.

Mr Ambodes concession speech Wednesday brought to an end several weeks of politicking among supporters and traducers of the two major aspirants. Mr Sanwo-Olu is now positioned to represent the party in next years governorship elections.

As the party awaits the candidates of opposition parties  especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  ahead of the gubernatorial election, PREMIUM TIMES highlights the winners and losers in the Lagos APC governorship ticket debacle:

THE WINNERS

1. Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Jide Sanwo-Olu (Photo Credit: PageOne)

Easily the biggest winner in the many weeks of politicking and uprising in the Lagos APC, Mr Sanwo-Olu, a little known cabinet member in previous governments in Lagos, emerged the partys governorship candidate on Tuesday. A few months ago, very little was known about the former commissioner for establishments, training and pensions. Although not a green horn in politics, Mr Sanwo-Olus emergence was largely influenced by his endorsement by APC national leader, Bola Tinubu, and the Mandate Group. Lagosians are eager to know the stuff he is made of, especially in a state that has over the years fielded vibrant individuals as governors.

2. Bola Tinubu

APC Chieftain, Bola Tinubu

Undoubtedly the most influential politician in the South West today. Mr Tinubu wields enormous power in Lagos, South-west and, indeed, Nigerias politics. Although he has largely shown his preference for Mr Sanwo-Olu by proxy, his last-minute public endorsement of the candidate went a long way in shattering Mr Ambodes ambition. Since he vacated office after serving as governor between 1999 and 2007, Mr Tinubu has had enormous influence in decisions surrounding who becomes Lagos governor.

3. Mandate Group and Lagos APC

The Mandate group, led by James Odumbaku (popularly known as Baba Eto) played key roles in the fall of Mr Ambode. Members of the group, an influential bloc in the party, have long shown disdain to the governor. They mobilised party members and saw to the victory of their favourite candidate, Mr Sanwo-Olu.

Similarly, the Lagos APC had in defiance to the NWC panel declared Mr Sanwo-Olu winner of the primaries even amidst confusion on Tuesday. Tunde Balogun, the state APC chair, pronounced Mr Sanwo-Olu winner with 970,851 votes against Mr Ambodes 70,901 votes.

4. 36 Lagos Assembly Members

Lagos State House of Assembly

Few days before the governorship primaries, 36 of the 40 members in the Lagos State House of Assembly endorsed Mr Sanwo-Olu. The members claimed they took the decision in conformity with the party directive. Many of the members will now be hoping the party rewards them by helping them return to the state assembly.

5. PSP Operators

File photo of a local PSP operator evacuating the waste at Tinubu Square.

Some days before the primaries, the Association of Waste Managers in Lagos endorsed Mr Sanwo-Olu. The endorsement was quite expected as the PSP operators had in the last two years been at loggerheads with Mr Ambode after the governor contracted a foreign company, Visionscape, to manage waste in the state. In their endorsement message, the PSP operators said Mr Sanwo-Olu promised to run a participatory government and would return their jobs to them.

6. Local Government Administrators

Similarly, as the political pendulum in the state swung ahead of the primaries, local government chairpersons in the state endorsed Mr Sanwo-Olu. The endorsement, analysts said, was largely borne out of political survival.

THE LOSERS

1. Akinwunmi Ambode

Incumbent governor Akinwunmi Ambodes fall came as a rude shock to many Lagosians, especially those who are not privy to details of goings-on in the state chapter of the APC. Although the governor, like his predecessors, enjoyed rave review in the media, he eventually lost out in the power play as many officials (including senators, House of Representatives members, state assembly members etc) who endorsed him for second term months ago dramatically retreated and abandoned him.

Mr Ambode, who had criticised the primaries held on Tuesday across the state, finally accepted the result Wednesday, while also pledging loyalty to the party. He becomes the first incumbent governor to lose re-election ticket of his party in the current dispensation ahead of the 2019 general elections.

2. Visionscape

Visionscape (Photo Credt: Independent Newspapers Nigeria)

Another remote loser in the Lagos APC debacle is the foreign firm contracted by Mr Ambode for the cleaning of Lagos waste, Visionscape. Although the government claimed the company had good track records of waste management, checks have shown that the company had no such record. This became evident when the company could not deliver on its tasks in its first months, leaving the state with heaps of refuse. Visionscapes presence and the cancellation of PSP waste management arrangement created a number of foes for the governor, largely among party faithfuls and other PSP operators. It is unclear what would become of the companys operations in Lagos as the new power brokers are set to take over the leadership of the state in 2019.

3. Fouad Oki faction of APC

Fouad Oki, a factional leader of the APC, backed Mr Ambode in the primaries. He had earlier led other party faithfuls to create a breakaway faction in the party during its congress months ago. During the primaries, Mr Oki threatened to conduct a parallel exercise because political thugs prevented potential voters of the governor from voting.

4. Ambodes commissioners, supporters and campaign organisation

Although a few officials of the government aligned with the party on Tuesday, many of Governor Akinwunmi Ambodes officials and media handlers supported him till the end. On Wednesday, hours before the governor conceded defeat, a member of his campaign organisation had dismissed the Tuesday primaries as void.

Those In-between

Meanwhile, there are other parties caught in the middle of the conflict whose fate one cannot categorically place now. They include:

1. Idiat Adebule

On Tuesday, in the heat of the elections drama, Mr Ambodes deputy, Idiat Adebule, abandoned the governor to support Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the two-horse race to pick the party ticket.

Mrs Adebule told journalists at Ward A and D in Iba Local Council Development Area of Lagos where she participated in the governorship primary of the APC, that she would endorse the candidate chosen by the party.

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Idiat Adebule

The party has chosen a man and it is that man that I will support and follow, she said. It is unclear what this spells for her political future.

2. Ambodes grassroots loyalists in Lagos APC, especially in Epe

Even when everyone seemed to have deserted the governor by noon on Tuesday, videos were still shared by party faithfuls who stood behind the governor across the state, especially in Epe, his hometown. Given Mr Sanwo-Olu pledge to form an inclusive government, it is unclear what he would do with Mr Ambodes foot soldiers in the party ahead of the general election next year and, possibly, afterwards.

3. Ordinary non-partisan Lagosians

While many non-partisan Lagosians followed and enjoyed the intrigues while it lasted, how the results would shape their lives cannot be determined yet. The intrigues and keen attention it generated could be linked to, one, the influence of APC in the state and, two, the status of Lagos as the commercial nerve centre of the nation. Even if their interest in intra-party affairs remains largely remote, the decision of the party has far-reaching effects on policies in the state and on residents.

In the meantime, it appears, while Lagosians look forward to the gubernatorial choices of other opposition parties in the state, the people await what the (post-2019) future holds for them with bated breath.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to dismiss two judges accused of corruption by the anti-graft agency, EFCC.

The affected judges are Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court and James Agbadu-Fishim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the corruption allegations against both judges with Mrs Ofili-Ajumogobia already being prosecuted by the EFCC.

The NJC said it came to that conclusion after reviewing the allegations against both judges.

The NJC also rejected the voluntary retirement of another judge and asked that a lawyer be punished by the appropriate legal body.

See the full NJC statement as sent to PREMIUM TIMES below.

PRESS RELEASE

4th October, 2018

 NJC recommends the dismissal of two (2) Judges;

 Reports one private legal practitioner to Disciplinary Committee;

 Rejects voluntary retirement of a Judge and orders him to refund two (2) years salary and emoluments;

 Issues letter of advice to one (1) Judge;

 Empanels Committees to investigate four (4) Judges of the Federal High Court.

The National Judicial Council under the Chairmanship of the Honourable Mr. Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, GCON, at its 87th Meeting which was held on 3rdOctober 2018, recommended the removal by dismissal from office, of Hon. Mr. Justice R. N. Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court and Hon. Mr. Justice James T. Agbadu-Fishim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

2. Hon. Mr. Justice R. N. Ofili-Ajumogobia was recommended to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, for removal by dismissal from office pursuant to the findings by the Council on the allegations of misconduct contained in a petition to the Council by the Acting Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Ibrahim Magu, alleging that:

 Hon. Mr. Justice R. N. Ofil-Ajumogobia is a Director/Chief Executive Officer and sole signatory to Nigel and Colive Company contrary to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of theFederal Republic of Nigeria;

 Several personalities, individuals, government officials and business partners lodged funds into various accounts belonging to the Hon. Judge; and

 There was an ex-parte communication between the Hon. Judge and Mr. Godwin Oblah, SAN, during the pendency of his matter before the His Lordship.

3. The Council, however, could not consider other allegations in the petition because they are already before a court where the judge is standing trial. Council left those matters for the trial to take its legal course.

4. Hon. Mr. Justice James T. Agbadu-Fishim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria was also recommended for removal by dismissal from office sequel to the findings of the Council on the allegations contained in another petition by the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleging that the Hon. Judge received various sums of money from litigants and lawyers that had cases before him, and some influential Nigerians, under the false pretence that he was bereaved or that there was delay in the payment of his salary. This is contrary to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

5. In the interim, the Council, in exercise of its disciplinary powers under paragraph 21 (d) of the Third Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, has suspended Hon. Mr. Justices R. N. Ofili-Ajumogobia and James T. Agbadu-Fishim with immediate effect pending their removal from office by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia

6. Council rejected the letter of voluntary retirement, purported to be with effect from the 1st of October 2018, submitted to it by Hon. Mr. Justice Joshua E. Ikede of the Delta State High Court. This followed the findings on an allegation of falsification of age contained in a petition written by Zik Gbemre, National Co-ordinator of Niger Delta Peace Coalition. Council found that the Hon. Judge ought to have retired since 1st October 2016.

Consequently, it backdated his retirement to 2016 and recommended to the Government of Delta State to deduct from the retirement benefits of the judge, all salaries received by him from October, 2016 till date and remit it to NJC which pays salaries of all Judicial Officers in the Federation.

7. Council also decided to issue a Letter of Advice to Hon. Mr. Justice K. C. Nwakpa of High Court of Abia State to guard against unwarranted utterances in matters before him. This was as a result of a complaint to the Council by one Princewill Ukegbu.

8. Council considered the reports of various Investigation Committees and dismissed the petitions written against Hon. Mr. Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Hon. Mr. Justice E. O. Osinuga of the High Court of Ogun State, and Hon. Mr. Justice E. O. Ononeze-Madu of the High Court of Imo State.

9. The petition by Wema Bank against Hon. Mr. JusticeYusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court was dismissed because the allegation of misconduct was not established. The judges handling of the related matter did not amount to the alleged misconduct.

10. The petition on allegation of inducement, bias and alteration of Ruling written by David Olawepo Efunwape, Esq. against Hon. Mr. Justice E. O. Osinuga of High Court, Ogun State was found to be false.

11. Council, therefore, decided to report David Olawepo Efunwape, Esq., to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for appropriate sanctions for making false allegations against a judge.

12. The petition written by Hon. Eugene Okechukwu Dibiagwu against Hon. Mr. Justice E. O. Ononeze Madu was dismissed by the Council for lack of merit.Council also decided to warn the Petitioner and asked him to apologise to the Hon. Judge for the false allegation of inducement.

13. New petitions written against twenty-six (26) Judicial Officers from the Federal and State High Courts were considered by Council, after which it resolved to empanel four (4) Committees to investigate.

14. The remaining petitions were summarily dismissed for obvious and manifest lack of merit, being subjudice, concerning administrative matters, or that such petitions were matters for appeal. The dismissed petitions were against Hon. Mr. Justice J. O. Bada, Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Benin Division, Hon. Mr. Justice Abdul-Kafarati, Chief Judge, Federal High Court and Hon. Mr. Justices I. N. Buba, H. R. Shagari, R. M. Aikawa, O. E. Abang all of the Federal High Court; Hon. Mr. Justice Marshal Umukoro, Chief Judge, Delta State and Hon. Mr. Justice E. G. Timi also of the Delta State High Court, Hon. Mr. Justice S. U. Dikko, Chief Judge,Nasarawa State, Hon. Mr. Justice P. N. C. Umeadi, Chief Judge, Anambra State, Hon. Mr. Justices A. O. Opesanwo, A. J. Coker both of Lagos State High Court, Hon. Mr. Justice C. I. Gabriel Nwankwo, President, Customary Court of Appeal, River State, Hon. Mr. Justices C. A. Okirie and G. O. Omeji both of River State High Court, Hon. Mr. Justice Iniabasi Udobong of High Court, Akwa-Ibom State, Hon. Mr. Justice S. O. Falola of High Court, Osun State, Hon. Grand Kadi, Sokoto State, Hon. Mr. Justice I. B. Ahmed of Katsina State High Court and Hon. Mr. Justice Patricia Mahmoud formerly of the Kano State High Court before her elevation to the Court of Appeal.

Soji Oye, Esq.

Director, Information
The Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, on Thursday said the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors met with president Muhammadu Buhari to find a solution to the crisis that has engulfed the party in its ongoing primary elections.

Mr Okorocha is one of the governors facing problems in his state because of his decision to support his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, to succeed him.

He led seven of his colleagues to meet with Mr Buhari in his office Thursday.

The meeting lasted for over one hour.

Speaking briefly with State House correspondents, Mr Okorocha said they were in the villa to review the various crises characterising our primaries especially the APC with a view to finding solution.

The governor also said they met Mr Buhari to find a way out of the crises.

So, we are looking for a way out in this regard. We are going to find solution, our party believes in justice, equity, and fairness.

We are requesting that let the right thing be done and let everyone contest the elections, he said.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier published the rift between some APC governors and the party headquarters over the primaries.

Some of the governors at loggerheads with the Adams Oshiomhole leadership apart from Mr Okorocha are Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun.

Both governors were at the meeting with Mr Buhari on Thursday.

While the APC has concluded governorship and senatorial primaries in many states, controversy still exists in others.

Already, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party has cancelled governorship primaries in Imo and Zamfara states.

Other governors who attended the meeting with Mr Buhari Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo and Abubakar Bello of Niger states.

Others are Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo and Simon Lalong of Plateau states.
Some All Progressives Congress (APC) governors are currently meeting with the chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, at his campaign office along Aso Drive, Abuja.

The governors earlier met with President Muhammadu Buhari.

The meetings are being held following the controversies that have trailed APC governorship and senatorial primaries in some states such as Zamfara, Ondo, Kaduna and Ogun.

The earlier meeting with Mr Buhari was attended by eight APC governors.

The meeting lasted for over one hour.

Speaking briefly with State House correspondents after the meeting, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo said they were in the villa to review the various crises characterising our primaries especially the APC with a view to finding solution.

The governor also said they met Mr Buhari to find a way out of the crises.

So, we are looking for a way out in this regard. We are going to find solution, our party believes in justice, equity, and fairness.

We are requesting that let the right thing be done and let everyone contest the elections, he said.
A fresh attack on a Plateau community has left at least 19 people dead, a resident said on Thursday.

The attack occurred on Wednesday night in Ariri community of Bassa Local Government Area of the state.

Sunday Abdu, the National President of Irigwe Development Association (IDA) and a native of the attacked community, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview.

The attack took place last night when people were asleep. Nineteen people were killed in the incident, he said.

Mr Abdu said the police have been briefed on the attack.

We have reported the incident to security agencies. The Plateau State police commissioner was at the scene of the attack this morning. So the security is aware of the incident, he said.

When contacted, spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, Tyopev Terna, promised to get back with official details.

He was yet to do so at the time of this report.

Also, the spokesperson of a security force in the state, Operation Safe Haven, Adam Umar, said details of the security situation in Bassa was sketchy.

Mr Umar, an army major, said investigation was ongoing to confirm the true situation there.

The attack in Bassa occurs a day after another attack was launched on Jol village of Riyom Local Government Area of the state. About14 people were said to have been killed in the incident

As at the time PREMIUM TIMES reported the attack on Jol on Wednesday, there was no official confirmation yet of the casualty.

However, on Thursday, Mr Umar confirmed the killing of 13 persons in Jol on Tuesday night.

Jol attack in Riyom followed the killing of three cows on the 19th September in which a meeting between Berom and Fulani in the area was summoned. Despite the peace meeting, a herder and five cows were later ambushed and killed in the area on the 29th of September while other cows were injured.

After that attack, another Fulani boy was shot in the hand and one cow killed on the 2nd of October and that same day an attack was launched on the Berom community of Jol and houses raised down while 13 people were killed.

Another problem we are facing is that some of the civilians now possess fire arms and we are calling on them to surrender the weapons so that the tendency of unleashing havoc on communities can be reduced drastically, Mr Umar said.

Hundreds of people have been killed in Plateau this year in clashes between nomadic herdsmen and farming communities.

Both President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau have condemned the renewed violence in the state and appealed for peace among residents.
Seven governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) met with the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, on Thursday to discuss the crises over primaries in some states.

The APC began the nomination of candidates with that of the presidency, with all its state chapters affirming President Muhammad Buhari as the APC flag bearer through direct primaries held in all the states.

After that came the governorship primaries, followed by the National Assembly primaries. These have been conducted in some states but are proving problematic in others.

All party candidates for national offices must be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by Monday, for which reason APC has scheduled its national convention for Saturday in Abuja. That of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party is holding Saturday and Sunday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The APC governors earlier Thursday met with President Buhari over the controversies surrounding the primaries in their states; but he reportedly directed them to meet withe the partys national chairman, Mr Oshiomhole.

The seven governors present at the meeting with Mr Oshiomhole are Rochas Okorocha (Imo State), Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi) and Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo). The others are Simon Lalong (Plateau), Tanko Al-makura (Nasarawa), Abdul-aziz Yari (Zamfara) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun).

After the meeting at the partys national secretariat, they spoke with a crowd of waiting journalists. Zamfara State Governor, Mr Yari, who is also the chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, was the first to speak. He confirmed the meeting was called to address issues arising from the primary elections.

Well, I think we just came to see our National Chairman on matters arising from primary elections held in some states and also to resolve so that we can come out stronger as one family so that we can secure victory in the 2019 general elections, he said.

He said some of his colleagues have one issue or the other which was the reason why they were at the meeting.

We have one issue or the other, ranging from the disqualification of some candidates and what have you, which we discussed as a family and to look at how we can boost the morale of the followers and other issues related.

So, in resolving these, there is no other person than the National Chairman and the National Working Committee (NWC). So we sat down and discussed and steps are going to be taken so that we can understand the way forward.

He said the chairman told them the partys NWC will meet over the issues because the party will not have a candidate for the general election if primaries are not conducted successfully and candidates picked before Saturday, October 7.

He said they were aware time is no longer on their side and the governors were all working hard to ensure the issues are resolved so the party can hold its national convention as scheduled on Saturday.

Chairman said they are going to have National Working Committee meeting and the same time we are concerned, if we are not having any candidate anywhere by the 7th, we automatically have no candidate to field for 2019.

Time is our number one enemy, we are working harder, faster to ensure that we have these things done so that we can start coming to convention on Saturday.

Mr Yari said the governorship primary election was held in his state on Wednesday, which is a little bit tough, but the outcome is not yet announced.

But we have not done the Senate yet, we have not done the Reps, we have not done the state assemblies. All of these must be concluded probably today and tomorrow and then we come for the National Convention on Saturday and by Sunday 12 a.m, that is the last day for the conduct of primaries by the parties in Nigeria. Anyone that does anything after that is null and void according to the Act of National Assembly.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the APC NWC on Wednesday cancelled the Zamfara governorship primaries Mr Yari made reference to amidst reports of violence and at least one death.

The Kebbi State Governor also spoke to journalists. He commended the primaries conducted so far in his state and expressed hopes the remaining will go well.

They went very well. We had the presidential direct primary where over 700,000 party members across the state in 225 wards voted in support of President Muhammad Buharis candidature in 2019.

We had very successful gubernatorial primaries, we have just completed the senatorial primaries where three serving senators have all been returned; Senator Muhammmed Adamu, Yahaya Abdullahi and.and we are ready for the next set of primaries, House of Reps and state House of Assembly and it will all go well.

He also commended the efforts of the party leaders in other states, noting that in situations like this, issues are inevitable.

We have done very well and many states have done very well. But its a human process and there will be issues in one or two places. Its a dynamic process and I believe it would be resolved.

Mr Bagudu said his state was prepared for Saturdays convention, as the members of the APC in the state have arranged to leave for Abuja on Friday for the event.

Oh, we are ready. By tomorrow we will all be on our way because we are quite excited to be involved in the last last legal act of making President Muhammad Buhari the 2019 flag bearer of the APC, which we have always said in Kebbi is a well-deserved recognition and election in our party because of his record of performance in the last three and half years.

In Imo State, there is a huge crisis over the governorship primary. The governor, Mr Okorocha, admitted they have some challenges and the governors are here to resolve them.

As you are aware, we are going through the process of party primaries and you know the party primaries come with a lot of issues and challenges, especially in our democratic structures.

APC has some few challenges in some states so we have come here to smoothen the rough edges and see how we can rebuild unity in our party and how to ensure that aggrieved persons are in sync with the party even after the primaries.

So that is what brought us here and majorly the states where there are issues, we have come here to look at the practical things to do. But of course, you know that our party believes in free and fair processes, justice and equity and we are making sure we keep to that by giving everybody a chance to vote and be voted for. That is why we introduced the issue of direct primaries in most states to help everyone exercise their power of franchise.

So we are here meeting with the chairman and we have been able to resolve most of the areas where we have some few challenges.

Mr Okorocha described the issue in his state as a new dimension of crime.

The chairman of the state governorship primary committee, Ahmed Gulak, disappeared on the day the election was to be conducted, following which the party at the national level postponed the primaries, he said.

What happened in Imo State has introduced a new dimension to fraud in the electoral process, which we call the Gulakin (apparently, a play on Mr Gulaks name) of internal democracy. So its rather something you can laugh at, its not anything to be associated with because the gentleman absconded, leaving his hotel room and disappeared, rushing to Abuja to announce results when the election was supposed to take place the following day.

That is what happened; and he left behind all his members plus secretary who now decided to stay back and do the rest of their duties. But as it is, Mr Chairman felt that, that process since the chairman is not aware, they are looking at whether accepting the results or starting a new process of a new election. Whichever it is, for Imo State, we are fine as long as there is justice, fairness and equity.

Speaking on the possibility of a new process, he said the state has no problem with whatever decision Mr Oshiomhole takes.

If the chairman orders a new process, we have no problem at all and I dont think the candidates will have any problem with that. Any time, any day, we are on ground we are waiting.

He said the reconciliation process has started and he believed the party would solve its crisis as quickly as possible before the main election.

What is important, the prime factor is that despite our individual grudges and differences, We still believe in the man President Muhamadu Buhari, and that has become a uniting force that any time you think, and you are angry and you remember him, you come back to the fold.

That is the secret of our party and that is why we believe we would remain together till President Muhammad Buhari emerges the president, the second time.

Ogun States Mr Amosun also spoke in the same manner. In his state, APC has produced two governorship candidates but the panel sent to the state from Abuja to conduct the primary announced a candidate different from the one produced by loyalists of the governor.

You know as politicians this is our season. It happens every four years like this, everybody will be maneuvering themselves to get the partys ticket .I think that is what is just happening, Mr Amosun said.
The Nigeria Customs Federal Operations Unit Zone A has intercepted a bus carrying two big sacks containing military uniforms and boots along the Ijebu-Ode expressway.

The white Hiace bus which belongs to Chimezie Motors Nigeria Limited with registration number: JJT 905 XB, was intercepted on Wednesday.

Mohammed Aliyu, the customs unit boss, told journalists in Lagos Thursday that the military wares were arrested after a security tip-off from concerned Nigerians.

This is national security. Though they are not much but the damage that will be done will be much that is why we seized them, he said.

Mr Aliyu said his unit also seized 22 cars, including nine bulletproof cars.

He said the cars, which worth about N1.2 billion, were intercepted inside a bush in Idiroko axis of Ogun State while others raided in different hidden warehouses in Lagos.

This is the second time I will be briefing the press since I was here. The first time, I told you how we seized contraband goods worth N1.5 billion within 2 weeks in office.

Now, we have seized 22 cars which nine are bulletproof worth about N9.27million while other non-bulletproof worth N2.4 million.

He said his officers intercepted 11,000 bags of 50 kilogrammes rice barely one month after it seized 3,000 bags.

We seize bags of rice on daily basis. If you wait a bit, you will see my officers bring in seized bags of rice. Most times. They come in convoy and immediately they see our officers, some will escape while others arrested.

Other seizures made include 25 litres of vegetable oil and 245 parcels of India hemp worth N19 million.

We dont have any arrested suspects, Mr Aliyu added.

They ran away. If you are in the bush, they always come in twos-the and passenger. Immediately you flag them, they will know they are in danger. They will abandon the vehicle and run away. That is why we dont (make) any arrest.

FILE: Controller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, Nigeria Customs Service, Mr Aliyu Mohammed (R), showing to newsmen seized smuggled nine bulletproof vehicles including 4 Lexus Jeep, in Lagos on Thursday (4/10/18). 5369/4/10/2018/Wasiu Zubair/JAU/NAN Some of the seized items Some of the seized items
President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated the commitment of his administration to the fight against corruption, saying the fight is not negotiable.

According to a statement on Thursday by his media aide, Femi Adesina, the president stated this on Thursday when he received former South African president, Thabo Mbeki, in audience at the State House Abuja.

Below is the statement.

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

FOR US, FIGHTING CORRUPTION IS A MUST, PRESIDENT BUHARI TELLS MBEKI, EX-SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT

For this administration, fighting corruption is non-negotiable. It is a MUST, President Muhammadu Buhari told former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, at State House, Abuja, Thursday.

Mbeki heads the African Union High Level Panel on Illicit Flows from Africa, and he was around to give the President, who is the current Champion of AU Anti-Corruption Campaign, critical updates.

We must fight corruption frontally, because its one of the reasons we got elected, President Buhari told his guest, adding: We campaigned on three fundamental issues; security, reviving the economy, and fight against corruption. Its the reason we got elected, and we cant afford to let our people down.

Noting that the government was making progress on the anti-corruption war, and not just talking, the President said he was very pleased with the assignment the former South African President was carrying out for the African continent.

He submitted that when Africa is vigorous with the war against corruption, we will eventually appeal to the conscience of the rest of the world.

In his remarks, former President Mbeki said corruption was an African challenge that must be responded to, as development challenges can only be met through the check of illicit financial flows.

He said he was delighted that President Buhari touches on the issue in most of his speeches, with the most recent being at the United Nations General Assembly last week.

We are pleased with the way you take up the matter. Countries need political will to stop the illicit flow. Nigeria has shown good example. The more we are showing that we are acting as Africans, the easier to get the rest of the world to cooperate, Mbeki said.

FEMI ADESINA

Special Adviser to the President

(Media and Publicity)

October 4, 2018
Anthony Anwukah, the Minister of State for Education, has said the deadline for teachers to acquire their professional licence is December, 2019.

Mr Anwukah made this known at a news conference to mark the 2018 World Teachers Day in Abuja on Thursday.

According to the minister, the licence can be obtained from the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

He said that attainment of a global competitive and quality education was through teachers adherence to professionalism.

In order to enhance professionalism in the teaching profession, it is now required of every teacher to register and obtain a professional license from the TRCN.

This is in tandem with international best practices as a means of updating the professionals on issues germane to their growth and development in the profession.

Also, in line with the philosophy of the National Policy on Education, the Federal Government through the ministry of education has been setting aside annually resources to improve the education sector through budgetary.

However, due to funding constraints arising from the dwindling national revenue and the demand of other equally important sectors, the annual capital outlay for education has not been adequate.

In this years celebration, themed The right to education means the right to qualified teachers Mr Anwukah explained that funding is a major problem facing the education sector. He said it had been hindering critical needs of the sector.

Mr Anwukah said the teaching profession had been neglected by many Nigerians due partly to unattractive remuneration for teachers.

The minister of state made a reference to Malaysia where the teachers received the highest salary unlike in Nigeria where teachers were poorly paid.

He, however, said that the ministry had made efforts to curb some of the challenges by allocating funds for Teacher Professional Development (TPD) programme through Universal Basic Education Commission.

He said that a creation of Teacher Education Development Fund Account (TEDFA) had also been done to support teachers across the nation.

For quality education, these teachers who are recruited must be properly trained and not just pushed into the teaching profession since this is where the future of Nigeria lies.

The problem facing teachers is a global issue and not just restricted in Nigeria but other countries have been around to handle it judiciously because they have agencies coming to their rescue.

We must not fold our hands and watch our education system crumbling; the ministry is working toward establishing a foundation to assist teachers.

Also at the briefing was the national president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Muhammed Idris.

In his goodwill message, he appreciated all including TRCN for the promotion of teachers welfare in the country.

Mr Idris urged the federal government to approve the extension of the retirement age of teachers to 65 years of age. He said the extension would help solve the menace in shortage of experienced teachers in Nigerian schools.

I am prompted to urge the federal government to approve the extension of the retirement age of teachers to 65 years of age. This will go a long way to reduce teacher gap and shortage of experienced hands in our public schools.

I have no doubt that the Federal Ministry of Education can be of great assistance in its actualisation. The Nigeria Union of Teachers also reiterates the need to reverse the national trend of retiring teachers annually without a commensurate recruitment of prospective teachers, thereby occasioning a high pupils/student-teacher ratio in the nations schools, he said.

The statutory retirement age for workers in the Nigeria civil service is 60 years or 35 years of service However, the retirement age set for teachers in public primary and secondary schools is 60 years.
A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Stanley Osifo, has appealed to the party leadership to allow him participate in its forthcoming convention on Saturday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Mr Osifo, during a media briefing on Thursday in Lagos, said his being the youngest in the race had a huge advantage for the PDP to win the 2019 presidential election.

The 42-year-old aspirant, who hails from Edo State, said the party was known to obey rule of law, and his candidature was a true test of the Not Too Young to Run Act.

He said some people had approached him to step down, but he had a vision to drive development of Nigeria which older politicians could not achieve.

The aspirant debunked insinuations that he was being sponsored against the party, describing the allegation as false.

Three days ago, I had conversation with one of our party leaders who mentioned to me that there are insinuations that I am being sponsored to come to the party to spy or do one thing or the other.

I have told those who gave me that information that it is not correct; and I want the world and Nigerians to know that the information about being sponsored is not true, not correct; it is baseless, it is unfounded.

Whoever is propagating such falsehood does not have anything to back it up, he said.

Mr Osifo said the PDP is a reputable party with mechanisms, structures and capacity to lead, and appealed to its leadership to verify the truth and not listen to side talk.

He said although the presidency was zoned to the North, aspirants had not always adhered to the zoning rule since 2003 in the party.

The aspirant said he decided to join the race because of his passion for the nation, but was willing to support whoever emerges winner of the presidential primary, should he lose.

I have made my intentions known to the party that I am not withdrawing from the race, he said.

Mr Osifo called for fair play and equity for all the aspirants in Saturdays convention.

He said Nigeria was being run as the poorest economy in spite of enormous resources in the nation.

When I come on board, I will turn things around for good in Nigeria, he said.

While fielding questions from journalists, he explained that he loved the PDP so much, but was not at its senatorial and governorship primaries because it was meant for delegates only.

Duru Okadigbo, the Director-General of his campaign team, said that Mr Osifo and his team would be at the convention and should be given a chance to test the aspirants popularity.

(NAN)
A Nigerian cancer awareness organisation has been honoured at the 2018 World Cancer Congress held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The organisation, Project PINK BLUE, won the World Cancer Day Spirit Award.

The award was presented by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

World Cancer Congress is an initiative of the UICC, which was recognised with Membership Engagement Award.

It takes place every two years in a different country and is hosted by a local member of UICC.

In a statement Wednesday, the Executive Director of Project PINK BLUE, Runcie Chidebe, explained that the UICC applications were sought from the membership in five categories: advocacy, CEO, collaboration, fundraising and World Cancer Day spirit.

Mr Chidebe added that reviewers with relevant expertise were drawn from across UICC staff to select finalists for each award on the basis of the applications received.

The UICC is a global cancer umbrella organisation founded in 1933 with over 1000 organisations in more than 160 countries uniting the world to reduce the global cancer burden, promotion of greater equity and integration of cancer control into global health.

Project PINK BLUE is a cancer organisation engaged in cancer awareness, free cancer screenings, support to people battling with cancer, patient navigation, advocacy, fundraising for cancer patients, cancer research and psychological support.
A survey has shown that the population of out of school children in Nigeria has risen from 10.5 million to 13.2 million.

The Demographic Health Survey(DHS) was conducted in 2015 by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the Nigerian government but the result has not been officially released.

But the Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education (UBEC), Hammid Bobboyi, quoted the findings of the survey on Thursday at the Northern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Conference on Out-of-School Children pre-conference briefing in Abuja.

The conference is scheduled to take place in Kaduna October on 10 and 11.

Nigeria is ranked as having the highest number of out of school children in the world.

UBEC had in April this year stated that the 10.5 million figure was no longer reliable as it flagged off the national education personnel audit.

Mr Bobboyi who was represented by the director of social mobilisation, Bello Kaigara, said the 2015 Demographic Health Survey shows that the figure has since increased to 13.2 million.

If you add the number of children that have been displaced and the increasing number of birth, you find out that our source in DHS conducted by UNICEF published in 2015 reveals the number of out of school children increased to 13.2 million.

Over the last few years, Nigeria has been besieged by Boko Haram and lots of children have been put out of school, he said.

Mr Kaigara said the increase has affected the socio-economic progress of the country.

This is equally affecting the implementation of some education treaties that Nigeria is a signatory to, he said.

He said it is important to engage traditional rulers who are custodians of culture to help in reducing the out of school children figure.

Similarly, the Education Chief, UNICEF, Terry Durnnian, said the world would not help Nigeria to solve the problem if it does not solve it by itself.

The number of out of school children calls for serious concern. Nigeria should take on the challenge of reducing out of school children. UNICEF will only lead and support the process of reducing out of school children, he said.

He said Nigeria accounts for more than one in five out-of-school children and 45 percent of out-of-school children in West Africa.

Low budgetary allocation to education is a bane to the sector at all levels, he said.
Africas annual loss through illicit financial flows (IFFs) has increased from $50 billion in 2015 to over $80 billion, former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, has said.

At the presentation of the report of the Africa Union high level panel on IFFs in 2015, Mr Mbeki, who is also its chairman said the continent was then losing $50 billion.

But, at the speaking in Abuja on Thursday at the Africa Union high level panel on IFFs inter-ministerial meeting, Mr Mbeki said the loss has increased to about $80 billion today.

He expressed concern at the growing level of losses, saying it poses a huge challenge to African governments ability to work towards curbing the flow or retain the money in the continent for its development.

The two-day meeting holding in Abuja is to allow AU member countries review the progress recorded on efforts to curb the menace and compare notes.

Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Tunde Fowler, who spoke at the event on the effort by the agency to tackle the problem said at least 40 per cent of the total IFFs in Africa come from Nigeria.

Mr Fowler identified three sectors of the economy with the highest prevalence of IFFs in Nigeria, namely multi-national corporations, oil & gas, banking and financial services.

He noted that IFFs were not only when monies were repatriated abroad, but also when companies and individual fail to pay tax to the government.

Besides, the FIRS boss said IFFs is also about some multi-national companies and individuals who repatriate finances from one country and keep it in another country in Africa without taking it abroad.

Such practices, he said, always deny the country from where the money was taken resources required to carry out development projects.

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said Nigeria has gone far in implementing strategies to curb corruption and reduce IFFs in the country.

He described the countrys approach as multi-dimensional. Mr Malami also identified such strategies as strengthening of institutions like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Other strategies, he added, include legislation through the National Assembly; policy decisions, like the whistle-blowing policy; use of technology in computation and payment of salaries; as well as banking transactions, like the bank verification number (BVN) by banks, and the promotion of transparency and accountability
Hundreds of Shiites on Thursday locked down the Federal Ministry of Justice as they rallied again to demand the release of their leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, currently in the custody of the Nigeria government.

The protest started from the federal secretariat and ended at the ministry.

According to the groups spokesperson, Abdullahi Muhammad, the action was taken since our leader would not be released to us.

Mr Muhammad said today at a Kaduna High court, the ruling on the bail application of our leader was again adjourned to November 7.

This is inhumane, the government keeps telling us they are protecting Zakzaky and keep coming up with excuses. We his followers are tired, and we want the minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, to do the needful by releasing our leader.

Mr Muhammad said the prosecution counsel, Dari Bayero, complained of lack of adequate security in Kaduna town and this made the judge, Gideon Kurada to adjourn the matter.

The prosecution explained that the security agencies had drafted personnel to strategic areas of the state to provide security for the visit of the Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo, to Kaduna State.

Mr El-Zakzaky has remained in detention since he was arrested in December 2015, following a clampdown on his members by soldiers.

Over 300 Shiites were killed during the controversial onslaught by soldiers who accused the Shiites, members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, of blocking a road being used by the army chief, Tukur Buratai. A soldier was also killed in the violence.

After his detention, the federal government failed to file formal charges against Mr El-Zakzaky but rather appealed a December 2016 order for his release.

Following the refusal of the government to release Mr El-Zakzaky, Shiite members began a daily protest in Abuja and parts of the north.

This forced the government to file a formal charge against Mr El-Zakzaky in April, over two years after he was detained.

Shiites locks down ministry of justices pictures

Mr El- Zakzaky, his wife and two others are charged for alleged conspiracy, abating culpable homicide, among other offences.

The Shiite leader and his wife were later arraigned on an eight-count charge for alleged homicide.

Past Shiite protests have resulted in clashes between them and the police leading to injuries on both sides.
The Nigerian Army has confirmed the arrest of 30 suspects in a community in Plateau State, in connection with the disappearance of one of a retired senior officer.

The army gave the number of the arrested suspects through its official Twitter handle Wednesday night.

Muhammed Alkali, a retired, major-general, was declared missing September 3 while driving to Bauchi from Abuja.

PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday reported how the community was cordoned off and people arrested in the early hours of Wednesday following the discovery of the car in which the general was travelling.

The first phase of the operation involved combing the entire Dura Community in Du District of Jos South LGA of Plateau State. 30 suspects were arrested. Weapons recovered from some of the suspects Include 3x (three number) locally made single barrel guns, 3x (three number) locally made pistols,  the army said via its Twitter handle..

Kayode Ogunsanya, deputy Information officer, 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, who confirmed the arrests, however said he could not ascertain the number of the suspects arrested as at press time on Wednesday.

 It is normal that when you conduct such operation, some people will be apprehended, Mr Ogunsanya, a colonel, said.

They were screened and sorted out based on the degree of their culpability at the venue. After sorting out, the suspects were arrested and brought to the barracks for further investigation. At the moment, we cant ascertain the number of the people arrested.

Since the retired officer was declared missing, the Nigerian Army constituted a search and rescue team comprising personnel of different security agencies to look for him.

Last Saturday, the army announced it had recovered the missing generals car, as well as his blood-stained shirt and boxers in a pond in the community.

Two days later, more vehicles were recovered from the death pool.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reminded political parties that October 7 remains the deadline for conduct of primaries for all elective positions for the 2019 general elections and resolution of disputes emanating from the primaries.

The reminder is in a statement by Solomon Soyebi, the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee in Abuja on Thursday.

Mr Soyebi stated that the resolution was made at the end of the commissions weekly meeting held on Thursday in Abuja.

He noted that the commission, among other things, considered the status of political party primaries to elect candidates into various positions for the 2019 general elections.

He said 89 of the 91 registered political parties that gave notice of their intentions to conduct primaries as required by the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) had commenced and were at various stages of the process.

He added that INEC wishes to restate that the conduct of primaries and resolution of all disputes arising therefrom must be concluded on or before October 7 as earlier published in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2019 general elections.

The last day for submission of lists of sponsored candidates (Form CFOO2) and personal particulars (Form CF001) remains October 18 for Presidential and National Assembly and November 2 for Governorship and State Houses of Assembly.

Mr Soyebi restated that the commission would only accept list of candidates submitted by the National Chairman and the National Secretary.

(NAN)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that no plan can stop its Saturdays national convention to elect its presidential candidate for 2019 national elections.

The partys National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said this while briefing journalists on the outcome of its National Working Committees meeting held on Thursday in Abuja.

Mr Ologbondiyan said the convention would be successful in spite of alleged plot by some organisations to disrupt the event scheduled for October 6 and October 7 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

He said PDP was aware of plots or machinations of all kinds to stop its national convention.

According to him, the party leadership has been informed of machinations by some organisations to disrupt PDP convention to ensure that we do not have a presidential candidate

We invite Nigerians to take note of this.

We invite the international community to take serious note of the plots to thwart the efforts of the opposition to elect a candidate that will go into the February 2019 general elections against President Muhammadu Buhari

We invite all Nigerians to take cautious note of this development.

However, on our own part, we wish to inform Nigerians, particularly member of the PDP that the national convention where our presidential candidate will be elected that has been scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt will go on as planned.

No plot, no plan by detractors can stop our national convention.

Asked if the party had made necessary preparations for security, Mr Ologbondiyan said the necessary security operatives and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been served notices on the convention.

He also disclosed that the party would be holding a special meeting on Friday morning.

(NAN)
Bello Mandiya, the Chief of Staff to Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, has been declared the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary for Katsina South Senatorial District.

The Returning Officer for the election, Yakubu Hadejia, said on Thursday in Funtua that Mr Mandiya scored 1,469 out of the 3,400 votes cast.

He said the delegates came from the 11 local government areas in the district.

Mr Hadejia said Mr Mandiya defeated the former NYSC Director-General, Maharasu Tsiga; Nura Khalil; Murtala Abu; Faruk Lawal-Jobe and Alhaji Garba Usman.

The returning officer said that Mr Khalil scored 618 votes, Mr Tsiga (39), Mr Abu (3), Mr Usman (6) and Mr Lawal-Jobe (1040), adding that 233 votes were invalid.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the announcement of the results, mr Mandiya commended the entire people of the zone, especially the delegates for the exercise.

The people of this zone have kept faith with me; they have shown trust, tolerance, resilience, endurance and support toward my success.

I also commend other party members, and assure all of my commitment to continue to protect and promote their interests at all times, he said.

Mr Mandiya urged the people to ensure that the district and the state were won by APC in the 2019 general elections.

He pledged to work with the other contestants to enable the party achieve its objectives.

Mr Khalil also congratulated Mr Mandiya the and called on his supporters to join hands with him to move the party forward.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the election, which started about 7 p.m. on Wednesday, lasted for 18 hours. (NAN)
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammad Bello, on Wednesday visited the Mpape area of Abuja over the recent incident where fire oozed out from rocks within the area.

Mr Bello assured residents not to panic as the incident is not a major cause of worry.

He said investigation is ongoing to ascertain the actual cause of the fire.

In a statement by his media aide, Abubakar Sani, the minister gave the assurance when he visited the area on Tuesday with the Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development, Abubakar Bwari.

The Mpape rock fire incident is coming few weeks after sudden violent vibrations of the earth in the area.

Many environmental experts had indicated that the tremor was as a result of massive quarry activities around Mpape.

Subsequently, the minister banned such activities in Mpape and other affected areas such as Maitama, Gwarimpa and Garki district.

Over the weekend however, residents of Mpape were again gripped by a fresh panic as certain rocks within the area started oozing fire. A hole said to have developed at the base of a rocky area ignited and has since been melting surrounding rocks.

We saw whitish smoke coming out from the bush; we thought an animal was probably there so we picked a stone and threw in the direction and it caught fire, a witness said.

When this matter came up, the chairman (Bwari Area Council) briefed us as to what Ive seen. But as you can see, we now have experts from the ministry (of Mines and Steel Development). So this means they have seen what oozed out and based on their preliminary observation, this obviously as you can see is not something that should make residents to be very concerned now, because they have taken samples, the FCT minister told residents during the visit according to the statement.

They have one or two reasons they think might have caused this, but all these cannot be determined until after thorough investigation.

The minister expressed confidence that relevant experts will look at the issue properly and also interact with other agencies to determine the facts on ground.

FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello

He said the government will make sure that the lives and properties of the residents are not at risk at all.

He commended the chairman of Bwari Area Council, the community leaders and residents around the area for alerting the proper authorities in respect to what they have observed.

PREMIUM TIMES in a recent investigation exposed how residents of many areas in the FCT where quarries are located suffer various degrees of physical and health challenges as a result of such activities.

Mpape, which is few kilometres from Maitama, is home to several quarries.

Experts in the area of environment, building and geological agencies have also expressed concern over abnormal tremors within areas of rock blasting sites in the Nigerian Capital. They warned the government not to treat the matter with kid gloves.
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State was on Thursday in Omu-Aran, affirmed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)s delegates as the partys flag bearer for Kwara South Senatorial District in the 2019 general elections.

The delegates from the seven local government areas of the District, in a well-attended zonal primary held at Irepodun LGA Secretariat in Omu-Aran, had unanimously endorsed Mr Ahmed against the incumbent senator, Rafiu Ibrahim.

The primary, which was conducted in a peaceful atmosphere, was witnessed by party faithful and observers across the district.

It was also monitored by officials from the partys national headquarters in Abuja as well as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr Ahmed, in a statement, attributed his emergence as the partys Kwara South Senatorial Candidate for the general elections to politics of inclusiveness.

He said such development was championed by the family of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who is also the National Leader of the party.

Mr Ahmed while praising Mr Ibrahim for his act of maturity and gallantry, thanked the partys leaders and other stakeholders for their support.

I am highly pleased by my affirmation as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Kwara South Senatorial District in the 2019 general elections.

This victory belongs to our political family and reflects the consensus and inclusive approach it has traditionally adopted.

I thank my Leader, Sen. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, stakeholders, party elders and officials at all levels, supporters and all the good people of Kwara South and indeed Kwara State for this victory.

I salute my brother, distinguished Sen. Rafiu Ibrahim for his support, maturity, gallantry and sportsmanship in the run-up to this victory.

Sen. Ibrahim has demonstrated his loyalty to our political family and has a bright political future ahead of him.

I must also commend my brother, Mr Gbenga Makanjuola for running a good race. It was all in a quest for service.

Finally, I call on members of our great party, PDP, nationwide to nominate distinguished Sen. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, as our partys presidential candidate in the forthcoming 2019 elections, he said.

(NAN)
The Paris Appeal Court said on Thursday that it will rule next month on the validity of a blackmail case against Real Madrid star Karim Benzema and five other men.

At a long-awaited hearing on Thursday, prosecutors asked the court confirm the validity of a police investigation into Benzema for his role an alleged attempt to blackmail Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape.

In July 2017, France's highest court, the Court of Cassation, annulled an earlier decision to send Benzema to trial and ordered the Paris court to review the original ruling.

The affair began in June 2015, when Valbuena received a call from a blackmailer who threatened to release an intimate video.

Valbuena contacted the police, who assigned an undercover officer to the case.

Investigators accused Benzema of acting as an intermediary between the presumed blackmailers and Lyon midfielder Valbuena.

Benzema was dropped from the French side before Euro 2016 and has not been recalled.

Benzema and three of the other suspects had asked for the case against them to be dropped.

They say police used "dishonest" methods by posing as a friend of Valbuena in a telephone conversation with one of the accused, Younes Houass, and urging the payment of a ransom.

Their appeal to the Court of Appeal in Versailles in December 2016 failed, but the Court of Cassation then annulled that decision and instructed the Paris Court of Appeal to hear the case again.

The Court of Cassation questioned the legal validity of the recordings of phone conversations which were central to the case against Benzema and the other suspects.

"No financial quid-pro-quo and no threat, which are the elements constituting the offence of blackmail, were mentioned before the police got involved," said Samim Bolaky, Houass's lawyer, after Thursday's hearing.

Valbuena's lawyer, Paul-Albert Iweins, said "the police officers behaved perfectly normally." In such blackmail cases, the lawyer said, "most often, it is a police officer who substitutes" as negotiator.

He added that the case against Benzema is not weakened by the argument over the telephone conversations, since the striker played no part in those.

But Benzema's lawyer, Sylvain Cormier, argued that "a criminal prosecution is like dominos: if you remove the beginning of an investigation, if its initial acts are tainted with irregularities, well the whole must fall."

"Karim is innocent," the lawyer said.
A senator and governorship aspirant in Zamfara State, Kabiru Marafa, has declared his support for the cancellation of Wednesdays governorship primary in the state by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The acting National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Yekini Nabena, had in a statement announced the cancellation of the primaries held in the state due to election malpractices including snatching of election materials and result sheets by the state government officials which were taken to the Government House, Gusau.

He said the process was also marred by violence.

While stating that a new date will be announced for the primary, he promised free, fair and transparent primaries across the country.

In a separate statement, Mr Marafa blamed the state governor, Abdulaziz Yari, for the violence that erupted in some parts of the state during the exercise.

Mr Marafa who claimed he was ahead in all the wards where elections were conducted, said the call for the continuation of the poll despite the violence orchestrated by Yari and his co- travellers was the height of insensitivity and lawlessness.

Yari set the state on fire just to perfect his plot to upturn the peoples will and impose on them stooges with the sole aim of continuing with his misrule through proxies after May 29, 2019, he said.

The lawmaker explained that shortly after the distribution of election materials, some agents raised alarm that the available ballot papers were not up to 10 per cent of the registered party members in their wards  a development which forced the committee chairman to summon an emergency meeting in the office of the commissioner of police to address the issue.

He said during the meeting which was attended by all the aspirants and heads of all security agencies in the state, the state chairman called the the APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, who spoke individually with all the aspirants. And thereafter, the aspirants agreed that the ballot papers should be set aside and direct method of people queuing behind the candidate of their choice be adopted.

PREMIUM TIMES could, however, not confirm this as Mr Nabena did not respond to calls made to him at the time.

Mr Marafa stressed that the election started peacefully until violence suddenly erupted in major towns  a development which forced the chairman of the election committee to quickly cancel the election to halt the crisis.

It is pertinent to mention here that Gov candidate lost in all the wards where elections held. I was leading in all the wards, the senator claimed.

Mr Marafa also confirmed reports that at least one person died in the ensuing political violence.

Two persons had been shot in Bungudu local government area and one boy shot dead at Birnin Ruwa primary school Gusau. Abubakar Sadiq, a journalist covering the exercise was attacked, his camera destroyed, his friend has been seriously wounded, a cleric and PREMIUM TIMES columnist, Murtadha Gusau, who is in Zamfara, said late Wednesday night.

The police or state authorities are yet to confirm the casualty.

Hours after the cancellation desperate Gov Yari went on air to announce that election will continue today (Thursday) without even condoling and sympathising with the families of the deceased and the injured persons, Mr Marafa said.

He urged his supporters and residents of the state to remain calm, and abide by the decision of the national committee and await further announcement on the matter.

This is the third time the state primary will be postponed. The state chapter of the APC announced the first postponement on Sunday due to non arrival of the election committee from the National Headquarters in Abuja.

The governor, again shifted the primary because he was against arrangements made to conduct direct primary to select the partys governorship candidate.

The election was scheduled to hold on Tuesday but Mr Yari on Monday night said he would not allow the exercise to hold in his capacity as the chief security officer of the state.

Mr Marafa has been a major critic of the governor especially over his handling of the security situation in the state.
At least one person was killed and several others injured as rival factions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State clashed at the partys primary elections for House of Representatives for Ikwo/Ezza South Constituency.

The police confirmed that an officer at the event was also wounded.

According to Ifeanyi Ngwuta, a resident of the area who spoke to our reporter on phone, about six cars were torched in the violence.

He alleged that the death toll was more than one.

They killed many people. They area still fighting, everywhere is tensed up, he said

Police commissioner in the state, Musa Kimo, who confirmed that one person died and that one of his men was injured, however, said normalcy has been restored to the area with deployment of more officers.

We have commenced investigation into the matter, he said

Meanwhile, Governor David Umahi has expressed great shock over the violence.

The governor, while condemning the heavy shooting, warned the the APC against instigating crisis in the state.

Mr Umahi in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Emmanuel Uzor, further ordered security agencies to investigate the killing and bring the perpetrators to book.

The governor who said that he received the news of the heavy shooting in Onueke, from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, warned all political actors in the opposition party to play by the rules and avoid politics of destruction and bitterness.

Governor Umahi received with great shock and disbelief the unfortunate and devilish shootings in Onueke, the headquarters of Ezza South council area, one of the venues for the APC factional senatorial primaries and has ordered full investigation into the incident and warned that his administration will no longer condone unnecessary and wanton killings of innocent citizens under whatever guise by the APC

He therefore warns that any politician who is being driven by inordinate ambition must play by the rules as his administration is poised on ensuring that all those whose hands were in the killings and destruction of both private and government property are severely dealt with in accordance with the law.

Governor Umahi has always believed that nobodys ambition is worth the blood of any Ebonyi citizen and for that, saw the killing and destruction of vehicles by suspected APC militias in the state as provocative and warned that all political actors must play by the rules.
In 2010, there was a movement among dealers to revert to the Amoco brand in the aftermath of BPs handling of its massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which led to consumer boycotts and sales declines. That didnt get enough traction to kill the BP brand or bring back Amoco, but executives believe now is the time for both to exist on separate tracks.
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.




Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 4)  President Rodrigo Duterte has named a new Social Welfare Secretary.

In a speech at an event for the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association in Malacanang Thursday, Duterte said Army chief Lt. Gen. Rolando Bautista would be the incoming Secretary of the Depertment of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The current officer-in-charge is Undersecretary Virginia Orogo.

Bautista will be retiring from the Army this year.

Duterte first mentioned Bautista's name at a command conference in September, although his supposed assignment is the National Food Authority (NFA).

At the time, the President said he was looking for a replacement for then NFA Administrator Jason Aquino who asked to be relieved from his post.
The strike affected 26 hotels at its peak, but it started to move toward a resolution after two weeks when Marriott International reached a contract agreement with workers at its six affected hotels. Hilton Hotels and Resorts, which had four affected hotels, followed a week later. This week, employees at the Wyndham Grand and the Ambassador Chicago also ended their strike after ratifying contracts.
TORONTO, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- 8Twelve Mortgage Corp. ("8Twelve"), a premier full-service mortgage brokerage in Ontario, today announced its launch and business operations, with the goal to provide Ontarians choice and higher success rates in securing a mortgage.

For most Ontarians, getting a mortgage is their largest financial commitment, and a complex, stressful process. Leveraging a full-service mortgage broker allows homebuyers to ensure they get the benefits of comparison shopping, a better understanding of their options, and information to navigate through the often complex mortgage application process, which results in a higher level of satisfaction.

The complexity of the mortgage application process, coupled with the latest facts where Ontarians are experiencing challenges with getting approved for a mortgage by conventional banks, demonstrates the market need for 8Twelve, a full-service brokerage firm with personalized service to ensure a smooth, painless, and fast path to mortgage approval with the best possible rate available.

"8Twelve has a strong track record of producing very high mortgage approval rates, due to our deep understanding of the mortgage approval process and access to a large set of funding sources," said Gary Fooks, Broker and co-founder of 8Twelve. "Our full-service approach and our unrivaled dedication to go the extra mile for our customers are what set us apart in this industry."

According to recent statistics, Ontarians who use a mortgage brokerage to get a first mortgage or refinance do it faster and at a better rate. In addition, consumers find the mortgage process less stressful with the help of a broker, while getting benefits of comparative shopping, and higher levels of satisfaction.

"What differentiates 8Twelve is our three founding principles: Customer-first, integrity and responsiveness," said Co-founder and Principal Broker Akber Abbas.

8Twelve co-founders have a loyal following and an impressive number of referencable, satisfied customers:

"won't give up until you're happy and that is my personal outlook and attitude so I highly respect meeting and working with people with the same work ethic and principles," says customer Jordan Levy.

"We started 8Twelve because we wanted to improve the mortgage application experience," added Abbas. "We developed a unique 8 step process that we work around the clock to make sure we deliver the best experience for our customers."

Fully licensed by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO 13072), 8Twelve mortgage professionals have met all necessary education, experience and suitability requirements.

About 8Twelve Mortgage Corp.

8Twelve Mortgage Corp. is a premier full-service mortgage brokerage whose brokers have experience servicing Ontario-wide communities for decades. The firm helps customers get the best mortgage they possibly can, providing comparative shopping and bringing transparency to the mortgage application process.

Press Contact:

Akber Abbas

[email protected]

8twelve.mortgage

(877) 812-8128

SOURCE 8Twelve Mortgage Corp.

Related Links

http://www.8twelve.mortgage


ATLANTA, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leading omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions, will host a conference call and webcast on Thursday, October 25, 2018, at 8:30 am Eastern Time to discuss its third quarter 2018 financial results scheduled for release earlier that day. President and Chief Executive Officer, John W. Robinson III, and Chief Financial Officer and President, Strategic Operations, Steven A. Michaels, will host the call.

The public is invited to listen to the call by dialing 1-866-250-8117 a few minutes before the scheduled time of 8:30 a.m. ET and requesting to join the Aaron's, Inc. call. For international participants the number is 1-412-317-6011. The call will also be accessible by visiting the Investor Relations section of the company's website at Aarons.com. The webcast will be archived for playback at that same site.

About Aaron's, Inc.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), is a leading omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions. Aaron's Business engages in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories through its more than 1,700 company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada as well as its e-commerce platform, Aarons.com. In addition, Progressive Leasing, a virtual lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase solutions through approximately 27,000 retail locations in 46 states. Dent-A-Med, Inc., d/b/a the HELPcard, provides a variety of second-look credit products that are originated through federally insured banks. For more information, visit investor.aarons.com, Aarons.com, ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com.

SOURCE Aaron's, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.aarons.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AJC is partnering with IsraAID, the Israeli humanitarian relief organization, to provide urgent emergency assistance to Indonesia, where a devastating 7.5-magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami struck near the island of Sulawesi. In Indonesia, with AJC assistance, IsraAID is providing essential relief, including water, food, and hygiene items, as well as psychosocial trauma support.

"Consistent with our Jewish values to assist those in need, we are pleased to join with IsraAID in delivering much needed humanitarian relief during this crisis," said Shira Loewenberg, Director of AJC's Asia Pacific Institute. "Especially in times of need, gestures of assistance such as this one by IsraAid are meaningful to thousands of individuals who are suffering the effects of the earthquake and tsunami in Sulawesi."

Aiding Indonesia is the latest in a long series of cooperative arrangements between AJC and IsraAID to help alleviate humanitarian crises and disasters around the world.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


PLANO, Texas, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Epsilon, an Alliance Data (NYSE: ADS) company, today announced the output of their long-term partnership with global technology leader Dell for loyalty marketing services. Epsilon has been providing permission-based email marketing services to Dell since 2010. As part of the latest agreement, Epsilon is leveraging its Agility Loyalty platform to launch the Dell Advantage Rewards loyalty program globally.

Epsilon is responsible for building, launching and managing the new Dell Advantage Rewards loyalty program across the United States, Brazil and Canada, with plans to expand to other countries. The loyalty program will share personalized communications with potential and existing customers based on a variety of insights. Epsilon is fully managing the program's technology through its industry-leading Agility Loyalty platform and integrated third-party tools.

By introducing a robust global loyalty program, Dell's marketing communications across channels such as email, direct mail and online media will help Dell drive higher return on investment, deeper engagement and improved customer experiences. Customers who are part of the Dell Advantage Rewards program will receive great benefits including money back, exclusive offers, expedited shipping and other perks.

"Dell Advantage Rewards exemplifies our vision for customer value, personalization and engagement," said Roel Canare, director of loyalty and CRM at Dell. "Epsilon has been a valuable partner to Dell for many years, and working with a single provider who can address both our consumer and business-to-business markets across loyalty, email and database marketing has been critical to our success."

"The tenure and growth of our relationship with Dell is a testament to our ability to help them reach their customers in the right channels to create lasting and impactful connections," said Bryan Kennedy, chief executive officer at Epsilon and Conversant. "A global leader in their space, we're proud to have contributed to Dell's success and look forward to driving more customer loyalty across the world through the launch of Dell Advantage Rewards."

About Epsilon

Epsilon is an all-encompassing global marketing innovator. We provide unrivaled data intelligence and customer insights, world-class technology including loyalty, email and CRM platforms and data-driven creative, activation and execution. Epsilon's digital media arm, Conversant, is a leader in personalized digital advertising and insights through its proprietary technology and trove of consumer marketing data, delivering digital marketing with unprecedented scale, accuracy and reach through personalized media programs and through CJ AffiliateTM, one of the world's largest affiliate marketing networks. Together, we bring personalized marketing to consumers across offline and online channels, at moments of interest, that help drive business growth for brands. An Alliance Data company, Epsilon employs over 8,000 associates in 70 offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.epsilon.com and follow us on Twitter @EpsilonMktg.

About Alliance Data

Alliance Data (NYSE: ADS) is a leading global provider of data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions serving large, consumer-based industries. The Company creates and deploys customized solutions, enhancing the critical customer marketing experience; the result is measurably changing consumer behavior while driving business growth and profitability for some of today's most recognizable brands. Alliance Data helps its clients create and increase customer loyalty through solutions that engage millions of customers each day across multiple touch points using traditional, digital, mobile and emerging technologies. An S&P 500, FORTUNE 500 and FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For company headquartered in Plano, Texas, Alliance Data consists of three businesses that together employ approximately 20,000 associates at more than 100 locations worldwide.

Alliance Data's card services business is a provider of market-leading private label, co-brand, and business credit card programs. Epsilon is a leading provider of multichannel, data-driven technologies and marketing services, and also includes Conversant, a leader in personalized digital marketing. LoyaltyOne owns and operates the AIR MILES Reward Program, Canada's most recognized loyalty program, and Netherlands-based BrandLoyalty, a global provider of tailor-made loyalty programs for grocers.

Follow Alliance Data on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements give our expectations or forecasts of future events and can generally be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "project," "plan," "likely," "may," "should" or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements.

We believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements, however, are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this release, and no assurances can be given that our expectations will prove to have been correct. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, factors set forth in the Risk Factors section in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year, which may be updated in Item 1A of, or elsewhere in, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed for periods subsequent to such Form 10-K.

Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and we undertake no obligation, other than as required by applicable law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events, anticipated or unanticipated circumstances or otherwise.

Contact: Alliance Data Tiffany Louder  Investor Relations

Alliance Data

214.494.3048

[email protected] Shelley Whiddon  Media 214.494.3811 [email protected] Epsilon Britta Petersen  Media 773-796-5434 [email protected]





SOURCE Alliance Data
NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) will hold its annual Legal Issues Forum with the 2018 theme Legal and Ethical Issues of Artificial Intelligence, from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, at the FHI 360 Conference Center, 1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW, in Washington, DC. The event is part of World Standards Week (WSW), a series of meetings and celebrations hosted annually by ANSI, coordinator of the U.S. voluntary standardization system.

This year's event will focus on the legal and ethical outcomes when artificial intelligence (AI)  a leading transformative technology that has emerged across a spectrum of industries and societyis deployed to meet business and organizational goals.

The opening panel session, on Ethical and Societal Perspectives on AI, will feature 10-minute opening statements from each panelist, followed by 60 minutes of moderated discussion, with time for audience questions. Julie Brickell, General Counsel, H5, will moderate the first session, with panelists representing GE, the Washington D.C. Dept. of Transportation, Kirkland & Ellis, and The Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton University. The panelists will provide a broad, philosophical look at the ethical considerations and societal issues that emerge as AI permeates nearly all aspects of our daily lives.

The second panel, moderated by Ali Zaidi, Counsel, Kirkland & Ellis, will highlight the theme Applications of AI-Legal and Business Considerations. Panelists will represent King and Spalding, ZwillGen, Venable, Uber, and Jackson Lewis. The panelists will share insights on real-world legal and ethical issues they have encountered when integrating AI into their organizational practicesor when interacting with AI technologies implemented externally.

The annual event is free for ANSI members and $249 for non-members. While the Legal Issues Forum is traditionally geared toward an audience of standards organizations' general counsel and other legal interests, this year's topic is intended to draw a broad group of standards professionals, corporate leaders, and any other stakeholders interested in the issues that may arise as AI becomes ubiquitous in business practices and society as a whole.

The draft agenda and registration details are available on the Legal Issues Forum event webpage.

ANSI's World Standards Week, to be held this year from October 15-19during ANSI's 100 year anniversary is an annual event where nearly 400 members of the standard and conformity assessment community come together in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration. For more information, including registration for other WSW events and details on all weekly meetings and conferences, visit www.ansi.org/wsweek.

About ANSI

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is made up of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. ANSI represents and serves the diverse interests of more than 270,000 companies and organizations and 30 million professionals worldwide. The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). For more information, visit www.ansi.org.

SOURCE American National Standards Institute

Related Links

http://www.ansi.org


The Breakthrough Oncology Accelerator flagship platform at Atlantic Health will create a model to ultimately enable health systems around the country to provide faster access and better patient outcomes by enabling clinicians and researchers to share their knowledge and provide more options for patients. Through the partnership, Atlantic Health System, TGen and Origin will leverage their proprietary platforms, expertise and collaborations to identify and deploy those resources that best help oncologists meet the needs of their patients.

Atlantic Health is the first health system to be selected by TGen and Origin to create this new platform.

New drug therapies, including immunotherapies  a treatment method that supercharges the body's own immune system to fight cancer  have revolutionized cancer treatment in the US. These emerging therapies will become first line treatments for many cancers including lung cancer, melanoma and leukemia over the next five years, extending and enhancing the quality of life for cancer patients.

"Cancer care is at its most promising point in the last 25 years. Yet, the industry is witnessing what happens when the science becomes so promising: it outstrips our financial and operational ability to effectively implement these advances in the clinical setting," said Eric Whitman, MD, Medical Director of Atlantic Health System Cancer Care. "That is simply not an acceptable option for our patients, or the patients around the country who can benefit from these new treatments and technologies."

The cost and complexity of these new treatments force tremendous strain on health systems and payers, placing these therapies in the ultra-high cost drug category. This results in a growing number of patients unable to access these potentially life-saving treatments.

"There are significant financial barriers to breakthrough cancer care. This lack of access is one of the fundamental problems facing US healthcare today," said Cosmo Smith, Origin's Managing Partner.

More than 200,000 people in the US will receive a lung cancer diagnosis next year; many will be eligible for promising new therapies that can cost between $100,000 and $200,000 per treatment. As a result, many individuals and small private plans will struggle to pay for these novel therapies.

"We are very excited to be working with Atlantic Health to overcome a challenge that is so essential to the future of cancer care. Our partnership with Atlantic Health is a testament to their commitment to providing the highest quality care to the communities they serve. Together, we are creating a robust platform designed to meet the changing demands of today's healthcare environment," said TGen Chief Operating Officer Tess Burleson.

About TGen

Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life changing results. TGen is affiliated with City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and cancer and diabetes treatment center: www.cityofhope.org. This precision medicine affiliation enables both institutes to complement each other in research and patient care, with City of Hope providing a significant clinical setting to advance scientific discoveries made by TGen. TGen is focused on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, diabetes, and infectious diseases, through cutting edge translational research (the process of rapidly moving research towards patient benefit). TGen physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of both common and rare complex diseases in adults and children. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities literally worldwide, TGen makes a substantial contribution to help our patients through efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. For more information, visit: www.tgen.org. Follow TGen on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @TGen.

About Origin

Origin is a leader in building strategies that enable science entrepreneurs and their research institutes to make the greatest impact on patient lives with their discoveries. It seeks to solve the challenges in finding and treating complex disease by developing new products and new markets which combine breakthroughs in medicine, technology and finance. For more than two decades, Origin has partnered with universities and research institutes to harness the collective power of their intellectual property, add to their talent base and help them maximize the impact and value potential of their assets.

About Atlantic Health System

Atlantic Health System, headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey, is a leading non-profit health care delivery system in New Jersey. Our network includes Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ; Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ; Newton Medical Center in Newton, NJ; Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ; Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ; and Goryeb Children's Hospital in Morristown, NJ, as well as Atlantic Rehabilitation, and Atlantic Home Care and Hospice. It also includes its subsidiary, Atlantic Ambulance Corporation. Atlantic Health System comprises 1,747 licensed beds, more than 14,000 employees and more than 4,000 physicians. Atlantic Health System has a medical school affiliation with the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University; is part of Atlantic Accountable Care Organization, one of the largest ACOs in the nation, and is a member of AllSpire Health Partners.

SOURCE Atlantic Health System

Related Links

http://www.atlantichealth.org


Tracy McCarthy, chief human resources officer at Loop-based mobile security company OneSpan, sent an email to Chicago employees Thursday as soon as she saw the jury had begun deliberating. She updated employees on the trial and let them know the company puts their safety first and that they should use discretion in coming to the office when the verdict comes down.
LINCOLN, Neb., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandhills Publishing, the Nebraska-based trade publisher and tech company behind Auction Flex, HiBid.com, AuctionTime.com, BidCaller, and Equipmentfacts, will host a two-day auctioneer forum October 11th and 12th at its global headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska. The event will present attendees with industry insights about a number of online and live auction platforms, auction management solutions, online bidder software, and other resources that simplify auction management, advertising, bidding, and auctions in general.

The auctioneer forum will begin with a meet-and-greet reception on Thursday October 11th. Friday's events will include seminars, roundtable discussions, and presentations on best practices for successful auctions. Sessions will include discussions about online-only auctions, and technology that facilitates auction management, online bidding for live auctions, asset valuations, auction setup, invoicing, and more. The forum will also include insights into financing, shipping, insurance, escrow, and other buyer services that facilitate sales as well as payment processing and other back-end solutions that streamline transactions and facilitate after-sale administration tasks.

The forum's afternoon session will address the impact of South Dakota V. Wayfair, Inc., and provide insights into what auctioneers need to know about economic nexus laws pertaining to the obligation to collect and remit sales tax from customers. Guest speaker Roberta L. Christensen from the law firm of Koley Jessen will address the short- and long-term implications for the ruling. Christensen advises clients on the full spectrum of sales and use tax consulting, planning, compliance, dispute resolution, and policy matters, with a focus on multistate sales and use tax nexus issues. She has advised companies on structuring corporate reorganizations to minimize the potential for nexus, and provides ongoing guidance with respect to transactions that might trigger nexus. She also has extensive experience in appealing and resolving sales and use tax assessments issued by state departments of revenue and in advising clients during the audit process.

Nearly 100 auctioneers have already registered to attend the forum. For more information or to register for this event, please contact your AuctionTime.com or Auction Flex sales representative, or call (800) 334-7443.

About Sandhills Publishing

Sandhills Publishing is an information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our products and services gather, process, and distribute information in the form of trade publications, websites, and online services that connect buyers and sellers across the trucking, agriculture, construction, heavy equipment, aviation, and technology industries. Our integrated, industry-specific approach to hosted technologies and services offers solutions that help businesses large and small operate efficiently and grow securely, cost-effectively, and successfully. Sandhills Publishingwe are the cloud.

Contact Sandhills:

120 West Harvest Drive

Lincoln, NE 68521

www.Sandhills.com

[email protected]

(402) 479-2181

SOURCE AuctionTime.com
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of the West is bringing together, for the first time, treasurers from rapidly-expanding technology companies at Tech20 High-Growth (Tech20 HG), the Bank announced today. As the lead sponsor of the inaugural meeting, the Bank's support is part of its continued work with the technology sector nationwide.

The Bank of the West Commercial Banking Group's collaboration with organizer NeuGroup allows Tech20 HG to provide treasurers in the technology sector the opportunity to meet and learn from peers in an environment that has benefited NeuGroup members for 17 years. Participants in the invite-only discussion group come from a number of geographic hubs within the U.S. technology industry.

"Bank of the West supports the unique needs of technology companies who become more complex, global enterprises faster than their peers in any other industry," said Andreas Bubenzer-Paim, Managing Director and Head of Technology Banking at Bank of the West. "We work with U.S.-headquartered, middle market technology companies nationwide to address their complex needs across the U.S. and around the globe, like domestic and international cash management solutions, tailored financing structures and capital markets and investment banking advisory services, delivered by Bank of the West and its parent company BNP Paribas."

The first meeting will take place on October 11, 2018.

"Our work within the technology industry showcases the capabilities of Bank of the West's Commercial Bank," said Jean-Marc Torre, Senior EVP and Group Head for Commercial Banking at Bank of the West. "Technology is at the heart of what we do and influences every level of our business, from building a culture of innovation across our Commercial Banking team, to how we serve our clients in many industries by developing state-of-the-art products and services."

About Bank of the West

The fundamental belief that a bank should have a positive impact on society drives Bank of the West. At a time when people demand more from companies, we are taking action to ensure our activities help protect the planet, improve people's lives, and strengthen communities. That's why we are investing where we can have a real impact: supporting energy transition, helping enable female entrepreneurs and financing innovative start-ups. As the bank for a changing world, Bank of the West is committed to sustainable finance along with our parent company BNP Paribas, which is one of the only financial organizations in the world to adopt the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through Digital Channels and offices across the U.S., Bank of the West provides financial tools and resources to more than 2 million individuals, families and businesses.

Deposit and loan products offered by Bank of the West, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender.  2018 Bank of the West. Doing business in South Dakota as Bank of the West California.

About NeuGroup

For more than two decades, NeuGroup has lead the way in peer knowledge exchange for treasury and finance professionals. With an unrivaled network of 20 invitation-only peer groups, NeuGroup facilitates more than 30 face-to-face meetings that connect peers, exchange knowledge and distill discussions. These face-to-face interactions, coupled with formal benchmarking, inform actions, transform practices, and enhance careers for the 450 members of the NeuGroup Network. More information at www.Neugroup.com.

Connect with us

SOURCE Bank of the West

Related Links

http://www.bankofthewest.com


WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Paul Offit, an award-winning expert on vaccines, immunology and virology and co-inventor of a rotavirus vaccine credited with saving hundreds of lives every day, will appear at a National Press Club Headliners Book Rap on Monday, October 29, to discuss his latest book: "Bad Advice: Or Why Celebrities, Politicians and Activists Aren't Your Best Source of Health Information."

In "Bad Advice," Dr. Offit uses harrowing and often humorous stories from his own experiences as one of the countries' top pediatricians and leading vaccine advocates to illustrate why scientists must hone their communication skills and fight back against politicians and celebrity activists who use their gift of gab to spread overly simplistic and often misleading or downright false information to the public about what is good for them and what is not.

This event will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Club's Conference Rooms, and will feature a discussion with the author, an audience question-and-answer session, and a book signing. Tickets are $5 for National Press Club members and $10 for the general public. When purchasing tickets for this event online, buyers will also have the option of purchasing copies of the book at check-out. To purchase tickets and copies of the book, please click here.

Books will also be available for purchase at the event. Proceeds from book sales will benefit the non-profit affiliate of the Club, the National Press Club Journalism Institute, so we kindly ask that you leave all outside books and memorabilia at home.

About the Author:

Paul A. Offit, M.D., is a professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, as well as the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology and Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He has been a member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, is a Board Member of Every Child by Two and is a founding member of the Autism Science Foundation. In April 2018 was awarded the Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal, given annually the Sabin Gold Medal recognizes those who have made extraordinary contributions in the field of vaccinology. In addition to "Bad Advice," Offit has authored eight other books including "Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure," and "Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong."

PRESS CONTACT:

Lindsay Underwood, The National Press Club

(202) 662-7561, [email protected]

SOURCE National Press Club

Related Links

http://www.press.org


International Curry Week will celebrate the rich history, evolution and diversity of curry and how it has become a true product of global culinary currents. Highlighting curry as an all-inclusive cultural movement, Bira 91 will partner with a variety of restaurants across multiple markets to bring to the forefront curries from around the world: Indian, Caribbean, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian and Vietnamese. Participating restaurants include New York City's famed Miss Lily's, Baar Baar, Kiin Thai, and Amarachi; Singapore's Tandoor, Lagnaa, Long Chim and Nara Thai; New Delhi's, Lavaash By Saby, Jamun, AnnaMaya and many more.

"We're thrilled to kick-off the first annual International Curry Week," said Ankur Jain, Founder and CEO, Bira 91. "Curry is the world's comfort food, but it's enjoying a new embrace as something different: a hip symbol of how the world is growing more colorful and more diverse. We're excited to complement a wide range of curries with our own distinctive beers and look forward to bringing something new for consumers to experience for years to come."

Select restaurants will offer diners a custom menu with curry-centric entrees specially developed by the chefs, along with a specific Bira 91 pairing. Others will offer fixed pricing on specific dishes paired with Bira 91. Along with the culinary offerings, Bira 91 will provide free giveaways and redeemable vouchers with the order of certain curry dishes.

For more information on International Curry Week, as well as the list of participating restaurants in each city, please visit: www.internationalcurryweek.com .

For restaurant reservations please visit: www.internationalcurryweek.com/en-us/restaurant-listing

About International Curry Week

For full information on International Curry Week please visit the website: www.internationalcurryweek.com

Dates: October 12th-28th 2018

For restaurant reservations please visit: www.internationalcurryweek.com/en-us/restaurant-listing

Social Media handles (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter):

NYC: @Bira91US / #CurryWeekNYC / #InternationalCurryWeek



New Delhi : @Bira91Beer (Twitter: @Bira91) / #CurryWeekDEL / #InternationalCurryWeek

: @Bira91Beer (Twitter: @Bira91) / #CurryWeekDEL / #InternationalCurryWeek

Singapore : @Bira91SG / #CurryWeekSG / #InternationalCurryWeek

About Bira 91

A refreshingly modern beer brand, Imagined in India, Bira 91 aspires to bring flavorful beers to the new world. As one of the fastest growing beers in the world, Bira 91 has built a strong portfolio of essential beers and aims to drive the global shift in beer towards more color and flavor. Established in the summer of 2015 by B9 Beverages and headquartered in New Delhi, Bira 91 has quickly become a rage amongst urban millennials owing to its delicious beers, bold identity and a strong draft network. Driven by a dynamic and energetic team of over 300 passionate beer lovers, the company now operates two breweries in India, and has offices in 9 cities including New York City. Bira 91 is backed by Silicon Valley's legendary venture capital firm Sequoia. Crafted with the creative urban drinker in mind  someone who likes to have fun and doesn't take life (or beer) too seriously, the brand aims to disrupt the global beer world with 21st century technology and its playful monkey mascot.

For more information visit www.bira91.com

SOURCE Bira 91
Company announces new partnerships, customers, and blockchain solution for the ultra-secure sharing of data among all healthcare 'things' with BlackBerry Spark

NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today quickly followed the announcement of its flagship BlackBerry Spark platform by announcing new partnerships and customer-driven projects that have a shared aim of transforming the global delivery of patient care enabled by the Enterprise of Things (EoT).

"We are applying our expertise in security, data privacy, and communication work in regulated industries such as automotive, financial services, and government to tackle one of the biggest challenges in the healthcare industry: leveraging healthcare endpoints to improve patient outcomes while ensuring security and data privacy," said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO of BlackBerry.

Ultra-Secure Storage and Transfer of Medical Data with BlackBerry's NOC and Blockchain Technology

The company will be using its renowned carrier-grade network operation center (NOC) to power a blockchain digital ledger, provided by ONEBIO, to create an ultra-secure global ecosystem for the storing and sharing of medical data. For example, data could be inputted by patients, laboratories, and IoT biometric devices, and then anonymized so this data can be shared with researchers.

BlackBerry is offering this new secure blockchain solution for the first time to the Global Commission, an organization focused on ending the diagnostic odyssey for children with a rare disease. Co-chaired by Shire, the leading global biotech focused on rare diseases, one of the Global Commission's technology pilots will explore how BlackBerry's new solution might provide real-time, actionable analysis as the Commission seeks to use technology to shorten the time to diagnosis.

BlackBerry Launches New Operating System for Secure Medical Devices

Designed to be highly secure and compliant with IEC 62304 safety-certification standards, BlackBerry's new QNX OS for Medical 2.0 is a real-time operating system for the development of robotic surgical instruments, patient monitoring systems, infusion pumps, blood analysis systems, and other safety-critical products that must pass stringent regulatory approval.

With QNX OS for Medical 2.0, medical device manufacturers have the assurance of using trusted software field-proven in thousands of life-critical environments, including in FDA Class III medical devices.

BlackBerry Partners with Mackenzie Innovation Institute

The Mackenzie Innovation Institute (Mi2) is exploring security and connectivity between the BlackBerry Spark EoT platform and its 'smart' healthcare technology vision. Mi2 helps drive innovation in healthcare through research, education and training while enhancing healthcare practices, treatments, service delivery models and more.

"By developing a deeper understanding and exploring how our 'smart' systems operate with BlackBerry Spark, we aim to uncover new ways to connect, protect and intuitively manage smart technologies in a hospital and positively impact high-quality patient care," says Richard Tam, Chief Financial Officer of Mi2. "Together, we will focus on comprehensive security, patient privacy and intelligent connectivity, all the while achieving the vision of the Internet of Healthcare Things (IoHT)."

Mi is a bridge between industry and healthcare for the implementation and evaluation of innovative and disruptive technologies, process redesign, and practice changes in real-time healthcare environments in order to create sustainable value-added improvements in patient experience, quality and outcomes.

BlackBerry Helps Advance Skin Cancer Research with Melanoma Institute Australia

After a successful trial, the Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA), which pioneers the prevention and cure of melanoma through world-class research, treatment and education programs, has selected BlackBerry to enable researchers to securely share critical research data and patient records in a heavily regulated environment.

Approved contributors in the network, such as scientists and doctors at different hospitals, can use BlackBerry Workspaces to save and share data from medical histories and clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of treatments and interventions. The easy-to-use, encrypted collaboration solution will enable researchers to share timely clinical data, reduce the risk of data leakage, and accelerate research efforts.

Ernie White, Chief Information Officer of Melanoma Institute of Australia said, "Our priority is to advance the treatment of melanoma, so any new technology must support the clinical journey for our clinicians, not interrupt it. As we continue to expand our research network, Melanoma Institute Australia is accelerating how our researchers can freely collaborate in a very regulated environment, while maintaining data integrity. BlackBerry Workspaces strikes that balance between security and ease-of-use, while helping to meet data compliance and our own digital transformation goals."

For more information on how BlackBerry's products and services are rewiring the global delivery of patient care, please visit www.blackberry.com.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry is an enterprise software and services company focused on securing and managing IoT endpoints. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company was founded in 1984 and operates in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Latin America and Africa. The Company trades under the ticker symbol "BB" on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.BlackBerry.com.

BlackBerry and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of BlackBerry Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.

Contacts:

BlackBerry Media Relations

(519) 597-7273

[email protected]

BlackBerry Investor Relations

(519) 888-7465

[email protected]

SOURCE BlackBerry Limited

Related Links

http://www.BlackBerry.com


ROCKVILLE, Maryland, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The broader trends impacting the packaging industry are also influencing the dynamics in the blow molded containers market. Global demand for blow molded containers is likely to reach nearly 33,000 kilo tons by 2018-end, equaling a market value of over US$ 185 billion. These insights are according to a latest market research study by Fact.MR.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/713666/FactMR_Logo.jpg )

A wide-range of discrete aspects, ranging from shift toward sustainability to rising demand for puncture-resistant packaging solutions, are likely to underpin the growth of blow molded containers market during the assessment period. Demand for blow molded containers continues to be influenced by their resistance to abrasion and high recyclability. Growing popularity of single-serve beverages and convenience foods is also likely to create sustained opportunities for blow molded containers market players during the assessment period. The report opines that market players offering customized and proprietary containers in a wide-range of shapes are likely to achieve long-term customer retention.

Request For Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=1977

The report finds that blow molded PET containers continue to be the top-selling product type in the market. The high demand for PET bottles in the blow molded containers market can be attributed to cost savings and growing focus on sustainable packaging. Demand is also likely to be healthy for HDPE containers owing to high rigidity and excellent barrier properties.

According to Fact.MR, blow molded containers will continue to witness steady demand in the manufacture of bottles and cans. The rising popularity of single-serve beverages and liquid supplements is significantly contributing to the overall demand for bottles and cans. Jugs and jars segment is further likely to trail the former in terms of adoption rate and is highly likely to introduce lucrative avenues for the stakeholders of blow molded containers market.

To Get more Insights on Blow Molded Containers Market, Visit - https://www.factmr.com/report/1977/blow-molded-containers-market

As per the research study, the tier 2 players in the blow molded containers market are focusing on introducing new products with advanced features and providing economical alternatives to consolidate their market stronghold. Furthermore, the tier 3 players in the blow molded containers market are focusing on gaining much-needed recognition in the marketplace and are investing on devising robust marketing strategies to achieve the same. The report also enunciates about key differential strategies adopted by the market players of blow molded containers in a bid to gain competitive advantages. Emphasis on vertical integration and use of bio-plastics are outlined as some of the key strategies adopted by the stakeholders of blow molded containers market.

The report opines that the advent of advanced technologies, such as 3-D printing and accumulator head blow molding technique, are likely to diversify growth trajectory of the industry. While diverse regulations and legislations will continue to govern the market space, blow molded containers with quality assurances such as Food Safety HACCP-9000 will gain substantial prominence, unveils the report. The report also states that the blow molded containers market might be subjected to intense competition from alternative packaging solutions such as liquid cartons, plastic pouches, which might confine the adoption rate of blow molded products across the globe.

To Buy Blow Molded Containers Market Report, Visit- https://www.factmr.com/checkout/1977/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.

Contact Us

Rohit Bhisey

Fact.MR

11140 Rockville Pike

Suite 400

Rockville, MD 20852

United States

Email: [email protected]



Web: https://www.factmr.com/

Blog: https://factmrblog.com/

Read Industry News at - https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/

SOURCE Fact.MR
NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue River Partners, LLC is pleased to announce that due to substantial market demand for its services, the company has significantly expanded its New York resources, including new office space in Manhattan at 800 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022. In addition, Blue River has added several senior executives to its team in New York.

As the newest senior members of our New York team, we welcome each of the following:

Roy Genzmann as Managing Director  Fund Administration, Operations and Outsourced CFO

as Managing Director  Fund Administration, Operations and Outsourced CFO Steve Kansky as Managing Director  Regulatory Compliance

as Managing Director  Regulatory Compliance Mike Purce as Managing Director  Tax Advisory and Compliance

as Managing Director  Tax Advisory and Compliance Paul Gustus as Managing Director  Business Development

as Managing Director  Business Development Ashley Fizzarotti as Director  Operations and Outsourced CFO

"This has been a remarkable year for Blue River Partners as we have continued to grow our client base in New York and nationwide, supported by a very talented team of professionals," says Mark Fordyce, CEO of Blue River. "The new office space in New York and the addition of very experienced personnel will allow Blue River to continue to deliver the exceptional client service and responsiveness that has made us the leader in outsourced back-office services to the alternative asset management industry."

Professional Biographies

Roy Genzmann, Managing Director  Fund Administration, Operations & Outsourced CFO

Mr. Genzmann possesses more than 20 years of comprehensive operations and financial reporting experience within the financial and non-financial service industries. Before joining Blue River, he had various work assignments including a Consultant position at TPG Global. Previously, he was an Executive Director at JP Morgan, where he worked in their fund administration business, and was a Senior Manager at Bank of America and AIG Investments in their alternative asset management business. He started his career at Deloitte & Touche as an auditor. Mr. Genzmann is a Certified Public Accountant.

Steve Kansky, Managing Director  Regulatory Compliance

Mr. Kansky joins Blue River's Legal & Regulatory Compliance group with nearly 20 years of experience. Prior to joining Blue River, he served as Senior Compliance Consultant specializing in investment advisor regulatory compliance matters with an emphasis on private funds, Senior Compliance Officer for Point72 Asset Management, a multibillion-dollar global asset management firm where he had primary responsibility for providing ongoing compliance support to the firm's investment professionals, and Chief Compliance Officer for Tribeca Global Management, a global multi-strategy hedge fund.

Mike Purce, Managing Director  Tax Advisory and Compliance

Mr. Purce joins Blue River's tax group with more than 12 years of experience in corporate and partnership taxation at a "Big 4" and top 15 national accounting firm. During his time in public accounting Mr. Purce managed the tax compliance filings for an extensive number of clients ranging in a variety of asset classes including real estate, banking, insurance, loan origination, technology, healthcare and financial advisory. He has also spent time developing and teaching various continuing education classes on tax topics that affect the alternative asset industry.

Paul Gustus, Managing Director  Business Development

Mr. Gustus has more than 20 years of experience in the alternative asset industry supporting numerous third-party managers, hedge funds and private equity funds in various C-level capacities. His operational experience includes multiple strategies and spans start-ups to multibillion-dollar funds. Prior to joining Blue River, he was a Managing Director of Business Development & Corporate Strategy at a service provider within the industry where he cultivated relationships with managers, partners, service providers and other key players in the space. Prior to that, Paul spent 20 years on the buy side, with his latest C-level role acting as Chief Administration Officer of Crestview Partners, a multibillion-dollar private equity fund.

Ashley Fizzarotti, Director  Operations & Outsourced CFO

Ms. Fizzarotti comes to Blue River with more than 10 years of alternative investment fund accounting and operations experience. Prior to joining Blue River, she served as the Chief Financial Officer of Blue Anchor Capital Partners, a fundamental long/short equity fund, and spent six years at Terrapin Asset Management, a multi-strategy registered investment advisor, as well as other roles cultivating her experience across multiple strategies and asset classes.

About Blue River Partners

Blue River Partners, LLC is the preeminent outsourced service provider to the alternative asset management industry. By leveraging Blue River's team, investment advisory firms are able to implement best-of-breed, integrated and scalable institutional-quality back offices, often at a fraction of the cost of internal hires. Blue River works with managers in multiple capacities ranging from:

Fund launches - hedge funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds and mutual funds

Closed-end fund (private equity/venture capital/real estate/energy/credit) administration, operations and investor reporting

Hedge fund operations and middle-office services

Outsourced CFO services, shadow books and records, financial controls and operational support

Investment Advisor registration and compliance program build-out (SEC/State/CFTC)

Ongoing regulatory compliance support and maintenance (SEC/State/CFTC)

Tax advisory and compliance services

IT & Cybersecurity services

Business analytics, data integration and custom application solutions

Blue River currently supports over 350 clients managing more than $1.25 trillion in assets.

For more information about our service offerings and resources, please visit us at www.blueriverpartnersllc.com.

Blue River Partners, LLC is not a CPA firm.

Blue River Partners, LLC is not a law firm.

Contact Information:

MICHAEL S. MINCES

Founding Partner, President

Phone: 214.736.7176

[email protected]

SOURCE Blue River Partners, LLC

Related Links

http://www.blueriverpartnersllc.com


MIAMI, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Cruise Line  which carries more military personnel and their families than any other cruise operator  has been presented with the prestigious U.S. Honor Flag bestowed by the Miami-Dade Police Department Honor Guard in recognition of its tremendous support of the brave men and women of the U.S. armed forces.

Carnival is the first cruise company to receive this honor.

The U.S. Honor Flag flew over Ground Zero following the Sept. 11 attacks and since then has traveled 7 million miles, flying on the space shuttle Atlantis, and over the Pentagon, state capitols, presidential libraries, state and national memorials as well as funerals and tributes to fallen soldiers, police officers and first responders.

The presentation was made during a ceremony today at the cruise line's Miami headquarters during which The Honor Flag was ceremoniously escorted by the Miami-Dade Police Department Honor Guard and positioned prominently on stage.

Following the official presentation of The Honor Flag and a poignant tribute to fallen heroes, The Honor Network President Chris Heisler presented Carnival President Christine Duffy with a pair of U.S. Honor Foundation embroidered gloves that are used every time the U.S. Honor Flag is handled. The custom gloves are now on permanent display at the company's offices.

"Carnival Cruise Line is very proud of our longstanding support of the military and we are honored to receive this esteemed recognition by The Honor Network that recognizes the sacrifices of these brave men and women each and every day," said Duffy.

"Corporate citizens like Carnival Cruise Line are examples of what military appreciation and true American patriotism should be," said Heisler. "It is an absolute honor for us to share part of the American sacrifice in honor of their amazing commitment to our nation's heroes."

Carnival has been a longtime supporter of the military, hosting a military appreciation reception on every cruise and a proud partner of Operation Homefront, an organization whose goal is to build strong, stable and secure military families. The line recently hosted Humor for Heroes at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego that included an on-site comedy performance for 500 military members and their families and a sizable donation to Operation Homefront. Earlier this year, Duffy participated in the 88th Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, an intensive weeklong exercise that is the oldest and most prestigious public liaison program in the Department of Defense.

To learn more about Carnival Cruise Line, visit Carnival.com. For reservations, contact any travel agent or call 1-800-CARNIVAL. Carnival can also be found on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Journalists also can visit Carnival's media site, carnival-news.com or follow the line's PR department on Twitter at twitter.com/CarnivalPR.

About Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL;NYSE: CUK), is "The World's Most Popular Cruise Line" with 26 ships operating three- to 24-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Cuba, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia. The line currently has three new ships scheduled for delivery  the 133,500-ton Carnival Panorama set to debut in 2019 and two as-yet-unnamed 180,000-ton ships in 2020 and 2022.

SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line

Related Links

https://www.carnival.com


SEATTLE, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Century Communities, recently named the fastest growing public builder by Builder magazine, announced today that the public and real estate brokers are invited for a "first look" at three new home communitiesAlderidge, Jasper Court and Leawood Heightsin Lynnwood. This premier opportunity offers homebuyers and brokers the chance to preview four new floor plans currently under construction and 34 new homes located 16 miles north of Seattle in what is considered the gateway to the North Puget Sound.

John Merlino, Washington division president at Century Communities, said, "Alderidge, Jasper Court and Leawood Heightsall unique neighborhoods in Lynnwoodcaters to a variety of lifestyles, as well as Seattle commuters, and anyone who enjoys the beauty of Puget Sound. We're offering this opportunity, so homebuyers can find their perfect home before they are all gone. Our Laterra community in Lynnwood sold out in just four months."

ALDERIDGE

Only 12 homes remain at Alderidge starting in the $700s. They offer 3-6 bedrooms and 2-3 car garages with sizes ranging from 2,341 to 4,019 square feet. Seven of the homes are already under construction so new homeowners will start moving in before the end of the year. Homebuyers will enjoy living in this quiet nook of two cul-de-sacs on wooded lots.

These two-story homes feature traditional and welcoming designs which, depending on floor plans, include spacious master suites, great rooms with large, bright windows, sliders which flood the open space with natural light, contemporary gourmet kitchens, bonus rooms, mudrooms and pantries, and covered patios and decks for inviting outdoor living spaces.

JASPER COURT

Built on a private access road surrounded by trees, Jasper Court offers six new homes starting in the $750s. Homebuyers can choose from 4-5 bedrooms and 2-3 car garages in sizes ranging from 2,818 to 3,112 square feet.

These two-story homes also feature spacious master suites, great rooms with large, bright windows, sliders which flood the open space with natural light, contemporary gourmet kitchens, bonus rooms, mudrooms and pantries, and covered patios and decks for inviting outdoor living spaces.

LEAWOOD HEIGHTS

Homes in Leawood Heights are already selling and a few remain. These roomy, warm and inviting homes start in the $800s. They offer 4-6 bedrooms and 2-3 car garages in sizes ranging from 2,818 to 3,776 square feet. These luxury homes include grand entries, two-sided fireplaces, contemporary gourmet kitchens, spacious master suites, daylight basements, private sitting rooms, outdoor living spaces and more.

Visitors can talk with community sales associates and tour the three distinguished communities to choose their next home. For more information and directions, please visit https://www.centurycommunities.com/find-your-home/washington

About Century Communities:

Century Communities, Inc. (NYSE:CCS) is one of the nation's largest U.S. homebuilders, engaged in all aspects of homebuilding, including the acquisition, entitlement and development of land and the construction, marketing and sale of quality homes designed to appeal to a wide range of homebuyers. The Colorado-based Company operates in 12 states across the West, Mountain, Texas and Southeast U.S. regions and offers title and lending services in select markets through its Parkway Title and Inspire Home Loan subsidiaries. To learn more about Century Communities, please visit www.centurycommunities.com.

SOURCE Century Communities

Related Links

www.centurycommunities.com


"Chinasoft is delighted that Gavriella has agreed to join our board," said Dr. Yuhong Chen, also known as Henry, CEO of Chinasoft. "We are quickly expanding our Microsoft business, especially around digital workplace and the cloud, and her deep knowledge of the Microsoft ecosystem and her relationships will be invaluable as we expand our presence around the world."

Gavriella Schuster leads Microsoft's global portfolio of channel partners. With more than 20 years of leadership expertise in digital and cloud transformation roles, her strategy and execution expertise spans all aspects of business model and product development, launch, marketing, sales and partner development. She leads the global recruitment, enablement and engagement of Microsoft's fast-growing partner ecosystem. Under Gavriella's leadership, she has led global teams in building an ecosystem of over 700,000 engaged partners, adding 30% more partners year-over-year and over 7,000 net new partners to Microsoft monthly. More about Ms. Schuster can be found on her LinkedIn profile.

Microsoft is currently the 2nd largest institutional owner of Chinasoft International. To complement this relationship, Chinasoft's U.S. subsidiary, Catapult Systems, has a 25-year partnership with Microsoft, and is a leader in the Microsoft partner ecosystem in the United States.

David Fuess, CEO of Catapult Systems, said, "I am excited for the opportunity to work side by side with Gavriella. We have known each for more than fifteen years, so I know first-hand that I will learn a lot from her knowledge and talents as a technology leader. This appointment provides all companies involved the chance to collaborate and create a more strategic alignment in the years to come."

About Chinasoft:

Founded in 2000, Chinasoft International Limited is a listed company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with its code of 354.HK. It is a leading China-based comprehensive software and information services provider, ranging from end-to-end services of consulting, solution, outsourcing and talent training. It serves clients in manufacturing, finance, telecommunication, high-tech, transportation, energy and the government. The company provides global services to over 100 multinational companies with close to 54,000 employees located worldwide including mainland China, Hong Kong, Princeton, Seattle, London, Tokyo etc. For more information, please visit www.chinasofti.com.

About Catapult Systems:

Catapult Systems is a modern digital solutions and services firm that specializes in emerging and business-critical technologies for large and mid-size organizations. We imagine, build and sustain IT-enabled business solutions that people love to use. Recognized as the 2016 Microsoft Partner of the Year (U.S.), Catapult specializes in digital transformation and cloud-based technologies. Catapult has offices in Austin, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Phoenix, San Antonio, Tampa and Mexico City. Chinasoft has offices in China, Malaysia, India, Mexico and Western Europe.

Press Contact:

Mindy Russell

Vice President, Marketing

Catapult Systems

512-605-3903

SOURCE Catapult Systems

Related Links

http://www.chinasofti.com


Treasure Island owns four of its seven locations, the selling of which could help the company pay off its debts. That real estate could be targeted by large chain retailers like Target and Walmart looking to expand their footprint in Chicago, real estate sources say, or the properties could be redeveloped into mixed-use residential and commercial buildings. The company-owned stores are on North Broadway Street, North Wells Street and North Clybourn Avenue on Chicagos North Side and in north suburban Wilmette.
The new printer uses HP solvent-based ink for printing on all films, overwrap and other non-porous substrates. It is IP65 washdown rated and can be retrofitted on all wrappers, baggers and other form, fill and seal equipment.

The new system will be demonstrated at Pack Expo Chicago in booth S-3847.

Code Tech specializes in providing printing solutions utilizing disposable HP inkjet cartridges. Code Tech brings over 20 years of industry experience focusing on providing clients innovative marketing and coding solutions. Code Tech also has all natural edible inks for direct printing on food products. For more information visit www.codetechcorp.com .

SOURCE Code Tech

Related Links

http://www.codetechcorp.com


MEXICO CITY, Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CONTROLADORA MABE, S.A. DE C.V. (the "Company") announced today that it has commenced an offer to purchase (the "Tender Offer") up to U.S. $350,000,000 aggregate principal amount (the "Tender Cap") of its outstanding 7.875% Senior Notes due October 28, 2019 (CUSIP/ISIN Nos. 21240BAA9/ US21240BAA98 and P3100SAA2/ USP3100SAA26) (the "Notes"), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase (as defined below).

The Tender Offer

The Tender Offer will expire at midnight, New York City Time, on October 31, 2018 (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Expiration Time"). Holders who validly tender Notes at or prior to 8:00 A.M., New York City Time, on October 18, 2018 (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Early Tender Deadline"), unless the Tender Offer is earlier terminated or withdrawn by the Company, will be eligible to receive the Total Consideration (as described below). Holders who validly tender Notes after the Early Tender Deadline, but at or prior to the Expiration Time, unless the Tender Offer is earlier terminated or withdrawn by the Company, will be eligible to receive the Tender Offer Consideration (as described below). Notes tendered may be withdrawn at any time at or prior to 8:00 A.M., New York City Time, on October 18, 2018 (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Withdrawal Deadline") but not thereafter.

Holders of Notes who validly tender Notes in the Tender Offer, and whose tenders are accepted by the Company, will receive, in addition to accrued and unpaid interest, for each U.S. $1,000 principal amount of Notes tendered, an amount in cash in U.S. dollars equal to:

in the case of Notes tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline that are accepted for purchase, an amount equal to US $1,046.80 (the "Total Consideration"), consisting of (i) an amount equal to US $1,016.80 (the "Tender Offer Consideration"), plus (ii) an amount equal to US $30.00 (the "Early Tender Payment") and





(the "Total Consideration"), consisting of (i) an amount equal to US (the "Tender Offer Consideration"), plus (ii) an amount equal to US (the "Early Tender Payment") and in the case of Notes tendered after the Early Tender Deadline, but at or prior to the Expiration Time, the Tender Offer Consideration.

If the purchase of all validly tendered Notes would cause the Company to purchase a principal amount greater than the Tender Cap, then the Tender Offer will be oversubscribed and, if the Company accepts Notes in the Tender Offer, it will accept for purchase tendered Notes on a prorated basis. The Early Tender Payment will not be payable with respect to any Notes returned due to proration.

So long as the terms and conditions described in the Offer to Purchase (including the Company's receipt of sufficient aggregate net proceeds from the securities offering described below) are satisfied, the Company intends to accept for payment all Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline, and will only prorate such Notes if the aggregate amount of Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn exceeds the Tender Cap. If the Tender Offer is not fully subscribed as of the Early Tender Deadline, holders who validly tender Notes after the Early Tender Deadline and at or before the Expiration Time may be subject to proration, whereas holders who validly tendered Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline would not be subject to proration. Furthermore, if the Tender Offer is fully subscribed as of the Early Tender Deadline, holders who validly tender Notes after the Early Tender Deadline may not have any of their Notes accepted for payment, unless the Company decides to (i) extend the Tender Offer or (ii) increase the Tender Cap, subject to applicable law, in its sole discretion. In any scenario, Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline and not validly withdrawn will have priority in payment over Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Deadline and at or before the Expiration Time. The Company will announce the results of proration, if any, by press release promptly after the Early Acceptance Date or the Final Acceptance Date (each as defined below), as the case may be.

The terms and conditions of the Tender Offer are set forth in an Offer to Purchase dated the date hereof (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase"). The Company may amend, extend, terminate or withdraw the Tender Offer.

Settlement

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer being satisfied or waived, the Company reserves the right, at any time following the Early Tender Deadline but prior to the Expiration Time (the "Early Acceptance Date"), to accept for purchase the Notes validly tendered before the Early Tender Deadline and not validly withdrawn before the Withdrawal Deadline, subject to any required proration. If the Company elects to exercise this option, it will pay the Total Consideration for the Notes accepted for purchase at the Early Acceptance Date on a date (the "Early Payment Date") promptly following the Early Acceptance Date. Such Early Payment Date is expected to be October 23, 2018, the same business day as the expected closing date for the securities offering described below, but is subject to change without notice. Also, on the Early Payment Date, if any, the Company will pay accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the Early Payment Date, on Notes accepted for purchase at the Early Acceptance Date. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law, to increase or decrease the Tender Cap; however, there can be no assurance that the Company will do so.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer being satisfied or waived, and to the Company's right to extend, amend, terminate or withdraw the Tender Offer, it will, after the Expiration Time (the "Final Acceptance Date"), accept for purchase all Notes validly tendered before the Expiration Time and not validly withdrawn before the Withdrawal Deadline (or if the Company has exercised its early purchase option described above, all Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Deadline and before the Expiration Time). The Company will pay the Total Consideration or Tender Offer Consideration, as the case may be, for Notes accepted for purchase at the Final Acceptance Date on a date (the "Final Payment Date") promptly following the Final Acceptance Date. Also, on the Final Payment Date, the Company will pay accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the Final Payment Date, on Notes accepted for purchase at the Final Acceptance Date.

The Company's obligation to accept for purchase and to pay for Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the Tender Offer is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, which are more fully described in the Offer to Purchase, including, among others, the Company's receipt of aggregate net proceeds sufficient to fund the aggregate Tender Offer Consideration plus accrued and unpaid interest in respect of all Notes tendered and accepted for purchase in the Tender Offer (subject to any required proration), the Early Tender Payment in respect of any Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline that are accepted for purchase, and estimated fees and expenses relating to the Tender Offer from an offering of senior notes to be sold in an offering exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In no event will the information contained in this release or the Offer to Purchase regarding such offering constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities offered thereunder.

Citigroup Global Markets Inc. is the dealer manager for the Tender Offer. Global Bondholder Services Corporation has been appointed as the depositary and information agent for the Tender Offer.

Persons with questions regarding the Tender Offer should contact Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at (212) 723-6106 (collect) or (800) 558-3745 (toll-free).

The Offer to Purchase will be distributed to holders of Notes promptly. Holders who would like additional copies of the Offer to Purchase may call the information agent, Global Bondholder Service Corporation, toll-free at (866)-470-4200. (Banks and brokers may call collect at (212) 430-3774.)

This announcement is not an offer to purchase, a solicitation of an offer to purchase or a solicitation of tenders with respect to any Notes or other securities. The Tender Offer is being made solely pursuant to the Offer to Purchase.

The Tender Offer does not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation by anyone in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is not permitted by law or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.

In any jurisdiction in which the Tender Offer is required to be made by a licensed broker or dealer and in which the dealer manager, or any affiliates thereof, are so licensed, the Tender Offer will be deemed to have been made by such dealer manager, or such affiliates, on behalf of the Company.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements relate to our future prospects, developments and business strategies and are identified by our use of terms and phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "would," "will," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "goals," "target," "strategy" and similar terms and phrases, and may include references to assumptions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are based on numerous assumptions and that our actual results of operations, including our financial condition and liquidity and the development of the Mexican home appliance industry, may differ materially from (and be more negative than) those made in, or suggested by, any forward-looking statements contained in this release. In addition, even if our results of operations, including our financial condition and liquidity and the development of the industry in which we operate, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this release, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information or future events or developments. More detailed information about these and other factors is set forth in the Offer to Purchase.

www.mabe.cc

SOURCE Controladora Mabe, S.A. de C.V.

Related Links

http://www.mabe.cc


TORONTO and TAMPA, FL, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Cott Corporation (NYSE:COT; TSX:BCB) ("Cott" or the "Company") announced today that the Company will release its third quarter ended September 29, 2018 financial results before the markets open on Thursday, November 8, 2018.

Cott will host a conference call, to be simultaneously webcast, on Thursday, November 8, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. A question and answer session will follow management's presentation. To participate, please call the following numbers:

Third Quarter 2018 Earnings Conference Call

North America: (888) 231-8191

International: (647) 427-7450

Conference ID: 7586828

This is a live, listen-only dial-in telephone line.

Webcast for Third Quarter 2018 Earnings Conference Call

A live audio webcast will be available through the Company's website at http://www.cott.com. The webcast will be recorded and archived for playback on the investor relations section of the website for two weeks following the event.

About Cott Corporation

Cott is a water, coffee, tea, extracts and filtration service company with a leading volume-based national presence in the North American and European home and office bottled water delivery industry and a leader in custom coffee roasting, blending of iced tea, and extract solutions for the U.S. foodservice industry. Our platform reaches over 2.4 million customers or delivery points across North America and Europe supported by strategically located sales and distribution facilities and fleets, as well as wholesalers and distributors. This enables us to efficiently service residences, businesses, restaurant chains, hotels and motels, small and large retailers, and healthcare facilities.

Website: www.cott.com

SOURCE Cott Corporation

Related Links

http://www.cott.com


The DHL Youth Volunteer Fellowship Award celebrates young Americans who are leading change through their commitment to social service

The award is open to youths aged 13-18 from six states

Eligible candidates can apply now at WE.org/dhl

PLANTATION, FL, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - DHL, the world's leading international express services provider, and WE, an organization that makes doing good doable, are continuing their efforts to empower young leaders in the United States through the third annual DHL Youth Fellowship Award. The award program, launched in 2016, recognizes exceptional young Americans who are leading the charge in service with their transformative actions. It encourages youths to realize their potential, pursue their dreams and continue to lead through service and action.

Now open for applications at WE.org/dhl, youths aged 13-18 from California, Illinois, Minnesota, New York State, Texas and Washington State are eligible to apply.

Applicants are asked to demonstrate how they have made a positive impact in their local and global communities, outlining the specific action plans they've taken to address their cause of choice and detailing the positive impact their efforts have made. Most important, applicants are asked to describe how winning the award will help them grow as a leader and change-maker.

Through the award program, DHL and WE recognize youth taking concrete and measurable actions to create lasting social change. More information about the award, along with the application form, are available at WE.org/dhl .

The award prize package includes an immersive travel experience with ME to WE to Ecuador, where the winners work alongside community members on development projects.

"The DHL fellowship is a unique opportunity for young people to explore a new culture while volunteering on sustainable development projects that make a real difference in communities," said Greg Hewitt, CEO of DHL Express U.S. "My experience with our DHL fellowship winners in Ecuador last summer filled me with tremendous hope that the next generation is going to be in great hands."

Hewitt and Marc Kielburger, the co-founder of WE, will lead the judging panel of influential thought and community leaders who will select the six winners, one from each eligible state. They will announce the winners in June 2019.

"We are so proud to partner with DHL to support youth across America in making a difference in their communities and beyond through service," said Marc Kielburger. "Each year I am truly impressed by the creativity and passion youth in America who are applying to tackle social issues they care about. They are committed to making a difference in real, tangible ways, and it's an honor to not only recognize these exceptional youth, but to provide them with the tools to inspire and shape their next endeavors."

In addition to the trip to Ecuador, winners receive:

An invitation to receive their award in front of thousands of their peers at WE events taking place across America in 2019





A leadership session with senior members of DHL and WE to learn firsthand from accomplished social leaders





Mentorship from a WE leadership member, who will provide one-on-one support to ensure recipients have the tools and support necessary to see their action plans through

For the last two years, recipients of the award have traveled to Ecuador where they experienced and contributed to WE's international development model, WE Villages. They also witnessed the support DHL provides the WE artisan program, shipping handmade artisan products from Ecuador to North America and beyond.

Video footage from the 2018 winners' ME to WE Youth Trip, available here, captured their adventure and provides this year's applicants with an idea of what they could experience should they be awarded the fellowship.

A leader in supporting social programs in communities around the world, DHL partners with WE year-round to help make an impact in local and global communities. DHL Express U.S. is the Official Logistics Partner of WE Day, helping bring the WE Day stage to life in each city on the WE Day U.S. tour. More than 1,000 DHL employees have volunteered at WE Day events. Since 2012, as part of its commitment to WE, DHL has shipped to U.S. and Canadian retail markets more than 5 million pieces of jewelry handmade by female artisans in Kenya and Ecuador, helping these women earn an income to send their children to school.

About DHL

DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL family of divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 360,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, energy, automotive and retail, a proven commitment to corporate responsibility and an unrivalled presence in developing markets, DHL is decisively positioned as "The logistics company for the world".

DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 60 billion euros in 2017.

About WE

WE is a family of organizations making doing good, doable. WE is made up of WE Charity, empowering domestic and international change, ME to WE, a social enterprise that creates socially conscious products and experiences to help support the charity, and WE Day, filling stadiums around the world with the greatest celebration of social good. WE enables youth and families to better the world  supporting 7,200 + local and global causes by volunteering millions of hours of service, shopping daily with an impact, and raising millions of dollars that directly benefit their local communities and the world. Globally, our teams in Asia, Africa, and Latin America have provided more than 1 million people with clean water, built 1,000 schools and schoolrooms overseas, and empowered more than 200,000 children with access to education. WE was founded more than 20 years ago by social entrepreneurs, brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger. Join the movement today at WE.org.

Stay connected on the latest news and updates on WE:

@WEmovement | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Media Centre

SOURCE WE Charity
LINCOLN, Neb., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Iron Auction Group has chosen Equipmentfacts as its exclusive online bidding solution. The newly formed, South Carolina-based auction company will leverage the internet bidding software to extend the reach of live and online auctions to a global user base, while also taking advantage of the advertising reach of Sandhills Publishing's Machinery Trader, CraneTrader, TractorHouse, and Truck Paper. Iron Auction Group will hold its first sale on November 7th in Aragon, Georgia.

Iron Auction Group's leadership includes over 50 years of combined experience and $130 million in proven auction results. Specializing in construction, mining, and agriculture equipment, as well as commercial truck and trailer asset dispositions through live auctions, Iron Auction Group provides liquidation services tailored specifically to each customer's individual needs. Through Equipmentfacts, the company is able to open live auctions to bidders all over the world who participate by submitting online bids from a computer or mobile device. Equipmentfacts, which was acquired earlier this year by Nebraska-based tech company Sandhills Publishing, also provides extensive print and online advertising for assets listed in upcoming auctions primarily through Machinery Trader, TractorHouse, and Truck Paper.

Upcoming Iron Auction Group sales appear on the auction calendars posted to Equipmentfacts.com. Buyers interested in a particular auction can find more information and view the sales catalog from the auction's details page. Users can also view the auctioneer's website, schedule reminders to be alerted when the auction starts, view information about fees and specified terms and conditions, register to bid, and submit absentee bids. On auction day, bidders anywhere in the world can watch live auctions and place online bids in real time.

"Machinery Trader, TractorHouse, and Truck Paper have the largest following of buyers in their industries," explains Matt McGaffee of Iron Auction Group. "With this kind of extensive marketing and the ability to accept online bids from buyers anywhere in the country and across the world, Equipmentfacts sets us up for the best possible auction results."

For more information or to view auction lots for Iron Auction Group's upcoming November 7th sale, visit IronAuctionGroup.com. Interested in leveraging Equipmentfacts to bring better results at your next auction? Visit Equipmentfacts.com to learn more.

About Equipmentfacts

Equipmentfacts offers live-stream auction broadcasts, online bidding, advertising, and auction and bidder management solutions for a global user base. As a product of Sandhills Publishing, Equipmentfacts is backed by extensive experience, tech support, and multilingual customer service.

Contact Us:

(908) 788-2025

[email protected]

www.equipmentfacts.com

SOURCE Equipmentfacts
SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospital readmissions cost hospitals about $26 billion annually. Systems like the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) within the Affordable Care Act penalize hospitals with higher readmission rates for targeted diagnoses. Health care data reveal that health care facilities located in rural Southern Appalachia show readmission rates that are above the national average, which results in penalties to hospitals within this region. In order to assess and prevent the causes of these frequent hospital readmission, researchers performed a retrospective review of rural Southern Appalachia.

Researchers reviewed 15,500 patients admitted to rural Southern Appalachia hospitals from Jan. 1, 2014, to Oct. 31, 2017. In order to determine associations with readmission, univariate analyses and regression modeling were conducted on potential associated variables such as length of stay; age; gender; health care payer; discharge month/day/time; tobacco use; smoking cessation education; medication reconciliation upon discharge; and presence of comorbid diagnoses like diabetes mellitus, hypertension chronic renal failure and psychiatric disorders.

The authors found that every day spent in the hospital, readmission likelihood increases by 2.9 percent. Individuals discharged between 0100-1300 were less likely to be readmitted compared with those discharged between 1300-0100 (P<.0001). Former smokers were more likely than never smokers to be readmitted and if patients were provided with smoking cessation education at discharge decreased the likelihood of readmission. The discharge month analysis indicated a significant effect only for those discharged in March and August compared with January. Research also revealed that patients with a diagnosis of COPD, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, psychiatric disorders and chronic renal failure had an increased likelihood of readmission as well.

"Primary causes of hospital readmissions in rural Southern Appalachia are increased length of stay, discharges after 1300, history of smoking and presence of comorbid COPD, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic renal failure and psychiatric disorders," says Dr. Christine A. Moore, lead researcher. "Some methods to prevent readmissions are decreasing length of stay, discharging patients before 1300, providing smoking cessation education and controlling comorbid diagnoses."

Further results from these two studies will be shared at CHEST Annual Meeting 2018 in San Antonio on Monday, Oct. 8, 5:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Centre, Room 206B. The study abstracts can be viewed on the journal CHEST website.

ABOUT CHEST 2018

CHEST 2018 is the 84th annual meeting for the American College of Chest Physicians held Oct. 6 to Oct. 10, 2018, in San Antonio, Texas. The American College of Chest Physicians, publisher of the journal CHEST, is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication and research. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000 members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. For more information about CHEST 2018, visit chestmeeting.chestnet.org, or follow CHEST meeting hashtag, #CHEST2018, on social media.

Media contact: Andrea Camino, [email protected], 224-521-9513

SOURCE American College of Chest Physicians

Related Links

http://www.chestnet.org


LONDON, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

eviivo, a leading online booking specialist for independent hotels and bed and breakfasts announced today that the company has acquired software tools, RezOvation and Webervations, owned by BedandBreakfast.com, a HomeAway brand and part of Expedia Group.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/754428/eviivo_Logo.jpg )



The acquisition will give customers of these travel management tools access to eviivo's award-winning booking management platform. London-based eviivo will accelerate its entrance into the United States and Canada, through acquisition of established brands, with an existing customer base of innkeepers and accommodation providers.

Additionally, RezOvation and Webervations customers will continue to work closely with HomeAway and Expedia Group to market their properties, thanks to eviivo's status as an existing preferred partner of both channels, and benefit from direct connection to new distribution partners.

As a result of the deal, eviivo will launch an upgraded version of eviivo suite - its market leading booking and channel management platform - for the North American market, including improved features for RezOvation and Webervations customers. eviivo's booking management platform is used by over 12,000 independent accommodation providers worldwide, and provides a simple way to manage guests, bookings and travel agencies.

This all-in-one solution combines a beautifully designed booking calendar, effective booking management and guest messaging tools, a responsive website and booking engine, integrated PCI-Compliant card processing, and a channel manager offering high-fidelity connections to major travel brands, including HomeAway, BedandBreakfast.com and Expedia Partner Solutions. Packed with powerful and innovative technology, eviivo suite is delivered in the cloud, to ensure affordability and allow innkeepers and accommodation providers to compete on an equal footing with larger hotel chains.

Existing Webervations and RezOvation customers will be able to register for an upgrade of services beginning October 20, 2018, and the company expects to complete the upgrade program by early 2019. All customers will be contacted individually in the coming weeks and invited to an introduction session, followed by a scheduled roll-out and webinar training program.

"eviivo has been a partner of Expedia Group's for many years, so this is another building block in a great relationship," said Michele Fitzpatrick, eviivo CEO. "We were first to market a full content API with Expedia Group, and have launched innovative on-boarding processes and technologies together. We believe that eviivo suite will prove to be an excellent fit to the needs of Webervations and RezOvation customers, whilst deep integration with all major travel brands will help them increase their booking volumes."

"HomeAway is the place to book cabins, beach homes, condos and everything in between, and software and tools for innkeeper customers represent a small part of our overall business," said Ryan Hutchings, General Manager BedandBreakfast.com. "eviivo are uniquely focused on bed and breakfasts, innkeepers, small hotels and independent hosts, and understand their needs deeply, making eviivo suite the ideal partner for Webervations and RezOvation users. This transaction will help us focus on helping travellers find the perfect place to stay for every trip, and generate more bookings for innkeepers, owners and managers, across our many vacation rental brands."

Notes to editor:

About eviivo:

eviivo is a leading online booking specialist for independent hotels and B&Bs.

Through our market leading technology, we enable our customers to manage their bookings and sell their rooms online in the highly competitive global marketplace, on an equal footing with leading international hotel chains. Our diverse portfolio represents the best of independent hosts and hoteliers with over 12,000 small hotels, B&Bs and vacation rentals worldwide.

Our customers span B&Bs, guest houses, pubs and inns, restaurants with rooms, serviced apartments, villas and cottages, hostels, and even boats, castles and windmills. Our online app is convenient, affordable and trouble-free. It puts our customers in control by helping them to increase revenues and occupancy online, on their own terms.

For more information visit http://www.eviivo.com

SOURCE eviivo
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- FB Financial Corporation ("FB Financial" or "the Company") (NYSE:FBK) announced today that it will release its 2018 third quarter results of operations on Monday, October 22, 2018 after the close of the market. The Company will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. CT on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 to discuss its third quarter results of operations, and the conference call will be broadcast live over the Internet at https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/1631/27772. For investors or analysts who want to attend the call, the listen only dial-in number is 888-596-2572. For those unable to listen live, a 12 month online replay of the webcast will be available approximately an hour following the conclusion of the live broadcast. A link to these events can be found on the Company's website at https://investors.firstbankonline.com/.

About FB Financial Corporation

FB Financial Corporation (NYSE: FBK) is a bank holding company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. FB Financial operates through its wholly owned banking subsidiary, FirstBank, the third largest Tennessee-headquartered bank, with 56 full-service bank branches across Tennessee, North Alabama and North Georgia, and a national mortgage business with offices across the Southeast. FirstBank serves five of the largest metropolitan markets in Tennessee and has approximately $5 billion in total assets.

SOURCE FB Financial Corporation
LONDON, Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Finland's telcos wait on 3.



5GHz auction for 5G launch

Finland's telecom market is among the more progressive in Europe, with considerable emphasis by operators to test-bed technologies, particularly in the mobile and broadband sectors. These efforts have been supported by the regulator which has provided additional spectrum for telecom services. As a result of these efforts the country enjoys one of the highest broadband and mobile penetration rates in the region, with customers able to make use of the latest iterations of technologies including DOCSIS3.1, carrier aggregation with LTE-A, and GPON fibre infrastructure.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5570063



The country has an advanced mobile market and has been a pioneer in developing 5G. Trial licenses were issued to network operators in early 2018, several tests were held later in the year using spectrum in the 3.5GHz band. The auction of spectrum in this band will enabled operators to launch commercial services in early 2019 pending the release of 3.5GHz spectrum and the availability of 5G-compliant modems and devices.

Finland's high broadband penetration has been the result of astute regulatory measures which have encouraged market competition. Companies have also been keen to invest in new technologies in a bid to address demand for improved services among customers. The government has set demanding broadband delivery targets and is working towards targets to be achieved by 2025 and 2030 which incorporate a mix of fixed-line and mobile technologies, with the former focussed on FttP and DOCSIS3.1 technologies and the latter on gigabit LTE and 5G.

This report assesses key aspects of the Finnish telecom market, providing data on the fixed network services sector together with an overview of important regulatory issues including interconnection, local loop unbundling, number portability and carrier preselection. The report also provides statistics and research on the mobile market, including key regulatory issues, a snapshot of the consumer market, the growth of mobile data services and the development of emerging technologies and networks such as HSPA, LTE and 5G. In addition the report profiles the fixed and wireless broadband markets, and analyses developments in related technologies such as FttP, powerline broadband, Wi-Fi and internet via satellite.



Key developments:

Telia Finland and Finnish postal service pilot smart mail boxes with NB-IoT;

Telia Finland waiting on 3.5GHz auction before launching 5G services in early 2019;

DNA upgrades core and regional networks in preparation for 5G;

Elisa launches pre-commercial 5G service;

Nokia launches key technologies for the Smart Tampere project;

Cinia Group participates in the Arctic Connect cable linking Europe with North America and Asia;

Fixed-voice subscriptions continue to fall;

Regulator concedes roaming charge extension to June 2019;

DNA trials Gigabit LTE service using carrier aggregation technology;

Elisa trials Nokia's XGS-PON technology providing data at up to 10Gb/s;

Government prepares national broadband targets for 2025 and 2030;

DNA contracts Teleste to provide DOCSIS3.1 equipment;

Telia trials G.fast technology in Helsinki with Huawei;

DSL subscriber base shrinks as customers migrate to fibre infrastructure;

Report update includes the regulator's market data to December 2017, telcos' financial and operating data to Q2 2018, recent market developments.



Companies mentioned in this report:

Telia, DNA, Elisa, Digita, Finnet Group, TDC Finland, Tele2



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5570063



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com


TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Freedom Financial Network was presented with the prestigious Arizona Capitol Times Leaders of the Year Award on Sept. 27 for Innovative Business in the state of Arizona.

"Starting in 2007, the Arizona Capitol Times began recognizing individuals and groups for significant contributions in their respective public policy arenas," said Arizona Capitol Times Associate Publisher Luige del Puerto. "Awardees were nominated by their peers because they seek to elicit the highest levels of personal motive and social morality."

A total of 170 individuals, many from the Arizona's political community, attended this year's award dinner at the Palomar Hotel on Sept. 27.

"It's a great honor to be recognized by the Arizona Capitol Times," said Andrew Housser, co-CEO and co-founder of Freedom Financial Network. "Since our founding in 2002, we have strived to help consumers get on a path to financial wellness. Our mission drives the continued innovation of the services we provide to our clients, as well as the work the Freedom Family does to contribute to the Phoenix community every day. This award is a testament to our entire team. Their hard work and dedication has helped deliver positive financial outcomes for hundreds of thousands of clients."

Freedom Financial Network (www.freedomfinancialnetwork.com)

Freedom Financial Network, LLC (FFN), is a family of companies providing innovative solutions that empower people to live healthier financial lives. For people struggling with debt, Freedom Debt Relief offers a custom program to significantly reduce and resolve what they owe more quickly than they could on their own. FreedomPlus tailors personal loans to each borrower with a level of customer service unmatched in the industry. Bills.com helps homeowners better understand their loan options and make smarter mortgage decisions.

Based in San Mateo, California and Tempe, Arizona, FFN employs more than 2,000 people. The company has been voted one of the best places to work in both the San Francisco Bay area and the Phoenix area for several years. In 2016 and 2017, the company was ranked No. 1 in the Extra-Large category of its "Best Places to Work" awards program by the Phoenix Business Journal. The company is included in the Arizona Republic's "100 Largest Employers in Arizona" list for 2018.

SOURCE Freedom Financial Network

Related Links

http://www.freedomfinancialnetwork.com


BURGAW, N.C., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- GAF, the largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer in North America, has made a commitment of $1 million in total assistance in support of Hurricane Florence recovery efforts. GAF's support is being delivered in the form of direct relief, financial contributions and in-kind donations of roofing materials.

GAF operates a plant and employs 224 people in Burgaw, N.C., which was severely impacted by the storm. Burgaw is a town of approximately 4,000 residents located 25 miles north of Wilmington, N.C.

"After two weeks of devastating floods, the full impact of Hurricane Florence is just now starting to be known," said Jim Schnepper, president, GAF. "In Burgaw and throughout the Carolinas, many have still not been able to return to their homes, and some never will due to the massive destruction left in Hurricane Florence's wake. That is why our focus is on providing sustained support - so that we can help our employees and the Burgaw community rebound and, ultimately, rebuild stronger than ever."

At the center of GAF's commitment is the establishment of an employee relief fund to provide much needed financial assistance to those experiencing hardship and needing to rebuild or repair their homes as a result of Hurricane Florence.

As the community looks to rebuild, GAF has committed to provide enough roofing shingles to replace the roofs of more than 200 homes in the most vulnerable communities. This includes an initial donation of more than 300,000 square feet of shingles to Good360, a global leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving. Good360 works with recovery agencies, local recovery groups and nonprofits to determine exactly what's needed and when, ensuring that GAF's giving efforts are both effective and efficient.

In addition, the company has made financial contributions to nonprofits providing food, shelter and other relief services to the Burgaw community, and has provided direct shipments of relief items to support GAF employees and their families.

About GAF

Founded in 1886, GAF, a Standard Industries company, is the leading roofing and waterproofing manufacturer in North America. The company's success is driven by a belief that nothing matters like a roof designed, manufactured and installed to protect what matters most. For more information about GAF, visit www.gaf.com .

Contact:

Megan Filiaggi

[email protected]

973-628-3046

SOURCE GAF

Related Links

https://www.gaf.com/en-us


Hundreds of entrepreneurs from over 22 countries/regions are attending GEC+ Taipei 2018 to create, celebrate and explore a new regional cooperation model that will drive future global economic growth though entrepreneurship. Attending today's grand opening were Chien-Jen Chen, Vice President; Audrey Tang, Minister without Portfolio, Executive Yuan; Jong-Chin Shen, Minister of Economic Affairs (MOEA); William Brent Christensen, Director of the American Institute in Taiwan Affairs (AIT); Eugene Cornelius Jr., Senior Advisor to the Office of International Trade, Small Business Administration (SBA); Wu Ming-Ji, Director of the Small and Medium Enterprises Administration (SMEA), MOEA; Jonathan Ortmans, President of GEN; H.C. Hsu, Chairman of Board of the National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (NAYE), and a number of experts and representatives from around the world.

Vice President Chen announced that the authoritative organizations are dismantling regulatory barriers to encourage more innovation and entrepreneurship in Taiwan. For example, they have relaxed the cap on the shareholding ratio of banks to venture capital from 5% to 100%, and has amended the "Company Law" and "Financial Technology Development and Innovation Experiment Act" (the "Sandbox"), "Statute for Industrial Innovation" and "Pharmaceutical Affairs Act", which are designed to give entrepreneurs greater room to operate.

Minister of Economy Jong-Chin Shen emphasized that innovation and entrepreneurship are the real drivers of economic growth. According to the "2018 Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index (GEI)" report, Taiwan ranks third in the Asia-Pacific among 137 economies in the region.

The purpose of the Executive Yuan's Digital Nation and Innovative Economic Development Plan is to create a favorable environment for entrepreneurship development in Taiwan, invite the world to treat Taiwan as a new entrepreneurship platform, develop more integrated hardware and software solutions through innovative entrepreneurial models, and create more opportunity for the development of the Smart AI+IoT industry, thereby allowing abundant resources from home and abroad flood into Taiwan.

Taiwan's Linkou International Startup Terrace opened on September 18 of this year. The park combines office space and accommodations, provides rental incentives and other subsidies to select domestic and international accelerators and startups, and provides one-stop service. The service assists new entrepreneurs in handling administrative procedures such as visas and company registration. At the same time, the Linkou Startup Terrace actively links eight industrial areas within 5 kilometers, introduces new innovations and a living lab as well as test beds within 2 kilometers around the site. The driving force behind it is Taiwan's AI and IoT manufacturing industry. In the future, the Linkou Startup Terrace will serve as a base for international linkages, enabling new, globalized cross-domain cooperation, bringing Taiwan to the next level in the global economy.

Jonathan Ortmans, Chairman of GEN, believes that the development of a new, international ecosystem will play a very important role in the future and will become the most innovative and influential platform in the Asia-Pacific region. Taiwan and GEN Asia are co-signers of the "gAsia Digital Entrepreneur Card" agreement.

H.C. Hsu, Chairman of the Board of NAYE, emphasized that close cooperation between the authoritative organizations, private enterprises, and other nations, will create a dynamic new environment while allowing the economy to continue to flourish.

GEC+Taipei 2018 is great step forward for entrepreneurs, as the cooperation agreements between Taiwan and other Asia-Pacific countries/regions will not only help Taiwanese entrepreneurs to go international, but also introduce international technology, energy and talent to Taiwan.



SOURCE Small and Medium Enterprise Administration of MOEA, Taiwan
RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Genworth Holdings, Inc. (the "Company"), a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW), today announced that it has received and accepted the requisite consents with respect to its previously announced consent solicitation proposing certain amendments to the indenture (the "Indenture") governing the Company's outstanding senior notes set forth in the table below.

Outstanding

Principal

Amount Description of Securities CUSIP

Number $397,000,000 7.700% Senior Notes due June 2020 37247DAM8 $381,703,000 7.20% Senior Notes due February 2021 37247DAN6 $698,319,000 7.625% Senior Notes due September 2021 37247DAP1 $400,000,000 4.900% Senior Notes due August 2023 372491AA8 $400,000,000 4.800% Senior Notes due February 2024 372491AB6 $300,000,000 6.500% Senior Notes due June 2034 37247DAB2

The consent solicitation expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 3, 2018. As of the expiration time, the Company had received the consent of holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount outstanding of each series of notes outstanding under the Indenture. These consents may not be revoked.

Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the consent solicitation statement previously distributed to holders of the notes, the Company will pay a consent fee of $2.50 per $1,000 in principal amount of notes to any holder who validly delivered a duly executed consent prior to the expiration time that was not properly revoked.

With respect to any consent in respect of a series of notes accepted by the Company, the Company will also pay the relevant soliciting broker a fee of $2.50 per $1,000 principal amount of notes of such series to which the consent relates, provided that such fee will only be paid with respect to the first $200,000 aggregate principal amount of each series of notes for which a consent is provided by any individual holder.

The Company currently anticipates total fees related to the consent solicitation to be approximately $11 million, inclusive of consent, broker and investment banking fees.

The Company has executed a supplemental indenture to the indenture governing its senior notes to give effect to the amendments proposed by the consent solicitation, which will become operative upon the payment of the consent fee. The supplemental indenture binds all holders of the Company's senior notes, including those that did not give their consent, but holders who did not deliver consents prior to the expiration time (or delivered consents but properly revoked them) will not receive consent fees.

Questions concerning the terms of the consent solicitation should be directed to the solicitation agent, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith Incorporated by telephone at (888) 292-0070 or collect (980) 388-4813. Requests for assistance in submitting a consent or requests for additional copies of the consent solicitation statement or other related documents should be directed to the information agent by telephone at (212) 430-3774 (Banks and Brokers) or (866) 470-3900 (toll free), in writing at 65 Broadway  Suite 404, New York, New York 10006 and via email at [email protected].

Important notice

This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities. The consent solicitation is not being made in any jurisdiction in which, or to or from any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such solicitations under applicable state or securities laws. No recommendation is being made as to whether holders of the notes should consent to the proposed amendments. The consent solicitation is being made only pursuant to the terms of the consent solicitation statement and related materials. Holders of the notes should carefully read the consent solicitation statement and related materials, as they contain important information.

About Genworth Financial

Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW) is a Fortune 500 insurance holding company committed to helping families achieve the dream of homeownership and address the financial challenges of aging through its leadership positions in mortgage insurance and long-term care insurance. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Genworth traces its roots back to 1871 and became a public company in 2004. For more information, visit genworth.com.

From time to time, Genworth releases important information via postings on its corporate website. Accordingly, investors and other interested parties are encouraged to enroll to receive automatic email alerts and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds regarding new postings. Enrollment information is found under the "Investors" section of genworth.com. From time to time, Genworth's publicly traded subsidiaries, Genworth MI Canada Inc. and Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia Limited, separately release financial and other information about their operations. This information can be found at http://genworth.ca and http://www.genworth.com.au.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "will" or words of similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for our future business and financial performance, the completion of the consent solicitation and the satisfaction of any conditions relating to the payment of any consent fee. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict, including the satisfaction of the conditions described herein. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements due to global political, economic, business, competitive, market, regulatory and other factors and risks. We therefore caution you against relying on any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

SOURCE Genworth Holdings, Inc.
The announcement was part of the company's 95 th anniversary celebration in Philadelphia's famed Dilworth Park. To mark the occasion, GIANT Food Stores President Nicholas Bertram was joined by Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, local elected officials, community partners and GIANT associates and presented a $1 million donation to Philabundance, the Delaware Valley's largest hunger relief organization, on behalf of the company's associates, vendor partners and customers.

"As we celebrate our 95th anniversary, we can't help thinking about the next chapter in GIANT'S story," said Nicholas Bertram, president, GIANT Food Stores. "Philadelphia is a natural choice for us to debut our new GIANT Heirloom Market format, as we're able to draw upon our passion for food and our fondness for local purveyors, all while leveraging innovation to bring something special to our new Graduate Hospital neighbors."

Though GIANT has had a presence in Philadelphia since 2011 with its Grant Avenue store, the GIANT Heirloom Market store, located in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood of Philadelphia, will be the first store downtown for the company. The location, at 2303 Bainbridge Street, is the first of several stores planned for Philadelphia. The company will create approximately 60 new jobs when the first store opens later this year.

"More and more companies are looking to do business in Philadelphia due to our abundant resources, welcoming spirit and diverse neighborhoods," said Mayor Kenney. "The City of Philadelphia is honored to have been selected by GIANT to debut its new store format, GIANT Heirloom Market. We are thankful for GIANT's significant investment in our region as they contribute hundreds of jobs to our economy, and we look forward to giving them a true City of Brotherly Love welcome later this year."

GIANT has long been a passionate supporter of Philabundance, and most recently partnered with the food bank to help fund their KidsBites' LunchBox program with a three-year Fighting Child Hunger grant. Philabundance used the grant to increase access to healthy food for children, providing 1,400 nutritious lunch boxes per week over 11 weeks during the summer at eight sites in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Through its "Bag Hunger" and "Meat the Needs" programs, GIANT also partners with Philabundance to bring much-needed protein to families throughout the area.

"There's no better time than our 95th anniversary to reflect on our company's success and express thanks to our associates, vendor partners, customers and communities, all of whom have made it possible for us to be here today," added Bertram. "It's our privilege to present this donation to Philabundance for all they do to serve the Philadelphia region, and we look forward to reaching even deeper to help end hunger together."

"We are truly grateful to GIANT, a partner of Philabundance for almost 20 years. Not only does it provide funding for food for children facing hunger and for our Philabundance Community Kitchen program, but it also provides truck-full upon truck-full of rescued protein to help feed those in need," said Glenn Bergman, executive director, Philabundance. "We are thrilled about this generous $1 million gift, as well as for the company's new participation in our grocery program rescuing perfectly good quality food and providing it to those facing hunger in our communities."

GIANT Heirloom Market Origins

GIANT Heirloom Market will harken back to the original GIANT Market concept in its mission to bring innovation and modernity through a store experience that meets the unique needs of the neighborhoods it serves. GIANT Heirloom Market is the result of over a year of intense neighborhood group listening sessions, market research, and format exploration.

"Our new GIANT Heirloom Market is as unique and special as the neighborhood it serves, the direct result of our close collaboration with the local community it will soon be serving," said Bertram. "From featuring products made locally to being staffed by people who call the neighborhood home, GIANT Heirloom Market is a true reflection of the surrounding community, and we can't wait to see our shared vision come to life in just a few short months."

While listening locally, GIANT searched nationally and globally for solutions, even going to Amsterdam - a city known for its innovative, small grocery stores - to find a format that would satisfy the community. Back home, GIANT scoured Philadelphia for local purveyors who could help them deliver on the promise of a "neighborhood grocery store built by its neighbors."

Construction is now underway at the Bainbridge location. The new store will be about 9,500 square feet and offer an inspiring selection of high-quality, fresh, seasonal, and flavor-focused foods and everyday essentials. Featuring a Produce Chef who will prepare veggies and fruit on demand, local artisanal breads, and a vast array of plant-based foods, GIANT Heirloom Market will foster exploration and encourage creativity in the kitchen through sampling and demonstration.

GIANT Heirloom Market will have the inspiring products that customers want with a welcoming, modern store environment and tech features that are all about ease. However, based on an "Endless Aisles" philosophy, if customers ever need something that is not carried in-store, associates will help guide them to in-store iPads to order online with Peapod Pickup or Delivery.

"With GIANT Heirloom Market, we feel privileged to provide ingredients for recipes handed down from generation to generation because we understand that the real specialness in a shared meal is the memories created around it," said Bertram. "That's why we're honored that our Graduate Hospital neighbors helped us reimagine the look and design of the store."

Through seasonal, specialty, and natural foods, GIANT Heirloom Market will unearth the desire within customers to both embrace recipes of the past and cook up something new  for themselves, for their families, and for all who have a seat at their table.

To learn more about GIANT Heirloom Market, visit www.HeirloomMarket.com, like GIANT on Facebook or follow GIANT on Twitter.

About GIANT Food Stores, LLC

GIANT Food Stores, LLC has more than 170 neighborhood stores and offers home delivery, online/mobile ordering, fuel centers, pharmacies, plus in-store nutritionists. Serving families in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, GIANT Food Stores is proud to employ nearly 30,000 associates who believe in giving back to their community. Founded in 1923 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, GIANT Food Stores is a company of Ahold Delhaize. For more information visit the GIANT or MARTIN'S websites.

Contact:

Jennifer Slobotkin

Powers Brand Communications LLC

215-360-1447

[email protected]

Christopher Brand

GIANT Food Stores LLC

717-240-1513

[email protected]

SOURCE GIANT Food Stores LLC

Related Links

https://giantfoodstores.com


LONDON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Global artificial intelligence in manufacturing market is expected to rise with the CAGR of about 52% during the forecast period 2017-2024.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5574236



The major drivers for this market are growing industrial IoT and usage of big data technology in the manufacturing industry, rise in usage of computer-based technology extensive usage of robotics by manufacturing companies, significant increase in venture capital investments and cross-industry partnerships. The major restraint for the market is lack of technically skilled personnel. Also, increasing operational efficiency in manufacturing firm and scope for AI based technology across emerging regions are major opportunities for the market. However, data privacy and security concern is the major market challenge.



Geographically, global artificial intelligence in manufacturing market report has been segmented in North America, Asia Pacific, Europe and Rest of World. North America is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period. Presence of majority of the market players of artificial intelligence across the region, venture capital investment across the region, etc. contribute towards the dominance of North America during the forecast period. However, Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region in artificial intelligence in manufacturing market during the forecast period due to growth in manufacturing sector across the region, increasing investments in artificial intelligence technologies, etc.



The growth in global artificial intelligence in manufacturing market is also influenced by the presence of major players such as NVIDIA Corporation (United States), Oracle Corporation (United States), Microsoft Corporation (United States), Intel Corporation (United States), IBM Corporation (United States), etc. to gain competitive advantage, the major players of global artificial intelligence in manufacturing market are adopting various strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, product launch, strategic partnership, collaboration, joint ventures, investment, strategic expansion, funding etc. during the forecast period.



The report on global artificial intelligence in manufacturing market is segmented on the basis of technology, offering, application and industry. Offering includes hardware and software. Also, technology segment is divided as deep learning, context awareness, computer vision, and natural language processing. Further, application segment is divided as predictive maintenance and machinery inspection, material movement, field services, production planning, reclamation and quality control. In addition, industry segment is divided as energy and power, semiconductor and electronics, automobile, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, heavy metals and machine manufacturing, and other industries. Software is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period due to use of artificial intelligence software to assist during manufacturing, etc.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5574236



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

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"This is a first for us, but we have always been interested in how the country is changing politically," said President and CEO of Gray Television, Hilton Howell. "Our station footprint spans the entire U.S. and nearly all of the most politically contested areas in this cycle. We are therefore uniquely positioned to offer valuable, unbiased insights into how the makeup of Congress might shift this election."

The survey results of likely voters showed Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Bill Nelson with leads above their Republican opponents, while Senator Heidi Heitkamp trails her Republican opponent by double-digits. In their race for Congress, voters preferred the generic Republican candidate over the generic Democratic candidate in North Dakota and West Virginia, while they narrowly favored the generic Democratic candidate in Florida.

President Donald Trump received strong favorability ratings across each of the three states among likely voters. In addition, the poll tracked support for ballot measures and key voting concerns specific to voters in each state, which will help Gray's local news operations better focus on issues of concerns important to their respective communities.

This three-state poll was the first of two to be conducted ahead of the midterm elections this November by Gray Television in partnership with Strategic Research Associates, LLC, of Austin, Texas.

"Florida, North Dakota, and West Virginia are critical battlegrounds in the struggle for control of Congress," said James Henson of Strategic Research Associates, LLC. "The varied results across the three states illustrate the diversity of the electoral environment below the national level as we get closer to Election Day. We're pleased to be collaborating with Gray Television in gauging public opinion in these crucial states."

Florida

According to a survey of 800 likely voters in Florida conducted between September 17 - 30, 2018, 45% expressed support for incumbent Democratic Senator Bill Nelson, with 44% expressing support for Republican challenger and current Governor Rick Scott, well within the poll's 3.46% margin of error. Eleven percent have yet to make up their mind in the race.

Likely voters view Nelson favorably by 36% and unfavorably by 38%, with 14% expressing a neutral opinion and 12% unfamiliar. Likely voters view Scott favorably by 42% and unfavorably by 38%, with 11% expressing a neutral opinion and 10% unfamiliar.

In the race for governor, Democrat Andrew Gillum leads Republican Ron DeSantis 44% to 43%, with 12% undecided. Thirty-seven percent of likely voters view Gillum favorably, and 25% view him unfavorably, with 15% holding a neutral opinion and 23% unfamiliar. Likely voters view DeSantis favorably by 38% and unfavorably by 35%, with 12% holding a neutral opinion and 15% unfamiliar.

When asked about their vote for Congress, Florida voters narrowly prefer the generic Democratic candidate over the generic Republican candidate by a 43% to 42% margin.

Overall, 47% of Florida voters approve of the job Donald Trump is doing as president, while 46% disapprove. Asked about the national issues currently most important to Florida voters, they selected health care most frequently.

North Dakota

According to the survey of 650 likely voters in North Dakota conducted between September 17 - 27, 2018, Republican challenger, At-Large U.S. Representative Kevin Cramer, leads incumbent Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp by 10 percentage points, 51% to 41%. Eight percent have yet to make up their minds.

Heitkamp is viewed favorably by 43% of North Dakota voters and unfavorably by 41%, with 12% holding a neutral opinion and 4% unfamiliar. Likely voters view her challenger favorably by 46% and unfavorably by 37%, with 12% holding a neutral opinion and 5% unfamiliar with him.

In the race for the state's At-Large Congressional District seat, Republican Kelly Armstrong leads Democrat Mac Schneider 55% to 31%, with 14% undecided. Forty-five percent hold a favorable view of Armstrong, while only 14% hold an unfavorable view, with 22% holding a neutral opinion. Likely voters view Schneider favorably by 30%, unfavorably by 21%, with the remainder either neutral (24%) or unfamiliar (25%) with the Democratic candidate.

The race for Attorney General sees Republican Wayne Stenehjem leading Democrat David Clark Thompson 60% to 26%.

West Virginia

According to the survey of 650 likely voters in West Virginia conducted between September 17 - 26, 46% expressed support for incumbent Democratic Senator Joseph Manchin, with 38% expressing support for Republican challenger, state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. Three percent expressed support for Rusty Hollen, while 13% have yet to make up their mind.

Likely voters viewed Manchin favorably by 46% and unfavorably by 33%, with 15% expressing a neutral opinion and 5% unfamiliar. Likely voters viewed Morrisey favorably by 34% and unfavorably by 44%, with 15% expressing a neutral opinion and 7% unfamiliar.

When asked about their vote for Congress, West Virginia voters prefer the generic Republican candidate over the generic Democratic candidate by a 46% to 37% margin.

About Gray TV:

Currently, Gray owns and/or operates over 100 television stations across 57 television markets that collectively broadcast nearly 250 program streams including over 100 channels affiliated with the CBS Network, the NBC Network, the ABC Network and the FOX Network. Our portfolio includes the number-one and/or number-two ranked television station operations in all of our markets, which collectively cover approximately 10.4% of total United States television households. Gray has entered into an agreement to combine with Raycom Media, Inc. in a transformational transaction. The combined company will own leading television stations and digital platforms serving 92 markets and 24% of U.S. television households. It also will include video program production, marketing, and digital businesses including Raycom Sports, Tupelo-Raycom, and RTM Studios, the producer of PowerNation programs and content. For further information, please visit www.gray.tv.

About Strategic Research Associates, LLC:

Strategic Research Associates, LLC, based in Austin, Texas, specializes in political polling and research. The principals, James Henson, PhD and Joshua Blank, PhD, have played major roles in political polling and research projects at the state and national level for more than a decade. They can be contacted at [email protected].

SOURCE Gray Television

Related Links

http://www.gray.tv


THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) will hold a conference call to discuss its third quarter 2018 financial results on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. ET. Third quarter 2018 results will be released to the public at approximately 6:00 a.m. ET that day via PR Newswire.

Call-in numbers for the conference call: U.S. participants (888) 713 - 4199 International participants (617) 213 - 4861 Passcode 909 665 63#

In order to facilitate the registration process, you may use the following link to pre-register for the conference call. Callers who pre-register will be given a unique PIN to gain immediate access to the call and bypass the live operator. You may pre-register at any time, including up to and after the call start time. To pre-register, please go to:

https://www.theconferencingservice.com/prereg/key.process?key=PG84X93EM

Webcast Information

The conference call will be available via webcast and can be accessed from the company's website at ir.huntsman.com.

Replay Information

The conference call will be available for replay beginning October 30, 2018 and ending November 6, 2018.

Call-in numbers for the replay: U.S. participants (888) 286 - 8010 International participants (617) 801 - 6888 Replay code 72981885

About Huntsman:

Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals with 2017 revenues more than $8 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 75 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 10,000 associates within our four distinct business divisions. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company's website at www.huntsman.com .

Social Media:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/Huntsman_Corp

Facebook: www.facebook.com/huntsmancorp

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/huntsman

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain information in this release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations. The forward-looking statements in this release are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances and involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company's operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Huntsman companies' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Significant risks and uncertainties may relate to, but are not limited to, volatile global economic conditions, cyclical and volatile product markets, disruptions in production at manufacturing facilities, reorganization or restructuring of Huntsman's operations, including any delay of, or other negative developments affecting the ability to implement cost reductions and manufacturing optimization improvements in Huntsman businesses and realize anticipated cost savings, and other financial, economic, competitive, environmental, political, legal, regulatory and technological factors. The company assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Huntsman Corporation

Related Links

http://www.huntsman.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In a recent development, Ibinex, a White Label Solution for Cryptocurrency exchange, released its "The Global Cryptocurrency Market Report." The report systematically details vital statistics, developments, innovations, and other findings on the ongoing status of the international cryptocurrency market.

Quick Facts

Ibinex

The comprehensive report starts with some Quick Facts:

The cryptocurrency market hit $350 million as of April 2018 .

as of . The entire crypto sphere amassed $12 billion on 22 August.

on 22 August. The US Dollar has lost more than 80% of its purchasing power.

Global knowledge

The report substantiates its findings with graphs/charts, like statistical surveys on the global knowledge, legal status of crypto, or on cryptocurrency usage.

-Interestingly, China is the only country where cryptocurrency has an illegal status.

On similar lines, is a graphical illustration which explores the worldwide demographics of cryptocurrency usage, specifically Bitcoin, primarily throughout the first 90 days of Q2 2018. The statistics present Bitcoin ownership predominantly as follows:

European: 33.9%

33.9% Male: 86.9%

86.9% Ages: 25-34 -- 38.2%

Crypto aspects

Ibinex's market research critically examines crypto aspects like trading volumes, usage, cryptocurrency regulation, wallets, transactions, stable coins, payments, and the blockchain technology market.

Several graphs present the trading volumes of crypto across Asia, Europe, Middle East, South America, Africa. The highest trading volumes in different regions were recorded as

Asia : Japan , 5.5 mil Yen (201318)

, (201318) Europe : The United Kingdom , 20 mil pounds (201318)

The , 20 mil pounds (201318) Middle East : Iran , 67 Bil Rial (201418)

, (201418) South America: Argentina , 6 Mil Argentine Pesos (2013-18)

, 6 Mil Argentine Pesos (2013-18) Africa : Kenya , 85 Mil Kenyan Shillings (2013-18)

Cryptocurrency and the US

A detailed section explores the Cryptocurrency industry in the US. It notes,

92% of Americans do not own cryptocurrency and 8% own.

Crypto ownership by gender: Men (21.8%), Women (8.9%).

Firms raised $12 billion in ICOs in Q1 2018 in the US.

The US vs. Europe:

Currently, own cryptocurrency-- Europe 9%, US 8%

9%, US 8% Expect to own it in the future-- Europe 25%, US 21%

25%, US 21% Awareness of cryptocurrency-- Europe 66%, US 57%

Interestingly, in China, 18% own cryptocurrency, while 45% plan to buy.

Initial Coin Offering (ICO)

Ibinex's market research then investigates the ICO market, ICO regulations, ICO funds raised on a global scale.

A graph displaying the top 25 countries in the world's ICO market by percentage shows the United States as leading with 20% of the world's ICOs.

Exchanges

This section details the four major types of crypto exchanges: Traditional Exchanges, Cryptocurrency Brokers, Direct Trading Platforms, and Cryptocurrency Funds.

Ibinex's market report identifies ten exchanges based on high trading revenue. Below are the top three:

Binance: $3.48 million GDAX: $390.43 K Bitstamp: $389.09

Payment Processors

Payment processors have also gained prominence in the crypto space. The document nails down the top three along with their fees.

BitPay: 1% (higher for high-risk industries) Coinbase: 0% flat fee on every transaction, 1% conversion fee Coingate: 1%

Crypto Mining

In dealing with Crypto Mining, Ibinex's market report displays estimates at world mining hash power, China being the dominant entity, while, India and Georgia followed with 4% and 2% respectively.

Ibinex's comprehensive global cryptocurrency market report is a global observation of the significant features of the crypto sphere. It can be well considered as a one-stop guide for all aspiring crypto enthusiasts.

Click here to read the full report

To know more visit our Website: https://ibinex.com

Meet the Team: https://ibinex.com/who-we-are

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ibinexexchange

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ibinexexchange

Read our Whitepaper: https://ibinex.com/Ibinex-Whitepaper-Final-Web.pdf

Join us on Telegram: https://t.me/ibinex

Contact Us Directly: https://ibinex.com/contact-ibinex

Media Contact: Simon Grunfeld

Phone: +1 (516) 874-4253

Email: [email protected]

Related Files

Global_Cryptocurrency_Market_Report_2018.pdf

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBU2YGeWIKU

SOURCE Ibinex

Related Links

https://ibinex.com


DETROIT, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ComForCare Health Care Holdings, LLC, a premier provider of home care, signed a preferred partnership agreement with Kindred At Home  the nation's largest provider of home health and hospice services. The collaboration is part of ComForCare's strategic plan to grow relationships with providers across the health care continuum to serve older adults in a more holistic way. This relationship allows for a more continual transition of care without disrupting the client's lifestyle at home.

"The use of home care and home health services will allow for seniors to stay in their own home longer and reduce costs associated with avoidable hospital admissions," said Steve Greenbaum, ComForCare CEO. "Our goal remains to help seniors age in place, experience high quality care and continue to live their best life possible. In addition, returning home from an acute care stay with both home care and home health services available as needed reduces readmissions significantly and prepares the senior for a better recovery overall."

"We look forward to working with ComForCare in collaboration with physicians and health care specialists to care for patients in their homes across the country," said Derek Nordman, Chief Clinical Officer of Kindred at Home. "The lower cost collaborative care model will be a benefit to local health care systems, accountable care organizations and the patient at the center of every care episode."

As part of the care collaboration, which will roll out across all shared markets over the next year, ComForCare and Kindred At Home will collect valuable de-identified health information and share those care outcomes with professionals and industry leaders in order to provide insights and learnings that may improve delivery overall.

About ComForCare

ComForCare is a premier provider of home care services with nearly 200 independently owned and operated locations in the U.S. and Canada helping older adults live independently in their own homes. ComForCare is committed to helping people live their best life possible and offers special programs for people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Founded in 1996, ComForCare was acquired by private equity firm The Riverside Company in 2017 and now is part of a multi-brand franchise parent company, which has plans for continued expansion of service brands across the continuum of care for aging adults. ComForCare operates as At Your Side Home Care in Houston. For more information, visit www.comforcare.com.

About Kindred At Home

Kindred At Home is the nation's leading provider of home health and hospice services with over 45,000 current team members and 600 locations across 40 states. They are the preferred choice for a care collaboration of this magnitude.

SOURCE ComForCare

Related Links

http://comforcare.com


(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/754453/Inge_de_Laat_Rutgers_Posch.jpg )

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/754454/Rutgers_Posch_Logo.jpg )



Inge de Laat (1977) succeeds Gerard Endedijk. Endedijk remains associated with the firm - which was co-founded by him as a partner - and will dedicate himself again entirely to his work as a litigator. Inge de Laat said: "Ever since its foundation in 2013, Rutgers & Posch has acquired an important position in The Netherlands as a modern, inspired, and ambitious firm. I have had the privilege to contribute to the development of our firm and I am delighted that Gerard and the other partners are entrusting me the honor of leading Rutgers & Posch."

As Managing Partner, De Laat manages a team of eleven partners and about thirty-five employees. "Rutgers & Posch was founded five years ago with the ambition to be an independent firm that provides the very best legal services, but in a more personal manner. The fact that we won the title of Benelux Law Firm of the Year by the influential British magazine The Lawyer both in 2015 and 2017 proofs we hit the right spot. We have grown significantly since the very start in 2013 and have noted that besides our Dutch clients, more and more foreign parties are finding their way to our firm. We are delighted with this development, but I realize that a part of my new job as Managing Partner, besides the constant development of our firm and practice, is to be a guardian of the special character of Rutgers & Posch."

Inge de Laat publishes and teaches regularly and is an editor for the trade journal ArbeidsRecht. She also is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Amsterdam bar association 'Orde van Advocaten', and officer of the Discrimination and Equality Committee of the International Bar Association. In addition, De Laat is a board-member of Stichting Amsterdams Kleinkunstfestival, an association responsible for amongst others organizing a performing arts festival.

About Rutgers & Posch

Rutgers & Posch was founded in 2013 by six partners. They wanted a firm which would be able to compete with traditional, international 'big law'-firms, while adding the personal attention and involvement of a boutique firm. Rutgers & Posch has grown fast since its foundation and is currently active with a team of over forty-five, operating from the historical center of Amsterdam. In the summer, Rutgers & Posch traditionally opens a branch office on the North Sea coast. In 2015 and 2017, the firm was awarded the title of Benelux Law Firm of the Year by the influential British magazine The Lawyer. Also see www.rutgersposch.com.

SOURCE Rutgers & Posch
NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP (www.kaplanfox.com) is investigating Super Micro Computer, Inc. ("Super Micro" or the "Company") (OTC: SMCI) concerning potential securities law violations. Investors who purchased Super Micro securities may be affected.

On October 4, 2018, Bloomberg Businessweek published a report that tiny spy chips had been inserted in computer motherboards manufactured in China for US-based supplier Super Micro as an attack on the U.S federal government and major American technology companies. According to the article, "[t]he chips had been inserted during the manufacturing process . . .by operatives of the People's Liberation Army. In Super Micro, China's spies appear to have found a perfect conduit for what U.S. officials now describe as the most significant supply chain attack known to have been carried out against American companies."

Reportedly, Apple Inc. ("Apple") made its discovery of suspicious chips inside Super Micro servers around May 2015, after detecting odd network activity and firmware problems, according to a person familiar with the timeline. In 2015, Amazon.com, Inc. ("Amazon") reportedly became aware of the tiny microchips nested in the servers of Elemental Technologies ("Elemental") during due diligence for the potential acquisition of Elemental. Amazon, Apple and Super Micro dispute Bloomberg Businessweek's reporting in emailed statements.

Following this news, on October 4, 2018, the price of Super Micro shares plunged in midday trading.

If you are an Super Micro investor and would like to discuss our investigation, please contact us by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-290-1952.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, with offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New Jersey, has many years of experience in prosecuting investor class actions. For more information about Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, you may visit our website at www.kaplanfox.com. If you have any questions about this press release, your rights, or your interests, please contact:

Jeffrey P. Campisi

KAPLAN FOX & KILSHEIMER LLP

850 Third Avenue, 14th Floor

New York, New York 10022

(800) 290-1952

(212) 687-1980

Fax: (212) 687-7714

E-mail: [email protected]

Laurence D. King

KAPLAN FOX & KILSHEIMER LLP

350 Sansome Street, Suite 400

San Francisco, California 94104

(415) 772-4700

Fax: (415) 772-4707

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP

Related Links

http://www.kaplanfox.com


TITUSVILLE, New Jersey, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson today announced that Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (Janssen) has entered into an agreement with Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (Arrowhead) for an exclusive, worldwide license to develop and commercialize ARO-HBV, a Phase 1/2 subcutaneous, ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) therapy candidate being investigated for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B viral infection.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/722128/Janssen_Johnson_and_Johnson_logo.jpg )



Under the agreement, Arrowhead will complete the ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial for ARO-HBV, a next-generation RNAi therapy candidate which is designed to silence HBV gene products by specifically targeting two regions of the HBV genome. Janssen will lead the clinical development from Phase 2b onwards. Arrowhead will receive an initial upfront payment, potential development and commercial milestone payments and potential future royalties. Separately, Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC, Inc., will make an equity investment in Arrowhead.

Janssen and Arrowhead also agreed to a research collaboration to develop RNAi therapeutics directed against additional targets using Arrowhead's proprietary Targeted RNAi Molecule (TRiM) platform. If Janssen exercises its option for such RNAi therapeutics, Arrowhead will be eligible to receive additional payments.

Hepatitis B viral infection presents a major global health concern and places a significant burden on the 257 million people living with the disease worldwide.[1],[2] While a prophylactic vaccine for hepatitis B exists, many people living with chronic hepatitis B remain uncured by current treatments and endure lifelong therapy.[1] RNAi therapy candidates such as ARO-HBV have been shown to have an effect on hepatitis B viral infection replication pathways and on the production of viral proteins, providing another avenue for investigation into treatments in this area.[3]

"An important objective within Janssen is to develop highly effective combination products that cure people living with chronic hepatitis B infections," said Mathai Mammen, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. "Working with the talented Arrowhead team and their RNAi therapy candidate adds to the strength of our hepatitis B portfolio and substantially increases our confidence that we can achieve our objective."

The transactions are subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and expected to close in Q4 2018.

About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

At the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, we are working to create a world without disease. Transforming lives by finding new and better ways to prevent, intercept, treat and cure disease inspires us. We bring together the best minds and pursue the most promising science. We are Janssen. We collaborate with the world for the health of everyone in it.

Learn more at http://www.janssen.com and follow us at @JanssenGlobal. Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Janssen Research & Development, LLC are part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

About Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC, Inc.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC, Inc. (JJDC) is the strategic venture capital arm of Johnson & Johnson and a long-term investment partner to global healthcare entrepreneurs. Founded in 1973, JJDC continues a legacy of customizing deals for data-driven companies across the continuum of healthcare, with the goal of turning great ideas into transformative new pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer healthcare products.

Visit our website at http://www.jjdc.com.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding a new license and collaboration agreement and the continued development of potential treatment regimens for hepatitis B. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC, Inc., any of the other Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the potential that the expected benefits and opportunities related to the collaboration may not be realized or may take longer to realize than expected; challenges and uncertainties inherent in product development, including uncertainty of clinical success and obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success for new indications and therapeutic combinations; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behaviour and spending patterns or financial distress of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A Risk Factors," in the company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at http://www.sec.gov, http://www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies or Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

References

World Health Organization (WHO). Hepatitis B. July 2017 . Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs204/en/ Last accessed September 2018 . World Health Organization (WHO). Draft global health sector strategy on viral hepatitis, 2016-2021 Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly provisional agenda item 15.1. Document A69/32. April 2016 . Available at: http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA69/A69_32-en.pdf?ua=1 Last accessed September 2018 . Yuen MF et. al., RNA interference therapy with ARC-520 Injection results in long term off-therapy antigen reductions in treatment naive, HBeAg positive and negative patients with chronic HBV. Poster FRI-362 presented at EASL 2018, April 13, 2018 [LINK].



MEDIA CONTACT:

Katie Buckley

[email protected]

+44-790-065-5261

INVESTOR RELATIONS:

Lesley Fishman

+1-732-524-3922

Christopher DelOrefice

+1-732-524-2955

.

SOURCE Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
LENOIR CITY, Tenn., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The removal by Janus Global Operations of explosive devices planted by ISIS to maim and kill professors and students, means that Iraq's Mosul Technical Institute can now be rebuilt to again serve thousands of students who will help build a stable future for Iraq.

Military explosives, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other booby-traps and unexploded ordnance were among the hazards Janus Global experts discovered during their five-month Technical Institute clearance project. The school is located in the northeast corner of Mosul, a city with almost two million inhabitants, composed of mostly Muslims along with small Christian, Yezidi, and Shabak communities. Mosul is located about 250 miles north of Baghdad, Iraq's capital.

Janus Global, which is providing explosive remediation services in Iraq on behalf of the U.S. Department of State's Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, is an integrated stability operations company that provides demining and munitions management, as well as security, among its broad range of stability support services.

The Mosul Technical Institute offers four-year bachelor's degree and two-year master's degree programs, and, at full capacity, issues 4,300 degrees each year. Under ISIS occupation, however, programs and infrastructure were dismantled or destroyed.

With the recapture of Mosul on July 21, 2017, by Iraqi military forces, after ISIS's two-year reign of terror, officials discovered that, like much of the city, booby traps were hidden throughout the Mosul Technical Institute campus, hazardous materials were found in most of its laboratories, and many of the school's training systems were destroyed.

Janus Global experts cleared 140,000 square meters of grounds and buildings using methods such as soft-ground search techniques; explosive detection dogs; mechanical equipment to move cleared large debris; and hands-on, step-by-step inspection of buildings.

Discovered were 62 explosive hazards, equivalent to 187 kilograms (413 pounds) of TNT. Thirty-one were IED's or IED components, and 31 were unexploded ordnance. Additionally, chemicals used in the manufacture of explosives were discovered and more than 1,900 pounds of explosives-related components were also removed.

Janus Global's Mosul Technical Institute project began on Oct. 5, 2017 and the safer campus was returned to its academic leaders on March 15, 2018.

About Janus Global: Janus Global Operations is an integrated stability operations company with thousands of employees serving clients in North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Janus' services include munitions response; demining; IED remediation; intelligence support; logistics; life support; risk management; communications; and other services in some of the world's most challenging and hostile environments. The company's website is www.janusgo.com.

About Caliburn International, LLC: We are a leading provider of professional services and solutions to U.S. federal government agencies and commercial clients. We provide consulting, engineering, medical, and environmental services as well as large scale program management in support of our core markets of national defense, international diplomacy, and homeland security client readiness. Caliburn employs over 7,000 dedicated professionals deployed across five continents. The company's website is www.caliburnintl.com.

SOURCE Janus Global Operations

Related Links

http://www.sterlinggo.com


PITTSBURGH, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- First National Bank, the largest subsidiary of F.N.B. Corporation (NYSE: FNB), announced today that it has hired Jeffrey S. Bechtel as Regional Market Executive and President of the Cleveland Region.

In his role, Bechtel leads FNB's cross-functional business model in the Cleveland market, with direct responsibility for regional Corporate Banking efforts and business development opportunities. He reports to Boyd Pethel, who previously served in the Regional President role and who has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Metro Commercial Banking.

"We are proud of the enormous strides FNB has taken in the Cleveland Region over the past five years, significantly increasing the size of our portfolio and building out an exceptional team," said Vincent J. Delie, Jr., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of F.N.B Corporation. "Jeff's extensive background and expertise in commercial banking and sales management, combined with his knowledge of the area, make him an excellent leader to continue expanding our presence in Cleveland."

Bechtel referenced FNB's momentum as a primary factor in his decision to join the Company. He added, "FNB has an exceptional reputation as a growing organization, and I look forward to making meaningful contributions to the service we provide to clients in a community I have called home for most of my life."

Bechtel brings 30 years of financial services experience to FNB, most recently as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for First Federal Lakewood and also in various commercial banking leadership roles for large regional banks. A native of the Cleveland area, he earned his bachelor's degree in Finance from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Bechtel is also actively engaged in the local community as Chairman and President of the Cuyahoga County Community Improvement Corporation and as a board member for Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity.

FNB operates nearly 30 branches in its Cleveland Region. Frequently recognized as an employer of choice throughout its markets, the Company has been honored as a Top Workplace in Northeast Ohio for four consecutive years. Bechtel will be based in FNB's regional headquarters, which is located downtown at 55 Public Square. His hiring builds on recent strategic updates to FNB's leadership team, designed to provide greater market coverage, enhanced efficiency and in-depth focus on specific areas of the Company.

About F.N.B. Corporation

F.N.B. Corporation (NYSE: FNB), headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a diversified financial services company operating in six states. FNB holds a significant retail deposit market share in attractive markets including: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Cleveland, Ohio; and Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and the Piedmont Triad (Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point) in North Carolina. The Company has total assets of $32 billion, and approximately 400 banking offices throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

FNB provides a full range of commercial banking, consumer banking and wealth management solutions through its subsidiary network which is led by its largest affiliate, First National Bank of Pennsylvania, founded in 1864. Commercial banking solutions include corporate banking, small business banking, investment real estate financing, business credit, capital markets and lease financing. The consumer banking segment provides a full line of consumer banking products and services, including deposit products, mortgage lending, consumer lending and a complete suite of mobile and online banking services. FNB's wealth management services include asset management, private banking and insurance.

The common stock of F.N.B. Corporation trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FNB" and is included in Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Index with the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) Regional Banks Sub-Industry Index. Customers, shareholders and investors can learn more about this regional financial institution by visiting the F.N.B. Corporation website at www.fnbcorporation.com.

SOURCE First National Bank

Related Links

http://www.fnbcorporation.com


The figure comes from the recently published The LATAM Cannabis Report, by market intelligence and advisory group Prohibition Partners, who have analysed pricing, consumption and patient datasets in the region. According to the report, the majority of the market value will come from the medical cannabis sector, forecasted to be worth $8.5 billion by 2028.

The smart money is on Latin America

Positive public perception of the plant, coupled with radical efforts from pioneering countries such as Uruguay and Colombia have encouraged a wave of policy changes in the region, opening up the market to entrepreneurs, investors and international brands.

At the launch of the report, Stephen Murphy, Managing Director at Prohibition Partners explained:

"With the forthcoming legalisation of Canada's recreational cannabis market, all eyes have been on North America, but actually it's the Latin American region that has quietly been carving out industry firsts. Uruguay was the first country in the world to fully legalise cannabis and Jamaica was the first to legalise cannabis on religious grounds. Colombia has become one of the world's most attractive cannabis markets as international cannabis companies take advantage of favourable export laws. We believe that the expansion of a Latin American market will significantly impact the global cannabis industry, undercutting producers and pricing worldwide. Strong forecast population growth, a perfect climate for cannabis cultivation, bolstered by progressive legislation and regulatory change are set to ensure Latin America remains a very attractive prospect for cannabis companies, and investors."

While trailblazing countries have caught the majority of the limelight, the region as a whole hassubstantial commercial and political potential. Globally, a significant number of other countries are moving towards the legalisation of cannabis for medical use, while elsewhere the established national cannabis systems are maturing. Latin America is poised to meet the rising demand, but faces competition internationally. Investors and cannabis companies worldwide must now examine the true value of cultivation. Cultivation sectors in Germany and Canada come with high costs and significant barriers. As the Latin American cultivation market develops, it offers a low-cost alternative for licensed producers who are keen to reduce costs.

The consumer base in the region is equally substantial. Latin America has a prospective market of over 500 million adult use customers and 4.3 million patients, making it a core priority in cannabis companies' global strategy. Cannabis prices remain low, but this is set to change as legalisation and regulation continue to develop in the region.

Murphy explains:

"The low average cost of cannabis in Brazil is suppressing growth for Latin America's most populous country. We know that legal supply is perceived as being of superior quality and commands higher prices per gram, and the legalisation of recreational cannabis in Brazil would undoubtedly bring about stratospheric growth not only for the country, but for the region as a whole".

Key takeaways from the report

Medical cannabis will account for more than two thirds of the legal cannabis industry in Latin America , worth an estimated $8.5 billion .

, worth an estimated . The cannabis sector is set to grow by over 300% per year over the coming decade from an estimated $125 million in 2018, to $12.7 billion by 2028.

in 2018, to by 2028. Over 40 licensed producers are active in the region. Colombia has issued the most cultivation licences in the region, allocating 142 licences to date.

has issued the most cultivation licences in the region, allocating 142 licences to date. Facility and construction costs are 80% lower than North America and Europe .

and . Chile and Mexico will be engines of growth in the medical sector while Uruguay and Colombia will encourage regionwide recreational cannabis legislation.

and will be engines of growth in the medical sector while and will encourage regionwide recreational cannabis legislation. Patient numbers will increase significantly to over 4.6 million by 2028.

The LATAM Cannabis Report by Prohibition Partners provides detailed forecasts on market values, in-depth analysis of regulatory timelines and estimates of consumption across 11 key markets.

The report was published on 4/10/2018 and can be accessed at www.prohibitionpartners.com . Interviews with Stephen Murphy, Managing Director at Prohibition Partners, are available on request by emailing [email protected] .

You can view all social assets and infographics from the report here and access the summarypresentation here.

About Prohibition Partners

Prohibition Partners is the leading source of market intelligence and strategic insight into the international legal cannabis industry. We work with investors, entrepreneurs and regulators to identify, understand and qualify new opportunities in this emerging frontier.

Our reliable and credible insight is maturing the conversation and opening up the market.

*Cannabis remains illegal in some LATAM countries, please reference local laws in relation to medical, recreational or industrial use

SOURCE Prohibition Partners
LONDON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lloyd's Register Safety Accelerator has opened a call to find innovative solutions to improve how complex safety risks are detected and managed in challenging industrial environments. This latest round of innovation challenges from the Safety Accelerator is designed to improve safety of life and assets in heavy industries.

Marine, offshore and energy jobs are some of the most dangerous in the world, where the consequences of errors are high, potentially deadly. Developments in technologies such as computer vision, artificial intelligence, and wearables are opening up the opportunity to radically improve how safety risks are identified and managed, from human factors to operational issues.

Up to four startup winners will receive trial funding for their solution as well as the opportunity to collaborate with commercial partners to accelerate the development of their technologies. Partners for this challenge round include: Scorpio, Pacific International Lines, Infratek and Odfjell Drilling.

The winning entrepreneurs will retain 100 percent of their IP, as well as receive access to domain expertise and entrepreneurial support to help bring their solution to market though support from Lloyd's Register and Plug and Play respectively.

The four challenge areas and partners are:

Marine Incident Insights with Scorpio , a leading global shipping company. This challenge seeks to help ship operators gather and analyse data about crew behaviour and the onboard work environment, whilst safeguarding user privacy, to develop a deeper understanding of why wrong decisions happen and ultimately to improve processes, training and staffing to reduce risk of human error incidents.

, a leading global shipping company. This challenge seeks to help ship operators gather and analyse data about crew behaviour and the onboard work environment, whilst safeguarding user privacy, to develop a deeper understanding of why wrong decisions happen and ultimately to improve processes, training and staffing to reduce risk of human error incidents. Determining Master's and Crew's Psychological and Emotional Health with Pacific International Lines (PIL) , the 9 th largest containership operator in the world. This challenge seeks innovative methods to assess the psychological and emotional wellbeing of individual crew members in real-time whilst they are onboard and before they are about to go on duty, whilst protecting user privacy, to ensure the safety and health of the concerned seafarer as well as the safety of others onboard, the vessels and the marine environment.

, the 9 largest containership operator in the world. This challenge seeks innovative methods to assess the psychological and emotional wellbeing of individual crew members in real-time whilst they are onboard and before they are about to go on duty, whilst protecting user privacy, to ensure the safety and health of the concerned seafarer as well as the safety of others onboard, the vessels and the marine environment. AI-Driven Real-Time Error Detection with Infratek , a leading total supplier in the Nordic region in the fields of electrical grids, lighting and railway systems. This challenge seeks innovative proposals for solutions to offer real-time feedback to infrastructure workers to ensure a job is done completely and correctly before leaving a site, to improve safety for the worker and third parties.

, a leading total supplier in the Nordic region in the fields of electrical grids, lighting and railway systems. This challenge seeks innovative proposals for solutions to offer real-time feedback to infrastructure workers to ensure a job is done completely and correctly before leaving a site, to improve safety for the worker and third parties. Video Detection of Physical Asset Changes to Prevent Falling Objects with Odfjell Drilling, an international drilling, well service and engineering company. This challenge seeks to enable oil and gas drilling operators to use drilling sites' existing closed-circuit camera network to detect significant changes to a rig's infrastructure that could result in falling objects injuring workers and damaging the asset.

Richard Clegg, Chief Executive, Lloyd's Register Foundation, said:

"We are delighted to launch the Innovation in Detecting Safety Risks in Critical Infrastructure Industries' Challenge Round which is focussed on harnessing new and emerging technologies to identify safety risks, from human factors such as mental health which could affect a seafarers' ability to perform their job safely, to operational factors, such as the potential for falling objects from assets.

We are excited to support startups developing solutions to these challenges, which could not only solve these use cases, but also have potential to significantly improve safety across a wide range of commercial industries."

Maurizio Pilu, Vice President of Digital Innovation, Lloyd's Register, said:

"Digital technology is transforming the world in which we and our industry partners operate, providing the opportunity for develop radical, life-saving tools and approaches. The Safety Accelerator brings together startups and the industry to work together to explore these opportunities and test innovative digital solutions to some of the toughest safety and risk challenges, and accelerate the adoption of cutting edge safetytech to create safer working environments, and a safer world."

The deadline for applications is 19 October 2018. Shortlisted entries will be invited to a live pitch and Q&A with a panel of judges taking place in London on 28 November 2018. The launch of trials for successful applicants is scheduled to take place in February 2019.

The Safety Accelerator is a joint initiative between Lloyd's Register, one of the world's leading providers of professional services for engineering and technology and Lloyd's Register Foundation, a charitable foundation helping to protect life and property by supporting engineering-related education, public engagement and the application of research, which is funding the programme.

The Safety Accelerator is run in partnership with Plug and Play, the largest global innovation platform and most active venture capital fund in Silicon Valley.

For more information about the Lloyd's Register Safety Accelerator, including how to become an industry challenge partner, or applying to solve a challenge, please visit: https://www.lr.org/en/safety-accelerator/

About Lloyd's Register Foundation

Lloyd's Register Foundation: Connecting science, safety and society

Lloyd's Register Foundation is a UK charity, established in 2012, which funds the advancement of engineering-related education and research and supports work that enhances safety of life and property. It is funded partly by the profits of its trading arm, Lloyd's Register Group Limited, a global engineering, technical and business services organisation.

Its vision is to be known worldwide as a leading supporter of engineering-related research, training and education that makes a real difference in improving the safety of the critical infrastructure on which modern society relies. In support of this, it promotes scientific excellence and acts as a catalyst working with others to achieve maximum impact.

Lloyd's Register Foundation's strategy for 2014-2020 focuses funding on four strategic themes: promoting safety and public understanding of risk; advancing skills and education; supporting excellent scientific research; and accelerating the application of research. Four research themes have been prioritised: structural integrity and systems performance; resilience engineering; human and social factors; and emergent technologies.

www.lrfoundation.org.uk

About Lloyd's Register (LR)

We started out in 1760 as a marine classification society. Today, we're one of the world's leading providers of professional services for engineering and technology  improving safety and increasing the performance of critical infrastructures for clients in over 75 countries worldwide. The profits we generate fund the Lloyd's Register Foundation, a charity which supports science and engineering-related research, education and public engagement around everything we do. All of this helps us stand by the purpose that drives us every single day: Working together for a safer world.

In a world of increasing complexity  overloaded with data and opinion  we know that our clients need more than technology to succeed. They need an experienced hand. A partner to listen, cut through the noise and focus on what really matters to them and their customers. Our engineers and technical experts are dedicated to assurance. That means a commitment to embracing new technology, and a deep rooted desire to drive better performance. So we consider our customers' needs with diligence and empathy, then use our expertise and over 250 years' experience to deliver the smart solution for everyone.

After all, there are some things technology can't replace.

www.lr.org

About Plug and Play

Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 20 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 6,000 startups and 280 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 700 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $7 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club, and PayPal.

www.plugandplaytechcenter.com

For media enquiries contact:

Steve Price

Lloyd's Register Safety Accelerator

[email protected]

0044 7791 617963

SOURCE Plug and Play

Related Links

http://plugandplaytechcenter.com


DENVER, Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MDC) will release its 2018 third quarter earnings before the market opens on Thursday, November 1, 2018. MDC will host a teleconference the same day at 12:30 pm ET. The live teleconference will be available by calling 866-652-5200 and requesting to join the M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. conference call. A replay of the teleconference will be available through November 8, 2018 by calling 877-344-7529 and entering Access Code # 10124696.

A webcast of the teleconference will be available live at www.mdcholdings.com, and beginning two hours after the call, a replay of the webcast will be available on the website.

About M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.

M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1972. MDC's homebuilding subsidiaries, which operate under the name Richmond American Homes, have built and financed the American Dream for more than 200,000 homebuyers since 1977. MDC's commitment to customer satisfaction, quality and value is reflected in each home its subsidiaries build. MDC is one of the largest homebuilders in the United States. Its subsidiaries have homebuilding operations across the country, including the metropolitan areas of Denver, Northern Colorado, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, Riverside-San Bernardino, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Orlando, Jacksonville, South Florida, Seattle and Portland. MDC's subsidiaries also provide mortgage financing, insurance and title services, primarily for Richmond American homebuyers, through HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation, American Home Insurance Agency, Inc. and American Home Title and Escrow Company, respectively. MDC's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDC" For more information, visit http://ir.richmondamerican.com/.

SOURCE M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.mdcholdings.com


BISMARCK, N.D., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE: MDU) announced today it has acquired Sweetman Const. Co., a premier provider of aggregates, asphalt and ready-mix concrete in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, market.

Sweetman, which does business as Concrete Materials Company, will become part of Knife River Corporation, the construction materials subsidiary of MDU Resources. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. MDU Resources anticipates the acquisition will be accretive to earnings per share.

Sweetman's vertically integrated business is built on a foundation of approximately 55 million tons of aggregate reserves. In addition to being a leading supplier of aggregates in the market, Sweetman's Concrete Materials business operates three asphalt plants and seven ready-mix plants, with a fleet of 65 ready-mix trucks to serve the area. Sweetman also owns a rail line and a rail transloading service that provide material delivery to augment its business in the growing Sioux Falls market.

"We are excited about moving into Sioux Falls, particularly by bringing such a highly regarded, well-run business into our Knife River family," said David L. Goodin, president and CEO of MDU Resources. "Sweetman has been a key player in the area for nearly 90 years. Its team members' relationships and expertise are important as we look to continue to provide great service throughout the region."

Sweetman's team of 260 employees will join Knife River's North Central Region, which operates in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

"Knife River's success has been built on acquisitions like this one," said David C. Barney, president and CEO of Knife River. "Sioux Falls has a strong and diverse economy. The Sweetman companies have a successful history there, and we look forward to continuing to support construction in Sioux Falls for generations to come."

Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this release includes certain forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Although the company believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, actual results may differ materially. For a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, refer to Item 1A  Risk Factors in MDU Resources' most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q.

About Knife River

Knife River Corporation mines aggregates and markets crushed stone, sand, gravel and related construction materials, including ready-mix concrete, cement, asphalt, liquid asphalt and other value-added products. It also performs integrated construction services. For more information about Knife River, visit the company's website at www.kniferiver.com. For more information on the Sweetman companies, visit www.concretematerialscompany.com.

About MDU Resources

MDU Resources Group, Inc., a member of the S&P MidCap 400 index and the S&P High-Yield Dividend Aristocrats index, is Building a Strong America by providing essential products and services through its regulated energy delivery and construction materials and services businesses. For more information about MDU Resources, see the company's website at www.mdu.com or contact the Investor Relations Department at [email protected].

Financial Contact:

Jason Vollmer, vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer, 701-530-1755

Media Contacts:

Tony Spilde, Knife River communications, 541-693-5949

Laura Lueder, MDU Resources Group manager of communications and public relations, 701-530-1095

SOURCE MDU Resources Group, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.mdu.com


LONDON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The More To Life Foundation announced today its upcoming experiential course in Houston, Texas to meet the growing demand from its regional chapter. Formatted as a two-day workshop in Houston from November 3-4, this evocative, trainer-led program is designed to help awaken each person's power, purpose, and potential while radically transforming their lives and the lives of those around them.

The More To Life Foundation is a global, donor-supported educational non-profit on a mission to foster personal and social transformations worldwide.

"Our organization has helped thousands of people worldwide tap into their passions, realize their potential, and embrace their most authentic selves," said Bill Thatcher, managing director of the More To Life Foundation. "We are excited to continue this pivotal work with our partners in Houston."

Founded in 1981 by Dr. K Bradford Brown and Dr. Roy Whitten, pioneers in the field of personal development, the More To Life Foundation offers a wide range of reality-based courses which examine the way habitual beliefs and unconscious fears stop us from accessing our best personal qualities, and limit our response to the unexpected moments and challenges that come our way. The cornerstone of this curriculum is the More To Life Weekend course. Designed to leave a lasting impact on students' everyday lives, this introductory course focuses on actionable insights, pragmatic tools, and powerful shifts in thinking. For busy individuals with more restricted schedules, the More To Life Foundation offers a condensed version of its flagship program, The Launchpad course, in Houston.

"We believe in meaningful change, and we aim to support our students long after they leave the workshop," Thatcher added. "The goal of the More To Life Weekend course is to set one on a path toward long-term empowerment and fulfillment."

The Launchpad in Houston, Texas will be held November 3-4, 2018 at the Hilton Houston Westchase with Senior Trainer Elaine Alpert. Ms. Alpert has been a student and leader in the More To Life Foundation since 1985. As a business owner and the founder of The MindPeace Method, she uses her extensive experience in mind-body medicine, energy psychology, trauma healing, and neuroscience to provide online programs and in-person retreats. These programs often incorporate licensed tools and content from the More To Life Program to support women and families who are facing significant loss.



Online registration for the course is now open and available. To register for The Launchpad Houston, click here. Additional information about the organization and its programs can be found at moretolife.org.

About the More To Life Foundation

The More To Life Foundation is a global, donor-supported educational non-profit on a mission to foster personal and social transformations worldwide. Grounded in core principles from psychotherapy and counseling, the More To Life Foundation's portfolio of experiential learning courses caters to students at varying skill levels, from entry to advanced. In order to bring this powerful work to individuals, as well as businesses, colleges, governmental agencies and partner non-profits, the More To Life Foundation maintains a network of skilled educators across four continents. Many are published authors, speakers, and commentators, possessing multiple degrees and extensive training.

Agency Contact:

Chuck Morris

Morris Creative Group LLC

865-637-9869

[email protected]

Company Contact:

Shea Collins

Interim Chief Marketing Officer

More To Life Foundation

+44 (0)77 2938 5987

[email protected]

moretolife.org

SOURCE More To Life Foundation

Related Links

http://moretolife.org


NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council thanks President Trump for signing the Protecting Religiously Affiliated Institutions Act of 2018.

Strengthening the capacity of law enforcement to monitor and prosecute hate crimes has been a top priority of the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council since it was established in November 2016. The Council met regularly with members of Congress, advocating for passage of this law, which builds upon the groundbreaking Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996.

The new law expands coverage of federal hate crimes laws to include synagogues, mosques and other religious institutions, such as schools and community centers. It clarifies that threats against, as well as acts that result in damage to, religious institutions are covered under federal law. Individuals who make these threats now face penalties of up to three years imprisonment.

According to the latest FBI report, issued in 2017, anti-Jewish incidents comprise the majority of all religious hate crimes, while anti-Muslim incidents rose nearly 20 percent over 2015.

"This significant law clarifies that any attacks infringing on religious freedom will not be tolerated in our country and gives law enforcement the tools to prosecute those responsible for religiously-motivated hate crimes," said Farooq Kathwari, Co-Chair of the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council.

The Council praised Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Dianne Feinstein (D-California), and Representatives David Kustoff (R-Tennessee) and Derek Kilmer (D-Washington) for introducing the legislation and their leadership in securing its successful adoption by Congress. The Senate unanimously adopted the bipartisan measure last month and the House of Representatives overwhelmingly adopted a similar measure in December 2017.

"Solid bipartisan support for this law confirms that at the highest levels of our government protecting religious freedom is a non-partisan issue and all Americans have equal protection," said Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council Co-Chair Stanley Bergman.

The Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council, founded nearly two years ago, brings together 46 civil society, religious, and business leaders from across the United States to advocate for domestic policy issues of common concern. The American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) are its co-conveners. The Council has eight regional affiliates across the United States, in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, South Florida, and Washington, D.C.

SOURCE The Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- National Bank Holdings Corporation (NYSE: NBHC) expects to report its third quarter financial results after the markets close on Tuesday, October 23, 2018. Management will host a conference call to review the results at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, October 24, 2018. Interested parties may listen to this call by dialing (877) 272-6762 / (615) 800-6832 (International) using the Conference ID of 6870724 and asking for the NBHC Third Quarter Earnings conference call. A telephonic replay of the call will be available beginning approximately two hours after the call's completion through November 1, 2018, by dialing (855) 859-2056 (United States) / (404) 537-3406 (International) using the Conference ID of 6870724. The earnings release and an on-line replay of the call will also be available on the Company's website at www.nationalbankholdings.com by visiting the investor relations area.

About National Bank Holdings Corporation

National Bank Holdings Corporation is a bank holding company created to build a leading community bank franchise delivering high quality client service and committed to shareholder results. Through its bank subsidiary, NBH Bank, National Bank Holdings Corporation operates a network of 104 banking centers, serving individual consumers, small, medium and large businesses, and government and non-profit entities. Its banking centers are located in its core footprint of Colorado, the greater Kansas City region, Texas and New Mexico. Its comprehensive residential mortgage banking group primarily serves the bank's core footprint with additional offices in Arizona and Utah. NBH Bank operates under the following brand names: Bank Midwest in Kansas and Missouri, Community Banks of Colorado in Colorado and Hillcrest Bank in Texas and New Mexico. It also operates as Community Banks Mortgage, a division of NBH Bank, in Arizona, Colorado and Utah. Additional information about National Bank Holdings Corporation can be found at www.nationalbankholdings.com.

For more information visit: bankmw.com, cobnks.com, hillcrestbank.com or nbhbank.com. Or, follow us on any of our social media sites:

Bank Midwest: facebook.com/bankmw, twitter.com/bank_mw, instagram.com/bankmw;

Community Banks of Colorado: facebook.com/cobnks, twitter.com/cobnks, instagram.com/cobnks;

Hillcrest Bank: facebook.com/hillcrestbank, twitter.com/hillcrest_bank;

NBH Bank: twitter.com/nbhbank;

or connect with any of our brands on LinkedIn.

SOURCE National Bank Holdings Corporation

Related Links

http://www.nationalbankholdings.com


NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Healcerion is exhibiting at the 2018 FMX, Family Medicine Experience event at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center October 10-13. This is the AAFP's (American Academy of Family Physicians) largest annual event for practitioners interested in the latest innovations to deliver world-class diagnosis and care.

The newly-launched SONON 300L wireless, handheld ultrasound device will be showcased by Healcerion in the New Exhibitor Pavilion.

The SONON 300L removes previous cost and space barriers to owning a diagnostic ultrasound device SONON 300L is the first FDA-approved app-driven, wireless, handheld ultrasound device. It is easy to use, and fits right in your pocket.

If you're attending, contact Healcerion to schedule a one-on-one demonstration at your convenience during the event, or via teleconference if you can't be there in-person.

Visit booth #722 on Oct 10-13 for:

11-1pm Refreshments and Q&A with Dr. Benjamin Ryu , CEO, creator of SONON 300L

Ongoing live demos for MSK, Abdomen and general scanning during exhibit hours

All visitors to the booth will receive a limited-time 10% discount for purchase of the SONON 300L.

The device works with a mobile app, and fits in the palm of your hand to accelerate diagnosis, gain deeper insight into patient health and provide a richer patient experience, while adding a new channel of revenue through added value medical services and reimbursement.

"Ease-of-use and cost-effective portability of the SONON 300L are a powerful set of differentiators," says Dr. Benjamin Ryu, CEO and founder of Healceiron, "The unit connects with iOS and Android devices providing an easy to learn intuitive interface for this point-of-care device that allows for the imaging of ultrasound-guided procedures and diagnosis anywhere."

SONON 300L is ultra-compact, easier to use than any other handheld ultrasound in the US market, and available at 1/10 the cost of a traditional floor-based unit. By removing space and budgetary barriers to a diagnostic ultrasound, everyone benefits.

SONON 300L is operated using intuitive touchscreen controls, and can be used anywhere with an app from the Google Play or Apple App Store. It uses a paired tablet or smartphone as a display, where images are analyzed and shared from. The device weighs only 13 ounces (370 grams) and has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with industry-leading 3-hour continuous run-time, Wi-Fi connectivity and 3G/LTE cellular capability.

It provides a new diagnostic ultrasound option for family physicians, retail clinics, urgent care centers, mini-hospitals, home health care providers, and remote points-of-care.

About Healcerion

Founded in 2012 in South Korea with its US headquarters in Roseville, California, Healcerion provides healthcare professionals with mobile technology to enhance the quality of medical care available around the world. The company delivers affordable, high-quality, wireless, handheld ultrasound devices to clinical and remote locations worldwide. Through medical and technology innovation, Healcerion is committed to giving back to the global community through removing barriers to the life-saving visibility diagnostic ultrasound can provide to those most urgently in-need.

Media Contact:

Jackie Lucas

TribalVision, Public Relations

[email protected]

978-255-1159

SOURCE Healcerion

Related Links

https://www.healcerion.com


LOS ANGELES, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Psychology doctoral programs professor (for The Chicago School of Professional Psychology) James E. Shaw, Ph.D., says he was "driven to action to write 'My Chanukah' by a National Public Radio (NPR) broadcast which I initially considered was the strange, flawed report of an apprentice." Shaw explains: "That NPR report said Jews do not have a universally-embraced or 'signature' Chanukah song. America's national anthem was cited as one example" of what 'universally-embraced' means, regardless of genre. Shaw says, "I decided to do a little research and perhaps contact NPR later." Shaw's research found "only Adam Sandler's hilarious 'Chanukah Song,' which first debuted on 'Saturday Night Live', back in 1994, and became an instant comedy classic, that Sandler updated in 2015."

Dr. James E. Shaw, member of the Panel of Experts of the L. A. Superior Court, serves as an expert witness and trial consultant, and works with the Indigent Criminal Defense Attorneys (ICDA) and the County Public Defender.

Shaw then decided, "I knew that I had to write a Chanukah song, complete with lyrics, melody, chords, and then orchestrate it." He describes the result as "poignant, exhilarating, and incredibly spiritually uplifting." Shaw's "My Chanukah" was presented to, and evaluated by, the Jewish Music Commission of Los Angeles. Shaw says, "The written endorsement I received from the Commission filled me with humility, gratitude and endless joy." To Shaw, "Music is a universal language and Jews and black Americans have an American history of music collaboration, cooperation and production."

Shaw provides a personal example of music collaboration by adding that, "in 1970, I was asked by Professor Dr. Robert Strassburg to be his official transcriber of his wonderful musical work, 'The Torah Sonata,' which premiered at the University of Judaism (now the American Jewish University)." Many years later, Shaw says, in writing "My Chanukah," his goal was to write something authentic, emotionally rich, and uplifting, to help unite people. "America is not united but is torn and divided." Shaw says that during the writing of "My Chanukah," constantly entering his mind was Anne Frank's eternal truth: "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."

Prior to pursuing graduate and professional studies, Shaw acquired a B.A. degree in music and, with his older brother, spent 12 years performing annual piano recitals in the San Gabriel Valley. Drawn to education as a career, he became a counselor for the Pasadena USD, and at night played piano for the popular group, "Chain Reaction." Shaw has been featured on television and on more than 50 radio stations for his work in school safety and for his ground-breaking book, Jack and Jill, Why They Kill, said, on CNN to be "the smart answer for today's troubled times." He was also one of the requested keynote speakers at the annual Columbine High School commemoration ceremonies. Shaw has been presented a "Certificate of Recognition" by the California State Legislature.

Shaw's "My Chanukah" is sung by the group Earth Dance. It has uplifting lyrics "rooted in miraculous events in Jewish history." Amazon Music, iTunes, Spotify, Google Music, Pandora, and other internet sites feature Shaw's "My Chanukah" in their music catalogues. Moreover, Amazon features the moving lyrics of "My Chanukah" as an eBook in its Kindle collection.

Shaw says, "I want National Public Radio to grant me a favor and play "My Chanukah" on their broadcasts, since it was NPR's own radio report about "no universally-embraced Chanukah song" that motivated me to write the music and lyrics for, and then orchestrate, "My Chanukah."

Related Images

james-shaw-happy-after-client-wins.jpg

James Shaw happy after client wins court case

Dr. James E. Shaw, member of the Panel of Experts of the L. A. Superior Court, serves as an expert witness and trial consultant, and works with the Indigent Criminal Defense Attorneys (ICDA) and the County Public Defender.

national-conference-on-school.jpg

National Conference on School Safety

Dr. James E. Shaw was one of the keynote presenters at the National School Response Conference

cover-of-my-chanukah-original-song.jpg

Cover of "My Chanukah," original song composed and orchestrated by Dr. James Shaw

During my composing of "My Chanukah," I was variously awed and humbled by the timeless Beauty of the Menorah, whose light inspired me with each word of each lyric, each note of each melody, and each chord I readied for orchestration.

b-r-a-v-e-be-resilient-avoid.jpg

B.R.A.V.E. (Be Resilient Avoid Violence Everywhere) Curriculum Cover

California Department Education approved Dr. James E. Shaw's violence prevention and education curriculum titled "B.R.A.V.E."

Media Contact: Dr. James E. Shaw: Ph.: 310.678.6950; Email: [email protected]

SOURCE James E. Shaw
NAPLES, Fla., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The independent authority on Search vendors, topseos.com, has released their list of the one hundred best SEO companies for the month of October 2018. The rankings produced on the topseos.com website highlight leading and top contending search marketing companies that assist businesses in being found in the organic search results of major competing search engines. While there are thousands of companies offering SEO services, the rankings highlight performers based on an in-depth and independent analysis of the services they provide.

The rankings of the best SEO companies for October 2018 include:

1) Digital Marketing Agency

2) HigherVisibility

3) OuterBox

4) VJG Interactive

5) Ignite Digital Inc.

6) Boostability

7) Ignite Visibility

8) Prime Visibility

9) Thrive Internet Marketing

10) Bruce Clay

To determine the inclusion and placement of competing SEO companies within the rankings the independent research team at topseos.com performs arduous research. A set of evaluation criteria are used for the purpose of benchmarking and comparing leading and top contending SEO companies across five key areas of evaluation. The five key areas of evaluation include on page optimization, off page optimization, needs analysis, keyword analysis, and reporting methods. Client reviews and testimonials are used as an additional resource to validate the claims made by the competing agencies.

To view the rankings of the best SEO companies visit:

https://www.topseos.com/rankings-of-best-seo-companies

About topseos.com

topseos.com is an online provider of independent reviews and ratings. The ratings of the best search engine marketing companies are released monthly to assist businesses in connecting with search engine optimization companies which feature a history of effective solutions. Thousands of search engine marketing companies are put to the test while only the absolute best companies are highlighted in the ratings.

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE topseos.com
TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Perch Security, the cybersecurity company that combines self-service threat intelligence tools with a managed security operations center, announced today $9 million in Series A funding, through a combined investment from ConnectWise and existing investor Fishtech Group. The funding will fuel Perch's expansion in software development, marketing and customer success. ConnectWise Founder and CEO Arnie Bellini will join Perch's Board of Directors.

Arnie Bellini's visionary approach to information technology spans over 35 years. Now a respected industry leader, ConnectWise revolutionized the managed service provider (MSP) market with their smart approach to supporting providers with a packaged set of tools to launch their businesses and centralize operations. According to Bellini, ConnectWise is building out a comprehensive strategy for technology solution providers to integrate Security-as-a-Service models into their business. Already an important provider of endpoint security, ConnectWise is moving to round out its security offerings by investing in Perch.

"We saw Perch's potential early  surprisingly fast adoption, lots of happy customers, and skeptics converting to Perch evangelists," noted Gary Fish, CEO/Founder of Fishtech Group. "Our partnership is still growing, and we want to keep that momentum."

Now two years on the market, Perch saw rapid early growth in cybersecurity adoption with an automated way for users of all sizes to consume and benefit from intelligence data. CEO and Founder Aharon Chernin maintains a customer-focused company culture and a unique voice in the industry. "We started with a mission to simplify the threat intelligence process for a broader segment of users," said Perch CEO and Founder Aharon Chernin. "Working closely with our early adopters, we've now grown Perch into a versatile but simple set of threat intelligence tools. I can't think of a better way to expand our target market than by having ConnectWise as an investment parter."

Features of Perch's core product include:

Real-time threat detection, including east-west traffic

Threat intelligence centralization and automation

First-tier threat analysis to alleviate the burden for the service provider and users

Access to view and participate in the process as much as desired via secure web application

About Perch Security

Founded in 2016 in Tampa, FL, Perch Security was created to meet cyber security needs by enabling institutions of every size to detect the threats their sharing community warns them about  without costly equipment or analyst hours. Perch's goals are to help customers detect 100% of the threats shared with them, connect them with their best sources of intelligence, and to strengthen sharing communities through more participation. Learn more at https://www.PerchSecurity.com

About ConnectWise

ConnectWise is a software company that connects technology teams to the solutions, services and resources necessary for success. Our award-winning business management platform automates the full lifecycle of technology service delivery, from sales and service to project tracking and back-office functions, for more than 22,000 partners in more than 70 countries. We believe in an open ecosystem, the power of choice and providing a single pane of glass view. With more than 35 years of experience, ConnectWise software solutions deliver the support companies want at each step of their business journey. For more information, visit ConnectWise.

About Fishtech Group

Fishtech is a data-driven cybersecurity solutions provider for any computing platform. Fishtech is the flagship entity of Fishtech Group, which includes the Security-as-a-Service division CYDERES, and the wholly owned security analytics firm Haystax of McLean, VA. Visit https://fishtech.group/ or contact us at [email protected].

Contact: Stephanie Cruise, [email protected], 813-447-9381

SOURCE Perch Security

Related Links

https://www.perchsecurity.com


STOCKHOLM, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Sandvik will publish its third quarter results on Tuesday, 23 October 2018 at approximately 12.00 CEST.

A combined webcast and conference call for investors, analysts and financial media will be held at 13.30 CEST.

The report will be presented in a webcast and conference call by Bjorn Rosengren, President and CEO as well as by Tomas Eliasson, CFO.

The presentation will be broadcasted live on our website home.sandvik

Dial-in details for the conference call:

SE: + 46(0)8-566-426-92

UK: +44(0)203-008-98-08

US: +1-855-831-59-44

From about 12.30 CEST presentation slides will be available on our website home.sandvik

Sandvik AB

For further information contact:

Ann-Sofie Nordh

Vice President Investor Relations

tel +46-8-456-1494

Martin Blomgren

Press and Media Relations Manager

tel +46-70-577-0549

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/sandvik/r/presentation-of-sandvik-s-report-of-the-third-quarter-2018,c2634684

The following files are available for download:

http://mb.cision.com/Main/208/2634684/920550.pdf Presentation of Sandviks report of the third quarter 2018

SOURCE Sandvik
Propak Asia was attended by 48,799 visitors and over 1,170 delegates were from the Philippines, which included more than 450 delegates lead by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Filipino industry professionals attended ProPak Asia to see the latest and widest range of new technology, machines, solutions and packaging materials from global suppliers that can help grow, develop and level-up local industry players to the next level of manufacturing and supply.

This would not have been possible without the support of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) led by Sec. Ramon Lopez and with the presence of Usec. Zenaida Maglaya of Regional Operation Group (ROG) to grace the Opening Ceremony and lead the ProPak Philippines Investment Forum held at ProPak Asia.

The launch of ProPak Philippines will be held on 24 - 26 January 2019 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, Pasay City. The show will deliver, a first-of-its-kind, ProPak international standard industry trade event focused on processing and packaging, and connect leading international and local suppliers to local and regional buyers right here in Manila.

ProPak Philippines will be the perfect platform to access a robust and expanding industry in need of new machines and technology. This show will support local industry to expand and innovate its processing and packaging industries especially for the food, beverages and pharmaceutical sectors.

The show is expected to attract over 180 exhibitors from across the world with international pavilions already confirmed from mainland China, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Singapore, Taiwan and the UK, over 6,000 industry trade visitors looking to source for new products and latest technologies, and potential business partners that will help generate and support growing business.

The DTI has seen the huge potential of the Philippines in the packaging industry and explored ways to reach its goal to help the people in the packaging industry through expanding their knowledge, innovating packaging solutions and connecting with the international network of the industry. Now, is the right time to continue its support with the Philippine edition of ProPak.

The support of DTI for ProPak Philippines was officially signed on Wednesday, 19th September 2018 by Usec. Zenaida Maglaya of Regional Operation Group of DTI, Mr. Dexter Deyto, General Manager of UBM Exhibitions Philippines and organiser of ProPak Philippines, and Lt. Col. Joseph Ross Jocson, President of Packaging Institute of the Philippines (PIP). To witness the signing, Mr. Clarke Nebrao, MSME Development & Exhibits Director of PIP, Mr. Kervin Valero, Press Relations Officer of Philippine Printing Technical Foundation and Mr. Justin Pau, Project Head of ProPak Philippines were present. UBM and PIP believe that with the support of DTI, the show can provide the best solutions to meet the growing needs of the Philippines' processing and manufacturing industries and support to achieve the DTI's objectives to level-up local MSME's and industry to improve and develop local production, quality, food safety and supply here in the Philippines.

For more details please contact Ms. Danah Castillo at +63 2 581 1921 or through email at [email protected].

About ProPak Philippines

ProPak Philippines is organised by UBM, which in June 2018 combined with Informa PLC to become a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organiser in the world. Please visit www.ubm.com/asia for more information about our presence in Asia.

SOURCE UBM BES

Related Links

http://www.ubm.com/asia


Currently, India possesses only seven surgical specialists per 100,000 people 3 and approximately three reconstructive plastic surgeons per 2 million people. 4 The RealSelf Beyond Scars program partners with ReSurge International , a nonprofit organization dedicated to building reconstructive surgical capacity in developing countries. This new program supports medical professionals in India who provide reconstructive surgical care to burn survivors in the region. RealSelf Beyond Scars also sends trained medical teams and volunteers to areas of the country where burn survivors have little access to this critical care.

"RealSelf is proud to launch Beyond Scars and help people access important reconstructive care in these underserved communities," said RealSelf Founder and CEO Tom Seery. "We are committed to helping people through the power of our community and our products, and RealSelf Beyond Scars is a natural extension of this commitment to help people build confidence to realize their full potential no matter where they live in the world."

"We are thrilled that the RealSelf Beyond Scars program takes a multifaceted approach to addressing the needs of burn survivors in India, both by expanding access to critical surgical care and by giving survivors an opportunity to break free from the stigma of disfiguring scars." said Jeff Whisenant, President and CEO of ReSurge International. "The RealSelf partnership with ReSurge demonstrates the company's commitment to its mission. We appreciate their support."

RealSelf support for ReSurge International in India began in 2015. The first volunteer trip was piloted in March 2018 to serve the Helping Hands Center, a medical clinic serving the remote town of Dehradun. The success of that trip led to the creation of RealSelf Beyond Scars. The program's second volunteer-led trip to India in December is sponsored, in part, by a generous donation from Delta Air Lines . The December trip will aid Camp Karma, the subcontinent's first and only burn camp, in a country where there are more than 1.5 million pediatric burn survivors. Founded in 2013 by Dr. Vinita Puri, head of Plastic Surgery at King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, Camp Karma focuses on transforming the lives of burn survivors by strengthening children's ability to mentally, socially, and emotionally recover from their burn injuries and gain the tools they need to move past their scars.

Thrive Causemetics , a luxury cosmetics brand, has also stepped up as a partner for this inaugural program to Camp Karma. Their donation fills a request from the young women of the camp who want make-up lessons to help them further connect with their new-found confidence. Thrive Causemetic's mission of "beauty with a purpose" and generous giving supports women around the world experiencing a range of challenging issues, from domestic violence to living through cancer treatment.

RealSelf

RealSelf is the leading aesthetics marketplace for people to learn and share experiences about cosmetic procedures and connect with the right providers. Millions of people from around the world visit RealSelf each month to browse patient reviews, before and after photos, and medical expert answers to discover which treatments and providers live up to their promise of being "Worth It." From simple skincare to emerging nonsurgical technologies to highly considered cosmetic surgeries, RealSelf makes it easy to get the insights needed to make smart, confident decisions, and find the right provider. For more information, visit The Treatment blog or follow RealSelf on Instagram , Facebook and Twitter .

ReSurge International

ReSurge International provides life-changing surgical care that is safe, timely, and affordable in developing countries, and develops surgical capacity to ensure the availability of year-round care. Founded in 1969 with Stanford University roots, ReSurge advances its mission in two ways: through surgical care and the ReSurge Global Training Program (RGTP). ReSurge trains the next generation of reconstructive surgeons in Africa, Latin America, and Asia; works with them to create a sustainable care model; and together, they provide high-quality reconstructive surgical care to people living in poverty and in remote areas.

Camp Karma

Camp Karma was founded in 2013 and is headquartered just outside the hustle and bustle of Mumbai. India possesses a unique social background with a blend of cultures and religions mixed with diverse socioeconomic levels. As with many societies in the world, India has struggled with a combination of mythology, media, and cultural idioms that associate physical scars with bad or evil. Programs designed to break these cultural norms are mainly geared toward adolescents and adults; however, such programs do not exist for childrenespecially children who have sustained burns. Camp Karma brings together young burn survivors for a three-day camp, where they can leave behind cultural, religious, and socio-economic differences. In addition to the local counselors and volunteers, many international staff members attend camp each year, making it a truly unique experience.

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines serves more than 180 million customers each year. In 2018, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the seventh time in eight years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented seven consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network , Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 304 destinations in 52 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading transatlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic . Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam , Atlanta, Boston , Detroit , Los Angeles , Mexico City, Minneapolis/St. Paul , New York-JFK and LaGuardia , London-Heathrow , Paris-Charles de Gaulle , Salt Lake City , Sao Paulo, Seattle , Seoul, and Tokyo-Narita . Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub , as well as delta.com , Twitter @DeltaNewsHub and Facebook.com/delta .

Thrive Causemetics

Thrive Causemetics was born out of a friendship. Makeup artist and product developer, Karissa Bodnar, lost her dear friend Kristy to cancer at just 24 years old. Kristy's compassionate and vivacious spirit inspired Karissa to establish Thrive Causemetics, a beauty brand and philosophy that goes beyond skin deep by empowering women. Thrive Causemetics is Beauty with a Purpose: for every product you purchase, one is donated to help a woman thrive. We believe changing the world starts with a single ingredient, and that's why we create vegan, 100% cruelty-free formulas containing proven ingredients without the use of parabens or sulfates. All of our high-performance cosmetics are developed at Thrive Lab in Los Angeleswe control every step of the product development process, and a large part of it involves you. From selecting shades for our Glossy Lip Mark to testing our new formulations, your voice is heard in every step of our product creation process. With over a decade of experience as a makeup artist, beauty product designer, and formulator, Karissa has traveled the world sourcing powerful ingredients to create clean formulas with skin-loving properties.

1 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs365/en/

2 Calculations from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016, IHME-GBD http://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool Women in India suffer burn disabilities and deaths at nearly twice the rate (206 per 100,000, DALYs; 3.4 per 100,000 deaths) as females around the globe (108 per 100,000 DALYs, 1.7 per 100,000 deaths).

3 World Bank Data Source https://data.worldbank.org/indicator (accessed on 20180225)

4 Kamali, Parisa, Maaike W. van Paridon, Ahmed M. S. Ibrahim, Marek A. Paul, Henri A. Winters, Veronique Martinot-Duquennoy, Ernst Magnus Noah, Norbert Pallua, and Samuel J. Lin. 2016.

SOURCE RealSelf

Related Links

http://www.realself.com


"He knew I was a hobbyist photographer and from there I ended up working for him, doing weddings and other assorted stuff," Wood said. "Out of this a very deep friendship grew over the years. Even since his retirement we've met frequently for lunch, or to take out cameras in search of something or other."
CHICAGO, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Technomic's Foodservice Planning Program will share new studies along with industry and economic updates during the upcoming conference, being held Jan. 7-9 in Scottsdale, Ariz. (previously Newport Beach, Calif.). This supplier members-only meeting shares strategic issues facing suppliers and offers actions that can be taken and implemented to get ahead in the foodservice industry.

"We couldn't be more excited about this new, larger location and our agenda lineup," explains Bernadette Noone, vice president of programs at Technomic. "We continue to improve our programs from our advisory board member feedback and this will be no exception. We have new hands-on breakout sessions, networking opportunities, industry leading guest speakers and some special resources to welcome our new members. It's truly a must-attend event for suppliers in foodservice."

Sessions include:

Distributor Evolution with Dot FoodsJohn Tracy, executive chairman of Dot Foods, will discuss how he sees the distribution landscape evolving with operators' needs, strategies to support operators and what manufacturers can do to engage in those efforts.

The Menu of TomorrowAs consumers' tastes become broader, anticipate how menus will evolve and what's in store for the future, including preparation methods, varieties and flavors. Using predictive analytics, Technomic will provide a view of menu opportunities to leverage in the future.

Reaching the DSR (Distributor Sales Rep)Take a look at the DSR and their evolving role in the operator buying process. Specifics into the profile of the typical DSR will be provided, as well as their preferences for manufacturer support and identification of effective reach tactics.

Trends and Directions in Emerging Specialty SegmentsExplore the dynamics of emerging segments, such as food trucks, ghost restaurants, food halls, pantry foodservice and micromarkets, including size, growth and segmentation. Issues related to products used, supplier selection process/criteria, sales/marketing support and menu/format trends will be shared.

Breakout SessionsAttendees can pick from topics such as working with Amazon as a third-party distributor, effective strategies for implementing syndicated research and solving supplier takeout packaging issues.

Conference details:

Foodservice Planning Program January Member Meeting

Theme: Evolution

Dates: Jan. 7-9, 2019

Location: Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Scottsdale, Ariz.

This meeting is only open to members of Technomic's Foodservice Planning Program. In addition to in-person events, membership to the Foodservice Planning Program includes access to searchable company profiles, custom studies and reports, newsletters and ongoing deliverables on the dynamic platform Ignite. For more information on the program, visit Technomic.com or contact one of the individuals listed below.

Contacts:

Press inquiries and program details: Bernadette Noone, (312) 506-3853, [email protected]

Purchasing details: Patrick Noone, (312) 506-3852, [email protected]

About Technomic

Technomic Inc., a Winsight company, delivers a 360-degree view of the food industry. It impacts growth and profitability for clients by providing consumer-grounded vision and channel-relevant strategic insights. Its services range from major research studies and management consulting solutions to online databases and simple fact-finding assignments. Its clients include food manufacturers and distributors, restaurants and retailers, other foodservice organizations, and various institutions aligned with the food industry. Visit Technomic at www.technomic.com.

About Winsight LLC

Winsight LLC is a recognized leader in business-to-business media and information services for the convenience-retailing, foodservice and grocery industries. Winsight has an extensive media portfolio, including five publications: CSP, Restaurant Business, FoodService Director, Convenience Store Products and Winsight Grocery Business. Winsight also offers a suite of digital products, including websites, e-newsletters, webinars, video products, mobile and tablet apps, and custom marketing solutions. In addition to more than 12 major EduNetworking conferences and advisory meetings, Winsight also produces seven exclusive, large-scale executive-level conferences: Restaurant Leadership Conference, Global Restaurant Leadership Conference, Outlook Leadership Conference, Convenience Retailing University, FSTEC, MenuDirections and Restaurant Directions. In 2015, Winsight acquired Technomic Inc., a provider of primary and secondary market information and advisory services for the food industry. For more information on Winsight and its brands, go to www.winsightmedia.com.

SOURCE Technomic

Related Links

http://www.technomic.com


TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven Seas Water, an operating segment of AquaVenture Holdings Limited (NYSE: WAAS) ("AquaVenture" or the "Company"), a leader in Water-as-a-Service ("WAAS") solutions, today announced that it entered into an agreement with the Water Corporation of Anguilla, the public water utility of Anguilla, to supply potable water under a 10-year contract. Water production, which will commence immediately, will be at an initial capacity of 500 thousand gallons per day and expand to 750 thousand gallons per day within the first several months of commencement. The agreement provides for an additional expansion for a total design capacity of 1 million gallons per day during the term.

Doug Brown, Chairman and CEO of AquaVenture Holdings, commented: "We are excited to announce the execution of this agreement, which expands our base facilities into Anguilla and increases our customer density in the Caribbean. We look forward to becoming a long-term partner to the Water Corporation of Anguilla for water treatment services."

About AquaVenture

AquaVenture is a multinational provider of WAAS solutions that provide customers a reliable and cost-effective source of clean drinking and process water primarily under long-term contracts that minimize capital investment by the customer. AquaVenture is composed of two operating platforms: Quench, a U.S.-based provider of Point-of-Use, or POU, filtered water systems and related services to approximately 45,000 institutional and commercial customers; and Seven Seas Water, a multinational provider of desalination and wastewater treatment solutions, providing more than 8.5 billion gallons of potable, high purity industrial grade and ultra-pure water per year to governmental, municipal, industrial and hospitality customers.

About Seven Seas Water

Seven Seas Water offers WAAS solutions by providing outsourced desalination and wastewater reuse services for governmental, municipal, industrial and hospitality customers. Our solutions utilize reverse osmosis and other purification technologies to produce potable and high purity industrial process water for customers operating in regions with limited access to potable water. Seven Seas Water is a leading provider of water to the Caribbean market and currently operates throughout the Caribbean and South America, while pursing new opportunities in North America, South America and other select markets.

[email protected]

Investors Hotline: 855-278-WAAS (9227)

SOURCE AquaVenture Holdings Limited

Related Links

http://www.aquaventure.com


ALBANY, New York, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

As per the TMR report, the global single-cell analysis market is foreseen to earn a US$6.4 bn by the end of 2025. The market is anticipated to expand with 15.4% CAGR within the forecast period of 2017 to 2025. On the basis of product, the market is anticipated to be dominated by consumables segment owing to the fact that the rise in single-cell analysis research will further increase the need to repeat orders for kits and reagents and this will furthermore contribute to generate high revenue for the overall market. Based on geography, North America is presumed to be leading the market share worldwide while Asia Pacific is still presumed to be growing at a faster rate in the coming years.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/664869/Transparency_Market_Research_Logo.jpg )

Get PDF Brochure for Research Insights at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=10565

Single-Gene Disorders Augmenting Demand of Single-Cell Analysis Market

The factor anticipated to boost the overall growth of the market is the rise in incidents of various infectious diseases and cancer which further increases the need for single-cell analysis. Apart from that, there is also the increase in awareness among people to take care of their own health which means the market will attract more revenue from the health and fitness conscious end users in the coming years.

Owing to the expansion in research and development on in-vitro fertilization and single-gene disorders, there is the need to employ single-cell analysis in order to investigate the human embryo before implantation. The market could also benefit from increasing neurological research, stem cell research, and cancer research. Thus, the need for single-cell analysis for the aforementioned purposes is an important factor expected to propel the single-cell analysis market in the future years to come.

Request a Custom Report at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=10565

Asia Pacific to Witness Faster Growth with Rise in Medical Tourism

The global single-cell market is dominated by the regions of Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Middle East and Africa and Latin America. Among these, The North American region is expected to be contributing major shares of revenue to the market worldwide, followed by Europe. This is because of factors like the rising awareness among common people regarding their health and growth in research funding.

However, Asia Pacific is anticipated to emerge as a faster growing region in the years to come owing to the declining treatment expenses, low technology price, rise in medical tourism. Besides that, factors like the important growth in genomics field and increase in preference of distribution agreements in between regional and regional players are also foreseen to augment the global single-cell analysis market in the years to come.

Request a Sample of Report at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=10565

In a recent report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the vendor landscape of the global single-cell analysis market is anticipated to witness a stable growth in the years to come. This is due to the fact that emerging companies are focusing more on partnerships and collaborations with other leading players in order to remain in the competition as well as contribute to the overall growth of the market in the long run. The key growth of the single-cell analysis market is development of the product and this is thus estimated to boost the global market.

Some of the major players of the global single-cell analysis market are WaferGen Bio-systems, Dickinson and Company, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Fluidigm Corporation. The healthcare and pharmaceuticals companies are at the forefront of propelling the acceleration of the market worldwide. Major players are also putting more focus on the application of merger and acquisition strategies in order to uplift the growth and demand for single-cell analysis in the global market.

Browse Press Release at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/single-cell-analysis-market.htm

The information presented in this review is based on a TMR report titled, "Single-Cell Analysis Market (Product - Instruments, Consumables; End User - Hospitals, Research Labs, Diagnostic Centers, Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutical Companies) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025".

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SOURCE Transparency Market Research
Mr. Enriquez pointed to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal's Mansion Global section, wherein a number of Miami brokers noted that the city's remaining condo inventory is from a development cycle that began in 2012, and nearly all of those units are likely to be absorbed within the next 12-18 months. With very few new developments planned, upscale condo inventory may soon be scarce rather than excessive, thus shifting the market in favor of sellers.

The four condominiums at the Epic Residences offer 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom floor plans, and all units offer views of downtown Miami and its surrounding waterways. Unit features include professional-grade appliances, Snaidero cabinetry, Italian marble floors, and floor-to-ceiling, impact-glass windows.

At least two of these four Epic units will be sold without reserve, while the remaining units will be sold subject to the seller's confirmation, meaning the seller has the option to negotiate the high bid.

The Epic development offers its residents 24-hr front desk/security, high-speed elevators, and multiple pools (including a 13,000-sf, "wrap-around" pool). It also houses the Epic Kimpton hotel, which adds world-class restaurants, a spa and meeting/conference amenities. The upscale hotel is housed in a separate building that adjoins the private residences.

North of the downtown area in Sunny Isles Beach, the Trump Towers offer a more serene lifestyle, with direct access to the sugar-sand beaches of the Atlantic Ocean. The oceanfront development consists entirely of private residences, with amenities such as beachfront cabanas, floor-to-ceiling windows, 24-hour valet, and a concierge and security staff.

The two Trump condominiums also offer two and three bedrooms, and feature lofted ceilings, large terraces, European-style cabinetry, granite countertops, and elegant master baths complete with frameless showers and soaking tubs. One of the Trump units will be sold without reserve, with the other unit selling subject to the seller's confirmation of the bid.

"While the seller is committed to offering three units without reserve, he also has the option to offer more units in this fashion," added Enriquez. "We therefore encourage all active condo buyers and 'deal-seekers' not to miss this event."

Final previews of the properties are being held today. The deadline for bidders to register for the auction is also today at 5pm ET, although Platinum noted that registrations may be permitted through Saturday for qualified parties. Interested buyers should contact a Platinum representative at 800.727.0594 for details. Additional information is also available at MiamiLuxuryAuction.com.

About Platinum Luxury Auctions: Platinum Luxury Auctions is responsible for developing the luxury auction model for high-priced real estate auctions and owns the trademark rights to the term "luxury auction." The firm specializes in the non-distressed sale of multimillion-dollar properties within and beyond the United States. Platinum's team has closed more than $769 million in luxury real estate auction sales to date, while consulting on more than $2.25 billion in additional luxury properties worldwide.

SOURCE Platinum Luxury Auctions LLC

Related Links

http://www.platinumluxuryauctions.com


FREMONT, Calif., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- This October and November, Tailored Brands, Inc. (NYSE: TLRD) and its subsidiaries, Men's Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, K&G, and Canadian retailer Moores Clothing for Men, are continuing to support the fight against cancer. Knowing that cancer touches the lives of our customers, our employees, and their families, we are focused on supporting the Movember Foundation, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. and the Canadian Cancer Society to promote awareness and raise funds for both men's and women's health and cancer research.

In the continued effort to raise awareness for cancer research, our brands are participating in October's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Men's Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank and K&G will be contributing $50,000 each to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. Canada based Moores Clothing for Men will also be contributing $50,000 to the Canadian Cancer Society. Funds will go towards helping to provide assistance and inspire hope to those affected by breast cancer through early detection, education, and support services.

"NBCF is grateful to partner with Tailored Brands for a second year in support of our mission of Helping Women Now," said NBCF Founder & CEO, Janelle Hail. "Their donation will enable us to continue providing help and inspiring hope to women affected by breast cancer across the U.S."

Men's specialty clothing retailers, Men's Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank and Moores Clothing for Men, have committed to donating $100,000 each to the Movember Foundation. Movember is the only global charity focused solely on men's health, funding projects focusing on prostate and testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. In addition to the financial support for the charity, each retailer is offering customers a special Movember deal through the month of November. Customers who sign up on Movember.com will receive a coupon for $50 off a custom suit at Men's Wearhouse, and $50 off any tailored clothing purchase at Jos. A. Bank. Show your personal Movember Mo Space page or email from Movember.com at any of these retailers to receive the offer.

"We are so excited to welcome Tailored Brands to Team Movember for this year's Movember campaign," noted Terry Norton-Wright, U.S. president at the Movember Foundation. "We both believe in the value of taking action in support of men's health, whether it's through having important conversations or fundraising to support vital research."

"Nurturing the community is one of the Company's core values, and I am proud of how our brands are continuing their support of such worthy causes," said Dinesh Lathi, executive chairman of Tailored Brands, Inc. "Placing an emphasis on awareness and funding for cancer research can help provide life-saving services to women and men across the country."

Visit any of our Men's Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, Moores Clothing for Men, or K&G locations nationwide. For additional information on Tailored Brands, please visit tailoredbrands.com.

About Tailored Brands

Tailored Brands, Inc. is a leading authority on helping men dress for work, special occasions and everyday life. We serve our customers through an expansive omni-channel network that includes over 1,400 stores in the U.S. and Canada as well as our branded e-commerce websites. Our brands include Men's Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, Joseph Abboud, Moores Clothing for Men and K&G. We also operate an international corporate apparel and workwear group consisting of Dimensions, Alexandra and Yaffy in the United Kingdom and Twin Hill in the United States.

For additional information on Tailored Brands, please visit the Company's websites at www.tailoredbrands.com, www.menswearhouse.com, www.josbank.com, www.josephabboud.com, www.mooresclothing.com, www.kgstores.com, www.dimensions.co.uk, www.alexandra.co.uk. and www.twinhill.com.

About the Movember Foundation

The Movember Foundation has one goal: to stop men dying too young. As the only global charity tackling men's health issues year-round, the foundation supports the following causes: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention. Since 2003, the support of more than 5 million men and women has funded over 1,200 innovative projects across more than 20 countries. To donate or learn more, please visit movember.com. Movember is a registered 501(c)(3) charity.

About National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

Recognized as one of the leading breast cancer organizations in the world, National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) is Helping Women Now by providing early detection, education and support services to those affected by breast cancer. A recipient of Charity Navigator's highest 4-star rating for thirteen years, NBCF provides support through their National Mammography Program, Patient Navigation, Beyond The Shock, breast health education, and research programs. For more information, please visit www.nbcf.org.

For media inquiries, contact:

Diego Louro,

Director of Public Relations All Brands

[email protected]

Julie Weber,

Public Relations Marketing Manager, Men's Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, Moores

[email protected]

SOURCE Tailored Brands, Inc.

Related Links

www.tailoredbrands.com


TazWorks is the leading background screening technology platform used by Consumer and Credit Reporting Agencies (CRAs) who resell their services to employers, property managers, and other organizations for background screening and verification of new employees, potential tenants, volunteers, etc. The new TazWorks model combines the company's deep industry expertise with a consultative model designed to help CRAs find new efficiencies and revenue-generating opportunities. The new model includes a dedicated account management team and a newly created Professional Services Group.

TazWorks Chief Revenue Officer, Carla Knoll, who joined the company in early 2018, is driving the initiative. "When I decided to return to the background screening industry, I noticed that the platforms were still predominantly software-driven systems managed by technology gurus. I chose TazWorks because they stood out as a clear industry leader. They had the right culture, expertise and passion to pair a world-class technology platform with a new consultative model, designed to help CRAs better position themselves in the market and achieve their revenue and business objectives. This move is the first of many initiatives that will continue to set TazWorks apart as the industry thought leader in this space."

ABOUT TAZWORKS

TazWorks is a SaaS-based software and technology platform that powers the largest number of background screening companies in the nation. TazWorks offers end-to-end technology solutions and revenue-generating strategies to Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) who provide background screening as a service. TazWorks delivers the most comprehensive network of integrated data providers, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), Property Management Systems (PMS), drug screening, and other related services. TazWorks was founded in 2002 and is based in the Greater Salt Lake City area of Utah.

Learn more about TazWorks at www.tazworks.com

Media Contact:

Brian Fillmore

801-572-7401 x126

[email protected]

SOURCE TazWorks

Related Links

https://www.tazworks.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The distillation systems market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1%.



The distillation systems market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1%, to reach USD 7.91 billion by 2023.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05581102



Increasing demand for distilled spirits, distilled water, and crude oil are creating the demand for distillation systems in the market.Petrochemical refineries and alcoholic beverages are the two dominant application segments of the distillation systems market, for which the growth has increased significantly since the last decade.



The scarcity of water is a major factor fueling demand for distillation units globally in the water treatment application.Growth of the manufacturing sector in developing countries is further fueling the distillation systems market growth.



However, adoption of alternative technologies due to higher energy consumption in the process is projected to restrain the market growth of distillation systems.



The column shell segment is estimated to dominate the market in 2018.

The column shell segment is the cost dominant component in the distillation systems due to the use of various expensive materials in the construction and design.Hence, the column shell segment is estimated to dominate the market in 2018.



Column shells that are designed to function under the atmospheric pressure are comparatively less expensive than systems with thick column shells that are designed to perform under high pressure.The thickness of the column shell determines the amount of pressure that can be regulated within the system.



The chemical industry is among the major consumers of distillation systems with thicker column shells and binary columns. This helps them regulate the chemical compounds under pressure and achieve the desired results.



The vacuum segment is projected to witness the fastest growth between 2018 and 2023.

Vacuum distillation technique minimizes the chances of decomposition of components that are present in the mixture.This technique is an energy-efficient process and reduces energy consumption for heating and cooling of the mixture.



Due to these factors, vacuum distillation is commonly used in industries such as essential oils, perfumes, petroleum refineries, and petrochemicals.



The petroleum & biorefineries segment is estimated to lead the market with the largest share in 2018.

Biorefineries are using the distillation technique for the production of biofuels, such as bioethanol, biokerosene, biodiesel, biobutanol, and bio-oil from biomass, which include plants and agricultural wastes.The depleting sources of conventional fuels are increasing the demand for alternative fuels.



Due to this reason, the biorefinery industry is projected to gain significant market attention across regions.



On the basis of operation, the continuous segment is estimated to dominate the market in 2018.

Continuous distillation is used for large-scale separation processes and is extensively used in the petroleum, oil, and chemical industries. This operation is largely used due to its high energy efficiency and high output as compared to batch operation.



The US is estimated to be the largest market in the North American region in 2018.

The US accounted for the largest market share in the distillation systems market in 2017.The manufacturers of distillation systems in the North American region are focusing on the development of new technologies and enhancement of the existing product portfolio.



The manufacturers of distillation system components and turnkey projects in the region are increasing their capacity to reduce the turnaround time between projects. The focus toward better technology solutions and high-efficiency is emerging as a key selling point in the industry.

The distillation systems market growth in the US is due to the rise in demand for crude oil, its by-products, and alcoholic beverages. The expansion of the production capacity and favorable government policies in certain states such as New York and Texas have led to an increase in the number of Greenfield projects.



Break-up of Primaries:

 By Company Type: Tier 1 - 45%, Tier 2 - 32%, and Tier 3 - 23%

 By Designation: C-level 57%, D-level  43%

 By Region: North America - 35%, Europe  21%, Asia Pacific - 31%, and RoW  13%



The key players profiled in this report are as follows:

 GEA (Germany)

 Alfa Laval (Sweden)

 SPX FLOW (US)

 Sulzer (Switzerland)

 Core Laboratories (Netherlands)

 PILODIST (Germany)

 Anton Paar (Austria)

 Praj Industries (India)

 L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering (India)

 EPIC Modular Process Systems (US)

 BUFA Composite System (Germany)

 Bosch Packaging Technology (Germany)



Research Coverage

The report segments the distillation systems market based on components, technology, type, industry, operation, process, and region. In terms of insights, this research report has focused on various levels of analysescompetitive landscape, end-use analysis, and company profileswhich together comprise and discuss the basic views on the emerging & high-growth segments of the distillation systems market, high-growth regions, countries, government initiatives, drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges.



Reasons to buy this report:

 To get a comprehensive overview of the distillation systems market

 To gain wide-ranging information about the top players in this industry, their product portfolios, and key strategies adopted by them

 To gain insights about the key countries/regions in which the distillation systems market is flourishing



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05581102



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

SOURCE Reportlinker

Related Links

http://www.reportlinker.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) will host its 18th annual Wings Over Wall Street benefit event, presented by IEX, on October 17, 2018 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the IAC Building (555 W. 18th Street, New York, NY). MDA is currently funding 47 active ALS grants and has 48 designated ALS clinics, providing services for 13,491 registered members with ALS.

(PRNewsfoto/Muscular Dystrophy Association)

The event, hosted by WABC Co-Anchor Bill Ritter, raises vital funds for research and science to help Unlock the Cure for ALS. At the event, several individuals will be recognized for their contribution to helping raise awareness of ALS through their personal experiences. Author, Ruth Fitzmaurice, who penned "I Found My Tribe," will honor her husband Simon, on the one-year anniversary of his passing. Simon published his own memoir, "It's Not Yet Dark," about his experience with ALS. Sharlee Jeter, chief executive officer of the Turn 2 Foundation (founded by her brother, Derek Jeter) and co-author of "The Stuff," which correlates the elements of hope, determination and teamwork to unlock cures, will also be in attendance.

Additionally, Wings Over Wall Street will recognize several honorees including:

Anjan Aralihalli, venture partner for CTI Life Sciences, will receive the Beier Award. He has worked tirelessly with the biotech and pharma industries to work on cures for ALS.

Matthew B. Harms , MD of Columbia University Department of Neurology, will receive the Diamond Award for his work directing an international effort with whole genome and transcriptome sequencing to bring precision medicine to ALS treatments.

, MD of Department of Neurology, will receive the Diamond Award for his work directing an international effort with whole genome and transcriptome sequencing to bring precision medicine to ALS treatments. Claudia Fleming , proprietor and pastry chef at North Fork Table & Inn, and Stephan Bogardus , executive chef at North Fork Table & Inn, will receive the Spirit Award for their efforts with Claudia's husband, Gerry Hayden , in working tirelessly to raise funds to find a cure for ALS. When Gerry, a pioneer in the farm-to-table movement, was diagnosed with ALS, Stephan became his mentor's hands at the restaurant.

"Wings Over Wall Street is a tremendous opportunity to spread the word about our mission and to raise critical funding to continue our work," said Lynn O'Connor Vos, MDA president and chief executive officer. "We are thankful for our sponsors and attendees and also for those who are willing to share their personal stories of their experiences about living with ALS. Our honorees have contributed in so many ways to raise awareness."

Wings Over Wall Street was created in 2001 by Toni Diamond, a United Airlines flight attendant who was diagnosed with ALS, and her husband, Warren Schiffer, with immense help from Michael Beier. After his diagnosis, Michael became involved with the MDA and was named a national vice president of that organization. His commitment to raising public awareness about ALS and funds for research to find a cure were vital in the organization's efforts to change the lives of people affected by ALS. Since its inception, the event has raised more than $11.5 million for the MDA through the generosity of attendees and event sponsors.

Tickets can be purchased online by visiting http://wingsoverwallstreet.org/.

About the Muscular Dystrophy Association

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is committed to transforming the lives of people affected by muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases. We do this through innovations in science and innovations in care. As the largest source of funding for neuromuscular disease research outside of the federal government, MDA has committed more than $1 billion since our inception to accelerate the discovery of therapies and cures. Research we have supported is directly linked to approved, life-changing therapies across multiple neuromuscular diseases. We support the largest network of multidisciplinary clinics providing best in class care at more than 150 of the nation's top medical institutions, and each year thousands of children and young adults learn vital life skills and gain independence at summer camp and through recreational programs, at no cost to families. For more information visit mda.org

SOURCE Muscular Dystrophy Association

Related Links

https://www.mda.org/


COLLEGE PARK, Md., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Highlights:

Pet Connect is selected as 1 of 10 new startups out of hundreds of regional applicants to present at the FALL MAVA TechBUZZ conference for potential investors.

is selected as 1 of 10 new startups out of hundreds of regional applicants to present at the FALL MAVA TechBUZZ conference for potential investors. Pet Connect is more than just an app. It's a mobile platform that gives pet businesses a way to meaningfully engage current and new clients with easy-to-use targeted marketing, custom-built profiles and more.

Ahead of hundreds of applicants, Pet Connect was invited as 1 out of only 10 up-and-coming tech companies to present at the Fall Mid-Atlantic Venture Association (MAVA) TechBUZZ event on September 20, 2018.

You can download the app here: App Store or Google Play

Hosted three times per year, the MAVA TechBUZZ conference is "the East coast's premier platform for next-generation tech companies," providing a unique opportunity to place innovative tech ideas in front of a network of active investors, industry experts and other tech entrepreneurs for an action-packed day.

Pet Connect shared their innovative approach of connecting pet owners with pet businesses on an easy-to use mobile platform. The judges were "most excited to learn more about Pet Connect" and follow the company's undoubtedly buzzing future.

Pet Connect is bridging a technological gap that exists in the pet industry. The platform is a gateway for pet businesses to better communicate and serve their customers digitally by creating an attractive, easy-to-navigate profile and targeted messaging. At the same time, pet owners now have an electronic solution to communicate and book appointments with their favorite companies. They can also explore thousands of pet-related business in their area including vets/hospitals, boarders, groomers, trainers, pet stores, rescues/shelters and more - all from one platform.

About Pet Connect

Leading with a purpose of connecting pet owners to meaningful resources for their pets, the Pet Connect app has quickly become a default solution to optimize the relationship between pet parents and pet businesses through a modern and innovative mobile experience. Launched in 2018 in the Mid-Atlantic region, pet businesses can use the app as a scheduling, marketing and messaging platform with current and potential customers that correlate with their products, services or amenities. Pet owners can effortlessly explore over 100,000 pet-friendly resources across the country, book service appointments, and receive valuable promotions from their favorite pet businesses. Additionally, the app features fun, easy-to-use solutions for the day to day obligations of pet ownership which includes a pet media gallery, pet documentation archive and family-sharing capabilities. With more creative ideas in the pipeline, Pet Connect will be continuously launching new features and services.

Press/Media Contact Info:

Name: Lindsey Rose

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (615) 490-1908

Website: www.PetConnectApp.com

Social: @PetConnectApp

SOURCE Pet Connect

Related Links

http://www.petconnectapp.com


BOGOTA, Colombia, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

New Bonds Offering

The Republic of Colombia (" Colombia ") announced today that it priced a global offering (the " New Bonds Offering ") of U.S. $1,500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 4.500% Global Bonds due 2029 (the " New Bonds ").

The aggregate principal amount of New Bonds includes approximately U.S. $312,578,000 intended to fund the purchase of preferred tenders in the concurrent tender offer described below, and the amount of New Bonds issued may be adjusted based on final acceptances in the tender offer. The closing of the New Bonds Offering is expected to occur on Friday, October 12, 2018.

Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as Joint Book-Running Managers for the New Bonds Offering.

The New Bonds Offering was made only by means of a preliminary prospectus supplement and an accompanying base prospectus. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement, the final prospectus supplement (when filed) and the related base prospectus for the Offering may be obtained by contacting: Citigroup Global Markets Inc., by calling +1-800-831-9146 (U.S. toll free), Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, by calling +1-800-221-1037 (U.S. toll free), or J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, by calling +1-866-846-2874 (U.S. toll free).

Application will be made to have the New Bonds listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and admitted to trading on the Euro MTF Market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

Tender Offer

Colombia's previously announced tender offer (the " Tender Offer ") to purchase Colombia's 7.375% Notes due 2019 (the " Old Bonds ") on the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the Offer to Purchase, dated October 3, 2018 (the " Offer to Purchase "), expired as scheduled at 3:00 p.m., New York time yesterday, October 3, 2018. All capitalized terms used but not defined under the heading "Tender Offer" in this communication have the respective meanings specified in the Offer to Purchase.

The purchase price (the " Purchase Price ") to be paid for the Old Bonds validly tendered and accepted pursuant to the Tender Offer was the fixed price set forth in the Offer to Purchase and Colombia's press release issued yesterday, October 3, 2018. In addition, holders will receive accrued and unpaid interest on such Old Bonds up to (but excluding) the Tender Offer Settlement Date (as defined below).

Table: the Old Bonds

Old Bonds Outstanding Principal Amount as of October 2, 2018

ISIN

CUSIP Purchase Price(1) 7.375% Notes due 2019 (the "Old Bonds") U.S.$2,000,000,000 US195325BL83 195325BL8 U.S.$1,021.25

(1) Per U.S. $1,000 principal amount of Old Bonds tendered and accepted for purchase. Holders will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on Old Bonds tendered and accepted for purchase.

Today, October 4, 2018, Colombia has instructed J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as the billing and delivering bank for the Tender Offer, to accept, subject to proration and other terms and conditions contained in the Offer to Purchase, valid Preferred and Non-Preferred Tenders in an aggregate principal amount of U.S. $1,000,000,000.

The aggregate principal amount of Preferred and Non-Preferred Tenders of Old Bonds and the aggregate principal amount of Preferred and Non-Preferred Tenders of Old Bonds that have been accepted are shown in the table below. Appropriate adjustments will be made so that purchases are made in the permitted denominations set forth in the Offer to Purchase.



Aggregate Principal Amount Tendered Aggregate Principal Amount Accepted Preferred Tenders U.S.$304,129,000 U.S.$304,129,000 Non-Preferred Tenders U.S.$767,809,000 U.S.$695,871,000



The settlement of the Tender Offer is scheduled to occur on Wednesday, October 10, 2018 (the " Tender Offer Settlement Date "), subject to change without notice. Failure to deliver Old Bonds on time may result, in Colombia's sole discretion, in any of the following: (i) the cancellation of a holder's tender and the holder becoming liable for any damages resulting from that failure, and/or (ii) the delivery of a buy-in notice for the purchase of such Old Bonds, executed in accordance with customary brokerage practices for corporate fixed income securities, and/or (iii) in the case of Preferred Tenders, the cancellation of a holder's tender and the holder remaining obligated to purchase its allocation of New Bonds in respect of its related Indication of Interest (as defined in the Offer to Purchase). Colombia reserves the right, in its sole discretion, not to accept any or all Tender Orders and to terminate the Tender Offer for any reason.

The Offer to Purchase may be downloaded from the Information Agent's website at www.dfking.com/colombia or obtained from the Information Agent, D.F. King & Co., Inc., at

1-877-896-3199 or from any of the Dealer Managers.

The Dealer Managers for the Tender Offer are:

Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Attention: Liability Management Group 388 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10013 Collect: 1-212-723-6016 Toll-Free: 1-800-558-3745 Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC Attention: Liability Management Group

Eleven Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10010

Collect: 1-212-538-2147

Toll-Free: 1-800-820-1653 J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

Attention: Latin America Debt Capital Markets

383 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10179

Collect: 1-212-834-7279

Toll-Free: 1-866-846-2874

The Billing and Delivering Bank for this Tender Offer was: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC.

Questions regarding the Tender Offer may be directed to the Dealer Managers at the above contact.

Colombia has filed a registration statement (including the prospectus) and the preliminary prospectus supplement with the SEC for the New Bonds Offering. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents Colombia has filed with the SEC for more complete information about Colombia and such New Bonds Offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the Joint Book-Running Managers, the Dealer Managers or the Information Agent, as the case may be, will arrange to send you the prospectus supplement and the prospectus if you request it by calling any one of them at the numbers specified above.

Important Notice

The distribution of materials relating to the New Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer and the transactions contemplated by the New Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Each of the New Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer is void in all jurisdictions where it is prohibited. If materials relating to the New Bonds Offering or the Tender Offer come into a holder's possession, the holder is required by Colombia to inform itself of and to observe all of these restrictions. The materials relating to the New Bonds Offering or the Tender Offer, including this communication, do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. If a jurisdiction requires that the New Bonds Offering or the Tender Offer be made by a licensed broker or dealer and a Dealer Manager or any affiliate of a Dealer Manager is a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the New Bonds Offering or the Tender Offer, as the case may be, shall be deemed to be made by the Dealer Manager or such affiliate on behalf of Colombia in that jurisdiction. Owners who may lawfully participate in the Tender Offer in accordance with the terms thereof are referred to as "holders."

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities nor will there be any sale of the New Bonds in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. The offering of the New Bonds will be made only by means of the preliminary prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus.

The New Bonds may be sold in Canada only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations, and who are not individuals. Any resale of the New Bonds must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

The Offer to Purchase is not available to residents of Canada.

The New Bonds and the Old Bonds have not and will not be registered under Law No. 18,045, as amended, of Chile, with the Financial Market Commission (Comision para el Mercado Financiero or "CMF") as the legal successor of the Superintendency of Securities and Insurance and, accordingly, the New Bonds and the Old Bonds cannot and will not be offered or sold to persons in Chile except in circumstances which have not resulted and will not result in a public offering under Chilean law, and/or in compliance with Rule (Norma de Caracter General) No. 336, dated June 27, 2012, issued by the CMF ("CMF Rule 336").

The New Bonds may not be offered, sold or negotiated in Colombia, except in compliance with Part 4 of Decree 2555 of 2010. The Offer to Purchase and the New Bonds Offering do not constitute and may not be used for, or in connection with, a public offering as defined under Colombian law.

In relation to each member of the European Economic Area that have implemented the Prospectus Directive, the New Bonds have not and may not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area. For the purposes of this provision the expression "retail investor" means a person who is one (or more) of the following:

(a) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or

(b) a customer within the meaning of the Insurance Mediation Directive, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II.

The Old Bonds and New Bonds may not be offered or sold and will not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (a) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong) (the "CWUMPO"), or (b) to "professional investors" as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) (the "SFO") and any rules made thereunder, or (c) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a "prospectus" as defined in the CWUMPO.

No advertisement, invitation or document relating to the Old Bonds or New Bonds has been or will be issued, or has been or will be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to the Old Bonds or New Bonds which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to "professional investors" as defined in the SFO and any rules made thereunder.

The Old Bonds and the New Bonds, and the Offer to Purchase and the New Bonds Offering prospectus supplement, and any other documents or materials related to such offers have not and will not be registered with the Italian Securities Exchange Commission (Commissione Nazionale per le Societa e la Borsa or "CONSOB") pursuant to applicable Italian laws and regulations. The Offer to Purchase and the New Bond Offering are being carried out pursuant to the exemptions provided for, with respect to the Offer to Purchase, in Article 101 bis, paragraph 3 bis of Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24 February 1998, as amended (the "Consolidated Financial Act") and Article 35 bis, paragraph 4, of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of 14 May 1999, as amended; and, with respect to the New Bonds Offering, in article 100 of the Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24 February 1998, as amended (the "Consolidated Financial Act") and article 34-ter, paragraph 1, letter e) of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of 14 May 1999, as amended (the "Issuers Regulation").

Holders or beneficial owners of the Old Bonds that are resident and/or located in Italy can tender the Old Bonds for purchase, and the New Bonds Offerings can be offered, sold and delivered, through authorized persons (such as investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in Italy in accordance with the Consolidated Financial Actu, the CONSOB Regulation No. 20307 of 15 February 2018, as amended, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of September 1, 1993, as amended) and in compliance with any other applicable laws and regulations or with any requirements imposed by CONSOB or any other Italian authority. Each intermediary must comply with the applicable laws and regulations concerning information duties vis a vis its clients in connection with the bonds or the relevant offering.

The Old Bonds and the New Bonds have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan (Act No. 25 of 1948, as amended, the "Financial Instruments and Exchange Act") and each manager has represented and agreed that it has not offered or sold, and will not offer or sell any Old Bonds or New Bonds, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (as defined under Article 6, Paragraph 1, Item 5 of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act of Japan (Act No. 228 of 1949, as amended)), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.

The Offer to Purchase, nor any other documents or materials relating to the Offer to Purchase have been approved by or will be submitted for the approval of, the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission (Comision Nacional Bancaria y de Valores) and, the New Bonds have not been and will not be registered with the Mexican National Securities Registry (Registro Nacional de Valores), and therefore the Old Bonds and New Bonds have not and may not be offered or sold publicly in Mexico. However, investors that qualify as institutional or qualified investors pursuant to the private placement exemption set forth in article 8 of the Mexican Securities Market Law (Ley del Mercado de Valores), may be contacted in connection with, and may participate in the Offer to Purchase, and can be offered with or purchase New Bonds.

The information contained in the New Bonds Offering has not and will not be registered with or approved by SMV, SBS or the Lima Stock Exchange. The New Bonds Offering and the Offer to Purchase can only be addressed to institutional investors.

The New Bond Offering prospectus supplement, and the Offer to Purchase have not been and will not be registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The Offer to Purchase does not constitute an offering of securities in Singapore pursuant to the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore. The New Bonds will not be offered or sold or cause that such New Bonds to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase and will not offer or sell such New Bonds or cause such New Bonds to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, and has not circulated or distributed, nor will it circulate or distribute, this prospectus supplement or any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of such New Bonds, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the "SFA"), (ii) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275, of the SFA, or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.

Where the New Bonds are subscribed or purchased in reliance on an exemption under Sections 274 or 275 of the SFA, the New Bonds shall not be sold within the period of six months from the date of the initial acquisition of the bonds, except to any of the following persons:

an institutional investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA);

a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA); or

any person pursuant to an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) of the SFA,

unless expressly specified otherwise in Section 276(7) of the SFA or Regulation 32 of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Shares and Debentures) Regulations 2005 of Singapore (the "SFR").

Where the New Bonds are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:

a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or

a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor,

securities (as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries' rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the New Bonds pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:

to an institutional investor or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person arising from an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) or Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;



where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer;



where the transfer is by operation of law;



as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or



as specified in Regulation 32 of the SFR.

The New Bonds may not be publicly offered, sold or otherwise advertised, directly or indirectly, in or from Switzerland, and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange or on any other exchange or regulated trading venue in Switzerland. This document, or any other offering or marketing material relating to the Old Bonds and the New Bonds, does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Arts. 652a or 1156 of the Swiss Federal Code of Obligations or a listing prospectus within the meaning of the Listing Rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange or any other exchange or regulated trading venue in Switzerland and neither the New Bonds Offering prospectus supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offer of the Old Bonds or the New Bonds may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

Neither the communication of Offer to Purchase nor any other offer material relating to the Offer to Purchase has been approved by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The Offer to Purchase and the New Bond Offering prospectus supplement is only being distributed to and is only directed at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) to investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (as so amended, the "Order") or (iii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Articles 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such other persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). Any investment or investment activity to which the Offer to Purchase relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on the Offer to Purchase or any of its contents. The New Bonds will only be available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire the bonds will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this prospectus supplement or any of its contents.

Contact information:

D.F. King & Co., Inc.

48 Wall Street, 22nd Floor

New York, New York 10005

Toll Free: 1-877-896-3199

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.dfking.com/colombia

ANY DISCLAIMERS OR OTHER NOTICES THAT MAY APPEAR AFTER THIS MESSAGE ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO THIS COMMUNICATION AND SHOULD BE DISREGARDED. SUCH DISCLAIMERS OR OTHER NOTICES WERE AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED AS A RESULT OF THIS COMMUNICATION BEING SENT VIA BLOOMBERG OR ANOTHER EMAIL SYSTEM.

SOURCE Republic of Colombia

Related Links

http://www.dfking.com/colombia


Anyone's who's ever visited Bisbee  a tiny community located seven miles north of the Mexican border and populated by artists and iconoclasts, many of them residing in homes nestled into the surrounding mountains  likely thinks of it as a crunchy enclave of left-leaning free thinkers. "Bisbee '17," however, focusing on the hamlet during WWI, shines a far more shadowy light on the town, famed for its subterranean wealth of copper, which was vital to the war effort. When the radical Industrial Workers of the World convinced German and Mexican miners to unionize and strike for better wages and safety measures, their bosses and neighbors viewed them as traitorous rabble-rousers. That, in turn, resulted in the Bisbee Deportation of July 12, 1917, carried out by sheriff Harry Wheeler and a 2,000-man posse supported by bigwigs of the region's mining conglomerates. Seized at gunpoint by white armband-sporting gunmen, the powerless Bisbee proletariat were summarily shipped off to the middle of nowhere, New Mexico, via box car  a mode of transportation whose unmistakable associations to the Holocaust are bolstered by the presence of an Israeli transplant's participation in the subsequent proceedings.
NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The tunnel automation market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.12% from 2018 to 2023



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05581099



The tunnel automation market is expected to grow from USD 2.89 billion in 2018 to USD 4.27 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 8.12%. The growth of this market is mainly driven by the factors such as rising incidents of road accidents, tightening government regulations for the deployment of tunnel automation solutions, and growing integration of IoT and cloud into tunnel automation solutions. However, the shortage of technical or skilled engineering workers to deploy tunnel monitoring solutions restrains the growth of the tunnel automation market.



Market for HVAC components is likely to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

HVAC components are expected to witness the highest CAGR in the tunnel automation market during the forecast period owing to the absolute necessity to provide forced ventilation inside tunnels as tunnel enclosures have limited access from outside and do not have natural ventilation.



Europe is expected to hold a significant share of the tunnel automation market by 2023

Europe is expected to account for the largest share of the tunnel automation market by 2023. The growth of the market in Europe can be attributed to the well-established manufacturing industries, high demand for public transport in most cities, and presence of several mountain ranges in the region.



Breakdown of the profiles of primary participants:

 By Company: Tier 1 = 55%, Tier 2 = 25%, and Tier 3 = 20%

 By Designation: Directors = 50%, VPs = 25%, Managers = 20%, and Others = 5%

 By Region: North America = 40%, Europe = 35%, APAC = 15%, and RoW = 10%



Major players profiled in this report are as follows:

 Johnson Controls (Ireland)

 Siemens (Germany)

 Trane (Ireland)

 SICK AG (Germany)

 ABB Group (Switzerland)

 Kapsch (Austria)

 Philips Lighting (Netherlands)

 Honeywell (US)

 Eaton (Ireland)

 Swarco (Austria)



Research coverage

This report offers a detailed insight into the tunnel automation market segmented on the basis of tunnel type, component, offering, and region.By tunnel type, the market has been segmented into railway tunnels, and highway and roadway tunnels.



By component, the market has been segmented into HVAC, lighting & power supply, signalization, and others.By offering, the tunnel automation market has been segmented into hardware, software, and services.



The study also forecasts the market size in 4 main regionsNorth America, Europe, APAC, and RoW.



Reasons to buy the report



The report would help the leaders/new entrants in this market in the following ways:

1. This report segments the tunnel automation market comprehensively and provides the closest approximation of the overall market size and those of the subsegments across different types, components, offerings, and regions.

2. The report would help stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provide them with the information on key drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities pertaining to the market.

3. This report would help stakeholders understand their competitors better and gain more insights to enhance their position in the business. The competitive landscape section includes competitor ecosystem, and product launches, contracts, partnerships, and mergers and acquisitions carried out by the major players in the market.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05581099



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

SOURCE Reportlinker

Related Links

http://www.reportlinker.com


BOSTON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Corn, coffee, cattle, and other crops can be raised on land that also supports cultivated timber. This symbiotic approach, known as agroforestry, has clear ecological benefits  and it could become a new asset class for timberland investors. The opportunities and obstacles to expanded agroforestry are explored by the Global Agroforestry Review, a new report from RISI, the leading information provider for the global forest products industry.

"Public concern about environmental impact is mounting on agribusinesses, and on the pension funds and others who invest in them," said John North, RISI International Timber Economist and co-author of the report, along with RISI Director of International Timber Bob Flynn. "Timberland investment management organizations (TIMOs) and other investors should recognize the risks of current 'monoculture' approaches, and the potential for agroforestry to mitigate those risks."

"Agroforestry is not a panacea, but it offers tangible benefits," said North.

The Global Agroforestry Review is the first study of its kind from RISI. The report combines a survey of agroforestry methods with in-depth analysis of their potential value for investors and the forest products sector.

Agroforestry is an accepted practice throughout much of the world. Important cash crops, such as corn and rice, are planted in rows among eucalyptus trees in Brazil, India, and other major agricultural exporters. Coffee and cacao are harvested from timber-producing forests in Latin America and Asia, and cattle graze among cultivated pines in Argentina  a practice called "silvopasturing." Researchers and landowners in the US and Brazil, among others, are exploring how agroforestry methods can be scaled up worldwide.

Promising agroforestry projects include a recent investment by PSP, one of the largest pension funds in the timberland space, in a Brazilian coffee producer that integrates timber and coffee operations. The new RISI report also describes a mixed-crop plantation developed by Global Forest Partners in Cambodia, and efforts to promote silvopasturing in South America by Eldorado, a major global pulp producer.

Benefits of agroforestry can include:

Diversification of revenue : Cash crops harvested annually can support farmers, landowners, and investors while trees mature.

: Cash crops harvested annually can support farmers, landowners, and investors while trees mature. Environmental sustainability : Trees can prevent erosion and provide shade, while benefiting from the water/fertilizer applied to other crops.

: Trees can prevent erosion and provide shade, while benefiting from the water/fertilizer applied to other crops. Social responsibility: Institutional investors face growing scrutiny of their practices, especially in the developing world. Agroforestry programs can demonstrate active support for the well-being of vulnerable farmers and ecosystems.

Agroforestry has yet to attract significant investment from TIMOs, but North and Flynn believe that the conditions are right for growth. "In our research for the Global Agroforestry Review, we found that the investment community believes that agroforestry is fine for farmers but very difficult to do on a large scale. It seems to complicate forestry operations, and there's uncertainty around valuation of land that's managed for multiple crops and end-users," said North.

"Based on our review of agroforestry worldwide, we believe that this concern about scale somewhat misses the point," North said. "It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Agroforestry could comprise only a small portion of a timberland fund while adding considerable value, both through mitigating risks on-site and by improving relationships with farmers, communities, investors, and other stakeholders throughout the supply chain."

For more information, visit www.risi.com/agroforestry

About RISI ( www.risi.com)

RISI is the leading information provider for the global forest products industry. The company works with clients in the pulp and paper, packaging , wood products , timber, biomass , tissue and nonwovens industries to help them make better decisions. Headquartered in Boston, MA, RISI operates additional offices throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia and is a subsidiary of Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, a global business-to-business price reporting & information group (www.euromoneyplc.com).

For Press Inquiries, please contact:

Alan Petrillo

RISI Communications, Special Studies

O: 781-778-7592

E: [email protected]

SOURCE RISI

Related Links

http://www.risiinfo.com


SPOKANE, Wash., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Stay Alfred, the hospitality startup that pioneered the travel apartment concept in the alternative accommodation space, announced Wednesday it has secured Series B funding totaling $47 million. Led by Nine Four Ventures, a Chicago-based, vertically integrated real estate technology fund, the new investment will support Stay Alfred's ongoing rapid expansion in current and future markets. The latest round brings the company's total funding to date to $62 million.

Stay Alfred

"Stay Alfred is leading the emerging wave of companies driving the evolution of the real estate industry and defining a new hospitality segment. Combine that with a tenacious, always-do-better culture and we believe they're building something special," said Nine Four General Partner Kurt Ramirez.

Founded in 2011, Stay Alfred has grown to nearly 2,000 travel apartments across 28 top U.S. markets, has hosted nearly 500,000 guests, and has a projected 2018 run rate of $110 million. While the alternative accommodation space continues to spawn new players in response to increased traveler demand, this three-time veteran of Inc. Magazine's 500 and 5000 lists has established a unique and rapidly scalable foothold in downtown neighborhoods through its distinctive multi-unit model.

"We recognized that most options in our industry lacked the consistency that travelers still seek, even as those travelers pursue alternatives to the bland shoeboxes of the traditional hotel offering," said Jordan Allen, CEO of Stay Alfred. "We've focused on developing the infrastructure and expertise to deliver not only a consistent, high-end experience for our guests, but for our developer partners as well."

Stay Alfred holds full building and multi-floor long-term partnerships with leading developers and property management companies across the country. Allen credits Stay Alfred's success to its superior operational experience, in-house regulatory expertise, next-generation hospitality tech platform and ability to design flexible short-term rental programs to meet the needs of each building.

Allen predicts that the travel apartment model will become a core component of multifamily properties in every major travel destination, with traveler demand sufficient to support tens of thousands of units. Under the Stay Alfred model, multifamily property owners enjoy a boost to net operating income, and an added amenity to their buildings.

"Stay Alfred is led by a fantastic team that understands what travelers want and how to provide them the best, most consistent travel experiences. The company is executing on an extensive, thoughtful roadmap, and we're thrilled to be involved," said Nine Four Ventures and Laramar Group founder Jeff Elowe.

For additional information, contact:

Jeanne Ryan

Email: [email protected]

Mobile: 509-842-0150

ABOUT STAY ALFRED

Stay Alfred offers upscale travel apartments in the walkable downtown neighborhoods of 28 U.S. cities and counting. Our next-generation booking process, 24/7 customer service and professional housekeeping staff provide guests with the reliability of a hotel stay, while our spacious accommodations with a kitchen, laundry and private bedrooms give guests the convenience of an apartment. We live to offer travelers "Your place in the city." For more information or to book, visit StayAlfred.com.

ABOUT NINE FOUR VENTURES

Nine Four Ventures is a vertically integrated venture capital fund that invests in technology companies impacting real estate and the built world. Nine Four partners with the Laramar Group, a national real estate owner and manager with 30 years of multi-asset investment experience, to provide portfolio companies with an environment where they gain access to the counsel, relationships, tools, and capital needed to succeed. The Nine Four Ventures Laboratory empowers companies with an expansive portfolio of properties to test, develop and refine their concepts and services for today's rapidly evolving real estate market. For more information, visit ninefour.vc.

SOURCE Stay Alfred

Related Links

http://StayAlfred.com


SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The InforMing the PAthway of COPD Treatment (IMPACT) study was conducted to assess the benefits of triple versus dual therapy in patients with COPD. In a study at CHEST, researchers found that regardless of baseline reversibility, the usage of triple dual therapies significantly reduced the annual rate and moderate-to-severe and severe exacerbations, improved lung function and overall quality of life in patients.

The randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, global study was conducted in 10,355 symptomatic patients with COPD with a history of moderate-to-severe exacerbations over a 52-week period. During the screening, patient was defined as reversible through differences shown between their pre- and post-albuterol assessments of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) of 12 percent and 200 mL. Researchers also assessed the effect of baseline reversibility on treatment response with fluticasone furoate (FF)/umeclidinium (UMEC)/vilanterol (VI) and with FF/VI and UMEC/VI. The lung function and quality of life (QoL) of patients were measured by St George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and observed for FF/UMEC/VI over UMEC/VI independent of reversibility status at screening.

During screening, 18 percent of patients demonstrated reversibility. In both reversible and nonreversible patients, there was a statistically significant reduction in the rate of moderate and severe exacerbations with FF/UMEC/VI as compared to UMEC/VI. They also found a reduction in the risk of having a moderate/severe exacerbation and the risk of having a severe exacerbation in both groups of patients. Quality of life was also improved in both reversible and non-reversible patients.

Further results from these two studies will be shared at CHEST Annual Meeting 2018 in San Antonio on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 9:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Centre, Room 207A. The study abstracts can be viewed on the journal CHEST website.

ABOUT CHEST 2018

CHEST 2018 is the 84th annual meeting for the American College of Chest Physicians held Oct. 6 to Oct. 10, 2018, in San Antonio, Texas. The American College of Chest Physicians, publisher of the journal CHEST, is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication and research. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000 members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. For more information about CHEST 2018, visit chestmeeting.chestnet.org, or follow CHEST meeting hashtag, #CHEST2018, on social media.

Media contact: Andrea Camino, [email protected], 224-521-9513

SOURCE American College of Chest Physicians

Related Links

http://chestmeeting.chestnet.org


LONDON, Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Turkey demonstrates progress for both mobile and fixed broadband sectors

While a number of political events led to the Turkish currency taking a slide in mid 2018; the telecoms sector itself has demonstrated keen growth over the past year or so with a rise in subscribers, data usage and uptake of bundled packages.



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Significant investments in expanding fibre-optic broadband networks are continuing while DSL retains it status of having the largest market share of all the fixed broadband access technologies. Turkey offers substantial opportunities for fixed broadband growth considering its current penetration is only around 15%.

4G LTE networks are well established across Turkey and are providing network coverage to around 87% of the population. In 2018 Turkcell, Turk Telekom and Vodafone Turkey continue to progress with their 5G developments.



A project is also underway in Turkey which is using the Universal Services Fund to supply mobile infrastructure to over 1,400 areas which are lacking.



Key developments:

Trade tensions with the USA led to Turkey placing a higher tariff on some imported goods coming from the USA, including a boycott on iPhones.

Turkey is proving to be one of the more progressive mobile markets in the Middle East with revenue from mobile data services growing quickly.

Interestingly, because of the three major mobile operators all launching 4G LTE services in April 2016; Turkey has witnessed a dramatic decline in 3G mobile subscriptions.

While mobile broadband becomes increasingly popular in Turkey the fixed broadband network is also progressing sharply with a clear direction now towards fibre broadband.

Turkey also has excellent international infrastructure with links to many of international cable networks due to its geographic location between Europe and Asia.



Companies mentioned in this report include:

Turk Telekom (formerly Avea), Turkcell, Vodafone Turkey, Turksat, Superonline.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5371616



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com


PHOENIX, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Arizona will join the national spotlight as thousands of professionals, patients, entrepreneurs and the cannabis-curious public converge for the U.S. Cannabis Conference & Expo from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Friday, October 5th and Saturday, October 6th, at the Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. 3rd St, West Hall Lower Level.

Admission begins at $50 per day. Tickets and information are available at usccexpo.com , or by calling 907-388-5217. Free admission is available at registration for all U.S. Military and first responders, courtesy of Leaf for Life. The conference will take place in the lower exhibit hall of the west building.

Highlights include a family-friendly kid zone, a US Military Veteran's Lounge, a Hemp Pavilion and Wellness Center, and more than 100 companies representing cannabis, hemp and CBD products and services.

With a Keynote Speech from legendary activist and founder of the Annual Seattle Hempfest in its 27th year and one of the most influential cannabis policy reform events in the world. Joining many other cannabis influencers in the speakers lineup, Celebrity and activist Tommy Chong will be on site at the event with a fireside chat style discussion. Chong is behind the fast growing "Chong's Choice" brand.

According to organizers, the USCC Expo is a "safe, family-friendly, one-stop shop" for the public to learn about the rapidly expanding cannabis, hemp and CBD industries.

Attendees can engage in face-to-face networking opportunities with industry executives and experts, expand their cannabis education, peruse the show floor, and attend in-depth breakout panel discussions on a variety of topics from cultivation and edibles, marketing and law.

An August, 2018 report by the Arizona Department of Health indicates there are more than 178,000 active medical marijuana patients in the state. Thirty states and Washington D.C. have medical cannabis programs, and nine others have legalized adult use or "recreational" programs.

Arizona industry giants such as Timeless, Copperstate Farms, Baked Bros, Infusion, Rose Law Group, KandyPens and the Marijuana Industry Trade Association (MITA-AZ) are among the many exhibitors slated to attend.

The USCC Expo is presented by Milestone Trade Shows. For information, visit usccexpo.com , or call 907-388-5217.

SOURCE U.S. Cannabis Conference and Expo
EVELETH, Minn., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that the union will sponsor a rally to endorse Joe Radinovich in Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018, at Local 1938 in Virginia, Minn.

USW District 11 Director Emil Ramirez said that the union is proud to endorse a candidate who understands the importance of good, union jobs to the Iron Range economy.

"Joe Radinovich has been standing with us during our fight for fair contracts in the steel industry throughout the summer," Ramirez said. "We are grateful for his continued outspoken support and advocacy and happy to rally with him, as he rallied with us."

District 11 Assistant Director John Rebrovich said that Radinovich will fight for working families on a wide range of issues, from demanding investment in our infrastructure to amending the Constitution to overturn Citizens United and take the dark money out of politics.

"Our members, retirees and their families can trust that Joe Radinovich supports the right for workers to organize and bargain collectively and will protect Medicare and Social Security from attempts to privatize or reduce benefits," Rebrovich said. "He's pledged to work on behalf of seniors and veterans and takes the responsibility of public service seriously enough to be held accountable once he takes office."

The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service and public sectors. For more information: www.usw.org.

ATTN: Editors, Assignment Desk  Rally Friday  Speakers, Interviews

Who: Joe Radinovich, USW members, retirees and elected union officials What: Rally and endorsement of Radinovich in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District When: 3:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 Where: USW Local 1938 - 403 1st Street N., Virginia, Minn.

More information, contact: Bob Ryan  (612) 851-0754; [email protected]

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)

Related Links

http://www.usw.org


SHANGHAI, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Wenzhou Hongtao Packing Co.,Ltd., a bag supplier company that specializes in the research, development and sale of reusable bags, grocery bags, garment bags, cooler bags and wine bags, announced they were invited to attend the 9th China (UAE) Trade Fair 2018, which will take place from Tuesday, Dec 11th through Thursday, Dec 13th at DUBAI World Trade Centre.

During the fair, they will display various kinds of bags and new environmental materials with illustrations from their technicians to introduce their products to visitors. If visitors have any special requests, they can discuss the customization details with technicians efficiently and professionally.

Mr. Mao YongSheng, CEO of Wenzhou Hongtao Packing Co.,Ltd commented, "We believe the high production capacity of our products will enable us to gain greater acceptance with customers. We are confident in our ability to increase penetration and capture more market share in the overseas markets."

About Wenzhou Hongtao Packing Co., Ltd.

As a global supplier of the bag industry, Wenzhou Hongtao Packing Co.,Ltd. is the market leader in China. The company distributes products both within China and other foreign countries under the "HONGTAO" trademark. They produce various kinds of bags, including shopping bags, garment bags, wine bags, non-woven box bags, T-shirt bags, D cut bags, and shoes bags. What's more, they strictly adhere to the ISO9001 international management standard. With good quality, excellent service and the best prices, their products have been exported to the Middle East, Europe, Africa, USA and Southeast Asia, winning a good reputation at home and abroad.

Wenzhou Hongtao Packing Co., Ltd. is working to establish a broader global sales network. For more information, please visit https://wzhongtao.en.alibaba.com

Wenzhou Hongtao Packing Co., Ltd.

Add: NO.333 Xiaozhen Rd, Xiaojiang Town, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, 325402

Contact: Summer

MP: +86 18857789678

TEL: +86-577-58186087

FAX: +86-577-58181099

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Wenzhou Hongtao Packing

Related Links

https://wzhongtao.en.alibaba.com


Michael Goldberg, CEO of Zimmerman added, "Our mission is 'Relentlessly help clients grow, but never rest in the glory.' Nobody has lived this more day in and day out over two decades than Mike Devine. By naming him our Managing Director, his remit is to make sure the entire agency lives up to every promise we make and to make sure the integrated power of over 1,300 people around the country do whatever is possible to make our clients grow."

"Zimmerman Advertising has been my second home and I am honored by the opportunity, but also hungry to make this agency a place that gets better each day," said Devine.

"As the leaders of the agency today, one of our goals is to find the next generation of Senior Management. Mike has definitely earned that badge with his dedication and exceptional work ethic," said Zimmerman Advertising Founder and Chairman, Jordan Zimmerman. "The agency wouldn't be what it is today without Mike. We are very lucky to have him," he added.

Devine's promotion follows a string of more than 75 positions recently added at Zimmerman to support the growth of client relationships like Nissan, and new relationships like McDonald's, Hair Cuttery and Lazydays among others.

About Zimmerman Advertising

Zimmerman Advertising, an Omnicom Group company, is the leading integrated, retail agency in the country. Zimmerman's clients represent some of the most prominent retail brands in the country, including Nissan, McDonald's, Tire Kingdom, Advance America, Five Below, AutoNation, Chuck E. Cheese's and Michaels. Headquartered in South Florida, the agency has retail service offices throughout the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta. For information on the agency, visit http://www.zadv.com.

SOURCE Zimmerman Advertising

Related Links

http://www.zadv.com


FREEPORT, Bahamas, October 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As Grand Bahama Island has been declared the technology hub of the country, the island has officially geared up to host the 2nd Grand Bahama Technology Summit November 14th-16th, 2018 at the Grand Lucayan Resort.

As a means to include the tech enthusiast, entrepreneurs, executives and engineers, both the Bahamian Government and the GB Tech Hub Steering Committee have continuously pushed for the implementation of technological advancements.

Throughout the course of the year, many strides have been made in this capacity as the first technology company began processing under the Commercial Enterprises Act- GIBC Digital.

As the future of The Bahamas lies in the hands of a younger generation, the goal to involve young adults in the promotion of said advancements has been crucial.

Through the Bahamas Technical & Vocational School (BTVI) 3-year program for 9th graders, the STEM program at the YMCA, the Southeast Consortium in Mathematics and Engineering (SECME) and the Academically Interested Minds (AIM) sponsored by Rotary International, youngsters are continuously afforded the opportunity to explore the world of technology.

With the scope of technological ecosystems being widened, conducting multiple trade missions as well as strategic planning to create what is known as "Silicon Island" has also been top priority. As a result, hosting the 2nd tech summit on Grand Bahama Island is imperative to continuously bring awareness that the island is open for business as the Silicon Island of the Caribbean.

Based on participation in the event, professionals will be given the opportunity to learn, understand, and network while choosing to take advantage of a certification component offered by leading technology companies partnered in the initiative.

In an effort to sustain the process of growth, Grand Bahama Island must be positioned to align stakeholders, have accessible capital and markets, create incentives, regulate policy, and build a capacity of skills for a functional market. All initiatives undertaken by the government as well as the Grand Bahama Technology Steering Committee will be disclosed throughout the course of the event.

For more information on full sessions and registration visit www.grandbahamatechsummit.com.

ABOUT THE BAHAMAS

The Islands Of The Bahamas have a place in the sun for everyone. For more information call 1-800-Bahamas or visit www.Bahamas.com. Look for The Bahamas on the web on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Media contact

Anita Patty

[email protected]

954-236-9292

https://www.dropbox.com/s/39wzwp6c9870mxc/Grand%20Bahama%20logo.jpg?dl=0

SOURCE Bahamas Ministry of Tourism

Related Links

http://www.bahamas.com


At press time, this years Chicago International Film Festival plans to screen 123 features across 12 days, which is three fewer days and 23 fewer movies than last year. Im more than fine with that: a little tighter, a little better quality control, and things wrap up on the second weekend on a nice clean Sunday. Boom. Finis. One hundred and twenty-threes plenty.
ATLANTA, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, October 2, the parties to a negligent security shooting case settled for $3 million.

The case arose out of a fatal shooting at Creekside Forest Apartments on January 6, 2016. The apartment complex and the companies that owned it are now out of business. The settlement amount constituted the full insurance limits for the apartment complex where the shooting occurred.

The owner of the security company admitted under oath that a tenant at this apartment complex was a "sitting duck" for crime. The owners of this Atlanta, Georgia apartment complex failed to provide basic security for their tenants.

Evidence showed that the gates to the complex didn't work, the guard shack was in shambles, and security was sorely lacking, according to Jeb Butler of Butler Tobin, lead counsel for the plaintiffs.

"This would have been a powerful case to try," said Butler. "The truth is that the owners of these apartments just did not give a damn about the people who lived there, and we were ready to prove that."

The president of the company in charge of security at the apartments had admitted under cross-examination that if you lived at Creekside Forest, "you're a sitting duck" (video link) for criminals.

The president of the company that owned the apartments admitted that he had been cited for over 300 code violations (video link) in connection with the property. But before his court date, the owner returned to New York and skipped court. He never returned to Atlanta, and a bench warrant for his arrest remains active in Georgia.

Matt Stoddard of The Stoddard Firm, who also represented the plaintiffs, said that he had also been looking forward to trying the case. "After we obtained sworn affidavits from five former employees of the defendants, they didn't have much of a defense left," he said. "I've handled a lot of cases like this, and legwork matters."

One former employee of the defendant companies testified by affidavit that the so-called "security guards" at Creekside Forest had not been stopping crime, but instead were "taking half of the money that changed hands in drug deals on the property."

The case settled after the plaintiffs responded to the defendants' motions for summary judgment, but before the Court had ruled on those motions.

Ronnie Mabra of The Mabra Firm and Alyssa Baskam of Butler Tobin also represented the plaintiffs. "I am very happy we were able to get a good result for our clients, who suffered a tragic loss," said Mabra. "This was a team effort."

Media contact:

Jeb Butler

[email protected]

404-587-8423

SOURCE Butler Tobin
SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) met in Salt Lake City, Utah, for its 62nd Annual Conference. Sherry Bogar, CMA (AAMA), was installed as the 20182020 AAMA Trustee. In this capacity, Sherry Bogar, CMA (AAMA), a resident of League City, Texas, represents medical assistants and CMAs (AAMA) across the nation.

American Association of Medical Assistants

Medical assisting is one of the nation's careers growing much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Medical assistants work in outpatient health care settings. Employers are seeking and recruiting these allied health professionals because of their uniquely diverse clinical and administrative patient-centered training.

Trustee Bogar states, "I believe that medical assistants are truly at the heart of health care. We provide quality, safe health care in all areas of the medical practice and outpatient settings. The CMA (AAMA) is perfectly suited to take on the challenge of an ever-evolving health care environment because of their versatility, broad knowledge base and complete competence in providing the best care."

Bogar brings a great deal of experience to her office. She has been in the medical field for 15 years and currently works for two surgical oncologists at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and League City, Texas.

She has also served in many capacities for the AAMA, including as a member of the Leadership Development Strategy Team, Social Media Subcommittee, Task Force for Conference Continuing Education Sessions, Nominating Committee and both Reference Committees at the AAMA Annual Conference. She currently serves as the vice president, website chair and conference chair for the Texas Society of Medical Assistants. Bogar has also served our country as a command and base ombudsman during Operation Desert Storm.

The Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA)  or CMA (AAMA)  credential represents a medical assistant who has been credentialed through the Certifying Board (CB) of the AAMA.

The CB of the AAMA was awarded accreditation by the International Accreditation Service (IAS) under ISO/IEC Standard 17024:2012, the global benchmark for personnel certification bodies, thus distinguishing the CMA (AAMA) from other medical assisting certifications.

A rigorous credential, the CMA (AAMA) is the only certification that requires postsecondary education. Only candidates who graduate from an accredited postsecondary medical assisting program are eligible to sit for the CMA (AAMA) Certification Examination. The CMA (AAMA) must recertify every five years. The National Board of Medical Examiners  responsible for many national examinations for physicians  constructs and administers the examination. As a result, the reliability and validity of the CMA (AAMA) credential are of the highest order.

Certification status is a matter of public record and may be released. Every day, the AAMA responds to more than 100 employer requests for CMA (AAMA) certification verification  for both current and potential employees.

The mission of the American Association of Medical Assistants is to provide the medical assistant professional with education, certification, credential acknowledgment, networking opportunities, scope-of-practice protection and advocacy for quality patient-centered health care.

Media Contact:

Miranda Sanks

Senior Editor, Social Media Manager

[email protected]

800/228-2262

http://www.aama-ntl.org

Related Links

CMA (AAMA) Sets the Bar for Excellence in Medical Assisting (video)

SOURCE American Association of Medical Assistants

Related Links

http://www.aama-ntl.org


WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the American Federation of Government Employees announced its endorsement of Sen. Tina Smith for election to the U.S. Senate this November.

The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal workers, has endorsed Sen. Tina Smith for election to the U.S. Senate this November.

"As a current senator and former lieutenant governor, Sen. Tina Smith has demonstrated incredible leadership and passion representing Minnesotans. That's why we're thrilled to announce our support for her today," said AFGE District 8 National Vice President Gregg James. "We know that if elected, Sen. Smith will fight for working people in Minnesota, and will ensure all the federal programs they rely on are protected."

"Already, Sen. Smith has pushed for fair pay for federal workers and was part of a strong coalition that wrote to President Trump opposing his union-busting Executive Orders," said James. "We know that if she's given a full term, Sen. Smith will protect programs like Social Security and Medicare for the hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans who need them, and she'll fight to protect the best health care system for our veterans  the VA."

More than 32,000 federal workers live in Minnesota  supporting the military, caring for veterans, ensuring the safety of the flying public, and getting Social Security recipients their benefits accurately and on time.

"I'm so honored to have the support of the American Federation of Government Employees and the hundreds of thousands of hardworking people it represents every dayfrom nurses to mechanics to park rangers to veterans," said Smith. "I have always been a strong supporter of public employees and believe they are entitled to fair pay and benefits. Our federal workers do incredible work for the people of Minnesota and I will continue to fight and stand up for them in the Senate every day."

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 8 has more than 10,000 dues-paying members in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

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


DALLAS, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alerian, the leading energy infrastructure index provider, announced today the launch of "Alerian Presents: Energy Titans," a podcast hosted by Alerian President and CEO Kenny Feng. The podcast focuses on the drivers, challenges, successes, and failures that have shaped the careers and lives of leading experts across the energy infrastructure sector.

"Alerian Presents: Energy Titans" is available today at alerian.com/podcast and on Apple Podcasts. In each episode, Feng will take listeners behind the scenes to better understand the businesses and decision makers that encompass the sector. With seven episodes in the first season, listeners can expect a new episode every week, with two additional seasons in pre-production.

"We pride ourselves on providing investors with unique insights, data, and research that enables them to make informed decisions about energy infrastructure and master limited partnerships. The new Alerian podcast 'Alerian Presents: Energy Titans' is a natural extension of our efforts," said Kenny Feng, President and CEO of Alerian. "By taking listeners inside the minds of industry leaders we hope to showcase the unique stories that have shaped the energy infrastructure sector. We are extremely excited about the launch of the podcast and look forward to further uncovering the stories behind the sector," noted Feng.

The first season includes interviews with:

Greg Armstrong , Non-Executive Chairman and Former CEO, Plains All-American Pipeline

, Non-Executive Chairman and Former CEO, Plains All-American Pipeline Andy Safran , Former Vice Chairman of Investment Banking

, Former Vice Chairman of Investment Banking Pat Diamond , Executive Chairman, Next Wave Energy Partners

, Executive Chairman, Next Wave Energy Partners Mike Rosenwasser , Partner, Baker Botts

, Partner, Baker Botts Yves Siegel , Managing Director, Neuberger Berman

, Managing Director, Neuberger Berman Rob Baldwin , Tax Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers

, Tax Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers Tim Fenn , Partner, Latham & Watkins

For more information, listeners can visit alerian.com or follow us on Twitter at @AlerianIndices.

About Alerian

Alerian equips investors to make informed decisions about energy infrastructure and Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs). Its benchmarks are widely used by industry executives, investment professionals, research analysts, and national media to analyze relative performance. As of September 30, 2018, over $14 billion is directly tied to the Alerian Index Series through exchange-traded funds and notes, separately managed accounts, and structured products. For more information, including index values and constituents, research content, and announcements regarding rebalancings, please visit alerian.com.

SOURCE Alerian

Related Links

http://www.alerian.com


AGOURA HILLS, Calif., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH) today announced that the Company will release its third quarter 2018 financial and operating results on Thursday, November 1, 2018, after the market closes. The Company will host a conference call on Friday, November 2, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time to review third quarter results, discuss recent events and conduct a question-and-answer period.

Live conference call

Toll free number: (877) 451-6152 (for domestic callers) Direct dial number: (201) 389-0879 (for international callers) Passcode: Not required Simultaneous audio webcast link: www.americanhomes4rent.com under "For Investors"



Conference call replay

Toll free number: (844) 512-2921 (for domestic callers) Direct dial number: (412) 317-6671 (for international callers) Passcode: 13683741 Webcast link: www.americanhomes4rent.com under "For Investors" Date accessible through: November 16, 2018

About American Homes 4 Rent

American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH) is a leader in the single-family home rental industry and "American Homes 4 Rent" is fast becoming a nationally recognized brand for rental homes, known for high quality, good value and tenant satisfaction. We are an internally managed Maryland real estate investment trust, or REIT, focused on acquiring, renovating, leasing, and operating attractive, single-family homes as rental properties. As of June 30, 2018, we owned 52,049 single-family properties in selected submarkets in 22 states.

Additional information about American Homes 4 Rent is available on our website at www.americanhomes4rent.com.

Contact:

American Homes 4 Rent

Investor Relations

Phone: (855) 794-2447

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE American Homes 4 Rent

Related Links

https://www.americanhomes4rent.com


HUNTERSVILLE, N.C., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- American Tire Distributors, Inc. ("ATD" or the "Company") today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with approximately 75% of its bondholders on the terms of a recapitalization that would reduce the Company's debt by approximately $1.1 billion and increase its financial flexibility as it continues its ongoing transformation. The terms of the agreement are substantially similar to those contemplated by the agreement in principle the Company previously announced on September 4, 2018. To implement the definitive agreement, the Company voluntarily filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the District of Delaware.

ATD's operations across its distribution network are continuing to serve customers without disruption as it moves through this process. The Company's National Tire Distributors ("NTD") subsidiary and its other Canadian subsidiaries are not part of the court-supervised process and continue to serve customers as they always have.

"Today we are announcing a positive, intentional and strategic next step as we move forward on a clear and expedited path to strengthen ATD's financial position and continue our successful, game-changing transformation," said Stuart Schuette, Chief Executive Officer of ATD. "We thank both our customers and manufacturer partners for the unwavering support that we have received over the last several weeks, which reflects our value proposition and our trusted relationships with them. As the industry continues to evolve, the actions we are taking will enable us to keep the power of choice alive for customers and continue serving them like no one else can."

Mr. Schuette continued, "We are as focused as ever on providing our customers with the unparalleled selection and service they have come to expect from us. We have momentum and are continuing our efforts to lead change in the industry. We look forward to continuing to introduce innovative technology, new programs and tools over the coming months that will enable our customers to drive traffic to their business, enhance their operations and maximize their profitability. Our company has seen many changes to the tire industry over the past 80 years, and we have always succeeded by remaining focused on supporting our customers across all channels, and the consumers they serve."

Mr Schuette concluded, "On behalf of ATD's leadership team, I would like to thank our associates, whose talent, hard work and dedication will continue to be the driving force behind ATD throughout this process."

Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, which is subject to court approval:

Bondholders will receive 95% of new equity in the recapitalized company and existing equity holders will receive 5% of the new equity.

The Company intends to pay continuing manufacturer partners and vendors in full for existing claims.

The company intends to pay suppliers and vendors in full under normal terms for goods and services provided on or after the Chapter 11 filing date. In connection with the court-supervised process, the Company has received commitments that would provide continued access to the Company's revolving credit facility, plus $250 million in new financing, which, subject to court approval, will be available to support its ongoing operations.

Additional information is available on ATD's restructuring website at www.ATDrecapitalization.com or by calling ATD's restructuring hotline, toll-free in the U.S., at (866) 967-0495. For calls originating outside of the U.S., please dial +1 (310) 751-2695. Questions can also be submitted by email to [email protected]. Court filings and other documents related to the court-supervised proceedings are available on a separate website administered by ATD's claims agent, KCC, at www.kccllc.net/ATD.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal counsel to ATD, AlixPartners LLP is serving as operational advisor and Moelis & Company LLC is serving as financial advisor.

About American Tire Distributors

American Tire Distributors is one of the largest independent suppliers of tires to the replacement tire market. It operates more than 140 distribution centers, including 25 distribution centers in Canada, serving approximately 80,000 customers across the U.S. and Canada. The Company offers an unsurpassed breadth and depth of inventory, frequent delivery and value-added services to tire and automotive service customers. American Tire Distributors employs approximately 5,000 associates across its distribution center network, including approximately 800 associates in Canada.

Media Contacts

Jessica Kessel

Communications Manager, ATD

(704) 912-3495

[email protected]

Ed Trissel / Aaron Palash / Andrew Squire

Joele Frank Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

(212) 355-4449

Global Media Contact

Belinda Ma

Allison+Partners

+886 2 2775 5819

[email protected]

SOURCE American Tire Distributors
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE MKT: AMPE) today provided an update of the ongoing Company activities required to file a Biologics License Application (BLA) for Ampion for the treatment of severe Osteoarthritis of the knee (OAK).

Michael Macaluso, Ampio's CEO, noted that "During the time that AP-003-C, the second of our two required pivotal phase III clinical trials, was designed and executed, the FDA underwent a major reorganization. As a consequence, Ampio was overseen by three different review groups representing two different review offices within the Center for Biologics Evaluation Research (CBER). Currently, Ampion is being reviewed by CBER's newly formed Office of Tissue and Advanced Therapies (OTAT)."

The company is currently focused on completing the following regulatory requirements established by the FDA:

Perform two pivotal clinical trials of Ampion that CBER accepts as adequate and well-controlled studies that demonstrate the safety and efficacy of Ampion. These two pivotal trials are not required to be identical but must meet pre-determined endpoints and provide substantial replication of results. All Ampion clinical studies must provide evidence in support of a BLA. FDA must accept the Chemical and Manufacturing Controls (CMC) program for the investigational product.

Ampio Corporate Update:

The Company is reporting the following milestones in support of the three objectives outlined above:

On August 16, 2018 , OTAT reaffirmed that "FDA considers AP-003-A to be an adequate and well-controlled clinical trial that provides evidence of the effectiveness of Ampion. AP-003-A can contribute to the substantial evidence of effectiveness necessary for the approval of a BLA." Over 2,000 patients now support the substantial evidence necessary for the BLA.

, OTAT reaffirmed that "FDA considers AP-003-A to be an adequate and well-controlled clinical trial that provides evidence of the effectiveness of Ampion. AP-003-A can contribute to the substantial evidence of effectiveness necessary for the approval of a BLA." Over 2,000 patients now support the substantial evidence necessary for the BLA. The AP-003-C OLE study was designed to support the safety and tolerability of repeat injections of Ampion (up to five injections) over the course of at least one year. No serious drug-related adverse events have been reported, and all patients demonstrated a sustained reduction in pain over the course of the trial.

On September 27, 2018 , OTAT provided a favorable response, with no areas of dispute, in support of CMC for the Ampion BLA. Agreement was obtained "on the CMC data requirements for BLA and on the data presented for analytical characterization, commercial release specifications, and potency of Ampion drug product."

, OTAT provided a favorable response, with no areas of dispute, in support of CMC for the Ampion BLA. Agreement was obtained "on the CMC data requirements for BLA and on the data presented for analytical characterization, commercial release specifications, and potency of Ampion drug product." The Company is continuing discussions with the FDA to determine if the pivotal AP-003-C study is the final trial required to support the Ampion BLA. Should another trial be required, the Company will move quickly to meet the FDA requirements under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA).

Regulatory Exclusivity and IP protection:

The Company believes that Ampion, a low molecular weight fraction of human serum albumin with anti-inflammatory properties, will be identified as a "reference product" upon FDA approval of their BLA. Reference products are granted twelve years of exclusivity under the PHS Act, 42 U.S.C.  262(k)(7). Specifically, FDA is not permitted to approve an application for a biosimilar or interchangeable product until 12 years after the date of the first licensure of the reference product. The existing Ampion portfolio has patent coverage in all major jurisdictions throughout the world (U.S., Europe, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Eurasia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa) for pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treating a range of conditions. The portfolio includes 125 issued patents and 85 pending applications throughout seven primary patent families having expiration dates that extend to 2035.

About Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an incurable and progressive disorder of the joints involving degradation of the intra-articular cartilage, joint lining, ligaments, and bone. The incidence of developing osteoarthritis of the knee over a lifetime is approximately 45%. As this disease is associated with age, obesity, and diabetes, this number will continue to grow. Certain risk factors in conjunction with natural wear and tear lead to the breakdown of cartilage. Osteoarthritis is caused by inflammation of the soft tissue and bony structures of the joint, which worsens over time and leads to progressive thinning of articular cartilage. Other symptoms include narrowing of the joint space, synovial membrane thickening, osteophyte formation and increased density of subchondral bone.

About Ampio Pharmaceuticals

Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a development stage biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on the development of therapies to treat prevalent inflammatory conditions for which there are limited treatment options. We are developing compounds that decrease inflammation by (i) inhibiting specific pro-inflammatory compounds by affecting specific pathways at the protein expression and at the transcription level; (ii) activating specific phosphatase or depletion of the available phosphate needed for the inflammation process; and (iii) decreasing vascular permeability.

Forward-Looking Statements

Ampio's statements in this press release that are not historical fact, and that relate to future plans or events, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding Ampio's expectations with respect to Ampion and its classification, as well as those associated with regulatory approvals and other FDA decisions, the Biological License Application (BLA), the ability of Ampio to enter into partnering arrangements, clinical trials and decisions and changes in business conditions and similar events, all of which are inherently subject to various risks and uncertainties. The risks and uncertainties involved include those detailed from time to time in Ampio's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation, under Ampio's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ampio undertakes no obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Company Contact

Tom Chilcott

Chief Financial Officer

Phone: (720) 437-6500

[email protected]

SOURCE Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.ampiopharma.com


WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG) will announce its results for the quarter ended September 30, 2018, on Wednesday, October 31, 2018, prior to the market opening. The company's management will also host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. EDT to discuss the results. A slide presentation to accompany the discussion will be posted on www.bunge.com .

To listen to the call, please dial (877) 883-0383. If you are located outside the United States or Canada, dial (412) 902-6506. Please dial in five to 10 minutes before the scheduled start time and enter confirmation code 6561288. The call will also be webcast live at www.bunge.com .

To access the webcast, go to "Webcasts and presentations" in the "Investors" section of the company's website. Select "Q3 2018 Bunge Limited Conference Call" and follow the prompts. Please go to the website at least 15 minutes prior to the call to register and download any necessary audio software.

A replay of the call will be available later in the day on October 31, 2018, continuing through November 30, 2018. To listen to it, please dial (877) 344-7529 in the United States, (855) 669-9658 in Canada, or (412) 317-0088 in other locations. When prompted, enter confirmation code 10124597. A replay will also be available in "Past events" at "Webcasts and presentations" in the "Investors" section of the company's website.

Website Information

We routinely post important information for investors on our website, www.bunge.com, in the "Investors" section. We may use this website as a means of disclosing material, non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor the Investors section of our website, in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls, presentations and webcasts. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this document.

About Bunge Limited

Bunge Limited (www.bunge.com,NYSE: BG) is a leading global agribusiness and food company operating in over 40 countries with approximately 32,000 employees. Bunge buys, sells, stores and transports oilseeds and grains to serve customers worldwide; processes oilseeds to make protein meal for animal feed; produces edible oil products for consumers and commercial customers in the food processing, industrial and artisanal bakery, confectionery, human nutrition and food service categories; produces sugar and ethanol from sugarcane; mills wheat, corn and rice to make ingredients used by food companies; and sells fertilizer in South America. Founded in 1818, the company is headquartered in White Plains, New York.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains both historical and forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations and projections about our future results, performance, prospects and opportunities. We have tried to identify these forward-looking statements by using words including "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "intend," "estimate," "continue" and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. The following important factors, among others, could affect our business and financial performance: industry conditions, including fluctuations in supply, demand and prices for agricultural commodities and other raw materials and products used in our business; fluctuations in energy and freight costs and competitive developments in our industries; the effects of weather conditions and the outbreak of crop and animal disease on our business; global and regional agricultural, economic, financial and commodities market, political, social and health conditions; the outcome of pending regulatory and legal proceedings; our ability to complete, integrate and benefit from acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and strategic alliances; our ability to achieve the efficiencies, savings and other benefits anticipated from our cost reduction, margin improvement and other business optimization initiatives; changes in government policies, laws and regulations affecting our business, including agricultural and trade policies, tax regulations and biofuels legislation; and other factors affecting our business generally. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date of this release, and except as otherwise required by federal securities law, we do not have any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

SOURCE Bunge Limited

Related Links

http://www.bunge.com


The firm's new office space is at 100 W. Martin Luther King Blvd., and spans 8,619 square feet. Backed by an international team of more than 6,000 professionals, the Burns & McDonnell office in Chattanooga performs engineering, consulting, construction and environmental services, with a focus on energy infrastructure upgrades  helping provide more resilient and reliable power to the region. The team is continuing the firm's ongoing expansion within commercial, manufacturing, industrial, water and power generation markets.

"We are proud to call Chattanooga home and to be a part of this flourishing city," says Marlin Gines, Chattanooga office manager for Burns & McDonnell. "As our community grows, the demand rises for more flexible, reliable power systems and strengthened infrastructure. We're broadening our presence to help our clients meet those needs and better serve residents across the Tennessee Valley."

Burns & McDonnell ranks among the top 10 design firms in the U.S. and is No. 1 in Power, according to Engineering News-Record. The firm is also among Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2018 and has been recognized as a best place to work by more than 20 publications across the country.

For photos and support materials, please visit our MEDIA KIT.

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies made up of more than 6,000 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists, consultants and entrepreneurs with offices across the country and throughout the world. We strive to create amazing success for our clients and amazing careers for our employee-owners. Burns & McDonnell is 100 percent employee-owned and is proud to be on Fortune's 2018 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. For more information, visit burnsmcd.com .

Contact: Elle Martens, Burns & McDonnell

816-822-3147

[email protected]

SOURCE Burns & McDonnell

Related Links

http://www.burnsmcd.com


"We had to wear collars and ties and make sure our shoes were polished, and we had to get permission to take our jackets off on a session. And to be seen without a tie - forget it," he once said. Furthermore, they had to wear different color coats depending on their rank, and Emerick wasn't even 21 years old when he began upending the norms. As he's said in many interviews, he was reprimanded for his studio creativity - constantly.
CAMBRIDGE, England, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

RadarView visualisation/validation software enhanced to help ATC integrators and sensor providers to deploy , configur e, optimise and maint ain radars in air traffic surveillance applications

RadarView software now includes: extended support for ADS-B and Surveillance Co-ordination Function (SCF) data; target detection statistics to verify radar performance; radar coverage capability to optimise location for radar or sensor based on line-of-sight visibility; and support for next generation MSSR as well as SSR radars

Cambridge Pixel, a developer of radar display, tracking and recording sub-systems, has enhanced its RadarView radar visualisation software to help air traffic control (ATC) integrators and sensor providers to deploy, configure, optimise and maintain radars in air traffic surveillance applications.

The ready-to-run PC-based RadarView display software has been optimised for the ATC market with the addition of new features including extended support for ADS-B (ASTERIX CAT-21) and surveillance co-ordination function (ASTERIX CAT-17) data. SCF messages are used to co-ordinate the operation of multiple Mode S sensors in an installation.

Cambridge Pixel has also added target detection statistics to verify radar performance so that, for example, the percentage of valid detections per scan can be viewed, and radar coverage capability is included to optimise the location for a radar or sensor based on line-of-sight visibility.

The RadarView software also now supports the next generation of Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radars (MSSR) from companies such as Easat, Indra, Hensoldt, and Raytheon, as well as traditional SSRs.

David Johnson, CEO of Cambridge Pixel, said: "Our enhanced RadarView software is a highly flexible tool for ATC integrators or sensor providers that require a low cost, ready-to-run primary radar display application to help them to deploy, configure, optimise and maintain radars in air traffic surveillance applications.

"RadarView is already used by companies such as Saab ATM, Kelvin Hughes and leading MSSR providers for their installations as it gives them early visibility of the functionality of radars and sensors ahead of final commissioning."

RadarView allows radar video and camera images to be viewed in multiple windows using standard PC and graphics technology. The software tool receives, processes and scan converts multiple channels of radar video in normal PPI (plan position indicator) view, and, for more specialist requirements, supports B-Scan and A-Scan formats - the latter is especially useful for radar configuration and set-up. Information from Asterix messages is presented as a customisable overlay on the PPI views.

Cambridge Pixel also provides its HPx-346 card for customers that want to convert analogue radar signals, from a legacy system for example, into a standard open network data stream such as ASTERIX CAT-240.

RadarView is part of Cambridge Pixel's world-leading SPx suite of software libraries and applications which provide highly flexible, ready-to-run software products or 'modules-of-expertise' for radar visualisation, radar video distribution, plot extraction and target tracking. This provides a powerful set of processing and display components for capture and presentation of radar video using the capabilities of modern multi-core processors and graphics processor units (GPUs).

Cambridge Pixel's engineering team has decades of experience of developing complex radar processing and display systems for naval, air traffic control, vessel traffic, security, surveillance and airborne radar applications.

Its systems have been implemented in mission-critical applications with companies such as BAE Systems, Frontier Electronic Systems, Blighter Surveillance Systems, Harris, Hanwha Systems, Kelvin Hughes, Lockheed Martin, Navtech Radar, Raytheon, Saab Sensis, Royal Thai Air Force, Sofresud and Tellumat.

For more information about Cambridge Pixel's RadarView software, please visit http://www.cambridgepixel.com or call: +44-(0)-1763-852749 or

email: [email protected].

Media photos:

https://www.cambridgepixel.com/images/News/pr-radarview2018_1.jpg

https://www.cambridgepixel.com/images/News/pr-radarview2018_2.png

Data sheet:

https://www.cambridgepixel.com/products/RadarView/

About Cambridge Pixel (http://www.cambridgepixel.com)

Founded in 2007, Cambridge Pixel is an award-winning developer of sensor processing and display solutions including primary and secondary radar interfacing, processing and display components for military and commercial radar applications. It is a world-leading supplier of software-based radar tracking and scan conversion solutions through its modular SPx software, and HPx hardware product range. Based near Cambridge in the UK, the company operates worldwide through a network of agents and distributors.



SOURCE Cambridge Pixel
MIAMI, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL;NYSE: CUK) today announced the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation pledged to donate $5 million to support relief efforts in communities affected by Hurricane Florence in North and South Carolina, Super Typhoon Mangkhut in the Philippines and the recent Indonesia earthquake and resulting tsunami.

The Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation will make an immediate donation of $5 million to Save the Children and Direct Relief to support the most timely and urgent relief needs, as well as the long-term recovery strategy across the globe in the wake of recent natural disasters.

Additional grants are under way from Carnival Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Carnival Corporation, and the company's cruise line brands  including Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises Australia and P&O Cruises UK. Carnival Corporation's collective donations will go toward supporting global aid agency Mercy Corps in Indonesia, International Medical Corps in the Philippines, and Save the Children in North and South Carolina and the Philippines.

"Our hearts go out to those who are dealing with great hardship and loss following these major natural disasters, and our sincere hope is that these additional resources will help our partner organizations execute response plans for both immediate relief needs and longer-term recovery efforts," said Linda Coll, executive director of Carnival Foundation. "The Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation has helped so many people and communities over the years through its generous donations, and with this new pledge, it continues to provide critical support resources around the globe that will make a difference for those in need."

Added Coll: "Building on many different efforts from organizations around the world, with our collective support from Micky and Madeleine Arison, Carnival Foundation and Carnival Corporation's brands, we want to do all we can to help those with the most urgent needs, and also build a foundation for the future health and well-being of these affected communities for years to come."

A portion of the funds from The Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation, Carnival Foundation and the company's cruise brands will go to Save the Children, an international non-governmental organization and recognized national leader for services to children in emergencies, to provide support in the affected areas through emergency relief initiatives and longer-term recovery projects. Focus areas for Save the Children's relief efforts include:

Hurricane Florence Response in the Carolinas : In the short term, efforts will focus on protecting children and providing essential supplies in evacuation settings, as well as supporting the rapid restoration of early-learning and community programs for children. Long-term programs will focus on supporting children's social and emotional recovery, as well as strengthening community resilience and future disaster preparedness plans.

: In the short term, efforts will focus on protecting children and providing essential supplies in evacuation settings, as well as supporting the rapid restoration of early-learning and community programs for children. Long-term programs will focus on supporting children's social and emotional recovery, as well as strengthening community resilience and future disaster preparedness plans. Super Typhoon Mangkhut in the Philippines : Relief efforts will focus on supporting children and families through the distribution of shelters, household kits, water and hygiene items, in addition to supporting the timely return to learning by opening temporary learning spaces, providing teaching and back-to-school kits and supporting teachers with teaching assistance.

Relief efforts will focus on supporting children and families through the distribution of shelters, household kits, water and hygiene items, in addition to supporting the timely return to learning by opening temporary learning spaces, providing teaching and back-to-school kits and supporting teachers with teaching assistance. Indonesia Earthquake and Tsunami: Early responders are preparing to distribute basic necessities and are setting up child-friendly shelters, as well as working with local organizations and government agencies to identify and reunite separated families. Programs will focus on providing access to water, hygiene, sanitation and health services, and ensuring that the nutrition needs of children are being met. Additionally, they will work to distribute cash transfers to support the immediate needs of children and families, and help with economic activity and recovery. Efforts will also support the return to learning through the distribution of key items, such as school kits.

The donation from The Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation will also support Direct Relief, an international humanitarian organization providing critical medications and supplies for emergency situations. Direct Relief will begin delivering requested medications and medical supplies to the affected regions as those specific relief needs are identified. Emergency supplies pre-positioned in Southeast Asia by Direct Relief have been made available to Indonesian authorities responding to survivors of the earthquake and tsunami in Sulawesi. Adding to the stockpiled items, Direct Relief has offered the National Disaster Management Authority of Indonesia (BNPB) an additional $30 million in medicine and supplies from its available inventory.

Direct Relief is also on standby and ready to provide medicines and medical resources to its network of partners throughout the Philippines should the government request international assistance.

Carnival Corporation & plc

Carnival Corporation & plc is the world's largest leisure travel company and among the most profitable and financially strong in the cruise and vacation industries, with a portfolio of 10 dynamic brands that include nine of the world's leading cruise lines. With operations in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O Cruises (UK), as well as Fathom, the corporation's immersion and enrichment experience brand.

Together, these brands operate 103 ships with 234,000 lower berths visiting over 700 ports around the world, with 22 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2018 and 2025. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only dual listed company in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.

In 2017, Fast Company recognized Carnival Corporation as being among the "Top 10 Most Innovative Companies" in both the design and travel categories. Fast Company specifically recognized Carnival Corporation for its work in developing Ocean Medallion, a high-tech wearable device that enables the world's first interactive guest experience platform capable of transforming vacation travel into a highly personalized and elevated level of customized service.

Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com, www.fathom.org, www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com, www.seabourn.com, www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com, www.pocruises.com.au, and www.pocruises.com.

SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc

Related Links

http://www.carnivalcorp.com


PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CDI Corporation ("CDI"), a leading provider of engineering, information technology, and staffing services, today announced the sale of its Talent & Technology Solutions business unit ("TTS") to Artech Information Systems, LLC ("Artech"). Terms of the transaction, which closed October 1, were not disclosed. CDI is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners, LP ("AEI"), a private equity investor specializing in aerospace and defense, power generation, and specialty industrial businesses.

Artech is a leading-edge technology solutions supplier providing workforce solutions, IT consulting, and SOW-project services. TTS, comprised of a team of approximately 2,500 professionals, delivers IT and engineering talent sourcing services and technology solutions to clients across North America. The acquisition will significantly enhance Artech's market position, expanding its global talent pool of billable team members and support staff to over 10,000, while adding or expanding its service delivery locations in Atlanta, GA, Dallas, TX, Phoenix, AZ, West Virginia, and Canada.

Artech's Co-Founder & CEO, Ranjini Poddar said, "We are extremely excited to welcome CDI's Talent & Technology Solutions team to Artech. With over 65 years of experience servicing a premier client base, we believe the TTS team will contribute meaningfully to our client service capabilities. The commitment by TTS to deliver extraordinary outcomes fits well with Artech's client-centric culture and will elevate our positioning as the go-to source for IT, engineering, and professional expertise."

"We believe this transaction is truly an excellent outcome for both companies," said Michael Castleman, President & CEO of CDI. "Artech provides TTS employees and clients with additional resources, scale and dedication in their target markets. This transaction also enables CDI to have greater focus on our remaining business, supporting our relentless pursuit of delivering growth and value to our clients and stakeholders."

"AEI is excited to complete another step in the realignment of the CDI portfolio, delivering strong value to our investors while creating a sustainable path of growth for CDI," said Michael Greene, Managing Partner of AEI.

Blank Rome served as legal advisor and Fairmount Partners served as financial advisor to Artech. Ballard Spahr LLP served as legal advisor and Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor to CDI.

About CDI Corporation

CDI seeks to create extraordinary outcomes with its clients by delivering solutions based on highly skilled and professional talent. Through its EdgeRock Technology Partners and CDI Engineering Solutions business units, CDI provides engineering, information technology, and staffing solutions to clients in multiple industries, including chemicals, energy, infrastructure, and technology, as well as municipal and state governments. In addition, CDI also provides recruiting and staffing services through its global MRINetwork of franchisees. Learn more at www.cdicorp.com.

About Artech Information Systems LLC

Artech is a certified minority- and women-owned business enterprise (MWBE) committed to maximizing global workforce solutions on behalf of its clients. As a leading-edge technology solutions supplier, Artech provides workforce solutions, IT consulting, and SOW-project services. Headquartered in Morristown, NJ, Artech employs over 7,800 professionals and maintains over 25 locations across the U.S., Canada, India, and China. Artech was founded in 1992 and today is a Tier-1/Preferred Supplier to more than 70 Fortune 500 companies and numerous federal and state government agencies. Learn more at www.artech.com.

About AE Industrial Partners

AE Industrial Partners is a private equity firm with more than $2.7 billion of assets under management specializing in control investments in aerospace and defense, power generation, and specialty industrial businesses. AEI invests in market-leading companies that can benefit from its deep operating experience, industry knowledge, and relationships. Learn more at www.aeroequity.com.

CONTACT FOR AE INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS AND CDI:

Owen Blicksilver Public Relations

Jennifer Hurson

(845) 507-0571

[email protected]

Carol Makovich

(203) 622-4781

[email protected]

SOURCE CDI Corporation

Related Links

http://www.cdicorp.com


HOUSTON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA's Johnson Space Center will open its gates to the public Saturday, Oct. 27, for the first time in years, celebrating NASA's 60th anniversary and the International Space Station's 20th anniversary.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Oct. 27, the public will be offered a free, behind-the-scenes look at some of the agency's historic accomplishments, as well as the exciting work currently going on, as NASA prepares to return to the Moon and travel to Mars.

"As we celebrate NASA's 60th anniversary, Johnson Space Center has played a key role in leading human space exploration and has been a part of the vibrant Houston community for nearly six decades," said Mark Geyer, director of Johnson Space Center. "While the past 60 years represent the best of our country and the height of American ingenuity, the talented, dedicated and diverse team here in 'space city' Houston is excited about the next chapter in spaceflight as we work to launch humans farther into the solar system."

NASA opened for business Oct. 1, 1958, following the signing of the agency's founding legislation on July 29, 1958. After four decades that saw dozens of short-duration missions to the moon and low-Earth orbit, NASA and its international partners launched the first element of the International Space Station on Nov. 20, 1998, setting the stage for continuous human presence in space, which began in 2000.

During the open house, visitors will have access to a variety of exhibits and hardware, ranging from moon rocks collected during the Apollo missions, to full-size mockups of the International Space Station, the Orion spacecraft and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner. Get a full listing of what will be open to the public and a map of the site that includes parking, at:

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/johnson-space-center-open-house

While visitors will be allowed to remain on site until 2 p.m. on Oct. 27, no guests will be admitted after 1:30 p.m. No pets or firearms will be allowed on site, though service animals are welcomed.

Visitors are welcomed year-round through Johnson's official visitor center, Space Center Houston, which provides tram tours and visits inside a number of key facilities. However, this open house will allow visitors to have access to several locations not accessible during visitor center tours.

Connect with Johnson Space Center on social media at:

https://twitter.com/NASA_Johnson

and

https://www.facebook.com/NASAJSC

NASA Johnson Space Center news releases and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to [email protected]. In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe hsfnews" (no quotes). This will add the email address that sent the subscribe message to the news release distribution list. The system will reply with a confirmation via E-mail of each subscription. Once you have subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail.

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


CARMEL, Ind., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CNO Financial Group, a holding company for several national life and health insurance companies that serve middle-income Americans and retirees, was recognized as one of the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America, an award program presented by Springbuk.

This is the fifth year that CNO Financial has been recognized for its commitment to employee health and for achieving exceptional and sustainable success through a broad range of corporate well-being programs and employee well-being initiatives. Over 1,000 of America's top wellness programs across the country were evaluated for this award.

Additionally, CNO Financial's Carmel, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois locations were recognized as the number one healthiest workplace in Indiana and number two healthiest workplace in Illinois, respectively.

"To have earned this national recognition five times validates our invested efforts and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to creating a culture of health," said Yvonne Franzese, chief human resources officer of CNO Financial. "By partnering with our associates and their families to improve their well-being, we strengthen the financial health of our company."

The top 100 workplaces were honored at the Fitbit Captivate Conference in Chicago on September 20. The winning organizations were honored for their commitment to employee health and exceptional corporate wellness programming.

"This year's winners comprise our strongest class of healthy workplaces since we launched the program nine years ago," said Rod Reasen, co-founder of the Healthiest Employers Award Program and Springbuk. "This year's Healthiest 100 Workplaces include organizations as small as 19 full-time employees and as large as over 150,000 employees. They span nearly every industry, size, geography and include both private and public organizations."

Award applicants were evaluated across six key categories: Culture and Leadership Commitment, Foundational Components, Strategic Planning, Marketing and Communications, Programming and Interventions, and lastly, Reporting and Analytics. Applicants were evaluated with the proprietary Healthiest Employers Index, a 1-100 rubric for wellness programming. These organizations have achieved lasting success through a wide array of employee wellness initiatives and corporate wellness programs.

CNO Financial was also recently recognized by the National Business Group on Health for having one of the top best workforce well-being programs in the nation.

About CNO Financial Group

CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CNO) is a holding company. Our insurance companies  principally Bankers Life and Casualty Company, Colonial Penn Life Insurance Company and Washington National Insurance Company  primarily serve middle-income pre-retiree and retired Americans by helping them protect against financial adversity and provide for a more secure retirement. For more information, visit CNO online at CNOinc.com.

About Springbuk, Inc.

Springbuk is a health intelligence software that empowers everyone in an employer's health ecosystem to glean actionable insights to improve their population's wellbeing and contain claims costs. Their software is leveraged by employers, insurance brokers, onsite clinics, Third-Party Administrators, and wellness venters to identify avoidable medial and Rx spend. These insights allow every stakeholder to make smarter decisions regarding the health of their employee populations. Each year, Springbuck administers the Healthies Employers Award Program across the U.S. to honor the nation's most dedicated employers in bettering their worksite health and wellness programs. Learn more at Springbuk.com.

SOURCE CNO Financial Group

Related Links

http://www.CNOinc.com


CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- College Consensus (https://www.collegeconsensus.com), a unique new college ratings website that aggregates publisher rankings and student reviews, has published their ranking of the 30 Most Beautiful College Campuses in the Fall at https://www.collegeconsensus.com/rankings/most-beautiful-colleges-autumn/.

At no time of year does a college campus look more like college than fall, when the trees are changing color, the students are wearing their team jackets and sweaters, and the professors breaking out their cardigans. Colleges know it; why else have homecoming, family days, and campus visits in the fall? With autumn upon us, College Consensus is ranking the 30 Most Beautiful College Campuses in the Fall, pointing readers to the campuses that love their trees, and love them even more when they show their true (fall) colors.

College Consensus has identified schools that have earned a national reputation for the beauty of their campus, as well as being located in an area known for impressive autumn foliage, and ranked them by their College Consensus score, which combines published academic rankings and real student reviews. The full top 30 (in alphabetical order) are:

Appalachian State University - Boone, NC

Berea College - Berea, KY

Berry College - Mount Berry, GA

Bryant University - Smithfield, RI

Champlain College - Burlington, VT

Colgate University - Hamilton, NY

College of William and Mary - Williamsburg, VA

College of the Holy Cross - Worcester, MA

Dartmouth College - Dartmouth, MA

Drew University - Madison, NJ

Eastern Mennonite University - Harrisonburg, VA

Indiana University - Bloomington, IN

LIU Post - New York, NY

Lafayette College - Easton, PA

Lehigh University - Bethlehem, PA

Lewis & Clark College - Portland, OR

Michigan State University - East Lansing, MI

Middlebury College - Middlebury, VT

Mount Holyoke College - South Hadley, MA

Ohio Northern University - Ada, OH

SUNY ESF - Syracuse, NY

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota - Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

Sewanee: The University of the South - Sewanee, TN

St. Lawrence University - Canton, NY

St. Michael's College - Colchester, VT

St. Olaf College - Northfield, MN

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - Chattanooga, TN

Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem, NC

Wesleyan University - Middletown, CT

Williams College - Williamstown, MA

In the words of Managing Editor Carrie Sealey-Morris, "Fall is the most important time of year on a college campus." It is, after all, "the time that everyone  students old and new, professors and administrators  begin getting into the groove of the academic year." "It's also the time," Sealey-Morris writers, "that most colleges look their best, their most iconic." As Sealey-Morris explains, "There's one thing above all that makes for a beautiful fall campus  beautiful fall foliage: for many people nothing is quite as beautiful as a forest of red, yellow, and orange as the days get shorter and cooler."

The Most Beautiful College Campuses in Fall, Sealey-Morris admits: "Beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder, so we don't pretend this is an objective ranking, but every college on the Most Beautiful College Campuses ranking has earned its place." Peak fall foliage dates were calculated using an interactive online map; as Sealey-Morris warns, "predicting when the leaves will change is not an exact science, so don't blame College Consensus if you miss it."

College Consensus is a new approach to college rankings. We combine the latest results from the most respected college ranking systems with thousands of real student reviews. Learn more about the College Consensus rankings methodology at https://www.collegeconsensus.com/about/.

Media Contact:

Carrie Sealey-Morris

Managing Editor, College Consensus

[email protected]

(512) 710-9901

http://www.collegeconsensus.com/

https://www.facebook.com/collegeconsensus/

TW: @CollegeConsens

IG: @CollegeConsensus

SOURCE College Consensus

Related Links

http://www.collegeconsensus.com


SAN DIEGO, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB) today announced that its Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) executives will be meeting with U.S. Representative Scott Peters (D-CA) and U.K. Minister for Investment Graham Stuart to celebrate and further enhance collaboration and economic growth for San Diego and the U.K.

"It has been a whirlwind year for Cubic with significant wins in New York, Boston, Brisbane, Sydney and most recently the San Francisco Bay Area  all direct results of the San Diego and U.K. cooperation," said Matt Cole, president of CTS. "Through our groundbreaking partnership with Transport for London (TfL), Cubic is able to adapt the technology of London's contactless ticketing system to other metropolitan cities worldwide. We hope to bring these innovations to our San Diego hometown."

Since the TfL technology partnership agreement in 2016, Cubic has been awarded major contracts to deliver next-generation fare payment systems for Miami, New York, Boston, Brisbane and the Bay Area. In addition, Cubic also won a contract to provide Sydney with the world's most advanced transport management system based on Cubic's Transport Management Platform which was developed in the U.K.

"Last year, we announced a contract extension between Cubic and TfL during a trade mission to the U.K. I led with the World Trade Center in San Diego  solidifying our partnership in the Smart Cities revolution. Since then, Cubic secured new contracts in metro areas across the U.S. and internationally, creating jobs and strengthening both our regional economies," said Congressman Peters. "Our collaboration will continue to foster innovation and I can't wait to see what this partnership creates next."

The New York, Boston, Brisbane, Sydney and Bay Area contracts total over $2 billion of work for Cubic and will create jobs in Cubic's Stockton-on-Tees and London offices in the U.K. as well as San Diego. In addition, Cubic is working with the City of San Diego to upgrade its San Diego headquarter facilities with a new campus to accommodate the company's growth. This facility upgrade project is anticipated for completion in 2021.

"Cubic is a prime example of how U.K. and U.S. partnerships lead to job growth and innovation in both countries. Through U.K.-created tech, Cubic has created approximately 150 new jobs right here in San Diego as well as a further 250 at home in the U.K," said Minister Stuart. "Ticketless payment technology from Cubic is helping travelers in the world's greatest cities move more quickly and smoothly and my international economic department will continue to support transatlantic business collaboration like this to deliver local jobs and global benefits."

About Cubic Corporation

Cubic is a market-leading, technology provider of integrated solutions that increase situational understanding for transportation, defense C4ISR and training customers worldwide to decrease urban congestion and improve the militaries' effectiveness and operational readiness. Cubic Global Defense Systems is a leading provider of live, virtual, constructive and game-based training solutions for the U.S. and allied forces. Cubic Transportation Systems is a leading integrator of payment and information technology and services to create intelligent travel solutions for transportation authorities and operators. Cubic Mission Solutions provides networked Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities for defense, intelligence, security and commercial missions. For more information about Cubic, please visit the company's website at www.cubic.com or on Twitter @CubicCorp.

SOURCE Cubic Corporation

Related Links

http://www.cubic.com


SEATTLE, Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc. (OTCQB: DPWW) the premium marijuana brand and management company, today announced a 20-to-1 reverse stock split. The reverse split will ensure that the company is compliant with the rules and regulations of the OTC Markets: see , Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 17, 2018. With the pending implementation of the reverse stock split, the company can fully execute its new, easily scalable business model, positioning DPWW for quick expansion into 29 additional states that have legalized some form of marijuana use. The reverse stock split is subject to approval of the Financial Industry Regulatory Agency ("FINRA").

"No doubt. The cannabis market has changed significantly since the inception of Diego Pellicer," said Ron Throgmartin, chief executive officer, Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc. "We've seen shifting trends in cultivation operations, retail stores and products. We know this sector and we continue to evolve our business model to dominate in a more competitive market. Diego Pellicer's licensed stores continue to experience sales growth in the country's most aggressive retail markets by leveraging management's extensive industry expertise and the premium Diego brand."

Next Level Business Model: Premium, Trusted Brand

The Diego Pellicer model has evolved from a lease-based, landlord business into a national premium branding, licensing and royalties model. A significant advantage of this model is the ability to rapidly expand to new markets, establishing upscale company stores and offering the finest-quality products. The new model also includes developing exclusive, branded cannabis products that will be available at company stores and beyond its branded retail locations.

Diego Pellicer Management Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc. that launched in August, provides turnkey operations including management expertise, personnel, technology, branding and marketing for any existing or future cannabis store in the United States. This ensures a consistent, luxury brand that customers can trust no matter their location.

Already, Diego Pellicer Management Company has proven successful. The Company negotiated additional rental income with its existing stores, increasing cash flow. This cash flow position reduces the need to borrow capital for operations making it possible for Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc. to focus on expanding the brand.

About Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc. (OTCQB: DPWW)

Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc. is the premium marijuana brand and management company. In addition to its branded locations in Colorado and Washington, the company actively seeks to develop and manage high-end, turnkey cannabis retail stores. When federally legal, DPWW is positioned to become a national, vertically integrated marijuana company. To learn more about how to become a branded Diego Pellicer retailer, cultivator or investor visit www.Diego-Pellicer.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements contained in this press release may be construed as "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). The words "estimate," "project," "intends," "expects," "anticipates," "believes" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management pursuant to the "safe-harbor" provisions of the Act. These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected on the basis of these statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company also undertakes no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

SOURCE Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.diego-pellicer.com


NAPLES, Florida, October 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Dr. Anke Stugk, an expert in financial management and general business, recently became part of the Sustainable Projects Group Inc. (SPGX) team and was named the leader of the firm's financial research team. SPGX, a multinational business development company positioned at the perfect intersection of growth and sustainability, is building up operations in the US and expanding their talented team.

Prior to joining the SPGX team, Dr. Stugk gained experience in teaching business and finance at Hodges University. During her time at Hodges University, she advanced to the role of Program Chair of Business Administration and gained experience in leadership. Her additional role was performing economic community research for public and private entities in the Collier County and Lee County areas.

CEO Stefan Muehlbauer stated, "As a growing team focused on value added investments, it is of key importance to select winning projects. Efficient and accurate due diligence are paramount to picking ventures which will succeed. Anke, with her background in financial research and economic forecasting, is the ideal person to expand and lead the SPGX financial research team to assure that our investment process is focused on high levels of returns while balancing our portfolio's risk profile."

Dr. Stugk gained experience working in hospitality, condominium management, and construction management prior to entering academia. She recently earned her Ph.D. Business Administration with specialization in Financial Management from Northcentral University, and has an MBA in Finance, BA in Business Administration and Economics all from Hodges University.

"I am thrilled to have joined SP Group and am excited to expand the company's research team going forward," Dr. Stugk remarked. "In-depth due diligence and investment research form the basis of sound venture and project development decisions. I am looking forward to being an integral part of the investment decision making process."

Dr. Stugk is a member of Golden Key International Honour Society, Delta Mu Delta, and Sigma Beta Delta. In 2011, she received the Research Collaborator of the Year award from The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, ballroom dancing, yoga, fitness, and playing backgammon.

About Sustainable Projects Group Inc.

SPGX as a member of SP Group is positioned to become a world-leading project incubation and development company through value-based investments and collaborative partnerships with global leaders across the sustainable and social-responsibility sectors.

SP Group has initiated its goals by pursuing investment and partnerships with some of the most diversified and integrated companies active in the market.

On behalf of Sustainable Projects Group Inc.

Stefan Muehlbauer

Chief Executive Officer

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains statements that plan for or anticipate the future, called "forward-looking statements." In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "expects," "plans," "intends," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential" or "continue" or the negative of those terms and other comparable terminology.

These forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this press release and include, but are not limited to, statements about: our market opportunity; revenue generation; our strategies; competition; expected activities and expenditures as we pursue our business plan; the adequacy of our available cash resources; our ability to acquire assets or projects on commercially viable terms; challenges to our title to our assets; operating or technical difficulties in connection with our development activities; currency fluctuations; and governmental regulations.

Many of these contingencies and uncertainties can affect our actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, us. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Specific reference is made to our most recent annual report on Form 10-KSB and other filings made by us with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for more detailed discussions of the contingencies and uncertainties enumerated above and the factors underlying the forward-looking statements. These reports and filings may be inspected and copied at the Public Reference Room maintained by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You can obtain information about operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov .

We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable laws.

This press release is for informational purposes only and is not and should not be construed as an offer to solicit, buy, or sell any security.

For further information, please contact us.

Sustainable Projects Group Inc.

225 Banyan Blvd, Suite 220

Naples, FL 34102

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +1-239-307-2925



SOURCE Sustainable Projects Group Inc
NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Equinox, the high performance lifestyle leader, today announced its further move into the lifestyle space with the unveiling of bespoke luxury travel experiences, featuring domestic and international multi-day journeys. The offering, which will launch in April 2019 with a summit-chasing adventure in Morocco, comes as Equinox expands its global brand beyond luxury fitness clubs and into hospitality with the opening of Equinox Hotels in Spring 2019.

A true expression of the brand's philosophy that "It's Not Fitness. It's Life," the new experiences promise travel to sublime destinations and undiscovered corners of the globe, all grounded with fitness and lifestyle programming that aligns with Equinox's holistic approach to high performance living.

"Equinox is already recognized globally for transforming the lives of our members with immersive experiences within the four walls of our clubs, so our move into travel is a naturaland almost inevitableextension of our unmatched lifestyle proposition," said Harvey Spevak, Executive Chairman, Managing Partner, Equinox. "Equinox single-handedly invented the concept of fitness-as-lifestyle nearly 30 years ago, and now we are expanding our purview to include active, covetable experiences that empower our discerning members to connect with the worldand themselves."

Conceived with its member community in mind, the Equinox travel experiences are intended for sophisticated travelers who want to explore destinations through the lens of transformational health and life maximization. Equinox will also offer completely custom trip concepts and urban retreats developed in close consultation with Equinox curators and based on an individual or group's unique fitness and lifestyle goals. Trips will vary from physically intense adventures such as an Ethiopian journey that traces the birth of elite running and jet-serviced Adirondacks high-alpine hiking, to regenerative and mindfulness excursions to exquisite locales such as India.

Each one-of-a-kind itinerary is being developed in conjunction with, and will be led by Equinox's top talent, grounding each adventure with unique touch points such as expertly harmonized meals, premium transportation, tailored fitness programming and bespoke service in an intimate environment. A sample multi-day itinerary may include exclusive access to a personalized training session with a champion athlete, an exploration of ultra-seasonal cooking with a foraging experience hosted by a renowned local chef, and a transformative mountaintop meditation at sunrise. Equinox Hotels will also offer a coordinated program of urban-based travel experiences, giving members and guests added opportunities for high performance activity while travelling for work or pleasure.

Equinox has enlisted Leah Howe, formerly of Toronto-based Butterfield & Robinson and New York's Van Wyck & Van Wyck to helm this effort. For nearly twenty years, Leah has brought to life off-the-beaten path experiences that embody the epitome of luxury for a who's who list of well-heeled travelers. Under Leah's leadership, the curated collection of innovative domestic and international travel experiences will be rooted in Equinox's mission and brand ethos and available to book in early 2019.

ABOUT EQUINOX

IT'S NOT FITNESS. IT'S LIFE: Founded in 1991, Equinox was built on the notion that fitness can empower a life well-lived and foster a strong community of high performance individuals. Nearly 30 years later, Equinox continues to lead and disrupt the category it singularly defined, operating 95 full-service clubs globally across major US cities including New York, LA, Miami and San Francisco as well as London, Toronto and Vancouver, each featuring bespoke design in an unparalleled luxury environment. Grounded in the core tenets of Movement, Nutrition and Regeneration and backed by a Health Advisory Board of industry-leading experts across these disciplines, the company offers a holistic approach to fitness, inclusive of Equinox signature group fitness classes, personal training, Pilates, spa services, apparel, experiential travel and food & beverage. In 2019, Equinox will unveil Equinox Hotels as a true culmination of its lifestyle brand promise, redefining the luxury hospitality experience to be a seamless extension of high-performance living. For more information, visit www.equinox.com .

Contact:

Alison Rappaport

[email protected]

SOURCE Equinox

Related Links

https://www.equinox.com


Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 4)  Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque hit the ani-corruption body chief over a statement that the pork barrel system still exists.

In a media briefing Thursday, Roque said Philippine Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) chief Greco Belgica should file cases against lawmakers if he believes the pork barrel still exists.

"All I know is that there's a decision against the pork barrel system and that if he says it persists, I hope he will file charges against individuals," he said.

PACC has slammed Congress for alleged strategic pork barrel insertions in the proposed 2019 budget. Pork barrel refers to projects a lawmaker can identify for implementing agencies to carry out. The Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in 2013.

In a separate event Thursday, Belgica said, "Mas matindi ngayon e dahil noon may item called PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund), ngayon ipinapasok na roon sa mga agencies tapos usapan na lang sila, wala nang paper trail."

[Translation: It's more intense now, because back then we had the PDAF, now they put it directly into the agencies and just discuss among themselves, there would be no paper trail.]

PACC names most corrupt gov't agencies

Meanwhile, the PACC named government agencies with the most corruption complaints.

These included Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Finance, Department of Foreign Affairs, and Department of Agriculture.

The PACC said it has filed cases against 25 officials and other people in government.

It added corruption in various agencies was systemic and happened in different ways.

CNN Philippines' Ina Andolong and Triciah Terada contributed to this report.
Crumbs From the Table of Joy: On the cusp of the civil rights movement, Ernestine and Ermina Crump have moved to New York with their father, Godfrey, who seeks guidance from a man called Father Divine. Through Nov. 18 at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St.; 773-338-2177 and www.raventheatre.com
LONDON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Europe's MNOs progressing on path to 5G Europe remains a global workhorse in the development of mobile technologies, services and applications.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5480320



Vendors within the region have been at the forefront of technological progress, and they remain so with the ongoing migration to 5G. The region includes some smaller countries by population, such as Luxembourg, Iceland and Malta, as well as well as some with substantial subscriber bases, including Germany, France, Russia and the UK. In general terms the region's wealth, supported by the high disposable income of a populace largely recovered from the effects of the GFC, has fostered a wide range of services which have in turn stimulated innovation and entrepreneurial activity.



The mobile sector has also been supported by pan-regional efforts to co-ordinate a migratory path from older technologies to 5G. The European Union has for some time been engaged in efforts to develop the European Digital Single Market, recently updated from 2020 to 2025. Associated with this is the 5G Action Plan, providing a roadmap for public and private investment in 5G and related infrastructure. Europe's MNOs are heavily engaged in this enterprise. In the process, some operators have developed plans to close down 2G and 3G services: BT in the UK aims to close its 3G network by 2022 as it transitions to 5G and makes more intense use of its 4G capabilities. Physical assets as well as spectrum concessions, which are currently used for these older technologies, are being repurposed by operators as they concentrate investment in 4G and 5G services.

While there are a large number of operators in the region, there are also a few pan-regional players, including Telefonica (O2), Orange Group, Telekom Deutschland (T-Mobile), Telenor and Telia Company. These operators are able to capitalise on scale as well as on applying the experiences gained in one market to benefit services in another. This increasingly applies to emerging technologies, including FttP, iterations of LTE, and 5G. As such, these operators are increasingly morphing from being providers of mobile voice and data services to being providers of a full range of converged services, incorporating mobile and fixed-line services as well as digital media.



With regards to 5G, some early commercial launches are expected by late 2019 while a more extensive availability of services is anticipated during 2020. Factors which will influence operators' decisions on timing the launch of 5G within European markets include the affordability and availability of 5G-compatible smartphones, and the availability of sufficient spectrum assigned for 5G. The 5G Action Plan is addressing this latter consideration through a co-ordinated response to the release and auction of 5G-suitable spectrum in the 3.4-3.8GHz range as well as the 26GHz 'pioneer' band, in addition to refarmed spectrum in the 700MHz band.



Companies mentioned in this report:

Bouygues, Cosmote, DNA, EE (BT), Elisa, Free, Hutchison (3), KPN, Lifecell (Asterlit), MDC, MegaFon, Meo, MTS, NOS, O2-CR, Orange, Polkomtel, Proximus, SFR, Sunrise, Swisscom, TDC, Tele 2, Telecom Italia, Telefonica (O2), Telekom Austria, Telekom Deutschland (T-mobile), Telekom Romania, Telenet (BASE), Telenor, Telia, VEON (Vimpelcom) (Beeline), Vivacom, Vodafone, Wind-Tre, Yoigo.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5480320



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

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Only one firm is selected from each country to sponsor the event.

According to ENX2 Legal Marketing CEO Nicole Farber, who will be attending the event on behalf of the USA, it is an event that she was not going to miss. "It's simply an extraordinary and unique opportunity for my company," said Farber. "My team strives to be the best at all times; recognition by Chambers and Partners gives confirmation that we are the business on the rise."

Since 2013, ENX2 Marketing has provided award-winning legal marketing to attorneys across the nation. From its humble beginnings to a state-of-the-art office at Yalick Plaza in Dallas, PA, ENX2's meteoric rise is nothing if not impressive. A recent W3 Award winner in the category of Law and Legal Services Websites, the agency has consulted with some of the most recognized law firms in the world Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP, Mayer Brown, and ZAG-S&W to name a few. Its team has provided customized marketing plans from solo practitioners to Big Law firms. It has been recognized for its work by the Davey Awards, Clutch, Silicon Review, EY and more.

Chambers and Partners have been ranking lawyers since 1990, covering 185 jurisdictions worldwide. According to an International In-House Counsel Journal survey, it is the number one directory used by attorneys worldwide to identify lawyers in specific practice areas.

"I am humbled and honored to be representing not only my company but my country at this event," Farber said. "This is an opportunity to be with some of the world's most elite law firms, lawyers, and partners and I am beyond thrilled to be a part of it. I am looking forward to what is coming next."

About ENX2 Marketing

A nationwide boutique digital marketing agency, ENX2 Legal Marketing specializes in everything digital. ENX2 has had much success in improving the online presence of some of the most elite law firms in the United States.

For more information, visit enx2marketing.com or email [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Media Contact: Wendy Lindars, ENX2 Marketing, (570) 417-9305, [email protected]

SOURCE ENX2 Marketing
BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Front Range Biosciences, a leading agricultural biotech company specializing in tissue culture propagation of high value crops, today announced that it has completed a $10 million Series A round of financing with participation from Phyto Partners, WelCan Capital, Salveo Capital, Cornerstone Opportunity Partners, Sand Hill Angels, Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of New York, New York Angels, Altitude Investment Management, and other new and returning investors. This marks the largest fundraising by a U.S. cannabis biotech company to date.

"This financing will help us accelerate our Clean Stock program in Colorado, California, and Canada, in addition to aggressively pursuing IP development and resourcing our varietal development program for hemp and cannabis," said Dr. Jonathan Vaught, CEO and co-founder of FRB. "As cannabis and hemp legalization spreads throughout the United States and internationally, there is an increase in demand for clean, quality crops -- this capital will also enable us to expand our capacity to meet a small portion of that demand. We appreciate the support from our early investors and are pleased to welcome new investors to the family as we execute on our mission to provide growers with a wide variety of disease-free and true-to-type plant stock."

"We are excited to participate in follow on funding for FRB," said Larry Schnurmacher, Managing Director of Phyto Partners. "The management team has been successfully executing on almost every KPI put forth in our initial due diligence and their business plan. FRB is experiencing incredible growth in a short amount of time and is poised to take an even bigger step forward as the cannabis supply chain continues to mature."

While traditional cultivation practices served the industry well in its infancy, they are unable to support the maturing cannabis industry and meet growing demand. Producers are looking to adopt scientific and modern agricultural practices that promote a robust supply chain. FRB's Clean Stock program leverages tissue culture, the sterile propagation of baby plants through duplication on a nutrient culture medium of known composition, to solve operational problems such as disease, inefficiency, inconsistency and scale.

"FRB has a proven track record of developing a unique platform to improve yield and quality within crops, particularly in the emerging hemp and marijuana space," said Michael Gruber, Managing Partner at Salveo Capital. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to invest in and partner with an innovative and disruptive company that we believe has tremendous growth potential. We look forward to working collaboratively with the entire FRB team to help promote significant value creation in the business."

"We are impressed with FRB's ability to scale their business and solve a key problem in the industry. This latest round of funding demonstrates their capacity to attract capital from institutionally trained and sophisticated investors," said Vikas Desai, partner at WelCan Capital. "FRB is a prime example of a cannabis company with a deep, experienced management team and a true institutional caliber operation, with many similarities to a traditional biotech company."

In addition to hemp and cannabis, FRB also provides Clean Stock for other high-value crops including coffee. In March, the company partnered with Frinj Coffee to supply Clean Stock coffee rooting cuttings to farmers across Central and Southern California. In June, the company expanded its cannabis Clean Stock production into California through a partnership with Faith and Family Farms, a 100% family-owned cannabis cultivation facility located in the Salinas Valley. FRB is now taking orders for late 2018 production.

For more information on Front Range Biosciences, please visit http://www.frontrangebio.com

About Front Range Biosciences

FRB is an agricultural biotech company that specializes in tissue culture propagation of high value crops at industrial scale to improve consistency and efficiency for clone production. FRB also has an advanced breeding program for identifying and improving commercially relevant traits. FRB is located in Lafayette, Colorado.

Contact Information

Media:

Carrie Booze

North 6th Agency

212-334-9753 ext.142

[email protected]

SOURCE Front Range Biosciences

Related Links

http://www.frontrangebio.com


VANCOUVER, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - GATLING EXPLORATION INC. ("Gatling") is pleased to report that it is has received conditional approval of the listing of its common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSX-V"). In connection the listing, Gatling has filed on www.sedar.com its TSX-V listing application and a technical report regarding the Larder Lake Property. Gatling expects to commence trading on the TSX-V under the symbol 'GTR' next week. Gatling will provide an update once the listing date has been confirmed by the TSX-V.

The listing of Gatling follows the closing on September 24, 2018, of a plan of arrangement (the "Arrangement") between Bonterra Minerals Inc. (TSX-V: BTR) ("Bonterra") and Metanor Resources Inc. Immediately prior to completion of the Arrangement, all Bonterra shareholders of record on September 21, 2018, received, for each Bonterra share held as of the record date, one-seventh of one common share of Gatling (an "Gatling Share") resulting in a total of 33,426,512 Gatling Shares being issued. Gatling has received the transfer of certain Bonterra's assets, including the Larder Lake Property and approximately $7,000,000 in cash. Bonterra's obligations related to the Larder Lake Property have now been assigned to and assumed by Gatling.

The directors and officers of Gatling are: R. Dale Ginn, director, President and CEO; Navjit Dhaliwal, director and Executive Chairman; Richard Boulay, director; Leigh Hughes, director; Carrie Cesarone, director; P. Joseph Meagher, CFO and Corporate Secretary. The Gatling management team will use its broad base of exploration experience to focus exploration efforts on the Larder Lake Property.

The Larder Lake Property comprises of patented and unpatented claims, leases and mining licenses of occupation within the McVittie and McGarry Townships area in northern Ontario, with a total area of 2,095.56 ha. All claims are now beneficially owned 100% by Gatling. The Larder Lake Property hosts the Bear Lake, Cheminis, Fernland and Swansea gold deposits that extend along 10 km of the Cadillac-Larder break between Kirkland Lake and Virginiatown. The land package sits along the prolific Cadillac/Larder Break, located 7 km west of the Kerr Addison Mine, which produced 11 million ounces of gold.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF GATLING EXPLORATION INC.

Dale Ginn, President and CEO

Gatling Exploration Inc.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS of BONTERRA RESOURCES INC.

Nav Dhaliwal, President and CEO

Bonterra Resources Inc.

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.

Forward Looking Statements: Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, which are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainness and other factors that may cause the actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results may vary, and we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

SOURCE Bonterra Resources Inc.
NEWARK, Del., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. ("Gore"), a global materials science company, plans to commercially launch the GORE ImproJect Plunger for Pre-Filled Syringes at the 2018 PDA's Universe of Pre-Filled Syringe and Injection Device meeting in Orlando, FL on October 8th. Gore will be in Booth 313 at the event, to be held at the Loews Royal Pacific.

Conventional pre-filled syringe systems use silicone to help provide a seal and to act as a lubricant between the barrel and the plunger. However, there can be problems associated with silicone impacting broader drug stability for some highly complex sensitive biologics. Silicone oil has been shown to cause aggregation and particle formation in therapeutic proteins.1, 2 In addition, silicone migration can impact consistency of delivery as break-loose-glide forces change over time, which may impact injection performance and affect patient comfort.

By eliminating the need for silicone from the barrel and the plunger, the GORE ImproJect Plunger may enable today's more challenging sensitive biologics to be administered in a pre-filled syringe, a practice that may not have been an option with traditional siliconized pre-filled syringe systems.

"Our approach eliminates the need for silicone in both plunger and glass barrel, while ensuring the functionality and performance of pre-filled syringes," said Christiane Gumera, Product Specialist, Gore PharmBIO Products. "We look forward to discussing this technology with our colleagues at the PDA conference on October 8 and speaking more about the potential benefits it holds for our pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical customers."

About Gore PharmBIO Products

Our technologies, capabilities, and competencies in fluoropolymer science are focused on satisfying the evolving product, regulatory, and quality needs of pharmaceutical and bioprocessing customers, and medical device manufacturers. The GORE ImproJect Plunger, like all products in the Gore PharmBIO Products' portfolio, is manufactured in a manner that adheres to relevant current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) as defined in the stringent Gore PharmBIO Products' quality system which is certified to ISO 13485 and ISO 15378.

About Gore

W. L. Gore & Associates is a global materials science company dedicated to transforming industries and improving lives. Founded in 1958, Gore has built a reputation for solving complex technical challenges in the most demanding environments  from revolutionizing the outerwear industry with GORE-TEX fabric to creating medical devices that improve and save lives to enabling new levels of performance in the aerospace, pharmaceutical and mobile electronics markets, among other industries. The company is also known for its strong, team-oriented culture and global recognition from the Great Place to Work Institute. Headquartered in Newark, Del., Gore employs 9,500 Associates and generates annual revenues of $3.5 billion. www.gore.com

References

1 Basu P, Blake-Haskins AW, O'Berry KB, Randolph TW, Carpenter JF. Albinter-feron a2b adsorption to silicone oil-water interfaces: effects on protein conformation, aggregation, and subvisible particle formation. J Pharm Sci. 2014;103(2):427-436.

2 Gerhardt A, Bonam K, Bee JS, Carpenter JF, Randolph TW. Ionic strength affects tertiary structure and aggregation propensity of a monoclonal antibody adsorbed to silicone oil-water interfaces. J Pharm Sci. 2013;102(2):429-440.

Gore Contact: Liz Guiney, Marketing Communications, Gore, [email protected]

Media Contact: Susan Stipa, McDay, [email protected]

SOURCE Gore

Related Links

http://www.gore.com


The da Vinci SP technology's revolutionary design enables single port surgery, narrow access surgery, triangulation and 360-degree rotation. Surgeons only need to make a one-inch incision utilizing da Vinci SP, which may cause less stress, shorten recovery time and improve cosmesis. Currently, the robotic system is U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved to perform minimally invasive surgery in urologic procedures, including prostate cancer, kidney cancer and advanced urinary tract reconstruction surgery.

"Hackensack Meridian Health is committed to pushing the boundaries of medicine to reach new heights of research and innovation," said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, co-CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health. "It is no surprise that Hackensack University Medical Center, which is a center for excellence in advanced robotic surgery, is among the first hospitals in the world to acquire the groundbreaking da Vinci SP technology. We look forward to utilizing this revolutionary technology to deliver the health care of tomorrow, today."

This pioneering technology will enable Hackensack University Medical Center's renowned urologic robotics program to perform the most complex surgeries through a one-inch incision. The medical center will acquire the technology in November and train a select group of advanced urologic surgeons and staff. Hackensack University Medical Center surgeons anticipate performing their first surgery with da Vinci SP prior to the end of the year.

"Hackensack University Medical Center is the first in New Jersey and among the first hospitals in the world to acquire the da Vinci single port robotic system," said Ihor S. Sawczuk, M.D., FACS, north region president, Hackensack Meridian Health. "Hackensack University Medical Center is a world leader in robotic surgery, and we look forward to utilizing this innovative technology to improve patient outcomes."

"Hackensack University Medical Center's urologic robotics program is the top program in New Jersey, has the highest volume of procedures in the state and top three in the New York Metro area," said Mark D. Sparta, FACHE, president of Hackensack University Medical Center. "Since 2002, Hackensack University Medical Center has established a center for excellence in robotic urological surgery."

"This acquisition places Hackensack University Medical Center's urology program on the world stage," said Michael Stifelman, M.D., chair of urology and director of robotic surgery, Hackensack University Medical Center. "Hackensack University Medical Center is focused on bringing the most advanced technology and the most experienced surgeons together to constantly improve patient outcomes. The da Vinci SP technology is transformative as it enables our surgeons to perform the most complex surgeries in the hardest to reach places, using just one small incision."

The da Vinci SP is the fourth-generation da Vinci surgical device. The FDA approved da Vinci SP for urologic procedures in June 2018. It is anticipated that within the next year, the FDA will decide on the approval of the da Vinci SP for additional procedures, such as ear, nose and throat (ENT) and colorectal surgery.

For additional information about Hackensack University Medical Center's urology robotics department, visit https://www.hackensackumc.org/services/urology/our-services/robotic-surgery/.

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH

Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care.

Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 16 hospitals from Bergen to Ocean counties, which includes three academic medical centers  Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, JFK Medical Center in Edison; two children's hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in Neptune; nine community hospitals - Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood; and two rehabilitation hospitals - JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Shore Rehabilitation Institute in Brick.

Additionally, the network has more than 450 patient care locations throughout the state which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers and physician practice locations. Hackensack Meridian Health has 33,000 team members, and 6,500 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The network's notable distinctions include having one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, four hospitals among the top 10 in New Jersey by U.S. News and World Report. Other honors include consistently achieving Magnet recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For," one of the "20 Best Workplaces in Health Care" in the nation, and the number one "Best Place to Work for Women." The network was also named to Becker's Healthcare's "150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare/2018" list.

Hackensack Meridian Health partnered with Seton Hall University to launch the first private medical school in New Jersey  Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University - in more than 50 years to address a growing shortage of physicians and dramatic changes in health care delivery. Additionally, the network partnered with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer to find more cures for cancer faster while ensuring that patients have access to the highest quality, most individualized cancer care when and where they need it. Hackensack Meridian Health and Carrier Clinic, New Jersey's oldest and most respected behavioral health provider, signed a definitive agreement to merge.

Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.

For additional information, please visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.org.

SOURCE Hackensack Meridian Health

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The Great American High School report , authored by Civic Enterprises and the Everyone Graduates Center at the Johns Hopkins University, was released today in partnership with America's Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education, the four leading organizations of the GradNation campaign working to increase the national on-time graduation rate to 90 percent.

"In spite of a decade's worth of progress in reducing the number of low-performing high schools, we continue to live in two educational nations where a student's chance at graduating high school varies wildly based on the school they attend," said John Bridgeland, president & CEO, Civic Enterprises. "Most students attend schools where the average graduation rate has already reached the national goal of 90 percent and dropping out is rare. In the remaining schools, however, on-time graduation for students is only a 50-50 proposition."

The research, which analyzes five national data sources from graduation rate data to Census data, identifies the progress made and remaining challenges in enabling all students to graduate from high school ready for college or career; documents the scale, scope, and location of the remaining low-performing high schools; shares the challenges these schools face; details what we know about effective and evidence-based high school reform; and lays out a path forward for supporting high school redesign in the communities and school districts that have not continuously improved.

Low-Performing High Schools Across the Nation. Great progress has been made in turning around low-performing high schools over the past decade, but to finish the job efforts must rise to serve students facing the greatest challenge.

A relatively small number of schools1,329 in totalhave a low-graduation-rate (below 67 percent) or weak promoting power , which compares the number of seniors in a high school to the number of freshmen four years earlier, and continues to drive much of the opportunity gap for low-income students and students of color. This number represents only 10 percent of all traditional high schools enrolling 300 or more studentsillustrating how targeted the problem remains.



(below 67 percent) , which compares the number of seniors in a high school to the number of freshmen four years earlier, for low-income students and students of color. This number represents only 10 percent of all traditional high schools enrolling 300 or more studentsillustrating how targeted the problem remains. There are 800 high schools educating 50 percent of the nation's African American and Hispanic students who are still off-track to graduate.



who are still off-track to graduate. The remaining low-graduation-rate and weak promoting power high schools are concentrated in districts with some of the highest rates of children living in poverty, as well as neighborhoods facing the double burden of being low-income and living in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty.



as well as neighborhoods facing the double burden of being low-income and living in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty. Half of these high schools educate essentially only students of color (90 percent minority). Three-fourths of these high schools are majority minority. Only a quarter of the low-graduation-rate and weak promoting power high schools are majority white.



Three-fourths of these high schools are majority minority. Only a quarter of the low-graduation-rate and weak promoting power high schools are majority white. Among the remaining low-graduation-rate and weak promoting power high schools, most are district-operated (76 percent), but nearly a quarter are charters (24 percent).



The remaining low-graduation-rate and weak promoting power high schools are concentrated in a subset of 18 states: Arizona , California , Colorado , Florida , Georgia , Illinois , Indiana , Maryland , Massachusetts , Michigan , Mississippi , Nevada , New Mexico , New York , Ohio , Oregon , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin .

In most cases, the challenges these high schools encounter are not confined within the walls of the school but are shaped and heightened by the challenges faced by the school district and community in which they are located. Overall, data show that the identified low-performing high schools are tasked with educating high concentrations of the most at need and struggling high school students in the nation.

Five Archetypes and Similarities. To illuminate the intersection of school and community needs, the report describes five archetypes of the 1,300 low-graduation-rate high schools: a large urban fringe high school with a heavily Hispanic student body; an iconic big city neighborhood school; a rural high school educating an increasing number of poor, white students; the only high school in an economically distressed rust belt city; and an impoverished Southern school with an entirely Black student body.

While these archetypes emphasize the importance of local context in designing solutions, they also share similarities: intense concentrations of student need; limits on their organic capacity to respond to that need and bring additional resources into their schools, in part because the district, community, and school are all struggling to meet high levels of student need; attempted reform without sustained success, notwithstanding external pressure to improve; and proud histories.

"The nation's remaining low-performing high schools have not been swept up in the first waves of reform. They often have proud histories and are located in communities with economic challenges," said Bob Balfanz, director, Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University School of Education. "As states begin to act on their ESSA plans, the time is now to organize support for the neighborhoods and communities most in need, and to redesign their high schools to become engines of community development, growth, and cohesion in the 21st century."

"Improving the remaining low-performing high schools in the United States should be an urgent priority for communities, states and the nation," said former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "With 50 percent of off-track African-American and Latino students found in just 800 schools, we have an opportunity to focus like a laser on achieving educational equity."

Policy and Practice Recommendations. As a result of ESSA, all states must identify these low-performing schools very soon, which presents an opportunity for stakeholders to better support them. The report presents a path forward through high school redesign that includes (but not limited to): tightly aligning redesign efforts with state ESSA plans for low-performing high schools; getting the needs assessment right; gathering authentic community input; building and pairing school networks with technical assistance providers to develop capacity and spread know-how; and using a common set of on-track indicators for tracking results.

"The nation has made good progress in reducing the number of low-performing high schools over the last decade. This report shows us just how close we are to the finish line," added John Gomperts, president & CEO, America's Promise Alliance. "Research and practice has helped us to identify what works. With the right resources, support and relationships in place, more schools, together with their communities, can make more progress to help more young people reach their full potential. Let's get the job done."

Authors. The Great American High School report is co-authored by Robert Balfanz at the Everyone Graduates Center at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education and Jennifer DePaoli, John Bridgeland and Matthew Atwell of Civic Enterprises.

Full report. To read the full report, access state-by-state data and other resources, visit: http://gradnation.americaspromise.org/resource/great-american-high-school.

Civic Enterprises is a public policy and strategy firm that helps corporations, nonprofits, foundations, universities, and governments develop and spearhead innovative public policies to strengthen our communities and country. Created to enlist the private, public, and nonprofit sectors to help address our nation's toughest problems, Civic Enterprises fashions new initiatives and strategies that achieve measurable results in the fields of education, civic engagement, economic mobility, and many other domestic policy issues. www.civicllc.net.

The Everyone Graduates Center at the Center for Social Organization of Schools at the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University seeks to identify the barriers to high school graduation, develop strategic solutions to overcoming these barriers, and build local capacity to implement and sustain the solutions so that all students graduate prepared for adult success. www.every1graduates.org

America's Promise Alliance leads the nation's largest network dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth. As its signature effort, the GradNation campaign mobilizes Americans to increase the on-time high school graduation rate to 90 percent and prepare young people for postsecondary enrollment and the 21st century workforce. www.AmericasPromise.org

The Alliance for Excellent Education is a Washington, DC-based national policy and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that all students, particularly those who are traditionally underserved, graduate from high school ready for success in college, work, and citizenship. www.all4ed.org

MEDIA CONTACT:

Ellie Manspile, [email protected], (202)898-0310

Daria Hall, [email protected], (202) 657-0621

SOURCE GradNation

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MOLINE, Ill., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- John Deere has again earned a spot among the world's most valuable brands in an annual ranking completed by Interbrand, a leading brand consulting firm. John Deere is ranked 88th in the Best Global Brands research announced today, moving up 4 spots from a year ago. Interbrand estimates the John Deere brand to now be worth approximately $5.4 billion.

"A decade after the global financial crisis, the brands that are growing fastest are those that intuitively understand their customers and make brave iconic moves that delight and deliver in new ways," said Charles Trevail, Global Chief Executive Officer of Interbrand.

Interbrand said its brand valuation is based on three key areas - financial performance of the brand; the brand's influence on purchase decisions; and the brand's strength to create loyalty and sustainable customer demand.

"This recognition emphasizes the success of our 70,000 employees worldwide who work each day to deliver on the company's core values of integrity, quality, commitment and innovation," said Samuel R. Allen, Deere & Company Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

John Deere has been included in the Best Global Brand ranking since 2011 when Interbrand estimated the value of the John Deere brand to be $3.65 billion. The Interbrand methodology was the first of its kind to be certified by International Organization for Standardization requirements for monetary brand valuation.

Deere & Company (www.JohnDeere.com) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services for customers whose work is linked to the land - those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world's dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure.

SOURCE Deere & Company

Related Links

http://www.deere.com


ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- National law firm LeClairRyan is offering a webinar on Tues., Oct. 16, to help pipeline companies, as well as drone inspection contractors that serve them, limit the potentially massive liability that can accrue in the wake of a terrorist attack.

Morgan W. Campbell Mark McKinnon

"As pipeline operators are aware, the terrorist risk they face is broader than the risks faced by other industries," said Morgan W. Campbell, a partner in LeClairRyan's Alexandria office who represents federally-regulated transportation companies in litigation, NTSB investigations and other emergency response matters. "The purpose of our webinar is to explain the details of how pipeline companies can obtain liability-limited certification from the Department of Homeland Security via the 2002 SAFETY Act. It's an important component of comprehensive risk management."

The Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies ("SAFETY") Act of 2002 was designed to protect the gamut of businesses that could be potential assets in the fight against terrorism. As Mark McKinnon, a 27-year veteran of aviation law and an Alexandria-based partner in LeClairRyan explains, Congress was concerned that, faced with such a high level of liability risk, U.S. businesses would jettison plans for innovative products and services. "People tend to think it's all about aviation and technology, but in fact, the protections in the SAFETY Act are available to more mundane systems and processes, and to a wide variety of industries," the attorney said.

"Depending on the level of SAFETY Act coverage, a company can be immune from suit, set a cap on damages and be guaranteed the ability to get out of an unfriendly state court," McKinnon explained.

Campbell noted that pipelines can leverage their existing systems to obtain SAFETY Act protection and avoid potentially ruinous monetary judgments. "In particular, companies with procedures in place to minimize the risk of intentional damage to critical infrastructure, similar to those recommended in TSA's Pipeline Security Guidelines, are in a position to benefit," he added.

Conducted by Campbell and McKinnon from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern time, the Oct. 16 webinar will explain in detail what the SAFETY Act is and how it can help pipeline companies.

Topics will include:

the benefits of the SAFETY Act;

a step-by-step look at the SAFETY Act certification process;

what DHS looks for in applications;

common mistakes in seeking certification and how to avoid them; and

the different levels of SAFETY Act protection

The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions and shape the discussion. "The little-known SAFETY Act is an invaluable tool for protecting every entity that is responsible for protecting the public," McKinnon said. "Those in the pipeline industry who aren't aware of it stand to benefit by learning more."

To attend the webinar and/or RSVP, click here. Event Number: 667 819 759 | Event Password: 1016Pipeline | For more information, email [email protected].

About LeClairRyan

As a trusted advisor, LeClairRyan provides business counsel and client representation in corporate law and litigation. In this role, the firm applies its knowledge, insight and skill to help clients achieve their business objectives while managing and minimizing their legal risks, difficulties and expenses. With offices from coast to coast, the firm represents a wide variety of clients nationwide. For more information about LeClairRyan, visit www.leclairryan.com.

About the Energy Drone Coalition

The Energy Drone Coalition (EDC) is dedicated to launching, growing and scaling enterprise UAV operations in energy companies worldwide. It is the largest community in the world where key challenges & solutions are discussed for how all segments of the energy industry are currently operating UAVs successfully  Oil & Gas, Power, Maritime, Wind/Solar, Chemical, Nuclear, Refining, Petrochemical, Energy Engineering & Construction and more. Through year-round digital resources and annual live Summits in Houston, TX, EDC connects major segments of the UAV ecosystem with the energy industrial complex asset owners and end users.

energydronecoalition.com

Media Contact:

Bill Parness

(732) 290-0121,

[email protected]

Lisa Kreda

[email protected]

SOURCE LeClairRyan

Related Links

http://www.leclairryan.com


Paul: Some of that can become intimidating in itself and challenging to say, "OK, now we have pressure on ourselves, we have to try to keep up the good work." And we will and we won't. I'm sure we'll work on some things that are successful and we'll work on some things that aren't. That's how probability tends to work, so we accept that.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has launched a pilot program to evaluate how Earth science data from commercial small-satellite constellations could supplement observations from the agency's fleet of orbiting Earth science missions. On Sept. 28, the agency awarded sole-source contracts to acquire test data sets from three private sector organizations.

NASA's Earth Science Division in Washington issued blanket purchase agreements for the "Private Sector Small Constellation Satellite Data Product Pilot" program. Under these agreements, the agency purchases data sets and related products based on observations derived from Earth-orbiting, small-satellite constellations designed and operated by non-governmental entities.

"This pilot program is an innovative and efficient way for us to acquire, examine, and evaluate a wide range of private sector Earth observation data," said Michael Freilich, director of NASA's Earth Science Division. "As our very capable NASA research satellite fleet ages and more small satellites are launched by private industry, there are opportunities to leverage the strengths of each into even more complete climate data sets."

NASA will provide the test data products to NASA-funded researchers, who will examine whether the data help advance the agency's science and applications development goals. The pilot program is designed to determine whether these private sector observations and associated products offer a cost-effective means to augment or complement the suite of Earth observations acquired directly by NASA, other U.S. government agencies, and international partners.

The contracts were awarded to:

DigitalGlobe , a Maxar Technologies company headquartered in Westminster, Colorado , has five very high-resolution Earth imaging satellites (GeoEye-1, WorldView-1, WorldView-2, WorldView-3, WorldView-4) capable of collecting 30-centimeter resolution imagery.





, a Maxar Technologies company headquartered in , has five very high-resolution Earth imaging satellites (GeoEye-1, WorldView-1, WorldView-2, WorldView-3, WorldView-4) capable of collecting 30-centimeter resolution imagery. Planet , headquartered in San Francisco , has three satellite constellations (SkySat, Dove, RapidEye) with more than 150 satellites supplying imagery and derived products over the entire Earth at medium and high resolution with high repeat frequencies.





headquartered in , has three satellite constellations (SkySat, Dove, RapidEye) with more than 150 satellites supplying imagery and derived products over the entire Earth at medium and high resolution with high repeat frequencies. SPIRE, headquartered in San Francisco , operates a constellation of over 60 satellites collecting radio occultation soundings, aircraft location information and ship reports. GPS radio occultation measurements can be used to sound the atmosphere for temperature, water vapor, and atmospheric pressure.

These contracts represent the first time that NASA has engaged with commercial small-satellite constellation operators to purchase their data for scientific evaluation. They establish a way for NASA to acquire and examine the data products during the next 12 months. Each contract includes an option for NASA to extend the agreement for an additional four years, for a total value of up to $7 million for each of the three agreements.

To be considered for participation in this pilot program, companies had to demonstrate they were currently operating a small satellite constellation of no fewer than three satellites in non-geostationary orbit and producing consistent global coverage. Companies also were asked to supply a comprehensive catalog of their data, describing areal coverage, data latency, pricing, and other factors.

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

Related Links

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NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ABS Partners Real Estate, a leading New York City-based real estate firm, today announced that real estate industry icons, Peter Hauspurg and Daun Paris, who together built Eastern Consolidated into an industry powerhouse, have joined the firm. Peter Takiff, the longtime CFO of Eastern, who played a key role in the firm's development, will also join the ABS acquisition team. Mr. Hauspurg will join as a Co-Managing Partner; Ms. Paris and Mr. Takiff also join as senior members of the firm. In this capacity, the executives will focus on building the acquisition pipeline and expanding new partnership relationships for ABS Partners, which boasts an investment portfolio of over 96 properties totaling 13.25 million square feet of space in 10 states. The announcement was made by Gregg Schenker, President and Co-Managing Partner, ABS Partners Real Estate.

"This new chapter in the esteemed careers of Peter, Daun and Peter holds tremendous promise for the growth and success of the ABS Partners investment platform and our ability to source equity investments that meet the appetites and investment goals of our many long-time partners," Mr. Schenker said. "We also hope to be a resource for their relationships, creating opportunity for new equity partners who value our vertically integrated platform for value creation."

Adds ABS Partners Chairman Earle Altman, "I've known Peter for decades and have long considered him to be the very highest caliber of professional in our industry. I am very proud to have him join our partnership."

The three executives will work with co-managing partners Peter Burack and Steven Hornstock and partners Jason Fein and Randy Modell in the ABS Partners equity investment platform, which organizes opportunities for the firm and its clients to participate in the ownership of real estate. Additional support will be provided by Alex Kaskel and Alex Warner.

The ABS Partners portfolio is currently comprised of 84 distinct investments totaling 96 properties in 10 states  with the majority of assets (52 out of 96 properties) in Manhattan  and include the full spectrum of office multifamily, industrial, retail, lodging and parking asset classes. The company has more than 200 different partners with which it invests, in various forms.

Mr. Hauspurg, formerly chairman and CEO of Eastern Consolidated, said, "We know ABS Partners is made up of sophisticated, knowledgeable, accomplished investors who are able to move with speed and precision in order to secure exciting investment opportunities and assemble the right structures and partnerships to bring great deals to closing. We look forward to connecting our new partners with great opportunities, and also introducing the opportunities to our long-time clients who want to have the chance to participate in commercial real estate investment at such a high level."

Mr. Hauspurg and Mr. Takiff will join the ABS Partners team in its Manhattan headquarters, focused on sourcing and structuring unique investment opportunities. Ms. Paris, most recently president of Eastern Consolidated, will co-invest in equity opportunities, and will focus her professional time in the management of a portfolio of properties in which she is a managing principal.

ABS Partners' Mr. Schenker said the team will be valuable in bringing exciting transactions and partners to the firm's growing portfolio. The firm has experienced tremendous growth in the portfolio, adding more than 20 properties in the region over the last 10 years.

Recent ABS Partners acquisitions include a 50-percent interest a portfolio of six research and development properties in Princeton, N.J. The investment includes a 31-acre parcel of land, zoned as of right for another 350,000 buildable square feet. The portfolio and land cement ABS Partners' ability to serve the growing life sciences sector in the premiere corridor within the Princeton market. Another recent transaction, the acquisition of 5500 Broadway in the Bronx earlier this year, is a good fit for ABS Partners' ability to operate, manage, market and lease space throughout New York. Similarly, ABS Partners' purchase of 145 East 57th Street is poised for success with the firm's talent at construction management and leasing. ABS Partners has completed the high-end redevelopment of individual floors, pre-built suites and common areas and has undertaken a comprehensive leasing and marketing campaign to attract new tenants.

"We've spent decades building a vertically integrated real estate company, able to tackle every aspect of an investment and every stage of the life cycle of an asset," Mr. Schenker said. "We're uniquely positioned to participate in a wide range of opportunities  and to execute in every type of deal structure, role, challenge and plan. We are excited to bring our finely tuned investment and asset management machine to the new acquisition targets in Peter's line of sight."

About ABS Partners Real Estate

ABS Partners Real Estate is a leading New York City based real estate firm dedicated to building lasting real estate and professional partnerships. Our team maintains a focus in two areas: providing services which add value in leasing, investment sales, property management, construction management and advisory; and organizing opportunities for our firm and clients to participate in the ownership of real estate.

Media Contact:

Great Ink Communications

212-741-2977

Roxanne Donovan [email protected]

Alyson Leiter [email protected]

Sara Williams [email protected]

SOURCE ABS Partners Real Estate
"Our recent Hong Kong sales rose 15% on exceptional results for Modern and Contemporary Art, including a very rare 100% sold Contemporary Art Day sale," said Tad Smith, Sotheby's CEO, adding, "Both the number of buyers and aggregate spending, including from Mainland China, were up sharply in that category with particular strength from Taiwan and Hong Kong that could bode well for the upcoming major art sales in the West."

"At the same time, the overall number of buyers and aggregate spending by Asians was down from the year earlier period due to macroeconomic uncertainties, with Mainland Chinese buyers in particular citing slowing economic growth, weak Asian equity markets, and trade friction as factors on their minds. The result was weakness in a few traditional categories including Chinese works of art and jewelry made of jade."

In addition, the week featured two selling exhibitions of Western Art. A Brush with Nature was the most extensive selling exhibition ever staged in Asia dedicated entirely to European Old Master paintings and drawings and resulted in sales to Asian collectors entirely new to the field. Panorama: A New Perspective presented works by the likes of Andy Warhol, Claude Monet, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, resulting in over 20 sales to Asian collectors.

Mike Goss, Sotheby's CFO added: "When considering third quarter earnings, we would like to remind investors that we reported a one-time $.14 per-share benefit in last year's third quarter which should be taken into account when making year-on-year comparisons."

About Sotheby's

Sotheby's has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since 1744. Sotheby's became the first international auction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973), India (1992) and France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby's presents auctions in 11 different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris, and Sotheby's BidNow program allows visitors to view all auctions live online and place bids from anywhere in the world. Sotheby's offers collectors the resources of Sotheby's Financial Services, the world's only full-service art financing company, as well as the collection, artist, estate & foundation advisory services of its subsidiary, Art Agency, Partners. Sotheby's presents private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories, including S|2, the gallery arm of Sotheby's Global Fine Art Division, and three retail businesses: Sotheby's Wine, Sotheby's Diamonds, and Viyet, the online marketplace for interior design. Sotheby's has a global network of 80 offices in 40 countries and is the oldest company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (BID).

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Pinterest

Snapchat | Weibo | WeChat | Youku | Medium

Images are available upon request

Browse sale catalogues, view original content, stream live auctions and more at sothebys.com, and through Sotheby's apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple TV and Amazon Fire

Hong Kong | Winnie Tang | +852 2822 8146 | [email protected]

New York | Dan Abernethy | [email protected]

SOURCE Sotheby's

Related Links

http://www.sothebys.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global Platts, the leading independent provider of information, benchmark prices and analytics for the commodities and energy markets, today announced an enhanced methodology that will bring greater transparency, greater detail and speed of delivery to weekly U.S. and Gulf of Mexico rig count data. The announcement was made at the S&P Global Platts Analytics Client Seminar in New York.

S&P Global Platts in 2016 acquired RigData, which has been providing transparency to U.S. rig activity for more than 30 years.

The enhanced rig count data will be the most complete and robust available by an independent source. The rig count data offering continues to be based on key factors such as time, rig activity, well type, permit type, spud date and rig's released date. Data enhancements, including proprietary S&P Global Platts Analytics data, will guard against double counting, fill previous gaps in public reporting, and allow for more precise information on correct well type and well orientation.

Trey Cowan, senior industry analyst, S&P Global Platts Analytics said: "Historically, the U.S. rig count has provided a solid gauge of the health of the oil & gas industry. However, additional metrics can help explain the context of where the domestic oil and gas markets are headed and why. The enhanced rig count data will be available through a user-friendly Platts Upstream Indicator, complete with at-a-glance graphics that illustrate snapshots of permitting, drilling, and pricing information at the overall and the major regional play levels."

Cowan said the latest data is showing a slowing of permitting activity led by operators placing less emphasis on the Permian, Denver-Julesburg, and SCOOP/STACK plays. Fewer permits could lead to less drilling and possibly some curtailed production in the affected areas. However, indications are that the Eagle Ford Shale play will hold up better over the near-term and possibly take up some of the upstream activity slack while the other regions continue to cool off. See a report on one aspect of the enhanced rig count data findings here (http://plts.co/DT5U30m68lN).

[Map may also be accessed at: http://plts.co/bYTh30m6frS]

LATEST WEEKLY RIG COUNT

The overall U.S. rig count of onshore and offshore drilling totaled 1,176 rigs for the week ended October 3, 2018, a gain of one rig versus a week ago. Land-based drilling was 1,148 rigs, up two from last week, despite a six-rig drop to 956 rigs in horizontal drilling, which has been the primary catalyst of rig count growth most of this year. Vertical and directional drilling, typical to more shallow formations, led this week's gain, up eight rigs to 192 rigs.

To sign up for the weekly email service to receive rig count data every Thursday, including by mobile device, and receive statistics and graphics on the U.S. upstream oil and gas markets, visit this registration link.

Data to include oil and natural gas trends by varying criteria:

Oil and gas trends by play

Commodity prices by play

Current rig count and week-over-week change by state

Rig count by orientation

Permit and rig counts by target and play

Click here for details of the methodology for the new S&P Global Platts rig activity data. For more information about S&P Global Platts, visit the website at https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en.

Media Contacts:

Global, Americas, Asia: Kathleen Tanzy, + 1 917 331 4607, [email protected]

About S&P Global Platts

At S&P Global Platts, we provide the insights; you make better informed trading and business decisions with confidence. We're the leading independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets. Customers in over 150 countries look to our expertise in news, pricing and analytics to deliver greater transparency and efficiency to markets. S&P Global Platts coverage includes oil and gas, power, petrochemicals, metals, agriculture and shipping.

S&P Global Platts is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.platts.com.

SOURCE S&P Global Platts

Related Links

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SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Spinal Singularity announced that the company was awarded a Phase II SBIR grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH). The grant will provide approximately $1.5 Million in non-dilutive funding to continue clinical development of the Connected Catheter 2P (C2P).

Bill Colone, CEO of Spinal Singularity, said, "We are honored to receive this award from the NIH. This funding will finance a significant portion of the clinical study required to obtain regulatory approvals of the Connected Catheter 2P. We have partnered with world-class clinicians and research centers for this study and look forward to introducing innovative technology that improves the quality of life of our patients."

Spinal Singularity has been developing the C2P, an innovative, smart catheter system designed for adult males with Chronic Urinary Retention and/or Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction (NLUTD). Funds granted to Spinal Singularity will be utilized to conduct clinical studies of the C2P at the following clinical research sites.

Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center Downey, CA - Drs. Evgeniy Kreydin and David Ginsberg

University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA - Drs. Yahir Santiago-Lastra and Michael Albo

MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, Washington, D.C. - Dr. Suzanne Groah

Derek Herrera, founder and CTO of Spinal Singularity, said, "We are so fortunate to have earned support from the NIH. I couldn't be prouder of our team and the work they do on a daily basis to bring the C2P to market, where it may help millions of men who are chronic catheter users."

Additional information about the clinical study can be accessed on ClinicalTrials.gov at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03626324 .

About Spinal Singularity Inc.

Spinal Singularity is a seed stage, venture-backed, medical device company developing products to improve the lives of patients with spinal injury. The company has developed the C2P, the first fully internal, smart catheter system for adult males with Urinary Retention. One C2P may replace up to 200 disposable intermittent catheters.

For more information, please visit the company's website at www.spinalsingularity.com .

The Connected Catheter is currently an INVESTIGATIONAL DEVICE ONLY and limited by federal (or United States) law to investigational use.

Bill Colone, CEO

105 Avenida de la Estrella #3

San Clemente, CA 92672

[email protected]

(949) 436-7974

Related Links

C2P Clinical Trial

Clinical Trials US

SOURCE Spinal Singularity

Related Links

http://www.spinalsingularity.com


BEACHWOOD, Ohio, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratos Wealth Partners, a Stratos Wealth Network company, is pleased to welcome Holistic Wealth Advisors, to their network of independent financial advisors.

Based in Clifton Park, NY, Holistic Wealth Advisors is one of the top investment advisors in the greater Albany area. The team includes three advisors, Stacy Clifford, Sue Donovan, and Lakshmi Nagarajan.

Founder and President, Stacy Clifford is a recognized nationally known leader in the field of women's financial planning, Stacy and her team's message is simpleto empower women financially by assisting families and the women who lead them to make solid financial choices. She drives the message home to all her clients that there are lots of choices out there and Holistic Wealth Advisors takes the time to explain them simply, without the "financialese" that sometimes can be overwhelming in the industry.

Regarding her move to Stratos, Clifford said, "As one of the largest independent hybrid RIA's, Stratos provides our practice with advanced tools, technology, operational support and research. This partnership allows us to leverage the resources of a national firm and will greatly enhance our ability to provide outstanding service to our clients."

"The team at Stratos is excited to welcome Holistic Wealth Advisors," said Jeff Concepcion, CEO and Founder, Stratos Wealth Partners. "We're confident that our new partnership gives Stacy and her team the ability to focus on what is most important to them: their clients. We look forward to supporting their continued success."

About Stratos Wealth Network

Stratos Wealth Network is a family of companies focused on supporting the growth and success of financial advisors across business models and affiliation structures. Stratos companies include Stratos Wealth Partners, Stratos Wealth Advisors, Stratos Wealth Management, Stratos Wealth Alliance, Stratos Wealth Enterprises, and Fundamentum. Stratos includes a national network of 284 experienced financial advisors and financial planning practitioners working across 87 offices throughout the country.

Stratos provides custodial services through Fidelity Investments, Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, and LPL Financial. Investment advice offered through Stratos Wealth Partners, a registered investment adviser.

Stratos Wealth Partners, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor, manages over $5.89 billion in advisory assets as of June 30, 2018.

In addition, the advisors at Stratos Wealth Partners are also registered with LPL Financial and service $5.6 billion in brokerage assets. Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. All entities are separate.

Stratos Wealth Advisors, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor, manages over $368 million in advisory assets as of June 30, 2018.

Fundamentum, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor, manages over $236 million in advisory assets as of June 30, 2018.

Media Contact:

Kevin Elvington

(440) 505-5608

[email protected]

SOURCE Stratos Wealth Partners

Related Links

http://www.stratoswealthpartners.com


This year, the exhibition featured three thematic pavilions, including "Future Technology," "Sustainability," and "Innovative Invention." The "Sustainability" pavilion demonstrated the latest technologies developed by the Council of Agriculture (Executive Yuan), Bureau of Energy (MOEA), Atomic Energy Council, and State Enterprise Commission (MOEA), highlighting sustainable farming techniques and green energy technologies that improve the quality of life and reduce environmental impacts. To facilitate technology exchange between Taiwan and the rest of the world, this exhibition has also invited international exhibitors. The aim of the Taiwan Innotech Expo is to accelerate the implementation of sustainable development.

In the wake of environmental problems caused by the pursuit of economic growth worldwide, the WCED (World Commission on Environment and Development) released "Our Common Future in 1987", which defined sustainable development as seeking to meet the needs and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability to meet those of the future. The extreme weather events and increasingly frequent natural disasters in recent years prove the urgent need to implement sustainable development. Natural disasters have become more frequent nowadays as evidenced by the heat wave in Europe which hit 48 degrees Celsius, the wildfires in California, the deadly typhoon in Kansai, and the powerful earthquake in Hokkaido. All of them happened after July 2018.

This year at the Taiwan Innotech Expo, local organizations including the Council of Agriculture of the Executive Yuan, the Bureau of Energy of MOEA, the Atomic Energy Council, and the State-owned Enterprise Commission of MOEA presented their sustainable farming techniques and green energy technologies at the "Sustainability" pavilion. Designed to solve the environmental problems in Taiwan, these technologies fully demonstrate these organizations' technological capabilities.

Council of Agriculture: Improved Farming and Breeding Technology and Implementation of Agrivoltaics

As the competent authority on the agricultural, forestry, fishery, animal husbandry, and food affairs in Taiwan, the Council of Agriculture has strived to promote high-tech farming to enhance Taiwanese farmers' competitiveness. Eying on the great energy potential of biomass from agricultural by-products (Agro-Waste) which not only minimizes the impact on soil, water, and air quality but also contributes to a circular economy, the Council of Agriculture has developed technology for efficient utilization of agricultural wastes. Considering the nature of Taiwan's agricultural environment, the Council of Agriculture has combined the application of composted waste to agricultural land, reuse of biogas, and smart and automatic environmental control in one system to improve the production process of biochemicals, materials, and fertilizer, thereby maximizing the use of agricultural wastes.

Other key technologies presented by the Council of Agriculture include agrivoltaic systems and mass production of blue-striped angelfish. Agrivoltaic systems combine crop production with green energy generation with the former as the top priority. Crops and cultivation technologies are carefully selected to ensure coexistence of solar panels and crops and hence a balance between agricultural production and energy strategies. The technology for mass production of blue-striped angelfish involves establishing a systematic process for growing blue-striped angelfish such as inspection of brood fish, transition from endogenous to exogenous feeding, and matching.

Bureau of Energy: Application of AI in Energy Systems and Development of Emergency Lighting System and New Aluminum Battery

The Bureau of Energy has spared no effort on developing and promoting new energy, renewable energy, and energy efficient technologies. At the expo, the Bureau of Energy demonstrated its BESTAI platform which provides energy efficiency strategies and analysis of return on investment. It also integrates GIS to analyze energy consumption of buildings in different areas. With this platform, people without professional skills can easily diagnose the energy consumption of commercial and residential buildings, saving a lot time and costs. The ultrafast rechargeable aluminum battery developed by the bureau is the world's first rechargeable aluminum-Ion battery. The graphite for conductivity in the battery is as flexible as paper and boasts low manufacturing costs, high safety, and high energy density.

The fluid-driven emergency lighting system developed by ITRI uses hydropower to drive the high-illumination LED light on the fire-fighting nozzles. The thermal imaging scope helps firefighters identify the fire spots or people that need to be rescued, increasing rescue efficiency substantially.

Atomic Energy Council: Sustainable Energy Efficient Practices with Biomass Refinery and Micro-grid Control Technology

Due to the impact of global climate change, bioeconomy featuring green manufacturing and renewable resources has been widely adopted. Analogous to today's petroleum refinery but replacing gasoline with biomass as raw material to produce fuel, electricity, chemicals, and foods, biorefinery has been deemed as the core of bioeconomy as it can reduce people's reliance on gasoline and decrease carbon dioxide emissions. In recent years, the Atomic Energy Council has been devoted to developing sustainable manufacturing technology based on biorefinery, converting non-food biomass such as agricultural and forestry wastes, bamboos, and grasses to low-carbon energy such as biogas and biofuel and biodegradable plastics. The technology has been adopted in industries.

The Atomic Energy Council has also developed control technology for optimal scheduling and continued operation of micro grids. Through load and renewable energy forecasting as well as real-time correction, the technology can adjust distributed power generation equipment to achieve optimal operation and cost efficiency.

State Enterprise Commission: Circular Agriculture and Reuse of Resources

The State Enterprise Commission has developed a concept of Circular Agriculture Park based on anaerobic co-digestion technology and a series of supportive approaches. Anaerobic fermentation can solve livestock manure and some agricultural waste by converting them into biogas, biogas slurry, and biogas residue. Biogas can be used as fuel or to produce electricity while biogas slurry and biogas residue can become organic fertilizer and improve soil fertility.

For example, the anaerobic fermentation tank at the Biogas Center of the Circular Agriculture Park located in Taiwan Sugar Company's Donghaifeng Farm can process 200 tons of waste per day, of which 150 tons are pig manure and 50 tons are vegetable and fruit wastes as well as biotech companies' organic waste. The biogas can produce 70000 kWh of energy every day, sufficient to power 700 households in Taiwan.

International Exhibitors: Adoption of Latest Technology for a Sustainable Future

In line with the theme of Sustainable Development, international exhibitors have presented their latest new farming technology including improved crops, vaccines for protecting animal health, and harvesting machines. France's SEPPIC, the world's largest provider of vaccine adjuvants for poultry, demonstrated its vaccine used in animals. Germany's Bayer showcased its vegetable seeds (corns, tomatoes, and peppers) and digital farming technology which makes farming more secure, efficient, and productive through precision agriculture. Japan's OCHIAI presented its advanced tea plucking machine. The World Vegetable Center (Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center) founded by Taiwan and six other countries along with the Asian Development Bank displayed its tomatoes with improved disease resistance, peppers with high heat tolerance, and parasitoid wasps that can fight against Spoladea recurvalis. In terms of green energy, Australia's GCCSI, Denmark's Orsted and CIP, and Germany's WPD unveiled their green energy technology. This exhibition serves as a platform for international and Taiwanese organizations to exchange technology and form cooperation on patents.

Major economies have aggressively pursued the goal of sustainable development in recent years. By establishing Taiwan as a gateway for technology sharing, Taiwan Innotech Expo hopes to connect technologies to value, helping humans and industries live in harmony with nature.

SOURCE Taiwan Innotech Expo 2018
PETALUMA, Calif., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- No one thought that 180 years later, Samuel F. B. Morse's invention of Morse code would still be relevant, especially considering one of the hottest tech companies on earth has added a Morse code keyboard to their smartphones. This company also offers free training on how to learn the language in less than an hour. In times past, students vocalized the written dots and dashes of this language as "dits" and "dahs," respectively. As it has evolved, Morse code beeps are also communicated with flashing lights and blinking eyes. Brandon Frere, Frere Enterprises CEO and industry leader, believes entrepreneurs can learn from Morse code's origin story to stay relevant in the future.

Morse Code

The language of Morse code was invented by an unlikely painter turned inventor and is still used today, including by ham radio operators or by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. This invention came about by chance and perseverance. Morse also had a business partner who was more concerned with improving Morse code than his own business interests in the matter. Unfortunately, this did not turn out in Morse's partner's favor, because he died forgotten and penniless. This man was Alfred Vail. More recently, a tech company founder was forced to walk away from $850 million because his contracts were not carefully considered before he was bought out. Having a well-thought-out contract drawn up for a new partnership might seem obvious, but it still remains a cautionary tale, both past and present.

How exactly has Morse code changed the world? And why is it still relevant? The most obvious answer is that it revolutionized communication, first within America and then transatlantically. It changed the way wars were fought and radically improved the way journalists and news media shared information. An unconventional example of Morse code's many applications can be seen in the true story of U.S. Navy Commander Jeremiah Denton, who was a prisoner of war in Hanoi, Vietnam, during the Vietnam conflict for many years. During a propaganda video that a Japanese journalist filmed, he spelled out the word "torture" with his eyes using Morse code. While his brazen act of defiance did not give him freedom, his message was useful to the U.S. military in understanding that POWs in Vietnam were being tortured.

Morse code also has many applications for those living with physical impairments and disabilities. For example, the big tech company that included Morse code in its keyboard interface for its smartphones did so to make their communication tools more inclusive for disabled people. Other companies have created two-switch input devices to help the disabled who cannot use a keyboard access the internet.

"Technology is rapidly changing and studying the history of how it has evolved can really help improve an entrepreneur's strategy," added Frere. "A person might not start out with the intention of revolutionizing an entire field. That might even be too big of a goal. Start with what you know, learn about what you don't and keep moving forward. You never know  you might be the inventor of the Next Big Thing. But don't let that be your sole mission. What drives you, what truly interests you  that is your soul purpose, and will make your work meaningful."

About Frere Enterprises

Run by CEO Brandon Frere, Frere Enterprises is a California-based company with a global vision based around the usage of special financial technology, or SpecFinTech, with a current focus on financial wellness and productivity.

He has designed and created multiple companies to meet the ever-demanding needs of businesses and consumers, alike. Frere's website, www.FrereEnterprises.com, is used as a means to communicate many of the lessons, fundamentals and information that he has learned throughout his extensive business and technological endeavors. Through Frere Enterprises, he aims to apply those lessons to other business opportunities.

Frere Enterprises' mission is to acquire traditional businesses and digitally transform them to meet and exceed modern day demand. This mission seeks to transform such businesses by developing the newest and most evolved technologies to speed up the evolution of financial services in order to meet the demands of the modern consumer and exceed the potential of the modern era.

FrereEnterprises.com

Related Images

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Morse Code

Morse Code

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Related Links

Frere Enterprises home page

SOURCE Frere Enterprises

Related Links

http://www.FrereEnterprises.com


ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Hotel & Conference Center, Orlando (October 23-26, 2018)  In modernizing HR Service Delivery for the digital workforce, there has been a visible shift away from emphasizing productivity and efficiency towards a focus on optimizing the employee experience. The HR Shared Services & Outsourcing Summit is a next generation peer-to-peer learning event designed to equip you with the tools and knowledge you need to cultivate outstanding customer interactions and maximize the value of HR SSO to the business.

Dynamic Experiences at the HR Shared Services & Outsourcing Summit The Industry's Most Trusted HR Event

HRSSO is being held at the Florida Hotel & Conference Center in Orlando, FL on October 23rd-26th, 2018. We have HR Leaders joining us from Facebook, Kellogg Company, Nielsen, Citi, Coca-Cola Refreshments and more.

Three full days of insights,

Where our HR master minds will be sharing their experiences and knowledge in strategic directions of their organizations. Leave with a powerful and practical learning experience.

Coca Cola Site Tour:

Limited spots available! Get a first-hand inside look at Coca-Cola's HRSS Center. Learn about the process of implementing HR optimization and technology that supports the HRSS delivery model.

Case Studies You Can Use:

Learn how Facebook, the technology giant, approached the task of planning and launching their HR shared services, the challenges they encountered in building the proverbial plane while in flight, as well as the lessons learned as they built out a brand new people team.

The Next Big Thing for HR:



Discover and get a deep understanding of the changes driven by Intelligent Automation for the future state of HR Shared Services. We are co-located with Intelligent Automation for HR.

Join us for 3 days of networking, demo drives, on-site /off-site experiences, and evening receptions. Access the full agenda, and join us on October 23rd, in Orlando.

Media Contact:

Amnah Munir

212-885-2756

[email protected]

SOURCE SSON Network

Related Links

https://www.hrssoutsourcing.com


The I-526 Immigrant Petition is filed by the EB-5 investor to demonstrate that they are in the process of investing, or have already invested the required amount of capital in an EB-5 project. Once an investor's I-526 is approved, he or she can apply for permanent resident status and their conditional permanent residence card is typically issued within 2-4 weeks of the approval. The approval of the I-526 indicates that a foreign investor is one step closer to obtaining permanent residency status in the United States.

"We want to congratulate our EB-5 investors who recently received their I-526 petition approvals," said Nicholas Mastroianni II, CEO and Chairman of USIF. "We wish these investors and their families all the best on establishing their residence in the United States, and we look forward to working with many more investors in the future".

Nicholas Mastroianni III, President of USIF added, "Achieving I-526 approvals for another EB-5 funded project is an outstanding achievement for our company. To date, over 4,500 investor-families received I-526 approvals through investing in one of USIF's EB-5 projects, it's our investors that truly define our success".

Halletts Point, will consist of rental units featuring studios, one, two, three bedroom and townhouse, smoke-free pet-friendly rental residences. The project will transform a stretch of the Queens waterfront to a thriving residential community with a supermarket, a vibrant mix of retail, an extended and enhanced waterfront esplanade, parklands and renovated playgrounds. 25,000 square-feet of sought after indoor and outdoor amenities will include: two outdoor terraces and sun lounges, barbeque grills and dining tables, resident lounge, fitness center with yoga studio, on-premise attended parking garage. The project is currently under construction and creating numerous jobs for the Queens area in New York.

The USCIS project approval on Halletts Point project is another significant milestone for U.S. Immigration Fund. USIF is an established leader in the industry with great success for its EB-5 investors in 25 notable projects including West 57th, Via Mizner, 855 Avenue of the Americas, The Charles, and more which will contribute over $14 billion to the United States economy including almost $3 billion of EB-5 financing from approximately 6,000 investors at the time of completion. USIF continues to work tirelessly to help all investors reach their goal of becoming United States residents.

About U.S. Immigration Fund

USIF is America's leading EB-5 Regional Center operator with world-renowned investment opportunities from New York City to California and 6,000 clients from across the globe. With approved Regional Centers located in the world's most thriving cities, USIF provides worthwhile opportunities for foreign investors and their families to obtain permanent U.S. residency through the EB-5 Program. These initiatives enjoy full government support as they stimulate the economy, generate at least ten jobs per investment, and promote community development while providing access to green cards for foreign investors and their families.

Contact:

U.S Immigration Fund

115 Front Street suite 300, Jupiter, FL 33477

(561) 799-1883

[email protected]



SOURCE U.S. Immigration Fund
What did men in the early 70s do, have to do, what were they forced to do, what did they learn to do, to live without undo strain in incredibly oppressive circumstances? And in some ways, through cleverness, through talent and skill, even learn to thrive, to find things in such environments that you would never think a person would be able to find. Like in 1970s New Orleans, though youre living in a semi-closeted society, you could experience success in a job, you could own a home, you could even find a partner just so long as you didnt speak the name of your activities and just so everyone around you knew not to speak the name of your private activities too.
United Nations, Oct 4 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has congratulated Barham Salih on his election and swearing-in as Iraqi President.

The Secretary-General hopes the election of the president will pave the way for the swift formation of an inclusive government in line with constitutional timelines, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman of Guterres, in a statement on Wednesday, Xinhua reported.

Salih has nominated Shiite politician Adel Abdul-Mahdi as Prime Minister and tasked him with forming a new government.

Guterres looks forward to working closely with President Salih on all issues of common concern, said the statement.
Geneva, Oct 4 : The World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Trade Centre (ITC), and two international tourism organisations have issued a joint message encouraging greater participation of tourism in global trade policy.

The WTO, the ITC, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) said on Wednesday their joint communication is titled Tourism, Trade and the WTO, Xinhua news agency reported.

The statement linking tourism with trade was issued during the three-day annual WTO Public Forum which will end on Thursday.

The head of the WTTC spoke to journalists of China's importance in global tourism ahead of a public discussion on digital transformation for inclusive tourism.

WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara said: "Between 7 and 19 million new jobs could be created in the G20 countries alone by investing in biometrics and new airport infrastructure to make existing terminal facilities and processes more efficient, more secure and seamless for passengers."

"China is a very important player from our perspective, with 240 million travellers due to the increase of the middle class there," said Guevara.

Jaime Alberto Cabal, Deputy Secretary-General of UNWTO, said China is now the fourth largest tourism destination in the world and between 2020 and 2025 it could be number one.

The joint message affirmed "the importance of enhanced global cooperation on trade and tourism", encouraging "greater participation of the tourism sector in trade policy".

"It's not only about tourism. Tourism is linked with trade," said WTO Deputy Director-General Yi Xiaozhun, noting that people who come to Geneva for example "also want to buy goods and souvenirs... A lot of poor countries can do a lot to sell their goods."

That is why the WTO wants to strengthen relations with international tourism groups, he said.
Damascus, Oct 4 : A US aircraft has brought Marine forces to the battle against the last pocket of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour, a war monitor reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Wednesday said the aircraft landed in the vicinity of the town of Hajin, one of the last IS-held towns in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour, Xinhua news agency reported.

It said the Marine forces will participate in the battle alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against IS militants.

According to the London-based watchdog, the US move aims to intensify the anti-IS military campaign on the eastern bank of Euphrates River.

Since the battle was launched on September 10, the IS militants have been well fortified with landmines and suicide bombings, leading to slow advance of the Kurdish-led SDF backed by the US-led airstrikes.

The pro-rebel monitor also said 211 IS militants, along with 113 SDF fighters and allied militiamen, have been killed in the fighting since September 10.

The Syrian army has cleared the IS from large swathes of areas in Deir al-Zour, while the SDF is attempting to consolidate positions in the northern and northeastern countryside of the province.

Recent reports said the IS-controlled Syrian territory has shrunk to one per cent from almost half of the country a couple of years ago.

The Syrian government has slammed these operations in Syria as "illegal" since the US-led coalition entered the Syrian war in 2014, saying the United States has been trying to establish presence in eastern Syria through supporting the Kurdish-led SDF, in order to secure its interests in the country.
Washington, Oct 4 : A suspect has been taken into custody after one policeman was killed while four others sustained injuries in a shooting in Florence city in the US state of South Carolina, officials said.

One of the five police officers shot at has died, Florence County Coroner Keith von Lutcken told CNN affiliate WBTW on Wednesday.

"Active shooting situation is over and the suspect is in custody," the Florence County Emergency Management Department tweeted, Xinhua news agency reported.

Three Florence County Sheriff's Office deputies and two city officers were shot at, chief deputy Glenn Kirby said, according to CNN affiliates.

Florence, located in the northeastern corner of South Carolina, hosts a population of roughly 37,000. Reports said the shooting took place in an upscale neighbourhood in the city.

Further details were not immediately available.
Lima, Oct 4 : Peru's Supreme Court has overturned the humanitarian pardon of former President Alberto Fujimori, and ordered the former head of state be arrested and sent to prison to serve the rest of his sentence for human rights abuses.

Judge Hugo Nunez Julca, president of the Supreme Investigation Court of the Supreme Court, declared on Wednesday that the pardon, granted in December 2017 by former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, was unlawful, Xinhua reported.

The pardon was heavily criticised by opposition and human rights groups, who claimed it was Kuczynski's attempt to avoid impeachment by allies of the former president.

Kuczynski resigned in March following the release of a video showing his allies trying to buy votes from opposition lawmakers ahead of a second impeachment vote in the corruption scandal.

Judge Julca ordered Fujimori, 80, be captured and returned to prison to see out the remaining 14 years of his 25 year sentence, the Supreme Court said.

Fujimori, in power from 1990 to 2000, was sentenced in April 2009 for human rights abuses, including being responsible for the killings of 25 people, including an 8-year-old boy, in the Barrios Altos and La Cantuta neighborhoods of Lima.

The massacres were carried out by the paramilitary group Colina in 1991 and 1992 respectively.

Fujimori's lawyer, Miguel Perez, said he would appeal the ruling, and added that the judge's decision "is not an immediate order."

Perez stated that he had not yet been able to speak to Fujimori because the former president had just learned of the decision.

Wednesday's ruling surprised politicians and Peruvians alike.

Despite the country's government, headed by President Martin Vizcarra, making good headway with anti-corruption reforms, the nation's Congress is controlled by opposition parties.

The largest opposition party is the Popular Force (FP) party, led by Alberto Fujimori's daughter, Keiko Fujimori, who declared the ruling to be "persecution".

"Without doubt this is a persecution and not just against my family. Enough. I feel the hate and cruelty from of all our political enemies," she said.

The Supreme Court's decision came following a recommendation from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which declared the pardon to be illegal.
Moscow, Oct 4 : Russian President Vladimir Putin called former spy Sergei Skripal, who was poisoned along with his daughter in the UK, a "traitor" and suggested that the incident was being "artificially blown up" by the media.

Asked at an energy forum on Wednesday in Moscow to comment on the case and its consequences, the Russian President launched into a tirade against Skripal, who was hospitalised along with his daughter Yulia after exposure to a military-grade nerve agent in Salisbury in March, reports CNN.

"I see that some of your colleagues are pushing the theory that Skripal is almost a human-rights activist," Putin said.

"He's just a spy. A traitor to the Motherland. There's such a thing as a traitor to the Motherland. He's one of them. He's just a scumbag, that's all."

Putin said that the Salisbury affair "is being artificially... blown up" by the media, but added: "It'll pass, eventually... The sooner it's over, the better."

The comments come amid a deepening diplomatic clash between Moscow and the UK, which has blamed the March 4 poisonings on the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency.

UK investigators have also formally linked the attack on the Skripals to the June 30 poisoning of Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley, a couple living in Amesbury, near Salisbury.

Sturgess died on July 8 after applying a substance to her wrists from a perfume bottle found by Rowley.

The Kremlin has consistently dismissed official British allegations.
London, Oct 4 : The UK government has accused Russia's military intelligence service of being behind four high-profile cyber attacks, a media report said on Thursday.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) late Wednesday said that hackers from the GRU or Russian intelligence, operating under a dozen different names, including Fancy Bear, targeted the systems database of the Montreal-based World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), using phishing to gain passwords. A group accessed athletes' data, which was later published, the BBC reported.

They also hacked the Democratic National Committee in 2016, when emails and chats were obtained and subsequently published online. The US authorities have already linked this to Russia.

The hackers then targeted Ukraine's Kyiv metro and Odessa airport, Russia's central bank, and two privately-owned Russian media outlets - Fontanka.ru and news agency Interfax - in October 2017. They used ransomware to encrypt the contents of a computer and demand payment Another target was an unnamed small UK-based TV station between July and August 2015, when multiple email accounts were accessed and content stolen

The NCSC said it has assessed "with high confidence" that GRU was "almost certainly responsible" for the attacks.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the GRU had waged a campaign of "indiscriminate and reckless" cyber strikes that served "no legitimate national security interest".

"The GRU's actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries; they are even prepared to damage Russian companies and Russian citizens," the BBC quoted Hunt as saying.

"Our message is clear: together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRU's attempts to undermine international stability."
New Delhi, Oct 4 : The Sunburn City Festivals, starting from Bengaluru on Friday, have an exciting line-up including Above & Beyond, Yellow Claw, trap DJ Malaa, and "Game of Thrones" star Kristian Nairn. Organisers say the ever-evolving live music industry is flourishing in India, and there's much more potential for growth.

"The (live music and event) scene is always evolving and the audiences are becoming more discerning. However, India is such a big market and there is still a lot of room and potential for the scene to grow. It is an exciting industry to be a part of," Karan Singh, Sunburn Global, told IANS in an email.

Bringing the true Sunburn Festival vibe, the Sunburn City Festivals which will kickstart the 12th season of the electronic dance music festival with Bengaluru, followed by a two-day festival on Saturday and Sunday simultaneously in Mumbai and Delhi NCR.

World renowned electronic music act Above & Beyond are returning to Sunburn after seven years, while Dutch DJ and record production duo Yellow Claw are returning to India after two years.

"We are happy with the line-up. It is a really good mix of artistes and different sounds... India debuts for both Kristain and Malaa. Also there is Yellow Claw, one of the finest trap duos in the world. And then some of the best domestic artistes to support too. It should be a lot of fun," Singh said.

City Festivals are planned as a build up to the flagship Sunburn Festival 2018, slated to take place at the Oxford Gold Resort in Pune from December 29-31.

Sunburn, a Percept Intellectual Property, is one of the world's biggest music festivals which started in 2007 as a three-day music festival in Goa.

Explaining the idea behind catering to multiple cities too now, Singh said: "We felt the way the market has evolved, doing a city festival is better because we can offer the fans a good mix of artistes, different genres, bespoke production and a true festival experience.

"India is such a massive country that all our fans cannot travel to one location. We have come up with different formats that cater to different markets, audiences, price-points... There is something for everyone, from a campus festival to the mega event in Pune. Still, we feel this is the tip of the iceberg and there is a long way to go."

Singh said visitors should expect a proper music festival, covering various types of music across different genres, and complete with visuals and special effects.
New Delhi, Oct 4 : India will go ahead with the deal to purchase the S-400 Triumf missile defence system as well as frigates and helicopters from Russia despite the US sanctions imposed on Moscow, according to a former Indian diplomat, who is now a foreign policy analyst.

Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar told IANS in an interview here ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's official visit to India that he is also "reasonably confident" that New Delhi would be granted a waiver from the US sanctions on Iran, due to kick in from November 4, on oil purchases from the Persian Gulf nation.

"The US Congress wants to punish Russia for its actions on various counts like interfering in the American election process and the Ukraine situation," Sajjanhar said.

He pointed out that as per the procedure to grant a waiver, the US President has to certify that the specified countries are meeting the conditions required for grant of waiver from the sanctions law to be imposed following US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

"Two US Secretaries have written to the Congress strongly emphasising that countries not intended to be punished by the CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) passed last year by the US Congress should be granted the waiver," he said.

Besides targeting Iran, CAATSA imposes sanctions on some Russian companies as well as on their customers and this could impact India's $8.5 billion defence deal with Russia that includes the S-400 system and which is expected to be signed during Putin's visit.

Briefing reporters here after the first India-US 2+2 dialogue last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said that he had told the Indians "consistently that on November 4 the sanctions will be enforced, and that we will consider waivers where appropriate".

Responding to a question on India's Russian defence deal, Pompeo said: "Our effort here, too, is not to penalise great strategic partners like India, a major defence partner. The sanctions aren't intended to adversely impact countries like India. They are intended to have an impact on the sanctioned country."

Signals from Washington last week seemed to bear out the optimism of Ambassador Sajjanhar on a waiver to enable India to continue trade relations with Iran. It came in the form of a reference made by a senior US administration official to the Chabahar Port being jointly developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan.

"We very much appreciate what India has done to provide both assistance to Afghanistan, including through using Chabahar Port for the delivery of wheat," US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asia Region, Alice Wells, had said.

"We also very much appreciate what India has done to allow Afghanistan to diversify its trade relationships, and again Chabahar has played a role there. So those factors will certainly be taken under consideration."

Coming to the overall Indo-Russian relationship, Sajjanhar noted that economic relations had not kept pace with the conversion of interests and mutual trust developed through historical ties.

"Though Russia is involved in India's strategic sectors -- defence, nuclear energy, hi-tech and infrastructure -- bilateral trade is at an sub-optimal level," he said.

"The free trade negotiations with the Eurasian Economic Union need to get on fast-track, for instance, and there hasn't been much progress on building the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)."

The INSTC project has been designed to increase trade connectivity between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe through a 7,200-km-long, multi-modal network of ship, rail and road routes for moving freight between these countries.

"Dry runs of the two routes were conducted in 2014 and have shown that transit time can be cut down by 14 days and between 30-40 per cent saved on costs," the former diplomat said.

"The India-Russia partnership is a time-tested one with a high level of trust between the political leaderships. From the Soviet Union times, Russia has helped India's industrial development, while India has promoted Russia's geo-political interests," he added.

Sajjanhar pointed out that Russia is the only country to have successfully set up nuclear power plants in India, despite the problems posed for foreign suppliers by India's civil nuclear liability insurance law.

Russian state atomic energy corporation, Rosatom, is the consultant and equipment supplier for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu, which envisages the construction of six 1,000 MW reactors. While the first two units have already been commissioned, units 3 and 4 are under construction and preparatory works for units 5 and 6 are underway.

Besides, an inter-governmental agreement has been signed for Rosatom to construct another six reactors In India at a location yet to be finalised.

India is also collaborating with Russia in setting up Bangladesh's first nuclear plant at Rooppur.

Russia, India and Bangladesh have signed a trilateral agreement to cooperate in the construction of the Rooppur nuclear project. Indian companies can be involved in construction and installation works, the supply of material and equipment of a non-critical category, as well as in the training of personnel.

(Biswajit Choudhury can be reached at biswajit.c@ians.in)
: New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and Mizoram Chief Minister Pu Lalthanhawla, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and senior officers of MHA and ... Image Source: IANS/PIB

Agartala, Oct 4 : The repatriation of Mizo tribal migrants from Tripura hangs in the balance even as the government stopped providing relief to the 32,876 refugees from October 1, ostensibly to compel them to return to their villages in the neighbouring state.

The Reang refugees, comprising 5,407 families, had been staying in northern Tripura's Kanchanpur and Panisagar sub-divisions after fleeing their villages in Mizoram 21 years ago due to ethnic tension.

Officials and refugee leaders remained in the dark about the resumption of the repatriations, for which both the Tripura and Mizoram governments, besides the Union Home Ministry, had readied themselves.

"We have given two weeks' backlog rations and other relief material to the refugees on Saturday and Sunday (September 29 and 30). We have through miking (public address system) informed the refugees about the government's decision to stop supply of relief from October 1 (Monday).

"As the refugees have around 12 to 15 days food and other essentials in their hand, they are yet to react. By next week we would be able to say what their motives are," Kanchanpur Sub-Divisional Magistrate Abeda Nanda Baidya told IANS on the phone.

He said considering the future of youngsters and children among the refugees, they must return to their villages in Mizoram to begin a new life.

North Tripura District Magistrate Raval Hamendra Kumar told IANS: "The Union Home Ministry, in accordance with the July 3 agreement, has decided to stop relief and other assistance from October 1 to the Mizoram tribal refugees staying in six camps in northern Tripura."

Top officials of the Tripura and Mizoram governments, the Union Home Ministry and the refugees body, Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF), had signed the July 3 agreement on the repatriation.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and his Mizoram counterpart Lal Thanhawla were all present during the signing of the pact.

The agreement finalised a six-point benefit package for each refugee family. It included financial aid of Rs 4 lakh, a monthly allowance of Rs 5,000, Rs 1.5 lakh for building a house and free rations for two years.

Under the agreement, the refugees were scheduled to start returning to three Mizoram districts from August 16 or 17.

But the refugees refused to return, reiterating their old demands, including security in Mizoram by central paramilitary forces and allotment of sufficient land for farming, besides the formation of an Area Development Council for the Reang tribals, locally called "Bru".

MBDPF General Secretary Bruno Msha said that their demands, which were not incorporated in the agreement, also included allotment of five hectares of land to each refugee family after their return.

However, around 180 refugees comprising 33 families were returned to the villages in neighbouring Mizoram in two phases since September 19.

Talking to IANS over phone from Kanchanpur, refugee leader Bruno Msha said that currently they are seeking an opinion from the common refugees about the repatriation.

"Before the repatriations, certain issues, including opening of bank accounts and identification of locations for the settlement of the repatriated migrants, have to be settled. We might approach the central government to resume the supply of relief among the refugees," the tribal leader said.

Meanwhile, Joint Secretary of the Union Home Ministry Satyendra Garg, in a letter on September 25 to the Tripura Chief Secretary, said the Indian government's assistance being extended to the tribal migrants in the form of foodgrain, cash doles and the like would be discontinued from October 1.

A Monitoring Committee headed by Special Secretary (Internal Security) of the Ministry of Home Affairs has been constituted with officials from Tripura and Mizoram and representatives of MBDPF to supervise the repatriation process and the settlement of the refugees.

Meanwhile, Mizoram Home Department Additional Secretary Lalbiakzama told the media in Aizawl that 4,199 Reang tribal families would be resettled in 48 villages in Mamit district, 824 would be resettled in 10 villages in Kolasib and 384 families in four villages in Lunglei district.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)
This is an emotional time for our city, and many activists are calling for people to take to the streets regardless of the outcome of the trial, St. Ignatius Principal Brianna Latko said in a Thursday letter that was also read to students over the campus public-address system. Should this occur, it may create potentially dangerous situations around the city.
Mumbai, Oct 4 : Actress Jacqueline Fernandez will travel to flood-affected areas in Kerala to volunteer to build homes with NGO Habitat for Humanity India.

In a bid to rebuild Kerala after the massive floods which devastated the state in August, Habitat for Humanity India is launching the second edition of Jacqueline Builds, a unique campaign featuring the actress. It will take place in December, with focus on rebuilding homes that were fully or partially damaged by the floods.

Jacqueline will also urge fans to come together to rebuild Kerala.

"The recent flood in Kerala has severely affected thousands of families and damaged homes. This is the time when the people in Kerala need our wholehearted support to bring life back on track. That's the reason why I will be coming to Kerala reconstruct homes, rebuild lives. I am looking forward to meeting people in Kerala and work with the volunteers there," the Sri Lankan beauty said in a statement.

In the first phase of the relief operations, the NGO provided First Responders' Kit, Humanitarian Aid Kit and bottled drinking water to 93,889 families. In the second and third phase, Habitat for Humanity India will be constructing and repairing homes for 6,000 flood-affected families in Pathanamthitta, Allepey, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Wayanad in Kerala to rehabilitate them.

"With Jacqueline Builds, we would like to intensify our efforts to build homes for the affected people in those regions," said Rajan Samuel, Managing Director, Habitat for Humanity India.

"We are thankful to Jacqueline for agreeing to be a part of the mission to rebuild Kerala. Previously with Jacqueline Builds, she helped us in reaching out to celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan to help flood-affected families in Tamil Nadu," Samuel added.
Mumbai, Oct 4 : Global software major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Thursday said it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Industrial Science (IIS) at University of Tokyo to collaborate on technology research and facilitate inter-personnel exchange.

The MoU opens the prospect of TCS and the IIS working together on fundamental research, technology validation and the real-world applications and commercialisation of technologies in the area of robotics.

The partnership is the latest addition to TCS' Co-innovation Network (COIN) which brings together the academia, research, tech start-ups, and alliance partners from across the world to collaborate and conceptualise innovation that helps customers in their digital transformation journeys.

"In a Business 4.0 world, building and leveraging a partner ecosystem is of strategic importance in creating and delivering value. This is the core idea underpinning our Co-Innovation Network that brings research and technology breakthroughs from academia to meet real-world customer needs," said K. Ananth Krishnan, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, TCS.

The partnership also paves the way for an exchange of scholars and researchers between the two organisations, TCS said in a statement.

"We warmly welcome this strategic partnership with TCS, and see it as one of our gateways to capitalise the wealth of technological expertise that India's finest talent has to offer," said Toshiharu Kishi, Director General, IIS, University of Tokyo.
Tehran, Oct 4 : Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday that Tehran will "slap the US in the face" by defeating it in its economic sanctions against the country.

"The American sanctions are more fragile than Iran's economy," Khamenei said while addressing a gathering in the capital.

"We will defeat the sanctions. The defeat of sanctions will be America's defeat, and the US, with this defeat, should once again be slapped in the face by the Iranian nation, God willing," he was cited as saying by Press TV.

The leader called for the unity among all the Iranians in the face of the "enemy's plots", saying that "if the enemy witnesses the unity, power and determination, it will retreat".

Khamenei said over the past 40 years, when the Islamic republic was established in Iran, the US has been seeking to overthrow the Islamic establishment, stressing that Washington will also be disappointed in its recent plots against Tehran.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier said that his country was terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran, after the UN's top court ordered Washington to lift sanctions on Tehran.

The Hague-based International Court of Justice issued a verdict against the US unilateral sanctions, following Washington's withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Gwalior, Oct 4 : More than 25,000 landless poor on Thursday begun their march to Delhi from Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior town demanding land reforms.

Days after the farmers' protests in the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border area, the landless poor started their journey on foot around 10 a.m. to reach the national capital.

They have been holding discussions in Gwalior's Mela Maidan from October 2-3. On the second day, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan assured the protesters to take their demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Under the aegis of Ekta Parishad, thousands of landless poor have put up five demands in their "Jan Andolan 2018".

They are demanding for a national land reforms policy and its effective implementation, implementation of Forest Rights Act 2005 and a 1996 law regarding panchayats, setting up of special courts to take up pending land-related cases, women farmer rights act, and a law related to agricultural land rights.

Several activists including P.V. Rajagopal, Rajendra Singh, and gandhian Subbarao are leading the protesters.

Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha has shown support for the protesters. On October 6, Congress President Rahul Gandhi will reach Morena to demonstrate his support.
Beijing, Oct 4 : Germany's Angelique Kerber suffered a shock defeat to China's Shuai Zhang on Thursday to crash out of the China Open in Beijing.

Third-seeded Kerber was beaten 6-2, 2-6, 6-0 as the unseeded Zhang delivered the upset of the competition so far, reports Efe news.

The local favourite was superior in every category, hitting more winners, more aces and more breakpoints than three-time grand slam winner Kerber.

Zhang's emphatic victory means she advances to the last eight, where she will face Japan's Naomi Osaka.
Colombo, Oct 4 : Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will undertake his first state visit to Seychelles next week to strengthen diplomatic and tourism ties between the two countries, it was announced here on Thursday.

The three-day visit will begin on October 8 and conclude on October 10, according to Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry.

During his visit, Sirisena will hold talks with his Seychelles counterpart Danny Faure.

The talks will focus on health, education, tourism, environment, fisheries, maritime security and the Indian Ocean Commission.

Sri Lanka and Seychelles established diplomatic relations in 1988.
New Delhi, Oct 4 : India on Thursday deported seven Rohingya immigrants, who have been staying in Assam illegally since 2012, to Myanmar, constituting the first batch of such immigrants to be sent back to their homes.

The immigrants were under detention in Cachar Central Jail in Assam since 2012 when they were detained by police.

They were handed over to Myanmar authorities at Moreh border post in Manipur, said the official, adding the procedure was completed by state authorities.

The deportation process was started after Myanmar diplomats confirmed to Indian authorities that the immigrants were residents of the Rakhine State, where Myanmarese forces had effected a crackdown on the Rohingya community forcing lakhs of them to flee to Bangladesh.

The seven immigrants -- identified as Md Jamal, Mohbul Khan, Jamal Hussain, Md Yonus, Sabir Ahmed, Rahim Uddin and Md Salam -- were apprehended on July 29, 2012 on the charge of violating the Foreigners Act. They are aged between 25 and 35 years, the official said.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea seeking a stay on the deportation of the seven illegal immigrants.
Imphal, Oct 4 : Seven Rohingya Muslims were on Thursday formally handed over by Indian authorities to Myanmar officials at Moreh in Manipur, in the wake of the Supreme Court's refusal to stay their deportation.

The seven men were arrested in Assam in 2012 for illegally entering India and have since served their six-year prison terms in Silchar district.

They were brought to Moreh from Assam by Assistant Commandant Sudashu Kumar posted with the paramilitary force in Assam. After completion of formalities, the seven persons were handed over to Aung Myo, Deputy Director of Immigration in Myanmar.

Following Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's directive, northeastern states sharing international borders with different countries in the region had tightened security to ensure that displaced Rohingya Muslims do not enter India.

Police sources said that several Rohingya immigrants were arrested at Moreh as well as Jiribam district bordering Assam, including Rohingya girls suspected to be victims of human trafficking.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea for a stay on the deportation of the seven Rohingya immigrants.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Sanjay Krishan Kaul and Justice K.M. Joseph dismissed the plea as the Centre said that Myanmar had accepted them as their citizens.

The Rohingya people are a minority Muslim community from the Rakhine state in Myanmar.
Abu Dhabi, Oct 4 : An Indian expatriate has hit a jackpot by winning 7 million dirhams in an Abu Dhabi raffle draw.

Mohammed Kunhi Mayyala, who hails from Kerala and is currently working as a salesman in the capital, was declared the latest winner of Big Ticket Abu Dhabi's "Super 7 Series" draw on Wednesday, the Gulf News reported.

Mayyala joins a long list of expatriates who turned multi-millionaires overnight after betting on the popular raffle draw. He said he was surprised to receive a call from the raffle organisers and initially thought it to be a prank.

"I could not believe it. I thought it's just a fake call but it was my lucky day," Mayyala said, adding that he will use part of the money for the treatment of his friend whose kidneys have failed.

He will spend rest of the money for renovating his house in Kerala and start a business, the report said.

The winner in September also hailed from India and won 12 million dirhams through the monthly jackpot draw.

Aside from Mayyala, seven other Big Ticket participants won a cash prize of 100,000 dirhams each. Four of the minor prize winners were from India, two from Pakistan and one was from Kenya.

Big Ticket is the largest and longest-running monthly raffle draw for cash prizes and luxury cars in Abu Dhabi.

According to data from two of the biggest raffle draws in the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket raffle and Dubai Duty Free's Millionaire Draw), Indian nationals prove to be the luckiest.
Thiruvananthapuram, October 04 : Even as the BJP Kerala unit vows to protest strongly against the supreme court verdict upholding the right of women of all ages to enter Sabarimala, party mouthpiece Janmabhumi on Thursday carried an article welcoming the landmark SC verdict.

The article penned by bharathiya vichara kendram deputy director R Sanjayan also denounces those raising the banner of protest against the apex court verdict, saying that the controversies being kicked up by some people to create confusion among the Hindu community on the issue of womens entry to Sabarimala were immaterial.

Entry of women of all ages into Sabarimala would not adversely affect the customs and traditions of the hill shrine, the article says, adding that the bar on womens entry was merely a custom followed over the years and it was neither based on dharman, thanthra shasthras nor rational.

The article has come as a further jolt to the BJP Kerala unit which has thrown its weight behind Hindu outfits protesting against the SC verdict.

The BJP in Kerala has been in a dilemma as to the way forward on the issue given that the RSS national leadership has favoured the entry of women of all ages into the hill shrine and welcomed the SC verdict.

RSS second-in-command Suresh Joshi, however, on Wednesday called upon stakeholders including spiritual and community leaders to come together and express their concerns to the temple authorities and also to evolve a consensus on the legal options available.

Reports suggest the RSS flip-flop on the issue came after pressure mounted on the organisation by right-wing groups affiliated to the sangh parivar.

BJP Kerala unit president P S Sreedharan Pillai on Thursday met several stakeholders including the Pandalam family to express solidarity with the agitation against the SC nod for womens entry to Sabarimala.

A constitution bench of the supreme court in a majority judgment last week upheld the right of women of all ages to worship in places of their choice, paving the way for women of menstrual age to enter Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala.
The worker, who appeared to be in his 20s, was not thought to be the intended target of the gunfire that erupted about 8:20 a.m. in the 5600 block of West Corcoran Place in the South Austin neighborhood, police said.
New Delhi, Oct 4 : Shortly after the central government announced a Rs 2.50 per litre cut on petrol and diesel prices, the Congress dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring the fuel prices back to the 2014 level instead of throwing a "pittance of one or two rupees" at the public.

Addressing mediapersons here, Congress spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala called the cut "a panic reaction in the face of public anger" ahead of assembly polls in four states.

Pointing out that the BJP-ruled states Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Rajasthan levy the highest value added tax (VAT) on petroleum products, he demanded that fuel be brought under the GST, whose tax slabs are much lower than the VAT levied in states.

Surjewala said that an RTI reply has revealed that the Modi government was selling petrol and diesel to several countries at less than half the price at which it was being sold in India. This showed that this government "is fleecing its own people."
Srinagar, Oct 4 : The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator, from whose residence eight weapons were stolen by a Special Police Officer (SPO) last Friday, alleged on Thursday that he is being harassed by the police.

SPO Adil Bashir had stolen seven AK-47 rifles and a pistol from the official residence of PDP legislator Ajaz Ahmad Mir in Jawahar Nagar area of Srinagar city.

Mir said in his Facebook page on Thursday: "Is this policing? How can a Munshi (policeman) of Rajbagh Police Station abuse a legislator in front of dozens of other policemen?"

He also said the policeman levelled serious allegations and accusations against his family as well.

"Is this how police probe things here, by humiliating even legislators and levelling baseless allegations?" Mir said.

The police have constituted a Special Investigating Team (SIT) headed by a Superintendent of Police to probe the arms loot at the legislator's residence.

Meanwhile, the SPO who stole the weapons appeared on a social networking site posing with Hizbul commander Zeenat-ul-Islam.

The weapons stolen were also displayed in the social media post.
Kolkata, Oct 4 : Boiron Laboratories, the Indian subsidiary of homeopathic medicines maker Boiron S.A. (France), is expanding its presence in the country and is in the process of registering its proprietary products, an official said here on Thursday.

"We had launched 480 medicines in July, 2017 and recently expanded our range introducing 150 high potency standardised homeopathic medicines in India. This expansion process will continue. We are in the process of registering our proprietary products," company's Managing Director Prashant Surana told reporters here.

The company is keen on introducing more brands in India, however, the main challenge is that "currently the branding of single-ingredient products is not allowed".

"This prevents Boiron from introducing many of the global brands such as Oscillococcinum, which is the bestselling homeopathy brand for cold and flu management around the world," he said.

"All the ailments can be covered but we will set our launching priorities based upon market needs with innovative dispensing forms," he said.

According to him, the market size for homeopathy medicines in India is currently over Rs 1,000 crore, which has been growing by 15-20 per cent annually.

For the first time, medicines from USFDA approved homeopathy manufacturing plants are available in sealed multidose tubes and single dosage tubes across India, the company claimed.

The homeopathy major is currently importing drugs from France and will evaluate setting up a plant in India as the market develops.

"At one point in time, local manufacturing will become a necessity and be beneficial for our overall development in India. This could be our first major investment, others could follow thereafter. We have good reasons to believe this could happen in the near future," said Michele Boiron, Director, Boiron France.

The homeopathy major has five production facilities, 20 distribution platforms and presence in 50 countries.
New Delhi/Chandigarh, Oct 4 : Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday urged the Centre for timely release of Cash Credit Limit (CCL) for the ongoing paddy procurement season in the state, following which Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan assured him of time-bound resolution of all pending issues.

The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution assured the Chief Minister of the immediate release of balance reimbursement of Rs 500 crore towards ID (infrastructure development) cess and purchase stock on wheat (2017-18), Amarinder Singh told the media in New Delhi after their meeting.

Punjab has sent a CCL proposal of Rs 40,300 crore to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the purchase of paddy in this Kharif season.

Punjab has set a target of procuring 200 lakh tonnes of paddy this season that began on October 1.

"While we are making every effort to ensure smooth procurement of paddy and early release of pending payments by the Ministry, the Food Corporation of India will help us make timely payments to farmers and minimise, if not fully eliminate, avoidable stress to them," the Chief Minister told Paswan.

The Chief Minister said that due to the Centre's alleged delay in taking decisions on the pending issues, Punjab was facing financial constraints to fill in the gap in the Food Cash Credit Account, which was likely to cause delay in sanctioning of CCL for ongoing paddy procurement.

The Chief Minister also raised the issue of smooth transportation of grain stored in Punjab and urged Paswan to direct the FCI to expedite such movement to enable creation of space for fresh arrivals.

He said that he would meet the Railways Minister and seek more trains to speed up the transportation of foodgrains outside the state.

Procurement of one lakh quintals of grain had already been done in Punjab this season, Amarinder Singh said.

He said that the state was hopeful of controlling the stubble-burning menace to an extent by providing machines/equipment to farmers on subsidised rates.

"The law to check the menace was already in place and action would be taken, as needed," he added.

'Green Revolution' state Punjab contributes 50 per cent of the foodgrains to the national kitty despite having just 1.54 per cent of the country's geographical area.
Copenhagen, Oct 4 : Dutch security services expelled four Russian intelligence officers in April over a cyber plot targeting the global chemical-weapons watchdog and an international probe into the downing of a passenger jet over Ukraine in 2014, officials here said on Thursday.

The Dutch government accused Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, of targeting the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague.

The OPCW has been probing the chemical attack on Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK. The allegations were part of an organised push-back against alleged Russian cyber attacks around the world, the BBC reported.

Hours earlier on Thursday, the UK, backed by Australia and New Zealand, blamed the GRU for carrying out a worldwide campaign of "malicious" cyber attacks on firms in Russia and Ukraine, US Democratic National Committee in 2016 and a small TV network in the UK.

The Netherlands summoned the Russian Ambassador for an explanation, reports said. Russia, on the other hand, called the accusations a "diabolical cocktail" of allegations.

Dutch officials outlined the alleged Russian operation at a joint Dutch-UK government news conference in The Hague.

Describing it "very worrying", Dutch Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld-Schouten said the four intelligence officers were expelled on April 13, the same day the plot was detected.

They had diplomatic passports and included two IT experts and two support agents, officials said. The head of Dutch counter-intelligence, Maj. Gen. Onno Eichelsheim, named them as hackers Alexei Morenetz and Yevgeny Serebriakov, and support agents Oleg Sotnikov and Alexei Minin.

According to Bijleveld-Schouten, the intelligence officers left belongings behind that also enabled the Dutch to discover that one of the agents' laptops had made connections to Brazil, Switzerland and Malaysia, trying to interfere with the investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

Addressing reporters, the Dutch counter-intelligence head gave a detailed description of what the four men were doing when their operation was disrupted.

He said that the agents arrived in the Netherlands on April 10, rented a car the following day and parked it in a hotel parking lot as close as possible to the OPCW headquarters.

They were scouting to hack into the OPCW's wifi network and the equipment in their car boot was pointed at the OPCW and was being used to intercept login details, he said.

On being intercepted, the men tried to destroy one of the mobile phones they were carrying.

Britain has blamed the GRU for the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a military-grade nerve agent in the English city of Salisbury on March 4.

UK investigators had also formally linked the attack on the Skripals to the June 30 poisoning of Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley, a couple living in Amesbury, near Salisbury. Sturgess died on July 8 after applying a substance to her wrists from a perfume bottle found by Rowley.

In September, British authorities released the names of two men -- Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov -- as suspects in Skirpals' poisoning. The UK called them GRU agents. However, Russia described the two suspects as civilians and said it found no evidence of their criminal activities.
Imphal, Oct 4 : India on Thursday deported to Myanmar seven Rohingya immigrants, who have been staying in Assam illegally since 2012, on their "willingness", constituting the first batch of such immigrants to be sent back to their homes.

The immigrants were handed over to Myanmar authorities in the afternoon at Moreh border post. They had entered Assam illegally and were detected and arrested in 2012. They served three months in detention in Cachar Central Jail and were subsequently lodged in a detention centre at Silchar.

Assistant Commandant Sudashu Kumar, posted with the paramilitary force in Assam, brought the immigrants to Moreh in Manipur and handed them over to Aung Myo, Deputy Director of Immigration in Myanmar, after completion of formalities.

"Upon reconfirming their willingness to be repatriated (on October 3, 2018), and with the full concurrence of the Government of Myanmar, in accordance with established procedures and laws, the Government of Assam has arranged for the repatriation of these seven individuals to Myanmar," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Kumar said the seven individuals from Rakhine State in Myanmar had been detained in 2012 for violation of the Foreigners Act and that the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Cachar at Silchar, Assam, had awarded a three-month sentence for this offence and ordered their detention pending repatriation.

In accordance with established procedures and with the assistance of the Ministry of External Affairs, the Myanmar Embassy was able to establish the identity of these individuals as residents of that country, said Kumar. The Myanmar government then issued "certificates of identity" to facilitate the travel of these individuals to their hometown in Rakhine State.

In parallel, the MEA Spokesperson said, the individuals also requested in 2016 that the Myanmar Embassy should issue them relevant travel documents to facilitate their return to their own country.

The deportation process was started after Myanmar diplomats confirmed to Indian authorities that the immigrants were residents of the Rakhine State, where Myanmarese forces had effected a crackdown on the Rohingya community forcing lakhs of them to flee to Bangladesh.

The seven immigrants -- identified as Md Jamal, Mohbul Khan, Jamal Hussain, Md Yonus, Sabir Ahmed, Rahim Uddin and Md Salam -- were apprehended on July 29, 2012. They are aged between 25 and 35 years, a Home Ministry official said.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea for a stay on the deportation of the seven illegal immigrants.

Following Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's directive, northeastern states sharing international borders with different countries had tightened security to ensure that displaced Rohingya Muslims do not enter India.

Police sources said that several Rohingya immigrants were arrested at Moreh as well as Jiribam district bordering Assam, including Rohingya girls suspected to be victims of human trafficking.

The Rohingya people are a minority Muslim community from the Rakhine state in Myanmar.
Brussels, Oct 4 : The European Commission on Thursday quoted ABBA lyrics to refer to the UK leaving the EU after the country's Prime Minister danced to one of the Swedish pop group's famous numbers during the annual Conservative Party conference.

Commission spokesperson Margaritis Schinas made reference to Theresa May's dance moves to "Dancing Queen" at a press conference after being asked a series of questions by a British journalist: "Voulez-vous a deal? Will you take a chance on May, or is she about to face her Waterloo? And will the winner take it all?"

"We appreciate the little dancing, it always takes two to tango," Schinas said, adding that "we prefer that the tune was 'Dancing Queen' rather than 'The Winner Takes it All'".

"What can I say, breaking up is never easy," he was cited as saying by Efe news, in reference to the 1977 ABBA's hit "Knowing Me, Knowing You".

Brexit negotiations are in a key phase, the final six months ahead of the UK's withdrawal on March 29, 2019, with agreements yet to be made on factors such as the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland or the future economic cooperation after that date.

The leaders of 27 EU members, not including the UK, would be reviewing the state of the negotiations at a working dinner at an upcoming summit on October 17.
Lucknow, Oct 4 : Sana Khan, the lone witness in last week's killing of Apple executive Vivek Tiwari by a police constable, recorded her statement before a magistrate on Thursday.

Khan expressed hope that the guilty would be punished.

"I have spoken what I had to in my statement and I am confident that the guilty will face the consequences of his act," she told the media.

In her statement before Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division Court) Anju Kanaujia, Khan recounted the sequence of events that led to Tiwari's killing in the state capital.

Last Saturday night, Tiwari had offered to drop Khan home after the launch party of Apple's new iPhone model X Plus. The executive's car was intercepted by two motorcycle-borne police constables, who asked them to stop and come out of the car.

Prashant Chowdhary, one of the constables, opened fire when Tiwari refused to stop the car.

Tiwari later died in Lohia Hospital due to the gunshot wound.
Jammu, Oct 4 : Indian and Pakistani troops on Thursday exchanged heavy fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir's Poonch district.

Defence sources said Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked shelling and firing on Indian positions, including civilian facilities, in the Gulpur sector of the LoC, the de factor border between the two countries.

"Pakistani troops are using automatics, small arms and mortars. Our positions are strongly and effectively retaliating," a source said.

"Heavy exchange of fire is going on in the area", the source added.
Panaji, Oct 4 : Congress on Thursday sought registration of cases against Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and his predecessor Laxmikant Parsekar for alleged illegality in granting and renewing mining leases in the state.

The Bharatiya Janata Pary government in the state allegedly hurriedly renewed 88 mining leases, before an amendment to an existing law made the auction route mandatory for allocation of mines, Goa Congress President Girish Chodankar told reporters. This, he alleged, caused losses to the state exchequer.

"The hurried renewals in 2014-2015 by successive BJP-led coalition governments, just before the Mineral and Mines Development and Regulation Act was amended to make auction mandatory, smacks of motives other than mineral development," Chodankar said after submitting a complaint against the duo to state police chief Muktesh Chander.

On Wednesday, the Congress filed a similar complaint with the state Chief Secretary, who is also the Chief Vigilance Officer, seeking registration of a First Information Report against Parrikar, Parsekar, and state government officials.

The Goa Lokayukta is probing a complaint filed by a local NGO Goa Foundation, which has alleged a Rs 1.44 lakh crore scam in the renewal of 88 mining leases. Former Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar is one of the accused.

Parsekar has denied any wrongdoing in the renewal process, claiming that the mining leases were renewed as per the policy.
Around 4:30 p.m., the victim was shot in the stomach in the 12000 block of South Michigan Avenue by a gunman in his late 20s, wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans, who the man didnt recognize.
Chennai, Oct 4 : The maiden joint exercise of Coast Guards of India and Vietnam was held on Thursday in the Bay of Bengal off the Chennai coast, a Defence Ministry statement said.

Three Indian Coast Guard ships, a Dornier aircraft and a Chetak helicopter participated in the exercise named "Sahyog HOP TAC -2018", apart from Sagar Manjusa vessel of National Institute of Ocean Technology.

The exercise focused on acquainting the two Coast Guards with each other's capabilities and strengthening their working relations to rescue humans at sea and further refine their joint operational procedures.

The exercise encompassed a scenario of hijacking of an oil tanker and subsequent rescue of its crew in a coordinated anti-piracy joint operation as well as preventive efforts for marine environment protection.

Interdiction of pirated vessels, coordinated joint boarding operation and external fire-fighting to salvage burning ships were the other highlights of the joint exercise.
New Delhi, Oct 4 : As the Centre on Thursday announced a Rs 2.50 per litre cut in petrol and diesel prices, the Congress dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring the fuel prices back to the 2014 level, instead of throwing a "pittance of one or two rupees" at the public.

The Congress also claimed that the Modi government was selling petrol and diesel to many foreign countries at less than half the prices at which these were sold in India.

Addressing the media here, Congress Spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala called the cut, as a result of reduction in excise duty, "a panic reaction in the face of public anger" ahead of Assembly polls in four states.

"Petrol and diesel in India is sold in the range of Rs 84 to Rs 90 and Rs 75 to Rs 80 respectively (Delhi and Mumbai) but an RTI reply has revealed that the Modi government is selling petrol to 15 countries at just Rs 34 per litre and selling diesel to 29 nations at a mere Rs 37," Surjewala said.

He said that the countries to which the fuel were being sold cheaper include the UK, Australia, Malaysia and Israel.

Pointing to the fact that the Modi government, ever since coming to power in May 2014, has increased central excise duty 12 times -- 211 per cent for petrol and 443 per cent for diesel -- the Congress leader accused the NDA regime of effecting a "fuel loot" totalling Rs 13 lakh crore.

"This price reduction is a panic reaction. If the government is serious, it should have withdrawn the excise hike of 211 per cent on petrol and 443 per cent on diesel levied since May 2014," he said.

He also claimed that Value Added Tax on fuel -- which contributed to high prices -- was the highest in BJP-ruled states like Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam, and Haryana, and questioned why the BJP was not getting VAT reduced in these states to give relief to the masses.

The opposition party also demanded to know why the government was not trying to control the skyrocketing prices of cooking gas.
New Delhi, Oct 4 : A 14-year-old was shot at here on Thursday when he was on way to a bank to deposit cash with his father. The child is out of danger and two men involved in the incident have been arrested, police said.

At around 2 p.m. the duo, residents of Delhi's Rohini area, were on their way to a bank to deposit Rs 3.5 lakh when two bike-borne men opened fire at the boy and attacked the father by throwing chilly powder in his eyes, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta said.

The boy was shot in his lower abdomen and was rushed to a hospital. He is out of danger now, he said.

The two accused -- Somveer (29) and Vikas (27) -- are from Haryana's Dadri and Sampla, respectively. A local pistol has been recovered from their possession, police said.
New Delhi, Oct 4 : The Supreme Court on Thursday refused protection from arrest to journalist Abhijit Iyer-Mitra who is faced with the prospects of arrest for making alleged derogatory remarks against Odisha's Konark Temple, Odisha culture and the lawmakers.

Declining his pleas for bail, a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice K.M. Joseph told the petitioner journalist: "You've incited religious feelings. How are you entitled to bail?"

When the counsel for the journalist told the bench that he was faced with threats and his life was in danger, CJI Gogoi said, "If your life is in danger, then what better place to stay than jail? Your life will be secure."

On September 16, Abhijit had posted a video on twitter in which he was seen criticising the Konark temple. Later, he went on making alleged defematory remarks against Odia culture.

The Odisha assembly Speaker had on September 28 constituted a House Committee to probe the alleged derogatory remarks against the state, its culture and the lawmakers by the journalist.

The committee headed by leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra has issued notice to Iyer-Mitra to appear personally before the panel on October 11 for breach of privilege as he also allegedly hurled abuses at Odisha legislators.
Chandigarh, Oct 4 : The opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday claimed an attack by miscreants on a cavalcade of party President Sukhbir Singh Badal and blamed the ruling Congress and police for the incident.

In a statement here, former Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa and other SAD leaders said: "The attack showed how desperate the Congress had become to forestall the people's movement built by the SAD which was now taking the ruling party to task and exposing its zero performance as well as zero fulfillment of promises made to the people of Punjab. The attack was carried out by the Congress in league with the police to browbeat the SAD and is a blatant attempt to disrupt the party's October 7 rally in Patiala."

Dhindsa alleged that the attack occurred after the SAD President had addressed a meeting in Sangrur. He claimed it was planned and executed with the help of Punjab Police.

He said that a handful of protesters standing beside a road were outnumbered by police present at the spot but the latter did not stop them and instead let them attack the cavalcade of Badal, who is a former Deputy Chief Minister.

The Akali leader said that the attack was a direct fallout of the success of SAD rallies in Abohar and Faridkot.

"First, the Congress announced it will not let the SAD leaders enter villages. However, when the party held successful rallies one after the other the Congress got unnerved and started hatching conspiracies against the SAD. It tried to disrupt the Faridkot rally. Now it has replicated the same strategy in Sangrur," the SAD leader said.
Dhaka, Oct 4 : A High Court division bench in Bangladesh on Thursday asked the government to immediately send jailed former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to a hospital in the capital for treatment.

Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil ordered the government authorities to commence the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson's treatment at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), a government-run medical university cum hospital.

The judges also asked the authorities to form a fresh medical team to examine Khaleda's health conditions, bdnews24.com reported.

She was sentenced to five years in jail on February 8 for embezzling donations to the Zia Orphanage Trust. Since then, the former Premier has been kept at the old Dhaka central jail.

The court's order came following a writ petition filed by Khaleda on September 9 seeking its directive to send her to a specialised hospital for her treatment.

It said that Khaleda can choose a physiotherapist, a gynaecologist, a technician and a physician outside BSMMU for her treatment subject to the approval from the medical team, according to the report.

The BNP held a rally in Dhaka on Sunday, demanding Khaleda's release before the national election slated for December.
New Delhi, Oct 4 : The centre on Thursday asked Punjab government to fully implement Public Financial Management System (PFMS) for disbursement of subsidy under National Food Security Act for second and third quarter 2018.

At a meeting between Punjab CM Amarinder Singh with Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan, the state was advised to submit the bills in proper format.

"The state has been advised to implement Public Financial Management System (PFMS) fully as per a directive of Ministry of Finance and ensure use of Expenditure Advance and Transfer Module by implementing agencies," the ministry said.

According to the ministry, Rs 796.33 crores have been released to the state for the Financial Year 2017-18.

In the meeting Paswan said that due to issues with the submitted advance subsidy claim provided by Punjab to the Ministry, the claims could not be processed.

The Punjab CM also demanded expediting pending payments on other three issues as well -- infrastructure development cess and Purchase Tax on wheat (2017-18) stocks in hand as on June 30, 2017; custody and maintenance charge for paddy; and charges for wheat stored in cover and plinth.

During the meeting, Singh also requested for reimbursement of custody and maintenance charges on the storage of wheat in open plinths from the year 2007-08.
New Delhi, Oct 4 : The decision to cut fuel prices on Thursday was taken after high-level consultations involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and three of the senior cabinet ministers including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Informed sources said the Prime Minister discussed the issue with Shah and Jaitley beside Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal ahead of the Wednesday's cabinet meeting. This was followed by another round of discussions with Jaitley, Pradhan and Goyal after the cabinet meeting.

Hailing the government's decision to cut petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre, BJP President Amit Shah said the decision shows the government's sensitivity towards people's welfare.

"The central government has taken another decision in the interest of the people so that they can get relief. We welcome this decision and thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of the people and BJP workers. By taking such a decision the Prime Minister has shown the sensitiveness of the government towards people," he told reporters.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the people will get a total relief of Rs 5 at the earliest as the Centre has asked states to effect an equal amount of tax cut in the oil prices.

With assembly elections due shortly in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, where the BJP has high stakes, the decision assumes significance, coming as it does a day after the Union Cabinet hiked the minimum support price for rabi crops.
New Delhi, Oct 4 : After the government announced a Rs 2.50 per litre price cut on petrol and diesel, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday described it as "tokenism" saying the government had belatedly realised the "unbearable burden" on people.

"An oil revenue dependent government has belatedly realised the unbearable burden on the people and indulged in tokenism," he said in a tweet.

Earlier, the Congress demanded petrol and diesel to be brought under GST calling the cut "a panic reaction in the face of public anger" ahead of assembly polls in four states.

In a relief to consumers hit hard by the unrelenting rise in fuel prices, the government on Thursday cut petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2.50 per litre.

Following the Centre's decision, many BJP-ruled states followed suit and cut the tax on the fuels by an equivalent amount.
New Delhi, Oct 4 : The 46th edition of Cervantino International Festival, to be held in Mexico, will see India participating as a guest of honour, with an elaborate programme of performing arts, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Director General said here in a press conference on Thursday.

The festival, started in 1953 with a focus on theatre, had India participating regularly since 1979.

However, it will be India's first time as a guest of honour country, ICCR's Director General Riva Ganguly Das said in her brief.

The nearly three-week long festival will kick off on October 10 in the heritage city of Guanajuato in Mexico. It will conclude on October 28.

The cultural festival is named after the great Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes -- called the "Spanish equivalent of William Shakespeare" by Mexican Embassy's ChargA d'affaires Armando Vivanco Castellanos.

Das also said that the festival will see a Kathakali performance on one of the major literary works of Cervantes, "Don Quixote".

In the dance category, the participating groups are the Danceworx (contemporary), Malavika Sarukkai Group (Bharatanatyam) and Manipuri Jagoi Marup Group (Manipuri).

Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan (Sitar), Rashmi Agarwal (Sufi and devotional), OzoneRaaga (fusion) and Samandar Khan Manganiar (Rajasthani Folk) will participate under music category.

Adishakti, Meher The Troupe and The Margi will participate in the theatre category.

The festival, apart from performing arts, will also host activities around food, film, yoga, art and photography, among others.

A notable exhibition of lensman Amit Pasricha's "The Sacred India" will show Indian devotional spaces in photographs. It will run along the length of the larger festival.

ICCR will also donate a sculptural bust of Mahatma Gandhi, created by renowned sculptor Ram Sutar, to the Municipality of Guanajuato.
When Gaffney started hearing shots, he was to the back of the Burger King and did not see any of the shooting and anything that happened on the street, according to his grand jury testimony. Gaffney also told the grand jury he did not see McDonald threaten death or bodily injury to any person in his presence and never personally felt at risk of death or serious injury from McDonald, according to the filing.
Mumbai, Oct 4 : The new Board of debt-stricken IL&FS is in the process of assessing the company's financial situation and is deliberating on various viable solutions to restore solvency, a Board member said on Thursday, even as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government is determined to ensure that the company's insolvency issue is contained quickly to prevent further adverse impact.

Addressing the media, after the new Board's first meeting here on Thursday, Uday Kotak, MD & CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank, who has been appointed as the Non-Executive Chairman of the company by the Central government, said all options are being looked at to salvage the financial position of IL&FS.

He further said that the Board will meet again to decide on the best way to implement the roadmap laid out by the NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal).

"This is a process which is under NCLT process, which is a process independent of...at this stage, in terms of having more detailed discussion with the shareholders.....we will be talking to the shareholders at an appropriate time."

Without ruling out options like sale of assets and rights issues, Kotak refuted comparisons being made between IL&FS and the IT major Satyam that went bust nearly a decade ago.

"This is a very complex company...one has to keep that in mind and it is a financial market intermediary but also in the real world space. Therefore there are significant financial market challenges which make it a little different from directly comparing with the Satyam situation," he said.

The meeting comes days after the Central government superseded the management of the beleaguered company via a NCLT order and appointed a six-member board led by Kotak to restore its financial solvency.

Key public sector lenders and undertakings such as LIC and SBI have a 25.34 per cent and 6.42 per cent stake, respectively, in the firm which has around Rs 91,000 crore in long-term debt.

As per some industry estimates, the company has an urgent liquidity requirement of around Rs 5,000 crore.

Lately, the credit crunch has led a few of the company's subsidiaries to default in servicing some of the inter-corporate deposits.

Subsequent to defaults, rating agency ICRA downgraded the ratings of its short-term and long-term borrowing programmes.

Earlier on Thursday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters in New Delhi that there had been "significant impact" on the capital market on account of the contagion effect of the IL&FS problem which had prompted the government to replace the Board.

"The government is determined to make sure that since this is an internal factor to India, this should be contained quickly so that no adverse impact of it is left," he said.

IL&FS Ltd is a core investment company and serves as the holding company of the IL&FS Group, with most business operations domiciled in separate companies which form an ecosystem of expertise across infrastructure, finance and social and environmental services.

Initially promoted by the Central Bank of India (CBI), Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd and the Unit Trust of India, IL&FS was incorporated in 1987.

Over the years, it has inducted institutional shareholders including SBI, LIC, ORIX Corp of Japan and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).

As on March 31, 2018, LIC and ORIX Corp are the largest shareholders in IL&FS with their stakeholding at 25.34 per cent and 23.54 per cent, respectively. Other prominent shareholders include ADIA (12.56 per cent), HDFC (9.02 per cent), CBI (7.67 per cent) and SBI (6.42 per cent).
New Delhi, Oct 4 : Former BJP Minister Arun Shourie and Supreme Court Advocate Prashant Bhushan on Thursday demanded that the CBI file a case against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for alleged abuse of public office causing undue benefit worth "tens of thousands of crores" to a crony capitalist in the Rafale jet fighter deal.

The complaint, handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation Director Alok Kumar Verma, was made in relation to an alleged scam in the purchase of 36 fighter jets from the French manufacturer Dassault Aviation.

The duo also demanded that an FIR, under the Prevention of Corruption Act, be filed against the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, and industrialist Anil Ambani, whose Reliance Aerostructure Limited (RAL) was chosen under the deal as the offset partner, "for conspiring with the Prime Minister".

The complaint accused Modi of securing "undue benefit" of about Rs one lakh crore to the private company by "unilaterally cancelling the deal" struck earlier, and compelling the French defence company to choose the Indian firm in question as the offset partner.

They also charged Modi with keeping the other "public servants", including the then Defence Secretary and Defence Minister, in the dark about the changes in the deal.
New Delhi, Oct 4 : The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday held Bharatiya Janata Party responsible for "instigating" the EDMC sanitation workers to protest in front of his residence and said he would "directly talk" with the protesters and reveal the truth.

Since September 12, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation's (EDMC)sanitation workers have been on strike and on Thursday they protested at Delhi Chief Minister's residence demanding the Aam Aaadmi Party's government release pending salaries, pensions and clear arrears in their corporation.

Hours after the protesters clashed with police, Kejriwal tweeted: "Sanitation workers are protesting outside my house. The BJP has instigated them by telling lies. I am going to talk to them directly and will tell them the truth. Will put all the facts before them and Delhi.

"I am very concerned about the cleanliness of Delhi. The BJP government at centre and also at Municipal Corporation of Delhi have completely disturbed the cleanliness here" he said.

The Delhi Chief Minister further said he was concerned about the problems faced by the sanitation workers.

"In every two months, they have to strike work to take their salaries" he agreed.

The sanitation workers were on strike for 23 days for which residents were facing the brunt of the garbage strewn across East Delhi in areas like Pandav Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Karkardooma and other areas.

On similar demands, since 2015 the sanitation workers of the EDMC have gone on strike eight times.
New Delhi, Oct 4 : The Delhi government on Thursday rejected the requests for early release of convicts in murder cases of Jessica Lal, Priyadarshini Mattoo and Naina Sahni.

Jessica Lal murder convict Manu Sharma, Priyadarshnini Mattoo's rapist and killer Santosh Singh, and Sushil Sharma -- convicted in the tandoor murder case -- were among 86 cases which approached the government for early release and were denied permission.

Delhi government's Sentence Review Board (SRB), in a meeting headed by Home Minister Satyendar Jain, recommended 22 convicts for release on completion of their sentences.

"The SRB recommended 22 convicts for release on completion of their sentences and rejected 86 cases. The rejected cases include the three high-profile convicts, government sources said.

Santosh Singh was convicted in the rape and murder of DU student Priyadarshini Mattoo in 1996. He was convicted in 2006 and sentenced to death but the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2010 by the Supreme Court.

Manu Sharma was convicted in 2006 in Jessica Lal murder case and awarded life imprisonment and Sushil Sharma's death penalty was commuted to life imprisonment in 2013.
New Delhi, Oct 4 : An eatery shop owner was robbed and shot at by two unknown masked attackers who escaped with Rs 50 thousand cash in south Delhi, police said on Thursday.

The incident occurred on Monday night when the victim identified as Mohammad Faiyaz had gone at a non-vegetarian eatery shop to help his cousin, Mohammad Ahsad who is also a co-owner of the shop located in Ghitorni area, police said.

"Ahsad has said in his statement that a attacker wearing white shirt and a pollution mask came at the eatery shop while he was counting the cash. He threatened me and my cousin to hand the entire cash while pointing the gun on my head. When I refused to give him money, he fired one bullet which hit the shoulder of Faiyaz," the FIR said.

"The accused took the entire cash and escaped with his accomplice who was waiting for him on a bike," it said.

"Faiyaz is undergoing treatment at AIIMS Trauma centre," a senior police officer said, adding that the incident was captured in a CCTV footage, and that efforts are on to nab the culprits.
New Delhi, Oct 4 : Far from being impressed by the Rs 2.50 per litre cut in petrol and diesel prices by the Narendra Modi government on Thursday, the opposition called the move a "panic reaction" and a hogwash, and demanded greater reduction in fuel prices.

The Congress dared the Prime Minister to bring the fuel prices back to the 2014 level, instead of throwing a "pittance of one or two rupees" at the public.

Announcing the price cut in the afternoon, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said of the Rs 2.50, Rs 1.50 per litre will be the excise duty cut while the oil marketing companies will absorb Re 1 per litre.

Pointing out that the Modi government, ever since coming to power in May 2014, has increased central excise duty 12 times -- 211 per cent for petrol and 443 per cent for diesel, party Spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala accused the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime of effecting a "fuel loot" totalling Rs 13 lakh crore.

"This price reduction is a panic reaction. If the government is serious, it should have withdrawn the excise hike of 211 per cent on petrol and 443 per cent on diesel levied since May 2014," he said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the Centre should slash fuel prices by "at least Rs 10 per litre" and also withdraw the cess on petroleum products.

"This government at the Centre is not bothered about the well-being of the massesA The Centre should also withdraw the cess on petroleum products. The increase in fuel prices has a spiralling effect on the prices of essential commodities," she said.

Calling the excise duty cut on fuel as "cheating", Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, too, demanded a Rs 10 per litre excise duty roll back on petrol and diesel.

"Modi government had hiked excise duty by Rs 10 and reduced it by only Rs 2.50 today. This is cheating. The Centre should reduce excise by Rs 10," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the Thursday's price cut has exposed the government claim that it has no control over fuel prices.

"Today the government's lie that it has no control over price rise has been nailed. The profiteering BJP is exploiting the public by working on the formula of 'hike Rs 25, cut Rs 2.50'," Yadav tweeted.

He said that the government "stages a drama" of reducing oil prices near election, and added that now even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s supporters are "feeling cheated" by their own government.
Guwahati, Oct 4 : Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday said he would write to his Maharashtra counterpart objecting to a school textbook describing Assam's eminent 'forest man' Jadav Payeng as a 'nomad'.

Sonowal's conveyed his views to a Mising community delegation and assured the members that he would write to the Maharashtra government to register Assam's reservation.

Responding to the delegation's viwes that the community should be described as 'Mising' instead of 'Miri' in government documents, Sonowal said he would consider the demand.

Sonowal also assured the delegation that the government would conduct a land survey soon of the Mising inhabited areas. The meeting also discussed fund allocation in the Mising Autonomous Council areas.
Ramallah, Oct 5 : Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki has slammed the US for withdrawing from two international accords.

"Pulling out from the international accords is an escape that will not absolve it (the US) of legal accountability," al-Malki said on Thursday in a press statement, Xinhua reported.

"The US decision reaffirms again the disrespect of the administration of President Donald Trump for international law and the international law-based order," he added.

Al-Malki affirmed that the Palestinian leadership will continue defending the rights of its people against the ongoing Israeli aggression and those who back it in accordance to the international law.

He called on the international community to confront "these reckless attitudes, which threaten the world order and international peace and security."

On Wednesday, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said Trump "has decided that the US will withdraw from the Optional Protocol on Dispute Resolution to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations".

On the same day, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran.

The US move came after a Palestinian complaint last month to the International Court of Justice against the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and transferring its embassy to the disputed holy city on May 14.
Austral Bricks has divested two adjoining industrial land parcels in Riverwood in a $41 million sale and leaseback deal.

The properties at 62 Belmore Road and 111 Bonds Road were sold to a private buyer.

The buildings occupy 90,466 square metres, split across two titles.

Austral has committed to a partial leaseback of 13,263 square meters for a 10-year term with a five-year option.

CBREs Ryan Jennings and Jason Edge inked the sale and negotiated the partial leaseback.

Edge said the site held potential for redevelopment and asset repositioning.

The property is one of the south-west markets largest infill holdings and, thanks to the size and lexibility of the asset, options for use are many and varied, Edge said.

Jennings said owner occupiers and tenants had been migrating down the M5 from South Sydney.

Owners and occupiers are targeting opportunities in Riverwood ahead of the long-awaited Belmore Road motorway ramps, he said.

Expected to open in 2019, the two east-facing ramps will offer Riverwood direct access to the M5 South West Motorway  a $32 million project, over 20 years in the making.

Overall, we have seen more purchasers seeking to invest in the Riverwood area, where they have previously not been looking.

The deal was struck following a competitive Expressions of Interest campaign, which had amassed 11 offers at the close of round one  underscoring the increased activity in the area.
The final two government-owned Millers Point properties are set to go under the hammer.

The marketing for the properties at 65 and 69 Lower Fort Street has commenced, with an auction date scheduled for November 3.

Split over four levels, the terraces date to circa 189 and are heritage listed.

The last remaining properties in the Millers Point program are expected to attract strong interest due to their size, location and heritage significance.

So far, $513 million worth of properties have been offloaded by McGrath since the Millers Point Sales Program began in 2014.

The properties are being marketed by McGraths Lorraine Crawford and Peter Starr of McGrath Edgecliff.

Crawford said they offered an opportunity to purchase an original home of rich architectural heritage in a unique part of Sydney

They offer a restoration opportunity that will reward buyers with an enviable lifestyle in a highly sought-after location, she said.

Millers Point continues to evolve as a fashionable address, attracting a diverse range of buyers from home owners to investors.

Previous purchasers have recently completed their renovations and the precinct has developed a real sense of community as owner occupiers appreciate the attractive lifestyle of living in such a special part of the city.

65 Lower Fort Street, Millers Point, NSW (pictured above)

Guide $2,600,000 - $2,800,000

69 Lower Fort Street, Millers Point, NSW (pictured above)

Guide $2,600,000 - $2,800,000
Under Illinois law, first-degree murder is defined, in part, as intending to kill or do great bodily harm to another  knowing that act would cause death  without lawful justification. In plainspoken terms, the prosecution does not need to prove the shooting was premeditated to win a conviction on first-degree murder. Instead, it must prove that Van Dyke intended to kill or do great bodily harm to McDonald when he fired his gun or that he knew shooting McDonald could create a strong probability of death or great bodily harm. But whether he did so in self-defense can be a mitigating factor in the jurys decision.
EXPERT OBSERVATION

Australia is moving through the peak of an unprecedented boom in apartment construction.

Over the twelve months ending March 2018 there were almost 97,000 medium to high density dwellings that completed construction across Australia; a year earlier there were 105,300 projects that finished construction (84% higher than the decade average).

As at March of this year there were still 155,275 medium to high density projects still under construction.

The majority of this construction work has been centered around the inner city areas of our largest capital cities, so it shouldnt come as a surprise that population densities have surged higher across many inner city areas of our largest cities.

Based on an analysis of population data at the SA2 level (an SA2 region is a standard geographical classification roughly the size of a suburb in the cities or a town in regional areas), the highest density area in Australia is now Melbourne.

45,231 people reside within the 2.4 square kilometre area, equating to a population density of just over 19,100 people per square kilometre.

The population of the area has increased from 7,644 in 2001  an increase of almost 500% over 16 years.

Apartment values in the area are relatively low with a median of $444,000, providing a relatively low cost entry point to a housing market located right in the middle of one of Australias largest working populations.

Back in 2001, the Melbourne SA2 region ranked 114th in the country with a population of only 3,229 and a population density of 7,644 persons per square kilometre.

Potts Point  Woolloomooloo showed the highest population density, followed by Surry Hills.

In fact, back in 2001, the top 12 areas of highest population density were all located in Sydney, with St Kilda East recording the highest population density outside of Sydney (6,259 people per square kilometre).

The 20 most densely populated areas of Australia are all confined to Sydney and Melbourne. Fifteen of the top 20 areas are in Sydney and five are in Melbourne.

While high density living may not be everyones cup of tea, it makes sense for many, especially for students and young professionals who work and play in and around the city centre.

Focusing on the Melbourne SA2 area again, two thirds of the resident population are aged between 20 and 34, with the most significant age group being 20-24 year olds (31% of the population).

High density living generally involves less time commuting, lower housing prices and plenty of choice for amenities.

Of course there are going to some downsides to high density living, like the potential for noise pollution, tight living spaces, elevator congestion at peak times, overcrowded or poorly maintained communal areas and limited access to green space.

The latest small area population numbers from the ABS are already a year old, and, considering the record number of apartments under construction across Australia, our inner city areas are going to increase in density further from here.

Densification makes sense from a town planning perspective  it reduces urban sprawl and the necessity to continually invest in transport infrastructure linking the outer fringes of the cities.

From a livability perspective, some people will thrive in a high density environment, while others will crave the peace and quiet of the burbs. Lucky Australia has such as broad range of housing options.

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TIM LAWLESS heads up the CoreLogic RP Data research and analytics team and can be contacted here.
A recent report from the School Effectiveness and Inequality Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology examines the consequences that followed from an expansion in the number of charter school places available for enrollment.

Professor Clive Belfield of Queens College, City University of New York, reviewed Fiscal and Education Spillovers from Charter School Expansion and found that it provides important, high-quality evidence on the impacts of expanding charter schools, at least under relatively restrictive conditions.

The study uses data from Massachusetts, where charter school growth has been carefully managed and where there was significant excess demand for charter school places. In 2011, the state increased the cap on enrollments for charter schools located in school districts with low test scores, resulting in an increase in charter school enrollment in some of these districts. The paper analyzes three outcomes: (a) changes across charter and non-charter public schools in funding (how much resource was available per student), (b) resource allocation (how schools spent their funds), and (c) achievement (how well students performed on academic tests).

The paper reaches three key findings. First, due to a subsidy provided by Massachusetts law, per-pupil expenditures in the impacted public schools increased as charter schools expanded. Second, these districts appeared to respond to competitive pressures from charter schools by moving funding toward inputs directly related to instruction. Third, test scores in math and English language arts in the existing public schools increased very slightly. Yet all three of these impacts disappear after six years of initial charter school expansion.

The paper affirms a two-part consensus from past studies on the economic and academic impacts of charter schooling. First, the flows of public funds to charter and public schools are complex, idiosyncratic, and variable. These features make economic evaluation of charter schooling very difficult. Second, the academic influence of competition between charter schools and public schools is small and, in this case, positive. This second finding suggests that expanding charter schools, at least under the relatively restrictive conditions that existed in Massachusetts, will have a benign effect on the overall education system. However, because of the first finding, it is extremely difficult to determine how cost-effective or equitable such expansions might be.

Professor Belfield concludes that the research paper is a rigorous and intensive examination of the fiscal and educational consequences of increased enrollments in charter schools in Massachusetts. It serves as a benchmark against which other charter school studies might be compared, to explore whether results from Massachusetts are similar to those in different states and contexts.

Find the review, by Clive Belfield, at:

http://nepc.colorado.edu/thinktank/review-charter-spillover

Find Fiscal and Education Spillovers from Charter School Expansion, written by Matt Ridley and Camille Terrier and published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at:

https://seii.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SEII-Discussion-Paper-2018.02-Ridley-Terrier.pdf

Find Documents:

Publication Announcement: https://nepc.info/node/9429

NEPC Review: https://nepc.colorado.edu/thinktank/review-charter-spillover

Report Reviewed: https://seii.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SEII-Discussion-Paper-2018.02-Ridley-Terrier.pdf

NEPC Reviews (http://thinktankreview.org) provide the public, policymakers, and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. NEPC Reviews are made possible in part by support provided by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice: http://www.greatlakescenter.org

The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. Visit us at: nepc.colorado.edu
Dan and Jonathan have followed different career paths to become key contributors to core components of our business.

Altman Vilandrie & Company, a strategy consulting firm focused on the communications, media and related technology sectors, recently promoted Jonathan Arscott and Dan Huntington to principal. Arscott and Huntington advise the firms Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT) sector and private equity clients on a range of business and technology strategy issues.

Dan and Jonathan have followed different career paths to become key contributors to core components of our business, said Altman Vilandrie & Company COO Steve Conway. Jonathans global experience in video and telecom helps expand our reach with clients across the globe, and Dan provides clients with the tools and data to make critical network deployment decisions.

At Altman Vilandrie & Company, Arscott has worked with global TMT companies on critical business issues, including corporate strategy, go-to-market planning, competitive analysis and market entry. His areas of expertise include consumer and enterprise wireline businesses, wireless, data infrastructure and OTT video. Arscott joined Altman Vilandrie & Company in 2016 and is based in the firms New York City office.

A citizen of the United Kingdom, Arscott began his career at strategy consultancies and financial services firms in Europe and Australia. Immediately before coming to Altman Vilandrie & Company, he worked for TMT strategy consulting firm Solon in the United Kingdom. Arscott earned his MBA from INSEAD in France, and his Bachelors and Masters degrees from Nottingham University in the United Kingdom.

Huntingtons expertise focuses on residential and enterprise network deployment strategy across legacy, fiber and 5G/fixed wireless networks. He works with clients to improve the accuracy of network planning while cutting time to deployment. Huntington has been a key contributor to the development of Altman Vilandrie & Companys ARO platform, the industry-leading network planning tool that helps telecom clients understand the full investment case of network deployments, from build-out costs to revenue across business units. ARO has been adopted by leading providers in U.S. and Europe.

Huntington joined Altman Vilandrie & Company as an intern in 2010, and became a consultant in 2011 after earning his Bachelors Degree in Statistics from the University of Vermont. He works out of the firms Boston headquarters.

About Altman Vilandrie & Company

Altman Vilandrie & Company is a strategy consulting group that focuses on the telecom, media, technology and investor sectors. The companys consultants are experienced in strategy, marketing, finance, M&A, technology, regulatory and operations disciplines. Based in Boston, with offices in New York City and San Francisco, Altman Vilandrie & Company enables clients to seize new opportunities, navigate mounting challenges, improve business performance, and increase investor value within complex and converging industries.

Ninety percent of the boutique firms operator clients are large- to mid-cap companies including service providers, technology and software developers, and media companies. Altman Vilandrie & Companys financial clients include many of the largest and most prominent investors in the telecom, media and technology markets.

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After 26 years on Wall Street, I was ready to invest in my own business, says Dombrower. Once I learned more about Anagos Master Franchise model and the ability to provide people in my community with business ownership opportunities, I was sold.

Anago Cleaning Systems (Anago), an industry-leading commercial cleaning franchise with over 40 Master Franchise locations and over 1,500 Unit Franchises throughout the U.S. and internationally, is pleased to announce its newest Long Island, New York Master Franchise Owner, Steve Dombrower. The office is located at 270 Spagnoli Road, Suite #107, Melville NY 11747 and will serve the greater Long Island area.

Steves strong background in finance and product development will help him grow his territory quickly, says Adam Povlitz, President of Anago Cleaning Systems. Were excited to see how many people he may impact by providing them Unit Franchise opportunities in the Long Island area, Povlitz adds.

Dombrower has worked in the financial services field for over 26 years. Formerly, Dombrower worked for OppenheimerFunds, Inc., a leading national investment manager and for Ascensus, one of the largest independent retirement and college savings services providers in America. After spending nearly three decades managing and directing sales, marketing, product development, and investment management for financial firms, Dombrower decided to become a business owner and invest in an Anago Master Franchise.

After 26 years on Wall Street, I was ready to invest in my own business, says Dombrower. Once I learned more about Anagos Master Franchise model and the ability to provide people in my community with business ownership opportunities, I was sold.

Dombrower received his B.S. in Business with a concertation in Finance from The State University of New York at Albany. He also earned his MBA from Adelphi University in Long Island, New York. While he isnt busy growing his newest franchise, Dombrower enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.

To explore Master franchise opportunities with Anago, contact Judy Walker, Vice President of Marketing, at 800-213-5857 or judy@anagocleaning.com or visit http://www.AnagoMasters.com.

About Anago Cleaning Systems

Anago Cleaning Systems is a commercial cleaning franchise system supporting over 40 Master Franchises and over 1,500 Unit Franchisees in the U.S. and internationally. After years of refining procedures and creating duplicable systems created in his large commercial cleaning service, David Povlitz founded Anago in 1989 to help other entrepreneurs open their cleaning businesses. Today, its program sets the standard worldwide in commercial cleaning. Anago was ranked in the Top 100 and #2 best commercial cleaning franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine for their 2018 Franchise 500 ranking. Additionally, Anago was ranked the #1 Janitorial Franchise by FranchiseRankings.com in 2018 and ranked by Franchise Business Review as one of the best franchises in Franchisee satisfaction for 11 consecutive years. Inc. Magazine has also listed Anago as one of the top privately-held companies in the U.S. For further information, visit its website at http://www.AnagoMasters.com.
APCON, a leading provider of intelligent network visibility and security solutions, today announced that it has been recognized as the Most Innovative Network Packet Broker by Cyber Defense Magazine.

Cyber Defense Magazine spent six months searching the globe to find the most innovative and cutting-edge cyber security companies for our Cyber Defense 2018 Global Awards, said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher, Cyber Defense Magazine. APCON won this award for Most Innovative Network Packet Broker because it is an innovator on a mission to help stop breaches and get one step ahead of the next threat, proactively.

APCONs extensive line of next-generation visibility solutions provide enhanced network insights for security and performance monitoring. With APCON, organizations can confidently accelerate ongoing digital transformation initiatives by creating an end-to-end visibility fabric that enables advanced monitoring, securing and analysis of hybrid applications and infrastructures.

We are honored to be recognized as the Most Innovative Network Packet Broker, said Richard Rauch, president and CEO of APCON. For over 25 years, APCON has provided superior network monitoring while also supporting traffic analysis and streamlined network management and security for companies around the world. This award reaffirms our commitment to remaining on the forefront of technology and producing reliable network visibility solutions.

For more information on APCONs leading network visibility solutions, please visit http://www.apcon.com.

About Cyber Defense Magazine

With over 1.2 Million annual readers and growing, Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of IT Security information. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and limited print editions exclusively for the RSA conferences for our USA editions and our Global editions at the IPEXPO Europe and to our paid print-edition subscribers. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. Learn more about us at http://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com

About APCON

For more than 25 years, APCON has consistently delivered smart, stable and scalable technology solutions that provide an unparalleled level of confidence to organizations seeking total visibility and security of physical, private and public cloud networks. With customers around the world, APCON provides adaptable and flexible solutions to organizations ranging from midsize companies to Fortune 100 enterprises. APCON assures superior network monitoring while supporting traffic analysis and streamlined network management and security. For more information, visit us at http://www.apcon.com.
Fires can happen anywhere. Fire Prevention Week, originally proclaimed by President Calvin Coolidge in 1925, promotes safety tips on how to stay safe in case of a fire. Fire Prevention Week is the longest-running public health observance in the USA and it takes place from October 7-13 every year. During this time, firefighters provide public education in an effort to drastically decrease fatalities caused by fires. When it comes to fires, mere seconds can make the difference between a saving lives and suffering through a tragedy. Its important to be equipped with the proper materials, in case youre ever in the presence of a fire.

The Fireman by Home First is an easy-to-use fire suppression device for all ages. NRTL tested and approved, The Fireman smothers and suffocates all four types of fires: grease, gas, electric, or fabric. The Fireman is compact, making it easy to store and take with you when you travel. Whether it's putting out fires at a moments notice or before you go to sleep, The Fireman is great for preventative measures. Plus, The Fireman discharges four times longer than a traditional fire extinguisher.

The Fireman can save lives, says David Reizian, President of Home First. Its important for us to spread the word about The Fireman, so we can prevent future disasters for families and friends. Working with AsSeenOnTV.pro has helped us broaden our audience and make a life changing difference in various lives.

The Fireman is revolutionary, says Lisa Vrancken, Vice President of Business Development at AsSeenOnTV.pro. We couldnt be happier to be working with David and promoting The Fireman, especially during Fire Prevention Week.

As part of its DRTV campaign with AsSeenOnTV.pro, The Fireman will be appearing in 60 second spots set to air nationwide and feature the original Shark himself, Kevin Harrington. AsSeenOnTV.pro is comprised of an award-winning team of producers, writers, videographers, and editors as well as industry veterans dedicated to finding the latest, most innovative products and ideas, and putting them on the DRTV map.

About AsSeenOnTV.pro

Headquartered in South Florida, AsSeenOnTV.pro is a full-service production, branding, and marketing company that specializes in direct response television, short- and long-form commercials, and brand building. Based out of a 25,000+ sq ft, state-of-the-art studio, the companys creative team handles every aspect of production from script to screen to airing. For nearly two decades, AsSeenOnTV.pros veteran staff of writers, producers, videographers, and editors has amassed more than 50 Telly Awards, thousands of prestigious clients, and over $20 million in television placements.

About Kevin Harrington

As the inventor of the infomercial, founder of As Seen on TV, and one of the original Sharks on Shark Tank, Kevin Harrington has worked with some of the worlds biggest celebrities and launched some of the best-selling DRTV campaigns in history. Since producing his first 30-minute infomercial in 1984, Harrington has been involved in over 500 product launches that have resulted in over $4 billion in sales. Now, in his latest venture with AsSeenOnTV.pro, Harrington is on the hunt for the best new products and ideas, bringing them to homes everywhere through personalized DRTV campaigns featuring the Shark.

For more information on The Fireman, please visit http://www.homefirstontv.com.
The Prophet And His Times: the journey of a man from nothingness to providence and prosperity. The Prophet And His Times is the creation of published author, Henry Edwards. Apostle Henry Lee Edwards was born on July 10, 1946 in Thula, Mississippi, but grew up in Robert Taylor, K Town and on the South Side of Chicago. As a young man, Henry attended Bond Elementary School, but never completed sixth grade. Instead, he was sent to jail at the suggestion of his mother, because she was fearful that he was going to fall prey to gangs and violence. He has been married to Diane Edwards for thirty-five years. They have ten children together. Henry lives in Englewood where he has his church without walls. He founded We Need to Hear from God Outreach Ministries in 1992. He mentors youth who are being influenced by drugs, gangs, and violence as well as youths and adults serving sentences in the prison system, including those who are working toward reentry into society. He provides stipend jobs, such as grass cutting, snow shoveling, and car washing. He is especially proud of Aaron Pinkston, who had served a thirty-five-year sentence and has been released in 2015. Henry deposits positive messages into the minds of youth on a daily basis, so that they can have a chance at life. In 2016, the City Council of Chicago, Illinois and Raymond Lopez, Alderman of the 15th Ward, recognized Apostle Henry L. Edwards for his accomplishments and contributions to the City of Chicago. Apostle Edwards is known for his generosity. He often provides groceries, clothing, and rent money to struggling families from his personal funds. He is the pastor of the block, known as the Rev, a preacher man who will pray for and encourage his community members whether they are members of his church or not.

While sleeping in an abandoned building that was infested with rats the size of small kittens, I was in a state of overwhelming depression, losing my mind; and there was nothing I could do about it. The spirit of fear had taken over, and my mind was shut down. If youve never been in this position, all it means is that my mind stopped working properly. I had lost hope. By this time, it was freezing. Snow covered the ground. Most of the windows were broken out, so the wind was blowing and whistling all through the building. While in a state of utter confusion, loneliness, and fear, God spoke to me and said, Get up out of this building, and instantly my mind started to function properly. A peace came over me that I had never experienced before.--Henry Edwards

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Henry Edwards new book is the story of a servant committed to his faith.

I have seen several young men who were gang leaders in different facets of the community change their minds. He has adverted all out gang wars! --Copastor Diane Edwards

The Prophet And His Times is about a Twenty-First Century prophet God anointed to live by faith. Once lacking material goods, he had only himself, his family, and God. He was chosen to live this way. There were many who said that it could not be done, but Apostle Henry Edwards proved that it could be done through his faith walk.

The Prophet And His Times is the journey God guided author Henry Edwards through. From sleeping in an abandoned building to becoming a pastor and father of ten, he made it through because of one belief: the just

shall live by faith. God was teaching Apostle Edwards how to live according to faith and belief in Him. It was not an easy journey, but it was a worthwhile one.

View a synopsis of The Prophet And His Times on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase The Prophet And His Times at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about The Prophet And His Times, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Our new commercial insurance service offering is driven by our mission to help businesses simplify, strengthen and grow. This is one more area where we can help business owners do that.

Our new commercial insurance service offering is driven by our mission to help businesses simplify, strengthen and grow. This is one more area where we can help business owners do that. Providing a customized insurance package that consolidates all coverage into one simple policy is what our clients have asked for, and were proud to offer it, says Avitus Group Executive Vice President Josh Balster.

Avitus Insurance Services officially launched in October of 2018 and offers commercial lines to businesses across the United States in all 50 states. The commercial lines are bundled according to industry, such as retail trade, wholesale trade, manufacturing, construction, services, transportation, finance/real estate and additional industries. Companies can choose from dozens of policy options from six financially stable, industry-leading insurance carriers.

This customized bundling option makes commercial insurance easier than ever for businesses. Our members are receiving industry-specific packages that are not even available direct-to-the-consumer. This is a win for everyone, and it is exciting to watch our members succeed and refocus their energy into business growth, says Avitus Group Insurance Manager Kevin Mayo.

All of our policies are backed with responsive, expert customer service regardless of industry, says Mayo. If youre like most small to medium-sized businesses, you dont have the time or resources to deal with multiple insurance carriers and policies. You want to protect your business, not spend your days on the phone. We simplify things by getting on the phone for you.

The Avitus Group executive team selected Mayo to lead the insurance division. Mayo has 25+ years of insurance management and underwriting experience and is based out of the company's Denver Metro Area office (Aurora, Colorado).

Avitus Group is a worldwide company that simplifies, strengthens and grows businesses by providing 'back- office' support (payroll, accounting, taxes, recruiting, information technology, human resources and much more). When a business uses Avitus Group, all of the necessary yet burdensome functions of the business become Avitus Group's responsibility, so the business can focus on what it does best. Avitus Group serves clients nationwide through regional office locations from coast to coast. The company also serves international clients around the globe.
Bayshore OT Security Andres, Toby, and Vincent are leading the product architecture, design, and implementation efforts for the whole company. --Kevin Senator, CEO

Bayshore Networks, the leading provider of OT security policy monitoring and enforcement, announced today the promotion of three employees to the Senior Leadership Team, effective immediately. Andres Andreu becomes Chief Technology Officer; Toby Weir-Jones becomes Chief Product Officer; and Dr. Vincent Turmel becomes VP Field Engineering, as Bayshore continues its aggressive trajectory towards a market-leading position in the OT cybersecurity space for 2019.

Bayshores existing products have been selected by customers in numerous competitive evaluations for the most demanding industrial environments, but we recognized an opportunity to pursue a significant expansion of our capabilities in 2019, said Kevin Senator, CEO of Bayshore Networks. Andres, Toby, and Vincent are leading the product architecture, design, and implementation efforts for the whole company, as well as formulating a new go-to-market strategy which will ensure managed service providers and complex vertically-integrated corporate users dont need to mix and match solutions from multiple vendors to achieve maximum real-time OT policy controls for monitoring, alerting, and enforcement.

The first solution  Beacon for OT Secure Remote Access  has already launched, and the completely re-imagined flagship product, Lighthouse, will be shown publicly at S4x19 in Miami, FL, in January 2019. Existing customers will be entitled to a migration to Lighthouse under the terms of their existing licensing agreements. Finally, a software-based data diode solution, Channel, will be brought to market shortly after the Lighthouse launch to ensure end-to-end coverage for OT activity and policy, no matter if that takes place inside a production environment, on the interface between OT and corporate IT, or external to the corporate footprint altogether.

Andres Andreu, Chief Technology Officer, has over 20 years of hands-on dynamic security architecture and engineering experience, including extensive backgrounds in SCADA/ICS, web services security/integration, and federated ID technology. He is also the author of a number of open source projects, including yextend, I7secassay, WSFuzzer, and SSHA Attack, and has spoken professionally to a number of public and classified US and global audiences. Andres has served as Bayshores VP of Engineering for the past six and a half years and is personally responsible for approximately three quarters of the core technology in use in the companys product set.

Toby Weir-Jones, Chief Product Officer, has spent the past 20 years working in enterprise security product management, systems engineering, and technical marketing functions across the managed security service, telephony, IoT, and industrial sectors. As one of the founding employees of Bruce Schneiers Counterpane Internet Security, Toby helped the business through its acquisition by British Telecom in 2006 and onwards until 2013. Since then he has worked on Blackphone, a revolutionary privacy-oriented mobile handset; a telematics-based IoT SaaS infrastructure for CalAmp Inc., and joined Bayshore earlier in 2018 to refocus its roadmap and drive the new three-tiered product strategy to market.

Dr. Vincent Turmel, VP Field Engineering, has over 20 years experience in process automation and cybersecurity. He has been with Bayshore since 2016 and was previously with Siemens Industry Inc. where he held roles in application engineering, product management and consulting in industrial automation and ICS security. During this time Vincent advised major corporations on automation, control systems architecture and security. He has led ICS security assessments ranging from the unit of a plant to global programs involving many sites. He holds a PhD in Control Engineering from Liverpool John Moores University, UK.

Andres, Toby, and Vincent are world class executives driving our efforts to global leadership, said Alberto Yepez, Co-Founder and Managing Director of ForgePoint Capital and lead investor in Bayshore Networks. We are thrilled with the pragmatic approach to bringing well architected, easy to deploy solutions to solve critical problems for the Industrial IoT and Industrial Control Systems.

About Bayshore Networks

Bayshore Networks is a leading provider of industrial cyber protection. The Company's award-winning technology unlocks the power of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), providing enterprises with visibility into their Operational Technology infrastructure while safely and securely protecting ICS systems, industrial applications, networks, machines, and workers from cyber threats. For more information, visit http://www.bayshorenetworks.com.
The first clean water pumps out of the new well in Kitwe, Zambia, Africa Clean water is critical to life. Knowing that this well will cut down on waterborne diseases and allow children healthy development and a better chance at survival, makes us happy.

The completion of a water project in Kitwe, the second largest city in Zambia, Central Africa, delivers clean, safe water to over 400,000 people- many whom are children. The clean water will allow for successful agriculture, food, and energy production. Most importantly, it will cut down on waterborne diseases and let the children enjoy healthy development and a better chance at survival.

Clean water is critical to life. Knowing that this well will cut down on waterborne diseases and allow children healthy development and a better chance at survival, makes us happy, said Greg Stromberg, CW4K Founder & CEO.

This well was special to us. 2018 is our tenth year as a 501c3 nonprofit, and this was our tenth well project, added Stromberg.

About CannedWater4Kids

CannedWater4Kids is a 501c3 charity based in Sussex, WI. The organizations purpose is to ensure all children have access to clean, safe drinking water. CW4K funds its initiatives with cash donations, grants and through the sale of their premium drinking water in aluminum cans and bottles. 95 cents of every dollar collected goes to support clean water programs. Projects include assisting the University of Wisconsin  Milwaukees Engineers Without Borders in bringing sustainable water purification solutions to the highlands of Guatemala, and support for well/water tank and Bio Sand Filter projects in Zambia, Kenya, and Tanzania, Africa. Recent disaster and hurricane relief efforts include the sending of truckloads of canned drinking water to Michigan, Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. To learn more, visit http://www.cannedwater4kids.org/howtohelp.
3. The witnesses testified for the prosecution, but Herbert told jurors many in the states lineup actually moved the ball more for his case. Most notable, the prosecution called Walsh, who said the infamous dashcam video doesnt show the shooting from the officers perspectives. Walsh served as Van Dykes best surrogate during the trial, telling the jury McDonald posed a danger and Van Dyke had a reasonable fear for their safety. The only person  who is close to Jason Van Dyke says its reasonable, Herbert said. Joe Walsh killed their case. Game over. Herbert also put up transcripts of other prosecution experts on a screen for the jury in an attempt to poke holes in their testimony. One prosecution expert conceded that distances and other images on video can be distorted. Another, the prosecutions use-of-force expert, admitted under cross-examination that a knife can penetrate an officers bulletproof vest and that it is standard protocol for police to reload after emptying their weapon in a shooting. The state made a big deal about that, Herbert said. Why? Because they have no case, no evidence.
Letters from the Porch: an inspiring commentary on the condition of the modern church. Letters from the Porch is the creation of published author Clay Ollam, a devoted student of the Word and active church member for over three decades, in his lifetime having witnessed the collapse of two churches and the devastating effects on their congregations.

Ollam writes, I am writing to you, dear ones, to warn you that its time to return to our First Love. My how we have drifted away from our beautiful savior and slipped into a shadow of what we were always meant to be. Can you hear Him clearly, or see Him and know that it is Him, dear ones? Do you know when He is speaking to you or showing you something and can you discern between Him and the angel of light? Or are you blind and deaf, finding it difficult to discern when He is communicating to you and unsure if youre doing the right thing with your life or not?

Has it occurred to you, dear ones, that your experience with Him has become more of a guessing game, or that your confidence has been placed more in man and what he says versus knowing the Lord for yourselves and having a real peace about how your life is going because youre pleasing Him? I would like to believe otherwise, and Im sure you would as well, but perhaps its time to admit that we dont know Him anymore and He wants us to return to Him.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Clay Ollams new book is a striking reminder that to fix the church, the Bride of Christ, each believer must in their hearts return to God.

With hard-won wisdom of the years and a deep knowledge of scripture, Ollam astutely presents the remedy as revealed to him by the Spirit.

View a synopsis of Letters from the Porch on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase Letters from the Porch at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Letters from the Porch, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
CDR Fundraising Group CDR has had a national client footprint for decades. As we continue to grow and serve more clients in more markets and verticals, this is the ideal time for our agency footprint to expand as well.

CDR Fundraising Group has hired Erin Albitz as creative director and Felicia Seibert as associate production director. They will join Lisa Scott Benson, CEO, in Los Angeles, where the agency is building its West Coast presence. CDR has had a national client footprint for decades, Scott Benson explained. As we continue to grow and serve more clients in more markets and verticals, this is the ideal time for our agency footprint to expand as well. The Los Angeles office will be the third CDR location. Existing offices are in the Washington, D.C. area.

Our sizable team in the greater D.C. metro includes many of the best direct response fundraising strategists, analysts, creative and digital professionals in the industry. There are differences in approach between west coast and east coast talent. Adding senior talent with experience in different fundraising strategies expands our internal knowledge, which means our clients have access to a wider array of learnings to improve their fundraising performance, Scott Benson added.

CDR helps a wide variety of nonprofit organizations achieve their growth and income objectives through integrated marketing programs featuring digital, direct mail and direct response television.

With the addition of Erin and Felicia, were now expanding our services to provide online and offline catalog fundraising, Angela Struebing, president, commented. CDR has long been recognized for its high-performance work on behalf of veterans, human services, health, animal welfare, childrens and cultural causes. Lisa, Erin and Felicia bring their own wealth of experience in many of these areas plus the international relief and development and international health sectors, making us an excellent and cost-effective choice for organizations in these verticals as well.

Albitz brings over 20 years of experience partnering on creative strategy with clients including American Red Cross, Operation Smile, Mercy Ships, The Salvation Army, Los Angeles Mission, and Greater Boston Food Bank. Her work in integrated mail, digital and catalog fundraising campaigns has produced record-breaking results for numerous clients.

Seibert has been sourcing and managing cost-efficient printing for more than 20 years for clients including American Red Cross, Operation Smile, Mercy Ships, ADT, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Westinghouse and MBNA America (in-house). A Six Sigma Green Belt, she most recently led a team of 17 people in three locations, producing over 135,000,000 solicitations for nonprofit organizations.

About CDR Fundraising Group

CDR Fundraising Group (https://www.cdrfg.com/) is a premier direct response fundraising firm with more than 30 years serving the nonprofit community. CDR provides a full suite of fundraising services uniquely tailored to each of its nonprofit clients, including digital advertising, email marketing, web development, direct response television, direct mail, telemarketing, analytics, mid-level programs, sustainer programs and planned giving consultation.
Skokie Chapel Year after year, people come to us because they know we will be there for them. That not only speaks for our service but speaks for our philosophy, which is being a part of the community and being there for the families here in their time of need.

Since 1997, Chicago Jewish Funerals has provided compassionate, concierge-level service with a special sensitivity to Jewish customs and traditions. Year after year, people come to us because they know we will be there for them, said Founder David I. Jacobson. That not only speaks for our service but speaks for our philosophy, which is being a part of the community and being there for the families here in their time of need.

Chicago Jewish Funerals is independently owned and operated in Chicagoland. The funeral home is committed to making sure that loved ones are buried in a way that is consistent in the way they lived. We have restored the dignity and compassion to this industry, and we are humbled that many people trust us to serve their families, noted Jacobson.

In a recent interview with Voyage Chicago, Jacobson talked about starting his family-owned business 20 years ago with a sturdy moral compass. His company responds 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Jacobson and every member of his staff have missed significant events in their personal lives to serve those who call upon them.

We respond in person, Jacobson said, in order to assist those who we are privileged to have called us. One must derive satisfaction in helping others or you just will not last. To this day I routinely respond 24 hours a day.

Murray K. of Mid-Beach, Florida, writes in a recent Yelp review, I have but one complaint about Chicago Jewish Funerals: They only do funerals. They should run the transit system, airlines, hotels, restaurants, and anything else that is complicated and involves customer service.

The businesss motto is The Way It Should Be and their Website describes why: It should be, first and foremost, about service. It should be personalized and compassionate. It should be about commitment. It should be from people who work and live right here, in our community. It should be about having a service where you want it: chapel, synagogue, or graveside. It should be about being able to pre-plan for your family. It should be about the way you want to mourn.

Thomas Kenmore, who was teaching a course at Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work on loss, grief and dying, wrote in a May 2018 Yelp review, I want to thank and admire Chicago Jewish Funerals, David Jacobson and the staff there. Mr. Jacobson came to my class and presented, engaging the graduate students in understanding the depth and sensitivity involved in providing funeral services and helping families through the process of losing a family member. The presentation and discussion were very useful and helped many of the students better understand the complexity of providing funeral services. He helped to 'normalize' the experience, and very effectively represented Chicago Jewish Funerals, demonstrating the flexibility and sensitivity of their work.

About Chicago Jewish Funerals

Chicago Jewish Funerals works with families at the most vulnerable time in their life. This is both a responsibility and an honor they take very seriously. Serving the greater Chicago area, Chicago Jewish Funerals is honored to serve the Jewish community. They encourage you to call 847-229-8822 or visit their website http://www.chicagojewishfunerals.com anytime, day or night, for funeral planning, pre-planning, a special request or just a little support. They have two funeral homes at 195 N. Buffalo Grove Road, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089 and 8851 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL 60077.

About the NALA

The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. The information and content in this article are not in conjunction with the views of the NALA. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.
13th Annual FDA Inspections Summit

13th Annual FDA Inspections Summit:

**Presented by FDAnews**

Oct. 23-25, 2018  Bethesda, MD

http://www.fdanews.com/fdainspectionssummit

David Glasgow, Deputy Director, Office of Bioresearch Monitoring Operations, OMPTO, ORA, FDA has been confirmed as a speaker at the13th Annual FDAnews Inspections Summit.

So much has changed since last years Inspections Summit that it sometimes feels difficult to keep up. The FDA is focused on any number of new topics: more generics, lower prices, opioids, internal restructuring, and much more. But one thing that hasnt changed is that they are still doing inspections and the regulated community is still making mistakes.

The FDA will always do inspections, and Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and the FDA have certainly not provided any hint that they are going to stop doing them any time soon.

Manufacturers cant afford to be caught off guard. Warning letters and 483 citations can cost manufacturers time, energy and money.

Come to Washington, DC, Oct. 23-25, for the 13th Annual FDA Inspections Summit, the must-attend conference of the regulatory year from FDAnews.



Meet the FDAers whose actions spell fortune or failure; lawyers and consultants; industry hot-shots whove sussed out how to navigate a hyper-regulated milieu and still prosper

Drug, device and clinical separate tracks. Therell be panels galore aimed specifically at the particular issues that affect drug and device makers and clinical trials professionals

Pre-Conference Drug, Device and Clinical Workshops filled with tips and tricks to help manufacturers sail through their next inspection.

Attend in person or live-stream the summit. The entire conference, including standout pre-conference workshops, is available in real time via livestreaming.

Who Will Benefit:

Drugmakers

Devicemakers

Biologics firms

Clinical trials

Clinical research organizations

Diagnostics firms

Executive suite

Manufacturing/GMP

QA/QC

Regulatory affairs

Strategic planners

Legal counsel

Consultants

Conference Details

13th Annual FDA Inspections Summit:

**Presented by FDAnews**

Oct. 23-25, 2018  Bethesda, MD

http://www.fdanews.com/fdainspectionssummit

Tuition:

In-Person Complete Summit: $1,997

Livestream Complete Summit: $1,497

Additional pricing options are available online.

Easy Ways to Register:

Online: http://www.fdanews.com/fdainspectionssummit

By phone: 888-838-5578 or 703-538-7600

About FDAnews:

FDAnews is the premier provider of domestic and international regulatory, legislative, and business news and information for executives in industries regulated by the US FDA and the European Medicines Agency. Pharmaceutical and medical device professionals rely on FDAnews' print and electronic newsletters, books and conferences to stay in compliance with international standards and the FDA's complex and ever-changing regulations.
Our team has broken into some of the world's leading industry manufacturers

Fusion Coolant Systems, today announced that is has raised $8 million Series C financing led by Material Impact, a Boston-based venture capital firm and Michigan Capital Advisors, a Michigan private equity firm. The round was also strongly supported by existing investors including MINTS- Michigan Investment in New Technology Startups, Amherst Fund and Invest Michigan. The capital will be used to grow the companys staff, operations, equipment and personnel.

Fusion Coolant Systems has commercialized a patented disruptive technology that uses supercritical CO2 as a cutting fluid to reduce the costs of manufacturing in large sectors such as medical, aerospace, and automotive. Founder Steven Skerlos, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan explained, Our team has broken into some of the worlds industry leading manufacturers, proving that the technology improves the profitability of material removal operations while eliminating health and environmental hazards.

The addition of new investment firms, Material Impact and Michigan Capital Advisors, with their wealth of experience and profound domain expertise, is confirmation of the companys progress during the last several years and a testament to its current business strategy and future prospects, stated Rafael Castilla, director of investments, at the University of Michigan Investment Office, on behalf of MINTS.

Fusion has developed an elegant technology to address the ubiquitous need for cooling whenever metal or hard polymers are machined. This transformative technology has the potential to enable higher productivity, create safer working conditions for machining workers, and improve the environment by minimizing the disposal of liquid coolants  all making a material impact to manufacturing machining operations, said Adam Sharkawy, co-founder and managing partner, Material Impact.

About

Material Impact, Boston, MA is a Venture Capital Fund that invests in building companies which transform material technologies into products that make an impact on real world problems. For more information: http://www.materialimpact.com

MINTS  Michigan Investment in New Technology Startups  is a direct investment program in the University of Michigans endowment managed by its Investment Office. For more

information:http:// https://www.bf.umich.edu/about/#accordion-643

Michigan Capital Advisors, Bloomfield Hills, MI is a private equity firm focused on Tier II and III Suppliers in the automotive and transportation related industries with a presence in Michigan. For more information: http://www.michigancapitaladvisors.com

Amherst Fund, Ann Arbor, MI is a privately held investment company providing capital to privately held Midwestern companies across many sectors. For more information: http://www.amherstfund.com

Invest Michigan, Detroit, MI manages an investment fund that finances technology-based companies at early stages of product commercialization. Launched in mid 2014 through the support of the Michigan Strategic Fund, Invest Michigan has completed 87 investments in 49 companies across the State of Michigan. For more information: http://www.investmichigan.org
Global Blockchain Summit - October 19-20, 2018 - Golden, CO Global Blockchain Summit will be the cornerstone of Denver Blockchain Week, Denver's top blockchain industry event, which puts the Denver and Boulder corridor on the map as a prime location for the blockchain industry.

Global Blockchain Summit, the premiere event featuring all things blockchain, Hyperledger, distributed ledger technology (DLT), Ethereum and fintech, returns to Denver on Friday, October 19 through Saturday, October 20. The Summit will be the cornerstone of Denver Blockchain Week, Denver's top blockchain industry event, which puts the Denver and Boulder corridor on the map as a prime location for the blockchain industry. The event will be held in Golden, Colorado, just a short drive from downtown Denver.

Building on the success of the Spring Global Blockchain Summit, which featured speakers from ShapeShift, VMware, Dragonchain, and Rebel A.I., founders John Carpenter and Hans Hultgren are expanding the Fall event. Carpenter and Hultgren have assembled thought leaders and visionaries from around the world who will be discussing blockchain trends, insights and predictions, and exchanging industry insider knowledge and ideas.

The Summit presents an opportunity for industry newcomers to learn the history and basics of this emerging technology, and for seasoned blockchain professionals to learn more about current and future applications from the top minds in the industry. Global Blockchain Summit will feature some of the worlds most prominent blockchain and distributed ledger experts and companies including:



State of Colorado: Wayne Williams, Colorado Secretary of State

State of Colorado: Gerald Rome, Colorado Securities Commissioner

Dcntral: James Barry, Co-founder

Consensys: Kevin Owocki, Founder GitCoin

National Cybersecurity Center: Vance Brown, CEO

Clause.io: Peter Hunn, Founder

True Tickets: Steven Dobish, President and Co-founder

BeefChain.io: Rob Jennings, CEO and Founder

David Huseby: Hyperledger

Bridge 21: Will Madden, CEO and Founder

Decent: Daniel Riddell, Ambassador

Stephen Keen, Attorney, Perkins Coie

The DaVinci Institute: Michael Cushman, Senior Fellow and Board Member

A focus for the Summit is also on diversity, equality and women in blockchain, featuring:



Armand Ngueti, President of the Africa Chapter of the GBA

Navroop K. Sahdev, Economist and Fellow at MIT, and the 2017 United Nations Youth Delegate

Lara Aulestia, Executive Director of Business Development at Resonate

This years Global Blockchain Summit is sponsored in part by law firm Perkins Coie, Boulder-based Zayo Group, Ideas By Nature and many others. Media partners include PR and marketing firm Cast Influence, who will be interviewing speakers leading up to and during the Summit on its InfluenceNow Podcast.

Summit Details:

Friday October 19 - Saturday, October 20, 2018

Origin Hotel Red Rocks

18485 W Colfax Ave, Golden, CO 80401

Google Map

Tickets to Global Blockchain Summit are $799 for both days and $499 for one day. Students and government officials can purchase two day passes for $499.

Attendance is limited. To register, visit https://www.eventsquid.com/register/4677 or for speaker or sponsorship information, visit https://globalblockchainsummit.com/interested-sponsoring-speaking.

About Global Blockchain Summit

Global Blockchain Summit is a gathering of experts from around the world sharing knowledge and insights about blockchain, the breakthrough technology that is poised to change how everyone interacts in the global economy. Vastly beyond cryptocurrencies and ICOs, the underlying distributed ledger technology can support initiatives that enable people to take more direct control of their identity, assets, accounts, and interactions with others. The Global Blockchain Summit is a conference structured in a way that supports meaningful interactions between speakers, experts, participants and entrepreneurs. For more information, please visit

https://globalblockchainsummit.com/ or follow us on Twitter @gblockchain1.
Igloo Software, the leading provider of digital workplace solutions, was named in Microsofts Great Canadian Innovators 2018 Yearbook for successfully reshaping the modern digital workplace, solidifying Igloos credibility as a leader in the industry.

Microsoft selected Igloo Software as a powerful innovator for its robust portfolio of digital workplace solutions that are changing the way employees communicate, collaborate, share knowledge, and drive engagement in the new world of work. Igloos platform leverages the secure Microsoft Azure cloud to empower organizations to design and develop inspiring digital destinations with tight integrations with the Microsoft tools and apps employees already know and use, including Office 365.

Microsoft recognizes the importance of the modern digital workplace and the role Igloo plays in guiding businesses on that journey. "For the average North American employee, the disconnect between how their work is helping achieve the objectives of the business, the inefficiencies of communicating and collaborating, and a feeling of being underappreciated compel them to change jobs. The moment for digital workplace innovation is now, states Microsoft in the report.

In 2008, during Igloo's startup phase, the digital workplace company received initial support from Microsoft for Startups, which acted as a springboard for success. Since then, Igloo has grown to become a globally recognized company with enterprise customers spanning over 80 countries.

At Igloo, we understand our customers are at different stages in their digital transformation, so we optimize our digital workplace solutions to fit their level of maturity, unique business needs, and transformation goals, said Dan Latendre, CEO of Igloo Software. Working with Microsoft has enabled us to leverage their leading technologies to enhance our solution portfolio, enabling our customers to be more innovative and productive in this next-gen work environment.

This year, the company was named to KMWorlds list of 100 Companies That Matter in Knowledge Management for the eighth consecutive year, and has been recognized by Deloitte as one of the fastest-growing companies in North America for the third consecutive year in a row.

Were going to continue to leverage our close relationship with Microsoft to bring even more value to our customers through new innovations in AI, analytics, and global data residency options, Latendre said. Its an honor to be recognized by an industry powerhouse as an innovator and it reaffirms that our approach to providing a secure and scalable platform along with a comprehensive portfolio of solutions and services is what todays organizations need in order to achieve new levels of employee engagement and productivity.

Microsofts Great Canadian Innovators 2018 Yearbook

The complete Great Canadian Innovators 2018 Yearbook can be found here. Learn more about how Igloo and Microsoft are working together here.

About Igloo Software

Igloo is the leading next generation intranet platform. Through its portfolio of digital workplace solutions, Igloo partners with customers to address challenges related to communication, collaboration, knowledge management, employee engagement, and culture. Igloo integrates with the apps and systems your business relies on and centralizes information for a single source-of-truth and a more productive and engaged workforce. For more information, please visit http://www.igloosoftware.com.

Media Contact

Bridget Devine

Walker Sands for Igloo Software

bridget.devine(at)walkersands.com

(312) 561-2492
Jack: A Story of a Young Boys Faith: a sweet story of a Christian boy. Jack is the creation of published author Jack Crockett, a skilled tradesman and minister, father of two and grandfather of six who lives in Whitesboro, Texas, with his wife.

Crockett writes, Leaving the kitchen and turning down the hallway, he heard a voice. He paused a moment. He heard his name. He can hear his mothers voice then his fathers. He can hear their words. It is true, just as Von said. There is always someone praying for you.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Jack Crocketts new book is an inviting, feel-good journey through the adventures and curiosities of childhood that will delight readers of any age.

With his stellar character, Jack serves as an ideal Christian role model not just for young readers but believers of every stripe, age, and background.

View a synopsis of Jack: A Story of a Young Boys Faith on YouTube.

Consumers can purchaseJack: A Story of a Young Boys Faith at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Jack: A Story of a Young Boys Faith, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Kingswood Capital Management, LLC (together with its affiliates, Kingswood), an operationally-focused lower-middle market private equity firm, announced today that it has acquired Houston, Texas-based WAVE Electronics, Inc (WAVE). Kingswood will merge WAVE with its portfolio company, AVAD LLC (AVAD). In bringing together WAVE and AVAD, Kingswood will create the single largest value-added distributor of high-end audio, video, security, and home automation solutions in the consumer electronics industry. The new Company will be focused on the residential and commercial custom installation markets in North America. The combination of WAVE and AVAD delivers a far-reaching benchmark solution to elevate same-day product needs, national one-day shipping, and award-winning services for dealers and vendors across the United States and Canada.

At Closing, Mark Fukuda, former Chief Operating Officer for WAVE, will take over as the Chief Executive Officer for the combined new enterprise. Key members of the new Executive Management team will include Bill Steckel as Chief Finance Officer, Ainslie Fukuda as Vice President of Purchasing, Bryan Stewart as Vice President of Sales, and Jon Zabel as Vice President of Vendor Management.

The new Company will be headquartered in Houston, TX with an initial objective to combine the best residential A/V, Pro A/V, and security brands across all of its North American locations. The new Company plans to integrate its award-winning dealer services, including tech support, programming services, marketing services, and dealer programs. Mark Fukuda added, Both AVAD and WAVE have spent years perfecting the just-in-time distribution model and this rapidly accelerates our ability to bring our award-winning service and product solutions to dealers throughout the United States and Canada. AVAD has built a strong presence in the pro A/V channel, WAVE has done the same in the residential security space, combining that with our collective strength in the residential A/V markets and our new larger North American footprint is a winning combination.

Tom Jacoby, who had been serving as AVADs Chief Executive Officer and who will become Chairman of the combined Company, added, Fred Farrar and I have spent the last two years at AVAD positioning the company for exactly this kind of market expansion opportunity. We are very grateful to the AVAD team, which has worked diligently over the past couple years to position the company for profitable growth following the carve-out from Ingram Micro in 2016. The WAVE leadership team has built great operating systems and developed transformational segment opportunities that make it natural for Mark Fukuda to assume leadership of the combined business.

Alex Wolf, Managing Partner of Kingswood, commented, The merger of WAVE and AVAD provides for a unique combination of scale and diversification in the North American custom-installer channel. The combination of WAVE and AVAD creates a multitude of growth opportunities from a wide base of 31 different physical locations. Industry integrators will have access to an industry-leading line card at more locations than ever before.

Dentons US LLP and Goodwin Proctor LLP served as legal advisors to Kingswood. Stephens Inc. acted as the exclusive financial advisor to WAVE.

About Kingswood Capital Management

Kingswood (http://kingswood-capital.com/) is an operationally-focused lower-middle market private equity firm that invests in businesses in transition driven by operational, strategic, financial or market-driven change. In addition to access to capital, Kingswood brings a broad network of operational resources, relevant industry relationships and tailored solutions to strengthen businesses, realize strategic goals and enhance long-term value creation.

About WAVE Electronics

Founded by Gary Wermuth, WAVE Electronics corporate offices are located in Houston, Texas. WAVE, the leader in home automation distribution, services local and national dealers across multiple channels of business that include residential/commercial A/V, and security. WAVE is recognized as the "one-stop" solution with over 8,000 stock items from 126 premium manufacturers. WAVE locations incorporate training facilities extensively merchandised showrooms for dealers to use as their own. WAVE also goes the extra mile by offering a broad variety of services to their dealers which include: same day delivery, one day shipping, sales and product trainings, marketing services, 24/7 online shopping, and much more.

About AVAD, LLC

AVAD is one of the most recognized brands in the fast-growing system integration market. AVAD offers a comprehensive line of premium solutions for video, audio, networking, HVAC, lighting control, security, home automation, digital signage, system design and other products needed by professional installers. Further differentiating its services, AVAD invests in the business tools, technical support and services that integrators need to grow their businesses, including the fully transactional AVAD Mobile smartphone application providing integrators on-the-go access to AVAD products and value-added tools.
Officers tried to curb the Jeep while it was traveling west on Argyle Street near Whipple Street in the Albany Park neighborhood around 4 p.m.
Nothing brings a team together like cooking and eating does, which is why Lajollacooks4us team-building cooking classes have become so popular.

Cooking appeals to companies because it encourages a range of healthy activities that can translate into the workplace, such as group interaction, team cohesion, collaboration and decision-making skills. Its also appealing in that everyone  no matter their culinary ability  can participate.

No one knows this better than Lajollacooks4u, San Diegos premiere team-building and cooking events company. Each corporate cooking event begins as participants are split into groups using various ice breakers and interactive games. From there, group members are then divided into teams and guided by Lajollacooks4u staff as they compete against each other in creating several different menu items. Participants are judged by taste, presentation and teamwork, and ultimately compete to be the team with the most points. There is even a marketing infomercial component, which entails each team collaborating on how to best sell their menu item to the judges. Once all teams have completed their recipes, participants reconvene to enjoy the gourmet meals they co-produced, a tasty reward for a job well done.

Throughout the event, bonds are strengthened with one another, as employees learn how to better interact, collaborate and have fun. And these bonds can carry over from the kitchen to the office, enabling problem-solving, improved collaboration and increased productivity within the organization. Participants also prepare some delicious food, all of which feature gourmet farm-to-table California cuisine. Some of Lajollacooks4us most popular team-building recipes include Homemade Focaccia, Pizza Rolls, Puff Pastry Tarts with Caramelized Onions, Pears, Figs & Gorgonzola, Wild Mushroom Farro with Mascarpone, Chocolate Melting Cakes and Key Lime & Mudslide Shooters.

About Lajollacooks4u:

Lajollacooks4u is San Diegos premiere team-building and cooking events company. Since 2008, it has hosted companies from all over the globe, providing guests with a collaborative and one-of-a-kind culinary experience. With skilled facilitators, farm-to-table cuisine and a stunning view overlooking La Jolla, Lajollacooks4u has consistently been ranked one of the areas top attractions by Trip Advisor, having been awarded its Certificate of Excellence four years in a row. For more information about the companys hands-on team building events and gourmet cooking classes, visit http://www.lajollacooks4u.com or contact jodi@lajollacooks4u.com.
Both of these individuals bring tremendous experience, vision, and passion for the LED lighting industry. As a company, LLT is poised to provide the highest quality products today, and to continue the development of innovative and dynamic products into the future.

LLT, a newly launched California-based LED lighting manufacturer of high-output commercial and industrial applications, has expanded its product development and technology capabilities with the hiring of Jim Rhodes as Chief Technology Officer and Doug Luden as Product Development Manager.

LLT offers a comprehensive portfolio of U.S. made LED fixtures and LED light engine retrofit solutions and will continue to expand its offerings with industry-leading LED lighting solutions. The company is targeting the launch of new, high-performance retrofit products this month as a part of its LLT PerformTech line. To support its ongoing development and innovation efforts, the company has built out its product and technology leadership team.

Heading LLTs engineering activities, the company has welcomed Jim Rhodes as its new CTO. With over thirty years of experience in electronics and controls, Jim has founded several companies and holds a number of patents for electronic and software methods. Jim has spent the last ten years leading all LED technology development for a company he founded called Illum Technology.

Doug Luden is LLTs Product Development Manager and brings a diverse background and over 15 years of product development experience at the forefront of the LED lighting industry. Prior to his career in LED lighting, Doug was professional BMX racer and color commentator on networks such as ESPN and Fox Sports.

I am delighted to have Jim and Doug on the team, stated Francisco (Paco) Palop, CEO of Lumination. Both of these individuals bring tremendous experience, vision, and passion for the LED lighting industry. As a company, LLT is poised to provide the highest quality products today, and to continue the development of innovative and dynamic products into the future.

About LLT

LLT is a Southern California-based premier LED lighting manufacturer of high-output commercial and industrial applications. The company is owned by private equity firm, HCAP Partners, who is also represented in the companys board of directors. LLT is dedicated to the principle of efficient and cost-effective energy use through innovative LED technology. The company is driving the LED lighting industry forward, defining trends with a passionate devotion to integrity, quality, and design. For more information, please visit http://www.lumlighttech.com.
Manufacturing a Better Bottom Line Panel

Top industry leaders in the financial, lean operations, and cyber security industries will lead a panel discussion on Manufacturing a Better Bottom Line at the Georgia Manufacturing Summit. Held October 10th at the Cobb Galleria, this event will attract over 800 manufacturing professionals across the Southeast. This panel will be comprised of Georgia business leaders who understand the challenges of leading a successful organization and will provide valuable tips for manufacturers to have a more profitable 2019.

This Educational Session will address How to Power Profitability at Every Level of Your Business and will be an interactive conversation with questions and answers from the audience. Topics and speakers will include:

Continuous Improvement Through KAIZEN Activities

Chris Barrett, Manufacturing Manager for Nisshinbo

Chris started his career with Nisshinbo when they opened their Covington facility in 1999. He oversees their manufacturing processes and daily control procedures to produce integrally molded brake disc pads at their 300,000 sq. ft. plant

The Lean Journey -- How Do We Get Started?

John Barrett, President of RRD - Atlanta

John has been in the print industry for over 25 years and is the president of RRD Atlanta, a $60 million full service digital, sheetfed and web offset commercial print facility specializing in in-line finished product.

How Your Manufacturing Business Can Make the Most of Tax Reform

Debbie Torrance, Partner at Smith & Howard

Debbie is a partner, tax practice leader, and the manufacturing group leader at Smith & Howard, an Atlanta accounting and advisory firm serving manufacturers with operations throughout the U.S.

International Purchasing: Unlocking Hidden Value via Dual Currency Invoicing and Foreign Exchange

Tom Loffredio, Managing Director, PNC Capital Markets Group

Tom has nearly 20 years of financial markets experience in capital markets and international banking across the globe, and currently works with companies throughout the Southeast regarding foreign currency risk management strategies.

Equipping Your Organization to Avoid Cyber Scams

Richard Warner, Panel Moderator and CEO of Aware Force

Richard is the CEO of Aware Force. They use an innovative approach to reduce cyber risk by engaging employees in cyber security. Aware Force clients include public companies, governments and non-profits nationwide.

The 2018 Georgia Manufacturing Summit, held October 10th at the Cobb Galleria, is expected to attract over 800 attendees from across the Southeast. The theme will be on the Aerospace Industry, the number one export for the state of Georgia. Mark Burns, President of Gulfstream, and Eric Rojek, V.P. of Sales & Marketing for Thrush Aircraft will be this years keynote speakers. This event is for all sectors of the manufacturing industry and allows attendees to make face-to-face connections with other manufacturers, see innovative products and learn the latest trends in manufacturing.

In addition to the keynote presentations, this event will have over 30 of the top industry leaders from Chart Industries, Cloud & Wire, Decartes, KIA, Kumho Tire, Nisshinbo, Pratt & Whitney, Siemens, Southwire, and more. They will provide educational workshops that focus on Manufacturing Success in Georgia in the key sectors of Disruptive Technologies, Financial Perspectives, International Manufacturing, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain, and Workforce Development. To learn more, watch this video about the Summit: https://youtu.be/HFX-OQQtAcY

REGISTRATION CLOSES AT 2PM ON OCTOBER 3RD: http://www.GeorgiaManufacturingSummit.com

Media contacts that that are interested in covering this event may call Marjorie Dykes at 770-338-0051 or email marjorie@georgiamanufacturing.com to request a complimentary PRESS PASS.
Monkee's, the boutique franchise, is expanding nationwide "We have perfected operations and support systems at Monkee's to the point where we are ready to expand more aggressively on a national scale, says Perry Ludy, Director of Operations for Monkees.

Monkees Franchising, LLC today announced plans to attract new franchise locations beyond its southeastern U.S. base. Monkees, an upscale womens boutique franchise headquartered in Winston Salem, North Carolina, has grown to 27 locations - operating in nine states. The company added three new franchises this year; opening stores in Lynchburg, Virginia, High Point, North Carolina, and Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

Monkees is an outstanding concept in womens fashion and has been a strong brand for more than 20 years, says Perry Ludy, Director of Operations for Monkees. The Monkees brand has become synonymous with personalized customer service and cutting-edge designer fashion. We have perfected operations and support systems to the point where we are ready to expand more aggressively on a national scale.

The growth plan calls for 10 to 15 new franchise locations per year nationwide.

Leading the expansion launch is Troy Taylor, Vice President of Franchise Development who brings more than 30 years of experience as a franchisor and franchise developer.

We have everything we need to quickly expand across the country, adds Taylor. For Monkees, this is a healthy growth rate, which allows the company to focus on quality franchisees who are committed to following Monkees highly successful proven system.

Monkees founder and CEO, Deedee Shaw opened the original Monkees store in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1995. The boutique quickly became a shopping destination. The store also captured the attention of Brenda Maready, now co-CEO, who opened the second location in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and introduced the idea of franchising the Monkees concept.

Each year DeeDee and Brenda meet with people, from full-time mothers to corporate executives, who have one common dream: to own a retail business. No matter the level of experience in retail or entrepreneurship, they offer guidance based on their 20+ years of success with the support of their dedicated corporate team.

To learn more about owning a Monkees franchise, visit http://www.ownamonkees.com. Franchise inquiries can also be directed to Troy Taylor at 336-529-5200 or troy@shopmonkees.com.

About Monkees Franchising, LLC

Monkees Franchising, LLC is a franchisor of upscale ladies boutiques specializing in shoes, clothing and accessories. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC, Monkees was founded in 1995 and has become one of the most successful organizations of independently owned boutiques in the Southeast. Our boutiques can now be found in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia and we are excited as our growth continues nationally. Monkees is recognized throughout this region as a leader in providing the finest fashions from the worlds top designers. Visit us at http://www.ownamonkees.com.
DRT Strategies, Inc. (DRT) (http://www.drtstrategies.com), a leading management and technology firm, announced today that the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has awarded the company a new contract with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Specifically, DRT will analyze cloud migration and application modernization options for the fishing permit processing and catch shares reporting systems that the NOAA uses to manage fisheries in the National Marine Fisheries Service/Southeast Regional Office. DRT will assess fishery systems, conduct gap analysis of the legacy systems, and provide cloud migration options and recommendations.

We continue to strengthen and develop relationships within our client footprint, identifying meaningful opportunities to showcase DRTs unique approach to technology, commented Jay Hadley, Vice President, Civilian Business Unit at DRT Strategies. We are delighted to partner with NOAA under this new contract to support this strategic project. DRT recently analyzed legacy systems and implemented a modern technology platform for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Because of our success there, we now have this opportunity with NOAA for our team to further broaden our IT modernization support within the Department of Commerce.

About NOAA Fisheries

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency that enriches life through science. NOAA reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as the agency works to keep the public informed of the changing environment around them. NOAA Fisheries, also known as the National Marine Fisheries Service, is responsible for the stewardship of the nation's ocean resources and their habitat. NOAA provides vital services for the nation including productive and sustainable fisheries, safe sources of seafood, the recovery and conservation of protected resources, and healthy ecosystemsall backed by sound science and an ecosystem-based approach to management.

About DRT Strategies

DRT Strategies, Inc. (DRT) is a leading management and technology firm providing information technology (IT) solutions, health IT services, program management and financial management solutions to federal agencies and enterprise clients in the technology and financial services sectors. The company is an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Consulting Partner, holds an ISO 9001 certification and has achieved CMMI-DEV Level 3. DRT is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with offices in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, Atlanta, Georgia, and Kansas City, Missouri. More information on the company can be found at http://www.drtstrategies.com.
Sahar Paz, CEO of Own Your Voice Communications Owning Your Voice - your personal brand - will help tip the scales of impact and commerce.- Sahar Paz

Local thought leaders are set to convene on Friday, October 19 at the Greater Houston Partnership for the inaugural Own Your Voice Summit to create a road map to social change in the community. By sharing stories, strategies, and real-life solutions, the lineup of dynamic speakers will help attendees tip the scales of commerce towards conscious capitalism. Led by Houston-based social entrepreneurs Sahar Paz and Lauren Postler and their branding firm, Own Your Voice Communications, the event will run from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at 701 Avenida De Las Americas #900, Houston, TX 77010. Tickets are $150- $250 for VIP access and can be purchased at http://www.ownyourvoicesummit.com.

Paz, Postler and the powerhouse panel of speakers leading the summit, comprised of executives from a variety of consumer-facing industries, will provide attendees relevant case studies and in-depth conversations with industry leaders who have scaled the voice of their personal brands to meet business objectives as conscious capitalists. Attendees - including business owners, solopreneurs, c-suite executives, middle and top level managers - will walk away knowing how to harness the power of their personal brands to strategically propel them to the next level of impact and social change.

As a result of the summit, attendees should leave galvanized by a higher purpose to serve, align, and integrate the interests of all their major stakeholders; not only their investors, clients or consumers, but the communities they seek to serve, said Paz, Founder and CEO of Own Your Voice Communications and author of Find Your Voice.

The distinguished panel of speakers boasts influencers representing a variety of fields ranging from technology, education, food, fashion, filmmaking, and media. Presentations include:



Gabriella Rowe, CEO Station Houston will present Branding vs. Reputation: Create A Persona That Is Authentic

Denise Hamilton, CEO of WatchHerWork - Lifes A Pitch: How To Get VC Funding

Brittany Barretto, CEO of Pheramor + Dr. Tisha Rowe, CEO of RoweDocs - Technology for Social Impact

Sarah Moshman, Emmy Award-Winning Filmmaker - Conversations That Count: How To Transform One Voice Into A Movement

Walter Nimocks, CEO Just Made Foods - The Reality of A Conscious Capitalist

Rosaliz Jimenez, Veteran Magazine Editor (People, Allure, Instyle) and Director of Fashion at Dia & Co. - Pivoting With Trends To Keep Your Personal Brand Relevant

Darlene Lebron, Influencer, Body Positive Advocate, Plus-Sized Model - Owning Your Platform As A Digital Influencer: Find your niche and scale it into a profitable business

Misti Pace-Krahl Founder of The Mommie Series , Chloe Dao, Fashion Designer, Terry and Ashley Williams, Co-Founders of The League, Michelle Morris, Founder of Southern Cadence Cuisine - Creating A Community Around Your Business

Alberto Raggio, CEO Vision Momentum & Draw A Circle Education - Ideation to Actualization: The Road To Reality For A Conscious CEO

Leann Garms, Founder/CEO BBL Publishing - Own Your Story: Using your book for social change and brand impact.

Through a series of workshop-style presentations, panelists will share their own your voice turning points showing attendees how to develop a personal brand voice, use personal experiences to inspire movements, create business infrastructure to sustain digital influence, and build community around brick-and-mortar for profitability, and more. A special VIP lunch gives attendees an inside look into today's publishing industry and how to use a book to expand a brand and impact.

Headquartered in Houston, Own Your Voice Communications is a personal branding firm that amplifies voices of impact to drive conscious capitalism for the benefit of the company and community. Their purpose is to help executives, business owners, and community leaders discover their brand voice and leverage it to meet business objectives and drive social impact.

Weve seen the power of collaboration in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey - Houston, Texas, is the biggest small town, unfailingly resilient and dedicated to our fellows, said Postler, COO of Own Your Voice Communications. At Own Your Voice we reflect that in our work. We believe that business has the power to create social value and elevate our existence.

We are cultivating conversations among Houston thought leaders to drive corporate culture that reflects the strength and moral fiber of our city. We create space for a voluntary exchange of ideas and energy and an offer an underlying commitment to seek solutions and help our clients work to their individual strengths. That starts with defining their voice, so that we can understand what we each bring to the table to share with others, added Paz.

About Sahar Paz:

Sahars revolutionary voice brings to life her mission as an educator, author, keynote speaker, and CEO to help others find and own their voice for change. The success of her first book, Find Your Voice, has grown into a digital course and a personal branding firm, Own Your Voice Communications, to help thought leaders create social impact and conscious commerce. Her thought provoking presentations have been requested by esteemed organizations such as HBO, Whole Foods, Facebook, Greater Houston Partnership, Emerging Women, and the University of Denver. She currently resides in Houston, TX with her dog, Rico. http://www.ownyourvoicecommunications.com @saharpaz

About Own Your Voice Communications:

Headquartered in Houston, Own Your Voice Communications is a personal branding firm specializing in placing thought leaders on notable stages for public or professional speaking. Focusing on personal brand strategy, identity systems, and storytelling, offering a unique range of expertise under one roof, their purpose is to help executives, business owners, community leaders, and authors discover their brand voice, and leverage it to meet business objectives.
A national accreditation program launched by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) assures that more than 12,000 people with a life-threatening lung disease are getting care from clinicians who specialize in their often-misdiagnosed condition.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH), also known as high blood pressure of the lungs, affects adults and children of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. It can result from the arteries in the lungs becoming damaged, narrowed or stiffened, forcing the right side of the heart to pump extra hard, leading to right heart failure and death. Heart disease, connective tissue disorders, pulmonary emboli and many other common and rare conditions can put people at risk for developing the disease. Symptoms of PH are non-specific and include shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain. Consequently, people with the disease can go months, sometimes years, believing they have other less life-threatening illnesses, such as asthma.

PHA rolled out its Pulmonary Hypertension Care Centers (PHCC) accreditation program in 2014 to improve the quality of care and outcomes for people with PH. The Pulmonary Hypertension Program at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, is the most recently PHCC-accredited program; it has been accredited as a Regional Clinical Program (RCP). In total, 60 programs have earned PHCC accreditation: 55 Centers of Comprehensive Care (CCCs) comprised of 47 adult and eight pediatric CCCs, and five RCPs.

Early and accurate diagnosis, quality care and appropriate targeted treatments available for two forms of PH  pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH)  can extend and improve the quality of life for many living with the disease. PHA encourages all PHCC centers to participate in and help build the PHA registry (PHAR) of newly evaluated PAH and CTEPH patients diagnosed at accredited centers in the U.S. The primary goals of the PHAR are to measure and improve quality of care and adherence to care guidelines; establish benchmarks for health care outcomes; and provide feedback about the relationships between adherence to expert-recommended care strategies and patient outcomes. Data from the PHAR also carries the potential to help the advancement of better, more targeted treatments for the future.

The PHAR also gives accredited centers a platform to perform their own research and quality improvement initiatives and assess patient-reported outcomes, including health-related quality of life. Each PHAR site can access its own data in real time, enabling the center to analyze and understand important information about their own patient populations and care practices. As of September 2018, 39 accredited programs are participating in the PHAR and have enrolled more than 670 patients. For a full list of accredited centers or to learn more about PHAR, visit: https://phassociation.org/phcarecenters/accredited-centers/ and https://phassociation.org/PHAR/.

About the Pulmonary Hypertension Association

Headquartered in Silver Spring, Md., the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is the countrys leading pulmonary hypertension (PH) organization. PHAs mission is to extend and improve the lives of those affected by PH; its vision is a world without PH, empowered by hope. PHA achieves this by connecting and working together with the entire PH community of patients, families, health care professionals and researchers. For more information and to learn how you can support PH patients, visit http://www.PHAssociation.org and connect with PHA on Twitter and Instagram @PHAssociation and on Facebook at facebook.com/PulmonaryHypertensionAssoc
A national accreditation program launched by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) assures that more than 12,000 people with a life-threatening lung disease are getting care from clinicians who specialize in their often-misdiagnosed condition.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH), also known as high blood pressure of the lungs, affects adults and children of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. It can result from the arteries in the lungs becoming damaged, narrowed or stiffened, forcing the right side of the heart to pump extra hard, leading to right heart failure and death. Heart disease, connective tissue disorders, pulmonary emboli and many other common and rare conditions can put people at risk for developing the disease. Symptoms of PH are non-specific and include shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain. Consequently, people with the disease can go months, sometimes years, believing they have other less life-threatening illnesses, such as asthma.

PHA rolled out its Pulmonary Hypertension Care Centers (PHCC) accreditation program in 2014 to improve the quality of care and outcomes for people with PH. The Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic at Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital  Plano in Plano, Texas, is the most recently PHCC-accredited program; it has been accredited as a Regional Clinical Program (RCP). In total, 60 programs have earned PHCC accreditation: 55 Centers of Comprehensive Care (CCCs) comprised of 47 adult and eight pediatric CCCs, and five RCPs.

Early and accurate diagnosis, quality care and appropriate targeted treatments available for two forms of PH  pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH)  can extend and improve the quality of life for many living with the disease. PHA encourages all PHCC centers to participate in and help build the PHA registry (PHAR) of newly evaluated PAH and CTEPH patients diagnosed at accredited centers in the U.S. The primary goals of the PHAR are to measure and improve quality of care and adherence to care guidelines; establish benchmarks for health care outcomes; and provide feedback about the relationships between adherence to expert-recommended care strategies and patient outcomes. Data from the PHAR also carries the potential to help the advancement of better, more targeted treatments for the future.

The PHAR also gives accredited centers a platform to perform their own research and quality improvement initiatives and assess patient-reported outcomes, including health-related quality of life. Each PHAR site can access its own data in real time, enabling the center to analyze and understand important information about their own patient populations and care practices. As of September 2018, 39 accredited programs are participating in the PHAR and have enrolled more than 670 patients. For a full list of accredited centers or to learn more about PHAR, visit: https://phassociation.org/phcarecenters/accredited-centers/ and https://phassociation.org/PHAR/.

About the Pulmonary Hypertension Association

Headquartered in Silver Spring, Md., the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is the countrys leading pulmonary hypertension (PH) organization. PHAs mission is to extend and improve the lives of those affected by PH; its vision is a world without PH, empowered by hope. PHA achieves this by connecting and working together with the entire PH community of patients, families, health care professionals and researchers. For more information and to learn how you can support PH patients, visit http://www.PHAssociation.org and connect with PHA on Twitter and Instagram @PHAssociation and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PulmonaryHypertensionAssociation.
Point Source Youth, a national organization dedicated to ending youth homelessness, and NYU Silver School of Social Work have announced the Third National Symposium on Solutions to End Youth Homelessness, which will be held from June 17-19, 2019, at NYU Skirball Center in New York City. The event will build on the knowledge shared at this years Second National Symposium on Solutions to End Youth Homeless, videos and presentations from which are now available at http://www.pointsourceyouth.org/resources.

The symposium will bring together more than 700 national leaders to discuss implementing solutions that work to end youth homelessness. The three-day event, facilitated by youth with lived experience of homelessness, will feature plenary sessions and interactive breakouts with service providers, researchers, advocates, policymakers, and funders.

Topics that will be addressed include structural barriers to ending youth homelessness; generational trauma; youth leadership and empowerment; supporting trans and queer youth of color; host homes as an alternative to shelters; supporting youth in rural communities; securing funding for new programs; and the latest research on youth homelessness and LGBTQ youth homelessness. The symposium will also focus on building local and regional networks of staff and youth addressing youth homelessness who can continue to support each other throughout the year.

We are thrilled to once again help bring together hundreds of leaders from across the country who are doing amazing work in their communities to support homeless youth, said Larry Cohen, Executive Director of Point Source Youth. Being able to share model programs throughout the country that build relationships across regions is incredibly powerful for our mission to end youth homelessness.

NYU Silver Professor Deborah K. Padgett, co-lead of the Social Work Grand Challenge to End Homelessness and first author of Housing First: Ending Homelessness, Transforming Systems and Changing Lives (Oxford University Press, 2015), said, It is unacceptable that one in ten young adults in America experiences homelessness over the course of a year. We hold this annual symposium to share the latest knowledge, promote the implementation of promising approaches, and redouble our collective advocacy to end the youth homelessness crisis.

Registration for the Third National Symposium on Solutions to End Youth Homelessness will open in November. To be notified when registrations are being accepted, please email contact(at)pointsourceyouth.org.

Point Source Youth's mission is to work with 50 communities across the country to scale-up host homes, rapid rehousing, and family strengthening programs to end youth homelessness with a special focus on supporting LGBTQ youth. For more information on the work Point Source Youth is doing in your region, please visit http://www.pointsourceyouth.org

NYU Silver School of Social Work provides a robust and engaging environment for the education of professional social workers, offering undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degree programs. The School serves as a major postgraduate training center for practicing social workers through its Office of Global and Lifelong Learning. Founded in 1960 and renowned for a strong tradition of excellence in direct social work practice and dedication to social justice, NYU Silver has provided rigorous training to over 18,000 social work practitioners and leaders in every area of the field. For more information, please visit socialwork.nyu.edu.
Power T Handle Wins 2018 Spine Tech Award Our team at Power T Handle, LLC is committed to developing disruptive technologies and better power solutions for surgeons.

Power T Handle, LLC, a surgeon-driven, innovative company, announced today that it has received a Spine Technology Award from Orthopedics This Week during the 2018 North American Spine Society (NASS) meeting in Los Angeles, CA last week. The Power T Handle is a surgical instrument that delivers operating room efficiencies through increased speed and reduced surgeon fatigue while preserving tactile feedback and precision in spinal and other surgical procedures. The Spine Technology Awards bring recognition to new, innovative spine surgery products and the teams that created them.

Justin Iorio, MD, orthopedic surgeon at Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists, Syracuse, NY, noted, The Power T Handle addresses an unmet need in complex spine surgical procedures, and the success of this product can be directly attributed to the benefits it offers surgeons, hospitals and patients. I rely on the Power T Handle in my complex spinal fusion procedures as it saves time in the OR, reduces the strain on the surgeon while providing the feel and precision needed to perform surgical procedures with excellent outcomes.

This first-of-its-kind, wireless power solution allows for seamless integration of a low speed, high torque power driver that preserves the tactile feel and manual capabilities of a traditional T handle. The low-profile design does not interfere with an intra-operative fluoroscopy, and is compatible with existing surgical instruments. The Power T Handle delivers hassle-free power by eliminating many of the cumbersome features of current power equipment. The Power T Handle is also economical as there is no investment in capital equipment, no reprocessing, no maintenance costs and no batteries to recharge.

Kevin Cahill, MD, PhD, President and Co-founder of Power T Handle, LLC stated, We are honored to have received The Spine Technology Award. Our team at Power T Handle, LLC is committed to developing disruptive technologies and better power solutions for surgeons.

About Power T Handle, LLC

The Power T Handle was developed by a team of experienced medical device engineers led by Kevin Cahill, MD, PhD. The Power T Handle was designed to overcome the many limitations of existing power instruments currently available to surgeons. The Power T Handle provides surgeons with the power, precision and feedback necessary to perform surgery without the fatigue, hassle and cost of traditional instrumentation.
Following the report, Maura Possley, a spokeswoman for the attorney general, said the office was looking into the Rauner administrations response to the outbreak. There needs to be an investigation to determine if laws were violated and whether residents of the home, their families, veterans home staff and the public were informed in a timely and appropriate manner, she said in a statement.
Sweet Mystery: a true love story of a young Christian woman who suffered loss and abandonment and found healing through the Lord. Sweet Mystery is the creation of published author, Renee Ragsdale, a passionate writer, mother, and a real estate broker with her own real estate company that operates in Georgia and Florida.

Ragsdale shares, Her life was at last headed in the right direction with this man of hers. She still had bright stars in her eyes and continued to count her blessings. She cheerfully stayed at home. It was wonderful not to have to meet a schedule, and she was enjoying the rewards of home. She was happy, and for the first time in their marriage, she and Jim were not plagued by being late with payments. These blessings brought sweet relief. Now all Rennie needed was the patter of little feet around the house for her life to feel complete. Her world would be in focus when that happened.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Renee Ragsdales new book tells of the authors personal journey toward a resolution for her misgivings and heartaches in the loving arms of God.

This book will surely touch the readers hearts in the hopes of helping one to remain constant in the walk of faith while braving adversity.

View a synopsis of Sweet Mystery on YouTube.

Consumers can purchaseSweet Mystery at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Sweet Mystery, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Research shows that having digital onboarding options is a key factor in SME customers loyalty towards their bank . . . and whether they would consider switching to a different bank in the future.Richard Austen, Avoka General Manager, EMEA

Avoka, the leader in digital customer acquisition journeys in banking, shared research findings today that shows banks in Europe have not yet acted on the opportunity to create an optimised digital account opening and onboarding experience for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) banking customers, are at risk of losing present customers, and are hampering their ability to compete for new SME customers. Avoka is hosting a free breakfast seminar to discuss the research further on 17th October, at the Marriott Hotel County Hall, London. Bankers are invited to register here. We will be joined by Vanson Bourne and Santander as guest speakers.

Vanson Bourne, an independent market researcher, was commissioned by Avoka to survey small business owners and executives across Europe with an aim to understand SME attitudes and opinions toward their banking partners. Some of the more surprising results from the research report, How Banks Can Win New Small Business Customers, are:



Only 38% of SMEs said their banks give them the ability to provide supporting documents electronically, but 82% of SME respondents would find that ability to be very or extremely useful

89% of SME respondents say they must input the same information multiple times in the same application, and 80% of SME respondents would consider auto-filling to be very or extremely useful

Because of frustration with the application process, 67% of SMEs have at some point abandoned a digital banking application before completion

Traditionally, applying for business banking products was something that could only take place either in a local branch or over the telephone. Now, however, digital channels are increasingly being used alongside these traditional approaches. Therefore, its massively important from a banks perspective that they are investing in modern, digital platforms that enable them to give their SME customers exactly what they want and need, said Richard Austen, Avoka General Manager, EMEA.

The research report also reveals that when choosing a new banking partner for their business, the vast majority (86%) of respondents report that it is either very or crucially important that they are able to apply for banking products digitally. In fact, one third (33%) of respondents reveal that their business would not partner with a bank who did not offer this. Upon having a bad online banking experience 20% would be extremely likely to tell other similar businesses, and on a more positive note, 83% say that if they were satisfied with their banking experience they would recommend their bank to similar businesses.

Research shows that having digital onboarding options is a key factor in SME customers loyalty towards their bank, what kind of recommendation they would make to similar businesses about their banking partner, and whether they would consider switching to a different bank in the future, Austen added.

The full report can be downloaded here.

About Vanson Bourne

Vanson Bourne is an independent specialist in market research for the technology sector. Our reputation for robust and credible research-based analysis is founded upon rigorous research principles and our ability to seek the opinions of senior decision makers across technical and business functions, in all business sectors and all major markets. For more information, visit http://www.vansonbourne.com

About Avoka

Avoka creates customer acquisition and onboarding journeys in financial services, government, and other industries. For account opening, lending applications, and business onboarding, Avoka Transact creates outstanding experiences that accelerate customer acquisition and time to market. Avoka was founded in 2002 and has digitized over 100 million transactions for 150+ global clients. Avoka is based in Denver, CO; London, England; and Sydney, Australia.
There are plenty of job boards out there, but none of them focus on security like we do, and thats why there has been such an incredible response already, said Kevin Johnston.

Security Careers USA, a service entirely devoted to filling security jobs across the country, has launched their groundbreaking website from Scottsdale, AZ.

Security workers are in high demand in 2018, which will only grow according to forecasts by the U.S. Department of Labor. They project that there will be 1.15 Million jobs available for Security Guards in the U.S. by 2024. Security Careers USAs mission is to bridge the gap between employers and qualified candidates for these jobs with their specialized website focused solely on that industry.

Kevin Johnston, CEO of Security Careers USA says this is a big undertaking. We are filling a great need with our website. I heard so many complaints from folks in the security industry about how difficult it is to find applicants for their positions. There are plenty of job boards out there, but none of them focus on security like we do, and thats why there has been such an incredible response already, said Kevin Johnston.

Within 30 days of launching, SecurityCareersUSA.com already has thousands of job postings from 50 major companies who employ security guards and deploy them to their corporate clients. Some of these include Allied Universal, G4S and Securitas, who each employ 10,000s of security guards. Weve had a tremendously positive reaction to our service and it increases every day. Were excited for the future of this industry, which is set to go over 1 million jobs in the next 5 or 6 years. We are delighted to see how many jobs are already being filled by SecurityCareersUSA.com. Kevin Johnston continued.

Security Careers USA is currently offered as a free service to both employers and applicants. To search for openings all across the U.S., applicants can visit securitycareersusa.com and click on Search Jobs. Employers can post unlimited jobs for free up to the end of October 2018, by clicking on Post Jobs Here on the home page. After the free posting period, employers will be given the option to continue listing multiple positions with a small fee for each posting.

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About Security Careers USA

Founded in 2018, SecurityCareersUSA.com is a dedicated job board platform for all personnel within the security industry across all states. We are dedicated to bringing Employers and Employees together to by matching skillsets to needs and fill these important positions with a streamlined process. Candidates can search through 1000s of jobs online, upload and edit their resume with our easy to use system.
Through out-of-the-box support for options such as click and collect, estimated delivery dates, and time and date selection, retailers are now able to offer new and improved shipping options expected by consumers.

ShipperHQ, the worlds leading ecommerce checkout shipping solution, is launching a brand new, re-architected Enhanced Checkout built on years of experience working with over 30,000 online retailers worldwide.

With ShipperHQs Enhanced Checkout, retailers now have the power to differentiate themselves from major players like Amazon and Jet.com through an innovative checkout that focuses on delivering seamless, ultra-fast customer experiences. The new high-performance checkout also addresses the growing demand for delivery options that cater to individual customer preferences.

According to MetaPacks 2017 State of eCommerce Delivery, 51% of online shoppers will abandon their carts if the delivery options they desire are not available. Through out-of-the-box support for options such as click and collect, estimated delivery dates, and time and date selection, retailers are now able to offer new and improved shipping options expected by consumers.

The way we architected Enhanced Checkout allows for a smooth integration with Magento 2, said Karen Baker, CEO and Founder of ShipperHQ. Using React components with a GraphQL API has allowed us to reduce the technical load on a retailer's site while simultaneously improving performance. This also means retailers can enable new ShipperHQ features at will without additional development time or cost.

ShipperHQs Enhanced Checkout is now available on Magento 2 and Deity. Additional platforms such as BigCommerce and Shopify will follow as early as Q1 2019.

ShipperHQ will be exhibiting at the MagentoLive Europe conference in Barcelona October 9-10 to provide demos and additional information about the newly released Enhanced Checkout. Contact ShipperHQ at ShipperHQ.com or visit ShipperHQ at booth S33 at MagentoLive Europe to learn more.

About ShipperHQ

ShipperHQ is the leading shipping solution for checkouts worldwide, allowing ecommerce merchants to offer the best possible shipping rates and options at checkout. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA with global staff in the UK and Australia, ShipperHQ works hard to develop innovative, powerful storefront shipping solutions that make the lives of eCommerce merchants easier.
Sigmetrix has several products including CETOL 6 and GD&T Advisor that enable companies to save their data with the 3D CAD model making it easier to communicate efficiently and effectively throughout the development, manufacturing, and quality phases.

Sigmetrix announced they will be an event sponsor at the 3D Collaboration & Interoperability Congress again this year. The conference will be held in Golden, Colorado from October 15-18, 2018. This years event is focused on Enterprise Accountability and will bring together real users to share experiences and learn about the topics of culture & champions, quality, and manufacturing.

3D CIC has become an annual benchmark of the state of collaboration and interoperability throughout the entire product lifecycle. Sigmetrix offers an array of software and training solutions that can be beneficial throughout the product development process:



CETOL 6, a fully-integrated 3D tolerance analysis solution that works with NX, SOLIDWORKS, PTC Creo and CATIA V5-6

GD&T Advisor, an interactive tool that provides expert guidance on the correct application of GD&T

EZtol, a stand-alone 1-D tolerance stackup analysis tool

Training on a variety of topics including GD&T, tolerance analysis, dimensional management and MBD / MBE

Consulting and implementation services to solve todays most challenging assembly engineering problems

3D CIC provides attendees with solutions to real-world challenges throughout all stages of the product lifecycle, said James Stoddard, President of Sigmetrix. Our comprehensive, easy-to-use solutions allow engineering teams to achieve robust designs through tolerance analysis and the correct application of GD&T. This allows products to get to market faster while shortening development time and improving quality.

This years 3D CIC event will incorporate several special sessions that include NX MBD User Group meeting, PTC/USER MBE Technical Community Open Forum, and Using SOLIDWORKS for MBD workshop. With 4 days of sessions and over 20 speakers, attendees will be well-equipped to embark on their Model-Based Definition, Model-Based Enterprise, Smart Manufacturing, and Internet of Things initiatives.

More than ever before, information needs to be digital and fully associated throughout the entire product lifecycle, stated Jennifer Herron, CEO of Action Engineering. Sigmetrix has several products including CETOL 6 and GD&T Advisor that enable companies to save their data with the 3D CAD model making it easier to communicate efficiently and effectively throughout the development, manufacturing, and quality phases.

For more information on the 2018 3D Collaboration & Interoperability Congress visit: http://www.3dcic.com.

About Sigmetrix

Sigmetrix is a global provider of comprehensive, easy-to-use software solutions that help users achieve robust designs through tolerance analysis and the correct application of GD&T. With over 20 years of research and development, Sigmetrix products eliminate the error between as-designed assemblies and as-produced products. For more information, visit their website at http://www.sigmetrix.com.

About 3D CIC

The 3D Collaboration & Interoperability Congress (3D CIC) focuses on 3D CAD collaboration and interoperability for the entire product lifecycle. The 2018 theme of Enterprise Accountability will bring together real users to share experiences and learn about the topics of Culture & Champions, Quality, and Manufacturing. What does Enterprise Accountability mean? Products are built by designing, manufacturing, and maintaining quality at each step of content generation. Adequacy of information across the enterprise can be checked by software and humans. Software tools automate and resolve execution deficiencies while revealing errors that require human attention. New procedures written to take advantage of a digital transformation inside Industry 4.0 require persistent consistence to influence organizational culture that naturally resists change. Speakers at this years 3D CIC event will move this conversation forward. For more information and to register, visit the 3D CIC website at http://www.3dcic.com.
Maria Pendolino and Amanda Pendolino If you met us when we were teenagers, Im not sure you would have believed this collaboration was possible, Maria says. We kind of hated each other and were constantly bickering. But, as we grew up, we realized that we actually had a lot in common and over time weve become really great friends.

Weddings are always a family affair  and for Amanda and Maria Pendolino, theyre a family business, too. Maria's getting married on Saturday, October 13th in Downtown Buffalo and today they've released their first professional collaboration: the audiobook version of the Amazon top-selling book Wedding Planning for the Busy Feminist.

A Buffalo-born writer, Amanda became an accidental wedding expert when her older sister, Maria, asked her to serve as Maid of Honor  at the same time Amanda was already fulfilling the role for her best friend in Los Angeles. Since Amanda attended ten other weddings in about two years, she culled from her own experiences, surveyed over 30 brides, grooms and vendors to write Wedding Planning for the Busy Feminist  an empowering, humorous survival guide that helps couples navigate the crazy, stressful world of wedding planning. The book was named one of the top 10 wedding planning books of 2018 by The Knot.

A lot of women feel conflicted about weddings because they can reinforce traditional gender roles and values, says Amanda. The busy feminist is a modern, independent woman who is excited to get married but feels guilty about wanting the perfect wedding... but she wants it anyway! Couples today have to reconcile their values with sometimes outdated wedding traditions and family opinions. They also feel pressure to make their wedding a Pinterest-worthy performance  whether that means serving signature cocktails or DIY-ing table numbers inspired by every country theyve visited. The wedding planning process can be overwhelming, so I wanted to help  and laugh about it.

Maria contributed both her opinions and her voice to the project. An award-winning voiceover artist who has voiced commercials for everything from mouthwash to Robert Mondavi wine, Maria recorded the audiobook version of Wedding Planning for the Busy Feminist at her home studio in Buffalo, NY. The audiobook is available on Audible, iTunes and Amazon; the book is available on Amazon in both paperback and e-book. Im normally a very efficient narrator, Maria says with a smirk. But there were several instances where I had to go back a re-record a sentence or paragraph because I was laughing too hard!

With anecdotes along the lines of 'nothing sexes up a ceremony like a hot usher,' Amanda Pendolino's witty read caters to modern brides who want to steer away from certain dated wedding traditions, says Brides Magazine. Plus, the book comes loaded with humorous tips and stories from real couples and vendors."

Complete with helpful timelines and checklists, Wedding Planning for the Busy Feminist covers everything from wedding history (brides only began wearing white when Queen Victoria made it cool at her royal wedding in 1840) and theme ideas (say no to Gatsby!) to confusing caterer gratuities and unenthusiastic partners. Chapter topics include dress shopping, venue selection, vows, bridal parties, bachelor and bachelorette parties, showers, registries, tuxedo rentals, wedding planners and coordinators, money-saving tips, invitations, guest lists, elopements, themes, hashtags, favors and more. An interview with a wedding photographer also digs into the pros and cons of the trendy unplugged ceremony.

If you met us when we were teenagers, Im not sure you would have believed this collaboration was possible, Maria says. We kind of hated each other and were constantly bickering. But, as we grew up, we realized that we actually had a lot in common and over time weve become really great friends. When it came time to pick my Maid of Honor, there was no question - it was Amanda.

Wedding Planning for The Busy Feminist is available now in paperback, e-book and audiobook!

LINKS:

The books Amazon page:

http://bit.ly/busyfeminist

The audiobooks Audible page:

http://bit.ly/busyfeministaudio

The books Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/WeddingPlanningForTheBusyFeminist/

Amandas website and mailing list:

http://www.amandapendolino.com

Marias website:

http://www.voicebymaria.com

Amandas email:

amanda.pendolino(at)gmail.com

Marias email

voicebymaria(at)gmail.com

Amandas Twitter:

http://twitter.com/amandapendo

Amandas headshot:

http://bit.ly/amanda-pendolino-headshot

Marias headshot:

http://bit.ly/maria-headshot
We enjoy sharing our love for the Delaware beaches with everyone who visits Sophies Corner. Every guest receives a welcome package from us with a guide book so they can explore the Delaware Shores in confidence.

Sophies Corner, a luxury Delaware vacation home rental, is now available to book for people looking for an entire home to rent near the charming Delaware Beaches. The house is located at the corner of Lewes-Georgetown Hwy and Joseph Road in Lewes, DE.

We enjoy sharing our love for the Delaware beaches with everyone who visits Sophies Corner. Every guest receives a welcome package from us with a guide book so they can explore the Delaware Shores in confidence. Sophies Corner is a short drive to downtown Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, and even close enough for a day trip to Ocean City, Maryland, commented owner Dennis Diaz. My husband and I fell in love with this stunning 2,364 square feet, two-story home and knew it would be perfect as a vacation home. Its new and has everything including 4 spacious bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a large eat-in kitchen, luxurious family room, and a relaxing outdoor patio and deck, added Diaz.

Delaware beach hotels are often expensive for groups and could lack the design and comfort that most vacation homes have to offer. Before we moved to the Delaware Shores we struggled finding hotel rooms in Rehoboth Beach that were worth the money. We found that our experience at vacation home rentals a little outside of the area were just a better 'bang for the buck,' concluded Diaz. That's why we aim to elevate the experience and welcome guests with cleanliness, plenty of amenities and tons of hospitality at Sophie's Corner.

About Sophies Corner:

Sophies Corner is one of the newest Delaware beach vacation rentals located in Lewes, DE close to the top Delaware vacation destinations the state has to offer including Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island and even Ocean City, Maryland. For more information, please call 302-827-3198 or visit https://www.sophiescornerhome.com
Steven R. Drexel, Cornerstone Staffing Solutions President and CEO Employment has been growing for a record 95 consecutive months and the unemployment rate is quite low. The near-term risk of recession remains low given the absence of any signs of critical imbalances or a looming financial bubble.

Steven Drexel, Cornerstone Staffing Solutions president and CEO, shares his August 2018 labor observations in advance of the Oct. 5 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) press releases describing The Employment Situation.

As an economist and seasoned staffing industry professional, Drexel is regularly asked to participate in monthly surveys and discussions that predict key elements of labor market activity.

Drexel says the headline net job growth number during September should come in with another strong 185,000 net new positions. This would be below Augusts 201,000 growth rate but still consistent with the average rate of growth for the past three months. This consistently robust job growth confirms a healthy labor market as well as a robust general economy, he comments.

Drexel expects the unemployment rate to decline by one click to 3.8 percent during September continuing its very gradual decline noting this would keep the unemployment rate in the range it has been occupying for the last eleven months.

He points out the consensus of the forecasters expect continued steady job growth during the remainder of 2018 followed by continued but more constrained growth during 2019. Septembers Employment Situation Report should confirm this narrative that suggests the economy still has enough vitality to continue the campaign, he explains. Drexel goes on to clarify that if the BLS report is not too corrupted by the east coast storm effect, he is optimistic that the narrative will assert the economy is still strong and the expansion is secure.

Drexel participates in private surveys and follows several employment-related economic indicators. The following suggest Septembers report will remain strong or improve: initial unemployment claims trended down, an improved Conference Boards Consumer Confidence Index, the Institute for Supply Managements Index remained strong, the National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Survey indicated that a net 26 percent of their members have plans to increase employment, Federal Reserve Bank Manufacturing Surveys from several districts reported improving or otherwise positive employment conditions, and the American Staffing Associations Staffing Index improved for the eighth consecutive month.

Conversely, Drexel notes that some economic indicators suggest September will be softer. These include the Federal Reserve Bank Manufacturing Survey published by the Kansas City, Richmond and Dallas districts reported weaker employment conditions during September and The Wall Street Journal Forecasting Survey for September predicted a rate of employment growth which is softer than what was reported during August, but consistent with recent longer-term trends.

Employment has been growing for a record 95 consecutive months and the unemployment rate is quite low. Expect job growth during 2018 to remain strong while the unemployment rate drifts down closer to 3.6 percent by year-end. The near-term risk of recession remains low given the absence of any signs of critical imbalances or a looming financial bubble, Drexel declares.

More About Cornerstone Staffing

Cornerstone Staffing Solutions is among the largest staffing firms in America and received Inaveros Best of Staffing Client Award in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Since 2003, Cornerstone has grown from a neighborhood staffing provider to a national firm that employs thousands of people at hundreds of companies from coast to coast, including: California  San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Los Angeles metropolitan areas; central Michigan; New Jersey; Maryland; and Las Vegas, Nev. The Cornerstone family of companies also includes Dallas, Texas-based Rightstone (http://www.rightstone.com), and Chicago, Illinois-based Arlington Resources, Inc. (http://www.arlingtonresources.com) and Casey Accounting & Finance Resources (http://www.caseyresources.com). Providing candidate searching and job placement for administrative, industrial, technical, sales and transportation positions, Cornerstone truly is where talent and jobs meet. Visit Cornerstone at: http://www.cornerstone-staffing.com.
The Sturge-Weber Foundation (SWF), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, has named Dr. Davide Zecchin of University College London the recipient of the 2018-2019 Lisas Sturge-Weber Research Fellowship Award. Research is defined as patient-oriented research conducted with human subjects, or translational research specifically designed to develop treatments or further various areas of scientific discoveries within Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS). The funds for the Lisas Research Fellowship Award are from a family that wishes to remain anonymous to focus the attention on "Lisa's Sturge-Weber Foundation Research Fellowship Award."

Dr. Zecchins proposal is Genetic Therapy for the Sturge-Weber Mutation  Proof of Concept Study. He is an expert in cancer genetics. He received his Ph.D. from the Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment  Candiolo (Turin, Italy) and has performed postdoctoral research in Turin and at the London Research Institute and The Francis Crick Institute. He recently joined the laboratory of Dr. Veronica Kinsler at Great Ormond St. Hospital for Children in London. Dr. Kinsler is expert in mosaic disorders and GNAQ, which when mutated causes Sturge-Weber syndrome. Her lab has shown that GNAQ mutations are responsible for phakomatosis pigmentovascularis (PPV) and Extensive Atypical Dermal Melanocytosis (EDM), and has done pioneering work in characterizing the development of birthmarks.

Dr. Zecchin proposes to demonstrate that Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) could potentially be treated by genetic therapy. This genetic therapy would not only be aimed at the skin, but at all GNAQ-mutant cells in the body. The approach is to use gene therapy to correct the GNAQ mutation, working in cells derived from patients. It is thought that gene therapy could be used effectively after birth with the potential to prevent epilepsy, neurodevelopmental delay, and glaucoma.

The Sturge-Weber Foundation exists to improve the quality of life and care for patients and families through research, awareness, advocacy and community. The Sturge-Weber Foundation is located at 12345 Jones Rd. Suite 125, Houston, TX 77070, 973-895-4445, http://www.sturge-weber.org, swf(at)sturge-weber.org.
Faith In the Future: a vividly illustrated journey of Faith and her thrilling and insightful circumstances during her birthday. Faith In the Future is the creation of published author, Teresa Basaldua, an elementary school teacher and a dedicated writer and storyteller.

Basaldua shares, Its Faiths birthday, and she hopes that her beloved grandmother, Momo, will give her the space cruiser of her dreams. While Faith desires to impress her friends, her Momo has a different purpose in mind. Will Faith learn to control her emotions, as well as the unique feature of the most hideous cruiser on the lot?

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Teresa Basalduas new book also tells of the wonderful relationship between a grandparent and a grandchild in sharing the much-needed unconditional love and family support.

Witness Faith as she receives an unexpected gift from her grandmother that inspires her with thought-provoking lessons that are worth remembering forever.

View a synopsis of Faith In the Future on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase Faith In the Future at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Faith In the Future, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
"Where Russia acts in an indiscriminate and reckless way, where they have done in terms of these cyberattacks, we will be exposing them," British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said Thursday at a meeting with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other NATO defense ministers in Brussels. "We believe that by doing so, this will act as a disincentive for acting in such a way in the future."
Celebrate Our First Responders with this new stamp issued by the United States Postal Service. With this stamp, the U.S. Postal Service recognizes the men and womenincluding firefighters, law enforcement officers, and emergency medical service professionals  who respond to critical situations with skill, dedication, and uncommon bravery. First responders are found throughout society, from

Experience the Expo  the philatelic event of the fall. The American Stamp Dealers Association, Inc., Northern Jersey Federated Stamp Clubs, Inc., the United States Postal Service, and eBay have partnered to host NOJEX/ASDA Postage Stamp Show, October 1921, 2018, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The show will be held at the Hilton Meadowlands Hotel, 2 Meadowlands Plaza, East Rutherford, NJ 07073. The doors open daily at 10 a.m. and admission is free. Friday and Saturday the show runs until 6 p.m.; Sunday until 3 p.m. All collectors and non-collectors are welcome.

What To Do at the Show

Shop Til You Drop  Dealers from across the nation and around the world will be buying and selling  stamps, covers, postcards, and other philatelic material. Collectors can purchase with confidence with ASDA Member Dealers.

Be Present at Two Special Ceremonies  The United States Postal Service will host a Special Dedication Ceremony for First Responders at 11 a.m., Saturday, October 20. Visit http://www.usps.com/. The United Nations Postal Administration will be celebrating Diwali, at its First Day Ceremony, October 19 at 11 a.m.. For more information about United Nations stamps visit unstamps.org.

Bid at Auctions  Two live auctions will be held during the EXPO  The H.R. Harmer Auction Sale #2030 will feature the Elmer Campbell Collection of Germany and German Areas, Saturday, October 20, at 1 p.m. The House of Zion Public Auction #102 for Charity will feature more than 350 lots of Holyland, World War I, Palestine, 1948, Israel, Judaica, Holocaust, Arab-related, dealer lots, and collections. The Auction will begin on Sunday, October 21 at 1 p.m. In addition, there will be the eBay EXPO Auction, an online auction featuring dealers at the show for those who cant attend and those who want to enhance their EXPO experience. The bidding starts October 19 at 9 a.m. PT and ends October 26 at 9 p.m. PT.

Attend Meetings and Seminars  If you are in buy and selling online, there will be a Q&A with eBay, An Open Conversation_ at 3 p.m. on Friday, October 19.

View the Exhibits  Nearly 200 frames of philatelic material will be on display.

Buy Stamps from Postal Agencies  The United States Postal Service will have a stamp counter, First Day cancels, and a cancellation area. Visit the United Nations Postal Agency Booth to purchase their newest stamps and other issues.

Visit Society Booths  Six stamp collecting societies will have a presence at the show: the American Philatelic Society, American Topical Association, Ebony Society of Philatelic Events and Reflections, Inc., Scandinavian Collectors Club, Vatican Philatelic Society, and the American Philatelic Society.

Kids, Get Into Collecting  Enjoy the fun and challenge of stamp collecting. Each child, ages 6-10, who is accompanied by an adult, will receive a free gift

Get the Special Daily Show Cancel and Cachets  Be sure to visit the ASDA Table to purchase show souvenirs.

Take Advantage of the Free Appraisal Service  Bring in those stamps/collections that you have inherited or been storing for years. This free service will put a verbal value on your material and advise you on what to do with the collection. The appraisal service will be open for business from 10 a.m.3 p.m. each day of the show. To participate in this service, check in at the ASDA Booth located at the show entrance.

Come to the philatelic event of the fall  October 1921 at the Meadowlands Hilton, 2 Meadowlands Plaza, East Rutherford, NJ 07073. Explore the wide, wonderful world of postage stamp collecting  a hobby for a life time!

Visit the ASDA on line (http://www.americanstampdealer.com for all show information  schedule of events, dealers in attendance, and more.

The American Stamp Dealers Association, Inc., is a professional organization serving stamp collecting and its dealers since 1914.
Young boys in Africa collecting water We need to help the children with clean water today, so they have a chance at tomorrow. Water is Life.

The Point of Grace Academy resides in rural Kisumu along the shores of Lake Victoria. This region is known for having some of the highest levels of HIV/AIDS in all of Kenya. Also, while the school sits on the shores of Lake Victoria, clean, safe water is in scarce supply. Raw sewage, heavy farm runoff, toxic chemicals, and algae blooms have rendered the water unsafe.

Consequently, the population, especially school children, have suffered from numerous diseases and death caused by unsafe water: typhoid, cholera, dysentery, diarrhea, worm diseases, skin and eye infections. Also, children who make the journey to find clean, safe water get pulled away from school and learning. It can also be dangerous as crocodiles are known wait for unsuspecting early-morning gatherers.

Renowned global authority on water quality, Dr. Moe Mukiibi, - CTO/COO Global Water Center, said Our bodies contain over 60% water. You cant have a productive society with a broken watershed."

In 2017, we at CannedWater4Kids (CW4k), a water charity whose mission is to ensure all children have access to clean, safe drinking water, funded the delivery and installation of a breakthrough water treatment technology called the Water POD.

This advanced system, developed by Stonehouse Water Technologies of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, utilizes multiple processes to remove pathogens, such as Cryptosporidium, viruses, bad odor and taste and reduces a variety of heavy metals such as Arsenic to safe levels. The Water POD produces 10,000 gallons of clean water per day from a mix of freshwater sources which will be used for cooking and drinking. One unit can provide water for up to 3,500 users, and is expandable, meaning more units can be added to serve larger populations.

The Water POD has onboard telemetry that allows Stonehouse Water Technologies to monitor system performance from anywhere in the world electronically.

Clean, safe drinking water is something many take for granted. I cant imagine a day without it, said Greg Stromberg, Founder, and CEO of CW4k. It makes us feel good knowing that we can make a difference in the lives an entire community. And, that we are able to help children with clean water today, so they have a chance at tomorrow he added.

Hensley Foster, CEO of Stonehouse Water Technologies, and inventor of the Water Pod is proud to have become known for Making the Unthinkable Drinkable.

Once installed, this POD water treatment system will, for the first time, supply the school, a hospital and the local community of over 4,000 people with clean, safe water.

Since delivery of the POD water treatment system to Africa, loss of the community's electric power generator, severe weather, unexpected engineering requirements and lack of additional funding is preventing the completion of this installation.

A GoFundMe page is being prepared to raise much-needed funding allowing CW4K to finish the installation of this life-saving water system. Donations will help send a US engineering team to Africa, and pay for additional materials. It will also provide training for school and community leaders, to make sure the effort is sustainable.

About CannedWater4Kids

CannedWater4Kids is a 501c3 charity based in Sussex, WI. The organizations purpose is to ensure all children have access to clean, safe drinking water. CW4K funds its initiatives with cash donations, grants and through the sale of their premium drinking water in aluminum cans and bottles. 95 cents of every dollar collected goes to support clean water programs. Projects include assisting the University of Wisconsin  Milwaukees Engineers Without Borders in bringing sustainable water purification solutions to the highlands of Guatemala, and support for well/water tank and Bio Sand Filter projects in Zambia, Kenya, and Tanzania, Africa. Recent disaster and hurricane relief efforts include the sending of truckloads of canned drinking water to Michigan, Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. To learn more, visit [http://www.cannedwater4kids.org/howtohelp.

About Stonehouse Water Technologies

Located in the Global Water Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Stonehouse Water Technologies is home of the smallest and smartest water purification technology. Because of our dedication to collaborative water industry relationships and water technology innovation, our space in the Global Water Center allows us to partner alongside several internationally-involved experts within the water space, including the Water Council. To learn more, visit https://stonehousewater.com.
On Monday, June 11, 2018, The TASC Group was awarded three Big Apple Awards and two Honorable Mentions from the Public Relations Society of America, New York Chapters (PRSA-NY) 31st annual Big Apple Gala for their work with clients the Heather Heyer Foundation and Yeshivat Maharat. The event, held this year at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, honored outstanding public relations campaigns and projects developed or implemented in and around New York City. Over the last five years, The TASC Group team has won 12 Big Apple Awards from PRSA-NY in the areas of crisis communications, public service, diversity and inclusion and events and observances.

This year, The TASC Group won the following PRSA-NY Big Apple Awards:



Events & Observances (More Than Seven Days): Campaigns with Budgets of $150,000 or Less for Making My Daughter's Death Count: The Launch of the Heather Heyer Foundation in the Aftermath of Charlottesville

Crisis Communication: Campaigns with Budgets of $150,000 or Less for Orthodox & Ordained: Making the Case for Women Rabbis in the Orthodox Jewish Community

Diversity and Inclusion: Campaigns with Budgets of $150,000 or Less for Orthodox & Ordained: Making the Case for Women Rabbis in the Orthodox Jewish Community

The TASC Group also received the following honorable mentions:



Public Service: Government, Associations and Non-Profits for Making My Daughter's Death Count: The Launch of the Heather Heyer Foundation in the Aftermath of Charlottesville

Public Service: Campaigns with Budgets of $150,000 or Less for Making My Daughter's Death Count: The Launch of the Heather Heyer Foundation in the Aftermath of Charlottesville

We are very proud to once again receive recognition for our public relations and communications work in the categories of public service, crisis communications and diversity and inclusion by the Public Relations Society of America  New York Chapter, said Lawrence Kopp, President and Founder of The TASC Group. We are extremely fortunate to work with clients that inspire us every day and who work diligently to make our world a better place. It is an honor to help our clients achieve their goals and further their missions.

Established in 1947, PRSA-NY is one of the founding chapters of the Public Relations Society of America, the worlds largest professional organization for public relations practitioners and the third largest PRSA local chapter in the U.S. PRSA-NY established the Big Apple Awards program in 1987 to encourage excellence in public relations. The program has evolved to keep pace with a rapidly changing industry and continues to celebrate the exciting and innovative successes of talented professionals working in the heart of the communications universe. Today, the Big Apple Award is recognized as one of the highest honors bestowed in public relations.

The TASC Group has previously been recognized by numerous public relations trade and industry associations for nonprofit public relations, grassroots advocacy, public service, global communications and crisis communications campaigns.

For media inquiries regarding The TASC Group, please contact Kaitlin Stewart at (212) 337-8870 or Kaitlin(at)thetascgroup.com.

About The TASC Group

The TASC Group (TASC) is an independent, full-service communications and public relations firm. TASC was founded as a progressive-minded company dedicated to working with some of the most dynamic and inspiring clients in the world. The company is passionate about and committed to helping its clients achieve their goals. TASC represents mission-driven private and public companies, organizations, nonprofits, labor groups and community organizations. The companys services include media relations, crisis communications and issues management, corporate social responsibility campaigns, thought leadership development, cause-related marketing, red carpet and celebrity events, SEO and online reputation management and social media. For more information, visit http://www.thetascgroup.com.
At VHS, we believe that introducing students to CS concepts, including cybersecurity, in a rigorous but not overwhelming manner, gives students a taste of the material so they can consider if the career is something theyll pursue in the future.

Stacy Young, Associate Dean of Faculty at The Virtual High School (VHS Inc.), will be speaking at the CSforALL Summit 2018, being held October 8-11 at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Young will be taking part in a panel discussion on cybersecurity education.

On October 9 at 1:30, Young will join four other presenters on a panel moderated by Kevin Nolten from the Cyber Innovation Center. Stacy will be discussing our commitment to high school computer science (CS) education to prepare students for college and careers, said Amy Michalowski, Dean of VHS. We believe that introducing students to CS concepts, including cybersecurity, in a rigorous but not overwhelming manner, gives students a taste of the material so they can consider if the career is something theyll pursue in the future. Michalowski continued, We hope to add industry credentialing to our CS courses over time and we want to be a strong part of the computer science career pipeline.

The Virtual High School has embraced the CSforAll movement since its inception, and each year makes a commitment to improve computer science education for all students. This year, The Virtual High School will develop and launch a new 15-week online cybersecurity course for delivery in the 2019-2020 academic year. The course will be available to schools across the country and will also be available for individual student enrollment. A four-week companion module on cybersecurity will also be available in summer 2019. The companion module can be used as a summer enrichment or for-credit course, as a supplemental module for in-school use, and as part of a Boys and Girls club or other after-school program. The goal is to get as many students as possible excited about computer science, said Carol Ribeiro, President & CEO of The Virtual High School. We want all students, regardless of their geographic location or economic circumstances, to understand they have choices.

In addition to developing its new cybersecurity courses, VHS is offering its popular Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles course and 11 other online computer science courses this year. The VHS online AP Computer Science Principles course first ran in the 2016-2017 academic year, with VHS students earning a 94 percent pass rate on the AP exam. In the 2017-2018 academic year, VHS students achieved an even higher AP exam pass rate of 96 percent  far exceeding AP exam national averages.

Technology courses currently offered by VHS include CAD, Video Game Design, Java Programming, and Creative Programming with Scratch. VHS also offers a computer science certificate program. Students may enroll in any VHS course of their choosing, as long as they meet course prerequisites. Students have the option to enroll individually or as part of their schools participation in the VHS program.

VHS is a Massachusetts-based non-profit organization that has, for over 22 years, provided middle and high schools from 40 states and 33 countries with access to high-quality online and blended learning experiences. More than 600 schools currently use the VHS program to supplement their schools course offerings.

About The Virtual High School

The Virtual High School (VHS Inc.) is an online learning pioneer. Since 1996, the organization has set the standard for quality online education. VHS prepares students for college, careers, and life through supportive, instructor-led online and blended classroom experiences. The nonprofit organization provides student courses taught in global online classrooms, as well as online professional development for educators. Custom course development and offerings can be tailored to meet each schools unique needs. The Virtual High School is accredited by both Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), and AdvancED. Courses are approved for initial eligibility by NCAA. For more information, visit http://www.vhslearning.org or call (978) 897-1900.
Titan Cloud Software and M33 Growth We were drawn [to Titan] for their cutting-edge cloud-based software, commitment to providing outstanding service to their customers, and impressive customer base that encompasses over 30,000 sites, 10,000 users, and the leading owner/operators in the downstream oil and gas industry.

Titan Cloud Software, a fast-growing SaaS and IoT company, and M33 Growth, a growth-stage investment firm, today announced they have partnered to accelerate the expansion of Titans downstream oil and gas industry solutions for fuel retailers, fleet operators, environmental firms, and Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI) service providers, distributors and manufacturers.

Brent Puzak, Director of ESS at Circle K commented on this new partnership: As a long-time customer with several thousand sites and users on Titan, were excited to hear about Titans recent partnership with M33 Growth because it means that the already feature-rich Titan platform will continue to expand its functionality to assist Circle K Global Fuels.

In the management of thousands of sites across the western U.S., we rely on Titans advanced software tools, coupled with our unique 24/7/365 call center expertise, to provide our clients with unsurpassed service, specifically around alarms, remote ATG management, and flow rate reporting, added Tami Jensen, Vice President and GM, SolvOne. As a leading service provider in the industry, were excited to hear about the M33 partnership and what this means for the continued expansion of our relationship with Titan and ability to create even more value for our clientele.

M33 Growths mission is to partner with bootstrapped, high-growth companies located outside traditional startup hubs who have built industry-leading products. Titan is an ideal partner, said Brian Shortsleeve, co-founder and managing director of M33 Growth. We were drawn to their cutting-edge cloud-based fuel analytics, environmental risk management software and fuel systems monitoring platform, commitment to providing outstanding service to their customers, and impressive customer base that encompasses over 30,000 sites, 10,000 users, and the leading owner/operators in downstream oil and gas. Uniting our resources with theirs, we can help them grow their products offerings, partnerships and customer success teams to strengthen their leadership position.

We have changed the way downstream does business, said David Freese, CEO of Titan Cloud Software. Our passion for innovation and repeated delivery of strong return on software investment has earned us the trust of a blue-chip customer base of leading enterprise players including 10 of the top 20 convenience store chains and 5 of the top 6 rental fleets, as well as leading PEI service providers and equipment OEMs. At Titan, we dont take our responsibility to provide continual innovation and value lightly and are always striving to take our products, platform and customer service to the next level. We have joined forces with M33 Growth so we can tap into their financial and strategic resources to expand our growth exponentially.

To see this platform live at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) annual show in Las Vegas, October 710, 2018, please visit Titan on the expo floor in booth #7353.

About M33 Growth

M33 Growth is a venture and growth stage investment firm that partners with founders and CEOs who have successfully bootstrapped their companies to strong growth and are positioned to rapidly scale their companies and break through as market leaders. With deep experience fueling sales and marketing engines, driving acquisitions and building value through data assets, M33 Growth seeks to propel portfolio companies to success in their markets. Founded by veterans of renowned investment firms with considerable operational experience, the Boston-based firm seeks to invest in companies in the software, healthcare and services sectors throughout North America. Learn more at m33growth.com

About Titan Cloud Software

Titan Cloud Software is an agile SaaS and IoT software company that is changing the way the downstream oil and gas industry does business. Titan offers a single cloud-based platform that bridges the trifecta of fuel asset management: continuous wetstock tank monitoring, cloud automation of environmental processes, and optimization of fuel equipment uptime. Entrusted by a customer base that comprises the whos who of the retail petroleum industry and commercial fleet market, it is estimated that Titans software currently monitors 50% of all U.S. consumer gasoline throughput. Working with this extensive network gives Titan access to big data and compelling analytics that can be used to manage risk and fuel profit for its clients. Learn more at titancloud.com.
"Carbon dioxide is not a control knob that can fine tune climate" - Judith Curry, Atmospheric Scientist, Georgia Tech that governments like the province of Alberta are willing to employ mass public climate indoctrination specialists like former Greenpeace activist, Climate George, shows to what bizarre degree media and governments have been unethically co-opted in climatology ideology. Past News Releases RSS

As reported by NHK World, Japan on Oct. 1, 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is conducting another climate conference in the Republic of South Korea (ROK), a meeting condemned by Friends of Science Society as hypocritical, unethical and unscientific.

Friends of Science Society says if the IPCC participants were serious about their claims of greenhouse gases warming the world, they would stop flying thousands of people to conferences every few weeks. The Bangkok, Thailand conference was held in September; COP-24 will be in December in Katowice, Poland.

The South Korean meeting is to address an interim Summary for Policy Makers report (SPM) on potential consequences of not meeting the 1.5-degree Celsius temperature target set by the Paris COP-21 Agreement. Friends of Science Society says the original 2-degree Celsius target is a delusion and was set arbitrarily, as reported by Foreign Affairs, Feb. 8, 2018.

At the recent Porto Climate Conference, Sept, 7-8, 2018, numerous scientists challenged the so-called consensus on climate.

Several mathematicians and complex systems experts denounced the IPCC reliance on faulty computer models. Dr. Hans Jelbring, Swedish climatologist, disputed the greenhouse gas theory as the overriding driver of climate change. Dr. Nils-Axel Morner, Pamela Matlock-Klein and Dr. Thomas Wysmuller demonstrated that the rate of global sea level rise is small and stable; island nations are not at risk.

Friends of Science questions how small islands like the Maldives can unethically demand climate change money from the west, when they are busy building a new airport runway on a low level island to fly in thousands of tourists by jumbo jet, as reported by The Holiday Place, Nov. 17, 2017.

A study by Kensch et al (2018) published this year in Nature Communications found that 8 of the 9 atolls and almost three-quarters of the 101 reef islands of Tuvalu grew in size between 1971 and 2014, increasing Tuvalus total land area by 2.9%.

Media outlets like the BBC are now unwilling to engage in open debate on climate science, as reported by The Conservative Woman, Sept. 22, 2018. Governments like the province of Alberta are willing to employ mass public climate indoctrination specialists like former Greenpeace activist, Climate George, as reported on Friends of Science blog by William Kay, Oct. 2, 2018. These show to what bizarre degree media and governments have been unethically co-opted in climatology ideology.

In November, 2015, the IPCC told Friends of Science Society that it has no peer-reviewed papers to support the claim in the SPM that wide-scale deployment of renewables (wind and solar) can adequately replace coal or natural gas or reduce carbon dioxide, yet it continues to feature this as a solution in all its Summary for Policy Makers.

In the leaked document of June 26, 2018, reported by Climate Home News, in Point C3.2, the IPCC claims that ..by 2050 renewables are expected to supply 49-67% of primary energy while coal would supply 1-7%.

Friends of Science Society says no credible research supports this claim.

The original premise of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change  the mandate under which the IPCC was established was to lead to the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.

After some 20 years of no statistically significant warming, despite an increase in human industrial greenhouse gas emissions, Friends of Science says it is clear that the sun and other natural internal variable forces drive climate. Reducing carbon dioxide is an exercise in futility and a 2 degree-C target, controllable by humans, a delusion.

The climate change needed is political - to disband the IPCC and the UNFCCC, says Friends of Science, and to stop them flying to global climate conferences every other month.

About

Friends of Science Society is an independent group of earth, atmospheric and solar scientists, engineers, and citizens who are celebrating its 16th year of offering climate science insights. After a thorough review of a broad spectrum of literature on climate change, Friends of Science Society has concluded that the sun is the main driver of climate change, not carbon dioxide (CO2).

Friends of Science Society

P.O. Box 23167, Mission P.O.

Calgary, Alberta

Canada T2S 3B1

Toll-free Telephone: 1-888-789-9597

Web: friendsofscience.org

E-mail: contact(at)friendsofscience(dot)org

Web: climatechange101.ca
- In an industry first, Infinito Wallet app users can now check the risk of addresses and generate a risk reports before transactions



Coinfirms AML verification technology on top of Infinito Wallets existing infrastructure will heighten security and transparency

This is another milestone of cooperation between both companies announced in August with further integrations such as AMLT in the near future

Infinito and Coinfirm are setting a new precedent in the industry with the technical integration of Coinfirm AML Platform into the universal wallet for the widest range of coins and tokens on the market, Infinito Wallet. This integration between the two industry leaders will help prevent the circulation of funds originated from illegal activities such as hacks and scams, thus protecting both businesses and consumers involved in crypto transactions.

Benefits for Infinito Wallet users and whole digital economy

The cooperation between Infinito Wallet  the leading Universal Wallet provider, and Coinfirm - the global leader in AML, CTF, and KYC solutions around blockchain, creates an opportunity to popularize AML standards among participants of digital markets and raise their awareness of the threats resulting from illegal activities in this market. Before each transaction, Infinito Wallet users can quickly estimate the risk associated with it by generating a report that analyzes over 200 risk indicators. The main indicator is Coinfirms C Score, reflecting financial risk, is calculated on the basis of proprietary algorithms and risk scenarios. Confirm's database is constantly updated with an increasing amount of analyzed and verified data and the company is constantly analyzing close to 10,000,000,000 transactions between over 500,000,000 addresses, from which almost 19,000,000 are flagged in Coinfirms system. Download Infinito Wallet, the leading universal wallet supports leading coins such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, ADA, Bitcoin Cash, EOS, NEO, Litecoin, GAS, Dash, ETC, and Dogecoin along with tokens of ERC20, NEP-5, and EOS standards.

Not only reports, but also reporting

Infinito Wallet users will be able not only to run reports but also reporting suspicious addresses and contribute to Coinfirms database, thanks to the integration of Infinito and Coinfirms AMLT Network, tied directly with AML Platform. If delivered data is verified as legitimate, the wallets related to actions mentioned earlier are flagged to warn other users of the risk. Users that deliver legitimate data are rewarded with AMLT tokens, that can be used to purchase reports via the Coinfirm AML/KYC Platform. Coinfirms token, AMLT, has already been added as a native token to the Infinito Wallet.

Infinito builds the integrated infrastructure for dApps, blockchain services, and token holders that enables blockchain mass adoption for business and consumers - Infinito Ecosystem. Meanwhile, Coinfirm provides expert AML, CTF, and KYC solutions around blockchain. Together, Infinito and Coinfirm work to enable the safe use and adoption of blockchain tech, bringing this now-niche but growing and promising tech to the mainstream.

Pawel Kuskowski, CEO & Co-Founder of Coinfirm says:

By tightening cooperation with Infinito and thanks to the popularity of Infinito Wallet, we can effectively promote a safe model of using cryptocurrencies and at the same time increase the awareness of users about the threats resulting from the illegal activity of some market participants. This cooperation will also help us to create an even more extensive transaction base and more effective tracking of funds from illegal sources."

About Coinfirm

Coinfirm serves as a foundation for the safe adoption and use of blockchain. The Coinfirm AML/CTF Platform uses proprietary algorithms and big data analysis to provide structured, actionable data that increases efficiency, reduces costs and streamlines compliance to near automation. A recognized leader in their field and among the most influential blockchain and reg tech companies, the blockchain agnostic platform benefits not only companies operating around blockchain but also major financial institutions, asset management, and BI companies. In addition, Coinfirm develops dedicated blockchain solutions such as their data provenance platform Trudatum, currently being piloted for adoption by multiple financial institutions. Trudatum is an easy to use blockchain solution to register and verify the ownership and authenticity of any type of document, file, or data.

https://www.coinfirm.io/

https://amlt.coinfirm.io/

About Infinito

Registered in Isle of Man, Infinito is an expert in the blockchain domain with a team of 70 committed members including professional developers, designers, researchers, business, marketing, and customer support specialists, along with an expanding, top-grade partner network. With the vision to be the ultimate blockchain ecosystem that enables blockchain mass adoption for businesses and consumers, Infinito creates an integrated blockchain infrastructure for dApps, blockchain services, and token holders - Infinito Ecosystem, where all parties from consumers to businesses benefit from one anothers innovations and fulfill individual needs. At the heart of this blockchain ecosystem is the industry-acclaimed Infinito Wallet Universal Wallet, through which Businesses and Consumers connect and prosper with blockchain.
The Travel Pitch Night is an opportunity to bring together startup founders, investors, and enterprise partners to highlight tech leaders creating the future of the travel industry.

Voyager HQ, the club for travel innovators, is hosting the first West Coast edition of their signature event, the Travel Pitch Night, in San Francisco on October 9, 2018 in partnership with Zendesk for Startups, Amadeus for Startups, and Fareportal.

The Travel Pitch Night is an opportunity to bring together startup founders, investors, and enterprise partners to highlight tech leaders creating the future of the travel industry. Traditionally held in New York City where Voyager HQ operates a coworking and event space, this event will showcase the Silicon Valley/Bay Areas innovative role in travel, tourism and hospitality.

During the evening, five Voyager HQ member startups (BlueWander, Bounce, Globaleur, Dot & Pin, and ROOM) will pitch to a panel of industry leaders including Amir Amidi, Managing Partner of the Plug and Play Travel and Hospitality Program; Kristen Durham, Director for the Office of the CEO at Zendesk; Christina Heggie, Investment Principal at JetBlue Technology Ventures; and Daria Rebenok, Co-Founder & CEO of Grabr. The judges (along with the audience) will evaluate each companys presentation, business model, product/market fit, and fundability.

The event will take place at Zendesks office in Mid-Market, and will conclude with a networking reception where attendees will be able to continue conversations initiated onstage and lay the groundwork for productive partnerships beyond the evening.

For more information and to RSVP to attend, visit http://www.voyagerhq.com/san-francisco.

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About Voyager HQ

Voyager HQ is the startup club for the global travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. Their community brings together entrepreneurs, corporate partners, and investors from around the world to create the future of travel experiences through curated events, workspace, and actionable introductions. The Voyager Clubhouse NYC is their signature coworking and event space in Flatiron, as well as the global headquarters for a digital community of 1,000+ entrepreneurs in 55 countries. Join the Voyager HQ club by visiting http://www.voyagerhq.com/join-voyager.

About Amadeus

Amadeus is a leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry. Customer groups include travel providers (e.g. airlines, hotels, rail and ferry operators, etc.), travel sellers (travel agencies and websites), and travel buyers (corporations and travel management companies). The Amadeus group employs around 15,000 people worldwide, across central sites in Madrid (corporate headquarters), Nice (development) and Erding (operations), as well as over 70 local Amadeus Commercial Organizations globally and has a presence in more than 190 countries. For more information about joining the Amadeus for Startups program, please visit https://www.amadeus.com/amadeusforstartups.

About Fareportal

Fareportal is a travel technology company powering a next-generation travel concierge service. Utilizing its innovative technology and company owned and operated global contact centers, Fareportal has built strong industry partnerships providing customers access to over 450 airlines, 1 million hotels, and hundreds of car rental companies around the globe. With a portfolio of consumer travel brands including CheapOair and OneTravel, Fareportal enables consumers to book online, on mobile apps for iOS and Android, by phone, or live chat. Fareportal provides its airline partners with access to a broad customer base that books high-yielding international travel and add-on ancillaries.

http://www.fareportal.com/

About Zendesk

The best customer experiences are built with Zendesk. Zendesks powerful and flexible customer service and engagement platform scales to meet the needs of any business, from startups and small businesses to growth companies and enterprises. Zendesk serves businesses across a multitude of industries, with more than 125,000 paid customer accounts offering service and support in more than 30 languages. Headquartered in San Francisco, Zendesk operates worldwide with 15 offices in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America. Learn more at http://www.zendesk.com/startups.
Vero Leather Sleeve The custom-fitted, Vero Leather Sleeve cradles the Surface with an interior that is so soft, youll probably wish you could crawl in there yourself to take a nap.

WaterField Designs, an innovative leader in custom-fitted laptop sleeves and designer bags and cases for consumer electronics, announces the sumptuous, full-grain, distressed Vero Leather Sleeve for the new Microsoft Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2. Handcrafted from the strongest part of the hide, the leather laptop sleeve is built to last and develops a beautiful patina over time. An ultra-plush liner cushions the Surface Pro 6 or Surface Laptop 2 inside. Slim and elegant, the Vero Leather Sleeve ups the style quotient for any professional.

The first step to protecting your laptop is to have a perfectly-sized laptop case to cushion it while in transit, explained company founder, Gary Waterfield. The custom-fitted, Vero Leather Sleeve cradles the Surface with an interior that is so soft, youll probably wish you could crawl in there yourself to take a nap. The leather ages well and gets better and better looking the more you use it.

The new Vero Leather Sleeve secures and protects the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 or Surface Laptop 2 without zippers. A snug fit keeps the laptop inside while a leather strip on the sleeves base serves as a hand grip to assist with quick removal. Inside the luxurious leather sleeve, an exceptionally plush liner absorbs shock as it safeguards the laptop. A customized rear, leather slot holds the Surface Pen while in transit. Travelers passing through airport security can leave the laptop protected while it makes its way through the x-ray apparatus, thereby maximizing efficiency while minimizing potential damage.

Features at-a-glance:



Custom-fitted to each specific laptop for a snug fit that keeps the device securely inside.

Made from one continuous piece of premium, full-grain leather taken from the butt and shoulder, the strongest part of a hide.

Ultra-plush, soft lining cushions the laptop.

An extra leather strip along the bottom helps reinforce the base and acts as hand grip to ease removal of the laptop.

The Vero for the Surface Pro 6 includes a dedicated leather slot to hold the Surface Pen.

TSA friendly

The Vero Leather Sleeve is available in grizzly or chocolate premium, distressed, full-grain leather. The new leather laptop sleeve is available in custom sizes for the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 and Microsoft Laptop 2, as well as the 13-inch MacBook Pro with TouchBar and the 15-inch MacBook Pro with TouchBar. Additional WaterField Designs bags and sleeves for the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 include the SleeveCase, the Dash Sleeve and the Outback Solo. To protect and store Surface accessories, WaterField offers the Surface Accessories Pouch.

Availability & Pricing

Price: $119  Surface Pro 6, Surface Laptop 2, 13-inch MacBook Pro with TouchBar. $129  15-inch MacBook Pro with TouchBar.

Colors: Grizzly brown or chocolate distressed, full-grain leather.

Available for pre-order from the WaterField Designs online store.

Shipping begins October 19 for MacBook sizes; November 2 for Surface sizes.

Other compatible sleeves: SleeveCase ($69), Dash Sleeve ($89), Outback Solo ($159). Also see the Surface Accessories Pouch ($79). All products are available exclusively from the WaterField Designs online store.

About WaterField Designs

WaterField Designs is an innovative San Francisco designer and manufacturer of bags and cases for tech-savvy consumers who want to stylishly and responsibly transport their technology. WaterField manufactures custom-fitted, high-quality cases and bags for a full-range of laptop computers, smartphones, tablets, gaming devices and other digital gear. All products are manufactured to exacting standards entirely in San Francisco. More information available at "Our Story.
The 5th annual BAMMIES were hosted at Advocamp Field Day in Toronto.

Influitive is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2018 Best Advocate Marketing Awards (BAMMIES). The BAMMIES, now in their 5th year, were designed to recognize companies and individuals who have successfully used customer advocacy to fuel their business strategies.

This year, the BAMMIES were presented at Glenn Gould Studio in downtown Toronto, at a gathering of hundreds of advocacy thought leaders, executives, and practitioners.

Nine extraordinary teams and marketers were recognized for their accomplishments this year, which included sourcing hundreds of user-generated content pieces, gathering online reviews and testimonials, and increasing community engagement.

The 2018 BAMMIES winners are:

Most Engaged Advocate Community: Cvent

Best Advocate-Generated Content Campaign: Cisco

Best Use of Advocacy for Events: VMware

Best Advocacy Impact on Product Development: ADP

Best Use of Advocacy to Support Customer Success: Wiley

Biggest Sales Impact by Advocates: Calabrio

Best Program ROI: Ceridian

Advocate Marketer of the Year: Sarah Schreiner from ADP

Advocate Marketing Program of the Year: Staples

The awards ceremony was part of the 4th annual Advocamp conference, and first ever Advocamp event held in Toronto (Oct. 3rd, 2018), where customer experience, engagement, and advocacy professionals heard from thought leaders, participated in live discussions and networking, and sharpened their knowledge of advocacy.

Speakers included Brian Solis (Principal Analyst at Altimeter Group), Don Peppers (Best-Selling Author and Founding Partner of Peppers & Rogers Group), Jeanne Bliss (Founder and CEO of Customer Bliss), Gibson Biddle (Former VP of Product at Netflix), April Dunford (Founder of Rocket Launch Marketing), and other foremost leaders in the customer engagement and advocacy space.

Mark Organ (Influitive CEO, Advocamp Founder, and keynote speaker at the event) also introduced an innovative new vision: the Customer-Powered Enterprise (CPE). He explained that a CPE is an organization in which customers not only inform strategy, but also help execute it across all areas of the business. Accompanying this introduction is the release of a new eBook, The Customer-Powered Enterprise Playbook, which is a practical blueprint to help companies plan their transformation. It contains concepts, case studies, and worksheets, all designed to illuminate the path forward.

"The Customer-Powered Enterprise strategy is a game-changer, says Mark Organ. Marketing and Sales have driven incredible results by discovering, nurturing, and mobilizing their customer advocates. Now, we are seeing advocates support the entire customer lifecycle, driving objectives for product development, customer success, developer relations, partner management, and more. Companies that adopt and execute the CPE strategy will gain decisive advantages in their markets.

Also featured at Advocamp Field Day were recent product innovations by Influitive, notably the introduction of an all new platform for online community discussions. It features a new, easy-to-use UI, advanced searching and filtering, greater scalability, improved performance, enhanced moderation, and improved SEO for public discussions. Included in this release are integrations with Influitives proven game dynamics and advocate mobilization capabilities, which help ensure active engagement in the community.

These developments are elements of Influitives C2 platform, named for Communities that Convert, the technology that enables the CPE strategy. This platform facilitates engagement not only with paying customers, but also with prospects, partners, platform developers, and even employees.

Advocamp and the BAMMIES would not be possible without the help of these incredible event sponsors:

Platinum Sponsor - TrustRadius

Gold Sponsors - Sendoso, Gravy, Point of Reference, IgniteAG

Silver Sponsors - Compass CX, Couch & Associates, DeSouza & Associates, Referential

Broadcast Sponsor - The Streaming Network

To request an interview with Mark Organ or the BAMMIES winners, please contact media@influitive.com.

About Influitive - Influitive is driving the creation of Customer-Powered Enterprises. We enable businesses to harness the power of their customers to not just inform their businesses, but to actually fuel their growth. An engaged customer community with advocates can fuel growth by supporting departments from marketing to sales, customer success, and product. To learn how Influitives engagement platform, C2, and our team of experts can help companies accelerate sales and increase customer lifetime value, visit http://www.influitive.com.
In similar cases in other countries, courts have been far less forgiving. In 2007, a 45-year-old German banker was sentenced to almost three years in prison after setting up a scheme to divert about $2.4 million from wealthier clients' accounts to poorer customers whose loan requests would otherwise have been rejected. Two years later, an American court sentenced another bank manager to a year in prison after she diverted more than $300,000 over eight years. The court doubted whether all of the money had in fact been given to people in need.
"With the Federal Government operating in locations around the world, the GSA Schedule program needs more leading international contractors like Afghanistan Holding Group."

Winvale, a government contracts consulting firm, is proud to announce its client Afghanistan Holding Group (AHG) has been awarded a GSA Schedule Contract for Professional Services. AHG makes history as the first company based in Afghanistan to be awarded a GSA Schedule contract. Having this contract allows AHG to easily and efficiently offer their financial management, taxation, and audit services to Federal Government buyers in Afghanistan.

We are very excited to have this GSA contract in place, as it will allow US government customers to be able to procure our services in Afghanistan at pre-negotiated discounted rates easily. We look forward to starting to utilize this contract vehicle right away, said Sanzar Kakar, Chairman of Afghanistan Holding Group.

AHGs award could be an important step toward renewed stability in Afghanistan, a crucial goal for the U.S. militarys 16 year partnership with Afghanistan. Since 2009, AHG has been working to create a sustainable service economy in Afghanistan while being socially responsible. AHG employs more than 300 Afghans and utilizes another 800 more for short term support. Afghanistan is an extremely challenging environment and U.S. Government officials are typically not allowed out of the U.S. Embassy or military installations, said Kakar. This makes meeting, vetting and negotiating with bidding firms very difficult, which has caused a litany of business challenges over the past 17 years.

Winvale guided AHG through GSAs eOffer requirements, working with Kakar and his team for more than two years to achieve the award. Were proud to be a part of another GSA Schedule milestone and help bring best in class professional services to the Federal Government in Afghanistan, said Brian Dunn, Winvales Managing Partner. AHGs capabilities will be able to support the Federal Government in key areas and this GSA PSS contract will help shorten and simplify the acquisition process. With the Federal Government operating in locations around the world, the GSA Schedule program needs more leading international contractors like AHG.

AHG is listed under GSAs Professional Services Schedule (PSS) under contract number 47QRAA18D00FG. The base contract term is valid through September 2023, with additional option years through September 2038. To further expedite government purchases, AHGs professional services are available on GSA Advantage!, the Federal Governments electronic ordering system. GSA Schedules orders are Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) compliant when Federal buyers use FAR Subpart 8.4 ordering procedures, and do not require posting on FedBizOpps.

AHGs GSA Schedule award is a direct result of a complex process in which the General Services Administration evaluated their professional capabilities, organizational structure, performance history, financial statements and customer references, while awarding rates that are fair and reasonable. As a result, GSAs streamlined ordering procedures allow the Federal Government to purchase AHGs services much faster than buying through open-market sources.

About Afghanistan Holding Group (AHG)

Afghanistan Holding Group (AHG) provides professional business services to over 700 international organizations across Afghanistan. AHG provides step-by-step assistance with licensing, visas, payroll, taxation, audit and procurement services. Their clients range from small companies, non-profits, and corporations to development institutions and government customers. AHGs management team brings decades of experience managing programs for both the public and private sector in Afghanistan. This powerful combination of education, experience and qualification uniquely places AHG to provide the highest level of service with unparalleled integrity, efficiency and accountability. For more information, visit http://www.ahg.af.

About Winvale

Winvale is a government contracts consultancy and leading advisor on the GSA Schedule program. Headquartered in Washington D.C. since 2003, Winvale provides expertise to companies seeking to conduct business with Federal, State and local governments. Winvale also offers channel-friendly reseller services designed to help companies reach government buyers quickly by allowing them to place their products and services on its existing contract vehicles. Winvales client portfolio includes many small emerging firms as well as Fortune 500 and international companies. For more information, visit http://www.winvale.com.
News

From Bulgaria

The British MAG will participate in the tender for the concession of Sofia Airport

MAG's offer will be backed by the Chinese construction giant BCEG

AUTHOR: publics.bg



 Manchester Airport Group



Manchester Airport Group (MAG), the largest British airport group, today confirmed its intentions to take part in the concession tender for Sofia Airport, which was launched by the Bulgarian government on 5 July 2018. This is clear from a press release from the company.



At the moment, MAG manages three major airports in the UK - Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands, which combined serve 60 million passengers a year to more than 270 destinations through 70 airlines.



The company's ownership structure includes Manchester City Council and Municipal Authorities as well as long-term private investors (IFM Investors). This type of property ensures that the core of the company's growth is the ability to balance the commercial priorities of airports with its commitment to working closely with local communities around each site. This ensures that there will be benefits in terms of investment and job creation, and that environmental protection will also be guaranteed.



MAG operates each of its airports as a stand-alone facility with a deep understanding of the aspirations and interests of the local population, employees and economic partners. The company also understands the responsibility of managing an airport, given the economic growth and prosperity that it can bring to any city, region or country. MAG has the practice of working with local companies as suppliers. The company, together with a team of local consultants, has been analyzing for more than two years the potential of Sofia Airport and today proudly announces that it is the first consortium to confirm participation in the procedure.



MAG's offer will be backed by the Chinese construction giant BCEG, which is already working with MAG on the Manchester City UK construction project, one of Britain's most prominent examples of cooperation with China in the area of infrastructure development. The inclusion of the BCEG will also lead to new opportunities for cooperation between Bulgaria and China.
Bellevue Literary Press has completed its transition to an independent nonprofit literary house. BLP was a part of the New York University School of Medicine, housed in Bellevue Hospital, when it burst onto the literary landscape in 2010 as Paul Harding's Tinkers won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

The move to an independent status was made possible by donations from a wide range of donors. As part of its new independent status, BLP has moved its offices to 90 Broad Street in Lower Manhattan. According to BLP, the press has no plans to change its mission or publishing program. BLP will occupy Suite 2100 as a subtenant of fellow literary nonprofit Poets & Writers; the National Book Foundation also keeps its offices in the building.

"We are honored by our extraordinary authors and our loyal friends in the literary community who've supported us through this transition," BLP publisher and editorial director Erika Goldman said of the move. "Were looking forward to the nimbleness independence affords us and we remain fully committed to our mission of publishing books that enrich, engage, and provoke lively discussion and debate."

Founded in 2005, BLP has been publishing fiction and nonfiction since 2007, and as of this fall has published 75 titles at a rate of roughly eight books per year, all of which are still in print and distributed by Consortium. When Tinkers won the Pulitzer, it was the first independently published winner of the prize since A Confederacy of Dunces. To mark the 10th anniversary of the publication of Tinkers, BLP will reissue a new edition of the book next year, with a new foreword by Marilynne Robinson.

This article has been updated for clarity.
The reduction in subjects at the basic educational level also means that students will be examined in less subjects during the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Ghana Education Service (GES) Council, Mr Michael Nsowah.

He said the reduction of subjects will soon be extended to the senior high school level to make learning easier.

The proposal is certain; we are going to reduce the number of subjects, content and everything.

For now, we have not come to the definite numbers but certainly they would be reduced.

With this, the examinable subjects at the BECE would also reduce, Mr. Nsowah stated.

Currently, BECE candidates write between eight to nine subjects depending on the availability of facilities and teachers.

The examined subjects include Mathematics, English Language, Integrated Science, Social Studies, Building Design and Technology (BDT), Ghanaian Language, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Religious and Moral Education and optionally, French.

Mr. Nsowah said the subjects being taught at the basic level sometimes overburden students who may be immature to absorb all of that.

Why do we think that children must learn all these subjects before they enter secondary school?

In fact, there are certain knowledge areas which must wait until children are mature so that they would be able to absorb the technicalities of those knowledge areas better, he pointed out.

He explained that the GES will not do away with any subject, but rather would consolidate some knowledge areas that are relevant and worthwhile.
A rookie police officer who caused an uproar when she said she'd been shot without warning at a time when shootings of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge had the nation on edge, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by 23 years of probation.



The initial report by Officer Sherry Hall, now 43, in September 2016 sparked an intense manhunt in the area of Jackson, Georgia, about 50 miles southwest of Atlanta. She said a black man, 6 feet, 250 pounds, wearing a green shirt and black jogging pants, had suddenly opened fire on her, and she had fired back. A bullet was found in her protective vest, and a shell casing was found in the nearby woods, in addition to two casings found near Hall's police cruiser.



Two months earlier, five police officers had been killed in Dallas during an unprovoked attack, and soon after that, three officers were killed without warning in Baton Rouge. Was this another random attack on a law enforcement officer?



Hall then fanned the flames of unrest by giving a television interview to the local CBS affiliate, describing the shooting in detail. "He was sitting down and come up to a standing-up position," Hall told CBS46 while the manhunt for her attacker was underway. "And at the time he was coming up to a standing-up position, that is when I believe he drew his weapon. . . . As I was coming up from the ground I began to fire back."



Hall added, "For him to have such a disregard to human life really angers me and upsets me. . . . If he'll do this to an officer, how much more will he do to a citizen on the street?"



The Georgia Bureau of Investigation began looking into the shooting, which happened shortly after midnight Sept. 13, 2016. Investigators found that Hall made inconsistent statements about the evidence and, when confronted with video from her in-car camera, she stopped talking. The camera captured only two shots being fired, not three, and Hall didn't immediately radio for help, instead sending text messages.
The president was speaking at the opening of new headquarters of Standard Chartered Bank in Accra.

The Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta had earlier this year said that the cost of liquidating the troubled banks was about GHC8.5 billion.

READ ALSO: Otumfuo wants BoG Governors banned from establishing banks

This was as a result of bonds issued to support the operations the new Consolidated Bank and some funds that were used to assist the operations of the banks in liquidity support before they were collapsed by the Bank of Ghana.

According to the President, GH8 billion bond issued by the Ministry of Finance, and GH4.7 billion of liquidity support from the Bank of Ghana, should help the government deal with the banking crisis.

He stated that these interventions had saved more than 1,147, 366 million Ghanaians and their businesses.

He added that the cleaning-up of the banking sector was necessary to help strengthen the economy. He also explained the governments decision to liquidate the troubled banks, insisting that was the best option out for the economy.

I have said it before, and let me reiterate that those responsible for the sequence of activities that led to the crisis will face the full brunt of the law if they are found to have broken the law, and suffer all the consequences prescribed by law, the President said.
The government has maintained the producer price of cocoa for cocoa season at GH7,600 per tonne, translating into GH475 per bag of 64 kilogramme (kg) gross weight.

The price took effect from October 2, with the new season expected to commence on Friday, October 4.

This was announced by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, at the 2018 Cocoa Day Grand Durbar in Accra.

He said the decline in the price of the commodity on the international market, which had forced all the other 21 producing countries to slash their producer prices, made it impossible for the government to review the producer price upwards.

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Cocoa price on the international market in recent times has reduced from US$3,300 per tonne to US$2,100, representing a decline of about 40 per cent.

He said the government, however, decided to maintain the producer price and not reduce it in order to minimise the adverse impact on farmers.

However, the Adontenhene at a press conference expressed displeasure on the cocoa prices that the government was being insensitive.

Nana Kofi Gyasi cautioned government to reverse the decision else he will pour libation to invoke the wrath of the gods on the president over his failed promises to cocoa farmers.

The Sienchiem chief, Nana Bofo Benin III on his part also said he is disappointed in the government.
A state funeral service will be held in his honour at the Fore Court of the State House in Accra.

The Sole Statute Law Revision Commissioner and founder of the Electoral Commission, who contributed tremendously to legal reforms and education in Ghana and beyond, died on Friday, September 7, after a short illness, aged 94.

The family said on the day of the funeral, a two-hour pre-burial filing past, would begin at 0630, while the service would start at 0900 hours at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).

After the burial, the final funeral rites and reception would be held at the AICC.

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Justice Crabbe was born on October 29, 1923 at Ussher town in Accra and had his early education at the Government Junior and Senior Boys Schools in Accra.

He attended Accra Academy for his Cambridge Junior and Senior School certificates and went to London to study Economics at the City of London College Moorgate from 1950 to 1952.

The late retired Supreme Court judge, Vincent Cyril Richard Arthur Charles (V.C.R.A.C) Crabbe, before his death was a Professor of Law at Mountcrest University College in Accra.
In the spring of 1945, Jackson and Black got into a fight over an opinion that Black wrote in a case that had been argued before the court by his friend and former law partner. Jackson thought Black had quickly written an opinion that favored his friend, and he wrote a dissent depicting the decision as an extreme exertion of power that was not supported or explained by either the statute or the record. When the losing side asked the court to rehear the case because Black should have recused himself, Jackson threatened to write an opinion stating that it was not up to him to decide whether Black should have recused.
Mrs. Trump arrived in Ghana on Tuesday for a two-day solo visit and was treated to a hospitable reception by the locals.

The trip to Ghana is part of Mrs Trumps Be Best campaign, which aims to improve child welfare, especially when it comes to online behaviour and addiction to opioids.

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On day-one, she was accompanied by Ghanas own First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, where Mrs Trump interacted with some nursing mothers and also made donations.

She later met with staff of the American Embassy in Ghana, before day two of her tour took her to Cape Coast, where she met and interacted briefly with the chief, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II and his elders.

Mrs. Trump then set off for the Cape Coast castle, taking a tour around the historic edifice.

She described her visit to the West African country as memorable, adding that her experience at the Cape Coast castle was a solemn reminder of a time in our history that should never be forgotten.

Thank you ! The arrival ceremony, visit to Ridge Hospital, tea at the Jubilee House & meeting the hard workers at the U.S. Embassy made for an amazing first day. Thank you to & the people of for such a memorable visit, Mrs Trump tweeted.
Saudi Arabia has "significantly" raised crude production to near record levels of 10.7 million barrels a day, Bloomberg reported, citing the country's energy minister. The move comes amid pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has been railing against OPEC and rising oil prices.

on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia and Russia would lift output from September to December after officials from those countries struck a deal in Algeria in late September to bolster output. Trump and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud spoke on the phone on Saturday, a Saudi report said.

Oil prices Looming US sanctions on Iran and Venezuela threatened to drive the price to $90, Richard Mallinson, energy and geopolitics expert and co-founder of Energy Aspects recently told Business Insider.
At the end of the election, which took place in Abuja, Comrade Danielson Bamidele Akpan was declared the winner of the election after polling a total number of 104 votes out of 272 delegates that participated in the exercise.

Now, Bamidele is the new NANS president and as a Nigerian student, here are five things you should know about the president.

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1. He is the 32nd president of the National Association of Nigerian Students.

2. Bamidele graduated from Nassarawa State University Keffi and he has MSc in International Relations & Strategic Studies.

ALSO READ: Nigerian students distance themselves from Lagos politics

3. Bamidele is the first NANS President to ban student unions from giving awards to individuals, politicians and corporate organizations.

4. On becoming the president, Bamidele promised that Nigerian students under his leadership will not be used again as tools for political vendetta.
Sexual harassment in Nollywood has become a common knowledge and the reasons for the action varies from victims to the predators.

While sexual assault or harassment on women is a much more prevalent situation, the predatory relationships also affects male movie practitioners.

From Kannywood to Nollywood, Nigerian movie practitioners are beginning to come out to share their stories despite shame, cultural norm and traditional pressures of taking such step.

Here are the three reasons sexual harassment is prevalent in Nollywood.

ALSO READ: Sexual Harassment in Nollywood is an epidemic

1. Seeking instant fame

A number of Nollywood actresses have said one of the reasons sexual harassment has become prevalent in the industry is because some ladies seek instant fame.

For Omalicha Elom, some desperate actresses indulge perpetrators just to secure instant fame with movie roles.

This is very true because some actresses feel their body can answer all things, she told Vanguard.

Continuing, she said, To be honest, some of the so-called Asaba big girls started this act of paying money and offering sex for movie roles because they want to appear in movies by all means. In Asaba, some girls give producers N100,000, N200,000, just to appear in one or two scenes.

Corroborating Eloms expose on sexual harassment, movie director, Charles Uwagbai said actress should desist from seeking shortcuts and limit personal interactions with movie directors or producers.

Actresses should not look for shortcuts by calling movie directors and producers or sending them messages in a bid to get jobs because by so doing they will fall into the wrong hands, he said.

ALSO READ: Yinka Adewale says financial issues is responsible for sexual harassment in Nollywood

2. Prostitution in Nollywood

Many movie practitioners have tried effortlessly to downplay the seeming prostitution in Nollywood. However, young actresses and established names have lend credence to the fact that some actresses merely engage in prostitution in the industry.

Speaking on prostitution in Nollywood, Elom said, Yes, there are, and its quite painful and annoying.

Elom, however, said the issue of actresses prostituting is not limited to the movie industry saying such practice exist in other sectors of the economy.

In the same vein, Canadian-Nigerian actor and filmmaker, Pascal Atuma was quoted as saying some actresses are prostitutes in an interview with TheCable.

If you are not a full time or semi-prostitute, you will not make it in Nollywood.

Our ladies are using what they have to get what they want. Even some of the guys who can use their ass are the ones making it in Nollywood," he was quoted.

Atuma, however, denied the statement credited to him claiming he was misquoted out of context.

3. Perversion

Perversion is a sexual behaviour that is considered abnormal and unacceptable. And this is another reason sexual harassment in Nollywood remains prevalent.

The increase of sexual harassment cases that have remained unannounced and unreported has led to perversion for some filmmakers in Nollywood.

Pulse findings revealed that over the years, perpetrators have become so used to demanding sex for roles that it becomes impossible to spot the talent in an actress without exhibiting their unacceptable sexual behaviour.

Filmmaker and actress, Mary Remmy Njoku narrated how a colleague was harassed without perceiving it as harassment.

She wrote, ...What is the Nigerian definition of sexual harassment? I was standing with a female producer who was wearing a leggings with a camel toe. and a Very prominent male producer Walked past and said I dey see your Virgina (in pidgin) if I hol am en, I go F.... am tire. On the streets of Lagos! I was deeply offended. I wanted to say something but the Lady just said 'no mind am the man sabi talk rubbish' and she immediately changed the topic like nothing happened.

ALSO READ: Sexual harassment has everything to do with power - Ufuoma McDermott

Sharing her experience, Steph Nora-Okere said a popular movie producer actually harassed her sexually after putting a knife to her neck.

"Over the years, I have tried not to talk about it because my family said 'let it go.' Yes, I was sexually harassed," she told Broadway TV.

Continuing, the actress said, "I was harassed by a very famous producer, who actually put a knife to my neck. It's a story for another day. I went through that and I actually left Nollywood at a point."

Recounting her ordeal in the hands of a producer, actress, Annabel Zwyndila told Vanguard that she was called all sorts of names for refusing sexual advances in exchange for a role.
Old Mutual joins other leading brands across the world to celebrate The Customer Services Week under the theme Excellence Happens Here, distinguishing its online campaign with the hashtag, #OldMutualExcellence, the leading Insurer aimed at putting smiles on the faces of customers and their loved ones across the online community. The campaign is designed to connect with social media users by encouraging them to be a part of the Old Mutual family, to enable robust interaction and better service delivery.

To participate, like and follow Old Mutual Nigeria on Facebookand Instagram. Leave a comment on our post using Excellence Happens Here #OldMutualExcellence #OMNigeria. Winning participants will be selected at random using an online verification process.

Old Mutual General Insurance Company and Old Mutual Nigeria Life Assurance Companyare part of the globally acclaimed Old Mutual brand, which has over 150 years of experience in providing life assurance and wealth, personal finance savings and general insurance services.

Having acquired the majority stake in Oceanic Life Assurance Company, Old Mutual has been operating in Nigeria since March 2013. In January 2014, Old Mutual also acquired a majority stake in Oceanic General Insurance Limited thereby offering both life and general insurance solutions tailored to meet unique individual and corporate clients needs.

For more information, follow our social media platforms  Facebook and Instagram. You can also visit our website www.oldmutual.com.ng or call: +234 1 271 9393.
The report was released on October 3, 2018, and it further states that the officer who shot his colleagues was also shot dead at the scene. The Ethiopian Federal Commission of Zeymu Jamal was quoted by FANA as saying that the trigger-happy office was, Intoxicated at the time of the shooting.

ALSO READ: Gunmen kills 7 Police Officers in Abuja

On the back of continually escalating ethnically-charged violence in Ethiopia over the past few weeks, Jamal curiously made no mention of any tribal influence on the infamous violence, involving three law enforcement officers.
But like it or not, their verdict will send a message to a community that has been on edge since the release of a graphic police video of the shooting. That was evident in the words of activists who said that theyd be satisfied only with a conviction that had the word murder in it  even though a conviction for aggravated battery could come with a stiffer penalty than second-degree murder.
Backpage was shut down by the US Justice Department when it was discovered that they primarily sell sex on the platform.

According to Reuters, she claims she was raped, beaten and trafficked for sex by a pimp who pretended to be her friend as a 15-year old in July 2012.

The crux of her claims emanates from how Facebook didnt shield her from being the victim of sex trafficking, by opening her up to the cruel possibilities.

ALSO READ: Tips to avoid stalkers and creeps on social media

She also claims that Facebook should have publicized the potential presence of sex traffickers on the social platform at the time, alleging that Facebook knew children were being trafficked on their website.

In her defence, court documents state that the pimp was also friends with most of her real-life friends, so algorithms automatically matched her with the said pimp, whom she friended after he sent her a message.

ALSO READ: Here is why you should stay off social media

According to court documents on Reuters, she says that she became his victim after an argument with her mother. He offered her solace to console her, but instead, beat, raped and took pictures of her, which were posted on Backpage. Backpage attorneys refused to offer any comments.

Amongst her allegations, she claims Facebook was negligent in verifying the pimps profile, which was false.
After an intensive training program, examination and interview performance, 10 beneficiaries were finally selected. The successful candidates will proceed on training in Beijing and Shenzhen from the 5th to the 20th of October 2018 under the Seeds for The Future Program.

The send-forth ceremony had in attendance the Huawei Managing Director, Mr Liteng, The Honourable Minister, Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment, Dr Okechukwu Enelamah, The ICT Director of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Professor Bashir Muazu, The Deputy Managing Director of Huawei Technologies Co. Nig. Limited Mr Kelvin Yangyang, The Special Adviser to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Bisi Daniel, The Sales Director Huawei Technologies Co. Nig. Limited, Nihinlola Fafore, and the top 10 students from across different universities in Nigeria.

Speaking at the send forth ceremony, the Managing Director Huawei Technologies Co. Nig. Limited Mr Liteng said, Through the Seeds for Future and ICT academy, Huawei has tried to enhance knowledge transfer and talent growth in Nigeria.

 He further said that Ttodays ceremony is not only to see off Nigerias most outstanding ICT students to China for Seeds for the Future 2018, but also to plant seeds for a prosperous future enabled by ICT for the beloved country and for us all.

The ICT Director of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Professor Bashir Muazu, in his speech said the HAINA program ICT competition, and internship by Huawei Technologies is a welcome development in adding value to the joint efforts at improving the quality of education in Nigeria by way of emphasis on skills acquisition relevant to the 21st Century.

He congratulated the ten beneficiaries and encouraged them to make use of the opportunity to explore the immense possibilities that lie ahead of them as the future IT movers and shakers in Nigeria.

The Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah expressed appreciation on behalf of the government of Nigeria to Huawei Technologies in partnering with the Ministry in the area of Human and institutional capacity development and also in promoting technological innovation, knowledge transfer and ICT infrastructure development.

He said Nigeria and China have a mutually-beneficial relationship, which is being nurtured. He further talked about the China-Nigeria relationship which is beneficial to the Nigeria especially in the manufacturing industry.

Advising the beneficiaries, the minister said according to the minister, the future belongs to the younger generation and that they beneficiaries should embrace this opportunity given to them to develop themselves in the ICT industry to enhance their contribution to the development of Nigeria. for the betterment of a great Nigeria.

One of the beneficiaries of this initiative, Jane Udoka, thanked Huawei Technology for the great opportunity given to them to enhance their knowledge base on ICT, through courses such as Basic and Advanced Trainings, Certifications and career guidance through the Huawei Authorized Networking Academy (HANA).

As we proceed to China to for our 2 weeks training at the modern ICT centers that provide state-of-the-art technology, we promise we shall not betray the confidence Huawei has entrusted in us and more importantly, we will make Nigeria proud she said.

Over the years Huawei has made significant investments in ICT skills and knowledge acquisition in Nigeria in an effort to boost employment, foster the development of knowledge-intensive products and services, and enhance the ICT skills of the future generations.

Huawei's major ICT development initiatives in Nigeria include Growing Girls and Women in Nigeria (G-WIN), 1000 Girls in Training, scholarships for The African University of Science and Technology (AUST, engineers training programmes, and Seeds for the Future. The later initiative is designed to bridge the gap between ICT instruction at universities and the practical knowledge and skills needed in the workplace.

Timeline

In 2012, Huawei donated ICT scholarship at the University of Lagos

In 2014, the sum of N80M was donated to Africa University of Science and Technology for the construction of an ICT lab and Scholarship

In 2015, 1,000 Girls were trained on basic ICT knowledge in Abuja and Lagos

In 2016, ten candidates were selected from various MDAs for training in China.

2016: Huawei rebuilt and equipped the ICT Centre of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, and several other State secondary schools in the state

In 2016, Huawei Nigeria joined "Malaria to Zero" Initiative and signed "Malaria to Zero" pledge to express the resolution of eradicating Malaria in this country

In 2017, Huawei donated food to the Internally Displaced Persons through the Ministry of Interior in Abuja

In 2017, Huawei in partnership with a major telecommunication company, empowered University students with customised smart phones enabled to enhance learning via online content.

So far Huawei training centres in Abuja and Lagos have trained more than 20,000 Telecommunication Engineers

About Seeds For The Future

Initiated in 2015, Seeds for the Future is a global CSR flagship program for Huawei. It is the company's most heavily invested CSR activity, and Huawei is committed to invest in the program over the long term.

The program seeks to develop local ICT talent, enhance knowledge transfer, promote a greater understanding of and interest in the telecommunications sector, and improve and encourage regional building and participation in the digital community.

By the end of 2017, the program had been implemented in 96 different countries around the world, benefiting over 30,000 students from 350 universities. Among them, more than 2,700 university students have taken study trips to the Huawei headquarters.
Labbo, her husband told the Police station that Kabiruat fed the baby a locally made rat poison, popularly known as Ota Pia Pia and it led to her death. He also alleged that it was a revenge ploy by Kabiruat who had an earlier argument with the infants mother.

After the report, she was arrested and Kabiruat has now been arraigned before a Magistrates Court in Minna, on one charge of culpable homicide, filed under Section 221 of the Penal Code.

ALSO READ: Man impregnates his 13-yr-old daughter after raping her for 6 years

Her plea has however, not been taken  a Magistrate Court has no jurisdiction to try an offender, charged for the offence of culpable homicide under the Penal Code.

The Court can also not adequately punish when maximum sentence is required if the accused is eventually convicted, the sitting Magistrate, Ramatu Adamu noted.

Thus, her case might yet be transferred to a higher court of record, which can administer all required punishments and entertain the matter as permitted by Law  the penal code. Jurisdiction is fundamental to any court proceeding.

Police prosecutor, Mr. Emmanuel Ogiri told the court the accused was arrested upon complaint from her husband. The matter has since been adjourned till November 6, 2018, for further mention.
The Director, FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC), Dr Adamu Noma, disclosed this when he visited the girl at Maitama General Hospital, Abuja, with some directors who represented the administration on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to him, the FCT Administration has decided to take care of all expenses for her education, explaining that the scholarship will take care of all her schooling.

As soon as she is discharged from hospital, the scholarship will commence, Noma assured.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Elijah was said to be in the farm at Mpape near Maitama District, that fateful day when the ill-fated NAF aircraft mishap happened and she was hit by flying debris from the fighter jet.

The ill-fated fighter jet collided with another killing the pilot during air training for Nigeria Independence Day celebration where Elijah was hit and injured at the leg by fragments of the jet.

Noma also assured that the FCTA has granted her scholarship to university level and that they will be ready to foot her bills for as long as she can go in educational pursuit.

He said the FCT Administration would be responsible for her tuition, books, uniform, foot wears and any other requirement needed in school.

Alhaji Ahmad Rani, Director FCT Scholarship Board, confirmed the scholarship, adding that the board is ready to foot the bills and follow her up.

The girl, who is responding to treatment, has been stabilised from the trauma and the injury, and will be discharged soon.

NAN also learnt that Elijah, 15, hails from Kachia, Kaduna State, but reside with her family at Chikoko village in Bwari Area Council of the FCT.

She completed primary six in Chikoko, but poverty prevented from proceeding for secondary education.

NAN also gathered that her father could not afford transport fare from the village to see her at the Maitama Hospital.
The Traini shooting occurred on February 3, 2018.

Reuters reports that Traini targeted black migrants as he drove around Macerata, hitting nationals from Ghana, Mali and Nigeria.

He later abandoned his car and made a fascist salute, an Italian flag draped over his shoulders, before police swooped on and arrested him.

No one died from Trainis bullets, though.

"The color of the skin"

Traini apologized in court for his actions. I am sorry for the injuries I caused, he said. While in prison, I have understood that the color of ones skin has nothing to do with anything.

He also made it clear that he decided to shoot migrants as a way of avenging Pamelas death.

I wanted justice for Pamela, quoted Traini as telling the court.

However, Oseghale denies raping and murdering Pamela. He claims she died from an overdose of drugs.

On Wednesday, October 3, 2018, an Italian court sentenced Traini to 12 years in jail for shooting and wounding six African in the central city of Macerata.
According to residents of the community, the attack took place around 11:30pm on Wednesday and claimed the lives of toddlers, women, young children and local farmers. Four other residents escaped with gunshot wounds and are receiving medical treatment at Enos Hospital, Miango.

While speaking to the media on Thursday, October 4, a resident of the community, who identified himself as Lawrence Ishaku, disclosed that eight members of a single family were completely wiped out in the attack while the other 10 victims were killed in different houses.

He also disclosed that the bodies of the dead have been given mass burial as the attack has heightened tensions in the area.

Ishaku lamented that the community has been left alone to face the scourge of frequent herdsmen attacks without any significant actions from security agencies.

He said, "We are neglected by government and security agencies. Nobody is acting to protect us. We are being killed on daily basis by herdsmen and nobody is doing anything to stop the killings.

"We are always in a security meeting without result and no arrest has been made. Now Ariri is displaced. This is too bad and evil genocide going on in a democratic era.

"We are pleading and calling on Amnesty international and international committee on Red cross to please come to our aid. We need their help. We are losing hope on the government we hope for.

"I want Government and security agencies to take proactive steps and stop the incessant killings."

The Public Relations Officer of the Plateau State Police Command, Terna Tyopev, confirmed the attack and disclosed that the Force is doing everything in its power to apprehend the perpetrators.

Plateau besieged by bloody violence

The attack follows similar savage attacks carried out by gunmen who have left a trail of blood all over different parts of the state.

Two undergraduates of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) were reportedly killed when renewed violence sparked in Jos, Plateau State capital, on Sunday, September 30, 2018.

The violence erupted all across Tina, Angwa-Rukuba, British-America, Rikos, Bauchi road, Farigada, Dogon-Dutse and other parts of Jos North local government area.

Sunday's violence followed a similar attack that claimed the lives of many on Thursday, September 27, 2018.

Tyopev had disclosed that unknown gunmen carried out an attack at Rukuba Road and killed an unspecified number of people before they were forced to flee after a gun battle with security operatives.
The task force was acting on a directive from the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, to locate Major General Idris Alkali (rtd), the immediate past Chief of Administration, Army Headquarters, Abuja, who was declared missing on the September 3. Alkali had been travelling alone in his car from Abuja to Bauchi State when he went missing.

The search and rescue team is a Joint Task Force comprising officers and soldiers from 3 Division Quick Response Team, Operation Safe Haven, Nigeria Police Force, Vehicle Inspection Office, Fire Service, as well as local divers.

During the course of its investigation, the team received credible intelligence that made it important to examine the content of the mining pond at Dura, Du District where the women protested.

The team's decision to evacuate the water from the pond, after receiving intel that vehicles were pushed inside it, triggered the women to protest against the Army's actions.

One of the leaders of the protest, Mary Yakubu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the water holds a cultural significance for the community and should not be tampered with.

"If the water is evacuated, it could lead to the death of our sons and husbands," she claimed.

Another reason given for the protest was the alleged maltreatment of residents of the community by members of the task force who were accused of locking down the area and preventing anyone from entering or leaving.

The protest succeeded in forcing a Chinese construction company that was assisting the operation in drilling out water from the pond to withdraw their services due to continuous threats.

Around the time of the protest, the team recovered the detached door of an 18-Seater Hummer bus from the pond and redoubled its effort to drain the water.

A week later on September 29, the team finally pulled out a black Toyota Corolla car, with Kwara number plate 'MUN-670AA', from the pond.

It was the same car that Alkali was driving when he went missing. Shoes and clothes belonging to the retired military officer were also found in the retrieved vehicle.

The recovery of the car has led to speculations that Alkali, who retired from service on August 7, 2018, may have been killed or taken captive by criminal elements who must have driven his car into the pond.

More vehicles recovered from pond heightens tension in community

Since the draining of the pond started, many other vehicles have been pulled out, leading to speculation that it might have been a hotspot for criminals to hide evidence of their nefarious activities.

More than 10 vehicles as well as tricycles and motorcycles have been recovered by the Joint Task Force with the help of local divers.

On Tuesday, October 2, a white-coloured Toyota Hiace, with number plate Plateau 'RYM-307-XA', was recovered from the pond three months after it was last seen, along with the driver, on June 24.

This might be an important detail as the bus went missing around the same time Plateau was besieged by a series of violent attacks that led to the death of hundreds.

Muslim Fulani herdsmen were reported to have killed dozens of people in several communities in Plateau on June 23, leading to subsequent retaliation by locals who mounted roadblocks and carried out reprisal attacks.

The crisis led to the imposition of a curfew by the state government in Barkin-Ladi, Riyom, and Jos South local government areas of the state. The pond currently being drained of water is located in Jos South.

The discovery of the vehicles in the pond has led to different theories about how they must have ended up in there. While some speculate that the occupants of the recovered vehicles must have been attacked by local criminal elements, others are of the opinion that the vehicles ended up in the pond by a series of accidents.

The military has repeatedly stated its committment towards getting to the root of Alkali's disappearance and the similar disappearance of people that have been reported in the area.

While more vehicles are recovered, the community has been thrown into panic over feared reprisals from the military on what could have been Alkali's fate.

These fears have not been eased by a recent disclosure by Army spokesman, Brigadier-General Texas Chukwu, who reported that the community was staging a protest against a gunmen attack in the community when Alkali travelled through Jos.

As part of the search and rescue operations, the task force this week combed the entire Du District and arrested 30 suspects who were caught with several weapons from firearms to knives and equipment.

"Weapons recovered from some of the suspects include, three locally made single barrel guns, three locally made pistols.

"Five 7.62 MM(SP) RDS, 30 X 9MM RDS, one pistol mag and an empty case. Others include four knives, one locally made sword, three cutlasses, one iron rod, two pairs of boots, three vigilante ID cards, five motorcycles.

"One tricycle, one thousand Korean currency note, a wrist watch, one power bank, 25 assorted phones, two car keys, two house keys and a hoe," an official statement read.
Sharibu was kidnapped by Boko Haram along with her school mates from Dapchi secondary school in Yobe state on February 19, 2018.

She was held back after others were released because she refused to denounce Christianity.

The President, told the school girls mother, Rebecca Sharibu that the government will do all it can to ensure her daughter re-unites with the family.

A statement issued on Twitter from the handle @MBuhari reads: Today I spoke with Mrs Rebecca Sharibu, to reiterate our determination to bring her daughter Leah back home safely. The thoughts & prayers of all Nigerians are with the Sharibu family, & the families of all those still in captivity. We will do everything we can to bring them back.

Audio message to Buhari

In August 2018, Leah Sheribu, in an audio message obtained by The Cable, called on Buhari to save her.

She said "I am Leah Sharibu, the girl that was abducted in GGSS Dapchi. I am calling on the government and people of goodwill to intervene to get me out of my current situation.

"I also plead to the members of the public to help my mother, my father, my younger brother and relatives. Kindly help me out of my predicament. I am begging you to treat me with compassion, I am calling on the government, particularly, the president to pity me and get me out of this serious situation. Thank you."
The statement was issued by spokesman of the institution, Major Abubakar Abdullahi on Wednesday in Kaduna.

He said that the event would affect vehicular movement around the institution and advised motorists to use alternative routes.

Consequently, Kawo-Mando-Airport road in Kaduna will be busy from 5 am-5 pm., road users who do not have anything to do around the area are advised to use alternative routes to avoid unnecessary bottleneck.

The alternative routes are; Airport-Rigachukun and Mando-Rigasa Railway station-Rigasa-Nnamdi Azikwe road, Abdullahi said.

NAN reports that 365 cadets of the NDA regular course, two of them from Republics of Togo and Benin, would pass out during the event.

The NDA would also offer honourary doctorate degrees to prominent businessman Mohammed Indimi, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President, African Development Bank, and Lt.- Gen. CI Obiako, a former Military Adviser at the United Nations.

A total of 131 graduating cadets will be commissioned into the Nigerian Army and the rest into the Navy and Air Force.
The Prof. Abubakar Faki-led All APC Zamfara Governorship Primaries Committee has announced the cancellation of the primaries held in the state.

This is due to election malpractices, including snatching of election materials and result sheets by the states government officials which were taken to the Government House, Gusau, Nabena said Nabena added that the primary election in Zamfara was also marred by violence, saying that a new date would be fixed soonest for a fresh primary.

He reiterated the partys NWC commitment to free, fair and transparent primaries across the country ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Nabena in a separate statement, also said that the APC Senatorial Primary for Niger State would now hold tomorrow 5 October.
Lets see. NAFTA has been renamed, such that the U.S. appears first. Is that all that Trump meant by his slogan America First? Then, it is said, Canada will relax  but not eliminate  its quotas on certain dairy products. That move primarily will help Canadian consumers, but it may be of modest assistance to the U.S. dairy industry. Is that what Trump promised in his campaign rhetoric? Next, and quite likely off-setting any possible benefit to the U.S. from the Canadian dairy trade changes, is the increase in the domestic content requirements for the auto industry  a clear step backward.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dasuki, who is the current Chairman, House Committee on Navy, was returned unopposed through affirmative votes by 214 delegates drawn from Tambuwal and Kebbe local government areas.

The Returning Officer, Mr Usman Muhammad, declared Dasuki winner of the poll and commended delegates and party supporters for their orderliness and cooperation that facilitated the successful conduct of the exercise.

In his post election remarks, Dasuki pledged to continue to ensure good legislation on agriculture, health, education and economic empowerment.

He also promised continue to use his experience to sponsor bills that would uplift the lives of his constituents and other Nigerians.
Kaita commended the decampee and his followers for summoning the courage to join the APC.

All our brothers who joined APC will be treated equally without discrimination, Kaita said.

Nashuni said that he decided to join APC in order to give his contribution to efforts to move the state forward.

Katsina under APC has recorded a lot of infrastructure development especially in Health, Education, Agriculture, Water Supply and Rural Development, he said.
The delegates from the seven Local Government Areas of the District, in a well attended Zonal primary held at Irepodun LGA Secretariat in Omu-Aran, had unanimously endorsed Ahmed against the incumbent Senator, Rafiu Ibrahim.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the primary, which was conducted in a peaceful atmosphere, was witnessed by party faithfuls and observers across the district.

It was also monitored by officials from the partys national headquarters in Abuja as well as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Ahmed in a statement attributed his emergence as the partys Kwara South Senatorial Candidate for the general elections to politics of inclusiveness.

He said such development was championed by the family of the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki, who is also the National Leader of the party.

Ahmed while praising the current serving senator in the district, Sen. Rafiu Ibrahim for his act of maturity and gallantry, thanked the partys leaders and other stakeholders for their support.

I am highly pleased by my affirmation as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Kwara South Senatorial District in the 2019 general elections.

This victory belongs to our political family and reflects the consensus and inclusive approach it has traditionally adopted.

I thank my Leader, Sen. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, stakeholders, party elders and officials at all levels, supporters and all the good people of Kwara South and indeed Kwara State for this victory.

I salute my brother, distinguished Sen. Rafiu Ibrahim for his support, maturity, gallantry and sportsmanship in the run-up to this victory.

Sen. Ibrahim has demonstrated his loyalty to our political family and has a bright political future ahead of him.

I must also commend my brother, Mr Gbenga Makanjuola for running a good race. It was all in a quest for service.
The Returning Officer for the election, Alhaji Yakubu Hadejia, said on Thursday in Funtua that Mandiya scored 1,469 out of the 3,400 votes cast.

He said the delegates came from the 11 local government areas in the district.

Hadejia said Mandiya defeated the former NYSC Director-General Brig.-Gen. Maharasu Tsiga; Nura Khalil;Murtala Abu; Faruk Lawal-Jobe and Alhaji Garba Usman.

The returning officer said that Khalil scored 618 votes, Tsiga (39), Abu (3), Usman (6) and Lawal-Jobe (1040), adding that 233 votes were invalid.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the announcement of the results, Mandiya commended the entire people of the zone, especially the delegates for the exercise.

The people of this zone have kept faith with me; they have shown trust, tolerance, resilience, endurance and support toward my success.

I also commend other party members, and assure all of my commitment to continue to protect and promote their interests at all times, he said.

Mandiya urged the people to ensure that the district and the state were won by APC in the 2019 general elections.

He pledged to work with the other contestants to enable the party achieve its objectives.

Khalil also congratulated Mandiya the and called on his supporters to join hands with him to move the party forward.
Migrant labour -- much of it from Myanmar -- has propped up Thailand's economy for years, with foreigners working everywhere from factories to fishing boats, part of a global chain to produce standard supermarket items such as frozen shrimps, ready meals and pet food.

After allegations of slave labour and trafficking prompted the European Union to threaten a ban on Thai products in 2015, the kingdom's ruling junta has scrambled to clean up industries reliant on a migrant workforce.

The new law that came into force in July last year was meant to crack down on a shady recruitment process, which left desperate migrants vulnerable to corrupt brokers and exploitative companies.

But more than a year later, foreign workers and labour experts say a lack of enforcement and government oversight means migrants are no safer, often shelling out hundreds of dollars in inflated fees to agents and ending up in debt even before they even secure a job.

Although the legislation says Myanmar migrants should pay no more than 150,000 kyat ($100) in fees to agents, many end up paying up to $800, a colossal sum for low-paid workers from one of the most impoverished countries in the world.

"The agents took advantage of us," said 40-year-old Ma Oo, who had to pay $400 for a job in an electronics factory near Bangkok and was visibly scared to speak out.

'Real mafia'

Thai firms usually hire local agents to scout workers from neighbouring Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, although the latter is by far the largest source for labour, with more than two million migrants working in Thailand.

But in many cases, Thai agents then auction off the jobs to the highest bidder among their Myanmar peers clamouring for business in a highly-competitive market, activists say.

The Myanmar brokers -- or their sub-agents -- scour rural villages for workers and transfer all the extra costs to them, leaving migrants trapped in "debt bondage" as they struggle to pay the exorbitant fees, says migrant labour specialist Andy Hall.

Thai and Myanmar agents collaborate as "a real mafia that makes a lot of money on the backs of migrant workers", explains Aung Kyaw, president of the Migrant Workers Rights Network in Thailand, which acts as a de facto union.

The situation is even worse, he says, for the several hundred thousand Myanmar migrants working unregistered, who are even more vulnerable.

In one ongoing case, a family -- including two children -- was trafficked into the kingdom and forced into slavery on a fishing boat, beaten, unpaid and their documents confiscated.

Finger Pointing

Thai authorities insist that they maintain strict oversight of the country's agents and threaten them with stiff penalties if they do not respect the law.

If there are problems, "they may be on the side of the Burmese recruiters", Anurak Tossarat from the Ministry of Labour told AFP.

But agents in Myanmar blame their Thai peers for stoking the illegal trade and demanding kickbacks in exchange for jobs.

"(We) have to fight to get job offers from Thai agencies. The more money you give them, the more offers your agency gets," an agent in Yangon told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"They are bullying us."

Campaigners urge tighter scrutiny by officials in both countries and up the supply chain to the multinational buyers of Thai produce to bring an end to the exploitative practices.

Britain's biggest retailer Tesco, food giant Nestle and chocolate maker Mars -- which all source products in Thailand -- told AFP they were working with local partners to improve practices, vowing to probe any allegations of wrongdoing.

Despite the extortionate fees and the threat of debt, each month around 15,000 people from Myanmar cross into Thailand to take up jobs.

In a Yangon teashop, Kyaw Naing, 24, said he had already handed over a thick wad of cash to an agent who had promised him work.

"I had to borrow money from my family with interest but I will pay it back if my job is good," he says, adding that the agent assured him Thailand's new law means he will now be "more secure".
His Turkish fiancee reported him missing after Khashoggi, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since last year to avoid possible arrest, did not emerge from the consulate.

The Saudi ambassador was received by Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kiran on Wednesday, the diplomatic source and state-run news agency Anadolu said.

After an initial period of silence, Saudi Arabia said the consulate was working with Turkish authorities "to uncover the circumstances of the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi after he left the consulate building".

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin however told reporters on Wednesday the journalist was being held at the consulate, adding that Ankara was in touch with Saudi officials.

"According to information we have, this individual who is a Saudi national is still at the Istanbul consulate of Saudi Arabia," Kalin said.

The journalist, who writes opinion pieces for the Post, has been critical of some policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen.

US officials said they were looking into his case.

Khashoggi's fiancee Hatice, 36, told AFP on Thursday that there had been no news about him.

"We don't know where he is. If he had left the consulate as said by the Saudis, we would know where he is," she said.
In a rare and strong message, Matiangi did not mince his words as he demanded that the Ugandan government respects Kenyans even as the boundary dispute is handled.

Local fishermen have constantly complained over arrest and torture meted out on them by the Ugandan military which continues to occupy the disputed island.

ece-auto-gen

Matiangi said he would no longer tolerate unfair treatment of Kenyans by the Uganda neighbors.

Respect is two ways. You cannot be fighting us and you want us to give you peace. We will protect our people by all means.

A good neighbor does not disturb others and always embraces understanding. We will work day and night to ensure the safety of our people, the CS said.

ece-auto-gen

Despite a long history of warm diplomatic relations, the Migingo issue has become the strongest test of the relationship between the two neighboring countries.
The first-time MP, arrived home while drunk on Tuesday night and descended to his lactating wife with kicks and blows.

According to a close family member, they allegedthat he was angry with his wife, who is a medical practitioner, after she asked him how it was possible she had been treated for STD three times this year despite being faithful to him.

It is said that the legislator called his wife's family at about 3am asking her to go pick up the prostitute or they would collect their daughter's lifeless body in the morning.

ece-auto-gen

On her return home, after the confrontation with the mistress and reported the matter, the MP allegedly beat and inflicted further serious injuries on her.

Sources close to the MP also allege that the mistress, with whom they have a child together, is his wifes relative.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  A Purdue University researcher has combined his wealth of experience in wireless and wireline communication with his longstanding passion for medical sciences, to develop an invention with the potential to improve health care, neuroscience and human-computer interaction.

Shreyas Sen was named one of the Top 10 Indian Inventors Worldwide under 35 by MIT Technology Review and Hindustan Times Mint for his technology that uses the human body as a 'wire' for secure and ultra-low-power communication.

Its such an incredible honor to be named by MIT Technology Review among the top 10 young Indian inventors, said Sen, an assistant professor at Purdues School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who had previously helped create the USB-C technology while at Intel Labs. I am fortunate to be able to take my communication background and use that to create technology to enrich human lives.

Sen and his team at Purdues SPARC Lab created the worlds lowest-energy body area network (BAN), which allows devices to communicate through the body instead of sending a signal through the airwaves that could be hacked. The network he created uses about 100 times less energy than Bluetooth and is physically more secure because the signals are contained within the human body.

This work is supported by the National Science Foundations CISE Research Initiation Initiative Award (CRII) and the AFOSR Young Investigator Award.

Videos of Sen giving a speech for receiving the MIT TR35 India Award and appearing on CNBC TV18, an Indian national TV channel, can be seen at http://bit.ly/SPARC-Purdue.

The human body, which Sen said is a very good conductor because of its high water content, allows low-loss broadband communication. However, it picks up interference from the world around it, such as FM radio signals. The Purdue technology suppresses those interfering signals to allow for improved communication between devices.

There are so many different potential applications to help people by using this innovation, Sen said. Imagine being able to target medicine better to specific regions of the body without the side effects, being able to better understand communication with the brain, or allowing humans to better interact with computer devices. The possibilities really seem almost endless.

Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are on the path to transforming health care. They require the collection of immense volumes of physiological data, followed by distributed analysis, such as lightweight real-time analytics on wearables like smartwatches connected to the cloud, making deep long-term analytics and insight possible. This requires a high volume of secure data movement around the body, which at present is challenging because of the energy-cost of today's wireless BAN technologies.

The Purdue invention opens up this data supply to the AI engine for health care by lowering the energy of this data movement by two orders of magnitude.

The technology aligns with Purdue's "giant leaps" celebrating the universitys global advancements made in health, AI, space and sustainability as part of Purdues 150th anniversary. Those are the four themes of the yearlong celebrations Ideas Festival, designed to showcase Purdue as an intellectual center solving real-world issues. Solutions such as this communication technology are also a focus of Purdues Discovery Park District.

Sen and his team are working with the Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization to patent the technology. They are looking for industry and research partners.

About Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization

The Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university's academic activities. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2016 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Innovation from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org. For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Office of Technology Commercialization at otcip@prf.org. The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University.

Chris Adam, 765-588-3341Shreyas Sen, shreyas@purdue.edu
Published on:

4 October 2018



L-R: Professor Diana Lopez, Dr Ana Jorge Sobrido and Professor Magda Titirici L-R: Professor Diana Lopez, Dr Ana Jorge Sobrido and Professor Magda Titirici

Professor Magda Titirici and co-investigator Dr Ana Jorge Sobrido, both from Queen Marys School of Engineering and Materials Science, are nominated for the 2018 Newton Prize which is awarded for the best research or innovation that promotes the economic development and social welfare of Newton Fund partner countries.

Their project aims to deliver valuable and eco-friendly products from Colombian waste biomass including battery electrodes, chemicals and biofuels produced using sustainable processes.

The project hopes to increase wealth in rural areas by allowing farmers to turn biomass waste into something useable. Consequently, more land will be cultivated with useful crops in place of coca plants which form part of Colombias illegal drug economy.

Biomass-derived products will be of high importance for a sustainable economy in Colombia including producing carbon-dioxide free electricity.

Empowering women

Professor Titirici said: Its fantastic to be nominated. The Newton Fund is an amazing initiative which has enabled us to collaborate with a very proactive group in Colombia and do some amazing research using local biomass to enable energy storage and biofuels.

She added: I am a strong supporter of empowering women in science and engineering and so is the Colombian principle investigator Professor Diana Lopez. This collaboration between two successful female Professors sets the scene for female students in Colombia to believe that they can achieve anything they want, and that being a successful woman in science is not something out of reach.

The shortlist for the prestigious 1 million 2018 Newton Prize features 22 proposals between researchers in the UK and Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico.

This year 140 Newton funded projects, fellowships or other awards applied. Four prizes of up to 200,000 each will be awarded to winning projects with the eligible Latin American countries. There will also be an additional prize (the Chairmans Award) of 200,000 for a project with the potential for broader impact with other developing countries.

Potential to change lives

Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, Newton Prize Committee Chair and President of the Royal Society and Nobel Laureate, said: Latin America has a wealth of excellent researchers working in collaboration with the UK to tackle issues as diverse as post conflict studies, biodiversity, health and energy through the Newton Fund partnerships in the region. Science and innovation often depends on working in partnership across the globe: sharing knowledge and resources to enhance our understanding and make discoveries with the potential to change lives.

During November the shortlisted projects will be celebrated at award events taking place in Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, where the winning project for that country will be announced. These events will be followed by a UK reception in December hosted by Sam Gyimah MP, the Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation to celebrate international and science innovation collaborations.

More information
UK: The Welsh government has secured 119m of EU funding for South Wales Metro infrastructure works, First Minister Carwyn Jones confirmed on October 4.
RUSSIA: A construction agreement covering the first section of the Moscow  Kazan high speed line was announced by RZD First Deputy Director Alexander Misharin at the ProMotion 1520 conference in Sochi on October 2. The agreement calls for work to start next year on a 301 km alignment between ...
Reliance Industries has initiated talks to acquire Indias largest cable TV operator, Hathway Cable & Datacom, according to a report in The Economic Times.





The news follows the collapse of a speculated takeover by Reliance of another Indian multi system operator (MSO), Den Networks.The acquisition, if achieved, would speed up the commercial launch of Reliance Jios GigaFiber high-speed home broadband services . Reliance Industries aims to connect 50 million homes with its broadband network. Reliance , led by billionaire Mukash Ambani, has already invested INR 250,000 crore on mobile and broadband infrastructure. It is Indias largest private sector company, with a consolidated turnover of INR 430,731 crore (US$ 63.3 billion) and net profit of INR 36,075 crore (US$ 5.3 billion) for the year ended 31 March 2018. Hathway Cable & Datacom meanwhile claims a 52% share of Indias MSO broadband market. It has passed 5.2 million two-way broadband homes, and provides high-speed cable broadband services to four metros, three mini metros and nine other cities. In total it has 800,000 broadband customers.Hathway also has a digital cable TV base of 7.2 million subscribers; 350,000 of these being primary subscribers, spread across 350 cities, and the remainder managed through local cable operators.The two companies  which have not commented on the report  are in the initial stage of discussions, sources told The Economic Times
Global Benchmark Brent crude jumped more than 3 percent on Monday to a four-year high above $80 a barrel after Saudi Arabia and Russia ruled out any immediate increase in production despite calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for action to raise global supply.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-OPEC states, including top producer Russia, gathered in Algiers on Sunday for a meeting that ended with no formal recommendation for any additional supply boost to counter falling supply from Iran.

The market's still being driven by concerns about Iranian and Venezuelan supply, said Gene McGillian, director of market research at Tradition Energy in Stamford. The failure of the producers to address that adequately this weekend is creating a buying opportunity.
Get your pet checked at this free pet health fair, hosted by Real Estate to the Rescue of Homeless Animals Chicago, Lost Dogs Illinois and the Chicago Police Departments 25th District. The line to pick up a number begins at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at 5555 W. Grand Ave., and the first 400 people to get a number will be served. The fair offers free vaccines, microchips and checkups. Your pet must be leashed or carried, and a wait is expected, so plan accordingly. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Porterville, CA (93257)

Today

Mostly cloudy early, then sunshine for the afternoon. High near 75F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 49F. Winds light and variable.
At one football game, a disabled fan needed to charge his wheelchair, but he left his charger in his car. Instead of having to make that journ
Southwest Airlines kicked off a fall/winter fare sale Tuesday, and I expect other airlines to start matching these low fares in the next 24-48 hours.

Travel demand and fares typically tumble during the slower fall and winter months, and this year is no exception some relatively low fares are starting to trickle out on all airlines for cool weather trips to warm or snowy places. (UPDATE: This fare sale now ends at 11:59 on FRIDAY night, Oct 4- originally it was to end on Oct 3)

So if you felt priced out of peak summer season, or just stayed away due to the record crowds, take a look at what Southwest has on offer during from mid-November through mid-February, just as the cold wet winter months set in.

What's nice, and different from last year's fall/winter Southwest sale: these fares include travel in November, pre-Thanksgiving, which is one of the best times of year due to small crowds, low prices, and generally okay weather.

Southwest kicked it off with fares starting at $100 roundtrip. From there, roundtrip fares rise in several steps to around $300. Southwest's new mainland-to-Hawaii flights are not included in this fare sale, but its inter-island flights are. (More on Southwest flights to Hawaii here.)

Sample approximate round trip fares on nonstop flights from California/Bay Area airports below (see Southwest Fare sale page for other cities):

$100: All intra-California and CA-Las Vegas, Portland

$160: Boise, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Seattle

$200: Albuquerque, Dallas, Denver

$260: Austin, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, St Louis

$300: Most transcontinental or almost-transcontinental flights, including: Atlanta, Baltimore, Nashville, New Orleans, Orlando

Southwest flies from all three Bay Area airports, so be sure to check OAK (its primary west coast operation), SFO and SJC. Fares may vary slightly among airports, but not by much.

Expect other major airlines to match these low fares over the next 24 hours. (We'll update this story with competitive matches as they roll out...see below). Keep in mind that even with matches, Southwest's fares are cheaper if you plan on checking baggage; Southwest offers two bags for free. Major airlines' fare matches will likely be with those unloved, fee-laden "basic economy" fares.

This sale is good for flights during annual dips in air travel demand. This means that hotel and car rental costs are also at annual lows, so it's a great time to take a cheap trip. It's also a good time to get home and see the family if pricey peak holiday season fares keep you grounded.

For business travelers who have not been able to get out and see clients due to this year's high fares, this is a great opportunity to save by traveling when most folks are staying at home. You can take off for a quick visit just before Thanksgiving or Christmas or drop by during the cold, dark months of January and February.

Details of Southwest's three-day sale:

>Must buy your tickets between now and Friday, Oct 4 at 11:59 p.m. (in originating city).

>Travel windows: November 13 - February 12, 2020 (holidays excluded)

>Domestic deals not available on Fridays or Sundays (bummer for business travelers or weekenders).

>Holiday blackout dates: November 22-December 3, 2019; December 19, 2019-January 5, 2020.

>Very limited time: Only a handful of seats on each flight are on sale  you snooze, you lose.

>See Southwest website for other rules and restrictions, or to book trips.

Stay tuned for updates: Airlines matching this sale so far include: Alaska Airlines

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.
In the Kyle Rittenhouse case, legal nuance clashes with ideology. Since its inception, the case has served as a sort of national Rorschach test, with some seeing in the teenager a patriot who used his Second Amendment right to defend himself and others viewing him as a gun-wielding white boy who believed he could act with impunity.
Mischief is written all over the faces of Ava and Prince, two rescue dogs who are the subject of a new children's book by Houston Chronicle fashion writer Joy Sewing and designed by Chronicle art director Susan Barber.

Four-year-old Prince (obviously) is the one wearing a crown, and Ava, 5, is the beauty peeking out from behind her adopted brother. The boxers are the fur babies that Sewing adopted a few years ago, and since then they have gained popularity all on their own with more than 3,700 Instagram followers (instagram.com/avaandtheprince). Now they're the stars of their own book  "Ava and the Prince" (LongTale Publishing; $15.95; 32 pp.,). It published Oct. 1 for National Adopt-A-Rescue month and is available on Amazon.


The candidates running for Connecticuts most competitive Congressional seat have sharp differences over gun policy and immigration.

And it makes sense.

Manny Santos, a former mayor of Meriden, is running as a Trump Republican, and Jahana Hayes, the 2016 National Teacher of the Year, is running as a progressive Democrat.

With five weeks until the November 6 midterm election, voters in the 5th District are deciding which candidate to send to Washington, D.C., and those decisions could come down to a few hot-button issues.

I am an individual of law and order, said Santos, a former Marine during the Gulf War who immigrated with his parents from Portugal as a boy. We have gotten ourselves into this problem because we have ignored our responsibilities to enforce our immigration laws.

Hayes, who grew up without her mother and father in a Waterbury housing project and dropped out of high school at 17 when she became pregnant, said everyone deserves a voice in Washington, D.C.

We are a country that has always welcomed immigrants, said Hayes, who became the talent and professional development supervisor at Waterbury public schools after her national Teacher of the Year tour. I dont see how we secure our position in the world by turning our backs on everyone.

Hayes and Santos differences on gun policy are similarly stark.

Santos, an expert rifleman and pistol sharp shooter in the Marines who has the endorsement of the 30,000-member Connecticut Citizens Defense League, opposes gun control legislation such as expanded background checks. He also believes school districts should be able to use federal grants to arm teachers.

Hayes, whose husband is a Waterbury police detective, says the solution to school shootings is not to arm teachers but to expand background checks for gun purchases, and to ban so-called assault weapons, among other gun control measures.

Their political differences are part of a deeper contrast in campaign momentum that has observers predicting a Hayes win in November.

Hayes, who has a national profile as a rising star, raised more money than any candidate during the primary season, and has a commitment from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to promote her as a top candidate to donors. Santos, who does not get the same national media attention, and who raised the least cash during the primary, does not have a commitment from the National Republican Congressional Committee, because he does not qualify as a competitive candidate.

And yet election observers and political insiders say Santos could close ground on Hayes if he does well in a series of three debates in October  the first of which is Thursday.

At stake is whether Republicans can break into Connecticuts all-Democratic Congressional delegation, and send a message to Washington that support for President Donald Trump is strong in northwestern and central Connecticut, or whether Democrats can send a message to Washington with a Hayes win that progressives are the partys future.

The November 6 winner will replace U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, a three-term Democrat who dropped re-election plans after admitting she covered up an office abuse scandal involving her former chief of staff.

Immigration

Santos, who supports Trumps crackdown on illegal immigration, agrees with the presidents push to build a wall on the southern border, to separate children who arrive with adults that are stopped at the border, and to end a program known as DACA  created under former President Barack Obamas executive order to protect 700,000 immigrants from deportation who came to the U.S. as youths.

We have to end the DACA program that was started with an executive order because there was no legal mechanism for individuals entering the county illegally to remain here, said Santos, adding he would support legislation to give immigrants under the DACA program a way to become legal residents, so long as the bill had provisions for enhanced border patrol and security.

On the controversial issue of separating children from adults at the border, Santos said the Trump administration was following a law that required children be kept away from parents being prosecuted.

In some cases, it is very difficult for the U.S. to verify those are actually (the adults) children, said Santos, an engineer who works as a business capacity analyst. We do have a significant problem with human trafficking, so (child detention) is necessary in order to vet these adults and do everything that needs to be done with the criminal process.

Hayes, who opposes the Trump administrations immigration crackdown and its plans to build a wall, says she understands voter frustration with immigrants living in America while not following the law.

I think immigration is a challenge for this country, but we have been built on the backs of immigrants, and we need 21st century reforms to provide multiple pathways to citizenship for people who come as refugees and seek asylum, said Hayes. The way the system is built, it doesnt allow us to do that.

Hayes said immigration reform should include a path to citizenship for so-called Dreamers - the immigrants protected under the DACA program.

It is not just unskilled labor when we talk about immigration  we have doctors and engineers and people who become the fiber of this nation, Hayes said. I am not afraid to make this a priority and commit myself to looking thoroughly at it.

Gun policy

Santos said he understands voter concern about the brutality and the frequency of mass shootings, and the desire people have for Washington to do something about it. But he does not agree that the solution is making it harder to buy firearms.

These crimes are being committed by individuals who have obtained guns illegally, Santos said. Its happening because people cannot take personal responsibility and have lost touch with reality and are taking it all out on the easiest target.

For that reason, he said, schools should have the option to use federal funds to arm teachers.

School are a soft target, he said. Everyone knows they cant defend themselves.

Hayes disagrees.

Teaching is a very difficult skill set, and I would not want the added responsibility of securing a firearm in a building of 1,300 kids, or telling a parent I thought I left my desk locked, Hayes said. I have visited schools across the country that are struggling to keep up with basic educational standards, and federal grant money should not be spent to arm teachers with guns.

Hayes said most Americans, including gun owners, favor expanded background checks, and she would go to Washington with that as a priority.

I am less concerned with the next election and more concerned with the will of the people, she said. If the majority of people want common sense gun reform, I have a hard time understanding why elected officials are not voting the will of the people.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
WALLINGFORD  The tractor-trailer bearing the logo of discount retailer Ocean State Job Lot pulled into a loading dock on Research Parkway early Wednesday afternoon.

But instead of picking up a load of merchandise to be taken to one of the Rhode Island retailers stores in eight states, the truck was bearing 35,000 pounds of nonperishable food for hungry families served by the Connecticut Food Bank. The food bank headquarters and warehouse is located in Wallingford.

They are one of the largest contributors to us, said Bernie Beaudreau, chief executive officer of Connecticut Food Bank, said of Ocean State Job Lot as he watched the truck being unloaded. Over the last three months, they haven given us 400,000 pounds of food.

Click through the slideshow above to see photos of the Connecticut Food Bank facility.

Donations from the retailer are spread throughout the year, said Paul Shipman, a spokesman for the food bank. The donation made Wednesday was part of the Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundations Three Square Meals hunger relief program, now in its 16th year.

Each year, more than 200 tractor-trailer loads of food from Ocean State Job Lot are distributed to food banks throughout the Northeast. The foundation held a Three Square Meals celebration at the companys headquarters in North Kingstown, R.I., early Wednesday, followed by a convoy of tractor-trailer trucks each loaded with approximately 35,000 pounds of food.

Connecticuts other large food bank, Bloomfield-based Foodshare, also received a donation. The company donates 2.3 million meals annually to the two food banks.

Ocean State Job Lot collects monetary donations from customers at its 131 stores across New England and New York between November and December, according to Shipman. The company has 10 Connecticut locations, including stores in Orange, East Haven and Seymour.

The company then matches the amount of money donated by customers and uses its large-volume buying power to maximize the impact of its donations. Every dollar that Ocean State Job Lot uses to purchase food buys what normally would cost $4 at a typical food wholesaler, Shipman said.

David Sarlitto, executive director of the Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation, said the annual convoy represents the important partnership between Ocean State Job Lot, food banks across the Northeast, and our generous vendors and sponsors.

In addition to the goal of providing much-needed assistance to our local communities, our goal is to address the issue of hunger, and to raise awareness that it is a problem affecting our state, region and nation, Sarlitto said in a statement. Everyone who participates in this program can help feed thousands of families. It is our hope that this program inspires other businesses to do their part to help end food insecurity for our neighbors in need.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
Two Chinese political asylum seekers say they are still recovering from their time in an overcrowded Thai immigration detention center, and could face being redetained at a court hearing next Monday, while two asylum-claimants in Taiwan have been threatened with removal after their eviction from an airside hotel, RFA has learned.

Wu Yuhua and Yang Chong, who face charges of violating Thai immigration law despite holding United Nations documents describing them as refugees, are currently out on bail in the Thai capital.

Wu, who is also known by her nickname Ai Wu, was detained by police in Bangkok with her husband Yang Chong on Aug. 29 and locked up in an immigration detention center.

She said she has noticed a marked change in her husband's demeanor since his release.

"Since his release, his language and memory seem to work more slowly than before; it's pretty marked," she told RFA. "The conditions in the jail were pretty poor; the place was overcrowded ... with three people crowded into a space where two people should be."

"I also suffered a bit in there ... it's too crowded and it's hard to get any sleep," she said.

Photos of the detention center shared with RFA showed basic concrete cells with steel mesh bars in place of a wall on one side, similar to cages at a zoo.

Yang was also made to wear manacles for at least some of his detention, according to a photo of him seen by RFA.

"I feel unwell, and I can't sleep well. The court could put us back in immigration detention or even send us back [to China]," he told RFA.

"We are constantly waiting, waiting  then immigration prison, [though] we haven't committed any crime," he said. "But they can still lock you up in there without any time limit; they can lock you up in there indefinitely."

Wu said there has been a marked deterioration in Yang's mental state since his incarceration, where she described conditions as "inhumane."

"We will make our arguments in court; they will provide evidence of my [alleged] guilt, and I will provide evidence of my innocence," she said.

Targeted by police

Yang and Wu were initially targeted by Chinese police after taking part in the press freedom protests in the southern city of Guangzhou in January 2013.

They fled the country in February 2015 and made their way to Thailand after Wu started a support group for disappeared rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng. In Thailand, they eked out an existence without papers in the country's Pattaya region.

They were approved as political refugees by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bangkok in 2017, but had yet to be accepted for resettlement in a third country amid a global tightening of national immigration policies.

Thailand has sent refugees from China back home in the past.

In July, authorities in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing jailed two rights activists sent home from Thailand as they were awaiting resettlement as political refugees, prompting an international outcry.

Dong Guangping and Jiang Yefei fled with their families to Thailand in 2015, and were granted refugee status by the UNHCR office in Bangkok.

But as they awaited resettlement in a third country, they were handed over to China by the Thai police, in a move that drew strong criticism from the U.N.

Chinese activists Yan Kefen (R) and Liu Xinglian (L) at Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei, Taiwan, Oct. 4, 2018. Photo courtesy of Yan Kefen Stranded at the airport

Meanwhile, two Chinese refugees who fled the threat of deportation in Thailand to seek political asylum on the democratic island of Taiwan have been landed with a large hotel bill for their stay in the restricted area of its international airport, as they await a decision on their applications.

Yan Kefen (also known as Yan Bojun) and Liu Xinglian were placed in an airside hotel in Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport last week pending their application.

Now, they are unable to pay a bill of NT$90,000 (just under U.S. $3,000) each, that the hotel is demanding for their rooms.

"The Immigration Department arranged us to be in this place, and they didn't say at the time that they would be asking us to pay," Yan told RFA on Thursday.

"[The hotel] said that we have to check out today, and asked each of us to pay ... about NT$90,000 each," he said. "All we can do is move out; we don't have any money. We offered to write them an IOU but they wouldn't accept it."

Liu said staffers at the airline that flew them there have threatened to send them to any city in mainland China, as they were denied entry to Taiwan during a transit en route to mainland China, where they fear further persecution.

"We have been driven out of the hotel, and the airline is still threatening to send us to any city in the mainland," he said. "I told them that we will never leave or go to the mainland. If we send us to the mainland, we will have to die in the airport."

Yan Kefen said that he supports Liu Xinglian's approach, and called on the Taiwan authorities to help.

Officers at the island's immigration department were unavailable on Thursday when contacted for comment.

Yan Kefen and Liu Xinglian have been stranded at the airport after being refused entry by immigration authorities since last Thursday.

Liu is a founder member and secretary-general of the often-targeted dissident group China Rights Observer, while Yan is a member of the New Citizens' Movement to hold officials to greater accountability, whose founder Xu Zhiyong served a four-year jail term for his activism.

Sticking to the law

Official sources indicated that Taiwan's criteria for political asylum usually approve activists who have made a name for themselves in China's dissident movement.

The Immigration Department said in a statement last week that relevant agencies are sticking to the island's laws and regulations, while "respecting the claims" of the two asylum seekers.

The island's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said it would "listen to the opinions of the parties, safeguard the safety of both people, actively verify relevant matters and evidence, and make appropriate arrangements according to law and related practices."

Earlier this year, political refugee Huang Yan also applied for asylum in Taiwan after transiting from Bangkok, but was only granted a temporary visa "for humanitarian reasons" owing to her ill health.

Reported by Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Lok-to and Chung Kuang-cheng for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 4)  Graft investigators will push through with their probe on complaints filed against Resigned Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires on Thursday confirmed Uson's resignation will have no effect on the proceedings to investigate the complaints against her. His investigators have directed Uson, and her former boss, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, to explain her alleged involvement in controversial videos mocking the deaf community and showing a lewd federalism jingle.

"Yes, we issued an order requiring her and Andanar to file comments," Martires said in a text message to CNN Philippines.

In a letter, Assistant Ombudsman Joselito Fangon from the Ombudsman's Field Investigation Office said Uson should submit an explanation regarding a video where she is seen mocking deaf people with fellow blogger Drew Olivar.

"This pertains to the affidavit-complaint filed before this office against your alleged 'creation, performance, participation, recording, publishing, and promoting' of a video uploaded in social media sites which made a mockery of deaf persons and persons with disabilities in violation of the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities, the Code of Conduct for Public Officials, and the Cybercrime Prevention Act," the letter read.

The letter is dated September 28, the same day Uson filed her resignation letter, though it is unclear if she actually received the Ombudsman order that day.

This refers to a viral video where Uson was seen cheering on blogger Drew Olivar as he suggestively touched his crotch and chest while singing the jingle. The video sparked public outrage because she was tapped to serve as one of the government officials who will lead the information campaign on the shift to federalism.

"Under the Ombudsman Act of 1988, this office shall inquire into acts of a public officer, employee, office or agency which from reports or complaints it received, the Ombudsman or his Deputies consider to be a) contrary to law; b) unreasonable, unfair, oppressive, irregular, or inconsistent with the general course of the operations and functions of a public officer; xxx f) or inefficiently performed or otherwise objectionable," the letter stated.

Uson has ten days upon receipt of the letter to file her comment.

Uson announced her resignation during a budget hearing at the Senate on Wednesday. She said she decided to step down to aid the passage of the PCOO's budget, which had been deferred at the House of Representatives after she failed to attend its budget hearings.
Darien police were called to the Walmart, 2189 75th St., at 5:40 p.m. that day after a reports of shots fired. Officers learned a verbal argument in the store between Morris and the victim turned physical in the vestibule, at which time police said Morris pulled out a gun and shot four times, striking the man once in the back of his right shoulder.
Chinese government censors on Thursday shut down a social media account known for its criticism of Russia and bilateral ties between the two countries.



A public account on the social media platform WeChat titled "Russia and the Soviet Union's history of aggression against China and their international relations" was shut down by the authorities.



A number of its posts were also deleted, mainly those describing Russian incursions into Chinese territory in the first part of the 20th century.



The ruling Chinese Communist Party's powerful propaganda department typically intervenes to curb criticism of its key allies, and the censorship of the account highlights ever-closer ties between Beijing and Moscow, analysts said.



Independent scholar and historian Zhang Lifan said the account drew on Chinese histories of the bilateral relationship with the Soviet Union written when ties were at their worst during the 1970s.



"Now that they want to improve their relationship with Russia, we're not allowed to post these things," Zhang said, adding that Beijing's relationship with Moscow has been a roller-coaster ride in the past century or so.



"After [the founding of the People's Republic of China in] 1949, we copied the Soviet Union in everything: they could do no wrong," Zhang said. "After the Sino-Soviet split in the 1960s, they were regarded as revisionists, and we even went to war."



"The propaganda back then paid no attention to the reality of the situation; everything served the political agenda of the time," he said.



Politically sensitive



Liang Yunxiang, a scholar of international relations at Beijing's prestigious Peking University, said the study of history in China is always politically sensitive.



"Pretty much all history that is [accepted and taught] under the current system has been entirely subsumed by politics," Liang told RFA. "There have been a lot of unofficial voices speaking out in recent years about Soviet/Russian invasions of China."



"The government doesn't want anyone mentioning these things, now that bilateral ties are in a fairly good state," he said.



Liang said there is a difference to the way in which the ruling Chinese Communist Party manages public commentary and opinion about Japan.



"With Sino-Japanese relations, some of the issues have actually been resolved, legally speaking, although they keep bringing up historical grievances all the same," he said. "With Sino-Russian ties, they haven't ever really been resolved, if the truth be told."



Last week, China and Russia both called on the United Nations security council to end economic sanctions against North Korea.



In July, China delivered two power generators to the isolated Stalinist state in defiance of international sanctions punishing the country for its illicit nuclear weapons program, sources told RFA.



The generators were transported to North Korea by ship in late June, a source in Pyongyang told RFAs Korean Service, citing information obtained from workers involved in the transfer.



Reported by Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Reuters journalist Kyaw Soe Oo (2nd from R) holds his daughter as he is escorted by Myanmar police from a courthouse in Yangon, July 16, 2018.

Myanmars outspoken former information minister on Thursday called for a review and retrial of the case involving two Reuters reporters sentenced to seven years in prison for breaching a law on state secrets  a ruling that human rights groups and media advocates have strongly condemned as a sham and a blow to press freedom.

Ye Htut, a former lieutenant colonel in the Myanmar Army who served as information minister from 2014 to 2016, said Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo should be retried on account of heavy pressure from the international community to release them, and that the case against them was handled improperly.

The two were sentenced on Sept. 3 after spending nine months in jail while they attended hearings on charges that they obtained confidential documents during their reporting on the killing of Rohingya villagers by security forces amid a crackdown in western Myanmars Rakhine state.

Police Captain Moe Yan Naing, a witness for the prosecution, testified during the pretrial hearings that a police brigadier general had ordered subordinates to set up the pair and arrest them for possessing state secrets for their work investigating violence against the Rohingya.

When Police Captain Moe Yan Naing testified, we said something is wrong in this case, Ye Htut told RFAs Myanmar Service. The basis for this case is wrong, and the judge didnt try to fix it, but issued a decision based on this improper framework.

Thats why it has generated international pressure, said Ye Htut, who also served as former President Thein Seins spokesman from 2013 to 2016.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo pleaded not guilty to the charges, arguing they were doing their jobs as reporters, did not collect or copy documents, and did nothing to harm the states interests.

Lawyers for the two journalists said they will file an appeal with a higher court.

RSFs incident report

Ye Htuts comments came days after Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) issued an incident report about the possibility of Myanmars ranking in its annual World Press Freedom Index sliding further on account of grave violations of the freedom to inform since the start of the year.

The group ranked Myanmar 137 out of 180 countries in its most recent report issued in April, six spots lower than the country ranked in 2017.

There is now every chance that it will fall even further in next years index, RSF said in its statement issued on Oct. 1.

It warned that authorities must take corrective action to prevent lower scores on environment and self-censorship, transparency, and media independence  three of seven key metrics used by RSF to determine rankings.

RFA cited the jail sentences that Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo received, saying they capped a farcical prosecution.

The scheme that the military, police, and judicial system jointly concocted to detain the two journalists stretched credulity and showed the lengths to which the authorities were ready to go in order to trample on media independence, the statement said.

The same month that the Reuters reporters received their jail sentences, former newspaper columnist Ngar Min Swe was sentenced to seven years in prison for sedition and ordered to pay a fine for criticizing Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on social media.

RSF said the sedition law was used in a completely opaque manner to impose a disproportionate seven-year jail sentence on the writer.

The group also said that self-censorship is now the rule in Myanmar for journalists who dont want to be charged with defamation for criticizing powerful figures and for outlets that dont want to be shut down for broaching subjects that are off-limits.

Myanmar authorities banned broadcasts by U.S.-funded Radio Free Asia in June for refusing to refer to Rohingya Muslims as Bengalis as the government demands, because it views members of the unrecognized ethnic minority group as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

RSF also noted that a hostile environment for reporters, who have been banned from freely reporting in Rakhine state, extends to Shan and Kachin states where journalists are prevented from entering conflict areas.

The press freedom group called for the overturning of the convictions of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo and for their immediate release, the overturning of Ngar Min Swes conviction, the repeal of the Official Secrets Act and the sedition law, and the amending of Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Act, used to file defamation charges against journalists.

A lot of restrictions

Commenting on RSFs warning, Myanmar journalist and political activist Thiha Thway said that the sentencing of the Reuters reporters was a message from authorities that journalists cannot do investigative reporting.

It's like we've been told that we will be at risk if we do, he told RFA. We have to do more self-censorship, and we now have more concerns and challenges. There will be even more [self-censorship] if we have more conflicts and problems due to religion and race.

Monywa Aung Shin, a member of the Central Executive Committee of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), said it is lamentable that Myanmar's ranking will likely drop in RSFs next press freedom index.

We have a lot of restrictions to work on [eliminating] in the media field, including restrictions in the constitution, he said. The media must remind people about them, and the Information Ministry has to work on ensuring the right to information.

Dozens of journalists have been arrested under the civilian-led government that came to power in 2016, earning the administration of Aung San Suu Kyi the wrath of rights groups for appearing to backpedal on press freedom after decades of stifling military rule in Myanmar.

In an interview with RFA in September, Ye Htut said the NLD believes that criticism of the government and its leaders by the media and civil society organizations (CSOs) damages its power and its chances of winning the next general elections in 2020.

Thats why the current governments relationship with the media and CSOs is getting worse, he said.

Reported by Kyaw Htun Naing for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine -- A court in Russian-controlled Crimea has reduced a pro-Ukrainian activist's five-year prison term by one month.

The regional Supreme Court on October 3 ruled that Volodymyr Balukh must now serve four years and 11 months.

Balukh, who has been on hunger strike since March, refused to take part in the appeal hearing via video link.

The court rejected a motion filed by Balukh's lawyers to allow their client in the courtroom and held the hearing without his presence.

His supporters have dismissed the cases against the activist as politically motivated.

Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014, about a month after the Moscow-friendly Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, fled the country.

Since that time, Russia has moved aggressively to prosecute Ukrainian activists and anyone who questions the annexation.

Balukh was originally arrested in December 2016 and convicted on a weapons-and-explosives possession charge in August 2017.

His conviction, and nearly four-year prison sentence, was reversed on appeal and returned to a lower court, which issued the same verdict and sentence in January.

The new case against Balukh was started in March, after the warden of the penal facility where he is being held sued him, claiming that Balukh attacked him.

In July, a court found Balukh guilty in the second case, and sentenced him to five years in prison.

Balukh was arrested after Russian security agents allegedly found explosives and ammunition in his house.

The search was conducted shortly after Balukh planted a Ukrainian flag in his yard and affixed a sign to his house honoring those killed in Kyiv in 2013 and 2014 during the street protests that ousted the country's pro-Russian president.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said Iran will "slap" the United States by defeating U.S. sanctions targeting the country's economy.

"With the grace of God, we will defeat sanctions. And the defeat of sanctions is the defeat of America," Khamenei said on October 4 in a speech at Tehran's Azadi stadium.

Tensions have been escalating between Iran and the United States following a May decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw Washington from the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

The U.S. administration last month started reimposing sanctions on the Iranian economy that were lifted under the deal in exchange for curbs on Tehran's nuclear program. A second round of penalties targeting Iran's oil exports is due to come into effect in early November.

The U.S. moves sent Iran's economy into a downward spiral with the national currency, the rial, hitting record lows.

In his speech to tens of thousands of members of the paramilitary Basij force and senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Khamenei said the United States "must receive another slap from the people of Iran with the defeat of sanctions."

He acknowledged that the situation of the Iranian people was "sensitive," citing "the economic problems of the nation and the tightness of the livelihood of a large portion of the weak people in the country."

But the supreme leader insisted that "economic sanctions are more fragile than our national economy."

The Iranian leader also renewed his warning against those who are calling for negotiations with the United States, saying that such calls amounted to "treason."

"The enemy wants the nation to conclude that the only solution is to surrender to the United States," Khamenei said.

Tehran has challenged the reinstatement of U.S. sanctions in a case filed in July at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), arguing that it breaches a decades-old friendship treaty between the two countries.

The Hague court agreed with Tehran in a preliminary ruling issued on October 3 and ordered the United States to ease the sanctions it reimposed on Iran earlier this year.

The United States reacted by announcing it was canceling the 1955 Treaty of Amity between Washington and Tehran, saying that the ICJ ruling demonstrated its "absolute absurdity."

The 1955 treaty called for "friendly relations" between Iran and the United States, encouraged mutual trade and investment, regulated diplomatic ties, and granted the ICJ jurisdiction over disputes.

It was signed at a time of close relations between Washington and Tehran, long before the 1979 revolution brought about decades of hostility between the two.

With reporting by Fars, IRNA, and AP
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an opponent of gender equality whose establishment enforces discriminatory laws against women, has marked the one-year anniversary of the global #metoo movement by offering strict Islamic dress as a solution to the problems women face in the West.

The overture comes amid ongoing criticism of punishments in Iran against women who have publicly protested the countrys dress code or lawyers who have defended them, as well as of Irans execution this week of a young woman convicted for the stabbing death of her husband when she was a minor, reportedly after years of domestic abuse.

The disaster of countless sexual assaults on Western women -- including incidents leading to #MeToo campaign  and Islams proposal to resolve it, Khamenei said in a tweet alongside a video montage of women in the West coming forward about their personal experiences of sexual assault and abuse or decrying such violence.

The video also includes segments of a speech Khamenei delivered in March in which he claimed that the Islamic veil prevents sexual harassment and violence toward women.

You might have heard, a few months ago, that a large number of Western female politicians announced one right after another that they had been subjected to abuse, harassment, or violence at times while they were working in government offices, Khamenei says in the video. By introducing the hijab, Islam has shut the door on a path that would pull women towards such deviation. Islam does not allow this through the hijab.

Viral Video: Iranian Woman Seized For Not Wearing Hijab (originally published April 20, 2018)

The video was published along with a sample of Khameneis statements on women and the hijab, which according to the Iranian leader provides women with immunity while increasing their dignity and respect.

The piece, posted on Khamenei.ir, is titled 10 Facts By Ayatollah Khamenei: Can The Hijab Save Western Women? It includes excerpts from the Iranian leaders speeches in the 29 years since becoming Irans second supreme leader after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Irans Judiciary, whose chairman is appointed by Khamenei, executed a 24-year-old woman who Amnesty International said had been a victim of domestic abuse and sexual violence since being married off at the age of 15.

It also follows unprecedented public protests late last year and earlier this year against the compulsory hijab by dozens of women, some of whom were detained and sent to prison.

Iran also jailed leading human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who had defended some of the women who removed their scarves in public to protest the obligatory hijab rule.

Other protests, which appeared rooted in public anger over economic conditions, shook the country earlier this year and rekindled the debate about the Islamic veil that became compulsory following the 1979 revolution.

Over the ensuing four decades, the Iranian establishment has routinely used the threat of corporal punishment or jail to force women to cover their hair and bodies in public. Many women have fought back by pushing the boundaries and wearing small, colorful scarves and short coats.

The Iranian establishment is often accused by rights groups and womens rights advocates of treating women like second-class citizens by enforcing laws that prevent them from traveling without the consent of male relatives and denying them equal rights in property-holding, marriage, divorce, and child custody.

In past weeks, several womens rights advocates have been arrested in Iran on unknown charges.
ALMATY-- Dozens of ethnic Kazakhs originally from China appealed to Germany's chancellor for help in seeking the release of relatives from so-called "reeducation camps" in northwestern China.

The Kazakh repatriates traveled to the German Consulate in Almaty on October 4 to hand over their petition addressed to Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The United Nations human rights officials said in August that an estimated 1 million ethnic Uyghurs were being held in "counterextremism centers" in China and millions more have been forced into reeducation camps.

The UN agency said northwestern Xinjiang Province had been turned into "something that resembles a massive internment camp."

he ethnic Kazakhs told a news conference in Almaty that their relatives had been detained and sent to reeducation camps while traveling back and forth to a region within Xinjiang, which borders Kazakhstan.

They held pictures of family members they say are being detained, claiming that some had been held in reeducation camps for more than two years. In the past, they have called on Kazakh authorities, other governments, and rights groups for help.

In August, a court in Almaty refused to extradite an ethnic-Kazakh Chinese citizen, who was wanted in China for illegal border crossing.

The woman, Sairagul Sauytbay, fled China in April and testified at her trial in Almaty that thousands of ethnic Kazakhs, Uyghurs, and other Muslims in Xinjiang were undergoing "political indoctrination" at a network of "reeducation camps."

She testified that Chinese authorities had forced her to train "political ideology" instructors for reeducation camps.

That, she said, gave her access to secret documents about what she called a Chinese state program to "reeducate" Muslims from Xinjiang's indigenous ethnic communities -- mainly Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and Hui.

Uyghurs are the largest indigenous community in Xinjiang, followed by Kazakhs. Han, China's largest ethnicity, are the second largest community in Xinjiang.

China has broadly denied such allegations, claiming the country has prevented a "great tragedy" in the Xinjiang.

Beijing has said the province faces a serious threat from Islamist militants and separatists who plot attacks and stir up tensions between the Uyghurs and Chinese.

Merkel in the past has pressed China and President Xi Jinping on issues related to human rights in the country.
BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court has ruled that the immunity enjoyed by the country's former presidents is unconstitutional.

The court's Constitutional Chamber issued the ruling on October 3, and ordered the government to initiate amendments to cancel the immunity for ex-presidents from the legislation that regulates presidential activities and responsibilities.

Only two former Kyrgyz leaders currently enjoy the official status of ex-presidents: Roza Otunbaeva, who was interim president in 2010-11, and Almazbek Atambaev, who ran the Central Asian state in 2011-17.

Two other ex-presidents, Askar Akaev and Kurmanbek Bakiev, were stripped of the status when they fled Kyrgyzstan following antigovernment protests in 2005 and 2010, respectively.

Both have been sentenced in absentia to lengthy prison terms on different charges, including corruption and abuse of office.

Atambaev, who left the presidency in November 2017, has been at odds with current President Sooronbai Jeenbekov.

Jeenbekov is an ex-prime minister who was tapped by Atambaev as his favored successor in the October 2017 presidential election.

Two of Atambaev's close allies, former Prime Ministers Sapar Isakov and Jantoro Satybaldiev, who served during his presidency, were arrested in June on corruption charges.

In April, Jeenbekov fired several other Atambaev allies, including Prosecutor-General Indira Joldubaeva and UKMK security service head Abdil Segizbaev, who had been criticized for a crackdown on opposition politicians and independent journalists.

Some politicians and lawmakers have called in recent months for investigation of some of Atambaev's decisions while in office.
NATO says a U.S. military member in Afghanistan has been killed, at least the sixth American fatality this year amid a sharp uptick in fighting by Taliban and other militants.

A statement released by the alliance's Resolute Support mission said the unnamed person was killed on October 4 but did not provide further information, saying the incident was under investigation.

Taliban militants, meanwhile, claimed on October 4 that they had blown up a U.S. armored vehicle in southern Helmand Province, killing the soldiers on board. The claim could not be confirmed and it was not clear if the incidents were related.

At least six U.S. servicemen have been killed in the country in 2018, either during combat or in so-called insider attacks by members of the Afghan forces.

Around 14,000 U.S. troops are currently in the country, where the Western-backed government in Kabul is struggling to fend off offensives by the Taliban and other militants.

While U.S. forces are largely taking the lead in helping Afghan forces battle militants, the NATO mission is aimed at training, advising, and assisting Afghan defense and security forces.

It was established in January 2015 as NATO handed over active combat operations over to the Afghans.

With reporting by AFP
President Vladimir Putin is traveling to India on October 4 for a two-day visit aimed at deepening Russian ties to the fastest-growing economy in the world.

Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were set to review defense cooperation and discuss regional and global issues at an annual bilateral summit in New Delhi on October 5, according to Indias Foreign Ministry.

Putin's top foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, has said that the Russian presidents talks with Modi will focus on "further development of the especially privileged Russian-Indian strategic partnership."

More than 20 agreements were expected to be signed during Putin's visit in areas such as defense, space, and economy, Ushakov said, insisting that the "key feature" of the trip will be the signing of a $5 billion deal to supply India with S-400 air-defense systems.

Moscow has been negotiating to sell the long-range surface-to-air missiles to India for months, and the Pentagon warned New Delhi it would run afoul of U.S. sanctions if it purchases the sophisticated weapon systems.

The U.S. Congress enacted legislation this year allowing the president to waive the sanctions for countries that are developing defense relationships with Washington, but U.S. officials have signaled there was no guarantee India will get an exemption from the sanctions.

Washington and New Delhi have vowed to cooperate more closely on defense matters, but Russia remains India's main arms supplier, followed by the United States.

During Putins visit, the sides were also expected to discuss deals to supply India with four frigates and Ka-226 helicopters, as well as the possible construction of a second Russian-built nuclear power plant in India, reports said.

With reporting by AFP and dpa
Russia expects to export a record amount of natural gas this year, despite U.S. efforts -- including through sanctions threats -- to convince European states to cut their reliance on Russian gas.

Russian business and government officials at an energy conference in Moscow on October 3 said that Russian gas exports could exceed 200 billion cubic meters this year, beating last year's all-time high of 194 billion cubic meters.

Europe continues to be Russia's largest customer for gas, and Russia's Gazprom gas monopoly controls 35 percent of the gas market in Europe, more than any other supplier.

Officials said Russia hopes to increase its share of the European market to 40 percent in coming years, and expects that could happen because European production of gas is declining and countries are looking for other sources to make up the shortfall.

"We have been hearing about the reduction in Russian supplies for many years now," Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak told the conference. "But in spite of this, Europe keeps increasing Russian gas imports."

Novak claimed that some shiploads of liquefied natural gas from Russia have even reached the shores of the United States this year, "despite the fact that the United States is reluctant to see Russian gas."

The United States for years has encouraged European allies to diversify away from Russian gas, contending that it gives Russia too much leverage over their economies.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has been especially critical of Germany's joint project with Gazprom to jointly build a pipeline carrying Russian gas through the Baltic Sea directly to Germany -- bypassing Poland and Ukraine.

Washington has threatened to impose U.S. sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 project, which could expose German and other European companies to penalties for participating in the venture.

Trump, who said in 2017 that the United States should be "energy dominant" around the world, wants it to become a major liquefied gas exporter to Europe as the U.S. industry taps into a shale-gas boom.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 3 attacked the U.S. stance, saying he hoped that European countries won't be "weak" and cave to U.S. pressure on the Nord Stream project.

"Russia always has been and will remain the most reliable supplier," Putin said after talks with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in St. Petersburg, adding that Russian gas supplied via pipelines is significantly cheaper than U.S. liquefied gas.

"Supplies come directly from Yamal in Siberia. There are no transit risks," he said.

Putin claimed it would be "silly and wasteful" if Europe opted for a more expensive option, hurting its consumers and its global competitiveness.

Gazprom Deputy Chief Executive Aleksandr Medvedev echoed Putin's comments, telling the conference that Russia has a significant price advantage over U.S. liquefied imports.

"As the Russian saying goes, they try to scare us, but we are not afraid," he said.

He added that Europe might need as much as 100 billion cubic meters of new gas imports by 2030 because its own production is falling.

Despite U.S. and European sanctions that prohibit Western oil and gas companies from making new investments in Russia, Novak said Russia hoped to double its gas exports worldwide by 2030 to meet soaring global demand for the clean fossil fuel.

That would require Gazprom to build new pipelines to both China and Europe, as well as ramp up its production of liquefied gas, where Russia has been a minor player.

With reporting by AP and Reuters
Riley reportedly kept his left hand in his sweatshirt pocket, leading the teller to believe he may have had a gun, and he left after the teller complied with his order, according to a copy of the complaint. Afterward, an FBI agent watching security camera footage of the robbery noticed that the video footage showed a piece of paper fall from the robbers pocket. The paper was recovered from the scene and was found to be a Illinois Lottery scratch-off ticket.
Russia and Saudi Arabia have struck a deal to raise oil output from September through December to cool rising prices, the Reuters news agency reports.

Sources familiar with the plan were quoted as saying on October 3 that the Russian and Saudi energy ministers reached the agreement during a series of meetings last month.

Benchmark Brent crude rose to $85 a barrel this week -- up 27 percent this year -- as buyers of Iranian crude wound down their purchases to meet the terms of upcoming U.S. sanctions on Tehran.

The United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in May, and last month started reimposing sanctions on the Iranian economy that were lifted under the deal in exchange for curbs on Tehran's nuclear program.

A second round of penalties targeting Iran's oil exports is due to come into effect in early November.

Meanwhile, the U.S. administration has pressured other countries to cut their Iranian crude imports and called on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to boost output to bring down fuel prices.

But at a meeting in Algiers last month, OPEC members and other global producers, including Russia, declined to announce an immediate increase in production, a move opposed by Iran.

The Russian and Saudi energy ministers, Aleksandr Novak and Khalid al-Falih, "agreed to add barrels to the market quietly with a view not to look like they are acting on [U.S. President Donald] Trump's order to pump more," an unidentified source told Reuters.

Another source said Falih told his U.S. counterpart, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, that Saudi Arabia "will raise output if its customers asked for more oil."

Perry was informed of the Saudi-Russia agreement to lift output ahead of the Algiers talks, meeting with Falih three times in September and Novak once, Reuters reported.

Russian output rose 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 11.36 million bpd in September, according to Energy Ministry data.

"I would expect Russia's oil production will hover at around 11.4 million to 11.6 million bpd until the end of 2018 and may increase further to 11.8 million bpd later on in 2019," a source at a major Russian oil company said.

On October 3, President Vladimir Putin said at Moscow's Russian Energy Week that Russia "will be quite satisfied" with oil prices of $65-$75 a barrel.

He also said that his country, which already broke its post-Soviet production record last month, could raise production by up to 300,000 bpd to tackle possible fuel shortages.

Falih told the forum that Saudi production was "below 10 million barrels a day for the first five months of the year; in October we're producing about 10.7 million."

"I anticipate that November will be slightly higher," he also said, adding that state oil company Aramco will discuss November supply volumes with customers next week.

The Saudi minister also said that Russia and Saudi Arabia were pumping an extra 1 million barrels a day of oil since June, and that the United Arab Emirates and Iraq had also pumped more.

Meanwhile, Iran accused Saudi Arabia and Russia of breaking OPEC's agreement on output cuts, and insisted that they could not produce enough oil to make up for a reduction in Iranian exports.

With reporting by Reuters, Bloomberg, and TASS
A Russian space capsule landed safely on the steppes of Kazakhstan, returning to Earth two Americans and a Russian after a six-month mission in orbit.

The Soyuz MS-08 capsule touched down late on October 4, local time, according to the U.S. and Russian space agencies.

Russia's Oleg Artemyev and Americans Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold had spent six months on the International Space Station.

During that time, a mysterious hole was discovered in one part of the station, which led to a brief drop in oxygen levels.

Russian experts are investigating what happened, but Russia's space chief has said it appeared the hole was made deliberately.

A Russian newspaper, citing unnamed officials, cast blame on the American crew, which prompted an unusually blunt, public retort from Feustel.

A final report is expected in November.

A NASA astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut are set to join the station crew next week with a launch next week from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome.
U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser has called Iran "the central banker of international terrorism" as he laid out a wider strategy for countering Tehran in the Middle East.



John Bolton told reporters on October 4 that the U.S. strategy toward Iran would use both military and nonmilitary means to push back on Iranian-backed militants, and their financial backers.

Bolton made the announcement as part of the release of a new U.S. counterterrorism strategy, the first since 2011.

"Radical Islamist terrorist groups represent the preeminent transnational terrorist threat to the United States and to the United States' interests abroad," Bolton said according to a White House transcript.

Iran, he said, had been "the worlds central banker of international terrorism since 1979."

Since taking office, Trump has taken an aggressive approach toward Iran, including pulling out of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

Next month, the Trump administration plans to impose new sanctions on Iran's oil sector on with the aim of stopping Tehran's involvement in conflicts in Syria and Iraq and forcing new negotiations of its ballistic missile program.

Earlier October 4, the top U.S. general overseeing U.S. operations in the Middle East said Washington was not seeking war with Iran.

"I don't think we're seeking to go to war with Iran, and I don't think that's what we're focused on," General Joseph Votel told Pentagon reporters.

With reporting by Reuters
WASHINGTON -- The United States has charged seven Russian military intelligence officers for what officials said was their role in a hacking conspiracy targeting anti-doping agencies and the international chemical weapons watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition for Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The indictments, announced in Washington on October 4, came just hours after the Netherlands said it had expelled four Russian officers in April as part of a similar plot.

U.S. prosecutors said the Russians targeted the athletes and anti-doping agencies after global watchdogs highlighted the role of the Russian government in a wide-ranging doping plot that took place largely during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Prosecutors said the Russians also targeted a Pennsylvania-based nuclear energy company and the international organization that was investigating chemical weapons in Syria.

That organization was involved in investigating the March poisoning of former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in England.
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate has adopted a resolution recognizing that Soviet dictator Josef Stalin committed genocide against the Ukrainian people in the early 1930s, when millions died in a horrific famine known as the Holodomor.



The "simple resolution" passed on October 3 commemorates the 85th anniversary of the famine of 1932-33, saying the event should serve as a reminder of repressive Soviet policies against the people of Ukraine.



The Senate "recognizes the findings of the Commission on the Ukraine Famine as submitted to Congress on April 22, 1988, including that...'Stalin and those around him committed genocide against the Ukrainians in 19321933,'" it said.

Millions of people died in the famine, which many Ukrainians consider to have been caused by Soviet central planners as an act of genocide, aimed at wiping out Ukrainian farmers.

In the U.S. Congress, simple resolutions are nonbinding, passed by only one chamber of Congress, and don't become law. Typically, they are used by lawmakers to usually back a pet project or endeavor, or a potentially political controversial issue without forcing a more public vote.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Washington described the resolution as the "first-ever legal act" of Congress recognizing the tragedy as a genocide, a highly charged term that is likely to anger Moscow.

Russian historians, and others, have stopped short of saying the famine was engineered to kill Ukrainians, noting that many other ethnic groups also suffered.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko hailed the resolution, writing on Facebook on October 4 that it was "another significant result of strengthening Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership.

"We hope that the rest of the world, including the EU, and international organizations, including the United Nations, will do the same," he added.

The office of Republican Senator Rob Portman, who sponsored the bill, did not immediately get back to RFE/RL for comment. Asked for comment, the State Department referred to a 2017 statement that described the Holodomor as "one of the most atrocious acts of the 20th century.

Congress and individual states often pass resolutions that do not necessarily reflect overall U.S. policy.

The U.S. government has not recognized the Ukrainian famine as a "genocide," instead labeling it as a "criminal act of the Stalinist regime" against the people of Ukraine. The EU terms it an "appalling crime."

The Holodomor famine took place in 1932 and 1933 as Soviet authorities forced peasants in Ukraine to join collective farms by requisitioning their grain and other agricultural production.

Historians say the seizure of the 1932 crop by Soviet authorities was the main cause of the famine.

Along with Ukraine, at least 15 other countries have officially recognized Holodomor as "genocide."

Ukraine commemorates the event every November 28.

U.S. lawmakers have introduced similar resolutions in the past on politically charged historical events, like the massacre of Armenians in Turkey during World War I. Most historians and a growing number of countries consider the killings to constitute genocide.

But the measures have never passed a full vote in either the Senate or the House.

The White House, under pressure from Turkey, has stopped short of using the word "genocide" to describe the Ottoman-era massacre.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
Ukrainian anticorruption investigators have launched a probe into alleged illegal enrichment by a top intelligence official whose family reportedly owns three villas worth millions of dollars.

National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Director Artem Sytnyk told journalists in Kyiv on October 3 that the agency opened a case against Serhiy Semochko, a deputy head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, after an investigative report aired on television that sparked public outrage.

The TV program Our Money ran a story saying that Semochko's family owns high-priced homes near Kyiv and lives a luxurious lifestyle, and that some of his relatives have dual Russian and Ukrainian citizenship.

Illegal enrichment charges can draw up to 10 years in jail.

Semochko has held top positions in the Foreign Intelligence Service since 2015, following his transfer to Kyiv from Crimea after Russia annexed the peninsula in 2014.

The TV program said his common-law wife, Tetyana Lysenko, and her daughter, Anastasia, own three villas near Kyiv, which have a total value of $8 million. The family leads a luxurious lifestyle and often uses a private helicopter, it said.

The TV reporters said they found evidence in Russian tax records and public registries that eight of Semochko's relatives have Russian citizenship.

Neither Ukraine's president, who appointed Semochko, nor the Foreign Intelligence Service itself has commented on the report.

"This is a deadly danger to hundreds of true intelligence officers and a threat to all of us," Ukrainian legislator Yegor Sobolev wrote on Facebook after the report was published on the Internet on October 1.

Western powers have urged Ukraine to tackle widespread problems with corruption and have made that a condition of granting loans to Kyiv. Ukraine was ranked 130th out of 180 countries on Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index in 2017.

Based on reporting by AFP and Interfax
Mara Lezama proposes to change municipality name from Benito Juarez to Cancun

Cancun, Q.R.  One of the first items on the agenda of the new mayor of Benito Juarez was a name change for the municipality.

The new mayor of Cancun, Mara Lezama, wants to change the name of the municipality from Benito Juarez to Cancun. Despite rejections from city council, she says the name change should be carried out.

We will have to make a consultation to the citizenship. We have talked a lot. We have to add all the voices. We are going to put together a group so that we can do it in the best way, which I think is an extraordinary option and in the end, that the citizens decide, she said.

Lezama says the name change could also be Cancun de Benito Juarez, Cancun de Juarez, however, after her initial proposal, numerous federal deputies of Quintana Roo made their rejections clear through social media.

Several council memeber from the National Regeneration Movement said changing the name is a lack of respect with Lezama saying the name Benito Juarez does not represent the destination before tourism, adding that it is contrary to Cancun as a brand.

I will present an initiative that allows all citizens to take advantage of the value that has accumulated the great brand Cancun that is known throughout the world that all of us have coined, and for that I will propose to change our municipality name to be called as they know it, Cancun, she said.

She noted that The name Benito Juarez refers to one of the most illustrious Mexicans in history, but there are many municipalities and cities in the country that carry the name long before us.

Luis Alegre Salazar explained that the identity of the municipality and the history of Mexico must be respected.

As federal deputy of Morena of the state of QuintanaRoo, my position on this issue is to respect the identity and history of our country. As Benito Juarez said, respect for the rights of others is peace, posted Luis Alegre Salazar on social medial.
Life Act, a Rotherham performing company of adults with learning and physical difficulties, putting on a short play.

INSPIRATIONAL speakers, poets and performers motivated school children to recognise the harms of hate at a special event.

The event, which was organised by Rotherham Borough Council, took place in front of around 600 pupils from across Rotherhams secondary schools at Magna.

It featured survivors of hate recounting their personal stories and lived experiences of coming through hate, extremism and terror.

They spoke to the young people about their experiences, in a bid to get them to challenge hatred when they see it and to work together and be united in the fight against hate.

Cllr Emma Hoddinott, the councils cabinet member for community safety and chair of the Safer Rotherham Partnership, said: We are fronting this event in order to send a clear message about challenging hatred.

We want this event to empower and support young people in Rotherham to think about some of the issues in society today.

We want the next generation to lead the way in standing up against hatred and to help each other.

This is especially important here in Rotherham in terms of the legacy of the child sexual exploitation scandal and the hate issues which arose as a result.

Only by challenging bigotry will things change for the better. Educating young people to be at the forefront of this change will ensure Rotherham becomes a better place for everyone.

The councils aim was for the audience to be inspired by the stories and go away with a sense of hope that things can change if positive action is taken.

This work builds on the work of the councils community cohesion strategy, working with partners to support residents and groups across the town.

Those speaking included Ahmad Nawaz, who experienced unbelievable tragedy when members of the Taliban stormed his school in Peshawar in December 2014 when he was just 14 years old.

Speakers at the event (left to right) are: Ray Hearne, MC for the event; Figen Murray, Sile Sibanda, Dr Nasser Kurdy, Ahmad Nawaz, James Greogory and Carol Robson. 184352-1

Cllr Sarah Allen, the councils cabinet member for cleaner, greener communities and cohesion, added: It is vital that our young people hear these powerful stories first hand to help build a community ethos and resilience around any forms of hate in the town.

By inviting powerful speakers like Ahmad we hope to demonstrate that the council is firmly standing up against hate and taking a lead in showing that through courage and determination we can increase the resilience of Rotherham young people to make positive decisions about their futures.

Ahmad was just 14 years old at the time of the attack and instead of battling against the perpetrators, chose to fight back by campaigning to motivate young people to think critically about the importance of rejecting hateful thoughts and channel energies into creating a peaceful prosperous society.

This is exactly the message that the council is keen to promote to ensure that every child is making the best start in life, and every adult is secure, responsible and empowered.

The event was funded by the Home Office and will be used to create an educational video to be shared across all schools in the borough.



Music was provided by Rawmarsh Community School Band and finished the event with Oasis track 'Don't Look Back In Anger.
Florence County Sheriffs deputies were executing a search warrant when a man opened fire. A gunman had been holding children hostage and was involved in a two-hour stand-off. Shortly before 6 p.m., he surrendered to police. The suspect is in custody. He has not been identified and the motive is unclear. The way the suspect was positioned, his view of fire was several hundred yards. So, he had an advantage. The officer who died was a 30-year veteran of the Florence Police Department.



Officer Terrence Carraway was killed

Thom Berry, spokesman for the State Law Enforcement Division, said the agency had sent crime scene technicians to assist officials in Florence. Further details were not immediately available. President Trump tweeted that his thoughts and prayers are with the Florence County Sheriffs Office and the Florence Police Department tonight. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster called the shootings simply devastating news. Authorities said the shooting in Florence, roughly 80 miles east of Columbia, occurred in Vintage Place, an upscale neighborhood in the western part of the city. This is the second shooting of multiple police officers in South Carolina this year.
After the officers ordered the suspect the passenger to raise their hands, the driver drove the Cadillac towards the officers, who were standing in between his squad and a row of parked cars, authorities said. One of the officers fired several shots at the driver and the Cadillac ran into vehicles parked at the complex as well as the officer's car.
Decor: The outside of our restaurant doesnt look like much and hopefully in the future were going to change that. When you step inside, its a different vibe. From the flowers to the mood, its going to bring you to enjoy a night out or a business lunch. We take care of every little detail, said Huynh about Q Restaurant, which seats approximately 120 indoors and 20 outside when weather permits.
Elementary-school students who participated in a comprehensive support intervention in the Boston public school district had about half the odds of dropping out of high school as students not in the intervention, according to a new study published online today in AERA Open, a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Educational Research Association.

The 894 students who participated in the intervention from kindergarten through fifth grade had a 9.2 percent dropout rate in high school, compared to 16.6 percent for the 10,200 non-intervention students. For their study, a team of Boston College researchers examined the impact of City Connects, a schoolwide systemic student support program that is based at the college.

Developed through a collaboration between the college, Boston Public Schools, and community agencies, City Connects is designed to make student support operations, which address students' academic and nonacademic barriers to learning, more comprehensive and efficient.

The students in the study entered kindergarten in 2000-01 through 2004-05 and were followed through 2013-14. Six of the district's approximately 125 elementary schools participated in City Connects during this period. These students were compared to students who were enrolled in the school district during the same time as the City Connects students but never attended an intervention school.

The school district recommended schools for participation in the program based in part on where it felt the intervention was most needed. The researchers note that the six participating schools had significantly lower academic achievement than the comparison schools before program implementation.

"Our findings suggest that individually tailored and coordinated student support interventions during elementary school can lead to lasting and meaningful effects," said study coauthor Mary E. Walsh, Kearns Professor of Urban Education and Innovative Leadership at Boston College, who also serves as executive director of City Connects.

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"There are many pathways to school dropout. A comprehensive intervention in elementary school that addresses a wide range of out-of-school factors can disrupt those pathways, supporting strengths and building resilience," Walsh said.

"Despite the promise of this type of comprehensive approach to intervention, efforts targeting dropout often are highly focused, directing attention to one or two specific needs -- usually academic and behavioral -- instead of to a wide range of both strengths and needs," said Walsh. "In addition, such efforts tend to be aimed solely at high school students, and therefore, in some cases, may come too late."

According to the researchers, students fail to complete high school for complex reasons that often develop long before they reach high school. Their process of academic disengagement is influenced by a mix of in- and out-of-school factors, including academic, socio-emotional, family-related, and societal.

Prior research finds that many factors affect dropout -- for example, poor academic performance in elementary, middle, and high school; a low sense of belonging in school; negative classroom behavior; and little involvement in extracurricular activities. Graduation rates are also significantly lower for black and Hispanic youth, for male students, and for students from low-income families, single-parent households, and families where parents had low educational achievement.

Across all Boston public schools serving students in kindergarten through fifth grade during the time of the study, more than 90 percent of the students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch and approximately 90 percent were minority students, the researchers report.

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In each participating school, a full-time coordinator, who is a master's degree-level licensed school counselor or social worker, meets with every classroom teacher and other school staff to review every student, every year. The coordinator and staff discuss each child's strengths and needs in academics, social/emotional/behavioral development, health, and family support. Since not every factor that may influence dropout presents itself as a "red flag," this approach allows the less obvious factors to be identified and addressed early.

"Some students are quiet dropouts, meaning they may not be identified as being at-risk in usual school settings," said Walsh.

With a secure, proprietary database, each student in the intervention is linked to a tailored set of services and enrichment opportunities in the school or community that address their unique strengths and needs, with the school coordinator following up throughout the year. The database provides reminders, prompts, and automated reports that are designed to make the coordinator's work more efficient and allow reporting to principals and others in the school.

"Dropping out of high school has serious individual and social consequences, including hurting employment possibilities, lifetime earnings, and physical health," said Walsh. "During the period we looked at, we estimate that the program led to approximately 375 fewer dropouts over the course of high school."

"Given that each new high school graduate has been estimated to yield societal benefits of $260,300 over a dropout, staying in high school rather than dropping out is highly meaningful, with an estimated $97.6 million return to society from the groups examined in this study," Walsh said.

Over the past 20 years, City Connects has been implemented in over 100 elementary and K-8 schools across Boston, Springfield, and Salem, Mass.; New York City, N.Y.; Dayton and Springfield, Ohio; Hartford, Conn.; Minneapolis, Minn.; and Indianapolis, Ind. City Connects is supported through a range of funding sources, including public school districts, state funding, and numerous foundations.
Japanese scientists have shed light on the evolutionary biology and distribution of Stenopsyche caddisflies, also known as sedge flies, a common insect in Japanese rivers and a local delicacy. The new discovery also identified new genetic lineages among previously recognized species.

Their findings were published online in Freshwater Science on July 18th.

Caddisflies are a group of insects that have an aquatic larval stage, while the adults are terrestrial, winged, moth-like insects. Fossilized caddisfly larvae have been found in rocks dating back to the Triassic period, over 250 million years ago, when it is believed the group evolved into one with fully aquatic larvae. Currently, approximately 14,500 caddisfly species from 45 different families have been described worldwide, but many species are still to be recognized.

For their study, the researchers used a molecular approach, analyzing genetic DNA samples collected from the larvae of 21 species of caddisfly from the Stenopsyche genus.

"Stenopsyche caddisflies are the most commonly observed aquatic insect group in Japanese rivers and streams," explains co-author, Koji Tojo, a scientist from Shinshu University in Nagano, Japan, whose research interests include evolutionary biology and biodiversity. "These caddisflies are popular as a traditional local food, known as 'Zazamushi'. Thus, it is also an important species group in terms of the 'Ecosystem Services' they offer."

According to Tojo, 'Zazamushi' is not only a popular local dish, but is also drawing attention from foreign media. It has recently been introduced in countries such as France, where the demand for insect-based food is booming due to the health and beauty benefits it offers.

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In addition to the attention this group of insects is drawing as a protein-packed culinary delight -typically cooked with soya sauce and sugar -- the researchers are also interested in learning more about the evolutionary biology and geographical distribution of these critters, which will in turn shed more light on the history of Earth.

Even though Stenopysche caddisflies are considered a common species that are not endangered, Tojo and his team believe that it is very important for the understanding of biodiversity to examine the phylogenetic evolutionary background in detail.

According to Tojo, the results of the study suggest that these caddisflies originated in the south of Asia, and furthermore originated from the Gondwana continent, before dispersing on a global scale over a much longer geohistorical timeframe. "I think that this subject is important as we (humans) explore our roots," says Tojo.

All organisms without exception, even those living close to us, each have a very long history, Tojo explains. "And their histories are engraved within their cells as their genome information. Knowing the history of that organism leads to a better understanding of that organism. As a result, we will deepen our interests and understanding of biodiversity," says Tojo, adding that ultimately this will lead to a deeper understanding of the evolution of human diversity too.

Tojo's ultimate goal is to shed more light on the thought provoking question: 'How are the evolution of organisms and the history of Earth related?'

To date, Tojo and his team's research interests have focused largely on the evolutional history of the Japanese insect fauna in relation to the geological history of the Japanese Archipelago, but he is hoping to expand this to the continental scale. "In addition, we would like to deepen the discussion on the mechanisms of species differentiation and creation of diversity in organisms," says Tojo.

Molecular genetic studies such as this not only provide a wonderful tool for examining the evolutionary history and relationships between individual organisms, populations and even different species, but can also help identify new species that have not been recognized yet, and ultimately help us gain a better understanding of how our planet has evolved.
Agpawa supporters showed their faith in him Wednesday night, when he took the oath of office for the second time in eight days. It is unclear why there were two such ceremonies. Many wore white T-shirts with red letters bearing his name and the phrase, Markham votes matter. Several people publicly voiced their support.
The first-ever detection of highly energetic radiation from a microquasar has astrophysicists scrambling for new theories to explain the extreme particle acceleration. A microquasar is a black hole that gobbles up debris from a nearby companion star and blasts out powerful jets of material.

"What's amazing about this discovery is that all current particle acceleration theories have difficulties explaining the observations," said Hui Li, a theorist in Los Alamos National Laboratory's Theoretical Division who served on the team. "This surely calls for new ideas on particle acceleration in microquasars and black hole systems in general."

The team's observations, described in the Oct. 4 issue of the journal Nature, strongly suggest that particle collisions at the ends of the microquasar's jets produced the powerful gamma rays. Scientists think that studying messages from this microquasar, dubbed SS 433, may offer a glimpse into more extreme events happening at the centers of distant galaxies.

The team gathered data from the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov Gamma-Ray Observatory (HAWC), which is a mountain-top detector in Mexico that observes gamma ray emission from supernova remnants, rotating dense stars called pulsars, and quasars. Los Alamos, funded by Department of Energy Office of High-Energy Physics, helped build HAWC, which was completed in 2015.

Now, the team has studied one of the most well-known microquasars, which is about 15,000 light years away.

Quasars are massive black holes that suck in material from the centers of galaxies, rather than feeding on a single star. They actively emit radiation visible across the universe. But most are so far away that the majority of the detected quasars must have their jets aimed at Earth, making them easier to spot, like looking directly into a flashlight. In contrast, SS 433's jets are oriented away from Earth, which makes them more difficult to observe. However, HAWC was able to detect similarly energetic light when viewed from the side, allowing the full length of the jet to be visible."

"The new findings improve our understanding of particle acceleration in jets of microquasars, which also sheds light on jet physics in much larger and more powerful extragalactic jets in quasars," said Hao Zhao, of Los Alamos National Laboratory's Physics Division.

HAWC, located roughly 13,500 feet above sea level near the Sierra Negra volcano in Mexico, catches the fast-moving rain of particles with a detector composed of more than 300 tanks of water, each about 24 feet in diameter. When the particles strike the water, they produce a shock wave of blue light, called Cherenkov radiation. Cameras in the tanks detect this light, allowing scientists to compile the origin story of the gamma rays.

The HAWC collaboration examined data taken from more than 1,017 days of observation and saw evidence that gamma rays were coming from the ends of the microquasar's jets, rather than the central part of the star system. Based on their analysis, the researchers concluded that electrons in the jets attain energies that are about 1,000 times higher than can be achieved using earth-bound particle accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider. The jet electrons collide with the low-energy microwave background radiation that permeates space, resulting in gamma ray emission. This is a newly observed mechanism for getting high-energy gamma rays out of this kind of system and is different from what scientists have observed when the jets are aimed at earth.

Until now, instruments have not seen such detailed information about SS 433 because, according to the existing sky maps, this microquasar is tucked up into a bright supernova remnant that also emits gamma rays. But HAWC's wide field of view and long baseline looks at the whole sky every night. This feature enabled the detector, analogous to a camera with a long exposure and wide-angle lens, to resolve the microquasar's distinct features, even though it is obscured by the surroundings.
In 2009, BEF-China began as a unique forest biodiversity experiment in collaboration between institutions in China, Germany and Switzerland. The large-scale project investigated the importance of tree species richness for the good functioning of forest ecosystems. Stands of trees comprising different numbers of species were planted -- from monocultures to highly species-rich plots with 16 different tree species on an area of 670 square meter.

After eight years, such species-rich forest plots stored an average of 32 tons of carbon per hectare in aboveground biomass. By contrast, monocultures averaged only 12 tons of carbon per hectare -- less than half as much. During photosynthesis, the plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert the carbon to biomass. When a forest stores more carbon, this helps reduce greenhouse gases and at the same time also indicates high forest productivity.

Biodiverse forests are more productive

The fact that biodiversity increases productivity had previously been demonstrated through experiments in grassland ecosystems in Europe and the USA. By contrast, since it was assumed that all tree species occupy similar ecological niches, a minimal effect of biodiversity was conjectured for forests. Evidently, however, this assumption was wrong. "In the forest biodiversity experiment, biomass increased just as quickly with species richness as it did in the meadow ecosystems. As a result, even after just four years, there were clear differences between the monocultures and the species-rich forests," explains Prof. Helge Bruelheide of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, co-director of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), which together with the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Adacemy of Sciences oversaw the field experiments. These differences grew continuously over further four years.

"These findings have great ecological and economic significance," says Prof. Bernhard Schmid of the University of Zurich, senior author in the more than 60-strong writing team of the current publication in Science. A previous study already found a positive correlation between biodiversity and carbon storage. However, it was based on simple comparison of natural plots varying in species richness. "Therefore, it was impossible to conclude that higher biodiversity was the cause of the higher productivity. But now we have reached the same conclusion with an experiment under controlled conditions: a forest with a large number of tree species is more productive than a monoculture," adds Prof. Dr. Keping Ma of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and co-manager of the project.

Higher productivity, better climate protection

Worldwide, there are plans for major reforestation programs with the aim of protecting the climate through the planting of new forests. In China alone, between 2010 and 2015, 1.5 million hectares of new forest were planted each year, although mainly with fast-growing monocultures. "Our new study shows that forests are not all the same when it comes to climate protection: monocultures achieve not even half of the desired ecosystem service. The full level of carbon sequestration and thus mitigation of global warming can only be achieved with a mix of species. In addition, species-rich forests also contribute towards protecting the world's threatened biodiversity," ex-plains Bernhard Schmid. "Unfortunately, there's still a widespread misconception that productivity and biodiversity are mutually exclusive, but the opposite is true." Species-rich forests are also less vulnerable when it comes to diseases or extreme weather events, which are becoming increasingly frequent as a result of climate change.

If the effects observed in the experiment are extrapolated to the world's existing forests, it can be concluded that a 10% decline in tree species would lead to production losses of 20 billion US dollars, worldwide, per year. This result shows that, according to the researchers, reforestation with a mix of different species also pays off economically.
In the 1830s and 1840s, American craniologist Samuel Morton collected and measured hundreds of human skulls in what he described as an attempt to compare the brain size of five human racial groups. At nearly the same time, across the world, German anatomist Friedrich Tiedemann was conducting similar research.

The scientists produced nearly equivalent results, but what they inferred from those findings differed drastically: Tiedemann used his to fight for equality and the abolition of slavery, and against the idea that different races were created separately. Morton's research was used to maintain the status quo in the United States, which, at that time, meant racial division, hierarchy, and slavery.

Though the work happened almost 180 years ago, it still elicits debate, particularly over the concept of scientific racism and bias. A paper published in PLOS Biology from University of Pennsylvania doctoral candidate Paul Wolff Mitchell adds to the conversation, through analysis of never-before analyzed, handwritten cranial measurements he unearthed in Morton's archives.

Mitchell determined that while Morton's data-collection methods produced accurate numbers and were likely not intentionally biased, the scientist's conclusions -- that Caucasians had the largest skull size and therefore, the highest intelligence and that Africans had the smallest skull size and lowest intelligence -- blatantly were. They also point to the importance of scientific interpretation.

"Morton and Tiedemann both thought the bigger and more complex the brain, the more superior the individual or species," Mitchell says. It was a belief held by many scientists at the time, although one that modern science has disproven. "Beyond that, more than just the data were informing their scientific positions," he adds. "Political and ethical considerations were, too."

"It's a complex story," Mitchell says, one that requires walking through Morton's process and what followed to fully grasp its intricacy.

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Morton's scientific path

Morton, a native Philadelphian, physician, and naturalist, recognized as the first physical anthropologist, began collecting human skulls in the early 1800s. Though he didn't travel much himself, his role as president of the Academy of Natural Sciences afforded him the opportunity to correspond with scientists around the world to secure samples.

He aimed to gather sufficient numbers from each of the five racial groups he recognized: Ethiopian (or African), Native American, Caucasian, Malay, and Mongolian. In total, he amassed around 900 skulls, the largest academic collection at the time, and one that remained so for half a century after his death. Today, the Morton Collection is stored and curated in the Physical Anthropology Section of the Penn Museum.

Initially, Morton measured the size of 256 skulls by pouring white pepper seed into each cavity, then gauging in cubic inches the volume of seed needed to fill a sample. From that work, he published Crania America in 1839, which reported statistics from every Native American skull and averages for the other groups. The next year, he published the first of three skull catalogues, and then a book called Crania Aegpytiaca and the second catalogue came in 1844.

In trying to replicate his seed measurements, Morton had difficulty so he switched to lead shot and went through the measurement process again, now with 672 skulls. "He came to basically the same conclusion as before," Mitchell explains, "with Caucasians having the biggest brain size and Africans the smallest." In 1849, Morton published a third and final catalogue with cranial data based on the lead-shot measurements of every individual skull.

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He died just two years later, at the time considered a preeminent expert in his field. Until, that is, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species and the United States fought the Civil War.

Seeing something new

For more than a century following those two events, Morton's science fell into obscurity, his methods modernized and surpassed, his theories debunked. Then in 1978, American scientist Stephen Jay Gould wrote several texts about scientific racism, the idea that scientific findings might justify continued discrimination and intolerance. He used Morton's skull studies as a prime example.

"Gould notices that the average for the Africans between the seed measurements and shot measurements increases a lot, but the average for the measurements of the Caucasians only increases a little, about the same amount that the measures for the Native Americans do," Mitchell says. "This leads Gould to conclude that Morton was unconsciously underestimating brain size for the Africans."

Because of the seeds' compressible nature, Gould suggested skulls could be inadvertently overstuffed or lightly packed, producing inaccurate numbers. Morton had unconsciously done so, Gould surmised, packing seeds into Caucasian skulls and only lightly filling African skulls, leading to systematic underestimations of African cranial capacity.

Unbeknownst to Gould, however, he didn't have all the facts, namely the full seed data Morton never published -- data that Mitchell rediscovered in the scientist's archives at the Academy of Natural Sciences.

"I was looking through Morton's old catalogue of skulls. He had printed three copies throughout his life to advertise to other scientists and collectors what he had in his collection," says Mitchell. "He also kept personal copies, which he signed and dated. The first copy was from 1840."

That first edition didn't include printed brain size like the latter two did, but in Morton's personal copy, Mitchell noticed handwritten measurements accompanying many entries, some scratched out and rewritten. He also realized that the brain measurements from the 1840 and 1849 catalogues differed, leading him to conclude that those jotted down represented previously unseen seed measurements.

Having worked with the Morton skulls since 2010, under the tutelage of Janet Monge, curator in charge of the Penn Museum's Physical Anthropology section and a Penn adjunct professor of anthropology, Mitchell had an intimate relationship with the collection. "I know those skulls well," he says. "When I looked at what Morton had written down, I said, 'Something's not right here. That's not the measurement he gives later.' It was due to a great deal of familiarity with the skulls that I could see something new in these documents."

What does it all mean?

For Mitchell, viewing the entries for the original seed measurements rather than the averages for four out of the five of Morton's racial classifications shifts the conversation about these skulls. Mitchell's analysis confirmed that Morton's measurements were accurate; the seed and shot measurement averages differed because of different overall sample sizes.

But, he points out, that finding almost doesn't matter.

"Just because Morton's data were not biased doesn't mean his science wasn't," Mitchell says. "He can measure skulls very accurately but also be a biased scientist." Simply look at Tiedemann, he says. "The German scientist basically does the same thing Morton does but comes to a dramatically different conclusion."

Through his work, Tiedemann noticed a range of skull sizes among all humans. Morton, on the other hand, focused on brain-size averages of different races. Although Morton's numbers overlap across races, and although taking the averages of Tiedemann's data -- which he himself never did -- reveal an almost perfect match to Morton's, the interpretive differences of the two scientists supported their divergent conclusions.

With respect to today's science, the biggest fault in Morton's research may lie in that he didn't collect data on body size, Mitchell says. Brain size correlates to body size, and brain and body size are well known adaptions to the climate in which people live. That means from an evolutionary perspective, there's no reason to suppose a link between cranial size and intelligence.

"If you just collect heads from all over the globe and you don't take body size into account, there is no meaningful way to compare your data," Mitchell says. "People with bigger bodies have bigger brains."

The other issue with Morton's research, he notes, is that the racial categories he supposes have no biological basis. Which all leads Mitchell to question what, in the end, Morton's data can really teach.

"When dealing with moral and political questions, interpretation is a key part of how the science gets done," Mitchell concludes. "That will always have an element of bias. The only way to get around it is to have the open presentation of data, scrutiny of scientific work, and a diverse community of people working on and thinking about these issues."

Paul Wolff Mitchell is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Anthropology in the School of Arts and Sciences. He also earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.

Janet Monge is curator in charge of the Penn Museum's Physical Anthropology section and an adjunct professor in the Department of Anthropology in the School of Arts and Sciences.
The business will use automated wine dispensing machines that customers will use to pour a pre-measured amount of wine into a glass, he said. Such systems sometimes provide customers with a card, pre-loaded with a certain dollar amount, that the customer inserts into a dispenser and selects how much wine they want.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 4)  The Philippine National Police chief on Thursday criticized students of state universities who are involved protests against the government.

"In state universities, you are given free education by the government. And yet, hindi ka pa naka-graduate, you are already going against the same government that gives you free education," Director General Oscar Albayalde said in a media briefing.

"'Yung mga nag-aaral sa mga state universities, these are considered the cream of the crop. They should be the hope of the land," he added.

The typically calm Albayalde was emphatic when he said teachers should educate students, not only on lessons, but also on what is good for the country.

A military official earlier said the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is recruiting members in 18 Manila-based universities through screenings of martial law films.

"We are trying to save generations and yet ganun ang tinuturo sa estudyante. Huwag po sana nating lasunin ang isipan ng mga kabataan. Ang mga teachers, we are considered the second parents of our children. So let's teach them and educate them what is right and what is good for the nation  not only for your school," Albayalde said.

Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., the military's assistant deputy chief of staff for operations, named the schools "notorious for school activism" and projecting President Rodrigo Duterte as an authoritarian like former President Ferdinand Marcos. He also said these schools are gearing up for "Red October," a supposed plot to oust Duterte.

He cited the following institutions: Adamson University, Ateneo de Manila, Caloocan City College, Earist-Eulogio Amang Rodriguez, Emilio Aguinaldo College, De La Salle University, Far Eastern University, Lyceum College, Philippine Normal University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, San Beda College, University of the East (Recto and Caloocan), University of Makati, University of Manila, University of the Philippines (Manila and Diliman), and the University of Santo Tomas.

Related: AFP official: CPP recruits in Manila schools through martial law film screenings

The military on Thursday said some of the mentioned schools are "widely known to have been used as fora for communist recruitment," while some universities included in the list are subject to continuing verification.

UP Chancellor Michael Tan, said the red-tagging of the government is a form of harassment against the state university.

"The military is basically attacking us. Naghahanap sila ng mga scapegoat. Hindi kami papayag maging witch hunt, 'yung hahanapin sino ang nag-iincite ng estudyante. Kasi lahat ng tinuturo natin sa unibersidad ay tungkol sa good manners and right conduct," he told CNN Philippines.

Albayalde said they are reaching out to the heads of the universities to have a "direct intervention."

Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said there is no order to curtail academic freedom following the plan to coordinate with the universities.

"We have no doubt that none of the schools are openly supportive of such initiatives (Red October). There was no order to curtail economic freedom. There was no order to curtail freedom of expression," he said in a media briefing.
Whats really been a wonderful challenge as a director, is this show is usually done on a full stage with a really detailed home in place and a lot of props, so having the script now and performing it in the round has been a wonderful challenge, Holm said. We have simplified the set to a minimum and the props to a minimum a huge amount of the focus is going to be on these two actors and them telling the story. Thats been really wonderful to go through for the process.
The name of this weekends event is a nod to the League of Geekz podcast Kunica, who works in the insurance industry, hosts and which is geared toward adult collectors. Kunica said his own library numbers around 10,000 comic books and other items and takes up an entire office in his home.
On September 27, 2018, a federal district court in Connecticut ordered a Greenwich, Connecticut investment professional charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission with fraudulently diverting tens of millions of dollars from the venture capital funds he advised, to pay over $64 million.

The final judgment ordered Iftikar Ahmed to pay $41.9 million in disgorgement, $1.5 million in interest, and a $21 million civil penalty, and turn over interest and returns on frozen assets. The SEC had previously obtained a court-ordered asset freeze and preliminary injunction restraining Ahmed's assets as well as those of his wife, who was named by the SEC as a relief defendant. In doing so, the court found that the "assets belong to Mr. Ahmed and were placed in the names of Relief Defendants as nominees only, in an effort to protect and hide the fraudulently obtained assets." The judgment also prohibits Ahmed from violating the anti-fraud provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Investment Advisers Act.

The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.
The ad reads, "His twenty-first birthday. The threshold of young manhood. To mother, the occasion calls for something more than short-lived recognition  the celebration of a day. It calls for a commemoration of her affection that shall live with him throughout his life. Her birthday gift must say, not merely 'I love you,' but, 'I love you forever and aye!'"
Dozens of downtown San Francisco high-rises should be inspected for previously undetected damage they might have sustained during the Loma Prieta earthquake nearly 30 years ago. Thats the conclusion of an unprecedented report on the citys tallest buildings to be released Thursday.

Beyond their height, the buildings singled out for scrutiny share troubling traits that could leave them especially vulnerable in a major quake.

Between 50 and 65 San Francisco high-rises used specific types of steel welds that were later found to fracture during the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles. That weakness was unknown when San Francisco buildings were inspected after Loma Prieta.

The report, compiled by experts hired by the city and called the Tall Buildings Safety Strategy, presents a detailed inventory of the citys tallest towers and could have a major impact on how the city thinks about making the giants of the skyline more resilient to a major earthquake.

In the midst of a development boom, one seeing increasing numbers of people living in high-rises, its become increasingly important to understand how the citys tallest structures will behave when earthquakes strike and how officials can organize their recovery efforts.

One thing the city tries to do very well is to be as seismically sound as we can be, said Supervisor Aaron Peskin, whose district includes a large number of high-rises. The city has, for example, embarked on a mandatory retrofit program for certain buildings seen as susceptible to quake damage and initiatives to get unreinforced masonry buildings shored up.

To be ignoring this stock of highly concentrated office and increasingly residential developing in our downtown is folly, Peskin said.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that theres a 72 percent chance of a 6.7 magnitude or greater quake hitting San Francisco before 2043. Loma Prieta was a magnitude 6.9; Northridge was a magnitude 6.7.

According to the report, inspections that took place in San Francisco after the Loma Prieta quake, which was five years before Northridge, might not have detected similar damage. It wasnt until after the Northridge quake that inspectors knew to look for damage on so-called steel moment frames.

Five years earlier, without the benefit of the lessons later learned in Northridge, San Franciscos steel buildings were not systematically inspected for weld damage, which they might or might not have sustained in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the report says.

San Franciscos northeastern neighborhoods are home to nearly all of the more than 150 buildings tall enough to be officially distinguished as high-rises  at least 240 feet high, or around 22 stories. In all, 156 buildings in San Francisco  either permitted or already built  meet the height requirements.

In all, 56 percent of high-rises in San Francisco are office buildings, 20 percent are residential and the rest are a smattering of hotels and mixed-use spaces.

The reports authors  experts from the Applied Technology Council, a nonprofit California research organization  recommended conducting intensive inspections necessary to examine the welds on the steel frames in question. Because the potential damage could have occurred decades ago, the report also suggested creating a special program that would notify and provide guidance for building owners and tenants.

San Franciscos building codes trigger seismic upgrades when construction alterations exceed a certain scope, the report said. But those sections of the code only apply when two-thirds of a buildings floors are involved in any given project  they almost never apply to tall buildings.

Therefore, even the most collapse-prone buildings almost never receive the scrutiny intended by the code, the report states.

Those recommendations are among a number of suggested short-, medium- and long-term actions offered for both new and existing buildings. Some tasks, like creating new training programs for building inspectors and developing bulletins detailing best practices for developers, could be done largely administratively. Others would require more intensive work by city lawmakers.

The report also recommends that the Department of Building Inspection establish design standards for new buildings that include plans for how a building might recover and become habitable again after an earthquake. Current requirements are intended to provide acceptable safety in extreme earthquakes, the report said. Under current standards, it could take between two and six months to repair damage from a major earthquake.

By the citys tentative recovery goals, even three months of downtime is unacceptably long for the city and its buildings to begin returning to normal. The reports authors recommended mandating that new buildings include designs that reflect the citys earthquake recovery goals, like requiring enhanced design criteria for mechanical and plumbing systems.

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.

A spokesman at the Department of Building Inspection did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday on the report.

With the new report, were able to see and think about both how (a tall building) might perform, but also what we need to get in place so we can move toward recovery as quickly as possible, said Mary Ellen Carroll, executive director of the Department of Emergency Management.

A major part of recovery following a punishing earthquake is to assess and report the extent of the damage to federal officials  a task, Carroll said, that will be made easier by the new building inventory.

We know what buildings are in the city through DBI, she said. But this is a more organized inventory that will have more details we can pull out post-emergency and have a sense of just how to coordinate the assessment response.

The report was commissioned by former Mayor Ed Lee after revelations that the Millennium Tower on Mission Street was sinking and tilting to one side. The buildings troubles evoked unsettling fears about what could happen to it and similar structures in a major earthquake. The city had earlier considered compiling a similar report around 2007, but it was eventually scuttled during the Gavin Newsom administration.

People didnt want to know the answer, because it might be expensive, Peskin said.

The report also comes after Gov. Jerry Browns decision Friday to veto AB2681, a bill that would have required officials in seismically active regions to submit lists of vulnerable buildings to the states Office of Emergency Services.

While he said he agreed with the bills goal of mitigating the effects of a large earthquake, Brown was concerned ... that this bill will not provide the greatest value for the significant investment this enterprise requires.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa
The cost of repairing the Transbay Transit Center, a task that is likely to take weeks and cost millions, will be covered by warranty, officials confirmed Wednesday.

The general contractor or its subcontractors are responsible for repairing any construction flaws, not the centers operator, the Transbay Joint Powers Authority.

That is one of the few certainties or easy answers about the broken transit hub, which has been shut down since the discovery of cracks in two critical support girders on Sept. 25, six weeks after it opened.

The damaged section of the $2.2 billion transit center, over Fremont Street, has been stabilized, and construction crews plan to erect temporary support towers on three levels of the structure this week. But until that work is done, engineers cant complete tests to determine the cause of the cracking and devise a fix.

Repairs likely will be costly. Asked for a rough estimate after a meeting of the authority Tuesday, Executive Director Mark Zabaneh shrugged and said: Thousands? Millions?

Whatever the cost, he said Wednesday, The transit center is under warranty for two years and once we determine the cause of this, we will make sure the proper entity is held responsible.

The Transbay JPAs agreement with general contractor Webcor/Obayashi requires it to correct substandard work at no cost to the TJPA for a period of two years after substantial completion.

The contract states that the contractor shall warrant and guarantee the work against defects in materials and workmanship for 24 months and that work will be free of any defect of equipment, material and installation.

The warranty calls for the contractor to promptly remove, replace or correct work ... which is damaged or found defective upon written notice, and allows the TJPA to do the work itself, at the contractors expense, if its not fixed within a reasonable time.

It also says: The contractor shall warrant and guarantee the work against defects in materials and workmanship for 24 months.

The Transbay Transit Center opened Aug. 12 after nearly eight years of demolition and construction. A certificate of occupancy has been issued but work is not complete. Workers are still installing public art, lighting and sidewalks in Shaw Alley near the complex as well as trim around some of the centers ceiling tiles.

It was during that ceiling work that the fissures in the first steel girder were discovered. Transbay officials quickly shut down the center  out of an excess of caution, they said  as well as Fremont Street where it passes under the building.

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.

Transbay officials say they could reopen Fremont Street, a major route into downtown San Francisco from the Bay Bridge, this week  but certainly by Oct. 12  when the temporary support towers are installed.

After that occurs, forensic engineers can take samples from the damaged steel beams and scrutinize them to determine the cause of the cracking  a process that should take about two weeks.

Designing a fix for the problem, and getting it reviewed by an independent committee of outside engineers, design and metallurgy experts will take weeks more. Then, finally, construction workers can repair the problem, which will likely involve adding material to strengthen the damaged beams, said Dennis Turchon, senior construction manager.

Zabaneh said its too early to put a target date on reopening the center to buses and commuters because the extent of repairs is still uncertain. But the popular 5.4-acre rooftop park could reopen in early November.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
A prominent UC Berkeley architecture professor who resigned in September after being suspended for three years without pay for sexually harassing a graduate student and abusing his faculty power has sued the campus chancellor and the University of California regents.

Professor Nezar AlSayyad, who taught at UC Berkeley since 1985 and was tenured for most of that time, filed his lawsuit against the regents and UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ on Sept. 25. In it, he claims that Christ improperly overruled a disciplinary panel of fellow professors who had recommended a shorter unpaid suspension of one year on grounds that AlSayyads sexual harassment consisted only of touching her thigh for one to two seconds while in a car in 2013.

The faculty panel  a secretive body that conducted its closed-door hearing in late 2017  found no evidence that AlSayyad abused his position or his power over the student to coerce her judgment ... for personal reasons, according to court documents.

Now Playing: An assistant professor at UC Berkeley was fired on Wednesday after being accused of sexual harassment by multiple students, some cases dating back years. Video: Brandpoint

In March 2016, doctoral student Eva Hagberg Fisher filed a complaint with UC Berkeley alleging that AlSayyad, an internationally recognized scholar who was one of her advisers, not only sexually harassed her but also manipulated, intimidated and isolated her, forcing her to change departments and the course of her career.

Comprehensive coverage Read The Chronicle's investigation into the Nezar AlSayyad case at bit.ly/alsayyad-investigation and follow-up stories at bit.ly/alsayyad See More Collapse

A five-month campus investigation brought to light by The Chronicle upheld nearly all of Hagberg Fishers allegations and found that the professor spent months ingratiating himself with her before placing his hand on her upper thigh, proposing they become close friends and suggesting they go to Las Vegas. The investigator concluded that AlSayyads behavior became increasingly personal from 2012 to 2014 as he sought to position himself as Hagberg Fishers protector and make her beholden to him while he served on the exam committee that would determine if she was qualified to write a doctoral dissertation.

On Aug. 13, more than two years after Hagberg Fisher filed her complaint, Christ brought the lengthy process to an end by tripling the punishment recommended by the faculty panel.

In a letter to AlSayyad included with the lawsuit, Christ wrote that the sexual harassment was quite serious. She said that by attempting to isolate the student from other faculty and establishing himself as her key supporter, among other actions, he had used his power for personal gain.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The chancellor also received permission from UC President Janet Napolitano to withhold AlSayyads emeritus status for three years if he retired. He remains barred from campus through June 2021.

In his suit, filed in Alameda Superior Court, AlSayyad, 62, denies that he sexually harassed Hagberg Fisher.

He asks the court to reduce his suspension to one year, and with it a restoration of emeritus privileges, benefits and back pay with interest to that time. AlSayyad most recently earned $211,000 a year.

In a statement Wednesday, campus spokeswoman Janet Gilmore said that Christ exercised her discretion under UC policy to discipline the professor, and that the faculty committees role is to make recommendations.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov
The Trump administrations plan to deport more than 300,000 undocumented immigrants whose home countries have been hit by disasters was blocked Wednesday by a San Francisco federal judge, who said the administration had abruptly changed federal policies without explanation and may have been motivated by racism.

U.S. District Judge Edward Chen issued a nationwide injunction preserving temporary protected status for former residents of El Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti and Sudan. President Trumps Department of Homeland Security had decided to revoke that status for all four nations, eliminating the immigrants protections from deportation. The deportations had been scheduled to start with the removals of about 1,000 Sudanese Nov. 2 and proceed through fall 2019.

Temporary protected status, established by a 1990 federal law, allows undocumented immigrants with no serious criminal records to live and work in the United States if a natural disaster or war in their homeland has made it unsafe to return. The status is typically renewed every 18 months.

Immigrants from 10 nations currently hold the status. The suit was filed on behalf of 263,000 Salvadorans, who were allowed to remain in the U.S. after a 2001 earthquake; 5,300 Nicaraguans, after a hurricane in 1998; 46,000 Haitians, following a 2010 quake; and 1,000 Sudanese because of an ongoing civil war.

The program hit the public spotlight after Trump, discussing temporary protected status at a White House meeting in January, asked why the U.S. was admitting so many people from what he called s-hole countries, referring to Haiti and African nations.

A week later, Homeland Security announced the termination of protected status for Haitians.

That was evidence, Chen said, that the decision may have been influenced by racial discrimination, in violation of the Constitution.

He also cited Trumps campaign claim that Mexican immigrants were drug dealers and rapists as well as his assertions last year that Haitian immigrants all have AIDS and that Nigerians, after entering the United States, would never go back to their huts in Africa.

In addition, Chen noted, then-Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke said in a memo last year that revocation of protected status was a result of an America First view, one of Trumps frequent slogans. That and other writings suggest that Duke was largely carrying out or conforming with a predetermined presidential agenda to end TPS, the judge said.

He said advocates for the immigrants were likely to prove that the administration had violated a federal law requiring the government to present a rational explanation for policy changes that cause hardship to individuals.

Past administrations have renewed protected status due to ongoing hardships in the immigrants homelands, such as a hurricane and an outbreak of cholera in Haiti and violence and natural disasters in Nicaragua and El Salvador. But Trumps Homeland Security Department said the law required termination of protected status once the hardships caused by the original disaster no longer exist.

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.

While Justice Department lawyers argued that the administration was still following the same law and was merely changing its emphasis, Chen said its new policy was a clear departure from prior (government) practice, carried out without any explanation.

If the change is carried out, he said, holders of protected status some of whom have lived in the U.S. for 20 years  risk being uprooted from their homes, jobs, careers, and communities. They face removal to countries to which their children and family members may have little or no ties and which may not be safe, and their U.S.-born children would face the choice of leaving their native country or separating from their parents.

Its possible the Trump administration will appeal the ruling.

Representatives of the Department of Homeland Security said it would not comment on pending litigation. Department of Justice officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Nearly 2,500 workers walked off their jobs Thursday morning from seven Marriott hotels in downtown San Francisco to call for higher wages, workplace safety and job security.

Picket lines were formed outside the Courtyard Marriott Downtown, the Marriott Marquis, the Marriott Union Square, the Palace Hotel, the St. Regis, the W. and the Westin St. Francis, according to UNITE HERE Local 2, a union that represents 89 percent of the workers.

The dispute came after a contentious contract negotiation between 2,300 hotel workers and Marriott, the citys biggest hotel employer with seven San Francisco hotels. The contract negotiations will impact 8,000 hotel workers in total at more than 50 San Francisco hotels, according to UNITE HERE Local 2.

Now Playing: Hotel workers walk a picket line at the Marriott Marquis at Fourth and Mission streets on Thursday, October 4, 2018. Video: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

In September, 98.6 percent of the workers voted in favor of authorizing a strike.

Several dozen people marched outside The Westin St. Francis near Union Square chanting, No contract? No peace and holding signs that read, One job should be enough.

Flor Salazar has worked at the hotel for over 40 years as a telephone operator. She joined the picket line because she wanted fair wages, and better health care and pension plans.

I feel betrayed, Salazar said. Its hard for our members out here. Some of our members have been ill. Some had cancer. Members are out here fighting for our rights.

Salazar said she gets paid barely above minimum wage and in her decades of working at Marriott, shes only received at most a 35 cent pay increase per year.

We all have to move out of the city because we cannot afford San Francisco, she said.

A single mother to three children, Salazar said that before she put her kids through college, she had to work two jobs, including her Marriott job, just to be able to survive.

The strike comes during the busy fall convention season, which will bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to San Francisco. Moscone Center is currently hosting a health care conference, IDWeek, until Oct. 7. The Anesthesiology 2018 conference occurs from Oct. 13 to Oct. 17, followed by Oracle's OpenWorld, one of the year's largest conferences, from Oct. 22 to 25.

Marriott said in a statement that it was disappointed by the unions decision to strike now. During the strike our hotels are open, and we stand ready to provide excellent service to our guests, the company said. While we respect our associates rights to participate in this work stoppage, we also will welcome any associate who chooses to continue to work.

Marriott's portfolio includes over 6,700 hotels in 130 countries, spanning 30 brands including the Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels and Westin. Marriott said it became the worlds largest hotel company after its 2016 acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. The company operates some hotels directly but also franchises its brands to local owners and operators.

Workers argued that their wages arent high enough to live in the Bay Area. Additionally, they said, Marriott hasnt done enough to protect workers from harassment from guests.

Last month, Marriott said it was giving housekeepers and other workers an alert device that summons help if the workers feel harassed or need help. It is unclear if those devices were given to staff before the strike.

Workers on Thursday were also protesting the hotels use of technology  touch screens and gadgets like Amazons Echo, often called Alexa  that could have a hand in eliminating their jobs.

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.

San Francisco isnt the only city where Marriott Hotel workers have walked off the job.

Staff are also striking at hotels in Boston and San Jose. Strikes were authorized in Detroit, Honolulu, Maui, Oakland, San Diego and Seattle to allow staff to join the picket lines at any time.

This strike is expected to be the largest one in San Francisco since 2004 when hotel workers city-wide joined the picket lines to protest their health care plans, said Rachel Gumpert, a spokeswoman for UNITE HERE Local 2.

It could go on for days.

Were going to stay on the picket line until Marriott workers no longer need to work two or even three full-time jobs just to make ends meet, Anand Singh, president of UNITE HERE Local 2, said in a statement.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
When the Transbay Joint Powers Authority finishes its investigation into what caused a pair of steel beams at the Transbay Transit Center to crack  forcing the closure of the brand-new bus terminal and rooftop park  the mayors of San Francisco and Oakland want someone checking the agencys work.

On Thursday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf called on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to review and verify the authoritys conclusions, citing a need to bolster public trust in the findings.

Both mayors said they supported the Transbay Joint Powers Authoritys efforts to learn what caused the beams to crack and to make the necessary repairs.

But we also believe that it is critical to the constituents of our cities and our region that there be confidence in the findings of that analysis, the mayors said.

The only way to ensure that confidence is to have an outside firm scrutinize the authoritys conclusions and for that review to be overseen by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which coordinates regional transportation planning and financing in the Bay Area, Breed and Schaaf said.

Mark Zabaneh, the authoritys executive director, responded in a statement, saying, We agree with Mayor Breed and Mayor Schaaf that the transit center is of critical importance to the region and that rigorous and independent review and oversight is necessary to successfully and safely reopen the facility.

We are conducting several independent peer reviews on not only our temporary shoring system, but the permanent repair and a second peer review of the entire facility. We welcome and will cooperate with this additional oversight.

The $2.2 billion transit hub has been closed since Sept. 25 after workers discovered a crack in a support beam, just six weeks after it opened. Another cracked beam was discovered shortly afterward. Officials ordered the closure of the portion of Fremont Street that passes beneath the transit hub.

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.

Crews began installing two shoring towers on Fremont Street on the underside of the transit centers bus deck Thursday morning, replacing temporary jacks there.

This week, the Transbay Joint Powers Authority said Fremont Street should reopen by next Friday. Officials said its too early to put a target date on reopening the center to buses and commuters because the extent of repairs is still uncertain. But the popular 5.4-acre rooftop park could reopen in early November.

Randy Rentschler, the Metropolitan Transportation Commissions director of legislation and public affairs, said the agency would look to move quickly in putting together a panel of experts who would review the Transbay Joint Powers Authoritys findings.

This is a priority, he said. The public has an expectation that we can get this done in a timely manner.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa
Two years after voters approved billions of dollars to fund low-income homes around California, affordable-housing advocates are upping the ante big-time  with two statewide bond measures on the Nov. 6 ballot to raise a record-breaking $6 billion for housing for struggling families, veterans and severely mentally ill people.

If they pass, the two measures would generate the most money ever approved by statewide voters for affordable and supportive housing in California.

So far, no organized opposition has emerged for Proposition 1, which would create a $4 billion bond for loans, construction and preservation of rental housing for families and loans to veterans for the purchase of homes and farms.

Neither is there any organized campaign against Proposition 2, which would divert $2 billion from the states 14-year-old Mental Health Services Act  the 1 percent tax on millionaires created by Proposition 63  toward building supportive housing for people with severe mental illness who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless.

Proponents are so optimistic about the two bonds, plus six similar local measures in the Bay Area that would raise an additional $1 billion total, that they are calling this The Year of Affordable Housing. Both need just over 50 percent approval to pass  and the same advocates were key to 2016s passage of $3 billion in local affordable housing taxes and bonds throughout the state.

Proponents so far have raised about $3.4 million for campaigns for both measures.

The housing and homeless crises are inextricably linked, and this would be the first significant statewide investment of any kind in a very, very long time in trying to solve this crisis, said Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, a major supporter of both bonds. It would be historic.

He said that 10 years ago, the state spent $1.7 billion more annually than it does now for the type of funding Proposition 1 would generate  but that was erased by the recession, the expiration of several multi-billion-dollar state housing bonds and the elimination of billions of dollars in yearly statewide redevelopment money.

The failure of the state to fund this type of housing has really made this necessary, Chiu said.

Amie Fishman, head of the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California, said the 2016 measures passed in Alameda and Santa Clara counties alone are already funding more than 2,000 affordable housing units, but that was just a start that needs to be capitalized upon. Studies show that more than half of all Californians spend more than the recommended 30 percent of their income on rent  and San Francisco, according to the financial advice site Walletwyse, has the highest average rent in the nation, at about $3,500 a month.

We have seen this kind of funding, this kind of housing work, and its obvious where we need to go, Fishman said. This type of housing is our future. This is our time.

Fishman said Proposition 1 would pay for 50,000 low-cost homes for several categories of people including those with incomes of 60 percent or below of the area median income, and Proposition 2 would build 20,000 supportive housing units, which means housing with counseling on-site to help people with mental, drug or other challenges.

About one-third of all those homes are expected to be built in the Bay Area, and one of the more enthusiastic supporters of that prospect is San Francisco Mayor London Breed.

If we are going to make housing available for all income levels, we need these, she said. And its not just about San Francisco  its about the whole state.

Mental health and homelessness are so intertwined that it is only logical that state money earmarked for treating people with mental illness also go toward housing those same people, say proponents of Proposition 2  even though housing was not included in the Mental Health Services Acts goals when it passed in 2004.

A major supporter of Proposition 2 is Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, who co-authored the act when he served in the Assembly and told The Chronicle back in 2004 before it passed that he wanted it to fund housing in addition to services. This new measure is meant to rectify the failure of that intent to be adequately articulated, he said.

Homelessness is often a symptom of untreated mental illness, he said, and treating mentally ill street people is infinitely harder if they have no roof. I finally decided it was time to amend Prop. 63 for this  the issue of homelessness throughout California has become a top-tier priority.

All told, the Mental Health Services Act tax raises roughly $2 billion a year. But in some years, counties have had trouble spending all of that money. Proposition 2 would allow the sale of bonds to go toward supportive-housing construction, and use unspent Mental Health Services funds to pay off the bonds. About $130 million a year would go toward repaying the bonds.

National studies estimate that one-fourth of homeless people are mentally ill. The rate is closer to one in three in San Francisco. Many of those people have severe illnesses like schizophrenia, serious post-traumatic stress disorder or bipolar disorder. Services that help people with mental illness access health care are critical, but for many people safe, stable housing is a more important first step, say experts in public health and homelessness.

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This isnt the first effort to use the acts money in this way: In 2016, state legislators passed a bill to put $2 billion from the Mental Health Services Act toward supportive housing. But a Sacramento lawyer sued, arguing that the state needed voter approval to use that money for housing instead of services. That lawsuit has not yet been decided.

The backers of Proposition 2 opted not to wait on the outcome of the suit and to bring the matter to voters instead.

Proposition 2 opponents argue that money raised by the Mental Health Services Act needs to go not toward buildings, but to exactly what the name implies: services.

Housing is incredibly important, said Douglas Dunn with National Alliance on Mental Illness Contra Costa, a patient- and family-advocacy group. But housing for people with serious mental illness must come with supportive services, and Proposition 2 would cut into funding for such services, Dunn said.

We all agree, yes, theres a housing crisis, particularly for the most vulnerable of our citizens, Dunn said. But this just builds brick and mortar. It doesnt have a funding stream for wraparound services necessary to keep people in these homes.

However, Linda Mandolini, president of Eden Housing in Hayward, says Proposition 2 does, in fact, pay for not just construction of housing, but services for people who need them. Supportive housing by definition, she said, must include on-site programs like counseling and case management.

Somebody out there may think this is a redirection of funding, but I think this is what the funding should be doing, Mandolini said. A significant portion of homeless people have mental health issues, and the lack of housing is exacerbating their issues. Getting them to a stable place to live is the first step. Then you help them get the services.

Kevin Fagan and Erin Allday are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com, eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: Twitter: @KevinChron, @erinallday
For more than two years, Josephine paid the rent on Renee McGhees one-bedroom apartment in Berkeley.

No, Josephine isnt a person.

Josephine was an online marketplace that let home cooks like McGhee sell meals to nearby customers who paid around $12 per serving and picked up the food at the sellers place.

The Oakland-based startup shut down in February because of pressure from health regulators. Its illegal for home cooks to sell food made in their kitchens. But not for long.

When Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB626 into law on Sept. 18, California became the first state to legalize the sale of home-cooked meals. It goes into effect Jan. 1, and then cooks like McGhee can legally sell food theyve cooked in their homes to the public.

But McGhee, who has been a substitute teacher and part-time nanny since she stopped selling food through Josephine, needs the money now.

Shes $370 short of this months rent payment.

Theres no consistency in (substitute teaching and nannying), and today is October 1st, and ask me do I have my rent, McGhee, 62, said as we sat in her living room Monday afternoon.

No, I dont.

Photos by Sarahbeth Maney / Special to The Chronicle 2018

McGhee, the former manager of Nothing Bundt Cakes, an Emeryville bakery, said she averaged about $780 a month serving meals through Josephine, which was enough to cover the $750 in rent she pays for the apartment on Alcatraz Avenue that shes lived in for eight years.

And she usually cooked only one day a week  on Thursdays.

Shed begin mixing ingredients on her stainless steel worktable at around 2 p.m. Popular dishes included lasagna and a pulled pork bowl. McGhee always offered desserts, like sweet potato pie, bread pudding and zucchini citrus bread.

People picked up their food between 5 and 7 p.m., but many decided to eat at one of the five tables McGhee had on her patio that, with the potted plants, picket fence and mosaic round table, feels like a neighborhood cafe.

People would stay and they would hang out, she said. It was fun. It was like family. You got regulars who just looked forward to coming. It was the coolest time.

Picking up a hot, home-cooked meal and meeting people  sometimes your neighbors for the first time  was what Josephine was all about. It was a way for strangers to bond over food, something we dont typically do at restaurants, especially if our eyes are more focused on our phones than the food or people in front of us.

Sarahbeth Maney / Special to The Chronicle

Josephine also provided women and people of color an opportunity to create a source of income from something theyd be doing anyway: cooking for family and friends. In this regard, Josephine operated more like a labor justice startup than a tech company.

They built unity in the community, said McGhee, who says she gets emails from people asking her to start selling meals again. They made our art, our skill available for people. It was a wonderful platform.

Yes, it was. I ate several Josephine meals, which were perfect for someone like me who wanted fresh, delicious meals that were affordable.

Josephine doesnt plan to start operating again, which makes the bill signing bittersweet.

Matt Jorgensen, a Josephine co-founder, led the effort to reform state law through his work with the COOK Alliance, a nonprofit coalition that sponsored the bill and organized petitions and support rallies.

It achieves, in a lot of ways, the truest and most powerful vision of what we all came together around Josephine to do in the first place, Jorgensen said of the bill. We were trying to help people formalize and get visibility for work that had historically been informal and in the shadows.

Charley Wang, Josephines CEO who co-founded the company in late 2014 with Tal Safran, naming it after a friends mother who nurtured them when they moved to the West Coast, said the bill is like an antigentrification measure.

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Its a way for longtime residents in gentrifying neighborhoods who are struggling to stay there ... to make money, he said.

McGhee was born and raised in Emeryville, and she told me she grew up in a duplex owned by her grandmother, the only black homeowner on the block.

In January, McGhee, who has three children and 10 grandchildren, said two inspectors came to her apartment and told her shed face fines if she continued selling meals.

I felt like a criminal, she said. Im serving the needs of people, and being able to take care of my own financial needs, but Im a criminal? Thats what it felt like.

Under the new bill, cooks will need to obtain a permit, as well as the same food managers certification as restaurant professionals do. Jorgensen estimates the permitting process will cost cooks around $500 to $1,000.

Cooks must also agree to an inspection of their kitchens and, like restaurants, their kitchens are subject to unscheduled drop-ins from inspectors. And if they gross more than $50,000 a year, cooks will have to move to a commercial kitchen.

But it will be hard for cooks like McGhee to replace the marketplace Josephine built.

When I started Josephine, it was like somebody gave me a mixing bowl with every ingredient for a successful food business, she said. And all I had to do was work it.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. normally appears Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr
Twist Bioscience, the San Francisco startup that makes synthetic DNA used in genetically modified foods and pharmaceutical drugs, is the latest Bay Area biotech firm gearing up to go public.

The company, founded in 2013 and based in the citys Mission Bay neighborhood, on Tuesday filed a form S-1 saying it plans to raise up to $86.3 million in an initial public offering.

Twist manufactures made-to-order DNA in its lab and sells it to pharmaceutical companies, research institutions and government health agencies. The DNA is used to test cancer treatments and detect pathogens in blood, among other things.

The company reported $10.8 million in revenue in 2017  up 375 percent compared to $2.3 million in 2016, according to the filing. It is on track to expand further, having reported $17 million in revenue for the first nine months of 2018.

In the filing, the company acknowledges a pending lawsuit against Twist CEO Emily Leproust could be a liability. The suit, filed by Leprousts former employer Agilent, accuses Leproust of stealing trade secrets from Agilent to start Twist.

An adverse result could harm our business and results of operations, the company says in the filing.

A Twist spokeswoman declined to comment. Leprousts attorneys have previously described the lawsuit an attempt to stifle the innovative work of a burgeoning startup company, and said that Twists other co-founders were responsible for developing the critical technology that led to Twist.

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Other local biotech companies that have recently gone public, or announced intentions to do so, include Haywards Arcus Biosciences and Emeryvilles Gritstone Oncology.

Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho
Americas largest private landlord is poised to buy office buildings that span three San Francisco blocks.

The Blackstone Group is in contract to buy Embarcadero Square, a 293,877-square-foot office complex in the north Financial District, for $245 million, according to a market report from brokerage JLL. The seller is Gaw Capital of Hong Kong. Neither company responded to requests for comment.

The pending deal  potentially one of the largest of the year  is another sign of investor interest in the northern Embarcadero and Jackson Square area. The historic district has smaller buildings and little new construction, in contrast to the crane-filled South of Market neighborhood.

There is a lot of tenant activity in Jackson Square, said Kyle Kovac, a broker with CBRE who is tracking the Blackstone deal but not involved. Youre starting to see rents in excess of South of Market.

Asking rents in the north Financial District exceed $80 per square foot, Kovac said.

Tenants are attracted to the areas quieter streets, access to the Embarcadero BART Station and new restaurants.

When you get there, your blood pressure goes down, said Kovac, who is marketing an office building at 600 Battery St. for sale.

Embarcadero Square is bounded by Broadway and Jackson Street, as well as Front Street and the Embarcadero. The buildings, constructed in the 1980s, include upper level condos that arent part of the Blackstone deal.

Tenants in Embarcadero Square, formerly branded as Golden Gateway Commons, include insurance company Esurance, a U.S. Army recruiting center, advertising firm Bonfire Labs and CBF Electric & Data.

We have a lot of foot traffic, a lot of office workers, said Geri Koeppel, a freelance journalist and resident of the neighboring Gateway apartments.

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Koeppel said ground-floor retailers have been mostly replaced in the past few years by office tenants. For example, a cafe called Coffee Roaster at 536 Davis St. closed, she said.

That was really hard on a lot of the residents. That was a gathering spot, Koeppel said. Theres been a lot of turnover in the last few years. Theres very few neighborhood-serving businesses in the ground floors.

Koeppel mostly shops at the nearby Embarcadero Center office and retail complex.

Blackstone also owns 211 Main St., the headquarters of Charles Schwab, and has a 49 percent ownership stake in One Market Plaza, whose tenants include Google. Blackstone is also reportedly selling control of the Ferry Building, for which it has a lease with the Port of San Francisco.

Tenant activity drives investor confidence, said Kovac. Were seeing waves of capital coming into San Francisco and specifically looking for deals in Jackson Square.

Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf
Irelands data regulator has opened an investigation of Facebook over a recent data breach that allowed hackers to access 50 million accounts. The probe could potentially cost Facebook more than $1.6 billion in fines.

The Irish Data Protection Commission said Wednesday that it will look into whether the Menlo Park social media company complied with European regulations that went into effect this year covering data protection.

Its the latest headache for Facebook in Europe, where authorities are turning up the heat on dominant tech firms over data protection. Last month, European Union consumer protection chief Vera Jourova said that she was growing impatient with Facebook for being too slow in clarifying the fine print in its terms of service covering what happens to user data and warned that the company could face sanctions.

The commission said that it would examine whether Facebook put in place appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure the security and safeguarding of the personal data it processes.

The commission said this week that the number of EU accounts potentially affected numbered less than 5 million.

Ireland, which is Facebooks lead privacy regulator for Europe, is moving swiftly to investigate the company since the breach became public on Friday.

Facebook said Friday that attackers gained the ability to seize control of user accounts by stealing digital keys the company uses to keep users logged in. They could do so by exploiting three distinct bugs in Facebooks code.

The company said it has fixed the bugs and logged out the 50 million breached users  plus another 40 million who were vulnerable to the attack  to reset those digital keys.

Facebook said it doesnt know who was behind the attacks or where theyre based. Neither passwords nor credit card data was stolen. At the time, the company said it alerted the FBI and regulators in the U.S. and Europe.

Facebook didnt immediately return a request for comment Wednesday.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Facebook has faced a tumultuous year of security problems and privacy issues. News broke early this year that a data analytics firm once employed by the Trump campaign, Cambridge Analytica, had improperly gained access to personal data from millions of user profiles. Then a congressional investigation found that agents from Russia and other countries have been posting fake political ads since at least 2016. In April, CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared at a congressional hearing focused on Facebooks privacy practices.

The European Union implemented stronger data and privacy rules, known as the General Data Protection Regulation, in May.

The case could prove to be the first major test of the regulation. Under the new rules, companies could be hit with fines equal to 4 percent of annual global turnover for the most serious violations. In Facebooks case, that could amount to more than $1.6 billion based on its 2017 revenues.

The new rules also require companies to disclose any breaches within 72 hours. The commission said Facebook informed it that its internal investigation is continuing and that it is taking actions to mitigate the potential risk to users.

Kelvin Chan is an Associated Press writer.
Adnan Khan wasnt the killer, but he is serving 25 years to life at San Quentin State Prison for murder.

In 2003, Khan helped plan and execute a robbery in Antioch that ended with an acquaintance fatally stabbing their would-be weed dealer. Khan said he never knew a weapon would be used, but because the robbery resulted in a homicide, Californias felony murder rule allowed Khan to be held as equally responsible for the slaying as the man who wielded the knife. A Contra Costa County jury found him guilty of first-degree murder.

But a new bill signed into law Sunday by Gov. Jerry Brown will significantly narrow the felony murder rule and could give Khan and hundreds of other California lifers a chance at freedom.

The new law means prosecutors can charge a suspect with murder only if he or she killed someone, solicited the killing or acted with reckless indifference to human life when someone was slain. It also allows inmates convicted under the felony murder rule to petition to have their convictions vacated and sentences reduced to match the lesser crimes.

I was happy, crying  everything was about, I finally get to see my brother, Saba Khan said about Adnan Khan. Finally, hes coming home, hopefully soon.

When asked about Khans chances, a spokesman for the Contra Costa County district attorneys office said this week that its too early to comment on individual cases.

Theres no official data showing how many people are convicted under the felony murder rule, according to advocates for the bill. And because the rule was narrowed and not abolished, not everyone convicted under the statute will be eligible for resentencing.

Prosecutors, defense attorneys and courts are bracing for what could be a wave of petitions, as well as potential litigation. District attorneys and public defenders said they will review current and old murder cases to see which ones qualify.

Alameda County Public Defender Brendon Woods said his office has already received several calls from prisoners about the law; some even before the bill was signed.

Woods said there are multiple cases out of his office that would probably qualify. Some will be straightforward, he said, while others may be more labor intensive and require litigation.

Even with the extra work, Woods called SB1437 by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, a great bill.

If someones been convicted for a crime, and the punishment far outweighs the nature of the crime, the onus is on us to go back and fix that, he said.

Kate Chatfield, the bills lead drafter and policy director for Re:store Justice, an advocacy group that pushes for criminal-justice reform in California, said she and her colleagues are working to educate prisoners about the changes.

We are already preparing a petition, she said. We will be doing training, and we will be getting the petitions to every prison law library in California.

The law isnt an automatic ticket out of prison. Prosecutors will inspect each case individually, and in some instances may choose to fight resentencing.

Max Szabo, a spokesman for the San Francisco district attorneys office, said the felony murder rule was only one theory of murder that prosecutors can allege. In some instances, prosecutors may argue that the defendant is still guilty of murder.

Szabo said the office isnt waiting for defendants to file petitions, but actively assessing past and current cases to see if felony murder is the only way a defendant would be charged with the most serious of crimes.

Where the facts and evidence dictate that a defendant could only have been convicted pursuant to the felony murder rule, we will be assessing what remedies are appropriate pursuant to the guidance provided by SB1437, he said.

A legislative analysis estimates that the law could affect between 400 and 800 California inmates serving first-degree-murder sentences.

Those who qualify will be resentenced to the term they would have received for the underlying felony, like robbery, Chatfield said. In many cases, defendants have already served this sentence and will be eligible for release and subject to parole.

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.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

Its a game changer, said Jacque Wilson, a San Francisco public defender whose brother, Neko Wilson, is awaiting trial in a felony murder case.

Prior to today, the law and the facts were against us, he said Monday. Now the law and the facts are for us.

Neko Wilson was one of six people charged in the 2009 slayings of Gary and Sandra De Bartolo, a couple from Fresno County killed during a robbery at a marijuana grow house. Though Neko Wilson said he never went in the house, prosecutors alleged he helped plan the robbery and charged him with first-degree murder.

The retroactivity provision of the law doesnt apply to Neko Wilson since he hasnt gone to trial yet. But it could essentially have the same effect.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

Before a recent hearing, a Fresno County prosecutor told Jacque Wilson that he foresaw Neko Wilson receiving credit for time served if the bill passed, said Jacque Wilson, who is also acting as his brothers attorney. Neko Wilson would have to plead guilty to two robberies, Jacque Wilson said, but hes come a long way from the initial threat of the death penalty.

Jacque Wilson said he thinks his brother would take the deal.

All he wants is out, he said, noting that freedom could come as soon as Neko Wilsons next hearing on Oct. 18. From his perspective, regardless of what legal issues remain, he just wants out.

Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
Recently, I discovered how many times I could get lost in one hour: three.

I was headed deep into New Jersey, where Id give readings and meet with students at a boarding school. Exiting the hotel on the southern tip of Manhattan, I pushed through the air, sloppy and wet as a kitchen sponge, and walked the route Id practiced the day before. I didnt recognize some storefronts, but perhaps I hadnt been paying enough attention?

Is this the way to the World Trade Center? I asked a mother pushing her child in a stroller.

Sorry, I dont know, she said.

Only when I spotted the South Street Seaport in the distance did I realize Id gone in the wrong direction, and I strode back fast as I could, sweat rolling down my back as I dragged my roller bag at 6:30 a.m.

(Later, recounting my misadventures to my husband, he asked why I couldnt find One World Trade Center, the tallest building in New York. In my defense, Id been jet-lagged.)

At the WTC, I rushed though the spacious, futuristic mall whose roof of ribbed arches made me feel like I was inside a whale. Following the signs to the PATH train amid the morning commuters, I flew down the escalator and hopped on.

The trains electronic sign read Hoboken, but my knowledge of New Jersey geography is vague at best. Does this also go to Penn Station Newark? I asked. No, the other passengers said. Go to the other platform.

I hurried up the stairs, back down another escalator, and boarded the PATH. Determined to complete the last leg of my trip on New Jersey Transit without error, I bought my ticket on the app, took a screen-shot of the map, and triple-checked the lines final destination and departure time. Ive traveled alone in other countries for reporting trips, and surely I could manage a trip into the wilds of New Jersey?

Making my way though the throng, I arrived on the correct platform with 10 minutes to spare. The train pulled in and I boarded, but to my alarm, we immediately departed and the gruff conductor began calling out upcoming stops, none of which included my destination.

I realized then that trains dont arrive in advance and wait around at the station  not like ones Ive ridden elsewhere. The conductor told me to get off at the next station, and the train I wanted would come along soon.

You have to look at the sign, he said, sternly but not unkindly.

At the station, as I sank onto a bench, defeated, a woman turned and smiled at me.

Did you get on the wrong train, too? I asked, half-hopeful that I wasnt the only dolt.

No, she said. But everyone gets lost the first time they take the train. The fourth time, too. But people are nice and will help you.

As flustered and foolish as I was feeling, her words lifted me. Often youre in your own bubble on public transportation, earbuds in, checking social media or thinking about your busy day ahead. Maybe youre trying to avoid eye contact to ward off possible threats or unwanted attention. And so, I appreciated her brief but generous acknowledgment of our shared humanity.

A couple of days later, I reversed the trip with ease, and navigated around New York without difficulty. In my 20s, Id thought about moving here, and now I wondered how my life would have turned out if Id come to New York, how my daily routines and rhythms would have changed. What would it be like to raise children here, and to be a local?

After visiting the Books are Magic bookstore in Brooklyn, I decided to walk across the bridge, back to where I was staying with friends. Of all my trips to New York, to the requisite, iconic attractions  the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Empire State Building  Id never taken the stroll across the East River. It was a sunny day, the air crisp and sky a perfect blue.

As the pathway began its ascent onto the bridge, a pair of tourists stopped me. Which way to the subway?

Which one? I asked  as if I knew any other than the one Id passed on my walk.

Any subway, they said.

I gave them directions, and afterwards, I couldnt help but feel pleased that Id helped them, and that Id looked like someone who could.

Vanessa Hua is a Bay Area author. Her columns appear Fridays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com
It was suddenly autumn in South Park on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 27. The sky was overcast; the wind picked up  but little could chill the excitement of the crowd gathered to kick off the celebration for a new single-room occupancy hotel in San Franciscos South of Market neighborhood. Most SROs dont get the fanfare of a ribbon cutting, full catering and remarks from Mayor London Breed, but the transition of the Gran Oriente Filipino Masonic Hotel into one of the citys newest affordable housing solutions is special.

The 106 South Park property was purchased in 1921 for $6,000 by Filipino immigrants and merchant mariners whod pooled their money to buy it. For decades, it served as a boardinghouse, community gathering space and touchstone for members of the Gran Oriente Filipino Masonic fraternity, surviving as a rare holdout when many other Filipino residential communities were displaced from San Francisco. The Gran Oriente is tucked out of the way, easy to miss in that charming leafy loop of South Park. Its survived in relative obscurity and peace. But in recent years, the Gran Oriente has fallen into disrepair and suffered from a dwindling tenant pool. After 97 years, it was time for a big change.

Supervisor Jane Kim, who represents District Six, which includes South Park, connected the stakeholders at the Gran Oriente with Mission Housing Development Corp., an affordable housing nonprofit that owns or manages 35 San Francisco buildings and serves approximately 2,000 units and 3,500 tenants.

Mission Housing was able to purchase the Gran Oriente outright for $4.5 million, and with additional funds from both refinancing other properties and money from the Mayors Office of Housing, it plans to completely update the propertys interior, making it energy efficient and structurally sound. Thursday afternoon was a celebration of those plans. When it opens in about a year and a half, the Gran Oriente will offer 27 SRO rooms  100 percent affordable housing  to formerly homeless residents through a lottery system. Preference will be given to area residents.

Im very blown away and honored that the community has decided that Mission Housing can be a steward for this project, said Mission Housing Executive Director Sam Moss.

Much of the focus Thursday was on celebrating the Filipino community that worked with the city and Mission Housing to make the sale of the Gran Oriente happen. Jack London Alley, which runs perpendicular into South Park, was shut down for the festivities. Shiny metal chairs, bouquet-topped cocktail tables and a DJ took over the alley for official speeches. Activists presented Moss with a plaque honoring the longtime neighborhood leader and third-generation Gran Oriente master mason Steve Arevalo.

Arevalo, who died in April, was instrumental in the fight to keep Gran Oriente as low-income housing. Students performed spoken-word poetry about the Filipino immigrant experience, and one of the Gran Orientes community rooms was filled (seriously filled) with classic Filipino food offerings like lumpia and adobo.

While the hotel will no longer be exclusively available to Filipino residents, it was important for Mission Housing to honor the community that made this new housing possible.

We didnt just get a building that were going to manage, said Mission Housings community engagement coordinator Chirag Bhakta. Weve got a responsibility that we gotta hold with respect, with dignity and with the community.

The crowd eventually moved from the alley and into the Gran Oriente itself. A small handful of residents still live there, and when it comes time to remodel the building, theyll be moved into temporary housing nearby.

The airy center of the Gran Oriente is lit by a massive skylight three stories up. Residents use an outdated communal kitchen outfitted with a shared stove and individual half-size refrigerators. The buildings well-worn staircase winds in circles, leading to dozens of 96-square-foot apartments and shared bathrooms. From the top floor, one can lean over the railing and peer all the way down, past dozens of SRO doors, potted plants and San Francisco soul.

By 2020, itll all look different. The Gran Oriente will be filled with mostly new residents, with mostly new paint and new apartments. Itll be modern and fresh and available to people who, right now, might not have a home. But on Thursday, as this historic property ceremonially changed hands, a small group of excited San Franciscans celebrated some of the citys Filipino pioneers whose 97-year-old, $6,000 purchase will continue its legacy as a safe, solid space for people who need just that.

Beth Spotswoods column appears Thursdays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com
More Information

Other 2018 MacArthur Fellowship Winners

Matthew Aucoin, a composer and conductor with the American Modern Opera Company, for expanding the potential of vocal and orchestral music to convey emotional, dramatic and literary meaning.

Julie Ault, a New York artist and curator, for redefining the role of artwork and the artist by melding artistic, curatorial, archival, editorial and activist practices into a new form of cultural production.

William J. Barber II, a Goldsboro, N.C., pastor and social justice advocate, for building broad-based coalitions as part of a movement to confront racial and economic inequality.

Clifford Brangwynne, a biophysics engineer at Princeton University, for using the principles of soft matter physics and cell biology to illuminate novel mechanisms of cellular compartmentalization that drive biological development.

Natalie Diaz, an Arizona State University poet, for drawing on her experience as a Mojave American Indian and Latina to challenge the mythological and cultural touchstones underlying American society.

Livia S. Eberlin, an analytical chemist at the University of Texas at Austin, for developing mass spectrometry-based methods to differentiate more quickly and accurately between diseased and healthy tissues during surgery.

Deborah Estrin, a computer scientist at Cornell Tech, in New York, for designing open-source platforms that leverage mobile devices and data to address sociotechnological challenges such as personal health management.

Amy Finkelstein, a health economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for formulating robust empirical methods to illuminate the hidden complexities of health-care policy and provide data-driven guidance for future innovations in theory and practice.

Gregg Gonsalves, an epidemiologist at Yale University, for his work combining human rights and public health to address inequities in global health.

Vijay Gupta, a violinist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, for providing musical enrichment to homeless, incarcerated and low-income communities in Los Angeles.

Becca Heller, a human rights lawyer at the International Refugee Assistance Project in New York, for mobilizing law schools and law firms to defend the rights of refugees and at-risk populations.

Titus Kaphar, a New Haven, Conn., painter, for using his works to highlight the lack of people of color in Western art.

John Keene, a writer at Rutgers University, for exploring the impact of historical narratives on contemporary lives and re-imagining the history of the Americas from the perspective of suppressed people.

Kelly Link, a fiction writer from Northampton, Mass., for pushing the boundaries of literary fiction by combining the surreal and fantastical with the concerns and emotional realism of contemporary life.

Dominique Morisseau, a playwright at Signature Theatre in New York, for examining the intersection of choice and circumstance in works that portray individuals and communities grappling with economic and social changes.

Okwui Okpokwasili, a New York choreographer and performer, for showing the interior lives of women and their stories of resistance and resilience.

Kristina Olson, a psychologist at the University of Washington for advancing the scientific understanding of gender and shedding light on the social and cognitive development of transgender and gender-nonconforming youth.

Lisa Parks, a media scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for exploring the global reach of information technology and the cultural, political and humanitarian implications of the flow of information.

Rebecca Sandefur, a sociologist and legal scholar at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, for promoting a new evidence-based approach to increasing access to civil justice for low-income communities.

Allan Sly, a Princeton University mathematician, for applying probability theory to resolve long-standing problems in statistical physics and computer science.

Wu Tsang, a New York filmmaker and performance artist, for creating conceptual and visual techniques that explore hidden histories and narratives that collapse the boundaries between documentary and fiction.

Doris Tsao, a neuroscientist at the California Institute of Technology for uncovering the fundamental neural principles that underlie the primate brains perception of the visual world.

Ken Ward, Jr., an investigative journalist with the Charleston Gazette-Mail, in Charleston, W. Va., for revealing the human and environmental toll of natural resource extraction in West Virginia and spurring greater accountability among public and private stakeholders.
Brett Kavanaugh, who has blamed left-wing opposition groups and people seeking revenge on behalf of the Clintons in defending himself against accusations of sexual assault, may be confirmed as early as this weekend as a justice on a Supreme Court that considers cases of sexual assault and partisan politics.

Kavanaugh, a forceful advocate of presidential immunity from subpoena or prosecution, would join a court that also often considers the scope of presidential powers, and may soon face disputes arising from the investigation of President Trump.

If Kavanaugh is confirmed, interested parties are virtually certain to ask him to recuse, or disqualify himself, from cases involving any of those issues. The law requires federal judges at all levels to recuse when they have conflicts of interest, but there is no way to enforce it against Supreme Court justices short of congressional impeachment.

Republican leaders have scheduled a vote on Friday to bring Kavanaughs nomination to the Senate floor, and could hold a confirmation vote as soon as Saturday. With Republicans holding a 51-49 Senate majority, the outcome depends on the reactions of two or three Republican senators to the FBIs brief investigation into accusations of drunken sexual assaults by Kavanaugh as a high school and college student. He would succeed the retired Justice Anthony Kennedy on a court whose current members are ideologically divided 4-4.

The law requires federal judges to recuse themselves from any case in which their impartiality might reasonably be questioned. Questions about Kavanaughs impartiality proliferated last week after his blistering testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which had just heard Christine Blasey Ford, a Palo Alto psychology professor, accuse him of trying to rape her as a teenager in 1982.

This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election, fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record, revenge on behalf of the Clintons and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups, Kavanaugh said. He was referring, in part, to his role as an assistant to Kenneth Starr in the investigation that led to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.

But unlike lower-court judges, whose decisions can be appealed and whose ethics are subject to review by regional and national judicial bodies, a Supreme Court justices decision on recusal is not subject to review by the other justices, or by anyone else except the court of public opinion.

On the eve of Fridays vote, Kavanaugh tried to fend off concerns that he is not suited for the job. He wrote in a column in the Wall Street Journal that he might have been too emotional at times in his testimony. If confirmed, he said, he would keep an open mind in every case.

Supreme Court justices have a tremendous amount of autonomy and lack of review, said James Sample, a Hofstra University law professor and expert on judicial recusals. While the anticipated requests for Kavanaugh to bow out of specific cases would be a problem he himself created with his Judiciary Committee testimony, Sample said, he would have reasons for refusing, including some recent examples from the high court.

Possibly the best-known case was in 2004, when Justice Antonin Scalia went on a duck-hunting trip with Vice President Dick Cheney and, a few months later, took part in a ruling on whether Cheney could withhold documents about an energy task force he had headed. Scalia voted in Cheneys favor.

Scalia issued a memo defending his participation in the case, saying he had never discussed it with Cheney, that friendship was not grounds for recusal, and that if a Supreme Court Justice can be bought so cheap, the Nation is in deeper trouble than I had imagined.

More recently, some Republicans called for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to recuse herself from a case over the legality of President Trumps ban on travel to the United States from a number of countries, most of them predominantly Muslim. Their concern was based in media interviews during the 2016 presidential campaign in which Ginsburg had called Trump a faker who says whatever comes into his head at the moment. Trump responded by calling for Ginsburg to resign from the court.

Ginsburg apologized for her comments shortly afterward, calling them ill-advised, but did not offer an explanation for her later decision to take part in the travel ban case. This June, she dissented from the 5-4 ruling that upheld Trumps order.

Justices occasionally recuse themselves because of apparent conflicts. Chief Justice William Rehnquist stepped aside from cases argued by San Francisco attorney James Brosnahan, who had testified against his confirmation. Justice Clarence Thomas bowed out of a successful 1996 sex-discrimination case against the all-male Virginia Military Institute because his son was a student there. And Scalia removed himself from a Bay Area mans unsuccessful challenge in 2003 to the inclusion of under God in the Pledge of Allegiance because he had spoken publicly in favor of its inclusion.

The court has also taken a firm stance against conflicts of interest involving judges in lower courts. In 2009, the court said a West Virginia Supreme Court justice who had accepted campaign contributions from a coal mining company should not have taken part in a ruling overturning a $50 million damage award against the company because the public could no longer view him as impartial. The ruling required the state court to reconsider the case without the justices participation.

But Supreme Court justices rarely disqualify themselves because of positions they have taken before they joined the court.

In 1973, Rehnquist cast a deciding vote to uphold military surveillance of antiwar activists after speaking in favor of such surveillance as a Justice Department official under President Richard Nixon, who named him to the court in 1971. Rehnquist defended his participation, saying his previously stated opinions did not prevent him from considering the legal issues objectively, and noting that his disqualification would have prevented the court from deciding the case.

Kavanaugh, a former aide to President George W. Bush and a federal appeals court judge since 2006, could make a similar argument for participating in cases involving Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation of whether Trump and his aides worked with Russia to undermine the 2016 presidential election, said Russell Wheeler, a judicial ethics specialist at the Brookings Institution.

Despite his role in the Starr investigation, Kavanaugh has written articles saying a president should be immune from criminal prosecution, investigation or court subpoena. He has also written judicial opinions taking a broad view of presidential power.

He could say, I wasnt directly involved in the Mueller investigation, I have no personal interest ... and I can put these (writings) aside as many justices have in the past, Wheeler said.

One case on the courts docket, Gamble vs. U.S., could affect Muellers investigation. The justices have agreed to reconsider past rulings that allow a state to prosecute someone who has been tried and acquitted of a similar charge in federal court, or vice versa.

If the court rules that such prosecutions violate the constitutional ban on double jeopardy, it could allow Trump to immunize associates from Muellers investigation by preventing states from prosecuting them after he pardoned them from federal charges.

The court is also considering a series of challenges to gerrymandering of election districts to favor either Republicans or Democrats, one of many disputes with partisan or ideological overtones that regularly come before the justices. It might be harder for Kavanaugh to argue that he is approaching such cases objectively after his public denunciation of the political left.

Its very difficult to believe, after (his Judiciary Committee testimony), that Judge Kavanaugh would be able to rule in a way thats totally impartial and divorced from the depths of anger and resentment he expressed toward the left, said Hofstras Sample.

Harvard law Professor Laurence Tribe, in a New York Times column this week, said Kavanaughs partisan tirades before the committee disqualify him from participating in a wide range of the cases that may come before the Supreme Court.

Richard Zitrin, who teaches legal ethics at UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco and formerly chaired the State Bars Ethics Committee, said he agrees with Tribe, but doesnt expect Kavanaugh to go along.

In his testimony, Kavanaugh started saying he would always remain impartial and proceeded to explain why he could never possibly be impartial, Zitrin said. But there is no recusal mechanism.

I have no faith that the person I saw testify will ever do the right thing about recusing.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @BobEgelko
Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

Jeff Adachi more than fills the bill as San Franciscos public defender. He runs an office that handles 23,000 defendants a year, offers a string of re-entry and education programs and speaks up instantly when theres a police shooting or threat of an immigrant sweep.

He also brings an independent streak in a city where politics can be regimented. Hes gone after city pension rules to shave down public worker benefits and lost after angering city unions. In 2011, he ran for mayor, refusing public financing, and came in a humbling sixth. This year he did nothing to stop four of his public defenders from challenging sitting judges who won easily, an outcome that cant help his offices chances in court.
The aftermath of the 2016 election is recognizable to any parent who has argued with a child. Everythings fine until the kid loses interest in what you think. Once it becomes clear the child really doesnt care about your stupid rules, you lose it and start screaming. The less control you have, the more hysterical you become.

Dying regimes are the same way. They get more repressive as they fade. As their power ebbs, rulers lash out against dissent and disobedience. Deposed Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu barked orders at his guards as they led him to the firing squad.

Our leaders understood Donald Trumps election as a direct challenge to their power. Theyve been fretting about his authoritarian tendencies ever since. Because they lack self-awareness, they dont perceive this as projection. They cant see that theyre actually talking about themselves.

Lets say you were an authoritarian who sought to weaken American democracy. How would you go about doing that? Youd probably start by trying to control what people say and think. If citizens dissented from the mandated orthodoxy, or dared to consider unauthorized ideas, then youd hurt them. Youd shame them on social media. Youd shout them down in public. Youd get them fired from their jobs. Youd make sure everyone was afraid to disagree with you.

After that, youd work to disarm the population: Youd take away their guns. That way, they would be entirely dependent on you for safety, not to mention unable to resist your plans for them. Then, just to make sure youd quelled all opposition, youd systematically target any institution that might oppose or put brakes on your power. Youd be especially concerned about churches, the family and independent businesses. Youd be sure to undermine and crush those, using laws and relentless propaganda.

If, despite all this, election results still didnt go your way, youd use an unelected bureaucracy to neuter any leader you hadnt handpicked yourself. But youd be shaken by an election like that. Youd resolve never to allow one again. To make sure of that, youd work tirelessly to replace the old and ungrateful population with a new and more obedient one. Thats what youd do.

Sound familiar? For all of his many faults, Trump isnt doing any of that. Our ruling class is.

Its probably a fruitless exercise on their part. The status quo is over. A revolution is on the way.

Hopefully, itll be the kind of low-grade revolution where everybody learns something and nobody gets hurt. But it will be wrenching either way, because revolutions always are. This used to be a placid country. Its not anymore, and wont be for a while.

What went wrong?

The disaster began when almost everyone in power joined the same team. You used to hear debates between Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, on issues that mattered to the rest of the country. Thats over. Our public debates are mostly symbolic. They are sideshows designed to divert attention from the fact that those who make the essential decisions, about the economy and the government and war, have reached consensus on the fundamentals. They agree with each other.

They just dont agree with the population they govern.

Left and right are no longer meaningful categories in America. The rift is between those who benefit from the status quo and those who dont. Thats rarely acknowledged in public, which is convenient for those who are benefiting. The people in charge are free to pursue policies that are disconnected from the public good but that have, not coincidentally, made them richer, more powerful and much more self-satisfied.

But not more impressive. Our leaders are fools, unaware that they are captains of a sinking ship.

Tucker Carlson is the host of Fox News Channels Tucker Carlson Tonight and the author of Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class Is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution, (Free Press, 2018). He will speak at an Independent Institute event in Alameda at 6:30 p.m., Oct. 16, and at a Commonwealth Club event in San Francisco at noon, Oct. 17.
The Blue Angels will always be a simmering debate in San Francisco.

Until the citys dogs get organized enough to hire a lobbyist, the Navy precision flying team will almost certainly continue its multi-decade tradition of flying above and between our citys landmarks during San Francisco Fleet Week.

But no modern controversy compares with the great Blue Angels panic of 1983, when six A-4 Skyhawk pilots surprised the city with a series of low-altitude San Francisco flybys that rattled windows and nerves. The coalition of enraged residents included Chronicle columnist Herb Caen, poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Mayor Dianne Feinstein, who got on the phone and ordered the planes grounded.

One elderly woman was so convinced that the U.S. was under attack, she broke her hip trying to escape danger. Another woman with a poodle in a whining frenzy reportedly left a note by her bedside, blaming the Federal Aviation Administration if she didnt make it through the night.

I thought it was the Russians coming when I heard the jets, said Diane Comer, who at the time worked in the Financial District, where planes passed below some workers. I thought Reagan had done something, and we were going to get it. But I didnt hear anything on the radio and later someone said it was the Blue Angels.

Frederic Larson / The Chronicle 1983

The problem occurred after the Blue Angels filed for a waiver to fly lower than their normal altitude  at the time 1,000 feet above the tallest building  but failed to notify City Hall.

The timing couldnt have been worse for a War of the Worlds-style freakout in San Francisco. The planes arrived when terrorist attacks were becoming more common around the globe, and Russian/American nuclear war fears were near their pinnacle.

American pop culture was also approaching its peak I hope the Russians love their children, too era. For historical context, the controversy occurred one month before the film The Day After was released, and at the exact moment when the Russians-invade-America movie Red Dawn was being filmed.

In other words, not a great time to ambush the Bay Area with an unannounced military jet workplace flyby.

I think the Navys Blue Devils bombed here yesterday, Caen wrote. Not literally, but their acrobatics over the city made you think of literal bombing  in Beirut and elsewhere. Given the havoc we are treated to daily on the TV screens, this would not seem to be the best times for jets to come hurtling past your window.

Steve Ringman / The Chronicle 1983

Adding to the element of surprise: The Blue Angels hadnt performed in San Francisco for two years, although they flew over Moffett Field in July 1983. (File under Things that would never fly in 2018: miles of Highway 101 near the airfield were closed on that day, and traffic was detoured during rush hour, so planes could fly low over the interstate.)

Feinstein, a S.F. Fleet Week supporter, became furious when her windows started rattling  and City Hall phone wouldnt stop ringing.

More from the Archive The Vault Home of the San Francisco Chronicle's archive and more than 150 years of journalism covering the Bay Area and beyond.

The mayor was concerned that so many people were frightened, her spokesman said. She got on the telephone with the Navy and ordered them to bring those planes down.

A standoff never materialized. The Navy reported that the planes were already landing when Feinstein made her phone call. All seemed to be forgiven the next day, when the mayor showed up to Fleet Week wearing a yellow knit hat with Go Navy embroidered on the side.

Meanwhile, the debate continued in the letters pages of The Chronicle. One Telegraph Hill dweller reported the plane dipping so low, he could see the pilots faces.

Vincent Maggiora / The Chronicle 1987

Ferlinghetti had the best lines, reporting that in his North Beach neighborhood, he saw people run for shelter as if bombs were falling.

As a former Navy man (four years sea duty during World War II) I certainly was impressed by the Navys own Blue Angels when they terrorized the population of San Francisco with aerial acrobatics, Ferlinghetti wrote. The Navy couldnt have chosen a better way to demonstrate the horrors of modern warfare. The beauty of it was that they did it without firing a single shot.

Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicles pop culture critic. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub
Upcoming political events in the Bay Area.

SATURDAY

Women and Spirit of the New Deal: Authors, scholars, historians and activists gather at UC Berkeley to examine womens contributions to the New Deal and their growing role in political leadership today. Full conference schedule is here. Registration and more information is here.

Election forum: Candidates or their representatives for Oakland mayor, Assembly District 15 and state Proposition 10 are among those slated to attend an election forum sponsored by the Peace and Freedom Party. 2-4:30 p.m., Starry Plough Pub, 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. More information is here.

SUNDAY

Civic engagement: A forum on getting involved in local activist issues, with presentations from political and community groups. Sponsored by the Womens March San Francisco, League of Women Voters and the Womens Building. Free. The Womens Building, 3543 18th St., San Francisco. More information is here.

Text banking: Indivisible Marin hosts training session for text banking for Democratic candidates in California House race and Texas Senate candidate Beto ORourke. 4-6 p.m. in Ross; RSVP here for location.

Berkeleys revolution: A conversation on the political revolution that Berkeley underwent in the mid-20th century between Carole Davis Kennerly, the first African American woman to be elected to the City Council, and Betty Reid Soskin, a veteran of Berkeley activism and, at 96, the countrys oldest National Park Service ranger. Presented by Berkeley Historical Society. Free. 2-4 p.m., South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St., Berkeley. More information is here.

TUESDAY

Emeryville candidates: League of Women Voters hosts a forum for Emeryville City Council and school board candidates. 7-9 p.m., City Council chambers, 1333 Park Ave. More information is here.

WEDNESDAY

Pussy Riot: Nadya Tolokonnikova, founder of the Russian art collective Pussy Riot, discusses her new book Read & Riot: A Pussy Riot Guide to Activism. $12.50. 7 p.m., Kanbar Hall, Jewish Community Center, 3200 California St., San Francisco. More information is here.

Danica Roem: Virginia House of Delegates member Danica Roem, the first openly transgender member of a state legislature, discusses her career and life story. Sponsored by Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. $10. 7 p.m., 3200 California St., San Francisco. More information is here.

Left, Right and Center: A rollicking examination of national issues, with panelists Ana Marie Cox, host of With Friends Like These; Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle; and Business Insider senior editor Josh Barro. Sponsored by Inforum and NPR member station KCRW. $35, $10 for students. 7-8 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

Postcarding: A postcarding event encourage voters to turn out for progressive legislative candidates. 6-8 p.m., Richmond Republic Draught House, 642 Clement St., San Francisco. More information is here.

THURSDAY

Progressives in Latin America: Giorgio Jackson, member of Chiles Congress and founder of the Democratic Revolution Party, discusses the challenge for progressives in Latin America. Free. 6-7:30 p.m., Goldman School of Public Policy, Room 250, UC Berkeley. More information is here.

OCT. 12

East Bay candidates forum: Candidates for Oakland City Council District Two, BART Board of Directors District Four and Alameda County assessor take part in a forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters. 6-8 p.m., Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza. More information is here.

Kavanaugh and women: A socialist analysis of the role of the Supreme Court under capitalism and the legacy of womens oppression. Sponsored by San Francisco Party for Socialism and Liberation. 7 p.m., 2969 Mission St., San Francisco. More information is here.

OCT. 14

D4 supervisor forum: Candidates for supervisor in San Francisco District Four take part in a forum sponsored by the Outer Sunset/Parkside Residents Association. 6-8:30 p.m., Lawton Alternative School, Lawton Street between 30th and 31st avenues, San Francisco. More information is here.

Getting out the vote: Discussion and networking session on getting out the midterm vote. Speakers include Kimberly Ellis, former executive director of Emerge CA; Amy Everitt, state director for NARAL Pro-Choice America; and Scott Forman, founder of Vote Forward.$10. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., AnswerLab, 575 Market St., Suite 2600, San Francisco. More information is here.

OCT. 15

Constitutional democracy: Aziz Huq, law professor at the University of Chicago, discusses his book How to Save a Constitutional Democracy at the Commonwealth Club. $15 for nonmembers, $10 for students. Noon-1 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

Kevin Powell: Activist and writer discusses his new collection of essays, My Mother. Barack Obama. Donald Trump. And the Last Stand of the Angry White Man. $15. 7-9 p.m., California Institute of Integral Studies, 1453 Mission St., San Francisco. More information is here.

OCT. 16

D4 supervisor forum: Candidates for San Francisco supervisorial District Four participate in a forum sponsored by the Outer Sunset/Parkside Residents Association. 6-8:30 p.m., Ortega Branch Library, 3223 Ortega St., San Francisco. More information is here.

New radical majority: D.D. Guttenplan, editor at large for the Nation, and Rabbi Michael Lerner lead a discussion on the rise of a radical new majority in the U.S. $12 in advance, $15 at the door. 7:30 p.m., St. Johns Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave., Berkeley. More information is here.

OCT. 17

Youth vote: New voters and organizers discuss the Nov. 6 election, in an event sponsored by Youth Radio. 5:30-7:30 p.m., Youth Radio arts venue, 1719 Broadway, Oakland. Free. More information is here.

Nicaragua: James Quesada, anthropology professor at San Francisco State University, discusses the violence in Nicaragua in response to the April 19 uprising. Free. 1-2 p.m., Room 525, Fine Arts Building, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave. More information is here.

New citizens: Volunteer to help new citizens to register to vote after morning and afternoon ceremonies. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. More information is here.

OCT. 18

Hacking politics: Keynote address for weekend conference on how the political system is being hacked. Sponsored by UC Berkeley Center for New Media, SFMOMAs Public Knowledge Initiative, the UC Berkeley School of Journalism and Boalt School of Law. Free. 6 p.m., Phyllis Wattis Theater, SFMOMA, 151 Third St., San Francisco. More information is here. Symposium runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 19 at 310 Banatao Auditorium, Sutardja Dai Hall, UC Berkeley. More information is here.

Berkeley voter information: UC Berkeleys Science Policy Group hosts a voter information night, focuses on state ballot initiatives. 5:30-8:30 p.m., Anthony Hall, UC Berkeley. More information is here.

OCT. 20

Race and politics: Panel discussion on the impact of race in politics. Sponsored by the African American Community Health Advisory Committee and the African American Library Advisory Committee. 2-4 p.m., San Mateo Public Library, 55 West Third Ave. More information is here.

OCT. 23

Women in leadership: Former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer and University of California President Janet Napolitano discuss opportunities and challenges for women in leadership. Moderated by Politico California Playbook senior writer Carla Marinucci. Free. 4-5:30 p.m., Banatao Auditorium, UC Berkeley. Registration and more information are here.

Rick Wilson: Republican strategist and Daily Beast columnist discusses dark politics in the age of Trump. Sponsored by the Commonwealth Club. $30 for nonmembers, $10 for students. Noon-1 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

OCT. 25

Max Boot: Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow and Washington Post columnist discusses his book The Corrosion of Conservatism: Why I Left the Right at the Commonwealth Club. $25 for nonmembers, $10 for students. Noon-1 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

OCT. 26

Julian Castro: Former Housing and Urban Development secretary and former mayor of San Antonio, Texas, speaks at the Commonwealth Club. $30 for nonmembers, $10 for students. Noon-1 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

NOV. 7

Jeffrey Rosen: Scholar and author examines constitutional questions and the post-Anthony Kennedy Supreme Court. Sponsored by Commonwealth Club. $25 for nonmembers, $10 for students. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

NOV. 8

Susan Rice: Former President Barack Obamas national security adviser and U.N. ambassador discusses U.S. foreign policy priorities and national security interests. Sponsored by the World Affairs Council. $40 for nonmembers, $10 for students. 6:30-7:30 p.m., Marines Memorial Theater, 609 Sutter St., San Francisco. More information is here.

To list an event, email Politics Editor Trapper Byrne at tbyrne@sfchronicle
The biggest ticket item on Californias November ballot, tucked between the governors race and local elections, is $8.9 billion in bonds to help modernize Californias sprawling waterworks.

The measure, which was authored by a former state water director, would fund scores of projects, from shiny new desalination plants to upgrades of old dams and aqueducts to restoration of tainted watersheds, including San Francisco Bay.

The initiative, Proposition 3, comes as a historic drought has exposed the vulnerabilities of Californias water infrastructure, and it has become apparent that hotter, drier times ahead will test the adequacy of state supplies.

Among the propositions greatest outlays are $750 million to fix the 150-mile Friant-Kern irrigation canal in the San Joaquin Valley, $200 million for repair work at Oroville Dam and $250 million for yet-to-be-determined improvements to Bay Area water systems.

Were in a climate-driven situation now where droughts will be part of our future forever, said Jerry Meral, former deputy director of the California Department of Water Resources and author of Prop. 3. Weve got to make our water supply more reliable, and this is going to help.

While the numerous projects that would benefit from bond dollars are the measures chief selling point, theyre also the concern of critics who see the initiative as a boondoggle.

Theres some good in here, but theres too much bad stuff, said Kathryn Phillips, director of the California chapter of the Sierra Club, which has come out against the proposition. The money is going to benefit certain interests while its not going to benefit people, say, in San Diego or Redding or other places.

Prop. 3 is among 11 state ballot measures facing voters next month, and its the costliest of four that seek to authorize billions in new borrowing.

Still, dozens of farming organizations, environmental groups and social justice advocates have joined with water agencies to support the bonds. Theyve put up nearly $5 million to campaign for the measure  compared to no reported contributions by opponents  and they say the initiatives many expenditures are a necessary down payment on a more secure future.

Meral traveled extensively across the state to determine what to include in the measure, hearing from farmers who want more water to grow crops, cities looking for ways to survive the next dry spell and small towns seeking money to clean up dirty supplies. The measure reflects a mix of these interests.

No money would go to construction of new dams or the states proposed tunnel project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, both of which have been controversial, in large part because of their high price tags.

For comprehensive coverage of Californias recent drought online: https://www.sfchronicle.com/drought/ See More Collapse

The $250 million for Bay Area water infrastructure could revive a push for a new region-wide desalination plant. The money is earmarked for a group of eight agencies, known as the Bay Area Regional Reliability partnership, which is looking at ways to get more water.

A proposed facility in Contra Costa County, near the delta, that would turn brackish water into drinkable reserves is one of the projects up for consideration. One proposal would put the operation at the site of Contra Costa Water Districts Bollman Water Treatment Plant.

The partnership is also looking to build new pipelines to link their water supplies, which would be necessary for sharing, whether its new desalinated water or other sources.

Historically, I think the Bay Area water agencies had not been a model of cooperation, said Steve Ritchie, assistant general manager for water enterprise for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. But with time and with pressure building, these types of interconnections could be very useful.

The measure also includes $200 million for flood protection in the Bay Area, adding to the $25 million a year thats already being spent through the regions voter-approved Measure AA.

The flood money, like much of Prop. 3 funding, would be given out in grants, in this case to those combatting floodwaters through such efforts as restoring wetlands.

The scientists tell us the sooner we can get tidal marsh (projects) started, the better chance we have of keeping up with sea level rise, said David Lewis, executive director of Save the Bay and a supporter of the proposition.

Another $100 million from the measure would go to protection of additional Bay Area watersheds.

The initiative also makes provisions for poorer communities in California, giving them priority for competitive funds and guaranteeing at least $750 million of investment in disadvantaged areas.

Prop. 3 comes on the heels of two other water-related ballot measures. In June, voters approved Proposition 68, a $4.1 billion bond that funded water projects as well as parks and land conservation. In 2014, voters approved Proposition 1, which committed $7.5 billion of state borrowing exclusively to water, including new dams and reservoirs.

Since the 1970s, more than a dozen propositions have helped fund water infrastructure. Bonds are commonly used by governments to pay for ventures they cant immediately afford. Theyre basically loans that must be paid back, with interest, and in California, such borrowing requires voter approval.

Unlike the two previous water measures, Prop. 3 was not put on the ballot by the Legislature, but by Meral, who collected the requisite 365,880 signatures to do so.

The Sierra Club argues that the measure is simply not worth the expense and that the private interests funding the campaign, such as agriculture, are the ones that would disproportionately gain.

Its a pay-to-play measure, Phillips said.

Phillips also took issue with how the money would be doled out. She said the many state agencies that would be awarding grants would face sparse oversight.

Little polling has been done on Prop. 3. But with drought and water supplies a well-documented concern of state residents, a survey over the summer by the Public Policy Institute of California indicated strong support.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
Republican leaders who pumped more than $1 million into the effort to get a gas tax repeal measure on the November ballot have closed their wallets, leaving the Proposition 6 campaign underfunded and falling behind in the polls.

Weve known all along that the fall campaign was going to be a grassroots effort, said Carl DeMaio, the conservative San Diego talk-show host behind the repeal effort. Its David versus Goliath, no doubt about it.

Goliath, however, is coming up big in this fight. Opponents of rolling back last years 12-cent-a-gallon gas-tax increase, the centerpiece of a $5.2 billion-a-year road repair effort, have far more money to buy ads, pack mailboxes and get out the vote as mail balloting starts Monday.

Campaign finance statements released last week show that DeMaios group, Reform California  Yes on 6, has raised $635,000 since June 30 and had $1.3 million in the bank. A group run by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association had $33,000 cash on hand, while the group Yes on Prop. 6, Repeal the Gas Tax reported $83,000.

Those numbers pale in comparison to the anti-repeal effort, which reported raising $18 million since midyear and another $1 million in the past two-plus weeks. Prop. 6 opponents had $19.5 million cash on hand.

A poll taken in September by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that 52 percent of likely voters opposed the ballot measure, with 39 percent in favor.

The poll numbers and dollar figures delight opponents of the repeal, which include building trade unions, local government groups and business associations.

Its clear that support for Prop. 6 is waning, both in fundraising and with the voters, said Robbie Hunter, president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, a labor group that has given $2 million to oppose the initiative. No elected official should want to be left explaining to voters why theyre putting public safety at risk by advocating for the destruction of our roads and bridges.

But for plenty of GOP leaders, that early money may already have served its purpose. By getting the repeal effort on the ballot, Republican candidates can use the initiative as a campaign talking point and a goad to urge angry Republicans and conservative-leaning independents to the polls  without having to expend resources to actually pass it.

California families living paycheck to paycheck will hold Democrats accountable for this regressive tax on the poor, Jack Pandol, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said last November as the repeal effort was getting under way.

John Cox, the Republican candidate for governor, was a leader of the gas-tax repeal effort and put $250,000 of campaign funds into the repeal effort last year. He mentions the gas tax at almost every campaign stop.

Notable Prop. 6 contributions YES California Republican Party, $465,000 Kevin McCarthy for Congress, $300,000 John Cox for Governor, $250,000 Jarvis Taxpayers Association, $250,000 Ken Calvert for Congress, $175,000 Mimi Walters for Congress, $135,303 Devin Nunes for Congress, $100,000 Paul Ryan for Congress, $50,000 Steve Scalise for Congress, $25,000 NO Laborers Union, $4.4 million California Alliance for Jobs, $3 million Carpenters Union, $2 million State Building and Construction Trades Council, $2 million California Partnership for Jobs, $1 million League of California Cities, $750,000 California State Association of Counties, $250,000 Source: California Secretary of State See More Collapse

He donated to the campaign again in June  but this time, he gave just $2,500. Even that made him one of the handful of big-name Republicans to put anything into the repeal effort in recent months.

Before that, though, plenty of cash was flowing from Republicans both inside and outside California.

House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin gave $50,000. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, another GOP leader, gave $25,000.

Closer to home, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, the No. 2 Republican in the House, gave $300,000, and GOP Rep. Ken Calvert of Corona (Riverside County) came up with $175,000. Two Republicans targeted by Democrats in November, Orange County Rep. Mimi Walters and Rep. Devin Nunes of Tulare, contributed $135,303 and $100,000, respectively. Almost all that money arrived before June.

Before the repeal initiative was on the ballot, the state Republican Party jumped in with $465,000.

The California (congressional) delegation asked us if we would help out, said Matt Fleming, a spokesman for the state GOP. Knowing how important this measure was ... we were happy to help get it qualified.

But since Prop. 6 made the ballot in late June, that help has virtually disappeared. The last party contribution listed was July 17  for $504.63.

We are still very interested in repealing the gas tax, Fleming said. Its just that at this point, all our discretionary resources are focused on electing Republicans.

As for the Cox campaign, senior strategist Wayne Johnson said, The special interests are pouring tens of millions into the effort to stop Proposition 6. We will not, nor do we need to match them in spending, for while they have millions of dollars, we have millions of voters who have simply had enough of the Sacramento politicians.

While the optimism is welcome, it wont pay for the statewide advertising campaign needed to turn the tide now running against the gas-tax repeal.

The disappearance of GOP money wasnt a surprise, DeMaio said. He said the early party money was always going to be used to collect the 585,407 valid signatures needed to get the initiative on the ballot, and the only commitment by Republicans was to qualify the initiative.

With money tight, DeMaio has been forced to run what he called a low-budget ninja campaign, picking spots where his campaign can get the most exposure for the least cash.

We are outgunned, he said. Were doing a lot on social media, a lot with volunteers.

The repeal effort has some victories. In June, voters recalled Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman of Fullerton (Orange County), arguing that his 2017 vote to approve the gas-tax increase betrayed his conservative district.

In Walters Orange County seat, which polls show as a toss-up in November, Democrat Katie Porter has come out in favor of repealing the gas-tax increase, saying in a campaign ad, I oppose higher gas taxes, and I wont be afraid to take on leaders of both political parties.

DeMaio and other repeal supporters called this week for a federal investigation into what he said were illegal efforts by local government agencies to use public money to fight the repeal effort.

There is absolutely no gray area here  state and local government agencies are caught in blatant violation of California law that prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for campaign activities or advocacy, he said in a statement Wednesday.

Opponents deny wrongdoing.

DeMaio said hes still confident voters will pass his initiative. The flood of anti-repeal advertising could even help his cash-strapped campaign, he suggested.

With the amount of money his opponents will be spending, DeMaio said, at least theyll be making sure everyone knows Prop. 6 is about the gas-tax repeal.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
Anger among women over Judge Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court is threatening to turn whats already a gender gap in a number of California congressional races into an anti-GOP chasm, a new Democratic-backed poll has found.

In four Republican-held districts in and around Orange County, women say they are dramatically less likely to back GOP candidates if Kavanaugh is confirmed, according to a poll done by Change Research for the Democratic group Fight Back California and the California Labor Federation.

These are extraordinary numbers, said Katie Merrill, chief strategist for Fight Back California. Kavanaugh is a very powerful factor in swing districts, especially among suburban women.

Merrills political action committee, founded by former East Bay Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher, is working to flip GOP-held California congressional seats. The seven or more targeted districts in the state make up a major chunk of the 23 seats nationwide that Democrats need to take control of Congress.

The poll numbers for likely female voters alone already are daunting for Republicans in those Orange County-area districts. Even in the three districts where Republican women are running, the Democrats opposing them are leading among female voters, the poll indicates.

Democrat Gil Cisneros has a 58 percent to 39 percent lead among women over Republican Young Kim in a district now held by retiring GOP Rep. Ed Royce of Fullerton. Democrat Katie Porter is beating GOP Rep. Mimi Walters of Irvine, 53 percent to 42 percent.

In the district now held by retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista (San Diego County), Democrat Mike Levin holds a 59 percent to 36 percent lead among women over Republican Diane Harkey.

In the fourth district in the poll, Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa is losing to Harley Rouda among women, 56 percent to 43 percent.

That Democratic support could grow if Kavanaugh is confirmed. A Senate vote could come as soon as Saturday.

For example, 43 percent of female voters in Walters district said they would be more likely to vote for Democrats if Kavanaugh is put on the court, while only 23 percent say that would give a boost to the Republican.

The gender gap already is worrisome for California Republicans. A study by the Public Policy Institute of California found that 52 percent of Californias likely voters are women. Exit polls in the 2016 presidential election found that 66 percent of Californias female voters backed Hillary Clinton over Republican Donald Trump. Overall, Clinton won 61 percent of the state vote.

Women already are more likely to vote, said Merrill, a veteran Democratic consultant. Since those districts already have a Republican registration advantage, you have to believe that a significant number of Republican women are planning to vote for Democrats.

The surge of female votes for the Democrats makes a major difference in the projected outcome. When the results include both men and women among likely voters, Republicans Rohrabacher and Kim are tied with their Democratic opponents, while Democrats Porter and Levin hold narrow leads.

A majority of women in each of the four congressional districts believe Kavanaugh lied to the Senate Judiciary Committee and are angry at the way Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were both teenagers, has been treated during the confirmation process.

Women in these districts are motivated to vote by Kavanaugh, and that should scare Republicans, Merrill said.

The National Republican Congressional Committee, which is backing the GOP candidates in all four of those contests, could not be reached for comment.

The online poll was conducted Oct. 2-3 and was corrected to attain a sample reflective of the electorate in each district, according to Stephen Clermont of Change Research. The poll included 1,265 likely voters, including 655 women. The margin of error for the women interviewed is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

A new poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies also showed Democrats generally on top, although not by much, in many of those contested GOP congressional races.

The survey, done by pollster Mark DiCamillo, found Democrats leading in races against Rep. Jeff Denham of Turlock (Stanislaus County), and Rep. Steve Knight of Lancaster (Los Angeles County), as well as in the contests against Kim, Walters and Harkey.

Rohrabacher was tied with Rouda, while GOP Rep. Devin Nunes of Tulare had a 53 percent to 45 percent lead over Democrat Andrew Janz.

In San Diego County, Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, who is facing federal charges of misspending campaign funds, held a narrow edge against Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
A first cookbook is like a first love, the first boy that you meet and fall in love with. You might not end up spending your life with him, but you might always remember the relationship fondly.

That is exactly how I feel about Niloufer Ichaporia Kings My Bombay Kitchen. It was the first cookbook that I purchased, and in many ways my first love.

When I moved to America, I was excited to be in a new country. Most of my time was spent trying out new restaurants or trying to get invitations to my friends homes so I could eat something new. But then, suddenly, halfway through the first year of school, I started to miss the food of Bombay (now known as Mumbai), the city where I was born and brought up until I turned 20. Now in Ohio, I was unable to find a lot of those special and regional dishes on the menus at Indian restaurants around me.

I missed the Indo-Chinese cuisine, a unique genre influenced by the Chinese immigrant population in India. I missed the pandan-scented goat biryanis served during the festival of Eid, and I missed the golden-brown grilled Mumbai sandwiches stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes and grated cheese, topped with warm melted butter.

And then there was the Parsi food.

Let me back up first. In high school, I joined a theater club, thinking a loud booming voice would be a good skill onstage. Between learning my lines, I made a few friends in the club, namely Yezdazar, whose mother ran the club. She chose the stories and the plays, picked the music and had the final say on all wardrobes. But she also did something that I thought was more amazing: She would invite some of us for lunch.

Yezdazar grew up in a Parsi household and his moms food was spectacular. Her kitchen table was always full  fresh crunchy spring onions served with bright red quartered tomatoes, lentil stews, an herb-seasoned roasted chicken, aromatic basmati rice and a wide selection of homemade condiments.

I eventually left theater club, when I realized I couldnt hold a tune, and decided it was probably wise to move to something where I had some talent. Yezdazar transferred to a new school so those memorable lunches were gone, and I failed to stay in touch. But because the Parsi community is one of the most important communities in Mumbai, I had options to visit bakeries and restaurants to get my food fix. And so, Parsi food became synonymous with the city where I grew up.

The Parsi community migrated to India from Persia centuries ago and brought its unique cuisine, which was adapted to the ingredients available in India. They built some of the most wonderful bakeries, full of cookies, breads and pastries loaded with sweet cream.

I missed Parsi food when I came to America, until I came across Niloufer, a San Francisco author who holds a special Parsi New Year celebration every year at Chez Panisse in Berkeley. Those words alone brought back memories of the Mumbai I missed, the food that I craved. I made Niloufers dhansak, a rich lentil stew with fresh fenugreek greens, herbs and vegetables; her poached jardalus (a type of dried apricot) and eggplant pickles, which have become a staple in my pantry.

Today, I keep my copy of My Bombay Kitchen safely tucked away on a bookshelf on the wall in my kitchen. Ive used it often and still go back to it, just for Niloufers prose or her recipes. They still fill that void when I get homesick for Mumbai and the parts that make it so endearing to me.

Recipe: Niloufers Parsi Eggplant Pickles

This recipe is adapted from Niloufer Ichaporia Kings My Bombay Kitchen (2007, University of California Press). In India, we pickle almost everything, from unripe green mangoes to gooseberries to this beautiful eggplant pickle thats rich with bold flavors. Indian pickles  or aachars  are different from their Western counterparts. They use a combination of oil and spices to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, and theyre also typically not fermented. Some recipes require the pickles to be kept in the sun as they cure. Oils like mustard or sesame are the two most popular choices in India, with the former bringing in that wasabi-like kick. But because of its high erucic acid content, mustard oil is not sold in America; there is a variety from Australia called Yandilla that is legally sold at Market Hall Foods in Oakland because it has a low erucic acid content.

Makes about 2 quarts

2 cups mustard, peanut or sesame oil (not toasted sesame oil)

2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

 cup thinly sliced garlic

 cup julienned, peeled fresh ginger root

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2 tablespoons cayenne (see Note)

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

5 pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 cup sliced serrano or Thai peppers (see Note)

2 cups apple cider vinegar

 packed light brown sugar or jaggery

2 tablespoons sea salt

Instructions: In a deep non-reactive pan, heat the oil until hot. Add the fenugreek, cumin and fennel seeds. They will sputter, but watch carefully to not let the seeds burn. If they burn, remove the seeds with a tea strainer, discard and repeat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until they turn golden brown. Reduce the heat to low. Add the cayenne and turmeric and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the eggplant and peppers and stir to coat, then add the vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir well to combine and bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, until the eggplant softens completely and the oil floats to the top, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Do not add water. If it looks like the eggplant is going to stick, add a few spoonfuls of vinegar. While the pickle is warm, taste and adjust the balance of sweet, salt and sour. When cool, stir to incorporate the oil and then bottle . Store in a cool, dark place.

Note: If you like the pickle less spicy, halve the amount of cayenne and peppers.
Like Sherri McMullens 17,000-plus follower Instagram account, her new McMullen boutique in Oakland is a reflection of her taste as a retailer, and a platform to tell more personal stories. At twice the size of her former store on Grand Avenue, the interior  with its blush pink walls, exposed ceiling and swirling cane furniture  provides an understated setting for its womens apparel and accessories. Family photos of her aunts, grandmother and mother line a wall. But most striking are the stores mannequins. Instead of glossy black or white, theyve been specially painted in three shades closer to McMullens own skin tone, ranging from pale tan to deep brown.

It was important to me that if a young woman of color was walking by the window or came in because she followed me on Instagram that shed see herself reflected in the store, says McMullen, 44. I want her to know that theres a place for her in this world, in fashion.

The Uptown neighborhood in downtown Oakland is transforming, mostly from an influx of new restaurants (Tanya Hollands Brown Sugar Kitchen is moving in next door), and McMullen is the areas first high-end womens fashion destination since the I. Magnin department store closed in 1995.

Downtown Oakland was a major shopping destination into the 1960s, says Keira Williams, the acting business development coordinator for the city of Oakland. In my 17 years doing this job, Im not aware of any other high-end fashion retailer in that area.

With independent brick-and-mortar retail increasingly losing ground to digital-first brands and showrooms, McMullens big move is both a risky financial proposition and bold vote of confidence in the power of community. According to Williams, Theres always been people of middle and high incomes here who want to buy those kinds of clothes and spend the money in Oakland.

Like Ben and Chris Ospital of the Modern Appealing Clothing boutiques or Emily Holt of Hero Shop in San Francisco, McMullen has a formidable reputation as a socially engaged fashion retailer, and has used the stores profile to join the sphere of fashion influencers. She is an easy ambassador for the boutiques aesthetic, and she walks the walk when it comes to personally showcasing her more editorial inventory on social media. Her personal style has, over the years, ranged from strong architectural suiting to fluid ethno-bohemian separates.

McMullen is quick to establish rapport with clients, as is evidenced one day with Jacqueline Boggan, a first-time shopper who later buys a Cult Gaia acrylic purse. She also possesses the ability to think about multiple fashion seasons concurrently. A single mother to 2-year-old Frederick, she recently had long braids put in, partially as a nod to her heritage and in the hopes of a quicker hair routine in the midst of the store opening and trips to New York and Paris fashion weeks.

Ill get a break after the shows this fall, says McMullen, sinking back into a couch and opening a LaCroix. Also, my son started preschool the week before we opened. Were all adjusting to change.

Michael Short / Special to The Chronicle

More Information McMullen: 2257 Broadway, Oakland. (510) 508-0773; www.shopmcmullen.com. See More Collapse

Change has been a constant during the 11-year-life of the store. McMullens inventory has evolved from midpriced contemporary brands to more expensive designer pieces, and recently, primarily female designers to better reflect her feminist philosophy. Business grew as she added e-commerce in 2010, and in 2011, a partnership with designer-shopping web portal Farfetch.com.

The boutiques tenth anniversary last year offered the business an opportunity to further raise the stores national profile through several events, including the first private dinner at friend and client Ayesha Currys International Smoke in San Francisco, and on another night a fashion panel moderated by Teen Vogue fashion director Rajni Jacques, which touched on building a business, diversity at the workplace and women in fashion. McMullen had also been contemplating a new, improved location, with more stockroom space and a private office.

With $500,000 from a mix of private investors and a small-business loan, McMullen decided the time was right to expand. The boom in upscale housing in the area promises more residents who can afford to spend anywhere from $88 for a pair of Laura Lombardi earrings to $5,995 on a Brandon Maxwell shearling coat. After almost six months of construction, and with interiors by Redmond Aldrich Designs, the new 2,775-square-foot-McMullen opened Sept. 14.

People followed us from the old store, and there were people in this neighborhood who had seen the evolution of the space and were curious, McMullen says. She will continue to use the store for philanthropic events focused in the areas of women, children and the arts.

Shes always cared about her community, says Tonya Garrett, a New York client and friend of McMullens from the University of Oklahoma who reconnected with her at President Barack Obamas inauguration in 2009. Having a voice, speaking out against injustice, being political has always been important to her.

Although there are now more people of color in leadership roles in the fashion industry than in the past  among them Vogues United Kingdom editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth, and designers Tracey Reese, Shayne Oliver and Virgil Abloh  McMullen is one of the few African American women in the United States to own and operate a specialty retail boutique focused on designer fashion.

Michael Short / Special to The Chronicle

She is literally the only woman of color I know doing what shes doing, says Patrice Donelson, McMullens assistant buyer. Donelson contacted McMullen through Instagram after reading a story in Vogue about the stores tenth anniversary. She sought out McMullen as an employer and mentor because of her unique position. Spending the time I had researching the luxury market and boutiques in New York, Sherri stood out as a retailer.

McMullen grew up in Oklahoma City, Okla., during the 1970s, the youngest of six children born to Henry McMullen, a police officer, and Betty Jean, a real estate agent. She remembers a love of clothes being passed through the women in her family at an early age. My mother always had the red lip, the hair together; she was always dressed up, McMullen says.

Although African American-owned businesses were common in her town, there were no mannequins of color in the stores that she remembers shopping in. McMullen caught the retail bug working at mall store Express in high school, but she studied accounting at the University of Oklahoma. Garrett remembers McMullen always having great taste and not being surprised by her post-graduation move to Dallas to take part in the Neiman Marcus executive development program to begin her career as a buyer. McMullen says her three years there taught her the business side of retail.

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So much of buying is an analytical and numbers game, McMullen says. That part came easy to me. But there were very few of us (woman of color) in the industry (and program) when I started. It could be lonely.

The young buyer moved to the Bay Area to work with Williams Sonoma on the launch of the Pottery Barn Kids collection. The process of building in-store boutiques and molding a new collections identity was a really fulfilling experience, taking something from concept to store.

Michael Short / Special to The Chronicle

Although she knew she wanted to open a store in Oakland, McMullen encountered surprising discouragement.

I wanted to be here partially because there was more diversity, more people who looked like me, she says. At the time, the city was still recovering from a major image problem. But McMullen was confident. I knew that there were women who were looking, waiting for a shopping destination over here.

Using her own money and a $50,000 investment from friends and family, McMullen opened her original location on Piedmont Avenue in 2007, then moved to Grand Avenue three years later.

Because the business began on steady footing, it was able to weather the 2008 financial crash that sunk other newly opened ventures, and grow. Part of what helped McMullen stand out, says early client Laura Leigh Geist, was her focus on community and her ability to build the relationship, remember who you are, what you purchased and how the things she has work with your life.

At the moment, the store carries designers ranging from the more classically oriented New York brand Adam Lippes to the adventurous French Jacquemus. Anna Chiu of San Francisco fashion label Kamperett says it was a major boost to the new brand when McMullen started carrying the line in 2017.

To see our name in the window with the other designers she carried was a big deal when we were still trying to figure out where we belonged as a brand, Chiu says.

Her selections are conscious, fashion-forward and timeless, says Ayesha Curry. I love that she features many up-and-coming designers as well. I cant wait to see how receptive Oakland is to the new location.

Early signs are encouraging. McMullen says the stores opening weekend brought in almost double the expected business. Even more importantly, women like McMullen assistant buyer Donelson continue to find her on Instagram.

Several times a week now I have young women of color who reach out to me and ask how you get into this business, McMullen says. I answer those messages because there needs to be more of us.

Tony Bravo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tbravo@sfchronicle.com
Its been a blast to hear all of your responses to my recent story on Two Wolves, the new wine label made by Alecia Moore, otherwise known as Pink  yes, the pop star. If you were surprised to learn how much time and emotion Moore has invested in learning about wine and building an estate, you werent alone.

In fact, you probably werent as surprised as I was when I first learned about Two Wolves. Its a funny story: Moores publicist had been sending me information about Two Wolves for the better part of a year, emphasizing the vineyards unique microclimate and mentioning the owners penchant for the Cabernet Francs of Frances Clos Rougeard. Never once did the publicist mention that this winery owner happened to be a world-famous pop star. I wasnt really paying attention to the pitches; PR companies are constantly flooding my inbox with new winery pitches, which almost never result in a story. But then in one email, this publicist finally mentioned the name Alecia Moore. That sounded vaguely familiar. I Googled it. And I was so confused. Why wouldnt the publicist have led with the fact that this is Pink?

Well, it may have been a calculated attempt to make me believe in Moores gravitas. Either way, after spending a day last summer at the Two Wolves property with Moore, her husband Carey Hart and assistant winemaker Alison Thomson, Moore had convinced me of her gravitas herself. I was surprised to see that I would not have to be asking her softball wine questions  a tactic Ive learned to adopt through other (often painful) interviews with celebrity vintners. Moore is totally wine fluent. It was a real pleasure to discuss her amazing life story, the Santa Barbara County wine community and  her favorite subject  Cabernet Franc. Read the full story.

Where Im drinking

Photos by Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle

Pearl 6101, a gorgeous all-day cafe and restaurant and bar thats run mostly by women, is one of my favorite places for a drink in the Outer Richmond  but dont take my word for it. In this weeks Drink Up column, Maggie Hoffman celebrates Pearls stellar cocktail selection and the women who make it happen, especially bar manager Nahiel Nazzal. The drinks taste both fresh and familiar, Hoffman writes, mostly named for California native plants like the Coastal Scrub (with grapefruit, honey and a spicy tea mix) or the Farewell to Spring (with blood-orange amaro and a Pinot Gris-based aperitif). Pearl has been getting busy at night, but I recommend stopping by in the very early evening, grabbing a seat at the bar, ordering some oysters or a plate of shishito peppers and luxuriating in one of Nazzals beautiful drinks.

What Im reading

Until last year, the city of San Francisco had not issued a new liquor license in more than 80 years. Now, my colleague Justin Phillips reports that the city is getting ready to offer 30 new, relatively affordable licenses, and is hoping to incentivize businesses to use them in underserved commercial corridors like the Bayview and Visitacion Valley.

Vintners love to brag about their vineyards altitude. But any competition has now been put to rest by Guinness World Records, which has identified the worlds highest vineyard (at nearly 11,700 feet elevation!) in a location not typically associated with winegrowing: Tibet.

In closures news: The Missions Elbo Room will serve its last drinks on Jan. 1; its building went up for sale, and the bar wont be able to stay. And one of Napa Valleys favorite restaurants, Redd, will be closing so that owner Richard Reddington can spend more time on the East Coast. (His more casual Yountville restaurant, Redd Wood, remains open.)

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GQs Samuel Hine has a fascinating look at the cultural obsession around Quebec winery Pinard et Filles, a natural wine producer, unlikely fashion icon and vocal opponent of Donald Trump.

Texas wine industry is growing, and the Texas High Plains AVA supplies the vast majority of the states grapes. Now, Lynn Alley reports in Wine Spectator, High Plains vineyard owners are complaining that winds are carrying pesticides used in nearby cotton farms onto their grapes.

The owner of Bordeauxs prestigious Chateau Angelus could face criminal charges for unfairly influencing the rankings of Saint-Emilion wineries. Angelus was elevated to the highest-possible ranking, prompting the owners of three other chateaux  who did not fare quite as well  to lodge a legal complaint.

Sign Up for the Newsletter Want to get the wine world in your inbox every week? Subscribe to Drinking with Esther. See More Collapse

P.S. Did you see the great New York Times profile of Nik Sharma, the ridiculously talented writer, photographer and cook who writes The Chronicles A Brown Kitchen column?

Drinking with Esther is a weekly newsletter from The Chronicles wine critic. Follow along on Twitter: @Esther_Mobley and Instagram: @esthermob
The new SnapCrap app is bringing San Francisco's poop problem into focus.

The free app launched Tuesday for iOS users invites people to take photographs of feces on streets and sidewalks that need cleaning and delivers a report to the city's 311 hotline.

Sean Miller is the brains behind the app and told NBC Bay Area he was inspired to start the project when he moved from Vermont to San Francisco in 2017 and was surprised to find himself constantly stepping over human waste.

San Francisco is known for its filthy streets; the 311 line receives about 65 calls regarding sidewalk poop every day. To address the issue, the Department of Public Works announced in April it hired five staffers to join a "Poop Patrol" to steam clean sidewalks and clean up feces.

ALSO: It's no laughing matter  SF forming Poop Patrol to keep sidewalks clean

Public Works spokesperson Rachel Gordon welcomes the new SnapCrap app as another way to help clean up the city.

"Any way people want to report concerns and service requests to us ... that's great," Gordon says.

But she also wants to remind people they can use the city's 311 app to report feces and she says it features additional tools SnapCrap doesn't have. For example, you can add details to your report that might be helpful to the department workers responding, while SnapCrap only allows you to post a photo and then identifies your location with GPS.

Gordon also says the city is trying to be more proactive in preventing the issue and just opened a 24th Pit Spot public toilet.
Nearly 2,500 workers walked off their jobs Thursday morning from seven Marriott hotels in downtown San Francisco to call for higher wages, workplace safety and job security.

Picket lines were formed outside the Courtyard Marriott Downtown, the Marriott Marquis, the Marriott Union Square, the Palace Hotel, the St. Regis, the W. and the Westin St. Francis, according to UNITE HERE Local 2, a union that represents 89 percent of the workers.

The dispute came after a contentious contract negotiation between 2,300 hotel workers and Marriott, the citys biggest hotel employer with seven San Francisco hotels. The contract negotiations will impact 8,000 hotel workers in total at more than 50 San Francisco hotels, according to UNITE HERE Local 2.

In September, 98.6 percent of the workers voted in favor of authorizing a strike.

Several dozen people marched outside The Westin St. Francis near Union Square chanting, No contract? No peace and holding signs that read, One job should be enough.

Flor Salazar has worked at the hotel for over 40 years as a telephone operator. She joined the picket line because she wanted fair wages, and better health care and pension plans.

I feel betrayed, Salazar said. Its hard for our members out here. Some of our members have been ill. Some had cancer. Members are out here fighting for our rights.

Salazar said she gets paid barely above minimum wage and in her decades of working at Marriott, shes only received at most a 35 cent pay increase per year.

We all have to move out of the city because we cannot afford San Francisco, she said.

A single mother to three children, Salazar said that before she put her kids through college, she had to work two jobs, including her Marriott job, just to be able to survive.

The strike comes during the busy fall convention season, which will bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to San Francisco. Moscone Center is currently hosting a health care conference, IDWeek, until Oct. 7. The Anesthesiology 2018 conference occurs from Oct. 13 to Oct. 17, followed by Oracle's OpenWorld, one of the year's largest conferences, from Oct. 22 to 25.

Marriott said in a statement that it was disappointed by the unions decision to strike now. During the strike our hotels are open, and we stand ready to provide excellent service to our guests, the company said. While we respect our associates rights to participate in this work stoppage, we also will welcome any associate who chooses to continue to work.

Marriott's portfolio includes over 6,700 hotels in 130 countries, spanning 30 brands including the Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels and Westin. Marriott said it became the worlds largest hotel company after its 2016 acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. The company operates some hotels directly but also franchises its brands to local owners and operators.

Workers argued that their wages arent high enough to live in the Bay Area. Additionally, they said, Marriott hasnt done enough to protect workers from harassment from guests.

Last month, Marriott said it was giving housekeepers and other workers an alert device that summons help if the workers feel harassed or need help. It is unclear if those devices were given to staff before the strike.

Workers on Thursday were also protesting the hotels use of technology  touch screens and gadgets like Amazons Echo, often called Alexa  that could have a hand in eliminating their jobs.

San Francisco isnt the only city where Marriott Hotel workers have walked off the job.

Staff are also striking at hotels in Boston and San Jose. Strikes were authorized in Detroit, Honolulu, Maui, Oakland, San Diego and Seattle to allow staff to join the picket lines at any time.

This strike is expected to be the largest one in San Francisco since 2004 when hotel workers city-wide joined the picket lines to protest their health care plans, said Rachel Gumpert, a spokeswoman for UNITE HERE Local 2.

It could go on for days.

Were going to stay on the picket line until Marriott workers no longer need to work two or even three full-time jobs just to make ends meet, Anand Singh, president of UNITE HERE Local 2, said in a statement.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
Two Democratic senators are calling on federal regulators to investigate whether childrens apps improperly collect personal data and whether app stores are misleading parents by labeling the apps as child-friendly.

Sens. Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission last week, saying they are concerned that thousands of apps may improperly track children and collect their personal information.

The senators asked the agency to examine whether the apps, and the advertising companies they work with, are violating a federal law to protect childrens privacy online. The law requires sites and apps aimed at children under 13 to obtain verifiable permission from a parent before collecting personal details from a child like an email address, a precise location, a phone number or persistent digital ID codes that are used for behavioral advertising.

The senators also asked the agency to examine how app stores like Google Play vet the apps they categorize as child-friendly, and ensure that the apps comply with the privacy law.

Its clear that many companies are violating that law, Markey said in an interview, and that we need to put a spotlight on it and ensure that that type of activity is stopped cold.

The letter cited a New York Times article published last month that described how childrens apps send personal information, including precise location and tracking ID numbers, to outside companies. The apps, with names like Fun Kid Racing and Masha and the Bear: Free Animal Games for Kids, offer animated games and videos. Many of them are so simple a toddler could play them.

The Times also found programs in the Google Play store and Apples App Store that are labeled appropriate for children but, once downloaded, sent personal data without verifiable parental consent. Apps on the Apple system sent less data overall.

Those findings are consistent with academic research published this year. The researchers analyzed nearly 6,000 free childrens Android apps and found that more than half shared data in ways that could violate the law.

Last month, the New Mexico attorney general sued the maker of Fun Kid Racing, along with online ad businesses run by Google, Twitter and three other companies. The suit accuses the companies of violating the childrens privacy law. It also argued that Google misled parents by allowing the apps to remain in the childrens section of its store and failed to act swiftly when researchers contacted the company with concerns that thousands of apps might be improperly tracking children.

A Google spokesman, Aaron Stein, said its family program requires developers to comply with the federal childrens privacy law and that the company would take action if an app were found to violate its policies.

An Apple spokesman, Tom Neumayr, said developers must follow strict guidelines about tracking in childrens apps.

In their letter, Markey and Blumenthal asked the Federal Trade Commission to determine the extent to which app developers and their advertising partners were complying with the childrens privacy law. They called on regulators to examine the kinds of personal details that apps collect from children and share with advertising companies, as well as how app developers make sure their products adhere to the law.

The senators also asked the agency to scrutinize how advertising firms with policies prohibiting childrens apps from using their services make sure app developers comply.

Last week, the Times retested one of the apps from the earlier article, Masha and the Bear, and found that the Android version continued to send precise location information and other data to tracking companies. The iOS version also still sent a tracking ID number to an advertising company, although it did not send location data.

Google and Apple did not respond to specific questions about that app. In an email, Indigo Kids, the Cyprus company behind Masha, said it is working on solving this problem in order to avoid committing this violation in the future.

Jennifer Valentino-Devries and Natasha Singer are New York Times writers.
The American Federation of Teachers filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Navient, one of the countrys largest student loan servicing companies, alleging that it failed to guide eligible borrowers through a critical student loan forgiveness program.

At the center of the lawsuit, brought by nine teachers financially backed by the countrys biggest teachers union, is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Signed into law in 2007, the program allows borrowers who work 10 years in an eligible public service job and make 120 on-time loan payments to have their remaining loan balances forgiven.

The program is complex and has been plagued with problems as the first borrowers became eligible last year. A Department of Education report last week found only 96 applications were approved out of 29,000, with most applicants being denied for having the wrong loan type, or missing or incomplete information.

The lawsuit alleges that for-profit Navient, previously known as Sallie Mae, contributed to the lack of approvals by steering its borrowers into repayment programs or types of forbearance that do not qualify for the loan forgiveness program.

The Education Department has authorized only one entity to handle public service loans: the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Authority, known as FedLoan. Because Navient and other student loan servicing companies are paid per loan , it would have lost revenue by transferring accounts to the nonprofit FedLoan.

Brazen, inexcusable servicing breakdowns left (teachers) still under a mound of debt, unable to put anything aside for their children or their family, but now with no end in sight, said Seth Frotman, former student loan ombudsman for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Frotman, once the top government official for student loans, left the bureau in August out of frustration in how the agency has been handling student loan issues.

Navient is also being sued by several states and the CFPB for failing to service student loans correctly. The company has vigorously denied the allegations in those lawsuits and also declined to comment on the teachers union lawsuit.

Ken Sweet is an Associated Press writer.
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A new feature from Alaska Airlines may soon put an end to time wasted on the phone waiting for travel help and text message instead. Fliers can message 82008 to connect with a customer service representative for answers to simple travel questions.

An estimated 70 percent of people who contact Alaska are using a mobile device, according to the airline. Of the calls that are made to the airline, Alaska believes 40 percent of them could be handled through text messages.

In the US only Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Air now offer the option to connect with airline customer service representatives over text, but nearly all provide some level of customer support through Twitter and Facebook Messenger. (Hawaiian launched its service in August.)

The help you can get via text includes: flight delays and schedule changes, emotional or service support animal requests, seat assignments, upgrades, requesting accessible travel services and questions about the Alaska frequent flier program, Mileage Plan.

We're told text message customer service can't help with making new reservations, voluntary flight changes and cancellations, paid seat upgrades, and enrolling in Mileage Plan if you don't have an upcoming reservation.

When we tried it out this week here's what happened. I texted 82008 saying: "I'm testing your new help feature for a story I'm writing for SFGate. How's it going?"

Alaska: Reply Y to text with us for customer service & offers & agree to terms. Texts may be automated. Consent not required for purchase.

Me: Y

Alaska: Thank you. An agent will be with your shortly. Msg and data rates may apply. To opt out, text QUIT. This service does not accept pictures or emojis.

Hello, my name is Craig and I'll be assisting you today

Me: Hi Craig. I am testing your new help feature for a story I'm writing for SFGate. How's it going. (In my head, I'm wondering now if I interacting with a human or a robot.)

Alaska: Good, how are you? Is there anything I can assist you with?

Me: Yes. Can you tell me what your next flight to Seattle is today with seats available? From SFO.

Alaska: Sure. One moment. The next flight leave on Alaska 1088 at 5:32 pm

Me: OK thanks. Are there window seats available? (Still wondering... human or robot?)

Alaska: Yes, there is one window available

Me: Perfect. I will check the website. Are you a human or a robot?

Alaska: You're welcome. I'm an agent with Alaska

Me: Great. Thank you. Good to see this new option working smoothly.

Alaska: Thank you for choosing Alaska. We appreciate your business. - Craig

The Alaska text message support can't accept payments, so if your reservation requires a fee, it might be best to handle those requests the old fashioned way over the phone or through the airline's website.

Alaska Air also provides a chat feature on its website called "Ask Jenn" where passengers can get answers to frequently asked questions. "Ask Jenn" is an automated system  so you won't be interacting with a real live person as you would if you call or text Alaska's customer call centers.

All the U.S. carriers staff a social media operation, tracking tweets, Facebook messages and responding to passenger inquiries in real-time.

Text messaging customer support is an obvious next step for airlines to interact with fliers. Making onboard phone calls through onboard wifi is banned by many carriers, but more and more airlines are introducing free in-flight texting to customers. Click here for our post about that.

Alaska has been offering free in-flight messaging for a while now, and it really makes sense for other carriers to follow its lead to give passengers with another convenient customer service option.

Have you or would you use texting to interact with airline customer service? Please leave your thoughts on the comments.

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Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.
In hotel news, Best Western introduces two more hip-sounding brands to its portfolio; InterContinental opens a hotel in the heart of San Diego; Marriott reopens an iconic resort in Puerto Rico; independent boutique properties make their debut on Chicago's South Side and in midtown Manhattan; and Hilton adds all-inclusive resorts to its roster.

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Best Western has increased its brand portfolio to 13 with the introduction of two new "boutique" lines bearing the unusual names Sadie Hotels and Aiden Hotels. The lodging giant hasn't identified any locations yet but is offering the new brands to hotel operators and developers who want a global affiliation for their properties in the proper market niche. In a video, Best Western says that these are perfect for hoteliers who want to rebrand an existing hotel, or to "transform an unsuspecting location into unique and profitable" hotel. Both brands will "creatively use space and technology, while eliminating some typical hotel requirements. "At the center of each Sadie Hotel and Aiden Hotel is a public area with either a cafe or bar; modern signature seating; and mobile check-in for convenient guest check-in." Best Western's roster currently includes more than 4,200 hotels in 100 countries. In recent years it's also introduced new brands like Glo and Vib to appeal to millennial travelers.

InterContinental Hotels Group has cut the ribbon on the newly built InterContinental San Diego, an upscale property located downtown near the waterfront at Broadway and Pacific Highway, close to the USS Midway and the city's Maritime Museum. The 19-story hotel has 400 rooms (including 24 suites), five food and beverage outlets, and 95,000 square feet of meeting and event space (two-thirds of it outdoors). There's a pool and sun deck on the fourth floor along with a big "health and wellness center" that includes a yoga terrace and a video wall for guided workouts. The hotel also has a Club InterContinental lounge for premium guests. The property's signature restaurant, Vistal, offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse is due to open this month. Early next year the hotel will open a rooftop bar and a Starbucks. Rates start at $303.

One of Puerto Rico's iconic resort properties  Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve  has finally reopened following a year-long hiatus after it suffered damage in Hurricane Maria. Marriott International said the resort went through a "meticulous restoration" over the past 12 months that included all 114 of its beachfront guest rooms and suites. The hotel's Encanto Beach Club Bar & Grill is back, with a new dinner menu, and the beachside Positivo Sandbar restaurant has added a bar located on the sand. The property will open a new signature restaurant called COA in December. Dorado Beach is located along the island's Atlantic Coast on the former Laurance Rockefeller estate. Rates start around $500 a night in late October, rising as winter approaches. Sadly, the popular W Hotel on Vieques off the east coast of Puerto Rico remains shuttered after the storm.

Got business on Chicago's South Side? A new boutique hotel called SOPHY Hyde Park has opened in that neighborhood at Dorchester Avenue and 53rd Street, close to the University of Chicago campus. Each of the hotel's 98 guest rooms is equipped with an eight-foot abstract painting by a local artist, books, a turntable and a selection of records, along with hardwood floors, area rugs and custom lighting. The hotel's Mesler Kitchen serves up brunch seven days a week, followed by dinner in the evening. The lobby features a 15-foot double-sided fireplace, and an outdoor lounge area can seat 40 guests. Opening rates start at $289.

Citadenes Connect

In Midtown Manhattan, the former Hotel Central Fifth Avenue at 15 West 45th Street has been extensively renovated and has reopened as Citadenes Connect Fifth Avenue New York, the first U.S. location for The Ascott Limited's global collection of 120 Citadenes hotels in 20 countries. (The company plans to open a Silicon Valley location, Citadenes Connect Cupertino Sunnyvale, in 2019.) At the Manhattan hotel, guests can get free continental breakfast daily at the 24-hour grab-and-go deli. The hotel has a variety of guest room types and provides free Wi-Fi as well as a 24-hour business center and laundry/dry cleaning services. The lobby has a large shared community table where guests can interact. Guests who book by December 31 for stays through March 31 can get 20 percent off the best flexible rate, with promotional prices starting at $287.

The latest big lodging group to add all-inclusive resorts to its roster is Hilton, which recently inked a strategic alliance with Playa Hotels & Resorts. The deal calls for Hilton to add two of Playa's all-inclusive properties to its inventory by the end of this year  Hilton La Romana in the Dominican Republic and Hilton Playa del Carmen in Mexico's Riviera Maya along the Yucatan Peninsula, bringing a total of 1,269 guest rooms into the Hilton realm. (In case you aren't familiar with all-inclusive resorts, the all-inclusive refers to pricing, with one rate covering accommodations, meals and activities.) Hilton said its partnership with Playa calls for the addition of eight more all-inclusive resorts to the Hilton brand by 2025.

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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.

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CHICAGO  Attorneys in the trial of a white Chicago police officer charged with murder in the 2014 shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald sparred over what video of the deadly encounter actually proves Thursday just before jurors withdrew to begin deliberating.

After five hours, Judge Vincent Gaughan announced that he had sequestered the jury for the night.

During closing arguments, prosecutor Jody Gleason pointed to dashcam video of Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times as the teenager held a knife at his side. She noted that Van Dyke told detectives that McDonald raised the knife, that Van Dyke backpedaled, and that McDonald tried to get up off the ground after being shot.

None of that happened, she said. Youve seen it on video. He made it up.

But Van Dykes attorney, Dan Herbert, said the video, the centerpiece of the prosecutors case, doesnt tell the whole story and is essentially meaningless based on the testimony jurors heard. He pointed to testimony from Van Dykes partner that night, Joseph Walsh, who said he saw McDonald raise the knife, even though the video doesnt show that. Van Dyke made similar claims on the witness stand as he told jurors that he was afraid for his life and acted according to his training.

The video is not enough, he said. He added: It shows a perspective, but its the wrong perspective.

Herbert did not note that Walsh is one of three officers charged with conspiring to cover up and lie about the circumstances of the Oct. 20, 2014, shooting to protect Van Dyke. Jurors were told only that Walsh was testifying under use immunity, meaning his testimony cant be used against him as long as he was truthful, but were never told about the allegations he faces.

Police encountered McDonald after a 911 call reported someone breaking into vehicles. As Van Dyke arrived, police had the 17-year-old mostly surrounded on a city street. An officer with a Taser was just 25 seconds away.

Gleason seized on the testimony of one the defenses own witnesses, a psychologist who interviewed Van Dyke. Dr. Laurence Miller said that when Van Dyke heard his on radio that McDonald had a knife and had punctured the tire of a squad car, he told his partner: Oh my God, were going to have to shoot the guy.

Laquan McDonald was never going to walk home that night, she said.

Don Babwin and Michael Tarm are Associated Press writers.
A serial auto burglar charged with ransacking at least eight vehicles during a year-long smash-and-grab spree in San Francisco was sentenced to four years in state prison on Wednesday.

Deshawn Patton, 21, accepted the sentence as part of a re-negotiated plea with Superior Court Judge Christopher Hite, ending a complicated case that has been watched closely by neighborhood anti-crime groups.

Hite had previously worked out a lenient deal with Patton that would have allowed Patton to get out of jail on three years of probation, angering courtroom observers who have followed the case amid an unprecedented car break in epidemic in San Francisco.

But in August, as the judge was in talks with Patton and his attorney, Lisa DewBerry, the San Francisco Adult Probation Department submitted its pre-sentence report to the court that showed that Patton had a high risk for future violence, Hite said.

The report contained an extra record and considerably more information that the court was not previously privy to, Hite said. The judge would not elaborate on the new information that persuaded him to rethink the original plea deal. Adult probation reports often use a defendants juvenile record in the recommendation.

Patton, a San Bruno resident, has been held in county jail since November. When accounting for the time hes already served, he will do around 9 months in state prison.

I think we had some justice today, said Jeff Wayman, one of 15 members of Stop Crime SF who were in the courtroom gallery during Wednesdays hearing. I still think the sentence is light, but its better than what we were looking at.

DewBerry left court without speaking to reporters. Patton declined to say anything at sentencing.

San Franciscos auto-burglary wave hit an all-time high last year with more than 30,000 reported cases. San Francisco police make arrests in such cases only around 1.6 percent of the time, according to department statistics, meaning cases like Pattons are comparatively rare.

Auto break-ins, though, have declined 15 percent this year compared to the same time last year as police have made the problem a priority.

Pattons auto-burglary binge took place between April 2016 and May 2017. All of his victims were from outside San Francisco  some from as far away as China and Germany  and six of the vehicles he hit were rental cars, prosecutors said.

The case was unusual because Patton had been arrested several times during the spree but bailed out each time. In two cases, his bail was set at over $200,000, Hite said.

Rather than proceed individually with each case, the San Francisco district attorneys office presented them to a grand jury and secured a 20-count indictment  including 11 felonies  against Patton in April.

At the time, Patton was in San Mateo County jail on a felony residential burglary case and was transported to San Francisco jail, Hite said.

The judge said he initially offered Patton the deal of probation because the defendant had never previously been on adult felony supervised release.

If Patton had violated the terms of his probation under the initial deal, he would have been sent back to jail for more than three years and would have had 10 felonies on his record.

The district attorney office had offered Patton five years and eight months jail time  which would amount to less than two years of actual time served  and said it would dismiss some of the charges if he agreed to plead guilty.

Hite also noted that a jail-appointed psychiatrist found that Patton had low-to-average range mental processing.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Police arrested at least 12 people and issued 16 search warrants in a sprawling criminal gang operation based out of West Oakland, authorities said Thursday.

Officials from the Oakland Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies began issuing the warrants early Thursday morning, and more arrests were expected throughout the day, acting Deputy Chief Roland Holmgren said.

The warrants include a range of crimes committed in Oakland and beyond, Holmgren said, including weapons offenses, burglary and murder.

I think whats significant about this group is that they pretty much had no boundaries, Holmgren said. They had no reservations about starting the day like you and I would to go to work, except their activities would lead to conducting crime throughout their days, no matter where they were.

Investigators recovered several weapons and a large quantity of narcotics, Holmgren said.

Police have not yet released the name of the gang or individuals arrested because the investigation is ongoing.

Holmgren described the operation as the result of a long-term, multiagency investigation among the Oakland police, the Department of Justice, Alameda and Contra Costa County sheriffs offices, Hayward and Richmond police, California Highway Patrol and the FBI.

I think its really going to have a significant impact, he said. I hope it serves as a warning to those groups that its not OK to go out and terrorize our communities, that this will not be tolerated.

Officials were expected to release more information Thursday afternoon.

Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
If Janet grows up in the Outer Sunset and Ted matures in the Tenderloin, which child is statistically most likely to succeed in adulthood?

A group of researchers from the U.S. Census and Harvard and Brown universities have created a new interactive mapping tool they say can help determine the neighborhoods that correlate to successful kids.

The Opportunity Atlas encompasses data on income, education, incarceration and other characteristics from 20 million American children born between 1978-83. The map covers 70,000 census tracts  a distinction similar to neighborhoods  in an attempt to determine the outcomes of children based on where they were raised.

Researchers hope the map helps target policy work in the neighborhoods that need it most, as well as identifying the "high-opportunity" neighborhoods that are affordable to low-income families.

The immense detail of the map is important, the researchers write in the accompanying study, because even "children who grow up a few miles apart in families with comparable incomes have very different life outcomes."

What accounts for the distinction? Likely, the people whom the children grow up around. To attain upward mobility, it's less essential for children to live in close proximity to jobs, the research says, but to be around people who have jobs. In other words, Ted in the Tenderloin may be surrounded by high-rise office buildings bustling with worker bees, but that's irrelevant to his future success unless those workers are in his immediate community.

According to the Atlas, low-income children who grew up off Geary and Polk streets in the late 70s and early 80s now earn, on average, $37,000 a year. Let's compare that to Janet, who was also raised by low-income parents, but in the more suburban Outer Sunset. She can be expected to make about $50,000 a year now.

If both Ted and Janet grew up in high-income households, defined as the 75th percentile of parent incomes, they would likely earn about $10,000 more a year today. All of these outcomes logically change when you factor in characteristics such as race and gender, as the Atlas does. More than 20 million data points can be gleaned from the map.

The northern and southern sections of San Francisco give children the best shot at attaining the American Dream, the Atlas suggests. These neighborhoods, which often boast the highest home values, include the Marina, Pacific Heights, Nob Hill, the Richmond, the Sunset, Twin Peaks and Noe Valley.

The neighborhoods with the worst outcomes for children, per the Atlas, include the Bayview, Bernal Heights, the Mission, the Fillmore, the Tenderloin, Hayes Valley and Western Addition. Many of these neighborhoods have gentrified considerably since the 1970s and 1980s, which may illuminate a weakness in the researchers' approach.

The Atlas has a considerably low margin of error; however, it's difficult to compare the polished Hayes Valley of today  with its nitrogen ice cream shops, Warby Parker and million-dollar houses  to the Hayes Valley of 3o years ago, when the Central Freeway ran through the then-seedy neighborhood. The same holds true for gentrified districts like the Mission, Fillmore and Western Addition.

The median household income in Hayes Valley was about $22,000 in 1990, according to the Atlas. Between 2012-16, that same figure has risen to $81,000. One can assume the children currently living in Hayes Valley will have very different outcomes than those who came before the area gentrified.

Though neighborhood distinctions undoubtedly matter when it comes to predicting a childhood's later success, especially in a rapidly changing city like San Francisco.

Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.

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If you're a regular BART rider, there is a good chance you've seen a gross thing or two on board, from poop smears to hypodermic needles to what employees call "hot lunches"  their code for vomit.

And if you think BART is dirty now, it was far worse decades ago. Rhonda Morrow started cleaning BART train cars as a temp in the 1980s. She says back then they'd fill up an entire trash bag cleaning just one car, and they never had time to give the cars a detailed cleaning. Just four employees were responsible for getting over 130 cars picked up every night, an average of over 16 cars per hour.

MORE BART: Is this a BART hack  or just a bad idea?

Today, with upwards of 130 full-time employees working around the clock seven days a week, BART employees do what they can to keep the fleet of 683 cars clean.

Morrow has worked her way up to foreman overseeing the night crews responsible for cleaning train cars when they go out of service for the night at the Millbrae and Daly City stations. Her crews, usually consisting of four people, do a basic sweep of each of the 75 to 80 cars that come through, picking up trash, sweeping up smaller messes and doing a quick mop of the floors. Every night they also detail two of the dirtiest cars, selected by Morrow. To detail the BART cars, they scrub them down from ceiling to floor, spraying disinfectant on the handles and bars, scraping up gum and even steam-cleaning tough spots as time allows. Each car gets detailed every 60 to 90 days.

When Morrow started as a temp, she had two young children. The graveyard shift allowed her to be home to put her kids to bed and back in time to get them up for school. One year she switched to a day shift, but supervisors asked her to go back to nights to help get the Millbrae trains cleaned up. She says the trains on her line have been the cleanest in the BART system since.

RELATED NEWS: SF's damaged transit center closed for weeks  park could reopen sooner

Things have also gotten a little easier since BART implemented mid-line and end-of-line train cleaners that monitor the trains throughout the day, picking up trash and cleaning up fresh "hot lunches" as they see them. This leaves the night crews more time to focus on the trickier and more time-consuming cleaning jobs like gum and graffiti.

Check out the video at the top of this story for a closer look at how BART workers scrub down the dirtiest train cars.

It's a dirty job, but Morrow tries to instill pride in her crews for what they do. She is tough and doesn't tell her crews when she is coming and going between stations to keep them on their toes. But she has relaxed a little over the years.

"I'll ask someone to go back over a spot, but I try to remember that this isn't the White House we're cleaning."

One of the workers at the Millbrae station, Robert Spears, echoed that pride. "My daughter rides these trains. That is why I do it. That is why I clean them."
FLORENCE, S.C.  Seven South Carolina law enforcement officers were shot Wednesday, one fatally, in a confrontation with a man who held children hostage as he fired on the officers, officials said.

The suspect was taken into custody and the children werent hurt after a two-hour standoff in an upscale neighborhood just outside of Florence, not far from areas that were devastated by flooding from Hurricane Florence, authorities said.

The man shot three Florence County deputies from inside a home as they came to serve a warrant around 4 p.m. Wednesday, Florence County Sheriffs Maj. Mike Nunn said.

The man then shot four Florence city police officers, one fatally, as officers from all around the area swarmed in to help, Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler said.

A bullet-proof vehicle had to be used to rescue the wounded officers as the man held children hostage inside for two hours, Nunn said.

Officials refused to say why they were serving a warrant. They also did not name him or the wounded officers, nor did they give the conditions for the wounded.

City of Florence spokesman John Wukela identified the fallen officer to the Associated Press as Terrence Carraway of Darlington. Carraway, 52, had just celebrated 30 years as a police officer in the city, Wukela said. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. An autopsy will be performed at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, according to the coronors office.

Both Heidler and Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone had tears in their eyes as they spoke to reporters about two hours after the standoff ended.

I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known, Heidler said, visibly overcome by emotion at the news conference.

Condolences and outpourings of support rolled in at news of the shooting.

This is simply devastating news from Florence, Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted. The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real.

Thom Berry, spokesman for the State Law Enforcement Division, said the agency had sent crime scene technicians to assist officials in Florence but were not immediately requested to help with any investigation.

Boone said investigators from Richland County would help investigate the shooting. He did not say why he wasnt using state police like most law enforcement agencies do in officer shootings in South Carolina.

Jeffrey Collins and Meg Kinnard are Associated Press writers.
WASHINGTON  The Senate braced for a crucial initial vote Friday on Brett Kavanaughs tottering Supreme Court nomination after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set his polarized chamber on a schedule to decide which party wins an election-season battle royale that has consumed the nation. A roll call over confirmation seemed likely over the weekend.

McConnell, R-Ky., cemented the process late Wednesday and announced that sometime during the evening, the FBI would deliver to an anxious Senate the potentially fateful document on claims that Kavanaugh sexually abused women. With Republicans clinging to a razor-thin 51-49 majority and five senators  including three Republicans  still vacillating, the conservative jurists prospects of Senate confirmation remained murky and highly dependent on the files contents, which are supposed to be kept secret.
Weve got a lot of businesses in this town that take our money, from a tax standpoint, invest in their business and then go outside the community, even outside the Lake County area, to get their goods and services, Russell said. If were going to give them money and help them, thats good but theyve got to reciprocate by supporting our community.
CHICAGO  From the moment Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder in the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald, the case has centered around the video.

As attorneys prepare to make their final arguments on Thursday, the question is what jurors will think after watching the video repeatedly over the course of the three-week trial. What of the testimony from Van Dyke and his partner that night that the squad-car and nearby surveillance cameras didnt capture their experience?

The video of the white police officer shooing the black teenager 16 times was key in charges being brought against Van Dyke more than a year after the shooting, in November 2015. Official police accounts of the Oct., 20, 2014, shooting described McDonald as lunging toward officers with the knife. The video shows Van Dyke stepping forward and opening fire as McDonald walks at an angle away from him, a small knife in his right hand, which hangs at his side. McDonald spins and crumples to the ground. The barrage of gunfire continues, smoke coming off his prone body.

Testimony in the trial concluded Wednesday, with defense attorneys rolling out and entering into evidence a squad car tire that McDonald punctured with his knife moments before Van Dyke arrived. Prosecutors read into the record what Van Dyke told Chicago police Detective David March shortly after the shooting, including a statement that Van Dyke made that McDonald had raised a knife at him and kept pointing at him even after he was on the ground  both things not shown on the video.

That video will almost certainly be played again Thursday. Prosecutors also will likely stress that none of the nearly dozen other officers who encountered McDonald after police responded to a report of someone breaking into vehicles opened fired.

If defense attorneys show the video, it will be to remind the jurors that as an erratic McDonald walked down the middle of a street, the knife flashing in his right hand, one sudden movement and he could have been upon the officer with a deadly weapon. They may talk about what Van Dyke said he saw but that the camera could not have captured  that McDonald was without expression, his eyes bugging out of his head. They are likely to point out that the hallucinogenic drug PCP was found in McDonalds system and point to other people who testified about previous violent encounters with McDonald.

Don Babwin and Michael Tarm are Associated Press writers.
(CNN)  U.S. President Donald Trump told supporters Tuesday that Saudi Arabia and its King would not last "two weeks" in power without American military support and appeared to call on the country to pay more for its own defense.

"And how about our military deals where we protect rich nations that we don't get reimbursed. How about that stuff? That's changing too folks," Trump told a campaign rally in Southaven, Mississippi, on Tuesday.

"We protect Saudi Arabia. Would you say they're rich? And I love the King ... King Salman but I said 'King, we're protecting you. You might not be there for two weeks without us. You have to pay for your military,'" Trump said.

Trump has previously called on a number of other allies -- including NATO nations, Japan and South Korea -- to shoulder more of the costs of defense.

Trump's first official overseas trip as President was to Saudi Arabia, where he gave a landmark speech to scores of Muslim leaders.

The visit marked a strengthening of ties between the two allies -- relations between the kingdom and the Obama administration began to sour over Barack Obama's landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. Just over a year into Trump's presidency, the U.S. withdrew from the agreement, reinstating economic sanctions and drawing praise from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies.

During that trip, Trump signed a nearly $110 billion defense deal with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, which signaled a renewed US commitment to its alliance with Saudi Arabia. Then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the deal was part of a $350 billion package of economic and defense investments between the two countries over the next 10 years.

The Trump administration has also defended Saudi Arabia's involvement in the war in Yemen, despite repeated criticism from the United Nations and international rights groups.

Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo certified to Congress that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were working to reduce civilian casualties in Yemen, despite multiple reports of a spike in the number of civilian deaths this summer.

King Salman's nearly three-year rule has seen a freezing of diplomatic relations with Iran, the Saudi intervention into Yemen's war, an arrest sweep of high-profile Saudi businessmen and princes, as well as a series of social and economic reforms.

His son, the young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is widely seen as the main driver behind those moves.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Trump says Saudi King wouldn't last 'two weeks' without US support."
Please keep us in prayer as we work to complete Phase Two to present our findings to Bishop Hying and the Diocesan Consultors in November. Until then, I need to stress that no decision about a capital campaign, a new Andrean or a new location has been decided, Bonta added. We will continue to gather information to present to Bishop Hying and the Consultors so that they will be able to make a well-informed decision for Andreans future.
Will they really be working for us, or just for INDOT, he said. Will there be benefits to the city, or to someone else and (Gary) will get very little in the way of results from the commuter railroad capacity expansion project.
Several residents appeared Wednesday before the citys Board of Works asking for help. They said a lot of motorists use the road between 10th Street and 61st Avenue as a shortcut and that they often speed past school buses picking up or dropping off children.
Prunty then provided that information to his co-conspirators in Northwest Indiana, who used that personal information to open numerous credit card accounts or access existing credit card accounts without the knowledge, permission or authority of these Arizona residents, according to the release.
BERKELEY (BCN)



For the second time this week, a Nobel Prize has been given to a scientist associated with the University of California at Berkeley.



Today, Frances Arnold, who arrived at UC Berkeley in 1980 as a graduate student and went on to earn a doctorate at Cal in 1985, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.



Arnold, who is now a professor of chemical engineering, bioengineering and biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology, will receive half of the prize.



The second half will be shared by George P. Smith, a professor emeritus at the University of Missouri at Columbia and Sir Gregory P. Winter, a research leader emeritus at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge in the United Kingdom.



The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences committee, which awarded the prize, said the laureates have been inspired by evolution to create proteins through genetic change and selection that solve the chemical problems of mankind.



"Frances work on directed evolution is a beautiful example of an enterprise that has both deep scientific significance and enormous practical consequences," Caltech's provost David Tirrell said in a statement.



Tirrell is also a professor and chair of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Caltech.



Arnold learned she had won the prize at about 4 a.m. Central time when she was woken from a "deep, deep sleep" in her hotel room in Dallas by a phone call, according to a statement by Caltech.



She was in Texas to give a lecture at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.



"I am absolutely floored," Arnold told Caltech officials. "I have to wrap my head around this. It's not something I was expecting."



Earlier this week, James P. Allison, an immunologist and former director of UC Berkeley's Cancer Research Laboratory shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Tasuku Honjo of Kyoto University in Japan.



The two were given the prize for "their discovery of cancer therapy inhibition of negative immune regulation," according to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences committee.



At UC Berkeley, Allison researched how the immune system fights infection, according to a statement by the university.



"I don't know if I could have accomplished this work anywhere else than Berkeley," Allison said in a statement.



He currently works at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.





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BERKELEY (BCN)



A California Highway Patrol plane was flying low around central Berkeley early this morning helping another law enforcement agency serve warrants, according to the CHP.



The CHP didn't elaborate on which agency the plane was helping, but information from FlightRadar.com showed the plane flying in circles around the central part of the city around 6 a.m. today.



Several residents took to social media to report being awakened by the plane.



No further information is immediately available.





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SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



Six African-Americans who were arrested in San Francisco in 2015 on suspicion of selling drugs sued the city in federal court today for alleged racial discrimination in law enforcement.



The lawsuit claims the San Francisco Police Department "suffers from widespread racial bias, systematically and selectively enforces the law against black people (and) refuses to be held accountable."



The six men and women were among 37 African-Americans who were arrested in the city's Tenderloin neighborhood between 2013 and 2015 in Operation Safe Schools, a joint federal-local operation to arrest people selling drugs within 1,000 feet of a school.



The plaintiffs, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, say the Tenderloin is racially diverse but claim the officers targeted only black people.



As an example, they cite a video that allegedly shows an unidentified officer failing to arrest a possible suspect he called an "Asian chick" while waiting to arrest a black woman who was talking on her phone.



The six plaintiffs are among 12 arrestees who refused to plead guilty in federal court and claimed the police were racially biased.



In 2016, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen said their claims were strong enough to allow collection of evidence, and after that, federal prosecutors dismissed the charges.



The plaintiffs say they suffered emotional distress and lost wages and job opportunities before the cases were dismissed. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, asks for compensatory and punitive financial compensation.



The suit also cites racist text messages sent among officers in 2011 and 2012 and several studies that have alleged biased law enforcement.



It claims the alleged bias violates the constitutional right of equal treatment and the U.S. Civil Rights Act.



Daralyn Durie, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in a statement, "Targeting individuals for arrest and criminal prosecution based on the color of their skin is indefensible and the numbers here -- 37 out of 37 -- speak for themselves."



City Attorney's Office spokesman John Cote said city lawyers had not yet seen the lawsuit, but said, "What we can say is that the San Francisco Police Department did not engage in selective enforcement during Operation Safe Schools.



"That was a joint operation led by the federal government. The evidence will show that San Francisco police acted in accordance with federal directives," Cote said in a statement.



"The San Francisco Police Department prides itself on being one of the most diverse, forward-thinking and transparent law enforcement agencies in the country," the spokesman said.





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Thursday, he was one of the people from the Indiana Dunes National Lake Shore, Indiana Dunes State Park, NIPSCO and the South Shore who came together to unveil the passenger car, which rumbled westbound into the station as people took pictures and video with their cellphones.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



A Honduran citizen who was previously deported five times has been sentenced in federal court in San Francisco to seven years in prison for selling drugs near a school and illegally re-entering the United States.



Olvin Didier Centeno-Gamez, 36, was given the prison term by U.S. District Judge Susan Illston on Monday.



He pleaded guilty before Illston in June to four counts: one count each of possessing with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school plus a fourth count of illegally re-entering the country.



The school was a private elementary school on Golden Gate Avenue, close to where Centeno-Gamez was arrested at McAllister and Hyde streets in the Tenderloin District of the city.



Prosecutors said Centeno-Gamez was previously deported five times: from San Francisco in 2009, from Seattle in 2010, from San Francisco later in 2010, from Nogales, Ariz., in 2012 and from San Francisco in 2017. Four of those deportations occurred after he was arrested on suspicion of a drug crime.



Defense attorney Daniel Blank wrote in a sentencing brief that Centeno-Gamez grew up in a rural section of Honduras, was unable to find work in the cities of Honduras because of violent gang activity and came to the United States to find work to help support his family.



Centeno-Gamez worked at various times as a landscaper, janitor, fiberglass factory worker and day laborer but unfortunately was exposed to cocaine and became addicted, the defense attorney said.



Centeno-Gamez accepts responsibility for his actions and plans to look for work on farms when he is returned to Honduras after serving his sentence, Blank said.





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SAN JOSE (BCN)



A 90-year-old man who has been charged with the murder of his stepdaughter last month in San Jose was assigned a defense lawyer in Santa Clara County Superior Court this morning.



Anthony Aiello, who is currently in custody without bail, was arrested on Sept. 25 after police responded to a wellness check from a co-worker and found 67-year-old Karen Navarra dead on Sept. 13.



Aiello, who did not enter a plea today, appeared in front of Judge Arthur Bocanegra and will be represented by defense attorney Steven Nakano.



Navarra was located five days after a Fitbit tracker registered her heartbeat spiking, then slowing to a stop at her San Jose home, according to a police statement of facts.



It was unclear whether Navarra had been killed when officers first arrived to the seem and found her sitting in a chair with a deep laceration in her neck, according to police.



There were spots of blood located in different places throughout the apartment, a slice of pizza wrapped in foil on the ground and a couple of chairs inside the home had been turned over.



Police began piecing together a timeline of events and submitted a Fitbit Navarra was wearing on her wrist to the company's headquarters in San Francisco to scrape its data.



Aiello and his wife Adele, who lived nearby near Alum Rock Park, were first interviewed by Detective Brian Meeker and Sgt. Mike Montonye on the afternoon of Sept. 14.



Aiello told police that he had stopped by at his daughter's house for about 15 minutes on Sept. 8 to give her pizza and she walked him out of the house when he left.



Later that day, he said she had driven past his house and waved, and that someone else was seated in the car but he could not make out their gender or identity.



Court documents repeatedly state that Navarra lived a solitary life and was not in a romantic relationship at the time of her death. She worked as a pharmacy technician for about 45 years, according to her parents' statement to police, and the co-worker who requested the wellness check said Navarra typically kept to herself.



Police reviewed surveillance footage from the area of Navarra's home as well as the Aiellos' home, and found they could not corroborate Aiello's statement saying his daughter had driven past his home on the day she died.



When detectives received data from Fitbit on Sept. 20, they discovered the time when Navarra's heart stopped beating coincided with surveillance footage showing Aiello's car at the scene during the time of her death.



Police issued a warrant at Aiello's house on Sept. 25 and discovered clothing with splotches of blood and evidence pointing to blood cleanup. Aiello told police during an interview after his arrest the blood was a result of frequently cutting himself.



Aiello's plea hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 29.





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SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



A man described by San Francisco prosecutors as a prolific auto burglar was sentenced to four years in state prison today.



Back in April, a grand jury indicted 21-year-old Deshawn Patton on 11 felonies and nine misdemeanors for the auto burglary spree, which occurred between 2016 and 2017. In August, Patton pleaded guilty to all charges.



According to prosecutor Shirin Oloumi, Patton is only required to serve half of the sentence, and with his credit for time served, will only serve about nine months in state prison.



During the sentencing, Judge Christopher Hite noted that while Patton had been arrested and posted bail a handful of times before being indicted, the bail amounts were considerably high, and he was not released on his own recognizance.



Hite also alleged that the District Attorney's Office had unfairly made Patton, a young African American man, "the face of all auto burglaries in the city."



After sentencing Patton, Hite urged Patton to take advantage of programs and resources offered in state prison to ensure that he would stay out of trouble after being released.



"It's not what we initially sought out when we took this case to the grand jury. I'm certainly glad the judge considered all of the evidence... I respect his decision," Oloumi said outside of court. "We're not out to get a particular person but in this case, the facts of the case, including the people he injured, the property (damaged)... merited a state prison sentence and that's what we were seeking in this particular case."



Patton was indicted on 11 felonies, including eight counts of auto burglary, one of receiving stolen property, one of resisting an executive officer and one of hit-and-run causing injury.



Patton was also indicted on nine misdemeanors, including two counts of receiving stolen property, one of possession of a burglary tool, one of unauthorized use of radio communication, three of resisting police officers, one of theft and one of hit-and-run causing property damage.



According to prosecutors, Patton committed eight auto burglaries, with six involving victims from out of town and six involving rental cars. On four different occasions, officers tried to arrest Patton, but he fled each time, once by allegedly ramming a police car, another time by ramming a vehicle he had just burglarized and another time by running on foot, prosecutors said.



Patton's attorney, Lisa Dewberry, refused to comment on the case.





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FAIRFIELD (BCN)



Fairfield police are highlighting a program that gives $500 to residents who contact authorities with credible information about guns at or near schools in the city.



The information must lead to an arrest in order for residents to collect the reward.



The program has been running for years and periodically leads to arrests, according to Fairfield police spokesman Sgt. Troy Oviatt.



Residents can report information by calling 911 or by reaching out to a school resource officer or administrator.



"All of us have a responsibility to help keep our students and community safe," Oviatt said in a news release sent out today.





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OAKLAND (BCN)



Oakland police deployed a number of tactical teams this morning to serve 16 warrants in at least three counties, making 12 arrests while seizing drugs, cash and a number of firearms, according to Acting Deputy Chief Roland Holmgren.



Holmgren was interviewed, apparently by other Oakland police personnel, in a video released by the department shortly before noon today.



"We're going after an infamous West Oakland gang we believe, and feel very confident, were responsible for terrorizing our community," Holmgren said.



The suspects have been involved in shootings, robberies and murders in cities as far away as Pittsburg, Antioch, Tracy and Stockton, according to Holmgren.



"They really knew no boundaries when it came to their criminal efforts," he said.



He added that the law enforcement operations have taken place both within Oakland's city limits as well as in neighboring cities.



Reports of unspecified police activity have surfaced in Berkeley this morning, involving the closure of northbound Shattuck Avenue near the University of California at Berkeley campus as well as a California Highway Patrol airplane circling overhead before dawn, waking a number of residents who complained on social media.



So far, however, none of those law enforcement agencies have commented on whether their operations this morning are related to one another.





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Thousands of Marriott hotel workers in San Francisco and San Jose went on strike this morning to demand higher pay, more job security and smaller workloads.



Organizers said about 2,500 workers were picketing at seven different Marriott hotels around San Francisco. Workers at one hotel in San Jose also went on strike.



Employees were marching in front of the hotels with picket signs and bullhorns. Some of the workers have been with the company for decades and they say low wages have forced them to take on second and third jobs.



Lisa Correa, a banquet server who has been with the company for 29 years, was one of the workers striking outside the Marriott Marquis this morning.



Correa said low pay has forced her to live outside of the city and she has to commute nearly 40 miles to work every day. She also said Marriott executives are trying to make it harder for workers to qualify for benefits.



"They've put millions of dollars into hotel renovations, but then they want to tell us that they can't afford medical," she said. "We've had enough of it."



Anand Singh, president of Unite Here Local 2, the San Francisco union representing hotel and restaurant workers, said union officials have been trying to negotiate with Marriott.



"We've been met with either resistance or deafening silence," Singh said.



The strike will continue until workers' demands are met, Singh said. He said as of mid-morning that the union hadn't heard from them.



The San Francisco hotels being picketed were the Courtyard Marriott Downtown, the Marriott Marquis, the Marriott Union Square, the Palace Hotel, the St. Regis, the W, and the Westin St. Francis, according to organizers.



A request for comment from Marriott was not immediately returned.





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Thousands of Marriott hotel workers in San Francisco and San Jose went on strike this morning to demand higher pay, more job security and smaller workloads.



Organizers said about 2,500 workers were picketing at seven different Marriott hotels around San Francisco. Workers at one hotel in San Jose also went on strike.



Employees were marching in front of the hotels with picket signs and bullhorns. Some of the workers have been with the company for decades and they say low wages have forced them to take on second and third jobs.



Lisa Correa, a banquet server who has been with the company for 29 years, was one of the workers striking outside the Marriott Marquis this morning.



Correa said low pay has forced her to live outside of the city and she has to commute nearly 40 miles to work every day. She also said Marriott executives are trying to make it harder for workers to qualify for benefits.



Anand Singh, president of Unite Here Local 2, the San Francisco union representing hotel and restaurant workers, said union officials have been trying to negotiate with Marriott without success.



The strike will continue until workers' demands are met, Singh said. He said as of mid-morning that the union hadn't heard from them.



The San Francisco hotels being picketed were the Courtyard Marriott Downtown, the Marriott Marquis, the Marriott Union Square, the Palace Hotel, the St. Regis, the W, and the Westin St. Francis, according to organizers.







Six African-Americans who were arrested in San Francisco in 2015 on suspicion of selling drugs sued the city in federal court today for alleged racial discrimination in law enforcement.



The lawsuit claims the San Francisco Police Department "suffers from widespread racial bias, systematically and selectively enforces the law against black people (and) refuses to be held accountable."



The six men and women were among 37 African-Americans who were arrested in the city's Tenderloin neighborhood between 2013 and 2015 in Operation Safe Schools, a joint federal-local operation to arrest people selling drugs within 1,000 feet of a school.



The plaintiffs, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, say the Tenderloin is racially diverse but claim the officers targeted only black people.



As an example, they cite a video that allegedly shows an unidentified officer failing to arrest a possible suspect he called an "Asian chick" while waiting to arrest a black woman who was talking on her phone.



The six plaintiffs are among 12 arrestees who refused to plead guilty in federal court and claimed the police were racially biased.



In 2016, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen said their claims were strong enough to allow collection of evidence, and after that, federal prosecutors dismissed the charges.



The plaintiffs say they suffered emotional distress and lost wages and job opportunities before the cases were dismissed. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, asks for compensatory and punitive financial compensation.







A 90-year-old man who has been charged with the murder of his stepdaughter last month in San Jose was assigned a defense lawyer in Santa Clara County Superior Court this morning.



Anthony Aiello, who is currently in custody without bail, was arrested on Sept. 25 after police responded to a wellness check from a co-worker and found 67-year-old Karen Navarra dead on Sept. 13.



Aiello, who did not enter a plea today, appeared in front of Judge Arthur Bocanegra and will be represented by defense attorney Steven Nakano.



Navarra was located five days after a Fitbit tracker registered her heartbeat spiking, then slowing to a stop at her San Jose home, according to a police statement of facts.







Police in Berkeley say they've closed the northbound lanes of Shattuck Avenue between Dwight Way and Blake Street, near the campus of University of California at Berkeley, for unspecified police activity this morning.



Police warned the public as of about 9 a.m. to expect those roads to remain closed for the next few hours.



Earlier this morning, a California Highway Patrol plane flew low around central Berkeley while helping another law enforcement agency serve warrants, prompting residents to complain on social media that they had been awakened by the plane.



The CHP didn't elaborate on which agency the plane was helping, but information from FlightRadar.com showed the plane flying in circles around the central part of the city around 6 a.m. today.







A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of his co-worker in Morgan Hill in July, police said today.



Martin Mason Garcia, 30, of Watsonville, was arrested Tuesday for the death of Curtis Stephen Stapleton, 27, of Sunnyvale, according to Morgan Hill police.



At about 9:40 p.m. on July 3, officers were dispatched to the 15000 block of Concord Circle on a report of an unconscious man on the sidewalk. They arrived to find Stapleton, who was pronounced dead at the scene.



Investigators determined the death was suspicious and that Garcia was the last person to be seen with Stapleton. The two men were co-workers at a nearby business and apparently were involved in a physical altercation, police said.



Over the past three months, detectives gathered enough evidence linking Garcia to the death. A $6 million arrest warrant was issued and Garcia was arrested Tuesday in Watsonville and then booked into Santa Clara County Jail, according to police.



A GoFundMe account was created following Stapleton's death to raise funds for his family, including a young daughter. The account at https://www.gofundme.com/curtis-stapleton-union-brother had raised nearly $9,400 as of this morning.







A 60-year-old man suffered life-threatening injuries in a hit-and-run collision along San Francisco's Panhandle on Wednesday night, according to police.



The collision was reported at 9:07 p.m. at Oak and Baker streets.



The vehicle struck the victim as he walked in a crosswalk, and the driver then fled east on Oak Street and remains at large.



A detailed description of the suspect and vehicle were not immediately available from police.



The victim was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries.







San Mateo County sheriff's deputies are seeking a man who was confronted after looking through the window of a home in San Carlos on Tuesday night, sheriff's officials said today.



Deputies responded at about 11:20 p.m. Tuesday to the 2300 block of Howard Avenue and learned a passerby confronted the suspect who was looking into the window.



A minor scuffle ensued and the suspect then fled toward Dayton Avenue. Deputies searched the area but did not find the man, sheriff's officials said.



The man is described as being white or Hispanic and about 5 feet 8 inches tall and 180 pounds. He had dark brown hair in a combover-syle haircut that was shaved on both sides of his head, and was last seen wearing a white button-down shirt, black dress pants and black dress shoes.







A man was arrested on suspicion of burglarizing a San Mateo home on Wednesday after the theft was captured on surveillance footage and an officer recognized the suspect as someone known to them as being on probation, according to police.



The man, identified as 19-year-old San Mateo resident Tenzien Rinchen, was allegedly captured on home surveillance video burglarizing a home in the 2200 block of Isabelle Avenue around 11 a.m., according to police.



Officers went to Rinchen's home where they took him into custody and found items that were stolen from the home earlier Wednesday, police said.



Rinchen has been booked into the San Mateo County Jail.





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BCN7)



BERKELEY (BCN)



Police in Berkeley say they've closed the northbound lanes of Shattuck Avenue between Dwight Way and Blake Street, near the campus of University of California at Berkeley, for unspecified police activity this morning.



Police warned the public as of about 9 a.m. to expect those roads to remain closed for the next few hours.



Earlier this morning, a California Highway Patrol plane flew low around central Berkeley while helping another law enforcement agency serve warrants, prompting residents to complain on social media that they had been awakened by the plane.



The CHP didn't elaborate on which agency the plane was helping, but information from FlightRadar.com showed the plane flying in circles around the central part of the city around 6 a.m. today.



No further information is immediately available.





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The Crown Point Volunteer Fire Department will host its annual Fire Prevention Open House from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Crown Point Fire Station, 126 N. East St. Hot dogs, chips, popcorn, beverages and desserts will be available at the event, which is open to the community. Learn how to protect your family from fire in the EDITH (Exit Drills in the Home) trailer and participate in the Junior Firefighter obstacle course. Kids can take a look inside the fire trucks and ambulances and participate in hands-on activities. There also will be activities for adults such as a CPR booth, a smoke detector learning station and accident prevention information. More information is at 219-662-3248.
Purdue University Northwest was actually the only university that I chose to apply to when pursuing an undergraduate degree, Szura said. I am considered a first-generation college student, and prior to enrolling, I had no knowledge of collegiate education or anything closely related to it. Thus, my choice to enroll and attend PNW was based heavily on my excitement with being accepted by the university, as I never would have thought it possible.
We will get together, review where we are, discuss what counterproposals we need to make and give you another update when we know more, a union statement to members said. Remember, while weve made progress, this is not a time for any of us to relax. The solidarity you demonstrated with our strike authorization votes a month ago, along with a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract for our brothers and sisters at Cleveland Cliffs, have pushed the company to this point.
Frantz, a 2016 film from France and Germany, will screen at 7 p.m. Nov. 2 in Neils Science Center, Room 234. Timothy Malchow, associate professor of foreign languages and literatures, will discuss the film after its screening. He is also director of the Kade-Duesenberg German House and Cultural Center.
U.S. President Donald Trump "is wrong" over the trade row with China, and "seeking surplus with every trading partner is not 'winning'," "it is absurd," chief economics commentator at the Financial Times (FT) said Wednesday.







Martin Wolf, a British economics journalist, said in a signed article carried by the FT that "it is incredible that such primitive ideas rule the most sophisticated country on earth."





Wolf, also an associate editor and chief economics commentator at the FT, said that "the U.S. president believes if a country sells more goods to a trade partner than it buys, it has 'won.' He also thinks that if it buys more goods from a trading partner than it sells, it can "'win' a protectionist war, because the other side has more to lose."





"Serious economists, back to Adam Smith, would insist that seeking a surplus with every trading partner is not 'winning'," he said. "It is absurd. This is not even intelligent mercantilism, which would focus on the overall balance."





In the trade dispute with China, Wolf said, "Mr. Trump has made two characteristic mistakes. First, he has over-reached. China cannot deliver bilaterally balanced trade because it is unable to force Chinese people to buy goods they do not want," and "second, he has exaggerated U.S. power."





"If the U.S. president persists with pure bilateralism, it will not win. But it will do damage to itself, trade, the world economy and international relations," Wolf said. "Trade wars are not good. With great powers, they are not easy to win either."




(CNN) The catastrophic recent weather events in the United States, Asia and elsewhere have once again shown that the world is in the midst of a climate crisis of our own making. While countries like ours are on the front lines of the worst impacts to come, these events remind us that no country is immune.

Simply put, the commitments the world has made so far under the Paris Agreement to reduce the emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are woefully inadequate. And we are out of time. If we do not increase these commitments by 2020 as the agreement requires us to do, the potential impacts will be devastating, and they threaten the lives, homes and livelihoods of people in countries like ours.

We must act, and we must make the world understand its responsibility to act.

That is why, together, Fiji and the Marshall Islands, as members of the High Ambition Coalition, which came together in the Paris negotiations, are committed to continuing to lead the world by example. At this year's UN General Assembly, we were among the first to announce that we will deliver stronger new targets to reduce emissions, and have, or are in the process of developing, long-term decarbonization plans.

Last Monday, the Marshall Islands published one of the most ambitious plans to decarbonize an economy, pledging to reach net-zero emissions by midcentury, and to implement short-term plans consistent with that long-term vision. This makes sense for our economy and our environment, as well as for our people and our planet. We will do this by transforming our electricity, waste and transportation sectors, and putting a big new focus on adaptation, for which we will be heavily reliant on securing additional international public finance.

Similarly, Fiji is committing to delivering an enhanced emissions-reduction target by next year. To achieve this, we are engaging all sectors of the economy to prepare a comprehensive long-term 2050 decarbonization strategy to achieve net-zero emissions. This process will inform the preparation of our new national target. We are examining extra reductions from our transport, maritime, agriculture and forestry sectors. This is in addition to our existing commitment to produce 100% of our electricity from renewables by 2030.

But governments alone cannot combat climate change. The enormity of the challenge defies simple government solutions. It will take conscious effort at every level -- in every community, every business, every institution and every home. It will, indeed, require all of us, working toward one noble, and ultimately self-interested, objective to preserve the quality of life as we know it on planet Earth.

We are pleased to see that many sub-national governments -- the world's cities, counties, states, and regions -- are taking up the mantle of leadership, and in some cases are ahead of their national governments in their efforts and their stated commitments. Climate action and leadership, wherever it arises, needs to be embraced. That is why we are encouraged that the vast majority of the private sector and civil society is energetically embracing the need to reduce carbon emissions and waste of all kinds. This kind of commitment should serve to strengthen the resolve and the ability of governments to raise their own targets.

There is a robust process in place to do so -- through the UN Convention on Climate Change. This year's meeting in Poland in December will be marked by the Talanoa Dialogue, based on the concept of an open, honest and respectful process of dialogue used in the Pacific. The idea of Talanoa is to bring the best ideas for how to tackle this threat to the surface and share them.

We need this process of collective effort now more than ever. The nations of the world will need to bring solutions -- in the form of strengthened targets and long-term decarbonization plans by 2020. That is the deadline agreed to in Paris to increase our short-term actions in order to keep temperatures within the safe limits established by that very agreement.

To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, we need to chart a clear path forward. This path goes from the groundswell of climate action we witnessed at California Gov. Jerry Brown's Global Climate Action Summit last month, through Climate Week and the One Planet Summit in New York last week, through to the Virtual Summit of the Climate Vulnerable Forum in November, to the Talanoa Dialogue at COP24, and from there into 2019 and the UN Secretary-General's Climate Summit. This is the path forward, and if we all walk it together, we can reach our destination.

Fiji and the Marshall Islands are leading by example. We are moving forward and we call on all other countries to follow our lead. We believe that if two developing countries can develop robust emissions-reduction targets that truly drive us toward the goals we agreed to in Paris, then other nations can, too -- including the almost 30 countries that signed a Declaration for Ambition in June, and which we call on other countries to now join.

When we talk about combating climate change, we always talk about the need to raise ambition. That is what we have done. Every country must now join us.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "To truly fight climate change, we need to set our sights higher."
You are here: China

Chinese legal experts have said the hefty fines issued to actress Fan Bingbing underline a resolve to fight tax evasion and healthily develop China's film and TV sector.

China's tax authorities on Wednesday made public the results of an investigation into Fan's tax evasion case, one of the largest of its kind in years.

Investigators found that Fan had evaded about 7.3 million yuan (1.07 million U.S. dollars) in personal income tax and business taxes during her work on the Chinese film "The Bombing."

Fan and firms of which she is legal representative also have tax arrears amounting to 248 million yuan, of which 134 million yuan was evaded.

The actress was ordered to pay taxes and fines worth more than 800 million yuan. And she will face criminal investigation if she fails to comply on time.

Shi Zhengwen, a tax law specialist at China University of Political Science and Law, said contract fraud was an issue that has attracted strong public complaints in recent years.

The punishment is severe but matches the illicit acts, Shi said, adding that potential tax evaders should be warned.

"The case sends a strong warning to those who flout the tax law and is a good lesson on tax compliance to the public," said Zhang Bin, a researcher with National Academy of Economic Strategy under Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

He said public awareness on tax payment was key as China deepens reform to improve its taxation systems.

People from the film and TV industry, meanwhile, said the case would promote the healthy development of the sector.

Lin Yongjian, deputy head of China Television Artists Association, said literary and art circles supported the penalty.

"Film stars make easy money. With the fame and wealth, they choose not to fulfill their tax obligations. It is not ok," he said.

Lin said he believed the case would help promote fair and reasonable income distribution in the sector and correct wrongs in the industry.

A sector-wide overhaul of exorbitant casting fees, contract fraud and tax evasion has been ongoing since late June.

The State Taxation Administration said it would soon launch a new campaign to regulate tax payment in the film and TV industry.

It said film and TV firms as well as relevant personnel that undergo self-examination and make remedial payments to taxation authorities before Dec. 31 will be exempt from administrative punishment and penalties.

Zhong Chengxiang, head of China Literature and Art Critics Association, urged artists and entertainers to abide by laws and meet public expectations by raising their moral integrity and the artistic appeal of their work.




A professor at Brooklyn College is facing public backlash, thanks to a blog post he penned regarding the sexual assault allegations made against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Mitchell Langbert, an associate professor of business at Brooklyn College, wrote that sexual assault is a common behavior of male high school students, before likening the allegations leveled by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford as a "spin-the-bottle crime."

"If someone did not commit sexual assault in high school, then he is not a member of the male sex," Langbert wrote in the post dated Sept. 27. "The Democrats have discovered that 15-year-olds play spin-the-bottle, and they have jumped on a series of supposed spin-the-bottle crimes during Kavanaugh's minority, which they characterize as rape, although no one complained or reported any crime for 40 years."

The missive goes on to attack Democrats, calling them "a party of tutu-wearing pansies, totalitarian sissies who lack virility, a sense of decency, or the masculine judgment that has characterized the greatest civilizations."

The professor's words circulated both at Brooklyn College and on social media, where screenshots of his blog post were shared on Twitter, and users began tagging Langbert's place of employment.

Langbert later added to the post, calling the original piece "satirical" in the style of the 1729 essay, "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift  but that addition did little to quell the anger from critics who called for Langbert to be fired over his comments.

"I wrote the following short blog in light of the defamation that Judge Kavanaugh has suffered at the hands of his political opponents. ... I was surprised to learn that some readers took me literally, claiming that I advocate rape," Langbert wrote in his addition to the original post, calling the defamation of Kavanaugh "a disgrace."

In an interview with the New York Post, Langbert apparently promised to sue the school if his job were to be threatened, and stated that Brooklyn College represents "totalitarian bigotry." Langbert also said students at the school "are indoctrinated in socialism" and "trained to demand that anyone who disagrees with them to be fired."

In regards to the controversial words on his blog, the New York Post wrote that Langbert felt his post was "provocative," but not worthy of any ire, telling the news outlet, "It's natural for males to be sexually exploratory. As long as there is no coercion or violence, it's not a crime."

In a further response to news site Gothamist, Langbert called the original post a "satirical and hyperbolic piece," and that his arguments "are sarcastic, not literal."

For its part, Brooklyn College's provost and senior vice president, Anne Lopes, condemned the message as offensive in a statement via Twitter, but stated the school would ultimately support Langbert's First Amendment rights:

It has come to our attention that a Brooklyn College faculty member blogged a gender-biased and homophobic post that advocates sexual assault last week.

I view the post as offensive, obviously abhorrent, and contravening the fundamental values and practices of our community. However, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects even speech that many experience as offensive, such as the faculty member's post.

... In the meantime, we hope that people will respond to abhorrent speech with persuasion.

Students are organizing a campus protest against Langbert, which is set for Thursday.

Read Dianne de Guzman's latest stories and send her news tips at ddeguzman@sfchronicle.com.

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You are here: China

Police in southern China's Guangdong Province seized 8.5 tonnes of drugs in the first eight months of the year.

The provincial narcotics control commission said local police cracked over 9,000 drug cases and uncovered over 66,000 drug users in the January-August period.

Over 30,000 drug users were placed in compulsory rehabilitation centers, it said.

All students at schools in Guangdong will receive education to increase anti-drug awareness by the end of the year, the commission said.

Local authorities also helped those who overcame drug addiction find jobs and offered allowances to poor families who have members in rehab programs.
Kids under 12 can no longer be prosecuted for crimes other than certain violent felonies, which include murder and sexual assault (SB 439).

Kids under 12 can no longer be prosecuted for crimes other than certain violent felonies, which include murder and sexual assault (SB 439).

Photo: Ariusz
Let's be honest: Finding a roommate can be a giant headache. In a best-case scenario, you'll end up living with someone who becomes your BFF; worst case, you'll end up signing a lease with an epic weirdo.

For anyone with a horrible roommate story, the warning signs typically started to show after you moved innot from first glance at the roommate wanted ad. But in the case of the nutty ads below, the renters showed their true colors from the get-go.

Take a look at some of the most outlandish roommate wanted ads we've ever seen posted. If reading this doesn't make you happy that you live alone (or at least with a levelheaded roommate), we don't know what will.

'Steeler fans only'

Know how many Super Bowls the Steelers have won? You'd better if you want to live here. pbs.com

Baltimore Ravens fans need not apply. This ad, posted in 2016 by avid Pittsburgh Steelers fans named "John" and "Scott" in Sharpsburg, PA, spelled out exactly the type of roommate they're looking for.

At the time the ad was posted, it caught the attention of Rolling Stone reporter Scott Rafferty. The flyer is "awesome, even if it probably breaks some kind of anti-discrimination law," Rafferty noted.



Living in the loo

Exactly where will you and your air mattress go when your roomie is using the can? craigslist.org

A $400 living situation in New York City's East Village sounds like the ultimate sublet, but scan the details and you'll realize it may be the lowest form of slumlord-ing known to man.

This listing, which appeared on Craigslist in November 2008, indicates that the renter of the bathroomand the renter's guestsare confined to the room unless the "female" in her "mid 60s" needs to use the loo. For that reason alone, we'd have to imagine that she remained the lone occupant.



Hog heaven?

Who doesn't want to be bullied by a boar in their own home? http://www.craigslist.org

Honesty is the best policy when it comes to talking about pets, no matter if it's a dog, cat, or potbellied pig. This ad, posted on Craigslist in January 2013, says the place is occupied by not one but two porkers.

Before you succumb to their cuteness, you might want to remember they're "herd animals." And as you read on, you'll learn Franklin, the elder pig, "will bully you." It also seems fair to say that you will not be allowed to consume bacon in this crib. Don't expect to get a spot on that couch either!



Must love nature

The tent where you can rough it with two other roommates for $200 a month. http://www.craigslist.org

San Francisco has been the most expensive city to rent in for a while now, so residents have had to get creative with their living situations. Case in point: this ad for a roommate to rent one-third of a tent for $50 a week, which appeared on Craigslist in September 2015.

The original posters say the "tent moves locations throughout the week to keep fresh," and while that change of scenery may be nice, the idea of living in 15 square feet of space sounds like ... a challenge.



Points for creativity

If she's this creative, imagine what your holiday decor will look like. visualnews.com

This is one way to stand out in the rental market! If you're charmed by the creativity of this post and not turned off by the over-the-top self-promotion, Lauren might be the roommate for you. And with all those testimonials, who wouldn't want to live with Lauren, right? Seriously, she had us at mac and cheese.

We're sure she had tons of inquiries and not just about that "Ironic Naked Man" in the lower right-hand corner. This ad generated so much buzz that it appeared in HuffPost and Visual News in October 2013. Both publications praised the graphic designer for her creativity and cleverness.



'The hive is located in the living room'

You're not allergic to bees, right? http://www.craigslist.org

Forgive us for being daft, but isn't beekeeping typically an outdoor activity? Is it really wise to maintain a "rather large hive of Africanized honey bees" in the living room?

According to this ad, posted to Craigslist in June 2003 for a room in an East Village apartment, "occasionally something sets [the bees] off and hive [sic] becomes enraged and tends to swarm." Sounds awesome!

But even if sharing your life with a swarm of bees doesn't sound so bad, don't even think about bringing your "large collection of predatory insects" along.



'I just want your rent money'

CIA-level background check is included with rent. craigslist.org

This ad is a joke, right? Aside from copping to his or her impossibly high standards, the original poster basically admits that your security deposit ("three times the amount anyone could describe as reasonable") won't be returned, whether you like it or not.

This ad, placed on Craigslist in January 2009, is either proof that the internet is a very dark place or that people will do anything to try to go viral.

It's hard to believe the apartment, with its "magic sheet," had been posted for six weeks with no bites.

The post 10 of the Wackiest Roommate Wanted Ads, Ever appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
An unruly passenger was violently escorted off of an Alaska Airlines flight from Oahu to San Francisco on September 27th, and one of the passengers is not happy with the way it was handled.

Lindsey Babb of Elk Grove was on the flight with her two daughters and recorded the incident on her cell phone.

"We boarded the plane but were just sitting there," Babb told SFGATE. "We were wondering what was happening until we heard the flight crew announce there's an individual who needs to sit down in his seat or get off the plane."

After a while, they learned a man had locked himself in the bathroom at the back of the plane. Babb said flight attendants knocked on the doors and asked him to come out, but were unsuccessful.

Babb estimates the man was locked in the bathroom for about 30 minutes before five law enforcement officials boarded the plane

"That's when I started to take video footage, that's when I knew something was really wrong," Babb said. "Officers began to bang on door, and they actually broke the door down to get the man out of there."

After breaking down the door, the authorities attempted to escort the man off of the plane.

"They still didn't have control of the situation because he was walking independently, they didn't have restraints on him," Babb said. "His shirt was off, he was soaking wet, and one of his officers was holding his shirt, which was also soaking wet."

Babb said passengers assumed the water came from the bathroom sink, but weren't completely sure.

"It was super confusing, it was like, 'What is this guy doing in the bathroom soaking wet?'" she said.

As the man was walking towards the front of the aircraft, he stopped by the seat that was originally supposed to be his and sat in it.

"No, you have to get off the plane," one of the officers can be heard saying in the video.

"Please don't arrest me!" The man can be heard screaming as he struggles with law enforcement.

The passenger was ultimately removed from the plane, and Babb said the officers' hands were "covered in blood" after the scuffle.

Babb, who was sitting in the row across from the man, is frustrated that the plane wasn't deboarded prior to the incident.

"The man in front us tried to exit the plane and got yelled at," Babb said. "He was not nicely asked, [the flight attendants] said, 'Anyone who is out of your seats get back in your seats now, remain in your seats.'"

Babb and her daughters couldn't exit the plane due to the altercation spilling into the part of the aisle right next to them. The woman who was originally supposed to sit next to the disruptive passenger sat in Babb's lap during the incident.

"We should not have been on that plane," Babb said. "We should have been deboarded the minute Alaska Airlines felt they lost control of the situation. He was locked in the bathroom, so they could have easily cleared the plane before [law enforcement] came on board."

Babb said the plane arrived in San Francisco two and a half hours later than it was supposed to.

"This was one of my daughters' first flights ever, and now this is what flights are in her young mind," she said. "When people ask, 'how was your trip to Hawaii?' rather than talk about the turtles we saw, we're talking about the scary guy on the plane."

Alaska Airlines did not respond to an SFGATE request for comment, but said in a statement to Fox News, "the safety of our guests and crew is our top priority."

"A guest entered the bathroom and would not come out," the statement read. "The flight crew contacted law enforcement to remove the passenger. The flight departed about two hours late. We sincerely apologize to our guests for the inconvenience."

Babb said someone from Alaska Airlines offered to give her family reimbursement and vouchers for future flights, but she says the family has not heard from the airline since last week.

Eric Ting is an SFGATE staff writer. Email him at eting@sfchronicle.com and follow him on Twitter

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PALU, Indonesia A French rescue team said Thursday it has detected a possible sign of life under the rubble of a hotel in Indonesias Sulawesi island nearly a week after it was hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, as the death toll rose to more than 1,500.

Philip Besson, a member of the French organization Pompiers de lurgence, said the teams high-tech sensors detected the presence of a victim in the wreckage of the four-star Mercure Hotel in Palu but wasnt able to say if the person is conscious. The device can pick up signs of life, including breathing and heart beats, he said.

Nita Hamaale, whose 20-year-old younger sister is believed to be buried beneath the hotel rubble, said a translator for the French rescue team told her they didnt want to raise her hopes. The translator said its possible other factors such as gas in the rubble could result in a false positive, Hamaale said.

Besson said the five-member team only had a hand drill that was not strong enough to reach the victim, who was trapped under thick concrete, and had to abandon digging as night fell. Besson said the team would bring heavy equipment Friday to try to rescue the person.

We have to drill through the concrete to be able to verify and access the victim, he said.

Rescue efforts since last Fridays quake have been greatly impeded by a shortage of heavy equipment. The national disaster agency said late Thursday that the death toll has risen to 1,558.

Agency spokesman Supoto Purwo Nugroho said the body of a South Korean man was among eight dead pulled Thursday from the wreckage of another hotel, the Roa Roa, which collapsed sideways in a heap of cement and steel. Local television said the man, the only foreigner known to have perished in the disaster, was a paraglider taking part in an event in the area.

As the search for victims continued, aid workers raced to get shelter, food, medicine and other badly needed supplies to survivors.

The Indonesian military was bringing in hundreds more troops to help with search and rescue efforts and keep order among survivors who have grown desperate six days after their lives were thrown into chaos. Hundreds of the injured and other survivors lined up on the tarmac of Palus badly damaged airport, hoping to escape aboard military aircraft.

Tassanee Vejpongsa is an Associated Press writer.
JERUSALEM  German Chancellor Angela Merkel kicked off the second day of her two-day visit to Israel on Thursday with an emotional tour of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and museum.

Israel was established three years after the end of World War II, and the German government has paid billions in reparations to Holocaust survivors and positioned itself as a leader in combatting anti-Semitism. Under Merkel, it has been perhaps Israels strongest European ally.

Accompanied by Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev, Merkel took special notice of an exhibited letter that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler sent deployed German soldiers in which he tried to boost their morale by saying they were fighting a war of existence, a war against communism and its perpetrators, the Jews.

She then participated in a memorial ceremony for the 6 million victims of the Nazi-led Holocaust.

The Jews in Germany suffered from hatred and violence that the world did not know was possible, she wrote in the memorials guest book. What came later is a crime that has no equal  the tear down of civilization  the Holocaust.

Merkel is in Israel for the latest in a series of joint government consultations. She is accompanied by much of her Cabinet, a large business delegation and a new official in charge of combatting anti-Semitism. The visit is expected to focus on economic issues, with an emphasis on innovation, technology and development projects.

Merkel is set to sign a series of new agreements, including scientific exchanges and joint projects in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology.

Germany is Israels largest trading partner in Europe and for the past few decades has been perhaps its staunchest supporter. But differences have been exacerbated following the election of President Trump.

Netanyahu has been one of Trumps biggest international backers, lauding him for pulling out of the Iranian nuclear deal that Merkel and other world leaders helped negotiate in 2015.

Trump also has largely refrained from criticizing Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank  a frequent European complaint  recognized Jerusalem as its capital and moved the U.S. Embassy there.

In contrast, Merkel has continued to champion the traditional approach to Middle East peacemaking, calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state and for Israel to refrain from unilateral steps to undermine its prospect.

Aron Heller is an Associated Press writer.
BAJIL, Yemen  With American backing, the United Arab Emirates has resumed an all-out offensive aimed at capturing Yemens most vital port, Hodeida, where Shiite rebels are digging in to fight to the last man. Thousands of civilians are caught in the middle, trapped by minefields and barrages of mortars and air strikes.

If the array of Yemeni militias backed by the UAE takes the city, it would be their biggest victory against the rebels, known as Houthis, after a long stalemate in the three-year-old civil war.

But the battle on the Red Sea coast also threatens to throw Yemen into outright famine.

Hodeidas port literally keeps millions of starving Yemenis alive, as the entry point for 70 percent of food imports and international aid. More than 8 million of Yemens nearly 29 million people have no food other than what is provided by world relief agencies.

A protracted siege could cut off that lifeline. The battle has already killed hundreds of civilians and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, adding to the more than 2 million Yemenis displaced by the war. Amid the fighting, cholera cases in the area leaped from 497 in June to 1,347 in August, Save the Children reported Tuesday.

The assault began in June, then paused in August as the U.N. envoy for Yemen tried to cobble together peace talks, the first in two years. That attempt fell apart, and the offensive resumed in mid-September.

The U.S. effectively gave a green light to push ahead when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sept. 12 certified continued American support for the Saudi-led coalitions air campaign against the Houthis. The coalition has come under heavy criticism for its relentless air strikes since 2015, which U.N. experts say have caused the majority of the estimated 10,000 civilian deaths in the conflict and could constitute a war crime. Several strikes in August killed dozens of children.

Pompeo declared that Saudi Arabia and the UAE were taking adequate measures to minimize civilian deaths. The U.S. supports the coalition with intelligence and air-to-air refueling for its warplanes, as well as with billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE  as well as the United States  say their campaign aims to restore the recognized government of President Abed Rabu Mansour Hadi and thwart what they contend is an attempt by Iran to seize control in Yemen through the rebels. Iran denies that the Houthis are its proxy.

Ahmed al-Haj and Maggie Michael are Associated Press writers.
WASHINGTON  Russian intelligence officers brazenly launched cyberattacks on investigators pursuing cases of Russian malfeasance around the globe, Western officials said Thursday, offering a litany of victims including anti-doping agencies, inspectors scrutinizing the poisoning of a former spy in Britain and others examining the downing of a passenger jet in 2014.

The Justice Department indicted seven Russian intelligence officers on charges of trying to hack into antidrug agencies in the United States, Canada and elsewhere, in an apparent effort to undermine their pursuit of Russian doping.

Hours earlier, officials in Europe accused Russia of cyberattacks on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The group was investigating the poisoning in Britain of a former Russian intelligence officer, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter. British officials have accused Russia of using a nerve agent to try to kill the former spy, prompting the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Western countries this year.

Officials in London also revealed an attempted hack on the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office by Russian military intelligence officers in March, in the aftermath of the attempted assassination of Skripal.

Dutch officials pointed to four Russians who they said were also behind an attempt to hack a Swiss laboratory testing a nerve agent for the chemical weapons organization as part of its investigation into the poisoning of the Skripals.

The Russian officers also targeted Malaysian investigators examining the shooting down of a passenger jet over Ukraine in 2014, the officials said. Russia has been blamed in that crash.

Though unlikely to lead to arrests or convictions, the accusations formed the latest round of an international public shaming of the Kremlin by the West.

The defendants believed that they could use their perceived anonymity to act with impunity, in their own countries and on territories of other sovereign nations, to undermine international institutions and to distract from their governments own wrongdoing, John Demers, assistant attorney general for national security, said Thursday. They were wrong.

Eileen Sullivan, Charlie Savage and David D. Kirkpatrick are New York Times writers.
ISTANBUL  Saudi Arabias Consulate in Istanbul insisted Thursday that a missing Saudi contributor to the Washington Post left its building before disappearing, directly contradicting Turkish officials who say they believe the writer is still inside.

The comments further deepen the mystery surrounding what happened to Jamal Khashoggi, who had been living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. while writing columns critical of the kingdom and its policies under upstart Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Khashoggis disappearance also threatened to further harm relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which are on opposite sides of an ongoing four-nation boycott of Qatar and other regional crises. Turkey summoned the Saudi ambassador to its Foreign Ministry on Thursday over the writers disappearance, said an official who requested anonymity in line with government rules.

In a statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the consulate did not challenge that Khashoggi, 59, had disappeared while on a visit to the diplomatic post.

The consulate confirmed that it is carrying out follow-up procedures and coordination with the Turkish local authorities to uncover the circumstances of the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi after he left the consulate building, the statement said, without elaborating.

A spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters Wednesday that authorities believed the journalist is still there.

On Tuesday, Khashoggi entered the consulate to get paperwork he needed in order to be married next week, said his fiancee Hatice, who gave only her first name for fear of retribution. He gave her his mobile phones for safekeeping, something common as embassies throughout the Middle East routinely require phones to be left outside as a security precaution.

Hours later, Hatice said she called Khashoggis friends in a panic when he never emerged.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern, saying given the Saudi authorities pattern of quietly detaining critical journalists, Khashoggis failure to emerge from the Saudi consulate on the day he entered is a cause for alarm.

Jon Gambrell and Ayse Wieting are Associated Press writings.
PALU, Indonesia  Climbing over reeking piles of sodden food and debris, a crowd on Wednesday searched a warehouse wrecked in Indonesias earthquake and tsunami for anything they could salvage: cans of condensed milk, soft drinks, rice, candy and painkillers.

A trickle of emergency aid is only now reaching parts of Sulawesi island, five days after the destructive quake that killed more than 1,400 people, and some increasingly desperate survivors are taking matters into their own hands.

We came here because we heard there was food, said Rehanna, a 23-year-old student, wearing a red motorcycle helmet. We need clean water, rice.

Elsewhere in the hard-hit city of Palu, residents clapped and cheered as they swarmed a truck that was finally delivering aid.

Im so happy, said Heruwanto, clutching a box of instant noodles. The 63-year-old man, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name, added: I really havent eaten for three days.

Indonesian authorities have been struggling to get relief to survivors who have been left without food, water, fuel and medicine after Fridays magnitude 7.5 quake and tsunami that smashed homes and businesses, downed communications and made roads impassable on Sulawesi.

The official death toll rose to 1,407 on Wednesday, with thousands injured and more than 70,000 displaced, said national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. He said the number of dead would increase, but that rescue crews had reached all affected areas.

The horror was still fresh in the minds of those like furniture maker Khairul Hassan, who was working in a shop near the beach when the ground shook violently. He ran to a hill and watched as the ocean heaved forward.

I saw the waves come and sweep out everything  buildings, factories, warehouses and some people who were lost, racing from the waves, some of them women and children, he said. Also, warehouse workers who were trapped under goods, all swept by the sea. Its so tragic. Its so scary to remember.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo visited the disaster zone Wednesday for a second time, saying theres still work to be done, but that conditions were improving.

There are lots of things happening related to evacuation, as aid and fuel are also coming in, he said.

The U.N. estimated that some 200,000 people need assistance, announcing a $15 million allocation to bolster relief efforts.

Stephen Wright is an Associated Press writer.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 71-year-old man who was beloved by Port Richmond High School staff and students was maimed Wednesday outside the school when he was struck by truck, according to school and law enforcement sources.

The victim was seriously injured when the driver of a tractor-trailer dump truck made a wide-turn, according to an NYPD spokesman.

The driver did not stay at the scene, police said.

An NYPD spokesman said it is possible the driver did not realize he struck the man.

Police responded at about 5:45 a.m. to the intersection of Innis Street and Trantor Place, where they determined one of the back tires of the truck clipped the man, causing him to fall.

The victim, identified by sources as Bob Pratnicki, is a beloved member of the community, known affectionately by Port Richmond students as the neighbor who greets them each day at school, cane in hand.

Pratnicki was transported to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, with numerous broken bones, a source with knowledge of the investigation told the Advance.

His leg was amputated, and he suffered kidney failure, according to the source.

The investigation remained ongoing, as of Thursday.
A series of self-driving sanitation vehicles were recently unveiled in Beijing and are expected to save the workloads of sanitation workers.

Co-developed by Beijing Sanitation Group and Baidu's unmanned driving platform Apollo, the seven small self-driving sanitation vehicles are designed to do sanitation work including sweeping, land washing, garbage collection and garbage transfer.

Among them four models are designed for outdoor use, including in squares, parks, industrial parks and living areas. Three models are mainly used in shopping malls, airports and exhibition halls.

According to Xue Zhendong, a deputy general manager at Beijing Sanitation Group, the self-driving sanitation vehicles integrate artificial intelligence, image recognition and precise positioning.

"They have 'eyes' and 'brains.' The eyes refer to sensors located on the top as well as the body of the vehicle, allowing them to sense peripheral objects at 360 degrees. The brains refer to deep learning algorithm control technology, which make the optimal path plan according to the real-time environment and high-precision map," Xue said.

The vehicles can also be connected with a mobile phone app to conduct regular and fixed garbage collection and transportation.

"The vehicles are expected to improve the efficiency of sanitation works. On average, a single vehicle can clear 25,000 square meters of roads in an hour, equal to the workload of 10 to 20 sanitation workers," Xue said.

The vehicles can be put into practical use after they get approval from relevant departments, according to Beijing Sanitation Group.




STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  As always, there are dozens of animals in the care of dedicated volunteer animal rescue groups, just waiting for forever families to rescue them.

Click through the photos above to meet the adorable dogs and cats up for adoption at events around the borough this weekend.

Please keep in mind, its not all about cute pups and kitties: There are senior and disabled pets who really need you, too. BTW: Find a list of local rescue groups at the bottom of this post.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

OCT. 6: Join Louies Legacy and Best Friends Animal Society as they partner with other rescue groups, shelters and animal welfare organizations in NYC at 9 a.m. for the Strut your Mutt walk event at Hudson River Park, Pier 84, Manhattan. Strut to save the lives of homeless cats and dogs. Register for the fundraiser/walk individually or as a team. The event starts with a celebratory walk (dog not required) and includes a family-friendly festival with food trucks, vendors and fun activities. Almost 2,500 walkers raised over $500,000 last year for lifesaving programs. Visit ny.bestfriends.org/events/local-events/strut-your-mutt for more information.

Blessing of the Pets: The Church of St. Andrew, 40 Old Mill Rd., Richmondtown opens its doors and invites the public to bring their pets  all creatures, big and small  for a 10 a.m. mass. Father Aaron Hudson, Rector will offer a blessing to all pets in attendance during the liturgy in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. This year the parish will also bless and rededicate the Cemetery of All Gods Creatures," the only pet cemetery within the five boroughs of New York City.

OCT. 13: Petland Discounts Dog & Cat Spay/Neuter Clinics, ASPCA-Mobile Unit will be at Tysens Park Center, 2712 Hylan Blvd. beginning at 7 a.m. For more information visit Petlanddiscounts.com.

OCT. 14: Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R,C,I,Ref  Brooklyn/Staten Island) will once again be joining Pet Lovers United Together as One (P.L.U.T.O.) to host a pet adoption event at the Third Avenue Festival in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Malliotakis is encouraging all prospective pet owners to stop by the event from noon to 3:00 p.m. on the corner of 3rd Avenue and 74th Street. All animals available for adoption have been spayed or neutered and are up-to-date with vaccinations. The pets in need of a loving home can be seen at members.petfinder.com/~NY190/.

OCT. 21, NOV. 18: Petland Discounts low cost dog and cat vaccination clinic sponsored by VIP PET CARE:

 Best Buy Center, 2795 Richmond Ave.; 1:30-2:30 p.m.

 Hylan Plaza, 2712 Hylan Blvd.; 4-5 p.m. For more information visit Petlanddiscounts.com.

NOV. 24: Are you an artist, artisan or crafter who loves to help rescues? Then become a vendor for a holiday fair to benefit P.L.U.T.O. Rescue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24. Vendors will set up shop at Castleton Hill Moravian Church, 1657 Victory Blvd., Between Manor Road and Slosson Avenue. Eight-foot tables are available on a first-come basis. For more information, call Donna at 347-581-9629.

HOW TO CONTACT LOCAL RESCUE GROUPS:

 Animal Care Centers of NYC, 212-788-4000, nycacc.org; located at 3139 Veterans Road West. Adoption hours: Mon-Fri: noon to 8 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 Fur Friends in Need, NJ-based group with S.I. members and adoption events on the island; 732-829-1426, imavegge@aol.com; furfriendsinneed.com.

 Happy Homes Animal Rescue, NJ-based group with S.I. adoption events; 914-393-8292 or elaine@happyhomesinc.org; tinad225@gmail.com;happyhomesinc.org.

 Louies Legacy, 646-397-LLAR (5527), newyork@louieslegacy.org; and louieslegacy.org.

 Mama Chris Animal Rescue, Inc., 347-983-2240, mamachrisrescue@gmail.com, mamachrisrescue.org.

 New York Bully Crew, 844-633-NYBC (6922), nybcapp@gmail.com; nybullycrew.org.

 P.L.U.T.O. Rescue of S.I., 718-227-0553, plutorescue@aol.com; plutorescue.org.

 S.I. Council for Animal Welfare (SICAW), 718-948-5623, sicaw.petfinder.com

 S.I. Hope Animal Rescue, info@statenislandhoperescue.org statenislandhopeanimalrescue.org, 800-477-9168

 Victory for the Voiceless Animal Rescue, 718-442-1625, AdoptVictory4theVoiceless@gmail.com; victory4thevoicelessanimalrescue.com
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The Staten Island Albanian Islamic Cultural Center partnered with Project Hospitality Wednesday to help feed the hungry by donating 1,000 pounds of goat meat.

A donation of this size means that we will be able to offer a great Halal option for those who are experiencing hunger who wish to honor their beliefs as well, said Trazy Collins, the Food and Nutrition Program Director at Project Hospitality.

This is an uncommon gift for many who have religious convictions, as we rarely receive items that are Kosher or Halal, or free from various allergens such as gluten, soy or dairy, Collins said.

The Albanian Islamic Cultural Center also made a 2,000-pound donation of goat meat to the Stapleton non-profit last year.

Immediate Director of ICNA Relief, Moviz Siddiqi, was present this year as the Albanian Islamic Culture Center helped turn faith into action. We distribute the meat among the poor people, he said.

Since 1982, Project Hospitality has been a place where Staten Islanders could find food, a place to sleep, compassion, connection and opportunity -- even in their most difficult times. For more information, visit ProjectHospitality.org.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Borough President James Oddo will host the next in a series of blood drives on Tuesday, Oct. 9, at Borough Hall, St. George.

The blood drive is open to the public and will be run in cooperation with the New York Blood Center to benefit patients in need. The drive will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Conference Room 125.

I am thrilled to facilitate these blood drives, which help provide local patients with the blood they need, said Oddo. One blood donation can save up to three lives. The procedure takes less than an hour and is completely safe.

Appointments can be made to donate blood, but walk-ins will also be accepted. At the blood drive, donors can give either whole blood or automated red cells. For more information about the donation process or to make an appointment, visit statenislandusa.com/blooddrives.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 25-year-old man found his own way to the hospital after he reportedly was shot in a car during an attempted robbery in West Brighton, according to police.

The man is in stable condition at Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze after being shot once in the left knee and arriving at the facility by private means, according to police.

The incident was reported around 3 a.m., according to emergency radio communications.

The victim told police that he was sitting in the drivers seat of a 2017 Honda Accord on Freeman Place when two unknown males entered the rear of the vehicle and attempted to rob him at gunpoint, according to a spokeswoman for the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

A struggle ensued and a suspect fired a gun, striking the vicim.

Both suspects then fled on foot.

A police spokeswoman was unable to provide a description for the suspects.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 35-year-old man was shot in the foot after a dispute in Stapleton Wednesday night, a spokesman for the NYPD said.

An unknown assailant fired the shot at the man in front of a store on the 500 block of Targee Street at around 2:45 p.m., the spokesman said.

The man was taken to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, and is expected to recover from his injuries, according to the spokesman.

A large police presence was at the scene to investigate the incident. Targee Street between Sobel Court and Vanderbilt Avenue, and Vanderbilt Avenue between Targee Street and Hamilton Avenue were closed for the investigation.

No arrests had been made as of 9 p.m. Wednesday night, the police spokesman said.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The possibility of recreational marijuana legalization in New York is growing.

Recently, SILive reporters Kyle Lawson and Amanda Steen trekked to Oregon, where weed is completely legal, to document how pot legislation has changed the state, including those who use it, those who profit from it, and how others enforce it.

(Live now: Kyle Lawson answers questions on Reddit during an AMA session.)

Lawson will be on Reddit Thursday afternoon for a special AMA (Ask Me Anything) session related to his reporting and what he witnessed while visiting Oregon (and neighboring state Idaho, where marijuana is still illegal).

The Q&A is set for 1 p.m. on the r/iAmA subreddit.

Lawson and Steen, along with other Advance staffers, contributed to the SILive special report The United States of Weed, which made its debut earlier this year.

During the summer, SILive shared a podcast associated with the series that focused on Lawson and Steens trip. You can listen to it below.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- After the Advance reported multiple cars making illegal U-turns outside a Great Kills school -- causing serious concerns about student safety, NYPD officers have been stationed in the area.

The NYPD School Safety Twitter account posted photos of officers from the 122 Precinct outside Myra Barnes Intermediate School (I.S. 24) on Thursday at 8:48 a.m.

We appreciate the assistance from the 122 precinct with pedestrian safety at IS 24 in Staten Island. School and Student Safety is a shared responsibility and we are thankful for great partners! the tweet said.

We appreciate the assistance from the 122 precinct with pedestrian safety at IS 24 in Staten Island. School and Student Safety is a shared responsibility and we are thankful for great partners! pic.twitter.com/920HsYJVsc  NYPD School Safety (@NYPDSchools) October 4, 2018

The Advance recently visited the school, and witnessed double-parked vehicle and cars making illegal U-turns, despite the posted No U-turn signs.

A crossing guard at the intersection of Cleveland and Durant avenues told the Advance at the time that she sees about 15 illegal U-turns every day.

Its illegal to make a U-turn in a school zone in New York State, according to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Some of the cars made U-turns to avoid school buses with flashing red lights and stop signs as students disembark.

In recent months, additional safety measures were added to the area around I.S. 24, including repainted lines on Durant Avenue, all-way stop signs at the intersection of Cleveland and Durant avenues, and a crossing guard at the same intersection.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A new simulation created by NASA will help scientists understand light signals produced when two super-massive black holes -- which are millions to billions of times the mass of the sun -- spiral toward a collision.

NASA said in a press release that the new computer simulation incorporates the physical effects of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity. It shows that gas in these black holes will glow predominantly in ultraviolet and X-ray light.

Watch the video above to see the computer simulation of the super-massive black holes.

The simulation shows three orbits of a pair of super-massive black holes only 40 orbits away from merging. The simulation reveals the light emitted may be dominated by UV light with some high-energy X-rays.

Almost every galaxy the size of our own Milky Way or larger contains a black hole at its center, according to NASA. Observations show galaxy mergers occur frequently in the universe, but so far, no one has seen a merger of these giant black holes.

We know galaxies with central super-massive black holes combine all the time in the universe, yet we only see a small fraction of galaxies with two of them near their centers, said Scott Noble, an astrophysicist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

Noble continued: The pairs we do see arent emitting strong gravitational-wave signals because theyre too far away from each other. Our goal is to identify -- with light alone -- even closer pairs from which gravitational-wave signals may be detected in the future.

A paper describing the analysis of the new simulation was published on Oct. 2 in The Astrophysical Journal, and is now available online.

To watch other NASA videos, you can click here.

FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- There is always something interesting and rare to find when searching for antiques on eBay, but you must have the eye and the knowledge to recognize what is real and what is not.

Thousands of interesting and unique items appear on the auction site at any given time and, to be sure, most people have no clue as to what they are actually selling. Many items, of course, have been handed down to those who have little knowledge about art or antiques.

The majority of people just want to unload their possessions in order to make a quick buck, not realizing that what they are about to part with could have great monetary value. This was the case recently when I came upon a portrait of a woman measuring 25-inches-by-30-inches being offered for sale. It was listed only under the category of paintings. The owners description indicated nothing as to its age or origin. It was listed just a few days before the actual auction, and on the day of the sale I was the highest bidder.

Shortly after the sale ended, I contacted the seller to see if they could shed any light on where it may have come from or had any information about previous ownership, which could shed some light on the sitters identity. The owner could only say that it came from an old Kansas City estate some years ago. An old paper label attached to the rear of the painting was of no help, since most of it had peeled off after so many years.

Whatever the case may be, I immediately realized it was an 18th century painting. Also, judging from the style of the womans dress and pose, I could tell it dated to the years of the American Revolutionary War, (also known as the American War of Independence), roughly 1760 to 1780.

I did not judge the date on this alone, since I noticed it had been relined during its lifetime, which actually meant a past owner knew it was something of great importance and possibly value. Paintings with great age, and worthy of conservation, often get this type of attention.

This beautiful woman could have been a distant relative of the previous owner, and decided to care for it for future generations to come.

In this 18th century portrait, the sitter is wearing pearl earrings, which was very common for a woman of this era, even though there are far more portraits without. The particular necklace depicted here is a double strand of pearls worn close to the neck and referred to as a choker. Pearls have always been unique among gemstones, and have been objects of desire for their rarity and beauty.

In the 18th century, especially, many women admired their giant pearl earrings, which decoratively went well with their elaborate hair and luscious gowns. The close-up pictures provided by the seller allowed me to actually witness the fine age craquelure on the surface, especially in the sitters face.

Age craquelure is actually a network of fine cracks on the surface of a painting. This helps experts when it comes to authenticating old oil paintings.

There was enough time before the auction that I was able to do some research and try to narrow down a more accurate time frame for when this sitter actually sat for this painting. I also needed to know who might have painted her during these early years. I realized, that there were similar types of portraits that were executed in England and America during the mid-18th century; however, I was actually counting on it to be American, which would have greater value.

The double string of pearls she is sporting, as well as pearl earrings, is a strong indication she was a woman of great wealth, since only those with deep pockets could afford to have their likeness put to canvas wearing fine jewelry. There were a few accomplished artists active in England during the Revolutionary War period, and it would take some time to see who might have painted her in such a short period of time.

Some of these gifted artists included Thomas Gainsborough, who is known to have dominated British portraiture of the second half of the 18th century and Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), who devoted his life to painting mainly portraits.

Those few American portrait painters included John Trumbell (1756-1843), who specialized in portraits during the height of the American Revolution, and Charles Wilson Peale (1741-1827).

After reviewing many of the portraits by these few painters, I was more convinced that my painting might be from the palette of Peale, who traveled to England early in his career, working under the guidance of Benjamin West, who was already an established portrait painter in London. He returned to our shores, only to become one of the leading portrait painters in America.

Judging from one of his female portraits (Anne Catherine Hoof Green), which he executed in 1769, I noticed certain similarities to my portrait. She is wearing a very similar dress with a blue bow together with lace fringes. I realize it is very difficult to judge just from a photograph alone, but this pointed me in the right direction, narrowing down whom might have painted her.

Peale not only painted portraits of aristocratic individuals, he also executed portraits of politicians, and those who fought and won in the American Revolution. He also captured the likeness on canvas of certain political individuals who created the Constitution of the young American republic, and, not to forget, he painted the likeness of our first president of the United States, George Washington, in 1779.

There is always the question of why people collect portraits, even if they have no clue as to who the sitter is, or the artist for that matter.

It was actually during the 18th century, mainly in England, that the upper classes commissioned portraits of loved ones or ancestors, no longer reserved just for royalty. This was a time when portraits were a symbol of wealth and status. Many of these portraits of the time were given as gifts; they could be life size or in the form as a miniature painted on ivory and housed in a locket of gold or silver.

Most of the large canvases were hung in a prominent place in ones home, or certain institutions, some painted with other family members, such as husband or children. This was also a time when women especially could be painted in the latest style of clothing, and commissioned by those established artists who were active and eager to make a decent living.

Like any other type of painting, portraits are part of history. They tell a story about the sitter, who he or she was, where they lived, their role in society, and how many made their fortunes. Many portraits of women and children are to be admired, even though we have no indication who the sitters might be.

When these portraits were first painted, rarely was there any thought given as to where they would eventually end up years after they were executed. These people remain immortal for centuries without a trace of identity.

At this time, artists in general did not find it appropriate to sign their works, since most sitters did not want another name on the front of the canvas. However, some artists did in fact place the sitters name on the back of the canvas, and many years later when these portraits were relined, the information was not transferred to the new canvas. In some instances, an X-ray can reveal any signs of a signature, even that of the artist.

To think she was painted on or before the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and that she is still here to remind all of us of a time when freedom meant a great deal. I also found it very strange that I came upon this portrait only a few days before the Fourth of July celebration, 244 years later.

I will follow up on trying to identify this woman on canvas, as well as who painted her.

Whether she is English or American, she will remain part of my collection, and who knows, she just might have been married to one of these master portrait painters of the 18th century.
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Shares in Australian mining companies Alumina and South32 have rocketed on news that the world's largest alumina refinery in Brazil would shut down indefinitely.

Norsk Hydro said its Alunorte alumina refinery in Brazil, which produces 5 per cent of global alumina supplies, would be fully curtailed as its waste deposit area was nearing capacity.

The Alumina do Norte do Brasil SA plant, known as Alunorte. Credit:Marcos Issa

The refinery had already been running at reduced levels due to an environmental dispute with the regulators in Brazil. Norsk Hydro, a Norwegian metals company, said the closure would force 4700 job cuts at the Alunorte site.

The announcement sent the price of aluminium soaring on Thursday amid worries of a shortage of the raw material alumina, a key ingredient in aluminium. South 32 and Alumina, which mine bauxite and refine it to produce alumina, stand to gain from a higher alumina price.
With the first pallets stacked in the boot of their car, three former schoolmates roamed from store to store, offering a colourful range of drinks for sale. It was 2005 and Luke Marget, Matt Dennis and Brad Wilson had quit their corporate jobs to pursue something entrepreneurial, something different.

The result was Australias first range of infused waters, called NutrientWater, which they manufactured under contract and launched in four flavours. An attic above a garage was their makeshift distribution centre. Matts wife would help stick labels onto the bottles by hand.

Made Group co-founders Luke Marget and Matt Dennis. Credit:Darrian Traynor

Our launch involved us walking up and down the streets, delivering products directly, literally pounding the pavement, Mr Dennis said. And here we are today.

Starting with NutrientWater, the three friends fledgling company, Made Group, appeared to tap into a shift in consumer tastes and soon became a successful stable of brands ranging from cold-brew coffee to cold-pressed juices, protein smoothies and coconut water.
The Commonwealth Bank's Dollarmite program was a big "winner" at Choice's annual Shonky Awards.

Nutri-Grain and KitchenAid are also among seven brands and products that have won the dubious honour of a lemon for the "shonkiest products and companies taking advantage of Australian consumers".

"Theres little doubt that this years winners are giving Australians a bad deal," Choice chief executive Alan Kirkland said.

Mr Kirkland said the Commonwealth Bank earned its gong for the Dollarmite program's "slick marketing", which was aimed at turning primary school children into long-term Commonwealth Bank customers.
"I had zero borrowings from the estate," Donald Trump told me back in 2004. "I give you my word."

The estate the future president was referring to was the lucrative collection of housing and commercial properties his father Fred had assembled over decades, making the Trump family wealthy. Based on reporting I had done for a biography, "TrumpNation," it was my understanding that Trump had turned to his siblings for a pair of loans totaling $US30 million ($42.2 million) so he could avoid plunging into personal bankruptcy in the early 1990s.

Donald Trump, pictured with his father, Fred Trump and boxing promoter Don King in 1987. Credit:AP

Trump's siblings doubted their brother could repay them because his collection of condominium buildings, casinos, hotels and other assorted properties was collapsing under the weight of billions of dollars in bank loans he couldn't repay. So they made him pledge his future share of his father's estate as collateral and loaned him the money. Trump gave me his "word" that none of that had happened, but I wrote about it anyway. When he later unsuccessfully sued me for libel he was forced to acknowledge under oath during the litigation that he had, indeed, borrowed from his family.

"We would have literally closed down," a former Trump Organisation employee with direct knowledge of Trump's attempts to keep his company and himself afloat told me in 2005.
There are two types of employees who act as advocates of their organisation.

The first is the superficial kind  the one who tells customers how great they look in a shirt even though they look like theyve tried on a camping tent. That employee is obviously faking it for the commission.

There are lots of ways to sell, so how do you boost "employee advocacy" and customer purchases? Credit:Marina Neil

The other type is the sincere kind  the one who talks proudly of the companys products and services, not because theyre trying to sell more stuff but because theyre genuinely inspired to spread the word.

How could you encourage more of the latter?
Find your tech tools

Theres no better friend to a side hustler than technology and a huge part of success, says Cortazzo, is managing it. There is so much outside the challenges of refining the production and recipe. Theres software, accounts, sales, online marketing, SEO. Taking on all these different roles as a founder, its trying to manage a million things all at the same time.

Theres an app or tool for every challenge, from Canvas simple intuitive graphic design interface for marketing your business, to conferencing tools such as Zoom and storage and file-sharing solution Dropbox. For most people the tech solution is 99 per cent of the time at their fingertips, and they just need to find it, says James Frankel. Its also now possible to run a business from your phone. The Samsung Galaxy Note9, is powerful enough to function as a mobile studio, with its outstanding power, advanced Bluetooth-powered S Pen, and long lasting battery life. The features of this phone are of huge benefit to the entrepreneurial community with crucial features like the battery power and the storage, says Miriam Wood. That's huge for someone who is on the go all day. If I am doing online sessions, powering up a Zoom, transferring files and then having a meeting, I really need that extra power.

Boss your time

All the experts agree: time management is key to your side hustle success. Productivity can take a spiral when youre working on your own, says Miriam Wood, I recommend strategies such as planning your day ahead the day before, decide which three big rocks you need to achieve so you know that after a week you've done 15 things.

Frankel spoke extensively about this challenge in his Days of Note panel talk. You have to be across every single part of it without focusing on just your specialism. Theres no such thing as not my job, when you are a founder.

He says focus improves productivity. Avoid context switching - moving between different tasks and teams  as much as possible. We have meetings in blocks together, for example, to avoid this.

Reach out

Tapping into the supportive entrepreneurial community is hugely helpful, says Miriam Wood. At General Assembly, you have full access, face-to-face, online or via events, to the right people, so you actually get that mix of skill, inspiration and motivation as well as encouragement. Its not just a training organisation - its also a source of can-do energy for entrepreneurs. And I think that's very valuable.

Community and culture are huge, says James Frankel. The tech community is warm and connected and if you reach out for help we will generally always be there. Seek all the advice and support you can get.

Know your why

Throughout her own three successful side hustles, Miriam Wood has always had a key mission. Always know what value youre adding to your customers, she says. That will impact your energy, business development, messaging, the way you interact and pitch. If you are driven by adding value, and youre excited by the value you have to offer, that will keep you moving and taking action.

The Galaxy Note has always put powerful technology in the hands of those who demand more. Now, the all new Galaxy Note9 surpasses even these high expectations, focusing on what matters most in todays always-on, mobile world. Learn more.
Television is a crystal bucket, to quote Clive James, a pail awash with bachelors and wagyu beef, antiques and architraves, ads and sport, plus dashes of news and isobars in between.

Language too. Every week we osmose words between Sunrise and bedtime, Seinfeld and Springfield. We hear and echo the new vocabulary, like jumping the shark from last week's column, a phrase plucked from Happy Days in 1977, and recently landing in federal parliament. When PM Craig Kelly extolled strawberries as a baldness cure, the telly trope was cited, the slang denoting an ideas drought, and the TV-literate public made the link.

Television has shaped the way we talk, but that influence is shrinking.

Yet lately that link is weakening. Thanks to multiple channels and platforms, streaming and bingeing, Clive's bucket has broken into umpteen beakers. The viewing mob has fractured into countless splinters, where TV continues to bestow lingo, though the glossary is no longer universal.

Seven years back, we shared a popular English, coloured by TV. But seven years is a long time in anyone's life, Stan's life included. "Look at moi," said Kim, and everyone obeyed, but now our gaze is distracted by Netflix and its associated chilling. Fred Flintstone's yabba-dabba-doo isn't doing what it once did.
Johnny Depp is adamantly denying he abused ex-wife Amber Heard in a new interview.

The Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald actor spoke with British GQ in a story published Wednesday and addressed the accusations and resulting fallout.

"The thing that hurt me is being presented as something that you're really as far away from as you could possibly get, you know?" he told the magazine.

Heard claimed Depp, whom she divorced in 2017, abused her. She filed for a restraining order against him while providing evidence of harm, including a bruise on her cheek, claiming the actor had recently thrown a cellphone at her face. The Los Angeles police who went to their downtown loft the night of the alleged abuse have said they found no evidence of a crime when they arrived.
Kim Kardashian's former bodyguard is being sued for $US6.1 million ($8.6 million) in relation to the star's robbery in Paris two years ago.

In October 2016, Kardashian was gagged, tied and held at gunpoint in the robbery at Paris's Hotel de Pourtales.

Thieves made off with a jewellery box containing around $US7 million in valuables, including a ring worth $US4.5 million.
The capacity of the world's coal-fired power stations would increase by a third if all 1380 plants planned or under development are built, making it tougher to meet Paris climate goals, a leading German non-profit group says.

Plants will be built in 16 nations that do not currently generate electricity from coal, while 11 other countries now have just 600 megawatts of capacity or less. All up, the projects would add more than 672 gigawatts of capacity, according to Urgewald's Coal Exit survey.

On a roll: Chinese companies are stepping up their development of coal plants outside China. Credit:New York Times

In a sign national promises to cut greenhouse gas emissions aren't being matched by action, a net 92 gigawatts in new coal plant capacity has been added since the Paris climate accord was signed in 2015. That's an increase equivalent to the combined fleets of Russia and Japan, or about four times Australia's total.

"We need to be getting on a track to phase out coal  everybody knows it," Heffa Schuecking, Urgewald's director, told Fairfax Media. "The next decade is going to be decisive."
A plan by Australia's largest coal-fired power station to expand its ash dam over a disused coal mine has won approval by the environment watchdog even as consultants identify potential "major hazards".

Origin Energy's Eraring power station wants to "augment" its ash dump by 5 million cubic metres to accommodate much of the 1.3 million tonnes of ash produced at the Lake Macquarie plant each year.

The dam would extend over the abandoned Awaba Colliery, parts of which extracted coal to within 20 metres of the surface. At least one sinkhole has already opened up within the area earmarked for the expansion.

Paul Winn, a spokesman for the Hunter Community Environment Centre, stands beside Dora Creek, with Origin's Eraring power station behind him. Credit:Marina Neil

"If you've got a collapsing old coal mine, it's fraught with risks," said Paul Winn, a spokesman for the Hunter Community Environment Centre. "At the very least, we want an Environmental Impact Statement that reveals all the risks and the mitigation options."
Unruliness is far less prevalent in this community than in many communities around Australia, as any investigation of local crime statistics would show. One of the most common observations of our visitors is the lack of graffiti and litter in our public spaces, the pervasive sense of safety, and levels of trust so high many people leave the keys in their cars and doors of their homes unlocked. We all express our opinions in our own ways, some vociferously and some by taking quiet action behind the hedges. However, our opinions are shared, the common denominator is passionate commitment to preserving the lifestyle we share and which give our homeland  whether by birth or by choice  its identity. All Norfolk Islanders, regardless of their heritage, are immensely proud of this place we call home and want only the best for our people and the environment.

Our right to engage in constructive dialogue about actions designed to impact our future is enshrined within the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. Submitting to being controlled is not something I believe any 21st century populace would passively accept without objection. If the ACT government is, as is suggested, struggling with its own internal challenges, by all means dont enter into the vision-building partnership needed to ensure the long-term prosperity of Norfolk Island. But rather than denigrate, a gracious thanks but no thanks is all that is needed. Dr Kate Lemerle, Norfolk Island

No place for hypocrisy In recent weeks the Chief Minister Andrew Barr, leader of the Greens Shane Rattenbury and, as far as I am aware, every other member of the Labor / Greens ACT government has rightly and appropriately condemned the Commonwealth for denying the people of Canberra the basic democratic right to determine for themselves whether euthanasia should be available to the residents of the ACT. Surely then no member of the ACT government could contemplate agreeing to conspire with the Commonwealth to deny the residents of Norfolk Island any say or any role in any law or any aspect of the governance or administration of their community. If the ACT government does decide to accept the 30 pieces of silver being offered it by the Commonwealth to act as colonial overlord on Norfolk Island it will, in addition to exposing the rank hypocrisy of its claimed defence of the democratic rights of Territory residents, effectively legitimise all of the arguments mounted in defence of the Andrews Bill. Jon Stanhope, Bruce

Lack of expertise I doubt the ACT government would have either the infrastructure or the desire to provide services to Norfolk Island. What this does confirm is that the Commonwealth stood over NSW to take on the administrative and legal tasks when it stampeded into abolishing self-government on Norfolk Island. The Commonwealth bureaucracy still wants to keep full power and to pull all the policy strings on Norfolk but doesnt have the expertise to directly run schools, hospitals or almost any other public services. NSW seems to have given the Commonwealth an ultimatum that it has had enough and will pull out by the end of 2020.

Queensland and Victoria are most unlikely to step in and Tasmania, SA and WA would be out of the question, so perhaps the easiest answer would be to return the powers and administrative tasks to an elected Norfolk Island government? As royal commissions are suddenly the flavour of the month, Norfolk might be best served by such an inquiry into the botched abolition of self-government with recommendations on how to pick up the pieces. Brett Sanderson, Norfolk Island Something wrong in US Donald Trump mocked Christine Blasey Fords testimony regarding her allegation of sexual assault by Brett Kavanaugh, Trumps Supreme Court nominee.

Thats not surprising. Trump himself has a history as an alleged serial sexual offender. Look at all his supporters clapping and cheering while Trump is doing the mocking. That tells us whats rotten in that great country. Rajend Naidu, Glenfield, NSW One simple bylaw We understand why G. Wilson (October 3) has submitted 69 letters to the editor containing the word totalitarianism.

You are not alone. The author T.H. White captures this spirit of docile and compliant subservience within the dictates of local government with one simple and elegant bylaw: Everything not forbidden is compulsory. R. Elliott, Sandringham, Vic Get police involved The AFL is proposing a red card system for the worst offences such as knocking out a player in an illegal, intentional act but surely that is not the right approach.

A coward hit should involve the blue card  arrest by police officers.

It doesnt matter which side of the fence it happens on, its still assault.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill, Vic Shame on the NCA The Medical Association for the Prevention of War has sought permission from the National Capital Authority to hold a silent vigil on Anzac Parade on November 11. Astoundingly, the NCA has refused permission. Why? Is this the democracy 60,000 Diggers died for? How can our pluralist, democratic Australia not tolerate a small, dignified, silent vigil, reminding us of the continuing need for peace in the world?

The NCA should be shamed out of its totalitarian attitude to the Great War centenary. Prof. Peter Stanley, Dickson Zapari in the wrong Re: Plans for 212 units on Coombs block (October 3, p.8). The article is about a proposal to build a block of 212 apartments on a block in Coombs currently zoned for 44 units.

The article includes comment from Nicholas Skepev, the managing director of Zapari, the company behind the proposal. A Zapari spokeswoman admits the development application contains a number of errors of fact: the height of the building; the number of floors in the building; the number of buildings proposed and the number of dwellings currently permitted on the site. On the last point, where the application claims up to 97 units are currently permitted, the company said this was a typographical error. They blame the typist. When an applicant submits a Development Application they are required to declare that all the information on this form and its attachments is true and complete. Zapari has failed to comply with this declaration.

They should be required to withdraw this application and start again. John Hutchison, Coombs Disturbing development The Zapari development in Coombs is deeply disturbing. The developer appears to consider that conditions placed on development regarding density, solar access, and trees are part of some sort of ambit claim that can be negotiated away.

The proposed development would be more than twice as dense as mandated under the lease. It will not allow required solar access to many of its units. Instead of deep-rooted trees it will have some greenery on its podium and roof. It would be nice to see a Canberra developer strive for best practice and regard development conditions as something they should always meet and often exceed. Too often they appear to put much of their efforts into maximising profits by seeking exemption from the rules. Mike Reddy, Curtin Rates notice trickery

The ACT government appears to have resorted to trickery and preying on the vulnerable to rake in revenue quicker. The rates notice first page is full of useless information such 8per cent of my rates go on keep our growing city moving. Transport would be a more precise description. At the top of the first page, in an information box in bold print, is written Please Pay Now $xxx. It could easily be assumed the full annual amount is due and payable on receipt of the bill.

In very small print underneath it gives the deadline due date which is several weeks later, not now. Also advised, in another information box, under the heading What you need to know, is that late payments will attract interest 9.96 per cent. Nowhere on the front page does it advise that rates can be still paid quarterly in instalments. On the reverse side, in small print again, we are advised if you are unable to pay your rates in full ... we offer options to pay weekly, fortnightly etc by direct debit. We are advised, again in small print, payments by quarterly instalments can be made using the above options.

With the notice comes a leaflet which explains land tax liability. It says  ... land tax applies to all residential land except your principle place of residence. That is incorrect. Land tax is not payable if a residence is occupied by someone other than the owner, but not rented. The exemption should be advised in the leaflet. Gina Pinkas, Aranda Radio interference

This is not a criticism of the light rail, merely an observation. Is it just me/my car that experiences electrical interference when driving on Northbourne Avenue alongside the recently electrified power infrastructure servicing the Light Rail. Has anyone else experienced this? It only happens on the AM band, as I am a daily ABC 666 listener on my otherwise mundane drive to work. I hope Im not forced to switch to the FM band to avoid this imposing static/electrical interference impacting my radio. There is ABC JJJ I spose ... Roger Gottlob, Kaleen

Double charges Well may the federal government now call for an investigation of the financial industrys murky foreign transaction fees, for they are charged even when there is nothing at all foreign about them. My Commonwealth VISA statement has the temerity to display a fee for an eBay overseas purchase paid in AUD via PayPal. So you are fleeced by the latter  whose whole rationale is to make forex in-house and foreign payments payable locally in local currency  only to be also stung for no reason at all by the Commonwealth VISA. This is the equivalent of the fees for no service, and charging deceased people, that have just sensationally been revealed by the royal commission. The enquiry may indeed require an extension.

Alex Mattea, Kingston Kavanaugh issue key Ian Jannaway (Letters, October 3) is bemused about coverage of the next US Supreme Court judge. This appointment is critical, as it could cause overturn of the historic Roe v. Wade decision of January 22, 1973, where the Supreme Court struck down a Texas statute banning abortion. It is also significant because of the emerging resolve of women to no longer endure themselves to be overpowered by sexual abuse by prominent males, from Weinstein onwards. Jack Palmer, Watson

TO THE POINT LOYAL TO THE ABC Kevin Rudds plea for a royal commission into the media resounded with the Murdoch empires ability to instil fear into politicians. It prepared me for Paul Kellys recent every-which-way article in the Australian on the ABC. One of Mr Kellys concerns is the power of the ABC. The power of the ABC comes from its service to the Australian public, honest and intelligent service, winning our respect and loyalty. Rosemarie Willett, Canberra ITS ALL ABOUT KEVIN

I was touched by K. Rudds evocative and moving call for a royal commission into the media. The lad certainly hasnt lost his ability to make an issue all about him. That said, it doesnt mean he isnt right. But he hasnt been the only victim of the Murdoch press. M. Moore, Bonython CANBERRAS LEGACY I was in Sydney recently and enjoyed looking at the older buildings. I then looked at the recent building spree in Canberra, and have to lament that none of the buildings currently under construction, are likely to still be around in 40 or 50 years. We will then be resuming the merry go round of demolition and construction.

Poor construction techniques along with poor planning and forethought will be the legacy of all Canberrans for the foreseeable future. I. Jannaway, Monash STICKY SITUATION Strewth! First fake news, now fake honey. T. Puckett, Ashgrove, Qld

IN AGREEMENT As a long-standing member of the Liberal Party I must congratulation Errol Good on his letter Who wins from light rail (Letters, October 3). Errol, you have written like a champion and I agree with every word of it, right down to the last sentence. We must stop Stage 2 crossing the lake. Imagine the traffic congestion there will be on Commonwealth Avenue if it goes ahead. And it will be an accident waiting to happen. Anne Prendergast, Reid REPUBLIC COMMISSIONS?

What will we call royal commissions  these days as common as bugs on a bumper  when were a republic? Matt Ford, Crookwell, NSW HOWS THE WEATHER? Regarding recent reports of the driest September on record. My own observations in Wanniassa, show the following figures. This year so far, September is the fifth driest month. March  2.1 mm, July  5.4, May  11.7, April  15.6, and Sept  16.5mm. By contrast, September 2017 had only 7.5mm, but Sept 2016 had 145.8 mm.
The chairman of an airline industry group has accused Canberra Airport of running a gold-plated monopoly, forcing airlines to love it or leave it.

Airlines for Australia and New Zealand chairman Graeme Samuel said overdevelopment and a lack of consumer competition regulation at Canberra Airport had meant higher costs for airlines.

"If their costs can be lowered their airfares should be able to be pushed down," Mr Samuel said.

But Canberra Airport chief executive Stephen Byron said Mr Samuel had told him in early March he was a huge fan of the airport.

"He told me that Canberra Airport was the best airport in Australia," Mr Byron said.
A judge has sentenced Milan Urlich to more than 10 years in prison for killing a man he barely knew before making an amateurish attempt at covering up the crime.

Milan Urlich was found guilty of manslaughter.

Justice John Burns described the killing as a senseless act and said a motive was unknown and would remain that way without truthful evidence from Urlich.

He had rejected Urlich's claims that Andrew Carville had come at him with a knife, saying such behaviour was improbable given what the court had heard about Mr Carville's character.

An ACT Supreme Court jury acquitted Urlich, 31, of murder earlier this year but found him guilty of the alternative charge of manslaughter.
Gooooooooooood morning, Canberra!

Congratulations, you've made it to the end of another working week - give yourself a pat on the back. We're in for a partly cloudy day today with a top of 16 degrees. There is a slight chance of a shower, most likely in the morning, so keep that in mind when you get dressed.

Some better news for the rest of the weekend - it'll mostly be sunny with a top of 19 forecasted for Saturday and 20 degrees for Sunday. So much sure you soak it in! If you haven't got anything planned Serena Coady made a list of five things you can do this weekend.

Sit back, grab that bevy, here's what's making news.

Bendable, biodegradable computer: ANU engineers fight e-waste
Peace activists say they are being blocked from marking Remembrance Day with a peace vigil outside the Australian War Memorial by the National Capital Authority.

The Medical Association for the Prevention of War wrote to the authority to inform it of its intention to mark the hundredth anniversary of the armistice to end World War I.

The Medical Association for the Prevention of War at last year's Remembrance Day commemoration. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

The organisation wants to stage a "silent commemoration" on Anzac Parade outside the war memorial, with the message "honour them  promote peace". A similar event was held on Anzac Parade last year, across the roundabout from the memorial but in view of the main event.

On September 19 the National Capital Authority told the organisation its vigil would not be allowed, saying Anzac Parade was "reserved exclusively for the 2018 Remembrance Day commemorations".
Conjoined Bhutanese twins Nima and Dawa Pelden could undergo life-saving surgery to separate them as early as next week, their Melbourne medical specialists say.

The 14-month-old sisters, who are believed to share a liver and possibly a bowel, had their first examinations at the Royal Childrens Hospital on Wednesday.

The twins arriving in Melbourne with their mother. Credit:Darrian Traynor

"We finally got to meet Dawa and Nima yesterday, everything is very positive, lead anaesthetist Dr Ian McKenzie said.

"We got some preliminary information before they came and we pretty much confirmed that that was all very good information. So far, so good."
Talk about the reds literally under the bed.

Former Australia Institute boss Clive Hamilton, having risen to the dizzying heights of professor at Australias lowest-ranked university, has long been a critic of the growing influence of the Chinese Communist Party in local politics. And fair enough.

But, continuing on his book tour this week, Hamilton has taken to frightening the audience with theories Tasmanias independence will be taken away.

Clive Hamilton, professor of public ethics, is concerned about growing Chinese influence in Australia. Credit:Rohan Thomson

Maybe he should look closer to home.
A veteran NSW judge says she fears her colleagues will be driven to suicide if pressure isnt lifted on the states overwhelmed court system.

In an extraordinary attack on the under-resourced sector, District Court judge Robyn Tupman warned it could come to someone taking his or her life before action was taken to ease the workload of members of the NSW judiciary.

Lets not muck around, we dont want judges committing suicide like what happened in Victoria, Judge Tupman said, referring to two high-profile deaths in state's judiciary in the past year.

NSW District Court Judge Robyn Tupman Credit:Twitter

I fear for the wellbeing of many of my colleagues on this bench who have far less experience, are much younger and perhaps arent quite the bastard that I am.
Wait for phones

In metropolitan Sydney, 26,000 people are waiting for telephones. The Telephone Branch at the GPO has received more than 25,000 applications this year. Every day the correspondence section receives well over 100 letters on the same theme: Why cant I get the phone on? The GPO say the main reasons for delays in installations were a shortage of underground cable and of automatic switches which were made only in America and England.

Cannibals to hang

Three Japanese officers who roasted and ate the livers of American airmen they had executed were yesterday sentenced to hanging by a US military commission. The cannibalism took place on the island of Chichijima, south of Tokyo. The commander of the island, Vice Admiral Kunzio Mori, was sentenced to life imprisonment for neglect of duty in not preventing it. Nine others involved were sentenced from five years imprisonment to life.

Local film a hit
More than 24 hours after a woman's body was found dumped in a park on Sydney's north shore, police are no closer to identifying her.

A council worker in his 50s came across the body in Buffalo Creek Reserve on Pittwater Road, Hunters Hill, just after 7.30am on Wednesday.

Police at Buffalo Creek Reserve at Hunters Hill on Wednesday. Credit:Peter Braig

The victim's hands were bound together and a restraint was tied around her neck.

Detectives from the State Crime Command's homicide squad are working with investigators from Ryde Area Command.
While the government insists the cost to the state of the project, which includes building the line and operating trams, will be $2.1 billion, the final bill to NSW taxpayers will not be known until the outcome of Acciona's legal action against Transport for NSW. Acciona claims changes to Ausgrid's guidelines for dealing with utilities under the route of the line shortly after the public-private partnership contract was signed in 2015 had resulted in it warning of a 865-day delay  or two years and four months  to construction. Acciona Australia managing director Bede Noonan fronts the parliamentary inquiry into the light rail project. Credit:Mick Tsikas The changes that were delivered by Ausgrid were a complete game-changer for the project. It was debilitating for the project, he said. He apologised for the delays and disruption to businesses and residents, which he blamed on the underground utilities and about 60 scope changes to the project.

Mr Noonan said the utilities risks were vastly misunderstood by the government, and Acciona began warning Transport for NSW of the risk of delays to construction in March 2015, just a month after financial close on the contract. Later, in May 2015, it warned formally of the risk of delays. Loading Acciona has provided about 40 monthly updates on the state of the project to transport officials since construction began in 2015, about half of which Mr Noonan confirmed warned of delay risks. We had not withheld any information from the government in relation to time in any shape or form, he told the inquiry on Thursday. The changes to the scope of the project included upgrading a levee beside Alison Road at Moore Park to a dam and changing tram stops beside the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney's CBD. The majority of the scope changes were at the direction of the government, Mr Noonan said.

Acciona estimates the cost of the scope changes at about $426 million, and the company has since made about $95 million in claims under the Security of Payments Act for costs against ALTRAC, the consortium responsible for the overall delivery of the project. Mr Noonan outlined the extreme difficulties posed by underground utilities and storm-water drains in confined zones, and having to deal with regulatory authorities. In one example, a pit for utilities on George Street had to be enlarged from 4 metres to 10 metres. It's [why] you see sections of George Street sitting idle for three months, frustrating everybody, he said. Transport for NSW deputy secretary Stephen Troughton said the cost of the project to the state was still $2.1 billion but conceded that the final price tag would not be known until the legal action pursued by Acciona was resolved. What it costs [Acciona] and what they are entitled to are far, far different things. Its not about what they have spent, its what they are entitled to, he told the inquiry.

But Labor leader Luke Foley said he would launch a judicial inquiry into the project if his party won the state election in March, claiming the public had been repeatedly lied to about the delays and cost. Under questioning from the Opposition, Mr Troughton repeatedly said the transport agency was sticking to a completion date of March 2020 despite the official notice from the builder of May 2020. Construction delays, cost blowouts and legal action have dogged the light rail project. Credit:Louise Kennerley Their program of May 2020 has been rejected by Transport for NSW. At the moment I am sticking by March 2020, he said. We are working with them to understand what is achievable [in reaching an earlier opening date]. He declined to say whether he had issued a default notice to the ALTRAC consortium for the problems that have dogged the project, saying such a matter was commercial in confidence.
A Queensland police officer who has been in an induced coma after being hit by an alleged stolen car in Ipswich will be moved from Princess Alexandra Hospitals intensive care unit to a specialised ward.

Constable Peter McAuley has shown encouraging signs of improvement and is now listed as stable but will require intensive treatment for critical injuries received at Booval last week.

A Queensland Police Service spokesperson thanked the community for their support and well wishes for Constable McAuley, his family, friends and colleagues.

Constable Peter McAulay from Goodna Police Station. Credit:Queensland Police Service

"At the moment, the focus of family, friends and colleagues is on Peter and his ongoing treatment, we ask that the media respect their privacy at this very difficult time," they said.
A Queensland couple who found a love letter in a floating bottle in the Whitsundays almost two months ago believes they have managed to track down the Chinese sailor who penned the message.

With a Chinese population of more than 1.4 billion, the odds were firmly against Kate Challenger and her partner Daniel McNally. However, through social media, someone claiming to be a friend of the sailor contacted them and has been relaying messages between the trio ever since, they said.

Kate Challenger and Daniel McNally, who together found and tracked down the Chinese sailor who wrote the letter.

Mr McNally, who works for his family's Whitsundays tour company, found the bottle with message inside on August 8.

It was floating in Tongue Bay, near Whitehaven Beach Island off the north Queensland coast.
A 72-year-old man will front court in Melbourne over a string of historical child sex offences after police extradited him from Brisbane.

Sano Taskforce detectives, with the assistance of Queensland Police, arrested and charged the Rockhampton man earlier this week.

The former Victorian resident was arrested in the Brisbane suburb of Spring Hill just after 11am on Tuesday.

He has been charged with 32 historic offences including rape and indecent assault.

Its understood the man was working and living in western Victoria between 1980 and 1982 when the alleged incidents took place.
The ACT's poker machine regulatory system is the nation's most lax, while the density of the machines in Canberra is second only to the poker machine gambling mecca of New South Wales, a new report has found.

The report, written by Monash University gambling expert and harm minimisation advocate Dr Charles Livingstone, has compared the territory's poker machine regulations and revenue with all other Australian jurisdictions, finding the ACT is lagging behind all other jurisdictions.

The ACT's poker machine regulations are the most lax in the country, a new report suggests. Credit:Bloomberg

It also found the ACT's average poker machine tax take to be the lowest in the nation, despite a moderately progressive tax rate, while the number of machines per 100,000 residents was second-highest at 14.8 in 2015-16, compared to 15.5 in NSW and 9.8 nationally.

The ACT was the only jurisdiction outside NSW that still had a $10 per bet limit, compared to $5 elsewhere in Australia, $2.50 in NZ, and the $1 maximum per spin limit recommended by the Productivity Commission eight years ago.
Health authorities have decided against identifying the building in Lidcombe with a contaminated water cooling system that may have caused the latest legionnaires' disease outbreak, attracting criticism.

Amid the outbreak that affected five people in the past 2 weeks, the Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) warned anyone who spent time in the Lidcombe CBD to be vigilant of symptoms such as fever, chills and a cough.

Its investigators sampled 22 water cooling towers and water fountains and found legionella bacteria at "one particular site".

Five people, including a man in his 70s and a woman in her 80s, developed the pneumonia-like symptoms and were hospitalised. Three have been discharged, and two are in a stable condition.
There's a rapid turnaround from delivery to deployment. Dan Gettinger, Centre for the Study of the Drone According to the Centre for the Study of the Drone at New York's Bard College, that was the first documented example of the two drone systems being used in the war in Yemen. The country has emerged as a "sort of a testing ground for these strike-capable drones," said Dan Gettinger, the co-director of the centre. "There's a rapid turnaround from delivery to deployment." US drones were first used in Yemen to kill suspected al-Qaeda militants in 2002. Then Iraqi Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi, centre, inspects the first Chinese drone to be used by the Iraqi Air Force before sending it to bomb Islamic State group positions in 2015. Credit:AP One of the biggest Chinese exports is the Cai-Hong, or Rainbow, series made by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, or CASC, the largest contractor for the Chinese space program.

The technology is good enough to justify the price tag, which might be half or less. CASC's CH-4 and CH-5 models are on a par with San Diego-based General Atomics' Predator and Reaper drones, and much cheaper. Independent analysts say the Chinese models lag behind their American counterparts but the technology is good enough to justify the price tag, which might be half or less. A CASC executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to journalists, said cutting-edge American models like Boeing's Stingray, introduced this year for the US Navy, still hold a technological advantage. Across the Middle East, countries locked out of purchasing US-made drones due to rules over excessive civilian casualties are being wooed by Chinese arms dealers, who are the world's main distributor of armed drones. Credit:AP And while price is an advantage, so too is a more relaxed attitude toward how drones are used, said Ulrike Franke, an expert on drones and policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Since 2014, China has sold more than 30 CH-4's to countries including Saudi Arabia and Iraq in deals worth over $US700 million (nearly $1 billion), according to CASC. Ten countries are currently in negotiations to purchase the CH-4, according to the firm. Last year, China sold to the UAE the Wing Loong II, an armed unmanned aerial vehicle roughly equivalent to the American MQ-9 Reaper. "In recent years, all types of drones have proven their value and importance through a high degree of use in warfare, and the military has noticed," said the top CASC executive. "Many countries are now speeding up the development for these weapons systems, including China." During President Xi Jinping's five years in power, China has stepped up spending on stealth fighters and aircraft carriers for its own military, while boosting sales of advanced equipment such as attack submarines to close allies like Pakistan. China still lags behind the US, Russia, France, and Germany in total arms sales but it's catching up. Chinese arms exports rose by 38 per cent between 2008-12 and 2013-17, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which tracks the global arms trade.

Mounting criticism over the rising civilian death toll in Yemen prompted the US to impose restrictions on drone sales, forcing foreign countries to go through the US government to buy armed drones, including those with laser-guidance systems. The Washington-based New America Foundation estimates more than 240 drone strikes in Yemen have killed more than 1300 people, including at least 111 civilians. But with China's drone sales booming, there's growing pressure from American arms makers to remove restrictions to let them catch up. After some US lawmakers urged President Donald Trump to loosen controls and let General Atomics sell its armed Reapers to Jordan and the UAE, the administration on April 19 permitted US manufacturers to directly market and sell drones, including armed versions. The US government must still approve and license the sales, which are also contingent on human rights and proliferation reviews and congressional authorisation.

General Atomics did not respond to a request for comment. An unmanned US Predator drone flies over Kandahar Air Field, southern Afghanistan, on a moon-lit night. Credit:AP China doesn't routinely announce arms sales like the US and others, but a review of drone spottings gives some indication of who its customers are. In Iraq in October 2015, the country's then-defence minister inspected a CH-4 drone at an air base in the city of Kut. Chinese armed drones have been operating at Jordan's Zarqa Airport, at an air base in Pakistan and from bases in Egypt in the Sinai Peninsula and near its border with Libya, according to satellite photos analysed by the Centre for the Study of the Drone.
Kavanaugh's fate is still unclear because Flake, Collins and Senator Lisa Murkowski are undecided. Several Democrats are also said to be wavering. Loading McConnell needs at least two of three undecided Republicans, assuming all Senate Democrats oppose Kavanaugh's nomination. Heidi Heitkamp, one of the few Democratic senators who had been undecided on the Supreme Court nominee, said on Thursday she would vote against Kavanaugh's nomination. The process has been bad but at the end of the day you have to make a decision and I have made that decision, Heitkamp told WDAY radio in Fargo, North Dakota. I will be voting no on Judge Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh was initially set to face a Senate vote earlier this week, but the three Republicans abruptly joined Democrats on Friday in requesting an FBI inquiry into allegations by California professor Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when both were in high school in 1982. He has denied the allegations. Loading President Donald Trump gave the FBI a week to look into the matter and said publicly that the law enforcement agency had free rein. But Democrats accused the administration of restricting the probe behind the scenes. Not interviewing Kavanaugh, Ford and other key witnesses raises serious concerns that this is not a credible investigation and begs the question: what other restrictions has the White House placed on the FBI? Feinstein said before the report was completed. Last week's hearing is no substitute for FBI interviews, especially when you consider the tenor of Judge Kavanaugh's testimony.

The White House hasn't said what, if any, restrictions were placed on the FBI probe. Democrat senator Chris Coons said he would have expected the FBI to use the entire week it was afforded. Senator Joe Manchin, one of the few Democrats who remain undecided, said the FBI report would be instrumental in his decision. He said on Wednesday: I'm going to read whatever they've got... Before I start jumping in, let me just read what they have and we'll go from there. The report  which is confidential  has been given to the Senate and all senators are able to access it in a secure room. There is debate on Capitol Hill as to whether all or some of the report should be made public. A key part of Flake's drive to push for an FBI probe was to have a more transparent public process. Other Republicans have voiced similar concern.

Christine Blasey Ford arrives for a Senate judiciary committee hearing in Washington. Credit:Bloomberg I'm of the view that whatever could be made public should be, but that would be well outside the normal way these things are treated, said Republican senator Roy Bunt. Senate judiciary committee Democrats sent a letter on Wednesday to Republican senator Charles Grassley, chair of the committee, calling for bipartisan ground rules for how the FBI report can be discussed, expressing concern that there will be an effort to publicly mischaracterise or selectively leak its contents. The Democrats pointed to a Tuesday tweet from the committee's Republican staff saying that there was never a whiff of ANY issue involving alcohol abuse or sexual misbehaviour in six previous FBI background checks on Kavanaugh. While we are limited in what we can say about this background investigation in a public setting, we are compelled to state for the record that there is information [in the tweet] that is not accurate, the Democrats wrote in their letter, without providing details.

President Donald Trump mocked two of Brett Kavanaugh's accusers at a rally in Mississippi. Credit:AP Republicans called the Democrats' letter baseless innuendo. Loading The temperature around the nomination rose after Trump mocked Ford during a campaign rally. He mimicked her dramatic testimony, emphasising her inability to remember certain details and suggesting she drank more than she claimed. All three undecided Republicans condemned Trump's remarks. Flake called them appalling, while Murkowski said it was unacceptable and Collins called the President's actions wrong.

The White House insisted Trump was merely restating facts, although Ford had conclusively said the assault happened upstairs and remembered many other details vividly. Asked if Trump was worried that his comments would jeopardise votes from swing Republican senators, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: I don't think so. The President is very confident in his nominee, as he's stated time and time again, and we expect the Senate to vote, and we hope they do that soon. Loading The FBI's supplemental investigation began last Friday night, US time, after an official request from the Senate judiciary committee and an order from the White House. Agents spoke with Mark Judge, a friend of Kavanaugh's who Ford said was in the room when she was assaulted. He had previously submitted a statement denying the incident but had resisted appearing before the committee.

Also interviewed was Tim Gaudette, a high school classmate of Kavanaugh. According to Kavanaugh's 1982 calendar, he hosted a party that included several people that Ford identified as being present on the night she was assaulted. Agents were also apparently willing to let the statements made under the penalty of perjury by Ford and Kavanaugh to the committee to stand without further questioning. It is unclear whether the FBI spoke to Jamie Roche, who wrote an opinion piece published by Slate on Wednesday evening, US time, where he says he was a roommate of Kavanaugh at Yale. He said Debbies story was believable and that Brett was frequently, incoherently drunk. He reiterated his previous statement that Kavanaugh was a notably heavy drinker, even by the standards of the time, and that he became aggressive and belligerent when he was very drunk.
Wellington: With secondary school teachers on the verge of industrial action, New Zealand is aiming to find at least 400 overseas teachers for the 2019 academic year.

In a move designed to quell concerns over a deepening crisis in education, recruitment agents will be used to find quality teachers to fill vacancies listed by schools from other countries, the Ministry of Education confirmed.

Jacinda Ardern's government is facing a teacher shortage. Credit:AP

But Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) president Jack Boyle has rejected the move, saying there was a global shortage of teachers, and New Zealand's teachers faced a job that was too big and paid rubbish money.

He struggled to see the attraction for ideal recruits, unless pay and workload issues were overcome. The announcement reminded him of the neo-liberal methods of the government's predecessors, he said.
SatADSL and Avanti launch commercial Ka-band broadband in Africa

Brussels, Belgium, October 4, 2018  Commercial Ka-band broadband services in Sub-Saharan Africa have been launched by SatADSL, bringing cost-effective coverage to communities and businesses.

Utilizing Avanti\-\-s High Throughput Satellite (HTS) HYLAS 4, the new offering will provide consumer and corporate business connectivity which Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will be able to easily offer to consumers via SatADSL\-\-s Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solution, the Cloud-based Service Delivery Platform (C-SDP). This includes VNO Flex and voucher-based services which are not currently available via other Ka-band offerings in the region.

\Providing fast, reliable and affordable connectivity is at the heart of what we do, and our latest solution empowers ISPs in Africa to cost-effectively provide satellite broadband to entire communities,\ said Caroline De Vos, Chief Operations Officer and co-Founder of SatADSL. \This is made possible by our innovative C-SDP which mitigates the high investment costs traditionally associated with deploying satellite services.\

Through the Ka-Band offering, SatADSL intends to significantly improve the penetration of high capacity Internet in the region, offering connectivity in regions barely covered by mobile operators and where fiber access remains unavailable. The new services are expected to be fully up and running by the end of this year.

SatADSL\-\-s C-SDP provides a complete OSS/BSS, carrier-grade, fully redundant platform to deliver satellite services via the cloud, eliminating the expense of deploying physical infrastructure. It lets satellite and teleport operators easily offer any service, including pre-paid, post-paid, volume-based, customer VNOs, contention-based, multicasting, and more, independently of the communications technology used.

Kyle Whitehill, CEO of Avanti, said: \We\-\-re delighted to extend our partnership with SatADSL and support the delivery of affordable broadband across Africa. Our new satellite HYLAS 4 completes our coverage of Sub-Saharan Africa and with our reliable high-speed connectivity, we look forward to building on this partnership to help liberate the potential of people and businesses, wherever they are on the continent.\

The new services leverage the Newtec Dialog(R) multiservice platform and Newtec\-\-s MDM2210 IP Satellite Modems, which feature an embedded Wi-Fi-router. This modem delivers throughputs of more than 100 Mbit/s and enables end-users to easily add numerous devices to the same satellite subscription.

For more information about the new offering, visit: www.avantiplc.com/hylas4.
Continuous ?everything? in practice: Exhibition about continuous integration, delivery and deployment at the Software-QS-Tag

Also this year the leading conference about software quality assurance and testing in the German-speaking area is accompanied by a technical exhibition. On the whole, 18 associations, service providers, tool suppliers and publishing houses present their solutions during both conference days on 18th and 19th October ? this sets a new record.Attendees can get informed about how the Association for Software Quality and Further Education (ASQF) connects start-ups, SMEs, global players and develops software & system quality. CQSE GmbH offers services and products to analyze and improve the quality of the software of its customers, whereas dpunkt.verlag provides books, magazines and events for the professional computing scene, IT experts and students. GASQ is one of the leading international exam providers in the field of software quality.imbus supports large-scale enterprises and SMEs from all sectors to develop their software faster and better. verit is manufacturer of the professional tool Klaros-Testmanagement and provides services in software development and quality assurance, while Mentopolis is a system integrator and a highly professional IT and QA partner for long-standing customer relationships. Model Engineering Solutions GmbH supports its customers in developing model-based software in compliance with industry standards and Neotys is a leading innovator in performance testing and developer of NeoLoad ? a load testing platform designed for agile and DevOps.In addition, Robot Framework represents a generic test automation framework for acceptance testing and acceptance test-driven development and Qualicen is point of contact for improving the method for requirements, tests and modelling as well as for tools for automatic quality checks.?Smart. Agile. TestBench.? is the motto of TestBench Cloud Services, the cloud-based test management tool for agile projects. Testfabrik develops software tools for testing web applications along the entire value-added chain from modelling to operation.The big German Testing Board (GTB) booth celebrates its premiere at the Software-QS-Tag. It features the GTB itself as well as several of its premium partners. The German Testing Board as a member of the International Software Testing Qualifications Board is responsible for quality and development of the Certified Tester scheme in Germany.Also the GTB partners answer all questions about training in the field of software QA. EXCO delivers technical services and support in product, laboratory and production environments including consulting, project management and implementation, whereas QualityDojo is an expert in quality assurance for IT projects supporting software producers and users in meeting their individual quality objectives. Software Quality Lab enhances efficiency and quality in system and software development. Sogeti offers a wide range of high-quality, effective and cost-efficient solutions in the field of software testing and quality assurance.The Software-QS-Tag 2018 is supported by its network partner Gesellschaft fur Informatik e.V. and its media partner dotnetpro.This year?s Software-QS-Tag takes place in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It provides space to get in touch with the companies and do networking in a relaxed and collegial atmosphere.
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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit China on Oct. 8, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced Wednesday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement that China and the United States would exchange views on bilateral ties and regional and international issues of common concern.
When the space shuttle Endeavour blasted off on its second mission, it carried the first African American woman into space. But Mae Jemison is more than an astronaut  she's also a physician, a Peace Corps volunteer, a teacher, and founder and president of two technology companies. Let's take a look at this remarkable woman.

Early life

Born in Decatur, Ala., on Oct. 17, 1956, Mae Carol Jemison moved to Chicago at the age of 3 and considers the city her hometown. The youngest of three children born to a maintenance worker and an elementary schoolteacher, she had a fascination with all things science from an early age. Once, after receiving an infection, she performed an extended experiment on pus. Jemison's parents supported her desire to be a scientist.

"My parents were the best scientists I knew, because they were always asking questions," Jemison said in a 2005 press release.

Jemison did well in high school, and attended Stanford University on scholarship at the age of 16. There, she attained her bachelor of science in chemical engineering and a bachelor of arts in African and African-American studies. She went on to earn her doctorate in medicine from Cornell University in 1981. [Women in Space: A Gallery of Firsts]

After working as a general practitioner, Jemison served two and a half years as a volunteer in the Peace Corps, spending time in the African countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia. In addition to English, she speaks Russian, Japanese and Swahili.

NASA astronaut Mae Jemison flew on space shuttle Endeavour in September 1992, becoming the first black woman to travel to space. (Image credit: NASA)

Reaching the stars

Although employed as a general practitioner again following her return to the United States, Jemison decided to pursue a childhood dream. After the historic flight of Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, Jemison applied to NASA's astronaut program, feeling that more opportunities had opened up. The explosion of the Challenger shuttle put a hold on applicants, but in 1987, she became one of the 15 candidates selected out of more than 2,000 people. After a year of training, she became the first female African American astronaut. [Infographic: NASA's Space Shuttle  From Top to Bottom]

STS-47 patch. (Image credit: NASA)

On Sept. 12, 1992, Mae Jemison became the first African American woman in space when the space shuttle Endeavour carried her and six other astronauts on 126 orbits around the Earth. A mission specialist, Jemison was a co-investigator of two bone cell research experiments, one of 43 scientific investigations that were done on mission STS-47. The shuttle landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 20. Over the course of her only space voyage, Jemison logged 190 hours, 30 minutes, and 23 seconds in space.

Jemison left NASA in March 1993. She went on to teach at Dartmouth College. She also founded her own company, the Jemison Group, which seeks to encourage a love of science in students and bring advanced technology to schools around the world. She is a strong advocate for science and established an international science camp for high school students.

She has also taken over leadership of the 100-Year Starship program established by DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The project works to make human space travel beyond the solar system a reality within the next century  but in a way that includes and benefits as many people on Earth as possible.

Quotes from Mae Jemison

"The thing that I have done throughout my life is to do the best job that I can and to be me."  Ebony Magazine, October 1987

"Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations...If you adopt their attitudes, then the possibility won't exist because you'll have already shut it out ... You can hear other people's wisdom, but you've got to re-evaluate the world for yourself."  At the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students, November 2009

Additional Resources:

This article was updated on Oct. 4, 2018 by Space.com Senior Writer, Meghan Bartels. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
The Saturn V rocket and its predecessors soar toward open space in the first of three new posters by Space.com celebrating landmark anniversaries in space history.

It's a season of anniversaries: Oct. 1 marked the 60th anniversary of NASA becoming operational, and the Apollo moon landing's 50th  and Space.com's 20th  are coming up in summer 2019. To celebrate these milestone events in space history, Space.com is debuting a tryptic of posters, available for free to download online, as well as in person at events Space.com attends; the team debuted this poster at the Intrepid Space & Science Festival in New York last month. You can download the first poster to print in high quality here.

This first poster, celebrating the birth of NASA, shows five rockets developed by the United States on the path to space. The image was "originally just a single rocket, but then we decided to add all five rockets so we could better represent the journey toward getting to the moon," Melanie Lambrick, the illustrator behind the poster series, told Space.com. "I really wanted to go with that retro feeling [of] print posters at the time that those rockets were being made. Even though I worked mostly digitally, I tried to mimic the print processes of the '50s and '60s, so I really just used three colors and layered them in different ways, as if it was screen-printed or something like that." [Field Notes Celebrates NASA History with Memo Books, Paper Models]

Lambrick's illustration shows the Mercury-Redstone, Gemini-Titan, Saturn V, Mercury-Atlas and Saturn IB rockets in minimalist form, keeping just enough detail to distinguish the rockets.

"Most of my artwork is taking complicated elements and making them really simple  just taking away and taking away and taking away until you just have the things that you can recognize it by," Lambrick said.

Space.com's deputy director of photography, Jef Castro, told Space.com that the poster's goal was "not so much celebrating just America itself, but the whole human exploration of space and the wonder and awe  [to show] how much effort was put into designing all these different ships just with the goal of getting to the moon.

"I just love that [Lambrick] does this kind of mid-century children's-book illustration style, something that can really appeal to a younger audience  but there's a sophistication to her work that winks to an older audience," he added.

The second and third posters, which will be released later this year as 11 x 14-inch (23 x 36 centimeters) prints as well as online, depict the farthest humans have gotten into space in person as well as where space travel could someday take humanity.

"The second one is very concrete in that it deals with the moon landing, and then the third one is more looking to the future," Lambrick said. "I tried not to be too sci-fi with it. We tried to base it in the science that's out now. I think it's meant to be a journey, when you look at the tryptic."

As Space.com gears up for its 20th anniversary, the staff is looking back at the history of spaceflight, looking forward to where we're going and focusing back on the wonder that draws humans to look up in the first place.

"I'd like for people to feel that excitement that people had in the early days of space exploration," Lambrick said. "There's more and more visuals coming out about space  becoming more and more accurate, which is really interesting  but this is more about conveying that first joy and excitement about even being able to think about these things."

Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
BREMEN, Germany  NASA's partners in the International Space Station are showing a growing interest in extending the station's operations beyond 2024 regardless of NASA initiatives to end direct funding of the station around that time.

During an Oct. 1 press conference at the 69th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) here, representatives of three ISS partner agencies said they were open to extending the station's operations to 2028 or 2030 in order to maximize the investment they've made in the facility as a platform for research and preparation for exploration activities beyond Earth orbit.

Jan Woerner, director general of the European Space Agency, said the issue could come up at the next triennial meeting of the ministers of ESA's member nations, scheduled for late 2019. "At the ministerial meeting next year, the ministerial council, I will propose to go on with ISS as well as the lunar Gateway," he said. "I believe that we will go on." [How Will the International Space Station to Earth?]

At a separate briefing Oct. 2, Woerner emphasized the use of the station as a research platform and encouraged greater commercial activities there. "I believe we should use the ISS as long as feasible," he said. "I always thought 2024 was the end, but now I learned it is 2028, and yesterday I learned it's 2030. So, I will try to convince the ESA member states that ESA should be a partner in the future." However, he noted that ESA could defer the decision on a post-2024 ISS extension until its following ministerial meeting in 2022.

Hiroshi Yamakawa, president of the Japanese space agency JAXA, also emphasized the importance of making the most of the station. "I'd like to make the most of the present ISS," he said. "We have to maximize the output of the ISS. Whenever the deadline comes to the ISS, we would like to participate in the ISS and maximize output."

He added, though, that there was not a pressing need for Japan to decide on an ISS extension. "JAXA is requesting budgets annually, so I think in that sense JAXA is quite flexible."

Dmitry Loskutov, head of international relations at the Russian state space corporation Roscosmos, said Russia already expected an extension. "We anticipate the continued functioning until 2028 or 2030," he said.

That extension, he said, would be a subject of upcoming discussions between Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine when they meet at the Baikonur Cosmodrome around the Oct. 11 launch of a Soyuz spacecraft to the station. It will also come up at a conference in Moscow in November marking the 20th anniversary of the launch of the first ISS segment, Zarya, attended by the ISS partners.

Evgeny Mikrin, general designer at RSC Energia, also endorsed an ISS extension. "I think we really should continue ISS utilization up until 2030" to maximize its utilization, he said, speaking through an interpreter during an IAC panel discussion Oct. 1. He stated that Russia still planned to launch three modules to its segment of the ISS in the coming years to expand its capabilities.

Bridenstine, at the heads-of-agencies press conference Oct. 1, alluded to legislation introduced in both the House and Senate that contain provisions to authorize an extension of the ISS until 2030. That language stems from congressional criticism to plans by NASA in its 2019 budget proposal to end direct ISS funding in 2025 as part of an initiative to enhance commercialization of low Earth orbit.

"The vision that we have for low Earth orbit in general is a vision for commercialization," Bridenstine said, with the private sector eventually taking over operations of space stations or similar facilities in LEO and with NASA as one of potentially many customers.

"The president's budget request was very clear that we would end direct funding for the ISS in 2025. To be clear, that doesn't mean the ISS will be over," he said, citing as one option an international consortium of companies taking over the station. "But it is also true that while I do support the commercialization of low Earth orbit, Congress doesn't always agree with me and Congress doesn't always agree with the president, so what gets put into law could be very different from what our objectives are."

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
World Space Week 2018 kicks off on Oct. 4 to mark the 61st anniversary of the world's first satellite launch, Sputnik 1.

Calling all space fans! World Space Week starts today (Oct. 4), kicking off a weeklong celebration of space activities around the globe  and even out at sea.

This year marks the 19th annual World Space Week, which honors two seminal events in space exploration: The launching of the first satellite, Sputnik 1, on Oct. 4, 1957, and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty on Oct. 10, 1967, which forms the basis for international space law.

"World Space Week was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1999," Dennis Stone, World Space Week Association president, said in a statement. "Since then, it has grown to be the largest space celebration on Earth." [Sputnik 1! 7 Fun Facts About Humanity's First Satellite]

Last year, a total of 3,700 events were held across 80 countries during the weeklong celebration. The festivities commemorate international contributions to space science and technology as well as how exploring the cosmos has impacted humanity.

The theme of this year's World Space Week is "Space Unites the World" and focuses on how space brings people around the world together, according to the World Space Week organization.

"It was inspired by UNISPACE+50, an historic gathering of world space leaders held in June this year," according to World Space Week officials. "This event paved the way for strengthened cooperation between spacefaring and emerging space nations and will help space activities become more inclusive on a global scale."

Activities this year include educational talks about STEM topics, stargazing opportunities and a special preview of the second season of National Geographic's "Mars" series at several locations across the United States. And every day, IMAX will also release through social media channels a series of mini space documentaries and short interviews with astronauts.

Space agencies, aerospace companies, schools, museums and astronomy clubs around the world are expected to participate in thousands of events for World Space Week this year. Since the full schedule for the week is long, Space.com has only listed some event highlights below.

On Saturday, Oct. 6, the Museum of Flight in Seattle will host a special event to celebrate NASA's 60th anniversary. Bill Barry, NASA's chief historian, will give a presentation about the history and achievements of NASA, and what the agency hopes to accomplish in the future.

A robotics experiment will be held in Eagan, Minnesota, on Saturday, Oct. 6. Using only a plastic bottle, vinegar and baking soda, students will have the opportunity to test out different rocket designs and fuel ratios to see what launches the farthest. Students in Galway, Ireland, will also be designing and launching rockets once a day from Oct. 1 to Oct. 5, in honor of World Space Week. (Here's how to launch your own rockets with Alka-Seltzer and film canisters.)

Setting sail on Sunday, Oct. 7, Cunard's Queen Mary 2 ocean liner will host its second annual World Space Week cruise, which features lectures from space explorers, including former NASA astronaut shuttle pilot Jeffrey Hoffman and Dr. Lawrence Kuznetz, who was the former flight controller of the Apollo missions.

The weeklong space-themed transatlantic cruise will sail from New York and arrive in Southampton, U.K., on Oct. 14. Queen Mary 2 is also home to a high-tech planetarium, which will offer special space-themed shows.

The European Space Agency will host its annual Open Day event at its European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands on Sunday, Oct. 7. The event will feature astronauts, scientists and engineers, who will take guests behind the scenes and describe how space technologies are designed and even demonstrate the processes that go into executing a mission.

For a full list of World Space Week activities, or to find an event near you, visit www.worldspaceweek.org.

Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us @Spacedotcom,Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
SpaceX's first uncrewed test flight of its Dragon capsule for astronauts has slipped to no earlier than January 2019 on account of the International Space Station's docking schedule, NASA announced today (Oct. 4).

The company and space agency are still planning to have all systems prepared for launch in December, a target date that NASA and SpaceX previously announced in August.

"Having completed a number of additional milestones including substantial training and numerous integrated mission simulations, end-to-end Dragon checkouts at the Cape, complete Falcon 9 vehicle integration review, and installation of the crew access arm at LC-39A, SpaceX is on track for launch readiness in December," SpaceX spokesperson Eva Behrend wrote in a statement to Space.com. "We look forward to launching our first demonstration flight of Crew Dragon  one of the safest, most advanced human spaceflight systems ever built  as part of the Commercial Crew program and working with NASA to identify the specific launch target date soon."

The NASA announcement comes just a day after Hans Koenigsmann, SpaceX's vice president of build and flight reliability, expressed concern that paperwork and scheduling issues could push the test flight into the next year, according to SpaceNews.

"The hardware might be ready, but we might still have to do some paperwork on the certification side of it," SpaceNews quoted Koenigsmann as saying Wednesday (Oct. 3) in a speech at the 69th International Astronautical Congress in Bremen, Germany. "Its going to be a close call whether we fly this year or not."

NASA's update, which you can read here, also included the promise of more regular announcements of changes to the test launch schedule as those dates approach. SpaceX's competitor, Boeing, is currently working toward an uncrewed test flight in March 2019, according to the current plan.

Each of these two first-quarter test flights will see an empty capsule launch, dock with the space station, then detach and return to Earth as proof that the systems are ready for human crewmembers.

The uncrewed test flights are preparation for crewed test flights. According to the update, SpaceX's crewed test is currently scheduled for June 2019 and Boeing's for August 2019. NASA announced the crewmembers who would be aboard each flight on Aug. 3 of this year, with two astronauts slated for the SpaceX demo mission and three for Boeing's equivalent.

According to the NASA statement, the agency plans to update the schedule on a monthly basis now that the launches are approaching. "As we get closer to launching human spacecraft from the U.S., we can be more precise in our schedules," Phil McAlister, director of Commercial Spaceflight Development at NASA, said in the statement. "This allows our technical teams to work efficiently toward the most up-to-date schedules, while allowing us to provide regular updates publicly on the progress of our commercial crew partners."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a comment from SpaceX.

Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her @meghanbartels. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
STAMFORD  An audit triggered by the arrest of a city supervisor for stealing $60,600 from the marina fund is about halfway complete.

A week after Sean Elumba pleaded guilty to felony first-degree larceny, the city still is examining accounts employees use to purchase materials and equipment for their departments, and how Human Resources screens, interviews, ranks and hires job candidates.

Internal Auditor Teresa Viscariello, who began the review in July, has told members of the Board of Finance that she is in the middle of examining purchase orders and invoices from stores where employees are authorized to buy supplies.

She is examining who signed invoices, who approved them, and who entered them into the system, Viscariello told members of the boards Audit Committee at their September meeting.

The work takes time because Viscariello is visiting the marinas to verify that purchased items are there. If, for example, she finds an invoice for a large amount of wood purchased to repair a dock, she wants to see the stack or the newly installed planks.

But information on the invoices isnt always helpful, Viscariello said. Sometimes all she has to go on is a barcode.

I dont always know what the equipment that was purchased looks like  I am working with marina staff to help me identify items, she told the committee.

Items include things as large as a generator and as small as a battery for a power screwdriver, she said.

Board member David Kooris, head of the Audit Committee, asked whether the city should require that vendors provide better descriptions on invoices. That may end up as one of her recommendations, Viscariello said.

Hiring know-how

Elumba, the 43-year-old former marina supervisor, used a city card to make numerous fraudulent purchases then sold or kept the items. The Stamford man was authorized to use the card to buy materials needed for marina repairs. City marinas are self-funded by yearly dock fees and ramp permits; the budget this fiscal year is $374,000.

Viscariello said her audit  which covers 2013, when Elumba was hired, through this year has a way to go. She hasnt yet begun reviewing hiring practices, she said.

That will be the aspect of most significance, said longtime finance board member Mary Lou Rinaldi, retired from a 40-year career in human resources.

Its about the hiring practices because, if we get that right, were not going to have these issues, Rinaldi said.

Its a reference to Elumbas history before the city gave him the job.

He was arrested twice. In 2010, Stamford police charged him with driving under the influence, interfering with an officer, evading responsibility and creating a public disturbance. In 2011, police in Harrison, N.Y., charged him with driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance.

The board was told that the city cant discriminate against people whove been arrested, Rinaldi said. But cant we find enough law-abiding citizens who want these jobs?

Elumbas fraudulent purchases were not discovered until March, when his boss, the parks and facilities manager, learned about his arrest that month in Ansonia on a charge of patronizing a prostitute.

This audit may show how this person did the deed, but its more important to see how he got hired in the first place, Rinaldi said. If we did a better job of screening candidates, perhaps we wouldnt periodically have these incidences.

A very bad year

Board of Finance member Sal Gabriele raised that point during the meeting, citing 2010, notorious for municipal theft in Stamford.

That year a clerical worker was charged with stealing $16,000 from a housing fund; a human resources specialist was arrested for taking $350,000 from an employee tuition reimbursement fund; and an accountant was found to have embezzled $21,000.

It was revealed that year a Board of Education clerk was made to repay $4,600 in unauthorized vacation time shed given herself, but school officials did not audit her transactions, even though she accessed the payroll system, with little supervision, for many years.

But the case that made the most headlines in 2010 resulted in no arrests, despite two police investigations and a $150,000 audit by a private firm. It was alleged that employees of the Office of Operations were taking snow plows and other city property, selling it to scrap-metal dealers, and pocketing the cash. The states attorney decided not to prosecute, even though some employees admitted they scrapped metals for cash, because it was a longstanding practice and the city had not established clear policies against it.

Only the human resources specialist did jail time in the 2010 cases. The rest, like Elumba, just repaid what they took.

A boats worth

As part of Elumbas plea agreement, the city accepted his boat as restitution, estimating its value at roughly $60,000, the amount he stole.

If it turns out the boat is not worth that, or additional losses are discovered, he is to make full restitution to the city as a condition of his probation, said Legal Affairs Director Kathryn Emmett, who oversees Human Resources.

Elumba, who earned $75,535 last year, can never again work for the city. He did not have a pension, Emmett said.

He wasnt employed by the city long enough to earn a pension, she said. Under federal law, he will be returned whatever amount he contributed toward it each week.

He also is not entitled to health benefits, Emmett said.

Rinaldi said she is concerned that the plea agreement precedes the audit results.

If all he has is the boat, what recourse does the city have? Suppose the audit finds that another $50,000 was taken? she said. I would have liked to see it remain open until it can be assured he can cover all the citys losses.

acarella@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2296.
 Flash

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that the United States is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran, after the UN's top court ruled that Washington lift sanctions on Tehran.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press briefing in Washington D.C., the United States, Oct. 3, 2018. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said here on Wednesday that the United States is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran. [Photo/Xinhua]

Pompeo said at a press briefing that "I'm announcing that the U.S. is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran. This is a decision, frankly, that is 39 years overdue."

Earlier Wednesday, the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a verdict against the U.S. unilateral sanctions, following U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Saying that the restoration of sanctions against Iran by U.S. President Donald Trump violate the terms of a 1955 Treaty of Amity between the two countries, it ordered the United States to ensure that its sanctions against Iran will not affect the humanitarian condition or threaten civil aviation safety.

It ordered Wednesday that the United States must lift sanctions on "medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities" and on spare parts necessary for the safety of civil aviation imposed against Iran.

Iran had requested the ICJ to order an immediate lifting of all sanctions imposed by the United States, arguing that these "unjust and harmful" sanctions "are damaging the economy of Iran and driving millions of people into poverty," and that the U.S. side had violated a bilateral friendship treaty signed in 1955.

The lawsuit followed Trump's decision in May this year to quit the nuclear deal and restore sanctions on Iran. Iran started the ICJ proceedings on July 16.

Iran's Foreign Ministry welcomed the ICJ ruling, saying it proves "Iran's righteousness and U.S. illegitimate and oppressive sanctions," and Washington is isolated further due to its "wrong" policies vis-a-vis other independent countries.

Pompeo said that Iran is abusing the court for its own political and propaganda purposes.

"We're disappointed that the court failed to recognize that it has no jurisdiction to issue any order relating to these sanctions measures with the United States," Pompeo said, noting Iran's claims under the treaty were "absurd."

He added that the United States would work to ensure its provision of humanitarian assistance to the Iranian people.

The treaty once helped establish economic relations and consular rights between the two nations.

Pompeo once again blamed Iran for the current security threat to the U.S. missions in Iraq.

"Our intelligence in this regard is solid. We can see the hand of the Ayatollah and his henchmen supporting these attacks on the United States," he said.

The U.S. State Department announced on Friday that it has decided to place its consulate in the Iraqi city of Basra on "ordered departure," citing increasing security threats from Iran.

Minutes later, Pompeo said that there were increasing threats to U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq over the past several weeks, which he claimed came from the Iranian government, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force and related militias.

Pompeo threatened that the United States will "respond promptly and appropriately" to any attack on Americans or U.S. diplomatic facilities by Iranian forces.

The consulate in Basra in the southern part of Iraq is one of three U.S. diplomatic missions in the war-torn country.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has condemned the White House claim as "irresponsible."

Such attempts to shift the blame onto others would not erase the U.S. "destructive" role in Iraq, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

Washington has slapped a number of sanctions on Tehran after Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the landmark Iran nuclear deal despite strong opposition from the other signatories to the deal, namely Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China.

Trump said recently that the United States will impose "tougher than ever" sanctions on Iran after the punitive actions against the country slated for November this year.




STAMFORD  Kathleen Silard has a long to-do list as the new CEO and president of Stamford Health, but one of her top priorities is breaking down barriers to care and improving the interface between patients and hospital staff.

Sometimes hospitals are cumbersome places to interact with, said Silard, 59, who now oversees the citys largest private employer, Stamford Health  a network that includes the Stamford Health Medical Group, ambulatory services, and the hospital.

One of the ways to improve the experience for patients, she said, is using technology to better communicate with them. That means making it easier to make appointments, access records, and figure out where and how to get care.

The goal is connecting the medical group, the hospital and the ambulatory networks so that patients experience us seamlessly, she said.

Aside from patient care, Silard faces a number of budgetary challenges, from serving a large population that cant afford service, to grappling with a state hospital tax and managing fallout from the expiration of the individual health insurance mandate.

But the focus of her first 100 days wont be all on number crunching. Its much simpler than that.

The first thing Im focusing on is getting people excited about the vision, Silard said. That vision, she said, is laid out in painstaking detail in the hospitals new strategic plan, which Silard helped spearhead.

While most of the plan deals with abstract concepts, the core of the strategy is building trust, creating a more inviting space for patients, as well as a shift toward treating patients as consumers.

There are so many choices about where to go and we want to be the first choice for our patients, Silard said in an interview at her office on Thursday.

The Greenwich resident became the first female CEO and president in the hospitals history on Monday. But shes no newcomer to the hospital, having served as the institutions chief operating officer since 2003.

She replaced Brian Grissler, who had been president for 17 years and retired on Sunday.

As COO, she led initiatives to create a central location for a heart and vascular institute, expanded women and childrens services, built relationships with Dana Farber and the Hospital for Special Surgeries and helped the hospital earn a Magnet designation, the highest award for nursing.

Silard, who made $1.2 million last year as COO, was instrumental in opening the new Stamford Hospital  a 13-floor, 650,000-square-foot complex  on time and under budget in 2016.

In recent years, Stamford Hospital has experienced budget shortfalls, however, and has had to lay off employees. Twenty workers were laid off last year to account for a $25 million deficit. In 2015, the hospital also laid off 20 employees.

Hospital officials, at the time, partly attributed the budget shortfalls to the states hospital tax.

The hospital tax was very impactful for us, said Silard.

Last year, the hospital was taxed $29 million by the state.

The state of Connecticut has some severe financial challenges and were hoping that with a new governor well be able to look at ways to eliminate that tax, she said.

She said the tax was unfair toward hospitals.

We exist for a charitable purpose and we are committed to provide care to the community, and we just think its very unfair to tax those that are providing care, especially for someone who provides so much charity care, like we do, she said.

Charity care, or uncompensated care, refers to services provided for no payment.

Last year, the amount of bad debt and charity care expended by the hospital equaled $70 million, she said. A large portion of that was undocumented immigrants who do not have health insurance.

Nonetheless, even with all of the budgetary obstacles in the way, Silard said the hospital has weathered the storm.

Were recovering and getting back to financial good health, she said.

The hospital has continued to expand throughout the growing pains, increasing the workforce by 21 percent in the last five years, said Christina Scott, spokesperson for the hospital.

Most of the growth at Stamford Health, Silard said, is with ambulatory services in the hospitals service area, which is primarily Stamford, Darien and the Rowayton area of Norwalk, but also includes greater Norwalk, Greenwich, New Canaan, and Wilton.

Silard has a clinical background, having started her career as a nurse in the pediatrics and neonatal intensive care unit at Albert Einstein Hospital in New York.

While at Einstein, she became executive director of clinical operations and then worked as executive director of the Montefiore Medical Group in the Bronx. Prior to Stamford Hospital, she was executive vice president and COO at St. Josephs Regional Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey.

Now, as she oversees the sprawling Stamford Hospital campus, Silard wants everyone to know what the health organization can offer.

Im very proud of this place, she said. I want to get our story out there.

ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.com
STAMFORD  It appeared Wednesday that a majority of city lawmakers will sign a letter Mayor David Martin wants to see before he restores loose-leaf pickup this fall.

Martin wants members of the Board of Representatives to assure him that they will fairly and promptly consider fee increases he plans to propose before he agrees to rescind bagged-leaf pickup, set to begin Oct. 29.

With trees starting to turn, the back-and-forth has created confusion for residents, who this week received postcards saying they must bag their leaves for the city to collect them.

Martin said he wants representatives to say they will help him raise revenue to pay for the more costly loose-leaf pickup and other expenses.

I am very optimistic that we will be able to return to the traditional leaf-pickup program, the mayor said Wednesday morning. I believe the majority of the board does want to help, and I am not asking for anything that isnt part of their responsibilities.

Board President Matthew Quinones said Wednesday evening that 22 of the 40 representatives had signed the letter.

From what I can tell, weve met the threshold set by the mayor, Quinones said.

5-month conflict

The letter, written by Quinones, reflects the controversy behind this years pickup. Martin dropped the decades-long practice of collecting loose leaves at the curb and instituted the bag program after representatives made a last-minute, $1.4 million cut to his requested budget increase in May.

To find savings, Martin cut the Fourth of July fireworks show, lifeguard hours and stopped lining some ballfields. But residents and representatives reacted strongly when he announced in late summer that leaves must be bagged because it would save at least $227,000. Martin said it also would help the city comply with state regulations requiring that leaves be kept out of storm drains to prevent nitrogen and phosphorous from harming Long Island Sound.

More News Stamford moves forward with plastic bag ban, leaf pickup plan

Quinones wrote in his letter to Martin that the 11th-hour switch left residents in a bind, transferring the pickup expense and effort from the city to them. His statement is consistent with an overwhelming board vote Monday that amended the leaf-collection ordinance to allow loose and bagged pickup.

We do not believe that this is the appropriate year to discontinue the loose-leaf program. Nevertheless, we understand your environmental and operational concerns, and the need to manage the citys finances, Quinones wrote to Martin. Therefore, provided that the loose-leaf program is reinstated this year under its traditional terms, myself along with the below signatories agree to use good-faith efforts to, on a timely basis, review and enact reasonable proposals to raise revenue.

Not binding

Quinones attached another letter addressed to the board, saying he welcomes responses from members who disagree with the non-binding compromise with Martin.

My efforts to garner a majority of the board to add their names to the letter are to ensure that we have loose-leaf pickup, if thats the vehicle representatives have to ensure that the program will continue this year, Quinones said Wednesday. I know my constituents want this program, and if it means I have to sign a letter to look at fees when they come down, well, I would have done that anyway.

Rep. Mary Fedeli, R-17, the boards minority leader, took a similar view.

I signed the letter because I have said I will review the fees in good faith. My word is my word, so I have no problem putting my name to it, Fedeli said. It doesnt mean I will vote for every fee the mayor sends us, but I will certainly review it.

Martin said most of the fees he wants to increase have not changed in many years, and Stamford undercharges compared to other municipalities. The ones hes considering include health inspection fees, building fees, and parking charges and fines, he said.

It can take two to three months to pass and enact fee increases, and he would like the board to do it soon because he needs revenue this fiscal year, Martin said.

Fedeli said she understands.

There have been some issues where fees took four to six months to pass, and I dont think we have that kind of time now, she said. We have to look at the fees carefully, and get our questions asked and answered, but we need to do it in an expedient manner.

Roped in?

Among those who refused to sign the letter is Rep. Rodney Pratt, D-9, the boards majority leader. Its too late to switch to bagging, and the city must try to improve loose-leaf pickup before eliminating it, Pratt said, but he has too many questions about the request for signatures to add his name to the letter.

The people spoke  they dont want bagged pickup. We passed an ordinance giving them the choice, Pratt said. How do we create an ordinance then turn around and say we will raise fees because of it?

He wrote the board a letter explaining his view, Pratt said.

We took an oath to serve our communities. Why would we sign a document to reinforce that, like our oath doesnt mean anything? he said. To me, signing a letter makes it seem like I am roped into doing something I might decide is not fair. I have to keep an open mind, that is my job. It feels like I would be signing away my right to choose, like Im working for the mayors office instead of the public.

Martin said he wanted signatures because I want to know the count. I think the majority of the board recognizes whats necessary to move the city forward. If we all accept our roles, we can get things done.

The ordinance passed Monday cannot be enforced this year because there is no money to pay for loose-leaf pickup unless the city raises more revenue, Martin said.

The idea of using ordinances to force the mayor to do things that we cant afford to do wont work, he said.

The city will mail new postcards explaining the dates and rules for loose-leaf pickup, Martin said. The second set of mailings to all 30,000 households will cost about $10,000, he said.

acarella@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2296.
As the United States closes up its borders and becomes more hostile to even legal immigration, countries across Latin America are opening theirs. Countries such as Chile, Colombia and Mexico, are not doing it to be nice; they know immigration is good for business.

Related: The International Entrepreneur Rule and Innovation: Why Immigrants Help -- Not Harm -- the U.S. Job Market

Immigrants created 30 percent of new inventions in the U.S. over the past 100 years and started over 50 percent of the U.S.'s tech unicorns. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that programs like Start-Up Chile are emerging to bring foreigners to Latin America to spur entrepreneurial ambitions and foster local innovation.

Latin American governments are taking an extra step to attract foreign talent. In the past few years, many countries have debuted tech or investor visas to bring in skilled entrepreneurs, developers and investors to develop tech ecosystems across the region. These visas are often expedited, meaning that a qualified developer or entrepreneur could get a visa in as little as two weeks in some countries.

Compare that pace to the four- to six-month grueling and bureaucratic process of getting a work visa, and it's understandable why these new visas are so appealing.

While it can still be challenging to navigate the requirements of these new visas, this diplomatic easing is a sign that Latin American governments see the value of investing in tech talent. As the U.S. cracks down on H1-B visas for skilled workers, more tech companies are setting up offices in Latin America where they can still hire talented foreigners without the visa hassle.

Related: 4 Lessons U.S. Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Latin American Startup Culture

Here are a few of the new visas which are helping businesses combat chronic shortages in tech talent and boosting nascent tech ecosystems across Latin America.

Start-Up Chile's Tech Visa

When I applied for my permanent residency visa in Chile, it took endless paperwork and weeks of waiting to receive my visa, after an opaque and frustrating application process. But, with the new tech visa, launched by President Michelle Bachelet in 2017, it takes just 15 days to process from start to finish. The new visa is designed to incentivize talented entrepreneurs and engineers to move to Chile to work for technology companies.

According to the Start-Up Chile website, the tech visa is for "any foreign professional or technician in the areas of science and technology or with proven experience in innovation." These professionals can work for any company with sponsorship from InvestChile, startups in Start-Up Chile or local companies with a letter of invitation from the Undersecretariat of Economy.

Start-Up Chile has accelerated over 1,700 startups and brought thousands of entrepreneurs to Chile to develop their businesses with its $40,000 equity-free grants and mentorship programs. This new visa helps Chile continue attracting top talent for these startups to operate in Chile.

It is also relatively easy to get a visa even without the new program, through the temporary investor or business-person visa, the opportunity visa (for those that want to work in Chile for 12 months) and the international or national orientation visa (for those that studied in a top 200 university internationally, or pursued a master's in Chile).

Related: The International Entrepreneur Rule Wasn't Perfect, but the Trump Administration Killing It Sends the Wrong Message, Experts Say

Mexico's alternative to the H1-B Visa

President Donald Trump is making it no secret that the DREAM Act is under threat. This Obama-era legislation allows children brought to the United States as undocumented immigrants to stay in the country and potentially gain permanent residence. However, as the future has become increasingly uncertain for these young people, Mexico has opened its doors to these "Dreamers" and skilled talent from around the world to work in its new tech centers in Mexico City and Guadalajara.

International tech companies like Amazon and Oracle are hiring engineers and programmers in Mexico as English-speaking Mexican millennials flood back into the country. Bismarck Lepe's San Francisco-based development company, Wizeline, famously hired hundreds of skilled engineers in Guadalajara.

The state of Jalisco, home of "Mexico's Silicon Valley" Guadalajara, in February 2018 debuted an initiative called JalisConnect, which provides a "soft landing" for foreign entrepreneurs in Mexico. The program provides an office, administration, staffing and other services that help startups easily transition to operating in Mexico.

At the same time, JalisConnect launched a tech visa that provides a four-year temporary residence visa to any entrepreneur in the program. According to Nearshore Americas, holders of the tech visa can stay in Mexico as long as they receive all their income from the country where their company is registered. Once you meet the requirements, the government of Jalisco can issue the visa in 24 hours.

For those that want to work in Mexico, there are two visa options: the visa for business travel (any paid activities) and the temporary visa. Both of these require an application and payment, as well as an invitation letter from the company that will be hiring you, and your financial records. As the U.S. continues to restrict visas for skilled workers, Mexico is helping foreign talent find work just south of the border.

Related: The Entrepreneurial Case for Tech Investing in Emerging Markets

Colombia's new visa system

Colombia updated their visa regulations in December 2017 to create three categories of visas: visitor, migrant and resident. These visas encompass previous permits provided by the Colombian government and added new categories, most of which reside within the migrant (M) visa category. Specifically, the M-6 and M-10 visas, which provide three-year residence in return for investments in Colombia, are common ways for foreigners to obtain residency in Colombia. Previously, visas for investors had to be renewed yearly, creating a bureaucratic nuisance that pushed VCs to look elsewhere.

The M-6 visa (previously the TP-7 visa) provides residence for foreigners who "have constituted or acquired participation in the capital stock in a commercial company valued at least 100 times the minimum monthly wage in Colombia."

The minimum wage in Colombia is 781,242 Colombian pesos, so the minimum investment to receive this visa is $26,042 (at a $1:3,000 Colombian peso exchange rate). This new visa makes it possible for venture capitalists and other investors to easily gain residence in Colombia and make a longer-term impact on the local ecosystem. The M-10 real estate investment visa is similar but requires a real estate investment of over 350 times the minimum wage, or $91,144.

While the new visas closely resemble Colombia's previous system, the extended residency period makes it possible for foreign investors to invest in Colombia for the long term. These new laws minimize bureaucratic hassle and encourage foreigners to look at Colombian companies and startups as viable investment opportunities.

Related: Why 'Hacking' Your Way Into the U.S. Market Via Latin America Makes Sense for Your European Startup

Investment visas

Although Chile, Mexico and Colombia are the most recent countries to debut tech and investor visas to spur their entrepreneurial ecosystems, investment visas are available in many countries across Latin America.

For instance, in Brazil, a $150,000 investment grants you and your family Brazilian citizenship and passport for at least four years, and the entire process is remote, except for picking up your new passport. Panama allows permanent residency with a $160,000 investment, and the visa can be fast-tracked if you are from one of 50 "Friendly Nations" (including the U.S. and several Latin American countries). Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and several others also have investment visas at various price points that allow business owners and investors to gain permanent residence by investing in local businesses or government bonds.

Tech talent is in high demand worldwide. Latin American governments are investing in attracting foreign entrepreneurs and engineers and are reaping the benefits of stronger economies and more secure futures for their workforces. Countries like Chile, Mexico and Colombia are now further incentivizing immigration by creating simplified visas for talented workers who can produce local business development. While the U.S. continues pushing back against this trend, Latin America is opening its borders to international tech talent who are supporting startups and innovation across the region.

Related:

As U.S. Cracks Down on H1-B Visas, Latin America Adds Fast-Track Alternatives for Entrepreneurs and Investors

Avoid These Errors When Applying for a U.K. Entrepreneur Visa

The International Entrepreneur Rule and Innovation: Why Immigrants Help -- Not Harm -- the U.S. Job Market



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
While Canada has delayed its crypto regulation update until 2020, Jimmy Wales (founder of Wikipedia) and General Michael Hayden are joining other prominent leaders in the crypto space at Koreas Block Seoul event. Could it be the East is winning the blockchain race, attracting the brilliant minds of the West while the Western countries become client states?

South Korea is an extremely tech-savvy country that has heavily invested in its internet infrastructure. Samsung and LG have already established themselves as global brands in technology and consumer electronics. Seoul is ranked as the world's "leading digital city" and a tech capital of the world. South Koreas top two crypto exchanges (Upbit and Bithumb) are among the top 25 exchanges.

While Korea had its own ICO crackdown, its citizens were already deeply invested in blockchain, contributing to 14 percent of the global crypto market. South Korea lifted the ban later. Korea has taken it even further by potentially integrating blockchain in its voting system.

Related: Why Blockchain Is the Best Thing That Happened to International Trade

There is also another boosting factor in Korea: games. The gaming industry is one of the most blockchain-friendly industries. According to Jared Psigoda, CEO of BitGuild, "gamers in particular understand cryptocurrency because virtual money has been a part of gaming for the last 10 years. For example, dating back to World of Warcraft, there was a $100 million market for buying digital gold."

Chinas stance

China is another major player in the crypto-sphere, hosting a substantial share of Bitcoin miners. In 2017, estimates suggested that 50 to 70 percent of all Bitcoin mining took place in that country. Despite strict regulation of cryptocurrencies, China has been significantly more bullish on blockchain. Chinas president declared blockchain as a part of technological revolution and it is one of the first countries to mention the technology in a state-level policy.

China is more centralized and top down than the US, but they see the value of the technology, says Joyce Yang, CEO of Global Coin Research. In China there are a lot of crypto companies and projects being built, although they are not allowed to market to the citizens, the products are being offered everywhere outside of mainland. China has more blockchain companies than any other country on Earth.

Related: How to Get Investment from Top-notch Companies

As Kevin Hobbs, the CEO of The Vanbex Group explains: Since September 2017 China has banned ICOs, prohibited crypto exchanges and blocked foreign exchanges. Vanbex is a Canadian company with a great community in China. That being said I was recently in China at multiple conferences and visiting with multiple blockchain companies and heard nothing but good things about the support the government is giving them. Their work ethic was incredible to see and their belief that blockchain is the future was very evident. I think those countries have a work ethic that gives them a competitive advantage and the ability to move faster to be ahead of the rest.

Ironically, while some see China as a country of low-quality products, the flaw has actually lead to the birth and acceptance of at least two revolutionary technologies: chatbots and blockchain.

Chatbots were first introduced in WeChat, years ahead of Telegram and Facebook: the reason being numerous product safety scandals. Likewise, numerous counterfeit products have boosted blockchains acceptance in supply chains, where it is used to track the products and ensure they are genuine.

Impact of regulations

As regulations and bans kick in, blockchain companies look for safer alternatives. This has turned some territories like Gibraltar and Malta into bases for many ventures and ICOs. Switzerland managed to attract South Korean blockchain platforms ICON and HDAC, while Singapore and Hong Kong took advantage of the bans to become the region's havens for ICOs and blockchain startups.

Related: Entrepreneurs Are Flocking to Europe to Open Cryptocurrency Businesses

Hong Kong is taking blockchain development very seriously, and has announced that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority will be working with some of the biggest banks in the world to spearhead a new blockchain platform that will streamline trade finance.

State of blockchain in the US

While the United States dominated the early days of the internet, blockchains are truly cross-border, with millions around the world participating. While the US slowly tiptoes on the technology, rival governments are investing heavily in blockchain research and development. Ultimately, they may monopolize the industry and set their own standards, leaving the US to play catch up.

But, many still look at blockchain with skepticism. As an executive at a Wall Street firm who had been trying to position itself as a leader in the technology puts it, [blockchain] became a solution in search of a problem. Vermont was considering blockchain-based public recordkeeping, but a report found that a switch would have high costs and very limited possible benefits.

It seems that the US has already fallen behind the blockchain development curve. The US generally moves slower, as there are not many bodies in the government who understand crypto, and the policymakers want to be more careful in approaching something they dont understand, explains Joyce Yang. And frankly, I think out of all currencies out there, crypto and non-crypto, Bitcoin is the biggest threat to the global power and influence of the US dollar.

Disclosure: Vanbex is a client of Innowire, but we have not asked for nor received any kind of compensation from Vanbex for their quotes in this piece.

Related:

Blockchain Geopolitics: Is It East vs. West or Is It Large Countries vs. Small?

Tapping into the Applicability of the Blockchain Disruption

5 Tech Trends Content Creators Need to Pay Attention To



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
JERUSALEM - At first glance, a rare interview with Hamas leader Yehiya Sinwar set to be published Friday on the front page of an Israeli daily newspaper looks like a bold attempt by Gaza's militant Islamist rulers to reach out for peace, or at least calm ongoing tensions with Israel.

A small excerpt from the interview published Thursday on the news website of the popular Yedioth Ahronoth appears to ask Sinwar why he decided to give an interview to an Israeli newspaper, to which he answers: "Because now I see a true opportunity for change."

He also says, "A new war is in no one's interest, certainly not our interest," and "I don't want any more wars."

But within hours of the excerpt appearing online, Sinwar's office released a statement saying the journalist, Francesca Borri, had interviewed him under false pretenses. It insisted the Hamas leader would never knowingly agree to be interviewed by an Israeli media outlet.

Borri, a freelance journalist from Italy, told The Washington Post that she was completely transparent in all her dealings with Hamas and that it was well-known that her work has previously appeared in Israeli publications. She worked on the story for more than a month, she said, including a face-to-face meeting and follow-up emails.

Sinwar's statement came as he faced a backlash in Gaza for defying Hamas restrictions on speaking to Israeli publications. In 2012, the group prohibited all work with the Israeli media, deciding it would no longer deal with requests from Israeli journalists or media outlets.

Israel also has a ban on Israeli journalists entering the Gaza Strip, though it cannot stop them from trying to seek comments from Hamas officials by other means.

On Facebook, one Gaza resident furiously dismissed the interview, writing that what is more interesting was that a person who criticized others for speaking to the Israeli media, then went out and gave an interview himself.

"The decision of Hamas is clear and has been repeatedly emphasized in terms of not dealing with the Israeli media," said the statement from Sinwar's office. "The journalist applied for an interview with the leader of Hamas in Gaza on the basis of an official request for two newspapers (Italian and British)."

It further said that the Western media department had investigated Borri's background to determine that she was "not Jewish or Israeli, and that she had no previous work published in the Israeli press."

"The journalist violated the ethics and professional standards and lied about the publication of the interview," said the statement. It also said they would seek legal action, though it was unclear what, if any, action could be taken.

Sinwar, who took over as leader of Hamas in 2017, spent 22 years in an Israeli jail convicted in 1989 of abducting and killing two Israeli soldiers. He was released seven years ago as part of a prisoner exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Both Israel and the United States consider him and the group he leads, terrorists.

Borri, who has interviewed numerous Islamist militants for a wide range of international publications, said she expected such a reaction.

"But I think the interview is very strong and it changes the image of Hamas in the world and in Israel," she said. "I am a freelancer and they knew my story would be published in La Republica and other places. They also know that my stories are often translated for other publications around the world. My stories have appeared in 24 languages, including in Hebrew."

Borri said she believed that was exactly why Sinwar agreed to the interview with her in the first place.

"Palestinians know my work is translated into Hebrew and they know that through me they can reach Israel. I am totally transparent," said Borri, who has posted on her own social media accounts about writing for Yedioth Ahronoth. "The idea of the Hamas leader appearing on the front page of Israel's main daily newspaper is something positive for Hamas and we all know it."

There have been attempts in recent months, including by neighboring Egypt, to mediate a long-term cease-fire arrangement between Hamas and Israel. Officials on both sides, however, have indicated that progress is stuck on the finer points of a prisoner exchange.

In the interview, Sinwar states he will do all he can to release every single Palestinian prisoner being held by Israel. These are terms Israel is unlikely to agree to. Meanwhile, Hamas continues to hold onto the bodies of two Israeli soldiers from the 2014 Gaza war and two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed.

As the hopes of a long-term agreement appear to be fading, tensions between the two sides continue to flare with Hamas urging more Gazans to show up at the weekly protests along the border fence with Israel. While the protests are often used to express frustration at the ever-deteriorating humanitarian crisis for the 2 million residents of the coastal enclave, they are often lethal, with Israeli army snipers killing nearly 200 Palestinians, according to the latest figures from Gaza's health ministry.

Nine people, including three teenagers, were shot dead at the border fence just in the past week.

Israel has said its actions vis-a-vis the Gaza protests are justified and that it is seeking only to defend Israeli civilians living in the Gaza periphery from violent mobs.

In anticipation of further violence this coming weekend, the Israeli army announced on Thursday that it was deploying wide-scale reinforcements to the border area, part of "the continuation of a determined policy to thwart terror activity and prevent infiltrations into Israel from the Gaza Strip."
Italy set next year's deficit target at 2.4 percent of economic output with a commitment to reduce it in 2020 and 2021, a partial concession to the European Union after it pressured Finance Minister Giovanni Tria to contain the ruling coalition's spending requests.

Five days after the projections were due to be released, the government still hasn't published the economic growth forecasts underpinning its plans. Those details will come Thursday, a government spokeswoman said.

"We are respecting the promises we made," Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said. "This is a serious budget, responsible and courageous. Our country needs strong growth."

The populist government's deficit goal for next year is triple the previous administration's target of 0.8 percent of gross domestic product set back in April, which Tria repeatedly said was no longer achievable. The government aims to reduce the shortfall to 2.1 percent in 2020 and 1.8 percent in 2021.

Tria has been fighting a rearguard action inside the coalition government with Luigi Di Maio and his fellow deputy premier, Matteo Salvini, demanding more resources to deliver on their election promises. Tria had reportedly tried to limit the deficit target to 2 percent of GDP during last-ditch negotiations last week before ultimately agreeing to 2.4 percent.

"We promised to raise the growth rate to gradually erase the gap with the rest of Europe, which has been one percentage point in the last 10 years," Tria said, standing alongside Conte. "With this budget we will succeed in halving the gap between Italy's growth rate and the EU's in the first year, in 2019."

Speaking at an event in Rome earlier in the day, Tria said that the economic slowdown and the need to avoid an increase of the sales tax planned under existing legislation had already pushed next year's deficit to 2 percent. The additional deficit spending will be used to fund investments and an early implementation of tax cuts and income support for the poorest households included in the government program, he said.

The government also set a commitment to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio to 126.5 percent of GDP in 2021.

Pierre Moscovici, the EU commissioner for economic and financial affairs, said that while potential revisions to Italy's projections were a "good signal," an unrevised 2019 figure risks breaking the bloc's rules.

The fight over the coalition's budget policy has pushed Italian bonds to levels not seen since the height of the euro debt crisis. The 10-year yield on Tuesday closed at its highest level since 2014 -- before the European Central Bank unleashed its 2.6 trillion-euro ($3 trillion) quantitative easing program. It fell 14 basis points on Wednesday as reports of the government's concessions filtered out.

From the start of budget talks in August, Tria has been juggling the EU budget restrictions against the demands from Di Maio and Salvini, who lead the Five Star Movement and the League respectively.

The new targets will have an impact on investors' concerns about Italy's mountainous public debt. The government won't avoid a clash with the European Commission, which says Italy must keep cutting the deficit at a sufficient pace to reduce the country's debt of over 130 percent of GDP.

Bond yields soared at the beginning of the summer in the initial alarm over the populists' spending plans. They rose again in September among reports of requests by the ruling coalition to set a target close or even above the EU limit of 3 percent of output.

- - -

Bloomberg's Ben Sills, Giovanni Salzano, Jerrold Colten and Dan Liefgreen contributed.
3 1 of 3 Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3





One has to wonder why in Stamford, which has an office vacancy rate of around 30 percent, the telecommunication company Charter Communications has been allowed to build a 15-story building on top of a parking garage adjacent to Stamford train station. Thats hardly good news to commuters and other Metro-North and Amtrak passengers, along with drivers who pick up or drive them to the already overly congested area, and taxi drivers. Couldnt the city have tried to convince Charter, which is currently on Atlantic Street, to move into one of the vacant downtown office buildings or into the virtually empty former Pitney Bowes building in the South End? But then the citys zoning board seemingly has never met a corporation or developer whose wishes it did not want to accommodate.

Speaking of the South End  and, no, its not all Harbor Point some boat-owners who used the century-old boat yard along the Stamford waterfront apparently have found the new much-smaller facility to be far less satisfactory, according to Stamford Harbormaster, Eric Knott. (There have) been many complaints, Knott told me yesterday, mainly because BLT advertises it as a full-service boat yard but its not. Its a very nice marina, but its in the wrong place. Knott also said that the Sept. 17 collision between a barge being towed to a commercial dock and a 50-foot $1.5 million yacht would not have happened near the old boatyard, which was a full-service facility.
Its gonna cost ya, Stamford!

Thats what Mayor David Martin declared when earlier this week he said he would abide by the overwhelming vote of the city Board of Representatives to reinstate curbside pickup of loose leaves. On one condition: the legislators make an effort to enact reasonable fee proposals on a timely basis.

Martin didnt get into specifics as to what those proposed increases would be but hell be hiring a special assistant to do that any second now. Kidding! He already has plenty of those! How do you think we got in the debit mess to begin with? Anyway, its expected the mayor will call for the usual suspects to rummage through their seat cushions: contractors wanting to use the city transfer station, parking scofflaws ... you know, the folks the city already has trouble collecting money from.

Ho hum.

Luckily Im here to offer some suggestions  free of charge, too  to help our fair city raise the needed revenue to spare us all from the looming autumnal debris crisis:

Triple cost of all city permits and fees related to the building of new bank branches or CVS pharmacies. Double cost for restaurants specializing in pizza and/or Italian food.

Fine retail establishments $20 per day if they display holiday related decorations or merchandise earlier than four weeks before said holiday.

Add $5 surcharge for non-residents to attend Alive@Five summer concerts in downtown; reduce surcharge to $2 providing they to wear a wristband reading, No booze or brawling for me. Im a tourist!

Charge off-duty police officers $25 a day to use cell phone when working privately as traffic control officers.

Establish user fee for residents to dab, floss or Orange Justice in public. Fee double for people over age 23.

Raise price of a senior citizen resident annual beach sticker from $7 to $15; however, sticker will only cost $9 if senior waives right to complain about how much better Stamford was in his/her younger days.

Charge shameless publicity fee any time a public official wants to wear a hard hat, hold a shovel or use an oversized pair of scissors for a photo opp.

Require $100 annual permit to any resident wishing to mention how many steps his/her FitBit steps has counted that day.

Establish extraneous cuteness fee of $75 per letter for establishments wanting their names to include an unnecessary e or substitute a z for an s.

Require musicians to pay $50 cover charge to perform any of the following in a public venue: Brown Eyed Girl, Margaritaville, or anything from Billy Joel. DJs must pay similar permitting fee to play The Chicken Dance, The Macarena or anything by Imagine Dragons.

Require students to purchase parking permit to use high school lots. Penalty for infraction: stiff fine and ride on a yellow bus.

Two words: cat licenses.

Stamford native and resident Kevin McKeever, whose nationally award-winning column appears here every other Friday, is a freelance writer. Email him at kevin@writeonkevin.com.
DC PRO Engineering, headquarters in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, is an engineering company that services in engineering design, consulting, and project management plus engineering reviews, feasibility studies, efficiency monitoring, and recommendations for energy performance improvement.

Selected to re-design the failing supporting system for the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre project, DC PRO used CAESAR II for the modifications needed to be designed within the original supporting system while rectifying the failing supports. They also verified the other existing supports after modifications to ensure no further failures would occur once in operation.

Using CAESAR II, they were able to save the client significant expenses compared to having to change the entire support system. They completed the project with minimal delay from schedule.

DC PRO received the 2017 CAESAR II Drivers of Success Runner-up Award for its use of the software. The annual Drivers of Success competition recognizes innovative applications of Hexagon PPM products, impressive project results, and significant benefits from collaboration among disciplines and the integration of the products.

Read the case study here.
A conservative county supervisor in central Virginia is drawing criticism for a tweet about gunning down pro-marijuana demonstrators who stormed the Capitol Hill office of Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md.

Manuel Alvarez Jr., a Republican supervisor in rural Goochland County, saw a post on his Twitter feed about protesters trying to force their way into Harris' office on Tuesday and tweeted his reply to his 636 followers.

"With one reload, I can take 34 of them. But my guess is one will be sufficient," Alvarez wrote.

After logging back onto Twitter later Tuesday, Alvarez noticed the negative reaction to the post and deleted it.

"It was a joke; nothing more than that," Alvarez said Wednesday, calling the post "stupid" during a telephone interview. "Everybody here knows me, knows who I am, and that I'm not that way. I shouldn't have done it."

But at a time when the country is deeply polarized and grappling with repeated mass shootings in schools and elsewhere, the tweet generated a strong and outraged response.

"Really Manny? You should be careful of what you say, sounds a lot like a threat," one commenter posted. "You are better than that."

"Wow, making death threats?" wrote another. "Seems like something else the @FBI should investigate."

Tina Winkler, co-chair of the local Democratic Party committee, said Alvarez and another Republican supervisor have been posting "rage tweets" during the past few months, catching many in the quiet community of 22,300 off guard with, among other things, their ardent defenses of President Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.

A few weeks ago, Winkler said, she called Alvarez to ask him to tone things down after he posted tweets critical of Democrats in his community.

"We don't do that kind of politics in Goochland," Winkler said.

Alvarez - who was elected in 2011 on a platform of cutting public spending in Goochland - arrived in the Richmond area as a refugee from Cuba during the early 1970s after his parents fled Fidel Castro's regime.

As a county supervisor, Alvarez has focused mostly on local causes, such as improving Internet connectivity in Goochland.

Online, however, he frequently weighs in on national politics.

"Flake should have been removed as a senator for colluding with the enemy Castro brothers," he tweeted in response to a decision by Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., to call for the FBI to investigate the allegations facing Kavanaugh.

Alvarez said he is not a sophisticated user of social media. He said he tweeted his reply to the demonstration outside Harris' office without really understanding what it was about, half distracted by preparations for that night's county board meeting.

After noticing that someone on his Twitter feed posted that Harris' office had been broken into, he said, his gut instinct as a gun owner was that he would want to protect himself if he were in that situation.

"I responded to what seemed like a threat inside someone's office or home," Alvarez said. "My office is in my home, and if somebody broke in here, I would do whatever I could to protect my family."

Alvarez said he's saddened by the stir he's caused.

"I would never do that," he said of shooting protesters. "It's not in my character. It's not in my nature."

Referring to Twitter, Alvarez said: "I think I'm just going to have to get off of it."

A moment later, asked if he was serious about quitting social media, he said: "Probably not."
C omcast on Thursday revealed that it has grabbed more than 75% of Sky shares, allowing the US cable giant to kick-start in earnest its plan to take control of UK and European living rooms.

Last week the cable giant said its 30 billion deal for the broadcaster of A discovery of Witches (pictured) was on track as it had already had 30% of the stock. Today it revealed it has struck a deal to get the 39% of stock owned by Rupert Murdochs 21st Century Fox, ending any last doubts that the deal would go through. It also formally ends the Murdoch familys association with a business they built from scratch.

City analysts said that moving to 75% means that Comcast is now certain to take its ownership of Sky past 90%. At that point other investors have no choice but to sell-up.

Their shares will, in effect, be cancelled and a cheque sent for the balance. Fox was paid 11.6 billion for its stake at 17.28 a share, a deal funded by one of the largest bond issues in takeover history.

That 21 billion bond deal means a bonanza for bankers at Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Credit Suisse and others.

There is now intense City speculation about whether Sky management will stay or go.

Comcast chief executive Brian Roberts has been open in his admiration for Sky chief executive Jeremy Darroch, who lands 50 million from the deal.

Robert has been in to talk to Sky staff and assured them they will be left to run the business. Roberts said: Weve said this to Jeremy and the rest of the Sky team  They will be able to act as an independent company but with the resources of a $150bn company behind them.

Comcast, like losing bidder Disney, sees Sky as platform for growth across Europe. It owns NBC and is the largest cable operator in America.

Todays announcement ends one of the lengthiest and most dramatic takeover battles the City has ever seen. The speed at which Comcast has moved since winning the auction means the deal is now likely to conclude sooner than expected.

It had previously said it hoped to get the deal done by the end of October.

Murdoch has made two public attempts to take control of Sky, the latest effort failing when Foxs 15.67 a share bid was trumped by Comcast.
T heresa May has bought herself more time at No 10, but yesterdays speech went nowhere near far enough to attack Labours Marxist agenda.

Perhaps one reason is that many of the Labour Lefts ideas were repackaged as the PMs own when she arrived at Downing Street.

Remember all those barnstormers of business-bashing?

She quietly dropped most of it after her drubbing in the General Election last summer, but a whiff of it lingers on. Most notably in the idea of workers being represented on boards.

Businesses successfully lobbied that being forced to hire a workers rep as a director would make them hostage to unions and get in the way of fleet-footed decision-making.

Besides, they pointed out, the law says directors primary duty is to shareholders, not staff. So, under Section 172 of the Companies Act, a director charged with looking out for workers interests above all else is breaking the rules.

A compromise was reached. Now, new rules mean that, if companies dont want a director drawn from the workforce, they must either create a formal advisory panel drawn from workers or charge a non-executive director (rather than an executive) with the duty of looking out for the employees interests.

The problem with panels representing workers is the question which workers? Employees in Malaysia will have different agendas from those in Macclesfield. Those in assembly plants wont necessarily share the views of the digital development team. How to get a consensus?

Then, if you solve that teaser, how do these panels interact with the directors in a way that they dont feel like their ideas are being ignored?

Today, Legal & General broke cover to declare it was opting for the second option, charging a non-executive director with the additional task of engagement with the workforce. Lesley Knox will add that role to her current job running the remuneration committee, so shell be stewarding the highest salaries and the lowest.

The Left will say shes a figleaf for workers representation, compromised as she is by her long relationship with the board.

But the reality is that the relationship should work the other way: the board are more likely to listen to someone they already know and trust than some newcomer.

Rolls-Royce took the same view, and other big companies are reviewing their options. Some are putting together multiple advisory panels, others are tinkering with creating a single one.

This is all good stuff. Companies are creating practical ways of giving staff a hearing without being forced through draconian laws bearing unintended consequences.
A no-deal Brexit could tip the UK into recession, warns the chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland, just as analysts turned bullish on the shares.

Ross McEwan, the Kiwi credited with turning around the bank which is still 62% owned by the government, said economic growth could be zero or negative if there is a bad Brexit.

He told the BBC: We are assuming 1%-1.5% growth for next year but if we get a bad Brexit then that could be zero or negative and that would affect our profitability and our share price.

He also had a warning for the beleaguered retail sector, saying the bank is cutting lending to traditional shops.

There are some retailers we are having to be a bit more cautious about because they havent made the necessary transition from bricks and mortar to digital, said McEwan. His words come as some in the City begin to talk up the RBS story.

The shares were up 1% at 250p, and analysts think they are set to rise.

Ian Gordon at Investec, a long-term RBS sceptic, today told clients to buy the shares.
I f Londons new Crossrail line were opening on time, you can be sure the Mayor would be busy taking the credit. Hed be seen travelling on the test trains, showing off the new stations and talking the route up as a boost to Brexit-hit London.

So its only fair to ask when Sadiq Khan found out that the project was delayed a year, what hes been doing to sort things out and wholl pay the bill for the extra work needed. After all, if its his project when things go well, its his when they dont, too.

So far, apart from a short appearance before the London Assembly a month ago, Mr Khan has been silent.

Hes not the only politician avoiding questions  Transport Secretary Chris Grayling didnt mention the project in his conference speech this week.

But when Crossrail eventually starts running as the Elizabeth line, it will be the Mayor who is in charge. Thats the whole point of a mayor  Londoners vote for someone to lead their city. And transport is one of the biggest parts of the job.

He needs to answer three questions.

The first is: when did he know the route was late? He says he only found out on August 29, when Crossrail bosses told him formally. But thats not credible.

There were all sorts of signs that the project was running into trouble and the Mayor should have spotted them.

Either hes not telling us the whole truth about what he knew and when, or he wasnt on top of his job. Which is it?

The second question that matters is: what is the Mayor doing to get the line open? The answer is that we dont know because he hasnt told us.

The rail industry is full of people who like to blame each other for problems  and its true that Crossrail bosses should have admitted to the problems earlier, and put a better plan in place. But now the Mayor needs to lead, not let everyone fall out.

In particular, he needs to give his full public support to the Transport Commissioner, Mike Brown, who is stuck in the middle of a mess that he didnt cause.

The third question is about the bill.

We know the Government and Transport for London had to stump up 590 million extra between them this summer  but that was before they knew of the delay.

The Treasury will not look kindly on being asked for more money now  but if TfL is landed with the extra costs, which might be up to 1billion, other services will suffer or Londoners will pay more. We need to be told whats happening.

Crossrail is an amazing achievement. It is nearly there, it is closer to its budget than many big projects elsewhere in Europe and it will transform London.

But these questions matter  and the Mayor needs to answer them.

Picture Why Art Matters

Our editorial comment articles provide space for different voices to explain to us what is going on in our world. Usually, they do so in writing.

Today, for the first time ever in this section, we have instead commissioned a special work by one of Britains leading contemporary artists, Idris Khan.

His work below addresses the question: why art matters. As with any of our comment pieces, readers can judge for themselves the answer.

Mr Khans great contribution to the Evening Standard coincides with the Frieze Art Fair in London this week.

For a few of the worlds richest, who jet into the capital especially, the tents in Regents Park are a shop window where they can buy everything from a Peter Doig and a Bridget Riley, to an ancient Greek statue or Old Master.

Its a big business which we should be excited to see thrive in our capital. But for the many thousands of visitors who cant afford the work on display, Frieze is just a wonderful day out. Thats why the Evening Standard supports it.

Where else can you see a huge bronze tree become a meteorite, or take a look inside an imagined room in Mar a Lago complete with gold-embossed Trump wallpaper?

The focus this year on the work of women is very much of the moment. And if you get tired of looking at all the art, you can always watch the exotic parade of visitors instead. Some are a work of art in themselves. Art is one way we try to make sense of our crazy world.

Take a look at Idris Khans work, go along to Frieze, and see if you agree.
I N HIS letter [The UK is not gaining its lost sovereignty by leaving Europe, October 2], David Baker has confused ideas of what makes for legitimate and effective government, complaining that neither the direct democracy of a referendum nor the appointed chamber of the House of Lords is compatible with vibrant democracy.

Granted, it is a bad idea to put difficult decisions to the public in a referendum. But why should it then be wrong for an upper house, free from short-term electoral pressure, to give these decisions careful scrutiny? Why is one degree of separation between the public and decision-making (the election of MPs) good, but two (the choice of peers by governments) bad?

Most systems of government that we like to think of as democratic have unelected parts vital to their success: the judiciary is an example. An upper house, not directly elected, carefully using its position to consider, as Mr Baker puts it, the sort of difficult decisions that the public can never hope to be fully informed of, is an important part of the British kind of democracy.

David A McM Wilson

We MIGHT do better if actions proposed by government and approved by Parliament were subject to the test of their being generally wished. That would make our democracy more vibrant, at least if that means there is more real consent for what is done.

William Ramsay

EDITOR'S REPLY

Dear David and William

Thank you for your letters. No one has yet come up with a perfect constitution, and it is unlikely we ever will. Still, its always worth trying.

It is easy to think outcomes are more democratic when they are the result of direct elections  for example, in the case for bringing in police and crime commissioners outside London.

However, the reality is more complex. Elections do matter  but so do fair processes of appointments to positions of authority in a trusted system.

Our judiciary is no less democratic because it is unelected. I wouldnt want to be able to vote to choose the Governor of the Bank of England, or the Director-General of the BBC  but they are both part of our democracy.

The test for the House of Lords, or any second chamber, shouldnt be: is it elected? It should be: do we generally approve of, and trust, the system which chooses its members?

I have no doubt there are lots of good people there. But the system of selection is pretty rotten  and we could make it better.

Julian Glover, Associate Editor (Comment)

Councils should rule on planning

Housing Secretary James Brokenshire proposes allowing people to build on existing buildings [Planning rules to be eased to add extra storey, October 1].

The minister should not allow alterations to existing homes as permitted development because it should be the responsibility of councils to control the design and appearance of such extensions to achieve homes that are fit for purpose. Adding extra storeys on low-rise shopping parades, stations and existing blocks of flats, however, would help to address Londons housing shortage.
R ushing round Frieze? These are the solo booths you need to see.

Rana Begum  Kate MacGarry Gallery

Adrian Lourie

The Bangladeshi-born artist s work is presented with supreme elegance here, from her best-known bar works with their shifting geometric forms to a new gridded landscape of rippling jesmonite.

Eddie Martinez  Timothy Taylor Gallery

Adrian Lourie

A stand fizzing with energy: Martinezs works conjure numerous past masters from Dubuffet to Guston and Basquiat , and hover in a intense place between abstraction and figuration.

Urs Fischer  Gagosian Gallery

Adrian Lourie

Fischer fills Gagosians stand with a series of triptychs, featuring blurry images of his home which dissolve as you move along, revealing a mirrored surface beneath.

Liu Wei  White Cube

Adrian Lourie

This years White Cube stand is dramatic: Liu Wei has devised a cage-like structure for four bodies of work. His outdoor paintings, though from the imagination, evoke landscapes, while his sculptures conjure exploded views of microscopic forms.

OSGEMEOS  Lehmann Maupin Gallery

Adrian Lourie

Brazilian identical twins OSGEMEOS, who began by making work on the streets but are now embraced by galleries, here bring a joyous playfulness to the heart of the fair; a sculpture with a pair of turntables speaks to their love of hip hop.
W ith a vibrant Caribbean food culture and a darn good market at its heart, you can be sure of eating well in Brixton.

And if that isnt enough to entice you to south London, maybe the fact that you can eat well within a tenner will do it.

From jerk chicken to Japanese delicacies, these are the best dishes you can get in Brixton with just a 10 note to hand.

The Dead Hippie at MEATLiquor - 9.25

There are a lot of dirty burgers around in London, but this one is positively filthy. The signature serve at MEATLiquor contains not one, but two beef patties fried with Frenchs mustard. These are interspersed with lettuce, pickles, minced onions, cheese and a decent slathering of mouthwateringly mustardy, devastatingly creamy Dead Hippie sauce.

Unit 12, Brixton Market, Market Row, SW9 8LD, meatliquor.com

Truffle pizza at Made of Dough - 9

We bet you werent expecting to see truffle on a list of budget food were you? Whats even better about this indulgent serving is that its on top of a Made of Dough pizza. The salty sourdough base is topped with portobello mushrooms, both fior di latte mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and a good glug of white alba truffle oil. This is a white-based pizza of dreams.

Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ, madeofdough.co.uk

Keralan Fried Chicken at Kricket - 7

Hugh Johnson

One of the biggest success stories of Brixtons street food scene, Kricket is now a doyenne of both Soho and White City. Its Brixton site, however, is still alive and hopping, serving some of its classics. One of the must-trys here is a serving of Keralan-style fried chicken (or KFC, of course) which is covered in a batter with a hint of spiced sourness, and served with pickled mooli and curry leaf mayonnaise.

41-43 Atlantic Road, SW9 8JL, kricket.co.uk

Jerk chicken wrap at Mamas Jerk - Under 10

As Londons Caribbean cooking capital, few foods get more Brixton than jerk chicken. This stall at street food complex Pop Brixton (more to come from this cheap eats haven) sizzles 24 hour marinated chicken right in front of you, and serves it up in sizeable portions in a roti wrap with salad and as much chilli sauce as you can handle.

Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ, mamasjerk.com

Kumamoto pork ramen at Nanban - 10

If you want to max out your tenner, Nanban is the place to do it justice. This ramen-specialist Japanese restaurant is from 2011 Masterchef winner Tim Anderson who takes an international approach to his noodle soups, inspired by Brixton Market. The most traditional dish on the menu is this nose-to-tail pork dish with pork belly, pickled egg, garlic chips and ginger.

426 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LF, nanban.co.uk

Okan Special Okonomiyaki at Okan - 10

If Asian flavours are your favourite, but you fancy trying something more niche, head to Okan. The specialism here is okonomiyaki, an Osaka-hailing dish which in not unlike a fully pumped pancake. The signature version here comes with prawn, squid, kimchi and corn, as well as the standard brown sauce, Japanese mayo and flakes of seaweed and bonito. This dish is actually the most expensive, with all okonomiyaki coming in under 10.

39 Atlantic Road, Brixton, SW9 8PR, okanbrixtonvillage.com

Spaniard crepe at Senzala - 9.80

This restaurant is already a Franco-Brazilian mash-up, so whats the harm in inviting a Spaniard to the party? The menu of crepes and galettes at this small Brixton Market cafe is extensive, filling them with almost everything you can think of. This Iberian option puts a kick into your breakfast with spicy chorizo sausage and scrambled eggs topped with fresh spinach and red onion.

42 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8PS, senzalacreperie.co.uk

Jerk bowl at Rum Kitchen - 9.50

The jerk chicken love is too strong in Brixton not to include at least two homages to the Caribbean classic. Rum Kitchen serves up jerk in all the ways, with this dish serving up succulent boneless thighs with rice and peas, watermelon, pineapple, slaw and lashings of jerk gravy. If you to turn the spice levels up to 11, choose hot gravy over regular  go on, we dare you.

437 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LN, brixton.therumkitchen.com

Gambas at Seven at Brixton - 7.75

Not quite a whole meal, but this tapas dish goes down very pleasantly with a glass of wine at at this very reasonably priced tapas bar inside Brixton Market. Juicy king prawns are cooked with garlic butter and cherry tomatoes and for mere pennies over your budget, they can be enjoyed with a glass of sherry for 3, or rosemary focaccia for 2.50.
A ndrew Wong said he faces bigger challenges than other Michelin-starred chefs because of the stereotype that Chinese cuisine is cheap, fast food.

The chefs modern Chinese restaurant A Wong in Victoria was awarded the coveted star last year.

As he opened his second venture, Kyms, Mr Wong told the Standard: We continually challenge preconceptions that Chinese food is cheap, fast food  and that the people who make it are below-par chefs. I cant really blame them. Its what people are used to.

It is a challenge that we faced in A Wong and that we will continue to face. He also said opening a restaurant in London was tough in general, as diners in the capital are increasingly very knowledgeable. You cant serve bulls***, he said. When my dad opened his restaurant in the Eighties, you could put a Chinese man and wife in a shop and pass anything off as Chinese food. Thats what some people still think Chinese is but with foodies  it is an open world now. People come to A Wong after being in Shanghai and order specific things they ate there.

Kyms opened on Tuesday in the Bloomberg Arcade  a growing destination in the City that is already home to Indian fusion venue Brigadiers, Ekte Nordic Kitchen, Caravan City, Vinoteca City and Koya City. The 120-cover restaurant over two floors focuses on Chinese roasting and will champion lesser-known gastronomic regions of China.

It will emulate the Chinese hawker, a type of food market common in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia that sells inexpensive street foods. Mr Wong said: A Wong was about celebrating Chinese cuisine and this is about a specific cuisine and celebrating the intricacies of roasting  it is a real art. I think a lot of people think its pretty straight forward, but their knowledge is very specific.It is a celebration of the skills and Chinese culture.

He added: I am really excited to be in this area, which is a bit off the beaten track but that is coming along now.

Regional Chinese food - in pictures 1 /12 Regional Chinese food - in pictures Fujian Province Stir-fried green beans junbug1973 / Tripadvisor Sichuan Province Boiled-sea-bass-with-sizzling-chilli-oil at Barshu Hunan Province Tofu with pork in a spicy broth at Local Friends Shanghai Steamed scallops at Red Sun <a href="http://www.feedthetang.com/">feedthetang.com</a> Shaanxi Province Stir-fried chicken with bones at Xian Impression Guizhou Province Spicy beef noodles at Maotai Kitchen Liaoning Province Pan-fried garlic chive pancake pocket <a href="http://dinnerathon.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/top-taste-liaoning-in-bethnal-green.html">dinnerathon.blogspot.com</a> Xinjiang Province Lamb skewers at Silk Road Guangzhou Province Dim sum at Royal China Club Beijing Duck at Min Jiang Xizang Province (Tibet) Momo dumplings Creative Commons Taiwan Bao at Bao London
I f anyone can get me tea, this same English tea, I will be happy, announces Marina Abramovic in her treacly Balkan basso.

She sits poised and immaculate, wearing a Burberry Riccardo Tisci silk monogrammed blouse and tailored black trousers. A mug of murky builders brew is placed in her hand and her response is rapturous. Oh my god how you manifest this?! she declares, lifting the tea to her vermillion lips. Its fantastic! Who knew the worlds best-known performance artist could be so easily impressed by a humble British beverage?

It is 3pm on a Sunday and Abramovic, 72 next month, has been on the go since her hotel gym workout at 6.30am. Tomorrow, she will fly directly from her really old friend Tiscis debut show as chief creative officer of Burberry to a headlining retrospective of her own work in Florence. I am gypsy nomad, you know, she sighs, although since 2001 she has struck out on her wanderings from a base in New York. Next year, however, the Belgrade-born icon will settle in London to prepare for her major 2020 Royal Academy exhibition. When she lived in Notting Hill Gate in 1971, she washed dishes and got sacked as a postal worker for discarding official-looking letters. Now, the woman who once labelled herself the grandmother of performance art (though she wishes she hadnt and would now prefer warrior, soldier, anything but grandmother) will be the first woman in the institutions 250-year history to have a solo show across all of the RAs main galleries. She is excited but also apprehensive because you English, youre very critical and try to make fun of everything. As an aside, she also thinks we drink far too much.

BURBERRY shirt, POA (uk.burberry.com)

She doesnt yet know where she will be based in London, though she likes Spitalfields, home to fellow artists Gilbert & George. Several New York friends decamped to Europe after Trumps election. There is a very strange vibration and energy in New York right now. Its interesting, since Trump is President, my work is more in Europe and Asia. I really love London right now. Its so vibrant, with so many foreigners passing through and such a diverse art scene.

I have been in Abramovics charismatic presence before, not that she could be expected to remember. In the summer of 2014, I was one of 129,916 visitors to her show 512 Hours at the Serpentine Gallery. Six days a week for six weeks, she became the de facto chatelaine of the Serpentine, opening its doors each morning and seeing the last visitor off the premises. Participants were bidden to leave their phones in lockers and enter the meditative sanctum of the gallerys white space. Some were given noise-eliminating headphones. In the gallery, Abramovic and her assistants waited, sometimes putting a guiding hand on a visitors shoulder and turning them to face the wall, perhaps with their eyes closed. Others were given tasks, such as separating lentils from rice grains. Many critics hated it, decrying the mass obedience, but the show was a hit with the public, some of whom wept, or became regular returnees.

The forerunner of the publics leading role in that piece was Abramovics 2010 blockbuster, The Artist is Present, at New Yorks Museum of Modern Art. The most popular show in MoMAs history, it attracted 850,000 visitors, but it was the atriums live staring contest that became the hottest exhibit. More than 1,000 participants  among them Bjork, a teary Jemima Kirke, Lou Reed, Sharon Stone, James Franco and Rufus Wainwright  queued to sit at a simple wooden table opposite Abramovic, and lock eyes with her. Footage of Abramovic herself moved to tears, after her former long-term romantic and artistic partner Ulay pulled up a chair on opening night, went viral. The work inspired the video for Jay-Zs Picasso Baby.

ELLERY coat, 6,820; shawl, 2,270 (ellery.com)

That piece reflected a hunger among audiences for immersive, experiential culture, an area Abramovic continues to explore. Thats absolutely [of the] moment right now, she says. The public is sick and tired of just looking at something and wants to be a part of it. And I want to be able to give them that role; for me, the public is increasingly the work of art and I am the conductor.

A week after our meeting the tables were somewhat turned when Abramovic was attacked at her show in Florence by a man who hit her over the head with a painting he had apparently made of her. These dangers arrive quickly, just like death, she said afterwards. Fortunately, she was unhurt.

Injury, however, has played a key role in Abramovics career. She was still living in the former Yugoslavia when she started to attract international attention for a series of edgy solo performances exploring the boundaries of pain, passivity and sadism. In Rhythm 0 (1974) she assembled 72 objects, from a feather to a gun with a single bullet, and offered the audience the chance to use them and her as they chose. She still bears scars from when things got dangerous. The same years Rhythm 5, in which she set alight the five points of a communist star then leapt to its centre, could have killed her. She passed out due to lack of oxygen, flames licking around her, before anyone realised the performance had moved way beyond the conceptual.

AGNES B top, 95 (agnesb.co.uk). DORATEYMUR boots, POA, (dorateymur.com). Jumpsuit, Abramovics own

Is she troubled now by the masochism of those early works? I never saw it that way. I was inspired by the shamanic rituals of ancient cultures that go through physical pain to achieve another state of mind. I wanted to free myself from the fear of pain. To me, those pieces were a tool in order to change myself. Now, I dont need to do that work any more. In fact, I dont need to perform any more. Addressing the increasingly spiritual bent of her work, she adds: Now, I need to teach the public and a younger generation of performance artists what Ive learnt.

Abramovic, who dedicated her 2016 memoir Walk Through Walls to friends and enemies, says she comes from a dark place. She means aesthetically  post-war communist Belgrade was a very ugly place  but also emotionally. Her parents Second World War romance sounds like something from a Hemingway novel. As young communist partisans, he saved her life, then she saved his. Abramovics finicky, severe, hygiene-obsessed mother, a senior party figure, brought her daughter up to be a soldier.

She drilled me, recalls the artist, laughing. When I sleep now in the hotel, cleaners dont think Ive been there. I am so disciplined about everything. After my mother died, I found her diary. If I had read just one page when she was alive, our relationship would have been totally different. She was an incredibly hurt, lonely woman and very, very emotional, but she masked that with an iron face. I think she didnt want me to suffer like her, so she made me soldier. But I did suffer, from not having love from her. Even when Abramovic was in her late 20s, married and working, she had to abide by her mothers 10pm curfew. She also lived separately from her artist husband, Nesa Paripovic, because her mother disapproved of him.

In 1976, aged 29, she left her mother, marriage and Belgrade for Amsterdam  and Ulay. They lived and worked together for more than a decade, until the final grand artistic gesture of The Lovers (1988). Starting at opposite ends of the Great Wall of China, they each walked 2,500km before meeting, then formally separating. I was [over] 40. I felt fat, ugly and unwanted, she says.

The unwanted [feeling] was very important. In 2016 Ulay won a court case awarding him backdated royalties and enhanced recognition to their joint archive. But it was without him, as a solo artist in her 50s and 60s, that Abramovic became a superstar. Im not attached to success, she insists. It came so slow.

Abramovic is famous enough to have Cate Blanchett portraying a version of her in a Netflix spoof documentary next year. And you dont have to look hard to find crazy stuff on the internet about her. There are frequent, scandalously untethered claims from Americans on social media that Spirit Cooking  a recurring Abramovic series invoking mystical incantations poetically  marks her out as a high priestess to Satan.

At the opposite cultural extreme, there are long-standing fans who complain that she has embraced the mainstream and become a brand. They question whether the Marina Abramovic Institute, founded in 2013, and its ritualistic, shamanic-inspired Abramovic Method  originally for training up a next generation of performance artists, but increasingly being taught at retreats  is about creating a legacy, or monetising her process.

Abramovic, who primarily draws inspiration from power in nature  from waterfalls, volcanoes  says technology alienates; humans have become very lonely and have lost their spiritual centre. She believes the skills she has honed through her feats of endurance can help others refocus.

In 2014, towards the end of the Serpentine show, she told a journalist she was lonely. A second marriage to sculptor Paolo Canevari had ended in divorce in 2009. Is she still lonely now? No, not lonely at all, just the opposite, she beams. This is largely due to her relationship with Todd Eckert, an American businessman 21 years her junior. They met at a friends party two years ago and he totally fell in love with me. As we speak, he has just arrived at her hotel from New York, and she is itching to get back to him. It used to always be the man with the younger woman. But now I think the woman has different power.

Bella Hadid, Marina Abramovic and Naomi Campbell at MARINA 70 at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum / Patrick McMullan via Getty Image

But it is clearly not just love and daily exercise that has given Abramovic this confident glow. Nor is it surgery  shes keen on lasers and creams, but not a face-altering lift. It is a breezy positivism, too. When I turned 70 I said to myself, depression and unhappiness are emotions you cant permit yourself; you have to have fun. And from that moment, I really enjoy everything. Like today, this fashion shoot, I enjoyed more than any of the kids working here. I never want to go back to when I was young. I suffered so much: wrong man, wrong relationship, wrong everything.

But she revels in the company of younger people. Lady Gaga and James Franco [He is genius, she cackles] are among the celebrity kids Abramovic loves. I only have younger friends  my generation sucks, she jokes, though minutes later she speaks with warmth of fellow female luminaries and Greenwich Village senior scenesters, Laurie Anderson, Cindy Sherman and Patti Smith.

She is the first to admit she can be difficult. You know, its very hard to be with me. Im always travelling somewhere else. Work is very important to me and I really dont compromise much. I didnt compromise to have family and children. This is what I am really  you have to love me as I am.

MARC JACOBS coat, 1,410 (marcjacobs.com)

But then she has had to fight hard to be who she is. You know, when I was a kid in 1965 and I went to Belgrades Academy of Fine Arts, a professor came and said to me, If you dont have balls, you cant be an artist. And I said, S***, I dont have balls; I am a woman. But now I am thinking, women have balls in so many ways.

Following last weeks incident in Florence, Abramovic said she would be interested in meeting her attacker to understand why. You see, balls.

Photographs by Carlijn Jacobs

Styled by Jenny Kennedy

Hair by Jose Quijano. Make-up by Adam De La Cruz at One Represents using Armani Beauty.

Set design by Julia Dias.

Stylists assistant: Keeley Dawson
A s booze cruises go, this must be the capitals most couth.

Casting off lines from Paddingtons corporate waterfront at 10.30am, the takeover of The Prince Regent by progressive Spanish wine and sherry collective, Equipo Navazos, began with reviving cava-style, sherry-enriched bubbles (Colet Navazos Extra Brut).

A thrilling selection of special bottlings of sherry itself were served in succession as we continued towards thoroughly graffitied Camden via Little Venice and the spooky 202-year-old Maida Hill tunnel, which is so narrow, the Regent occasionally butted the sludgy brick sides like a slow-motion dodgem. These included a single vineyard, green apple scented manzanilla from coastal town, Sanlucar de Barrameda (La Bota 82 Florpower MMXV). Then, returning via Primrose Hill, it was time for silky, concentrated, mahogany-hued oloroso (Bota 78 Viejisimo) reaped 60 years ago from vines hugging the blinding white moonscape of inland Jerez.

Photograph: Nic Crilly-Hargrave

In the event of sinking, the canal being a maximum 1.5m deep, we could calmly wade to the bank, bringing the sherry too, advised Harry Lobek, who, with sister Leah, operates the London Shell Co floating restaurant. Even considering maintenance and mooring fees, working afloat proves cheaper than the vertigo-inducing costs of a more conventional site on terra firma, he added.

Despite having no winery, no warehouse, and no office, Equipo Navazos can show the world a wider interpretation of gutsily priced, complex expressions from Cadizs Sherry Triangle between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria. Started by a bunch of wine lovers who initially discovered and saved fine old casks of amontillados close to Christmas 2005, its subsequent wares have built a tenacious following. Each release is numbered with the date it left the cask and, like reservations for London Shell Co, sell out fast.

More info at londonshellco.com
T HE HOMAGE

Sir Paul Smith has designed a cool and colourful knitwear capsule inspired by the work of textile artist Anni Albers (1899-1994) to coincide with the artists major retrospective at Tate Modern, which opens on 11 October.

Paul Smith x Anni Albers jumper, 425 (paulsmith.com)

Get into the grid at paulsmith.com

THE BITE

Tom Dixons brand new Coal Office restaurant and bar will be ground zero for fair-weary design devotees, sipping the weeks art-inspired cocktail, the Madame Frieze (right), and sporting something fabulously feathered by Dries Van Noten.

Culture central: Coal Office

THE INTERACTIVE INSTALLATION

Fancy a selfie with a difference? French artist Patrick Tressets robotic installation, titled Absent Minded, will take over Etros Old Bond Street store, with mechanised arms drawing portraits of shoppers.

Patrick Tressets robotic installation, Absent Minded

Until 18 Oct. Etro Boutique, 43 Old Bond Street, W1

THE RISING STAR

Sartorially speaking, art folk generally fall into two camps: those who favour understated chic and those who like to do anything but blend in. Swiss-born designer Kevin Germaniers outre graphic pairings made from upcycled materials are colourful catnip to the latter, and the ideal fashion foil to draw out the avant-garde gallerist in us all.

THE CONCEPT STORE

If there is one space that provides a nexus for design aficionados and art students alike, its Dover Street (Hay) Market, which kicks off its Frieze programme with a Basquiat x Comme des Garcons Shirt installation by fashion visionary Rei Kawakubo. The destination shop is usually busy this week, but wed say Kawakubos T-shirt and shirts (from 90) will be among the fairs most in-demand souvenirs.

Basquiat x Comme des Garcons Shirt installation

THE TAILOR

Favoured by Victoria Beckham and a mecca for the art crowds impeccable tailoring needs, cult Mayfair bolthole Connolly is owned by Isabel Ettedgui, wife of the late Joseph Ettedgui. The stealth luxury-loaded boutique will also hold a shoppable exhibition of Spencer Fungs watercolours and prints from 16 Oct.

Suited: Connolly AW18

4 Clifford Street, W1 (connollyengland.com)

THE COLLABS

Not forgetting the boys, the upcoming SS19 season is awash with artful collaborations, from Kim Joness Kaws commission at Dior Homme  on both the shows towering floral cartoon character centrepiece and spring accessories  to Fendi guest artist Nico Vascellaris illustrations.

Kaws installation at Dior Homme SS19

THE BLING RING

Running parallel to Frieze is Berkeley Squares Pad London, where the high-rolling world of art jewellery meets antiquity until 7 Oct. Highlights include pieces from London dealer Glenn Spiro and former Louis Vuitton fine jewellery designer Lorenz Baumer not to mention the baubles sported by exhibition-goers themselves. #countingcarats.

G by Glenn Spiro Colombian emerald ring

THE SCREENING

Frieze and Gucci have teamed up to present the Second Summer of Love public screenings of films by Josh Blaaberg, Jeremy Deller and Wu Tsang, all inspired by varying genres of underground music and nightlife scenes. Its a free event with your Frieze ticket on Sunday 7 October.

Scenes from Distant Planet: The Six Chapters of Simona by Josh Blaaberg

4-6pm. Auditorium at Frieze London, Regents Park, NW1

THE SET
A ntonia Marsh, curator

Marsh had a traditional path into curating  art history at Bristol University, curatorial practice at California College of the Arts  but since then she has firmly forged her own path. One of her first big projects was Girls Only, a global residency that, yes, focused on female artists only, until she realised that perhaps this could reinforce the binary. Nowadays she can be found in Piccadilly Circus station, where her gallery Soft Opening seeks to challenge the behaviours we consistently repeat when viewing art, and enjoys surprising the viewers visual expectations, whether on a daily commute or once monthly at an awkwardly public subterranean opening.

PAUL SMITH coat, 1,220 (paulsmith.co.uk). Shoes, Marshs own

Harriet Horton, taxidermist

When it comes to choosing birds for her ethical taxidermy practice, Horton is all about the ugly ducklings: I do the boring birds like crows and magpies rather than the big beautiful parrots that speak for themselves. The philosophy-trained artist combines these creations, as well as her stuffed sea creatures (she cooks and eats the meat from the prawns she stuffs), with neon  look out for her sustainable seafood installation in Fortnum & Masons downstairs wine bar this Christmas, where crustaceans come reinforced with steel to give them some of their power back.



PAUL SMITH blazer, 750 (paulsmith.co.uk). Shirt and trousers, Hortons own

Prawn by Harriet Horton

Alba Hodsoll, painter and sculptor

Hodsoll describes her painting and sculpture as figurative and I think quite abstract  and she doesnt believe in giving a title to everything. Theres always a bit of, uh, What does it mean? laughs the Westbourne Grove-based artist. Pornography is a great influence, as are the visitors to her shows who interact with her art: There was a silicon buttocks type thing in my last show and the people I thought were going to be really spank happy were really nervous.

REJINA PYO blazer, 550; trousers, 350 (rejinapyo.com)

Nexus Ultra, 2018, by Alba Hodsoll

Jonathan Small, artist

The art crowd is insular, as Small knows. Thats one of the reasons I wanted to go to UCL rather than art school, so I could be surrounded by other people like doctors, he says. But he has still ended up living with four artists in Dalston and is friends almost exclusively with artists. Originally from LA, he studied architecture in New York but hated it and moved to the Slade instead to study painting, where his graduate show involved lots of sculptural Japanese fans covered in hidden messages: Im really interested in the idea of hiding oneself. Next up? A booth at Nada (New Art Dealers Alliance) 2018 in Miami in December with Antonia Marsh (see page 25).

NABIL NAYAL jacket, 2,250 (nabilnayal.com). Trousers and shoes, Smalls own

Fan II by Jonathan Small

Rene Matic, painter and video artist

The paintings and videos Mati makes at Central Saint Martins are based around my identity as a queer working-class woman of colour. But discrimination still never fails to shock Mati, who lives in Nunhead with her wife, Maggie. Its really strange actually because my whole practice is based around that, and then when it does happen Im like, Oh my God. This is happening still, I cant believe it. As to how her generation of artists is different from the older crowd? Were very aware of ourselves and our world and what we deserve. And I think were just not taking any s***.

LOUIS VUITTON top, 1,200 (louisvuitton.com). DR MARTENS boots, 140 (drmartens.com). Trousers and shirt, Matics own

We Can Make it if We Try by Rene Matic

Wilson Oryema, polymath

Oryema is the definition of a millennial career slashie: he is simultaneously an ethical artist/poetry writer/high-fashion model whos walked for Maison Margiela and starred in Hugo Boss campaigns. Everything is related, though: a show last year on consumption (hes vehemently opposed to the way we mindlessly devour resources) prompted him to dip his toe into an accompanying volume of poetry  the perfect medium for millennials, he thinks. People my age dont always have the time to read books, so they can pick up a poem and get the equivalent of 30 minutes reading.

Wilson Oryemas books, Wait and Deux

Anne Bourgeois-Vignon, digital curator

We have to get away from this idea of the photographer with loads of hi-tech equipment, says Bourgeois-Vignon, herself a former snapper. In the age of smartphone cameras, anyone can be a photographer: We need to talk about why and how they make photos. Its worth listening to her: since she launched the digital division of 71-year-old artists collective Magnum Photos three years ago, shes sucked up a social audience of 5.5 million. As if thats not influential enough, consider the fact shes also married to Friezes Nick Chapin (see right). Now theres an art power couple for you.

Nick Chapin, publisher

Being publishing director of Frieze means Stoke Newington-based Chapin looks after everything thats not an art show, basically. No pressure, then. Formerly at Vice, Chapins ethos is very much art for all  we dont use any jargon, we dont use any academic terminology  and collaborating to improve access to artistic spaces. One of the things that Frieze has done is bring public engagement to the fore: you can see art everywhere now. Not that its all serious  after all, Frieze is renowned for its wild events. We just threw a great all-night party in Berlin in a building that was being torn down the next day.

A cover from Frieze magazine

Gary Card, designer

I do all the big guns and all the kids as well, says Card of the labels whose catwalk sets hes designed, from Louis Vuitton to Charles Jeffrey. This enviable phone book of clients comes from extreme sociability: when the Dalstonite started out, art was all about who you partied with at the Double Club  and having your own style. The point of a set designer is not to have a style. But Im a bit more of a brat, which means I do have my own signature  I work with an awful lot of card!

Clothes, Cards own

A piece created by Gary Card for shoe brand, Melissa

Rosa Park, gallerist

We need to stop being scared of buying art. So thinks Park, editor of Cereal magazine and an avid collector who realised that a lot of my peers feel like the process of buying art is elite and exclusive. Step forward Francis Gallery, her new digital and physical space dedicated to emerging international artists, which has just kicked off with a two-week pop-up in Marylebone before decamping to its permanent site in her home town of Bath. Its not just about formal training when it comes to buying good art, after all: I know what I like and I think thats half the battle. Most people dont know what they want, or are too scared to say.

Rosa Parks Francis Gallery

Joanna Payne, club founder

Paynes club, Marguerite, started in her living room with a fair few bottles of wine. Now her network for women in the visual arts is 300 members strong, with 30 events a year  an evening of portrait-snapping at Rankins studio, for instance, or Zandra Rhodes hosting dinner in her rainbow-hued penthouse. When she worked in the VIP team for Frieze, Payne found that while the industry is heavily populated by women, it seemed to be dominated by men at the top and the pay gap in the UKs art industry is far worse than a lot of other businesses. Marguerite provides safe spaces where women feel confident and empowered. Cheers to that.

From left, Joanna Payne, Lucy Moore and Katy Hessel

Lucy Moore, gallerist and bookshop owner

Moores career was always going to be art-focused: she was creating gestural abstract paintings at the age of eight, before her degree in art and architecture. Now her focus is photography and fashion (Molly Goddard and Rejina Pyo are particular favourites, and I wish I could only wear Simone Rocha), both as co-owner of Bethnal Greens photography-focused gallery Sion and Moore, and as owner of fabulous bookshop Claire de Rouen, which specialises in limited-edition art and fashion tomes. Books are this incredible way of communicating, of having a window onto the world in a very immediate way.

Vape Shop Olympia by Peter De Potter, the latest book published by Claire de Rouen

Katy Hessel, Instagram activist

Victoria Miro marketing assistant Hessel decided she needed to act when she visited an art fair in October 2015 and realised I hadnt seen a single artwork by a female artist. Fast forward three years and her blog The Great Women Artists has nearly 30k followers on Instagram and regularly hosts exhibitions dedicated to, well, great women (her next one opens at TJ Boulting on 5 October) and their stories  like how a woman called Baroness Elsa Von Freytag-Loringhoven atually came up with Marcel Duchamps urinal.

Kusheda Mensah, furniture designer

A basic way of describing it is as a social seating experiment, explains Mensah of her modular furniture. I was doing a lot of research into how social media deteriorates the way we are talking face to face and causes depression. I wanted to see how I could change that narrative. The former graphic designer, who lives in Peckham, now makes configurable, very tactile and abstract chairs and sofas that can be slotted together to encourage interaction in office spaces (very Google) and other places where people are typically glued to their phones. Mensahs mission to correct society is personal, too: I know its just furniture, but if we all understood each other there wouldnt be so much racism or terrorism.

PREEN BY THORNTON BREGAZZIdress, 1,190 (preenbythorntonbregazzi.com). GANNI boots, 460 (ganni.com)

Furniture from Mensahs Mutual collection

Photographs by Theresa Marx

Styled by Robyn Kotze

Curated by Daisy Hoppen
F or those thinking of getting plastic surgery, getting it done abroad may seem like an appealing option.

By travelling abroad, people can save 40 to 80 per cent on plastic surgery, depending on the procedure and the country, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS).

But whilst choosing to have a procedure abroad might be an attractive option for many, it's often not as smooth sailing as it sounds and can even prove fatal.

Tragic Brit Leah Cambridge, 29, died in August after suffering complications from a bum lift surgery in Turkey. Now, another British woman has also died after undergoing Brazilian butt lift (BBL) surgery.

Of course, cosmetic surgery both in the UK and abroad have their risks, but it is more difficult to fix complications abroad should they arise.

Here's what you need to know if you're considering cosmetic surgery out of the UK...

Is it safer to have plastic surgery in the UK or abroad?

No surgery is risk-free, however, if you choose to get your surgery done in the UK, then the surgeon will be able to discuss long term aftercare and be on-hand if something goes wrong.

Some overseas clinics may not provide aftercare or follow up treatments.

The British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPAS) encourages patients to make sure they have frequent contact with their surgeon.

They said: "At BAPRAS we believe that patients should be able to see the plastic surgeon who actually carried out the operations if there are any concerns."

What are the risks involved in getting plastic surgery abroad?

As well as various complications that can occur during surgery, there are also risks to consider when travelling back home after having a procedure.

Flying back soon afterwards can leave you vulnerable to deep vein thrombosis (when a blood clot forms in a vein, partially or completely blocking blood flow) and a pulmonary embolism (when a blood vessel supplying the lung becomes blocked by a clot).

BAPRAS advises waiting five to seven days to fly home after procedures such as breast surgery and liposuction, and seven to ten days after facial cosmetic surgery procedures or tummy tucks.

There is also travel insurance to consider. It's rare that a policy will cover you in the event of something going wrong during a planned surgery, so check that you have full insurance cover before you travel.

What is medical tourism?

'Medical tourism' is the term used to describe those travelling to another country to obtain medical treatment.

Medical tourism, which covers all types of procedures including elective plastic surgery, is growing worldwide at an estimated rate of 15 to 25 per cent, according to research firm Patients Beyond Borders.

More specifically, the past few years have seen a rise in cosmetic surgery tourism, which is often sold as a package deal promising surgery and a holiday.

Generally speaking, it's best to approach these kinds of holiday deals with caution.

Woman says Brazilian bum lift that left her thinking she was 'going to die'

Firstly, there's the fact that vacation time and surgery just don't go together. You'll need sufficient time to recover after the procedure, which means avoiding lying in the sun, doing anything energetic or drinking alcohol - which are often the highly anticipated parts of the holiday experience.

The NHS advises avoiding 'meet-and-greet evenings' with salespeople, and instead, meeting with the surgeon who will operate on you.

Also never pay to go a hospital you've never seen with a surgeon you've never met without any real understanding of what the surgeon can provide.

Where are the most popular destinations for cosmetic surgery?

Cosmetic surgery tourism is rife, and there are a variety of places patients are currently flocking to for their procedures.

In Europe, popular destinations include Poland, Spain, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Turkey.

Elsewhere, cosmetic surgery is big in Brazil, Thailand, the US and Japan.

How can I minimise the risks?

First, find out as much as possible about the procedure itself.

Then, you need to thoroughly do your research into clinics in your chosen country to find out if they're regulated and have surgeons that are fully trained and can speak English.

Check online reviews and social media to gather independent feedback on the services provided by a specific surgeon or clinic.

Finally, consider the worst case scenario. You need to have a plan in place in case something goes wrong, including insurance arrangements.
A teacher accused of having sex with a student in the toilet cubicle of a plane as they returned from a school trip told police he had imagined it and sounded like the script of a "weird porn film", a court has heard.

Eleanor Wilson, 29, is on trial accused of having sexual intercourse with the teenager on a British Airways flight home from an overseas camping trip in August 2015.

It is alleged the science teacher, then aged 26, kissed and cuddled the boy before "beckoning" him into the toilet where they had sex.

She is also accused of seeing the boy away from school where they allegedly kissed and cuddled on three separate occasions.

The jury at Bristol Crown Court heard details of what Wilson told detectives when she was quizzed over what the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly said.

Officers asked her to explain the detailed account the boy had given officers in his video interview about the incident on the plane and the time they spent together alone after returning to the UK.

"The amount of detail has come from his imagination and I don't know why he was saying that," Wilson said.

"They are very good at imagining stuff and thinking of... it seems like some weird porn film."

She added: "I think it is something that is scripted. It is not a memory."

Referring to the alleged incident in the toilet cubicle, she said: "That's the last thing I was thinking of.

"You had kids that were sick and I didn't want the parents thinking that we were not looking after them.

"I would not jeopardise my career or risk going to prison. I would not have broken the law or gone beyond the friendship."

Wilson said she formed a friendship with the boy because she had no other friends, and apart from her then boyfriend Andrew Hall, there was no one else she could talk to.

During the seven months after the school trip there were 339 contacts on the boy's mobile phone, which consisted of 295 text messages, 23 calls, 13 calls that went straight to answer phone and eight multimedia messages.

Wilson said they went to Tintern Abbey during the summer holidays because she wanted a day out.

"He was really the only person I had that was a friend. He was the only person I would talk to apart from Andy," Wilson told police.

"I was lonely and I wanted to spend a day out with someone. He was my only friend."

Wilson denied holding hands or kissing the teenager in his bedroom after dropping him home from a meal at Nando's or during the days out at Tintern Abbey and Ashton Court.

"I don't hold hands with my boyfriend, it's just not me," the 6ft 2in tall teacher told officers.

"I didn't hold hands - I am massive compared to him. I don't think he can even reach.

"I am not a very physical person. Me and my boyfriend had a good relationship but it was not my style to hold hands and kiss in public. Andy would say that I am really a prude - it's just not what I do."

Wilson told police she confided in the boy that she was pregnant during a conversation in her office at the school, and would be having an abortion.

"I didn't want to tell Andy about it and (the boy) was the only person I spoke to," she said.

"He seemed to just care. He was kind of worried and asked whether I wanted him to come with me and I said no because I knew that wouldn't be right.

"I saw (the boy) as a mate rather than a pupil. It had become casual and totally blurred because I didn't teach him any more.

"I am quite naive and I do believe the best in people. I thought (the boy) was a caring person who needed help and a bit of guidance and needed a friend.

"I have a really good relationship with Andy and I don't want to lose that."

Wilson, of The Rope Walk, Dursley, Gloucestershire, denies four charges of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.
T he NHS is seeking to recruit hundreds of Australian GPs to plug a shortage of family doctors  with the lure of 18,500 golden handshakes.

NHS England is to target British GPs who relocated Down Under and want to come home, as well as Aussie doctors who want to live in the UK.

The initiative, part of a plan to recruit 2,000 foreign GPs by 2020/21, follows the success of London Ambulance Services international recruitment.

More than 500 LAS paramedics have been hired from Australia and New Zealand since 2014  making up more than a tenth of the workforce.

Todays initiative comes after GP vacancy rates were reported to be the highest on record. More than 1,000 GPs have left the NHS since 2015, citing unmanageable workloads and increased demands from a growing and increasingly sick patient population.

NHS at 70: Key moments in its history

Unlike the LAS system, NHS England will not send officials to Australia but has appointed two recruitment agencies to find candidates. Securing visas for non-European medics has been made easier after the Government this summer lifted the tier 2 cap on recruitment of workers from outside the European Economic Area.

Dominic Hardy, NHS Englands director of primary care delivery, said: Its no secret the NHS needs to recruit more GPs, so it makes sense to head to Australia where doctors skills, training and high levels of care closely match those of their British counterparts.

NHS England has already attracted applications from 1,200 GPs in Europe. Of these, 370 doctors are being screened or are in the early stages of recruitment.

GPs moving from overseas are offered an enhanced relocation package worth up to 18,500. NHS England also covers visa costs and helps place the doctors at surgeries across the country.
S yrian child refugees have revealed the horror of growing up in a war zone and the daily struggles they now face living as refugees in Jordan.

Millions of pounds in aid money from governments across the globe is earmarked to help children left homeless and stateless by the protracted Syrian civil war.

This includes funds from the Department for International Development (DfID), which supports projects run by charities such as Unicef.

Projects such as our Learn to Live campaign  which hopes to increase understanding between pupils by twinning schools  aim to highlight the need for further donations.

Today Syrian children in Jordan either live restricted lives in refugee camps or struggle to survive in cities.

Muath, 14, told the Evening Standard how he missed school for years to work for just three Jordanian dinars per day  the equivalent of 2.70  lifting heavy boxes in a supermarket. He was hit and verbally abused by locals who resented his undercutting of their wages.

Muaths mother said he was able to return to school after a project part-funded by DfID provided a loan to help her start a small business.

Dallal, 12, described the horror of seeing her father beaten in front of her eyes during their night-time escape from Damascus.

A carpenter, he can now work only half-days, returning home in agony at lunchtime; his daughter knows how his leg tendons were torn when President Assads forces beat him in a dark room filled with blood.

Dallals family live in two rooms in a cramped basement apartment in the Jordanian capital Amman and they can barely afford to eat.

She has been given hope in the form of English lessons and safe play areas provided by a local charity that is funded by UK aid.

Her mother Noha, 27, revealed the transformative effect the programme has had on her eldest daughter. She started thinking differently, she started having dreams, she said.

Aya, 16, does all the housework for her family because her mother is still waiting for surgery to treat the bomb shrapnel injuries.

She lost six years of her education, beginning when her school in Damascus was bombed and it became too dangerous to leave the house. Now she attends daily classes run by Unicef.

Thaer, 17, fled bombing in Homs in 2013 and worked in a tailors shop and a sanitation station to support his seven-person family.

Through the UK-funded International Medical Corps providing counselling, art therapy and a youth empowerment programme, he has developed hidden skills in writing and rap.

Thaer is developing his rap skills / War Child

His lyrics include: A father marrying off his underage daughter because of money  has become habit because we dont care and when you deprive a child from their right of education you ruin the whole society.

He is now proud to work with Unicef helping fight for girls rights and preventing child marriage.
False widows get their name because they look similar to the potentially lethal black widow spiders.

Their bite is about as painful as a wasp sting but rarely can cause a condition known as steatodism, whose symptoms include general malaise, muscle pain, cramps and palpitations.

The venom of the black widow spider is over 1,000 times more powerful. The false widow is generally found indoors and appears to prefer outbuildings such as lavatory blocks, sheds and conservatories.

They tend to be active at night, hiding away during the day in a crack or hole near their web. Native to the Canary Islands and Madeira, they are believed to have come

to the UK with a shipment of bananas that arrived in Torquay in 1879.

Until recently false widow spiders were confined to the south coast but have recently been found as far north as Scotland. There have been reports of false widow bites that present with more serious symptoms like rotting flesh and excruciating pain.
A victim of the Westminster terror attack has tearfully recalled how her husband sacrificed his life for hers.

US tourist Melissa Cochran said in a heartbreaking interview: He was just that kind of guy." Her husband, Kurt, pushed his wife to safety from the rampaging vehicle that was being driven by attacker Khalid Masood.

She added how she felt only pity - not anger - towards attacker Masood.

Kurt and Melissa were walking across Westminster Bridge on March 22 last year when Masood drove at them. Mr Cochran pushed his wife out of the vehicles way.

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In an emotional interview with the BBC, Ms Cochran said: I recall hearing an engine revving. I dont recall anything else.

They told me that Kurt pushed me out of the way of the path of the car. Basically, he sacrificed his life for mine.

Inquest sees CCTV of victim in moments before Westminster Bridge attack

It isnt surprising, to be honest. Kurt would have done that for anyone. Kurt was just that kind of guy.

She continued, through tears: Obviously Im super sad Kurt is not here. Its really hard without him. But never once have I not wanted to be here without him.

Kurt Cochran, from Utah, with wife Melissa / PA

Knowing that he saved me sure makes me want to make him proud and recover as best I can and do what I can for my family and myself.

Of Masood, she said: I cant even begin to understand. He changed my life forever and many peoples that day, including his own family.

Khalid Masood / Met Police/PA

I dont hate him, I dont know here he was coming from so I dont even understand him.

He just didnt have the compassion for humans that Kurt did. For that I feel sorry for him.

Police surround Masood after he murdered PC Palmer (PA) / Stefan Rousseau/PA

If we could all find a little connection with each other, maybe some of this hate would go away.

Mr Cochran was one of four pedestrians killed in the vehicle attack, before Masood jumped out of the car and stabbed PC Keith Palmer at the gates of the Palace of Westminster.

The inquests into those deaths concluded on Wednesday, with chief coroner Mark Lucraft saying there were shortcomings in security at the Palace of Westminster. It meant armed officers did not know they were supposed to guard the open gate where PC Palmer was on duty.
T he President of the European Council has urged the UK to accept the EU's offer of a Canada-style Brexit deal, which he said has been on the table "from the very beginning".

In a tweet, Donald Tusk said the EU was offering Britain a "Canada plus plus plus" arrangement - something he dubbed "a true measure of respect".

Mr Tusk wrote: "From the very beginning, the EU offer has been a Canada+++ deal. Much further-reaching on trade, internal security and foreign policy cooperation.

"This is a true measure of respect. And this offer remains in place."

It comes as Mr Tusk sharply criticised what he called "emotional" and "insulting" statements about the EU by British ministers in comments after he met the Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar in Brussels on Thursday.

European Council President Donald Tusk, left, and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar met in Brussels on Thursday / AP

Speaking to reporters, Mr Tusk first explained that the UK could have not just a free trade accord like that with Canada but also extremely close relations in security, foreign policy and other areas.

He said: ""The EU wants a relationship with the UK that is as close and special as possible.

"From the very beginning, the EU offer has been not just a Canada deal, but a Canada plus plus plus deal."

He then addressed the UK Government's rejecting EU proposals for keeping Northern Ireland inside EU economic rules, calling for an end to "confrontation" in negotiations.

Mr Tusk said: "Emotional arguments that stress the issue of dignity sound attractive but they do not facilitate agreement. Every actor in this process has their dignity, and confrontation in this field will not lead to anything good.

"No one can expect that because of Brexit, the EU will give up its fundamental values and key interests."

Referring to clashes after EU leaders met Prime Minister Theresa May at a summit in Salzburg two weeks ago, Mr Tusk urged her to work towards a final agreement by the next summit in Brussels in two weeks.

Noting his own experience as a political party leader, the former Polish prime minister said that now Mrs May had concluded her Conservatives' annual conference on Wednesday it was time to "get down to business".

He then denounced comments by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt earlier in the week in which he likened the EU negotiating stance on Brexit to the Soviet Union's refusal to let states secede.

"Comparing the European Union to the Soviet Union is as unwise as it is insulting," Mr Tusk said. "As the president of the European Council and someone who spent half of my life in the Soviet bloc, I know what I'm talking about."
T he firm that owns internet news site Unilad, one of the biggest publishers on Facebook, has gone into administration putting hundreds of jobs at risk.

Bentley Harrington Ltd owes more than 6 million, including 1.5 million to HM Revenue and Customs, a court heard on Thursday.

Unilads co-founder Alex Partridge told the court he was owed 5 million and argued for the company to be placed into administration.

Manchester-based administrators Leonard Curtis Business Rescue & Recovery say they are "seeking offers for the business in order to preserve jobs and maximise the return to creditors".

It is understood that the company employs in excess of 200 people.

Administration came after a hearing at a specialist Insolvency and Companies Court in London, where a judge heard that a creditor and company directors agreed that administrators should be appointed.

The judge was told that HMRC officials were not against administrators being appointed.

Lawyers representing Bentley Harrington had initially argued against administration, but they said on Thursday that bosses were now in favour.

The judge was told that a number of investment proposals were on the table and a lot of people were interested in the company.

Bentley Harrington director Liam Harrington had been at a hearing last week but was not in court on Thursday.

HM Revenue and Customs officials have issued a petition to wind up Bentley Harrington in separate litigation.
T his is the bizarre moment a huge insect interrupted a BBC news reporter during a live broadcast.

Adam Fleming was giving viewers of BBC's Politics Live an update on Brexit negotiations when the bug flew onto the screen behind him.

Speaking during a live broadcast from Brussels, Mr Fleming briefly stopped his update and said: "What is that?"

"Oh my goodness," host Jo Coburn added. "Keep focusing on us."

She then warned Mr Fleming the bug was "above his head" as it crawled up the screen before flying away.

Speaking online a few hours later, the BBC reporter wrote: "DO NOT PANIC. Brussels has not been invaded by giant insects.

"Its a normal sized bug very close to the lens of the camera that films the background."

Responding to his post, one Twitter user replied: "If those were real size bugs I can appreciate the first logical argument made an end to free movement."
A n FBI report into allegations that Brett Kavanaugh sexually abused three women found no hint of misconduct by the Supreme Court nominee, according to a top Senate Republican.

The remarks were made by Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, who urged his colleagues to confirm the conservative judge in a written statement.

The Republican spoke out hours after the post-midnight delivery of the FBI document to Congress, which are being viewed by politicians in a secure room in the Capitol complex.

Judge Mr Kavanaughs uncertain prospects for approval to the Supreme Court in part depend on the five wavering senators, but Mr Grassley said there was no hint of misconduct found.

Theres nothing in it that we didnt already know, Mr Grassley added, basing his comment on a briefing he said he had received from committee aides.

He also said the FBI could not locate any third parties who can attest to any of the allegations, and he said there is no contemporaneous evidence.

Three women have accused Mr Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct / AP

Last week, Christine Blasey Ford told the Senate Judiciary Committee that she was 100 per cent certain that Mr Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers.

Calling the Supreme Court nominee the boy who sexually assaulted me, Ms Ford said the alleged assault has been seared into her memory and that she agonised daily ahead of her testimony.

Speaking after the delivery of the FBI report, Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the most notable part of the report is whats not in it.

She said the report was very limited and it looks to be a product of an incomplete investigation.

Ms Feinstein also said the White House may have limited the probe.

Christine Blasey Ford speaking before the Senate Judiciary Committee / REUTERS

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he disagreed with the statement by Mr Grassley that the report found "no hint of misconduct" by Mr Kavanaugh.

Mr Schumer called for the report to be made public as well as the directive the White House gave the FBI ordering the investigation.

Three women have accused Mr Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in separate incidents in the 1980s.

Mr Kavanaugh, 53, now a judge on the powerful District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, has denied the claims.

While the FBI interviews were to focus on sexual assault allegations, Democrats have also called into question his drinking habits during high school and college and dishonest comments they say he has made about his background.

Mr Kavanaugh has said stories of bad behaviour while drinking are exaggerated.
A French rescue team says it has found a survivor in the rubble six days after an earthquake struck in Indonesia.

The person was located in Palu, one of the areas worst affected by the 7.5 magnitude quake.

They were found with the use of a high-tech scanner in the rubble of a hotel.

Philip Besson, a member of the French organisation Pompiers de l'urgence, said the team "detected the presence of a victim" in the wreckage of the Mercure Hotel but wasn't able to say if the person is conscious.

Indonesia tsunami - aerial pictures show devastation 1 /36 Indonesia tsunami - aerial pictures show devastation An aerial view of liquefaction, or shifting ground REUTERS ANTARA FOTO AP AP AP AFP/Getty Images REUTERS REUTERS AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images EPA AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images REUTERS EPA REUTERS EPA EPA EPA EPA EPA EPA EPA EPA EPA

Besson said the team was unable to reach the victim, who was trapped under thick concrete. The team only had a hand drill and stopped digging as night fell. Besson said it will bring heavy equipment early Friday to try and rescue the person.

The earthquake caused a deadly tsunami to strike killing over 1,424 people however there are firms that this number could climb as officials continue to search for survivors.

Drone footage shows devastation after earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia

Thousands of people are sleeping in tents or in rough shelters made from debris and some are unsure when theyll be able to rebuild.

The United Nations announced a $15 million (11.5 million) allocation to support relief efforts, saying more than 200,000 people were in dire need of assistance.

The team detected a presence of a person in the rubble of the hotel / AFP/Getty Images

More than 70,000 homes are thought to have been wrecked by the quake, demolished by the tsunami or engulfed by mud slides.

People and heavy machinery were struggling to unearth victims from expanses of earth that surged sideways due to liquefaction, a phenomenon in which an earthquake turns loose, wet soil into quicksand-like mud. Several communities were wiped out as homes suddenly sank into the mire, which has since hardened in the tropical sun.

Many victims might have survived with faster help, said Palu resident Bambang. He told local television he found a friend injured and trapped under debris but was unable to help him. The friend died, leaving a message to have him buried in front of his church, he said.

"He was still alive then, but he died because the evacuation was so slow," said Bambang.

Palu has repeatedly been hit by the quakes and tsunamis that plague much of the Indonesian archipelago.
T wo Russian nationals have attracted worldwide media attention after they were identified as suspects behind the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov face a string of charges including attempted murder and breaching the chemical weapons act.

In a statement, the Prime Minister said: "This attempt to access the secure systems of an international organisation working to rid the world of chemical weapons, demonstrates the GRU's disregard for the global values and rules that keep us safe."

Her response came after the UK Government accused the GRU of being behind a number of cyberattacks across the globe.

The GRU has been associated with everything from hacking ahead of the US election to support for the Kremlins wars in the Ukraine and Syria  but what is it and how is it connected to the Salisbury nerve agent attack? Here's what you need to know:

What is GRU?

Russia's military intelligence service, the Main Intelligence Directorate, is more commonly known by its Russian acronym, GRU.

The intelligence wing of the Russian military was renamed GU in 2010, but it's still usually referred to by its old name.

Founded in 1918 after the Bolshevik Revolution, it was independent of other secret services as per Vladimir Lenin's demands.

Emily Ferris, from the Royal United Services Institute defence think tank, said: "GRU is one of three of Russia's intelligence agencies whose activities often overlap, the others are the Federal Security Services (FSB) and the Foreign Intelligence Services (SVR).

"The FSB has a broader remit, including counter-terrorism, border control and domestic surveillance, but all the agencies are in competition for resources and funding."

Although by the end of the Soviet period the GRU declined in importance and size, she said it "appears to have become increasingly prominent since its officers led Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014."

The agency where Sergei Skripal, who was poisoned by the nerve agent attack in Salisbury, once worked conducts military intelligence tasks and foreign intelligence operations.

The GRU answers directly to the chief of the general staff and the Russian defence minister, both of whom are thought to have access to Russia's nuclear briefcase.

With agents across the globe, it has special forces units which have fought in conflicts in Afghanistan and Chechnya.

As well as being associated with the annexation of Crimea, GRU have also been linked to the downing of Malaysian Air flight MH17.

Ms Ferris said: "The GRU is currently engaged in active signals intelligence gatherings and espionage activities abroad and has been linked to several high-profile operations."

The GRU has no website and does not comment publicly on its actions.

Theresa May confirms Salisbury suspects are members of Russian military intelligence

Who runs the GRU?

Igor Korobov is the chief of the GRU. In 2016, he was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury and later accused of interference in the U.S. elections and cyber attacks.

The headquarters of the Russian General Staff's Main Intelligence Department (GRU) in Moscow. / AFP/Getty Images

How is GRU connected to the Salisbury nerve agent attack?

Sergei Skripal was once employed by the GRU and is believed to have betrayed dozens of GRU spies across Europe to the MI6.

Anti-terror police investigated the poisoning and discovered the agent used was military-grade novichok, made in Russia.

It was later confirmed by British authorities that officers from the GRU disguised the nerve agent in a perfume bottle to get through British customs without detection.

Some people believe it was Vladimir Putin himself who authorised the GRU operation in Salisbury.

Tory MP Bob Seely, a member of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and Russia expert, said: "Under a 2006 Russia Federation law, extrajudicial assassinations by agents of the Kremlin need to be approved only by the Russian head of state, without reference to others.

"Therefore, since this appears to be a GRU-planned poisoning, the order can only have come from the Russian head of state."

Foreign affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat added: "President Putin bears responsibility for a war-like act."

What will happen to GRU now?

Theresa May said the organisation posed "a threat to all our allies and to all our citizens" and pledged to "deploy the full range of tools from across our national security apparatus in order to counter the threat posed by GR."

In the US, a handful of individuals with GRU links have been subject to sanctions over the agency's activities.
T he Kremlin has orchestrated a wave of indiscriminate and reckless cyber attacks on Britain and across the globe, the Government has announced.

A number of hackers known to have launched attacks have now been identified as the GRU, the Russian intelligence service, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt accused Vladimir Putins intelligence unit of waging a campaign of cyber strikes that targeted political institutions, businesses, media and sport.

The developments will further strain relations with Russia after Britain blamed Moscow for the nerve agent attack in Salisbury which left one person dead.

The Salisbury Novichok suspects / PA

The NCSC associated four new attacks with the GRU, on top of previous strikes believed to have been conducted by Russian intelligence services.

It said the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), transport systems in Ukraine and democratic elections such as the 2016 US presidential race were among targets.

Russian intelligence services have been accused by the UK Government of orchestrating the attacks / REUTERS

Mr Hunt said: "These cyber attacks serve no legitimate national security interest, instead impacting the ability of people around the world to go about their daily lives free from interference, and even their ability to enjoy sport.

"The GRU's actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries; they are even prepared to damage Russian companies and Russian citizens

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia both survived the nerve agent poisoning

"This pattern of behaviour demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to international law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences.

"Our message is clear: together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRU's attempts to undermine international stability."

The NCSC said it was "almost certainly" the GRU behind a "BadRabbit" attack in October 2017 that caused disruption to the Kyiv metro, Odessa airport and Russia's central bank.

And Britain's cyber security chiefs say they have "high confidence" Russian intelligence was responsible for a strike on Wada in August 2017.

The NCSC also stated that the GRU was "almost certainly" to blame for hacking the Democratic National Committee during the US presidential election in 2016.

And the agency pointed the finger at the GRU for accessing email accounts at a small UK-based TV station in 2015.

Britain's relations with Russia have been in the deep freeze since the Salisbury attack which targeted former Kremlin agent Sergei Skripal.

UK authorities believe two Russians, using the aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, smeared the highly toxic Novichok chemical on a door handle at the Wiltshire home of Mr Skripal on March 4.
M eek Mill has penned a thoughtful letter to his younger self addressing issues about race, the prison system and his own power.

Writing to himself in 2006, when the Philadelphia rapper would have been 19 years old, he tells himself his struggles are just building you to a greater tomorrow.

The letter, published in XXL magazine, offers advice to his teenage self as well as telling him about the life he would lead 12 years later.

He wrote: You will set the rap game on fire. What if I told you that you will record with Mariah Carey? Or that youll buy a Ferrari after coppin the Rolls Royce?

That fly s*** is cool but you wanna know what tops it all? Mom never having to worry about money again because you believed in yourself.

The countless times she risked it all to feed you and Nasheema wont be in vain. But I cant stress enough how much it costs to be a young leader. Costs even more to be a young Black leader.

Mill also wrote about race, Hurricane Katrina and the US justice system.

He added: Over the next decade, you and your people will make major movesyou, professionally and Black people, politically.

Well all begin to realize that our culture is our most valuable product. Unfortunately, on the streets, not much will change. In 2018, Black lives wont matter much more than they do in 2006. You saw what happened last year with Hurricane Katrina.

You saw how the administration didnt care whether we drowned or ended up homeless.

Meek was convicted of drug and guns offences when he was 21 and later jailed in November 2017 for breaking his probation, but was released five months later. Several artists and stars, including Jay Z and Beyonce, campaigned for him to be freed.

Meek Mill attending a Harper's Bazaar party / Getty Images for Harper's Bazaar

Speaking about the justice system and police he wrote: What those cops did to you was disgusting. Attempting to erase our future before it started is just the devil at work.

But I have news for you: It wont be the last time American law enforcement tries to impede your progress.

The thing is, unlike most of the sea of Black and Brown people unfairly assaulted and incarcerated by bad police, you have the biggest voice. You have the ability to turn your mugshot into a flashlight that exposes an incredibly unjust judicial system.

He added: One of your responsibilities will be to inform both the young and older people that there are two different Americas: There is one that is in love with the business of prisons and then theres Black America.

Ask yourself, how it is that Blacks are only a fraction of the United States population, yet make up the majority of its prison population? You have to use your platform and influence to teach the corner boy, celebrity and owner that their outrage for systemic oppression should be equal.
One officer killed and six others injured when gunman opened fire in South Carolina

Terrence Carraway had recently celebrated serving as a police officer for 30 years

Suspect gunned down three officers and then opened fire on four more as they arrived at the scene
R ussian president Vladimir Putins spies are mounting cyber attacks as pilot projects in readiness for full-blooded attempts to create chaos in the west, the Governments former chief security adviser warned today.

Lord Ricketts, a senior former diplomat who served as UK National Security Adviser until 2012, spoke out after Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt accused Mr Putins foreign military intelligence agency, the GRU, of a wave of cyber attacks across the globe.

Mr Hunt warned of a campaign of indiscriminate and reckless cyber strikes targeting political institutions, businesses, media and sport.

This morning, Lord Ricketts said he believed the motives varied, but the pattern suggested some were practice runs to test out new cyber warfare technology.

He said: I think some of the other attacks look very random and I wonder there whether we are not looking at a kind of pilot project, a proof of concept, where they were seeing what they could do against the occasion when they want to use it more seriously.

All of these points of the need to call it out. The GRU is the same intelligence agency which is accused of carrying out the Novichok nerve agent attack in Salisbury in March.

It is said in intelligence circles to have been encouraged by Mr Putin to adopt a more aggressive approach in recent years.

Britains National Cyber Security Centre said that a number of hackers known to have launched attacks have now been identified as members of the GRU.

It singled out four examples of GRU attacks, including the leak of files held by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), an attempt to disrupt transport systems in Ukraine and attacks on democratic elections, such as the 2016 US presidential race.

Lord Ricketts said some of the attacks had plain motives to further Russian interests.

He added: I think for the anti-doping agency, Russia was trying to distract from the very serious allegations about Russian athletes, so they were trying to create smoke and obfuscation at a time when Russia was under pressure.
R ussia has rejected Dutch and British accusations of a series of cybercrimes by Russian intelligence agents as "propaganda".

The state's foreign ministry rejected the accusations as a sham, claiming their comments reflect "Western paranoia about the omnipotent Russian cyberspies". It had earlier branded the allegations part of the West's "spy mania".

Russian spies have been accused of involvement in a series of cyber-plots across the globe, prompting the United States to make charges against seven agents.

The UK and the Netherlands made the accusations against the Russian GRU military intelligence agency on Thursday, including attacks against the international chemical weapons watchdog and other international agencies, such as the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Russian passports belonging to (top row) Oleg Sotnikov (left), Aleksei Morenets, (bottom row) Evgenii Serebriakov (left) and Alexey Minin, who have been named as the four GRU officers who tried to hack the global chemical weapons watchdog / PA

In a joint statement, Theresa May and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte condemned the "unacceptable cyber activities" of the GRU and vowed to work to uphold the "rules-based international system".

Russia's GRU has been accused of a cyber attack on the global chemical weapons watchdog / AP

Meanwhile in Washington, the US Department of Justice said it had indicted seven suspected GRU officers for "malicious cyber activities" against the US and its allies - including some of those named in connection with the OPCW attack.

Jeremy Hunt says Russia could face further sanctions over cyber attacks

The Russian foreign ministry alleged that the accusations could be aimed at creating the "necessary political environment" before the chemical watchdog's meeting next week, where Western nations could push to empowering the watchdog to name culprits in chemical attacks.

Russia opposes that, arguing that only the UN Security Council should have such authority.

This image from the Dutch Ministry of Defence is said to show hacking equipment that four Russian intelligence officers used for a cyber attack / PA

Details of the attempted attack on the OPCW were revealed at an extraordinary joint news conference at the Dutch Ministry of Defence with the British ambassador Peter Wilson.

He said that in the days and weeks which followed the Salisbury attack in March, a group of GRU hackers in Russia known as "Sandworm" had targeted both the Foreign Office and the Defence and Science Technology Laboratory at Porton Down which was investigating the incident.

UK ambassador to Netherlands on alleged Russian cyberattack on OPCW

They were also said to have sent "spear phishing" emails to the headquarters of the OPCW - which was helping the UK authorities to identify the deadly nerve agent used in the attack - in an attempt to compromise its computers.

When that failed, a GRU "close access" team was sent from Russia to the Netherlands to try to penetrate their cyber defences from close quarters.

On April 13, the Dutch security service seized a hired car containing sophisticated hacking equipment the GRU men were using near the OPCW building.

While the Russians were escorted out of the country, investigators uncovered evidence that they had been preparing to travel on to Switzerland to target the OPCW's laboratory in Spiez.

They also found details of other operations some of the men had been involved in - including the hacking of the Malaysian investigation into the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine and the World Anti Doping Agency (Wada) in Switzerland.

The World Anti-Doping Agency welcomed the US indictment, saying the alleged hackers "sought to violate athletes' rights by exposing personal and private data - often then modifying them - and ultimately undermine the work of WADA and its partners in the protection of clean sport".

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt / Getty Images

It said it was "pleased to collaborate" with the investigation and has tightened up security since it was hacked in 2016.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the disclosures were "hard evidence" of the activities of the "unacceptable" activities of the GRU which Britain has previously blamed for the Salisbury attack.

The Dutch authorities - who released CCTV images of the four men arriving at Schiphol Airport - said they had all been travelling on official Russian diplomatic passports.

They were named in them as Alekski Morenets and Evgenii Serebriakov, described as a cyber operators, and Oleg Soktnikov and Alexey Minin, who were said to have provided "humint (human intelligence) support".

Defence minister Ank Bijleveld said: "The cyber operation targeting the OPCW is unacceptable. Our exposure of this Russian operation is intended as an unambiguous message that the Russian Federation must refrain from such actions."

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance stood "in solidarity" with the decision by the Dutch and British governments to "call out" Russia for its actions.
A n attempt by Vladimir Putins spies to hack the international watchdog investigating the Salisbury nerve agent poisonings was dramatically exposed today.

The same Moscow intelligence agency also tried to hack remotely into the Foreign Office computers in Whitehall in March as well as defence laboratories at Porton Down in April, it was revealed.

Britain today accused the GRU, Russias military intelligence agency, of a wave of other cyber attacks across the globe, including efforts to target Olympic officials meeting in Switzerland.

The revelations, complete with damning photographs of four Moscow agents caught red handed, were made public by Britain and Holland in a bid to publicly expose the Kremlins activities.

Revealed: the car that was used in the cyber attack

Photographs showed the four arriving at Amsterdam airport on diplomatic passports on April 10 and being met by an official of the Russian embassy at The Hague.

Russia's GRU has been accused of a cyber attack on the global chemical weapons watchdog / AP

One of the four is also known to have travelled to Malaysia to attempt to hack into the authorities probing the downing of airliner MH17.

Investigators found phones which the men had attempted to smash

The squad - identified by their codename Unit 26165 - were trailed by security forces to the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons at The Hague, Netherlands.

They attempted a brazen close access attempt to hack into the OPCW computers at a time when the organisation was carrying out independent analysis of the rare substance used in the attempted murder of ex-spy Sergei Skripal, later identified by the body as the Novichok nerve agent made by Russia.

The hacking gear in the back of the Russians' car / AP

The quartet were a close quarter unit whose job was to drive a specially equipped vehicle to the headquarters of the OPCW, park outside and hook into the wifi to steal files or corrupt them.

But the Dutch security agencies,, working in partnership with British intelligence, trailed them there  and arrested the entire unit.

They were caught in flagrante said an official, who revealed the fours cameras and equipment revealed incriminating information, including photographs of the OPCW headquarters.

The hacking equipment belonging to four Russian officers / AP

The close access hacking attempt came just a month after the Salisbury nerve agent attack and followed an earlier failed spearphishing attack on the OPCW.

Two of the team were believed to be expert hackers while the other two were minders. It is not known what they hoped to achieve but a suspicion is that they intended to steal or destroy relating to the Novichok investigation.

Its hard to know their full intention as their operation failed, said a source. Disrupting that investigation could have been their intention.

Today at a press conference in The Hague, British ambassador to the Netherlands Peter Wilson said :  The disruption of this attempted attack on the OPCW was down to the expertise and the professionalism of the Dutch security services in partnership with the United Kingdom.

Some of the hacking equipment found in the Russians' car

The OPCW is a respected international organisation which is working to rid the world of chemical weapons.

Aleksei Morenets, who has been named as one of the four / PA

Hostile action against it demonstrates complete disregard for this vital mission.

A passport belonging to Evgenii Serebriakov, who has been named as one of the hackers / PA

He also revealed details of a string of other attacks by the GRU, including previously unknown attempts to hack into British government computers in March and April.

He named one of the GRU officers escorted out of the Netherlands and said he had also carried out malign activity in Malaysia in an attempt to collect information about the investigation into the disappearance of the MH17 airliner.

The Dutch Ministry of Defence showed this passport belonging to Oleg Sotnikov / PA

He also targeted Malaysian government institutions, including the attorney generals office and the Royal Malaysian Police.

The passport belonging to Alexey Minin, who was named as being in the group / PA

He said said the GRU officers stopped in the Netherlands planned to travel to the OPCWs laboratory in Switzerland.

The ambassador said that intelligence collected from a laptop belonging to one of the Russian officers showed it had connected to wifi at a Swiss hotel in September 2017 where a World Anti-Doping Agency conference was taking place.

General Onno Eichelsheim, director of Netherlands Defence Intelligence and Security Service, reveals details of the Russians' operation today / REUTERS

The hotel was subject to a hacking attack during the conference, Mr Wilson said.

Among targets of other GRU attacks were transport systems in Ukraine using a malware called Bad Rabbit and democratic elections, such as the 2016 US presidential race.

Mr Wilson said the The Hague attack was a clear attempt by the GRU to clean up their operations in Salisbury.

In a defiant message to Russia he declared Britain and its allies would be stepping up activities against malign acts specifially against operations by the GRU.

He declared: We will shine a line on their activities and expose their methods asnd share these with our allies.

The accusations will further strain relations with Russia after Britain blamed Moscow for the nerve agent attack in Salisbury last March, which left one person dead, prompting a wave of condemnation around the world.

Theresa May said the exposure further shone a light on the unacceptable cyber activities of the GRU.

This attempt, to access the secure systems of an international organisation working to rid the world of chemical weapons, demonstrates the GRUs disregard for the global values and rules that keep us all safe, she said in a joint statement with Dutch premiere Mark Rutte.

Russian intelligence service blamed for series of cyber attacks

The GRUs reckless operations stretch from destructive cyber activity to the use of illegal nerve agents, as we saw in Salisbury.

Our action today reinforces the clear message from the international community: We will uphold the rules-based international system, and defined interntaional insitutions from those that seem to do them harm.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the new hacking claims as big fantasies.

The Duitch authorities said the GRU were named on their diplomatic passports as Aleksei Morenets, Evgenii Serebriakov, Oleg Sotnikov, and Aleksey Minin.

They were caught operating from the boot of their car, pointing an antennae hidden under a coat at the OPCW building.

Sources revealed that the GRU had been identified behind a string of hacking attempts, many using spear phishing techniques, including on the International Olynmpic Committee, the Canadian
A second British woman has died after undergoing Brazilian butt lift surgery, it emerged today.

The woman, aged in her late 20s, died following the cosmetic procedure earlier this year.

The surgery has soared in popularity as women try to emulate the curvy physiques of celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj.

But it has been described by experts as the deadliest cosmetic procedure to have, with an estimated one in 3,000 dying worldwide as a result of complications.

An inquest into the latest victims death is due to take place next year.

Leah Cambridge, 29, died after undergoing an operation in Turkey

Gerard Lambe, consultant plastic surgeon and member of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said: It has the highest death rate of all procedures due to the risk of injecting fat into large veins in the buttocks, that can travel to the heart or brain.

Ms Cambridge, a beautican from Leeds, paid 3,000 for the surgery which sees fat extracted from the waist and injected into the buttocks.

She suffered three heart attacks due to complications from the operation.

Speaking to the BBCs Victoria Derbyshire programme, one 23-year-old woman from Wales said she had been left scarred for life after having BBL surgery in February in Turkey.

Women have the surgery to try to emulate the curvy physiques of celebrities such as Kim Kardashian (Kim Kardashian ) / Kim Kardashian

Three months after the procedure, infected holes appeared on her buttocks.

She said: I couldnt walk properly for ages.

To be honest, when the holes came it was better as the fat was leaking out, which made it possible to walk again.

She said her buttocks were leaking for three months, soaking all my clothes.

She added: It smelled. I had to bandage it up every day.

I honestly wish I could go back. I was happy with my body before. And now I paid a stupid amount of money to look like this.
D onald Trump has been condemned for mocking one of Brett Kavanaughs accusers by three fellow Republicans.

The US leaders comments were branded appalling and just plain wrong by some of his fellow party members as the FBI was poised to report on allegations against Kavanaugh.

Mr Trump mocked Dr Christine Blasey Fords allegation that Kavanaugh, a Supreme Court nominee, sexually assaulted her in 1982 when they were high school students.

Hitting out at the presidents remarks, Republican Jeff Flake said: There is no time and no place for remarks like that, but to discuss something this sensitive at a political rally is just not right.

Supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate / AP

During an interview with NBC, he added: I wish he hadnt have done it and I just say its kind of appalling.

Two other Republican swing voters, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, also rebuked Mr Trump.

The presidents comments were just plain wrong, Collins said. Murkowski told reporters it was wholly inappropriate and unacceptable.

The three Republicans' votes could determine whether the federal judge is confirmed to the Supreme Court.

It comes after the president dismissively imitated Ms Fords testimony on Tuesday.

How did you get home? Trump said, reiterating a question the committee asked her. I dont remember, he then parroted.

How did you get there? I dont remember. Where is the place? I dont remember. How many years ago was it? I dont know. What neighbourhood was it? I dont know. Wheres the house? I dont know.

Mr Trump earlier told reporters on the White House lawn he supported Mr Kavanaugh and that he wants to "see what happens" with the FBI investigation.
N ASA astronauts are returning to Earth after a record-breaking mission on the International Space Station.

In a rare live broadcast, viewers back on terra firma are able to watch the mission unfold as two NASA scientists and a cosmonaut were brought back to Earth.

The mission launched from the International Space Station at around 4am, Eastern Time (9am UK).

The Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying the three crew members undocked from the orbiting laboratory and is due to land in Kazakhstan at 7.30am (12.30pm UK).

Expedition 56 Commander Drew Feustel and Flight Engineer Ricky Arnold of NASA, along with Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Oleg Artemyev of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, are making the journey this morning, and set to begin a parachute-assisted landing this afternoon. in the remote town of Dzhezkazgan.

The crew completing an astonishing 197 days aboard the ISS, orbiting the Earth 3,152 times and covering 83.4 million miles, NASA said.

They conducted scientific experiments ranging from physics to biological studies and conducted navigation tests towards future missions with the aim of travelling much farther from Earth.

"Thanks to those who have trained us and those who have supported us while in space," he said.

"With over 350 investigations credited to the expedition, we should all be proud of our accomplishments together. We would also all like to thank our families for supporting us throughout this great adventure.

"Without their love and support, none of us would be here today."

Alexander Gerst, a veteran German astronaut with the European Space Agency is taking over command of the ISS. He thanked Commander Feustel "for being a true leader."

Expedition 56 Commander Drew Feustel (right) and Flight Engineer Ricky Arnold (left) of NASA, along with Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos (center) return to Earth after 197 days in space. / NASA

"I want to wish my friends and crewmates, Oleg, Ricky and Drew, a fantastic ride home and soft landing," Gerst said. "You are dearly missed down there on Earth, and you will be dearly missed up here in space."
S adiq accused of misleading Londoners over Crossrail

Sadiq Khan has been accused of misleading Londoners over the delayed and over-budget Crossrail scheme.

The Mayor said he knew only two days before a public announcement that the 15.4 billion line would not be ready by December 9.

But a cross-party City Hall committee today said it was highly likely Mr Khan had been informed around six weeks earlier about very likely delays.

Crossrail is now not due to open before Autumn 2019.

'Kremlin behind cyber attacks'

The UK government has accused Russia's intelligence service of being behind four high-profile cyber attacks.

Some of the attacks were linked previously to the Kremlin, but this is the first time the UK has singled out the GRU.

The World Anti-Doping Agency, transport systems in Ukraine and the 2016 US presidential race were among targets.

Police officers gunned down

Seven US police officers have been shot, one of them fatally, during a two-hour stand-off in South Carolina.

The gunman was holding children hostage as he shot at officers from a home in Florence County yesterday.

A motive was not immediately clear.

Speaking out after the incident, president Trump said his thoughts were with the countys police department and sheriffs office.

UK aid appeal for Indonesia victims

UK aid agencies are launching a joint fundraising appeal to help survivors of the Indonesia earthquake and tsunami.

More than 1,500 people are thought to be dead, missing or injured after last Friday's 7.5 magnitude tremor and wave.

Rescuers are still struggling to reach devastated communities in the region.

Those who wish to donate to the appeal can do so on the Disasters Emergency Committees website.

Messi's masterpiece at Wembley

It was a disappointing night in the Champions League last night for Tottenham and Liverpool.

Spurs went down 4-2 to Barcelona after a masterclass from Lionel Messi, while Liverpool lost 1-0 at Napoli to a goal right at the death.

Scientists discover first 'exomoon'

Astronomers believe they have discovered the first known moon beyond our solar system.

The so-called exomoon is in orbit around a gigantic planet 8,000 light years away, experts have said.

It is estimated to be the size of Neptune.

Happened today

1911: Britain's first escalators were introduced, connecting the District and Piccadilly platforms at Earl's Court underground station in London.

1957: Russia launched Sputnik I, the world's first satellite.
E llie Brown enjoyed a night out on the town with her Love Island pals after her ex-boyfriend Charlie Brake reportedly took his new relationship to the next level.

The reality star has clearly brushed off the speculation as she set out just hours after Brake appeared on Kimberley Owens Instagram story, days after the couple announced their split.

Brown pulled out all the stops as she stepped out in a red satin dress with a red bodice paired with red lipstick and big curls.

Posting a snap on Instagram alongside fellow islander Zara McDermott, she wrote: Love you @zara_mcdermott.

The image comes after Brown broke her silence on the split, thanking fans for their support and admitting she was not the perfect girlfriend.

The Geordie star, who appeared on the ITV2 show over the summer, also asked fans to stop coming to her with articles claiming she brought this on herself as she confessed she adored Charlie.

Posting on her Instagram story, Brown wrote: I am trying to deal with this as best and as quietly as a possible but it is hard and if you really believe that you are just as cowardly as the person who said it. 

By no means am I saying I was the perfect girlfriend but I adored Charlie from the bottom of my heart and he knows that.

She concluded that she didnt even know what to say about the situation, ending her emotional post with a red heart.

Love Island's Ellie Brown and Charlie Brake enjoy date night

At the time the Mail reported how Brake had become romantically involved with Owen.

A source told the publication: He is romantically involved with Kimberley.

Its obviously early days because he has only recently separated from Ellie. He is spending time with Kimberley in Monaco and enjoying her company."
G wyneth Paltrow has said that she loves being a wife as she discussed her second marriage to producer Brad Falchuk.

The Hollywood star, 46, was married to Coldplays Chris Martin from 2003-2014 and wed Falchuk in an intimate ceremony last weekend.

Speaking about the difficult decision to marry for the second time, Paltrow told Marie Claire: For a while, I thought, I dont know if Id ever do it again.

I have my kids  whats the point? And then I met this incredible man, who made me think, no, this person is worth making this commitment to. Im very much the marrying kind. I love being a wife. I love making a home.

New love: Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk / Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock

Paltrow went on to describe marriage as a really beautiful, noble and worthwhile institution, pursuit and endeavour.

She added: Because I dont think you get married and thats it  I think its the beginning. You create this third entity, this third being that you have to nourish and look after.

Hollywood romance: Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow at the Oscars in 1996 / Kim Kulish/AFP/Getty

Paltrow also credited ex-boyfriend Brad Pitt with protecting her against Harvey Weinstein when she was a relatively unknown actress.

The actress alleges that Weinstein made a pass at her in his hotel room while she was in a relationship with Pitt, promoting the A-list actor to confront the producer.

I am so grateful to Brad, because he leveraged his power and fame to protect me  when I was no one  and he scared Harvey, she said.

And if it hadnt been for him, I dont know if Id have gotten fired, or what. But instead, Harvey was like, OK, lets put it behind us. I think he wanted to keep Brad on side.

Some 80 women, including prominent actresses, have accused Mr Weinstein of miscoduct ranging from rape to harassment.
M ark Wright faced a backlash online after he threw his support behind Prime Minister Theresa May, encouraging his followers to back her.

Wright defended the politician after she was ridiculed for dancing onto the stage in Birmingham ahead of her keynote speech at the Conservative conference on Wednesday.

I think @theresa_may spoke well today, he tweeted. Sounded confident. Right now shes our prime minister, we need to back her and give her confidence.

Trying to bring her or her party down is not going to help our country 1 bit. Lets stick together!! #unity.

Wright risked losing followers as many slammed his stance as they begged him to permanently relocate to the US and step away from Twitter.

Others told him to educate yourself while another branded him thick as mince.

One user tweeted: Spoken like a man. A man with more money than sense who has never had to worry about whether to buy food or have the heating on, a man who has absolutely NO idea how others have to live. Stick to talking about pretty things and first class travel.

Dancing: Conservative Party Leader and Prime Minister Theresa May arrives on stage to deliver her speech / AP

Another posted: Sorry but no...shes useless. She came on Dancing! Shes literally laughing in the face of vulnerable ppl who are affected by vicious Tory policies.

A third commented: What!!?? Ill gladly hear you tell me what to wear from the @matalan Range but keep your politics to yourself (while living in America 80% of the time) #jeez.

Standard Online has contacted a representative for Wright for comment.

He later retweeted a comment from a fan which read: I couldnt agree more, like her or hate her we need to get behind not against her so we can get the best deal for this country.

Others defended the former TOWIE star, who is married to Michelle Keegan, with one posting: Like her or hate her we need to get behind not against her so we can get the best deal for this country.
A n interview claiming to be with Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore in an in-flight magazine has gone viral for being truly bizarre.

The odd piece, published in EgyptAirs magazine, was spotted by a travelling journalist Adam Baron in on-board read Horus.

He tweeted the pages of the interview, writing: This interview with Drew Barrymore in the Egypt Air in flight magazine is, umm, surreal.

The interview, which has been denied by Barrymores team, begins with an offensive introduction shaming the star for her romantic history.

It reads: Despite being unstable in her relationships most of her life, despite the several unsuccessful marriages and despite the busy life of stardom that dominated her life for several years; the beautiful American Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore has recently decided to temporary [sic] take an unlimited vacation to play her most crucial role as a mother.

As the interview - plagued with grammatical errors - progresses, the dubious sounding quotes include: I could not resist performing the most important role in my life  being a mother  in which I hope to be conscientious and I do not intentionally follow certain parenting methods with my daughters and I do not consult with psychologists.

Actress: Drew Barrymore's team have said that the star 'did not participate' / Getty Images for Glamour

A question on her post-pregnancy weight, in particular, caused a furore on social media with Barrymore quoted as having said: I feel overwhelmed when someone tells me that I have regained my image and managed to lose that extra weight.

"However, I find this a great opportunity to encourage every woman who is overweight to work on regaining her beauty and body, especially that it is not as hard as one may think.

Barrymores team strongly denied the interviews legitimacy, telling the HuffPost that the star did not participate in the interview and they are working with the airline PR team.

However, in response to queries on social media, EgyptAir wrote: Dear sir, this a professional magazine interview conducted by Dr. Aida Tekla Former president of the HFPA (Hollywood Foreign Press Association) and one of the voting members of the Golden Globes.
T om Cruise reportedly hasnt seen his daughter Suri in years according to new claims.

US magazine Us Weekly reports that the Hollywood star is allowed to see his 12-year-old daughter, who he shares with ex-wife Katie Holmes, for 10 days a month but chooses not to because shes not a Scientologist.

Cruise and Holmes divorced in 2012 after six years of marriage, with Suri going to live with her mum after the split.

A source told the publication, which notes Cruise has not been pictured with Suri since 2013, that Katie and Nicole have moved on from their time with Tom and are leading their own lives outside of the church.

Split: Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise divorced in 2012 / Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Cruise shares two adopted children  Connor, now 23 and Isabella, now 25 - with Australian actress Nicole Kidman, who left the church when they split in 2001.

Connor and Isabella remained with Cruise following the break-up and were raised within the Church of Scientology.

Cruise, who was first introduced to scientology by ex-wife Mimi Rogers, has become one of the Churchs highest-profile members, alongside John Travolta and Kirstie Alley.

Standard Online has contacted representatives for Cruise and Holmes for comment.

Holmes, 39, has kept out of the limelight since her split with Cruise but recently went public about her romance with Jamie Foxx.
T upac Shakur is alive, according to the son of American record producer Marion Suge Knight.

Suge J Knight took to social media to share a string of posts implying that the tragic death of the rapper on September 7 1996 in Las Vagas was a hoax and that he has been living in Malaysia ever since.

He posted a quote that read: Tupac is alive.

He later shared an exchange of messages which he claims were sent to him, which read: You said too much, time for you to go.

Knight later posted images of a man who appears to resemble an older Shakur, claiming it is the rapper in a present-day shot.

Images were then followed up with snaps of the older-looking man next to a present-day Beyonce and 50 Cent, claiming, Tupac is alive..he never left us.

He later made multiple references to the Illuminati hitting back at users accusing him of being on drugs.

The quote read: Beware of fake accounts. Their job is to distract you. The Illuminati are all about power. This is why you see powerful names getting locked up.'

Dont be fooled. We can do it. They will say Im on drugs and etc. Im not.

Adamant about his claims, Knight shared footage of the man resembling the late rapper filmed in Malaysia before claiming he was being silenced.

The claims come after it was revealed earlier this year that Tupacs murder remains an open homicide case in the wake of new claims about his killer, the Las Vegas Police department has revealed.

Despite the fact that former gang member Keefe D has now admitted to playing a part in the murder, without revealing the identity of the killer, the case remains unsolved.

In a recent interview on BETs Death Row Chronicles, Duane Keith Keefe D, uncle of prime suspect Orlando Anderson, has said he was in the car when one of his crew opened fire back in 1996.
S ir David Attenborough is back on screen with a brand new nature documentary following some of the biggest dynasties in the animal kingdom.

To mark World Animal Day, the BBC unveiled the two-minute trailer showing Attenboroughs landmark documentary coming soon to the network.

The series will focus on five species, all of which are celebrated yet endangered, including emperor penguins, tigers and lions.

Attenborough, 92, will front the series which is his first major small screen project since Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II.

Featured: One episode will be dedicated to tigers / BBC NHU/Theo Webb

Each episode will have a different focus, with hunting dogs and chimpanzees also under observation throughout.

The five-part series examines life for these colonies and the pressure these animals live under  from their own kind and the ever-changing planet.

Sir David Attenborough on BBC Breakfast

In a statement when the show was announced, BBC Director of Content Charlotte Moore said: The wonderful David Attenborough will inspire audiences once again when he brings the natural world to life.

Four years in the making, capturing extraordinary family dynamics and behaviour, I hope these intimate animal dramas will connect with audiences just as Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II did.

Dynasties will air on BBC One.
I f you are deaf or hard of hearing going to the theatre can be an almost impossible task.

Infrared induction loops can often amplify the noises you dont want to hear, drowning out the actors, and caption screens are often set to the side of the stage, meaning you miss half of the performance.

These services aren't always available either, with only around four per cent of productions available to watch with things like smart captions.

This is why London's National Theatre (NT) has teamed up with Accenture to create augmented reality (AR) glasses to broadcast subtitles to your eyes during its productions. The smart glasses, created by Epson, look similar to Google Glass, and deliver the NTs live captioning service straight to the person wearing them.

What is augmented reality? Augmented reality (AR) sees computer-generated images superimposed over a users view of the real world, usually via a smartphone or smart glasses. AR can enhance the perception of reality, instead of changing it completely like virtual reality.

Dave Finch, a member of the NTs testing group who is hard of hearing, said the new glasses allow him to be fully engrossed in a theatre performance again.

For someone hard of hearing [the glasses] literally represent the difference between being able to go to the theatre whenever you choose and staying away, said Finch.

Quite a lot of deaf people dont realise what is out there to help or havent even contemplated that an evening at the theatre is possible, but these glasses represent a fantastic step forward."

The Smart Glasses project has been in the works for about a year, ever since the National decided to expand and enhance its service options for people with hearing loss. The theatre worked with Accentures Extended Reality Group, its partner for innovation, which introduced the organisation to Epson.

A lot has gone into the development of the service. The NTs technical department collaborated with Professor Andrew Lambourne, an expert in live-subtitling, to develop its Open Access Smart Capture technology.

This tech uses voice-following software to track precisely where the show is in the script, so the right subtitles are delivered at the right time. As well, lighting and sound cues come up too, such as if there is a flash of lightning or the sound of rain in the production.

NT's smart caption service is delivered to the glasses so people who are hard of hearing can follow the subtitles and watch performances at the same time / National Theatre

Accenture and the NT then worked with Epson to find the right glasses to deliver the service. Epsons Moverio BT-350 smart glasses were developed specifically with arts and culture applications in mind. Features such as the ability to customise the typeface, size, colour and position of the subtitles were a big hit with the test group.

The NT now has 90 smart glasses available for use. They will be available to book for performances including Hadestown and War Horse, and will be rolled out later this month for all shows in the new season. At the moment, you will have to express a preference to use the glasses when you book tickets.

NT is also going to take the technology on tour to select theatres in its Macbeth touring show, and is working with the Leeds Playhouse to expand the tech to the theatres 2019 season.

Susan Daniels, CEO of the National Deaf Childrens Society, who has been profoundly deaf since the age of four, described the initiative as a positive step in the right direction.

By developing this pioneering new technology, the National Theatre is sending a powerful signal to deaf people across the country. Too often Ive missed out on productions because the one captioned performance is at an inconvenient time, on an inconvenient day. I hope these caption glasses will make that a thing of the past.

But this doesnt just have the potential to benefit me  for countless deaf children across the country this could be transformative. From school trips, to Christmas pantos, to seeing a performance your friend has recommended at the last minute, the world of theatre will be prised open to a whole new audience, said Daniels.

Its an amazing example of how AR can be used to benefit people in real life. The technology itself is starting to gain traction, with companies like Blue Vision Labs and Apple creating applications to demonstrate its power; whether its an AR version of Google Maps with on-screen directions or even the ability to measure your pets using your smartphone.

Accenture Digitals managing director, George Marcotte, said this a demonstration of how tech can be used to improve peoples lives.

Partnering with the NT on these smart glasses is a real-life example of how we can use technology to make the experience better for patrons of the theatre.
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In the context of the NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels, Romanian Defence minister Mihai Fifor met with his Spanish counterpart, Margarita Robles Fernandez, and with General Curtis Scaparrotti, Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO Allied Command Operations in Europe (SACEUR).

The talks with his Spanish counterpart focused on the identification of the development directions of military cooperation, both bilaterally - within the framework of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries - and within the North Atlantic Alliance, the Ministry of National Defence (MapN) informs in a release sent on Thursday to AGERPRES

Mihai Fifor expressed his appreciation for Spain's contribution to the strengthening of the allied defence in the Black Sea region, under the tailored Forward Presence (tFP), thus emphasizing the presence of the Spanish military ships in joint exercises in the Black Sea, the participation of the Spanish military in the exercises carried out under CJET (Combined Joined Enhanced Training), as well as the functions assumed within the NATO command and control structures on Romania's territory.Minister Fifor also approached in his talks with minister Robles Fernandez, aspects referring to our country's offer to host a land command and control capability of army corps level (MNC-SE). The Spanish side voiced its support for Romania's offer to take shape and gave assurances as regards the maintenance of the contribution level to the reassurance measures within the tFP.'The Spanish minister appreciated the high level of the two countries' dialogue and Romania's contribution to the measures of combating the security threats in the allied south flank. In context, the constant presence of the Romanian Naval Forces with the Sea Guardian operation in the Mediterranean Sea was underlined, the contribution to the NATO training mission in Iraq as well as the significant presence with 700 military in Afghanistan, within the Resolute Support Mission. In context, the Romanian Defence minister brought to mind the recent decision to supplement the troops that could be deployed in this operations theatre starting with 2019,' the MapN release adds.During the meeting with the SACEUR head, General Curtis Scaparrotti, were tackled topics related to the security situation in the Black Sea region and the continuation of the implementation of the allied projects in the region agreed upon at the NATO Summit in July, MApN says'Minister Mihai Fifor thanked SACEUR for the strong support in implementing the measures decided by the allies in all three dimensions of the (tailored Forward Presence ) tFP - terrestrial, air and naval. In context, he pointed at Romania's efforts to enhance the operational capacity of the SE Multinational Brigade in Craiova, reminding the talks that are taking place at present with the allied countries as regards the contribution with forces and the affiliation of the military structures, the most recent example being given by the National Guard of Alabama that has expressed its intention to affiliate a Fight Support company to the Craiova brigade,' the release specifies.As regards the command and control land capability of army corps level (Multinational Corps - Southeast - MNC-SE), minister Fifor voiced his appreciation for the positive assessments carried out by SACEUR on Romania's offer and gave assurances that our country will make any efforts to materialize this very important initiative in the security equation at the Black Sea, the MApN informs.
National Defence Minister Mihai Fifor attended a session of discussions of NATO-Georgia Committee, in the first day of the defence ministers' meeting of NATO member states, context in which he highlighted Georgia's commitment to the Alliance's efforts to ensure security in the region.

According to a release of the National Defence Ministry (MApN), within NATO-Georgia Committee there were analysed aspects aimed at implementing the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, the Georgian partner's participation in operations and exercises and the assessment of the Georgian side aimed at joining NATO's efforts to strengthen security in the Black Sea region.

"In respect to NATO-Georgia cooperation, Minister Fifor highlighted the progresses recorded and the need to boost dialogue in areas of shared interest. In this context, he mentioned that ensuring regional security is a key-element of this cooperation, pointing out that the situation in the Black Sea area continues to be marked by complex and complicated developments. Mihai Fifor also underscored Georgia's commitment to the Alliance's efforts to guarantee security in the region," the release mentions.The quoted source mentions that on Wednesday, the Romanian Defence Minister also attended a working dinner in an allied format, during which he discussed about the fair burden-sharing within NATO, from the perspective of the conclusions drawn at the Summit in June."The allies committed to draw up and send, by the end of this year, credible national plans in view of implementing the Defence Investment Pledge (DIP), assumed at the Summit in Wales in 2014. These plans will cover three dimensions, namely money contributions - cash, the allocation of two percent of the GDP for defence, the development and implementation of capabilities at NATO's disposal, contributions to operations and missions conducted by NATO, respectively," according to the release.In this context, Minister Fifor pointed out that Romania successfully meets all these conditions, which proves that our country is a credible ally, engaged in ensuring the stability of the entire Alliance."He also mentioned that the fair burden-sharing should remain a priority on the allied agenda, taking into account that it has many implications in several areas, including in regards to the transatlantic relation," the release also mentions.

AGERPRES
Justice Minister Tudorel Toader stated on Thursday that the procedures regarding Elena Udrea's and Alina Bica's extradition were carried out "correctly, completely and on time."

"The legal procedures (...) were fulfilled by the Romanian authorities correctly, completely and on time. I haven't seen you asking yourselves further on: in Italy we have over 2,000 detainees in prisons. I haven't seen you asking me about Romanian X who is in Italy and we eventually brought or will bring to the country. I don't want to talk about a certain person, I am minister for all Romanians, regardless of their legal status," Tudorel Toader stated upon leaving the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM).

The Press Office of the Inspectorate General of the Romanian Police (IGPR) confirmed that Elena Udrea and Alina Bica have been detained by law enforcement on the night of Wednesday to Thursday in Costa Rica.

AGERPRES




President Klaus Iohannis stated on Thursday that in the Centennial, the academic year started with interims both at the Education Ministry and Research Ministry.

The head of state participates in an event organised by the Polytechnics University of Bucharest celebrating 200 years since its establishment.

"This setting is definitely a suitable one in order to talk about the future of the Romanian education. There are present here many of those who had and I believe will have the responsibility to organise not only the academia, but the entire Romanian education. (...) And even if in the Centennial we started the academic year with interims, both at the Education Ministry and the Research Ministry, I am convinced that you are among those who want stability, coherence and vision in the next period," Iohannis conveyed to the attendees of the event

AGERPRES




The number of students declined due to the demographic decline, President Klaus Iohannis stated on Thursday, adding that, at the moment, the Romanian economy's need for specialists is not properly covered by graduates.

"Because of the demographic decline, the number of graduates dropped, which is the more concerning as the rate of youngsters who manage to complete university studies ranks us last in the European Union. At the moment, the Romanian economy's need for specialists is not properly covered by graduates and there is no clear record of their insertion in the labour market," Iohannis stated at the event occasioned by the 200 anniversary of University Politehnica of Bucharest.

According to the head of state, some universities initiated mapping projects of the labour market needs, but it is also necessary that the relation between society, economy and academia be assessed based on some long and medium term studies, that would go beyond the immediate interest.He mentioned that universities should focus their efforts on developing some well funded research centres, with qualified personnel and with international recognition that would attract talents around the world.According to the head of state, the universities are "the keystone of the Romanian educational ecosystem."Furthermore, the President brought to mind that he initiated the project called "Educated Romania," whose results will be released soon.Prior to attending the 200th anniversary of University Politehnica of Bucharest, President Iohannis had a meeting with members of the Permanent Bureau of the National Council of Rectors. Afterwards, the head of state visited the Center for Advanced Research on Innovative Materials, Products and Processes of University Politehnica of Bucharest.

AGERPRES
Romania's Defence Minister Mihai Fifor had bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Canada, Italy and Turkey as part of his participation in Brussels in a meeting of the NATO defense ministers whom he invited officially to participate in the events to be organised in Bucharest on December 1, the National Day of Romania, as 100 years since the Greater Union are celebrated.

According to the Romanian Defence Ministry (MApN), during talks with Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan, the significant progress made with military co-operation at both bilateral and NATO level was highlighted, as well as favourable prospects for strengthening it.

"The Romanian minister of national defence thanked Minister Sajjan particularly for the substantial contributions made by Canada to strengthening defence on the eastern flank of NATO and in the Black Sea region under NATO's tailored Forward Presence (tFP), for all three dimensions - air, navy and land, voicing hope that, given the developments in the security environment, the level of these contributions will be kept up for the next period."Sajjan highlighted the complex nature of the security challenges in the Black Sea, highlighting Canada's intention to continue its military presence in the region as a strong and concrete message of NATO solidarity, according to MApN."Minister Mihai Fifor mentioned the excellent co-operation with the Canadian partner, highlighting the importance of the Enforced Air Police Mission, currently being conducted in Romania by the Canadian Royal Air Force alongside the Romanian Air Force."An important point of the discussion regarded collaboration in the field of psychological assistance, with Fifor thanking the Canadian Army for valuable support given for the elaboration of the establishment of a national centre of operational psychology in Bucharest.Discussed at the meeting with Italian Minister of Defence Elisabetta Trenta were the development of defence co-operation relations under the strategic partnership between the two countries.Fifor commended Italy for its contribution to the implementation of eastern flank reinsurance measures under the TFP by assuming staff positions with the Multinational Brigade Command and underlined the interest of the Romanian side in strengthening the participation of the Italian partner in the manning NATO organisations operating in Romania.According to MApN, Fifor asked Italy for support in materialising Romania's offer to host the Multinational Corps South East - MNC-SE.The Italian Minister thanked Romania for consistent contributions to the implementation of the measures to strengthen NATO defence on the southern flank, as Romania has taken up 26 functions with NATO organisations hosted by Italy, as well as for excellent co-operation between the two armed forces in the NATO operations in Afghanistan, Western Balkans and Iraq.The two ministers agreed on the need to continue the political-military strategic dialogue, to develop co-operation in the field of joint training of military structures and industrial co-operation for the development of defence capabilities.The meeting with Turkey's Minister of Defence Hulusi Akar focused mainly on to the security situation in the Black Sea region and the possibilities for developing bilateral military co-operation.Fifor stressed the need for a unitary approach of defending the eastern flank of NATO from north to south, as agreed upon at the NATO Brussels Summit where, at the request of Romania, security in the Black Sea was a distinct item on the agenda.According to MApN, Akar mentioned Turkey's support for the implementation of reassurance measures for the eastern flank and emphasised his country's interest in developing co-operation relations in the military technical field, mentioning untapped potential that could bring considerable benefits to both sides.The two ministers agreed on the need to continue the military strategic dialogue in order to harmonise the positions of the two parties on the implementation of collective security measures in the region.Fifor extended to his counterparts official invitations to take part in the events to be organised in Bucharest on December 1, the National Day of Romania, as 100 years since the Greater Union are celebrated.

AGERPRES
The current form of the Social Dialogue Law needs to be amended because it has led to the failure to complete collective bargaining agreements and we currently still have 900,000 workers covered by such a contract, Bogdan Hossu, President of the Cartel Alfa Trade Union Confederation, told a Thursday's conference dedicated to the World Day for Decent Work.

"The current form of the Law on Social Dialogue, amended in 2011, has practically blocked the signing of collective labor agreements. We still have 900,000 workers under collective labor contract. We are now in a totally aberrant situation. We no longer have a single collective labor contract nationwide, there are no collective labor agreements at sector level because the parties can no longer fulfill the clauses that are provided for in the current form of the social dialogue law. Moreover, at unit level, the vast majority of contracts are in the public sector," Hossu said, according to Agerpres

Currently, over one third of all full-time employees are included at the minimum wage level, say the Cartel Alfa representatives. The lack of real negotiations pushing salary increases up the grid has led, with every rise of the minimum wage, year to year, to the increase of the number of those paid at this level. According to trade union leaders, in 2011, when the Law on Social Dialogue (62/2011)was adopted, some 8pct of employees were at the minimum wage level, about the same share as currently in Germany. Meanwhile, their number has grown five times.Representatives of the trade unions say that this has consequences not only at present, through to the lack of the possibility of ensuring a decent living, but also for the future, due to the small pensions at the end of the active period, the lack of prospects for economic development, because under these circumstances a continuous migration, especially of qualified staff, is taking place."In the seven years since adoption of the Social Dialogue 62/2011 Law by assuming responsibility in Parliament, the situation of Romanian workers has deteriorated. Practically, although Romania has steadily recorded a growth rate over the European average during this period, mainly through the effort of the working people, those who contributed most to it, the workers, have not benefited from it," said Petru Dandea, Cartel Alfa secretary general.The union leaders propose the amendment of the provisions of the Law on Social Dialogue so that the employees' representatives can be partners to collective bargaining only in the units where there are no unions. They also call for the inclusion of clear provisions prohibiting any kind of interference in the activity of the trade unions and any type of discrimination on the basis of union membership or trade union activities, together with effective sanctions, as well as reducing the threshold for unit representativeness to 35pct, in line with the recommendations of the International Labor Organization.
Elena Udrea and Alina Bica are said to have been arrested in Costa Rica after the local police enforced a request of Interpol, the website sitiooij.poder-judicial.go.cr informs.

Members of the Judicial Investigation Agency, affiliated to Interpol National Central Bureau in Costa Rica, in collaboration with officers of the Intelligence and National Security Directorate (DIS), after investigations, surveillance and monitoring have detained two Romanian women aged 44, at the request of the Romanian authorities, the quoted source informs.

A Red Notice in Interpol database has been received for one of the women, surname Udrea, for bribe-taking and abuse of office, that were issued by Interpol Bucharest. This woman has been arrested on a public avenue, around 10:00hrs, in the Sabana Oeste district.For the other woman, called Bica, there was also received a Red Notice in Interpol database for committing bribe-taking and acts of corruption, also issued by Interpol Bucharest. She was arrested around 14:00hrs on a public avenue of the Sabana Este district.Both women have been placed under the orders of a Criminal Court of San Jose.Elena Udrea has been convicted to six years in prison in the "Gala Bute" case for bribe-taking and abuse of office, but she fled Romania, requesting political asylum in Costa Rica.The Press Office of the Inspectorate General of the Romanian Police (IGPR) subsequently confirmed that Elena Udrea and Alina Bica have been detained on the night of Wednesday to Thursday in Costa Rica.Elena Udrea is a former tourism minister and Alina Bica is a former head of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism.

AGERPRES
Elena Udrea's lawyer Veronel Radulescu stated on Thursday morning that the former Transport Minister will be brought before court after being detained by the Interpol, but, from his point of view, she will not be extradited because her daughter has Costa Rican citizenship and she cannot be separated from her mother.

"Elena Udrea is currently at the Interpol headquarters in order to be brought before a court of Costa Rica. I haven't talked with Elena Undrea, I talked to Adrian [Adrian Alexandrov, who is Elena Udrea's life partner]. He told me what happened, she was near a coffee shop situated in the area where she lives in and someone from the Interpol in Costa Rica apprehended and invited her at the headquarters for the the extradition procedure at the request of the Romanian state. She will definitely be brought before the court, which will analyse all the aspects regarding this situation, including the fact that Elena Udrea has a daughter of only 10 days and it will probably take into account the asylum-seeker status which she already obtained temporary and the extradition request will be ruled on. From my point of view, [the court] won't hand out the extradition, especially because she has a daughter who has Costa Rican citizenship, with rights protected by the child protection law of Costa Rica, with one of the provisions stipulating that a child shall not be separated from the mother," the lawyer told Digi 24 private television station.

Justice Minister Tudorel Toader stated on Thursday that the procedure for Elena Udrea and Alina Bica will go through all the legal stages, adding that for him the former deputy doesn't represent a topic, being "a citizen who committed offenses and has a final sentence."The Press Office of Romania's General Police Inspectorate (IGPR) confirmed that Elena Udrea and Alina Bica were detained by law enforcement in Costa Rica on the night of Wednesday to Thursday."Following the exchange of data and information through the International Police Co-operation Centre with the General Police Inspectorate, this night in Costa Rica, Udrea Elena Gabriela and Bica Alina Mihaela were tracked down and apprehended," Romania's General Police Inspectorate reported on Thursday.

AGERPRES




Very few Americans know who Sheldon Adelson is and fewer still appreciate that, as Americas leading political donor, when he speaks the Republican Party listens. By virtue of his largesse, he has been able to direct GOP policy in the Middle East in favor of Israel, which might well be regarded as his true home while the United States exists more as a faithful friend that can be produced at intervals whenever Israel finds itself in need of a bit of cash or political cover.

Adelsons recent successes in translating his political donations into policy favorable to Israel have included shifting the US Embassy to Jerusalem, cutting aid to Palestinians, ending the Iranian nuclear monitoring agreement and closing the Palestine Liberation Organizations diplomatic office in Washington. All those Trump Administration measures were reportedly worked out privately by Adelson speaking directly with the president.

Adelsons activities in buying politicians reflect what he believes, he reportedly having said that theres no such thing as a Palestinian. Nor does his world view include much concern for the country that has sheltered him and made him wealthy. He served in the US Army in World War 2 and has said that he regrets having done so, as he would rather have worn an Israeli army uniform. He also expressed his desire that his son might become an Israeli Army sniper.

Adelson benefits from his exceptional access to the White House to the detriment of actual American interests. A New York Times article Sheldon Adelson Sees a Lot to Like in Trumps Washington, states that he enjoys a direct line to the president and meets the president monthly in private in-person meetings and phone conversations. He has been delighted with the openly expressed threats emanating from the Administrations key foreign and national security policy spokesmen regarding Iran. He would like to see the United States go to war with the Iranians to destroy their government and bring about some kind of regime change, and, judging from recent developments, he just might get what he seeks, which could easily have catastrophic consequences for the entire region and beyond.

Adelson is somewhat unhinged on the issue of Iran and has even called for dropping a nuclear bomb on a desert region of the country as a negotiating tactic to show we mean business so Washington could then impose its demands [on Iran] from a position of strength. If Iran continued to resist, Adelson would to drop the next one on Tehran. If Tehran were to be nuked millions of Iranians would die, which doesnt bother Adelson one bit. Such a development would, in Adelsons opinion, be good for Israel, which is his primary concern.

Adelsons power over policy makers is also evident in what the White House does not do. Israeli snipers have shot dead at least 143 unarmed Arab demonstrators in Gaza without so much as a word of condemnation coming out of Washington. Indeed, the Donald Trump Ambassador to Israel David Friedman has gone out of his way to defend the killings and also to support the expansion of the illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank.

Adelson is also widely believed to have had a hand in personnel changes in the White House. He has used his money and influence to advance the careers of United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, National Security Advisor John Bolton, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo while also arranging the removal of H.R. McMaster and Rex Tillerson for being anti-Israeli and not sufficiently willing to go to war with Iran. Defense Secretary James Mattis, the only actual adult remaining in the room when foreign policy is discussed, is believed to be the next target for removal.

How does Adelson do it? Money talks. He is worth an estimated $35 billion. His fortune came from casinos both in the US and in China, which some might consider to be promotion of vice. To buy and maintain the Republican support for right wing Zionist policies he has donated what is for him pocket change, $55 million so far this year in support of GOP candidates in the Midterm elections. In 2016, he gave large sums to the Trump campaign and to other Republicans, donating $35 million to the former and $55 million to two top Republican PACs  the Congressional Leadership Fund and the Senate Leadership Fund.

In Americas corrupt political culture, a monster like Sheldon Adelson can buy both a White House and Congress on behalf of a foreign government for a paltry $150 million or so. It is a reasonable investment for him given his views, as through him Israel is able to control a large slice of American foreign policy while also receiving billions of dollars each year from the US Treasury. And for those who think it would be different if the Democrats were in charge, think again. The Democrats have their own Adelson. His name is Haim Saban, an Israeli-American media magnate who has said he is a one issue guy and my issue is Israel. He is also the largest individual contributor to the Democratic Party.

Photo: Flickr
The Republic of Srpska, one of the two constituent self-governing regions of the dysfunctional state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, will hold elections on October 7. The electoral process will take place under the long shadow of Western political manipulation designed to influence its outcome. On the one hand, there is the unsolved murder back in March of this year of a politically insignificant young man, causing widespread agitation with vague and, so far, totally unsubstantiated allegations of government complicity in the crime. On the other, credible claims have been made that Republic of Srpskas main opposition coalition alliance is being funded by the US and UK. Both developments, of course, are right out of Gene Sharps manual of political warfare by other means, known as orange revolution.

The mysterious demise of 21-year-old David Dragicevic, a student with no apparent political links, which has been clumsily mishandled by investigative authorities, has been used for months as a convenient rallying cry by anti-government activists. As for the under-the-table financial and logistical support extended to opponents of Russia-friendly President Milorad Dodik, these are not just casual political claims disseminated for campaign purposes.

USAID and other outfits tied to the US and British governments make no secret of the fact that they are injecting funds into the Republic of Srpska, particularly the media and political groups friendly to their agenda, in order to tip the balance in their favor and detach the Republic of Srpska from malign Russian influence. Rules of electoral non-interference boldly asserted for the benefit of hegemonic countries apparently do not apply to the behavior of the hegemons. As a result, the Republic of Srpska is in the throes of the second round of the color revolution which was originally attempted and failed four years ago at the time of the previous general elections in 2014.

The threat is acute, not just to Dodiks leadership but more importantly to the existence of the Republic of Srpska. Western minions are being funded and covertly supported because they have agreed to revise the 1995 Dayton agreement and to accept the concept of a unitary Bosnian state that would eliminate or eviscerate the Republic of Srpska. They have also agreed to drop Srpskas veto to NATO membership for Bosnia.

But while Dodiks position on these key issues is sound, his rule has been undermined significantly by the corruption and incompetence of his government. These shortcomings have given the pro-NATO and anti-Russian opposition legitimate issues on which to focus and draw votes that they would otherwise not get based on the flawed fundamental policies that they are hired to advocate. Unfortunately, as has happened so many times in the past, the Serbian people do not have a real choice between good and bad options, but mostly between different shades of bad. New and dynamic political forces, such as the Successful Srpska movement, for instance, which consists of young, patriotic professionals untainted by corruption or scandal, are short on resources and media coverage. It is not a level playing field. Fresh, honest faces are at a disadvantage compared to the corrupt political dinosaurs from the past who have nothing to offer but empty rhetoric and, in some cases, also extremely bad policies.

Bosnia is a failed state. It was set up as an international protectorate on permanent artificial respiration and that is what it has been ever since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995, ending the civil war. President Dodik has hinted at organizing an independence referendum or joining Serbia if Kosovos illegal secession from Serbia receives international recognition. But the real question is what all three constituent communities in Bosnia, not just the Serbs, would do after Bosnias inevitable demise.

There is scant evidence that Dodik ever actually gave serious thought to secession. Rather, he has been using that card for political and electoral leverage, and with considerable effect on the domestic level. With regard to greater autonomy for the Republic of Srpska, to be precise, what he has urged was going back to the confederal arrangement set up in Dayton, which provides for an extremely limited central government and broad and virtually unfettered self-government for the Republic of Srpska as well as the other entity. It is not a question of pleading for a devolution of powers but of reinstituting the original system where most powers were vested in the constituent units, or entities as they are called, to begin with. It mirrored the status of the states in relation to the Federal Government under the original US Constitution, but that system was continuously diluted over the years by imperious decisions of dubious legality issued by EUs viceroy in Bosnia, known as the High Representative. The single-minded thrust of those imposed decisions was to derogate the self-governing powers of the Republic of Srpska and centralize decision-making in the capital of Sarajevo.

While there is no enthusiasm among Serbs for remaining part of the Bosnian state on any terms, for the moment the restoration of the loose confederal arrangement originally envisaged and agreed upon in Dayton would be regarded by them as satisfactory. Such a system would leave them with an ample degree of self-government in their own virtually independent state. They could largely ignore the unpalatable government in Sarajevo, and that government would have little effective control over them. Until the geopolitical balance of forces in the world changes sufficiently to allow more fundamental restructuring, such a system would be just fine with the Serbs.

But, of course, it is a concept that clashes with the designs of NATO, EU, and the major players in the Western alliance. That is why they will have none of it and are staging another color revolution to install in the Republic of Srpska their own bought and paid for set of collaborators, committed to do their bidding.
US Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison is a highly placed diplomat. Her words, whatever they may be, are official, which includes the ultimatums and threats that have become the language increasingly used by US diplomats to implement the policy of forceful persuasion or coercive diplomacy. Bellicose declarations are being used this way as a tool.

On Oct. 2, the ambassador proved it again. According to her statement, Washington is ready to use force against Russia. Actually, she presented an ultimatum  Moscow must stop the development of a missile that the US believes to be in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty). If not, the American military will destroy it before the weapon becomes operational. At that point, we would be looking at the capability to take out a (Russian) missile that could hit any of our countries, Hutchison stated at a news conference. "Counter measures (by the United States) would be to take out the missiles that are in development by Russia in violation of the treaty," she added. "They are on notice." This is nothing other than a direct warning of a preemptive strike.

It is true that compliance with the INF Treaty is a controversial issue. Moscow has many times claimed that Washington was in violation, and that position has been substantiated. For instance, the Aegis Ashore system, which has been installed in Romania and is to be deployed in Poland, uses the Mk-41 launcher that is capable of firing intermediate-range Tomahawk missiles. This is a flagrant breach of the INF Treaty. The fact is undeniable. The US accuses Moscow of possessing and testing a ground-launched cruise missile with a range capability of 500 km to 5,500 km (310-3,417 miles), but there has never been any proof to support this claim. Russia has consistently denied the charges. It says the missile in question  the 9M729  is in compliance with the provisions of the treaty and has never been upgraded or tested for the prohibited range.

This is a reasonable assertion. After all, there is no way to prevent such tests from being detected and monitored by satellites. The US could raise the issue with the Special Verification Commission (SVC). Instead it threatens to start a war.

This is momentous, because the ambassadors words were not a botched statement or an offhand comment, but in fact followed another warning made by a US official recently.

Speaking on Sept. 28 at an industry event in Pennsylvania hosted by the Consumer Energy Alliance, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke suggested that the US Navy could be used to impose a blockade to restrict Russias energy trade. "The United States has that ability, with our Navy, to make sure the sea lanes are open, and, if necessary, to blockade to make sure that their energy does not go to market," he said, revealing that this was an option. The Interior Department has nothing to do with foreign policy, but Mr. Zinke is a high-ranking member of the administration.

Two bellicose statements made one after another and both are just short of a declaration of war! A blockade is a hostile act that would be countered with force, and the US is well aware of this. It is also well aware that Russia will defend itself. Its important to note that no comments or explanations have come from the White House. This confirms the fact that what the officials have said reflects the administrations position.

This brings to mind the fact that the Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act has passed the House of Representatives. The legislation includes the authority to inspect Chinese, Iranian, Syrian, and Russian ports. Among the latter are the ports of Nakhodka, Vanino, and Vladivostok. This is an openly hostile act and a blatant violation of international law. If the bill becomes law, it will likely start a war with the US acting as the aggressor.

Trident Juncture, the largest training event held by NATO since 2002, kicks off on October 25 and will last until November 7, 2018. It will take place in close proximity to Russias borders. Russias Vostok-2018 exercise in September was the biggest seen there since the Cold War, but it was held in the Far East, far from NATOs area of responsibility. Its NATO, not Russia, who is escalating the already tense situation in Europe by holding such a large-scale exercise adjacent to Russias borders.

Russia is not the only country to be threatened with war. Attempts are being made to intimidate China as well. Tensions are running high in the South China Sea, where US and Chinese ships had an "unsafe" interaction with each other on Sept. 30. A collision was barely avoided. As a result, US Defense Secretary James Mattis had to suspend his visit to China when it was called off by Beijing. The security dialog between the two nations has stalled.

Perhaps the only thing left to do is to give up on having a normal relationship with the United States. Ambassador Hutchisons statement is sending a clear message of: forget about diplomacy, were back to the Stone Age, with Washington leading the way. This is the new reality, so get used to it. Just shrug it off and try to live without the US, but be vigilant and ready to repel an attack that is very likely on the way.

It should be noted that Moscow has never threatened the US with military action. It has never deployed military forces in proximity to Americas shores. It did not start all those unending sanctions and trade wars. When exposing the US violations of international agreements, it has never claimed that the use of force was an option. It has tried hard to revive the dialog on arms control and to coordinate operations in Syria. But it has also had to issue warnings about consequences, in case it were provoked to respond to a hostile act. If the worst happens, well all know who is to blame. Washington bears the responsibility for pushing the world to the brink of war.
Al Qaeda has survived over two decades of increasingly heavy attack, and losses, by adopting a number of successful strategies. The most important of these is the continued use of international media to keep people (largely disaffected Moslems and Western leftists looking for a new lost cause) informed about how the terrorist group is still around. Maintaining such visibility is essential for recruiting. Al Qaeda has always recruited from the least educated and most desperate Moslem men out there. Religious fervor was not crucial but the willingness to suffer and die was. These recruits are attracted to the image of al Qaeda as being constantly active, no matter what damage the organization suffered. The recruiting became more difficult in 2014 when its rogue Iraq branch declared it was, as ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) the successor to al Qaeda and seemed to prove it by taking control of eastern Syria and western Iraq to form the core of its new caliphate. Many of the more fanatical al Qaeda members worldwide defected to form local provinces (franchises) of ISIL. Unlike al Qaeda, which always sought to make alliances (sometimes secret ones, like the still existing deal with Shia Iran) while ISIL considered any other Islamic terror group, by definition one that would not recognize ISIL as supreme, as an enemy and go after them. ISIL also failed to learn what al Qaeda already knew; too much violence, especially against civilians, backfires badly. Soon, with most everyone (Moslem and non-Moslem) fighting back ISIL was reduced to the status of an outlier.

Within three years ISIL became the place where the most violent Islamic terrorists go to show off and get killed more quickly. The more prudent and businesslike al Qaeda remained the largest Islamic terrorist network in the world. Actually al Qaeda was and is the largest terrorist network in the world thanks to attention paid to strategy and finances. That was the original idea behind al Qaeda, whose name literally means the base, and always sought to provide reliable support to Islamic terrorist activities worldwide.

Al Qaeda continues to cultivate older, more affluent, and less desperate supporters, who are willing to help out with cash or access to needed resources. The new recruits and other contributions were only forthcoming if al Qaeda could demonstrate that it was active. Thus there is a constant need for new actions (assassinations, bombings, prison breaks, and other media-worthy events) to remind wealthy fans of Islamic radicalism that cash keeps it all going. Those cash resources have come under increasing attack within the Islamic world as these nations (especially the Arabian oil states) realize that accommodation is not a viable strategy. Al Qaeda has adapted by increasing its cooperation with Iran (which seeks, so far unsuccessfully, to make itself the Al Qaeda of Shia Islam) and the Afghan Taliban who, via two decades of cooperation with the drug gangs of Afghanistan, seek to revive the short lived (1996-2001) Taliban rule as a caliphate (actually emirate) in Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban began as an effort by Pakistan to end the civil war in Afghanistan and put in place rulers who were dependent on (and answerable to) Pakistan. That backfired in a spectacular fashion when the emirate gave sanctuary to al Qaeda (which swore loyalty to the Afghan Taliban, a vow that is still technically in force). Al Qaeda was trying to carry out major attacks in the West and in 2001 that led to some spectacular results and the prompt demise of Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Pakistan and Iran quietly gave shelter to the survivors and helped the Taliban plan a comeback. That is not turning out as planned. But al Qaeda still knows how to take advantage of all those frustrated (mainly at their own governments) young Moslems and wealthy Moslems willing to help out with cash. Since ISIL came and went there is a lot less of this cash and al Qaeda has now devoted a lot more of its energy to remaining active by remaining solvent.

Communications

The core leadership of al Qaeda has always contained some technically adept people who recognized how the media worked and appreciated how new technology was changing that. So it should not be surprising that al Qaeda is now a heavy user of the Internet and especially social media sites and encrypted messaging sites. Even though many of these sites do not welcome al Qaeda, the Islamic terrorists keep at it and maintain a presence in high-traffic areas. Much of this is made possible by Internet-savvy volunteers who dont want to blow themselves up but are willing to risk (and it is not a big risk) arrest by working from home to serve the cause and keep al Qaeda visible on the Internet and thus in the mass media.

Adaptation

Al Qaeda leadership has also been responsive to what works and what doesnt, even if many of their subordinates are content to keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Thus, since 2003 the senior leadership has been pushing (with mixed success) the idea of using violence infrequently but with more precision and concentrate on addressing the needs of the people. Al Qaeda still wants to conquer the world but has noticed that creating a religious dictatorship too soon does not work. The ISIL caliphate and the Taliban emirate made that clear. The support of most of the people is more important, and thats a concept that young recruits have a hard time appreciating. But after the defeats in Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali and so on, even the young guys are coming to accept that the road to victory is not littered with the bodies of innocent Moslem women and children. These things take time if you want to make a lasting impression.

Another survival technique was franchising, becoming regional, rather than international. Thus the original al Qaeda is back where it was founded in the 1980s, in the tribal territories of Pakistan with branch locations in Afghanistan and Iran. Here, several thousand members (many of them married into local tribes and semi-retired) manage to protect supreme leader Ayman al Zawahiri, along with a shrinking network of training camps and safe houses. Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon and Islamic radicals since the 1970s embraced Islamic terrorism in the 1980s and also met Osama bin Laden, who was heavily involved with supporting Afghan Islamic terrorist rebels in Afghanistan. Soon Zawahiri had organized his own support operation in Pakistan and frequently worked with bin Laden. Zawahiri merged his smaller Egyptian Islamic terrorist organization with al Qaeda in 1998 and became the deputy leader of al Qaeda. Zawahiri brought a number of his Egyptian colleagues into the al Qaeda leadership and even before 2001 was referred to as the brains behind al Qaeda. Zawahiri was less interested in publicizing himself and backed the use of bin Laden as the public face of al Qaeda, By 2011, when bin Laden was killed in his Pakistan hideout Zawahiri had no trouble assuming the role as al Qaeda leader because after 2001 he had already quietly taken over that job.

About ten percent of these al Qaeda men are actually in eastern Afghanistan but are even less active. Al Qaeda is tolerated by the Pakistani government, as long as it does no (or very little) violence inside Pakistan. Thus the relatively large number of al Qaeda operatives retiring to the tribal territories. Many did this to survive growing hostility from local tribes against the largely foreign al Qaeda members. Although Zawahiri has organized attacks in Pakistan before and after he joined al Qaeda he has convinced the Pakistani military that he can be trusted to work with them rather than against them. Meanwhile, Zawahiri was unable to persuade the Iraqi al Qaeda faction to back off from forming ISIL and going to war with al Qaeda. Zawahiri has had an easier time dealing with governments than with fellow Islamic terrorists and there is a lesson in that.

In Pakistan and Afghanistan Zawahiri was also unable to halt the violence between al Qaeda members (mainly Arabs and Central Asians) and Pakistani Pushtun tribes that led to the formation of the Pakistani Taliban in 2007. This version of the Taliban was not controlled by Pakistan but was actually at war with Pakistan. In 2014 the Pakistani army waged a major campaign against the Pakistani Taliban and sharply reduced the power and presence of this group in Pakistan. Remnants survive in eastern Afghanistan and more remote areas of the Pakistani tribal territories. Al Qaeda suffered heavy losses during that 2014 campaign (which is still ongoing) and was forced to shift more of its facilities to Afghanistan. Al Qaeda is still loyal to Pakistan (via the control Pakistan exercise over the Afghan Taliban) and always willing to adapt, especially with Zawahiri in charge.

AQIM, AQAP, AQIS, JNIM, HTS and al Shabaab

Another form of adaptation has been the development of several al Qaeda affiliates. This began with the creation of two major al Qaeda branches in Yemen and North Africa. This was largely a result of the 2008 defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq and the continuing defeats suffered by Algerian Islamic terror groups. Actually, there were similar Islamic terror groups in Egypt during the 1990s that were defeated (as were the Algerian ones) by the late 1990s. Many of the Egyptian Islamic terror group leaders found sanctuary, and jobs, with al Qaeda in the 1990s and now dominate the senior al Qaeda leadership. Many of the defeated Algerian Islamic terrorists joined al Qaeda as well, but via African affiliates not by moving to Afghanistan or Pakistan.

By late 2012 Africa was the home of three major Islamic radical groups, as well as some smaller ones. The largest of these was AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) which formed in 2006 and had members from all over North Africa but mostly from Algeria. AQIM had the most money and weapons and used this to exercise some control over the other major radical groups. After a 2013 French led effort defeated a major Islamic terror group uprising in northern Mali AQIM not only survived intact but helped the smaller Islamic terror groups to survive as well and by 2017 form another Al Qaeda affiliate; JNIM (Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) which included largely sub-Saharan Islamic terrorists. While the Boko Haram Islamic terrorists in northern Nigeria sided with ISIL (or remained independent) many others in central Africa were more comfortable with al Qaeda, which tended to provide jobs and pay its bills on time. ISIL did neither very well but got its member killed quickly, often in spectacular fashion. That was more of a niche market when it came to Islamic terrorism.

AQIM survived and thrived because they had lots of cash from drug smuggling and kidnapping. That gave AQIM a lot of power, both to buy weapons and hire locals. Many new recruits deserted as their employers fled the advancing French in January 2013. The French led invasion was a crushing blow to AQIM, just like the Yemen offensive in 2012 was to AQAP. None of the Islamic terrorists in Mali were the same after the French offensive in early 2013. But al Qaeda was best prepared to pick up the pieces and keep going. In the wake of the Mali disaster, AQIM relocated to southern Libya for a while. The third African al Qaeda franchise was another form of adaptation; al Shabaab in Somalia. Al Shabaab secretly joined al Qaeda in 2010 but its power peaked in 2012 and has been on the defensive ever since. The al Qaeda membership was revealed in 2012. One reason for that is the organization was split over aligning with al Qaeda, ISIL or remaining independent. The al Qaeda faction won, although there is still a smaller ISIL faction active.

AQAP (al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) arose after the defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq and Saudi Arabia (where a lesser insurrection was quickly crushed). Many al Qaeda survivors fled to Yemen and formed AQAP in 2009 after the remnants of the Saudi al Qaeda organization (several thousand full and part-time members) fled to Yemen and merged with the Yemeni al Qaeda branch. AQAP also benefitted from hundreds of Iraqi al Qaeda members who arrived after the defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq in 2007-8. Growing unrest in Yemen (against the long-standing Saleh dictatorship) enabled AQAP to recruit locally and take over several towns in the south by 2011. That triggered more widespread violence which is still going on.

Through it all, AQAP has survived if not exactly thrived. Despite the senior leadership remaining in Pakistan, the most active, and dangerous, international terrorism operations are coming out of AQAP. AQIM survives by becoming a drug gang that smuggles various narcotics to North Africa and Europe. As a result of this, al Qaeda is urging Islamic radicals everywhere to try and organize and carry out terrorism operations wherever they are. Thus even some large al Qaeda organizations (like the ones in Iraq and Syria) are devoting all their energies to killing people (mostly fellow Moslems) where they are and not in the West (which al Qaeda Central would prefer).

Al Qaeda is trying to survive the defeat of Islamic terrorist groups (mainly ISIL) in Syria. The main reason the rebels lost in Syria was the appearance of ISIL, which led to more fighting between rebel groups than with the Syrian government. That is another reason why ISIL is so unpopular throughout the Islamic world. Meanwhile, al Qaeda survived in Syria, first as al Nusra in 2012. In 2015 and 2016 al Nusra joined coalitions with other Islamic terrorists to deal with ISIL. Finally, in 2017 al Nusra declared itself to be the lead member of the HTS coalition, an organization that is still loyal to al Qaeda but insists it isnt. HTS is trying to cut a deal with the Turks to get most of its members out of Syria alive (if disarmed). Adaptation.

AQIS (Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent) was formed in 2014 and never really got going because its first major operation was to attack a Pakistani naval base, hijack a frigate and use it to attack American and Indian ships. This appears to have made al Qaeda unwelcome in Pakistan for several years. AQIS operations were moved to Afghanistan where they have been under constant attack. So far AQIS has been an expensive failure.

Where al Qaeda survives is where it establishes reliable ways of making money. This enables it to recruit, arm and train new members as well as organize and carry out attacks. Having reserves of cash allows al Qaeda factions to survive or even send personnel and money to help out other factions. What the money does not do is provide a way to break the cycle of failure and self-destruction Islamic terrorists have endured for over a thousand years.
Recent evidence collected in South Sudan indicates violence and suffering associated with the civil war have taken over 350,000 lives. U.S. government experts put the figure at 382,000. This far exceeds other estimates, which range from 20,000 to 100,000 dead. In 2016 the UN estimated 50,000 people had died from violence or starvation and exposure resulting from violence. However, the 350,000+ figure is disputed by a number of people in the region. Death tolls in anarchic situations are always iffy  stressing always. Accuracy takes time and analysis. The 350,000 to 382,000 figures very likely deal in excess deaths  the number of deaths beyond what would be the expected number if there were no civil war. This kind of statistical analysis entails numerous assumptions, including estimates of people killed by malnutrition and disease related to armed conflict and extrapolations based on the number of refugees and internally displaced. The truth is, no one knows what the death toll really is, but in South Sudans case, 100,000 is a reasonable estimate given the chaos and number of refugees who have fled the country. On a per capita basis the South Sudan civil war (2013-18) had higher population losses than the Syrian civil war (2011-18). (Austin Bay)

October 3, 2018: Based on the history of South Sudan most observers, especially those inside the country of 13 million, feel that its a matter of when not if that the current peace deal collapses. Despite the threats to cut foreign aid and the collapse of the economy and any semblance of government; the tribal loyalties and paranoia of senior government leaders remains. The best example of this is the bitter rivalry of two men. President Kiir belongs to the dominant Dinka tribe (15 percent of the population) while Machar was a Nuer (10 percent), the largest of over fifty smaller tribes that accused the Dinka of taking more than their fair share of the goodies. South Sudan is a poor country but it does have some oil (five billion barrels, worth nearly $300 billion at current prices). Getting access to oil money often encourages political rivals to cooperate so that the oil can be pumped, shipped and sold. Yet South Sudan, even with oil income, is still an economic disaster.

South Sudan was created after years of savage fighting and enormous bloodshed. The civil war that created South Sudan from Sudan in 2011 began in the early 1990s and left over two million dead. After two years of independence the civil war began because of tribal rivalries and what turned out to be paranoia about what other tribal leaders were planning. This was a big disappointment to most South Sudanese, who had hoped that victory in the civil war would bring out the best in the first generation of South Sudan politicians. There was a peace deal in 2015 that really never took and was gone by 2016. In June 2017 there was a ceasefire deal that collapsed in less than a day. The current peace agreement was signed on August 8th and two months later is fraying but not yet falling apart. That may be attributed to the growing food shortages and increasing misery in a nation that has lost much of its infrastructure and modern services (health, education, communication, electricity). At the moment there is greater incentive to restore basic services than to settle grudges and tribal feuds.

September 30, 2018: Sudan approved a UN sponsored delivery of humanitarian aid to then rebel-controlled areas in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. UN aid officials in Sudan will coordinate the aid logistics with Sudanese security forces and the SPLM-N rebels. The SPLM-N recently insisted that 20 percent of humanitarian aid enter via Ethiopia (in other words, enter without any control by the Sudan government).

September 28, 2018: South Sudan ordered the release of all political prisoners as required by the latest peace agreement. The government also directed the Army to observe the June ceasefire agreement.

September 25, 2018: In western South Sudan (Wau state) government officials accused rebels of attacking a convoy escorting internally displaced civilians.

September 24, 2018: In South Sudan, the president appointed an internationally sanctioned general as South Sudans deputy defense minister. The UN has imposed personal sanctions on General Malek Reuben Riak Rengu. He is accused of blocking humanitarian aid access to civilians and arming the Bul Nuer youth tribal militia so they could attack rebels.

In northern South Sudan (Liech state) soldiers clashed with a rebel force. The government accused a rebel group of attacking the government troops manning positions in three small villages.

September 23, 2018: In eastern Sudan (Kassala state) medical personnel asked the government to declare the area a disaster zone. Officials report that at least 11,000 people are suffering from serious viral infections, including chikungunya and dengue fever. Kassala state borders Eritrea. Chikungunya is a viral hemorrhagic fever transmitted by mosquitoes.

September 15, 2018: In southern South Sudan (Yei River state) ceasefire monitors are investigating an alleged attack by government forces on rebel positions. The rebels claim that soldiers attacked them after the September 12 peace agreement was signed. The rebels claim they killed 17 government soldiers.

September 12, 2018: In South Sudan, the president (Salva Kiir) and rebel leader (Riek Machar) signed another peace deal that formally concludes the civil war that began in December 2013. Or at least thats what the leaders claim it does. The document was signed in Ethiopia. Mediators called the agreement the final final deal.

September 10, 2018: Sudanese dictator Omar al Bashir dissolved Sudans government. He hopes the dissolution will blunt widespread disgust with Sudans declining economy. But like many authoritarians, he used the current crisis to consolidate his own hold on power. He reduced the number of government ministries from 31 to 21. Sudan needs oil revenues and most of the oil now lies in South Sudan. This is one reason Sudan is trying to stabilize South Sudan. When South Sudan resumes pumping oil, Sudan will receive pipeline transmission fees. (Austin Bay)

September 9, 2018: Sudan and IGAD (East African Inter-Governmental Authority on Development) are saying they will make certain that the South Sudan government and South Sudanese rebels adhere to the latest peace agreement, which will be signed within the next week.
Jan Tinetti

Labour MP

Next week, my Labour colleagues and I will be holding public meetings in Tauranga to talk with the community about the proposed changes to the residential tenancy laws. We would like to hear from renters and landlords about the proposed changes.

Renting is now a more permanent situation for many people, with a third of Kiwis now renting. Making life better for those who rent is an important part of the governments housing plan.

We want renters to be able to make a house a home through proposed changes to rules on allowing pets, basic alterations and a formula for rent increases.

We will focus particularly on tenure, to highlight the importance of stability and security for families. The proposed changes would see no-cause tenancy terminations come to an end, a limit on rent increases to once a year and will also address the rent bidding issues.

We have two public meetings planned, on Monday, October 8, at 6pm at Senior Citizens Hall, 33 Maitland St, Greerton, and on Wednesday, October 10, at 6pm at Papamoa Community Centre, 15 Gravatt Road, Papamoa.

If you cant make it to one of our meetings and you would like to make a submission on the proposed changes, you can email your submission to: RTAreform@mbie.govt.nz or post your submission to: Residential Tenancies Act Reform Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, PO Box 82, Wellington 6140. Submissions must be received by 5pm on Sunday, October 21.
In the short space of a year, the landscape of Taurangas CBD has change dramatically.

The University of Waikatos new Tauranga Campus is gradually revealing itself and, over the coming months, progress will be on the interior fit out.

Behind the scenes, a team of Bay of Plenty artists have been selected to create several major artworks for the new university-led campus, opening in early 2019. The creative works will give the campus identity and breathe life into the new building.

The artworks will express a cultural narrative which reflects the relationship with mana whenua and more broadly with Tauranga Moana and Bay of Plenty iwi. The artworks also acknowledge the relationships with our education partners in the region and with the many diverse cultures that will make up our campus community, says University of Waikato Kaumatua in Tauranga, Tamati Tata.

Since 2015, the universitys campus project team have worked with the buildings architects Jasmax, consulting with local iwi, community, tertiary and business partners to gain their contribution to the vision of the new campus.

In collaboration with the iwi of Tauranga Moana, and in particular with Ngai Tamarawaho, a cultural narrative for the new campus has been developed.

In order to achieve the scope and scale of the art works, 10 Bay of Plenty artists have been chosen to complete the allocated projects including Jamie Boynton, Shona Tawhiao, Robert Turner, Teresa Nepia, Michael Mason, Melissa Willison, James Tapiata, Maraea Timutimu, Kereama Taepa and Whare Thompson.

Robert Turner working on a carved piece.

All the artists reside in the greater Bay of Plenty region and seven of the 10 artists, are whakapapa to Tauranga Moana iwi and were chosen due to their expertise and experience in their respective professions as well as the quality of their workmanship.

Carver and artist, Whare Thompsonm, known for his works at Pukehinahina, Te Ranga Reserve, Greerton Library, Trustpower and Tauranga Police station to name a few, has been appointed the lead coordinating artist for the overall Tauranga Campus artworks project.

Of Ngapuhi, Ngati Whatua and Te Whakatohea descent, Whare has been involved in discussion about the campus development since 2016 and says he considers it an honour to be leading this significant creative projects.

Relationships with the people of Ngai Tamarawaho and Tauranga Moana have guided my response and approach to this project. Ensuring that the artworks represent and reflect the people in a way that honours them and their stories is of utmost importance. The concepts of excellence, higher learning, inclusive communities and striving forward to achieve ones goals are key influences with the art works being developed, he says.

In addition to his role as Lead Coordinating Artist, Whare is also completing three major works, including an impressive 18 metre high poutokomanawa panel located in the buildings central atrium which reflects Tanes and Tawhakis acsent of the 12 realms to receive the three baskets of knowledge. The poutokomanawa will extend the whare wanaga concept through the campus and amplify the purpose and function of the entire building as a house of higher learning.

Nine of the artists will come together for another significant artwork which features in the campuss Noho room, a premium teaching and learning space and a space for cultural activities such as wananga, including overnight stays.

This space will draw on wharenui architecture where five carved and four tukutuku panels will alternate and be utilised to symbolise whakapapa connections and relationships, says Whare.

The new campus, which the university is leading on behalf of the Bay of Plenty Tertiary Education Partnership, will be a vibrant and engaging multipurpose space where students, researchers, the community and industry can work together.

The campus will present as a modern whare wananga that has a unique cultural narrative and identify. The art works will serve as a resource for inspiring and engaging students, staff and the wider community around the history and heritage of Tauranga Moana, says senior deputy vice-chancellor, Professor Alister Jones.

The main campus itself was designed to promote collaboration and social learning, it includes communal study and social pages, a 24-hour computer lab and a cafe. It also includes a courtyard and Noho Centre, which incorporates sleeping, catering and teaching facilities which are available for use by university students, staff and the wider community.

The campus central atrium provides a social hub for staff, students and visitors and includes areas for conferences and community events. Levels one, two and three incorporate teaching and social learning spaces, including open plan and multifunctional spaces as well as a 200-seat tiered lecture theatre. Level three also features a large balcony overlooking the courtyard. Dedicated spaces for staff and postgraduate students are available on level four.

The universitys new home was designed to be part of an educational precinct, connecting to other regional tertiary providers, to Tauranga city, the communities of Tauranga Moana, the wider Bay of Plenty and beyond.

Watch the campus taking shape via live webcams, which are updated every 10 minutes from two separate cameras.

Kauri logs that will be used for Tauranga Campus artworks.
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The rates of serious non-fatal injuries from falls and from self-harm were at record highs in 2017, Stats NZ says today.

The rate for motor-vehicle crashes was also the highest for 16 years.



At 109.2 injuries per 100,000 people, the age-standardised rate for serious non-fatal injuries from falls was the highest on record in 2017 provisional data.



Serious non-fatal intentional self-harm injuries were also at their highest recorded rate in 2017, at 5.3 injuries per 100,000 people. Similarly, injuries from motor vehicle crashes reached their highest rate since 2002, at 40.5 injuries per 100,000 people.



Together, these contributed to the overall rate of serious non-fatal injuries in 2017 being the highest on record.

Serious non-fatal injuries are those that can be life threatening. Information about these injuries provides insight into injury risks for New Zealanders, and a broader view than just looking at fatalities, says government injury information manager James Clarke.



Serious non-fatal injuries are injury events in which a patient admitted to hospital is determined to have a probability of death of 6.9 per cent or more.

On average, they make up around 82 per cent of all serious (fatal and non-fatal) injuries.



Although serious non-fatal injuries have increased recently, its unclear if fatal injuries will also show the same trend. The increase in non-fatal injuries could also be due to more people surviving serious injury events, in which case we may see fatalities decline."



Validated data on fatal injuries is only available up to 2015, to allow for the coroners verification process. However, alternative provisional data series indicate an increase in fatal motor-vehicle crashes and suicides from 2015 to 2017.



Data on fatal injuries up to 2016 will be available in the next release in October 2019.






The silence surrounding one of the nations biggest killers is about to get a whole lot louder, at an upcoming awareness event in Papamoa.

Snap Fitness Papamoa are hosting The Walk for Awareness Walk this weekend.

The walk is part of a six-week challenge running throughout New Zealand, says club manager Sara Duncan.

Every time we do a challenge we fundraise at the same time and this year we are supporting the Mental Health Foundation.

The inaugural event will be hosted on October 7. Sara says it was founded by a franchisee from Snap Fitness in Australia.

Its been happening over there for a while and because we are supporting the foundation with our six week challenge, we thought we would come on board and do the walk too.

This year our challenge happens to coincide nationally with the Australian event, so weve brought it over here for the first time.

She says the event is a way of reaching out and supporting the community on an issue that needs more awareness.

Its nice to bring the community together; mental health affects so many people and its been kept quiet for so long.

Theres a massive stigma around talking about mental health and suicide but these are some of the biggest killers in New Zealand.

The relationship between exercise and mental health is also something we feel is super important.

Working in the fitness industry its important for us to get involved from this side of things both to spread our message and also to let people know they dont have to stay quiet, theyre not alone and to help remove the stigma. Its time to give shit.

She says mental health is an issue which is close to heart, with many of the Snap Fitness Papamoa team either struggling with issues themselves, or having seen friends or family struggling.

One of the personal trainers on our team, Hannah, has been brave and shes spoken about the struggles shes had with mental illness and suicide attempts.

In a video featured on the Snap Fitness Facebook page, Hannah describes how she felt let down by the health care system.

I felt totally unsupported by people and the health system around me and I want to make a change, says Hannah.

Another team member says shes part of it to pay remembrance to a close friend who recently committed suicide.

And our owner has also suffered anxiety and other mental health issues, as a result of head injuries he sustained after being king hit a few years ago.

The eight kilometre walk is a round trip, with walkers departing from the Papamoa Domain for a four kilometre walk before turning around and coming back.

The Walk for Awareness event is being held at Papamoa Domain on October 7 at 10am.

Entry is a gold coin donation, with all proceeds going to the Mental Health Foundation.

However if people want to donate more than a gold coin wed be super grateful, says Sara.

Walkers can also purchase a Snap Fitness t-shirt on the day for $10.
Click the image above to watch the video

Today we are expecting a fine day with light winds or afternoon sea breezes.

Its a three-clothing layer day today with a high of 20 and an overnight low of 10 degrees. Humidity is 95 per cent.

Low tide is at 9.40am and high tide at 4pm (Tay Street times). Theres a sea swell of 1m and the water temperature is 15 degrees. Sunset today is at 7.18pm.

If youre going fishing, the next best fish bite time is 8.30-10.30am.

In NZ history on this day in 1866 the Maungatapu murderers were hanged in Nelson. Burgess, Kelly and Levy were hanged. Joseph Sullivan, the fourth member of the 'Burgess gang', received a life sentence after turning Queen's evidence and helping convict his co-accused.

In 2011 the container ship Rena grounded on the clearly marked Astrolabe Reef while approaching Tauranga Harbour.

The Rena was the largest ship ever wrecked in New Zealand waters; although no lives were lost, in financial terms it was our costliest-ever shipwreck. About 234 tonnes of oil was spilt, and 350 tonnes of oily waste was subsequently collected from local beaches.

Eighty-seven of the 1368 containers on board were washed overboard, with the contents of many fouling the coast. Thousands of birds were killed. More damage was done when the Rena broke in half on 8 January 2012.

In world history on this day in 1762 the British fleet bombarded and captured Spanish-held Manila in the Philippines.

In 1880 the first ball-point pen was patented by Alonzo T. Cross.

In 1931 Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon completed the first heavier than air nonstop flight over the Pacific. Their flight, begun October 3, lasted 41 hours, 31 minutes and covered 5,000 miles. They piloted their Bellanca CH-200 monoplane from Samushiro, 300 miles north of Tokyo, Japan, to Wenatchee, Washington.

In 1938 Germany invalidated Jews passports. In 1947 US President Harry S. Truman delivered the first televised White House address. In 1965 U.S. forces in Saigon received permission to use tear gas.

Today is the birthday of Robert Goddard, American rocket scientist who held more than 200 rocketry patents. He was born in 1882 and once said "Just remember - when you think all is lost, the future remains. It is also the birthday of Ray Kroc, founder of the McDonalds hamburger franchise in 1955. Born in 1902, he once said "Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get."

So what's on today? There's bowls, a money course, chess and for more of what's happening please check out our What's on page on the sunLive website. This is Rosalie Liddle Crawford for SunLive. There's plenty to do today and it's a great day to do it.

To get involved in activities and events, please check out the What's on page on the SunLive website.

Have a great day!
Housing, transport, employment, an ageing population, the environment  how do we manage those and other big issues in the western Bay of Plenty over the next 30 years as we look to house an extra 66,000 people?

That question is the focus of the Proposed Future Development Strategy, which opens for consultation on Friday 5 October.

Councils in high growth areas like the Western Bay of Plenty are required by Government to assess future housing and business needs and create a development strategy for the next 30 years.

The Future Development Strategy (FDS), complemented by Tauranga City Councils Urban Strategy, aims to drive the discussion and decision-making needed to manage this expected growth. SmartGrowth is a partnership of councils, tangata whenua, community groups and some government agencies in the western Bay of Plenty and has a focus on spatial planning.

SmartGrowths Independent Chair Bill Wasley says the FDS identifies the big issues  things like housing, transport, employment, an ageing demographic, cultural wellbeing, the environment  that we must collectively consider as our population increases over the next 30 years.

"Where and how will we house an extra 66,000 people in 43,000 more homes? What kind of transport systems and infrastructure do we need including transport investment decisions now and into the future?

"What options are on the table right now? How do we ensure that an integrated approach is taken to providing for land use and the investment decisions required to ensure that sustainable communities develop and the broad range of needs are provided for?"

Bill says the document sets goals but also aims to spark discussion and debate, feedback and great ideas and will be reviewed every three years.

Were aiming for sustainable, desirable, affordable living and by 2048 were expected to have 250,000 people living in the western Bay. More homes will need to fit into the existing Tauranga urban area especially those areas that run along Cameron Road from the central city to Greerton and more rural land will be developed for new areas of housing and business."

The Proposed Future Development Strategy will be consulted on alongside the Tauranga Urban Strategy from 5 October to 5 November and the SmartGrowth partnership would like to know what you think of the plans for managing growth over the next 30 years.

People can read the full documents or summaries and access the submission form on the SmartGrowth website http://www.smartgrowthbop.org.nz/strategy/future-development-strategy/ or https://www.tauranga.govt.nz/tauranga-urban-strategy for the Urban Strategy.

SmartGrowth is also also holding a series of community meetings for people to meet with SmartGrowth Leadership Group members including representatives from each of the three local councils and tangata whenua.

These meetings are being held as an alternative to formal hearings, so are an opportunity for people to have their ideas and discussion about the proposed strategy recorded. This information will then be used by the SmartGrowth partnership as it makes decisions on adopting the strategy.

The meetings are being held at:
Shortly after 7 p.m. on a Friday a year ago, police responded to reports of a car sideswiping another vehicle on Elm Street in Tully, the driver leaving the scene and the vehicle hitting a mailbox a few miles away.

The driver was identified as Kevin P. Drumm, 34, of LaFayette, who was an off-duty Onondaga County sheriff's deputy.

After colliding with the car, Drumm drove down the road for 2.5 miles, then drove into a resident's yard and hit a mailbox, police and witnesses said at the time.

Drumm was subsequently charged with leaving the scene of a property-damage accident and fourth-degree criminal mischief.

Questions swirled over how responding deputies handled the investigation and why he wasn't given a Breathalyzer test. Drumm was placed on unpaid suspension while the sheriff's office conducted an internal investigation.

A month after the accident, Sheriff Gene Conway spoke about the results of the investigation, revealing that Drumm had been asked to resign, but that he had refused. Conway said at the time he was taking steps to try to fire Drumm.

Conway said at the time that Drumm had been taken off road patrol, and was assigned to the sheriff's downtown headquarters.

Was Drumm fired as the sheriff wished? Is he still working? Is he back on patrol?

Drumm is still working as a sheriff's deputy.

In May, he was assigned to the sheriff's property unit, where he is currently working, according to Sgt. Jon A. Seeber, spokesman for the sheriff's office. Drumm's paid $70,038 a year, according to the Onondaga County Comptroller's Office.

The property unit is responsible for receiving and keeping property and evidence recovered by deputies, delivering evidence, conducting inventories, releasing property, sending unclaimed property to auction, turning over counterfeit currency and more.

Conway told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard this week that departmental charges against Drumm are still pending. He said the process of "union representation and due process has taken this long and is still not resolved."

Drumm has been removed from contact with the public, Conway said.

The sheriff said he can't say much more because his comments could be used against the department by Drumm. Conway did say he finds the process and length of time it takes to discipline employees in general frustrating.

The criminal charges are still pending too, Conway said.

Drumm and his lawyer were scheduled to appear in Tully town court this week, but didn't show up, according to court officials.

Drumm's lawyer, Scott Brenneck, did not return a call or email.

In November 2017, Conway said he believed Drumm was "under the influence" and said he didn't find Drumm's account of what happened credible.

In accident reports obtained by Syracuse.com|The Post Standard at the time, Drumm said the accident occurred after he dropped food he was holding and became distracted. He then told the investigating deputy he "felt an impact" but thought his truck has just hit debris in the road.

The sheriff said that Drumm was not given a Breathalyzer, which tests for the presence of alcohol. Instead, he was given two tests -- motor skills and alphabet-reciting -- in the back of a patrol vehicle at a local fire station.

Two professors from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice told Syracuse.com|The Post Standard that Drumm clearly should have been tested for for drug or alcohol impairment.

A supervisor - Sgt. Bernard B. Podsiedlik - faced internal disciplinary action for his actions, or lack thereof, in the way the investigation of Drumms accidents were handled, Conway said. Podsiedlik determined that Drumm passed those two tests, the sheriff said. (See update at bottom of article.)

The sheriff's office declined to say how Podsiedlik was disciplined. Conway did say at the time the discipline could be something like additional training or a counseling memo. Podsiedlik's current salary is $78,096, according to the comptroller's office.

Conway said this week Podsiedlik was the only officer disciplined in the case to date. (See update below)

According to the accident report, Drumm's Ford pickup truck hit a Chevy Silverado pickup truck driven by Cheryl Wayne of Tully shortly after 7 p.m Oct. 6.

The sheriff's office suspended Drumm without pay while an internal investigation into the accident took place.

After the accident, a witness said Drumm announced that he was the "f...ing police.'' Later, that witness wasnt sure when asked by sheriffs investigators what was actually heard, the sheriff said. It was inconclusive, he said.

Article updated: This story originally reported that Conway had previously told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that a supervisor - Sgt. Bernard B. Podsiedlik - faced internal disciplinary action for his actions, or lack thereof, in the way the investigation of Drumms accidents were handled. In August 2019, the sheriff said in an affidavit filed in a labor hearing that Podsiedlik was not disciplined for the handling of the investigation.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Amir Williams Jr. was 16 when he fired a gun through the window of a Syracuse home.

Five people were inside the West Colvin Street residence when Williams pointed a .32 caliber gun at the home in 2009 and fired, according to Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard archives. But no one was hurt.

Nine years later, Willaims was again accused of firing a gun on a Syracuse street. This time, he was also charged with murder.

Williams has been accused of shooting Zyree McMullen in the stomach on Sept. 14 outside of Yusuf Market in the 100 block of Davis Street. On Wednesday, the Syracuse Police Department charged the 25-year-old Jamesville man with second-degree murder.

Williams -- then a high school student -- was arrested in October 2009 and charged with firing a gun through a first-floor window on West Colvin Street, the archives show. The teen's defense attorney said the boy had been beaten up a day earlier by adults who lived in the home, the archives show.

A few months later, Williams pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was sentenced to serve 3 1/2 years in prison.

In April 2014, after his first prison term, Williams was arrested in Syracuse and accused of having a loaded, sawed-off shotgun, according to Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard's archives. He was convicted of attempted second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in December 2014 and sent back to prison.

Williams was released from the Orleans Correctional Facility onto in April 2017, according to state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision records. He was discharged from parole last October.

Less than a year later, he is back in custody.

Williams is accused of shooting McMullen at close range shortly after 10:15 p.m. on Sept. 14, according to a felony complaint filed by police in Syracuse City Court.

McMullen, father of a 3-year-old girl, died at a hospital hours after the shooting. The Syracuse man was 26 years old.

Less than two weeks later, Williams was found over 300 miles away from Syracuse in Ohio. He was arrested in Cleveland, Ohio last Thursday and extradited to Syracuse.

Williams has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He is being held in the Onondaga County Justice Center without bail.
SYRACUSE, N.Y -- A Central New York man accused of touching a woman's butt in a store is a serial sex offender.

Joseph N. Cerio, 54, is accused of touching a woman's buttocks Sept. 27 at the Thrifty Shopper in North Syracuse.

Cerio, of Syracuse, was charged with forcibly touching the woman, who is in her 70s, at the shop at 628 S Main St. North Syracuse police said.

Cerio, a registered Level 3 sex offender, was sentenced in Onondaga County two to four years for first-degree sexual abuse in 1987. He was discharged from prison in 1991.

Cerio, formerly of Lysander, was sent to state prison again in 2006 for molesting a female patient in her room at St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center in 2005. He pleaded guilty June 1, 2006 to two counts of second-degree burglary and single counts of first- and third-degree sexual abuse.

Cerio told police he was looking to peek up women's gowns as he wandered through the hospital. The victim had been asleep but awoke when Cerio touched her buttocks.

His prison sentence at the time also satisfied charges that Cerio touched the butt of a female Jail Ministry worker in the Justice Center jail while the hospital case was pending.

His victims in 2005 included an 80-year-old woman and a 67-year-old woman, according to the New York State sex offenders' registry.

In 2005, Syracuse police said Cerio had been arrested at least 30 times, including nine cases in which he was charged with sexual abuse, public lewdness or related charges. Cerio was convicted of at least three sex crimes, police said at the time.

Cerio, who was released from prison in 2015, is deemed a sexually violent offender and predicate sex offender, according to the sex offenders' registry.

Cerio is on parole until July 24, 2020. North Syracuse Police Department issued Cerio an appearance ticket and released him to New York State Parole. Cerio is being held in the Onondaga County Justice Center due to his parole violation, according to the Victim Information and Notification Everyday system.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A 21-year-old Syracuse man was arrested and charged for shooting a man in the chest and face when the victim refused to pay for a counterfeit $100 bill, according to court records.

Lylemail Johnson faces first-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon charges for a shooting on Sept. 10, 2018, according to a felony complaint filed in City of Syracuse court.

Johnson tried to sell the man the counterfeit bill while the victim sat in his car on the 100 block of Wood Avenue, court records say. Johnson shot the man in the left side of his chest and then in his face before running away, court records said.

The victim rushed to Upstate University Hospital, arriving there in his car, police said. He was treated for life-threatening and internal injuries to his stomach and jaw, the court records said.

Johnson had previously been convicted of third-degree attempted criminal possession of a weapon and served three years in prison until he was released in July of 2018, state prison records said.

Because of Johnson's prior conviction, he could not have had a valid New York pistol permit or a "valid" reason to carry the gun, court records said.

He is being held on $250,000 bond and bail at the Onondaga County Justice Center, according to inmate lookup records.
Syracuse, NY -- It's the first time a homicide trial like this will be held in New York state.

And Judge Stephen Dougherty may be making up the rules as he goes.

That's because Dwight DeLee's retrial in the 2008 shooting death of a transgender woman presents "impossible" hurdles, defense lawyer Charles Keller said.

A jury in 2009 paradoxically convicted DeLee of hate-crime manslaughter in Lateisha Green's death, while acquitting him of regular manslaughter.

Prosecutors say the jury was confused by since-retired Judge William Walsh's instructions, believing that they only needed to convict DeLee of one type of manslaughter or the other.

The verdict confounded appellate courts: after all, someone cannot be convicted of a crime they are also acquitted of. And once someone is acquitted, they cannot be retried.

But what if -- as seems likely -- the jury believed DeLee was guilty, but delivered the wrong verdict in court?

The state's highest court did something unprecedented: it ordered a retrial, but only on the hate-crime manslaughter charge. It provided no further direction.

That opened up a slew of other legal paradoxes. It's taken 2 1/2 years so far -- and three judges -- to get the case close to trial.

And just like the state's high court created its own rules for this case, so will local Judge Dougherty. He'll have some impossible legal rulings to make.

Take, for instance:

As of right now, DeLee's only verdict for the killing is a "not guilty" to manslaughter. In the eyes of the law, that means that a jury ruled that he is not guilty of pulling the trigger, killing Green. But to prove "hate-crime manslaughter" at the upcoming trial, prosecutors will need to prove he did, in fact, pull the trigger. So they'll be retrying him for actions that -- legally, at least -- he was acquitted of.

A jury typically has the chance to consider lesser included charges: that is, crimes that are less serious than the top charge, but contain the same criminal accusations. But a lesser included crime to "hate crime manslaughter" is regular manslaughter -- a charge he was specifically acquitted of. That means that if the jury finds him guilty of the death, but not of it being a hate crime, they may have to find him not guilty again, because there won't be an option for a non-hate-crime conviction.

Today, Dougherty and the two lawyers wrestled in court with the legal paradoxes in the case.

Prosecutor Jeremy Cali kept it simple: the high court told them to retry the hate-crime manslaughter charge, and that's all that would be considered by the jury.

But Keller said he wanted the judge to come up with "ground rules" in advance for what evidence could and could not be used against DeLee.

Dougherty indicated he would set those rules before trial starts in March 2019.

It's fair to say that, whatever rules Dougherty sets won't untangle the contradictions that began with the impossible verdict from 2009.

If DeLee is convicted, those paradoxes will once again go back to the state's appellate courts for review, Keller vowed.
UPDATE: Syracuse murder suspect arrested in Ohio, police say

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse police have charged a Jamesville man with murder.

Amir Williams, 25, of 6120 Rock Cut Road, Jamesville, was arrested Wednesday by the Syracuse Police Department, according to arrest logs. He has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler is slated to hold a news conference about a homicide investigation at 9 a.m. today.

Police did not specify which homicide would be discussed during the news conference. But the family of Zyree McMullen said police told them a suspect had been arrested for his death.

McMullen's family said the suspect charged in connection with his death would be arraigned this morning (Thursday) in Syracuse City Court.

Williams is currently being held in the Onondaga County Justice Center. He is scheduled to appear in city court today

McMullen was shot to death on Sept. 15 in the 100 block of Davis Street. He was 26 years old.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of a wanted man who evaded police and was involved in a two-car crash in Syracuse on Tuesday.

Deshawnte Waller, 41, is wanted for a parole warrant. He also has an active warrant in Georgia for failure to register as a sex offender.

The marshals service believes he is armed.

Waller is 5-feet, 10-inches tall, weighs between 190 and 200 pounds and has multiple tattoos, authorities said.

The marshals service has received several tips from the public but said Waller has "extensive" ties to Syracuse and resources available to him that allow him to remain at large, the agency said.

The agency's tip line is 315-473-7601.

Waller has been convicted of crimes in New York, Georgia and South Carolina, the marshals service said.

In 2000, he was sentenced to eight year to life in New York state for a number of crimes, according to state records. He had been convicted in Onondaga County of second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fourth-degree conspiracy, third-degree robbery and third-degree rape, records show.

Earlier that same year, Waller was convicted of third-degree rape in Bibb County, Georgia, sex offender records in Bibb County show.

On Tuesday, members of the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force were looking for Waller, the marshals service said.

Marshals service deputies tailed an SUV they believed was driven by Waller near East Genesee Street in Syracuse before they lost sight of the vehicle.

Police said the SUV ran a red light and crashed into another vehicle near East Genesee Street and Salt Springs Road, the marshals service said. Two people ran from the vehicle, witnesses said.

Two people who were in the vehicle hit by Waller's SUV suffered minor injuries. the marshals service said.
LaFayette, N.Y. - Marshall Skiff believed in a life lived outdoors, his grandsons say.

The third-generation apple farmer at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards got up at 4 a.m. to battle frosts and prune trees. He kept weather diaries, recording the temperatures and rains that would nourish and threaten blossoms. In winters, he worked hard in the mornings so he could race down runs at Greek Peak in the afternoons.

At Beak & Skiff, his primary role was in the orchard. "He was the outside guy," said Pete Fleckenstein, one of Skiff's 11 grandchildren.

"He couldn't even fathom how somebody could work in an office all day," said Eddie Brennan, another grandson.

Skiff died on Sept. 28 at his home in Skaneateles of old age, his grandsons said. He was 93.

In his lifetime, he saw Beak & Skiff grow from a seasonal apple orchard that used horses for hauling into an operation that produces cider and liquor, hosts music concerts and attracts thousands of customers to pick apples each fall. Twice in the past four years, the orchard was voted the best in the nation in a USA Today poll.

"I love to work," Skiff told The Post-Standard when he was 85, more than a decade into retirement. But he also knew that, to thrive, an orchard needs more than one basket.

"You have to do something more than raise apples to survive," he added, putting down a shot of Beak & Skiff's 1911 Vodka as he talked to columnist Dick Case in 2010.

Skiffs' grandsons said each generation of Beaks and Skiffs has helped the business grow: from planting, warehousing and storage to cider, U-pick, and distillery. Today, couples pay to get married at Beak & Skiff.

Marshall Skiff embraced those changes, his grandsons said.

"He got to see what it became," said Brennan, who with Fleckenstein and others represent part of the fifth generation currently running the business.

Beak & Skiff began in 1911. George Skiff was an onion farmer. Andrew Beak had 100-acre dairy farm on Apple Hill off U.S. Route 20. The two met at a farmers market, according to the company. They began planting trees.

Marshall Skiff was born on Oct. 25, 1924. He was thrown out of North High School, he told The Post-Standard in 2010, and he never went to college. Instead, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the South Pacific with the 38th Infantry Division during World War II.

Marshall Skiff raises the flag at his home on U.S. Route 20 near Lafayette in 1999.

When Skiff and his generation took over the orchards half a century ago, apples were still a seasonal crop.

"Apples wouldn't store past Christmas," Fleckenstein said. "You had a very quick burst of cash, and then no money for nine months."

Skiff and his two partners - Dick and Ron Beak - changed that. In the early 1960s, they invested in controlled atmosphere storage. It meant apples stored in the fall would taste the same come spring.

"They were the ones that realized what a huge benefit that would be," Fleckenstein said.

Skiff's expertise was in the orchard. He "had a magic touch when it came to pomology," the study of cultivating fruit, Brennan said.

Skiff and his generation invested in technology. They bought John Deere tractors. They installed the first orchard wind machine in the state, a way to fight the frost that is still used today.

By the 1970s, Marshall, Dick and Ron approved a radical idea proposed by some in the fourth generation: Inviting customers to pick their own apples. "I think five people came," Fleckenstein laughed.

But Skiff and his Beak partners believed in trying new things, his grandsons said. "They were good at picking up customers," Fleckenstein said. "And asking, 'What can we do next?'"

In the late 1970s, they built a cider plant. Over the years, more customers flocked to U-pick days in the falls. Still, Skiff continued to hand deliver apples to some customers, including the Sherwood Inn in Skaneateles. "Wherever he went, he'd always give away a box of apples," Fleckenstein said. "Whether anyone wanted it or not."

Marshall Skiff officially retired in the early 1990s. He and his wife, Joan, had five daughters. Until about a decade ago, they lived in a house overlooking the orchards off Route 20. Joan Skiff died in 2008.

Skiff kept going to work, and he kept embracing changes in technology and products. He bought a trimming platform, a machine that rolls through the trees so workers can prune without ladders. He bought his own payloader, which he used as recently as last spring to push down a section of older trees.

Skiff stopped driving vehicles a couple of years ago. He'd find rides to Apple Hill as often as he could.

"He has a chair in the conference room and his own coffee cup," Fleckenstein said. "And he gave his opinion every single day, whether anyone wanted it or not. And usually he was right."

Skiff was at the orchards just last week, Brennan said. "He really lived until the end," he said.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A new billboard on Interstate 690 showing a photo of a former professional fighter's dead son and a headline that says "Vaccines Can Kill" is spreading dangerous misinformation, according to a pediatric infectious disease specialist.

A California anti-vaccine group put up the electronic billboard this week near exit 5 in Solvay. More than 27,000 motorists heading toward Syracuse pass the sign each day.

The child in the photo is Nicholas Catone, the son of Nick Catone, a retired mixed martial arts fighter from New Jersey, and his wife, Marjorie Madison-Catone, a registered nurse.

The 20-month old toddler died last year, 17 days after receiving a DTaP vaccination that immunizes kids under age 7 from diptheria, tetanus and whooping cough. The Catones have said in interviews the vaccination killed their son, even though an autopsy classified it as a "sudden unexplained death" with no link to vaccine.

Learn The Risk, the group that put up the billboard, says adverse side effects and deaths caused by vaccines are underreported. On its website, the group claims vaccines cause autism, a theory that's been debunked by numerous scientific studies. It also calls seasonal flu shots "one of the most dangerous vaccines on the market."

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the flu vaccine is safe and recommends everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated every year.

Dr. Jana Shaw of Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital said the billboard preys on parents' emotions to create doubt and hesitancy about vaccinating their children.

"Not vaccinating is a dangerous and possibly deadly choice," she said.

Shaw said she's cared for children who have died from vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough. "I know what suffering those children and parents go through," she said.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the most common side effects of childhood vaccines are mild and they protect children from 16 harmful and potentially fatal diseases.

More than 41,000 adults and children in Europe were infected with measles in the first six months of 2018 and at least 37 died from the vaccine-preventable disease.

A recent study found a rise in non-medical exemptions in the U.S. that allow kids to skip vaccines is creating hotspots across the country, particularly in the West, where the risk of getting diseases like measles are growing.

A measles epidemic in 2014 and 2015 that started in Disneyland in Anaheim, California was caused by low vaccination rates among children.

"Whereas measles was thought to have been eliminated from the US in 2000, we have seen local outbreaks of this vaccine-preventable disease and others ... like pertussis (whooping cough), in recent years due to inadequate immunization coverage in schools," says the study published in the Public Library of Science journal, PLOS Medicine.

The CDC recently reported 80,000 people, including 180 children, died in the U.S. during last year's flu season, making it the worst flu season in 40 years. The large number of deaths was blamed in part on lower flu vaccination rates.

The billboard on I-690 has also gone up in Kansas City, Boston, New Haven, Connecticut; and Brick Township, N.J.

Brandy Vaughn, founder of Learn The Risk, said her group put the sign in Syracuse because it has local supporters here who requested it.

Contact James T. Mulder anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-470-2245
Buffalo, N.Y. -- SparkCharge, a startup that has developed a portable charger to ease range anxiety among electric vehicle owners, won the $1 million grand prize in the 43North business competition in Buffalo.

The company, which was started by Syracuse University graduate Joshua Aviv, was among eight finalists in the $5 million startup competition. The seven runners-up (see list below) will receive $500,000 each.

The awards were announced at a ceremony in Buffalo Wednesday evening. Winners were selected by a panel of seven judges.

SparkCharge hopes to begin manufacturing later this year. The company says its charger can fit in the trunk of electric vehicles, allowing owners to charge their cars anytime and anywhere without having to find stationary charging units.

The chargers can also be delivered to an EV owner in emergency situations by ride-sharing services or AAA, the company says.

Aviv launched SparkCharge in 2014 with help from the Blackstone LaunchPad entrepreneurship program at Syracuse University. Earlier this year, the company joined the Techstars startup accelerator program in Boston.

43North winners receive free incubator space in Buffalo for one year, guidance from mentors in related fields and access to other business incentive programs such as START-UP NY. The competition is funded through the state's Buffalo Billion initiative, grants from Empire State Development (New York's economic development office) and the New York Power Authority, and several other sponsors.

These are the other winners:

Forsake,

HiOperator

Immersed Games

Kickfurther

LegWorks

Magnusmode

NaturAll Club

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime:

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| 315-470-3148
SYRACUSE, NY - The treatment of Christine Blasey Ford by national leaders after her testimony that she was sexually assaulted is "sad, painful and incredibly difficult,'' Vera House Executive Director Randi Bregman said today.

Ford testified last week that she was sexually assaulted by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh decades ago.

President Trump Tuesday night mocked Ford's testimony at a rally in Mississippi.

Bregman said the reaction by many national leaders to Ford's claim shows that the country's leadership "doesn't understand enough about real-life experiences of survivors."

Bregman spoke to Syracuse.com|The Post-Standard at Vera House's annual report on domestic and sexual violence in Syracuse Thursday.

Bregman said Ford's decision to "testify and offer her truth was incredibly important, and I when watched that I thought 'we're done here' because everything I know after almost 30 years of this work is that she spoke truth.''

The assumption that Ford was politically motivated in making her accusations is simply not true, Bregman said.

In her comments at the event, Bregman also said perpetrators are often perceived as "nice guys" by the general public.

Those who report sexual assault should be believed, Bregman said, as they often have more to lose than to gain.

"Just look at what's happened in the past two weeks,'' she said.

Bregman said she hasn't seen an increase in the number of reported incidents recently, but then said she wouldn't expect a rise in reports given the way Ford's credibility has been questioned, she said.

What she has seen are more calls to Vera House from people who want to reconnect or get information.

"It's been a very challenging time," Bregman said.
Mitchell Patterson is a regular guest columnist for Syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. He is a former venture capitalist and current entrepreneur. He lives in Clay.

Central New York is at a crossroads. New industries are emerging and some of the same issues that have plagued this region in the past remain roadblocks for real change.



Over the past two years, I focused on a couple of themes, with suggestions on ways to improve the economy of Central New York. I examined the concepts of embracing new ideas and industries to revitalize and redevelop a city. I provided examples of urban and economic revitalization happening in Chattanooga and Schenectady. These cities have been able to realize new development in a short period of time with good local leadership and planning. Syracuse has instead seen projects announced and never come to fruition.

At the same time, I looked at how giant technology companies were looking at aging industries long written off for dead as potential new revenue streams. Instead of looking at these old companies for what they were, innovators like Amazon's Jeff Bezos looked at them for what they could be. Amazon acquired Whole Foods and the Washington Post, two companies that were supposedly representative industries of the past, and are fast becoming burgeoning business lines for the richest man in America .

Recently I attended an energy conference in Dallas, Texas. When I visited years ago, I saw a city struggling to find its place. A member of the local chamber of commerce actually asked me while I was there how they could compete against New York, now that it had the Startup NY program, offering 10 years of no taxes to new businesses.

Premier Oil Field Group, in Dallas, is taking its library of core samples and turning them into a digital database, an example of technological innovation being applied to an established industry.

A city that was once buoyed by the oil and gas industry was in an economic downturn. The oil and gas industry was declining, and jobs were being lost, property values were dropping and the downtown became a ghost town after business hours. The semblance of community was spread out across the vast geography of Dallas, leaving it with little local culture and a struggling economy.

What I saw upon return in both in the city, as well as at the conference, was shocking. The city's downtown is now thriving with hotels and coffee shops. Bars and restaurants litter each block. New neighborhoods are popping up, each with a distinct culture, and also with an attachment to the past, be it barbecue, the rodeo or Tex-Mex. Food and music are part of the revitalization of Dallas, and employees in new industries are reaping the benefits. Old neighborhoods that had deteriorated have become the select places to live, with historic restaurants becoming anchors to new communities, and new restaurants taking the baton from the past to remember and reinvent the neighborhoods' history.



The conference also gave me a crash course in the oil and gas industry. Companies had gone from simply drilling holes in the ground to adopting new-age technology. Robots and artificial intelligence are reducing the number of old, manual jobs and replacing these jobs with engineers and technicians, as well as software developers.



One company, Premier Oil Field Group, is taking core samples (a rock core taken from an oil well) and turning them into a digital database. Historically, these cores have been saved in libraries that remind me of a scene in Indiana Jones, with boxes stacked on shelves 30 feet high and paper cards being the only records for what is where. Transformation and organization are just two of the new ideas and concepts I saw as an old industry looked to reinvent itself.



In just a few days, I saw that a city and an industry that were both headed in the wrong direction recognized the need to take advantage of their established assets and the knowledge they already possessed. They are using intellect and talent to acknowledge what doesn't work any longer, identifying the challenge, and then searching for solutions and simultaneously taking risks to make change happen.



We are already seeing some of this happening in both technology and agriculture. As the aviation space has evolved, so too have the companies supporting it, with many local companies shifting to drone research and production. Reaching even farther back into our past, the hops industry has returned to New York state. Madison County was the leader in hops production for over 100 years before Prohibition. As a renaissance in brewing has come about, hops production has returned in Upstate New York.



Syracuse could look to Dallas for inspiration. The region must look for new industries, reinvent the old, and adopt the characteristics of a culture to begin appealing to the next generation of the American labor force. The region also could reflect on the past, to identify not only what caused the disintegration of its great companies and the disillusionment of the workforce, but what made Central New York great in its heyday. Perhaps we'll find a spark to rekindle that spirit.



More from our guest columnists



Inside a craft brewery boom: How New York's beer business works
Junior hunters in New York, ages 14-15, can hunt deer and bear during the Columbus Day weekend with a firearm.

The special Youth Firearms Big Game Hunt, which is designed to introduce youth across the state to hunting in a safe and responsible way, begins Saturday morning and runs through sunset on Monday. It will take place in both the Northern Zone and Southern Zones. Exceptions included bowhunting-only areas and Suffolk County.

The young hunters must have a hunter safety course under their belt and a hunting license - and also be accompanied by an unarmed, adult (age 21 or older) with a hunting license. The young hunters are allowed to take one deer and/or bear.

Both junior hunter and the mentor must wear blaze orange visible from all directions and junior hunters are not allowed to hunt from a treestand or hunt from an elevated platform. In addition, the adult mentor must maintain physical contact over the junior hunter at all times while hunting. This means the mentor and junior hunter must be close enough to talk without the aid of radio and must be able to see each other.

For more on the hunt, see the DEC website.

SEND US YOUR DEER AND BEAR PHOTOS

We'd like to see photos of deer and bear shot by Upstate New York youngsters during the Columbus Day Weekend Youth Firearms Big Game Hunt. Send your photos and information about the successful hunt to outdoors writer David Figura at dfigura@NYup.com. Photos must be tasteful. Pictures that are bloody or show the tongue hanging out of the animal's mouth will not be published on NYup.com.
WASHINGTON -- The 174th Attack Wing will expand its drone operations center at Hancock Field north of Syracuse after Congress approved $4.3 million for construction and technology upgrades.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said the money to pay for the expansion at the New York Air National Guard base was included in a military construction appropriations bill for fiscal 2019.

The 174th Attack Wing, which remotely pilots MQ-9 Reaper drones from the base, plans to begin construction next year on a 2,850-square-foot addition to its Air Operations Center at the base, Schumer said.

The nine-year-old command center will also receive modernized technology, providing state-of-the-art hardware, Schumer said. The upgrade makes it less likely Hancock Field could be closed as part of any future base realignment in the Air Force.

The 174th Attack Wing uses the base to remotely pilot MQ-9 Reaper drones on combat and surveillance missions over Afghanistan. The base also serves as a maintenance and training facility for crews who maintain a squadron of drones at Hancock Field.

It was the first Air National Guard base in the nation to operate Reaper drones, and the first to receive permission to take off and land at a commercial airport, Syracuse Hancock International Airport.

Construction is expected to start in 2019, Schumer said, with the base remaining operational during the upgrade work.

Schumer, D-N.Y., said the base has become an economic driver in Central New York after a $142 million federal investment since 2000.

Congress approved spending $6.8 million last year to expand a flight training facility at Hancock Field. The upgrade allowed the 174th Attack Wing to double the number of crews trained each year from 40 to 80. The expansion was expected to help the Air Force respond to a drone pilot shortage.

U.S. Rep. John Katko, R-Camillus, voted for the spending measure in the House that included the money for Hancock Field.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
This disclaimer at the bottom of the menu at Bistro 197 intrigued and delighted us at the same time:

"We are proud to be a from-scratch kitchen. Your meal will not come out fast."

Making those sorts of claims sets a high bar for the kitchen staff to clear, as there must be a high attention to detail involved with the execution of each dish. There was plenty of space between each course, but not so much that we checked our watches or wondered when the food was coming. They were comfortable gaps that allowed for conversations to flow, interrupted only by the arrival of more cocktails.

Our first selection of the evening set the stage for what was to come.

Bocce balls ($10) are Bistro 197's take on Italian arancini, or deep fried rice balls stuffed with cheese. Risotto with mozzarella is mixed with basil pesto, breaded and deep fried, and served in a pomodoro sauce marked with basil-infused olive oil. The sharp flavors of the pesto cut through the creamy, starchy rice and mixed well with the tomato sauce. Not only was it pleasing to taste and smell, but the bocce balls had contrasting textures with a crunchy exterior and smooth, velvety risotto.

The little flourishes and details stood out in each dish and drink we ordered at the seven-year-old restaurant, situated along the riverbanks on West First Street in Oswego.

While serious about the ingredients and recipes on its menu, Bistro 197 is by no means stuffy or pretentious. Take the craft cocktail menu, for instance, which begins with drinks named for the seven deadly sins and wraps up with a list of signature cocktails with descriptions loaded with innuendo. Our cranberry Collins ($8) - tagline: all your mom did with them was make sauce - blended cranberry vodka, orange curacao, lemon and fresh cranberries. It was a refreshing drink on an unseasonably warm September day. So was the Molotov cocktail ($10), which combined vodka, cranberry and blueberry juice, lime, muddled blueberries, basil and, "a whole lot of anger."

Earthy truffles and nutty Parmesan cheese dominated the Beggar's Purses ($12). Sheets of pasta are cut small, stuffed with ricotta cheese, sauteed in truffle butter and served with a generous topping of shredded Parmesan. Reminiscent of an Italian fiochetti or crab Rangoon, the pasta purses were extraordinarily rich and cooked perfectly; not overcooked so that the pasta split, but not underdone so that it was chewy.

Bistro 197 prepares mussels ($13) in four different sauces, including Provencal and fra diavolo. We opted for a broth with cured chorizo, caramelized onions and spinach. The plump, tender mussels absorbed the flavors of the broth, which had a moderate spice level due to the Spanish sausage. After finishing the mussels, we found ourselves mopping the broth with bread, a fine ending to a worthy starter.

Pan-seared scallops ($25) were presented on a wooden board with charred cauliflower, asparagus, cremini mushrooms and purple potatoes. The massive scallops were simply seasoned in salt and pepper cooked until just done, snapping when bitten. The addition of roasted, seasoned vegetables created a straightforward, dish that seemed effortless but was carefully assembled so that nothing was overcooked.

A more robust flavor was found in the Staff Meal ($18). Cavatelli pasta and housemade sausage was tossed in a Sardinian-style tomato sauce. The sauce, reminiscent of a sausage Bolognese, was complex. It had an interesting blend of flavors from the herbs in the sauce to the spicy red pepper and fennel from the sausage. Though the tomato was gentle, notes of nutmeg, clove and basil all stood out.

Most desserts are made in-house, including the featured pumpkin swirl cheesecake ($7). The graham cracker crust held a cream cheese filling loaded with pumpkin spice and actual pumpkin, topped with homemade whipped cream spiked with spices. It offered a taste of fall for those who enjoy pumpkin spice everything.

Less pumpkin focused was the maple brown sugar creme brulee ($8). We hesitated before ordering, concerned that it would be too sugary, but the custard and crust had just the right amount of sweetness.

Our server possessed a strong understanding of the menu, ably answering questions about flavors and ingredients, as well as discussing how the kitchen handles gluten and dairy issues for diners.

Bistro 197 takes its food seriously, from its detail-oriented approach to its commitment to sourcing sustainably farmed and fished ingredients. Our only complaint is that we wish it was closer than a one-hour drive so it would be easier to go more often.

Details

The Restaurant: Bistro 197, 197 W. 1st St., Oswego, N.Y. 13126; 315-343-2930.

Reservations? Yes

Access to Disabled? Yes

Credit Cards? Yes

Vegetarian Options and Allergy Information? Vegetarian and gluten free items are noted on the menu.

Hours: 5 to 8 p.m., Monday; 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m., Friday through Saturday. Closed Sundays.

Cost: Expect to pay between $25 to $40 per person for dinner. Our visit, including dinner, cocktails, tax and 20 percent tip was $163.48.
LOCKPORT, N.Y. (AP) -- Lockport has won $10 million as the latest winner of Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's downtown revitalization contest.

State officials announced the funding on Wednesday.

The Western New York city plans to invest the money in efforts to make its downtown more attractive to businesses, tourists and residents. Pedestrian walkways, improved storefronts and more housing are all possibilities.

Now in its third year, Cuomo's downtown contest will award a total of $100 million to 10 winning communities across the state.

The governor said Wednesday that Lockport is an "ideal" recipient of the funds because of its growing tourism industry and its location on the Erie Canal.

Other recent winners include Albany, New Rochelle, Saranac Lake, Watertown, Batavia, Rome and the South Bronx.
We said last year that Sony had put Bose on notice when it comes to active noise-cancelling headphones. Our review of Sonys WH-1000XM2 reported that Sony not only delivered incredible audio quality, but that the company offered some high-tech features Bose couldnt match.

This year, Sony fully eclipses Bose with its third-generation noise-cancelling cans: The WH-1000XM3. These headphones are superior to the Bose QuietComfort 35 II in almost every way. Sony retained all the features that we liked in the previous iteration, including adaptive sound control, gesture recognition, and great audio reproduction (at least when powered), and made significant improvements to its active noise-cancellation technology. Sonys new headphones are also more comfortable to wear for long listening sessions.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG The Bose QC35 II (left) are top of mind when it comes to active noise-cancelling headphones, but Sonys WH-1000XM3 are better in every category that matters.

The great features Sony retained

First up is the gesture control pad located on the right-hand cup. After a brief learning curve, I grew accustomed to controlling my music and podcasts with simple swipes.

Swiping up and down with your fingertip raises and lowers volume, while back-to-front and front-to-back strokes move up and down your playlist respectively. Holding your finger down for a few seconds activates Google Assistant on Android devices, or Siri for iOS hardware. This worked flawlessly, though I do wish the virtual assistant appeared more quickly after being summoned. Perhaps Sony can add a preference setting to its app.

Dan Masaoka/IDG The surface area is large enough to accomodate imprecise gestures

Sonys Adaptive Sound Control is something special. When this mode is selected, the headphones monitor your level of activity and automatically choose the appropriate noise-cancelling profile. You can also customize these profiles using Sonys excellent Headphone Connect app.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG Inside the Adaptive Sound Control section of Sonys app.

If Ive been sitting still for a bit, for example, the Staying profile will kick in with a short notification chime. This one uses the headphones onboard microphones to monitor ambient sound, so those noises can be cancelled out, while allowing the sound of human voices to come through. You get a personalized mix of your music and the sound of the outside world, with 20 levels of noise cancellation available. The Bose QC35 II offer just three stages of cancellation, so theres no way to fine-tune the mix of music and ambient sound.

When I listen to music while walking home after work, I want to hear the environment around me, so I dont get run over by a cranky San Francisco driver. I quickly learned that I couldnt do that with Bose QC35 II. No matter which settings I applied, I couldnt hear enough of what was going on. Sonys headphones not only delivered a great listening experienceeven at low volumebut I was always able to maintain situational awareness.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG The Sony WH-1000XM3s fit nice and neat in their travel case.

In conditions where its inconvenient to launch Sonys app, you can control the headphones active noise cancellation using the NC/Ambient button on the left-hand ear cup. This limits you, however, to three values: Fully engaged (the strongest level of active noise cancellation), fully open (the least amount of active noise cancellation, with the mics piping ambient noise into the ear cups), or active noise cancellation turned off (in which case, the headphones behave as conventional Bluetooth headphones).

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG Sonys WH-1000XM3 have a 3.5mm analog input, an on/off button, and an noise-cancellation/ambient sound toggle on the left-hand ear cup. Theres a USB-C charging port on the right-hand cup.

Audio performance hasnt changed much compared to last years model, but thats not necessarily a bad thing. In a head-to-head comparison with the Bose QC35 II, I found Sonys WH-1000XM3 to be slightly more musical. Sonys headphones maintain a more accurate frequency response across the full spectrum, where Bose seems to favor a scooped EQ that emphasizes bass and high frequencies at the expense of the mid-range. Sonys cans never muddied the mid-range even while playing bass-heavy tracks at high volume levels, although I did notice some very minor distortion in the upper frequency range when I really cranked the volume.

Major strides in wearability

Sonys WH-1000XM3 are much more comfortable than its previous generation headphones. I noted this during my briefing last month; its one of the biggest improvements over last years model.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG The WH-1000XM3s (right) are larger than the Bose QC35 II, but that allows for more space and padding around the ears.

Sony added extra padding to the bottom of the headband to distribute the weight on the top of your head more evenly. The ear cups are also wider and deeper, which reduces the pressure placed on the sides of your head and allows you to wear them for longer listening sessions without feeling fatigued. As such, wearability is another clear win against Boses product. Sony knocked it out of the park on this count.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG The wider ear cups, compared to last years model (left), might seem like a minor tweak, but youll notice the change immediately.

Sony also made improvements under the hood, including the addition of a new custom integrated circuit called the HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1. This new processor separates the headphones DAC (digital-to-analog converter) from its digital amplifier to present a cleaner signal path. Theres also a new USB-C quick-charge feature that promises five hours of wireless playback after a just 10-minute chargea claim I need to test further. I can tell you that Ive been able to use these headphones for weeks at a time without needing to charge them.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG The textured finish on last years model (left) looks rather silly compared to the sleek finish from this years.

The last improvement to note about the WH-1000XM3 is the design. While its not a major improvement over the WH-1000XM2, it has been further refined. The plastic shell is now smooth, especially compared to last years rough finish. Sony has also added gold accents to the small microphone openings on each side and to the logos on the band, which is a nice touch.

The best noise-cancelling headphones

As it stands, I recommend the WH-1000XM3s to anyone looking for premium noise-cancelling headphones. These are not only an improvement over last years already great cans, theyre better than the previous gold standard: the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. The 1000XM3 are more comfortable, with deeper and wider ear pads, they offer a more robust collection of noise-cancelling options, and they soundand feelmore refined in almost every way.
In brief: Back at Augusts IFA event, 8K was the new buzzword. LG, Sony, and Sharp all had TVs on show that featured the incredibly high resolution, but it was Samsungs Q900R series that really caught the eye. Now, the company has opened US pre-orders for the 85-inch behemoth ahead of the October 28 shipping date. If you want one, be prepared to hand over $15,000.

Samsung also had 65-inch, 75-inch, and 82-inch (below) versions of its Q900R televisions at IFA. But the largest 85-inch model, one of our top picks from the event, was particularly stunning. The company wasnt prepared to reveal launch dates or prices at the time, though the flagship was expected to come with a five-figure price tag.

In addition to offering 16 times the pixels of an HD TV, the QLED television boasts the latest HDR10+ format and a massive peak brightness of 4000 nits, giving it incredible colors and sharpness.

Samsung is obviously pushing the Q900Rs 8K capabilities as its biggest draw, but theres virtually no 8K content right now. The company says it gets around this issue with the TVs Quantum Processor 8K, which can upscale content to an 8K resolution without the usual jagged edges and noise associated with the technique.

The Q900R also comes with Ambient Mode, which, when the TV isnt being used, shows information such as news headlines, your photos, and patterns that match the background wall. You also get Bixby, voice commands, personal recommendations, improved sound, automatic mode detection (including for gaming), and more.

$15,000 is no small amount of money, of course. The 85-inch Q900Rs price is colossal, especially when you consider Samsungs excellent 4K 75-inch Q9FN QLED costs around $6000 and has many of the same features. For those who simply must have the latest tech, Samsung is offering a payment plan of $416.70 a month for 36 months.

Theres still no word if or when Samsung will bring the other Q900R models to the US. Theyre available to pre-order in the UK, with the 65-inch version going for 4999 (around $6474) and 6999 for the 75-inch (around $9064), making them a cheaper option for early 8K adopters.
Why it matters: Quality mid-range devices offering a solid user experience are more plentiful than ever. As flagships creep past the $1,000 barrier, their emergence arguably couldn't have come at a better time.

HMD hasnt been overly eager to bring its Nokia-branded handsets to the US but that changes with the Nokia 7.1, a solid mid-ranger that looks to punch above its weight.

The Nokia 7.1 features a 5.84-inch notched FHD+ LCD screen with HDR 10 support powered by a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage thats expandable via microSD card slot.

The handset comes equipped with dual rear-facing cameras  a 12-megapixel shooter with f/1.8 aperture lens and a 5-megapixel unit with f/2.0 lens for depth-based imaging  that both use Zeiss optics. The Nokia 7.1 also utilizes the companys bothie concept that we saw on earlier handsets where both the front and rear cameras capture an image simultaneously.

The mid-ranger additionally affords USB-C connectivity, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 3,060mAh battery that should deliver a respectable level of runtime between charges. Itll ship running Android Oreo although were told an upgrade to Android Pie will be available by the end of next month.

The Nokia 7.1 will be available to pre-order starting October 5 from Amazon, Best Buy and B&H. The first units are scheduled to ship on October 28.
Sleep deprivation might be causing some teenagers to engage in risky behaviors such as drinking and smoking, scientists have found in a new study.

Adolescents need eight to 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night, but between school and their social obligations, they often do not get enough sleep. Experts say that more than 70 percent of high school students do not get sufficient sleep, causing learning difficulties, impaired judgment, and other problems.

Dangerous Behavior

Researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital conducted a study linking sleep-duration and risk-taking behavior in teens. Using the national data sample over eight years, they found that the odds of unsafe actions of high school students are correlated to the amount of sleep they get at night.

The study found that teenagers who reported getting six hours of sleep or less are twice as likely to use alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs compared to those who sleep eight hours every night.

However, researchers found that the strongest association of not enough sleep is related to mental health. Students who get six hours of sleep or below are more than three times as likely to consider or attempt suicide. They are also four times more likely to commit suicide than their peers.

"Personal risk-taking behaviors are common precursors to accidents and suicides, which are the leading causes of death among teens and have important implications for the health and safety of high school students nationally," stated Matthew Weaver, a research fellow at the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women Hospital.

Senior author Elizabeth Kierman, director of the Analytic Modeling Unit, Division of Sleep and Circadian Orders at Brigham and Women's Hospital, reiterated that insufficient sleep is putting teenagers at risk of mental health issues, substance abuse, and vehicular accidents.

She added that the public should support efforts aiming to promote healthy sleeping habits and decrease or eliminate factors that are preventing teenagers from getting the prescribed eight to 10 hours of sleep every night.

The Study

The researchers used data from the Youth Risk Surveys, which is administered biannually by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It involves students from both public and private schools across the United States.

The data was collected from 67,615 high school students from 2007 to 2017. The findings were published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The discovery of a distant dwarf planet far beyond Pluto might be the proof needed to find the mysterious super-Earth, Planet X.

The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet on Tuesday, Oct. 2, announced a new extreme planet called 2015 TG387. It was nicknamed the "Goblin" because of the letters "TG" in its provisional designation and it was discovered right in time for Halloween.

The full details of the discovery have been submitted to The Astronomical Journal for publication.

A New Planet

The 2015 TG387 was discovered by Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science, Chad Trujillo of the Northern Arizona University, and David Tholen of the University of Hawaii. The extreme dwarf planet was found about 80 astronomical units from the Sun, far beyond Pluto and at the outer edge of the Solar System. In comparison, Pluto is only 34 AU away from the Sun.

According to its discoverers, 2015 TG387 has an elongated orbit that never comes close to the Sun. Its perihelion (point in the orbit where ur is nearest to the Sun) is at about 65 AU, making it the third known object that has the most distant perihelion next to 2012 VP113 (80 AU) and Sedna (76 AU).

However, it also travels much farther than 2012 VP113 and Sedna. Its aphelion measures at 2,300 AU.

"These so-called Inner Oort Cloud objects like 2015 TG387, 2012 VP113, and Sedna are isolated from most of the Solar System's known mass, which makes them immensely interesting," stated Sheppard. "They can be used as probes to understand what is happening at the edge of our Solar System."

Is Planet X Real

The scientists discovered 2015 TG387 while searching for Planet X, the hypothetical planet hiding at the outskirts of the Solar System that conspiracy theorists believe will wipe out life on Earth in a massive collision. Sometimes, it is also referred to as Nibiru or Planet Nine.

The doomsday collision theory is the stuff of science fiction, but NASA acknowledges the possibility that a ninth planet is orbiting the Sun hundreds of AU away. Scientists have found mathematical evidence of a still-undiscovered planet at the edge of the Solar System and it explains the unique orbit of the objects in the Kuiper Belt.

The 2014 discovery of 2012 VP113 by Sheppard and Trujillo led the researchers to propose the presence of a Planet X.

"We think there could be thousands of small bodies like 2015 TG387 out on the Solar System's fringes, but their distance makes finding them very difficult," added Tholen. "Currently we would only detect 2015 TG387 when it is near its closest approach to the Sun. For some 99 percent of its 40,000-year orbit, it would be too faint to see."

Researchers believe that studying objects similar to 2015 TG387 will lead to the discovery of Planet X in the future.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Louisiana Comic Con, Lafayette's premiere gathering for all the region's proud geeks and nerds, returns to the Cajundome Convention Center this weekend.

Some of this year's big guests include actress Kathy Najimy, the voice of Peggy Hill on "King of the Hill; Charles Martinet, the voice of the Super Mario Brothers; Linda Blair from "The Exorcist;" Catherine Sutherland, Jason Faunt and Johnny Yong Bosch from "Power Rangers;" and many more.

"We are constantly trying to up our guest list," said Greg Hanks, co-owner of AVC Conventions, which holds conventions across the Gulf South region. "We are happy to have our board gaming and video gaming back this year. We're always looking to add new things to the event to keep it fun for the attendees."

Many people who attend the Louisiana event take part in costumed play, or cosplay, and dress up as a favorite characters to take pictures with others and compete in cosplay contests. That includes Neysha Perry from Orions Envy, a group whose members dance while dressed as the green women from the original Star Trek series.

"I love Louisiana Comic Con because the size is just perfect," Perry said. "Goldie Locks kinda just right. Its big enough to get amazing guests but small enough to be able to visit with all of your friends and be able to meet new friends."

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The convention has brought in at least 8,000 attendees each of past three years, and Hanks believes this year they may break 9,000. It dates back to 2015 when the event began in Bossier City and Lafayette comic creators Rob Guillory and Kody Chamberlain AVC Conventions to consider an Acadiana event.

"Lafayette loves to have a good time," Perry said. "We have festivals for nearly everything else. This is kind of like Festival International for nerds."

Tickets are $25 for one day and $40 for the weekend. For more, visit the website.
WASHINGTON  Louisiana Senator John Kennedy said Thursday the several-day FBI investigation into Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh surfaced "no corroboration" for allegations against sexual assault against the judge but suggested it did show politics were at play.

Kennedy, a Republican, told reporters shortly after reading the report in a secure room in the U.S. Capitol that some revelations in it "really make me angry." The senator, however, declined to discuss the confidential report's contents.

"Anybody who thinks politics isnt involved in this ought to put down the bong," Kennedy said, adding that he would encourage the White House to publicly release the report.

"I really wish you could see this," Kennedy told reporters. "I really wish you could read this report."

Kennedy is expected to vote to confirm Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. He's previously blasted Democrats over their handling of the sexual assault allegations  telling a Fox News host on Tuesday night that he doubted some Senate Democrats "have souls"  and dismissed testimony from one accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, naming Kavanaugh as her attacker.

Ford, who appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday, said she vividly recalled Kavanaugh allegedly pinning her to a bed, groping her and muzzling her screams with his hand at a high school gathering in suburban D.C. in the 1980s.

She didn't convince me  nor does the record  that Brett Kavanaugh was involved," Kennedy told The Advocate Friday in announcing his continued support for Kavanaugh after Ford's testimony.

A second accuser, Deborah Ramirez, told the New Yorker magazine that drunken Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party during their freshman year at Yale University in Connecticut.

"There were 10 witnesses," Kennedy said Thursday afternoon after viewing the report. "One declined to talk to the FBI, five with respect to Dr. Fords allegations, four with respect to Ms. Ramirezs allegations. There was no corroboration."

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Fellow Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy  who remained firmly behind Kavanaugh after the allegations surfaced and as the FBI investigated  summed up his impression on a briefing on the report in a video posted to Twitter: "Nothing new, no corroboration."

"Brett Kavanaugh continues, when you speak to anyone who knows him, except perhaps those two"  presumably a reference to Ford and Ramirez  to be "a man of sterling character," Cassidy added. "A guy whos been a great judge, who I think will become a great Supreme Court justice."

I just came from reviewing the background information compiled by the FBI. There is still no corroboration of the allegations made against Brett Kavanaugh.



Brett Kavanaugh has been a great judge and he will be a great Supreme Court justice. I look forward to voting for him. pic.twitter.com/PuuwWntWu1  U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) October 4, 2018

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said there was "no hint of misconduct"  and urged his colleagues to confirm the conservative judge  in a written statement hours after the post-midnight delivery of the FBI document to Congress.

Can't see video below? Click here.

With Kavanaugh's uncertain prospects for approval depending in part on the decisions of five wavering senators, lawmakers began viewing the document in a secure room in the Capitol complex.

"There's nothing in it that we didn't already know," Grassley said, basing his comment on a briefing he said he'd received from committee aides. He added, "This investigation found no hint of misconduct."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
One South Carolina officer was killed and six others were injured Wednesday in a mass officer shooting that struck a chord across the country, but especially in Baton Rouge.

Just over two years ago, six officers were ambushed and shot in Baton Rouge. Three of those officers died. Now, local officers are sending their thoughts and prayers to their brothers and sisters in blue in South Carolina.

Around 4 p.m. Wednesday, a man opened fire from inside his home on deputies who came to serve a search warrant on his Florence, South Carolina home, authorities said. The shooting continued for hours as the man barricaded himself inside with children, firing from a distance at officers who came to help. Both deputies and police officers were injured.

Latest in South Carolina officer shooting: One killed, six hurt; shootout lasted for hours FLORENCE, S.C. (AP)  A police officer was killed and six of his comrades wounded when a man opened fire from inside his home on deputies who 

The slain officer, Terrence Carraway, 52, of Darlington, had just been honored for his 30 years of service with the Florence Police Department.

"Praying for all those responding and affected by this incident in Florence County!" the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office posted.

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"Tonight our prayers are with the officers, their families, and the community of Florence, South Carolina," the Baton Rouge Union of Police shared.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
State officials have killed a much-criticized proposal to rebuild a long-unused airstrip on Elmer's Island near Grand Isle.

In August, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet signed an agreement with the local levee district "to operate and manage the Grand Isle Airport at Elmer's Island," according to a department news release.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said it would make the area more accessible for recreational activities around the state's only inhabited barrier island.

In addition to the airstrip, plans called for a fueling area, fuel tanks and space for a terminal building.

The island had an airstrip decades ago, but it hasnt been operational for more than 30 years.

Grand Isle leaders wanted the new airstrip as a way to entice tourists, but conservation groups criticized the decision to let planes land in the state-owned Elmer's Island Wildlife Refuge, which enjoys protections such as a prohibition on motorized traffic.

Before the environmental groups could lay into the plan at Wednesday's LDWF commission meeting, Montoucet told the board the airstrip agreement had been canceled.

Commissioner Jerri Smitko said it not only was the right decision but that the episode reaffirmed her faith that passionate activists can effect change.

Groups including the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, the Gulf Restoration Network, multiple Audubon Society chapters, the Save Manchac Coalition, the Watermark Alliance, the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, the Sierra Club, Friends of the Atchafalaya, the Nature Conservancy and the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana had come out to protest the air strip and were pleased to see it defeated.

To animals such as the migratory birds which use it as a way station, Elmer's Island is too important to be jeopardized by planes, environmentalists said. They objected to the idea of vacationers flying private planes into the wildlife refuge to the detriment of everyone else who enjoys the area.

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Montoucet said some of the concerns were valid.

He tried to walk back the agency's previous statements by saying Wildlife and Fisheries didn't sign off on construction plans. The department had just wanted to see if local authorities could come up with a plan that would address environmental concerns, knowing that government permits could address wildlife impacts, he said.

Ultimately, though, his staff and Grand Isle officials decided to kill the agreement.

Montoucet also took heat because people felt the deal was struck behind closed doors. He promised that should the matter come up again, his department would proceed more slowly and with greater opportunity for public input.

Longtime Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle said he didn't sleep much the night before, noting the last thing he wanted was to embarrass the state of Louisiana.

"We're going to go ahead and back off.  I just wanted to bring more tourists to our island because it's a jewel," he said.

Commissioner Joe McPherson said he understood the desire to make it easier for tourists to reach Grand Isle. "It's still a long way from everywhere," he said.

While accepting the cancellation of the airport deal, McPherson urged state officials to think about ways to promote Louisiana as an eco-tourism destination.
Baton Rouge fisherman Gary Krouse shows off this near 15-pound red snapper he caught during 2017's extended recreational red snapper season. Private recreational anglers will have another chance at an extended season in federal and state seasons now that federal fisheries managers approved the state's application for an Exempted Fishing Permit for this year and 2019.
Louisianas Catholic bishops came out Thursday in favor of requiring unanimous jury verdicts in all felony trials in the state.

The churchs endorsement of Amendment 2 on the Nov. 6 ballot adds a major statewide voice to a broad base of support across the political spectrum for a measure that made a surprising run through the state Legislature last spring.

If it passes, Louisiana would fall back in line with 48 other states, as well as the federal court system, in requiring unanimity in all criminal jury verdicts. The change would apply only to crimes committed on or after Jan. 1.

At present, Louisiana allows juries to convict or acquit defendants on the votes of as few as 10 out of 12 jurors.

The unanimity of a jury does not simply ensure that the legal standard of beyond a reasonable doubt has been met, but it also brings our legal system into much closer accord with the cardinal virtues of prudence and justice, the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a statement released Thursday.

The state Republican and Democratic parties both have thrown their support behind a measure that would do away with an unusual law that was enshrined 120 years during the Jim Crow era, in a push to disenfranchise the states swelling rolls of black voters and potential black jurors.

Louisiana was the first of only two states to adopt split verdicts in serious felony cases, dispensing with centuries of Anglo-Saxon legal tradition. Oregon is the other, though only Louisiana defendants can be convicted of murder or receive a life prison sentence with no chance of parole on the votes of less than 12 jurors.

Lesser felonies in Louisiana are tried by six-member juries, all of whom must agree for a verdict to be valid. Verdicts in capital murder trials also must be unanimous.

Louisianas law allows verdicts for conviction or acquittal on the votes of as few as 10 jurors. Before a revision in 1973, just nine of 12 jurors were needed to reach a verdict.

State voters ratified that change as part of a much broader overhaul of the states Constitution. Next month will be the first time Louisiana voters will be asked to weigh in specifically on the split-verdict scheme.

No campaign has formed in opposition to the measure, though Attorney General Jeff Landry has come out in opposition, arguing that there is no proof that non-unanimous verdicts are any less reliable than unanimous ones.

Campaigns in favor of the amendment, on the left and the right, have started launching ads mostly targeting chronic voters on social media.

Turnout is expected to be low for an election featuring mostly low-wattage congressional fights and a race for secretary of state.

A year-long investigation by The Advocate, published in the spring, found that 40 percent of nearly 1,000 convictions handed down by 12-member juries over six years were reached without consensus.

The newspapers analysis found that black defendants were 30 percent more likely than white defendants to be convicted by split juries. The Advocate data also show that black jurors are significantly more likely than white jurors to dissent from the majority view.
It may go against CEO Jeff Bezos's capitalist instincts, but what Amazon needs to offer its workers is a global, company-wide deal pegging minimum pay to a multiple of the national poverty level of the countries in which it operates. It also needs to make working conditions more humane, and give employees a degree of influence on how its fulfillment centers operate.

The good-vibe announcement came a day after labor union Ver.di called for another strike at Amazon's five fulfillment centers in Germany to protest the company's refusal to even discuss a wage agreement.

Amazon's pay hike is limited to its US and UK workers, but there are many other disgruntled employees around the world. Credit:AP

Amazon.com's decision this week to raise its minimum hourly pay is bizarrely limited to workers in the US and the UK  even though employees in some of the e-commerce giant's other big markets have been far more vocal in demanding better pay and conditions.

Low hourly rates aren't the only thing some workers don't like about Amazon. When employees in Bad Hersfeld, Germany, formed the first picket line outside a fulfillment center in 2013, their complaints were largely the same as today: a high-pressure environment in which blue-collar workers are under constant surveillance; a workplace where the tiniest pauses are punished, conversations discouraged, and reprimands quick. They also complained of harsh quotas and being unable to take a proper toilet break.

But German and other European Amazon workers need a pay raise just as much as those in the US and Britain. Blue-collar employees, who make up most of Amazon's workforce of about 18,000 people in Germany, take home 1,400 to 2,400 euros a month, according to Glassdoor. A typical worker makes 12.23 euros ($19.90) an hour. At 2,000 euros a month, an Amazon worker earns about twice the official poverty level. That's actually worse than what the company is promising US workers from November 1: At $US15 ($21.21) an hour, a full-time job should bring in $US31,200 a year  or about 2.6 times the current poverty level.

Germany isn't the only big European economy where Amazon workers have protested. The latest wave of walkouts and work-to-rule protests, timed to coincide with its Prime Day shopping bonanza, also hit Spain and Poland  a country with tough anti-strike laws where Amazon has expanded in part as a hedge against its German labor troubles.

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Amazon has long had an aversion to working with unions. In the US and the UK, it has successfully fought off recognizing them. It's harder in some western European countries; in France, for example, an industry-level collective agreement is mandatory. In Spain, it can be softened with an employee council's consent. This year, for the first time, Amazon signed a specific agreement with Italian unions. The deal stipulates that night shifts will be voluntary and the rate of pay for them will increase by as much as 25 per cent.
You can't keep those ladies in black down. First a book, then a musical, and now a film. Yet if it hadn't been for a few chance events, we might never have heard of the book or its author, Madeleine St John.

The first event was that St John's third novel, The Essence of the Thing, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1997. The media went into overdrive: who was this unknown expat Australian writer? But after an initial flurry of attention, it all went quiet again.

Australian author Madeleine St John.

Behind the scenes, however, things were happening. Text Publishing got hold of the rights to St John's novels and began to publish them in Australia. Along the way, a reader, Meredith Jelbart, picked up a copy of her first novel, The Women in Black, from a secondhand bookshop and raved about it to her book group. One of the members was Text senior editor Penny Hueston, and now St John's books are coming out all over again as part of Text's Classics series.

To my mind, Ladies in Black, as that first novel is now widely known, the only book St John set in Australia, is her best. It's 1959, and the ladies selling cocktail frocks in a posh Sydney department store are gearing up for the Christmas rush. With deft economy, St John gives us swift character studies of each lady, including Lisa, a naive and bookish young girl who is surely something of a self-portrait.
October 5, 2017, was a pivotal date in the decades-long fight against sexual harassment at work. It was the date that the New York Times reported multiple allegations of serious sexual harassment, including rape, against film producer Harvey Weinstein. It marked the start of global momentum for #MeToo, a hashtag initiated in 2006 by social activist Tarana Burke and reinvigorated by actor Alyssa Milano to encourage people to share their stories of sexual harassment and sexual assault, long untold or unheard.

It was this combination of scandal involving a wealthy, powerful, high-profile man coupled with the tidal wave of everyday experiences shared through social media that has created an appetite for change on sexual harassment. What started in the United States turned quickly to a global movement that has taken firm hold in Australia.

A scandal involving a powerful man coupled with the tidal wave of everyday experiences created an appetite for change. Credit:Sam Bennett

As a country we are less inclined to tweet about a problem and more inclined to want to find solutions. The Australian Human Rights Commissions National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces creates the chance for #MeToo to have a lasting positive impact on Australian workplaces by delivering new solutions for an old problem.

I believe the current momentum to call out and condemn sexual harassment is an incredibly powerful catalyst for change for a number of reasons.
Two people have been arrested after an allegedly stolen car crashed into an unmarked police car last night.

The crash occurred in Blackburn Mews, Langwarrin about 7pm on Thursday after the driver of the stolen car drove at police.

The 29-year-old male driver then ran away form the car, leaving his 23-year-old female passenger, but was quickly chased down and arrested.

Both have been charged with theft of a motor vehicle while the man was also charged with conduct endangering life and driving offences.
The Ipswich police officer hit by an allegedly stolen car and rushed to hospital last week has been able to communicate non-verbally from his bed in a Brisbane hospital.

Constable Peter McAulay, remains in a critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Constable Peter McAuley still has a long road ahead, but is showing signs of recovery. Credit:Queensland Police Service

Police told Fairfax Media the 24-year-old officer had been able to communicate with family and could be sat up in bed with the help of medical staff.
In a major pitch to Victorian families, the Andrews government has promised it will spend $5 billion subsidising kindergarten for every three-year-old if it is re-elected.

The announcement was made on the same day federal Labor pledged a separate $1.75 billion funding boost to also extend subsidised kindergarten to three-year-olds.

State Labor has promised it will spend $5 billion extending kindergarten to three-year-olds if it is re-elected. Credit:Glenn Hunt

Under state Labor's plan, every three-year-old child in Victoria would be provided with 15 hours of subsidised kindergarten from 2020.

Around one quarter of Victorian families would pay nothing at all, and the state government would cover 65 per cent of preschool costs for those on higher incomes.
Police and the Department of Communities thanked the public on Friday for their assistance after locating two teenagers who had been missing in separate incidents.

Kaya Zdencanovic.

Kaya Zdencanovic, 14, from Manjimup travelled to Perth with friends in August but had not been seen since.

Tyson Michael-Riley, 14, was last seen in the Rockingham area on September 26.

Earlier this week the department issued a plea for information on the whereabouts of both teenagers.
Far closer to the Indonesian island of Java than Perth, Broome or indeed anywhere on the mainland, Christmas Island is out of sight and out of mind for most Australians. Stunning geography aside, the island is best known as the home of a large, unforgiving immigration detention centre, ground zero for thousands of asylum seekers since the facility opened in 2008.

Until now. The Morrison government quietly closed the detention centre at the weekend, two years after the plan was mooted. For the first time in a decade, no asylum seeker or immigration detainee is imprisoned on Christmas Island.

"This is another example of the Coalition government cleaning up Labors mess," Immigration Minister David Coleman told Fairfax Media.

A boat carrying asylum seekers sinks off the coast of Christmas Island in 2010. Credit:Nine News

The final planeload of 30 detainees left the island on Sunday. The government would not confirm their destinations, other than to say they had been taken to "mainland facilities". But long-time refugee advocate Pamela Curr said the detainees had been relocated to Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney, Yongah Hill east of Perth and the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation.
But what was instructive was the issue that triggered the denunciation. Keating went public after seeing reports of confidential remarks in New York last Friday when Turnbull told a young leaders group about his continued interest in the republic .

That meant there was guaranteed sport to be had in Paul Keatings lacerating declaration this week that Australians would need a microscope to find something Malcolm Turnbull truly believed in.

The sight of one former prime minister getting stuck into another is now part of the natural cycle of Australian politics. No sooner has the dust settled on a leadership spill than the argument begins over the legacy to be claimed for the latest politician being taken out of the prime ministers office on a stretcher.

Keating was furious that Turnbull wanted to make the case for a republic when he had been unable to achieve any progress on the question while in power for almost three years.

You might never know that Turnbull and Keating are on the same side, along with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

Those divisions are one of the biggest reasons the campaign for a republic has drifted for two decades. Who would sign up to a campaign that only gets attention when there is a clash of political egos over who is the biggest believer in the cause?

Just as in 1999, some of the republicans prefer to argue among themselves over their constitutional models rather than agree on a message that can convince Australians who are not part of their club.

Judging by the polls, they have a lot of convincing to do. A Fairfax-Ipsos poll two years ago found that 42 per cent of voters supported a republic while 47 per cent were opposed, with another 13 per cent undecided.
People around town were primed for a big day on Thursday, waiting for the Court of Appeal to allow the publication of the Victorian Human Rights Commissions reporting into bullying and sexism at the states fire services.

Journos were pumped for a ripper yarn, Commissioner Kristen Hilton was organising interviews, the state government had its media strategy sorted, the opposition was ready to go in for the kill and firefighters union boss Peter Marshall had a pretty good distraction organised.

But the Supreme Court of Appeal hadnt read the script and upheld Marshalls appeal against an earlier court decision, keeping the report under lock and key.

Thats where it will stay, unless Hilton successfully appeals to the High Court.

So it was all a bit of a fizzer.
Plans for a cluster of towers at Fishermans Bend have been dumped, as the Andrews government seeks to encourage more affordable homes in a new sustainable suburb within walking distance of the city.

Developers will be able to increase the height and density of apartment towers in the new suburb, but only if they include social housing units for low income earners.

Fishermans Bend is expected to be home to 80,000 residents by 2050. Credit:Craig Abraham

However, there will be no such horse trading on car parking, with strict controls to be set limiting parking to one space for every two homes, as part of a plan to create Melbournes most public transport-oriented suburb.

Open and green space, schools, kindergartens, bike path and walking trails have been mapped out in a new vision for a suburb more than twice the size of Melbournes CBD, predicted to house 80,000 residents by 2050 and support the same number of jobs.
Team Wild Grace Ready to Conquer the 2018 Rebelle Rally with the Nissan Armada

 The Rebelle Rally, a 10-day off-road adventure with eight days of competition, is the first women's off-road navigation rally in the United States

 Work-from-home mothers Sedona Blinson and Leah Heffelfinger will pilot Team Wild Grace

 Rich in off-road heritage, Armada is an ideal vehicle to navigate through the stunning and challenging terrains of the Rebelle Rally

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, California  October 4, 2018: This won't be a typical week at the office for work-from-home mothers Sedona Blinson and Leah Heffelfinger. But it will be filled with terrain familiar to the Nissan Armada. And Blinson and Heffelfinger, co-captains of Team Wild Grace, hope that fact will provide them a leg up on the competition as they traverse more than 1,500 miles of stunning off-road terrain in California and Nevada as participants in the 2018 Rebelle Rally.

The first women's off-road navigation rally in the United States, the Rebelle Rally begins Oct. 11 in Lake Tahoe and concludes Oct. 20 in San Diego.

"The Armada draws its heritage from the global Nissan Patrol  an SUV known around the world as a King of the Desert  and is a natural fit to succeed in an off-roading challenge like the Rebelle Rally," said Tiago Castro, director of trucks and SUVs, Nissan North America. "We are excited to watch Leah and Sedona take on the competition and show off Armada's authentic capability as a partner in any adventure."

Blinson, a veteran driver who has competed in the rally twice before, and Heffelfinger met at Overland Expo West five years ago and first participated in the Rebelle Rally as a team in 2017 with a Nissan Frontier PRO-4X.

"That little truck was amazing. Its light-weight stature and small footprint made it easy to manage through the tough terrain," said Heffelfinger, an adventure-seeker from California who now resides in Flagstaff, Arizona. "What I'm really looking forward to this year, though, are the plush seats of the Armada along with its significant ground clearance."

Team Wild Grace's 2018 Armada Platinum is stock with the exception of a full set of dirt-grabbing Nitto Ridge Grappler tires  perfect for gripping sand and hauling through the Nevada and California deserts. It is also wrapped in a custom-designed vehicle wrap completed by IF Signs.

Heffelfinger and Blinson will spend up to 13 hours each day in the Armada. Per the rally's rules, no electronic devices are permitted except for rudimentary digital cameras. Teams will use maps and a compass to weave their way through some of the most scenic and challenging terrain America has to offer.

It also means Heffelfinger and Blinson will be out of touch with family for over a week.

"We're allowed physical photos and that's about it," said Heffelfinger. "It's tough to be away from home without contact for so long, but it's our chance to get out and do something that's just for us."

After finishing outside of the top 10 last year, the team fully intends to improve its ranking this year behind the wheel of the Armada.

"We take the rally quite seriously and spend hours polishing up our analog navigational skills leading up to the rally," added Heffelfinger. "We've been working through previous years' maps and are in an excellent spot for this year."

Follow along with Team Wild Grace on its Instagram or Facebook channels, and track the team live on rebellerally.com/live starting Friday, Oct. 12. For more information on the 2019 Nissan Armada and Nissan's complete vehicle lineup, please visit NissanNews.com.

About the 2019 Nissan Armada

Now entering its third year, the second-generation Nissan Armada continues to set records. With no signs of this sales momentum slowing down, Armada adds to its list of standard equipment across all grade levels for the 2019 model year, including Rear Door Alert, Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and Intelligent Forward Collision Warning (I-FCW).

As the flagship of Nissan's expanding lineup of SUVs and crossovers, Armada features 8-passenger seating, a 5.6-liter Endurance V8 with best-in-class1 standard 390 horsepower and standard towing capacity of 8,500 pounds for both 4WD and 2WD models (when properly equipped).

The largest and most powerful vehicle in the SUV and crossover portfolio, Armada earns its flagship status by every measure  whether performance, refinement, advanced technology and even heritage. The second-generation Armada design traces back to one of Nissan's most beloved global off-road vehicles, the Patrol. While Armada is intended primarily for family adventures in North America, Armada owners will benefit from its underpinnings as a strong, durable and authentic full-size SUV with ruggedness to spare.

About the Rebelle Rally The Rebelle Rally is an event with a unique challenge and scoring system where precise navigation, not speed, is the ultimate goal. Participants trade in cell phones and GPS for old-school navigation in a competition with the elements of time, distance, headings, and hidden checkpoints. Armed with just maps, compasses, and roadbooks, up to 50 teams of two will be pushed to their limits as they make their way across 2,500+ kilometers of Nevada and California's iconic terrain. Entering its third year, to date the Rebelle Rally has hosted competitors from 139 cities, 35 states/provinces, and 7 countries. The world-class event is the longest competitive off-road rally in the lower 48, and takes place October 11th  October 20th with a start in Lake Tahoe and finish in San Diego.
In a statement this morning, PM Jacinda Ardern spoke about about the couples trip to NZ saying:

"The Duke and Duchess have a particular interest in youth, mental health and conservation, and they will have the opportunity to meet many New Zealanders working in those important areas, while also getting to enjoy some of our unique environment,

I know many New Zealanders are looking forward to welcoming the Duke and Duchess back to Aotearoa, their first time here together. Its exciting that Their Royal Highnesses are using their time in New Zealand to highlight the important issues of mental health and conservation."

The important question though, when can we meet the couple? or atleast see them in person?

Prince Harry and Meghan will have two public appearances that everyone's welcome to head along to. After they've touched down in Wellington October 28th, the public will be able to meet the royal couple, with a public walkabout scheduled for Memorial Park.

The second chance will then be October 30th in Auckland as the Duke and Duchess walk along the Viaduct before heading to a reception hosted by Jacinda Ardern at Auckland's War Memorial Museum.

They'll wrap up their tour with a trip to Rotorua, where they'll visit Te Papaiouru Marae and Rainbow Springs to learn about the centre's kiwi breeding programme.

They'll then have their final public engagement of the trip, meeting members of the public in Rotorua that evening.

Prince Harry and Meghan will travel back to Auckland that night, and fly out to London the following day.

SOURCE: Newshub.
9-Year-Old Who Threatened Classmates With Gun Gets Home Detention

The 9-year-old boy who threatened his classmates with a loaded handgun has been placed in home detention.

The third-grader appeared in juvenile court the day after he had been caught taking a gun in his backpack to Lauderhill Elementary School, in Florida on Oct. 2.

He was placed in home detention for 21 days, reported NBC Miami, and was told to have no contact with the three classmates he had threatened.

Broward County Judge Elijah Williams also ordered the boy to have not access to the Internet, social media, guns or weapons, and to wear an ankle bracelet, according to CBS Miami.

He will return for a further hearing on Oct. 10, and will undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

The boy, whose name is being withheld, was accompanied by his parents during the hearing.

More details of the incident emerged in court.

The boy had been picked on and bullied in school, according to various reports heard in court, reported CBS.

Earlier reports stated that the three classmates he threatened with the gun had been bullying him.

According to court documents, the boy approached a classmate in class, asking, Do you want to see my gun? reported CBS.

He then pulled out the gun out of his pocket. When the classmate said to put it away and that he would tell the teacher, the nine-year-old pointed the gun at the classmates leg and said, Dont tell the teacher, or Ill shoot you in the leg.

One student did tell the teacher however.

A parent told CBS the boy showed her daughter the gun prior to the incident.

I just heard that my daughter witnessed a little boy with a gun he brought to the school and opened it up and showed her the bullets.

The woman, who did not wish to give her name, said her daughter did the right thing and informed the teacher.

The loaded .380 caliber Ruger handgun belonged to his father, had no safety mechanism, and had a bullet in the chamber.

A police statement, obtained by local media, said he made threatening comments regarding being bullied by the victims.

Lauderhill police spokeswoman, YvonneMarquez-Perkins told Fox News, We received a report that a 9-year-old child, a third-grader, brought a gun to school. He took the gun out of his backpack and threatened three of his classmates.

Marquez-Perkins said it was an isolated incident.

The school was not evacuated at any point, Local 10 News reported, and it took about two minutes for the school resource officer to diffuse the situation.

According to local county procedures, the student is automatically expelled from his school, and must seek enrolment in another.

The boy was charged on three counts of aggravated assault and one count of possession of a firearm on school property.
American politician Joseph McCarthy, Republican senator from Wisconsin, testifies against the US Army during the Army-McCarthy hearings, Washington, DC, June 9, 1954. (Getty Images)

A Short, Communist History of McCarthyism

An open letter to Brent Bozell, Tucker Carlson, Sen. John Cornyn, Jerome Corsi, Joseph diGenova, Hugh Hewitt, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Bill OReilly, President Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and all other conservatives who still decry McCarthyism:

How about reconsidering the origins of McCarthyism and understanding them for what they arethe very seeds of our Marxian destruction and collective shambles?

To set the scene, imagine that post-World War II period, when Americans were still trying to assess the depths and toxicity of the original swamp, which started to come into public view after nearly two decades of unchecked communist infiltration during most of the 1930s and 40s. Presently, along came Sen. Joseph McCarthy, age 41, with that explosive list of federal security cases, which he presented on the floor of the U.S. Senate on Feb. 20, 1950.

No one realized it right away, but the so-called McCarthy Era had dawned. Good news for anti-communists but catastrophic news for communists engaged in treason, particularly inside the federal bureaucracy.

In 2014, M. Stanton Evans, the pre-eminent McCarthy scholar, set out to tabulate a list of McCarthy suspectsheralded as innocent martyrs in the 1950swho since have been verified as communists and Soviet agents. He stopped at 50. He also tallied Fifth Amendment pleaderswitnesses who plead the Fifth against self-incrimination rather than answer questions about their communist or Soviet espionage activitieswell in excess of 100 cases.

Communists and Soviet agents were correct to fear McCarthy.

On April 5, 1950, the Daily Worker wrote, Communists are keenly aware of the damage the McCarthy crowd is doing.

On May 4, 1950, Gus Hall, later chairman of the Communist Party USA (19592000)and, bonus, John Brennans 1976 presidential candidatewrote: I urge all Communist Party members, and all anti-fascists, to yield second-place to none in the fight to rid our country of the fascist poison of McCarthyism.

Note that neither the Daily Worker nor Gus Hall are common icons of the rightbut, weirdly, todays conservatives, up to and including President Trump, continue to pay homage to their false definition of McCarthyism.

Campaign Against McCarthy

In 1945, Louis F. Budenz, a member of the National Committee of the Communist Party and managing editor of the Daily Worker, broke with communism, the party, and the Daily Worker and returned to the Catholic Church. With his store of knowledge and experience, he became an invaluable witness and guide to the communist movement, both open and underground. He wrote five essential books about his life and times. In his 1966 book The Bolshevik Invasion of the West, Budenz went into the communist origins of the campaign against the late McCarthy, who, by the way, was just 48 years old when he died in 1957.

Budenz wrote: The battle against McCarthyism, be it known, was concocted by the Communists and under their direction and guidance became completely dominant in American thinking and action. The battle against McCarthyism was originated in the March 1950 plenary or special session of the National Committee of the Communist Party.

That would be right after McCarthy and his list burst onto the national scene.

Budenz continued: The birth of the battle is reported for the benefit of the comrades in the May, 1950 issue of Political Affairs [the Communist Party theoretical organ]. The battle was ordered to begin by Gus Hall, later a fugitive from justice, escaping to Mexico after being convicted of plotting for the overthrow of the American Government. In the March session of the Communist national committee, Hall opened the campaign against McCarthyism when he declared that the McCarthys must be put into the un-American subversive garbage heap where they belong.

It was the orders of this Moscow agent and convicted proponent of the violent overthrow of the United States Government which helped eventually to rule American thought.

Including, alas, American conservative thought.

In a Nov. 5, 1954, newspaper article titled Enter Sen. Joseph McCarthy; Moscow Decrees Rights Cry, Budenz elaborated on what happened next: During the three years from 1950 to 1953, I pored over hundreds of copies of the Daily Worker which fanned the flames of the attack on McCarthy.

From my experiences in the conspiracy, I realized in 1950 that the Reds organized hysteria against McCarthy and McCarthyism would soon pass easily into non-Communist opinion-forming organs.

In a comparatively short time after Gus Halls order, what the Communists ordered to be said about McCarthy was being repeated by outstanding public figures, certain leading newspapers, and television and radio commentators. The same transmission belt method which had led the United States to betray Poland, China and other countries was now working successfully to prevent this country from defending itself.

This is a rare insight, which enlarges our understanding of all of these historical events.

The Banner of Civil Liberties

Budenz continued: Moscow officially threw fuel on the flames. In October 1952, Joseph Stalin gave an important directive to his agents in non-Communist countries. He called upon the Communists in the bourgeois nations to raise higher the banner of bourgeois civil liberties. This call was dutifully published here in Political Affairs, the official Communist theoretical organ, and hailed as a momentous declaration.

The arrogance and insincerity of this call were apparent to all who read it.

Obviouslysince there were no civil liberties in the Soviet empire!

He continued: Most unfortunately, very few Americans bothered to examine it at all, and this was true of most of our national leaders. The effect of this call was even greater frenzy against McCarthyism in the Communist press, and consequently among the friends and puppets of the Communists. They all followed the order to attack McCarthy in the name of civil liberties.

In The Bolshevik Invasion of the West, Budenz also wrote:

By June 1, 1953, the Daily Worker could report in a leading editorial, Our Crusade Hits Home, that it was making tremendous progress in this battle. Many conservative organizations were following the Communist lead, it said.

In the same monthJune, 1953Political Affairs, official theoretical organ of the Communist Party, ran an important article, The Anatomy of McCarthyism. In that important directive article, it was declared that this battle was not against an individual alone but against all those who would seek to declare the Communist Party in the United States a conspiracy. So successful has this campaign been, that the United States today cannot do much against the Communist conspiracy in its midst.

This same directivein effect, to expand McCarthyism into a universal weapon against all anti-communist defenses against communismwould be repeated, as in the March 17, 1954, Daily Worker screed Stamp Out McCarthyism by former party chairman Willam Z. Foster, author of Toward Soviet America:

What is wanted is not  more gentlemanly red-baiting and Soviet hating as so many in labor and political circles have been doing. This line only feeds McCarthyism. The whole program of warmongering [read: anti-communism] must be knocked out and the country embarked upon a realistic policy of peaceful coexistence between the United States and the Soviet Union. This alone can basically end the menace of McCarthyism.

McCarthy must be driven out of American public life completely.

In the coming November elections the labor and progressive forces should defeat every McCarthyite who appears on any ticket and elect strong anti-McCarthy candidates.

One thing should now be very clear. The organs and agents of godless communism, that creed of blood, servitude, and pain, were obsessed by this one American patriot, McCarthy, and the larger anti-communist tradition he so quickly personified. They knew he posed an existential threat to their war on our constitutional republic.

And America blinked.

McCarthyism, not communist subversion, was defeated.

Thus, today, from across the political spectrum, Americans continue to decry bad, old McCarthyism without realizing the order came straight from Moscow. What big, happy smile this must put on Stalin, wherever he is burning.

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.
Andrew Gillum the Democratic candidate for Florida Governor, speaks during a campaign rally at the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades on Aug. 31, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Andrew Gillums Maoist Support Network

News Analysis

Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillums political career has been nurtured by one of the countrys most powerful socialists: San Francisco attorney Steve Phillips, a self-identified student of Marx, Mao, and Lenin who has worked closely with student radicals supportive of the Communist Party of China.

In fact, a group who has become a major force in Gillums campaign is also supportive of the communist leadership in China. In this same vein, Gillum also spent much of 2012 studying with a communist-led activist training school based in California.

Gillum, who is currently polling six points ahead of his conservative Republican opponent Ron DeSantis, could become Floridas next governor.

Phillips is the power behind Gillum. Author of Brown Is the New White, Phillips has made it his mission to support progressive candidates of color for high office. This strategy, according to Phillips, will energize minority voters to vote, pushing hard-left candidates into positions of power.

Phillips has provided vast sums of money to Gillum, who shares his hard-left ideological perspective.

Steve Phillips

Describing his radical history, Phillips wrote in a Dec. 20, 2012, article for the PowerPAC+ publication Political Intelligence:

First, let me make clear that I come out of the Left. Ive studied Marx, Mao, and Lenin. In college  I palled around with folks who considered themselves communists and revolutionaries.  My political baptism was the Jesse Jackson 1984 Presidential campaign.

Phillips was a student at Stanford University in the mid-late 1980s. The communists to which Phillips refers were cadres of the League of Revolutionary Struggle (LRS), a 3,000-strong pro-China revolutionary group that served as the backbone of Jacksons Rainbow Coalition. While Phillips has publicly denied being a member of the communist LRS, he wrote for the LRS newspaper Unity and led several LRS-influenced organizations. When LRS split in 1990, Phillips emerged as a public leader of the majority Unity Organizing Committee faction.

Phillips worked in both the 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns of Jackson, taking a year off school in 1988 to work full-time as Jacksons West Coast student organizer.

Phillips learned a lot from Jackson. The major lesson was that the key to building unbeatable electoral power was to couple the progressive white and low propensity voting minority populations behind leftist candidates of color.

Jackson received 7 million votes in 1988, achieving fourth place in the Democratic primarynot enough to win, but enough to plant the seed of a race-centric strategy for the future. According to Phillipss own figures, minorities have increased from 12 percent to 38 percent of the population in the last quarter century. This makes the Rainbow Coalition strategy much more viable.

Phillips has brought Jacksons vision into the modern era. But an AstroTurf political vision is nothing without the money to realize it.

Marxism and Money

After college, newly minted attorney Phillips married fellow Stanford alumni Susan Sandler, the daughter of leftist savings and loan billionaires Herb and Marion Sandler.

The Sandler family has used their money to support leftist groups such as ProPublica and the Center for American Progress. The money opened doors for Phillips and Susan Sandler. They were invited to serve on influential boards. They became very influential in Democratic Party circles.

In 2008, Phillips, along with his old college radical friend Andy Wong and future head of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Ben Jealousboth former Jackson supportersraised $10 million to back the long-shot campaign for Barack Obama. They also applied the Rainbow Coalition strategy by initiating minority voter registration campaigns in 18 states. This was the impetus needed to get ahead of the then widely favored Hillary Clinton.

There likely would have been no President Obama without Steve Phillips.

Phillips also established PowerPAC+, PowerPAC.org, and Democracy in Color specifically to fund and campaign for candidates of color. Many of PowerPAC+s board members were Phillipss former student Maoist friends from Stanford. PowerPAC.org endorsed five candidate of color gubernatorial candidates in the 2018 election cycle.

Andrew Gillum, mayor of Tallahassee, served on the PowerPAC+ board from approximately 2012 to 2016.

PowerPAC.org is committed to supporting the civic engagement of voters of color and the election of progressive leaders of color. Much of our strategy is outlined in the book Brown Is The New White, written by our founder Steve Phillips, the PowerPAC.org website states.

Our work involves researching where votes of color can make a difference in races, how demographic trends can affect [sic] change in public policy and leadership, and how civic engagement methodologies can change how campaigns are run.

As we move forward, we will deepen our work in California as well as launching a multi-state initiative to support gubernatorial candidates of color in GA (Stacey Abrams), MD (Ben Jealous), AZ (David Garcia), CA (John Chiang), and FL (Andrew Gillum).

John Chiangs campaign was a bust, but Stacey Abrams, Ben Jealous, David Garcia, and Andrew Gillum all convincingly won their primaries. All have employed the Rainbow Coalition strategyusing their candidacies to mobilize minority voters. They are all connected to Phillips and PowerPAC+/Democracy in Color, and all have received significant funding from that quarter.

The Democracy Alliance

In 2004, Progressive Insurance billionaire Peter Lewis, along with leftist mega-donor George Soros, and Herb and Marion Sandler, established America Votes to coordinate various get-out-the-vote drives during the 2004 election, according to New York Times reporter Matt Bai. After that didnt go as well as planned, the Sandlers also sent their son-in-law Phillips as their representative to the October 2005 meeting of the Democracy Alliance at the Chateau Elan outside Atlanta.

The super-secretive Democracy Alliance has since recruited more than a hundred rich leftist donors to fund progressive Democratic candidates across America. Both Phillips and Susan Sandler have served on the board of the Democracy Alliance.

When Gillums campaign was floundering, running fourth or fifth place two months out from the primary, the Democracy Alliance stepped in.

Democracy Alliance members Soros, Tom Steyer, Norman Lear, Susan Sandler, and Phillips contributed significant sums in the closing weeks of the primaries. Steyer topped the list with $1 million, with the Soros family coming in second with $450,000.

As a bonus, the black candidate only Collective PAC chipped in $231,000and plans to spend at least $1.5 million this year on Gillums behalf.

As a 501(c)(4), Collective Future (an arm of Collective PAC) is not legally required to disclose its donors. However, Collective PAC founder Quentin James does serve on the board of movement staff recruiting organization Inclusv, alongside Phillips, PowerPAC+ board member Gregory Cendana, and long-time friend of Phillips and political collaborator Alida Garcia.

Rockwood Leadership Institute

After the League of Revolutionary Struggle (LRS) split in 1990, many ex-members ended up in the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). Maoist-leaning and discreetly pro-China, FRSO is highly secretive and has managed to infiltrate whole networks of U.S. nonprofits and social agencies, from the Ford Foundation, to the Chinese Progressive Association (Boston and San Francisco), to Black Lives Matter, to, of course, the Democratic Party.

The Oakland, California-based Rockwood Leadership Institute is very much part of the FRSO sphere of influence. Rockwood is basically a training school for revolutionaries.

Recent board members have included

Ellen Friedman, a former member of the Socialist Feminist Network

Shiree Teng, a former LRS member, now part of FRSO-aligned consultancy firm RoadMap

Mei-ying Williams, a veteran of the 2004 Venceremos Brigade to Cuba and a one-time member of the Ad-Hoc Left Committee, alongside FRSO members Michelle Foy and Tim Thomas and Northern California Communist Party USA leader Juan Lopez.

Williamss husband, Steve Williams, was once affiliated with Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement (STORM) with Obamas short-lived green jobs czar Van Jones. Steve Williams now leads an FRSO spin-off activist group, LeftRoots, the groundwork for which was partially funded by Phillips and Susan Sandler. Rockwood program director Lauren Veasey also serves on the board of Phillipss PowerPAC+.

Rockwood runs annual year-long training courses for about two dozen radical activists every year.

Gillum was in the 2012 cohort alongside former STORM member Cindy Wiesner.

Other notable alumni include Washington congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (2010) and Maine congresswoman Chellie Pingree (2006), whose ex-husband, S. Donald Sussman, made a fortune investing in Chinese companies and has served on the Democracy Alliance board.

FRSO member Jon Liss trained with Rockwood in 2010. He is executive director of New Virginia Majority (NVM), a well-funded voter registration group dedicated to signing up several hundred thousand new voters of color. NVM uses highly specific maps to micro-target potential Democratic voters. These maps come from FRSO supporter Steve McClure, who has worked for the last several years in the Geography Department of Wuhan University in China.

NVM co-executive director Tram Nguyen serves on the advisory board of the Sandler Phillips Center, which offers rigorous research and analysis, strategic investments, and collaborative opportunities to improve the effectiveness of progressive politics and enhance the return on investment of political giving.

NVM has also worked with Virginias former Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe to restore voting privileges to 200,000 former felons. Virginiaonce a reliably conservative stateis now close to turning solidly blue thanks to the NVM.

New Florida Majority

Miami-based New Florida Majority (NFM) is modeled directly on its Virginia counterpart and is a major force in voter registration efforts among Floridas black and Latino communities. Like NVM, most of its leadership are FRSO or Rockwood affiliated.

Founding executive director Gihan Perera (now with the Ford Foundation) studied with Rockwood in 2005 and was a founder of the FRSO front group Right to the City Alliance.

Current executive director Andrea Cristina Mercado studied with Rockwood in 2013 and previously worked for the heavily FRSO-influenced National Domestic Workers Alliance.

Former NFM Political and Alliance Officer Badili Jones is one of the very few non-secret FRSO members.

NFM has been involved with Gillum since at least April 2017 and formally endorsed his candidacy in June this year.

Gillum issued a statement thanking the organization: Im honored to receive New Florida Majoritys endorsement! Theyre on the frontlines of taking back our state for working people, and Im proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them in fighting for our families, jobs with living wages and dignity, a thriving public education system that pays teachers what theyre worth, and quality, affordable health care as a constitutional right for every Floridian.

NFM takes a lot of well-justified credit for Gillums shock primary victory. According to the NFM website:

In response to the Florida primary results, Andrea Cristina Mercado, director of the NewFMs state PAC, the New Florida Vision PAC comments, Tonight we see the remaking of the Florida Democratic Party by Andrew Gillum. Gillum won against all odds and he did it by giving often ignored voters clear transformative solutions that inspired them to get involved.

New Florida Vision PAC set out to expand the electorate by reaching out to Black and Latino voters categorized as infrequent voters and subsequently often ignored by electoral campaigns. The PAC performed doorknocking, phone and text, radio and digital ads, and non-traditional tactics like a Colombian-style Chiva party bus, barbeques, taco Tuesdays, karaoke, and murals in the Wynwood and Liberty City neighborhoods to connect with target voters. Within the 150,000 voters targeted by the New Florida Vision PAC, there was a 300% increase in early voting in 2018, not including election day, compared to the 2014 midterm and at least a 20% increase from the Presidential election of 2016.

NFMs sister organization Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) harvests votes from Floridas large immigrant communities. FLIC, who recently made the news for going on a hunger strike for illegal immigrants being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), came out for Gillum in its first endorsement this election cycle.

FLIC Votes joins the growing momentum towards victory, not just for Andrew Gillum as the most likely governor representing the interest of all the people, but for the energizing impact his candidacy will have with disenchanted voters to come out and revive our ailing democracy for the benefit of all Floridians, wrote Maria Rodriguez (Rockwood Leadership Institute class of 2009, affiliated with FRSO), executive director of FLICs political action committee (PAC) FLIC Votes.

Gillum replied: In 2018, immigrants are under attack, and they need a Governor to stand in the gap for them. Im deeply honored to receive the endorsement of FLIC Votes in our race to take back Florida and make it a place where everyone is welcomeno matter what they look like.

Im running for Governor to help every Florida family have access to the same opportunities my siblings and I had, and the Florida Immigrant Coalition will be an integral partner in that fight when Im Governor.

Like their counterpart NVM, NFM and FLIC also want to restore felons voting privileges immediately (current Florida law gives felons the opportunity to apply for a restoration of their voting privileges after being crime-free for five years). Both organizations are backing the Second Chances campaign and Florida ballot measure Amendment 4, which would expedite restored voting rights to a claimed 1.4 million Florida felons.

Gillum has also expressed enthusiastic support for the Second Chances campaign, which would restore the right to vote to over 1.4 million Floridians who have been disenfranchised due to prior felony convictions, states FLICs endorsement statement. Gillum understands the importance of this campaign on a personal level, as his own brothers are returning citizens who would benefit from Second Chances.

NFM, FLIC, and Gillum seemingly understand that an extra several hundred thousand likely Democratic voters will provide an enormous advantage to Democratic candidates and will be a leap toward the goal of turning Florida blue, a goal already accomplished in Virginia by the NVM. A blue Florida will have huge implications in future presidential elections.

The day before his stunning Florida primary victory, Gillum spent time in Miami with two of his biggest fans: Laura Estefania Munoz Quinones and Tomas Kennedy. Quinones is a FLIC activist and Miami Democratic Socialists of America steering committee member. Kennedy is a former NFM leader and an FRSO affiliate, and serves as deputy political director of FLIC. He is also co-chair of the Miami Democratic Socialists of America steering committee and was chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party Progressive Caucus.

These two comrades encapsulate the Gillum coalition.

Not a Socialist?

Republican gubernatorial candidate DeSantis has accused Gillum of being a socialist. Gillum denies it. He says hes a progressive Democrat. The truth is that Gillum has been financed, trained, and supported his entire political career by Maoist-leaning pro-China radicals.

Gillum was funded and guided in his Rainbow Coalition strategies by former Maoist Phillips.

He was trained in activist principles by the FRSO/Maoist-affiliated Rockwood Leadership Institute.

His come-from-behind victory can be directly attributed to the massive minority voter registration drives carried out by FRSO-affiliated NFM and the FLIC.

Classical Maoism is all about manipulating minorities to achieve political power. In China, they did it with propaganda and guns. In America, theyre doing it with propaganda and minority voter registration drives.

Either way, the end result will be the same.

If Florida conservatives do not turn out large numbers, Florida will have its first Maoist governor come November.

Trevor Loudon is an author, filmmaker and public speaker from New Zealand. For more than 30 years, he has researched radical left, Marxist and terrorist movements and their covert influence on mainstream politics.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Scientist and Nobel Prize winner Frances Arnold speaks at Caltech in Pasadena, California, during a press conference on October 3, 2018. (Frederic J. Brown/Getty Images)

Another Scientist Related to UC Berkeley Wins Nobel Prize

For the second time this week, a Nobel Prize has been given to a scientist associated with the University of California at Berkeley.

On Oct.4, Frances Arnold, who arrived at UC Berkeley in 1980 as a graduate student and went on to earn a doctorate at Cal in 1985, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Arnold, who is now a professor of chemical engineering, bioengineering, and biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology, will receive half of the prize.

The second half will be shared by George P. Smith, a professor emeritus at the University of Missouri at Columbia and Sir Gregory P. Winter, a research leader emeritus at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences committee, which awarded the prize, said the laureates have been inspired to create proteins through genetic change and selection that solve the chemical problems of mankind.

Tirrell is also a professor and chair of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Caltech.

Arnold learned she had won the prize at about 4 a.m. Central time when she was woken from a deep, deep sleep in her hotel room in Dallas by a phone call, according to a statement by Caltech.

She was in Texas to give a lecture at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

I am absolutely floored, Arnold told Caltech officials. I have to wrap my head around this. Its not something I was expecting.

Earlier this week, James P. Allison, an immunologist and former director of UC Berkeleys Cancer Research Laboratory shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Tasuku Honjo of Kyoto University in Japan.

The two were given the prize for their discovery of cancer therapy inhibition of negative immune regulation, according to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences committee.

At UC Berkeley, Allison researched how the immune system fights infection, according to a statement by the university.

I dont know if I could have accomplished this work anywhere else than Berkeley, Allison said in a statement.

He currently works at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

By Keith Burbank/Nuria Marquez
Quebec premier-designate Francois Legault smiles as he addresses a meeting of his new caucus and defeated candidates in Boucherville, Que. on Oct. 3, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Paul Chiasson)

Canada in Brief, Oct. 4-10

Legault to lead team of fresh faces and veteran politicians

Quebec Premier-designate Francois Legault will be welcoming a host of new faces along with some more familiar ones as his party forms Quebecs next government.

Aside from Legault and a handful of veterans who have been at his side since Coalition Avenir Quebecs first election in 2012, his team features many political newcomers.

They include a former police officer, an economist who advocates for small government, a pediatric surgeon, and an Olympic speed skater.

Legault said his new cabinet will be sworn in within the next two weeks, and he will have some experienced choices when filling such top posts as finance and health.

Prize a sign of progress, says Nobel laureate Donna Strickland

A Canadian scientist who became only the third woman to win the Nobel Prize for Physics said her personal triumph doubles as a sign of progress for her male-dominated industry.

Donna Strickland of the University of Waterloo in Ontario won part of the US$1.01 million prize, which she shared with Gerard Mourou of France and Arthur Ashkin of the United States.

Swedens Royal Academy of Sciences said their 1985 article on a technique called chirped pulse amplification or CPA was revolutionary.

Stricklands victory ended a 55-year drought for female physicists being recognized by the prize committee. Marie Curie was the first woman to claim the honour in 1903, followed by Maria Goeppert-Mayer in 1963.

Controversial spyware used to track Canadian-based activist: Report

A new report suggests a controversial commercial spyware was used to infect the cellphone of Omar Abdulaziz, a prominent Saudi political refugee and activist living in Quebec, shortly before Saudi authorities arrested his brothers and friends.

The allegation is detailed in a new report following an investigation by Citizen Lab, housed at the University of Toronto, which has been raising alarms about the spyware known as Pegasus.

Pegasus is a surveillance program marketed to governments as a tool against terrorists and criminals, but which Citizen Lab says has been used by repressive regimes against human-rights workers, journalists, and others.

Citizen Lab researchers say Abdulazizs cellphone was one of dozens around the world infected with Pegasus, and that it was being monitored from Saudi Arabia.

Canada signs international moratorium on High Arctic fishing

Canada joined more than a dozen countries Wednesday in signing a deal that would block commercial fishing in the High Arctic for 16 years.

The deal commits the countries to a major program of scientific research to unlock the mysteries of the top of the world before leaping in to exploit its resources.

Experts hailed the signing ceremony, which took place in Greenland, as a rare example of the world coming together to prevent environmental problems before they start.

With files from The Canadian Press
Colorado Sheriff Releases Footage of Fatal Shooting of Homicide Suspect

A county sheriff has released footage of the moment he and another officer fired on a double homicide suspect who emerged from a car with a knife in his hands.

31-year-old Dustin Montano died the following day, after police fired eight bullets at him in a parking lot in Fort Morgan, Colorado, on May 24, 2018.

Montano was suspected of murdering his aunt and her daughter just hours earlier when law enforcement tracked him to the Walmart store in Fort Morgan.

Morgan County Sheriffs office said they released the footage in the interests of full disclosure.

The shooting is under investigation by the Morgan County Major Crimes Task Force.

The footage released is taken from the dash cam of Sheriff Jim Crone, who fired the shots along with Undersheriff Dave Martin.

Sheriff Jim Crone said in a statement, Prior to May 24th (and since), Undersheriff Martin and myself, in our fifty years of combined law enforcement experience, have been involved in many armed confrontations, and only one of those resulted in deadly force being used (I shot a man who stabbed me in 1987).

However, when confronting a man who was a suspect in a homicide, was presumably armed and dangerous, and in a conscious effort to disregard commands and come out of the car aggressively with a knife (which we initially saw as a handgun), the suspect left us with little choice.

The first of the eight bullets fired missed Montano, but the others hit him in the arms, torso, and the leg, causing massive blood loss.

Officers believed Montano to be suicidal at the time and also bent on murdering further relatives in the area.

Montanos car had been spotted in the Walmart parking lot, and plainclothes officers identified him in the store.

Crone, Martin, two Colorado State Patrol trooper and a deputy drove up and surrounded the car, intending to pin his car in and to avoid a high-speed chase.

Photos of Bodies Via Text Message

The officers got out of their cars, aimed their weapons at Montano, who was still inside the car, and loudly ordered him not to move, according to the video.

At the time, Montano opened the front drivers side door of the Jetta.

The suspect slammed the door and at that point Sheriff Crone felt the suspect would start the car and ram his patrol vehicle in an attempt to get out, the police report (pdf) says.

But the door suddenly flew open, Crone said, at which point officers opened fire.

Albuquerque Police investigators determined hours before Montano was shot, he stabbed to death his aunt, Debra Martinez age 53, and her daughter, 17-year-old Irisa Montano, said the police report.

Montano informed sent photos of their bodies via text message to someone, saying had killed them, said police.

Montano then arrived at the home of another relative in New Mexico after he had made threats to kill her as well. He was unable to gain entry and left, driving to Colorado.

He also apparently sent text messages to other relatives in the Sterling area, threatening to kill them as well. Investigators speculate Montano was headed there to do just that.
Capitol Hill Staffer Accused of Doxxing Several Republican Senators

A man who had worked as a congressional staff intern for a number of Democrats has been arrested for allegedly doxxingcollecting someones personal and private information and releasing that on the internetone or more Republican senators.

Jackson Cosko, 27, of Washington faces multiple charges, including making public restricted personal information, witness tampering, threats in interstate communications, unauthorized access of a government computer, identity theft, and more, U.S. Capitol Police said.

Capitol police said Cosko was arrested on Oct. 3, adding that an investigation will continue and additional charges may be forthcoming.

According to reports, during last weeks Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with testimony from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and one of his accusers, Christine Blasey Ford, the personal information of Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was added to their public Wikipedia pages. The Wikipedia entries were allegedly edited to show the senators home addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.

Most recently, Cosko was interning for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, according to a September letter that identified him. Lees chief of staff, Glenn Rushing, said Cosko was fired after the news surfaced; Lees office is cooperating with law enforcement.

Previously, Cosko also worked with Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), former Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), and with the office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to Fox News. He also worked with a least one other unidentified lawmaker.

Cosko describes himself as a Democratic Political Professional & Cybersecurity Graduate Student on his Linkedin account. He graduated from The George Washington University in 2o14.

Sen. Paul had earlier called for an investigation into the breach.

Yesterday, there was an attempt to incite people by publishing the personal information of Senatorsincluding home addressesendangering them & their families, Paul wrote in a Sept. 28 Twitter post. This should be investigated & the perpetrators punished. There is too much hatred and violence in politics these days.

The doxxing was first discovered by a Twitter bot that tracks Wikipedia page edits. It also found that the changes were made from a computer in the House of Representatives.
Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh speaks at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 27, 2018. (Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)

Democrats Delay Tactics Worked

On Sept. 28, President Trump announced he had ordered a supplemental FBI investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, his Supreme Court nominee. According to Trump, the probe is to be limited in scope and will conclude within a week.

Earlier that day, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Kavanaughs nomination to the full Senate. All Democrats on the Committee voted against him.

For now, the Democrats delay tactics to stall Kavanaughs confirmation have worked. With a razor-thin majority in the Senate (51 seats), if the Republicans force a floor vote, the odds of defeat are high. With swing senators such as Jeff Flake of Arizona and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Trump had no better alternative but to order the investigation.

I have hard time understanding Flake and Murkowskis reasoning to advocate an FBI investigation. I watched the footage of the Senate hearing on Sept. 27 carefully. Christine Blasy Fords testimonial struck me as believable. Kavanaugh came across as credible, too. His denial was swift and forceful, delivered with righteous indignation.

It is possible that Ford had traumatic experiences such as being a victim of an attempted sexual assault, but the attacker was not Kavanaugh and the attack didnt happen at the time and location she alleged. The scenario is strongly supported by eyewitnesses named by Ford. All of them, including one of Fords long time friends, released sworn statements and unanimously denied the party alleged by Ford and Kavanaughs involvement,. What is left for the FBI to investigate?

If Flake and Murkowskis goal was to placate the Democrats, they barked up the wrong tree. One cant vanquish ones enemy by supplying it with ammunition. For the Democrats, the investigation is all about delay.

Dianne Feinstein, the octogenarian senator from California, sat on the letter from Christine Blasey Ford since July. If she had acted in Fords best interests, she would either have alerted local authorities or forwarded the letter to the FBI immediately. She did what she did only because she saw Ford as a political pawn, a secret weapon she can employ to derail Kavanaughs confirmation. The Democrats shamelessly exploited Ford for political gains, but sought to portray themselves as the consummate philogynists. The irony is too rich.

The Democrats wont be pacified with a one-week investigation. After Trumps announcement, Fords lawyer immediately called for an open-ended investigation with neither time nor scope limitations. In other words, the Democrats want a redux of the Trump-Russia collusion probe, with the target being Kavanaugh. Like the Russia probe, they probably wont find anything, but thats not the point. Whats important is they will have obstructed Kavanaughs ascension.

Flake and Murkowskis motion trapped the Republicans in a dilemma. Theres no win for the GOP. If the investigation doesnt find any new evidence against Kavanaugh, the Democrats will assail its legitimacy and accuse the Trump administration of coverup; if it unearths new victims of Kavanaugh, Flake and Murkowski will most likely cave and allow more investigation. They may think they are fair-minded and bipartisan, but they are in fact aiding and abetting the Democrats delay tactics.

In Thursdays hearing, it was Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina that surprised me the most. I always thought he is a moderate and eager to reach across the aisle. Yet he totally got it: the hearing was a sham. The Democrats are not interested in the truth; they only care about control and power, even when it means destroying innocents lives.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Donald Trump Jr. Campaigns for Ted Cruz in Texas

President Donald Trumps son, Donald Trump Jr.. arrived in Texas on Wednesday to campaign for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), telling an audience that Cruz has become a valuable ally for his father.

The pair appeared together on Oct. 3 at a rally in Conroe, with Trump Jr. speaking for about 20 minutes.

Trump Jr. told the crowd that the rivalry between the president and Cruz during the 2016 presidential election is over and behind them, urging Texans to vote.

Trump said people should act as though President Trump were on the ballot.

All of the accomplishments that are getting checked off one by one, theres a lot left, Trump told the crowd, reported ABC 13. And we need guys like Ted Cruz. We need guys like the members of the House in Texas. We need them in there with us. You cant just be excited by (President) Trump because he cant do it alone.

President Trump made the same point at his rally on Oct. 2 in Mississippi, telling people, Im not on the ticket. But I am on the ticket because this is also a referendum about me. I want you to vote. Pretend Im on the ballot. And dont worry, well be on the ballot in two years, and we will do a landslide again.

Heaping praise on Ted Cruz as a close ally of the president, Donald Trump Jr. said the Texas senator "put aside any of those differences" from the 2016 campaign and has worked closely with Pres. Trump. https://t.co/UYWVqTDyHS pic.twitter.com/b8cXWDzpST  ABC News (@ABC) October 3, 2018

We are getting everything we wanted

In Texas, Trump Jr. said that Republicans are getting things done and want to continue doing so.

We are getting everything we wanted, checklist after checklist, so we are getting a little fat and lazy. The other side is motivated by nothing but hate, Trump added, reported the Austin American Statesman. Hate is a powerful motivator. Thats why we need a stalwart like Ted.

Read More Kavanaugh Should Be Confirmed, Say Trump Supporters

Neither Trump nor Cruz addressed the confirmation battle over Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh until the crowd started to chant, Confirm Kavanaugh! Cruz assured them, Were gonna.

The Kavanaugh issue has bolstered enthusiasm among Republicans and led to better poll numbers in a number of races. The latest poll on Cruzs race, from Quinnipiac, was published on Sept. 25, amid the confirmation drama, and showed him with a 54-45 margin over challenger Rep. Beto ORourke.

Donald Trump Jr. fires up Ted Cruz supporters in Conroe https://t.co/mPLOBAiHoF pic.twitter.com/PZ9AhgYwr3  ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) October 4, 2018

Campaign Trail

Trump Jr. has been on the campaign trail, going to some of the same states as the president but at different times, ahead of the November midterm elections.

He has appeared recently or is scheduled to appear soonmost of the time with his girlfriend, former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoylein Minnesota, Ohio, North Dakota, Nevada, Texas, and Montana, according to a schedule obtained by the Wall Street Journal.

President Trump has been holding rallies across the country, appearing recently in West Virginia, Tennessee, and Mississippi. He was scheduled to hold a rally in Rochester, Minnesota, on Oct. 4 and hold a rally in Topeka, Kansas, on Oct. 6. He also has rallies scheduled in Iowa and Pennsylvania next week.

From NTD.tv

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Madeleine McCann May Be Alive, Hidden in Portugal, Former Detective Says

LONDONA former investigator who worked to try to solve Madeleine McCanns disappearance is convinced the girl is still alive and that the case could see a breakthrough.

The British girl was three years old when she disappeared in May 2001 from the familys apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, while they were on vacation.

Ex-detective David Edgar was hired by the missing toddlers parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, for three years before the Metropolitan Police in Britain started their investigation in 2011. The Mets seven-year probe has been dubbed Operation Grange and was initiated at the request of then-Prime Minister David Cameron after British authorities criticized the Portuguese probe.

Madeleines parents have said that there is absolutely nothing to suggest that their daughter was harmed or killed.

Edgar now has told The Sun that he believes Madeleine McCann is still alive, living in Portugal, and unaware of who she is.

There is every possibility that Madeleine is still alive and could be being hidden somewhere and having no idea that she is at the center of a worldwide hunt for her, Edgar told the newspaper. She could literally be anywhere in the world but my hunch is that she is in Portugal.

He suspects the girl probably wasnt taken across the border.

The chance that she may have been smuggled out of the country without being detected is highly unlikely, Edgar told The Sun. There is someone in Portugal with an open knowledge of where she is and what happened.

Edgar, a retired detective inspector, thinks the girl was snatched by a child-sex gang; he urged people with knowledge in the case to come forward and tell the truth.

It is never too late, he said.

Detectives at Scotland Yard have so far come up empty.

Its a baffling case, but I think its solvable, Edgar insists.

The detective said its likely that multiple individuals have knowledge of what happened, and that a falling-out between accomplices or someone trying to appease a guilty conscience could lead to a major development.

The best hope of a breakthrough, even after all this time, will be if and when someones conscience is pricked. It may be that the person responsible for Madeleines kidnap is dying and makes a deathbed confession, or someone close to that person comes forward after he or she has passed away.

Operation Grange has been financed by special government grants for seven years; the latest ran out on Sept. 30, according to the Daily Star. Law enforcement officials have requested more funds to continue the investigation, which has already cost 11.6 million pounds ($15.1 million).

A UK Home Office official said the application is still being considered, according to the report.

Gerry McCann told an interviewer on BBC Radio 4 on Sept. 29 that he is convinced his daughter is still alive.

I just want to hug her, to hold her, to crya lot. Never a day goes by when I dont think of Madeleine, he said, according to an Australian news service.

Kate McCann said in the same interview that she believes it is unlikely her daughter was taken far from the place where she disappeared from.

Ive always said Praia da Luz is the place where I feel closest to her. Thats where she last was and I dont think shes been taken a million miles from there.

Madeleine disappeared on the night of May 3, 2007, after being left alone with her younger twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, while her parents went out with friends.
Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi speaks about the government's plan for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project during a news conference in Ottawa on Oct. 3, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Feds Restarting Indigenous Talks Over Pipeline, Wont Appeal Court Decision

Accommodation doesnt mean Indigenous communities opposed to the project will have authority to halt it, Sohi says

OTTAWAThe federal government will not appeal the court decision that tore up cabinet approval for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and is appointing former Supreme Court justice Frank Iacobucci to oversee a new round of consultations with Indigenous communities.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government will follow the blueprint laid out by the Federal Court of Appeal in August, which said Ottawa had not properly consulted with Indigenous Peoples because it listened without trying to accommodate concerns.

If we were to appeal it would take another few years before we could begin construction and we feel the blueprint the court laid out for TMX will allow us to get things done quicker and get our resources to new markets other than the United States in a more rapid fashion, Trudeau said.

Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi said the government does not intend to restart Indigenous consultations from the beginning, but will use them to address the weaknesses the court identified.

He said the government will make a sincere effort to listen, consult, and offer accommodation where those accommodations are possible, but accommodation doesnt mean Indigenous communities opposed to the project will have authority to halt it.

We also understand there are still groups that will still oppose this project, Sohi said. Thats fine, thats their right to do so, but that does not mean that if we fulfill our constitutional obligation that those groups may have a veto to stop this project.

The Trans Mountain expansion would triple capacity of the existing pipeline between Edmonton and Burnaby, B.C.

Some Indigenous communities on the coast of British Columbia are adamantly opposed to new energy projects that affect their traditional territory, with concerns about higher risk of oil spills, limited knowledge of how the diluted bitumen the pipeline will carry behaves when spilled in water, and further stress for the Southern resident killer whales from more oil tankers in the Salish Sea.

The court decision also said the federal project approval was invalid because the National Energy Board failed to properly assess and take into account the environmental impact of having 35 tankers a month in the sea, up from about five now. The risks to orcas were a particular concern.

Last month, Sohi ordered the board to redo an environmental review of the projects risk of oil spills and the effect on marine life due to increased tanker traffic. The board has until the end of February to report.

Iacobuccis first task will be to work with the federal government, First Nations and Metis leaders to design the new consultation on Indigenous issues. Then he will oversee the process to ensure each step is in keeping with the courts ruling.

The new round will involve consultations with 117 Indigenous communities affected by the project. The government is allotting twice the resources of the last consultation, but Sohis office could not say what the budget would be or how many people would be assisting Iacobucci.

Sohi said there is no deadline for the process because that could hinder truly meaningful consultation.

Iacobucci served on the Supreme Court from 1991 until his retirement in 2004. He recently served as Ontarios chief negotiator with the Chiefs of the Matawa Tribal Council on the Ring of Fire, a proposed mining and smelting project in Northern Ontario. He resigned from that role when the Doug Ford government was elected in Ontario.

Prior to that he spent two years consulting for the provincial government on how to get more Indigenous people on juries in Ontario.

From The Canadian Press
First Lady Makes Emotional Visit to Former Slave Outpost in Ghana

First Lady Melania Trump visited a 17th-century castle along Ghanas coast that once served as a holding facility for the transatlantic slave trade, on the second day of her solo trip to Africa.

Trump vowed to never forget the conditions in which Africans were held before they were shipped across the Atlantic. She described the days events as an emotional experience and laid a wreath at Cape Coast Castle, a 17th-century fortress.

The castle, now a museum, is one of about 40 former slave warehouses along the Ghana coast that are still standing. The Cape Coast castle, at one time, shipped most of its slaves to America. One castle in nearby Elmina sent slaves to Brazil.

The first lady also spent some time asking questions of the museum director, Kwesi Essel-Blankson.

Its very emotional. This is a very special place, Trump said after taking time to tour significant locations across the castle, including rooms that were formerly used as slave dungeons.

At the time, slaves were held in cramped, dark, and badly ventilated quarters until they were sent abroad.

According to a Ghanaian cultural assistant working with the U.S. State Department, an estimated 20 million slaves passed through the fortresses.

I will never forget the incredible experience and the stories that I heard from the gentleman, Trump said. The dungeons that I saw  what happened so many years ago, its really a tragedy.

The first lady laid a wreath nearby the so-called Door of No Return, where slaves were first brought inside the fort. A guide sang a song during the solemn wreath laying. Before leaving, she signed the guestbook in acknowledgment of the suffering that was borne there.

Earlier in the morning, Trump had arrived at the Emintsimadze Palace to meet with Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, the chieftain of the regional Fante (or Fanti) tribe. She was escorted by the regional minister and the queen mother of Dehia, a Cape Coast traditional area. The Fante is a subgroup of the Akan people, and many of them live in the area.

A group of men at the palace strung up a sign in the courtyard: Awkwaaba [Welcome] to Cape Coast H.E Melania Trump in anticipation of her arrival. The exterior of the palace was decorated with Ghanaian and American flags while inside, yellow and purple sashes symbolizing royalty and wealth adorned the walls.

The first lady shook hands with everyone in the front row and gave a wave before taking her seat before the chief to begin the ceremonial negotiation process. She was then granted permission to enter Cape Coast Castle by the chieftain.

Thank you very much for your warm welcome. Im very honored to be here in your beautiful country, she told the crowd as part of her brief remarks. She accepted a ceremonial tray of kente cloths as a gift.

Later on Twitter, the first lady described the day.

Day two in Ghana was so impactful. My visit to Cape Coast castle was a solemn reminder of a time in our history that should never be forgotten she wrote on Oct. 3. Thank you to Chief Osabarima Kwesi Atta & the chieftains for the warm welcome & cultural ceremony.

Trump has made advocating for childrens welfare one of her main platform ideals. Her campaign, called Be Best, focuses on issues that children face today, including the effects of social media and opioid abuse.

The Fante chief had invited two deaf children from a local school to attend the ceremony with the first lady, marking a notable break from tradition because people with disabilities previously werent allowed to enter the palace. The chief made a point to tell the first ladys entourage how strongly he felt that the students should attend, and that he personally went to the school to invite the students.

Trump also will visit Kenya, Malawi, and Egypt during her trip aimed to promote childrens welfare. She will return to Washington at the end of the week.

On Oct. 2, Trump visited the Greater Accra Regional Hospital in Ghana and spent time with some of the infants there to the delight of the assembled mothers and hospital officials.

All four countries the first lady is slated to visit will receive funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development. She highlighted what the United States is doing for each nation in her speech announcing the trip at the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 26.

Trumps trip to Africa marks her first international solo journey since becoming first lady.
France Jailbreak King Caught After Hollywood-Like Helicopter Escape

PARISA famous gangster who escaped Hollywood-style from a French jail by helicopter was captured on Oct. 3 after a three-month hunt that led police a tower-block flat in an area where the man known as the jailbreak king grew up.

Redoine Faid, who has said his life of crime was inspired by blockbusters such as Scarface and Reservoir Dogs, escaped in July from a high-security prison where he was serving 25 years for a heist in which a police officer was killed.

His demise after three months on the run followed phone taps and monitoring of a woman who, prosecutor Francois Molins told a news conference, transported people believed to include Faid to a flat in burqas, a head-to-toe, face-concealing garb commonly worn by women in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.

He was arrested as he slept at an apartment in Creil, an hours drive north of Paris and not much further from the jail he escaped from south of the French capital in early July.

About 50 officers, some of them elite troops, took part in a pre-dawn Oct. 3 raid in which they also arrested a brother of Faid, two other men and a woman, among seven arrested in all, police sources said.

Burqas, wigs and guns were found at the premises, one of the weapons a handgun within arms reach of the sleeping Faid and a second one that looked like an Uzi submachine gun, Molins said.

Video footage from the scene of the arrests, sighted by Reuters, showed the inside of a humdrum fourth-floor apartment after a police raid, at around 4.20 a.m. local time (0220 GMT), early on Oct. 3.

Notorious Semi-Celebrity

Faid, 46, became a notorious semi-celebrity after penning a tell-all book about his colourful life, describing how he was born into crime in high-rise housing estates of the kind that sprang up around Paris in the 1960s and 1970s.

The book came out in 2010, shortly after his release from jail for a previous hold-up conviction. Within months he was arrested again over an attack on a cash-transport truck that lead to the death of a young police officer.

Faids notoriety made him almost a household name when he subsequently took four prison wardens hostage and dynamited his way out of a jail in northern France in 2013. He spent six weeks on the run before he was tracked down and put back behind bars.

Faid had spoken in the past of having spent years on the run in Switzerland and Israel, where he claimed to have disguised himself as an Orthodox Jew and learnt Hebrew.

His latest break-out, in which armed men landed in a hijacked helicopter in a prison courtyard to free him from an adjacent visitor room and then fly him out, prompted a political debate over security in France, where wardens went on strike last year over safety standards.

By Emmanuel Jarry
GOP Doxxing Suspect Arrested, Identified as Democrat Staffer

A man who allegedly doxxed Republican Senators on Wikipedia was arrested by United States Capitol Police late Wednesday, Oct. 3.

Private information about the Senators, including their home addresses, was posted on their biography pages on Wikipedia, shortly after the Sept. 27 public hearing that featured Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and California professor Dr. Christine Ford.

The Capitol Police identified the suspect as Jackson Cosko, 27, and said he was charged with making public restricted personal information, witness tampering, threats in interstate communications, unauthorized access of a government computer, identity theft, second-degree burglary, and unlawful entry.

The police said the investigation will continue and more charges may be forthcoming.

Clean cut all-american young man Jackson Cosko  GW University grad  who no doubt thought his SysAdmin skills would make it impossible for the Capitol Hill Police to identify him. This photo is from his LinkedIn profile pic.twitter.com/BmXl1N3Kdf  Christopher Burgess (@burgessct) October 4, 2018

Its unfortunate, said Glenn Rushing, Jackson Lees Chief of Staff when contacted about the arrest of Jackson Cosko, accused of doxing GOP Sens Graham, Lee & Hatchall mbrs of Judiciary Cmte. Rushing added that the office is cooperating with law enforcement in the probe.  Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 3, 2018

Links to Democrats

Cosko has worked for a number of Democrats, including most recently Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas).

Glenn Rushing, Jackson Lees chief of staff, told the Washington Examiner that Cosko was on Lees staff at the time of the arrest but has been fired.

It is an ongoing investigation and we are cooperating with authorities, he said.

Cosko has previously worked for Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), former Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

According to his LinkedIn, which describes him as a Democratic political professional and cybersecurity graduate student, Cosko first interned for Senators in 2011, before interning for Congress in 2012 into 2013. He began his current term of work for the Senate in January 2016, listing his positions as press intern, staff assistant, press assistant, and legislative correspondent.

According to his latest job title, he assisted senior staff with issues before the Commerce Committee including technology and also assisted with cybersecurity matters brought before the Homeland Security Committee.

BREAKING: Republican Senators Lindsey Graham, Orrin Hatch, and Mike Lee were targeted and doxxed with their home/office addresses and home/cell phones being published online on Wikipedia through an anonymous IP address associated with the House of Representatives. pic.twitter.com/G1GgCReA7E  Mike Tokes (@MikeTokes) September 27, 2018

Wikipedia Edits

Republican Senators were doxxed on Sept. 27, with information posted including their home addresses and phone numbers. The information was later removed.

The three doxxed officials were Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and Mike Lee (R-Utah), reported Fox News.

All three Senators serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is the committee handling the nomination of Kavanaugh.

The edits were identified by a Twitter account that automatically posts edits made to Wikipedia pages from computers on Capitol Hill.

Capitol Hill Police are probing doxxing incidents involving at least two additional Senators, reported Fox News on Oct. 3. One of those Senators doxxed was Sen. Rand Paul (K.Y.).

From NTD.tv
Author Sulmaan Khan at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 24, 2018. (The Epoch Times)

Haunted by Chaos: Insecurity is Weaved Into Chinas Grand Strategies

WASHINGTONAuthor Sulmaan Khan unveiled his new book Haunted by Chaos: Chinas Grand Strategy from Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 24. He said that the changing of leaders in communist China hasnt brought about fundamental changes because of a sense of insecurity, which has lingered and affected Chinas decision on grand strategies.

Sulmaan Khan is a historian and assistant professor at Tufts University. He was fortunate to gain access to Chinas rare historical archives while doing research for his book before the Chinese regime reclassified them.

Kahn said the reason the archives were reclassified is because the Chinese regime wants to control its people by rewriting the countrys past on its own terms.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping closed the Foreign Ministry Archive (FMA) in 2012. According to the Wilson Center, a Washington-based research institute, the FMA reopened in 2013 and 90-percent of the previously available documents were reclassified, and only 8,000 documents of miniscule importance remained open for research. The FMA shutdown again in 2014 and reopened in 2016.

Khan outlined the history and grand strategy of China, from Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping, and summarized them with, If you look at everything weve talked about, youll see the grand strategy is about basically being secure.

The biggest problem for China, Khan said, is not Trumps trade war, not North Korea, but the fact that the previous model of to be strong, must have a strong economy has reached its limit.

According to Khan, Chinas economic growth has severely impacted the natural resources and the physical foundation of a state, and this has undermined Chinas national security. Chinese civilization grows around rivers. If rivers run dry, what does that mean to you? That will worry me if I were in the place of Xi Jinping, maybe, it is just a maybe, whom the Gods wish to punish, he said.

When asked about whether there is a possibility for China to achieve democracy, Khan said, Chinas democratizing, in the terms I understand here would be, either the Party ceases to exist, or changes so fundamentally that it equates to ceasing to exist.

Khan said that in Deng Xiaopings years, the motto was being rich is glorious. Everyone thought that there was an equal opportunity to get rich. However, later on, when people found that only a certain politically connected business group could get rich, it became much harder for them to have confidence in the system, especially when food and clean water couldnt be ensured.

Compared to other countries, including China, Khan believes the United States is a strong and influential nation.

If you look at the Bush administrations national security documents, there is a bit about security there. But the overwhelming pin seems to be, We will make the world safer with freedom and democracy everywhere. A very ambitious and far reaching strategy.

Khan doesnt believe that the so-called China model will work elsewhere. He said, The interesting thing about Xi talking about promoting the China model was that the moment he started it, he decided that he was going to walk it back.
How Diving With Sharks Could Help Us Improve Cybersecurity

WASHINGTONOur fear of sharks may be able to teach us something about how to manage cybersecurity threats, says Melanie Ensign, security and privacy communications lead at Uber.

Its not the sharks superb hunting skills or ability to kill its prey that is useful, so much as the effect on the human brain. Humans have an irrational fear of sharks, as evidenced by the low chance of ever being attacked by one, compared to the more commonplace occurrence of being in a car crash.

Last year, there were no recorded deaths from the 53 shark attacks in the United States, according to the University of Florida International Shark Attack File. But there were 40,100 fatalities in car crashes over the same period, according to the National Safety Council.

Movies such as Jaws and international media coverage of shark attacks tend to make us think that swimming in dark water is likely more foreboding than the act of climbing into a motor vehicle. What we cant see, we generally fear more.

As for cyber security, we see lots of warning signs that tell us we are unsafe on our computer. Researchers at Brigham Young University studied users reaction to security alerts, and estimated in a 2016 study that people disregard warnings 22 percent to 87 percent of the time, depending on the task when they were alerted.

If we cant get people to focus on the right thing, because their brains are being flooded by these peripheral experiences, were going to have a difficult time helping them to get to the right conclusions, said Ensign, who spoke at the 2018 Borderless Cyber USA conference on Oct. 3.

Her solution? Cage diving.

The antidote to fear is curiosity, and if people are curious, they are more likely to use the higher-functioning parts of their brains that lead to better decision-making.

To help people overcome their fear of sharks, diving in a cage that offers protection can help a person overcome their fear. Applied to cybersecurity, if people can see the relative importance of a security threat, the less likely they are to ignore them when they are truly urgent.

Giving company stakeholders an insiders view of a so-called bug-bounty program is one way Ensign suggests dispelling that fear. I call the bug-bounty programs cage diving for infosec, she said. It is a supervised safe environment to expose them to everything.

If companies can see, from an outsiders perspective, what the vulnerabilities are, it can help them understand how they might be perceived by the public, and how the security team is dealing with the bugs, she says.

For customers, the cage could take the form of the language in messages they get when something goes wrong.

Im going to send you this alert so that youre aware of what is happening, and Im going to be really honest about what the risk level is, Ensign said about, for example, a suspicious account login.

These alerts and messages arent about something scary is happening, but about giving you visibility control  and raising your literacy on these issues and topics. Because, one day, youre going to have to make a decision for yourself.

One thing Ensign would like to see more of in the industry is communication with users before a security situation presents itself. Having these conversations before such a situation would allow for a more nuanced conversation, and help protect data in other areas, not just on one platform.

What I care about is raising the literacy of my users, she said. Because if you can figure out on my account, which is lower-risk than your bank account, maybe youll learn how to do something better on your bank account.

Borderless Cyber USA is an executive-level conference series that began in 2015 to bring together public and private sector cybersecurity experts to evaluate, debate, and collaborate on best practices and solutions to issues around cybersecurity. The organizers of the conference are The World Bank, OASIS Open Consortium, Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology, and Georgetown University. The Epoch Times is a media sponsor for the 2018 conference, which runs from Oct. 3-5 and is held at the The World Bank Group building in Washington.


How Environmental Justice Hurts Poor Communities

The story you are about to read is true. The names have been omitted to protect my retirement account.

The mayor made up in spunk, intelligence, and charm what she lacked in physical prowess. She was an aged, tiny woman, but her mind was anything but frail. She was determined to make a difference, to find a way to help the community she served to climb out of a pit labeled poverty and despair.

The developer was a godsend. The project the developer proposed would bring jobs to her town. There would be construction jobs and, when the plant started operations, well-paying, permanent positions. The developer was willing and able to offer training to residents so they could fill those permanent positions, and the developer was glad to give residents the right of first refusal for the training/employment program that the developer would offer.

The project also would bring millions in badly needed tax revenue to the town. That would allow the mayor to start to shed her towns dependence on state and federal aid.

That help would not come free of charge. The mayor knew that most of the politicians who pushed the grants her town needed through their legislative bodies expected a quid pro quo from the mayor and the residents of her community, in the form of active support during their reelection campaigns and votes on Election Day. Thats the way things work.

While she understood the facts of realpolitik, the implied subservience still rankled. If approved, the project would enable her to wriggle awayat least in partfrom under the state and federal thumbs that took so much decision-making power away from her and her staff. The project would deliver revenue that could be used to fix her towns deteriorating water distribution infrastructure, aid its severely underfunded and under strength police department, repair crumbling roads, and accomplish much more.

There were two big obstacles that could have prevented the project from ever seeing the light of day. The first was environmental permitting. The project would result in emissions of air pollutants, as many industrial projects do. To get a permit for the project, the permitting authority would need to be convinced that emissions of each and every regulated air pollutant would not exceed any applicable standard, and that the air people breathed anywhere within the projects zone of influence would not exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially designated safe concentrations.

Thats how I got involved with the project, the mayor, and the developer. Developing permit applications that will convince permitting authorities that a proposed project contains sufficient safeguards, thus ensuring that regulations will not be violated, is what I do. Explaining and proving the science that shows that a project will not result in any exceedance of EPA air quality standards is also what I do. And, I will truthfully, if immodestly, state that Im damned good at what I do.

Whats Best for Black People

Convincing the EPA and state agencies that a project complies with all applicable regulations and standards is one thing. Convincing environmental non-governmental organizations (environmental NGOs) and their cheerleaders in the mainstream media that a particular project is both safe and good for a community is quite another. That was the second big obstacle we faced.

So it was this conundrum that found both me and the mayor acting as humble supplicants, sitting across the table from a powerful environmental NGO that we both knew had the ear of the local mainstream media. If the NGO decided to trash our project, it would be toast. Not because there was anything about the project that was actually detrimental to the community, but because the permitting system is so complicated and the legal process allows for so many forms of appeal, that a determined opponent can wear down any developer by dragging out the approval timetable to something approaching infinity.

The mayor and I knew better than to expect the NGO to give the project a thumbs up. That wasnt going to happen. What we hoped forwhat we asked forwas for the NGO to stay out, to remain neutral, to neither hinder nor help our efforts. We made our pleas, and to be sure the mayors impassioned arguments were far more persuasive than mine.

After digesting them, the NGO bigwigs retired to another room to discuss the issues and render their judgment.

The basic problem here was that the mayors skin was of a darker hue than Caucasians like me, as were the overwhelming majority of her constituents. You will notice that I dont use the popular term African-American. When racist people exercise their right to have racist opinions, its not because they pretend to know the continent of origin of the person(s) they are attacking; its because they are making judgments based on skin color. And darker skin color extends far beyond the African continent.

As the NGO honchos discussed their position, the mayor laid a gentle hand on my forearm andin a tone of voice that combined regret and hope to a degree I cannot pretend to duplicatesoftly said, You know, Richard, I get really tired of white people telling me whats best for black people.

This particular NGO ultimately agreed to stay neutral in this particular case, a decision for which both the mayor and I were immensely grateful. It wasnt easy to get the NGO to stay neutral. It took a lot of work, and I remain very proud of the part I played in achieving that worthy outcome.

We are now delving into the concept commonly called environmental justice. Its an idea that should be honestly weighed against another concept: economic injustice. Well delve further into those concepts next week.

Whatever your political persuasion, dear reader, we hope you can retain a truly open mind as we continue to explore the all-too-common effects of Western-style environmentalist Puritanism with regard to the application of both terms.

More to come.

Richard J. Trzupek is a chemist and environmental consultant as well as an analyst at the Heartland Institute. He is also the author of Regulators Gone Wild: How the EPA Is Ruining American Industry.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
(L-R) LNG Canada CEO Andy Calitz, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and B.C. Premier John Horgan during an LNG Canada news conference in Vancouver on Oct. 2, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck)

Huge LNG Project in BC Given Final Approval by Shareholders

VANCOUVERInvestors have given final approval for a massive liquefied natural gas project in northern British Columbia.

The five partners have agreed to the $40-billion joint venture that includes a gas liquefaction plant in Kitimat on B.C.s coast and a 670-kilometre pipeline delivering natural gas from the northeast corner of the province.

The partnersRoyal Dutch Shell, Mitsubishi Corp., the Malaysian-owned Petronas, PetroChina Co. and Korean Gas Corp.delayed the final investment decision in 2016, citing a drop in natural gas prices.

But with this weeks final investment decision, the first liquefied natural gas is now expected before the middle of the next decade.

TransCanada Corp. announced separately on Oct. 2 that it will proceed with construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline project to the LNG Canada plant from the Montney gas-producing region near Dawson Creek, B.C.

LNG Canada CEO Andy Calitz says the project received support from the B.C. government, local First Nations, and the Kitimat community.

This decision showcases how industrial development can co-exist with environmental stewardship and Indigenous interests, he said in a news release.

B.C. Premier John Horgan said the project symbolizes the kind of balanced and sustainable path forward British Columbians are looking for.

We welcome the unprecedented commitment shown by the LNG Canada partners to work within our provinces ambitious climate goals, he said in a statement. The critical importance of this project is what it representsthe intersecting of economic development, jobs for local workers, partnerships with Indigenous communities, and forward-looking climate leadership.

But provincial Green party Leader Andrew Weaver called the announcement a profound disappointment.

B.C. taxpayers will subsidize its power by paying rates twice as high and taking on the enormous public debt required to build Site C. There may be as little as 100 permanent jobs at LNG Canada. I believe we can create far more jobs in other industries that wont drastically increase our emissions, he said in a statement.

Horgans minority NDP government only governs because of the support of the Green party.

Weaver noted the NDP were outspoken critics of the project when they were in Opposition under the Liberals.

Our caucus was shocked when they turned around and delivered an even larger giveaway once in power, he said. We did everything we could to deter them from making this decision, but we are only three MLAs up against the 84 whose parties support the heavy subsidization of this industry.

From The Canadian Press
Kanye Tells Detroit Art Student People Should Leave Elon Musk Alone

Rapper and producer Kanye West made a surprise visit to the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan, on Oct. 2.

During his visit, West posted about it, to the approval of many Twitter users, reported Detroit Free Press.

The fact that Kanye called CCS the best art and design school in the world is so sick, one person commented.

After touring some designs, West gave a passionate speech to the students. Part of his speech later appeared on Twitter.

In the video, West can be seen standing on a table passionately addressing the students, saying that he thought people should leave entrepreneur and Tesla founder Elon Musk alone. I dont give a f*** whos over at his house, leave that man the f*** alone.

Kanye really came to our little art school and told us to leave Elon Musk alone, the person who tweeted the video wrote. The video has been viewed nearly 500,000 times on Twitter.

Read More Kanye West Says He Reached Out to Colin Kaepernick for Trump Meeting

West recently ended his appearance on Saturday Night Live with a speech expressing his support for President Donald Trump. He later tweeted a photo of himself donning a Make America Great Again hat.

this represents good and America becoming whole again. We will no longer outsource to other countries. We build factories here in America and create jobs. We will provide jobs for all who are free from prisons as we abolish the 13th amendment. Message sent with love pic.twitter.com/a15WqI8zgu  ye (@kanyewest) September 30, 2018

Credit: Erica Heathcote via Storyful
Latest Updates on Hurricane Leslie, Hurricane Sergio, Rosa

Top video shows Hurricane Florence from space last month

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) is issuing advisories for Hurricane Sergio and Hurricane Leslie.

Hurricane Leslie

In its 11 a.m. update on Oct. 4, the NHC said Leslie is now a Category 1 hurricane and is circling around the central Atlantic Ocean. It is hundreds of miles from any landmass. The NHC said that it is about 445 miles east of Bermuda and is moving to the north.

The forecast model shows that Leslie will continue to move north before moving to the east. A reduction in speed is forecast on Friday and Friday night, with Leslie turning toward the east or east-southeast over the weekend, the agency said.

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, according to the weather agency.

Leslie will continue to generate large swells in the ocean water along the East Coast of the United States, Bermuda, and the Bahamas for the next several days.

Swells are expected to increase near the coasts of New England and Atlantic Canada by the end of the week, the agency said.

When Leslie moves to the north, the storm will run out of warm water and will gradually weaken, according to the NHCs discussion.

Hurricane Sergio

In the East Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Sergio is continually churning to the northwest away from land. The storm is a Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds.

There are no coastal warnings or watches for the system.

Sergio is moving toward the northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h) and this motion is expected to continue today. A turn toward the west-northwest and west at a slightly slower forward speed is expected Friday and Saturday, according to the NHC at 11 a.m.

There will not likely be any fluctuation in Sergios strength over the coming days, according to the NHC. By Friday, the storm will gradually weaken.

Rosa

The remnants of Hurricane Rosa, which hit Mexico as a tropical storm before it weakened to a tropical depression and hit the southwestern United States, has triggered flooding concerns in Arizona.

AzCentral, citing tribal officials, reported that Rosas rains produced unprecedented levels of flooding on the Tohono Oodham Nation, particularly in the vicinity of the Menagers Dam community.

Flooding near Menagers Dam Community and Kohatk Community    Tohono O'odham Nation     

Residents of the Menagers Dam community near Sells, Arizona, were evacuated because of uncertainty over the integrity of the dam, officials said.

The National Weather Service office in Tuscon painted a more dire picture, issuing a warning on Oct. 2.

Dam failure is imminent at Menagers Lake on the Tohono Oodham Nation. Evacuation per authorities is strongly advised for the village of Ali Chuk, said the office on Twitter.

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said on Oct 3: I am closely monitoring developments impacting the community of Ali Chuk, Arizona, which was displaced by flooding on the Tohono Oodham Indian Reservation. Over 100 tribal members were evacuated when the Menagers Dam was overwhelmed by remnants of Hurricane Rosa, AZCentral reported.
Mother Allegedly Throws Pepper in Eyes of Alleged Bullies

The mother of a bullied Florida schoolgirl is in jail after allegedly throwing an irritating powder into the eyes of two of her daughters alleged attackers.

Simmone James, 46, walked her 10-year-old daughter to Cambridge Elementary School in Cocoa, Florida, on Oct. 1 when she saw two of the children her daughter said had been bullying her, according to Florida Today.

James approached the two alleged bullies, ages 8 and 11, and threw a powdery irritant into their eyes. The two children ran screaming into the school office.

Both alleged bullies told the school administration that a parent had confronted them and put something in their eyes. They also said James had told them, Leave my daughter alone.

She confronted them and told them, basically, to leave her daughter alone, and threw what we believe is a cayenne pepper mixture with salt at the two females, Cocoa Police Department spokeswoman Yvonne Martinez told WFTV.

Other witnesses said they saw James pointing at a childs face before the attack.

James left the campus before school officials could find her. James was later arrested and charged with child abuse, disruption of a school function, and battery.

She is currently being held at the Brevard County Jail Complex on an $11,500 bond.

At her arraignment, the judge ordered James to steer clear of the students and the Cambridge Elementary School campus if James was able to bond out, WFTV reported.

The school nurse treated the two students for burning noses and inflamed, tearing eyes. The nurse said red and white powder smelled like cayenne pepper.

Brevard County Sheriffs officials told WESH that the powdery mixture included cayenne pepper and salt.

We were told that her daughter was being bullied by these girls, Cocoa Police Department spokeswoman Yvonne Martinez told Florida Today. But that doesnt justify what she did.

Daughter Allegedly Endured Months of Abuse

Larry Barkley, Jamess husband, said that their daughter had been enduring bullying for months.

The parents had reported the bullying and school officials said they were investigating, but no action had been taken. Barkley said he and James were tired of the ongoing assaults on their daughter.

My daughters scared to death, Barkley told NBC Miami. My wife got to walk her to school and I dont think its fair.

Barkley told Fox News, I stand by what my wife did for one reason. You do not attack no ones child. And beat them up, and have them afraid to walk the street or ride a bike.

Matt Reed, assistant superintendent of Brevard County Schools, told WFTV, They reported the bullyingthe alleged bullyingto school administration, which by law and policy, was doing an investigation of the bullying. Thats an extensive process.

Cocoa Police spokeswoman Yvonne Martinez said she understood Jamess action but could not condone it.

Any mom is going to defend her child, but this is not the way to do it, Martinez told NBC Miami. You dont resort to violence to deal with it.

From NTD.tv
Over 250 Recorded Selfie Deaths Are Tip of the Iceberg

Beware of the pursuit of that perfect selfieit could get you killed.

Thats the message from researchers who said there have been over 250 deaths from selfies since the phenomenon began in 2011.

They are calling for no selfie zones at certain tourist destinations where the thirst for likes and shares is sending people toppling off the edges of waterfalls or into the path of oncoming trains.

And while young women might be taking more selfies, the reckless behavior of young men means they are three times more likely to die taking the perfect photo, according to the research.

The 259 deaths revealed by the studys limited methods are likely to be the tip of the iceberg.

The leading cause was from drowning, mostly from people being hit by waves or falling out of boats, according to the study, that researched reports from 2011 to 2017.

Over half of the deaths were in India, where the research was carried out by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

India has already created 24 no selfie zones along the coast of Goa, with signs on cliffs, popular beaches, and swimming holes in the state, which attracts about 6 million tourists each year.

Grenades, Bears and Trains

The other top countries were Russia, the United States, and Pakistan.

Russian authorities in 2015 issued official warnings as a trend for daredevil selfies and videos took hold, saying a cool selfie could cost you your life. Over 100 people had been injured and 10 killed in death-defying stunts gone wrong, including a woman wounded by a gunshot and two men who killed themselves blowing up grenades.

A trend had also grown in Russia for selfies on top of moving trains.

Transportation was high on the list of causes of selfie deaths in the study.

In India, there have been a number of high-profile selfie accidents from a craze of posing in front of approaching trains, spawning the term Killfies and official government warnings.

The study, published in The Journal of Family Medicine, also identified other top causes as falls from high places and being attacked posing with dangerous animals.

In May, an Indian man was killed while trying to take a selfie next to a wounded bear. It was the the third wild animal-related selfie fatality in the region of India in less than a year.

Exponential Increase in the Last Year

The study only scoured worldwide reports in English, so researchers say the 259 deaths identified are just the tip of the iceberg, with reports in local languages missing.

With the explosion of social media use and phones across the developing world, the problem is rapidly getting worse.

There has been an exponential increase in the number of selfie deaths from 20142015 to 20162017, noted the report.

This is because of increased usage of mobile phones, enhanced selfie features on mobile phones, increased availability of selfie sticks, and also promotion of the phenomenon of selfies through events like best selfie prize.'

The study called for more no selfie zones to be established in many tourist areas, especially places such as water bodies, mountain peaks, and over tall buildings.

Selfies are themselves not harmful, concludes the study, but the human behavior that accompanies selfies is dangerous.
Pence Says China Is Meddling in US Democracy, and US Wont Back Down

Trump administration adopts new approach to China, seeking to end its predatory behavior

WASHINGTONVice President Mike Pence delivered a strong message: The Chinese Communist Party is employing an unprecedented approach to meddle in the United States democracy and to influence public opinion, but President Donald Trump wont back down because his leadership is working.

In a speech on U.S. policy toward China at the Hudson Institute on Oct. 4, Pence outlined in detail the intensive and sophisticated influence operations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the United States.

Beijing is employing a whole-of-government approach, using political, economic, and military tools, as well as propaganda, to advance its influence and benefit its interests in the United States, Pence said.

Worst of all, China has initiated an unprecedented effort to influence American public opinion, the 2018 elections, and the environment leading into the 2020 presidential elections, he said. To put it bluntly, President Trumps leadership is working, and China wants a different American president.

Pence said, China is targeting U.S. state and local governments and officials to exploit any divisions between federal and local levels on policy. Its using issues, like trade tariffs, to advance Beijings political influence.

Beijing has also mobilized covert actors, front groups, and propaganda outlets to shift Americans perception of Chinese policies, he said.

Other means include trying to influence business leaders and American voters directly.

You need only look at Beijings tariffs in response to ours. They specifically targeted industries and states that would play an important role in the 2018 election. By one estimate, more than 80 percent of U.S. counties targeted by China voted for President Trump in 2016; now, China wants to turn these voters against our administration, Pence said.

Pence also mentioned a multi-page supplement in the Des Moines, Iowa, Register that was financed by the Chinese government as an example of Beijings attempts to directly appeal to U.S. voters.

New Approach to China

Pence said that previous administrations all but ignored Chinas actionsand in many cases, they abetted them. But those days are over, and the Trump administration has adopted a new approach.

We seek a relationship grounded in fairness, reciprocity, and respect for sovereignty, and we have taken strong and swift action to achieve that goal. 

The United States new approach, Pence said, includes making the strongest military in the history of the world stronger still, implementing tariffs specifically targeting the advanced industries that Beijing is trying to capture and control, giving a stronger commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, forging new trade deals, streamlining international development and finance programs, and giving foreign nations a just and transparent alternative to Chinas debt-trap diplomacy.

Pence said that he would travel to Singapore and Papua New Guinea next month to represent the United States at ASEAN and APEC, and would unveil new measures and programs to support a free and open Indo-Pacific on behalf of the president.

One of those programs is the BUILD Act, which will Trump will soon sign into law. The act provides the means for private enterprise to contribute to the development of low- and lower-middle-income countries. Thats partially in response to Chinas One Belt One Road initiative, which has given the Beijing regime influence in the Pacific, South Asia, and Africa.

To protect our interests here at home, weve strengthened CFIUSthe Committee on Foreign Investment in the United Statesheightening our scrutiny of Chinese investment in America, to protect our national security from Beijings predatory actions.

Pence said to counter Beijings malign influence and interference in U.S. politics and policy, the United States will continue to expose it, no matter the form it takes.

He also encouraged more journalists to report the truth without fear or favor, and dig deep to find where China is interfering in our society, and whyand we hope that more American, and global, news organizations will join in this effort.

US Rebuilt China With Unfulfilled Hope

Pence said that the United States once hoped that economic liberalization would bring China into greater partnership with us and with the world.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, we assumed that a free China was inevitable. Heady with optimism, at the turn of the 21st century, America agreed to give Beijing open access to our economy, and bring China into the World Trade Organization.

With this optimism, the United States rebuilt China.

Over the past 17 years, Chinas GDP has grown 9-fold; it has become the second-largest economy in the world. Much of this success was driven by American investment in China, Pence said.

And the Chinese Communist Party has also used an arsenal of policies inconsistent with free and fair trade, including tariffs, quotas, currency manipulation, forced technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and industrial subsidies doled out like candy, to name a few. These policies have built Beijings manufacturing base, at the expense of its competitors, especially the United States.

Now, through the Made in China 2025 plan, the Communist Party has set its sights on controlling 90 percent of the worlds most advanced industries, including robotics, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. To win the commanding heights of the 21st Century economy, Beijing has directed its bureaucrats and businesses to obtain American intellectual propertythe foundation of our economic leadershipby any means necessary, he said.

Pence said that under Trumps leadership, the United States has been defending its national interests with renewed strength. Pence expressed the hope that U.S. companies will follow suit to defend their intellectual property, and not to abet Beijings oppression.

Pence said that the U.S. actions have had a major impact. Chinas largest stock exchange fell by 25 percent in the first nine months of this year.

Religious Freedom

Pence highlighted religious freedom in his speech, and expressed his deep concerns over the CCPs crackdowns on Chinese Christians, Buddhists, and Muslims, as a country that oppresses its own people rarely stops there.

Last month, Beijing shut down one of Chinas largest underground churches. Across the country, authorities are tearing down crosses, burning Bibles, and imprisoning believers. And Beijing has now reached a deal with the Vatican that gives the avowedly atheist Communist Party a direct role in appointing Catholic bishops. For Chinas Christians, these are desperate times.

Taiwans Democracy

Pence sharply criticized Beijings coercive behavior against Taiwanincluding convincing three Latin American nations to sever ties with Taipei and recognize Beijingand also forcing U. S. companies to change how they depict Taiwan.

While our administration will continue to respect the One China Policy, as reflected in the three joint communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act, America will always believe Taiwans embrace of democracy shows a better path for all the Chinese people, Pence said.

History and Future

When giving a brief review of the history of U.S.-China relations, Pence emphasized that the United States had never played any negative part in Chinas so-called Century of Humiliation. Instead, the United States fought together with China against imperialism during World War II, and in that wars aftermath, America ensured that China became a charter member of the United Nations.

But soon after it took power in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party began to pursue authoritarian expansionism. Only five years after our nations had fought together, we fought each other, Pence said.

Pence encouraged Chinas rulers to change course.

As our national security strategy states: Competition does not always mean hostility. As President Trump has made clear, we want a constructive relationship with Beijing, where our prosperity and security grow together, not apart. While Beijing has been moving further away from this vision, Chinas rulers can still change course, and return to the spirit of reform and opening and greater freedom.

The American people want nothing more; the Chinese people deserve nothing less, Pence said.
An aerial view of uninhabited island of Spratlys in the disputed South China Sea on April 21, 2017. (Erik De Castro/Reuters)

Pence to Tell China: We Will Not Be Intimidated in South China Sea

WASHINGTONU.S. Vice President Mike Pence, sharpening U.S. criticism of Chinese policies around the globe, will give China a blunt warning on Oct. 4 that the United States will not back down from what Washington sees as Chinese intimidation in the South China Sea.

Pence will deliver an 11 a.m. (1500 GMT) address at the Hudson Institute think tank in Washington.

In excerpts of his speech seen by Reuters, Pence will call attention to an incident in which a destroyer, the USS Decatur, traveled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands on Sept. 30.

Pence will say a Chinese naval vessel came within 45 meters of the USS Decatur as it conducted freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, forcing our ship to quickly maneuver to avoid collision.

Despite such reckless harassment, the United States Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and our national interests demand. We will not be intimidated. We will not stand down, Pence will say.

The operation was the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijings efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters, where Chinese, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies operate.

Pence will also accuse the Chinese Communist Party of convincing three Latin American nations to sever ties with Taiwan and recognize China.

These actions threaten the stability of the Taiwan Straitand the United States of America condemns them. And while our administration will continue to respect our One China Policy, as reflected in the three joint communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act, let me also say that Taiwans embrace of democracy shows a better path for all the Chinese people, Pence will say.

The United States and China are embroiled in a trade war, sparked by Trumps accusations that China has long sought to steal U.S. intellectual property, limit access to its own market and unfairly subsidize state-owned companies. The two countries have imposed increasingly severe rounds of tariffs on each others imports.

In New York, Trump accused China of attempting to meddle in the U.S. congressional elections coming up next month.

He cited a Chinese government-run media companys four-page supplement in the Sunday Des Moines Register of Iowa as an attempt to turn voters in that key state against Trumps trade policies.

Debt Diplomacy

Pence will say China uses debt diplomacy to expand its influence worldwide.

Today, that country is offering hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure loans to governments from Asia to Africa to Europe to even Latin America. Yet the terms of those loans are opaque at best, and the benefits flow overwhelmingly to Beijing, he will say.

He will also say that Beijing has extended a lifeline to the corrupt and incompetent Maduro regime in Venezuela, pledging $5 billion in loans that can be repaid with oil.

Pence will say the U.S. intelligence community has determined that China is targeting U.S. state and local governments and officials to exploit any divisions between federal and local levels on policy.

Its using wedge issues, like trade tariffs, to advance Beijings political influence, he will say.

The goal, he is to say, is to shift Americans perception of Chinese policies by mobilizing covert actors, front groups, and propaganda outlets.

As a senior career member of our intelligence community recently told me, what the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what China is doing across this country, Pence will say.

Pence will also argue that Chinese officials have tried to influence business leaders to condemn U.S. trade actions, leveraging their desire to maintain their operations in China.

In one recent example, they threatened to deny a business license for a major U.S. corporation if it refused to speak out against our administrations policies, Pence will say.

The corporation is not named in the speech excerpts.

By Roberta Rampton
A police officer stands guard on the steps of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC on June 15, 2017. (JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

Republicans Have Never Borked a Nominee to the Supreme Court

Democrats have done it 3 times now

The talking point du jour among the Republican Elite Smart Set (TM) is that its time for Judge Brett Kavanaugh to do the right thing and withdraw his nomination to the Supreme Court.

I just finished reading some dreary drivel from several political commentators who attempted to claim that both sides have turned the nomination process into a circus.

This is flatly false.

At no time during Kavanaughs nomination have the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee strayed from either the clear Senate rules or the chambers process on nominations. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa has shown the patience of Job in dealing with Democratic members outright flaunting of violations of the rules and of decorum.

The thinking by these gutless commentators goes something like this: The Democrats have gone so low, their tantrums are becoming so loud and prolonged, the only thing to do is give in and give them what they want by withdrawing Kavanaugh and nominating someone else, so that we may again have this elusive thing called bi-partisanship.

The well has been poisoned too much, these people insist. We should all agree that if Kavanaugh went to the Supreme Court now, all his opinions would be tainted, so itd be best to just have him withdraw and start the process over again.

This is nonsense.

The only thing a Kavanaugh withdrawal would demonstrate at this point is that it would show Democrats that these deplorable tactics work, and they must now double down. The next Trump nominee, whoever it might be, would get these same tactics, only worse. The Democrats have made their bad faith in these proceedings so abundantly clear that any attempt to compromise with their leadership is both foolish and stupid.

The epitome of this kind of stupid thinking that I am talking about is Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) who, after a month of watching the Democrats bad-faith efforts to subvert the entire nomination process, told reporters he was worried there wasnt enough effort by Republicans to reach across the aisle and work with the Democrats to find a compromise.

Ponder that for a second. Even after Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) held back Christine Blasey Fords letter for 60 days and then leaked it to the media, Flake is worried that the GOP looks bad for not bending over backward to work with these ruthless partisans.

Republicans have rigorously followed Senate rules and the honored the decorum of the nomination process. And this is despite the fact the Democrats have repeatedly engaged in vitriolic character assassinations of GOP nominees to the Court.

Theres actually a term to describe the deliberate character assassination of a judicial nominee. Its been used several times in recent weeks in the Kavanaugh hearings: borking.

The term comes from the 1987 confirmation hearings of Judge Robert Bork, who was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan. Because Bork was, at that time, probably the most qualified judge to ever be nominated for the high court, Democrats launched an orchestrated campaign to stop his nomination by attacking his character.

The term to bork' as a verb actually appears in the Merriam-Webster dictionary: to attack or defeat (a nominee or candidate for public office) unfairly through an organized campaign of harsh public criticism or vilification.

By the time Clarence Thomas was nominated to the court in 1991, to bork was a term already in popular usage.

At a National Organization for Women conference held in 1991, feminist activist Florynce Kennedy said: Were going to bork him. Were going to kill him politically.  This little creep, where did he come from?

Many people thought the spectacle that Democrats turned Thomass nomination hearing into was as bad as it could get. The present Kavanaugh fiasco, engineered solely by desperate Democrats, has shown the entire country just how much worse one party can make this by deliberately subverting both the Senates rules and the nomination process.

Lets be clear: The GOP has never borked a Democratic nominee to the Supreme Court. Objections to Democratic nominees were made based on their judicial record, not upon wild, far-fetched accusations of personal misconduct, produced only when all other avenues failed.

There was no attempt whatsoever by the GOP to bork either Sonia Sotomayor or Elena Kagan, President Barack Obamas first two picks for the top court. Both of those nominees sailed through with hardly a ripple.

When the Senate didnt give Obamas last Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland a vote, it followed established Senate rules when it did so. It didnt violate any rule or process for court nominations. The Republican senators certainly didnt try any 11th-hour character assassination of Garland in an attempt to keep him off the Supreme Court.

So while the Republicans have adhered to the rules, and followed and respected the nomination process, Democrats have violated both the spirit and the letter of both the rules and the process three timesagainst Bork, Thomas, and now Kavanaugh.

So enough of this stupid both sides are responsible for this circus blather. Only one side has been tirelessly and relentlessly working to poison the well here.

Everyone knows which side it is.

Brian Cates is a writer based in South Texas and author of Nobody Asked For My Opinion  But Here It Is Anyway! He can be reached on Twitter @drawandstrike.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Senate Receives FBI Report on Kavanaugh, McConnell Triggers Vote Process

The Senate has received the completed FBI investigation on allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and has begun moving toward a final vote on the candidate.

The supplemental background file was received by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, late on Oct. 3.

Ranking Member Feinstein & I have agreed to alternating EQUAL access for senators to study content from additional background info gathered by non-partisan FBI agents, Grassley wrote early Thursday on Twitter.

Senate leaders from both sides have elected to keep the material confidential for now, with only Senators and a few select aides being able to view it. Its unclear if some parts will be made public, on purpose or through leaks.

The material will be handled in accordance with a 2009 memorandum of understanding between the chairman of the committee at the time, Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and the White House Counsel for President Barack Obama, Grassley said.

White House

The White House said there will be plenty of time for senators to view the FBI report.

With Leader McConnells cloture filing, Senators have been given ample time to review this seventh background investigation. This is the last addition to the most comprehensive review of a Supreme Court nominee in history, which includes extensive hearings, multiple, spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement.

The FBI report includes no evidence corroborating the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh, reported Fox News. Christine Blasey Ford, a California professor, has not been able to present any evidence supporting her recent claim about an event from 36 years ago and has struggled with inconsistencies with her story. Her lawyers have refused to turn over therapist notes and information regarding a polygraph exam she took this year.

President Donald Trump initially said he would be watching closely to see what Ford said in the lead-up to a Sept. 27 public hearing, but afterward said he didnt find her credible and backed Kavanaugh, as do a number of his supporters.

I just filed cloture on Judge Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court. There will be plenty of time for Members to review and be briefed on this supplemental material before a Friday cloture vote.  Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) October 4, 2018

Cloture

Late Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-K.Y.) filed cloture on Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court.

The filing of cloture triggers a multi-day process, including one day between the filing and the cloture vote.

That means the cloture vote will take place on Friday; according to the Republican Senators, that will be exactly one hour after the Senate convenes that day.

There will be plenty of time for Members to review and be briefed on this supplemental material before a Friday cloture vote, McConnell said in a statement.

Cloture is the way the Senate can place a time limit on consideration, or debate, of a bill or another matter, or end debate on the matter and move toward a vote.

Following the scheduled cloture vote on Oct. 5, the full and final vote on Kavanaugh is expected to take place on Oct. 6. All Senators will vote on the nomination. The Senate is currently made up of 51 Republicans, 47 Democrats, and 2 Independents; the latter typically side with the Democrats.

Most or all of the Republicans are expected to vote for Kavanaugh, while some believe at least a few Democrats will vote for him as well. President Donald Trumps first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, was confirmed by a vote of 54-45, which included yes votes from Senators Joe Manchin (D-West Va.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), and Joe Donnelly (D-Indiana).

From NTD.tv

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A protester is arrested by Alameda County sheriff during a demonstration outside of Zellerbach Hall on the U.C. Berkeley campus in Berkeley, California on Sept. 14, 2017. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Sheriffs Sergeant Charged for Recordings of Confidential Attorney Conversations

An Alameda County sheriffs sergeant has been charged with four felonies for the alleged illegal and secret recordings of juvenile suspects in an interview room in March, prosecutors said on Oct. 3.

Sgt. James Russell was charged with four counts of eavesdropping on or recording confidential communications for his alleged actions at the Eden Township sheriffs substation on March 15, according to the Alameda County District Attorneys Office.

The allegations against Russell came out in August when the county public defenders office provided evidence of the recording of confidential conversations between juvenile suspects and their attorneys.

The public defenders office obtained body camera footage of a conversation between Russell and Lt. Timothy Schellenberg in which Russell said he has been recording conversations between attorneys and clients.

When the district attorneys office learned of the recorded conversations, the cases of those juveniles were dismissed. Prosecutors are still reviewing all other cases submitted by the sheriffs office since the start of 2018 to see if more will be dismissed.

Sheriffs spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said the sheriffs office is aware that charges have been filed against Russell, who has been placed on administrative leave.

Russell is set to be arraigned on Oct. 17, in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland.

Eavesdropping on confidential attorney conversations is a felony under California law punishable by up to three years in prison.

By DanMcMenamin
South Carolina: One Officer Dead, Four in Serious Condition

Five law enforcement officers were shot on Oct. 3. and the suspect is now in custody in Florence County, South Carolina.

Deputy Chief Glenn Kirby told news outlets on the scene that three Florence County sheriffs deputies and two city officers were shot.

Florence County Coroner Keith von Lutcken confirmed one city officer to be dead from the incident, The Associated Press reported.

A female Florence County deputy was shot during the incident some time after 5 p.m, WMBF reported. The condition of the other law enforcement officers are unknown.

Authorities are asking people to stay away from Vintage Place, west of Florence, due to an active investigation.

 Derek Lowe C, 3  2018 .

President Donald Trump tweeted his condolences and gratitude for the law enforcements work.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Florence County Sheriffs Office and the Florence Police Department tonight, in South Carolina. We are forever grateful for what our Law Enforcement Officers do 24/7/365. https://t.co/ZwDmDthItD  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 4, 2018

Governor Henry McMaster tweeted his praise for the officers and deputies involved.
Suspect in Shooting of 7 Officers Is Competitive Rifleman

FLORENCE, S.C.A Vietnam veteran who bragged online about maintaining his target-shooting skills was being held on Oct. 4, in the shooting of 7 law enforcement officers, one of whom died, after deputies tried to serve a search warrant at his home.

Authorities said Frederick Hopkins opened fire on the deputies from inside the home and held children hostage while shooting long-range at other officers who rushed to the suburban neighborhood.

The sheriff departments armored personnel carrier was brought in to recover the wounded during Wednesdays two-hour standoff, and the shooter finally released the children as he was taken into custody, authorities said.

Officers went there unknowing the firepower the suspect had, Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said at a news conference.

Fire was being shot all over. The way this suspect was positioned, his view of fire was several hundred yards. So he had an advantage. The officers couldnt get to the ones who were down.

Records show Hopkins, 74, is a disabled Vietnam veteran and disbarred lawyer who has faced several charges in recent years, starting with a 2014 count of disorderly conduct.

Authorities have not described what weapons were involved, but Hopkins apparently owned several guns, including an M-14 rifle. A 2014 post on his Facebook page said he celebrated his 70th birthday at a shooting range by repeatedly firing his M-14, set up exactly like the one he used in Vietnam.

I have been shooting competitively since 1984 and lovin it. I just love the smell of gunpowder in the mornins, said the post. Other posts from 2016 show images of rifles set up on what looks like a range, and say he was the South Carolina 3-Gun Silhouette Champion for 2011.

The violence stunned people in the area, where many have been dealing with record flooding from Hurricane Florence. Both the sheriff and police chief cried as they spoke to reporters after the standoff.

The slain officer, Terrence Carraway, 52, of Darlington, had just been honored for his 30 years of service with the Florence Police Department.

I want you to pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer I have ever known, said his chief, Allen Heidler.

WIS-TV reported Thursday that Florence County Chief Deputy Glenn Kirby said Hopkins was hospitalized with a head injury and unable to speak with officers. WPDE-TV reports Hopkins fell at the scene.

Kirby also said that the search warrant involved an accusation that a 27-year-old person at the home sexually assaulted a foster child who lives in the home.

Three Florence County deputies were wounded while trying to serve the warrant around 4 p.m. Wednesday. Officers from all over arrived to help, and the suspect ultimately shot four Florence city police officers, one fatally, Heidler said.

Boone credited his departments military equipment for enabling them to pull the wounded from the field of fire.

Thanks to our MRAP, armored personnel carrier, we made sure all the officers that were shot were protected and brought for medical attention, he said.

Officials did not identify the wounded officers or describe their conditions.

Condolences and outpourings of support rolled in.

President Donald Trump tweeted his thoughts and prayers, saying We are forever grateful for what our Law Enforcement Officers do 24/7/365.

This is simply devastating news from Florence, Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted. The selfless acts of bravery from the men and women in law enforcement is real, just like the power of prayer is real.

This is the second shooting of multiple police officers in South Carolina this year. In January, a 47-year-old former banker shot four officers in York County, killing one, after his wife called 911 to report he beat her. Christian McCall pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life without parole.

Florence, a city in South Carolinas northeastern corner home to roughly 37,000, sits at the convergence of Interstates 95 and 20. Its the largest city in the region known as the Pee Dee, where flooding from Hurricane Florence devastated areas to the east and south.

By Jeffrey Collins and Meg Kinnard
Taiwans Education Sector Is Under Siege by Beijings United Front

Unidentified officials from Taiwans National Security Bureau said that Beijings united front work has infiltrated schools at all levels, targeting students, teachers, and school headmasters, according to an Oct. 4 report by Taiwanese newspaper the Liberty Times.

In an attempt to influence Taiwanese politics and society, Beijing has for a long time resorted to subversion campaigns carried out by the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as well as other Party agencies, to persuade organizations or individuals to spread the Partys propaganda.

Chinas united front efforts date to the 1920s, according to Russell Hsiao, executive director of the U.S.-based think tank Global Taiwan Initiative, in testimony before the U.S.China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) in April. Beijing has directed such tactics against Taiwan, since the island nation transitioned to a democratic system from a dictatorship under martial law.



Beijing considers Taiwan, a full-fledged democracy with its own constitution, elected government, and military, a renegade province that must be reunited with the mainlandthrough military force if necessary.

Beijing has tried to launch a charm offensive toward the Taiwanese public, seeking to persuade them that by being dependent on the mainland, especially in economics, Taiwanese can reap great financial benefits. However, such efforts have backfired in recent years, most evidently by the defeat of the more Beijing-friendly Nationalist Party (also known as Kuomintang) in regional elections held in November 2014, as the majority of Taiwanese voters decided to vote for parties that favor Taiwans independence.

The latest example of Taiwanese society under siege involves a cultural exchange camp for Taiwanese high school students to be held in Jinan City, in the eastern province of Shandong in China. Jointly hosted by the city governments education bureau and Taiwan affairs office, the camp will be held Nov. 4 to 11, according to the Liberty Times.

Two of Taiwans top high schools, Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School and Taipei Municipal Chenggong High School, posted information about the camp on their websites. The camp has been called out by Taiwanese citizens, who suspect that the camp is a united front effort, since the eight-day camp has a fee of only NT$9,250 (about $300), according to Taiwanese broadcaster SET News. The very low fee suggests that the Jinan government may have subsidized the camp fees, and has a political motive for hosting it.

Many Taiwanese schools, students, and teachers have taken part in similar programs in China. This past summer, 220 students and teachers from 40 Taiwanese schools took part in a science camp for high school students that was hosted by The China Association for Science and Technology and Chinas education ministry. Many Taiwanese high schools, including a top all-girls school, Taipei First Girls High School, were listed as co-organizers of the camp.

The programs are designed to pressure students, school faculty, and parents into having a more favorable view of the CCP, or become someone that pushes the CCPs agendas.

Wang Shih-cheng, a Taipei city councilor, criticized Beijings attempt to use cultural programs to spread its agenda among Taiwanese youth and turning Taipei into a Chinatown, according to The Liberty Times. Wang also called out Taiwanese schools that partner with China on different programs, saying that they are akin to inviting the wolf into the housea popular Chinese idiom that means trusting someone who is inherently dangerous.

In 2017, the Jiangsu provincial government, located on Chinas eastern coast, initiated the Hundred School Thousand Student plan, with the goal of having 1,000 students from both Jiangsu and Taiwan take part in exchange programs at 100 schools in China and Taiwan, according to Chinas state-run Xinhua.

According to the Liberty Times, the Jiangsu program is also a part of the united front efforts. In May this year, 259 students and teachers from 18 mainland Chinese schools visited Taiwan for exchange programs. Some of the students even stayed at the homes of Taiwanese students during their visit.

Beijings united front work isnt limited to the education sector. According to an August report on Chinas united front work in other countries by the USCC, Beijing also tries to recruit politicians in Taiwan and third countries to advocate for Beijings sovereignty claims over Taiwan, such as by sponsoring trips to China or offering job opportunities and trade deals there.

Additionally, Beijing also sponsors organized crime in Taiwan to destabilize society and meddle in local politics. The example provided in the report is Chang An-lo, leader of the pro-Beijing China Unity Promotion Party, who is also an infamous local gang boss who advocates for Taiwans capitulation to China.
The Lingering Ghost of the Cultural Revolution

In 1984, George Orwell cautioned us, The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history. Orwell further pointed out: Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.

Perhaps, no entity better practices Orwells dictum than the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). If you live in China long enough, chances are you will likely witness the CCP revising its own history periodically, depending on its leaders political needs or perhaps mood swings.

Starting this spring semester, a newly revised textbook has been adopted. Chinese eighth graders are now taught a new narrative about the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (also known as the Cultural Revolution) that Chairman Mao Zedong launched and energized between 1966 and 1976markedly different content from what the eighth graders studied in the previous year.

The horrific and massive human suffering and death as a result of Maos reign of terror and lawlessness during the Cultural Revolution have been well documented as public record these days.

In 1981, under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, the CCP adopted the Resolution on Certain Historical Issues of the Party Since the Founding of the P.R.C., which, for the first time, denounced Maos role in the Cultural Revolution, describing the Cultural Revolution as being disastrous and civil turmoil. Until now, all leaders who came after Deng have been following this established party line as laid out in this Resolution.

There are three major revisions with this new textbook. In the previous edition, there was a five-page section called 10-Year Cultural Revolution, but the new edition removed this section and combined the Cultural Revolution descriptions with another section while reducing the combined section to three pages only. Apparently, the current CCP leadership has made a deliberate effort to minimize the impact of the 10-year Cultural Revolution.

The old edition states, In the 1960s, Mao Zedong mistakenly believed that the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party was engaging in revisionism, and that the Party and the country faced the danger of capitalist restoration. In order to prevent the restoration of capitalism, he decided to initiate the Great Cultural Revolution.

The new edition, however, has removed the word mistakenly, attempting to justify Maos motive to initiate the Cultural Revolution. It states, In the mid-1960s Mao Zedong believed that the Party and the country faced the danger of capitalist restoration. Therefore, emphasizing the idea of using class struggle as a principle, he wanted to prevent the restoration of capitalism by initiating the Great Cultural Revolution. By the summer of 1966 the Great Cultural Revolution had been fully launched.

The new edition also adds the statement, World history always moves forward with ups and downs, thereby, making light of the atrocities of the Cultural Revolution as part of the natural evolution of history.

What is, then, the purpose of these textbook revisions and why now? Many CCP members, including current top CCP leader Xi Jinping, are actually among the victims and survivors of the Cultural Revolution.

In 2013, Xi, however, made some unusual remarks, Mao is a great figure who changed the face of the nation and led the Chinese people to a new destiny  The banner of Mao Zedong Thought could not be lost and losing it means a negation to the Partys glorious history. The principle of holding high the banner of Mao Zedong Thought should not be wavered at any time and we will hold high the banner to advance forever.

Many China watchers suspect that by reframing Maos role in the Cultural Revolution, Xi is attempting to achieve Maos paramount status himself, especially in light of his recent move to end the presidential term limit, which has paved the way to allow Xi to stay in power for life.

Transfixed on Maoist Thought

In a New York Times article, Song Yongyi, an expert on the Cultural Revolution at Cal State University in Los Angeles, used Bo Xilai, a CCP princeling, as an example to illuminate why the CCP elite is deeply attached to the doctrines as well as the legacy of the Cultural Revolution.

Bo, now behind bars as Xis political rival, was once an avid promoter of the Red Songs from the era of the Cultural Revolution and a rising CCP star, who was seen a few years ago as a successor or even replacement for Xi among those who wanted a change in leadership.

In a conversation with Fang Ning, head of the Politics Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Bo disclosed that his family was supposed to resent Mao immensely for being harshly purged during the Cultural Revolution, but upon further reckoning, Bo claimed that Maos leadership style was still the best way to save China. In other words, promoting Maoism could actually help Bo achieve his own political ambitions, according to Songs analysis.

The majority of the Chinese leaders at all levels of the government, Xi and Bo included, belong to the so-called Cultural Revolution generation, also known as the lost generation.

They have gone through perhaps a yet more bitter experience than what George Orwell once envisioned in 1984, and their worldviews were mostly shaped since childhood by Maos little red book, Quotations From Chairman Mao Zedong. Despite present-day economic reform and globalization, their minds and souls have been deeply ingrained with Maoist doctrines, which they continue to hold relevant in this digital era.

This appears to be true with many of the Cultural Revolution generation. It would be a daunting task to think outside the box, especially in a closed society. As Carl Jung once noted, The wine of youth does not always clear with advancing years; sometimes it grows turbid.

In 1989, when thousands of college students rallied for democracy on Tiananmen Square, few might have noticed that these students often drew inspiration and fellowship by singing LInternationale, the best-known communist anthem from the 19th century socialist movement, because that was one of the few songs they all knew by heart back then, growing up in the shadow of the Cultural Revolution.

Living in a closed society, these young people were not able to create any new song for political reform, nor was it possible at that time for them to be aware of Western protest songs such as We Shall Overcome and Blowin in the Wind.

Haunting the Populace

Major disparities appear between people living in communist societies and democracies, in terms of language usage, mentality, way of life, and culture. The contrast comes into sharp focus when comparing people who lived in East and West Germany, or those who are living now in North and South Korea, or those who live in mainland China and territories outside mainland China, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao.

Since 1949 or after the CCP overtook mainland China, those who live outside the communist rule such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao, have been spared the communist brainwashing process as well as various political campaigns.

As a result, these Chinese people, often labeled as overseas Chinese by the mainland Chinese, continue to use traditional Chinese characters and uphold 5,000-year-old Chinese traditions while an almost opposite path has been taken in mainland China over the past 69 years. Unlike open societies where multiple versions of textbooks are available, in China there is only one version of textbooks and the CCP controls the content.

These latest textbook revisions, however, did not come out without sparking some emotional debates from almost all sectors of society in China, as the Cultural Revolution remains a tormenting memory for many millions of Chinese people who lived through it, and they fear the second coming of the calamity.

Once again, we witness that online critical posts by Chinese netizens have been quickly harmonized or deleted by the cyber cops. One tweeted, We always protest Japanese textbooks for whitewashing the crimes during WWII in China, but the Party doctors our own history shamelessly to deceive our future generation.

By embracing the ghost of the Cultural Revolution, the CCP rulers are continuing to haunt the populace with the past nightmare. They seem to have forgotten the stern warning from their guru, Karl Marx, History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.

As noted by Song Yongyi in the New York Times article, If one wants to know whether the Cultural Revolution has truly ended, just find out if Maos portrait on Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen) has been taken down or not.

Peter Zhang focuses his research on political economy in China and East Asia. He is a graduate of Beijing International Studies University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and of Harvard Kennedy School as a Mason fellow.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Juventino Luna, town hall representative of Tultepec, with bomba fireworks at a regulated firework shop in Tultepec, Mexico, on Oct. 1, 2018. (Tim MacFarlan/Special to The Epoch Times)

The Pride and Perils of Working in Mexicos Fireworks Capital

TULTEPEC, MexicoClaudia Urban is one of the lucky ones.

On the afternoon of Dec. 20, 2016, she was working her stall at the San Pablito fireworks market in the town of Tultepec, about an hour north of Mexico City, when tragedy struck.

Explosion after explosion ripped through the dozens of stands at the market, where up to 300 tonnes (330 tons) of fireworks are thought to have been on sale.

Claudia, whose family has been making fireworks for four generations, ran for her life.

I heard the explosion and I ran out, but when I did I saw a black cloud of smoke which had enveloped us and many lights, she told The Epoch Times.

I didnt have time to do anything and when I turned to look for my friend at the next stand, she wasnt there. So I ran, and I ran, and I ran, until I came to the fence. But the smoke was everywhere, so I ran for the exit. I dont remember how or when I got to the road.

The cause of the initial explosion that afternoon, at the height of the firework-selling season just five days before Christmas, is still unknown.

That day, 42 people lost their lives, either killed instantly by the blasts or succumbing to their injuries later in hospital.

It is a painful experience we still havent recovered from. It hurts us still, Claudia said.

The tragedy was the worst to have ever struck Tultepec in terms of loss of lifebut it is just one of 55 explosions connected to the towns firework industry to have been recorded since 1998, according to a list compiled by the Mexican newspaper Excelsior.

These incidents have resulted in 119 deaths in a town with a population of just 120,000 people.

Yet the industry in Tultepec is growing.

Growth and Danger

New workshops are springing up in La Saucera, the series of fields on the edge of the town where federally regulated production takes place, and there are 30,000 people registered as producersa quarter of Tultepecs inhabitants.

It is in La Saucera, named after the dirt road running through these plots, where the latest catastrophe occurred.

On the morning of July 5 this year, a series of accidental detonations at a number of buildings attached to workshops in the zone killed 24 people, including four firefighters who had rushed to help.

It is in these same fields where Emmanuel Urban runs a workshop making fireworks in the same business that almost killed his mother Claudia.

Its a very varied job, and thats what hooked me, he said.

The towns economic dependence on fireworks is clear. Emmanuel says 30 percent of the towns population is involved with fireworks.

But it turns out those 30 percent make up 70 percent of Tultepecs economic production, Emmanuel said.

More than this, it is pride in Tultepecs title as the fireworks capital of Mexico, and the skill it takes to produce handmade pyrotechnics, that causes thousands of people to risk their lives every day for their art.

This is what makes us defend ourselves, this is what we do in Tultepecwe defend our work and we should feel proud, wouldnt you agree? Emmanuel said.

Not everyone does what we do. Few are those who go out and fight. Tultepec is one of them and perhaps thats why were always in the firing line because we defend and resist. Because we say that we are what we are and this is what well continue to be.

The industry first sprang up more than 200 years ago when locals realized they could use saltpeter or potassium nitrate, a base ingredient of gunpowder that occurs naturally in two lakes to the north of the town, to make pyrotechnics.

Every March, Tultepec celebrates its firework-making heritage with a fiesta at which 300 or more life-sized model bulls with pyrotechnics strapped to their backs are wheeled through the town.

It is in these same streets where residents operate their own clandestine workshops.

Backstreet Business

Locals who cant afford to build a workshop in La Saucera and obtain a federal license to make fireworks supplement their incomes by manufacturing them in their own homes.

It is the danger of an explosion in a heavily populated area that keeps Tultepecs Mayor Armando Cervantes Punzo awake at night.

We estimate at least that for every licensed fireworks maker there is a clandestine pyrotechnician operating in the residential area, he said.

The licensed people buy the material and then resell it to the illegal producers who work in the town because to be able to buy the necessary chemicals, you need special licenses.

In addition, the fact fireworks are regulated federally means that unless the federal police or the army catch you with a bathtub full of gunpowder in your basement, the municipal authorities can do nothing to stop you.

The strategy of Juventino Luna, Tultepec town halls representative with special responsibility for the fireworks industry, is to encourage backstreet producers into the mainstream.

We know there are clandestine places where they dont have permission and they are making explosives in the populated urban zones, he said.

But these are the same people who we as the city council are inviting to consider regulation or to become legal, with adequate security arrangements. Thats why were in this campaign as a town, to regulate the pyrotechnicians.

Tultepec may or may not succeed in stamping out illegal production and making safer its most dangerous of pursuits.

Regardless, those dedicated to making fireworks in the town will carry on doing so, passing on their skills to their children.

Family Heritage

Chava Reyes runs a workshop in La Saucera with his family. He says that despite the numerous tragedies that residents of Tultepec have lived through, the towns fireworks artists will continue, they say, until they are all gone.

The art of fireworks will always be present, it will never die. As long as we keep going, it will always be here, said Reyes.

Im the third generation, but my children now have it in their blood. And if Im not around, well, my kids will continue.
Trafficked Movie Screening Addresses Human Trafficking Issue

A Southern California business and cultural organization recently held a screening of a heart-wrenching film about human trafficking to raise awareness of the issue.

Asian Industry B2B hosted the viewing of the movie Trafficked and organized a panel discussion at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital in Glendale, California on Sept. 28, inviting the movie cast and law enforcement representatives.

The 2017 movie is based on a true story about three young girls imprisoned in a brothel in Texas near the U.S. border who dare to come up with a plan to escape from their sex traffickers and find freedom.

Portraying Sex Trafficking Victims

In the film, actress Jessica Obilum plays a young mother named Mali from Nigeria, Alpa Banker plays an Indian woman named Amba, and Kelly Washington plays Sara, an American.

Banker told the Epoch Times that as an American actress, portraying a character from a different country was pretty challenging, and so was the material itself.

Our job is to make it human and for the audience relate to our character, to make her real enough, to where you see your daughter, you see your sister  even though none of us have gone through anything this terrible, she said.

Obilom said her Nigerian background helped her with the role of Mali, and she said the experience was eye-opening.

Ive never experienced that. So [I was] trying to make it real for me, and making sure Im able to depict that truthfully, especially because this is happening in real life. I want to represent that the way it should be represented, Obilom said.

Both Obilom and Banker recalled the moment they burst into tears after reading the movie script, but they were glad to help get the message out about such an important issue.

Its especially rewarding to see how people are moved by it and how its been used to spread awareness and trying to help eradicate human trafficking as much as possible, said Banker.

A Challenging Topic

Executive producer Frank Mayor has been in the film industry for nearly 30 years, and he said people generally want to be entertained, so that makes it difficult to make a movie with a message.

Were very careful to make it clear theres also a US problem. It wasnt just a foreign problem, because a lot of Americans think thats just something that happens elsewhere, but it actually happens everywhere, he said.

Mayor said sex trafficking is an ugly business all around, that obviously involved kids, and its even uglier than you can imagine.

Californias Trafficking Hotspots

California has three cities that are among the 13 highest child sex trafficking areas in the nationLos Angeles, San Diego, and San Franciscoaccording to the website Do Something.

The platform also says that many of victims are runaway girls who have experienced sexual abuse at a young age.

Carl Povilaitis, chief of police for the City of Glendale, addressed the panel regarding the human trafficking situation in the Los Angeles area, calling it a very, very significant problem.

Over the years, we got very good at doing narcotics investigations and taking down very large, complex organizations. We probably werent so good at looking at sex trafficking and human trafficking and trying to take those organizations out, he said.

The Los Angeles Sheriff Departments Human Trafficking Bureau, with the multi-agency task force Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force (LARHTTF), which is led by LASD and US Attorneys Office has rescued 221 victims and arrested 948 individuals since its inception up to January 2018, according to the LASD.

Youre having people kidnapping kids from other countries. You have people who are selling their kids from other countries to the traffickers that are bringing them in and taking them to different areas, different states to be used for sexual exploitation. This starts as young as 10 years old, said Burton Brink, who has 29 years of experience at LASD and is currently running for state assembly.

Its estimated that 14,500 to 17,500 victims are trafficked into the United States every year.

California is ranked #1 in the U.S. for the most trafficking cases, which is twice the number of those trafficked in Texas, ranked as #2.

In 2016, 1,331 cases of human trafficking were reported in California. Of those cases, 1,051 were sex trafficking cases, 147 were labor trafficking cases, 46 involved both labor and sex trafficking, and in 86 cases the type of trafficking was not specified, according to California State Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General.
Trio Wins Chemistry Nobel 2018 for Work on Antibody Drugs

STOCKHOLM, LondonTwo Americans and a Briton won the 2018 Nobel Prize for Chemistry on Oct. 3 for harnessing the power of evolution to generate novel proteins used in everything from environmentally friendly detergents to cancer drugs.

The fruits of this work include the worlds top-selling prescription medicinethe antibody injection Humira sold by AbbVie for treating rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.

Frances Arnold of the California Institute of Technology, George Smith from the University of Missouri and Gregory Winter of Britains MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology were awarded the prize for pioneering science in enzymes and antibodies.

Arnold, only the fifth woman to win a chemistry Nobel, was awarded half of the nine million Swedish crown ($1 million) prize while Smith and Winter shared the other half.

Some people breed cats and dogs. I breed molecules, Arnold told Reuters after learning of the award, which she said had come as a complete surprise.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said Arnold had transformed science by using the principles of evolutiongenetic change and selectionand to evolve new types of proteins very fast.

Arnold is the second woman to win a Nobel prize this year after Canadas Donna Strickland shared the physics award on Oct. 2.

Her research on enzymesproteins that catalyze chemical reactionslaid the bedrock for the development of better industrial chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

There are enzymes now in detergents that we use in our dishwasher and have been evolved by this process. There are also enzymes that can create new types of biofuels or that catalyze the formation of building blocks for new medicines, said the chairman of the Nobel chemistry committee Claes Gustafsson.

All this you can do with enzymes that Frances Arnold has developed.

Paradigm Shift

Smith developed a method using a virus that infects bacteria to produce new proteins while Winter used the same phage display technique to engineer the evolution of antibodies, with the aim of producing more effective medicines.

Humira, or adalimumab, was the first drug based on Winters work to win regulatory approval in 2002. It has since gone on to become a blockbuster, with sales last year of $18 billion.

With this medicine, far fewer people with rheumatoid arthritis are forced to use a wheelchair, said immunologist Dan Davies of the University of Manchester.

Other antibody drugs at the cutting edge of medicine use the same technology, including a number of treatments that have proved highly effective against cancer.

Winter said he was surprised by the huge commercial success of antibody drugs, which he put down in large part to the high prices that drug companies have managed to charge for them.

I had no idea they would be so commercially successful  it was a complete paradigm shift, he told reporters in a conference call. Antibodies as a pharmaceutical product are still growing great guns.

The prizes for achievements in science, literature and peace were created and funded in the will of Swedish dynamite inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel and have been awarded since 1901.

For the first time in decades, the Nobel line-up did not feature a literature award after a rift within the Swedish Academy over a rape scandal involving the husband of a board member left it unable to select a winner.

The science and peace prizes are selected by other bodies. Chemistry is the third of this years Nobel Prizes after the winners of the medicine and physics awards were announced earlier this week.

By Daniel Dickson and Ben Hirschler
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference to discuss a revised U.S. trade agreement with Mexico and Canada in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 1, 2018. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement Targets Chinas Bad Practices

The new trade deal between Canada, Mexico, and the United States has put China on notice about some of its most egregious business practices, experts say.

Named the U.S.MexicoCanada Agreement, or USMCA, the pact will replace the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). While the new agreement still needs approval from Congress before it comes into effect, President Donald Trump has high hopes that it will allow North America to be transformed into a manufacturing powerhouse.

I believe this agreement will boost productivity and economy in both Canada and Mexico, said Frank Xie, a business professor at the University of South CarolinaAiken, in an interview with the Chinese-language Epoch Times.

Under NAFTA, Xie explained, many Mexican products sold in the U.S. market were the result of packaging cheap components imported from elsewhere, such as China. Now, under the deal, Mexico wont be able to rely on cheap components anymore, and subsequently, that will drive an upgrade of the Mexican industry.

There were holes in NAFTA that were damaging to the U.S. industry, said Xie, noting that cheap parts from China allowed Mexican products to be sold for reduced prices, thus undermining competition with U.S. goods. Now, the new agreement is to close those holes. Much like the current trade war with China, Trump doesnt want China to exploit those holes anymore, he said.

While under NAFTA, Chinese companies were able to evade tariffs by selling components to Canada or Mexico, then shipping those products tariff-free into the U.S. market, trade experts have also pointed out that the new agreement with Mexico and Canada includes a provision that targets Chinas bad practices.

The provision specifies that if one of the current NAFTA partners enters a free-trade deal with a non-market country such as China, the other two can quit in six months and form their own bilateral trade pact with each other, according to Reuters.

Derek Scissors, a China scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, said the provision gave the Trump administration an effective veto over any China trade deal by Canada or Mexico.

If repeated in other U.S. negotiations with the European Union and Japan, it could isolate Beijing in the global trading system.

For both Canada and Mexico, we have a reason to think an FTA [free trade agreement] with China is a possibility. Its not imminent, but this is a very elegant way of dealing with that, Scissors said in an interview with Reuters. Theres no China deal thats worth losing a ratified USMCA.

Trump, who most recently slapped tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods, has said the tariffs are designed to protect U.S. interests from Chinese actions, such as the theft of American intellectual propertywhich is estimated to cost the U.S. economy $180 million to $540 billion annually, according to 2017 estimates by the IP Commission of the National Bureau of Asian Research, an independent research organization.

Reactions From Inside China

While Beijing hasnt officially issued a statement about the USMCA, Chinese media have been critical.

Wang Peng, a lecturer at Xian Jiaotong University, located in northwestern Chinas Shaanxi Province, wrote in an Oct. 2 article published on Guancha, a nationalistic Chinese news site, that the agreement was the result of coercion by Trump, for the purpose of getting back at China.

Li Guangman, a freelance writer and columnist for Chinese news opinion portal CWZG, wrote that Mexico and Canada were simply corpses that have been killed by the big bat of the U.S. trade war and China should not show any sympathy towards them [Mexico and Canada].

Li also took a jab at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling his remark of its a good day for Canada after agreeing to the USMCA self-comforting. Li suggested that Beijing should work with other developed countries other than the United States, and disintegrate any economic alliance in the world that might target China.

Wenweipo, a pro-Beijing newspaper based in Hong Kong, ran an article on Oct. 2, titled, Canada and the U.S. Got What They Need and Mexico is the Loser, arguing that the terms of the new agreement were akin to concessions that would hurt Mexicos economy.

Unlike the NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the USMCA imposes stronger rules of origin for vehicles and automotive parts. That is, automakers will enjoy zero tariffs if 75 percent of auto parts making up their automobiles are manufactured in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, an increase from the original threshold of 62.5 percent under NAFTA.

Additionally, the deal requires that 40 percent of a vehicle eligible for duty-free importing must be made by workers earning a minimum of $16 an hour.

Reuters contributed to this report.
US Navy Veteran Arrested in Probe of Suspicious Letters

WASHINGTONA U.S. Navy veteran was taken into custody on Oct. 3 as a suspect in the investigation of letters sent to senior U.S. government officials initially feared to contain the poison ricin, the U.S. Attorneys Office for Salt Lake City said.

William Clyde Allen III, 39, was arrested in Logan, Utah by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on a probable cause warrant and will be charged on Oct. 5, said Melodie Rydalch, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorneys office.

Allen is under investigation for letters sent to Pentagon officials and President Donald Trump, a separate law enforcement source said.

A Federal Bureau of Investigation statement in Salt Lake City said the agency was investigating potentially hazardous chemicals in Logan, which is about 66 miles (106 km) north of Salt Lake City.

U.S. investigators have essentially ruled out terrorism after the envelopes sent to a Pentagon mail-sorting facility were flagged on suspicion of ricin, U.S. officials said on Oct. 3.

A Pentagon spokeswoman said tests showed that Oct. 2nds alert was triggered by castor seeds, which ricin is derived from, as opposed to the deadly substance itself.

U.S. security and law enforcement officials separately said an active counter-terrorism investigation was not being conducted into the envelopes.

Ricin is found naturally in castor seeds, but it takes a deliberate act to convert it into a biological weapon. Ricin can cause death within 36 to 72 hours of exposure to an amount as small as a pinhead. No known antidote exists.

One of the letters was addressed to U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, and the Pentagon said on Oct. 2 it had put its mail facility under quarantine.

The U.S. Secret Service said it was investigating a suspicious envelope addressed to Trump that was received on Oct. 1, though it never entered the White House.

Allen served in the U.S. Navy from October 1998 until October 2002, leaving the service as a seaman apprentice, the second-lowest rank, according to the U.S. Navy Office of Information.

By Mark Hosenball
Victims of P2P Lending Crash Hold Simultaneous Protests Across China

Police suppressed and arrest demonstrators in 17 cities

Local security forces in 17 cities across China sprang into action on Oct. 1, when large numbers of people gathered to protest the recent crash of the peer-to-peer (P2P) online investment industry that began this spring and left millions bereft of their savings.

Demonstrators staged their protests at 3 p.m. in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Nanchang, Hefei, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Changsha, Nanning, Fuzhou, Kunming, Zhengzhou, Jinan, and Shijiazhuang.

The Oct. 1 activism coincides with National Day of the Peoples Republic of China, referring to the date of the communist regimes founding in 1949.

The demonstrations were well-attended, with some participants telling The Epoch Times that up to 10,000 P2P victims showed up in the protest to hold signs and shout slogans.

An unknown number of people were arrested and detained by the public security authorities, as Chinas police are officially termed.

The police arrested protesters, at least 3 to 4 were detained, some were injured, said a protester in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Many protesters were at the site and the police blocked pedestrian areas.

Reports say that officials in Hefei, Anhui Province, went to the protest site and met with protesters outside a theater, but after the meeting, the police started to detain the protesters.

A protester in Hefei, said: the police surrounded the venue. People were not allowed to leave or enter the site. The police beat protesters and detained the key participants.

More people were present at the demonstration in Shanghai, and around 180 were arrested, according to a protester. In Beijing, police outnumbered the demonstrators and cordoned off the zone with checkpoints. Parking was prohibited at key locations such as subway stations, bus stops, and around Tiananmen Square.

Since April and May of this year, thousands of P2P online financial platforms have crashed, devastating the industry and leaving millions in financial ruin. Victims have petitioned the authorities for months without result, and some have committed suicide.

The protesters say that they will continue their activism.

Ms. Liao, a woman from Beijing who lost nearly 10 million yuan (about $1.5 million) in the P2P crash, spoke with The Epoch Times about her situation. She had invested money in hundreds of platforms over the past two years, when the industry received heavy state support.



In a short period of time, several thousands of P2P lending platforms were established, which led to competition, Liao said.

In order to be competitive, many special offers were launched to attract investors. The money snowballed over time. When my investments in one platform matured, I would make a withdrawal. But if it made a special offer, I would put my money back in, she said.

But we had no way of knowing that they would run away with our money. Some platforms held meetings with all the investors, but the next day, all the executives ran off They didnt leave any evidence and even their staff arent aware of what happened.

Liao said that P2P investment had become addicting, and compared it to drugs and gambling.

The current situation is like a game between the government and the citizens, she said. The government isnt going to solve the problem.  The P2P lending initiative was started by the government, and now it is also the government that caused this problem, so it should foot the bill.
A visitor at Intel's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Day walks past a signboard during the event in the Indian city of Bangalore on April 4, 2017. (MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Why the Legislative and Election Process Needs Artificial Intelligence

News Analysis

Many national lawmakers have little real understanding of the laws they are passing, nor any real appreciation of their implications on individuals, businesses, or societies at large.

In the United States, for example, many lawmakers dont even necessarily read the bills they vote on, relying instead on feedback from specialized staff members to review and explain legislation, or the independent analyses produced by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), think tanks, or lobbyists.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to be another interpreter of legislation in the future, although not necessarily to create legal summaries directly for lawmakers. It is more likely that NGOs, think tanks, lobbyists, and staff will use AI to help them analyze the likely effects of legislation more accurately.

A Long Read

The common practice of U.S. lawmakers not reading bills came back into public debate when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, prompted some media outlets to voice their opinion around a common message. The message to lawmakers was Read the bill before voting on it. These media outlets were really raising concerns about complexity.

The number of pages of regulation associated with Obamacare range between 5,000 and 20,000, depending on how you count them, because of all the references to other laws. In 2009, the U.S. Code was estimated to have over 42 million words.

The Obamacare bill (H.R. 3962), excluding references to other regulations, is 1,990 pages long with almost 235,000 substantive words, which is slightly shorter than the book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and is roughly 0.5 percent of the entire U.S. Code.

Clearly, the large volume of text demonstrates the complexity of the U.S. regulatory framework. If lawmakers dont read the bills they vote on, can they really understand them? Where are lawmakers getting their information from to base their decision on, and is it reliable?

The introduction of AI in the legislative process is becoming more likely because of other emerging trends such as the creation of human-readable reports from structured and unstructured data.

Artificial Help

Primer, an AI company, has developed machine learning (ML) algorithms that can mine vast amounts of internet data to summarize a topic into key concepts and trends.

For example, a user can enter information into an AI platform about a topic he or she may be interested in, such as coal mining in Indonesia, and a report will be produced by the AI behind the scenes.

The technology already is being used by some big banks and members of the intelligence community to summarize topics of interest on-demand, which allows analysts to focus on other things, while still staying abreast of key trends and risks.

If an AI system can create human-readable reports from unstructured internet data, then it can also decipher legislation. It will take time to train AI how to process legislative language effectively, but as ML algorithms become ubiquitous, easily deployable, and more affordable to run, its likely that someone will develop AI to make legislation more transparent.

AI can transform the legislative process by moving it from lawyers manually reading and writing bills to modeling them. Perhaps, one analyst may read and write bills as another leverages AI, natural-language-processing algorithms, and data visualization to model their impact within existing complex legislative frameworks.

AI can help to model, predict, and monitor the impact of legislation that lawmakers pass, but it can also keep the same lawmakers accountable on many other fronts. In a 2018 Gallup poll, only 5 percent of those surveyed had a high degree of confidence in the U.S. Congress.

In many countries, simply trying to understand what an elected official or candidate running for public office believes or has historically voted on can be a daunting task. AI can help decipher how lawmakers have voted historically, their public stances in the media, sources of campaign funding, possible conflicts of interest, and other publicly available information.

Doing so could make the legislative process easier to understand and might also encourage more people to run for office and participate in the political process, by virtue of it being made more transparent and making elected representatives more accountable.

Accountability

The relentless parade of corruption scandals worldwide amplifies the need to introduce more transparency and accountability across the board. In a 2016 study, it was estimated that the annual global cost of bribery was $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion, or approximately 2 percent of global GDP.

Some have criticized these widely cited corruption metrics, but anyone who has traveled throughout the world, follows the news, and has read Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index understands the gravity of the problem.

AI is already being used by law enforcement to evaluate a persons truthfulness when crossing country borders and by companies to determine which job candidates make it to the second round of interviews to meet with flesh-and-blood human beings.

AI can even analyze a persons facial expressions in a recorded video or monitor pupil dilation during a series of questions designed to score an individual for trustworthiness.

In the future, some politicians may use their willingness to undergo an AI-based lie-detection test as a platform from which to build their political campaigns. Similarly, if an NGO developed AI to monitor the public data of lawmakers for any potential concerns about conflicts of interest, it might reduce the level of corruption because of the fear of getting caught.

The voters of the future may be able to visit a website to browse a politician they are thinking of voting for and get a lot of useful information from AI-driven platforms that could score politicians for honesty, graft risk, historical voting patterns on key issues, publicly available data on personal assets, and hidden links with companies and other high-risk individuals.

While some politicians may not want to give up their personal information voluntarily, others who may be an underdog in a political race may think they have nothing to lose by submitting themselves to an all-intrusive AI cavity search.

Also, the use of AI could help promote their campaign through viral media posts and reduce the need for wealthy campaign donors. In other words, AI could alter the power dynamic among the political elites, level the playing field, and give more power back to where it belongswith voters.

If AI were to provide us with a wealth of information about potential political candidates, would people actually use it?

Also, would a candidates honesty or propensity for corruption affect the outcome of elections in the future, given the low bar that has been set on the acceptability of corruption, its widespread practice, its institutionalization in the halls of government, and the relative political apathy of some voting populations?

Values

The caliber of the AI used in the political process of the future will, of course, only be as good as the data used to calibrate it and the degree to which voters use and benefit from it.

Evaluating the effectiveness of processes and laws boils down to the values that societies, lawmakers, and the voting public attribute to them. Instead of being deliberately transparent and neutral, AI systems could be trained to promote radically different value systems.

Could a truly objective political AI that is immune to partisanship even be created, and would it stand a chance of being accepted and effective if the noting public remained partisan in nature?

Despite the risks, the legislative and election process is in desperate need of a shakeup. The reality is that no one, especially lawmakers, truly understands the impact of the laws passed, because its extremely complex and no one has attempted to model it.

As governments begin to model legislative changes they can set guideposts for the types of impacts they would like to see such as a reduction in unemployment.

Besides holding lawmakers accountable for the laws they do or dont pass, the public needs to hold politicians accountable for their own actions or lack thereof. Perhaps AI, if deployed widely enough and with care, is part of the answer toward rebalancing the scales of power back to the people.

Keith Furst is managing director of Data Derivatives. He is the co-author of the new book AI Supremacy: Winning in the Era of Machine Learning.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
As part of a series aimed at understanding Russia's global influence, The Washington Post examined Russia's low-cost, high-reward strategy in Serbia - a pivotal Balkan nation that has declared its desire to join the European Union but also counts Moscow as an ally.

Although the West is showering cash on Serbia, Russian influence is far more penetrating. The Kremlin dominates the front pages of newspapers; Serbian Orthodox priests often echo Russian talking points; and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic makes regular trips to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

One key issue that has kept the countries close is the Kremlin's refusal to recognize Kosovo as an independent nation following the former Serbian province's decision to break away in 2008. Russia has used its U.N. Security Council veto to block efforts to give U.N. membership to Kosovo and to shield Serbia from condemnation.

The Post spoke to Vucic this summer about how he balances relations between Russia and the West. Here are some excerpts from that conversation, lightly edited for clarity.

-The Washington Post: You've been emphasizing a European, Western path for Serbia but also preserving good relations with Russia. If you were a member of the EU, you would have to impose sanctions on Russia. Is that something you would be ready to do?

-Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic: Serbia has not only a regular and normal position but has the only position that it can defend by itself. Which means that we are on our EU path; we want to belong to a European type of society. That's No. 1, something of the biggest significance for us.

And what we want to be a part of is the European Union as an organization of 27, 28 member states, which is the biggest bloc of peace and tranquility. And also, that would help us to keep stability and to keep up reforms on different issues, including the anti-corruption fight, rule of law. That's what we need.

On the other hand, we have the Kosovo issue, which is interpreted in different ways, but you have Kosovo in all of our chapters in a way. Whatever someone might say, we are overwhelmed with the issue of Kosovo. And if you analyze the recent polls in Serbia, you are going to see that if one day there would be a referendum on the European future of Serbia, the EU path will win. That's about the rational approach of the Serbian people.

But if there would be the people's assessment and people's estimation on the European policy on Serbia, it is slightly different. People immediately connect the European Union to all the pressures that we are facing with Kosovo, and it is the same with Americans. And it is something strange.

And on the other hand, we have Russia, which supports our territorial integrity, which has always been helpful and supportive at the United Nations Security Council and at different institutions and organizations.

We have a very rational approach, although we consider both Europeans and Russians among others as well, as our true friends. That's very simple. You take everything you can to defend your country's position and your country's and your people's interest.

-WP: Apart from Russian support on the Kosovo issue, what is more attractive about Russia than the West to Serbia?

-Vucic: Serbs are very much attracted by Western living standards, the standards of people.

That's why they like Germans. Because they bring their factories, they bring their plants to this country. They respect them very much. And the way of living is something that is preferable in the West than in the East, no doubt.

Then, some people wanted to stigmatize and to put a seal on our forehead, that we, our people, only our people committed genocide, you know, the only people in Europe to commit genocide after the Second World War. The Russians were on our side at the U.N. Security Council when the others were not.

And people will say okay, they are a close ally, but here is our rational choice and our rational approach that we are going to go to the EU. It does not mean we are going to spoil our relationship with Russia. But even when we go to Russia, it does not mean we are leaving our EU path.

But you know, I am the president of an independent country, and we make decisions by ourselves for the benefit and the sake of our people. We are Serbs, we are ordinary citizens of Serbia, we have our own politics and I'm very proud to say that. Of course, we have to obey some rules - to be decent with everybody - but we have our interests. That's it.

-WP: Ordinary Serbs do not necessarily seem to realize the degree to which trade is focused on Europe versus Russia, and I have to say, looking at the Serbian media, I think I understand why. You see Vladimir Putin on the covers of tabloids. There is a big orientation toward Russia. And I wanted to ask why that is.

-Vucic: I'll try to explain it in a very rational way, speaking about all the events from the 1990s, including 1999 [when NATO bombed Serbia]. And all the pressure that we were facing after 2000 on the Kosovo issue. I don't know what else. These are the reasons.

I'll put it this way. If you ask my parents, particularly my father or my brother, they would have thousands of words of remarks on the European Union's behavior in Serbia. And after all, if you ask the question whether we should continue, whether we should carry on with our EU path, you always get the same response. [Yes.]

It is very difficult to tackle people's sentiments and people's emotions. But this is our job to do it, to do everything in a very rational and realistic way.

Our country, our Serbia, is on its EU path. Would we like to preserve the best possible relationship with Russia? Yes, we would. Are we going to join NATO or not? No, we are not interested in that. Do we have a good relationship with NATO? Yes, we do. Through [Partnership for Peace] programs, through all the other programs, but we are not willing to join NATO.

-WP: What is the role of Sputnik [News Service] and of Russian media here?

-Vucic: Sputnik became, I think, a relatively reliable source of news, if I'm not mistaken. I do not know, to tell you the truth. I am not sure. They work freely here and that's it. There is BBC in Serbian, as well. There is N1. There are media owned by people from different countries and that kind of diversity.
NORWALK  Noam Kostucki was walking his dog on West Avenue Wednesday night near the entrance of the Route 7 connector when he noticed something odd out of the the corner of his eye.

I saw something very peculiar, said Kostucki, who lives in East Norwalk but said he was visiting a friend in South Norwalk. I went closer and said, Oh my God, this is incredible.

Placed on a cement square in a plot of grass opposite the citys Christopher Columbus statue was a plywood sculpture of a Native American, with the words In Honor of the Indigenous People of Norwalk inscribed on the pieces boxed wooden base.

Until Thursday afternoon, the objects provenance remained a mystery.

Last night we placed this 11ft statue in the middle of my hometown Norwalk, CT, the artist 5iveFingaz said in an Instagram post around 3:30 p.m. 5ive Fingaz said the artwork was meant to honor Norwalks indigenous people and to support the preservation of the recently discovered Native American fort.

During a project to replace the rail bridge over Norwalk Harbor, the state Department of Transportation discovered artifacts dating back 5,000 years. The DOT has said the site will not be preserved once all the artifacts are removed.

There should be more NA (Native American) memorials around the country just as there are Christopher Columbus statues, 5iveFingaz wrote, with the hashtag #mygalleryisoutside. 5iveFingaz has generated headlines with his Love more than ever guerrilla art campaign.

5iveFingaz told Hearst Connecticut Media the stunt had been in the works for four or five months. The DOTs discovery at the Walk Bridge prompted the artist to start reading about the history of indigenous people in the area. He felt the location would be perfect because of the existing cement square and its proximity to the Columbus statue.

If you celebrate Columbus Day, to each his own, but at the same time, especially with the recent finds in the dig, there should be at least some kind of memorial, something created to honor natives and the role they played not only in Norwalk, but in Connecticut, 5iveFingaz said.

He and two friends, who he declined to name, placed the artwork around 7 p.m. Wednesday night. He said hes received positive feedback from the community.

I consider this to be an exceptional piece of art, Kostucki said earlier in the afternoon. I did not make it. I wish I did.

The wooden cutout remained in place until a little before noon Thursday, when City Hall caught wind of its placement on city property.

We actually received a call this morning from customer service about some type of statute that was placed over on West Avenue. They didnt say where, Ken Hughes, acting director of Norwalks Recreation & Parks Department, said Thursday. I went there, the statute was there. I put it in the back of my truck and took it to the (parks) garage.

Norwalk Arts Commission Chair Susan Wallerstein said she suspected it was the work of 5iveFingaz when she first saw the photo of the object, because of the style with which it was created. She helped arrange for the artist to pick the piece up on Friday, with the understanding that it wouldnt be placed on city land again. 5iveFingaz said he would not place it again in Norwalk, but is considering re-purposing it in another town or city.

His My gallery outside approach to public art has consistently been the pop-up variety. It was certainly his style of art, Wallerstein said. Hes a respected and valued member of the arts community whos always demonstrated respect.

A representative of Mayor Harry Rillings office called the object an Indigenous Peoples Day statue. Indigenous Peoples Day is a holiday coinciding with Columbus Day celebrated in cities throughout the country since 1992. West Hartford, Conn., is the only city in the state to officially rename the Oct. 8 holiday.

Its celebrated both as a protest of the well-documented violence committed by Columbus against natives in the Americas, and as a celebration of indigenous cultures.

This is not political. Any statue or work of art placed on public property without approval from the city and Recreation & Parks Department will be removed, Rilling said in a statement. Its important we recognize and honor the diversity across our city. Many Italian-Americans use Columbus Day as a way to celebrate their heritage, and its equally important to remember the native people who were here long before us.

Rilling encouraged anyone interested in having a dialogue about Indigenous Peoples Day to reach out to his office.

This is the second year Norwalk has seen a form of protest in the days prior to Columbus Day. In 2017, Fake News was spray-painted on the base of Norwalks Columbus statue. Similar instances of vandalism occurred in New Haven, Middletown and Bridgeport, the later of which had blood-red paint was splashed on its Columbus statue along with the the message Kill the Colonizer.

The placement of the plywood statue comes just days before Norwalks first Columbus Day Parade on Sunday, sponsored by the Italian American Police Society of Southern Connecticut, the Norwalk Sons and Daughters of Italy, the Knights of Columbus and the St. Ann Club of Norwalk.

Kostucki praised the short-lived art installation for the political restraint the artist showed in sending a message.

I thought it was a very unique way  especially with all the controversy last year  I thought it was a very civil way to approaching Columbus Day. I wish there was more attention paid to indigenous history and people, Kostucki said.

Robert Koch contributed reporting to this story.

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586
LONDON - The mystery surrounding the whereabouts of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi deepened Wednesday with Turkish officials saying he was still inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, contradicting a Saudi government statement that he had left it a day earlier.

Khashoggi, 59, a prominent commentator who writes for The Washington Post's Global Opinions section and has recently been critical of the Saudi leadership, visited the consulate Tuesday to obtain paperwork related to his upcoming wedding, his fiancee said. He has not been heard from since.

Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said during a televised news conference Wednesday that "the information we have is that the Saudi citizen in question is still in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul."

Kalin raised concerns about the legality of the apparent detention, saying that Khashoggi's disappearance "has a dimension of international law. There is a dimension of the law of the Turkish republic."

But an emailed statement from the Saudi government earlier Wednesday called reports that Khashoggi was missing "false."

"Mr. Khashoggi visited the consulate to request paperwork related to his marital status and exited shortly thereafter," said the statement, which was attributed to an unnamed Saudi official.

In a subsequent statement issued early Thursday, the Saudi consulate in Istanbul said "it was following-up on the media reports of the disappearance of Saudi citizen Jamal Khashoggi after he left the building of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul." The statement added that the consulate was "carrying out follow-up procedures in coordination with the Turkish local authorities to uncover the circumstances of the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi after departing the Consulate."

On Wednesday, the State Department requested information from the Saudi government about Khashoggi's whereabouts and expressed concern about his safety, a senior U.S. official said. There was no immediate response from the Saudis, said the official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to describe the diplomatic effort on the record.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke on the phone Wednesday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but a State Department official declined to say whether the two discussed Khashoggi's status, citing "private diplomatic discussions." According to a readout of the call, they discussed the war in Yemen, countering Iran and "areas for expanding U.S.-Saudi collaboration."

In a statement Wednesday, Fred Hiatt, editorial page editor of The Washington Post, said, "The Post is extremely concerned about Jamal. We have reached out to anyone we think might be able to help locate him and assure his safety, including U.S., Turkish and Saudi officials."

The disappearance has stunned some of the Saudi government's stalwart defenders and highlighted the country's increasingly aggressive pursuit of its critics under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed. The Saudi authorities have arrested hundreds of people over the past year, often on murky charges, including women's rights advocates, dissidents and popular clerics, according to human rights groups.

When Khashoggi entered the consulate on Tuesday afternoon, he left his phone with his fiancee, along with instructions that she should call an adviser to President Erdogan if he did not return, she said. The fiancee, a Turkish citizen, has asked journalists not to publish her name.

She called the police hours later, after the consulate had closed and he had not emerged. Khashoggi's friends said that police officers had reviewed footage from cameras around the area and told them there was no sign that Khashoggi had left the embassy.

On Wednesday, the fiancee, her sister and other friends stood vigil around the consulate in a quiet, residential neighborhood of Istanbul. Workers from a nearby law office passed by, glancing at the cameras. "Is he still inside?" one asked. As her friends spoke to reporters, the fiancee sometimes sat by herself, on a curb.

"We were going to marry this week," she said. Khashoggi fretted about going into the consulate but had weighed the risks, she added.

"Of course he was worried. How comfortable can one be if he is not liked by his country?" she said.

Khashoggi's apparent detention threatens to become a flash point in relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The two countries maintain cordial relations but are on opposing sides of a regional dispute pitting Qatar against a bloc of Arab nations led by Saudi Arabia. Turkey has strongly supported Qatar in the feud.

Khashoggi, who had been close to Saudi Arabia's ruling circles for decades, has written extensively about Mohammed's policies, criticizing the arrests of activists and questioning Saudi Arabia's involvement in a war in neighboring Yemen. He has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since last year, saying he feared arrest if he remained in Saudi Arabia.

"I have left my home, my family and my job, and I am raising my voice," he wrote in a column last year. "To do otherwise would betray those who languish in prison."

- - -

The Washington Post's Zeynep Karatas in Istanbul and Carol Morello and Anne Gearan in Washington contributed to this report.
Norwalk Police Dept.

NORWALK  A Norwalk man spray-painted an anti-black slur in the middle of a South Norwalk street, according to police.

The Department of Public Works reported racially insensitive graffiti, which read I hate (expletive), on the street outside of 9 Woodward Ave. on the morning of Aug. 30.
The tornado that spawned Tuesday evening in New Canaan and tore a path into Norwalk was the first twister here in almost a half-century.

A National Weather Service survey team confirmed late Wednesday that it was indeed a tornado after surveying the damage. It spawned at 5:29 p.m. and lasted to 5:41 p.m., the weather service said, with estimated wind speeds reaching 100 mph. It had a path 3.9 miles long and about 300 feet wide.

It frightened many in their homes or traveling in cars, but there were no reported injuries.

The tornado began near the intersection of Weed Street and Marshall Ridge Road in New Canaan, and continued southeast for almost 4 miles, lifting at the intersection of Scribner Avenue and Gillies Lane in Norwalk, the National Weather Service reported. Damage was primarily to trees and cars.

The weather service said the tornado had 100 mph winds, categorizing as an EF1 event. The Enhanced F-Scale ranges from to 0 to 5, 5 being the most violent.

Tornadoes were also confirmed in Rockland and Westchester counties in New York, and in Ronkonkoma on Long Island. The tornadoes in Rockland, Westchester and Fairfield counties were all from the same storm system, according to Faye Morrone, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Upton, N.Y. The tornado in Ronkonkoma was from another system about five hours later.

It has been decades since a tornado was seen in Norwalk. A Wikipedia listing cites the most recent (according to a New York Times report) on July 19, 1971. Before that was September 1899 and August 1820, according to books on tornadoes in the region.

Tornadoes are not as rare as one might think in the Northeast.

Its much more common as you get into the Midwest, Morrone said, but were definitely not immune to them here. A couple every year is not out of the question.

The weather service sent a team to inspect damage and the patterns of how trees were uprooted and fell to make the determinations of whether a tornado was responsible.

That is typically looking at the type of damage, the pattern of the damage, and how it all connects to each other as you go from town to town, Morrone said.

When a tornado is possible, people are advised to get inside and find an interior room or basement.

Outside is certainly not the place you want to be, Marrone said. You want to put as many walls as possible between you and the outside.

The weather service issued a tornado and severe thunderstorm warning for Fairfield County late Tuesday afternoon.

The tornado Tuesday knocked down trees, branches and utility lines. Six utility poles were downed along with trees on Scribner Avenue in Norwalk. Trees also were downed on West Norwalk Road, Little Fox Lane and elsewhere. The storm also brought heavy rain. The National Weather Service reported that 3.57 inches fell in Norwalk, 3.54 in New Canaan, and 3.30 in Westport.

Staff writers Tara ONeill and Jim Shay contributed to this report.
EAST ST. LOUIS  A steadfast humanitarian, a staunch supporter of education and a longtime childrens advocate has bestowed $3.5 million upon the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) to enhance its STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Center and STEM-related learning.

The donor wanted to provide resources to children in East St. Louis to give them access to technology that will strengthen their STEM skills, said Venessa A. Brown, PhD, associate chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion and chief diversity officer. The donor and his representatives contacted Brown to facilitate the donors wish to give back to his hometown, by supporting CHS students.

The donor is a person who has a heart for the betterment of all people, especially children, said Brown. He cares about the youth and wants our Charter High School students to have opportunities. Hes an angel for children in East St. Louis.

Schools are often challenged by having great ideas that cant be implemented due to a lack of funding, said Paul Rose, PhD, interim dean of the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior. In this case, however, great ideas will be implemented thanks to a donors generosity. Charter High School students will benefit from this gift for many years.

This gift is a miracle, and Im so appreciative that the donor chose CHS as the benefactor. We are also excited about what this $3.5 million gift is going to do to change the lives of our students, said Gina Jeffries, CHS director.

CHS opened its STEM Center in fall 2011. Monies for the center also were donated.

Our intention is to make sure every student at Charter High School has access to technology and expose all of our 120 students to STEM education, said Willis Young, CHS assistant director.

Some initiatives that CHS plans to fund:

 Enhancements for engineering lab

 Laptops and iPads for use by all students

 Space for robotics

 Technology fairs and competition

 Endowed STEM scholarships

It is CHS mission to see our students college- and career-ready after they graduate, said Johnathan Tate, CHS STEM faculty member. We take every opportunity to plant within them seeds of courage to dream and dream big. We are not only grateful for this gift, but are also ecstatic for the opportunities it unfolds.

Big opportunities are in store for my future! said sophomore Jalynn Bejoile, co-captain of the CHS robotic team. I could start working now to enhance my future in STEM and be better prepared for my STEM career.

People like the donor, who have a passion for seeing young people be successful, look and see where their money can be best spent, and where they can see the best reward, explained Young.
CHICAGO (AP)  Illinois Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, battling to keep his job, attacked Democrat J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday as a trust fund baby and a tax cheat who represents everything thats wrong in Illinois.

Pritzker accused Rauner of being slow to act after he learned a suburban Chicago company where he once had a business interest was emitting cancer-causing gas, and of covering up a deadly Legionnaires disease outbreak at a western Illinois veterans home.

For three years he failed to protect them, Pritzker said. Fourteen people died.

The candidates met for their first two-way debate as polls show Pritzker with a sizable lead over the first-term incumbent . The gubernatorial race pits Rauner, a multimillionaire former businessman, against Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune. Together theyve put roughly $200 million into their campaigns, and the contest could set a new record for spending in a U.S. governors race.

Wednesdays debate at ABC7 Chicago started shortly after a spokeswoman for Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan said the office has launched a criminal investigation of how Rauners administration handled the Legionnaires crisis at the veterans home in Quincy.

The investigation includes whether residents, their families and staff were informed of the outbreak in a timely manner. Emails obtained by WBEZ Chicago show officials in Rauners office opted to hold off from making a public statement in 2015 even after more than a dozen people had become ill.

Rauner insisted there was no deliberate attempt to hide what was happening, saying we took action immediately to protect our veterans. He said his team needed to get all the facts and ensure there was no panic or misinformation put out.

He attacked Pritzker for ripping the toilets out of a home to get a $330,000 property tax break  a move the Cook County inspector general recently called a scheme to defraud taxpayers. Rauner said it was corrupt and may involve criminal behavior.

This is the fundamental self-dealing thats rotted our state at its core, Rauner said.

Pritzker said hes repaying the money and that the confidential report was leaked for political purposes.

Rauner also worked to distinguish his wealth and background from Pritzkers, noting several times that the Democrat inherited his fortune, while he was a middle-class kid who worked his way through school and built his own wealth.

He is trying to buy political office, Rauner said. Hes trying to buy the governorship to be something for the first time in his life because if he wasnt a trust fund baby, he would be nothing.

Pritzker noted Rauner swamped Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn in campaign spending during their 2014 race, spending millions of his personal fortune to help him win in a state that typically elects Democrats to statewide office.

Rauner has put more than $50 million into his campaign fund for the November election. Pritzker has given his campaign more than $146 million.

The Democrat said its worth it to wrest control of the state from Rauner, under whose leadership Illinois endured a roughly two-year state budget impasse that devastated social services and higher education, and almost led the state to a junk credit rating.

Rauner acknowledged he clashed with Democrats who lead the Legislature and was unable to achieve most of his pro-business agenda.

Its been hard, he said. Im asking you to help me finish the job.

Conservative Party candidate and state Sen. Sam McCann and Libertarian Grayson Kash Jackson also are on the November ballot but werent allowed to participate Wednesday because they didnt reach a 10 percent polling threshold set by the debate hosts.

The debate was sponsored by ABC7, the Illinois League of Women Voters and Univision.
If the election were held last week, J.B. Pritzker would have been elected governor  easily.

A new poll from the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University says the governor is behind by 22 points.

John Jackson of the Simon Institute said the new poll showed Pritzker with 47 percent of the vote while Gov. Bruce Rauner got 27 percent.

I dont think Ive seen a poll this lopsided in a governors race recently, Jackson said. Pat Quinn was down against Rauner in the last polls in 2014. But he was never as far down as the governor now seems to be.

The poll was conducted in the last week of September, which was 40 days from Election Day. That was before a report from a Cook County watchdog that shed more light on Pritzkers questionable property tax savings. The report found that Pritzker and his wife schemed to defraud taxing authorities when they had the toilets removed from a Gold Coast mansion just days before an inspection in a move that saved them more than $330,000 in property taxes. After details of the leaked report were published, Pritzker said he would return the money amid questions about the legality of the tax dodge.

It would be difficult [for the governor] to climb out of that hole in the time that is left. But there is a month left, Jackson said. The other problem for him though, is that we found only 17 percent of voters undecided.

The poll gives both Conservative Party candidate Sam McCann and Libertarian candidate Kash Jackson 4 percent of the vote.

Jackson said the poll also measured voter enthusiasm. Democrats have a lead there as well.
?Central Michigan Universitys School of Music is harmonizing with the community just as Lon Morey, president of the Morey Foundation, wanted.

CMU student musicians recently performed for residents of assisted living facilities in Isabella County through the annual Morey Senior Outreach Concert.

Its about bringing music to our community, but also bringing our community to the Music Building on campus, said Kristin Pagels, director of music events.

The start of something great

In 2005, Morey attended the School of Musics Opus concert. Impressed by the professionalism, Morey immediately wanted to make sure others in the community were able to enjoy the work of our students, Pagels said.

The Morey Foundation donated $35,000 to create the Day of Caring: Encore Presentation reception and concert for residents of assisted living facilities in Isabella Country.

Beginning in 2006, the Day of Caring brought student performers from Opus together with other CMU musical groups to create a performance the entire community could enjoy.

In 2015, the Da Capo performance replaced the Opus concert and the Day of Caring performance transformed into the Morey Senior Outreach Concert.

Creating connections across the community

More than 130 people attended this years concert, enjoying an afternoon of music, conversation and dessert.

To make sure that everyone who is interested is able to attend, the School of Music partners with iRide for transportation.

Attendees arent the only people who benefit from the event.

It is a unique learning experience for our students to cater to our guests needs and to spend some time in conversation, said Eric Tucker, School of Music faculty member. Students come to the realization that were all in this together and that basic kindness, decency and compassion supersedes generational gaps.

Being able to converse with an older generation is truly humbling, said Darian Bird, a junior double majoring in political science and music from Detroit, Michigan.

For the nine months that I am at CMU, this is my home, and Isabella County residents are family.
China okay about fracas at airport

BANGKOK: Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon denied the Chinese government has issued a warning to its citizens against visiting Thailand following an airport security guards alleged assault on a Chinese tourist.

violencetourismeconomicsChinesepoliticsSafetydeathmarine

By Bangkok Post

Thursday 4 October 2018, 08:43AM

These are screengrabs from the 109-second video showing a security guard assaulting a Chinese tourist, which the government says hasnt caused a feared anti-Thailand reaction from the Chinese government after all. Photos: via Bangkok Post

The government has already apologised to Beijing, which was satisfied with Thai authorities handling of the matter, Gen Prawit said yesterday (Oct 3).

The security guard involved in the incident with the tourist at Don Mueang airport has been fired, the deputy prime minister said, adding the incident was a personal matter.

The altercation, videoed by another Chinese tourist, occurred inside the airport last Thursday. The clip was posted on Facebook and drew fierce criticism of the guard.

The clip showed the guard and the Chinese man quarrelling before the guard shoved him and swung his arm wildly, as if trying to punch the tourist in the face. He missed and another security guard intervened.

The 109-second video was widely shared and caused a panicky reaction from the government.

The Chinese tourist had been denied entry because he did not have proof of a ticket home.

Gen Prawit said Chinese tourists to Thailand were well cared for and everything had gone smoothly before the deadly boat accident in Phuket in July and the Don Mueang airport incident.

The government has been trying to contain the damage to the tourism sector caused by the capsize of the dive boat Phoenix, which sank during a storm off the Phuket coast on July 5, killing 47 Chinese tourists.

Also yesterday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha stressed the need to boost safety for tourists to restore their confidence. He admitted a string of negative incidents had hurt the countrys tourism sector.

We have to be patient and try to restore the countrys good image, Gen Prayut said during an inspection trip to Lamphun in the North of the country.

Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn, the newly appointed Immigration Bureau commissioner, said he had met officials from five airports  Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, Phuket, Krabi, and Samui  to discuss measures to prevent Chinese tourists suffering bad experiences.

Maj Gen Surachate also talked about reports of bribes during the process of issuing visas on arrival to Chinese tourists, admitting some had been asked to pay tips to speed up the process of filling out immigration forms.

He said Chinese and Thai tour operators asked tourists for tips and gave them to immigration officers to help things go more smoothly.

But from now on, I have ordered immigration officers not to receive tips, and asked airport directors to hold meetings with tour operators to tell them not to ask for tips from tourists, Maj Gen Surachate said.

No Tips stickers written in English and Chinese were pasted onto visa-on-arrival counters at all international airports in Thailand to assure tourists they will not have to pay tips.

Maj Gen Surachate warned immigration officers not to take any additional money apart from the visa fee or they will be punished.

Immigration officers already earn overtime so there is no need for them to receive tips, he said. Anything that risks violating the law must be stopped, he said.

He added that some tour operators who asked for tips from tourists ended up keeping the money instead of giving it to immigration officers.

Meanwhile, the Phuket Tourism Association has warned the number of Chinese tour groups arriving in Phuket is down by half on safety worries and a major effort is needed to restore confidence and woo them back.

Association president Phumkit Raktae-ngam said the Phoenix boat tragedy had a major impact on Chinese people and had put them off visiting Phuket.

About 50% of the tour groups are not arriving. Chinese tourists have stopped visiting Phuket because they are worried about their safety, Mr Phumkit said.

The problem must be solved at its root cause. In the meantime, there has been no progress in salvaging the boat.

The government needs to employ more staff to ensure public safety and communicate better with Chinese visitors, Mr Phumkit added.

With increased guarantees over their safety, Chinese tour groups will likely return within six months, he said.

Read original story here.
Rain to impact Phuket until Sunday, district chiefs should prepare for evacuations

PHUKET: One of Phukets Vice Governors has urged the islands three district chiefs to be prepared to carry out evacuations in their areas until Sunday (Oct 7) as the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Bangkok office (DDPM-Bangkok) is predicting rain will continually impact Phuket until then.

disastersweather

By The Phuket News

Thursday 4 October 2018, 06:00PM

On Tuesday (Oct 2), motorists were advised to avoid using route 4233 (the PatongKamala road) following landslides and flooding. Photo: Hanuman Chasamorn

Speaking yesterday (Oct 3), V/Gov Snith Sriwihok said district chiefs should focus on high-risk areas in their locations such as areas close to canals, mountainous, low-lying and flood prone areas.

V/Gov Snith gave the district chiefs four important steps to follow:

1. Warn people who live in low-lying and coastal areas to be prepared for flooding. Evacuation procedures should be in place in case it is residents cannot stay in their properties.

2. Monitor flood situations and listen closely for news from government agencies continuously, especially news regarding heavy rainfall and storm surges.

3. Following procedures according to the District Disaster Prevention Plan and Disaster Management Guidelines in case of emergency situations.

4. Report any warnings issued to the Provincial Department of Prevention and Mitigation within 24 hours at fax number 076-218409 or number 076-218444. Any cases of reoccurring disasters should be reported immediately giving information on the damage situation and assistance provided.

In addition, V/Gov Snith said that at present government officials main focus is on high-risk areas such as Patong and Kamala which have already been badly impacted by flooding and landslides.

On Tuesday (Oct 2), motorists were advised to avoid using route 4233 (the PatongKamala road) following landslides and flooding.

The PatongKamala road was still blocked at midday, Kamala Tambon Administration Organisation, or OrBorTor, Deputy Chief Nopporn Karuna told The Phuket News at 12:40pm on Tuesday. (See story here .)

Affected areas in Patong are: Soi Prabaramee 7, Soi Prabaramee 9 and Baan Kalim.

Affected areas in Kamala are: Moo 1 Baan Bangwan, Moo 2 Baan Nue, Moo 3 Baan Noklae, Moo 4 Baan Kok Yang, Moo 5 Baan Haukau and Moo 6 Baan Naka.

V/Gov Snith said these areas were inundation and rescue teams were still assisting local residents today (Oct 4).
The developer who sent cancellation letters and refunds to buyers of the Icona condos at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre last month is proposing to build a similar project at Yonge St. and Steeles Ave.

The City of Vaughan confirmed that the Gupta Group has applied for official plan and zoning amendments for the northwest corner of Yonge St. and Steeles Ave. The 2.85-acre plot that Gupta bought last year for $53.9 million would also include three towers and a hotel  like Icona.

The application filed Aug. 24, 2018, less than a month before Gupta sent a Sept. 14 cancellation letter and refunds to Icona buyers, calls for a 65-storey tower on the corner of Yonge and Steeles and two more 52-storey buildings.

Icona was to include two 55-storey condo buildings and a 46-storey tower with a hotel topped by residential units. The plan was for about 1,633 condos altogether.

The still-unnamed Yonge and Steeles development is to include 1,878 condos and 12 townhomes. The site, across from Centerpoint Mall, is occupied by a Taco Bell, a Staples store and some small stores. More than half the condos  1,029  would be two-bedroom units; 694 would be one-bedroom apartments and 167 would have three bedrooms, according to the proposal on file with Vaughan.

Disappointed Icona buyers, who bought their units around February 2017, say they are frustrated that a builder can leave them in the lurch and move on to sell another project.

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It just seems there are no rules in place that stop them from doing that, said Patricia DeBartolo, one of the purchasers, who helped organize a meeting Monday evening that drew about 400 buyers to discuss potential court action against Gupta.

There are 1,600 (Icona) units and their owners that have had future plans for their children, dreams (and) investments, literally snuffed out like a flame, she said.

DeBartolo said the Icona cancellation feeds skepticism about the pre-construction home market.

We cant fault the city. Theyre following the rules. Maybe the rules need to change. Something has to change, she said.

The developer has blamed financial reasons beyond its control for cancelling the Icona project.

The buyers have asked provincial regulator and new home warranty provider Tarion to investigate whether Gupta should ever have sold condos on the Icona property because it was subject to restrictive covenants, legal restrictions written into the purchase of the land on Highway 7 near Jane St., that prevented the property from being used for anything other than a hotel and banquet facility.

A communications representative for Gupta told the Star that the company doesnt know when it will build or sell condos at Yonge and Steeles.

The project is at the beginning of the approval process, Rhoda Eisenstadt said an email.

The email reiterated that Icona was cancelled because it was unfinanceable ... they could not get financing.

Gupta Group also denies that it ever named the Yonge and Steeles development as Icona on Yonge. Subsequent to the cancellation of Icona at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, some Icona buyers found references online to a development at Yonge and Steeles called Icona on Yonge. Those websites, which the Star has seen, were subsequently deleted.

Eisenstadt said her client did not create those sites.

There is not now and never was an Icona on Yonge project. There is a site at Yonge and Steeles which is in the approvals stage. It has not been named. It is too early to do this, she wrote in a response to queries from the Star.

Icona is the 12th condo cancellation in the Toronto area since early 2017, according to market research firm Urbanation.

In April, another Vaughan Metropolitan Centre project, Cosmos condos by Liberty Development, was cancelled. Liberty is redeveloping the Promenade mall, about four kilometres from Yonge St. and Steeles Ave.

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The Toronto Real Estate Board is suing property listings website Mongohouse for $2 million, alleging that the anonymously-run page is illegally accessing, copying and distributing proprietary data.

The board, which is the largest in Canada and represents more than 50,000 realtors across the Greater Toronto Area, filed the lawsuit last month in federal court asking for an immediate and permanent injunction for the popular website to be taken down.

In the statement of claim, TREB alleges that Mongohouse participates in an orchestrated strategy to avoid and elude the boards multiple attempts over the past two years to shut it down.

It claims the website is infringing on the boards copyrights by employing various techniques to illegally data scrape information that it provides to its fee-paying members through its internal Multiple Listing Service (MLS). This includes data such as new property listings, descriptions, sold prices and photography.

It goes on to allege that Mongohouse is profiting from advertisers by its daily unauthorized access of this information, which it then displays on its website for free.

The board said Thursday it could not comment further on the legal action because the issue was now before the courts.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact Mongohouse were unsuccessful. A statement of claim has not yet been filed with the federal court.

In the filing dated Sept. 12, TREB says it doesnt know how its information is being accessed, but it believes it is the source because it placed unique information in its system and saw it appear on the Mongohouse website within 24 to 48 hours.

All of the information on the Mongohouse website for this purpose is only available from the TREB MLS system, said the claim. There is no other means available for Mongohouse to obtain the information that is available and made publicly accessible through the Mongohouse website.

The board argues that it has spent tens of millions of dollars to create and maintain its MLS system and that it suffers injury and irreparable harm when Mongohouse continues to pass itself off as offering the same services.

In addition to naming Mongohouse.com and Mongohouse.ca in its lawsuit, the claim also names the websites unknown operators (John and Jane Doe); web server Digital Ocean Canada Inc. and its U.S.-based subsidiaries; as well as Sheng Lan Mai who is also known as Maxim Mai, of Richmond Hill, Ont.

The board claims that Mai is a software engineer at IBM and appears to be the original author and creator of Mongohouse. It is unclear whether he is currently the operator of the website.

The lawsuit is asking that the court order all information related to the operations of Mongohouse be turned over, including financial dealings and communications.

TREB is claiming $2 million in damages and an additional $100,000 for copyright infringement, as well as legal costs.

The court documents detail the elaborate efforts by TREB to take down Mongohouse since it became aware of its existence in September 2016.

The Mongohouse website, which has a reported 50,000 registered users, uses a map function to display new listings and sold prices across the Greater Toronto Area. It also provides property photos and descriptions of listings. Users had to log into with passwords to access the information.

The website has been offline since Oct. 1.

MongoHouse.com is unavailable until further notice. At the moment, Mongohouse is unable to comment and/or share more information until further instructions given, said the message.

In August, the Supreme Court of Canada announced it would not hear a case where TREB was fighting to prevent home sales data from being posted on realtors password-protected websites.

TREB had argued for seven years at three judicial bodies that allowing the data to be released would create privacy and copyright concerns, but the Competition Bureau insisted keeping the numbers under wraps was anti-competitive and stifled innovation.

Since then, a handful of realty brokerages have made sales price data available on their websites.
LONDONIn the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, Amar Al-Eid heads toward the checkout of the food distribution store carrying supplies for his two children. The shopkeeper raises a black box to his face and scans the Syrian refugees iris. The transaction goes through and a days rations are secured.

The data technology that underpins virtual currencies like Bitcoin is now also used to deliver aid more efficiently by dramatically lowering the risk of bribes and fraud by local officials  a huge, long-standing problem in the industry. The so-called blockchain keeps a record of all transactions and buyers, making sure recipients like Al-Eid get their goods without the added costs of graft or bank transfer fees. And donors can track the use of their aid money, all the way to the refugee family it helps survive.

Its a very easy process and it doesnt have any complications, Al-Eid says, before taking the food off to his family.

The UNs World Food Program has been testing the use of blockchain technology since 2017 to manage aid for over 100,000 refugees in camps in Jordan, which hosts over 740,000 people from neighbouring countries like wartorn Syria. It aims to extend it to 500,000 refugees by the end of March. Other international organizations, including the World Bank, UNICEF and the Red Cross, are looking at ways to implement blockchain into their own projects.

Blockchain is an online ledger of transactions spread across a global network of computers that use their processing power to verify any changes. It is most famous for being used to support virtual currencies like Bitcoin but can in practice be used to track any system of payments or data transfers. In the refugee aid system it is testing, the UN does not use virtual currencies but dollars. The blockchain technology helps it know where every cent is, from the moment it is donated to when it is spent on a physical good.

And that can mean huge savings.

Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said that in 2011, some 30 per cent of aid donations  around $40 billion, according to one estimate  failed to reach intended recipients because middlemen skimmed some off the top and corrupt officials often took a cut.

Ultimately, the system helps those who receive the money by making more of it available, and it reassures donors that their money will actually be used for the intended purpose.

We have this rapid ability to understand where our money is throughout the process, says Gustav Stromfelt, one of the project managers working on the WFPs program. It improves the transparency, accountability and communication across the board.

Because the data is spread across so many computers, a thief would have to take control of the entire network  potentially thousands of terminals  to fudge the numbers and make off with the money. That would require an enormous amount of computing power, so it wouldnt be profitable.

That doesnt mean smaller thefts cant occur. So far in 2018, about $1 billion worth of virtual currencies backed by blockchain has been stolen, according to cybersecurity firm Carbon Black. But these thefts are typically carried out through hacks of the end users by, for example, entering the email account of a person to get their passwords to open their virtual currency accounts and take the money. The thieves do not take control of the blockchain system. Its like comparing pickpocketing to entering a banks vault.

The blockchain doesnt use middlemen like Western Union or PayPal, meaning the costs of transferring money are reduced by 98 per cent for users like the WFP. That translates to savings of over $40,000 per month for the UN agency.

Smaller charities are also testing out blockchain.

Last year, the London-based homeless charity St. Mungos tested a blockchain platform to monitor the use of donations and prove they were being spent on improving the recipients lives. Only then would more donations be released.

The data can also help make aid more efficient by tailoring the service to the needs. For example, in one project in Tanzania, the blockchain system could show that a particular woman regularly visited the local doctor once a week to buy medicine for her child. So when she missed an appointment, the charity, AidTech, had a social worker bring the medicine to her the following morning.

Were able to show more data on the first two women using the platform than the organization could with over 10,000 women when they were using a paper-based system. That means we can be far more responsive, said Joseph Thompson, founder of AidTech.

The system does have its downsides. In practical terms, having aid released only upon an iris scan means a busy mother, say, would not be able to ask her child to go get the aid rations for her instead.

The way the transactions are verified can also be patronizing. The blockchain aid for the homeless, for example, ensures the money is used for productive purposes like shelter rather than alcohol or drugs, implying a lack of trust that can be degrading for the receiver.

And there are broader questions about privacy rights, as the data can track the actions of individuals. While personal details like names are encrypted, the record of transactions is viewable to anyone with access to the blockchain. The issue is all the more delicate when the people tracked are vulnerable, like stateless refugees.

Some UN officials are aware of these risks, and there is a debate about whether to ramp up its use across aid and development projects.

We will not store any sensitive personal data (on the blockchain), especially of such a vulnerable population as refugees, with a technology that still needs to prove its merits, says Karl Steinacker, a deputy director at the UN refugee agency.

For Al-Eid, such questions are secondary while he tries to keep his family safe and nourished.

Without the donations, people wouldnt be able to live, he says on his way out of the food shop. The assistance is very good.

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International activist Anote Tong is calling on Canadians to take action in working against global climate change.

Tong will have the opportunity to send this message in person in Calgary next spring, when he accepts Mount Royal Universitys Calgary Peace Prize. The environmental advocate was the former president of the Pacific Island nation of Kiribati from 2003 to 2016.

The former president has worked for decades as a global advocate against the urgent danger posed by climate change. Rising sea levels already threaten Kiribatis existence and potentially create a need to relocate the islands entire population.

Climate Change is a global challenge which demands a contribution from every citizen of this planet, Tong said via email. Not only are we responsible for causing it, (we) must certainly take responsibility for addressing it, because it matters to our children and grandchildren.

Tong said he believes anyone with the capacity to work against climate change is obliged to do so, including Canadians. Its his hope that he can inspire Canadians here in Calgary to lend their voices to finding credible solutions for international issues.

Because of its current political climate, Canada is well placed to take greater leadership on the global stage on global moral challenges such as climate change, Tong said.

Tong has been recognized around the world for his work in the past. Hes a former Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and his work, along with the threat rising sea levels bring to Kiribati, was chronicled in the 2018 documentary Anotes Ark, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

Receiving the Calgary Peace Prize is of course a pleasant surprise and a great honour and a humbling experience. I feel the pressure to do better so that I can truly be worthy of it, Tong said.

MRUs Peace Studies Initiative works to develop interdisciplinary knowledge about peace and violence. The groups marquee event is its annual Calgary Peace Prize ceremony, which has rewarded both Canadian and international recipients for their work to make the world a less violent, more just and safer place. Tong will be awarded with the 2019 prize on April 3.

Peace Studies Initiative director Mark Ayyash said that what made Tong an ideal candidate for this prize is how hes worked to bring the international threat of climate change to the forefront of peoples minds around the world.

This is especially true in Canada, where Ayyash said that climate change still seems like a distant threat to many people.

Sure, the smoke last summer maybe made people feel a little bit more about the current effects of global climate change, but the worst-case scenarios only really happen in disaster movies, in adventure movies, in our public imaginary, Ayyash said.

This worst-case scenario of an entire way of life being eradicated is already a real thing for people all over the Pacific. President Tong, in all of his work, makes clear that this existential threat is already a real thing. Those islands will most likely not be in existence by the end of this century.

Calgary Peace Prize nominees are put forward by the public, with a small committee of initiative members and the local community selecting a recipient. What also stood out to Ayyash and this committee about Tong was his ability to work both inside and outside existing institutions to achieve reform.

The word activist usually conjures up a non-institutional form of action. But he was the former president of Kiribati, and he took many institutional steps to address the issue, Ayyash said.

He moves back and forth between this world of working within institutions to transform them and also doing some work that may resemble more of an activist form of action.

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EDMONTONAlberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel, a longtime ally of the LGBTQ community, has come under fire for meeting with an organization that advocates say is anything but.

On Tuesday, the non-profit organization Progress Alberta flagged a newsletter put out by Parents for Choice in Education (PCE), which said the groups communications adviser, Theresa Ng, had met with Mandel.

Why is Stephen Mandel quietly meeting with Parents for Choice in Education  the largest and most organized anti-GSA and anti-LGBTQ2 group in Alberta? someone on the organizations Twitter account asked.

GSAs, or Gay-Straight Alliances, are student groups at schools that provide safe spaces for straight allies and LGBTQ students to support each other.

During an interview with StarMetro, Mandel said his role as a politician means he meets with everyone  even if he doesnt agree with them.

They called up to have a meeting. Our staff sets it up, he said.

Meetings are to learn, and so we hope that they would learn from us about our position on these issues and we think that they need to rethink their position.

Mandel said at the meeting that he presented PCE with his reasoning around the importance of GSAs.

Because they protect children and that schools should not be obligated to tell parents who or who is not a member of a GSA, because thats threatening children, he said.

This is important stuff that people need to understand and maybe they dont understand it, so we try to get our position across.

Mandel has a long track record of being an ally to the LGBTQ community.

As mayor of Edmonton in 2005, Mandel started the first Mayor Pride Brunch. He was also the first mayor to march in the citys Pride Parade in 2006. Theres a graduate scholarship at the University of Alberta for students in sexual and gender minority studies named after him as well.

Still, the incident raised some eyebrows, especially Edmonton Public Schools trustee Bridget Stirlings, who said the group has personally targeted her with a lot of harassment. Stirling said this was only her experience and that she wasnt speaking on behalf of the board.

In the past, she said one PCE board member sent her really, really graphic emails about stuff, materials related to education materials for a sexual health outreach program that reaches out to street-involved LGBTQ youth.

She said others in the education system have also consistently been targets of the organization, especially after she once advocated for comprehensive, evidence-based and inclusive sexual health education.

(PCE opposes) comprehensive sex-ed, and so I put forward a motion asking for that to be included in the curriculum and so was targeted somewhat by them then, she said. Second time, (was) after I came out in support of privacy protections for students participating in Gay-Straight Alliances.

Parents for Choice in Education claims to represent 11,000 parents across Alberta. Stirling disputes those numbers saying the group has shown its true colours in the past few years in opposing the governments Bill 10, which allows GSAs in schools, and the contentious Bill 24, which strengthened that legislation to say schools couldnt tell parents if their children were in a GSA.

Whatever the supporter base was in the past, Stirling said she has a hard time believing many parents would support the groups stance now.

PCE has also appeared on the far-right website Rebel Media discussing topics such as the radical gender fluid ideology creeping into Albertas school curriculums, and taking anti-Bill 24 positions.

Donna Trimble, executive director of PCE, wouldnt answer many questions when StarMetro reached out for comment. She said she had no idea why (Stirling) would make such a statement about the group being anti-LGBTQ or targeting individuals who opposed their views.

I cant answer any questions about anything that anybody else would have to say on Twitter, said Trimble.

She said the group exists to represent tens of thousands of parents from a very diverse group of individuals across the spectrum. We advocate for an excellent, choice-driven education system.

Stirling said she couldnt understand why Mandel, who has a long and detailed history of supporting the LGBTQ community, would meet with the group after it has appeared to come out against the community.

She said Mandel should have been more transparent about the meeting since his LGBTQ supporters could be put off.

I think theres a line that we need to draw, especially when those groups then use those meetings to claim credibility, she said.

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HALIFAXExploring the depths of the ocean is about to become a much more immersive experience thanks to a unique free online program being launched at Dalhousie University on Thursday.

Ocean School is a joint collaboration between Dalhousie University, the National Film Board of Canada, the Ocean Frontier Institute and Ingenium. Its described by its creators as a groundbreaking immersive learning tool designed to spark interest in ocean science and advance ocean literacy.

Using augmented and virtual reality, live streaming and colourful, breathtaking 360-degree manipulative videos combined with engaging storytelling, Ocean Schools core audience is 11- to 15-year-old students and their teachers.

But its intended for anyone anywhere in the world whos interested in learning more about whats under the waves.

Ocean Schools overall objective is to bridge the gap and bring about a better understanding of the worlds oceans, said Helene Fournier, the National Film Board of Canadas director of education. The hope here is for Canadians and the world to understand in an engaging and accessible way exactly what our impact is on the ocean and the oceans impact on us.

For Dalhousie University professor and marine ecologist Boris Worm, the initiative is a way to share his love and passion for the ocean while hopefully effecting change through fostering ocean literacy.

As the lead marine scientist for the project, Worm features prominently throughout the Ocean School experiences as participants follow him on real expeditions across Canada and around the world.

I fell in love with the ocean when I was three years old, and it changed my life. It did so for everyone I know whos in this field, he said.

I hope the result of Ocean School is that more people fall in love with the ocean, become curious about the ocean, become knowledgeable and start to ask their own questions and start to become engaged in some way.

Worm, an ocean scientist for 25 years, said despite comprising 75 per cent of the planet, the ocean doesnt feature as prominently as it should in the public consciousness. He hopes Ocean School will help change that.

Were discovering all these very important relevant things about the ocean that people need to know. Its part of humanitys life support system thats affected, and people need to know that the same way they need to know about climate change or unsafe drinking water, Worm explained.

Also, some of the amazing discoveries that we have done that are just inspiring dont get out to people maybe as much as they should, and as such people have a more narrow view of the world than they could.

Through Ocean Schools web platform, learners can do things like pilot an underwater robot, explore habitats at the bottom of the St. Lawrence River, dissect a cod in augmented reality.

Worm is hopeful that teaching young people about ocean life in a fun and immersive way will encourage more of them to pursue careers in a growing ocean economy. But more importantly, he said its essential they become stewards of our oceans.

I got more and more concerned about kids because were going to hand over this damaged world to them, Worm said. They better understand whats going on in order to make good, informed, compassionate, knowledgeable decisions about how to go forward.

A promotional video posted by Dalhousie in July highlights the school's programming and focuses.

The Ocean School will be open 24/7 for anyone with a computer, cellphone or tablet and an internet connection. Its now available in both French and English, but it is also being produced in Spanish.

We have support from UNESCO to bring it to other countries, specifically Latin America, as a next step, so were very excited about that too, Worm said.

In addition to its four collaborators, the project received support from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Thursdays official ceremony launch takes place at Dalhousie Universitys Steele Ocean Sciences Building at 10:30 a.m. followed by a worldwide Facebook Live public launch at 10:50 a.m. (ADT) with students.

Yvette dEntremont is a Halifax-based reporter focusing on health and environment. Follow her on Twitter: @ydentremont

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OTTAWAFrom the get-go, the Liberal governments goal in rewriting NAFTA was to get a progressive trade deal for Canada that was free and fair.

So did it?

While there are lots of ways to tally the winners and losers in the new United States Mexico Canada Agreement, or USMCA, one is to look at the six objectives that Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, herself, articulated on the eve of the renegotiation.

Freeland defined what a good deal would look like, and pretty specifically, in August 2017.

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A look at how or whether the deal struck earlier this week achieves those ambitions, using Freelands own words as the measure, seems to reveal Canadian victories and frustrations both:

1. To modernize NAFTA to ensure ... we continue to have a vibrant and internationally competitive technology sector and that all sectors of our economy can reap the full benefits of the digital revolution.

Michael Geist, who holds the Canada research chair in Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa, says the digital trade chapter locks in rules that will hamstring online policies for decades by restricting privacy safeguards and hampering efforts to establish new regulation in the digital environment.

2. To make NAFTA more progressive  by bringing strong labour safeguards into the core of the agreement and by integrating enhanced environmental provisions  that fully support efforts to address climate change and by adding a new chapter on gender rights, and by adding an Indigenous chapter, and finally, by reforming the Investor-State Dispute Settlement process, to ensure that governments have an unassailable right to regulate in the public interest.

The USMCA includes a chapter on labour in the main agreement, not as a side letter as it was in NAFTA, which makes it subject to the same enforcement provisions as other parts of the deal. It enshrines collective bargaining freedoms for Mexican workers. In addition, new provisions on the auto sector require that, to be eligible for tariff-free sales treatment, 40-per-cent of autos and auto parts must be made in factories where workers earn at least US$16 an hour.

Unifor president Jerry Dias said in a letter to union members It is not an ideal trade agreement by any stretch, nor is it a model of the sort of progressive trade we need in Canada, but he welcomed provisions that promote free and independent trade unions in Mexico.

The deal puts the environment in the main agreement, not in a side agreement. As with the labour chapter, it is, in theory, enforceable. It recognizes the need to address ozone-depleting substances, marine litter, ship pollution, invasive species, overfishing, and forestry management and air pollutants and air quality.

But it has no mention of climate change, global warming or greenhouse gas emissions.

And it contains a big caveat: while the parties recognize the need for sustainable development and cooperative efforts to protect the environment, they only support implementation of international environmental agreements to which they are a party.

The United States is no longer a party to the Paris Accord on global warming under U.S. President Donald Trump.

The USMCA has no new chapter on gender rights. The labour chapter does, however, promote the goal of eliminating sex-based discrimination in employment and occupation, and support the goal of promoting equality of women in the workplace. It says each party to the agreement shall implement policies that protect workers against employment discrimination on the basis of sex, including with regard to pregnancy, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity, and caregiving responsibilities, provide job-protected leave for birth or adoption of a child and care of family members, and protect against wage discrimination.

The word shall is strong legal language, but the Council of Canadians says these protections are weak and more style than substance.

The USMCA has no new chapter on Indigenous people. It does include a reference within a chapter on exceptions and general provisions, which allows any party to the agreement to adopt or maintain measures necessary to fulfill its legal obligations to Indigenous peoples.

The new deal also includes recognition that the environment plays an important role in the economic, social and cultural well-being of Indigenous peoples and local communities, and acknowledges the importance of engaging with such groups in the long-term conservation of our environment.

In a first for a Canadian trade agreement, it includes a special process by which hand-crafted Indigenous textiles and apparel can be eligible for duty-free treatment.

The new USMCA ditches the Investor-State Dispute Settlement process altogether. Freeland hailed it as a win, saying In removing it, we have strengthened our governments right to regulate in the public interest to protect public health and the environment. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Council of Canadians agree.

3. To make life easier for business people on both sides of the border by cutting red tape and harmonizing regulations.

Its unclear to what extent the new deal really cuts red tape, although Freeland and Lighthizer insisted theyd made progress. Many experts say the new NAFTA is not that different from the old NAFTA in many respects.

4. Canada will seek a freer market for government procurement, a significant accomplishment in CETA (the Canada-European Union trade agreement).

The Canadian team went into NAFTA talks seeking more access for companies and suppliers here to American federal, state and municipal contracts. The U.S. team wanted to gain more access to the procurement conducted by Canada and Mexico, but to restrict Canadian and Mexican access further to its government procurement at the state and municipal levels. In the end, both sides gave up on their respective positions.

5. To make the movement of professionals, which is increasingly critical to companies ability to innovate across blended supply chains, easier. NAFTAs Chapter 16, which addresses temporary entry for businesspeople, should be reviewed and expanded to reflect the needs of our businesses.

Immigration lawyers say the new USMCA leaves unchanged the old NAFTA provisions, and grants no new or expanded rights for professional workers.

6. Canada will uphold and preserve the elements in NAFTA that Canadians deem key to our national interest, including a process to ensure anti-dumping and countervailing duties are only applied fairly when truly warranted (Chapter. 19); the exception in the agreement to preserve Canadian culture; and Canadas system of supply management.

The Trudeau government can claim it mostly met those objectives. The new USMCA retains the Chatper 19 binational dispute settlement panels that are used by countries to challenge what they see as unfair trade rulings or measures against a partners industrial sector. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was a red line, and in the end, the U.S. gave in and allowed it to stand.

On cultural industries, Freeland says NAFTAs exemption from the freer trade rules for Canadian cultural industries remain including in the digital space.

Only in the case of Canadas tightly regulated supply-management system does it appear one of Canadas no-go zones was breached.

Canada agreed to grant U.S. producers access to 3.59 per cent of its dairy markets, and on top of concessions in the Canada-European Union trade deal and the Trans-Pacific trade deal, it all adds up to nearly 10 per cent of the dairy sector now being opened to foreign producers. Thats a big slice that suddenly leaves farmers holding much less valuable quotas for dairy production.

On Thursday, Trudeau met with dairy farmers in Quebec and promised his government will provide compensation for their expected losses under the new United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

With files from The Canadian Press
CALGARYMurray Rankin, the federal NDPs justice critic, will soon table a private members bill calling for the expungement of cannabis possession charges from Canadians criminal records.

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh made the announcement alongside the MP from Victoria, B.C., as well as Annamaria Enenajor, campaign director of the Campaign For Cannabis Amnesty, at Parliament Hill on Wednesday. He said the bill  if passed  would delete the record for anyone thats faced possession (charges) of a personal nature. This would cover charges removed from the Criminal Code under the Cannabis Act.

This is a day Ive been working on literally since the 1970s, Rankin said. I believe that its critical that Canadians who have criminal records for something that  in two short weeks  will be perfectly legal should no longer suffer the burden of having a criminal record.

Its unclear exactly how many Canadians currently carry cannabis possession charges on their criminal records, but estimates suggest it could be as high as 500,000.

These are Canadians who have been barred from employment of their choice, from volunteer opportunities, and from other opportunities where  a background check would have identified cannabis possession on their record, said Enenajor.

She told reporters that these charges are detrimental to those who still have them  and that racialized, Indigenous, and marginalized Canadians are charged for cannabis possession disproportionately to the rest of the population.

We think that is simply unfair and unjust, she said.

Campaign For Cannabis Amnesty has reached out to officials in every level of government to see if theyd be willing to support the bill, Enenajor said, including the federal Liberals. While they tabled the legislation legalizing recreational cannabis in Canada, the Liberals have not said whether theyll grant amnesty to Canadians with personal cannabis possession charges.

Scott Bardsley, a spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, said in a statement that the federal government will examine how to make things fairer for Canadians who have been previously convicted for minor possession offences after cannabis is legalized.

The statement said Canadians convicted of simple possession up to 30 grams can apply for a record suspension through the Parole Board of Canada five years after their sentence is completed.

Singh has in the past called for the decriminalization of all drugs, not just cannabis.

Rankin didnt share details of the bill with reporters Wednesday, but said hed discussed it in principle with the Liberals. And while he criticized them for not including provisions on amnesty in the Cannabis Act, he remained hopeful that they would follow through.

He doesnt expect his bill would be debated in the House before Oct. 17. In fact, he doesnt even feel the bill needs to be pushed through by him.

I would love to hand it over to the government and say, Take it. Work with it. You know you should have done it  many of you have said that  now lets finish it, Rankin said.

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One day after police were called to a domestic incident, the female victim received a text from one of the cops who had arrested her ex-boyfriend.

The message from Const. Jeffrey MacArthur was professional at first. He advised that if anything further occurred, her ex could be cautioned with criminal harassment.

Hopefully today is a better day, he wrote in a text at 11:50 p.m. on May 27, 2017.

When the woman responded to thank MacArthur for checking in, he continued texting, at first saying, We all have s----y days, then asking, Do we get a 10?? apparently inquiring about the service he provided alongside his partner.

Based in 14 division, a busy downtown detachment, the officer continued with a few more texts  apparently Im chatty lol, he wrote. Then, at 3:42 a.m., he sent a collage of photos of himself  one shirtless, others of him doing martial arts and a handstand at the beach.

Sorry!!! he then texted. That was for someone else.

The text messages and photos were called inappropriate and clear misconduct by a police prosecutor at a Toronto police tribunal Thursday, where MacArthur pleaded guilty to one count of discreditable conduct under Ontarios Police Services Act.

Staff Sgt. Shane Branton read out an agreed statement of facts, stating MacArthur obtained the womans cellphone number from his partner after they made the arrest.

Suggesting shed had a s----y day was too casual coming from an officer to a victim of a domestic dispute, Branton said, adding the texts violated the trust the complainant would have had in police.

Albeit, he did send a message apologizing saying (the photos) were not meant for the victim, Branton said, referring to MacArthurs final text.

The professional misconduct charge came after the woman complained to the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD). She is not named in tribunal documents and was not present Thursday.

Shortly after the incident the woman posted in Bunz Helping Zone, a popular local Facebook group, seeking advice.

Do you think this is unprofessional? Should I be reporting this? the woman wrote, alongside screenshots of the text exchange. I thought the first message was really nice, but now Im questioning his intentions.

Dressed in his uniform Thursday, MacArthur rose and apologized to the complainant, saying none of this was ill-intended. He also apologized for any damage to the reputation of the service.

Branton entered a joint submission on penalty alongside MacArthurs lawyer, Gary Clewley, suggesting five days docked pay would be an appropriate consequence. While the officers actions were inappropriate and brought the integrity of the service under fire, he noted MacArthur had a previously unblemished employment record.

I do believe he has it in him to be a productive member of this service, Branton said.

Clewley said MacArthurs professional evaluations indicated he was a diligent officer who worked hard and had good relations with the public.

This is a one-off mistake on his part, Clewley said.

The tribunals hearing officer, Acting. Supt. Peter Code, reserved his decision on the penalty.
Peel Police have identified the man killed in a shooting in Mississauga Tuesday night.

Both Toronto police and Peel police sprang into action Tuesday when they received calls around 6 p.m.Toronto officers were told about a man with a gunshot wound arriving at an Etobicoke hospital, while officers from Peel were advised that a shooting had occurred in the Malton neighbourhood of Mississauga, and that the victim had been driven to hospital. It didnt take long for the two forces to realize that the man in Etobicoke General Hospital was the same man shot in Malton.

Dorren Campbell, a 30-year-old Mississauga man, died from his wounds in hospital. He was shot inside a townhouse unit on Goreway Dr. near Brandon Gate Dr.

Peel police have no suspect information to provide to the public at this time. They called the homicide an isolated incident, but offered no other details on the circumstances of the shooting.

Police would not say if Campbell lived at the unit, or if he knew anyone who did.

We are not confirming the relationship with the other occupants, said Peel spokesperson Const. Iryna Yashnyk.

Police would also not reveal who drove Campbell to the hospital where he was dropped off unconscious and not breathing. Toronto police said Tuesday that it had been a woman.

Campbells death is Brampton and Mississaugas 21st homicide this year. Anyone with information on his death is asked to come forward and speak to police.

With files from mississauga.com

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A sex-trade worker described for a jury Wednesday how playful foreplay quickly escalated into violence that left her client bleeding to death from multiple stab wounds in his downtown Toronto apartment.

Moka Dawkins, a transgender woman who was sworn in under the name Curtis Gordon Dawkins, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the Aug. 3, 2015, killing of Jamie Foster, 27.

Dawkins told the jury Wednesday she stabbed Foster because she thought he was trying to kill me, but that she did not intentionally kill him.

Dawkins, 28, has identified as a woman since she was a teenager.

In Superior Court, Dawkins spent about an hour Wednesday answering defence lawyer Jennifer Penmans questions about coming out as bisexual and then publicly identifying as a woman in her hardscrabble Montreal neighbourhood.

Dawkins offered gritty details about the dangers of working on what she called the tranny stroll in Montreal, where intoxicated men often turned violent after sex.

Ive been slapped, punched, robbed. Ive been thrown out of a car, she testified.

How often? Penman asked.

I dont know, Dawkins said. Every month or so there might have been an incident.

In 2014, Dawkins said she left an abusive relationship and moved to Toronto, where she plied her trade on the internet and on the street  while living in a shelter and attending bartending school in order to make my mom proud and do something with my life.

In July 2015, Dawkins met Foster on Homewood Ave. near Jarvis and Carlton Sts., a stretch Dawkins called the tranny block. They went to Fosters apartment in nearby St. James Town and had sex, for which he paid $120 for a half-hour. Dawkins, who in court called Foster J, said the two really meshed and she spent the night.

Over the next few weeks, Dawkins said the two stayed in touch via text messages and phone calls until Aug. 2, when she went to Fosters apartment to get some weed. After they fooled around in the bedroom, Dawkins told court she got up to return to the nightclub she had left.

Foster, who was drunk, told her youre not going nowhere, she said, turning to look at the jury.

Dawkins said she was trying to de-escalate the situation when J emerged from the kitchen brandishing a knife.

I looked up at him and thats when he stabbed me in the face, she testified.

Im, like, in shock ... a man just stabbed me and he comes at me again, punching and kicking, she said.

Dawkins said the two struggled but she couldnt see the room was dark and blood was covering her face. She testified she grabbed the knife and started swinging back.

I was terrified. I thought, this was it, this is my time. I didnt know what to do, she said, appearing emotional.

Did you intend to kill him? asked Penman.

No, she answered.

I thought he was trying to kill me ... all I was doing was defending myself from him.

Dawkins said Foster went to the bedroom and she stayed in the living room of the small apartment. Said she saw blood flowing under the door and obviously I know its not me.

Dawkins said she repeatedly asked Foster if he was OK because the door was blocked.

Im not a heartless person, she said.

A pathologist has testified Foster bled out from three deep stab wounds to his left upper arm, left groin and left thigh, and that he also suffered sharp-force wounds to his face, arm and shin, in addition to nine wounds to his hands and fingers.

Crown attorney Lindsay Kromm, who began her cross-examination Wednesday, suggested Dawkins went into the bedroom seeking payback for what she called the nick, the shorter and smaller Foster had inflicted. (Dawkins is six-foot-one while Foster was five-foot-eight, according to Kromm).

Youre wrong, replied Dawkins.

The trial continues Thursday in front of Superior Court Justice Robert Clark.
Almost 267,500 migrants were deemed to be inadmissible to Canada between 2007 to 2016, most of them due to criminal convictions, according to Canadian border officials.

The 267,449 foreign nationals included convicted criminals, human rights violators and terrorists identified by Canada Border Services Agency, which is tasked with getting them out of the country afterwards.

These individuals had come to Canada as permanent residents, visa students, foreign workers, visitors or refugees. While for some, their previous records went undetected before arrival, others were found to be inadmissible for offences committed while in Canada and ordered to leave.

Border services data obtained under access to information legislation shows that the number of people deemed inadmissible each year has been on a gradual decline from a peak of 9,131 in 2008 to 6,365 in 2016.

Over the decade, Americans topped the list of those deemed inadmissible, with a total of 63,590 being told they had to leave. They were followed by Mexicans (22,104), Hungarians (13,082), Haitians (11,748) and Colombians (10,090).

Immigration experts said its not known if the annual decline in the number of inadmissible individuals was a direct result of effective pre-arrival screening procedures, which successfully stop undesirable migrants from coming here in the first place.

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However, Vancouver-based immigration lawyer Steven Meurrens said the number of people deemed inadmissible from some countries appeared to fall dramatically after visa requirements were imposed for visitors from those countries.

The number of inadmissible Mexicans, for instance, dropped significantly from 6,739 in 2009 to just 1,041 in 2010. Other requirements such as pre-boarding electronic authorizations and biometric screening also help detect criminals before they get on a plane to come here, said Meurrens.

We do have a robust screening system. People are checked against terror lists and criminals are caught before they get here, said Meurrens. And the majority of the hundreds of millions of people who come to Canada are not involved in crimes.

In 2016 alone, Canada admitted 296,346 permanent residents, including 58,435 refugees and protected persons. More than half a million people came as temporary residents, including 266,000 international students and 287,117 foreign workers, in addition to more than a million visitors such as tourists here to visit family and friends.

Toronto refugee lawyer Raoul Boulakia said foreign nationals deemed inadmissible for criminality must apply for special permission to re-enter Canada and those who are banned as a security threat must get whats known as ministerial relief to remain here  a process that takes a minimum of five years.

The stats do not tell you the whole story. Without the facts, you dont know how serious or frivolous their crimes are, he said. The big issue is this overbreadth of wording and interpretation of the inadmissibility grounds.

The definition of membership to terrorist groups is broad and border officials have a lot of discretionary power to designate someone inadmissible with that label, said Boulakia, pointing to the case of Sugunanayake Joseph, a grandmother who came to Canada from Sri Lanka after her husband, a Tamil activist, was assassinated in 2005.

Officials associated her husbands political coalition with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and alleged she was inadmissible because she had supported her late husband in his career and accompanied him to political events, which they said amounted to her complicity in crimes against humanity with the Tigers.

Joseph was ordered deported, but found to be in danger of torture or death in a pre-removal risk assessment if sent back to Sri Lanka. Her case is still in the system. She cannot be given refugee status or permanent residence unless the public safety minister grants her ministerial relief.

Theres a wide gap in how people are being treated (by border services). Some are prosecuted zealously and others are not, said Boulakia. There is a lot of arbitrariness.

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Premier Doug Ford is on the road, taking his anti-carbon-tax message out West and meeting with like-minded provincial leaders in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

After a meeting with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe on Thursday, Moe announced he would join Ontarios challenge of the federal governments right to impose a carbon pricing scheme on provinces that dont devise their own.

Ford had already pledged  back in July at an annual meeting of premiers, held in New Brunswick  to support Saskatchewans ongoing court case.

The one issue Ontario and Saskatchewan are most closely aligned on is the fight against the Trudeau Liberal carbon tax, Ford said at a joint press conference held in Saskatoon.

... It is the worst possible tax for Canadian economies and for Canadian families. It has nothing to do with the environment.

Shortly after taking office, Ford cancelled Ontarios cap-and-trade system  which forced big polluters to purchase carbon credits that could be sold if their emissions came in lower than required  but has yet to announce a replacement climate-change plan.

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Ford also noted Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister is also now abandoning his provinces plans to comply with Ottawa.

We are going to stand united, Ford also said. Not just for Saskatchewan and Ontario, but our whole country he added, calling carbon taxes job killing and family hurting.

Moe said the federal government needs to hold off on plans to impose carbon-pricing schemes it doesnt approve of, saying Ottawa should wait for the court cases to be heard.

At Queens Park on Thursday, Minister of Government and Consumer Services Todd Smith said we have a growing alliance of people that support our stance that a carbon tax is not a good thing for the economy and that it is a regressive, job-killing tax.

Youre now starting to see a lot of other provinces say yes, we are going to stand up for the people in our province, too. So that alliance is growing and certainly the premier is out there talking with other premiers and other ministers about the options that are available, said Smith, who is also the government house leader.

He said the cost of the legal challenges are worth it. What we are doing is in the best interests of the people of Ontario, he said.

If we can spend some money now to get the best result of the people of Ontario, and ultimately Canada, then we are going to do that.

Ford is also travelling to Calgary to meet with Jason Kenney, leader of the United Conservative Party, and attend an anti-carbon-tax rally. He will speak at the partys Scrap the Carbon Tax event Friday with Kenney, whose party is the official opposition in Alberta.

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Mayor John Tory and his rival in the Oct. 22 civic election Jennifer Keesmaat went to the Toronto Real Estate Board on Wednesday to tout their awareness and solutions to the citys housing affordability crisis.

But in back to back speeches, neither gave the 400 realtors in attendance what they really wanted to hear, which was a promise to repeal the Torontos land transfer tax that adds about $15,000 onto an average Toronto home purchase.

Last year, the tax contributed about $640 million to the citys operating budget.

Realtors are especially opposed to the tax because they say it discourages consumers from moving. Tory, who vowed to keep property taxes at or below the rate of inflation, said he would love to talk about repealing the land transfer tax but it simply isnt practical.

Were just not in a position at the moment when it comes to meeting the needs of the City of Toronto to build transit and to help with affordable housing, to help with child care and things like that  to talk about a tax reduction, he said.

It would be irresponsible at this point, without another plan in place, to be proposing that we get rid of it. But it should be something we work towards, said Keesmaat.

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Weve been through an era of downloading services on the municipality and that has not been accompanied by the financial realignment by both the federal and provincial government of our tax dollars, she said.

Even a small portion of those taxes to reinvest in the city that generates that revenue is essential to Torontos sustainability, said Keesmaat.

Both mayoral hopefuls referred to the challenges of Torontos teeming development and rising rents and house prices.

Tory stressed his record in building provincial and federal partnerships for attracting investments in transit and helping Toronto meet its affordable housing targets for the first time. This year, 1,586 units of affordable housing have been approved  above the target of 1,000. The city is now working on 40,000 affordable units in the next 12 years.

I dont think you set goals that you cant achieve, he said.

Keesmaat, however, chided Torys lack of ambition, saying she would use the citys surface parking lots and one-storey transit stations to build affordable housing. She said her plan includes building 100,000 homes for middle-class families.

The city is no longer affordable to the disappearing middle class, people who work as teachers and nurses, she said, and that threatens Torontos competitiveness.

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ANCHORAGE, ALASKAThe oldest son of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will spend a year in custody after a judge ruled Wednesday that allegations of hitting a woman on the head disqualified him from a therapeutic program for veterans tied to a separate assault case.

Track Palin, 29, has been accused of three attacks on people close to him over the past few years, the most recent coming last week against a female acquaintance. Palin, an Army veteran who served a year in Iraq, entered a program intended to rehabilitate veterans after he was arrested in an assault on his father less than a year ago.

Anchorage District Court Judge David Wallace told Track Palin that he violated conditions of a plea agreement in the earlier case and must report to a halfway house at months end.

The Department of Corrections will determine if he serves time at the halfway house or behind bars. Anchorage District Attorney Richard Allen said jail time is unlikely.

The judge could have chosen to let Palin remain in Alaska Veterans Court, which gives eligible former service members the option of enrolling in mental health treatment instead of a traditional sentence.

Before Wallace issued his decision, Palin said he appreciated the opportunity to participate in the program in Anchorage. He acknowledged it was a challenge taking part because he had to come in from the Mat-Su Valley, about 45 miles (72 kilometres) away.

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Palin attended the hearing with his father, Todd Palin, who also spoke briefly in court, saying he wished his son would be allowed to remain in veterans court.

Asked if they wanted to comment before the hearing, Todd Palin declined. Track Palin said, Pay me, I will.

Track Palin was arrested Friday night after a female acquaintance said he told her that she could not leave his house in Wasilla, took away her phone and then hit her in the head, according to court documents.

The woman said the pair wrestled over the phone and that Palin let her leave after she screamed for help, according to an affidavit by Alaska State Troopers. They said Palin told them that the two were arguing over how they said goodbye and that any injuries the woman had she did to herself.

Authorities say he also kicked over a table and threw his head back at a trooper as he was arrested. Palin is in jail facing misdemeanour charges including assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Last December, Palin was accused of breaking into his parents home and leaving his father, Todd Palin, bleeding from cuts on his head, authorities have said. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in veterans court.

Track Palins arrangement called for him to serve 10 days in jail if he completed the therapeutic program and a year behind bars if he didnt.

Palin also was accused of punching his then-girlfriend in 2016, court documents said. He pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm while intoxicated, and the other charges were dismissed.

Sarah Palin indicated that post-traumatic stress disorder might have been a factor in that case.
WASHINGTONOn Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump declared of his trade agreement with Canada and Mexico: Its a brand new deal. Its not NAFTA redone. Its a brand new deal. Later in the day, he said, NAFTA was a disaster for our countryEssentially, were terminating NAFTA.

On Tuesday, the chairman of Trumps Council of Economic Advisers, Kevin Hassett, went on television to talk about the agreement. He referred to it as the new NAFTA. Later in the day, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley told Bloomberg that Congress could vote quickly on the agreement, since 95 per cent of what we will be voting on is the same as NAFTA.

Trumps colleagues are more right than he is.

The president has a political interest in pretending he has eradicated a North American Free Trade Agreement he has called the worst trade agreement in world history. But the new agreement, named the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) at Trumps urging, retains the central features and most secondary features of the 24-year-old NAFTA, trade experts say.

Trumps critics are wrong to claim that Trump has changed nothing but the name. The new agreement makes dozens of policy changes, some of them significant.

Many of the changes, however, are incremental tweaks. And where there is entirely new text that was not in the original NAFTA, a significant chunk of it was borrowed from the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership, an agreement Trump has disparaged and withdrawn the U.S. from.

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The TPP, which included all three of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, was intended in part to serve as a vehicle for modernizing NAFTA.

I think the president is trying to do a rebranding job on what remains, essentially, NAFTA, said Robert Fisher, a U.S. negotiator in the original NAFTA talks and now managing director of trade consulting firm Hills and Co. What the presidents done is taken two agreements he said he strongly disliked  among the worst agreements ever, according to him  and taken bits of each and merged it into a new agreement.

Matthew Kronby, former director general of the Canadian governments Trade Law Bureau, offered a similar assessment.

The bulk of the agreement is NAFTA, or where its been modernized, its basically the TPP. I think that partly explains Trumps determination to rebrand it, said Kronby, a partner at law firm Borden Ladner Gervais.

The central purpose of most trade agreements is to eliminate tariffs between trading partners. NAFTA eliminated almost all tariffs on goods traded between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Those tariffs remain eliminated in the new agreement, Fisher noted, while on trade in services, the new agreement did almost nothing one way or the other.

Perhaps the most significant change is the introduction of new rules of origin for automotive manufacturing. There is a new rule that a car will only get tariff-free treatment if 40 per cent of its contents are produced by workers at North American facilities where the average wage is $16 per hour (U.S.), and if the automaker has bought 70 per cent of its steel and aluminum from North America. And 75 per cent of the overall contents must be made in North America, up from 62.5 per cent.

For better or worse, Trump can rightfully claim that this is unique. Most trade agreements change rules to make trade freer. These changes move in the direction of protectionism.

The TPP was going in the direction of greater liberalization; for example, reducing auto rules of origin to around 40 per cent. We have gone a full 180 degrees to higher thresholds from the original NAFTA, said Dan Ujczo, a trade lawyer at Dickinson Wright in Ohio.

The new agreement also eliminates, between the U.S. and Canada, a system that allows corporations from one NAFTA country to sue the governments of another. It eliminates a controversial Canadian system for pricing certain dairy products. It introduces a novel provision giving each of the three countries the right to cancel the agreement in response to one of the other countries engaging in a trade agreement with a nonmarket country, like China. It sets new rules about textiles.

It is an error, Ujczo said, to say this was just a rebranding exercise. But he also said that various other changes, like the new chapter on the digital trade that did not exist in 1994, were largely taken from TPP and other trade agreements, while several chapters from the original NAFTA, such as those on anti-corruption and technical barriers to trade, were merely given a fresh coat of paint.

Even some of the most-discussed Canadian concessions, like those on intellectual property, were incremental. For example, Canada currently offers eight years of data exclusivity for sophisticated patented medicines called biologics. Under the new deal, it will offer 10 years.

A meaningful change, but not something brand new.

A very, very tiny fraction of Canadians and Americans will feel any differences in their lives as a result of the transition from NAFTA to the USMCA, said Dan Ikenson, director of trade policy studies at Washingtons libertarian Cato Institute. He said even the much-discussed agriculture changes, like Canada granting U.S. farmers more access to its supply-managed dairy market, are so small as to be imperceptible to consumers  even to the farmers themselves.
LOS ANGELESA California man who says he was sexually abused by a priest over a five-year period decades ago is suing the Vatican, seeking the names of all offenders within the church worldwide.

The accuser, whos now 52, reached a settlement with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2007, but his attorneys said Thursday that doesnt release the Vatican from responsibility.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court in California, accuses the Vatican of placing the Rev. Fidencio Silva-Flores in a position of power at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Oxnard west of Los Angeles and says it should have known he posed a danger to children.

The problem is at the top, and until the problem is addressed at the top, it will continue, Jeff Anderson, the accusers attorney, said in a statement ahead of a news conference announcing the lawsuit.

Jeffrey Lena, the Vaticans U.S. lawyer, declined to comment.

The lawsuit alleges Silva-Flores sexually abused the accuser when he was a teenager between 1979 and 1984. Silva-Flores was charged with 25 counts of molestation in 2003, but the charges were later dropped because of the amount of time that had passed.

Anderson and other lawyers have tried to sue the Holy See  the government of the Catholic Church  in U.S. courts before. But the Vatican has successfully prevented the litigation from reaching a verdict in part by arguing that its immune as a foreign sovereign and that priests arent employees of the Vatican.

Andersons last major effort alleging Vatican liability for the abuse of a priest was eventually dismissed in federal court in Oregon in 2013.

The new lawsuit comes amid renewed outrage in the U.S. over sex abuse and decades of coverup by the Catholic hierarchy. A Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing decades of abuse, as well as allegations that a prominent U.S. ex-cardinal was himself an abuser, have created a crisis of confidence in the U.S. and Vatican leadership.

Anderson is now arguing that the California court has jurisdiction over the Holy See because the alleged abuse occurred in the state.

The lawsuit is seeking an order for the Vatican to release the names of abusers in what Anderson said is more than 3,400 credible cases and for the names of anyone found guilty of sexual misconduct to be turned over to law enforcement.

Defendant Holy Sees practices of retaining, hiding and concealing evidence of crimes of its agents and former agents has endangered numerous children and continues to put children in peril, the lawsuit said.

For years, advocates for victims have been demanding the Vatican release files about abusive priests. The Vatican in 2001 ordered dioceses around the world to send all their cases to Rome to be reviewed, meaning it has a fairly extensive set of files about individual cases and what was done about them.
LILONGWE, MALAWIMelania Trump got a different view of educating children as she visited an African primary school Thursday that has benefited from U.S. assistance but struggles with an enrolment of more than 8,500 students. Some children learn lessons outdoors, seated shoulder-to-shoulder on loose, red dirt.

Mrs. Trump toured several outdoor classrooms at Chipala Primary School in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, the second stop on her four-nation tour of the continent. The school is among those in the landlocked country that receive education assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development, including textbooks.

Mrs. Trump was on hand as the U.S. ambassador handed over another 1.4 million books through a U.S.-funded national reading program. Malawis schools have received some 9.6 million books under the program in the past several years.

I wanted to be here to see the successful programs that (the) United States is providing the children and thank you for everything youve done, the U.S. first lady said at the book donation ceremony, held inside the schools library.

Meeting those children and understanding their different way of life is why I wanted to travel here, Mrs. Trump said later. I was heartened to spend time with the students and was honoured to donate school supplies and soccer balls. The soccer balls as well as tote bags donated for the teachers bore the logo of Be Best, the child well-being initiative she launched earlier this year and is promoting on the trip.

Back in Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted: Our countrys great First Lady, Melania, is doing really well in Africa. The people love her, and she loves them! It is a beautiful thing to see.

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While the first lady highlighted USAIDs work in Africa, the Trump administration has been trying to cut the agencys funding. In its first two budget proposals, the administration sought to slash funding for the State Department and USAID by roughly 30 per cent. Widespread bipartisan opposition to the steep reductions in Congress, where the budget proposals were essentially ignored, foiled the administrations plans.

Mrs. Trump toured the equivalent of second and third grade classrooms and watched as teachers conducted their lessons  helping the youngsters learn English or the Chichewa language. The school has more than 8,500 students served by 77 teachers.

Bright Masaka, Malawis minister of education, science and technology, said Chipala is one of his countrys best schools. He credited the partnership between the U.S. and Malawi with significantly improving students English and Chichewa reading skills.

The U.S. first lady received a joyous welcome in Malawi upon her arrival at Kamuzu International Airport, with singing and dancing by a troupe of women and scores of schoolchildren waving African and Malawian flags. The sounds of women ululating were heard at each of her public appearance. In southern Africa, ululation  a sound made with the mouth  is often a celebratory welcome by women.

But there were signs of protest, too, as President Trump is not unanimously seen as a friend of Africa.

Along the route from the school to the ambassadors residence, a few white people held up signs. One womans sign said #MELANIATOO, with the ME in bold black. A couple held a sign that said Welcome to Malawi. #NOTASHITHOLE!  a reference to reports earlier this year that the president used the vulgar term to describe African nations.

Another sign said 69 Days Past the Deadline to Reunite Families. That was a reference to the presidents zero tolerance immigration policy that led to the separation of thousands of children from their families as they tried to illegally cross from Mexico into the U.S. Many children remain separated from their families.

Mrs. Trump opened her first extended international tour as first lady on Tuesday in the West African nation of Ghana. She also has planned stops in Kenya and Egypt.

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WASHINGTONVice-President Mike Pence charged Thursday that Russias influence operations in America pale in comparison with the covert and overt activities China is taking to interfere in the U.S. midterm elections and counter President Donald Trumps tough trade policies against Beijing.

Pence laid out measures Beijing is employing to undermine the Trump administration. They include public steps such as targeting Chinese tariffs to industries in states that are crucial to Trump in the midterms as well as behind-the-scenes actions like coercing U.S. businesses to speak out against the Trump administration and intimidating scholars.

Pence also denounced Chinas manoeuvres in the South China Sea, its oppression of Christians, Muslims and other religious believers, and Chinese President Xi Jinpings signature infrastructure and foreign policy initiative. The unusually expansive and aggressive criticism of Beijing by a senior U.S. official indicated that Washington could be preparing to take a more confrontational approach with China on issues beyond just the trade dispute.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, said Beijing objected to Pences groundless allegations and urged the U.S. to stop hurting ties between the two countries.

This is nothing but speaking on hearsay evidence, confusing right and wrong and creating something out of thin air, Hua said in a strongly worded statement issued early Friday in Beijing.

We have no interest in meddling in U.S. internal affairs and elections, Hua said.

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But Pence said Beijings actions add up to a simple message: China wants a different American president.

Beijing has mobilized covert actors, front groups and propaganda outlets to shift Americans perception of Chinese policies, he said. As a senior career member of our intelligence community recently told me just this week, what the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what China is doing across this country and the American people deserve to know.

Pence said China has responded to Trumps tough trade policies against Beijing with tariffs of its own designed to inflict maximum political damage.

By one estimate, more than 80 per cent of U.S. counties targeted by China voted for President Trump and I (sic) in 2016, Pence said during a speech delivered at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank . Now, China wants to turn these voters against our administration.

He also noted a multi-page advertising supplement that was inserted last week in the Des Moines Register in Iowa, the home state of the U.S. ambassador to China and a pivotal state in this years elections and the 2020 presidential election. The supplement, designed to look like news articles, cast our trade policies as reckless and harmful to Iowans.

Pences speech served as a follow-up of sorts to Trumps charge before the U.N. Security Council last month that China was meddling in U.S. elections to help Democrats.

After Trumps remark, intelligence and Homeland Security experts said they didnt know of any Chinese influence operations akin to Russian activities during the 2016 presidential election.

U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Russia interfered in 2016 to boost Trump over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton through hacking and releasing sensitive documents and social media manipulation.

Analysts with the Eurasia Group consultancy noted that the charges of Chinese meddling are largely unsubstantiated and could allow Trump to distract from the special counsels investigation into Russian interference. They also said it was the first time a senior U.S. official had delivered such a broadside against China on an array of issues.

The more open tone of confrontation from Pence will strengthen the perception in China that the ultimate U.S. objective in the (trade) dispute is to contain Chinas rise, the groups analysts led by Asia director, Michael Hirson, wrote.

Experts say China is more known for conducting economic espionage. A recent intelligence report said China uses joint ventures to try to acquire technical know-how, seeks partnerships with U.S. government labs to learn about specific technology and information about running such facilities, and uses front companies to hide the hand of the Chinese government and acquire technology under U.S. export controls.

The Trump administration also asserted Thursday that Chinese economic aggression has helped undermine the global competitiveness of defence-oriented U.S. industries. In a lengthy report released Thursday evening, the administration asserted that China represents a significant and growing risk to the supply of materials and technologies deemed strategic and critical to U.S. national security. It said these include specialized alloys and rare earth metals.

The report, which resulted from a Trump directive in July 2017 to assess the health of industries whose products and services are important to national defence, also accused China of systematic theft of U.S. weapons systems and the illicit transfer of dual-use technology that has upset the military balance between the U.S. and China.

In his speech, Pence offered only two examples related to the upcoming elections  the targeted tariffs and the advertising supplement  which did not rise to the level of the Russian effort to meddle in the 2016 election. But he pointed to a document Beijing circulated in June titled Propaganda and Censorship Notice, which laid out a broader influence campaign, similar to Russias ongoing disinformation campaign against the U.S.

The document stated that China must strike accurately and carefully, splitting apart different domestic groups in the United States, the vice-president said.

Pence also said more U.S. companies should think twice before entering the Chinese market if it means turning over their intellectual property.

He urged Google to immediately end development of the Dragonfly app that will strengthen Communist Party censorship and compromise the privacy of Chinese customers. Google employees and others have protested the companys plan to build a search engine that would comply with Chinese censorship.

Pence said other examples of proactive and coercive ways that China is meddling in the U.S include:

The Chinese Communist Party is rewarding or coercing American businesses, movie studios, universities, think tanks, scholars, journalists and local, state, and federal officials.

Senior Chinese officials have tried to influence business leaders to condemn U.S. trade actions, leveraging their desire to maintain their operations in China. Pence said in one recent example, China threatened to deny a business license for a major U.S. corporation if it refused to speak out against our administrations policies.

Beijing compelled Delta Air Lines to publicly apologize for not calling Taiwan a province of China on its website, he said. It also pressured Marriott to fire a U.S. employee who liked a tweet about Tibet.

Beijings censors edit or outlaw U.S. movies that criticize China. The movie Red Dawn was digitally edited to make the villains North Korean, not Chinese, Pence said.

China provides money to U.S. universities, think tanks and scholars with the understanding that they will avoid ideas that the Communist Party finds offensive, Pence said. Even scholars and groups who avoid Chinese funding are targeted by that country, as the Hudson Institute found out firsthand, he said. After the institute offered to host a speaker from Beijing that Chinese officials opposed, its website was hit with a cyberattack that originated from Shanghai, he said.

National security adviser John Bolton said much of what the U.S. knows about Chinese activities in the United States remains classified.

He said if more were declassified, it would help Americans better understand the scope of the Chinese actions to affect the election and its broader effort to influence political opinion in this country through academic institutions, through think tanks, through intimidation of scholars.

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SEOUL, KOREA, REPUBLIC OFA South Korean government delegation arrived in North Korea on Thursday for a joint celebration of the anniversary of a 2007 summit and to possibly hold further peace talks.

South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said the visit is an opportunity to strengthen reconciliation, co-operation and peace between the rivals.

Chos group was greeted at Pyongyangs airport by Ri Son Gwon, chairman of the North Korean agency that handles inter-Korean affairs, who said the agreements produced by the series of inter-Korean summits  two during the 2000s and three in 2018  have set the standard for reunification.

In addition to government officials, the South Korean delegation includes lawmakers, civic and religious leaders and the son of late South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, who participated in the 2007 summit with North Koreas then-leader Kim Jong Il, the father of current ruler Kim Jong Un.

The visit comes as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo prepares to make his fourth visit to Pyongyang on Sunday with the aim of setting up a second summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Kim and Trump met in Singapore in June, where they issued vague aspirations for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula without saying when and how it would occur. Followup talks between the countries stalled, with Pyongyang accusing Washington of making unilateral and gangsterlike demands on denuclearization. That left Seoul lobbying hard for a second summit between Trump and Kim to keep alive a positive atmosphere for nuclear diplomacy.

Read more:

South Korea clears mines from border, expects North to do the same

North Korea says denuclearization hinges on U.S. reducing sanctions

Trump hopeful for nuclear deal with North Korea, but is in no rush

Pompeo said Wednesday hes optimistic hell come away with a plan for a second summit between Trump and Kim and progress on a pathway for denuclearization. However, he distanced himself from an earlier stated goal of getting North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons by the end of Trumps four-year term in January 2021.

During his three-day visit to Pyongyang, Cho plans to hold talks with Ri to discuss how to carry out the agreements made by Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a summit in Pyongyang last month. That was Kim and Moons third meeting this year as they work to resolve the nuclear standoff following a torrid run of North Korean nuclear and missile tests.

The South Korean delegates will also tour major North Korean facilities and attend a performance of the Norths iconic mass games. Its unclear whether they will meet Kim before returning home on Saturday.

During their Pyongyang summit, Kim and Moon said they agreed to reduce the conventional military threat between them and hold another summit in Seoul, potentially within the year. North Korea said it would allow outside experts to observe the dismantling of a missile engine test site and a rocket launch pad, and might dismantle its main Nyongbyon nuclear complex if the United States takes unspecified corresponding measures.

Cho told South Korean lawmakers on Monday that North Korea is estimated to have 20 to 60 nuclear weapons, in Seouls first public comment about the size of the Norths weapons arsenal. North Koreas state media on Tuesday issued a commentary urging Washington to lift sanctions if it wants further progress in their stalled nuclear talks.

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DALLASIt was the kind of shooting that had spurred national interest before: A police officer had opened fire into a vehicle, leaving a black man dead.

For residents in the Dallas area, the Sept. 1 killing of 24-year-old OShae Terry in Arlington brought to mind the shooting of Jordan Edwards in another Texas city last year. The 15-year-old Edwards and four other black teenagers were in a car and leaving a house party in Balch Springs when a white officer shot into the moving vehicle, killing the high school freshman who was in the front passenger seat.

The officer was fired and, in a rare move, convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison. The shooting, like Terrys, highlighted a use-of-force tactic that law enforcement experts say is dangerous: firing into a moving vehicle.

Five days after Terrys shooting, police released footage and the case was starting to gain momentum. But hours after the video images of Terrys fatal traffic stop made headlines, attention was already turning to the Sept. 6 shooting of another black man, 26-year-old Botham Jean, a St. Lucia native killed by a white off-duty officer who lived in the same Dallas apartment complex as him.

The shooting resonated with people in a way that Terrys didnt. Jean had not been pulled over by police, but instead was gunned down in his own home by an officer who said she mistook Jeans apartment for her own.

To Terrys mother, Sherley Woods, its hard not to see the similarities in the deaths of her son and Jean.

Its the same thing  an officer killed someone for no reason, Woods said. My sons life was taken by an officer for no reason.

Activist and writer Shaun King said the nation only seems willing to focus on one police shooting story at a time. And in a news climate dominated by coverage of President Donald Trump, he said its more difficult to attract national interest for stories of police brutality.

It became really, really difficult to get those stories told, he said, adding that everybody would be talking about Terrys killing had it happened in 2014.

Attorney Lee Merritt, who represents the Terry and Jean families and has handled other police shooting cases, said Jeans death overshadowed the video footage of Terrys killing, but the officers in both shootings should be held accountable.

At no point did that car represent a danger to (the officer who shot Terry), Merritt said. He said the Arlington officer should be fired and criminally charged.

William Terrill, an Arizona State University professor who studies use of force, said shooting at a moving vehicle is extremely risky because an officer could miss his target and shoot a bystander, or he could shoot the driver and cause the vehicle to become out of control.

Its really hard to hit a moving target, Terrill said.

The police footage, which consists of both body and dashboard camera videos, shows an Arlington officer chatting with Terry and his front-seat passenger after pulling the SUV over for a vehicle registration violation. A second officer, responding as backup, arrives and approaches the passenger-side door. The first officer tells Terry and his passenger that she smells marijuana in their vehicle and needs to search it.

The first officer then heads back to a patrol vehicle. About three minutes later, the SUVs windows start to roll up and the backup officer grabs onto the passenger-side window and tells Terry to stop.

The SUV moves forward as three shots ring out. As the vehicle continues moving, two more shots are heard.

The officer who initiated the traffic stop did not open fire. Terrys passenger was detained but later released.

Arlington police have not identified the officer who shot Terry except to say that he has been with the department for eight years. A police spokesman, Lt. Christopher Cook, said in a statement Wednesday that the department isnt naming the officer because of concerns for his safety. Cook said the officers gun and badge have been taken while an internal investigation continues and hes been assigned a role in which he has no contact with the public.

The day after the shooting, police reported finding a handgun, ecstasy pills and more than a pound of marijuana in the SUV. Merritt said the officer who killed Terry was not aware of the gun and drugs when shooting him.

Terrys mother said her son posed no threat to the officers and the shooting wasnt justified.

It was wrong. Theres no other way you could look at it, Sherley Woods said. She acknowledged Terry had a criminal record but said his past had nothing to do with the shooting.

She said Terry, who was her youngest son, had many positive qualities. She said he was a loving person and spoke of becoming a police officer when he was younger.

Terry enjoyed fixing up cars and would repair his friends vehicles, his mother said, adding that he was known to pay for the parts himself. He had a job helping supply trucks with diesel fuel, she said.

His life had value, Woods said, later adding: I just know I have to get justice for my son.
BRUSSELSThe British government on Thursday accused Russias military intelligence agency GRU of reckless and indiscriminate cyberattacks, blaming it for everything from the hacking of top athletes medical records to disruptions on the Kyiv subway system to the theft of emails at the Democratic National Committee.

The accusation was unusually forthright, going further than before in assigning direct blame to the Kremlin for a series of hard-to-trace attacks. It follows the sensational poison attack against ex-spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in March, which Britain says was carried out by a pair of GRU agents who used a military-grade nerve agent. Villagers in Russias Far East have said they recognize one of Britains suspects in the Novichok attack as a hometown hero and a decorated military officer.

Where Russia acts in an indiscriminate and reckless way, where they have done in terms of these cyberattacks, we will be exposing them, British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said Thursday at a meeting with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other NATO defence ministers in Brussels. We believe that by doing so, this will act as a disincentive for acting in such a way in the future.

Britains Foreign Office said that Russian military intelligence was behind six separate cyberattacks between mid-2015 and October 2017. Four of the attacks were newly attributed on Thursday. Although some were high-profile and obviously political, including the hacking of the Democratic National Committee, others ranged across business and media life.

Britain accused the GRU of hacking email accounts at a small UK-based TV station, stealing their contents. It blamed Russia for the theft and subsequent release of confidential athletes medical files from the World Anti-Doping Agency. And it said Russia was behind the October 2017 BadRabbit ransomware attack that rendered computer systems inoperable in Ukraine and at the Russian central bank.

The Foreign Office said Russian cyber-assaults were orchestrated by GRU and identified 12 hacking cells serving as fronts for the Russian military, including Fancy Bear, Voodoo Bear, APT28, Sofacy, Pawnstorm, Sednit, CyberCaliphate, Cyber Berku, BlackEnergy Actors, STRONTIUM, Czar Team and Sandworm.

Read more:

Did Trumps ambassador to NATO threaten Russia with pre-emptive strikes?

Russia urges U.K. to share its poisoning case suspicions

Russian ex-spy poisoning suspect is GRU colonel, investigative group says

Moscow dismissed Britains allegations as a delusional and a diabolical perfume blend.

They mixed up everything in one bottle, which could be a bottle of Nina Ricci perfume: GRU, cyber spies, Kremlin hackers, and the WADA. This is just a diabolical perfume blend. The imagination of our U.K. colleagues is truly boundless. Who invented the whole thing? Id like to see them. Theyre simply [Hans Christian] Andersens, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing on Thursday.

Sergei Skripal and his adult daughter Yulia were poisoned by Novichok sprayed on their front door, according to the British investigation. They spent weeks in a coma in the hospital before recovering.

Weeks later, a British man named Charlie Rawley was rummaging through a charity shop bin and found a bottle of counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume. The applicator contained Novichok. Rawley gave it his girlfriend, Dawn Sturgess, who sprayed in on her wrists. She quickly sickened and later died in Salisbury hospital. Rawley was also seriously poisoned.

Governments have in the past been cautious about attributing similar attacks, in part because their origin can be notoriously hard to trace and because they do not want to reveal how they have tracked or penetrated the groups. But Britain and its allies have pushed this year for significantly more transparency, particularly after the Skripal attack in March. Skripal was himself a former Russian military intelligence officer turned double-agent.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called Skripal a traitor and a scumbag. Britain maintains that the use of Novichok and the deployment of senior GRU agents signal that the assassination attempt was directed at the highest levels in the Kremlin.

The GRUs actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries; they are even prepared to damage Russian companies and Russian citizens, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement. This pattern of behaviour demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to international law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne issued a joint statement that Australian intelligence agencies agreed that GRU is responsible for this pattern of malicious cyber activity.

The Pentagon on Wednesday announced that it planned to offer its offensive cybercapabilities to the NATO allies for the first time, further expanding the alliances role in what is fast becoming a contested virtual battleground. Mattis has been discussing the issue with fellow defence leaders at the Brussels meetings.

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Just when Toronto voters need more debates, were getting almost none. In one of the shortest mayoral contests ever, were getting all too few opportunities to hear the issues aired and see the candidates for the top job challenge each other.

In the last city election cycle, back in 2014, there were all sorts of debates featuring the mayoral candidates, almost too many to count. And that campaign went on for many months. This time its the opposite while the clock ticks down to the vote on Oct. 22.

Whos to blame? Lots of people: the candidates themselves, some in the media, and of course the man who effectively turned the campaign into a four-week sprint  Premier Doug Ford.

Fords pointless, bullying move to cut city council in half, and the legal jockeying that followed, sucked the oxygen out of this election for weeks. So it was all the more important to hear from the candidates in the short time left before the vote. Theres lots to discuss.

Naturally, the candidates are pointing fingers at each other and claiming the high ground of principle to justify their positions. And, to no ones surprise, the principles theyve chosen to stand on align all so neatly with their own political interests.

John Tory, who by all accounts holds a comfortable lead over his nearest rival, Jennifer Keesmaat, wont debate her alone. Torys campaign says any debates need to feature diverse voices from among the 35 people vying to become mayor.

Torys got a good point. The debates shouldnt shut out everyone but the highest-profile candidates, and in fact the few debates held so far have featured such contenders as Saron Gebresellassi and Sarah Climenhaga, who arent polling well but have impressed campaign observers.

But of course its no accident that its in the interest of the Tory campaign to limit the opportunities for Keesmaat to get in clear shots at the mayor. And conversely, its in Keesmaats interest to go mano a mano with Tory. Shes quickly running out of time to close the gap with him.

Her campaign says shes ready to debate him anytime, with or without other candidates. But one group, Faith in the City, says its attempt to organize a debate failed because she wanted a two-person matchup while he insisted others be involved. It seems no ones hands are clean.

The losers here are, of course, we the voters. But this is not an insoluble problem. We could have debates if there was a genuine desire to see that the issues are properly aired.

Its possible, for example, to combine elements of diversity in debates with a recognition of the realities of political power and polling.

In some past federal debates, the format allowed for both extended exchanges between major party leaders and shorter periods featuring those from smaller formations like the Greens or Bloc Quebecois.

One could imagine, for example, a televised debate in which Tory and Keesmaat went one-on-one for a while, followed by a wider discussion that included a couple of other candidates selected to represent diverse interests. It would take some imagination and a lot of negotiation, but theres no reason it couldnt be done.

Which makes it all the more disappointing to see the CBC scrapping a mayoral debate planned for Oct. 16 because the Tory camp wouldnt go along with the exclusively one-on-one format the network had proposed.

The broadcast would have been shared with any outlet that wanted it and would have been a great chance to air the issues a few days before the vote. A mixed format might not have been the CBCs chosen model, but it would have been politically awkward for either Tory or Keesmaat to refuse it.

Instead, we get nothing. Thanks, everyone involved!

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The Trans Mountain pipeline is going nowhere. Ottawa agreed this week to a Federal Court of Appeal requirement that it once again consult 117 Indigenous First Nations along the proposed route.

That process could  and probably will  take forever.

Ottawa has also agreed to have the National Energy Board examine whether the proposed pipeline expansion from Alberta to British Columbias Pacific Coast would threaten marine species such as whales.

If the NEB conducts that investigation thoroughly it can come to only one conclusion: the expanded tanker traffic required to ship Alberta heavy oil from the Vancouver area to markets in Asia would pose such a threat.

On the face of it, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is trapped. He has promised that the pipeline will go ahead. But he has also promised that it will do so in a way that respects both the environment and Indigenous rights  which in its current form it cannot.

There is, however, a potential way out: if Alberta refined its heavy oil at home and sent a lighter form of petroleum through the proposed pipeline, much of the opposition to Trans Mountain would evaporate.

Read more:

Rachel Notley does not agree with Ottawa not pursuing Supreme Court appeal of pipeline decision

Ottawa says Indigenous groups hold no veto over Trans Mountain pipeline expansion

Opinion | Chantal Hebert: Provincial elections dont bode well for pipeline support

There are two key objections to the Trans Mountain expansion. The first is that it will encourage even more climate-altering exploitation of the carbon-rich Alberta oilsands. That objection can be met only if the pipeline project is abandoned completely.

But the second objection is more widespread and thus politically more important. It is an objection to the kind of oil that the expanded pipeline would carry.

Oilsands bitumen is a tar-like substance that, even when diluted, is impossibly gooey. Many First Nations along the Trans Mountain route are willing to live with the current pipeline, which transports both refined products and normal crude oil. But they justly fear that an expanded pipeline filled with bitumen would, if ruptured, cause significant environmental damage.

Similarly, most of the pipeline opposition in B.C.s heavily populated lower mainland focuses mainly on the kind of oil that would be transported.

Fewer British Columbians find fault with tankers that carry normal crude oil. Fewer still object to the idea of tankers filled with liquefied natural gas. Natural gas evaporates. But the spectre of a bitumen spill fouling the ocean floor raises real fears.

Why not, then, finesse the problem by refining the bitumen  either in Alberta before it enters the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline or in B.C. before it is loaded into tankers?

Many have asked this question. The Boilermakers Union, which would get jobs for its members from any expansion of refining capacity, likes the idea. So does Victoria media mogul David Black, who heads up a company that wants to build such a refinery.

The difficulty is money. Refineries are expensive. The major oil companies find it cheaper to ship crude oil to a few big refineries in the U.S. rather than build any in this country.

Canada boasted 40 refineries in the 1970s. It has only 15 now, including one started up last year in Alberta with provincial government assistance.

A refinery devoted to bitumen would probably have to be either government owned or government subsidized.

But both are commonplace in Canada. The federal government already owns Trans Mountain. The Alberta oilsands were developed in part with federal and provincial government money.

A new $40 billion liquefied natural gas project just announced for Kitimat B.C. will receive hefty provincial government tax breaks says New Democratic Party Premier John Horgan.

Subsidizing big business is the Canadian way.

Trudeau has staked his political reputation on getting Trans Mountain built. I dont happen to think this was a wise decision. The pipeline will make it more difficult for Canada to reach even the limited carbon-reduction targets it has agreed to as part of the international fight against climate change.

But if the prime minister insists, and if he wants to avoid getting bogged down in interminable talks with pipeline opponents, he does have a way out.

He can support measures to refine Albertas tarsands oil into something less dangerous to transport.

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Ottawa has slapped down complaints from Queens Park about Canadas new trade deal with the U.S. and Mexico in a politically charged exchange.

Ontario continued its push Wednesday for the federal government to detail compensation arrangements for dairy farmers when the Canadian market is opened to more American milk products under USMCA, the replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement. In a letter sent Wednesday, Ontario Trade Minister Jim Wilson also raised a number of other concerns about U.S. tariffs and Canadas ability to control its future trade deals.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement was signed Sunday night after 13 months of tense, high-stakes negotiations punctuated by threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed Canada enjoyed unfair advantages under NAFTA. The deal must still be ratified by the three nations.

In his Wednesday morning letter to federal Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, Wilson flatly stated a number of questions remain unanswered by your government.

Our government remains concerned about the impacts of increasing access to Ontarios dairy market, the remaining steel and aluminum tariffs, and Clause 32 which permits the U.S. to veto future Canadian trade deals with other nations, the Progressive Conservative wrote.

Wilson also demanded to know what actions the federal government is taking to ensure no future tariffs are issued and stressed our government will continue to vigorously defend and advance Ontarios economic interests.

Read more:

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USMCA could mean hundreds of millions in lost savings on drug costs in Canada

Ontario will press Ottawa for trade deal compensation

Freelands response said opening the dairy sector to more U.S. goods through the USMCA is in line with what the previous Stephen Harper government agreed to in the original Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal with Asian countries.

Changes to the dairy sector are comparable to changes negotiated by the Conservatives in the original TPP, she wrote of new provisions that will open up just over 3 per cent of the market to American products.

We will fully and fairly compensate the supply management sector and dairy farmers. The government is establishing a working group, in partnership with the dairy industry, to ensure its vitality long into the future. We will be in contact with Ontario about this process.

Freeland suggested Ontario and other provinces had already been given this information.

The prime minister updated Premier (Doug) Ford on Monday, and Canadas negotiating team has briefed Ontario officials, she wrote, pledging to have Ottawas chief negotiator Steve Verheul continue to ensure Ontario has full information about the agreement.

I was pleased to meet you and Premier Ford on Sept. 19 in Washington where we discussed many of the issues in your letter, she added.

Freelands mid-afternoon reply defended the deal more broadly, saying it safeguards more than $2 billion a day in cross-border trade and tariff-free access for more than 70 per cent of Canadian exports, particularly the auto industry that is crucial to Ontarios economic health.

She also addressed Wilsons claim the USMCA could impact future trade agreements.

Nothing in this agreement infringes on Canadas sovereign right to develop commercial relations with any country of its choosing, Freeland noted in the three-page reply.

NAFTA, and the USMCA, have a provision by which any country can exit the agreement for any reason, on six months notice. That withdrawal provision is unchanged.

On tariffs, Freeland said the federal government remains in direct contact with the Trump administration to seek the removal of illegal steel and aluminum tariffs. There is no justification for these measures. We will continue to seek a resolution.

The tariffs imposed earlier this year under U.S. national security grounds make Canadian steel and aluminum more expensive to customers south of the border, hurting the industry and jobs here.

Freeland thanked Wilson for Ontarios full support during difficult negotiations  Ford frequently said he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with federal negotiators  and said it helped shape the final deal.

Wilson said Ontario is optimistic the USMCA will create continued opportunities for trade between our three nations, but is worried the Americans could impose further tariffs.

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VANCOUVERAmid jubilation and back-patting over the massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant announced Tuesday for Kitimat, B.C., several economists are throwing cold water on the idea that a provincewide industry boom is on the way.

B.C. Premier John Horgan and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were all smiles as they praised the four companies behind the LNG Canada facility and its supply pipeline. Both politicians lauded the major energy investment, having received months of criticism for their handling of the delayed Trans Mountain pipeline.

The BC Liberals took issue with the congratulatory mood, pointing out that the provinces environment minister previously called an LNG boom a cloud of pixie dust. Its ex-premier Christy Clarks government investing in and pushing for the industry, said MLA Ellis Ross in a statement, that should get credit for the final decision.

Three economists StarMetro interviewed disputed whether its politicians who actually deserve the effusive praise theyre giving themselves.

Such claims should be taken with a big grain of salt, argues a Houston economist and the senior director of the Center for Energy Studies.

Thats just politics, said Kenneth Medlock, also Rice Universitys Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics, in a phone interview. Politicians like to take credit for things that are good and they like to shift blame for things that go bad.

An investment like this only happens if theres commercial viability; thats the only way it happens. Where government plays a role is it can smooth pathways through rights of way, local bylaws and First Nations negotiations.

The sentiment was echoed by economist Werner Antweiler, director of the University of B.C.s Sauder School of Business Prediction Markets, who said if theres credit to be assigned, its shared.

The previous government started it, the current government kept going, Antweiler said in a phone interview. Although arguably governments have been bending over backwards to bring LNG to B.C.  making major concessions on taxation and the carbon tax to make it an attractive location  the simple fact is its just economics.

The federal and provincial governments say the LNG Canada plant and pipeline should cost around $40 billion and will create up to 10,000 construction jobs and 950 long-term jobs after that.

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives senior economist Marc Lee questioned the headlines touting that figure, however. He pointed out that $40 billion is the maximum estimate in the proponents government applications  it could be just over half that in the end  and much of that money will be spent elsewhere.

Additionally, Lee said, the firms behind the project  Royal Dutch Shell, Petroliam Nasional, Mitsubishi, PetroChina and Korea Gas  have only committed to the first of several phases.

Theyre cherry-picking the numbers to make it look better than it might be, Lee said. No ones fact-checked $40 billion in the headlines. Thats the highest estimate of construction costs, but there was a $25- to $45-billion range in their application for both phases of their project.

But the consortium has only signed off on Phase 1. Its $13 to $21 billion. Thats half the headline numbers, and of that only 20 per cent of that investment will actually be in B.C.

A bigger concern, Lee said, is that other B.C. industries may have to pay the price of the province blowing its carbon-emissions targets.

The government insists it can keep its climate promises, but if it adopts sector-by-sector emissions limits, Lee worries forestry, mining and other industries will have to tighten their belts faster and tighter  that is significant  and adding 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 every year  basically means all our efforts to reduce emissions so far will be wiped out.

The main economic factors behind the decision, Medlock suggested, were an increase in product price and the fact that theres a lot more gas now in North America than most people thought there would be, making long-term exports suddenly viable.

Then you layer on top of that the more-rapid-than-expected demand growth weve witnessed in China, particularly over the last 1.5 years. Theyve been basically buying up everything they could get their hands on  particularly along the coastal regions of China, where Russian gas cant actually reach.

Although the BC Liberals Ross attacked the NDP for the years spent mocking their 100,000 jobs LNG boom, that doesnt exactly vindicate the previous administration, experts agreed.

In fact, Medlock predicted in a July 2016 phone interview that the global market could handle probably only a single large LNG project in B.C. At that time, he called the BC Liberals hopes for a multiple-plant gas boom a pipe dream.

But one plant here was always in the cards. Whether B.C. could beat rival LNG hopefuls in Baja, Mexico and in Australia scrambling to meet Asian demand remained in question.

It became a race to who moves first, he said.

Though one B.C. project finally saw the light of day, it doesnt mean that a larger boom is coming, he cautioned.

The design is suitable for some expansion, and the brown-field cost of expanding is lower, he noted. So youll do that before you see any new opportunities.

But there are probably still just two viable West Coast locations.

Antweiler agreed, saying current LNG prices are basically just below the break-even point, so companies are scared to go solo.

Its only the constellation of companies coming together that made it conceivable, he said. In the end its very good for Kitimat and gives a needed temporary boost to that region.

But I dont think theres a whole lot of LNG to expand beyond this single project.

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VANCOUVERResidents in the northern community of Old Fort, B.C., may be stuck watching a slow-moving landslide crush the valley floor as it creeps toward their homes and winter weather deepens, forcing many to decide whether to stay or evacuate until the slide stops.

At a meeting in Old Fort on Tuesday night, local and provincial authorities outlined their uncertainty around when work can begin given the landslide continues to heave toward the river, said longtime Old Fort resident Bobbi Pardy.

They said about three months or more, Pardy said in a phone interview. They have to wait for (the landslide) to be stable before theyll put any guys on it to fix it for us. They said we could be waiting a long, long time.

In a statement, B.C.s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said any definitive timelines on when work might begin to clear the slide would be speculative, given the mass of debris had not yet stopped moving. Old Fort residents, however, could be waiting for some time yet, the statement added.

Old Fort is under an evacuation alert, the statement continued, meaning residents who decide to stay put must be self-sufficient. That alert, however, may soon become a mandatory order.

The evacuation order would not be due to imminent threat of damage to structures, but rather the lack of services, the statement said. The slide is still very active and continues to move. Ministry staff are monitoring the slide and crews are on standby to re-establish the road once the slide comes to a rest. However, it is still not safe to enter the slide zone at this time.

Roughly half of the residents in Old Fort have voluntarily left, the ministry reported. Between 40 and 50 homes are located in Old Fort, according to estimates from residents.

In the meantime, a water taxi which runs six times daily has been set up by the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) to transport Old Fort residents from a neighbours waterfront property to the Taylor boat launch, roughly 12 kilometres east along Peace River.

From there, said Pardy, a bus is going to be established to take commuters up through Taylor, B.C., and into Fort St. John where mail for Old Fort is being collected, and groceries and supplies can be bought.

The PRRD announced Wednesday that bus service between the boat launch and Taylor would begin Wednesday afternoon.

Power had also been restored to Old Fort as of Wednesday morning, Pardy said. An excavator had rumbled down the steep, ragged hill behind the community late Tuesday night, hauling a 24-metre power pole behind it, she said. The hill, she added, was a challenge to climb even on hands and feet, let alone in a huge machine.

Servicemen from both BC Hydro and Arctic Arrow  a power line contracting company  had worked through the night to anchor the new pole into the cold ground, along with another on the far side of the slide, Pardy said. A new power line was then strung up, and Pardy and her neighbours hooked their own systems up to the new source.

Those boys worked really hard, she recounted. Some of them were even hand-digging to get those poles in the ground.

With power, Pardy said, she and her neighbours would no longer have to worry about their pipes freezing and bursting. Telus, she said, had also helicoptered in a generator to keep the communitys electronic communication lines working.

The newest emergency, however, is water, said Pardy. All of Old Forts water is trucked in on every two or three weeks, she explained, and many residents had been expecting a delivery the day after they woke up to the landslide.

It is a pretty dire thing right now, she said of the water situation. There are people that are so close to being completely out. Its our drinking water. Its everything.

With the power back, those residents with water in their reservoirs could once again pump it into their homes, saving them from having to fetch river water to flush their toilets, Pardy said.

But hauling enough water back from Fort St. John by bus and then boat  around a 45 to 50 minute journey one way  was a challenge for many residents, especially the older ones.

We were ready to drink the river water, Pardy said, which is quite dirty.

The PRRD had floated a couple of ideas for transporting water down to the community from Fort St. John, she said. The PRRD declined to give specifics on which options were being considered to bring water to Old Fort.

Meanwhile, Pardys husband Gordon had scaled the slide in the morning to fetch fuel and head to work for the day  a move the PRRD advises against, but which Pardy said was necessary. Gordon has access to a vehicle on the other side of the slide, she said, and as a truck driver, keeps earlier hours than a commute up the river and through Taylor, B.C., would permit.

But the community of Old Fort has rallied to look after one another as they wait to hear what the next step might be, she said.

Im so proud of our little community, she said. They have just all come together and worked hard to make sure everybodys comfortable.

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WOOD RIVER  A recently completed sculpture project based in Wood River will be officially dedicated Saturday, personifying community collaboration after longtime efforts.

Wood River Fire Department, in conjunction with East Alton-Wood River Rotary Club, will host a ceremony at the departments firehouse Saturday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. to dedicate a sculpture project, recently erected outside the facility at 501 E. Edwardsville Road, and recognize the many hands involved. Organizations and donors involved in the project are recognized on an accompanying bronze plaque on-site.

Wood River Mayor Cheryl Maguire and East Alton-Wood River Rotary Club representatives are expected to make some remarks. The brief ceremony will take place prior to WRFDs annual fish fry at 11 a.m.

The small-scale project flourished, after briefly being delayed, into a larger endeavor over time, Fire Chief Brendan McKee said.

Funds came from several entities, that have donated time, energy and money to the project, said McKee. We picked the project up after years and brought it to fruition. When you have a limited budget and donated time it takes a while to get things going.

In the aftermath of the fire that devastated Kumars Kafe in 2004, the cast-iron pole that held up the corner of the historic, downtown brick building for almost a century was salvaged and donated by then-restaurant owners to the WRFD.

More Information Entities engraved on plaque for community sculpture project AJ.Oster LLC Dooling Machine Inc. East Alton Wood River High School (EAWRH) Welding and Art Classes Lewis and Clark Community College (Welding Program) Mike's Inc. National Maintenance Inc. Ranken Technical College Restoration House Auto Body Trickey's Service Inc. Werts Welding and Tank Service Inc. See More Collapse

The original idea was to preserve the history by re-purposing the pole for a light post, involving Hartfords National Maintenance cleaning the pole and creating a base to install it. The project was left untouched for years, until efforts were sparked again last year. Councilwoman Gale Ufert was contacted by McKee to take on landscaping efforts and beautify an area for the pole.

Ufert then took it a step further, setting out to involve East Alton-Wood River High School and the rotary, as East Alton-Wood River chapter president Paul Guccione just so happened to searching for their yearly community project.

I was thrilled when Brendan asked me. The idea was so cool to restore the post and keep a part of Wood River history, Ufert previously told The Telegraph. Its nostalgic.

The heavy, weathered post showcases carvings at its opposing ends and now stands as the center point of the sculpture project, among a decorative rock bed and wood chippings. One of the most daunting sculpture elements is the flames, constructed as high as eight feet tall. A ladder was also created for the sculpture, and leans against the light pole, while a bronze statue of a firefighter holding a small child walks away from the flames. Tattered shrubbery was removed from the landscaping to make way for elements, also including a fire hydrant, engraved WRFD stone and the bronze plaque.

Vocational students skilled in welding researched, designed and constructed the statue a few months back, under the direction of teacher Jake Sitze. About a dozen then-junior and senior students worked on the project, following student Gracelin Rushings rendering. A $4,000 grant was previously submitted to the rotary district in Springfield to assist with estimated project costs.

The project is another good example of intergovernmental cooperation with our school, EAWR Superintendent John Pearson previously told The Telegraph.

Reach reporter Brittany Johnson at 618-208-6460, ext. 1396.
HARTFORD  A partnership is gearing up to host the Lewis and Clark State Historic Sites inaugural craft fair, to drum up community interest after the site has recently seen a decrease in museum visitors.

Patrons are invited to browse more than a dozen vendors and shop the handmade goods to be setup throughout the museum on Saturday, Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m at 1 Lewis and Clark Trail in Hartford. Admission is free, and visitors are encouraged to take the opportunity to look through the museum gallery.

The Lewis and Clark State Historic Site  interpreting Camp River Dubois and Illinoiss role in the famous Lewis & Clark Expedition with an interpretive center, guided tours, educational programming, and reconstructed winter camp  averages about 100 visitors a day, and would like to see that number double, according to site superintendent Brad Winn.

We are excited about the introduction of new attractions. Our events are traditionally centered around history of Lewis and Clark, said Winn. The craft fair does have a historical tilt.

Two other notable events are hosted by the site, revolving around the departure and arrival of the historical Meriwether Lewis and William Clark expedition.

Winn hopes people who are used to coming to the sites events can associate with the craft fair. With that, Winn stresses that the site offers more than just history.

We are more than the Lewis and Clark expedition. We hope people hear about the event and think about us as more of a historic site, said Winn.

He said the Lewis and Clark Society of America and Lewis and Clark State Historic Site museum, funded by the state and operated under Illinois Department of Natural Resources, along with the sites Store of Discovery have worked hand in hand for years to support programming, education and interpretation as well as events.

We encourage visitors to come out. The event fills out the gap in fall programming, before winter weather sets in, he said.

Volunteer Karen McDanel offered to take on coordinating the event about a year back, after she made the off-hand suggestion to the societys board members. She said getting the word out has been the hardest planning element.

Its not a real money maker for us, but if we could get more people through our doors that would be good, said McDanel. We have a lot of people who have never been here, its a good museum.

Vendors will set up in the sites lobby, multi-purpose room and in the museums gallery. Though some vendors will accept debit and credit cars, McDanel said bringing cash would be the better option. A booth will also be set up in the Store of Discovery. Store proceeds and vendor fees benefit the museum. Other proceeds made from craft purchases all go back to the vendors.

She said the museum itself is a good size, boasting natural lighting, informative displays and a 15-minute video presentation, equipped with helpful volunteers. On a typical day, visitors should allow about 45 minutes to an hour to take in all the museum offers. Museum winter hours are currently 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Besides increasing visitor numbers, the site is also working on finding funding for the improvement of a historical cabin on-site. The cabin recently was overtaken by termites and needs restoration work. Though the state is helping with a portion of funding, the site is seeking donations locally. The cabin depicts how a large family would live in such a small space, and visitors can still tour the exterior.

Anyone interested in donating to the museum can do so at the event. Volunteers are also welcome, and are in need to run the stores cashier and work in the museums gallery. For more volunteer information, contact Cindy Upchurch, staff development specialist, at 618-251-5811. Visit www.campdubois.com for general site information or call 618-251-5811.

Reach reporter Brittany Johnson at 618-208-6460.
BETHALTO  Bethalto Knights of Columbus welcomes the public to its upcoming Spaghetti and Meatball Dinner, to benefit the groups charities and Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish.

Dinner is served from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018 at OLQP Church, 132 Butcher St., Bethalto. Besides pasta, the dinner also includes salad, garlic bread, drink and dessert. Dinner costs $8 for adults and $4 for children under 10 years old; adult carry-out is available. The church is handicap accessible.
GODFREY  Integrating new management techniques can help a property owner save time and also help out regional biodiversity. The Nature Institute (TNI) is set to host a free workshop that will provide guests with the ins and outs of invasive species control.

TNIs Invasive Species Workshop, to be held on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m., is meant to bring a new kind of workshop to neighbors, area citizens and nature enthusiasts to make land restoration easier. The workshop will dive into current regional problem species, reasons for containing these certain plants and ways to manage them.
PEORIA  Attorneys for the government and former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock agree: a trial setting for late January isnt going to work.

Rather, the two sides say all deadlines and dates for Schocks public corruption trial should be thrown out and the judge should revisit the issue in late January.

In light of the time that the government believes it will need to conduct a complete analysis of factual and legal issues and the time frame expected for a ruling on the petition for writ of certiorari, the parties jointly suggest setting a status in approximately 120 days at the end of January 2019 and striking all dates currently on the calendar, including the trial and trial related dates, said the two-page status report, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Urbana.

The report comes ahead of a planned hearing Friday in Chicagos federal court. It also confirmed what Schocks attorneys had promised, that theyd ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review portions of the case. If the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case, then the proceedings in Illinois  including setting a trial date  would be on hold until the justices rule on the matter.

The filing is the latest twist for the Peoria Republican who resigned from office in March 2015 during a grand jury investigation into alleged financial misdealings. The case is on its third judge and its second set of federal prosecutors.

Schock, 37, was indicted in November 2016 on charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, making false statements, filing a false tax return, theft of government funds and falsification of Federal Election Commission filings.

The charges allege a course of conduct that began when Schock was first elected to Congress in 2008 and continued until October 2015, about six months after he resigned from office. Its alleged that he stole more than $100,000 from the government and his campaign committees.
Greetings from the Ridge.

The congregation turned and looked at us and at once I was swept up in a horrible memory from my childhood. It was Christmas Eve in our little church and the preacher had asked the lead trumpet player from the Coonridge Marching Carps Semi-Symphonic Band to perform. Jimmy had chosen O Holy Night, a fairly hot item in the Presbyterian list of greatest hits and the kid just nailed it flat.

Beautiful.

I was 5 years old, I was excited, I was joyous, and so I stood and clapped. Boing. Two sins at once as far as our flock was concerned. You didnt stand unbidden and you never, ever clapped. If Jimmy had played this magnificent piece in school wed have clapped, if hed gone out into the street and tooted his horn this well well have clapped, but once he entered under the steeple this sort of appreciation was frowned up.

So when the same thing happened to me last week while visiting another congregation I not only felt embarrassed, I felt five years old.

I can also remember the day a much younger me was naive enough to ask a pastor why we didnt clap in his church. He said, theres a difference between a time of worship and a Las Vegas lounge show. I was dumb enough to respond, Yeah, the Las Vegas show is more fun. Wrong answer.

I guess that maybe the church world is divided into clappers and non-clappers and both points of view have their adherents. Herb and I were in the Ozarks on Sunday and decided to visit a church titled The Church of God, figuring that should just about cover all the bases. We could hear the clapping as we got out of the car and the service hadnt even started. Then everything in the service got a round of applause  the prelude, every hymn, every prayer  even the sermon. They were one bunch of red-hot clappers.

And you cant really say that this denomination does it this way while the other denomination always does it in that manner. It seems to be more regional, perhaps even attuned to the tone of the community. A Presbyterian church in Boston might frown mightily on hand clapping while their sister congregation in Atlanta might encourage it and, in fact, look at you strangely if you dont join in the clapping spirit.

Ive only found one mainline denomination thats instituted a clapping policy: Hand clapping as an act of worship is not revealed in the New Testament. Therefore in order to please God, we must leave it out of worship! It will result in ones being kept out of the Holy City. Wow. I think this means that clappers go straight to hell. I think Ill not applaud that.

I have a friend whos a church organist and has a very impassioned slant on the matter. She told me, Are tears inappropriate at a funeral? Are verbal compliments inappropriate for a well-presented sermon? If all the glory goes to God then maybe he should do my practicing for me. Sorry, that was disrespectful, but its the encouragement from the congregation that makes me go those lonely hours rehearsing. This isnt making a beautiful quilt that will stay there for hundreds of years. These are notes that I throw into the air and then theyre gone. Appreciation is nice.

Well, either this lady has got it right or shes headed straight to hell, but the old rumor has it that Satan already has too many musicians.

My mother told me I was there for this particular funeral but my knowledge of the details comes most from her. Frank Delevan was neighbor to my grandparents and he day he was killed in a farming accident was one of the saddest our community had ever experienced. Along with being a farmer, Frank was a fiddler and fine fiddler that that. Every Saturday night would find him down the Coonridge Legion hall twanging our Flop-eared Mule, or Mississippi Sawyer. And one of the great delights of his life was watching his granddaughter Elly take up the fiddle and try her best to play along with her granddad. Frank would stomp that big, leathered boot up and down so she could feel the beat right through the floor.

At the end of Franks final services, Elly stood before our mournful crowd and played Ragtime Annie for your grandfather. Not a dry eye in the chapel. And then Marge, Franks widow, stood and began to slowly clap. We didnt know what to do. Even the most clap-prone among us had never applauded at a funeral. When Marge could see that no one was joining in, she turned to the crowd, gave us a stare that meant business and began clapping again.

And at the risk of going to hell, we all stood at clapped.

I think its a risk Id take again.

You ever in Coonridge, stop by. We may not answer the door but youll enjoy the trip.

Freida Marie Crump chronicles the comings and goings in Coonridge for the Journal-Courier.
With the RHITES-NAcholi Project (Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services in NorthernUganda  Acholi), USAID will continue its support of the Government of Ugandas(GOU) efforts to improve access to and use of health services in the countryspost-conflict northern region. RHITES-N Acholi Project activities will build onUSAID investments and national advances to increase access to and use ofhigh-quality integrated services that accelerate the ability and capacity torespond to the specific health needs of residents in the Acholi sub-region,leveraging the URC-ASSIST project successes.
Five years with Masters Degree, 6 years with specialized license inthe relevant area and 7 years with Bachelors degree years of experiencein development operations, coordination and programme managementpreferably with experience working with the UN or internationalinstitutions at the international level. A first degree with 10 years ofrelevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced universitydegree.
A Wicklow wedding very nearly didn't go ahead, when a priest allegedly refused to say mass until a wedding planner removed cherry blossom trees from the pews.

Edel Cooney of 'Vintage Affair' wedding planners said that she had decorated the church for a couple's big day, when just before the ceremony the priest 'demanded' her decorations were removed.

The service, she says was delayed by an hour as she was left in tears after being told to take down the six trees and other flowers when the priest said she had the church "like a fashion show".

The bride in question, Jenny, currently on her honeymoon was 'only very slightly aware' of the situation at the time, "as Edel handled it very well."

The first thing she knew about it, she said, was when she arrived and her trees were outside.

She said she spoke to her groom after, who knew more about what was going on before she walked up the aisle.

The bride who hired Edel Cooney, Jennie, has called #Liveline. Jennie says the priest was very nice in the run up to the wedding but says she was disappointed when she saw that all the cherry blossom trees had been put outside the church and not up the aisle @joeliveline  Liveline (@rteliveline) October 4, 2018

"He first told me it was awful, that Edel was in tears, in regard to the priest, he is actually a lovely man, and the ceremony he did was fantastic," she told Joe Duffy on Liveline.

They had met the priest before, she said, and said he was aware they would have someone to decorate the church.

"The only thing we were told was not to stick anything with thumbtacks or blue tack to the walls or pews - which we didn't do."

Joe Duffy mentioned he was aware he didn't have the priest on the line to confirm this.

Video of the Day

The groom from the wedding was also on the line to speak about the experience on his special day.

"I was getting a few photos with family outside when my phone started ringing," said the groom. "There was a voicemail from the priest and it was just carnage. I said to my two brothers, we need to go to the church.

"The first thing I saw was Edel (the wedding planner) in tears, so I said 'don't worry about it'. The priest made a bee line for me as we walked in the gates. I said 'what's the issue?', and he said it was totally unacceptable, that this (the decoration) wasn't a big party. And said 'I'm not doing this wedding unless it's sorted'."

Edel said that the priest then asked if she was going to stand on the altar and say the mass because he wasn't going to.

"They were very tasteful," she added. "It's a total and utter power struggle. He said 'What I say goes'".

A priest from Blessington, who isn't directly involved in the issue, phoned in to say that the church is a religious venue.

"It's not a hotel, or a marquee," he said.

"In most marriages in the church, mass is celebrated in a solemn ceremony, and everything else is peripheral, and anything that can distract from that... The churches are beautiful..." he said, joking that some of them are nearly as ancient as the priests themselves.

However he added that "some of the aisles are narrow and we have insurance to consider. We have to take all of that into consideration."

Edel insisted that the cherry trees were not on the aisle, and not in the way of anyone.

The priest from Blessington made a further point about the payment for churches for ceremonies.

"The priest is not making money out of it. What's asked of couples is to pay sacristans and insurance and staff. I'm 38 years a priest, I've never stated a personal fee to anyone. If I do a wedding and they didn't give me anything I don't care."

Edel however says the average church hire is 500 in Dublin and Wicklow. "The sacristan gets 50, the priest gets 150 and they always ask us to leave arrangements for 300.

"Surely to God you can have some say in how your ceremony is decorated?" she said.

"You presumed permission which you shouldn't have done," the priest responded. Edel responded by saying she had decorated the same church before with no issues.

Joe, a wedding photographer, phoned up to say that the abuse the wedding planner got was too much.

In weddings Joe photographs, "We see the trees, the lanterns, it's pretty standard. So fair play to her," he said.

"Each church has a different set of rules it seems. They say in this church you can't stand here but in that church you can. You can't have music that isn't catholic music in some... "

Joe the photographer told about a time when he was photographing a wedding, but the priest took him aside to tell him that there should be no photography during the ceremony.

Eventually Joe was allowed to take a few photos during the mass after pleading with the priest. His advice now is that "it's better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission."

"I've come across ignorant people at ceremonies and priests having to ask people to sit down, but at the end of the day, just be nice."

John, who tied the knot in '71 in Cavan, phoned up to tell the story of how his wife was told she wasn't allowed music at their wedding over forty years ago, although she was a member of the choir at the time.

"It's annoyed us ever since and that lady has just brought it all back," he said.

"No music at all," John said, "we weren't allowed any music whatsoever."

Joe Freely, who provides a dove release ceremony, phoned up to say he thought it was all down to communication.

Joe says he always contacts the parish priest to tell them in advance that he's going to release doves so that they know exactly what's involved, and says he's never had any objection from priests for his work.

"I feel sorry for Edel, but in my opinion it's totally due to a lack of communication."
When we say Indian art and stainless steel in the same breath, we think Subodh Gupta. His giant sculptural installations with steel buckets, cooking pots and tiffin-boxes soldered together transform banal, everyday objects into amusing, eye-popping art, exploring themes of rural homeland, migration and otherness. But what if those sparkling steel surfaces reflected back contorted images of the current reality in all its sharpness and clarity? Hyderabad-based Anjaneyulu's Untitled at Art Alive Gallery's third edition of Art NOW 18! forces us to peer inside the reflection one such spherical steel surface.

Occupying a corner wall at the expansive gallery among current, unseen works of masters and younger artists, 41-year-old Anjaneyulu's 84"x72" oil-on-canvas immediately invites extended study. From a distance, it looks like a globular funhouse mirror, distorting and playing with nearby paintings and mounted for visitors to goof around in. But on closer inspection, you see the specific details in crystal-clear definition and that it is in fact a painting by itself.

The steel ball has utensils stacked against wooden shelves; there is the Charminar framed against a crowded streetscape with autorickshaws, taxis and matchbox houses; a motorbike is parked in front, the concave mirror effect twisting it like a mangled heap; there is ample clear blue sky and is there a funny looking airplane too? The steel surface is dented on top like it bumped its head in transit. And sitting in the middle of it all, absolutely unperturbed and unmoved, are a herd of cows chewing cud in the sun-struck, chaotic bustle of the walled city of Hyderabad. More than cows being central to the Indian street experience, it is the current national discourse that Anjaneyulu wants to zero in on. "It is perhaps to the point that even in a spherical surface reflection, the cows manage to sit calmly. Never mind the twisted scrap, the distorted Charminar or the stack of curved utensils. It hints at their very centrality with respect to our national ethos or the lack of it," says Anjaneyulu about his newest work.

Born to weavers, Anjaneyulu G. was raised in a remote village called Garidepally in Telangana. He went to the village primary school and helped his brother paint signboards, being the youngest among five siblings. He came to Hyderabad to study at Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University and specialised in painting. After college, he started making still-life paintings of pots and pans, and cans and kettlesregular stuff he grew up aroundtouching in their simplicity and remarkable in the hyper-realism.

His 2015 exhibition, Astonishing Expendables, feature 14 still-life paintings of steel jugs and mugs in acrylic and oil, some eccentric and quirky against polka-dotted backdrops. At the India Art Fair in Delhi this year, he held his own with a solo with Art Alive gallery showing an astonishingly life-like range of paintings. The blue-chip exhibition where India's top art buyers descend saw high fidelity reproductions on canvas of items like cycle, soda cart, mancham with a chicken trotting on top, thumma kampa or thorns in Telugu, and a lantern.

All of these sundry, quotidian items seem to have come together to commune in this vignette of a day in old Hyderabad in all its disorderly glory. "I love the old city of Hyderabad. I go there all the time and click pictures," says Anjaneyulu who is currently exhibiting his cow-centred showpiece next to stalwarts like Krishen Khanna, Satish Gujral, Sakti Burman, Anjolie Ela Menon, Jogen Chowdhury, Manu Parekh and the venerable Thota Vaikuntam from Telangana. He's held five solo shows in Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai and is planning a show with Bernarducci gallery in New York. "There are no galleries in Hyderabad who can push your work on to the international plane. Artists have to work very hard in Hyderabad to get somewhere. My English is not that great too," he says self-effacingly, before going off to explore the older parts of Delhi on his short visit to the city.

Art NOW 18! which is showing Anjaneyulu's work, is on view till October 4 at the Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi.
The adage that failures can teach many lessons seems quite...
Days after he resigned from the post of minister of state in the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, maverick seer Computer Baba has attacked the administration of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Computer Baba (53), who resigned on Monday after being appointed in April, has declared, I dont want to be part of a government that does not respect cows genuinely and allows blatant illegal mining of sand from the river Narmada, which is a holy river. Computer Baba said he has been asked by the community of saints to resign and work for creating awareness on the issues of cow protection and Narmada protection, which the BJP government had failed to do.

Saint Namdev Shastri has been popularly known as Computer Baba since 1998 when his guru gave him the name, due to his love for electronic gadgets and computers. Fond of helicopter rides and a desire to contest elections, Computer Baba had always loved the limelight. During important religious events, he makes it a point to land in a hired helicopter. Computer Baba made news recently when he decided to go to the banks of the river Narmada in a helicopter for a ritual bath.

In April this year, Computer Baba and another religious leader, Pandit Yogendra Mahant (55), threatened to conduct a Narmada Ghotala Yatra alleging corruption in the plantation of 6 crore saplings along the river Narmada and illegal sand mining. Six months back, when Computer Baba threatened to bring out the yatra, Chouhan made him a member of a government committee to suggest ways to protect the Narmada, giving him the rank of minister of state with an official car and small office.

Immediately after getting ministerial status, Computer Baba started praising the BJP government and said that he would work with the government for the cause of saving Narmada and cows. Interestingly, Chouhan had taken out a Narmada Yatra previously, covering 16 tribal districts.

The appointment of a 'baba' to minister of state rank by the government was criticised, but the BJP leadership defended the move saying the seers were committed to the issues of Narmada and cow.

However, after five months, Computer Baba decided to relinquish the minister of state status and accused the state government of playing with the sentiments of ordinary citizens in the name of religious issues. Computer Baba said that he is resigning from the Narmada committee as Chouhan was not serious. I have been under the misconception that Shivraj Singh Chouhan will work seriously to protect Narmada; however, I was wrong, Computer Baba said.

The decision of Computer Baba to quit his minister post is connected to his ambition of contesting assembly elections. Computer Baba had recently declared that he wants to contest assembly polls on a BJP ticket. However, the BJP did not heed his demand. In 2014, Computer Baba had asked for a Lok Sabha ticket from AAP and BJP but failed to get one.

Realising the importance of the religious stature of Computer Baba, the BJP government declared a special 'cow ministry' would be formed on the day he resigned.

Speaking to mediapersons, Computer Baba said, My fraternity decides everything about me. It was they who asked me to accept the minister status and now they say that I had not been able to get the government to do anything for cows and Narmada; hence I am resigning. He said during the last six months, he was not allowed to do anything.
The US on Wednesday urged its allies not to enter into transactions with Russia and warned that it would trigger American sanctions, a day after it was reported that India was planning to purchase the multi-billion dollar S-400 missile defence system from Moscow.

Interestingly, the US announcement comes before Russian President Vladimir Putin begins his two-day visit to India on Thursday.

Late last month, the Trump administration imposed sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act or CAATSA, which was signed into law last August, on China for purchasing fighter jets and the S-400 missile defence system from Russia. The CAATSA law tries to push back against Russia's malign activity around the world.

"We urge all of our allies and partners to forgo transactions with Russia that would trigger sanctions under CAATSA," a State Department Spokesperson told PTI when asked about India's plan to purchase the S-400 missile defence system from Russia.

"The [Trump] administration has indicated that a focus area for the implementation of CAATSA Section 231 is new or qualitative upgrades in capability including the S-400 air and missile defence system," the spokesperson said.

According to reports, India and Russia will sign a deal for the S-400 surface-to-air missile system this week.

The signing of the deal for Moscow's most advanced air defence system will be overseen by Putin during the annual India-Russia summit, reports said.

"The president is trying to develop a relationship and change that, but we've not been successful, at least to date," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told NBC News in an interview.

In September, a senior Trump Administration official told reporters that purchase of major military system like the S-400 missile defence system would be considered as a "significant transaction and thus has a potential" for CAATSA sanctions.

The official emphasised that the ultimate target of these sanctions was Russia.

The CAATSA sanctions in this context are not intended to undermine the defence capabilities of any particular country. They are instead aimed at imposing costs upon Russia in response to its malign activities," the Trump administration official had said.

On Thursday, Putin is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the evening. Modi and Putin will hold the India-Russia summit on Friday, after which agreements will be exchanged and the two leaders will make press statements, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Besides holding talks with Modi, Putin will also have a meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday, according to the MEA.

Sources had earlier said Modi and Putin would also deliberate on the impact of US sanctions on import of crude oil from Iran.
Barely a week after the Supreme Court ruled that women of all age groups should be allowed entry into the revered shrine of Sabarimala in Kerala, major political and social organisations in the state appear to be shifting their stance after initially welcoming the verdict.

The developments come after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday declared that his government respected the Supreme Court verdict and had no intention of filing a review petition.

The Congress is planning to hold a meeting of former Devasom Board members and party leaders in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday to discuss the issue. Kerala Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday claimed the previous UDF dispensation, which was headed by his party, had supported the views of devotees on Sabarimala. Chennithala told reporters, Women were not banned in Sabarimala; only a particular age group was not allowed. This custom was being followed for more than 5,000 years.

A poster on the fast being planned by the Congress against the Sabarimala verdict | Via social media

The Congress is organising a day-long fast at Pathanamthitta district on Friday against the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala. Chennithala is expected to inaugurate the event, which will be held from 10am to 5pm.

According to reports, the Congress will decide on filing a review petition over the Sabarimala verdict in the Supreme Court after Thursday's meeting at Thiruvananthapuram. There is also speculation the Congress may urge the Narendra Modi government to pass a new law on Sabarimala, effectively 'overruling' the Supreme Court verdict.

The Muslim League, a major ally of the Congress, has also called for respecting the sentiments of devotees of Sabarimala and requested the Congress to file a review petition in the Supreme Court. Independent MLA P.C. George had declared earlier this week that he wouldn't allow entry in his constituency to women intending to go to Sabarimala.

Meanwhile, the RSS on Wednesday declared that devotees' sentiments cannot be ignored with respect to the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala. A statement by RSS general secretary Suresh Bhayyaji Joshi called on all stakeholders to come together and address the issue availing judicial options also, while noting that the Supreme Court's judgement should be honoured.

Joshi's statement notes, It is an issue of a local temple tradition and faith to which sentiments of millions of devotees, including women, are attached. These sentiments of the devotees cannot be ignored while considering the judgement.

The RSS criticised the Vijayan government for deciding to implement the Sabarimala verdict with immediate effect as it did not take into consideration devotees' sentiments.

We welcome the historic Supreme Court judgement allowing entry of women of all ages into the #SabarimalaTemple

#SabarimalaVerdict  Congress (@INCIndia) September 28, 2018

Not surprisingly, the Congress and the BJP have been panned for the shift in stance on Sabarimala as both outfits had initially welcomed the Supreme Court verdict. Twitter users posted screenshots of the Congress's tweet welcoming the Sabarimala verdict.

(With agency inputs)
Calling the International Court of Justice as "politicised and ineffective", US National Security Adviser John Bolton pulled the country out of two international agreements. The action came after Iran and the Palestinians complained to the International Court of Justice about US policies.

Earlier on Wednesday the ICJ handed a victory to Tehran, ordering the United States to ensure that sanctions against Iran, due to be tightened next month, do not affect humanitarian aid or civil aviation safety.

The Palestinians had challenged the US move of its Israel embassy to Jerusalem. "This is in connection with a case brought by the so-called state of Palestine naming the United States as a defendant, challenging our move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," Bolton told reporters at the White House.

Bolton announced that the US would review all international agreements that could expose it to binding decisions by the ICJ.

Bolton said the United States was leaving the 1961 Optional Protocol and Dispute Resolution to the Vienna Convention, which establishes the International Court of Justice as the "compulsory jurisdiction" for disputes unless nations decide to settle them elsewhere.

The court, based in The Hague, in the Netherlands, has long been the United Nation's venue for resolving disputes between nations. In the complaint, Iran had claimed that the US sanctions imposed in May by the Trump administration violated the terms of their 1955 Treaty of Amity. Washington responded by pulling out of the treaty, a little-known agreement that was signed long before Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution that turned the two countries into arch enemies.

The United States will still remain part of the underlying convention that established the International Court of Justice and "we expect all other parties to abide by their international obligations" on it, Bolton said.

In the nearly two years since being elected, President Donald Trump has withdrawn the United States from a nuclear agreement between six powers and Iran, pulled out of a global climate accord, left the UN cultural agency, and threatened NATO military allies that the United States would go its own way if members did not spend more on defense.

We will commence a review of all international agreements that may still expose the United States to purported binding jurisdiction, dispute resolution in the International Court of Justice, Bolton said on Wednesday. The United States will not sit idly by as baseless politicized claims are brought against us.
From sport to transport and the 2016 US presidential election, Britain has accused the Russian military intelligence of carrying out worldwide campaign of "malicious" cyber attacks.

Jeremy Hunt, British foreign secretary, said in a statement that the country's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) had found that Russian GRU intelligence service operatives were behind the cyber attacks believed to have cost the global economy millions of dollars.

Accusations came from Australia and New Zealand who released similar statements alleging that their own intelligence agencies found evidence of Russian tampering in the attacks on political, business, media and sporting institutions.

GRU, Britain said, was almost certainly behind the BadRabbit and World Anti-Doping Agency attacks of 2017, the hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016 and the theft of emails from a UK-based TV station in 2015.

The GRUs actions are reckless and indiscriminate: they try to undermine and interfere in elections in other countries, said Hunt. "This pattern of behaviour demonstrates their desire to operate without regard to international law or established norms and to do so with a feeling of impunity and without consequences."

Our message is clear - together with our allies, we will expose and respond to the GRUs attempts to undermine international stability, Hunt said. Britain believes the Russian government is responsible for the attacks.

Gavin Williamson, Britain's defence minister condemned Russia as a "pariah state, This is not the actions of a great power, this is the actions of a pariah state and we'll continue working with allies to isolate, make them understand they cannot continue to conduct themselves in such a way.

Ties between Britain and Russia are at rock bottom after a nerve agent attack targeting former Kremlin agent Sergei Skripal in the English city of Salisbury.

London has blamed Moscow for the attack, which left one person dead, and last month the British-based investigative group Bellingcat identified one of the suspects as a highly decorated GRU colonel.

The Kremlin has not responded to the British and Australian allegations of cyber attacks, but Russian leaders have consistently denied many of the hacks attributed to Moscow, including allegations that it meddled in the 2016 US presidential elections.
Kolkata, Oct 4 (PTI) Sikkim became the latest addition to the country's aviation map Thursday as SpiceJet operated the first direct commercial flight to Pakyong airport from Kolkata, the airline said in a statement.

The airline will operate direct flights on the Kolkata-Pakyong-Kolkata route daily under the Centre's regional connectivity scheme UDAN, the statement said.

"Today is a proud moment for SpiceJet and a historic one for Indian aviation as we have put Sikkim on India's aviation map," said Ajay Singh, the chairman and managing director, SpiceJet.

The first direct flight to Pakyong was flagged off from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata. The airline has deployed a 78-seater Bombardier Q-400 aircraft on the route.

SpiceJet will launch a second flight connecting Guwahati with Pakyong from October 16, the statement said.

The first airport at Pakyong in Sikkim was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 24. It is located around 33 km from Gangtok, the state capital.

A traditional lamp lighting ceremony was organized Thursday to mark the inauguration of the operations.

The SpiceJet flight was greeted with a grand water cannon salute upon its arrival at Pakyong airport, the airline said.

SpiceJet is the first and only airline to connect Sikkim with the rest of the country and beyond, and will be connecting Pakyong with Guwahati from October 16, it said.

"Our new flights will provide a major boost to tourism and we are proud to contribute to the growth story of this vibrant state," he said.

It is a great push for tourism and has definitely enhanced connectivity to Sikkim, said Atul Dixit, the director of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBIA) in Kolkata.

"The direct flight will help in saving almost an entire day. Earlier, people had to fly to Bagdogra (West Bengal) and then drive to Gangtok," Dixit said.

Pakyong airport, the country's 100th operational airport, is an engineering marvel situated at a height of more than 4,500 feet.

On March 10, the airline had successfully operated a test flight to Pakyong making it the first civil fixed aircraft to land at the airport. PTI SBN

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Kerala not to reduce price on petrol and diesel

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 4 (PTI) The CPI-M-led LDF

government in Kerala Thursday ruled out slashing the cess on

petrol and diesel to match the Centre's announcement in fuel

price cut.

Reacting to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's

suggestion asking states to match the Centre's decision with a

similar reduction in sales tax or VAT, State Finance minister

T M Thomas Isaac said it would adversely affect the state's

revenue.

Blaming the Centre for the frequent spurt in price of

petroleum products, Isaac said it was the Centre that hiked

the taxes on petroleum products.

"Now they have reduced by Rs.1.50 per litre, if the

Centre was ready to reduce the full hiked tax completely, the

state government would think about it," Isaac said.

Isaac also said the state had already reduced the tax

on petroleum products earlier.

The minister said the Centre's move was with an eye on

the coming assembly polls in states like Rajasthan and Madhya

Pradesh.

During the Karnataka assembly polls also, the

Centre had asked oil firms to desist from hiking the price of

petroleum products.

Former Kerala chief Minister and CWC member Oommen

Chandy asked the state government to reduce the tax on petrol

and diesel in the wake of the Centre's decision.

The Centre Thursday announced a Rs 2.50 per litre cut

in petrol and diesel prices.

While the Centre cut excise duty on petrol and diesel

by Rs 1.50 per litre and asked oil firms to absorb Re 1 a

litre of prices, BJP-ruled states including Gujarat,

Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,

Jharkhand, Assam and Tripura announced a cut in VAT of up to

Rs 2.5 per litre to effect a Rs 5 per litre reduction in pump

rates.

The price cuts would be effective from midnight

tonight. PTI JRK UD BN

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Mumbai, Oct 4 (PTI) Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar said Thursday there will be a fair probe if actor Tanushree Dutta files a police complaint against Nana Patekar, following up on her allegations that he misbehaved with her during the shooting of a film in 2008.

Kesarkar, the minister of state for home (rural), also asserted that the government was not biased towards Patekar.

The Shiv Sena minister had said Wednesday that Patekar is an "illustrious personality" who had done a lot for the state, and asked why Dutta did not file a police complaint in the past 10 years.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Kesarkar said, "When an official complaint is lodged, police will be able to probe the case transparently so that justice is done to both the sides."

The state government was not prejudiced or biased towards anybody and all are equal before the law, he added.

"Yesterday, I had only said that Nana Patekar has done a lot of work in the state as a social worker. A formal complaint will ensure that nobody's name is maligned and justice is meted out to both," the minister said.

Dutta alleged recently that Patekar misbehaved with her on the set of the film "Horn Ok Pleasss" in 2008. She also alleged that he had the tacit support of the film's makers.

On Wednesday, Kesarkar seemed to be backing Patekar.

"He (Patekar) is not just an actor" but "also a social activist who has done tremendous work for the state", Kesarkar had added, "You just cannot level allegations against anybody.

"What is the substantial evidence on which a complaint can be registered a decade after the incident took place?" Kesarkar had further asked. PTI MM KRK ABH

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\R Mumbai, Oct 4 (PTI) A defamation case has been filed against Bollywood actor Tanushree Dutta for her comments about Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, police said on Thursday.

The case was filed by the Kaij police in Maharashtra's Beed district on Wednesday evening after MNS district unit president Sumant Dhas lodged a complaint, alleging that Dutta had defamed his party chief, a police officer said.

"We have registered a non-cognisable offence against Dutta under Section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and are investigating the complaint. We have also asked the complainant to approach court," the officer said.

Dutta, 34, who has accused actor Nana Patekar of harassing her on the sets of a film in 2008, recently said Raj Thackeray wanted to succeed late Bal Thackeray as the Shiv Sena chief, but could not do so.

She had also alleged that the MNS was involved in vandalising her vehicle when she opted out of the 2008 film, 'Horn Ok Pleassss'.

Dutta also alleged that she had been getting threats from the MNS, adding that two persons recently tried to barge into her home.

The MNS youth wing, meanwhile, handed over a letter to the makers of the 'Bigg Boss' on Wednesday, following reports of Dutta participating in the ongoing season of the TV reality show, a party functionary told PTI.

The party workers threatened violence on the set in Lonavla if she was let in.

Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar had backed Patekar on Wednesday, saying he was an "illustrious personality" who has done tremendous work for the state and questioned the veracity of Dutta's claims. PTI DC GK VT

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Mumbai, Oct 4 (PTI) Actor Sapna Pabbi has opened up about an uncomfortable experience she had while shooting for a project.

The actor, who made her feature film debut with "Khamoshiyan" in 2015, said she supports fellow actor Tanushree Dutta, who has alleged that actor Nana Patekar misbehaved with her when the two were shooting a special song for "Horn Ok Pleassss" 10 years ago.

In a lengthy statement posted on her official Instagram account, Pabbi said she was backstabbed by a female colleague who, she alleged, colluded with the director and producer. She did not, however, mention any names.

"As an actress I often experience what Tanushree has experienced on almost a daily basis. My voice silenced my words manipulated, twisted and used for the wrong reasons. I have had the opportunity to work with some incredibly talented females in all kinds of respective roles within the business," she wrote.

"Sadly I have been disappointed with the way some of these women (and others within my working environment) have remained absent during such traumatic and difficult situations and were merely witnessing if not taking advantage themselves," she added.

Recalling the incident, the actor said she was forced to wear an uncomfortable bikini for a song and dance sequence and added that she told about it to her stylist.

Pabbi said the project's producer, a male, told her that she was becoming "difficult to work with" and that she was "throwing tantrums about a poxy bra".

"I then found out that the stylist herself thought I was being demanding and laughed about it with the male director and producer. I understand that she may have been scared to raise her voice as we all are at times; but she chose to ignore me and throw me under the bus instead," she said.

Pabbi said she feels betrayed by a "fellow sister" whom she turned to for support and comfort. PTI RB ZMN
New Delhi, Oct 4 (PTI) Following are the top foreign stories at 1700 hours:



FGN7 US-QURESHI-LD INDIA

Pak foreign minister seeks US role for talks with India

Washington: Pakistan wants the US to facilitate talks with India as the two nations are not engaging bilaterally, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said, warning that the absence of dialogue could lead to escalation of tension. (By Lalit K Jha)



FGN14 PAK-INDIA

Opening of Kartarpur corridor will remain pending if there are no talks: Pak

Islamabad: The opening of the Kartarpur border crossing for Sikh pilgrims will remain pending if there are no talks between India and Pakistan, the Foreign Office said Thursday, asserting that dialogue is the only way forward to resolve issues and disputes between the two countries.



FGN10 US-QURESHI-LD SAEED

Pak minister should have been more sensitive in sharing dais with Hafiz Saeed: Qureshi

Washington: Pakistan Cabinet minister Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri "should have been more sensitive" while sharing the dais with 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the country's foreign minister has said as he promised that he would ask his ministerial colleague the reason behind his move. (By Lalit K Jha)



FGN9 WB-INDIA-LD GRAFT

Several Indian companies barred by World Bank in 2018

Washington: Several Indian companies and some Indians have been barred by the World Bank from its various projects across the globe, the multilateral lending agency said in its first report on its efforts to fight corruption and safeguard donor resources. (By Lalit K Jha)



FGN8 US-2NDLD BARANWAL

Trump taps Indian-American woman to head nuclear energy division

Washington: US President Donald Trump has nominated prominent Indian-American nuclear expert Rita Baranwal to head the nuclear energy division at the department of energy. (By Lalit K Jha) PTI

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New Delhi, Oct 4 (PTI) Following are the top foreign stories at 2000 hours:



FGN19 US-QURESHI-2NDLD INDIA

US rejects Pakistan's plea to facilitate talks with India: Qureshi

Washington: The US has rejected Pakistan's plea to facilitate talks with India and pressed for the bilateral engagement between the two South Asian neighbours, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said. (By Lalit K Jha)



FGN14 PAK-INDIA

Opening of Kartarpur corridor will remain pending if there are no talks: Pak

Islamabad: The opening of the Kartarpur border crossing for Sikh pilgrims will remain pending if there are no talks between India and Pakistan, the Foreign Office said Thursday, asserting that dialogue is the only way forward to resolve issues and disputes between the two countries.



FGN10 US-QURESHI-LD SAEED

Pak minister should have been more sensitive in sharing dais with Hafiz Saeed: Qureshi

Washington: Pakistan Cabinet minister Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri "should have been more sensitive" while sharing the dais with 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the country's foreign minister has said as he promised that he would ask his ministerial colleague the reason behind his move. (By Lalit K Jha)



FGN9 WB-INDIA-LD GRAFT

Several Indian companies barred by World Bank in 2018

Washington: Several Indian companies and some Indians have been barred by the World Bank from its various projects across the globe, the multilateral lending agency said in its first report on its efforts to fight corruption and safeguard donor resources. (By Lalit K Jha)



FGN8 US-2NDLD BARANWAL

Trump taps Indian-American woman to head nuclear energy division

Washington: US President Donald Trump has nominated prominent Indian-American nuclear expert Rita Baranwal to head the nuclear energy division at the department of energy. (By Lalit K Jha)



FGN21 UK-RUSSIA-GRU

UK accuses Russia of trying to hack its Foreign Office

London: The UK on Thursday accused Russian cyber intelligence officers of trying to hack into its Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) network, as the European Union revealed that Dutch military intelligence had foiled a Kremlin cyber attack on the global chemical weapons watchdog. (By Aditi Khanna)



FGN17 CHINA-POMPEO-LD VISIT

US Secretary of State Pompeo to visit China on Oct 8 for talks to defuse tensions

Beijing: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit China on October 8 to hold talks with top Chinese leaders amid escalating tension between the worlds two largest economies over trade and Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea. (By K J M Varma) PTI PMS

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New Delhi, Oct 4 (PTI) Putting in place security arrangements for the upcoming polls in three states, the Union Home Ministry has ordered for the deployment of about 25,000 troops for election duties in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, a latest directive said.

These paramilitary and state police personnel, part of the additional 250 companies to be sent in for the polls, have been asked to take position by October 15 in states assigned to them.

While 50 fresh companies each have been marked to be sent to Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, an order accessed by PTI said, the highest of 150 such teams have been earmarked by the ministry to be sent to Chhattisgarh that has its southern part affected by a high-level threat of Maoist violence.

A single state police or Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) company has about 100 personnel.

While dates for Assembly polls in these states are yet to be declared by the Election Commission (EC), the Home Ministry has asked the forces and respective state governments to get these units "inducted" by the first fortnight of this month for "area domination to ensure peaceful conduct of polls."

These 250 companies of the forces are in addition to paramilitary forces deployed in these states for conducting anti-Naxal operations and assisting in other law and order duties, a senior official said.

Chhattisgarh already has about 40 battalions (about 1,000 personnel in each) of the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force and Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force deployed full-time to counter the LWE menace.

The fresh 250 companies will have to be withdrawn from other duties and training and will be sent to the three states soon, the official said.

"The orders are to rush these additional companies and put them in position in the three states by October 15. Detailed deployment plan will be charted out once the EC announces polls dates and phases," the official said.

While the maximum manpower for the new units is being drawn from CAPFs like the CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB and RPF, special police battalions from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana and Gujarat have also been requisitioned by the Home Ministry.

For the forces marked for Chhattisgarh, the ministry has issued specific directions that they should "carry their own night vision devices, communication equipments like satellite phones, bullet proof jackets, GPS systems and armoured vehicles as far as possible for safety and other operational requirements."

This instruction is specific for fresh units going to Chhattisgarh as the battalions already deployed there are placed in thick of operations and they will not be able to spare their gadgets for new units coming in, the official explained. The three states are expected to go to polls sometime in late October and November. PTI NES NES DV

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New Delhi, Oct 4 (PTI) Lawyer Prashant Bhushan and former Union minister Arun Shourie met CBI Director Alok Verma on Thursday, demanding a probe into alleged corruption in the Rafale aircraft deal and offset contract.

Along with a "detailed" complaint under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Bhushan and Shourie also submitted documents buttressing their arguments for the need of probe.

They asked the agency director to take permission of the government to initiate the probe in accordance with the law.

"CBI Director said he will look into it very carefully. We will take appropriate action," Bhushan told reporters after coming out of the CBI headquarters.

Dassault Aviation, the makers of Rafale, had chosen Reliance Defence as its partner to fulfil offset obligations of the deal. The government has been maintaining it did not have any role in selection of the offset partner by Dassault.

India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore, nearly one-and-a-half years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the proposal during a visit to Paris. The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September, 2019. PTI ABS ABS SMN

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New Delhi, Oct 4 (PTI) A team of customs officers, including a lady, was assaulted by an alleged woman gold smuggler and her family members here, officials said on Thursday.

A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) have been registered and police will look into the incident in which five people, including three women, were arrested and later sent to judicial custody for 14 days by a local court, they said.

The incident occurred on Sunday when the team had visited a residential premises in Pitampura in connection with a probe in gold smuggling case.

The visit was made following the arrest of a woman on Sunday by customs officials. She was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country about 2.8 kg gold valuing about Rs 86.58 lakh at Delhi airport, officials said.

During further inquiry, the woman, who had arrived from Dubai, told customs officers that she was allegedly used as a carrier in lieu of money by another woman, identified as Urmila (40), and it was claimed that she was the kingpin of a gold smuggling racket, they said.

Based on the woman's claim, the customs officers decided to visit the residential premises said to be owned by Urmila.

Once the team reached the premises, Urmila started abusing the officers and assaulted them, officials said, adding the team had to call additional personnel from Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport and police assistance was simultaneously requisitioned.

An FIR was filed at Maurya Enclave police station under Section 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and other relevant sections of the IPC, the officials said.

It was alleged by the customs department that some people pelted stones at their vehicles to deter them from carrying out their duty.

Police arrested five people, including Urmila, who are said to be relatives. They were produced before a local court that sent them to 14 days in judicial custody, they said. PTI AKV NSD
New Delhi, Oct 4 (PTI) The CBI has arrested an Income Tax inspector in Lucknow for allegedly receiving Rs 10 lakh in bribe to settle a tax case against a businessman, officials said Thursday.

It was alleged that the Income Tax Inspector had demanded an illegal gratification of Rs 25 lakh for releasing Fixed Deposit Receipts worth Rs seven crore seized during a search from a Kolkata-based private company in connection with the probe of another company, the CBI spokesperson said here.

Inspector Dharmsheel Agrawal allegedly agreed to accept Rs 10 lakh as first instalment, he said.

"CBI laid a trap and caught the Income Tax Inspector and a private person of Lucknow while accepting Rs 10 lakh from the complainant," he said.

The agency carried out searches at the residence of the officer from where it recovered about Rs 10.50 lakh in cash and documents relating to several bank accounts and investments, he said. PTI ABS RCJ
New Delhi, Oct 4 (PTI) Senior diplomat Sanjay Verma has been appointed as India's Ambassador to Spain, Ministry of External Affairs said Thursday.

Verma, a 1990 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is presently Additional Secretary in the ministry.

He is expected to take up the assignment shortly, the MEA said.

Also, Arindam Bagchi, a 1995 batch IFS official, has been appointed as the next Indian Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia.

He is also expected to take up the assignment shortly. PTI ASK



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JD(U) to contest Mizoram Assembly election: K C Tyagi

Aizawl, Oct 4 (PTI) The Janata Dal (United) would

contest the Mizoram Assembly election which is due later this

year, party secretary-general K C Tyagi said Thursday.

Tyagi in a press statement from Delhi, said that a

delegation of JD(U) led by him is scheduled to visit Aizawl in

the coming days.

"Janata Dal always stood for the rights of the Mizo

people and their miseries," the statement said, adding that

the party would fight the coming assembly polls to be held

this year.

The JD(U), under the leadership of Nitish Kumar is

committed to ensure socio-economic development for all, it

said, adding that the party would also ensure that the 'Act

East Policy' is revamped and accelerated to benefit the Mizo

people in particular and north eastern region in general. PTI

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Coast Guards of India, Vietnam hold joint exercise off Chennai

Chennai, Oct 4 (PTI) A Vietnam Coast Guard ship on its

maiden visit here undertook joint exercises with the Indian

Coast Guard off the city coast Thursday, aimed at

strengthening the working level relationship between them.

Coast Guard ships Shaurya, Arnvesh and inreceptor boat

C-431 along with a Dornier aircraft and Chetak helicopter

participated in the joint exercise -'Sahyog HOP TAC-2018", an

official press release said.

The exercise was aimed at acquainting the coast guards

of the two countries with each others' capabilities and

strengthening the working level relationship to rescue lives

at sea.

The highlight of the exercise was a scenario of hijacking

an oil ship and subsequent rescue of its crew in the

coordinated joint operation of both the countries.

The exercise was conducted under the supervision of

Inspector General Paramesh Sivamani Commander Coast Guard

Eastern region and was witnessed by Vietnam Coast Guard

Commandant Major General Nguyen Van Son, the release added.

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New Delhi, Oct 4 (PTI) The National Students' Union Of India (NSUI) on Thursday circulated a letter from the registrar of Thiruvalluvar University to Tamil Nadu's principal secretary of education claiming Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) president never studied at the varsity.

However, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) said they are waiting for the Delhi University to complete its investigation in the allegations against DUSU president Ankiv Basoya of furnishing fake marksheets to get admission to Delhi University.

The Congress-affiliated NSUI had earlier released a letter from Thiruvalluvar University sent in response to a communication from the student's body. It stated that the BA certificate submitted by Basoya from the university is fake.

On Thursday, they again circulated a letter apparently written by the Thiruvalluvar University registrar to Tamil Nadu's principal secretary of education.

"I hereby submit that Ankiv Basoya has not enrolled in our University or in any of our Constituent or Affiliated Colleges and is not our student at all.

"The certificate he has produced is fake and not from our University. The Controller of Examination has issued a letter stating that the certificate is not genuine after verification of records of the Controller of Examination office, the leter said.

The NSUI accused the DU administration of acting in a biased manner and demanded their candidate Sunny Chhillar be declared as the DUSU President with immediate effect.

They also demanded the arrest of Basoya for "deceiving the students and DU administration by means of misrepresentation and fraud". PTI SLB RCJ
Car buying websites offering a quick and easy way for motorists to offload their unwanted motors are quoting unrealistically high valuations online to attract customers, but then offer significantly less on the actual day of sale, a new investigation has found.

This practice, known in the industry as 'price chipping', has become so commonplace that six out of ten car sellers received less than their original online valuation, according to Motorway.co.uk.

Just 40 per cent of sellers who used one of the online services received the original valuation they were quoted, according to the car buying comparison website.

Price chipping: Motorists looking to sell their cars to specialist buying firms can enter the details and condition of their car online to receive a quote. However, an investigation found that 60% were offered less on the day of sale, with an average of 6% knocked off the price

This isn't the first time car buying sites have been put under the microscope for unfair practices.

In 2011, the now-defunct Office of Fair Trading found that nearly 96 per cent of customers who sold their car to We Buy Any Car Ltd between 1 July 2009 and 30 June 2010 received less for their vehicle than the original online valuation - a practice that's now known as price chipping.

Following the appraisal, the Government body said it was operating in breach of certain provisions of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999.

But while We Buy Any Car has since improved its practices, especially since being bought by British Car Auctions in 2013, it appears that price chipping is still rife in the market with more firms entering the sector.

The investigations revealed that prices were chipped by six per cent on average.

That works out at 600 on a 10,000 vehicle, for example.

To collate its figures, Motorway analysed more than 4,000 completed sale transactions through instant online car buyers featured on its website, supplementing this data by surveying customers that sold to other leading car buyers that don't feature.

Motorway compared the actual sale prices received for each car sold with its original online valuation.

It found that while cars valued above 5,000 were chipped down by six per cent on average, for those below 5,000, the average chip down was as high as 11 per cent.

For cars with a value of 5,000 or less, the price was 'chipped' by up to 11%

To put this into context, a six per cent chip down on a high-end car valued at 35,000 would mean a 2,000 reduction in the price at the point of sale.

On a car valued at 4,550, an 11 per cent reduction would see the valuation reduced by 500 on inspection.

But Motorway's data showed that not all car buying services take the same approach.

Some do offer realistic valuations online, which rarely change by much at all on the day of sale, while others have an average chip down rate of up to 14 per cent.

Why are prices reduced on the day of sale?

Professional car buyers have to make reasonable assumptions on the condition and history of a vehicle in order to generate an instant valuation online, and this is notoriously difficult.

If a buyer assumes that a car being valued is in 'fair-to-good' condition, they should expect the car to have some wear and tear consistent with its age and mileage and present a valuation that reflects this.

While some changes to online prices are inevitable, some buyers assume all used cars valued are in perfect showroom condition despite their age - and very few are.

This leads to significant reductions for typical vehicles when light scratches, dents and other normal wear-and-tear is revealed on the day of sale.

This can cause huge frustration for the car seller, who may opt out of the deal if they are offered a less attractive fee - though risk wasting their time visiting the seller in the first place.

Motorway found that sales were much less likely to fall through when buyers originally priced realistically.

In an effort to give consumers a more representative quotation for a car they want to sell, the comparison site has launched its own service called TruePrice that enables sellers to compare likely sale prices for their car, as well as the online offers provided by buyers.

Motorway.co.uk has launched its own TruePrice system that claims to give a more realistic quotation figure

To do this, the technology uses 'guide price' instant valuations from online buyers, and analyses historical sale prices from thousands of similar completed sales in order to calculate what customers are statistically likely to receive for their car in 'fair-to-good' condition.

Comparing these offers, car owners can make a more informed selling decision without fear of being haggled down by a firm when they visit the buyer to sign the vehicle over.

Alex Buttle, director at Motorway, said: 'Consumers are increasingly looking to sell their car online to car buying sites because the process is quick, hassle-free and there are some great instant deals to be found.

'But speed and convenience should not mean consumers have to accept unnecessary price reductions as part and parcel of selling online.

'Not all buyers routinely inflate their online valuations, but sadly chipping has become so widespread that many consumers have already accepted it as common practice.

'Unrealistic online valuations could really damage the reputation of this growing industry if it's not tackled head-on.'
Sofa chain DFS is far from sitting comfortably after posting its second consecutive year of falling profits.

The Doncaster-based furniture firm has seen its earnings cut in half over the last 12 months - news that triggered an early morning slide in its already battered share price.

DFS puts the decline down to the summer heatwave, claiming this kept shoppers away during critical trading weekends.

The DFS group has snapped up the Sofa Workshop, Dwell and Sofology brands

It also said consumer nervousness in the run up to Brexit contributed to the 48.5 per cent plummet in pre-tax profits to 25.8million.

As the news landed, DFS shares fell by 7 per cent to 2.03. At the start of 2016, its stock was valued at around 3.40 a share, but the price plummeted to 1.75 around the time of the Brexit vote.

The firm said: 'Continued economic uncertainty for consumers, compounded by some exceptional hot weather over key trading periods in the final quarter, resulted in sales and profits for the full year falling below our expectations.'

The 50-year old company, which has 116 UK stores and owns the Sofa Workshop, Sofology and Dwell brands, was also hit by delays at Felixstowe port, which has been thrown into turmoil after the botched launch of a new terminal operating system.

This has held up shipments of its made-to-order products and delayed deliveries to customers, which is when DFS records the sale on its books.

Boss Ian Filby is stepping down next month

Outgoing chief executive Ian Filby, who is retiring next month after an eight year tenure, was downbeat about consumer confidence and Brexit, saying that the results reflected an 'exceptional downturn in market demand'.

He added that the market seems to have 'recovered' since the start of the new financial year, but said the firm could be benefiting from deferred purchases.

'Overall we expect the market to remain subdued into 2019, constrained by political risk and weak consumer sentiment,' he said.

DFS' results stand in contrast to those issued by its rival ScS earlier this week. Its sturdy Sunderland-based competitor said its low price proposition has helped it buck the furniture blues.

But some other major players in the furniture market are in trouble. Sofa chains Multiyork and Fabb Sofas have slumped into administration, and floorings giant Carpetright has had to close nearly 100 shops. Meanwhile, low price furniture chain Harveys is reporting double-digit sales declines.

ScS said on Tuesday its full-year pre-tax profits rose by more than 10 per cent to 12.2million

Speaking to This is Money after the results, Filby said: 'We're in good form, and we've had a fantastic year,' dismissing the summer downturn as a short-term blip that had a negative impact on most out-of-town retailers.

'If you've got a choice between sofa shopping or a BBQ, the park or a beach when we have summers like we usually do in the UK this is rarely a category where people feel like they must buy a new sofa right now. We just have to recognise that and live with it,' he said.

DFS is experimenting with smaller stores

Preferring to look at the big picture, Filby said: 'The market has been a little subdued this year but this has enabled us to make record levels of investment and take advantage of the environment to acquire Sofology and some Multiyork assets.'

DFS group sales, including revenue from those recent acquisitions, rose 14.1 per cent to 870.5million, during the year. But when stripping that, sales for the year fell 2 per cent to 747.7million.

'A nice perspective to put on it is that, over the last eight years, the business has gone from having 22 per cent market share to 32 per cent,' Filby added.

DFS launched a new range of Joules sofas earlier this year, which is now available in 63 of its stores. Sales of its branded products, which include French Connection and House Beautiful, jumped 7 per cent.

How is DFS preparing for Brexit? Filby told This is Money that the company has contingency plans in place to cope with any kind of Brexit: 'We're aware of all the different permutations and we're prepared.' The business is supportive of all the retailers that want frictionless borders. However, unlike those reliant on quickly transporting fresh food across the borders, Filby said delays would not be 'an absolute disaster' for DFS. 'If we do find ourselves with delays, a few days extra wait won't fundamentally change the proposition,' he said. He also explained that World Trade Organisation tariffs in the furniture sector are zero, meaning a no-deal Brexit is unlikely to impact the cost of goods for DFS or its prices.

Commenting on the results, Ed Monk, an associate director at Fidelity, said DFS investors may have to sit it out.

'DFS had forewarned of trouble in the homeware market and these results bear it out. But it is only the latest in a series of disappointing updates,' he said.

'As a market leader DFS is well-placed to capitalise in a disrupted market and recent acquisitions should improve trading fundamentals. Today's results show investors may have to patient.'
Step forward: Regulators have given CYBG the green light to plough ahead with its takeover of Virgin Money

TAKEOVER BACKED Lender CYBG, which owns Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks, has been given regulatory approval for its 1.7billion takeover of Virgin Money.

BANK LAUNCH Berlin bank N26 is making its first foray into Britains digital banking space by rolling out a digital bank that it says has a UK waiting list that is 50,000-strong.

TOY JOY Toy shop chain The Entertainer has expansion in its sights after reporting, in the 12 months to January, a 38 per cent increase in profit supported by a 7.4 per cent boost to sales despite fierce competition from online-only retailers.

ENERGY FUND Asset manager Gresham House is floating a fund that hopes to raise 200million to invest in energy storage systems.

SALES UP Electronics products distributor Electrocomponents has posted a 10 per cent rise in like-for-like sales. It expects half-year profit to be around 100million.

SUNSHINE PROJECT The Foresight Solar Fund is planning to raise more than 34million by selling new shares and will spend the money on nine solar farms.

PASSENGERS SOAR Passenger numbers at budget airline EasyJet soared 14.2 per cent to 8.8m in September compared with a year earlier.

PARIS BASE Japanese bank Nomura is planning to open a small office in Paris to avoid disruption from Brexit for customers who want to borrow within the EU.

STRESS ADVISER The ailing German lender Deutsche Bank has hired consultant Oliver Wyman to help it pass the banking stress test in the US, after failing it this year.

TELECOM RAP US monitoring of Chinese telecoms giant ZTE has been extended by two years after it violated probation rules.

REVENUE RISE Budget hotel chain Travelodge boosted revenues 8 per cent to 317.2million in the six months to June 27 as it opened six new hotels.

LOSS WOE Fashion chain Alexander McQueen saw losses double to 4.4million last year after a major investment in a new store in London. Sales rose 2.1 per cent to 10.7million.

POWDER CASH Meal replacement powder firm Huel has gobbled up a 20million investment from private equity firm Highland Europe.
Crisis: Carol Sergeant is vice-chairman and head of the risk committee at Danske

A top British financier is at the heart of the massive money laundering scandal engulfing Danske Bank.

Carol Sergeant is vice-chairman and head of the risk committee at Danske, which is facing a crisis after handling 175billion of suspicious cash through its Estonian branch in Tallinn.

The Danish lender is now facing a probe by the US Department of Justice over claims that it handled huge amounts of dirty Russian money.

Sergeant, a former chief risk officer at Lloyds from 2004-11, who also had a distinguished career with regulators, has been on the board of Danske since 2013.

There is no suggestion that Sergeant has personally done anything wrong.

Before Lloyds, she had served on the board of the Financial Services Authority and was once considered to be a candidate to run the watchdog.

The 66-year-old was also head of supervision for major lenders at the Bank of England.
Rupert Murdoch sold his stake in 39 per cent Sky to Comcast for a11.6bn

Universal Studios owner Comcast has cemented its control of Sky, doing a 11.6billion deal with Rupert Murdoch.

The US giant said it had agreed to buy the 39 per cent of the broadcaster held by Murdochs 21st Century Fox.

This means it has secured more than 75pc of Skys shares, moving it a step closer to completing its 30billion takeover of the British company.

Last week Comcast built up a 37.7 per cent stake, after winning a dramatic bidding war with Fox which meant Murdoch failed for the second time to seize control of Sky.

He had previously dropped another bid in 2011 but swooped again in 2016.

Concerns raised by regulators, however, slowed the process and Comcast derailed the takeover with their bid earlier this year.